An Ottawa Public Library branch in Old Ottawa South celebrated its 75th anniversary on Saturday. The Sunnyside Ottawa Public Library location has served the community for over seven decades, acting as a welcoming space for reading, learning and connection. Kailey Richards frequently attends the Sunnyside branch with her children and says she loved the opportunity to meet other families in the neighborhood and to partake the many activities. “I have two young kids, and we live in the neighbourhood, so we are here often. We have had great experiences with the children’s programing and just coming on a weekly basis with my kids and learning about different books. It’s a great opportunity to be with the community,” says Richards. The history of the Sunnyside branch dates back more than 100 years. It originally started in the basement of Hopewell Public School as a small book depot. Overtime, it grew into the current space and is now marking 75 years on bank street. “The public library is one of the last third spaces that exists. I think especially in a time when many folks are experiencing a cost of living crisis and it’s important to recognize that we have this free space with lots of resources such as books, video games, Chromebooks, internet access,” says Charlotte Halstead, branch coordinator at Sunnyside. As part of the anniversary celebrations, there was a full day of programing, entertainment and interactive activities for all ages. The event featured an interactive magic performance by John Pert, face painting, button making and educational programs featuring mammals and reptiles from the Zoo Crew. “We’re here every week and we get books. This is our neighbourhood library so it’s just nice to come back and have a party and a reason to celebrate it,” says Alex Stecky, Ottawa resident. For many residents, it’s a multi-generational space. “We come here almost every single week to get books out, which is nice. It’s really exciting to be here to celebrate. I used to come to this library when I was a little girl. It feels amazing to be able to bring my child,” says Amara Magloughlin. “The fact that it’s lasted this long and that we can all still come together, my daughter building her own community here after I got to, how special it was for me my whole life as well.” Councillor Shawn Menard and library officials spoke at the event. “Such an incredible library and space for us. It’s a free service that represents so much of what’s good in our city. It’s just an amazing space that has been used for so long,” says Menard says. Menard says he’s excited for the future of the Sunnyside location. “We need to keep it strong and that’s exactly what the intent is for the future, to keep this place running. There’s more repairs coming to this facility in the future, too. We’re just so excited for the future and another 75 years,” Menard says. Halstead, Sunnyside’s branch coordinator, echoed the sentiment. “I think it’s an exciting time for the library. We recently, just launched our new brand campaign of rebranding our logo and we’re excited. We hope to continue to exist in the community for another 75 years and beyond,” Halstead says. The event was free to attend and ran until 4:30 p.m. “It’s a nice opportunity to come together and celebrate my community,” says Richards.
