Artist’s rendering of multipurpose athletic complex Mt. A. is planning to build on Lansdowne St.to serve first as a temporary library, and then an air-conditioned, recreational facility

Mount Allison University is planning an $85 million dollar library renovation that could provide more reading, research and recreational opportunities for members of the wider Tantramar community.

“We heard loud and clear the comment about community and we always have been part of the community for well over 180 years,” Robert Inglis, Mt. A. Vice President (Finance and Administration) told Tantramar Town Council during a special meeting today.

“We’re not doing this because we heard this from the community, we’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do,” he added.

“We’re part of the community and we’re physically showing that we are.”

Inglis was referring to plans for a new community entrance to the R.P. Bell Library on York Street as well as the construction of a new building behind the Mt. A. athletic centre that will initially serve as a temporary library while the old building undergoes renovation, but could then become a multipurpose sports complex.

“It’s not just sticking a door [to the library] on the York Street level,” Inglis said.

“That hill, that area will be fully re-imagined related to accessibility, re-imagined having some accessible parking that can be near the entrance,” he added.

“The multipurpose sports complex is a wonderful opportunity for our community,” Inglis said.

“Maybe we get more activities coming to Sackville because of it, particularly in the summer,” he added, “and that’s going to be a huge recreational asset for our community.”

He was responding to Mayor Andrew Black who noted that many members of the public don’t know they can use the Mt. A. library’s services such as by borrowing books and getting help with research partly because the entrance to it isn’t visible from the street.

“Having that community entrance facing right downtown into Sackville, I think is going to be a wonderful addition to it,” Black said.

Artist’s conception of the community entrance floor in the new Mt. A. library

6-year project

Inglis said construction of the temporary library, that will later become an athletic complex, is scheduled to begin this summer. If all goes as planned, the interim library on Lansdowne Street will open in two years.

Renovation of the existing library is slated to begin in the summer of 2026 and plans call for the new building to open in the fall of 2029.

Last year, the federal and provincial governments announced $36 million in funding for the new library.

To read more about Mt. A’s plans for the project, click here.

Note: Inglis explained that plans call for the existing Lansdowne parking lot to be used as a staging area for construction of the new interim library. He said the nearby Lansdowne soccer field will be used temporarily to create even more parking spots. “We do have a little bit of a parking issue on campus and so, we didn’t want to make this project make the parking issue worse. In fact, this will probably make it better.”

Artist’s conception of the on-campus entrance to the new R.P. Bell library