City Council meeting overview package for January 26, 2026

- Jan 26, 2026

Peterborough, ON - City Council will consider the following items during a General Committee meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 500 George St. N., starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026:

Council meetings are livestreamed at peterborough.ca/WatchCouncil. Agendas and recordings of meetings are posted at peterborough.ca/agendas.

Items endorsed by City Council's General Committee will proceed to the regular Council meeting on February 2 to be considered for approval.

Council meeting agenda

To speak as a registered delegation at a Council meeting or during a Public Meeting under the Planning Act, individuals must register no later than 11 a.m. on the day of the meeting. To register, complete the online application at peterborough.ca/delegation, or phone 705-742-7777 ext. 1820.

Before the public portion of the meeting, Council will hold a closed session meeting starting at 5 p.m. to consider four items as permitted under the Municipal Act, 2001, including:

  • Section 239(2)(c) A proposed pr pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality - Land Transaction
  • Section 239(2)(f) Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose - Resolutions
  • Section 239(2)(k) A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board - Lease
  • Section 239(2)(b) Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees - Staff

Planning applications: 223 Crescent St. et. al.

Council will consider applications to amend the Zoning By-law and Official Plan to facilitate the development of a mixed-use building in accordance with the submitted concept plan showing a 17-storey building with up to 225 dwelling units and at least 465 square metres of commercial floor space at 195,199, 203, 209, 215 and 223-229 Crescent St., 131-133 and 137 Lake St., and 362 George St. S.

The properties are located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Lake Street and Crescent Street, with one property fronting on George Street South. Most of the subject properties are developed with single detached dwellings, with the two properties at the intersection of Lake and Crescent Streets containing the apartments.

All of the properties are within the City's Central Area, which is a Strategic Growth Area for the City.

The properties are located along the shoreline-fronting Crescent Street in a primarily residential area of the Little Lake South neighbourhood. The buildings on the street are mostly made up of low-rise residential, three storeys or less. Properties to the immediate west include low-rise residential and low-rise commercial, with a high-rise apartment located further west along Lake Street. A sixstorey residential building is located immediately north of the site, along the north side of Lake Street.

The owners of RPM Holdings (2006) Inc., also known as Ashburnham Realty, have consolidated ownership of land holdings in the area of Crescent and Lake Streets. Together, they include approximately 110 metres of frontage on Crescent Street and have an approximate area of 5,160 square metres.

The applicant submitted planning applications for the proposed development in April 2025 and held a neighbourhood open house to introduce a 17-storey project concept to the public on September 23, 2025. Based on comments from the City and the public, the applicant submitted a revision to its development concept on October 10, 2025. The City provided its comments on the revisions to the applicant on November 21, 2025 an d the applicant provided its third submission in December 2025.

To date, the applicant’s proposed tower floor plate size has been reduced from approximately 1,500 square metres to 1,115 square metres while maintaining a height of 17 storeys. Through discussion with the applicant, staff are recommending that the tower floor plate size be further reduced to a maximum of 1,000 square metres and that in return flexibility be provided to allow the tower to increase to a maximum height of 20 storeys. The applicant has advised that they believe these changes can be accommodated.

The recommended changes will help reduce the visual impact of the development to adjacent low-rise residential uses while also reducing the effect of shadowing on the closest neighbours; creating a taller tower on a smaller footprint will result in less shadow impact on adjacent properties by allowing the shadow to pass by faster.

The proposed mixed-use development contemplates a mix of indoor and outdoor amenity space for building residents with rooftop terraces, indoor exercise facilities and conference/remote work rooms. It is also located near bus routes, City parks and trails, and on-street bicycle facilities. Capacity exists in the sewer, water and transportation systems and the proposal would not result in adverse impacts to these systems.

Procedure By-law

Council will consider a new Procedure By-law, which was developed in consultation with the Procedure By-law Working Group and the Ombudsman's Office, to govern meetings of Council.

The revisions in the proposed Procedure By-law focus on improving clarity, aligning with current legislative requirements, and support efficient and transparent meeting processes. 

It is customary during each term of Council to consider amendments to the current Procedure By-law. The Procedure By-law Working Group comprised of the Mayor, the Chair of General Committee, the Chair of the Planning Committee, the CAO, the Commissioner of Legislative Services, the City Clerk and Deputy Clerk met on several occasions to discuss procedural considerations. The Ombudsman’s Office was consulted and a review was undertaken of best practices from municipalities including Caledon, Cambridge, Chatham-Kent, Guelph, Pickering, Richmond Hill, St. Catharines, Whitby and Windsor.

The proposed Procedure By-law would update certain aspects of how Council governs its meetings, such as the following examples:

  • The authority and duties of the Chair in maintaining order, decorum, and the effective conduct of meetings;
  • Restricting the use of electronic devices during meetings to support transparency and uphold the statutory open meetings requirements;
  • Aurally recording Council's closed session meetings, with the recordings kept confidential in accordance with legislative requirements;
  • Using a consent agenda process for Council's closed session meetings, with Council having the option to approve reports through one motion prior to going into closed session and only matters not included as part of the consent agenda will be considered during the closed meeting;
  • Requiring that notices of motion be introduced at Committee meetings, not at a regular Council meeting, to follow a two-step approval process;
  • Setting a limit of 10 delegations at a Council meeting to support efficient agenda management, with the delegations limit not apply to delegations heard as part of a statutory public meeting under the Planning Act or applicable legislation;
  • Setting a limit of one question per Council member for questions on delegations, with the question specifically related to the content of the delegation and the response to the question from the delegate not to exceed 90 seconds;
  • When a motion to amend or a motion to defer a recommendation from City staff report is presented, the Chair of the meeting will ask staff to provide information on any implications on the amendment or deferral to ensure Council has the complete and accurate information prior to making a decision;
  • A majority vote is sufficient for a Motion to Reconsider where the original matter was not decided by
    Council, or where it was decided by Council during a previous term of Council;
  • A two-thirds vote will be required to pass a Motion to Reconsider where the original matter was decided by Council within the current term of Council; and
  • To support efficient and orderly debate, it is proposed that Members be permitted to speak to a Motion no more than twice, with each speaking opportunity limited to five minutes during General Committee meetings and a maximum of three minutes during Council meetings.

March 2025 Ice Storm after-action report

Council will consider a report for information on the March 2025 Ice Storm After-Action Report.

The March 29–30, 2025 ice storm caused extensive damage across central and eastern Ontario, with the City of Peterborough experiencing significant impacts to transportation networks, hydro infrastructure, and municipal operations. In response, the City activated the Emergency Control Group (ECG) and implemented a coordinated multi-agency emergency response supported by community partners, third-party contractors, Ontario Corps volunteers, and other municipalities.

Throughout the event, emergency services responded to an increased volume of calls related to downed hydro lines, transportation concerns, and structural hazards caused by ice loading. Public Works and utility services crews were deployed to clear debris, manage road safety, maintain and restore municipal infrastructure, and support Hydro One with access to affected areas.

The March 2025 ice storm resulted in significant unplanned expenditures across multiple City divisions. Response and recovery costs totaled approximately $11 million and included equipment deployment, contractor support, overtime staffing, debris removal, facility operations, and the operation of Warming Centres.

In response to the storm, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) established the Municipal Ice Storm Assistance (MISA) program to provide one-time financial support to eligible municipalities for incremental costs incurred because of the ice storm. 

The City submitted its MISA application on October 31, 2025, identifying $9,359,201 in expenses eligible under MISA guidelines. The remaining $1.66 million in ineligible costs will be funded by the City and reflected in the 2025 operating budget. Based on the MISA funding formula, if the City’s claim is fully approved, the City would be eligible to receive $7,949,223 in provincial funding, with a municipal contribution totaling $1,409,978.

On December 18, 2025, the City received confirmation from MMAH of funding approval up to $7,950,000 for incremental costs incurred from the ice storm. 

Physician recruitment pilot program

Council will consider a report for information on the completion of the physician recruitment pilot program.

City Council approved a time-limited Physician Recruitment Pilot Project in April 2024 to test whether a coordinated, municipally led approach could improve physician recruitment and retention outcomes in Peterborough.

The pilot project supported 10 physicians new to the community or receiving incentives, facilitated six practice transitions, supported two new practices, and improved access to primary care for an estimated 7,500 residents.

The pilot was delivered from April 2024 to December 2025 with a total approved budget of $580,000 and was structured around six Council-approved pillars, including financial incentives, the Whole of Village model, physician engagement, dedicated staffing, provincial advocacy, and an integrated workplan.

The program established the City’s first centralized physician recruitment function, including a dedicated Physician Recruitment Coordinator, a recruitment database tracking physician candidates, structured onboarding support, coordinated marketing, and formalized regional and international recruitment
partnerships.

Like many mid-sized communities across Ontario, Peterborough continues to face persistent challenges related to access to primary care. These challenges are driven by multiple factors, including physician retirements, limited uptake of comprehensive family practice among new graduates, evolving practice preferences, population growth, and increasing competition among municipalities for a finite supply of physicians.

The Physician Recruitment Pilot Project established a coordinated municipal framework for physician recruitment and retention in Peterborough. The pilot demonstrated the value of centralized coordination, data driven decision making, and collaboration with local, regional, and provincial partners.

Building on Council’s approval to continue the Physician Recruitment program, the outcomes and lessons documented in this report will shape how physician recruitment and retention efforts evolve.

Community Sector Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory

Council will consider a report for information on the Community Sector Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory.

The City of Peterborough completed its 2023 inventory of Community Sector greenhouse gas emissions generated from community-wide sources, which includes residential, commercial and industrial buildings as well as transportation.

The assessment revealed that Community Sector emissions declined by 84,813 tCO2e or 14 percent in 2023 from 2011 baseline levels. However, annual emissions grew by 15,290 tCO2e or 3 percent in 2023 from 2022 levels. Community emissions were primarily influenced by the stagnation in Transportation Sector emissions, likely affected in part by changes to local travel patterns and the high cost of gasoline in 2023.

Community Sector emissions are projected to decline by 69,117 tCO2e or 12 percent from 2011 levels by 2030. The City is funding foundational decarbonization programs like Better Homes Peterborough and Green Economy Peterborough to facilitate community mitigation, however, these programs are not able to solely curb community emissions without new external supports to accelerate GHG abatement, such as through dedicated decarbonization programs, policies, or grants enacted by the federal or provincial governments. 

Heritage designation: 362 Queen St.

Council will consider a recommendation from the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee that Council designate 362 Queen St. as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under the Ontario Heritage Act.

362 Queen Street holds cultural heritage value as a former residence that later evolved into a commercial building within downtown Peterborough. Although the Ontario Gothic Cottage style became widespread across Ontario, this property represents an early local example, as evidenced by its inclusion on the 1846 Fleming map. Historically, the building is associated with Peterborough’s working-class community. Its subsequent use as the administrative and sales office for the Peterborough Cereal Company further reinforces its direct association with the city’s commercial and industrial development.

The property contributes meaningfully to the character of Queen Street; its continued presence supports the historic rhythm and scale of the streetscape. It also retains a functional link to its commercial past, continuing to serve in a commercial capacity today. At the same time, the building remains visually and historically connected to its origins as a residence, offering an important reminder of a period when residential and commercial functions were closely intertwined in Peterborough’s early urban fabric.

Heritage designation - 521 George St. N.

Council will consider a recommendation from the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee that Council designate 521 George St. N. as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under the Ontario Heritage Act.

521 George Street North has cultural heritage value as an Italianate-style corner block on the edge of downtown Peterborough. It features key elements of the Italianate style including rounded windows, pilasters, decorative brickwork, and, uniquely in the downtown, a hipped roof with overarching eaves. Built as a grocery store, it has been home to a bakery, photography studio, and offices over its long history. It was notably the home of an early car mechanic and tire shop run by Robert Dawson and Frank Johnston, representative of a time when Peterborough’s businesses were adapting to the rise of the automobile. Though unassuming compared to its surrounding monumental civic structures, it is nonetheless an integral part of the historic landscape surrounding Confederation Square.

Miskin Law Community Complex lease space

Council will consider approving certain space within Miskin Law Community Complex to be used as commercial lease space and sold as a Corporate Sponsorship Asset that is packaged with an approved naming right asset within Miskin Law Community Complex.

The City will solicit interest in the community for potential lease holders who may offer services of value and that align with the audiences using Miskin Law Community Complex.

The proposed lease space, packaged with a Naming Right, offers the City an estimated annual revenue stream of $25,000 to $30,000 to support the City’s recreational priorities.

The space is located on the second level, Northwest corner of the building, accessible from the walking track above the Russelle Toyota Pad. The space is approximately 104 square metres (1,119.45 square feet). The space is unfinished and all costs for fit-up would fall to the lease holder as lease hold improvement expenses. 

Boat launch provision strategy

Council will consider a Boat Launch Provision Strategy to define levels of service for existing and future boat launches.

The Boat Launch Provision Strategy aligns boat launches with the existing levels of service utilized for other recreational amenities, organizing the facilities into neighbourhood, community, and regional launches.

New signage is planned for all boat launch locations to ensure users are well informed and choose the appropriate launch.

The Boat Launch Provision Strategy was released in 2023 as part of Report CSRS23-002 Parks and Outdoor Recreation Facilities Study. The intention of this strategy was to report on the current supply of existing boat launch facilities, and recommend an approach to address shortfalls, and plan for anticipated population growth.

The boat launch at Sherin Ave. is the only location on the east bank, south of Lock 19 providing access to the Otonabee River. The provision strategy recommended closure of this site, due to the deterioration. However, based upon community consultation and further review, staff recommend the rehabilitation and re-opening of this site if the location can be deemed a neighbourhood launch.

Neighbourhood Boat Launches: intended for neighbourhood use for small watercraft less than 20 ft in length, and non-motorized watercraft. Neighbourhood launches are typically gravel, and single lane, with road parking only. Existing locations include Sherin Ave. and Lillian St. launches.

Community Boat Launches: boat launches that can launch larger watercraft, with parking available. Intended for community use, using either gravel, concrete or asphalt surfaces. Existing locations include Crawford Drive, and Nassau Mills Road.

Regional Launches: boat launches with sufficient parking and the ability to launch watercraft of varying sizes and types, typically located within larger parks such as the Mark St. launch at Rogers Cove, and the boat launch within Beavermead Park. A future recommended location for a regional launch is McNamara Park (pending subdivision plans), which would provide the greater region with a launch on the east
bank, south of Lock 19. 

Ontario Air Capital Assistance Program

Council will consider a Notice of Motion that the City of Peterborough urge the Government of Ontario to implement the Ontario Air Capital Assistance Program.

The motion is as follows:

WHEREAS small and regional airports in Ontario serve as critical infrastructure—facilitating essential public services including air ambulance operations, forest firefighting, search & rescue, and law enforcement activities, while also driving local and regional economic development; and

WHEREAS many of these airports are ineligible for the federal Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) due to eligibility constraints such as lacking year-round scheduled service, yet still require capital funding for safety-related infrastructure; and

WHEREAS the Airport Management Council of Ontario (AMCO) has identified a persistent funding gap for non ACAP eligible community airports, estimating that approximately 85 such airports need $5.5 million annually to address critical airside infrastructure needs; and

WHEREAS provinces including British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have successfully managed permanent provincial capital-assistance programs—offering clear models for cost-sharing frameworks, eligible project criteria, and annual funding envelopes; and

WHEREAS AMCO’s proposed Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program (OACAP) envisions an annual operational budget of $8.5–10 million, with a 75% provincial / 25% owner cost-share, a $2 million per applicant cap, and bonuses for key community-benefiting projects; and

WHEREAS the 2025 Ontario Budget has already acknowledged "airports as cross country infrastructure" and signaled intent to include them in upcoming capital investments; and

WHEREAS the City of Peterborough benefits directly from airport-enabled services and ensuring its continued operation is in the public interest of resident safety, economic resilience, and efficient connectivity.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Corporation of the City of

Peterborough formally urges the Government of Ontario to:

  1. Implement the Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program (OACAP) managed by the Ministry of Transportation.
  2. Adopt the recommended cost-sharing structure (75% provincial / 25% municipal or operator), and cap funds at $2 million per project per
  3. Expand eligibility to include public-use registered aerodromes and certified airports not currently eligible for ACAP.
  4. Reinstate the Ontario Air Advisory Panel to advise on airport infrastructure and policy priorities.
  5. Designate community and regional airports as critical infrastructure under provincial policy.
  6. Investigate stable funding mechanisms—such as a dedicated stream from the aviation fuel tax—to support OACAP sustainably.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Transportation, local MPPs, AMCO, and all Ontario municipalities operating public airports calling for provincial commitment to OACAP.

Redpath Right to Heal grant

Council will consider a Notice of Motion that the City of Peterborough provide a grant of $150,000 to the Redpath Right to Heal program to be used towards the planning of its affordable housing project at 271 Brock St.

The motion is as follows:

That staff be directed to: 

  1. Provide a one-time grant of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to Right to Heal, funded from the City/County Housing Reserve, to be used towards the planning of their affordable housing project located at 271 Brock Street;
  2. To work with Right to Heal (Redpath) and Peggy Shaughnessy to identify and pursue options for municipal, federal and provincial capital grant funding to support Redpath’s long-term operations and facility for the 2027 Budget process.
  3. That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to sign all agreements and documents necessary to facilitate this funding with terms and conditions approved by the Commissioner of Community Services and in forms agreeable to the City Solicitor."

Seniors snow clearing support program

Council will consider a Notice of Motion that City staff be directed to investigate options for a Seniors Snow Clearing Support Program beyond baseline winter maintenance and report back to Council with findings, potential program options, estimated impacts/costs, and recommended next steps.

The motion is as follows:

WHEREAS Peterborough’s aging population includes seniors who live alone and face increased risk and barriers during winter snow and ice events; and

WHEREAS the cost of property maintenance, including snow clearing, has increased and can be challenging for seniors on fixed incomes and those with disabilities; and

WHEREAS more severe winter storms can increase hazards and limit safe access to homes, sidewalks, and essential services;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that staff be directed to investigate options for a Seniors Snow Clearing Support Program beyond baseline winter maintenance, including potential models implemented by other municipalities such as windrow assistance, subsidy/rebate, community/agency partnership or volunteer matching, and that investigates eligibility criteria, delivery methods, costs, and funding options; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff conduct community engagement including a public survey and stakeholder outreach to assess local needs and perspectives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff report back to Council with findings, potential program options, estimated impacts/costs, and recommended next steps including the potential for a pilot program.

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