A report on the Peterborough Public Library’s draft 2026 operational budget to be presented to the library board on Tuesday (September 9) states that three librarian positions and a full-time library CEO position previously removed from the budget will be reinstated.

At the same time, the report from the City of Peterborough’s acting director of cultural services Joe Crooks recommends a one-hour reduction in the library’s weekday hours of operation as one of three cost-saving measures.

The report notes the library’s 2026 draft budget has increased by 17.5 per cent, including a four per cent increase as a result of the library’s information technology costs being accounted for in the library’s budget instead of the city’s budget. In addition, the draft budget will increase even more by reinstating the three librarian positions and the full-time library CEO position.

The changes follow months of controversy after a decision by city council during deliberations on the city’s 2025 budget last fall to approve the elimination of two positions at the library as well as the reclassification of some positions as lower-paid positions to save $120,000 of the city’s $411 million operating budget.

After the city’s budget was approved earlier this year, library management subsequently decided to lay off three of the library’s four full-time unionized librarians, including a children’s librarian, the adult and teen programming librarian, and the librarian who manages the library’s information systems. Two positions (an outreach coordinator and a programming assistant) would be created, resulting in a net reduction of one position.

The planned changes to staffing at the library resulted in strong community opposition, particularly by a number of concerned parents who launched an online petition that garnered over 2,600 signatures and who founded the Our Future Peterborough grassroots advocacy group.

On June 10, Our Future Peterborough issued an open letter signed by more than 100 celebrated writers, artists, educators, and performers — Margaret Atwood, Neil Young, and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson among them. The letter received coverage from local media and national media including the CBC and The Toronto Star.

Less than a week later, the City of Peterborough announced the staff reorganization at the library had been “paused” so the city could “consider other options for meeting budgetary constraints.”

“The city has heard and appreciates the support for library services expressed by residents and others who have advocated for the Peterborough Public Library,” a media release stated. “While the approved budget needs to be followed, the city is exploring all options to ensure the most effective means to reduce the budget while maintaining the same level and quality of service, through constructive meetings with Peterborough Public Library staff.”

The following day, the city also announced Jennifer Jones — who was responsible for implementing council’s budget decision — was no longer CEO of the library or an employee of the City of Peterborough. In addition to being the library’s CEO, Jones had been appointed the city’s director of cultural services only five months earlier, after acting as the city’s director of arts and culture for almost a year. No reason was given for her departure.

At the same time, the city announced Crooks had been appointed as acting director of cultural services.

In a second report to update the library board on “general matters” concerning library operations, Crooks writes “Many decisions made over the last year brought unexpected workplace unease and insecurity to the library staff and board.”

“The goal this summer was to bring stability to the library, and to ensure all parties are heard and feel safe,” the report states. “Over the course of the summer a variety of initiatives have been put in place to empower the voice of the staff, leadership team, union executive, and library board.”

Those initiatives included a staff suggestion box, a survey, 28 meetings between Crooks and individual staff, labour relations meetings with the union executive, bi-weekly library leadership meetings, a joint workplace improvement session with the leadership team, union executive, and board members to review survey results and board options, and question-and-answer sessions with staff to review recommended changes.

One of those changes is the reinstatement of the CEO position within the library as a stand-alone position, rather than being part of the role of director of cultural services. As the library’s 2025 budget did not have any budget allocated for the CEO position, the 2026 budget will be adjusted to cover the reinstatement of the position.

According to Crooks, the CEO job description has been updated and recruitment is expected to begin immediately. The new library CEO will conduct the recruitment for the vacant library services manager, which is currently being held on an acting basis by Laura Gardner.

The report also notes that CUPE Local 1833 representing library staff is in active collective agreement negotiations with the city, but there is “limited information” that can be shared with the board about the negotiations.

The report on the library’s draft 2026 operational budget states that the increased costs to the library by reinstating the CEO position and the three librarian positions will be “countered” by:

• $92,571 in savings through adjustments to the staffing model at the library’s new second branch at the Miskin Law Community Complex
• $61,722 in savings by reviewing contract renewals for software, and
• an unspecified amount of savings by reducing operating hours of the library’s main branch on Aylmer Street by one hour Monday through Friday, closing at 7 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.

On the last point, a third report to be considered by the board reviewed the feasibility of the cost-saving suggestion of reducing the operating hours of the main library branch. An audit of main branch users during the first six months of 2025 found that only 4,451 of the library’s 77,313 weekday visitors used the library between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. during weekdays, representing 5.76 per cent of weekday traffic and 4.01 per cent of total traffic.

“The data did not support reducing hours outside of Monday through Friday,” the report states. “Weekend numbers represent the highest level of service users. In the future, if budget constraints occur, the library CEO could analysis the numbers again and consider a reduction suggestion to 6 p.m. Currently the suggestion is to close at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.”

The report on the library’s draft 2026 operational budget states that, once the board approves the reduced hours, “a scheduling project will launch to determine the implementation of the above changes.”

An updated budget report will be presented at the October board meeting.

Not-for-profit and community organizations within Peterborough that support older adults can apply now for one of two $5,000 grants towards their senior care projects and healthy aging initiatives.

The Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) is currently accepting applications for its annual Senior Care Micro Grants program, a funding initiative GPHSF first launched in 2024. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30.

“The sole goal of these grants is to help seniors in our community have a better quality of life, whether that’s helping to provide nutritious food, access to medical care, health and wellness activities, mental health programming or any number of other supports,” Vince Bierworth, GPHSF’s executive director, told kawarthaNOW.

According to a 2024 statement from Bierworth announcing the inaugural recipients, Community Care Peterborough and the Peterborough Family Health Team, it was a “difficult process to narrow down the applications” submitted for last year’s program.

“Our committee, which was made up of healthcare professionals and community members, were very impressed with the quality and variety of projects submitted,” he said.

Community Care Peterborough received a grant to address food insecurity within the community’s population of seniors through its Meals on Wheels program, along with grocery shopping and delivery support. Meanwhile, the Peterborough Family Health Team received a grant for equipment aimed at increasing ease and access to care for seniors who do not have a family doctor and are using one of the team’s two unattached patient clinics.

“Our two recipients last year addressed very immediate issues in our community and the country at large: the increase in food costs and food insecurity within our senior population, and access to medical care,” Bierworth told kawarthaNOW. “We are happy to be a small part of the work they are trying to do.”

Applications for this year’s program are open to community and not-for-profit organizations, including medical organizations, that run programming and services, or are proposing to run programming and services, within the boundaries of the city and county of Peterborough, Hiawatha First Nation, and Curve Lake First Nation.

A maximum of $5,000 is available for each of the two grants. The grants can be used as seed money to address a new need, or as financial support for an existing program.

According to GPHSF, proposed projects must be general in scope and inclusive of and serving as many seniors as possible. Projects must be completed within one year of grant approval, unless GPHSF grants an extension.

Senior care micro grant projects may include research, equipment, nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. Applicants must provide a project timeline and budget.

GPHSF said priority will be given to projects that have a lasting impact on the community, support emerging needs in the community, and improve the quality of life for seniors in the community.

All grant applications must be from a not-for-profit charitable organization, with a charitable registration number, located in or serving the city or county of Peterborough.

The senior care micro grants have been made possible by the June Towle Trust. Before she passed away in 2023, Towle established a trust fund that would see money from her estate be donated to the GPHSF.

For more information and to apply, visit www.gphsf.ca/seniorcaremicrogrant/, where you can also make a donation to support the Senior Care Fund.

Only a day after Peterborough city council had voted to defer an update on the project to renovate and expand the city’s police stations that included a $25.4 million increase to the project budget, councillors reversed course and voted to approve the update following an unexpected move into closed session.

Meeting as general committee on Tuesday evening (September 2), council had considered a report from the city’s finance and corporate support services commissioner Richard Freymond that described four changes to the approved budget that would result in the $25.4 million budget increase, including an additional 15,000 square feet of space at a cost of $7.125 million, a new parking garage beside the Water Street police station at a cost of $2.4 million, energy and building efficiency measures at a cost of $4.375 million, and an additional $11.5 million to cover the $15.5 million purchase cost of the Lansdowne Street West property.

After police chief Stuart Betts and Eric Riddell, partner and architect at Shoalts and Zaback Architects, made a presentation to council and answered questions, councillor Alex Bierk put forward a motion to defer the report back to city staff for details on what costs are related to mandatory versus discretionary requirements.

“Before we commit taxpayers to this astronomical budget increase, we need clarity,” Bierk said during the meeting. “We need to know exactly which project elements are required by law and which are discretionary choices, and we need to make sure the police project stands on its own, with its own budget and cap, not to be tied up with other city ambitions for the site.”

After some debate, council 6-5 in favour of Bierk’s motion, with he and councillors Joy Lachica, Matt Crowley, Keith Riel, Dave Haacke, and Andrew Beamer voting in favour and Mayor Jeff Leal and councillors Lesley Parnell, Kevin Duguay, Gary Baldwin, and Don Vassiliadis voting against.

Bierk’s motion was up for final approval at the regular city council meeting on Wednesday night (September 3), following four hours of delegations and discussion on a zoning by-law amendment for a 17-storey building in East City.

When the motion was about to be considered after 10 p.m., Bierk called the question just as councillor Baldwin put forward a motion to move the discussion into closed session, referring to an unspecified matter of solicitor-client privilege and related communications. If calling the question was approved, council would have immediately voted on Bierk’s motion prior to moving into closed session.

Council voted 4-7 against calling the question, with councillors Bierk, Lachica, Beamer, and Riel voting in favour and Mayor Leal and councillors Crowley, Vassiliadis, Haacke, Parnell, Duguay, and Baldwin voting against.

Baldwin then was able to proceed with his motion to move into closed session, where the discussion is not available to the public, with council voting unanimously in support of the motion.

Around half an hour later, councillors Bierk, Lachica, and Riel left the closed session.

When council reconvened in chambers, debate resumed on councillor Bierk’s motion followed by a vote. The motion lost 5-6, with councillor Haacke switching his vote from Tuesday night’s general committee meeting when he had supported Bierk’s motion.

Councillors then voted 7-4 to approve the original main motion, with councillor Crowley — who had voted twice in favour of Bierk’s motion — joining Haacke to support the main motion. Councillors Bierk, Lachica, Riel, and Beamer voted against the motion.

On Thursday (September 4), councillor Bierk provided kawarthaNOW with a statement as to why he left the closed session after around 30 minutes, along with Riel. Lachica had already left the closed session around 10 minutes after it started.

“We got railroaded last night in our attempt to defer the police renovations budget,” Bierk said. “Council was pulled into an unplanned closed session, and when the discussion shifted from solicitor-client privileged advice to discussing my motion, I left.”

“I believe those conversations and other elements of what happened — which I am not at liberty to discuss — were completely out of order and should have taken place as part of the public debate.”

The approval of the main motion means city council is approving the $25.4 million increase to the project budget, for a total estimated budget of $91.9 million — an increase of over 38 per cent from the originally approved budget of $66.4 million.

This story has been updated to clarify that councillors Bierk and Riel left the closed session around 20 minutes after Lachica had already left.