By France Poirier
A partnership agreement was concluded with Caisse Desjardins de la Rivière-du-Nord and the City of Saint-Jérôme. The City will acquire the Caisse Desjardins building in the city center to relocate two existing libraries.
We are talking about an investment of $6 million aimed at bringing the Saint-Jérôme municipal library network up to standard and modernizing it. Thus, the Marie-Antoinette-Foucher libraries at the Maison de la culture Claude-Henri-Grignon and the Charles-E.-Garneau library at the Galeries des Laurentides will move to this new space. It is estimated that these no longer meet the needs for space, nor the needs and current consumption habits of the Jérôme residents.
From 2027
The project therefore consists of bringing together these two libraries in a single location, larger and better adapted, in the building located at 100-110, place du Curé-Labelle, from 2027 in the Arts and Knowledge district. . As for the Brother-Marie-Victorin library, on Boulevard de la Salette, it will eventually be expanded.
State-of-the-art technology
The new library will enhance the service offering and create real spaces for socialization and exchanges that meet the expectations of the population. Much more than just a traditional library, the new, state-of-the-art facility will play an essential role in the revitalization of the city center and will offer the population and some 10,000 students on the University’s Jérôme campus of Quebec in Outaouais and the CEGEP of Saint-Jérôme an attractive, innovative and welcoming living environment.
“I am very happy with this acquisition since this building perfectly meets our need to offer modern places conducive to learning, discovery and development for our population, throughout their lives, and this, regardless of their age, social status or origin. As we find a large proportion of families in vulnerable situations and a considerable number of students in the city center, there could not be a better place to host our new central library,” explained the mayor of Saint-Jérôme, Marc Bourcier.
The move of the Marie-Antoinette-Foucher library will also allow the City to enhance its cultural offerings in the Maison de la culture Claude-Henri-Grignon, where various organizations and cultural spaces are currently located.
In addition to the purchase of the building which will house the new Saint-Jérôme library, the partnership agreement with the Caisse Desjardins de la Rivière-du-Nord also provides for a financial collaboration of $500,000 over ten years to support culture on the Jeromean territory.
Support for Desjardins members
As of October 2024, the Caisse Desjardins de la Rivière-du-Nord will only keep one ATM in the transformed building. Until then, the Fund has indicated that it will support its members in a personalized way. Various measures will be put in place to facilitate this transition. “We are assured that this partnership will have positive benefits for the parties concerned, especially for residents of the City of Saint-Jérôme,” said Nadia Angers, general manager of Caisse Desjardins de la Rivière-du-Nord.
