A March 10 town hall hosted by Valleyview town council was mostly focused on the town’s library, but some residents were also frustrated with how the public forum was operated.
Residents arrived to see a podium set up in front of a table where town councillors were seated. The podium was then removed, and participants were told they would need to write down questions that would then be read and answered by council.
Before any were answered, councillors were seen going through the questions and sorting them.
“I understand the criticism about how questions were handled, but in reality, they were just grouped in batches where the question was relatively the same and dealt with accordingly,” Valleyview Mayor Vern Lymburner told the Town & Country News in an emailed statement.
“We felt this would save time and be able to handle more questions that way.”
Still, some of the over 150 people in attendance yelled their displeasure and continued to ask questions from the audience.
“We had a very passionate audience hungry for knowledge,” said Lymburner in his emailed statement. After the town hall, he denied a request for an interview and requested Town & Country News email him questions.
“While some didn't get the information or results they were looking for, we only gave them what information we had with the promise to find answers to questions we couldn't answer or didn't have time to answer and post those answers on the town website.”
The mayor opened the town hall by criticizing the town’s representation on the CBC’s The Fifth Estate documentary A Shadow War on Libraries that aired last month.
“It was a very harsh program,” he said.
“We (council) chose not to speak to The Fifth Estate for the simple reason that we knew what their mandate and what they were going to decide this program was going to be about.”
Library move not well-received
On Jan. 29, the Valleyview Municipal Library Board decided to move the library from its downtown location to a school to be built next to the Greenview Regional Multiplex.
Lymburner told the town hall the library would have a separate public entrance.
Abbey Harron, 17, and Koralee Thompson, 16, attended last week’s town hall and have concerns about the lack of consultation - especially from youth – on the library relocation.
“The moment things got rough for them, and the moment things got hard, and they couldn't answer, and they got flustered; it was next question, completely change the subject,” said Thompson.
“It's ridiculous that they haven't asked our overall opinion at all on this, none of us,” said Harron.
“I just wish they would consult the youth about all of these things, especially GSA youth.”
The mayor said there was “very little” public consultation on the library’s future location.
“Council is elected to make decisions for the community and after numerous discussions, and looking at all the benefits and negatives of such a move, felt it in the best interest of the community as a whole to move to a new facility.
“We know this decision will not make everyone happy, but felt for the majority of the residents this was a good decision.”
Harron said the current library has created a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in Valleyview, and says she doesn’t believe the mayor when he says the GSA will not be losing its home at the library.
“I don't think that they're telling the truth, and I think that a lot of them are against the GSA and what we stand for, and I think that's really upsetting to see in my community, especially as a youth, that they're trying to marginalize this community.”
Lymburner said the public has misconceptions about the GSA losing its home, saying the GSA can move to wherever it feels comfortable, such as the library’s new location.
Thompson noted that she also has concerns about the safety of students if the library were connected to a school.
She said a door connecting the two buildings could allow people who are not supposed to be in the school to come in, noting the door may be left open or opened by a student unknowingly letting someone in who shouldn't be on school grounds.
Lymburner says other communities have similar setups, and says they are safe. He believes it will be a safer location than the library currently has.
“(Council) have so many different opinions on the school and the students and everything, but they have not asked any of the youth (their) opinions,” said Harron.
Thompson said students don’t necessarily want to stay at the school after hours for activities.
“We want to go do things after school; we don't want to be in the same space as the school; we want to leave.”
Move a cost savings, says mayor
Lymburner says that moving the library could initially save the town about $50,000.
He said the library may not need to pay for services such as snow removal, internet, and telephones, as they would be covered under a mutual use agreement with Northern Gateway School Division.
He noted that after school hours, the school could also be opened to the public for use of classrooms, the theatre, the gym, a podcast booth, and a home ec lab.
He says that depending on the agreement, the school may also help pay for library staff.
Negotiations between the school division and the library board will determine the final agreement, said Lymburner.
Some shouted their disbelief in the school division paying for the town’s library.
“I see people shaking their heads, but that's what I've been told,” he said to the town hall crowd.
He said the hope with a new location is that the library can be open more hours.
The mayor said he realizes moving the library would leave an empty building on the town's main street, but he believes that the area around the multiplex has the opportunity to become a community hub in the future.
Library board
Town hall attendees were also concerned about upheavals with the library board. Some said they could not get answers to their concerns from the board.
“If the library board does not answer your question, send it to us and we can see if we can get the question answered, but it ultimately has to come from the library board,” said Coun. Danny McCallum.
Police were called to a Feb. 26 library board meeting by board chair Tina Caron after she lost control of the meeting during the public engagement session. This resulted in some of the pre-approved speakers being able to do so.
At the town hall, Lymburner called Caron “harsh” in her handling of the board meeting, but said decorum is also needed across the board.
“The library board is a work in progress,” he said, noting that it has multiple new members working towards understanding the requirements of board members.
“They are taking courses and webinars to educate themselves on protocol.
“While the library board has had some challenges, I foresee them moving forward, working as a cohesive group for the betterment of the library and their patrons.”
Since then, a town councillor, Glenn Burke, has also resigned; no reason has been made public.
