A new community hub in Peterborough destined to bring people experiencing homelessness in from the winter cold should be open “within the next two weeks.”

That’s the word from One City Peterborough housing director Michael VanDerHerberg who, on Wednesday (November 1), facilitated tours of Trinity Centre at the former Trinity United Church on Reid Street.

Since plans for the church’s auditorium space were revealed on September 14, things have moved along quickly as it’s transformed to house not only a daytime drop-in program but, more vitally, provide winter overnight accommodation for 45 people.

During two open house sessions on Wednesday, visitors were given the opportunity to tour the space as well as ask questions of One City staff, VanDerHerberg and One City co-executive director Christian Harvey among them.

Evidence of the work done to date and done relatively quickly could be seen in the installation of washrooms and showers, the latter in the auditorium’s stage space, as well as an HVAC system. In addition, five foldable beds — part of a complement of several beds donated to One City by Peterborough Regional Health Centre — were also on display.

Once fully open, Trinity Centre daytime drop-in program will operate every day from 1 to 5 p.m., while overnight accommodation will be provided nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. until March 31.

“We’re changing it from assembly occupancy to residential occupancy,” noted VanDerHerberg about the former church’s auditorium. “That’s a huge part of the work but we’re almost there. Our last inspection date is November 8th. We’re very happy with where things are at right now.”

Also taking up occupancy at Trinity Centre will be One City Peterborough itself, which is moving most all of its operations there from its current Water Street location.

Along with the daytime drop-in and overnight accommodation, other resources to be offered include a small storage option for personal belongings, on-site laundry facilities for the cleaning of bedding, harm reduction and safer use supplies, and an outdoor gathering space with privacy fencing. Hygiene items, wound care kits, and food and drink will also be provided as they’re available.

“There remain people who are living rough outside, who are struggling,” said VanDenHerberg. “Having a proper night’s sleep, something to eat, and a place to shower are integral to building dignity for, and in, a community that’s struggling.”

“Will it be perfect? I’d be the last person to say that it will be. (But) when our doors close after the overnight program is done, we’ll be in better shape to send people back out than we were last winter.”

The church property, including the new centre space, is owned by the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network (PPRN) that bought the property last year after the church congregation, experiencing low attendance numbers and facing severe repair costs for the building, voted to disband. While the property wasn’t publicly listed for sale, PPRN learned of its availability and entered negotiations to purchase it.

Since then, the City of Peterborough has committed to providing One City Peterborough with $900,000 annually over three years for its operation. On top of that, just this past October, the United Way Peterborough & District provided $200,000 in federal dollars it’s entrusted to distribute toward the renovation costs. One City Peterborough also received $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough for the renovations.

“This is an example of how to repurpose space,” marvelled United Way CEO Jim Russell, who dropped by for a firsthand look at the progress made. “It’s much better that it is being used for this than for million-dollar condominiums — much better. I think congregations should be reflecting on what to do with their assets and how to transfer them to communities to do this kind of work.”

“We’re really happy we could invest in getting the space set up as well as fund One City operating the program out of here. You can see where the money went…the HVAC system, the showers and the washrooms. We’re weeks and weeks and weeks ahead of when people were welcomed last winter and, certainly, the year before that.”

While stopping short of terming the centre’s development a definitive answer to the scourge of homelessness, VanDerHerberg said it’s a huge step in the right direction.

“There are many people who are motivated and invested in seeing something different done in our community than what we’ve seen over the last three to five years,” he assessed.

“It’s not right that people are tenting outside, and it’s not safe. I’m not fully convinced that just because we open this that will be the end of tenting, (but) we’re happy to open this space for the people that will use it.”

Both VanDerHerberg and Harvey acknowledged that, beyond completing the renovations, soothing any concerns of those living in the centre’s neighbourhood remains a priority.

“Everyone (in the immediate vicinity) received a letter in their mailbox (about the open house) and we’ve been responding to neighbours already,” noted Harvey, adding “A main focus is to be as good a neighbour as we can be.”

“I understand that some aren’t excited for us to move into the area. That makes sense, but our hope is that they at least know we’re open to hearing their concerns and work as best as we can to address them.”

This story has been updated to include $50,000 in funding for renovations received from from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.

On the first collection day of its new waste collection service, the City of Peterborough is reporting strong uptake of the use of green bins for organic waste as well as clear bags for garbage.

In a media release issued Tuesday (October 31), the city says around 85 per cent of eligible households in collection zone one of the city placed green bins at the curb for pick up, and around 80 per cent of households used clear bags for their garbage. Zone one encompasses a large portion of the city centre, including a portion of downtown Peterborough (but excluding the Downtown Business Improvement Area) and an area north and west of the downtown.

The city says some residents who did not put out their green bin on Tuesday told waste collection workers they were holding onto their bins until the following week to accumulate more organic waste.

“Congratulations Peterborough,” says city councillor Gary Baldwin, chair of the city’s waste management portfolio, in a media release. “Today we are a greener community thanks to the remarkable uptake of the new green bin program and garbage collection changes. We’re diverting more waste from the landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving workers safety,”

“These are big changes for our community, and it’s going to take some time for everyone to get into a new routine. We appreciate everyone’s efforts and will continue to support residents as they learn the new waste management expectations.”

Those expectations include only using clear bags for garbage, with garbage bins or pails no longer accepted. For a single detached home or a multi-residential property with six or fewer units, a maximum of four clear garbage bags can be put out for garbage collection, which now occurs every other week instead of weekly. Each clear bag can contain up to three “privacy bags” (opaque bags) which are no larger than 25 litres (5.5 gallons), but the total weight of each bag cannot exceed 13.6 kg (30 lbs).

Green bins need to be placed near the curb with the arrows on the bin pointing towards the street. As green bins are collected using a mechanical truck arm, a minimum space of over half a metre (two feet) is required between the bin and other items, including blue boxes and garbage bags.

The first collection day for green bins was not without hiccups. One city resident posted a photo on Facebook of a green bin that he says was damaged when it was lifted by the mechanical arm. The reason the bin was damaged is not known.

The city will continue waste collection for the rest of the week, with collection in zones three and four on Wednesday, zones five and six on Thursday, and zones seven and eight on Friday. Around 8,200 households have new collection days. Residents can use the online tool at peterborough.ca/mycollectionday to confirm their collection day.

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) declared a “code black” after a person made a bomb threat against the hospital at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning (October 31), but police have since determined the threat was unfounded.

“While we have no evidence to verify the threat, we do have a responsibility to take all threats seriously,” reads a media release from the hospital.

As part of the PRHC’s emergency procedure, the hospital immediately declared a “code black” — an emergency code in response to a bomb threat.

“Police have been notified and are on site,” reads the media release. “A perimeter lockdown has been initiated. Patients are able to access the hospital only through the emergency department and are being screened prior to entry.”

The hospital asked all patients and family members to delay coming to the hospital until the situation is resolved.

“We understand how frightening this news will be for all those impacted including their family, friends and loved ones,” the media release states. “We will keep the hospital and broader community informed as more information becomes available.”

At 12:11 p.m. on Tuesday, Peterborough police posted on X (formerly Twitter) that they have investigated the threat and determined it was unfounded.

“There is no concern for public safety,” police added.

Police have responded to a threat reported at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Through investigation it was determined the threat was unfounded. There is no concern for public safety.

— Peterborough Police (@PtboPolice) October 31, 2023

At 2 p.m., PRHC issued an updated statement that police had conducted a full search of the hospital building and the situation has been resolved. The perimeter lockdown at the hospital has been lifted and normal activities have resumed.

“Our thanks to patients, families and the people of our community for patience, cooperation and support as we have worked to respond to and resolve this situation,” reads the statement.

The original version of this story has been updated with a statement from police and an updated statement from PRHC.

The Trent Excalibur men’s lacrosse team will be defending their national championship title during the Baggataway Cup at Justin Chiu Stadium at Trent University this weekend (November 3 to 5).

Last year, after an undefeated season, Trent Excalibur captured their first championship since the team’s inception into the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association in 2007.

This season, while remaining undefeated at home, the team finished tied with Carleton University for first place in the East Division with an 8-2 record but dropped to second after a tie-breaking procedure.

The Baggataway Cup — lacrosse was originally an Indigenous game called baggataway — begins with two quarter-final games on Friday. The Guelph Gryphons will take on the McGill Redbirds at 4:30 p.m., and the Trent Excalibur will compete against the 2021 champion Brock Badgers at 7:30 p.m.

The winner of Friday’s first quarter-final game will take on the Carleton Ravens at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the winner of the second quarter-final taking on the Western Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. The winners of Saturday’s semi-final games will play in the Baggataway Cup final at 2 p.m. on Sunday. An awards presentation will immediately follow the game.

The Baggataway Cup is a family-friendly event with an alcohol-free concession stand and Donia’s Donair food truck on site all weekend. BeaverTails will be available on Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. Baggataway Cup gear will also be for sale.

Passes for the Baggataway Cup cost $30 for all five games, $15 for Sunday’s championship game, and $10 for either Friday’s or Saturday’s games. All games are free for Trent University students with a valid ID, children under 12, and youth who wear their Trent Excalibur Summer Camp shirts.

Passes are available now at the front desk of the Trent Athletics Centre and will also be available on site. Gates open daily 90 minutes before the first game.

All five games will also be broadcast live on Lacrosse TV at laxsn.com.

A stewardship group is seeking volunteers to join the “Before the Snow Flies” clean-up of Ashburnham Memorial Park in Peterborough’s East City being held on Saturday (November 4).

The 15-acre park is best known for Armour Hill which, as the highest point in Peterborough, is a summer destination for its views of the city and sunrises and a winter destination for tobogganing. As a year-round attraction, the park — featuring memorial to locals who died during World War I — is often left victim to large amounts of litter and waste.

That’s why, twice a year, the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group hosts a clean-up in the park to benefit residents, visitors, and wildlife. The group was formed in 2021 to advocate for positive change in the park by increasing stewardship and respect for its historical and environmental significance while decreasing the harm, including speeding and reckless driving, garbage dumping, and illegal firework use.

The bi-annual clean-up is organized each spring at the end of tobogganing season and in early November ahead of Remembrance Day.

Rain or shine, this year’s November 4th clean-up will begin at 10 a.m. with volunteers meeting at Heritage Pavilion at the top of the hill, behind the Peterborough Museum of Archives. The fall clean-ups tend to focus on the upper park around the parking lot, where trash often ends up in the surrounding forests.

The morning will kick off with a land acknowledgement and orientation, with snacks and hot beverages provided for all who volunteer. Garbage bags and supplies will also be provided, though volunteers are encouraged to bring their own mugs, water bottles, and work gloves, and are reminded to wear weather-appropriate attire.

Volunteers who arrive after the orientation are asked to check in with the organizers so the group can accurately record the number of volunteers for funding purposes.

This past April’s clean-up was the most successful to date, with more than 60 participants turning out to volunteer their time to collect 27 bags of garbage and recyclables in addition to other miscellaneous waste products, like several empty paint cans. Over 1.3 lbs of cigarette butts (which equates to more than 500 butts) were collected for Butt 1 Community non-profit organization, to be stored, dried, weighed, packaged, and sent for recycling.

Located on the traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg, the hill gets its local name from European settler Reverend Samuel Armour, who purchased the land from the Crown in 1833. When it was being dissolved in the early 1920s, 35 acres on the hill was offered to the City of Peterborough for purchase, but after much debate and a public vote, the city declined.

The following year, a group of 35 local women formed the Women’s Patriotic League of Ashburnham, gave a down payment for the land and, over the course of 14 years, raised the remaining funds through bake sales, bazaars, and teas. Under their possession, the group arranged and paid for the planting of 4,000 Scotch Pine and 2,000 Jack Pine trees and commissioned the roadway and parkway which is now Museum Drive.

In 1937, the group donated the park to the people of the City of Peterborough, and on June 24, 1959, the memorial cairn and plaque was erected in remembrance of the Peterborough men who died during the World War I.

In addition to the bi-annual clean-ups, the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group has encouraged respect for the park by hosting bird walks and tree planting and have started the Ashburnham Memorial Park Project on iNaturalist to record the park’s flora and fauna species.

For more information about the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group, visit ashburnhamstewardship.com.

On Wednesday (November 1), applications open for the City of Peterborough’s 2024 community grants program — the final year of the program as it is currently designed.

The community grants program provides financial assistance to local not-for-profit and charitable organizations that provide direct programs, services, or activities that enhance the quality of life for Peterborough residents in the areas of social services and health, arts, culture, heritage, recreation, or the environment.

More information about the program is available at peterborough.ca/communitygrants, where an online application will also be available at noon on Wednesday. The deadline for grant applications is noon on Wednesday, December 6th.

The community grants program has provided almost $250,000 each year to local not-for-profit and charitable organizations through two grant streams: the community project grant and the community investment grant. For community project grants, the city provides $250 to $1,000 for specific projects. For community investment grants, the city provides $1,000 to $15,000 for projects, events, programs or operating budgets. Grant applications are reviewed by an assessment committee of two city councillors and 11 citizen appointees.

For the 2024 community investment grants, multi-year funding will no longer be an option as the city is transitioning to a new community grants program beginning in 2025. The city will honour applications previously approved for multi-year funding in 2022 and 2023.

Last Monday (October 23), Peterborough city council approved a change to the community grants program in 2025. Instead of the existing two funding streams, the program will have three streams: community well-being grants, services delivery agreements, and an art investment fund to be administered by the Art Gallery of Peterborough in collaboration with Electric City Culture Council. The art investment fund would include existing funding for individual artist grants, Artsweek, and the city’s poet laureate program and, beginning in 2025 as a two-year pilot project, a new $60,000 professional arts organization grant program.

The change to the program followed a public survey about the community grant program earlier in the summer, after city council at its March 27th meeting had unanimously directed city staff “to ensure the integrity and fairness of the community investment grant’s program, and report back to council with any recommended changes.”

At that same meeting, councillors had voted 7-3 against providing funding for two community arts organizations — The Theatre On King and the Artisans Centre Peterborough — that had appeared before council to appeal an earlier decision by an assessment committee to deny the organizations’ applications for 2023 grants. In 2022, The Theatre On King had received the maximum grant of $15,000 and the Artisans Centre Peterborough had received $9,250. In 2023, neither organization received any grant funding.

For The Theatre On King, the change from a $15,000 grant to no funding at all from the city threatened their financial viability (the organization has since fundraised to cover its operating costs). Several delegations appearing before city council in March had raised concerns about the process used for determining grants for arts organizations.

“If your assessment process has led to the severing of funding for this essential part of our community, then your assessment process needs to change,” said Peterborough family physician Dr. Laura Lawson, speaking in support of The Theatre On King at the council meeting.

Concerns about how the city’s community grant program is delivered are not new. In 2017, former city councillor Dean Pappas had a motion passed to review the program, but no action was taken. The city’s arts and culture advisory committee, which includes members of the arts community, has also expressed concerns about how the city funds arts organizations.

In 2020, the Electric City Culture Council called on the city to align its processes for community grants for arts organizations with those of the federal government, most provincial governments, and many municipal governments.