The day before Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a snap election, the Peterborough Federal Liberal Association announced that Emma Harrison has been acclaimed as the federal Liberal candidate for the Peterborough riding.

A resident of Selwyn Township, Harrison is a third-generation farmer and a small business owner who runs the family farm with her husband Connor, a Peterborough paramedic, together with their children.

“I am thrilled to be the Liberal Candidate for Peterborough,” Harrison says in a media release. “I intend to be an MP who builds bridges instead of creating division, who understands that community has to come first instead of partisanship, and who will represent everyone, not just those who voted for me.”

“We are grateful to have such a thoughtful, caring, and practical candidate in Emma, and we are confident she will be an excellent representative for Peterborough,” Peterborough Federal Liberal Association chair Lauren Hunter says. “As our country faces unprecedented threats, now is the time to unite behind a candidate who can help build a stronger Canada.”

While Harrison is a newcomer to running for political office, she’s not a newcomer to politics. In February, kawarthaNOW profiled Harrison’s popularity on the Threads social media platform for her political commentary, growing her followers from 200 to now almost 30,000.

“People came for the cows, but they’re staying for the political commentary,” Harrison told kawarthaNOW.

“I’m actually a really political person, but only really when I’m face-to-face with other people,” she said. “I don’t usually share a lot on the internet.”

Harrison is the third-generation owner of the 137-acre farm but, before she took it over with her family in 2021, she spent five years living in Lewiston, New York while attending Niagara University on a lacrosse scholarship. She was there when Barack Obama was elected U.S. President.

“It’s hard to appreciate and understand U.S. politics and how the country works unless you’ve been there for a long period of time,” she explained. “So when things started going poorly after Trump was elected, and in Canada there was a bit more rhetoric and talk of hating on marginalized groups, I felt like I couldn’t not say something.”

The other declared candidates for the major parties in the Peterborough riding include incumbent Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri and the NDP’s Heather Ray. The Green Party has yet to declare a candidate.

Carney is expected to ask the Governor General on Sunday (March 23) to dissolve Parliament. According to CBC News, sources have confirmed that election day will be on Monday, April 28 — giving Canadians five weeks to decide who will lead the country as it faces a trade war instigated by U.S. President Donald Trump and his threats to Canada’s sovereignty.

The most recent polls have the Liberals either neck-in-neck or leading the Conservatives, which is a remarkable comeback for the governing party that was facing decimation only a few weeks ago — until Justin Trudeau resigned, Trump began threatening Canada, and Carney was elected Liberal leader.

The original version of this story has been updated with details from kawarthaNOW’s February profile of Harrison.

The Peterborough Family Health Team (PFHT) hopes the day will come when all residents of Peterborough will have a family doctor or primary care provider.

PFHT communications officer Renee MacKenzie shared her thoughts with kawarthaNOW following the recent opening of a new PFHT Health Clinic location for “unattached” patients — those who don’t have a “permanent” family doctor or primary care provider.

“Our biggest hope is that there will be a day when we don’t need the PFHT Health Clinic for unattached patients,” MacKenzie said. “Until then, we hope to continue providing opportunities for newly retired physicians to continue practising in our community, while also attracting new family doctors and retaining recent graduates.”

Earlier this year, the PFHT Health Clinic acquired a new space at 555 George St. N. with additional exam rooms, allowing it to expand appointments for Peterborough city and county residents who do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner in Ontario.

The new space is the main location for “unattached services,” while the clinic’s King Street location continues to operate and support more niche services such as well baby clinics.

On Tuesday morning (March 18) at the new George Street location, the PFHT hosted a media event and open house, which MacKenzie said “had a great turnout,” including Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal. PFHT CEO Duff Sprague spoke about the clinic as did Dr. Tehmina Chattha, who also provided tours of the exam rooms.

With the opening of the new clinic space, MacKenzie said the PHFT continues to work to address health care gaps in the community.

“We want the community to know that we will continue to do what we can to advocate for growth in our family health team so we can support all residents in Peterborough city and county,” she noted.

“Furthermore, this clinic offers patient appointments and is not a substitute for having a family doctor. The clinic is an interim solution that provides people with same-day or next-day in-person care by a doctor or nurse practitioner.”

The PFHT Health Clinic is a response to the growing need for health care access among residents of Peterborough city and county who are currently unattached and would otherwise have limited options.

“Despite a base budget that has not increased in many years, we’ve strategically managed to run the clinic within the existing funding and the access clinic physicians have to bill OHIP for their services,” said Sprague in a media release.

“We took a coordinated approach to provide essential care to unattached patients. Our PFHT Health Clinic offers a much less expensive and more appropriate alternative to the only other in-person choice in the area: hospital emergency departments.”

The PFHT said it’s “grateful” for the partners who made the expansion possible. The Peterborough Ontario Health Team has committed to covering the clinic’s rent until September 1. The PFHT’s director of operations and patient services supervisor, as well as the city’s physician recruiter, donated their time to prepare the space through painting, deep cleaning, transporting equipment, and other set-up efforts.

“We also extend our thanks to Whelan’s Floor for donating and installing replacement flooring in part of the clinic, and to Rishor Real Estate Inc. for a 50 per cent rent reduction for the first 12 months.”

The PFHT Health Clinic has achieved significant cost savings for the health care system, according to the release.

“From April 1, 2024, to early March, we estimate $370,804 in savings due to hospital emergency room diversions, and these savings are based on the patient being assessed at the emergency department and do not include any testing procedures or specialist care.”

Additionally, cancer screenings conducted at the clinic not only save costs for the system but also open a door to care for the unattached patient, the PFHT noted.

For more information about both of the PFHT’s health clinics and to book an appointment, visit www.peterboroughfht.com/find-a-provider/pfht-health-clinic. Online booking is available for returning patients.

At its first meeting of 2025, 100 Women Peterborough has chosen Camp Northern Lights to receive a donation of more than $10,000 that will support the charity’s wilderness summer camp experiences for disadvantaged youth.

The collective philanthropy group met on Tuesday (March 18) at The Venue in downtown Peterborough. At each of its quarterly meetings, members hears presentations from three non-profit organizations randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by the group’s members. Each member commits to donating $100, and the organization that gets the most member votes receives the collective donations.

The three organizations that presented to 100 Women Peterborough at March’s meeting were Camp Northern Lights, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, and Peterborough Veterinary Outreach, with Camp Northern Lights chosen by majority vote to receive member donations.

Founded in 1972, Camp Northern Lights is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization that provides wilderness summer camp experiences for disadvantaged youth to foster resilience, leadership, and a deep connection to nature. Every year, the charity provides around 250 youth from the Peterborough area the opportunity to experience a transformative experience at summer camp that many would otherwise be unable to access.

“Our program has provided over 13,000 campers and 3,000 high school students with life-changing outdoor experiences,” Camp Northern Lights board chair Mary Jane Smith told 100 Women Peterborough during her presentation with treasurer Randy Riel. “The support from 100 Women Peterborough will allow us to welcome even more youth to camp and help fund critical improvements, including the construction of new docks to ensure safe waterfront access for swimming and water activities.”

Families are asked to contribute $40 of the total cost of around $600 per camper for a week at summer camp if they are able to do so. Camp Northern Lights operates on an annual budget of $150,000, relying on community donations to continue its mission of empowering youth through outdoor education.

“Charities are struggling to meet growing needs and organizations like Camp Northern Lights provide crucial experiences for youth in our community,” said 100 Women Peterborough co-founder Rose Terry in a media release.

“Through collective giving, we can ensure that these programs continue to make a difference in the lives of children who might not otherwise have access to them. The strength of 100 Women Peterborough is in our ability to act quickly and make a significant impact in just one evening. By pooling our resources, we’re not just making a donation-we’re investing in the future of our community.”

At Tuesday night’s meeting, 100 Women Peterborough members also received key updates on the group’s philanthropic achievements and had a forward-thinking discussion on sustainability. Members participated in a live poll to determine whether future voting should transition from traditional paper ballots to an electronic QR code system — an initiative aimed at reducing paper waste while maintaining efficiency.

Since its formation in 2018, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated over $233,000 to 26 local organizations.

Organizations that have received member donations include YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, Vinnies Peterborough, Hospice Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Unlimited, One Roof Warming Room, New Canadians Centre, Cameron House, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Casa De Angelae, Lakefield Animal Welfare Society, Community Care Peterborough, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Community Counselling and Resource Centre, Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services, Heads Up for Inclusion, Kawartha Youth Orchestra, Peterborough GreenUP, Bridges Peterborough, YMCA Strong Communities, Homeward Bound Peterborough, Good Neighbours Care Centre and Food Bank, PARN – Your Community AIDS Resource Network, Camp Kawartha, the Teachers For Kids Foundation, Hearts 4 Joy, and Camp Northern Lights.

100 Women Peterborough is part of a growing collective philanthropy movement that began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, those women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. The movement has grown over the past 18 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with hundreds of chapters in Canada alone.

For more information about 100 Women Peterborough, visit www.100womenptbo.ca.