Library begins new chapter

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This article was published 11/08/2021 (1765 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Patrons will now be able to settle in with a good book in a floor-to-ceiling glass reading room overlooking the Assiniboine River at the historic Cornish Library.

The facility has re-opened to the public following three years of renovations which totalled $3.47 million.

The main upgrades focused on making the building more accessible. Workers installed a lift, two accessible bathrooms and reduced the incline leading into the building.

The reading room, located on the southwest façade, was designed by Peter Sampson of Winnipeg’s own Public City Architecture. The company was also responsible for the recent overhaul of the St. John’s Library in the North End.

The Cornish Library’s original 1915 oak and walnut finishings were kept and refurbished, giving the space a warm feeling amid the fresh white paint and modern lighting.

Heidi Nighswander-Rempel, 41, Stephen Nighswader-Rempel, 46, Benjamin Nighswander, 14, and Nicholas Nighswander 11, have been coming to the library for over a decade.

The family of four lives in the neighbourhood and missed the library when it shut down on May 12, 2018. During the closure, they travelled to the Harvey Smith Library at 999 Sargent Ave. in the West End.

“It used to be quite cozy feeling, which it still is, but just feels more open,” Heidi said. “It feels a lot more accessible because it has a lift now.”

The new accessible accommodations also drew Stephen’s attention.

“I think it’s great that they put all this effort into making it accessible and getting it ready for another century of use,” he said.

The reading room attached to the heritage building also caught the family’s attention.

“I was very curious what it would look like as I was watching it being built. It looks like a great place to go and settle into some nice chairs … read something.”

Other new additions include a kinetic art installation by local contemporary artist Michael Dumontier titled Four Flowers and the painting Our Cornish Library and the Suffragist Saga by Naomi Gerrard, another local creative.

Right now, the library is offering an outdoor, self-guided story experience for children on its front lawn.

Some may have seen work being done to the riverbank adjacent to the library over the past few years while passing over the Maryland Street Bridge. Rémi Fontaine, branch head librarian, cites this project as one reason the library took as long as it did to reopen.

“They ended up finding some endangered species of mollusks in the riverbank. They actually had to move those,” he said.

Despite the library’s limited capacity, the space has been “quite lively,” Fontaine said.

“A lot of people say ‘Wow’ whenever they come in,” he said. “It’s familiar, but it’s still fresh.”