Peterborough Currents

Peterborough Currents is going through some big changes. A key piece of our funding has dried up, which has necessitated some tough conversations about what lies ahead for our community-powered local news outlet. At the same time, we're transitioning to become a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. It's a lot! In this episode, karol orzechowski interviews Currents publisher-editor Will Pearson about everything that's going on at Currents. karol is the board chair of the Peterborough Association for Local News, the brand new non-profit that will be assuming ownership of Peterborough Currents in the coming weeks and months.We discuss the past, present and future of Currents, as well as how different journalism business models shape the content outlets produce. Have any questions? Email will@peterboroughcurrents.ca to get in touch.Thanks to Charlie Glasspool and 3C84 for the music on this episode.

Ontario is heading to the polls on February 27, 2025, and Peterborough Currents has interviewed four of the candidates running to be Peterborough-Kawartha's next MPP. In this episode, we chat with Andrew Roudny, who is running for the New Blue Party of Ontario.

Ontario is heading to the polls on February 27, 2025, and Peterborough Currents interviewed three of the candidates running to be Peterborough-Kawartha's next MPP. In this episode, we chat with Jen Deck, who is running for the Ontario New Democratic Party.

Ontario is heading to the polls on February 27, 2025, and Peterborough Currents interviewed three of the candidates running to be Peterborough-Kawartha's next MPP. In this episode, we chat with Lucas Graham, who is running for the Green Party of Ontario.

Ontario is heading to the polls on February 27, 2025, and Peterborough Currents interviewed three of the candidates running to be Peterborough-Kawartha's next MPP. In this episode, we chat with Adam Hopkins, who is running for the Liberal Party of Ontario.

Welcome to Peterborough Currents' podcast coverage of the city's 2025 budget process! In this episode, Brett Throop and Will Pearson discuss what's behind next year's proposed tax increase and how the city might solve its budget troubles without resorting to tax hikes. We also discuss a couple of key topics we've reported on, including the city's capital shortfall and discretionary benefits for social assistance recipients.TIMESTAMPS(0:00) Community rallies against cuts to arts and community grants(6:38) Why are citizens facing a big tax hike for the second year in  a row?(17:26) Councillors met for two days to bring the tax hike down. It went up instead.(29:24) Why Mayor Jeff Leal sees high taxes as an economic development issue(37:34)  Property taxes are over a century old. Is there a better way to fund cities?(42:10) The city's capital budget and  growing infrastructure backlog(56:55) Transit riders face higher fares for the same service next year(1:03:47) Should the city fund health benefits for people on social assistance?(1:14:56) Millions more for homelessness next year; is it sustainable?(1:23:52) A "beautiful vision" of what budget season could beSPECIAL THANKSThanks to Will Ward for the wonderful piano improvisations.Thanks to Eddy Sweeney from Trent Radio for audio of the Community Not Cuts rally.SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISMOur in-depth and community-centred journalism takes a lot of resources to produce. We can't do it without you. If you want to see Peterborough Currents grow (and make more podcasts!) please sign up as a financial supporter: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/

In 2023, the City of Peterborough implemented two new initiatives to respond to homelessness in the city and to offer low-barrier services for people whose needs were not being met by the existing shelter system at the time.Those two initiatives were the modular housing community on Wolfe Street, where 50 sleeping cabins replaced a tent encampment, and the Trinity Community Centre, which was funded to provide overnight shelter for six months of the year and a daytime drop-in program year-round.In February 2024, four people who were instrumental in designing and delivering these two initiatives participated in a panel discussion to share what the process was like, what they learned, and what challenges remain. The panelists were: Alex Bierk, Christian Harvey, Auden Palmer, and Jessica Penner.The panel was part of the Community Symposium on Housing and Homelessness, which was hosted at Trent University by the Research for Social Change Lab, the Peterborough Drug Strategy, and United Way Peterborough and District. Peterborough Currents is sharing highlights from this panel discussion in this podcast episode.UPDATE: This discussion was recorded on February 23, 2024. At the time, the Trinity Centre's overnight shelter was set to close for the season on March 31, and mention of this closure is made a couple of times in this podcast. On March 25, 2024, One City Peterborough confirmed to Currents that the shelter will remain open until at least the end of April with support from United Way Peterborough and District.CREDITS: This episode was produced by Will Pearson. Audio recording by Ayesha Lye. Intro music by Jordan Cook.SUPPORT INDEPENDENT LOCAL JOURNALISM: At Peterborough Currents, our mission is to serve the citizens of Peterborough with in-depth and community centred news. If you value our work, please support us financially: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/

Peterborough has a budget! Councillors gave it their final approval at the city council meeting on December 11, 2023. During the council meeting, councillors made a couple of last-minute changes to lower the tax increase  to 7%, including dipping ever further into the city's reserves and voting to raise transit fares by $0.25 per ride.Sebastian, Abbigale, and Will discuss what the implications of these decisions might be. Then, they reflect on the budget process as a whole.Thank you so much for listening to this podcast series. We can't wait for the 2025 budget!!MUSIC: Thanks to Will Ward for his piano improvisations.CREDITS: Hosted by Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay, Abbigale Kernya, and Will PearsonPLEASE SUPPORT PETERBOROUGH CURRENTS: This podcast was a labour of love. But we still have bills to pay. To help Peterborough Currents produce more in-depth and community-centred journalism, please support us with a monthly contribution. Here's where you can sign up: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/

Episode four of our series on the 2024 municipal budget, which we're producing in partnership with Arthur Newspaper. In this episode, we dive into the capital budget.We start this episode on Sherbrooke Street near the city's western limit, where there's stretch of road that is nasty to navigate as a pedestrian. Folks who walk along this part of Sherbrooke wish the city would build a sidewalk to make their commutes easier and safer.But it doesn't look like they'll get their sidewalk any time soon. That's because the city is struggling to keep up with its infrastructure costs and is prioritizing other road projects first. During November's budget talks, city councillors voted down a proposal to spend $1.8 million on a temporary sidewalk to help pedestrians out until the city pays for a more permanent fix.According to the city's budget documents, Peterborough faces a $70 million infrastructure shortfall every year. That's forcing councillors to make tough choices about which projects they fund and which ones they delay.In this episode of our 2024 Budget podcast series, Brett Throop and Will Pearson dive into the city's capital budget. We cover:The $70 million hole in Peterborough's capital budgetMajor capital projects for 2024, including the new twin pad arenaWhy councillors voted to kill Peterborough's traffic calming programThe sidewalk on Sherbrooke StreetShould we think of trees as capital assets?And more!City council is expected to give its final approval to the 2024 budget on December 11. We'll have a final wrap-up episode of the podcast series after that. Thanks for listening!CREDITS: This episode was produced by Brett Throop. It was hosted by Brett and Will Pearson.MUSIC: Thanks to Will Ward for his piano improvisations, which were recorded at The John, the event space at Sadleir House.PLEASE SUPPORT PETERBOROUGH CURRENTS: It's not just the city that is budgeting for 2024. So are we. We're making big decisions for the coming year right now. Can we afford to hire new staff and produce more journalism? Or will we have to cut back and produce less? Everything is on the table. If you want us to continue producing in-depth, community-centred journalism next year, please support us if you are able. Here's where you can sign up: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/

City councillors went through the 2024 draft budget page by page and line by line last week. By the end of the process, they'd whittled the proposed property tax  increase down from 9.59 percent to 7.38 percent. But they accomplished that by shifting some of the tax burden away from residential property owners and on to business property owners — they didn't make any major cuts to the 2024 spending proposed by city staff.The budget process reveals so much about the city and how it works. In this episode of our podcast series on the 2024 municipal budget, we're covering five stories that came up during councillors' budget deliberations.Why is the city's airport losing millions of dollars every year? Why are city staff taking a "calculated risk" with funding for social assistance medical benefits? Will bus riders see any transit improvements next year? Is the city's bureaucracy too "top-heavy"?And why are the City of Peterborough and Trent University still at loggerheads over the development of campus employment lands?In this episode, Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay and Will Pearson will answer these five questions and share what your city councillors had to say about them as well.PRODUCED AND HOSTED by Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay, Abbigale Kernya, and Will PearsonMUSIC by Will WardTIMESTAMPS:0:00 — Intro2:44 — Peterborough Transit6:26 — Social Assistance Discretionary Benefits11:12 — The Organizational Structure of the City20:10 — Cleantech Commons27:40 — The Peterborough AirportPLEASE SUPPORT PETERBOROUGH CURRENTSWe're a grassroots, audience-funded journalism outlet serving the people of Peterborough, Ontario. To help us produce more journalism, sign up as a supporter here: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/

In this episode of our podcast series covering Peterborough's 2024 municipal budget deliberations, we discuss the November 14 and November 15 finance committee meetings, where citizens and community groups addressed city council about the draft budget.What happened? A variety of community groups pleaded with councillors to reverse a proposed cut to their municipal grants. The proposed 3.6% cut to community service grants would save the median household $0.67 on their tax bill next year. Meanwhile, Chief of Police Stuart Betts made the case for a 15.3% police budget increase that would cost the same household about $106 in additional taxes next year.EPISODE HOSTS: Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay, Will Pearson and Evan Robins.APPEARING ON THIS EPISODE: Will Pearson, Evan Robins, Leslie Menagh, Patricia Wilson, Tegan Moss, Andy Cragg, Tricia Clarkson, Su Ditta, Rob Hailman, Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay, Drew Merrett, Stuart Betts, Nicola Koyanagi, Camila Duarte, Keith Riel, Alex Bierk, Joy Lachica, Randy Mellow.MUSIC: Will WardPLEASE SUPPORT PETERBOROUGH CURRENTS: We rely on audience funding to produce our journalism. If you value what we do, please contribute financially so we can continue serving the community this way. Here's where you can sign up: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/ 

Peterborough city staff presented councillors with a draft of the 2024 municipal budget on November 6. The budget proposes hiking property taxes by 9.6 percent next year to continue delivering municipal services.What's behind the increase? Inflation is one cause. Another is a big budget ask from the Peterborough Police — they're asking for $4.6 million more in 2024 than they received in 2023.But the budget isn't set in stone. Councillors will debate it over the next month before  giving it final approval. Peterborough Currents has teamed up with Arthur Newspaper to bring you a podcast series covering the municipal budget deliberations. In this first episode of the series, we discuss our initial reactions to the draft budget and we also check in with Harry Kitchen, a retired Trent University economics professor with an interest in municipal finance.Kitchen argues that of all the taxes we pay in Canada, municipal property taxes offer the most bang for your buck. He says it’s the “lowest of all the taxes you pay, and you’re getting the most services for that tax.” We hope this podcast helps you understand this year's municipal budget process better. Got any questions? Send them our way and we'll try to answer them on future episodes.CREDITS: Written and produced by Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay and Brett Throop. Hosted by Sebastian, Brett, and Will Pearson. Music by Jordan Cook.PLEASE SUPPORT PETERBOROUGH CURRENTS: Peterborough Currents relies on local community members to fund our work. To continue producing journalism in 2024, we need more support. Can you pitch in $15 per month? Here's where you can sign up: https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us/

On October 5, 2023, Peterborough Police Chief Stuart Betts announced a new "no tolerance" approach to policing illicit drug use in public. Effective immediately,  police officers will direct people who are using drugs in public to move along to a different location. If they don't, officers will arrest them, Betts said. "Police officers will not tolerate people injecting and smoking up in front of public places, places where our community members should feel safe," Betts said.The announcement was quickly criticized by Peterborough Public Health, which said the new approach "differs significantly from an evidence-based, public health approach to substance use."On this episode of the Peterborough Currents podcast, we have coverage of this story made possible through our partnership with Trent Radio, whose Local Journalism Initiative reporter Eddy Sweeney attended Chief Betts’s media conference on Thursday. Eddy also spoke with Star Fiorotto, a local harm reduction outreach worker, about the announcement.TIMESTAMPS0:00 — Introduction1:25 — A report on Chief Betts's media conference4:14 — The response from Peterborough Public Health 5:36 — Reaction from local harm reduction outreach worker Star Fiorotto13:07 — ConclusionMUSIC: Thanks to Jordan Cook for the music in this episode.

A conversation about growing up and fighting for what you believe in featuring two generations of young people from Peterborough.Ella Cunningham and Eloise Harvey are two local teenagers who are members of the cast of Give 'Em Hell, a new play about the efforts waged by students to save PCVS during the school's final year. Collin Chepeka and Sara Farley are both PCVS alumni — they were students at the highschool during its last year and they participated in the protests.Together, Ella, Eloise, Collin and Sara discuss growing up, finding a place to belong, and the role that activism can play in those processes.Give 'Em Hell was written by Madeleine Brown. It runs from September 15 to 17 and September 21 to 23 at the former PCVS auditorium.MUSIC: Thanks to Jordan Cook for providing the music used in this episode.CREDITS: This episode was produced by Will Pearson, the publisher and editor of Peterborough Currents.SUPPORT US: Peterborough Currents relies on  contributions from our audience to keep producing local journalism. If you value our work and want to see us grow, please support us: www.peterboroughcurrents.ca/support-us

In this episode, two stories from Trent Radio's Local Journalism Initiative reporter Eddy Sweeney. First up: Peterborough's roller derby team is prepping for a doubleheader this weekend. Learn about the team and the sport in advance of the bouts. And second: The Theatre on King celebrated its tenth anniversary last weekend. Eddy interviewed founder Ryan Kerr about the theatre and asked other members of the local arts community why they love the venue.TIMESTAMPS1:59Peterborough Area Roller Derby preps for its double header this weekend. 8:22The tenth anniversary of the Theatre on KingCONNECT WITH USwww.peterboroughcurrents.cawww.trentradio.ca

On this episode, two stories brought to you through Peterborough Currents's partnership with Trent Radio and their Local Journalism Initiative reporter Eddy Sweeney. Plus, an update on the City's big affordable housing initiative, and why some families are worried the plan will lead to their displacement.Timestamps:PHC Update (0:45)Six Young Rowers From Spain Visit Peterborough (2:05)John Climenhage Paints The Only's New Sign (7:55)Connect with us:www.peterboroughcurrents.cawww.facebook.com/ptbocurrentswww.instagram.com/ptbocurrentshttps://twitter.com/PTBO_Currents

Eddy Sweeney speaks with Andrew MacGregor and Aurynn Jacobs Parkin, the new owners of Dreams of Beans cafe in downtown Peterborough. MacGregor and Parkin discuss: How the two decided to open a business together while working side by side at the One Roof Community CentreWhy they're operating as a social enterprise, and what that meansWhy they've decided to pay employees $25 per hour, but not allow tipsWhat plans they've got for their new business (including getting a liquor license.)Eddy's Sweeney's reporting is funded by the federal government's Local Journalism Initiative and produced for Trent Radio in partnership with Peterborough Currents.

Peterborough is one of the toughest places in Ontario to find an affordable home to rent. A report from earlier this year put Peterborough at the very bottom of Ontario cities for rental vacancies, with only a one percent vacancy rate. The same report also showed that the average rent for vacant units was increasing at a much steeper rate than the average rent for occupied units. Because of these pressures in the local housing market, Peterborough Currents invited all of the major party candidates in the Peterborough area running this 2022 provincial election to speak to their positions on a handful of specific housing policies. Three candidates accepted our invitation: Greg Dempsey of the Liberal Party, Jen Deck of the NDP and Robert Gibson of the Green Party. Listen to these candidates speak to policies like rent control, vacancy control and working with housing not-for-profits in this episode of our podcast.

Earlier this month, Peterborough’s board of health sent a letter calling for the provincial government to take more action to curb the harms of the opioid crisis. The letter includes a call for the province to support and advocate for the decriminalization of drugs at the federal level, to expand safe supply programs, and revise the requirements for safe drug consumption sites. As the provincial election approaches, Peterborough Currents asked the four major party candidates running in Peterborough—Kawartha to share their positions on these policies. Three candidates agreed, and in this episode of our podcast series on the provincial election you’ll hear Liberal Party candidate Greg Dempsey, NDP candidate Jen Deck, and Green Party candidate Robert Gibson speak to these policies.

In Ontario, each municipal police force is overseen by a police services board. These boards play a key role in setting the tone of policing in their community. Among other responsibilities, police services boards set priorities for their local police service, appoint members to the force, recruit and appoint the chief of police and monitor the performance of the chief.In Peterborough, the local police board has five members. Two are city council members who are appointed by the mayor. One is a citizen who is selected by city council. And two are appointed by the provincial government. That means candidates running for MPP in Peterborough—Kawartha could be involved in this selection process if they’re elected on June 2.Who they’d choose is an especially pertinent question in Peterborough, where there is a history of instability on the police board.In recent months, the board has been making headlines for a couple of reasons.First, there was the abrupt “retirement” of former Police Chief Scott Gilbert, and the subsequent reports that local police unions had submitted formal complaints about Gilbert’s behaviour before the retirement. At the time, then-chair of the police board, Les Kariunas, said there was no need to investigate any complaints.Second, there was the sudden resignation of Kariunas himself after video surfaced depicting him campaigning on behalf of MPP Dave Smith. Kariunas said he resigned due to personal health reasons.But the stability of police governance in Peterborough has been an issue for longer than that. In 2016, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) called Peterborough’s police board “dysfunctional” and appointed an external lawyer to oversee meetings to keep them on track. And a few years before that, the OCPC suspended Mayor Daryl Bennett from the board after finding him guilty of misconduct on the board.This history suggests that the Peterborough community needs to engage in more frank discussions about who should and shouldn’t serve on our police board.To get that discussion started, we asked candidates running for MPP in the current provincial election what qualities they’d look for in an appointee to the board, and what priorities they’d want their appointees to bring to the table.We reached out to candidates Greg Dempsey, Jen Deck, Robert Gibson and Dave Smith to invite them to participate in our election podcast coverage. Smith did not respond to our requests, and so in this episode, you’ll only hear from the other three.