The owners of a tiny, family run "library" located northwest of Toronto will be allowed to keep the structure on city property after an online outcry led to an exemption of a bylaw.
Late last year, Kimberley Popoff and her husband built a small wooden box at the edge of their yard in Brampton, Ont. so they could share their book collection with their neighbours. Friends, family members and strangers were encouraged to take or leave books whenever they pleased.
On Monday, the couple was shocked when they received a notice from the City of Brampton telling them they could face fines of up to $25,000 if they didn't remove the mini library immediately. The notice, sent by the Popoff family to CTV Toronto, said that their library was in violation of bylaw 153-2013.
Though the library is small, it is on city property, and the family was told they had five days to remove it.
The library had been installed seven months ago, and there were no complaints lodged until the notice on Monday. Popoff said approximately 50 people who live in her community have been using the library since it was built, including one family who stops by every day to borrow books.
Members of the community were furious by the city's demand to tear down the library, and took to social media to vent their frustrations.
"City of Brampton, you are definitely wrong, wrong, wrong," one person wrote on Facebook.
Another tagged the mayor of Brampton, Linda Jeffrey, asking her to step in.
Popoff reached out to Regional Coun. Martin Medeiros, who represents her community, asking whether any action could be taken to save the library.
Medeiros visited the library on Tuesday morning, telling CTV Toronto he planned to do what he could to block legal action. On Tuesday afternoon, Popoff told CTV Toronto she'd heard from Medeiros again.
"They are going to let us keep our library, in the location where it is currently located," she said, calling the update "great news."
"Thanks to all of you for your amazing support," she wrote on Facebook.
