File photo Nipissing University sent out notice late Thursday afternoon that they will reveal who the Learning Library will be named after during an event Monday, August 16, at noon, at the site of the new building at the Education Centre on College
File photoNipissing University sent out notice late Thursday afternoon that they will reveal who the Learning Library will be named after during an event Monday, August 16, at noon, at the site of the new building at the Education Centre on College Drive.
At twice the size of the current library officials say the new $25 million facility will provide the spaces, tools, and resources required to support the needs of a diverse student and faculty population. As well as play and important role in the region's connectivity and infrastructure
The price tag for the facility is pegged at of which the McGuinty government committed $20 million dollars for construction leaving the Learning Library Capital Campaign cabinet to find the remainder of funds through fundraising and naming opportunities.
It is the naming opportunity that has touched off a powder keg of emotion on the subject. Back in March of this year Nipissing University student Michael Delvecchio heard rumor that a donation had been made to the Learning Library campaign and that the building would be named after Ontario Premier Mike Harris. Delvecchio took the information public starting a campaign to stop the move indicating that if the university accepted the donation and name that it could cause serious damage to the school's reputation and future recruiting efforts. His campaign rallied students and faculty who took to the streets in protest and also moved Nipissing First Nation officials to rescind their financial support of the project.
"From a First Nation perspective, it would be more appropriate to name a rifle range after Mike Harris than a library," Patrick Madahbee, Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation said in a news release March 24, 2010. "His contribution to our collective knowledge is anything but a positive one."
Both Nipissing and Canadore officials have remained silent on the issue refusing to reveal who the Library would be named after only confirming that the campaign had received the sizeable $1.5 million donation for the naming rights. In fact they had hoped the silence would remain in place until after the ceremony informing media outlets that the advisory for Monday’s event was not intended for public circulation.
Construction on the facility expected to wrap up in the summer of 2011.
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Library group takes their fight to the streetYI wanted to let Mike Harris know that his legacy has not been forgotten'More appropriate to name a rifle range after Mike Harris,' Madahbe
