Mayor Leal will not seek re-election

Mayor Jeff Leal has announced that he will not be seeking re-election. This is his full speech: 

Four years ago, the public called upon me to re-enter public life and serve the people of the City of Peterborough. 

At the time, our city was in disarray. Multiple reports containing recommendations such as updating police facilities, increasing police staffing, and road construction projects sat on shelves.  

Infrastructure was crumbling. Bus shelters had become places where people experiencing homelessness sought refuge.  

In 2022, Peterborough was targeted by QAnon.  

We experienced two noisy “slow roll” convoys clogging traffic and disrupting parts of the city.  

This later escalated when the self-proclaimed “Queen of Canada” encouraged her followers to arrest our police officers.  

After a physical altercation, six of her followers were arrested and charged with offenses including assaulting and obstructing our police officers.  

There was no doubt, the pandemic had created a dark time in Peterborough. 

Knowing my reputation of delivering results as an MPP, the people of Peterborough called upon me asking for leadership, a plan, and a renewed sense of purpose. 

I began my campaign platform by meeting various leaders and reviewing city reports.  

Under the theme Building Our Tomorrow, Together, my campaign team and I developed a very detailed municipal platform and presented it to the people of Peterborough.  

I wanted residents to know exactly what I stood for and what I intended to accomplish.  

The public voted on that vision- winning nearly 50% of the electorate, they gave me a clear mandate. 

With my four-year map in hand, we rolled up our sleeves and got started.  

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fantastic work of our City staff.  

My executive assistant, Jeremy Istead, is a consummate professional. Jeremy, thank you for your exceptional work ethic and unwavering dedication. You consistently go above and beyond, including outside of regular work hours, to ensure everything is handled with care and professionalism. I greatly appreciate the inclusive and welcoming environment you create, as well as the respect you show for everyone’s opinions and perspectives. Your professionalism, reliability, and commitment are truly valued and make a meaningful difference to the team. Thank you for all that you do.  

It has been my privilege and honour to work closely with CAO Jasbir Raina and our Senior Leadership Team over the past four years. 

Jasbir is an outstanding leader who leads with professionalism, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to public service.  

The City of Peterborough is very fortunate to have him at the helm, along with a Senior Leadership Team whose members have consistently demonstrated that they are laser-focused on improving the quality of life for the people of Peterborough.  

In fact, every employee of the City is dedicated to making our community the best it can be, particularly in moments of crises. 

This decision has attracted some recent criticism, but I think it is important to remember the circumstances that led us here.  

The County also wanted to collapse the previous joint effort, recognizing that the existing model was not delivering the results our community needed. 

We chose to take a different approach. 

Since bringing these services in-house, we established the Peterborough Tourism Municipal Services Corporation and expanded major community events and tourism initiatives. 

We introduced and expanded events such as the Lock & Paddle, hosted the TELUS Cup and OHL Top Prospects Game, and continued to strengthen Peterborough's reputation as a destination for visitors and athletes. 

We also expanded the Riverview Park and Zoo's Outdoor Meerkat Exhibit, which is now the largest of its kind in Canada. 

And the renewed Visitor Centre at the Lift Lock has been a tremendous success. It has welcomed more than 8,100 visitors, providing a valuable gateway for tourists while showcasing one of Peterborough's most iconic attractions. 

Tourism and economic development are not simply about attracting visitors. They are about creating jobs, supporting local businesses, bringing new investment into our community, and giving people more reasons to discover and enjoy Peterborough 

Protecting Our Environment 

Throughout this term, we made a conscious effort to apply an environmental lens to the decisions we made. 

We launched the Better Homes Peterborough program, helping homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes while supporting the City’s broader environmental objectives. 

One of our most significant environmental achievements has been the city-wide Green Bin organic waste collection and composting program. Its success has been remarkable. 

By late 2025, nearly 16,000 tonnes of organic waste were being diverted annually from the landfill.  

That is an extraordinary amount of material being kept out of the waste stream, extending the lifespan of the Bensfort landfill site. 

Alto - A Generational Opportunity for Peterborough 

On July 20, 2023, I had the honour of hosting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a meeting to discuss the proposed high-speed rail project.  

During our meeting, I emphasized the enormous tourism and economic benefits this project could bring to the City of Peterborough. 

I knew then that this project had the potential to be a historic opportunity for our city—one that could fundamentally transform Peterborough for generations to come. 

Shortly after our meeting, the Office of the Prime Minister sent me a signed photograph of the two of us together.  

At the time, I was convinced that our meeting had been consequential. 

It was. 

On February 19, 2025, Prime Minister Trudeau officially announced Alto, with Peterborough selected as a stop on the high-speed rail route.  

The federal government committed $3.9 billion and selected a development partner. Prime Minister Mark Carney subsequently fast-tracked the project in September 2025. 

I want to thank my fellow members of Council and our City staff for their support of this important initiative.  

I believe this represents a generational opportunity for Peterborough—an opportunity to attract new investment, expand tourism, create jobs, strengthen our economy, and connect our community to major centres in a way we have never experienced before. 

I look forward to seeing this dream become a reality. 

A Critical Decision for Peterborough 

The electorate now has an extremely important decision to make in the next municipal election. 

I believe it is extremely important that voters do their research, ask direct questions, and expect detailed answers from every candidate seeking to become Mayor. 

Leadership is challenging, particularly at the municipal level. Every day brings competing priorities, difficult choices, and decisions that affect the lives of our residents. 

Nostalgia and generalities is not a plan.  

I firmly believe Peterborough needs leaders who will continue the growth mindset we have established, and who stand on the shoulders of others. 

Dither, delay, and defer is not leadership, in fact, it has resulted in us having to deal with a backlog of decades-old projects costing the tax payers much, much  more. 

Thank You to Those Who Serve Peterborough 

It has been a sincere honour to serve you as your Mayor. 

The staff at City Hall are dedicated, hardworking, and forward-looking.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed building relationships and collaborating with them every day.  

They are true professionals who care deeply about Peterborough and strive to make our city better. 

I also want to recognize the Peterborough Police, our firefighters, and our paramedics, who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.  

You are there for our community during some of its most tragic and difficult moments, and I want you to know how deeply your dedication is appreciated. 

I am grateful as well to Warden Bonnie Clark, MPP Dave Smith, and MP Emma Harrison for your collaboration and partnership.  

We may represent different orders of government, but we share a common objective: to serve our constituents as effectively as possible.  

I appreciate that your doors were always open to us. 

A special thank you as well to Chief Laurie Carr, Chief Keith Knott, and Chief Laurie Hockaday. It has been an honour to work alongside each of you and to witness your leadership firsthand. 

A Record of Results 

As I look back on the goals you elected me to accomplish, I am very pleased with the results. 

This Council term was about more than approving plans. It was about turning priorities into tangible results. 

Housing was built. Infrastructure was renewed. Parks were transformed. Services were modernized. Businesses and residents were better supported. Environmental initiatives were advanced. Community resilience was strengthened.  

And Peterborough’s long-term future was planned. 

You called me to serve, and I delivered. 

The future direction has been established, and the foundation is now solid. I am satisfied that I have done my part to help transform our city and entrench a positive direction for Peterborough moving forward. 

A Difficult Decision 

I want to sincerely thank all of the people who have strongly encouraged me to continue in this role.  

Your support and encouragement have meant more to me than I can adequately express. 

You share the growth mindset that has driven this Council.  

You want to see the Event Centre completed. You want Alto to become a reality, an expanded airport with a control tower and Peterborough’s footprint increased in order to continue to grow and prosper and become a city that makes its residents proud. 

Your energy and encouragement are a large part of why I have struggled so much with this decision. 

But at the end of the day, I also have to be realistic about my age and my health. 

If this were a two-year term, I would happily run again to see some of the major projects we have worked so hard to advance through to completion.  

But committing to another four years of seven-days-a-week work is not what I am looking for at this stage of my life. 

Serving as Mayor has been one of the greatest honours of my life.  

I have always believed that a community should never have a deficit of ambition. 

I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together, grateful to those who made it possible, and confident that Peterborough is moving in the right direction. 

Until now, I have been very proud to offer you a stellar attendance record, despite fighting cancer.   

Unfortunately, I require knee surgeries and consequent rehab that would make my high standards of work ethic difficult to achieve.  

My parents both passed shortly after they finished working, they were given very little time to enjoy their retirement.  

I don’t want this to be my story - I want to enjoy my beautiful family while I still have good health.  

I sincerely appreciate all of the encouragement to seek re-election.  

Today, I have highlighted our transformation of Peterborough in a single term and a clear direction forward.  

But unfortunately, I am announcing that I will Not be running in the next election.  

As your MPP, Cabinet Minister, and Mayor, my sole objective was to advance the interests of our community and to improve the lives of our citizens.  

I have served you for almost 4 decades. 

I still have months of being Mayor ahead of me and I very much look forward to continuing our work.  

I will continue to be relentless in my pursuit to advance or finalize some important projects. 

We built our tomorrow, together. 

The work continues. The foundation is strong. And Peterborough’s future is bright.  

Thank you Peterborough, Merci. Miigwech. And Godspeed!