Bushplane, Entomica receive combined $124K in funding

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre and Entomica Insectarium are receiving funding earmarked for non-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations who have experiences financial stress due to COVID-19.

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre has received a one-year $74,900 Community Building Fund grant while Entomica will receive a $49,900 grant.

Following is a full release announcing the funding:

On Friday, MPP Ross Romano met with representatives from the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre and Entomica Insectarium to officially congratulate the two groups on receiving a combined total of $124,800 in Community Building Fund grants. The Ontario government has provided more than $46 million to support 648 non-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations experiencing significant financial pressures due to COVID-19. The program’s first round of grants will help with operating costs and is being delivered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

“The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, and Entomica provide our community, and those visiting our city, a truly one-of-a-kind experience.  Their unique offerings are entertaining, educational, and fun.  I'm proud that our government has made this combined $124,800.00 investment to purchase equipment and create job opportunities so these organizations can each expand their operations."

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre has received a one-year, $74,900 Community Building Fund grant to focus on growing its online education presence. It’s being used to help hire a full-time Educational Assistant, as well as helping with the cost of designing online programs and buying needed technical equipment. The Centre preserves and tells the story of Canada’s bush planes and forest protection heritage by collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting a collection of bush planes and related programs.

Bob Elliott Executive Director at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre said “The Ontario Trillium Foundation grant received today will be used to help develop an on line learning presentation that can be shared with schools all over Ontario”.

The Entomica Insectarium, which is located in the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, is putting it’s $49,900 Community Building Fund grant to work by helping with costs for expanding its online education capabilities. Funds from the grant are being used to help with staffing, as well as purchasing two digital platform licences and needed technical equipment to produce and deliver online programs. Since 2014, Entomica has been focused on sharing the fascinating, hidden, and often misunderstood world of insects and building more awareness of the roles they play in our environmental ecosystem.

“The pandemic has changed the world and in some cases for the better. There is a new paradigm for communication including virtual teaching and virtual meetings. In many regards, it has brought everyone closer together and will allow us to teach about the importance of insects to children and people we could never reach before. How exciting!” John Dedes

Prior to the pandemic, both organizations had developed courses/presentations for local schools. With in-person visits not possible, both have pivoted and are becoming involved with delivering remote learning to Algoma and other provincial regions with great success.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.