Two men are dead after their canoe capsized on Sturgeon Lake near Bobcaygeon on Sunday afternoon (June 8).
Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with fire and emergency medical services responded to the incident at around 3:06 p.m.
According to a police media release, the canoe was carrying three men when it capsized. One man was able to swim to shore, but the other two men were unable to stay afloat and drowned.
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Kawartha Lakes OPP (including the marine unit), along with City of Kawartha Lakes Fire, City of Kawartha Lakes EMS, and OPP Aviation aided in the lifesaving and recovery measures.
Police have not released any details about where the fatal incident occurred on the lake, or the ages of the three men who were in the canoe. They say life jackets were not present in the boat.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
Donations made to The Home Depot Canada Foundation's Orange Door Project in person at the Cobourg Home Depot or online will support Rebound Child & Youth Services in Northumberland County, including the innovative Nightstop program to prevent youth homelessness. (Photo: Rebound Child & Youth Services)
Since 2021, Rebound Child & Youth Services (Rebound) has seen the number of unsheltered youth it works with double each year. The Northumberland County agency expects a similar scenario for 2025.
That’s why the not-for-profit organization that works with Northumberland children, youth, and families is grateful for the recent launch of The Home Depot Canada’s Cobourg store’s fundraising campaign in support of local at-risk and homeless youth.
From now until Sunday, June 22, customers can donate at the Cobourg Home Depot’s checkout or online at orangedoorproject.ca. All donations to the Cobourg location (store 7251) will go to Rebound for youth homelessness prevention and youth mental health services.
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Sam Rockbrune, executive director of Rebound, shared her thoughts and hopes with kawarthaNOW about the importance of the campaign.
“Our goal is always to raise the most money we can to support kids and youth in Northumberland County,” Rockbrune said. “Thanks to the amazing team at Home Depot, we have been able to raise an average of $5,000 per campaign. We are hoping to meet this goal again this spring.”
Through the Orange Door Project fundraising campaign, The Home Depot Canada Foundation (THDCF) supports 127 organizations that are committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness across the country.
As youth homelessness continues to be on the rise in Canada, isuses youth experiencing homelessness face daily “are complex and require holistic approaches and wrap-around community support,” according to a media release.
“They need a safe place to live. They need access to support services that will help them create healthy pathways to exit homelessness.”
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Locally, Rockbrune is seeing the same to be true.
“Funds help us in responding to this increasing need and getting youth housed and connected to services in the county,” she said.
Rebound is one of the few resources for youth who are at-risk or experiencing homelessness as Northumberland County does not have a youth homeless shelter.
“Our youth homelessness prevention team has been working hard at finding new and creative solutions,” Rockbrune explained.
One example is Rebound’s “Nightstop,” an innovative program to prevent youth homelessness in Canada that currently operates in three communities.
“Funds from this campaign will support our team in facilitating these and other responsive and innovative solutions,” she said.
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This spring marks Rebound’s sixth fundraising campaign with Home Depot Cobourg.
“We are grateful to be working together again to support at-risk and homeless youth in Northumberland County,” Rockbrune noted in the release. “Already in 2025, we have worked with over seven unsheltered youth.”
Rebound is an incorporated, charitable organization that has been providing community-based programs and services to children, youth, and families in Northumberland County since 1997.
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THDCF is a registered charity committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Canada. Through community partnerships, THDCF strives to remove systemic barriers youth face and foster healthy pathways for change.
In an effort to create new paths for youth experiencing homelessness, THDCF is investing $125 million by 2030, according to the release.
For more information about The Home Depot Canada Foundation and the Orange Door Project, visit orangedoorproject.ca.
19-year-old Curve Lake First Nation artist Soraya Whetung of Soraya Beads selling her handmade jewellery at the 71st annual Curve Lake Pow Wow in September 2024. Her handmade beaded bracelets will soon be available for purchase through Canadian off-price department store chain Winners. (Photo courtesy of Soraya Whetung)
When 19-year-old Curve Lake First Nation artist Soraya Whetung learned that Winners wanted to sell her handmade jewellery, she had to first confirm that it was, in fact, the Canadian off-price department store chain because she couldn’t believe her good fortune.
“When I started beading, I would never have imagined how far it could go,” she says.
A member of the Curve Lake Youth Council to give voice to her generation, Whetung only recently celebrated the one-year anniversary since officially launching her small business, Soraya Beads. It was only the year prior when she began teaching herself to make beaded earrings, bracelets, and necklaces as a form of creative expression.
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“Primarily what first made me interested was Indigenous culture, and that there’s a link between Indigenous people and beading and beading work in general,” Whetung says. “There are so many endless possibilities to beading, and there’s so many things you can learn to make with beading. I just found it very interesting.”
Whetung initially had no intention of turning her newfound passion into a business, but just used it as a fun and creative hobby that gave her with “something cool to wear.” But when her friends and family shared her Facebook and Instagram posts of her artwork, she began getting inquiries from interested buyers.
After being a vendor at the 2023 Curve Lake Christmas Market, she officially launched Soraya Beads when she was asked to sell her products at the Haliburton Wolf Centre. But perhaps the most enjoyable and memorable moment since launching her business was being a vendor at the 71st annual Curve Lake Pow Wow last September.
Though Soraya Whetung initially taught herself how to bead just for her own enjoyment, it quickly grew into a small business after she posted photos of her jewellery on social media and began selling her work at shows like the Curve Lake Christmas market in 2023. The 19-year-old artist says it’s “surreal” to see people walking around wearing her handmade bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. (Photo courtesy of Soraya Whetung)
“There’s so many different, talented artists and jewellery makers out here that I was fearing that mine might get lost in the bunch, but it was such a surreal feeling.” she says. “You would have to be there at your first vendor event for two full days to really get a feel, but it was so fun.”
With thousands of people looking at her products, Whetung says that being at the pow wow allowed her to see how desired her jewellery was.
“At one point, there was a line of people that were just coming up to my booth and buying stuff,” she says. “I was so happy that my beadwork was actually being seen and valued by people. It means a totally different thing when someone is buying your stuff and then wearing it around at the event.”
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It was at the end of 2024 when Whetung learned Winners was in search of earrings made by an Indigenous artist. The company was working with Biskane, an e-commerce marketplace that connects retailers and the public with verified Indigenous artwork free of charge.
“Winners was one of the first retail companies that we had the blessing of working with to get Indigenous art into their spaces,” says Biskane founder Chad Solomon, who explains the company is focused on “authentic” Indigenous art.
“We’re really focused on making sure that the art that goes into the marketplace has been checked by the maker of the products,” Solomon says. “Indigenous art isn’t just from someone who does woodland paintings — the artist could make soapstone carvings, or they can do a watercolour painting, or they can make a jacket that has their favourite heavy metal band. Art is about the person who makes the art, not just the product itself.”
Though Winners was initially interested in buying her earrings, Soraya Whetung decided to also upload photos of her bracelets when making her profile on Biskane, an e-commerce marketplace that connects retailers with Indigenous-verified artists. The decision led to the Canadian off-price department store choosing her bracelets instead. (Photo courtesy of Soraya Whetung)
Though Winners initially only expressed interest in her earrings, Whetung decided to also post images of her bracelets when making her profile on Biskane’s website, and those are the pieces that representatives at Winners actually chose to order.
“You never know what the buyers are interested in,” Solomon says. “That’s why it’s so important to take chances and take risks in business, because putting yourself out there really allows you to be discovered.”
“Soraya was very, very clever in taking the chance of going ‘You know what, let’s try to post different things and see what might strike the interest of the customer.'”
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Though they don’t yet know which Winners stores the bracelets will be sold through, Soloman remains hopeful they will be available in a nearby location, while Whetung is just grateful they’ll be available for a wider market at all.
“I was not expecting that, but it was just lucky how it turned out, because there are so many talented artists on Biskane,” Whetung says. “I’m still new so while I hope for the best, I don’t get my hopes up.”
“I’m just very grateful for this opportunity and I’m so happy that they chose me to represent Curve Lake. It’s a wonderful type of art that we have and I’m unbelievably happy about it.”
The Haliburton Wolf Centre sells Soraya Beads jewellery, including necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that are handmade by 19-year-old Curve Lake First Nation artist Soraya Whetung. She was inspired to teach herself to bead because she has always been creative and because of the importance of beading to her Curve Lake First Nation community. (Photo courtesy of Soraya Whetung)
As she waits to see her bracelets on the shelves at Winners, Whetung will be preparing to be a vendor on the Pow Wow grounds again for the Curve Lake Mini Market taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Indigenous Peoples Day (Saturday, June 21).
“I’m very grateful for the support that I have received from my community, and I hope to continue to make jewellery that makes people happy,” she says.
To see Whetung’s artist profile and works on Biskane, visit www.biskane.com, where you can also browse products handmade by other Indigenous artists.
Dr. Natalie Bocking is the deputy medical officer of health for Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Public Health, the legal name of the recently merged Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and Peterborough Public Health. Despite the merger, members of the public should continue to engage with their local public health offices as usual until otherwise directed. (Photo: Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit)
While the first reported case of measles in a resident of the Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough (HKNP) Public Health’s catchment area is in a fully vaccinated person, the health unit’s deputy medical officer of health says immunization is still “effective and essential” for protection again one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
Dr. Natalie Bocking, deputy medical officer of health for HKNP Public Health, shared with kawarthaNOW her thoughts around the first confirmed case of measles in a resident in Kawarthas Lakes, and the fact that the person who contracted the disease has received the appropriate course of vaccination.
“While rare, it is possible for fully vaccinated individuals to develop measles through a ‘breakthrough’ infection,” Dr. Bocking said. “The MMR vaccine, which provides protection against measles, mumps, and rubella, is highly effective, but not 100 per cent.”
However, she added, “These breakthrough infections are usually milder, less likely to require hospitalization, and occur in people who have close contact with a case over a longer period of time.”
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Dr. Bocking said it’s important to note that of the more than 2,000 cases of measles in Ontario in the last six months, 94 per cent are among people who are not vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination history.
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, but also one of the most preventable,” she said. “The measles vaccine is safe, effective and essential for protecting not just yourself, but your loved ones and our entire community. Vaccination is how we stop outbreaks before they start.”
As the HKNP Public Health board of health meeting on May 15, Dr. Bocking said “we should not be surprised if we do see a case” of measles in the region.
“We certainly have had individuals who have been exposed (through gatherings in other communities where a case has been identified),” she said at the meeting. “As the health unit, we continue to plan and prepare for when a case may or will likely arrive.”
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On Thursday (June 5), the health unit announced it had received confirmation of the first positive measles case of a resident within the City of Kawartha Lakes.
The adult resident was exposed to the virus from close contact with a person from another region who was previously confirmed to have measles.
While the health unit had earlier reported a person infected with measles had visited Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay on the evening of Victoria Day (May 19), that person (who was not vaccinated against measles) was from outside the Kawarthas region and did not acquire the infection locally.
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As for the confirmed case in Kawartha Lakes, the health unit says it is following up with individuals who may have been exposed to measles at the following locations and dates:
Dunsford District Elementary School (33 Dunsford Road, Dunsford) – May 28 from 3 to 8 p.m. and May 29 from 3 to 8 p.m.
Dollarama Lindsay (363 Kent St. W., Lindsay) – May 30 from 3 to 5:05 p.m.
Lindsay Square Mall (401 Kent St. W., Lindsay) – May 31 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Hair Tones Salon (401 Kent St. W., Lindsay) – May 31 from 1 to 3:45 p.m.
“Additional time (information) has been included in the information above to reflect the potential for airborne transmission of the measles virus,” noted a media release from the health unit.
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People who believes they may have been exposed to measles at the dates and locations above, are asked to notify the HKPR District Health Unit by calling 1-866-888-4577 ext. 4050 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by emailing info@hkpr.on.ca.
Symptoms of measles begin one to three weeks after infection and may a high fever, cough, runny nose, drowsiness, irritability, red and watery eyes, small white spots with white centres on the inside of the mouth and throat, and a red blotchy rash three to seven days after other symptoms start.
If symptoms develop, the health unit asks residents to stay home, do not attend work and school, and contact the health unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 4050.
Peterborough residents Steve Paul (right) and Peter Hewett captured a potentially injured trumpeter swan along the Trent Canal trail just south of the Parkhill swing bridge on June 4, 2025, with Paul then driving it to the Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge. Two days earlier, Hewett and Karen Hjort-Jensen had sat with the swan for more than two hours after noticing the swan was behaving strangely and reached out to various organizations for help, including Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario which connected them with volunteer Paul. (Photo: Karen Hjort-Jensen)
Thanks to some compassionate Peterborough residents, this past Wednesday (June 4) was a good day for local wildlife.
It began two days earlier when Karen Hjort-Jensen and Peter Hewett discovered a trumpeter swan that was behaving abnormally along the trail beside the Trent canal, just south of the swing bridge on Parkhill Road.
Hjort-Jensen, who walks along the canal with Hewett most days, says that while they have seen swans on other parts of the trail, they had never seen one in that area before. Other residents later told the couple that the swan had been there all weekend.
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The swan seemed “remarkably unbothered” by their presence as they walked by but, when Hjort-Jensen and Hewett saw (and stopped) a group of teenage girls who were “harassing” the swan by waving their arms and kicking gravel, they knew they had to do something to help the bird.
“It’s a very, very popular path and a lot of people go by with dogs and bikes, so we thought that maybe we just needed to try and figure out something for the swan,” Hjort-Jensen says. “It seemed to be functioning quite adequately. It was eating, it was cleaning itself, and it didn’t seem stressed at all. It was just in a location where it hadn’t been before.”
Trumpeter swans, which are the heaviest and longest-living bird species native to North America, almost went extinct by 1933 until reintroductions by wildlife agencies and the Trumpeter Swan Society gradually restored the North American wild population to over 46,000 birds by 2020.
Peterborough residents Karen Hjort-Jensen (pictured) and Peter Hewett sat with a trumpeter swan that was behaving strangely for hours on June 2, 2025 as they called local organizations to try to secure help. Through Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario, they connected with Peterborough resident Steve Paul, a volunteer for the organization. (Photo: Peter Hewett)
Hjort-Jensen guesses she and Hewett sat with the swan for at least two hours as they made phone calls to various local organizations they thought could help. Through Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario, they connected with Steve Paul.
While he is best known as the founder of the grassroots environmental group Clean Up Peterborough, Paul has been “hooked” on swans and a volunteer for the organization since 2020 when he grew an affection for one that was living near Trent University.
When he arrived at the trail on Monday, he assessed the swan for lead poisoning but did not find any signs.
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“When we were looking at the trumpeter swan, he seemed super healthy and alert, looking around, though obviously he wasn’t moving away from people,” Paul says.
“I started thinking that one of the things you don’t want to do is capture a healthy swan and drive an hour and a half away only to find it’s healthy, but we ended up seeing some wing movements and it looked like there was something off about its left wing, like it couldn’t fully extend it.”
Paul then called Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw in the Town of Georgina, just west of Kawartha Lakes. However, given the demands the refuge was facing and the time of day, the trio were unable to take the swan there on Monday.
Steve Paul (left) first met Peter Hewett and Karen Hjort-Jensen after the couple spent hours watching over a potentially injured trumpeter swan on a trail beside the Trent Canal in Peterborough and reached out to Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario for help. Paul, who is a volunteer with the organization, captured the bird and drove it to Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Georgina. (Photo: Steve Paul)
On Tuesday, the swan was in the embankment of a beaver pond, but on Wednesday it had wandered back up to the trail where Hjort-Jensen and Hewett were waiting. They called Paul so they could capture the bird.
“Pete was already within about six feet of it, just trying to keep an eye on it and make sure that no dogs or joggers were going to bother it,” Paul says.
“I just let the swan feel relaxed and it was trying to preen itself. When it turned a blind eye to me, I got a towel to wrap around it so it couldn’t flap its wings and then I carried it to the carrier.”
Hjort-Jensen says Paul asked her if she wanted to say “hello” to the swan — which Paul guesses to be around two years old based on its all-white colouring, though he doesn’t know its gender — but when she moved towards the swan, the bird gave its first and only sign of being “agitated.”
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“I got up close and that was the only time we saw him bothered, like he really didn’t like me coming up that close to him,” Hjort-Jensen says, noting she then moved away. “(The swan) was quite heavy, so it took two of them with two handles on the crate to carry him to Steve’s car.”
From there, Paul went on the 90-minute drive to Shades of Hope, where the swan remains. The trio have yet to receive further updates on the swan or its wing condition.
While that would be enough heroism in one day for most of us, Paul wasn’t done yet. On the way to Shades of Hope, he stopped his car to help escort a snapping turtle across the road.
“I picked it up and just carried it across the way it was going and took it down in the ditch area so it would be close to water again,” he says, noting he regularly helps with turtle crossings.
While transporting a potentially injured swan from Peterborough to Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Georgina on June 4, 2025, Steve Paul stopped along the way to help a snapping turtle across the road and, after delivering the swan, transported a painted turtle from the wildlife refuge to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre back in Peterborough. (Photo: Steve Paul)
After he delivered the swan to the wildlife refuge, Paul asked Shades of Hope if there were supplies or animals they needed to go to Peterborough, because he knows how much the sanctuary works with other partners across Ontario. He was given a painted turtle to deliver to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough.
When it comes to helping wildlife, Paul’s good deeds are not over yet. He hopes to pick up the trumpeter swan from Shades of Hope, return it to Peterborough, and potentially tag it for Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario.
If that happens, Paul says he hopes Hjort-Jensen and Hewett will name the bird.
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After all, Hjort-Jensen has now been inflicted with “swan-itis” — a term Paul learned through the organization that refers to the affection that comes from being around a swan.
“It’s a really relevant term, because everyone that gets a chance to be that close to them usually starts getting interested in them,” he says.
As for Hjort-Jensen, she says the swan encounter was an eye-opening experience that has added to her interest in birds.
“I’m fascinated with sandhill cranes and now I’ve got another species of birds I’m fascinated with — I hadn’t known a lot about trumpeter swans before,” she says. “It was really great to meet Steve and to know that there’s a whole network and community of people I knew nothing about that are supporting the swan population.”
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Pete Hewett’s surname.
In celebration of Local Food Week, City of Kawartha Lakes economic development officer for agriculture Kelly Maloney was at the Fenelon Falls Farmers' Market on June 6, 2025 to give away Kawartha Choice FarmFresh insulated grocery bags. The municipality is reminding residents looking to source local food that they can visit the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh website, which connects consumers with local food through farms, farmers' markets, retail stores, restaurants, and agri-tourism experiences. (Photo: Kawartha Choice FarmFresh / Facebook)
In celebration of the abundance of local food producers who exists in the region, Kawartha Lakes has been celebrating Local Food Week from June 2 to 8 by promoting economic development projects and reminding residents where they can find local food.
Held beginning the first Monday in June each year, Local Food Week is a provincial initiative to recognize the farmers, food distributors, retailers, and restaurateurs in Ontario that strengthen the local supply chain.
“Agriculture and food is one of the top sectors (driving economic growth) in Kawartha Lakes,” says Kelly Maloney, economic development officer for agriculture for the City of Kawartha Lakes.
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“We can certainly see that around the region, as we have a lot of producers and farmers growing crops. We have over 1,100 farms in Kawartha Lakes and over 200 of them that sell direct to customers, either through a farm stand or farmers’ markets. We also have a growing segment of those producers that are selling their product on a wholesale scale.”
Those looking to source local food can browse Kawartha Choice FarmFresh at kawarthachoice.com, a membership directory created to connect buyers with local food through farms, farmers’ markets, retail stores, restaurants, and agriculture experiences.
A combination of programs begun by Kawartha Lakes and the now-defunct Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, the directory includes members located across both the City of Kawartha Lakes and the city and county of Peterborough.
O’Brienview Farm in Cameron is one of the local farms included on Kawartha Choice FarmFresh, an online directory and membership hub that can be used to find local food, inclusive of farms, farmers’ markets, restaurants, retailers, and more, across the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County. (Photo: Kawartha Choice FarmFresh / Facebook)
“Pointing them to the Kawartha Choice website really helps make it easier for people to recognize how much of a bounty we have in our region to be able to shop locally,” says Maloney, noting how member businesses can form their own connections through the platform.
“They can identify and pin a few members that people on their page might be interested in; possibly also vendors at markets that they’re at or producers that have similar growing styles and philosophies. It’s a great way to help people find similar operations.”
Throughout Local Food Week, Kawartha Lakes has also been reminding consumers that local farmers’ markets are now open and has been giving away a limited number of insulated grocery bags with the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh logo. Bags were distributed at the Fenelon Falls Farmers’ Market on Friday, and will be given out at markets in Bobcaygeon, Kinmount, and Lindsay on Saturday.
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“Many of the crops that are grown in the fields are becoming ready, and some are just arriving at the farm stands and farmers’ markets with warmer sunny weather,” Maloney says. “It’s a great time to get people to start thinking about supporting their local farmers, but also making sure they know where to find them when they’re ready to purchase.”
During Local Food Week, the City of Kawartha Lakes has also been promoting another ongoing project that supports expanding production, wholesale marketing, and purchasing of local food within Kawartha Lakes, the City of Peterborough, and Peterborough County.
With involvement from 35 local producers and 15 buyers, inclusive of restaurants, retail, and food services, the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale Project is currently in the process of developing an aggregation and distribution system to make local food purchase more accessible.
A member of Kawartha Choice FarmFresh, Kennedy Farms of Omemee can be found Saturdays at the Lindsay Farmers’ Market, one of the longest-running farmers’ markets in Ontario. Kawartha Choice FarmFresh will be at the Lindsay market on June 7, 2025 (as well as the Bobcaygeon and Kinmount Farmers’ Markets) to give away Kawartha Choice FarmFresh insulated grocery bags in celebration of Local Food Week. (Photo: Lindsay Farmers’ Market / Facebook)
“It also included a training component and one-on-one coaching component for the producers and for the food buyers to help develop those nuances that work well for either producing or receiving and buying local food from the local community,” says Maloney, noting the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale Project and other food-related programs exist well beyond Local Food Week.
“We have a number of existing programs that help people build their agriculture and food businesses, so we want to help them as much as possible to attract more consumers to find local food at their business. Tying it in with this provincial Local Food Week is a great way to do that.”
For more information about agriculture, food, and agri-business in Kawartha Lakes and to contact Kelly Maloney, visit the City of Kawartha Lakes website.
The rail crossing on Burnham Street south of Westwood Drive in Cobourg. (Photo: Google Maps)
A person was killed by a train in Cobourg on Friday afternoon (June 6).
At around 2 p.m., Cobourg police responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a train at the rail crossing on Burnham Street south of Westwood Drive.
Emergency services, including police, fire, and ambulance, attended the scene, where the pedestrian was pronounced dead.
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The Cobourg Police Service has not released any details about the age or gender of the victim.
Police remain on the scene investigating the circumstances of the death with the Chief Coroner’s Office, and say there is no risk to public safety.
The rail crossing was closed for several hours while police documented the scene.
This story has been updated to indicate police have cleared the scene and the rail crossing has reopened.
Chief Stuart Betts explains the Peterborough Police Service's new 'Safer Public Spaces' approach to the open-air use of illicit drugs in public spaces in the community at a media conference at the Peterborough police station on October 5, 2023. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of police video)
Peterborough police have announced they will be arresting people engaged in open-air illicit drug use beginning on Monday (June 9).
This is an escalation in the Peterborough Police Service’s “Safer Public Spaces” approach, originally announced in October 2023, in which police officers would approach a person using drugs in a public space and request they move to a different location, offering them information on where to find community services such as the Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site on Simcoe Street.
Under that approach, officers would only arrest a substance user and seize their illegal drugs for destruction if the person did not comply with the police request.
“We do not want to criminalize anybody who has an addiction — that is not our intent,” Chief Stuart Betts said when announcing the policy. “Our intent is to ensure that they are provided with the resources they need and the direction they need to where they can go to safely use these substances. To that end we will be providing our officers with information and documentation that they can hand out.”
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According to information provided by police, from when the approach was announced on October 5, 2023 to June 5 of this year, police responded to 758 calls for open-air illicit drug use (an average of around nine calls per week), 677 of which were initiated by citizens with the remainder by officers themselves. The vast majority of the calls (635) were in the downtown area.
During that time, police arrested 33 people (just over four per cent of all calls) and made 21 drug seizures.
“We have taken a very compassionate approach to those afflicted with addiction and while we have always had the authority to arrest, in our effort to pursue a compassionate health-first approach, we opted to educate and direct people to the CTS versus using in our public spaces,” Chief Betts says in a media release issued on Friday (June 6).
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“For many, this approach was met with cooperation,” Chief Betts adds. “However, some continue to engage in this behaviour which negatively impacts people and businesses in our community, and disproportionately so in our downtown. For this reason, I am directing that officers move to the next level of response in an effort to address a persistent problem in our community.”
“Officers will be directed to arrest anyone found using illicit substances in public spaces, and any illicit drugs will be seized for destruction, or submitted for analysis and evidence to support any charges laid. This will continue to be done with compassion, but we will not tolerate open-air illicit drug use.”
Chief Betts notes the new approach “is in keeping” with the provisions of Ontario’s Safer Municipalities Act, which was introduced in April and resurrects the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act of 2024 that allows police officers and other provincial offences officers to direct individuals to stop using illegal substances or to leave the public space, issuing a ticket or arresting someone who does not comply.
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Under the escalated approach in Peterborough, officers will handcuff and search anyone who is found using illicit drugs in a public space. Officers will seize any drugs and will have either release the substance user unconditionally (without returning the seized drugs) or proceed with charges, which may involve releasing them at the scene with a ticket or taking them to the police station for further processing.
“We recognize that some in our community will feel this is a harsh approach, while others may feel it does not go far enough,” the police media release states. “We believe, at this time, it strikes a balance between both perspectives.”
“One of our primary responsibilities is to ensure community safety and we will continue to pursue this for the benefit of all who frequent our parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, and other public spaces. We remain committed to working with our community partners who provide medical or other assistance in this space.”
The scene of a serious multi-vehicle collison on County Road 36 between Edwina Drive and County Road 507 in Trent Lakes on June 6, 2025. (Photo: Peterborough County OPP)
Two people have been seriously injured after three vehicles collided on County Road 36 in Trent Lakes north of Buckhorn on Friday morning (June 6).
At around 8:30 a.m., Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency crews responded to the collision between Edwina Drive and County Road 507.
A westbound minivan and an eastbound sedan collided, with a third vehicle also struck as a result of the collision.
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The drivers of both the minivan and the sedan were transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre with serious injuries, with the sedan driver being airlifted to a Toronto-area trauma centre for further treatment.
Two youth who were passengers in the minivan were also transported to hospital for treatment of minor injuries and as a precaution. The third vehicle suffered minor damage and no injuries were reported.
County Road 36 has been closed in both directions until the collision can be cleared and police can document the scene. Police are asking drivers to avoid the area and to expect delays.
Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and who has not spoken with police is asked to call Peterborough County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
Norwood District Public School Grade 5 student Charlotte Fillier received an honourable mention for this essay and hand-drawn picture honouring her great aunt Penny as part of the 2025 Grandparent of the Year contest presented by Community Care Peterborough and The Gardens of Peterborough Retirement Residences. (Photo: Kayla Le Franc)
From the child who wrote with humour to the one who crafted a heartfelt message, young residents in Peterborough are being recognized for penning pieces about the older adults who most inspire them.
Community Care Peterborough (CCP) has announced the winners of its 2025 Grandparent of the Year awards, described in a media release as a “cherished tradition” of the agency that’s now in its 37th year.
Presented in partnership with title sponsor The Gardens of Peterborough Retirement Residences, the annual contest aims to celebrate the deep bonds between children and the older adults who inspire, guide, and care for them, according to CCP.
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“This year’s entries were incredibly moving,” Chris LeBlanc, director of donors and public relations for CCP, told kawarthaNOW.
“The kids wrote with such honesty, warmth, and creativity. You could feel how much love and admiration they have for their grandparents and older family members. Some were funny, others heartfelt, but all of them showed just how deeply older adults influence the lives of younger generations here in Peterborough,” LeBlanc said.
“At Community Care Peterborough, we often say that our mission begins with the belief that our neighbours have dignity and that their lives are worth celebrating. This contest brings that to life in a very real way — it reminds us that intergenerational relationships are a source of strength and joy in our community,” LeBlanc added.
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Students from across the city and county of Peterborough in Grades 1 through 6 were invited to submit a short essay and hand-drawn picture honouring a grandparent, elder, or special older person in their lives. A winner and honourable mention were selected in both English and French for two age groups: Primary (Grades 1-3) and Junior (Grades 4-6).
CCP announced the winners during a ceremony on Wednesday (June 4) held at Royal Gardens Retirement Residence in Peterborough. Children, family members and teachers attended the event to support their students and celebrate the contributions of the older adults being recognized, the media release noted.
“This program is more than a writing contest,” LeBlanc said in a statement. “These stories are a testament to the role that older adults play in building strong, compassionate communities.”
The 2025 Grandparent of the Year award winners are listed below.
Prince of Wales Public School Grade 3 student Zinnia Ricciuti won a Grandparent of the Year award for her essay and hand-drawn picture honouring her nonna and nonno (the Italian words for grandmother and grandfather), who are pictured with Community Care Peterborough board president Dr. Janet Kelly at Royal Gardens Retirement Residence in Peterborough on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Kayla Le Franc)
Primary Category – Grades 1-3 (English)
Winner: Ezra Larmour, Grade 3, St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School (honouring Grandpa Mark Larmour)
Honourable Mention: Addy Davey, Grade 3, St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School (honouring Memaw Kelly Epstein)
Primary Category – Grades 1-3 (French)
Winner: Zinnia Ricciuti, Grade 3, Prince of Wales Public School (honouring Nonna and Nonno Ricciuti)
Honourable Mention: Siobhan Glover, Grade 3, Prince of Wales Public School (honouring Papa Jim Dyas)
St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School Grade 5 student Kaliyah Espiritu won a Grandparent of the Year award for her essay and hand-drawn picture honouring her grandpa Jun Espiritu, pictured with Community Care Peterborough CEO Danielle Belair at Royal Gardens Retirement Residence in Peterborough on June 5, 2025. (Photo: Kayla Le Franc)
Junior Category – Grades 4-6 (English)
Winner: Kaliyah Espiritu, Grade 5, St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School (honouring Grandpa Jun Espiritu)
Honourable Mention: Charlotte Fillier, Grade 5, Norwood District Public School (honouring Great Aunt Penny)
Junior Category – Grades 4-6 (French)
Winner: Faela Conroy, Grade 6, Kaawaate East City Public School (honouring Grandma Minten)
Honourable Mention: Owen Anderson, Grade 6, Kaawaate East City Public School (honouring Grandma Laura Payne)
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The Grandparent of the Year initiative was first introduced by Anne Innis, a former volunteer and board member with Community Care, to bring different generations together and celebrate the influence they have on each other.
CCP supports the health and well-being of seniors and adults living with disabilities across the city and county of Peterborough.
Through programs such as Meals on Wheels, transportation, wellness services, and friendly visiting, CCP helps people remain independent, connected, and supported in their own homes.
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