Renowned Canadian author campaigning for local library
Margaret Atwood campaign aims to create ‘Killam corner’ in honour of grandfather
Margaret Atwood, an award- winning Canadian author, has launched a fundraising campaign for the Kentville
Library.
Atwood has a strong connection with the area. Her grandfather,
Dr. Harold Killam, was a county doctor in the Berwick area at the turn of the century.
“This was before there was a hospital, back when he made the rounds in a cutter with a team of horses,” says Atwood.
Later, when Atwood’s family relocated to Ontario, they still drove the family to Nova Scotia every summer to visit relatives. To her parents, Nova Scotia was always considered home.
“I’m happy to support a ‘ Killam corner’ for the Kentville Library in honour of my grandfather and his descendants,” says Atwood.
Killam’s Corner, estimated to cost $ 20,000, will be a space for young adults within the new library. The idea was initiated by Lynn ( Killam) Pulsifer, Atwood’s second cousin, who pitched the idea to her.
“These funds will make a fun and inviting space for the youth of Kentville and area,” Pulsifer said.
Atwood has been sharing the campaign through her social media networks, and has been challenging other Killam cousins, family members, local authors, and friends to contribute. She has started a match- it initiative, whereby she will match any amount up to $ 3,000 before Sept. 1.
“Libraries are often a young person’s first contact with books,” says Atwood. “If it’s a positive experience, it can help them a lot in life.”
Libraries are often, great community centres and provide an excellent model for helping and sharing, she added.
The Kentville library is being relocated to the former church building at 440 Main Street in Kentville in anticipation of the construction of a new bridge across the Cornwallis River. A ‘ lite’ version is currently open while work on the new library site upstairs is underway. It’s expected that the temporary site will be open for three to four months while work is done on the new permanent location.
“Local churches were once the only centres for community,” says Atwood, “so it’s very fitting that a church building can now find a new life and meaning through a role as a library.”
Anyone wishing to contribute to the campaign can find the link on the Annapolis Valley Regional Library website or through Canada Helps.