Tensions and emotions ran high during the Douro Dummer June 16 regular meeting where council received a delegation presenting a petition opposing the rezoning of a property on the Sixth Line South Dummer. However, no application has been brought before council to rezone the property in question.
Nancy Proctor presented the petition which she said had over 160 signatures from local residents all opposing the rezoning of 600 Sixth Line South Dummer for the purpose of a treatment facility for outpatient, private or for-profit transitional housing, weekend retreat/rehabilitation, or any other use not permitted in current zoning of “RU”.
While there has been no formal applications started for this type of rezoning, Proctor told council that in April the owner of 600 Sixth Line, who Proctor named as Peggy Shaughnessy, approached Proctor and her husband to inform them that she was planning on using the property as a weekend retreat for people who’ve had a hard week. Proctor went on to tell council that Shaughnessy operates Redpath Wellness Center in Peterborough, which provides structural programs related to trauma, addiction, and mental health.
Outside of a private visit from Shaughnessy, there is no publically available information about the potential retreat site at this location because there has been no formal process started to re-designate the lands to allow such a use at that location.
Proctor was able to go through a Freedom of Information (FOI) process to obtain emails that were exchanged between Shaughnessy, Mayor Heather Watson, Douro Dummer CAO Todd Davis, and Peterborough County CAO Sheridan Graham.
The email chain follows correspondence between Graham and Shaughnessy making an introduction to Watson and Davis that took place in early December of 2025.
In the first email chain, Graham clearly stated that Shaughnessy’s property is zoned for a pit across the road and that she would need to go through an Official Plan Amendment and rezoning process. The email stated that the surrounding land users may hamper Shaughnessy’s ability to rezone the property as she’s adding a “sensitive” lands use.
The email then went on to say that before Shaughnessy does anything, she should meet with the Douro Dummer Township for pre-consultation to understand the issues.
The emails then follow scheduling correspondence between Shaughnessy, Davis and Watson to meet at the Township office to discuss the lands located at 600 Sixth Line that was purchased through Power of Sale and finalized on December 18, 2025.
Then, in early January 2025, Graham sent an email asking how things were progressing to which Shaughnessy replayed that both Davis and Heather were amazing and she plans to continue working with them as things move forward.
There were no details or information about the intended use of the property within the FOI email chain. There were also no details released from the private meeting the mayor and CAO had with the private resident about their property.
During her delegation, Proctor stated “I’m not aware of any rezoning application being submitted. I’m not aware of any Official Plan Amendment being filed. I’m also unaware of any public consultation process having begun… On May 6th, Mayor Watson called me and we discussed my concerns with the owners intended use for the property. Mayor Watson indicated that she had met with Peggy Shaughnessy and at no time did she indicate her intentions for the use of the property. This makes proper Municipal review and transparency even more important.”
She then told council that she, along with those who signed her petition, were concerned about ensuring any use of the property complies fully with existing zoning and bylaws, that the proper planning processes are followed, and then asked council to confirm that no non-permitted use will proceed without proper planning approval and that any application will include full public notice. She went on to request council commit to ensuring any use complies fully with zoning and bylaws and ensure proactive enforcement if it doesn’t, as well as transparency regarding any past and future discussions related to this property.
After the delegation, councilors had the opportunity to speak to what was presented.
Deputy Mayor Harold Nelson was the first to speak saying that they, as members of council, have a duty to meet with resident and property owners within the township regardless of the reason. What is discussed in those meetings is not anyone else’s business, Nelson said.
“I do want you to understand that I fully respect property owner’s rights and property owner’s questions. They, they have a right, everybody in this room, has a right to come to this council or come to staff and ask questions about how they proceed with whatever the plan is that they might want to do.”
It was at this point that tensions rose in the room and the gallery started to make rude and vulgar comments at both Nelson and Watson.
Nelson asked Proctor, “My question is, why do you feel that we have wronged you when we are just doing our jobs? We’re doing our jobs, protecting the privacy and the issues of people. I don’t understand what you want from us as council.”
Watson then reminded the gallery after another outburst that they were there to deal with people who had registered to speak and those that were on the agenda, not those in the gallery who were making angry outbursts.
Proctor responded to Nelson stating, “This isn’t about a private meeting. This is about the CAO, the mayor having clandestine meetings, knowing full well that the person they’re meeting with will never meet zoning and bylaw amendments for this property…Peggy Shaughnessy is getting special treatment, in my opinion, from our Council. Okay, at no time did our council, our mayor, our CAO, who were the ones present, deter Peggy Shaughnessy from her plan... I’m not asking [about] every person that goes to meet with Heather Watson and Todd Davis, but I do expect them as I’m a resident that they would be honest with me and not lie, and you both lied.”
Watson said that she did not deny meeting with Shaughnessy, however the contents of that meeting aren’t for the public purview for privacy of the individuals involved. Not because there’s anything clandestine going on.
Watson said, voice rising, that she argues there was anything clandestine going on as the meeting happened in broad daylight at the township office, not in some back alley somewhere.
“This is my job. Meeting with people who are interested, regardless of what their intentions are to hear them out without judgement. It is a job that I take seriously…How would you feel if I decided not to meet with some people just because some of their plans might be controversial. Quite frankly, I think we all grow because of controversy. It tests our values, it tests who we are as a community and there are, like I say, absolutely no secret deals in place, only a secret plan by some people who are falsely sowing discontent in this community for their own political gain.”
This statement by Watson caused both Proctor and those in the gallery to speak out of turn in an uproar of disgruntled comments.
Over the uproar Watson stated that there is no application at this point, they cannot speak to potential land uses for something that has not had any applications submitted.
This caused some mebers of the public in the gallery to react with emotion, shouting at Watson. Nelson called order multiple times and eventually sternly asked a gallery member to leave the room for shouting at council.
After the gallery member left the room, tensions settled slightly.
Coun. Ray Johnston spoke to the delegation stating that council, aside from the mayor, had no idea those discussions were going on, but they do have a right and duty to have conversation with residents and land owners.
“The way I’m looking at it, we’re way ahead of the game here. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But again, we can’t hang our hat on what might be or what someone might have said, because there’s been nothing brought to our table and nothing passed.”
Coun. Tom Watts said that he agrees with Johnston and people may be jumping to conclusions as nothing has been brought before council yet.
He also said that there are certain things that municipal council have their hands tied on, stating that if something by law can be done there are legal process set forth from the provincial and federal governments that don’t allow municipal councils to stop such things.
Watts then asked the township planner how residents will be notified if anything changes.
The planner stated that should an application come forward, notification will go out to all neighbouring properties within 120 metres of each side of the property. The notice will also be posted on the front of the property for the public to see, and staff will post the notice on the township website as well where people can sign up to be notified of any updates.
The delegation and petition were received by council for information.
