New central facility gets $ 1- million donation
Shaikh: ‘ My family and I believe that we must give back to the community’
Mike Shaikh has always lived by three words of wisdom that his father imparted to him long ago: learn, earn and return.
On Saturday, Shaikh and his wife, Linda, demonstrated that spirit of giving with a $ 1- million gift to the Calgary Public Library Foundation to enhance the new Central Library, under construction in the East Village.
As a thank you, the foundation unveiled the Shaikh Family Welcome Gallery at the library named in their honour.
“My family and I believe that we must give back to the community we live in. We also believe that education is a fundamental ingredient for a successful or prosperous nation,” said Shaikh, a chartered accountant, past- chairman of the Calgary police commission, and senator- in- waiting.
“Libraries are igniters of human potential, and libraries provide great opportunities for learning.”
The Shaikhs joined other donors who have contributed to the library’s campaign, Add- In, to help enhance the facility. So far, more than $ 8 million has been raised.
And at Saturday’s ceremony at the existing library’s main floor lobby, attended by dignitaries and representatives from all three levels of government, those partners were on hand to build a giant Lego brick wall, as well as unveil a 100,000 Lego- piece model of the new library.
Planning for the new library began in 2004, with city council committing $ 40 million to the project, and another $ 135 million from a special property tax hike in 2011. The Calgary Municipal Land Corp. contributed $ 70 million from a Community Revitalization Levy, or CRL, to top up funding.
Last week, crews put the final touches on the LRT encapsulation tunnel, which serves as a foundation to the library building.
Construction work now begins on the $ 245- million project. The 240,000 square- foot facility will be built over 750 days in four phases.
While the library is primarily funded through government funding, the individual and corporate donations from the Add- In campaign are important to outfit the building and provide programming, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said. And he encouraged Calgarians to give what they can to help support the library.
For instance, citizens can give toward a Kickstarter campaign to help build the library’s Idea Lab, where innovators and entrepreneurs can test out new ideas in a public space.
The online crowd funding campaign launched early Saturday and had already raised more than $ 1,400 by 2 p. m. Donors could receive anything from tote bags to mugs to a limited edition Nenshi Lego figurine, of which only 100 are available.
“We really are trying to build the very best library in the world,” said Nenshi, a self- professed bookworm. “This one isn’t just a beautiful building that’s going up behind city hall. It’s been very, very carefully thought out to meet the needs of every Calgarian, and I cannot wait for it to open in 2018.”
Lt.- Gov. Lois Mitchell said she was excited to see this “new and exciting chapter” for the library.
“I am a teacher by training, so I have a deep appreciation for the importance of reading and learning, not just for individuals, but for the community as a whole. I can’t imagine a life without books,” Mitchell said.
“A good library is the gateway to unlimited ideas, inspiration and knowledge. And when all members of the community can access those powerful tools equally, when every person is encouraged to reach their maximum potential, then we all benefit.”
Finance Minister Joe Ceci, who favours mystery and crime novels, said he and his wife are big fans of the library system in Calgary. The Central Library, in particular, holds a special place in his heart.
“In 1995, when I decided to run for city council, my wife and I were looking around for resources: how do you run for city council? And there is a book in this library, How to Win a Municipal Election. And it worked,” said the former Ward 9 city councillor, to raucous laughter from the crowd.
“Now more than ever in this digital age, where you can read a book on just about anything — your tablet, your phone or even your watch — it’s time to promote the importance of libraries. Because it’s more than just a public building that houses books. It’s a place where we come together as a community.”
I have a deep appreciation for the importance of reading and learning, not just for individuals, but for the community as a whole.