Nominations Open For Community Care Peterborough's 38th 'Grandparent of the Year'

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City and County of Peterborough children in grades 1-6 can honour their elders through Community Care Peterborough’s 38th ‘Grandparent of the Year’ contest.

Jun Espiritu (left); granddaughter Kailyah Espiritu, Junior English Category Winner of last year (middle) and Danielle Belair, CCP CEO. Photo courtesy of Community Care Peterborough.

Children are asked to submit a hand-drawn picture and a piece of writing that addresses what is important about their relationship with their grandparent, elder or special older person and why they believe their nominee should win the award.

“The Grandparent of the Year Award is a treasured program and a chance to connect generations and reflect on the guidance, inspiration, and value of seniors in our community—many of whom are clients or volunteers with Community Care Peterborough,” said Chris LeBlanc, Director of Donor and Public Relations. “The stories we receive each year are a powerful reminder of the influence older adults have on young people, and we encourage all eligible students to take part.”

Nomination packages have been distributed to schools throughout Peterborough County and are also available for download.

Submissions will be accepted in both English and French and a winner and honourable mention will be selected in each language from two grade groups: Primary (Grades 1-3) and Junior (Grades 4-6).

The deadline for submissions is May 5. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on June 4 at Royal Gardens Retirement Residence.

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City of Peterborough Mourns Lives Lost From LaGuardia Incident; Late Pilot Trained at Peterborough Airport

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The City of Peterborough mourns the loss of two pilots who lost their lives at LaGuardia Airport in New York, N.Y., including one who trained at Peterborough Airport, in an incident that occurred on Sunday night.

City Hall has flown its flags at half-mast to mourn the loss of those involved at LaGuardia Airport. Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Mayor Jeff Leal has issued the following statement:

“On behalf of the City of Peterborough, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the two pilots who tragically died in the incident at LaGuardia Airport. 

"This loss is felt especially close to home, as one of the pilots trained at Seneca Polytechnic’s School of Aviation located at the Peterborough Regional Airport. Our community takes great pride in supporting the next generation of aviation professionals, and we share in the grief of all those connected to this promising individual. 

"I have asked that the City’s flags be flown at half mast. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”

The incident occurred when an airplane collided with a fire truck, killing two pilots and injuring at least a dozen.

The Seneca alumnus pilot was identified as Mackenzie Gunther. According to the institute, he graduated from the Honours Bachelor of Aviation Technology program in 2023. Through the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program, Gunther joined Jazz Aviation immediately after graduation, beginning his professional flying career.

Gunther was the First Officer on the flight, operating as Air Canada Express, from Montréal to New York.

According to Seneca’s website, the campus has already flown its flags at half-mast in memorandum of Gunther’s passing.

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Mayor Jeff Leal Helps Deliver Meals to Seniors For Community Care Peterborough's Meals On Wheels Program During 'March For Meals'

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To highlight Community Care Peterborough’s (CCP) work and the growing need for its services, they partnered with Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal to deliver hot food through the Meals on Wheels program on Monday morning.

Mayor Jeff Leal (left) going over the newly delivered meal to CCP client, Jane (Right). This meal was prepared by Maple Ridge Retirement Services and consisted of Shepherd’s Pie with mixed veggies, a roll, soup, salad and fruit tart. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Each March, Meals on Wheels providers across the province participate in a month-long initiative called ‘March for Meals.’

Part of the campaign involves inviting local mayors and other prominent community members to deliver meals to seniors and people with disabilities while raising awareness of the program.

“The meals are a big help and I really enjoy the variety,” said Jane, a Meals on Wheels client.

(From left to right) Meals on Wheels Volunteers Jim and Bob; Mayor Jeff Leal; Danielle Belair, CCP CEO and Brenda Twaddell, CCP coordinator of Meals on Wheels and grocery services. Community Care Peterborough also offers a Meals on Wheels subsidy program for clients in need of financial assistance. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Mobility challenges, health conditions, and transportation barriers can make shopping and preparing meals challenging for many seniors and adults with disabilities.

Last year, Community Care Peterborough delivered over 50,000 meals to clients. Over three million meals are delivered annually by Meals on Wheels agencies across Ontario, serving more than 60,000 individuals. The demand for Meals on Wheels continues to grow, according to Danielle Belair, CCP CEO.

“The services we provide to clients in the City and County of Peterborough are critical and the demand is continuing to increase,” she said. “Together, we can keep seniors living independently, healthier at home and feeling more connected to their community as they age.”

@ptbo_canada To highlight Community Care Peterborough’s work and the growing need for its services, they partnered with Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal to deliver hot food through the Meals on Wheels program. #ptbocanada #journalism #fyp #news #mealsonwheels ♬ Cooking Time - Lux-Inspira

March for Meals encourages members of the public to volunteer to deliver meals in their communities.

“Our volunteers are the heart of this program,” said Brenda Twaddell, CCP coordinator of Meals on Wheels and grocery services. “The program is so much more than a meal – it’s a social visit and a safety check by a dedicated volunteer. It really is neighbours helping neighbours. The need for this program is growing and we would love to welcome more volunteers to help make these important deliveries.”

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City of Peterborough Asking For Community Input As 10‑Year Housing and Homelessness Plan Sees Revisions

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Residents are invited to help shape the future of housing and homelessness services by sharing their input and experiences as the City of Peterborough updates its 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. 

file photo.

The Housing and Homelessness Plan is a long-term strategy that guides how housing and homelessness services are delivered locally.  

First established in 2014 as a provincial requirement, it was built through extensive community input, including people with lived experience, housing providers and local service organizations. A five-year review in 2019 reaffirmed the need for sustained, coordinated action to reduce homelessness. 

An updated Housing and Homelessness Plan is being developed to guide actions from 2027 to 2036.  

The updated Plan will focus on improving housing affordability, expanding supportive and transitional housing options, strengthening homelessness prevention and enhancing collaboration across all levels of government, Indigenous partners and community organizations. It will also align with future provincial and federal funding opportunities.  

“Housing and homelessness affect people across our entire community, and meaningful solutions depend on hearing from those with a range of experiences and perspectives. Whether you have lived experience, work in the sector, or are concerned about housing in Peterborough, your input is important,” said Community Services (Homelessness) co-Chairs Alex Bierk and Keith Riel. “We encourage residents to share their feedback and help shape a plan that reflects the needs, challenges and priorities of our community.” 

Feedback collected through this process will directly inform the draft Plan before it is presented to City and County Council.

Visit the website to provide input and learn more about the Housing and Homelessness Plan. The survey closes on April 10. 

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Community Members Invited To Help Shape Peterborough’s Municipal Cultural Plan

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Residents, artists and community groups are invited to share their experiences and vision for the future of culture in Peterborough as the City begins developing a new Municipal Cultural Plan (MCP).

file photo.

The MCP will guide Peterborough’s cultural development over the next decade. It will identify what is working well, highlight gaps and barriers, guide future investments and partnerships and establish clear actions that will enhance the City’s cultural experience.  

The MCP will focus on three strategic areas: 

  • Public Art and Placemaking: how art, stories and creative expression shape public spaces and neighbourhoods

  • Events: how grassroots gatherings, cultural celebrations and festivals contribute to community life 

  • Cultural Tourism: how Peterborough’s culture is shared with visitors and supported year-round and integrated into the Peterborough Tourism Strategy

“Arts and culture are at the heart of what makes Peterborough a vibrant and connected community. Art shapes our public spaces, brings people together and reflects the stories and creativity of those who call this city home,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Whether you attend events, make art, volunteer or simply enjoy what our community has to offer, your perspective matters. I encourage everyone to take part in shaping the Municipal Cultural Plan.” 

Community members are encouraged to visit the website to share their ideas and participate in shaping the MCP.  

A Peterborough Culture Map allows users to “drop a pin” on locations where they have experienced culture, or where they feel culture should happen.  

Residents can also download a Community Conversation Toolkit to host a discussion within their organizations, networks or artistic groups.  

There is also a short community questionnaire focusing on culture in the City. The questionnaire takes about five to 10 minutes to complete.  

Further community consultation, including public information and drop-in sessions, will take place later in the spring. Visit the website for updates.  

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Central Area Patio Licence Applications Open for 2026 Season

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Patio Licence applications are now open for the City of Peterborough’s annual patio program. 

file photo.

The patio program creates the opportunity for more patio and pedestrian space in the City’s Central Area. This year marks the fifth year of this program. 

The program includes:  

  • Allowing businesses on George, Water and Charlotte streets to use on-street parking spaces for additional outdoor business/patio space

  • Maintaining the existing two vehicular travel lanes and cycling lanes on George and Water streets

  • Reducing Hunter Street West to a one-lane, one-way street to expand pedestrian space and available patio areas

  • Maintaining Charlotte Street as a two-way, two-lane street, while allowing for patios in on-street parking spaces through the patio permit process 

  • The use of decorative fencing and planters to delineate between the new pedestrian areas, expanded/on-street patios and vehicular traffic lanes

  • The program has been expanded to allow businesses in East City along Hunter Street East to operate a patio on a portion of the city sidewalks

  • A non-refundable $400 application fee

Patio Licences are required for all individuals, partnerships or corporations who are proposing to place a patio on City-owned property.  

To apply for a patio licence, visit the City’s Application, Licenses and Permits webpage for more information on the application process. Applicants can submit an application, permit fee and supporting documents through the City’s website.  

Reduced speed limits will be put in place on streets with patios. Parking spaces, loading zones and designated waste pick up areas may be adjusted once patio locations have been confirmed with participating businesses.  

Licence holders must consider the accessibility needs of individuals and take necessary steps to address them. Business owners and patrons can reach out to the City with suggested modifications to the patio layouts that would improve accessibility. Where feasible, the City will work with licence holders to make the requested improvements. 

Applicants who wish to have their Patio Licence ready for the Victoria Day long weekend should submit a completed application by April 1. Applications received after April 1 will be installed based on availability of the Public Works Crews. The City will aim to install the patios within two weeks of an executed permit agreement.  

The last day to apply for the 2026 Patio season is May 29. The proposed installation dates are subject to change at the discretion of the City.  

For general inquiries relating to outdoor patios on City-owned lands, contact the City via email.

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Felicia Massey


One City Peterborough Releases a Statement Regarding The End of Outreach Programs

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One City Peterborough’s Director of Outreach Services Auden Palmer releases a statement regarding the ending of outreach programs through the organization.

photo courtesy of one city.

“In the early days at One City, outreach was temporary and much smaller in scale. A single staff member with a backpack, a cell phone, and a map of where people were surviving outside. It was a winter-only effort, reactive and stretched thin, but it was rooted in a simple commitment: if our neighbours are living outdoors, someone should be checking in. 

Over the years, that work evolved. We moved from seasonal check-ins to year-round, daily presence. We built partnerships with health providers, housing teams, harm reduction services, and municipal staff. We moved several individuals from their tents into our supportive housing program. We launched pilot projects to respond to unmet needs: the Unity team offering a rapid response for non-emergency crises in the downtown, and the LINK team providing case management services designed to prevent folks from getting stuck in the system.

This work was carried forward by outreach staff who showed up day after day in pouring rain, heatwaves, and heavy snow. They brought a level of skill and emotional intelligence that can’t be taught in a classroom. The kind required to sit with someone in their darkest hour and offer a reason to keep going. For some, outreach was the only consistent thread keeping them tied to the broader homelessness response system. 

It is incredibly difficult to share that outreach programs at One City will end in mid-May.

Shifts in funding were the catalyst for this change, which prompted us to look carefully at where we can realistically sustain our efforts. As the needs at the Trinity Hub continue to grow, we have made the difficult decision to focus our resources there. In a system where the needs far exceed what any one organization can responsibly carry, decisions like this are never simple, and this decision is not a reflection of the need we see in our community. 

The number of people living outdoors has not decreased. The health concerns haven’t gotten easier to manage. If anything, the world has become a much harder place for our neighbours to survive in. Ending a program like this is difficult precisely because of its impact. 

Outreach is slow, relational work. It depends on consistency. It’s built on trust accumulated over months and years. It’s checking on someone who hasn’t been seen in a few days. It’s navigating hospital or shelter discharges, or sudden housing loss, and bearing witness to immense grief. It’s helping someone replace ID for the fifth time. It’s mediating conflict before it escalates. It’s harm reduction. It’s quiet problem-solving and small wins that rarely make headlines. 

One of the hardest realities of ending outreach is knowing that people will be left with fewer touchpoints, especially those who distrust institutions or find it impossible to make it into a physical building. 

Over the coming months, we’re doing everything we can to transition responsibly. We’re sharing tools, information, and training with partners who may be able to carry forward pieces of the work within their capacity. We’re doing our best to make sure no one is left wondering where we went. After May, our emergency efforts will centre on the Trinity Hub, where we’ll continue to offer food, washrooms, shelter, and a low-barrier place to connect to care. 

Outreach was always about more than just a service; it was about the radical act of showing up. We are deeply proud of the years our team spent in the rain, the heat, and the quiet corners of this city. As we transition this work, we carry the lessons learned from the streets with us. The program, for now, is ending, but the work of seeing, supporting, and connecting our neighbours continues. 

As a community, it is our hope that we can continue to truly see: the inexcusable conditions unsheltered folks are forced to survive, the courage with which they navigate those conditions, and the possibility of a future where all of our neighbours have access to housing, safety, and connection.”

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Statement on the Closure of Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Services Site

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The Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (360 NPLC) discusses the closure of Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Services Site in a statement; expressing their gratitude for the frontline staff working at Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Services Site (CTS).

Counsellors, dignitaries and notaries during the original Ontario Government funding announcement of $6.2 million for a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hub in January 2025. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The 360 NPLC, located in downtown Peterborough, provides primary care and health system navigation for marginalized and vulnerable populations, many of whom access care through or alongside CTS services.

“Their work has been compassionate, skilled and lifesaving,” said the statement. “Every day, they have demonstrated unwavering commitment; preventing overdoses, building trust and connecting individuals to care. Their contributions have made a meaningful and lasting impact in Peterborough. The recent announcement of the CTS closure will have significant and far-reaching effect; not only for individuals who relied on this service, but for the broader community and the many partners who support it.”

“The closure of the CTS represents not only the loss of a critical harm reduction service, but also the loss of an important entry point into primary care for individuals who often face substantial barriers to accessing traditional healthcare. This comes at a time when our clinic has already experienced reductions in harm reduction capacity, including the loss of funding for the Safer Supply Program (SSP) last year. Programs like SSP and CTS are not standalone services; they are interconnected components of a broader continuum of care that support engagement, stability and safety. Evidence shows that supervised consumption services and related harm reduction programs reduce overdose deaths, improve access to treatment and act as critical gateways into healthcare and social supports.”

The closure of the CTS is expected to increase pressure on the Emergency Department, as more individuals will require acute care for overdoses and related complications that were previously managed in a supervised setting. The BLANK has concluded that the loss of on-site nursing care, including preventative wound care, means more untreated infections and complications, and the added demand will contribute to longer wait times and increased strain on an already overburdened system.

“The impacts of this closure will extend well beyond the healthcare sector,” the statement continues.  “Without a comparable service in place, we can expect increased pressures on paramedic services and police, who will see a rise in overdose responses and crisis calls. Public spaces, including the library, transit hubs and other shared community environments, will experience increased challenges as individuals who previously accessed supervised care are displaced. Public works teams will also face increased demands related to community safety and public space maintenance.”

Supervised consumption services have been shown to reduce harms not only for individuals, but for communities; decreasing overdose-related morbidity and mortality and supporting safer public environments.

“We remain encouraged that organizations such as FourCAST, PARN and PRHC’S RAAM clinic will continue to play a critical role in supporting individuals who use substances. Their work in treatment, recovery and harm reduction remains essential. However, with the narrowing of the continuum of services available in Peterborough, gaps in care will inevitably emerge. The CTS has been a vital point of connection for many individuals and its closure will leave a noticeable void.”

“This moment underscores the importance of coordinated, community-based responses that prioritize both individual wellbeing and public safety,” the statement concludes. “It is essential that we work together to ensure that those most at risk remain connected to care.

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Felicia Massey


The City of Peterborough Invites Community Input on Proposed Pilot Windrow Program

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Residents are invited to provide input as planning begins for a proposed Pilot Windrow Program in the City of Peterborough, intended to help maintain access to driveways after municipal snow clearing on roads. 

photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.

On Feb. 2, City Council approved a motion for staff to investigate options for a Windrow Clearing Support Program, including possible windrow assistance for eligible seniors and people with disabilities.

A windrow is the ridge of snow left behind after municipal plows clear the roadway. The proposed pilot program would assist eligible participants by clearing the windrow at the end of residential driveways. The goal is to support safety, accessibility and aging at home for residents who may find windrows difficult to manage. 

If implemented, the pilot program could: 

  • Address windrow removal, not full driveway clearing 

  • Establish eligibility criteria through the program design process 

  • Consider a user fee to offset costs  

  • Operate with limited enrollment to test demand and service delivery 

Input gathered through the public survey will help determine demand, community priorities and how the service can be structured in a fair and practical way. 

The survey is now open online. For a paper copy of the survey, contact the City via email. The survey closes at 4 p.m. on April 10.

Following the feedback period, survey results will be reviewed to inform the development of detailed program options. 

These options will outline: 

  • Proposed eligibility criteria 

  • Service scope and limitations 

  • Fee structure 

  • Participant capacity 

  • Service standards, including response timing after plowing 

Findings and recommended program details will be presented to Council for consideration. If approved, registration is anticipated to open in Fall 2026, with the pilot operating during the 2026 to 2027 winter season. 

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PHOTOS: The Tiffany Show's International Women's Day Party

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Host of The Tiffany Show Tiffany Arcari hosted her third annual International Women’s Day Party on Sunday; celebrating local women, uplifting their stories and collecting menstrual products for the Period Promise initiative.

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