July 9, 2021
At this time, the Port Credit Library will remain closed to the public due to structural issues.
“Out of care and in accordance with consultant recommendations, the City has made the difficult decision to close the Port Credit Library to the public,” said Stephen Dasko, Councillor, Ward 1. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience the closure causes to library customers. I know the library is at the heart and soul of our Port Credit neighbourhood and as a City, we are committed to continuing to serve you as we have done throughout the pandemic. Staff, together with Council will consider a longer-term action plan.”
The Port Credit Library and Memorial Park are built on landfill which has impacted the stability of the building’s foundation and supports. The City, through structural monitoring, has determined that deterioration of the piers (caissons) that support the building have reached an unacceptable level for this public building to continue operating.
Following the completion of a detailed structural review in November 2016, bi-monthly structural monitoring has been conducted as recommended by the structural engineers. As part of this ongoing monitoring cycle, the City retained an engineering consulting firm in April 2021 to complete a detailed assessment of the building’s piers. Four of the 27 piers were included in the assessment as per the consultant’s recommendation. After the site investigations were completed, the City received a draft report of the findings for review and decided to proactively close the library to the public on June 28. The final report was issued to the City on June 30.
The consultant’s report indicated that:
- All four piers had degraded due to exposure over a prolonged period of time.
- Evidence of significant structural loss had occurred in three of the four piers over the past five years.
- There were no obvious signs of distress or structural failures observed in the piers during the condition survey.
- There have been no significant movements of the floor structure reported as part of the bi-monthly structural monitoring program implemented onsite since January 2017.
“Ensuring our buildings remain in a state of good repair and follow life cycle maintenance schedules is paramount and part of our ongoing process,” said Shari Lichterman, Commissioner, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer. “To that end, the decision was made to proactively monitor and now close the library to the public and only allow limited access by library and facilities staff. There has been no risk to public or staff safety at any time.”
“The library team is committed to finding ways to continue to provide service to those affected by the closure,” said Jodi Robillos, Acting Commissioner, Community Services. “We are exploring other options for service delivery in the Port Credit community in the short term until a longer-term solution and funding strategy are developed. In the meantime, we encourage customers to access any of our other 17 locations along with our wide range of ebooks, audiobooks and other online services.”
Port Credit Library customers can continue to order and pick up holds at the Port Credit Arena during the following times:
- Tuesday 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Wednesday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Thursday 1:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Friday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Late fees for materials borrowed from Port Credit Library are being waived at this time and there is a drop-off bin for returns at the arena, which is available during holds pick-up hours only. Items borrowed at the Port Credit Library can also be returned to any Mississauga Library location.
Customers can choose an alternate pick-up library location. To select a different library location for pending holds, customers can log into their My Account on the Library Catalogue and click on the “Holds” tab to edit the hold pick-up location. Customers can view this video for step-by-step instructions or call 905-615-3500 to speak with a staff member.
Dasko added, “Residents can visit the Port Credit Library page online for closure information, FAQs and updates. I will be working closely with City staff to ensure there are opportunities for community input regarding next steps for the library. We are currently planning a community information meeting for all residents to be held in the near future.”
Additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Visit: Port Credit Library web page