Other Events and Programs

The Haldimand County Public Library invites residents of all ages to get creative and participate in its 12th  Annual April Poetry Contest. Submissions open on April 1. 

This year’s theme is Family. Poems can explore the importance of family, what family means to you, or a specific aspect of family life such as love, birth, or loss. Poems can also illustrate the different emotional bonds we have with non-relatives, including pets or friends, creating a diverse range of families.

On Friday March 21st 2025, International Poetry Day, the Caledonia Branch opened a temporary public art exhibit in it’s inside foyer window.

This project is a part of the STEPS Public Art Residency & Fellowship Program, which fosters public art skills in artists across the country. This project transformed local poet Cassie Liviero’s poem, I Am, into public art. 

Cassie Liviero is a Haldimand resident, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, a social worker, and a published poet. Her work is rooted in the human experience, and disability lived experience. Her work aims to amplify what is essential for disabled individuals to access full and meaningful lives, their wants and their desires. 

STEPS Public Art is a Canadian charity and social enterprise. STEPS offers services in public art management, hoarding exhibits, cultural planning, and artist capacity building. Their charitable programs support artists and foster vibrant and inclusive communities across the country. 

All members of the public are invited to visit the Caledonia Branch during opening hours to enjoy the display until the fall of 2025. 

Through a partnership with Service Canada, the Library is hosting in-person clinics and information sessions about government benefits and services. 

These clinics offer free one-on-one assistance with accessing government services, registering for government benefits and more. No appointment is necessary and they are open to everyone. 

The information sessions are meant to offer in depth information on a certain topic related to government services, pensions, family benefits and more. 

Registration: No registration is required for the clinics or information sessions.

Locations offered: Caledonia, Cayuga, Dunnville, Hagersville and Jarvis. 

Please visit the Service Canada Sessions information page on the library website or visit your local branch to learn when and where the clinics are being offered and what topic will be discussed at each information session. 

The Haldimand County Public Library is committed to fostering inclusive spaces and resources, by embracing a philosophy of diversity and equity. Our goal is to actively build and promote diverse collections, programs and services, while identifying and adressing barriers to accessibility through an inclusion lens.

To support this commitment, the library will, on a quarterly basis, showcase collections and deliver programs featuring a universal theme as experienced by individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds. We strive to explore each topic through displays, programs and informational resources that ensure meaningful engagement and representation of all Haldimand County's community members.

This quarter's theme is Diversity in Family. 

Please visit or contact your local branch for more information.