Construction begins for Sheep River Intermunicipal Library

June 30, 2010

Turner Valley, Alberta – Menzies, Member of Parliament for and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Dona Fluter, Mayor of Turner Valley and Sharlene Brown, Mayor of Black Diamond, today broke ground on the new Sheep River Intermunicipal Library. This new building is receiving funding from the federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.

“I am proud to be here today to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Sheep River Intermunicipal Library, a project that will make a lasting difference to the residents of Turner Valley and area,” said Menzies, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, John Baird.   “Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada is following through on our promise to create jobs and boost the economy, and this important project, which will bring this community together,is another example of our ongoing commitment.”

“The Town of Turner has a vision as a vibrant sustainable community.  The stimulus funding will move Turner Valley toward our vision with investments in infrastructure and services, stimulating the needs of our growing community and adjoining municipalities,” said Mayor Fluter. “We congratulate and thank both the Federal and Provincial Governments for sharing in our vision by providing the stimulus funding making the Sheep River Intermunicipal Library Project become a reality.”

“As a member of the Sheep River Intermunicipal Library, Black Diamond celebrates the opportunity to have a new expanded facility,” said Mayor Brown. “The Sheep River Library will support the residents within our communities expanding the potential for building social capacity and encouraging lifelong learning opportunities within the Diamond Valley Region.”

“Congratulations to Sheep River Intermunicipal Library on this momentous occasion. I believe that communities are defined and strengthened by their libraries – and that a strong public library enhances our quality of life and mirrors a vibrant and well-informed community,” said Michelle Toombs, Director, Marigold Library System. “Your new library will make a measurable difference in the lives of your residents. Marigold Board and staff applaud the dedication and perseverance of all those involved in getting this immense project off the ground.”

The new library will be centrally located, and will include additional space for displaying artifacts, cultural objects, and local artist works.  It will be built to LEED Silver standards, and include environmental benefits such as; reduced GHG emissions from building operations, reduced energy consumption, and reduced water and sewer loads on municipal systems.

The Government of Canada is contributing $983,000 towards the Sheep River Intermunicipal Library. The province of Alberta and the town of Turner Valley are each contributing $983,000 to this project. The total cost for this project was $2.9 million.

Federal support for this project is being provided through the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, delivered by Infrastructure Canada. This key component of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which invests in infrastructure projects across Canada to stimulate economic activity and create jobs.  Overall, the Government of Canada has invested $414.3 million in 236 projects under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund across Alberta.