The City of Pickering is planning for a new, 44,000 sq. ft. facility that will celebrate the city’s rich heritage by bringing together Museum, Library and Community Centre into one dynamic space.

Facility Amenities

• Exhibit gallery
• Program room
• Multipurpose Hall, including a stage
• Kitchen suitable for public programs
• Collections storage for the museum artifact collection, City’s archives, and the Public library’s local History collection
• Gift shop and coffee bar
• Outdoor program spaces include an art garden and patio

Community Benefits 

This facility, anticipated for 2026, will be located on the upper site of the Pickering Museum Village and will:

• Serve as a new Visitor’s Centre for the Pickering Museum Village and replace the small, aging administrative building that currently exists on the site. The existing Museum Administration Building, also known as the Robert A. Miller Building, is a hybrid structure including a 1867 post and beam wood framed barn with a 1967 wood frame addition.
• Preserve local history and provide much-needed storage space for over 11,000 artifacts, with special environmental and lighting controls, for collections, artifacts and records for the Library, Pickering Museum Village, and City Hall.
• Replace the aging Greenwood Community Centre, and provide a modern and accessible space for community groups, programs and services, and events and exhibition space.
• Include the first public exhibit/art gallery to Pickering to showcase travelling exhibitions, and artworks by local artists.
• Be more accessible to the broader community. It will serve more residents and visitors than what the facility can currently accommodate. We anticipate to welcome up to 300 users at one time.
• Be zero-carbon – meaning the facility will be highly energy-efficient and minimize greenhouse gas emissions from building materials to operations, and support Pickering’s journey of becoming one of the most sustainable cities in Canada!

Replacing Aging Infrastructure

The City is committed to maintaining safe and accessible infrastructure for all community members, and as such, replacing the aging Greenwood Community Centre, which dates back to 1970, has been identified as a priority for the City. Located immediately to the east of the Museum's lower site, at 3551 Greenwood Road, the Greenwood Community Centre is a roughly 8,400 square foot, two-storey structure built of concrete block and steel framing. It was constructed in 1970 and has no wall insulation. Lack of insulation, aging windows and the poor condition of the building envelope also makes it expensive to heat and cool. The building is at end of life and would require significant investment within the next ten years in order to maintain. A new building to be located nearby on City property with larger and newer amenities will be more cost effective and will best serve local residents and the municipality as a whole, over the long term.

Library Spaces

The Pickering Public Library is designing two valuable spaces within this new facility: our Local History Resource Centre and an Express Library Kiosk.

The Local History Resource Centre will be a destination for a wide variety of visitors, offering access to collections, staff assistance, and innovative programming. Students, researchers, and family historians will be able to comb through documents and photographs that bring the people, places, and events of Pickering’s history, stories and journeys to life.

And for all residents, library services will be available through the Express Library Kiosk. This innovative service prototype will be open the same hours as the rest of the building and feature holds pick-up, freshly, curated collections, comfortable spaces and access to essential technology.