Selwyn Township Office Receives $100,000 in Funding

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The Township of Selwyn has received $100,000 through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan to support upgrades to improve the customer service entrance to the Selwyn Township Municipal Office.

Image courtesy of Selwyn Township

Image courtesy of Selwyn Township

The COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream, implemented in response to the pandemic, allows the Government of Canada to invest up to 80 percent of total eligible costs for projects in provinces. The Ontario government will invest 20 percent of the eligible costs for projects across the province.

“The health and safety of our ratepayers, particularly during these uncertain times, is of the utmost importance,” said Andy Mitchell, Mayor of Selwyn Township. “This funding will allow the Township to retrofit its Administrative Office to provide a safer, more reliable atmosphere while ensuring the highest level of customer service now and in the future.”

The pandemic brought to light challenges that exist with the Municipal Office as it relates to adequate separation for customers to enter and exit the building. This funding will be used to retrofit the entrance of the Selwyn Municipal Office to support adequate physical distancing, and ensure that accessibility is maintained.

The Government of Canada is investing $200 million in municipalities through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is contributing $50 million.

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Downtown Curbside Pickup Parking Zones Being Removed

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The designated curbside pickup parking zones in downtown Peterborough will begin to be removed this week with the regular parking rules resuming for those spaces.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough

The City created the curbside pickup zones in January 2021 to assist residents and businesses during the provincewide lockdown.

With the easing of public health regulations allowing the return of indoor dining, retail and many personal services, curbside pickup activity has reduced according to the City.

The City consulted with the Downtown Business Improvement Area and several downtown businesses on the current need for the designated curbside pickup parking spaces since the province has emerged from the lockdown and public health regulations have eased to allow more indoor activities.

By resuming regular parking rules for these spaces, customers will be able to use the spaces for up to two hours instead of the reduced 15-minute limit for the designated curbside pickup parking zones.

Residents and visitors are reminded that on-street parking in the downtown is limited to a maximum period of two hours unless otherwise posted, and parking rates are $1.50 for each hour.

Customers can pay for parking at a parking meter or a pay-and-display machine with coins. The HotSpot App allows customers to pay for parking with credit or debit.

Parking is free evenings after 6 p.m., weekends and statutory holidays. The first hour of parking is free at the King Street Parkade on King Street between George and Aylmer streets.

The City will continue to monitor parking requirements and any changes to public health regulations to consider further adjustments to parking services, if necessary.

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New Pool Pod Improves Accessibility At Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre

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A new portable Pool Pod that can assist people with mobility impairments to get in and out of a pool has been installed at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre thanks to a $50,000 grant from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, a national charity dedicated to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in an effort to provide inclusive play for kids
of all abilities.

The City of Peterborough was selected as one of nine inaugural Jumpstart Accessibility Grant recipients for the Pool Pod project, improving the accessibility of the community facility. A ribbon cutting for the new pool pod took place Thursday (February 7th) with Mayor Therrien.

Ribbon cutting ceremony on February 7th (photo courtesy City of Peterborough)

The new lift equipment improves the ability of people with mobility impairments to independently use the leisure pool, where previously they may have required assistance from a lifeguard.

The Pool Pod provides safe, efficient access to the pool, allowing more people to enter and exit the pool in a short period of time. This will enhance the Centre’s ability to develop specific recreational and therapeutic pool programming for people with physical disabilities.

New pool pod in use (photo courtesy City of peterborough)

The City of Peterborough tweeted out video of the new pool pod in use…

With the installation of the Pool Pod, Chelsey Gray, Aquatics Coordinator says that “work has begun to develop and deliver specialized aquatics programming supporting recreational and therapeutic participants. Our new programming will support children, families and agencies such as Five Counties Children’s Centre with recreational and therapeutic adapted swim lessons.”

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How A Peterborough Woman With A Prosthetic Got Her Fitting Paddle

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Peterborough’s Rachel Quilty was born with a partial left arm and has lived with a prosthetic for most of her life. The 19-year-old, who is affiliated with War Amps, had always wanted to become a camp counsellor at Camp Oconto—an all-girls camp where she had spent many years as a camper.

With her prosthetic, she wasn’t able to complete level D instruction with a traditional paddle which she’d need to teach canoeing as a counsellor. After seeking advice from fellow camp counsellors and getting the word out, The Canoe Museum writes in a blog post how volunteers, retail business and organizations came together to make a paddle that worked for her.

Photo of Rachel with her fitted paddle courtesy Canoe Museum

THE ORIGINAL PROTOTYPES

“Wild Rock Outfitters donated a used paddle for the first prototype, in which a hole was added to accommodate the hook at the end of her prosthetic arm,” the Canoe Museum writes. More than 10 design prototypes were made over the next year to fit with Rachel’s prosthetic.

When Five Counties Children’s Centre asked Wild Rock if there was anyone they could recommend as this project evolved to find her the perfect fitting paddle, they suggested the Canadian Canoe Museum and that’s where volunteer Rick Schuett became involved.

Rachel and Rick at Canoe Museum

Rick, who has been creating custom canoe paddles for three decades, carves paddles on the second floor in the artisan exhibit area on Fridays. Rick’s first paddle for Rachel worked well, with its middle connector on the shaft for movement, but over time the constant pressure eventually broke it apart and the metal hook from her prosthetic wore down the wood on the paddle’s grip.

For the second paddle, the Canoe Museum says that “Rick re-designed the middle connector pieces with stronger materials that enabled the lower portion of the paddle to be mobile for more ease and control. In addition, he added a piece of metal to the paddle’s grip to prevent wear and tear from the hook.”

Photo courtesy Canoe Museum

HOW RACHEL USES THE PADDLE

-> Rachel puts the hook from her prosthetic arm through the hole in the grip and uses her right arm to move the bottom of the paddle.

-> The notch in the middle acts as the wrist she doesn’t have on her left hand and then she’s able to maneuver the paddle to perform various strokes.

With Rick’s expertise and dedication, he has given Rachel the means to accomplish her goals. The Canoe Museum says that in addition to becoming a camp counsellor, Rachel is working as a certified lifeguard and swim instructor at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre where she also uses the specialized paddle to teach swimming.

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Accessible Wheelchair Swing Is Now Open At Zoo After Modifications

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After some modifications, the Riverview Park & Zoo has announced on their Facebook page that that their accessible wheelchair swing is now open to the public.

"We have completely removed the wood fiber ground covering and replaced it with interlocking soft tile for easier access to the swings with wheelchairs," the zoo says in a Facebook post.

If you want to use the accessible wheelchair swing, the zoo says to visit guest services (open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week) for help and instructions.

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An Accessibility Mat Has Been Installed At Beavermead Beach

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The City of Peterborough, along with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, have announced the installation of a beach access mat at Beavermead Beach (2011 Ashburnham Drive).

The access mat is designed to enhance accessibility at the beach. The mat provides a walkway across the sand, allowing for easier access to the water for everyone—including people who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids, as well as parents with strollers.

A ribbon cutting will take place on Friday (August 25th) at 3 p.m. at Beavermead Beach. The public are invited out to the ribbon cutting to celebrate the community's continued commitment to accessibility.

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