Peter Ferragine - Ward 5 Councillor BWG

09/08/2026

📚 Happy First Day of School, BWG! 🎒

It’s an exciting day for so many families across our community — kids heading back to class, some starting at a new school for the very first time, and parents getting back into the school-year routine.

A quick reminder to everyone on the roads this morning and throughout the week: please slow down and be extra cautious. There will be a lot more kids walking, biking and crossing our streets, and everyone is still getting used to the routine again.

Give yourself a little extra time, watch for school buses and crossing guards, and please be especially careful in our school zones.

Wishing all of our students, teachers, school staff and parents a safe, exciting and successful school year! 🍎

09/07/2026

Happy Labour Day, Bradford West Gwillimbury! 🇨🇦

As we enjoy the last long weekend of the summer, I want to wish everyone across our community a safe and happy Labour Day.

Today is also an opportunity to recognize the hardworking people who help keep our community moving every day - our tradespeople, small business owners, frontline workers, public servants, farmers and so many others.

Whether you’re spending the day with family and friends, enjoying some time outdoors, or working through the long weekend, I hope you have a great day.

09/03/2026

Today is Election Day in York-Simcoe!

Polls are open until 9:00 p.m. tonight.

No matter who you support, take a few minutes, get out and vote, and make your voice heard. Our democracy works best when we all take part.

09/03/2026

Line 8 is closed between Sideroad 5 and Hwy 27

See below ⬇️

09/02/2026

Crazy amount of rain we've received.
Stay safe!

Environment Canada has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for our area, effective this afternoon through this evening.

Conditions are favourable for dangerous thunderstorms capable of producing:

Damaging wind gusts over 110 km/h
Heavy rain with up to 50 mm of rainfall
Large hail (quarter to ping pong ball size)
Possible tornado

Stay safe, BWG:
-Monitor weather conditions closely this afternoon
-If threatening weather approaches, take cover immediately in a basement or interior room
-If you are outside, get indoors: when thunder roars, go indoors!
-Protect yourself from flying debris and hail
-Utility outages and property damage are possible: be prepared

Please be aware that high winds can cause trees, branches, and other objects to fall on power lines, and lightning can damage distribution equipment which can result in power outages.

⚡Downed power lines are extremely dangerous. Do not touch or drive over a downed line. Always assume it is live, even if it is not jumping or sparking. Keep others away and call 911 immediately.

To report a power outage, please contact Alectra at 1-833-253-2872.

For the latest forecast, visit weather.gc.ca.

08/28/2026

This morning, I attended an announcement with the Premier and representatives from the provincial and federal governments confirming up to $94.8 million in infrastructure funding for BWG.

The funding will help support some of the major infrastructure projects we need as Bradford continues to grow.

• Upgrades to the Bradford Water Pollution Control Plant
• Increased water storage at the John Fennell Reservoir
• New water and wastewater infrastructure
• Widening and reconstruction of Line 8 from Sideroad 10 to Barrie Street

These are major projects that need to happen to support our existing community and accommodate future growth.

This funding is tied to BWG’s participation in the Development Charge Reduction Program, which reduces development charges on new homes while senior levels of government help fund the infrastructure those charges would normally support.

These projects are already on the books and nearly $95 million invested directly into Bradford West Gwillimbury infrastructure to fund these projects is great news for our community.

08/27/2026

It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as Chair of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority during its 75th anniversary year.

There’s something pretty special about looking back at the history of the LSRCA and seeing Arthur Evans, the very first Chair in 1951, and having the opportunity to serve as Chair 75 years later.

I’m proud to have played a small part in that history and to work alongside so many dedicated people committed to protecting Lake Simcoe and our watershed for future generations.



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GRg75jQBW/

75 Years of Leadership. 75 Years of Building a Legacy.

Behind the work of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is a Board of Directors made up of representatives from our partner municipalities. The Board provides governance, sets direction and helps ensure the Conservation Authority’s work reflects the needs of the communities and watershed we serve.

For 75 years, dedicated Chairs and Board members have helped guide that work — strengthening municipal partnerships, championing watershed protection and helping shape our vision for the future.

From Arthur Evans, our first Chair in 1951, to Peter Ferragine, our current Chair in 2026, each brought their own perspective, leadership and commitment to conservation.

Their decisions and leadership have helped guide the organization through decades of growth and change, building on the work of those who came before and helping shape the Conservation Authority we are today.

As we celebrate 75 years, we’re proud to recognize the Chairs and Board members who have helped build a lasting legacy for the Lake Simcoe watershed.

75 years of leadership. One shared commitment: protecting the watershed for generations to come.

Below photo: 1957 Board of Directors. Left to right: Resource Manager Art Latornell, Bill Hodgson, Lambert Wilson (Vice-Chair), Harold Pringle (Chair), Wesley Brooks (Secretary Treasurer), RJ Rogers, Arthur D. Evans. Photo credit: Newmarket Historical Society.

08/27/2026

I just finished attending Southlake Health’s Community Open House tonight to learn more about the future of healthcare in our area and what is being planned for Bradford West Gwillimbury.

Southlake is working toward a new Distributed Health Network, which includes the redevelopment of the existing Newmarket hospital, a new acute care hospital in East Gwillimbury, and Advanced Care Centres in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Georgina.

The proposed Bradford Advanced Care Centre would bring more healthcare services directly into our community rather than requiring residents to travel to a hospital for everything. Depending on the needs identified for BWG, that could eventually include things like primary care, diagnostic imaging, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation and other community-based health services.

There is still a lot of planning ahead, and the specific services and location have not yet been determined. Southlake will be looking closely at our growing population, demographics, healthcare needs and barriers to accessing care as that work moves forward.

With BWG’s population projected to nearly double over the coming decades, having more healthcare available closer to home is something our community is going to need.

It was great to see the conversation happening right here in Bradford and to learn more about what could be coming to our community.

08/26/2026

Southlake Health is hosting a community open house TONIGHT to share plans for the future of health care in Bradford West Gwillimbury, including the proposed Advanced Care Centre.⁠
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📅 Wednesday, August 26⁠
⏰ 5–8 p.m.⁠
📍 Bradford Community Hub, 177 Church Street⁠
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Hear from Southlake leaders, learn about plans to bring more care closer to home and ask questions about the future of health care in our community.⁠
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A presentation will begin at approximately 5:45 p.m., but residents are welcome to drop in anytime.

08/22/2026

Yesterday, Council visited 2507 Line 6 to celebrate that the new Dog Park has officially started.

This one took a little bit of work to get to this point.

Last year, Council was presented with a plan for a new dog park that came with a price tag of approximately $427,000. While I supported the idea of having a dog park in our community, I couldn’t support spending that kind of money to build one, and Council ultimately voted against including it in the 2026 budget.

Earlier this year, we learned that the existing Bark Park at Scanlon Creek would be closing. That changed the situation, but it didn’t change my opinion that we could build something our residents need without spending over $400,000 to do it.

Council went back to the drawing board and agreed on a much simpler approach. After discussions, ultimately Council had voted on setting a maximum budget of $180,000 for the new park.

Residents aren't asking for a luxury dog park. They want a safe, dedicated space where they can bring their dogs to get outside and run.
Construction is underway, with the new Dog Park expected to open in September.

I'm glad we were able to find a way forward that provides this amenity for our community.