A new central library with an indigenous name is being constructed in Ottawa, costing the city and the feds a total of $334 million. In 2021, Stephen Guilbeault, the Minister of Canadian Heritage at the time, announced the library would be built, naming it Adisoke, on behalf of the Anishinābe Algonquin First Nations.The feds, Library and Archives Canada (LAC), have contributed $133 million to the project, while the Ottawa Public Library and the city have given $173 million, and the city has contributed $28 million for underground parking.The feds state the library will be a place for LAC to keep "Canadian and indigenous stories.".The design of the building was based on suggestions from the public, Elders, and other indigenous members.They predict it will attract 1.7 million visitors annually, claiming it will be a "modern and national institution," that will "showcase culture and heritage from a diversity of perspectives and broaden access to our country’s history and knowledge."It is also characterized as a net-zero carbon facility, with a roof of solar panels. In 2021, the feds stated the money being spent on the project is "in line with the Government of Canada's effort to ensure that major infrastructure projects like this one contribute to a clean, safe and sustainable environment...".At the time, the building was planned to open in 2025.More recently, it was planned to open in the summer of 2026, but it has since been delayed.According to a CBC News report in late 2025, the contractors for the library reported delays, with contractors indicating the new timeline is now September 2026. The library will include all-gender bathrooms and sensory rooms for "inclusivity." .As for public art, there will be an indigenous public art program to "support and showcase Indigenous art created by Indigenous artists from Canada."There will also be "oral history listening stations," which "will include stories and teachings of Anishinābe Algonquin and Indigenous oral traditions."
