Peterborough students managing the aftermath of a concussion and registered to pursue a post-secondary education can apply for a bursary.

In honour of the late Steve Montador, the Helping Others Participate Equally (HOPE) bursary was established to support students transitioning from high school to college or university who are suffering the long-term effects of a sports-related concussion and require a reduced academic course load as result of injury.

Montador — a former Peterborough Pete, NHL defenceman, and a HOPE board member and supporter — suffered concussions playing hockey, which ultimately ended his career. Prior to his death in February 2015 at age 35, Montador was very vocal about his struggles and his depression, and he made a commitment to be an advocate for others.

An autopsy found Montador suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries including concussions and repeated blows to the head.

Students at a Peterborough city or county-based high school and registered in a first-year program at college or university can apply for the bursary. Applications are now open.

Vince Bierworth, executive director of GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation, said the bursary initiative is significant for a few reasons.

“This bursary is important because it provides support to students transitioning from high school to post secondary who are experiencing the long-term effects of concussion,” Bierworth said.

“It helps draw awareness to the fact that there are student athletes out there who are having this experience. It’s also important to everyone involved in HOPE to honour and pay tribute to (Montador), who was not only a member of HOPE, but a friend and advocate.”

The first recipient of the bursary was in 2018.

“Our hope for this year, as it is each year, is to be able to support as many students as we can who are pursuing post-secondary education but require a reduced workload due to sports related-concussion,” Bierworth explained.

“The best part of this bursary is seeing the students, who are on their road to recovery, having some of the financial burden of post secondary lifted off their shoulders so that they are more able to focus on their recovery.”

Applications close on May 1 at midnight. All applicants will be reviewed by a committee consisting of HOPE, Team 55, GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation, and the Canadian Mental Health Association. Applicants will be notified of their status by May 20.

To be considered for the bursary, a person needs to be:

• A student at a Peterborough city or county high school and registered in a first-year program at college or university
• Suffering from post-concussion syndrome sustained from a sports-related injury
• Be in satisfactory academic standing
• Have financial need.

Students who meet the above requirements and would like to apply for the bursary can download the registration form at gphsf.ca/stevemontador/.

After Montador’s unexpected death, his friends and fellow board members of HOPE established the bursary initiative.

Montador’s story is the subject of the 2017 book by Ken Dryden titled Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador, and the Future of Hockey.

Good Friday is a statutory holiday across Canada, so all government offices and services, malls and big box stores, and beer and liquor stores are closed. Almost all grocery stores are also closed, while most drug stores remain open. On Easter Sunday, most drug stores and a few grocery stores are open, while almost everything else is closed. On Easter Monday, some government offices and services remain closed, but all beer stores, grocery stores, and malls and big box stores resume normal hours, and a few liquor stores are open in larger communities.

For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 288 selected businesses, services, and organizations across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially where you see “call to confirm” (which means the business did not indicate specific holiday hours) or if you are travelling any distance.

If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not have the hours for restaurants in this list as there are far too many to include.

Note: Holiday hours for Foodland grocery stores have been corrected based on updated from the Foodland website.

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If you live in Peterborough and want to get a jump on your spring yard cleaning over the Easter long weekend, you can once again put your leaf and yard waste out to the curb for collection next week.

The city’s yard waste collection service begins on Tuesday (April 2) and will continue until the last week of November on your regular collection day.

Residents can put out unlimited quantities of yard waste in labelled reusable containers, bushel baskets, or paper yard waste bags. Plastic bags will not be accepted.

Brush can be tied in bundles weighing not more than 13 kilograms (30 pounds), with a length of up to one metre (three feet) and a diameter of up to 30.5 centimetres (12 inches). The same weight restriction applies for yard waste in reusable containers, which must have two fixed handles and an easily removable lid.

If you put your yard waste in reusable containers, they must have two clearly identifiable yellow labels attached that identify the contents as yard waste. The yellow labels are available for free at Peterborough City Hall (500 George St. N.) from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Note that City Hall will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Yard waste should be put out after 6 p.m. the night before, or no later than 7 a.m. the morning of, your regular waste collection day.

A Hastings resident is being recognized for her efforts as a good citizen.

Carrie Hayward, who has “worked around the clock” to help people facing mental and physical challenges and to advocate for those who are marginalized, has received a nod from the provincial government for her volunteer contributions.

Hayward is among 13 recipients who were presented with the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for 2021 and 2022 by lieutenant governor Edith Dumont and citizenship and multiculturalism minister Michael Ford during a ceremony Monday (March 25) at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

The second highest honour awarded by the provincial government, the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship recognizes exceptional civic leadership and volunteerism that has had a lasting impact on recipients’ communities and the province.

Hayward is a former board member and current volunteer at LOFT Community Services.

“Carrie Hayward has worked around the clock to help people facing mental and physical challenges,” a government media release stated.

“Her crowning achievement is the construction of Bradford House, which provides housing for up to 100 at-risk seniors and homeless individuals. A fierce advocate for the marginalized, she strongly campaigns for the dignity they deserve. Carrie’s time, effort and support will be a lasting legacy.”

In addition to her work with LOFT, Hayward also serves as chair of Campbellford Memorial Hospital’s (CMH) board of directors.

She retired from the Ontario public service sector, following her tenure as the assistant deputy minister of the regional operations division for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Hayward also previously held senior executive roles in the province’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Community and Social Services, as well as working for Anishinabek Nation as its health director.

Her family roots in Campbellford date back to 1906 with the arrival of her great-grandparents. Hayward began cottaging in the Trent Hills area 30 years ago and has called it home for more than a decade.

“(Hayward) views CMH as an integral part of our region and contributing to the hospital’s current and future success enables her to give back to the community,” CMH stated.

The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship is intended to honour individuals for their exceptional long-term efforts and outstanding contributions to the well-being of their communities throughout the province.

An independent advisory council reviews each nomination and selects the candidates. The lieutenant governor is the advisory council’s honorary chair.

Since 1973, 573 people from across Ontario have been invested with the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship.

Local philanthropists Martin and Denise Pick have made another donation to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation — this time a $1 million donation the regional hospital has invested in minimally invasive surgical tools and state-of-the-art diagnostic technology.

The hospital’s women’s and children’s unit was named after the couple in honour of the donation during a private family event on Tuesday (March 26).

“Martin and Denise believe in the power of philanthropy to make their hospital and hometown great,” said PRHC Foundation president and CEO Lesley Heighway in a media release. “They have a long history of making transformational gifts and their generosity has been shaping the future of health care in this region for years. We’re beyond grateful for their continued support.”

The couple have long-standing relationships with PRHC both as volunteers, with Martin a former PRHC Foundation board member, and donors. In 2019, PRHC unveiled the Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre, a 4,300-square-foot centre to support multidisciplinary health care training and education initiatives at the hospital. Most of the $3.1 million cost of the centre was donated by the Picks.

Both that donation and the $1 million donation announced on Tuesday were made through the Remembering Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation, a family charitable fund named for Martin’s father and mother. Martin’s father died from his third heart attack in 1959 at the age of 54.

“Denise and I feel that the quality of health care available in a community is tied to its overall quality of life — to its ability to grow and prosper,” Martin said. “We want to help make sure the doctors and nurses at PRHC have the tools they need to deliver the best care. To do that, we need to support them and give them the equipment that will allow them to innovate.”

“The more we can do to support PRHC, the more we can help improve health care for patients from Peterborough and our surrounding communities,” Denise added. “We hope our donation encourages others to join us.”

The Picks’ $1 million donation has allowed PRHC to upgrade one of four general operating suites with state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical tools, Heighway said. As technology and equipment is not covered by government funding, hospitals rely on the generosity of community donors to acquire it — something that also helps PRHC attract top health care professionals to work at the hospital.

According to PRHC general surgeon Dr. Joslin Cheverie, the investment “has given my colleagues and I access to brand new, leading-edge equipment to perform cancer surgeries” and has enabled the hospital to introduce fluorescence-guided imaging to general surgery.

“This new, specialized system is letting us operate with increased precision,” she said. “It’s an advancement that has tremendous potential for the treatment of bowel and other cancers.”

The $1 million donation has also helped fund two new leading-edge CT (computed tomography) scanners that support safer and more accurate diagnosis by generating higher quality and more comprehensive images.

The donation is also helping PRHC treat more urgent and chronic conditions like cancer, stroke, and traumatic injury without invasive surgery through the expansion and upgrading of the hospital’s interventional radiology suites.

“It’s so encouraging to have the support of people like Martin and Denise Pick, who care as much about our health care future as we do and are willing to invest in us and the technology we need to make our vision a reality,” said PRHC president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula.

Kawartha Conservation is urging the public to report any illegal activities at Ken Reid Conservation Area near Lindsay, including the use of dirt bikes and ATVs on trails.

“Ken Reid Conservation Area is a cherished natural reserve that prohibits the use of motorized vehicles on its trails to preserve the area’s tranquility and environmental integrity,” reads a media release.

“Despite clear guidelines and signage throughout the conservation area, there have been multiple instances of dirt bikes and other motorized vehicles damaging the landscape and disturbing the peace of this natural habitat.”

Kawartha Conservation says it is also aware of other violations at the 110-acre property — specifically, the starting of campfires. Along with being against conservation area rules, campfires will be illegal when Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service imposes its annual municipal-wide burn ban, effective April 1, in response to the elevated fire risk associated with dry grass and debris during April.

“It is important to note that the prohibition of fires and use of motorized vehicles extends to all conservation areas managed by Kawartha Conservation, including Windy Ridge, Pigeon River, Fleetwood Creek, and Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Areas,” the media release adds. “These measures are in place to protect our natural environments and ensure they can be enjoyed by all visitors in a safe and sustainable manner.”

Kawartha Conservation is asking community members to report any sightings of suspicious or illegal activity, including the use of dirt bikes, ATVs, or any instances of fire within the conservation area, by using the online reporting tool at www.kawarthaconservation.com/report.

A 32-year-old man is dead after a single-vehicle collision late Monday night (March 25) on County Road 36 between Lindsay and Dunsford.

At around 10:23 p.m., Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and fire and emergency medical services responded to a report of the collision on County Road 36 just north of the intersection with Settlers Road.

The driver of the vehicle, a 32-year-old Dunsford man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

County Road 36 was closed in the area for several hours while police documented the scene.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has video/dash camera footage and has not spoken with police is asked to contact Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Next month, one lucky winner will become thousands of dollars richer for supporting animal welfare in the Kawarthas region.

After less than two weeks of ticket sales, the Peterborough Humane Society has already collected more than $11,500 for its inaugural 50/50 draw.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to engage the community with something that’s fun,” says Kevin MacKenzie, fund development director at the Peterborough Humane Society. “Somebody’s going to walk away with a pretty big chunk of change, and at the same time, raise much-needed funding for the animals that are in need.”

Tickets are available until noon on Wednesday, April 17th at www.phs5050.ca. The draw will occur at 1 p.m., where the winner will be awarded with half of the collected funds. Ticket are priced at $2 for one, $5 for three, $10 for 10, or $25 for 25.

At the same time, the Peterborough Humane Society is also hosting Owen’s ‘Ruff’le, named in honour of Lakefield’s late Owen The Griff, a Brussels Griffon made famous on social media whose 17th birthday would have been on March 13, the same day ticket sales opened.

The draw presents the opportunity to win two Lollygagger lounge chairs valued at over $1,700 donated by Loll Designs and Stony Lake Furniture Co., where Owen was the shop dog before he passed away last June. Tickets for Owen’s ‘Ruff’le are priced at $20 for one, $50 for three, and $100 for 10.

“Someone will be very lucky to get two beautiful chairs to put out on their patio, on their deck at the cottage, or wherever else they want to enjoy them this summer,” says MacKenzie.

According to his parents Lisa Besseling and Marlon Hazlewood, Owen The Griff sounded like a chicken when he barked, looked like a tiny alpaca, enjoyed fruit snacks, and crossed flooring transitions with extreme caution. Though not adopted from the shelter himself, he was always a supporter and advocate for the work done at the Peterborough Humane Society.

“Owen The Griff and his family were a very big part of getting the Peterborough Animal Care Centre built, because he had such a strong following on Instagram and still does,” says MacKenzie. “They are big supporters and believers in what we do at the Peterborough Humane Society, so we’ve been so fortunate to have them here.”

MacKenzie notes that the more than $11,500 in the pot for the 50/50 draw does not include the more than $5,000 raised through Owen’s ‘Ruff’le so far. All the funds raised from both will support the work of the Peterborough Humane Society, from the spay-and-neuter clinic to cleaning and caring for the animals — including caring for their mental health.

“Sometimes we don’t know what’s happened to an animal when they come to our facility,” says MacKenzie. “If they haven’t been in the best environment, the animal care workers help them learn to trust people and trust other animals again. Our staff work so carefully with these animals to make sure that, mentally and physically, they are healthy enough for a second-chance life.”

“The animals are being walked, socialized, taken care of, vaccinated, micro-chipped, spayed and neutered,” he adds. “All of these services and all that care and love we give these animals is what you are paying for when you buy your lottery tickets.”

MacKenzie adds that the need for support is a “12-month, 365-day-a-year need” because, even though the new animal care centre is much larger than the previous location, the shelter is still full of animals looking for their forever homes — and it’s about to get even more full as spring marks kitten season.

“We’re about to get a lot of cats and kittens that will end up in our facility in the next couple of months, but we do have animals that are abandoned and surrendered to us each and every week,” he says. “The Kawarthas region is expanding. There are more and more homes being built, more and more people moving to the Kawarthas region, and with that demographic growing, so does the need in animal welfare.”

The funds raised from the 50/50 lottery and Owen’s ‘Ruff’le will also support the work being done outside of the animal care centre itself. One such service, which becomes more essential each day, is the partnership with local food banks which ensures local pet owners have the resources they need to keep their companion with them.

“Between the economy, high inflation, and employment challenges, there are a lot of factors that land people in tough choices to make, so it is a priority to keep people and pets together,” MacKenzie says.

“We will try to support the community as best we can and when, unfortunately, all of those other resources have been exhausted and someone has surrendered the pet, we are here to take really good care of that animal and find them they’re next home and, hopefully, it’s a forever home.”

For those who are unable to purchase a ticket for the 50/50 lottery or Owen’s ‘Ruff’le, MacKenzie encourages that a share on social media, telling friends and co-workers, or printing off the flyers, could go a long way in supporting the Peterborough Humane Society while making one lucky winner just a little bit richer.

“We have more than 20 days left and, if we’re already at $11,000, imagine how big that could be by the time we do the draw on April 17,” says MacKenzie. “And the more people that know about it, that number is going to keep growing and growing and this could end up becoming life-changing money for someone.”

The winner will be drawn at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th, with ticket purchases for both the lottery and raffle closing at noon.

Visit www.phs5050.ca for more information and to purchase tickets.