Peterborough Blogs
City Receives Nearly $3 Million From OLG As Gaming Revenue Share
/The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has provided $2,973,019 to the City of Peterborough in the 2024 Fiscal Year as its share of gaming revenue from Shorelines Casino Peterborough as a host community, in a cheque presentation at the Canadian Canoe Museum on Tuesday afternoon.
“The Canadian Canoe Museum is an integral part of our City and an integral part of our culture and heritage,” Mayor Leal said. “Being a casino host community allows us to reinvest OLG revenue in areas where it will support residents and help our city grow.”
According to a press release, in 2023/24, the City used the funding from Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) for investments such as planting trees, improving trails and the cycling network, building a splash pad, and contributing to the Canadian Canoe Museum’s capital campaign.
“OLG is proud to be a vital part of the City of Peterborough,” said Kathleen Devine, OLG’s Senior Municipal Relations Manager. “Each and every year, 100% of OLG profits are reinvested in Ontario to support provincial priorities. From critical infrastructure to important local programs, to community festivals, OLG’s profits are hard at work in Peterborough and all across our province to build stronger communities. When you play at an Ontario casino, like Shorelines Casino Peterborough, you play for Ontario.”
The City of Peterborough is contributing $4 million toward the Canoe Museum’s capital campaign to support the construction of the new museum that opened on Ashburnham Drive, next to Little Lake, in May. The City used $500,000 from its OLG revenue in 2023/24 to fund part of its contribution to the Canadian Canoe Museum as stated by a press release.
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Ontario Government Invests $59,200 to Improve Buckhorn Community Centre's Accessibility and Support
/The Ontario Government is funding $59,200 to improve accessibility and support for everyone at the Buckhorn Community Centre, announced on Friday afternoon.
“Those with disabilities and limited mobility are often faced with obstacles or unwelcoming environments when they try to use outdoor spaces,” said Dave Smith Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “This grant will allow individuals to have access to the Buckhorn Community Centre's Festival Park that will enable them to enjoy activities with their friends and families for years to come.”
The funding is part of the Inclusive Community Grant that provides funding of up to $60,000 for projects of all ages and abilities to live healthy, active and independent lives.
“The Buckhorn Community Centre has received funding to improve outdoor accessibility and inclusivity,” said Molly Kriksic, Buckhorn Community Centre Volunteer Board of Directors. “Visitors can look forward to new walkways, seating, gardens, and raised beds, enhancing the BCC's ability to offer community-focused programs and events.”
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Ontario Government Investing Over $10 Million For Faster Emergency Care and Increased Ambulance Availability For Peterborough County
/The Ontario Government is investing $10,037,559 in Peterborough County to connect people to faster emergency care faster and increase ambulance availability, announced at Peterborough EMS on Friday.
“When people call 911, they need to know that paramedics will arrive quickly to meet their needs. A delay in a service call of just minutes can lead to drastically different results,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “The Peterborough County-City Paramedics work hard to deliver emergency medical care. This investment will help all of us receive better service when our loved ones pick up the phone at that critical time.”
According to a press release, the province is increasing land ambulance funding by six per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $10,037,559 this year. The release continues to state that this base funding increase helps municipalities address increased costs and continue delivering high-quality emergency care.
“With record high population growth and call volumes, our Peterborough County-City Paramedics are working hard to keep up,” said Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden. “The Provincial funding announced today will help our paramedics service to continue providing the high quality of care that Peterborough County and City residents expect and deserve. Thank you to the province for this funding to help our paramedics do their job and keep our communities safe and healthy.”
To further reduce delays paramedics encounter when dropping patients off at a hospital, the Ontario government is investing $607,727 in Peterborough County through the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program to hire more nurses and other eligible health professionals dedicated to offloading ambulance patients in hospital emergency departments.
“Peterborough County/City Paramedics have worked closely with PRHC identifying and implementing strategies to assist with offload delays,” said Patricia Bromfield Peterborough County Paramedic Chief. “The continuance and increase of funding received this year is important for our ongoing staffing of this program and returning our ambulances back to the road to service the community.”
The program allows paramedics to return to the community faster and respond to their next 9-1-1 call sooner. It has significantly reduced ambulance offload times and increased ambulance availability for 9-1-1 patients across the province. As a result of this investment and the dedication of healthcare professionals, provincial ambulance offload time has been reduced by more than 50 per cent since its peak in October 2022 according to a press release.
Ontario is also continuing to implement the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) across the province to ensure urgent patients receive critical care sooner. The system helps prioritize and triage emergency medical calls and dispatch paramedics sooner. Over the last year, the province has rolled out MPDS to Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Renfrew and is accelerating progress to implement the system at the 15 remaining dispatch sites across Ontario over a year ahead of schedule.
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Ontario Government Invests Over $9.5 Million For Peterborough's Critical Infrastructure
/The Ontario government is investing $9,536,982 to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure in the City of Peterborough, announced at City Hall on Friday morning.
The funding will be delivered in 2025 through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and is part of the government’s $190 billion capital plan to build and expand more homes, highways, hospitals, transit and high-speed internet across the province according to a press release.
“This investment of over $9 million will improve infrastructure throughout the City of Peterborough, particularly in the downtown core,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “It is formula-based funding that is sent out to the municipalities each year and is something they can count onto plan for critical infrastructure projects.”
“With this support, we can address key projects that will improve our core infrastructure and create long-lasting benefits for our residents,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Strong infrastructure is the backbone of our city’s future, and this partnership with the province plays a pivotal role in ensuring a vibrant Peterborough for many years to come.”
The OCIF provides funding for local infrastructure projects in municipalities with populations under 100,000, rural and northern municipalities and Local Services Boards that own water or wastewater systems.
The funding allocations are based on a formula that accounts for each community's needs and economic conditions.
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Ontario Government Invests Nearly $250,000 For Youth Support Pathways In Skilled Trades.
/The Ontario government is investing $241,280 through the Skills Development Training Stream in the Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario’s (JA-NEO) World of Choices Program, announced on Friday morning.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is proud to invest in programs that support training and developing career pathways,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “We are happy to support JA-NEO as an exceptional organization that are dedicated to running programs that develop our future workforce and provide young people with real-life exposure to a wide variety of skilled trades jobs.”
JA-NEO is focused on inspiring and preparing young people to succeed by providing them with opportunities to learn financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness skills.
The funding helps JA-NEO run programs throughout the 2024/25 school year that will reach over 2000 full-time students and youth according to a press release. The focus of these programs will be to educate and help students understand the importance of skilled trades. Participants will be linked with community and business leaders to familiarize themselves with potential career pathways and access a real-world glimpse into various careers.
Ontario supports JA-NEO’s innovative plans to reach youth from different communities and populations experiencing unique barriers that limit pathways into skilled trades careers. JA-NEO will work with schools across Northumberland and Peterborough to provide inclusive environments with equitable engagement and learning opportunities in skilled trades.
“At JA Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO), we are often the first point of contact with students surrounding skills in Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Workforce Readiness.” John McNutt, JA-NEO president and CEO. “With funding from the Skills Development Fund, JA-NEO is continuing to be at the forefront of exposing and providing experiential learning opportunities and essential skills to youth that are needed within the skilled trades sector. By working alongside our industry partners across all Northern and Eastern Ontario we are helping to close the skilled trades gap.”
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First-Ever Couture For Kids Fashion Show to Benefit Five Counties Kids On Oct. 3
/Fashion meets philanthropy at the first-ever Couture for Kids event in support of Five Counties Kids set for Oct. 3 at Celebrations (35 Lindsay St. N.) in Lindsay.
Couture for Kids is a fashion show featuring clothing from local retailers like Brittany’s N Bros, Bonita Clothing & Co, Cathy Allan Ladieswear, John G’s, Homethreads Boutique, The Lingerie Loft, Lizzy’s by Cathy Allan and Nisbett’s Clothiers.
“We are excited to mix fashion and fun at our first-ever Couture for Kids event in Lindsay,” said says Lyn Giles, Five Counties director of fund development. “This fundraising event is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and support the life-changing work that goes on every day at Five Counties.”
The doors open at 6 p.m. with the fashion show starting at 7 p.m.. Tickets are $25 each and include light snacks provided by Milk and Honey Eatery and Brouwer Bake Shop. Tickets can be purchased at participating retailers or by going online.
A raffle, consisting of flower arrangements by Hill’s Florist, skin care basket, hair care basket, gift cards for local businesses and much more are being featured. Pass the Purse will also be on the agenda, with any attendee who puts a donation in the purse being entered in a draw to win it.
All proceeds from Couture for Kids will support Five Counties kids in City of Kawartha Lakes, helping them access needed life-changing treatment services close to home according to a press release.
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Two Peterborough Archers Awarded Petro-Canada FACE Grant
/Archer Amelia Gagné and her coach Jess Ashton have been selected to receive the Petro-Canada FACE (Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence) grant announced on Wednesday.
The duo has been chosen from a group of 55 up-and-coming athletes and hopes to represent Canada at the Olympics.
Archery Canada nominated them and they are the only archery athlete-coach pairs to receive the grant. Each National sports organization across Canada can nominate athletes and coaches based on their pathway toward future Olympic events.
Gagné and Ashton are both from the Peterborough area and train there. The development of the sport of archery in the region has had challenges, starting with the closure of a nearby facility in 2019, leaving competitive archers with limited options to train. They train near Red Head Archery, a new facility in Douro Dummer that opened in 2021. The two have been able to continue to work together through perseverance. They worked together at the 2023 Canada Winter Games and competed in the Youth and Masters Pan American Championships in 2024 in El Salvador. In September, they will be heading to the World Archery Championships in Alberta.
“I am so grateful to have received this funding from Petro-Canada,” said Gagné. “The money will allow me to participate in more international tournaments and assist with equipment upgrades. This will greatly benefit my progression in archery and in achieving my goals as a high performance archer.”
As a woman who has grown up in this sport, as a previous competitive archer myself, I understand the time, dedication and countless hours of work that go behind high performance archery,” said Ashton. “Programs like the Petro-Canada FACE program are invaluable for athlete development as we work towards Amelia’s Olympic goals.”
Potential Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes are awarded a $10,000 FACE grant to help them along their journey. The grants are often used for training, equipment, coach education, and travel expenses for competitions. Since 1988, the fund has provided more than $14 million in support to Canadian athletes and coaches.
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Ontario Government Invests Over $3 Million to Improve Trent University's Infrastructure
/The Ontario Government has invested $3,002,300 into Trent University’s infrastructure to help its students access to modern facilities, learning tools and equipment, announced at the school’s Student Centre on Thursday morning.
Trent is using the money to:
Enhance the learning environment and campus experience for students, faculty and staff with infrastructure upgrades and improvements to critical academic and research facilities.
Increase efficiency and reduce the University’s environmental impact by enhancing building exteriors, mechanical and electrical systems.
Prioritize accessibility, AODA standards, health and safety through essential facilities as well as ramps and stairs, and updated signage.
“This support will ensure students at Trent University have access to modern instructional equipment to meet business and industry standards, increase student access to micro-credentials and enhance the overall student experience,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “By investing in postsecondary infrastructure, we are not only supporting our local economy but ensuring students develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.”
“This significant contribution from the government helps Trent University enhance the environments of our renowned campuses, ensuring our award-winning architecture and its infrastructure are keeping pace with the latest upgrades and innovations,” said Cathy Bruce, Trent president and vice-chancellor. “At Trent, we are dedicated to student success and wellbeing, prioritizing a safe and modern environment for both learning and teaching. This investment not only strengthens the University but also reinforces Trent's role as a vital asset and key contributor to the local communities and Ontario’s economy.”
The most notable part of the investment is an accessible pathway that starts from Bata Library, travels north underneath Faryon Bridge and extends out to Champlain College. The construction has already been ongoing for two years with expected projected completion before Head of the Trent which takes place on Oct. 4 and 5.
While the University is known for its architecture, it had its accessibility issues. Having the balance between modernization and preserving heritage was key in making these upgrades.
“We have that level of modernization that students are looking for, we have safe and accessible campuses but we also need to be preserving the heritage,” said Bruce. “We needed to preserve the riverside and we need to make it really conducive to community and anybody who wants to come along here and enjoy that.”
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GPHSF Announces New Senior Care Microgrant
/The Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) has announced its new Senior Care Microgrant program to support senior care projects and healthy aging initiatives in the Peterborough area.
Two grants are available with the application deadline on Sept. 30. Find out more about the grants and criteria below.
The new Senior Care Microgrant program is meant to be a low-barrier applicant process according to GPHSF. The grants can be used as seed money to address a new need or as financial support to an existing program in Peterborough, County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.
Two grants are available, with up to $5000 in funding available with each grant.
Applications are open to community and not-for-profit organizations, including medical organizations, that run programming and services or propose to run programming and services within the boundaries of Peterborough City and/or Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.
Proposed projects must be general in scope (including and impactful on as many people as possible). Project completion must occur within one year of approval unless GPHSF grants an extension. Grant funding can be applied to existing projects or used as seed money for new projects.
A maximum of $5,000 is available for each gran, and a maximum of $10,000 is available across all grants (two total).
The project timeline and budget must be provided.
Senior Care Microgrant projects may include.
Research
Equipment
Nutrition
Physical Activity
Mental Health
Priority will be given to projects that:
Have a lasting impact on our community.
Support emerging needs in our community.
Improve the quality of life for seniors in the community.