Huntsville Public Library unveils Community Impact Lab in partnership with Georgian College and YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka to spark rural innovation

Feb. 4, 2026

The Huntsville Public Library has officially launched a Community Impact Lab, a collaborative space designed to inspire innovation, foster inclusivity, and enhance community well-being.

Huntsville, ON – Feb. 4, 2026 | The Huntsville Public Library is proud to announce the official launch of its new Community Impact Lab, a collaborative space designed to bring community members together to innovate, create, and build sustainable ideas that enhance well-being and foster a sense of belonging.

This initiative, The Social Good Reserve, builds upon the Future of Belonging project, a collaboration between Georgian College and the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, aimed at bringing students, local residents and organizations together to tackle future-ready approaches to our biggest social and economic challenges we face as a region.

Today’s announcement also celebrates $1.1 million in funding that Georgian College received to support social innovation projects and research. This includes a $360,000 investment from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF), which will help expand Community Impact Labs across Simcoe/Muskoka, and strengthen collaboration between students, community partners, and rural communities, further enhancing the region’s capacity for innovation.

A key highlight of the event was the introduction of Social Innovation Canada as a strategic partner, bringing national expertise and guidance to the project. This collaboration underscores Georgian College’s commitment to fostering community well-being and advancing meaningful social and economic progress through applied social innovation.

“The Huntsville Community Impact Lab represents a critical puzzle piece for place-based problem solving in Canada,” said Andrea Nemtin, CEO, Social Innovation Canada. “By recognizing community institutions as innovation infrastructure and centering applied, local knowledge, this initiative opens up important pathways for rural communities to design the solutions they need. We look forward to supporting and scaling insights from this work.”

The new Huntsville Public Library Community Impact Lab will focus on:

• Promoting community engagement through workshops, events, and collaborative projects.
• Supporting local innovation by providing resources and tools for creative problem-solving.
• Boosting community well-being by fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity.

The lab is open to the public and will serve as a resource for individuals and community organizations to come together and develop solutions to local challenges.

“The Community Impact Lab is a perfect extension of what libraries offer in our communities daily: Connection, Engagement, Learning, Well-being, and Innovation,” said David Tremblay, CEO of Huntsville Public Library. “We couldn’t be more pleased to join this initiative with Georgian College’s Social Innovation Department and the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka on this transformative initiative.”

 “The Community Impact Lab has already been doing important work in Muskoka, and this move to the Huntsville Public Library ensures the work continues in a space that’s open, accessible and rooted in the community,” said Kevin Weaver, president and CEO of Georgian College. “ We’re proud to work alongside local partners to create opportunities for learning, collaboration, and innovation that strengthen our region.” 

The event concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a tour of the new lab, showcasing its tools and resources for fostering innovation and collaboration. The Huntsville Public Library invites all community members to come and explore the new Community Impact Lab.

To learn more about the Future of Belonging project and Community Impact Lab please visit futureofbelonging.ca.

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For media inquiries: 

Georgian College:

Philip Scheirich, Media Relations Officer

Philip.scheirich@georgiancollege.ca | 705.627.6398

Huntsville Public Library:

Saleem Hall, Community Engagement Officer

saleem.hall@huntsvillelibrary.ca | 705.789.5232 ext 3408

At Georgian College, students are at the heart of everything we do. As a recognized leader in career-focused education and hands-on learning, Georgian is more than an education ― it’s an experience! We offer more than 130 market-driven programs, including degrees, diplomas, certificates, and apprenticeships. Georgian excels at applied, work-integrated learning, supported by small class sizes and comprehensive student services. Our dedication delivers results: Georgian consistently ranks among Ontario’s top colleges for graduate employment at 90.3 per cent. We are also Canada’s only Ashoka U Changemaker College—recognized for leadership in social innovation—and our broader institutional impact contributes significantly to economic growth and workforce development across the regions we serve.