City of Peterborough Rewarded $1.88 Million From Provincial Government For Exceeded Its 2023 Housing Target

After Peterborough exceeded its 2023 housing target and broke ground on 506 new housing units last year, the provincial government rewarded the City with $1,880,000 through the Building Faster Fund, announced at City Hall on Monday morning.

(From left to right) Councillor Leslie Parnell; Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP; Matthew Rae, Perth-Wellington MPP and Mayor Jeff Leal. In 2022, Ontario saw the second-highest number of housing starts since 1988, with just over 96,000 new homes. Ontario also broke ground on nearly 15,000 new purpose-built rentals, the highest number ever on record. pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

The announcement was made by Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing who was in attendance of the press conference.

“I want to congratulate Peterborough and all municipalities that have worked hard to get shovels in the ground faster,” he said. “Our challenge to these municipalities now is to redouble their efforts to build more homes than ever before so we can improve affordability and keep the dream of homeownership alive in Ontario. Our government will be there to support you every step of the way.”

Last August, the Ontario government announced the Building Faster Fund, a new three-year, $1.2 billion program to provide significant funding based on performance against provincial housing targets to address the housing supply crisis.

Municipalities that have reached at least 80 percent of their housing target receive funding, and municipalities that exceed it receive increased funding.

“We have a target that we have to achieve by 2031 of 4,700 units as part of the overall provincial pledge that the Premier announced last August,” explained Mayor Jeff Leal.”

He continued to explain that this is a step toward making housing in Peterborough more available and affordable to rent or purchase.

“We want to move that vacancy rate from one per cent to a three per cent level which would be much more healthy and that would moderate rent in the City of Peterborough and provide opportunities for young people to buy that first home,” said Leal.

Any unspent funding can contribute to housing-enabling infrastructure to all municipalities, including those that have already received funding due to reaching their targets, through an application process.

In addition, ten per cent — or $120 million — of the Building Faster Fund is being set aside for small, rural, and northern municipalities to help build housing-enabling infrastructure and prioritize projects that speed up the increase in housing supply according to a press release.

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$8.6 Million Invested Into Home Energy Efficiency Program For Affordable Heating In Peterborough

In an effort to fight climate change and reduce costs to homeowners, the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are investing $8.6 million to launch the City of Peterborough’s Home Energy Efficiency Program.

(From left to right) Michael Papadacos, City of Peterborough Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management; Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada; Jeff Leal, Mayor of Peterborough; Tegan Moss, GreenUp executive director; Rowena Santos, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Brampton Councillor; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden; Kevin Duguay, Peterborough City Councillor and Michelle Ferreri, Peterborough-Kawartha MP. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The announcement was made with several dignitaries attending in front of an East City residence Thursday afternoon. Notables included Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada; Councillor Rowena Santos of Brampton; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden; Michelle Ferrari, Peterborough-Kawartha MP and Councillor Kevin Duguay.

The money is through a $2.87 million grant and a $5.75 million loan from the Green Municipal Fund’s Community Efficiency Financing program.

“This particular program will roll out right away,” said Leal. “This is a unique opportunity to take advantage of this Government of Canada administered through FCM to get your applications in, get your changes made and make things more energy-efficient.”

The offers homeowners and renters two loan choices: one tied to the property via a Local Improvement Charge and the other an unsecured loan provided directly from a partnering financial institution.

The loans are capped at $125,000 or 10 per cent of the current property value. They can finance home energy efficiency improvements that lower emissions, reduce energy costs, and enhance comfort by upgrading windows, doors, air sealing and insulation and installing low-emission heating such as heat pumps and alternative energy sources like solar panels according to a press release.

The program aims to help approximately 600 households retrofit their homes. This results in total reductions in emissions of 825 tonnes of CO2 per year, saving over 28,000 gigajoules of energy.

While this applies to homeowners, the federal government seeks solutions for those renting, especially those paying utilities.

“This is obviously for people who already are homeowners that these programs are being offered,” said Guilbeault. “We are looking what can be done also with people who rent, whether they're not owners of the building in terms of how can we help them and perhaps these owners to increase the energy efficiency of those units as well.”

In 2019, under former mayor Diane Therrien, the City of Peterborough declared a climate emergency. It updated its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Roughly 23 per cent of emissions in the city come from the 34,660 residential dwellings as stated in a press release.

“We are, in fact, working with municipalities, provincial governments and organizations across the country to increase the rate of new building homes being built in Canada,” said Guilbeault. “Through the first-ever Canada's housing strategy, we're deploying billions of dollars and we are starting to see more and more buildings being built all across the country.”

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Peterborough Child and Family Services Gets a Technological Update After a $23,800 Provincial Grant

The Peterborough Child and Family Centres (PCFC) get ‘plugged in’ with technological infrastructure upgrades after an Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund of $23,800 announced on Friday morning.

Peterborough Child and Family Services serves roughly 3,000 people and 1,600 families each year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This funding allowed the Centre to purchase laptops for staff, an upgraded phone system and an Owl Labs Meeting Camera. The camera allows staff conferences and offers hybrid workshops for in-person and virtual meetings for serviced families.

The Centre says these items are essential for their ongoing operation of programs and services. It helps to better connect with the families it serves, volunteers and staff and adapt to the community's evolving needs without disrupting services.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support in bringing our technology infrastructure to where it needs to be to ensure a thriving future for the organization,” said Nicola Lyle, PCFC CEO. “This grant will significantly enhance our ability to connect with families, provide versatility in our service provision, and support our staff and organization for years to come.”

“I cannot say enough about the work that the Peterborough Child and Family Centre does for our area,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “To now have the ability to offer these services remotely means that more families have access to programs that benefit the development and growth of our future generation.”

The money was given incrementally since last April. During that time, the Centre had gradually upgraded its technology infrastructure.

For over 40 years, PCFC has helped families with young children and/or is expecting to provide tools, resources and knowledge to support the growth and development of children aged zero to six.

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13 Business Startups to 'LevelUP' Through Innovation Cluster Peterborough's Accelerator Program

The Innovation Cluster has released the 13 companies selected for the inaugural cohort of LevelUP, a groundbreaking startup accelerator program, announced at the Venture North Building on Tuesday morning.

Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster.

LevelUP is a fully-funded, comprehensive startup accelerator created for experienced entrepreneurs and regional innovators according to a press release.

“The selection of these 13 companies for LevelUP is a milestone for our region,'“ said Camila Duarte, Innovation Cluster executive director. “We are fostering a sustainable ecosystem where innovation and economic growth thrive together. This program symbolizes our commitment to transforming our region into a vibrant hub for entrepreneurs.”

The program offers mentorship, workshops, networking opportunities and access to funding to transform startups into thriving businesses. It acts as a fast-track program to bring more products and businesses to market in the region.

LevelUP runs in three cohorts annually, hosting a select number of companies over a 12-week journey culminating in a competition where they will pitch for investment and compete for prizes up to $10,000 and access an exclusive AI platform - Pitch Bob - per cohort.

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Six Fleming College Paramedic Students Take An Icy Dip For Campbellford Memorial Hospital

Six Fleming College Paramedic students are taking the plunge to benefit Campbellford Memorial Hospital’s campaign to buy a new CT scanner, announced on Friday.

Fleming’s plunge from last year. Photo courtesy of Fleming College.

The Medic Mavericks team consists of Fleming students Danielle Blavert, Theo Guenther, Keyanna O’Rourke, Emily Escott, Maddie Mason-Gaynor, and Taiya Martin.

A goal of $1,000 is set to help the hospital’s cause.

The students will be dressed in their paramedic uniforms and will brave Trent River’s frigid temperatures on Saturday at noon. They will jumpfrom the shoreline at Lion’s Club Park in Campbellford. 

Donors can go online to give to the Medic Maverick’s campaign.

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Peterborough Police Receive $167,000 From Provincial Government to Fight Against Hate Crimes

A portion of money confiscated by the police from crimes is being reinvested in the Peterborough Police Service with $167,000 from the Ontario government to differentiate a hate bias incident and a hate crime, announced at the Peterborough Police Station on Friday afternoon.

MPP Dave Smith (left) and Chief Stuart Betts (right) making the joint announcement at the Peterborough Police Station. Ontario is investing more than $1.7 million to help stop hate-motivated crimes across the province. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The announcement was made by Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP so the police can develop a deeper understanding of hate crimes and hate bias to create informed and efficient responses and strategies.

“There is no better way to use the proceeds from crimes then using that money on prevention,” said Smith. “We are seeing a rise in hate-related incidents and it is unacceptable in our community. Everyone deserves the safety and assurances that they will not be targeted because of their beliefs, race, or sexual orientation.”

This project will include a Campaign designed to educate the Community about the distinction between hate bias and hate crime, streamline reporting protocols and the role of law enforcement and the collective accountability inherent in countering these issues. A comprehensive hate incident database will also be established.

Since 2018, Ontario has invested more than $16 million in crime prevention initiatives across the province through the Proceeds of Crime Front-Line Policing Grant program.

“Not only will a comprehensive hate incident database be developed but there will be ongoing training for all members of the Service and a public education campaign to inform members of our community about when and how to report to police as well as the difference between a hate bias incident and a hate crime,” said Chief Stuart Betts. “It’s important for us to know when these types of incidents happen and that all residents continue to feel safe in reporting them. Community safety is always our top priority, and we want to do everything we can to ensure a safe inclusive community for all.”

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OLG Issues Third-Quarter Gaming Revenue Payment to Peterborough of $700,000

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has made their third quarter payment totalling $704,652 to the City of Peterborough for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough announced on Friday morning.

Since 1994, host communities have received more than $2 billion in non-tax gaming revenue. File Photo.

The quarter was from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.

During OLG’s fiscal year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), Peterborough has received $2,294,602. Since the gaming site opened in October 2018, Peterborough has amassed $11,698,967 according to a press release.

These payments to host communities are based on a formula consistently applied across all gaming sites in Ontario using a graduated scale of gaming revenue at the hosted site as stated in a press release. 

“OLG continues to provide Municipality Contribution Agreement payments to gaming host communities for vital programs and services that benefit all Ontarians,” ssaid Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “Land-based casinos offer good, local jobs and play an important role in supporting strong, vibrant communities for families to live, work and play.”

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Community Futures Peterborough To Give $50,000 To Peterborough and County Projects In New Funding Program Launch

Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) has launched a new funding program called the Community Advancement Program (CAP) to distribute $50,000 to projects driving economic stability, job growth and job creation which was announced at the Venture North Building on Tuesday morning.

(From left to right) Charlina Westbye, CFP board chair; Devon Girard, CFP executive director; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County warden and Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The program provides a maximum of up to $5,000 (non-repayable funding) to each successful applicant for their project. It is open to all businesses, not-for-profits and individuals in the City and County of Peterborough.

“The creation of this program demonstrates the commitment our organization has to advancing our local community forward,” said Devon Girard, CFP executive director. “The distribution of $50,000 in our economy should make a real difference to drive various economic development initiatives.”

CFP seeks projects that boost community business attraction, investment, retention and employment. Applications are being accepted until March 8, when a committee will oversee the applicant process following the deadline.

“The Community Advancement Program will boost economic development in our region by helping businesses, non-profits and individuals in the City and County of Peterborough to invest in their community,” said Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor. 

“Community Futures Peterborough, with the support of FedDev Ontario, continues to help our business community reach its full potential,” said Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden. “The CAP program will help businesses to adapt, innovate, and grow to serve our communities including those in rural Peterborough County.”

The federal government funds the money through FedDev Ontario.

CFP will notify selected applicants in April, according to Girard. Applications are available online at CFP’s website.

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Ontario Government Invests Over $10 Million to Peterborough and County For Infrastructure; Mayor Jeff Leal to Prioritize Fixing Downtown Roads, Calling Them 'Embarrassing'

The Ontario Government has invested $10,154,936 into Peterborough-Kawartha to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure for 2024.

Mayor Jeff Leal wants to prioritize upgrading several deteriorated downtown roads, calling them ‘an embarrassment.’

In 2023, the Ontario government provided $400 million in funding through OCIF to 425 communities. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund to help support economic growth and job creation, according to Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP.

“This investment of over $10 million will improve infrastructure throughout the municipalities in the region,” he said. “It is formula-based funding that is sent out to the municipalities each year and is something they can count on to plan for critical infrastructure projects.”

The following is what each municipality is receiving from the $10 million:

• North Kawartha: $100,000

• Trent Lakes: $119,868

• Douro-Dummer: $161,441

• Havelock-Belmont-Methuen: $180,124

• Selwyn: $304,404

• Peterborough County: $996,071

• Peterborough: $8,293,028

Leal was adamant about upgrading downtown roads such as Aylmer Street, George Street and Water Street.

“Some of these projects had been on the books for well over two decades,” he said.

The dilapidated roads are not representative of what Downtown Peterborough is supposed to be, according to Leal.

“When people come to the City of Peterborough, they drive to Downtown. What impression do we want them to have for the City of Peterborough?” he said. “The impression we want them to have is an innovative, growing and a progressive community and not talk about washboard streets in your downtown corner.”

Leal continued to label the roads as an embarrassment which should be addressed with the funds from the 2024 budget.

“As I've said many times, they're an embarrassment,” he explained. “An embarrassment to me and an embarrassment to every citizen in the City of Peterborough. You can't have your downtown streets in that kind of condition.”

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Ontario Government Invests Nearly $60,000 For Rural Economic Growth

The Ontario government, through through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Rural Economic Development Program is providing $59,768 to Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) and the City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL) for rural economic growth.

The project is partly funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funding aids the ‘Growing the Local Food Wholesale Market’ in the Kawartha region. The multi-phase, multi-year initiative aims to scale up local food production and regional wholesale marketing to create a more robust availability of locally produced foods through local wholesale channels, according to a press release.

“Investments in rural communities help diversify and grow local economies, making growth more inclusive in our region,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “Good things grow in Ontario when we nurture local entrepreneurs and give them the tools they need to collaborate and innovate.”

The project is a collaboration between PKED and CKL to expand local food production and consumption capacity by connecting, training and coaching food producers and buyers. This project builds upon previous agricultural economic development initiatives by PKED and CKL. It seeks to take the next step in expanding the local wholesale food marketplace, including tailored aggregation and distribution systems. 

The RED program provides cost-share funding for activities that create strong rural communities. This includes funding assistance to build local capacity and improve job prospects. The program aligns with the government’s priorities of removing barriers to investment, opening doors to rural economic development and creating good jobs across the province. 

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