Mayor Diane Therrien Declares State of Emergency On Homelessness

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Mayor Diane Therrien has declared a state of emergency on homelessness after calling a special city council meeting on Thursday.

Mayor Diane Therrien was first elected back in 2018, defeating incumbent Daryl Bennett. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Therrien is acting alone on the matter as city council made no motion to make the declaration.

“I’ve called a Special Meeting of Council for this Thursday to receive an update from (and provide direction to, if needed) staff about the plans for ensuring unhoused folks have access to indoor space this fall/winter,” said Therrien in a Tweet.

She is following suit with cities such as St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Ottawa which have also declared states of emergency.

Sandra Clancy, chief administrative officer says that due to the timing of when this emergency has been declared, rules within Municipal Act curb the ability of city council and senior staff to spend money during the lame duck period.

The declaration is in name only for the time being as additional funds from federal or provincial governments cannot be received nor is the city able to spend its own money.

The city must wait during the lame duck period before the new city council is elected on Oct. 24 and officially sworn in on Nov. 28.

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Stay The Heck Home, Mayor Therrien Says, Declaring State Of Emergency For Peterborough

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“Stay the heck home Peterborough.” That’s the message from Mayor Therrien, who along with Peterborough County, declared a State of Emergency on Monday (March 23rd).

The declaration was made after careful consideration of the increasing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding need for people to take necessary precautions. This decision follows declarations made by the Province of Ontario for the entire province as well as numerous other municipalities that have declared local states of emergency.

Mayor Therrien declaring State of Emergency

“By declaring an emergency, we are clearly stating as a community that our efforts are focused on the COVID-19 pandemic for the health and safety of everyone,” says Therrien.

“For the safety of yourself and everyone, you need to stay home except for essential outings, follow social distancing guidelines to slow the spread of illness; and if you’re asked to self-isolate—you must do so. If you have returned from travel outside of Canada, you are, and everyone you live with is, required to self-isolate for 14 days. Refusing to do so is irresponsible and places our community at increased risk. Do your part to flatten the curve.”

The declaration of an emergency is available to municipalities under the Provincial Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. It may provide access to provincial funding for actions related to the emergency and relief, should funding become available.

EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUE TO OPERATE

Emergency services including Peterborough Police Service, Peterborough Fire Services, and Peterborough County-City Paramedics continue to operate. The City continues to provide core services with some adjusted service levels.

For questions about COVID-19, people are encouraged to refer to health officials for up-to-date, reliable information. Peterborough Public Health provides information and links to provincial and federal resources at peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

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