Lakefield Herald Special Report

$27,000 donation to Camp Kawartha’s Environment Centre

by Anita Locke

Peterborough Distribution Inc. (PDI) donated $27,023.65 to Camp Kawartha’s Environment Centre last week.

The center is located at Trent University on Pioneer Road. The PDI donation, with funding provided through the Ontario Power Authority’s “Community Initiatives Fund” will be used to install photovoltaic panels to harness the sun’s energy and provide most of the electricity to run the center.

Larry Doran, President and CEO of the Peterborough Utilities Group said, “Peterborough Utilities is committed to helping our community realize a greener future. This project is important because it not only helps us go green today in a small way, but it also educates our future leaders on what may be possible.”

The Camp Kawartha Environment Centre will deliver curriculum linked environmental programming to regional schools, showcase sustainable living practices to the broader community, and will provide workshops to local teachers and student teacher candidates in environmental education at Trent University.

Using innovative green architecture the Environment Centre will showcase alternative energy in action.

It has been designed, and is being built, by students in Fleming College’s Sustainable Building Design and Construction program.

The 2,000 square foot building will be open for programming tear round and will be able to accommodate up to 80 people at any one time.

The building has no carbon footprint and is among the most sustainable in Canada.

Students used reclaimed and recyclable materials, straw bale and rammed earth walls, geothermal heating and cooling, rain water collection systems and photovoltaic solar power in the construction.

It also includes an energy-neutral design supplying power back to the grid.

Those interested in watching the progress are welcome to come to the job site Tuesday evenings throughout the summer, 5:30-6:30 p.m. It is located at 2505 Pioneer Road, across the street from the entrance to Gzowski College.

For more information, contact Camp Kawartha at (705) 652-3860, toll free at 1-866-532-4597, or visit the website at www.campkawartha.ca/environmentcentre/index.htm.

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