Voting on Monday? Here is What You Need To Know...

Voting for the 2021 Canadian Federal Election of the Peterborough-Kawartha is on Monday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

To register and vote in a federal election, you must be a Canadian citizen be at least 18 years old on election day and prove your identity and address with valid forms of identification. If you want to see if you are confirmed to vote, click here.

If you have received your voter information card, it contains the time, date and location of your respective polling station. If you want to view your location online, click here.

There are three options for voting for the upcoming election.

Option One: Show one of these pieces of ID

• driver's licence

• any other card issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial/territorial or local) with your photo, name and current address

Option Two: Show two pieces of ID

Both must have your name and at least one must have your current address. The following is a list of items of accepted ID for identity and address.

From a government or government agency 

• band membership card

• birth certificate

• Canadian citizenship card or certificate

• Canadian Forces identity card

• Canadian passport (accepted only as proof of identity)

• card issued by an Inuit local authority

• firearms licence

• government cheque or cheque stub

• government statement of benefits

• health card

• income tax assessment

• Indian status card or temporary confirmation of registration

• library card

• licence or card issued for fishing, trapping or hunting

• liquor identity card

• Métis card

• old age security card

• parolee card

• property tax assessment or evaluation

• public transportation card

• social insurance number card

• vehicle ownership

• Veterans Affairs health care identification card

From Elections Canada

• targeted revision form to residents of long-term care facilities

• voter information card

From an educational institution

• correspondence issued by a school, college or university

• student identity card

From a health care facility or organization

• blood donor card

• CNIB card

• hospital card

• label on a prescription container

• identity bracelet issued by a hospital or long-term care facility

• medical clinic card

From a financial institution

• bank statement

• credit card

• credit card statement

• credit union statement

• debit card

• insurance certificate, policy or statement

• mortgage contract or statement

• pension plan statement

• personal cheque

From a private organization

• employee card

• residential lease or sub-lease

• utility bill (e.g.: electricity; water; telecommunications services, including telephone, cable or satellite)

Letters of confirmation

• letter from a public curator, public guardian or public trustee

• letter of confirmation of residence from a First Nations band or reserve or an Inuit local authority

• letter of confirmation of residence, letter of stay, admission form, or statement of benefits from one of the following designated establishments:

  • student residence

  • seniors’ residence

  • long-term care facility

  • shelter

  • soup kitchen

  • a community-based residential facility

Other pieces of ID may be added. Elections Canada accepts e-statements and e-invoices by printing them or showing them on a mobile device.

Option Three: If you don't have ID

• You can still vote if you declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you.

• The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care facilities).

Photo Courtesy of Elections Canada.

The following are the confirmed candidates in the Peterborough-Kawartha electoral district as of Sept. 1:

• Maryam Monsef, Liberal Party of Canada

• Michelle Ferreri, Conservatie Party of Canada

• Joy Lachica, New Democratic Party

• Chanté White, Green Party of Canada

• Paul Lawton, People’s Party of Canada

• Robert Bowers, Independent

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Federal Candidate Interview: Conservative Candidate Michelle Ferreri

Angela O’Grady speaks with the Conservative federal candidate Michelle Ferreri for the upcoming election. We answer community-submitted questions surrounding her stance on climate change, vaccine passports, the housing crisis and small businesses.

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Federal Candidate Interview: Green Party Candidate Chanté White

Angela O’Grady speaks with the Green Party federal candidate Chanté White for the upcoming election. We answer community-submitted questions surrounding her stance on climate change, vaccine passports, the housing crisis and small businesses.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Federal Candidate Interview: PPC Candidate Paul Lawton

Angela O’Grady speaks with the People's Party of Canada federal candidate Paul Lawton for the upcoming election. We answer community-submitted questions surrounding his stance on climate change, vaccine passports, the housing crisis and small businesses.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Federal Candidate Interview: Liberal Candidate Maryam Monsef

Angela O’Grady speaks with Liberal federal candidate Maryam Monsef for the upcoming election. We answer community-submitted questions surrounding her stance on climate change, vaccine passports, the housing crisis and small businesses.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Federal Candidate Interview: NDP Candidate Joy Lachica

Angela O’Grady speaks with New Democratic Party federal candidate Joy Lachica for the upcoming election. We answer community-submitted questions surrounding her stance on climate change, vaccine passports, the housing crisis and small businesses.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Chamber Hosts All-Candidates Debate

The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce live-streamed an all-candidates debate at the Peterborough Curling Club on Wednesday.

Joy Lachica (NPD), Maryam Monsef (Liberal), Chanté White (Green), Michelle Ferreri (Conservative) speak at Wednesdays debate.

Federal candidates from The Liberal, Conservative, Green and New Democratic Party (NDP) participated.

All other candidates involved but were not in attendance were provided with an opportunity to submit a three-minute video.

Submitted videos are available to watch on Peterborough Chamber’s YouTube channel.

In their opening remarks, NDP candidate Joy Lachica shared that she was delighted to be sharing this platform with three other female candidates while Maryam Monsef, Peterborough’s Liberal incumbent, noted that she was not done giving back.

When touching on vaccine mandates, Michelle Ferreri of the Conservative Party believes in the vaccines but respects giving people a choice. She notes medical exceptions such as some of her friends and family that can not be vaccinated due to medical reasons like chemotherapy treatment.

Chanté White from the Green Party highlighted other public health guidelines like proper handwashing.

"We shouldn't be penalizing people who aren't able to get the vaccine,” she said.

A vaccine passport is "a coordinated, efficient, smart way to mitigate any confusion about vaccination,” said Lachica.

“We all need to get vaccinated and move on with life,” said Monsef.

Candidates also touched on the opioid crisis, Downtown Peterborough, small businesses, climate change and the housing crisis.

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City Issues Open Invite For Information Session Of Official Plan

The City of Peterborough is hosting an online community information session of the final draft of the City’s updated Official Plan announced Tuesday.

Photo Courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The sessions will accommodate as many people as possible, with four sessions will be offered at different times where participants are encouraged to choose the time that works best with their schedule.

Wednesday, Sept. 1

• 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. or

• 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 2

• 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. or

• 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Each session will begin with a presentation to summarize the process, public engagement, themes of the comments received and the organization of the Final Draft as well as time for participant questions.

Registration to attend one of the four timeslots is available online at: www.eventbrite.ca/e/peterborough-official-plan-update-community-information-session-tickets-166507106237.

Once registered, residents will receive a link to the online meeting by email.

Anyone who is unable to access the sessions online can contact the City during office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 705-742-7777 ext. 1880 for information on how to register and attend by telephone.

The proposed Official Plan and the final Land Needs Assessment are available for review on the City’s website at www.peterborough.ca/planit and through Connect Peterborough at www.connectptbo.ca/official-plan-update.

Following completion of this final round of community engagement, the Official Plan will be presented to City Council in October and a formal public meeting is being planned for November where Council will hear public delegations and will consider adopting the Plan.

Following Council’s adoption of the Plan, it would be forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final approval.

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Four Major Federal Party Candidates Have Been Selected And They Are All Women

For the first time ever all four major federal party candidates in the Peterborough-Kawartha riding are women.

NDP Joy Lachica, Green Chanté White , Conservative Michelle Ferreri, Liberal incumbant Maryam Monsef. Photo courtesy of PTBO Canada

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to call a federal election sometime in the coming weeks, federal political parties have been nominating candidates for local ridings.

The Green, Conservative, NDP and Liberal Party in the Peterborough Kawartha riding have officially named their candidates and for the first time in history they are all women.

Chanté White will represent the Green party. According to the Peterborough-Kawartha Green Party website White is a recent graduate from Trent University Peterborough with an honours degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Political Studies.

Michelle Ferreri was chosen as the Conservative candidate in Peterborough-Kawartha. Ferreri owns and operates an independent media company focusing on content creation, marketing consulting and public speaking.

The NDP chose Joy Lachica to represent their party in the Peterborough-Kawartha riding. Lachica moved to Canada with her family as a child from the Philippines. She has been an elementary school teacher for over 25 years.

These three candidates will be challenging Liberal incumbent Maryam Monsef, who will be seeking her third term as Peterborough-Kawartha MP. Monsef graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development.

A federal election must be held by October 16, 2023 though it is expected that an election will be called in late August an a vote will be held in late September.

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The City of Peterborough Has Released Official Plan Final Draft

The City has announced the release of a final draft of the proposed new Official Plan for the City of Peterborough.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The Official Plan is a policy document prepared under the Planning Act that will set the vision and direction for growth and development to the year 2051.

The new draft builds on an initial draft that was released for consultation in June 2019 by incorporating changes to address public, agency, First Nations and provincial comments, and to reflect the results of a Land Needs Assessment that determined the City’s development land requirement to 2051

The proposed Official Plan and the final Land Needs Assessment are now available for review on the City’s website and through Connect Peterborough.

The City will be organizing a final series of online public information sessions throughout August and September to help build awareness of the proposed Official Plan as it moves forward to approval.

When the details for the information sessions are finalized, they will be posted here.

Those wanting to receive updates regarding the Official Plan and upcoming events are invited to subscribe to the City’s Official Plan blog or to Connect Peterborough.

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