Open-Air Burning Prohibited In the City of Peterborough
/Peterborough is reminding residents that open-air burning is not permitted within City limits.
Photo by Jordan Cooper.
Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough GreenUP Hosting Open Hive Events to Introduce Community to Beekeeping
/By Scott Arnold
Residents are invited to get a closer look at the world of bees this summer during two free Open Hive Events at Ecology Park.
peterborough greenup is invited the public to ecology park to learn the basics of bees from local beekeepers (photo via instagram @ptbogreenup)
The events will give participants a chance to meet local beekeepers and learn more about the apiary at GreenUP Ecology Park.
Attendees will learn about bee and hive basics, beekeeper equipment and what bees need to stay healthy throughout the seasons.
Two Open Hive Events are scheduled:
Saturday, June 20 from 4 pm to 5 pm
Saturday, July 18 from 10 am to 11 am
The two sessions will cover the same information, so organizers are asking participants to register for only one event.
The events are free to attend, although cash donations will be accepted on site to support the bee program. A suggested donation of $10 per adult is recommended, with children able to attend for free.
Organizers recommend attendees wear long-sleeved shirts, closed-toed shoes and socks long enough to tuck pants into. Visitors are also asked to avoid wearing sunglasses and strong scents, and to come prepared for outdoor conditions with sunscreen and water.
Parking is available at the south end of the Beavermead Park parking lot, with attendees asked to walk along the Trans Canada Trail to reach Ecology Park. Participants will meet under the shelter at the picnic tables.
The event is designed to be flexible and inclusive, with organizers encouraging anyone with accessibility needs or concerns to reach out in advance.
The event may be postponed in the case of rain or heavy winds, with updates sent to registered participants the morning of the event if needed.
Any questions or inquiries can be directed to christina.balint@greenup.on.ca
Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc
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Siemens Canada, Tree Canada and Otonabee Conservation Plant 70 Trees at Otonabee Court in Keene
/Employees from Siemens Canada joined Tree Canada and Otonabee Conservation to plant 70 native trees at the Otonabee and Monaghan Court Seniors residence in Keene on June 10.
Planting trees has many benefits including improving air and water quality, reducing erosion, providing shade and cooling benefits, and supporting climate change adaptation efforts throughout the region. Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.
According to Otonabee Conservation, the event marked the first phase of planting at the property in partnership with the Otonabee Municipal Nonprofit Housing Corporation.
The planting initiative will enhance biodiversity and improve wildlife habitat by planting native tree and shrub species in two phases, to be completed in the spring and fall this year.
“This partnership with Siemens Canada has created a lasting positive impact across our watershed over more than a decade,” said Janette Loveys Smith, Otonabee Conservation CAO. “Together, we have restored habitat, improved biodiversity, and strengthened community stewardship through hands-on environmental projects. It is inspiring to see Siemens employees dedicate their time and energy to initiatives that leave a meaningful legacy for both people and wildlife.”
“Since 2012, Siemens employees have helped plant thousands of trees in the Peterborough area and more than 16,000 trees across Canada,” said Ian Almond of Siemens Canada. “Supporting greener, healthier communities where we live and work is something we’re proud to be part of, and we’re thankful for the strong partnerships that continue to make these efforts possible.”
“Growing and caring for our urban forests has never been more important,” said Brijpal Patel, Chief Program Officer at Tree Canada. “Through strong partnerships like this one, we can support healthy trees, strengthen local ecosystems, and help communities become greener, healthier and more resilient for generations to come.”
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Over 2,150 Large Items Registered For City's First Free Large Item Pickup
/More than 2,150 large household items have been registered for collection during the first free Large Item Pickup in June under the Clean Streets Peterborough initiative.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
According to the City, the program makes it easier for residents to properly dispose of bulky household items, helping to reduce illegal dumping and keeping neighbourhoods, parks and public spaces clean. There is no fee as the program is part of the Clean Streets Peterborough initiative.
“We're pleased to see so many residents taking advantage of the free Large Item Pickup program," said Councillor Don Vassiliadis and Councillor Keith Riel, Municipal Operations Co-Chairs, in a joint statement. "The strong participation demonstrates that providing free collection of large items makes it easier for residents to properly dispose of large household items. The response highlights the positive impact this new service is already having through the Clean Streets Peterborough initiative.”
The average number of large items scheduled for pick up in 2025 was 98 per month.
Collection of registered items began on Monday and is expected to take at least two weeks to complete.
Large Item Pickup is available by advance booking only. Items must be registered before they are placed at the curb for collection.
Residents should not place large items at the curb unless they have received a confirmed booking. Advance booking helps Public Works plan collection routes, schedule crews and ensure all registered pickups are completed as efficiently as possible.
To improve efficiency, Public Works collects large items in three separate streams:
Bulky household items, such as couches, chairs, tables and desks
Metal items, such as barbecues, appliances and stoves
Mattresses and box springs
Residents are asked to leave all registered items at the curb until they have been collected. There is no need to report a missed pickup during the scheduled collection week, as crews will continue working through all registered pickups until collection is complete.
Registration for the June collection is now closed. Residents can book a future pickup during one of the remaining collection weeks:
July 27
Aug. 24
Sept. 28
To book a future pickup, view a list of accepted items or learn more about the program, visit peterborough.ca/pickup, call 705-742-7777 or visit Service Peterborough at City Hall.
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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.
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.
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.
