The federal government has announced more than $12 million in funding to support 33 tourism, community infrastructure and economic development projects in Peterborough, Northumberland and Kawartha Lakes.

Helena Jaczek, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, was among those to announce the funding on July 12. The funding is being provided through the federal Tourism Relief Fund, Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) and Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) stream, and will enable recipients to build and enhance community infrastructure, welcome back visitors and strengthen local economies.

“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,” said Jaczek.

The announcement was made at an event hosted by the Canadian Canoe Museum, which itself will receive a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 via the Tourism Relief Fund to outfit a 20,000-square foot Exhibition Hall at the museum’s new waterfront location on Little Lake in Peterborough.

The museum will use the funding to create seven new exhibits showcasing diverse voices and perspectives from across the country, including Indigenous knowledge, languages, cultures and histories. It will also expand educational programming to include virtual content and travelling exhibits to reach youth audiences nationally and internationally, and will be a vibrant community space for locals and tourists alike, offering unique programming and focus on Indigenous languages and heritage.

Established in 1997, the museum is preparing to move to a five-acre site in the heart of Peterborough, on the waterfront of Little Lake, with a connection to the Trans Canada Trail and surrounded by public parks. 

“The Canadian Canoe Museum is honoured to be the recipient of this significant investment that will help create a new cultural and tourism destination on the Peterborough waterfront,” said executive director Carolyn Hyslop. “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. These exhibits will attract visitors from near and far to explore the canoe’s significance to Canada through diverse themes, perspectives and voices.”

Havelock-based Kawartha Ethanol, meanwhile, will receive a repayable investment of $2.5 million, through the CEDD, to adopt new production capabilities, reach new markets and create permanent high-quality rural jobs.

Operating since 2008, the company has annual capacity to produce 100 million litres of fuel-grade ethanol, a renewable fuel that burns more cleanly and completely than gasoline or diesel fuel, from corn products.

“We appreciate FedDev Ontario’s support as we pivot our production to include health and manufacturing ingredients,” said 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.”

A complete list of the other 30-plus projects funded in the announcement is available on the Government of Canada’s website.

Since 2015, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has invested over $75 million in more than 100 projects in Northumberland County, Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes, that are estimated to create and maintain over 5,000 jobs.