A developing story from Thunder Bay: Hundreds of residents joined the Thunder Bay Public Library for the Waverley Library’s 75th birthday party on Saturday, marking the decades after it opened its doors in 1951 and the system’s 150 years of library service in Port Arthur.
To commemorate the occasion, Waverley Street was closed for the day, allowing visitors to stop by for free bouncy castles, community pizza, birthday cake, face painting and other activities. With debates and forums for the municipal election at the library in the fall, visitors were also given the chance to learn more about the events and offer public feedback on critical the area issues. “It’s been so fun,” noted Kerry Berlinquette, a volunteer at the celebration who became a Thunder Bay Public Library member as an adult.
She declared it felt good to come out and see all the people attending, having fun and joining in some of the festivities on a beautiful summer day during the long weekend. “One of the most impactful things that this the public has done for itself is invest in its public libraries,” indicated Thunder Bay Public Library CEO Richard Togman. The city’s libraries changed from a paid-membership model in the late 1800s to a foundational public institution that had to be free, welcoming and part of the local residents, according to Togman. He confirmed it was "incredibly exciting" to not only last that long, but to also thrive, grow and have an increasing number of people come than ever before.
It featured many library and public contributions, including a vintage puppet from its puppet theatre performances, technology currently used to check out books and yet-to-be-publicly-released architectural designs for the renovation of the building in the fall.
“When the library started, the technology was the book, right? That was it and we’ve evolved from books into computers, DVDs, CDs, now the internet with downloadable stuff [and] streaming,” Togman advised. “It’ll be fascinating to see what the future holds with e-books [and] how the library evolves to meet the needs of the public.” Togmanadded that the library is a place where people can come together, get free access to materials and be treated the same regardless of their background, income or where they come from. “We’re such a foundational institution that sometimes government programs come and go, but the library is something that every generation counts on,” he declared. At noon, a time capsule was sealed inside the library to mark the institution’s years in the urban centre. It featured many library and public contributions, including a vintage puppet from its puppet theatre performances, technology currently used to check out books and yet-to-be-publicly-released architectural designs for the renovation of the building in the fall. Thunder Bay Public Library prepares massive renovation to children’s space at Waverley branch It would be “amazing” to be there when it is opened in the future, Berlinquette advised. “I can just imagine coming here with my grandchildren one day and watching it and saying, ‘Hey, I was there that day,’” Berlinquette declared, noting that the experience would be “a lot of fun.” Alex Ma,one of the many children who lined up to fill the crate, confirmed he also found it “exciting” to place items, including stickers, into the time capsule. Togman noted some of the children who placed items inside the time capsule could return roughly five decades later, possibly with their own children or grandchildren. “I think everyone recognizes that what makes the library really special is the local residents,” Togman noted. “It’s the people. It’s the relationships. And that is really what endures across generations and keeps bringing people back.” Nicky Shaw is a reporter for CBC the Lakehead region. She graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism and a minor in Environmental and Climate Humanities from Carleton University. Aligning with her passion for covering global environmental and humanitarian issues, she has worked to develop in-depth multimedia content that shares the diverse experiences of people in Northwestern Ontario. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered onCBC Gem..
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📍 Source: CBC News Thunder Bay · By: CBC News Staff · 🗓️ August 02, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
