Terraced Green of Acton Branch Library Officially Open

Mayor Rick Bonnette, Members of Council, Members of the Halton Hills Public Library Board, Jane Diamanti, Director of Library Services, and representatives of Dufferin Aggregates, a division of Holcim Canada Inc. joined Library staff, volunteers, patrons and community partners for the official opening ceremony of the Terraced Green of the Acton Branch – Halton Hills Public Library.

“This beautiful outdoor space is a remarkable addition to our Library and to Acton,” said Mayor Bonnette. “Thanks to the generous support of Dufferin Aggregates, this area was made possible. Not only is it a great place to meet with friends and family, but also it is a great place to learn more about the history of Acton and the important role that limestone and aggregates have played in it.”

The Terraced Green, situated to the west of the branch, was created with the sponsorship of Dufferin Aggregates, a division of Holcim Canada Inc. Today, they presented a cheque for $50,000 to the Mayor to provide for the stone seating, native trees and shrubs and interpretive signage about the history of aggregates in Halton Hills.

“As a major local employer and a long-standing partner in the Acton community, Dufferin Aggregates, has a long-term commitment to building vibrant and sustainable communities. We are both delighted and honoured to be part of the Terraced Green of the Acton Branch,“ stated Andrea Bourrie, Director, Planning & Regulatory Affairs, Holcim Canada Inc. “It is a great fit with our philosophy of supporting public spaces that provide a platform for the community to gather, engage and promote excellence.”

The Terraced Green is a fitting new complement to the environmentally-friendly branch and will be used in future library programming and events. The Library has recently applied for the gold level of LEED (an international certification which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The use of native trees, grasses and shrubs that require no additional irrigation beyond natural rainfall, was an important component of this application.

Town of Halton Hills Parks staff – specifically, Warren Harris and Kevin Okimi – created the comprehensive landscape design plan which involved the planting of 611 shrubs, 368 perennials, 310 grasses and 44 trees.

“We are excited to add this exceptional green area to our new Acton Branch,” added Jane Diamanti, Director of Library Services for the Town of Halton Hills. “It will become a much-loved gathering place, a sunny retreat for enjoying lunch or a good book, and a unique outdoor venue for local arts and cultural events.”

“Our new Acton Branch has been an incredible success with our usage steadily increasing month after month” said Ms. Diamanti. “In the month of May 2011, we saw a nearly 200% increase in the number of items borrowed over the same period as last year. I have no doubt, that the community reaction to this lovely new outdoor space and the programming that we will now be able to offer in it, will be the same.”

The creation of the Terraced Green involved the efforts of many individuals and organizations – the Town of Halton Hills Recreation and Parks staff; Limehouse Kiln Society’s, Mary Shrier; local historian, John McDonald; Melloul-Blamey Construction, Chamberlain Architects and ZAS designs, and the Acton Branch Planning Committee.

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