City of Peterborough Launches Commemorative Tributes Policy
/The City of Peterborough seeks public feedback for a new Commemorative Tributes Policy.
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Peterborough Blogs
City of Peterborough to Host Live Virtual Public Information Centre For Sanitary Master Plan
/The City of Peterborough is hosting a live virtual Public Information Centre to present the preliminary evaluation results of the Sanitary Master Plan, which is currently in development on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
This Public Information Centre focuses on alternative strategies for servicing development and growth. These strategies consider environmental and socio-cultural impacts, technical feasibility, regulatory compliance and cost.
Residents wishing to view the live broadcast are asked to complete the online registration form.
Registration is available on the project page at connectptbo.ca/sanitary-master-plan.
During the presentation, questions and comments can be submitted through a virtual chat feature.
The presentation will also be posted on the project’s webpage at connectptbo.ca/sanitary-master-plan following the broadcast. Residents can submit questions and comments through the webpage’s questions section following the broadcast.
The Sanitary Master Plan will focus on how to best provide wastewater services as the City grows. The intent is to improve service delivery, demonstrate value for costs, and increase accountability. It’s being developed in coordination with an update to the City’s Asset Management Plan focused on how to best maintain existing infrastructure.
This project's first public consultation phase began in early last year with a survey and a public information centre. The final Sanitary Master Plan will be presented to City Council in March.
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City of Peterborough Seeking Residents to Join Advisory Committees
/The City of Peterborough is hosting a drop-in information session to encourage residents to be involved in local government by joining a board or committee.
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The session runs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at City Hall on Feb. 10 for anyone wishing to join an advisory committee.
The session takes place in the Doris Room. An option to attend virtually is available by emailing clerks@peterborough.ca or calling 705-742-7777 x1820.
Seats are available on a variety of City committees. These are volunteer positions. Terms run until November 2026.
Available seats include:
Accessibility Advisory Committee
Arenas Parks and Recreation advisory Committee
Arts and Culture Advisory Committee
Citizens’ War Memorial
Museum and Archives Advisory Committee
Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee
Peterborough Public Library
Planning Advisory Committee
Property Standards Committee
Transit Liaison Committee (One committee member must be a user of the accessible transit service)
Residents interested in serving on a City board or committee can obtain an application form from the Clerk’s Office at City Hall. Application forms can be completed online from the City’s website.
Completed applications must be returned by Feb. 14. An interview may be required for some positions.
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City of Peterborough Recognizes Dec. 10 As Human Rights Day
/The City of Peterborough has recognized Tuesday as Human Rights Day after the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948.
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that each person is entitled to fundamental rights, including the right to equality, the right to life, liberty and security, the right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
Mayor Jeff Leal’s Statement on Human Rights Day:
“Today, on International Human Rights Day, we join people across the globe in reflecting on the fundamental rights and freedoms that every individual is entitled to, regardless of race, gender, religion, or background. This day serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility to uphold these principles in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
Human rights are the foundation of a fair, just, and compassionate society. They empower individuals, protect the vulnerable, and foster inclusion and equality. In the City of Peterborough, we recognize that our community's strength lies in its diversity. By respecting and championing human rights, we create an environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and capable of contributing to our collective well-being.”
Resources
Kawartha World Issues Centre, a non-profit organization connecting global issues to local initiatives.
Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, a non-profit organization which promotes positive race relations in the City.
The Government of Canada, Human Rights Day.
The Province of Ontario, The Ontario Human Rights Commission.
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Mayor Jeff Leal's Housing Task Force Releases Report
/Mayor Jeff Leal has released the report from his Task Force for Housing Creation, announced near the Rotary Trail on Tuesday morning.
Mayor Leal served as Chair of the Task Force, with Councillor Kevin Duguay as Vice Chair and Councillors Dave Haacke and Keith Riel providing input. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The report contains 15 recommendations intended to speed up housing construction in the City and help address the housing crisis.
Mayor Leal appointed the Task Force members in January. He asked them to report back with recommendations to help facilitate the construction of more housing in Peterborough which is needed to meet the City’s Housing Target of 4,700 units by 2031.
The recommendations cover three primary areas: speeding development, cutting building costs and fostering partnerships.
Key proposals include:
Speeding up Development: Guaranteeing a one-year approval timeline for non-profit and multi-unit housing projects, establishing a dedicated team to fast-track priority developments, and simplifying requirements for housing approvals.
Cutting Building Costs: Adjusting municipal standards to reduce the cost of development, including re-evaluating requirements such as sidewalk placement and tree compensation fees.
Enhancing Partnerships and Advocacy: Encouraging partnerships with Indigenous, non-profit, and private sectors and advocating for federal and provincial support, particularly for affordable and Indigenous housing initiatives.
Mayor Leal will present the Task Force's recommendations to the City Council at the General Committee meeting on Dec. 2.
The Task Force members are:
Paul Bennett - Principal, Ashburnham Realty
Chelsea Combot - Director of Policy, Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services
Brian Fenton - Principal, Peterborough Homes
Hans Jain – Principal, Atria Development
Hope Lee - former CEO of Peterborough Housing Corporation
Rebecca Schillemat – Executive Officer, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Home Builders Association
Brad Smith – President and CEO, AON Inc.
Susan Zambonin – CEO, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region
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City Opens Applications For Low Income Property Tax Assistance
/Applications are available for the City of Peterborough Low Income Senior and Low Income Property Tax Assistance Program.
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Qualifying applicants will receive a $400 tax credit on their tax accounts which will be applied to the February 2025 interim tax bill. Applicants who previously received more than a $400 credit will receive their pre-existing credit amount.
Applicants can apply under one of the following qualifications:
Low Income Senior aged 65 years or older.
Low Income Senior aged 55-64 years of age.
Low Income Disabled Person receiving benefits under the ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program).
Applications are available on the City’s website at peterborough.ca/TaxAssistance or the City Hall Tax Office, 500 George St. N. Residents that received tax credits in 2024 will automatically receive a 2025 Property Tax Assistance application in the mail.
The deadline for submitting this application is Feb. 7.
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City of Peterborough Opens Comments For Tourism Municipal Services Corporate Proposal
/The City of Peterborough is inviting residents to submit comments on its proposal to incorporate a Municipal Services Corporation as an eligible tourism entity.
Photo by Keegan Beekers.
It administers, pursuant to applicable law, the 50 per cent net transient accommodation tax, also known as municipal accommodation tax or MAT, which must be used exclusively to promote tourism according to the City.
To submit a comment on the proposal to incorporate the Peterborough Tourism Municipal Services Corporate can go online.
The commenting period will close on Oct. 30. The comments will be reviewed and summarized in a report to the City Council.
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CUPE Not "Horsing Around" To Ontario Government's Privatized Healthcare Plan
/Serving as a metaphor in response to the Ontario Premier’s plan to bring privatized healthcare to the province, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have brought a 15-foot trojan horse to a rally at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) on Thursday morning.
The 15-foot trojan horse is making 61 stops along the province. It made a visit at the Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay after it made a stop at the PRHC. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The horse is synonymous with Greek mythology. During the Trojan War, the Greeks used a wooden horse disguised as a gift to gain access to the city of Troy and secure a victory. Soldiers were hiding inside the wooden horse as an ambush.
In May of last year, Doug Ford, Ontario Premier, had Bill 60 (Your Health Act) pass legislation to allow private clinics to conduct more OHIP-covered surgeries.
CUPE believes this bill is a trojan horse and disrupts and negatively affects the public healthcare system rather than both being able to co-exist.
“It's actually the opposite,” said Sharon Richer, CUPE secretary-treasurer of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions. “What it is going to do, (is) create longer wait times, create staffing issues and more hallway medicine that we're already today.”
According to CUPE, $968 million was spent on for-profit staffing agencies last year. The report continues to state that there was an increase of 212 per cent for private, for-profit clinics from 2023-24. This drains resources from the public system, contributing to staffing shortages and long wait times, says Richer.
“If you don't have the money, you're not going to be moved up into the line and the waitlists are going to grow longer here and that private clinics are only going to take healthy patients,” she said. “What's going to be left for the hospitals are people with medical issues on top already with the surgery that they're having so it's going to create longer wait times.”
While CUPE says it has not affected the PRHC for now, they have already seen its effects elsewhere in Ontario.
“In Don Mills, people are going to have their cataracts done at a private clinic and they're charging OHIP, $1,269 where if they have it done in a public hospital, it costs OHIP $508,” explained Richer. “This is almost two-and-a-half times more. This is our public taxes paying for these private clinics to make a profit and this is why we're sounding an alarm.”
CUPE’s solution to the problem is funding public health care. According to their report, Ontario has the fewest beds per 1,000 people across the country and the lowest staffing levels. They want increased healthcare funding in the public sector and to stop privatization.
CUPE hopes the trojan horse sends a message to Doug Ford and the Conservative government about reconsidering privatized healthcare.
“We're going across the province, we have 61 stops in various communities and we're talking to people,” concluded Richer. “There will be an election coming up in the spring and people need to make sure healthcare is the number one topic in this election and they need to force Doug Ford to repeal the Bill. If we get a new government, the government needs to repeal the privatization for the clinics, Bill 60.”
Peterborough County Announces Appointments to its Leadership Team
/Peterborough County has added Rhonda Keenan as the new General Manager of Economic Development and Sarah Budd as the new Manager of Community Development.
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The County announced the appointments in a media release Friday morning stating Keenan and Budd will join Tracie Bertrand, General Manager of Tourism and Communications, to “form a trifecta of excellence” driving the county’s future economic growth, community development and tourism.
“These faces will be familiar to those in our business community and bring continuity and years of local knowledge and expertise to their roles, said warden Bonnie Clark. “Together, this team will work collaboratively with our townships, First Nations, and the City to ensure that our County businesses are supported - whether through retention, expansion, or bringing new enterprises to our area.”
Keenan, Budd and Bertrand will be based in the new Lakefield economic and tourism office.
“As the CAO for Peterborough County, I couldn’t be more excited about the exceptional team of professionals we’ve engaged to support economic development and tourism in the County, townships, and First Nations,” said CAO Sheridan Graham. “I am thrilled for our businesses, residents, and visitors as we move The Kawarthas forward.”
Keenan is the outgoing President and CEO of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) which is disbanding later this year as the city and county bring economic development and tourism in house.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Peterborough County team. The County has an excellent corporate culture, is poised for growth, and offers the ideal mix of opportunity and lifestyle – the perfect combination for any economic developer,” stated Keenan. “I am excited to get to work with this amazing team and continue to help support sustainable economic growth across Peterborough County.”
"On behalf of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) Board of Directors and our staff and stakeholders, I am very pleased that Rhonda will continue to serve the region and help drive economic development forward in this new role," stated Burton Lee, PKED board chair.
The board of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce announced the resignation of Budd as president and CEO on Thursday.
"Although I love my position as President and CEO of the Peterborough & Kawartha Chamber of Commerce, I could not pass up the opportunity to join Peterborough County's new economic development division and to learn and work with the highly respected and successful Rhonda Keenan," Budd said.
"I am truly thrilled to be part of such a dedicated and forward-thinking team and excited to work with Rhonda and Sarah,” added Bertrand. “I look forward to continuing our collaboration to drive positive change and growth in the region.”
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City of Peterborough Launches Interactive Official Plan Map
/Residents and stakeholders now have access to an interactive web mapping application to access and visualize the new Official Plan.
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