Re-Elect Lesley Parnell

As your City Councillor, with knowledge, experience, professional and respectful working relationships with staff, stakeholders and our community, I understand my jurisdiction. I work well and respectfully with my council partners to achieve the many accomplishments for the City and Otonabee Ward. That is just the first step – the foundation. Then you need patience, a bit of gentle tenacity and budget approval. 

Here are some achievements made, with my council partners. These achievements are made through strong collaboration amongst the city councillors with a focus on community growth, and fiscal responsibility. 

City Council Achievements

• FREE Youth Transit – all students aged 13 – 18 will join children 0-12 with having access to free transit passes and the education to navigate maps and the public transit system. This represents a valuable life skill and a fantastic financial savings opportunity for students and their families. This is also a plus for our transit numbers, transit union and gas tax revenues.

• We made significant changes in the planning department to cut red tape to get local builders (and employers) to a building permit faster. We need more housing of all types.

• We are one of the first cities to adopt the Community Planning Permit system. This combines three planning processes into one. Zoning by-law, Committee of Adjustment and site plan are now one application. AND we will be receiving a prestigious award for Community Consultation.

• We exceeded our housing targets and were successful in earning those millions of provincial grant dollars.

• We cut our development charges in half and anticipate being awarded millions in reimbursement money to help spur on building and cutting the cost of these homes to the buyer.

• $10.7 Million for Housing Secured $10.7 million over three years through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, strengthening Peterborough’s ability to accelerate housing supply and address housing needs.

• 53 New Affordable Housing Units Completed and occupied 53 affordable housing units at 681 Monaghan Road, adding much- needed affordable housing to the community.

• Continuous support of new housing initiatives across the spectrum and many changes to our planning protocols to eliminate the red tape and get to the “building permit” stage faster. Through our continued efforts, Hilliard Street and Alexander Court Housing projects are in the cue. We continually advocate to upper levels of government for housing funding dollars and have had success in many ways with more to come.

• We are conducting a full Efficiency and Effectiveness review of all municipal services. How can we deliver mandatory services to you in a more cost-effective way? No doubt the recommendations will face challenges. However, this is a base review for the next council to consider.

• Peterborough’s First Net-Zero Fire Station Completed and opened Fire Station #2 on Marina Boulevard—the City’s first Net Zero facility, combining essential emergency-service infrastructure with environmental leadership challenges.

  Significant progress on our urban forestry goals, including Trees 4 Peterborough which is mostly privately funded and has resulted in 3600 new trees planted in the Peterborough community.

• Miskin Law Community Complex Delivered Completed the Miskin Law Community Complex, including a twin-pad arena, indoor walking track and new library branch, while securing $2 million in sponsorship support. Did you know your FREE library card gives you FREE access to the Press Reader subscription to over 10,000 magazines and newspapers?

• Lesley has volunteered to support (rules based) Brock Mission, Cameron House and the Youth Emergency Shelter. Plus fundraised for CrossRoads.

• Outdoor Sports and Recreation Master Plan

• With the completion this year of the Premier Level A diamond at Morrow, the multi-use Knights of Columbus Park and West end sports park - 6 of the top 10 identified community priorities have been achieved. Throw in some new splash pads, upgraded baseball diamonds and many neighbourhood parks redevelopments - we are on our way to Community Well-Being.

• The Organic Program has been very successful, thanks to you.

• Free large item pick up days have helped discourage dumping and ensured proper disposal of various waste streams.

• Many roads have been upgraded through various programs.

• Lesley championed having an extended season and hours at our splash pads.

• We continue to pursue major important projects to increase our tax base. These projects, if we can accomplish them, will benefit all taxpayers.

• New & Renewed Parks Across Peterborough Invested in community recreation with new parks, splash pads and park rejuvenations, including Hamilton Park, Valleymore Park, Heritage Park, Earlwood Park, Broadway Park, Knights of Columbus Park, Denne Park and Dominion Park. Plus new tennis courts at KENNER. Planning is underway for Whitefield Park and Keith Wightman Park.

• The major new regional sports park redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park, featuring an expanded skateboard park, bike pump track, 14 pickleball courts, green space, and shade structure. I am proud to say I am the councillor who achieved the $200,000 donation for the shade shelter. Thankyou Hydro One for sponsoring this very well used community space, the busiest, happy family park in the city. In conjunction with the Knights of Columbus Park (splash pad, tennis courts, playground, brand new Legacy Bowl, dog run area, public washrooms and more).

• In addition, as per the unanimously Master Plan, we upgraded 3 baseball diamonds: Stacey Green, Barnardo and Rube Brady. Westclox will expand this fall. Our “level A” Baseball diamond at Morrow will open this fall (natural turf batting cages, dug outs, LED lighting, media space, bleachers, etc).

• Making City Services Easier to Access Created Service Peterborough, a new customer service centre designed to make it easier for residents to access and navigate City services.

• Cleaning up a Legacy Industrial Site through advanced environmental remediation at the former Outboard Site.

• Major Road Reconstruction Program Advanced major reconstruction projects on Armour Road, Lansdowne Street West, Parkhill Road and Brealey Drive, improving transportation

  infrastructure and long-term asset condition. The turning lane and traffic lights at Lansdowne Street west by Westview Village/Home Hardware has STARTED! I don’t give up.

• Safer & More Connected Transportation Network Completed major transportation improvements including the Hunter Street Rotary Trail signalized crossing, George/Hilliard intersection and trail crossing, and upgrades to 100 transit stop locations. In fact, the Canadian Urban Transit Association recognized Peterborough Transit as the top transit system per ridership under 100,000 population for 2025. We recorded over 3.7 million rides that year.

• Four new signalized crosswalks in Otonabee Ward - Kenner, McKellar, Erskine and Spillsbury. Additional Community Safety Measures at Roger Neilson are underway

• Protecting Roads Through Pavement Preservation Delivered extensive pavement preservation and micro-surfacing throughout the City, protecting existing infrastructure and extending the useful life of the road network.

• Modernizing Municipal Enforcement Created the Municipal Law Enforcement Services (MLES) Division in 2023, bringing previously separate enforcement functions together into a

  centralized enforcement group.

• Better Homes Peterborough Launched the Better Homes Peterborough program, helping homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and supporting the City’s broader

  environmental objectives.

• Digital Transformation of Customer Service Implemented a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and a new water billing portal, modernizing how residents and businesses interact with the City.

• Bringing Water Services In-House Transitioned water services from a separate company to an in-house delivery model, strengthening direct municipal service delivery. Plus provided more transparency and equity in water services and billing.

• New Physicians & 24,000 Patient Attachments Improved the community’s physician recruitment approach, contributing to the recruitment of 24 new physicians and 24,000 patient attachments.

• Strengthening Accessibility Implemented the City’s 2024 – 2028 Accessibility Plan, reinforcing the City’s commitment to an accessible and inclusive community.

• Emergency Preparedness & Community Resilience Successfully responded to the March 2025 ice storm and supported Peterborough as a host community during the 2025 Sandy Lake First Nations evacuations.

• Building Peterborough’s Economic & Tourism Capacity brought economic development and tourism services in-house, opened a new visitor centre at the former Lift Lock visitor centre and established the Peterborough Tourism Municipal Services Corporation.

• Supporting Vibrant Peterborough Expanded major community events and tourism initiatives including the Lock & Paddle Event, TELUS Cup and OHL Top Prospects Game, while expanding the Riverview Park and Zoo’s Outdoor Meerkat Exhibit, now the largest of its kind in Canada.

• Strategic Municipal Property Investments Acquired the former Canadian Canoe Museum property for a future transit garage, sold the Ashburnham Drive property to support the Museum’s new facility, and purchased 1421 Lansdowne Street West for a second Peterborough Police Service facility with future development potential.

• With three flight schools and being a major employment and economic region, we have applied for a Control Tower at our Regional Airport.