Peterborough photographer Heather Doughty always wanted to do a portrait project, so last month when she found herself thinking about how many remarkable women there were in the Peterborough area, she decided to take her spark of an idea and blow it up into an inspirational movement.

“Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project” is just getting off the ground and Doughty has a lot of work to do in the year ahead — because she’s not just taking a few photos, she has decided to create a dynamic, introspective experience for at least 52 local women.

Doughty is accepting nominations at inspirethewomensportraitproject.com of women in the Peterborough community who inspire, support, uplift, and empower others. There are 15 different categories to choose from and every woman who is nominated will be asked to nominate two other women so that the project can grow organically.

The women who are nominated meet with Doughty and make-up artist Selena Wilson. They spend an hour or so shooting portraits in a location selected by the nominee and then three final photos are selected.

Two of the photos are shared immediately on the project website and on social media. The third portrait is top secret and will be revealed at the project’s grand finale gala on March 8th, 2019 — which just happens to be International Women’s Day.

The portrait project goes deeper than just the visual representation of these inspiring women, because each project participant has to submit a bio and choose three words that describe who they are and what they do in their communities.

“This is turning into a full experience,” Doughty says. “I go and I meet these women and they tell me their stories. It’s an interesting experience to see them coming up with all these cool ideas about who they are and what they mean to other women.”

Not only do the nominees get to see themselves through the lens of a camera, but many are asking for their three words on social media — leading to really insightful dialogue and moments of introspection.

“The project is really coming alive,” Doughty says. “There is such a connection. The women are so happy to be nominated and when they start telling their stories so much emotion comes out and this is what I’m capturing.”

Doughty says that many of the women have been surprised by the project feedback and they’re starting to see things in themselves that they might not have really connected with previously.

Many of these women are not in the news or not well known, so the nominations are having a big impact.

“It’s like we’re pulling these women out and saying that they are inspiring others and supporting others,” Doughty laughs. “We’re bringing these women out from the shadows and it’s so joyful.”

While the scale and scope of the project are something new for Doughty, photography has always been a part of her life. She fell in love with it as a child and she’s been shooting professionally for 10 years now. She says she feels such power every time she picks up her camera.

“That once click captures a moment forever and it’s amazing,” she explains.

Now, combining her art with the storytelling components of the project, Doughty is looking forward to watching Inspire grow over the months to come.

“The three words are so important,” she says. “The three words are where the walls come down and everyone wants to tell the stories behind those three words.”

And that’s likely what the project’s legacy will be. A legacy of helping women recognize the power of their actions, the impacts they have made in their communities, and capturing the look on their faces at that precise moment when they stand before the camera to own their success.

You can find our more about the Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project at inspirethewomensportraitproject.com. Photos are being shared on the project’s Facebook and Instagram channels.

As well as nominating women at the project’s website (there’s no specific deadline), you can also nominate a local women’s charity that will be given a fund-raising opportunity, through a percentage of ticket sales and individual donations, at the project’s gala celebration in March 2019. Nominations for charities are open until August 1, 2018.

Besides representing Peterborough politically, what distinction do current MP Maryam Monsef and former MPP Jenny Carter share?

If you answered they are the only two women to ever represent the city at the provincial or federal level, step to the front of the line. (Editor’s note: Gillian Sandeman also represented the riding of Peterborough as a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1977.)

That revelation was just one of several brought to the attention of a sold-out audience of around 80 women who gathered Thursday evening (April 26) at the Ashburnham Reception Centre for “Cultivating Change: Engaging Women In Political Action”.

With the central message being that when women get involved in the political process, communities change, the non-partisan event featured a panel of three women with different political experiences: longtime local municipal politician Mary Smith, veteran election campaign organizer Lauren Hunter, and former Cambridge municipal election candidate Gail Moorhouse, who now lives in Peterborough.

The presentation and ensuing discussion, co-moderated by Devon Girard and Jocasta Boone, urged women to get involved politically in their communities.

Boone pointed to the 1995 endorsement of the economic and social councils of the United Nations which set a target of 30 per cent female participation at all decision-making levels. While that target has come close to being met at the municipal politics level across Canada (28 per cent), it’s been a far different story locally.

“When we look at the last five (municipal elections) in Peterborough, only 19 per cent of candidates have been women and only 18 per cent of those have been elected,” said Boone.

“Why does this matter? When we achieve gender equity, we know our communities change. Gender equity impacts every aspect of our communities. It’s currently estimated that if we achieve gender equity it would add $150 billion to the Canadian GDP. This isn’t small stuff. We’d have a thriving economy.”

Saying “We need to lead by example, to have the viewpoints of women heard and matter,” Boone urged the audience to get involved, noting change will be the result.

“The minute there are women sitting around the table, the minute we achieve that 30 per cent, the culture (of politics) will change. Women are more inclined to collaborate. They are more inclined to work across party lines. It would not be the way it is right now if we achieve equity.”

Earlier, Smith, Hunter and Moorhouse shared their experiences as major players in the male-dominated political sphere.

Mary Smith, the current second-term mayor of Selwyn Township, echoed the notion that more women in elected positions would prove to be a game changer.

“From what I’ve seen in local government, women are more willing to follow process and work collaboratively through that process,” said Smith, whose political career began in 1998 when she was acclaimed deputy reeve for Lakefield.

“I respect that. I think that brings us to a better place in the decision-making process in government. The more women we have on council, the more open council is to gather information to put in front of the public.”

Asked by Girard what needs to be done to motivate more women to seek elected office, Lauren Hunter said an awareness of potential candidates is key, followed by encouragement.

“We are seeing more women in positions of leadership … the more we have that, the easier it will be for the younger generation to see herself sitting around the table,” Hunter said.

“We each need to take it upon ourselves to find women in the community in non-traditional places. There are a lot of politicians who are lawyers or have a business background and that’s great, but that doesn’t mean that it’s only those professions that make great politicians.

“Great politicians come from all walks of life. We need to start seeking them out. Ask her to run, and then ask her to run again, and over and over until she says ‘Yes, you’re right, I do have the qualifications, I am capable and I deserve to be there.'”

Referring specifically to audience member Diane Therrien, a relatively youthful Peterborough city councillor serving her first term, Gail Moorhouse said she’s a role model for younger women to consider running.

Hunter, who worked for a time for MP Monsef, said much the same about her, noting young girls look to her with awe.

VIDEO: Devon Girard & Lynn Zimmer talk about “Cultivating Change” on CHEX

Boone, meanwhile, left the audience with several ways they can bring about change, leading to more empowerment for women while inching that gender equity percentage higher, not just in political circles but in all male-dominated scenarios.

“The first is you’ve got to show up and you did tonight,” she said. “You came out. You made the commitment of time. You made it a priority. We have to keep showing up. We can’t do this work while sitting at home. We need to show up.”

Boone also listed voting, sharing a talent with the community, volunteering with a campaign, donating cash to candidate, run for elected office, getting involved with a voter or citizen engagement initiative, advocating on an issue that matters to you personally, and engaging your network

“We can get to 30 per cent, just 30 per cent is all we’re asking for,” said Boone.

“We are 53 per cent of the population. We have networks. We can do this. It’s important that we’re having this discussion. It’s important that we’re sharing with our neighbours and our sisters and our daughters and our co-workers. It is important that this not end at nine o’clock tonight.”

Along with Boone, Girard, and Moorhouse, other organizers of the event were kawarthaNOW.com founder and publisher Jeannine Taylor, acorn30 founder and CEO Heather Watson, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton executive director Lynn Zimmer, and Louise Racine, founder of Thirteen Moons and the Peterborough International Women’s Day Conference.

Spring is tax season, and it’s also scam season.

Police services across the Kawarthas are reminding residents to beware of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scam, which is very active right now.

“This scam is evolving from year to year and becoming more sophisticated and more believable,” says Detective Constable Keith Calderwood with Peterborough Police Service Fraud Unit.

The scammers pretend to be CRA employees, claim that you owe the government money, and often threaten you with arrest if you do not pay.

Recent versions of the scam demand that you pay using gift cards, including iTunes and Steam cards. For telephone scams, the scammers often spoof the incoming number that appears on your call display so it appears to be legitimate.

On Monday alone (April 23), Peterborough police received 36 calls from residents reporting they had been contacted by income tax fraudsters. Recently, a local college student was scammed out of more than $1,500 after responding to a fake CRA email where she provided the scammers with all of her personal and banking information.

The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service and the Northumberland detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have also reported calls from residents about the CRA scam.

Police are reminding residents to never provide identity or financial information or payment to someone who claims to be from the CRA, whether by telephone or in email.

CRA will never contact you by telephone or email to ask for identity or financial information, threaten you with arrest, or demand payment using gift cards. There are some legitimate reasons why CRA may contact you by telephone or email. In those cases, you should always verify by calling the CRA directly at 1-800-959-5525 (corporate income tax) or 1-800-959-8281 (personal income tax).

“These scammers are extremely aggressive and convincing,” Calderwood says. “If you get one of these calls, do not act (by giving them information). Hang up, call a trusted family member, friend, and call your bank.”

If you receive a scam phone call, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501. For more information, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.

If you have been a victim of fraud (meaning you have lost money to a scammer), contact your local police service.

The Canadian Canoe Museum held its annual general meeting last night (April 25) and welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors.

The new board members are Dr. Jenny Ingram, Vicky Grant, and Kevin Malone (see bios below). The museum also announced that Wendy Cecil and Vicky Martins have retired from the board.

Board and staff members also shared the museum’s highlights from 2017 with meeting attendees.

“The museum has come a long way, and for this, we have an array of steadfast supporters and staff members to thank,” said the museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop. “Whether we’re looking back, or looking ahead, it’s clear that our supporters are the lifeblood of our organization. Our community of contributors pulls together.”

A key element of the annual general meeting was progress on the new museum facility to be built at the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway, including an update on the $65 million capital campaign.

“We received foundational financial support from leadership donors as well as the County of Peterborough, the City of Peterborough, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada,” said board chair John Ronson. “We couldn’t be more grateful. While we have much more work to do to reach our campaign goal, we are well on our way.”

New Board Members

Dr. Jenny Ingram

Dr. Jenny Ingram is a specialist in internal and geriatric medicine In Peterborough. She is the founder and principal investigator at the Kawartha Regional Memory Clinic, a specialty geriatric and clinical research facility. Jenny is also the founding chair of both the Peterborough Council on Aging and the Peterborough Chapter of Osteoporosis Canada.

In 2016, Ingram received the Irma M. Parhad Award for Excellence from the Consortium of Canadian Centres for Clinical Cognitive Research, and the Glenn Sawyer Service Award from the Ontario Medical Association for outstanding contributions to the medical profession and the community.

Vicky Grant

Vicky Grant is from the Loon Clan, Teme-Augama Anishnabai Qway (Deep Water Woman), whose traditional territory is the Temagami area in northern Ontario. She is a Status Indian registered as a member of the Temagami First Nation, a status given to her through Canada’s Indian Act.

Grant says her most important roles in life are those of wife, mother, and grandmother. In her work and in her volunteer activities throughout her career, always with a passionate voice, Grant has always been and continues to be an advocate for more robust Indigenous engagement. She has served on boards for a number of foundations locally, provincially, and nationally, including as chair of the Board of Directors for Community Foundations of Canada.

Kevin Malone

Kevin Malone is Managing Director of BMO Private Banking with BMO Financial Group. With many years of experience serving corporate, ultra and high net worth clients, Malone n and his team work with wealthy Canadian families and assist in managing their complex wealth management needs. He has an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University, and a certificate from the Sauder School of Business Family Enterprise Advisor Program, University of British Columbia.

Malone is active in the community, including as a trustee of Lakefield College School, a director and past president of Duke of Edinburgh Award Program’s National Board, and has served on the fundraising committees for a number of not-for-profit organizations including Nature Conservancy of Canada, Stratford Express, and Dixon Hall. He is a recipient of Her Majesty the Queen Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) and Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).

The Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre (KTTC) at Fleming College in Peterborough has received a 2018 design excellence award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

KTTC was one of 10 winners — and the only Canadian one — of the AIA’s Education Facility Design Awards, announced by the AIA’s Committee on Architecture for Education on April 13, 2018.

The Education Facility Design Award recognizes cutting-edge designs that enhance student learning.

To be eligible for the award, an architect must demonstrate exemplary practice and the design must meet a host of criteria, including enhancing learning in classrooms, balancing function with aesthetics, establishing a connection with the environment, being respectful of the surrounding community, demonstrating high-level planning in the design process, and integrating sustainability in a holistic fashion.

The 87,000-square-foot KTTC, which opened in September 2014, was designed by international architecture and design firm Perkins+Will.

The building houses trades and technology programs including carpentry, plumbing, electrical, welding and heating, refrigeration and air conditioning, as well as programs such as Graphic Design – Visual Communication.

“The Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre is a beautiful, light-filled space that, we believe, has attracted more non-traditional students to the trades,” says Maxine Mann, Dean of the School of Trades and Technology at Fleming College.

“The flexible, multi-disciplinary design of the learning spaces allows for better integration of the trades, similar to a real-world work site, and ensures students are prepared to work in all types of settings whether it’s residential, industrial or commercial.”

The AIA’s project description states that the KTTC “brings together theoretical teaching and applied learning in a dynamic new environment that emphasizes program visibility, technology and collaborative learning.”

“Connected to the existing main social and academic building, the KTTC houses SMART classrooms, faculty offices and administrative spaces, as well as teaching workshops, bulk project storage, and a 27,000-square-foot flexible multi-disciplinary project space called the ‘learning factory.’

“Inside, on the upper level, a large common area with WiFi enabled lounge areas, chalkboard walls and presentation areas overlook the central Learning Factory, offering a dynamic venue for users of the building and campus alike. Organized in a split level that engages the topography of the site and conceived as two interlocking, shed-like volumes, the building’s form is loosely derived from an industrial typology.

“A cladding of Corten steel and fibre-reinforced cement panels reinforces this theme, presenting a distinctive new face to the campus that blends harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Aligned with the main north-south axis of the campus, the building is conceived as a new gateway inviting pedestrian movement from the adjacent student residences and Sport and Wellness Centre.”

The new public space at the southwest corner of Simcoe and Aylmer streets, beside the newly renovated Peterborough Public Library in downtown Peterborough, will be named “Library Commons”.

The City of Peterborough and LLF Lawyers made the announcement today (April 25) after three weeks of public voting on one of seven possible preselected names. Of more than 500 votes cast for the seven names, “Library Commons” was the most popular at 186 votes — edging out the next most popular option “Firehouse Square” by 32 votes.

The voting results are as follows: Library Commons (186 votes), Firehouse Square (154 votes), Robertson Davies Square (102 votes), Carnegie Square (42 votes), Brigade Square (35 votes), W.A. Howard Commons (10 votes), and Dr. Thomas Greer Square (9 votes).

When the square opens to the public, a plaque will be installed commemorating this community space with the name “Library Commons”. An official opening ceremony will be held once the development of the square is complete.

“Thank you to LLF Lawyers for partnering with the city on the creation of Library Commons,” says Mayor Daryl Bennett. “The public square is another example of engaging with residents, community groups, and the private sector as we build a complete community,”

LLF Lawyers sponsored the new public space with $100,000 over 20 years, securing the naming rights from the city for the space. Instead of choosing to name the space itself, the legal firm worked with city staff to compile a short list of seven names that reflect the community’s heritage and history and demonstrate a commitment to public access to and use of the space.

“The name identifies well with the geographical area of our community and reflects the importance of our new public library,” says Bill Lockington, a partner with LLF Lawyer. “‘Meet me at the Library Commons’ will become a familiar expression, encouraging public gathering at the square.”

Some members of the community have criticized the naming process, stating that the name of a female or Indigenous leader in the Peterborough area should have been included among the options.