July 2017
Mario Cortellucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre
* Grant awarded for Heritage Park Redevelopment Project
Project objectives:
In partnership, the City of Peterborough and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters have recently entered into an agreement to acquire and develop a parcel of land within the city, municipally known as 2034 McNamara Drive. Since 2008, this property has been embroiled in a legal action and was seized by the Crown in 2012 in accordance with the Seized Property Management act. Approximately three-acres, this parcel of land, which borders the picturesque Trent-Severn Waterway, will provide the backdrop for a redevelopment that will see the transformation of this waterfront property into a park-like setting that can be enjoyed by our entire community and visitors alike. This unique redevelopment project will allow visitors to enjoy free access to fishing areas, interpretive trails, pollinator gardens and picnic areas, as well as nature-based playgrounds and an outdoor classroom. It will also provide the OFAH with expanded opportunities to continue to deliver outdoor programming that is currently being offered at its neighbouring property, the OFAH/Mario Cortellucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre. It will be used by the more than 100 classroom educational field trips and community groups that visit our facility each year. Studies have shown that the retention rate of learning by doing is 75 percent compared with just five percent for lecture-based learning (Bethel Learning Institute Study). This can provides many new and exciting ways to complement existing lesson plans and create a new environment for youth and adults to learn about our great Canadian outdoors. It will provide an opportunity for youth to learn hands-on about insects, flowers, trees and their ecosystems, and instil the qualities necessary for them to become the next generation of nature stewards.
