KIPLING - The Town of Kipling purchased the former TD Bank building in 2019 after the bank closed its doors, and the old bank would be turned into a new library.
The Kipling Public Library had been housed in the basement of a professional building for years.
The TD building would not need many renovations. The teller’s counters would be removed, and a wall pushed back. It also received a new coat of paint and carpet.
Charla Smyth is the librarian and has held this position for seven years. She is excited about the new space. Although she felt bad that the bank had closed, it would prove to be a great new space for the library.
The naming rights of the library were purchased by Alan Batters’ family through a generous donation and will be known as the Batters Family Resource Centre.
According to Smyth, the Batters family has always been incredibly involved in the Kipling community. They built an outdoor rink for all to enjoy and even purchased a Zamboni to keep the ice rink in great shape.
The grand opening of Kipling’s new library location was to be held in the spring of 2020. This did not happen when the restrictions were put in place due to COVID-19.
So, on Sept. 10, during the Kipling Trade Day, they finally held the grand opening.
Vendors, food trucks, games and even a scavenger hunt were part of the community event, which was put on by the Cornerstone Credit Union.
With Main Street closed for the day, crowds of people came out to enjoy a fun and relaxing day.
Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., the new library would be open for tours and to see the ribbon cutting, which included Lane Batters, Kipling Mayor Pat Jackson, and James Richards, the assistant director and regional branch manager for the Southeast Regional Library.
“The communities support is amazing and the Cornerstone Credit Union for putting on the Kipling Trade Day,” said Smyth.
