New Canadians Centre Adds Five Client Meeting Rooms After $166,500 Grant

By Scott Arnold

Renovations at the New Canadians Centre have created five additional meeting rooms where newcomers can privately access settlement services and support.

$166,500 OTF Grant from the Province helps New Canadians Centre create safer, more welcoming spaces for newcomers (photo courtesy of new canadians centre)

The improvements were made possible through a $166,500 Capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, awarded last summer.

The renovated space is part of the New Canadians Centre’s former St. James United Church building, which the organization purchased in 2025. The new rooms provide additional private, accessible and welcoming spaces for staff to meet with newcomers for settlement support, referrals and guidance.

“This grant allowed us to complete one of our first major improvements to the space, creating more private and welcoming areas where newcomers can access support with dignity,” said Jeeniraj (JJ) Thevasagayam, Executive Director of the New Canadians Centre.

The New Canadians Centre has been supporting immigrants and refugees in Peterborough and surrounding communities for more than 40 years.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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New Outdoor Gathering Space Opens at Lakehurst Hall in Trent Lakes

By Scott Arnold

Residents in Trent Lakes have a new place to gather, enjoy community events and spend time outdoors thanks to a major upgrade at Lakehurst Hall.

$185,400 OTF Grant Provides new Outdoor Event Space to Foster Recreation Opportunities for all Ages (photo courtesy of The Municipality of Trent Lakes)

A new outdoor event space, known as the Lakehurst Hall Lower Bowl, has officially opened after being built with the help of a $185,400 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant awarded to the Municipality of Trent Lakes.

Designed to host arts, recreation and community programming, the new space features three tiers of armour stone seating with room for about 70 people overlooking a grassy performance area. An accessible ramp and armour stone sound barrier wall were also included as part of the project.

The Lower Bowl includes a 70-person capacity, three tier, armour stone seating area facing a grass platform, along with an accessible ramp and an armour stone sound barrier wall (photo couresy of The Municipality of Trent Lakes)

The improvements extend beyond the event space. The funding also helped create a new trailhead and upgraded greenspace behind Lakehurst Hall, connecting visitors to a 1.7-kilometre walking trail.

Lakehurst Hall is one of the Municipality of Trent Lakes' community halls and is operated by a volunteer board that hosts events and manages bookings throughout the year.

Mayor Terry Lambshead said the new space will provide an inclusive and accessible place for community gatherings, celebrations and outdoor activities for years to come.

Anyone interested in booking the outdoor space or Lakehurst Hall can contact the Lakehurst Community Hall Board.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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