Aged washrooms* at the Queens County Fair Grounds in Caledonia are getting a facelift.

Construction has already started on the new building which will be larger, safer, and completely accessible. Secretary/Manager of the Queens County Fairgrounds Doreen Holdright says the repairs are long overdue.

“They were basically condemned about 15 years ago and I don’t remember when they were actually built,” said Holdright.

The estimated $102,300 total cost of the project is being covered by a pair of contributions. The Queens County Fairgrounds received $77,073 in ACOA funding through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) in February 2022.

At their most recent council meeting, the Region of Queens approved a grant of $25,575 from their Community Investment Fund.

Mayor Darlene Norman says council was pleased to cover the balance and support the hard-working people of Caledonia who keep the fairgrounds going. Norman says a conversation with a student highlighted the need to improve upon the previous building.

“One of the kids, I was at the high school the other day said, 'Mrs. Norman, are the walls going to go all the way to the roof? Because, you know, the guys could always stand up and look over.' And I said, 'oh yes, the walls are going to the roof.' So, it’s great. It’s a great improvement,” said Norman.

Holdright expects construction on the new washrooms will be complete ahead of the May 21 Spring Horse Pull.

She says now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, 2022 will see a full roster of events at the fairgrounds, culminating in the annual Queens County Fair Sep. 20-24.

* A previous version of this story mis-identified the pavilion instead of the washrooms as the building under construction. Work on the pavilion was completed last fall. 

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