COLD LAKE - In March 2024, the Cold Lake Public Library received a $10,000 grant from the Government of Alberta to establish a New Canadian section at the South Branch.
“Our project supports the initiative of providing services for new Canadians to build skills to succeed and thrive. Now the Library has a station for new Canadians at the South Branch with a variety of helpful resources,” said Community Librarian Cecilia Wingerter. The grant is known as the Public Library Grant for skill development in rural Alberta.
The new station is already seeing usage. Speaking earlier this month, she said, “The station for new Canadians has been operating for one week, and we already have served patrons who wanted to improve their language skills, get resources to prepare for their citizenship test, and learn more about Canada."
She emphasized the library's role as a community hub, saying, “We frequently have visitors from different countries who are looking for information and resources to start a new life in Canada. The library is offering a safe space to access information and overcome barriers by connecting newcomers to their new community and providing resources to help them thrive.”
Wingerter also highlighted the benefits to the local economy. “Cold Lake is a diverse and multicultural community. Economic immigration has shown to help Cold Lake employers to fill gaps in the local labour market in the retail, hospitality, and construction sectors.”
Books for adults and children to learn more about Canada are available. Also, "The library’s collection includes a variety of materials and online resources that can be accessed with a free membership,” Wingerter added.
Wingerter encouraged new Canadians to visit the library. “We invite our community members who are new to Canada to visit our new computer station at the South Branch of Cold Lake Public Library. Our friendly staff will be here to assist them and show them all the resources available.”
The grant supports this station until March 2025, with hopes to continue beyond that.
“After analyzing the results of the first year, we hope to continue providing this service for a longer time and expand our services based on the needs identified during this first period," said Wingerter.
