Town Ward Councillor Alex Bierk is set to introduce a notice of motion at the upcoming May 13th General Committee which could see Peterborough City Council call on the Provincial Government to extend the January 1st 2025 deadline for municipalities to decide on whether or not they will designate properties currently on their heritage register under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The motion asks that the deadline be extended by five years to January 2030, which is in line with an April 15th letter from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) which noted the fact that this change, which ACO Chair Diane Chin has referred to as “draconian” and “totally unrealistic,” could affect 36,000 heritage properties across the province.

In 2022, under the More Homes Built Faster Act, the Ford Government amended the Ontario Heritage Act, in effect forcing municipalities to clear their heritage registers by the current 2025 deadline unless the municipality had indicated its intent to register the property. These changes to the Act come as a bid to open up properties currently listed on the register to demolition or development.

Naturally, there is a balance to be struck between the need for development and heritage preservation, and according to Councillor Bierk this motion is primarily motivated by a sense that the City needs time to make these important decisions with as much care and attention to detail as possible.

“This list doesn’t hinder development and it needs to be done in a considered way,” Bierk, who serves as Chair of Arts, Culture and Heritage and on the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC), told Arthur over the phone on Thursday afternoon.

“Heritage is important and it’s important to consider heritage in the face of a push to develop and create housing stock,” Bierk continued, calling it the “lifeblood of the community.”

“In Peterborough some of the best developments that people always look to are the ones that consider the uniqueness of Peterborough,” he added, citing the Y-Lofts and Market Hall as examples of the City retaining its character while also responding to needs created by growth.

Bierk went on to explain that he understands the need for more housing in the community but that it needs to be balanced against the safeguards and protection for heritage within the City. 

“All that’s happening here is municipalities are asking for more time,” he said.

In Peterborough, there are currently 795 properties listed under the act on its heritage register. Last month, Council voted in favour of designating the J.J. Turner Building at 140 King Street as a heritage property under the act.

According to Heritage Resources Coordinator for the City of Peterborough, Eric Hanson, who spoke during the April 22nd General Committee meeting, staff have gone through the City’s register and “identified four streams of properties,” primarily in the core area, which staff “feel are worthy of pursuing designation.”

“At the moment, we're moving forward with a plan, but the timing is exceptionally tight,” Hanson added in response to a Councillor Joy Lachica’s question concerning his department’s plan to prioritize the key listed properties listed on the register.

If Council votes in favour of Bierk’s motion, Peterborough would join a growing list of municipalities who have requested an extension from the province including Richmond Hill and Newmarket, while the Mayor of Cambridge has expressed his support for an extension.

Bonnerworth Redevelopment is Back on the Agenda: 

The ongoing saga concerning the redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park will continue as Councillor Joy Lachica is set to introduce a notice of motion at the upcoming General Committee Meeting of Peterborough City Council. 

Lachica’s motion asked that Council be given final approval for the $4.4M redevelopment project for the park on the corner of Monaghan and McDonnel Street, just outside of the downtown, which includes the installation of 16 pickleball courts and up to 80 parking spots while getting rid of existing baseball diamonds.

The motion asks for a commissioner’s report which includes a final version of the recommended site plan alongside final technical studies for traffic, parking, noise and stormwater.

Additionally, Lachica asks that the report include a record of community consultation, including with First Nations, and a list of apportioned budget lines for every aspect of the contracted work for the redevelopment.

The motion comes as neighbours and community members continue to voice their concerns over the project. 

An online petition, started by resident D’Arcy Jenish, has garnered over 2,700 signatures over claims that the project as it stands “threatens to disrupt this cherished local amenity” while an 11 and a half minute video posted to YouTube provides an overview of the lack of community consultation involved in bringing the project’s plan to Council for final approval.

The extent of that consultation was a meeting held on March 21st wherein residents and Councillors first became aware of the extent of the loss of green space at Bonnerworth. 

This meeting prompted a previous motion brought to Council by Lachica which would have had staff explore alternative uses of the available space, which would then be approved by Council. However, that motion failed to pass by a vote of 8-3, with Lachica being joined by Councillor Keith Riel and fellow Town Ward Councillor Alex Bierk voting in the affirmative. 

During the General Committee meeting of April 2nd, Bierk apologized to the affected residents and admitted that he had been “naive” during the process of bringing this plan forward and urged his fellow Councillors to reconsider the redevelopment while taking the feedback of residents into consideration. 

“I apologize because I was defending the project because I was one of those people that was very excited about it,” Bierk said, noting that he had taken the time to temper his excitement following the March 21st meeting. 

“I do believe that given the scope of building a site for pickleball people that is going to support national tournaments, I think there's a better spot for this than Bonnerworth.”

Lachica told Arthur that she sees this motion and the transparency and accountability it would provide “our responsibility to constituents.”

She added that to date she is unaware of the results of any previous studies done in advance of the redevelopment and that they have yet to be brought forward to Councillors as part of the development process, but that she hopes that this motion will allow for that to transpire.