City of Peterborough's Flood Reduction Subsidy Program Available

Property owners can access the City of Peterborough’s Flood Reduction Subsidy Program for funding.

Photo by Keegan Beekers.

The program assists with eliminating sources of groundwater and rainwater entering their sanitary sewer system which can cause basement flooding.

Rainwater and groundwater entering the sanitary sewer can cause basement flooding, environmental hazards and more significant wastewater treatment costs for taxpayers. It also reduces sewer capacity for future growth and decreases the sewer system’s lifespan.

Through the Flood Reduction Subsidy Program, the City provides financial assistance toward the following property improvements:

• Installation of a backwater valve (full cost up to $1,000)

• Foundation drain disconnection from a sanitary sewer with a sump pit and pump installation (full cost up to $1,500)

• Backwater valve installation and foundation drain disconnect from the sanitary sewer with a sump pit and pump together for the same property (eligible for full cost up to $3,000)

• Repair of broken or missing clean out caps (maximum of $50)

• Downspout (full cost up to $500) and roof drain (full cost up to $3,500) disconnection from the sanitary sewer

• Catch basin disconnection from the sanitary sewer and reconnected to the storm sewer (full cost up to $15,000)

For properties with more than one eligible item from this list, funding eligibility will be based on a case-by-case basis.

By participating in the Flood Reduction Subsidy Program and removing the rainwater inflow or groundwater infiltration sources, residents will reduce the potential of basement flooding while improving our community’s environment and reducing City of Peterborough's costs for wastewater treatment and sewer system upgrades.

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Innovation Cluster's LevelUP Program Invites Growth-Stage Tech Companies to Win $10,000

Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas’ (ICPK) business accelerator program ‘LevelUP’ is gearing up to begin its second cohort for growth-stage tech companies a chance to win $10,000 on Aug. 14.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The 12-week program supports innovative tech-based businesses ready to commercialize and scale. According to Innovation Cluster, the program focuses on validating business ideas and funding preparation, guided by industry experts who equip participants with practical knowledge, hands-on experience, and essential business skills.

They continue to state that program highlights include learning about branding, revenue models, go-to-market plans, customer acquisition, and funding and exit strategies.

The course ended with a pitch competition in November where participants will have a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize.

Latchmi Raghunanan, co-founder of Maman Biomedical Inc., won the $10,000 pitch competition in LevelUP’s inaugural cohort, pitching her company’s trailblazing products disrupting the in vitro fertilization sector. 

“Winning the LevelUP pitch competition allowed us to accelerate and move forward,” said Latchmi. “On top of the $10,000 we won, the program gave us the knowledge and tools to successfully raise $30,000 in funding and increase our visibility and credibility in a very short period of time.”

After completing the program, a press release states that participating businesses will have a detailed business plan, be ready to refine and test their MVP, have a robust go-to-market strategy, have an improved investor pitch, be ready to drive sales and customer acquisition and be well-networked among mentors, industry experts, and potential investors. 

“Our first cohort saw incredibly driven and innovative entrepreneurs whose businesses continue to grow since graduating from the program,” said Zahra Shafiei, LevelUP program lead. We are excited to invite all eligible and passionate business leaders to apply for our 2nd cohort so they too can experience these high levels of progress.”

Sessions will be held every Wednesday for 12 weeks, beginning on Aug. 14. Participants can join virtually or in person at ICPK’s downtown Peterborough location. 

Eligibility Requirements

• Open to entrepreneurs in sectors such as Clean Tech, Healthcare Tech, AgTech, and Digital IT.

• Must be an innovation-driven business with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and a team committed to growth and collaboration.

• Must be a company based in Ontario.
  
  This is the last cohort being offered free of charge to participants with applications due by July 15.

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Ontario Government Invests Up to $6 Million In Grants For Seniors

The Ontario Government is investing up to $6 million through the Seniors Community Grant Program to support 282 community projects that help seniors and older adults stay fit, active, healthy and socially connected.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“The Seniors Community Grants Program is a great example of how our government is working for local communities,” said Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility. “We are pleased to provide funding for so many programs that bring older people together to avoid being socially isolated, learn new skills, get fit, enjoy group activities and stay connected to their neighbours and friends.”

Up to $25,000 per project is invested in local programs, services and events to provide seniors with opportunities for greater social inclusion, volunteerism and community engagement according to a press release. It continues to state that Program is a unique Ontario government grant designed to reduce social isolation, fight ageism and create positive connections.

“Seniors need to connect with the community and stay fit, healthy, and active,’’ said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “By investing in seniors programs, we will be helping more adults get the programs and services they need to live healthy, independent lives.”

Seniors Community Grants projects receiving funding in Peterborough this year include The Alzheimer Society of Peterborough Kawartha Lakes Northumberland and Haliburton. They will receive up to $23,209 to provide rural seniors living with dementia and their caregivers a series of ‘night out’ events to support socialization, reduce stigma and build a more dementia-friendly community.

Age-friendly Peterborough will receive up to $25,000 to transform the way seniors age in place by providing customized health, fitness, social, educational and recreational workshops at several City apartments primarily occupied by older adults according to Jayne Culbert, Age-friendly Coordinator.

“The proportion of older adults 65 and better increased 16 per cent in the Peterborough region from 2016 to 2021 and that number will continue to grow,”she said. “Twenty-five per cent of the residents who live in the greater Peterborough area are seniors and, in some townships, it is over 30 per cent. This is significant as the national and provincial average is 19 per cent. Receiving funding from the Ontario Government helps organizations to support our local older population through innovative projects.”

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Art Gallery of Peterborough Receives $25,000 In Funding For Online Exhibition

The Art Gallery of Peterborough (AGP) is receiving $25,000 from Digital Museums Canada, a funding program managed by the Canadian Museum of History, to produce an online exhibition about the Gallery’s history. 

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

“‘Permaculture: The Story of the Art Gallery of Peterborough’ is going to help us remember and thank our founding members and understand the journey our gallery has been on over the last 50 years. I am excited to see the completed project,” said Debby Keating, AGP board president.

This project will celebrate the hard work, dedication and grassroots collaboration of a community, primarily driven by women, who were devoted to the prosperity of arts and culture in the Peterborough-Kawartha region. The completed digital exhibition is expected to launch in 2026. It will explore the origin story of the Art Gallery of Peterborough and take a deep dive into a few key moments in its history.

‘Permaculture: The Story of the Art Gallery of Peterborough,’ was one of eight selected nationwide by an independent advisory committee as part of the Digital Museums Canada (DMC) Community Stories funding stream. DMC recently announced an investment of more than $2 million in 18 new online projects developed by museums, heritage, cultural and Indigenous organizations across Canada.

“We were delighted to receive a record number of proposal submissions this year,” said Leah Resnick, DiMC director. “The DMC investment program provides critical funding as well as application assistance and mentorship for equity-deserving communities.”

Close to 150 proposals were received across the Digital Projects and Community Stories streams this year. Over 40 per cent of awarded projects are from organizations supporting equity-deserving communities.

The DMC investment program helps build digital capacity in Canadian museums and heritage, as well as cultural and Indigenous organizations and gives people living in Canada unique access to diverse stories and experiences. DMC is managed by the Canadian Museum of History, with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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Community Futures Peterborough Launches New Green Funding Program For Any Peterborough City/County Business Of Up to $100,000

Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) for Earth Day, unveiled its Climate Change and Environment Fund to help any Peterborough County and City businesses reduce their carbon footprint, announced at Charlotte Products Ltd. on Monday morning.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Like many organizations and leaders in the community, we want to be a part of helping fight climate change and encourage green investment in the Peterborough area,” said Devon Girard, CFP executive director. “Launching this new lending program is one way we can play a role in supporting existing businesses while also trying to attract new green companies to the region.”

The Climate Change and Environment Fund is open to any business to finance a project to reduce carbon emissions or waste. These projects could consider energy-efficient upgrades (including capital upgrades) to reduce energy bills, renewable energy improvements, or considerations of circular economies, including localizing supply chains or buying reusable bins. Under this fund, CFP will lend money at a prime rate, up to $100,000 per project.

Charlotte Products Ltd. has reduced carbon emissions by investing in the creation of its local manufacturing facilities instead of sourcing from the United States and globally.

“On behalf of the Charlotte Products team, we are honoured to host this exciting launch of the Climate Change and Environment Fund by Community Futures Peterborough,” says Matt Strano, Charlotte Products Ltd. CEO. “Sustainability is a primary concern for numerous businesses in our community,and initiatives like this fund will further bolster and reinforce their ongoing efforts.”

“The climate crisis is bringing a variety of increased financial pressures to our businesses including supply chain disruption and the rising costs of both shipping and natural gas,” said Tegan Moss, GreenUP executive director. “The Climate Change and Environment Fund is an opportunity for businesses to invest now in solutions that can help their businesses manage these costs while being a part of the solution. Imagine the possibilities: energy-efficient upgrades, renewable energy installations, circular economy initiatives – all aimed at reducing emissions, lowering costs, and enhancing the brand image of our businesses.”

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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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