Honouring those who helped raise $1.4 million for the United Way Peterborough & District’s 2023 campaign, the organization held a community celebration on Thursday (April 11) at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.

“Our success isn’t just measured in dollars, but in the lives touched and futures transformed,” said United Way CEO Jim Russell in a media release. “With $1.4 million raised, surpassing last year by eight per cent, we prove that when a community unites, the impact knows no bounds.”

With in-kind sponsorship from The Venue and photographer Andrew Macdonald, Thursday’s event included the presentation of the 2023 Community Campaign Spirit Awards to 23 donors, workplaces, and volunteers — including to kawarthaNOW writer Paul Rellinger for his volunteer work organizing the fourth Peterborough Performs benefit concert on March 7, which raised more than $30,000 for the United Way’s partner agencies supporting people in the community who are experiencing homelessness.

The United Way’s director of philanthropy Anne Ondercin led the presentation of the Spirit Awards.

“In our community, every contribution to the United Way campaign, whether it’s a donation or volunteer effort, is invaluable for funding essential social programs and initiatives,” Ondercin said.

“The Spirit Awards celebrate those who went above and beyond in 2023, highlighting their dedication and inspiring us all with their commitment to making a difference.”

Ondercin also thanked departing campaign chair Jim Hendry for his significant efforts and dedication

“It has been a privilege to act as United Way Peterborough & District’s 2023 Campaign Chair, and I extend heartfelt thanks to our community for their unwavering support,” Hendry said. “Together, we are creating a foundation of hope, compassion, and empowerment.”

Below are the winners of the United Way’s 2023 Community Campaign Spirit Awards.

Spirit Of The Community

• Cogeco
• IG Wealth Management
• Royal Bank of Canada
• Dr. Stephan Ragaz

Outstanding Workplace Campaign Award (Large)

• GM Financial
• Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board
• Trent University

Outstanding Workplace Campaign Award (Small)

• Irwin, Sargent & Lowes
• Lucky Strike Bait Works
• Enterprise Holdings

Champions Of Change Award

• GM Financial – Tim Parmiter and Kirsten Valencia
• Trent University – MK Millard and Alison Sholl
• Peterborough Performs – Paul Rellinger

Inspiring Local Love Award

• Andritz Hydro
• Ontario Public Service
• Costco Peterborough

Labour Community Partnership Award

• Peterborough & District Labour Council

Outstanding Partner Agency

• Community Living Trent Highlands
• Elizabeth Fry Society
• Peterborough Child and Family Centres

With big-ticket needs such as a new emergency department and intensive care unit, the Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation is approaching the community for support to serve the growing patient population in the Kawartha Lakes.

The RMH Foundation is launching its spring appeal, with high hopes of raising money towards equipment and projects currently needed most at the Kawartha Lakes hospital.

“The RMH Foundation raises funds for the highest priority needs at Ross Memorial that are not covered by government funding,” Kim Coulter, communications specialist for the RMH Foundation, told kawarthaNOW.

“The magnitude of the projects underway at Ross Memorial require the RMH Foundation to raise funds before, during, and after coming online,” Coulter said. “Replacing critical technology such as the MRI and CT scanner and implementing the clinical information system (CIS), require multi-year planning and fundraising approaches.”

“We’re pleased that the community’s new MRI and CT scanner and IV pumps are already helping the Ross team provide the best care possible,” she added.

In addition, the new CIS has been implemented in phases in co-ordination with six other hospitals in the region, Coulter noted.

Meanwhile, efforts are currently underway to expand and modernize the emergency department and intensive care unit. RMH is now proceeding through the Ministry of Health’s capital planning process.

“All of these projects are integral to the hospital and to patients throughout Kawartha Lakes,” Coulter said. “We’re so pleased that our community recognizes the importance of advanced hospital care as our population grows and we hope everyone will play a role in patient care by making a donation to help meet these transformative hospital needs.”

RMH patient Erik Ellis thought a pulled muscle was responsible for his painful limp. He never expected that he had osteoarthritis and needed a total hip replacement.

“My diagnosis had me worrying if I would ever get back to my normal pace and all of the activities that keep me young,” said Ellis in a media release. “Fortunately, we live in a community with advanced hospital services. In fact, Ross Memorial was the first hospital in Ontario to use the new hip replacement implant technology that got me back up and moving.”

As a result of his positive experiences from the pre-operative appointments to the check-ups during his recovery, he and his wife Denise are sharing their story in the RMH’s spring appeal letter that will soon be mailed throughout Kawartha Lakes.

“The Ross has always been there when we needed it,” said Ellis. “With our local population set to double in the next decade, we must ensure the Ross is equipped with the tools and
facilities it needs to provide the best care and services.”

Erin Coons, RMH Foundation CEO, said many people are involved in a patient’s care, including donors.

“As the hospital needs to grow services and spaces, and implement advancements in medical science, we count on our generous community to help fund equipment, technology and capital projects,” Coons said. “It takes all of us to keep our hometown hospital providing first-rate care.”

The RMH Foundation asks residents to keep an eye out for the letter and consider making a donation.

At its first meeting of 2024, 100 Women Peterborough has chosen YWCA Peterborough Haliburton to receive a donation of over $10,000 that will support the non-profit organization’s programs and services for women and children recovering from gender-based violence.

The collective philanthropy group met on Monday (April 8) at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.

At each of its quarterly meetings, 100 Women Peterborough hears presentations from three non-profit organizations randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by the group’s members. Each member commits to donating $100, and the organization receiving the most votes from members receives the collective donations.

The three organizations that presented to 100 Women Peterborough at Monday’s meeting were YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Kawartha Montessori Bursary Program, and Rotary Environmental Champions, with the YWCA chosen by majority vote to receive member donations.

“On behalf of all the women and children we serve at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, I’d like to extend our utmost gratitude to 100 Women Peterborough for selecting us as the beneficiary for their first event of the year,” said Tina Thornton, the YWCA’s director of philanthropy, in a media release.

“It was truly an honour to share our mission with some of our community’s most dynamic women, and we are so proud to be part of a city and region that clearly demonstrates its caring and commitment toward helping people in need.”

According to Thornton, the donation from 100 Women Peterborough will support the YWCA’s core programs and services which help thousands of women and children each year as they deal with the impacts of gender-based violence and abuse through what the YWCA calls the “journey of care.”

Last year, that support included over 6,000 nights spent at Crossroads Shelter, almost 1,300 client contacts for the court support program, around 350 clients in the outreach support program, and more than 3,000 support and crisis calls by phone and text.

Key services include the START (Support Team for Abuse Response Today) program, which gives women access to over a dozen community support agencies through a centralized meeting, the women’s well-bring counselling and peer support program, and providing basic necessities and food for women and children staying in the organization’s safe spaces.

“It’s incredibly moving to witness the collective effort of women in our community rallying together to support the vital cause of the YWCA,” said Rosalea Terry, a founding member of 100 Women Peterborough. “Our membership’s unified support is not only powerful but also a testament to the strength of our community’s solidarity.”

Since its formation in 2018, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated over $190,000 to 23 local organizations: YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Vinnies Peterborough, Hospice Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Unlimited, One Roof Warming Room, New Canadians Centre, Cameron House, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Casa De Angelae, Lakefield Animal Welfare Society, Community Care Peterborough, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Community Counselling and Resource Centre, Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services, Heads Up for Inclusion, Kawartha Youth Orchestra, Peterborough GreenUP, Bridges Peterborough, YMCA Strong Communities, Homeward Bound Peterborough, Good Neighbours Care Centre and Food Bank, PARN – Your Community AIDS Resource Network, and Camp Kawartha.

100 Women Peterborough is part of a growing collective philanthropy movement that began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, those women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. The movement has grown over the past 18 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with hundreds of chapters in Canada alone.

For more information about 100 Women Peterborough, visit www.100womenptbo.ca.

The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group (AMSG) is inviting community members to lend a hand for the upcoming spring clean-up of “an iconic location” in Peterborough’s East City community.

AMSG is hosting a rain-or-shine event on Saturday, April 13 at Ashburnham Memorial Park — better known as “Armour Hill” to locals. The event is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. and the agenda includes a celebration and clean-up of the park, located at 300 Hunter Street East.

The Armour Hill event is important for the Peterborough community, says Jenn McCallum, co-founder of the AMSG.

“Armour Hill is an iconic location in Peterborough, with beautiful views over the city,” McCallum told kawarthaNOW.

It is the tallest drumlin within the Peterborough drumlin field and features a war memorial to commemorate World War 1 veterans.

“Cleaning up the hill is important to show the park some love, because unfortunately, illegal garbage dumping is an ingrained and regular activity that happens within the park,” McCallum said. “Cleaning up this space shows stewardship and care for the park, both for its human and animal visitors,”

The AMSG hosts two park clean-ups annually, one in April and one in November.

McCallum is hopeful for a great turnout for Saturday’s clean-up. Typically, 50 to 60 people participate in the clean-up endeavours. All are welcome to attend, including children and pets.

“We’d love to have a great turnout for the event and at our future ones, and for everyone to enjoy their time in the park.”

When asked what would be the best possible outcome, McCallum looked ahead.

“In the future and for the long term, we would love to see the parking lot at the top of Armour Hill changed to be a people-friendly space,” she said. “Currently, as a large paved parking lot with no delineated parking spaces, it is a car-centric culture, where people come to enjoy the views and leave the garbage behind.”

“We would love to see this space become a beautiful space that people come to enjoy, to picnic and see the views, while respecting the space and properly disposing of their garbage.”

The regular cleanups, which the AMSG has been hosting since November 2021, help keep the 14-acre urban forest safe and clean.

This year’s events focus on community engagement, which will inform the development of a conceptual drawing of the top of Armour Hill as “an active transportation and community space, rather than a drab, garbage-littered parking lot.”

Those who wish to participate in the April event are asked to gather at the Heritage Pavilion, located at the top of Armour Hill, near the Peterborough Museum & Archives. Volunteers should bring a mug and a water bottle, work gloves if desired, and dress in weather-appropriate clothes. Snacks, hot beverages, and clear garbage bags will be provided.

If arriving after the land acknowledgement and orientation, volunteers should check in with one of the organizers, who will be manning a table on the hill. ASMG said keeping track of numbers helps the group receive funding.

Because it is the highest point in Peterborough, Armour Hill is a popular destination during the summer — largely because of the commanding views — and during the winter for tobogganing.

Previous fall and spring clean-up events collected a total of 36 bags of garbage, four bags of recyclables, and several large items including tires and wheels, signposts, doors, and mirrors. More than two-and-a-half pounds of cigarette butts have been removed from the park by Donna Reid’s Butt 1 community initiative for charity.

For more information about Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group, including how to get involved, visit ashburnhamstewardship.com.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the southern Kawarthas region for significant rainfall Thursday (April 11) through Friday morning.

The special weather statement is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.

Rain has overspread the area and will continue through Thursday night, with total rainfall amounts of 20 to 45 mm expected.

A risk of thunderstorms will also develop Thursday afternoon into the evening and, for areas that receive thunderstorms, rainfall amounts may approach 50 mm locally by Friday morning. Rain is expected to taper to showers through Friday morning.

Northwesterly winds will intensify in behind the system late Friday afternoon into Friday night with gusts up to 80 km/h.

Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.

After a four-year absence, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is bringing back its popular spring “Walk A Mile” fundraising event with a more inclusive name but the same focus.

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is asking community members to help support women and children recovering from gender-based violence and, ultimately, to “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes.”

Originally called “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes,” the popular community event ran for 11 years and raised almost $1 million for YWCA programs and services for women and children before the organization announced in 2020 that it was ending the event, in part due to the pandemic.

On Tuesday (April 9), YWCA Peterborough Haliburton announced the event would return to downtown Peterborough on Friday, May 24 with a slightly different name, and that registration was now open.

“Walk A Mile In Their Shoes is an opportunity for the community to not only come together to support an amazing cause, but also to come together as neighbours and citizens to enjoy time together in our downtown core,” Tina Thornton, director of philanthropy for YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, told kawarthaNOW.

“This has been a staple event in this community since 2009 — people know it, they love it, and they come to it just because it’s Walk A Mile.”

To take part, walkers typically don red shoes, team up with family, friends or colleagues, and join the YWCA at Confederation Square for a walk around downtown Peterborough. On May 24, check-in for participants starts at 11 a.m. and the walk begins at noon.

People can sign up as a solo walker or with a team, and the YWCA is encouraging groups and businesses to challenge others to a fundraising contest.

Thornton said the event also provides an important opportunity for men to get involved in advocating for women and children who have experienced violence.

“We know that in order to bring an end to gender-based violence, which is part of the vision of the future held by the entire YWCA movement, we will need men and boys to walk along with us and raise their voices,” she said.

Registration for the event is $40 for a limited time “early bird” rate. The fee includes lunch at the event, a custom water bottle, and a T-shirt in the preferred size for each participant.

Thornton said that, in addition to raising much-needed funds, the best possible outcome for this year’s event would be increased awareness of gender-based violence in the community and the programs and services YWCA provides to women and children.

“We are really seeing the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes event as an opportunity for advocacy about the issue of gender-based violence, opening people’s eyes to the fact that it’s happening right here in our community, and encouraging them to literally walk in someone else’s shoes for a short time,” Thornton explained.

“It’s also a chance for the YWCA to build awareness about our programs and services within a broader population than those who may already know about us. So for us, the best possible outcome would be that more people in our community are familiar with the YWCA, what we do, and the fact that we are much more than a women’s shelter. And of course, we hope to raise as much as possible, with the help of our amazing participants, in much-needed funding to support the women and children we serve every day.”

All ages, genders, and abilities are welcome to participate in the event, and the walking route will accommodate accessibility and mobility devices.

To register or sponsor a participant by making a donation, visit the website at walkamilepeterborough.com.

Proceeds from Walk A Mile In Their Shoes will support what the YWCA calls its “journey of care,” which encompasses each of the signature programs and services offered to the women, children, and gender-diverse people it serves.

“From our Crossroads Shelter to our START Program and everything in between, your support ensures that a woman who is fleeing gender-based violence not only has a safe place to recover, but also the wrap-around healing programming she needs as she stands on her own, walking her path to the life of her choosing, free from fear and violence,” reads a media release.

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton provides safety, resources, and support to help women safely escape violent situations, build upon their existing strength, and move forward in their lives free from fear and violence. As a member of YWCA Canada, the organization is part of a global movement dedicated to ending gender-based violence in all its forms.

Two years ago in May, our community experienced the wrath of a changing climate: 190 km/h winds, days without power, damaged buildings and vehicles, downed power lines, and trees uprooted from the ground. The derecho storm of May 21, 2022 signalled for all of us that climate change is happening right now in our community.

Faced with the certainty of devastating storms, droughts, and floods, we all have an opportunity to adapt.

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) recently completed a climate change and health vulnerability assessment, which outlines the potential impacts of climate change in the Peterborough region and identifies the populations who are most vulnerable.

As we are already seeing the impacts of climate change on the health of our community, PPH is focusing on adaptation: preparing and taking measures to reduce the harms associated with climate change, particularly the health-related impacts.

While everyone is at risk of being impacted by climate change, certain groups are more vulnerable than others. Factors such as age, living conditions, income, education, and social connection play a big role in a person’s ability to adapt to an extreme weather event or temperatures.

Overall, vulnerability is impacted by a person’s exposure to the hazard, sensitivity to the hazard, and their ability to adapt. The greatest vulnerability exists where multiple factors (such as life stage and circumstance) intersect.

In addition to physical health, climate change has a significant impact on our well-being and mental health. Eco-anxiety or climate anxiety is increasing, particularly among young people — 78 per cent of young Canadians aged 16 to 25 reported impacts on their mental health due to climate change.

I have experienced the impacts of climate change. Growing up north of Sudbury, exposure to wildfire smoke was a regular occurrence. Today, poor air quality exacerbates my asthma, which I developed in my adult years. During the wildfire smoke event experienced last summer, I was forced indoors for weeks.

During the May 2022 derecho, I was fortunate to have shelter and be safe, but many people did not. I cannot imagine being without a home or living in inadequate housing, being a young person experiencing extreme weather for the first time, or having a medical device that requires electricity to run and being without it for days.

Climate change is here and, for many, we must simply adapt to the circumstances.

In June 2021, over 600 deaths were reported in British Columbia due to heat-related illness caused by a heat wave. Most important to note, 98 per cent of those lives lost occurred indoors, and many of those people lived in homes without fans or air conditioners.

In 2024, PPH will be focusing on extreme temperatures, particularly extreme heat. We will be exploring policy levers that can be used to address extreme heat, such as maximum temperature by-laws. In the City of Peterborough, there are by-laws that address minimum temperatures in rented dwellings from September to May, but nothing that addresses maximum temperatures.

Beyond policy, we are working to incorporate the findings of the vulnerability assessment related to extreme temperatures into existing extreme heat and extreme cold emergency sub-plans, to improve these plans so that those most vulnerable are protected. This will include enhanced communication strategies and working with partner agencies to ensure key messages reach those who need the information the most.

Further, we will be advocating for increased accessibility of cooling spaces and centres. We are working to develop tools that community members and agencies can use, like a health and wellness checklist, during times of extreme heat.

We are increasing our engagement with Indigenous communities to learn and incorporate Indigenous perspectives into local plans and adaptation strategies.

But we cannot do any of this alone — community collaboration is critical when it comes to climate change adaptation. So engagement and consultation will be an important part of our work this year.

It is a big undertaking, but we are up for the challenge. We have a talented multi-disciplinary team of professionals at PPH committed to reducing the health impacts of climate change. And one thing we do know, if there is an unseen benefit of climate change, it is watching a community rally in times of disaster and need — that is the humanity I love.

For more information about the climate change and health vulnerability assessment, visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/your-health/environmental-hazards/climate-change/ and select “PPH Reports on Climate Change and Health.”

Parks Canada has advised the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge will be temporarily closed from early Thursday afternoon (April 11) until late Friday afternoon.

Although the bridge reopened last October after being closed for three years for a rehabilitation project, vertical end lifts need to be installed to ensure the bridge seals tightly to the abutments during normal swing operations.

Swing operations will begin when the Trent-Severn Waterway navigation season opens on May 17, the Friday of the Victoria Day long weekend.

To allow work to be done on the bridge, it will be temporarily closed to the public from 1 p.m. on Thursday until 5 p.m. on Friday. Parks Canada says bridge users can also expect traffic delays of 15 to 20 minutes on Thursday morning before the bridge temporarily closes.

Additional temporary closures of the bridge may be required before the beginning of the navigation season.

“The intermittent closures will be timed to ensure the least impact on the community, and detailed information regarding the timing and duration of these short closures will be provided in advance,” Parks Canada states. “For any planned closures requiring a longer duration (half-day/full-day closures), notifications will be issued with 24-hour notice.”