Heather Wright/The Independent

Port Lambton’s library will stay open – at least for a while.

Lambton County library officials say the cost of renovating the Sombra Library and the ‘resistance’ to closing the Port Lambton Library demands a second look at the project. 

Andrew Meyer, general manager of cultural service in Lambton, and Darlene Coke, manager of libraries, floated the idea to St. Clair Township council in July. They hoped to expand the Sombra library and then move Port Lambton’s services there, closing the smaller, but more active branch. 

The county wants to provide more services and county council agreed it would be best to expand into the entire facility, adding an accessible washroom, more computers, a larger book collection and a maker room at a cost of about $285,000.

But the township council and the community has resisted the idea. Many, Meyer told council Monday, like the idea of more services but the community voiced “resistance to change and decline in service in Port Lambton.”

And then, the county started looking at the cost of renovation. The $285,000 price tag increased to $920,100.

That didn’t include the outdoor reading and play area, estimated at $116,828 and the $250,000 to furnish and equip the new expanded centre. It would also cost another $50,000 for staffing.

Meyer told council Lambton County needs more time to look at the options.

“We feel that we need a bit more time to identify funding sources,” he said. 

“We can appreciate that the township is in the midst of its budget process. The county is in the midst of its budget process,” he added, noting neither body had set aside cash for the project in 2026.

Meyer says Lambton County Libraries still believes expanding the Sombra Library is a good idea.

“It would be prudent for us to step away knowing that this is ultimately the goal, but we need to identify non tax funding to support it and come back to this body with some recommendations.”

And, Meyer said, the county needs time to look at other options for Port Lambton.

“We also need time to look at the feedback…and determine how could we continue to deliver service to Port Lambton? What might that look like? Would it be outreach programming? Would it be a small venue to be able to collect books from –  so how can we continue to satisfy the residents who did raise their hands with concern about the idea of a closure of their library.”

Councillors had no objections with Mayor Jeff Agar saying “If this does end up happening, I do not want to see Port Lambton close. They have to have a way to get books, too. So, I’m glad to see you’re working on that part.”

It’s not clear when the plan might return to St. Clair Township for discussion.