Park redevelopment plans began at the city staff/council level in 2022 (to our knowledge), before any “community consultation” was initiated. In February 2024, four months after it was originally presented by staff to council to vote on, a drop-in session was announced to be held on March 21, 2024. At this session the park plans were presented to the community. When residents raised their concerns (such as known and well documented noise, light, etc impacts) they were told “it's a done deal”. The Coalition to Save Bonnerworth Park (which later incorporated as Friends of Bonnerworth Park) was established after the March 21, 2024 drop-in session and quickly began to give delegations at city hall opposing the park redevelopment plans, began a petition which garnered over 8100 signatures of support (online and paper forms), and started a lawn sign campaign which resulted in over 400 signs sprouting up in the yards, gardens and windows of concerned citizens throughout all five of Peterborough's wards and on properties in surrounding townships as well.

Several rallies were held at both Bonnerworth Park and City Hall and were attended by  hundreds of people city wide. Interviews were given with local media outlets, including the Peterborough Examiner, Peterborough Currents, Kawartha Now, Trent Arthur, and CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning. The controversy surrounding the park redevelopment led to it being named as one of the top local news stories of 2024 by Kawartha Now and the Peterborough Examiner.

All of the above efforts failed to influence or change the plans for the park. It was decided that an injunction to stop construction was the only remaining path forward. The application for an injunction was filed by Friends of Bonnerworth Park, however this was unfortunately derailed after it was discovered that the court clerk made an error with the court date. Our lawyer was also diagnosed with terminal cancer and had to abruptly close his practice. On November 5, 2024 shovels were in the ground and construction began at Bonnerworth Park, making pursuing an injunction no longer feasible as the chances of success would be low.

The Friends of Bonnerworth Park continue to pursue other avenues in hopes of bringing awareness to the concerns nearby residents have and hold city council and staff accountable.