From donating canned tuna to saving spare change to gift to a local food bank, Northumberland County is encouraging residents to participate in “Hunger Action Month.”

County council recently proclaimed September as “Hunger Action Month,” in the hopes of raising awareness about food insecurity and driving donations for Northumberland County’s food banks.

Nationwide, Hunger Action Month is dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges of accessing food, advocating to end hunger and poverty across Canada, and recognizing the work being done by local food banks, school nutrition programs, community meals and hunger relief programs, to make a difference.

As part of Hunger Action Month, the county has developed a calendar that has a small task on each day of September that residents can complete to support better food security. Examples including donating lunch money to a food bank and volunteering for a nutrition program at a local school.

The calendar is available to download in PDF format from the county’s website.

Overall, the “30 Ways in 30 Days” Hunger Action Month initiative challenges community members to participate in small actions throughout the month of September to help support local food banks and food security programs, and to reduce food waste.

“Food banks across the province are experiencing record-breaking increases in use,” said Lisa Horne, Northumberland County’s community and social services director, in a media release.

“Between April of 2022 and March of 2023, 800,822 adults and children accessed food banks over 5.88 million times in Ontario. Locally, in 2023, over 5,000 residents made over 74,000 visits to food banks in Northumberland. This indicates a 32 per cent increase in use compared to 2022, underscoring the importance of initiatives like Hunger Action Month to raise awareness and galvanize support for community services addressing this issue.”

Throughout September, Northumberland County Food 4 All and Northumberland’s 12 local food banks are joining Food Banks Canada and Feed Ontario in their efforts to promote initiatives to help end hunger. At the national level, Food Banks Canada supports food banks and raises awareness about food bank usage in Canada. Provincially, this work is carried out by Feed Ontario.

Locally, Northumberland County Food 4 All’s Feed Change 2024 report is available to download for those who wish to learn more about local food support and see distribution and usage data for food banks and school nutrition programs in Northumberland.

The county encourages community members to visit and share the Food Help in Northumberland County web page at foodhelpnorthumberland.cioc.ca to find out where residents can access local food support.

Community members can also follow the Northumberland County Food 4 All Facebook page and share the county’s Hunger Action Month content to help spread the word about food security, the release noted.

To participate in the “30 Ways in 30 Days” challenge, visit northumberland.ca/HungerActionMonth or follow the Northumberland County Food 4 All Facebook page for daily reminders of how to support Hunger Action Month.

According to the Feed Change 2024 report, 5,297 people were served by food banks in Northumberland in 2023. Of those individuals, 71 per cent were adults and 29 per cent were children aged 17 and under.

Last year, Food 4 All distributed 1,217,435 pounds of product valued at $4,273,196.80.

During the 2023-2024 school year, Food 4 All helped 43 local school nutrition programs feed more than 6,000 students. An average of 103,673 meals and snacks were served.

In Northumberland, items most in demand at local food banks are fresh fruit and vegetables, canned meat and fish, peanut butter, canned soups and stews, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, canned pasta, and toilet paper.

Golden Rescue, one of Canada’s largest single-breed rescue groups, will attempt to break two world records in September in the hopes of securing a $20,000 donation.

During its 34th annual picnic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 21st at Viamede Resort in Woodview in North Kawartha Township, the non-profit charitable organization hopes to top the Guinness World Record for both the largest “dog wedding” and the largest cake for dogs.

If Golden Rescue succeeds at breaking both records, a donor has committed to contributing $20,000 to the volunteer-run organization to support its work at rescuing golden retrievers, primarily in Canada but also around the world.

Golden Rescue is aiming to bring together a record 358 dogs, who will be dressed in wedding attire and paired as brides and grooms. You don’t have to own two dogs to participate — single dogs are also welcome, as they will be paired with another dog.

Participants are asked to bring wedding attire for their dogs, which can be a simple veil or bow. If you are willing to invest in more elaborate attire, there will also be a best-dressed bride and groom contest.

The wedding procession of the 179 pairs of dogs (the current world record is 178 pairs) will begin at 2 p.m., with the ceremony officiated by Canadian journalist and former news anchor Lloyd Robertson. Wedding certificates will be given to all dog brides and grooms.

After the dog wedding, every furry guest will get a slice of what Golden Rescue hopes will be the world’s largest cake for dogs: a 350-pound cake to break the current world record of 311 pounds. Everyone will be able to take a slice of cake home as well.

The cost to attend the annual picnic is $15 per person or $30 per family, which includes a BBQ lunch.

If you’re interested in attending the picnic and participating in the world record-breaking attempts, email picnic@goldenrescue.ca.

At GreenUP, we constantly ask, “How can we advance sustainable action in our community?” This question drives our work every day, and we’re excited to introduce our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan — our guiding document in the years ahead.

At its core, GreenUP’s work is to inspire and empower healthy and sustainable action in our community. That work will be more effective when GreenUP is successful in acting in accordance with the five directions laid out in our new strategic plan.

Sustainability touches every aspect of daily life and GreenUP’s work reflects these many facets. From conserving native species and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimizing single-use plastics and promoting active transportation, we aim to support sustainable choices in our community.

This strategic plan is meant to reflect the broad areas of work for which GreenUP is known, and to provide more universal measures that we can use to direct our efforts.

Goal One: Deliver impactful programming that meets the needs of our community

Our first goal is focused on our programming and the people we serve.

The intent is to guide GreenUP in making consistent choices about how our organization invests our capacity and measures our success across our highly diverse programming areas.

Goal Two: Welcome community members into spaces that educate, inspire and engage

We recognize the very important role that our team plays in ensuring that whatever space we happen to be working in – physical or social – that our community is there with us to be educated and inspired.

GreenUP operates Ecology Park, our downtown office, and the Store & Resource Centre. Our program coordinators also facilitate education in schools, community gardens, businesses, and public spaces. We are committed to providing welcoming and educational experiences in every space we operate.

Our staff learn how to teach anywhere, and GreenUP wants to ensure that we provide welcoming educational experiences everywhere that we work!

Goal Three: Ensure sustained financial viability to achieve our mission

With over 30 years of experience, we understand that financial sustainability is crucial to achieving our vision of a healthy and sustainable community.

This goal emphasizes the need for continual focus on our financial health, ensuring we can evaluate our value and success.

Goal Four: Collaborate with government, business, and community stakeholders to achieve greater positive impacts on our climate

GreenUP knows that to mitigate and adapt to climate change, we must work together. Our fourth strategic goal speaks to the way we want to relate to others, and how we can collaborate to achieve our mission.

GreenUP is proud to enable our community to have conversations about our environment and to create relationships that support people and businesses in undertaking the difficult task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Through this goal of our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, GreenUP aims to use our place as a community leader to leverage positive change and advance climate action across our region.

Goal Five: Demonstrate equity and justice in the environmental movement through our organizational culture

The fifth and final goal speaks to our culture at GreenUP. This priority directs our leadership to include a focus on justice and equity as we strive to inspire and empower environmental action in our community.

The climate crisis has disproportionate negative impacts on black, indigenous, and people of colour. Our staff and our board recognize how the environmental movement has disproportionately benefited populations who are white, educated, and with greater wealth. In order to address past injustice and work toward a better future for all members of our community, acknowledging this disparity is an important component of GreenUP’s current strategic plan.

Ensuring that GreenUP’s organizational structure – our policies and procedures, training and practices – are grounded in an equity-based approach is important to GreenUP. Through this goal, GreenUP also acknowledges our collective responsibility to uphold the treaties that our ancestors signed and to act on the Calls to Action made by Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

The intent of this goal is to build an organizational culture that actively addresses reconciliation and environmental justice as fundamental components of an environmentally healthy and sustainable community.

Our leadership team is proud to share this new Strategic Plan with our community. We believe it demonstrates our commitment to investing our capacity to elevate success in our programs, enhance the spaces we work in, ensure the financial viability of our services, support the community we work in, and championing a positive culture in the years to come.

When GreenUP is successful in achieving each of our strategic directions our vision for an environmentally healthy and sustainable community will be more possible to fulfill.

Read the full 2024-2028 Strategic Plan at greenup.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Strategic-Plan-2024-2028_web.pdf.

We hope you will join us in committing to healthy and sustainable action in our community. Visit greenup.on.ca to learn more about all of our offerings, and how you can get involved.

As Peterborough-Nogojiwanong Pride gets set for Pride Week in September, Rick Lambert says if people walk away feeling included and accepted, the week will be a success.

As a Pride committee member, Lambert has a few hopes for this year’s week-long Pride celebration, which runs from September 20 to 29 in Peterborough.

“Having nobody show up to protest or harass people at any Pride events, and (having) all participants come away feeling positive and energized to continue participating in their community going forward,” would be best possible outcomes, Lambert told kawarthaNOW.

The committee member is most looking forward to the opportunity the week provides to connect with others in the Peterborough community.

“As for events, with most of the events run by community members and such a wide variety, there is truly something for everyone,” Lambert said. “Carole Pope performing at Market Hall is an exciting addition this year which some folks will want to see.”

Pope is described as an agent provocateur “pushing the boundaries of sexuality, sexual politics, and the status quo,” according to her website. The British-born Canadian singer-songwriter is co-founder of the band Rough Trade and has acquired numerous accolades, including recognition through the Juno, Genie, and CASBY awards.

Meanwhile, the Peterborough library is hosting a film and a number of other events, which Lambert anticipates will be interesting.

Peterborough-Nogojiwanong Pride expects to announce additional events in the days leading up to Pride Week. To stay up to date on the events and activities on the roster for Pride Week, visit peterboroughpride.ca/events/.

While June is recognized as Pride Month in many communities in Canada, Peterborough has chosen to host Pride celebrations in September, as the week is rooted in local history.

“Pride in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong was started in mid-September 2003 by a group of Fleming (College) and Trent (University) students so we have stuck with that time slot to ensure students can participate,” Lambert explained. “Although we have asked the community if they want to move to Pride Month in June, the response has been to stick with September.”

Meanwhile, there were a number of community-run events held in June and in other months as well, Lambert noted.

“We hope to support more events year-round so the 2SLGBTQ+ community can stay connected going forward.”

For 2024 Pride Week, the theme is “Educate. Activate. Celebrate!”

“We want to uplift the 2SLGBTQ+ members of our community by educating about all our realities, promoting action and visibility, and celebrating solidarity and strength,” Peterborough-Nogojiwanong Pride noted in a media release.

“We invite everyone to embrace the theme of Pride Week and make it their own.”

For more on the theme, visit peterboroughpride.ca/our-pride-theme/.

According to the release, a group of “bold and courageous individuals” organized Peterborough’s inaugural Gay Pride parade in 2003, and former mayor Sylvia Sutherland officially proclaimed September 13 as Gay Pride Day.

That year, around 300 people participated in the parade.

For 2024, plans are in the works for more than 25 community-run virtual and in-person gatherings that folks can participate in safely during Pride Week. Organizers said participants can wear masks at events to help protect themselves and others.

“Pride Week events will continue to provide space for participants to gather, share ideas, speak their minds, support each other, and have fun in a safe and accepting environment,” the release said.

The Pride parade this year begins at Peterborough City Hall, located at 500 George St. N., at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 28.

Taking place in Millennium Park following the parade, the annual “Pride in the Park” event will feature performers, family-friendly music, information booths from groups and agencies that support the queer community, vendors, a food booth and beer/beverage tent, and a family and children’s activity area.

Northumberland County residents and visitors can enjoy a pint for a purpose for a limited time.

The Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre Foundation is teaming up with the Ganaraska Brewing Company, The Thirsty Goose, and The Beamish House, all located in Port Hope, for “Hops for Hospice,” a fundraiser that supports hospice care through the purchase of a speciality beer.

When patrons raise a glass of Ganaraska Brewing’s “Port Hop” west coast pilsner, $1 from every pint sold and 50 cents from the purchase of each can will benefit the Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre Foundation.

Joel Scott, director of donor relations and communications for Community Care Northumberland and the Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre, said the organization is grateful for the Hops for Hospice fundraiser, which is being spearheaded by David Dines from Ganaraska Brewing Company.

“When David came to us with the idea, his passion for creating a community beer with Ganaraska Brewing Company, The Thirsty Goose, and The Beamish House, really excited us,” Scott told kawarthaNOW. “This is their third year running the fundraiser, and we are honoured to be this year’s recipients.”

“We’re incredibly grateful to David, the teams at Ganaraska Brewing Company, The Thirsty Goose, and The Beamish House, and our community for coming together to support Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre,” Scott added.

The Port Hop brew is described as a clean, crisp, and easy-drinking beverage.

Purchasing Port Hop helps the Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre Foundation continue to provide compassionate care for individuals and families in need, ensuring comfort and support during challenging times, a media release noted.

This year is significant for Ed’s House, as the care centre recently completed its expansion from a six-suite hospice facility to a 10-suite facility, fulfilling the original goal established by its visionary build team.

“This allows Ed’s House to provide even more compassionate care than ever,” the organization noted.

“This is a perfect way to wrap up the summer and kick off fall by enjoying a quality pint with friends and family,” said Trish Baird, CEO of CCN, in the release. “We’re grateful for the support from Ganaraska Brewing Company, The Thirsty Goose, and The Beamish House.”

“Plus, it’s a great opportunity to support local businesses in Port Hope that have been affected by the construction,” Baird added, referring to the rebuilding of Walton Street downtown.

The “Hops for Hospice” fundraiser will run until the Port Hop brew is no longer available, so Ed’s House invites residents and visitors to stop by the participating venues soon to support the cause.

The three participating businesses are located in Port Hope, with Ganaraska Brewing Company at 33 Mill Street South, The Thirsty Goose at 63 Walton Street, and The Beamish House at 27 John Street.

Ed’s House Northumberland Hospice Care Centre is a hospice centre in Hamilton Township that opened in the fall of 2020. The centre provides a comfortable setting to receive palliative support from early family engagement and beyond at no cost to hospice clients and their families.

An integral service of CCN, Ed’s House acts as a centralized hub for CCN’s interdisciplinary hospice services team by providing caregiver support, palliative outreach and education, health system navigation, grief and bereavement support, in addition to resident hospice care.

As the summer days dwindle for children in Peterborough, local police forces and municipal governments are aiming to keep safety on the radar of drivers as students head back to school after Labour Day.

In partnership with Peterborough County, the Township of Cavan Monaghan, the Township of Selwyn, and the Municipality of Trent Lakes, the Peterborough County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with the Peterborough Police Service will be increasing traffic enforcement in Peterborough and area school zones this fall.

They are reminding drivers to take extra precautions as school buses return to the roads on Tuesday, September 3. Safety measures include slowing down in school zones, planning to leave early, giving at least one metre of clearance to cyclists, and stopping for school buses.

“As the new school year begins, the Peterborough County OPP reminds drivers to stay alert,” said Peterborough County OPP’s inspector and detachment commander Chris Galeazza in a media release.

“With children returning to sidewalks, crossing guards at intersections, and school buses back on the roads, safety needs to be every driver’s top priority. Please plan for potential delays and exercise patience and caution to ensure a safe journey for all.”

The OPP and Peterborough police remind motorists about these rules of the road:

• Drivers must stop for school buses that are stopped with their lights flashing
• Speeding in a school zone can result in fines and the loss of demerit points
• Crossing guards have the right to stop traffic at crosswalks — abide by their direction
• Drivers must wait until the crossing guard is no longer on the roadway before proceeding.

To keep school children safe, both the OPP and Peterborough police will be monitoring and issuing tickets as required for offences in school zones and community safety zones, the release noted.

“As fall begins, school bells will ring, yellow buses will hit the roads, and young students will be crossing streets to get to and from school,” added Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark.

“In Peterborough County, our roads are shared by cars, trucks, farm vehicles, school buses, cyclists, pedestrians, and more. Please drive with caution; stay alert, leave early, stop for buses, give room to cyclists, and yield at pedestrian crossings.”

“Thank you to our local police services for your support with enforcement in school zones this fall. Let’s all do our part to ensure a successful and safe school year for all students.”

The Safe School Zones campaign is funded by Peterborough County’s active transportation master plan. For more information, visit the county’s website at www.ptbocounty.ca/atmp.

“Back to school is an exciting time — we want it to be a safe time as well whether students are walking, cycling or taking the bus,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts. “There are new traffic calming measures in place and the City of Peterborough has deemed school zones as community safety zones, which come with slower speeds and increased fines. We ask motorists to slow down, be extra vigilant as well as patient.”

Overall, September is a dangerous month for pedestrians, with more fatalities occurring during this month of the year than in any other, the release noted, citing a 2017 Transport Canada report.

According to polling conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) in 2019, the top three unsafe motorist behaviours seen in Canadian school zones are speeding, illegal parking or stopping. and distracted driving. The same source noted nearly one-quarter of drivers report witnessing a near miss or a collision in a school zone, more than half of which involved a child.

Meanwhile, in the City of Kawartha Lakes, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB), Kawartha Lakes Bus Lines, and Kawartha Lakes OPP are launching a school bus stop arm camera pilot program for the new school year. For the first time ever in Kawartha Lakes, local school buses will be equipped with a stop arm camera to capture and report unsafe driving practices to the Kawartha Lakes OPP in real time.

Funded equally by TLDSB and the municipality, the pilot program was created in response to a significant rise of reported incidents from school bus drivers and local residents regarding unsafe practices when a school bus is stopped. In the 2023-24 school year alone, Kawartha Lakes Bus Lines reported 380 incidents of vehicles going through the red lights of a stopped school bus. Other school bus operators in Kawartha Lakes have reported similar rises in such incidents.

“Every year, we respond to far too many complaints and close calls related to motorists failing to stop for a school bus,” said Kawartha Lakes OPP detachment commander Tim Tatchell in a media release. “The hope is that this pilot program will encourage all drivers to respect the rules of the road when it comes to school buses.”

The school bus stop arm camera can capture clear images of a car’s licence plate if it drives past the extended stop arm on a bus, and will also record the date and time and GPS coordinates of the incident. The camera footage will be used by an OPP officer when investigating a violation reported by a school bus driver. The OPP will follow up with the registered owner of the vehicle and lay the appropriate charges.

Under changes to the Highway Traffic Act, the OPP is not required to identify the driver of the vehicle. The registered owner of the vehicle will be the one charged no matter who was driving, similar to red light cameras and speed cameras. The registered owner will face a fine of $490 (for first-time offenders) but no demerit points will be added to their licence.

As for back-to-school traffic safety, both drivers and parents can find detailed information at www.ontario.ca/page/school-bus-safety.

For drivers, the provincial government’s website recommends the following:

• When driving near school buses, if a bus approaches, watch to see if the bus slows down and flashes its overhead amber lights, which signals that the bus is coming to a stop. When the bus then stops to pick-up or drop off passengers, slow down and prepare to stop whether behind or approaching a bus.
• If travelling on a road with a median strip, only vehicles coming from behind the bus should prepare to stop.
• Watch if the bus stops and flashes its lights or activates its stop arms. This means that the bus has stopped to pick up or drop off passengers. It is dangerous and illegal to fail to stop for a stopped school bus that has its overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated.
• Roads without a median require drivers travelling in both directions to stop when the bus is stopped and flashing its overhead red lights or its stop arm is activated.
• Before proceeding to drive, motorists must wait for the bus to start moving, for the overhead red lights to stop flashing, and for the stop arm to be retracted.

Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) is back at square one … again.

Peterborough city council, meeting as general committee on Monday night (August 26), voted 8-2 against approving a temporary use by-law that would have permitted the community-funded grassroots organization to build 24 sleeping cabins for people experiencing homelessness at 385 Lansdowne Street — the former Peterborough Humane Society property located east of Ashburnham Drive.

Although a city staff report had recommended that council approve the application for a temporary use by-law, as it conformed with land use planning requirements, Monday night’s meeting became a referendum on the viability of PATH’s proposal itself, as well as the suitability of the proposed site, with council hearing from 10 delegations that included neighbouring businesses and residents who objected to the location of the proposed sleeping cabin community.

While PATH could appeal council’s decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal, this would be a potentially costly and lengthy process for the non-profit organization that may not be successful, leaving PATH with no option except to find an alternative site.

This is not the first time council has rejected a temporary use by-law for PATH — it also did so during the inaugural general committee meeting of the then-new city council on December 5, 2022.

At that meeting, councillor Alex Bierk had put forward a motion to support a PATH project to build 15 sleeping cabins at 845 Park Street to address the city’s homelessness crisis over the winter. Bierk’s motion had called for a temporary use by-law and a potential site plan exemption application to allow the cabins to proceed, as well as the city providing the organization with $100,000 in start-up funding.

Council had voted 8-3 against councillor Bierk’s motion, with several councillors pointing out that PATH had not followed the required planning process for land use approval.

“The idea has been started, but for the idea to become a reality must follow the rigours of the planning approval process — and that has not yet started — whether it’s a temporary use by-law, whether it’s a zoning by-law amendment,” councillor Kevin Duguay, who was a land use planner for the City of Peterborough for more than 15 years, said at the time.

“One of the things that we have to avoid in public policy is moving in a direction where there may be a failure,” Mayor Jeff Leal said during that same meeting, where he referred to sleeping cabin projects in other communities. “We should take the time. I’m told in these other communities it was eight or nine months of detailed planning before they established their sleeping cabins in these respective communities … It really behooves us to take the time to get this right so it will be a successful initiative down the road.”

Three months later, in March 2023, PATH entered into a three-year lease agreement with Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region for the purpose of providing transitional shelter support at the Lansdowne Street site, which Habitat had purchased with the intention of later developing multi-unit affordable residential housing. PATH then began the land use planning process that would eventually result in an application for a temporary use by-law for the site, which is currently zoned as commercial.

At Monday night’s general committee meeting, council heard a presentation from city planner Christie Gilbertson on the application for the temporary use by-law for 385 Lansdowne Street.

During the presentation, councillor Kevin Duguay asked Gilbertson to confirm that PATH had already begun work on the site in advance of the approval of the application, and Gilbertson confirmed some work had been done “at PATH’s risk” to address grading and drainage issues.

After the presentation, council heard from 10 registered delegations about the temporary use by-law application. With the exception of delegates from PATH, its agent EcoVue Consulting Services, and the Elizabeth Fry Society, which was been hired by PATH to provide wrap-around services at the site, all the delegations opposed the application.

Toromont Industries, a heavy machinery company that operates Toromont Cat and Battlefield Equipment Rentals to the south of 385 Lansdowne Street, expressed concern about the location of the sleeping cabin community in close proximity to their operations in an industrial zone.

“That heavy machinery makes a lot of noise (and) spits out a lot of dust and emissions,” said Garnet Peirson, the company’s vice president of real estate and development. “If there are complaints to Ministry of the Environment about noise, Ministry of the Environment can come in and shut down our operations or they can severely alter our operations.”

Peirson said this is something the company has faced in Kanata when a residential development was located near their business as well as in Concord. Peirson also noted that Toromont is planning to expand directly behind 385 Lansdowne Street.

Council also heard from Noah Gordon, a lawyer with Miller Thomson LLP representing the owner of Willowcreek Centre, which is located directly across from 385 Lansdowne Street and includes a restaurant, grocery store, liquor store, and dollar store.

Gordon expressed his client’s opposition to the temporary use by-law, primarily that the intended use for temporary residential dwellings was incompatible with existing use and that there are safety issues with the site’s location along a busy four-lane highway not addressed in a traffic study.

“The nearest crosswalk to the west is about 600 metres away and the nearest to the east is about 150 metres away,” Gordon said. “It is no doubt that residents would often choose the convenience of jaywalking unsafely across Lansdowne to the popular destinations at Willowcreek like McDonalds, Dollarama, and the LCBO.”

Although it had no bearing on the impact of the location to his client, Gordon also questioned the financial viability of the proposed PATH program, referencing the costs of the City of Peterborough’s bridge modular housing program on Wolfe Street and noting that similar tiny home projects in other communities have failed.

Council then heard from veterinarian Dr. Joe Muise, owner of Peterborough Pet Hospital, which is located directly to the west of 385 Lansdowne Street. His major concern was about the security of his business and the safety of clients and staff given that the veterinary clinic stocks controlled drugs including powerful pain medication.

“My hospital is like a candy store for people who are desiring drug use,” Muise said, later telling council that he has invested around $18,000 in improving security at the clinic.

Councillors heard from a resident who lives on Farmcrest Avenue, north of Farmcrest Park on the north side of Willowcreek Centre, who said she has already experienced issues with tenting, drug use, and bad behaviour in Farmcrest Park over the past number of years and is concerned about the safety of her children and others in the community.

“I don’t want this in our backyard,” she said, before referring to NIMBY (“not in my backyard”). “This is a term that has been used by a lot of people, shaming us, making us afraid to speak out … I’m not afraid to tell you, I don’t want this in my backyard.”

Keith Dalton with PATH then addressed council about the project, noting that the organization is not asking for any city funding to operate the sleeping cabin community as it has raised sufficient funds to operate the first year of a three-year program.

“Council has many financial responsibilities around housing,” Dalton said. “The city budget is already stretched to meet its commitments. That is why PATH will operate entirely on funding from charitable and non-municipal sources.”

“As we move forward toward implementation, we are grateful for the stewardship of Debbie Carriere of the Elizabeth Fry Society, who will ensure that we operate a safe and inclusive housing facility, building upon the experience of operating the (City of Peterborough’s) bridge program,” Dalton said. “PATH will be able to offer stable housing support and training to 24 currently unhoused persons in a safe facility, with a private cabin, washrooms, showers, laundry, a commercial kitchen, dining, and community space.”

“Our main admission criteria will be agreeing to changes that move toward permanent housing and a desire to live together in a peaceful, supportive community. Our programs will provide a sense of purpose, responsibility, and an optimistic vision for the future, under the experienced guidance of our Elizabeth Fry site manager who will work collaboratively with fire services, police services, and medical professionals to build a positive relationship with our residents and all our neighbours.”

Dalton said PATH would take a “gradual approach” towards establishing the sleeping cabin community, beginning with 10 cabins for the coming winter and then increasing the number to 24 cabins by August 2025. The organization has raised $450,000 in donations to support the first year of the program’s operation.

Councillor Alex Bierk asked Dalton how PATH would choose the residents who would best fit the program.

“We’ve leaned heavily on the expertise of our partners in the Elizabeth Fry Society, but we have other partners who are actively involved in outreach and meeting people who are living homeless presently,” Dalton replied. “We think through all of our connections in the community we’ll be able to gauge the suitability of each of the proposed residents to the site and build slowly towards the right kind of mix — the kind of people who will thrive and take full advantage of what’s being offered, without being disruptive and creating problems for the local community.”

After Dalton’s delegation, council heard from Murray Davenport of M.J. Davenport and Associates, who objected to the temporary use by-law by referring at length to previous homeless tent encampments. He referred to the PATH project as an “encampment,” claimed PATH would be approaching the city within six months to ask for $1 million in annual funding, and asserted that “the facility will be occupied by those persons who refuse to follow the rules as stated on the PATH website.”

“The proposed encampment is a disaster waiting to happen,” Davenport said, before suggesting that the Wolfe Street modular housing project could be expanded with additional units.

Council then heard from Patricia Davenport, representing Castlewood Place, a residential building housing around 85 seniors which is located behind Willowcreek Centre. She expressed “serious concerns” about the safety and security of the building’s residents, and pointed out that the PATH location is not close to other support services such as mental health services.

Debbie Carriere, executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society, addressed council to explain her organization’s role in the PATH project, which includes a site manager as well as training PATH volunteers. The organization is also involved in the City of Peterborough’s modular housing program on Wolfe Street.

“PATH is not looking to replicate Wolfe Street — their focus is a little bit different,” Carriere said. “They’re looking at creating community engagement, and that community engagement is through programs like Ready for Home, and will include the 10 residents who are chosen initially — and then 24 eventually — to be people who can engage in those programs. There are work, volunteer, and employment programs that are going to be established, so we are looking for people who are in a place where they want to engage in those programs.”

Ready for Home is a pilot project established last year by PATH at 385 Lansdowne Street, in partnership with the Elizabeth Fry Society and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region, that includes a clothing hub and supply depot where a small number of people experiencing homelessness work alongside community volunteers one day a week to clean, repair, and package clothing items and basic supplies to help unsheltered people.

Carriere pointed out that, unlike the Wolfe Street modular housing program, PATH does not have the resources to support people with “very complicated mental health or intense substance use disorders,” but those who are more stable and able to engage in the offered programs.

“Wellness comes when we give someone a house, human interaction and engagement that is positive, and something to do,” Carriere said, adding that she has lived experience with substance use, mental health, and homelessness. “It is by investing in people that we are going to make a difference.”

After a short break, council reconvened to hear from the final two delegations.

Don Dyck, owner of Kingdon Timber Mart at 309 Lansdowne Street East, told council that he believed the location for the PATH project “is not the correct property” and that it is using a “prime commercial property of which there is a limited stock available in Peterborough.” He said it is “not fair to put this pressure on the businesses surrounding the proposed site.”

Dyck said that, while his company has directly contributed funds and materials for transitional and affordable housing projects, he is concerned about the potential impact of having the PATH project at its current location on vandalism and theft at his business.

“We are concerned that with the addition of tiny homes that this type of activity will increase and place our staff at greater risk,” he said.

The final delegation to address council was Kent Randall, owner and principal planner of EcoVue Consulting Services, the agents for the applicant (PATH).

“We of course, along with PATH, wholeheartedly support the recommendation from your staff to approve this temporary use by-law,” Randall said, noting that a temporary use by-law is not a rezoning for permanent dwellings. “In your official plan, which provides policies for evaluating temporary use by-laws, there are a set of requirements that I believe we have met.”

After speaking to a number of issues raised by the other delegations, including noise and storm water management, Randall responded to councillor questions, including one from councillor Matt Crowley who asked what Randall thought of PATH’s plan and the concerns raised about the plan.

“I get that council would have concerns, but that’s not something that’s not part of the planning analysis,” Randall said. “The analysis that I do, or the analysis that your staff do, we’re looking strictly at those policies and what it means in the context of those policies.”

Following the delegations, councillor Matt Crowley put forward a motion to defer a decision on the temporary use by-law until council received a report on the city’s modular housing project expected in September.

Mayor Leal spoke in favour of the deferral, suggesting that the city could add 10 more units to the modular housing project instead of supporting the proposed use by-law for the PATH project.

“You need those 24/7 supports, you need full-time security, you need all the other supports for people that are experiencing substance abuse and mental health,” the mayor said, adding that the funds PATH has raised is “just a drop in the bucket” of what is required to support a successful project. “I don’t want to set anybody up for failure, and that’s exactly what we are going to do if we approve this planning recommendation.”

Mayor Leal also said that it would be “undignified” to put 24 people beside an industrial site.

“I happen to think it is a really bad site,” he added.

Other councillors spoke against the deferral in favour of making a decision immediately and councillor Crowley’s motion was defeated 7-3, with Leal and Crowley and councillor Andrew Beamer voting in favour of the deferral. Councillor Don Vassiliadis was not present at the meeting.

Before voting on the application for the temporary use by-law, councillors addressed PATH’s project, with only councillors Alex Bierk and Joy Lachica speaking in favour of the project. The remainder of councillors who spoke, along with the mayor, expressed concerns about the risks of the project at the Lansdowne Street location and its financial viability.

“This is not a simple temporary use by-law or planning application when the neighbour safety is at risk,” said councillor Keith Riel. “I have the utmost respect for the PATH group and what they are trying to do … I have been quite open with this group that their plan is not sustainable with the financial models they have.”

Riel referred to the high cost of running the Wolfe Street modular housing program, including services and security, and expressed skepticism that the people who would be housed in the PATH project would be any different than those in the modular housing program and the safety of neighbouring residents and businesses would not be addressed.

“I don’t find the financial model sustainable,” said councillor Gary Baldwin, adding that he didn’t think it was “not really fair to those residents” or the site to be located near an industrial area where there is substantial noise and dirt.

Councillor Kevin Duguay thanked PATH and the delegations and said he gave “weight” to concerns expressed by Toromont Industries. He also noted that the staff report states that, while there are no direct budgetary impacts from the proposed use by-law, the PATH project would likely create demand for additional municipal services such as police, fire, social services, and by-law enforcement.

“I’m not satisfied that the financial structure is in place to carry this forward to the term of the proposed temporary use by-law,” councillor Duguay said.

In supporting the proposed use by-law, councillor Bierk noted the budgetary pressures on the city to deal with the homelessness crisis and that PATH has provided an option that does not require municipal funding.

“If people are frustrated by the things that we heard described tonight, if we’re not going to support things like this, I’m telling you it’s only going to get worse,” councillor Bierk said.

“We as a city don’t have the money to support the issues that you’re coming to the table with us about. What we have here tonight is we have a grassroots organization that has done the legwork again and again and again, when we’ve asked them to, they’ve come back to the table again and again and again. They’ve done the legwork, supported by staff, supported by planning documents, and now they’re here.”

“They’re not asking for any money. What they are going to provide is, within our housing continuum, they are going to provide shelter for people that are homeless. And we need that, so I support that.”

Councillor Lesley Parnell, who chaired the general committee meeting, said she would not support the proposed use by-law.

“I congratulate and thank PATH for their compassion and their very hard work,” councillor Parnell said. “For sure your hearts are in the right place, but this is not the right location as we have heard, to put somebody into a wooden sleeping cabin — they’re not tiny homes with amenities, they’re sleeping cabins with no windows — next to an industrial property with constant beeping and noise all hours of the day and night. If somebody has mental health issues, addiction issues, stress, all of that, that kind of environment — the constant beeping, no windows — that can only add to the distress of their living. That I cannot accept.”

Councillor Bierk’s motion to accept the application for the proposed use by-law was defeated by a vote of 8-2, with only councillors Bierk and Lachica voting in favour.