Province shelling out for city’s turtle centre

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre — which is based in Peterborough — is one of 44 Ontario organizations that will receive funding from the provincial government to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

The centre — currently on Chemong Road, but moving to a larger new location on Television Road next year — will receive $50,000.

The grant is coming from the Ontario government’s Great Lakes Action Fund, which will divide $1.9 million between 44 projects that protect the lakes.

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre offers veterinary care to wild turtles that have been collected on roadways with injuries, mainly from having been hit by vehicles.

Nearly 1,500 turtles are brought to the centre for care annually, plus they hatch between 5,000 and 6,000 turtles each year and carry out educational programs for the public.

The funding is meant to

continue the work of conserving at-risk turtle species across Ontario, according to a press release from the provincial government.

Another organization that is receiving a grant from the same fund is Kawartha Conservation, which is based in Lindsay; they are about to receive $44,500.

They plan to use the funding to enhance water quality and aquatic plant life in the Kawartha Lakes and Lake Ontario drainage basin.

Kawartha Conservation is a non-profit conservation authority that manages the west Kawartha watershed (which includes Cavan Monaghan Township and Trent Lakes in Peterborough County).

Meanwhile the Haliburton County Community Co-operative will receive $50,000 to monitor the Kawartha Lakes as well as lakes in the Peterborough and Haliburton area for early signs of environmental issues.

Environment Minister David Piccini, who is also the MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South, states in the press release that the health of the Great Lakes is connected to the province’s health.

The Haliburton County Community Co-operative was formed in 1998 to help support the area’s environmental wellbeing, states its website.

Kawartha Conservation was founded in 1979 and is one of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities, according to its website.

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre was formerly called the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre. It was launched in 2002 to help and conserve Ontario’s turtles, and has occupied several locations over nearly 20 years.

It is currently located in the Northview plaza on Chemong Road at County Road 19, just north of the city, but is moving next year to a much bigger location at 2785 Television Rd., just east of the city