It’s less than a year old, but the redesigned Cumberland Library has already been honoured with accolades.
Presented by the British Columbia Libraries Association (BCLA), the library received the Building Project Award to recognize outstanding achievement in the building of new or substantially renovated library facilities.
“The award shows what a library does for (Cumberland); the library is at the pulse of the community,” said Kate Greening, VIRL board member and Cumberland councillor.
“It’s reconfirmed when people in the Village say it’s made a difference on Dunsmuir Avenue.”
The Cowichan Lake Library also shared the award, which opened at the same time as the Cumberland location.
June Stockdale, chair of the BCLA Awards Committee said both projects showcased the leadership provided by VIRL in the development of a strategic plan identifying key building characteristics for the projects overall.
“Both libraries incorporated elements of the community design and involved strong community involvement and champions,” she added in a press release.
The Cumberland branch was officially opened in November 2013, and incorporated features and building characteristics of the community, resulting in an open-concept facility.
The library features a fireplace, reading spaces, children’s area with literacy stations, public computers with internet, an X-Box station and more.
Greening noted in addition to the BCLA award, the library also shared another award with the Cowichan Lake Library in April — the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Award of Excellence (Community Institutional).
The awards celebrate the best in commercial and industrial construction north of the Malahat.
photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com