Toronto’s historic Yorkville Library could soon receive $1 million in capital upgrades. On Tuesday, Councillors Dianne Saxe and Amber Morley are presenting a motion to City Council to increase the 2024-2033 Capital Budget and Plan for the Toronto Public Library.
The $1,000,000 will be fully funded from Section 37 community benefit funds, which is money used to cover costs associated with public facilities and services needed for development and redevelopment. About $840,668 will come from developments at 836-850 Yonge St and 1-9A Yorkville Ave and $159,332 from developments at 27-37 Yorkville Ave and 26-32 and 50 Cumberland St.
According to the motion, the funds will be used for improvements to the Yorkville branch (22 Yorkville Ave) — the library will receive streetscaping upgrades, renovated program rooms, enhanced internet connectivity, and upgrades to its main door. Much needed repairs, as the motion states that building deficiencies were identified in past property condition assessments and that there’s a significant backlog in the replacement of flooring, lighting, mechanical, heating/cooling system controls, and resolving building envelope issues.
“Furniture and equipment, shelving, and workroom configuration will also address health and safety and accessibility and service concerns,” Saxe’s motion states. “Upgrades to the IT infrastructure are needed to bring the branch up to standard.”
Yorkville opened in 1907, making it the oldest (and most historically significant) library branch in the Toronto Public Library network. It was originally funded by a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, and the branch became a listed Heritage property in 1973.
Even in today’s digital era, the Yorkville branch still receives a significant number of visitors, serving a community of 61,000 at its current location (and the area’s population is growing fast, with a lot of new developments).
“The branch is undersized at 9,053 sq ft (842 sq m) and does not meet the Library’s Service Delivery Model standard of 10,000-20,000 sq ft (929 – 1858 sq m) for a neighbourhood branch,” Saxe states in her motion. “Improving the accessibility of this location is an important signal of our commitment to celebrate and modernize our unique heritage buildings by providing modern, accessible library service.”
The funding nicely aligns with a report released last year from the Canadian Urban Institute and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council: “Overdue: The Case for Canada’s Public Libraries”, which calls for renewed and diversified investments in public libraries across the country. Specifically, it recommends that policymakers relieve operational pressures to ensure libraries remain safe and accessible; treat libraries as “critical infrastructure” so their funding sources are aligned with government priorities; and create sustainable investment streams that recognize the expanding roles of libraries.
“As libraries provide essential community support, the report calls upon each order of government to up their investment in the country’s largest network of knowledge and service providers with the tools and resources they need to meet the challenges of this post-pandemic century,” the report states.
Council will consider Saxe’s motion on Tues. Dec. 17.
