Which hall is small?

Not every “old hall” in Clearview will be represented at the Township’s Small Halls Festival, which is planned for the fall.

The festival will feature events (such as music shows and card games) at each of the Township-owned community halls: Station on the Green, Avening, Dunedin, Duntroon, Nottawa, Brentwood and Sunnidale.

It will also take place at the Community Centre in Stayner (where there is no “small hall”) and at Singhampton’s community-owned hall.

But some residents of other areas such as New Lowell, which does not have a small hall, wonder why the festival couldn’t host events at its Legion Hall instead.

“In our first year we are trying to make the event manageable,” said Shane Sargant, Clearview’s Community Culture and Recreation Coordinator.

“We will start off with these ones and depending on the success of the festival, we will look at expanding the concept. We did think about other halls, such as church halls and Legion Halls, but we need to walk before we can run.”

Although Singhampton’s hall is not owned by the Township, the not-for-profit group that runs it heard about the project and asked to be involved, Sargant explained.

In the meantime, Sargant said the Township is working with New Lowell to expand its annual winter festival, Winterama.

“This was the first year the Township increased its partnership with Winterfest,” said Sargant. “We are already meeting with organizers to enhance it for next year. To run events in New Lowell is definitely on the department’s radar.”