4-H Ontario announced recently that its headquarters will soon be relocating to Rockwood, from its current home on Highway 6 north of Guelph.
4-H Ontario took possession of a commercially-zoned century home located at 111 Main Street in Rockwood in early December.
A move-in date is still to be determined, but is forecast for late winter or early spring.
The search for new space to house 4-H Ontario began in the interest of providing fully-accessible services, specifically in meeting requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
However, the opportunities resulting from the move extend even further.
“This move presents an incredible opportunity for us, not only in terms of serving our volunteers, members, stakeholders and the public with dignity, but also, with the opportunity to create a permanent home, a hub for 4-H Ontario, and a showcase for our history,” John den Haan, president of the Ontario 4-H Council, said in a press release.
An exhaustive search of properties for lease and sale in Wellington County led 4-H Ontario to the village of Rockwood, a central location in the county where, officials say, property values are affordable.
“The Ontario 4-H Council is confident that purchasing property represents a strong investment for the organization,” said den Haan.
4-H Ontario employs 19 full-time staff, of whom two-thirds are centralized in the provincial headquarters.
For over a decade, 4-H Ontario has been a tenant of EastGen at its facility on Highway 6 North, outside of Guelph.
4-H Ontario executive director Wraychel Horne says “the strong partnership and support of EastGen is to the credit for much of the strengthening of 4-H Ontario in the past 12 years.”
4-H Ontario will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, and Horne states, “we’re very excited to have this property as a showcase for our storied history in time for that momentous occasion.”
