The question is no longer if the new library/civic complex will be 
built, but how it will be funded. At Monday‘s council meeting it was made clear the project would move forward regardless of where the funding for the multi-million dollar building will come from. “We are committed to the project,” said Coun. Juliette Cunningham. “The time is right for this on so many levels.” Cunningham said the RCMP‘s dire need for office space must be considered along with the needs of not only the library but also the art gallery, which will occupy the second floor of the new building, and the museum, which would move into the old library.
built, but how it will be funded. At Monday‘s council meeting it was made clear the project would move forward regardless of where the funding for the multi-million dollar building will come from. “We are committed to the project,” said Coun. Juliette Cunningham. “The time is right for this on so many levels.” Cunningham said the RCMP‘s dire need for office space must be considered along with the needs of not only the library but also the art gallery, which will occupy the second floor of the new building, and the museum, which would move into the old library. While addressing council, Mayor Wayne Lippert made it clear that the building construction would go ahead. “Council has made the recommendation that the building be built, the site has been chosen; now we need to find how to fund it,” said Lippert at the meeting. It is the issue of funding, and how public approval to borrow the $20 million needed for the project will be obtained, that has some citizens and Coun. Barry Beardsell up in arms. “I think it sends a message of arrogance to the public. We‘re going to do it come hell or high water; we don‘t care what you think, it‘s going to get done,” said Beardsell, who was the only councillor to vote against the creation of a bylaw that would authorize the city to borrow the money, barring a challenge through an alternate approval process.
Instead of a referendum, council has decided to use the alternate process, which requires that council be presented with a petition containing the signatures of 10 per cent of the voting public refusing to authorize the borrowing. Citizens will be able to sign the petition between July 15 and August 15. If the required 2,777 signatures are on the petition, council will have to seek an alternate method to fund the project, or take the issue to a referendum. “The library board did put a bit of pressure on us regarding the timeline of the project. That‘s why we‘re doing a petition (as the public approval method),” said Cunningham. Council also made it clear that if they cannot borrow the money, they would consider selling off assets to fund the project. “We own other land; there is the possibility we would have to sell assets. I‘m not sure which ones but that is an option,” said Cunningham.
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