Mayor’s cabinet agrees to keep library open
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/05/2022 (1250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Council’s most powerful committee has voted against a controversial plan to lease a new space for the West Kildonan Library and shut down its current location.
The executive policy committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to side with residents who have rallied and petitioned to stop the proposed relocation. (Coun. Brian Mayes was absent.) The matter still awaits a final council vote.
Mayor Brian Bowman told reporters the ample community opposition convinced him it was best to scrap the plan. On Wednesday, EPC members opted to receive the proposal “as information” instead of acting on it, which will leave the current library in place and not pursue the lease.
“We’re hearing from the community very loud and clear. It’s unfortunate that it’s gotten to this level of concern,” said Bowman.
The plan would have sparked the closure of the West Kildonan Library branch at 365 Jefferson Ave., and relocated its services to a leased 15,000-square-foot space in the Garden City Shopping Centre.
At a Tuesday protest rally, many residents argued the proposal would remove a cherished community hub and replace it with a darker, privately owned space, which is located further from its current patrons.
Daniel Guenther, chair of the Garden City Residents’ Association, urged EPC members to keep the current library branch instead of moving it, arguing that would also be the cheaper option.
“Let’s invest in this great community asset, which is better for library users, better for residents, better for local schools and better for taxpayers,” said Guenther.
City officials expect it would cost about $2 million to improve the mall space, plus an annual rent of about $217,000 for the first five years and $232,000 for the next five.
Bowman said budget concerns did factor into the decision.
“We have limited resources and so, I think if the community is saying the current asset is more than sufficient, I accept that,” he said.
Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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History
Updated on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 6:53 PM CDT: Adds that Coun. Mayes was absent.