Photo credit: Toronto Sun
The Toronto Public Library has apologized for refusing to let a lost girl use the phone at one of its branches.
CityNews reports that Megan Kinch posted on social media Friday evening after her lost 11-year-old daughter went to the library looking for help.
It has gone viral with over 16 million views and over 14,000 reposts.
Kinch said, “If a young person says they need help to call their mom, that is an emergency, and that should be a priority. My kid was in an after-school program that ended two hours early, and she thought she could get home on her own.”
Her daughter Esther said she jumped on the 505 Dundas streetcar, but it took her to a part of the city she was unfamiliar with. “I wandered around a lot, and I asked a bunch of people if I could use their phone to call. Some said no, some said it was their work phone, and some walked away and didn’t pay attention,” she said.
She then crossed the street to the Toronto Public Library, which her mother has always said is safe.
She walked into the Riverdale branch located at Gerrard and Broadview Streets. “I went in the library and asked if I could use their phone, but they said, ‘No, it’s for employees only,’ and they said there’s a [payphone outside, and I said, I don’t know how to use a payphone, and they just said no, sorry.”
The Toronto Public Library apologized for the incident in a statement to CityNews on Monday. It said the situation doesn’t reflect its commitment to serving all community members with care and compassion.
The library said it hopes to learn from this. A branch manager is personally handling the matter and hopes to communicate directly with the family.
