EDITORIAL – Once it was too soon for another library; now it might be too late

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

LIBRARIES ARE WONDERFUL. They give us knowledge and they give us community gathering places.

So it’s not surprising that the Thompson-Nicola Library system wants to build a new one. Two years ago, it proposed a brand new 25,000 square foot library across the street from Aberdeen Mall. That’s bigger than either the existing main library on Victoria Street or the one at Library Square.

It made total sense because the city’s southwest is expected to be the major growth area, but for a number of reasons it was too soon, and was temporarily put on the shelf. Now it’s back at the top of the TNRD’s facilities master plan.
The whole concept has to be updated, and a new location sourced.

It will certainly cost many millions of dollars (guesstimated somewhere between $15 million and $20 million). The TNRD will go after grant money from senior governments, and the library is likely to be combined with commercial and/ or residential development.

But a referendum will probably be necessary.

No matter how the funding is structured, no matter how great the need for another major library in Kamloops, it’s in competition both for the support of regional residents and with the priorities of the City of Kamloops.

The City is currently taking a serious look at its upcoming infrastructure needs. Near the top of the list will be a new performing arts centre.

That facility will probably cost around $80 million or so, a big piece of which will have to come from city taxpayers via a referendum.

As well, the TNRD has a lot of needs of its own. For example, a $4.95 million federal-provincial grant to build a water filtration plant at Pritchard has come up short of what’s needed. The regional board will look at ways to pay for the shortfall with other grant money today.

So while it was too soon for a new library a few years ago, now it might be too late.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.