While Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) follows the path towards an Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) hearing, it is focusing on building community capacity in Peterborough instead of tiny homes.

These efforts include raising awareness of homelessness, mobilizing volunteers, partnering with agencies, and continuing to collect items to ensure those experiencing homelessness have warm blankets and clothing.

In October 2024, PATH submitted its appeal to the OLT to overturn Peterborough city council’s August 2024 decision denying PATH’s application for a temporary use by-law to build 24 sleeping cabins at the organization’s Lansdowne Street East site.

“We’re going through the process of learning how this works and then being guided by an amazing lawyer to help us understand it and make the best decisions as we work through it,” Bev Assinck, co-coordinator of PATH’s Ready for Home Program, told kawarthaNOW.

“That’s kind of an ongoing, early-days process,” she added.

PATH is a grassroots organization dedicated to creating a sleeping cabin community in Peterborough designed to offer stability, dignity, and connection for unsheltered peopel.

“We recognize that homelessness remains a pressing issue in our community,” Assinck said in a media release. “Those who are chronically unhoused or facing unstable housing require immediate assistance.”

In that regard, PATH is helping in a number of ways as its waits for news regarding next steps for the OLT hearing, Assinck said, and so can community members.

PATH continues to successfully operate its Ready for Home Program’s community clothing hub, through which donations are collected, washed, sorted, and distributed to partner agencies, such as the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, One City Peterborough, and the modular bridge housing community funded by the City of Peterborough.

Through a new partnership with the United Way’s Coats for Community initiative, PATH became the collection centre for new durable coats and winter gear, Assinck noted. To date, PATH has collected 1,600 coats with the United Way and distributed hundreds of bags of clothing to partner agencies, she said.

The public can also help by donating items. PATH is particularly in urgent need of men’s large and extra-large coats and large-sized boots.

Meanwhile, those who want to support PATH financially as it navigates the next steps of its OLT hearing journey can do so as well, Assinck said.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for donations to support PATH’s appeal to the OLT.

“We are fortunate to have an almost pro bono lawyer,” the fundraiser page states. “However, legal fees in the range of $10,000 will be needed.”

As of the date of this story, $860 has been raised for legal fees.

Since the council decision, PATH has also been working to strengthen its partnerships with One City, the Elizabeth Fry Society, and the United Way to provide outreach and essential supplies to those experiencing chronic homelessness and housing instability.

PATH volunteers and staff have helped to implement the resource room at the morning drop-in at One City’s Trinity Community Centre, as well as participating in clean-up initiatives at the centre.

“Our superpower is our ability to rally people around our cause and respond swiftly, and we wanted to use that to the advantage of those experiencing chronic homelessness,” Assinck said.

“We have had the incredible privilege of witnessing in real-time, the impact of agencies and organizations collaborating, pooling resources, and rallying around a shared cause. This is genuine community-building and working together to create more meaningful support systems for some of our most vulnerable community members,” she added. “We’re excited to continue to build on these partnerships and supports in 2025.”

For more information about PATH, including how to donate and volunteer, visit pathptbo.org.

It would have been easy for Kieran Andrews to go quietly into the night upon his semi-retirement in 2022.

Easy, except for the simple fact that Andrews has never done easy very well.

So it was that the co-founder of Wild Rock Outfitters in downtown Peterborough acted on his vision to create a movement reflective of not only his boundless love for and care of the environment, but also his belief in the transformative power of community.

Partnering with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, Andrews’ vision has since blossomed into the ComPassion Project that, to date, has raised a remarkable $191,000, gifted by close to 300 donors, for six local organizations.

On January 16 at Showplace Performance Centre, representatives of four of those non-profit organizations — Kawartha Land Trust, One City Peterborough, Fourcast, and YES Shelter for Youth and Families — gathered prior to the initial screenings of the Banff Mountain Film Festival (hosted by Wild Rock Outfitters) to not only celebrate that philanthropy, but outline how those dollars have enabled them to do their important work.

In addition to those four organizations, the Peterborough Trail Builders’ Association and the Peterborough Bike Advisory Committee are also beneficiaries of the ComPassion Project, which aims to support local organizations working on the front lines of environmental stewardship and social change.

Just this past Sunday (January 26), the annual 8-Hour Ski Relay, hosted by the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club in North Kawartha Township, was held in support of the ComPassion Project.

With an ambitious goal of $35,000, that event is well on its way to eclipsing the $19,000 raised last year, with donations being accepted online at CanadaHelps until the end of February.

Organizer John Hauser is typical of most who participated in the event, in that he brings a personal story to his involvement.

“I lost my dad when I was 23,” he relates. “He was a great dad; a really good automotive mechanic. He was a regular guy you might see anywhere around Peterborough … kind of blue collar. It was after a cancer diagnosis and treatment that his mental health was terribly affected.”

“I see people struggling and I can’t think of them as somebody else. I think about my father and I make that connection. I think ‘I don’t know what this person’s story is but I think we can help him (or her) through donations to the ComPassion Project.”

At the mentioned Showplace gathering, Andrews was absent due to illness but, as reflected in the comments from those who spoke, his spirit was front of mind. Community, each noted, is a powerful thing, and when those in need know that there’s a community standing with them, that’s a very powerful message.

That, explains Andrews, isn’t a byproduct of the ComPassion Project — it’s at its heart.

“I’m a huge believer in the building of community being done with intent,” says Andrews. “We talked about that (Sunday) at the beginning of the Nordic (ski) relay. We’re a group of skiers who decided to do this event to raise money for a number of organizations. But look where we are. We’re standing on these trails in the forest. This is not a coincidence. This is not an accident.”

“People who believe in this specific activity, and believe in the wellness that comes from that lifestyle, have poured their lives into building and maintaining these trails,” Andrews says. “It doesn’t matter whether the way you build community is by volunteering or by coaching a kids’ soccer program. These are people who are acting with intent to make their communities better in the way they know how.”

Andrews says his creation of the ComPassion Project “slowly started percolating” awhile back.

“I grew up in a family of people who supported organizations where they could and did things they believed in, but I never had resources to do the same,” he recalls. “But I reached a point where, all of a sudden, I kind of did.”

“The question I asked myself was ‘How can I do the best with the resources I had?’ That’s when I really started to think about what I wanted to do personally. Still being involved with Wild Rock, we had the capacity to communicate with a significant number of people. Through our social platforms and our marketing, if we could share my personal desire and amplify it, maybe we could have a much greater impact than I could as an individual. That was where it started, as simple at that.”

Asked if petitioning others to give financially to the ComPassion Project is something that comes easy for him, Andrews laughs before answering “No, it’s terribly awkward. I’m awful at it.”

“In fairness, the approach that we’ve taken is one of ‘Hey, look, we’re doing this. Please join us and we’ll do things of value for all of us.’ That’s the approach. If I was at the hospital foundation and I was going after $30,000 donations, that’s not my thing.”

“But if you’re confident and truly believe in what you’re doing, it becomes much easier to ask. If you present yourself in such a way that people understand why you’re asking and appreciate the work you’re doing and can see your commitment, they will be almost proud of you for doing what you’re doing, whether they’re going to give or not.”

Leading by example doesn’t hurt matters. Andrews’ initial financial contribution kickstarted the ComPassion Project, not to mention his advocacy of the important work of each of the fund’s beneficiaries.

As for the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough’s involvement in the ComPassion Project, it’s hardly surprising given the organization’s stated goal of “Inspiring giving to build a vital community for everyone.”

The foundation traces its roots to 2007 when a group of affordable housing advocates, frustrated by “piecemeal” solutions to the problem, came together to create holistic, long-term change in the community. Two years later, a $40,000 gift from local philanthropists saw the foundation created. Since then, more than $7.5 million has been invested in projects, with more than $13 million in endowed and long-term funds committed.

Foundation executive director Jennifer DeBues says, when it comes to defining what philanthropic success looks like, “It’s easy to say it’s the number of dollars and the number of people (giving), but those are shortcuts to talking about success.”

“We wanted to get a bit deeper with the charities that attended the (Banff Mountain Film Festival) event — the recipients of these (ComPassion Project) funds — so we asked that question,” DeBues says. “Success (for them) is about relationships to nature and with each other, feeling connected, and having a sense of belonging. It was all these deeper things that a lot of us have in common in terms of what we’re looking for in life. The common denominator was very powerful.”

“I’ve got the best job in town. I get to see and hear the best stories people have to offer. Bringing that circle, from the donors through the charities and back again, is so heartwarming and inspiring. On a grey January day, there’s nothing better.”

Partnering with Andrews on the ComPassion Project, says DeBues, was anchored in her admiration for Andrews’ passion, and his combining of that passion with Wild Rock Outfitters’ outreach capacity.

“He was just so thoughtful about everything,” DeBues says. “Every single detail along the way, he was prepared to think about and do the work on. It was definitely a no-brainer for me. I was delighted to say yes pretty quickly, but we had months of conversations before we actually signed the deal, so to speak, and launched it. We wanted to get it right.”

From his perspective as a “lifetime retailer,” Andrews says collaboration with the foundation checked some important boxes.

“I have the capacity to think things through, but I was considering something far beyond my realm of experience,” he says. “The things I didn’t know how to do or, frankly, didn’t have any interest in doing, is exactly what the foundation does: the money side of management and the legality of a foundation.’

“As a retailer, you exchange goods for money in a way that offers value to both sides. I was very conscious that it would be potentially awkward for us to be asking for money from our clientele with nothing immediate or tangible in return. A relationship with the foundation takes the transactional part and makes it secure and traceable and transparent.”

Moving forward, Andrews notes, all involved are committed to the continuation of ComPassion Project.

“One of our goals is to normalize the act of giving for a younger generation of donors,” he says.

“We have access to a younger audience and we can engage in a different way than many of the traditional charities can. Will we be an organization that’s pulling down and distributing a million dollars five years from now? I love to think we would but I’d be absolutely fine if we’re not, because that’s not entirely why we’re doing this.”

VIDEO: Kieran Andrews, Founder, ComPassion Project

According to Andrews, the ComPassion Project is also for those people who want to do something about the state of the world, but aren’t quite sure what they can do.

“We’ve created something where people can engage in bite-size ways,” he says.

“It’s pretty dark out there. Every time we can do something where we come together and commit to an act of giving, that’s positive. Every candle you can light has an impact. I think that’s what you’ll see more of from the ComPassion Project — bringing people together more often to work together.”

For more information about the ComPassion Project and to make a donation, visit www.compassionptbo.ca. For more information about the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, visit cfgp.ca.

Peterborough city council has voted against supporting a proposed new program that would set out a process for the City of Peterborough to expropriate land in the central area of the city on behalf of private developers for housing projects.

The proposal for the Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance (SLAC) program was discussed by council on Monday evening (January 27) at its general committee meeting, which also served as a public meeting on the proposal as per requirements of the Planning Act and was chaired by councillor Lesley Parnell.

The program was described in a report from Blair Nelson, the city’s commissioner of infrastructure, planning and growth management, that also proposed expanding the existing central area community improvement plan area to conform with the expanded central area in the city’s new official plan.

After a presentation on the SLAC program from city planner Christie Gilbertson, councillor Keith Riel was the first to speak.

“You’re going to have to do a better job of explaining to me why I would pass a piece of draconian legislation for us to expropriate people’s property in the downtown,” Riel said.

Although Gilberston said there was not a “specific scenario” where expropriation had been requested, she added that city staff have heard from developers during the early stages of consultations and discussions with the city that it is a “missing piece” of their development scheme.

“This is an attempt from a city staff perspective to look at the various tools that we have available to us, as an existing tool under the Municipal Act as well as the tools that we have available under Section 28 of the Planning Act, to come up with a possible remedy to a problem that we have heard about,” she said.

Under Section 6 of the Municipal Act, municipalities are allowed to expropriate private land for municipal purposes through the Expropriations Act. Section 28 of the Planning Act allows a municipality that has designated a “community improvement project area” in its official plan to acquire, hold, and sell land within that area.

Councillor Kevin Duguay, after confirming with Gilbertson that the city already has existing authority to expropriate land, asked legislative services commissioner David Potts whether a property owner could challenge a municipal expropriation.

“The municipal purpose can always be challenged,” Potts said. “Legal consulted with planning on this issue at the outset, and read or re-read all of the case law that has addressed circumstance where municipal purpose included expropriation of lands that ultimately, all or a part of which, were reconveyed to the private sector to achieve a municipal purpose.”

Potts referred to a case in the late 1990s, when the City of Toronto expropriated 10 properties at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets and sold the assembled land to a private developer, and to a case in the early 2000s, when the County of Oxford expropriated a parcel of commercial land so that Toyota Canada could build a manufacturing plant in Woodstock near London.

Potts added that the “incredible emphasis provincially on achieving housing targets and in the context of extraordinary events like strong mayor powers” provided a “lens” for reviewing case law when it comes to municipal expropriation of land for housing developments.

After confirming with Gilberston that there was no specific consultation with Indigenous communities on the SLAC program outside of regular consultation, councillor Joy Lachica expressed concerns that language like “last resort” and “a benefit to the community” is arbitrary and subjective. She also noted that the city has a deadline for designating heritage properties, which could potentially be expropriated under the SLAC program.

Councillor Alex Bierk said he was “trying to read between the lines,” asking Gilbertson “What has activated this to happen at this time?” He asked whether there were developers requesting this option and whether there were specific properties where there was a need for expropriation to proceed with development.

“We don’t have dozens of examples of this type of scenario — very few that I’m aware of — but it has come up specifically with one property, if not two, where it might be a possibility to explore something along these lines,” Gilbertson said.

“That’s the point I’m trying to emphasize where, reading between the lines, it feels like this is a broad scope policy that we’re being asked to approve, when in fact it feels like it’s about a very specific couple of things,” Bierk said, adding that he would rather deal with individual situations rather than implement a broad policy “that might have implications.”

Brad Appleby, the city’s director of planning, development and urban design, said that the SLAC program “is not about a particular property or particular project.”

“This is really about the city wanting to have the ability to harness all the tools that’s available to it to foster development in our central area,” Appleby said, adding it was about clarity and transparency.

After Bierk asked whether there were comparably sized municipalities that had a similar program, Appleby said he wasn’t aware of any, but noted all municipalities have the ability to expropriate land.

When Bierk then asked whether private developers would benefit from this program, Appleby acknowledged that was the case but said “It’s really about the broad development benefit to the community.”

“These are not to be any average project that might come in the door. These need to demonstrate a significant benefit for the community, and ulitmately council will be the decider of whether that benefit is sufficent enought to warrant using this program.”

After councillor Matt Crowley asked why city staff were bringing the SLAC program to council if “this weapon is already in our arsenal,” Gilberston said the program would enhance transparency and accountability, and also to let the developer community know the option exists.

Mayor Leal asked if the program would apply to a private developer who wanted to build a sports and entertainment complex in the downtown area and incorporate a number of housing units in the development.

“Effectively it could be applicable to any scenario within the central area, but we would need to see the details in terms of how such a request would align with eligibility requirements and what the overall benefit and exceptional case would be in terms of the outcome of such an acquisition,” Gilbertson said.

Councillor Lachica asked Appleby whether the SLAC program is “really endorsing as opposed to permitting under rare circumstances” municipal expropriation of land for private developers.

“I don’t know if I would characterize it quite as endorsing, I think I would just characterize it as clarifying that we have this tool available to us, and that it is one of a suite of tools that we may use in the central area,” Appleby said.

“It’s still a little bit unclear to me why we really need this, if it currently exists and if we look for it in writing it’s there,” Lachica said. “It feels like it’s granting broad permission for these things.”

Councillor Riel brought up the mayor’s example of a sports and entertainment centre, and said that was “the elephant in the room” with respect to the SLAC program. Appleby noted that the example would not apply if it was a municipally driven project.

Councillor Bierk said he was “confused” by the different explanations from staff about the rationale for the SLAC program, noting that it was initially presented as a solution to a problem identified by some developers and then that “we’re just doing it to get the word out there and to be transparent.”

“We have a community improvement plan that sets out the notion that this could happen, but what it doesn’t set out is how it’s going to happen,” Appleby said. “What we’re trying to do tonight is to update our community improvement plan to set out the how it’s going to happen, so that we’re not having to sit here and make up the process in a reactive kind of way when a developer comes to us.”

Councillor Bierk reiterated an earlier point made by councillor Riel, questioning why there was no consultation with business owners and residents in the downtown on the SLAC program.

After Gilberston’s presentation and councillor questions, council heard a virtual delegation from a resident of Ashburnham Ward, who noted the SLAC program is broader than the normal use of municipal expropriation for hospitals, highways, and schools.

She expressed concerns of the potential impact of municipal expropriation on the homeowners of single dwellings, where people have raised their families and made memories, and may not be able to move to another location if their property is expropriate.

Councillors then made some further comments, including councillor Bierk who noted the contradiction between municipal expropriation of private property and some councillors having previously objected to forcing a heritage designation on a property owner against their will.

After some further discussion, including councillor Duguay again reiterating his support for the SLAC program, council voted on the staff report after separating the proposed expansion of the existing central area community improvement plan area from the SLAC program.

Council voted 9-1 in favour of the former, with only councillor Riel voting against it, and 7-3 against the SLAC program, with only councillors Baldwin, Duguay, and Parnell voting in favour. Councillor Dave Haacke was absent from the meeting.

Decisions made by general committee will be endorsed by city council at its regular meeting on Monday (February 3).

The Ontario government has announced it is investing $6.2 million in a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Peterborough, one of 27 approved across Ontario.

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith made the announcement on Monday (January 27) at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, at an event attended by Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, Peterborough city councillors Alex Bierk and Keith Riel, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, Peterborough Regional Health Centre president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts, Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge CEO Ellen Watkins, Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott, and others.

“The Hart Hub is a fantastic approach,” MPP Smith said in a media release. “It means that we are crossing different sectors to ensure that we are providing the service where they need it, when they need it, and at the appropriate level. People can enter at any stage into the hub, wherever they are, and then progress through. It is the first time that any province has looked at the entire continuum for homelessness, addiction, and rehab.”

The creation of HART Hubs comes from the province’s August 2024 “safer communities” announcement that banned supervised drug consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and child care centres, which also resulted in the closure of nine existing provincially funded supervised drug consumption sites, including four in Toronto as well as sites in Guelph, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

During the August announcement, the Ontario government encouraged those nine sites to submit proposals to transition to HART Hubs, and also announced it would also be investing $379 million to create 18 new HART Hubs across Ontario and issued a province-wide call for proposals.

On January 5, the province announced the nine closed drug injection sites would be transitioned to HART Hubs by March 31 and, on January 27, announced the 18 new hubs — for a total of 27 HART Hubs. All the hubs will have the goal of being operational by April 1.

Led by Four Counties Addictions Services (Fourcast), Peterborough’s HART Hub will bring together local service delivery partners to provide a continuum of services in Peterborough for people with complex service needs on their recovery journey from addictions and homelessness.

The goals of the HART Hub are to increase system capacity for primary care, psychiatric care, and assessments for the homeless population that typically experience barriers to services, increase access to housing supports and income supports, and improve quality of life.

“Today’s announcement is a huge step forward in addressing homelessness and addiction recovery in our community,” said councillor Bierk, who co-chairs the city’s housing and homelessness portfolio with councillor Riel. “The HART Hub will provide much-needed supports and housing options for individuals with complex needs, helping them stabilize and rebuild their lives. We are grateful to MPP Smith for his advocacy and this critical investment in creating pathways to recovery and housing stability.”

The Peterborough HART Hub would deliver primary and psychiatric care, mental health and addictions services (including case management, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM), withdrawal management, bed-based addictions treatment, and aftercare), peer recovery coaches, mental health and addictions supportive housing (both transitional and permanent) and dual diagnosis supportive housing with 24/7 community wrap-around services, occupational therapy, and vocational services.

“The HART Hub investments are the right concept for the right time,” said Fourcast executive director Donna Rogers. “Our community, like others, is struggling with high rates of homelessness, chronic mental illness, substance use and addictions and poverty.”

“For people living this crisis, housing is the solution. The Peterborough HART Hub investment will offer housing alongside many of the other essential supports that can help people re-establish their lives through housing stability, addiction and mental health recovery, and good health. Our community is ready to maximize this opportunity and build on the strong foundations of housing from homelessness that has been established amongst our community partners.”

Like all of the HART Hubs funded by the province, the Peterborough hub will not offer safer supply, supervised drug consumption, or needle exchange programs.

The other 17 new HART Hubs that have been approved by the province are listed below.

• CMHA Peel Dufferin (Brampton)
• Health Sciences North/ Horizon Santé Nord (Greater Sudbury)
• The HART of Simcoe (Barrie)
• Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (Windsor)
• CMHA Hastings and Prince Edward County (Belleville)
• Durham Community Health Centre (Oshawa)
• CMHA Thames Valley (London)
• CMHA Algoma (Sault Ste. Marie)
• Services and Housing in Province (Dufferin County)
• Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Addictions and Mental Health (Lanark, Leeds and Grenville)
• Oxford Ontario Health Team (Oxford County)
• County of Renfrew (Renfrew County)
• Gateway of Niagara (Niagara)
• CMHA Lambton Kent Sarnia (Sarnia)
• Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre (Ottawa)
• Kenora Chiefs Advisory (Kenora)
• Maamwesying (Sault Ste. Marie)

At Monday’s HART Hub announcement, MPP Smith also announced a provincial investment to expand the mental health crisis unit at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).

The Ontario Ministry of Health is working with PRHC to complete early planning and design for the crisis response unit. Once further planning is complete and the project has been tendered and awarded, a construction schedule will be confirmed.

Once opened, the expanded mental health crisis unit will include additional capacity to address high volumes of acute mental health and substance abuse incidents and new crisis unit beds, and will separate adult and youth mental health patients tso they can receive the appropriate and high-quality care they need in a safe space.

“This moment marks the culmination of years of planning and preparation to expand our regional mental health and addictions program,” said PRHC president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula.
“The addition of a purpose-built, expanded crisis response unit at PRHC will have a profound impact on the lives of thousands of patients, improving care and alleviating overcrowding in our emergency department, which sees 80,000 visits a year.”