Canadian Library Thread

[Miana]

Among the many libraries, I like the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library for its amazing beauty. And even now, during the pandemic, I read works online and essays on the site. I dream of going to this library and reading "Things Fall Apart" there because I read about this work online. For me, it was the best gift. I love real books and their aroma.

[MolsonExport]

I live libraries that have multiple exposed stories of old, leather-bound books, like this one that I visited in Vienna:


I would love to spend the entire day here, curled up with a good book

[JHikka]

Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library
ZAS Architects













via UT
https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/thread.../#post-1748358

[JHikka]

Oh, Ottawa...

Joanne Chianello @jchianello

Now we're on to the central library file, where council is being asked to approve another $65M to cover a 75% increase in price for the project which city officials say is due to construction cost increases. #OttNews

Meehan says the interest payments over 40 years will bring the cost close to half a billion dollars (I'd like to see the math, but interest over a long period does often add a shocking amount.) #OttNews

Coun. @RiverWardRiley supports the library, but has never supported the 200-spot underground parking - which costs $28M. He points out that an arena at LeBreton was going to have 500 spots. So how can the library have 200? #OttNews

So with the interest payments over 40 years, the parking lot will cost $47M (an answer to Coun. @ShawnMenard1's question). #OttNews

Council approves spending an extra $65M on the library in a 22 to 2 vote. Meehan and McKenney vote against the vote on the funding plan. (There was a subsequent vote where some councillors dissented on specific items, like more funding for the garage). #OttNews

https://twitter.com/jchianello/statu...72584473645058

For those keeping track at home, Halifax's new library cost $57M and Calgary's $245M. Not only is Ottawa's going to cost double what Calgary paid but Ottawa's parking garage alone nearly costs what Halifax's entire library did.

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Oh, Ottawa...

Joanne Chianello @jchianello

Now we're on to the central library file, where council is being asked to approve another $65M to cover a 75% increase in price for the project which city officials say is due to construction cost increases. #OttNews

Meehan says the interest payments over 40 years will bring the cost close to half a billion dollars (I'd like to see the math, but interest over a long period does often add a shocking amount.) #OttNews

Coun. @RiverWardRiley supports the library, but has never supported the 200-spot underground parking - which costs $28M. He points out that an arena at LeBreton was going to have 500 spots. So how can the library have 200? #OttNews

So with the interest payments over 40 years, the parking lot will cost $47M (an answer to Coun. @ShawnMenard1's question). #OttNews

Council approves spending an extra $65M on the library in a 22 to 2 vote. Meehan and McKenney vote against the vote on the funding plan. (There was a subsequent vote where some councillors dissented on specific items, like more funding for the garage). #OttNews

https://twitter.com/jchianello/statu...72584473645058

For those keeping track at home, Halifax's new library cost $57M and Calgary's $245M. Not only is Ottawa's going to cost double what Calgary paid but Ottawa's parking garage alone nearly costs what Halifax's entire library did.

That new library is close to the cost of Rogers Place in Edmonton, an ARENA.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harrison

That new library is close to the cost of Rogers Place in Edmonton, an ARENA.

To be fair, Roger's Place would probably be close to double the cost if built today. The increase is on par with what we've seen with transit projects over the last decade, with short surface lines costing nearly as much as the fully grade separated Confederation Line's 2012 price tag.

[JHikka]

Sure, but does Ottawa really need a new library today? Ottawa's current central library isn't exactly crumbling these days. Feels like a vanity project because other cities got new ones so Ottawa should, too.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Sure, but does Ottawa really need a new library today? Ottawa's current central library isn't exactly crumbling these days. Feels like a vanity project because other cities got new ones so Ottawa should, too.

Is it a vanity project? Yes. Would it be cheaper to build later, probably not. Do we need it, there are good arguments for. The current building is quite small and uninviting.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Public_Library

The new library will be joint with the Federal Library and Archives facility. If the City cancels now, it would have to pay them a penalty and LAC would need to go back to the drawing table.

[JHikka]

The problem I have with Ottawa's project is that the current library is already in an ideal location. It doesn't get more central than where it currently is. They could be like Edmonton and refurbish and renovate (perhaps with a better exterior result), or even add more levels atop, all while maintaining the primary factor that should be key for every library: a community-focused location easily accessible by all. Instead they've decided to bury it and hundreds of millions at the bottom of the hill with worse transit access surrounded by effectively greenfield. A downgrade if there ever was one, given what they currently have.

[kwoldtimer]

In the time Ottawa has spent deciding whether/where to put its central library, Kitchener considered the same, selected a new stand-alone site, cancelled that and decided instead to expand/renovate the existing central library (at a cost of $40some million), which re-opened several years ago. A very typical Ottawa (and Kitchener) story ....

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by JHikka

The problem I have with Ottawa's project is that the current library is already in an ideal location. It doesn't get more central than where it currently is. They could be like Edmonton and refurbish and renovate (perhaps with a better exterior result), or even add more levels atop, all while maintaining the primary factor that should be key for every library: a community-focused location easily accessible by all. Instead they've decided to bury it and hundreds of millions at the bottom of the hill with worse transit access surrounded by effectively greenfield. A downgrade if there ever was one, given what they currently have.

For sure, the current location is far better. More accessible to thousands of residents and workers. They did explore renovating the current branch, but decided against it. They figured might as well spend a bit more for a new building. In hindsight, probably not the best move from a financial stand point.

The City did try, about 5-10 years ago, to buy land on Lyon at Albert, but were unable to close a deal.

As for the chosen location, the current library is sort of lost in the middle of the CBD. No plazas, parks or open spaces. The new library will be in a more prominent location in the hill between the Escarpment District and the Flats. The Flats will be redeveloped, with nearly the entire east side complete around the same time as the library itself (Claridge is now starting the next phase of development on their side and NCC will be unveiling the winning bid to redevelop the land between the library and Pimisi station). Within 25 years, the Flats should be fully built-out.

That said, I do hope that the City opens a community branch for the CBD or Centretown to make up for the loss of the current central library.

[Truenorth00]

The new library (location and facility) is less of an issue than spending $47M for 200 parking spots.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

The new library (location and facility) is less of an issue than spending $47M for 200 parking spots.

True. They're slashing costs left and right ($100 million in value engineering thus far), but don't you dare touch the parking!

And with that, nothing has been planned to better connect the facility to Pimisi station. They could have worked with the NCC to demand an interior corridor through the Library parcel up for development that connects the library and station.

Same with the new Civic. $200 million for parking, nothing for Dow's Lake Station.

[Echoes]

Saskatoon Central Library

Updated rendering and detailed floor plans released: https://saskatooncentrallibrary.ca/i...Jan_2022-2.pdf

Originally Posted by Echoes

Early concept for the New Central Library in Saskatoon:















https://saskatooncentrallibrary.ca/building/concept/

[kwoldtimer]

I don’t know what their branch network looks like, but that will be a big central library for a city the size of Saskatoon.

[youngregina]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Saskatoon Central Library

Updated rendering and detailed floor plans released: https://saskatooncentrallibrary.ca/i...Jan_2022-2.pdf

I'm HIGHLY impressed with this. I would say it would rival a central library in Edmonton and Calgary.. as far as size and services offered. Architecturally this beats Edmonton... and is similar in some ways to Calgary.

[JustForTheHalibut]

what an interesting thread.
Kamloops is planning to build it's third public library across from Aberdeen Mall.
not nearly as big as other cities but it's well needed in the area of the city.

https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/loc...n-mall-4448641

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I don’t know what their branch network looks like, but that will be a big central library for a city the size of Saskatoon.

I sort of was wondering about the size of that Saskatoon Library too but quick check shows that there're only about a dozen other Saskatoon libraries in that city and suburbs so probably they're planning for that city's rapid growth.

The new Saskatoon Central Library plans suggest it's only about 15% bigger than the Halifax Central library built ten years ago. The Ottawa Public Library & Library and Archives Canada being built in Ontario and shown on the previous page is going to be almost 50% larger than the Saskatoon Library so there's that.

[O-tacular]

Nice Saskatoon library!

Originally Posted by youngregina

I'm HIGHLY impressed with this. I would say it would rival a central library in Edmonton and Calgary.. as far as size and services offered. Architecturally this beats Edmonton... and is similar in some ways to Calgary.

Looks quite a bit smaller than Calgary's Central library. Has potential but not as architecturally daring. 1 million times better than the Milner library though.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Nice Saskatoon library!



Looks quite a bit smaller than Calgary's Central library. Has potential but not as architecturally daring. 1 million times better than the Milner library though.

It would be about 60% the size of Calgary's.

[WhipperSnapper]

Funny you guys brought up Calgary. I find this one looks like a cheap version of Calgarys. I don't find cheap. It's just unfortunate how it looks inspired from Calgary's design.