Savage Arms Creating 49 New Jobs With $500,000 From Government of Ontario; Part of $3.3 Million Investment For Production of Two Rifles

As part of a $3,364,206 investment, the Ontario Government is funding $504,361 to Savage Arms for the development of 49 jobs through two product lines, announced in Lakefield on Tuesday afternoon.

(left to right) Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP; Terry McCullough, Savage Arms Canada vice-president and general manage, David Myles, Director of Manufacturing and Sherry Senis, Selwyn Mayor, put on display the prototypes of the new lever action rimfire rifles as part of the $3.3 million investment. Photo by dAVID tUAN bUI.

The funding is through the Regional Development Program of Eastern Ontario’s Development Fund. Along with the provincial government’s funding, Savage Arms is also investing over $2.5 million to introduce two new rifles with takedown/disassembly features such as their new level action rimfire rifle and centrefire hunting rifle.

“Our government is building a strong Ontario and strengthening the economy by supporting key investments in communities in Selwyn Township,” Said Dave Smith, Peterborugh'-Kawartha MPP. “This investment from Savage Arms, supported by the provincial government will grow local manufacturing and create more jobs for workers and families in Petebrorough County.”

The development is of the rifles are ongoing as part of a three-year timeline to complete the process. Full-time positions can range from salaries in the $20 an hour range with upwards to around $80,000 a year with the manufacturer hiring now of people with a wide array of skill levels according to Terry McCullough, Savage Arms vice president and general manager.

“We have positions like general machine operator, quality engineer, CNC technician positions, design engineers, product manager and human resources,” he said. “We employ all levels of people from a general machine operator to a technical programmer.”

Majority of rifles made are shipped to a facility in the United States that redistributes them globally. Local consumers can obtain the rifles (and already finished products) upon completion at stores such as Canadian Tire, Accuracy Plus, Bass Pro Shop and Cabela's.

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Havelock Seniors Club Approved For Funding Up to $65,000 Towards Seniors Activity Living Centre Program

To help promote healthy active living, the Havelock Seniors Club has been approved for funding of up to $65,000 through the Seniors Activity Living Centre (SALC) program.

Seniors Active Living Centre programs offer social, cultural, learning, and recreational programs for seniors. By promoting wellness, social connections, and education these programs can help reduce social isolation and encourage seniors to stay active, independent and engaged. There are approximately 316 programs across the province. Photo courtesy of Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen.

Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility; Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden; and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township Mayor Jim Martin made the announcement.

The program promotes active and healthy living, social engagement and learning for older adults and seniors by providing them with activities and services according to a press release. SALC programs help build healthier and safer communities and address an aging population's long-term growth and needs.

“Community connection is critical for the health and well-being of seniors in our communities,” said Cho. “Our government proudly supports the new Havelock Seniors Active Living Centre program which will provide valuable programming to keep seniors in the community connected, healthy and engaged.”

“This funding that the Havelock Seniors Centre will be receiving through the SALC program will enable seniors to enjoy activities with their friends that will help reduce social isolation and provide them with the means to stay active and engaged,” said Smith.

“We could not have come as far as we have without the hard work and dedication of the Club's many volunteers, both past and present,” said Mary Pequegnat, Havelock Seniors Club president. “This funding will allow us to grow our programs and reach into our more rural communities with accessible services.”

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City of Peterborough Rewarded $1.88 Million From Provincial Government For Exceeded Its 2023 Housing Target

After Peterborough exceeded its 2023 housing target and broke ground on 506 new housing units last year, the provincial government rewarded the City with $1,880,000 through the Building Faster Fund, announced at City Hall on Monday morning.

(From left to right) Councillor Leslie Parnell; Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP; Matthew Rae, Perth-Wellington MPP and Mayor Jeff Leal. In 2022, Ontario saw the second-highest number of housing starts since 1988, with just over 96,000 new homes. Ontario also broke ground on nearly 15,000 new purpose-built rentals, the highest number ever on record. pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

The announcement was made by Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing who was in attendance of the press conference.

“I want to congratulate Peterborough and all municipalities that have worked hard to get shovels in the ground faster,” he said. “Our challenge to these municipalities now is to redouble their efforts to build more homes than ever before so we can improve affordability and keep the dream of homeownership alive in Ontario. Our government will be there to support you every step of the way.”

Last August, the Ontario government announced the Building Faster Fund, a new three-year, $1.2 billion program to provide significant funding based on performance against provincial housing targets to address the housing supply crisis.

Municipalities that have reached at least 80 percent of their housing target receive funding, and municipalities that exceed it receive increased funding.

“We have a target that we have to achieve by 2031 of 4,700 units as part of the overall provincial pledge that the Premier announced last August,” explained Mayor Jeff Leal.”

He continued to explain that this is a step toward making housing in Peterborough more available and affordable to rent or purchase.

“We want to move that vacancy rate from one per cent to a three per cent level which would be much more healthy and that would moderate rent in the City of Peterborough and provide opportunities for young people to buy that first home,” said Leal.

Any unspent funding can contribute to housing-enabling infrastructure to all municipalities, including those that have already received funding due to reaching their targets, through an application process.

In addition, ten per cent — or $120 million — of the Building Faster Fund is being set aside for small, rural, and northern municipalities to help build housing-enabling infrastructure and prioritize projects that speed up the increase in housing supply according to a press release.

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$8.6 Million Invested Into Home Energy Efficiency Program For Affordable Heating In Peterborough

In an effort to fight climate change and reduce costs to homeowners, the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are investing $8.6 million to launch the City of Peterborough’s Home Energy Efficiency Program.

(From left to right) Michael Papadacos, City of Peterborough Commissioner of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth Management; Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada; Jeff Leal, Mayor of Peterborough; Tegan Moss, GreenUp executive director; Rowena Santos, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Brampton Councillor; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden; Kevin Duguay, Peterborough City Councillor and Michelle Ferreri, Peterborough-Kawartha MP. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The announcement was made with several dignitaries attending in front of an East City residence Thursday afternoon. Notables included Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada; Councillor Rowena Santos of Brampton; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden; Michelle Ferrari, Peterborough-Kawartha MP and Councillor Kevin Duguay.

The money is through a $2.87 million grant and a $5.75 million loan from the Green Municipal Fund’s Community Efficiency Financing program.

“This particular program will roll out right away,” said Leal. “This is a unique opportunity to take advantage of this Government of Canada administered through FCM to get your applications in, get your changes made and make things more energy-efficient.”

The offers homeowners and renters two loan choices: one tied to the property via a Local Improvement Charge and the other an unsecured loan provided directly from a partnering financial institution.

The loans are capped at $125,000 or 10 per cent of the current property value. They can finance home energy efficiency improvements that lower emissions, reduce energy costs, and enhance comfort by upgrading windows, doors, air sealing and insulation and installing low-emission heating such as heat pumps and alternative energy sources like solar panels according to a press release.

The program aims to help approximately 600 households retrofit their homes. This results in total reductions in emissions of 825 tonnes of CO2 per year, saving over 28,000 gigajoules of energy.

While this applies to homeowners, the federal government seeks solutions for those renting, especially those paying utilities.

“This is obviously for people who already are homeowners that these programs are being offered,” said Guilbeault. “We are looking what can be done also with people who rent, whether they're not owners of the building in terms of how can we help them and perhaps these owners to increase the energy efficiency of those units as well.”

In 2019, under former mayor Diane Therrien, the City of Peterborough declared a climate emergency. It updated its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Roughly 23 per cent of emissions in the city come from the 34,660 residential dwellings as stated in a press release.

“We are, in fact, working with municipalities, provincial governments and organizations across the country to increase the rate of new building homes being built in Canada,” said Guilbeault. “Through the first-ever Canada's housing strategy, we're deploying billions of dollars and we are starting to see more and more buildings being built all across the country.”

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Peterborough Child and Family Services Gets a Technological Update After a $23,800 Provincial Grant

The Peterborough Child and Family Centres (PCFC) get ‘plugged in’ with technological infrastructure upgrades after an Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund of $23,800 announced on Friday morning.

Peterborough Child and Family Services serves roughly 3,000 people and 1,600 families each year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This funding allowed the Centre to purchase laptops for staff, an upgraded phone system and an Owl Labs Meeting Camera. The camera allows staff conferences and offers hybrid workshops for in-person and virtual meetings for serviced families.

The Centre says these items are essential for their ongoing operation of programs and services. It helps to better connect with the families it serves, volunteers and staff and adapt to the community's evolving needs without disrupting services.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support in bringing our technology infrastructure to where it needs to be to ensure a thriving future for the organization,” said Nicola Lyle, PCFC CEO. “This grant will significantly enhance our ability to connect with families, provide versatility in our service provision, and support our staff and organization for years to come.”

“I cannot say enough about the work that the Peterborough Child and Family Centre does for our area,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “To now have the ability to offer these services remotely means that more families have access to programs that benefit the development and growth of our future generation.”

The money was given incrementally since last April. During that time, the Centre had gradually upgraded its technology infrastructure.

For over 40 years, PCFC has helped families with young children and/or is expecting to provide tools, resources and knowledge to support the growth and development of children aged zero to six.

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13 Business Startups to 'LevelUP' Through Innovation Cluster Peterborough's Accelerator Program

The Innovation Cluster has released the 13 companies selected for the inaugural cohort of LevelUP, a groundbreaking startup accelerator program, announced at the Venture North Building on Tuesday morning.

Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster.

LevelUP is a fully-funded, comprehensive startup accelerator created for experienced entrepreneurs and regional innovators according to a press release.

“The selection of these 13 companies for LevelUP is a milestone for our region,'“ said Camila Duarte, Innovation Cluster executive director. “We are fostering a sustainable ecosystem where innovation and economic growth thrive together. This program symbolizes our commitment to transforming our region into a vibrant hub for entrepreneurs.”

The program offers mentorship, workshops, networking opportunities and access to funding to transform startups into thriving businesses. It acts as a fast-track program to bring more products and businesses to market in the region.

LevelUP runs in three cohorts annually, hosting a select number of companies over a 12-week journey culminating in a competition where they will pitch for investment and compete for prizes up to $10,000 and access an exclusive AI platform - Pitch Bob - per cohort.

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Six Fleming College Paramedic Students Take An Icy Dip For Campbellford Memorial Hospital

Six Fleming College Paramedic students are taking the plunge to benefit Campbellford Memorial Hospital’s campaign to buy a new CT scanner, announced on Friday.

Fleming’s plunge from last year. Photo courtesy of Fleming College.

The Medic Mavericks team consists of Fleming students Danielle Blavert, Theo Guenther, Keyanna O’Rourke, Emily Escott, Maddie Mason-Gaynor, and Taiya Martin.

A goal of $1,000 is set to help the hospital’s cause.

The students will be dressed in their paramedic uniforms and will brave Trent River’s frigid temperatures on Saturday at noon. They will jumpfrom the shoreline at Lion’s Club Park in Campbellford. 

Donors can go online to give to the Medic Maverick’s campaign.

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Peterborough Police Receive $167,000 From Provincial Government to Fight Against Hate Crimes

A portion of money confiscated by the police from crimes is being reinvested in the Peterborough Police Service with $167,000 from the Ontario government to differentiate a hate bias incident and a hate crime, announced at the Peterborough Police Station on Friday afternoon.

MPP Dave Smith (left) and Chief Stuart Betts (right) making the joint announcement at the Peterborough Police Station. Ontario is investing more than $1.7 million to help stop hate-motivated crimes across the province. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The announcement was made by Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP so the police can develop a deeper understanding of hate crimes and hate bias to create informed and efficient responses and strategies.

“There is no better way to use the proceeds from crimes then using that money on prevention,” said Smith. “We are seeing a rise in hate-related incidents and it is unacceptable in our community. Everyone deserves the safety and assurances that they will not be targeted because of their beliefs, race, or sexual orientation.”

This project will include a Campaign designed to educate the Community about the distinction between hate bias and hate crime, streamline reporting protocols and the role of law enforcement and the collective accountability inherent in countering these issues. A comprehensive hate incident database will also be established.

Since 2018, Ontario has invested more than $16 million in crime prevention initiatives across the province through the Proceeds of Crime Front-Line Policing Grant program.

“Not only will a comprehensive hate incident database be developed but there will be ongoing training for all members of the Service and a public education campaign to inform members of our community about when and how to report to police as well as the difference between a hate bias incident and a hate crime,” said Chief Stuart Betts. “It’s important for us to know when these types of incidents happen and that all residents continue to feel safe in reporting them. Community safety is always our top priority, and we want to do everything we can to ensure a safe inclusive community for all.”

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OLG Issues Third-Quarter Gaming Revenue Payment to Peterborough of $700,000

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has made their third quarter payment totalling $704,652 to the City of Peterborough for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough announced on Friday morning.

Since 1994, host communities have received more than $2 billion in non-tax gaming revenue. File Photo.

The quarter was from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.

During OLG’s fiscal year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), Peterborough has received $2,294,602. Since the gaming site opened in October 2018, Peterborough has amassed $11,698,967 according to a press release.

These payments to host communities are based on a formula consistently applied across all gaming sites in Ontario using a graduated scale of gaming revenue at the hosted site as stated in a press release. 

“OLG continues to provide Municipality Contribution Agreement payments to gaming host communities for vital programs and services that benefit all Ontarians,” ssaid Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “Land-based casinos offer good, local jobs and play an important role in supporting strong, vibrant communities for families to live, work and play.”

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Community Futures Peterborough To Give $50,000 To Peterborough and County Projects In New Funding Program Launch

Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) has launched a new funding program called the Community Advancement Program (CAP) to distribute $50,000 to projects driving economic stability, job growth and job creation which was announced at the Venture North Building on Tuesday morning.

(From left to right) Charlina Westbye, CFP board chair; Devon Girard, CFP executive director; Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County warden and Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The program provides a maximum of up to $5,000 (non-repayable funding) to each successful applicant for their project. It is open to all businesses, not-for-profits and individuals in the City and County of Peterborough.

“The creation of this program demonstrates the commitment our organization has to advancing our local community forward,” said Devon Girard, CFP executive director. “The distribution of $50,000 in our economy should make a real difference to drive various economic development initiatives.”

CFP seeks projects that boost community business attraction, investment, retention and employment. Applications are being accepted until March 8, when a committee will oversee the applicant process following the deadline.

“The Community Advancement Program will boost economic development in our region by helping businesses, non-profits and individuals in the City and County of Peterborough to invest in their community,” said Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor. 

“Community Futures Peterborough, with the support of FedDev Ontario, continues to help our business community reach its full potential,” said Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden. “The CAP program will help businesses to adapt, innovate, and grow to serve our communities including those in rural Peterborough County.”

The federal government funds the money through FedDev Ontario.

CFP will notify selected applicants in April, according to Girard. Applications are available online at CFP’s website.

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