With our Library again in turmoil it’s time for Board meetings to be put on-line. 

At the moment, if you want to know what the Board is talking about you've got to take yourself along to the Library and sit in.

Years ago when I wandered in to the Board Room for the first time, Board members were so shocked to see a member of the public they all stood up in turn and shook my hand.

These days, as was the case back then, the public is noticeable by its absence.

Town gives Library $4M  

The Library gets a lot of public money but very little public scrutiny.

In 2025 the Library received an operating grant from the Town of $3,953,368 and just over $70,000 from the Province. 

At Tuesday’s “Meet and Greet” I asked all the candidates running for election if they would support streaming Library Board meetings. Almost all were in favour.

The odd man out is Tom Vegh. He may be in favour but I never got the chance to talk to him about it. He flounced off before I had exhausted all the questions I had for him.

Former Library Board member, Ward 3's Jane Twinney, is in favour. So too is current Board member, Ward 4’s Trevor Morrison. Ditto the acclaimed Bob Kwapis.

Kelly Broome to move motion putting the Board on-line

I asked the current Library Board Vice Chair, Ward 6's Kelly Broome, if she would bring a motion forward to the Library Board recommending its meetings go on line. She agreed and her motion will be considered at the next Board meeting on 21 October 2026. (Photo right)

After the meeting, the affable Bob Kwapis (whose Ward 5 is home to the Library) emailed me:

"Thanks for your question about the library meetings. I used the Council meeting example with you, however it would be more appropriate to use the BIA meetings as an example.  All BIA meetings are broadcasted, this is one of the reasons that the BIA meetings are held at the Council chambers. The chamber is all set up for live broadcast, and it makes it easy to do. I am not sure if technical modifications would be needed for the library to broadcast their meetings. Beside that possible limitation, I do believe that the library meetings should be broadcasted, similarly to the BIA meetings."

Since my deputation to the Library Board on 17 December 2025 about library statistics I have been a fly on the wall at every Board meeting since. Sitting at the back, behaving myself. It is the best way to find out what is going on. And even then you don’t get the full picture. The minutes are terse and uninformative. 

Guarded and Monosyllabic

The whispering Chief Executive, Tracy Munusami, is guarded and monosyllabic. According to the staff she’s never in the building. 

Long-serving employees, loyal to the library, are a particular target of hers. They get the death stare. 

Ms Munusami has been in the job for over five years now with “outreach” her big thing. Too bad her aloof and disengaged management style has alienated Library workers every step along the way.

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Note: An increasing number of Ontario libraries are now streaming Board meetings. This is our near neighbour, Georgina.

CUPE rep Amanda Pearson speaks for staff on 30 September 2026

and before that on 15 April 2026