Northumberland County is extending a welcome for residents to attend an upcoming information session about the future of the intersection in the rural hamlet of Welcome.

The county is planning to upgrade the point where County Road 2, County Road 10, and County Road 74 (Dale Road) intersect in the Municipality of Port Hope, around 1.2 kilometres north of Highway 401. The goals of the work are to improve safety and provide a better traffic flow at this juncture.

During a public information session from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23 at New Hope United Church (4651 County Road 2), the county will provide an overview of the recently released Welcome intersection feasibility study.

The study provides recommendations for enhancements at the intersection which, according to the county, “has a unique configuration that may contribute to possible traffic incidents and driver confusion.”

Denise Marshall, director of public works for Northumberland County, shared with kawarthaNOW her hopes for the session.

“Northumberland County’s goal is to ensure residents have a clear understanding of the proposed improvements to the Welcome intersection three-way stop and how these changes will enhance safety and traffic flow,” Marshall said.

The study of the intersection evaluated various design alternatives, including converting the juncture to a four-way stop, constructing a roundabout, or — the preferred design option — maintaining the current three-way stop configuration with improvements.

“The upcoming public information session will detail the pros and cons of each option reviewed and the engineering considerations that led to this final decision,” Marshall noted. “We encourage residents to attend the session to learn more about the safety enhancements planned for this intersection, and to get answers to questions about the design and construction schedule.”

The session will include a presentation of the study’s findings, a discussion of the planned three-way stop intersection reconstruction, and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

The feasibility study launched in 2022 “carefully considered three different design options, thoroughly investigating both the pros and cons of each, including a technical engineering review of each option,” Marshall noted.

“After extensive analysis and consultation, the option to enhance the existing three-way stop was confirmed as the preferred option, as it addresses many of the complexities of this unique intersection while minimizing impact and disruption.”

She said the county appreciates the public’s input, feedback and patience throughout the process.

“This has played a key role in helping to determine the final design option,” the director added.

No advance registration is required to take part in the October 23 information session.

For those unable to attend, the Welcome intersection improvements feasibility study and additional information is available at joinin.northumberland.ca/welcome-intersection-improvements, where questions and feedback can also be directed to the project team.

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith was among those at Camp Kawartha in Douro-Dummer on Tuesday (September 10) to find out how the non-profit educational organization used a $150,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to help make the camp’s wastewater management system more environmentally friendly.

Along with funding from other donors including the Williams Wilson Sherpot Foundation, Camp Kawartha used the 2022 grant to install the Waterloo Biofilter system, a patented Canadian technology developed at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Groundwater Research by Dr. Craig Jowett.

The septic system uses a polyurethane foam trickling filter medium which removes nutrients from wastewater — especially phosphorus and nitrogen — to ensure clean water is being released back into the environment.

Since 1993, the Waterloo Biofilter has been proven in thousands of installations across North America, with the company promising that the foam filter medium lasts indefinitely.

“This innovative system will not only enhance the way we treat our wastewater but also serve as a model for cottagers and homeowners, demonstrating how responsible waste management can protect the health of our lakes,” said Camp Kawartha executive director Jacob Rodenburg in a media release.

After an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees were given tours of how the new system works and its potential application in cottages, homes, and businesses.

“Camp Kawartha has played a crucial role in promoting environmental education for years,” said MPP Smith. “The grant received from the provincial government through the Ontario Trillium Foundation highlights their dedication to ecosystem health and well-being.”

Camp Kawartha is an accredited not-for-profit organization that offers a range of year-round camping and outdoor and environmental programming.

Along with its summer camp and outdoor education centre on the shores of Clear Lake in Douro-Dummer, which features the new zero-carbon Camp Kawartha Health Centre, the organization operates the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre next to Trent University in Peterborough, which uses innovative green architecture to showcases alternative energy and sustainable building techniques in action.

Annual fall fairs are a staple of rural communities in Ontario, bringing people together to celebrate the fall harvest and the agricultural way of life. This fall, the largest agricultural and rural expo in all of North America is coming to the Kawartha Lakes.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo (IPM), to be held over five days in early October. The event is a celebration of agriculture and rural living with plowing competitions, a famous rodeo, educational demonstrations and displays, nonstop live music, an RV park, and fun for the whole family.

The not-to-be missed event runs daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday, October 1st to Saturday, October 5th at the Lindsay Exhibition Fairgrounds (354 Angeline Street South) and surrounding areas. Advance tickets are available now for $20 ($5 for youth aged 6 to 15 and free for those under five) until September 9, with rates going up to $25 from September 10 onwards and when purchased at the gate.

VIDEO: 2024 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo

“It’s a really big event drawing people in from all over,” says Bob Armstrong, Chair of the IPM 2024 Local Organizing Committee, noting the IPM was last held in the Kawartha Lakes back in 1992. “We thought it was a great time to finally bring it back to Kawartha Lakes.”

Heading into its 105th year, the IPM is a collaborative effort between the local committee and the Ontario Plowmen’s Association. Held in a different community in Ontario each year, the event attracts 70,000 people from across the province, the country, and around the world. The event was originally scheduled to be held in the Kawartha Lakes in 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic.

With an estimated economic impact of $25 million in every year, the IPM is such as important event in Ontario that the provincial parliament traditionally goes into recess for a day so politicians can attend the opening of the IPM.

“It’s the only time each year that the Ontario legislature shuts down for a day and all the MPPs, the cabinet, the leaders of the opposition, and the premier all come to the plowing match,” says Armstrong. “We’ll get to hear some of them speak at the opening ceremonies.”

Over the five days, farmers from around the world will compete in different classes of plowing competitions including horse and mule, junior competitions, and antique plowing (where drag plows and tractors must be pre-1959). Visitors will travel through time as they watch plowing through history, from old fashioned horse-drawn plows to the latest high-tech plows, with each competing to draw the straightest furrows.

On Thursday, October 3rd, the IPM will host the Ontario Queen of the Furrow for female farmers between 18 and 25 years of age. First held in 1960 to support young women in agriculture, the Queen of the Furrow features women who have won the competition held at their local branch association. The winner will be announced at the Evening of Excellence at the Victoria Park Armoury in Lindsay the following day, where she will be given a bursary and a vehicle to assist in being an ambassador for Ontario agriculture during her year of reign.

“These queens are professional folk in agriculture,” says Armstrong. “They’re young ladies that are well-spoken, and they make good role models for young girls watching. There will be some really good competitors this year.”

From Thursday, October 3rd to Saturday, October 5th, the RAM Rodeo Tour will also be making its annual IPM appearance. Touring the province, the rodeo features cowboys and cowgirls competing in barrel racing, saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, pole bending, and more. The RAM Rodeo Tour will be co-hosted by Amber Marshall, who stars as Amy Fleming in the long-running CBC television series Heartland.

“It’s a really exciting, fun rodeo, and a classic,” says Armstrong. “It’s a longtime favourite for people of all ages.”

Those looking to make the IPM a week-long excursion can book a campsite in the official RV Park of the IPM, located on a property adjoining the Lindsay Exhibition Fairgrounds and a short walk from Tented City where the events and celebrations will be taking place. Guests staying at the 600-site RV park will have convenient access to all activities and get complimentary shuttle service.

“A lot of the farmers come with their RVs, stay for the week, and get entertainment every night,” says Armstrong, noting there is still availability to book sites in the park. “They’re in a convenient location. It allows people to be close to all the action of the match while still having a place to go back to.”

Entertainment on both the main stage and in the RV Park ranges from local favourites such as Melissa Payne, Irish Millie, Charlie Horse, Nicholas Campbell, High Waters Band, and Gunslingers, visiting performers including Stacey Kay and the Steel House Gypsies, and cover bands for Tom Petty and Taylor Swift, among others.

Other entertainment throughout the week include the Great Canadian Lumberjacks Competition, Amber Marshall reading from her own children’s book Where’d Turkey Go? (which follows the amazing real-life journey of Sweetpea the Turkey, who was born on Amber’s farm and found a wonderful forever home with Amber’s friend Katie), and the Canadian Cowgirls — a renowned precision equestrian drill team.

“It’s a really unique group that does formations and it’s quite colourful,” says Armstrong. “It’s a neat thing that you might not get a chance to see very often.”

Armstrong notes that while there is plenty of fun to be had at the IPM, there is also ample opportunity to engage young people in learning about farming and agriculture. Schools can sign up to have classes bused in for the day to explore the Education Centre with activities, demonstrations on cooking and machinery, animal meet and greets, and teachings about farming and agriculture over the years.

“The educational format allows students to learn more about modern rural life, modern farming, and the many changes and challenges,” he says. “Usually, Kawartha Dairy has a scavenger hunt, so kids can have added element of fun and competition while they learn.”

In Tented City, visitors can find exhibitors ranging from equipment and vehicle dealers and manufacturers, agricultural and rural service providers, community non-profits, food vendors, artisans, and more. There will also be tents designated for beautification and quilting competitions.

“Our goal is to showcase the best the Kawartha Lakes has to offer and not just on the agricultural side,” says Armstrong. “Hopefully that will make people come back and visit us again.”

Visitors can even pick up the 2024 IPM cookbook, featuring favourite recipes collected from local foodies.

“Each year, the recipes depend on where the match is happening and the community contributes their recipes,” says Armstrong, noting some visitors look forward to it each year. “Someone came up to me and said this will be her 60th cookbook from the competition.”

High school students from Lindsay Collegiate Vocational Institute, I.E. Weldon, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Fenelon Falls Secondary School have already been hard at work in preparation for the IPM. With supplies donated by Lindsay Home Building Centre, the students built benches to be sold off for a $500 sponsorship.

“It’s quite a quite a nice program to have local high school kids involved,” says Armstrong. “I’m quite proud of that.”

The benches will include an engraved plaque with the sponsor’s name, will be located around Tented City, and will given to the sponsor following the event. Bench sponsorships are still available, and sponsors interested in purchasing a bench can email localchair2024ipm@gmail.com.

With students building benches, community members sharing recipes, farmers donating land and tractors, and the City of Kawartha Lakes supporting the local committee, it’s evident that bringing the IPM to Kawartha Lakes has been an all-out community effort.

Armstrong notes that effort includes the assistance of hundreds of volunteers who work tirelessly to make the annual event a success. Volunteers are required for managing health and safety requirements, running information booths, assisting in competitions, and setting up and tearing down the event, among other roles.

“Many volunteers just want to be part of such a big and exciting local event,” says Armstrong of their motivation. “They work just four hours and can spend the rest of the day at the plowing match. We want to have enough hands to ensure everyone has a great time.”

Those interested in volunteering their time and skills are welcome to attend a volunteer orientation meeting on Saturday, September 14th at the RV Park (located at the north end of the Lindsay Exhibition Fairgrounds). Registration begins at 8:15 a.m., with the meeting running from 9 a.m. til noon.

New volunteers can sign up by completing the application form at www.plowingmatch.org/ipm2024/become-a-volunteer/.

For more information about the 2024 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, including schedules and the official show guide, and to purchase advance tickets, visit www.plowingmatch.org/ipm2024/. You can also follow the International Plowing Match on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

This branded editorial was created in partnership with the IPM 2024 Local Organizing Committee. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

Selwyn Township council is supporting the first step in completing a lakeshore capacity assessment of Lovesick Lake by approving a resolution to consult with surrounding municipalities and others on a terms of reference for the assessment.

At its regular meeting on Tuesday (September 10), council received a presentation from the Lovesick Lake Association and the Committee for the Preservation of Lovesick Lake about the levels of phosphorus in the small lake, which is located west of Burleigh Falls on the Trent-Severn Waterway between Lower Buckhorn Lake and Stoney Lake.

Dian Bogie, Lovesick Lake Association treasurer and cofounder of the Committee for the Preservation of Lovesick Lake, spoke to the need for a lakeshore capacity assessment.

“(Lovesick Lake) has the highest phosphorus levels on the whole Trent-Severn Waterway and, for the past two decades, it often exceeds the provincial guideline of 20 micrograms per litre,” Bogie told councillors. “It’s on the tipping point of becoming a eutrophic/dead lake. It’s a perfect candidate for a lakeshore capacity assessment.”

Bogie referred to the Ontario government’s handbook for completing lakeshore capacity assessments, described as a planning tool that can be used to control the amount of phosphorus entering inland lakes on the Precambrian Shield by controlling shoreline development. While the goals of lakeshore capacity assessment are to help maintain the quality of water in recreational inland lakes and to protect coldwater fish habitat, they can an carried out on any inland lake.

Bogie’s presentation was prompted by an official plan amendment and zoning by-law amendment application received by the township earlier this year from Lovesick Lake Park at 3340 Strickers Lane for a proposed 40-site trailer park expansion. The expansion of the trailer park, which currently has 160 seasonal sites and 20 overnight sites, would also include a new road, septic systems, garbage facilities, and parking.

“The expansion of this trailer park threatens to increase (phosphorus) levels even more due to increased runoff and pollution, further degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life,” stated a media release issued by the Lovesick Lake Association on June 11. “Phosphorus pollution can also lead to harmful algal blooms, which pose serious health risks to both humans and wildlife.”

VIDEO: “Lovesick” documentary by Lauren Bridle (2017)

In addition to the issue of phosphorus levels in the lake, the association’s media release also expressed concerns about the impact of the proposed expansion on the already-crowded public boat launch at Lock 28 on Highway 28, as well as increased traffic on Forest Hill Road and related safety risks.

The following week, on June 17, Selwyn Township council held a special public meeting to consider the proposed official plan and zoning by-law amendments, where they received presentations from municipal planner Per Lundberg as well as the applicant’s agent DM Wills, along with many public delegations opposing the proposed expansion.

Lundberg’s report to council, which also provided compiled comments on the proposed expansion from an earlier public meeting, recommended that council defer a decision on both amendments to a future date “following consideration of public comments received at the public meeting.” Council voted in favour of a resolution supporting Lundberg’s recommendation.

Lundberg’s report also noted that council members had been asked to complete a lakeshore capacity assessment for Lovesick Lake and to implement an interim control bylaw to prevent any further development pending the completion of the assessment.

“Any decision to move forward with a (lakeshore capacity assessment) would, at minimum, require discussion and agreement from the County of Peterborough and the three municipalities bordering the lake (Selwyn, North Kawartha and Trent Lakes),” Lundberg wrote.

“The township would not be in position to pass an (interim control bylaw) until such discussions were concluded. Should the councils stated decide to proceed with a study, then the terms of reference of such study including its scope, resource allocation, and timing would need to be confirmed.”

The resolution presented at council’s September 10 meeting stated:

“Whereas Lakeshore Capacity Assessments under the Official Plan are a requirement for cold water lakes specifically to protect lake trout; and although Lovesick Lake is a warm water lake thereby not meeting the requirement to complete a Lakeshore Capacity Assessment, the Ontario Lakeshore Capacity Assessment Handbook (LCAH) can be used as a guiding document if municipalities and stakeholders wish to conduct such assessment.”

“Whereas the first step is to determine if there is agreement from the municipalities with jurisdiction over properties around Lovesick Lake, including at a minimum, Trent Lakes, North Kawartha, Selwyn and the County of Peterborough, as well as Parks Canada/Trent Severn Waterway to consider the development a Terms of Reference outlining the scope, purpose and resourcing of such Assessment.”

“That these organizations be consulted to determine interest in considering the preparation of a Terms of Reference for a Lakeshore Capacity Assessment.”

After hearing Bogie’s presentation, councillors discussed the resolution and proposed that it be amended to note that Lovesick Lake is a “flow-through lake” feeding the Trent-Severn Waterway and that Curve Lake First Nation and other Indigenous communities also be included in the consultation list.

In response to a councillor’s question, Bogie indicated that while Lovesick Lake Association would not be able to contribute in a significant way financially to the work due to the small size of its membership, association members would be happy to participate such as by conducting research.

Councillors voted to support the amended resolution.

A man is dead after his vehicle was struck by a train in Alnwick-Haldimand Township south of Grafton early Monday morning (September 9).

At around 12:50 a.m., the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call from CN police regarding a collision that had occurred on Station Road involving a passenger vehicle and a train.

Emergency medical services and the Township of Alnwick-Haldimand Fire Department also responded to the collision.

The sole occupant of the passenger vehicle, an adult man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released any information about the man’s identity.

Both Station Road and the railway line at the location of the collision were closed while the OPP conducted an investigation until around 6 a.m., followed by a CN police investigation until 12 p.m., when the railway line was reopened.

The police investigation is continuing with assistance from the Northumberland OPP Crime Unit.

Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for much of the northern Kawarthas region for Monday overnight (September 9).

The frost advisory is in effect for northern Peterborough County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.

Patchy frost is expected Monday night into Tuesday morning with temperatures dropping near the freezing mark.

Frost may damage some crops in frost-prone areas.

Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas.

Take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.

In what’s anticipated to be an “epic” and engaging show, Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG) is hosting an upcoming concert in Northumberland County to fundraise for children’s music programs.

Kawartha Metals is sponsoring Choir! Choir! Choir! at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope. The sing-along concert is the fourth annual main event that features a well-known act performing before a Northumberland crowd to benefit SONG, which is a not-for-profit organization that offers children access to free music education.

Led by Toronto’s Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman, Choir! Choir! Choir! is a fully interactive show that turns the audience into performers who sing “epic anthems” such as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and more. After providing audience members with lyric sheets, Goldman and Adilman lead a rehearsal of the various harmonies and then, with Goldman on guitar and Adilman conducting, the entire audience raises their collective voices to perform the rehearsed song.

“SONG is thrilled to announce the return of the annual headliner concert in support of our free programming for kids and youth in Northumberland,” said Miles Bowman, executive director of SONG, in a note to media.

Bowman told kawarthaNOW the best thing that could happen would be for SONG to sell enough tickets to offer a second show of music-making with Choir! Choir! Choir!, “or, alternatively, we would allow the community to feel what SONG students feel every practice when then connect with each other through collective music-making.”

“There really is no feeling quite like it.”

SONG uses music “as functional art,” Bowman explained. “It is the best and most affordable tool to help kids (and adults) do and feel better. Among other things, evidence shows that exposure to music leads to healthy brain development.”

“Students in music have more and more diverse connections in their brain, they show higher achievement and, we think most importantly, show better emotional regulation. In a world where we seem to find more and more reason to disconnect from each other and ourselves, SONG’s use of music helps young people regulate themselves and connect with their peers and their community.”

In March, SONG received the 2024 not-for-profit sector award for “Northumberland’s Best Not-for-Profit” from the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce at its 26th annual business excellence awards.

During SONG’s 11th and most successful season to date, the organization brought music into the community in “unprecedented ways,” the chamber noted.

The charity reached more than 7,500 audience members and involved 350-plus children and youth in local music activities, contributing to cultural enrichment through more than 35 public performances.

“This year our programming is moving to the Port Hope High School for a centralized experience,” Bowman said. “This will allow students to easily access our after-school programming in a safe space for free. We are able to open the doors to any student because the community helps prioritize music making for all Northumberland students.”

SONG is also able to pay working artists to be the students’ instructors.

“Our instructors are professional musicians with advanced degrees and the funds we raise means students not only get free music education, but high-quality free music education,” Bowman noted.

Registration for the 2024-25 season is now open. All classes will take place at Port Hope High School, which is located 130 Highland Dr. For more information about registration, volunteering, and music programming, visit SONG’s website at songprogram.org.

Tickets for either Choir! Choir! Choir! benefit concert are $65 for adults or $45 for students, and are available in person at the Capitol Theatre’s box office at 20 Queen St. in Port Hope, by phone at 905-885-1071 or online at capitoltheatre.com.