Meet me at the Z.The Straight Goods on the ZVL
May 22, 2026: As the reopening of the Zoé Vallé Memorial Library approaches, we wanted to share our excitement. We are thrilled to have been entrusted with shepherding this community treasure and we cannot wait to welcome the community back inside. None of this would be possible without all the volunteer hours and hard work of community members and to you and to them we say thank you!
We know the change in stewardship of the ZVL has been unsettling for some. We hear the concerns about the village offices moving into the space, about the need for accessibility and questions related to the Village of Chester’s qualifications for running a community library. We understand the many volunteer hours have gone into this space over the last number of years and that some are feeling left out or unheard through this change. Please know we are listening and we are working hard to respond to your concerns and questions. We so appreciate the hard work that so many put into the ZVL and the sense of ownership some feel for this special space. We hope that this message can provide some assurances, answer questions and start to bring our community back together with a shared goal of celebrating the re-opening of this special treasure.
The Village of Chester was awarded the “governance and operations” of the ZVL through an open and transparent RFP process lead by the Municipality of Chester. The Village has the management experience and expertise to manage a public space as demonstrated through 88 years of managing the Chester Volunteer Fire Department and its continued ownership and operation of the Lido Pool.
Over the last few months and with the guidance and professional expertise of South Shore Public Libraries, an enormous amount of work has been done to get the space ready to re-open to the public. We have reconfigured shelving and layout and increased both the square footage of public space and better accessibility to all books. As before, we have installed free public Wi-Fi and computers and printers for public use. As an official Branch of SSPL, new books will be arriving regularly and access to all SSPL services such as borrowing from other branches, research materials, and eBooks will be available. A professional librarian will also be employed four half-days a week to serve the public.
We also welcome anyone who would like to join us in a volunteer capacity at the library. Please reach out.
The public space of the library will grow, not shrink. The Village Clerk/Treasurer’s office has been situated upstairs in the former caretakers’ residence. This was previously not a space open to the public. Our long-serving part-time administrative assistant has a small nook in the Club Room so as to ensure consistent open library hours for the public. No library space has been or will be sacrificed.
In keeping with the provisions and obligations of the ZVL deed to provide a “public library and community and civic centre”, we are and will continue to host groups and meetings with Community partners such as the Chester Art Centre, Municipality of Chester Recreation, Our Health Centre and the Garden Club. Workshops, speakers, and social gatherings are being added to the program calendar. Anyone is welcome and we encourage the public to contact us to arrange use of the space.
We also have put together a plan to ensure both the washroom and an entrance are made fully accessible well before the provincially imposed 2030 deadline while respecting the heritage designation of the building.
The Village of Chester is fully committed to transparency and ensuring the public understands how the ZVL endowment funds are being allocated. As per the ZVL Warranty Deed the ZVL endowment fund will continue to pay for capital costs – meaning anything that stays with the property like walkways, lighting fixtures, building upgrades – and for library services. The Village of Chester will cover all building and grounds operational costs from its own budget – utilities, internet, maintenance and repairs, security systems, insurance, etc. In addition, the Village of Chester is contributing 50% of the cost of librarian services for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Finally, the Village will be working with the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia – an established charitable giving facilitator – to ensure the endowment is invested wisely.
The Village Commission and the ZVL will soon commemorate their Centennial anniversaries. One hundred years in this fast new world is no small achievement. This partnership is not only logical but allows for a continuity that can carry us forward for another hundred years. Though the faces will change, the groundwork and mission laid out so perfectly by the founders will continue.
Spring is here, the doors will open soon, there will be old books and new books, there will be computers to work on, printers to print on, rooms to meet in, coffee to be drunk, and a garden to enjoy. We are not reinventing the wheel, but we are happy to lead it into the future. We hope you will join us in celebrating the re-opening on June 1st, all will be welcome!
Thank you,
The Village of Chester Commission
Laura Mulrooney
Tom Mulrooney
Gloria Nauss
Randall O’Malley, Vice-Chair
Geraldine Pauley, Chair
Our Library:
Albert Einstein famously once said, “The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”
The Zoé Vallé Memorial Library (ZVL) has been a beloved part of Chester village life for nearly 100 years. The former home of Zoé Vallé Lightfoot was donated to the Municipality of Chester as a “public library and civic centre” by her family in 1928.
The ZVL is a lending library of an estimated 150,000 donated books, now managed by South Shore Public Libraries (SSPL). We also feature a permanent collection of historic books.
There is free WIFI and public computer access available here from the Village of Chester. The ZVL also holds activities and events from SSPL, the Village, and other groups around Chester who enrich the life of our community.
Come visit us! Our heritage house is lovely all year-round, and we have beautiful gardens and the unique three-story Lightfoot Tower for your enjoyment outside, in season.
The Zoé Vallé Memorial Library is a registered charity.
First and foremost we are a library and the ZVL celebrates our collection of donated books from the past two centuries. Authors, poets ,writers’ new and established, past and present, local, national and global, all have pride of place on our shelves and in our rooms. The mandate of the ZVL is to promote words and stories in all their forms.
The Zoé Vallé Memorial Library was named in honour of a woman ahead of her time:
Mystery Abounds Here —>
No one knows for certain when the house was actually built by a sea captain named Captain J. Allen, who may or may not have sailed a ship named “Perseverance” or “Peerless” (both names have been used). Very little is known regarding the facts of Captain Allen’s life, other than he mentored a young and inexperienced E.D. Lordly aboard his above mentioned ship.
It was Captain Allen who brought the slate stones from Ragged Island (off Shelburne) to create the original foot paths on the property. In addition the newly discovered cook’s fireplace, with its original hand forged swing arm still in place, is lined with the same slate. Whoever Captain Allen was, the soaring height of the ceilings on the main floor suggest a man who knew elegance, and it is no wonder that Zoé was charmed enough to buy it.
Zoe’s Place —>
Zoé Vallé acquired the home in 1902 and though married to Alfred Lightfoot, bought the property with her own resources and was the sole name on the deed. This was extraordinary considering the resistance at that time to women being granted equal opportunity to vote and/or being recognized as “persons” both in Canada and Zoé’s home state of New York.
Zoé’s husband Alfred Lightfoot had the observation tower built to combine his love of sailboat racing and cigar smoking. In 1903 one could see clear down to Chester Harbour from Lightfoot Tower. It is the last and only viewing tower in Chester which continues to exist thanks to its careful restoration financed through the heroic fundraising of Suzi Fraser and constructed by a dedicated group of craftsmen led by Barry Redmond in 2014.
The Zoe Valle Memorial Library
Upon Zoé’s death, her sister Isabel Vallé Austen bequeathed 63 Regent and its grounds to the village of Chester on two conditions: that it always operate as a library and that it serve the community. The women of Chester stepped forward (of course) urging the men of council to overcome their resistance to the idea. It was unanimously agreed to as a result, and the day to day operations were taken on as special project of the W.I.N.S. (Women’s Institute of Nova Scotia ) until they disbanded in the early 1970’s.
Upcoming Programs:
The Zoé Vallé Library is re-opening to the public on June 1, 2026! We will be open Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri from 10am-3pm, Thu 10am-7pm, and Sat 10am-2pm. Check our events calendar regularly — temporarily located here — to find out what programs and events are coming!
Venue Rental:
Imagine saying your vows in our tower, in our gardens, or during the winter in our spacious club room lit by candle or firelight.
The Zoé Vallé Library, Lightfoot Viewing Tower and its gardens can be rented either in full or in part for your special day event or meeting. We are also pleased to be considered for filming or for your groups’ meeting needs.
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60 person capacity indoors
Unlimited capacity outdoors
Free wifi
All gender washrooms
Small kitchen (not commercially licensed)
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Please contact director@zoevalle.com for all pricing and booking inquiries.
Land Acknowledgement:
The ZVL acknowledges that we gather in Mi’kma’ki , the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This land is governed by the treaties of Peace and Friendship, first signed by the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, Peskotomuhkatiyik, and the British Crown in 1726. These treaties neither imply nor affirm the surrender or transfer of land to the British, but rather recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey title and set the rules for what was to be a long-standing relationship between nations, initially preventing war and facilitating trade. We recognize that we are all treaty people and have responsibilities to each other and to the caretaking of this land where we gather. We also acknowledge that people of African descent have been in Nova Scotia for over 400 years and honour and offer gratitude to those ancestors of African descent who came before us to this land.
Donate:
Zoé Vallé Memorial Library is a registered charity. Donations help support our operations and programming. Please consider donating today. Our Charitable Tax number is #119309607RR0001.
Contact Us:
Use the form below to email us, or come in and say hello at 63 Regent Street, Chester.
Open Hours
The library is closed until further notice.
Grounds Access
The Lightfoot Tower is open seasonally during daylight hours, weather permitting.
In season there are benches and plenty of space for picnics in our gardens. Parking is plentiful and free.
Amenities
We have free WIFI, public computer access, a standard printer for nominal fees and gender neutral washrooms.