Searching on behalf  of her family for a fitting way to honour her parents and to create a meaningful community legacy in their names, Maple Ridge resident Arvie Bourgeault came up with an initiative that achieves both of these ends.

With money they bequeathed to her, Arvie Bourgeault commissioned the creation of a remarkable quilt representing a bookcase filled with books and donated it to the Friends of the Maple Ridge Public Library.

The quilt will serve as a means of raising funds and supporting children’s literacy in Maple Ridge into the future.  Friends of the Library will make each of the quillt’s books available for a donation, and will inscribe a name selected by each donor on the spine of their chosen book. The quilt itself was designed and sewn by master quilter, Shirley Cade, (left) – a long-time member of the Friends of the Library Chapter of her own local library in Oliver.

Jeremy Bekar of Mark’s in Maple Ridge subsequently recognized the value of the initiative to the library and the community and has generously donated the time and funds necessary to provide spine inscriptions.

Members of the public were invited for refreshments at the official Bookcase Quilt Launch on Saturday, July 21.  Arvie wishes to acknowledge the attendance of Shirley Cade at this event and thank her for her creative contribution to this successful fund raiser to assist the Library and honour Arvie’s parents.