Good Neighbours Deserve Answers

Category: Demolition

  • Good Neighbours Deserve Answers

    Reporter Joelle Kovach has just updated readers of The Peterborough Examiner on GE Vernova’s intention to demolish most of its remaining buildings at 107 Park Street North:

    “The site is known to be contaminated. In the 1990s, a rash of cancer diagnoses emerged among former GE workers who said they became sick from exposure to toxic chemicals in the factory. A study from 2014 found 3,000 toxic substances were used at GE over the years – 25 of which are cancer-causing. Neighbours have expressed concern to The Examiner about the potential for asbestos-laden dust to arise from demolition of the GE buildings. But GE Vernova has not released details on how they plan to conduct a safe demolition.” [see The Peterborough Examiner online, August 17, 2026].

    Peterborough Council held two pairs of contentious discussions of GE’s intentions in October 2025 and February 2026 (see Council Proceedings). If GE had hoped that Council would consider only the heritage impact of the demolition, the company must have been sorely disappointed. Members of the public who addressed Council unanimously condemned GE’s past disregard for worker and community health and safety and wanted the City to ensure GE’s transparency and accountability for any future demolition. All Councillors were sympathetic to the public’s concerns; a handful urged colleagues to take meaningful action to safeguard the community.

    Councillor Riel intimated that GE’s lawyers may have tried to quiet public criticism of its history and legacy and open skepticism about its commitment finally to do right by the residents of Peterborough:

    “I had a email exchange with [Ilmar Simanovskis, Commissioner, Municipal Operations] today, and we’ve received a preliminary report from city staff about the cleanup of the GE site of 107 Park Street. It seems to be lacking any clear detail about the cleanup, how the neighborhood will be protected during demolition, and what measure are being taken with cleanup of contaminant soil because of the thousands of chemicals used on this site. … We’ve already had an indication what this company is capable of. … We had neighborhood people come here and talk about their concerns [at the General Committee Meeting of October 6, 2025]. We had workers that came here, who told you about the exposure levels, and what their life has been, and the loved ones that they’ve lost. And what was the reaction from the Company? Where I spent 38 and a half years? You got a letter from their lawyer. That is just how this company reacts to bad publicity. They will protect their name to the nth degree. It doesn’t matter. I think we, as a Council, have a duty – a duty – to make sure that this company cleans up this site.” [see videorecording of the Council Meeting, October 14, 2025, starting around 1:43:10]

    Ms. Kovach’s reporting in The Peterborough Examiner suggests that GE is still trying to control the narrative.

    She quotes a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks as saying, “The ministry has not yet received a demolition plan or supporting documentation from GE Vernova Inc. or the City of Peterborough regarding the proposed demolition of the former GE facility in Peterborough.”

    Peterborough’s Mayor Leal told Ms. Kovach that he last heard from GE on June 30, 2026, at “a courtesy meeting to introduce to me their new government relations officer out of Washington, D.C. No substantive information was shared from either side. I asked when they planned to apply for a demolition permit. They said the work was underway to prepare a plan, but they could not give me any estimate. We’re all waiting in anticipation …”

    GE’s communication with local residents raised concerns from the beginning. A few days after sharing its intentions with Mayor Leal, GE distributed a letter that advised its nearest neighbours of the pending demolition. Apparently, GE had not shared the letter beforehand (or even afterwards) with the City and Mayor Leal had to ask one of these neighbours about what GE had told her about its intentions:

    Mayor Leal: Ms. McGahern, I have a question for you. Since GE never – and I repeat never – shared the contents of the letter that they sent to the neighbours, 4,500 – from the best of your recollection, could you tell me what they put in the letter? 

    Ms. McGahern: Yes, I could have brought it with me.

    Mayor Leal: I wish you had have.

    Ms. McGahern: It was very vague. It said, “Dear Neighbour: In late 2024, we hired an engineering firm to assess the condition of our buildings and they determined that they are in poor condition and with the health and safety in mind we have applied to the City of Peterborough to demolish certain buildings at 107 Park Street.” They framed it in a health and safety point of view even though there’s nobody working in those buildings. From there they  the talked about the beautification that would happen, that they had retained an architectural firm to design a beautification along the fenceline. They said for further information go to the website. First of all, there’s no return address on this letter. It is an envelop with no return address, no contact information on the letter. Go to the website, no more information, no information about when the demolition is occurring, very vague, and then just sort of nice stories about share your stories about working at GE. GE is a nameless, faceless corporation to me. I have no connection to them whatsoever. 

    Mayor Leal: Do you still have the letter? Do you still have the letter?

    Ms. McGahern: Yes.

    Mayor Leal: I wonder if you’d be so kind, because I’d like my office to have a copy of it, because I never saw the contents of the letter, and we’ll make sure it gets returned to you.”

    [see videorecording of the Council Meeting, October 14, 2025, starting around 53:03]

    In follow-up, Councillor Riel asked Ms. McGahern about another letter that GE had distributed to neighbours years ago:

    Councillor Riel: Ms. McGahern, did you receive a letter, this would be, you’ve been there since 2011, I wish when I was president of the union I had kept this letter. The letter was given to all of the neighbours, Patterson Street, Wolsely, Albert, Chamberlain, probably Douglas Avenue, not to grow any root vegetables in their garden. 

    Ms. McGahern: Absolutely not. 

    Councillor Riel: I wish that I would have kept that letter as the president of the union because it would be worth its weight in gold. That letter went out to all the neighbourhood, just like the letter that you got a couple of weeks ago, to not to grow root vegetables in any of their gardens. I’m just wondering if you can remember that? I certainly do and I wish I had it.

    Mayor Leal: Ms. McGahern, your memory of that?

    Ms. McGahern: No, I absolutely did not receive that letter. I would not forget something like that and I will be asking my neighbours for that letter.

    [see videorecording of the Council Meeting, October 14, 2025, starting around 55:13]

    GE’s “Peterborough Site Updates”

    GE shares whatever it chooses about its intentions with the general public through occasional posts to Peterborough Site Updates. Ms. Kovach’s reporting and Ms. McGahern’s remarks to Peterborough Council both referred to the website.

    GE’s messaging around its transparency is conveyed in an FAQ. For instance:

    When will demolition begin? How will impacts to the surrounding neighbourhood be mitigated?
    … Deconstructing older buildings is complex, and the work will be planned in a way that balances this with protecting the environment, workers, and surrounding community. This planning will take time. … GE Vernova remains committed to communicating with the community as the process unfolds.

    How has the community been able to participate in the process to date?
    The community provided input on several occasions through the City’s heritage designation process, including through deputations at City Council. … GE Vernova continues to encourage members of the community to share their favourite memories, photographs or stories, about the site.

    GE also uses the FAQ to message its accountability to the community:

    How does GE Vernova currently manage the site? What steps will be taken to minimize disruptions during demolition?
    GE Vernova is committed to taking a careful, responsible approach to this process. Deconstructing older buildings is complex, and the work will be planned in a way that balances this with protecting the environment, workers, and surrounding community. …

    Are any designated substances or hazardous materials involved in the roof repair work [on Building 30]?
    GE Vernova is committed to carrying out all work safely, responsibly, and in full compliance with all applicable requirements. The appropriate remediation plans are in place to ensure any hazardous materials are safely removed and disposed of, and a third-party consultant will oversee the work to ensure safe work practices are being followed.

    Notice that GE ducks the question about “designated substances or hazardous materials” altogether.

    Which brings us to the theme of our public forum on October 18:

    GOOD NEIGHBOURS DESERVE ANWERS!

     

     

  • 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.” ↩︎