The story of the upcoming northwest Barrie Public Library branch is almost ready for its big plot twist — a location is close to being inked.
“A lease agreement is currently being finalized for a northwest library branch,” said Rick Pews, director of the City of Barrie’s corporate facilities department.
The northwest Letitia Heights community first appeared on the city’s radar as a possible library site in 2017, when Barrie’s master facilities plan was released.
Jump forward to January 2025, when the city announced the neighbourhood as the chosen spot for the new branch. It is expected to take the shape of a boutique library, much like the Holly branch in the city’s southwest end.
This past spring, the library launched a three-month campaign to seek input on the branch from Barrie residents through online and paper surveys.
While the location has not been announced yet, Barrie Public Library CEO Lauren Jessop said the community feedback about bringing library services to Letitia Heights has been positive.
“A milestone on our end is a completed community consultation survey for this new location – more than 2,000 residents responded, encompassing both adult and youth perspectives,” she said.
“We also heard positive feedback and support from students, teachers and administration at Andrew Hunter Public School. There is a strong demand for a new library branch in northwest Barrie.”
Jessop said the feedback and suggestions will be helpful when the branch begins its design phase, choosing book collections and what programs will be implemented.
“We plan to use community input as guidance for the design of the space, the collections we will purchase and our planned program offerings,” she said.
“The emphasis is on creating a highly efficient, multi-functional, welcoming and safe environment that maximizes every square foot to cater to diverse age groups and interests.”
The new branch is expected to offer literacy support, programs, Wi-Fi, computers and community space.
