The federal government has announced over $12.2 million for 33 tourism, community infrastructure, and economic development projects in Peterborough, Northumberland, and Kawartha Lakes.

The funding — under the Tourism Relief Fund (TTF), Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF), and Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) stream — includes $2.5 million for Kawartha Ethanol Inc. in Havelock and $750,000 for The Canadian Canoe Museum.

The Municipality of Port Hope is also receiving $750,000 for the redevelopment of Lent Lane and the Township of Selwyn is receiving $750,000 to renovate and improve accessibility of the Lakefield historic post office building.

Helena Jaczek, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), made the announcement on Tuesday (July 12) at an event hosted by The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough.

“Our government is committed to continuing to make important investments in community economic development projects that benefit local economies,” Jaczek says in a media release. “Today’s investments will help communities in Peterborough, Northumberland, and Kawartha Lakes strengthen their public infrastructure and enhance their tourist attractions, while also driving resilient economic growth for the region and protecting jobs.”

The Canadian Canoe Museum is receiving a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 under the Tourism Relief Fund to outfit a 20,000-square-foot Exhibition Jall at the museum’s new waterfront location on Little Lake. The museum will create seven new exhibits showcasing diverse voices and perspectives from across the country, including Indigenous knowledge, languages, cultures, and histories.

“This funding will contribute to the development of a brand-new suite of professionally designed exhibits that will be featured in our new museum’s 20,000 square foot Exhibition Hall,” says the museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop. “These exhibits will attract visitors from near and far to explore the canoe’s significance to Canada through diverse themes, perspectives and voices.”

Kawartha Ethanol Inc., a manufacturer of corn-based fuel-grade ethanol, is receiving a repayable investment of $2.5 million through the Community Economic Development and Diversification stream to adopt new production capabilities, reach new markets, and create permanent rural jobs.

“We appreciate FedDev Ontario’s support as we pivot our production to include health and manufacturing ingredients,” says Kawartha Ethanol general manager Steve ten Doeschate. “This support has assisted us in developing new innovations to retool and adopt technological changes to produce supplies for the health care and other sectors through the production of a variety of high-grade industrial distilled alcohol product outputs that are in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to support growing demands for products previously sourced in foreign markets.”

Here’s the full list of recipients, projects, and funding amounts.

Peterborough police are investigating a shooting incident in the city on Monday morning (July 11) that has resulted in a man being taken by air ambulance to a Toronto hospital.

At around 11 a.m. on Monday, officers responded to a 9-1-1 call about a shooting at a residence in the Dalhousie Street and Stewart Street area.

A male victim was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, and then flown by helicopter to a hospital in Toronto.

Police do not believe this is a random incident and say there is no current threat to public safety.

There will be increased police presence in the Dalhousie Street and Stewart Street area as police continue their investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service’s crime line at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit stopcrimehere.ca.

This latest shooting incident follows one on July 2 on Park Street North near Sherbrooke Street that resulted in the death of 37-year-old Shawn Singh of Peterborough and the city’s second homicide of the year.

A 56-year-old Scarborough man is dead after drowning in Burnt River in Kawartha Lakes on Saturday evening (July 9).

At around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Kawartha Lakes Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call about a man who had been swimming and failed to resurface.

After officers arrived, the man was located and was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police have identified the victim as Kingston Ferdinands, 56, of Scarborough.

A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.

To reduce the risk of drowning, police advise to always swim with a buddy, let someone know when and where you’re going for a swim, test the waters with your feet (don’t dive right in), and don’t swim while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Grade 4 and 5 students at a Kawartha Lakes school are going to have a lot more books in their classroom library thanks to their teacher Megan Clements and a grant from a U.S. foundation.

Clements, who teaches all subjects for Grade 4 and 5 at Dr. George Hall Public School in Little Britain, submitted a successful application to the Book Love Foundation for a $1,000 grant.

A non-profit volunteer organization founded in 2012 by English teacher, author, and advocate Penny Kittle, the Book Love Foundation provides financial support so teachers in the U.S. and Canada can expand classroom libraries. Since 2013, the foundation has funded more than 330 classroom libraries across 47 states and provinces.

In her grant application, which included a supporting video featuring her students and a letter from a colleague and a student, Clements — herself a lifelong reader — described the culture of reading at her school.

“At the heart of my teaching practice is incorporating student voice in everything we do,” wrote Clements, who worked as her school’s literacy lead last year. “So I truly hear them when they say, ‘our favourite art in our classroom is when you put books on display’ or ‘can we please have 10 more minutes to finish the chapter?’ during independent reading.”

She also explained how the pandemic has been a barrier to student reading, with virtual learning isolating students from their community of peers.

“Having this grant would wake our students up from their dormant cocoons, reignite the passion for reading in the middle years of elementary school, and reinstate the drive to be readers and leaders,” Clements wrote. “With their wings spread wide, our kids will no doubt reinvent their self-perceptions to truly believe and see themselves for what they truly are, readers.”

The application included a letter of support from nine-year-old Sabastien, one of Clements’ students.

“Ms. Clements should be picked for this grant because she is passionate about books and always hungry for more,” Sabastien wrote. “We already have a great start to our library, but we still need more books to grow with us. We could use this grant to help us gain more knowledge about our history, our world, and how to be the best you can be!”

To date, Clements has been using her own time and money to build the classroom library, and the $1,000 grant would give her the ability to purchase the most recent and relevant books for her students.

“I find that I am shopping for books at local thrift stores on the weekends to ensure that the kids are continuing to read and having books in their hands that are capturing their interest,” she wrote in her application. “I’d like more books that are related to disabilities, identity and LGBTQIA+, exploring body image and texts written in verse.”

“With our board welcoming many Syrian families and many Ukrainian refugees, I would like books related to immigration. Additionally, our board is so fortunate to have opportunities to walk down the path of reconciliation guided by so many Indigenous teachers. I would love to incorporate books related to the water crisis so many people experience around the world, in Canada, and even here in our home province of Ontario.”

While Clements has a number of books she intends to purchase with the grant money, she is also involving her students in the book selection process.

“The kids were assigned ‘homework’ on their first day of holidays,” Clements tells kawarthaNOW in an email. “They are currently compiling lists to order the books, with the students’ voices (and) favourite books included in that order.”

For more information about the Book Love Foundation, visit www.booklovefoundation.org.