Fleming College Archives — Lindsay Advocate

New pharmaceutical plant in Lindsay will provide local jobs where possible

Published on June 28, 2019 in Business/Community by Roderick Benns

The owner of a new pharmaceutical plant in Lindsay that will open in six to eight months, Dr. Ghulam Khan, says he will be focusing on providing local jobs as much as possible which he calls “very good for the community.”

Fleetwood Pharmaceutical Inc., producing medicinal marijuana, will be up and running in two planned phases. In phase one, there will be a retrofit of the old 78,000 square foot Fleetwood plant. In the second phase, a half million square foot greenhouse will also be built. He says when both phases are fully operational it could mean between 550-600 jobs.

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United Way unveils large scale community garden project

Published on June 11, 2019 in Around Town/Community/Poverty Reduction by Mallory Cramp-Waldinsperger

United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes had the chance to celebrate the grand unveiling of Edwin Binney’s Community Garden alongside a group of approximately 65 supporters, Saturday. Oftentimes, an unveiling signifies the completion of a project, and the end of a period of growth. For our community, however, this event represents a new future.

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Grading the health of our waterways with local experts

Published on May 27, 2019 in Environment by Jamie Morris

Why are the City of Kawartha Lakes waterways important? The City’s “Integrated Community Sustainability Plan” asks and answers the question. Our municipality is “renowned for its 250 lakes” and is known for its “headwater streams and river systems originating on the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Canadian Shield.” Furthermore, “the Trent-Severn waterway is central to the Kawartha Lakes . . . linking the vibrant communities that rely on these unique water resources for tourism and commerce, recreation [and] drinking water.”

“Naturally beautiful,” are the first words of the City’s Vision Statement for its Strategic Plan, which sets as one of its three major strategic goals “a healthy environment.” So, clearly, the current and future health of our lakes and the waters that feed them matter.

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Marsh at Colborne and Hwy 35 formed while development stalled

Published on April 28, 2019 in Environment/Opinion by Luigi Richardson

Most residents of Lindsay are well aware of the construction efforts taking place at Colborne street and highway 35. Talk of a new Walmart, along with plans for more housing is making this a hot topic.

However, it is fair to say that many people are probably unaware of the finer details of the whole matter.

When topsoil was removed from the site some 10-15 years ago, a layer of clay from beneath the ground was exposed, which allowed spring rainwater to pool and accumulate. Over time, this formed a small marsh, which has now become home to numerous species of plants and wildlife. Some of these species are plants like Asters, Reeds, Horsetails and Water Plantain. In addition, Raccoons, Muskrats and Coyotes have also chosen to call the marsh home.

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Need work? Most top 10 hard skills could be learned in Kawartha Region

Published on November 13, 2018 in Business/Community/Education/Poverty Reduction by Roderick Benns

A new study breaks down 10 “highly sought hard skills” in the Kawartha Lakes region – and Fleming College can teach most of them.

With Kawartha Lakes grappling with a high unemployment rate and low wages, this first-ever report of its kind shows a potential path forward for many who live in this area– if they get the right education and skills.

The report was produced by the Workforce Development Board (WDB) under the Local Employment Planning Council (LEPC) pilot. The report covers employment aspects related to Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Peterborough County and Haliburton County. In our last article on this theme we focused on the job and income challenges in Kawartha Lakes.

Since the report also talked about the hard skills that were needed, the Advocate contacted Fleming College to find out how many of these hard skills could be matched up though local post-secondary education opportunities.

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Ubisoft launches major new video game with Kawartha Lakes roots

Published on October 13, 2018 in Around Town/Business/Community/Local News by Ryan Oliver

Ubisoft launches major new video game that has Kawartha Lakes roots

The Atlas star system is 430.5 light years away from the City of Kawartha Lakes, but its defense begins on Tuesday, October 16 with a game that has roots in the Kawartha Lakes like few before it. Starlink: Battle for Atlas will be released on October 16 by Ubisoft, one of the biggest video game companies in the world, famous for the likes of the Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, and Tom Clancy series, to name a few. Starlink is a “toys to life” game (Skylanders being the most famous example of this), in which users will build ships out of real toys and bring them into the game. The game is the brainchild of producer and Lindsay ex-pat, Matthew Rose.

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Man versus Squirrel: The epic battles

Published on September 17, 2018 in Community by Jamie Morris

Any gardener or homeowner with an attic or an interest in feeding birds will tell you it’s a daunting instance of Man vs. Nature.

An unequal contest, really. On one side, you have a creature capable of scrambling both up and down vertical surfaces (its back feet can rotate 180 degrees), tight-roping across clotheslines or fences and sliding headfirst down wires, a creature that can launch into the air, cling tenaciously, and use its dexterous claws and sharp teeth to have its way.

Above all, you have a highly-motivated creature with a single-minded determination to sniff out, seize and literally squirrel away food, and a will to squeeze its way into cozy nesting spots.

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Four projects showcase Fleming as leader in environmental, natural sciences

Published on August 17, 2018 in Around Town/Community/Environment by Jamie Morris

School’s not yet out at Fleming College’s Frost Campus where the summer semester is just now winding down for some students in Fish & Wildlife, Ecosystem Management, Forestry, and Heavy Equipment, and where environmental projects have been on the go all summer.

Maybe because the campus is on the edge of town, what happens there often passes unnoticed. Too bad, because what happens is cutting-edge and inspiring environmental action.

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The aliens are here: Invasive Dog-Strangling Vine threatens Lindsay’s ecosystem

Published on August 13, 2018 in Around Town/Education/Environment by Luigi Richardson

After a quick summer stroll through downtown Lindsay, one can see that this little town of ours is full of life. Trees and flowering plants take refuge on lawns and in neighbouring yards, and yet some of those plants are less than welcome. Dog-Strangling Vine is a highly invasive species which was introduced from Eurasia to the United States as a garden plant in the mid-1800s.

Now, in the 21^st century, it has become increasingly prolific in Southern Ontario, competing with native plant species that are essential food sources for our insects, birds, and mammals. For those who can recognize its characteristic oval-shaped leaves, arranged in pairs on its fleshy stem, and seed pods which resemble green chili peppers, it is a frightful addition to Lindsay’s list of flora.

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Fleming’s sustainable agriculture program sees big increase in international students

Published on August 5, 2018 in Community/Education by Roderick Benns

Roderick Benns recently interviewed Brett Goodwin, the dean at Fleming College’s Frost Campus in Lindsay, about the huge rise in popularity of its sustainable agriculture program.

Benns: The rise in the number of international students at Fleming is considerable. In the sustainable agriculture program, for instance, I believe 75-80 out of 87 students were international last year. We’ve heard some concerns that the infrastructure at the college is not keeping up with what is needed in the program (such as the calibre of the greenhouse facilities or specially customized classroom spaces). Are you challenged by this influx and what has (or what can) the college do to help with this?

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