A letter to Mr. Bill Walker, MPP:

Dear Mr. Walker,

I live near Miller Lake in Northern Bruce Peninsula. I am finally motivated to write to you about my concerns.

Although I am extremely concerned about many of the cutbacks that your government is making - being a teacher, cuts to educational programs; previously being in the food business, cuts to public health services (especially to the monitoring of health and safety in the food industry), but it is the cuts to the Ontario Library Services that most directly affects me and those of us who live in rural Ontario. As soon as the cuts were announced by your government, inter-library loans were immediately stopped. We are seniors but my husband is a writer who is currently working on a book. He had 2 books which were supposed to be on their way up here from southern Ontario - now CANCELLED ! I was waiting for a book - now CANCELLED ! But our branch is mostly concerned for the people who require large print or audio books. Access to the other Ontario library systems opens up many more resource.

Our Bruce County Library system is very good and provides excellent service here on the Peninsula. But it is a small system compared to those in larger urban areas. Our system cannot afford to purchase huge stocks of books nor do we have the space to store large quantities of books and other materials that are used by library patrons.

Premier Ford said when the cutback was announced that it would not affect library service. Well, he is definitely wrong on this point. I know so many people up here who are unable to get the books and material that they would like. This particular cutback is a direct blow to those of us who live in the country. I am quite sure that people who live in more remote areas of Ontario are equally affected.

I would urge you and Premier Ford to reconsider this cutback. I have not studied the details of the budget but I assume that the cutback to the Ontario Library Services will only save a tiny amount for Ontario.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter,

Sincerely,

Leslie Robbins-Conway
Miller Lake