Good morning and welcome to the Peterborough Currents newsletter.

As a journalist, municipal politics nerd, and neighbour of Bonnerworth Park, I've found myself very invested in the recent public discourse around the proposed redevelopment of the park. 

I think I am drawn to the story because it reveals what's often at the root of our municipal democratic processes. We share this city, and public space is a limited resource. That means it takes work, compromise, and sometimes sacrifice to ensure there is equitable access to public space for everyone.

This week, city councillor Joy Lachica tried to convince her council colleagues to reconsider the plan to replace Bonnerworth's ball diamonds, greenspace, and tennis courts with 16 pickleball courts, more parking, and other amenities. Councillors voted down Lachica's motion, which means the redevelopment plan is moving forward, with construction expected to start later this year.

We've published a new story about the park redevelopment — and neighbourhood opposition to it — that I'll share in this week's newsletter.

Also this week:

• The inside story of the collapse of Electric City Football Club

• Planned community health centre hires co-executive directors

• A solution appears to be in the works for Food Not Bombs

• Peterborough seeks new poet laureate

• And more

Let's get to it.

Council doubles down on plan to add 16 pickleball courts to Bonnerworth Park after testy debate

Residents opposed to the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment gather outside city hall before Tuesday's general committee meeting. (Photo: Brett Throop)

Coun. Keith Riel called the pickleball plan for Bonnerworth Park an "abomination." Coun. Alex Bierk said he was "naive" when he voted alongside the rest of council to approve the plan back in October. And Coun. Joy Lachica said Bonnerworth neighbourhood residents "never got an equitable opportunity" to share their feedback on the redevelopment.

But they couldn't convince any other councillors at a committee meeting on Tuesday night to support Lachica's motion to reconsider the park redevelopment. Her motion lost 8-3, meaning the redevelopment is moving forward, unless some councillors change their minds soon.

Why has this issue gotten so much attention in recent weeks, when councillors voted unanimously in favour of the park redevelopment almost six months ago? Because six months ago, the plan felt much more abstract. A map showing what 16 pickleball courts and their associated parking might actually look like, and how much of the current open space will be lost to make way for them, was only recently made public.

Tuesday's committee meeting was a testy affair, with one community member being kicked out of the viewing gallery for disrupting the proceedings. Our new story covers Tuesday's meeting. It also takes a look at the plans for Bonnerworth Park, including who's happy about them and who's not.

Read the story here.

The Collapse of Electric City Football Club

Local soccer fans march past a setting sun on the evening of ECFC's home opener in May 2022. (Photo: Dan Morrison)

Back in 2022, football fan Dan Morrison wrote a couple of stories for Peterborough Currents about the anticipation and enthusiasm that surrounded the launch of Electric City Football Club, the semi-pro soccer team that was heralded as a "game changer" for Peterborough.

So when we read the news in January that the team was folding after just two seasons, Currents reached out to Dan to see if he wanted to write a retrospective of the short-lived attempt to bring professional soccer to Peterborough. He said yes.

It turns out the hype, hope, and excitement that Dan wrote about in the spring of 2022 didn't last very long. Within months of club's first games, the whole enterprise began to fray as well-loved team leaders abruptly departed, ownership expressed financial worries, and the team’s community owners — locals who had invested early — were sidelined, leaving a single owner to take control of a diminished project for the next year and a half.

Click here to read Dan's in-depth story on ECFC's collapse.

Other Stories to Watch

SPARK PHOTO FESTIVAL

Over 100 photographers are displaying their work at venues throughout the Peterborough region this month as part of the SPARK Photo Festival. For a complete list of the exhibits, visit SPARK's website. The exhibits are in public places, so keep an eye out; you might even come across an exhibit unexpectedly when you're out and about!

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE

Peterborough's planned community health centre (CHC) has hired David Jeffery and Christine Brander as co-executive directors, according to a media release. Jeffery and Brander will lead the new organization as it pursues its mission "to address the region's pressing healthcare needs while focusing on social determinants of health and supporting vulnerable populations," the media release stated. The provincial government announced funding for the CHC in February. According to the media release, the next phase of the CHC's development will involve securing an interim location and commencing client services by the end of this year.

FOOD NOT BOMBS

The city could amend its parks and facilities bylaw to carve out an exemption for Food Not Bombs, the city's commissioner of legislative services David Potts told councillors on Tuesday. Food Not Bombs contravenes the bylaw every Monday evening when it serves free vegan meals in Confederation Park without a permit. Private security guards contracted by the city have given the group (which Currents publisher Will Pearson has volunteered with) trespass notices in recent weeks. Potts said a report is forthcoming that will outline how the bylaw might be amended to allow Food Not Bombs to continue serving free meals without a permit.

BECOME PETERBOROUGH'S NEXT POET LAUREATE

Nominations are open for the position of Peterborough Poet Laureate. The poet laureate writes and presents poems at municipal events and receives a $2,000 honorarium each year. The Electric City Culture Council, which administers the program, is hosting workshops next week to share more information about what the position entails and how to apply for it. The workshops are on April 10 at 7 p.m. at Artspace and on April 11 at 7 p.m. online. More information here. 

COMMUNITY GRANTS

The city is recommending various local organizations receive funding this year as part of the municipal community grants program, which funds local non-profits and other groups that work in fields such as the arts, social services, and environmental protection. Groups such as the Peterborough Children's Chorus, Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey, and the Bonaccord Community Garden are recommended for funding. Councillors gave preliminary approval to the list of recipients on Tuesday. You can read the full list here.

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