Peterborough police are investigating after a cat was shot with an arrow south of Millbrook on Sunday (March 24).

At around 4:30 p.m., a Cavan-Monaghan Township resident contacted police to report their cat had been shot with an arrow.

After officers arrived at the home in the Deyell Line and County Road 10 area, they learned the cat has been found injured on a driveway.

Officers were told the cat was then taken to a vet, where it had to be euthanized due to its injuries.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 ext. 555.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.

Charges of manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death have been dropped against three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers who were involved in a tragic shooting in Kawartha Lakes in November 2020 that killed 18-month-old Jameson Shapiro at the scene and, later, the life of his father.

The Barrie-based OPP Association, which represents 6,200 uniformed and around 3,600 civilian members of the OPP, announced on Monday (March 25) that all charges had been dropped against constables Nathan Vanderheyden, Kenneth Pengelly, and Grayson Cappus during a court appearance.

“It is a correct and just decision made today that the charges against our members have been withdrawn,” stated OPP Association president John Cerasuolo in a media release. “We have stated from the outset that our members acted courageously and professionally during an extremely dangerous situation. We were confident that as the case proceeded through justice system that the evidence would vindicate the officers.”

On November 26, 2020, the OPP responded to a report of a domestic dispute near Bobcaygeon involving a firearm, and that a 33-year-old man had abducted his infant son. When they attempted to stop the man’s pick-up truck on Pigeon Lake Road east of Lindsay, it collided with another vehicle and seriously injured an OPP officer.

Police confronted the driver and three officers fired shots at the pick-up truck, injuring the man. The body of the infant was later found in the pick-up truck, along with a handgun. The boy’s father succumbed to his injuries almost one week later.

After an initial investigation and months of public speculation, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed in February 2021 the infant had died as a result of being shot by police. At that time, SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon wrote in an email that the three officers involved in the shooting had “not as yet availed themselves of an opportunity to be interviewed.”

In August 2021, the SIU announced the investigation was “in a hold pattern” awaiting the results of specialized forensic testing of some of the ballistic evidence by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S. In November 2021, the SIU announced it was reviewing the FBI’s forensic report and was continuing “to actively investigate this tragic case.” Over the following nine months, the SIU provided no further public updates on the investigation.

In August 2023, almost two years after the shooting, the SIU announced there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the three OPP officers “committed criminal offences” and each of the officers was charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death.

A preliminary hearing examining the evidence in the case began in the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa in December 2023 and continued in January, with a publication ban on evidence presented at the hearing. The OPP Association provided no details of what happened at Monday’s hearing.

“It is important for the public to understand that if police are charged with an offence, they have the presumption of innocence, and in this case it has been determined that on the totality of the evidence there was no reasonable prospect of conviction,” Cerasuolo said. “Our officers were doing their job according to their training.”

Cerasuolo acknowledged the impact of the 2020 shooting incident on the lives of the family and on the police officers and civilian members of the OPP.

“The circumstances of this incident involving the death of an innocent child are tragic for all involved,” he says. “We offer our sympathies to the child’s family. It is our duty to serve and protect and we take that duty very seriously. Unfortunately, as police officers protect public safety in highly volatile and fast-moving dangerous situations, unexpected outcomes may result.”

Cerasuolo is encouraging anyone affected by the situation “to reach out and lean on those closest to them as well as seek professional mental health assistance,” noting that the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge offers mental health supports to residents of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, the city and county of Peterborough, and Northumberland. Confidential support services are available to all OPP members, families, retirees, and auxiliaries through the OPP’s Healthy Workplace Team.

Port Hope is gearing up for its largest tradition of the year, where water lovers and creatives come from all over to float down the Ganaraska River — or try to, anyway.

But at this year’s ‘Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny’ event on Saturday, April 13th, things are running a little differently with the cancellation of a crowd favourite: the Crazy Craft race.

While the canoe, kayak, and paddleboard race will launch as usual from the Canton bridge, due to last summer’s closure of the Sylvan Glen Bridge for a $2.3-million replacement, the organizing committee decided there was no suitable alternative launch location for the Crazy Craft race, where participants travel down the Ganaraska River on handmade wacky rafts.

In its place, the 42nd annual event will see a new experience for this year only called “Floaty Your Fanny,” where participants will launch inflatable floaties from Optimist Park for a shorter run down the rapids section. Whether the boat is a giant unicorn, air mattress, or inflatable raft, so long it’s a soft-sided vessel “requiring air to keep its dimensions,” it can be entered in the event.

“We had the choice to either cancel it or find something else to try, and we decided that we would try something new to keep the tradition going and see if we could still have some fun,” says committee co-chair Barry Adamson, who notes the new inflatables category provides an accessible way for people to take part without having to design their own vessel.

“It’s a fun way for people that have it on their bucket list to participate and makes it just a little easier,” he says. “They just have to buy something and they can try it out — hopefully getting some calm waters to go over the great rapids.”

Though it’s a family-fun day that draws boisterous crowds, the Float Your Fanny tradition began as a commemorative event to rally the community in resilience following a natural disaster more than four decades ago.

On March 21, 1980, the town was hit with a torrential downpour that, combined with the still-frozen ground and blocked storm drains and sewers, resulted in the Ganaraska River overflowing its banks and flooding 66 acres of downtown Port Hope to depths up to 1.5 metres. With the water’s velocity, every bridge was washed out, as well as part of Walton Street downtown, damaging buildings and reportedly causing the drowning of a child.

Beginning the following year, the town has gathered annually for the event which ultimately evolved into what it is today: an attraction with a 16-kilometre canoe, kayak, and paddleboard race, a 10-kilometre Crazy Craft race (except for 2024), awards and prizes, the “Fannyville” outdoor event village full of entertainment and activities, and fun events throughout the town. For Port Hope locals and those nearby, it’s become a beloved tradition.

“We love everything about it,” says long-time participant Brigetta Balling, who is already looking forward to racing in a canoe with her husband while her young children cheer her on.

The Newtonville resident has been competing since she was a teenager, having first participated about 20 years ago after her father read about the event in the newspaper while living in Leskard. For her first one, she and her friend decorated their kayaks to look like bunnies for Easter.

“I remember it snowed on our first day, but I did it and since that time, I’ve loved it,” she says. “Even though it was different back then — we didn’t have the crowds we do now, we didn’t have the cheering — we loved it.”

Aside from the hiatus during the pandemic, as well as when she was pregnant, Balling has continued to join the event year after year, doing everything from the double and solo kayak races, to canoeing with her children and creating boats for the Crazy Craft.

“The crowds are mostly there for the entertainment from the Crazy Craft, so I hope we still get a good crowd,” Balling says, admitting she’ll disappointed not to see some of the rafts she has come to recognize for the past 20 years.

“I know that a lot of people are going to be missing it because maybe they don’t have the right boats to do (the other races), which is why they get creative and do the Crazy Craft. I’ll be missing that part — how unique people make their crafts.”

Though she didn’t know about it, when informed about the new inflatable category, Balling was immediately excited.

“I think that’s great that they’re trying to fill a space that was going to turn people away,” she says. “I think that’s wonderful and so creative. I’m happy to hear that.”

Even without the Crazy Craft race, the committee is still encouraging people to get creative with their floaties as there will still be the usual awards and prizes. Participants are welcome to attach multiple floaties together using flexible materials, and there’s no limit to how many people can be on the floaties — so long as they stay afloat, of course.

“We have all the categories of awards if somebody wants to come in with a theme and a whole bunch of people all do the same thing,” he says, adding that he expects many will likely race amongst themselves. “We’ll help start them up and say ‘go’, and then they can decide at the end who wins. We expect it’s going to happen because there’s a lot of spirit (among) racers out there that are going to try this new event.”

For those looking to get involved, Canadian brand Float-Eh is giving 20 per cent discounts on floaty purchases for participants and will be providing the event prizes. Follow Float Your Fanny on Facebook for more information.

Despite not having the Crazy Craft race, all other traditions will be in place for the afternoon, including the fun-filled Fannyville at Cavan Street and Barrett Street Bridge from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. where spectators can watch the races while enjoying live music, listening to commentators, and browsing the vendors. Also open are the Adventure Zone and the Kids Zone, where kids can still make their own crazy craft out of popsicle sticks and styrofoam as well as participate in other activities.

“We’re planning Fannyville to be just the same as it was, or bigger and better,” says Adamson.

Other events around town will carry on in tradition, including the Float Ur Funny Comedy “Game Show” Festival, running every Friday from April 5 to 26 at the Ganaraska Hotel. Local bars and restaurants will also be serving up special deals and discounts throughout the Float Your Fanny weekend.

While the Sylvan Glen Bridge is expected to be open again next year so the Crazy Craft race can return, the committee is not opposed to continuing the new inflatable experience — but not at the expense of the beloved Crazy Craft race.

“If it was well-received, we could (do it again),” Adamson says. “It will take more manpower to manage, but we could fit it in if it was well-received — but we’re not trying to take away from the Crazy Craft.”

For the full Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny schedule, visit www.floatyourfanny.ca.

One donor can help more than 80 people get back to life, according to the provincial agency responsible for organ and tissue donation and transplant.

In Ontario, about 1,400 people on average are waiting for a life-saving organ, while thousands more need a transformative tissue donation.

The Northumberland Personalized Assessment and Change Education (PACE) Speakers’ Series will tackle the issues surrounding organ and tissue donations during an upcoming web-based conversation.

The second PACE presentation of 2024 is called the “Why, What and How of Organ and Tissue Donation” and occurs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. Registration is now open.

The event features guest speakers Tiffany Lue and Rebecca Massecar, who are registered nurses and hospital development specialists with the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), which is responsible for delivering and coordinating organ and tissue donation and transplantation services across the province. Previously a registered charitable organization, in 2020 TGLN became part of Ontario Health, an agency created by provincial government to connect and coordinate the province’s health care system.

“Tiffany and Rebecca’s virtual discussion will explore important questions about tissue and organ donation, including ‘why is organ and tissue important?’, ‘who can donate tissues or organs?’, ‘what are the common misconceptions about organ and tissue donation?’, and ‘if someone decides they want to be an organ and tissue donor, what is the next step?,'” a media release noted.

Lue has dedicated the last 12 years of her career to the field of organ donation and transplants. Starting her nursing career at Toronto General Hospital, Lue was responsible for taking care of organ transplant recipients pre-and post-operatively. Spending time with the some of the sickest patients in Canada “was a humbling and inspiring experience, as she learned about their transplant journeys,” noted the release.

Her passion for innovation in donation and transplant led Lue to receive a Master of Nursing and continue her career with Ontario Health (TGLN). Since 2018, she has supported donation education and policy-making with the aim to improve donation processes throughout Ontario. In her current role, Lue supports patients and families as they generously give the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

Masseca, in her role as a registered nurse, gained clinical experience at the bedside in a medical and palliative unit, while expanding her knowledge about the process of organ and tissue donation. Her passion for leadership and education led her to complete a Master of Science in nursing degree in 2020.

In 2021, Masseca transitioned into her role at Ontario Health (TGLN), where she supports several hospitals in southwestern Ontario and their donation programs. Her favourite aspects of this role include working with hospitals as they support organ and tissue donors while providing education to health care teams and the public about donation.

In addition to their presentation, as is standard within the PACE talk format, questions from the audience will also be addressed. These questions may be submitted in advance by emailing mbhargava@imcare.ca prior to March 28, or if time permits, they may be posed live during the event itself.

Since 2018, the Northumberland PACE partners — Northumberland Hills Hospital, the Northumberland Family Health Team, the Community Health Centres of Northumberland, internal medicine specialists IMCare, the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland, and local patients and caregivers — have been hosting free public education sessions on a broad range of health and wellness topics and have consistently drawn large groups of community members with a variety of questions and perspectives.

PACE talk topics are developed in a variety of ways. All of the subjects are typically tied to the areas of health and wellness. Lasting 60 minutes, each PACE session consists of a 30-minute talk, the 20-minute question-and-answer period with the guest speaker(s), and a short moderator summary.

Advance registration is required, and space is limited to the first 300 registered attendees. This event is hosted through Zoom, and attendees are asked to log in to the event five minutes prior to the start time. Register for ‘Why, What and How of Organ and Tissue Donation’ at www.pacetalks.com.

According to the Government of Canada, less than 25 per cent of people living in Canada are registered donors, yet more are needed.

“As our population ages, the need for organ and tissue donations keeps increasing,” the government’s website noted.

“There are more than 2,200 solid organ transplants each year. Despite improvements in the number of organ donations since 2012, the number of people in need of a transplant has also increased. On average, 250 people on the waiting list die while waiting for an organ each year.”

For more information about donating organs and tissues in Ontario, visit the Trillium Gift of Life Network’s Be A Donor website at beadonor.ca.

It has been a long 40 months. For Apsley’s Jeff Sayers, the past three and a half years have, at times, felt more like a decade. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

After a fire in December 2020 destroyed his family’s business, the only grocery store in North Kawartha Township, Sayers Foods is unveiling its brand-new store at 132 Burleigh Street in Apsley — rebuilt at the same location as the original store — with a “soft opening” on Monday (March 25).

kawarthaNOW briefly caught up with Jeff, Sayers Foods’ co-owner, about how he was feeling prior to the soft opening.

“It’s definitely a big relief, but the relief is not to be confused with the end of the journey,” Jeff said.

“It’s a relief to be past the hurdles that we’ve overcome to be able to open, but there’s months of work left to finish the store to 100 per cent completion, including getting all of the services online that we have planned.”

Sayers Foods is a full-service independent grocery store that has served North Kawartha township residents and visitors for more than 45 years. The township has around 2,300 year-round residents and around 12,000 seasonal residents.

Since 1976, the Sayers family and their supermarket have been part of the fabric of Apsley — first as Sayers General Store before becoming an IGA, a Foodland, and then, in 2017, Sayers Independent Food Town.

That changed in the early morning hours of December 5, 2020, when an electrical fire at the back of the store swept through the building, leaving local residents without a grocery store.

Jeff co-owns and manages the store with his siblings Barb and Rick. His parents are semi-retired, but they will have an office in the new building.

The soft opening is slated for 9 a.m. on Monday at the new store, which will then be open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jeff said he hopes to hold a big grand opening in late spring, with participation expected from the store’s suppliers and the store’s online ordering system up-and-running.

The past 40 months have encompassed numerous processes that needed to be followed — insurance paperwork, consultants, an appraisal, and some construction material delays — but walking away from the grocery store business wasn’t an option, Jeff said.

“This is our way of life,” he earlier told kawarthaNOW. “The community definitely needs a grocery store.”

In addition to the supermarket essentials, the new Sayers Foods — which has increased square footage in the store portion — will have an expansive deli, which will encompass ready-to-go meals and a pick-up window.

There will also be a café with seasonal outdoor seating and Wi-Fi and power outlets.

Jeff said he expects to have between 30 and 50 employees when the store is open and running at full capacity.

“Not everything will be ready but we’re so excited to reach this milestone and bring fresh food back into proper supply in our community,” Sayers Foods announced on its Facebook page last Monday night, adding that remaining challenges include rewiring the hot deli cases and getting approval for a secondary entrance that leads directly to the deli cafe and bakery.

“The grand opening will be sometime in the spring,” the post reads. “We’ll celebrate then when everything is 100 per cent complete. For now, we’re just focused on getting this store open nearly 40 months after the fire.”

The Facebook post about the store’s long-awaited opening has generated more than 790 reactions, 210 shares, and 140 comments.

Cobourg police are warning the public about online investment scams after two Cobourg residents recently lost $752,000 to fraudsters.

One of the victims reported they made wire transfers totalling over $702,000 to a supposed international investment service provider for the purpose of purchasing gold and investing in Bitcoin. All communication with the company occurred through a messaging app. When the victim attempted to withdraw funds, they were unable to do so.

The other victim was defrauded of $50,000 after viewing a video promising high returns with a short turnaround time. Scammers used AI to create a fake video that depicted tech mogul Elon Musk endorsing a non-existent investment company and encouraging viewers to call a provided phone number.

A fraudster claiming to be from the investment company then offered the victim guidance through the investment process and convinced the victim to download an app that gave the fraudster remote access to the victim’s computer. Funds intended to be for the investment were then transferred to the fraudster.

Police are advising members of the public to be cautious when it comes to online investment opportunities:

• Before making any investment, do additional research and talk to trusted individuals
• Do not engage in unsolicited investment opportunities seen online
• Never provide personal information online to unknown persons or companies
• Be skeptical of investment opportunities that promise higher than expected rates of return (if something seems too good to be true, it probably is)
• Do not download unknown programs on your computer or allow unknown persons to access your computer
• Ensure you are investing with a legitimate investment company. Conducting internet searches for the company and then make a follow-up phone call to the company, as some fraudsters will use the name of a legitimate company.

If you have been a victim of an investment scam and suffered a financial loss, report the incident to police.

If you were contacted about an investment scam but did not experience a financial loss, also report it to the police and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

Northumberland Paramedics has handed over the keys for a decommissioned ambulance to Habitat for Humanity Northumberland.

Northumberland County council and Northumberland Paramedics made the donation to Habitat on Wednesday (March 20), after the ambulance served county paramedics and patients for the past six years.

Habitat for Humanity Northumberland will use the vehicle to transport equipment, materials and supplies to building sites in the county, which ultimately helps support the organization’s efforts to build affordable housing.

“We are pleased to see this retired ambulance repurposed to support vital work in our community,” said Northumberland Paramedics Chief Susan Brown in a media release.

“While the ambulance has reached the end of its recommended life cycle with Northumberland Paramedics, we look forward to seeing it put to great use during its retirement. We are proud to support the important efforts of Habitat for Humanity Northumberland to increase affordable housing in Northumberland.”

Melissa Morrison, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland’s community and fund development co-ordinator, prepared the letter to Northumberland Paramedics asking the chief to consider donating the ambulance.

“The need for affordable housing is growing across our communities and we are working even harder to support local families (to) achieve strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership,” Morrison said in her letter.

“In 2023, the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity Northumberland recognized that we had to increase our efforts to meet that growing need. The board established a strategic goal to see an additional 19 affordable housing units developed through 2023 to 2025. In addition to our homeownership program, we aim to serve 35-plus families through our home repairs suite yearly.”

Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty by promoting homeownership among financially vulnerable individuals and families.

Northumberland Paramedics has previously donated two ambulances to Habitat for Humanity Northumberland and they were well-used and appreciated, Morrison noted.

“The decommissioned ambulances that we received have been the perfect vehicles to meet our unique needs and, ultimately, has helped us support more families across Northumberland County,” Morrison said.

Habitat for Humanity Northumberland CEO Cathy Borowec concurred.

“The ambulance donation will be used to support our home-building program,” Borowec told kawarthaNOW.

“We have one in use now and it helps us to move materials to and from our build sites. We have two sites on the go now, one in Baltimore — our seven-plex net-zero build — and a single family dwelling just starting on Daintry Crescent in Cobourg. The retired ambulances are great for tool storage too.”

Habitat for Humanity Northumberland is currently working on a seven-unit net zero project in Baltimore, which will be the largest Habitat net-zero development in Canada.

Back in 2012, Northumberland County established a bylaw permitting the donation of surplus assets, including retired ambulances.

Donations of retired ambulances from the Northumberland Paramedics fleet are prioritized to support non-profit agencies and community emergency management partners that continue to serve residents across the county, Northumberland County noted.

With three weeks left to go in its annual campaign, the United Way Peterborough & District is only $80,000 away from meeting its goal of raising $1.45 million in advance of a community celebration on April 11.

According to a media release, the success of the campaign to date has been bolstered by strong workplace campaigns including at Trent University, which surpassed its $100,000 goal by raising $117,847, and by fundraising events like this month’s Peterborough Performs benefit concert at Showplace Performance Centre, which raised more than $30,000 for local homelessness initiatives.

“It’s a privilege to see the focus and hard work of volunteers, workplaces, and donors joining in driving to a final goal,” says United Way CEO Jim Russell in the release. “Often it is the last dollars that are hardest to get, and in these final weeks we sense that community momentum in reaching the final destination of 1.45 million.”

To help the United Way with the final six per cent of its goal, you can donate online at www.uwpeterborough.ca, by mail at 277 Stewart Street, Peterborough, ON K9J 3M8 or by calling the office at 705-742-8839.

New donations of $1,200 or more made by the end of March will be matched 100 per cent. Existing donors giving $1,200 or more annually who increase their donation by $300 or more will also have their increase matched.

“I am continuously inspired by the generosity demonstrated by individuals, families, organizations, and businesses in our community,” says the United Way’s 2023 campaign cabinet chair Jim Hendry. “We’re in the final push to raise the last $80,000 and make a positive impact on countless local lives.”

The United Way will be hosting a community celebration of the campaign from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11th at The Venue in downtown Peterborough. The event will feature appetizers and a cash bar followed by an awards presentation and the announcement of the final campaign total.

“Everyone is invited to come together to celebrate and honour the caring individuals, engaged organizations, and committed non-profits who worked tirelessly to foster our essential network of local supports in Peterborough City and County,” says Anne Ondercin, the United Way’s director of philanthropy.

The United Way is seeking sponsors for the event, including $5,000 for the presenting sponsor, $2,500 for an award sponsor, and $500 for a table sponsor. Individual tickets cost $25 per person. Sponsorships and tickets are available via www.uwpeterborough.ca/event/2023-campaign-celebration-and-awards/.

In 2022, the United Way’s 20 partner agencies provided 275 programs and initiatives that directly served 46,263 Peterborough residents.