Winnipeggers will soon be able to pick up a library book and get some shopping done at the same time. On Thursday, city council approved a plan to build a new library at the Garden City Shopping Centre and enter into a lease with the mall’s owner. The new library will take over 14,450 square feet of the mall. Rent comes in at a little more than $210,000 each year for the first five years. It will then rise to about $225,000 for years six through 10 and will then reach $232,000 for years 11 to 15. The project stems from the city’s 2024 budget, which called for a new library to be built in Winnipeg’s northwest area in order to accommodate its growing population. The city has committed $2.4 million for improvements to the space, while the province has allocated $2.5 million for the development of the project. The new library is expected to open by the fall of 2026. •With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre.
