Petrolia Library Renovation Celebrated

Petrolia, ON – Local government officials and visitors to Petrolia Library celebrated its recent renovation today by holding a ribbon cutting ceremony at the 119-year-old historic train station in downtown Petrolia.

Petrolia Library reopened on May 7 following a five-week closure that allowed the County of Lambton and the Town of Petrolia to undertake a renovation project funded primarily through a generous bequest from the estate of Otto and Kathleen (Cunningham) Schuldt.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Schuldt which has helped us rejuvenate this space and enhance the library’s offerings, particularly for children,” said Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott. “This library has a long history of serving the residents of the Town of Petrolia and the Township of Enniskillen and the renovation has helped modernize some of our spaces and functions, while maintaining the unique character of this heritage building with its impressive architecture.”

The renovation, conducted in partnership with the Town of Petrolia, allowed for the installation of new flooring and an early literacy station in the children’s library, a new accessible service counter in a new location, and a relocated public computer workstation area, with new furnishings. The library was also repainted, its wooden floors refinished, and repairs were made to the front doors.

“We are so appreciative of the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Schuldt, and for their gift acknowledging that our library is a gathering place for the residents of Petrolia and area, and indeed, a very important venue for people of all ages. I am very pleased to see the facility updates and improvements to this beautiful heritage building and that the space will continue to serve families for many years,” said Petrolia Mayor, Brad Loosley.

A portion of a $440,577.15 bequest, which was used to establish the Otto and Kathleen (Cunningham) Schuldt Reserve Fund, was used to fund the renovation. While Kathleen and Otto appear to have spent the bulk of their lives living in the Greater Toronto Area, Kathleen was raised and educated in Petrolia, and she and her husband left their estate to several organizations based in Petrolia, including the Petrolia Library.

Petrolia Library houses more than 7,600 items, in addition to having access to Lambton County Library’s full collection of more than 200,000 items, and most items are available for borrowing with a Lambton County Library card. Library card membership is free to anyone who lives, works, studies, or owns property in Lambton County and anyone living in a First Nations community in Ontario. Items located at other libraries can also be reserved and transported to Petrolia Library for pickup.

Petrolia Library is open from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Lambton County Library membership also includes access to the library’s catalogue and a variety of electronic resources at www.lclibrary.ca.

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