While the demand for pet care services for residents on social assistance is not slowing down, Peterborough Veterinary Outreach remains committed to supporting as many vulnerable citizens as they can.

The volunteer-run initiative does so by hosting free monthly pet wellness clinics for dogs and cats through One City Peterborough at the Trinity Community Centre at 360 Reid Street.

The clinic is available for anyone on Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), residing in the city of Peterborough, and who has not had an ongoing relationship with a vet clinic within the past 12 months.

As most clinics are held on the second Tuesday of the month, the next clinic is scheduled for Tuesday (March 11) from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

The project has been running in Peterborough since 2018. After many trips to provide pro bono clinics in Central America for severely underserviced areas, Dr. Maggie Himann of Buckhorn Veterinary Services wanting to offer similar supports to residents in need in Peterborough. She connected with Jan van der Eyk, now the administrator of the initiative, who, at the time, was also thinking about a similar project.

“When we started talking to each other, we realized that we were both looking for ways to help people that are on limited incomes, in marginalized housing, or homeless and who needed some help with their pets,” says Himann.

When it first launched, Peterborough Veterinary Outreach served the closed community at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough. They offered free medical services, with clients paying a minimal fee to cover the cost of vaccines.

Himann says the appreciation for the services was immediately felt, with most clients deciding to pay even more than they were required to in support of the service.

“These are people that did not have a lot of money, and were so thankful that we were coming to help their pets that they wanted to pass it on,” she says. “It just broke our hearts to see that.”

For Himann, this is proof of just how essential it is for people in vulnerable situations to have pets and to be able to stay with them.

“The human-animal bond is enormous,” she says. “For a lot of homeless people, having a dog is protection, as well as warmth, as well as mental health (support), and that’s a big thing. A lot of these people struggle and, for them, their animals are their touchstones that gets them up in the morning, gives them someone to take care of, and a reason for them to go to work.”

Feeling there was a larger community that would benefit from the services, Peterborough Veterinary Outreach partnered with One City Peterborough in 2020, which gave them a community space to operate out of. It also allowed the initiative to get more financial support as a program opening under One City, which is a registered charity.

Today, the clinic offers wellness care including examinations, deworming, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, and heartworm prevention. They also offer advice on pet food and grooming, and most clinics will have food, treats, litter, dog coats, leashes, collars, and other products available for clients.

To limit the barriers to those needing support, sign-ups for the monthly clinics happen in-person at One City Peterborough the day before clinic, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. or until all the spots are filled.

To sign up, pet owners or their representatives must show a current proof of OW or ODSP payments, as well as a piece of photo ID with an address that matches the payment. Walk-ins on the day of the clinic are not accepted.

While the hope is to one day support residents outside the city, as well as others who might need support to get to vet services — like seniors, those with disabilities, or those who are not on social assistance though are still low income — Himann explains that it’s not currently possible.

“We don’t ever run out of people in this group, so expanding geographically or expanding to other groups of people financially with the number of volunteers that we have, we just cannot do that yet.”

In 2018, Peterborough Veterinary Outreach began with three volunteers serving 31 patients (from 17 clients, as some had multiple pets) and, at the end of 2024, they were serving 434 patients from 281 clients.

“Our costs have gone up quite a bit because we’re not just spending it on vaccinations,” Himann says.

“We’re spending it on antibiotics and pain medications, and all kinds of other treatments as well. Sometimes we end up having to manage (a pet’s) health for another month or two before they’re healthy enough to actually have vaccines in a medically competent way.”

Still, she prioritizes keeping the pets with their human companions as she’s seen “time and time again” the affect the animals have on their owners. She shares a story of one unhoused man whose dog needed critical surgery for an infection.

“When one of our volunteers drove the dog to the clinic to have the surgery done, the dog stared out the back window until she could not see her owner anymore, which was heartbreaking,” Himann recalls.

“When he came to the clinic the next month to do a follow-up with her, he walked in completely sober, completely straight, and he was so emotional and hugged everybody and thanked them,” she says. “He was so much more connected with the world around him because his dog was okay.”

Himann hopes that one day Peterborough Veterinary Outreach will have the means to help even more individuals stay with their pets.

“Our hope for the future is that we can continue to service the people that we are right now, but also ultimately expand,” Himann says. “But our reality is that we’re realizing that’s going to take a lot longer, and more financial support is needed in order to make that happen.”

For more information, follow Peterborough Veterinary Outreach on Facebook.

To donate to Peterborough Veterinary Outreach, visit www.onecityptbo.ca/donate and select Peterborough Veterinary Outreach from the dropdown menu.

Police have arrested and charged a 21-year-old Peterborough man in connection with a bomb threat at Lansdowne Place Mall in February.

On the afternoon of February 19, the mall received a bomb threat call. Peterborough police responded and evacuated and closed the mall, blocking all entrances.

Members of the York Regional Police Service’s bomb squad, including their bomb-sniffing police dog, were called in to check the property. No bomb was located and, by early evening, the mall was returned to the care of the property owner. There were no injuries during the incident.

Through an investigation, officers with the Peterborough Police Service’s Major Crime Unit identified a suspect and took him into custody without incident on Thursday (March 6).

As a result, a 21-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with false information and public mischief. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on April 15.

“This event caused a lot of disruption in our community, not to mention the impact on local businesses,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a statement. “These types of incidents strike at the core of safety in our public spaces, and we take them seriously. For our officers in the Major Crime Unit to quickly identify and secure an arrest in this case within weeks of this incident, is outstanding.”

Chief Betts thanked members of the public who were in the mall for evacuating safely and Lansdowne Place management for their cooperation, as well as the York Regional Police for their assistance.

One look at Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park and it’s hard to not feel that a citizens’ group that fought tooth-and-nail to save its beloved urban greenspace lost that battle.

Long gone are its two ball diamonds, with the park’s grass and trees replaced by mounds of dug-up soil, awaiting the construction of a 14-court pickleball complex, an expanded skate park, a bike pump track, and a parking lot.

But if we’ve learned anything from the resilience and determination of Friends of Bonnerworth Park (formerly Save Bonnerworth Park), it’s that it’s not going silently into the night. Rather, the group has changed its focus, working to have a seat at the table as redevelopment of the park follows its due course.

On Wednesday night (March 5) at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School, Friends of Bonnerworth Park’s directors updated what has transpired since its last briefing in early December.

At that time, it vowed that its fight would continue in some shape or form. As director John Gerelus outlined, oversight — anchored by a more cooperative relationship with the city — is now the approach.

“When we met with our lawyer (SB Law in Guelph) in December, the two questions asked us were ‘What do you want?’ and ‘What do you want to see in the park?'” said Gerelus.

“Initially, we said we wanted to put it (Bonnerworth Park) back to the way it was but, because of the amount of construction that has already started, and because of the resolve of the city, the advice from our lawyer was any chance of litigation that might stop the park (from being redeveloped) would be futile.”

Advised instead to “try to get to the table, try to develop a dialogue with the city,” that is what Friends of Bonnerworth Park has since done.

Following a January 20th meeting request sent to Peterborough CAO Jasbir Raina, Friends of Bonnerworth Park met on January 28 with recreation and park services director Rob McAuley, community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman, and strategic communications and service director Brendan Wedley.

“We termed it as a chat, a cup of coffee … let’s sit down at the table and explain our concerns but, on the advice of our lawyer, also offer solutions,” reported Gerelus.

“We weren’t there to gripe, or bring up history, or (talk) about what happened on November 11th when they broke ground (in the park). It was about moving forward, developing and creating a collaborative environment between citizens and the city. They (city officials) were cautious in the beginning but it was only a couple of day later (from the request) that they were able to schedule a meeting.”

Gerelus says all involved “were cautiously optimistic,” crediting the city trio for “offering information we didn’t expect, adding “We left that meeting with a good feeling.”

Richard Scott, a Friends of Bonnerworth Park director alongside Jen Burnard, Deb Scott, and Gerelus, reviewed particulars of the meeting.

“We wanted additional information over and above what the city has shown on its website which, to this point, has been the landscape plan,” said Scott. “Most of the things that made this park loved by the community have been taken away. There may be opportunities to reclaim some of that.”

Scott said, as a result of the meeting, the group learned the following from the city:

• The neighbouring McDonnel Street Community Centre will remain a public facility, dashing the widely held notion that the Peterborough Pickleball Association would be taking over its occupancy.
• The Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club is in the midst of “nurturing its membership” with the city focused on its viability well into the future.
• The small area of open space provided for in the park’s redevelopment will not be used for additional pickleball courts and will remain as open space.
• If the noise created by pickleball becomes too intrusive, the city will not cover the courts with a dome. Rather, the city is conducting an indoor sports facility study in 2026 but Bonnerworth will not be part of that review.
• Knights of Columbus Park off Park Street will be rebuilt this year with plans to re-open it in the fall.

Scott noted another meeting with the city was held just this past Monday (March 3) involving McAuley and two senior parks operation staff.

During that meeting, Friends of Bonnerworth Park were assured the cast of the pickleball court lights won’t extend beyond the park limits.

“We also had questions around timing, in terms of hours of operation and how that might be adjusted or managed, and who determines the hours of operation,” said Scott.

Noting the city indicated it will approach other park use groups to also sit down at the table, another meeting is tentatively scheduled for late April.

“The key thing for us is monitoring the park’s operation, especially noise,” said Scott. “We’ve highlighted the issues related to pickleball noise and the ineffectiveness of mitigation in countless places across North America.”

“Our group should determine when, how and where noise monitoring is done, and the type of monitoring equipment used. It has to be very specific noise monitoring equipment. The pickleball ‘ping’ is like nanoseconds. You have to be able to capture only that ‘ping’ from other noise.”

According to Scott, another issue raised by the group is the absence of a parking plan for pickleball tournament events.

“Is there overspill parking somewhere? Are there access issues for people (living near the park)? This is the sort of thing we can act as a conduit on — to get word to the city on what’s working and what isn’t, and how we might be able to improve it.”

Scott added the city is planning to hold a public meeting before the newly developed park opens in the fall to review the operation of the park.

“Hopefully the dialogue we’re having with the city will help convince the city and park users to have a reasonable operational plan, and then also provide opportunities to adjust it as necessary,” said Scott.

After the update, which also revealed Friends of Bonnerworth Park has $30,114 in its account — a combination of GoFundMe and other donations minus lawyer and Freedom of Information request fees — and that the group is on the cusp of launching a new and updated website, Gerelus spoke further to the new spirit of cooperation with the city.

That, he said, it a 360 from what transpired last year as the park plan was rolled out.

“We’ve got a real sense that the city is willing to be collaborative and work toward solutions,” Gerelus said, adding “That they want to engage the other stakeholders is important, too, because we need everybody at the table to make that park work.”

“Our resilience has been key to them (the city) wanting to rebuild trust. The fact is the park is being rebuilt, so let’s work together find solutions that will help it be a good neighbour. Let’s work to find solutions around noise, around traffic, around lighting.”

As for the notion that Friends of Bonnerworth Park fought the good fight and lost, Gerelus said nothing could be further from the truth.

“You lose the battle but you win the war,” he said. “It was disappointing when they put shovels in the ground and we weren’t able to file an injunction properly.”

“But people still want to be involved with what goes into the park. Sound advice from our lawyer to try to get back to the table saw us reach out and the city responded in a kind way. They didn’t have to do that, but they want to cure some of the divides in the city right now, and rebuild trust.”

“Now we’re the Friends of Bonnerworth Park. We’re not saving the park. The city is working with us … they want it to be a success. This is huge.”

Peterborough city council will be meeting as general committee on Monday (March 10).

Following a closed session at 5:30 p.m., where councillors will discuss a “potential acquisition” of land for future road work, council will meet in council chambers at 6 p.m. for an open session.

Below are some highlights of what’s on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.

Update and expansion of community planning permit by-law

City staff are recommending the council adopt a city-wide community planning permit by-law.

A community planning permit (CPP) by-law is a land use planning tool available to Ontario municipalities that combines zoning by-law amendments, site plan approvals, and minor variances into a single application and approval process.

A CPP by-law can apply to specific geographic areas or to the entire city, replacing the city’s existing zoning by-law in its entirety.

“The implementation of a city-wide CPP by-law will streamline the development approvals process with a 45-day legislated timeframe for approvals, in contrast to the minimum 150-day cumulative timeframe for the current development approvals process,” reads a staff report from Blair Nelson, the city’s commissioner of infrastructure, planning, and growth management.

“The CPP by-law also enables the city to consider increased height and density in exchange for services, facilities and matters (e.g., affordable housing).”

2024 council remuneration and expense statements

City council will review a report of the remuneration and expenses of the mayor and councillors in 2024.

The report shows that Mayor Jeff Leal received $121,615.02 in 2024, including $90,318.12 in remuneration as mayor, $11,600 in remuneration or meetings or honorariums for City of Peterborough Holdings Inc., and $7,947.90 in pension benefits.

Each councillor received $35,380.08 for being a member of council, with all councillors save Matt Crowley receiving $3,113.37 in pension benefits. All councillors also received a $600 internet allowance. With the exception of Andrew Beamer, all councillors also received a $2,556 vehicle allowance (the mayor received $5,112).

Councillor Joy Lachica also received $9,035.65 in remuneration as a board member of Peterborough Public Health.

Expenses reimbursed to councillors were mainly for their attendance at various conferences, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference which the mayor and all councillors attended. Conference expenses ranged from $249.08 to $3,553.72, with most expenses in the $1,500 range.

Councillor Kevin Duguay had the highest expenses at $5,280.58, most of which was related to his attendance at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference in Calgary. Councillor Alex Bierk has the next highest expenses at $4,764.29, as he attended four conferences in 2024.

Rogers Street parking restrictions

City staff are recommending changing the existing one-hour parking restriction on Rogers Street between Hunter Street and Sophia Street to the default three-hour restriction.

According to a report from commissioner Nelson, staff received a request from the Peterborough Theatre Guild to review the current one-hour parking restriction, as it makes it difficult for patrons to park on-street when attending performances that are longer than one hour.

The original one-hour parking restriction on Rogers Street was implemented in the 1990s to address overflow parking from the former St. Joseph’s General Hospital. At that time, parking on the east side of the street was restricting traffic flow and parking on the west side of the street was constantly occupied by hospital visitors and staff.

After receiving the request from the Peterborough Theatre Guild, staff conducted a survey of 32 households in the area, with 85 per cent of the 41 per cent of households that responded supporting a return to the three-hour parking restriction.

“In addition to the survey results, staff recognize that with the closure of St. Joseph’s General Hospital and the redevelopment of the site to residential occupancy, the need for one-hour parking restriction no longer exists,” the report states.

Bensfort Road and Otonabee Drive traffic signal and all-way stop review

After a request from last April that city staff report back to council on the need for an all-way stop or traffic signal at the intersection of Bensfort Road and Otonabee Drive, staff are presenting the findings of a review that concludes neither traffic signals nor all-way stop control are warranted at this time.

According to the report from commissioner Nelson, city staff reviewed and analyzed data related to vehicle volume, pedestrian volume, and collision history, and also completed a speed study, sight line review, and site observations.

“The Bensfort Road and Otonabee Drive intersection failed to meet the minimum threshold for total vehicle volume, delay to cross traffic, four-hour volume and collision experience, and signalization of the intersection is not recommended at this time,” the report states.

The report also found that adding that an all-way stop is unwarranted and implementing one could create delays for drivers and increase speeds on Bensfort Road, and that intersection pedestrian signals are also unwarranted.

The report recommends improving sight lines by relocating the stop sign and painted stop bar location and by trimming overgrown vegetation along the east limits of the Bensfort Road right-of-way.

The report also recommends implementing painted median islands, painted edge lines, and painted curb radii, with the intent of encouraging lower vehicle speeds on Bensfort Road at Otonabee Drive by providing clear guidance to drivers while narrowing lane widths to promote lower speeds.

Contract extension for Selwyn Link bus service

City staff are recommending that the City of Peterborough extend its contract with Selwyn Township’s “The Link” rural transit service pilot program for an additional year until March 31, 2026.

Peterborough Transit, which has been the service provider of “The Link” since April 2021, operates two routes: Route 31, “Curve Lake – Lakefield” (which travels from Trent University to the village of Lakefield then on to Curve Lake First Nation, returning through Lakefield and returning to Trent University) and Route 32, “Ennismore – Bridgenorth” (which travels from Trent University to Bridgenorth and then over the causeway to Ennismore then back to Trent University). The routes operate six times per day on weekdays.

In 2019, Selwyn Township received $1.5 million from the Ontario government’s Community Transportation Grant Program to operate the service until March 31, 2025. According to the staff report by municipal operations commissioner Ilmar Simanovskis, Selwyn Township has received additional funding to extend the pilot for another year and has proposed extending the agreement with Peterborough Transit until March 31, 2026, with a two per cent increase to the hourly rate.

“The city has been providing this pilot program at no cost to city taxpayers, through a full cost recovery approach to service delivery,” the report states, noting that the service will generate a gross revenue of around $513,000 in 2025 with a new surplus of $8,000 for the city. “The program is seeing annual ridership increases, which improves access for residents to seek services and opportunities beyond the boundaries of the city.”

Renewal of Trent University universal bus pass funding agreement

City staff are recommending that the city renew its agreement with the Trent Central Student Association (TSCA) for the continuation of the Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass).

Under the program, Peterborough Transit offers two express routes that serve the university, along with other special services tailored to serve student events, exam schedules, and convocation ceremonies.

The fees collected by the TSCA will generate around $2.8 million in operating revenue in 2025.

Agreement with ORCA for the operation of Beavermead Campground

City staff are recommending that the city sign another five-year agreement with Otonabee Region Conservation Authority for the continued operation of the campground at Beavermead Park.

The city and Otonabee Conservation entered into an initial agreement in 2015, with a five-year extension period that expired in October. While the city is responsible for maintaining the grounds, roadways, and the washroom building and attached kiosk, Otonabee Conservation is responsible for operations of the campground, including permitting of sites.

The new agreement outlines an annual payment fee to the city to cover the annual maintenance expense of the property, as well as a profit-sharing agreement that sees Otonabee Conservation keeping 10 per cent of gross revenue with the remainder shared equally with the city.

Designation of listed properties update

City staff will present a report to council sharing an initial list of 56 properties that the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee has identified as priorities for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act by January 1, 2027.

The city maintains a heritage registrar of almost 700 properties that are of cultural value or heritage interest. Under recent amendments to the provincial legislation, all municipalities are required to remove listed properties by January 1, 2027 if they are not designated by then. Properties that are removed from the heritage registrar cannot be re-listed or a period of five years from their removal.

The list of 56 properties recommended for heritage designation include the Commerce Building at 129 Hunter St. W., the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club at 725 Armour Rd., Mark Street United Church at 90 Hunter St. E., Hamilton House at 640 Walkerfield Ave., Murray Street Baptist Church at 175 Murray St., Cherney House at 99 Roper Dr., Salvation Army Temple and Stevenson Hall at 216 Simcoe St., Trent Radio House at 715 George St. N., King George Hotel at 172-174 Simcoe St., White House Hotel at 171-175 Charlotte St., Queen Alexandra Community Centre at 180 Barnardo Ave., and Prince of Wales Public School at 1211 Monaghan Rd.

Motion to limit city’s use of X social media platform

Councillor Matt Crowley will be bringing forward a motion that proposes the City of Peterborough limit its use of the X social media platform (formerly known as Twitter).

“X has become a media platform that is not adequately responding to hate speech and misinformation,” the motion reads, adding “Continued use of X could be perceived as tacit approval of or association with ideologies that are inconsistent with the City of Peterborough’s commitment to freedom, inclusivity, and nondiscrimination.”

Recognizing that Peterborough Transit is currently using X as a main method to communicate service changes to customers, and that the city uses all available social media platforms to communicate emergency services information, Crowley’s motion proposes that the city discontinue use of X “except for Peterborough Transit, Fire Services, and emergency information as necessary.”

The motion also proposes that city staff report back to council during 2026 budget deliberations “with recommendations and associated budget implications for implementing a Snow Plow Tracker service for residents and a smartphone app for Peterborough Transit, which includes the ability to send notifications to subscribers, with the goal of improving customer service and eliminating the use of X.”

Items endorsed by general committee on March 10 will be considered by council for final approval the following Monday.

Council meetings are streamed live at www.peterborough.ca.