By Connie Tabbert
Editor
COBDEN — The fifth Book Tree in Renfrew County was opened in Cobden during a special ceremony Wednesday morning.
A book tree is a place where people can drop off or pick up books at certain locations. In Whitewater Region Township, the location is in front of the municipal hall on Main Street.
The book tree in Cobden was created by Mike Graham of Calabogie Rustic Furniture from a fallen tree following a wind storm in Calabogie two years ago, noted Faye Mick-Johnson, a co-ordinator of the book tree project.
To launch the book tree in Cobden, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held Wednesday morning. In front of the students from Cobden District public School, as well as teachers and others from throughout the community, Mayor Jim Labow spoke about the tree.
“Welcome to launch of the fifth of book trees erected around the county,” Mayor Labow said. “A book tree will encourage people to pick up a book, read it, drop it off and pick up another one and go on their merry way,” he said.
Taking over the microphone, Ms. Mick-Johnson encouraged everyone to not only check out the Cobden book tree, but the other four in the county – namely in Killaloe, Arnprior, Petawawa and Pembroke.
“I congratulate Whitewater Region, specifically Cobden, for erecting the fifth book tree in the county,” she said.
The book trees were made possible through an Innovation Grant received through Best Start which is from the Ministry of Children and Youth ervices, she explained. There are plans this summer for book trees in Deep River and Bonnechere Park, but because there is no more funding, those communities are building their own, she added.
“Book trees are basically what you see,” he said. “It’s a free book exchange depot. Take a book, leave a book, share a book.”
The book trees started as a crazy idea by Karen Woods, who was the early literacy specialist, Ms. Mick-Johnson said. While checking out websites, Ms. Woods saw a book tree in Berlin and thought the same thing could be done here.
“Karen was the master and visionary and it was the people from Renfrew County who rallied behind her and made this dream come true,” Ms. Mick-Johnson said.
To help people, she noted there is a facebook page, so if someone is looking for a certain book, they can enter that onto the faceboook page and hopefully someone will respond as to whether that book is around somewhere, she explained.
“Today, I want to thank Whitewater Region for supporting this book tree,” she said. “It’s been a great journey with a lot of ups and downs. I really do appreciate the partnership.”
“I want to thank all of you who came today, because after I leave, it’s going to be up to all of you to make this work.
“This is a community project, a place for community involvement,” she added. “It’s for babies, children, teens, adults and seniors. This belongs to you. I want you guys to take pride in it and you guys to look after it.”
Ms. Mick-Johnson then presented a book to Mayor Labow from a book tree in Berlin, which her son brought back when he was playing hockey over there. He actually brought five books back, one for each of the trees, and the last one is finally at home, she noted.
Her daughter also took a book from a Renfrew County book tree and put it in a Berlin book tree outside a cafe.
French and German books were also presented on behalf of their respective communities to the Cobden book tree.
As many children put books into the tree, Mayor Labow said, “It’s wonderful to see the turnout, all the kids and adults.”
While the township has a library with three branches, one of them in Cobden, Mayor Labow said this tree is more for visitors travelling through Cobden.
“It’s a free book exchange,” he said. “If you’re travelling through, you can pick one up and drop one off.”
