Richard Peddie and Lauri Brouyette, introduced as CO-CHAIRS of Thrive Amherstburg, appeared on the Restoring Rural Ontario TVO episode that aired December 8, 2021.

After Peddie and Brouyette promoted their restoration projects and shared the architectural history, Ashley Weeden, a PhD candidate in Rural Studies at the University of Guelph joined the panel, “I simply don’t believe in benevolent capitalists. It just doesn’t exist.” She shared her observations on outside wealth, colonialism and the focus on tourism and its largely cyclical benefits.

Peddie seemed peeved and countered her criticism with, “First of all, we’re not trying to look European” and “We’re also helping the town council think about what this town should do and reach out to be a better place to live for everyone.”

Brouyette’s answer, in part, was, “We formed a group that we call Thrive and it looks at housing, it looks at healthy living, and everything we want to be able to offer our community as a large group as a whole, not just Richard and I; that’s not even close.”

Related: Peddie cash: What happens when a philanthropist tries to build ‘the best small town in Ontario’