In a reversal of a decision last year, the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board has voted to fly the Pride flag at school board facilities during the month of June.

At the board meeting on Tuesday night (April 26), trustee Kevin MacKenzie brought forth a motion to fly the flag “to further the promotion of an environment of inclusion, diversity and equity in our community.”

“I want to set the same example to my children that Jesus did, and that’s to love all people,” MacKenzie said as he presented the motion.

“I want (students) to feel proud of their school board and their school,” MacKenzie said. “I want them to feel proud of themselves. I want them to be filled with pride because I can tell you that I am proud of every student in our board. Let them be proud and let’s raise the Pride flag.”

The motion passed with a majority vote of 3 to 2.

MacKenzie and trustee Loretta Durst supported the motion, and trustees David Bernier and Linda Ainsworth voted against it. With trustee Helen McCarthy absent from the meeting and with a trustee position vacant, board chair Braden Leal cast the tie-breaking vote in support of the motion.

“Time and time again, Pope Francis’ message is explicit — we must always consider the person,” Leal said. “The doors of our Catholic schools must be clearly open to all people. We have an opportunity to physically and symbolically demonstrate full inclusion, to welcome each and every member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community by flying the Pride flag during Pride Month.”

In a similar voting situation last June, an equal number of trustees voted for and against a motion to display secondary flagpoles to display flags during months of awareness.

The tie vote led to the former board chair casting a deciding vote, but this time against the motion.

In the aftermath of that decision, made during Pride Month, a parent launched an online petition protesting the decision, with the petition eventually garnering more than 23,000 signatures.

This story has been updated to correct errors and to provide details on the vote.

Sarah Patterson, a Grade 4 student at St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School in Port Hope, has received a very special reward for her participation in the game of baseball — she threw the ceremonial pitch at the April 25th Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The announcer first introduced Sarah, who has Down Syndrome, to the 20,981 attendees at the game, the first of a four-game divisional series against the Boston Red Sox, as her teacher Allison Jacques proudly looked on.

“Sarah has been participating in her school’s Girls at Bat and Challenger Baseball program,” the announcer said. “She was nominated by her teacher to be celebrated for her great participation with their Jays Care affiliate school program.”

The Jays Care Foundation — the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays — runs a free affiliate school program free programming for schools, which includes the Girls At Bat program to help increase female participation and retention in baseball, the adaptive Challenger Baseball program to empower those living with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, and the Indigenous Play Ball program to bring Indigenous youth together using the power of baseball and softball during or after school.

Sarah’s teacher Allison ran the affiliate school program with her class at St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School during physical education periods from February to April, and shared Sarah’s story with the Jays Care Foundation.

“Her standout moment was bravely volunteering to demonstrate how to hit the ball off a tee, to her entire team,” the announcer told the Rogers Centre crowd. “Sarah demonstrated great confidence in her abilities. Her confidence has grown tremendously during this program and has allowed her to make connections with her peers throughout the school. Please welcome Sarah to the field for our ceremonial opening pitch.”

The Jays Care affiliate school program is designed to encourage students who usually sit on the sidelines to participate in sport, introducing students to the game of softball/baseball and building community and teamwork. Jays Care provides all the necessary equipment, a training session for coaches, and a coaching manual outlining the eight weeks of sessions for the school.

“The emphasis is really on building confidence, teamwork, and encouraging each other,” Allison says. “Growing up playing softball in Peterborough, I loved being able to introduce students to the sport who have not had the opportunity before.”

Allison says the fast-paced program kept her students engaged and they had “a lot of fun,” with Sarah’s experience an example of its success.

“Usually Sarah sits on the sidelines during gym class, but all throughout this program she always participated and volunteered to hit the ball off of the tee.”

After Sarah threw the ceremonial pitch at Monday’s game, the Jays went on to beat the Red Sox 6-2.

This story is based on one supplied by the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board.

The day after her party unveiled its platform for the 2022 election campaign, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath visited Peterborough Tuesday afternoon (April 26) to welcome Jen Deck as the party’s candidate for Peterborough-Kawartha in the June 2nd election.

At an outdoor media conference at the Peterborough Lift Lock, Horwath introduced Deck as “somebody in the community who has worked hard for many years.”

“As somebody in the education sector, she just strengthens our team and strengthens our commitment to public education in Ontario,” Horwath said, referring to Deck’s experience as a teacher and the occasional teacher president of the Kawartha Pine Ridge Teachers’ local of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.

“I know she has some experiences herself in terms of the education system and how we have to do better for kids and for education workers,” Horwath added. “She’s also a very active and passionate member of the community, fights for all public services to ensure that people get the kinds of things that they need to build a great life here in the Peterborough area. She’s also very passionate about climate justice and the environment, something that I know lots of people in Peterborough are concerned about.”

Deck, with her supporters and volunteers standing behind her, described her reasons for running as the NDP candidate.

“I’m running because I feel strongly that we need an NDP voice in Peterborough-Kawartha,” Deck said. “I wanted to vote NDP (in the upcoming election) and there was no candidate. I’m so pleased that I can step forward and take on this challenge. I’m excited, I’m looking forward to meeting the constituents and getting out canvassing, but bottom line — we need change now.”

“The system has failed us. COVID has taught us that we need to invest in our public services, in our health care, in our public education, so we can survive the bumps in the road. And COVID was a big bump, and I think we need to learn from that lesson. I’m looking forward to an NDP government that can help fix what is broken.”

In its election platform, the NDP promises to hire 20,000 teachers and education workers, cap class sizes for Grades 4 through 8 at 24 students, cap full-day kindergarten classes at 26 students, cancel EQAO standardized testing, and scrap the requirement for two online courses for high school graduation.

“Education was poorly funded going into the COVID pandemic,” Deck said. “Our classes are overcrowded. We don’t have enough support staff. We have students who struggle to regulate their behaviour, more so now after COVID, after two years of chaos. We need more teachers, we need more education staff, we need to fund public education and we can’t be playing with this idea of moving to vouchers or some kind of privatized education system because it will fail everyone.”

Deck said she is also concerned with health care workers “and how they’ve been pummelled over the last two years.”

“They too need more support,” she said. “They needed it going into COVID but they certainly have suffered — they’re exhausted, and they need support.”

The NDP election platform promises to hire 30,000 nurses and expedite recognition of nursing credentials of 15,000 internationally trained nurses.

Deck also spoke to the impact of the pandemic on local businesses.

“I think about the small and medium businesses, some of whom have already gone out of business. Let’s just make sure that we don’t lose them all, and we that can stimulate more business to come back — small and medium business.”

In its election platform, the NDP has committed to bring in two rounds of the Small Business Recovery Grant with two payments over the next two years, ensure commercial insurance is affordable, review the Commercial Tenancies Act and explore the creation of rent guidelines for small businesses, and allow small businessese to form employee ownership trusts.

Deck said her role in the Kawartha Pine Ridge Teachers ETFO local would help her fulfill the duties of an MPP.

“They call me when they have questions, when they have concerns, when they are in crisis, and I help them find solutions,” she said. “I also negotiate for improved working conditions and I do that by hearing from them, what they need, and making sure that those become priorities in the next bargaining round. That sounds an awful lot like an MPP, so in some ways I feel like I’ve been training for this job for the last seven years.”

Deck added that the most common concern she has heard from people is the privatization of public services, as well as the impact of the pandemic on students’ mental health and on learning.

“Every teacher that I’ve talked to says that most of their kids they see are behind where we’d normally expect them to be, so we have a lot of work to do to make up for the losses over the past two years,” she said.

When asked how she would deal differently with issues affecting the riding, Deck referred to the “most important takeaway” from her current job.

“It’s not so much about the policies, but it’s who’s in place making the decisions of how to get to where you want to get. So it’s not enough to say we want to stimulate the economy if you hire somebody whose interests are specialized to big business and rich people. That’s how they’re going to implement the changes.”

“To me, the most important thing that I hope to bring to this job is integrity and compassion, and a caring for the people of Peterborough-Kawartha,” Deck added.

For her part, Horwath outlined the party’s “Green New Democratic Deal” in its election platform to fight the climate crisis, while criticizing the Ford government’s “war” on the environment.

“We’re going to take our commitments seriously when it comes to climate change, and when it comes to ensuring that not only do we tackle the necessity to reduce our carbon footprint, to bring us to net zero by 2050, but by doing so also create hundreds of thousands of great jobs — put people back to work in jobs that pay the bills — while at the same time making sure that no community and no workers are left behind.”

Horwath also referred to her June 2019 visit to Peterborough to discuss the opioid crisis and the need for a consumption and treatment site, before outlining the NDP’s commitment to address the overdose crisis and other addictions, including by removing the cap the Ford government has placed on supervised consumption sites and bringing therapy and counselling services into OHIP.

Following her media conference, Horwath visited and toured the Peterborough Theatre Guild at an event closed to the media.

For the first time since the pandemic began, Doors Open Peterborough is returning as an in-person event on Saturday, May 7th.

The annual celebration of architectural heritage is a city-wide event in which private and public heritage buildings open their doors to the public for viewing for free.

The family-friendly event, with this year’s theme “Design and Adaptive Re-use,” highlights five once-shuttered or underused historic buildings that have been repurposed for different uses. The event also includes three walking tours.

Doors Open Peterborough is funded by the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee. This year’s event is sponsored by the Peterborough & Kawarthas Association of Realtors.

Below is information about the five Doors Open Peterborough sites and the three walking tours.

Doors Open Sites

Y Lofts (475 George St. N,)

This will be the first and possibly last chance to see the only heritage suite and the stunning view from the rooftop terrace of this modern new apartment complex in the former Peterborough YMCA building. Y Lofts is an exemplary model of adaptive reuse by Atria Development. Modern residential lofts now fill the old YMCA where the exterior of the 1896 façade and corner tower have been preserved. Free parking is available at the PCVS lot or at City Hall. Masks are required. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

King George Public School (220 Hunter St. E.)

This building was one of four “Royal” schools constructed in Peterborough early in the 20th century. It was designed with children’s health and safety in mind, with state-of-the-art heating, ventilation, and sanitary systems. The building closed as a school when its replacement opened next door in 2021. Doors Open visitors will be treated to a multi-arts festival called Erring at King George, hosted by Public Energy Performing Arts. There will be exhibits and, after 3 p.m., onsite performances. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Peterborough Theatre Guild (364 Rogers St.)

After fire gutted St. Luke’s Anglican Church in 1959, author Robertson Davies (then-editor of the Peterborough Examiner, spearheaded a fundraising drive to buy and convert the building into a community theatre. The Peterborough Theatre Guild staged its first play there in 1965 and has been entertaining audiences ever since. Come for a behind-the-scenes look at the costume wardrobe, set building workshop, lighting and sound booths, and stay to watch actors rehearse a play reading. For something extra, venture into the Gwen Brown Studio at the back of the building to view an exhibit by six local artists. Masks are required. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School (201 McDonnel St.)

Built in 1908, this school is a significant example of collegiate architecture, melding romanesque revival and beaux arts styles. Its main entrance faces George Street and blends with the civic buildings surrounding Confederation Square. A wing was added in 1927 and a modern cafeteria and gym in 1970s. Follow in the footsteps of famous alumni Serena Ryder, Jim Balsillie. and Lester B. Pearson and step through the arched doorway to view the original grand staircases, woodwork, terrazzo floors and stained glass of this heritage gem, now home to Peterborough Alternative and Continuing Education (PACE) at Peterborough Collegiate. Head downstairs to see the school’s Downtown Youth Space, open to mark National Youth Week (noon to 4 p.m.). Free parking is available at the PCVS lot or at City Hall. Masks are encouraged. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Peterborough Museum & Archives (300 Hunter St. E.)

Peterborough Museum & Archives tells the story of Peterborough/Nogojiwanong and the surrounding area. Constructed in 1967 to mark Canada’s centennial, the building at the top of Armour Hill was expanded and refurbished in 2017. See the new exhibit “Home and Away: Stories of Travel from Peterborough and Beyond,” curated by Fleming College’s Museum Management and Curatorship students and featuring artifacts, stories, and interactive displays about tourism. The Heritage Pavilion (salvaged from an early Peterborough church) offers a place to picnic and a playground for children. Free parking is available onsite. Masks are encourage. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Walking Tours

Hunter Street Bridge and the American Cereal/Quaker Oats Plant (Driscoll Terrace and Hunter St. E.)

In 1902, American Cereal (later Quaker Oats) began producing breakfast cereal, baking flour, and farm feed at its new Peterborough plant. In 1916, an explosion and fire destroyed the twice-expanded eight-storey mill and 24 men died. A century later, local historian Gord Young published a book about this devastating event. Take a 30-minute walk with him to learn more about it and how Quaker Oats rebuilt on the condition the city construct an improved Hunter Street Bridge. Free parking is available at Kawartha Credit Union. Meet in the lot near the sidewalk as you approach the bridge. Tours hourly between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Ashburnham from the Top (90 Hunter St. E.)

Join local historian Elwood Jones for a 45-minute walk in East City around the block at the top of Ashburnham. Learn how local landmarks — Immaculate Conception Church, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Westclox, St. Luke’s Church, and others — have evolved or been adapted for reuse into apartments, office space, and a theatre. Meet at the corner of Armour Road and Hunter Street East on the lawn of King George Public School. Parking available at King George School. Tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Around the Block, Around the Town (501 George St. N.)

Join local historian Don Willcock in Confederation Square to learn about the buildings framing this civic space. Playing on the theme “Community in a Nutshell,” Don will discuss the former YMCA, PCVS, Carnegie Library, and many other largely early 20th-century structures around this block. Hear how they have provided recreation, education, civic administration, worship space, places to work, and places to live. Tours last about one hour. Parking available at the PCVS lot or at City Hall. Tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

For more information, visit www.doorsopenontario.on.ca/peterborough. An interactive map of the five buildings is available at maps.peterborough.ca/DOP2022.

Construction of a new outdoor amphitheatre in downtown Peterborough is set to begin this summer.

Trent University announced on Monday (April 25) that the Jalynn Bennett Amphitheatre at the university’s Catharine Parr Traill College has received $560,000 in funding through the federal government’s Department of Canadian Heritage, as a part of the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund Program.

The three-season amphitheatre is named after the late Jalynn Bennett, former chair of Trent’s board of governors, whose foundation provided the university with a gift of $1.13 million in 2018 — part of has been used to seed the amphitheatre project along with several other projects.

“Our dream for the amphitheatre falls directly in line with the challenge from Jalynn, to do something ‘bold, audacious and effective’ for our community,” says Julie Davis, vice-president of external relations and development at Trent University, in a media release. “This funding is incredibly exciting as it allows us to take our dream to the next stage of development.”

Located in the central courtyard of Traill College between London and Dublin streets, the accessible amphitheatre will feature tiered seating for 80 to 100 people, professional lighting, and carefully directed sound using designs of ancient Greece that contain acoustics. The projected cost of the amphitheatre is $1.4 million.

“Not only will the new amphitheatre provide students with a space to practice and perform, but it will be a new home for arts and culture in Peterborough’s historic downtown — uniting music, theatre, expression, and history,” Davis says.

Both the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) and the City of Peterborough’s Arts, Culture, and Heritage Advisory Committee have endorsed the amphitheatre project, along with community partners in arts, culture, and heritage including 4th Line Theatre, New Stages Theatre, Theatre Trent, Anne Shirley Theatre Company, Trent University Music Society, Public Energy Performing Arts, Nogojiwanog Indigenous Fringe Festival, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough Museum and Archives, and the Peterborough Historical Society.

Along with providing a new outdoor performance space for the community, the amphitheatre will also provide space and hands-on learning opportunities for students studying at Trent.

“Several Trent departments based at Traill offer music, performance, or theatre as a part of their curricula,” explains Dr. Michael Eamon, principal of Catharine Parr Traill College. “The amphitheatre will expand the educational experience as well as offering a new venue to enrich Peterborough’s cultural experience.”

“It will be a space where professional artists and performers will entertain the community and also provide experiential learning and mentorship opportunities for students in various programs including Culture and Media Studies, English Literature, and Canadian Studies.”

The amphitheatre is expected to be completed in September 2022. Rental fees will be waived for student, amateur, and non-profit groups.

Parks Canada is preparing for the opening of the boating season on the Trent-Severn Waterway and will be temporarily closing the Maria Street and Warsaw Road swing bridges for spring maintenance.

The Warsaw Road Bridge on Parkhill Road, between Television Road and Armour Road, will be closed on Tuesday (April 26) from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

The Maria Street Bridge, connecting Maria Street to Ashburnham Road, will be closed on Wednesday (April 27) from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Motorists are advised to plan alternate routes during these closures. Detour signage will be in place.

The bridge work includes preventative maintenance tasks like washing and greasing swing bridges, and conducting visual inspections to ensure their safe operation.

For more information about the Trent-Severn Waterway, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/trent.

Peterborough police have charged white nationalist and neo-Nazi Kevin Goudreau, a Peterborough resident, in an incident police have classified as a hate bias crime.

On March 31, officers responded to a call about a man outside an apartment building who was yelling profanities and slurs.

According to a story by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, Goudreau threatened his upstairs neighbours, a lesbian couple.

“Goudreau was reportedly circling the building at this time, shouting expletives, slurs, and threats,” reads the story, which reports the couple recorded Goudreau and called the police.

“Shortly after the initial incident more information was brought forward, and reasonable grounds for charges was formed,” reads a media release from the Peterborough police service.

Goudreau, 44, was arrested and charged with two counts of uttering threats – cause death or bodily harm, two counts of criminal harassment – repeatedly communicate, and failure to comply with a probation order. He has been released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on May 10.

“Due to the nature of the comments made at the time of the offence this incident has been classified as a hate bias crime,” reads the police media release. “A hate crime is a criminal offence committed against a person or property which is motivated by the suspect/offender’s hate bias against a racial, religious, ethnic, sexual orientation or disability group.”

Police have released Goudreau’s name “in the event that there are more victims and for public safety.”

Anyone with further information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.

Goudreau organized an “anti-immigration” rally in Peterborough in September 2017. He was originally granted a permit to hold the rally at the public square across from Peterborough City Hall, although the city subsequently withdrew the permit.

Various local groups organized a counter-protest called “Solidarity Weekend”, with hundreds of people attending to celebrate diversity and inclusivity.

While a handful of supporters showed up for the “anti-immigration” rally, Goudreau was not among them.

Goudreau made headlines again in 2019, when he made a series of social media posts encouraging people to murder members of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, journalists, and government workers. Although Peterborough police decided not to press charges, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network was granted a peace bond requiring Goudreau to remain at least 200 metres away from board members for one year.

Peace Bond Issued Against Kevin Goudreau Who Probably Complicated His Life Even Further Without Actually Realizing It https://t.co/Wt9oldzJEq 1/ pic.twitter.com/4fiXlq87Cy

— Kurt Phillips🧛‍♂️ (@ARCCollective) August 12, 2019

Ontario minister of labour, training and skills development Monte McNaughton was at Fleming College’s School of Trades and Technology in Peterborough on Monday (April 25) to announce the expansion of a training program and to take a tour of the school.

Formerly called Second Career, Better Jobs Ontario will now support those looking to train for in-demand work, including people on social assistance, people who are self-employed, gig workers, youth, and newcomers to the province. Previously, only those who were laid off from a full-time job were eligible for the program.

The program pays up to $28,000 in tuition and other costs for short-duration training programs that allow job seekers to match their skills with the needs of hiring employers in the community. Effective Friday, the program is being expanded to include those unemployed for six months or longer and who are part of a low-income household, and will expand eligibility for up to $500 per week in financial support for basic living expenses.

“Whether you are a young person struggling to break into the job market, a gig worker hustling to make ends meet, or unemployed and on social assistance, our government is here to give you a hand up to building a better life and stronger province for us all,” McNaughton said during the announcement.

Mackenzie Barclay, a welding foundation techniques student at the School of Trades and Technology who was part of the Second Career program, also spoke at the announcement.

“When I first started the program, I didn’t know how to weld,” Barclay said. “I had never welded in high school — it was never an option that was provided — and I took a leap of faith. I can happily say that upon graduation, I have definitely been caught on that leap of faith and have a job now moving out of school.”

Fleming College president Maureen Adamson, who attended the announcement along with Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott, and instructors and students from the school, thanked the province and local MPPs for their support.

“Today’s announcement comes at a really crucial point as we all know it’s been a couple of tough years, and there are workers who are undertuilizied, underemployed, working multiple jobs, and in some cases just trying to get their foot in the door,” Adamson said. “And at the same time we’ve seen in our labour market that there’s desperate need for skilled workers.”

Citing a shift in personal priorities, Town Ward representative Kemi Akapo will not seek re-election to Peterborough City Council this October.

In an exclusive interview with kawarthaNOW, Akapo said reflection on “where I’m at in my life right now” preceded her decision not to run. She also provided kawarthaNOW with an exclusive statement about her decision.

“I’m feeling a pull towards going in another direction — I feel I need to invest my time elsewhere,” said Akapo, adding “I don’t think it’s fair or right to take up the (council) space if I’m not going to be fully invested.”

“My plan has always been to get my Masters,” Akapo explained. “I want to do that now. While it’s possible to do your Masters and be a city councillor at the same time, I don’t know if I want to put that much pressure on myself. It’s a lot.”

“And I want to spend more time with my family. I know every politician says that and it sounds like a cop-out but, in my case, it really isn’t. They live outside of the province. It’s a lot of driving and time spent on the road. The work of being a city councillor requires time and attention. At this point in my life, I can’t do both (be a councillor and connect with family) well.”

A native of Nigeria, Akapo moved to Peterborough in 2005 to attend Trent University where she attained her Bachelor of Arts in both English Literature and International Development Studies. A case management coordinator with the New Canadians Centre since May 2020, she was elected to her Town Ward seat in October 2018 — her first foray into the political ring.

With her announcement, Akapo becomes the third current member of council not seeking re-election, all of whom are women. She joins Mayor Diane Therrien and Otonabee Ward councillor Kim Zippel in making that declaration.

To date, four others have announced their intention to campaign for election in Town Ward: incumbent Dean Pappas, former Peterborough federal NDP candidate Joy Lachica, professional artist Alex Bierk, and social advocate Brian Christoph.

Akapo’s decision not to seek re-election ensures there will be at least one new Town Ward councillor when all is said and done on October 24.

Reflecting on her time in the municipal politics arena, Akapo said while there have been bumps in the road, the experience overall was a good one.

“I feel I’ve been able to accomplish things I’m proud of and this council has done a lot, despite what some of the naysayers say,” she assesses.

“I spent the first year and a half, maybe two years, learning what the job is. Even though you have portfolios, you still need to know a little bit about everything — learning new terminology and processes and procedures. You have to get to know the staff and who to direct questions to.”

COVID-19 also complicated her experience as a first-time councillor, Akapo said.

“None of us planned a global pandemic. You spend the first year and a half learning and then it’s ‘Oh wait, we’re going to change everything you know.'”

Narrowing it down to one word, Akapo said her time at City Hall has been “illuminating”, adding “in both positive and not-so-positive ways.”

“I wasn’t prepared for the politics of politics. I was prepared to go in, do the job, write good policy, make decisions, and move the city forward. I was not prepared for how much time and energy and effort that would take. It was very frustrating. The politics of politics stymies progress.”

“It’s good to have people who have different opinions, but it’s another thing to use what I would call shady mechanisms to push things through. That to me is heartbreaking. I feel if we were able to put that aside, we’d be in a much better place.”

“It wasn’t always focused on best outcomes for the city. Personalities sometimes got in the way of that. I wasn’t prepared for that. It was like ‘I wouldn’t hang out with you on the weekend but we’re both here to do a job, so why don’t we focus on that?’ Often times, that wasn’t the case. That was disappointing.”

Still, said Akapo, this council, “despite some drama,” was able to accomplish “some really good things.” She points to the adoption of the new Official Plan and the Peterborough Transportation Master Plan as evidence of that as well as the passing of “some decent budgets” during the challenging pandemic years.

When she won election in 2018, Akapo became a member of most diverse city council Peterborough has ever had. Led by only the third female mayor in the city’s history, the 11-member council featured four females and two people of colour. While Akapo said such diversity was, and remains, a very good thing for the city, it hasn’t come without some challenging baggage.

“I don’t know if we (women) are held to a higher standard, but I feel we face a lot more criticism than our male counterparts,” she said. “Part of that is a result of who’s leading the charge on what I would consider progressive items and who’s staying the course. Whenever you’re pushing for change, even though people say they want change, it doesn’t come easy, particularly in an institution that is rigid.

“If you’re the one constantly putting yourself out there, you are the face of that change, so people will come to you and share their opinions in favour or against,” Akapo said. “If you’re the one on Twitter — (it’s) myself, Diane (Therrien), Kim (Zippel), and Lesley (Parnell) that are most active on there — people want to engage and you tend to bear the brunt of that. Women, in any sphere, aren’t given as much leeway.”

One advantage that future female members of council will have, Akapo said, is a support system comprised of “more people they can lean on.”

“I’m announcing I’m not running and outlining some of the challenges I’ve faced, but then I’m turning around and saying ‘But you should do it.’ It seems a little bit hypocritical. There are so few of us female or black politicians out there. It was hard for me to find people to talk to or commiserate with (but) they’ll have me, they’ll have Diane, they’ll have Kim. The base of support for them is going to be bigger.”

Unsurprisingly, Akapo is a huge proponent of council term limits being imposed.

“Part of the reason we don’t see new faces is because, as an incumbent, you have a leg up,” she said. “If you have two incumbents (in a ward), it’s hard for other people to get their foot in. That’s not say that continuity and generational institutional knowledge isn’t important, but the world changes and new ideas come out. That needs to be reflected.”

As she now looks forward to new challenges, Akapo wants to make one thing very clear: her decision not to run isn’t based, in whole or in part, on derisive comments aimed at her, either in person and on social media.

“I’m not being run out of council — I’m not letting the haters win,” she said, acknowledging she’s a different person in 2022 than she was just four years ago.

“I’ve changed. My eyes have been opened more. I have a vision of what I want the world to look like but there’s the reality of what the world actually is. I have a better understanding of how things work at the political level.”

“My goal is to create a better world than the one we currently have. Being on council has helped grow my education in that regard. That’s never wasted.”

While she is withdrawing from the political sphere, Akapo wants “to create a better world than the one we currently have.”

“Being on council has helped grow my education in that regard,” she said. “That’s never wasted.”

“Even if I’m not in politics, there’s other ways to create change. I’m refocusing now, but this is definitely not the last of me.”

Statement from Kemi Akapo – April 25, 2022

no
is a necessary magic

no
draws a circle around you
with chalk
and says
i have given enough

– boundaries, McKayla Robbin

From a very young age, I’ve held a strong belief that the world could become a better, more equitable and fairer place for all. I’ve also had an inexplicable internal force driving me to be part of that process towards positive change. That drive has been nurtured by my family and the many communities I’ve been privileged enough to live in. It is this strong belief and drive that led me to run for City Council and your faith in me that led me to be elected as the first Black, openly queer Councillor for the City of Peterborough. I thank you for your faith and trust in me.

I also strongly believe positive change can come about in a multitude of ways. It is, in part, for this reason I have decided not to seek re-election as a Councillor for the City of Peterborough. I know this announcement will come as a disappointment to some, especially those who helped me get elected and who were inspired by me being on Council. However, I am feeling the drive to pursue other approaches to creating a more just, equitable world in which all humans live a good life.

I am proud of the work and contributions I have been able to make to the City during my tenure. I will continue to work hard and strive for positive change until my final day in office.

The past 3 and a half years have taught me a lot, and though I may be leaving office as a City Councillor, I do still believe in the wonderful possibilities that exist for the future of Peterborough. I have a few thoughts and ideas I’d like to share over the coming weeks. I will be sharing them on my website: www.kemiakapo.ca.

Ese pupo, Miigwetch, Thank you, Peterborough.

Kemi Akapo

The Omemee Legion is one of nine non-profit organizations in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock collectively receiving $875,700 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott made the announcement at the Omemee Legion on Thursday (April 21).

“This funding will help local non-profit organizations recover from the impacts of the pandemic and help grow their services and supports they offer,” Scott said. “The Omemee Legion is using their $123,200 grant to construct a fantastic outdoor patio that will benefit community members and support their revitalization plans for the Legion.”

This was the second piece of good news on Thursday for Omemee, with the Ontario government also approving up to $3 million for a City of Kawartha Lakes project to reconstruct King Street.

Other organizations in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock receiving grants from the Resilient Communities Fund include:

• Kawartha Works Community Cooperative Inc. – $150,000
• Pinnguaq Association – $149,800
• Natural Hosemanship Association – $116,600
• Abbey Gardens Community Trust Inc. – $91,900
• Old Gaol Museum – $87,600
• Kawartha Lakes Arts Council – $77,800
• A Place Called Home – $69,700
• Haliburton Highlands Land Trust- $9,100

The Resilient Communities Fund provides grants of up to $150,000 to eligible non-profit organizations to recover and rebuild from the pandemic. In total, the Ontario government is providing $95.8 million this year through the fund to help 1,146 non-profit organizations across the province.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation will continue to offer the Resilient Communities Fund in 2022-23.