THUNDER BAY — Plans for a new flagship central library at the Intercity mall are blazing ahead, bringing with it the likely trade-off of closing at least one of the public library’s current branches.
City council voted Monday to endorse the Intercity branch concept, and take a closer look at two different options the Thunder Bay Public Library had put on the table to achieve it, both of which include branch closures.
The library administration had asked council to endorse one of three options, all of which would add a central branch. The first option would also maintain all four existing branches but downsize at Waverley and Brodie, the second would cut the Brodie branch, while the third would cut both Brodie and County Fair.
Council voted to have city staff examine both options two and three, reporting back by June 2024.
Preliminary estimates presented by the library indicate option two would increase current library spending of roughly $7.8 million a year by $500,000, while option three would cut costs by around $150,000.
Option one, keeping the current branches along with a new central branch, had been estimated to bump the library’s costs by over $1.3 million.
Library CEO Richard Togman said the results of a library-commissioned survey indicated citizens are willing to pay up to $39.90 more per year in taxes, if they know the funds will go towards the library.
While library leaders have said they prefer not to see existing branches closed, they have themselves put those closures on the table in their quest for an Intercity branch, arguing it would revitalize the library system and bring major public benefits.
Those include a fully accessible main branch, space for things like a children’s play space and expanded Indigenous knowledge centre, and the ability to tailor remaining neighbourhood branches more to local needs, Togman told council.
“We would have a central library that does city-wide services, and then we can really look at our neighbourhood branches, and say, what does that neighbourhood really need out of a library?”
Togman added the library is looking to address a deficit of programming space, stating it’s currently “actively turning away children” from reading programs over the issue.
Groups including the United Way, the John Howard Society, Communities Together for Children, Anishinabek Employment and Training Services, and the Rainbow Collective — as well as the Intercity Shopping Centre itself — presented to council in support of the central branch vision on Monday.
Those groups said the library’s plan to lease some of its Intercity space to non-profits could support collaboration and improved service delivery.
Asked how the plan could impact the mall, general manager Stacey Ball said the addition of a library as an anchor tenant could be a win-win, boosting library traffic and visits to the mall, which she said had fallen from over five million before the pandemic to 3.6 million last year.
“There’s a couple of reasons the numbers have declined: COVID, a changing retail environment, the lack of anchors,” she said. “I would foresee the addition of a library [and] multi-use facility having a significant [positive impact] on not only our traffic, but the [library’s] as well.”
“It would be mutually beneficial to both of us.”
The location the library is eyeing, in the former Lowe’s space, would offer 75,000 new square feet of space, compared to the current 62,000 across all four existing library branches.
An analysis ordered by city council earlier this year found Thunder Bay residents already have access to significantly fewer library branches and less library space per capita than comparable Ontario communities.
That analysis also suggested the local library system costs the public more per capita than average.
Togman argued the need for change has been triggered by a “fundamental failure” in the library’s funding model, with the city holding back tens of millions in needed maintenance dollars to sustain the current branches.
However, he expressed understanding over some councillors’ reluctance to up that funding.
“We know there are different appetites around this table for price tags and library service, and we want to be responsible and reasonable to provide realistic options for how our library can move forward,” he said.
Coun. Mark Bentz questioned if library leaders were asking for increased funding on the same night council was considering millions in cuts to other public services.
“You’re coming on an interesting night, because we are potentially closing some facilities that are very near and dear to people’s hearts,” he said.
“I’d like to know where the library board sits — are you actually going for an expansion here tonight, or are you on scenario three, where we save some money?”
Togman responded that the library preferred scenario one, but had prepared multiple options to recognize the tough choices facing council.
While the library conducted broad public consultation on the facilities plan, possibilities for input were limited, with all options presented to the public for feedback including the Intercity branch the library’s board had settled on.
The library declined a TBnewswatch request to share the raw results of that survey, which garnered over 2,000 responses, instead presenting numbers they say are weighted to properly account for the city’s demographic makeup.
"This is done in every public opinion survey to correct for any over or under representation in the raw data," Togman stated. "For example, if more men than women answered the survey, then an appropriate weighting must be undertaken to ensure accurate representation in the final analysis."
Asked by Coun. Albert Aiello if it makes sense to maintain the Waverley Library as a neighbourhood branch, Togman said it remains the most-used in the system.
He added the library has applied for millions in federal funding to retrofit the building, which he said would be transformative if successful.
While the library is an independent entity with its own board, it relies on the city for well over 90 per cent of its funding, meaning it needs city council on board with any significant capital plans.
Togman said next steps for the library after securing council endorsement of an Intercity location Monday include starting lease negotiations with the mall, developing architectural drawings for the new space, and opening rent negotiations with community partners interested in setting up in the Intercity space.
