Parks Canada Offering Free Lockage On Trent Severn Waterway On Canada Day

Parks Canada is offering recreational boaters free lockage on the Trent-Severn Waterway, on Canada Day.

File Photo.

According to Parks Canada, this decision has been made in hopes to ‘celebrate the incredible beauty and natural heritage of Canada’.

The Parks Canada website www.parkscanada.gc.ca/trent provides detailed information on what locations are open, what visitors can expect, how to prepare for a visit and what services may be available. Visitors are asked to plan ahead by checking the website before they visit.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Changes To Garbage, Recycling And Green Waste Pickup For Canada Day

Garbage, recycling and green waste will not be collected on Canada Day, Friday.

File Photo.

Collections for this date will move to Monday.

Residents who normally have Friday collection must have their garbage, recycling and green waste set out to the curb by 7 a.m. on Monday. All other collections that week will remain unchanged.

The Household Hazardous Waste Depot and the Peterborough County and City Waste Management Facility (landfill) will be closed on Friday.

The Pido Road Recycling Depot remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Campbellford Memorial Hospital No Longer Screening Visitors For COVID-19

Visitors and patients to Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) will no longer need to actively screen for COVID-19 upon entry, as of Thursday.

File Photo.

Visitors and patients, excluding those seeking care in the Emergency Department, will still need to self-screen prior to entering the hospital and are asked not to attend if they are feeling unwell or experiencing any COVID-19 like symptoms.

Universal masking will still be required in all areas of the hospital, and surgical grade masks will be available upon entry.  Cloth masks are not sufficient. 

While proof of COVID-19 vaccination will no longer be required for visitors, it is still strongly encouraged.

Patients and visitors can enter the hospital through the accessible entrance beside the emergency department, or through the main entrance, which has been closed to the public throughout the pandemic, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday to Friday.  Access to the hospital outside of these hours, including on weekends and holidays, must be made through the Emergency Department.   

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Photos: Rally Staged In Downtown Peterborough To Call For An End Of Climate Delay

Members of the Peterborough Alliance for Climate Action and For Our Grandchildren gathered outside the Ministery of Natural Resources (MNR) building to call for a shift off of fossil fuels on Wednesday.

The rally was supported nationally by 350.org, similar rallies were staged across the country. Photo by Luke Best.

Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the heat dome in British Columbia where record-breaking temperatures surpassed 40 C.

There were 231 people who died on June 29 last year due to extreme temperatures. Nearly 10 people every hour according to The British Columbia coroners’ service.

The rally began at 11 a.m. where protestors proceeded down Water Street before returning back and disbanding around noon.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Emma Purdie Remembered Ten Years After Her Passing With Golf Tournament

The Emma Purdie Memorial golf tournament will take place at Black Diamond Golf Club on July 7.

Photo courtesy of Barb Purdie.

Ten years after the tragic passing of Emma Purdie at 20 years old, friends and family are gathering at Black Diamond Golf Club to remember her and to raise money for the two scholarships in Purdie’s name.

The EP scholarship is awarded to two students, one at Thomas A. Secondary School (TASS) and the other at Queen’s University.

At TASS the winner of the EP Memorial scholarship must exemplify a love of the arts, a passion for performing, a spirit of bringing people together to achieve a common goal and an ability to support others in realizing their dreams.

At Queens the scholarship recipient will be a member of Dance Pak, a dance team that Purdie was a part of during her studies. The recipient is chosen by the team and represents Emma’s vivacious and outgoing personality.

Those interested in golfing can sign up by emailing bpurdie@xplornet.com.

In addition to golfing there are various prizes to be won.

Prizes include:

A Traeger Pro 780 Peller Grill valued at $1400

Home and Health Package: a day of painting in the winners home with the Friendly Painter Nikolas Cooke, a 50” flatscreen Smart TV (LR Brown Audiovisual) and a photoshoot with Mary Zita Payne Photography valued at $1200

Four Season Package - A round of golf for four with carts at Black Diamond Golf Club, four passes to Brimacombe Ski Resort and one night at Whispering Springs valued at $1300

Two Tickets to a regular season Leaf Game for 2022-23 season and a $200 Keg Gift Card valued at $850

Tickets are 8 for $20 and can be purchased by emailing Barb Purdie at bpurdie@xplornet.com

Please include name, phone number and which prizes you would like your tickets in included in the message.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Fleming College Students Council Hosting Car Wash For Emergency Food Bank

Fleming College Student Administrative Council (SAC) will be hosting a car wash to collect non-perishable food donations for the Emergency Food Bank for students experiencing food insecurity, on Thursday.

“Wash Away Hunger Food Drive” will be on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fleming College’s Sutherland Campus in the Spruce Parking lot. There is no charge for car washes other than a non-perishable food item. The car wash is open to anyone to participate.

“Food insecurity among students has increasingly become an issue. With rising food costs and a difficult rental market, students are having to choose between buying groceries and paying rent,” says Alannah Kennedy, Fleming SAC President.

The Fleming Emergency Food Bank was established by Fleming SAC to support students and help address food insecurity. Historically the food bank is stocked through donations from the student community, Fleming faculty and staff as well as through outreach programs. With online learning and various Covid protocols, collecting food donations has been challenging. It is hoped that this event will help restock the emergency food bank to assist students in need.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Lang Pioneer Village to Host 25th Annual Transportation Day Car & Motorcycle Show

Lang Pioneer Village is hosting its 25th annual Transportation Day Car & Motorcycle Show taking place at Lang Pioneer Village Museum on July 10 from 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Lang Pioneer Village.

The event showcases antique and classic cars and vintage motorcycles from car enthusiasts across the province.

The Antique Bicycle Collectors of Ontario is showcasing their display of antique and rare bicycles in and around the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building (PCAHB). Additionally, the 50s to 80s music is being played with DJ Del and Jenny Jams.

The event also features the Transportation Barn, South Lkae Schoolhouse and Keene Hotel.

Registrants for car display are from 8 a.m. - noon with a $10 registration (with village admission included). The first 200 vehicles to enter will receive a complimentary dash plaque as a souvenir of their participation. Over 25 trophies will be awarded including the coveted People’s Choice and Lang’s Choice.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area Elects Board of Management Representatives.

The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has elected twelve representatives to the Board of Management after their annual general meeting at Showplace last Wednesday.

DBIA members elected:

• Gregorious Erico - Lett Architects

• Jason Wilkins - Wilkins Art and Creative

• Joe Reese - Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism

• Laura Montague - Ashburnham Realty

• Madeleine Hurrell - Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development

• Mark Million - The Capitol Ptbo

• Michael Cherney - Cherney Properties

• Neil Hannam - V Formation

• Nigel Lister - Pioneer Inc.

• Paul Hurley - Engage Engineering

• Sacha Lai-Svirk - Outpost 379

• Tiffany Arcari - Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce

“We are thrilled to have some new perspectives at the board level representing our downtown,” said Terry Guiel, DBIA executive director. “It’s encouraging to see so many dedicated and generous people wanting to volunteer their time to help build a more vibrant central business district for everyone.”

The new board is composed of three previous board members and nine newcomers. Returning members include Michael Cherney, Laura Montague and Sacha Lai-Svirk.

With the approval of City council, the twelve newly elected board members will begin their four-year terms in December of 2022. The thirteenth member of the board will be a representative of City Council, a position currently held by Councillor Kemi Akapo.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Voice of Business: Action Is Needed To Increase Home Construction

The housing crisis in Canada has hit Peterborough hard — demand and prices have gone through the roof.

We need more homes of all types. For this week’s column, we’re taking a look at some of the proposed solutions for getting more built and making it easier for people to buy them.

Taking the politics out of site plans

The Province is looking to have municipalities delegate site plan approvals to staff rather than requiring council decisions. To get to the point where a site plan is up for approval, a development must meet the terms set out in the official plan or have an amendment that is approved by council. Council still has a say regarding the zoning, which sets out the rules for uses for the property and the size of buildings. Site plans are focused on the actual final layout of the development, including entrances, parking and grading.

Set deadlines for approvals

The Province is planning to add aggressive deadlines for getting development applications approved. Faster approvals will equal more homes being built, but it’s a two-way street. In a report to council, Interim Commissioner of Infrastructure and Planning Services Michael Papadacos notes that some of the delays are attributed to developers, consultants, and external agencies. Staff often have to go back and forth with applicants to get all of the necessary information. It’s going to take a concerted effort from all involved to speed up the application process.

Increase Density

Subdivisions take a lot of work to plan out. They need water and sewer service to their location, upgraded roads, and electricity grid expansion. These greenfield developments will always have a place in our growth, but infilling and redevelopment offer more opportunities to add additional housing without as much new infrastructure. However, redevelopment has other hurdles in terms of zoning, fire code, accessibility, modern building codes, flood plains, and architectural heritage. Infilling has a positive community impact as it gets more people closer to the amenities already available.

To make it easier and quicker to redevelop existing properties, municipalities can get a head start on issues like zoning and heritage priorities so developers know what they are getting into. We’re also calling on the Province to work with property owners to find solutions to converting old buildings to modern fire, building and accessibility codes.

Modernizing the HST threshold

The Ontario Home Builders Association is advocating for the province to increase the threshold for charging HST to buyers of new homes from $400,000 to $600,000. The program is a decade old and doesn’t reflect the current price of new homes. Increasing the HST threshold to $600,000 would increase the rebate to home buyers by $12,000 to $36,000.

Pay-on-Demand Surety Bonds

Municipalities require assurance that the necessary site improvements will be constructed in a timely manner and as designed when approving a development like subdivisions and site plans. This assurance typically requires a Letter of Credit from a bank, using up a large amount of credit capacity builders have

available to them. This means that builders who might have the capacity otherwise to carry out a series of projects at once are unable to do so.

The Ontario Home Builders Association is advocating for Pay-on-Demand Surety Bonds as an alternative. These can provide municipalities with the same level of financial security while not restricting a builder’s credit capacity, enabling them to build more homes, and dramatically increasing the housing supply available to buyers.

Supply chain and inflation

Even with approval and financing in place, building more homes has other challenges. Supply chain and inflation issues have hit most Canadians in various ways. Even with approval, getting the supplies and tools needed to build more homes is a challenge. Investments in core supply chain infrastructure are critical to the success of our plans for aggressive home construction and redevelopment.

Inflation has added an additional challenge in quoting a build and planning future developments. Both material and labour costs are on the rise. For projects that take years to plan and build, this challenge adds more risk and uncertainty. It also limits developers’ ability to take on more ambitious projects as they weigh the risk of overextending themselves due to unpredictable rising costs.

Workforce

Ontario was facing a shortage of skilled trade workers prior to the pandemic and housing crisis. Many builders are making due with less, but that limits the amount and speed they can build. Our post-secondary institutions have been busy creating more trade opportunities and the government has increased its messaging in promoting young people into the trades, but the current skilled worker shortage is holding back home development.

It's going to require a multifaceted approach to solving our housing crisis. It’s going to take a concerted effort from all levels of government, builders, lenders, and educational institutions. In our efforts to build more homes, we also need to be careful not to push aside the community consultation process. We need to make sure we’re building toward a sustainable, affordable future that builds a community that is not only bigger but stronger.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.