Backus-Page House Joins the Community Museum Operating Grant Program

TYRCONNELL -- It may be off season at the Backus-Page House Museum but that doesn't mean that things are at a standstill onsite.
The museum was recently accepted into the community museum operating grant program.
The program provides annual funding to more than 180 community museums helping them promote, preserve and protect Ontario's heritage. Community museums qualifying for acceptance have worked to meet the level of professionalism for museum and conservation administrative practices as set out in the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation's standards for community museums in Ontario.
The funding will be used by the Backus-Page House Museum to help cover annual operating expenses.

Finally Free From the Floppy Disk

The hard drive crash of the office desk top computer in 2008 required the THS to seek funds to replace and update our administrative tools. The Society is grateful to those individuals who generously donated to help assist with that program. As well as receiving financial support from our THS membership the Society was also the recipient of a Community Fund grant of $400.00 from the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation.

Located in St. Thomas, the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation works to respond to community needs and provide support to Elgin County charities with sustainable 'into perpetuity' funding. Building endowed funds since 2005, the Foundation currently hold assets of over $570,000 and they have granted over $84,000 to dozens of local charities, while preserving community capital to provide sustainable ongoing funding. The Foundation’s Funds and Services provide a wide range of opportunities for donors and Elgin County charities. †

Through the generosity of our membership and the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation, the Tyrconnell Heritage Society was able to purchase a new desktop computer and monitor along with contemporary hardware and software. The new equipment has aided the office administration to better meet the needs of the Tyrconnell Heritage Society membership as well as local community members and organizations. Freeing the Society administration from floppy disks and outdated software, this important and valuable equipment upgrade has facilitated our classroom outreach activities, public education agenda, demonstration and lecture programming. The financial support of our membership and the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation have allowed the Tyrconnell Heritage Society to continue to create a strong, rich cultural base for area organizations, local residents and surrounding communities.

†Source~www.escf.ca