How a changing Ottawa will change your neighbourhood library
The Ottawa Public Library's list identifies which communities need new branches and priorities around growing demand and aging facilities
Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Sun
Published Sep 09, 2025
A list of 18 branches to be built, renewed or replaced over the next 20 years will be tabled at the Ottawa Public Library board on Sept. 9.
The report attaches no cost to each project, but identifies which branches are in need of expansion due to factors such population growth and which branches need significant improvements or replacement due to age.
Some existing branches are owned by the city and some are leased. The sources of funding to build or expand also vary, from development charges in new areas to capital funding and “synergies” with other city facilities such as community centres.
If the library board approves the list, OPL staff will bring specific projects to the board for approval through the annual budget process.
Here’s the list of priorities, from the top:
The central branch at Ādisōke will open to the public in 2026, replacing the existing main branch at 120 Metcalfe St. at 37,000 sqaure feet larger than the Metcalfe branch. Ādisōke will be the home branch for Centretown, West Centretown and LeBreton, but will offer new services for library users across the city.
The Greenboro branch, which opened in 2006 and is connected to the Diane Deans Community Centre, currently sees more than 200,000 visitors a year. The OPL recommendations call for investment in the branch, including improving the entrance to enhance security, reconfiguring public areas to improve programming space and lifecycle repairs such as replacing the roof. It’s expected this work will happen in 2026-27.
Old Hunt Club has about 19,000 residents in an area expected to grow by five per cent over the next five years. The area, currently served by the Hunt Club and Bayview bookmobile stops, is considered to have a “legacy” gap” for library services.
The project was previously fifth on the priority list, but has moved up to third spot. OPL will have to use capital funds for this project, because there are no development charges available for growth, said the report. The recommendation is for the project to be carried out in the next five years, using a leased approach.
The Elmvale Acres branch has seen increased visits since the end of the pandemic and serves a population of 28,000. It’s on a leased site with an agreement that ends in 2027, but it’s considered an ideal location. The report recommends exploring opportunities to expand the branch.
The Sunnyside branch, built in 1951, serves 200,000 visitors a year and is under consideration for renewal, redevelopment or relocation. The building needs lifecycle repairs, including a new roof and window and roof replacement. Exterior work is slated to start in 2027, but OPL staff are exploring relocating or redeveloping in the longer term.
The Riverside South branch, approved in 2022, is currently in design development, along with the Riverside South Community Centre and and Core District Park. The city is working through land and planning approvals. The design phase is expected to last until late 2026, with construction slated to begin in the spiring of 2027. It is being funded mostly through development charges and staff are exploring the feasibility of designing the facility to meet net zero requirements.
The library board approved a plan to go ahead wth a new Barrhaven branch in 2022 to replace the Ruth E. Dickinson branch, which is located in the Walter Baker Sports Centre. The new facility, slated to open early in 2030, will include a 30,000-square-foot district library branch, a seniors’ centre, theatre and urban park.
Conceptual designs are to be presented to the public later this year, and OPL expects a design team will be hired by the end of the year. It will be funded through a combination of development charges and an Investing in Canada Infrastructure grant.
Meanwhile, decommissioning the Ruth E. Dickinson branch will create a new gap, considering the growth of Barrhaven, said the report. OPL staff are recommending a feasibility study to keep a reduced presence in the current location.
The Richmond branch serves a community of 13,000 that is expected to double by 2036. The lower level of the branch is currently not accessible because it doesn’t have an elevator. The building is in good condition, but it doesn’t serve the current or future needs of the community, said the report. OPL staff are recommending that the branch be redeveloped and increased in size.
The Centennial branch needs significant repairs and renovations, said the report. Accessibility in washrooms is limited and the interior needs to be modernized. The building is on the city’s heritage register and is under designation reviews. OPL staff are recommending that the branch be redeveloped.
The need for a 7,500-square-foot east urban branch for the growing communities of Orléans and Cumberland was identified in 2016. Since then, the neighbourhoods of Portobello South and Chapel Hill South have grown to a combined 44,500 people, with a need for a branch twice that size. OPL is investigating co-locating with city partners on existing city land.
The Vanier branch, at 6,209 square feet, is located on two floors of a heritage site and serves a population of more than 12,000 people. The branch has been upgraded in the past 15 years, including an elevator, but it also needs more improvements. OPL staff recommend that the facility be renewed in the next 10 years.
The Carp branch first opened in 1997 as the West Carleton Public Library. Carp has a current population of 6,800 and is expected to grow to almost 18,000 over the next 15 years. OPL staff recommend investing in the existing infrastructure and renewing the facility in the next 10 years.
Findlay Creek currently has almost 15,000 residents and is expected to grow by 45 per cent over the next decade. It’s first on OPL’s priority list of neighbourhood gaps. OPL is exploring the feasibility of co-locating with city partners and redeveloping city-owned land to build a 15,000-square-foot branch with a community centre. The project is targeted for completion in the next 10 years and will be funded through development charges.
OPL is considering relocating or redeveloping the Carlingwood branch. The location is “operationally challenging as it is a three-level facility and requires significant mechanical and electrical upgrades due to the systems being dated and noncompliant with current sustainability goals,” said the report. The neighbourhood is expected to grow by 30 per cent over the next 20 years, and LRT expansion is expected to add more foot traffic to the branch.
The Bayshore and Britannia area, with a combined population of 22,000 residents, is also considered to be a “legacy gap” for library services and has been identified as a high priority. Current options include partnering with other organizations and leasing.
The Emerald Plaza branch in Nepean has 10,367 square feet of space in a leased facility and sees 135,000 visitors a year. The most recent expansion into an adjacent unit happened in 2013.
The lease expires in March 2028 and OPL staff have recommended entering into a new lease agreement. Meanwhile, the city has started a secondary plan review of the Baseline-Merivale corridor, where the branch is located. There may be changes as a result.
Vars is a community of just over 3,000 people southeast of Orléans. The population isn’t expected to grow by very much, but OPL has recommended a new facility development in the next 20 years to “foster OPL’s commitment to rural communities and expand library services in these communities.”
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