Available Projects

#4911
Peterborough Workplace Culture: A Snapshot

At Legendary Coaching our focus is on helping people lead themselves and others well and create workplace cultures where people feel valued and heard and relationships are protected. We accomplish by offering a variety of products and services including: workshops (public and proprietary), one-on-one and group coaching, retreats and mediation.

The purpose of this project is to assess the overall communication and relational state of workplaces in the surrounding community. In addition, the project will identify the most significant problems in this area and their economic impact on businesses.

This project will benefit our clients and the local business community by helping identify the gaps in how their workplace culture and environment empower and care for their employees. Furthermore, it will help raise awareness of the importance of effective communication and protecting relationships in the workplace and how this can affect productivity and morale.

Research Theme(s): Social, Economic

#4937
Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club: Proud of Our Past and Building Our Future

The purpose of the project is to update the history of the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club from 1901 to present day. The history will help to identify descendants of lawn bowlers currently living in Peterborough and to recognize prominent lawn bowlers from our past as tournament winners or president of the club. Working with historical archives and staff at Trent Valley Archives the student researcher will validate the historical facts and figures of the club's history from 1901 to 2004. In addition, you will capture the history from 2005 to the present. Your research will address questions such as who were the (prominent) Presidents from 1929 to 2004?

Research Theme(s):  Social; Cultural

#4944
50% LocalFood 2030 Economic Impact & Jobs Report

Intended as the Goal setting Report for raising awareness,support and funding for the community to come together to build the economic and physical infrastructure to support a dynamic local Food Supply Chain to the level of 50% of  food purchased at consumer prices for home consumption by 2030. This is all in line with the SPP aspiration goal of feeding ourselves in the city and County of Peterborough by 2036. 

Research Theme(s):  Cultural, Environmental; Social; Economic

#4965 Environmental Impact of Cyclocross Bike Racing in Local Parks *This Project is Available for Fall 2021

The Peterborough Cycling club has been running Cyclocross races in Peterborough and the surrounding area for 3-4 years. Shimano would like to have a study done that details the impact of these races to the parks. This study should also provide best practices to cycling clubs and cities across Canada when setting up the races in parks to minimize the impact to the environment.  

The student will create a manual that analyses the areas before and after the races, after being 1 day / 1 week / 1 month and possibly a longer time period (spring after).   Best practices for setting up a course should be used to have minimal impact on the park environment. The student will be expected to make a presentation to the Peterborough Cycling Club, Shimano Canada and the City of Peterborough with the results.

Research Theme(s): Environmental

#4973  FVS^Ontario  Coding for Web-Based Interface *This Project is Available for Fall 2021

FVS^Ontario is a distance independent, non-spatial, individual tree model that does not require data on tree spacing or individual tree locations within the forest stand. Its geographical scope covers the range of the Great Lake St. Lawrence (GLSL) and Boreal Forest species. It has great potential to be adopted as a forest management and planning tool by the MNRF and the forest industry for the management of Crown land forests in Ontario.

The student will perform a code transfer to make FVS^Ontario compatible with USFS-FVS web-based interface. The code transfer will open new venues for FVS^Ontario adaptability and functionality, which include but not limited to collaboration with the USFS-FVS, enhance pace of adaptation in MNRF and Ontario forest industry for Crown forest management, improve model functionality by calibrating it with most up-to-date growth & yield data from Ontario forests, a decision making tool for non-crown forest and plantation management, and research collaborations with academia and other research organizations. Given the fact, that Ontario is lacking any functional forest growth model, the FVS^Ontario is very much needed for better projections and evaluations of forest management options and add to our confidence in sustainable forest management in Crown forests. 

Research Theme(s): Environmental

#4974 App for Growth & Yield Sample Plot Data *This Project Has Been MATCHED!

 The purpose of the MNRF growth & yield program is to provide data and prediction tools needed for forest management planning on Crown forests and reporting on state of forests in Ontario. These data are collected from a network of over 7,100 permanent sample plots that have been established to meet data requirements for forest modelling and monitoring. Data collection from these plots is done on a recurring basis preferably on a 5 – 10 year remeasurement cycle. 

The intent of this project is to develop an App that can be (i) used to collect field data digitally on tablets, and (ii) transfer collected data directly into growth & yield data server. This project will improve data collection and management efficiency as well as save a lot of time. The growth & yield data is also available to the public free of cost. This project will also help to enable the provision of most up-to-date data to academia and researchers for any research and development purposes.

Research Theme(s): Environmental

#4989 Placing the Sale of Peterborough's Distribution Inc. Within Ontario's Broader Shift Towards Privatization

OPIRG works to create and sustain student and community-based engagement through research, education, and action on social justice and environmental issues; challenging oppression in all it forma; and using consensus-based decision making in a non-hierarchical and accessible setting.

In April 2020, The City of Peterborough finalized the sale of Peterborough’s Distribution Inc. (PDI) to Hydro One for $105 million dollars. The purpose of this research project is to contextualize Hydro One’s acquisition within greater political and economic trends. The sale of PDI was a highly contentious issue in the community, one study conducted by Environics found that 90% of citizens were against the sale of PDI. Broadly, the research will identify and analyze how/ if privatization has historically impacted the strength of democratic processes at the local level and Ontarians accessibility to formerly public goods. Locally, research will include identifying key stakeholders, outlining the terms of the sale, public consultations, and the proposed plans for reinvestment of revenue accrued form the sale. Through analyzing the historical impacts of privatization, the research will be able (1) situate the acquisition within the larger trend of privatization (2) predict future implications of the sale of PDI that may impact the Peterborough community.

Research Theme(s): Social

#4992 GiveLo Community Synergy

GiveLo helps to facilitate the support of Peterborough grass-roots establishments and non-profit organizations by making giving locally fast, easy and convenient. GiveLo is 100% local! It was conceived and created in Peterborough by people that live in this community. GiveLo is a convenient way to give, donate, or receive a gift certificate while supporting a local Peterborough business or charitable organization. It’s easy: anyone who has an email address can discover and connect with their community. The purpose of the research project is to provide a program evaluation surrounding the following research questions: 

What is the importance and value to get involved with your community and what would encourage it? 

How can giveLo.ca bring more value to our local charities? 

How can GiveLo help with fundraising? 

What would be a wish list of a charitable organization/ what are advantages and disadvantages of GiveLo.ca? 

What is out there doing something similar? 

Students will have the opportunity to discover the value of networking, their strengths, and what Peterborough is about.

Research Theme(s): Social, Economic

#4993 Exploring Ways of Encouraging the Local Business Community to Utilize Undergraduate Students

The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization, fully funded by our Members, to strengthening the greater Peterborough business community. The purpose of this project is to discover ways for businesses to utilize undergrad students with the ultimate goal of future graduate students remaining in Peterborough area for work instead of seeking employment elsewhere. 

We believe there are 3 questions to fully answer this research goal:

1.            What should businesses do to engage with students so that they can be hired by these businesses?

2.            What should post-secondary institutions do to engage with students so that students can find employment in the local business community?

3.            What should students do to engage with the business community so that students can find employment in the local business community? 

These questions may be answered through a survey/interview.

Research Theme(s): Social, Cultural, Economic

#4995 Modernization of Membership Organizations

The Greater Peterborough of Commerce is a non-profit organization, fully funded by our Members, to strengthening the greater Peterborough business community. The purpose of this project is document the best practices of Membership organizations to meet the needs of their Members for 2020 and beyond. A secondary purpose is why these practices/methods/programs work.  Potential questions to be answered include: 

1. What do Member organizations do to best serve their Members? 

2. How have member organizations evolved their practices to meet member needs?

3. What are the primary challenges, risks, and opportunities associated with enhancing member service delivery?  Which Chambers of Commerce across Canada/Ontario are excelling in meeting member needs? What has lead to their success?

This project will include a literature review, surveys, interviews, and a final report outlining best practices, and containing 2-3 in-depth case studies/profiles on Chambers of Commerce that are excelling in service delivery to their member organizations.

Research Theme(s): Social, Cultural

#4999 Implementing the Kawartha Lakes Healthy Environment Plan *This Project Has Been MATCHED!

The City of Kawartha Lakes is s single tier municipality located in the eastern region of Ontario, home to 75,000 people.  The main economic drivers in the municipality are tourism, agriculture and light manufacturing.  The corporation offers services in all nine spheres of jurisdiction identified in the Municipal Act.

In 2017/2018 the City’s Office of Strategy Management engaged LURA Consulting to construct a community greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan.  The project elicited input from 2700 community members and had a formal work group and steering committee. The Kawartha Lakes Healthy Environment Plan (HEP) was funded by the Canadian Federation of Municipalities and was completed using the Partners for Climate Protection program. Council adopted the plan and GHG reduction targets in 2018.

The next step, the purpose of this proposal, is to construct an implementation schedule so that the GHG reduction target can be met.  The implementation schedule would require consultation with city staff and the various community stakeholders identified in the plan.

Research Theme(s): Environmental

#5000 Development of an Evaluation Framework for CarePartners Program Delivery

NOTE: This project is available for the Fall 2021 semester.​

CarePartners is embarking on a modernization program of work that is focused on developing new integrated care delivery models.  As part of our project planning we are planning to evaluate the effectiveness of care delivery, including looking at process and outcome measures (including patient related outcomes and experience measures).   The evaluation framework will enable CarePartners to develop a standardized approach, with a high degree of fidelity for the evaluation of major projects and programs of work. 

Research questions to be answered include: 

What are the best practices across Ontario for evaluating home care program delivery?

How can staff and patients be included in the evaluation process?

What are staff and patients’ opinions on program delivery right now and how could their concerns be incorporated into program evaluation? 

Research Theme(s): Social, Cultural

#5001 Canadian Best Practices in Social Engagement for People with Disabilities and Their Caregivers

Autism Home Base is a grass roots, family-driven organization. Member participants identified a gap in social and recreational options and feared a life of social isolation. We are primarily volunteer driven. We are looking for assistance in collecting best practices (including our own) and creating evidence of the impact so that we can continue to grow our program to serve more families and self-advocates, and access funding to support that growth. Currently, there are long wait lists for housing and or day programs. Most adults who require supportive housing will stay on the list until their family caregiver dies or loses the capacity to provide care.  There are few options available that focus on joyful life experiences for the hundreds of thousands of Canadian adults living at home with aging caregivers or living independently with supports.

We are looking for a hardworking, self-driven student who can work to answer questions such as “How are private and public agencies across Canada best supporting adults with disabilities, and their long-time family caregivers to thrive with whole well-rounded lives?” and “What are the barriers to providing support to these clients?”. The student will be expected to conduct a literature review along with an interview component.

Research Theme(s): Social

#5006 Canadian Best Practices in Social Engagement for People with Disabilities and Their Caregivers

Plan A Peterborough is one of the many Plan A locations across the country. We are more than a staffing agency. Our staffing strategy is built for long-term growth and sustainability. Our team of health care professionals is made up of compassionate and experienced Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses and Personal Support Workers. Powered by our shift-filling software, StaffStat®, our staff are able to build their own schedule and work the shifts they want to work. Shifts are first come first serve, and mostly in Long Term Care facilities.     

The purpose of this project will be to provide a student with the opportunity to conduct local research about a business in their community. The research will focus on Plan A Peterborough’s uptake in the community. As a business who has only been in Peterborough for one year, the company has not seen the level of uptake that was hoped for. There has been a lack of interest of potential long-term care contracts and lack of applicants for all positions (RN, RPN, PSW) including nursing students. If research can identify why some of these issues are happening and help the company make appropriate adjustments, long term care homes would have access to more staff, elders would have the nursing care they deserve, and health care workers in the community would have the ability to supplement their income. 

Research Theme(s): Social

#5021 Sturgeon Point Heritage Mapping and Character Analysis

The purpose of this project is to undertake research on the history of the cottage community of Sturgeon Point and undertake a character analysis of its historic landscape. The project is part of an inventorying of heritage assets currently being undertaken in Economic Development which will inform long term heritage planning and development initiatives. The project will research the history and undertake a character analysis of the community, and identify development trends that have shaped the growth of the area. The research will inform the development of a long term planning framework to guide the growth of the area through a heritage lens. It will benefit the long term cultural and social health of the area by providing the background and historic information necessary to develop localized, specific planning guidelines which preserve and enhance the positive character of a unique historic cottage community. 

Research Theme(s): Social, Cultural

#5022 Teaching Assistants and Student Disclosures: Supporting all parties

The purpose of this project is to determine how equipped teaching assistants are to deal with disclosures of sexual violence. Teaching Assistants (especially with the onset of virtual learning) are one of the few channels that students have the resources provided by the University. They are important points of contact for students given the current mode of learning. This project will benefit the health of the community by making sure that Teaching Assistants can provide immediate and thoughtful care to people who have experienced harm and can subsequently refer them to the proper resources. This will also benefit people who have experienced harm because they are more likely to have a positive experience disclosing their experiences if they feel supported and believed.

Research Theme(s): Social

Available U-Links Projects:

#5013 Natural Shoreline Stabilization Methods

​NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

The Horseshoe Lake Property Owners Association (HLPOA) is an organization for the property owners of Horseshoe Lake, situated in the highlands of Haliburton County. Many of these property owners are looking for methods of stabilizing their shorelines and the HLPOA would like to explore natural methods of doing so. Having natural alternatives to traditional rip rap for shoreline stabilization will promote natural, sustainable approaches and benefit the Horseshoe Lake ecosystem in the long term.

#5012 Blue-Green Algae Mitigation Strategies

​NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

This past fall there were 10 reported incidences of Blue-Green Algae (BGA) blooms in the Haliburton area. This is an unprecedented outbreak and has many Haliburton citizens concerned about the health of their lakes. The Miskwabi Area Community Association (MACA) has proposed a project to research what BGA is, what causes it, what implication BGA blooms have for the surrounding region, and provide science based recommendations to help mitigate future outbreaks. This project will provide critically important information to a number of concerned lake, cottage, and property owners' associations.

#5011 Exploring Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) Control Strategies and Economic Benefits of Controlling the Spread of this Invasive Species for Drag and Spruce Lakes

NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

The Drag and Spruce Lake Property Owners' Association (DSLPOA) is interested in researching different methods of controlling Eurasian Watermilfoil. This project will aim to describe best practices for the control of EWM, evaluate the economic impact of uncontrolled EWM, and summarize findings in a manner that will be easily understood by individuals of all skill levels. It is the hope of the DSLPOA that this project will improve knowledge of EWM within their association and for the benefit of all citizens of Haliburton County.

#5010 Composting Options for Rockwool Growing Medium

​NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

Abbey Gardens is a not-for-profit charity which has worked to transform a 300 acre spent gravel pit into a green space that provides economic and recreational opportunities for the community. In 2019 Abbey Gardens added a hydroponic growing unit to their property (The Growcer). The Growcer system uses rockwool cubes as a growing medium for the plants. Abbey Gardens is interested in exploring possible ways to compost/utilize the rockwool and eliminate this source of waste from the production. This research could also be shared with the Growcer community and has the potential to be implemented in various parts of Canada. 

#5009 Mould, Algae, and Fungus in Hydroponic Systems

NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

In 2019 Abbey Gardens added a hydroponic growing unit to their property (The Growcer), which can provide local, sustainable greens all year round. They have learned a lot about it’s operation over the last year and have identified a number of topics to explore further to adapt the system to fit with their mission and values. Several types of moulds and algae (etc.) have been observed growing in the system. Abbey Gardens would like more information about the most typical types of organisms that appear on growing medium or plants in hydroponic systems. Are there risks to humans working in those environments or with the consumption of plants grown in that environment? Are there organic treatment methods that can be used in hydroponic settings? 

#4958 Long-Term Club Moss Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust

​NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

Club Mosses are a critical component of monitoring biodiversity and have been identified as key indicators in past reports for the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (HHLT). This project will aim to determine which club moss species have been sighted on HHLT properties, what species could be present, and how the HHTL should go about monitoring for club moss species on their properties. The HHLT properties to be included as part of this project include the Fred and Pearl Barry Wetland, Barnum Creek Nature Reserve, Dahl Forest, Smith Forest, and Norah’s Island.

Club Mosses are one of the oldest living plants on Earth and have been used globally as an indicator of historical changes in climate. If HHLT was able to monitor club moss populations on their properties they could be alerted to slow but significant changes that could be remedied before they impact the ecosystem as a whole. This project is ideal for an undergraduate student over the course of a single term.

#4956 Long-Term Frog Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust

​NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 winter semester and can be completed remotely.

Frogs ae a critical component of monitoring biodiversity and have been identified as key indicators in past reports for the Haliburton Highland Land Trust (HHLT). This project will aim to determine which frog species have been sighted on HHLT properties, what species could be present, and how the HHLT should go about monitoring for frog species on their properties. The HHLT properties to be included as part of this project include the Fred and Pearl Barry Wetland, Barnum Creek Nature Reserve, Dahl Forest, Smith Forest, and Norah’s Island. This project is ideal for an undergraduate student over the course of a single term.

#4997 Supports for Eating Disorder in Rural Communities      

NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely.

The National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED), based in Toronto, is part of the group that developed a national strategy for eating disorders. A local NIED volunteer would like to know more about how we can improve current services and what information and resources we need to empower families and inform a local strategy in rural communities such as Haliburton County.

Youth struggling with mental health issues fare better when their families are empowered to take a lead role in their child's treatment. Potential research questions include: a) what can we learn from the research on best practices on family based therapy techniques to better inform and empower families to treat disordered eating within their own households? and, b) what are the unique resources and care needs for rural communities? This project will include a focused literature review on Family Based Treatment, alternative models such as emotion-focused family therapy, and a review of the implementation science required to promote the uptake of findings into practice. It may also include interviews with family health practitioners, leading experts in the field of eating disorders, and, if possible, individuals with lived experience.

#4985 QEII Species Summary - Five Lined Skink 

NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely.

Queen Elizabeth II Wildland Provincial Park is a non-operating park located between Minden and Gravenhurst and is managed by Ontario Parks. They are looking for a student or pair of undergraduate students to research (via literature review and communication with researchers) and write a QEII specific summary of Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus): focusing on their local biology, ecology, population status, cultural significance, and recommended management strategies.  This species summary will be used to inform and educate Park Staff about the species. The summary will provide current information for informing park management, and the regions diverse community of stakeholders. It may also identify gaps in the local life science/cultural knowledge of the species and thus initiate further research.

​#4480 "The Missing Element": Stories of the Mountain Street Red Cross Outpost

​NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely.

Canoe FM (local radio station) and Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (environmental conservation organization) are non-profit organizations working out of a historic building on Mountain Street in Haliburton that was once a Red Cross outpost. A small 1983 book by Martha Perkins,“A Hospital of our Own” was written about its history.
​
The purpose of this project, hosted by Canoe FM,  is to discover more about the building and the health professionals who worked there in order to develop a better understanding of the hospital’s connection to history and its contributions to the local community. Existing data will be augmented through oral history interviews with local community members and a visual media display intended for the office. ​This project is ideal for a small group of senior undergraduate students with a combination of graphic design and interviewing skills.