Peterborough city council has voted to commit $57 million in city funding towards the cost of a proposed $170-million multi-use sport and event centre in downtown Peterborough, amid repeated warnings that not replacing the aging Peterborough Memorial Centre could result in the Peterborough Petes hockey team leaving the city.

At its meeting on Monday night (May 11), councillors heard from four public delegations on the proposed event centre, three of whom spoke in favour.

Under a new procedure by-law approved by council in February, a maximum of four delegations is allowed to speak on any single agenda item at council. kawarthaNOW has learned that a local lawyer with objections to the event centre who contacted city hall early Thursday morning to get on the registered delegation list was advised it was already full.

Two of the four public delegations were supporters at mayor’s May 4 media conference

The three delegations who spoke in favour of the event centre included Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) board chair Deanna Guttman, Ontario Hockey League (OHL) commissioner Brian Crawford, and Selwyn resident Paul Harris-Lowe, who is a member of the city’s economic development working group.

Guttman and Harris-Lowe were both part of a media conference organized by Mayor Jeff Leal last Monday morning (May 4) in support of the event centre, hours before the general committee meeting where the mayor introduced his original motion in support of the event centre:

• That Council commit one-third of the cost, approximately $57 million, towards the event centre project;
• That staff be directed to provide a report identifying the funding plan to finance this $57 million commitment including amendments to the city’s debt limit;
• That staff be directed to initiate proactive advocacy and explore options to acquire the remaining two-thirds of the cost, approximately $114 million, from the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, County of Peterborough, private sector partners, fundraising, naming rights and sponsorship opportunities, and non-debt supported sources;
• That staff be directed to provide council with a report detailing options for funds from non-debt supported sources; and
• That $1.7 million be pre-committed in the 2027 budget to include a project manager position, site studies, and preliminary consultant services.

During his May 4 media conference, Leal spoke about the need to replace the aging 70-year-old aging Peterborough Memorial Centre alongside a sign reading “Vision 2096” and renderings of event centres in Sudbury and Brantford.

“We need to think about the next 70 years of Peterborough,” Leal said at the time. “This is a generational opportunity for our community. A new event centre will revitalize our downtown by driving foot traffic and encouraging investment. It will transform our waterfront and stimulate economic growth and development, and it will make Peterborough a regional hub and tourism destination for the next 70 years.”

During her delegation at Monday night’s meeting, Guttman reiterated many of the points she made during the mayor’s media conference, describing the benefits of an event centre to the downtown.

Asked by councillor Alex Bierk whether the DBIA would contribute to the project by increasing its levy to members, Guttman said “We would have to consult with the members on that.”

Councillor Kevin Duguay asked Guttman whether she felt that the city’s investment in the King Street parking garage, Millennium Park, and Quaker Foods Square have had a positive impact on the downtown, to which Guttman said “Absolutely, yes.”

OHL commissioner warns Petes could leave Peterborough without new arena

In his delegation, OHL commissioner Brian Crawford spoke about the legacy of the Peterborough Petes and its importance to the community, and how the Peterborough Memorial Centre “has reached the end of its lifespan” and “is no longer meeting the expectations of today’s fans, players, partners, and stakeholders.”

He said that municipally owned arenas are “vital pieces of infrastructure,” referring to Brantford, Sudbury, and Ottawa investing in new facilities.

“I’m here to encourage the City of Peterborough to do the same,” Crawford said. “In its current state, the arena no longer meets the standards of the league or the host. A new modern facility will ensure long-term viability for the franchise that means so much to the community,” adding that a new facility would provide the opportunity to host major events including the Memorial Cup and allow the city to “retain its vibrant sports teams.”

Councillor Andrew Beamer asked Crawford if the city is at risk of losing its OHL franchise if it doesn’t proceed with a new event centre.

“The answer to that a question is a simple yes,” Crawford said, adding that the OHL is committed to working with the city and the Petes “to make sure they have a viable, long-term future for another 70 years in Peterborough” — echoing the same timeframe and wording Mayor Leal has used referring to “Vision 2096” for the event centre.

In response to questions from councillors Bierk and Kevin Duguay, Crawford estimated that the Memorial Cup generates “tens of millions of dollars” for the host city.

Asked by councillor Gary Baldwin whether the OHL would work with the Petes should the Memorial Centre be shut down for nine to 12 months for upgrades, Crawford said the OHL would work with the Petes to find a “temporary home.”

The sole delegation to speak against the event centre was retired senior Robert Parkin, who raised concerns about the impact of raising property taxes on those with fixed incomes, and said that raising taxes to pay for a new arena would not attract people to live in Peterborough.

He questioned whether sports fans would be willing to pay increased prices to contribute to a new arena and whether the Memorial Centre would continue to be maintained at taxpayers” expense. He also suggested a referendum on the new arena.

“Councillors need to represent all Peterborough taxpayers, not just our local sports fans, and we cannot let the OHL dictate to us that we have to spend $170 million on an arena. Councillors control this city, not the OHL.”

Paul Harris-Lowe, who was the former chair of the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation before it became the now-defunct Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, said he was speaking to council as an individual and not on behalf of the city’s economic development working group.

He reiterated the comments he made at Mayor Leal’s media conference in support of the event centre, adding that the city could have constructed a new arena in 2003 for an estimated $25 million, instead of investing a total of $38 million in the Memorial Centre — including $13 million in renovations in 2023, $3.5 million in 2019 to repair the floor of the arena, and an estimated $22 million now to keep the facility operational.

In response to a question from councillor Don Vassiliadis about whether the possibility of a new event centre would attract new investment in the city, Harris-Lowe said that business owners often visit a city as tourists, and that the aging Memorial Centre will not attract businesses to locate in Peterborough.

Councillor Joy Lachica asked Harris-Lowe if he thinks it is “reasonable” for council to wait four or five months to get a report back on a funding strategy for the events centre. He said that the longer the city waits, the more costly it will be to build one.

“I’m not here to comment on whether four months is considered significant or not, but by delaying for a significant period of time I think is a significant mistake,” Harris-Lowe said.

Noting that the OHL commissioner said “we will lose our OHL franchise if we do not proceed,” councillor Beamer asked Harris-Lowe whether losing the Petes would be a “significant blow” or a “minor blow.”

Harris-Lowe said his personal opinion is that it would “be a shame” and would result in a loss of tourism and would “put the Lakers at risk as well.”

Councillor Lachica’s motion to defer the mayor’s motion fails for a second time

Following a vote on consent items, councillors debated the mayor’s motion, with councillor Lachica introducing the same motion she did at general committee the previous Monday night: that the mayor’s motion be deferred for five months so that city staff scan providing council with a “comprehensive funding and implementation strategy to secure the remaining two-thirds of the project cost” before the city commits one-third of funding for the project.

As was the case at general committee, councillor Dave Haacke spoke in favour of the deferral.

Councillor Bierk, who was not present at the general committee meeting, said he recognized the support for a new event centre but expressed concerns about committing $57 million for the project without having support from other levels of government or the private sector. He asked staff whether the city could commit $57 million in principle without allocating the funds.

Finance and corporate support services commissioner Richard Freymond said the only amount of funding that would be committed in the 2027 budget for the new event centre and affect the tax rate would be $1.7 million for a project manager position, site studies, and preliminary consultant services.

However, he said he would internally reserve $57 million of the city’s remaining debt capacity — which would have to be increased from the current debt ceiling of $30 million — for the project, which would make it unavailable for other projects that require debt financing.

Bierk said he would support the deferral as it would not stop the project, adding that “I don’t buy into that narrative.”

Councillor Keith Riel noted that MPP Dave Smith said there is no provincial funding for the project, and that MP Emma Harrison said it would be 18 to 24 months if any funds are available from the federal government. He said the city’s RFQ (request for quotations) resulted in responses from three proponents from the private sector, none of which was willing to invest in the event centre.

While he admitted he was uncomfortable with some of the debt-financing options for the new event centre, councillor Beamer said “There’s a little bit of fear-mongering here tonight” with respect to impacts on future capital projects, noting that city staff will come back to council with a plan and options to come up with funding from other sources. He said he would not support the deferral as the funding plan is part of the mayor’s motion.

After councillor Lachica spoke again in favour of the deferral, councillor Baldwin said he could not support the deferral as the issue would then default to the next council.

“Let our staff take the next five months to start making those connections with senior levels of government and the business community and the development community,” Baldwin said.

Councillor Lesley Parnell asked councillor Lachica whether deferring the motion for five months would mean that the decision would not come back to the current council. Lachica said that it would mean the item comes back to council after the October election, so that it is not an election issue.

Councillor Duguay called the question to end further debate on the deferral, which carried 8-3, with councillors Matt Crowley, Bierk, and Riel voting against.

Council then voted on the deferral, which lost 5-6, with councillors Lachica, Bierk, Haacke, Parnell, and Riel voting in favour and Mayor Leal and councillors Crowley, Vassiliadis, Beamer, Duguay, and Baldwin voting against. The vote split was the same as at the general committee meeting, except for Bierk who was not present at that meeting

‘It would be devastating to the City of Peterborough if we lost the Petes’

With the deferral defeated, councillors then debated the main motion.

Councillor Beamer said he supported the motion as long as the cost of the event centre was not borne by the city alone.

“If we do not get the two-thirds (from other levels of government), then we’re not spending the $57 million, but I think it’s prudent we move it forward,” he said, noting that the city needs to replace the Memorial Centre instead of spending a minimum of $30 million over the next 15 years to just maintain it.

“Also, we heard this evening that if we do not proceed with the new sports and entertainment facility, we will lose the Peterborough Petes,” he added. “It would be devastating to the City of Peterborough if we lost the Petes, if we lost the Lakers.”

He also said the event centre was needed to revitalize the downtown core.

In his remarks, councillor Riel said there is no commitment from other levels of government or private investors in a new event centre.

“We are debating whether this is the right priority for taxpayers at this moment in time,” he said, saying residents are “dealing with property tax fatigue, families are struggling with affordability, our infrastructure deficit continues to grow,” also mentioning the need to invest in basic city services, public safety, homelessness and housing support.

For his part, councillor Vassiliadis said the motion was more about replacing the Memorial Centre rather than building a new event centre, because of the costs required to maintain the Memorial Centre, operating deficits, and the risk of losing the Petes and Lakers. He said delaying building a new facility will just result in increased costs to build one in the future.

‘I will not vote against this and sentence our downtown and our city to death’

Councillor Crowley said he ran for council because “our roads were crumbling, our buildings were empty … everything felt outdated and ignored,” adding that “tonight is one of those moments where the work shifts from repair to renewal.” When he was growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, he said, the downtown was “where Peterborough was happening.”

“We lost that at some point, slowly then quickly,” he said, with a perception that the downtown was no longer safe and there were fewer reasons for people to come downtown. “Once a perception like that takes hold, it has its own gravity. Fewer people, fewer reasons. Fewer people, fewer reasons. It’s a death spiral that everybody in this room has watched happen over the last few decades. The multi-sport and event centre is how we break that spiral.”

“Bottom line is that cities that invest in their downtown core get downtown cores worth visiting, and cities that don’t watch them die. I will not vote against this and sentence our downtown and our city to death.”

Councillor Lachica said her concern was not only the city’s growing infrastructure backlog, but a lack of investment in the social infrastructure of the downtown that will not be addressed by building a new event centre.

“If we don’t take care of that, we will build it and they will not come,” she said. “We are not a large city; we are a small population with a limited tax base, so we need to be realistic and we need to consider what we create as our priorities.”

She noted that the cost of the new police station was originally $60 million and became $90 million, and that the city is still paying for the $60-million Miskin Law Community Complex.

Councillor Duguay spoke to the support for the project from the Peterborough DBIA and the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and noted Ashburnham Realty’s Crescent Street development and the city’s commitment to enhance the shoreline of Del Crary Park, “and there is a direct correlation between that and what we’re contemplating this evening.” He added that the city has to commit to the event centre to obtain funding from other levels of government.

‘I love all the talk about supporting the downtown — it’s like a day late and a dollar short to be honest.’

In his remarks, councillor Bierk recognized the attraction of a new event centre but said he represents the taxpayers in Town Ward.

“I love all the talk about supporting the downtown — it’s like a day late and a dollar short to be honest,” he said.

“We don’t even have parking meters that work downtown. We’re struggling to do the most basic things. We haven’t had a replacement of fixtures. Go to any other city our size. They have beautiful, brand new, black fixtures downtown. The last time we invested in those fixtures was in the ’90s, those maroon ones, for the centennial year.”

As someone who grew up in Peterborough, Bierk said, “I don’t appreciate the narrative that’s been thrown around a little irresponsibly tonight, that downtown is not a safe place or a vibrant place.”

“I just spent the week in New York City and, let me tell you, driving back home and coming here, the roads feel like clouds, they’re so smooth. The city is so clean. Being away for a week, I’m really grateful we live here and I think that we all have a beautiful way of life.”

Bierk said that what’s happening in the downtown core is a reflection of past government decisions, such as closing PCVS, where a thousand students would visit the downtown and support local businesses. He said when rules were expanded to allow big box stores on Lansdowne Street, with the argument that it would improve assessment, “it killed the mom-and-pop stores” downtown.

He said an event centre will not be a “silver bullet” to fix all the issues downtown, and that the city’s RFQ process for the event centre did not result in a “vision” for how it would change the downtown. He added that he would support hiring a project manager to get the site shovel-ready, but there are still too many unknowns to commit to $57 million in funding. He pointed out that it cost the city almost $1 million to install a crosswalk and two lights on Hunter Street in East City.

After councillor Baldwin spoke in support of the motion, Mayor Leal referred to the past decision to invest in Peterborough Square in the downtown in the 1970s, saying “This is exactly the same scenario.”

“This investment will keep the assessment of downtown Peterborough healthy, and it will also draw investment into our downtown,” he said, also mentioning the benefit of a new facility for the Lakers and the Petes.

“We need a vision, and to say that there shouldn’t be an opportunity during an election campaign — it’s the time when visions are put forward,” said the mayor, who still hasn’t yet declared whether he will run for re-election.

Leal implied that closing the Memorial Centre “for a minimum of 12 months … could be the death knell of a franchise, something that we don’t want to end.”

As they did in last Monday’s general committee meeting, council then voted on each of the five points of Mayor Leal’s motion.

Councillors voted 8-3 in favour of committing $57 million to the project, with councillors Lachica, Bierk, and Riel voting against. Councillor Parnell, who had voted against the item in general committee, voted in favour.

Councillors voted unanimously 11-0 in favour of the next three points in the mayor’s motion, related to city staff providing council with a financing plan for the $57 million (including debt financing), identifying options to secure the remaining funding, and providing a report to council on those options.

Councillors voted 10-1 in favour of committing $1.7 million in 2027 to hire a project manager and to conduct site studies and preliminary consultant services for the project, with councillor Lachica voting against.

For the fourth year in a row, the Rotary Club of Peterborough is rewarding environmental innovators with financial support for local projects through the Rotary Environmental Innovators Fund (REIF).

During its regular meeting on Monday afternoon (May 11) at McDonnel Street Activity Centre, Rotary announced it is awarding a total of $10,000 for four innovative local environmental projects that range from using light to remove organic pollutants from water to creating a children’s book about wetlands. Three of the four projects are based out of Trent University.

Rotary launched REIF in late 2022 with a goal to promote environmental awareness, sustainability, and remediation by supporting new environmental initiatives in the Peterborough area.

Since then, the fund has awarded more than $40,000 for projects in the areas of biodiversity, water and wastewater technologies, climate change, sustainable living, pollution, waster disposal, and more.

Applications for REIF funds are judged based on how they might impact the local climate and environment, how innovative the project is compared to existing solutions, the practicality of the project, expected benefits, and how the funds would be used.

This year, the REIF committee receiving eight applications and awarded three projects were $3,000 each for their innovative approach and high potential for impact, and one project $1,000 in recognition of innovation, strong community roots, and environmental promise.

The 2026 REIF recipients are:

• Manan Ravat, Trent University – Photocatalytic Degradation of Water Contamination ($3,000)
• Leora Berman, Turtle Guardians – A Community-Powered Turtle Conservation Initiative ($3,000)
• Megan Ward, Trent University – Across the Wetland with Finn – A children’s book introducing young readers to the importance of wetlands, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship ($3,000)
• Shannon Learoyd, Trent University – Just Keep Skimming: Exploring strategies to lower wildlife mortality associated with inground pools ($1,000).

Supporting the environment is one of Rotary International’s seven areas of focus, and REIF is a local initiative that reflects the club’s commitment to service, innovations, and local impact.

There’s power when the community comes together in support of vulnerable people, and that power will be on display when individuals, businesses, and organizations “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” with YWCA Peterborough Haliburton on Friday, May 22.

Beginning at noon at Confederation Square across from Peterborough City Hall, the annual event will raise awareness about the epidemic of domestic violence in the community while raising funds for YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s life-changing programming.

Registration is now open at www.walkamilepeterborough.com and priced at $50 or $25 for students.

Originally called Walk A Mile in Her Shoes before adopting a more inclusive name in 2024, the event has been held in Peterborough since 2009, taking inspiration from events held around the world since 2001.

Riffing off the idea of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, the event originally challenged men to walk a mile while sporting red high heels to represent the societal expectations and the challenges faced by women.

“It was important because the reality of wearing high heels — which are uncomfortable, throw off women’s posture, and cause pain in the feet, the back, and the knees — also means that women can’t run away if they need to,” says YWCA Peterborough Haliburton executive director Kim Dolan.

“For men to experience that discomfort also really challenged some societal norms that women were supposed to still try to adhere to.”

While some men still choose to slip on red high heels, the event has evolved over the years and now sees more than 100 individuals coming out on their own or in teams to support women, children, and gender-diverse people recovering from violence.

The route is also accessible to accommodate those walking with mobility challenges as well as walkers and strollers. Friendly on-leash dogs are also welcome to join the walk..

Those wanting to take part can sign up as a solo walker or they can partner with friends, family members, or colleagues to raise money through sponsorships. Many local businesses use the event as a team-bonding exercise and to demonstrate their mission and values to the community.

However they choose to show up, those walking the mile are sending a message to survivors and those currently facing domestic violence: we are on your side.

“So many women are cut off from friends and family,” Dolan says of those experiencing domestic abuse. “Women who experience violence in those intimate spaces are also testing how other people respond to this person who abuses them, and asking themselves ‘Can I talk with anyone about that? Are they going to blame me because he blames me?'”

“Seeing strangers in a situation of support and empathy without a personal attachment gives women a bit of distance to process that support differently.”

Dolan adds that women coming together shares an important message that standing up against violence is important to them. They may have had their own experiences with domestic abuse as well.

“I think lots of us have our stories,” she says. “We also need to be challenging the imagined profile of a woman who experiences violence.”

Since relaunching the event in 2024 after a hiatus during the pandemic, Walk A Mile In Their Shoes has raised $32,281.36. This year’s goal is to raise $25,000.

The funds will go towards YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s Journey of Care, described as a wrap-around support model that encompasses each of the signature programs and services.

The model ensures the women, children, and gender-diverse people they serve have not only a safe space to recover, but the additional support to stand on their own and walk a path free from fear and violence.

“When women are looking at making a change in their lives to move to living with autonomy, living with peace, and living with respect, there are so many things to take into consideration because it’s a huge change,” Dolan says.

“We know that change takes planning,” she adds, noting that Journey of Care captures the “practical to the emotional to the sustained support.”

“She’s getting support no matter where she is, so that she can stay the course that she’s set for herself with information, with access to resources, and with our really incredible, experienced staff.”

Dolan says the community’s support for Journey of Care is urgent given the number of women seeking the programming continues to rise.

“There’s been more public discourse about violence against women, how women are silenced, and how men who want to cover up the violence characterize feminism as being anti-male, which is not true,” Dolan explains.

“There’s a new tone and new messaging happening ib social media. Women are speaking out about the importance of supporting one another. Men are speaking out about the importance of listening to women, believing them, and speaking out when their male friends diminish or denigrate women. That shift in public discourse, in person and on social channels, has been profound.”

For Dolan, this shift is both “exciting” and feels like it’s at a “tipping point.”

“Hopefully this kind of event helps to add to those new conversations in a way that challenges the assumption that being a feminist means you don’t like men,” she says. “We all have brothers and sons and uncles and dads and husbands and partners — it’s not about that. It’s about behaviours that are rooted in misogyny and patriarchy and colonization. Let’s unpack that and start to make some changes.”

To register as a participant and create your personal funding page, or to sponsor someone with a donation, visit www.walkamilepeterborough.com.

kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of Walk A Mile In Their Shoes.