While it appears that Goliath has the upper hand, David is still fighting the good fight.

In the aftermath of Peterborough city council’s April 8 vote reaffirming the planned $4.4 million redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park to accommodate 16 pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, a bike pump track and an 80-vehicle parking lot, neighbouring residents vehemently opposed to the plan have organized in a bid to draw wider support.

The Save Bonnerworth Park website at savebonnerworthpark.ptbo.org went live on April 25. A related online petition, which urges ‘city council to consider the impact on our community before proceeding with this redevelopment plan,’ had garnered almost 1,300 signatures and messages of support as of Tuesday (April 30).

Visitors to the Save Bonnerworth Park website can order lawn signs and watch a video that outlines residents’ concerns with the noise impact that the pickleball complex will have on their quality of life, the loss of their neighbourhood greenspace, and what they claim was a flawed process in terms of notification that the park was being considered for redevelopment, and what the scope of the plan was.

While it would seem the park’s redevelopment is a done deal, group member and Middleton Drive resident Richard Scott says that’s not the case.

“The final approval of the detailed plans rests with (city) staff,” he says. “Council does have the ability to put that approval authority at the council level again. So that’s one thing we’re working on with our councillors (Joy Lachica and Alex Bierk) to have happen so we have another chance to express the community’s views before any final approval.”

VIDEO: Save Bonnerworth Park Peterborough April 2024

“Council has delegated final approval to staff,” Scott adds. “The city keeps saying the plan that was presented on March 21 (at a public consultation meeting) was an initial cut at it. The communications we’ve had suggest there’s room for some sort of rearrangement of the plan.”

“They’re now undertaking the technical studies — a noise study, a parking and traffic study, a storm water study, and a geotechnical study. Typically these studies would have been done at the front end of the planning process, not at the back end. That’s one of the issues we have.”

Scott says he has been told by a city official that study results will be posted on the city’s public consultation website at www.connectptbo.ca/bonnerworth-park, offering the public the chance to provide input on their findings.

In the meantime, Save Bonnerworth Park will continue to petition for support.

Elaine Gerelus, who with her husband John also lives on Middleton Drive, says support received so far has come from across the city, not just those living in the vicinity of Bonnerworth Park who will be most directly affected by the redevelopment.

“What we’ve found out through this process is once people learned about it, they’re appalled that this greenspace is being completely taken away … it makes no sense to them,” she says

“It’s great to see the outreach of people. If I mention it, people say ‘We had no idea that this is going on. Can you give us the link to the website?’ It’s become a grassroots movement that’s growing organically.”

Among the many who have signed the online petition and commented is former Peterborough mayor Sylvia Sutherland, who wrote “It is a travesty to locate 16 pickleball courts and a parking lot in this greenspace in a residential area.”

Many of the signers take aim at the expenditure itself, noting there are too many pressing priorities in the city to justify the outlay of $4.4 million.

One respondent, who identifies herself as a pickleball player, wrote she doesn’t agree with “paving greenspace or putting it (the pickleball court complex) in the middle of a neighbourhood.”

Another signer argues simply “Parks are not for cars” while another asks more bluntly “Who died and left pickleball players in charge?”

To the last point, Gerelus makes it clear that she and her neighbours “have nothing against pickleball.”

“It’s a great sport — I’ve played it,” she says. “I understand that there’s a place for it, but plowing over a beautiful greenspace at the expense of a larger community that uses that park is not acceptable.”

“I agree with a lot of the comments (posted with the petition). I have wondered why this is such a priority when we have far more serious issues in the city right now. I understand the frustrations.”

Moving forward, Scott says Save Bonnerworth Park will “communicate with city staff to make sure we get advance notice of when the study results are posted.”

“Given the fact that councillors were blindsided by the plan at the March 21 open house, they’ll also be on this. They don’t want to be blindsided again. So we’re going to be in constant communication with staff to make sure the studies are timely and don’t move ahead before they’re confirmed as complete and thorough. We believe they should come to the right conclusions.”

Meanwhile, Gerelus et al — who have paid for lawn signs available from the Save Bonnerworth Park website out of their own pocket and are distributing them — remain buoyed by the city-wide support.

“When you have this many people saying the process is flawed, there’s something there,” she says. “Nothing about this seems right. The opposition is growing day by day. Why are they (councillors) not listening to their constituents?”

Scott says members of the group have faith in their power-in-numbers approach.

“You have to be an optimist,” he says. “You have to think about everyone who’s not being represented, or hasn’t been represented, in this process, and who will suffer because of that.”

“The city has a chance now to actually engage in a good faith process. An example is these background studies. They say they will have another public meeting to display the final draft plan. We want to make sure they’re not in the background putting a contract out to tender while they’re still consulting. We want to make sure there’s fair due process.”

“We want to hold their feet to the fire. Show us that your strategic plan says transparency, openness, and collaboration. Our experience has been the exact opposite of what the city says it aspires to.”

Northumberland County’s warden says the idea of having one county-wide police service for Northumberland is worth a second look.

Brian Ostrander endorses county council’s decision to hire a consultant to study the pros and cons of having a single police service, or a single policing contract for the county, instead of the three services that currently operate in Northumberland.

The Cobourg Police Service serves the Town of Cobourg, the Port Hope Police Service primarily serves the urban area of the Municipality of Port Hope, and the Ontario Provincial Police’s Northumberland detachment (with locations in Cobourg, Brighton, and Campbellford) serves the rural area of the Municipality of Port Hope, along with Hamilton Township, Alnwick-Haldimand Township, Cramahe Township, the Municipality of Brighton, and the Municipality of Trent Hills.

The review of police services delivered in Northumberland is intended to “ensure effective and affordable policing over the long-term as the community grows and changes,” Northumberland County noted in a news release.

County staff retained a third party, StrategyCorp, to take on the review.

Warden Ostrander said he proposed to council the motion of updating the 2007 study on the same issue for a few reasons.

“It showed there could be some fairly significant savings if there was an amalgamated service or one contract across the county,” Ostrander told kawarthaNOW. “I wondered if it was of interest to have that study updated, and it was.”

“Policing is expensive, and it should be. At the end of the day, we’re talking about a human resources-heavy service that is offered and these folks should be paid well. They’re putting themselves in danger for our safety and security on a day-to-day basis.”

Ostrander said having one police service or one policing contract across the county would require supervisory positions but could reduce the number of the current two police chiefs and one inspector down to one role.

There could also be an opportunity to reduce costs for equipment, vehicles, and civilian human resources staff in communities like Cobourg and Port Hope that have their own services, he noted.

StrategyCorp recently delivered to county council a presentation on the planned methodology, officially kicking off its work. With Northumberland expected to grow by 35 per cent over the next 25 years to a population of 122,000, the review aims to provide recommendations to structure and equip local police services to meet future needs.

“Northumberland County is undergoing transformational change and growth,” Ostrander said in the release.

“The principal direction of our newly adopted community strategic plan is to guide this growth with intention. As the mayors of Northumberland, county council recognizes the importance of assessing current policing practices and exploring all options to meet evolving community needs. Part of the strategic plan involves looking at opportunities for shared services.”

“Council holds local police services in the highest regard for their professionalism and dedication to community safety. This review seeks to ensure that policing in our community is poised for long-term success. We aim to equip Northumberland municipalities with the necessary insights to make informed decisions about ensuring the safety and security of our residents well into the future.”

The review will culminate in a comprehensive report for Northumberland County council’s consideration and next steps.

“At council’s direction, this review will encompass a thorough evaluation of current policing service levels, operational costs, and revenue streams,” said Northumberland County CAO Jennifer Moore in the release.

“The goal is to obtain recommendations for future service delivery, considering options ranging from maintaining existing service structures to exploring a combined model.”

A final report is expected to be presented to county council in the second half of 2024.

A 32-year-old Peterborough woman is facing arson charges after a series of five garbage bin fires in the downtown area overnight on Monday (April 29).

At around 11:30 p.m., Peterborough police began to receive calls to assist the Peterborough Fire Department with multiple fires in garbage bins — all within a short time frame and in proximity to one another.

Fires were set in two garbage bins in Millennium Park and in garbage bins at George Street North and King Street, Charlotte Street and Aylmer Street, and George Street North near Sherbrooke Street.

Police reviewed footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that were installed at 12 locations in downtown Peterborough last summer and obtained a description of the suspect.

Officers canvassing the area located a woman on a bike in the Reid Street and Simcoe Street area who matched the suspect’s description.

As a result of the police investigation, a 32-year-old Peterborough woman was arrested and charged with five counts of arson causing damage to property.

“The footage from the CCTV program cameras was instrumental in allowing officers to get a description and make an arrest in this case,” reads a police media release.

The accused woman is being held in policy custody for a court appearance on Tuesday.

The presidents of two union locals at Fleming College are pledging “to hold the college accountable to the language” of their collective agreements in the wake of last week’s suspension of 29 programs.

In a written statement provided to kawarthaNOW, OPSEU/SEPFO Local 352 president Liz Mathewson and Local 351 president Marcia Steeves admit to being “shocked” by last week’s program suspension announcement. Local 352 represents full-time and partial load faculty at the college and Local 351 represents full-time and part-time college support staff.

“Both union locals were advised only an hour prior to management’s (April 23) meetings with faculty and support staff where they were notified of the fate of their programs,” they write.

“We have not seen this level of program cuts in decades and we view it as unprecedented. We fear other colleges will follow Fleming’s example, and inappropriately jump to cutting programs without engagement, transparency, and collaboration.”

On April 24, in a prepared statement, college president Maureen Adamson confirmed the decision made the previous day by Fleming’s board of governors to suspend 29 programs ranging from Business-Accounting and Business-HR, to Environmental Technology and Fish and Wildlife Technology, to Law Clerk and Marketing Management.

Adamson pointed to “significant external events that have had an adverse effect on our college,” pointing specifically to the federal cap on international students coming Ontario and the elimination of educational private partnerships.

“The related significant reduction to our budget has had a profound impact on college operations,” added Adamson, adding “We are moving quickly to stabilize our institution and prepare for future years.”

But both Mathewson and Steeves argue “these decisions are not simply a result of the federal cap on international students. They are a result of a significant and systematic underfunding of our public post-secondary institutions by the provincial government.”

“The federal announcement (of the international student cap) made on January 20, 2024 should not have been a surprise to any college president or board governor.”

What the programs’ suspension will mean for their respective members, says Mathewson and Steeves, is an unknown at this point.

“Until the college engages with the union locals in transparent discussions and provides the full evidence used to make these decisions, we will not know the full impact to faculty,” writes Mathewson, adding “We also need to know what additional questions the board of governors asked to ensure they were fully informed before endorsing the program cuts.”

“We cannot predict the impact to employees (but) we do know that our most precarious employees, our contract faculty, will be impacted the hardest.”

Mathewson goes further, questioning whether “the college is looking for efficiency within management.” According to her, just last week, “the college announced a new full-time management appointment.”

For her part, Steeves says “without meaningful (administration) engagement with the union, we will not know the full impact to part-time employees,” noting many of those part-time employees are students.

While wholly acknowledging “management has the right to manage,” both union local leaders agree “every decision is a choice.”

“Maureen (Adamson) could have chosen to work with the union locals, as we did at the onset of COVID, to find solutions that minimize the negative impact to potential and current students, valued employees, the communities which rely upon us, and the employers who employ our graduates.”

“Choosing to exclude the union locals in solution-focused, collaborative discussions was a missed opportunity. The college can always choose to find efficiencies within the college other than cutting academic programs and services to students. However, it appears it is only considering cuts to academic programs.”

Mathewson’s and Steeves’ promise to hold the college’s feet to the fire regarding their respective collective agreements is being augmented by an online petition initiated by the student association at the college’s Frost Campus in Lindsay.

They note, as of Sunday (April 28), more than 1,100 people had signed and commented, adding “Many signatures are from former employees, alumni, and employers of graduates from many of the programs eliminated at the Frost campus.” As of the date of this story, the online petition has over 1,500 signatures.

Combined with the August 2023 suspension of 13 programs, the number of Fleming programs cut in less than a year stands at 42.

“The college is spinning this as a painless choice for students but as employees at a community college, faculty and staff know there will be significant consequences,” write the union leaders.

“These program cuts will create new barriers for students looking to transition to post-secondary education or those looking to up-skill through the programs which have been terminated. Many of the programs cut were pathway programs to university.”

The two union leaders provide examples of how the program cuts could affect different sectors in the economy.

“Locally, many of our graduates obtain employment in the food and restaurant sector. However, Fleming cut the culinary program last year.”

“Graduates from programs now cut at the School for Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences at the Frost Campus make up a great deal of the employees at the Ministry of Natural Resources (and Forestry) and in the Ontario Public Service sector. Some of these graduates were considered essential workers in various areas across the province during COVID.”

“Business programs have been eliminated, and programs with a focus on therapeutic recreation, whose graduates work with our increasing aging population, have also been eliminated.”

While there’s still no definitive word on what the programs’ suspension will mean in terms of lost faculty and staff jobs, those affected have been told by management that Fleming College “will work closely with our union locals to meet our Employment Stability standards.” For Mathewson and Steeves, that assurance means little in the big picture.

“The program cuts made over the past year will negatively impact students and Fleming’s reputation, and will fracture established relationships with many communities and employment sectors,” they conclude.

Watch kawarthaNOW for more updates to this story as they become available.

Cobourg police are inviting the community to celebrate the life of Constable Chris Garrett 20 years after he was murdered in the line of duty.

The 20th anniversary celebration of Constable Garrett will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th at Chris Garrett Memorial Park on Birchwood Trail.

Welcome and remarks will be given at the beginning of the event, and the Cobourg Police Service Pipes and Drums will be in attendance. Light refreshments will be available.

A 39-year-old married father and stepfather, Garrett was murdered on May 15, 2004 — 13 years and one day after he joined the Cobourg Police Service — when officers responded to a 911 call from a reported robbery victim in the parking lot of the old Cobourg hospital at the intersection of D’Arcy and Chapel streets.

While two fellow officers searched the area for the supposed perpetrators, Garrett remained with the 18-year-old supposed victim to question him. While Garrett was taking notes, the 18-year-old attacked him with a knife. Despite suffering a mortal wound, Garrett was able pursue the attacker and fired 17 shots from his service weapon, hitting and wounding the attacker in the leg with one shot before succumbing to his injury.

Troy Davey of Cobourg was later arrested at hospital while seeking medical attention for a gunshot wound and, three years later, was convicted of first-degree murder. It was later revealed Davey had made the 911 call with the intent of murdering a police officer and had made plans to murder other police officers in the future.

In 2009, Garrett’s family accepted the Star of Courage from then Governor General Michaelle Jean in recognition that Constable Garrett’s heroic action before his death had potentially saved other lives.

The Chris Garrett Memorial Park was named in Constable Garrett’s honour. At its centre, the 5.46-acre park has a memorial statue called “Hero’s Flight,” comprising 24 birds representing the date of his death, as well as a plaque with an inscription about his life and his heroism.

The County Road 45 bridge at exit 474 over Highway 401 was also named the Cst. Chris Garrett Memorial Bridge in his honour.

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.”