$28,000 OTF Grant to Joe’s M.I.L.L. will improve access to instruments and improve its technology

Kingston, ON – On Wednesday, local MPP Ted Hsu met with the team at the Joe
Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Library (Joe’s M.I.L.L.) to hear more about the
$28,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant they received from the Government of
Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
“I’m very pleased that more people in the Kingston region will be able to access Joe’s
M.I.L.L through their weekly pop-ups at the Rideau Heights Centre, made possible by
the OTF, Resilient Communities Fund grant. The pop-ups and improvements to the
lending systems will foster a love of music and help ensure that everyone can
experience the joy of playing an instrument. which was the dream of Joe Chithalen, and
the inspiration behind Joe’s M.I.L.L.” said Ted Hsu, MPP for Kingston and the Islands.
The grant is being used to improve access to the M.I.L.L.’s instruments by creating
weekly pop-ups in Kingston’s Rideau Heights community, and to ensure the M.I.L.L.’s
financial technology platform and operational process are up-to-date. The project was
started in April of 2023 and will continue until April of 2025.
"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Denis
Leroux, President of the M.I.L.L.’s Board of Directors. “This grant has allowed us to
provide access to instruments to people in the community who may be unable to or find
it difficult to come to the Tett Centre, and to enjoy the thrill of borrowing a musical
instrument. It will also ensure that our financial technology and operational processes
are up-to-date, and streamline the process for borrowing an instrument.
Joe’s M.I.L.L. is a non-profit musical instrument library located in Kingston, Ontario. It
was inspired by the late Joe Chithalen, a talented bass player who wanted everyone to
experience the joy of playing an instrument. Several years and over 1,000 instruments
later, Joe’s M.I.L.L. is a thriving, charitable organization powered by it’s volunteers and
community partnerships. Joe’s M.I.L.L has over 1,000 instruments and resources

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including guitars, keyboards, drums, horns, violins, percussion, amplifiers, exotic
instruments, sheet music, and much more – and they’re all available to borrow free of
charge!
“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,”
said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my
ministry is providing through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure
that these programs and spaces remain the heart of communities across our province.”
The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant
communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of
Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022
community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.