Millennium Library visitor totals down since reopening, compared to one year ago

Visits to Millennium Library in the first three months of the year are down compared to the same time last year.

As of March 21, 2023, 22,486 individual visits have been recorded at the library during the month, down from 37,124 in March 2022.

February saw 25,869 visitors this year, down from 32,314 in 2022.

The Millennium Library closed for several weeks in December 2022 and January 2023 following the stabbing death of Tyree Cayer, 28, on Dec. 11. The library reopened on Jan. 23 with new security measures in place, including metal detectors at the entrance and police officers. A total of 6,309 visits were reported for the rest of the month.

The library previously put metal detectors in the library in 2019, which received backlash from some in the community. The detectors were removed in 2020.

Joe Curnow with Millennium For All, a group that opposed the security measures, says she is not surprised to see the drop.

“What we found in 2019, when measures were put in place was that, effectively, there was about a 30 per cent drop in gate count,” she said. “That's consistent with what we would expect from the research on these kinds of, this kind of exclusive and barrier-based approach to securitization.”

Curnow says the screening disproportionately targets BIPOC Winnipeggers who want to use the library.

“Screening like this is always meant to push people away,” she said. “That is the strategy. And so, I think we are not at all surprised, but we continue to be really dismayed. This moves against the entire social mission of the public library, which is to be a place that is open to everybody that is accessible and provides access to information and life-sustaining services.”

Curnow wants the measures removed and replaced with measures such as increased staffing, investing in community safety hosts and reopening the community connection space in the lobby, which has been closed since the stabbing.

The City of Winnipeg declined an interview with CTV News Winnipeg, but sent a statement, saying a security audit and risk assessment of the library is being completed.

“The consultant, GardaWorld, was tasked with determining areas of risk, recommending security measures to mitigate risk, and determining whether security or other related measures should be upgraded or considered, including exploring changes to the layout of the facility,” a spokesperson for the city wrote in a statement.

“The City has received a draft report from GardaWorld. Once we receive the final report, we will carefully evaluate the recommendations to increase safety at the facility and put forward a comprehensive implementation plan, including any potential budget implications, for Council’s consideration.”