About us
Peterborough Currents is an independent journalism outlet that delivers in-depth and community-centred local news to the people of Peterborough, Ontario.
We are wholly owned by the Peterborough Association for Local News (PALN), a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. PALN’s mission is to produce and publish journalism that fosters civic literacy, community engagement and a sense of belonging in Peterborough, Ontario.
As a non-profit, we put the community’s interest first in every decision we make. For example, we keep our content paywall-free so that everyone can read it. That’s made possible by the generous support of more than 350 community members who make donations on an ongoing basis. (Join them here.)
Office
The Peterborough Currents office is located at Sadleir House, 751 George St N, Peterborough ON, K9H 3T2
Our story
Beginnings (2017 – 2019)
It all started in 2017, when two local journalists became friends and discovered they shared a passion for audio journalism. Together, Ayesha Lye and Will Pearson founded Peterborough Currents as a volunteer-run podcast and produced a series of local documentaries, interviews and news stories focusing on the arts, culture and politics of Peterborough. It was a passion project with no funding — but that didn’t stop the original Currents team from earning a spot among the finalists of the “Best Podcast” award at the national Digital Publishing Awards in 2018.
A social enterprise (2020 – 2025)
In March 2020, Lye and Pearson relaunched Currents as a social enterprise and refocused their efforts on producing a news website and email newsletter rather than a podcast. As COVID-19 reshaped life in Peterborough, the local community took a liking to Currents’ new format. A successful crowdfunding campaign in the summer of 2020 allowed Currents to become a permanent fixture in Peterborough’s news ecosystem.
Then our business grew. By 2025, more than 8,000 community members subscribed to our email newsletter and over 400 readers made regular donations to keep our newsroom funded. Peterborough Currents had become a vital and beloved source of information and connection for thousands of Peterborough residents.
A volunteer-goverend non-profit (2025 – ???)
Our community’s remarkable support for our work led to a realization. We decided that a privately owned business (even a social enterprise) was no longer the appropriate organizational structure for a news outlet that citizens had come to value so deeply. So, Ayesha and Will agreed to donate Peterborough Currents’ assets to a non-profit organization that could steward this community resource going forward.
The Peterborough Association for Local News (PALN) was founded as a non-profit organization in February 2025 expressly for the purpose of receiving the publication Peterborough Currents and continuing its legacy. In summer 2025, the transfer of assets was completed.
Now, PALN is ready to begin a new chapter in the story of Peterborough Currents. While we anticipate some growing pains as we chart this new course, we believe the transition will make Currents more resilient and give the community a greater sense of ownership over our work.
Please join us for this exciting journey!
Land acknowledgement
Peterborough Currents is grateful for the opportunity to work on the traditional and treaty territories of the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg.