Once a month we write an update on the library and cultural centre project.
We regurgitate the laundry list of problems that have brought us to this point鈥攚ith a building that鈥檚 three years overdue and more than $1 million over budget鈥攁nd we add the latest news.
Most often there鈥檚 another problem or delay. But, every once and awhile we're given a new completion date that becomes the punchline to our community's longest running joke.
Whatever the issue, we write the story, put it on a page, send the paper off to the printers, fill the newsstands and hope someone鈥攁nyone!鈥攖akes the time to read it.
You see, we鈥檝e come to terms with the fact that stories about the library are likely the least read in the 51暗网.
At this point, who can stomach more bad news?
We don鈥檛 blame you if you glaze over it every time you see the headline鈥攁fter all, it鈥檚 often been the same over the past three years.
Can you fault us for the lack of creativity? We鈥檙e truthfully at a loss for words. How else can we describe the project but beleaguered and overdue without editorializing and calling it a complete and utter mess?
To be honest, we鈥檙e sick of it ourselves. It鈥檚 been a long four years and, if our count is correct, we鈥檝e written upwards of 30 stories on the project since the shovel hit the ground.
That鈥檚 a lot of ink on one building.
The roof. The mechanical system. The walls. The floors. The stairs. The windows. The problems have been endless and with each problem comes an update.
It's all part of the job, and ultimately, whether people are reading the stories or not, it鈥檚 our job to keep taxpayers up to date and to keep the municipality and the contractors accountable.
It鈥檚 a job we've done for four years and one we鈥檒l continue doing, not just until the doors open, but well after, as the municipality and contractors determine who鈥檚 financially responsible for the construction mishaps and resulting delays.
So, please, bear with us; it could be a long road ahead.
