(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Budget begins

Library asks City for money for renovations to lower level

Dec 10, 2020 | 5:17 PM

The Prince Albert Public Library is asking the City of Prince Albert for $100,000 to complete major renovations on the John M. Cuelenaere branch’s lower level, including its auditorium.

Chair of the library board, Brent Zbaraschuk told paNOW money from the city would be supplemented with $150,000 from the library’s own reserves. Together, the funds would cover upgrades to the two downstairs meeting rooms, washrooms, and kitchen, as well as new seating, carpet, and projection equipment in the auditorium. He explained one of the benefits of the renovations will be to make the theatre more wheelchair accessible.

Zbaraschuk explained the auditorium has been well used by the public – for meetings, amateur theatre, and movie screenings – and the time has come to renovate.

“When you’ve had something for 30 years, you have to upgrade it because if you don’t upgrade it now, with inflation, it’s only going to get more expensive,” he said.

While the space is important for the whole city, he said the auditorium is particularly important for lower-income families.

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“There is a segment of society that just can’t afford to take four kids to a movie, we give them the opportunity,” he said.

The library’s ask was one of several presented at a meeting ahead of January’s 2021 budget deliberations.

In 2020, the library completed $411,000 renovations to the John M. Cuelenaere branch’s upper level and part of the exterior wall, $100,000 of those upgrades were funded by the city.

Paratransit looks for increases as well

In other notable asks this year, the Community Service Centre is requesting the budget for special needs transportation be increased by $45,274 to $582,984 in order to maintain current service levels. It’s also asking for the seniors transportation budget to be upped by $18,525 to $88,025.

“If the increases are not granted for paratransit, it would be a reduction in service, which we know would reduce the quality of life and be devastating to the people we serve,” Community Service Centre CEO Bill Powalinsky told council. “It would also be a failure to meet the goal of access to equal dignified transportation for people with disabilities.”

There was some controversy during last year’s budget deliberations when councillors voted not to grant the Community Service Centre a requested increase.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom