From a Coboconk resort that features native flora and eco-friendly cabins to a Fenelon Falls duo that installed recycling bins in a local park, the City of Kawartha Lakes is recognizing its environmental “heroes.”

The City of Kawartha Lakes environmental advisory committee (CKLEAC) recently presented the 2023 “Environmental Hero Awards” to local residents, businesses, and organizations for their environmental stewardship and commitment to improving their local communities.

The annual awards provide a chance for residents to nominate environmental changemakers in Kawartha Lakes and “bring attention to the amazing work they’re doing to help the environment in our community,” noted Kawartha Lakes in a media release.

This year there were three winners of the environmental business hero award, four winners of the environmental hero award, and three environmental student hero award recipients, listed below.

Environmental business heroes

Green Side Up Environmental, Omemee

Green Side Up Environmental is an ecological contracting firm specializing in landscape construction, natural resource management, and sustainable agriculture. Its services cater to a diverse clientele including government, private sector firms, and various organizations.

Green Side Up Environmental also provides a variety of services including forestry services, sustainable agriculture, biological services, ecological restoration and a native plant nursery.

“With a commitment to sustainability and innovation, Green Side Up Environmental continues to set industry standards through their dedication to ecological integrity,” Kawartha Lakes noted.

The Marina at Happy Days, Bobcaygeon

The Marina at Happy Days has been in operation since 1978 on Pigeon Lake, Bobcaygeon in the territory of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg. “This family-owned business exemplifies a dedicated commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability,” Kawartha Lakes noted.

The Marina at Happy Days “takes proactive steps, collaborates with partners, and engages the community to protect and enhance the environment. This effort greatly benefits the health of Pigeon Lake and the surrounding areas.

Inspire Beach Resort, Coboconk

Inspire Beach Resort “offers a peaceful escape where guests can unwind amidst untouched natural beauty.” The Inspire team envisioned a place where the harmony between comfort and nature could be preserved. Developing the resort took into consideration the integration of their structures into the landscape ensuring minimal disruption to the environment, the release noted. Large trees and native flora were preserved and serve as a backdrop for their eco-friendly cabins.

“Inspire Beach Resort’s commitment to sustainability stands as a testament to what can be achieved when passion for nature meets thoughtful hospitality.”

Environmental heroes

Sharon Britton and Linda Hibbert

Sharon Britton and Linda Hibbert have been dedicated volunteers at the Garnet Graham Beach in Fenelon Falls for the past three years, championing recycling efforts to keep the community cleaner and greener. Concerned about providing recycling options at Garnet Graham Beach Park, they took action by placing 90-gallon blue bins next to the regular waste bins.

“Sharon and Linda regularly visit the park multiple times each week to combat contamination of non-recyclable items ending up in recycling bins. To combat this, the duo diligently sort through the blue bins, removing any items that can’t be recycled and ensuring everything is disposed of correctly,” Kawartha Lakes said.

“Sharon and Linda are true environmental heroes, embodying the spirit of community service and environmental stewardship.”

Amanda Renee Samson

Amanda Renee Samson is the founder and organizer of a popular “Buy Nothing” Facebook group serving Fenelon Falls and surrounding areas. With more than 1,000 members, the group facilitates the giving away of clothing and household items that people no longer need, allowing others to request items they are looking for, all for free.

“By promoting a culture of giving and reuse, the group not only reduces landfill waste but also helps residents save money and participate in a circular economy.

“Amanda’s initiative not only fosters environmental sustainability but also strengthens community bonds by encouraging philanthropy and resource sharing.”

Randy Beacler

“Randy Beacler embodies the spirit of volunteerism and dedication to environmental stewardship through his longstanding commitment to the Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve and beyond. For years, Randy has quietly and tirelessly contributed to the preservation and enhancement of this vital sanctuary in Norland,” Kawartha Lakes said.

His volunteer efforts involve monitoring and understanding local wildlife. He has tracked amphibians, birds, and forest vegetation, “providing invaluable data that informs conservation efforts.” Beyond data collection, Beacler ensures the safety and accessibility of the sanctuary’s trails by clearing debris in spring and maintaining winter access.

As a member of the Kawartha Field Naturalists, he participates in meetings and outings, “enriching discussions with his insights and anecdotes from years spent in the field.

“Randy’s dedication to conservation and environmental education is a testament to his character and values. His selfless contributions to the Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve and the community have earned him the admiration and gratitude of all who share his passion for nature.”

John Kintare

John Kintare, a resident of Bobcaygeon, has been Kawartha Land Trust’s (KLT) executive director since 2019. During this time, KLT has experienced significant growth, expanding its efforts to safeguard natural and working lands across Kawartha Lakes for future generations, the release noted.

He has helped KLT safeguard more than 3,000 extra acres of land. Other key achievements have included purchasing the Christie Bentham Wetland in 2020 and the Hammer Family Nature Preserve in late 2023, which covers 1,400 acres. Several properties totaling 376 acres have been conserved within Kawartha Lakes.

Kintare has led several projects at KLT including working together with private landowners in the Partners in Conservation program to manage landscapes. His work has also focused on protecting working lands such as farms and woodlots, and making sure everyone in the community can easily enjoy natural spaces.

“Beyond his role at KLT, John is a co-founder of a consortium of regional land trusts operating within Williams Treaties First Nations territory, emphasizing meaningful engagement with Indigenous rights holders.”

Environmental student heroes

Frost campus window mitigation initiative

Up to one billion birds die in North America every year because of window collisions. Inspired by the conservation biology program at Fleming College’s Frost campus and motivated by an international effort to save native bird populations throughout North America, the Fleming bird conservation committee set forth to have the Lindsay, Frost campus at Fleming College be designated as Canada’s first bird-friendly college.

“The group has completed two phases of a multi-year collaborative research project to investigate the efficacy of feather-friendly products (decal patterns) on the deterrence of avian window collisions. The project had participation from 93 students, for a total of 443 human hours to get the mitigation decals installed and to complete baseline monitoring.”

“Frost campus has taken a leading role in the community for making positive action to mitigate threats to birds.”

Rebecca Wood for her Seed Library Project

Wood has been active in environmental projects and initiatives in Kawartha Lakes. She spearheaded the Seed Library Project from start to finish, which involved researching ethical methods for native seed collection, ways to ensure continued genetic variance and biodiversity, and seed processing methods. She also designed multiple seed library prototypes using repurposed materials, with plans to open them at various locations.

In addition to her work with the Seed Library Project, Rebecca has a strong background in beekeeping and pollinator education. “She joined the Kawartha Junior BeeKeepers at a young age, and has since represented Canada internationally in beekeeping forums. She founded “Bee-Friend Pollinators” to educate children about pollinators and distributed pollinator seed kits to local schools. She’s also involved in her high school’s Green Advocates Group, supporting various environmental causes like turtle conservation and community clean-up events.

“Rebecca’s activism spans a wide range of environmental efforts, showcasing her dedication to sustainability and community engagement.”

I.E. Weldon Green Advocates Team

The I.E. Weldon Secondary School Green Advocates Team includes a variety of students ranging from grades 9 to 12 who share a passion for environmental change.

The Green Advocates Team meets weekly to address various environmental issues and strategize on ways to make positive change. Throughout the 2023 to 2024 school year, they undertook several impactful projects, including:

Organizing a “change for change” fundraiser, collecting more than $600 to plant trees at I.E. Weldon through the canopy project.

Collaborating with SCAN! on a letter-writing campaign, leading to local government action on environmental policies.

Initiating a recycling program at school, including educational sessions on waste reduction.

“Through their various activities, the Green Advocates Team has discovered that collective action can drive significant change and foster community engagement.”

Kawartha Lakes asks residents to keep an eye out in their communities for environmental heroes. Nominations for 2024 will begin in the spring of 2025.

KLEAC recognizes individuals, businesses and students who have made outstanding contributions towards helping the environment.

For more information about the awards and nomination criteria, see the Environmental Hero Awards section at www.kawarthalakes.ca/environment.

As Canada Day is a federal statutory holiday, all government offices and services are closed. All liquor stores are closed, with a few beer stores open in selected locations. Some grocery stores are open, except in Peterborough where all are closed. Most malls and big box stores are closed, while most drug stores are open. Some tourist attractions and recreational services are open.

For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 303 selected businesses, services, and organizations across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially where you see “call” or “call to confirm” (which means we couldn’t find or confirm holiday hours) or if you are travelling any distance.

If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not have the hours for restaurants in this list as there are far too many to include.

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The owner of a long-vacant downtown Peterborough property says he’s “very interested” in having talks with the City of Peterborough regarding its availability as the location of a 16-court pickleball complex, but the city doesn’t appear to share that interest.

Developer Don MacPherson owns the former Baskin-Robbins property at Simcoe and Aylmer Streets that has been proposed by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce as a viable alternative location for the courts now planned for Bonnerworth Park.

Chamber CEO and president Sarah Budd emailed a 12-page proposal to city council on Thursday (June 27). She noted locating the pickleball courts there would not only give new life to a long-vacant property but also provide the core with a much-need shot in the arm in the form of increased activity and spending at area businesses.

“Sarah gave me a call in regards to a possible proposal and, as I indicated to her at the time, I am receptive to doing anything with the chamber or the city if they have an appetite for that,” MacPherson tells kawarthaNOW. “I’m interested in exploring it further with them. I’m open to further conversation.”

“Personally, I don’t feel Bonnerworth is the right place for it (the 16-court pickleball complex). I do feel there’s a need for pickleball courts in the city. Where is another question for another day.”

MacPherson adds he’s open to selling the property to the city “for the purpose of pickleball courts, and for that purpose, I would sell it well below market value. Market value would be determined by what the city and I think it is.”

But a brief statement from City Hall on the Chamber proposal emailed to kawarthaNOW makes it very clear there’s no willingness to enter into any negotiation with MacPherson for his property as a location of the pickleball courts.

“Purchasing and preparing a former industrial site that’s downtown to be used for pickleball courts would potentially add millions of dollars to the project cost,” it reads. “The project to expand the skateboard park, build a bike pump track and build pickleball courts does not contemplate buying property.”

“The other consideration is the former Baskin-Robbins site is a prime location for redevelopment for residential or potentially a mixed commercial-residential building to add much needed residential units to the community and the downtown.”

Following all this with great interest is Town Ward councillor Joy Lachica.

Lachica first tabled a motion at city council’s April 2nd general committee meeting to delay the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment plan for further consideration and consultation, in response to concerns expressed by neighbouring residents about the impact of noise from the proposed pickleball courts and the loss of greenspace, as well as a lack of consultation on the part of the city.

The motion lost in an 8-3 vote, with only councillors Lachica, Alex Bierk, and Keith Riel voting in favour of delaying the project. The motion was defeated a second time, by the same 8-3 vote, when it came before the regular city council meeting on April 8th — clearing the way for the project to proceed in the hands of city staff with no further council oversight.

Then, at council’s May 13th general committee meeting, Lachica attempted to introduce a new motion that proposed council be granted final approval authority over the redevelopment’s site plan and associated reports. That motion was not tabled for discussion or a vote after councillor and committee chair Andrew Beamer ruled it out of order and six of the 11 committee members supported his ruling.

“I think it’s brilliant that the chamber cares so much to contribute ideas for a solution that will rally the community together in a positive way,” Lachica tells kawarthaNOW, adding “All of this struggle is not about pickleball. It’s about community decision making.”

“We’ve all been looking at that piece of land (MacPherson’s property) for a very long time and thinking ‘What a shame. That could be something really important in the nucleus of our city.’ It (the proposal) is worth a look. Our downtown needs a facelift. We need to look at the missing teeth and this is a missing tooth that needs addressing.”

Lachica points to the possibility of a public-private partnership as being the springboard for a deal that would see the pickleball courts developed on what has been a long-vacant property.

“I think we’re being shortsighted to not consider that (a public-private partnership,” she says. “That land could be purchased. The bill wouldn’t have to be funded by the city entirely. A private partner could participate in the purchase of the land. There are many ways that we could look at this.”

“It’s very important that each of us who have been elected by the community look at options that come forward, whether it’s at the table when a motion comes forward or afterwards. We need to be open to changing our minds. It happens all the time and I think this is one of those moments.”

Asked if she would be willing to put forward a motion calling for the city to explore an arrangement with MacPherson regarding the property, Lachica says “certain limitations to a councillor bringing something forward” would make doing so difficult, if not impossible.

“For a motion to reconsider, you need a two-thirds majority, so there are some obvious issues around bringing a motion forward. It would need to be someone (a councillor) from the prevailing side bringing forth a motion to reconsider. Then we need to be all in and all together on a decision moving forward.”

Meanwhile, MacPherson’s offer stands — no doubt music to the ears of Save Bonnerworth Park, a large and well-organized group of residents that has actively protested the paving over of the greenspace for the development of pickleball courts, an expanded skate park and a bike pump track.

Saying he’s “very familiar with any kind of development,” MacPherson notes “You have to have different studies done for anything that you’re proposing.”

Referencing the Bonnerworth Park site, he says “I’m not aware of any noise studies that the city has done. I’m not aware of any traffic studies having been done. There seem to be some pieces of the puzzle that are missing.”

“As we all know, the Bonnerworth site is all green grass, which means it would have to undergo a significant stormwater study,” MacPherson explains. “My opinion is (the city) would incur significant stormwater retention facility costs because it’s all greenbelt now and what they’re proposing would be all pavement.”

“So you’ve got one of two avenues. You either put a pond on the property to control the water going in and going out, or you put in a storm chamber underground to control the water. It’s a huge cost.”

As for the potential noise levels produced by pickleball being played on multiple courts, MacPherson says that wouldn’t be nearly the same concern downtown as it would be in the Bonnerworth Park area, which is close to residential properties.

“I’m open to sitting down with (the city) at any time; all they have to do is give me a phone call,” MacPherson says.

“I’ve got the studies done (for the former Baskin-Robbins site) and I’ve got the stormwater management done. I’m sure, because they would be paving over the site, that would have some benefit. I’m more than glad to provide that information to the city and I’m more than glad to have Engage Engineering pursue it further if need be.”

MacPherson’s property has sat vacant since the former Baskin-Robbins’ plant was demolished in 2020, with the property rezoned from industrial to commercial-residential in 2023 after several years of delays.

“I would like to see something happen (with the property),” MacPherson says. “That’s why I’m all for it. And below market value to help things. We’ll see what the city does.”

PDF: Chamber Pickleball Proposal
Chamber Pickleball Proposal

While the wait list for access to children’s treatment services has decreased, the number of kids who need support from Five Counties Children’s Centre is on the rise, according to a report from the charitable organization.

The children’s treatment centre, which serves kids and youth in Peterborough, Haliburton, and Northumberland counties and in the City of Kawartha Lakes, has released its annual report for 2023/2024.

In 2023/24, Five Counties saw its wait list for services drop year-over-year by 11.1 per cent to 2,309 kids/youth — the lowest level since the pandemic.

The annual report was released at Five Counties’ 49th annual meeting held on June 25 in Peterborough.

“There were many pleasant surprises in 2023/24, including seeing our wait list for treatment services go down and getting more support from our donors and supporters as well as an increase in provincial government funding,” Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties Children’s Centre, told kawarthaNOW.

“Going forward, I think the greater support we’ve received will allow Five Counties to invest in more staff and services. This, in turn, will help us to further reduce wait times in the coming year — ensuring kids get the care they need when they need it.”

The CEO said the drop in wait times is a credit to staff, who support children in many different ways and places and through various means. Even as the centre served a near-record number of clients last year — just more than 6,100 kids — and provided almost 53,100 visits for families, Five Counties was also the first children’s treatment centre in Ontario to switch to a new client information system.

“Being first to switch meant there was a steep learning curve, so I’m extremely grateful to our employees for their work and dedication throughout the transition,” Pepin said in a media release.

In 2023/24, Five Counties also introduced new initiatives aimed at improving access to care for kids and families. For example, Five Counties implemented tiered intervention for students receiving occupational therapy in schools. The goal is to shift more school-based and in-centre services to this model, allowing for more kids to be seen with better outcomes, the centre noted.

Also in 2023, the centre launched the “SmartStart Hub,” which is designed to make it easier for families with concerns about their child’s development to get help. Using an online request form, families are matched up to the right services their child needs at Five Counties or another community agency.

The past year also yielded record results when it came to investments.

The Ontario government announced in 2023 a historic investment in pediatric services that included a $2.025 million annual funding increase for Five Counties. The money was used to invest in staff and services, helping to reduce wait times for kids and families, the centre noted.

When it came to fundraising, Five Counties raised a record total of $1.216 million – the most in its history – that goes directly to support kids’ treatment services. “Fundraising efforts in 2023/24 were punctuated by a $250,000 donation from a retired Peterborough-area couple, Dr. James and Sheila Ryan,” Five Counties said.

“At a time when demand for services and programs is on the rise, we’re extremely grateful for the record-setting support that helps Five Counties fill the gaps that can’t always be covered by government funding,” noted Lyn Giles, the centre’s director of fund development.

At the end of 2023, fundraising efforts for the Northumberland Backyard Project in Cobourg also successfully wound down. In 2024, this means that work is now underway to transform the backyard space at the Northumberland site into a safe, fully-accessible outdoor area that provides more space and options for treatment, recreation, cultural awareness, and outdoor education activities.

Five Counties highlighted these other findings in the annual report:

• Of the approximately 6,100 kids/clients served by Five Counties last year, almost half were seen in Peterborough, 26 per cent were seen in Northumberland, 22 per cent were seen in the City of Kawartha Lakes, and four per cent were seen in Haliburton County.
• Two-thirds of all kids supported by Five Counties were ages five to 12 years, with 22 per cent being age four and younger. The remaining 12 per cent of clients were between the ages of 13 and 21.
• For the third straight year, referrals to Five Counties topped the 3,000 mark — in this case, being 3,067 kids/youth referred in 2023/24.
• Just more than 3,900 students received treatment services in local schools, the vast majority being for either occupational therapy or speech therapy.
• One-third of kids/clients seen at Five Counties received two or more services.

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides therapy services that assist children who are delayed in their development to build the skills they need in everyday life such as walking, talking, and activities of daily living. For more information, visit www.fivecounties.on.ca.

Three Kawarthas residents have been appointed to the Order of Canada by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon.

Rosemary Burns Ganley and William Anthony Fox of Peterborough and Mark Joseph Cameron of Hastings are among 64 Canadians to be appointed as members of the Order of Canada, along with 16 officers, two honorary officers, and one companion.

“The Order of Canada recognizes individuals who have made positive and lasting impacts on communities here in Canada or who have brought honour to our country abroad,” said Governor General Mary Simon when announcing the appointments on Thursday (June 27). “Congratulations to the new appointees and thank you to the nominators who cast a spotlight on their achievement, purpose, and exceptional talent.”

Born and raised in Kirkland Lake, Rosemary Ganley is a lifelong feminist teacher, activist, and writer. She lived for six years in Jamaica and Tanzania, with the Canadian International Development Agency and, with her husband John, founded the development agency Jamaican Self Help in 1980.

She was co-editor of the independent newspaper Catholic New Times in Toronto from 2001 to 2006 and is a longtime columnist for the Peterborough Examiner. She has also been published in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and more.

Ganley was inducated into the Pathway of Fame in 2011, along with her husband (who passed away in 2013). In 2018, she received both the YMCA Peace Medal and a Peterborough-Kawartha Women’s Leadership Award, and was also invited by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit on the Gender Equality Advisory Council for the G7 meetings in Quebec,

She gave the Margaret Laurence Lecture at Trent University on feminist theologies in 2011 and, in June 2022, was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from the university.

A research fellow and adjunct professor at Trent University, William Fox is one of Canada’s foremost authorities on archaeology. The long-standing leader of the Ontario Archaeological Society has devoted his career to advancing knowledge of Canada’s archaeological past, and the society awarded him its J. Norman Emerson Silver Medal in 2010.

Now retired from public service, Fox worked for more than 20 years as a manager of government programs, beginning in 1986 with the Ontario Ministry of Culture, then in the 1990s with Parks Canada, first in Winnipeg, then Inuvik, then Ucluelet, and then in Peterborough. Most of his most important research contributions to Ontario archaeology was in a non-professional capacity, funding his own research out of his own pocket.

Fox was among the first archaeologists to advocate the participation of Indigenous communities in preserving their material heritage, thus broadening the understanding of Canadian history.

A former paramedic, Hastings resident Mark Cameron cofounded the Canadian International Medical Relief Organization (CIMRO) in 2011 with Syrian physician Khaled Almilaji and Toronto pediatrician Jay Dahman.

An internationally recognized non-governmental organization, CIMRO provides medical education and relief in disaster zones — including the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria in February 2023.

Before cofounding CIMRO, Cameron spent more than three decades working as a paramedic with Peterborough Emergency Medical Services and in his hometown of Hastings as well as Hastings County. He is associate director of the Sunnybrook Advanced Life Support and Trauma Education program, which specializes in courses for cardiac, pediatric, and trauma life support.

In 2014, Cameron received the Governor General of Canada’s Medal of Bravery for direct line-of-duty action and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2017 for his work in Syria. A 1989 graduate of Humber College’s Primary Care Paramedic program, he also received a 2022 Premier’s Award.

Established in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest honours. It recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to Canada. Appointments are made by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada who review nominations.

There are three levels of the Order of Canada, with “member” recognizing distinguished service in or to a particular community, group, or field of activity, “officer” recognizing achievement and merit of a high degree, especially service to Canada or to humanity at large, and “companion” — the highest level — recognizing outstanding achievement and merit of the highest degree, especially in service to Canada or to humanity at large.

Along with the other appointees, Ganley, Fox, and Cameron will be invited to an investiture ceremony at a yet-to-be-announced date to receive their insignia.

Peterborough’s business community has stepped up with a proposal that could potentially address the controversy surrounding the City of Peterborough’s plan to locate 16 pickleball courts in Bonnerworth Park.

Sarah Budd, president and CEO of the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, emailed a proposal to city council on Thursday (June 27) that suggests the pickleball courts could be located at the site of the former Baskin-Robbins plant on Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough.

The proposed site, located at the northwest corner of Aylmer and Simcoe streets, is owned by developer Don MacPherson and currently sits vacant.

kawarthaNOW reached out to MacPherson for comment on the proposal but he was unavailable.

In her 12-page proposal, which she supplied to kawarthaNOW, Budd notes the “property is available,” offering enough space for 16 pickleball courts, parking, and greenspace.

Describing the proposal as a win-win-win-win, she listed the following points in favour of the location:

• A much-needed investment in our downtown. Improving the core is pivotal to any successful economic development strategy.
• Pickleball players will get their 16 courts and there will be the potential to dome it over the winter months for year-round play.
• Our downtown businesses need help bringing more people downtown. Tourists and pickleball players will be welcome by neighbouring businesses.
• This would be an extension of the Simcoe and Bethune park that has basketball courts and a small park. There would be room to add a much-needed washrooms and a clubhouse as well.

Further, the proposal suggests “if the entire property was redeveloped with private-public partnerships, an apartment building, like the one at 681 Monaghan (Road), could be built on the rest of the property, potentially with new retail space on the main floor.”

Budd elaborated on the proposal, telling kawarthaNOW, “We are looking outside the box with this proposal.”

“Often, governments spend on individual projects with specific objectives for just that project,” she said. “We want to think bigger. How many boxes can we check with one project that help meet our wider objectives as a community?”

“In this instance, we have the recreational goals of the pickleball courts, but let’s use that spending to also help revitalize our downtown, enhance underutilized properties, provide economic opportunities for local businesses, and create recreational opportunities where they are lacking.”

The proposed site was home to Baskin-Robbins’ plant until it closed in October 2012, with the building demolished in 2020. MacPherson planned to build three apartment buildings with ground-floor commercial space and sought rezoning approval. He applied to the city in 2019 but never heard back.

Although MacPherson decided he wasn’t interested in building apartments when the Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site was created across the street at 220 Simcoe, he still wanted the site rezoned from industrial to commercial-residential to accommodate any future plans.

The property was rezoned in summer 2023 after MacPherson Realty and Monkman Realty went to the Ontario Land Tribunal when the city wouldn’t issue a decision. The hold-up was apparently due to Otonabee Conservation’s work on floodplain planning. It eventually concluded the site could be safely developed without causing flooding.

PDF: Chamber Pickleball Proposal
Chamber Pickleball Proposal

City councillor Alex Bierk, a vocal opponent of the plan to see 16 pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, and a bike pump track developed at Bonnerworth Park, told kawarthaNOW the proposal “looks amazing.”

“My concern is that the proposal is exactly what Councillor (Joy) Lachica wanted to do with her motion — have staff go back to the drawing board and look at alternate locations that were viable,” Bierk said. “That motion was lost. To me, it feels like we’ve already tried to have that conversation, even very mildly, at council without any progress on evaluating other sites.”

That said, Bierk says the proposed location “seems like a great spot,” particularly in terms of its proximity to the basketball courts.

Councillor Lachica first tabled a motion at city council’s April 2nd general committee meeting to delay the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment plan for further consideration and consultation, in response to concerns expressed by neighbouring residents about the impact of noise from the proposed pickleball courts and the loss of greenspace, as well as a lack of consultation on the part of the city.

The motion lost in an 8-3 vote, with only councillors Lachica, Bierk, and Keith Riel voting in favour of delaying the project. The motion was defeated a second time, by the same 8-3 vote, when it came before the regular city council meeting on April 8th — clearing the way for the project to proceed in the hands of city staff with no further council oversight.

Then, at council’s May 13th general committee meeting, Lachica attempted to introduce a new motion that proposed council be granted final approval authority over the redevelopment’s site plan and associated reports. That motion was not tabled for discussion or a vote after councillor and committee chair Andrew Beamer ruled it out of order and six of the 11 committee members supported his ruling.

kawarthaNOW reached out to councillor Lachica for comment on the Chamber’s proposal, but she couldn’t be reached.

Watch kawarthaNOW for updates to this developing story.