Curious Communities Continues to Grow with Clarington Board of Trade Partnership

For immediate release

Curious Communities Continues to Grow with Clarington Board of Trade Partnership

January 15, 2026—Clarington Library, Museums & Archives (CLMA) is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Clarington Board of Trade (CBOT) in expanding the Curious Communities initiative.

Curious Communities is a library card discount program that helps community members save money while supporting local businesses. Participating businesses offer discounts or promotions to library card holders, with CLMA connecting them to an engaged and community-minded audience. Curious Communities was recently shortlisted for the Minister’s Award for Innovation, part of the Ontario Public Library Service Awards.

“This partnership is a natural fit for both CLMA and CBOT,” states Monika Machacek, CEO of Clarington Library, Museums & Archives. “We’re both organizations dedicated to furthering growth, development, and engagement in our local community. We’re excited and honoured to be working together and sharing our commitment to encouraging residents to discover their community.”

“Through our partnership with the CLMA, CBOT is proud to help connect local businesses with residents in a way that strengthens both our economy and our community”, states Bonnie Wrightman, Executive Director of the Clarington Board of Trade. “By encouraging Clarington businesses to offer discounts or promotions to library card holders, we’re not only expanding opportunities to support local business, but also elevating the value of a library card as a gateway to literacy, lifelong learning, and community connection. This initiative creates a win-win: businesses gain meaningful exposure and engagement, and residents are rewarded for investing in learning and curiosity.”

The new partnership expands Curious Communities to more participating businesses, delivering added savings for library card holders and enhanced exposure for the diverse local shops and services that make Clarington a vibrant community. This collaboration supports both organizations’ goals to help make Clarington a welcoming destination where people love to explore, learn, and support local.

For more information about the Curious Communities initiative and a full list of participating businesses, please see the CLMA website at: cplma.ca/CuriousCommunities. 

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Contact:
Samantha Aitken
Manager, Marketing & Community Engagement
Clarington Library, Museums & Archives
saitken@cplma.ca