Schillemat campaigns on housing and collaboration

By Marina Kydd

Rebecca Schillemat says housing affordability, economic development and collaboration at city hall are at the centre of her campaign as she enters the 2026 Peterborough mayoral race. 

Schillemat, the former executive officer of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association, said her experience in housing advocacy, education and community organizing helped shape her decision to run for mayor. 

“I really want to make this a community that the kids can grow up in, that they could go to school, that they could get a job, that they can move out of the house at some point,” she said. 

A Trent University graduate with an honours degree in English and History, Schillemat has also taught at Fleming College and worked with professional associations in Peterborough. She said concerns about housing affordability continue to dominate conversations with residents. 

“We were lucky enough to buy our house in 2013,” she said. “If we didn’t have that, we wouldn’t be back in Peterborough, because we wouldn’t be able to afford it.” 

Schillemat said her housing plan requires cooperation between all levels of government and stronger partnerships with private developers and housing organizations to increase affordable housing stock. 

During her time with the Home Builders Association, she co-founded a local housing continuum working group aimed at connecting developers, social housing organizations and financial institutions. 

Beyond housing, Schillemat said job creation and economic development are key priorities. 

“We need jobs,” she said. “What are our students and kids going to do when they’re done school?” 

She said Peterborough already has strong organizations supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, but she believes greater collaboration could help expand local employment opportunities. 

Schillemat also emphasized the importance of supporting the city’s arts and culture sector, pointing to her previous involvement with the Peterborough Folk Festival board. 

“We have such a great music scene here,” she said. “I don’t want to lose that in our community.” 

On leadership, Schillemat described herself as collaborative and focused on bringing different perspectives together.

“The best thing that any board can do is to have an idea and actually discuss it, look at it from all perspectives, and then make that idea better,” she said. 

She said communication and transparency at city hall are ongoing concerns raised by residents during her campaign. 

“People are upset because they don’t understand how to find out information or what’s happening with city decisions,” she said. 

Schillemat said municipal planning information is often difficult for residents to navigate and she would like to improve how the city communicates with the public. 

Infrastructure, particularly road maintenance, has also been a recurring concern among voters. 

“There’s a lot of roads that need to be addressed,” she said, adding that the city needs stronger long-term maintenance planning. 

Schillemat said her broader vision for Peterborough builds on existing strengths in healthcare, education and culture. 

“We have a lot of great assets here already,” she said, pointing to Trent University, Fleming College, the city’s hospital and the arts community. 

She also highlighted mental health support as an important issue moving forward. 

Reflecting on what sets her apart from other candidates, Schillemat pointed to her youth spent working at her family’s farm as formative in shaping her approach to life and work. 

“My farm upbringing instilled a strong work ethic: if you want something you have to work for it,” she said. “I feel that I have worked for everything I have achieved and I want my kids to have that same opportunity. However, the current economy and cost of things makes that out of reach for an entire generation. I want to change that for our community.” 

Schillemat said collaboration will be essential to addressing Peterborough’s ongoing challenges. 

“I believe in the city,” she said. “We can do everything when we work together.”