Trent Valley Archives Offering New Walking Tour Through Jackson Park
/Trent Valley Archives (TVA) is offering a new hour and a half walking tour through Peterborough’s Jackson Park on Thursday, June 15.
photo courtesy of trent valley archives.
Peterborough Blogs
GreenUP’s Ecology Park Nursery Opening Event Sparks the Summer Season of Growing
/The GreenUP Ecology Park Native Plant & Tree Nursery hosted its Annual Spring Opening Event on May 20; marking the start of the gardening season for hundreds of local gardeners.
photo courtesy of greenup, facebook.
The Ecology Park Native Plant & Tree Nursery is open every year from the Victoria Day long weekend until the Friday before Thanksgiving.
Ecology Park Nursery is known as one of the best local sources for native plants, with over 200 types of edible and native varieties of plants, shrubs, and trees. This year, GreenUP and Ecology Park featured a self-serve bulk compost and mulch station, as well as being host to the first naturalized playscape in Peterborough for the young and young-at-heart to play on while surrounded by plants for sale.
“The Ecology Park Native Plant & Tree Nursery offers climate-resilient plants that are grown slowly and intentionally for the growing season in Peterborough,” said Vern Bastable, director of Ecology Park and GreenUP’s Landscaping Programs.
The Ecology Park Native Plant & Tree Nursery is located at 1899 Ashburnham Drive, with parking available at the Beavermead parking lot via Marsdale Drive. The Ecology Park Nursery will be open Thursdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. 4 p.m. until closing on Thanksgiving weekend. Interested patrons can visit the website and explore native plants that the nursery may carry online before arriving at the park, where the summer staff will assist in finding the desired plants.
“Investing in native species can reap benefits for decades, creating a legacy of a vibrant, healthy community,” continues Bastable. “Native species have developed complex evolutionary relationships with other native species. They belong here, are a familiar part of the landscape, and they support our health and the health of the ecosystem at large.”
The Ecology Park Nursery is operated by GreenUP, this region’s leading environmental non-profit charity. All proceeds from sales support GreenUP’s environmental programs in communities across the Peterborough region.
Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group Seeking Volunteers To Help Clean Up Armour Hill
/The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group is looking for volunteers to help clean up a winter of garbage buildup at Ashburnham Memorial Park (Armour Hill) on April 15.
photo courtesy of the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group.
“Your efforts at the last clean-ups have made a big difference to the health, safety and beauty of the park and we really cherish your kindness in doing so,” said the Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group in a press release. “Your contribution to these events is very helpful in moving towards positive changes for Ashburnham Memorial Park, and these efforts demonstrate that the community cares about this Heritage Park.”
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, participants will meet at Rube Brady Park at the basketball court at the bottom of the toboggan hill (corner of Armour Road and Munroe Ave) rain or shine.
The group advises participants to dress for the weather, and to expect mud throughout the park (rain boots are strongly recommended.) Bring a reusable coffee mug, water bottle, work gloves (optional) and garbage grabbers (optional). and appropriate attire for the weather. Supplies are provided.
For more information visit the website.
GreenUP Naturalized Playscape Welcomes the Public To Ecology Park
/GreenUP welcomes the community to visit Peterborough’s first natural playscape on public lands; celebrating with a ribbon cutting event on Friday afternoon.
Thanks to a $52,800 grant from the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2021, as well as the support of GreenUP donors, the organization was able to fund the playscape.
The climbing structures added in 2022 were designed by Henry Kortekaas & Associates Inc. and constructed by The Little Building Company.
“I hope that when children play on this natural playscape, they feel a stronger connection to their natural surroundings, and are given the opportunity to learn and engage in unstructured, imaginative play,” said Sean Harris, owner of The Little Building Company. “They can test their limits with the unconventional climbing structure, or interact with the playground perimeter, which features rocks and logs for jumping and balancing. The soft texture and irregularities of the locally sourced white cedar offer a refreshing change from the familiar plastic and metal surfaces. When I look at the playscape, I see not only a fun space for children to play and learn, but also an environmentally responsible play area with low embodied carbon cost and no landfill waste at the end of its lifetime.”
The Naturalized Playscape is the fourth of five capital projects that GreenUP plans to complete in Ecology Park.
GreenUp says they are proud of how this project has re-imagined and restored the Ecology Park Children’s Garden.
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Repairs to Kirkfield Lift Lock To Begin; Temporary Lane Closures on Kirkfield Road
/Parks Canada advises that there will be intermittent single-lane closures on Kirkfield Road, at Lock 36 near the community of Kirkfield in the City of Kawartha Lakes between Feb. 21 and Feb. 24.
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.
The single-lane closure is required to facilitate the placement of a crane as work continues on repairs to the Kirkfield Lift Lock.
Flaggers will be in place, and the public can expect short delays.
Parks Canada thanks nearby area residents and visitors for their patience during this closure.
Quaker Foods City Square Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Cancelled Due To Impending Protest; Activities To Proceed
/The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Quaker Foods City Square this Saturday has been put on hold due to an impending protest however, family activities will proceed as normal announced on Wednesday.
THE PARK WAS OPEN TEMPORARILY ON CANADA DAY FOR A RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY OF A NEW UN PEACEKEEPERS MONUMENT. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The protest arranged by Michelle McQuaid is known as the ‘Concrete Priorities Protest’ to protest the City’s celebration and spending on the park , especially the heated concrete while Peterborough is undergoing a homelessness crisis.
The $6.4-million project was supported by a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, to support the construction of the rink, as well as landscaping and water features.
The City also used $677,909 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from its share of gaming revenues provided as a host community for a casino, and $50,000 from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area to support the project. PepsiCo Foods, through its Quaker brand, is providing approximately $240,000 over 15 years for the naming rights to the public square.
Former Mayor Diane Therrien declared a state of emergency on homelessness in Peterborough after calling a special city council meeting on Oct. 13. This occurred a few weeks prior to the municipal election when Therrien said she would not run for another mayoral term.
McQuaid stated the following on the social media event on the City’s alleged inaction on the homelessness issue:
“I know tents are not ideal, but they would be alot more comfortable on HEATED PAVEMENT! We have community members sleeping outside, in cars, tents... Whatever shelter they can make... ...and The City of Peterborough decides to celebrate? I'd like to know exactly what they are celebrating and acknowledge what they are choosing to ignore.”
The protest is still scheduled to occur despite the City withdrawing certain activities and the ribbon-cutting ceremony according to the Facebook event.
The City has stated that speeches will be rescheduled to thank the partners and sponsors that contributed to the park’s construction but has yet to release a date.
The family activities are still scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p..m. There is outdoor skating, face painting and a DJ to play music during the event. Hot chocolate, sweet treats, stilt walkers and performance artists were scheduled for the event but have been withdrawn due to the protest.
The square is located at the former Louis Street Parking Lot off the corner of Aylmer Street and Charlotte Street. It is a year-round space for community events and activities. The space includes a refrigerated outdoor skating rink during winter and a water play feature for the summer.
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Quaker Foods City Square To Officially Open On Dec. 17
/A community celebration for the official opening of Quaker Foods City Square on Charlotte Street is occurring on Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., announced by the City of Peterborough on Tuesday.
The park was open temporarily on Canada Day for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new UN Peacekeepers Monument. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The celebration includs outdoor skating, music, hot beverages, face painting for children and other activities.
The public square is located on the site of the former Louis Street Parking Lot and is a year-round space for community events and activities with family-friendly features. It will included a refrigerated outdoor skating rink for the winter and water play for the summer.
The celebration is being run by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
All activities are free, with treats and hot beverages available while supplies last, including:
Sweet treats
Hot chocolate
Face painting
Live DJ
Stilt walkers and performance art
Skating (weather permitting and must bring own skates)
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and brief remarks will be held at noon to officially open the square and recognize funding partner contributions and sponsors.
The $6.4-million project was supported by a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, to support the construction of the rink, as well as landscaping and water features.
The City also used $677,909 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from its share of gaming revenues provided as a host community for a casino, and $50,000 from the DBIA to support the project. PepsiCo Foods, through its Quaker brand, is providing approximately $240,000 over 15 years for the naming rights to the public square.
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Riverview Park And Zoo Releases Second Jigsaw Puzzle Fundraiser For New Locomotive Next Season
/The Riverview Park and Zoo have released a puzzle of their miniature train ride puzzle for a second consecutive year, fundraising a replacement locomotive and its passenger coaches for next year announced Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of the Riverview Park & Zoo.
The 308-piece, 11 x 17-inch puzzle of the current 1860 locomotive replica is a limited-edition gift for $20. They are available at the Riverview gift shop beginning on Thanksgiving weekend (the gift shop closes for the season after Oct. 10) or at certain local retailers while quantities last.
“We felt that including the F86 Sabre Jet Plane, flown in the Korean War, would introduce a whole new point of interest for our community,” says Shauna Moodie, Zoo advisory chair.
The zoo’s miniature train ride was established in 1974 and has provided regular income that sustains the operations and helps to make necessary capital improvements to exhibits and the park. The ride is just over two kilometres long and is $2 to ride or free for children under two.
There are six bench dedications left on the new train available for sponsorship, used to recognize anyone or your company’s contribution to the Park and Zoo or dedicate it in honour of a special project or a loved one. Dedications are $2,500 each.
Riverview Park and Zoo’s goal is to raise $300,000 with $225,000 already raised.
Since 1933, Riverview Park and Zoo is Canada’s only free-admission accredited zoo with nearly a quarter of a million annual visitors.
They received the fighter jet monument in 1971 and display it to honour the people from Peterborough who fought for Canada.
Donate to the train campaign: https://forms.riverviewparkandzoo.ca/Donations.
Urban Park Naming Rights Sold To Quaker Foods
/Peterborough City Council approved selling the naming rights of Urban Park to Quaker Foods for $240,000 during a meeting at City Hall on Monday.
The Urban Park temporarily opened a small section during Canada Day to commemorate the unveiling of the peacekeeper monument. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Located at the corner of Charlotte and Alymer Street, the property is being renamed ‘Quaker Foods Urban Park.’
This agreement includes inflationary increases on annual payments over a 15-year term atop the $240,000. The City typically aims for a 10-year term for naming rights according to the Council meeting minutes.
PepsiCo Canada’s (Quaker Foods) recent Quakerborough campaign celebrated the 120-year anniversary of Quaker Foods in Peterborough. Quaker Foods has been a local brand presence, creating many sponsorship opportunities for the City.
New Public Art Installation To Be Viewed and Celebrated at Jackson Park
/The public art installation Handwritten Moon will be displayed at Jackson Park on Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of The County of Peterborough.
