Ontario’s Transportation Planning Survey Coming to Randomly Selected Households in Peterborough

Starting last fall and continuing this spring, approximately 1.4 million households in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and surrounding areas, including Peterborough, will be asked to take part in the Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS).

file photo.

The Transportation Tomorrow Survey is jointly undertaken by 25 funding agencies including the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), Metrolinx, the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), and municipalities across the study area. Results from this survey will help local and regional governments, as well as the province and transit agencies, make transportation planning and investment decisions.

Randomly selected households will receive an official invitation letter informing them they have been selected to take part in the survey. The invitation letter will provide households with a secure access code and more information about the survey. Participation in the survey is voluntary. Households can participate by accessing the project website, or by calling the survey hotline at 1-877-216-7786.

Canadian-based research firm R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. will conduct the survey on behalf of the participating agencies. The study runs from the fall of 2022 until spring of 2023 and the results will be and released in 2024. The Transportation Tomorrow Survey has been administered every five years since 1986.

Survey questions will focus on trip information for each household member, including origin, destination, time, reason for travel, mode of transportation, as well as some basic demographic questions. Residents that did not make any trips can still participate in the survey, as this helps build a snapshot of the travel patterns of the population as a whole and ensures the survey reflects the make-up of the general population. All survey responses will remain anonymous and will be combined with other responses in order to identify travel patterns.

For more information, visit the link.

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Ontario Invests $274,560 In Peterborough County Townships Through Municipal Modernization Program

The third intake of the Ontario Municipal Modernization Program will include the Townships of North Kawartha, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen and Trent Lakes.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The County of Peterborough, in partnership with its member municipalities, will receive investments for two projects.

The first project is a Joint Municipal Services Modernization Review. In partnership with the Townships of North Kawartha, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen and Trent Lakes, the County of Peterborough will purchase and implement new planning/land development cloud based software, which will enable planning customers to track their applications and status online and provide better levels of customer service.

This will enable the County to financially track work, make better data informed decisions and provide higher levels of customer response. It is estimated this will save the participating municipalities in excess of $500,000 in cost avoidance and cost reduction.

The second project is a Master Facilities Review. The County with participation from all 8 lower tier Townships will undergo a master facilities review. This review will look at each township’s current and future needs and locations and identify any opportunities for shared facilities/locations in the future. It is anticipated there will be cost savings identified and leveraged with this review.

The program’s third intake is providing over $28 million to help 322 small and rural municipalities find better and more efficient ways to deliver local services for residents and businesses.

“This investment will save the county and the lower-tier townships hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, with more areas to generate savings through a master facilities review,” MPP Dave Smith said. “The County of Peterborough, and the townships, will drive efficiencies and modernize the way local government operates in order to better serve ratepayers in our region,” MPP Dave Smith said.

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2022 Ontario 55+ Summer Games Is Looking For Volunteers

A call for volunteers is open for individuals who would like to support the 2022 Ontario 55+ Summer Games that is being held in the Peterborough area this summer.

File photo.

Positions are open in areas like security, medical, registration and food services to name a few.

The Ontario 55+ Summer Games which will be held throughout the Peterborough area from August 9-11.

The event is expected to draw up to 1,400 participants from across the province. The Games include 19 diverse events ranging from bid euchre, contract bridge and cribbage, to cycling, lawn bowling, golf, pickleball, slo-pitch, swimming, and tennis. The venues for the events will be located throughout the City and County.

Historically, the Ontario 55+ Summer Games generate about $2 million in positive economic impact for the host community. The Province of Ontario is also supporting the Games with a $235,000 investment. While the Games are held during the busy summer tourism season, events take place mid-week encouraging participants to come early and stay later, generating additional revenue for local business, attractions, and accommodation providers.

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Ontario To Scrap Licence Plate Sticker Renewal March 13

The Ontario government has announced it is ending licence plate renewal fees and sticker fees by March 13 and will refund the cost of stickers purchased over the past two years.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“We are eliminating licence plate renewal fees,” Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday morning. “And scrapping the requirement to have licence plate sticker for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds.”

Anyone who bought them from March 2020 onwards is eligible for a refund.

“This means over 7.5 million vehicle owners can expect a refund,” Ford said.

To recieve a refund drivers will need to make sure the address on their licence is up to date by March 7 online or by phone with ServiceOntario at 1-888-333-0049.

Any outstanding tickets or fines must be paid for before receiving a refund.

Refunds can be expected by the end of April via cheque.

No refunds will be given for the period of March 2020 to March 2022 for passenger, light-duty commercial vehicles, motorcycles or mopeds owned by a business, the government said.

In Tuesdays announcement Ford said licence plates will still need to be renewed but that it will be free with no sticker required.

This move will cost the province $1.1 billion a year in revenue and comes ahead of the Provincial election set for June.

“We’re just putting that back into your pocket and its about affordability,” Ford said.

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Free Fishing For Ontario From July 3 to 11

Summer is here and to celebrate, the Ontario government is allowing families to fish for free from July 3 to July 11.

Bud Fisher (pictured), co-founder of Catchin’ Deers, a hunting brand, has almost 30,000 followers on Instagram. File Photo

“Fishing is a time-honoured tradition and terrific way for families to spend time together,” says Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry in a media release. “I hope everyone in Ontario is able to head down to a lake or river and take part in free fishing week this year.”

For the rest of the year, anyone between 18 and 65 has to have an outdoors card and a fishing license though veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members residing in Ontario are exempt.

Those taking part in this initiative are reminded to respect the public health regulations of step two of its reopening plan including outdoor gathering restrictions.

While you will not require any license to fish at these times, anglers still must follow conservation licence catch limits, obey size limits and sanctuaries and follow all other fishing regulations and rules.

Children 12 and younger can download and colour the licence-free fishing colouring page to be entered to win one of five fishing prize packs. To download click here.

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You Can Airbnb It At An Awesome Geo Dome On A Farm Near Peterborough Overlooking A Pond

With staycations now becoming the It thing in this pandemic era, Millen + Smith Acres farm in Keene, Ontario near Peterborough is delivering on that in a beautiful way, bringing you back to nature with farm animals grazing near you while you chillax in their just launched Geo dome.

The Geo dome, which includes a king size bed, love seat and wood stove, is nestled right over a pond that’s perfect for bird watching and canoeing in the summer, and skating in the winter months. In true rustic fashion, there is no bathroom but there is an outhouse close by.

Owners Matt Smith and Jenn Austin-Driver have created quite the utopian-like getaway. Imagine staying in a Geo dome in the great Canadian outdoors with its own pond, while nearby you are sheep, alpacas, chickens, geese, ducks, goats, cows, horses and two pot belly pigs (Billy Ray and Jolene) that you can visit by hiking around acres and acres at the farm. Pretty idyllic, eh?

At night, you can rock your best Canadian plaid while strumming your guitar and singing along to Gordon Lightfoot songs in the private campfire area, with your cooler stocked full of say, Bobcaygeon beer, while you view the constellations. It’s magical stuff.

Jenn Austin-Driver tells PTBOCanada that the inspiration for the farm and Geo dome came from the growing trend of staycations and farm stays the couple were seeing and partaking in themselves on Airbnb.

“We wanted to incorporate additional options for Agri tourism on our farm and thought this would be a really cool and modern attraction,” says. “We started doing farm tours on Airbnb this summer and it’s been amazing—we’ve hosted over 150 guests for tours since August!”

Owners Matt Smith and Jenn Austin-Driver at the farm

The couple has had such amazing feedback from the day trippers and are seeing first hand the increase in people wanting to connect with nature and farm animals, and learn about the local food cycle.

“We want make connections with as many folks as possible through as many diverse avenues as possible,” Austin-Driver tells PTBOCanada. “The more time we spend connecting and talking about the farm and sustainable farming practices, the more people think about incorporating better food choices into their day to day, and in turn farmers are highlighted more and more—which only helps our local agricultural industry. Farmers feed cities.”

The Geo dome just opened overnight last week, and has already started to fill their remaining 2020 fall/winter dates. This thing is sure to be a hit right into 2021 and beyond.

“The Geo dome is a year-round stay, with tons of seasonal activities to partake in on and locally off the farm,” Austin-Driver tells PTBOCanada. For those concerned with Covid cleaning, the couple adheres to rigid Covid cleaning policies and procedures to protect hosts and guests alike.

For more on the farm, check out the Airbnb listing here, the Instagram page here (this farm is so gram worthy), and Facebook here.

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