By: Matt Weingarden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
Lakeshore council has voted to pass on support of the St. Joachim church renovation with a $120,000 donation this year, however, according to Lakeshore mayor Tracey Bailey, the door is open to future discussions on sustainably support their work while maintaining parity with contributions to similar organizations in Lakeshore’s communities.
A presentation was held at a recent council meeting by Paul Mullins, who is spearheading the work at the church. A not-for-profit called “927 St. Joachim L’Association” has been established and the group was looking for support from council on paper, as well as financial support from the Municipality. The request would help establish, administer and maintain a multi-use recreational facility in St. Joachim and provide a public amenity by establishing and maintaining a Francophone museum for the education and benefit of the public. The funds would come from community benefit revenues.
“While Council and I recognized the important work happening at St. Joachim church, we also had to consider the significant financial burden that our municipality is facing. The recent Water and Wastewater Master Plan, for instance, identified nearly $500 million worth of spending necessary to serve Lakeshore’s communities. Every decision that Council makes, on projects and initiatives of all sizes, must ensure our long-term financial sustainability,” said Bailey.
Council is united in recognizing the importance of local history as well as the hard work of the volunteers across Lakeshore who work to preserve that history. Every year, Lakeshore provides stable and sustainable grant funding to the Maidstone Museum, Comber Historical Society, and the John Freeman Walls Underground Railroad Museum. The work of these organizations protects our incredible heritage assets while ensuring Lakeshore residents can continue to learn about the history of their communities.
“We greatly appreciate the work that’s been done at St. Joachim Church. The church is an important part of the community’s history, and the volunteers have made great strides in protecting it as a heritage asset for generations to come.” added Bailey.
Mullins said that he was disappointed with the decision.
“The group of volunteers has been able to get to this point…there is great commitment there,” said Mullins. This is a set back and a lot of works needs to be done. I’m quite confident that we can make those bells ring again in St. Joachim again.”
