DIDSBURY - Members of town council, Didsbury Municipal Library board members, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper and others toured the Didsbury library and former town office on July 13 for an update on the library expansion project.
The project will see the existing library expanded into the adjacent former town office. A joint effort by the Town of Didsbury and the Didsbury Municipal Library Board, the project has been in the planning stages for several years.
“We were able to meet at the library facility and have a good tour,” said Cooper. “We were about to get fully up to speed about the expansion project that we all hope can take place for the community of Didsbury.”
Construction on the project has not yet started, although a grant application has been made.
Cooper said he plans to work with the town and others to move the project forward.
“My end, I certainly will be doing everything possible to ensure that that grant application gets the attention of the minister and others who need to see that or come to our community so they can understand the need that is here in the community in respect to upgrading the library.
“I can never guarantee results but I can certainly can guarantee efforts and will be making my full efforts to try to speed that project funding through the grant application process.”
Town and library board officials recently applied for a provincial Community Facilities Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant.
If successful the CFEP large stream funding application could result in up to $1 million matching funding for the project.
Library board chair Carolyn Massel calls the grant application an important step for the project.
“The Didsbury Municipal Library board is very excited to be moving forward with this expansion project,” said Massel. “As the oldest public library in the province, the library has a long-standing history of providing excellent service to this community and a larger, brighter space will allow us to further increase the programs and services that are available.
Cooper appeared before town council as a delegation following the library tour.
