Rising costs and red tape for local events

You’re reading the July 23, 2026 edition of the Peterborough Currents email newsletter. To receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox, sign up here.

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Hi, I’m Currents co-editor Alex Karn. Welcome to your weekly Peterborough Currents email newsletter! 

This week we’re sharing a story about the struggles of local event organizers as costs and requirements continue to rise. You can read the full version on our website. Also this week, our election survey, news updates from across the city, event listings, and a new mystery photo. 

Let’s get started!

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Rising costs and red tape for local events

by Alex Karn

Bankers Commons courtyard became a bustling hub for locals on the second Saturday of July, as neighbours browsed racks of vintage clothing, flipped through old records, and pushed strollers between tables of handmade art and jewelry.

Singer-songwriter Sarah van den Berg performed folk covers and original songs while Black Cat Tattoo artists offered flash designs, and I Love You, Mean It staff poured icy raspberry lemonade.

The July 11 market, organized by The Neighbourhood Vintage, coincided with a Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area sidewalk sale that closed a portion of George Street to vehicle traffic. Together, the events offered a glimpse of how the downtown can look when organizers, businesses, and municipal services work together.

Behind that excitement, however, local organizers say complicated applications, rising insurance premiums and policing, and road-closure costs can make bringing an event into a public space feel daunting.

Local dance music organization Otonabeats founder Ryan McLean Purdon has largely avoided independently organizing events on municipal property, opting instead to work with established partners or seek out private venues.

“With any sort of event on city property, there’s so much red tape… the more work, time, effort, and energy you have to put in to even just make the thing happen, that stops people from doing anything at all,” he said.

Peterborough’s special events application requires organizers to submit proof of insurance and detailed site plans. Depending on the event, they may also need parking and safety plans, participant waivers, building permits, vendor insurance, and approvals related to food, alcohol, and fire safety.

Events on city property typically require $5 million in liability coverage. Tim Burke, who has organized the Peterborough St. Patrick’s Day Parade for more than two decades, said the parade’s insurance premium increased more than 400 percent following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local businesses ultimately helped cover the unexpected shortfall.

“I love Peterborough, man. We take care of each other,” Burke said.

Runner’s Life owner Dave Dame has organized local races and triathlons for 23 years. He said communication with municipal decision-makers has become more difficult since the pandemic, particularly when organizers are trying to resolve time-sensitive permit problems.

“You literally can’t go into City Hall and talk to anyone,” Dame said. “There’s locked doors, there’s plexiglass. If you call the city, they are not open for business. You’ll get a voicemail… and they’ll never call you back.”

Peterborough Currents requested information from the City of Peterborough about staffing levels, communication with organizers and changes to special-event requirements. The city did not provide a response before publication.

Despite their different experiences, organizers offered similar advice for bringing new events to the city: begin planning months in advance, secure insurance early and find experienced partners who can help carry the workload.

Read the full story on the Peterborough Currents website to learn how Peterborough Pride and EC3’s Artsweek events have adapted to rising insurance and security costs, why some events have moved onto private property, and how last-minute permitting complications have affected local festivals, performances, and road races.

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What election issues matter to you?

Peterborough Currents is currently hard at work behind the scenes planning our coverage of the upcoming municipal election, and we want to hear from our readers about the issues that matter most to you in Peterborough.

What topics will shape our city in the next four years and beyond?
What urgently must be addressed by the candidates?
What is missing from the conversation and the local coverage?

Fill out our short, anonymous, two-question survey, and help us to shape the future of this city.

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News in brief

by Gabe Pollock

Here’s a catch-up on what’s been going on in Peterborough and the surrounding region, with the support of our partners in local media:

• Another blow to Peterborough’s manufacturing sector, as Woodward Inc. announced that it’s closing its Peterborough plant and moving operations to Poland. The company, which manufactures parts for the aerospace and defense industries, just acquired the local plant last year, and recently participated in the launch of the Peterborough Aerospace and Defence Cluster. 165 employees will be affected by the closure.
  
• The City of Peterborough was granted $1.65 million in provincial funding for exceeding its provincially designated housing targets in 2025, breaking ground on 545 new homes last year. This is after the city joined a province-wide pledge to build 1.5 million homes across Ontario in 2023. While Peterborough is meeting its targets, data from the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation suggests that across the province, new housing starts have actually been going down since the pledge started.
  
• The Government of Ontario has activated a program to provide recovery funding for residents affected by spring flooding earlier this year. Residents, small businesses, farms, and not-for-profit organizations located in affected areas, including Ramara and the City of Kawartha Lakes, can apply to cover costs related to clean-up, repairs and replacements, and basic emergency expenses. 
  
• The debate over generative AI in art has hit Peterborough, with a lively debate on social media about the use of AI to generate posters for music events. Some argue that using AI is a way to save money for already-struggling musicians, but others say the posters are soulless and against the principles of human artistic expression. To counter the cost argument, musician and graphic artist Ell Parker is offering to design local event posters for as little as $20. “I wanted to do it because then we can start injecting a little more soul,” said Parker.
  
• Have your say: Peterborough is seeking feedback on its Economic Development Strategic Plan. The plan will set the city’s economic growth and investment priorities over the next five years, intended to support businesses and entrepreneurs, and attract investment to the city. Residents are encouraged to fill out the community survey, which will be open until July 27.

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What’s on this weekend?

Looking for a way to spend your Saturday? Peterborough Currents has got you covered. Here are a few local events taking place close to home on July 25:

• Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts will celebrate its 10th anniversary with Circus in the Park on Saturday, July 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Millennium Park. The free, family-friendly event will feature pop-up circus performances, roaming characters, interactive circus workshops, a play zone, music, bubbles, and costume activities. Donations in support of the local non-profit circus school are welcome. 
  
• The Peterborough Public Library will host Drag Queen Story Time with Betty Baker on Saturday, July 25 from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. The free drop-in program is designed for children ages three to eight and will feature stories celebrating diversity, inclusion, and respect. Siblings are welcome to attend.
  
• Lakefield Animal Welfare Society will host a kitten adoption event on Saturday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to meet 15 to 20 kittens, along with adoptable adult cats, that are looking for permanent homes. Adoptions are first come, first served, and visitors planning to adopt are encouraged to bring a pet carrier. Staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions and guide prospective adopters through the process.
  
• Kawartha Downs will host Christmas in July alongside live harness racing on Saturday, July 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy in support of the Peterborough Toy Drive. The evening will also include live music, local vendors, family activities, an “Owner for the Night” draw, and an all-you-can-eat prime rib buffet by reservation.

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Where in Peterborough…

This week’s mystery photo location is one of my favourite places in the city to slow down and find calm in Peterborough’s natural beauty. Can you guess where the photo was captured? Let us know at news@peterboroughcurrents.ca

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