Backroom Briefing Q: Is Ashburnham Drive A Rough Road to Tourism?

Q: Ashburnham Drive: Are there any plans to upgrade or repave this road in order to make it attractive for our visiting tourists? We seem to have an active tourism office, but when people actually visit they shouldn’t have their travel memory include a description of a poorly-maintained access road. —JC Gonder

Goyette: JC's concern is understandable, in that he and his associates at Promotion Marketing and Design and Whatever Solutions and Media on Pido Road have a direct interest in the state of a key access road to their offices.

The research shows that they are not alone. People care about the quality of their roads, and especially in four season climates. When surveyed on municipal services, people routinely rank roads as a key concern in terms of safety, speeding, repair, parking, snow removal, litter, drainage, runoff, sidewalks and accessibility. Cynical pragmatists have long contended that decisions related to highway repair were closely correlated with political partisan representation and the timing of elections. In some constituencies, good roads are a magnet for good votes.

Ashburnham Drive is a gateway to a surprisingly large number of City sites, including Ecology, Beavermead , Farmcrest, Eastgate and Walker Parks; The Trans Canada Trail; Rogers Cove; the PUC and Parks Canada buildings; Lock 20 and the nationally significant Liftlock; and Ashburnham Memorial Park and Peterborough Museum and Archives.

The heritage of the road is strongly tied to the former Village of Ashburnham, a community on the east bank of the Otonabee founded in 1859 and connected to Peterborough at the time by the Howe truss wooden bridge. The Village was annexed by the City of Peterborough on December 2, 1903—the result of a vote favoured by only 99 of 178 Village voters. The village Council itself was very cautious about its own road expenditures: the first sidewalks on today’s Hunter Street were approved on condition that they were limited to two wooden planks per side, and that the planks be laid parallel to the roadway rather than at more expensive right angles.

Traffic counts on Ashburnham Drive from Lansdowne East to Marsdale Drive undertaken last November indicate that the road is heavily used; the average weekly traffic count was 7,148 (northbound) and 7,463. (southbound) This year, during March and April when the roadway is vulnerable, commercial vehicles on Ashburnham will be restricted to half loads.

The approved 2012 City of Peterborough Capital Budget includes $3.8 million (2011 dollars) for major reconstruction of Ashburnham Drive from Lansdowne to Maria Street involving new asphalt pavement, concrete curbs and gutters, sidewalks, bicycle lanes and storm sewers, all of which will coincide with water main improvements to be undertaken by the Public Utilities Commission. The detailed design will be completed in 2013 and the construction completed in 2014.

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David Goyette is the Executive Assistant to Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett. Email your burning questions for David about City Hall to feedback@ptbocanada.com.

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Here's An Email From A Trent Prof Circulating About Proposed Development On Charlotte Street

Letter from  Trent Environmental & Resource Studies Professor Stephen Hill...

I'm writing about a proposed development in downtown Peterborough. Shoppers Drug Mart is seeking to abandon their existing store at Charlotte & Aylmer and move to a new larger site kitty corner from where they are now. The new site, if approved, will demolish all of the buildings on the north side of Charlotte, between Bethune and Aylmer (from the paint store to Jim's Pizzeria/Have you Seen). The corner of Charlotte and Aylmer will be a 37 car parking lot, with the new Shoppers building occupying the rest of the block (& loading docks fronting on Bethune). In urban design terms, it's an unmitigated disaster to create a building for no other purpose than to fit the brand image of Shoppers Drug Mart.

For those with more time on their hands, I've written up more on the backstory and posted it to this blog site: SaveCharlotteStreet.blogspot.com.  I'd welcome comments or additional information if you have any.

The whole idea of destroying a vibrant street to build this seems beyond comprehension. Regardless, some city councillors think it's a good idea. I am fairly confident that a concerted effort by a group of citizens can help change their minds (go Margaret Mead!), to ensure the development either doesn't happen or happens in a manner that will result in a building of enduring value. 

If you'd like to do something, please spread the word and take the time to write or call your Councillor, the Mayor and/or the City's Director of Planning. Their contact information is available by clicking here. There also needs to be people willing to speak articulately against this at the Planning Committee when this development is being considered.  

[Save Charlotte Street Blog]

[Photos by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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What Peterborough Needs To Do To Solve The Productivity Puzzle

With Canada suffering less than most industrial nations from the global economic malaise, we tend to think that we are ahead in the economic "game".  In fact, for more than a decade we have lagged behind in productivity—e.g. production of goods and services per worker—than most industrial nations. 

Each year, the gap between us and other more productive nations gets bigger. We talk—more like whisper—about this, but we rarely do anything concrete about it. We wait for something to happen that will turn us around. Maybe a decade of waiting is long enough. It is time to act.

In 2012, let's stop waiting for big government, bigger corporations, the rest of the world, or the "universe" to do it for us and do what it takes, right here in Peterborough, to become more productive.

Think of it this way. We, in Peterborough, have received a Christmas present—a new jigsaw puzzle. In its sturdy box, the puzzle contains all the pieces we need to solve the productivity puzzle. We've unwrapped the puzzle, looked at the picture on the front of the box, but we have not yet opened the box. Between Christmas and New Years, we've talked to family and friends about the picture on the box (no one seems to know exactly what it is—kind of abstract, it seems), so we still haven’t opened it. 

According to the instructions, there are pieces that represent aspects of the work being done at Fleming College, Trent University, PRHC, OMNR, GE, Siemens, SGS Lakefield Research, Rolls Royce, QTG Pepsico-Frito Lay, Operitel, McColl Turner, LLF, Merit Precision, Steel Works, Page Design, the City and County of Peterborough, a vibrant and creative downtown, talented and ambitious people, and enough technology to sustain much larger communities than Peterborough. 

Still, we’re talking more about putting the pieces together than actually trying to do it. We are not alone in this. Many communities are in the same situation. The competitive reality is that the community that puts the puzzle together first will reap the greatest economic benefit.

When we finally open the box and spread the pieces on the table, there is one thing we can be sure of: The puzzle will not be put together by the invisible hand of the market. It will only come together from our will to act, and the action itself.

We, in Peterborough, have all the pieces—resources—we need but we need to complete it, but we need a new way to put this difficult puzzle together. Old ways of putting puzzles together simply will not work. We need to creatively and collectively find new ways to solve the puzzle; news ways to benefit from the resources available for us to use.

And we need to do it right here in Peterborough.    

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[Contributed by PtboCanada's Tom Phillips Ph. D. Phillips is Economist & Sustainability Director - Greater Ptbo Innovation Cluster.]

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PtboPics: Kawartha Miniature Village At Portage Place

You have until January 9, 2012, to catch the incredible work that has gone into creating the Christmas display of the Kawartha Miniature Village. The display is set up in Portage Place and admission is free to the exhibit—though donations are greatly appreciated.

Photo: Evan Holt

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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Take A Look At The Design For A Proposed Commercial Development Going In On Lansdowne Street

The Peterborough Co-Op has returned to its roots and moved out to Highway 7 West to supply farmers. The original Rural Roots building, however, is being demolished to make room for a new plaza. It looks like a national bank is moving into the first building, but the second building is still available for lease to be ready for approximately Spring 2012. Take a look at the design of the proposed development:

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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There Is A Local Heritage Walk Sequel That Takes Place This Evening After Suppertime

A few weeks ago, Shifting Gears hosted two Heritage Walks throughout the community. Tonight they are hosting a sequel, guided by Jane's Walk Peterborough cofounder Chris Gooderham. Come on out and learn the history and culture of one of our neighbourhoods. Meet at the London Street Footbridge at 6:45 p.m.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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The Habitat For Humanity Build On Jane Street Is Starting to Take Shape

Here is the background story on the Jane Street build.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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There Is A Neighbourhood Shifting Gears Heritage Home & Tree Walk Tonight & Thursday

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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PtboPics: Another Habitat For Humanity Build Gets Underway

The official groundbreaking ceremony for Habitat for Humanity's upcoming builds on Jane Street in Peterborough took place Friday afternoon. These two homes will be built in part by Kenner Collegiate's new Senior Youth Build Program, and Habitat will also be offering many Women Build days in the fall due to the huge success of the program from their most recent build on Towerhill Road.  If you are interested in volunteering, click here for info.

 

Sandra and her three daughters Estefany, Michelle and Nicole are ready to begin the build for their home

Eager to be homeowners, Nyssa and Dennis with their children Madalyn and Caleb

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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Maplewood Wayside Chapel Near Apsley Might Just Be One Of The World's Smallest Chapels

Built in 1967 by Dick and Isabel Lucas, at capacity it has room for probably about 10 people. It's located on Hwy. 620 near Apsley. Check out some pictures...

 

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