Library group protesting Monday

The United Counties building and Provincial Offences Act courthouse at 22 Pitt Street in Cornwall. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

SD&G – A grassroots group plans to protest outside the United Counties building next week ahead of the council’s monthly meeting.

Organizers of the Facebook group Save Our SDG Library Branches are planning to assemble a crowd around 8:15 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016 outside the Pitt Street building.

The group is protesting the impending closure of the Dalkeith, Morewood and St. Andrews West branches.

Speakers from the three communities will be making presentations at the meeting, the group said in a news release.

“Through this whole process, our communities feel betrayed,” said Cal Martin, founder of Save Our SDG Library Branches. “People are fed up, and they are making their voices known.”

Martin accuses library board chairman Bill McGimpsey of exaggerating the costs per user for the affected branches and playing down the usage of the locations.

The group also believes the decision to cut the three branches – made on the Friday before the Civic Day long weekend – is contrary to the library strategic plan.