A new tenant could soon call the Churchill library home.
The Innisfil Public Library Board is looking for someone to lease the Churchill branch of the Innisfil ideaLAB and Library. Council consented to the board’s request at its Jan. 10 meeting.
The move to lease the build is a direct result of the most recent Libraries Facilities Master Plan approved in 2022, which recommended the Churchill branch be decommissioned, due to “community population and demographics, usage statistics, and limitations of the current facility in regard to accessibility and size,” a staff report to the library board in December stated.
However, as early as 2013, the branch’s fate seemed sealed, following the completion of the previous facility master plan for the library board.
“Information within that plan stated that the Branch had experienced dramatic decreases in yearly library visits and lower circulation levels,” the staff report stated.
The 2013 plan also highlighted a lack of accessible washrooms and programming for persons with physical disabilities at the branch.
“The timing of closure for Churchill Branch is contingent upon its future utilization rates, which are expected to decline even further after a) the Lakeshore Branch expansion; b) the Lefroy Branch construction or c) continued reduction in community use,” the plan outlined.
While a library had been operational in Churchill for many years, the current 1,784-square-foot facility was opened in 1974. It was purpose-built as a library, with the library board and Township of Innisfil sharing construction costs. The library board has assumed full management of the facility since 1990.
The branch closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its size and layout precluded it from re-opening as social distancing requirements could not be met.
“The existing Churchill Branch is located within an inadequate, non-accessible building,” the 2022 master plan outlined. “The branch should be closed, and Innisfil or other partners should consider other uses that would complement the area.”
“The facility cannot be improved to support modern library operations at this time,” the staff report to the library board concluded. “It offers a better opportunity for use by other organizations, partners, or businesses to complement the community need.”
Council didn’t debate the issue during the meeting, however Coun. Fred Drodge, who represents Churchill, expressed his approval for the move.
“I’m excited that we’re finally going to do something with this property,” Drodge said. “I support it completely in leasing it out.”
While the library board is taking the reins in getting the building leased, council’s consent was required as the town remains the owner of the land and the buildings. The library would continue to manage the property once leased, however, any contacts with a new tenant would be executed through the town and would require staff review and approval to remain consistent with leasing on other town properties.
The process also turned up a potential oversight in the relationship between the town and the library board. There does not seem to be any formal policy or agreement between the two parties that governs the use of the properties for purposes beyond library operations.
Further discussions on the benefits of an agreement or memorandum of understanding will likely occur in the future.
