North Grenville Mayor Nancy Peckford with Ministers Steve Clark and Ernie Hardeman at the 100 Years of Education Open House. Photo: Barking Monkey Studio
Master Plan for the Campus – Earlier this year, the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre was awarded funding from Ontario’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program. The RED program provides cost-share funding to support activities that create strong rural communities in Ontario, and opens doors to rural economic development.
Currently, the Kemptville Campus Not-for-Profit Board of Directors is in the process of seeking proposals from qualified consultants to provide professional services to prepare a Master Plan. The project will run from January 1 to March 31, 2020.
The Campus has a unique and diverse infrastructure made up of 632 acres of greenspace, trails, woodlands, wetlands, cropland, and 17 main buildings. As part of the Master Plan, the consultant will bring campus stakeholders together to discuss Campus assets, to better understand current and future needs. The consultant will be responsible for stakeholder interviews, public consultation, Subject Matter Expert input and a building energy audit.
The Master Plan will provide a conceptual blueprint for the Campus lands; buildings (existing and new; optimal utilization, energy conservation, energy audit), and the network of trails, roadways, traffic and parking on the Campus. The Master Plan will be guided by the three pillars identified in the Campus Strategic Plan over two years ago – Education and Training, Health and Wellness, and Economic Development.
“The Campus Board of Directors will be using the Master Planning process to help guide what a new Board composition and selection process might look like.” said Jim McManaman, also part of the current Not-For-Profit Board. “We’ve tried to keep the public informed through our discussion forums and our recent 100 Years of Education event. And we’ll be seeking public input during the Master Plan process.”
The final Master Plan will be used as a key reference document for establishing priorities and capital planning on the Campus. The plan will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Habitat for Humanity – A recent report from North Grenville’s Affordable Housing Task Force identified 17 recommendations designed to help the municipality expand and promote affordable housing locally. One of those recommendations was to: “Identify surplus municipal lands that may be appropriate to donate to Habitat for Humanity for affordable housing purposes.”
The Municipality identified one parcel of land that currently met the criteria: a specific lot (approximately ½ an acre) located at 2680 Concession Road, directly across from the Kemptville District Hospital. The lot, located on the northern boundary of the Campus lands, is isolated from the rest of the Campus by private lands, government buildings and a parking lot. Part of the property is currently used as a parking lot.
Habitat for Humanity provides a pathway to home ownership for individuals and families who need support securing a home in our community. These individuals are heavily screened by Habitat for Humanity for their stability and long term commitment to home ownership. Habitat has an opportunity to apply for a significant grant from the federal government to support this build. Habitat endeavours to use local builders and suppliers for all of its house builds. However, in order for a Habitat project to proceed on this land, the Municipality must hold a re-zoning meeting which is scheduled for Wed December 4th at 630 p.m.
“Thanks to the talent and dedication demonstrated by the 20-plus members who served on the Affordable Housing Task Force, North Grenville is seeking to create more options for affordable homes in our community for residents,” emphasized Mayor Nancy Peckford.
“We would welcome Habitat for Humanity as a valued partner in this effort. This particular opportunity would help our community advance one of Council’s priorities while aligning with the Campus pillar of Health and Wellness.”
Forest Certification – As part of its mandate focusing on climate change resiliency and sustainability, the Campus has recently achieved Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s (EOMF) Forest Certification Program. This is a significant accomplishment.
FSC® is an international, non-profit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of forests. FSC® has developed a global certification system for forests and forest products, ensuring the existence of forest areas through responsible forest management.
More information about the Campus’s certification will be available in the coming weeks.
Open House – In case you missed it… Kemptville Campus celebrated its 100 Years of Education Open House at the end of September, hosting close to 300 people. Over 150 photos from this event are now posted on the Campus website. In addition, as part of the event, 18 video testimonials of former staff, alumni and current partners were recorded as part of the event. These videos will be available in the near future. Meanwhile, to see the photos, visit the Campus website at https://www.kemptvillecampus.ca/gallery
Campus Quick Facts:
- Number of organizations on Campus = 18
- Number of buildings occupied or partially occupied = 13
- Number of students currently on Campus = 442
- Number of full time jobs on the Campus = 175 full time, 21 part time
Contact:
Campus Communications: Tom Graham, TD Graham + Associates
Cell: 613-882-3885 E: tdgraham@tdgraham.com