Mayor Jeff Leal Makes Proclamation In Honour of International Women's Day

In honour of recognizing International Women’s Day, Mayor Jeff Leal issued a proclamation on Wednesday morning.

File Photo.

The statement is as follows:

Whereas, in 1977, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on member states to proclaim a day for women’s rights and international peace;

Whereas, each year International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 to mark the economic, political, cultural and social achievements of women;

Whereas, the Global theme for the 2023 International Women’s Day campaign is “Embrace Equity”, calling on each of us to help create a gender-equal world; 

Whereas, the City of Peterborough proudly recognizes the values that guide the International Women’s Day movement; Justice; Dignity; Hope; Equality; Collaboration; Tenacity; Appreciation; Respect; Empathy; and Forgiveness;

Therefore, be it resolved that I, Jeff Leal, Mayor of the City of Peterborough do hereby proclaim Wednesday, March 8, 2023 to be International Women’s Day in the City of Peterborough.  I encourage all citizens to celebrate all the women and girls who inspire us by demonstrating leadership in the choices they make in their day to day lives to contribute to the social, economic, cultural and political spheres. 

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City of Peterborough Honours Passing of Former Mayor Jack Doris

Peterborough’s former mayor and councillor Jack Doris’s memory is being honoured after his passing at the age of 91 on Sunday, announced by the City of Peterborough’s Twitter.

File Photo.

Doris spent the past 45 years on council that included 14 terms as a city councillor and two mayoral terms. In 1967, he was first elected to city council and was an alderman until 1991 when he became mayor. He worked at General Electric prior to his mayor tenure.

The former mayor received a key to the city in September 2014 during his retirement ceremony when he was 83 years old.

City Hall and the Peterborough Police Station have put their flags at half-mast to honour Doris’s life and accomplishments for the city.

Doris worked as a board member of the Peterborough Police service from 1987-97. He also was also a member of the building committee for their headquarters in the late 1960s.

City Hall had their flags at half-mast in honour of Doris on Monday. Photo by David Tuan bui.

Mayor Jeff Leal issued a statement regarding Doris’s passing:

"I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Jack Doris, including his wife, Sheila, his six daughters, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. Jack was a remarkable person and public servant who served the community on City Council for 45 years as a councillor and mayor. Through his years of public service and his work in the community, Jack was completely devoted to making Peterborough a better place. Jack touched the lives of so many. He will be greatly missed.”

City councillors Lesley Parnell, Alex Bierk and MP Michelle Ferreri sent their regards on Doyle’s passing over Twitter.

“Our very sincere condolences on the passing of former Mayor Jack Doris,” said Parnell.

“Jack Doris was a legend and a Peterborough icon. RIP. Thinking of his family and my buddy Ferg, his grandson. Lots of love,” said Bierk.

“Rest in peace, Jack Doris. You were a true gentleman, you served Peterborough well. You had a great way to deliver: ‘All in favour? Carrrry’ Always a gentle voice and a caring heart. Thank you for your service, Mr. Doris. Peterborough was lucky to have you,” said Ferreri.

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Mayoral Candidate Interview: Jeff Leal

Felicia Massey speaks with mayoral candidate and former MPP Jeff Leal for the upcoming municipal election this Monday. Massey and Leal discuss what Leal has been doing since four years after his MPP term ended, his return to politics and what he plans to tackle if elected.

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School Board Chairperson Braden Leal Not Seeking Re-Election

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board Chairperson Braden Leal has announced he will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming municipal election.

Photo courtesy of PVNC.

“With the municipal election fast approaching, I have been reflecting upon the next phase of my journey. I have decided that I will not be running for a trustee position in October. Instead, I will be looking at new opportunities,” said Leal.

Leal has served as PVNC chairperson since Dec. 1 last year. He was elected as a first-time trustee for the City of Peterborough in the 2018 municipal election. He served as vice-chairperson from October to December 2021 before being elected as chairperson.

“It has been an honour to serve in this leadership role, to have the opportunity to represent the school board in which I was educated,” Leal said. “I am grateful for the learning, the leadership experiences, and the relationships that we have built over my tenure.”

“Braden took on the top leadership position in the most challenging of times,” Joan Carragher, PVNC director of education. “As a proud PVNC graduate, he has been a steadfast champion for our schools and Catholic Education in our region.”

Election Day in Ontario municipalities is Oct. 24 The deadline to file a nomination to be a school trustee candidate is Aug. 19 at 2 p.m.

Braden is the son of former MPP and mayoral candidate Jeff Leal.

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Former MPP Jeff Leal Enters Peterborough Mayoral Race After Four-Year Absence

After a four-year hiatus from politics, former Liberal MPP Jeff Leal is running to be the next mayor of Peterborough in a campaign launch at the Peterborough Lions Club on Thursday night.

Leal (right) greeting supporters at the door to a room of over 100 people in his campaign launch at the Lions Club. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Over 100 supporters came out to cheer on Leal as short speeches were made by several dignitaries, highlighting the former MPP’s accomplishments.

Laurie Carr, Hiawatha Chief; Adrian Foster, Clarington Mayor; Durham Coun. Granville Anderson; Lou Rinaldi, former Northumberland MPP and Ashburnham Ward Councillor Gary Baldwin were some notable figures present at the event. Carr and Baldwin spoke at Leal’s campaign while J. Murray Jones, Douro-Dummer mayor, sent a video endorsement but was not present at the event.

Leal served four consecutive terms as the MPP for the Peterborough - Kawartha riding from 2003 to 2018 until current Conservative MPP Dave Smith won the seat. The former MPP says he’s spent his time off politics volunteering in the community.

"I'm currently the chair of the board of Employment Planning and Counselling Peterborough, I'm vice-chair of the board of St. Joseph's at Fleming long-term care home, I'm on the strategic planning committee, I have a passion for golf at the Kawartha Golf & Country Club and I've also been doing consulting work in the field of agriculture,” said Leal.

The new mayoral candidate said had no intention of returning to politics, let alone running for mayor until he received overwhelming encouragement from peers and citizens.

"After 2018, I didn't aspire to run for political office again but certainly over the last four years, I've been an observer of things in the City of Peterborough and it's the unprecedented encouragement that I got,” explained Leal. “People coming up to me and said, 'We really think with the skills that you demonstrated in the past would be helpful to build a better Peterborough down the road.’”

Leal served under former Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne. He worked in several ministries as an MPP such as the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment and the Minister of Agriculture and Food and Rural Affairs. He says that experience will help in accomplishing his top priority if elected as mayor.

“One of the things that I'm going to identify is '100 Days of Action,' and part of that will be over the next six months to enter into positive, respectful, sensitive negotiations with Cavan-Monaghan to annex the City of Peterborough by 4,000 acres so we actually have the platform we need to encourage growth for future prosperity both for the City of Peterborough and the county of Peterborough,” explained Leal.

Leal joins councillors Stephen Wright and Henry Clarke for the mayoral race. Mayor Diane Therrien stated that she will not seek re-election in the fall last year. Voting day is Oct. 24 beginning at 10 a.m. with polls closing at 8 p.m.

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Backroom Briefing Q: What Is The Working Relationship Between The City & MPP Jeff Leal's Office Like?

Note: This is the 4th column of David Goyette's "Backroom Briefing" for PTBOCanada. For more info on it, click here.

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Q: David, Jeff and I would be interested in having your take on the working relationship between our offices. —Pat Melanson, Executive Assistant to Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal.

Goyette: For many decades, provincial governments have been enamoured with a description of municipal governments as “creatures of the provinces.” This phrase is technically accurate, in that cities like Peterborough are created by the Province of Ontario and are its constitutional responsibility: as a rule, the City’s functions, finance and governance all depend on provincial authorization.

However, the “creatures” reference has occasionally taken on an imperial and even paternalistic aren’t you a cute and fuzzy little creature tone, as if to offer to municipalities the constitutional caution that we the province brought you into this world and we the province can take you out.   

Jeff Leal and his staff are different. MPP Leal had 18 years of experience as a Peterborough City Councillor. He’s seen both sides of the intergovernmental divide and his consistently respectful and collegial approach to City Hall is a terrific local asset. In other places, including a number where I have worked, some heavy duty barriers to the provincial-municipal relationship can easily get in the way: political partisanship; assumptions of superiority; competition for media; and exclusivity in scheduling. This is one aspect of life where competition does not produce superior results.  

Here’s how the Office of the Mayor and the Office of the MPP typically work together:

*We are in contact with each other weekly.

*We share notice and details on emerging provincial and municipal issues.

*We share information on prospective investment/job creation opportunities.

*We receive assistance in terms of gaining access to and promoting causes with provincial Ministers.

*We receive notice and briefing on provincial funding announcements.

*We undertake high level event management such as the visit of the Prime Minister and the Premier for last fall’s airport opening.

*We direct and refer constituents to each other’s offices for assistance.

*We make arrangements for joint announcements, including those that take place in the Council Chamber.

Because we are relatively few in number and we share in the experience of life in a fishbowl, there is a camaraderie that binds all politicians and political staff. Without doubt, we have the most fascinating conversations with each other, encompassing not only public policy, but political personality, political strategy, and the risk and reward of decision making.

To be certain, the MPP does the business of the Province and the Mayor and Council do the business of the City. The fact that there are more factors that bring the two together than drive them apart is a testimony to a shared desire for the best in public service. 

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David Goyette is the Executive Assistant to Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett. For more on his Backroom Briefing column, click here. Email your burning questions for David about City Hall to feedback@ptbocanada.com.

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Here's What Jeff Leal Had To Say After Being Re-Elected For 3rd Straight Term

[chextvDOTcom]

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New Entrance Poll Conducted Locally Reveals Voter Preferences, Reasoning & Behaviour

Heading into the 2011 Provincial election tomorrow, my local polling company Preferences conducted an entrance poll ending October 1, 2011, selecting at random more than 200 respondents (margin of error 6.92%, 19 times out of 20) to not only understand local voter preferences, but also the reasons why people are not voting, why they are undecided, and why they are choosing a specific local candidate.

There have been a number of polls conducted by local media and political associations that have provided percentages on the potential outcome of the 2011 Provincial election, but this poll was conducted by interviewers via telephone as well as through an online survey as opposed to automated systems. We facilitated the collection of open-ended responses which, in our opinion, provides a deeper understanding of voter behaviour.

Several respondents openly stated their exhaustion with elections, but also mentioned that this election differs from the recent Federal election because the Provincial term expired, as opposed to a vote of non-confidence. This may explain why there are almost half the amount of "undecided" respondents compared to the 2011 Federal election entrance poll conducted by Preferences.

As for non-voters, the primary reasons for these respondents to not cast their ballot revolved around their perception of "mud-slinging" and "schoolyard bullying."

Aside from which local candidate is leading, our statistics demonstrate that Jeff Leal is more popular than Liberals/McGuinty (+4.3%); Conservatives/Hudak is more popular than Alan Wilson (+6%), especially among 45-year-old to 55-year-olds; and Dave Nickle is slightly more popular than his leader NDP/Horwath (+2.2%).

Greens maintained the same support for their leader as the local candidate Gary Beamish. The most revealing statistic is demonstrated by Conservative Party/Hudak supporters, who claimed they will be voting for Leal locally (3.9%).

Undecided voters for local candidates (13.5%) expressed that local platforms were "unclear" and "too vague" (even on mail-outs), and that they actually have to perform their own research. Another point of interest demonstrates that some undecided voters know clearly who they do not support as a local candidate, but are unsure of who they would like to support.

As for the reasons why respondents are supporting particular local candidates: Alan Wilson supporters expressed their dissatisfaction with McGuinty’s policies and Hudak's charismatic approach; Nickle supporters mentioned his "experience" in the community "as a teacher" and his recognizable name; and Jeff Leal supporters expressed he has "experience," is "dedicated" and claimed to "know of" or have met him personally.

Paul Teleki is owner of Preferences, a locally-based polling, research and strategic planning company. You can contact him at paul@preferences.ca.

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Here's A Primer On The Five Local Candidates Vying To Be Your MPP (With Pictures!)

MIRIAM ON POLITICSLooking for bright spots in amongst the mire of political verbiage? Me, too. While there’s no shortage of shortcomings in our political process, each of the fellas vying for the job of MPP has his strengths. Here’s what I saw last night (September 13th) at the All Candidates Meeting—beginning with the lesser-knowns:

 

Ken Ranney (Socialist Party)
He's a good guy to have in situations like an election campaign. When he didn’t have anything to say to a question, he'd pass (how novel). Ken’s liveliness and good use of humour shines through; almost something of a trickster vibe here. Glad to have him in the race.

 

Gary Beamish (Green)
Gary has a fine ability to bring it all home. Whether responding to questions about the potential dangers of WiFi in schools or taxation policy, Gary was able to relate big issues to real life personal experiences. This guy has lived. He has heart, and humility, and isn’t afraid to show it.

 

Dave Nickle (NDP)
Dave's a fighter. While it’s not my favourite political style, having someone who had your back would be a good thing in an MPP. If Dave can keep boisterous audience members in their place, you’d have to believe he'd be in our corner in government. And kudos, Dave, for carrying the flag of proportional representation—the only decent idea offered towards engaging more people in democracy.

 

Alan Wilson (Conservative)
Hmmmm. Well, he’s got the lovely Irish Lilt. That’s pretty fun to listen to.

 

Jeff Leal (Liberal, incumbent)
At 26 years (and counting?) in elected office, Jeff does seem to really be a hard-working public servant. He’s got that exceptional ability to evade answers to direct questions. And he’s developed a thicker skin than any of the rest could probably ever muster. It can't be easy, and you give it your all.

 
 

[pictures of candidates via their election websites]

This is the debut politics column for PtboCanada by Miriam Lyall (aka Miriam Stucky). Former Green Party Candidate. Step-mom extraordinaire. Communications Maven. Check it out: MiriamStucky.ca.

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PtboPics: Peterborough Petes Season Ticket Holder BBQ; And Former Petes Captain Steve Webb Rides Into Town For A Good Cause

ABOVE: Petes fan Robert Condon chats with new GM Dave Reid and 2nd year forward Luke Hietcamp during Sunday's Season Ticket Holder BBQ hosted by the team. (The Petes open up their regular season at home Thursday against Oshawa.)

BELOW: Jeff Leal, MPP, helps welcome home former Petes Captain Steve Webb after his ride to raise funds for his W20 Foundation was completed today at the Memorial Centre.

[Peterborough Petes Schedule; W20 Foundation: Creating Opportunities In Education Through Hockey]

[photos submitted by PtboCanada contributor @petedalliday, the voice of the Peterborough Petes on @kruzfm]

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