Peterborough Municipal Election Signs Approved For Recycling
/Municipal election signs have been deemed safe to recycle announced by the City of Peterborough on Tuesday.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Peterborough Blogs
City Of Peterborough Addresses Voter Notification Cards Printing Errors
/UPDATED: 3:27 p.m. Sept 30, 2022
Voter Notification Cards have random numbers printed under voting dates on the back and the City of Peterborough has assured that dates for online voting, advance polls and Election Day are correctly printed.
File Photo.
On the Voter Notification Cards that have random numbers instead of dates next to the locations for in-person voting, the first three dates with “A” beside them are for advance voting days – the first in the list is for Oct. 8, the second is for Oct. 15 and the third date should read Oct.22. The final locations on the list – those without an A beside them – are locations for Election Day on Oct. 24.
All other information on the Voter Notification Cards is correct.
The City has apologized for any confusion this may cause.
Key election dates
Online voting – opens Oct. 1 and continues until 8 p.m. on Oct. 24
Advance voting – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 17 - 21 at the following locations:
Ward 1 – Otonabee: Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd.
Ward 2 – Monaghan: Westdale United Church, 1509 Sherbrooke St.
Ward 3 – Town: Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N.
Ward 4 – Ashburnham: Lions Community Centre, 347 Burnham St.
Ward 5 – Northcrest: Northview Community Church, 1000 Fairbairn St.
Advance accessible voting – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 17 - 22 at City Hall, 500 George St. N.
Election Day – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 24, polls open at designated locations throughout the City
Please note that for advance voting dates and Election Day, voters need to go to one of the polling locations in their designated ward/electoral district. Their designated polling locations are listed on their Voter Notification Card.
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City of Peterborough Release Rules Regarding Election Sign Placement
/With the municipal election underway, rules for election signs and their placement have been released by the City of Peterborough on Tuesday.
File photo.
The city’s sign by-law states that they cannot be placed on any property owned by the City of Peterborough before Labour Day for a municipal election and they need to be removed no later than three days after voting day.
Since Sept. 5, election signs are allowed on certain City-owned properties, specifically on boulevards next to roads as long as rules on size and placement are followed.
Election signs are not allowed to be placed in public parks or outside of City facilities.
Election signs are allowed on City property next to roads if the following rules are respected to protect sightlines for safety. Signs cannot be placed within the travelled portion of a road or a sidewalk. Signs that are taller than 0.9 metres cannot be placed:
within a “sight triangle” at the intersection of two roads that extends six metres from the intersection in each direction, which is illustrated in Figure 1 below; or
within three metres of the road as illustrated in Figure 2 below.
Election signs are also prohibited on properties when used as voting locations. This includes advance voting locations and on Election Day.
The City encourages candidates and supporters to put their election signs on private property.
Election signs that violate the by-law or election procedures will be removed by the City.
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What You Need To Know About Voting In the Municipal Election On Oct. 24
/With the nomination period closed last Friday, several offices including mayor, councillors and school board trustee positions are part of this year’s municipal election that starts on Oct. 24.
Photo by Luke Best.
The 2022 municipal election includes the office of Mayor of the City of Peterborough, two Councillors for each of the City's five wards, School Board Trustees for the English Public and English Separate school boards.
Residents can vote for one candidate in the office of Mayor, up to two Councillors for their respective wards and a Trustee for both of the school boards.
Visit the interactive online ward map to determine which one you reside in.
Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone eligible can do online advanced polls starting on Oct. 1. Advance accessible voting is available on Oct. 17 - 21 from 10 p.m. to 4 p.m at City Hall.
Advanced voting opportunities are available on Oct.8, 15 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the following offices:
Ward 1: Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd.
Ward 2: Westdale United Church, 1509 Sherbrooke St.
Ward 3: Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N.
Ward 4: Lions Club, 347 Burnham St.
Ward 5: Northview Community Church, 1000 Fairbairn St.
The following are voting locations for each ward respectively:
Ward 1
Peterborough Sports & Wellness Centre, 775 Brealey Dr.
Roger Neilson Public School, 550 Erskine Ave.
Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd. (accessible voting equipment)
Ward 2
Mapleridge Recreation Centre, 1085 Brealey Dr.
Westdale United Church, 1509 Sherbrooke St. (accessible voting equipment)
St. Teresa's Catholic School, 1525 Fairmount Blvd.
Ward 3
Knights of Columbus, 317 Hunter St. W
Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N (accessible voting equipment)
Children’s Montessori School, 186 Romaine St.
Ward 4
Lions Club, 347 Burnham St.
Otonabee Valley Public School, 580 River Rd. S
Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, 1009 Armour Rd.
Ward 5
Riverview Park & Zoo, 1300 Water St.
Edmison Heights Public School, 1111 Royal Dr.
Activity Haven, 180 Barnardo Ave.
Northview Community Church, 1000 Fairbairn St.
The following is a list of certified candidates and their respective offices:
Mayor
Stephen Wright
Henry Clarke
Jeff Leal
Victor Kruez
Brian Lumsden
Councillor - Ward 1 - Otonabee
Kevin Duguay
Lesley Parnell
Nathan Russell-Meharry
Eleanor Underwood
Chanté White
Councillor - Ward 2 - Monaghan
Matt Crowley
Charmaine Magumbe
Lyle Saunders
Don Vassiliadis
Jeff Westlake
Tom Wigglesworth
Councillor - Ward 3 - Town
Alex Bierk
Brian Christoph
Vickie Karikas
Joy Lachica
Dean Pappas
Councillor - Ward 4 - Ashburnham
Garv Baldwin
Andrew MacGregor
Keith Riel
Councillor - Ward 5 - Northcrest
Aldo Andreoli
Andrew Beamer
Karen Grant
Dave Haacke
Carlotta James
Shauna Kingston
Trustee - Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Wayne Bonner
Rose Kitney
Steve Russell
Trustee - Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
Mike Ayotte
Daniel Demers
Loretta Durst
Anthony Petrasek
Residents can visit voterlookup.ca to determine if they are on the voters’ list.
Identification (ID) is required when you vote that has your name and address. Two pieces of ID may be necessary in some cases as the City of Peterborough urges some people to be prepared.
You may provide an original, or certified/notarized copy, of any of the following documents:
Ontario driver’s licence
Ontario Health Card (photo card)
Ontario Photo Card
Ontario motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion)
cancelled personalized cheque
mortgage statement, lease or rental agreement relating to property in Ontario
insurance policy or insurance statement
loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution
document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency or such a government
any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)
income tax assessment notice
child tax benefit statement
statement of employment insurance benefits paid T4E
statement of old age security T4A (OAS)
statement of Canada Pension Plan benefits T4A (P)
Canada Pension Plan statement of contributions
statement of direct deposit for Ontario Works
statement of direct deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board statement of benefits T5007
property tax assessment
credit card statement, bank account statement, or RRSP, RRIF, RHOSP or T5 statement
CNIB Card or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities
hospital card or record
document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution
document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, issued by the Administrator for the home
utility bill for hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable TV or a bill from a public utilities commission
cheque stub, T4 statement or pay receipt issued by an employer
transcript or report card from a post-secondary school
In the case of homelessness or anyone with no permanent/fixed address, you can still vote. Your ward is determined by where you slept the most during the five weeks leading up to the election.
You can vote even if you are unable to provide ID by going to a voting location in your designated ward on any advance vote or election day. Seek out any election staff to aid you in voting upon arrival.
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MPP Dave Smith Elected For Second Term In Provincial Election
/It’s four more years for Conservative candidate and MPP Dave Smith as he won the 2022 Peterborough-Kawartha Riding for the provincial election held on Thursday night.
Dave Smith earns back-to-back terms for the Conservative Party. Gary Stewart was the last Conservative MPP for the Peterborough-Kawartha riding to get elected for consecutive terms from 1995-2003. Photo by Luke Best.
Smith won the riding with 20,188 votes, getting a 38.5 per cent share of the ballots. This win marks the start of his second term as MPP.
"Anytime you're an elected official, the whole goal is to help the people that have put you there," said Smith. "For this many people to step forward once again and say, 'we like what you've done, we believe in you, please represent us again,' it's a very humbling experience."
Smith held his election party at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club that had a small and quiet crowd in the final hour before ballots closed at 9 p.m. EST.
The crowd picked up to roughly 80 people once ballots were being counted. It only took 38 minutes since the polls closed before Smith was declared the winner. There were chants of ‘four more years’ and a loud cheer once the result was in.
"When we went out there with Covid, I tried listening to what the challenges were," said Smith. "People recognized that I was there in their corner in a tough time and I was trying to do things that were going to make life better for them."
Smith’s victory was a stepping stone for the Conservative Party as Premier Doug Ford was re-elected to a second term 11 minutes after polls closed. They earned a majority government seven minutes later.
"I think people were happy with what we did over the last four years," said Smith. "They recognized that Premier Ford has a heart of gold and his whole intent is for the people of Ontario.”
Smith says ‘the work is not done yet’ as he has several issues he wants to tackle after being re-elected. He says he has a start on addressing the healthcare challenges in the province by rebuilding the economy and getting people jobs first.
"When the economy is moving well, we have more money as government to do all of the extra things we need to support people," he said.
Smith notes that more work needs to be done in healthcare, long-term care, education skills trades, natural resources, forestry and Indigenous affairs.
The following were the results of the Peterborough-Kawartha Riding:
Dave Smith (Conservative) - 20,188 votes (38.5 per cent)
Greg Dempsey (Liberal) - 16,021 votes (30.6 per cent)
Jen Deck (New Democratic) - 11,210 votes (21.4 per cent)
Tom Morazzo (Ontario Party) - 1,973 votes (3.8 per cent)
Robert Gibson (Green) - 1,914 votes (3.7 per cent)
Rebecca Quinnell (New Blue) - 1,078 votes (2.1 per cent)
Dempsey made a brief visit congratulating Smith’s win while Deck and Gibson spent a longer amount of time with the Conservative candidate after his win.
Ontario Liberal Steven Del Duca lost his hometown riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge and stepped down as leader. He lost to Michael Tibollo who defeated him back in 2018.
NDP’s Andrea Horwath resigned as leader however the party remains as the official opposition. She won her riding of Hamilton Centre in a landslide by nearly 12,000 votes (57.3 per cent share).
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NDP Federal Leader Jagmeet Singh Hits Peterborough Since Infamous Incident on Prior Visit
/It only took 21 days for New Democratic Party (NDP) federal leader Jagmeet Singh to return to Peterborough on Tuesday since he was met with a protest following a campaign visit on May 10.
He accepted Peterborough’s invitation after City Council agreed to bring him back in their meeting Monday night. Protestors shouted obscenities and called him a ‘traitor’ following his visit to Peterborough-Kawartha NDP candidate Jen Deck at her campaign office.
“I've had lots of great experiences in Peterborough so I wasn't going to let one isolated incident in any way discourage me from coming back,” said Singh. “What happened when I was first here in terms of the folks that were in front of the office, that's not representative of Peterborough. There are people that are genuinely frustrated and angry and I think we have to listen to that frustration.”
In a small gathering at the Lift Lock, supporters and Deck welcomed Singh. The federal leader endorsed the Peterborough-Kawartha candidate as the next MPP during his time in Peterborough.
Singh reminded voters that his party wants to address healthcare, education and the housing crisis as ‘things that really matter to people.’
The provincial election is on Thursday. Deck is challenging current MPP and Conservative candidate Dave Smith.
The following are the candidates for the Peterborough-Kawartha Riding in the provincial election:
MPP Dave Smith (Conservative)
Greg Dempsey (Liberal)
Jen Deck (New Democratic Party)
Robert Gibson (Green Party)
Tom Morazzo (Ontario Party)
Rebecca Quinnell (New Blue Party)
Dylan Smith (None of the Above Party)
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NDP Leader Andrea Horwath Addresses Government Cuts in Campaign Visit to Peterborough
/The New Democratic Party (NDP) is making its final push this provincial election as leader Andrea Horwath came to Peterborough to support candidate Jen Deck and criticize opposing parties in a rally on Monday.
NDP Peterborough-Kawartha candidate Jen Deck (left) with NDP provincial leader Andrea Horwath during a rally at Silver Bean Café. Horwath last visited Peterborough on Wednesday in her first day back to campaigning after leaving COVID-19 protocols. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Supporters chanted the candidates’ names and phrases such as, “Stop the cuts!” as the women came to the Silver Bean Café during the final week before the election this Thursday. Both candidates criticized the Ford government and their alleged cuts and the Liberal government for creating a “broken system.”
"I'm certain that people know what's at stake in this election campaign and they know that many of the things that are broken were broken by the Liberals," said Horwath. "Things have gotten much worse under Doug Ford and Conservative cuts always hurt. That's what we're hearing on the doorstep."
Horwath says stopping the cuts to the healthcare system one of the party’s top priorities if elected including scrapping Bill 124 which caps healthcare worker salaries. She criticized the Liberal government’s handling of releasing vast numbers of healthcare workers during the pandemic.
Deck has been a teacher in Peterborough for over 19 years. She says the teachers have been working tirelessly during the pandemic and deserve better treatment.
"When I talk to my teaching colleagues, they are exhausted after three hard years," said Deck. "We need to start treating our educators with the respect that they deserve, they've worked their butts off to make the experience as positive as possible but it's been really hard and they've had a lot going against them."
Both Deck and Horwath oppose Ford’s plan for mandatory online learning. Deck says not all students have proper Internet to be capable of online learning and miss out on the full experience as a result.
“It's about community, it's about sharing and it's about playing well with others. These are not skills you can teach on a Zoom call," "You need to be looking eye-to-eye with the kids and teaching them those life lessons and modeling behaviour that you'd like them to emulate."
The provincial election is on Thursday. Deck is challenging current MPP and Conservative candidate Dave Smith.
The following are the candidates for the Peterborough-Kawartha Riding in the provincial election:
MPP Dave Smith (Conservative)
Greg Dempsey (Liberal)
Jen Deck (New Democratic Party)
Robert Gibson (Green Party)
Tom Morazzo (Ontario Party)
Rebecca Quinnell (New Blue Party)
Dylan Smith (None of the Above Party)
Ontario Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca Visits Peterborough the Weekend Before the Provincial Election
/Less than one week before the provincial election, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca made a stop to support Peterborough-Kawartha candidate Greg Dempsey at a campaign rally in downtown Peterborough on Saturday afternoon.
While Del Duca endorsed Dempsey in his visit, both criticized Doug Ford and the Conservative government and issues they would address if elected.
The Liberal candidates were critical of Ford’s views regarding building Highway 413, privatizing healthcare and Bill 124 involving wage suppression for healthcare workers.
Del Duca says repealing Bill 124 would be his first legislative priority if elected as Premier.
The Ontario Liberal Party leader remained confident of Dempsey’s ability to become MPP despite the former’s first campaign in politics.
"This community needs a real champion, a real strong voice at Queen's Park and Greg has the determination, the experience, the talent and the drive to do what hasn't been done for the past four years which is stand up strongly for Peterborough-Kawartha,” said Del Duca.
Dempsey was born and raised in Peterborough. He says having roots in town will play a vital role in looking out for the county’s interests.
“My parents being teachers has really matter to me. I was out on the picket lines with my parents during the Mike Harris years of cuts and chaos and that really formed my politics,” said Dempsey. “The Ontario Liberal Party is the only choice that's going to invest in education, invest in healthcare and make a meaningful difference for the climate crisis and that's why I'm so proud to be running for this.”
Some Ontario Provincial Police officers were present during the Liberal campaign party.
The provincial election is on Thursday. Dempsey is challenging current MPP and Conservative candidate Dave Smith.
The following are the candidates for the Peterborough-Kawartha Riding in the provincial election:
MPP Dave Smith (Conservative)
Greg Dempsey (Liberal)
Jen Deck (New Democratic Party)
Robert Gibson (Green Party)
Tom Morazzo (Ontario Party)
Rebecca Quinnell (New Blue Party)
Dylan Smith (None of the Above Party)
Ballots Are Filling Up For Peterborough Kawartha Provincial Election
/Ahead of the June Provincial election, most major parties in Peterborough-Kawartha have announced their candidates.
Queens Park. Stock Photo.
The Peterborough-Kawartha riding association of the Ontario NDP has announced Jen Deck as nomination candidate for the upcoming election.
Deck is a teacher and the Occasional Teacher President of the Kawartha Pine Ridge Teachers’ Local of the Elementary Teachers Federation Ontario (ETFO).
A nomination meeting will be held on Thursday to confirm Deck as candidate.
Robert Gibson has been announced Green party candidate.
Gibson is a regular contributor to The Arthur, Trent Universities newspaper, and also hosts a show on Trent Radio called “Environmental Soup”. His show focuses on both environmental and social issues.
Gibson studied environmental science and environmental studies at Trent University from 2018 to 2020.
Greg Dempsey was announced the Liberal Party candidate in November 2021.
Dempsey is a Peterborough native, has served in the Canadian Foreign Service, represented Canada at the UN in New York, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Tom Marazzo, a spokesperson during the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa and former Canadian military member is the candidate for the Ontario Party.
Dylan Smith, a pension administrative assistant, is running in Peterborough-Kawartha for the None of the Above Party. The None of the Above party was formed as a response to party members displeasure with all political parties.
Progressive Conservative Incumbent Dave Smith will also be on the ballot.
Peterborough-Kawartha Green Party is Looking for a Local Candidate for MPP
/The Peterborough-Kawartha Green Party of Ontario Constituency Association announced Wednesday that they are looking for contestants for nomination as the local Green Party Candidate for MPP.
Photo courtesy of The Green party of Canada
