Manitoba community concerned about cut to library hours

The library in St-Pierre-Jolys has been a community gathering space for the past 60-years; however, changes are on the way that are raising red flags with residents.

For Alison Palmer and her daughter, the Jolys Regional Library is one of their favourite spots in town.

“When i came here about 15 years ago, the first place I went as a newcomer in the town was the library,” Palmer said. “It's free, it's safe, it's welcoming.”

The library has been a community staple in St-Pierre-Jolys since it was built in the 1960s, but new changes are on the way.

“It's going to impact our community, for sure, and the ones that are using it right now,” palmer said.

The library is owned by the Red River Valley School Division. It’s attached to the French immersion school and used by the students.

It’s also currently open to the public full time, but the division tells CTV News that come September, the library will be closed to the public during school hours.

“We have to think about the kids. The safety of the kids comes first,” said St-Pierre-Jolys Mayor Raymond Maynard.

Maynard says the division told him this decision was made with the students’ safety in mind.

“They feel that by closing the library during school hours, it would limit the public access which essentially will increase the safety for the kids,” he said.

Maynard says the public will still able to use the library in the evenings, weekends and full time during the summer – whenever the students aren’t in there. He says he’s still heard concerns from residents.

Palmer is among the concerned residents. She’s part of the Friends of Jolys Regional Library – a group of about 60 or so residents worried about the change.

“We are wanting to have new families come here. We’re wanting to have new immigrants come to this region, and they're going to come here and want places where they can go anytime, feel safe, meet other people, find resources and help,” Palmer said.

She worries the reduced hours could foreshadow the library’s permanent closure down the line.

However, Maynard says whatever happens, St-Pierre-Jolys will always have a library, it just may not be at the current location.

“The village is starting to look at different places already, so hopefully we'll have something shortly, and this will be something that will be short lived,” he said.

The superintendent of Red River Valley School Division and chair of the division board were unavailable for interviews.

The division says the new library hours will be decided by the library's board and local municipalities.