Applications are now open for the City of Peterborough’s youth council for the 2024-25 term.

The Peterborough Youth Council is a voice for local youth in the community, with members attending monthly meetings and collaborating with city recreation and parks services staff to organize and become involved in community events that may take place on evenings, weekends, and sometimes during school hours.

“The youth council contributes a lot of valuable perspectives to community events,” says councillor Lesley Parnell who, along with councillor Gary Baldwin, is co-chair of the city’s new community services (recreation and parks, fire services, and arenas) portfolio. “In turn, members gain valuable experience and make new friends. I encourage anyone who is interested to apply.”

Young people between the ages of 12 and 21 who live or attend school in Peterborough can apply to be on the youth council by visiting peterborough.ca/youthcouncil. Applications are open until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26th.

A role on the youth council is a volunteer position. High school students can use the volunteer hours towards achieving their Ontario secondary school diploma.

“The young people in Peterborough are the future of our community,” councillor Baldwin says. “We value their perspectives and welcome their input. Peterborough Youth Council is an opportunity to develop our leaders of tomorrow, while offering lots of fun along the way.”

Potential candidates will be contacted by phone or email, with interviews for selected candidates taking place during the week of May 21 to 24.

The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton has opened applications for the 2024 Hazel Education Bursary in support of the educational advancement of women who have experienced gender-based violence.

The organization’s board of directors, through its education awards committee and supported by community donors, is distributing two bursaries of $1,500 and two bursaries of $2,500 to women residing in the city and county of Peterborough and Haliburton County.

Applications are open until Thursday, April 18th to women who have experienced barriers related to the impact of violence and abuse, have a dream to strengthen their economic security, and seek to further develop their formal or informal education or training.

Funding from the bursary can be used towards a range of educational pursuits from post-secondary programs and classes to skill enhancement, career training, and more. Women who have applied to or received the bursary in previous years are welcome to apply again.

“Many survivors have not had the opportunity to obtain an education or specialized training due to poverty, raising children, and/or controlling behaviours in the abusive situation,” says Emily Jensen, executive assistant at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. “These skills are essential in achieving their goals to start or re-start their careers and achieve independence.”

The YWCA awards the bursary in honour of a local woman who, while fighting cancer, removed herself and her three children from what her daughter describes as “a life of domination and violence,” and later used her experiences to help other women in similar circumstances. Hazel passed away in 1996 after a long battle with breast cancer, and the fund was created in 1998 by friends and admirers to carry on her vision.

“When people met the strength of this smiling, laughing woman little did they know their lives would be enriched by her knowledge and life experiences,” writes Hazel’s daughter in a message on the YWCA website. “Mum believed that everyone deserves a chance and that chances should be made possible.”

In 2021, the YWCA merged the longstanding YWCA Hazel Education Award and the YWCA Long Term Education Award, which was established in 2016, into the Hazel Education Bursary to simplify the application process for women whether their educational dream is a course, a diploma, or a degree program.

Every year since, the YWCA has opened applications for the Hazel Education Bursary on International Women’s Day. To honour Hazel’s own request, women from rural communities are given special consideration for the bursary award.

“Hazel was committed to raising awareness on issues women from rural communities face,” says Jensen. “(These women) face unique challenges in getting help largely due to isolation and lack of transportation.”

Jensen further notes that women in rural or remote communities are additionally distanced from the support systems of friends and family, may have reduced access to phone connection and internet access, and could be at risk of firearms danger if living on a farm or with hunters.

“In many small towns, there is also the sense of ‘everyone knows each other’ which can make reaching out for help particularly intimidating,” Jensen adds, “even more so when children are involved.”

By providing a means to overcome the economic barriers, the Hazel Education Bursary is intended to reduce this intimidation and make it easier for survivors to seek independence.

“Economic security and a sense of personal mastery are important pieces in moving forward,” says Jensen. “The goal of the Hazel Education Bursary is to help women on this journey.”

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton assures that all applicant personal information is kept confidential and applicant names are not shared with committee members.

Apply to the Hazel Education Bursary by visiting ywcapeterborough.org/education or learn more by contacting Emily Jensen at 705-743-3526 ext. 120 or ejensen@ywcapeterborough.org.

Five Counties Children’s Centre is calling on families in the communities it serves to share their thoughts around ways to improve the supports and services offered by the regional organization serving children with special needs.

Five Counties has launched a survey geared to current and former Five Counties clients, parents, caregivers, and families in the City of Kawartha Lakes and counties of Peterborough, Northumberland, and Haliburton. The centre encourages families to have their say by completing the Client and Family Experience Survey before March 31.

Bill Eekhof, spokesperson for Five Counties, said the survey has an important role. Information about families’ experiences at Five Counties, along with detailed suggestions about an area or areas of improvement, are two areas of input that are particularly useful to the children’s centre.

“These types of insights are very important to Five Counties,” Eekhof told kawarthaNOW.

“While we try to assist families and children as best we can, if we’re not listening to and equipping parents and families with what they need to help their children be the best, then we need to hear that to improve what we’re doing.”

The survey is confidential and takes less than five minutes to complete. Participants are asked about which programs they’ve used at Five Counties, their satisfaction with those services, and their suggestions for improvement. Anyone completing the survey can choose to provide his or her name to be entered in a draw to win one of three $25 grocery store gift cards.

Full details about the survey are available at fivecounties.on.ca/yoursay/. The survey is available until Sunday, March 31.

“Families are at the core of what we do,” said Darlene Callan, director of clinical services at Five Counties, in a media release. “Regularly engaging with and encouraging the input of parents and caregivers can help us better support kids while improving our overall services for families.”

While Five Counties typically does a client satisfaction survey every other year, seeking parent input is part of an ongoing conversation.

“We pride ourselves on having the very best of pediatric therapists, but it really is a partnership with the family to see a child succeed,” Callan added.

Five Counties staff works with kids and youth to support their communication, physical, and developmental needs, but treatment sessions are typically less than an hour each week for defined periods of time.

As parents spend the most time with their child, their role in following through with treatment tips is important to help their child reach their full potential, Five Counties noted.

“Our role as clinicians is to educate, demonstrate and collaborate with the parent or caregiver so they feel confident and well-equipped to go home and support their child,” Callan said.

Getting family input through the client experience survey provides “a snapshot in time” that tells Five Counties how well it is doing right now, she added.

“We encourage parents to take part, as their input will help us to improve and better support families to work with their child at home.”

Lesley Lavender is the new chief executive officer of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA).

Lavender replaces Terry Rees, who announced last November he would be leaving the Peterborough-based organization in March after 20 years at CEO to pursue other interests.

Established in 1963 and incorporated in 1974, today FOCA represents 525 lake and road associations in rural communities across Ontario and speaks for the interests of 250,000 seasonal and year-round waterfront property owners, including issues related to sustainable communities, public safety, and environmental protection.

For the past five years, Lavender has been CEO of the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit association that represents more than 275 businesses of all sizes and industries, primarily in the Municipality of Prince Edward and throughout the Bay of Quinte region.

“Hiring someone with Lesley’s experienced leadership is a clear example of FOCA’s determination to generate momentum and positive impact for our member associations,” says Ian Crawford, FOCA past president and chair of the CEO hiring committee, in a media release.

“We held an extensive search that yielded candidates from across Canada. We were very impressed with the high quality of the people we met, but Lesley stood out for her experience and proven ability to create and expand relationships with members, media, and partners.”

According to the media release, in her role at the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce, Lavender “represents a small community with a vast geographical spread that mirrored the unique composition of waterfront communities throughout Ontario” and understands the challenges and expectations in a community that accommodates both visitors and seasonal residents alongside long-term inhabitants.

“This understanding fuels my passion to delve deeper into similar dynamics across our province, with an unwavering commitment to expanding my knowledge and sharing my skill set,” Lavender says. “My aim is to foster a collective appreciation for water and the environment, catalyzing a shared commitment to their preservation.”

Lavender will assume the role of FOCA’s CEO on April 1.

“The board thanks outgoing CEO Terry Rees for his leadership over the past 20 years with FOCA,” reads the media release. “Terry was responsible for significant growth in membership and building the profile of the organization over his tenure.”

Just a few years ago, Omemee content creator Sasha Harrison was living a very different life than the one she’s living now.

In those years, Harrison learned how to use tools to transform spaces on a budget, created her own DIY furniture blueprints, and has made steady progress towards her dream home.

On top of that, she has crafted meaningful relationships with local businesses, garnered more than 51,000 Instagram followers and over 34,000 on TikTok, raised thousands of dollars for local organizations, and has inspired a community of people to take a chance on themselves — and all while raising her two young children.

Though social media has a way of making life look glamorous, Harrison hasn’t always had it easy along the way. But just as her social media platform inspires thousands of people, so too can the life lessons she’s learned while pursuing her dreams.

One step at a time

In 2020, Harrison and her young family moved to their Omemee property to give her husband, Scott, the space to grow his diesel repair business, which would fund their ultimate dream of buying out his family’s three-generation dairy farm.

But, with everything going into the business and the farm, there was nothing left in their budget to fix up their own home.

“I realized just because we’re investing so much into the farm, that there was no way I was going to get the house of my dreams unless I made it happen myself,” says Harrison, who, until making that decision, had never used power tools before.

With an “outdated” house and a shop which needed an “absolute overhaul,” that dream house was not any easy project to begin — and continues to be a work in progress.

“We were optimistic, but it was and still is overwhelming,” she says. “There were a lot of elements to this property that needed a lot of work.”

Despite that, she took on one project at a time, first cleaning out and designing the repair shop and re-doing the entryway in the house, before it “snowballed” into her first build with a patio area outside the shop.

“Then, I did the kids’ room, our room, and then the laundry room — which was a bigger project,” she says. “It’s been a lot of work and it’s a constant grind but as soon as we get done one thing, we ask what we are working on next.”

It’s okay to do something you’re passionate about and get paid for it

Before changing careers and choosing to stay at home to focus on getting their new house to feel like a home, Harrison was working on call as a nurse and program coordinator at VON Assisted Living in Peterborough.

As she worked on a few projects around the home, and as her social media presence grew from spotlighting local businesses during the early days of the pandemic, there came a point when Harrison felt “lost in the thick of it” and was unsure what would come next.

“I remember sitting down at the table with my husband asking, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ and ‘Who am I?'” she recalls. “I felt like I had lost everything I was, and everything I had built with my nursing career.”

She recalls her husband telling her find whatever it is that she’s passionate about and make that her career. Between that encouragement and seeing his “zest for life” in farming, she was inspired.

“I realized it’s okay to do something that you’re passionate about and get paid for it,” she says. “I think a lot of people, like I did, think they can do the things they like on the weekend and have a separate nine-to-five job. But life doesn’t have to be like that. You can make it whatever you want it to be.”

With that realization, she monetized the love she had for design by registering her content creation businesses and sought sponsorships from local businesses so she could continue sharing her budget-friendly builds and designs.

Failure is an incredible opportunity for learning and building

Unlike a lot of influencers, Harrison’s feed is not perfectly curated with posts that show off nothing but her successes. She also shows off her vulnerabilities and her failures — like when she dented the shop the first time she used a skid steer, or when she gets in over her head with a project.

Though Harrison’s not afraid of her failures now, she didn’t always feel so comfortable embracing them, especially when beginning as a new business.

“I remember feeling so nervous and so scared about doing something on my own and just failing,” she says. “I think that’s the biggest fear you have as a business owner. You fail so many times, but those failures are incredible opportunities for learning and building and then, after a while, that fear of failure just sits in the background.”

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When people project negativity, that’s something that’s going on in their life

And as with anyone who makes their career online, Harrison faces her share of negativity from strangers on the internet and outside the community, whether it’s gendered assumptions that her husband is the brains and brawn behind her builds, backlash about letting her children assist in the projects, or even just generally about her appearance.

“I don’t love social media,” she points out. “I love when it can be used for inspiring people, but sometimes it can be a really negative space. I think I’m just sensitive and I care so much about other people that it really hurt me to think that somebody would want to hurt me like that.”

While in the past, Harrison has gone through “peaks and valleys” of being affected by hurtful commentary, having occasionally distanced herself from TikTok, her years in the industry have shown her that the cruelties are not really about her.

“I see it in a different way now and I think that’s what makes it a little bit easier,” she says. “When people project negativity, I think that’s something that’s going on in their life, where maybe they feel they’re not in a great space, and I feel bad for them.”

The most beautiful thing we have in life is the connection to other people

Everything that Harrison has used on her DIY journey has been purchased locally, and all sponsorship money she receives goes right back into investing in other local businesses.

After getting her first sponsorship from Monaghan Lumber Specialties, Harrison continues to work with them. While other businesses often assume that, as a woman, she doesn’t know what she is talking about or is shopping for her husband, she notes Monaghan Lumber has been “100 per cent supportive” in her visions.

“I’m so grateful for that relationship,” she says. “I think that our community trust in me because of the people that I work with — they all have wonderful customer service and they’re good human beings.”

Other companies she has worked with include Lindsay Buick GMC, Kitchen Depot, Kennedy’s Appliances and Electronic Store, Horlings Garden Centre, Johnston’s Greenhouse and Landscaping, and many others.

Her platform has also been instrumental in campaigns for businesses supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough, community food drives, and YES Shelter for Youth and Families.

“I’m very fortunate to have a platform,” she says. “We definitely do not take that for granted. I think that’s pretty special that we can see our community come together in this way.”

Harrison has recently been working behind the scenes on social media management for other businesses. Though at first she didn’t think she’d enjoy it, she’s finds now that it opens up a different kind of creativity within her.

“People are often so critical of themselves, but I find that I can see from the outside how many beautiful souls are working with each other to make that entire entity work,” she says. “It’s super inspiring and it fills my heart right up to be able to show that side of their business.”

Between connecting with local businesses and now working behind the scenes with them, to her love of sharing inspiration and tips on her platforms, it all comes back to one of her greatest passions.

“I love connecting with other humans and learning about their story and being a part of other people’s lives,” she says. “I think the most beautiful thing we have in life is those connections with other people.”

For more information about Sasha Harrison and to keep up to date on her latest projects, visit sashaharrisondiyanddesign.com and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

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Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (PKR) is “flipping” for Earth Day and inviting community members to take on a project that breathes new life into an old piece of furniture.

The organization, in partnership with Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre in Peterborough, has announced “The Big Flip,” a furniture restoration contest in honour of Earth Day on April 22. The Kawarthas-wide event aims to promote sustainability by inspiring residents to reimagine and revive used furniture to keep it out of the landfills.

“We would be thrilled to get as many entries as possible — my personal goal is over 30,” says Natalie Raponi, sponsorship and events co-ordinator for Habitat for Humanity PKR.

“The best thing that could happen from this event is that more people would start to consider giving new life to existing furniture pieces instead of throwing them away,” Raponi told kawarthaNOW. “There are so many incredible ways to restore, refinish, and reimagine used pieces in order to keep them out of landfills and contribute to a circular economy.”

Each year, close to one million tons of furniture waste ends up in Canadian landfills, according to Habitat for Humanity PKR. Biodegradable parts of furniture, such as textiles and wood, will degrade but they release methane gas into the atmosphere. Non-biodegradable parts of furniture, such as plastic and metals, will last in the landfill and can leach harmful chemicals.

The Big Flip contest involves choosing a used piece of furniture and taking a “before” photo with the piece, and documenting with one picture the process of “flipping” the furniture. Flipping can involve, but is not limited to, painting, restoring, and reupholstering the piece. Once finished, participants then snap a photo of themselves with the final products.

To participate, visit www.thebigflip.ca and make a submission between April 1 and 30. The contest is open to residents of the city and county of Peterborough, the City or Kawartha Lakes, and the Haliburton Highlands area.

Raponi said community members can consider checking out Habitat for Humanity’s Restores for suitable pieces to refinish.

“Our Habitat for Humanity ReStores are like hidden treasure troves waiting to be discovered. Often, you just need a little imagination and some good old elbow grease to transform these gems into something extraordinary.”

“If more people get interested in flipping furniture instead of buying new, the better it is for the environment. Plus, every purchase from our ReStores and membership to the (Peterborough) Tool Library helps build safe, decent, and affordable homes right here in Peterborough and the Kawartha region. So that’s a win-win-win.”

The Big Flip contest has two categories that will each have a winner. The “Designer’s Choice” winner will be chosen by Sonja Sanderson, owner of Birchview Design, and her team of interior designers. They will score entries using the following criteria: 40 per cent creativity and originality, 30 per cent usability, and 30 per cent transformation.

The “People’s Choice” category will be chosen after the contest ends by online votes cast between May 1 and May 8 on The Big Flip website.

Each winner will receive a Fusion Mineral Paint prize pack, a one-year membership to the Peterborough Tool Library, and a $500 gift card to Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre.

“We are excited to host The Big Flip furniture flipping contest in honour of Earth Day,” said Susan Zambonin, Habitat for Humanity PKR executive director, in a media release.

“This event aligns with our mission of building a sustainable future and empowers our community to positively impact the environment. We can’t wait to see the creativity and innovation that participants bring to the contest.”

Habitat for Humanity PKR is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting affordable homeownership. Habitat gives a “hand-up” not a “hand-out” to lower income families by offering no down payment and geared to income monthly payments.

The organization operates three home improvement retail stores — the ReStores — selling donated new and used appliances, furniture, kitchens, building materials and home supplies. Habitat for Humanity ReStores play an integral part in Habitat’s mission by providing financial support for its work.

In 2023, Habitat for Humanity PKR diverted 331,730 items from landfills from purchases and donations made through its Peterborough North, Peterborough South, and Lindsay ReStores.

If you see emergency vehicles and people who appear to be injured at Fleming College’s Sutherland Campus in Peterborough on Tuesday morning (March 12), don’t be concerned.

Students in multiple programs at the college will be participating in a mass-casualty event simulation at the campus off Brealey Drive.

“The exercise is designed to mimic the chaos and urgency of a real-world disaster,” reads a media release from Fleming College. “Students will be challenged to apply their skills in triage, emergency management, and communication.”

Up to 80 students will be involved in the exercise, including students in Fleming’s pre-service fighter education and training and paramedic and pre-health sciences programs. Some students will be wearing makeup to appear injured or distressed, and Fleming’s emergency vehicles will also be on site.

The exercise is expected to run all morning long, with the Oak parking lot, parts of the B and D wings, and other areas around the Sutherland Campus closed to the rest of the campus while the exercise takes place.

Staff, students, and visitors are asked to follow the posted signage and follow any detours or parking lot closures that may be in place.

It will soon be easier for residents of North Kawartha Township to get in-person access to provincial government services, including driver’s licences and health cards.

On Monday (March 11), the Ontario government announced the village of Apsley is one of six rural northern communities that will be getting a ServiceOntario mobile service centre.

“Previously residents in North Kawartha would have to travel an average of 90 kilometres round trip to visit a ServiceOntario location,” says Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith in a media release. “The provincial government is committed to ensuring all of Ontario has access to government services they need, and this is one more step towards that promise.”

The mobile centre will deliver in-person access to services to the communities of MacTier, Burk’s Falls, Apsley, Denbigh, Whitney, and Moose Deer Point First Nation. The service is now available in MacTier and Burk’s Falls, with the expansion into the remaining four communities including Apsley taking place by April.

The mobile service centre is accessible and offers the following services in both English and French: driver’s licences; vehicle permits and plates; stickers for commercial vehicles; accessible parking permits; driver and vehicle records; health card and insurance (OHIP); organ and tissue donation; birth, marriage, and death; photo card; apostille/authentication of documents; fishing, hunting, and camping; housing and property; and taxes.

The schedule and location of the ServiceOntario mobile service centre in Apsley has not yet been announced, but the information will be available at ontario.ca/page/serviceontario-mobile-service-centres when the service launches in Apsley by early April.