CMHA HKPR Accepting Nominations For Annual Mental Health Awards

The Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) is now accepting nominations for the Annual Mental Health Awards and Tam Grant Bursary.

Photo by Luke Best.

Individuals are encouraged to nominate someone who is deserving of recognition for their efforts in improving mental health in the community, including volunteers, community leaders, individuals with lived experience of mental illness and their family members.

CMHA HKPR is also accepting applications for the annual Tam Grant Bursary, for students entering post-secondary education with a diagnosed mental illness. The deadline for award and bursary submissions is 4:30 p.m. on June 24.

CMHA HKPR is calling for submissions for the following awards:

The Achievement Through Adversity Award honours a client of CMHA HKPR services, or a survivor of mental illness, who has shown continued courage and tenacity in reaching their goals. In education, employment, volunteering, or through the tasks of daily living, this individual is a role model for others on the journey to a healthy life.

The Distinguished Service Award acknowledges the significant contribution volunteers make to our agency, by recognizing deserving individuals for their exemplary effort.

The Maurice Lovnes Award is presented to an individual or individuals who have volunteered with CMHA HKPR, and who have exemplified the following traits during the year: Vision, Dedication, Caring, Support and Commitment.

Caregiver Champion Award honours a family member or caregiver who has shown continued support to a person living with mental health concerns.

Naresh James Award recognizes an individual who has championed critical issues, pioneered initiatives, and has achieved lasting impacts in support of those who live with mental health issues, as well as assisting their families and friends. This individual has demonstrated commitment to support individuals who live with mental health challenges through their leadership, advocacy, and perseverance.

Champion of Mental Health – CMHA HKPR acknowledges individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions in the community by supporting mental health. These contributions should support Knowledge, Hope and Belonging: the three pillars that form the foundation of our organization to enable Mental Health for All.

Tam Grant Bursary - Access to educational programs is one way for individuals living with schizophrenia or other serious and persistent mental illnesses to realize their own potential. The Tam Grant Memorial Bursary seeks to encourage and support these individuals as they pursue higher education.

This bursary is offered in memory of Tam Grant who lived with schizophrenia while pursuing his university education. After years of struggling with his illness, Tam took his own life in 1977 at the age of 32. Frustrated and saddened by the lack of community supports at the time, Tam’s Parents Bill and Margaret Grant created the Tam Grant Bursary to assist young people living with schizophrenia or other serious and persistent mental illness to pursue post-secondary education.

Bursaries are awarded each year at the Annual General Meeting for registration for the upcoming school year. The maximum amount awarded annually is $1,000.

For this year’s Tam Grant Memorial Bursary application visit cmhahkpr.ca/bursary.

All award nominations and bursary applications must be received by 4:30 p.m., June 24.

Successful nominees and applicants will be presented with their award or bursary at the CMHA HKPR Annual General Meeting, which will be held on September 21, at Celebrations in Lindsay.

Nomination forms for the awards can be found at cmhahkpr.ca/awards.

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Council for Persons With Disabilities Launch Inaugural Capable Con

In an effort to promote inclusivity and the community for living, learning, playing and working equally, the Council for Persons With Disabilities (CPD) has launched its inaugural one-day event ‘Capable Con’ on Tuesday.

(From left to right) Jason King, CPD volunteer; Zaun, King’s guide dog; Rachel Quilty, CPD digital marketing and event facilitator; Mariah Yee, CPD communications coordinator; Andrea Dodsworth, CPD chair; Leslie Yee, CPD vice-chair and Akira, Leslie’s guide dog. They are all joined by superheroes The Capable Crew that were unveiled during the launch. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This inaugural event is scheduled for June 4 — the final day of AccessAbility Week — from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. outside the VentureNorth building. The free event is designed to create open, healthy dialogues about disabilities and accessibility.

“Disability is not one thing; it is interconnected to everything,” Leslie Yee, CPD Vice-chair. Every person will have a disability at some point in their lives.”

The first-ever convention features a variety of all-age events:

• Interactive and inclusive games

• Virtual reality simulators

• Scavenger hunts

• Board games

• Pokémon Trading Card Game tournament for beginners

• All-Day stage entertainment

• Draw prizes

In February, CPD received $26,340 in funding for their simulation software as part of their Time In My Shoes Program. The virtual reality experience allows people to experience the daily challenges many face through realistic simulation.

Simulations range from getting groceries while vision-impaired, navigating a street in a wheelchair and more.

(From left to right) Hearing Loss Hero, Samantha Aurel; Amputee Hero; Bionica Bot, Vision Loss Hero, Traveler and Scout; Twin Autism Heroes, The Power Pals and Wheelchair Hero (currently unnamed). The Capable Crew are fictional characters created as superheroes turning their disabilities into superhero powers. Photo courtesy of CPD.

The unveiling of ‘The Capable Crew’ occurred at the launch. They are a group of fictional superheroes that serve as ambassadors for the event. Each superhero uses their disability as a superpower. They were illustrated by Mariah Yee, CPD communications coordinator.

“We hope this creates a more inclusive and celebratory environment,” said Mariah.

Mariah Yee with her illustrations of The Power Pals, two superheroes who have autism. Yee has been drawing ever since she was at a young age. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

CPD encourages anyone to come including those who are able-bodied. The experience is supposed to educate others and bring awareness of disabilities in a fun and enjoyable manner.

"At some point in your life, you might have to rely on a pair of glasses or possibly a mobility aid as you progress throughout life or injury," said Rachel Quilty, CPD digital marketing and event facilitator. "Coming to Capable Con is just an opportunity to learn about different types of disabilities and types of accessibly in our community all while having fun."

The Capable Crew provides representation for those who never had any before. Quilty grew up with no left forearm or hand. She says her life would have been different if someone like Bionica Bot of the Capable Crew —a superhero with a lost limb — was publicly portrayed.

“If I grew up and saw her on a poster or on a TV show or in my school on a life-size cutout, I promise I would have had a different trajectory in my life,” said Quilty. “I think that having a Capable Crew in full form is a way to show children who are different that different is okay.”

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Registration For Free Tree Pickup Opens Thursday

The City of Peterborough will be giving away free trees to city residents on May 14.

Stock Photo.

This is part of the city’s Trees for Canopy Conservation initiative.

To receive a free tree, residents who own property in the City of Peterborough must register in advance to pick up a tree during one of four time slots on May 14 at Beavermead Park.

The trees will be native growing species that are approximately two feet tall.

Registration opens on Thursday at 9 a.m.

• Register: 9 a.m to 10 a.m. pickup

• Register: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. pickup

• Register: noon to 1 p.m. pickup

• Register: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. pickup

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Hometown PTBO: Jenn and Braden Glasbergen Putting Up Four Different Front-Yard Displays for Charity

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Jenn and Braden Glasbergen of Ravenwood Drive about their Easter display, how they put on four different themes a year and strengthening the Peterborough community with their setups.

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Downtown Street Patios Expected To Return To Hunter Street This Summer

Earlier this week City Councilors endorsed recommendations for patio and pedestrian space on Hunter Street, similar to last year.

Photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.

The plan allows businesses to use on-street parking spaces for additional outdoor patio space with no permit fee for the use of the space.

This decision will reduces Hunter Street to a one-lane, one-way street and does permit the use of decorative fencing and planters to note a clear difference between the new pedestrian areas and the vehicular traffic lanes.

It is recommended that Charlotte Street remain a two-lane, two-way street. George and Water Street will remain two-lanes.

Both The DBIA and Peterborough Public Health provided guidance on this decision.

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Peterborough Public Library Partners With Peterborough Area Fundraisers Network To Help Local Charities

The Peterborough Area Fundraisers Network (PAFN) and the Peterborough Public Library have partnered to give local charities free access to Grant Connect’s Community Edition, a database of funders across the country developed by Imagine Canada.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

Grant Connect shares public data on foundations and grantmakers’ deadlines, application processes, giving priorities, typical grant amounts and helps non-profits position their proposals for success.

“There are more than 250 registered charities in Peterborough, and corporate, private foundation and government grants are a major source of funding for these charities, especially now as many rebuild from the constraints brought on by the pandemic,” said Alex Tindale, PAFN Executive Chair. “For many smaller charities, access to a resource such as Grant Connect is not possible, our partnership with the Peterborough Public Library gives these local charities access to valuable funding opportunities to the benefit of the community.”

With Grant Connect, local charities will have access to over 11,000 Canadian foundations, 560 corporate giving programs, 370 government grant programs, 120 American foundations, and 200 other kinds of grant opportunities. The one-year pilot project gives charities access to the Community Edition of Grant Connect via the public computers in the Library.

“The library is very excited to add the Grant Connect database to our collection. It is a fantastic new information resource for our local non-profit community,” said Jennifer Jones, Chief Executive Officer of the Peterborough Public Library. “We look forward to seeing the positive impacts it will bring to Peterborough by making funding more accessible to everyone.”

If this pilot is successful, PAFN would work with other local municipalities to provide access to charities in their areas. Training resources on using Grant Connect are also available via PAFN (for members) and the Library.

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Local World War Two Veteran Fred Allison Turns 100

Fred Allison, who now lives in Lakefield, turns 100 years old on Tuesday.

Allison is a ‘jack of all trades’, who likes to keep busy volunteering at local churches and helping his family and friends with odd jobs.

He enlisted in WW2 as a mechanic and travelled to places like Amsterdam and France fixing equipment along the way.

He believes the reason he is still able to live on his own, drive and work is thanks to the healthy habits he followed his whole life. In his 100 years of life Allison has never drank or smoked, quite a feat for someone that endured WW2.

Allison says he used to sell his rationed cigarettes to other soldiers and use the money to buy chocolates.

@ptbo_canada 100 years and he’s still got it! Join us in wishing Fred Allison a Happy 100th Birthday 🎉 #Veteran #WWII #WWIIVet #100thBirthday #HappyBirthday #PTBOCanada ♬ Up - Movie Theme - Giampaolo Pasquile

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