With Canadian Multiculturalism Day being marked June 27, the world is coming to Nogojiwanong-Peterborough, and who is better positioned to serve as host than the New Canadians Centre (NCC)?

For the third consecutive year, the non-profit organization has organized the Canadian Multicultural Festival, a series of programs and events celebrating multiculturalism in Peterborough while introducing attendees to the customs, music, art, dance, food, and stories of the various cultures that have secured a vibrant and still-growing footprint in the city and region.

NCC manager of community development Bhisham Ramoutar speaks to that presence, noting the centre served more 2,000 newcomers over the past year — a 50 per cent increase from the previous year.

“It’s really important for newcomers to represent their cultures, to represent the countries they’re coming from, and see themselves reflected in our programming,” says Ramoutar. “That’s one of the reasons we put so much focus on this festival, because it provides our clients with the opportunity to showcase different aspects of their culture.”

“The majority of the events are facilitated by individuals who are new to Canada. This gives them a platform to share their culture, and allows the wider community to respectfully learn about other cultures and be engaged with the fabric of what makes Peterborough so diverse.”

In 2013, Ramoutar was himself a newcomer to the city. A native of Trinidad and Tobago (he also lived in Guyana for 13 years), Ramoutar attended Trent University as an international student, graduating in 2017 with a BA (Honours) in History and International Development Studies. Later that same year, he joined the staff team at NCC.

Acknowledging that Peterborough, like any community with a large population of newcomers, hasn’t been immune to isolated incidents of implied or overt racism, Ramoutar says the festival is important in terms of fostering a better understanding and acceptance of other cultures.

“It’s a way to humanize immigrants and humanize different parts of the world, and enter into a space of welcome and a place of learning as well,” he says.

Events during the 2024 Canadian Multicultural Festival
Events during the 2024 Canadian Multicultural Festival

A preview of what’s scheduled for the Canadian Multicultural Festival proves there will be ample opportunity to do just that, including what is destined to be the festival’s signature event on Friday, June 28th outside NCC’s 221 Romaine Street (at Aylmer Street) location.

From 2 to 6 p.m. that day, the centre is hosting its 45th Anniversary Block Party. The free family-friendly celebration will feature a talent show, multicultural crafts, henna, face painting, a bouncy castle, and food. In addition, a cultural fair will provide the opportunity to learn about some of the city’s multicultural and faith-based groups and their programming.

In the event of rain, no worries — the party will move indoors.

“It’s a celebration of the past 45 years and the community welcoming us, but it’s also a celebration of the next 45 years to come,” says Ramoutar.

“Our actual physical neighbourhood, but also our metaphorical neighbourhood of the wider Peterborough community, has been very welcoming to newcomers and to the New Canadians Centre. This is a chance for all of us to come together to reflect and celebrate together.”

Preceding that event are a few others, each providing their own cultural flare to the overall celebration.

On Wednesday, June 19th from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., a Bollywood Dance Party and Marketplace will be held at Millennium Park at King and Water streets.

Instructor Magna Karthik will lead participants through a dance routine designed for beginners to experienced dancers, with the actual dancing fun to begin at 6 p.m.

The marketplace will feature Indian-inspired snacks, henna, rangoli art, craft, and artwork by local artists. Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable colourful or Indian clothing to enhance the festive spirit.

Next, on Thursday, June 20th, the festival serves up something more cerebral via what’s billed as a community conversation. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Peterborough Public Library, on what is World Refugee Day, the theme “Our Home” will be explored.

Moderated by social justice activist Simal Iftikhar, a panel comprised of Trent University sociology professor emeritus Dr. Alena Heitlinger, Selah House manager Helen Reader, human rights advocate Mandana Kamali, and Mohammed Shamout — who immigrated to Canada in 2016 as a student refugee and later graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor of Business Administration — will provide insights and engage dialogue on fostering welcoming communities and the support of refugees.

Meanwhile, the “Try It…” series of participatory activities is scheduled over four days.

On Saturday, June 22nd from 3 to 5 p.m. at Quaker Foods City Square, a Zumba party will be held featuring free face painting, kids’ activities, giveaways, and the NCC Women’s Group Craft Market also taking place. Registration is not required.

On Sunday, June 23rd, a jollof rice cooking class — which will teach registrants how to cook the popular West African rice dish, with halal chicken and vegetarian options available — will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the NCC at 211 Romaine Street. As the class is limited to 20 people, advance registration is required.

Then, on Monday, June 24th from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the NCC at 221 Romaine Street, a language exchange event provides the opportunity to learn common words and phrases in Spanish, French, Hindi and Arabic, and then put that new knowledge to the test for a chance to win prizes. No advance registration is required for this drop-in style event.

And on Tuesday, June 25th from 2 to 4 p.m., again at the NCC at 221 Romaine Street, “Sip Around The World” allows participants to discover and savour unique coffee and tea brews from around the globe, including Karak tea from the Gulf Region of the Middle East, Honduran and Ethiopian coffees, Mexican hot chocolate, and Tunisian mint tea. As there is a limit on the number of people who can attend, advance registration is required.

With a satellite office in Cobourg, NCC is bringing the Canadian Multicultural Festival there as well in the form of “Around The World In Northumberland” on Wednesday, June 26th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cobourg Marina at 103 3rd Street. Cultural landscapes will be explored through music, dance and drink, with performances by the Northumberland Multicultural Dance Troupe featured. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for this a free, family-friendly community event.

Meanwhile, throughout this month, NCC’s Multicultural Food Crawl is continuing in downtown Peterborough.

Presented in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) , the ongoing event highlights international dishes available at 10 restaurants in downtown Peterborough. The participating restaurants are Ariyana, Bhojan, Cork & Bean, Curry Village, Fresh Dreams, La Mesita Restaurante, Levantine Grill, Milk + Tea Shop, Oasis Mediterranean Grill (OMG), and Village of Thai.

Until June 30, for every $10 you spend at one of the participating restaurants, you will receive a stamp to add to your Multicultural Food Passport. Passports can be picked up at any of the participating restaurants or at the New Canadians Centre’s office at 221 Romaine Street in downtown Peterborough. Collect six stamps and enter a draw to win one of three $100 Boro gift cards that can be redeemed at downtown businesses.

Participating Restaurants – Multicultural Festival Food Crawl

During the Multicultural Food Crawl, NCC is encouraging participants to share their love of Peterborough’s international cuisine by voting for their favourite restaurant at bit.ly/NCC_FoodCrawl, and to share their food experience by tagging the New Canadians Centre @newcanadianscentre #multiculturalfoodcrawlptbo on Instagram or Facebook. Two posts will be drawn at random to win a $25 Boro gift card.

“One of the things that I think everyone should know is we know how to throw a party,” says Ramoutar. “Come on out. There will be something new that you get to try. The festival is a really good way to build new friendships, but also to discover the world.”

For more information on the Canadian Multicultural Festival, visit nccpeterborough.ca/multiculturalfestival.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with the New Canadians Centre. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

Wastewater surveillance for infectious disease will continue in Peterborough, with a decision by the local board of health to fund an existing partnership between Peterborough Public Health (PPH) and Trent University following the Ontario’s government’s recent announcement it is ending Ontario’s wastewater surveillance program.

The decision was made at the board of health’s meeting on Wednesday (June 12) following a presentation of a health unit staff report supported by medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott.

Board of health chair and city councillor Joy Lachica told kawarthaNOW she is pleased with the board’s decision.

“In the absence of the province’s wastewater surveillance, our board of health has sagely voted to locally provide our community with the data it needs for preparedness and prevention,” Lachica said.

Earlier this month, the Ontario government announced it was ending the $15-million program — which was launched in 2021 during the pandemic and is operated by universities and research sites with funding from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks — on July 31.

The province said it is shutting down the program to “avoid duplication” with a federal wastewater surveillance program.

Wastewater surveillance is used by public health experts to track and monitor diseases, including COVID-19. This is done by testing community wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 from infected individuals — called the wastewater signal. The province has traditionally presented the wastewater signal for Ontario, as well as its sub-regions.

PPH — which serves the residents of Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations and the county and city of Peterborough — partnered with Trent University to participate in the provincial wastewater surveillance program, with the university’s Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre led by Dr. Christopher Kyle performing the work.

“We’re so grateful to Dr. Kyle and Trent University for their leadership and offer of partnership in this continued work,” Lachica said.

So pleased that @Ptbohealth Board of Health, with the leadership of Chair @lalalalachica see the value for wastewater surveillance data for COVID & pandemic preparedness & has decided they will continue to support this work & partnership with Dr. Kyle @TrentUniversity locally. pic.twitter.com/pr9GEfbsmP

— Dr Thomas Piggott (He/Him) MD PhD (@twpiggott) June 13, 2024

The day following the health board meeting, Dr. Piggott posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “so pleased” that the board of health under Lachica’s leadership supported continuing local wastewater surveillance and the partnership with Trent University.

The medical officer of health’s post has been shared almost 300 times with almost 800 likes, with many commenters urging their own local health units to take similar action.

“Dr. Piggott’s expertise and initiative on this front and our PPH board’s decision is proving to be a beacon to others since announcing our decision,” Lachica said. “Public health units across Ontario are also looking to keep their communities as informed and as safe as possible with new emerging pathogens, and as we face yet another COVID spike just this month.”

Two weeks after Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) announced it would be dissolving at the end of the year after losing its core funding from the city and county of Peterborough, Peterborough city council will consider a staff report for the city to establish its own economic development services division.

City council, meeting as general committee, will discuss the report from city CAO Jasbir Raina on Monday evening (June 17).

The city staff report comes almost two weeks after Peterborough county council approved a transition plan for the county to assume the responsibilities of economic development and tourism in advance of PKED’s dissolution — the result of both the city and county deciding not to renew a multi-year tri-party agreement to provide funding to PKED that expires on December 31.

The county’s transition plan proposed the county hire a new general manager of economic development who would report to the existing director of planning, with the division renamed as planning and economic development. The plan also proposed the county’s communications division be renamed communications and tourism, with that division’s manager title renamed as general manager of communications and tourism, and that a new communications coordinator be hired for the renamed division.

The city staff report proposes that a new economic development division be established within the city’s infrastructure, planning and growth management department. The new division would include a director and three full-time staff, with an additional two staff to work on tourism and destination marketing within the city’s strategic communications and Service Peterborough division.

“However, staffing needs will be fully determined following the hiring” of the new director, the report states.

The report also proposes the creation of “Experience Peterborough” branding for tourism promotion and marketing, with three city divisions — arts and culture, recreation and park services, and strategic communications and Service Peterborough — “supporting tourism functions to attract events and market the city as a destination.”

“While the staffing resources would be within the three divisions, the public facing identity for Peterborough tourism would be a single branding, Experience Peterborough, with staff contacts grouped together as a single public-facing team and staff working in collaboration on tourism-related activities,” the report states.

In addition to the six staff outlined above, there would be two additional positions similar to PKED’s “experience and tourism advisors” who would promote and support events and activities within the city, as well as half of a full-time equivalent position called “Coordinator of Cultural Programs” that would support cultural events such as Peterborough Musicfest, the Peterborough Folk Festival, Pride events, and community parades.

A media release from the City of Peterborough issued Thursday (June 13) states that there would be a total of 10.5 staff positions to support economic development and tourism within the City of Peterborough under the proposed plan. Peterborough County’s transition plan would require two positions. It is not yet known how many staff positions would be required once the city and county have fully established their new responsibilities for economic development and tourism.

PKED currently has 12 full-time staff positions, with students hired during the summer, to support economic development and tourism in both the city and county of Peterborough.

The budget for the proposed changes for the city would be $341,000 for the remainder of 2024. While the report provides no budget for 2025, it recommends redirecting $1,015,112 — the city’s share of core funding for PKED in 2024 — to fund the new economic development division in 2025. The report also proposes that the portion of the municipal accommodation tax for tourism activities that it transferred to PKED — estimated at $425,000 in 2024 — be assumed by the city by designating the city as an “eligible tourism entity” under the Municipal Act.

The staff report sheds some light on when and how the city made the decision to not renew its tri-party agreement with PKED and the County of Peterborough. According to the report, a closed session of city council was held on June 26, 2023 where council “provided a series of directions relating to alternatives for the delivery of economic development services.” However, the report provides no detail on the “series of directions” as information from closed council sessions is not a matter of public record. Council voted 11-0 to endorse the closed session report.

In Thursday’s media release from the city, Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal makes three statements about the city’s decision not to renew its funding agreement with PKED and the proposal for the city to assume responsibility for economic development and tourism.

“Peterborough was recently shown to be ranked last in gross domestic product growth among the Census Metropolitan Areas in Ontario — behind areas such as Belleville, Brantford, and Thunder Bay. Our business property tax base is not where we need it, leaving residential property taxpayers to shoulder a greater burden. We need a different approach to attract investment. The status quo isn’t working.”

“Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development has served our region with professionalism and dedication for 25 years. The individuals in that organization are outstanding individuals. As we move forward, we need to build on the successes of that organization but also bridge the gaps that have emerged over the last 25 years.”

“Regional collaboration, partnerships and communication will remain essential as both the City and Peterborough County transition in how they provide economic development and tourism activities. Peterborough Region is well positioned to attract growth and investment. The City and the County are taking action to move our communities forward.”

The Kawartha Youth Orchestra (KYO) is calling on Peterborough residents to help local children and youth “stay upbeat” by supporting an initiative that provides them with universal access to music.

“Upbeat! Downtown” is a KYO program that has been offering musical experiences and more for young people aged six to 18 since 2002. In addition to learning instruments, participants — whose socioeconomic circumstances would otherwise restrict their involvement — receive food and enjoy social interaction through the initiative.

But KYO needs community members to help the non-profit charitable organization in its quest to keep the program on beat and to keep live music a part of area children’s lives.

Young musicians from the Upbeat! program are tuning their instruments for their end-of-year recital and launch of the “Stay Upbeat!” fundraising campaign at 6 p.m. on Thursday (June 13) at All Saints’ Anglican Church, located at 235 Rubidge St. in Peterborough.

In addition to youth performances, well-known local musicians and Upbeat! instructors, Saskia Tompkins, Andrew Randall, and Katarina Thompson, will also take the stage.

“The event is the perfect opportunity to come see what Upbeat! is about and get involved,” Colin McMahon, KYO’s program manager, told kawarthaNOW. “The best thing that could happen is that these young musicians look out on a full crowd, to see that their community is here to support them.”

Upbeat! was launched with a three-year, non-renewable Ontario Trillium Foundation grant that is coming to an end.

“The pilot program has been a tremendous success — we’ve grown Upbeat! to accommodate 45 students who are now learning music, receiving food support, and becoming part of a supportive musical community,” said McMahon.

Without the grant, the KYO needs to find new ways of keeping Upbeat! going.

“Having seen the difference this program can make, we are determined to ensure Upbeat! continues to make an impact in the lives of Peterborough’s youth,” McMahon said. “We have a commitment to the Upbeat! children and their families, who have come to depend on this life-changing program.”

He said there is “a distinct lack” of local accessible music education, especially string education.

“So, we’re asking our local community to help us ensure it can continue.”

In addition to music exposure, the program also offers food for participating children and youth.

“As many studies show, hungry children struggle to learn new things,” McMahon said. “We also know food insecurity is a constant struggle for many households. Upbeat! starts each day, as soon as the students arrive from school, with a nutritious snack. We call it a snack, but to make sure needs are met, it is really a full-blown meal.”

Lisa Dixon, former owner of Black Honey, leads the food program.

“The food program also provides a wonderful opportunity for bonding and community before they get to their music lessons,” McMahon added.

McMahon has seen many rewards for children and youth partaking in the Upbeat! program.

“The biggest change we see is children learning to express themselves creatively and socially and building confidence in their abilities. I was just yesterday talking to a student, and she told me about how shy and scared she was to meet new people before she started at Upbeat! Now, she is truly one of the most outgoing young people I’ve ever met.”

“Another young boy, (who) joined just at the start of this year, broke my heart when he told me he’d never be able to play violin because he was ‘never good at anything.’ It’s taken a lot of careful and patient work to convince him he’s capable, but to see his face light up when he shows off what he can do now is the most fulfilling thing imaginable.”

Through Upbeat!, children learn to play the violin, viola, cello, and horn in an ensemble-based program. They also get to sing in a choir, learn music theory, and experience a wide range of musical genres with guest performances.

To keep the youth initiative going, KYO’s most pressing need is for donations. For more information and to make a donation, visit www.kawarthayouthorchestra.org/support-kyo/.

Upbeat! is also in need of volunteers. Those interested in volunteering when Upbeat! starts back up in September can email contactus@thekyo.ca.

Northumberland County residents should see movement towards rural internet improvements in the coming months, the county’s top politician says.

Brian Ostrander, Northumberland County warden and mayor of the Municipality of Brighton, said the county is poised to share news this autumn regarding the promised rural broadband expansion project.

“Northumberland is expecting to be able to announce next steps in rural broadband expansion early in the fall with an aggressive rollout timeline,” Ostrander told kawarthaNOW.

Following COVID-19 and deemed essential for post-pandemic economic recovery, the federal and provincial governments announced $45 million in joint funding towards an initiative to deliver high-speed internet access to all households and businesses across Northumberland, in partnership with Northumberland County and private sector partners.

The county has said providing high-speed internet services across Northumberland’s hilly landscape and dispersed population makes the task complex. About one-third of Northumberland households are either underserved with broadband access or entirely unserved, according to the county.

Northumberland announced in 2022 it had developed “an innovative approach” intended to meet the growing high-speed internet needs of residents, businesses, and public services. Ultimately, county council endorsed establishing a municipal services corporation to manage broadband as an open access utility.

The approach merges significant public funding and private capital investment to create the utility. The private sector-led utility is designing and building a local fibre-to-the-home telecommunications network and then — over time — will provide open, wholesale access to this network to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the county noted. ISPs will use this network to deliver high-speed internet services to Northumberland residents and businesses.

The network will be able to deliver a minimum internet speed of one gigabit per second, according to the county. At the time of the announcement, the target timeline for delivering high-speed internet access to all households and businesses across Northumberland was the end of 2024 to early 2025.

In other telecommunications news, the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and Rogers Communications announced earlier in June that Rogers 5G mobile services are now available in 21 communities across eastern Ontario. Forty-two new cell towers and four additional upgrades to existing sites are completed, and now offer Rogers 5G mobile services to residents, businesses and visitors.

Rogers 5G mobile services are now available in parts of the following areas:

• City of Kawartha Lakes
• County of Frontenac
• County of Haliburton
• County of Hastings
• County of Lanark
• County of Lennox and Addington
• County of Northumberland
• County of Peterborough
• County of Prince Edward
• County of Renfrew
• United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
• United Counties of Prescott and Russell
• United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
• City of Kingston
• Town of Gananoque
• Alderville First Nation
• Algonquins of Pikwakanagan
• Curve Lake First Nation
• Hiawatha First Nation
• Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
• Mohawks of Akwesasne

The announcement is part of the EORN Cell Gap Project, a $300-million public-private partnership to improve and expand cellular services across rural eastern Ontario. About half the project is co-funded by federal and provincial governments, as well as municipal members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and most of the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus.

Rogers Communications, which was selected through a competitive bidding process, is providing the balance of the investment, a media release noted.

“High-speed, reliable, and affordable cellular services are essential for Canadians to succeed today,” said Sean Fraser, federal minister of housing, infrastructure and communities, in the release.

“We are proud to support this project, and I am incredibly excited about today’s milestone with even more Ontarians now able to access enhanced broadband services and all the benefits that come with it.”

Through this partnership, Rogers Communications is building approximately 332 new telecommunications cell towers consisting of newly built and co-located sites, which are sites shared with other providers. In addition, 312 existing sites will be upgraded — bringing wireless infrastructure to more municipalities and Indigenous communities in eastern Ontario. To date, 309 sites have already been upgraded and 100 new cell towers have been completed, according to the release.