Peterborough’s Kaawaate East City Public School (KECPS) is bringing together its school community for an evening of art and music.

The hope is the event on Wednesday (May 1) will have an impact that resonates well into the future. The public school in the East City community is hosting the arts night to raise money for a new, fully accessible playground at KECPS.

While the special event is only open to the school’s students, teachers, and parents, all community members can support KECPS in its quest to create a playground Peterborough residents can enjoy in years to come.

“The idea for an arts night was student and staff generated as we were thinking about ways to involve our students in supporting the playground fund,” said Melissa Casselman, KECPS vice-principal, who spearheaded the event. “When our intermediate design club noted that they wanted to showcase their artwork, we knew we had many other students who would also love the opportunity to highlight the importance of the arts — visual art and music as well.”

“We invited (students in grades 1 through 6) to create art that also supports the Ontario art curriculum, so it seemed a perfect next step to create art in class that we could show as a gallery walk,” Casselman explained. “The idea snowballed from there, and staff then supported students with musical talents to also provide entertainment at this special event. It truly was a collaborative idea. Our students are very excited to showcase their pieces.”

Parents and caregivers of KECPS students are invited to gather Wednesday between 6 and 7:30 p.m. to view the school-wide art gallery and hear the primary choir, intermediate band, and ukulele club members perform. Student art will be available for purchase through a silent auction and KECPS is requesting all visitors provide a voluntary donation, with all money going towards the playground fund.

When her daughter began attending junior kindergarten at the recently built school, parent Tara Joyce was surprised to learn the provincial government doesn’t provide funding for a school playground. She and other parents joined together to embark on a $200,000 fundraising campaign for the playground at the Hunter Street East school.

“We don’t have specific financial goals for the arts night itself, but we are hoping to raise $200,000 by September of 2025 to fund the playground being built,” Joyce told kawarthaNOW. “We have currently raised approximately $26,000.”

Through the arts and music night, “it is our hope to build engagement within the school community towards raising the funds needed to build the playground,” Joyce said.

“For students, we want them to feel empowered that they can contribute and advocate for their needs and effectively raise money towards a goal they care deeply about. For parents, we want the night to be informative and help them understand why we don’t currently have a playground, what needs to be done to build one, and how they can personally get involved to support the initiative.”

The broader East City community can support the fundraising initiative by donating personally to the cause, and/or by engaging with their community of family, friends, colleagues, service groups, and local businesses to contribute, Joyce noted.

“Any little bit helps. The more people we can have supporting our fundraising efforts and sharing our message and our need within the community, the stronger and more effective it will be. And our kids and our community will get to play on their playground sooner.”

When it opened in 2021, KECPS was designed with a capacity for 675 students. The projected student population in September 2024 is 847 students.

“Having a playground for the students seems critical to the healthy functioning of any elementary school,” Joyce earlier told kawarthaNOW. “With our student body and new building already overcrowded in its third year of existence, creating more interactive spaces outdoors for our students is critically needed, and will have a long-term positive impact on their learning and growth.”

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) is requesting parents ensure their children’s immunization records are current, as it will be issuing suspension notices beginning the week of April 29.

The health unit is upholding provincial compliance under Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). The ISPA requires all students in Ontario to be vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, and varicella or to have a valid exemption on file with the health unit.

Second notices are being issued to students in junior kindergarten, Grade 2 and Grades 4 through 8 with incomplete records, HKPRDHU stated in a recent media release.

“Suspension notices will begin to go out next week,” Ashley Beaulac, HKPRDHU’s manager of communication services manager, told kawarthaNOW on Friday (April 26).

“Ideally, our hope is to send out as (few) as possible,” Beaulac said. “The program has an ultimate goal of ensuring all students remain up to date with their health records whether that requires vaccination or exemption. We’ve found that parents/guardians are quick to respond, especially with the school boards helping to relay this information.”

Parents and guardians are asked to update their child’s immunization records with HKPRDHU now to avoid suspension in May.

HKPRDHU is required to maintain and review vaccine records and exemptions for every student attending school within the City of Kawartha Lakes, the County of Haliburton, and Northumberland County.

Those with incomplete records are at risk of being suspended from school for up to 20 days.

“Our goal is to ensure all student vaccination records are kept up to date according to the (ISPA),” said Marianne Rock, manager of communicable disease prevention and control for HKPRDHU, in the media release.

“If you’ve received notification and your child has had all of their recent vaccinations or has a valid exemption, this means that you need to contact us to ensure our records are updated as we don’t necessarily receive these updates from your health care providers.”

The health unit estimates approximately 2,000 suspension orders are being distributed to parents/legal guardians of students in junior kindergarten to Grade 2 and Grades 4 through 8 who do not meet the ISPA requirements.

If the health unit does not receive the required information for a student’s immunization file, they will be suspended from school starting May 13, for up to 20 days or until the records are updated to meet ISPA requirements, HKPRDHU noted.

Parents and/or guardians need to ensure their child’s immunization records with the health unit are up to date by visiting the Immunization Connect Ontario website at hkpr.icon.ehealthontario.ca or by calling the health unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 1507.

Since August 2023, HKPRDHU has been hosting school-aged immunization clinics to provide families without a health care provider access to immunizations to meet the ISPA requirements. Families without a health care provider can book an appointment online or call the Health Unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 1507.

The former post office at 12 Queen Street — Lakefield’s tallest building and a downtown landmark — has officially reopened following a $1.6-million retrofit project to create an accessible and comfortable community space.

Selwyn Township Mayor Sherry Senis led a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside councillors on Saturday morning (April 27), followed by tours of the renovated building.

“The reopening is a historic and defining moment,” Senis said in a media release. “Through this project, we’re preserving the past, embracing the present, and shaping the future by enhancing this historic building with modern comforts. We are here at this beautiful building to celebrate, acknowledge and honour our rich history, while looking towards the future.”

Designed by architect David Ewart and constructed in 1914, the building with its four-sided clock tower served as the village’s post office for 60 years from 1916 to 1976, and has also housed apartments and recreational retail space.

Most recently, it was the home of the Lakefield offices for both the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce & Tourism (now amalgamated with the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce) and the Peterborough Police Service.

The building received municipal heritage designation in 2014 during its 100th anniversary celebration.

Selwyn Township initiated the retrofit project as the building needed accessibility upgrades and repairs, in part due to its age. The newly renovated building now includes a fully accessible main entrance leading to an elevator, an accessible public washroom, modernized office space, a boardroom, and two kitchenettes.

The township contributed around $950,000 for the project and, in 2022, was approved for $750,000 from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

“This unique space will be an important, innovative hub for local entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow their ideas,” said FedDev Ontario minister Filomena Tassi. “The Government of Canada is investing in projects that support small businesses and grow communities.”

Peterborough police have located and arrested the suspect in a fatal shooting early Friday morning (April 26) at the Sunshine Homes housing complex at 572 Crystal Drive.

The shooting claimed the life of a 32-year-old Peterborough man. Police say the victim and the suspect were known to one another.

The suspect fled the scene of Friday’s shooting and police searches of the area were fruitless. However, after police identified the suspect, they began searching known locations in the city.

On Friday evening, police located and arrested 37-year-old Geoff Riley of Peterborough and charged him with second-degree murder and attempted murder. Riley is being held in custody and will appear in court on Saturday.

Although the investigation is still continuing, police are not looking for any other suspects.

“We thank the public for their assistance and patience throughout the day,” a police media release states. “We also thank the investigators and officers for their work in locating the suspect and ensuring the safety of our communities.”

If you were asked to list where apples grow in Ontario, Haliburton County certainly wouldn’t be at the top of the list — or even on your list at all.

That’s a misconception the not-for-profit organization Apple Tree Identification Project Haliburton (ATIP Haliburton) hopes to change, including by hosting two events in May: the second annual self-guided Apple Blossom Tour and the All About Apple Trees Symposium on Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17 at the Haliburton Legion.

ATIP Haliburton is an organization dedicated to nurturing and educating people on Haliburton County’s apple-growing legacy. It all began with one question: Why do apple trees grow in Haliburton County considering the short growing season, harsh conditions, rocky terrain, and its location above the apple-growing region that spread along the north shore of Lake Ontario?

“Ontario used to have thousands of cross-cultivars of apple trees, but ever since we’ve gone for the more industrialized, commercialized growing of our orchards, we’re down to about 40 or 50 that are actually just cultivated in Ontario in general,” says ATIP Haliburton assistant coordinator Carmen Galea.

“Haliburton County (doesn’t include) those 40 to 50, but there are unique varieties here. They’ve been pushed to the wayside in a lot of ways, and we are trying to highlight that they’re still here and they’re still a food resource and there’s still utility in resurrecting them in the community.”

ATIP Haliburton founder Luba Cargill, a Haliburton Highlands real estate agent, was the first to pose these questions and enlisted the help of Minden’s U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research to get students involved in researching. Galea, a recent graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, was one such student and began mapping out the historical context and a preliminary inventory of all apple trees in Haliburton County.

“There are 100-year-old trees that grow really well here because they’re used to these conditions and they thrive in them and they are still producing apples,” she explains. “So, we’re trying to give this knowledge to the community about cultivated apples that do well in Haliburton County and also the understand of the role they’ve had in the agricultural community in general in the area.”

One such piece of history Galea explored in her research included the history of the “Haliburton Apple,” described in an 1890 issue of the Canadian Horticulturalist Journal as a “pretty” apple that is “very hardy and bears heavily every year,” though it is admittedly “of poor quality.”

“If you go along the side of the road to where there’s now a municipal property, but it used to be a homestead, there’s an apple tree out front,” Galea says. “It’s clear that they recognized the value of apple trees back then when they were faced with a really hard frontier and knew they had to provide for themselves.”

“It’s funny to see those ancient relics existing by the side of the road and nobody touches them, but they’re still loaded with fruit, and we want to highlight that across the community.”

Galea explains that one of ATIP’s reasons for wanting to spread this knowledge and history is to fight food insecurity in the region.

“There are not a lot of opportunities for fresh food in the area and 12.9 per cent of Haliburton County is considered as low income,” says Galea. “It’s important to highlight that we have these resources in the county. They have just been forgotten, and all we have to do is pay more attention.”

Locals and visitors can explore some of these trees as they bloom next month during the second annual Apple Blossom Tour.

The self-guided tour, which will be marked on a printed maps and distributed around the county (a Google map is also available), will take participants to roughly 40 locations bearing blooming apple trees, including view-from-afar private properties and municipal properties. New this year, restaurants and other local businesses will be on the maps and promoting their apple-inspired treats, drinks, and specially made products.

“Haliburton County is so geographically large that they’re all spread out, so every part of the community will have some access to some part of the tour,” says Galea.

Hook Line & Sinker at 126 Highland Street in Haliburton will be serving up a caramel apple martini as their cocktail of the month, while other businesses will have apple fritters, preserves, ciders, and more on their menus.

“It’s something that all age demographics can participate in, and it doesn’t have to be super involved-it’s as simple as going out for a drive,” Galea says. “There are so many businesses that are looking to be a part of the tour and, as a small community, it’s really important for organizations to support other organizations and that’s the great thing about the Apple Blossom Tour.”

MAP: Haliburton County Apple Blossom Tour 2024

Open a larger version of this map in a new window

Also happening during the month of May is the inaugural All About Apple Trees Symposium, featuring two days of panels, expert speakers, networking, and strategies for revitalizing apple trees in the county.

The keynote speaker for the event is “apple hunter” and orchardist Tom Brown, who focuses on discovering “lost” heirloom apples by raising more than 700 varieties of rare and endangered apples on his North Carolina orchard.

Brown is joined by Helen Humphreys, the award-winning author of The Ghost Orchard, which dives into the history of apples in North America, and Dr. Brian Husband, a University of Guelph professor in the department of integrative biology and member of the Ontario Heritage and Feral Apple Project. His works looks at the genetics of heritage species and how they change, evolve, and interact with local environments.

The symposium will also include presentations on Galea’s own research, the history of the Haliburton Apple, the SIRCH (Supportive Initiative for Residents in the County of Haliburton) applesauce project, and much more.

“We opened this up because we’re noticing a lot of the community has an interest in permaculture, local self-sufficiency, and sustainability,” says Galea.

“There’s just a search for a knowledge that we don’t necessary have the resources to in our grasp, so we rallied a great group of individuals that are going to come and speak about apple cultivation in the area.”

With Haliburton County relying on tourism, which there is no shortage of in the winter and summer months, the focus on the celebration of apple blossoms makes Haliburton a destination even in the springtime.

“It’s nice to fill a gap in the event calendar and have something that is really accessible for everybody and makes it great for all ages,” says Galea. “We’re hoping the Apple Blossom Tour will become a new tradition in the region where people come to Haliburton to see all the apple blossoms and give local businesses more of a rush before the summer starts.”

While it might seem the ATIP Haliburton already has a lot on its plate, it is “apple-solutely” only the start of the work to be done by the organization.

“We’re just getting ramped up, as this is our first year being a registered non-for-profit and we’re getting details ironed out so there’s going to be lots of new initiatives,” says Galea, noting community orchards as on the list of projects.

“We want to feed people and provide enjoyment and entertainment — there are really diverse goals we have at the ATIP Haliburton, but we’re working away at them.”

For more information about ATIP Haliburton and the upcoming symposium (including registration links), visit www.appletreeshaliburton.ca.

This story has been updated to include the Haliburton County Apple Blossom Tour 2024 online map.

Parks Canada is preparing for the opening of the 2024 boating season on the Trent-Severn Waterway and will be conducting spring maintenance on three swing bridges in Peterborough.

The bridge work includes preventative maintenance tasks like washing and greasing swing bridges, and conducting visual inspections to ensure their safe operation.

The bridges will be temporarily closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the following dates: Tuesday, April 30th for the Maria Street Swing Bridge, Wednesday, May 1st for the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East, and Thursday, May 2nd for the McFarlane Street Bridge.

Detour routes will be posted for all closures.

Depending on water flow conditions, navigation season on the Trent-Severn Waterway normally opens for the Victoria Day long weekend and runs until Thanksgiving.

For more information about the Trent-Severn Waterway, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/trent.

A 32-year-old Peterborough man is dead and a suspect still at large following what police believe was an isolated incident early Friday morning (April 26) at the Sunshine Homes housing complex at 572 Crystal Drive.

At around 5 a.m. on Friday, police responded to a report of gunshots being fired at the complex, which is located just north of Highway 7/115 and west of Ashburnham Drive and is owned and operated by the Peterborough Housing Corporation.

After arriving at the scene, officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. First aid was provided at the scene by emergency medical services, and the injured man was then transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre where he pronounced dead.

Police began a search for the suspect in the shooting, who they learned had fled the home where the shooting occurred. The canine unit was brought in to track the suspect, which led officers to the north side of Highway 7/115, and police also deployed a drone to help officers on the ground locate the suspect. These efforts were unsuccessful.

Officers then conducted a grid search of the area, at which point they also issued a notice to two nearby schools — St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School and Otonabee Valley Public School — of the ongoing investigation, as police believed the suspect was armed.

Hold and secures were initiated at both schools and were later lifted at around 10:40 a.m. after police completed the grid search.

VIDEO: Homicide – April 26 2024

Although the grid search was also unsuccessful, police say they know the identity of the suspect and are currently searching known locations in the city.

“While we do believe this is an isolated incident between parties that are known to each other, we also recognize at this time the suspect is still at large and is in possession of a firearm,” said Detective Sergeant Josh McGrath in a media conference at the scene on Friday afternoon.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 x555 or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.

Several non-profit organizations and initiatives in Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Northumberland, and Haliburton counties have something to smile about this spring.

Tim Hortons restaurants have announced the 2024 “Smile Cookie” beneficiaries in the region, which range from hospitals and health care services to breakfast programs and treatment supports for children who have disabilities.

Beginning Monday (April 29) until May 5, 100 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of smile cookies — chocolate chip cookies decorated with a smiley face made of icing — will be donated to more than 600 charities and community groups selected by local Tim Hortons restaurant owners across Canada.

Last year, Tim Hortons guests helped raise a record-breaking $19.7 million through the annual Smile Cookie campaign, Tim Hortons noted in a media release.

In Lindsay, the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation is one of the Smile Cookie beneficiaries. The foundation says it is “thrilled” to be selected as a partner charity by Tim Hortons restaurant owners Nick and Meaghan Chapman, who own and operate five Tim Hortons locations in Lindsay.

“We know how important the hospital is to our patrons and people throughout Kawartha Lakes,” said Nick Chapman in a media release. “The Ross is our hospital, too. It’s where our four children were born and where we go for care when we need it. It’s nice to know that the Smile Cookie campaign will benefit everyone by supporting local patient care.”

The money raised will support advancements in patient care at the Lindsay hospital, the foundation noted.

The highest priority investments at Ross Memorial Hospital include the future expansion and modernization of the hospital’s emergency department and intensive care unit, the community’s new MRI and CT scanner, bedside equipment including the new fleet of IV pumps, and the clinical information system that connects patients’ digital health information records to medical technology and bedside tools.

“We’re so grateful to the Chapmans for choosing to support the hospital during the Smile Cookie campaign,” said Erin Coons, Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation’s CEO. “Fundraising promotions such as this are a great way to spread some joy and raise awareness of priority needs at the hospital. Combining cookies and a good cause — what could be better?”

The Chapmans’ Tim Hortons restaurants include three on Kent Street West, one at the corner of County Road 36 and Mount Hope Street, and one on Highway 35 south of Highway 7.

Along with the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation, Kawartha Lakes Food Source is also a beneficiary of the Smile Cookies campaign in Lindsay, with one Tim Hortons outlet supporting the Kawartha Lakes Humane Society.

Meanwhile in Northumberland County, Five Counties Children’s Centre has been selected as the local charity to benefit from this year’s Smile Cookie campaign at Tim Hortons locations in Cobourg and Colborne.

“We are very grateful to Tim Hortons locations in Cobourg and Colborne for selecting Five Counties to be the beneficiary of the annual Smile Cookie campaign,” said Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties Children’s Centre, in a news release. “Fundraising efforts like this help reduce wait times and ensure more children and families get the access to care they need when they need it.”

To support Five Counties, residents are encouraged to visit a Tim Hortons locations in Cobourg or Colborne to purchase a Smile Cookie. Bulk orders are also available and can be ordered by visiting the Five Counties’ website at www.fivecounties.on.ca.

During the campaign, Five Counties staff, volunteers, families, and supporters will be at the six Tim Hortons locations in Cobourg and Colborne to collect donations and thank visitors.

All money raised from Smile Cookies for Five Counties will go towards the centre’s building abilities for life campaign, which funds priority, high-demand services like speech therapy and occupational therapy with the aim of reducing long wait times.

Last year, Five Counties provided treatment services for more than 1,615 children and youth in Northumberland County. In total, across its entire region which includes Northumberland, as well as Peterborough, Haliburton County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes, more than 6,200 children and youth benefited last year from its programs, that include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and other treatment services.

According to Tim Hortons, the Smile Cookie campaign beneficiaries across the Kawarthas region include:

• Peterborough, Lakefield, Buckhorn, Curve Lake, Havelock – Community Care Peterborough
• Lindsay – Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation and Kawartha Lakes Food Source, with one outlet supporting Kawartha Lakes Humane Society
• Bobcaygeon – Bobcaygeon Public School breakfast program, Dunsford Public School breakfast program
• Coboconk – Ridgewood Public School’s breakfast program
• Fenelon Falls – Fenelon Falls Secondary School breakfast program, Langton Public School breakfast program
• Port Hope – Navy League Cadets
• Cobourg and Colborne – Five Counties Children’s Centre
• Campbellford – The Bridge Hospice
• Brighton – Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundaton
• Bancroft – North Hastings District Hospital Auxiliary
• Haliburton and Minden – Volunteer Dental Outreach for Haliburton County

Whether you’re looking to donate your time and talents to environmental conservation, health care, arts and recreation, animal care, or so much more, Volunteer Peterborough has an opportunity for you.

The not-for-profit organization is making it easy to connect with and learn about local organizations through the inaugural “Meet Your Match” volunteer fair to be held at the Peterborough YMCA from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8th.

Funded by the Peterborough Foundation and sponsored by Harco Enterprises, the free drop-in fair will feature booths from 40 local organizations with representatives sharing details on the work they do and how to get involved.

“There’s just something about that human connection when people look each other in the eye and talk to each other about an organization and a volunteer role,” says Lois Tuffin, herself a long-time volunteer and chair of Volunteer Peterborough’s steering committee. “We know some people prefer this approach.”

The fair complements the work of Volunteer Peterborough’s website at volunteerpeterborough.ca, an online platform described by Tuffin as “a mix between a dating site and a job site.”

Founded in 2023, Volunteer Peterborough’s goal is to overcome barriers to volunteerism by matching a person’s skillset and interests with opportunities available at community organizations. Currently, 1,000 volunteers and 120 organizations use the site to make connections.

“There are all kinds of organizations popping up that we had no idea existed even as longtime volunteers,” says Tuffin. “Now, they get to talk one-on-one with people and explore someone’s interest in the organization. Even if their skills don’t match right now, the organization might be about to start a project that they could use the help on and those conversations really just open up more doors.”

The YMCA, New Canadians Centre, United Way Peterborough and District, YES Shelter for Youth and Families, Peterborough ElderDog, Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, and Lang Pioneer Village Museum are just a few of the many organizations that will be at the May 8th event and sharing information with prospective volunteers, who can interact with turtles, dogs, games, and more depending on the organization.

The fair, which will also include a speakers’ corner for interested organizations to connect with Volunteer Peterborough, is open to younger volunteers as well.

“We’re busing in two groups of students from Holy Cross and from Crestwood so those students will get a chance to also talk to people one-on-one and learn about what opportunities they have for their community hours and do some cool stuff,” says Tuffin.

Tuffin says volunteerism is more important than ever as many non-profits are in a “dark spot” of rebuilding following pandemic lockdowns, noting that 40 per cent of organizations lost volunteers during the pandemic, and more than half of those volunteers have not returned.

“They’re in a crisis and now their services are even more in demand because of all these things that have happened, and yet fewer bodies are able to make them happen,” she explains.

“At the same time, we know that there are people that have become disconnected throughout the last four years, and they really want community connection again. So we’re really trying to be the conduit between those people who want to share their skills and the people who desperately need them.”

VIDEO: “Meet Your Match” Volunteer Fair

Volunteer Peterborough still has some booths available for organizations interested in getting exposure and connecting with potential volunteers.

“Many agencies are stressed out and under the gun, so we’re really trying to make it as easy as possible for them to come and be part of what we do,” says Tuffin. “The return on investment is so high and we can really help.”

For more information about Volunteer Peterborough and the “Meet Your Match” volunteer fair, email info@volunteerpeterborough.ca or visit volunteerpeterborough.ca.