Winter Season Not Slowing Down Griffin's Greenhouses; Business to Continue Community Outreach

Winter may slow down other green places but Lakefield’s Griffin’s Greenhouses continues to help the community during the colder seasons.

Photo courtesy of Griffin’s Greenhouses.

The Greenhouse offers regular seasonal workshops. These can include building wreaths, mini-sleighs and floral arrangements for the holidays.

“One of our goals is to educate the knowledge and options that you can still garden in the winter,” said Vikki of Griffin’s Greenhouses.

She notes that November is the second-busiest month of the year. The Greenhouse uses several outlets to help inform the community about their options regarding growing their green thumbs.

“We’re providing lots of knowledge. We put out videos on Youtube done by a local videographer,” she explained. “Knowledge is our number one takeaway to share what we know. We always keep the door open and follow back to people who always have questions. We’re really confident and generous with our time in answering questions.”

The business has been operating for roughly 48 years. Vikki and her brother Kyle purchased the business from their parents several years ago. After going to college and university and working in other career paths, the siblings eventually returned to the family business they grew up helping their parents run.

The business has received help from the family, spanning several generations. Vikki says she’s proud to call Griffin’s a ‘true family business.’

“People have seen our children watch our children grow, and our staff have seen them too,” she explained. “Some of our staff have been with us for over 20 years. There’s that comfort and familiarity that people value in our business.”

A week before Christmas, Griffin’s Greenhouse will run its ‘Dutch Auction’ to clear all inventory before its new season in March. It’s an opportunity for the business to start fresh with brand-new products for its customers.

“We’re not into recycling for next season,” said Vikki. “We want fresh and new.”

As a reflection of their Dutch heritage, the auction is a way flowers are sold in the Netherlands, a fun way of clearing out all merchandise and starting again with a clean slate.

“We feel we are vibrant and active in our community,“ explained Nikki. “Giving and sharing back with the community with our time is something that we’re proud of.”

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Peterborough-Kawartha to Install 40 Electric Vehicle Chargers

Peterborough and the Kawarthas are building 40 new electric vehicle charging stations, announced on Tuesday.

File Photo.

“For Electric Vehicle drivers, locating a nearby and accessible charging station can determine whether they enjoy a quick stop or face a lengthy detour that impacts their work, school, or family commitments,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “By enhancing access to public charging infrastructure and strategically placing chargers where they are most needed, we are promoting the adoption of EVs in Ontario.”

These new chargers, part of the government’s $63 million EV ChargeON Program Community Sites Stream, will be located at:

• Four new chargers at Walmart Peterborough

• Eleven new chargers at Miskin Law Community Complex

• Four new chargers at 336 Lansdowne St. E

• Eight new chargers at 1781 Lansdowne St. W

• Four new chargers at Villa Wash & Esso Peterborough

• Five new chargers at Peterborough Chrysler Ltd.

• Four new chargers at the North Kawartha Community Centre, Apsley

“With more than 201,000 electric vehicles on the road in Ontario, we’re putting shovels in the ground to build more charging stations and make life easier for drivers,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Electrification. “That includes a focus on smaller and underserved communities across our province where we are providing more certainty for parents and workers during their commutes.”

Each new EV charging site will include Level 2 charging stations, Level 3 or a combination.

The government has also launched a new Ultra-Low Overnight Electricity Price Plan and is exploring options for an Electric Vehicle Charger Discount Electricity Rate to further support EV adoption and reduce emissions. The new Ultra-Low Overnight Electricity Price Plan helps customers who use more electricity at night, including those who charge their electric vehicle, save up to $90 per year, according to the Ontario Government.

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Hometown PTBO: Heidi Westbye Competing At the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in Dubai and Raising Funds For Her Trip

This week on Hometown PTBO, David Tuan Bui talks with 15-year-old Heidi Westbye about being selected to compete in the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in Dubai this December for Team Canada, how she got into beekeeping and how she is raising money to fund her trip.

To donate to Heidi and her team's cause, follow the link.

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City of Peterborough to Host Home Energy Expo On Oct. 19

The Home Energy Expo will occur at the McDonnel Street Community Centre, 577 McDonnel St., on Oct.19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The City of Peterborough, GreenUP and For Our Grandchildren are hosting the Home Energy Expo, which will feature informational booths. Admission to the Home Energy Expo is free.

The Home Energy Expo will demystify household retrofit options for those planning their home energy renovation journeys. Local tradespeople will be on hand to discuss various energy-saving solutions that can be installed to lower home energy bills, improve interior comfort, and reduce fossil fuel pollution.

Several Peterborough homeowners who have completed an energy renovation will be present. Expo attendees can speak directly with these homeowners to learn about their experiences undertaking a retrofit and realizing utility bill savings.

“Providing residents with vital information directly from homeowners with first-hand experience completing an energy renovation is important. Homeowner-to-homeowner interactions are less intimidating for some than speaking with contractors, especially if one has never completed a renovation before,” said Councillor Joy Lachica, City Council's representative on the Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee.

Booths tabled by Heating-Ventilation-and-Air Conditioning, insulation, and solar photovoltaic contractors will be present to discuss specific technology and answer product-related questions. Representatives from Enbridge Gas will be featuring the Home Efficiency Rebate program, which includes up to $5,000 in energy retrofit incentives for qualifying applicants. Homeowners can also speak with energy auditors to learn more about the building assessment process, typical renovation projects, and likely energy savings.

"It's pretty amazing how much money and energy can be saved by doing some simple upgrades to homes, like improving insulation and air sealing,” said Clara Blakelock, Peterborough GreenUP home energy program manager. “Heating a home with a fossil-fuel burning furnace, like natural gas, oil, or propane, is often the largest household contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Homeowners can save even more energy by upgrading to an efficient heat pump, which in many cases will also slash the home's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 to 50 per cent or more.”

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City of Peterborough Participates In Global We Love Cities Competition

The City of Peterborough is celebrating the community’s sustainability, environmental and climate actions, participating in the World Wildlife Fund’s We Love Cities global competition that kicked off on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

“I am thrilled that Peterborough has been selected by the World Wildlife Fund to participate in this year’s We Love Cities competition to choose the most environmentally minded community working towards local sustainability goals,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Being selected to be part of the competition reflects our community’s commitment toward sustainability and progress that we’ve made together on climate change actions.”

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is leading the contest, which raises awareness about local sustainability actions and community engagement in 80 cities across 34 countries. We Love Cities is open for voting from Oct. 1 to 31.

Residents can vote and provide direct input on why they support sustainability efforts in Peterborough at welovecities.org/city/peterborough. Alternatively, interacting with #WeLovePeterborough posts by the City of Peterborough will also count toward the community tally. The WWF will announce the winner of the city with the most social media likes, reposts, and shares in each participating community throughout October.

“The We Love Cities competition is a brilliant platform to build awareness of sustainability and climate action. The WWF is a highly regarded environmental organization that is helping Peterborough reach a wider audience as it achieves its environmental goals,” said Councillor Joy Lachica. “It’s also important for climate work to be engaging and fun, which is why this opportunity is so exciting. Peterborough is contending on the international stage. Let’s help our community claim the top of the leaderboard.”

The WWF nominated Peterborough for the We Love Cities competition because the city was a finalist in the WWF’s One Planet City Challenge. Other Canadian cities joining the We Love Cities contest are Hamilton, Calgary and Vancouver.

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Fleming College Receives $360,000 to Fight "Canada's Worst Invasive Plant"

The money will go to fighting a highly prevalent aggressive reed commonly known as invasive phragmites.

FLEMING COLLEGE PHOTO

Fleming is getting the funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF).

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry made the announcement last week.  

Fleming will partner with Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Saiwa Inc. to innovate the fight against what’s being billed as “Canada’s worst invasive plant”.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to help Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada with their important conservation work,” said Fleming president Maureen Adamson. “Together, we will provide conservationists and resource managers with valuable tools to effectively combat the spread of invasive plants that threaten our native vegetation.” 

The 3 year project is led by the researchers from Fleming’s Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT) and School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences (SENRS).

It aims to advance automation in the detection and surveillance of the invasive plant using machine vision algorithms, remote sensing data, and innovative drone technologies.

CAMIIT’s Dr. Fereydoon Diba, in collaboration with Saiwa Inc., will develop a specialized drone with machine vision capability to recognize the invasive plant.

SENRS professor, Dr. Josh Feltham, along with Nature Conservancy Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada will collect drone surveillance data.

Fleming students will assist with the project’s data collection and hardware development.

“This collaboration highlights the capabilities that technology and innovation can bring to natural resources, and the real-world problems that can be solved through applied research,” added Adamson. “It’s promising to see CAMIIT and SENRS combining forces with such highly respected national conservation organizations.”

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More Than 600 Trees Planted in South-End Park

About 60 volunteers planed 620 new trees at Kiwanis Community Park on Saturday.

city of peterborough photo

The event was put on by Tree Canada and the LCBO as part of Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grant program and the Trees 4 Peterborough initiative which includes contributions from RBC Dominion Securities, the Excelsior Group, Peterborough Homes and Merrett Home Hardware.

“Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grants program provides funding and technical expertise for community greening, innovation and stewardship initiatives,” said Nicole Hurtubise, CEO of Tree Canada. “We are thrilled to support the City of Peterborough’s tree planting project, which will bring long-lasting social and environmental benefits where people live, work and play.”

The event, to enhance the city’s urban forest canopy, was also supported by The Rotary Club of Peterborough, Peterborough GreenUp and Otonabee Conservation.

A diversity of native trees were planted at the park to replace approximately 400 dead or dying ash trees that have been negatively affected by the emerald ash borer.

The affected trees along with understory vegetation including invasive buckthorn were removed in August.

“The planting of a diverse species of more than 600 trees in Kiwanis Park will be very much appreciated by the residents of Ashburnham Ward who live in close proximity to this park,” stated councillor Gary Baldwin, co-chair of the Community Services portfolio.

“I believe the residents of the area will be pleased with the end results and enhancements to the park,” added councillor Keith Riel.

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One City and GreenUP Get Planting at the Trinity Centre As Part of Green Infrastructure Initiative

GreenUP and One City Peterborough helped Trinity Centre become more in tune with nature by planting trees and other greenery over 75 sq.m. of lawn Tuesday morning.

Volunteers Eila Buziak (left) and Quentin Day (right) finish the planting of a pear tree as one of several species to occupy the Trinity Centre. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The project at One City is part of the Living Cities Program, an initiative by Green Communities Canada to help organizations aid their respective communities in green infrastructure projects.

The green infrastructure will increase the biodiversity of plants on the site, improve stormwater management, and increase access to food according to Tegan Moss, GreenUP executive director.

“We are grateful to receive support from Green Communities Canada through the Living Cities Fund,” she said. “These funds allow us to work closely with equity-deserving communities to co-develop plans for green infrastructure that work for the community where they are planted.”

Moss adds that the green infrastructure will help to improve air quality and offer the opportunity for people to work together to build a stronger sense of community and belonging as they collectively care for the plants.

Volunteers moved soil, compost and mulch. They planted 20 trees which included apple, pear, peach, apricot, birch, black cherry and maple. Six currant and raspberry bushes were installed, as well as 94 other plants including New England aster, silverweed, swamp milkweed, switchgrass, brown fox sedge, blue flag iris, wild strawberry, yarrow, prairie smoke, and creeping thyme.

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City of Peterborough Hosting Downtown Community Cigarette Butt Clean Up On Sunday Morning

The City of Peterborough and Peterborough DBIA is inviting the public to make things a little clearer in the Downtown Community Cigarette Butt Clean Up starting from Quaker Foods City Square on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Gloves, pick-up pails and litter pickers are provided but the City is asking to bring your own upcycled container.

Cleaners can search for cigarette butts anywhere in the downtown area.

An entry draw and several prizes available for most butts collected are being held. Registration at the event will be required to be eligible.

At the end of the event, the City is launching a contest that will last for 42 days until September to see how many cigarette butts can be collected until that last day of Summer.

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Federal Government Announces $8.5 Million Funding of Two Projects For Conservation Efforts and Ecosystem Protection In Peterborough.

The Federal Government has invested over $8.5 million in funding for two projects that will help advance conservation efforts and protect ecosystems in Peterborough, announced at Jackson Park on Thursday afternoon.

File Photo.

The announcement was made by Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business, and Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

“Protecting nature is one of the best and easiest ways that we can fight climate change,” said Valdez. “These vital ecosystems, like those here in Peterborough, absorb carbon and increase our communities’ resilience to the effects of climate change.”

The Government of Canada has launched the largest conservation campaign in the country’s history in order to meet its emissions reduction targets and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 according to Valdez.

“Our government has launched the largest ever conservation campaign in Canada’s history, with a goal of protecting 30 per cent of lands and waters in Canada,” she said. “That starts with protecting spaces like these. The long-term benefits are enormous, getting us closer to our climate goals and protecting forever the critical habitat of so many species.”

The projects being funded under the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund are:

• $7 million for the Kawartha Land Trust to support its work to advance conservation efforts under way by securing an additional 566 hectares of intact temperate forest and freshwater coastal habitat to support 28 species at risk

• $1.586 million for the Association of Conservation Authorities of Ontario to protect vital ecosystems from destruction and fund activities that protect at-risk species, including Snapping Turtle, False Hop Sedge and Chimney Swift

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