Northumberland County council has approved spending $40,000 in an effort to bring doctors to the county.

At its regular council meeting last Wednesday (September 18), council agreed to dedicate a one-time investment into the development of a county-wide physician recruitment marketing campaign and a recruitment pilot project.

Like other communities, Northumberland faces a shortage of doctors and is intending to use the money to bring practising doctors to the county.

Half of the funding, $20,000, will support marketing efforts, which include creating a promotional video and a related campaign. The remaining $20,000 will be used for a pilot project to review physician recruitment and expand recruitment efforts.

“It could include information and footage that could be used for a variety of county-wide needs … but also specifically earmarked for physician recruitment,” said Northumberland County Deputy Warden and Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky during the meeting.

“It would be general footage around the county, the quality of life in the county, but also be specifically targeted to potential physicians, their families and their children about why this is a unique place to be,” she told her fellow county councillors. “Currently, we do not have this kind of material.”

“We know from all the best recruiters in Ontario and in the rest of the country that this is a precursor — it’s foundational to any recruitment strategy,” Hankivsky said, adding that, in addition to the video, accompanying social media material is necessary.

The $20,000 for the recruitment pilot project component to bring a physician or physicians to the county could also encompass setting aside some of those funds “to leverage other sectoral representation in creating packages that would make the county an attractive place for physicians to live and work and play,” Hankivsky said.

The county’s community health committee, which met earlier in September, ultimately presented the recommendation that council endorse the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland’s proposal for a county-wide physician recruitment plan, support action items for physician recruitment, and endorse a regionally representative governance model for physician recruitment.

According to recent reporting by the CBC, municipalities in Ontario are offering significant financial incentives in what amounts to a competition to attract family doctors.

For example, Peterborough is offering a $15,000 recruitment bonus for family physicians who establish new practices in the city, while Huntsville is offering physicians a $60,000 bonus for taking over an existing practice and $80,000 for setting up a new practice.

Trenton-based physician recruitment program Docs by the Bay is offering $100,000 to new doctors or medical residents who are interested in setting up a full-time family practice in the area.

The Peterborough County Hubs Program is expanding to offer new drop-in services at hub locations in Millbrook, Havelock, Apsley, and Norwood starting Tuesday (September 24).

The hubs program was first launched in April 2023 as a partnership between the city and county of Peterborough, townships in the county, Community Care Peterborough, and Agilec Employment Services, with the aim of improving access to social and health services for rural residents.

The program originally launched in eight communities across Peterborough County — Apsley, Douro, Keene, Havelock, Lakefield, Millbrook, Norwood, and Warsaw — and is now also available in Buckhorn.

The hubs provide free office and meeting space for agencies to deliver health and social services — including health care, mental health, addictions, employment, developmental services, housing, income supports, senior services, and more — and to conduct outreach with local residents. They offer services for local residents who would otherwise have to travel to the city of Peterborough, which is challenging for those who do not have easy access to transportation.

“By bringing these services closer to home, we are removing barriers for communities across the region and making sure that residents can get help with everything from health care to employment services,” said city councillor Alex Bierk, portfolio co-chair of community services, in a media release.

The new drop-in program is a collaboration between the social services departments of the city and county of Peterborough (administered by the city), Canopy Support Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge Branch, and Fleming CREW and Academic Upgrading.

Residents will be able to meet with agency staff in a private office to find out about programs and services they need. A staff person from one of the agencies will be available, on a rotating basis, at the following hubs when they are open:

• Millbrook Hub (Old Millbrook School, 1 Dufferin Street, 2nd Floor) – Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Havelock Hub (Community Care Office, 17 Smith Dr.) – Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Apsley Hub (Community Care Office, 126 Burleigh St.) – first and third Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Norwood Hub at Township Office (Asphodel-Norwood Township Office, 2357 County Road 45) – Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“We place great value on inclusivity and ensuring everyone has access to the resources they require to live their best lives,” said Himanshu Shah, CEO of Canopy Support Services, which provides services for people with intellectual and development disabilities, autism, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

“We are thrilled to partner with the city on this collaborative county hubs pilot to provide equitable access to resources for our rural communities, and share the amazing work that is being done by social service agencies in the city and county of Peterborough.”

Below are the locations of all nine hubs in Peterborough County.

• Apsley Hub (Community Care Office, 126 Burleigh St.)
• Havelock Hub (Community Care Office, 17 Smith Dr.)
• Lakefield Hub (Agilec Office, 14 Queen St.)
• Keene Hub (Otonabee-South Monaghan Township Office, 20 Third St.)
• Warsaw Hub (Douro-Dummer Township Office, 894 South St.)
• Douro Hub (Douro-Dummer Public Library, 435 Douro 4th Line)
• Norwood Hub at Township Office (Asphodel-Norwood Township Office, 2357 County Road 45)
• Millbrook Hub (Old Millbrook School, 1 Dufferin Street, 2nd Floor)
• Buckhorn Hub at the Buckhorn Regional Health Centre (8 William St., Buckhorn)

“I am pleased to know that from today, four of these hubs will have regular, scheduled, hours with local social service providers on a rotating basis,” said Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark.

“Local clients will now have the convenience to drop-in during office hours and not have to book an appointment. This pilot project brings social services access for our rural and small urban communities closer to parity with larger urban centres. I look forward to seeing the results of this project and future progress to support the needs of Peterborough County residents.”

Peterborough County Hub Locations

For more information about the Peterborough County Hubs Program, visit peterborough.ca/hubs, where agencies that wish to use the hubs can also find information on how to register.

Northumberland County residents can help build futures for those in need of affordable housing in the community and satisfy their sugar cravings at the same time.

Habitat for Humanity Northumberland is teaming up with Roda’s Kitchen in Cobourg for a Thanksgiving-related fundraiser.

The bakery is offering boxes of five cookies decorated with a harvest theme, which are now available for purchase through to early October.

Cathy Borowec, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland CEO, told kawarthaNOW the partnership with Roda’s Kitchen has become a sweet, annual initiative that supports Habitat for Humanity Northumberland’s local build programs.

The duo first teamed up in May 2021 for Mother’s Day-themed cookie boxes.

“In 2022, we switched it up to offer Thanksgiving cookies as we felt that holiday aligned well with the idea of gathering together in a home,” Borowec said.

The fundraiser is important for Habitat for Humanity Northumberland, even more so with the current shortage of affordable housing and the rising costs of construction materials.

“As we strive to meet the growing demand for affordable housing in our community, we look to find ways to raise funds to support our work. Sometimes our efforts are directed to large-scale community drives and sometimes to smaller events,” she noted.

As with all of its fundraising activities, the money from the cookie sales supports Habitat for Humanity Northumberland’s housing programs, namely home construction and home repairs.

“As we work to finish up our seven-unit net-zero townhome project in Baltimore, funds raised from these beautiful — and delicious — cookies will be directed there,” Borowec said.

Located at 4751 Highway 45, the Baltimore site encompasses affordable units intended to provide “hope for families.” Habitat for Humanity Northumberland acquired the land in the spring of 2022 and has since been working on development plans and construction for the unique site.

Not only is it the largest single development project for Habitat for Humanity Northumberland, it is also the first time the organization is pursuing a net-zero development. It’s a lofty undertaking, the CEO noted.

“The cost of building materials for a home has risen so much that we count on support from our community more than ever. This fundraiser has typically raised about $2,000 to $3,000, and we really like that it helps us to connect with our community in a different way,” Borowec added.

The boxes of harvest cookies are $20 each. Orders will be accepted until Friday, October 4 and ready for pick-up the following week, on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12, in time for Thanksgiving.

Those interested in purchasing cookies can place their order and pay by cash at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Cobourg, which is located at 764 Division St. Boxes of cookies can also be ordered online at trellis.org/2024-thanksgiving-cookies.

A 73-year-old man is dead after his motorcycle crashed early Sunday morning (September 22) on County Road 45 around eight kilometres south of Roseneath.

At around 2:05 a.m. on Sunday, Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Township of Alnwick-Haldimand Fire Department, and emergency medical services responded to a report of a collision involving a motorcycle on County Road 45 south of Davis Road.

The driver of the motorcycle, a 73-year-old man from Roseneath, was pronounced dead at the scene.

County Road 45 was closed between County Road 29 and Woodland Road for almost eight hours while police conducted an investigation with the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario.

The police investigation into the collision is ongoing.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has video/dash cam footage or other information, and who has not yet spoken with police, is asked to call the Northumberland OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Police have recovered the body of a man who went missing in the water at Cobourg Harbour on Saturday afternoon (September 21).

At around 1:35 p.m. on Saturday, the Cobourg Police Service, Cobourg Fire Department, Northumberland County Paramedics, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of a man who had entered the water south of the Coast Guard pier at the foot of Division Street and failed to resurface.

For around two hours, members of the fire department and the Coast Guard searched the water in the area where the man went missing but were unable to locate him.

A request was made to the OPP Underwater Search, Rescue and Recovery Unit to assist in the search.

Shortly after arriving at the scene, the OPP Underwater Search, Rescue and Recovery Unit located the body of the missing man at around 7:30 p.m.

Cobourg police area are continuing their investigation while the Coroner’s Office conducts a port-mortem.

As International Day of Peace is observed on September 21, a Bancroft resident is continuing his own advocacy efforts to promote peace.

Chris Houston is the founder of the Canadian Peace Museum, a registered charity that is fundraising to open a museum of the same name in Bancroft in 2025.

On Friday (September 20), Houston joined Bancroft mayor Paul Jenkins, the town’s general manager Andra Kauffeldt, and Reverend Svinda Heinrichs of St Paul’s United Church in Bancroft to unveil a peace pole in Cenotaph Park.

The peace pole is a monument that displays the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages, including English, French, and Algonquin. At the request of the Canadian Peace Museum, the peace pole was funded by the Town of Bancroft, which earlier this year proclaimed September 21 the “Day of Peace in Bancroft.”

“The Canadian Peace Museum congratulates the Town of Bancroft in this symbolic step and thanks the council for its moral and financial support,” Houston said in a statement.

A British-Canadian citizen living in Bancroft, Houston has worked in logistics and in program management for Médecins Sans Frontières in Papua New Guinea, Canada, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Pakistan, and for the Red Cross in the UK, Nepal, and Lebanon. He was also the head of logistics for the World Health Organization in Yemen.

According to Houston, his experiences as a humanitarian worker have given him a special perspective.

“I spent six months in Yemen during war, famine, and the world’s biggest cholera outbreak,” Houston told kawarthaNOW. “I live with PTSD, which is the downside to that experience. The upside is that I have a strong sense of perspective.”

While Canadians watch from afar as war rages in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Houston warns that our country is not immune to violence and that Canadians have an important and urgent role to play in promoting peace both locally and internationally.

“Fourteen years ago I was a newcomer to Canada, and I love my new country for its relative peacefulness. I fear that many people (in Canada) take peace for granted. I understand why — we are not on the brink of war. But polarization is rising. Hatred is rising. And it’s important to promote peace, to work towards community harmony, to recognize how our choices affect local and global peace.”

As he works to establish the Canadian Peace Museum in Bancroft, Houston is continuing to promote nonviolence and understanding across communities. Both the cities of Toronto and Niagara Falls have agreed to his charity’s requests to recognize the International Day of Peace.

On Saturday (September 21), the Toronto city sign will be illuminated and the CN Tower will be lit in rainbow colours to symbolize peace beginning at sunset, in between the regular light shows on the tower as the top of the hour and on the half hour. At 10:30 p.m., Niagara Falls will be illuminated in the Canadian Peace Museum’s colours of pink, white, and purple.

Saturday at noon is also the deadline for submissions for the Canadian Peace Museum’s inaugural Stories of Peace Award, which invites Canadians to explore and express their personal interpretations of peace through short videos and visual art. The award celebrates creative reflections on the theme of peace, offering a $500 prize to the winner to be presented on Tuesday (September 24) at the Bancroft Village Playhouse.

For more information about the Canadian Peace Museum, including the Stories of Peace Award, visit canadianpeacemuseum.ca/awards.

To address poverty and food insecurity, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) is calling on the Canadian government to take action to provide a guaranteed basic income for residents in the health unit’s catchment area.

Up to 12.9 per cent of households in Haliburton County, 8.7 per cent of households in Northumberland County, and 10.2 per cent of households in the Kawartha Lakes live in poverty and struggle to pay for rent, bills, and healthy food, according to the health unit.

At its meeting on Thursday (September 19), the HKPRDHU board of health endorsed the health unit’s support for Bills S-233 and C-223 — “An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income” — and approved that a letter, signed by HKPRDHU board chair David Marshall, be sent to the federal government on the topic of guaranteed basic income.

“The HKPRDHU has provided long-standing support for income-based solutions to reduce rates of poverty and household food insecurity,” the letter stated.

“The board of health for HKPRDHU supports upstream income-based solutions such as guaranteed livable basic income as essential components to effectively reduce poverty and household food insecurity.”

The letter noted the percentages of poverty in each of HKPRDHU’s areas.

“When families cannot afford to buy the food they want and need to maintain good health, they are food insecure. Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty.”

“The health consequences of food insecurity and poverty incur significant costs to Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system. Adults in food insecure households are more likely to be diagnosed with a wide range of chronic conditions, including mental health disorders, higher stress and anxiety, non-communicable diseases, and infections.”

According to the letter, research also shows that children and teens in “food insecure households” are more likely to have poorer health, develop chronic conditions like asthma, and develop mental health conditions such as depression, social anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

Food insecurity also makes it difficult to self-manage conditions through diet, the letter noted.

“Research linking food insecurity data from population health surveys with administrative health records has provided strong evidence that food-insecure people are more likely to be hospitalized for a wide range of conditions, stay in hospital longer, more likely to be readmitted to hospital and die prematurely (before the age of 83) from all causes except cancer. Inadequate income and household food insecurity result in poor health outcomes and higher health care costs.”

During the meeting, the board of health discussed and endorsed correspondence from the Middlesex-London Health Unit urging the support of Bills S-233 and C-223. The two bills were introduced in December 2021 by Senator Kim Pate and MP Leah Gazan and are currently being considered by the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance and in the process of a second reading in the House of Commons.

In its briefing note for the board, HKPRDU’s health equity team said income-based solutions, such as a guaranteed livable basic income, are needed to address poverty, income insecurity, and household food insecurity and their significant impacts on health and well-being.

The briefing note described basic income guarantee as an unconditional cash transfer from the government to citizens to provide a minimum annual income, and is not tied to labour market participation.

“It is an essential component of a strategy to effectively eliminate poverty, ensure all Canadians have a sufficient income to meet their basic needs, and live with dignity and to eliminate health inequities.”

“Existing federal policies, such as Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) programs for seniors, and Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for parents,are forms of guaranteed income programs. These policies show evidence of positively addressing food insecurity and improving health outcomes.”

“In a cohort of low-income, single adults over 65 years receiving OAS/GIS, the risk of food insecurity reduced by 50 per cent compared to older adults aged 55 to 64 years not eligible for seniors’ pensions. Among families receiving CCB, the prevalence of severe food insecurity among low-income families with children decreased significantly compared to low-income families without children.”

According to the briefing note, “An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income” is currently moving through the Senate (S-233) and the House of Commons (C-223). The bill requires “the Minister of Finance to develop a national framework for the implementation of a guaranteed livable basic income program throughout Canada for any person over the age of 17.”

In 2017, Lindsay was one of four cities selected to pilot Ontario’s basic income initiative. Launched under the former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne’s government, the Ford government announced it was ending the pilot project shortly after being elected in 2018. When it was cancelled, almost 4,000 people were enrolled in the pilot program in Lindsay as well as Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Brantford, and Brant County.

In the summer of 2018, the HKPRDHU board wrote a letter to the premier urging for the reinstatement of the basic income pilot.

“The premature termination of that source of income left devastating effects on recipients, who had begun to improve their physical and mental health, labour market participation, food insecurity, housing stability, financial status and social relationships,” the briefing note stated.

During the September 19 meeting, the HKPRDHU board also asked that each member municipality also provide letters of support for Bills S-233 and C-223.

100 Women Peterborough has chosen Hearts 4 Joy to receive a donation of more than $10,000 that will support the artistic talents of young adults with intellectual exceptionalities.

The collective philanthropy group held its third meeting of the year on Tuesday (September 17) at Fleming College’s Steele Centre in Peterborough.

At each of its quarterly meetings, 100 Women Peterborough hears presentations from three non-profit organizations randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by the group’s members. Each member commits to donating $100, and the organization that gets the most member votes receives the collective donations.

The three organizations that presented to 100 Women Peterborough at September’s meeting were Community Counselling & Resource Centre. Hearts 4 Joy, and Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services, with Hearts 4 Joy chosen by majority vote to receive member donations.

Hearts 4 Joy is a non-profit organization that serves adults over the age of 21 who live with intellectual exceptionalities, including Down Syndrome, autism, and learning disabilities, by offering them a platform to explore and showcase their artistic talents.

“I am incredibly proud of our group for donating over $10,000 to this remarkable organization — it’s a testament to the power of collective giving and the impact we can have when we come together,” says Rosalea Terry, a founding member of 100 Women Peterborough, in a media release. “Hearts 4 Joy gave a touching presentation at our September meeting and this donation reflects our commitment to making a tangible difference in our community. The funds we’ve gathered will significantly boost Hearts 4 Joy’s mission, empowering individuals with intellectual exceptionalities.”

The organization began in 2020 in the backyard of one of its co-founders and current board members, Norma Christensen, and has now expanded to include 14 artists with intellectual exceptionalities who create unique hand-painted gift items which they sell at the Hearts 4 Joy Artisan Shoppe in downtown Peterborough’s Charlotte Mews.

“We are proud to nurture the talents of individuals with Down Syndrome, autism, and learning disabilities,” Christensen says. “With the generous support from 100 Women Peterborough, we hope to purchase a new kiln and expand our product line.”

According to Hearts 4 Joy co-founder Debbie Quinlan, the donation from 100 Women Peterborough will also be used for the organization’s first website, so Hearts 4 Joy can showcase its products, raise awareness about upcoming events, and facilitate monthly donations.

Since its formation in 2018, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated over $213,000 to 25 local organizations: YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Vinnies Peterborough, Hospice Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Unlimited, One Roof Warming Room, New Canadians Centre, Cameron House, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Casa De Angelae, Lakefield Animal Welfare Society, Community Care Peterborough, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Community Counselling and Resource Centre, Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services, Heads Up for Inclusion, Kawartha Youth Orchestra, Peterborough GreenUP, Bridges Peterborough, YMCA Strong Communities, Homeward Bound Peterborough, Good Neighbours Care Centre and Food Bank, PARN – Your Community AIDS Resource Network, Camp Kawartha, the Teachers For Kids Foundation, and now Hearts 4 Joy.

100 Women Peterborough is part of a growing collective philanthropy movement that began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, those women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. The movement has grown over the past 18 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with hundreds of chapters in Canada alone.

For more information about 100 Women Peterborough, visit www.100womenptbo.ca.

Amidst the substantial shortage of health care professionals across the country, Fleming College is aiming to expand opportunities for people to become personal support workers (PSWs) by bringing its PSW program to Lindsay this winter.

The college has announced the addition of the program to its Frost campus through the launch of a mobile laboratory, in a move it says will also “help expand health care in the City of Kawartha Lakes.”

The new mobile lab will train 64 potential PSWs, a media release from the college noted. Over the course of two semesters, students will receive 400 hours of theory and hands-on laboratory experience, combined with 300 hours of real-life training, aimed at preparing them for careers in the health care field.

The mobile or portable teaching laboratory will be set up in a physical space and most of the learning will occur in person, Chris Jardine, associate vice-president of marketing and advancement for Fleming College, said.

“It will allow students at our Frost campus in Lindsay to participate in the PSW certificate program without having to commute to our Sutherland campus in Peterborough,” Jardine told kawarthaNOW. “Fleming can support students through leading-edge experiential learning while bringing frontline health care support to Lindsay and its surrounding area.”

The mobile lab is equipped with portable beds, lifts, and state-of-the-art technology.

Fleming College president Maureen Adamson said in a statement that those students will offer health care support to the local community during their placements and upon graduation.

Having a mobile lab allows the college to deliver PSW training without the need to renovate a physical space. The college said the program curriculum is identical to the PSW program offered at Fleming’s Sutherland campus in Peterborough.

“I am thrilled to see Fleming College taking such a proactive approach in addressing the health care needs of our region,” said Laurie Scott, MPP, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, in the release.

“The introduction of this mobile PSW lab is a game-changer for our community, providing accessible and high-quality training right here in Lindsay. This initiative will not only equip our students with valuable skills, but it will ultimately enhance the overall health care services available locally.”

The mobile PSW program will be located at Fleming’s Frost campus in the winter of 2025, with the potential to expand to other communities within the region to provide localized training for aspiring PSWs, the release noted.

“This new, mobile PSW laboratory will provide PSWs in the City of Kawartha Lakes with the essential training and resources to deliver exceptional care and support to their local communities.”

In a Ministry of Long-Term Care document updated last month, the province said up to 24,000 new PSWs will be needed by 2026.

Meanwhile, a May 2024 story by Allison Jones of The Canadian Press stated Ontario will need tens of thousands of new nurses and PSWs by the year 2032.

Back in November 2023, the Ontario government announced it was investing more than $300 million over three years intended to help people launch careers as PSWs to work in long-term care homes and in the home and community care sector.

“PSWs play a critical role in helping people in Ontario connect to the care they need in the comfort of their own home and in their local community,” said Sylvia Jones, deputy premier and minister of health, in a media release.

“Bolstering our number of PSWs in the home care sector allows us to increase people’s access to in-home services which prevents unnecessary hospital and long-term care admissions, shortens hospital stays and provides people with the choice to stay in their own home longer.”

In part, the funding and recruitment of more PSWs are part of the province’s “Your Health plan” to connect long-term care residents to more hours of direct care and expand home care services, the government release noted.