The Fort Frances Public Library board is asking the town to consider property next to the arena as the site for a new library should one be built here down the road.
While the library board initially aimed to see a new library built at the now vacant Alexander Mackenzie School location, the Rainy River District School Board decided not to declare that property surplus last month.
It apparently “has an interest in the property for their own use, with the possibilities of community partnerships,” wrote library board chairperson Joyce Cunningham in a letter council will be receiving at its regular meeting Monday night.
“We have been informally approached to consider the idea of a partnership with the board,” she wrote. “However, the library building committee has some concerns about the shared use of this location.
“In particular, we question whether the lot size is sufficient to accommodate more than one group. Size appears to be an issue whatever the site,” she added.
Cunningham said one of the sites removed from the library building committee’s list was the land adjacent to the Memorial Sports Centre.
“This site was originally a high priority, because in recent years many communities have chosen to build their new libraries in conjunction with sports centres because of the advantages of grouping quality of life services together,” she wrote.
“The property was removed from our list because we understood that was earmarked for the skateboard park. However, there now seems to be uncertainty surrounding the skateboard park as originally planned.
“Although we would prefer a downtown location, we are having difficulty finding any available sites of sufficient size,” Cunningham noted.
“Because of this fact, along with the possibility of a smaller location for the skateboard park, and the advantages of relocating the library to town-owned, clear property, we ask that this space be considered as a possible library building site,” she concluded.
Other business at Monday night’s meeting will include:
•a bylaw to establish tax ratios for the prescribed property classes, and a bylaw to amend the tax levy bylaw to change the due dates for payment for 2004 from July 30 and Aug. 31, 2004 to Aug. 31 and Sept. 30, 2004;
•a discussion of a site plan agreement with Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada;
•oral reports from the executive committee chairpersons on division activities;
•a grant application to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ “Bear Wise” program;
•a break-open ticket licence application from the Rainbow Rhythmics Gymnastics Club at We ’R Entertainment from July 15, 2004-Jan. 15, 2005;
•a request from the Northwest Ontario Sunset Country Travel Association regarding the town’s 2004-05 municipal contribution;
•a proposal from Mark and Cher Pruys regarding signage on the ball diamond fences; and
•a request from The Winnipeg Foundation—Moffat Family Fund regarding 2004 application submissions.
The committee of the whole meeting starts first at 5:30 p.m., with the public session starting at 5:55 p.m. The council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
(Fort Frances Daily Bulletin)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
