The March 17th meeting of Peterborough City Council felt like an outlier amidst previous weeks’ hours-long discussions. Despite a few procedural hiccups and the usual declarations of pecuniary interests, the bulk of the agenda was approved on consent, and consisted mostly on confirming the reports presented at last week’s meeting.

Among the items that were discussed in depth was the list of 56 properties recommended for potential heritage designation. Otonabee Councilor Lesley Parnell submitted amendments to remove three locations from the recommended list of properties for prioritized heritage designation, citing impending development interests on each of the locations. 

Changes made in 2022 to the Ontario Heritage Act require any properties listed onthe Heritage Register must be formally designated before January 1, 2027, and after removal from the Register, properties cannot re-list for a period of five years. 

Designation on the municipality’s Heritage Register is distinct from being listed on the Register, as designation requires council to pass a regulatory by-law forbidding the demolition of a designated property and requiring changes made to it to be “sympathetic” to its heritage character. 

In 2024, city planning staff identified 220 properties for potential designation, 56 of which the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) presented to council for prioritized designation on the Heritage Register before the January 2027 deadline. These properties include cultural and historical sites of significance like the Trent Radio House, the White House Hotel, and the Hunter Street Commerce Building. 

Contentious locations on the list presented to council included the Salvation Army Temple on 219 Simcoe St., the Queen Alexandra Community Centre at 180 Barnardo Ave., and Mark St. United Church on 90 Hunter St. E. 

The objections Parnell raised Monday night were ones she had previously presented the week before. As the city’s presiding Planning Act officer, the Otonabee Ward councilor  expressed concerned that the development potential of the properties she identified contradict a potential heritage designation’s by-law against demolition and alteration. 

“There are some plans out there for some type of development, and so now it's probably not the right time to put a designation on something,” Parnell told council. 

Parnell used the example of Mark St. United Church, where a recent addition is poised to be demolished to build a 10-storey apartment building. 

Otonabee councilor Kevin Duguay also seconded his ward mate’s amendments, noting that the Mark St. United Church building is subject to a heritage impact assessment. 

“While the recommendation is to remove the property from being designated, we will have opportunity to consider land use approval together with a heritage impact assessment at an ensuing council meeting,” Duguay said. “I think that's the appropriate time to make a decision regarding that specific project.”

Additional city activity on properties for proposed designation included a facilities review on the city-owned Queen Alexandra Community Centre, with coun. Parnell claiming that council is unable to move forward without Staff’s land use recommendation on 180 Barnardo Ave. 

“We don't know what those options are yet, so it would be premature to designate or start the destination process on it until we see what those options are,” Parnell said.

The final property for removal was the Salvation Army Temple, whose staff and property manager claimed they were given insufficient notice of the proposed designation, despite apparently having phoned coun. Parnell earlier that day.

“I did receive a phone call today and nobody there, including the property manager, had any knowledge that this process was happening, even though supposedly notices went out a week ago Thursday,” Parnell told staff. 

“It’s quite the building,” Parnell added, “and it probably should be designated at some point, but we need to know that there is proper notice, so we do not get ourselves into these hostile designation situations going forward.”

The amendments to delist the select properties carried, couns. Alex Bierk and Keith Riel voting against. The motion to approve the recommendation from the Designation of Listed Properties Update with Parnell’s amendment passed unanimously.

Further amendment was made to Monaghan Ward councilor Matt Crowley’s motion to stop using X for most City communications to have the resolution sent to all Ontario municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). The motion passed unanimously. 

Items of note passed on the meeting’s consent agenda included an authorization for the Mayor and City Clerk to sign a renewal agreement between the city and Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) for the continuation of the Universal Transit Pass Agreement, and a recommendation to extend the Selwyn Link Bus Service program for another year.

The extension comes after the Township of Selwyn was able to receive additional funding outside of the initial $1.4 million it received from the Province of Ontario’s Community Transportation Grant Program. The TCSA's Board of Directors also elected to extend the contract for The Link transit service at “a cost of $43,750,” according to Association meeting minutes.