New Ottawa library door policy punishes homeless, councillor says

By OttawaMatters Staff

A downtown city councillor is pushing back against a new Ottawa Public Library policy to lock the main branch's lobby doors in the mornings, saying it discriminates against people who are homeless.

A few months ago, library staff approached Somerset Ward Councillor Catherine McKenney to share what they called security concerns, with regards to homeless people milling around the lobby of the library's Metcalfe Street branch in the mornings.

“I told [staff] that I disagreed, that I did not want the lobby locked,” said McKenney. “If there were security concerns, then we had to deal with those but not to punish everyone.”

McKenney said that homeless people have been able to warm themselves up in the main library's lobby for decades, but that as of a few days ago the lobby doors are now locked.

“Just because people are experiencing homelessness doesn't mean everyone should be punished for that,” McKenney told 1310 NEWS.

McKenney plans to take the issue to the city's library board and to city council next week, to get the decision reversed, arguing that everyone should have a space to stay warm and safe.

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