Survival of the fittest: budget cuts risk life of libraries

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This article was published 09/12/2019 (2479 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brian Hrynick has been going to the West Kildonan Library since 1974. Recently, he has been visiting three to four times a week to access the internet and borrow books and audio-visual content.

Come September 2020, that could no longer be an option.

As part of the City of Winnipeg’s new open four-year (2020-2023) budget planning process, City departments have recommended cuts to accommodate the spending caps that have been imposed. Community Services, for example, is strapped to a 0.5 per cent increase per year.

As a result, the department has suggested shuttering three City libraries — Westwood, Fort Garry, and West Kildonan — and removing Sunday hours, as well as shortening evening hours to 8 p.m. effective Sept. 1.

Although budget discussions will continue throughout December and nothing will be finalized until the new year, the possibility of losing West Kildonan Library doesn’t sit well with some locals like Hrynick.

“It would significantly reduce my appearances in the library,” he said. “It’s just very easy to access and it’s kind of like a second home in some ways.”

Hrynick is one of an estimated 100,000-plus annual users of the West Kildonan Library. That number comes from Ian Keenan, chair of the Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan Community Library Advisory Committee, who said the library branch saw around 400 visitors per day in November.

“I understand the reason why the City’s looking at this. Unfortunately, usually the North End is either the first place where things get closed up or where experimental services take place, whether it be the garbage or community mailboxes, so I understand that. But this is a very busy library… it would just be a shame to take something like that out of the community,” Hrynick said.

There are two other public libraries in northwest Winnipeg: St. John’s Library is located on Salter Street, 1.5 kilometres south of West Kildonan Library, while Sir William Stephenson Library on Keewatin Street is about 7.5 kilometres to the west.

Mary Llacar, a Maples resident, has four kids and occasionally visits West Kildonan Library for its children’s services.

“(Sir William Stephenson Library) is closed on Mondays so we come here instead,” she said.

Although the distance might not be far for active and mobile library users, the commute could become an issue for seniors and students who make up a large portion of the library’s demographic, Kennan said.

“Some of the community that library serves is senior citizens and even in the winter for them to walk to St. John’s might be a bit of a challenge,” he said.

Keenan noted that many students from surrounding schools visit the library when they’re not able to immediately get picked up at the end of the school day.

However, the library closure would have greater implications than simply lengthening a commute, according to Keenan, who is a Garden City resident.

“It would further impoverish a community that already doesn’t get enough supports,” he said.

Daniel Guenther, a Garden City resident and a community correspondent for The Times, launched an online petition a few weeks ago which has since collected more than 7,200 signatures.

He brought the petition, along with 30-plus letters written by community members contesting the possible closure, to the City’s standing policy committee on protection, community services, and parks on Nov. 27.

“(It) really showed the impact West Kildonan Library has on northwest Winnipeg,” Guenther said.

More information on the City of Winnipeg’s budget planning can be accessed at https://winnipeg.ca/interhom/Budget/2020Budget/default.stm