Today, a Peterborough, Ontario community group unveiled an open letter signed by more than 100 of the biggest names in Canadian and US arts. The letter, created by Our Future Peterborough, speaks to the importance of librarians and of stopping an extremely harmful restructuring that will cut some of the city’s most crucial specialist librarian roles.
“We hope this letter brings wider attention to what’s happening in Peterborough right now,” said Hilary Evans, who founded Our Future Peterborough along with Sheetal Rawal and Laurel Harris. “Our city council needs to know that these decisions aren’t going unnoticed, and that they won’t happen without backlash.”
The letter urges the library board and city council to “reverse course” and to “ensure these librarian positions remain in place so that the literacy, creativity, and joy of the children of Peterborough can continue to be cultivated.”
Signatories include authors Margaret Atwood and Madeleine Thien, musicians Neil Young and Fred Penner, actor Daryl Hannah, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, and many others.
“This is a local issue, but it’s also part of a wider trend,” said Laurel Harris. “Across Ontario and Canada, we’re seeing public services quietly cut back. These decisions often happen without meaningful public consultation, but they come at a high cost to our communities and to future generations.”