FORT FRANCES—With the intention to start construction this spring, the most recent plans for the new Fort Frances Library and Technology Centre were unveiled during Monday night’s town council meeting.
The concept behind the 15,000 sq. ft. library, to be located next to the Memorial Sports Centre on Second Street East at Reid Avenue, is to be a modern facility that offers a variety of programs and services to meet the technological and literacy needs of the community, John Knox, of Chamberlain Architects, explained as he presented a slide show.
The new library will be a single-level building and accessible to everyone.
The “open concept” interior will feature a variety of reading areas, including a fireplace lounge and two outdoor courtyards, lower shelves and wider aisles, as well as face-out book displays to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
It also will have study rooms, a children’s area (with separate areas for pre-schoolers and older children), a storytime/children’s programming room, a teen area with lounge seating, a café, a large computer area, and a multi-purpose/conference room which can be used by community groups.
As well, plans call for a self-checkout station for convenience and privacy, washrooms that are accessible to everyone, additional office, workroom, and storage space for library staff, ample parking, and improved energy efficiencies.
Knox noted the building also will feature numerous windows for maximum natural lighting. Both the exterior and interior will feature a good deal of cast stone, glass, and wood—preferably with the timber coming from local sources.
The six existing stained glass panels in the current library will be relocated to the new one, as will some other items, like the lounge furniture bought in recent years by the “Friends of the Library.”
“It’s a building that we feel is well-suited to Fort Frances, with the materials and the scale,” said Knox. “It’s a major building—this building is almost 15,000 sq. ft.
“It’s a large, significant civic building for Fort Frances.
“The library is an important element here. The need to have a larger library relative to the population of the town has been proven,” Knox added, noting it’s “very fortunate” suitable land is available here to build such a single-storey structure.
“It gives me significant pleasure to come before you with yet another significant milestone in the library building project,” Joyce Cunningham, chair of the local library board, told council Monday night.
“I think you should know we are envied by many throughout the province, and I am very proud to have worked with council, library staff along with George Bell, the library board, and many volunteers.”
Cunningham recalled planning for a new library started way back in 1995, but became “more focused” in 2003. And in the last three years, there have been several milestones.
On Feb. 28, 2005, council passed a motion to adopt, in principle, the concept of moving forward towards the construction of a new library facility.
On Nov. 28, 2005, it approved the site of the proposed new library.
On Dec. 11, 2006, the town and library board discussed the likelihood of getting provincial funding based on the fact a site had been decided upon and library board was ready to proceed.
Council agreed the town would accept a grant with this understanding.
On Feb. 2, 2007, Culture minister Caroline Di Cocco announced the capital gains grants for libraries that have “ready-to-go infrastructure plans.”
The grants were intended to “generate immediate economic activity and create construction jobs.”
On March 23, 2007, the library received a cheque from the ministry for $1.6 million.
Also on that date, the “Building for the Future” fundraising campaign kicked off, at which time Mayor Roy Avis spoke on how the committee “had done its homework,” how town council supported the site selection, and urged the community to support the campaign to make the new building a reality.
On June 20, 2007, the library board passed a motion to hire project manager Brian Avis. Council approved the hiring five days later.
Then on July 25, council approved the appointment of Chamberlain Architects as the architects for the new library. Council passed a bylaw to approve the agreement with Chamberlain in December.
“Having just returned from the library conference in Toronto [the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference], I want you to know the Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll, deputy minister Marg Rappolt, and ministry staff were all pleased to hear of the progress we have made,” said Cunningham.
“The minister indicated that she hoped to be part of the opening ceremonies in the spring of 2009.
“I guess you can understand why I have said I am proud of what we’ve accomplished, of the way we have worked together,” added Cunningham. “I’m excited about the next 14 months as we continue working together to make, as Mayor Avis said, the dream a reality.”
“When Joyce said our library is envied by many, she’s right on,” said Coun. Andrew Hallikas, who sits on the library board and attended the OLA’s Super Conference in Toronto earlier this month with Cunningham and head librarian Margaret Sedgwick.
“I was amazed by how many people were aware of our library and how they envied us,” he remarked.
At that conference, Coun. Hallikas went to a seminar on the role of a public library in communities, and learned from architects there that the ideal spot for new libraries is attached to a centrally-located facility where people already go, such as an arena or a concert centre.
“They would find that more and more, there was a lot of crossover—people would go to these community places and then go to the library,” he noted.
“I think that our library board has done a very, very good job in the 12 years of preparation they put into this,” Coun. Hallikas continued. “To see it come to fruition and see it come alive in some slides is extremely exciting to me.”
Coun. Hallikas stressed the public should keep in mind it won’t just be a library, but a technology centre, as well.
“Libraries now are no longer just a depository for books. The technological aspect is at least as important as the part of the library that contains books,” he remarked.
“More and more research is indicating that libraries are attracting young people, and older people, and they’re going there to access technology—to access the Internet, to be connected to other places, to do a job search, do all sorts of things.
“Our library board was very forward-looking when they not only designed such a beautiful facility for books, but forward-looking in that they’ll be able to bring Fort Frances into the 21st century and have done a wonderful job planning for the future of our community.”
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Cunningham said the current plans for the new library pretty much fulfills the “wish list” of her board, as well as suggestions made over the years by the public.
As such, she feels it will fit the role of being “the centre of a community” and hopes others feel the same.
“The mayor of Pickering has said that the library is the heart of a community, and if you can draw all your community to that place, amazing and wondrous things start to happen,” Cunningham said.
“And that’s what we think we will be able to do in that new facility that we really can’t do here [in the current library] because of the confines of space, inside and outside.
“The library is the one part of a community that appeals to everybody in the community,” she stressed. “We have the little babies coming in, then school-age kids, the teenage kids, the adults.
“And now we’re discovering, in the research that has been done, that the age group we thought had moved away from libraries (i.e., the 15-30 age group) has come back because libraries are offering them the atmosphere, the services, the place they want.
“It can do so much for a community. The bag I carry around has a slogan on the side—‘It takes a library to raise a community.’”
While the plans outlined Monday night by Knox reflect what the new library will look like, Cunningham noted the library board continues to be busy working on many details, whether it is how many electrical outlets the building will need or deciding on some of the more technological aspects, such as videoconferencing and establishing telecommunication “hotspots” for wireless Internet access.
Cunningham said the board is open to public input on these matters. Those wanting to offer their advice can call her at 274-9248 or attend the library board’s meetings, which are held downstairs at the library every third Wednesday at noon.
The public can look for copies of the plans on display at the library in the near future.
The new library will cost an estimated $3.8 million. It partially is being funded through government grants, such as the $1.6 million announced by the Ontario Ministry of Culture last February, with the local “Building for the Future” campaign having to raise $750,000.
That campaign has raised about $500,000 so far.
Those who want to donate to the “Building for the Future” campaign should call the library at 274-9879 or drop by in person to get a pledge card.
Payment options, like Mastercard, VISA, or automatic deductions from your paycheque, are available. All donations over $25 will be issued a tax receipt.
Another way to give is by buying a ticket for the “Building for the Future” elimination raffle. The tickets, which cost $50 each, are on sale now at the Fort Frances Public Library, Fort Frances General Supply, and the Memorial Sports Centre.
A maximum of 1,000 tickets will be sold, with 20 prizes eligible to be won.
The draws all will take place Saturday, Feb. 23 during the “Rockin’ for the Library” social, featuring the “Sensational Hot Rods,” at the Memorial Sports Centre auditorium.
Tickets for the social, which cost $15 each, are available at the library.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
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