As we take a look back at our top stories of 2023, issues such as homelessness and housing, health care, economic uncertainty, and weather and climate continued to dominate local headlines.
Speaking of weather, last year at this time everyone was dealing with a so-called “bomb cyclone” over the Christmas weekend that disrupted holiday travel plans and knocked out power to thousands of Ontarians. This year, we had the polar opposite (no pun intended): a wet, warm, and foggy Christmas.
As with every year, 2023 had its share of sad or tragic and joyful or inspiring stories, with everything in-between. kawarthaNOW’s publisher and managing editor have chosen a selection of our 23 most-read, most-shared, and most interesting stories from the past 12 months.
We’re presenting them below, in chronological order.
1. The Pizza Factory owners Peter and Anna Bouzinelos thank Peterborough for over 42 years of support
One of Peterborough’s most iconic and beloved family restaurants, The Pizza Factory closed in January when owners Peter and Anna Bouzinelos decided to retire. During the final weeks leading up to the closure, the Bouzinelos raised over $17,000 for Kawartha Food Share. In April, Peter announced he would be making his signature World Famous Caesar Dressing available at local food outlets.
A number of other businesses in the Kawarthas closed in 2023, including Peterborough pregnancy and parenting studio Lavender and Play, Lindsay’s Pane Vino Trattoria & Wine Bar, ZimArt’s Rice Lake Gallery near Bailieboro, Taso’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in downtown Peterborough, the Port Hope Drive In, the Historic Red Dog Tavern in downtown Peterborough, vegan restaurant Nateure’s Plate in downtown Peterborough, and Peterborough’s East City candy shop Flossophy.
However, as you’ll see if you read on to story #3, it wasn’t all bad news for the local economy, as far more new businesses opened or expanded rather than closed in 2023.
2. Peterborough’s new overnight drop-in centre for unhoused people opens
Early in 2023, a coalition of community agencies opened a new overnight drop-in centre at Trinity United Church in Peterborough. The centre has opened despite a December decision by Peterborough city council not to provide $100,000 for the operation of the centre, which the coalition had proposed as an emergency winter response to the city’s homelessness crisis.
That grassroots effort to address Peterborough’s homelessness crisis was the first in a series of developments in 2023. In April, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region leased the former Peterborough Humane Society property to Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) for a transitional community of sleeping cabins for those experiencing homelessness. In December, pending the development of the sleeping cabins, PATH launched a new clothing hub and supply depot.
In May, Peterborough city council endorsed a homelessness plan to end tenting near the Wolfe Street shelter by installing temporary modular housing units and support services by the fall. The modular housing community was providing shelter for 50 people by the end of November.
In September, work began to transform the former Trinity United Church in Peterborough into a community hub for people experiencing homelessness. The Trinity Community Centre now provides a winter overnight drop-in space for up to 45 people every night from 8 p.m. to 8 p.m. until the end of March, as well as a year-round daily daytime drop-in space from 1 to 5 p.m. The Trinity Community Centre is a collaboration between the City of Peterborough, One City Peterborough, the United Way Peterborough and District, and the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network (PPRN), with operating funding from the City of Peterborough.
3. Peterborough’s iconic Pig’s Ear Tavern to reopen this summer
In January, Trent University alumni Steve Robertson and Ashley Holmes announced they had purchased the historic Pig’s Ear Tavern, which closed in 2017, with plans to reopen it by the summer. It took a little bit longer than expected, but the renovated pub reopened in September with the same look and feel as the original pub and now features live music, an open mic, trivia, and more.
As we noted above, far more businesses opened or expanded than closed in the Kawarthas in 2023. Woodville’s The Lokal acquired Kawartha Lakes Winery, a Loaded Pierogi franchise opened in East City, Indigenous electrician Brad Bourrie purchased the 44-year-old company White Electric, KitCoffee owner Helen McCarthy opened Kit’s Emporium, Havelock entrepreneur Meg Kynock launched healthy pet treat business mutmixx, husband-and-wife duo Cody Valliant and Maggie McCallum opened EastEnd Electric Records in Fenelon Falls, Chris Duff and Ashley Foreman grew their Keene hobby farm Duff Acres, Lakefield entrepreneur Beatrice Chan grew her Summer Roads Farm cut flower and raised meat business, 13-year-old Haliburton Highlands entrepreneur Olivia Irvine grew her Roasty Toasty Campfire Company, and Shay-Lynn Hutchings and Sarah Comer launched the Wellness Hub in Haliburton.
Peterborough entrepreneur Mitchell Lowes grew his Flame Spitter Hot Sauce business, Kristina and Aaron Goodwin opened Ivy Event Space in downtown Peterborough, Kelly Convery launched Sanctuary Flower Fields in Ennismore, Kara Parcells expanded Lindsay’s Evolve Dental Hygiene into its own location, brothers Andrew and Sean Fitzpatrick opened Take Cover Books in Peterborough’s East City, Peterborough’s Jordan Lyall grew her Real Life photography business, pescatarian and vegetarian restaurant The Vine opened in downtown Peterborough, Brad Katz opened The Good Baker inside the downtown Peterborough YMCA building, Millbrook’s Natalie Raponi relaunched her Heck Yes! cake business, artist Kay Gregg opened Ecco Gallery and Studios in Lakefield, Lakefield’s The Chocolate Rabbit opened a third location in Peterborough’s East City, and siblings Sloane Paul and Tom Chep launched ARC Motor Company.
A few businesses also changed hands in 2023, with Deanna Bell and Colin Hall selling Millbrook’s Pastry Peddler to Wendy and Mark Bannerman, Ray Leighton taking over Black’s Distillery in Peterborough’s East City from founder Robert Black, and Lisa Dixon selling Blackhoney in downtown Peterborough to Jennifer Miles. Last but not least, the Sayer family will soon be reopening the brand new Sayers Foods in Apsley after a fire destroyed North Kawartha’s only grocery store in December 2020.
4. Hastings resident and CIMRO president Mark Cameron issues urgent appeal for earthquake medical relief
On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing and injuring many tens of thousands of people. Hastings resident Mark Cameron, who cofounded the Canadian International Medical Relief Organization (CIMRO) that provides medical education and relief in disaster zones, issued an urgent appeal for earthquake relief to rescue survivors, including medical supplies.
Peterborough’s Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital heeded the call, raising $2,250 to purchase medical supplies to help treat injured survivors. A month later, teenage Syrian refugee and Peterborough newcomer Rashid Sheikh Hassan launched a poutine fundraiser to raise funds for CIMRO.
5. Peterborough city council approves big changes to residential waste collection this fall
In February, Peterborough city council approved the most significant changes in decades to waste collection in the city, including the introduction of a weekly ‘green bin’ service to collect household organic waste and a switch to clear garbage bags and every-other-week garbage collection beginning October 31.
In April, the city provided a preview of the green bin service. In August, the city announced some Peterborough residents would have new weekly waste collection dates to ensure waste collection services are delivered on schedule as the city grows and to improve worker safety by balancing collection routes. In September, the city began distributing the green bins to around 28,000 households across Peterborough.
On October 31, the first day of the new waste collection service went into effect with the city reporting strong uptake of the use of green bins for organic waste, as well as clear bags for garbage, although there were a few hiccups.
6. Late artist David Bierk’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth has permanent home at Art Gallery of Peterborough
For over four decades, the late Peterborough artist David Bierk’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II overlooked the ice at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Measuring 12 by eight feet, Bierk’s painting was at one time considered the largest portrait of the Queen in North America. Following the Queen’s death on September 8, 2022, the City of Peterborough worked to determine how best to preserve Bierk’s painting, and it was decided to donate the painting to the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s permanent collection, where it will join over 100 of Bierk’s other works.
Other local artist news in 2023 included 94-year-old painter Bill McMillan having his first-ever exhibition at the Art School of Peterborough, Buckhorn-based wildlife artist Michael Dumas receiving the Simon Combes Conservation Artist Award, Peterborough’s Silver Bean Cafe celebrating 20 years with a hanging painted kayak installation created by local artist Jason Wilkins, Peterborough author Carol Koeslag publishing her short story collection at 92, and Peterborough ceramicist Kirsti Smith going viral on social media.
In 2023, kawarthaNOW also profiled local artists JoEllen Brydon, Silvia Ferreri, Kate Story, Jeffrey Macklin, and Christy Haldane.
7. New Peterborough Animal Care Centre is now officially open to the public
In March, the Peterborough Humane Society officially opened the doors of its new home at 1999 Technology Drive. The non-profit organization moved into the new building in January, closing the doors of its previous 65-year-old facility at 385 Lansdowne Street East and moving around 100 animals into the new facility.
The new state-of-the-art 24,000-square-foot animal care centre houses the Peterborough Humane Society’s shelter and adoption and education centre, the Ontario SPCA’s provincial dog rehabilitation centre, and a regional high-volume spay and neuter clinic to provide affordable spay and neuter services and prevent pet overpopulation.
Designed by Peterborough-based Lett Architects with construction led by Peak Construction, the new facility also includes an aqua therapy pool and underwater treadmill for dog rehabilitation, a family living room to help dogs acclimatize to living in a home environment, and both indoor and outdoor off-leash areas.
8. Former Peterborough mayor and city councillor Jack Doris has passed away
In March, former Peterborough mayor and city councillor Jack Doris passed away at the age of 91. First elected to Peterborough City Council in 1967, Doris subsequently represented his Monaghan Ward constituents for 39 years and served another six years as Mayor before stepping back from politics in 2014. Before his retirement, Doris was the city’s longest-serving municipal politician at 45 years.
In June, it was announced that Doris would be one of 11 new inductees into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame, along with the late Courtney Druce, Sean Eyre, Charlie Gregory, Stephanie and John MacDonald, David McNab, Mike Melnik, Cathy Rowland, kawarthaNOW’s own Jeannine Taylor, and Greg Wells.
9. Peterborough city council votes against funding The Theatre On King
In March, Peterborough city council voted against providing a community investment grant to The Theatre On King, Peterborough’s black box theatre. The previous year, the organization had received the maximum grant of $15,000 under the program but received nothing in 2023, leading The Theatre On King to appeal the decision before council.
Despite eloquent and impassioned pleas from several delegations, council voted against providing any funding for The Theatre On King (as well as the Artisans Centre Peterborough), forcing the organization to appeal to the community for support — an effort that was ultimately successful.
The Theatre On King’s appeal to council did result in a request from councillors that the City of Peterborough revisit its community grants program. After seeking feedback from the public during the summer, city council approved a change in the program for 2025.
Instead of the existing two funding streams, the 2025 program will have three streams: community well-being grants, services delivery agreements, and an art investment fund to be administered by the Art Gallery of Peterborough in collaboration with Electric City Culture Council. The art investment fund would include existing funding for individual artist grants, Artsweek, and the city’s poet laureate program and, beginning in 2025 as a two-year pilot project, a new $60,000 professional arts organization grant program.
10. Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum announces new waterfront campus thanks to a $1.8 million gift
In March, Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum announced it has received a $1,775,000 gift from former CFL player and businessman Stuart “Stu” Lang and his wife Kim to support its 5.3-acre redeveloped waterfront campus featuring 1,200 feet of shoreline with docks, a boardwalk, and restored and naturalized spaces including a wetland, adjacent to the new 65,000-square-foot museum under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive.
In the spring, The Canadian Canoe Museum announced its “Move the Collection: The Final Portage” campaign to support the move of the museum’s entire collection of more than 600 canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft from its former Monaghan Road location to the new facility.
As the campaign’s official media sponsor, kawarthaNOW ran a series of stories in 2023, including a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the move, a profile of the campaign, the economic impact of the new museum, the museum’s delayed fall 2023 opening due to nationwide construction issues including material and labour availability, and the completion of the move of the museum’s collection to the new facility this winter.
11. Dockside pizza drone delivery service coming to Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County this summer
On April 1, kawarthaNOW ran a story about a new drone delivery service called “Pie In The Sky” which delivers freshly made pizzas to cottage docks in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County.
You’ll need to read the story to find out more.
12. Community backlash grows after announcement Minden’s emergency department will close June 1
One of the biggest local stories of 2023 was the spring announcement by Haliburton Highlands Health Services that it would be closing Minden’s emergency department on June 1 and consolidating emergency services at the Haliburton hospital — over a 25-minute drive away at the best of times — due to an ongoing shortage of nursing and medical staff.
Made without prior community consultation, the decision to close Minden’s emergency department — just before the busy tourist season — blindsided and infuriated both Minden residents and local politicians. It led to a consolidated effort by a group of Minden residents to stop the closure, including delivering a petition to Queen’s Park and getting the NDP opposition involved, with local business owners speaking out against the planned closure.
Despite the petition and protests, the closure went ahead as planned on June 1. While it was not a replacement for the emergency department, a new urgent care clinic was opened in Minden at the end of June. Also in June, Haliburton Highlands Health Services president and CEO Carolyn Plummer, who oversaw the closure, took a medical leave of absence.
13. Historic home built for founder of Sullivan’s Pharmacy in East City going up for sale
In May, one of Peterborough’s largest and most historic homes went up for sale for $1,399,800. The John C. Sullivan House was built for the founder of Sullivan’s Pharmacy in Peterborough’s East City and later served as a convent. Known as “Lakeview,” it was designed by famed Peterborough architect William Blackwell, who also designed the Academy Theatre in Lindsay in 1893, the Young Men’s Christian Association building in downtown Peterborough in 1896, and King George Public School in East City in 1913.
Located at 83 Robinson Street across from Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School, the 5,000-square-foot towering home has a total of eight bedrooms and four full bathrooms, including a three-bedroom apartment on the third floor. After five months on the market and at least one price reduction, the home was sold for $1,175,000.
14. Peterborough Petes win OHL championship and advance to Memorial Cup for first time in 17 years
On May 21, the Peterborough Petes defeated the London Knights before a sold-out hometown crowd to advance to the Memorial Cup for the first time in 17 years.
While the Petes would ultimately be defeated by the Seattle Thunderbirds in a semi-final game, the community cheered on the team with several watch parties at Quaker Foods City Square in downtown Peterborough in May.
15. Peterborough woman dies after reports of multiple gun shots downtown early Friday morning
Concerns about crime and the Wolfe Street homeless encampment in Peterborough converged in June when a 36-year-old Peterborough woman was shot to death there on June 2 in the city’s first homicide of 2023.
Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts pledged an ‘all hands on deck’ investigation. Betts said that the murdered woman was not a resident of the encampment.
Less than a week later, police announced they had arrested a 33-year-old Peterborough man in the shooting death, and identified the victim as Sarah King, a mother of two young children.
Along with first degree murder, Jonathan Murphy was also charged with 16 other offences, including possession of fentanyl and cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Police said the murder was not a random incident, but did not provide any further details as the case is before the courts.
16. Air quality statement for smoke in effect for northern Kawarthas Sunday
The environment was another top story in 2023, especially with the many air quality statements issued during June and July because of smoke from forest fires, primarily in Quebec but also in northeastern Ontario.
The smoke, which extended across Canada and into the U.S. and lasted for weeks, created health concerns especially for those with existing health conditions. The increase in forest fires has been partly attributed to a warmer and drier climate as a result of climate change.
More local environmental concerns in 2023 included the discovery of another fuel oil spill in Jackson Creek in downtown Peterborough and the closure of two popular Peterborough city beaches for weeks during the summer due to toxic blue-green algae blooms.
17. Peterborough’s Fleming College suspends 13 programs, including three of its signature culinary-related offerings
In June, kawarthaNOW broke the story of Fleming College’s decision to cut 13 of its programs, including its signature culinary skills, culinary management, and food and nutrition management programs. College president Maureen Adamson said the decision to cancel the programs was due to decline in enrolment, the impact of the pandemic, and other factors.
The decision shocked Mai Dong, co-owner of Rare Restaurant and Bar in downtown Peterborough, who was a June 2022 graduate of the culinary management program. She received the college’s 2023 Alumna of Distinction Award in recognition of her significant contributions to her field and community. The previous owner of Rare, Tyler Scott, was also a graduate of Fleming’s culinary management program and received the college’s 2022 Alumnus of Distinction Award.
While Fleming College cancelled 13 programs, it also introduced 10 new programs ranging from marketing management to forestry techniques.
18. kawarthaNOW’s response to news ban for Facebook and Instagram users in Canada
In August, kawarthaNOW — along with all other verified media companies — lost the ability to post news for Canadians on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The decision to block news on Facebook and Instagram was made by parent company Meta, which objected to the Canadian federal government’s legislation Bill C-18 (the Online News Act) which would require the American company to pay for links to Canadian news shared on its platforms, as well as Alphabet, the parent company of Google, to pay for links to Canadian news indexed in its search engine.
The legislation was prompted by lobbying from Canada’s traditional media industry, originally a coalition of newspaper companies later joined by broadcasters, who have been unable to compete with cheap advertising options offered by both Meta and Google.
Along with many independent online media companies, which benefit from website traffic from social media, kawarthaNOW believes the legislation is deeply flawed. Although Alphabet eventually settled with the federal government, agreeing to pay a set amount to Canadian media companies, most of this funding will go to large media corporations, and Meta continues to block news for Canadians on its platforms.
Despite the settlement with Google, the struggles facing print newspapers continue. In September, Metroland Media Group announced it was ending print editions of 70 community newspapers — including Peterborough This Week, Kawartha Lakes This Week, and Northumberland News — and its flyer delivery business, and laying off more than 600 employees including 68 journalists.
19. 32-year-old man dies after being struck by commercial vehicle on Highway 115 in Peterborough on Monday afternoon
On September 25, a 32-year-old man died after being struck by a commercial motor vehicle on Highway 115 in Peterborough.
As would later by publicly revealed by his family, the man who died was Eric Roter, who struggled with bipolar disorder for 13 years before taking his own life by walking in front of a transport truck on the highway.
On December 19, the day before what would have been his 33rd birthday, his sister Haley Scriver announced the launch of Roter’s Reach Mental Health Awareness, a fundraising initiative aimed at raising money for mental health services and supports. At a media event, Scriver described how the system failed her brother despite the best efforts of his family and friends to get him the help he needed.
20. Terry Guiel quits as executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area
In October, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) announced Terry Guiel had quit as executive director of the organization that represents downtown businesses.
A long-time professional musician in Peterborough, Guiel turned to local politics in 2003, when he was elected to Peterborough city council in Ashburnham Ward. After his three-year council term ended, the late DBIA board chair Erica Cherney hired Guiel on a part-time basis for a year in 2008 to help organize events in the downtown.
After a five-year stint as a legal assistant at the Peterborough law office Farquharson Daly, in 2013 Guiel applied for and was hired as the DBIA’s executive director. He quickly became known as tireless promoter of the downtown and, under his leadership, the DBIA won several awards from the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association for the DBIA’s promotional events and projects, most recently in 2022 for Economic Development – COVID-19 Response & Recovery and for Small Special Events & Promotion for the inaugural Peterborough Mac and Cheese Festival.
Two weeks prior to his departure, Guiel had publicly expressed concerns that the Peterborough police would be leaving downtown Peterborough and moving to the former Johnson and Johnson property on Lansdowne Street West, prompting police chief Stuart Betts to call the claims “fictitious and unfounded.”
As it turns out, both Guiel and Chief Betts were correct. In December, the City of Peterborough announced it would be spending $15 million to buy the former Johnson and Johnson property for a second police station, but the current downtown station will be retained for police operations.
While Guiel has remained silent on the reason for his departure from the Peterborough DBIA, it was revealed in early November that he had accepted the position of executive director with the Lindsay & District Chamber of Commerce.
21. After 135 years at Morrow Park, the Peterborough Agricultural Society and Peterborough Exhibition will need to find a new home
For 135 years until 2019, the Peterborough Agricultural Society had run the Peterborough Exhibition at Morrow Park. The four-day agricultural exhibition was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, while at the same time the Peterborough city council approved a decision to build a $62-million sports complex in the west portion of the park.
In 1938, the Morrow family gifted the 27-acre property to the City of Peterborough on the condition that it be available for the use of the Peterborough Agricultural Society, which was reaffirmed in the Peterborough Act of 1984.
In 2011, the society and the city began negotiating the future of Morrow Park, with the society insisting the park should always be available for the August exhibition and the city seeking the ability to develop the park. In 2015, the city and the society reached an interim agreement that would allow the city to develop 60 per cent of Morrow Park for “parks and recreation purposes,” with 40 per cent of the park remaining available for the society’s use.
In 2017, the city and the society reached a seven-year agreement that would allow for the gradual redevelopment in Morrow Park, with the city agreeing to build two new horse barns, storage space, office space, and public washrooms for the society’s use at an estimated cost of $7 million.
After the city approved construction of the sports complex, which raised controversy about the city’s interpretation of the “parks and recreation purposes” condition of the original Morrow Trust, the society and the city were at odds over the implementation of the 2017 agreement, which also included a “buy-out” clause — which city council has now invoked, leaving the Peterborough Agricultural Society looking for a new home.
22. Online petition to end salmon fishing in Port Hope’s Ganaraska River surpasses 10,000 signatures
In October, Port Hope resident Sean Carthew launched an online petition calling for more regulations around fishing in the Ganaraska River in Port Hope due to an increasing number of anglers using unethical and disrespectful fishing practices during the annual salmon run.
Every fall, salmon and trout leave the cold waters of Lake Ontario and begin a journey upstream through rivers, creeks, and streams to reach their spawning grounds. The salmon run in the Ganaraska River is a popular draw for both tourists and anglers, but recently residents have noticed an increasing number of anglers overfishing, netting, and snagging.
In particular, salmon are being slaughtered for their roe (eggs), with their discarded bodies left behind. Along with dead fish, an increased number of fishing hooks are being left behind, with Carthew and other residents cleaning them up every year after trout and salmon fishing season comes to an end on September 30.
Carthew’s petition ultimately gained more than 13,000 signatures, and has come to the attention of Port Hope council.
23. After being closed for three years, the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge is now open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic
Bobcaygeon residents rejoiced in October after the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge finally reopened after being closed for three years.
The project to rehabilitate the bridge, which began in October 2020, was originally scheduled to be completed in May 2021. Delays with the fabrication and delivery of hydraulic and mechanical components, and the discovery that some components of the bridge were in worse condition than originally anticipated, changed the expected completion date to summer 2021.
Subsequent delays and technical issues changed the reopening date to the end of 2021, then spring 2022, then fall 2022, then the end of 2022. Work continued throughout 2023, until the bridge finally reopened on October 20.
The bridge will be temporarily closed again in the spring prior to the opening of the navigation season, so that final mechanical components required to optimize the bridge swing operations can be installed and to allow commissioning activities to be completed.
