Saint John Tool Library (Image from Facebook)
The Saint John Tool Library is moving into a bigger home, a move its founder says will allow the business to grow its membership and community programs.
The library and training centre will stay in the uptown area, moving from its 160 Union Street location to 100 Princess Street.
Founder Brent Harris says the hunt for a new location had been going on for a while due to issues with their current landlord, who took ownership of the Union Street building not long after the Tool Library opened.
“Long story short, in month five of being open, we were fighting to stay there and the issues that were issues brought up by the building inspectors never ever got rectified and beyond that, we were never able to get a lease,” said Harris. “So from an organizational point, we were really month-to-month here, and for any kind of business organization that’s just a tonne of instability to try to build anything off of.”
Harris got a call about 100 Princess Street near the end of last year. The building had been owned for years by a property holdings company in Toronto, but recently came under local ownership.
Harris said it was the perfect spot for the Tool Library to move and grow.
“It gives our members more space,” he said. “It gives us two parking spaces out back, so members won’t have to be dragging table saws across the street on Union Street anymore.”
We've got some big dreams for this place. We got our detalied floor plan drawn up but, as you can see, we've got A LOT…
Posted by Saint John Tool Library & DIY centre on Sunday, January 10, 2021
The new spot will also give the Saint John Tool Library continue to grow its other programming, such as its Construction Pathways program it did in partnership with the YMCA. The program worked with eight newcomers and trained them in the foundations of working in construction. Upon graduation from the program, six of the eight students landed full-time work in the industry.
“Everybody knows that the construction industry as a whole in this region is hurting for work. It has been since I’ve moved back here for sure, but now with all these high rises going up, most of the construction teams are being brought in out of town because there’s not a big enough labour force here to support the work,” said Harris.
“There’s a real need there, but there’s no real training. Unless you’re going to get enrolled in an apprenticeship and block training for a sealed professional trade, then there’s not really any bridge programs that train you in the basics of construction awareness and safety.”
Harris says the new location will give the space and flexibility to offer more of those types of courses.
“We’re trying to get into more of that, and this space will really open up that opportunity because it’s doubling our shop space,” he said. “Which means there is a more diverse set of programs that we could run with groups like the YMCA and other job connection employers.”
