As a lifelong reader, being part of the Free Little Library movement felt like the perfect way to share books and inspire reading among my friends and neighbours. Seeing the chance to put his craftsmanship to work, Connor spent many weekends designing and building me the most wonderful birthday gift, this charming little library.

 

Having grown up on Cunningham Park, where I spent summers running wild with my brothers and now walk countless kilometres with my dog, Connor and I imagined the park as the ideal spot for it. Its storybook, woodland charm seemed perfect for people to pause, browse a book or share a recent read. With that vision, Connor designed an unobtrusive, yet stylish library box built to weather Ottawa’s elements.

 

Although I had reached out to City ByLaw and Parks & Greenspace before installing it, the formal approval process was not completed at the time of installation. Our excitement to share the library by my birthday won out over caution.

 

While it seemed like all our neighbours were thrilled, we soon learned that not everyone felt the same. Someone took immediate violent steps to express their disapproval, the escalation and shocking nature of the vandalism resulted in us removing the library after only 5 days. The vandalism was heartbreaking, but the outpouring of community support was incredible. From kind notes left at my home, encouraging words while out on dog walks, a call from Marty Carr’s office, coverage on CTV, and mentions on local radio, we were truly moved and overwhelmed with the public’s reaction. 

 

Refusing to give up, Connor repaired and rebuilt the library, fixing the roof, replacing the door, and re-weatherproofing the panels. Now, after months of fiendish reading and collecting new books, we’re thrilled to reinstall The Cunningham Park Library! We’re deeply grateful to everyone who supported us and hope you enjoy reading, sharing and feeling the same sense of community that inspired it.