Community Foundation Grants Trickle out to Frontenac County

Jeff Green | May 15, 2024

The Community Foundation of Kingston and Area announced their spring grants on Monday (May 6) and this time around the focus was primarily on Kingston.

Of the 26 grants, for a total of $329,000, two went to Frontenac County based entities, for a total of $3261.07. One of them was to the Township of Frontenac Islands, and the other was to Wintergreen Studios.

However, a third grant went to Queen’s University for accessibility enhancements at the Elbow Lake Environmental Centre, which is located near Perth Road. That grant was for $13,713.40

Howe Island Fire & Rescue Medical Training Equipment $2261.07 - funded by: The Howe Island Community Fund

Howe Island Fire & Rescue is a medical first response team for the residents of Howe Island. the equipment used to train their first responders is outdated and needs upgrading. In doing the upgrade, Howe Island Fire and rescue will do community educational training sessions so the residents can also learn the skills of CPR and could intervene should there be a medical emergency. This is particularly important as there are no medical facilities or ambulances on Howe Island and in medical emergencies the ambulance must travel from the city across the ferry to the island.

Wintergreen Studios - Wildlife In a Warming Climate: Learning to Take Action. Granted $1,000.00

Funded by: The McArthur Connidis Arts Fund

Wildlife in a Warming Climate: Learning to Take Action is a school-based program for junior-aged students which will be designed and delivered collaboratively by Wintergreen Studios and Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre over the 2024-2025 school year. The program focuses on how an understanding of habitats and ecosystems can form the foundation for taking action to preserve and re-wild local habitats. By learning about and engaging in hands-on projects to improve animal habitats, students will take an active role in helping mitigate the effects of a warming climate and, in doing so, foster hope for the future.

Queen’s University Enhancing Land-Based Learning: Promoting Inclusive Access at Elbow Lake

Granted: $13,713.40 Funded by: The Eric Dewar Neuman Fund, The Marion and John Dunn Fund, The Helping Hands for those with Disabilities Fund

Since 2011, the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (ELEEC; elbowlakecentre.ca) has introduced students, parents, educators, and many others to the outdoors, educating them about nature while allowing them to experience it first-hand. We wish to continue to provide these opportunities to youth and adults in our area. However, there is an underserved demographic in our community who don’t have the same access to the outdoors due to limited mobility. We wish to remove barriers and allow these individuals to access our waterfront with the installation of an accessible trail from the main road to our waterfront beach, the installation of MobiMats to make a stable surface for navigating at the water’s edge, and provide equipment to allow entry and use of our canoes for individuals with reduced mobility. We also wish to provide busing subsidies to allow local schools and community groups to access Elbow Lake without the added financial strain of busing costs.