When Bridge Lake Elementary School closed in June 2016, the Interlakes area was left without a public library.
Now, the B.C. Interior community finally has its own branch.
"We would have liked to keep the Bridge Lake location open longer, but we ran into issues with the closing of the school building and with the school board," said Brian Coakley, Cariboo Regional District director for the area.
"Quite frankly, they just wanted too much [money] to keep it open and that would not have been a good financial decision for the CRD."
A low-cost modular building, designed by Horizon North out of Kamloops, is now home to the Interlakes branch of the Cariboo Regional District Library.
"We intend to use these buildings as a standard design for rural libraries within the CRD when we can't find rental spaces," Coakley said.
The Cariboo Regional District has already installed a modular library at McLeese Lake, and Coakley said it's been a hit with local residents.
"It's all brand new. It's really great to have it there."
The modular library building at McLeese Lake. (Cariboo Regional District) The new library was set to open in December, but complications arose due to the summer's wildfires.
Road closures meant delivery and installation were delayed, and heavy snowfall through the winter pushed construction back even further.
The library is located at 7170 Levick Crescent. It will be open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/modular-library-interlakes-1.4566189