As red dresses adorned the windows of Peterborough City Hall, local Indigenous leaders called on the community to go beyond remembrance and to take action.

Residents of Nogojiwanong-Peterborough commemorated Red Dress Day on Tuesday (May 5) at an event led by the Urban Indigenous Working Group in collaboration with the City of Peterborough.

“Red Dress Day is not just a symbol, it’s a call to action,” said Chief Laurie Carr of Hiawatha First Nation.

Chief Carr was joined by representatives from the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and Curve Lake First Nation, including Chief Laurie Hockaday and councillor Arnold Taylor.

The commemoration featured drumming and dance performances, an official proclamation made by Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, and the raising of a symbolic red hand flag.

Leal said that the day was an opportunity for the city and community to “renew our commitment to meaningful action.”

After the ceremony, attendees gathered in Confederation Square across from City Hall to share stories, bannock, and tea, courtesy of the Urban Indigenous Working Group.

Commonly known as Red Dress Day, May 5 has been recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People (MMIWG2S+) since 2010.

The day of commemoration was inspired and established nationally in partnership with Métis artist Jaime Black as a continuation of her REDress Project, which displayed empty red dresses in recognition of missing or murdered women.

“The colour red is quite significant in our culture because that’s the one colour that spirit can see,” Mshkiki Gitigaan Kwe, a member of the Urban Indigenous Working Group, told kawarthaNOW in a recent interview.

Ahead of the gathering, the Urban Indigenous Working Group and Lovesick Lake Native Women’s Association hosted two workshops where community members participated in crafting felt faceless dolls and collecting red dresses that were displayed at the event.

“The faceless dolls represent our friends, family, and community,” said Em Feltham Day and Jess Vossen, two representatives of the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre participating in the Urban Indigenous Working Group.

These crafts and dolls were displayed outside City Hall and in Confederation Square throughout the event. As for the red dresses placed in the windows of City Hall, they will remain there until Friday (May 8).

“We might have some of our stolen sisters wandering and looking for us, so having these dresses on display helps spirit find us,” Gitigaan told kawarthaNOW.

In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, between 2016 and 2019 a national inquiry was commissioned by the Government of Canada to identify underlying social, institutional, and systemic factors contributing to violence against Indigenous women.

According to the Assembly of First Nations, rates of violence against Indigenous women are four times higher than non-Indigenous women.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls determined that disproportionate rates of violence are due to “persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses” by Canadian governments and institutions.

“Their absence is not accidental,” said Chief Carr at Tuesday’s event.

Speaking further to systemic discrimination and the large-scale nature of the MMIWG2S+ crisis, Gitigaan said all levels of government have a responsibility in the harm caused.

She explained that this, in part, is why the May 5 gathering took place at Peterborough City Hall, saying that it is a reminder that Indigenous women are underserved and underprotected by the government.

“It sends a message to our government — it sends a message to the ones that need to hear it,” she said.

Having been organized by the Urban Indigenous Working Group with support from Shelly Knott, advisor for Indigenous relations at the City of Peterborough, the event centred on Indigenous voices and traditional ceremonial practices.

This was demonstrated by traditional performances including jingle dancing by Kelli Marshall and drumming by Naandewegaan (Healing With Drums). These are important pieces of ceremony to show honour and offer healing, explained Marshall.

Naandewegaan performed the “Strong Woman Song,” which they described as a song of solidarity and resistance created by Indigenous women to be able to identify when someone was missing or in need.

Kevin Boissoneau, an 18 year old from Garden River First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, led attendees in an opening prayer and song where he called on Creator for protection and healing for those affected by the MMIWG2S crisis.

Event organizers and Indigenous activists pointed out that building awareness and gathering in remembrance alone is inadequate in the ongoing work towards reconciliation.

“These red dresses serve as a reminder that awareness must lead to action,” Knott said.

The Urban Indigenous Working Group and local First Nation representatives said there must be movement towards action as a result of increased awareness. Such action, they say, should focus on dismantling systems that discriminate against Indigenous women and girls.

“Learn and fight for change alongside us,” Day said.

For Chief Carr, significant further action at both the local and national level is necessary to protect Indigenous women in the face of discriminatory systems.

“Racism is not in the past,” she said.

The national inquiry highlighted a number of areas where Indigenous women encounter oppression and discrimination, notably child welfare, healthcare, and the justice system.

Looking ahead, Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark said the county remains committed to reconciliation and embedding Indigenous knowledge into its work.

“Reconciliation is not a one-day commitment,” Clark said.

Local non-profit and Indigenous-led organizations are continuing to host educational opportunities and commemorative events in recognition of Red Dress Day and other initiatives such as Orange Shirt Day.

On Tuesday evening, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre hosted a community dinner and sacred fire in honour of MMIWG2S+. Day and Vossen expressed the importance of hosting events that are accessible to everyone regardless of daytime availability.

Throughout the ceremony at City Hall and subsequent gathering, non-Indigenous attendees were encouraged to educate themselves on the MMIWG2S+ crisis and how systemic oppression continues to impact Indigenous communities.

“This your moment to listen and to learn,” Carr said.

Also on Red Dress Day, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the federal government is providing the National Family and Survivors Circle, an Indigenous organization supporting survivors and their families, with $2.6 million in funding over three years.

Carney also announced the federal government is providing $300,000 to Red Dress Alert, a pilot project that notifies the public when an Indigenous woman, girl, or 2SLGBTQI+ person goes missing. The project is being led by Giganawenimaanaanig (“we all take care of them”), formerly known as the MMIWG2S+ Implementation Advisory Committee, in partnership with the federal government and the Government of Manitoba.

The national toll-free 24/7 crisis call line at 1-844-413-6649 provides trauma-informed supports for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Peterborough city council has voted in favour of committing $57 million towards the cost of a proposed $170-million sport and event centre in downtown Peterborough.

At its general committee meeting on Monday evening (May 4), city council considered a staff report from community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman with six options for next steps for the approval and construction of the event centre. Councillor Alex Bierk, one of the two councillors for Town Ward where the event centre would be located, was absent from the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Jeff Leal held a media conference to advocate for the project at the office of the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, which was also attended by city councillors Kevin Duguay and Gary Baldwin.

Six financing options for $170-million project laid out for council

Laidman’s report to council outlined six funding options for a new event centre, summarized below.

1. Approving $1.7 million in funding so the project can proceed to a concept and site development phase, without committing to full financing for the project.
2. Approving $30 million in debt financing (the city’s existing debt limit) while seeking partnerships with the private sector for the remaining funding.
3. Approving $57 million in debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit while seeking remaining funding from other levels of government.
4. Approving $170 million for the entire project through a combination of $70 million in debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit and $100 million in funding through the sale of city assets.
5. Approving $170 million for the entire project through debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit.
6. Not proceeding any further with the project.

At Monday’s meeting, Laidman provided council with a presentation on the proposed event centre, noting that reports for the project date back to 2015, including justifications for the project, market analyses, comparisons to other cities and their event centres, basic financial analysis for property tax increases and funding options, basic parameters for the project including seating capacity, and possible site locations.

Last August, city council approved the preferred site location as 182 Townsend Street, a city-owned property where the existing bus garage is located, and also approved a request for quotations process if council approved funding options.

Laidman explained that the impetus for the new sport and event centre is the aging 70-year-old Peterborough Memorial Centre, which does not meet new Ontario Hockey League standards or expectations of large concert promoters, and lacks modern expected amenities.

He said that addressing the deficiencies is not feasible, that $22.4 million for capital repairs would be required over the next 15 years just to keep the facility operational, and that additional costs would be incurred for structural roof enhancements to support ceiling rigging for equipment used for large-scale concerts.

Laidman said that the new event centre, at an estimated cost of $170 million, would be built between 2027 and 2031. Using debt financing to fund the centre would result in higher debt servicing costs and would reduce the city’s flexibility to use debt financing for other capital projects. According to the staff report, debt financing options would result in property tax increases ranging from around one per cent to five per cent, depending on the option selected.

He noted that increasing the city’s debt ceiling to finance the project may affect the city’s credit rating and result in higher financing costs, with his presentation stating that restricting debt financing to the existing debt ceiling of $30 million would be the “most financially sustainable approach” as it would provide flexibility for other capital projects and minimize the tax increase to less than one per cent.

Laidman also noted the real estate development that would take place in the area of the event centre, should it be built, is estimated at $270 million. Development could generate $7.5 million in tax revenue for the city, which would “come close” to covering annual debt payments over 30 years, and additional revenue could be generated from sponsorships and naming rights, ticket surcharges, and an increase in the municipal accommodation tax for hotels and motels.

Mayor proposes city commit $57 million to project

Following Laidman’s presentation, Mayor Leal put forward a motion that combined three options from Laidman’s report:

• 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.

“I fundamentally believe that the 3Ds initiative is no longer viable — dither, delay, and defer,” the mayor said after reading his motion.

“I believe it’s time to pick a lane. Lane one is a new modern event centre that will lead to revitalization of our downtown, enhance regional economic development, and position Peterborough for Vision 2096 for the next seven years. Lane two is to continue investing in a 70-year-old building with a minimum of $20 million to keep operating, with costs not determined as yet to possibly reinforce the roof and walls, and that will be the determination of a study that’s currently ongoing.”

Leal said Peterborough MP Emma MP Harrison arranged for a meeting on the project with federal government officials, which took place on April 27, and he also met with MPP Dave Smith. He said he had received a letter from a former player with the Peterborough Petes who works with one of the largest equity firms in Canada, and that person — who Leal did not identify — has expressed interest in investing in the project.

Councillors split over risk to taxpayers versus moving forward to secure partner funding

In responding to the mayor’s motion, councillor Keith Riel said that, while he is not opposed to the idea of a new event centre, “what I am opposed to is making financial commitments before we fully understand the risk to the taxpayers.”

He pointed out that experience shows municipal projects like this rarely stay on budget, increasing pressure on taxpayers. He also said that increasing the city’s debt capacity is “a fundamental shift in how the city manages its finances.”

“It limits our ability to invest in core infrastructure, like roads, water systems, and housing. Right now, it feels like we are committing to a project before we’ve completed the due diligence. The public expects us to ask the hard questions before, not after, we make a decision of this magnitude. I’m prepared to support moving forward cautiously, not in a way that exposes taxpayers to open-ended risk or changing our financial framework prematurely.”

Riel then attempted to introduce his own motion, but councillor and meeting chair Andrew Beamer said, under new council rules, he needed to submit his motion in advance of the meeting. Riel noted that he only had the opportunity in the afternoon to review the mayor’s motion, which had been distributed to council earlier in the morning before the mayor held his media conference.

Councillor Kevin Duguay spoke in support of the mayor’s motion, noting that the city will not be able to secure federal or provincial funding for the project if it is not prepared to commit its own funds in advance.

“If we don’t pre-commit to this project, I’m wondering how it will be possible to entice and consider a private sector investment,” he said. “We’re saying ‘We have an idea — we’re thinking about building a new events and sports facility, but we’re not prepared to commit funding.’ We’re going to have a devil of a time securing any funding from our upper levels of government and enticing the private sector to be involved.”

In her remarks, councillor Joy Lachica said city staff should be 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, and made a motion to defer the mayor’s motion.

“To just go today and rubber stamp this without that information brought to us from staff is short-sighted, and a deferral would be helpful to us in order to make next-step decisions,” Lachica said.

Councillor Gary Baldwin spoke against deferring the mayor’s motion, saying “We’ve kicked the cans down the road since 2015.”

“What the mayor’s motion says is we’re going to put our money up front, we’re going to commit to the project, and then seek out those partnerships. If no other partnerships come forward, we haven’t spent a nickel.”

For her part, councillor Lesley Parnell spoke in favour of deferring the mayor’s motion.

“This is the biggest project in the history of Peterborough, and we’re talking about it six months before an incoming council, and they could very easily just turn it over at their very first meeting,” she said. “It is going to definitely impact capital financing, our ability to build almost anything else in the city for decades, and definitely affect the next council and the council after that and the council after that. I think they (the incoming council) should be the ones to make the decision.”

“We can’t just have all of our eggs in this one basket. We continue to need to improve our roads and numerous other facilities throughout our city. There’s a lot of pressure from different segments within our community. A lot of it should be provincial responsibility, but it’s coming down onto us and the consequential cost of those social ills is on us. Those are all true costs, whether capital or operating, so we really have to be careful.”

Parnell said she wants a new events centre and acknowledged the issues with the Memorial Centre, “but we have to be realistic about what we can afford to do with all of our other responsibilities.”

Councillor Riel said he would support the deferral, echoing Parnell’s comments by saying he doesn’t want “to saddle the next council” with the funding commitment, adding there’s no “business plan” for the project.

Councillor Duguay said he would not support the deferral, referring to the positive economic impact of event centres in other communities.

“I can appreciate some of my colleagues’ hesitancy from a financial perspective to proceed, but if we continue with our financial hesitancy, that procrastination will only lead to this facility costing more and more money and I think it would be, from my perspective, to the detriment of our community.”

Councillor Parnell said that, while an event centre will improve the community, it will not make money for the city.

“What are we going to sacrifice to get it?” she asked. “Are we going to be looking at some selling of our assets that actually do create revenue — interest — for us?”

“We do need to do our due diligence, just like you would in your own household. You really want something, but can you afford it, and what are you going to sacrifice to get it? I do want this to move forward, but I do think it’s a decision for the next council. That does give the time for staff to do much more of their due diligence, and hopefully secure some of those dollars from other sources.”

Meanwhile, councillor Baldwin said deferring the mayor’s motion would mean members of the public would not have the opportunity to delegate to city council about the project at next week’s meeting.

“I’d like to hear from the community,” he said.

Speaking against deferring his motion, Mayor Leal said that reinforcing the roof of the Memorial Centre would require an estimated $4 million or $5 million, and that the walls would have to be reinforced at additional cost. He added that the facility would have to be “offline for nine to 12 months” and that would affect city revenue as well as users of the arena.

Deferral fails as mayor and five councillors back funding commitment

Council voted on the motion to defer the mayor’s motion, which lost 6-4, with Mayor Leal and councillors Matt Crowley, Don Vassiliadis, Beamer, Duguay, and Baldwin voting against and councillors Lachica, Parnell, Riel, and Dave Haacke voting in favour.

Returning to the debate on the mayor’s motion, councillor Baldwin offered a five-minute history of the Memorial Centre before reiterating his support for the motion.

In his final remarks, councillor Riel said “I haven’t heard one councillor say they are not in support of a new sports and entertainment centre.”

“I haven’t said it. What I’m talking about is funding this with the city’s taxpayer money. Right now on the books, we have a police station at 90 plus million, a fire hall to pay off, Miskin Law arena at 60 plus million, a transit garage to build, and then add 57 million if we have that tonight … former mayor (Daryl) Bennett said ‘I don’t see any money trees planted on the front lawn of City Hall.’ This is taxpayers’ money that’s used to do something.”

Councillor Lachica said her motion to defer did not reflect a lack of support for the project.

“The deferral didn’t have anything to do with saying no to it or putting it off for another term of council. It was simply asking that that we take the time to be fiscally responsible — take a few months for the reporting to come back.”

“We’re not taking the time to have that fiscal responsibility,” Lachica added. “There’s no more wiggle room. There’s so much uncertainty about the municipal tax debt and what that will be in 2027 and forward. In 2025, our asset management plan highlighted a 132 million annual shortfall for our backlog … We need to take all these things into consideration as we consider our municipal tax rate and the impact that this will have. This is not about saying no for another whole term. This is about saying no until we had more information.”

Council then voted on each of the five points of Mayor Leal’s motion.

Councillors voted 7-3 in favour of committing $57 million to the project, with councillors Lachica, Parnell, and Riel voting against. Councillors voted 10-0 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, identifying options to secure the remaining funding, and providing a report to council on those options.

Councillors voted 9-1 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.

Items endorsed by general committee will be considered by city council for final approval on Monday (May 11) when registered delegations will be allowed to speak.

On Saturday (May 2), Peterborough City Hall was lit up in grey, yellow, and teal to join the many landmarks across the country that will be illuminated throughout May in honour of Brain Cancer Awareness Month (also called Brain Tumour Awareness Month).

The grey represents awareness, yellow honours the children who have been affected, and teal represents strength and hope.

Peterborough resident and Brain Cancer Canada ambassador Brooke Roberts stood outside the building for the occasion, holding a framed photo of her late daughter Sofie, who died on May 17, 2024 at the age of nine years old from a high-grade glioma — a type of tumour that occurs in the brain or spinal cord, arising from glial cells that support neurons.

“A big thank you to Peterborough because living in the community and having been affected, I think it’s just really special that they would support the initiative,” Brooke says. “Being lit up all over Canada is exciting to not just start May off with a bang but to bring awareness to brain cancer, and to honour the loved ones and the families who struggle or who we’ve lost. It’s very special.”

Spreading awareness and supporting others affected by brain cancer is what Sofie would have wanted, Brooke says. An avid reader, creative, lover of the colour purple, and best friend to her younger sister Stella, Sofie had “a smile that could light up the room.” It was a smile she wore even as she underwent two craniotomies and 33 daily round trips to Toronto for radiology.

“She would even remind me of these wonderful heavenly truths about where courage comes from and she would be encouraging me,” says Brooke, adding they shared a deep Christian faith.

“Her life has impacted so many all over because of social media. We had people praying for her all over the place. I keep hearing these stories of how people have used her courage to help someone else or maybe in their own walk or to give them courage in hard times. So, the Lord’s using her in many, many ways even now, and it’s just so encouraging.”

Her daughter’s resilience, strength, and courage drives Brooke’s mission to fight for other families.

“Because her tumour was rare, she said ‘Mom, maybe one day my tumour will help another family,’ and remembering that conversation helps me to just want to jump in and help other families as much as I’m able.”

Today, Brooke continues to make Sofie’s dream a reality by being an ambassador for Brain Cancer Canada, a national charity run by a group of volunteers who have all been affected by the disease. Brain Cancer Canada funds research and technologies while advocating for effective treatment of primary brain tumours.

“Brain cancer is actually the leading cause of death in cancer-related deaths in children and young adults under 40, and yet we are significantly underfunded,” says Brooke.

According to Brain Cancer Canada, though nine children and adults are diagnosed with brain cancer in Canada every day, brain cancer only receives three to four per cent of the funding that is raised for cancer research in Canada.

“We are significantly underfunded as a group and that’s really sad,” Brooke says. “Because of the prognosis and severity of the cancer and where it’s located, it’s extremely catastrophic in the brain. The prognosis is quite grim.”

“We’re looking at, for the most aggressive cancers, about 15 to 18 months survival rate. We’re not sure if that plays a role into how they allocate funding but if this is the case, it’s very devastating and sad. All cancers deserve equal funding.”

Brain Cancer Canada is bridging this gap through a number of initiatives, including funding research grants for scientists and neurologists as well as advocating for patient access to drugs, multiple forms of treatment, and increased availability of neuro-surgical technologies and care.

Though Sofie was first diagnosed with a low-grade glioma in September 2022, which she had successfully removed, it came back the following May having morphed into high-grade glioma. Her family was told there was a medicine to treat her exact rare mutation in the U.S., but they weren’t able to access it quickly in Canada.

“That’s encouraging and exciting as a family, but then you realize brain cancer doesn’t afford you that time,” Brooke recalls. “We don’t have time to wait for it to get into Canada and be approved. We don’t have time to take her to the U.S. or Europe where these treatments are readily available.”

“Brain Cancer Canada is working hard for the access to these things to be immediate for families like mine, rather than have it dangled like a carrot and yet we can’t receive it. That is our goal: to help Canada become the leader in this department and to give families access to these things.”

Throughout Brain Cancer Awareness Month, Brain Cancer Canada and ambassadors like Brooke are using the campaign to spread awareness about underfunding, as well as the 120 different types of brain tumours and their symptoms.

“It’s such an awful disease,” says Brooke. “Because of where it lives in the body, you often lose your person before you lose them physically because it changes them. Surgeries are risky, and you often come away from surgeries with a changed person — personality, memory, physically. You lose your person, and it robs the individual of a quality of life, so we just hope and pray that one day we’ll be a leader in brain cancer initiatives in Canada.”

The goal throughout the month is to encourage others to “Go Grey in May.” Community members are encouraged to greyscale their social media profile pictures with the official grey ribbon, share their stories, join the Gala for Brain Cancer Research on Friday, May 22, start a fundraiser, or find other ways to raise awareness.

For her part, Brooke will also be hosting the third annual “5K for Sofie Maye.”

Held on Saturday, May 30, the event will see dozens of Sofie’s friends and family members walking or running five kilometres, often while donning her favourite colour purple. With a barbeque, silent auction, and a community of loved ones coming together, Brooke says it brings light to what is otherwise a difficult time of year for the family.

“That’s a heavy month for us because we lost Sofie on the 17th of May. but filling that month will all these things is just really helpful and good,” says Brooke. “There are lots of tears and lots of laughter. It’s a great way to get through a tough month.”

Through 5K for Sofie Maye, Brooke hopes to raise at least $5,000 to support Brain Cancer Canada.

“I tell people you can come and walk or run or crawl, but we’re going to get it done,” says Brooke. “All of my drive to do what we do is to honour her. She did many, many, many hard things over the course of the three years. We can do these hard things, too, with her courage as quite an example for the rest of us.”

To donate to 5K for Sofie Maye, visit braincancercanada.akaraisin.com/ui/fundraise/p/ed281fed9d09425ba92d4d943f71eab4.

Just hours before Peterborough city council is set to consider a staff report on a proposed $170-million multi-use sport and event centre in downtown Peterborough, Mayor Jeff Leal held a media conference to advocate for the project.

On Monday morning (May 4) at the office of the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, the mayor was joined by Chamber president and CEO Brenda Whitehead, Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) board chair Deanna Guttman, and Paul Harris-Lowe of RBC Dominion Securities, who is a member of the city’s economic development working group.

Alongside a sign reading “Vision 2096” and renderings of event centres in Sudbury and Brantford, Leal said the city needs the event centre to replace the aging Peterborough Memorial Centre.

A statement from the mayor’s office notes the Peterborough Memorial Centre “is already unable to host modern events and that capability will continue to deteriorate as it ages.” City staff have estimated it would cost $22.4 million over the next 15 years to keep the 70-year-old city-owned facility operational.

“We need to think about the next 70 years of Peterborough,” Leal said. “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.”

Leal referred to the new $45-million Canadian Canoe Museum, which was funded through a combination of public and private sources, as an example of how an event centre can draw visitors to the city. The museum saw more than 115,000 visitors in 2025, with more than two thirds coming from outside the region, generating an estimated $10.5 million in visitor spending and contributing almost $7 million to regional GDP, based on the Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model.

The Chamber and DBIA are also supporting the project, with Whitehead calling it an “economic opportunity.”

“Aging infrastructure limits our ability to attract major events and stay competitive,” she said. “A modern event centre strengthens Peterborough’s role as a regional hub while driving the kind of downtown activity that supports businesses across the entire region, and promotes opportunities for growth and further community development.”

For her part, Guttman said the event centre would be an investment in the future of the downtown.

“Facilities like this bring consistent energy, attract visitors, and create the conditions for local businesses to grow and thrive,” she said. “The DBIA strongly supports moving this project forward as a catalyst for long-term economic development and vibrancy in Peterborough’s core.”

Paul Harris-Lowe said a new event centre would bring businesses and their employees to Peterborough.

“A city which has the ability to provide activities in both the arts and in sports is a city business leaders are attracted to,” he said. “An event centre that Peterborough can be proud of will go a long way to attracting new business to Peterborough and making our city the hub for central-East Ontario.”

What is still unknown is how the city would pay for a new event centre.

At its general committee meeting on Monday evening, city council will consider a staff report from community services commissioner Sheldon Laidmen with six options for next steps for the approval and construction of the event centre, including how it could be financed by the city.

With a council-approved location at the site of the existing city bus garage on Townsend Street, the event centre is proposed as a 155,000-square-foot building seating 5,800 people with an estimated construction cost of $170 million — representing one of the largest single capital investments in the city’s history.

The six options to be presented to general committee on Monday night include:

1. Approving $1.7 million in funding so the project can proceed to a concept and site development phase, without committing to full financing for the project.
2. Approving $30 million in debt financing (the city’s existing debt limit) while seeking partnerships with the private sector for the remaining funding.
3. Approving $57 million in debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit while seeking remaining funding from other levels of government.
4. Approving $170 million for the entire project through a combination of $70 million in debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit and $100 million in funding through the sale of city assets.
5. Approving $170 million for the entire project through debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit.
6. Not proceeding any further with the project.

Debt financing options would result in property tax increases ranging from one to five per cent while also affecting the city’s ability to finance other capital projects.

The staff report also acknowledges that the actual construction cost for a new event centre may exceed $170 million.

“Large-scale recreation and entertainment facilities have historically experienced construction cost escalation during the design and procurement phases,” the report reads.

The staff report assumes the timeline for the project would be 2027 to 2031, which would place the project in the term of the next city council elected in October.

According to Neil Morton, the trajectory of his life has led him to a “perfect moment” where he believes he has the leadership, strategic vision, and commitment and passion to help Peterborough reach its full potential.

On Monday morning (May 4), the 55-year-old lifelong entrepreneur joined the mayoral race for this fall’s municipal election by filing his nomination papers at Peterborough City Hall.

In a recent in-depth interview with kawarthaNOW at the Silver Bean Cafe in The Canadian Canoe Museum, Morton spoke about his motivation for running for mayor and how he plans to lead the city if elected.

“I absolutely love Peterborough,” Morton said. “I think it has the potential to be one of the great Canadian cities to live in, to work in, and to visit, and I want to showcase the light on this city that’s not being shone right now. Come Monday, I’m going to be campaigning everywhere and learning the role of being an ambassador for this community.”

Morton’s decision to run for mayor is no surprise, given his self-described “100 coffees” initiative over the past six months. Calling it “one of the most empowering experiences of my life,” he met with a wide range of people, including social workers, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and politicians such as current city councillors and former mayors including Sylvia Sutherland, Daryl Bennett, and Paul Ayotte, as well as participating in a ride-along with Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts.

“I’m listening and learning because the only way to know where we’re going is to actually know the truth, and the hard truths of where we’re at, and not just face things on gossip and conjecture,” he said.

‘You can’t take Peterborough out of the person’

Born in Toronto, Morton moved to Peterborough as a young child after his mother Patricia joined Trent University to teach history and women’s studies and his father David joined Quaker Oats, later becoming president and CEO. Growing up in the city’s north end, he attended Edmison Heights Public School, Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute, and Trent University before leaving Peterborough to study journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson).

After living and working in Toronto for 20 years, including as a pop culture columnist for Metro News and editor-in-chief for technology and culture magazine Shift, he moved back to Peterborough in 2011 with his wife and two daughters.

“You can take the person out of Peterborough, but you can’t take Peterborough out of the person, and I came back,” Morton said.

He co-founded the website PtboCanada.com with the intent of focusing on positive stories about Peterborough, and then the digital marketing agency StudioPtbo, later selling his ownership in both companies. He also co-authored the 2021 book What If You Could? The Mindset and Business Blueprint for Your Life of Purpose and was one of the co-founders of the now-defunct Electric City Football Club (FC).

Currently co-founder and vice president of marketing of 3D-printing construction company Cormor Inc., Morton is also a business development consultant for former Peterborough MP Maryam Monsef’s company Onward.

His volunteer work in the community has included chairing the United Way Peterborough & District’s 2017 fundraising campaign, serving as a member of the board of the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and serving as an ambassador for the Canadian Canoe Museum’s “Move The Collection: The Final Portage” campaign in 2023. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame in 2023 and Adam Scott’s Hall of Honour in 2024.

“I feel like the trajectory of the Peterborough chapters of my life have led me to this moment, and the moment is perfect,” said Morton of his decision to run for mayor. “It aligns with where I’m at and where Peterborough is at and what it needs.”

Giving people a voice again

During his 100 coffees meetings, Morton said people told him they feel like “they’re not being heard” when it comes to civic engagement.

“People really care about this community and this city, and right now they feel like they’re getting a little bit apathetic, if you will. They’re kind of waiting there to be utilized or heard, because we have a lot of amazing, all-star people in this community.”

That, he added, has led to what he calls “a mindset of scarcity or conservation, as opposed to a mindset of abundance,” where people feel disengaged from civic life.

“I am going to give them a voice again,” Morton said. “I’m going to be the leader and help steer the ship, but we need everyone to get on this train, so to speak, and be loud again about who we are.”

As an example, he points to business owners who feel they are not being recognized by the city for their economic contributions to the community.

“For me, a big role I will play, being the chief ambassador not just the mayor — that’s why I look at myself — is attracting business here, attracting tourists here, attracting families here, attracting doctors here, building prosperity for this community.”

‘Growth creates growth’

According to Morton, economic prosperity is key to dealing with issues like homelessness.

“I met with some social workers and some advocates for youth homelessness and I asked ‘What’s the answer to this?’, and they said one of the big answers is economic development. It fundamentally is prosperity, wealth — whatever you want to call it — for the community, so the more money we make as a community, the more we invest in ourselves. Growth creates growth. The more we can help everyone in this community, the social safety net gets bigger, and we all get a bigger slice of the pie.”

Morton attributes a lack of economic development to “taking shortcuts with projects” and “not going all in” when opportunities present themselves, such as the proposed entertainment complex in downtown Peterborough, which will be brought forward to city council again at Monday night’s general committee meeting.

“When we did the (Peterborough) Memorial Centre a few years ago, we decided not to build a new facility at that point,” he said. “We decided to basically retrofit the Mem Centre, an old barn, so we put a lot of money into that. Maybe that money would have been more well spent at that point into a new arena.”

He added that he supports a new entertainment complex, but “only under the right arrangement that does not gouge taxpayers.”

“If there’s a private-public partnership to be done, I see that as being a huge economic driver for the downtown — a big anchor tenant down there at Market Plaza if that’s where it’s going to be. Then, with all the wraparound amenities that would happen there, whether it’s a convention centre or a hotel, microbreweries, more restaurants, cafes .., it’s limitless, but that is one possibility if the deal is done properly.”

“It’s an entertainment facility where we could embed the local arts and culture scene, which we need to do a better job of as well. It’s not just about the Petes or Lakers, which are an institution here. We don’t want to lose them, (but) it’s about bringing people together into that one facility that also all the wraparound services, driving more traffic downtown before (people) go to a concert or a play or a sports event, and then go out afterwards as well.”

‘Chief ambassador for the community’

Morton said he will be launching a survey called “Ptbo Priorities” this week in an effort to continue engaging residents and ensuring his platform is a reflection of the people he aims to serve as mayor.

“I want people to be honest and be heard, and that will help form my policies and platform and vision for the community,” he said. “I have one at a macro level already, which is being bold, emphatic, bringing more wealth to the community, (and) shining the light in the community.”

As mayor, Morton said he will be a “chief ambassador for the community,” including by going on podcasts and radio and even by starting “our own podcast and telling the story of all the amazing entrepreneurs here and visionaries here.”

“My background is in communications,” he explained. “I’m going to be loud about storytelling and showcasing. I’ve been accused of having rose-coloured glasses over the years — or plaid-coloured glasses, or whatever you want to say (Morton is known for his love of plaid) — but I think we need more people to have that outlook on how to fix problems.”

“We’re not immune to the problems happening in other municipalities, but let’s get ahead of the curve. Let’s maybe look at other best practices that are happening in other communities and municipalities around the world — maybe we can tweak it or come up with our own positive solutions.”

Homelessness and the ‘missing middle’ in housing

On the issue of homelessness, Morton said creating more economic prosperity will result in “a Peterborough for all.”

“People that are homeless do not want to be homeless. They don’t want to be living on the streets and encampments. They want to be living in their own home, and we need to find (solutions) and we are; I’ve talked to people who believe we are on the right path to getting a lot of these people housed.”

Morton said he “can see both sides” of the issue.

“I can see the people living in encampments are disrupting businesses and disrupting residential streets,” he said. “I want people to feel safe in their own community and I do want them to feel secure — they deserve that — but (homeless people) deserve to have all the opportunities that we can give them to put them in a better position to get out of whatever put them into that, whether trauma or rut, and get them out of that and get them into the housing continuum.”

Morton also said there is no “easy answer” to addressing the “missing middle” in housing — multi-residential units such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and rowhouses instead of single-family homes and high-rise developments.

“I’ve talked to people in the missing middle in town right now who are really struggling, where they’ve gone through a divorce and they had to sell their house and go into the rental market, and they have quite a hefty deposit, but they can’t buy back into the market because they just they can’t afford the cost of living,” he said. “I’ve heard that people are even barely paying their mortgages and are having to use food banks here.”

“We need to find creative solutions working with developers who have altruistic approaches to development as well, and really want to bring in at least a ratio of what’s truly defined as affordable, because often affordable housing now is not even close to being affordable.”

Those creative solutions, Morton added, include alternative residential units (ARUs), “where you move mom in or your kids stay with you longer, but you have a coach house in your backyard or an apartment dwelling.”

“We have to allow for more viable solutions and remove some of the red tape and bureaucracy to get more people housed, and give them hope. Right now a lot of people don’t have that hope.”

On city staff who don’t live in Peterborough

Asked about public criticism of senior city staff who do not live in Peterborough and yet make decisions that affect the community, Morton said he would encourage them to experience the city even if they don’t live in the community.

“You need to live and breathe the community you’re working in,” he said. “You need to be right at ground level, seeing and hearing and listening and doing all the things like going to Market Hall, going to the Friday art crawl, going to the Petes games. I think that’s the most realistic tangible way of actually knowing what’s happening in your community and making really thoughtful, pragmatic decisions that aren’t generic decisions that could happen in any municipality.

“In a utopian world, I would like to see (city) staff live here, absolutely, or at least in the region, because a big part of my mayoral run is selling the region. It’s working with the county as well. It’s bringing people together again and selling the region as a whole, and not just Peterborough. If a family happens to live in the county, it’s all good, because if they move here from the GTA and they live in the county, they’re still going to come to Peterborough. They’re going to come to the Canoe Museum, they’re going to come to the restaurants in Peterborough, they’re going to spend their money here.”

On the city’s relationship with the county

As for the economic development relationship between the City of Peterborough and the County of Peterborough following the dissolution this past council term of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), Morton said the city and county need to find a way to work together again.

“It should be a win-win — to me, it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game if you get a business in the county and we don’t get it,” he said. “The next lead could be more viable that the county gives us to land something here in the city, but we need to be working together on lead generation, and at least landing it here in the area and not losing it to another municipality.”

“I’m definitely going to work toward bringing people together again. What happened in the past happened in the past, whether I agreed or not, but the only way to fix things now is to work together. It cannot be a siloed approach, and right now that’s what’s happening in many regards.”

Asked about the contrast between the city’s support for the proposed Alto high-speed rail network and the county’s opposition, and the city’s decision to approve the Coldsprings growth area for a potential Alto station location without first consulting with the county, Morton pointed to a lack of ongoing communication.

“It’s not a competition — it’s a win-win for the region,” he said. “I had this conversation with Murray Jones from when he was the (county) warden and worked with (former Peterborough mayor) Darryl (Bennett). You couldn’t have really picked more opposite people, but they worked together to sell the region. That’s what we need, and I’m committed to that. Whoever the warden is, I’ll work with them.”

“As far as Alto goes, it’s like winning the lottery. It’s a game changer. Alto is going to do their thing and be thoughtful about not disrupting too many people’s lives. I can see the rural aspect, but how do highways ever get built and rail lines ever get built? I just had a friend who is part of my team who just got back from Europe and they’re light years ahead of us with high-speed rail.”

“We’ve got to catch up. We’ve got to move forward and, for Peterborough, it’s going to be a massive economic driver … People can commute to Trent or Fleming every day, commute for jobs every day, come and visit the Canoe Museum for a day.”

“We can’t just be on the fence all the time and talk ourselves out of things — it’s not going to push us forward as a region and a city.”

Downtown revitalization

Asked about his top priorities, Morton spoke again about economic development, including downtown revitalization.

“We have a lovely, beautiful downtown that has enormous potential, but we need to take that next level,” he said. “The micro example being (the late community advocate) Ann Farquharson when she went out with (city councillor) Alex Bierk and spray painted that garbage can. You don’t want your downtown to get blighted; you want it to feel welcoming to all. Curb appeal is really important.”

“The downtown is going to be huge for me. We need more murals down there. Jason Wilkins was one of my 100 coffees — one of the most talented mural artists in Canada happens to live in Peterborough and loves it in Peterborough — and he said we should be doing more murals that just captivate people when they come into town. They stop and they do Instagram photos. We need to be open to doing more things to drive people downtown.”

Property taxes and strong mayor powers

When it comes to property taxes, Morton said his goal would to avoid raising them beyond inflation, which he would accomplish by increasing the city’s revenues by attracting more businesses, more families, more residential development, and more tourism.

“We’ve got to bring in more dollars and then we don’t have to raise taxes. I never want to feel like constituents are being gouged. You should feel like (when) you’re paying taxes and your user fees as well that you’re getting bang for your buck … you’re not getting penalized and having to pay to offset these deficiencies that are happening.”

On the issue of strong mayor powers, Morton said he has “no intention of using them” but wouldn’t rule it out.

“I’m always striving for consensus and collaboration on council, but I’m not going to be the one to say I’ve never going to use something, if there’s an emergency situation to do with homelessness or housing,” he said.

“I’m going to be very transparent with constituents and I’m not going to put that stake in the ground and say I’m never going to use strong mayor powers, but the goal is to never use them. The province has given us that legal authority … to do that if we want, so it is potentially a tool in the toolkit, but the goal is not to use it. The goal is to have consensus and staff and council that works together.”

On the perception of privilege

When it became known he was considering running for mayor, one of the early criticisms levelled against Morton is that, as the son of well-known philanthropist parents, he comes from a position of privilege — with the implication being that he will not pay attention or be empathetic to the issues facing people who are marginalized.

“My parents are amazing, altruistic philanthropic people, and that’s a beautiful thing that’s rubbed off on me as well and how I want to give back to the community,” said Morton.

Over the years, Patricia and David Morton have donated many hundreds of thousands of dollars through their family foundation to local charities and organizations including the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Trent University, the Peterborough Humane Society, the United Way of Peterborough & District, and the Morton Community Healthcare Centre in Lakefield.

“Being privileged is not in any way going to get in the way of how I lead this community,” Morton added, noting that he volunteered at a church soup kitchen when he was living in Toronto and is familiar with socioeconomic issues such as homelessness from his time as the United Way campaign chair.

“It’s a Peterborough for all,” said Morton, returning to the phrase he used repeatedly throughout the interview. “I grew up in a middle-class neighbourhood in the north end of Peterborough. My parents earned everything they got, and now they give back in spades to this community. They’re very compassionate and they’re empathetic people.”

‘My lens on life is more joy-baiting than rage-baiting’

On that topic, Morton said “We need more empathy and community and more kindness” and suggested that people who are “chirping on Facebook and Twitter and Redditt” about how the city is being run could become actively engaged in making things better.

“We need these people to come out and not be in a spectator sport. We need them to stand up, because a lot of them are saying pretty smart stuff; they’re pretty articulate and charismatic. It’s just how they’re channelling it, and I need them to come out and level up and be part of the solution and not the problem.”

“How do you want to wake up every day? … Do you want to wake up with a positive outlook, like how you can change your own life and your family life and your community, or do you want to wake up and think about how to take other people down? My lens on life is more joy-baiting than rage-baiting. It’s just a healthy way to live.”

‘I’m going to change the mindset of the community and bring people together’

While Morton’s trademark positivity may lead some to accuse him of being a Pollyanna, he said he is prepared to face criticism, including about his failures.

“Part of being an entrepreneur is succeeding and failing, and I have failed in some of my businesses,” he explained. “Stuff like Electric City FC is going to come up … I’m very proud of being part of that as one of the original four to help get the right people and ingredients to make that happen. And it did happen for a couple of years. Did it fail in the end? Yeah, but it happened, it was here, and for a moment there it was doing really well.”

“I can own my failures and successes in life and I’m good with that. I’d rather live that way than being on the fence with everything.”

As for why Peterborough voters should choose him over the other mayoral candidates, Morton said “I believe I can be the best leader for this community because I have all the attributes, in terms of leadership, culture, being an entrepreneur, an innovator, and being involved with different organizations in Peterborough.”

“People that know me know how I feel about this city. I absolutely love it, and I want it to be one of the greatest Canadian cities to live and visit, and I believe we can get there. We have rivers and lakes all around us here, we have all the amenities here, and I’m going to change the mindset of the community and bring people together. I feel like I can do the best job at that.”

Morton will officially kick off his campaign at a public launch event at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26 at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough.

With files from Bruce Head.