Less than five months after voting against continuing to provide funding to One City Peterborough to offer daytime and overnight drop-in programs at Trinity Community Centre in 2026 for people experiencing homelessness, Peterborough city council has voted to award a $1.12 million contract so the non-profit organization can operate a low-barrier shelter.
The item was discussed in a closed session of general committee on Monday (November 3) and only became known when recommendations from the closed session report (“Closed Session Report CSSS25-014 for RFP-48-25 for Low Barrier Shelter Service Delivery and Operator”) were brought forward into the open session for a vote.
In the open session, councillor Keith Riel moved items b, c, and d from the closed session report.
Councillor Matt Crowley, who was chairing the meeting, asked city clerk John Kennedy if councillor Riel’s motion was in order.
“The report did contemplate various options for council’s consideration this evening,” Kennedy said, affirming the motion was in order. “Council did consider, or has reviewed, options b, c, and d.”
As noted, as the report is not available to the public, the other options considered by council are unknown.
However, item b recommends that council approve $1.12 million as part of the city’s 2026 municipal budget for RFP-48-25, and item d recommends that council award the contract to One City Community Development Services, which operates as One City Peterborough.
Item c essentially authorizes the city’s community services commissioner to execute council’s decision.
Council voted 10-0 in favour of the three items, with councillor Andrew Beamer recusing himself from the vote as he did not attend the closed session where the report was discussed.
In the regular city council meeting that followed the general committee meeting, council also voted 10-0 to endorse the general committee decision.
kawarthaNOW received a screenshot of a message posted in a private group called “TCC Notice Board” that states “I’m thrilled to share that our 24/7 year-round funding proposal for Trinity Community Centre was unanimously approved (10-0) in tonight’s closed council session.”
“I know the uncertainty has been heavy to carry — this is a big win, and a powerful acknowledgement of everything you’ve worked to build together,” the message reads.
The author of the message is not identified in the screenshot.
City council’s decision to award a $1.12 million contract to One City Peterborough is in stark contrast to the proceedings of council’s meeting of June 23, when councillors voted against providing $514,080 in funding to the organization to expand the daytime and overnight drop-in programs at Trinity Community Centre in 2026.
With councillor Dave Haacke absent from the meeting, council was split on two motions to allocate $269,280 to One City Peterborough to enhance the overnight drop-in program at Trinity Centre and $244,800 to expand the operating hours of the daytime program at Trinity Centre. Under council’s rules of order, a tie vote means a motion has failed as there’s no majority in the affirmative.
At the June 23 meeting, councillor Kevin Duguay said he had “serious reservations” about extending funding to One City Peterborough, calling the organization a “bad operator — a bad apple.”
He suggested, after the contract with One City Peterborough ends, the city could issue an RFP to see if another organization could operate a program in another location.
In his comments at the June 23 meeting, Mayor Jeff Leal said he was “really challenged” by expanding funding to One City Peterborough, criticizing One City’s staffing costs.
Councillor Alex Bierk pointed out that One City Peterborough has adhered to its contract with the city and noted that, if council did not support an extra six months of core funding for Trinity Centre over the summer, “then we don’t have a winter plan.”
“Our winter plan that’s presented in this report is contingent on using that site at Trinity,” he said. “And we did put out an RFP when we were establishing our winter response that One City is operating, and I believe that One City was the only (organization) to apply for that RFP, much in the same way that One City was the only (organization) to apply to look into our additional winter response in this report.”
