The YMCA of Central East Ontario has named Peterborough-area activists Linda Slavin and Lesley Kirton as the recipients of its 2025 YMCA Peace Medal.
For the YMCA, “peace” is more than just the absence of violence and conflict: it means developing fairness, inclusion, empathy, security, and respect for diversity. The charity use peace as an acronym for the values of participation, empathy, advocacy, community, and empowerment.
YMCAs across Canada present Peace Medals every year to individuals or groups who — without any special resources, status, wealth, or position — demonstrate a commitment to those values through contributions made within their local, national, or global community. The Peace Medals recipients are announced every year during YMCA Peace Week, which took place this year from November 15 to 22.
“Our Peace Medal recipients demonstrate that peace-building is not one moment in time — it’s a lifelong commitment to lifting others up,” says YMCA of Central East Ontario president and CEO David Allen in a media release. “Their work gives us hope and reinforces the YMCA’s belief that strong, connected communities are created when people lead with empathy, courage, and purpose.”
The YMCA of Central East Ontario is recognizing Linda Slavin of Peterborough for her decades of leadership in social justice, gender equity, and community building.
Known to her colleagues as the region’s “mother of the movement,” Slavin is a long-time educator, community activist, environmentalist, and social justice leader. She helped establish the Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC), co-chaired Sustainable Peterborough, and has been involved with groups such as GreenUP, the Elizabeth Fry Society, the Social Planning Council, and the Community Opportunity and Innovation Network (COIN).
Slavin was a member of the anti-nuclear-weapons group Kawartha Ploughshares, co-founded the annual One World Dinner and launched Peterborough’s Persons Day Breakfasts, and supported local women’s participation in the 1995 UN Conference on Women. Most recently, she has worked with the climate action group For Our Grandchildren and the Kawartha Commons Cohousing group.
She also ran for political office five times — four times provincially and federally for the NDP and once for mayor of Peterborough.
“Along with her partner Al, she has offered leadership and support that has strengthened every project they have championed together,” states the media release. “Celebrated for her inclusive spirit, collaborative leadership, and tireless advocacy, Linda’s impact is felt widely across the community. She is regarded by many as one of Peterborough’s most inspiring and deserving champions of peace.”
The YMCA of Central East Ontario is recognizing Lesley Kirton for more than two decades of “extraordinary service” to Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes.
As a former crisis intervention worker with Victim Services of Peterborough and Northumberland, Kirton was at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking, assisting vulnerable girls and women in the sex trade. She was also a member of the board of the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society.
In 2014, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada named Kirton as its community leader for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland — a cause close to her heart as she was struck by an impaired driver when she was a college student in Oakville. In 2017, Kirton received Peterborough County’s Community Volunteer of the Year award for Selwyn Township and, the following year, received an excellence in volunteering award from MADD Canada. Most recently, she received a 10-year service award from MADD Canada and a King Charles III Coronation Medal for her advocacy work.
“Lesley has consistently modelled empathy, resilience, and community responsibility, quietly delivering meals to those in need, supporting victims of trauma, and empowering others to step forward and help,” the release states. “Her work has had meaningful impact locally, nationally, and globally, and her unwavering commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity makes her a truly deserving recipient of the YMCA Peace Medal.”
The YMCA of Central East Ontario will hold a formal ceremony in 2026 to recognize both Slavin and Kirton, with full details to be released in January.
Other YMCA of Central East Ontario Peace Medal recipients in recent years include Kristin Crowe in 2024, Lee-Anne Quinn, Jason King, and Husayn Dharshi in 2023, Crystal Hebert (Mkwa Ghiizis) in 2022, and Dave Morello and David McNab in 2021.
