Surrounded by members of the Friends of the Port Elgin Library, Friends Chair Debra Seyler cut the birthday cake December 1 to celebrate the library's 110th birthday.

“A Library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.” ~ Andrew Carnegie

Hub Staff

The Friends of the Port Elgin Library celebrated the grand structure's 110th birthday December 1 with a celebration featuring cake, guessing games and local historical facts about the building and its surrounding neighbours in 1908 on the Mill Street intersection.

When first constructed by the Carnegie Foundation the historic building housed the Town Hall, the Post Office and offered more than 4,000 books to adult readers. Its first librarian was Flora Ann MacKay, a teacher from Bruce Township. According to 1911 census records, Pearl Wismer was also a librarian and earned a yearly salary of $250.

In 1990 the library received a provincial designation as a heritage building which recognized its significant design elements and ensured that it would remain intact. Expansions in its 100th year made the library accessible to all and it was reopened with modern features in April 2009.

Jo-Anne Hamer reminisced about the Port Elgin Library’s past with other Friends of the Library at the 110th birthday celebration December 1.

Attendees perused through historical documents that are available at the Port Elgin Library Branch.

There were two cakes served at the birthday celebration depicting the Port Elgin Library then and now.