Thorold Public Library

Last updated

The Thorold Public Library is a building in Thorold, Ontario, located on 14 Ormond Street North. [1]

Contents

History

Thorold's first library was a private institution that opened in 1858. 110 patrons paid the $1 membership fee for access to the 600 books in the library's collection. This library ceased to exist in 1867. It was replaced by another library in 1869. This second library kept the same $1 membership fee until 1895, when it was discounted to half the price in an effort to grow its customer base. The library continued to struggle and eventually asked the city to take over its collection of 5,000 books. Under the city's ownership, it became a public library. Thorold was approved for a Carnegie Library grant and a new building opened in 1912. This library operated until 1983 and was replaced by the current location attached to Chestnut Hall. [2] In 2012, Chestnut Hall was assessed by a historical society that determined it was "badly showing its age" and may also be at risk of a fire due to damaged wiring. [3]

In 2020, Thorold's city council considered creating an additional branch to the Canada Games Park but ultimately decided against it due to plans to expand the current building. These renovations are expected to cost somewhere between six and eight million dollars. Plans for a branch in the south of the city, which was deemed to be a more suitable location, were discussed but with no definitive plans. [4]

In 2022, the library stopped issuing fines to patrons in order to improve access for those experiencing financial difficulties. [5] In 2023, patrons of the library borrowed 60,621 physical items. [6] That same year, the library digitized newspaper clippings from the 1870s onwards. [7] The library offers access to laptops and internet hotspots. Library patrons may also borrow items in other libraries through the Libraries in Niagara Co-operative program. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Falls, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Niagara Falls is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, adjacent to Niagara Falls. As of the 2021 census, the city had a population of 94,415. The city is located on the Niagara Peninsula along the western bank of the Niagara River, which forms part of the Canada–United States border, with the other side being the twin city of Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls is within the Regional Municipality of Niagara and a part of the St. Catharines - Niagara Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Tourism is a major part of the city's economy: its skyline is comprised of multiple high-rise hotels and observation towers that overlook the waterfalls and adjacent parkland. Souvenir shops, arcades, museums, amusement rides, indoor water parks, casinos, theatres and a convention centre are located nearby in the city's large tourist area. Other parts of the city include historic sites from the War of 1812, parks, golf courses, commercial spaces, and residential neighbourhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catharines</span> City in Ontario, Canada

St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2017, St. Catharines has an area of 96.13 square kilometres (37.12 sq mi) and 140,370 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Catharinites. St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km2) of parks, gardens, and trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welland</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. As of 2021, it had a population of 55,750.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorold</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Canal passes through the city, featuring lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welland Canal</span> Ship canal in Ontario, Canada, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie

The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Ontario, Canada, and part of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway. The canal traverses the Niagara Peninsula between Port Weller on Lake Ontario, and Port Colborne on Lake Erie, and was erected because the Niagara River—the only natural waterway connecting the lakes—was unnavigable due to Niagara Falls. The Welland Canal enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment, and has followed four different routes since it opened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Peninsula</span> Peninsula in Ontario, Canada

The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario, in the west. The peninsula is located in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, and has a population of roughly 1,000,000 residents. The region directly across the Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York State is known as the Niagara Frontier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional Municipality of Niagara</span> Regional municipality in Ontario, Canada

The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also colloquially known as the Niagara Region or Region of Niagara, is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern end of the Golden Horseshoe, the largest megalopolis in Canada.

King's Highway 58, commonly referred to as Highway 58, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route is divided into two segments with a combined length of 15.5 km (9.6 mi). The southern segment travels from Niagara Regional Road 3, formerly Highway 3, in Port Colborne, to the Highway 58A junction in the southern end of Welland, a distance of 7.2 km (4.5 mi). The northern segment begins at Highway 20 near Allanburg and travels north and west to a large junction with Highway 406 at the St. Catharines – Thorold boundary, a distance of 8.3 km (5.2 mi). An 18.1 km (11.2 mi) gap separates the two segments within Welland and Pelham. The entire route is located within the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Public Library</span> Library system of Cleveland, Ohio (USA)

The Cleveland Public Library is a public library system in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1869, it had a circulation of 3.5 million items in 2020. It operates the Main Library on Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland, 27 branches throughout the city, a mobile library, a Public Administration Library in City Hall, and the Ohio Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled. The library replaced the State Library of Ohio as the location for the Ohio Center for the Book in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Centre (federal electoral district)</span> Federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada

Niagara Centre is a federal electoral district in the Niagara Region of Ontario that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1988 and since 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Falls Transit</span> Defunct public transportation authority in Ontario, Canada

Niagara Falls Transit was a public transit agency that operated the public transport bus services in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada between 1960 and 2022.

The Port Colborne Sailors are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Port Colborne, Ontario. They played in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Public Library</span> Library system in London, Ontario, Canada

The London Public Library (LPL) is the public library system of London, Ontario, Canada. All 16 locations city-wide offer services and programs for adults, teens and children residing in London and the surrounding counties of Oxford, Middlesex, and Elgin. The branches includes art exhibits, author readings, a summer reading program, and health-oriented activities. As of November 26, 2020, the London Public Library does not charge fines for overdue materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catharines Transit</span>

St. Catharines Transit (SCT) was a public transit agency which provided bus services to St. Catharines, Ontario, and the neighbouring city of Thorold. The St. Catharines Transit Commission took over operation of transit services within the city from Canadian National Transportation in 1961. In January 2023, St. Catharines Transit was merged with Niagara Falls Transit, Welland Transit, and Fort Erie Transit to form a single regional transit service, Niagara Region Transit.

Twelve Mile Creek is a waterway located on the Niagara Peninsula in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. Its headwaters are located in the town of Pelham, encompassing some of the most unspoiled and natural areas of Niagara area. The creek's lower reaches flow through urban areas of Thorold and St. Catharines and has been heavily altered by human activity for almost two centuries. The creek was first known as "Ashquasing" by the Mississaugas Indigenous people, the name meaning "that which lies at the end" in the Anishinaabe language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilt and Clover</span> Restaurant in Ontario, Canada

The Kilt and Clover is a restaurant and bar located at 17 Lock Street in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, a district within the City of St. Catharines, Ontario on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is known for its annual frozen chicken chucking competition. The act of chicken chucking consists of pitching or sliding frozen chickens along the ice covered Martindale Pond similar to curling and shuffleboard.

The Brooks Public Library is a public library located in Brooks, Alberta, Canada and is a part of the Shortgrass Library System and The Alberta Library (TAL). Established in 1951, the library serves residents of the City of Brooks and the County of Newell. In 2010, the library was awarded the Government of Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Library Service.

Niagara Region Transit is a regional public transit system operating in the Niagara Region of Ontario. Initial service commenced on September 12, 2011, and consisted of inter-municipal routes. In January 2023, Niagara Region Transit assumed the operations of Welland Transit, Fort Erie Transit, St. Catharines Transit, and Niagara Falls Transit to form a single unified local transit service for the entire Niagara Region. Local fares are $3 for an adult customer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morningstar Mill</span> Heritage site in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Morningstar Mill is a 2.98-acre (1.21 ha) heritage site located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The site includes the Morningstar Mill, a sawmill, the home of the Morningstar family, a barn used for blacksmith demonstrations, and the Decew Falls gorge along the Niagara Escarpment. The site is operated by the volunteer group Friends of Morningstar Mill and owned by the City of St. Catharines. The gristmill was restored to working condition in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catharines Public Library</span> Library system in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

The St. Catharines Public Library is a public library system that provides service to residents of St. Catharines, Ontario. The library has four branches. Materials available for loan include books, films, musical instruments, and video games.

References

  1. "Hours/Contact Information". Thorold Public Library. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  2. Pelletier, Cathy. "History of the Thorold Public Library". Thorold Today. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. "Chestnut Hall 'badly showing its age'". Niagara This Week. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. Levesque, Bryan. "Thorold council says no to new library at Canada Games Park". Toronto Star . Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  5. Lansbergen, Bernard. "Thorold Public Library to go fine-free in 2022". Thorold Today. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 Barker, Matthew. "Thorold library report highlights service increases over past year". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. Lansbergen, Bernard. "Local museum and library link up to digitize Thorold's past". Thorold Today. Retrieved 1 August 2024.