A Community United Around One Message: Right Support, Wrong Location
/By Scott Arnold
Peterborough residents gathered outside the former Carnegie Avenue fire hall Saturday morning, sending a clear message to City Hall that while they support helping people experiencing homelessness, they believe the recently approved winter shelter has been placed in the wrong location.
organizers estimate over 300 people were in attendance for a community gathering on saturday, at the old fire hall on carnegie, to discuss the recently approved winter shelter (photo by scott arnold)
The community gathering, organized by the North End Community Alliance, drew a large crowd to the site where Peterborough City Council recently approved a six-month winter shelter to operate from Nov. 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027.
Residents lined Carnegie Avenue carrying signs, sharing concerns and speaking with elected officials about a decision many say was made without enough public consultation.
Yet despite the frustration and emotion on display, one message echoed throughout the gathering.
This was not a protest against helping unhoused residents.
It was a call for a different location.
“This is not about whether assistance should be provided,” organizers stated in a press release issued following the event. “It’s about identifying the best location, making responsible use of public resources, and developing a shelter strategy that serves both those in need and the wider community.”
The former fire hall at 161 Carnegie Avenue was approved by council in a 9-2 vote earlier this month. Northcrest councillors Andrew Beamer and Dave Haacke were the only members of council to oppose the location.
Among the concerns raised Saturday was the shelter’s distance from many of the services its users would likely need to access.
According to information shared by organizers, the city has budgeted approximately $162,000 for transportation to move shelter users between the site and support services elsewhere in the city.
group spokesperson mary-ellen meyers spoke with ptbocanada during the community gathering on saturday at the shelter location on carnegie avenue (photo by scott arnold
Mary-Ellen Meyers, spokesperson for the North End Community Alliance, said many residents question whether that approach makes sense.
“We have had comments of concern,” she said. “Concern it’s not the right location for the people who require housing for the winter. It’s not anywhere near the services that they access.”
Meyers said residents have also expressed concerns about the site’s proximity to a seniors’ development, nearby family housing and Riverview Park and Zoo.
“People are very concerned that this is the wrong location,” she said. “We need to have some place that’s a better solution for everyone.”
The alliance’s press release notes the city plans to spend approximately $576,000 annually on the six-month shelter operation, in addition to about $20,000 in startup costs.
Questions about those expenditures were frequently discussed throughout the gathering.
Residents said they want greater transparency around the decision-making process, including what alternative locations were evaluated and why they were ultimately rejected.
“We really haven’t had much in the way of feedback as to what were the alternate sites they looked at,” Meyers said. “We’re asking for that information.”
organizers of the gathering were passing around a petition regarding the shelter site location at the old fire hall on carnegie (photo by scott arnold)
Another issue repeatedly raised throughout the gathering was the shelter’s proximity to the Riverview Park and Zoo.
The site sits directly across from Riverview Park and Zoo, one of Peterborough’s most visited attractions, drawing more than 300,000 visits annually from local families, schools and tourists.
A recurring point throughout the gathering was the belief that the discussion has been misunderstood by some members of the public.
Several residents said they’ve seen comments suggesting the zoo shouldn’t factor into the debate because many of its attractions are closed during winter months.
Organizers pushed back on that notion.
While features such as the splash pad, miniature train and some seasonal attractions shut down during the colder months, the zoo itself remains open year-round and continues welcoming visitors throughout the winter.
For those gathered Saturday, that distinction matters.
“Even if you don’t live in the North End, this is Peterborough’s zoo,” said Northcrest Ward council candidate Paul Lawton. “People come from all over to visit it.”
one of the concerns that kept coming up on saturday was the shelter’s proximity to the riverview park and zoo (photo by scott arnold)
Lawton said residents have repeatedly told him they feel their concerns have not been taken seriously.
“Compassion is important. Having compassion on the homeless is important,” he said. “But it should not come at the cost of public safety and, more importantly, the public being informed.”
Lawton said many residents feel council moved ahead without adequately consulting the neighbourhood or publicly explaining what alternative sites were considered before settling on Carnegie Avenue.
“They’re faced with a city council who seems to have made a decision without consulting them, without looking at proper alternatives and are just really bulldozing ahead,” he said.
northcrest ward candidate paul lawton was at saturday’s gathering to discuss concerns with residents (photo by scott arnold)
One of the strongest themes throughout the morning was the distinction between opposing homelessness supports and questioning where those supports should be located.
Meyers repeatedly emphasized that residents support helping people who need shelter.
“The main message is that it’s a good idea,” she said. “We don’t object to the idea of housing for homeless people. It’s just the wrong location.”
Lawton echoed that sentiment.
“Residents are worried if they have any kind of opposition to shelters that they’re going to be automatically shouted down as not compassionate, as uncaring,” he said.
“But compassion means also having compassion on residents who live in the area. Compassion goes both ways.”
He added that what he heard Saturday was not opposition to helping people experiencing homelessness.
“What I’m hearing from the residents here is, no, we do have compassion. We don’t want anybody left out in the winter, of course. I don’t want to live in that kind of city, that kind of country. But we need to choose these locations more carefully.”
northcrest ward councillor andrew beamer was on hand to answer questions and discuss the overnight shelter that was approved at the old fire hall on carnegie avenue (photo by scott arnold)
Councillor Andrew Beamer, who voted against the shelter location, described the turnout as evidence that many residents remain deeply concerned.
“About 300 here today,” he said. “A lot of legitimate concerns from the neighbours.”
Beamer said the message he heard most often was straightforward.
“Right idea, but wrong location.”
He pointed to concerns ranging from transportation costs to safety and the site’s location near the zoo.
“I think not only in this neighbourhood, not only in Northcrest Ward, but throughout the city of Peterborough, residents are saying it’s the wrong location.”
Beamer acknowledged that council has already approved the shelter through the upcoming winter season, meaning the decision is effectively final for this year.
However, he said many residents are now focused on ensuring the location does not become a longer-term solution.
“One of the big concerns is this will eventually become permanent,” he said.
signs were visible on carnegie avenue for drivers to see as they passes by, with many motorists honking their horns in support of the group (photo by scott arnold)
The North End Community Alliance is now encouraging residents to continue voicing their concerns through a newly launched petition calling on the city to review the location decision, publicly disclose alternative sites that were considered and develop a longer-term strategy for addressing homelessness.
Organizers say homelessness remains a city-wide challenge that requires thoughtful, sustainable solutions.
Saturday’s gathering was never intended to argue otherwise.
Instead, residents said they wanted to demonstrate that support for vulnerable individuals and concerns about location are not mutually exclusive.
it was a large turnout as community members gathered at the old fire hall on carnegie (photo by scott arnold)
