But for me at least my recent life experience has brought the issue very close to home.

I live in a town divided. On the one side folks who wanted the new library, on the other folks who wanted the sewer and water lines repaired.

And over the course of the library being built there was ALOT of friction. Typical tale of a small town divided., although certainly not many get featured in the Globe and Mail - must have been a slow day at the Grit and Slime.

And now the library is here, and the thought that there would be any question of promoting life long literacy to me is just absurd.

But the library board chair wrote a column recently in the local paper, in which the catalogues the library has was highlighted. At first glance I didn't think much of it. I have seen those collections in lots of libraries all over the world, like big deal. But the local merchants were offended and furious - which is to put it mildly.

So how do you reunite these two sides or this town divided.

Because while I am on the side of the library because I believe in libraries generally and specifically we needed a new one I also shop locally. I buy from here first, what I can't get here I go to Calgary and Lethbridge, I make sure I am buying Canadian. And what I buy here I also made sure it's a Canadian product.