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PM announces improvements to Toronto Reference Library
16 October 2009
Toronto,ON
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERYGood morning ladies and gentlemen. Thanks to the Chair of the Toronto Public Library, Matthew Church, for that kind introduction. Greetings to Mayor Miller and his colleagues from the Toronto City Council. Welcome to federal Finance Minister and the Minister responsible for the GTA, Jim Flaherty. Welcome also to Minister of State of Foreign Affairs, Peter Kent. And a special thank-you to Toronto’s chief librarian, Jane Pyper, and all the staff here at the Toronto Reference Library for hosting us this morning. I have spent many an hour here, both for work and relaxation, and it is wonderful to be back.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, digital technology is transforming how we access and use information. The vessels that have traditionally preserved knowledge are changing. Yet, the importance of our libraries as physical places where people gather to learn hasn’t diminished. In fact, Toronto is home to one of the busiest public library systems in the world. Last year, some 1.4 million cardholders checked out nearly 30 million items from the city’s libraries. And, across the province, circulation grew by a staggering 27 per cent this summer alone. The statistics are clear, in the digital age, our libraries aren’t just surviving, they are thriving!
On any given day, scores of visitors as varied as academics, students, new Canadians, retirees, or just curious researchers like myself, can be found searching the stacks and browsing the digital collections here at the Toronto Reference Library. Their searches range from microbiology to macroeconomics, from Cape Spear to Mount Logan, from Archimedes to Zeno. But while their interests span the breadth of human inquiry, they are all united by a common desire: the thirst for knowledge. As Jane has put it: "People need to be together to learn."
And I can’t imagine a better place to be together to learn than right here at the Toronto Reference Library. Designed by Raymond Moriyama, the architectural genius behind such landmarks as the Bata Shoe Museum and the Canadian War Museum, this magnificent building houses one of the country’s most important reference collections.
Much has changed, however, since I first came to this library as a student in 1977. For one thing, Toronto’s population has grown, imposing ever greater demands on staff and resources. What’s more, changes in technology have transformed how we use our libraries. To meet these challenges an ambitious revitalization effort is needed. Or as any librarian here might put it, renovations to the Reference Library are…long overdue!
That’s why today I’m pleased to announce that our government, in partnership with the City of Toronto, will modernize this facility for the new information age! Construction plans include a new two-storey rotunda, an expanded public gallery, a spectacular new entranceway, and new computer workstations. Work will be underway by next spring and must be complete by March of 2011. This means local construction jobs will be created now when they are needed most.
At the helm of this ambitious project is Ajon Moriyama, son of the building’s original architect. He will oversee all work to ensure the updates remain consistent with his father’s vision of the Toronto Reference Library as the city’s foremost public centre for lifelong learning and community engagement. Greater access to the library’s collections. Better spaces to learn. Today’s investment will ensure this library remains a world-class facility befitting a world-class city!
I’d like to thank Mayor Miller, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Public Library Foundation for helping to make this initiative a reality. Today’s announcement is a testament to what can be achieved when we work together.
While the challenges of this global recession may be great, greater has been our resolve as a country to surmount them. Thanks to Canada’s solid fiscal foundations and famously sound banking system, our government has been able to rapidly implement the largest stimulus program in Canadian history. Our Economic Action Plan is putting Canadians to work from coast to coast to coast on more than 4,000 infrastructure projects, including 500 right here in Toronto.
While we are seeing encouraging signs of recovery, Canada isn’t out of the woods yet. Just as we were dragged into this global recession through no fault of our own, our recovery could be affected by economic events beyond our borders, or political instability at home. That is why we must stay on course, complete the implementation of our Plan and finish the job of building the foundations of Canada’s future prosperity!
By looking forward today, and supporting projects like the Toronto Reference Library, we are seizing the opportunities that will get us through these difficult times and ensure that our country, Canada, emerges stronger than ever.
Thank you very much.
