Fraser-Hickson meeting draws alternative solutions

BY DANIEL BARTLETT

Fraser-Hickson members met with the library’s board of directors last Tuesday to go over the latest possible solutions to save the cultural landmark from being relocated to another site in NDG or Montreal.

With some 60 people filling the library’s auditorium, Fraser-Hickson president John Dinsmore said the institute’s board needs the continued support of residents to keep the cultural landmark located on the corner of Somerled and Kensington avenues. Now providing shorter opening hours, the library’s building will be officially put up for sale March 1, a drastic measure considering the structure was never put on the market in 2003 even after being closed for six months.

For Dinsmore, the decision to put the building up for sale earlier this time came after he noticed the City’s unwillingness to help fund the library. “In the mind of Mr. (Gérald) Tremblay, if I hear the citations that are printed in the newspapers correctly, seems to feel that they did the Fraser-Hickson a favour — that they ‘Bailed us out,’” Dinsmore said. “That shows, I think, that there’s a basic misunderstanding between our point of view and his point of view, and I don’t know whether that gap could ever be closed. It’s seems impossible to change that attitude.”

At the meeting, residents presented the board with a number of possible solutions to help save the institution. These suggestions included selling the library’s parking lot, appointing new members to the board and reducing the building’s energy flow.

NDG resident Michael Shafter said he would write a letter asking the Quebec government to allocate funds for the library. Working in conjunction with Warren Allmand, city councillor for the Loyola district, Shafter plans to take the letter to the next city council meeting in hopes of getting all councillors to sign a pledge of approval.

Despite this, Borough Mayor Michael Applebaum said he is unsure that the letter would have any significant impact at city hall, especially after the City has continually reiterated that it will not support the library financially. Nevertheless, Applebaum said he appreciates the efforts being made by residents in this situation. “I think that there’s been letters that have been written, there’s been petitions that have been going around, I think that the mayor has been very clear that at the present moment he will not support the Fraser-Hickson Library,” he said. “I don’t believe in bowing my head and going with my hat out asking for more money but more have a good strong plan.”

Last Wednesday, Allmand discussed the Fraser-Hickson situation with Applebaum and suggested the possibility of creating a special surtax for library services in the borough. Applebaum said that although he is not in favour of imposing any new surtax, he understands that Allmand would like to ask residents whether they would support such an initiative. “I know people don’t like any additional taxes but I’d like to check where this may be done in other cities or towns in Canada and the United States,” Allmand said. “I would like to, first of all, develop a proposal then do an informal consultation with people to see whether enough of them would support that to keep the library. “There’s a lot of different alternatives

and what we have to do is sit down and

have a game plan for each one of the

alternatives.”