Bonnyville Library expressing more interest in moving to C2

The odds of the Bonnyville library moving to the Centennial Centre are increasing.

A motion made earlier this month says that the Town of Bonnyville Library Board has expressed an interest in moving to the C2.

“We at the library have said yes, we are interested. Now we’re kind of leaving it in the hands of the town and M.D. to get together and say what are they prepared to do to help us grow, whether we go to a new facility or stay where we are,” said town councillor Elisa Brosseau.

Brosseau sits on the library committee for the town. She said the library is at capacity right now and the conversation of moving started after the C2 did their feasibility study.

“One of the their [C2’s] top options was bringing in perhaps a library. There are many other recreational facilities across Alberta and even in Saskatchewan have the library in the rec facility. They’re the ones who approached us,” she said.

“They definitely know they’re at capacity at their current location, and there has been a study of what could be the future options for the library, whether we expand at the current location or look at something different like the C2.”

There is a line item in current second draft of the town’s budget that earmarks $1.5 million in potential future library expansion and renovations. This is pending town council’s review of their capital spending plan.

However, the subject of relocation has not be presented to either the town or M.D. who fund the library, and no motions have been made, leading Brosseau to say there isn’t a timeline until the next step.

“Ultimately it will have to come to the Town and M.D. to get together and discuss what their part is going to be. At our current location in the library, we have a certain operating budget, and if that budget going into a larger location means more funding from the town and the MD, we need to know from them directly if they are prepared to put in the extra money for us to operate a larger facility.”

The Town spent roughly $140,000 to operate the library in 2018. The M.D. funded just over $153,000 in 2018.

“I think it’s something that might take a bit of time, just the nature of the back and forth and it has to go to the C2 board and they’ll talk….currently it isn’t on the agenda for the town to discuss it, but I think that it will come in the new year,” she said.