The former post office at 12 Queen Street — Lakefield’s tallest building and a downtown landmark — has officially reopened following a $1.6-million retrofit project to create an accessible and comfortable community space.
Selwyn Township Mayor Sherry Senis led a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside councillors on Saturday morning (April 27), followed by tours of the renovated building.
“The reopening is a historic and defining moment,” Senis said in a media release. “Through this project, we’re preserving the past, embracing the present, and shaping the future by enhancing this historic building with modern comforts. We are here at this beautiful building to celebrate, acknowledge and honour our rich history, while looking towards the future.”
Designed by architect David Ewart and constructed in 1914, the building with its four-sided clock tower served as the village’s post office for 60 years from 1916 to 1976, and has also housed apartments and recreational retail space.
Most recently, it was the home of the Lakefield offices for both the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce & Tourism (now amalgamated with the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce) and the Peterborough Police Service.
The building received municipal heritage designation in 2014 during its 100th anniversary celebration.
Selwyn Township initiated the retrofit project as the building needed accessibility upgrades and repairs, in part due to its age. The newly renovated building now includes a fully accessible main entrance leading to an elevator, an accessible public washroom, modernized office space, a boardroom, and two kitchenettes.
The township contributed around $950,000 for the project and, in 2022, was approved for $750,000 from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
“This unique space will be an important, innovative hub for local entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow their ideas,” said FedDev Ontario minister Filomena Tassi. “The Government of Canada is investing in projects that support small businesses and grow communities.”
