What has happened to Peterborough’s City Council over the past 4 years?  What narrative could explain how we went from the top-down approach of the Bennett years to the optimism of a new, “progressive” council in 2018 to the apparent dissolution of the current season?   Of course, there are many narratives that could take us from then to now.  This had to be a collective effort as the truth wears many masks to this dance.  What role did the pandemic play in this council’s effectiveness? What has been the role of social media and online communication in this council’s relationship with its citizens? What have we learned about the role of women in local politics and the pressures to which they are subjected?  Do we have a distorted view of how much power the City Council wields?  What is the balance of power between the council, the mayor and senior city staff?  Who’s really in charge here and who should be in charge?

Joining this online discussion are a few members of our regular politics panel plus a few guests: property manager & businesswoman JENNY LANCIAULT, Curve Lake First Nation Councilor and Ontario NDP Indigenous Peoples Committee Chair SEAN CONWAY, co-editor of Transition Town’s Greenzine and Peterborough Bridges volunteer, CHERYL LYON, artist and arts advocate ANNIE JAEGER, and LGBTQI+ activist, community manager and Director Development for Rainbow Railroad… DANE BLAND. This episode is about 62 minutes in length; it was recorded online on November 19, 2021.

The musical interludes on this episode were sourced from the Creative Commons. In order of appearance…Artist: LukHash – Music: “The Other Side” Artist: Remy Bourgeois – Music: “Aube”