Ādisōke [Ottawa's New Central Library] | U/C

[SL123]

^Oh the Wood looks really nice! Thanks for that update pic!

[SL123]

Ādisōke central library will not open next year according to a CBC article

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...enin-9.7000343

[J.OT13]

That's fine. Take your time. Hopefully it will open around the same time as Odenak.

[rocketphish]

It does look pretty complicated. Lots of interior progress photos here:

https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...or-dec-2-2025/

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SL123

Ādisōke central library will not open next year according to a CBC article

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...enin-9.7000343

"(S)everal thousand books...". One would hope.

[rocketphish]

How is Ottawa's new central library like the LRT? Delays, cost overruns and secrecy
The library isn’t a train. But have we learned nothing from the LRT experience?

By Brigitte Pellerin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 12, 2026 | Last updated 2 days ago

Ādisōke, the new central library, is supposed to showcase what’s best about Ottawa but the process to build it is telling a different story — one of unexplained delays, cost increases and loss of accountability. It won’t do.

What’s that? You missed the news, too? Not surprising. There weren’t any announcements.

Staff advised councillors in early December that the building under construction near LeBreton Flats would not be ready in 2026 as promised. And while I received many emails in the ensuing weeks from my municipal government telling me everything I needed to know about changes to recycling or community gardening or public art projects, it has not offered a single peep on why a project that’s costing us nearly $350 million is delayed — again.

Oh, sure. You can go watch the Finance and Corporate Services meeting or read the transcript, which is indeed available, provided you know where to find it and have the time and energy to sift through this stuff. That is not good enough. Nor is the reason given for the secrecy, that delays involve “contractual matters that are subject to a reasonable prospect of litigation.”

Have we learned nothing from the LRT experience with delays and cost overruns and secrecy and lawsuits? Oh sure, the library isn’t a train. And since no information is public, we have no way of knowing whether we’re headed down the same road as before. That is precisely the problem. We have no way of knowing. I, for one, refuse to accept that.

Not two years ago the same council, after being briefed in secret, authorized a legal settlement for Stage 2 of the LRT without telling us who got paid how much for what. Remember that? It was after a public inquiry into Confederation Line found “egregious violations of public trust” and so many other issues to write 103 stern recommendations for future large infrastructure projects.

Some, like recommendations 8, 55 and 59, stress the importance of communicating — clearly — with the public and keeping us informed of cost, construction, or safety issues.

I’m not an expert on building something this large and I understand that not every bit of information is worth the public’s time. But between that and saying nothing, there’s a huge gap where accountability and trust go to die.

It’s not up to us to go dig for relevant information on a project of that importance that we pay for with our taxes. It’s up to council and the mayor to be proactive and help us follow the story and reassure us that we’re not sleepwalking into another debacle.

The new central library (and Library and Archives Canada facility) is critical to this city. Libraries are more than just places to get books. They are the heart of a community, spaces where everyone is welcome. I am a huge fan of the people who run our Ottawa Public Library system. I’ve sung their praises many times, including in this newspaper. They are the best.

This new building is not honouring them. I’ve watched it come out of the ground as I cycled twice a week through the construction nightmare in front of it between early 2022 and mid-2024. I’m just one person with big opinions, but I never found it pretty or especially well located — on a hill, between transit stations, with not much to do around it except buy luxury condos. It bothers me that the design was not chosen through a public competition between options pre-selected by a committee of experts including Indigenous experts and Elders. If lack of beauty was the only flaw in the process, I’d be fine grumbling quietly about my aesthetic preferences. But it’s not.

Ādisōke means “storytelling” in Anishinābemowin Algonquin language. We in Ottawa have a great story to tell. Let’s not sully it with unexplained delays, cost overruns, and lost accountability.

Brigitte Pellerin (they/them) is an Ottawa writer.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/ad...elayed-secrecy

[J.OT13]

This new building is not honouring them. I’ve watched it come out of the ground as I cycled twice a week through the construction nightmare in front of it between early 2022 and mid-2024. I’m just one person with big opinions, but I never found it pretty or especially well located — on a hill, between transit stations, with not much to do around it except buy luxury condos. It bothers me that the design was not chosen through a public competition between options pre-selected by a committee of experts including Indigenous experts and Elders. If lack of beauty was the only flaw in the process, I’d be fine grumbling quietly about my aesthetic preferences. But it’s not.

Between two transit stations? It's a 6 minute, slightly uphill walk to Pimsi. Why does Pellerin make it sound like you have to climb Mount Everest?

And not much around it except luxury condos? Does she not know Odenak is rental and 40% of it is affordable?

The building will be a local landmark for Ottawa, and the site chosen will ensure it's visible from several angles quite possibly as long as it's around. It's between the dense residential Escarpment and the dense residential LeBreton and a few more built up areas.

[Ottawacurious]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Between two transit stations? It's a 6 minute, slightly uphill walk to Pimsi. Why does Pellerin make it sound like you have to climb Mount Everest?

And not much around it except luxury condos? Does she not know Odenak is rental and 40% of it is affordable?

The building will be a local landmark for Ottawa, and the site chosen will ensure it's visible from several angles quite possibly as long as it's around. It's between the dense residential Escarpment and the dense residential LeBreton and a few more built up areas.

Its called she's running for office alongside Leiper and is trying to score some political points.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

Its called she's running for office alongside Leiper and is trying to score some political points.

Is she? I know Chianello is running to replace Leiper in Kitchissippi Ward. I believe Pellerin lives in that same Ward. Leiper would probably back Chianello because they have been seen at events together.

[Ottawacurious]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Is she? I know Chianello is running to replace Leiper in Kitchissippi Ward. I believe Pellerin lives in that same Ward. Leiper would probably back Chianello because they have been seen at events together.

Oh, my apologies, you are right. I mixed them up.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Ottawacurious

Oh, my apologies, you are right. I mixed them up.

No worries.

[Harley613]

'This new building is not honouring them. I’ve watched it come out of the ground as I cycled twice a week through the construction nightmare in front of it between early 2022 and mid-2024. I’m just one person with big opinions, but I never found it pretty or especially well located — on a hill, between transit stations, with not much to do around it except buy luxury condos. It bothers me that the design was not chosen through a public competition between options pre-selected by a committee of experts including Indigenous experts and Elders. If lack of beauty was the only flaw in the process, I’d be fine grumbling quietly about my aesthetic preferences. But it’s not.'

The lack of awareness of the city building happening in the area, the advantage of being between two transit stations, the extremely diminutive nature of 'the hill', the aesthetics of a truly unique building hovering over the gorgeous aqueduct park with an insanely unique whitewater park directly under the library (which will be an extremely popular recreational venue in a few years), the fact that most of the buildings going up are rentals including significant amounts of affordable units, the inevitability of the arena being a few blocks away and a future entertainment district being directly adjacent, the virtue signalling...I can't even... This is so tone deaf and small minded that it hurts my brain.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harley613

'This new building is not honouring them. I’ve watched it come out of the ground as I cycled twice a week through the construction nightmare in front of it between early 2022 and mid-2024. I’m just one person with big opinions, but I never found it pretty or especially well located — on a hill, between transit stations, with not much to do around it except buy luxury condos. It bothers me that the design was not chosen through a public competition between options pre-selected by a committee of experts including Indigenous experts and Elders. If lack of beauty was the only flaw in the process, I’d be fine grumbling quietly about my aesthetic preferences. But it’s not.'

The lack of awareness of the city building happening in the area, the advantage of being between two transit stations, the extremely diminutive nature of 'the hill', the aesthetics of a truly unique building hovering over the gorgeous aqueduct park with an insanely unique whitewater park directly under the library (which will be an extremely popular recreational venue in a few years), the fact that most of the buildings going up are rentals including significant amounts of affordable units, the inevitability of the arena being a few blocks away and a future entertainment district being directly adjacent, the virtue signalling...I can't even... This is so tone deaf and small minded that it hurts my brain.

Pellerin has made it very clear in past op-eds that she's against the arena and the land should be, I think they said affordable housing... Which will represent 25% of the housing, even more because that doesn't count the OCH project. Some people will never be satisfied.

[zzptichka]

[Spoonsy]

Jan 27 2026:

[rocketphish]

With no set opening for new central branch, Ottawa Public Library extends downtown lease
Plan had been to transfer main branch to Ādisōke central library, originally slated to open summer 2026

CBC News
Posted: Feb 11, 2026 9:18 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

The delayed opening of the capital's new central branch is forcing Ottawa Public Library to extend the lease for its existing downtown main branch until 2027.

The library had planned to move its main branch to the Ādisōke central library, which had been slated to open mid-2026 but remains under construction. In December, city staff announced that Ādisōke is no londer expected to open this year.

In response, the library board finalized a lease extension on its main downtown branch for an additional six-month term, to the end of June 30, 2027. That will cost the library $900,000 plus taxes.

The board also gave its CEO the ability to approve another sixth-month extension to the end of 2027, if necessary. That would cost the library $1,800,000 plus taxes.

The report adds that if the library wants to extend the lease a sixth time, it has to provide written notice by the end of June 2026.

Ādisōke — the joint Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada project on LeBreton Flats — has a budget of $334 million.

A separate report noted that the library raised nearly $2 million in donations for Ādisōke over the course in 2025.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ease-9.7083587

[harls]

Another drone shot from our hero Manulix that will probably be lurking here.

• Video Link

[Uhuniau]

The real transit issue with the building is that the comfort and convenience of bus passengers could have been built into the design, but was not.

[AuxTown]

That's an amazing video, Manulix is a national treasure!

You can feel the cold in those shots. Library looks awesome and I can't believe we have a bright red building in Ottawa