It snowed in Calgary on April 12, 2021, it also snowed in the chamber at City Hall in Campbell River on the same day.
What a snow job it was! Is anyone out there paying attention?
The following information was taken directly from the minutes on the city website:
“21-0200 Smyth / Kerr
“Whereas the City of Campbell River has agreed to work with the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) to construct a new regional library facility on the existing site at 1240 Shoppers Row;
AND WHERE Council believes there may be a more appropriate location for this new facility, that would not require the demolition of the existing city owned building at 1240 Shoppers Row;
THERE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to immediately cease all work on the library capital project and report back at the next Council meeting on the process, timing and costs associated with withdrawing the City’s approval to redevelop the city owned property at 1240 Shoppers Row;
AND THAT Council request a meeting with the Vancouver Island Regional Library Board to discuss selecting an alternate site in the downtown core.
DEFEATED
Mayor Adams, Councillors Cornfield, Evans and Moglove Opposed”
If you want to know why, the answer is as simple as it is predictable: when policy makers don’t like facts, they just bury them.
Like a child who tries to hide a bad report card from their parents, why City Hall likes to hide bad news from the masses.
Apparently, Coun. Moglove went as far as chastising the new Coun. Smyth for even bringing this up again. Coun. Smyth was new to council and was not there for previous meetings regarding the library. He wanted this brought up again so that council be presented with the opportunity to take a second serious look at this proposal (this was expressed in a Zoom meeting of council). What a great opportunity he gave us!
While we could possibly have saved a perfectly good building, consequently, saving the approximate $900,000 to tear it down. Mayor Adams has said that it would not cost the taxpayers any money. It is all taxpayers’ money.
Had City Hall chosen the path forward where they possibly saved the library building from demolition, not spending the $900,000 to destroy, there is/was a property a stone’s throw away which could have been purchased for less than $700,000. Then we could have been in a win-win situation. We would have had a building at 1240 Shoppers Row to be re-conditioned into something which would benefit all and a new library.
Make sense to you? Anyone who would like to find out more facts surrounding these issues, please refer to other previous letters published in the Campbell River Mirror. There are three that I am aware of and they are as follows: (you just need to Google them – or search on www.campbellrivermirror.com)
Nov. 4, 2020: City should consider fresh alternative to library – written and submitted by Dan Samson
Nov. 25, 2020: No one suggested saying no to a new library – written and submitted by Ted Arbour
July 7, 2021: I have questions about the new library plan – written and submitted by Brad Zihrul
Ted Arbour,
Campbell River
RELATED: Mayor of Campbell River addresses concerns surrounding new library funding