The province has agreed to reinstate a $1.4 million grant to the Toronto Public Library that was previously set for the chopping block.
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Tory said that Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Eleanor McMahon agreed to reinstate the funding after he met with her to discuss the issue earlier in the day.
The $1.4 million grant, which helped pay for the TPL’s digitization program, was expected to be reduced by $700,000 this year and completely eliminated in 2018.
The grant represented nearly 20 per cent of the provincial funding given to the city’s library system.
“I had a good conversation with the Minister earlier today about this issue. Her decision this afternoon shows that when two reasonable people have a conversation and turn to the facts, solutions can be found,” Tory said in his statement. “The Ontario government has listened when it comes to concerns about funding for the Toronto Public Library. Now, we would hope, the province will listen when it comes to future transit projects and social housing repairs."
In his statement, Tory said that the reinstatement of the provincial grant is “good news for Toronto and our library system.”
