The City Taking New Initiatives to Support a Cleaner Peterborough

The City is taking new measures to make waste disposal easier, address illegal dumping, and improve the cleanliness of parks, streets, and public spaces through the Clean Streets Peterborough program.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This initiative responds to concerns identified through the Clean Streets Peterborough survey, community feedback and operational experience, including illegal dumping, overflowing public bins, improper waste set-outs, bulky items left at the curb, and waste accumulation in parks, neighbourhoods and other public spaces. 

“We’ve heard from residents that illegal dumping, overflowing bins and waste in public spaces are concerns,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “This program responds by making proper disposal easier, improving education and reporting tools, and strengthening our ability to keep public spaces clean and welcoming for everyone.” 

The program is designed to reduce barriers to proper waste disposal, improve access to waste services and support cleaner public spaces across the city. 

The program includes: 

• waiving large article collection fees in 2026 

• reducing the cost of a replacement green bin cart from $88.49 to $35.40 

• temporarily increasing residential garbage bag limits from four bags to eight bags until Dec. 31, 2027 

• enhancing public education, community engagement and outreach around proper waste disposal 

• targeted outreach to landlords, property managers, businesses and multi-residential properties 

• improving waste reporting tools 

• additional park cleanup support, a targeted surveillance camera pilot at selected parks and public spaces, and increased monitoring and enforcement in problem areas

Waste-related concerns have increased across Peterborough, particularly in parks, public spaces, downtown areas and locations where public waste bins are being used for household garbage. Community feedback, service requests, operational experience, and ongoing public engagement have identified several contributing factors, including missed collection days, high article collection fees, bag limits, and limited disposal options for some residents.  

The program combines service improvements, education, outreach, monitoring and enforcement to strengthen reporting and response processes and support cleaner parks, streets and public spaces. 

Program results will be monitored through waste collection data, tonnage reporting, large-article collection volumes, waste collected from parks and public receptacles, complaints and reporting trends, enforcement activity, and ongoing community feedback. This information will help shape future decisions about waste collection services, participation in organics programs, multi-residential servicing, public-space waste management and long-term landfill planning.

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City Council Endorses Waste Management Plan To Improve Cleanliness Throughout Peterborough

City Council has endorsed an initiative to improve the cleanliness of parks, streets, the downtown core, and other public spaces through a coordinated program of waste management, public education, compliance and enforcement at its meeting on Monday night.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The initiative will include actions such as:

• Increasing the bi-weekly bag limit to eight bags from the current limit of four bags for residential collection areas, until Dec. 31, 2027

• A communication and engagement campaign

• A targeted surveillance camera pilot at selected parks and public space locations

• Improvements to the public reporting process for illegal dumping and improper waste set-out

• Targeted outreach to landlords, property managers, the DBIA, and multi-residential properties to support collection education

• Removing the fee for Large Article Collection

• Reducing the fee for a green bin cart from the current rate of $88.49 per unit to $35.40 per unit

• Resuming enforcement activities that had been paused for unattributed/orphaned garbage on boulevards within the area bounded by and including Park Street, McDonnel Street, Water Street and Sherbrooke Street

• Requesting that Canadian Pacific railway respond to and action the request from the City to remove all waste material from their corridors and implement a report and response program for timely cleaning response

According to the City, the goal of the review that led to the recommendations was to identify strategies to reduce friction within the waste management system and to make the movement of waste from the city's homes and businesses as simple as possible, thereby anticipating a reduction in inappropriate waste-disposal behaviours.

The City says a complication of this goal is that the blue bin program is now operated by the province. They continue to state that, without direct control, and as much as blue bin and recycling collection are important parts of the overall service, issues with service levels and consistency are beyond the staff’s control.

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Rotary Club of Peterborough Funds Local Green Startups and Environmental Innovators

The Rotary Club of Peterborough has funded several local green startups and environmental innovators for the fourth straight year through its Rotary Environmental Innovators Fund (REIF) at its meeting at the McDonnel Activity Centre on Monday afternoon.

(From left to right) Dr. Balaji Subramanian, Dr. Sarah Jameson, Jeremy Favro, Manan Ravat, Meghan Ward, Al Lu and Kirsten Tucker-upshall. REIF has already awarded more than $40,000 in project funding. Photo courtesy of the Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The funded projects advance local environmental innovators working in biodiversity, water and wastewater technologies, climate change, sustainable living, pollution, waste disposal, wildlife protection and more who may have been overlooked, according to the Rotary Club.

The following are this year’s recipients of funding up to $3,000:

• Manan Ravat, Trent University – Photocatalytic Degradation of Water Contamination

• Leora Berman, Turtle Guardians – A Community-Powered Turtle Conservation Initiative

• Megan Ward, Trent University - Across the Wetland with Finn – a Children’s book introducing young readers to the importance of wetlands, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship.

• Shannon Learoyd, Trent University - Just Keep Skimming: Exploring strategies to lower wildlife mortality associated with inground pools

This year’s REIF committee has received eight applications for local projects.

The applications are judged based on how they might impact the local climate and environment, how innovative the project is compared to existing solutions, the project's practicality, expected benefits and how the funds would be used.

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City of Peterborough Celebrates Provincial Day of Action on Litter 2026

The City of Peterborough is celebrating the Provincial Day of Action on Litter, which takes place every second Tuesday of May each year.

To date in 2026, the City has supported 20 community cleanup events across Peterborough.  Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The initiative aims to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills or becoming litter by raising awareness of its environmental impact.   

According to the City, litter can harm local ecosystems, wildlife and waterways. It creates cleanup costs for municipalities and communities. The City encourages everyone to reduce litter by reducing waste, properly disposing of items and participating in local cleanup efforts.

Ways to help reduce litter include:   

• Reducing waste by using items, repairing items where possible or purchasing second-hand items  

• Diverting waste from landfills by recycling or composting materials when and where possible     

• Preventing waste and litter before it is created by choosing to buy goods with less packaging or by bringing a reusable container to take-out establishments that accept them  

• Properly disposing of waste by making sure anything that does belong in the trash is securely placed in garbage bins to help keep neighbourhoods clean  

Groups can request a litter cleanup kit from the City of Peterborough’s Public Works department, for general neighbourhood cleanups or Recreation and Parks department, for park cleanups, to support community cleanup efforts. Kits include gloves and bags, and City staff can arrange a pickup location for collected waste after the event. To request a cleanup kit, visit peterborough.ca/litteraction.  

Community input is being sought to support Clean Streets Peterborough, a review of waste collection, litter management, and garbage on streets, parks, trails, and public spaces across the city. 

Residents, businesses and visitors are encouraged to complete the survey to help evaluate collection schedules, service levels, waste diversion programs, public education, enforcement, landfill operations, and the placement and maintenance of waste bins in parks, trails and rights-of-way.  

Feedback will help guide future improvements and ensure programs continue to meet the needs of a growing and changing city. The surveys are open until June 19 at 11:59 p.m. and are available at connectptbo.ca/CleanStreetsPtbo.

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GreenUP Celebrates Earth Day With Open House Event

Peterborough GreenUP celebrated Earth Day on Wednesday with an open house event; focusing on 2025’s various accomplishments and what 2026 has in store.

photo courtesy of greenup.

A few 2025 accomplishments GreenUP acknowledged include planting over 2,100 trees, engaging with over 5,300 youth across all programs and growing their volunteer community to 545 people with over 3,600 hours of work contributed.

Attendees of the event met with the GreenUP team to enjoy a program showcase, learning what GreenUP has been working on locally in 2026 in program areas such as active transportation, business, education, Ecology Park, energy services, landscape, native plant propagation, volunteer opportunities and more.

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Trent University Launches Ggwepnandizamin Stewardship Plan for 900-Acre University Green Network

Trent University has unveiled the Ggwepnandizamin Stewardship Plan, a seven year roadmap to care for the nearly 900 acres of wetlands, woodlands, farmland and naturalized green space that make up 60 per cent of Trent University’s Symons Campus.

photo courtesy of trent university.

“Ggwepnandizamin, means ‘together, putting our best effort forward towards something important.’ This name, gifted by the Michi Saagiig Elders and Knowledge Keepers Council at Trent, reflects our responsibility to care for our campus lands in a way that honours both their ecological significance and cultural meaning,” said Julie Davis, vice president of External Relations & Development. “Created through engagements with Michi Saagiig First Nations, local organizations, nature focused community groups and our campus community, the plan is a key implementation step of the award-winning Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan.”

Recently approved by the Trent Board of Governors, the Ggwepnandizamin (gwep-nan-diz-a-min) Stewardship Plan establishes a systems-level approach to caring for the land, recognizing diverse green spaces across the campus as an interconnected landscape. This holistic framework considers the relationships between ecological systems and the University’s academic, research and operational priorities to promote long-term resilience and sustainability. The plan also acknowledges the importance of these lands for Indigenous ceremony and placemaking and will include ongoing engagement with knowledge holders to ensure continued knowledge exchange.

Implementation will be carried out through a detailed work plan, currently in development and supported by integrated monitoring and ongoing engagement with the Trent Elders and Knowledge Holders Council and Michi Saagiig land consultation officers.

“These lands have carried our stories, our ancestors and our teachings since time immemorial. Through Ggwepnandizamin, we walk forward together with Trent University to ensure the land continues to teach, to heal and to guide future generations,” said Tom Cowie, consultation Indigenous Knowledge lead at Hiawatha First Nation.

For more information on the Ggwepnandizamin Stewardship Plan, visit the link.

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City of Peterborough Opens Sandbag Filling Stations Amid Rising Water Levels

The City of Peterborough has opened its sandbag filling stations to support residents in affected areas as water levels rise along the Trent-Severn Waterway. 

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The stations will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at Graham Avenue and Lillian Street and at Riverside Drive and Steele Avenue. Sand and bags will be provided. 

Water levels are rising along the Trent-Severn Waterway due to ongoing wet weather and snowmelt from the watershed's northern regions. As a result, water levels are increasing along the Otonabee River and localized flooding may occur in low-lying areas of the City. 

Public Works crews will be on site to assist residents with filling sandbags. Residents are responsible for placing sandbags on their own properties. The City recommends placing sandbags around basement window wells and doors. 

Shorelines and riverbeds should be considered unstable due to high and fast-moving water. Residents should use extreme caution near shorelines. Children should be closely supervised and pets should be leashed at all times. 

With high water levels on the region's waterways and recent rainfall, the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility is processing extremely high volumes of water. To help reduce demand on the sewage treatment system and support capacity at the facility, residents are strongly urged to conserve water over the next several days. 

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Trent-Severn Waterway Flood Warning Issued

A Flood Warning for the Trent-Severn Waterway within the jurisdiction of Otonabee Conservation has been issued.

photo courtesy of otonabee conservation.

Updated forecasts indicate significant rainfall over the next five days, combined with increased runoff from rain and snowmelt in the Haliburton-Reservoir Lakes region. As a result, water levels and flows are expected to rise rapidly, and flooding in low-lying areas is imminent, particularly along the Otonabee River.

Initially issued as a Flood Watch, the Flood Status was upgraded to a Warning on Friday.

Current conditions pose a high risk to public safety and may result in property damage in flood-prone areas. Residents are reminded to stay away from shorelines and dams due to hazardous conditions.

Residents are advised to monitor conditions and take appropriate action to protect themselves and their property against imminent or occurring flooding. Stay informed by monitoring weather updates and water levels or subscribe on our website to receive flood messages directly.

Water levels can be monitored online at:

• Trent-Severn Waterway’s Water Management InfoNet 

• Water Survey of Canada Real-Time Hydrometric Data  

• Otonabee Conservation website

This Flood Warning will expire April 16 at 3 p.m., unless updated earlier.

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Beavermead Park Tree Planting and Soil Restoration To Take Place This Spring

Tree planting will take place in the Beavermead Park parking lot area this spring as part of the ongoing restoration and reinvestment in urban forest health following the March 2025 ice storm. 

photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.

To prepare for the tree plantings, stump removal and soil remediation work is scheduled to take place in the Beavermead Park parking lot area beginning April 13.

The City is moving forward with enhancements to Beavermead Park as part of its Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Green Municipal Fund, Growing Canada Community Canopies (FCM-GCCC) Tree Planting Project. 

Beavermead Park was selected due to the significant number of trees impacted by the March 2025 ice storm. 

The project focuses on restoring parking lot islands, including the removal of 33 tree stumps and remediation of the soil within the parking lot islands. Restoring soil conditions and removing barriers to planting creates the foundation needed to support long-term tree health and continued canopy growth. 

New trees will then be planted in the parking lot islands, which will reduce heat buildup and enhance community health and wellbeing. Trees in the parking lot area are estimated to be replanted during the Spring 2026 planting season, with approximately 45 native trees planted through contracted tree planting services made possible by the FCM-GCCC grant. This planting will contribute to the City’s urban forest canopy goals and align with the City’s Strategic Plan by enhancing both the natural and recreational value of the park. 

Work is expected to take approximately one week. During this time, the parking lot area will be reduced to allow for site remediation work. The park will remain open. Half of the parking lot will be temporarily barricaded during each phase of work, with parking remaining available for public use in areas where work is not occurring. 

For more information on the City’s Urban Forest Strategic Plan, visit the link.

For questions or concerns, contact the Urban Forestry Program via phone (ext.1380) or email.

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Public Input Sought on Waste Services Clean Streets Peterborough

The City of Peterborough is seeking community input to support Clean Streets Peterborough, a review of waste collection, litter management, and garbage on streets, in parks, on trails and in public spaces across the city. 

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The review will assess how waste services are delivered and identify opportunities to improve and modernize delivery. It will also evaluate how well current programs meet the needs of a growing and changing community, according to Cassandra Babcock, Public Works Operations Director.

“As our services evolve, it is important that we hear directly from those who rely on them,” she said. “Public input will help guide future improvements and ensure our programs continue to meet community needs.”  

Feedback is being collected to understand how current programs are working and where improvements may be needed.

Input will help inform the evaluation of:  

• Collection schedules and service levels  

• Waste diversion programs  

• Public education  

• Enforcement  

• Waste-related by-laws  

• Landfill operations

• Placement and maintenance of waste bins in parks, trails, and high-traffic areas

Survey feedback will inform future service planning and support ongoing efforts to maintain a clean and sustainable city and the survey will go live at a later date.

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