Blyth Resident Presents North Huron Council With A Petition To Keep Blyth Library In Current Location

by Bob Montgomery

Blyth resident Kathryn Aires presented North Huron council with almost four hundred names on a petition at this week's council meeting asking that the Blyth Library be left where it is.

Aires said she would have more signatures but a lot of people weren't home. She claims the majority of Blyth residents are opposed to a proposal being considered by council to move the library from its current location on Queen Street. She adds, they're particularly opposed to one option council is looking at that would see the library moved to the second floor of the Blyth Arena.

Aires says the current location on Queen Street is centrally located, which is ideal because a lot of the people that use the library are seniors and kids, it's easily accessible, it's well-used and it encourages local shopping because of it's proximity to so many of the other business in Blyth. She maintains space on the second floor of the arena is too high up, because it is above an arena, the stairs are steep and slippery when they're wet, so someone could very easily fall and injure themselves. The arena doesn't have an elevator, it has a lift which requires a key to operate, so the municipality would either have to put in an elevator at taxpayer's expense or pay someone to operate the lift.

Aires adds, a lot of very popular events are held on the second floor of the arena. She mentioned breakfasts, their threshers, broomball and their children's programs and they also have a first-class kitchen on the second floor that is perfect for all of the banquets and events but would be wasted in a library.

Reeve Paul Heffer says one of the concerns of council is that the Blyth Library is currently the only library in Huron County that is on private land. All of the rest of them are on municipal land and council would prefer to have the Blyth Library on municipal land as well.

Aires says she realizes no decision has been made but she felt it was important to make their thoughts known before council made a decision.