Staff with the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) say two branches suffered significant damage on Canada Day following record-breaking rainfall, but the extent of losses to the libraries’ collections is still being assessed. The Nepean Centrepointe branch at Ben Franklin Place and the Carlingwood branch on Woodroffe Avenue, near the Carlingwood Shopping Centre, remain closed more than a week after Ottawa received 118 millimetres of rain on July 1. In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Craig Ginther, division manager of Facility and Technology Services at the Ottawa Public Library, said both branches sustained damage to flooring, furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and other building materials and systems following the severe weather on Canada Day. “Initial assessments indicate that the damage was limited to the basement and first-floor areas of the branches, where the children’s collections are located,” Ginther said. “These areas contain approximately 25,000 items at Carlingwood and 40,000 items at Nepean Centrepointe. We are encouraged that any damage to the collection is expected to be limited primarily to items on the lower shelves. Assessments of the collections are ongoing.” Library users are asked to go to other branches for the time being and to not return items to the closed branches. The library says on its website that the nearest open branches are Emerald Plaza (1547 Merivale Rd.), Centennial (3870 Old Richmond Rd.), and Rosemount (18 Rosemount Ave.). Ginther suggested the closed branches could remain shuttered for several weeks. “Our teams continue to assess the damage and develop restoration plans. We expect to have a better understanding of restoration timelines by the end of July and will share further updates as more information becomes available,” Ginther said.
