On Friday (May 26), Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal announced an investment of $9 million from the Government of Ontario to support the construction of a new facility for The Canadian Canoe Museum.

“Our support for the redevelopment of the Canadian Canoe Museum will help attract more tourism, boost our local economy, and create good jobs in our region,” Leal said. “I look forward to seeing the reinvented museum and the remarkable collection of canoes and watercraft and innovative exhibits that the new space will accommodate.”

Established in 1997 and currently located at 910 Monaghan Road in Peterborough, The Canadian Canoe Museum is home to 600 canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft — the world’s largest and most significant collection.

The museum is planning a new 75,000-square-foot facility to be located beside the Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Site on the Trent-Severn Waterway. The new museum will be better able to preserve, protect, and promote its watercraft collection.

It will also be offering on-site and on-water programming to meet educational demands, as well as creating a research and archives centre. Planning includes engagement with Indigenous peoples.

Designed by an award-winning team of heneghan peng architects of Ireland with Kearns Mancini Architects of Toronto, the new facility design features a serpentine glass pavilion and a rooftop garden. It will be integrated into the existing drumlin and contoured with the canal.

The $9 million investment represents the Province of Ontario’s total contribution to the project. The Canadian Canoe Museum is also fundraising and seeking municipal and federal contributions to the project.

“This investment from the Province of Ontario is nothing short of transformational for the future of The Canadian Canoe Museum, as well as for Peterborough, the region, the province and the country as a whole,” said John Ronson, Chair of the museum’s Board of Directors.

“Today’s announcement is pivotal to the redevelopment project and we find ourselves one significant step closer to the realization of what will be a dynamic destination and one-of-a-kind cultural space.

“On behalf of all those from around the world, who will be inspired by the museum’s world-class collection from its new high-profile headquarters, we are grateful.”

For more information about the new museum, visit www.canoemuseum.ca/museum-on-move.

Anyone driving by the apartments at Hilliard and Marina streets in Peterborough last fall may have noticed some changes underway, including a gravel path, cement slabs, and a mound of dirt.

That doesn’t sound too eye-catching on its own, but the city was laying the groundwork for what will soon be a large pollinator garden complete with picnic tables and benches for residents to enjoy.

The work is all part of the Northcrest Pollinator Garden Project under the 2016 Participatory Budgeting initiative. Participatory Budgeting is a new initiative in the City of Peterborough providing residents with the opportunity to identify priority capital projects in their neighbourhoods with an expenditure of up to $20,000.

Participatory Budgeting is undertaken in communities around the world and is intended to increase citizen engagement and bring residents together in shared-interest projects.

Carlotta James, project lead and co-founder of Peterborough Pollinators, submitted a successful proposal last year and has been spearheading the project ever since.

Now, after months of planning and preparation, the garden is ready for planting. This, says James, is all thanks to the help from city staff, community members such as Ruth van Vierzen, and the coordinators of the Hilliard Street Kids Garden Klub, Gerry and Sidney Turner.

A community planting day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 31st from 4 to 6 p.m. All are invited to attend on the grounds south of 999 Hilliard Street, just south of Marina Drive. You can learn more about pollinator gardens and participate in this community event (getting your hands dirty is optional). A community BBQ is also planned, with assistance from St. Barnabas Anglican Church members.

The new pollinator garden is being located next to the vegetable garden maintained by the Hilliard Street Kids Garden Klub. The bees and other pollinators attracted to the flower garden and fruit trees will provide an important support for the vegetable garden.

One of the driving forces behind the pollinator garden project is so it can a learning opportunity for the community about the importance of habitat restoration, through building pollinator gardens that have a diversity of native plants.

“Participatory Budgeting is all about citizen engagement,” James says. “And this has been a community-driven project right from the beginning. I couldn’t have done this without the support of Northcrest Ward volunteers and city staff. So it seems only fitting to bring this garden to life with a community-based event.”

For more information on Peterborough Pollinators, visit www.peterboroughpollinators.com.

After three very full days of partying culminating on Canada Day, will Peterborough be willing embrace a hangover of historical proportions?

That’s certainly the hope of Peterborough Museum and Archives administrator Jon Oldham who, with his colleagues at a number of local heritage-related facilities and organizations, has helped organize an ambitious celebration of all things heritage for Sunday, July 2nd atop Armour Hill and near the Liftlock Visitors’ Centre.

The full-day event is the final piece of the Celebrate At Home puzzle — now a four-day celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday featuring a number of music performances, visual art displays, and children’s activities, as well as the annual Peterborough Canada Day Parade and the Multicultural Canada Day event in Del Crary Park.

On Thursday (May 25) at the museum atop Armour Hill off Hunter Street East, Oldham provided an overview of what will be happening July 2nd at both locations, starting at 10 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast provided by the East Peterborough Lions Club.

Until 4 p.m., crafts, games, activities and displays will abound with military re-enactments by members of the drill teams of Norwood District and East Northumberland high schools. As well, representatives of Lang Pioneer Village and Hutchison House, dressed in period costumes, will interact with the public.

And, in keeping with the decidedly musical theme of the entire Celebrate At Home celebration, there will be live performances by Mayhemingways, Dan Fewings, Steafan and Saskia, and The Paddling Puppeteers — Glen Caradus and Phil Stephenson, the latter of whom entertained at Thursday’s announcement, performing Jolly Roving Tor.

VIDEO: Peterborough 150 Heritage Day Announcement

In addition, there will be horse-drawn wagon rides provided by High View Farm Commercial Horses, as well as guided tours in a Voyageur canoes and free cruises to the top of the Peterborough Liftlock for a unique view of Peterborough — courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum and Liftlock Cruise Lines.

Speaking on behalf of museum staff and volunteers, Oldham said “We love here, we live here, we work here. We’re not here because there’s a museum here. We’re here because of Peterborough. Being able to contemplate that and share it is a tremendous privilege.”

The museum, noted Oldham, will open its collection storage area to the public.

“It’s an opportunity to share all of our historical artifacts instead of just the one per cent (of the collection) that is on display at any given time,” he said.

And on July 1st, the museum will open a new exhibition titled “Made In Canada — Really!”

Continuing until October 1, the museum-produced exhibition will feature dozens of artifacts that were made in Canada. Oldham explains:

“There are going to be artifacts that nobody is going to be surprised that are there, from GE and Quaker Oats, but there’s a lot of industries that operated in Peterborough that produced items that we might recognize but didn’t realize were made in Canada let alone in Peterborough. People will learn a few things. You always learn something new at the museum.”

Saying “We’re always blessed by seeing new people”, Oldham is excited over the prospect of the day’s activities bringing a number of first-time visitors to the museum, which, along with Lang Pioneer Village, is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.

“We’re not tourists in our own town as often as we’d like to be until family and friends come visit,” he said.

To make travel between the two sites less stressful, a free shuttle bus service will operate between the museum, the Liftlock Visitors’ Centre and nearby King George Public School at Armour Road and Hunter Street East where additional parking space will be available.

For more information and updates regarding Peterborough’s Canada 150th celebration schedule, visit www.peterborough.ca/ptbo150 or www.facebook.com/PTBO150.

The Trent-Severn Waterway will open for the 2017 navigation season on Friday, May 26th — but only part of it.

As of May 26, lock stations between Burleigh Falls (Lock 28) and Couchiching (Lock 42) will be open to boat traffic. All other lock stations will remain closed (except for land-based visitation).

Increased precipitation last weekend coupled with recent rainfall means Parks Canada needs additional time to reduce water levels and flows to ensure safe boating conditions across the system.

Parks Canada will open the remainder of the Trent-Severn Waterway in stages, opening individual lock stations to boat navigation as it is safe to do so.

Parks Canada advises it will provide daily updates on the status of the lock stations. As of May 27, the following lock stations are open and closed:

The staged opening will protect boater safety and help to prevent further shoreline erosion and property damage experienced by local residents and businesses.

Parks Canada encourages all visitors to always exercise caution around water, but especially now with water flows less predictable and stable than during regular navigation season.

To keep up to date on the status of the lock stations, visit the Parks Canada Trent-Severn Waterway website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s not too late to support YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, taking place at noon tomorrow (May 26) at Confederation Park across from Peterborough City Hall.

You can still register as a participant for the annual event, in support of local women and children fleeing abuse, or make a pledge to one of the 218 individual walkers or 38 teams currently registered. To do so, visit www.walkamilepeterborough.com.

Participants will walk in red high heels in a show of support for women and children escaping abuse in our community. As in previous years, the walkers will depart from Confederation Park, travel down George Street to King Street, and then up Water Street to return to Confederation Park.

Registration (mandatory for all participants) opens at 11 a.m. on Friday at Confederation Park, with the walk beginning at 12 p.m. Heels will be available for participants following registration on a first-come first-served basis (you can also wear your own heels or, if you unable to wear heels, wear shoes you feel comfortable in).

Immediately following the walk, participants, sponsors, and volunteers are invited to stay for a free lunch supplied by food sponsors Boston Pizza, Primal Cuts, Amusé Coffee Co., and Central Smith Creamery.

All funds raised at Walk a Mile in Her Shoes support YWCA services, like the 10,000 Safe Nights that Crossroads Shelter provides annually. Participants in this year’s walk have raised a minimum of one Safe Night — $45.96 — to take part.

The lead sponsor for this year’s fundraiser is Trent Valley Honda. Owner Monika Carmichael and her team are making a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes donation equal to 326 Safe Nights at YWCA Crossroads Shelter. Other sponsors include Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre, GM Financial, CIBC, Collins Barrow, and many more.

The YWCA’s fundraising goal for this year is $137,880 — equivalent to 3,000 Safe Nights — and participants have raised a total of $101,710.48 (2,213 Safe Nights) so far.

You can help the YWCA reach its goal by supporting a walker or team at www.walkamilepeterborough.com. You can also make a donation directly to the YWCA at www.ywcapeterborough.org.

VIDEO: My Peterborough – YWCA Walk A Mile in Her Shoes