City of Peterborough Launches Interactive Official Plan Map
/Residents and stakeholders now have access to an interactive web mapping application to access and visualize the new Official Plan.
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Peterborough Blogs
50/50 Cash Raffle to Support Four Peterborough-area Community Groups
/Profits from the Lakefield & District Lions Club’s “Collaboration 50/50 Cash Raffle” will be divided evenly between Kawartha Food Share, PRHC Foundation, Community Care Peterborough and the Lions Club.
LAKEFIELD & DISTRICT LIONS CLUB "COLLABORATION 50/50 CASH RAFFLE” POSTER
“Fundraising is always challenging, but the people of Peterborough have been very generous in helping us provide our services throughout the region,” Kawartha Food Share General Manager Ashlee Aitken said.
Lesley Heighway, President & CEO of the PRHC Foundation extended gratitude to the Lakefield & District Lions Club for organizing the fundraiser.
“Yours is a powerful example of how we all can make a real difference, close to home,” she said. “Community-led fundraisers are essential to local charities.”
Heighway states the funds will empower world-class care at PRHC by fueling innovation and bringing new services to the region.
“They’ll also support solutions to critical hospital challenges, including helping PRHC attract the best and brightest healthcare experts,” she added.
“Our mission is to support the health and wellbeing of individuals, caregivers and communities,” Danielle Belair, CEO of Community Care Peterborough said. “Our programs and services allow people across the City and County of Peterborough to maintain their independence and dignity.”
Belair goes onto say Community Care Peterborough’s programs impacted more than 6,000 seniors and adults with disabilities in 2023.
“The Lakefield & District Lions Club has been around since 1946 and we are giving back to our community through the generosity of supporters,” added club president Don Parsons.
The winning ticket will be selected on Nov. 15.
Tickets are on sale at lakefieldlions5050.ca.
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City of Peterborough Puts Out Call for Community Advisory Group Members
/The City of Peterborough is asking residents to consider joining the community advisory group that will help inform the creation of a Secondary Land Use Plan and Community Planning Permit System for the City’s Strategic Growth Areas.
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The plan and permit system will help promote intensified development, speed up development approvals and implement the new Official Plan, the City of Peterborough stated in a media release.
The Strategic Growth Areas are designated in the new Official Plan and include the downtown core as well as major corridors such as Lansdowne Street, Chemong Road, Clonsilla Avenue, Water Street and Armour Road.
There are openings for two residents on the advisory group.
It will also include representatives from local community organizations involved in a range of issues including housing, transportation, arts, cultural heritage, Indigenous rights and heritage, and environmental sustainability.
Interested persons can apply at Connect Ptbo by Oct. 4.
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Maria Street Bridge to Temporarily Close Next Week For Repairs
/Parks Canada is advising residents and visitors that the Maria Street Swing Bridge at Lock 20 will be closed to vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian traffic between 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily from Sept. 30 - Oct. 4.
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The closure will allow crews to complete structural repairs and inspections of the bridge.
Detour signage will be posted to direct vehicles to alternate crossings on Parkhill Road East (the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge) or Lansdowne Street.
Pedestrians and cyclists can still cross the Trent-Severn Waterway by using the lock gate crossings at Lock 20.
The bridge will be opened daily from 3:30 p.m. - 9 a.m.
Vessel traffic along the Trent-Severn Waterway will not be affected by the bridge closure.
Parks Canada is advising motorists to limit traffic on quieter residential streets.
Trucks over 5 tonnes must avoid using the Hunter Street crossing at the Peterborough Lift Lock and the single-lane McFarlane Street bridge.
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City of Peterborough Hands Out 2023 Civic Awards
/The 2023 Civic Awards were presented by City Council at the McDonnel Street Community Centre on Tuesday.
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The awards recognize contributions to the community that enriched the lives of residents and outstanding individual and group achievements in the city in 2023, according to a City of Peterborough media release.
“It’s an honour to recognize the outstanding achievements and efforts of these exceptional individuals who have gone above and beyond in contributing to the life of our community,” mayor Jeff Leal said. “Their dedication, hard work, and commitment to making our city a better place is truly inspiring.”
Award Recipients:
Community Betterment
Peterborough Police Auxiliary Unit
Myles Conner
Irish Millie
Jennifer and Braden Glasbergen
Marie Gulliver
Dave Rumball
Peterborough Lions Club
Cultural Betterment
Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay
Tina Avlonitis
Environmental Stewardship/Sustainability
Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group
Athletic Award of Merit
Holy Cross Secondary School Girls Hockey Team
Chelsea Burton
Kenner Senior Boys Basketball Team
MacKenna Hancock
Holnbeck Award
John McNutt
Junior Athlete of the Year
Alexis Jenkins
Youth Volunteer of the Year
Titus Ngouepo
Volunteer of the Year
Greg McLeod
Lifetime Achievement Award
Ron Cambridge
“On behalf of the entire city, I extend our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to all of this year's recipients,” Leal said.
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Voice of Business: All Eyes On Housing
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Our community needs some creative solutions for our current housing and homelessness crisis.
Right now, we are in a complex situation. Housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable for those who are working-class citizens, and those on the margins of society who simply cannot afford housing. With a vacancy rate of just 1.0 per cent, both groups are competing for a limited housing supply.
However, there is a glimmer of hope with some creative ideas coming forward. We have seen short-term success in our local housing initiatives with modular housing and plans are in motion to increase our housing supply.
One of these projects is from the Brock Mission. Just last month at a local news conference they announced plans to build a permanent 50-unit transitional housing project, which was attended by our own VP of Operations and Government Relations, Joel Wiebe. This 50-unit building will be a transitional housing project, operating in a similar fashion to the organization’s current shelters on Murray Street and Cameron House on Chemong Road. Although the location for the project has not yet been finalized, The Brock Mission is asking for a one-time support payment of $250,000 from the City of Peterborough to cover the costs of professional services and building permit process.
In the meantime, we have seen short-term success with our temporary modular housing project. According to a report from the City of Peterborough, between November 27, 2023, to June 30th, 2024. There was a 96% decrease in calls from the previous site of the encampment which was on the current site of modular housing. Back when there was an encampment on Wolfe Street, police were called 95 times between November 27, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Between Nov. 28, 2023, to June 30th, 2024, police were only called 4 times.
The current statistics paint an optimistic picture. So far, one person has moved into more permanent housing, and another has secured a home. Four people living in the cabins are employed. Additionally,17 people were evicted from the site. For context, four of these evictions happened in the last 3.5 months and 13 happened in the first 5 months of the program. This may paint a negative picture for modular housing, but 33 people have been housed for 6+ months indicating more than half have adjusted to the site.
While the city is considering expanding modular housing, Peterborough’s low vacancy rate is still a big worry. Young families are left with limited housing availability in a time where Peterborough is experiencing a growing population. According to a report from Mike Moffat from the PLACE Centre, Peterborough’s population has significantly increased from upwards of about 2,500 people in just one year. We are seeing more families moving into Peterborough because they are being priced out of the GTA, but this only adds to the pressure on the housing market. This pressure is being felt, where 10 individuals in the modular housing project are waiting for housing to become available.
There are also plans to develop affordable housing units on Hilliard Street. These units will include one-, two--, and three-bedroom apartments. Unfortunately, these plans were put on pause due to a lack of funding but will be reconsidered. If these plans are approved, they could lead to considerable progress in increasing the much-needed supply for our growing population.
In light of a demand for housing, Habitat for Humanity, recently got approval for a five-story, 41-unit condo on 78 and 82 Lansdowne St W. This will offer low-income families the chance to buy a home with a low-interest, geared-to-income mortgage. It is refreshing to see creative local solutions from Habit for Humanity to address our housing needs.
Together, The Brock Mission and Habitat for Humanity projects have a lot of potential to help increase affordable accessible housing in our community. We are finally laying the groundwork to support not only those experiencing homelessness but also the young families who want to make Peterborough their home. Ultimately, we’re going to need more involvement from our Provincial government to fund and support more projects like this.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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Fleming College Receives $360,000 to Fight "Canada's Worst Invasive Plant"
/The money will go to fighting a highly prevalent aggressive reed commonly known as invasive phragmites.
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Fleming is getting the funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF).
Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry made the announcement last week.
Fleming will partner with Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Saiwa Inc. to innovate the fight against what’s being billed as “Canada’s worst invasive plant”.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to help Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada with their important conservation work,” said Fleming president Maureen Adamson. “Together, we will provide conservationists and resource managers with valuable tools to effectively combat the spread of invasive plants that threaten our native vegetation.”
The 3 year project is led by the researchers from Fleming’s Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT) and School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences (SENRS).
It aims to advance automation in the detection and surveillance of the invasive plant using machine vision algorithms, remote sensing data, and innovative drone technologies.
CAMIIT’s Dr. Fereydoon Diba, in collaboration with Saiwa Inc., will develop a specialized drone with machine vision capability to recognize the invasive plant.
SENRS professor, Dr. Josh Feltham, along with Nature Conservancy Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada will collect drone surveillance data.
Fleming students will assist with the project’s data collection and hardware development.
“This collaboration highlights the capabilities that technology and innovation can bring to natural resources, and the real-world problems that can be solved through applied research,” added Adamson. “It’s promising to see CAMIIT and SENRS combining forces with such highly respected national conservation organizations.”
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More Than 600 Trees Planted in South-End Park
/About 60 volunteers planed 620 new trees at Kiwanis Community Park on Saturday.
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The event was put on by Tree Canada and the LCBO as part of Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grant program and the Trees 4 Peterborough initiative which includes contributions from RBC Dominion Securities, the Excelsior Group, Peterborough Homes and Merrett Home Hardware.
“Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grants program provides funding and technical expertise for community greening, innovation and stewardship initiatives,” said Nicole Hurtubise, CEO of Tree Canada. “We are thrilled to support the City of Peterborough’s tree planting project, which will bring long-lasting social and environmental benefits where people live, work and play.”
The event, to enhance the city’s urban forest canopy, was also supported by The Rotary Club of Peterborough, Peterborough GreenUp and Otonabee Conservation.
A diversity of native trees were planted at the park to replace approximately 400 dead or dying ash trees that have been negatively affected by the emerald ash borer.
The affected trees along with understory vegetation including invasive buckthorn were removed in August.
“The planting of a diverse species of more than 600 trees in Kiwanis Park will be very much appreciated by the residents of Ashburnham Ward who live in close proximity to this park,” stated councillor Gary Baldwin, co-chair of the Community Services portfolio.
“I believe the residents of the area will be pleased with the end results and enhancements to the park,” added councillor Keith Riel.
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Contemporary Dance Company "Le Patin Libre" to Perform at Peterborough Memorial Centre
/Public Energy Performing Arts is bringing the internationally-renowned contemporary dance company Le Patin Libre and their performance ‘Murmuration’ to the Peterborough Memorial Centre on April 8, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Public energy performing arts supplied photo
Le Patin Libre of Montreal has assembled a company of 15 virtuoso skaters from 7 countries to perform the original dance on ice, ‘Murmuration’, based on the aerial ballets of swarms of birds.
According to a media release, the dancers move at high speeds around the rink, nearly careening into each other, coming together as one, instantly changing directions and splitting up into separate flocks.
Tickets for the event are available from the Peterborough Memorial Centre Box Office.
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Otonabee Conservation Issues Watershed Conditions Statement
/Watershed Conditions Statement - Water Safety has been issued for all watercourses within the jurisdiction of Otonabee Conservation, with the exception of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
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