The scenic village of Tatamagouche needs a new library.
The existing library on Main Street is simply too small, but if a new one is to be built residents of the North Shore community are going to have to cough up some money – at least $100,000 – in order for the estimated $690,000 project to get started this spring.
That figure may be a drop in the bucket compared to the $26 million raised for the Colchester Regional Hospital or the multi-million community campaign already underway to help cover the costs of the new civic centre on the outskirts of Truro.
Still, for a village of less than 1,000 people (several hundred more if one includes the surrounding area) a serious fundraising campaign is in order.
And maybe that's just a sign of the times because it's becoming increasingly clear that, faced with staggering debt loads, governments at all levels won't be able to fund as many requests for help once the current federal stimulus package runs its course this year.
Fact is, we want governments to deal with this issue. We want them to make some tough decisions and seriously reduce the debt because in the longterm it will result in a stronger economy, more jobs and a better standard of living.
Yes, this will mean some short-term pain but what's the downside if the pain means communities pulling together even more to help fundraise major projects? Especially if a mechanism was set-up which would tie community fundraising with community tax benefits.
So Tatamagouche will hold its bake sales and community suppers, civic centres fundraisers will take place and the list goes on.
A community, it says here, is what you make of it. Doesn't matter if it's Stewiacke, Brookfield, Bass River, Truro, Bible Hill, Valley, North River, Debert, Tatamagouche or wherever.
As for those who can't be bothered to pitch in and help, we don't want to hear any squawking when things don't get done.
