New library necessary for Cookstown
Comment
by Chris Simon

Innisfil council needs to push ahead and grant the people of Cookstown their library and community centre.

Last week, a town committee recommended almost $1.5 million in funding for the proposed Cookstown library and community centre. The town has already allocated several million dollars to the project in the last few years, and while the recommendation must still be passed by council, Cookstown residents and members of the Innisfil Public Library are hoping the site will be built by the end of next year. It's a great dream, and the timeframe is probably a bit of star gazing considering recent delays to the Innisfil Recreation Centre, but the site is a necessary feature for Cookstown to prosper as a community within the town.

Cookstown already has a quaint, unique looking downtown, and a school teeming with young minds. However, a new library and community centre might be what's necessary to see the village grow. The current library is small and cramped, and not a very attractive place for students to go after school. The current lack of a community centre also acts as a deterrent for young families and businesses interested in moving to the area. The village has plenty of room for development, but its a hard sell houses, knowing the closest large-scale community activities often only take place in Alliston, Barrie, Stroud or Alcona.

The new library and community centre would also leave room for the development of sports fields. A baseball diamond, soccer pitch, basketball court and children's splash pad could all be designed within the next few years, if the town choose to do so. That alone would spur community involvement and the local economy.

Of course, there's also a sense of fairness and responsibility that the town should consider when approving funding for the Cookstown site. Alcona, Stroud and Churchill already have library branches and large community meeting spaces. All three communities are also within relatively quick driving distance of the new recreation centre.

Cookstown and the Lefroy, Belle Ewart and Gilford area appear to be the only settlements within the town that are currently without easy access to large libraries and community meeting centres. And within the next few years, it looks like southeastern section of the town will be getting their own library.

Some councillors have said the Cookstown site is unnecessary, and will render the new town recreation centre idle.

However, a new library and community centre in Cookstown will complement the recreation centre nicely. The Cookstown site only has community meeting room space in its construction plans, meaning groups will not have to go all the way to the recreation centre and new town administration building to conduct their business.

Assuming the Cookstown sports fields are eventually built, that site will free up both community meeting and athletic space at the recreation and administrative centres. Recreation centre and administration building community space usage will be at a premium.

Any easily accessible additional sports fields and community rooms would hopefully help spawn better citizens, and encourage greater involvement among town residents.

The new Cookstown site is also about creating equity and fairness. Councillor Rod Boynton has suggested Innisfil is a divided town. Each separate settlement area has their own wants and needs. But if anyone ever wants those attitudes of superiority to change, the town has to work together to create the best possible environment for all its residents to live, play and prosper.