This atrium and multi-use space has been built by and for a community who believes in the power of creativity, connection, and belonging.
What We Did
In October 2024, we broke ground and began our construction of a 3,500-square-foot addition to our existing building that features:
⭐ A multi-use space for community gatherings, performances, exhibitions and other events
⭐ Fully accessible spaces, including universal washrooms
⭐ A new servery-style kitchen and other hospitality infrastructure
Why We Did It
Our mission is to ignite creativity, foster connection and build community through the arts. We want everyone to feel welcome here. To continue fulfilling this mission, we addressed some of the physical constraints of our space:
⭐ While our building — an 1856 heritage schoolhouse — has always been beautiful and part of the community’s rich history, it couldn’t accommodate large gatherings or people with mobility constraints, and lacked clear wayfinding for visitors.
⭐ Demand for our programs and events far exceeded what our previous space could offer. We found we had to turn away more than half of the requests we received to use our space because our building wasn’t accessible or because we were already fully booked.
⭐ Our community is growing, and we need to grow with it! As an arts and culture hub for Wellington County, the Arts Centre serves more than 50,000 people every year, offering exhibitions, performances, community events, summer camps, office and studio space for local artists and arts groups, and a range of programs and services for all ages. We simply needed more space to meet the demands of our growing community.
How It Benefits Our Community
This expansion:
Contributes to the vibrancy and health of our region, strengthening Centre Wellington as a key arts and tourism community
Breaks down barriers to participation in the arts by giving even more people the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities at the Arts Centre
Ensures the Arts Centre is accessible for everyone in the community and is a space where everyone feels like they belong
Provides a much-needed gathering space for community members and groups in the area
Allows us to introduce new programs for seniors and accommodate people with mobility constraints
Helps us become more financially sustainable in the long term
Directly impacts the lives of people in our community, helping them build skills like creative thinking and resiliency
Continues the legacy of an Arts Centre by and for the community for generations to come
With gratitude…
Thanks to the generosity of so many in this community – the individuals, businesses, organizations, foundations and government bodies listed below – we reached our fundraising goal and our bold vision for the new expansion is now a reality.
This fully accessible addition transforms our historic schoolhouse into an inclusive hub where creativity, connection and community can thrive. What was once a limitation is now an invitation: a space where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can gather, create and belong.
We are deeply grateful to every supporter who made this possible. Thank you for leaving your mark on the future of the arts in Centre Wellington and beyond – and for helping to strengthen and uplift our community for generations to come.
Visionary Gifts ($200,000 and Above)
Government of Canada
MacDonald Trust Fund (through the Township of Centre Wellington)
The Dalglish Family Foundation
Ontario Trillium Foundation
Bob & Lynn Cameron & Family
Leadership Gifts ($100,000 to $199,999)
RBC Foundation
SRM Architects & Urban Designers
The Altman Family
Major Gifts ($25,000 to $99,999)
Alpha Marketing International
Dakon Construction
David & Nancy Hurlburt
Elora Mill
George & Jennifer Mochrie
Nexans
printFactor Media
The Ashdown Family
Wellington Advertiser
Xanadu Homes
Supporting Gifts ($10,000 to $24,999)
Anonymous
Centre Wellington Community Foundation – Jack R. MacDonald Fund
Dalton Associates
Don Vallery
FCC
Grand River Agricultural Society
J.P. Bickell Foundation
Joe & Debbie Somfay
Kathryn Giffen
Lorraine & Simon Greaves
Peter & Susan McPhedran
Susan & David James
Tacoma Engineers
The Bonnell Family
The Koop Family
W.C. Wood Foundation
Wallenstein Feed Charitable Foundation
Engage Gifts ($1,000 to $9,999)
Adarsh Nanda
Alex Goytisolo
Allegra Cairns
Annerose & Jonathan Schmidt
Annie Tobias
Anonymous
Aypa Power Canada
B.E.N. Stoneworks Ltd.
Bandroai Inc.
Barb Minett
Barbara & Donald Kidd
Barbara Peloso
Barry McCarthy & Gail Brown
Bigelow Flooring
Brent Garbett
Brian & Diane Gray
Bronwynne Wilton & Pierre Chauvin
Cambia Development Foundation
Carl Dalton
Carolyn & Tom Skimson
Cecil & Ruth Anne Bauman
Cheryl Ruddock
Clarissa & Andrew Burke
Cora Cluett
Dakota Rogers & Alex Watts
David Brown
Deb & Shawn Watters
Deb Stark & Howard Dobson
Dietrich Kurtz McKay Wealth Management Group
Doug & Donna Jackson
Doug Kirton
Dr. Kate Anderson and Edward Thomas
Ecclestone Financial Group
Eileen MacArthur
Elora Home Hardware
Eric Oakley & Susan Thorning
Gail Richardson & Berry Smith
Graeme Cairns
Greg Boland & Shannon Shan
Jackie & Jim Ranahan
James Lahey
Jan Beveridge
Janette Hayhoe
Janice Foot
JCT Metals
Jean Innes & Miguel Jardim
Jennifer & Patrick Otto
Jessica Mouret
JoAnn Martin
Jo-Anne Harder
John & Clova Anderson
John & Eleanor Morris
John Kissick
Jon Warland & Shirley Al
Kirk & Julie McElwain
Kittel Mechanical
Kris & Caileigh Butler
Laura Greenway
Laurie Skantzos
Lawrence Kraemer
Linda Mather
Linda O’Neill
Lisa Roszel
Liz MacLennan
Lyn May
Lynda & Bob Grant
Mapleton Mechanical
Margot Mouret
Marion & Stu Oxley
Mark Anderson & Marty Van Vliet
Martin Pearce
Martin Simmons Sweers Architects
McLean Smits Foundation
Melissa Doherty
Melissa Seagrove & Terry Godreau
Melissa Watkins & Chris Jess
Menai Wardle
Michael Allgoewer
Michael Madden and Ralph Bertram
Michael Von Massow & Dr. Sheryl Howe
Mike & Fran Lee
Molly Kleiker & Stuart Reed
Murray Laufer & Marie Day
MV Real Estate Brokerage
Nadine Arsenault
Pete & Mary-Kay Goindi
Pete Smith
Pollock Family Foundation
Resa Lent
Riel Cairns & Allegra Cairns
Riverfest Elora
Robbie Keith
Ron Eady
Ron Shuebrook
RTO4
Ryan Price
Sabine Maarse
Sallie Smyth
Schoolhouse Arts Collective
Scott Everingham
Scott Gilmore
SETH
Shannon Kornelsen
Sharon Carr
Shelley B. Sheridan
Sheri Cockerill
Shirley & Deryk Smith
Stefan Berg
Stirling Marathon
Stonex Stonex
Susan Brown
Ted McMurrich
The Anderson Cannon family
The Fischer/Peppler Family
The Frasson Family
The Korol Rooney Family
The Musagetes Fund, held at WRCF
The Pillars Elora
Thos & Dee Ryans
Tim & Teri Hranka
Tivoli Films Inc.
Todd Neath
Vicki & Seth Wyga
Vincea McLelland
Wrighthaven Homes
Wyonna Peppler
Zak, Lola, Wolfe Baird & Kate Guy
Community Gifts (Up to $999)
Alex Frasson
Amanda Phillips
Amanda Smith
Andrew & Bronwyn Tolmie
Andy McNeill
Anne Hobbs
Anne Simpson
Anonymous
Aria Boutique
Art & Karen Kollee
B. Warland & H. Gibson
Barb & Greg Smith-Young
Barb Gooch
Barb Lee
Barb Palk & Jon Warwick
Barbara Bartle
Barbara Watts
Bernadette Peets
Beth Nesbitt
Beverly-Ann Woods
Bonnie Lesky
Bonnie McEachern
Brenda LaRose
Brenda Murphy
Brian & Barb Schuett
Brian Rice
Bryan Hayter
Burna Wilton
Byron Burley
Caitlin Williams
Carol Hughes
Caroline Gray
Carolyn Miller
Carrie & Ed Huth
Cate Welsh
Catherine Lockhart
Catherine MacMaster
Celestine Maclachlan
Charlotte Rosewarne
Chris Ahlers
Cindy & Jim Lindsay
Cindy Bush
Cindy Younan
Claudia Lambert
Colin Carney
Colin Richardson
Curt Hammond
Daina Hunter
Dave MacArthur
David Bell
David Worts
Dean & Roberta Scarrow
Deanna & Brian Nevett
Debra Kurt
Denise Moore
Dennis Zinger
Diane Lyons
Dianna Douglas
Dianne Snyder
Don & Barb Evoy
Don Eaton
Donna McCaw
Dorothy Hemingway
Dr. David Knight
Eliza Crosland
Elizabeth Edwards
Ellen Helps
Elysia DeLaurentis
Emilie Embrey
Emily Auger
Eric Oh
Erica & Rob Voisin
Erinn Steringa & James Burt
Eva Lane & Chris Laser
Evelyn Lee
Evergreen Flooring
Flavio & Nikki Gomes
Fred Brydges
Gary & Nancy White
Gary Bryant
Gerald & Sue Benham
Gillian Shoemaker
Gina Holstead
Ginette Duhamel
Gisela Ruehe
Glen & Donna Kelley
Glenna Munro
Gord Harris
Grace Rasmussen
Graeme Stewart
Graham Angus
Grayce Perry
Grazyna Adamska
Gwen Swick
Handsome Devil Bistro
Heather Boswell
Heather Craig
Heather Degen
Heather Giffen
Heather Kersell
Heidi May
Heritage River
Ian MacRae
Jackie & Mike Long
James Embrey
James Scott
Jan Durban
Jan Feduck
Janet Anderson
Janet Noeker
Janice Thomson
Janine Smith
Jean Prichard
Jeff & Debbie Ostic
Jeff Lehmann
Jeff Negrave
Jenn Locke
Jennifer Adams
Jennifer Harvard
Jennifer Kennedy
Jennifer Matz
Jennifer Perry
Jenny Baldwin
Jenny Fleming
Jenny Ritter
Jenny Schukow
Jessica Ing
Jim & Jane Wilson
Joan Chamberlain
Jo-Ann Valeriote
Joanne Andrews
Jody Mount
Joel Masewich
Joel Wilson
John & Sara Brotman
Jon Gatten
Joy Durley
Joyce Buck
Joyce Roth
Judith & Sidney Feldman
Judith Gunter
Judith Hardy
Judy French
Julia Ferguson
Julia Hanigsberg
Julia McNeely
Julie Denneny
Julie Wheeler Bryant
K. Stanley & R. Dufau
Karen & Al McMillan
Karen Bell
Karen Hoover
Karen Huband
Karen Lombard
Karen Silverstone
Karla Janutka – De Borger
Kate Ann Vandermeer
Kate Wright
Katelynn Allen
Katherine Gammie
Katherine Wainman
Kathleen Simpson
Kathy Mayo
Katy & Nick Groves
Kevin Robson
Kevin Warren
Kimberley Silva
Kori Baldwin
Larry & Shirley Scott
Laura & Ted Alexander
Laura Feil
Leah Ferguson
Lena Nudds
Liisa Kukk
Linda Lane
Linda Rankine
Linda Vines
Lindsay Laporte
Lionel Gould
Lorenzo & Tracy Ruffini
Lori Caron
Lori Hintermeister
Lorraine Tierney
Louise Beney
Louise Cako
Louise Rothenburg
Lucille Pacey
Lui Daniel
Lyn Westfall
Maria Giffen
Maria Pezzano
Maria Spinato
Mark Hemingway & Clare Burns
Mark Lai
Mary Karavos
Mary Manning
Maryam Ebrahimi
MaryAnne Alexander
Matt McQuade
Megan Clark
Michael & Nancy Goldberg
Michael Meades
Nadine McEwen
Nancy Ariss
Nancy Baker
Nancy Olson-Van Veen
Nicholas Kosonic
Olga & Rich Mondoux
P. McLaughlin & S. Haigh
Pandora’s Box Contracting
Pat Hornsby
Patricia MacDougald
Paul & Holly Whitaker
Paul Smith
Pauline Grove
Pearl VanGeest
Peter Fisher
Phil Irish
Rachel Harder
Renate Karger
Richard Hill
R. Gorrie & W. Agnew
Rob Hammond
Robert Norrie
Robin Gow
Roque Roofing
Ryan Morreau
Samuel Hayes
Sandra & Paul Valeriote
Sandra Edwards
Sandy Bassie
Sarah Gardiner
Sarah Sheppard
Sean & Jennine Paul
Sean Price
Sensational Elora
Shannon Muegge
Shari Roberts
Sharon Betton
Sheena Gruber
Sheila Corrigan
Shelley Adams
Shelley Carter
Sheryl Teasell
Shurli Chohan
Sophie Hogan
Staci Barron
Stef Clark
Stephanie Cairns
Stephanie Mae Toohill
Steve & Corynn Billing
Stewart Family
Supria Karmakar
Susan Blair
Susan Chamberlain Taylor
Susan Worts
Tammy Ratcliff
Tara Schuett
Ted & Michelle Lyons
Terrilynn Dennis-Hobson
The Wild Tart
Tim Salter
Tina Barlow
Tina Buckton
Tina Meissner
Tom Woods
Tracy & Jeff Brubacher
Trailside Eye Care
Uta Parks
Valerie & Bill Tibbles
Vera Kisseleva
Verne Harrison
Victoria Randles
Wendy Armstrong
Will Teron
Willow Hobson
WSMP Wealth Management
Wynn & Frank Schmidt
To view our list of all ECFTA donors by fiscal year, please visit our “Meet our Donors” page.
