Nine new hubs throughout Peterborough County will offer residents improved access to social and health services in rural communities.
Monday saw the launch of the Peterborough County Hubs Program, which will offer free office and meeting spaces for agencies that deliver services within the county. Agency staff can meet with clients in a private office and reduce residents’ burden to find transportation into Peterborough where most of the services are primarily offered.
The hubs can also provide faster internet and other technology such as computers to allow for virtual meetings between an agency and a rural client.
The program is a partnership between Peterborough County and its townships, the City of Peterborough and partner agencies including Community Care Peterborough and Agilec.
The hubs locations include:
- Apsley: Community Care office, 126 Burleigh St.
- Douro: Douro Public Library, 435 Douro 4th Line
- Keene: Otonabee-South Monaghan Township Office, 20 Third St.
- Havelock: Community Care office, 17 Smith Drive
- Lakefield: Agilec office, 14 Queen St.
- Millbrook: Old Millbrook School,1 Dufferin St.
- Norwood: Asphodel-Norwood Township office, 2357 County Rd. 45
- Norwood: Norwood Public Library, 2363 County Rd. 45
- Warsaw: Douro-Dummer Township office, 894 South St.
“The Peterborough County Hubs program is an essential step towards the equitable delivery of social services for our rural residents,” said County warden Bonnie Clark. “Congratulations to Peterborough Social Services, our nine hub host locations, and all partner agencies for your collaboration to improve access in our communities.”
Access to services at the hubs is by appointment. Details on the services available at each hub and on how to access the services are online at peterborough.ca/hubs.
Danielle Belair, executive director of Community Care Peterborough, said the agency is “thrilled” to be part of the project. The agency provides home services for seniors and adults with physical challenges.
“We already have a very strong presence throughout the county and are pleased to see local residents in our rural communities having access to a range of health and social services,” she said.
Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township Mayor Jim Martin said the hubs will better services residents in his township in “many ways.”
“When it comes to housing, homelessness, transportation and connectivity issues, it can be a real problem for our rural areas to access programs,” he said. “By offering some of the programs locally in HBM, one aspect it will eliminate is the transportation barriers that many experienced by having to commute to the city.”
Peterborough city councillor Matthew Crowley, chair of social services, ;said agencies within the city often struggle to provide convenient service to rural residents in the county.
“The Peterborough County Hubs Program creates an opportunity for people living in the County to meet with service providers in their home communities,” Crowley said. “We are excited to partner with the county, townships, and service agencies on this program.”
The hubs program was a strategy identified in the Community Safety and Well-being Plan recently adopted by the city and county to connect people with programs and services that meet their basic needs.
“Improving access to services in the County is a high priority,” said Chris Kawalec, the city’s community development program manager. “The Peterborough County Hubs Program removes many obstacles to allow better connections between rural residents and services normally only accessible within the city.”
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