We are delighted to announce that Ottawa Public Library’s Cumberland branch will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a full day of fun activities for all ages. The event will take place at Cumberland branch (Ray Friel Centre, 1599 Tenth Line Rd.) on Saturday, October 19th from 10 am to 4 pm.  

Join us for exciting programs throughout the day.  Special guests Luc Leduc, The Duke of Magic, will present an interactive magic show at 10 am; Métis MASC artist Brad Lafortune will explore Métis history and culture through the art of traditional Métis jigging at 11 am; and Rag & Bone Puppet Theatre will perform its new puppet show “Hat Trick”, based on the award-winning ‘hat’ books of Jon Klassen, at 2 pm.  

Take time to explore our Musical Instrument Lending Library, telescope, and button maker stations, and have fun in the children’s section with crafts, face-painting and Lego® throughout the day!  Learn about our branch history and join us for a formal acknowledgement of the 25th anniversary at 1 pm. 

A history of Cumberland Branch 

      Well over 25 years ago, the ambition and dedication of local volunteers helped launch a library service in Cumberland Township. Prior to their efforts, anyone who wished to access the nearest library collection had to pay a $3 per family non-resident fee to the Gloucester Public Library. At the inaugural meeting of Cumberland Township’s first library board in January 1978, members opted to purchase a bookmobile (for $1.00!) from the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry County Library.  

 Cumberland Township library services officially began in April 1979, with bi-weekly bookmobile stops. Run almost entirely by volunteers and holding approximately 3000 books, the bookmobile visited eight villages and communities: Queenswood Heights, Queenswood Village, Navan, Vars, Sarsfield, Cumberland Village, Carlsbad Springs and Notre-Dame-des-Champs. 

The first brick-and-mortar location opened on November 24, 1981, inside Dunning-Foubert Elementary School, serving the public after school hours. As the area's population continued to grow throughout the 1980s, so did the needs of the community. Ten years after the initial opening, the library moved to the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School, where it was possible to accommodate a much larger collection. 

25 years ago, in 1999, the library was relocated for a final time - the Cumberland library moved into its current home in the Ray Friel Centre, a modern 24000 sq. ft. facility. This location also housed a volunteer-run, secondhand bookstore, which continues today under the direction of the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library. In 2001, Cumberland Township library services became the Cumberland Branch of the newly amalgamated Ottawa Public Library system. The branch underwent substantial renovations in 2009 for its 10th anniversary at the Ray Friel site. A further transformation in 2014 integrated an automated sorting machine into its processes.  The branch today holds just under 85 000 circulating items, and provides public Internet access, electronic reference, a musical instrument collection, adult, teen and children’s services and programs, and much more, all offered in both official languages.