Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for the southern Kawarthas region beginning late Monday morning (December 9), along with a special weather statement for freezing rain or freezing drizzle for much of the northern region.
The freezing rain warning is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County. The special weather statement for freezing rain or freezing drizzle is in effect for northern Peterborough County, northern Kawartha Lakes, and Hastings Highlands.
A low pressure system is approaching southern Ontario and will bring a mixture of precipitation to the region beginning Monday. A brief period of freezing rain is expected that may lead to ice build-up on some surfaces.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the southern areas of the region, precipitation should begin as freezing rain or snow late Monday morning or early Monday afternoon, before tapering off to scattered flurries, drizzle, or freezing drizzle on Monday evening.
Areas near Lake Ontario may receive mostly rain instead of freezing rain.
There is a potential for freezing drizzle through Monday evening and overnight as temperatures are expected to remain near the freezing mark, leading to further ice build-up on surfaces.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the northern areas of the region, precipitation should begin as snow with a few centimetres of snowfall accumulation possible by Monday afternoon. Snow is expected to become mixed with, or change to, freezing rain later on Monday afternoon before tapering to scattered flurries, drizzle, or freezing drizzle by Monday evening.
As temperatures are expected to remain near the freezing mark, there is a potential for freezing drizzle through the evening and overnight hours before ending early Tuesday morning.
Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas.
Our Daughters' Home was formed in 2023 by a group of parents seeking to secure a safe and supporting living environment for their seven adult daughters with developmental disabilities. The group is working in partnership with Habitat For Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region to have a duplex built in Peterborough's East City and has launched a fundraising campaign towards the $1-million cost of the home. (Photo courtesy of Our Daughters' Home)
Everyone wants a place to call home, and a group of parents who have adult daughters with special needs is fundraising in hopes of unlocking the door to a future for their aging children.
Peterborough resident Jane Bischoff, founder and chairperson of Our Daughters’ Home, has banded together with others who have the common goal of purchasing a home that their seven daughters can make their own.
But they need the community’s support to help make it happen. This holiday season, Our Daughters’ Home is inviting the community to help create a safe and supportive future for women with developmental disabilities by donating to the cause.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
In partnership with Habitat For Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, Our Daughters’ Home is appealing for support as it is working to fund a duplex to be built in Peterborough’s East City, scheduled for completion in December 2025.
“Our hope for the campaign is to reduce the mortgage for the girls,” Bischoff told kawarthaNOW. “The home will cost approximately $1 million to build and we’d like to try and raise as much money as we can towards that purchase price. We don’t want to leave our daughters with a huge mortgage when we are gone.”
Our Daughters’ Home was formed in July 2023 by a group of parents and the non-profit organization is dedicated to building permanent, inclusive housing for their seven adult daughters, who are currently either living at home with their parents or in group homes.
Peterborough resident Jane Bischoff is the founder and chairperson of the parent-led organization Our Daughters’ Home, comprised of parents looking to provide a safe and supportive living environment for their adult daughters living with a development disability, including Jane’s own daughter Jenny who lives with moderate autism. (Photo courtesy of Jane Bischoff)
“Our daughters are aging, and so are we,” Bischoff said in a media release. “There are no appropriate public housing options for them, so we’re taking action to ensure their futures are secure. This is more than a home — it’s about giving them safety, independence, and a chance to thrive.”
Once the duplex is built and the seven girls have moved in, the parents envision them living there happily with 24/7 staff. Some women have higher needs than others, Bischoff noted. Her own daughter Jenny is diagnosed with moderate autism.
“My vision is for my daughter to always be social because she loves to interact with people,” Bischoff said. “If I keeled over the day after she moved in, I could rest assured that Jenny would be taken care of for the rest of her life, without worrying about relatives stepping up to the plate.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Bischoff, a 67-year-old nutritionist, hopes to still be actively involved with Jenny when the move is completed. She expects she would still like to take her daughter out maybe weekly, whatever works best for them.
“As for the rest of the girls in Ontario whose parents are in the same boat as I am, I would like to provide a template or contact network of some sort so that no parent ever has to worry about what will happen to their daughter as they get older,” Bischoff said.
“It’s a terrible feeling to think that you have nowhere to turn to. Someone told me the wait time to get into a mixed group home is 20 to 30 years. We don’t have time for that.”
If the families behind Our Daughters’ Home are successful with the support of Habitat For Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, their adult daughters Michelle, Leah, Jenny, Brianna, Helena, Krista, and Erin will be living in their own safe and supporting living environment in 2026, giving peace of mind to their aging parents. (Photo courtesy of Our Daughters’ Home)
The need for a safe and supportive living environment for the seven women is urgent, according to Our Daughters’ Home.
Women with developmental disabilities are at least five times more likely to experience sexual assault than those without disabilities. Those living in mixed-group or institutionalized settings face even greater risks, often at the hands of caregivers or others in positions of trust.
“These statistics highlight the critical importance of creating safe, community-integrated housing like Our Daughters’ Home, where residents are protected and supported,” the group said.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
To make a donation and receive a tax receipt, visit habitatpeterborough.ca/donate/ and designate the gift to go to the “Our Daughters’ Home” fund.
If a tax receipt isn’t required, e-transfers can be directly sent to Our Daughters’ Home at ourdaughtershome@gmail.com.
Once their vision comes to life, Bischoff said, “I’m sure all the parents will be there (at their daughters’ new home) on a regular basis, and there will be guilt for a while at having done this. But it will be peace of mind for myself, for Jenny, and the rest of my family. This is the legacy that I hope to leave.”
Jodi Forestell became a holistic nutritionist after struggling with feeling like herself in her mid-forties and finding healing through holistic practices. Now through Jodi-Lee Nutrition & Wellness, she helps clients who are struggling with mental health, weight loss, hormonal imbalances, low energy, and inflammation feel like themselves again by focusing on nutrition as the foundation to the four pillars of health. Forestell is giving clients the chance to think about their New Year's resolutions by offering $100 off her Metabolic Balance Program until December 31, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Jodi-Lee Nutrition & Wellness)
Is eating better, getting more sleep, or getting more exercise on your list of 2025 New Year’s resolutions? If so, you are in luck, as Jodi-Lee Nutrition & Wellness is offering a “buy now, use later” sale which will not only have you eating and looking better, but will have you feeling like yourself again.
When Buckhorn resident Jodi Forestell started feeling foggy, unwell, and anxious in her mid-forties, she didn’t like the thought of immediately and indefinitely being put on medications. So she looked for other, holistic solutions and eventually found healing on her own. From there, she became a Natural Nutritionist Clinical Practitioner, Metabolic Balance Coach, and Forest Therapy Guide on top of being a personal trainer and fitness instructor.
In her online practice, Forestell helps clients use the four pillars of health, beginning with a focus on nutrition as the foundation of wellness followed by strategies and tools for managing stress, exercising, and sleeping. While many of her clients who aim to lose weight are often eager to go to the gym or elevate their fitness routine, Forestell says this does not have long-lasting effects because they first need to find balance in the food they’re consuming.
“People often think they have to lose weight to get healthy, but we need to flip that mindset to getting healthy first,” she points out. “That will turn into losing weight.”
VIDEO: What is Metabolic Balance? Presented by Jodi Forestell, CHN, NNCP
That’s why a personalized nutrition plan is at the heart of the program. Designed for anyone struggling with fatigue, inflammation, low energy, difficulty losing weight, hormonal imbalance, and feeling unlike themselves, the six-month program promotes sustainable results through strategies, customizations, supports, tools, and accountability that can be carried throughout the rest of your life.
At the beginning of the programs, clients have a blood test and, based on the test results and their goals, Forestell will give them a personalized food list that is unique to them along with eight “rules” for how to use it, advising them how to incorporate changes to sleep, exercise, and stress management into their lifestyle for long-lasting success. She will also provide clients with a bioimpedance scale, that is theirs to keep, to be used with weekly check-ins to keep them accountable and on track.
If you’d like to start feeling like yourself again in the new year, Jodi-Lee Nutrition & Wellness is offering $100 off the Metabolic Balance Program when purchased before Tuesday, December 31st. Program start dates will be in January 2025 and flexible to the client’s needs.
Know Your Locals™ is a branded editorial feature about locally owned independent businesses and locally operated organizations, and supported by them. If your business or organization is interested in being featured in a future “Know Your Locals” branded editorial, contact Jeannine Taylor at 705-742-6404 or jt@kawarthanow.com or visit our Advertise with kawarthaNOW page.
Even The Grinch will be volunteering during 'Loonies on the Street' on December 13, 2024 just outside of Peterborough Square at the corner of George and Simcoe Streets in downtown Peterborough. The 24th annual fundraiser to help keep the shelves stocked at Kawartha Food Share aims to raise at least $100,000 that will help feed over 14,000 people each month in the Peterborough area. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share)
The annual ‘Loonies on the Street’ fundraiser returns for its 24th year on Friday (December 13) from 7 to 10 a.m. just outside of Peterborough Square at the corner of George and Simcoe Streets in downtown Peterborough, aiming to raise $100,000 for Kawartha Food Share.
As FREQ 90.5 and OLDIES 96.7 broadcast the event live, a “bucket brigade” of volunteers will be collecting loose change up and down George Street, with volunteers from the Peterborough Lions Club doing the same on the Hunter Street Bridge.
Over the past 23 years, the event has brought in more than $2.2 million in monetary donations for Kawartha Food Share, including $170,000 last year.
Advertisement - content continues below
“The last few years have been difficult for so many, our member agencies and clients included,” says Kawartha Food Share general manager Ashlee Aitken.
“We are counting on the support of our community to once again help us ensure our shelves remain well stocked at our 37 member agencies who are currently feeding over 14,000 clients each month in Peterborough and county.”
Due to the postal strike, Kawartha Food Share’s donation letters have not been delivered, and the organization is encouraging those unable to donate during the event to visit the Kawartha Food Share warehouse at 665 Neal Drive before December 13 (anytime between 9 and 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday) to make a monetary donation, or to donate online at canadahelps.org/en/pages/3-loonies-on-the-street/.
Advertisement - content continues below
Kawartha Food Share is a central collection and distribution warehouse that partners with 37 member agency food banks, food cupboards, and other food action programs in the City and County of Peterborough.
More than 35 per cent of the 14,000 people Kawartha Food Share feeds every month are children, with the non-profit organization also providing nutritious snacks for 51 area school breakfast programs helping over 17,000 children get a healthy start to their school day.
Kawartha Food Share also provides outreach to those living with food insecurity by partnering with community meal programs, including those provided by Brock Mission, One City, Salvation Army Peterborough, and more.
Those are cannot attend the ‘Loonies on the Street’ fundraiser on December 13, 2024 are encouraged to drop off monetary donations at the Kawartha Food Share warehouse or to donate online. (Graphic: Kawartha Food Share)
Young musicians in the Kawartha Youth Orchestra's Upbeat! after-school program will perform a "Carol of the Bells" recital on December 12, 2024 at All Saints Anglican Church in Peterborough. Admission is by donation, with proceeds supporting the fully subsidized program for children and youth aged eight to 14 who face barriers to music education. (Photo: Kawartha Youth Orchestra / Facebook)
Students who typically wouldn’t have access to an instrument will bring the sound of music to their family, friends, and community members in Peterborough this holiday season.
For several years, the Kawartha Youth Orchestra (KYO) has been offering free musical experiences for children and youth through its Upbeat! program. Young musicians in the program will bring their talents to the stage at their “Carol of the Bells” recital at 6 p.m. on Thursday (December 12) in Peterborough.
Concert-goers can make a donation of any amount at the door to support this program, and “help keep music affordable, and make a difference in the lives of Peterborough’s youth,” said Samantha Haggstrom, KYO administrative assistant and Upbeat! program coordinator.
Advertisement - content continues below
KYO needs continued support from the community members to help the non-profit charitable organization keep the program alive for Peterborough children and youth. While Upbeat! was initially supported by an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant, that grant ended in June.
“The program has been sustained so far this year by the support of some personal donors, and a couple of smaller grants, particularly through the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough,” Haggstrom told kawarthaNOW.
“We are still in the process of raising more much-needed funds in order to keep the program running through the rest of this year and (in) the years to come.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Upbeat! is a subsidized after-school music program for children and youth aged eight to 14 who face barriers to music education. Participants learn to play violin, viola, and cello in a fun, ensemble-based program. Kids also get to learn music theory, and experience a wide range of musical genres with guest performances. A nutrition program addresses food insecurity by providing children with a healthy nutritious meal.
“Upbeat! helps students not only learn music but find a sense of belonging and community in a safe and exciting environment,” a media release noted.
Last year “Stay Upbeat!” was launched — a campaign to raise funds to ensure Upbeat! continues to run for years to come.
Advertisement - content continues below
“It’s such a joy to see our Upbeat! musicians’ excitement about their musical achievements as the concert draws near,” said program manager Colin McMahon in the release. “They’ve all worked so hard at their instruments this year and it shows — December 12 is going to be Upbeat’s greatest concert yet.”
Admission is by donation at the door, with proceeds supporting the program.
“The hopes for the event are two-fold,” Haggstrom said. “One, we want our Upbeat! students to have the experience of playing for their family, friends, peers, and community members. Two, we hope to raise more funds for the Stay Upbeat! campaign to help continue to fund the program.”
The Upbeat! concert is KYO’s second offering of the season, with the KYO marking 200 years since the release of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony during its “Ode to Joy” holiday concert at 6 p.m. on Sunday (December 8). Admission is also by donation at the door, with proceeds supporting the KYO.
Advertisement - content continues below
According to the release, “KYO’s December concerts are always a fun time with a variety of wonderful music, and this year will be no exception, with performances by all of the youth orchestras and ensembles that are a part of the organization.”
The Ode to Joy concert also features the first performance with KYO’s new lead conductor, Murray Lefebvre, an experienced musician and conductor.
The December 8 and 12 concerts both take place at All Saints Anglican Church at 235 Rubidge Street in Peterborough.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for the entire Kawarthas region beginning Saturday afternoon (December 7).
The winter weather travel advisory is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings Highlands.
Snow will progress southeastward through the afternoon, before tapering off from west to east late Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Advertisement - content continues below
Total accumulations of 10 to 15 cm of snow are expected.
Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly.
Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Slow down driving in slippery conditions. Watch for taillights ahead and maintain a safe following distance.
Peterborough Police Service headquarters on Water Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Pat Trudeau)
Peterborough police will soon be providing information about a macabre cold case from 36 years ago involving a victim only known as “The Otonabee River Man.”
On July 10, 1988, members of a recreational dive club who were diving in the Otonabee River near Lock and McKellar streets made a gruesome discovery: a disembodied human head. The divers found the human head on the river bottom around 130 feet from shore.
Although the discovery was followed by an extensive air and underwater search by police, the rest of the victim’s body was never recovered.
Advertisement - content continues below
Because of evidence that the head had been dismembered, police concluded the victim was murdered.
However, they were unable to identify the victim, and it was unknown when or where the victim was killed or how long his head had been in the river before it was found.
The man was believed to be between 40 and 74 years old. He was missing some lower molars from well before his death, and there was no evidence of dental care. He had staining on his remaining teeth that indicated he was a smoker. He may have been bald or partially bald at the time of his death, and possibly had a beard because of a small amount of facial hair. His hair and beard may have been dark coloured.
Advertisement - content continues below
Because there were no reports of missing men in Peterborough at the time the remains were found, police suspect the head may have been brought to the area from elsewhere.
Peterborough police will be holding a media conference at the Water street police station on Wednesday morning (December 11) to provide what they call “a significant update” about the case.
Since a DNA profile has been on file with the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, it’s possible police will announce the victim has finally been identified. However, they have provided no details about the nature of the announcement.
The Kawartha Lakes detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police is located at 3028 Highway 35 in the City of Kawartha Lakes. (Photo: Aquicon)
City of Kawartha Lakes residents can expect a slightly smaller property tax hike in 2025, thanks to funding from the Ontario government for provincial policing services.
The province has provided the municipality with $1.4 million in relief funding for services provided by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
During a special council meeting on November 26, Kawartha Lakes city council adopted Mayor Doug Elmslie’s 2025 budget, which included a tax increase of 6.7 per cent. As a result of the provincial relief funding, the property tax hike will be reduced to 6.2 per cent.
Advertisement - content continues below
On November 29, the province announced it would be providing over $77 million in financial relief to municipalities to help offset the increased cost of police services provided by the OPP.
The funding is intended to help the 330 predominantly small and rural communities that use OPP services to address budget impacts resulting from the collective bargaining agreement reached between the province and the Ontario Provincial Police Association in July 2024.
Kawartha Lakes has two police services, with the Kawartha Lakes Police Service serving residents of Lindsay and Ops and the Kawartha Lakes OPP serving all other communities in the municipality. Combined city-wide policing costs in the 2025 budget are $21.7 million, an increase of $3.3 million over 2024.
Advertisement - content continues below
Before the province’s relief funding, Kawartha Lakes would have been billed $9,925,440 for OPP policing services. Combined with the budget for the Kawartha Lakes Police Service, this represented a tax increase of 2.2 per cent.
With an estimated $1,413,283 in financial relief, the new total for OPP services being billed to the municipality in 2025 is $8,512,157, with the combined total tax increase decreasing to 1.7 per cent.
Of the $1.4 million in provincial relief funding, the municipality will return $400,000 to its OPP area rate stabilization reserve for future years, as the relief funding may not be available from the province in 2026.
Although Omemee was served by a railway starting in 1857 and had several train stations, the village's current station was built around 1908 and served as a train station until passenger service ended in 1962. (Photo courtesy of Omemee & District Lions Club)
The Omemee & District Lions Club has announced its custodianship of the historic Omemee train station and its plans to renovate and restore the building.
A media release states the club plans to transform the building to become “a community site where current and future generations can learn about their local history, and where local tourism can be promoted.”
Omemee was first served by the Port Hope, Lindsay and Beaverton Railway in 1857, which was known as the Midland Railway of Canada as of 1869, and became a shipping point for timber and grain.
Advertisement - content continues below
The original train station was located outside of the village but, after Omemee was incorporated in 1874, a new station was built within the village. That station and others were either demolished or destroyed by fire.
The current structure, which was built around 1908, served as the village’s train station until the last passenger train passed through Omemee in 1962. It has since been used as a storage building.
The Omemee & District Lions Club is seeking community donations and sponsorships so it can proceed with renovation and restoration plans.
Cheque donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 188, Omemee ON K0L 2W0 and etransfer donations can be sent to omemeelionsclubstation@gmail.com. The club will also have collection boxes available at selected local businesses in the near future.
The six-month reconstruction project of Walton Street in downtown Port Hope was completed in time for the Candlelight Walk on November 27, 2024 that launched Port Hope's annual Candlelight Festival, which runs until January 2. (Photo: Lee Higginson / Facebook)
Shovels and equipment have been put aside for now, and the footprints in freshly poured sidewalks are but a memory, as the second phase of the digging and paving of Walton Street in Port Hope concluded earlier this week.
The municipality announced Monday (December 2) that the 2024 portion of the major reconstruction project in the municipality’s downtown has been completed, and the road is now open to vehicular traffic.
Workers had nearly finished the work a few weeks ago, but had to regroup after footprints on the freshly poured sidewalks on the south side of Walton Street surfaced over the weekend of November 16 and 17. Repair work — including the removal of some portions of sidewalk — along with the preparation, re-pouring, and curing had to be completed as a result.
The work was completed in time for Port Hope’s Candlelight Walk last Friday night (November 29) that launched Port Hope’s annual Candlelight Festival, which runs until January 2.
Advertisement - content continues below
Municipality of Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky said it’s rewarding to have this portion of the project finished.
“Despite the last-minute setback of having members of the public walk on freshly poured sidewalk concrete, I am incredibly proud of our staff for leading us to the successful completion of phase two of Walton Street,” Hankivsky shared with kawarthaNOW.
“Few municipalities can boast about finishing a large, once-in-a-generation capital project such as this as being on time and on budget.”
Phase two of the Walton Street reconstruction work — a project the mayor considered crucial for the future of the historic downtown — officially kicked off on May 8. Enhancing pedestrian accessibility, improving road safety, and modernizing the downtown area’s infrastructure are key goals of the project.
Advertisement - content continues below
“We are building more than just a road — we are building a better future for all who live and work here,” Hankivsky said in a media release issued during the construction kick-off event in May.
The municipality held a groundbreaking ceremony downtown, which brought together residents, business owners, and municipal officials to mark the formal start of the major infrastructure improvements.
While the work was underway, Port Hope encouraged people to continue to shop locally and support local businesses. The municipality waived the fees for two bus routes during the duration of construction.
Advertisement - content continues below
Meanwhile, in other downtown news, Port Hope announced November 29 that its downtown “Heart of the Experience” project was selected for the “My Main Street Community Activator” initiative. The funding is geared towards making a lasting impact on the downtown.
“This support will allow the municipality to deliver events and enhancements to the downtown core,” Port Hope noted in a media release.
“Additionally, creative art installations and activations have been featured throughout the area in partnership with Critical Mass Art and other local organizations, inviting both resident and visitor engagement.”
Further activities will support main street businesses during and after the reconstruction, helping to attract residents and visitors to the area and contributing to the economic vitality of the community, the release noted.
My Main Street is built on the principle of supporting community economic development and creating vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods that will enhance the overall quality of life for residents, while also promoting sustainable and inclusive community development. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and supported by a Government of Canada investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Advertisement - content continues below
“A community’s resilience is anchored in its main street, and investing in them fosters economic prosperity and growth,” said Mary W. Rowe, president and CEO of CUI, in the release.
“Projects like Port Hope’s The Heart of the Experience, supported through My Main Street’s Community Activator initiative, use intentional and creative placemaking to revitalize their neighborhoods and public spaces. Our program’s investment provides an opportunity for local changemakers to build healthy, robust main street communities, and drive social cohesion and economic recovery where it’s needed most.”
My Main Street is a $15-million investment to foster the stabilization and revitalization of main streets across southern Ontario. According to the My Main Street website, the program offers streamlined direct-to-business supports and complementary programming for community projects that encourage growth and economic prosperity.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
