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Peterborough Profile

Peterborough offers quality of life in an affordable, safe and welcoming city. It is a great place to live, work, and raise children. With first-rate educational institutions, and the ideal city and country living mix, the city has been included in several national top 10 lists.

A Thriving Arts, Culture & Heritage Community

Peterborough has a thriving arts community that reflects the diverse cultural history of its residents. The city has a national reputation in the creative arts. This is evident in its many artists, actors, musicians and writers, and the numerous performance venues. There are many seasonal events each year, including the Peterborough Musicfest, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Peterborough Folk Festival, and many others. For information on free cultural, recreational and entertainment activities in Peterborough, please visit the City of Peterborough’s website.

Some of Peterborough’s cultural attractions and landmarks include:

For further information please visit the Arts and Culture section of this website.

Downtown Peterborough

Downtown Peterborough is the place to go for shopping, food, and to experience the cultural life of the city. The area offers a wide variety of cafes and restaurants offering local and international foods. Entertainment venues, galleries, specialty food, live music, and clothing stores fill the downtown area. The Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market, which sells locally grown foods, takes place every Wednesday and Saturday from May to October.

An Innovative and Growing Business Community

If you are looking for a community in which to invest and grow a business, the City of Peterborough has much to offer:

  • One of Canada’s leading advanced manufacturing communities for more than 100 years
  • An expanding aerospace and aviation sector
  • A growing research and development sector
  • Industrial, commercial, and vacation locations in the Greater Peterborough Area

The Peterborough Lift Lock, the Trent Canal, the Innovation Cluster and the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre are some examples of revolutionary technological work based in Peterborough.

For more information about investing or starting a business in Peterborough, please see the Doing Business section of this website.

Recreational Opportunities

With multiple athletic facilities, arenasbeaches, wading pools and a free zoo, Peterborough residents have many opportunities to participate in sporting and recreational activities throughout the entire year. The city’s natural setting also provides a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities, ranging from skating on the Trent Canal to walking, cycling or just enjoying over 100 parks, trails, and other recreation areas. For more information about Recreational opportunities in Peterborough, click here. For information on free recreational activities in Peterborough, please visit the City of Peterborough website.

A Safe Community

Peterborough is a safe community. The Peterborough Police Service promotes all citizens' safety and property protection. The Police service aims to provide the highest standard of professionalism in partnership with our community. To that end, racism involving marginalized community groups is not tolerated. Peterborough Police officers are trained to investigate incidents and crimes and work with our citizens to make this a community where we can all work and play in harmony with each other. 

What is there to see and do near Peterborough?

The area immediately surrounding Peterborough is known as the Kawarthas. The region is full of lakes and rivers that are tied together by the Trent-Severn Waterway. The waterway stretches from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay and is travelled in summer by yachts, powerboats, and houseboats.

There are also many exciting places to visit on a day trip. At Lang Pioneer Village, you can experience life in the Kawarthas in the 19th century. Just a short drive from Peterborough you will find the Whetung Ojibwa Centre, this centre includes an art gallery that is open year round. The Curve Lake First Nation holds the Curve Lake Pow Wow in the fall every year. At Petroglyphs Provincial Park there are over 900 rock carvings dating back hundreds of years.

For a full list of all the sights and activities in the area, visit Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism.

Neighbouring Communities

The County of Peterborough is comprised of 8 Townships.

Ontario’s Major Cities

Take a day, or a weekend, and visit Canada’s largest city. Toronto, with its internationally recognized museums, galleries, theatres and restaurants, is only a 90-minute drive from Peterborough.

Spend time exploring the different ethnic neighbourhoods, visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, climb the CN Tower, or go to one of the many theatres in the Entertainment District.

Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, is a three-hour drive east of Peterborough. Ottawa hosts many festivals and special events, including the largest Canada Day celebration in the country.