Indigenous training group upset with Thunder Bay, Ont., library after lease ends

An Indigenous community group is questioning the Thunder Bay Public Library's (TBPL) commitment to reconciliation after the library ended a partnership and lease agreement in May. The TBPL says it was a straightforward decision to make space for programming, and that it is committed to positive relationships with the Indigenous community.

The Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS), works on improving the skills and employment opportunities for Indigenous people on behalf of nine First Nations in the region.

Sharon Ostberg, a board member of AETS, said the library first approached the group about a partnership in 2018, offering space in the basement of its Waverley branch.

"We would of course have to retrofit it at our cost," she said. "We agreed, and we did spend over $1,000,000 in retrofitting the basement level of the library in order to accommodate our our staff and our programs."

The renovations included the addition of washrooms, a boardroom and a kitchen, as well as electrical upgrades and ventilation.

Ostberg said the lease initially included first right of refusal to purchase the Waverley branch building, if it were to be put up for sale.

AETS, Ostberg said, used the space for program delivery.

"We needed more space because we took on more programs," she said. "So we rented the Brodie Street basement and and did some retrofits there, because at the time the library didn't know where they were going, what their future held."

Library ended lease to deal with shortage of space says CEO

The initial 2018 lease with AETS, library CEO Richard Togman said, was for three years, and it was initially signed before he came on board as CEO. That was extended twice, with each extension being for one year.

"During those extension periods, that's when the library was going through its whole master facilities plan and was obviously advocating at the community that we needed more space, that we were undersized and we were hoping we were going to get a central library location," he said.

"We were very clear with everyone involved that we didn't have a surplus of space and we were hoping that a new central library would give us the space we needed."

The proposed central library, which would have been located at Intercity Shopping Centre, was ultimately voted down by city council.

"Effectively we went back to the drawing board, looked at our internal spaces, and where we can get the physical square footage we need to do work around things like improving children's programming and opening up more meeting rooms to the community, and just generally being able to expand our book collection. All the core library things that we do," he said.

"And at that time, we realized that the relationship with AETS wasn't meeting the objectives that had originally been part of the lease agreement."

Togman said the library had support from its former senior advisor for Indigenous relations in ending the lease.

"We gave them a generous notice period of almost seven months to let them know that we needed the space back for the library," Togman said. "We had obligations to the community, and legally we can only lease out space if it's deemed surplus by the library system."

"At that point, it was obvious that it was not surplus. We were really tight on square footage."

'Missed opportunity': AETS board member says

"To me, this was a very missed opportunity by both the city and the library board, because they had, you know, a native organization right at their doorsteps working with them," Ostberg said. 

"It doesn't sit well with the Indigenous people and it does definitely does not sit well with our nine First Nations." 

Togman said while he can't directly speak on the initial lease as it came about before he was CEO, "my understanding of the intent at the time was that they were going to be a lot of joint programming, and a kind of gradual integration of the organizations."

"It was going to result in them promoting library services in the Indigenous community and kind of a lot of multifaceted aspects in that respect."

However, an analysis done by the library showed the project wasn't working out as intended.

"It wasn't furthering the library schools of reconciliation with the community," Togman said. "They were still very two separate organizations with different mandates. And as time evolved, that became more and more apparent."

Regarding the renovations, Togman said the lease agreements stated AETS would not receive any compensation or reimbursements for any improvements they made to library spaces.

"From the library's perspective, we're committed to honouring our agreements and upholding all of the legal obligations we have when we make commitments to other organizations, and we've upheld every commitment under the terms of the lease," he said.

Togman said the library is working hard on efforts around reconciliation and programming that serves the Indigenous community. He also noted that the library has appointed the next senior advisor of Indigenous relations, Stephanie MacLaurin. 

"We're expanding the digital knowledge centres. We're moving toward doing more Indigenous-led programming, more story times, based on Indigenous knowledge and culture. We're extremely committed to the work of reconciliation."