Library officially opens
by Blake Wolfe/The Scugog Standard

Local residents, board members and politicians from all levels of government met in Port Perry last Friday (Dec. 2), to officially open the renovated and expanded Scugog Memorial Public Library, several months after the library re-opened its doors to the public.
_The wait for the grand opening, according to event MC and Ward 5 Councillor Howard Danson, was the result of timing due to the 2011 federal and provincial elections this past spring and fall.
_Following a smudging ceremony by Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation elders, speakers took to the podium to reflect on the project, the culmination of many years’ work and the involvement of numerous parties, ranging from community groups to government agencies.
_“This is a project that is completely based on partnerships and the ability to work together,” said Deputy Mayor and Regional Councillor Bobbie Drew. The final piece in the library expansion puzzle came in 2009, after the announcement of a $10.5 million government grant - funded with $3.5 million each from the township and provincial and federal governments - for the revitalization of Port Perry’s Lake Scugog waterfront.
_Former Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pearce, who led council at the time of the funding announcement, was joined by most members of the former council at last week’s ceremony, where she recalled the steps leading up to the funding announcement.
“There were waterfront plans discussed as early as 1987, but the first plan only went as far Queen St. and eventually ran out of money,” recalled the former mayor. “It was in 2006 and 2007 when the downtown task force came up with recommendations to create a destination downtown. Never in a million years did I think we’d get all of this done. The library board came up with a new vision for this facility, as a community centre and not just books, and the community rose to the challenge. The final culmination of that shared vision is what you see today.”
_Former library board chair Bette Hodgins described the project as “the proof that dreams come true.
_“This is the result of hard work, dedication and vision,” said Ms. Hodgins. “This is the cumulative goal of those who came before us, and today, we reap the benefits of that foresight.”
_Current board chair Betty Somerville echoed her predecessor’s description.
_“This library will continue to cultivate a large collection that appeals to the community,” said the chair, “and reaches out to youth and seniors, the tech-savvy and tech challenged. As the years pass, the library will remain as a learning navigator.”