The City
Located an hour’s drive northeast of Toronto, in the heart of the beautiful Kawartha Lakes region is the City of Peterborough. The Greater Peterborough Area includes the City of Peterborough and eight municipalities within the County of Peterborough.
A leisurely drive through Peterborough reveals many tree–lined streets, forming a natural canopy of maple and hiding a multitude of historic houses. Rich in native heritage and known for its wide variety of cultural and recreational activities, Peterborough offers something for everyone.
Then
Peterborough was originally known as Scott’s Plains in 1820, when the first non-native settler, Adam Scott built a gristmill. In 1825, serious crop failures in Ireland prompted the offering of 415 land grants in the area now known as Peterborough. Peter Robinson transported 2000 Irish immigrants from Cork to Scott’s Plains to begin the clearing and settlement of this land. The community was renamed Peterborough, in honour of Peter Robinson in 1826. "Peterborough was incorporated as a Town by an Act of the Legislature of the Province of Canada in the year 1850 and was raised to the status of a City by an Act of the Legislature of the Province of Ontario in 1905." Peterborough Centennial Museum
Now
Now, Peterborough’s population is over 74,000 and the Greater Peterborough Area boasts a population of approximately 135,000. Peterborough has a diverse economic base including industrial, commercial and agricultural resources.
As part of the Kawartha Lakes tourism region, Peterborough is world renowned for its historic Peterborough Lift Lock. Engineered in 1904, it is the highest operational hydraulic lock of its kind in the world. It is located on the Trent–Severn Waterway (one of Canada’s earliest canal routes) and is part of a network of interconnected lakes, rivers and streams (including the Otonabee River) that cover this region.
Events and attractions are numerous. The area features an expansive arts community including an amazing array of museums, galleries and theatres. Since it now offers four–lane accessibility to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), Peterborough has become a prime choice for commuters looking for affordable real estate, clean air and a safe community.