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Rimbey Municipal Library struggling to finish expansion amid construction cost boom

‘We found that the cost is at least $100,000 more than anticipated.’
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Image/ Metro Creative Connection

The Rimbey Municipal Library has plans to begin their expansion this summer.

“We had really hoped to start this summer,” says Mike Boorman with the Rimbey Library Expansion Fundraising Committee.

This expansion to the north side of the current building will increase the Library’s space by fifty percent, a large part of which will be used for the Library’s public programs.

“We hope to expand our programs,” says Boorman. He says that the programming through the Library is huge for promoting community literacy, creating a community hub for Rimbey residents, and increasing the overall desirability of living in Rimbey.

The expansion will also include an enlarged staff area and a new storage space.

Boorman says that while the Rimbey Library has made good fundraising progress, they are facing a new challenge that is threatening the lengths of which the funds will stretch—the rising cost of lumber and construction.

Costs for construction including wood and steel has risen considerably this year, a price jump that the Library Expansion Fundraising Committee did not foresee when making initial plans for the expansion years ago.

“Wood has tripled since we started this idea,” says Boorman. “We found that the cost is at least $100,000 more than anticipated.”

He says the library plans to continue with the construction this summer as there is no guarantee that prices will be better a year from now. Boorman states that at this time community pledges and donations are crucial to the Library, which is already considered under the recommended size for the area it supports by the Government of Alberta.

To learn more about the library expansion and how you can help you can visit rimbeylibraryexpansion.com.