The City of Peterborough is completing an update to its Official Plan Update, a legal document that sets the City’s vision and direction for its land use, growth and development to the year 2041. The City is expected to grow to a population of 115,000 people and 58,000 jobs – an increase of about 32,000 people and 10,000 jobs from 2016. Peterborough’s Official Plan Update was developed with input from the community and EC3 acted as the voice for the regional Arts, Culture, and Heritage community in this process and/or organized artists to be present at all public consultations. The City of Peterborough had not updated its Official Plan in more than 30 years. As part of our advocacy work, EC3 was able to involve a number of artists in focus groups and charrette exercises to develop the Update. We contributed to the Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee‘s Submission to the Official Plan Update. An additional brief was requested from EC3 about the issue of gentrification. The content and direction of the Update will have a profound impact on the environment for heritage preservation and for working artists and arts production and presentation.

• EC3 represented the arts on the Official Plan Update Advisory Committee.
• EC3 organized a small group consultation based on the CFGP Vital Conversations engagement model and hired a consultant to work with us on the development of an official brief/submission.
• We completed extensive research and the consultant prepared a background paper and will prepare and submit the brief. Our work on this project included building a resource package and connecting with ArtsPond and Ontario Trillium Foundation’s cultural information hub.
• EC3 monitored drafts of the OPUD and responded.
• Our focus was on how gentrification impacts the arts, particularly in the downtown, on proactive remedies and solutions to pressures on the arts community.
• EC3 completed an official brief that was endorsed by Arts, Culture & Heritage, Peterborough and submitted to Planning Dept., ACH Division, the Mayor’s Office and City Council and ACHAC and PACHAC.
• EC3 is following up to ensure our recommendations are given serious consideration so that there actually are concrete measures to enable the security and advancement of our sector from a planning perspective.

Check out the DRAFT Official Plan Update

Check out EC3's Response to the City of Peterborough's Official Plan Update

Check out EC3's Remedies to the Negative Effects of Gentrification on the Arts