With a downtown described as “the beating heart of one of Ontario’s best-preserved and most complete 19th century commercial streetscapes,” the Municipality of Port Hope is promoting its shop-local campaign that’s underway now through to the end of September.

Port Hope is encouraging residents and visitors to support merchants in the core of the west Northumberland town as major reconstruction continues on Walton Street.

In collaboration with local community partners, the “Be Walton” campaign aims to enhance the downtown experience with an ongoing series of free local arts, music, and cultural events in the core, aimed at making the downtown a bustling driver of the local economy.

“The Be Walton campaign is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and support our local businesses during this transformative time,” said Municipality of Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky in a media release.

“By participating in the events and activities, and prioritizing our local merchants and services, we can all play a part in preserving the unique charm and vitality of our downtown area. Let’s show our love for Port Hope by shopping local, enjoying our vibrant arts scene, and making lasting memories in the heart of our community.”

The shop local initiative is a key component of a comprehensive business and community continuity program, the municipality noted.

“The Be Walton’ slogan is a rallying cry for residents to tap into their deep-rooted community spirit and support the businesses affected by the Walton Street reconstruction. It encourages Port Hope residents to embrace their local identity by shopping, dining, exploring, and utilizing the services in the downtown area. To Be Walton means immersing yourself in the local culture with all that makes our downtown vibrant and unique.”

The campaign includes the following:

A community arts activation hub

Art activities for all ages, curated by Critical Mass Art, are being held on Lent Lane every Saturday.

Light displays and public art

Residents and visitors can take in light displays and public art installations in and around the alleys, sidewalks, and the construction fencing on and off Walton Street.

Official Road To Cultivate after-parties

Community members and seasonal guests can head to local pubs and restaurants in the downtown core every Thursday evening in July and August for official after-parties for the Road to Cultivate concert series, featuring local artists straight from the bandshell in Memorial Park.

Capitol Theatre shop, dine, and show package

Port Hope’s non-profit Capitol Theatre is offering a “shop, dine, and show” package. The all-inclusive offer includes one ticket to a Capitol Theatre summer production, plus shop and dine vouchers redeemable at participating downtown restaurants and retail shops.

The package is being offered in partnership with the Port Hope Heritage Business Improvement Area (HBIA), the Municipality of Port Hope, and the Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce.

“We are proud to be a community hub for Port Hope — a home for hundreds of artists, and thousands of visitors throughout the year,” said Capitol Theatre managing director Erin Peirce in a media release.

“With Walton Street under major construction, it’s the perfect time for us to partner with our incredible local business community to keep our vibrant stages, shops, hotels, and restaurants thriving not only this summer, but for years to come.”

The package includes a $20 voucher for any one of the participating retail shops in downtown Port Hope, a $25 voucher for any one of the downtown participating restaurants, and one performance ticket to a Capitol Theatre summer season stage or music production. The package, which is valued at $93, costs $70 — a 25 per cent discount.

Meanwhile, Port Hope will also host scavenger hunts, window display contests, buskers, and offers shaded picnic areas throughout the downtown. A biweekly playbill flyer, detailing the arts and cultural events happening around Walton Street, Lent Lane, and Memorial Park, is being distributed at various businesses within the downtown.

“Now is the time for Port Hope to show their love and support for our local, independent business owners,” said Candice White, Port Hope’s CAO.

“Our downtown is the beating heart of one of Ontario’s best-preserved and most complete 19th century commercial streetscapes. Visit as often as you can to shop, eat, drink, explore, and enjoy all that these doers and dreamers of our community have to offer. Let’s Be Walton.”

The HBIA is the lead supporting partner for this project, and Critical Mass Art is the project’s primary arts and experience partner.

For more information about Be Walton and the Walton Street reconstruction, visit porthope.ca/Walton. For more information about the Capitol Theatre offering, visit capitoltheatre.com/shopdineshow.

A 21-year-old Peterborough woman is facing multiple charges following three incidents in downtown Peterborough early Wednesday morning (July 10), including one incident Peterborough police have classified as a hate crime.

At around 12:20 a.m. on Wednesday, officers responded to a report of an assault. When officers arrived, they learned the female victim had been walking in the Charlotte Street and George Street area when she was approached by a woman walking with two men. The woman ran at the victim with a knife, calling her names based on the colour of her skin. The victim began to run away but fell, at which point the woman caught up to her, punched her in the face, and pulled her hair.

The victim was treated at the scene by emergency medical services before being taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for further treatment. Police have classified the incident as a hate crime.

As officers were investigating this incident, police received another report of an assault involving three suspects who matched the description of those in the first assault. In the second incident, a male victim said he was approached by two men and a woman in the Hunter Street and Bethune Street area and was punched in the face and kicked by the two men.

While officers were investigating the second incident, police received a report of a third incident involving the same suspects. In the third incident, the female suspect verbally threatened a woman in the Brock Street and George Street area.

Officers investigating the third incident noticed a woman matching the description of the female suspect a short distance away. When the female suspect saw the officers, she began to run. The officers chased her on foot and took her into custody without incident.

As a result of the investigation, police have arrested and charged a 21-year-old Peterborough woman with two counts of uttering threats to cause death, assault, assault with a weapon, and possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose.

The accused woman is bound by a probation order with the condition of keeping the peace and being of good behaviour, and has also been charged with two counts of failing to comply with probation.

The accused woman was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on August 20.

Police are also searching for the two male suspects in the three incidents.

They have been described to police as being Caucasian and possibly 16 to 18 years old, both with shaggy hair. One suspect was wearing a white shirt, dark-coloured shorts, a white hat on backwards, white shoes, and a blue backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 ext. 555. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.

Northumberland County is anticipating an upcoming festival will help celebrate diversity and increase Northumberland residents’ exposure to various cultures from around the world.

The county is partnering with the Northumberland Hispanic Cultural Club to present the annual Northumberland Diversity Festival, which runs this year on Saturday, July 20 at Memorial Park, located at 44 Queen St. in Port Hope.

The free family-friendly event provides a space to celebrate diversity, equality, and inclusivity, the county noted in a media release.

“Partnering with the Hispanic Cultural Club to present the Northumberland Diversity Festival is about creating opportunities for people to learn more about the myriad cultures that form the fabric of our community, through the universal languages of food and music,” Dan Borowec, director of strategic initiatives for Northumberland County, told kawarthaNOW.

Festivities will kick off with a citizenship ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Capitol Theatre welcoming more than 100 new Canadians to Northumberland and surrounding communities. During this ceremony, participants will take their oath of citizenship, marking their final step in becoming Canadian citizens.

Northumberland community members are invited to join the celebration after the ceremony, by stopping by the festival at Memorial Park from noon onwards.

“Attendees will enjoy a lively day full of international music and performances, interactive activities for kids, and the opportunity to browse and shop local vendors,” the release noted.

The diversity festival includes:

Performances at the park bandshell from noon until 9 p.m.

Festival-goers can take in a variety of cultural music and dance performances, including Incirque, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and Ballet Folklorico de Colombia, tenor Fabian Arciniegas, mariachi band Mexico Amigo, tango dancers Roxana y Fabian Belmonte, and many more. From 6 to 9 p.m., Music at the Park will features performances by Jonah McLean and The Gimmicks and Sultans of String.

Organizers ask participants to bring a blanket or folding chair on which to sit and enjoy the performances.

Children’s activities

Entertainment for young ones includes a stilt performer and a variety of activities offered by EarlyON Northumberland.

Local vendors’ fair from noon to 6 p.m.

Residents can browse the wares of local vendors with products available for purchase.

Radiothon fundraiser

Organizers invite residents to stop by the all-day radiothon with Northumberland 89.7 to help raise money for YMCA Northumberland and the Northumberland Food 4 All warehouse. All proceeds will support these community organizations. Non-perishable food donations will be accepted during the radiothon for distribution to local food banks in the community.

Sponsored by Cameco, the Northumberland Diversity Festival “is an immersive Canadian multicultural experience,” the county said.

“All are welcome to enjoy this wonderful opportunity to celebrate the cultures and heritage that enrich our community and country

For event details and the full schedule of performances, visit www.diversitynorthumberland.ca.

The NHCC strives to support Northumberland County’s Latin Hispanic community as well as educate others who reside here about the importance of their heritage, cultures and traditions.

The club is a registered not-for-profit organization that promotes and celebrates the arts, cuisine, culture, heritage, and music of Latin Hispanic countries.

According to the NHCC website, the term Hispanic (Spanish: hispano or hispánico, Galician: hispánico, Asturian: hispanu, Basque: hispaniar, Catalan: hispà, hispàno) broadly refers to the people, nations, and cultures that have a historical link to Spain. It commonly applies to countries once colonized by the Spanish Empire in the Americas and Asia, particularly the countries of Latin America and the Philippines.

“It could be argued that the term should apply to all Spanish-speaking cultures or countries, as the historical roots of the word specifically pertain to the Iberian region,” the website states.

“It is difficult to label a nation or culture with one term, such as Hispanic, as the ethnicity, customs, traditions, and art forms (music, literature, dress, culture, cuisine, and others) vary greatly by country and region. The Spanish language and Spanish culture are the main traditions.”

Hispanic originally referred to the people of ancient Roman Hispania, which roughly comprised the Iberian Peninsula, including the contemporary states of Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.

Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for the entire Kawarthas region for Wednesday (July 10).

The rainfall warning is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, southern Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.

The remnants of Hurricane Beryl will bring periods of heavy rainfall, with embedded torrential downpours, to the region beginning Wednesday morning.

Although confidence in the exact track of the weather system remains somewhat uncertain, these type of systems in the past have given very high rainfall rates in torrential downpours.

Torrential downpours could bring 20 to 40 mm of rain per hour at times, with rainfall amounts of 40 to 60 mm expected.

Rainfall amounts will likely be highly variable across the region, and some areas may receive in excess of 60 mm.

Conditions should improve on Thursday.

Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.

A 51-year-old American man has been arrested and is facing a child luring charge after online incidents involving a 10-year-old Port Hope girl earlier this year.

On January 13, a Port Hope woman contacted Port Hope police to report her 10-year-old daughter had been in communication with a man on the internet and that images of a sexual nature were exchanged.

The woman discovered the situation when she received a $6,000 bill for her child’s phone. She spoke with her daughter and learned she had met a man on the Fortnite online gaming platform. The man subsequently asked for the child’s phone number and, after she provided it, began texting and calling her.

The man told the child he wanted her to be his girlfriend and pushed to develop the relationship, according to police, and said that if she did not do what he requested, he would expose the relationship to her parents.

After it was determined the man appeared to be located in the area of Richmond, Kentucky, Port Hope police contacted Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security that investigates a wide range of global crime including child exploitation.

Following a joint investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations and the Ontario Provincial Police, a 51-year-old man from Richmond, Kentucky was arrested and charged with child luring.

The accused man, who had also breached his parole conditions, is also facing additional charges. He remains in police custody in the U.S.