Rally Planned To Oppose 2025 Budget Cuts to Arts and Social Services

A coalition of activists, organizations and citizens will gather at Peterborough City Hall to rally against proposed budget cuts to social services and arts organizations in the 2025 budget on Tuesday afternoon.

File Photo.

The rally will begin at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall, with a lineup of speakers. It is organized by the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, The Centre for Gender and Social Justice, OPIRG Peterborough, BLM Nogojiwanong and community members and will be followed by a community debrief session at Dreams of Beans.

The Centre for Gender & Social Justice released the following statement regarding the proposed budget cuts:

“These cuts would divert essential funds from community support services to increased policing costs, a shift that organizers say undermines the wellbeing of Peterborough’s most vulnerable residents and damages the network of grassroots organizations working to support them.

Peterborough’s city council recently proposed a budget that would cut funding to 75 social service and arts organizations by 25 per cent, including vital groups like the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Community Race Relations Committee, and Peterborough Drug Strategy. These organizations provide critical support in crisis intervention, mental health, addiction counselling, and harm reduction. Many of these services fill gaps that policing does not address, using trauma-informed care, cultural sensitivity, and restorative justice to meet community needs and foster safety without punitive measures.”

The rally will feature speeches from leaders of affected organizations, local activists and community members who rely on these services. Poetry and storytelling highlighting the budget cuts’s impact of these cuts will be told during the rally.

The speaker list includes Sneha Wadhwani, local poet and activist; Bill Kimball, Public Energy Coordinator and Nico Koyanagi from OPIRG Peterborough.

These are the key messages of the rally according to a press release:

• Stop the Defunding of Social Services: The community urges council to protect funding for essential organizations that provide support, intervention, and resilience-building for those in need.

• Reject Police Budget Increases: With an 8.8 per cent increase in the police budget, including funding for new facilities and equipment, community members are concerned about prioritizing policing over proactive social services.

• Demand Transparent and Inclusive Budget Consultation: Only 227 residents participated in the budget consultation process. Organizers are calling for greater community engagement and transparency in future budgeting decisions.

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Mayor Jeff Leal Makes Statement Regarding Expected Drag Queen Story Time Protest at Peterborough Public Library

City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough Public Library board chair Dan Moloney have issued the following statements regarding protests at the Peterborough Public Library Drag Queen Story Time event on Feb. 25.

betty baker addressing fans outside the peterborough public library after drag queen story time on Jan. 14. photo by felicia massey.

“The City of Peterborough supports providing an inclusive, safe community for all residents. We strongly reject any act that incites hate in the community against any particular group. Thank you to the Peterborough Public Library for promoting an inclusive community, offering programming for all residents,” Mayor Jeff Leal stated.

The Drag Queen Story Time event will feature local drag queen Betty Baker sharing some of her favourite stories around the themes of diversity, inclusion and respect.

“The Library Board supports the Library in its endeavours to educate and support inclusivity. We are behind the Library staff and the offering of Drag Queen Story Time,” Library Board Chair Dan Moloney stated.

The City of Peterborough is a member of the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities. Member municipalities must advance initiatives to:

1. Improve their practices for social inclusion

2. Establish policies to eradicate racism and discrimination

3. Promote human rights and diversity 

The Peterborough Police Service provides an online reporting tool for reporting hate/bias incident.

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Quaker Foods City Square Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Cancelled Due To Impending Protest; Activities To Proceed

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Quaker Foods City Square this Saturday has been put on hold due to an impending protest however, family activities will proceed as normal announced on Wednesday.

THE PARK WAS OPEN TEMPORARILY ON CANADA DAY FOR A RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY OF A NEW UN PEACEKEEPERS MONUMENT. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The protest arranged by Michelle McQuaid is known as the ‘Concrete Priorities Protest’ to protest the City’s celebration and spending on the park , especially the heated concrete while Peterborough is undergoing a homelessness crisis.

The $6.4-million project was supported by a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, to support the construction of the rink, as well as landscaping and water features.

The City also used $677,909 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from its share of gaming revenues provided as a host community for a casino, and $50,000 from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area to support the project. PepsiCo Foods, through its Quaker brand, is providing approximately $240,000 over 15 years for the naming rights to the public square.

Former Mayor Diane Therrien declared a state of emergency on homelessness in Peterborough after calling a special city council meeting on Oct. 13. This occurred a few weeks prior to the municipal election when Therrien said she would not run for another mayoral term.

McQuaid stated the following on the social media event on the City’s alleged inaction on the homelessness issue:

“I know tents are not ideal, but they would be alot more comfortable on HEATED PAVEMENT! We have community members sleeping outside, in cars, tents... Whatever shelter they can make... ...and The City of Peterborough decides to celebrate? I'd like to know exactly what they are celebrating and acknowledge what they are choosing to ignore.”

The protest is still scheduled to occur despite the City withdrawing certain activities and the ribbon-cutting ceremony according to the Facebook event.

The City has stated that speeches will be rescheduled to thank the partners and sponsors that contributed to the park’s construction but has yet to release a date.

The family activities are still scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p..m. There is outdoor skating, face painting and a DJ to play music during the event. Hot chocolate, sweet treats, stilt walkers and performance artists were scheduled for the event but have been withdrawn due to the protest.

The square is located at the former Louis Street Parking Lot off the corner of Aylmer Street and Charlotte Street. It is a year-round space for community events and activities. The space includes a refrigerated outdoor skating rink during winter and a water play feature for the summer.

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Photos: Rally Staged In Downtown Peterborough To Call For An End Of Climate Delay

Members of the Peterborough Alliance for Climate Action and For Our Grandchildren gathered outside the Ministery of Natural Resources (MNR) building to call for a shift off of fossil fuels on Wednesday.

The rally was supported nationally by 350.org, similar rallies were staged across the country. Photo by Luke Best.

Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the heat dome in British Columbia where record-breaking temperatures surpassed 40 C.

There were 231 people who died on June 29 last year due to extreme temperatures. Nearly 10 people every hour according to The British Columbia coroners’ service.

The rally began at 11 a.m. where protestors proceeded down Water Street before returning back and disbanding around noon.

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Ontario Government Declares Provincial State of Emergency Over Protests and Blockades

The Ontario Government has declared a state of emergency regarding the protesters and ending the blockade at key border crossings in the province announced on Friday.

Truckers from all over the country began rolling into Ottawa to protest on Jan. 28. Screenshot.

Increased fines and penalties on protesters including a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year of imprisonment are placed for any non-compliers.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls the gathering a “siege” rather than a protest. He is urging anyone remaining to go back home in order to minimize harm as the government got the message sent by the protest.

“With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home and I know the vast majority of the people did that,” he said. “You’ve been heard loud and clear. Canada has heard you. I urge you, it’s time to leave and it’s time to do so peacefully.”

Ontario and Alberta have had several blockades with the "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa protesting against vaccine mandates for truckers beginning two weeks ago.

Ontario will provide additional authority to revoke personal and commercial licences to anyone who fails to comply as temporary measures according to Ford. He stated the government "has every intention" to make them permanent into new legislation in the future.

"We are taking the steps necessary to support our police as they do what it takes to restore law and order," said Ford.

The state of emergency declaration will last for 42 hours as the cabinet will meet on Saturday to amend it if necessary.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the RCMP will send more resources to end the blockades in Ottawa, Windsor, Ont., and Coutts, Alta.

Mendicino claims to be in "consistent contact" with Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones to coordinate their response in Ottawa for police backup.

Ottawa had previously requested 1,800 more officers from the Ontario and federal governments with 250 RCMP officers deployed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau give remarks in Ottawa on Friday afternoon regarding the protests and blockades across Canada.

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