In light of the upcoming closure of Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Site (CTS), the Peterborough Police Service will have a zero-tolerance policy for open-air illicit drug use to ensure community safety in public spaces.

“We cannot go into the summer months allowing a small group of people to determine how others will use public spaces in this community,” said Chief Stuart Betts in a recent interview with kawarthaNOW.

Local addictions support organizations have voiced concerns that the CTS closure will lead to an increase in substance use in public spaces and drug-related medical and safety emergencies.

Concerns that policy shift to treatment over harm reduction will result in more open-air drug use

A response to the opioid crisis, the Peterborough CTS opened in June 2022 inside the renovated former bus terminal at 220 Simcoe Street in downtown Peterborough to provide a safe and medically supported space for people to consume pre-obtained illicit substances under the supervision of health professionals.

The decision to close Peterborough’s CTS comes almost two years after the Ontario government’s August 2024 “safer communities” announcement of a policy shift to restrict harm reduction sites and make addiction treatment a priority, banning supervised drug consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and child care centres.

The government later expanded that policy to close all supervised drug consumption sites, announcing a $500 million investing in 28 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, including one in Peterborough, that are focused on treatment, recovery, and housing. The hubs do not offer supervised consumption or harm reduction services like needle exchange.

In recent comments to kawarthaNOW, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith spoke further to the Ford government’s position on the role of CTS closures in increasing community safety, saying “It’s about finding ways to break the cycle of the addiction. That will make our community a safer place.”

Leaders from agencies working in the addictions and harm reduction sector have indicated that the closure of Peterborough’s CTS may cause increased safety concerns as there will be a gap in services for current service users of the CTS.

“These uses will happen somewhere else,” said Donna Rogers, executive director of Four Counties Addiction Services Team (Fourcast) of the approximate 300 uses per month supervised at the Peterborough CTS.

For his part, Chief Betts said the location of the CTS impacted community safety for the area around Simcoe and Aylmer, especially for public spaces such as the Peterborough Public Library and for surrounding businesses.

“They (CTS) attract a clientele and a drug subculture into our downtown,” Betts said.

Police chief says open-air drug use will not be tolerated

From a policing and community safety perspective, Chief Betts said there will be a no-tolerance policy on open-air illicit drug use in line with the Peterborough Police Services’ safer public spaces initiative.

Under the original initiative announced in October 2023, police officers would approach a person using drugs in a public space and request they move to a different location, offering them information on where to find community services such as the CTS site. To avoid criminalizing people with an addiction, officers would only arrest a substance user and seize their illegal drugs for destruction if the person did not comply with the police request.

Last June, police announced they would begin arresting anyone found using illicit substances in public spaces, and any illicit drugs would be seized for destruction or submitted for analysis and evidence to support any charges laid. At the time, Chief Betts said the escalation was necessary “to address a persistent problem in our community,” particularly downtown, and was consistent with the provisions of Ontario’s then-new Safer Municipalities Act.

“My expectation is that there will be heavy enforcement, with absolutely no room for discretion when addressing and engaging people who are openly using illicit drugs in public,” Chief Betts said with respect to any open-air illicit drug use as a result of the closure of the CTS.

However, the police chief also said that it is important to recognize when the appropriate response is emergency medical care rather than law enforcement. As such, he encouraged community members to alert paramedic services in the case of a medical emergency.

“Sometimes people who are under the influence of drugs behave erratically, but erratic behaviour doesn’t necessarily mean criminal behaviour,” Chief Betts said.

The police also aim to engage members of the public in building community safety through programs such as the Community F.I.R.S.T. initiative to address property crime and the new online identification portal where residents can help identify criminal suspects.

To help dissuade open-air drug use, Chief Betts encourages residents to continue to use community spaces.

“Often people are less likely to engage in acts of antisocial behaviour — in this case open-air illicit drug use — if there is a passive surveillance,” he added, referring to the presence of the public in community spaces.

If they do witness open-air illicit drug use, residents should report it to police. So far in 2026, the police have responded to 159 calls for service related to open-air illicit drug use, seizing drugs in 38 instances, making 25 arrests, and laying 24 charges. Of the 159 calls, 139 came from residents and 102 came from downtown Peterborough.

Police response to substance use includes collaborating with healthcare organizations

Speaking about current and future police response and management of cases involving substance use, Chief Betts highlighted a number of collaborative initiatives run by Peterborough Police Service and healthcare organizations including Fourcast, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), and the Canadian Mental Health Association – Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge Branch (CMHA HKPR).

On March 17, the Peterborough Police Service announced a new outreach partnership with Fourcast, which formed a new Addiction Specialist Team by placing an addictions counsellor with a police constable.

“This partnership comes at an opportune time as the CTS is transitioning from open to closed,” Chief Betts said. “It provides us with an opportunity to engage with those folks who might otherwise have been using the CTS and to try and put them into the right resources.”

Another resource he spoke about was the three Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams operated in partnership with CMHA HKPR and PRHC. Two teams are comprised of a police constable and a CMHA HKPR mental health worker, and the third with an officer and a registered practical nurse supplied by PRHC.

Chief Betts also indicated that the Peterborough Police Service has recently established a response team for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) with support from the Victim Services department.

As part of their response to the impending CTS closure, Chief Betts noted, the police have also engaged with staff and leadership at the Peterborough Public Library.

Peterborough Public Library taking steps to deter illegal activity such as drug use

In a recent interview with kawarthaNOW, library director and CEO Melissa Redden, spoke about actions the library is taking, in part in collaboration with and on recommendations from the Peterborough Police Service.

“We take a lot of steps to mitigate behaviour that breaches our code of conduct,” Redden said.

In particular, she mentioned increased training for staff, data analysis of incident history, and restructuring of library spaces to prevent antisocial behaviour. This has included reorganizing furniture to prevent isolated spaces that have higher rates of behaviour in violation of the code of conduct.

“We’re setting up the space to be used in a way that aligns more with our code of conduct and reducing or mitigating just through natural deterrence,” Redden said.

Although there have been instances of substance use and associated medical emergencies at the library in the past, both Chief Betts and Redden were clear that they will continue to ensure adequate law enforcement to prevent illegal activity on the site.

“I want to be clear that we view the library as a community resource, not a secondary location for drug use,” said Chief Betts.

While Chief Betts said he recognizes that safe consumption sites “provide a service, and often a well-intentioned and potentially life-saving service, for a small group of people who require that type of access,” he added that his “core responsibility is overseeing public safety” and he is “not in favour of places for people to go to consume illicit drugs.”

Responding to comments published by kawarthaNOW from local healthcare leaders, including Rogers and medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott, about the potential increase in emergency medical calls when the CTS is closed, Chief Betts said that he would support a “middle ground” approach, such as an alternative drop-off location for paramedic services for those experiencing substance-related medical emergencies.

Trent University professor P. Whitney Lackenbauer, a leading authority on Arctic sovereignty and northern security, has been honoured with the Governor General of Canada’s Polar Medal.

Created in 2015, the Polar Medal recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service in support of scientific research and/or polar exploration relating to Canada or to Canadian interests.

Outgoing Governor General Mary Simon, a former Trent University chancellor, presented the Polar Medal to Dr. Lackenbauer during a ceremony at the Governor General’s residence at the Citadelle of Quebec last Thursday (May 21). Marie-Pierre Parenteau, a federal government employee currently with the Department of Defence, also received the medal.

“Thank you for your research on Arctic governance and for your commitment to security, notably as honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group,” Simon said to Lackenbauer during the ceremony, noting that issues of security and sovereignty are coming to the forefront as the Arctic is increasingly seen as a region of opportunity.

A professor in the School for the Study of Canada at Trent University and the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Study of the Canadian North, Lackenbauer’s award-winning research explores the historical and socio-political dimensions of Arctic governance and the relationships between Northern peoples, their environment, and federal policy.

“Whitney’s work on polar policy and research has helped shape Canada’s understanding and engagement in the North at a pivotal moment for our country,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University, in a media release. “Through leadership service and his role with the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, he is advancing Canada’s work in Arctic sovereignty and security.”

For more than a decade, Lackenbauer has worked with the Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, which he describes as “the Canadian Armed Force’s eyes, ears, and voice in the North, and Northern communities’ voice in the Canadian Armed Forces.”

The group has been a source of knowledge and guidance for much of Lackenbauer’s work on community-centred policy and advancing knowledge of Arctic governance, Northern sovereignty, and security. In 2025, he published TAKUNIQ: The Canadian Rangers and Canada’s High Arctic in an Era of Strategic Competition, based on his ongoing engagement in this capacity working alongside Northern communities.

“With a proliferation of perceived security and sovereignty challenges through, to, and in the Arctic, it is more important than ever to characterize threats appropriately and to ensure that the right actors are empowered with the right tools to mitigate risks and respond as needed,” Lackenbauer said.

Also a prolific author, Lackenbauer is the founder and network lead of the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN), which has more than 100 members across multiple Arctic states are conducting research and policy work helping strengthen military-community relationships across the North.

“Most of the ‘exploring’ that I have done is with experts who are operating in their homeland, which they know intimately,” Lackenbauer said. “If anything, I have learned to become an ‘expert’ in following their lead, listening to them and then being entrusted with telling stories of what they or we have experienced in hopes that this will improve policy, practice, and public awareness.”

He received Trent University’s Research Impact Award in 2024 and the Distinguished Research Award in 2026.

“I have been so blessed over the last quarter century to have been guided and taught by experts and mentors throughout the Canadian Arctic and North,” Lackenbauer said. “The generosity, resourcefulness and resilience of Canadians who live in our Arctic and Northern communities continues to inspire me. It is a particular honour to receive the medal from Her Excellency Mary Simon, whose leadership has not only shaped our country but the circumpolar world.”

The Polar Medal was last presented in 2019, making this the only time Simon has presented the medal during her tenure as Governor General.

Dr. Lackenbauer is only the second Trent University expert to receive the medal. The late Arctic historian and author Dr. Shelagh Grant, whose scholarship helped shape Canadian understanding of Arctic sovereignty and northern history, was one of the medal’s inaugural recipients in 2015.

If your morning commute takes you through the tunnel under the Lift Lock in Peterborough’s East City, you may need to take another route on Monday morning (June 1).

Parks Canada will be closing the single-lane tunnel, which connects Hunter Street East with Ashburnham Drive, from 9:30 a.m. until noon on Monday.

The closure is needed to allow for work on the embankment, immediately east of the tunnel, as part of Parks Canada’s multi-year infrastructure project along the Trent-Severn Waterway.

The project includes rehabilitation of earth dams along the canal, sealing of leaks in the Lift Lock, and the complete replacement of the Maria Street Swing Bridge. The entire project is expected to take up to four years to complete, with the bridge replacement scheduled to begin in the fall.

During the temporary tunnel closure, a signed detour route will be in place and traffic control personnel will be on-site to assist with the movement of emergency services vehicles, transit buses, and heavy trucks.

Parks Canada says drivers should expect delays and are encouraged to plan their travel accordingly. Nearby alternate routes across the canal include Maria Street to the south and the McFarlane Street bridge to the north.

This year’s Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event has raised $38,341.71 for YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.

Held last Friday (May 22) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the annual fundraiser saw members of the community come together in downtown Peterborough to support women, children, and gender-diverse individuals escaping the effects of gender-based violence.

After hearing remarks from local dignitaries including Peterborough MP Emma Harrison, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts, and YWCA Peterborough Haliburton executive director Kim Dolan, participants marched from Confederation Square through the downtown and back, while sporting everything from red sneakers to high heels as footwear to wearing inflatable shark costumes.

While members of the community and local businesses cheered from the sidelines, walkers chanted for an end to violence and served as a visible reminder of solidarity for survivors of domestic abuse. After returning to Confederation Square, participants enjoyed pizza from Domino’s Pizza and ice cream from Kawartha Dairy.

“While intimate partner violence continues to be an epidemic in our community and a serious issue we must continue discussing if we want to see real change, we also recognize that it is important to celebrate the brave survivors who have escaped and are on their healing journey,” said YWCA Peterborough Haliburton director of philanthropy Tina Thornton in a media release.

“The amount of confidence and reliance it takes to leave an abusive situation is huge and so, while Walk a Mile in Their Shoes is about educating the public on the stark realities of gender-based violence, it is also meant to be a fun day where those who have been impacted by gender-based violence can see that there is kindness, support, and joy to be had as they embark on their own healing journeys.”

Funds raised from this year’s event will support YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s programs and services, part of a wrap-around care model known as HER Journey of Care that not only includes access to safe shelter, but supportive counselling, court support, and other services intended to help survivors of gender-based violence begin a new life.

“When a woman walks through our doors, we know that it takes so much more than just having access to a safe place to stay to help her find a future free from violence,” Thornton said.

“This is why HER Journey of Care works to provide clients with an organic and individualized process that can help a woman in need escape her dangerous situation, but also recover emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We work hard to walk alongside our clients in whatever capacity they need so that they can go from that place of fear and control to safety, healing, and independence.”

On behalf of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Thornton thanked the community for continuing to support the non-profit organization’s work and everyone who helped make this year’s event a success.

“When you donate to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, not only are you helping someone in need get out of a dangerous situation, you’re helping them access all of the resources needed to take those important next steps,” she said. “We strongly believe that it takes full community support to help those escaping gender-based violence, and this event just proves the power of that collective action.”

For more information about YWCA Peterborough Haliburton and to donate, visit ywcapeterborough.org.

Peterborough resident Marcus Harvey is almost $69,000 richer thanks to the Peterborough Humane Society’s 50/50 lottery, which raised a record-breaking total of $137,510.

As the lucky winner of the lottery’s fifth edition, which ran from April 9 to May 15, Harvey took home half of the total — $68,755 to be exact.

The other half of the funds raised will support animals in need at Peterborough Humane Society, which does not receive government or institutional funding for its operations. Proceeds from the lottery will help cover the cost of food, medical treatment, and safe shelter while animals wait for their forever homes.

The lottery also featured the Marlin Travel & Collette Ruffle, offering a $5,000 travel voucher redeemable through Marlin Travel Peterborough toward any Collette package, with M. Fowler of Norwood the winner.

Since it launched in spring 2024, the Peterborough Humane Society 50/50 lottery has given away $166,000 in cash prizes and $20,000 in travel vouchers from Marlin Travel Peterborough. With tickets purchased from people across Ontario, this spring’s lottery more than doubled the previous record of $57,575 set last fall.

“We are absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of this community,” said Peterborough Humane Society CEO Shawn Morey in a media release.

“When we launched the PHS 50/50 Lottery in 2024, we hoped it would grow into something meaningful,” Morey added. “What this community has done this spring is beyond anything we could have imagined. To go from a record of $57,575 to a jackpot of $137,510 in a single season is extraordinary, and it speaks to how much the people of this region care about the animals in our care.”

Along with everyone who bought a ticket and helped promote the lottery, Morey thanked Marlin Travel, Collette, and Miskin Law for supporting the lottery, with the spring edition marking the first season with Miskin Law as the official sponsor of two early bird prizes of $1,500 and $2,000. According to the Peterborough Humane Society, the addition of the early bird prizes “generated significant excitement and helped drive record-breaking ticket sales throughout the campaign.”

Each year, around 1,500 animals come through the doors of the Peterborough Humane Society, located at 1999 Technology Drive, to receive veterinary care, vaccinations, microchipping, and spay-and-neuter services prior to adoption.