Keith and Joanne Gosselin
Dear editor:
Let us start by saying we are not opposed to Fort Frances having a public library, but we would like to commend Mayor Avis and the councillors who voted against the new library proposal because of the cost.
It will save a declining and aging tax base from the burden of additional taxes for the next 20 years.
We feel the library committee did not want to be flexible in the location site selected (bad choice) and in their stance of a high-tech, stand-alone facility (too costly). As a result, when the board of education proposed to amalgamate the new Robert Moore School library with a new town library, not enough was done.
This, in our opinion, was the perfect solution to satisfy the library patrons, and have a shared building to accommodate everyone at a shared cost. If there had been the “will,” there certainly would have been the “way” to make this happen.
Now this option has long past.
Since the mayor and council have voted against the library proposal, we think now is the time to start thinking outside of the “box.” And that “box” could very well be the large, brand new blue building on McIrvine Road. Yes, the former Fort Frances Bingo Hall.
Here is a new facility with more than 10,000 sq. ft. of space, all on one level so it is handicap accessible, and the sticker price is less than $1 million.
Now this may not be as appealing as the architect drawing for a new library, but certainly the outside could be changed. And is it not what’s on the inside that counts?
This place could be remodelled to fit the needs, and if more room was needed, we see no reason why an addition of 3,000 or 4,000 feet could not be added.
The added bonus is it already has a large, paved parking lot.
All the people we’ve talked to since the mayor and council vote to defeat the library proposal at this time were wholeheartedly in favour of council’s decision.
There is, however, one other decision that council decided to shelve previously that we do not agree with.
Council was looking at developing and selling lots in the “green space” on Nelson Street abutting up to Williams Avenue, in the east end, for new housing to be built. But after a few complaints from neighbours in the area, the idea was shelved.
We do not recall exactly what the gist of the complaints by neighbours were, but figure it must have been that they did not want to have new housing and new neighbours in their area “or” they just wanted to have an uninhabited and unused “green space” to look at.
We were fortunate, in the year 2000, to buy the last available building lot on Williams Avenue to construct our new home. In the close to nine years we have resided there, we have walked, rode on our bikes, and driven in our vehicle past this “green space” hundreds of times, during all times of the day, during all days of the week, and during all seasons of the year, and have never seen a single soul on it.
Pacing off this frontage, there is about 300 feet on Nelson Street, all with back lane access, to be developed. This would make five nice lots or four wide lots to sell.
The initial proceeds from selling these prime lots would be much-needed revenue for the town, plus the additional property taxes that would come forever.
It is time mayor and council revisit the idea of developing this “green space,” and make the right decision as in the case of the library.
Yours truly,
Keith and Joanne Gosselin
Fort Frances, Ont.
