Guelph councilors approve budget for new main library

Guelph goes ahead with $67-million library project From CTV Kitchener’s Jeff Pickel: A new downtown Guelph Library Branch has gotten the go-ahead following a heated city council debate.

Guelph councilors have approved the budget for a multi-million dollar project in the city’s downtown core.

It was a packed room at Guelph City Hall Monday night as councilors voted to approve the $67 million dollar project to create a new downtown library branch.

Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie had asked council to delay the funding approval until after the federal election saying he is worried funding for the project may fluctuate, depending on the outcome.

He says he will now stand by their decision, despite his concerns.

"I sincerely mean it when I say when council makes a decision, even if I'm at odds with it, I am now the spokesperson and the champion for that decision and I am now going to champion this project moving forward," said Guthrie.

The rest of the 13 delegates who spoke at the meeting were in favour of immediately approving the library.

They said the current downtown branch is inadequate and the city had waited too long to get the project off the ground.

“I was trying to tell them to be bold be brave and build what we need to build. This has been on the books and in the planning stages for years and years,” said Marty Williams of the Downtown Guelph Business Association.

Council says more steps still need to be taken to begin work on the project, but they hope to have shovels in the ground in 2021.