Dedication and opening of memorial library at Harrowsmith PS

May 13, 2010

Pat Chase, Laurie Handforth, Tanya Collett, Terra Collett-Stewart and Brenda Hunter outside the new library at HPS

Students, staff, community members and school and township dignitaries, along with members of the Handforth and Collett families, gathered on May 6 at Harrowsmith Public school for the official dedication and opening of the Audrey Handforth and Jewel Collett Memorial Library.

The library was named for two women, both now deceased, who worked at the school library and dedicated their time and energy on a daily basis to enhancing and cultivating student literacy and the love of reading at the school.

The ceremony began in the gym where a number of speakers, LDSB Trustee Barb McLaren, Director of education Brenda Hunter, Mayor Gary Davison, President of CUPE 1480 Donna Jackson, HPS council chair Murray Aitken and Pat Chase, chair of the HPS library committee, spoke fondly of the two women who inspired the project.

Principal Jim Horan opened the ceremony and spoke of the two women whose “legacies are now infused into this community for many generations to come.”

After the official ribbon cutting outside the library, guests gathered inside where members of both families were inundated with hugs and kisses and reminisced with guests about the women who inspired the project that will serve the school and community for years to come.