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.

Peterborough’s next First Friday Art Crawl on October 4 will see the launch of a new photography project that aims to end the shame and stigma surrounding menstruation.

The Cycles of Change Project involves the creation and distribution of accessible photos related to diverse experiences of periods, in the hope of educating and creating conversation.

“I like to say, ‘make it less taboo, and more yahoo,'” says founder Heather Litster. “We can have funny conversations, we can play games, we can show each other how things work and share stories, and it doesn’t have to be sad. I’m excited to make it fun and normal.”

As a holistic health practitioner and menstrual educator, Litster dreamt up the project’s concept when looking through stock photos while putting resources together for clients. She was disheartened to only find photos of feathers on pads and women clutching their bodies in pain.

“There weren’t many photos that were informative or realistic about actual situations and experiences, like passing a pad to the person in the stall next to you or quietly ripping open a pad,” she says. “It just brought more to my awareness how powerful period stigma is in preventing people from accessing resources, and from truly being able to get support when they need it.”

Litster notes that the dangers of the stigma can go beyond the shame that comes from tearing open a pad in a public bathroom or asking someone for a tampon.

“People can go their entire life in chronic pain, or taking medications, or find themselves at their doctor’s office but not know how to adequately advocate for themselves because they don’t really know what’s normal and what’s not,” she says. “People just don’t have the language or the knowledge to know when what they are experiencing is not typical.”

Litster adds that the stigma is also connected to “period poverty” — the lack of access to proper menstrual products. She points to the 2023 public opinion research survey conducted by Environics Research for Women and Gender Equality Canada that states one in six people who menstruate have experienced period poverty. (The same survey found that one in four people agree periods are “dirty and unclean” and one in five agree “menstruation should not be publicly discussed and menstrual products should be kept out of sight.”)

“It’s hard for people to really being to address an issue that they won’t even talk about to begin with,” Litster says. “By making it more of a public topic of conversation, it makes it easier for people to address the poverty and for the people who are struggling to choose between diapers for their child or pads for themselves.”

For the project, Litster connected with Peterborough photographer Heather Doughty, who already has a reputation for breaking stigmas and empowering the female body with her Mom Bod project.

“I knew that she would be a photographer who the models in more vulnerable situations would feel comfortable with and she absolutely did exceed those expectations,” says Litster. “I was just so grateful for the way her creative vision really aligned with how I wanted the images to come to life, and to truly honour the nature of the menstruation experience versus hiding it.”

With help from volunteer community members, among the real-life experiences depicted in the striking photographs include a women checking another’s backside for leaks, a woman menstruating while lifting weights, and a woman struggling to reach the disposal bin in a public stall.

“It’s necessary for people (who don’t menstruate) to see stories and visuals and know their partner is not lying or their friend is not making this up,” Litster says, in reference to period cramps and pains. “As much as it might be very challenging to understand, giving more visual resources, having more conversations with the general public, and training people to have compassion is important.”

The visuals are meant to be used freely as a resource for a range of advocacy efforts — menstrual health, gender inclusivity, and the fight for access to period products among them — or for individuals and organizations to use for educational purposes.

“I had a lot of teachers in my community come to me and say how excited they were for the pictures to be released, because they don’t have a lot of relatable and helpful tools to show young people what to expect when they’re experiencing their period,” Litster says. “A visual that is realistic and relatable is something that will help make menstruation less of a scary and taboo topic going forward.”

The Cycles of Change Project will be exhibiting during October’s First Friday Art Crawl at Doughty’s studio at 129 1/5 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. Litster will be popping up her Red Tent — a modern take on the menstrual tent that offers a “cozy space” to educate on and talk all things menstruation.

Litster will also have an audio recorder available for all who wish to share their own experiences.

“A big part of the work I do is encouraging community conversation because, as much as I have information for people, I think people have information to share with each other,” she says. “I just love when we’re able to create a space for that sharing.”

The Cycles of Change Project is currently seeking models for the second round of photos.

“I would love to see folks who are BIPOC or queer or even men who would be open to modelling, because some of our shots are not just about the menstruation experience but about the experience of those who don’t (menstruate),” Litster says. “Anyone of any age or any experience is welcome.”

For more information and to see a gallery of photos, visit www.cyclesofchangeproject.ca or follow the project on Instagram. Those interested in being a volunteer can contact Litster at info@heathersholistics.ca.