Haliburton County residents and others can help address homelessness and the county’s pressing affordable housing situation by attending an upcoming benefit concert in Haliburton.

Charlie Angus and The Grievous Angels will be performing a fundraising concert for Haliburton County’s Places for People at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 31 at Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve Logging Museum, which is located at 1095 Redkenn Rd. in Haliburton.

Band frontman Angus is described as an outspoken advocate for affordable housing — especially in rural communities like Haliburton — and he’s also the NDP MP for Timmins-James Bay, who is leaving politics to focus on his music.

Meanwhile, Places for People creates and manages quality affordable rental housing in Haliburton County, aiming “to foster an environment” in which its tenants can thrive.

By bringing the alt-folk country band and its housing advocate frontman to Haliburton, organizers are striving to raise money for Places for People and highlight the work the group does locally to provide homes for those in need, Sean Pennylegion, event organizer, told kawarthaNOW.

“The best things that could happen as a result of this gig is that more people will become aware of the work of Places for People,” Pennylegion said. “Two, we will raise some much-needed funding for them and, three, everyone will have a terrific, end-of-summer, night out with outstanding entertainment in a very funky venue.”

“We’re also looking forward to a really spirited, enjoyable concert by a very, very good band.”

Also on the agenda for the night is a toonie auction, with various items up for grabs including a Haliburton Forest gift certificate, tickets for a “Telling our Stories Speaker Series” event, and tickets for a Haliburton County Folk Society concert.

Pennylegion hopes people consider attending the concert and supporting Places for People, which is “doing all they can to address the needs of those in our community who are at risk of homelessness.” Money raised will help fund the organization’s continued efforts.

Places for People provides affordable housing in Haliburton County through 20 residential units and has provided homes for more than 100 people in the community since 2010, a media release noted.

In 2023, through a community bond raise, the community invested $850,000, which allowed Places for People to consolidate mortgages and obtain two new dwellings with 13 units. The group’s goal is to build new affordable units to address the ongoing need in the county.

Tenants in Haliburton County spend nearly 50 per cent of their income on housing, a recent study found.

“People working full time earning minimum wage can barely survive in this community and finding affordable housing is the main reason,” the release noted. “This impacts everyone from employers to tourists and local residents.”

The upcoming event is presented by the Haliburton County Community Co-operative’s “Telling our Stories Speaker Series” and the Haliburton County Folk Society.

Tickets for the August 31 benefit concert are $40 and are available online at haliburtonfolk.com.

Organizers are also asking community members to consider making a donation to Places for People by emailing info@placesforpeople.ca or by visiting the group’s website at placesforpeople.ca.

The new draft master plan and technical studies for Peterborough’s $4.4 million Bonnerworth Park redevelopment were presented to members of the city’s arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee and accessibility advisory committee during a virtual joint meeting on Tuesday evening (August 13), including a noise study stating there would be “no significant increase” in noise from the 14 pickleball courts planned for the park with noise mitigation measures in place.

Paul Gardner, partner with Landscape Planning Landscape Architects, along with two staff (Julia Steele and Melissa Nelson) led the presentation for committee members before opening up the discussion for questions.

The meeting was also attended by city staff and — with geotechnical, noise impact, traffic impact, and archaeological assessment technical studies now completed — the two consultants retained by Landscape Planning to complete the noise and traffic studies: Trevor Copeland of Cambium Inc. and Swan Im of Tranplan Associates.

Gardner walked committee members through the process to date including public consultation, the draft master plan, the studies that have informed the design, and accessibility items.

Garner presented the main features of the draft master plan, including:

• a 14-court pickleball facility, which will be lit and include 12 standard and two accessible pickleball courts
• a lit 940-square-metre skatepark expansion
• the existing washroom building
• a paved four-stall lit staff maintenance parking lot (with two accessible stalls)
• a paved 40-stall lit primary parking lot (with four accessible stalls)
• connected lit three-metre wide asphalt walkways
• a 32-by-53-metre open lawn area
• landscaped berms that are around two metres in height
• site furnishings including accessible gathering tables, benches with pad extensions, bike rings, and litter receptacles.

With respect to the skatepark expansion, which he described as a “collaborative” effort with the Peterborough Skatepark Coalition and sub-consultants Canadian Ramp Company, Gardner said the design is “still a work in progress” and will be finalized in the next two to four weeks.

“What it does, it adds elements that currently don’t exist in the existing skate park — more of a street-style facility,” Gardner said. “It’s quite exciting.”

Gardner noted that the shade structure shown on the plan between the open lawn area and the pump track is a “provisional item,” meaning that it may go in the park if funds are available.

Julia Steele of Landscape Planning Landscape Architects shared the results of the traffic and parking technical study completed by Tranplan Associates, which projected 35 vehicular trips to the pickleball courts mid-day on weekends if all 14 pickleball courts were occupied by 56 players. The study also recommend 73 parking stalls would be required for league play at the courts, with 60 stalls required for non-league play.

Gardner noted that, while the master plan only includes 40 stalls on site, the intention would be to use 30 existing parking spaces at Hunt Terraces to complete the parking requirements for the park redevelopment.

Gardner also outlined the findings of the noise impact study completed by Cambium Inc., which in part compared existing noise levels at six receptor locations around the park (including residential areas) to projected noise levels that were determined using predictive software.

The noise impact study found that, without mitigation measures, the decibel levels at the six receptor locations would increase significantly. The proposed mitigation measures include an 3.6-metre high structurally engineered fence on three sides of the pickleball courts with acoustic noise attenuation panels, maximized setbacks to adjacent residential areas, landscaped berms with tree plantings at various heights, and buffer plantings.

Gardner noted that, to address the noise issue, the location of the pickleball courts is more in the centre of the park than in the original design.

“There is no receptor that is predicted to experience an increase in noise level greater than (five decibels),” states the Cambium report. “This would mean no significant increase (in noise) is expected.”

The setbacks from residential areas include 88 metres (288 feet) from Hunt Terraces, 77 metres (253 feet) from residential property on Bonaccord Street, 58 metres (190 feet) from Marycrest At Inglewood Seniors Housing on Monaghan Road, and 79 metres (255 feet) from residential property on McDonnel Street.

“Our predictions show that the proposed design, with mitigation, will not create a significant increase in sounds levels when compared to the existing park,” the Cambium report states.

Gardner pointed out that Cambium study did not factor in the additional noise attenuation that would be created by the landscaped berms and buffer plantings.

Gardner also outlined the accessibility features of the plan, which include two accessible pickleball courts, six accessible parking stalls (including two Type A and four Type B stalls), curb depressions with tactile warning surface indicators, benches with 1.5-metre concrete pad extensions, high colour contrast paving, a linear walkway network with no slopes larger than four per cent, and a barrier-free connection to the existing washroom building, municipal sidewalks, and transit stops.

After the presentation, Gardner opened up the meeting for questions from committee members.

Bruce Bozec, a member of the arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee who is a former president of the Peterborough Pickleball Association, asked why the number of pickleball courts was reduced from 16 to 14.

“The number of pickleball courts were reduced to 14 to allow for a more efficient configuration and to maximize the setbacks from the Marycrest Seniors Housing, from Hunt Terraces, and from the residence on the north and south of the park,” Gardner said.

After Bozec also asked why the accessible pickleball courts aren’t located closer to the Bonnacord Street parking lot, Gardner said that change would be “very easy for us to do.”

Bozec then asked how the number of pickleball courts could be reduced to 14 without city council approval.

Councillor Kevin Duguay, a member of the accessibility advisory committee, noted that council approved “up to 16” courts.

“We rely upon our consultants to arrive at an appropriate design and an overall balance,” Duguay said.

Bozec said that “the pickleball people” he has spoken to would like to see the number of pickleball courts increased to 15 by eliminating one of the accessible courts.

After it was pointed out that it would be possible to use the accessible courts as regular courts, the city’s community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman said that the design accommodates the “competing interests” for the park.

“Unfortunately, one of the things that was felt was reducing to 14 pickleball courts was a necessary element of that, within the confines of the approval from council to approve up to 16,” Laidman said.

“Trying to accommodate all the competing interests on the park — parking, the noise implications, the amount of green space, all those competing interests — it was felt that 14 was an appropriate compromise to still have a viable amount of pickleball courts for the pickleball community while trying to address all the balance of the other issues.”

Referring to Bozec’s earlier comment about the location of the two accessible pickleball courts, councillor Lesley Parnell, a member of the city’s arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee, asked members of the accessibility advisory committee whether it was more important to have the two courts closer to the parking lot or closer to the accessible washrooms.

After accessibility advisory committee vice-chair Phil Mechetuk said he believed it was more important to have them closer to the accessible washrooms, chair Sioux Dixon pointed out that the committee has not had the time to consider all the “nuances” of the master plan when it comes to accessibility. However, she noted that she visited the existing accessible washrooms at the park.

“In my opinion as an accessibility advocate, these washrooms are not sufficient for this park,” Dixon said. “They should be more centralized.”

She also said she has “a whole bunch of other questions, because I was not aware it was an accessible slash tournament court. It kind of makes me wonder why we’re calling it an accessible court, if that is not the priority for that court. I’m having a lot of challenge(s) to sort out the information.”

Dixon suggested that a separate discussion be held with members of the accessibility advisory committee to discuss accessibility issues, “so we can talk about the practicality and the necessity of accessibility, and why it is important that disabled people are included, beyond just having a court, sort of, some of the time, maybe.”

Councillor Duguay noted that the accessibility of the current washrooms at Bonnerworth Park is an “existing condition” that should be reviewed by the accessibility advisory committee.

After some additional questions and comments about accessibility, Jef Dueck of the arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee referred to Dixon’s desire to have an additional discussion at the accessibility advisory committee and asked whether a vote on the plan should be deferred.

In response, Laidman said there was no need for either committee to vote or provide a recommendation, as city council has already approved the redevelopment plan and the purpose of the meeting was only to seek feedback from the committees.

“The information that’s on Peterborough Connect or has been provided to the committee tonight, that will be open for the remainder of the week to receive additional comments from the committees,” Laidman explained. “Staff will be receiving that input and then moving to incorporating those comments into the final plan and the tendering and the construction of the project as we go forward.”

The four technical studies, including the noise study, are available for download online at connectptbo.ca/Bonnerworth-Park, where members of the public can also make comments on the draft plan until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 16th.

The public can also email bonnerworthproject@peterborough.ca or call 705-742-0050 ext. 2226 to provide feedback on the plan.

Rebound Child & Youth Services Northumberland is getting the wheels spinning for an upcoming cycling event that supports mental health wellness for Northumberland County kids, youth, and their families.

The fourth annual Ride for Rebound, a major fundraising event in partnership with Play It Again Sports Cobourg, takes place on Saturday, September 21.

For the fourth consecutive year, Cobourg Police Service Chief Paul VandeGraaf will be riding the 80-kilometre route. Community cyclists are joining him for rides ranging from 10 to 80 kilometres in length that wind through the hilly landscapes of Northumberland County.

The 10-kilometre route departs from Port Hope, the 25-kilometre route from Cobourg, the 45-kilometre route from Baltimore, and the 80-kilometre route from Brighton.

“Every kilometre we ride is a step towards a brighter future for our children and youth,” VandeGraaf said in a media release. “Mental health resources are critical, and through this event, we aim to bring attention and funding to the essential services provided by Rebound.”

Rebound said this year’s ride “promises to be an exciting day for cyclists of all levels and a crucial initiative to support the mental wellness of children, youth, and families in Northumberland County.

“This event is more than just a ride; it’s a community rallying for accessible and effective mental health support for young people.”

Rebound and the Cobourg Police Service have the common goal of fostering mental and emotional well-being for youth living in Northumberland.

The partnership “underscores the importance of early intervention and the lasting positive impact it can have,” Rebound noted.

Rebound is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing mental health support, literacy and learning programs, pro-social skills building, parenting and family support, and youth justice diversion. The organization has been serving children and families in Northumberland County since 1997. Its services are designed with the intentions of nurturing growth and helping young people reach their full potential, the release noted.

“Investing in our youth’s mental health is investing in our community’s future,” said Carol Beauchamp, Rebound’s interim executive director. “Each ride participant and supporter is making a significant difference in the lives of young people across Northumberland.”

Event organizers encourage cyclists to join the ride by choosing a route that matches their ability and to commit to a fundraising goal. This year’s fundraising target is $25,000, with all proceeds directed towards enhancing Rebound’s counselling programs, which is a cornerstone of its mental health services.

Rebound invites local businesses and corporations to consider supporting the event by providing sponsorship.

For more details about sponsorship opportunities or to register as a participant, visit rcys.ca/ride2024.

According to the Ontario government, approximately one in five children and youth in the province has a mental health challenge. About 70 per cent of mental health challenges have their onset in childhood or youth.

Early identification and intervention “is so critical and can lead to improved achievement in school and better health outcomes in life,” the province noted. “Many children and youth will exhibit different moods, thoughts and behaviours at various times that can be part of normal childhood development.”

Some examples include:

• Getting significantly lower marks in school
• Avoiding friends and family
• Having frequent outbursts of anger
• Experiencing changes to sleeping or eating habits
• Drinking a lot and/or using drugs
• Not doing the things he or she used to enjoy
• Worrying constantly
• Experiencing frequent mood swings
• Not being concerned with his or her appearance
• Being obsessed with his or her weight
• Lacking energy or motivation
• Feeling very down

These characteristics and behaviours may be signs of an underlying mental health concern or disorder if they are intense, persist over long periods of time, are inappropriate for the child’s age, or interfere with the child’s life.

The province encourages parents and caregivers to contact a mental health agency to get help for a child or youth with behavioural, emotional, or mental health and addiction issues.

In 2023, Rebound Child & Youth Services supported over 1,500 clients throughout Northumberland County, including children and youth ranging in age from 7 to 18. The organization offers mental health and parenting support services at no cost to children, youth, and families in the county.

For more information about Rebound and its services, visit the website at rcys.ca.

After a decade of pounding the pavement along the Trent Severn and Rideau canals on a mission to raise awareness and funds for mental health, Clay Williams feels he has made some significant strides on his trek from Port Severn, Ontario to Parliament Hill.

More people are speaking candidly about their mental health these days, which is something Williams considers a win in an area of health care in which he’s had an abundance of personal experience. The 64-year-old runner started his Canal Pursuit for Mental Health in 2015 in honour of his wife, his daughter, and his sister, who all suffer from mood disorders, and in memory of his two older brothers who took their own lives.

From August 17 to 24, Williams will once again be running 700 kilometres along the Trent Severn and Rideau canals, passing by each of the 88 locks on the way and ending in Ottawa, as part of his quest to raise funds and awareness of depression, end the stigma of mental illness, and to encourage people to reach out for help.

This will be his 10th annual Canal Pursuit for Mental Health, which supports the Mood Disorders Society of Canada’s “Defeat Depression” campaign. The eight-day relay run will be broken into 10-kilometre segments.

Just like in his inaugural year, Williams will be running the full distance, accompanied by pace runners, running an average of 80 kilometres per day, allowing him time to talk with people along the way to keep the conversation ongoing about mental illness and health.

He’ll pass through Peterborough on Tuesday, August 20, where he is expected to be greeted in the morning by Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri at the Peterborough Lift Lock.

Of the meaningful moments during the runs of the past decade, Williams said the discussions he’s had along the way rank highly when he considers the successes and impact of his venture.

“We’re bringing attention to the need for a good mental health care system in Canada,” Williams told kawarthaNOW.

“It used to be a little simpler. When I first started out nine years ago it was a mental health fundraiser. But I think I’ve learned a fair amount over the past few years about where we are. I think there is a lot less stigma now (about mental health) than there was 10 years ago.”

“People are more openly talking about mental health care and some of the difficulties in getting the care that they need — not just the care that they need, but in some cases the meds that they need,” Williams added. “So it’s still an awareness campaign for mental health, and a big goal is just to have a lot of conversations and to make people a little less uncomfortable talking about mental health.”

Williams carries with him a pocketful of postcards on which the route of the run is printed, along with information about him and links to the fundraising campaign. He hands them out as he goes.

“The conversations in the past that have resulted from that have been both discouraging and encouraging. It’s kind of affirmation that I’m doing something good and doing something that’s right, and hopefully something that’s helping people.”

Meanwhile, Williams is also one of the co-founders for Peterborough’s Monarch Ultra Relay Run to raise awareness about the plight of the threatened monarch butterfly.

Peterborough’s Carlotta James, who is also a co-founder of the Monarch Ultra and a marathon runner, will be joining Williams on the run when it comes through Peterborough.

She will be starting the run at the Lift Lock at around 8 a.m. on August 20.

Looking back, Williams earlier told kawarthaNOW the 2015 inaugural run was supposed to be a one-off “but as I learned a more about Canada’s mental health care system, both the gaps and the efficiencies, I stuck with (raising funds and awareness) for mental health.”

This year is the final event in which Williams will run the full distance and that the pursuit will be in its current format.

This year and during the first two years, he had pace runners with him. The following years were completed as relay runs.

Williams is hoping future canal pursuit endeavours will have several events on the same day in several locations along the canals, championed by runners he has come to know over the years.

He plans to continue to run the last jaunt with the Canadian flag up to Parliament Hill in the years to come.

For details about the run, including to register or donate, visit mdsc.akaraisin.com/ui/dd2024/g/42046.

The Lindsay branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library at 190 Kent Street West will be closed for two weeks at the beginning of September for renovations, with reduced hours the previous week to prepare for the renovations and limited access to some areas of the branch until the end of September when renovations are fully completed.

The renovations involve installing new carpeting in the circulations and programs departments, along with replacing some shelving and adding new furniture in the programs department.

For the week prior to the closure (August 26 to 30), the Lindsay branch will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. (instead of 8 p.m.). The reduced hours are required as the installation of new carpeting means all furniture, books, and shelves need to be removed, and staff will be packing up books prior to the renovations.

The Lindsay branch will then be closed to the public from Saturday, August 31st through Saturday, September 14th for the renovations.

During this period, the outside book return will also be closed. All books signed out from the Lindsay branch will have an extended due date until September 20. Although you can return items to one of the other 13 branches if you wish, the library encourages patrons to keep their books until the Lindsay branch reopens. The library does not charge overdue fines. Holds on books after August 28 will be honoured when the branch reopens.

During the closure, wi-fi will continue to be accessible outside the Lindsay branch.

When the Lindsay branch reopens on Monday, September 16th, the adult collection and reference department, including public computers, will be available. However, access to the children’s collection and library programs will be limited until the end of September, when renovations to the programs department are fully completed.

“The programs department will also look a bit different upon your return,” reads a media release from the library.

“This will be a better layout that will allow for more space for programs, without sacrificing any of the collection. We also hope the new layout will better showcase the architectural details of this heritage building.”

September transit passes will be available at the Lindsay branch until the end of the day on Friday, August 30th. Until the branch reopens, transit passes can be purchased at City Hall (26 Francis Street, Lindsay) beginning Tuesday, September 3rd (City Hall is closed on Labour Day Monday) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

All other branches of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library will be open during their regular hours while the Lindsay branch is closed.

For more information about the Kawartha Lakes Public Library, including branch locations and hours, the digital library, and contact information, visit www.kawarthalakeslibrary.ca.

Three men, including a teenager, are facing multiple drugs and weapons charges after Peterborough police executed a search warrant on Friday (August 9).

None of the men are residents of Peterborough.

On Friday, officers with the drug unit and the emergency response team executed a search warrant at a home in the McDonnel Street and Rubidge Street area. During the search, officers seized two loaded handguns, 177 grams of fentanyl, 55 grams of cocaine, 122 Dilaudid pills (hydromorphone), and over $3,000 in Canadian currency.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested a 23-year-old Pickering man, a 27-year-old Chatham-Kent man, and a 17-year-old Brampton man.

Each of the accused men was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking of a Schedule I substance – opioid (fentanyl), possession for the purpose of trafficking of a Schedule I substance – opioid (dilaudid), possession for the purpose of trafficking of of a Schedule I substance – cocaine, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition.

All three men were held in custody and appeared in court on Saturday.

Kirk Robertson has been sworn in as the new chief of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service, officially taking over the reins from former chief Mark Mitchell, who has retired after a 38-year career in law enforcement including six years as chief.

The police service and the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Services Board hosted a change of command and swearing-in ceremony at Victoria Park Armoury in Lindsay on Friday (August 9).

In April, the police services board announced that Robertson — a Lindsay native who has been a member of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service for 22 years and has a total of 27 years of policing service — had been selected as the next chief of police after a nationwide search.

Robertson served in uniform patrol, criminal investigations, and the institutional investigation unit, and was promoted to the rank of inspector in 2019. He began in his new role as chief on May 18.

Friday’s event was also an opportunity to recognize former chief Mark Mitchell, who began his law enforcement career in Pickering before joining the Lindsay police service in 1990. He was named chief in 2018 after serving 10 years as an inspector with the service.

“We are gathered together today to witness a change in command that is filled with excitement and anticipation as well as a touch of sadness,” said Kawartha Lakes mayor Doug Elmslie at Friday’s event.

“Today we send our heartfelt thanks to Chief Mark Mitchell. He has served our city well, with courage, integrity, and a sincere devotion to our residents’ safety and well-being. Our communities have benefited greatly from his support and leadership and while we will miss his steady presence, we wish him well in his retirement.”

Elmslie also welcomed the new chief, who he said “is assuming a role that is both challenging and rewarding.”

“It is an honour to see him take the helm and carry on the duties so well-attended to by Chief Mitchell,” Elmslie said. “I have every confidence that Kirk will succeed and continue to make our police services and the city proud.”