Thunder Bay City Council - (CJ Goater/Acadia Broadcasting)

Thunder Bay’s city council has declined to approve a library location at Intercity Mall.

Red River Ward Councillor and library board member Michael Zussino was the one who brought the item back to council.

He requested city council look at adjusting the library master facilities plan, making the following changes:

• Termination of the lease for the County Park Branch (County Fair Mall location)
• Maintaining the existing library-owned branches of Mary J.L. Black, Waverley Library and Brodie Resource Library
• Addition of capital investment in a new location at Intercity Shopping Centre via a lease for an approximately 24,000 square foot space (different location than previously presented)

After an hour-long debate council voted against making any changes, with nine councillors voting against the suggestion.

“I had a lot of feedback from County Fair and Castle Green residents and people that are just off the highway from there with a big concern about losing their library branch, and I can appreciate that,” said At-Large Councillor Kasey Etreni. “We talked about square footage, but for people who use it, it doesn’t matter what the square footage is; it’s about the use.”

The councillor added that she got more feedback than she was expecting on the potential change.

This is the second time a library location at Intercity Mall has been declined by this term of council.

The mall offered to cover the cost of a portion of the potential facility, which would have been smaller than the last proposed option.