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The Library wants your input on planning future branches!

Public Engagement on Facilities Planning
OPL_BPO_Comms

Jul 19, 2022

Have your say to help shape decisions on facilities planning. From July 18 to September 15, the Library is conducting a public consultation to confirm that the draft Facilities Framework reflects the needs of the Ottawa community.  

The Library invites Ottawa residents to share their thoughts and views on access to Library branch services by completing a survey available in English and French, online and in branches. Your input will help finalize the Framework and make decisions regarding future OPL facilities.  

The Framework will serve as a roadmap to ensure more equitable coverage to Library branch services across Ottawa. It will also allow OPL to identify gaps in terms of access to Library branches and to determine how we plan to address these gaps. 

It is essential that this new Facilities Framework reflects the diverse needs and composition of the Ottawa community.  

Your participation in the survey is important to us.  

Spare some time to: 

  • Watch an online presentation outlining the key points of the Draft Facilities Framework or 

  • Read the Draft Facilities Framework, which is available online, in English and French. You can also request a hard copy at your home branch.  

  • Complete the survey online or ask for a hard copy and drop it off at a branch once completed.   

Questions? 

Bring your questions on Tuesday, August 23, to a bilingual virtual “open house” session from 7 pm to 8 pm. It is another opportunity for you to better understand the approach and the intended use of the Facilities Framework. Register for the session on Eventbrite and the meeting link will be sent to you by email.  

Note that participants will be advised to watch the online presentation or review the framework prior to joining the virtual open house. 

Questions related to the Facilities Framework Public Engagement can be directed to facilitiesframework@biblioottawalibrary.ca.

Thank you for your feedback and participation! 

Please log in to post comments

Comments

new branch

Submitted by kmanicks on July 20, 2022 - 12:03pm
the community in Riverside SOUTH HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY THE AREA NEAR EARL ARMSTRONG ROAD PAST THE VIMY BRIDGE CONSISTS OF MORE THAN 1000 NEW FAMILIES WE REALLY NEED A NEW LIBRARY AND THERE IS AMPLE LAND

Re: New Branch

Submitted by OPL_BPO_Comms on July 25, 2022 - 10:53am
Thanks for your feedback Kmanicks. We have great news! In June 2022 the OPL Board approved building a new library branch in Riverside South. Working with the City’s Recreation department we hope to reach out to the community in 2023 to begin design planning. You can find full details in the report: https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?documentid=78417

the draft plan does a great job incorporating -equity & learning

Submitted by billdare on July 24, 2022 - 9:27am
I like how you frame the uniqueness of each library and neighborhood setting, not one size fits all, or one subset category has to fit. The call out to bridge with . of the city/community seems wise. Not that I know how you would do that. I like the complexity of bridging our city with international standards of libraries too. Best of all, the focus on libraries - helping people to Do things, apply our knowledge. Now the challenge in this town is to get groups and organizations to cooperate and aim for Community Asset and Capacity Building? (some kind of Asset Based Community Development? Will hospitals, health and resource centres, schools, business', housing groups, associations start? Are there already local examples ? Thanks for the work,

Re: the draft plan does a great job incorporating

Submitted by OPL_BPO_Comms on August 2, 2022 - 9:49am
Thank you for your comment billdare. Asset based community development certainly appeals to us. We have great examples from the City of Ottawa; the Park Animation Community Team, the Neighbourhood Ambassador Program, and the Rideau Hub to name a few.

In Ottawa we travel further to the library

Submitted by JDR on July 25, 2022 - 6:58pm
The 90% of Ottawa’s population in the urban area must travel on average 2.29 km to a library branch. The equivalent for other major Canadian cities is 1.8 km. Why is that acceptable?

Re: In Ottawa we travel further to the library

Submitted by OPL_BPO_Comms on August 2, 2022 - 9:54am
Thanks for your feedback JDR. As mentioned in the presentation (timestamp 10:50), the city of Ottawa has a lower population density compared to other major Canadian cities. This makes comparing Ottawa to other cities a challenge. OPL recommends using 3kms for urban areas as a good start in adding some parameters to facilities development, recognizing that the metric can be reduced overtime as intensification occurs – in line with the City’s overarching Official Plan intentions.

Re: In Ottawa we travel further to the library

Submitted by JDR on August 5, 2022 - 9:37am
Please answer the question which was specifically about the urban area, not the total area. The rural area seems to be covered if you accept the criteria proposed in the document.

Re: In Ottawa we travel further to the library

Submitted by OPL_BPO_Comms on August 23, 2022 - 1:53pm
Based on the latest statistics (2021), the urban area of Ottawa is a total of 379.23 square kilometers when the Greenbelt and the waterways are eliminated, which is a population density of 2,498 per square kilometer. The comparative cities have a much higher population density, therefore there is more people to serve in a smaller land mass. Because there is less land in which people are living, their average distance to their library branches is lesser by default. As a result, staff recommendation for the initial gap analysis is to determine a metric that is both achievable and addresses significant gaps. This recommendation will be reviewed against the public feedback and adjusted accordingly.

Please cite comparables for

Submitted by JDR on August 29, 2022 - 11:43am
Please cite comparables for population density. From Google , Vancouver 802 per sq km, Calgary 7,778, Edmonton 123, Regina 62, Saskatoon 50, Winnipeg 1,430, London (ON) 178, Hamilton (ON) 1,205, Brampton 2,230, Toronto 3,088, Kingston 82, Montreal 898, Quebec City 229, Halifax 71. For comparison, you cite Ottawa (urban) as 2,498 and from Google for the city as a whole 316. Please explain how you conclude that "The comparative cities have a much higher population density."

Please cite comparables for

Submitted by JDR on August 29, 2022 - 11:43am
Please cite comparables for population density. From Google , Vancouver 802 per sq km, Calgary 7,778, Edmonton 123, Regina 62, Saskatoon 50, Winnipeg 1,430, London (ON) 178, Hamilton (ON) 1,205, Brampton 2,230, Toronto 3,088, Kingston 82, Montreal 898, Quebec City 229, Halifax 71. For comparison, you cite Ottawa (urban) as 2,498 and from Google for the city as a whole 316. Please explain how you conclude that "The comparative cities have a much higher population density."

Please cite comparables for

Submitted by JDR on August 29, 2022 - 11:44am
Please cite comparables for population density. From Google , Vancouver 802 per sq km, Calgary 7,778, Edmonton 123, Regina 62, Saskatoon 50, Winnipeg 1,430, London (ON) 178, Hamilton (ON) 1,205, Brampton 2,230, Toronto 3,088, Kingston 82, Montreal 898, Quebec City 229, Halifax 71. For comparison, you cite Ottawa (urban) as 2,498 and from Google for the city as a whole 316. Please explain how you conclude that "The comparative cities have a much higher population density."

Library locations should be accessible

Submitted by SunshineCard on August 27, 2022 - 12:09pm
Regarding new libraries in the suburbs, could this be near one of the new train stations to allow for pedestrian access? Perhaps at the Lietrim or Bowesville station? There is plenty of land there. There will likely be parking for the stations, integrated development with library will allow more equitable access to everyone including those who use private and public transit as well as those who are commuting that way from rural and urban areas.

Re: Library locations should be accessible

Submitted by OPL_BPO_Comms on August 29, 2022 - 4:15pm
Hi SunshineCard, Many thanks for your comment. OPL will take into consideration all public transit options when planning new facilities, including the LRT. Within the draft Facilities Framework, one of our scoring criteria is called the site criteria. Within the site criteria, OPL will assess several criteria for access such as the proximity to public transit, accessibility via walking and cycling, parking availability, if it is near a park or greenspace, etc. These criteria will help us determine the most accessible and feasible locations for our future branches.

Pedestrian access to the new main branch

Submitted by smarjano on August 8, 2022 - 2:34pm
The new main branch site is not on any current bus routes, with the idea that it is near the Pimisi station. Will there be a shortcut from the station to the library? Will it be covered, or at least maintained in winter? Also, the nearby intersection is currently very dangerous for pedestrians. Will it be redone in a way to make it safer for us coming on foot from Centretown? After all, we will have a longer way to go; the least that should be done is to make access safe and pedestrian friendly.

RE: Pedestrian access to the new main branch

Submitted by OPL_BPO_Comms on August 12, 2022 - 10:29am
Hello and thank you for your question about access to the new central branch at Ādisōke. Connectivity to Pimisi Station was a significant consideration in the location of Ādisōke. There will be a multi-use pathway leading from the lower level of the LRT station to the plaza entrance of Ādisōke. This pathway will be planned and constructed by the City of Ottawa in coordination with the Ādisōke project. There are also sidewalks from the upper level of the Pimisi station on Booth Street and along Albert Street to those other two entrances. These pathways will absolutely be maintained in the winter. The land immediately to the west of the library is owned by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the City has asked them to consider adding a requirement for a covered pathway connection through their future planned development directly to the library. We will continue to work with them and advocate for this solution. We will continue to work with our project partners, specifically the City of Ottawa, to ensure that Ādisōke is safe to access for pedestrians and cyclist.