Good Neighbours Deserve Answers

Category: Council

  • GEs prior building demolitions

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    Background

    In September 2025, GE Vernova (formerly General Electric) submitted a Notice of Intent to the City of Peterborough to demolish 26 of 34 (or over three-quarters) of the buildings remaining at 107 Park Street North.

    In its discussions of GE’s Notice in October 2025 and February 2026, Council heard that CGE had previously demolished several buildings and had been approved to demolish its Smokestack, but had not carried through with the demolition. Members of Council and public delegators offered some details about these events, but their accounts raised many questions.

    On May 14, 2026, I submitted the following request for information to the City of Peterborough under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA):

    “I am requesting all records pertaining to General Electric’s demolition and/or intention to demolish any of its buildings in Peterborough between January 1, 2010 and the present, including but not restricted to completed all relevant memos, briefs, minutes of meetings, analyses, and correspondence among representatives of the corporation, the municipal government, and the provincial government.”

    When the City refused to respond to my request for these records within the statutory timeline, I appealed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, on July 13, 2026. On August 12, 2026, the IPC issued a Notice of Appeal to the City indicating that the IPC has decided to move my appeal through an expedited process.
    Facing CGE’s intended massive demolition, the public has a right to know how the City has managed the company’s previous demolitions. So far, the City has refused to share this information.

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    GE’s Own Account of Prior Demolitions

    The Heritage Impact Assessment Report, prepared by ERA Architects on CGE’s behalf in September 2025, outlines the company’s prior demolitions at this site:

    “Following the 1970s, operations at the Site began to slow incrementally. During the 1980s and 1990s, CGE underwent several rounds of downsizing, reflecting broader shifts in Canadian manufacturing processes. … This period was characterized by a reduction in operations and manufacturing output, and by the deconstruction of buildings rather than the construction of new facilities.

    “In the early 2000s, [CGE] initiated further downsizing and consolidation of operations. Redundant buildings were removed, including Buildings 9, 11 and 19. In the 2010s, the complex underwent a significant retrofitting effort aimed at enhancing its competitiveness in international manufacturing markets. This initiative led to the demolitions of Buildings 3, 4, 5, 7, 15, 17 and 24.

    “Some efforts were made to commemorate buildings that were demolished during this period. Notably, photographer Wayne Eardley conducted a photo-documentation project of the deconstruction, and the footprint of Building 4 was marked within the landscape to acknowledge its historical presence.”1ERA September 4, 2025, pp. 39-40.

    ERA’s Heritage Impact Assessment Report includes a map that dates more precisely the individual building demolitions (Figure 1a).2ERA, Heritage Impact Assessment Report, 2015, p. 40. Comparing ERA’s map with a CGE Tour Map from September 1979 (Figure 1b), we are able to date and identify CGE’s prior building demolitions (Table 1).

    Figure 1a. CGE’s demolished building with demolition dates (Source: ERA, Heritage Impact Assessment Report, 2025, p. 60).

     

    Figure 1b. GE Tour Map, September 13, 1979 (courtesy of Sue James, 2026).

     

    Table 1. GE’s Prior Building Demolitions (1988 – 2015).
    Early Demolitions (1988 – 2014)
    Date Building Function
    1988 – 1996 7A Salvage Yard Depot*
    9 General Purpose Motors (Fractional)
    9A Ditto
    11 Plant Medical Services
    1996 – 2002 2C Walkway. May have housed electrical grid to computer systems on the second floor of Building 2*
    2D Stairwell providing access to the second floor of Building 2 and to the basement and third floor of Building 30*
    19 Small Motors Office & Cafeteria
    2002 – 2005 17A Steel (or Copper) Storage*
    23 Plating
    2013 – 2015 24 South Part Formex (part)
    “Project Caribou” – 2014 – 2015
    Date Building Function
    2014 3 Human Resources*
    4 Capacitors
    5 Coil Impregnation
    7 Armature
    2015 15 Paint & Chemicals Storage*
    17 Non-metallic Machine Shop

    NOTE: The identification of most buildings’ functions is based on the GE Tour Map (September 13, 1979). An asterisk is used to denote identifications that are based on personal commmunications with Sue James (2026).
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    Building 5 was part of 7 where they had the Asphalt impregnation processes (See Pg. 25 -28 of the Advisory Report)
    Building 24S was the Formex department which was part of the Wire & Cable operations where they applied enamel coating to copper wire (See pg. 141 -142 of the Advisory Report)

    Early Demolitions (1988 – 2014)

    Besides ERA’s Heritage Impact Assessment Report, we have found little information about CGE’s demolition of buildings at 107 Park Street North, prior to 2014.

    On July 27, 2026, I submitted a second MFIPPA request to the City of Peterborough for all records pertaining to Canadian General Electric’s demolition of buildings between January 1988 and December 2014, including but not restricted to all relevant memos, briefs, minutes of meetings, analyses, and correspondence among representatives of the corporation, the municipal government, and the provincial government. I am awaiting the City’s response.

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    “Project Caribou” (2014 – 2015)

    “About 10 buildings, mostly standalones along the periphery of the one, massive industrial space, are being razed over the summer and replaced with green space and additional parking.” – Transformation of GE Canada plat, Peterborough Examiner, September 4, 2014.

    “In 2014 and 2015, the company demolished five of its older surplus buildings as part of Project Caribou, a demolition project intended to reduce energy costs and streamline workflow at the factory.” – Peterborough county council requests information about proposed demolition of contaminated GE buildings, Kawartha Now, October 17, 2025.

    ERA’s Heritage Impact Assessment Report is also a primary source of information about CGE’s next series of demolitions – demolitions that CGE branded “Project Caribou” and had memorialized by local photographer Wayne Eardley.

    As noted above, the City of Peterborough has refused a request for information about its approval and oversight of CGE’s demolitions during “Project Caribou” and beyond. A complaint about the City’s refusal is before the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

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    GE’s Abandoned Plan to Demolish Its Smokestack (2020)

    GE Vernova’s plan to demolish 26 of 34 buildings that remain at 107 Park Street North was brought before Council in 2025 strictly as a concern about potential loss of heritage, not a concern about potential risk to public health. In similar fashion, Council’s deliberations over CGE’s plan to demolish its Smokestack in 2020 seemed to be warranted strictly by Council’s responsibility and authority to safeguard the property’s heritage value.

    On August 27, 2018, the General Committee approved the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC)’s recommendation that 107 Park Street North (former Canadian General Electric plant) be added to list of properties on the City’s Heritage Register. On September 10, 2018, City Council approved General Committee Report No. 20, General Committee meeting of August 27, 2018.

    In September 2018, Council approved the recommendation of the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) that the CGE property at 107 Park Street North be added to the City’s Heritage Register (Table 2).3The property’s listing read “General Electric 107 Park Street N. The General Electric factory complex dates back to 1891 and is an integral part of Peterborough’s industrial heritage. Architecturally, the GE complex typifies late nineteenth and early-twentieth century factory design through its integration of late Victorian design features onto the exterior of its industrial spaces. The complex features work from a number of Ontario architects, including Walter Strickland, George Martel Miller, George Gouinlock, and John McIntosh Lyle.”

    Table 2. Peterborough Council’s Engagement with CGE’s Plan to Demolish Its Smokestack (2020).
    City’s Addition of CGE to the Its Heritage Register
    Body Date Documents Remarks
    Council September 10, 2018 Minutes Council approves the General Committee’s recommendation that the property of the former CGE plant be listed on the City’s Heritage Register.
    General Commitee August 27, 2018 Minutes

    CSACH18-004 Addition of Properties to the Heritage RegisterCSACH18-004 Appendix A List of Properties

    		 General Committee approves the PACAC’s recommendation that the property of the former CGE plant be listed on the City’s Heritage Register.
    Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) February 1, 2018 Minutes

    CSACH18-001 Addition of Properties to the Heritage Register

    CSACH18-001 Appendix A List of Properties

    		 PACAC recommends that the property of the former Canadian General Electric plant at 107 Park Street North be listed on the City’s Heritage Register.
    Council’s Approval of CGE’s Demolition of Its Smokestack
    Council February 18, 2020 Minutes

    Report 3 of the General Committee, February 3, 2020

    		 Council approved the General Committee’s recommendation that the smokestack on the former CGE property may be demolished.
    General Committee February 3, 2020 Minutes

    CSACH-20-001 Review of Demolition Proposal at 107 Park Street North

    		 General Committee approved the PACAC’s recommendation that the smokestack on the former CGE property may be demolished.
    Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) January 7, 2020 Minutes

    PACAC20-006 Addition of Properties to the Heritage Register for 2020

    PACAC-20-009 Application for Demolition – Portion of a Listed Property

    		 PACAC supported the staff recommendation from Heritage Resources that the smokestack on the former CGE property at 107 Park Street North may be demolished and that the rest of the CGE site remain a listed property on the City’s Heritage Registry.

    Pending the City’s release of information pertaining to GE’s plan to demolish its smokestack, we must rely on local newspaper reports and the proceedings of Council.

    We located three stories publiished by the Peterborough Examiner:

    In fact, Council held only one substantial public discussion of GE’s plan to demolish its smokestack – and showed little interest in safeguarding the health and welfare of nearby residents.

    Here is our transcript of the videorecording of the discussion at the Meeting of the General Committee on February 3, 2020:

    Chair – Councillor Beamer [1:48:57]: 8A Review of demolition proposal 107 Park Street North. Ms. Mayor.

    Mayor Therrien [1:49:02]: Just a quick question. Since it’s been topical lately, this site, and to allay any concerns in the community, once the demolition permit is issued, can you just speak to the process in which the demolition occurs, and how we ensure that any of the contaminants in the smokestack are dealt with? Can you just outline that, Mr. Hanson? I know it’s provincial, but if you could just elaborate a little bit on that, please.

    Erik Hanson, Heritage Resources Coordinator [1:49:31]: Actually, I’m not qualified to answer that. Those are questions that would be put to the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Labour. It’s not necessarily a Heritage issue.

    Mayor Therrien [1:49:47]: Ok, but just to be clear though, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Labour come in and deal with these types of sites, when there is a demolition occurring.

    Mr. Hanson [1:49:56]: Again, I think that might be a question for the Commissioner of Infrastructure.

    Chair Beamer [1:50:06]: Mrs. Fletcher?

    Cynthia Fletcher, Commissioner of Infrastructure and Planning Services [1:50:08]: When somebody comes in for a demolition permit, they have to demonstrate, the owner has to demonstrate, or the owner’s agent demonstrates, who’s going to be responsible for the actual work. They have to sign off and take responsibility for that work. It is our expectation, in issuing a demolition permit, that they would abide by all of the Ministry of Environment and all of the Ministry of Labour regulations and protocols. If there are issues, then we need to let our provincial regulatory bodies know. …

    Chair Beamer [1:50:53]: Councillor Akapo.

    Councillor Akapo [1:50:55]: Mr. Hanson, I read the report, and there’s nothing really in the report that speaks to why PACAC didn’t deem the stack to be heritage-worthy. So, I’m just wondering, if you could speak to how the conversation went, and how the decision came to us.

    Mr. Hanson [1:51:22]: I think the discussion revolved around the fact that the smokestack is a later addition to the complex. It’s not one of the earlier buildings that relates more to the first generation of activities at CGE that surrounds the buildings closer to Park Street. It’s an ancillary building. It’s an ancillary structure to the powerhouse. It isn’t fundamental to understanding the overall history of the site. I think, in that way, the Heritage Committee felt that its loss didn’t compromise our understanding of the overall history of CGE and its role in the development of the city.

    Councillor Akapo [1:51:13]: This is going a little bit off shoot here. Do you know how many smokestacks are left in the city approximately?

    Mr. Hanson [1:52:23]: No, I don’t, although I think this may be one of the last large ones that are part of an industrial complex.

    MOTION:
    That Council approve the recommendation outlined in Report CSACH20-001, dated February 3, 2020, of the Commissioner of Community Services, as follows:

    That, pursuant to the requirements of the Ontario Heritage Act as it pertains to properties listed on the City’s Heritage Register, the recommendation of the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) that the smokestack located at 107 Park Street N (former CGE plant) be approved for demolition.

    CARRIED.

    It’s stunning that Council so casually approved CGE’s plan to demolish its Smokestack in 2020 – with no serious consideration or debate about the demolition’s potential risk to public health and safety. Fortunately, CGE did not proceed with the demolition. I have heard a rumour that the Smokestack turned out to be too contaminated. I hope that the City’s response to requests for information, including for information about CGE’s plan to demolish its Smokestack, will shed light on the matter.

    Finally, Council has already approved GE Vernova’s application to have 26 buildings at 107 Park Street North removed from the City’s Heritage Register. When GE eventually applies to the City for a permit to demolish these 26 buildings, on what authority will the City take up the matter?

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    • 1
      ERA September 4, 2025, pp. 39-40. ↩︎
    • 2
      ERA, Heritage Impact Assessment Report, 2015, p. 40. ↩︎
    • 3
      The property’s listing read “General Electric 107 Park Street N. The General Electric factory complex dates back to 1891 and is an integral part of Peterborough’s industrial heritage. Architecturally, the GE complex typifies late nineteenth and early-twentieth century factory design through its integration of late Victorian design features onto the exterior of its industrial spaces. The complex features work from a number of Ontario architects, including Walter Strickland, George Martel Miller, George Gouinlock, and John McIntosh Lyle.” ↩︎

  • Slug Discharge Permit – Groundwater Recovery and Treatment System

    TO: Robert D. Fyke, Coordinator Environmental Programs, GE Canada, 107 Park St. North, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B5
    FROM: Patrick Devlin, Chief Environmental Officer, Environmental Protection Divsion, Utility Services Department, City of Peterborough
    RE: SLUG Discharge Permit – Groundwater Recovery and Treatment System
    DATE: May 12, 2004

    Dear Robert,

    In response to your request for a slug discharge permit, dated May 12, 2004. GE Canada (GE) is hereby authorized to discharge groundwater produced by the operation of a groundwater recovery and treatment system (GRTS), into the City of Peterborough’s Sanitary Sewer. The GRTS is part of a remediation program being undertaken by GE in the area of Park Street North and Albert Street, Peterborough, Ontario. The said groundwater discharge will result from the pumping activity from seven wells located along the southern property boundary of GE’ s manufacturing facility located at 107 Park Street North, Peterborough, Ontario. This permit is issued in conjunction with a Certificate of Approval for air emissions, a Permit to Take Water and Director’s authorization from the Ministry of Environment to carry out the above work.

    This permit is conditional on the following:

    1. All groundwater will be discharged to the City of Peterborough’ s Sanitary Sewer System at the designated location of the sanitary sewer discharge that extends from Building 14 (GRTS Monitoring Point) to the City sanitary main on Albert Street, located approximately 230 metres west of Park Street.
    2. Technical details on the operation of the GRTS system: The GRTS includes a chemical sequestering system, air stripper, two liquid phase granular activated carbon (GAC) units, bag filters, and equalization tanks and is capable of treating up to 190 Lpm (42 Igpm). |t is expected, however, due to estimated sustainable pumping rates associated with the extraction wells, that the GRTS will operate at a rate of approximately 113.5 Lpm (25 lgpm).
    3. The groundwater discharged to the Sanitary Sewer at the Monitoring Point must comply with the City of Peterborough’s by-law 1991-10 (By-Law), which governs, in part, all discharges to the Sanitary Sewers except that discharge of the specific parameters set out in Section 7 below shall be’ permitted subject to Section 7 and the not to exceed levels set out in Section 7.
    4. A copy of any Director’s Orders, Permits and/or Certificates of Approval relating to the GRTS from the. Ministry of the Environment must be sent to the City of Peterborough -Environmental Protection Division (COP-EPD) prior to the start of any discharges.
    5. The City of Peterborough reserves the right to enter the premises at any time deemed necessary for monitoring, sampling and inspection purposes.
    6. Sampling and analysis of the contaminants of concern in Section 7 must be conducted upon commencement of pumping at the GRTS MONITORING POINT, as well as quarterly sampling at Raw Influent and Final Discharge points at the Peterborough Wastewater Treatment Plant. Sampling at the MONITORING POINT will be conducted by GE at its cost in accordance with the schedule below. Sampling at the Wastewater Treatment Plant will be conducted by plant staff. Sampling and analysis for PCB’s will be conducted at the MONITORING POINT annually. All analysis, at all points will be paid for by GE. GE will forward all analytical results to the City of Peterborough upon receipt.
    Period Sampling Frequency
    Weeks 1 through 4 3 Times Weekly
    Weeks 5 through 12 2 Times Weekly
    After Week 12 Monthly
    1. The discharge from the MONITORING POINT shall not exceed the following limits:
    Contaminant of Concern Not to Exceed (µg/L)
    Trichloroethylene 400
    1,1-Dichloroethylene 2
    cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene 4,000
    Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene 2
    Vinyl chloride 2
    1. The groundwater extraction and treatment system will be immediately shut down should any contaminant concentration exceed the respective specified ’Not to Exceed! limit at the MONITORING POINT. The City of Peterborough will be notified within 24 hours following shut down. GE may restart the GRTS provided that GE has carried out any corrective actions required so that the GRTS, when restarted, meets the “Not to Exceed” limits at the MONITORING POINT.
    2. The City of Peterborough reserves the right to revoke this permit at any time deemed necessary immediately upon notice in writing if GE violates any provision set out in this permit or the discharge permitted hereunder will materially compromise the ability for the City of Peterborough to comply with its Certificate of Approval for the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
    3. This permit will be valid from the date of commencement of operation of the GRTS until December 31, 2004, and be automatically renewed on January -1, 2005, and annually thereafter, pending the outcome of an annual review. if no changes or amendments are required by February 1°’ of each year the permit will be renewed, at no further cost to GE. Until such time as the review is completed, GE shall be permitted to operate the GRTS under the authority of this permit.

    The associated flat fee for this permit is $1000.00 plus GST. The fee for treated groundwater discharge to sanitary sewer is $0.35 per cubic meter (as per City bylaw #91-11). GE will be invoiced quarterly based on meter readings conducted every quarter at the treatment system discharge point. GE will take the meter readings and forward them to the City of Peterborough.

    Should you have any further questions regarding this matter, please contact Kent Keeling at 741-4910 or 740-3697.

    Sincerely yours,
    CITY OF PETERBOROUGH

    Patrick Devlin HBSc. Chief Environmental Officer, Environmental Protection Division Utility Services Department

    cc: Gerry Rye Director, Utility Services, City of Peterborough; Dave Arnott, Ministry of Environment