The Hamilton Public Library says the Central library branch is in the midst of a safety crisis that has turned the downtown branch into a “de facto safe consumption site,” leading to emergency service reductions and calls for provincial intervention.
During a Library Board meeting Wednesday evening, Chief Librarian Paul Takala delivered a stark assessment of deteriorating conditions at , reporting that drug distribution is now occurring inside the building, including areas immediately adjacent to the children’s area on the first floor.
“We are in a crisis and there needs to be help, and that help needs to be like, not next year,” Takala told the Board. “When you have multiple people overdosing every day, it’s not sustainable.”
Operational Reductions and Security Responses
As reported on Wednesday, the HPL is considering a total temporary closure of the Central branch to address health and safety concerns by conducting renovations to change the design of the four-floor facility, including a possible move of the children’s area to an area that can be more easily secured.
While a full closure has not yet been implemented, HPL Facilities Director Chad Roglich says significant service reductions were necessary because there are not enough staff and supports on-site to manage the frequency of simultaneous overdoses and behavioural disruptions.
The Central branch is now closed on Sundays, with a later opening at 9:00 a.m. on weekdays instead of 8:00 a.m., and the cancellation of study halls after 8:00 p.m.
Roglich says the situation has significantly worsen “over the last six weeks.”
“We reached a point where the help that was required in the emergency situations, through folks overdosing, that we didn’t have enough resources on site to get to every situation as they were happening on site.”
He says “the dramatic spike in incidences” meant the HPL “didn’t have the resources to keep both the membership safe and the staff safe during that period.”
Sarah Gauthier, HPL Manager of Information Services, who oversees social support and outreach staff, says the library is being overwhelmed. She reported that the library is forced to perform washroom closures “every single day” and cited hundreds of security responses in recent weeks.
“The amount of [drug] use that is happening here, and that is with all the supports … we just simply can’t, can’t keep up with it,” Gauthier said.
Background: A Library at the Breaking Point
The crisis has been building for years. In April 2025, the Library Board approved a medium-term plan . the situation has become significantly more serious since November 2025.
“The library needs to be a library,” Takala said. “There cannot be drug use in libraries. It is not helpful for people to suggest the library should be a safe consumption site.”
Provincial Funding and Wider Societal Issues
Takala pointed to a decades-long lack of provincial support as a root cause of the current instability. He noted that libraries have not seen a single cent of increased direct provincial funding in more than 25 years, with the 1995 cuts by the government of Premier Mike Harris remaining in effect today.
Ward 2 Councillor and Board Member Cameron Kroetsch told the Board that the issues are a symptom of wider failures at the provincial level, specifically citing the closure of safe consumption sites and the rising cost of housing.
“Many services that people needed in the downtown core have left in recent years,” Kroetsch said. “People are going to continue to use drugs and this will continue to be an issue. We are not giving people any places they can go.”
Kroetsch added that the focus on property values by some owners has increased the challenges in Hamilton, stating, “we are not permitting people to exist.”
Budget Pressures and “Strong Mayor” Powers
The safety discussion occurs against a backdrop of fiscal pressure. The Board is currently navigating Mayor Andrea Horwath’s Strong Mayor Budget plan, which seeks to cap the HPL budget below what the library administration says is required to maintain current service levels.
The Mayor’s proposed budget cap was recently opposed by a 9 to 7 majority of Hamilton City Council. However, under the province’s Strong Mayor legislation, Horwath retains the power to veto Council’s changes to her budget.
Board Member Kojo Damptey suggested a direct approach to advocacy, calling for the Mayor and Hamilton’s five Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to be brought to the Central Library to witness the crisis firsthand.
“Is it possible to request all MPPs to be brought together at the Central library to see the issues first-hand?” Damptey asked.
Staff Impacts and Workplace Safety
The human toll on library employees remains a primary concern for the Board.
Brie Berry, a Board Member, questioned the impact of responding to frequent overdoses on staff mental health. Gauthier responded that while security staff handle the primary response, the entire team is impacted.
“The team is strong, but they suffer from the sorrow of what they see and experience,” Gauthier said.
Board Member Dayna Firth noted that the situation could eventually lead to workplace refusals under safety legislation. “This could become a workplace refusal issue,” Firth warned, citing the legal requirement to provide a safe workplace.
The Board entered a closed session late Wednesday to discuss labour relations and legal requirements surrounding workplace safety.
Takala is expected to provide further comments on Thursday regarding potential new actions at the Central branch.
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Published: February 19, 2026
Last updated: February 19, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
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