The Thunder Bay Public Library is giving money back to the city to help with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Librarian and CEO John Pateman confirms that $50,000 will be given back to the corporation. The library gave back $250,000 in the 2020 budget.
“We didn’t spend as much money last year because we weren’t able to be open as fully as we’d normally be due to the restrictions relating to the coronavirus pandemic,” says Pateman. “That gave us the opportunity to help out the city out financially in the last budget year by returning some of the money they gave us. It also enabled us to carry money over this year and help the city further.”
The Library reports that all of their pandemic costs will be funded through the 2020 surplus, which totals $235,800. The surplus will fund PPE, additional cleaning hours, security, cleaning supplies and other COVID related costs.
The Library will ask the city for less money this year as compared to last year.
