Grassroots group Food Not Bombs Peterborough can continue to serve food for those in need at Confederation Square in Peterborough, Ont., following a bylaw amendement approved by city council on Monday.
For nearly 19 years, the volunteer group has been providing free meals to those in need, first serving in the lobby of City Hall in 2005 until moving across the street to Confederation Square in 2011. Each Monday meals are served, consisting of food donated by farms, grocers and other community organizations.
But over the past few weeks, security hired by the city twice issued a no trespass for failing to have a permit. The city said the group was contravening a 2019 Parks and Facilities bylaw that bans tenting and offering food in public parks. That bylaw was first introduced to help address homelessness concerns at city parks.
Food Not Bombs Peterborough has argued it has never required a permit since it considers its work a “protest to war, poverty, and destruction of the environment.”
“Our sharing of food is an act of protest against unjust civic priorities and as we have been assured by the city, protests in Peterborough do not require permits,” volunteer Ben Rempel said to city council.
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However, during city council’s meeting on Monday, council approved an amendment to the bylaw that would allow Food Not Bombs to bypass the permit requirement. The amendment allows city staff to grant and revoke exemptions for specific activities in Confederation Square.
There was also a change from administering tickets to issuing fines for anyone in contravention of the bylaw. Fines are $500 for the remainder of the first day on which a contravention occurs. They rise to $750 for each subsequent day that the bylaw is broken for activity conducted without a required permit or an exemption.
Food Not Bombs says that change is creating new concerns.
“You can’t have parts of the bylaw quashed in court with an administrative penalty, where as you can with a provincial offences order,” according to longtime volunteer Myles Connor.
During the discussion on the bylaw amendment, council voted down a motion to defer the matter for further consideration. Among those voting in favour was Mayor Jeff Leal.
“So we could get some additional information in terms of how we’re going to define the activity in the section of Confederation Park,” Leal told Global News.
While the mayor hoped for more time on the issue, he’s confident council made the right decision.
“This is a more of a local approach to try to get matters resolved,” Leal said.
Connor says Food Not Bombs is grateful for the city’s work and public support since the issue began.
“We’re a demonstration organization and the actions that we’re doing and the stink that we’re making about the particulars of language isn’t necessarily for us, but it’s for everybody that follows us,” he said.
Food Not Bombs will resume its work on Monday — and without, Connor says, any worry of a trespass notice.
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