Residents of a Toronto neighbourhood are vowing to rebuild a miniature library after vandals set the book collection ablaze on Thursday morning.
The front-lawn library, a small wooden box with a peaked roof that held approximately 40 books, was built for people in the neighbourhood to informally trade reading materials.
Naomi Jardine and her husband, Doug Hadders, built the structure on their lawn and unveiled it at a neighbourhood block party on June 6.
The couple lives on Crawford Street, between Harbord and Bloor Streets in the city's downtown.
Less than a month after its debut, however, Jardine said she woke up to police at her door. On her lawn, the box of books was in flames.
"We were really disheartened and saddened," she said.
Jardine’s neighbour, Lyla Miller, said she called police after waking up to the sound of male voices and crackling fire, sometime after 3 a.m.. By the time the police arrived, however, the vandals were gone and the library was irreparably damaged.
A firefighters arrived to put out the flames.
Jardine said the incident is a blow to the neighbourhood.
"We would see people every half hour or so coming to exchange books and share books here, so it was a really nice little addition to the community," she said. "It was quite an amazing little hub."
The act of vandalism has not deterred the enthusiasts, as Jardine says her neighbours have offered to donate money and books to help rebuild the little library.
Jardine's husband, Doug Hadders, said he will build another.
"There’s just been such a flood of support from everybody and it’s just been such a beautiful thing," she said. "The community is already rallying and pulling together. The good-heartedness of people is always stronger than a few who are angry and destructive."
