Budget 2016 has once again cut funding for the province's libraries. This time, the Liberals are closing 54 libraries, almost all of them in rural areas.
The closures leave up to 15% of residents more than a 30-minute drive from a library. Thousands of people -- children, seniors, families, people needing Internet access -- will now be unable to acess a library at all.
Libraries are often the backbone of their communities, especially for those with little access to government service. They offer learning opportunities and computer access, and are critical in efforts to improve the province’s literacy levels, which are among the lowest in Canada.
The Minister of Education says he will offer the libraries to cash-strapped municipalities, but towns say they can't afford the extra costs.
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