Some Peterborough residents are upset that city-owned trees on the easement portion of their property, such as a boulevard beside a sidewalk, have been removed with no prior notice or explanation from the city.

That includes several residents in an East City neighbourhood who, earlier this week, were surprised and alarmed when arborist crews appeared and began taking down several mature trees that appeared to be healthy.

According to an email from Bob Pitchford, operations manager of public works for the City of Peterborough, trees are being removed that the city’s urban forestry technologists have identified as hazards. The city has 20 to 25 contracted arborist crews that are working to remove the identified trees based on a list provided to them by city staff.

While the work is being done as part of the city’s response to the damage caused by the ice storm at the end of March, trees may be removed for reasons other than ice storm damage.

“Trees are not being removed based on how much damage they suffered as a result of the ice storm,” Pitchford says. “They are being actioned based on the overall tree health and level of risk they pose. We have identified several trees requiring removal due to high likelihood of failure despite suffering no storm damage. This has only been the initial risk assessment process and a more thorough and in-depth tree risk assessment is still yet to come.”

Pitchford says the city does not remove healthy trees “under any circumstance” — only trees that are badly damaged or “found to be in a high likelihood of failure.”

“If the tree was in good health and suffered minimal damage then a pruning order was issued to simply prune out storm damage and improve the overall health of the tree,” Pitchford says.

A foreman of one of the city-contracted crews told kawarthaNOW that crews have the discretion to remove a tree that has a pruning order if they determine the tree is a hazard. According to Pitchford, the reverse is also true.

“The contractors in the field have the skills and ability to prune a tree that is slated for removal should they feel the tree can be saved, and vice versa — they can remove a tree that is slated to be pruned if they feel the damage is too extensive.”

Prior to the work beginning, the city did not issue a media release, and Pitchford says no advance notice will be provided to residents who will lose trees. He notes the city is not following the normal process where an orange dot is sprayed on the trunk of a tree that will be removed.

“Given the mass volume of trees we are dealing with post-ice storm, we have not taken the time to paint each tree slated for removal,” says Pitchford, adding that — aside from marking trees to be removed — the city does not normally provide any formal notice to residents when a tree is slated for removal, with the exception of ash trees which are part of a special program.

“We are simply actioning trees as fast as possible to reduce the likelihood of failure and to best manage our level of risk.”

For residents who have had a city-owned tree removed, Pitchford says the city normally replaces every tree within two to three years from removal. According to the city’s website, stump grinding takes place the year after removal and replanting the following spring or fall.

“Having said that, these are not normal operations and the city cannot provide timelines on the lengthy process ahead of us, with over 3,500 service requests and possibly over a thousand of those being removals,” he says. “This process will take time but we continue to make every effort to complete the process as quickly as possible.”

Pitchford says the city’s urban forestry technologists have also inspected trees in city-owned parks, marking trees slated for removal with a diagonal slash and those requiring pruning with a line and arrow.

In a median of the parking lot at Beavermead Park, at least 12 mature trees have been removed, all of which were ash trees ranging from poor to moderate to good condition.

“The city of Peterborough has a duty of care to provide within our urban forestry canopy and we take every measure to ensure we maintain the tree canopy in a manner to mitigate risk and liability,” Pitchford says.

There is a great wave of national pride running through Canada right now. The maple leaf seems to be everywhere.

At GreenUP Ecology Park, not only will there be great maple trees available for purchase at the native plant and tree nursery opening on Saturday (May 17), but this five-acre urban oasis also features something else that ties Canada together: the Trans Canada Trail.

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest multi-use trail system in the world, touching three oceans and joining 15,000 rural, urban, and Indigenous communities together. It connects each one of the provinces and territories, including a section on Baffin Island, Nunavut.

Ecology Park is home to a small section of this iconic 28,000-kilometre (and growing) trail system — and its tree canopy, which has suffered in recent years.

First, Emerald ash borer killed all local ash trees, which was once the most dominant species within the park. In 2022, the historic derecho levelled many beautiful stately trees, roots and all. Then just this past March, the ice storm damaged or destroyed even more of the thinning canopy.

While this level of climate-related decline is disheartening, GreenUP is determined to replant and improve the resiliency of Ecology Park.

“With recent storms and the ongoing biodiversity crisis, it’s clear that we need to act to protect the future of our beautiful region,” says GreenUP executive director Tegan Moss.

This year, GreenUP will be working with friends at the Trans Canada Trail to enhance the urban forest throughout Ecology Park. The initiative will see 12 large specimen trees and two large specimen shrubs planted along the trail, and the installation of educational signage describing what makes these trees so special.

Beginning this spring, species planted will include familiar trees such as black walnut, black cherry, and American mountain ash, as well as rare and showy Carolinian species such as the rare cucumber magnolia, eastern redbud, and pawpaw.

In the cooler fall months, planting will continue with a large variety of smaller bareroot stock throughout the naturalized areas of the park. Species will include the famous Canadian sugar maple, bur oak, trembling aspen, hackberry, and black chokeberry.

“We are grateful to the Trans Canada Trail for working with GreenUP to restore and identify rare and significant native trees in Ecology Park,” Moss says.

Volunteers are invited to help plant the many large stature trees along the Trans Canada Trail on June 10 and 11, or to help with the bareroot plantings on October 14 and 15. Applications are available at greenup.on.ca/volunteer/.

The community can also participate in upcoming stewardship events, workshops, and volunteer opportunities through GreenUP’s Ecology Park 2025 Stewardship Series. From invasive species removal to pollinator garden design, tree tours to seed collecting, there is something for everyone. Updates will be posted at greenup.on.ca/events/ as details unfold.

For those wishing to enhance biodiversity at home, GreenUP Little Forest Kits are now available for purchase at greenup.on.ca/little-forests-kits/. Each kit comes with everything needed to start a 16 square-metre little dense forest ecosystem, including 56 trees and shrubs.

Each young tree tucked into the soil can be an inspiration and a source of pride. Renewing the canopy along the Trans Canada Trail links local environmental stewardship to a coast-to-coast ribbon of green. Whether in your own back yard or as a volunteer at Ecology Park, GreenUP believes that caring for the land is a Canadian tradition that everyone can learn to participate in.

GreenUP’s Ecology Park Native Plant and Tree Nursery carries a large stock of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, sedges, and ferns, along with a healthy dose of friendly advice.

The nursery opens for the 2025 season on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will subsequently be open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until October.

The Ecology Park Trans Canada Trail Tree Planting project was funded in part by a grant from Trans Canada Trail, along with generous donations from the community. Donations to GreenUP Ecology Park can be made at https://greenup.on.ca/donate-now/.

With the theme of “Roll, Stroll, and Celebrate!”, the City of Peterborough has announced this year’s Canada Day celebrations — and they won’t include the traditional Canada Day parade.

Instead, there will be a “community procession” departing from City Hall at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1 and proceeding to Millennium Park for a full afternoon of family-friendly festivities.

“We’re reimagining Canada Day as a day of shared reflection, connection, and celebration through community, culture, and creativity,” reads a media release from the city.

“The community procession is an inclusive and informal walk open to individuals, families, and local organizations who wish to walk, bike, or roll from City Hall to the park together,” the release states. “Please note that this is not a traditional parade and no motorized vehicles or large floats are permitted.”

Also unlike previous years, there will be no family activities at Confederation Square, which traditionally took place for a couple of hours before the parade began at noon. Instead, there will be a full afternoon of music, performances, food, cultural activities, and family programming at Millennium Park from noon until 6 p.m.

However, there will still be a decorated bike contest during the morning community procession “for participants of all ages,” with prizes awarded for the most creative and playful designs.

According to the city, the afternoon activities at Millennium Park will include live performances by local artists and entertainers, kids’ activities and family zones, food and beverage vendors hosted by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), and interactive cultural displays and information booths.

“Canada Day 2025 emphasizes accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability, featuring local talent, community organizations, and diverse cultural programming that reflects the spirit of Peterborough,” the release states.

The city is encouraging performers, arts and crafts vendors, and food and beverage vendors who want to participate in the afternoon’s activities at Millennium Park to apply by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 30 at peterborough.ca/canadaday.

After the festivities at Millennium Park, Peterborough Musicfest will be presenting a city-sponsored free admission concert at 8 p.m. at Del Crary Park.

The concert be followed by a fireworks display over Little Lake at 9:30 p.m.

The city will also be hosting a free outdoor movie night at dusk on Monday, June 30 at Quaker Foods City Square, with the movie to be announced.

The city’s “reimagining” of Canada Day celebrations comes a year after city staff recommended the cancellation of the 2024 Canada Day parade due to continued declining participation, proposing using the parade’s $20,000 budget for other activities instead, such as family-friendly events at Millennium Park and Del Crary Park and an evening fireworks event following the Peterborough Musicfest concert.

City council rejected the staff recommendation, approving the parade to continue for another year until staff could report back to council on the results of the 2024 parade.

Although city staff conducted a survey asking residents for feedback on 2025 Canada Day celebrations, stating that “feedback collected through this survey will help inform recommendations for city council for the 2025 Canada Day celebration,” kawarthaNOW is unaware of any staff recommendations that were brought forward in 2025 for city council’s consideration.

It takes dedication to turn thousands of used milk bags into sleeping mats but, for two hours every week, volunteer community members gather at Calvary Pentecostal Church in Peterborough to do exactly that in support of the unhoused community.

To date the group has made 52 sleeping mats and, with a new sponsorship program available through volunteer group Clean Up Peterborough, there is opportunity for more community groups to be a part of the initiative and produce more mats.

“(The mats are) fairly thin and they provide some comfort with cushioning and insulation to keep people from the damp, and they’re fairly light,” says church group organizer Tim Young. “It’s a considerable amount of work to get the mat completed but the group enjoys getting together and having a good time, and the end result is somebody getting a cushioned mat to sleep on.”

Tim first learned to turn four-litre plastic milk bags into sleeping mats on mission trips to Haiti. When he was no longer able to go overseas, he decided to use the newfound skillset at home.

“We thought this would be a good way to get together and do something for the community and show that some people care,” says Tim. “That’s what we’ve been doing ever since.”

Since beginning the initiative in 2023, Tim has built two looms to streamline the process of weaving the bags into 33-by-78-inch mats. The looms have 34 nails on either end to secure the bags and keep them tight within the mat. The bags are cut in half and linked together so that each mat is seven links long, before volunteers cross weave bags through every two rows until they reach the end.

“We have gotten to the point now where we can quickly get them together,” Tim adds, noting the beginning and ending are the toughest parts. “Other than that, it’s fairly simple. Once you get started, it’s just a matter of in and out, over and under, until you’re done.”

Each week, the group of approximately six to eight volunteers (both members of the church and non-members) splits into different “stations” where half of the volunteers do the cutting and looping of the bags into seven-link chains, before passing them on to the weavers.

The efficient process is necessary considering it takes roughly 500 milk bags to create just one sleeping mat. Fortunately, says Tim, the group is always happy to lend their time, and it’s become a social event.

“Everybody seems to enjoy getting together,” Tim says. “They’re talking about family and talking about what’s going on in their lives and what’s going on in the world. It’s just a good time to get together and have some good conversation while we’re still showing the love of Christ to people in our community.”

When the mats are complete — with the group averaging one per week now — they are distributed through Street Level Advocacy, an organization that works with vulnerable populations in the city. The organization delivers the mats where necessary and, according to Tim, the response from users is always encouraging.

“They told us that people were very happy,” he says. “Several people on the streets say they really enjoy them, so we’re glad to be able to supply them.”

Now, volunteer group Clean Up Peterborough is working towards its mission to clean up the planet by partnering with Calvary Church for the “Weave Hope” initiative. The group has been collecting milk bags for months, including from local cafes like KitCoffee and Dreams of Beans every other Friday.

With no shortage of milk bags to repurpose, Clean Up Peterborough founder Steve Paul, upon seeing the volunteer group at Calvary Church in action, saw a need for more of the looms to transform the milk bags into sleeping mats.

“They have it all sorted out and it’s really streamlined and amazing to see,” Steve says. “I saw they’re all having fun, they’re all joking, laughing, and building these wonderful mats at the same time. Seeing this camaraderie, the community, and access to free bags, I thought to myself if we could replicate the loom, people would be likely to want to be involved.”

Community groups, teams, or organizations wanting to support the initiative can sponsor the build of a loom to then be used to weave more mats, with $200 covering the cost of materials as well as an honorarium for the volunteer who builds the loom.

With varying sponsorship levels available, including for schools and businesses who want to build the looms themselves, the support would also allow community groups to use the new looms for regular or one-off volunteer events.

“People can bring the loom in and go ahead and make something for two hours, or it can be something like Calvary (Church) where they’ve got a bit of space to host and hold the loom materials,” says Steve. “There’s lots of opportunities if people want to get involved.”

Given that Clean Up Peterborough’s slogan is “Let’s make a difference together,” Steve suggests it’s community connections like these that fuel the volunteer group.

“The whole part that I really love about this is that we’re all working together to make our community better,” he says.

“Can you imagine if we made 10 more of these looms and we could have groups across the city and even country that were involved in it?”

As for Tim, he’s happy to grow the initiative for the greater good in a way that brings neighbours together.

“It’s being able to give back to the community and show some love and care for the less fortunate in Peterborough,” he says. “In my faith, we’re told by Christ himself to love one another and to look after the less fortunate. I think this is a minor way of doing that, and at the same time, get people in the community involved.”

For more information or to sponsor a loom, email Steve at Clean Up Peterborough at cleanuppeterborough@gmail.com.

From transforming dated antiques into sleek new pieces, over 20 community members took a shot at flipping furniture for the sake of supporting more affordable housing in the Peterborough area.

Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR), in partnership with Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre (Chemong HHBC), has announced the 2025 winners of its second annual furniture-flipping contest called “The Big Flip.”

Held in celebration of Earth Day, the contest continues to inspire sustainability and creativity, said Habitat PKR in a media release.

This year’s contest saw 22 entries and 1,427 community votes, all in support of reducing waste and showcasing the value of upcycling. Participants were encouraged to find used furniture, transform it, and submit photos of their item before, during, and after the transformation.

“It was so fun to see 22 creative and totally unique entries this year, and especially exciting to spot pieces that started out on the floor of our very own Habitat ReStores,” Holly O’Connor, marketing and communications manager for Habitat PKR, told kawarthaNOW.

Habitat PKR operates three ReStores located in Peterborough, Lindsay, and Lakefield. The non-profit stores sell new and gently used building materials, furniture, and home décor. Shopping, donating, and volunteering at ReStores supports affordable homeownership and sustainability by diverting items from landfills.

“What I love most about The Big Flip is the ongoing impact it has,” O’Connor said.

“Just like shopping at the ReStore, it’s a sustainable choice. It gives old furniture a new life, keeps perfectly good items out of the landfill, and when flipped pieces are bought from the ReStores, they directly support our mission of building more affordable homes. That’s such a powerful combination of creativity, community, and purpose.”

This year’s instalment featured two new categories, “Big & Bold” and “Small but Mighty,” to encourage an even broader range of entries, she added.

Big & Bold winner Janice Brown transformed a hutch for her husband’s miniature wargaming collection, creating an organized and beautiful display for game pieces of various sizes. As an artist, painting was a natural part of her process.

“I was so excited to enter The Big Flip and flip the dresser,” Brown said. “Painting was always going to be a part of the transformation. It’s something we both love.”

Small but Mighty winner Jordanne Posch chose to flip a second-hand dresser with damaged veneer. She sanded, painted, and embossed the drawers using stencil work and DRYDex spackling.

“It needed some love,” Posch said. “I finished it with cabinet paint and polyurethane to protect the piece and make it last.”

Each winner received gift cards to use at Chemong HHBC and a Habitat ReStore, with Brown winning $500 to use at Chemong HHBC and $100 at a Habitat ReStore and Posch $250 for Chemong HHBC and $50 for a Habitat ReStore, as well as a membership to the Peterborough Tool Library.

“The Big Flip is more than just a fun contest,” said Habitat PKR CEO Susan Zambonin in a statement. “It’s a celebration of Earth Day, a testament to the power of community partnerships — like our incredible collaboration with Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre — and a reminder that creativity can drive real environmental impact.”

Chemong HHBC marketing coordinator Alaura Jopling agreed.

“It’s amazing to see the creativity and care our community puts into these flips,” Jopling said. “Whether it’s choosing the right paint, picking out hardware, or just asking for a bit of DIY advice, we love being part of that journey. This contest is such a fun and meaningful way to keep great pieces out of landfills and give them new life.”

In 2024, Habitat PKR;s three ReStores diverted 340,028 items from landfills as a result of donations of new and gently used building materials, furniture, appliances, and home décor items. Every item purchased or donated at the Habitat ReStore helps fund affordable housing projects across the Peterborough and Kawartha Region.

Ernie Ferguson, the former owner of Ferguson Cleaners in Peterborough, has passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by family at the age of 97.

Ferguson, who chose to pursue medical assistance in dying (MAiD) due to serious complications from heart issues, selected Monday (May 12) as the date of his passing — the 74th anniversary of his marriage to Mona (nee Peirson), who passed away in 2022 just days shy of her 91st birthday.

Married on May 12, 1951 at George Street United Church, the couple had two children early on: Heather Jane and Clarinda (Cindy) Catherine. In January 1970, the couple welcomed Marcus Charles, who they adopted and brought to Peterborough from Ottawa.

Ferguson’s decades-long career in laundry and dry cleaning originates in 1941, when he was in Grade 8 at King George Public School.

“Dad delivered for Lansfields Cleaners on Louis Street,” Ferguson told kawarthaNOW in 2023. “One day, Ivan Lillico, who owned Lillico Motors where Dad bought his vehicles, said ‘You’re working for Lansfields and he is making all kinds of money but you’re doing all the work. You should start your own business.'”

After accepting Lillico’s offer of space at a building he owned on Water Street, Ferguson’s mother and father opened Ferguson Cleaners, a laundry and dry cleaning business. Young Ernie worked there along with his brother Wayne and sister Arlene, alongside a host of longtime loyal employees.

When Ferguson’s dad decided to incorporate the business in 1959, he brought Ernie and Wayne in as partners. When Twin Cleaners on Monaghan Road went up for sale, the brothers bought the business, which Wayne ran. With time, the laundry and dry cleaning ’empire’ grew with four buildings — the last being at 128 Hunter Street East, today home to Ashburnham Ale House.

The last day of 1990 saw Ferguson sell the business, freeing up time for him and Mona to do what they did for years and still loved to do — volunteer.

“Mona started volunteering with her mother at the old Civic Hospital; she took a cart around and sold books and treats and stuff,” Ferguson said. “Next thing you know she’s volunteering with Community Care (Meals On Wheels) and then got into volunteering with the Food For Kids program. It’s something we loved to do together.”

At age 88, Mona marked 50 years as a Community Care volunteer. Her husband helped out for 29 years following his retirement.

In spring 2019, Community Care Peterborough featured Ernie and Mona Ferguson on the cover of the charity’s “The Thread” publication in recognition of their combined 80 years of volunteering for the organization, with Mona the longest-serving volunteer in Community Care Peterborough’s history.

Shortly before his beloved wife Mona passed away in 2022 and at the urging of his daughter, then 94-year-old Ferguson decided to write the story of his life.

That effort resulting in his 2023 memoir Thanks for the Memories, a 70-page collection of wide-ranging reminisces.

“I was unsure of a title, but one morning I woke up and to my mind came ‘Thanks for the Memories,'” Ferguson recalled, adding “That was my Mona communicating with me. She was thanking me for the memories.”

According to his son Marcus, Ferguson decided to register with MAiD in February after experiencing serious complications from heart issues that would require a difficult surgery.

“For the past three months I have been celebrating my father’s life with my father,” Marcus wrote in a Facebook tribute to his dad. “To be clear I did not want him to go through with it. Knowing my father it’s pointless to try and change his mind. My only option was to love him, and support him.”

“He knows what he wants, he’s thought long and hard about it and never once was swayed. He is a happy person of sound mind. His mantra has been ‘I’m tired and I just want to go home and be with Mona.'”

A drop-in celebration of life for Ernie and Mona Ferguson will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday (May 14) at the Peterborough Legion at 1550 Lansdowne Street West.

With files from Paul Rellinger.