Music Hall, Library prove they’re economically beneficial to township

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In a report made to council on Monday, Amanda Ferraro, director of Community Services and Katlyn Jones, manager of Culture, Tourism and BIA coordinator, said the Music Hall continues to be a well-used attraction.

Uxbridge Music Hall. Cosmos file photo

Ferraro said the hall had close to 5,000 visitors last year. That number had a strong local base, with 75.2 percent of attendees traveling from within 40 kilometres. A notable 24.8 per cent travelled from beyond 40 kilometres, showing the Music Hall is both a community hub and a regional destination.

Ferraro said 47 permits for use of the hall have already been issued for this year, including a number of one-off shows. When asked whether local groups receive priority when two different groups want to book the hall, Ferraro said the hall's policy is to go with the local group.

The report said that in 2025, visits to the Music Hall generated over $582,000 in total visitor spending within Durham Region, illustrating how visitor spending extends beyond the facility.

Councillor Willie Popp said the BIA (Business Improvement Area) confirmed that the Music Hall brings good economic benefits to the township.

Another cultural touchstone in the community was mentioned during Monday’s council meeting. In another report to council, Corrinne Morrison, library manager, and Dave Phillips, library board chair, said Uxbridge residents saved almost $1.3 million last year by checking out a library book instead of buying one.

Morrison said that this number increases when Libby is taken into account. Libby is a program that lets patrons borrow ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and streaming videos on their phones, mobile devices or computers. Libby allows users to read, listen, or watch instantly, or download for offline usage later. Morrison said the 31,000 items borrowed through Libby are an excellent return on investment since the annual cost to the library for Libby participation is just over $6,000.

Morrison also pointed out that the library runs 535 programs throughout the year aimed at all ages — newborns, preschoolers, school-aged children, adults and seniors. A new program is the Culture Pass collection, which offers free passes to the Aga Khan Museum, the Canadian Canoe Museum, the Canadian Tank Museum, Jungle Cat World, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Reptilia, the Royal Ontario Museum, Scugog Shores Museum and others.