The last 1,000 library books from the closed Fort Coulonge Library are being given away
Library books from a small town in the Pontiac region of Quebec are about to be checked out for the last time and with no due date.
"This used to be our library, unfortunately we had to close," said Fort Coulonge, Que. Mayor Christine Francoeur, while standing in the space that was formerly the library.
The town about a 120 km west of Ottawa is giving the remaining books away, after the library closed its doors for the final time in December, according to the mayor.
"It was a hard decision to make, it’s something we’ve been talking about for a couple of years already at the council table," she says.
The town has a population of about 1,300. Francoeur says the library costs around $42,000 annually to operate and, after years of declining use, a decision had to be made.
"We have less than three per cent of the population using our library and the ones that were coming in, most of the time was just to use the internet, not even to borrow books."
More than 5,000 books have been returned to a larger regional library network in the Outaouais. Approximately 1,000 books are left. Residents of the town only are invited to pick them up over two days this week.
"Residents of Fort Coulonge have already paid for these books in their taxes, so I think they should have first choice," said Francoeur.
She says this isn’t the first library in the area to close its doors — she adds that nearby Campbell’s Bay closed its library around two years ago.
Residents in the town have mixed feelings about losing their local library.
"It’s going to be a sad thing for kids around here," said one resident.
"I think it’s really important that we have that service. It’s awful that we don’t have it," said another.
One woman said, "I’m a person that didn’t go because we do everything with this today," as she points to her iPhone.
According to the mayor, residents can pick up books on Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m. at the library and administration building at 134 rue Principale, closing a chapter many wish had a happier ending.
"People that did use the library will be missing it a lot," said Francoeur.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.