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PUBLIC LIBRARIES DEMAND MORE PROVINCIAL FUNDING
ALEXIA MARSILLO alexia.marsillo@eap.on.ca
Ontario Library Association (OLA) to lobby for more funding. The two associations have requested an increase of $ 17 million in annual funding – from the current $ 33 million to $ 50 million. They have also requested that the provincial government dedicate an additional $ 25 million for the development and implementation of Ontario’s Digital Library. “Everywhere you go, the libraries are actually going up in services, we are going up in visitors and going up in loans,” said Rouse. “People used to say libraries are irrelevant, well then why are our numbers still going up?” According to FOPL and OLA, every year, 4.2 million Ontarians of all ages access 242,000 programs through their local public library. Every dollar invested in libraries generates over $ 6 in local eco- nomic impact.
The Clarence-Rockland Public Library has joined other public libraries across the province in the fight for more provincial funding. The Library Board submitted a motion to the City, which has already been approved, urging the provincial government to end the 20-year funding-freeze on public library fun- ding. The municipality now publicly supports the library in its demand for more funding from the provincial government. Every year, public amount has not increased for the past 20 years, hence the term ‘funding freeze.’ “It has not gone up with inflation, it has not moved one cent,” said Catherina Rouse, the CEO of the Clarence-Rockland Public Library. “It’s been the exact same payment for 20 years and this is the same for all libraries across Ontario.” The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) has teamed up with the &/#3&'r#3*&'4 DISTRACTED DRIVING CAMPAIGN The OPP is paying special attention this week to drivers caught talking on their cellphones or texting or doing other things while they are on the road. The Fifth Annual Distracted Driving Campaign runs from March 12 to 18. Ontario’s distracted driving traffic regu- lation took effect in 2009 and since then OPP statistics show at least 700 fatal traffic incidents still had driver distraction as the cause. Last year distracted driving resulted in 83 motor vehicle fatalities in Ontario, surpassing speed, alcohol, and failure to use a seat belt as the main factor for a traffic death. Conviction for distracted driving results in a $400 plus victim surcharge if settled out of court. The fine goes up to $1000 if an offender must be summoned to court or fights the ticket and loses. There is also a three-point penalty on the driving record. – Gregg Chamberlain libraries in Ontario receive a Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG) and receive funding for pay equity. This
La bibliothèque publique de Clarence-Rockland s’est jointe à d’autres bibliothèques publiques de la province afin d’obtenir plus de financement de la province. Le conseil de la bibliothèque a présenté une motion à la ville, qui a déjà été approuvée, exhortant le gouvernement provincial à mettre fin au gel de 20 ans du financement des bibliothèques publiques. La municipalité appuie maintenant publiquement la bibliothèque dans sa demande de financement supplémentaire du gouvernement provincial. —photo d’archives
The municipality now publicly supports the library in its demand for more funding from the provincial government.
In fact, Clarence-Rockland public library funding saw a 15 per cent increase in the 2018 budget, from a budget of $140,744 in 2017 to $163,096 in 2018.
bring it to Queen’s Park. Several MPPs across the province have already stated their support of this demand from their local public libraries.
“It’s unrealistic to say we don’t need more funding and that we are irrelevant,” said Rouse. “Because, clearly, we are not.” The Clarence-Rockland Public Library, like many public libraries across the province, have had to resort t on their municipalities for more funding to cover their operating expenses, such as basic office supplies. CONSEILLER BERLINGUETTE NE SOLLICITERA PAS UN AUTRE MANDAT i8F IBWF UP HFU UIF NPOFZ GSPN somewhere, so the municipalities are bearing the brunt of this,” said Rouse. “That is why they are supporting this NPUJPO BCTPMVUFMZu/PX UIFIPQFJTUP get Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP Grant Crack to support the funding demand and The Clarence-Rockland Public Library’s demand that the province end this funding freeze, with the support of the City, will be sent to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs, the local MPPs, the Association of Municipalities Ontario, OLA and FOPL.
ALEXIA MARSILLO alexia.marsillo@eap.on.ca
M. Berlinguette croit que la majeure partie du budget d’exploitation d’une Ville devrait être consacrée à l’entretien des routes et des infrastructures. Selon son expérience comme conseiller, il croit que c’est aussi la priorité des citoyens, vu que la question qui revient le plus souvent au conseil est : « Quand allez-vous réparer notre route ? » « J’ai été particulièrement découragé au moment du budget [2018], a-t-il confié. L’entretien des routes et des infrastructures ne représente qu’une petite partie (moins de 7 %) du budget d’exploitation. Il était plus facile pour le conseil d’accumuler la dette au lieu de fixer le budget. » M. Berlinguette encourage plutôt d’autres citoyens de Clarence-Rockland à se présenter. « Les jeunes qui seront touchés par la dette à long terme, les personnes ayant des emplois dans le secteur privé et qui veulent garder leur argent durement gagné, a précisé M. Berlinguette. Des gens comme moi qui veulent voir moins de gouvernement – pas plus. »
Le conseiller du quartier quatre de Clarence-Rockland, Charles Berlinguette, ne se présentera pas comme candidat aux élec- tions municipales de 2018. M. Berlinguette cite que ses priorités sont trop différentes et contradictoires de celles des autres membres du conseil, particulièrement au chapitre financier. C’est la raison principale de son départ du conseil municipal. « Mon objectif principal en accep- tant le poste était d’essayer d’inculquer à notre conseil municipal le sens de la res- ponsabilité financière, a-t-il dit. Ce conseil vise avant tout à projeter une image d’har- monie et de serviabilité à la communauté, le coût étant très secondaire. » M. Berlinguette est conseiller depuis presque un an maintenant, sans avoir été élu. Il a été nommé conseiller par le conseil en mars 2017, à la suite de la démission d’Yvon Simoneau, en février de l’an dernier, pour des raisons de santé.
Clarence-Rockland Councilor for Ward four, Charles Berlinguette, will not be running in the 2018 municipal elections. Berlinguette says his priorities are too different and contradictory from those of the council members, particularly when it comes to fiscal responsibility. This is the main reason for his departure from the city council. —photo City of Clarence-Rockland
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