4 Toronto heritage museums slated for closure: councillor

A councillor warns that four of 10 city museums are scheduled to be closed as part of Toronto’s cost-cutting measures to plug its 2012 budget deficit.

Joe Mihevc said Sunday that Montgomery’s Inn in Etobicoke, Gibson House and Historic Zion Schoolhouse in North York and the Market Gallery in  downtown Toronto are all part of the proposed cuts to the city’s cultural services division.  

The mayor has said that Toronto needs to cut $774 million from next year’s $9.4 billion budget. City council voted in September to have the city manager further study a proposal to close museums with the least attendance and revenues.

Mihevc and museum supporters want the city to undertake an assessment and review over the next year.

“Given the value of these assets to Torontonians, we want to help find a way to keep them open to the public. We need to see if there are ways to help them raise more money or operate in a more cost effective manner,” Mihevc said.

Janice Etter, who has organized a group of citizens to support Montgomery’s Inn, said in a release the closure of the inn would be a huge loss to Etobicoke.

“Museums are community hubs. They create a sense of belonging and community.” 

Edith Geduld, a long-time supporter of Gibson House and Historic Zion Schoolhouse, said all of these suburban museums were made part of the city as a result of amalgamation.

“And the city promised us these museums would not be closed.” 

Library public consultations

In other city budget news, consultation meetings began Sunday at several public libraries for the public to discuss the potential cuts being considered in the library’s 2012 budget.

More than 60 people crammed into the Pape/Danforth library to voice their concerns, and councillors Paula Fletcher and Mary Gragedakis were there to listen to them.

Another meeting was held at the S. Walter Stewart library, which is facing reduced hours.

Coun. Janet Davis posted on Twitter, “Library consultation at S.Walter Stewart Library consensus — don’t cut hours, don’t cut collections, libraries are important community hubs!”

The library board voted in October to eliminate 100 full-time positions in an effort to meet the mayor’s demand that all city departments reduce their budgets by 10 per cent. That would mean $17 million will be slashed from the library’s budget to $157.5 million. Handing out pink slips would result in $9.7 million, or 5.7 per cent, in budget savings.

Chief librarian Jane Pyper proposed reducing hours at 59 of 98 branches with a potential of $7.3 million, or 4.3 per cent, in budget savings. A vote on that issue was deferred until Nov. 21.

Other public consultation meetings have been scheduled for the coming week. Click here to see the list.

Share your views on these proposed cuts.