Bonnyville Library Plans to Expand

The Bonnyville Library is in early talk of expanding, Bonnyville Town Council heard at last week’s Council meeting. Councillor Jim Cheverie, who sits on the Library Board, gave Mayor Gene Sobolewski and Council an update on the discussions.

As Councillor Cheverie explained to Council, talks of expansion are in the elementary stages, with the draft report being the first key piece of the project. The expansion has been put into the Town’s Capital Budget for the 2016-17 year, explained Councillor Cheverie.

“It’s a draft report, that hasn’t been completed yet. In the report the architect had some options; including a new build, moving to the Centennial Centre, but those were not really acceptable options, by the Library Board.” Cheverie explained that the board ultimately decided that the project would expand the existing location.

“That’s the way the building was built,” Cheverie explained the intention was to always allow for expansion on the west side of the building, “that’s an [expansion] wall. Councillor Cheverie explained there are some elements to consider, “the waterlines goes under the parking lot.”

“The architect has been notified and she’s going to come back with some options,” explains the Councillor. “This has been in the Capital Budget since 2007. Should we leave it in the Capital Budget for 2016-17 with the expansion to go into the parking lot?”

Mayor Sobolewski noted that even though it’s been allocated there’s still a lot of steps before approval of the project, “we don’t know the costs yet, or anything.” Mayor Sobolewski also noted that any expansion projects for the library would have to come through Council, “it’ll Council who will make the decision.”

“Ultimately, it’s a Town building, so we have to make sure it’s the Town that’s making decisions on any projects,” stated Mayor Sobolewski.