Inaugural Peterborough council meeting had its hits and misses

First address by Mayor Diane Therrien fell short

The City of Peterborough held its council inauguration ceremony Nov. 26, at which the successful candidates in the October 22 municipal election took their oath of office – often referred to as a “swearing in” – to become city councillors. The origin of the public inauguration has to do with rituals of Roman priests attempting to determine if it was the will of the gods that they be deemed worthy of their office. In the modern era, the inauguration has come to serve as a stage for the first substantive speech of a newly elected leader.

Last week’s inauguration was a populist affair that departed substantially from civic traditions. It was held in the evening at the Peterborough public library rather than in the afternoon at the city hall council chamber, effectively substituting community-based informality for institutional formality. It was open to the public rather than by invitation, giving it a decidedly more egalitarian feel. Although some seating was reserved for invitees of the councillors, the availability of general public seating signalled a welcome accessibility. All of these changes were positive and reminiscent of the ground breaking decision by Ontario Premier David Peterson to hold his inauguration on the front lawn of the Legislature building in 1985.

Significantly, the room was packed and the mood of the attendees was noticeably buoyant. The quiet demeanor and genteel applause typical of inaugural meetings was replaced by a boisterous enthusiasm that was especially directed at new councillors Kim Zippel, Kemi Akapo and Stephen Wright. Mayor Diane Therrien received a generous standing ovation at the end of the evening.

As has been previously written in this space, a shift in the mood of the electorate toward a younger and more left of centre leadership had been gaining strength in Peterborough since the last municipal election in 2014. On this night, that mood found its full populist expression in a genuine and undeniable spirit of political renewal and optimism.

On the other hand, some of the traditional symbols of inauguration were set aside. There were no presentations by the local MP or the MPP. The Warden was in attendance but not recognized. There was no involvement of religious leaders offering spiritual inspiration. Their replacement by a First Nations chief is a sure indication of a secular preference and that the opening of city council meetings will now have a routine statement of Nogojiwanong land acknowledgement.

It would have been preferable to have presented the chain of office, the official insignia of the Office of the Mayor, instead of deferring its introduction until this week’s council meeting. The chain, presented to the city in 1951, has been associated with inaugural events for decades.

The fly in the ointment was a skimpy address by Mayor Diane Therrien that could have substantively risen to the occasion. The inaugural speech represents a once-a-term stage for the presentation of big picture directions and values for the years ahead. Therrien spoke for only six minutes. She spoke about community engagement but offered no thanks for the contributions of the 16 candidates who were not elected, nor to their hundreds of volunteers and donors. She recognized two former mayors in attendance, but did not thank Mayor Daryl Bennett for his campaign or his service to the city. She made reference to the emerging official plan but was silent on her preferences on all hot-button issues, a matter that had been the subject of much anticipation by councillors. It was an opportunity for leadership that was missed. A more substantive and generous speech would have made a good event even better.