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Grand opening of the Collingwood Public Library
31 May 2010
I attended the grand opening of the Collingwood Public Library, noon, Thursday, May 27, just before I drove t the FCM convention. It was a glorious day, and not merely for the weather, but because it was the culmination of years of effort by library boards, ongoing ever since I was first appointed to the board, back in 1991. All of the years of work and lobbying paid off, Thursday. Several hundred people turned out for the grand opening.
But for all the pomp and circumstance in the ceremony, I had to shake my head at the hypocrisy.
Our mayor spoke so positively, so glowingly of the library that it was almost hard to remember that he voraciously fought the expansion and the new building. He voted against every motion and bylaw to bring it into existence. As councillor, he challenged the library's budget every year, angrily weighing in against its expenses, sometimes line by line. He even accused the library of inventing its attendance figures - asking how council could know if the figures really represented more than 3,000 people a day or the same 30 people coming back 100 times (or a similar number).
Yet there he was, Thursday, telling everyone how wonderful it was. The mayor, in fact, spoke four times during the ceremony.
Of course, the mayor also set the agenda and determined who would speak and in what order - not the library board or staff as you might have expected.
And there were many speakers. Jim Wilson, MPP for Simcoe Grey, spoke, even though the province didn't contribute a dime to the building. Cal Patterson, Mayor of Wasaga Beach and Warden of Simcoe County, spoke even though the county didn't contribute a dime. Kim Wingrove, CAO for Collingwood, spoke even though she wasn't working for the town during any but the very final days of the project.
Who didn't speak was probably more telling. Neither of the two council reps on the library board - Councillor Sandberg and I - who shepherded this project through the rocky political shores of council to get it approved, were allowed to speak. I certainly wasn't asked to say a few words, even though I've been the council rep on the board since 2003 and a member since 1991 - and was not only responsible for making the initial motion to get an expansion approved, but also made the motion to build it to three floors instead of the originally planned two.*
None of the library staff who have worked so hard to see this through, were allowed to speak. Not even Kerri Robinson, the library's CEO, who has put in hundreds of hours since this project began to make sure it went as planned, to make sure all the details were right, the layout was right, was allowed to say a few words.
David Ripley, longest serving board member, who has been part of the efforts to get more space since the need was first recognized in 1985, wasn't invited to speak. He's seen the library through at least three previous expansion projects that failed to get council support.
Former Mayor Terry Geddes didn't speak. Well, he didn't attend the ceremony, either. He was not only the mayor who helped give us the new library, he was also chair of its board when I first served on it and has always been a passionate library supporter. He deserves the real credit for its existence - something the library board and staff are well aware of - not the current mayor no matter how he tries to take credit now. Terry was, I suspect, was making a statement by not attending. His absence was duly noted by many.
Former Councillor Rick Lloyd wasn't in attendance either - and he deserves credit for pushing council to think large, and go from an expansion on the old site to a new building on the property we had purchased for parking. He showed real foresight in that idea. Rick, too, was probably making his own statement by being absent (he ran for mayor last term and lost to the current mayor).
The architect, Henry Wong, who was present and was recognized, wasn't allowed to speak, yet it was his vision for a building with a heritage outside and modern inside we were celebrating.
Kenner Ames, former board member, was the most tireless proponent and advocate for the expansion and then the new building, who pushed this project to the forefront of public awareness and helped galvanize the public support gave the library $1.2 million in its fundraising. He wasn't allowed to speak. He wasn't there, and I don't know if he was even invited.
On his "news blog", the mayor quotes Finance and Regional Minister, Jim Flaherty, who wasn't there (no one from the feds bothered to attend, not even our local MP, whose pictures adorned the mayor's campaign brochure), but sent a message by email. Our mayor spoke glowingly of the federal contribution, nonetheless, and quotes none of the local speakers (aside from himself, of course).
In fact, the mayor mentions none of the local VIPs who attended, but says
Which is bemusing, since the feds stayed away from the event, not even sending an aide to represent them, so could not possibly have inaugurated anything even by proxy. The "representatives" from the board aren't named - not even its chair, Donna Mansfield, who was allowed to speak.
Kind of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?
It was a glorious day and a great achievement for the many people who worked so hard to see this day come. They didn't get to speak, they may not have attended, but they aren't forgotten by those who know and remember where the real credit for this success lies.
~~~~~
* The top floor is used for the town's building and planning departments as well as providing a large community meeting and event space. And yes, I am extremely proud of my contribution to this project, despite the failure of the mayor to recognize any of us who actually helped make it happen.
But for all the pomp and circumstance in the ceremony, I had to shake my head at the hypocrisy.
Yet there he was, Thursday, telling everyone how wonderful it was. The mayor, in fact, spoke four times during the ceremony.
Of course, the mayor also set the agenda and determined who would speak and in what order - not the library board or staff as you might have expected.
And there were many speakers. Jim Wilson, MPP for Simcoe Grey, spoke, even though the province didn't contribute a dime to the building. Cal Patterson, Mayor of Wasaga Beach and Warden of Simcoe County, spoke even though the county didn't contribute a dime. Kim Wingrove, CAO for Collingwood, spoke even though she wasn't working for the town during any but the very final days of the project.
Who didn't speak was probably more telling. Neither of the two council reps on the library board - Councillor Sandberg and I - who shepherded this project through the rocky political shores of council to get it approved, were allowed to speak. I certainly wasn't asked to say a few words, even though I've been the council rep on the board since 2003 and a member since 1991 - and was not only responsible for making the initial motion to get an expansion approved, but also made the motion to build it to three floors instead of the originally planned two.*
None of the library staff who have worked so hard to see this through, were allowed to speak. Not even Kerri Robinson, the library's CEO, who has put in hundreds of hours since this project began to make sure it went as planned, to make sure all the details were right, the layout was right, was allowed to say a few words.
David Ripley, longest serving board member, who has been part of the efforts to get more space since the need was first recognized in 1985, wasn't invited to speak. He's seen the library through at least three previous expansion projects that failed to get council support.
Former Mayor Terry Geddes didn't speak. Well, he didn't attend the ceremony, either. He was not only the mayor who helped give us the new library, he was also chair of its board when I first served on it and has always been a passionate library supporter. He deserves the real credit for its existence - something the library board and staff are well aware of - not the current mayor no matter how he tries to take credit now. Terry was, I suspect, was making a statement by not attending. His absence was duly noted by many.
Former Councillor Rick Lloyd wasn't in attendance either - and he deserves credit for pushing council to think large, and go from an expansion on the old site to a new building on the property we had purchased for parking. He showed real foresight in that idea. Rick, too, was probably making his own statement by being absent (he ran for mayor last term and lost to the current mayor).
The architect, Henry Wong, who was present and was recognized, wasn't allowed to speak, yet it was his vision for a building with a heritage outside and modern inside we were celebrating.
Kenner Ames, former board member, was the most tireless proponent and advocate for the expansion and then the new building, who pushed this project to the forefront of public awareness and helped galvanize the public support gave the library $1.2 million in its fundraising. He wasn't allowed to speak. He wasn't there, and I don't know if he was even invited.
On his "news blog", the mayor quotes Finance and Regional Minister, Jim Flaherty, who wasn't there (no one from the feds bothered to attend, not even our local MP, whose pictures adorned the mayor's campaign brochure), but sent a message by email. Our mayor spoke glowingly of the federal contribution, nonetheless, and quotes none of the local speakers (aside from himself, of course).
In fact, the mayor mentions none of the local VIPs who attended, but says
Quote
The Government of Canada and the Town of Collingwood today celebrated the Grand Opening Ceremony of the new Collingwood Public Library and Municipal Offices. The new building was officially inaugurated by Canada’s Finance and Regional Minister Jim Flaherty, Mayor of the Town of Collingwood Chris Carrier, and representatives from the Library Board of Directors.
Which is bemusing, since the feds stayed away from the event, not even sending an aide to represent them, so could not possibly have inaugurated anything even by proxy. The "representatives" from the board aren't named - not even its chair, Donna Mansfield, who was allowed to speak.
Kind of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?
It was a glorious day and a great achievement for the many people who worked so hard to see this day come. They didn't get to speak, they may not have attended, but they aren't forgotten by those who know and remember where the real credit for this success lies.
~~~~~
* The top floor is used for the town's building and planning departments as well as providing a large community meeting and event space. And yes, I am extremely proud of my contribution to this project, despite the failure of the mayor to recognize any of us who actually helped make it happen.
