The Municipality of North Cowichan and the Vancouver Island Regional Library are ready to write a new chapter.
North Cowichan has been planning to bring a new library to Chemainus for many years and now that a Vancouver Island-based construction company has been awarded the contract, the project is closer to becoming a reality.
Mayor of North Cowichan Al Siebring said contrary to popular belief, there is a still a place for libraries in any community.
“If you actually look at the statistics, libraries are actually gathering places, libraries are places for kids storytime and a place for a whole bunch of community-based activities,” said Siebring. “The existing space has been insufficient for a long time and this library file didn’t just drop in our lap this year, we’ve been working on this for the better part of the ten years I’ve been on council.”
The Vancouver Island Regional Library awarded the construction contract to CCM Construction Limited out of Sidney and the location of the new facility will be at 9796 Willow Street.
Siebring said the new library will be modelled after an existing one in Duncan.
“If you look at the library that was built in the Island Savings Centre slash Cowichan Community Centre, that was done about 12 or 13 years ago and if you look at the usage there and how that space is utilized, that’s the vision for the new space in Chemainus,” said Siebring. “In the space, they have right now, they can’t offer all those services the way they’d like too because of the space restriction.”
A construction timeline hasn’t been announced.
