Peterborough city council will be meeting as general committee on Tuesday (April 2).

Following a closed session at 5:30 p.m., council will meet in council chambers at 6 p.m. for an open session.

Below are some highlights of what’s on the agenda for Tuesdays’s meeting.

Physician recruitment action plan

City staff will present a report recommending actions to be led by the city for physician recruitment and retention.

According to the report, there were an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 unattached patients in Peterborough in 2022. The Ontario College of Family Physicians has indicated there are 32,000 people in Peterborough, Haliburton, and Kawartha Lakes who do not have a family doctor, with that number expected to double in the next two years

In prior years, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) has been supplying physician recruitment services on behalf of the city and county of Peterborough. Last November, city councillors expressed concerns that PKED’s physician recruitment efforts were not effective and voted to withhold $226,021 in funding for 2024 until PKED and city staff could report back on options for physician recruitment. The following month, PKED opted to no longer be involved in physician recruitment and city council asked for a staff report about hiring a physician recruiter for the City of Peterborough.

The city staff report is recommending the city establish a $580,000 budget for 2024 and 2025 “to implement a multi-pronged, pilot approach for physician recruitment and retention activities.” The approach would include continuing an existing financial incentive for family doctors that establish new practices in the City of Peterborough which provides them with $15,000 over three years, and creating a temporary physician recruitment coordinator position that would support a proposed “Whole of Village” incentive program.

Proposed as a pilot program, the “Whole of Village” initiative would engage local doctors, physicians, organizations, and businesses as part of recruitment efforts. Options for the program could include providing additional financial incentives to physicians based on the number of patients they roster (with a focus on current medical students in the city) and for local physicians who recruit other physicians to come to the city. It could also include a “Hometown Proud” financial incentive for Peterborough medical students studying elsewhere who agree to practise in Peterborough upon graduation.

The report also proposes consulting with the local family physician think tank about short, medium, and long-term actions for family physician recruitment and retention in Peterborough and developing and implementing an an advocacy plan related to the provincial health care system to support physician recruitment efforts.

2024 community grants

City staff will present a report recommending the awarding of the city’s 2024 community grants to eligible groups, with funding restored to both The Theatre On King and Artisans Centre Peterborough after they were denied funding in 2023.

The total funding for 2024 includes $20,965 in community project grants to 29 organizations, $136,170 in community investment grants to 18 organizations, and $82,900 in previously confirmed community investment grants multi-year funding (with one organization transferred to the service grant category).

A committee comprising city staff made the recommendations for the 2024 community project grants, and a committee comprising eight citizens and two city councillors made the recommendaitons for the 2024 community investment grants.

The community grants program provides financial assistance to local not-for-profit and charitable organizations that provide direct programs, services, or activities that enhance the quality of life for Peterborough residents in the areas of social services and health, arts, culture, heritage, recreation, or the environment through two grant streams: the community project grant and the community investment grant.

For community project grants, the city provides $250 to $1,000 for specific projects. For community investment grants, the city provides $1,000 to $15,000 for projects, events, programs, or operating budgets.

This is the last year of the existing community grants program. In October, city council approved a change to the community grants program in 2025. Instead of the existing two funding streams, the program will have three streams: community well-being grants, services delivery agreements, and an art investment fund to be administered by the Art Gallery of Peterborough in collaboration with Electric City Culture Council.

Below is a list of the organizations, by category, recommended to receive community grants in 2024.

Community project grants

Arts

Show and Tell Poetry Series – $1,000
Peterborough Pop Ensemble – $1,000
Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival – $1,000
BLM Nogojiwanong – $1,000
Cathedral Hill Productions – $700
Hearts 4 Joy Skills Development Project – $675
The Electric City Players – $600
Maiden Lane Porch Concerts – $425
First Friday Peterborough Art Crawl – $300

Culture

Abraham Festival – $700
Peterborough Chinese Community Organization – $675

Environment

Bonaccord Garden – $1,000
Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group – $600
Sheet Seven Community Garden – $365
The Monarch Ultra – $1,000

Health

Tandemeyes – $1,000
Quilts for Cancer Peterborough County – $1,000
Food for Kids Peterborough and County Student Nutrition Programs – $1,000
Peterborough Community Medicine Garden – $625
ME/FM Association of Peterborough & District – $515

Social services

Peterborough Veterinary Outreach – $1,000
Peterborough Gleans – $1,000
Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Foundation – $1,000
Operation Catnip Peterborough – $1,000

Sports

Peterborough Wolverines Football Club – $700
Peterborough Swim Club – $550
Quaker Park Tennis Club – $535

Community investment grants

Arts

Kawartha Youth Orchestra – $15,000
New Stages Peterborough – $15,000
Peterborough Symphony Orchestra – $13,000
Artisans Centre Peterborough – $10,500
The Theatre on King – $10,500
Peterborough Children’s Chorus – $7,700
The Peterborough Singers – $1,000
SPARK Photo Festival – $1,000
Peterborough New Horizons Band – $1,000

Culture

Trent Radio – $9,900

Environment

Kawartha World Issues Centre – $7,000
Camp Kawartha – $5,500
Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee – $2,070

Heritage

P. R. Community and Student Association (Sadleir House Facility) – $1,000

Social services

Bedford House / Bridges Peterborough – $10,000
Telecare Distress Centre of Peterborough Inc. – $10,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough – $6,000

Sports

Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program – $10,000

Previously approved community investment grant multi-year funding

Moved from multi-year investment grant to service grant

Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC) – $15,000

Year 2 of 3

ReFrame Film Festival – $15,000
Public Energy Performing Arts – $9,900
B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop – $7,000
Peterborough Concert Band – $5,000

Year 3 or 3

The Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts – $15,000
Heads Up for Inclusion – $8,000
The Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough – $8,000

Zoning by-law amendment for 16-unit apartment building at 720 Vinette Street

City staff will present a report supporting a zoning by-law amendment to permit the expansion of an existing two-storey residential apartment building at 720 Vinette Street, located on the east side of the Rotary Greenway Trail north of Parkhill Road East.

The building’s owner is proposing adding a third story to the existing two-storey building, which currently has eight residential units, to create an additional six units. In addition, the building’s owner is seeking to have two basement units recognized by existing zoning and to obtain the building permits required to bring the two basement units into compliance.

Existing tenants of the building, which include tenants on fixed incomes, would need to be re-homed during construction.

Councillor remuneration and expense statements in 2023

As required by the Municipal Act, council will receive a city staff report providing an itemized statement of the remuneration and expenses paid to each member of council, and council appointees to boards and commissions, in 2023.

The report indicates that Mayor Jeff Leal received a total of $117,341.93 in 2023, with councillors Gary Baldwin, Lesley Parnell, Joy Lachica, Don Vassiliadis, and Keith Riel each receiving $38,138.17, Alex Bierk, Matt Crowley, Kevin Duguay, and Dave Haacke each receiving $37,749.00, and Andrew Beamer receiving $35,582.17 (unlike the mayor and other councillors, Beamer was not paid a vehicle allowance).

Request for delegated authority to obtain liquor sales licences in city facilities

City staff will present a report recommending that council delegate the authority to obtain to obtain liquor sales licences for city facilities to the city’s CAO and the commissioner of community services.

The city currently holds an active liquor licence at the Peterborough Memorial and an expired license at Healthy Planet Arena, and are seeking one for the McDonnel Street Community Centre (operated by the city since 2023) to support facility rentals and programming.

Delegated authority would allow city staff to apply for the liquor licence for McDonnel Street Community Centre and, in the future, to renew existing licences or apply for new ones.

Other reports to be presented to council include recommended amendments to the Ombudsman Act, an update on government relations, recommended amendments to regulatory by-laws, an update on the city’s climate change action plan (“Pathway to Net Zero 2050”), a recommended increase in funding for the contractor hired for the Bethune Street flood reduction project, and recommendations for continuing a donation agreement with the Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club as well as a field use agreement.

Motion on pickleball court strategy at Bonnerworth Park

Town Ward councillor Joy Lachica will put forward a motion about the city’s proposed redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park at 560 McDonnel Street, which will include 16 new pickleball courts, a bike pump track, an expanded skatepark and associated landscape and lighting, and four new tennis courts.

The redevelopment plan proposes that the 16 pickleball courts can be located under 150 metres from residential areas. Councillor Lachica’s motion expresses concern about the noise and traffic impact of the new courts, as well as the impact on accessibility and safety for nearby tenants of Peterborough Housing Corporation and pedestrian park users.

Councillor Lachica’s motion asks that council review the proposed redevelopment plan for alternatives for the pickleball and tennis courts, with a report back to council before any work proceeds on the redevelopment.

Items endorsed by general committee on April 2 will be considered by council for final approval the following Monday.

Council meetings are streamed live at www.peterborough.ca.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement and a snowfall warning for an early spring storm in the greater Kawarthas region on Wednesday (April 3) and Thursday, with strong winds and rain followed by the potential for accumulating snow.

The special weather statement is in effect for the City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough County, southern Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. The snowfall warning is in effect for northern Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands.

A Colorado low is affecting the region. Rain began overnight on Tuesday, with 25 to 50 mm of rain possible by Wednesday afternoon in Northumberland County and 10 to 40 mm possible in other areas of the Kawarthas. Gusty easterly winds, possibly exceeding 70 km/h, are likely in some areas through Wednesday morning.

The rain is expected to transition to snow late on Wednesday afternoon or evening, with snow expected to continue overnight before tapering off Thursday.

The changeover to snow will likely occur earliest over the Haliburton Highlands, with total snowfall amounts of 15 to 30 cm and peak snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm per hour expected in northern Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands. With temperatures being very close to the freezing mark, the snow may be very heavy and wet and local power outages are possible as a result.

In other areas of the Kawarthas, snowfall amounts could range from 5 cm to over 10 cm. Confidence in snowfall amounts is low, given that temperatures will be near the freezing mark and the precipitation may continue to fall as rain in these areas.

The original version of this story has been updated with the latest forecast from Environment Canada.

A Toronto couple who have a cottage in Kawartha Lakes and are supporters of the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation in Lindsay have won the $646,749 grand prize in the Split the Pot Lottery.

Bill B. purchased a grand prize winning ticket in the lottery, a joint venture of 51 hospital foundations across Ontario based on a traditional 50/50 lottery. Half of ticket sales go towards the lottery jackpot and the other half support participating hospitals.

Participants can choose to direct the net proceeds from their ticket purchase to their local hospital foundation, or they can choose to support all 51 participating hospital foundations and have the net proceeds from their purchase divided equally among them.

When Bill B. bought his lottery tickets, he chose to support the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation because he and his wife Debbie have a cottage in Kawartha Lakes.

“I have been a seasonal resident in the Lindsay area all of my life,” Bill says in a media release. “As a senior citizen, one of the key reasons we continue to reside in the area is because we have such a great hospital nearby. When I read about the Split the Pot lottery in kawarthaNOW, I thought it was another great opportunity to support the hospital.”

When ticket sales for Split the Pot Lottery ended on March 21, the jackpot had soared to a final total of $1,077,915. The 13 winners were announced last Monday (March 25), with Bill taking home 60 per cent of the pot. Two more winners split 20 per cent of the pot — including Ryan L. of Peterborough, who won $107,791.50 — and 10 more winners split the remaining 20 per cent of the pot.

Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation CEO Erin Coons was “thrilled” to learn the grand prize winner has chosen to support the foundation when he bought his tickets.

“We couldn’t be happier for Bill and his family,” Coons says. “This is truly a life-changing win. We’re very fortunate to have a vibrant cottage community in Kawartha Lakes — people who consider the Ross to be their hospital, too. We can all ensure our hospital is equipped to care during times of need.”

Hospitals in Ontario depend on fundraising and community donations to acquire medical equipment and technology that is not covered by government funding.

It’s all paws on deck with the addition of two canines to paramedic services in both Peterborough and Northumberland counties.

Charlie, a one-and-a-half-year-old chocolate lab, joined Peterborough County and its paramedic services in November 2023.

“She has been a welcome addition to our county wellness initiatives,” Michelle Walsh, executive assistant to the paramedic chief/senior director of emergency and shared services/deputy CAO for Peterborough County/City Paramedics, told kawarthaNOW.

“Although she is based out of our paramedic department, she regularly visits our county departments, the hospital, our patients where suitable, and our allied agencies,” Walsh said.

Charlie has visited children during a library program and comforted youngsters at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre in Peterborough during a trying time.

Charlie’s handler, Sandra Giles, shared her vision for the therapy dog initiative when the pup was introduced to the county.

“By including Charlie in our workplace, we are looking to promote connection, communication, and trust amongst our all our staff,” Giles said.

“Charlie will assist in bridging the gap between management and front-line staff, while creating a safe space to share variances and assist in managing challenging calls,” she noted.

“This supportive approach to our staff hopefully improves morale and create a workspace that feels calming and comfortable with Charlie around. This is a modernized approach to quality assurance and connection that we feel will greatly impact mental health and overall wellness.”

Meanwhile, in Northumberland County, Ivy, a young golden retriever, is getting accustomed to the county building, vehicles, and other settings with her big puppy paws. She is not yet a year old and is still in training.

Susan Brown, chief of Northumberland Paramedics, told kawarthaNOW Ivy is getting a warm reception from paramedics, staff, community members and others she has met to date.

Currently, “she helps out the paramedics, she helps out county staff, and soon she’ll be doing home visits with our community (paramedicine) program — we’re really excited about that,” Brown said in a video introducing Ivy to Northumberland County residents.

VIDEO: Introducing Ivy Joules

Born in July, Ivy is about eight months old. She has a ways to go and grow, but Brown said “up to this point, she’s fitting in really, really well.”

Ivy is learning her basic commands such as “sit,” “come,” and “stay” with her training team at Northumberland Paramedics, and she’s also involved in off-site dog training with an instructor for periods ranging from seven to 14 days.

Brown said back before the COVID-19 pandemic, she had thought about having a therapy pup to support paramedics. She bought a dog Baxter but, with the restrictions of the pandemic, there wasn’t access to the necessary training. The retriever/great Pyrenees cross is now five, and Brown’s pet.

“When we came out of COVID, we thought, what could be a better time? I think we all came out of COVID all a little bit more stressed.”

Brown receives calls from staff members in a variety of the county’s other 11 departments who wish to have a visit from Ivy. Her presence has proven to be helpful for employees during stressful times, like budget preparations, for example.

She has also been a comfort to hospital staff during high-intensity paramedic calls that land her at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Brown said. Ivy hasn’t been taken into the hospital just yet, but she has been embraced by staff who have stepped out of the building to visit the pup.

“Everyone is excited to see her,” the chief said.

With more than 1,000 residents in Northumberland’s community paramedicine program, Ivy will eventually be accompanying paramedics on their visits to patients’ homes when it’s appropriate. The chief is in the process of asking patients if they’d like Ivy to tag along with their visiting paramedic.

The dog will also have visiting children in area schools and stopping by Golden Plough Lodge long-term care home in Cobourg to interact with residents on her list of duties.
Her job description will expand when she’s older, likely when she’s between 18 and 24 months old.

However, she’s already “like a natural,” Brown said.

“She’s one little puppy dog spreading smiles throughout the county.”

A Peterborough native will be at the controls of the very first commercial jet that will chase the moon’s 115-mile wide shadow across North America during the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th — complete with a bubble canopy on top of the plane to allow 360 degree views of the once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.

A graduate of Adam Scott in Peterborough who now lives in California, 45-year-old Captain William Streich will pilot the maiden flight of “Shadowchaser,” a state-of-the-art Airbus jet modified with a bubble canopy designed to provide passengers with an unobstructed view of totality for the longest stretch of time possible: 23 minutes and 51 seconds.

Developed by U.S. aerospace engineering company Windspeed Technologies, the bubble canopy is made of advanced transparent materials — the same used in supersonic fighter jets — which are strong enough to withstand birdstrikes and other stress factors. Offering rotating seats with 360-degree views, it has an aerodynamic teardrop shape to help reduce drag.

“This is the first time this patented technology has been installed in a jet aircraft,” Streich told kawarthaNOW in a telephone interview from his home in Los Angeles. “I’m super thrilled to take Shadowchaser up for the first time with paying passengers.”

If you’re hoping to book a seat on the flight, you’re out of luck — Shadowchaser was fully booked six months ago. But it’s unlikely you would have been able to afford it anyway, according to Streich.

“I’m not a liberty to tell you exactly what passengers paid, other than to say it’s in six figures,” he said.

Although Streich also wouldn’t say who or how many passengers are on the flight, he noted that several passengers are “well-known celebrities, including actors and athletes” as well as “one guy who runs several successful tech companies that you will be very familiar with.”

Streich said the Airbus A380 jet — which normally seats 525 passengers — has been modified to remove almost all of the seats to reduce the plane’s weight and to allow the installation of the bubble canopy, which can only seat two passengers at a time.

Each set of two passengers will be allotted limited time inside the bubble canopy, although there are also other seats on Shadowchaser that will offer a view of the eclipse through the regular windows at times during the flight.

Although it will take one hour and 40 minutes for the moon’s shadow to travel from the west coast of Mexico to the east coast of Newfoundland, Shadowchaser will only be in the air for less than a third of that time because the moon’s shadow will actually speed up as it moves from west to east.

“The moon’s shadow will travel slowest at the point of greatest eclipse near the town of Nazas, Mexico, where the duration is longest and also where the shadow speed is the lowest,” according to eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler. “As the shadow progresses across North America, the shadow speed increases because the oblique angle of the shadow on a curved Earth results in a higher ground speed.”

That means that the moon’s shadow will be travelling almost three times as fast by the time it reaches Newfoundland. It would be moving even faster if the Earth weren’t rotating in the same direction.

“We’ve got a relatively short window when we can keep up with the moon’s shadow,” Streich said, adding the flight will meet the shadow off the Mexican coast. “Although Shadowchaser is a very powerful aircraft, there’s no way we can keep up with the moon’s shadow after a certain point.”

Along with Shadowchaser, NASA will also be launching high-altitude research aircraft to chase the moon’s shadow and study details of structures in the sun’s middle and lower corona.

“The reason that we’re flying airplanes, besides the fact that it’s really cool, is because getting up high into the atmosphere means you can actually access wavelengths of light you can’t do from the ground,” said Dr. Amir Caspi from the Southwest Research Institute in Texas.

As for Shadowchaser, Streich said the aircraft will be used during future total solar eclipses.

The next three total solar eclipses take place on August 12, 2026 in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, on August 2, 2027 in northern Africa, and on July 22, 2028 in Australia and New Zealand.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be the pilot for those flights,” Streich admits. “But I’m honoured to be the inaugural pilot and I’m excited that I’ll be able to see the eclipse from the cockpit, at least for part of the flight.”

April Fool’s! While Windspeed Technologies is a real company which has in fact patented a bubble canopy system called SkyDeck, it has never been installed on a commercial aircraft to our knowledge. What’s more, a commercial jet does not have the speed required to keep up with the moon’s shadow during a total solar eclipse. For the April 8th eclipse, the shadow will be travelling at 1,565 mph (2,519 kph) — more than twice the the speed of sound — when it arrives at the Mexican coast and, by the time it reaches Newfoundland, it will be moving at 4,727 mph (7,607 kph), almost five times the speed of sound. Only modern supersonic fighter jets are capable of attaining those speeds.

Here are our April Fool’s stories from the past six years:

A call signals the trauma team at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Emergency Department (ED): a trauma patient is on the way. The ED’s trauma team springs into action in these crucial moments, triggering the ‘Code Trauma’.

Whether it’s a victim of a near-fatal car crash losing a lot of blood, a stroke patient with a brain bleed, a senior with a fractured hip from a fall, or a child struggling to breathe, the ‘Code Trauma’ is a rapid call out for a dedicated group of emergency doctors, nurses, surgeons, and specialists.

Their mission is to come together when the injured patient arrives and perform their rehearsed roles to provide immediate care without delay.

Like a scene from a medical drama, the air buzzes with the hum of medical equipment and a sense of anticipation. The team works seamlessly to stabilize the patient, assess the severity of injuries, and initiate critical first steps in their care, all while following the protocols of a Level III Trauma Centre. It’s a world most of us hope never to see.

In a typical year, residents across our region make over 71,000 visits to the ED. During those visits, around 400 patients are treated by the trauma team for serious and life-threatening traumatic injuries.

Under the leadership of PRHC’s Trauma Medical Director, Dr. Troy Tebbenham, the team’s work — supported by specialized, donor-funded equipment — has been instrumental in determining the outcomes of these patients, often making the difference between life and death.

VIDEO: Heart of Healthcare – Episode 3, Part 1

In the latest episode of the PRHC Foundation’s “Heart of Healthcare” video series, Foundation President & CEO and series host, Lesley Heighway, sits down with Dr. Tebbenham. He shares what’s happening in emergency medicine at PRHC, what it’s like leading the trauma program into its second year, and the importance of the hospital’s designation as a Level III Trauma Centre.

PRHC was designated a Level III Trauma Centre in 2023, marking a significant milestone in the region’s emergency medical services.

“Survival in traumatic medical situations often hinges on the speed of intervention,” says Dr. Tebbenham. “The Level III designation positions PRHC as a vital link in the provincial network and a lifeline for severely injured patients, who must be stabilized before being transferred to a lead trauma hospital. Peterborough is very fortunate to have that.”

The designation gives PRHC access to the network’s resources. It facilitates collaboration with lead trauma hospitals in Toronto and Kingston and the other Level III Centres in Barrie, Guelph, Newmarket, and Oshawa.

Crucial to the trauma program’s success are the team’s state-of-the-art, donor-funded tools and technology. Recent investments such as a rapid blood transfusion machine, advanced trauma stretchers, and a cutting-edge ultrasound machine support the team in providing fast, safe, expert care to patients often suffering painful injuries.

“Equipment is essential when caring for a patient in their first moments as a critically injured trauma patient,” Dr. Tebbenham says. “Although we had forms of it before, this new equipment is top-of-the-line efficient and very easy to use. It’s allowed the team to focus on caring for the patient rather than struggling with other pieces of equipment.”

In a recent case, a young patient’s life was saved through the quick, coordinated efforts of the trauma team, using the new technology to administer rapid blood transfusions and diagnose internal injuries following a car accident. This immediate treatment stabilized and prepared him for advanced care at a lead trauma hospital, where he received lifesaving surgery.

“If we were disorganized or didn’t have the right kind of equipment, I’m not sure how the outcome would have gone,” says Dr. Tebbenham.

The trauma program’s mandate isn’t only about immediate, lifesaving interventions at PRHC’s ED. It also includes a commitment to community engagement and injury prevention. Beyond the hospital’s walls, the program supports collaborations with emergency medical services (EMS), fire services, police, and schools.

Dr. Tebbenham stresses the importance of education to prevent and limit trauma, citing initiatives like ‘Stop the Bleed’, a national, community-based training program that empowers individuals to respond effectively to bleeding injuries, and a safety campaign on social media to deter the public from risky behaviour.

“We’ve already seen a lot of positive effects, both in the hospital and outside the hospital,” he says.

VIDEO: Heart of Healthcare – Episode 3, Part 2

Dr. Tebbenham outlined the trauma program’s future, highlighting an ongoing focus on streamlined emergency care, continuous quality improvement and increased community partnerships across the region. He explained that the program would not be possible without donor support and expressed his gratitude for the generosity of donors.

“Thank you! What you do is literally saving lives and we’re able to see that because of how the program is running.”

He also explained that having advanced equipment so that doctors, nurses and staff can do their jobs to the best of their abilities and see positive outcomes for their patients also boosts team morale.

This has been especially important since the onset of the pandemic and ensuing health human resources challenges.

“A huge thank you from us on behalf of the patients, but also, a huge thank you just from us for what you’ve been able to do for all the healthcare providers involved in caring for an injured patient,” says Dr. Tebbenham.

Watch the two-part discussion between Dr. Troy Tebbenham and Lesley Heighway above.

Upcoming episodes of “Heart of Healthcare” will be available at prhcfoundation.ca and through the Foundation’s social media and Vimeo channels.

“Heart of Healthcare” is a video series featuring the stories of some of the people and programs helping to shape the future of care at PRHC for the 600,000 people — from the city and county of Peterborough, Northumberland County, east Durham, the Haliburton Highlands, and the City of Kawartha Lakes — who rely on it.

This branded editorial was supplied by the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

An additional 224 acres of land in the Kawarthas is now protected from development as a result of donors and grants.

Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) has announced the conservation of five new properties in Douro-Dummer Township, Selwyn Township, and in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Through the support of individual donors and funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Wildlife Habitat Canada, KLT has protected an additional five properties: Roussel-Steffler Memorial Sanctuary in Douro-Dummer Township, O’Leary Family Wetland in Kawartha Lakes, Wittek Property in Selwyn Township, Found Property in Kawartha Lakes, and Roscarrock Conservation Easement near Lakefield.

“It’s always exciting to be able to announce the protection of more of the land we love in the Kawarthas and even more so when we’re able to share the news of five newly protected areas at the same time,” said John Kintare, KLT executive director.

“The conservation of these lands is the result of the incredible investments made by our donors, partners, and volunteers over the past 20 years.”

The protection of the new nature reserves and conservation easement contributes to KLT’s commitments to conserve land and biodiversity in the Kawarthas and engage in focused climate action, the organization noted.

VIDEO: Learn About Kawartha Land Trust (KLT)

“Ontarians value their natural surroundings greatly. Working together with partners like (KLT) and generous landowners, we are dedicated to protecting, restoring, and enhancing wildlife habitats,” said Steven Guilbeault, federal minister of the environment and climate change, in a media release.

“This effort strengthens ecosystems and helps them absorb and store carbon while helping to protect species at risk, like the monarch butterfly and the western chorus frog. With support from the Government of Canada through programs like the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, the Ecological Gifts Program, the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund, and the Habitat Stewardship Program, we are actively helping Canada reach its goal of conserving 30 per cent of land and water by 2030.”

KLT now protects nearly four dozen properties, which encompass more than 6,500 acres of land.

The land trust said it’s grateful “for the trust and vision of the land donors who have ensured their lands will be protected for future generations.”

Founded in 2001 by a group of volunteers concerned about the rapid loss of natural spaces in the Kawarthas region, KLT is a non-profit charitable organization that protects 39 properties that include more than 6,950 acres of ecologically diverse lands, some of which include hiking trails that introduce thousands of people to nature in the Kawarthas every year.

KLT works within the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig Territory and strives to continue to create meaningful connections and relationships with First Nations communities in the region.

Landowners who care about the conservation legacy of their property, are looking to find a use for the unproductive land they own, or who care about their surrounding environment, can reach out to KLT for a variety of conservation solutions.

For questions about conservation opportunities and how to generally support conservation in the Kawarthas, e-mail protectland@kawarthalandtrust.org or call 705-743-5599.

To learn more about KLT’s protected properties and volunteer opportunities with the organization, visit kawarthalandtrust.org.