Clean Up Peterborough Collects Over 26,000 Writing Instruments to Be Recycled

Clean Up Peterborough (CUP) has wrapped up its month-long Writing Instrument Challenge and collected 26,772 used writing instruments from June 1 to 30.

Including smaller efforts from the past year, CUP has now collected 28,805 writing instruments since joining TerraCycle’s program in October last year. Photo courtesy of Clean Up Peterborough.

This included pens, markers, highlighters and mechanical pencils through 92 collection points the City and County of Peterborough.

“Our original target was 50,000, but the true goal was always to spark a wider conversation about waste diversion and community action,” said Steve Paul, Clean Up Peterborough founder. “In just one month, we reached thousands of people, saw 92 collection points established, and inspired many partners to continue collecting year-round. That impact far exceeded our expectations.”

The final tally was 158.11 kilograms of writing instruments — the equivalent of 18 full bags and one box — to be recycled through TerraCycle’s specialized program.

The following were the top three contributors:

  • Lakefield District Public School – 3,542 items

  • Douro-Dummer Municipal Office – 1,314 items

  • Avant Garden Shop – 1,138 items

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Hydro One's Grant Gives Up to $10,000 to 50 Communities For Ice Storm Recovery Efforts

To support local communities from the late March weather, Hydro One has named its 50 recipients of up to $10,000 for its Ice Storm 2025: Recovery Grant, announced at the Paul J. English Chemung Lions Park in Bridgenorth on Monday afternoon.

Sherry Senis, Selwyn Mayor (left); Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden (middle) and Bronwen Evans, Hydro One VP (right) planting the first tree at the Paul J. English Chemung Lions Park in Bridgenorth. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The grants support local recovery efforts from the widespread ice storm that left severe damage. The 50 recipients are local municipalities and Indigenous communities. Several Indigenous communities and municipalities declared states of emergency due to the storm with some places having ongoing clean-up.

“The ice storm caused severe and widespread impacts across the province, leaving many Indigenous communities and municipalities with devastating damage,” said Bronwen Evans, Hydro One Vice President. “We are incredibly grateful to the Indigenous community leaders, local staff and emergency responders who came together to support restoration efforts and keep everyone safe.”

Selwyn Township was one of the recipients and utilized the grant for its ReLeaf Program, donating more than 350 trees to residents who experienced vegetation loss as a result of the storm.

“Selwyn Township is incredibly grateful to Hydro One for their generous support,” said Sherry Senis, Selwyn Township Mayor. “This grant allows us to work with residents to contribute to the community's recovery and beautification. Together, we’re planting the seeds for a more resilient and sustainable future.”

“All of Peterborough County was deeply impacted by the ice storm this spring. Some places may never look the same,” said Bonnie Clark, Warden, Peterborough County. “It’s wonderful to see Hydro One in the community long after the power was restored to help with rebuilding.”

Each community had its respective uses for the grant money which included supplying emergency shelters, restoring biodiversity and more according to Evans.

“Some of the things that people applied for were simply cleaning up debris. You can see in different areas of the province where trees have fallen and they're hanging over the side of the highway and needed to be cleaned up,” she explained. “In other cases, it was water drainage infrastructure so we did leave it up to the municipalities and communities to identify what their unique needs were.”

The ice storm spanned three days of ice accumulation that uprooted trees, downed lines and more than 2,700 broken poles across the province according to Hydro One.

The following are the recipients of Hydro One's Ice Storm 2025: Recovery Grant:

  1. Alderville First Nation 

  2. Alnwick Haldimand Township 

  3. City of Barrie 

  4. Beausoleil Island First Nation 

  5. Town of Bracebridge 

  6. Municipality of Brighton 

  7. Brock Township 

  8. Cavan-Monaghan Township 

  9. Central Elgin Township 

  10. Municipality of Centre Hastings  

  11. Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation 

  12. Chippewas of Nawash First Nation 

  13. Chippewas of Rama First Nation 

  14. Curve Lake First Nation 

  15. Douro-Dummer Township 

  16. Essa Township 

  17. Georgian Bay Township 

  18. Georgian Bluffs Township 

  19. Town of Georgina 

  20. Haliburton County 

  21. Hamilton Township 

  22. Hiawatha First Nation 

  23. Town of Innisfil 

  24. North Kawartha Township 

  25. Marmora and Lake Township 

  26. Melancthon Township 

  27. Town of Midland 

  28. Minden Hills Township 

  29. Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation 

  30. Mono Township 

  31. Moose Deer Point First Nation 

  32. District Municipality of Muskoka 

  33. Muskoka Lakes Township 

  34. City of Orillia 

  35. Oro-Medonte Township 

  36. Town of Penetanguishene 

  37. Peterborough County

  38. Municipality of Port Hope 

  39. Ramara Township 

  40. Selwyn Township 

  41. Severn Township 

  42. Sheguiandah First Nation 

  43. Simcoe County 

  44. Southgate Township 

  45. Tay Township 

  46. Municipality of Trent Lakes 

  47. Municipality of Tweed 

  48. Uxbridge Township 

  49. Wahta Mohawk Nation 

  50. Wasauksing First Nation 

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GreenUP Replants Native Trees at Ecology Park to Restore Urban Canopy

GreenUP and several volunteers are sprucing up their Ecology Park as they restored their tree canopy along the Trans Canada Trail on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

Mayve Macfarlane (left), Kary MacMillan (middle) and Simon Dadds (right) toss compost on one of 12 full-size specimen trees. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Twelve large specimen trees and two large shrubs were planted. The previous trees had to be replaced due to severe weather in recent years and the presence of invasive pests.

The trees planted include Black Walnut, American Mountain Ash, Cucumber Magnolia, Eastern Redbud, and Pawpaw trees. Educational signage accompanies the trees to highlight their significance and 140 trees are being planted this fall, according to Tegan Moss, GreenUP executive director.

“Restoring the canopy is about more than trees, it’s about strengthening our connection to the land and investing in our community’s future,” she said.

The work was funded by an $8,000 Planting for Tomorrow grant which an anonymous donor also matched.

“We are grateful to the Trans Canada Trail and to all of our donors, for their support in protecting native biodiversity,” said Moss.

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Metal Theft Leads to Oily Sheen At Little Lake Says Hydro One

An oily sheen has appeared at Little Lake due to a spill at Hydro One’s Alymer Distribution Station, following a leak caused by metal theft.

crews attempt to contain the fuel spill and prevent spreading at the end of Jackson Creek back in late August of 2022. Photo By Luke Best.

Hydro One is covering the costs associated with the spill of the mineral oil from their station.

Hydro One has released the following statement:

“On May 29, a mineral oil spill was discovered at our Aylmer Distribution Station in Peterborough. The spill was the result of damage from metal theft which caused mineral oil to leak from equipment. Some of the released mineral oil entered Little Lake through the sewer system. Our environmental emergency response team was dispatched immediately to contain and clean up the mineral oil.

We have engaged the City of Peterborough and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on our response to this incident. Hydro One thanks the City of Peterborough for their support in managing this incident. Our goal, when responding to spills, is to prevent or mitigate potential impacts on the environment and to minimize customer service interruptions.

Metal theft is a serious issue for all utilities and electricity customers. Persons who engage in theft and/or vandalism put themselves, along with our employees, first responders and potentially the public at risk of severe injuries and death when removing metal from our equipment. Our electricity infrastructure should only be accessed by Hydro One’s highly skilled employees or approved contractors. If a member of the public witnesses a crime in progress or suspicious activity involving critical infrastructure, please call 911, your local police service or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.”

Hydro One reminds the public that non-toxic mineral oil is used to insulate transformers.

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Students Make a Splash At Peterborough Children's Water Festival

The Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) saw students in Grades 2-5 participating in more than 35 interactive learning centres designed for children to explore concepts of water conservation at the Riverview Park and Zoo.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The two-day event saw over 700 students on both days. There were 67 classes from over 29 schools that participated in the event.
 
“Pipe Patrol is a new activity centre offering a unique and engaging learning experience. Kids will dive into the fascinating world of urban infrastructure and discover how sewers are maintained,” said Patricia Skopelianos, Chair of the PCWF Organizing Committee. “They'll learn all about how the city is using cutting-edge CCTV cameras for inspection and powerful vacuum trucks for cleaning. It's a great way to foster an early understanding of essential community services and environmental responsibility.”
 
The PCWF is one of 25 water festivals taking place across the province this year. Since 2001, it has reached more than 31,000 elementary students and 6,500 teachers and parent helpers from across Peterborough City and County according to Skopelianos.
 
”We are very fortunate to once again have tremendous community support for this year’s Peterborough Children's Water Festival. Although local businesses and individuals have always made generous financial contributions, over 10 new supporters have come on board this year to help us make an impact,” she explained. “Our community helps make this Festival happen for so many classes across the region and offers this experiential opportunity to 140 high school volunteers.”

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Rotary Club of Peterborough Funds Environmental Innovator Projects

The Rotary Club of Peterborough awarded five environmental innovators with funding through its Rotary Environmental Innovators Fund (REIF) for proposed local projects at the McDonnel Activity Centre on Monday afternoon.

In its third year, REIF has already awarded more than $20 thousand dollars. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funding is for projects designed by environmental entrepreneurs that advance local environmental innovators working in biodiversity, water and wastewater technologies, climate change, sustainable living, pollution, waste disposal and more.

The following were the funding recipients:

$3,000 Top Awards:

  • Wildrock Outfitters / Kawartha Land Trust – Native Plant Horticulture for Invasive Species Control

  • Woodleigh Farms – Catching Carbon

  • Clean Energy Generation – Sanostrategy Wind Turbine Installation

$1,000 Runner-Up Awards:

  • Taproots for Tomorrow – Carbon-Positive Air-Prune Beds

  • Second Nature Studio – Plastic Waste to Purpose

This year’s REIF committee has received 16 applications for local projects.

The applications are judged based on how they might impact the local climate and environment, how innovative the project is compared to existing solutions, the project's practicality, expected benefits and how the funds would be used.

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Otonabee Conservation Releases 2024 Annual Report

Otonabee Conservation released its 2024 Annual Report to the Watershed Community at its board meeting on April 17, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

The report is an interactive, web-based story map featuring maps and videos highlighting last year’s accomplishments.

“This report highlights the power of collaboration—celebrating the shared accomplishments of our eight member municipalities, dedicated community organizations, staff, and the Board of Directors as we work together to protect and enhance the Otonabee Region watershed,” said Michael Metcalf, Otonabee Conservation Board of Directors Chair.

Highlights from 2024 include:

  • 910 trees and shrubs by 180 volunteers at 3 locations in the watershed

  • 427 daily canoe and kayak rentals in 2024 - 1,961 hours of paddling

  • 31,505 campers were hosted in our three campgrounds in 2024 and hosted 22,815 day-use visitors at Warsaw Caves Conservation Areas

  • 16 Flood Forecasting and Warning watershed safety messages were issued but did not issue any low water messages

  • 850 hours were spent engineering new models and finalizing new floodplain mapping in 2024, including for Byersville Creek and Jackson Creek

  • Two anniversaries for our Conservation Areas were celebrated last year, 30 years for Hardold Town and 60 Years for Warsaw Caves

“Otonabee Conservation’s 2024 Annual Report highlights the year’s accomplishments as we continue to address the impacts of climate change and foster collaboration to build a safer, more resilient watershed for everyone,” said Janette Loveys Smith, Otonabee Conservation CAO.

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City of Peterborough Recognizing Provincial Day of Action On Litter Tuesday

The City of Peterborough is celebrating the Provincial Day of Action on Litter on Tuesday.

So far this year, the City has supported 26 community cleanup events. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Observed on the second Tuesday of May each year, the initiative aims to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills or becoming litter by raising awareness of waste's impact on the environment.  

Ways to help reduce litter include:  

  • Reducing waste by using items or purchasing second-hand items 

  • Diverting waste from landfills by recycling or composting materials when and where possible    

  • Preventing waste and litter before it is created by choosing to buy goods with less packaging or by bringing a reusable container to take-out establishments that accept them 

  • Properly disposing of waste by making sure anything that does belong in the trash is securely placed in garbage bins to help keep neighbourhoods clean 

Groups can request a litter cleanup kit from the City of Peterborough’s Public Works department to assist in cleanup efforts. Litter cleanup kits can be obtained online.

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City of Peterborough Launches Home Retrofit Loan Program

The City of Peterborough has launched a new financing program for its residents, aimed at helping homeowners lower their energy bills, improve home comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Better Homes Peterborough is a four-year retrofit program offering low-interest financing, targeted incentives and personalized support to help homeowners navigate complex retrofits according to the City.

“Residential buildings contribute almost 40 per cent of local greenhouse gas emissions. Retrofitting your home is not just an investment in your house, but an investment in the collective future of our residents and our city,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “By taking individual steps to reduce our emissions we can help the city hit its target of net-zero by 2050. Better Homes Peterborough is a key part of that effort.”

“Programs like Better Homes Peterborough demonstrate how municipalities, financial institutions, and delivery partners can work together to remove barriers to deep energy retrofits,” said Melanie Johnston, EnviroCentre director of energy programs.

Upgrades can include insulation, windows, doors, heat pumps, air sealing, solar panels and battery storage, high-efficiency water heaters, lighting, EV chargers, and electrical upgrades. Homeowners can use up to 30 per cent of their retrofit loan for cosmetic or non-energy-related upgrades.

We know from experience that navigating energy rebate programs is challenging and the coaching that this new program will provide is critical to helping homeowners make their homes more comfortable and efficient,” Tegan Moss, GreenUP executive director, “We look forward to working with partners and participants to ensure that Better Homes Peterborough helps reduce emissions in our region.”

The City says improving a home’s energy efficiency can also help boost resiliency to extreme weather events.

The program is available to city residents who own detached or semi-detached houses, townhouses or small multi-unit buildings up to three storeys high.

Two financing options are available for residents - a Local Improvement Charge (LIC) Loan through the City of Peterborough or a personal loan through Kawartha Credit Union.

“We are proud to partner with the City of Peterborough on Better Homes Peterborough, which reflects our dedication to sustainability and to helping community members achieve their home improvement goals,” Norah McCarthy, Kawartha Credit Union  President and CEO.” We’re actively reducing our carbon footprint by choosing 100 per cent renewable energy, and we believe in empowering homeowners in our communities to embrace a greener future for all.”

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PRHC Surgical Department Launches "Bring Your Own Bag” Program For Plastic Use Reduction

With April as Earth Month, Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s (PRHC) Surgical Department is launching a Bring Your Own Bag program starting June 1, to reduce the use of plastic at the hospital and keep more plastic out of landfills, announced on Wednesday.

File photo.

According to PRHC, when patients arrive for planned surgeries and other procedures, they are provided with a plastic bag to store their clothing and personal belongings for a few hours while at the hospital. The surgical department distributes as many as 24,000 bags to patients annually. The initiative plans to reduce that number by at least 20 per cent in 2025/26.

The initiative is part of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). According to Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC president and CEO, the organization is pursuing this sustainability initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the care and service it provides.

“We have set out a path to strengthen our focus on environmental stewardship over the next several years, and this initiative is just one of many opportunities we are pursuing at PRHC to improve sustainability and reduce our environmental impact,” she said. “Last month, for example, we made the switch to a biodegradable nitrile glove product across the hospital. You can look forward to hearing more about these and other important improvement projects as we continue to make progress in this area.”

PRHC adopted the new PRIMED Sustain nitrile gloves last month. They offer the same protection and achieve 81% biodegradability in 490 days. As an added bonus, PRIMED is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated business.

Plastic bags will continue to be provided for patients who cannot bring their own including those who come to the hospital unexpectedly for urgent procedures but encourage those who can to do so.

The hospital recommends that patients bring two empty, grocery-sized reusable bags big enough to store everything they wear to the hospital on the day of their procedure. (The second bag is recommended to store shoes and outerwear separately.)

PRHC reminds patients to bring only essential items and to avoid bringing valuables, including jewelry, credit cards, and large amounts of money, when coming for a procedure.

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