Peterborough police are investigating after an off-duty police officer discharged a privately owned firearm inside of a west-end home on New Year’s Eve (December 31).

At around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, officers were called to the home in the Ireland Drive and Ravenwood Drive area after a report that a firearm had been discharged inside the home. The bullet from the firearm then struck and entered a neighbouring home.

No one was injured in either home in the incident.

Police say the individual who discharged the firearm was an off-duty Peterborough Police Service officer. Police seized the firearm that was discharged, which they say is not a service-issued firearm and is legally owned by the officer.

“This is understandably a very troubling incident, and the Peterborough Police Service is thankful that no one was injured,” said police chief Stuart Betts in a media release. “Any further details will be released when available.”

The police investigation is still ongoing and no charges have been laid at this time.

On Monday (January 5), the Peterborough Police Service advised that members of its professional standards unit and senior investigators have been assigned to the incident and have engaged an independent third party to examine the firearm.

“This incident is being investigated as any other incident that may have criminality associated to it, and investigators are consulting with the Crown Attorney’s office regarding the circumstances,” reads a police media release.

“With the appropriate safeguards in place and external agencies engaged, the Chief did not identify a conflict of interest in being able to complete this investigation internally, which is in keeping with the provisions of O. Reg. 401/23, under the Community Safety and Policing Act.”

The original version of this story has been updated with additional information released by the police on January 5.

With shades of violet and orange and an underlying nature theme, a colourful mural is now adorning both sides of the entrance to the Peterborough office of the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR).

On Tuesday (December 30), CMHA HKPR unveiled the mural by local artist Mickaela Baker, which the non-profit organization commissioned with the purpose of creating a welcoming and inclusive entryway for people accessing mental health care at CMHA HKPR’s location at 466 George Street North.

“The idea for the instalment of a mural at our George Street office entrance began with staff discussions at our internal equity and inclusion council about making CMHA HKPR spaces more welcoming for our diverse client population,” Kerri Kightley, CMHA HKPR director of programs and services, told kawarthaNOW.

“Initially, the idea was to improve a person’s experience of the front lobby by reducing the physical barriers, like doors, to accessing support,” Kightley added. “While removing doors was not possible, making the existing doors more beautiful and welcoming was our next best idea.”

Creating a welcoming atmosphere is essential when people access mental health care, CMHA HKPR noted in a media release.

“A thoughtfully designed environment can help reduce anxiety, foster a sense of safety, and signal that everyone is respected and valued. This mural reflects the resilience of the people we serve and the care our teams extend to those who walk through our doors. The new doorway serves as a visual reminder that mental health matters and that support is available.”

The physical environment plays “a critical role” in how people feel when they reach out for help,” added CMHA HKPR CEO Ellen Watkins. “This project is about more than art — it’s about creating a space that feels safe, inclusive, and supportive. We are so grateful to work with Mickaela Baker to bring this vision to life.”

The mural is intended to serve as a symbol of knowledge, hope and belonging, while “reinforcing CMHA HKPR’s commitment to making decisions guided by the needs and voices of the people we serve.”

By partnering with local artists, CMHA HKPR said it aims to strengthen its community connections and demonstrate its commitment to listening to, learning from, and truly seeing the people the agency supports as a mental health organization.

As for Baker, she has painted murals for other local businesses and organizations, including a large mural in the cultural room at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough.

GreenUP grew over 5,000 native plants in 2025 and supported the planting of hundreds of others. In celebration of these restoration efforts, along with newly installed tree identification signage at Ecology Park, GreenUP will highlight a few select native trees in a three-part series over the holidays.

Winter survival in the forest doesn’t begin with the first snowfall.

Long before the cold settles in, many trees are already at work, filling woodland pantries and shaping which species will endure when resources grow scarce.

While evergreens work to sustain life through the depths of winter, hardwood trees play a different but equally important role. Red oak, shagbark hickory, and black walnut act as architects of abundance, producing food that supports wildlife, influences animal behaviour, and quietly drives forest regeneration.

Each fall, the red oak (Quercus rubra) produces acorns rich in energy and high in tannins, a naturally occurring chemical that makes them bitter and slow to spoil. These acorns are carried off and buried beneath leaves or soil for later use by squirrels, blue jays, and other wildlife.

These caches don’t just help animals survive winter; some are left undisturbed long enough to sprout. In this way, red oaks rely on wildlife not just as consumers, but as partners in dispersal. Where an acorn is carried, buried, and abandoned can determine where the next generation of forest takes root.

During years of high acorn production, the resulting wave of seedlings work to reshape forest structure over time. In quieter years, fewer acorns mean more competition both for the animals that depend on them, and for the seedlings that manage to emerge. This is where red oaks shape forest renewal. Their influence reaches beyond feeding wildlife in a single season into future canopies, understories, and communities that will depend on them for decades.

Other hardwood species contribute their own rhythms and rewards, offering food that is different in form, timing, and impact.

One of the most distinctive of these is shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), a tree whose benefits extend well beyond its unmistakable bark.

The shagbark hickory produces one of the most energy-dense foods in the forest. Covered in a thick, hard shell, these nuts require time, strength, and persistence to crack into. For those up to the task, however, the payoff is enormous. Rich in fats and calories, these nuts remain a critical fuel source for animals preparing for winter.

Eastern chipmunks, red squirrels, flying squirrels, and black bears are among the species that favour hickory nuts. While some consume them immediately, others cache them for later use, tucking them into hollow logs, underground burrows, or beneath leaf litter.

Like acorns, not all are recovered. The nuts that remain untouched may germinate, giving shagbark hickory a foothold in new parts of the forest.

Unlike oaks, shagbark hickories tend to produce crops less frequently, yet a strong hickory mast year can significantly boost overwintering survival for nut-dependent species, particularly small mammals. These population increases ripple outward, causing what’s known as a trophic cascade that shapes food webs far beyond the tree itself.

Black walnut (Juglans nigra) adds another layer to the forest’s winter economy. While their round fruits are rich in energy, they come with both physical and chemical barriers that shape who can use them and how they influence the landscape in return.

Black walnuts are encased in thick green husks that must decay or be removed to reveal their hard shell inside. As they can be more difficult to access, black walnuts are often used later in the season than other nuts. For squirrels, chipmunks, and mice, the effort is worthwhile — they provide a concentrated source of fat that supports overwintering survival and spring reproduction. Additionally, the strong scent of the husk and nut makes walnuts easier to locate beneath leaf litter or snow, increasing their importance when visual cues disappear in winter.

By offering a durable, energy-rich food that persists into colder months, the black walnut provides food when options are limited, helping to carry wildlife through the most demanding stretch of the season.

Together, red oaks, shagbark hickories, and black walnuts shape winter survival long before the cold arrives. Through the food they produce and the way it’s accessed, these hardwoods affect which species endure and how forests renew themselves over time.

Winter may test the forest, but its outcomes have been decided seasons earlier.

Visit Ecology Park to see these native tree species and the newly installed tree identification signage, funded in part by Trans Canada Trail, and featuring Anishnaabemowin translation of the tree names courtesy of Curve Lake First Nation and The Creators Garden.

You can support GreenUP’s work to restore native habitat locally by donating today at greenup.on.ca/donate-now/.