Leaside

165 McRae Drive,
Toronto, ON M4G 1S8

Hours

Monday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Thursday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Friday	9:00 am	to	5:00 pm
Saturday	9:00 am	to	5:00 pm
Sunday	Closed

Wheelchair Accessible
Free Wifi

General Inquiries

To speak directly with staff at Leaside Branch during branch hours, please call the number listed above.

For general questions about Toronto Public Library, your account, and quick reference help, email Answerline using the link below.

Email Answerline

Directions, TTC & Parking

View on map

Closest major intersection: Eglinton Ave. East and Laird Drive. Located on southwest corner of McRae Dr. and Rumsey Rd.

Public Transit

TTC bus 88 from St. Clair subway station.

Parking

Free parking on McRae Dr.

Upcoming Programs

Featured Programs

Sat, Jun 08

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Repair Café

Bring in your broken household items and Repair Café will fix it for free and teach you how to do it yourself!...

Wed, Jun 12

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Draw Joy from a Pencil

Find the joy in using a simple pencil and piece of paper to create a beautiful piece of art. Bring your tea or coffee, rel...

Thu, Jun 13

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

NatureTO: Trees Around Leaside Tour

The Leaside branch and its neighbourhood is home to a variety of trees. Join City of Toronto Urban Forestry staff to...

Regular Programs

Mon, Jun 03

3:30 pm - 3:30 pm

After School Club

Join us for afternoons of fun with various games, projects and activities. Get creative, build new skills, and explore new...

Tue, Jun 04

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Adult Board Games Night

IMPORTANT: Program normally occurs from 6-7:30PM but will run from 6:30-8PM for the sessions in the month of June....

Tue, Jun 04

3:45 pm - 5:45 pm

Swallowing Clouds: creative arts program

For ages 9-12. Using improv, music, storytelling, arts & crafts, and movement, we'll create our own work of cre...

All Branch Programs and Events

Branch Features

General Features

Art Exhibit Space
Book Discussion Group: contact the branch for more information
Book Drop - 24 Hours
Express Checkout
Free Menstrual Products
Free Parking
Seating for 85

Equipment for persons with disabilities

Book stand
CCTV (closed circuit TV also called print magnifier)
Computer with screen magnification software (Zoomtext)
Large print keyboard
Large trackball mouse
Magnifier
Natural spectrum lamp
Page turner
Wheelchair accessible furniture

Technology

Collections

Audiobooks on CD
Large Print Collection
Local History Collection

Language

Large collection in French

History

Year	Details
1943	Library opens as an association library in a rented storefront at 645 (now 1645) Bayview Avenue, on the east side a few doors north of Fleming Crescent, 15 July.
1944	Leaside Public Library Board incorporated, following a referendum in December 1943 when the people of Leaside voted overwhelmingly to establish a public library.
1948	Town of Leaside Council approves plans for a new library, June. The first sod is turned in April 1949 in a section of Millwood Park (renamed Trace Manes Park in 1950).
1950	New building at 165 McRae Drive officially opened, 8 March. Adamson & Morgan Architects.
1958	New main entrance and addition to the southern part of the building is officially opened, 15 November. A branch library for boys and girls also is opened in a portable on the grounds of Northlea Public School, Rumsey Road at Divadale Drive. A similar branch opens at Rolph Road School, October 1962.
1967	Leaside Public Library becomes part of the new Borough of East York Public Library Board formed with the amalgamation of the Town of Leaside and the Township of East York.
1998	Leaside Branch becomes part of the Toronto Public Library with municipal amalgamation, 1 January.
1999	Sunday openings discontinued 25 April.
2001	Closed for reconstruction, 31 March, Moffat Kinoshita Architects Inc. Temporary library service provided at Trace Manes Community Center for 35 hours per week, 17 April.
2002	Temporary library service at Trace Manes Community Center discontinued 18 May. Branch officially reopened 11 June.
2007	New hours, 8 January. Open hours per week increased from 48.5 to 50.5.
2010	New hours, 13 September. Open hours per week increased from 50.5 to 62.

Leaside is on Indigenous land. This is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee (ho-den-oh-sho-nee) Confederacy (aka. the Six Nations Confederacy), the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Toronto Public Library gratefully acknowledges these Indigenous nations for their guardianship of this land. We'd also like to remind and reaffirm, as Torontonians and Canadians, our accountability to these Indigenous nations, and to all Indigenous peoples and communities living in Toronto.

This land is also part of the Dish with One Spoon territory, a treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka. The Six Nations Confederacy), the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-nah-bek) and allied nations, to peaceably share and care for this land, its waters, and all of the biodiversity in the Great Lakes region. All those who come to live and work here are responsible for honouring this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect. About Land Acknowledgement Statements