Peterborough Blogs
City of Peterborough to Host Home Energy Expo On Oct. 19
/The Home Energy Expo will occur at the McDonnel Street Community Centre, 577 McDonnel St., on Oct.19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., announced on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
The City of Peterborough, GreenUP and For Our Grandchildren are hosting the Home Energy Expo, which will feature informational booths. Admission to the Home Energy Expo is free.
The Home Energy Expo will demystify household retrofit options for those planning their home energy renovation journeys. Local tradespeople will be on hand to discuss various energy-saving solutions that can be installed to lower home energy bills, improve interior comfort, and reduce fossil fuel pollution.
Several Peterborough homeowners who have completed an energy renovation will be present. Expo attendees can speak directly with these homeowners to learn about their experiences undertaking a retrofit and realizing utility bill savings.
“Providing residents with vital information directly from homeowners with first-hand experience completing an energy renovation is important. Homeowner-to-homeowner interactions are less intimidating for some than speaking with contractors, especially if one has never completed a renovation before,” said Councillor Joy Lachica, City Council's representative on the Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee.
Booths tabled by Heating-Ventilation-and-Air Conditioning, insulation, and solar photovoltaic contractors will be present to discuss specific technology and answer product-related questions. Representatives from Enbridge Gas will be featuring the Home Efficiency Rebate program, which includes up to $5,000 in energy retrofit incentives for qualifying applicants. Homeowners can also speak with energy auditors to learn more about the building assessment process, typical renovation projects, and likely energy savings.
"It's pretty amazing how much money and energy can be saved by doing some simple upgrades to homes, like improving insulation and air sealing,” said Clara Blakelock, Peterborough GreenUP home energy program manager. “Heating a home with a fossil-fuel burning furnace, like natural gas, oil, or propane, is often the largest household contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Homeowners can save even more energy by upgrading to an efficient heat pump, which in many cases will also slash the home's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 to 50 per cent or more.”
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City of Peterborough Participates In Global We Love Cities Competition
/The City of Peterborough is celebrating the community’s sustainability, environmental and climate actions, participating in the World Wildlife Fund’s We Love Cities global competition that kicked off on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
“I am thrilled that Peterborough has been selected by the World Wildlife Fund to participate in this year’s We Love Cities competition to choose the most environmentally minded community working towards local sustainability goals,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Being selected to be part of the competition reflects our community’s commitment toward sustainability and progress that we’ve made together on climate change actions.”
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is leading the contest, which raises awareness about local sustainability actions and community engagement in 80 cities across 34 countries. We Love Cities is open for voting from Oct. 1 to 31.
Residents can vote and provide direct input on why they support sustainability efforts in Peterborough at welovecities.org/city/peterborough. Alternatively, interacting with #WeLovePeterborough posts by the City of Peterborough will also count toward the community tally. The WWF will announce the winner of the city with the most social media likes, reposts, and shares in each participating community throughout October.
“The We Love Cities competition is a brilliant platform to build awareness of sustainability and climate action. The WWF is a highly regarded environmental organization that is helping Peterborough reach a wider audience as it achieves its environmental goals,” said Councillor Joy Lachica. “It’s also important for climate work to be engaging and fun, which is why this opportunity is so exciting. Peterborough is contending on the international stage. Let’s help our community claim the top of the leaderboard.”
The WWF nominated Peterborough for the We Love Cities competition because the city was a finalist in the WWF’s One Planet City Challenge. Other Canadian cities joining the We Love Cities contest are Hamilton, Calgary and Vancouver.
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Fleming College Receives $360,000 to Fight "Canada's Worst Invasive Plant"
/The money will go to fighting a highly prevalent aggressive reed commonly known as invasive phragmites.
FLEMING COLLEGE PHOTO
Fleming is getting the funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF).
Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry made the announcement last week.
Fleming will partner with Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Saiwa Inc. to innovate the fight against what’s being billed as “Canada’s worst invasive plant”.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to help Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada with their important conservation work,” said Fleming president Maureen Adamson. “Together, we will provide conservationists and resource managers with valuable tools to effectively combat the spread of invasive plants that threaten our native vegetation.”
The 3 year project is led by the researchers from Fleming’s Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT) and School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences (SENRS).
It aims to advance automation in the detection and surveillance of the invasive plant using machine vision algorithms, remote sensing data, and innovative drone technologies.
CAMIIT’s Dr. Fereydoon Diba, in collaboration with Saiwa Inc., will develop a specialized drone with machine vision capability to recognize the invasive plant.
SENRS professor, Dr. Josh Feltham, along with Nature Conservancy Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada will collect drone surveillance data.
Fleming students will assist with the project’s data collection and hardware development.
“This collaboration highlights the capabilities that technology and innovation can bring to natural resources, and the real-world problems that can be solved through applied research,” added Adamson. “It’s promising to see CAMIIT and SENRS combining forces with such highly respected national conservation organizations.”
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More Than 600 Trees Planted in South-End Park
/About 60 volunteers planed 620 new trees at Kiwanis Community Park on Saturday.
city of peterborough photo
The event was put on by Tree Canada and the LCBO as part of Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grant program and the Trees 4 Peterborough initiative which includes contributions from RBC Dominion Securities, the Excelsior Group, Peterborough Homes and Merrett Home Hardware.
“Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grants program provides funding and technical expertise for community greening, innovation and stewardship initiatives,” said Nicole Hurtubise, CEO of Tree Canada. “We are thrilled to support the City of Peterborough’s tree planting project, which will bring long-lasting social and environmental benefits where people live, work and play.”
The event, to enhance the city’s urban forest canopy, was also supported by The Rotary Club of Peterborough, Peterborough GreenUp and Otonabee Conservation.
A diversity of native trees were planted at the park to replace approximately 400 dead or dying ash trees that have been negatively affected by the emerald ash borer.
The affected trees along with understory vegetation including invasive buckthorn were removed in August.
“The planting of a diverse species of more than 600 trees in Kiwanis Park will be very much appreciated by the residents of Ashburnham Ward who live in close proximity to this park,” stated councillor Gary Baldwin, co-chair of the Community Services portfolio.
“I believe the residents of the area will be pleased with the end results and enhancements to the park,” added councillor Keith Riel.
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One City and GreenUP Get Planting at the Trinity Centre As Part of Green Infrastructure Initiative
/GreenUP and One City Peterborough helped Trinity Centre become more in tune with nature by planting trees and other greenery over 75 sq.m. of lawn Tuesday morning.
Volunteers Eila Buziak (left) and Quentin Day (right) finish the planting of a pear tree as one of several species to occupy the Trinity Centre. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The project at One City is part of the Living Cities Program, an initiative by Green Communities Canada to help organizations aid their respective communities in green infrastructure projects.
The green infrastructure will increase the biodiversity of plants on the site, improve stormwater management, and increase access to food according to Tegan Moss, GreenUP executive director.
“We are grateful to receive support from Green Communities Canada through the Living Cities Fund,” she said. “These funds allow us to work closely with equity-deserving communities to co-develop plans for green infrastructure that work for the community where they are planted.”
Moss adds that the green infrastructure will help to improve air quality and offer the opportunity for people to work together to build a stronger sense of community and belonging as they collectively care for the plants.
Volunteers moved soil, compost and mulch. They planted 20 trees which included apple, pear, peach, apricot, birch, black cherry and maple. Six currant and raspberry bushes were installed, as well as 94 other plants including New England aster, silverweed, swamp milkweed, switchgrass, brown fox sedge, blue flag iris, wild strawberry, yarrow, prairie smoke, and creeping thyme.
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City of Peterborough Hosting Downtown Community Cigarette Butt Clean Up On Sunday Morning
/The City of Peterborough and Peterborough DBIA is inviting the public to make things a little clearer in the Downtown Community Cigarette Butt Clean Up starting from Quaker Foods City Square on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
Gloves, pick-up pails and litter pickers are provided but the City is asking to bring your own upcycled container.
Cleaners can search for cigarette butts anywhere in the downtown area.
An entry draw and several prizes available for most butts collected are being held. Registration at the event will be required to be eligible.
At the end of the event, the City is launching a contest that will last for 42 days until September to see how many cigarette butts can be collected until that last day of Summer.
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Federal Government Announces $8.5 Million Funding of Two Projects For Conservation Efforts and Ecosystem Protection In Peterborough.
/The Federal Government has invested over $8.5 million in funding for two projects that will help advance conservation efforts and protect ecosystems in Peterborough, announced at Jackson Park on Thursday afternoon.
File Photo.
The announcement was made by Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business, and Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
“Protecting nature is one of the best and easiest ways that we can fight climate change,” said Valdez. “These vital ecosystems, like those here in Peterborough, absorb carbon and increase our communities’ resilience to the effects of climate change.”
The Government of Canada has launched the largest conservation campaign in the country’s history in order to meet its emissions reduction targets and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 according to Valdez.
“Our government has launched the largest ever conservation campaign in Canada’s history, with a goal of protecting 30 per cent of lands and waters in Canada,” she said. “That starts with protecting spaces like these. The long-term benefits are enormous, getting us closer to our climate goals and protecting forever the critical habitat of so many species.”
The projects being funded under the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund are:
$7 million for the Kawartha Land Trust to support its work to advance conservation efforts under way by securing an additional 566 hectares of intact temperate forest and freshwater coastal habitat to support 28 species at risk
$1.586 million for the Association of Conservation Authorities of Ontario to protect vital ecosystems from destruction and fund activities that protect at-risk species, including Snapping Turtle, False Hop Sedge and Chimney Swift
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Ontario Government Offering Free Admission to Provincial Parks July 19
/To mark Healthy Parks Healthy People Day, Ontario government is offering free day-use access to provincial parks on July 19 announced on Monday.
The Ontario government is enhancing those recreational opportunities by building 300 new campsites and bringing electrical services to 800 existing campsites at several parks throughout the province. File Photo.
This annual celebration is part of a global movement to promote health benefits of getting outside with nature according to a press release.
“I invite all Ontarians to take advantage of this free pass to Ontario Parks, an opportunity to immerse yourselves in the joy and wonder of exploring the great outdoors,” said Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Whether you’re looking to get some exercise or seeking a fun and affordable day with your family, I hope this free day will give more people the opportunity to explore everything that their local provincial park has to offer.”
Several programs and facilities offer hiking, cycling, paddling, swimming and more.
Throughout the summer, Ontario Parks offers numerous ways to engage with nature including:
In-park Discovery Programs which allow kids and adults to gain confidence in nature and around wildlife through activities such as guided hikes to explore a new trail and other educational programs.
The 30x30 Nature Challenge to encourage people to spend 30 minutes in nature for 30 days during the month of August.
Take a Hike Day on August 10, providing guided hikes at provincial parks around the province. Visitors can join in on one of the many events happening across the province.
To ensure access to Healthy Parks Healthy People Day, visitors are encouraged to obtain a daily vehicle permit up to five days before the celebration, at no charge, for the 75 parks that offer this service.
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City of Peterborough Planning Litter Action Initiative On July 14
/After the City’s first Great Community Litter Clean-up events held during the spring, a Community Cigarette Butt and Litter Clean-Up planned by local group Clean Up Peterborough, will be held on July 14 with the City providing supplies and waste collection.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
