North Kawartha Mayor Carolyn Amyotte has put a call out to her fellow mayors along Highway 28 to form a coalition to better advocate for greater safety along the provincial highway.

The proposal was sent to the mayors of Douro-Dummer, Selwyn, Highlands East, Faraday, and Bancroft under the goal of coming together to lobby to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and other provincial officials to address the growing safety issues on Highway 28.

The movement comes following several serious motor vehicle accidents on the highway, including a multi-vehicle collision south of Bancroft on August 6 that killed two people and seriously injured four more.

Extending from Highway 7 east of Peterborough to Highway 41 in Denbigh, Highway 28 is a major route connecting many municipalities in cottage country.

“If we can unite with my fellow mayors and with the MTO and have a stronger voice, it’ll make a positive impact because every accident is a life-changing event for all those involved, whether it’s a fatality or not,” says Amyotte.

Amyotte says the concerns have “snowballed” since reconstruction began in June on the Eels Creek Bridge, located around 13 kilometres north of Burleigh Falls and 13 kilometres south of Apsley.

The northbound and southbound lanes have been reduced to a single lane at the Eels Creek Rest Area, with vehicular access being controlled by a timed temporary traffic signal allowing one lane of traffic to proceed at a time.

The Township of North Kawartha has received numerous complaints about the traffic backup this causes during peak commute times around weekends — including long weekends when traffic is especially heavy.

“We weren’t even notified that the construction was beginning,” says Amyotte. “The weekends in particular are brutal, when you have the main flow coming up on Friday night and going back on Sunday or the Holiday Monday.”

Bellai Alliance Civil Inc., the contractor hired by the provincial government to complete the work, issued a “stakeholder notification” about the construction dated May 28, just six days before construction began.

On Tuesday (August 13), township council approved a motion for Amyotte to contact the other mayors along Highway 28 to consider forming a coalition, and also to send a letter to MTO and other provincial officials regarding the significant delays caused by the Eels Creek bridge construction, with reference to specific data on traffic volumes.

Amyotte’s letter to MTO outlines that on the Civic Holiday Monday, the line of traffic waiting to travel through the construction site was around 18 kilometres long. The following Sunday, it was around 15 kilometres long.

“A 150-metre construction site should not be causing such unreasonable traffic back-ups and delays,” Amyotte wrote in the letter. “This has been the situation all summer long and it is not sustainable nor acceptable.”

Some drivers have had to wait up to an hour or longer to get through the construction site, according to the letter.

“When traffic is backed up 18 kilometres along the roadway, that’s not acceptable and only exacerbates the problems with frustrated drivers, which can lead to greater safety concerns,” Amyotte says.

Concerns outlined in the letter include the lack of communication when beginning the construction, the economic impact from travellers spending more time on the road and less time at local businesses, and the safety concerns in drivers having to come to a full stop on an 80 km/h stretch of highway with little advance warning.

Drivers only encounter warning signage close to the construction zone, putting unfamiliar and unsuspecting drivers at risk. It should also be noted that many drivers regularly exceed the speed limit on Highway 28 by 10 to 20 km/h or more.

North Kawartha Township is requesting the MTO control the flow of traffic at the construction site with human intervention (flag person) or an automated flagger assistance device, ensure travellers are aware of the construction zone well before the current signage locations, and improve traffic study requirements and stakeholder consultation for these types of projects in designated tourism regions .

“It’s been a challenge to connect with the MTO and work with them,” Amyotte admits. “We thought we could reach out to the other mayors, communicate, and collaborate because this roadway has a huge impact on all the communities it goes through.”

Replacement of the bridge over Eels Creek is scheduled to be completed in August 2025, with a winter shutdown of operations between December and May before construction resumes for next summer.

On a separate issue related to Highway 28, North Kawartha Township wrote to the MTO in July requesting a safety review and improvements of the highway’s access points to Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, which lies west of Highway 28 from north of Burleigh Falls to north of Apsley.

The concern lies in the absence of a turning lane at most of the entrances to the provincial park, including Coon Lake Road, Long Lake Road, and Anstruther Lake Road.

“We’ve had concerns and complaints brought forth over the years about how scary it is to make a left turn into the park when someone’s coming around the corner and they’re worried they’ll get rear-ended or somebody will go off the road,” Amyotte says. “It’s not a simple fix and it’ll cost money, but what’s the cost of lives lost?”

It’s not the first time during her time in office that Amyotte has focused her efforts on raising public awareness about safety on Highway 28. In 2022, two zones along the highway in North Kawartha Township became designated “community safety zones,” with penalties for driving infractions doubled in those areas.

Recognizing other safety issues with the highway, Amyotte explains that part of the goal in forming a coalition with other Highway 28 mayors is to “raise public awareness to help modify driver behaviour.”

“You are coming into a wilderness area, so it’s really important to be aware and look around,” she says, noting wildlife is the number one cause of vehicle accidents. “But after that, it’s driver behaviour from not driving for the conditions, speeding, unsafe passing, and distracted driving.”

In addition to driving cautiously, Amyotte suggests travellers be aware of the extended traffic on the roadway during busy times on the weekend and adjust their schedules accordingly.

With drivers doing their part and fellow township mayors forming the coalition, she is hopeful it will lead to change and making Highway 28 safer for the many thousands who travel it each year.

“It would be great if we come together, make a list of concerns and a list of ideas and suggestions on how we can approve, and go together as one voice to advocate for this, because it’s worth seeing what we can do,” Amyotte says.

“It’s my sincerest wish that everybody who travels on that road gets to their destination safely and if we all do our part, drive with care and be aware, that’ll happen.”

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the entire Kawarthas region for significant rainfall on the weekend.

The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough County, City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.

Rainfall amounts of 40 to 80 mm are expected, with rainfall rates of up to 40 mm in an hour.

Rain will begin near midnight on Friday (August 16) and continue into Sunday night

The heaviest rainfall is expected on Sunday. Locally higher amounts are possible Sunday afternoon and evening.

“This weather pattern typically brings rapidly changing conditions between sunny skies and heavy downpours,” Environment Canada notes. “Rainfall warnings may be required and issued on short notice to reflect rapidly changing conditions.”

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

Ensuring patients who have dementia or those who are suspected of having that diagnosis “receive the specialized care they need” is the goal of a new initiative being launched at Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH).

The Trent Hills hospital has announced it is teaming up with the Baycrest Virtual Behavioural Medicine (VBM) Program with the goal of better supporting its patients with cognitive impairment.

CMH describes the VBM program as “a pioneering initiative” that’s designed to improve the care and support of patients who have dementia.

“This collaboration ensures that CMH’s inpatients who have, or are suspected of having, dementia and are exhibiting responsive behaviours, receive the specialized care they need,” the hospital noted in a media release.

“Our partnership with the (VBM) Program aligns with CMH’s mission to provide comprehensive care to our community,” said Heather Campbell, vice-president of patient care at CMH, in the release.

“By collaborating with this program, we ensure that individuals with dementia receive the specialized support they need to improve their quality of life and help reduce repeat hospitalizations.”

The VBM Program provides a short-term, behavioural medicine consultation service that leverages virtual consultations to address challenging neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as severe agitation and physical expressions of anger.

By working closely with the patient, family, and care team, the Baycrest team reviews medications, medical and family histories, co-morbidities, and symptoms to determine the most effective medication and behaviour support strategies, according to the release.

“This comprehensive approach not only addresses the immediate needs of the patients but also lays the foundation for a successful transition home or to long-term care.”

Through its inpatient unit, CMH began referring eligible patients to the VBM Program in February, with the vision that it can have a significant impact on managing responsive behaviours and improving the overall patient experience.

CMH views the partnership as a part of its “ongoing commitment” to enhance dementia care within the community and provide patients and their families with the support they need during critical times.

Patients referred to the VBM Program undergo a thorough assessment, which may include virtual appointments lasting between one to two hours, followed by shorter, focused follow-up sessions. These consultations are conducted via accessible platforms such as the Ontario Telehealth Network, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams, “ensuring that care is both timely and convenient,” CMH noted.

The VBM Program is a collaboration between the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic at the Pamela and Paul Austin Centre for Neurology and Behavioural Support at Baycrest, and the Toronto Central Behavioural Support for Seniors Program.

The VBM Program team includes specialists in behavioural neurology, geriatric psychiatry, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, neuropsychologists, and behavioural support clinical navigators.

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, researchers project that by 2030 nearly one million people in Canada will be living with dementia. In addition, researchers forecast that more than 1.7 million people in Canada will have dementia by 2050.

The term “dementia” doesn’t refer to one specific disease. It’s an overall term for a set of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain, the Alzheimer Society noted on its website.

For more information about dementia, visit the Alzheimer Society of Canada website at alzheimer.ca. For more information about Baycrest’s VBM Program, visit baycrest.org.

If you see military vehicles and soldiers with weapons on highways in the Kawarthas region over the next two weeks, there’s no need to be alarmed.

Canadian Army Reserve personnel and vehicles from across 4th Canadian Division will be conducting convoy operations as they travel to Camp Worthy, a major Royal Canadian Armoured Corps field exercise, which is happening at Garrison Petawawa from Friday, August 16th to Friday, August 30th.

During this time, you may see Canadian Army vehicles travelling on various highways in southern and central Ontario including the 401, 407, 115, 28, 62, 66, and others. On the way to Garrison Petawawa, the military traffic will follow planned routes between Windsor, Sarnia, London, the Greater Toronto Area, and Oshawa, and will also transit Peterborough, Barry’s Bay, and Bancroft.

Participating personnel will conduct planned short stops as well as longer halts throughout the duration of the road moves, stopping for rest, fuel, scheduled maintenance, and other training.

Residents and motorists may see uniformed Canadian Army personnel with unloaded weapons travelling on area roads and highways. The participating soldiers will not be carrying any ammunition.

“All measures are being taken to ensure minimum inconvenience in these areas during the exercise dates, and members of the public are asked to take extra caution when approaching military vehicles and are thanked in advance for their understanding and co-operation,” reads an announcement from the Canadian Armed Forces.

The 4th Canadian Division is one of the Canadian Armed Forces’ five major formations and is responsible to provide combat-ready land forces, conduct general purpose training in preparation for various land operations and to provide support services to other organizations

The training exercises support year-round preparations for international operations and maintains the division’s readiness to support partners and allies overseas with trained and professional soldiers.

The exercises also help maintain readiness to respond to emergencies in Canadian communities, including natural disasters like flooding and wildfires.

A doctor is (back) in the house in the Municipality of Port Hope.

Northumberland County announced on Wednesday (August 14) that residents can turn to the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic as of Saturday (August 17), with the service returning to patients in the west Northumberland community.

The clinic re-opens its doors as part of a one-year pilot program, delivered in partnership between Northumberland County and the Community Health Centres of Northumberland (CHCN). The partners will then evaluate the feasibility of providing these medical walk-in services on a permanent basis.

Located at 99 Toronto Rd. on the second floor, this clinic will improve access to health care services for thousands of Northumberland residents who do not currently have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, Northumberland County noted in a media release.

“The need for these services cannot be overstated,” said Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander.

“With thousands of our residents currently without a family doctor, and the potential for that number to grow, this clinic is not just a convenience – it’s a lifeline. Health care is a fundamental right, and Northumberland County council is proud to support the establishment of this clinic and its successful integration within the local health system for greater care for all.”

Ostrander earlier told kawarthaNOW connecting residents with primary health care providers is a priority countywide.

“With a high number of unattached patients in Northumberland, it is essential that we leverage expertise and resources across partnerships to meet local needs,” Ostrander said. “Together, the county and the CHCN will pilot a restoration of services via the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic as a crucial step towards ensuring accessible health care for all residents.”

The Ontario Medical Association estimates there are 2.5 million people in the province who are without a family doctor. The organization expects that number to double in the next two years.

Locally, it’s estimated that more than 8,000 Northumberland residents — including 4,000 in west Northumberland alone — do not have a primary care provider and this number could rise to more than 20,000 by 2026, the release noted.

County council approved the pilot earlier this year following a motion by Olena Hankivsky, Northumberland County’s deputy warden, who is also the mayor of Port Hope. The initiative was originally conceived by Hankivsky, who has led physician recruitment efforts for the clinic’s operation, alongside Port Hope councillor Les Andrews, who has spearheaded fundraising efforts.

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to what can be achieved when a community rallies together around a shared purpose,” Hankivsky said. “The urgent need was clear, and the response has been inspiring. We sincerely appreciate the support of our health care partner, CHCN.”

“We also express our sincere gratitude to the many local donors contributing to this undertaking, and to the medical community for their support. Together, we are expanding access to essential primary health care services for Northumberland residents.”

The clinic will open with “a soft launch” on August 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will initially operate on a limited schedule and capacity, ramping up over several weeks as clinic staff and physicians become familiarized with a newly implemented electronic medical records system, and additional physicians are onboarded, the county said.

Prior to visiting the clinic, the county encourages residents to check the website at Northumberland.ca/PortHopeClinic for the upcoming schedule or call 905-885-0062, as hours may very each week during the initial start-up phase.

By the fall, the goal is to offer services Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The county encourages residents who have a family doctor to book an appointment with their physician’s office to address their health concerns and maintain continuity of care.

Nursing support, administrative assistance, office costs, and other clinic operational expenses are being fully funded through contributions from the Port Hope and District Health Care Foundation, along with donors including the Port Hope Rotary Club, the Town of Cobourg, and Loyalist College. Physicians will be compensated through standard OHIP billing services as outlined in the Ministry of Health’s physician services agreement, the release noted.

Northumberland County will provide office set-up, IT infrastructure, logistics, communications, and administration support. The CHNC will contribute its experience and expertise in primary care service delivery, assisting with clinic nursing services, patient information technology and implementation support during the pilot.

“We are proud to support this vital local initiative to ensure our community members have access to the health care they need,” said Taryn Rennicks, CHCN’s executive director. “Leveraging expertise and resources across partnerships is crucial to meeting local needs.”

A public grand opening is being planned for later this fall to officially recognize donors and welcome community members to the clinic.

A Northumberland County resident who has been leading an effort to protect fish, the Ganaraska River, and the integrity of the overall environment is applauding a new proposal from the province that could entail significant changes during the peak of the salmon run season in Port Hope.

Over the past couple of years, a group of Port Hope residents led by Sean Carthew has become increasingly concerned about the lack of regulations around fishing in the Ganaraska River in Port Hope that results in regular issues in the fall during the annual salmon run.

Not only do some anglers catch and slaughter the breeding salmon for their eggs, discarding the rest of the fish, but they leave trash and fishing hooks behind, prompting Port Hope residents to organize a clean-up every fall.

Carthew, who started an online petition last fall that now carries more than 13,700 signatures, was pleased to see the Ontario government recently propose new fishing rules on the lower Ganaraska River.

The proposal includes a move to create a new fish sanctuary for Chinook salmon and to prohibit fishing from the CN Bridge to Jocelyn Street during the peak of the salmon run from September 1 to October 14.

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is currently running a survey on the new rules, which is open for public input until August 22. The survey can be accessed at ontario.ca/page/proposed-new-fishing-rules-lower-ganaraska-river.

“I believe it’s a fair, smart proposal,” Carthew told kawarthaNOW.

“I think it will stop most of the chaos that happens along the river during the peak of the salmon run, and, in return, the MNR has offered an extension of the fishing season,” he explains. “They took away six weeks of fishing during a time when the salmon are just too exposed and gave back 10 weeks of fishing.”

The province’s proposal for new rules would impact recreational fishing rules on the lower Ganaraska River. The changes would help protect vulnerable migrating Chinook salmon during peak migration and provide extended angling opportunities for Atlantic salmon, brown trout, Pacific salmon, and rainbow trout in the fall season, the province says.

During the Ganaraska River fall salmon migration, in some years more than 30,000 Chinook salmon migrate through the lower Ganaraska River in Port Hope on their way to spawning habitat upstream. This makes the migratory run in the Ganaraska one of the largest in Ontario, according to the provincial government’s survey page.

“The lower Ganaraska River contains numerous bottlenecks that can slow down migration. The main obstacle is Corbett’s Dam and Fishway, located about three kilometres upstream from Lake Ontario.”

“While the fishway allows fish to pass, it slows down migrating fish while they learn to navigate it. This is especially true during large runs like the fall Chinook salmon migration, when hundreds of fish gather below the dam.”

The existing fish sanctuary (from the 401 to south side of Jocelyn Street) was put in place to protect migrating fish held up by the dam. Fish accumulate in engineered step pools separated by shallow limestone stretches.

During the peak Chinook salmon migration, the dam and the step pools cause thousands of fish to build up in the lower river until they learn how to find the fishway entrance. The fish that are below the existing sanctuary are vulnerable to angling.

“This sanctuary is not large enough to protect the Chinook salmon in the fall when they are at peak abundance,” according to the government.

About a month after Carthew launched his petition last fall, there was some response, with Carthew meeting with local politicians who formed a group to look at the issue, and with the MNR reaching out to the Port Hope mayor.

“A group of individuals was formed in conjunction with a representative from council and a lot of great ideas came out of it,” Carthew said. “It was very positive.”

He hopes that leads to more policing, education, and fines along the river this year.

Carthew thinks the province’s proposal “may be the best possible outcome” for the situation.

“I’d also like to see the river become barbless hooks only, all year round,” he added. “There are a lot of different opinions and various ideas as to what should happen on the Ganaraska River during the salmon run and, though we all may not agree, see a lot of passion to fix what goes on down there and that is exciting.”