Rotarian Derek Key (left), Rotary Club of Summerside president Georgia Ellis, Summerside Mayor Bill Martin and Egmont MP Gail Shea look over plans for the Rotary Regional Community Learning Centre following an announced Monday of more than $791,000 for the project.
“We are going to expand the baby program,” said the librarian. “We have to hold it early in the morning before people come in because people are walking right through the baby program in order to get to the children’s space.
“We will be able to bring out all the sensory activities we have. We can bring out all the books and they can spread out and enjoy it. We are very excited.”
Soon, the Summerside library will grow from 3,800 to 7,500 square feet, becoming the anchor tenant in the future Rotary Regional Community Learning Centre.
The library, currently situated in the old train station on Water Street, will move into the former Canada Post office at 57 Central St., which the Rotary Club of Summerside is in the process of purchasing.
The $1.5-milion centre will include business work stations, meeting spaces, and community space, with the goal of developing entrepreneurial skills, supporting business development and promoting lifelong learning.
Monday, on behalf of ACOA Minister Rob Moore, Egmont MP Gail Shea announced $791,498 for the project.
Rotarian Derek Key said the hope is the province will contribute too and a capital campaign will raise the rest.
“We are going to have to turn to the public, those people who see the value in having a good library, having a learning centre that in fact supports not only existing enterprises but, hopefully, new enterprises,” said Key.
The Friends of Rotary Library, which oversees its operation, has been pushing for years for an addition or a move, said its treasurer Gerard Greenan.
“I see first hand when I go into the library how well it is used. I also see the challenges they have,” said Greenan. “This is great.”
Space has limited staff in programs they could offer, with the upstairs off limits for some time due to fire code regulations and the costly price to adhere to them.
“When you get 30 kids in for a summer reading program, they are smack dab in the middle of the library next to someone who is trying to do their research,” said Boulter. “It will be great to provide quiet space for people who are doing research or working on business and active space for children working on their reading skills.”
Renovations, expected to begin soon, will include upgrades to the interior and exterior, installation of a new heating and cooling system, including geothermal heating and solar panels, a new security system and improvements to accessibility.
Seventeen non-profit groups and educational institutions, all facing space challenges, will also use the centre and the building’s current tenants will remain.
The centre’s expected opening date has not yet been determined, said Key.
“It will be awfully nice if the library was in place and up and running within a year.”
A few facts about the Rotary Regional Community Learning Centre
- Centre’s mission is to enhance intellectual, social and cultural well-being of East Prince residents and economic development of the region
- Day-to-day operation of library managed by Friends of the Library
- Last year, library offered 229 programs to 2,545 participants
- Current library location owned by the City of Summerside
- Centre partners include: Boys and Girls Club, Three Oaks Innovations, the P.E.I. Literacy Alliance, Canadian Parents for French, Holland College, Island Nature Trust, East Prince Seniors Initiative, Association for Newcomers.
nmacphee@journalpioneer.com
