Peterborough city council has voted to commit $57 million in city funding towards the cost of a proposed $170-million multi-use sport and event centre in downtown Peterborough, amid repeated warnings that not replacing the aging Peterborough Memorial Centre could result in the Peterborough Petes hockey team leaving the city.
At its meeting on Monday night (May 11), councillors heard from four public delegations on the proposed event centre, three of whom spoke in favour.
Under a new procedure by-law approved by council in February, a maximum of four delegations is allowed to speak on any single agenda item at council. kawarthaNOW has learned that a local lawyer with objections to the event centre who contacted city hall early Thursday morning to get on the registered delegation list was advised it was already full.
Two of the four public delegations were supporters at mayor’s May 4 media conference
The three delegations who spoke in favour of the event centre included Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) board chair Deanna Guttman, Ontario Hockey League (OHL) commissioner Brian Crawford, and Selwyn resident Paul Harris-Lowe, who is a member of the city’s economic development working group.
Guttman and Harris-Lowe were both part of a media conference organized by Mayor Jeff Leal last Monday morning (May 4) in support of the event centre, hours before the general committee meeting where the mayor introduced his original motion in support of the event centre:
- That Council commit one-third of the cost, approximately $57 million, towards the event centre project;
- That staff be directed to provide a report identifying the funding plan to finance this $57 million commitment including amendments to the city’s debt limit;
- That staff be directed to initiate proactive advocacy and explore options to acquire the remaining two-thirds of the cost, approximately $114 million, from the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, County of Peterborough, private sector partners, fundraising, naming rights and sponsorship opportunities, and non-debt supported sources;
- That staff be directed to provide council with a report detailing options for funds from non-debt supported sources; and
- That $1.7 million be pre-committed in the 2027 budget to include a project manager position, site studies, and preliminary consultant services.
During his May 4 media conference, Leal spoke about the need to replace the aging 70-year-old aging Peterborough Memorial Centre alongside a sign reading “Vision 2096” and renderings of event centres in Sudbury and Brantford.
“We need to think about the next 70 years of Peterborough,” Leal said at the time. “This is a generational opportunity for our community. A new event centre will revitalize our downtown by driving foot traffic and encouraging investment. It will transform our waterfront and stimulate economic growth and development, and it will make Peterborough a regional hub and tourism destination for the next 70 years.”
During her delegation at Monday night’s meeting, Guttman reiterated many of the points she made during the mayor’s media conference, describing the benefits of an event centre to the downtown.
Asked by councillor Alex Bierk whether the DBIA would contribute to the project by increasing its levy to members, Guttman said “We would have to consult with the members on that.”
Councillor Kevin Duguay asked Guttman whether she felt that the city’s investment in the King Street parking garage, Millennium Park, and Quaker Foods Square have had a positive impact on the downtown, to which Guttman said “Absolutely, yes.”
OHL commissioner warns Petes could leave Peterborough without new arena
In his delegation, OHL commissioner Brian Crawford spoke about the legacy of the Peterborough Petes and its importance to the community, and how the Peterborough Memorial Centre “has reached the end of its lifespan” and “is no longer meeting the expectations of today’s fans, players, partners, and stakeholders.”
He said that municipally owned arenas are “vital pieces of infrastructure,” referring to Brantford, Sudbury, and Ottawa investing in new facilities.
“I’m here to encourage the City of Peterborough to do the same,” Crawford said. “In its current state, the arena no longer meets the standards of the league or the host. A new modern facility will ensure long-term viability for the franchise that means so much to the community,” adding that a new facility would provide the opportunity to host major events including the Memorial Cup and allow the city to “retain its vibrant sports teams.”
Councillor Andrew Beamer asked Crawford if the city is at risk of losing its OHL franchise if it doesn’t proceed with a new event centre.
“The answer to that a question is a simple yes,” Crawford said, adding that the OHL is committed to working with the city and the Petes “to make sure they have a viable, long-term future for another 70 years in Peterborough” — echoing the same timeframe and wording Mayor Leal has used referring to “Vision 2096” for the event centre.
In response to questions from councillors Bierk and Kevin Duguay, Crawford estimated that the Memorial Cup generates “tens of millions of dollars” for the host city.
Asked by councillor Gary Baldwin whether the OHL would work with the Petes should the Memorial Centre be shut down for nine to 12 months for upgrades, Crawford said the OHL would work with the Petes to find a “temporary home.”
The sole delegation to speak against the event centre was retired senior Robert Parkin, who raised concerns about the impact of raising property taxes on those with fixed incomes, and said that raising taxes to pay for a new arena would not attract people to live in Peterborough.
He questioned whether sports fans would be willing to pay increased prices to contribute to a new arena and whether the Memorial Centre would continue to be maintained at taxpayers” expense. He also suggested a referendum on the new arena.
“Councillors need to represent all Peterborough taxpayers, not just our local sports fans, and we cannot let the OHL dictate to us that we have to spend $170 million on an arena. Councillors control this city, not the OHL.”
Paul Harris-Lowe, who was the former chair of the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation before it became the now-defunct Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, said he was speaking to council as an individual and not on behalf of the city’s economic development working group.
He reiterated the comments he made at Mayor Leal’s media conference in support of the event centre, adding that the city could have constructed a new arena in 2003 for an estimated $25 million, instead of investing a total of $38 million in the Memorial Centre — including $13 million in renovations in 2023, $3.5 million in 2019 to repair the floor of the arena, and an estimated $22 million now to keep the facility operational.
In response to a question from councillor Don Vassiliadis about whether the possibility of a new event centre would attract new investment in the city, Harris-Lowe said that business owners often visit a city as tourists, and that the aging Memorial Centre will not attract businesses to locate in Peterborough.
Councillor Joy Lachica asked Harris-Lowe if he thinks it is “reasonable” for council to wait four or five months to get a report back on a funding strategy for the events centre. He said that the longer the city waits, the more costly it will be to build one.
“I’m not here to comment on whether four months is considered significant or not, but by delaying for a significant period of time I think is a significant mistake,” Harris-Lowe said.
Noting that the OHL commissioner said “we will lose our OHL franchise if we do not proceed,” councillor Beamer asked Harris-Lowe whether losing the Petes would be a “significant blow” or a “minor blow.”
Harris-Lowe said his personal opinion is that it would “be a shame” and would result in a loss of tourism and would “put the Lakers at risk as well.”
Councillor Lachica’s motion to defer the mayor’s motion fails for a second time
Following a vote on consent items, councillors debated the mayor’s motion, with councillor Lachica introducing the same motion she did at general committee the previous Monday night: that the mayor’s motion be deferred for five months so that city staff scan providing council with a “comprehensive funding and implementation strategy to secure the remaining two-thirds of the project cost” before the city commits one-third of funding for the project.
As was the case at general committee, councillor Dave Haacke spoke in favour of the deferral.
Councillor Bierk, who was not present at the general committee meeting, said he recognized the support for a new event centre but expressed concerns about committing $57 million for the project without having support from other levels of government or the private sector. He asked staff whether the city could commit $57 million in principle without allocating the funds.
Finance and corporate support services commissioner Richard Freymond said the only amount of funding that would be committed in the 2027 budget for the new event centre and affect the tax rate would be $1.7 million for a project manager position, site studies, and preliminary consultant services.
However, he said he would internally reserve $57 million of the city’s remaining debt capacity — which would have to be increased from the current debt ceiling of $30 million — for the project, which would make it unavailable for other projects that require debt financing.
Bierk said he would support the deferral as it would not stop the project, adding that “I don’t buy into that narrative.”
Councillor Keith Riel noted that MPP Dave Smith said there is no provincial funding for the project, and that MP Emma Harrison said it would be 18 to 24 months if any funds are available from the federal government. He said the city’s RFQ (request for quotations) resulted in responses from three proponents from the private sector, none of which was willing to invest in the event centre.
While he admitted he was uncomfortable with some of the debt-financing options for the new event centre, councillor Beamer said “There’s a little bit of fear-mongering here tonight” with respect to impacts on future capital projects, noting that city staff will come back to council with a plan and options to come up with funding from other sources. He said he would not support the deferral as the funding plan is part of the mayor’s motion.
After councillor Lachica spoke again in favour of the deferral, councillor Baldwin said he could not support the deferral as the issue would then default to the next council.
“Let our staff take the next five months to start making those connections with senior levels of government and the business community and the development community,” Baldwin said.
Councillor Lesley Parnell asked councillor Lachica whether deferring the motion for five months would mean that the decision would not come back to the current council. Lachica said that it would mean the item comes back to council after the October election, so that it is not an election issue.
Councillor Duguay called the question to end further debate on the deferral, which carried 8-3, with councillors Matt Crowley, Bierk, and Riel voting against.
Council then voted on the deferral, which lost 5-6, with councillors Lachica, Bierk, Haacke, Parnell, and Riel voting in favour and Mayor Leal and councillors Crowley, Vassiliadis, Beamer, Duguay, and Baldwin voting against. The vote split was the same as at the general committee meeting, except for Bierk who was not present at that meeting
‘It would be devastating to the City of Peterborough if we lost the Petes’
With the deferral defeated, councillors then debated the main motion.
Councillor Beamer said he supported the motion as long as the cost of the event centre was not borne by the city alone.
“If we do not get the two-thirds (from other levels of government), then we’re not spending the $57 million, but I think it’s prudent we move it forward,” he said, noting that the city needs to replace the Memorial Centre instead of spending a minimum of $30 million over the next 15 years to just maintain it.
“Also, we heard this evening that if we do not proceed with the new sports and entertainment facility, we will lose the Peterborough Petes,” he added. “It would be devastating to the City of Peterborough if we lost the Petes, if we lost the Lakers.”
He also said the event centre was needed to revitalize the downtown core.
In his remarks, councillor Riel said there is no commitment from other levels of government or private investors in a new event centre.
“We are debating whether this is the right priority for taxpayers at this moment in time,” he said, saying residents are “dealing with property tax fatigue, families are struggling with affordability, our infrastructure deficit continues to grow,” also mentioning the need to invest in basic city services, public safety, homelessness and housing support.
For his part, councillor Vassiliadis said the motion was more about replacing the Memorial Centre rather than building a new event centre, because of the costs required to maintain the Memorial Centre, operating deficits, and the risk of losing the Petes and Lakers. He said delaying building a new facility will just result in increased costs to build one in the future.
‘I will not vote against this and sentence our downtown and our city to death’
Councillor Crowley said he ran for council because “our roads were crumbling, our buildings were empty … everything felt outdated and ignored,” adding that “tonight is one of those moments where the work shifts from repair to renewal.” When he was growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, he said, the downtown was “where Peterborough was happening.”
“We lost that at some point, slowly then quickly,” he said, with a perception that the downtown was no longer safe and there were fewer reasons for people to come downtown. “Once a perception like that takes hold, it has its own gravity. Fewer people, fewer reasons. Fewer people, fewer reasons. It’s a death spiral that everybody in this room has watched happen over the last few decades. The multi-sport and event centre is how we break that spiral.”
“Bottom line is that cities that invest in their downtown core get downtown cores worth visiting, and cities that don’t watch them die. I will not vote against this and sentence our downtown and our city to death.”
Councillor Lachica said her concern was not only the city’s growing infrastructure backlog, but a lack of investment in the social infrastructure of the downtown that will not be addressed by building a new event centre.
“If we don’t take care of that, we will build it and they will not come,” she said. “We are not a large city; we are a small population with a limited tax base, so we need to be realistic and we need to consider what we create as our priorities.”
She noted that the cost of the new police station was originally $60 million and became $90 million, and that the city is still paying for the $60-million Miskin Law Community Complex.
Councillor Duguay spoke to the support for the project from the Peterborough DBIA and the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and noted Ashburnham Realty’s Crescent Street development and the city’s commitment to enhance the shoreline of Del Crary Park, “and there is a direct correlation between that and what we’re contemplating this evening.” He added that the city has to commit to the event centre to obtain funding from other levels of government.
‘I love all the talk about supporting the downtown — it’s like a day late and a dollar short to be honest.’
In his remarks, councillor Bierk recognized the attraction of a new event centre but said he represents the taxpayers in Town Ward.
“I love all the talk about supporting the downtown — it’s like a day late and a dollar short to be honest,” he said.
“We don’t even have parking meters that work downtown. We’re struggling to do the most basic things. We haven’t had a replacement of fixtures. Go to any other city our size. They have beautiful, brand new, black fixtures downtown. The last time we invested in those fixtures was in the ’90s, those maroon ones, for the centennial year.”
As someone who grew up in Peterborough, Bierk said, “I don’t appreciate the narrative that’s been thrown around a little irresponsibly tonight, that downtown is not a safe place or a vibrant place.”
“I just spent the week in New York City and, let me tell you, driving back home and coming here, the roads feel like clouds, they’re so smooth. The city is so clean. Being away for a week, I’m really grateful we live here and I think that we all have a beautiful way of life.”
Bierk said that what’s happening in the downtown core is a reflection of past government decisions, such as closing PCVS, where a thousand students would visit the downtown and support local businesses. He said when rules were expanded to allow big box stores on Lansdowne Street, with the argument that it would improve assessment, “it killed the mom-and- pop stores” downtown.
He said an event centre will not be a “silver bullet” to fix all the issues downtown, and that the city’s RFQ process for the event centre did not result in a “vision” for how it would change the downtown. He added that he would support hiring a project manager to get the site shovel-ready, but there are still too many unknowns to commit to $57 million in funding. He pointed out that it cost the city almost $1 million to install a crosswalk and two lights on Hunter Street in East City.
After councillor Baldwin spoke in support of the motion, Mayor Leal referred to the past decision to invest in Peterborough Square in the downtown in the 1970s, saying “This is exactly the same scenario.”
“This investment will keep the assessment of downtown Peterborough healthy, and it will also draw investment into our downtown,” he said, also mentioning the benefit of a new facility for the Lakers and the Petes.
“We need a vision, and to say that there shouldn’t be an opportunity during an election campaign — it’s the time when visions are put forward,” said the mayor, who still hasn’t yet declared whether he will run for re-election.
Leal implied that closing the Memorial Centre “for a minimum of 12 months … could be the death knell of a franchise, something that we don’t want to end.”
As they did in last Monday’s general committee meeting, council then voted on each of the five points of Mayor Leal’s motion.
Councillors voted 8-3 in favour of committing $57 million to the project, with councillors Lachica, Bierk, and Riel voting against. Councillor Parnell, who had voted against the item in general committee, voted in favour.
Councillors voted unanimously 11-0 in favour of the next three points in the mayor’s motion, related to city staff providing council with a financing plan for the $57 million (including debt financing), identifying options to secure the remaining funding, and providing a report to council on those options.
Councillors voted 10-1 in favour of committing $1.7 million in 2027 to hire a project manager and to conduct site studies and preliminary consultant services for the project, with councillor Lachica voting against.
