As it faces a significant shortfall during its annual holiday fundraising campaign, The Salvation Army Peterborough is asking the community to help.

The non-profit charity says it’s $150,000 short of its $675,000 goal through the “Hope for all Seasons” and kettle campaigns.

With the organization raising 75 per cent of the total operating budget for its community and family services offerings over the holidays, the current shortfall will severely limit The Salvation Army Peterborough’s services to the community in 2026.

“Our community is suffering,” pastor Mark Dalley told kawarthaNOW. “We can turn away from those hurting, judging them for their choices and the circumstances they find themselves in, or we can offer love and grace — the same things we want others to offer us when we go through difficult times.”

Since the beginning of December, The Salvation Army Peterborough has helped more than 2,000 families receive Christmas hampers with the community’s support. However, the need continues to rise in Peterborough. In 2025, the organization saw an increase of 15 per cent in those accessing its services.

“Our sincerest desire is that every member of the community would partner with us to help us meet the needs, and for us to come together as family this Christmas in Peterborough,” Dalley said. “If everyone in Peterborough was to give just $2 each between now and New Year’s, we would not only meet but surpass our fundraising goal.”

Dalley mentioned the organization’s breakfast program as an example of the suffering being experienced, with another increase in 2025 in the numbers of people attending the program.

“Unfortunately, this increase is not new — we have seen at least a 10 per cent increase every year since 2020,” he noted. “It used to be only that those coming for breakfast were the homeless of our community, but not anymore. Today we are also seeing families and students struggling to make ends meet, coming to get something to eat before heading off to school and work.”

“With our numbers climbing and the cost of food increasing, it has been difficult for us to meet these needs. Yet, we have hope.”

Dalley said the Peterborough community has always responded when The Salvation Army Peterborough has needed support.

“They have given generously through volunteer service and financial contributions,” he said. “We believe that if they knew how deep our need is this Christmas, they would rally behind us once again. We need their help.”

“That is what is at the top of our Christmas wish list this year: to see lives transformed, addictions healed, and children surrounded by the love and hope of their community.”

Donations can be made by stopping one of the Salvation Army Peterborough’s Christmas kettles in the community, dropping by its offices on Simcoe Street, or by mailing a cheque to The Salvation Army Peterborough, 219 Simcoe St., Peterborough ON, K9H 2H6.

Credit card donations can also be made by phone by calling 705-743-313 ext. 257. Leave a message for a call back.

The Salvation Army Peterborough has been serving the local community since 1885, providing practical assistance and compassionate care to individuals and families in need. Through programs such as the food bank, breakfast program, emergency support, and seasonal assistance, the organization works year-round with the goal of offering hope and dignity to all.

GreenUP grew over 5,000 native plants in 2025 and supported the planting of hundreds of others. In celebration of these restoration efforts, along with newly installed tree identification signage at Ecology Park, GreenUP will highlight a few select native trees in a three-part series over the holidays.

When most life seems to retreat in the harsh Canadian winter, coniferous trees stand tall — sheltering wildlife, cleaning the air, offering reliable food sources, and adding a welcome splash of colour to an otherwise grey landscape.

Each of these species brings its own unique traits, transforming what could feel like a bleak midwinter into a season of opportunity for countless creatures.

From the black-capped chickadee to red squirrels and the white-tailed deer, these evergreens don’t just support wildlife — they sustain it. Their cones offer nutrient-packed seeds, their fresh twigs provide winter browse, and even the occasional berry hanging on from fall becomes a welcome treat. Together, they create a dependable winter pantry long after other food sources have disappeared.

Among these winter champions, the eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) stands out as a symbol of resilience. Known as the “Great Tree of Peace” amongst the Haudenosaunee, this tree’s tall, straight trunk and soft bundles of five needles carve a silhouette instantly recognizable across Ontario. Yet, beyond its iconic form lies a wealth of ecological gifts.

The soft, flexible branches of the white pine offer a dense shelter from the cold, harsh winter winds and snow. Black-capped chickadees, pine siskins, and other small songbirds often choose white pine stands for foraging and rest, as their needles offer shelter from the elements. Red squirrels also rely on these giants, caching cones through the summer to prepare for their much-needed winter feasts.

Food and shelter aside, white pines also play a crucial role in shaping winter habitats. Their soaring trunks provide lookout posts for owls and hawks alike, while mature stands break the wind and create calmer understory conditions where deer can rest. Even in the deepest cold, white pines remain pillars of resilience.

The white pine isn’t alone — it shares the spotlight with another humble giant, the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Found throughout cool ravines and shaded northern slopes, the hemlock creates some of the most stable winter microhabitats in the forest. Its shiny green needles with a pale underside form dense, layered canopies that buffer wind like no other, trapping warmth, catching snow, and leaving the forest floor below surprisingly warm.

Nuthatches and golden-crowned kinglets find themselves foraging through fine needles in search of overwintering insects, while the deer below stop to take a break in this unique utopia. Though they often have a frail appearance, hemlocks are ecological powerhouses responsible for cooling rivers and providing habitat for brook trout.

In winter, when life seems to retreat in wait for spring, hemlock stands remain quietly alive, softening the landscape, sheltering the vulnerable, and shaping entire ecosystems from their shaded understories to the cold streams they guard. Their presence offers a subtle reminder that resilience doesn’t need to be loud or towering; sometimes, it’s found in the gentle sweep of evergreen branches that make survival possible.

Another conifer with a compelling story is eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), also known as “The Tree of Life.” This hardy species offers remarkably high-quality winter browse, making cedars an essential food source for deer, rabbits, and porcupines when other options are buried under snow.

Often found clinging to limestone cliffs, wetland edges, and rocky shorelines, this tree’s flat overlapping scales make up its unique leaves, which are recognized by all. Simply put, this tree survives where few other trees dare to grow, including the Niagara Escarpment, where some of Canda’s oldest eastern cedars still stand.

Cedar’s contributions extend far beyond its limbs. Flocks of cedar waxwings often drift through white cedar stands in winter, pausing amongst the sheltered branches. Mature cedar stands also form wide-spreading fibrous root systems that work to stabilize soil along streams and wetlands, protecting vital riparian habitats that remain active throughout the winter.

Winter may strip the world to its bare essentials, but in the evergreen presence of white pine, hemlock, and cedar, lies a story of endurance. Their branches hold not only snow, but entire communities. Their roots anchor more than soil — they anchor entire ecosystems. In their company, the winter forest feels less empty and far more alive.

Visit Ecology Park to see these native tree species and the newly installed tree identification signage, funded in part by Trans Canada Trail, and featuring Anishnaabemowin translation of the tree names courtesy of Curve Lake First Nation and The Creators Garden.

You can support GreenUP’s work to restore native habitat locally by donating today at greenup.on.ca/donate-now/.

A 44-year-old man already wanted for a December 6 homicide in Peterborough is now also wanted in connection with a homicide in Oshawa early on Tuesday morning (December 23).

Michael Waterman is one of two suspects accused of stabbing 44-year-old Jeremy Russell in the area of Park Road South and John Street in Oshawa.

Russell, who was located on the roadway suffering from stab wounds, was transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre in life-threatening condition where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Officers with the Durham Regional Police Service have arrested 33-year-old Nicholas Robbins from Oshawa and charged him with second-degree murder, and Waterman is wanted on the same charge.

Durham police say the victim and the two accused men are all known to each other.

In Peterborough, Waterman is wanted for second-degree murder after a 33-year-old man was found severely injured in an apartment in downtown Peterborough on December 6 and died of his injuries at the scene.

Peterborough police have already arrested two of the suspects in that homicide, and have been searching for Waterman.

Although Peterborough police originally identified Waterman as being from Peterborough, Durham police have indicated he is from Oshawa.

Durham police are warning the public that Waterman is considered armed and dangerous. If you spot Waterman, do not approach him and call 9-1-1 immediately.

When members of the Rotary Club of Peterborough let their hair down, they don’t hold back.

Full evidence of that was on display on Monday (December 22) at Northminster United Church when the service club hosted its annual Christmas lunch, a seasonal affair replete with festive-themed sweaters, a traditional turkey dinner, and more laughs than you can shake a candy cane at.

But, of course, it wouldn’t be a Rotary function without the presentation of a sizable cheque to one of the many organizations the service club habitually supports. To that end, the proceeds from September’s Linwood Homes Fore The Kids Golf Tournament — $17,000 split evenly between the club and the Five Counties Children’s Centre — were revealed via a big cheque.

And then there was the awarding of the Koeslag Cup to the Rotarian breakfast club team makes the most nutritious and delicious breakfast for Princes of Wales Elementary School students. In contention were five Rotary breakfast club teams, each responsible for one morning a week at the Monaghan Road school.

With some serious bragging rights on the line, the Friday breakfast crew — Rotarians Nick Avlonitis and Doug Armstrong with Rotary “friends” Linn Thain, Donna Burley-Chestnut, Jeff Clark, Dale Wilson, and Brian Wilson — raised high the cup that’s named after the late Peter Koeslag, who was a dedicated Prince of Wales breakfast club volunteer.

According to those in the know, Nick’s world-famous pancakes, laden with chocolate chips and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, did the trick.

As for the best Christmas sweaters, there were three winners as voted by members, with Bruce Gavel’s deemed the funniest, Marie Press’s voted the most creative, and Bruce Clark’s contribution, which he dramatically stripped to reveal, named the best overall sweater.

“It’s a misconception that the Rotarians don’t get together and have a lot of fun,” said club president Tony Grady, who joined Rotary in 2019 with his wife Kelli. “We do a lot of good for the community, but we have fun while doing it.”

Speaking to the club’s daily involvement with the Prince of Wales breakfast club program, Grady noted the important role a good breakfast plays in students’ academic success. Prince of Wales vice-principal Brad Conlin, a guest at the meeting, concurred.

“It’s an incredible program that sets our students up for success every day,” he said. “It also gives them the opportunity to see some happy faces first thing. Each day, a different team comes out. Our students get to know these people. They know who’s coming each day of the week and they’re ready with the jokes and, of course, have an awesome breakfast to start their day.”

According to Conlin, about 100 breakfasts are served each day at the school, and about the same number are served at lunch. While Rotary is the main provider of volunteer help, there are other partnerships that make the program work. For example, just last year, Leon’s provided new appliances.

“We notice a huge difference when kids have a full belly,” Conlin said. “They’re ready to learn when they get into their class. When kids go into their classrooms without something to eat, we often see them dysregulated and having a hard time concentrating. They have this opportunity — whether it’s a bowl of cereal, a glass of milk, or pancakes — to come into class ready to learn and ready to be successful.”

As for the Linwood Homes Fore The Kids Golf Tournament, Grady said Rotary’s $8,500 share of the golf tournament proceeds is destined for the building of a wholly accessible playground at Riverview Park and Zoo.

Grady pointed out that Peterborough would look and feel a lot different if it weren’t for the funds raised and donated by local service clubs, Rotary among them.

“Service clubs give back so much. We’re all volunteers to help the city out. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t even get recognized for.”

The past six years, added Grady, have been immensely rewarding.

“When my wife and I became empty-nesters, it was hard to make friends at our age. We wanted the social aspect of it. There are 50 to 60 members that get together regularly, so that’s a big thing for us. And then there’s giving back on top of that.”

Asked his favourite thing of this annual pre-Christmas lunch, Grady is quick to answer: seeing the Christmas sweater creations that members model.

Organizing that portion of the program was Kelli Grady.

“It’s a chance to be a little silly,” she said, adding “Bruce Clark is usually one of our more serious members, so for him to win for the best overall (sweater) was hilarious.”

She noted that she and her husband Tony “were looking for something we could do together” when they joined Rotary.

“We wanted to give back to the community, but we also wanted to make new friends really. Rotary seemed like the perfect fit because you get to enjoy that social time and have a fun time together, but then you also get to make a difference together. It’s a perfect balance of those two things.”

As for why they joined the Rotary Club of Peterborough instead of one of the other Rotary clubs in the area, she said the lunchtime meeting was a factor.

“There was no way we were getting up early in the morning,” she laughed, referring to the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha’s breakfast meetings at 7:20 a.m. meetings.

Now, as the calendar page flips to 2026, the club’s next big project looms in the form of the 40th annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim, a fundraiser for Easter Seals and Rotary Club of Peterborough projects.

Founded by the late real estate businessman in 1987 (Oake swam in the event every year until 2016), the fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, February 27 at the YMCA of Central East Ontario’s Balsillie Family Branch on Aylmer Street. For updates and to register online, visit carloakerotaryswim.com.

Since it was established in 1921, the Rotary Club of Peterborough has supported many local and international programs and events, from its early sponsorship of local initiatives including the Five Counties Children’s Centre, the Rotary Spelling Bee, and the Prince of Wales Elementary School breakfast program, to worldwide initiatives such as polio eradication, the provision of clean water, world peace, and literacy.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Peterborough and to become a member, visit www.peterboroughrotary.ca.