City Council Meeting

Approving Council meeting minutes from March 17 and April 7, 2025

That the Council minutes of March 17 and April 7, 2025 be approved.

Approving closed session litigation, zoning, and affordable housing improvement plan reports on consent

That items Agreement - Report FCSFS25-004, Litigation - Report LSOCS25-004, Litigation - Report LSOCS25-006, Litigation - Report LSOCS25-007, Legislation - Report LSOCS25-008, Zoning By-law Amendment for 112 Hospital Drive - Report IPGPL25-023, and Modernization of the Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan -, Report IPGPL25-019 be approved on consent.

That items Agreement - Report FCSFS25-004, Litigation - Report LSOCS25-004, Litigation - Report LSOCS25-006, Litigation - Report LSOCS25-007, Legislation - Report LSOCS25-008, Zoning By-law Amendment 

Housing & Homelessness

Zoning & Planning

Rezoning a development property to the new SP.370 commercial district

That Council approve the recommendations outlined in Report IPGPL25-024, dated May 12, 2025 of the Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management as follows: a) That a new Section 400 be added to the Zoning By-law 1997-123, consisting of Special District 370 (SP.370), in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Appendix D to report IPGPL25-024; and b) That the subject property be rezoned from D.1 – Development District to SP.370 – Commercial District in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Appendix D to report IPGPL25-024.

That Council approve the recommendations outlined in Report IPGPL25-024, dated May 12, 2025 of the Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management as follows: a) That a new Section 400 

Calling the question to end debate and proceed to a vote

That the question be put.

Receiving an Economic Development Division presentation for information

That Council approve the recommendation as amended, as follows: a) That the presentation from the Economic Development Division be received for information.

Economic Development

Directing staff to investigate and develop a strategy to attract US-trained physicians to Peterborough

b) WHEREAS Canada is experiencing a significant increase in interest from U.S.- trained physicians seeking to relocate, driven by factors such as political instability, healthcare policy changes, and professional constraints in the United States; WHEREAS The Medical Council of Canada has reported a 583% increase in U.S. medical graduates initiating the licensure process between October 2024 and March 2025 compared to the same period the previous year; WHEREAS Provinces like British Columbia and Manitoba have proactively streamlined credential recognition and launched targeted recruitment campaigns to attract these physicians; WHEREAS the City of Peterborough is currently facing a shortage of healthcare professionals, impacting the accessibility and quality of care for our residents; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City Council directs staff to: 1. Investigate the current trend of US physicians relocating to Canada, including motivations and barriers; 2. Assess the feasibility of developing a local strategy to attract US trained physicians to Peterborough, potentially in collaboration with provincial health authorities and medical recruitment agencies; 3. Report back to Council with findings and recommendations for potential actions to enhance physician recruitment to our city.

b) WHEREAS Canada is experiencing a significant increase in interest from U.S.- trained physicians seeking to relocate, driven by factors such as political instability, healthcare policy changes, and 

Social Services & Equity

Intergovernmental Relations

Funding $615,850 to replace the watermain across the Trent Canal

That Council approve the recommendations outlined in Report MOWAT25-003, dated May 12, 2025, of the Commissioner, Municipal Operations as follows: a) That $545,000.00 plus $70,850.00 HST for a total of $615,850.00 be authorized for allocation in the 2025 and 2026 Capital Budget to replace existing watermain across the Trent Canal from Armour Road to Maniece Avenue; and b) That the authorized allocation be distributed as follows; i. $50,000.00 plus $6,500.00 HST in 2025; and ii. $450,000.00 plus $58,500.00 HST in 2026; and iii. That a provisional work value of $45,000.00 plus $5,850 HST be committed to the project, and the Commissioner, Municipal Operations be provided the authority to adjust the purchase order value as necessary to complete this project.

That Council approve the recommendations outlined in Report MOWAT25-003, dated May 12, 2025, of the Commissioner, Municipal Operations as follows: a) That $545,000.00 plus $70,850.00 HST for a total o

Awarding a sole source contract to Redflex Traffic Systems and approving a new Senior Project Manager position

That Council approve the recommendations outlined in Report IPGENG25-013, dated May 12, 2025, of the Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management as follows: a) That Council direct staff to proceed with the size and scope of an Automated Speed Enforcement Program as outlined in Report IPGENG25-013. b) That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to execute the Automated Speed Enforcement Agreement with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO Agreement), the Joint Processing Service Agreement with the City of Toronto (City of Toronto Agreement), the Camera Lease Agreement with Redflex Traffic Systems (Canada) (Redflex Agreement), the Ministry of the Attorney General Ontario Agreement (MAG Agreement), and any related amendments and extensions, together with such further agreements and ancillary documents that may be required for the participation in the delivery of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) in the City of Peterborough, on terms acceptable to the Commissioner, Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management and the Commissioner, Legislative Services and in forms acceptable to the City Solicitor. c) That the Mayor and Clerk be delegated the authority to enact and or amend by- laws to give effect to the following actions on terms acceptable to the Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management and Commissioner of Legislative Services and in forms satisfactory to the City Solicitor. i. Restrict Parking in Community Safety Zones. ii. Implement the Administrative Penalty System (AP) for ASE. iii. Modify the existing boundary limits of Community Safety Zones (CSZ) and the speed limit boundary’s within those CSZ’s. iv. Amend existing Screening and Hearing Officer by-laws to comply with ASE legislation. d) That a sole source contract be awarded to Redflex Traffic Systems (Canada) Limited in accordance with the City’s Procurement By-Law Number 24-077 section 55. b, Appendix A. Chart 2. e) That a Senior Project Manager position as described in Report IPGENG25-013 be approved and included in the 2026 Operating Budget.

That Council approve the recommendations outlined in Report IPGENG25-013, dated May 12, 2025, of the Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management as follows: a) That Council direct s

Budget & Finance

Sending a copy of a resolution to provincial ministers, AMO, and all Ontario municipal councils

WHEREAS: 1. A municipality’s parks and open spaces are critical infrastructure that support a strong community, and the public’s shared and safe use of the municipality’s parks and open spaces is integral to ensuring that support. 2. Ontario’s municipalities are struggling to maintain their parks and open spaces for their shared and safe use by the public as a result of the increasing proliferation of encampments and illicit activities related thereto. 3. Municipalities that enforce their standards regulating or prohibiting encampments in their parks and open spaces must have regard to the availability of shelter space for those who need shelter. 4. On January 27, 2023, Justice Valente of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice rendered his judgment in Waterloo (Regional Municipality) v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained (2023), [2023] O.J. No. 417 (Waterloo Decision) which declared that the municipality’s by-law violated section 7 of the Charter and was therefore inoperative insofar as it applied to prevent encampment residents from erecting temporary shelters on a site when the number of homeless individuals in the region exceeded the number of accessible shelter beds. 5. The Waterloo Decision’s analysis of the adequacy of shelter beds suggests an unworkable and unclear standard that goes beyond the number of shelter spaces and that includes the requirement to provide shelter spaces that must accommodate illicit drug use and other activities that could put shelter residents, workers and volunteers at risk. The result is that municipalities are impaired in their enforcement of their standards and have lost or are losing control of their parks and open spaces. 6. On December 12, 2024, the provincial government introduced Bill 242, Safer Municipalities Act, 2024. Among its various initiatives, Bill 242 proposed to amend section 2 of the Trespass to Property Act by adding aggravating factors that must be considered in the court’s determination of a penalty under that section. However, the key challenge was that a municipality’s exercise of its rights at common law and under section 9 of the Trespass to Property Act to remove encampments from the municipality’s parks and open spaces remained potentially subject to the unworkable and unclear standard for the adequacy of shelter space suggested by the Waterloo Decision. 7. On January 13, 2025, Council of the City of Peterborough resolved to request the provincial government to amend Bill 242 to clearly define a workable standard for shelter space for the purposes of a municipality’s jurisdiction to enforce its standards regulating or prohibiting encampments in its parks and open spaces. 8. Bill 242 died on the order paper as a result of the recent provincial election. 9. On April 30, 2025, the provincial Government re-introduced the legislation in the form of Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act, 2025. Bill 6 is substantively the same as Bill 242. 10. In these circumstances, municipalities continue to need provincial legislation that clearly defines a workable standard for shelter space for the purposes of a municipality’s jurisdiction to enforce its standards regulating or prohibiting encampments in its parks and open spaces. NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved: 1. That the provincial government be respectfully requested to amend Bill 6 to clearly define a workable standard for shelter space for the purposes of a municipality’s jurisdiction to enforce its standards regulating or prohibiting encampments in its parks and open spaces. 2. That, without limitation, Bill 6 provide that a municipality will have met the standard for shelter space for the purposes of the municipality’s jurisdiction to enforce its standards regulating or prohibiting encampments in its parks and open spaces: a) despite the establishment and enforcement of shelter rules including rules that prohibit drug use and other activities that could put shelter residents, workers and volunteers at risk; and b) if an official designated by the municipality is satisfied that the number of available shelter spaces is at least equal to the aggregate of the number of individuals actually seeking shelter and the number of individuals against whom the municipality is planning to enforce its standards regulating or prohibiting encampments in its parks and open spaces. 3. That a copy of this resolution be sent to: a) Peterborough - Kawartha MPP Dave Smith; b) Honourable Doug Ford, Premier; c) Honourable Robert Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; d) Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General; e) Association of Municipalities of Ontario; and to f) Councils of each of Ontario’s municipalities.

WHEREAS: 1. A municipality’s parks and open spaces are critical infrastructure that support a strong community, and the public’s shared and safe use of the municipality’s parks and open spaces is inte

Directing PACAC to prioritize and schedule 53 heritage designations before the December 2026 deadline

Whereas, currently listed properties will be delisted due to legislation if not designated by municipal councils by December 31, 2026; Whereas, PACAC has identified 53 priority designations to be brought to council by that deadline; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that council direct PACAC at its next meeting, to rank the 53 priority designations so that they are briefs are completed by staff in priority sequence and brought to General Committee Meetings in bundles of 4 prior to deadline of December 2026.

Whereas, currently listed properties will be delisted due to legislation if not designated by municipal councils by December 31, 2026; Whereas, PACAC has identified 53 priority designations to be brou

Heritage Preservation

Appointing Christopher Smith as a Director to the CoPHI Board and subsidiaries

That, on the recommendation of the Board of City of Peterborough Holdings Inc. (CoPHI), Christopher Smith be appointed as a Director to the CoPHI Board and of its subsidiaries

Governance & Procedure

Approving By-laws 25-071, 25-073, 25-075, and 25-076

That By-laws 25-071, 25-073, 25-075 and 25-076 be approved.

Approving the Zoning By-law amendment for 922 Fairbairn Street

That By-law 25-072, Being a By-law to amend the Zoning By-law for the lands known as 922 Fairbairn Street be approved.

Approving By-law 25-074 rezoning 1628 Sherbrooke Street

That By-law 25-074, Being a By-law to amend the Zoning By-law for the lands municipally known as 1628 Sherbrooke Street be approved.

Approving the confirming by-law for the May 20, 2025 Council meeting

That By-law 25-077, Being a By-law to confirm the proceedings of the Council at its meeting held on May 20, 2025, be approved.

Adjourning the meeting at 7:57 pm

That this meeting be adjourned at 7:57 p.m.

City Council Meeting

Votes