As of Sept. 21, the Chemainus VIRL branch will be closed on Sundays and Mondays and hours have been reduced during the week.
As a loyal patron of the Chemainus Library for several decades, Dr. Don Hilton is disappointed in cuts to service at the local branch.
He suspects faulty data may have led to the decision to close the Chemainus branch on Sundays and Mondays and reduce hours during the week. Effective this weekend, hours of operation at the Chemainus branch have been reduced to 42 hours a week from the current 55. The Library will no longer be open on Sundays and Mondays.
“Mathematical errors were made by the Vancouver Island Regional Library to adjudicate what Chemainus should properly have,” Hilton argues.
He points to census data that appears to back his claim that new Chemainus hours don’t mesh with what the community deserves.
According to the 2021 census, Chemainus alone has a population of 4,053.
In a letter to the Municipality of North Cowichan, executive-director Eileen Gillette provided a different picture.
“Currently, the branch operates 55 hours per week, serving approximately 3,000 residents, which exceeds the typical standard for small branches that serve 4,500 to 6,700 residents and operate 35-44 hours per week,” Gillette stated.
Hilton says when you add the regional population numbers including Thetis Island, Penelakut, Saltair, Crofton, Westholme and reserves in the area, the actual number is closer to 9,600 potential users of the Chemainus branch.
“They are so out of line, I’m worried that whoever did that doesn’t understand the drawing area,” Hilton said, adding Ladysmith, with a population of 8,990 is losing one hour of service from 51 to 50.
“I think closing Chemainus on Sunday would be a pretty fair compromise.”
The new Chemainus branch opened in January 2020 on the site of the former firehall. The previous branch was located on Legion Street next to the BC Liquor Store.
Kate Marsh, who was North Cowichan’s representative on the VIRL board during her time on council, says North Cowichan’s decision to partner with VIRL to build a new branch was a sound business move.
“It was supported by the majority of Chemainus residents and neighbouring communities like Saltair, Crofton, Westholme, Thetis and Penelakut Islands as well as Halalt and Tussie,” Marsh told North Cowichan councillors earlier this week.
Tek Manhas, North Cowichan’s representative on the 39-person VIRL board, participated in a virtual meeting held on Saturday and came away disappointed.
“Taxpayers deserve answers and want to know what the criteria was for this decision,” Manhas says.
“It was a data induced process, and I wasn’t happy with the response.”
Manhas says he gave it a shot but he’s pessimistic about VIRL reversing its new strategy that is based on a comprehensive operational study that began in 2023.
“It’s done, the budget is based on what is being done with the hours,” he said.
VIRL’s acting executive-director Eileen Gillette has not responded to questions from chemainus.com