Local School Spruces Its Anniversary With Tree Planting From $3,500 Grant

Over 50 volunteers of students, faculty and sponsors planted 40 white spruce trees around their campus with a $3,500 grant in celebration of Kawartha Montessori School’s 40th anniversary on Saturday morning.

Kawartha Montessori School students Jenna Quinn (left), 14 and Esther van Oostveen (right), 6, digging up dirt to plant one of 40 white spruce trees. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The trees run along both sides of the school and beside Highway 7. Added forestry for the school acts as a natural sound guard, decreases outside distractions for students and beautifies the campus among several other benefits according to Celia Johnstone, Tree Canada community advisor.

"It's a very exposed windy site," she said. "The schoolyard is very exposed so it provides good protection from the wind. There are also shade trees, provide the clean air as we breathe and mitigate the greenhouse effect."

"Having our school on this beautiful 10-acre property, we enrich our academic curriculum daily using the outdoors," said Carolyn Donaldson, Montessori principal. "From a very young age, having these students know that giving back to the environment is so important."

Students planted eight trees on Friday with a total of 48 planted. The ordeal was a positive experience for the school as it was the first community activity they could hold since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's just so great to plant so many trees to help the environment and to impact future generations here,” said Jenna Quinn, 14, grade 8 Montessori student. "It's such a beautiful campus and it's great to have trees out here."

The $3,500 came from the Community Tree Grant by Tree Canada with UPS providing the money as the sponsor. It is given annually with eligibility spreading across Canada.

An application was submitted in the fall by a school community member according to Johnstone.

Snacks such as cookies and muffins with refreshments were made by Montessori students and were served at the tree-planting event.

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Enbridge Gas Announces Hybrid Heating Program for Peterborough

An Enbridge Gas Hybrid Heating Program that is planned for Peterborough will support the community’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

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Announced last week, the Province says it plans to provide up to $4.5 million toward a Clean Home Heating Initiative in London, St. Catharines, Sault Ste. Marie, and Peterborough to support the installation of electric heat pumps with smart controls for up to 1,000 households, providing homeowners with $3,000 to $4,500 in incentives.

By pairing an electric air source heat pump and smart controls with their high-efficiency gas furnace, homeowners can reduce their natural gas use. The hybrid system optimizes gas and electric sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while achieving utility bill savings.

Enbridge Gas’s Hybrid Heating Program compliments the City’s development of a Home Energy Efficiency Program, which would assist homeowners with renovations reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with their homes.

“This is a great opportunity for residents to take climate action and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, while also reducing their home energy bills,” said Michael Papadacos, Interim Commissioner for Infrastructure and Planning Services. “Residential home heating is the largest source of greenhouse gases in our community and this program will help residents take another step towards addressing community emissions. This type of support from upper levels of government will be critical for municipalities like Peterborough to meet their climate change goals.”

The City is currently reaching out to the community to get feedback to help inform the creation of the Home Energy Efficiency Program.

Information on the Home Energy Efficiency Program and surveys to submit feedback are available through the City’s online community engagement hub, Connect Peterborough, at connectptbo.ca/homeenergy.

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Peterborough Will Host First-Ever Environment And Climate Change Expo In September

The City of Peterborough will hold its first Environment and Climate Change Expo on Sept. 23 with displays and demonstrations on City services and projects showcasing the progress the City has made toward achieving corporate Greenhouse Gas Emission reductions and other environmental action.

Photo by Luke Best.

The inaugural PtboEnviroX will be an opportunity to share and celebrate these achievements on the third anniversary of City Council’s declaration of a municipal Climate Change Emergency, said Councillor Kim Zippel, Council’s Chair of Environment and Climate Change.

“This exciting event will help the City build momentum to continue its critical work in the years ahead,” said Councillor Kim Zippel, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change portfolio. “We know there is so much more to do, and we invite the community to come learn about the progress to date and future initiatives that are already taking shape.”

Under the Climate Emergency Declaration, the City of Peterborough is committed to protecting the community, its economy, and ecosystems from the damaging impacts of climate change.

“Taking time to reflect on and celebrate the work being done since our declaration September 23, 2019 is important. This event will help showcase the work of the City and also provide inspiration and reenergize us to keep up this most important work,” said Councillor Kemi Akapo, who is co-chairing the event with Councillor Zippel.

PtboEnviroX is a way for the City to showcase some of the City’s actions on climate change and the environment. It will include displays and demonstrations by different City departments and will have a family-friendly atmosphere. Public health measures will be in place, and the event will happen rain or shine.

Details on the Environment and Climate Change Expo will be posted over the next few months as they are finalized, including confirmed demonstrations and displays that will be showcased at the event. Information will be posted at peterborough.ca/environment or subscribe to updates at peterborough.ca/subscribe to receive news releases.

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Otonabee Conservation Releases First Ever Climate Change Report Card

Otonabee Conservation has released their first ever ‘Climate Change Report Card’, one year after publishing their Climate Change Strategy.

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The Otonabee Conservation Climate Change Strategy includes four goals, to Educate, Adapt, Mitigate, and Implement.

This report card tracks the Conservation Authority’s annual progress of implementing the Climate Change Strategy, tracking it’s goals and provides examples of the actions taken in 2021.

Highlights from the 2021 report card include the adoption of paperless practices including online forms for Hunting Permits, Property Inquiries, and Clean Water Act Notice Applications, and completion of an emissions inventory.

To view the full Climate Change Report Card click here.

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Sustainable Peterborough With Peterborough And The Kawarthas Economic Development Launch New Strategic Plan

Sustainable Peterborough (SP) and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) have announced the launch of Sustainable Peterborough’s new Strategic Plan, on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Sustainable Peterborough.

Sustainable Peterborough has been conducting an extensive organizational review, including a governance and plan review, over the last few years.

This review led to the decision that the new Sustainable Peterborough Plan should focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDG framework has become a recognized tool for advancing sustainability in the Greater Peterborough Area. Many communities in Ontario and across Canada are also working on localizing the SDGs.

The SDGs have become a globally recognized framework for measuring progress towards sustainability.

Benefits of using the SDG framework include the use of shared language and goal setting for sustainability across many communities globally and locally and access to tools to track and visualize progress towards the goals.

Utilizing the SDG framework provides an opportunity for Sustainable Peterborough to continue the vital SDG work conducted through the 2019-2021 Community Forum led by Kawartha World Issues Centre and GreenUP.

It also provides an opportunity to use long-standing community connections and partnerships to build on the significant local interest in sustainability, raise awareness of the SDGs, and incorporate best practices from other communities.

“On behalf of the Sustainable Peterborough Coordinating Committee, we are excited to work towards Sustainable Peterborough’s new mission of supporting, measuring, celebrating, and facilitating collective action among local governments, businesses, institutions, and organizations to annually track and measure progress towards achieving targets related to priority Sustainable Development Goals,” said Karen Jopling and Michael Papadacos, Co-Chairs of the Sustainable Peterborough Coordinating Committee.

“In a sustainable economy, people live and do business in ways that are good for the economy, the environment, and communities. Sustainable economic development is about more than just being green; business activity reflects a commitment to sustainability, and, in turn, sustainability helps the economy thrive for future generations. The staff and board of PKED are looking forward to collaborating with Sustainable Peterborough on this new strategic plan.” said PKED’s President & CEO Rhonda Keenan.

The new Strategic Plan is available on the Sustainable Peterborough website.

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Otonabee Conservation Conducting Spring Dam Operations

Otonabee Conservation staff are conducting spring dam operations including placing stop-logs into dams and installing warning buoy-lines upstream of Authority-owned dams.

Hope Dam. Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

The hazards around dams can be serious and if ignored, could include serious injury or death. Warning buoy-lines act like ‘floating fences’ that warn paddlers, anglers, and boaters to stay away. They are installed each spring and then removed in the fall before winter freeze-up. This is one of many public safety measures that reduces risks for people who enjoy water-based activities on local reservoirs and waterways.

 In addition, land-based signs warn boaters of a dam ahead, and there are also signs mounted on the dams themselves that warn about the presence of dam inflow and outflow areas.

Dam operations will be undertaken over the next two weeks. The affected dams include:

• Warsaw Dam (Warsaw)

• Lang Mill Dam (Lang)

• Hope Mill Dam (Lang)

• Millbrook Dam (Millbrook)

Otonabee Conservation urges the public to respect the warning booms and signs and to stay away from dams.

The water around dams can look peaceful, but the area upstream and downstream is more dangerous than it appears. Water surges over the stop logs of the dam, creating strong undertows and currents around the dam. The most serious danger is that the water pressure can pin a body below the water for an extended period of time.

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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.

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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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Rotary's Super Spring Clean-Up Week Declared April 22-28

Mayor Diane Therrien has declared April 22-28 the 2022 Rotary Super Spring Clean-Up Week in Peterborough and area.

Rotarians at Beavermead Park in previous years. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Rotary.

The three rotary clubs in and around Peterborough are inviting residents to start their own cleaning initiative, or join an existing one.

This year marks the 15th time the Peterborough Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha, and the Rotary Club of Bridgenorth-Ennismore-Lakefield have come together to organize large community clean-ups in the spring.

Participants will chose an area, be it a trail, a park, a pond or a section of a river and clean up the trash around it.

“You can see the amount of garbage that has collected over the winter in parks, ravines, roadsides, and ditches,” the Rotary club said in a media release. “Plastic in particular is harmful as it breaks down to micro particles and is now found in lakes, rivers, oceans, and even in our ground water.”

This event takes place all over Canada and the united States.

For more information about the Super Spring Clean Up visit superspringcleanup.ca.

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Local Youngster Is On A Mission To Keep His Neighborhood Clean And Hopes Others Will Do The Same

Logan, a local grade two student, has taken it upon himself to clean up the litter in the small part of Peterborough he calls home. He and his mom hope that others may follow suit and clean up their own neighborhood.

“He’s a lover of nature,” said Jennifer, Logans mom. “He always asks me why people throw garbage on the ground. I try to explain to him that some people aren’t very respectful but also that sometimes it just blows out of peoples bins and ends up where it’s not supposed to be.”

Jennifer says he had been asking for a trash picker for a long time, and when she finally bought him one he put it to good use.

The two walked around their local neighborhood and collected a full bag of litter.

“We talked about the safety of it, and making sure we are wearing gloves and being safe about it. Then we went shopping and got his supplies, and off we went to clean up. He was loving it, he told me he could do this all day.”

Part of the reason Logan wanted to clean up is so that litter and recycling didn’t get caught in the beaks and mouths of animals, causing them to be unable to eat.

Jennifer says that Logan has often said it should be everyone’s job to keep the city clean, not just the people that get paid to do it. They plan to do it again as the weather gets warmer.

“We’re all so busy with our kids and putting them in sports and stuff like that, but maybe we should keep them busy with being good people, and doing things for their community. If you’re going to change the world you have to start somewhere.”

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Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group Looking For Volunteers To Clean Up Armour Hill

The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group is looking for volunteers to join them on Saturday as they tidy up litter on Armour Hill.

Photo courtesy of The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group.

With the snow now melted, the litter at Armour Hill is fully visible.

Those with The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship group are looking for volunteers to join them on Saturday at 10 a.m. to clean up the hill.

Organizers note that tobogganing season often leaves behind plenty of litter and broken toboggans that can be harmful to wildlife, especially birds during nesting season.

Volunteers should meet at the basketball court at the base of Armour Hill at 10 a.m. all necessary supplies will be provided.

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