Ontario government cancels cut to Toronto library grant
Culture Minister Eleanor McMahon was criticized by politicians and others for eliminating the grant.

TheStar.com
May 3, 2017
David Rider

The Ontario government has reversed a decision to cancel a $700,000 annual grant to Toronto’s public library system amid criticism from opposition parties, Mayor John Tory and superstar author Margaret Atwood.

Culture Minister Eleanor McMahon announced the flip-flop in a news release Wednesday, one day after news outlets including the Star revealed Toronto’s chief librarian notified the city and warned of resulting service cuts.

McMahon came under fire in Question Period both days, with NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo saying Wednesday the Liberal government falsely said the city didn’t use all its grant money for the “virtual reference library” — the city said it did— and that usage of the online resource, administered by the city for the province, was down.

“Only in a Liberal world is a cut of $1.4 million not a cut … ,” DiNovo said. “Public libraries are at the heart of local communities, and the Liberals are making cuts to the Toronto Public Library. Just ask them.”

The minister rose in Question Period to defend the cut. She said other libraries had told the province to ensure culture dollars are spent wisely and said only one-quarter of those libraries were using the TPL service.

Hours later, however, the minister changed her tune, conceding that usage of the service has in fact been increasing.

“Between 2003 and 2013 there was a decline of almost 70 per cent in usage. Due to this information, we made an evidence-based decision some time ago to phase out our contribution,” and shift funds to other digital services including those in rural and remote communities, the release states.

“After questions were raised today I asked my officials to review the most recent usage data,” and they discovered increased usage over the past 18 months. “As a result, we will be restoring the provincial portion of the funding to the Virtual Reference Library program.”

On Tuesday, Mayor John Tory — who has been in a war of words with Premier Kathleen Wynne and her ministers over the lack of money for Toronto Community Housing units in the provincial budget tabled last week — said a $700,000 cut would hurt library users and asked McMahon to reconsider.

On Wednesday, he thanked the Ontario government for listening on the library issue and added he hopes for more changes of heart when it comes to provincial funding.

“I had a good conversation with the Minister earlier today about this issue,” Tory said. “Her decision this afternoon shows that when two reasonable people have a conversation and turn to the facts, solutions can be found . . .

“Now, we would hope, the province will listen when it comes to future transit projects and social housing repairs.”

Vickery Bowles, the chief librarian, warned city manager Peter Wallace, in a Monday email later obtained by the Star, that the provincial cut would have represented “$1.4 million with an in-year 2017 budget cut of $700,000 and the remaining $700,000 in 2018” and result in “service impacts.”

“This provincial funding is a major source of revenue for TPL’s digitization program including content development, web development, and online services for all Ontarians” who can access, Bowles wrote, the Toronto Reference Library’s vast collections of historical materials.

Criticism of the cut also flared on Twitter where Atwood, who famously tangled with former mayor Rob Ford and his then-councillor brother Doug over talk of library closures in 2011, wrote, in response to a tweet with a Star story about the cut: “@torontolibrary vastly used and hugely beloved public institution. #literacy.”