Community organizations are coming together to protest a proposed 25 per cent across-the-board cut to arts and social services organizations in the City of Peterborough’s 2025 draft budget.
An ad hoc coalition has organized a rally at 4 p.m. at city hall on Tuesday (November 12), which will take place prior to a public meeting at 6 p.m. where city council’s general committee will hear from members of the community about the draft 2025 budget.
Organized by Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, The Centre for Gender and Social Justice, OPIRG Peterborough, BLM Nogojiwanong, and community members, the rally will feature a lineup of speakers and will be followed by a community debrief session at Dreams of Beans.
The city’s draft 2025 budget is proposing a 25 per cent cut to the city’s community projects grants and community investment grants program, including existing service grants to Hutchison House and Kawartha Food Share, as well as a 25 per cent across-the-board cut of city funding for 15 organizations.
The organizations whose budgets would be cut by 25 per cent are Artspace, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network, Community Care Peterborough, Peterborough Musicfest, Peterborough Folk Festival, Native Learning Program, Community Race Relations Committee, Council for Person with Disabilities, Showplace Performance Centre, Peterborough Lions Club, Peterborough GreenUP, New Canadians Centre, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, and Peterborough Drug Strategy.
In addition, Sustainable Peterborough’s entire $39,738 budget would also be eliminated, as the organization — currently under the auspices of Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) — is dissolving at the end of this year along with PKED.
In total, 75 organizations would be affected by the proposed 25 per cent funding cut.
Not including the elimination of Sustainable Peterborough’s budget, the total savings to the city from all the reductions would be $298,153, which represents only .0007 per cent — less than one per cent of one per cent — of the city’s $411 million operating budget, yet would have a potentially devastating impact according to local organizations.
Artspace, New Stages Theatre, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Peterborough Musicfest, Electric City Culture Council, and Peterborough Folk Festival are among the organizations that have issued public statements so far expressing their dismay and concern about the proposed cuts.
All of these organizations have pointed out that the economic benefit to the city from investment in the arts far exceeds the size of the investment, and also has an immeasurable benefit to the quality of life of city residents.
“For every dollar invested in the arts, $25 is generated in economic impact,” reads a statement from Peterborough Musicfest. “In 2024 alone, city arts funding produced an estimated $38 million in economic benefits. Beyond numbers, arts programming fosters mental health, community engagement, and inclusion. Free and accessible events are increasingly vital as living costs rise, providing our city with invaluable spaces for connection.”
A statement from New Stages Theatre notes that the city did not consult with any of the organizations that would be affected by the cuts.
“The blanket (25 per cent reduction) was made without any consultations or feasibility studies to assess the impact this would have on individual organizations,” reads the statement. “75 arts and service organizations have gone into survival mode. 75 boards of directors are scrambling to attend emergency meetings. 75 EDs and ADs are having to stand up and defend, once again, their contributions to the social and economic fabric of the city.”
A statement from the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra notes that a 25 per cent cut to the budget of Showplace Performance Centre, the orchestra’s main performance venue, will also affect the orchestra’s financial viability.
“Our rental fees will almost certainly increase. We have already seen a nearly $2,000 increase in the rental fee and associated charges from last weekend’s concert (November 2) over years previous. This year alone, we project a $6,000 increase in production costs in the current funding scenario; and it will be more difficult if the city also reduces its support to Showplace.”
The Peterborough Folk Festival states that a 25 per cent reduction in municipal funding will lead to future reductions in provincial and federal support. As several other organizations have noted, granting agencies such as the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Trillium Foundation evaluate organizations on the basis of the municipal and community support they receive.
The folk festival also notes that, since it is run entirely by volunteers with no paid staff, any budget cuts will affect the festival’s ability to pay for non-discretionary costs such as stage and equipment rentals, mandatory insurance and policing, and food and accommodation for musicians — all of which have been increasing.
“For example, hotel rooms for visiting musicians cost $120 in 2023, $150 in 2024, and will be $180 in 2025,” the Peterborough Folk Festival states. “City police costs were $1,420 in 2023, $4,021 in 2024, and will be over $5,000 in 2025.”
The festival adds that a 25 per cent reduction in the city’s funding will result in a corresponding reduction in festival programming.
“The festival will not have the funds to book the bigger-name artists that have attracted record audiences in recent years. As a result, festival attendance will decline — particularly the out-of-town music lovers who travel to Peterborough to enjoy the bigger-name performers, leading to a direct reduction in tourism. We may also be forced to make tough decisions like discontinuing the PFF Emerging Artist Award that began in 2001 and the shuttle busses that we sponsored for the last two festivals.”
Several arts and social service organizations have indicated that their representatives will be attending Tuesday evening’s general committee meeting to address council about the proposed cuts.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, prior to the 6 p.m. public meeting, general committee will hear presentations on the 2025 budgets for Peterborough Police Services, Peterborough County/City Paramedics Service, and the Downtown Business Improvement Area, and receive reports on the 2025 budgets for Peterborough Public Health, Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home, Otonabee Region Conservation Authority, and Peterborough Humane Society.
This story has been updated with additional details about the rally, including an earlier start time.
