From working in the emergency department to practising community medicine and chronic disease management, Vlad Padure is bringing his experience from the city to a more rural setting at Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Lindsay.

RMH announced Padure is the new vice-president of clinical and chief nursing executive for the Kawartha Lakes hospital. Padure started his new role on Monday (June 24).

“Ross Memorial is thrilled to welcome Vlad to our hospital’s senior leadership team,” said RMH president and CEO Kelly Isfan in a media release.

“With his extensive and varied experience both as a frontline clinician and in leadership roles overseeing the effective and innovative delivery of services, we are confident he will be a tremendous asset to our organization and community.”

Padure hails from the Scarborough Health Network (SHN), where he served as director of emergency medicine, critical care, and respiratory services since 2021. In that position, he provided operational and strategic leadership to a network of emergency departments, urgent care clinics, and intensive care units spanning three hospital sites.

“I look forward to bringing my nursing experience, leadership, and passion for quality and efficient patient care to the organization and community,” Padure said.

“Through a commitment to system-wide partnerships, innovation, and consumer-centred service creation, I believe we can enhance the access and quality of health care for the community we serve. I am excited to get to work with my new colleagues and partners in joining RMH’s mission of delivering on the promise of a better health care experience.”

Padure has worked in several nursing roles and led a large portfolio of clinical programs across various academic and community organizations over the past two decades, the release noted.

His nursing career started at the Toronto Metropolitan University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in nursing and subsequent a Masters in nursing and primary health care nurse practitioner certificate.

He later expanded his management and nursing leadership by completing an executive master of business administration at the University of Fredericton.

Early in his career, as a clinician, Padure practised as a registered nurse in the emergency department in 2008 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. He then shifted his clinical focus to community medicine and chronic disease management, working as a nurse practitioner at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital and Michael Garron for nearly a decade.

In 2017, Padure transitioned into an administrative leadership role at Humber River Hospital in Toronto where he eventually served as the program director for medicine and nephrology. He was also seconded to the Ontario Renal Network as the regional director with an Ontario health mandate to implement key strategic, quality, and regional service priorities for patients on dialysis.

He joined SHN in 2021 to lead the pandemic effort and post-pandemic workforce and service stabilization in the emergency department and critical care.

In Lindsay, Padure is taking the reins from Janice Raine, who joined RMH in February 2023 when Anne Overhoff, who had held the role for the previous 14 years, retired. Raine is also retiring in the near future.

Located in the heart of the City of Kawartha Lakes, RMH is an active, acute-care community hospital serving more than a combined 100,000 local residents and seasonal visitors.

Among its acute and continuing care services, RMH operates a 24/7/365 emergency department, a 15-station dialysis unit, and a level three intensive care unit. The hospital provides orthopedics, ophthalmology and general surgery, restorative seniors care, rehabilitation and palliative care. It offers a women’s health clinic and mental health programs. The most recent expansion at the hospital included the addition of an MRI service, allowing for a full range of diagnostic imaging at RMH.

For many years, the New Canadians Centre (NCC) in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough organized and hosted Multicultural Canada Day each July 1st, bringing together thousands of area residents for a celebration of the country’s rich cultural diversity.

However, buoyed by a commitment to walk alongside Indigenous peoples, celebrate their culture and knowledge, and heal and foster relationships between Indigenous people and settlers, NCC changed the focus of the annual celebration to reflect something much deeper. The result is an event that provides the opportunity to pause and reflect on Truth and Reconciliation, while forging a path forward.

On Monday, July 1st, NCC presents “Lessons from the Land” for a fourth year, running from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the pavilion at Nicholls Oval Park at Armour and Parkhill roads.

The family-friendly day offers a number of programs and activities where people can learn about the culture and heritage of the original stewards and caretakers of Turtle Island and Nogojiwanong.

“The New Canadians Centre is an organization that helps newcomers to Peterborough,” notes Mauricio Interiano, the community engagement officer with the centre. “When you’re new to Canada, you’re very curious to learn everything about the country. We felt it was very important to provide opportunities for clients to learn what Canada really is, and to play an important part in Truth and Reconciliation.”

A native of Honduras, Interiano came to Canada and Peterborough in August 2010. He has since acquired a bachelor’s degree in international development and sociology from Trent University, and a master’s degree in international development with a specialization in migration from the Graduate Institute of Geneva in Switzerland.

“I didn’t know much about the history and legacy of residential schools until I went to Trent University and took some courses,” Interiano points out. “It’s important that the New Canadians Centre, as a settlement organization for newcomers to Peterborough, provide opportunities to learn about Indigenous culture, history, and knowledge.”

That said, Interiano emphasizes that Lessons from the Land has something to teach all who come out, not just those new to the city and region.

Lessons from the Land opens at 9 a.m. with Janet McCue, the lead singer with Curve Lake First Nation’s Wishkiigomang Hand Drummers, joined by her sister Linda.

They will be followed by Sarah Lewis, an Anishnaabe Kwe spoken word artist and activist who served as Peterborough’s inaugural poet laureate, reciting her poetry and setting a reflective and inspirational tone for the rest of the day.

At 9:30 a.m., a guided medicine walk, hosted by Canadian Bushcraft head instructor Caleb Musgrave and Diverse Nature Collective founder Patricia Wilson, will take participants for a nature-connecting trek through Nicholls Oval Park. Participation for the two-hour walk is limited to 35 people, and advance registration is required.

Also at 9:30 a.m., “Toppling Towers” will see TRACKS Youth Program staff host a collaborative game centred around the key components of a healthy ecosystem. Young participants will learn about the connection between Indigenous knowledge and the balance of critical environments, all while engaging in a fun game as they’re encouraged to think about their responsibilities to the land.

“Cedar Bundles” also begins at 9:30 a.m., with Jaida Prince, a Kiichi Siibi Niizi Mnidoo Anishinaabe youth from Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, leading a workshop on cedar, one of the four sacred medicines of the Anishinaabe people.

Participants will have the opportunity to sample cedar tea, explore the wisdom of the medicine wheel with a focus on cedar’s role, and harvest cedar. The workshop will conclude with the crafting of cedar bundles to take home.

Following a community lunch, which will be provided by Thomas Olszewski’s Curve Lake-based Grandfather’s Kitchen, the program continues at 12:30 p.m. with “Songs & Dances From The Land – Drum Teachings” hosted by John “Meegwans” Snake, an Ojibwe-Bodewadomi (Turtle clan) from Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia.

Currently living in Peterborough with his family, Meegwans has been a singer for more than 35 years and regularly serves as a master of ceremonies at powwows across Canada and the United States, sharing the teachings he received from his father and many adopted uncles and grandfathers.

Following a closing ceremony with the McCue sisters at 1:30 p.m., attendees are invited to stay for “Red Dress Pin Beading Circle” facilitated by Lesley Snake, a member of the Dakota-Ojibwe Nations (Bear clan) and a registered band member of Manitoba’s Birdtail Sioux First Nation.

Starting at 1:45 p.m., participants will learn about the cultural significance of bead work while creating a red dress pin — a symbol that honours missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls while serving as a reminder of the ongoing impacts of colonialism on Indigenous communities. Participation for this two-hour workshop is limited to 35 people, and advance registration is required. All required materials will be supplied.

For those unable to attend the workshop, NCC has partnered with Cedarlilie Bead Shop, owned and operated by Abenaki and French-Canadian artist Dominique O’Bonsawin, to make red dress pin beading kits available.

Those interested can pick up a kit at the NCC at 221 Romaine Street after July 1st and follow O’Bonsawin’s YouTube tutorial.

VIDEO: Beaded Red Dress Pin Tutorial

Along with helping settlers learn about and reflect upon Indigenous culture and heritage, Lessons from the Land also provides an option for Indigenous people who may be uncomfortable participating in Canada Day celebrations that are “a reminder of the impact of colonialism,” according to Interiano.

“We respect that, and with a lot of respect, create space for them to present activities that are more centred to the work they do,” he explains. “Lessons from the Land has been very well received by the Indigenous people we have partnered with. They look forward to this. There’s a commitment now. They understand the importance of creating this space for all of us.”

“I like to use the term ‘cultural humility’ in relation to this event,” Interiano adds. “It’s an opportunity to be humble and to learn, approaching it with an open heart and an open mind. This is part of a journey of lifelong learning. We need to self-reflect, but also be aware of our biases and assumptions.”

On a personal level, Interiano is most excited about “being outside, connecting with the land and learning new things. I’ve gone to this event for three years and I’ve always learned something new. I appreciate the openness of Indigenous people creating space for us to learn new things about their culture, traditions, and connection to the land.”

For more information about Lessons from the Land, including a full schedule of events and registration links for the Guided Medicine Walk and Red Dress Pin Beading Circle, visit
nccpeterborough.ca/lessons-from-the-land/.

Founded in 1979, the New Canadians Centre Peterborough is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees and other newcomers in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, City and County of Peterborough and Northumberland County.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with the New Canadians Centre. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

Tony Tavares was spending time with his partner and a friend when they began kidding around about starting a Pride group in the small community of Norwood.

It turns out, they were on to something. Their conversation lay the foundation for the formation of Norwood Pride.

The group held its first event in 2017, and proceeded to continue hosting events, which now typically attract more than 200 people to the eastern Peterborough County community.

“My partner, Shane Hodge, and I were just hanging out with our friend, Braden Clark, and we jokingly said we should start a Norwood Pride,” Tavares, Norwood Pride board director and media officer, told kawarthaNOW.

“Once we’d said it, it started to sound like a good idea, so we went ahead and organized our first event.”

Norwood Pride is gearing up for its 2024 offering, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 14 at the Norwood branch of the Royal Canadian Legion at 27 King St. in Norwood.

The afternoon features a barbecue, cash bar, music, and performances and story time with Betty Baker, a professional drag performer, speaker, and storyteller from Peterborough.

It’s a family-friendly event for all ages, Tavares said, noting there will also be a children’s activity table on site.

Despite Tavares’ initial kidding about the concept of having Norwood Pride, the event serves serious purposes.

“Visibility is important in small towns for both young people coming out or discovering their sexuality, and for older LGBTQ+ residents who have previously felt isolated,” Tavares explained.

“Larger communities have community services specifically for LGBTQ+ people that are not available in smaller communities.”

“From our very first discussion on having a Norwood Pride, we felt that if there was one community member who felt safer, more seen, and accepted from seeing the community acceptance that has always been clearly present at our Norwood Pride events, then all our efforts would be worthwhile.”

Considering more about the function of Norwood Pride in the community, Tavares said its role may also be more disclosed.

“The reality is that we will never know the positive effects an event like this will have. If there is one person who doesn’t take their life because they realized they could find acceptance in their community, then that would be priceless. I’ve also had people over the years come up to me and say that they had never met a gay person, that they knew of, or been to a Pride event, and how much they had enjoyed it. Visibility is essential.”

Norwood Pride strives to always offer a small, community-focused event and Tavares said from his perspective, that’s still the case.

“We did not have Norwood Pride over the pandemic and our hope is to get people out in pre-pandemic numbers again — and to have fun.”

For more information about Norwood Pride, visit norwoodpride.ca.

This story has been updated to correct a misspelling of Braden Clark’s surname.

The shroud of mystery over just how the City of Peterborough will handle economic development after the dissolution of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) at the end of the year has been lifted a bit.

On Monday (June 24), Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced that the provincially funded Business Advisory Centre (BAC) — currently operated by PKED — will continue to provide services to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs under the umbrella of Community Futures Peterborough (CFP).

MPP Smith made the announcement during the CFP’s annual general meeting at the new Canadian Canoe Museum.

With the existing agreement between the City of Peterborough, the County of Peterborough, and PKED expiring December 31, economic development and tourism services will be handled in-house by the city for the first time in 25 years, with the county making a similar move.

The city’s decision was unanimously endorsed by city councillors last Monday (June 17) at the committee level and is expected to be formally approved during the regular council meeting on June 24.

Until MPP Smith’s official announcement on Monday, it was unclear if and how the services of the Business Advisory Centre (BAC), offered as part of the province’s Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) program, would continue to be provided — although Peterborough CAO Jasbir Raina had revealed at the June 17 committee meeting that the city had committed to the province to have CFP deliver the service.

“We (the province) wanted to make sure that our community still has access to those (Business Advisory Centre) resources,” said MPP Smith. “We wanted to make sure those entrepreneurs who were coming forward, who needed that little bit of extra help, still had a centre in Peterborough to do that.”

MPP Smith made much of the “historic” nature of the arrangement.

“This will be very first Community Futures in all of Ontario that is entering into a partnership with the province,” he said. “They (PKED) had been running our SBEC program for a number of years. We had allocated $234,000 this year to come to Peterborough for that program. It’s had some fantastic results. There are so many companies that have gone through (BAC-offered) Starter Company.”

MPP Smith praised “the leadership” of CFP executive director Devon Girard and the CFP board in making the continuation of BAC services a reality.

“Community Futures is a federal program (funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario),” MPP Smith said. “The province has always had its economic development set up separate. This is the first time in Ontario’s history that those are being brought together. The leadership at Community Futures agreed to that and there will now be those two separate (funding) streams.”

Afterwards, Girard told kawarthaNOW that CFP is “thrilled” with the new arrangement that will see BAC services continued to be offered.

“We were able to present this solution to the province and have nothing but its full support to work with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development to ensure a successful transition,” she said.

“Our core focus is to deliver loans to entrepreneurs. In order to have a loan approved, you need a business plan. Entrepreneurs would traditionally work with the BAC team at PKED, develop a business plan and then come to us (CFP) for the funding portion. What we’re able to now offer, instead of two different doors across the hall from each other (at Venture North, where both CFP and PKED are located), entrepreneurs come in through one door.”

Asked if the CFP-hosted version of the BAC will retain any current BAC staff, Girard said there will be “an announcement soon on staffing.”

“We have high respect for the work that PKED staff have done and, in particular, staff of the BAC. I know all of them are looking at what their career opportunities could be but our organization would be grateful to have any one of them.”

According to a media release from CFP, both the city and county governments have also agreed to continue their financial commitment to support the BAC’s operation.

Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal also spoke Monday, shedding some light what’s behind the city’s opting out of its longstanding agreement with PKED to deliver economic development services.

“It’s no secret that our region needs more jobs and more economic activity,” he said. “Peterborough’s economy has lagged behind our peers in Ontario over the last number of years.”

“A recent study by the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Centre for Urban Research and Land Development showed that in the last few years, Peterborough ranked dead last in GDP growth among the census metropolitan areas in Ontario. Over that period, our GDP only grew by 15 per cent. Thunder Bay’s GDP grew by 27 per cent, Belleville by 38 per cent, Kingston by 40 per cent, and Brantford by 44 per cent.”

“A lack of economic growth has left the City of Peterborough with one of the weakest tax bases in communities like ours in Ontario. Our tax base is roughly 80 per cent residential and 20 per cent industrial/commercial, leaving the residential property taxpayers to shoulder a greater burden each and every year. If we don’t fix this in the near future, we’re going to hit a wall.”

While crediting PKED for “serving our region professionally and with dedication over 25 years” through the work “of outstanding people,” Mayor Leal said “We need a different approach to economic development — one that builds on the successes of PKED and bridges the gaps that have emerged.”

But MPP Smith told kawarthaNOW that the biggest roadblock to attracting new business to the region remains the absence of a “large swath of serviced industrial land.”

“That has been our challenge for the entire six years that I’ve been MPP,” he pointed out.

Further to that, he termed the dissolving of PKED “a shortsighted move.”

“PKED did not have a product to sell. You cannot bring a company of any substance if you don’t have a place for them to be. You can wash the windows all you want. If you don’t address the underlying problem, that problem will continue to exist.”

“It will be much more difficult to have two organizations (the city and the county) that are focused on their own entities instead of one organization (PKED) focused on working together collaboratively,” Smith added.

PKED was originally founded in 1998 as the Greater Peterborough Area Development Corporation, arising from the recommendations of the 1997 GPA 2020 A Vision For Our Future Report, which in part proposed a new regional approach to economic development in the City and County of Peterborough, creating a more efficient approach by consolidating the fragmented services being provided by six different organizations at the time, including the city and county.

MPP Smith warned that, unless the city and the county collaborate to address the lack of serviceable industrial land, the region will continue to miss out on major economic development opportunities.

“More than $42 billion has been invested in Ontario in the electric vehicle industry,” he said as an example. “That will stop soon because all of those major players have found their spots. We won’t have another opportunity like that for probably 40 or 50 years.”

“The county has land but it doesn’t have services. The city has services but it doesn’t have land. Both know they need to work together to make something happen. Sit down at the table and make it happen.”

Port Hope’s Anne Mead and Baltimore’s Ella Watson have received some TLC from Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH), in the form of scholarships towards their future careers in the nursing profession.

The students have each received a $1,500 bursary towards their post-secondary health care education through NHH’s 2024 Health Professions Scholarship program. NHH board chair Beth Selby spoke about the winners during a hospital board meeting earlier this month.

“Since its inception in 2003, the Health Professions Scholarship has garnered a positive response from the community,” Selby said in a statement. “As we have seen in years past, there were many worthy and accomplished candidates, who are undoubtedly destined to make a positive impact across the health care field.”

“Anne and Ella stood out for many reasons, but above all else, for their drive, determination, and commitment to have a positive impact in their future careers as nurses, and specifically, their aspirations to return to NHH,” Selby added.

Created in 2003, the purpose of the Health Professions Scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to community students studying to be health care professionals.

NHH president and CEO Susan Walsh earlier told kawarthaNOW the program is key for the hospital and carries even more weight this year, given the staffing challenges in the health care sector.

“The presentation of our annual Health Professions Scholarship has long been an important tradition at NHH,” Walsh said. “As the competition for health human resources has intensified, this scholarship program has taken on even greater significance. There are endless opportunities today for individuals interested in pursuing a career in health care.”

As a community hospital, NHH competes for talent with organizations not only in the region but right across the country — even globally, the CEO said.

“This scholarship program, while modest, aims to put (NHH) on the radar of local students pursuing future careers in health care,” Walsh noted.

The presentation of the recent awards to Mead and Watson continued a tradition started by the volunteer board in 2003 to support students from west Northumberland County who have chosen to pursue careers in the health care sector.

In addition to being enrolled or accepted for enrolment in a full-time study program, applicants are evaluated on a combination of criteria, including their academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, a testimonial about their career goals, and written references.

Mead is graduating this year from Trent University with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. While she has always intended to be a nurse, Mead’s future aspirations of working in an urban hospital changed after a positive placement experience at NHH, where she hopes to work in future, a media release noted.

“I have always had a deep desire to become a registered nurse, initially having the intent to work in an urban hospital throughout my career,” Mead stated in her application letter.

Between September and December 2023, she completed her pre-consolidation clinical placement at NHH on the restorative care unit.

“Experiencing the teamwork and close-knit feeling of a smaller hospital solidified my decision to apply to NHH within the next five years.”

Mead described how her newfound passion for community health care was further solidified after being partnered with a professor who shared similar interests.

Growing up in Port Hope, Mead has strong ties to the community through volunteerism, where she completed a total of 791 community service hours with St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church and at school and community events.

Watson is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in nursing program at Trent University, and has just completed her first year of training.

“My goal is to complete the four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing and to one day pursue a career at (NHH),” Mead stated. “After gaining experience as a registered nurse, I hope to continue my education as a nurse practitioner.”

Mead has volunteered through NHH’s Hospital Elder Life Program, which she described as solidifying her decision to pursue a career in health care.

“I witnessed patients go through health struggles daily and this made me realize that I wanted to help. It was because of my urge to want to help that I continued with a volunteer position at NHH after my co-op placement was over. I have a strong passion for helping others and it was this experience that made me realize that by just giving a little bit extra, I can make a difference.”

For more information about the requirements for NHH’s Health Professions Scholarship program, visit nhh.ca/Careers/StudentScholarship.

According to NHH, applications are welcomed at any time, but typically close in February of each year with presentations at the June meeting of the board of directors.

Citing “a surge in demand” in the region, Northumberland County has announced the addition of 181 new spaces this year at licensed child care centres in the county.

The expansion will include 119 new spaces in the Municipality of Port Hope, 47 new spots in the Municipality of Trent Hills, and 15 new spaces in the Town of Cobourg.

“In 2023, we experienced a 60 per cent increase in the waitlist for licensed child care spaces, with approximately 3,000 families currently on the waitlist,” said Lesley Patterson, Northumberland County early years manager, in a media release.

“To help address this critical need in our community, Northumberland County is aiming to introduce 404 new high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care spaces in our community by 2026, in alignment with provincial targets identified through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system,” Patterson added.

Patterson’s comments follow an update from the social services committee to Northumberland County council during its June 19 regular council meeting. Council heard about the plans to open 181 new spaces at licensed child care centres here in 2024.

The expansion of the number of child care spaces is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the province.

This move will aim to address the shortage of licensed child care spaces in three “high priority areas” in Northumberland, the county said about the communities that were chosen to receive the additional spots.

In partnership with the Municipality of Port Hope, Northumberland County aims to renovate the Ruth Clarke Activity Centre and Canton Hub to introduce two new child care locations in Port Hope.

The Ruth Clarke Activity Centre location, planned in partnership with the Ganaraska Child Care Centre and located at 81 Mill St. S., will provide 70 new child care spaces by the fall, the county said.

The Canton Hub, located at 5325 County Rd. 10, will be renovated to accommodate 49 new spaces. This location is planned in partnership with YMCA Northumberland and is expected to open in winter 2024, according to the release.

Renovation plans are also underway to introduce 47 new spaces in Warkworth in collaboration with YMCA Northumberland. These spaces, located at 161 Old Hastings Rd., are expected to open in fall 2024.

Northumberland plans to introduce 15 “family age grouping” spaces at the Northumberland Centre for Individual Studies, located at 700 D’Arcy St. in Cobourg, this year. The family age group centre will provide children of different ages the chance to learn together, and will support families with kids of different ages to receive care at the same facility.

“While the county recognizes that all communities in Northumberland have unique needs and demands relating to child care, these three locations were identified in the County’s Directed Growth Plan and Early Learning and Child Care Service Plan as high priority areas based on existing capacity, demand, community demographics, projected growth and socioeconomic factors,” the release noted.

“These initiatives grow upon efforts that began last year, with the introduction of 10 new infant child care spaces at the Brighton Children’s Centre in 2023, in partnership with Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. These expansion efforts, which will continue into 2026, underscore the commitment from all levels of government and local child care operators to support families and foster vital early childhood development opportunities in the community.”

Ontario’s Early Years and Child Care Annual Report 2023 stated “a strong and accessible child care and early years system is a critical support for Ontario families. It plays a key role in children’s learning, development and well-being while parents and caregivers go to school or work to support their families and contribute to economic growth.”

In 2022. Ontario and Canada signed the CWELCC agreement aimed at helping Ontario achieve average fees of $10 per day for children under the age of six. The agreement focuses on five priority areas, including lowering fees, increasing access, enhancing quality, supporting inclusion, and strengthening data/reporting, the province noted.