In the 2003 Ontario Public Library Week (October 20 to 26), the library was rebranded with a new logo, and a change in name from the Brampton Public Library to the simpler and more direct Brampton Library had taken place.
The library currently has eight branches, with a collection of more than 562,000 books, magazines, large print materials, audio books, and DVDs.[3] It has a staff of 160 full-time and part-time employees.[3] Brampton Library services a population of just under 600,000 people spanning over more than 200 distinct ethnicities.[4]
Todd Kyle[5] is the chief executive officer of the Brampton Library, a position that replaces that of executive director.
History
As early as 1858, a library was founded in the Mechanic's Institute, serving 50 people in what was then classified as Brampton. These 360 volumes, plus a federal grant of $160, were the starting blocks for the first actual public library in Brampton, founded in 1887 in the Golding Building on Queen Street. As printing presses were still relatively expensive to operate, and thus book prices high, the village-owned facility had full written contracts with patrons to check out books. Only the librarian and the library board were allowed to take books off the closely watched shelves.
In 1907, the library successfully received a grant from US steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to build a new library. Carnegie was a self-made millionaire with "very little formal education", and a well known drive to bring "learning to the masses". Records show donations to 1700 libraries, and the hundreds of facilities across the continent still bearing his name are living proof.
Despite being a supporter of culture in general, Carnegie was opposed to the multipurpose facility the village intended to build, as it exceeded his default start-up donation of $10,000. After a meeting with the Brampton Board of Trade's R.J. Copeland, and a promise from Brampton itself to up its funding from $1000 to $1250 a year, Carnegie provided another $12,500 for the town's long-time showpiece facility.
In 1946, the Brampton library took on a relatively novel concept for the era, in letting residents under the age of 16 sign out books from the collection.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the system expanded to fit the needs of a growing population. The expansion included the Northwood Park Branch (Flowertown and McLaughlin), South Branch (at Brampton Mall on Main Street at Nanwood), and Heart Lake Branch. The Heart Lake branch would later become known as "Cyril Clark", after a Chinguacousy reeve.
Chinguacousy Branch, the cornerstone of Brampton's Library system pictured before the construction of the nearby Bramalea Transit Terminal
In 1972, developer Bramalea Consolidated Developments Ltd constructed the Civic Centre facility for the town of Bramalea, the cornerstone of which was officially laid as part of the finished building during Brampton's Centennial celebrations in 1973. Along with government offices and a theatre, this facility included a large space for a central library branch. When Brampton and Bramalea merged in 1974, their library systems became one. Bramalea's Chinguacousy Branch joined Brampton's Main Branch (which had replaced the Carnegie library with a larger building next door, and which was later renamed to "Four Corners Branch" due to its location near downtown Brampton's Four Corners) and others, becoming the system's resource library. As the reference branch, Chinguacousy was host to an extensive collection of microfilm, local history materials, and genealogy resources. In 2008 the majority of these materials were moved to the Four Corners location in the newly renovated Local History section on the second floor.
A neighbourhood branch was eventually created in a mall at Ray Lawson Blvd. and Hurontario St., and renamed the County Court Branch when it was moved to an office building nearby (later renamed again to Fletcher's Creek Branch). When the South Fletchers Sportsplex was built, Fletcher's Creek moved from private to public property, and was renamed South Fletchers Branch.
In 2011, the Brampton Library system opened the new Mount Pleasant branch in the north-west area of the city. This replaced the North-West interim branch which had been located approximately 1.7 kilometres (1.1 miles) north-west of the new regular branch.
The Gore Meadows branch was built in the north-east of the city on Castlemore Road at The Gore Road and opened in 2013. This location is part of a city recreation centre located in parkland that is planned to provide multiple services, similar to Chinguacousy Park.
Brampton Library Springdale Branch
In addition to the six regular branches, Brampton Library also operated an interim site in the north-east region of the city. This housed a very small collection, mostly DVDs and paperbacks, as well as allowing customers a location at which to pick up and return items. A new full-service location at Torbram and Sandlewood, one kilometre north of the former North-East Interim site, is planned to start providing services to residents in the surrounding area in 2017. This interim site closed October 1, 2016; the lease on the site was not renewed because at the time the nearby full-service branch was expected to begin operating in the summer of 2016.
Discussions are still ongoing regarding replacing the current downtown branch with a modern facility.
In 2020, the library stopped assessing late fees on children's material returned late, and in December 2021 the library board voted to eliminate fines for any material returned late and to cancel all outstanding fines on 31 January 2022.[7] It will still assess fines for materials not returned, for those returned in damaged condition, or for holds that are not picked up.[7]
Despite much criticism from local residents in February 2023, Brampton City Council voted to close the "flagship" Chingaucaosy Branch located in the Bramalea Civic Centre and relocate it to the Chingaucaosy Park Ski Chalet. This led to a gross reduction of thousands of square feet of library space. The Civic Centre located was permanently shuttered on August 1, 2023, after 50 years in operation. The location reopened in the Chingaucaosy Park Ski Chalet on August 22, 2023, on an interim basis until a new permanently location could be found.[8]
Branches
Name
Location
Dates
Notes
Image
Chinguacousy
Bramalea 9050 Bramalea Road
2023-present
Formerly at 150 Central Park Drive from 1972 or 1973 and was located inside the Bramalea Civic Centre.
Brampton was the first public library system in Ontario to acquire federal and provincial case law records. The case law collection was opened in this branch in 1978, on the prompt of the Central Ontario Regional Library System.[9]
This branch was renovated in late 2016 and early 2017, and was reopened in August 2017.[10][11]
This branch removed to Chinguacousy Park in 2023 due to Toronto Metropolitan University's (TMU) new medical school after city council voted to gift the building. Services have been reduced at current location limited to 10,000 square feet versus the 30,000 at the Civic Centre.
Cyril Clark
Heart Lake 20 Loafer's Lake Lane
Opened 1985
Opened September 21, 1985, it was said to be the first public library in Canada to be fully computerized.[12] The 12,000 sq. ft. structure cost $1.5 million, and was to house 30,000 books and audio-visual items.[12]
It is named after the Township of Chinguacousy's last reeve, Cyril Clark.[12]
Four Corners
Downtown 65 Queen Street East
Until 1979, this was known alternatively as the Main Branch and Central Services Branch.[6] It has had numerous renovations, including in 1991.[13]
This replaced the North-West Interim Site after several years of operation. It is a multi-use facility attached to Mount Pleasant Village School and Community Centre.
This branch was replaced by the Chinguacousy branch. It was located on East Drive, just east of Bramalea.
Carnegie
Downtown 55 Queen Street East
1907-1974
It was funded by Andrew Carnegie; see Carnegie library. It was replaced by the Four Corners branch, in the building immediately to the east. The building is now home to the Brampton Concert Band and the Jazz Mechanics.
At the 1938 annual general meeting, it was announced that Wm. Perkins Bull's "pioneer and Indian relics" would be housed at the library on display.[17] When former Brampton High School principal William James Fenton died in 1952, it was decided that the proposed addition to the structure would be named in his honour.[18]
Carnegie Building serving as the Brampton Public Library, 1909. Postcard from the Richard L. Frost collection.
County Court
Fletcher's Creek South 201 County Court Boulevard
1988-1991
This branch was replaced by the Fletcher's Creek branch. It was located in a commercial office building.
Fletcher's Creek
Fletcher's Creek South 7700 Hurontario Street South
1991-1997
This branch replaced the County Court branch. It was housed in the City South Plaza in two floors of what is now professional office space. The second floor was renovated in 1991.[13] The branch was replaced by the South Fletcher's branch.
Northeast Interim Site
Springdale 55 Mountainash Road, Unit 24
Closed Oct 1, 2016
Located at the Springdale Square shopping centre. It was closed based on expected availability of a new near-by branch, which was not yet ready when the branch was closed.
Northwest Interim
Mount Pleasant 10500 Creditview Road
Closed 2011
This branch was opened to serve the rapid population growth in the area. This branch was replaced by the Mount Pleasant branch.
Northwood Park
Flowertown and Northwood Park 10 Flowertown Avenue
Closed 28 June 1975
With usage dropping in 1974, with people heading to the larger branch, the library distributed 3000 flyers to area households in February 1975.[6] The branch was closed due to budget cutbacks and staff relocated, at the same time as the South branch.[6]
South
Eldomar Heights/Peel Village 160 Main Street South
November 1966-28 June 1975
Located at the Brampton Mall, the South branch was opened by Mayor Russell Prouse in an 18 November 1966 ceremony, with circulation starting the next day, a Saturday. It offered both adult and children's books.[19] The branch was closed due to budget cutbacks and staff relocated, at the same time as the Northwood Park branch.[6] The library system considered South branch too small, and asked council for new facilities west of Main Street South; the plan was turned down by council. A branch would be needed in the area within five years.[6]
Brampton is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within the Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it the ninth most populous municipality in Canada and the third most populous city in the Greater Golden Horseshoe urban area, behind Toronto and Mississauga. The City of Brampton is bordered by Vaughan to the east, Halton Hills to the west, Caledon to the north, Mississauga to the south, and Etobicoke (Toronto) to the southeast.
Visual Arts Brampton is a non-profit community art group located in Brampton, Ontario formed in 1986 to organize the arts community, providing workshops, and exhibits, among other things.
The Bramalea City Centre is a large shopping mall located in the city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. With over a 1.5 million square feet of retail space and more than 300 outlets, it is one of Canada's largest shopping malls. Regarded as a super regional mall, the Bramalea City Centre has a market of more than 500,000 residents and attracts 16 million visitors annually. The Bramalea City Centre is located near the intersection of Queen Street and Dixie Road, just east of Highway 410.
The Ottawa Public Library is the library system of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The library was founded in 1906 with a donation from the Carnegie Foundation.
The Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) is a museum, art gallery, and archives for the Regional Municipality of Peel and are located in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Previously, it was the Peel Heritage Complex. Its facilities were originally the Peel County Courthouse, Brampton Jail, a land registry office, and a county administration building. It is opposite Gage Park and Brampton City Hall.
Bramalea (Bram-a-lee) is a large suburban district in the City of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Bramalea was created as an innovative "new town", and developed as a separate community from the original Town of Brampton. Located in the former Chinguacousy Township, it was Canada's first satellite community developed by one of the country's largest real estate developers, Bramalea Consolidated Developments.
Toronto Public Library (TPL) is a public library system in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2023 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other public library system internationally, making it the largest neighbourhood-based library system in the world. Within North America, it also had the highest circulation and visitors when compared to other large urban systems. Established as the library of the Mechanics' Institute in 1830, the Toronto Public Library now consists of 100 branch libraries and has over 26 million items in its collection.
North York Central Library is a Toronto Public Library branch located in North York City Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the two libraries in the Toronto public library system considered to be "Research and Reference Libraries", the other being the Toronto Reference Library in the city's downtown core. In contrast to the Toronto Reference Library, however, most of the items in the North York Central Library can be signed out.
Brampton Transit (BT) is a public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 49,200,800, or about 226,500 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
Steeles Avenue is an east–west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches 77.3 km (48.0 mi) across the western and central Greater Toronto Area from Appleby Line in Milton in the west to the Toronto-Pickering city limits in the east, where it continues east into Durham Region as Taunton Road, which itself extends 58 km (36 mi) across the length of Durham Region to its boundary with Northumberland County.
Professor's Lake is a 65-acre (26 ha) spring-fed artificial lake located in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. In 1918, the area where the lake currently exists was a sand and gravel mining site supplying aggregates for construction projects in the northwest area of the Greater Toronto Area. During its lifetime, the site produced approximately 20 million tonnes of aggregate. An aggregate production facility was established in 1954 and continued to operate until 1973 after aggregate deposits were exhausted. The aggregate processing and storage facility remained active for raw materials shipped from other sites for several years afterwards. Upon the site's closure, the land was remediated for future use as a residential area.
Following is an outline is for the history of Brampton, the fourth largest city in Ontario, Canada. European settlers arrived began to settle the area in the early 19th century, with Brampton being formally incorporated into a village in 1853.
Brampton City Hall is home to Brampton City Council and the departments of the city. It is located at the intersection of Wellington Street and Main Street in downtown Brampton.
Springdale is a large suburban district in Brampton, Ontario, Canada covering 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) in the northern part of the city. It is generally bounded by Countryside Drive to the north, Bovaird Drive to the south, Heart Lake Road to the west, and Airport Road to the east. Springdale is sometimes jocularly referred to as Singhdale due to its large population of Sikh Canadians, who make up 39.6% of the community's population and often have the last name Singh.
Bramalea Terminal is a Brampton Transit bus station serving the community of Bramalea in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the south west corner of Peel Centre Drive and Central Park Drive on the north side of the Brampton Civic Centre. The customer service centre building is situated in the northerly of two island platform areas, which are accessed by pedestrian cross walks. Within the building are service counters, washrooms, snack vending machines and a heated waiting area with screens displaying current bus route information.
Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park, colloquially known as Chinguacousy Park, is a large 40-hectare (100-acre) park in the Bramalea section of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by Queen Street East on the southeast, Bramalea Road on the northeast, and Central Park Drive on the north and west sides. Terry Fox Stadium (Brampton) in the north of the park, sometimes called Terry Fox Track and Field Stadium, has a track and field oval surrounding an artificial turf field with Canadian Football markings and stands for about 1000 spectators. It is used for various Canadian football and soccer matches as well as track and field competitions.
Kwakiutl is a totem sculpture by Cowichan Tribes artist Simon Charlie, which has caused controversy for its nudity over multiple decades of display in Chinguacousy Township, and later Brampton, both near Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Charlie, also known as Hwunumetse', later received the Order of Canada. The 9-foot-tall cedar wood sculpture is best known for its exposed male genitals.
Bramalea Limited, founded in 1957 as Bramalea Consolidated Developments Ltd., was a Canadian real estate developer best known for its development of the town of Bramalea which would later become part of Brampton, Ontario. The company name Bramalea was formed by combining the names of local towns Brampton, Malton, and "lea", the Old English word for a meadow.
511 Zum Steeles is a bus rapid transit route in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The final corridor outlined in Phase 1 started service on November 26, 2012.
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