After a 10-month campaign to stop the City of Peterborough’s $4.4-million redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park, a citizen group has given up the fight to save the park — but says it won’t be going away.
In a media release issued on Friday (November 22), Friends of Bonnerworth Park spokesperson John Gerelus explained why the group has decided to withdraw its application for a stop-work injunction against the city.
“We realized that the court would very likely not stop the project,” he said. “The potential for the city to throw all sorts of legal roadblocks in our way to further slow the legal process and force the community to spend tens of thousands of dollars on additional legal costs also became apparent.”
Friends of Bonnerworth Park recently suffered two major setbacks in its efforts to stop the city from proceeding with the redevelopment project.
The group learned that the lawyer heading the firm that was handling the application for an injunction was diagnosed with terminal cancer and is in the process of closing his firm, withdrawing from the case.
They also learned that a hearing for the notice of an application for a stop-work injunction, which their legal firm had filed with the Superior Court of Justice, would not be going ahead on November 25 as they were originally told.
“The court in fact was holding back consideration of all such civil cases until the spring,” Gerelus said.
By that time, the City of Peterborough would have made substantial progress on the redevelopment progress. Construction work at the park already began on November 5, with the city closing the park to the public two days later the duration of project that, as approved by city council, will see 14 pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, and bike pump track installed.
The city has also stated its intention to fight any stop-work injunction application in court.
With its decision to apply for an abandonment of the application for an injunction, Friends of Bonnerworth Park has paused donations to its GoFundMe appeal, which has raised more than $43,000 to cover legal costs.
In the release, Gerelus did not specify what would happen to any unspent donations. However, he did say that Friends of Bonnerworth Park is not “going away.”
“We sought to hold the city accountable for its responsibilities to all users and neighbours of Bonnerworth Park. We will continue to hold the city accountable for any noise, traffic, lighting, and public safety impacts of its plan on our community.”
Gerelus added that the group will be holding a public meeting soon “to thank our friends and supporters, discuss the details of our fight to save Bonnerworth, and outline plans for Friends of Bonnerworth in the future.”
