North Hastings volunteer group Think Turtle Conservation Initiative has launched the annual "Crafting 4 Turtles" initiative, inviting community members and conservationists to get crafty in support of turtles. The project calls for donations of handmade items to be sold at community events, markets, and online with proceeds going to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. While accepted year-long, the organization is requesting donations by the end of May to stock up for summer markets and events. (Photo courtesy of Think Turtle Conservation Initiative)
Who says you have to venture out into the cold to volunteer your time in the community this winter? By “Crafting 4 Turtles” with the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative, you can support efforts in treating and caring for local turtles without leaving the warm comfort of home.
Being held for the eighth year in 2025, the project calls on creative conservationists to crochet, knit, paint, embroider, build, or otherwise create to raise money for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC).
“There are a lot of people that like to help and volunteer, but they just don’t have the time or they have physical limitations, so this gives them an opportunity to help the turtles in a way that suits them,” says Kelly Wallace, founder and managing director of Think Turtle Conservation Initiative. “It would be great if everybody could volunteer time and be on the ground helping out, but it just doesn’t work out that way, so this is a different avenue to explore.”
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A volunteer group based in North Hastings, Think Turtle Conservation Initiative is not unfamiliar in using crafted items as part of their awareness campaigns.
After their 2017 Remembrance Day project saw over 1,000 fibre poppies installed along the bridge in Bancroft, Wallace approached a local craft group, Knittervention, to orchestrate a “yarn bomb.”
In May 2018, hundreds of knit and crocheted turtles decorated the town to raise awareness just as turtles were starting to cross highways across the region.
“It was the coolest thing and fun because it went viral,” recalls Wallace. “I think that’s possibly what got me thinking about using creativity to help turtles.”
The idea for the annual “Crafting 4 Turtles” initiative came after Think Turtle Conservation Initiative founder and managing director Kelly Wallace asked Knittervention, a craft group in North Hastings, to orchestrate a turtle-themed “yarn bomb” in Bancroft. On the Victoria Day weekend in 2018, residents and visitors to the village were greeted by hundreds of knitted and crocheted turtles. (Photo courtesy of Knittervention)
All craft items collected through the Crafting 4 Turtles initiative will be sold through markets, community events, and online with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the OTCC, which houses Ontario’s only turtle hospital.
In its first year in 2018, Think Turtle Conservation Initiative raised enough to support the OTCC in purchasing a new electrocardiogram (ECG) machine. Crafting 4 Turtles has continued to raise more and more funds each year, and has given a total of more than $10,000 to the centre.
“Whether it’s going to equipment or anything else, it’s going to be helping turtles,” Wallace says “A lot of people really like the idea of purchasing something and knowing the money is going towards conservation. It’s something that people are thinking about more and more these days.”
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By having each crafted item for sale at the events at a low price point, Think Turtle Conservation Initiative makes donating for the cause more accessible.
“Money is a concern, and people don’t have disposable income, so a lot of these items are small and kept around the $5 price point so people will purchase them,” says Wallace. “But people are still buying these little keepsakes and people really like the fact that, by purchasing this, they know the money goes towards helping injured turtles, which is really cool.”
While the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative offers a number of educational projects and engages in species recovery efforts, Wallace notes that sometimes having the crafts when they are at community events makes their outreach more accessible and appealing to audiences.
All items donated to the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative’s “Crafting 4 Turtles” initiative will be sold through markets and community events as well as online with all proceeds going to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. At accessible price points, the products help the volunteer group draw consumers to the table and initiate educational talks around conservation. (Photo courtesy of Think Turtle Conservation Initiative)
“It means that people spend time at the booth and we engage in conversations, and it prompts talks with other people,” Wallace says.
“I’ve always said about turtle conservation — and I would apply it to any kind of conservation — that sometimes you have to come at it from different ways, and this might not be the typical route, but it does encourage people to talk and ask questions, and it helps us to raise awareness.”
Over seven years, Wallace has seen lots of creativity come from the fundraiser, with people donating flowerpots, turtle shell afghan blankets, mosaics, quilts, potholders, keychains, greeting cards, and even slime turtles.
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While crafters often stick to the turtle theme, bumble bees, ladybugs, flowers, and other nature-based items often sell well too.
Wallace suggests the only things that would not be accepted are wash cloths, dish cloths, and crocheted tea towels, so as not to undercut local small businesses that sell such products. Other than that, she says, the sky is the limit.
“I don’t like to say no to anything so if there’s a way of figuring something out, because it’s all for such a good cause,” says Wallace. “It makes it interesting because it’s not like people are going to come back and see the exact same things as last season.”
Held annually since 2018, the “Crafting 4 Turtles” initiative led by Think Turtle Conservation invites allow those under time constraints and with mobility issues to have the opportunity to support turtle conservation efforts by crafting for the cause. Community members can get free knitting and crocheting turtle patterns from Think Turtle to help them get started. (Photo courtesy of Think Turtle Conservation Initiative)
Wallace encourages people who want to get involved but don’t know where to begin, to reach out by contacting Think Turtle Conservation Initiative.
Those who have no experience but want to try their hand at crafting for turtles can contact the organization for a crochet or knit pattern for turtle stuffies.
“Everybody has different things they are interested in, with different materials and mediums they want to use, so we’re always happy to make some suggestions and take it from there,” says Wallace. “The fun part is we never know what’s coming in because every year the mix is different.”
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Though the Crafting 4 Turtles initiative runs year-round, Think Turtle Conservation Initiative is asking those who are able to donate the crafts by the end of May 2025 so the group can stock up for the summer markets and events. Contact the organization to arrange pick up, drop offs, or delivery to the Bancroft office.
“It’s really great to see the enthusiasm and just the community spirit in supporting turtles, with both people being keen to make things and people keen to support by purchasing things as gifts or for keepsakes,” says Wallace. “It’s a neat approach, it’s always so fun, and it’s something different.”
Launching the new LevelUP startup accelerator program was one of the accomplishments of the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas that made 2024 a record-breaking year for the non-profit organization. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
Last year was already special for the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, as it celebrated its 20th anniversary.
This year, the non-profit organization has an additional reason to celebrate, having recently announced that 2024 was also a record-breaking year.
Christine Crandell, the Innovation Cluster’s vice-chair of the board of directors, shared with kawarthaNOW what she finds most exciting about the performance results of 2024.
“Maintaining a very high customer satisfaction score while the organization navigated a year of tremendous change is both validating and exciting,” Crandell said. “It tells me that the Innovation Cluster is on the right path.”
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In 2024, international and regional demand for technology-based incubator and accelerator programming drove a 19 per cent increase in active clients. The organization serves more than 125 early-stage companies in 23 countries, including regional, provincial, and Canadian clients.
Last year, the Innovation Cluster also hosted 30 events across a broad spectrum of topics focused on skill-building and networking, launched the LevelUP accelerator program, and conducted two over-subscribed cohorts with more than 50 per cent of the applicants new to the cluster.
Also in 2024, the organization expanded the expert-in-residence program with additional expertise in funding, intellectual property, operations, and service models, and delivered more than 130 expert advisory hours.
In addition, the Innovation Cluster added a virtual component to all programming and, in December, relocated to the first floor of the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough in response to client needs.
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“My hopes for 2025 is that the growth continues and the new programs we are planning will continue to be well-received by entrepreneurs,” Crandell said when asked about what’s ahead for the organization. “I look forward to showcasing innovative companies and the results they have achieved as a result of working with the Innovation Cluster.”
The Innovation Cluster supports entrepreneurs in the sectors of clean tech, healthcare tech, agritech, and digital tech when launching, commercializing, and scaling their businesses. The organization aims to support growing businesses by providing dynamic programming, mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities that help them achieve their business goals and develop the local community, job market, and economy.
Kinen Ocitti, CEO and founder of Kuwota, said working with the Innovation Cluster “was an incredible experience.”
“We received valuable guidance from the program’s experts-in-residence, who helped us understand our platform’s value to individuals and mental health professionals, explore different customer acquisition strategies, and build partnerships with mental health organizations,” Ocitti said in a media release.
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Meanwhile, Moien Giashi of GreenSky Ventures Inc. shared a few words as well.
“I am excited to bring my experience in deep tech, venture capital, and innovation strategy to help scale startups and drive transformative change,” Giashi said.
“As an expert-in-residence, my priority is to empower founders to overcome complex challenges, fast-track their journey to market, and contribute to the ongoing success of the Innovation Cluster’s dynamic and impactful ecosystem.”
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In addition to the rapid growth in 2024, there were other factors behind the memorable year for the organization, according to board chair Nicole Stephenson.
“2024 was a year of change in the industries and communities we serve and our organization,” Stephenson said. “We left 2024 well-positioned for continued growth in 2025 and beyond.”
A rendering of TVM Group's proposed 10-storey residential-commercial development, which would be located immediately west of the Mark Street United Church building at 90 Hunter Street East in Peterborough's East City. (Graphic courtesy of TVM Group)
As a proposed 10-storey East City residential-commercial development moves forward in the City of Peterborough’s application process, residents opposed to it are again making their feelings known.
Proposed by TVM Group on the property at 90 Hunter Street East adjacent to Mark Street United Church, the building would feature 156 apartment units and commercial space on the ground floor and underground parking.
If approved, it will be developed on property the church sold to TVM Group in exchange for four units, valued at $2 million, at TVM Group-owned East City Condos just up the road at Hunter Street East and Armour Road. The site was previously occupied by a 1957 addition to the church building, which has now been demolished.
With the city having issued notice that TVM Group has filed an application for a technical adequacy review, a requirement in advance of an application for a necessary zoning by-law amendment, members of the East City PTBO Neighbourhood Hub Facebook group are expressing concerns online, many of which echo what was heard at an open house held last June at the church.
Among them is Rogers Street resident Andrew MacGregor, who sought an Ashburnham Ward city council seat in the 2024 municipal election.
“This building is too large and it does not fit the character of the neighbourhood,” says MacGregor, adding “East City is largely single-dwelling homes.”
“If this building is built, it would be in my backyard. It would cast a shadow on my home. So here we have a building that is much taller, and much wider and longer, than anything that exists (in East City), and doesn’t match the single-family heritage homes in the neighbourhood.”
Model renderings of TVM Group’s proposed 10-storey residential-commercial development, which would be located immediately west of the Mark Street United Church building at 90 Hunter Street East in Peterborough’s East City. Most of the building’s footprint would extend north of Hunter Street. (Graphic courtesy of TVM Group)
Another bone of contention, says MacGregor, is parking for tenants’ vehicles. MacGregor contends there isn’t enough parking allotted in the site plan, meaning increased traffic and parking concerns on streets neighbouring the development.
A quick scan of the East City PTBO Neighbourhood Hub Facebook page reveals similar concerns. That said, there are comments from those who are fine with the proposed development, with one writing that the site plan schematic “looks great,” adding “We need more housing and we have to build up.”
But the detractors are in the majority, with one noting “Rogers Street is already a nightmare with all the 18-wheelers and cars.” Another posted “This is a monstrosity and will change the whole character” of East City.
The character of East City on Hunter Street has already been changing over the past few years. Ashburnham Realty has developed three multi-storey buildings along the Rotary trail south of Hunter Street East (the third six-storey building just north of Robinson Street is still under construction), and TVM Group has developed East City Condos and redeveloped the old St. Joseph’s Hospital site.
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Contacted by kawarthaNOW for comment, TVM Group president and CEO Amit Sofer is well aware of neighbouring residents’ concerns about the proposed Mark Street United Church development. In fact, he heard most of them face-to-face at the June open house.
“Nobody likes change — that’s sort of the beginning of a lot of conversations,” says Sofer, who founded TVM Group in early 1990s.
“We are not trying to do something that doesn’t fit (the neighbourhood). In fact, our proposal is directly based on all of the direction provided by governments, municipal specifically, but also provincial and federal. These are directives that are put out because of needs that exist within the marketplace. They may not be the needs of people unhappy with the development, but they are the needs of the city.”
“People don’t want to see change. If we ask for 20 storeys, people will say it should be 10. If we ask for 10, it should be five. If we ask for five, it should be three. But there are other proposals that are coming forward, in the very immediate vicinity, that will also be 10-plus storeys.”
“The development community has been told there’s a demand for density. There’s a demand to utilize existing infrastructure, and a demand for intensification as opposed to urban sprawl. The fact that there’s resistance to it — and I respect that resistance very much — is no different than what you would experience with any development in any city at any time.”
Pictured in June 2024, the site of TVM Group’s proposed 10-storey residential-commercial development, which would be located immediately west of the Mark Street United Church building at 90 Hunter Street East in Peterborough’s East City. The church sold the property, including attachments to the original church building (pictured in the background and since demolished), in exchange for four units in TVM Group’s nearby East City Condos development and the construction of a new church hall. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Sofer says what’s being proposed is “a moderated best version for everyone” of the development that “doesn’t satisfy everyone everybody’s full concerns but it also doesn’t satisfy our desires because, as developers, we would like even more (building) height and density.”
“There’s never a circumstance where neighbours say ‘This is awesome. Let’s build more.’ I appreciate the comments — they are good comments. We’ve made adjustments (to the plan) to reflect some of the comments we collected at that June meeting.”
As for the parking concerns expressed, Sofer says TVM Group’s development of other East City projects has provided “a very specific, accurate, clear and long-term understanding of the parking needs of our tenants.”
“The (parking) ratios that we’re proposing mirror what we have at our hospital site where we don’t have a parking problem. The collective East City group won’t believe that because they don’t want to, but the city won’t allow, in its good planning discretion, something that doesn’t make sense. It would be poor planning.”
Further, Sofer stresses that his TVM Group is not in the “merchant” building business.
“We do not build and sell. The TVM Groups owns everything it has ever built, other than our condominium developments. I would be foolish to build something that doesn’t make sense. If there wasn’t enough parking, I wouldn’t be able to rent the apartments and I would be the one with the biggest loss. Our parking ratios, in my mind, are correct. We have adjusted them.”
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Still, MacGregor, not unlike many of his neighbours, is unappeased. As for the argument that progress is inevitable, he agrees, but adds a disclaimer.
“Progress is needed but perhaps it should take small steps,” he says. “What we’ve seen with developments on Hunter Street is moderately large buildings. We need progress, but can we make progress in incremental steps instead of just jumping to absolutely huge, immediately affecting property values and the characteristics of neighbourhoods in the immediate area?”
MacGregor says he believes residents’ lobbying councillors to see modifications made to TVM Group’s site plan won’t do any good.
“I have no faith that discussing this with city councillors will affect the outcome. I’m not convinced that anyone is listening. Development, and the pacing of development, is something that I will frankly make the cornerstone of a campaign for city council in a future election.”
As for the application for a technical adequacy review, Sofer explains it’s “a relatively new step put in place by many municipalities in response to the provincial government’s mandate that planning applications be dealt with expeditiously.”
“The planning department does not receive a site plan or zoning application, of which we’re making both, until they are deemed technically complete to the satisfaction of (planning) staff.”
A concept plan of TVM Group’s proposed 10-storey residential-commercial development, which would be located immediately west of the Mark Street United Church building at 90 Hunter Street East in Peterborough’s East City. (Graphic courtesy of TVM Group)
According to an email to kawarthaNOW from Brad Appleby, the city’s planning, development and urban design director, “the file is in a technical review phase; no decisions have been made on whether to support the development.”
“Applicants/landowners are always free to apply for development and the city is obligated to process complete applications, but at the end of the day the city is not obligated to support development,” Appleby writes.
Appleby notes city staff will eventually prepare a report for council consideration that will advise if the development proposal meets all city and provincial requirements and include a recommendation for its acceptance or denial.
That report will go before councillors as part of a public meeting where registered deputations can be made. Notice of that meeting’s date will be mailed some 30 days in advance to property owners within 400 feet of the proposed location.
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If and when final council approval is gained, Sofer says construction will “start right away.”
“The building will add to the character of East City and enhance its vibrancy,” maintains Sofer. “Anyone who doesn’t want it will say the opposite. I respect that. However, it really is an addition; it will bring more people to businesses. We’re hoping everything goes smoothly. but it’s in the hands of council.”
Meanwhile, in a related development, the city will host a public meeting on Thursday, February 6 focused on planning for strategic growth areas, one six areas identified as the Central Area, which takes in the downtown core and East City.
A meeting presentation, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Healthy Planet Arena, will provide a review of concepts for land use, building heights, parks, transportation and open space. Registration isn’t required to attend.
Through sales of the 2025 Paramedic Therapy Dog Calendar fundraiser featuring the Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules (front), Northumberland Paramedics raised over $1,000 to deliver over 50 holiday meals to seniors and community members in need this winter. Pictured from left to right are Northumberland paramedic Joe Glass, Ketch's Korner owner Melissa Dale, Northumberland Paramedics Chief Susan Brown, and (with Ivy Joules) Northumberland Paramedics superintendent of quality improvement education Giselle Lech. (Photo: Northumberland County)
Northumberland residents have stepped up to provide holiday meals to residents in need over the winter, and in turn, will be embracing puppy love all year long in 2025.
Northumberland County has announced its first-ever fundraising calendar, featuring photos of the Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules, was a success. Money raised through sales of the calendar was used to purchase meals for community members who are less fortunate, to enjoy over Christmas and during the upcoming Family Day holiday.
Northumberland Paramedics has been raising money to deliver holiday meals for the past three years. In 2022 and 2023, the fundraisers were internal initiatives with the paramedic team and the paramedic association.
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“2024 was the first year involving the community, with the sale of the paramedic therapy dog calendars,” said Kate Campbell, Northumberland County’s director of communications and IT.
“With the success of this initiative, paramedics are considering ways to once again undertake a community fundraising campaign to support the delivery of holiday meals in December 2025, and this may include (another edition) of the calendar,” she told kawarthaNOW.
As a result of the community response to the 2025 paramedic therapy dog calendar fundraiser, Northumberland Paramedics raised more than $1,000 to deliver the holiday meals to seniors and community members this winter.
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Paramedics worked closely with Ketch’s Korner restaurant in Cobourg to deliver 25 meals to community paramedicine clients during the Christmas holidays. They are planning to deliver another 27 meals during the week of Family Day in February.
“We are so grateful for the incredible support we received from the community during the first year of this fundraising initiative,” said Northumberland Paramedic Chief Susan Brown in a media release.
“Thanks to the community’s kindness, we were able to partner with the very generous Ketch’s Korner to provide holiday meals and a friendly visit from our community paramedicine team to seniors and vulnerable community members over the holidays.”
Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules, a young golden retriever, often visits community paramedicine clients and also provides support to the team of paramedics. (Photo: Northumberland Paramedics)
Ivy Joules, a young golden retriever, often visits community paramedicine clients and also provides support to the team of paramedics.
“She is truly a source of joy for us, and we’re thrilled that, through this program, she has spread her paws-itive impact even further in our community, one smile at a time,” Brown added.
Each year, Ketch’s Korner donates approximately 250 meals to people in need, as well as to first responders working over the holidays.
“Northumberland Paramedics wanted to amplify this generous and impactful initiative by raising funds to expand the number of meals that could be distributed.”
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The calendar was launched in the fall of 2024 ahead of the holiday season to help support those efforts.
“We started giving out meals to seniors 10 years ago,” said Ketch’s Korner owner Melissa Dale in the release.
“It all started with a lady who was going to be alone for Christmas, as her son was going to be out of town for the holidays. So, my daughter and I dropped off a turkey dinner for her — she was going to have a peanut butter sandwich. That’s what started the whole thing.”
Within only one month of pre-sales last fall, Northumberland Paramedics sold 135 calendars. The calendar features photographs of Ivy Joules exploring Northumberland and interacting with residents, community paramedicine clients, Northumberland Paramedics, and staff delivering other county services.
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Northumberland Paramedics’ community paramedicine program offers non-emergency in-home care to seniors and vulnerable community members in Northumberland County. The program aims to provide preventative and patient-centred care while helping to manage the high demand on hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and emergency services.
For more information about the community paramedicine program, visit northumberland.ca/cp.
To see Ivy Joules at work throughout the county, residents are invited to follow her adventures on Instagram @we.need.ivy.stat.
Jay Malinowski and Tony Rabalao of Toronto-based reggae and world beat band Bedouin Soundclash will be playing an intimate acoustic show at The Venue in downtown Peterborough on Saturday night. (Photo: Bedouin Soundclash / Instagram)
Every Thursday, kawarthaNOW publishes live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that musicians provide directly or that venues post on their websites or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, January 23 to Wednesday, January 29.
If you’re a musician or venue owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
Central Smith Creamery in Selwyn Township is receiving up to $200,000 in federal and provincial funding for new equipment and technology through the Ontario government's Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative, part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5-billion five-year program involving the federal and provincial and territorial governments. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)
Central Smith Creamery in Selwyn Township is receiving up to $200,000 in federal and provincial funding for new equipment and technology.
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $7.18 million in 70 projects across the province to enhance and modernize dairy processing capacity and food safety through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5-billion five-year program involving the federal and provincial and territorial governments.
The partnership, which is intended to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector, includes $2.5 billion — with 60 per cent of the funding provided by the federal government — for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
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In Ontario, that includes the Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative, which provides successful applicants with up to $200,000 for 50 per cent of eligible costs to enhance processing efficiency and food safety in their facilities by adopting modern milk processing methods. The funding can be used to acquire new or refurbished equipment, provide one-time training, and more.
Central Smith Creamery will use the funding to purchase various technologies, including an ultraviolet liquid storage tank, volume and temperature control systems, a fat tester system, liquefier load cells, an upgraded raw material management system, and a robotic conveyor system.
The Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative is open to the 171 licensed cow and goat dairy processors in Ontario, along with additional sheep and buffalo dairy processors. While 90 per cent of the available funding has been allocated, applications are still being accepted until November 30 or until funding runs out, whichever comes first.
A selection of four documentary films screening at the 2025 ReFrame Film Festival (left to right, top and bottom): "Logging Algonquin" by Conor DeVries, "Singing Back the Buffalo" by Tasha Hubbard, "The Monarch Ultra" by Rodney Fuentes, and "London Grown" by Richard Mejeh. (Photos courtesy of ReFrame)
The annual ReFrame Film Festival opens tonight (Thursday, January 23), returning in a hybrid format with in-person events in downtown Nogojiwanong/Peterborough until January 26 and with online streaming from January 27 to February 2.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by guest writer Eryn Lidster, Creative Director, ReFrame Film Festival.
As many festival-goers know, ReFrame showcases some of the best new environmental and social-justice documentary films each year. ReFrame 2025 will be no exception, presenting several films celebrating the beauty of our natural world with stunning images and stories of resilience and growth.
The moment a filmmaker picks up their camera, the story becomes about the relationship between themselves and the natural world. It is this cyclical relationship between humanity and our environment which is the focus of these thought-provoking and beautiful films.
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VIDEO: “Logging Algonquin” trailer
What steps can we take to strengthen our commitment to sustainability and environmental protection? Directed by Conor DeVries, Logging Algonquin (Friday, January 24 at 5 p.m. in-person at the Market Hall and on-demand online) looks at the historical and ongoing logging happening in Algonquin Provincial Park. The film asks the question: “Does logging belong in our modern-day park?”
VIDEO: “The Monarch Ultra” trailer
Innovative solutions to environmental challenges often emerge when we ask ourselves “What can we do?” In Rodney Fuentes’ The Monarch Ultra (Friday, January 24 at 10 a.m. in-person only at the Market Hall), a group of runners trace the migration path of the monarch butterflies from Peterborough, Ontario to Central Mexico to raise awareness for pollinator conservation.
VIDEO: “The Cigarette Surfboard” trailer
Benjamin Judkins’s The Cigarette Surfboard (Friday, January 24 at 5 p.m. in-person only at Showplace Performance Centre) reminds us that each of us has a role to play in protecting our planet, by harnessing our unique passions and talents. In this film we follow Taylor Lane as he creates a functional surfboard with 10,000 littered cigarette butts collected from California beaches. His journey takes him around the world to learn what ocean activists and professional surfers are doing to protect and restore the health of the ocean.
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VIDEO: “Razing Liberty Square” trailer
The impacts of the environmental crisis hit closer to home for some than for others. In Katja Esson’s Razing Liberty Square (Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m. in-person at Showplace Performance Centre and on-demand online) residents of Liberty Square, a public housing project in Miami, know that sudden interest in their neighbourhood comes from the fact that it is located on the highest-and-driest ground in the city.
Both Razing Libery Square and Richard Mejeh’s London Grown (Saturday, January 25 at 10 a.m. in-person only at Showplace Performance Centre) show the inextricable relationship between climate justice and racial justice.
In London Grown, Sandra Salazar D’Eca’s food growing projects focused on empowering the Black community in London, England, come under threat when the council announces a three-fold increase in annual rents to local farming allotments. Supporting those most affected by the crisis and those working toward a better future inspires hope.
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VIDEO: “The Wild Path Home” trailer
Local filmmaker Anne-Marie Jackson’s The Wild Path Home (Saturday, January 25 at 5 p.m. in-person at the Market Hall and on-demand online) highlights innovative efforts by leading specialists in the environmental, health, and educational fields to create immersive experiences that reconnect young adults with nature.
VIDEO: “Singing Back the Buffalo” trailer
Connection to the natural world is vital to its protection. A stunning exploration of this connection is Singing Back the Buffalo (Sunday, January 26 at 12 p.m. in-person at Showplace Performance Centre and on-demand online), an epic reimagining of North America through the lens of buffalo consciousness.
After a dark recent history, the buffalo herds are awaiting their return, aided by dedicated Indigenous activists, leaders and communities, including award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard. These films show us how we can each take action for environmental justice, by protecting our planet and our future.
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GreenUP is once again excited to be a sponsor supporting the ReFrame Film Festival.
In-person, hybrid, and virtual festival passes and tickets are available now. Individual rush tickets for in-person screenings will be available at festival venues 15 minutes in advance of each scheduled screening from January 23 to 26. You can purchase passes and tickets at reframefilmfestival.ca.
GreenUP thanks author Eryn Lidster, creative director for the ReFrame Film Festival, and the entire ReFrame team for their tireless work in sharing relevant, environmentally informative films with our community year after year.
Minden's Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary is encouraging residents and shopper to stop feeding the young deer that has been frequenting Todd's Your Independent Grocer in the village of Haliburton. Nicknamed Mooch, the fawn is part of a herd living on the nearby edge of a forest and was orphaned last year after a vehicular collision killed its mother. Though Mooch is healthy, the sanctuary's founder Monika Melichar warns that taming and feeding the deer could put it in harm's way. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
The Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden is warning residents they are “killing with kindness” when they feed a young deer that has been hanging around Todd’s Your Independent Grocer in the village of Haliburton.
Aptly named ‘Mooch’ by the sanctuary’s founder Monika Melichar, the fawn has been frequently spotted outside the store begging for food in the parking lot for likely up to the last six weeks.
Though the Municipality of Dysart et al passed a by-law banning deer feeding in 2023, shoppers have fallen prey to the animal’s cuteness and have been providing Mooch with apples, carrots, corn, and other food items.
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“He’s being taught to be domesticated, and that is our biggest concern,” Melichar says. “As a community, we’re teaching him that it’s okay to come into the parking lot and mooch for food, because we give him that positive reinforcement by providing him with food. He’s young and he’s naive, so that quickly teaches him that it’s a good place to go because he’s getting that juicy apple.”
Born last summer, Mooch — who Melichar calls “he” although the fawn has yet to be identified as a doe or buck — is with a herd that often stays along the edges of the forest behind the grocery store, though is the only one who dares venture into the parking lot.
Based on photos from last summer and given that fawns are typically still with their mother at this age, it’s believed that Mooch lost his mother in late fall last year after she was struck by a vehicle.
Born last year, Mooch is a young deer that has been regularly fed outside of the Independent grocery store in Haliburton. Though he is a part of the nearby herd, his mother is believed to have died in a vehicular collision in the late fall. Nearby Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary is concerned that if Mooch does not stop being fed, the fawn could become too comfortable around humans and be struck by a car, suffer from nutrition deficiencies, or even hurt people. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
Melichar suggests that while it’s hard to walk past Mooch without offering food because the fawn is “so darn cute,” continuing to do so could cause problems in the future. If Mooch is a buck, when he enters rutting season he could become “aggressive” and “demanding” to the people who once supplied him with food.
“He will be stronger, and he can jump on people. If they’re holding an apple, let’s say, and eating it themselves, not intending to feed him, he will jump up and try to take that apple,” she explains.
“That’s what happens when a deer becomes unafraid of humans. Deer are strong and have razor-sharp hooves, so if they paw at somebody they can actually slice skin open.”
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Melichar is also concerned that Mooch’s comfort around humans provides more opportunity for the fawn to be hit by a vehicle. Just this month, Haliburton Highlands OPP reported that a recent traffic analysis saw a “concerning” rise in motor vehicle collisions, with deer-related collisions accounting for 82.5 per cent of these incidents. Hotspots from 2019 to 2023 include Country Road 21 and Highway 118.
“It’s because we are more in the bush, but it’s also because the deer are becoming unafraid of human activity and commotion and will mingle among cars and cross the roads even when cars are coming,” Melichar says about the frequency of deer-related accidents.
She adds that the very day after Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary assessed Mooch, a deer that had been hit by a car was found in a ditch near the grocery store and had to be shot by the OPP because he suffered such terrible injuries.
“This is what we really need to stop. It’s too sad to have the constant injuries and car collisions happening,” says Melichar.
A pile of apples was left by the side of the road in Haliburton for a fawn who has been hanging around the village over the last few weeks. The Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary encourages those who feed deer to do so away from the roadsides, with nutritious foods, and without directly interacting with the deer. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
Melichar also says that feeding deer can be harmful to the animals, as oftentimes they are being given food they would not find naturally when foraging during the winter, when their diet consists of twigs, branches, bark, and winter-green plants.
For example, people who feed deer will commonly give them corn. While deer love corn, it takes a lot of energy to digest and having such a high-carbohydrate diet can cause nutritional and developmental problems for deer. They can even develop “Aladdin’s Slippers,” a disease that causes the hooves to curl upward.
“Sadly, that is not uncommon in this area and there are a few deer suffering from that right now, and it’s directly linked to feeding them corn.” says Melichar. “They love corn — it’s like candy to them — but they’re not getting the nutrients they need to develop properly.”
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While deer feeders might be quick to suggest that deer need help sourcing food during the cold spells, Melichar says the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary found Mooch to be completely physically healthy and “has no issue of being starved.”
It is true that deer face challenges in accessing food in the winter with the build up of deep snow, and Melichar recognizes that feeding wildlife can be a source of joy for many people in Haliburton. She just encourages people to think about how they’re doing it.
“People like to feed the deer because there’s nothing more beautiful than seeing a little group of deer eating in your front yard, but let’s be reasonable and smart about it,” she says. “Do it with the deer’s welfare in mind.”
While Mooch is very cute, Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary founder Monika Melichar says people should frighten the deer away so it does not become comfortable around humans and vehicles. A deer in Mooch’s herd was recently struck by a car, found in a nearby ditch, and ultimately shot by the OPP. Many highways around Haliburton County are labelled as “hotspots” for vehicle collisions involving animals, with more than 82 per cent involving a deer. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
She suggests deer should be fed on individual properties and far away from the roadside and the danger of vehicles. Instead of feeding them corn, give them other grains such as oats. It can also be helpful to collect boughs and sticks and leave them on top of the snow.
“Deer like cedar this time of year, so cedar boughs are beautiful, and it feeds them a more nutritious, natural diet as opposed to corn and molasses, which is terrible junk food and can cause those deficiencies in the deer,” Melichar says.
If residents do feed deer, Melichar cautions against getting too close to them.
“Keep them wild by not taking selfies with them or petting them or coaxing them to come and eat right out of your hand. That is just strictly stroking your own ego and that is not helping that deer and is causing a lot of harm. I call that killing with kindness.”
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If deer come too close, Melichar encourages people to “shoo” them away by making lots of noise and waving their arms around to encourage them to return to more forested areas away from people.
“The response is tough love, meaning teach the deer to fear you,” she says. “Put your food out, walk away, and let the dear come. That’s fine, but if you do it with your ego in mind, for your own gratification, those deer are now being taught that you’re a kind person. But not everybody is, and cars are certainly not kind.”
As for Mooch, Melichar suggests the only way to ensure he stays safe is to instill a fear of humans again, rather than reinforcing the idea that humans offer a food source.
Monika Melichar, pictured with a porcupine named Quill, is founder and president of Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden. Melichar is a federally and provincially authorized wildlife custodian and has over 30 years of experience working with orphaned and injured wildlife. She holds a BSc in Zoology from the University of Guelph and has worked at the Metro Toronto Zoo. (Photo: Sue Carr-Tiffin)
Given that Mooch is physically healthy, she does not want to bring the fawn to the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary, as it would only be a “band-aid on one deer.” Relocation would only provide a temporary solution, as Mooch would find his way back.
“We need to re-educate the community and just give them the idea and the strength and the power to say ‘I love seeing deer here in Haliburton County and I want the deer to stay’ because, if we keep them afraid, there will be less collisions, less interactions, less raided gardens,” says Melichar.
“We do want to keep our wildlife wild, and the only way to do that is to stop interfering and stop promoting the taming by encouraging the wildlife to be eating out of our hands.”
Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark (middle of front row, in light brown jacket) with members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC) along with Ontario government cabinet members and MPPs at EOWC's annual inaugural meeting in Kingston on January 9 and 10, 2025, when Clark was acclaimed as EOWC chair and Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson was elected as vice-chair. (Photo courtesy of EOWC)
There’s no shortage of challenging issues facing municipal leaders across the province, and the County of Peterborough’s Bonnie Clark is zeroing in on three priorities in the months to come for the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC).
Clark, warden of Peterborough County, was recently acclaimed as the 2025 chair of the EOWC. The EOWC is a non-profit organization that advocates for 103 small urban and rural municipalities across eastern Ontario. Clark had served as the EOWC’s vice-chair since 2023.
Settling into her new seat at the helm, she shared with kawarthaNOW her thoughts around what she sees as the key priorities this year for the EOWC.
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“In 2025, EOWC will seek to highlight the region’s economic strength, emphasizing its significant contribution to the Canadian economy through exports,” Clark said.
“We will be continuing to advocate for our region and our businesses who would be severely impacted should the threatened US tariffs be imposed. The EOWC supports initiatives like Fortress Am-Can to boost regional and North American economic resilience.”
An initiative of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Fortress Am-Can is described as a renewed strategic alliance between Canada and the United States “that is a beacon of stability, security and long-term prosperity,” according to the EOWC. “This plan will strengthen our economic partnerships on both sides of the border.”
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Clark said her work as chair will focus on the three priority areas of infrastructure, housing, and health care.
“Recognizing the critical need for infrastructure investment, the EOWC advocates for increased funding from higher levels of government to address the region’s aging infrastructure and growing deficit,” Clark said.
In the housing sector, the EOWC emphasizes the importance of facilitating housing development, and supporting a “housing first” approach to address affordability and homelessness.
“Furthermore, while acknowledging the Ontario government’s efforts to improve healthcare access, the EOWC stresses the need for stable and sustainable funding models for impactful community paramedicine programs. Community paramedicine has already made huge impacts by providing front-end community-based care and lessening the burden on emergency rooms,” Clark noted.
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Clark was acclaimed as chair earlier this month during an EOWC two-day conference in Kingston, which also saw Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson elected as vice-chair.
She brings with her to the role more than 20 years of public service experience. With a 28-year career as a registered nurse and deep roots as a member of a proud farming family, “Warden Clark is uniquely positioned to represent and advocate for the residents of eastern Ontario,” noted a media release from the County of Peterborough.
“She is committed to fostering collaboration with public, private, and community organizations to advance the interests of all member municipalities.”
Spanning 50,000 square kilometres and serving 800,000 residents, the EOWC has championed regional priorities with a unified voice for more than 20 years. The organization works closely with governments, businesses, non-profits, Indigenous leaders, media, and the public to advance key initiatives that strengthen communities across the region.
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As chair, the County of Peterborough said Clark is uniquely positioned to advocate for issues affecting Peterborough County.
“Working together with the EOWC enables Peterborough County to leverage the voices of 103 municipalities regarding common issues and goals to advocate at higher levels of government.”
As for Clark, she said it’s “an honour” to serve in a new capacity for 2025.
“It is a critical time for our country, province, and region to step up, and the EOWC remains ready to work and ready to grow. I look forward to working with my caucus colleagues in the year ahead to advance priorities of infrastructure, housing, and health care on behalf of our 103 municipalities and residents across eastern Ontario.”
A slide from a presentation on economic development and tourism in Peterborough County given by economic development general manager Rhonda Keenan and tourism and communications manager Tracie Bertrand to county council on January 22, 2025. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
Peterborough County is moving forward with an economic development and tourism plan for the county and its townships.
During a council meeting on Wednesday (January 22), councillors received a presentation from the county’s economic development general manager Rhonda Keenan and tourism and communications manager Tracie Bertrand, who were seeking council’s approval for proposed priorities for economic development and tourism and the next steps in developing a plan.
The county assumed responsibility for economic development and tourism after Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), a not-for-profit organization that had been providing economic development and tourism services on behalf of the County and the City of Peterborough for 25 years, announced it was dissolving at the end of 2024 after the city declined to renew an agreement to continue to provide funding to the organization and the county followed suit.
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In September, the county hired Keenan (previously the president and CEO of PKED) along with Sarah Budd (previously the president and CEO of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce) to join Bertrand in leading the county’s new economic development and tourism department, with Budd taking on the role of manager of community development.
In late October, the county also opened a new economic development and tourism office, located in the former post office at 12 Queen Street in Lakefield, to serve as the central hub in a “hub and spoke” model that will provide services to businesses and residents across the county, including satellite locations in the various townships.
Meanwhile, the City of Peterborough has yet to hire a person to lead its new economic development department, although an announcement is reportedly imminent.
Introducing her presentation to council, Keenan provided an overview of the activities her team has completed over the past three months, including visiting 13 local businesses, attending 12 local and regional events, responding to 10 inquiries from businesses looking for expansion opportunities and new space, and attending seven tourism roundtables and 10 community service group meetings.
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Keenan noted that the Ontario government has announced a new Rural Ontario Development Program aimed at supporting economic growth, workforce capacity and business development in rural communities. The program, which rural affairs minister Lisa Thompson announced on Tuesday (January 21) at the 2025 annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, will include $10 million in annual funding over the next two years for a total of $20 million.
“Our plan, as we’re starting to lay it out, is definitely in alignment with the direction of the province, and hopefully with future funding that follows,” Keenan said.
Tuesday was also when the county launched The Business Advantage program with an open-house style session at the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre, offering local business owners the opportunity to meet with the economic development and tourism team along with representatives from Community Futures Peterborough’s Business Advisory Centre, the Innovation Cluster, and the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
“It was a great kick-off because it was a good steady day, lots of great support, but businesses were able to be connected with the people that they needed to be connected with,” Keenan said. “So that was a great win yesterday, and we are looking forward to Cavan Monaghan (Township) next month, and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen after that, and we continue to want to roll that out and expand.”
Keenan said that local businesses are asking for better connections, and the economic development and tourism department is planning to bring Business Advisory Centre workshops to the county as well as creating the county’s own business-related workshops and events.
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After describing the attractions already available in Peterborough County such as Lang Pioneer Village and the diversity of industries in the county, Keenan noted the challenges faced in developing a comprehensive economic development and tourism plan for the county.
She pointed out that each township in the county has different geographic draws and influences, with Trent Lakes near Bobcaygeon in Kawartha Lakes, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen near the City of Belleville, and Cavan Monaghan near Durham Region.
“We also still have the push and pull into the City of Peterborough itself,” Keenan added. “Those influences need to be considered in what types of businesses would do well in each of these communities, but it also gives us as a county the opportunity to recognize that we are being pulled, and create a made in Peterborough (County) solution that is drawing inward and supporting inward.”
Keenan outlined three requirements for growing Peterborough County’s economy: creating jobs as well as increased assessment to grow the municipal tax base, evaluating the existing real estate inventory available for businesses, and collaborating with individual townships that already have their own economic development functions.
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Keenan shared a number of sectors that are expected to expand in 2025, including agri-tourism, the wellness economy, vertical farming, mystery tours, and small-scale manufacturing, while recognizing that policies of the new Trump administration may affect economic growth in some sectors.
“I really want to start with what we don’t want,” she said. “I know it’s a hard no for megasites (large contiguous tracts of land that are choice locations for big industrial operations) from previous presentations that I have made. We’re not ready. We don’t want this; we like the appeal of our small-town charm. We don’t have the ability, the housing, the infrastructure, or even the contiguous land to do that.”
Keenan then asked council how they felt about the idea of “smaller industrial condominiums” — buildings that may be around 1,500 square feet and include workshop space, office space, and some retail space.
“This is really the next phase of growth would be for small entrepreneurs to move out of their garages, move out of their basements, and take out space,” she explained. “Having a building such as this also allows for expansion opportunities … as opposed to having to move out to another location when they’ve grown out of space.”
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Keenan shared with council what she believes are the priority areas for economic growth that would provide the greatest return on investment: supporting existing businesses, followed by agriculture, tourism, and small-scale manufacturing.
“Our businesses are saying ‘We’re feeling isolated’, ‘We need more support’, ‘We need to be more connected to each other’,” she said. “They’re saying ‘Workforce issues are still keeping me up at night’, ‘We need to have more year-round visitors’.”
For agriculture, Keenan noted that the county has 863 farms, but they are typically small-scale farms selling products at local farm gates and farmers’ markets.
“What we know is that it doesn’t pay them enough, and farmers often have to have full-time jobs to supplement (their income) and they farm in between that work,” she said, adding that a strong agricultural sector means coming up with more ways for farmers to generate more revenue. Some options might include diversified new products, vertical farming, on-farm diversified uses, and agri-tourism.
For tourism, Keenan noted that many tourism operators are “very small mom-and-pop shops” trying to compete with the global travel trade. She said climate change is affecting the traditional winter season, with snowmobilers heading further north or east for consistent conditions, and that creating year-round attractions may necessitate creating something indoors.
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She added that there’s an opportunity for the county to become a health and wellness destination.
“We do like to joke internally that the county is where the Electric City comes to recharge,” she said, referring to the City of Peterborough. “I know they won’t like that, but that’s certainly the way we consider it.”
Keenan pointed out that businesses need to create “Instagram-worthy” experiences to attract visitors, and have the opportunity to “bundle packages” with other businesses. She also referred to the Trent-Severn Waterway being listed as a top destination by The New York Times.
“We are anticipating that we’re going to see an uptick in visitation,” she said, before wondering whether businesses in the county are going to be ready for it and whether it will translate into year-round visitation.
For small-scale manufacturing, Keenan said there are 284 manufacturers in the greater Peterborough area, employing 3,685 people and grossing over $3.1 billion. However, 49 per cent of those manufacturers have no employees other than the owner. Of the 284 manufacturers, 165 are food processing operations with one to four employees.
“Manufacturing doesn’t have to be huge, but it creates a huge opportunity,” she pointed out.
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After describing the priority areas for economic growth, Keenan described the “made in Peterborough County solution” that would result in the county being a recognized supporter of business with a stable and growing economy, a destination for year-round visitation that has “exciting new experiences,” a recognized collaborator and relationship builder, and growing the key sectors that have the largest potential for economic growth.
“We ultimately want to bring back to you an economic development plan after working through some of those tactics and angles with our (economic development) advisory committee and working group,” Keenan said. “We want to create a collaborative framework so that we’re all aware, and agree, who does what — and again, it might be different between the county and each of the townships, but we all know, as well as our partners. That will allow us to give a workplan and a budget that can be assigned for review for council approval.”
Keenan then asked county council to confirm the direction proposed in her presentation, along with a recommendation that council direct staff to proceed with creating a detailed economic development and tourism action plan through the economic development advisory committee that incorporates feedback and input from council.
Staff would also create a collaborative framework to establish the roles and responsibilities of the county and township economic development functions, and establish a real estate review working group that would report back to council.
After county council approves all the work, staff would then be directed share the results with township councils.
Keenan’s presentation was well received by council. Some of the comments made by councillors included the lack of year-round accommodation, the lack of employment lands, the lack of consistent wayfinding signage throughout the county, the need for performance measures for economic growth outcomes, and the need to create collaborations between local businesses.
In her comments, councillor Lori Burtt, deputy mayor of Asphodel-Norwood Township, noted the success of the first session of The Local Advantage in her community and lauded the work by Keenan and Betrand.
“These two people have done more in our township in the last few months than we’ve received in the last six, seven years,” she said. “That is really appreciated, and our businesses appreciate that as well.”
Council voted to approve a motion to accept the presentation and its recommendations.
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