This community of Glenn Vowell was first in contact with Write to Read BC last year. When a member of our design response team has spoke with the community’s education coordinator, Barb McRae, she quickly realised the next step is to arrange a visit to visit the community.
Glen Vowell is located inland from BC’s coast, near Kispiox, BC.
The Write to Read BC design response team wants to visit the Paachidaat community, near Port Renfrew on the BC coast. When the team visits, they’ll start discussion to develop the community’s vision for its library.
Paachidaat territory is next to the ocean and vulnerable to any tsunami, so a proper site needs to be found for a community library.
Write to Read BC withdrew its interest in receiving a building from the Municipality of Oak Bay, due to hidden costs. Our construction response team immediately identified a better financial option.
Instead, the Young Professionals of Nanaimo have decided that, for the Snunymuxw library, they will build the same solution we used for the Xeni Gwet’in library. They have already raised $25,000 towards building and met with Write to Read BC’s architect, Scott Kemp, about the design.
This BC community worked very hard to build their school, but unfortunately did not have funding for a library. Write to Read BC will visit the Stz’uminus school and meet with the principal, Tim Harris, and see what we can do.
Plans for a Xeni Gwet’in library are on track. This is our very first Version 4 library—one that will be built on site, rather than premade and shipped in. The library’s opening date depends on how the design and building proceed, and on funding for that to happen.
Before we can ask the Jack Gin Foundation to support it, our construction response team will need to determine exactly how much this library will cost to build.
The building for the Ahousaht community library is in place, and Write to Read BC’s construction response team has visited the site to view the building.
Our library response team is now putting together a collection of books. Furniture has to be made and delivered when the library response team sets up the library.
The library will likely open in the fall of 2014. It’s another success story for the partnership model, which matches communities, Write to Read BC volunteers, and other partners.
Located on Stuart Lake near Fort Saint James the Principal of the Community School Eric Di Nozi contacted Write to Read BC for assistance to regenerate their school library and make it into a community library.
Write to Read BC visited the community in November 2015 to discuss partnership and proejct possibilities. We agreed Write to Read BC will provide shelves and books. Our library response team is putting together books, and shelving will have to be made by Nanaimo Correctional Centre.
Two Rotary clubs will be involved. One will collect the books and computer hardware. The other will deliver the shelving and assist in putting the library together. We anticipate doing this during the summer, an optimal time for travelling to the community.
Write to Read BC representatives met the owner of Windsor Plywood for Vancouver Island, who agreed to supply Write to Read BC with the plywood we were looking for at cost.
The plywood and other materials will become bookshelves that Nanaimo Correctional Centre will build for Write to Read BC projects.
Also, the owner, Randal Jones, donated $20,000 to Write to Read BC toward library construction costs.
In Tsay Keh Dene, the library is now onsite. Our Write to Read BC library response team visited and set up the library shelves and furniture. Next, Indigenous books will be ordered.
Once we have the computers installed in the library we will be ready to open it.
The library opening in Oweekeno was both formal and festive. A Wuikinuxv Elder blessed the building, and Chief Rose Hackett cut the ribbon alongside Judith Guichon, lieutenant-governor of BC and Peter Hansen of Rotary Club Lionsgate.
The Chief also presented a ceremonial paddle to the lieutenant-commander of the navy ship HMCS Calgary, at a community dinner with navy crew members, in the Big House.
Local youth then sailed the Rivers Inlet area aboard HMCS Calgary for four hours, as guests.
Also in attendance were members of the RCMP on their regular visit to Oweekeno.
This library was sponsored by the members of the Rotary Club Lionsgate of North Vancouver, who raised the necessary project funds. The modular building was donated by Britco Structures.
The Oweekeno community will employ a librarian to supervise the building. Write to Read BC’s library response team collaborated with local volunteers on the selection and cataloguing of books.
Oweekeno is on the BC coast, south of Bella Bella, accessible only by boat or plane.
The cost of the project was $60,000. Moving the modular building by sea from Vancouver to Rivers Inlet cost $20,000, which the Jack Gin Foundation paid.
