If your daily commute take you through Peterborough’s East City via the Maria Street swing bridge, you may need to plan an alternate route from September 30 to October 4.

Parks Canada is closing the bridge located at Lock 20 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily from Monday to Friday. During those hours, the bridge will be closed to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, although vessel traffic travelling along the canal under the bridge will not be affected.

“The closure is necessary to complete structural repairs and inspections of the bridge,” Parks Canada states in a media release.

Detour signage will be posted to direct vehicles to alternate crossings at Parkhill Road East or Lansdowne Street West.

“For the safety of area residents, drivers are asked to follow the detours to limit traffic on quieter residential streets,” the release states.

Alternate routes for local traffic include the tunnel under the Peterborough Lift Lock that connects Ashburnham Drive with Hunter Street, and McFarlane Street that connects Ashburnham Drive with Armour Road. Due to load and clearance limitations, trucks over five tonnes cannot use the Peterborough Lift Lock tunnel or the McFarlane Street bridge.

Pedestrians and cyclists can move between Ashburnham Drive and Maria Street by using the trail that runs through Beavermead Park and Roger’s Cove beside the new Canadian Canoe Museum.

A Scarborough teenager is in stable condition in hospital following what police believe is a drug-related shooting in Peterborough on Wednesday evening (September 25).

Police are searching for two or possibly three male suspects in the shooting, but do not yet have descriptions of the suspects.

At around 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, police were called to a residential building at 701 George Street North just south of Parkhill Road West after reports of gunshots. After officers arrived, a male 17-year-old from Scarborough suffering from multiple gunshot wounds emerged from the building.

He was treated on the sidewalk by emergency medical services before being taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre. He was later transported to a Toronto-area hospital where he is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

After arriving at the scene, officers and the canine unit searched the area but did not locate any suspects.

Peterborough Police Chief Stuart Betts and Detective Sergeant Josh McGrath held a media conference at the site of the shooting late Thursday morning, where Betts noted this is the third shooting incident in Peterborough so far this year.

“At this time, we are actively following up on investigative leads,” Betts said. “We’re searching for the suspects involved in this particular case and we’re asking anybody with information with regard to what happened to please forward that to police. If you’re uncomfortable speaking with the police, then please provide that information anonymously through Crime Stoppers.”

Betts added police believe the shooting is related to illicit drugs.

“Although it’s of little comfort I’m sure, we have information to believe that this was yet another targeted incident in our community,” Betts said. “We believe that the illicit drug trade is at the heart of it and, as I’ve said many times, where there are illicit drugs, there is violence soon to follow.”

While the shooting victim is from Scarborough, Betts implied that the suspects in the shooting are also not from the Peterborough area.

“These people came to our community to commit their violence,” he said.

McGrath said the suspects and the victim were known to each other, but the nature of the relationship is not yet clear.

“We believe all the parties involved were involved in the drug subculture in this building,” McGrath said.

In response to questions from reporters, McGrath said police do not yet know what type of firearm was used in the shooting. He also clarified that, while some of initial reports indicate the suspects are from out of town, police have not yet confirmed this.

McGrath also said that the shooting happened on the sidewalk in front of the building, and the wounded victim went inside the building to get help, emerging after police and emergency medical services arrived.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 ext. 555. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online at stopcrimehere.ca

A Place Called Home (APCH) in Kawartha Lakes recently opened its doors to a mother with young children after a family breakdown left them with nowhere to turn.

After a month, with the support of shelter staff and resources, the woman and her three kids — all under the age of six — moved into a new home.

Located in Lindsay, APCH’s emergency shelter is the only one in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County. APCH provides both emergency shelter and outreach services to those who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Helping people in difficult situations who need a place to land is possible for APCH as a result of the support it has from the communities it serves, the organization said.

That proved to be true on August 24, when more than 150 riders took part in the 21st Annual Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour. Cyclists from all over the province came out to show their support and helped raise a total of $40,000 for APCH. It’s the shelter’s largest fundraiser of the year.

“Thanks to fundraisers such as this, staff are always able to offer nutritional meals and snacks,” shelter manager Nicole Bryant told kawarthaNOW, reflecting on the mother’s recent stay.

“This includes our school and work lunches that we prepare each morning for those heading out for the day,” Bryant added, noting two of the woman’s children were of school age.

“Mom and kids were only here for four weeks and were quickly able to obtain housing after working hard with staff to find something within her means. While it’s always nice to see the smiling faces of kids around the shelter, nothing beats the feeling of seeing them move into their own space.”

This year’s Kawartha Lakes Classic offered three new road routes (50-kilometre, 100-kilometre, and 160-kilometre treks) and two new trail routes of 20 kilometres and 40 kilometres, all designed by members of the Kawartha Cycling Club.

“The fundraised dollars will support some increasing operational costs such as food, unexpected expenses, and services that are needed for daily operations of APCH,” said Angela Ricciuti, APCH’s executive director.

“Donations and fundraisers like the Kawartha Lakes Classic help APCH to reach more unique individuals and provide them with support that can make the difference they need to reach or maintain housing security,” she explained.

“Dollars also allow APCH to start creative initiatives that can not only help more individuals, but render new learnings about different ways to support those experiencing homelessness which will ultimately direct our advocacy efforts.”

“Fundraised dollars also support some key staff positions that provide tremendous support to APCH,” Ricciuti said of the $40,000 the event generated for APCH.

In a media release, APCH gave a shout-out to is sponsors including Boston Pizza Lindsay, Kawartha Business Equipment, Russell West Optometry, Weedman, Mosquito Hero, Economy Wheels Lindsay, Staples & Swain Professional Corp., and Maxama Protection Services.

APCH also thanked the members of its planning committee, a dedicated team of more than 50 volunteers, the cyclists who came out to ride, and those who supported the event by making donations.

“Without your tremendous support, the Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour would not be possible,” APCH noted. “Thank you for your commitment to supporting those experiencing homelessness and the most vulnerable in our community.”

For more information about APCH, visit www.apch.ca. Those who need shelter, or know of someone who’s in need of shelter, can reach out to shelter staff at 705-328-0905 ext. 223.

Moving into the fall, APCH will be executing some goals that stemmed from a recent strategic planning exercise, with a focus on access to housing, increased awareness, and expanded client services, the executive director noted.

Coe Hill School, an elementary school located in the hamlet of Coe Hill in northern Hastings County, is the winner of the Canadian Peace Museum’s second annual Stories of Peace Award.

The Canadian Peace Museum, a Bancroft-based charity which is fundraising to open a museum by the same name, announced the winner during an award ceremony at Bancroft Village Playhouse on Tuesday afternoon (September 24).

An annual competition that concluded on September 21 (the International Day of Peace), the Stories of Peace Award asked entrants to submit videos and art that answer the question, “What Does Peace Mean to You?”

A judging panel selected Coe Hill School as the winning entrant for the school’s video featuring testimonies of children and adults and the list of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The winning entry was an edited version of the full video that can be viewed below.

“The video includes themes of empathy, kindness, sharing, inclusion, democracy, and the importance, urgency, and the complexity of improving peace both locally and internationally,” states a media release from the Canadian Peace Museum.

As the winner of the Stories of Peace Award, Coe Hill School was presented with a cheque for $500 and a maple trophy carved and donated by Matt Peshal. The school was also presented with congratulatory scrolls from the Government of Canada signed by Hastings-Lennox and Addington MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman, and from the Government of Ontario signed by Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Ric Bresee.

“Coe Hill School strives to create a welcoming culture that sets a very high standard for peace and well-being both inside and outside our walls,” said Coe Hill School principal Rob Lake of the school’s win. “Our passionate staff work hard to build strong and resilient humans and we are humbled to be able to serve our community and help students take their place in the world. This exercise to examine peace through this contest has reminded us that the future is in good hands.”

VIDEO: Coe Hill School’s Stories of Peace submission (long version)

The judging panel also selected two runners-up: a watercolour painting by Katie Baklinski titled “Peace is Food Grown in Safety. Enough for Everyone” and a video by Brynn Duggan featuring images of peaceful protests calling for an end to violence in Gaza.

Entries for the Stories of Peace Award mainly came from Ontario, but videos also came in from as far away as Bangladesh.

The award ceremony also featured a number of speakers, including Canadian Peace Museum president Chris Houston who thanked the Town of Bancroft for supporting efforts to open the museum, including recently installing a peace pole in Bancroft’s Cenotaph Park.

Other speakers included Bancroft mayor Paul Jenkins, the Town of Bancroft’s general manager Andra Kauffeldt, and Reverend Svinda Heinrichs of St Paul’s United Church in Bancroft.

Professor Wim Laven, the editor-in-chief of the Peace Chronicle, came from Ohio to speak at the event.

“Stories of peace are essential to making sure we remind ourselves and each other on a regular basis that despite the gruesome events happening every day, it’s extremely normal for people to be helping each other,” he said.

Palestinian-Canadian poet Maya Al-Jaber gave a reading during the event and reflected on the Stories of Peace Award.

“I think when you are not born in such a violent area of the world, it’s easier to forget about suffering that happens outside your local area,” she said. “So to see so many people put in an effort and conscious awareness and try to always be aware of what is happening, when it is not related to them directly, it is very nice to see.”

During the event, a large painting by Maynooth artist David Maris called “Exploring the Dark Side of the Fight to Achieve Peace” — which the artist had entered into the competition — was on display.

Also on display was the “Exodus” project by Nicolò Filippo Rosso, an Italian photographer who for the past four years has travelled along migration routes from Venezuela to Colombia and from Central America to Mexico and the United States documenting violence and displacement in parts of Latin America caused by lack of job opportunities, limited access to education, and political corruption. The exhibit is on loan to the Canadian Peace Museum from the United Nations Refugee Agency in Canada.

Sponsored by Loaded Pierogi restaurants, the award ceremony event also featured a silent raffle for a piece of art called “Evening Glow at Eagles Nest,” which was donated by Liz RayShine, owner-operator of the Muse Cafe & Gallery in Bancroft, and an acoustic version of “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” — a song written in 1971 by Scottish-born Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle in 1971 that describes war as futile and gruesome while criticising those who seek to glorify it — performed by local musician Liam Kelly.

This story has been updated with a correction. This is the second annual Stories of Peace Award, not the inaugural award.

Kirkfield-area families will have more access to child care when a new centre opens in 2025.

Compass Early Learning & Care (Compass ELC) has announced it is expanding its child care services in the Kawartha Lakes with the purchase of a building at 1047 Portage Rd.

Previously owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough and before that the site of St. John Catholic Elementary School, Compass ELC said it intends to open a child care program with 49 spaces for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in the area.

Renovations will begin shortly, a media release noted, with a request for proposals being tendered this fall and an anticipated opening in 2025.

Compass ELC, in partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes, said the Kirkfield community was identified as the number-one priority area based on lack of access to licensed child care, and the needs in the surrounding area.

“We are so fortunate to have such strong and capable partners willing and able to bring forward this project and we already know that the children will receive the highest quality and excellent care while in the hands of the Compass family,” said Janine Mitchell, manager of human services, in a media release.

Compass ELC will offer 10 spaces for infants (0 to 18 months), 15 spaces for toddlers (18 to 30 months), and 24 spaces for preschoolers (30 months to six years) for a total of 49 spots.

The project has so far received “enthusiastic support” from the City of Kawartha Lakes, the media release noted.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support from our community partners, such as the wonderful children services team and other city staff such as the planning and building department staff,” said Jill Wickins, organizational link for operations with Compass ELC.

Compass ELC is giving a shout-out to Cheyenne Weatherall, a Kirkfield resident and Compass ELC team member, who sensed a need for child care in the community and initiated a proposal when she saw the property was put up for sale.

“We believe that all communities deserve access to high-quality, affordable early learning and care and, as a not-for-profit enrolled in the Canada-wide early learning and child care $10/day child care plan, we are excited to expand access to Kirkfield and the surrounding communities,” said Ashley Collins, co-CEO of Compass ELC.

“We are grateful to work collaboratively with so many caring team members, including our board of directors, and the City of Kawartha Lakes staff to support the communities we serve.”

With the upcoming expansion of child care services, Compass ELC is recruiting area early childhood educators and support staff to join its team. Those interested in applying can contact careers@compasselc.com.

For families, Compass ELC will release details about a waitlist and registration information in 2025 when a projected opening date is in sight.

Compass ELC is a network of more than 700 employees and 80 home child care providers who serve more than 5,000 families in Peterborough County, City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Durham Region and Northumberland County.

In Budget 2021, the federal government set out to establish the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System, which involves working with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to build a Canada-wide, community-based system of quality child care.

“This will be a transformative project on a scale with the work of previous generations of Canadians, who built a public school system and public health care,” the federal government noted in a backgrounder about the initiative.

The government said the COVID-19 pandemic “shifted the public understanding” around how access to child care supports children, their families, and the economy. “The clear benefits of early learning and child care should not be a luxury for only the Canadian families that can afford it. Lack of access is not a choice, nor are unaffordable fees. The current system is leaving too many children and families behind, particularly low-income and racialized families.”

Investing in early learning and child care provides jobs for workers (the majority of whom are women), enables parents (particularly mothers) to reach their full economic potential, and “it creates a generation of engaged and well prepared young learners,” the document noted.