A Place Called Home (APCH) in Lindsay is welcoming home a new leader for the organization that provides supports and services for people experiencing homelessness.

APCH’s board of directors has appointed Angela Ricciuti as its new executive director.

Ricciuti brings to APCH two decades of leadership with Community Living Toronto, a leading agency that serves adults who have an intellectual disability.

“I am overjoyed to be part of such an important service provided to the community and am very eager to start learning and leading,” Ricciuti told kawarthaNOW.

“I am very motivated by principles of community inclusion, and the valued social roles that every citizen has in their communities.”

Ricciuti moved to Kawartha Lakes two years ago and said she’s “excited to be fully immersed in its communities. Only by gaining the experience of living and working here can I develop the skills that I will need to lead a wonderful organization like (APCH).”

The new executive director has a wealth of experience in the field of social services, particularly in the domain of residential supports and housing, according to a media release from the APCH board of directors.

With a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from York University, “she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to improving service delivery and advocating for individuals with disabilities.”

“She has a passion for social justice within a framework of person-centred service delivery. Her extensive experience, from program development to recruitment and management, showcases a comprehensive understanding of the social services landscape.”

Ricciuti is the third executive director in the three-decade history of APCH. The organization serves people who are struggling with homelessness by providing shelter services, rooming house rentals, and transitional housing.

Ricciuti officially joins APCH on March 4.

“We welcome Angela to the APCH community with enthusiasm and look forward to working together creating places called home in the midst of homelessness in Kawartha Lakes,” the media release stated.

In a move slated to “strengthen” public health together, the boards of Peterborough Public Health (PPH) and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) have voted to voluntarily merge.

The boards announced in a joint media release on Wednesday (February 28) they will go ahead and seek provincial approval and funding to support the merger.

In August 2023, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced plans aimed at strengthening the public health sector by offering one-time funding, resources, and supports to local public health agencies that decide to voluntarily merge by January 1, 2025.

In response to this announcement, the HKPRDHU and PPH boards decided to move forward with a process to explore the impacts of a voluntary merger.

“We have been diligent in the timeframe provided to review and consider all possible outcomes and impacts of a voluntary merger,” said David Marshall, HKPR board chair, in a media release.

“Ultimately, we agreed that by merging with (PPH) we can strengthen our capacity to deliver exceptional public health programs and services, and to better respond to the unique needs of our small urban and rural communities.”

In November 2023, a joint board merger exploration working group was established with representatives from both health units and the external consulting firm Sense & Nous to prepare a comprehensive feasibility assessment report.

Both boards of health recently reviewed the report’s findings.

“Throughout this process, it was quickly identified that both HKPRDHU and PPH have an extensive history of collaboration and share similar geographic, demographic, health status and population characteristics,” the media release noted.

“Both organizations are also dedicated to reducing health inequities and addressing the most pressing public health challenges faced by the urban, rural, and Indigenous communities that they serve.”

During an HKPRDHU meeting on February 15, HKPRDHU decided to proceed with a proposal to voluntary merge with PPH.

During PPH’s meeting the following week on February 21, the PPH board of health also decided to proceed with a proposal to voluntary merge with HKPRDHU.

“Over the past several months, we have carefully examined how a merger can strengthen the services that we provide to our communities,” said Joy Lachica, PPH board chair and Peterborough city councillor. “This process revealed that joining together offers us the best pathway possible to protect and promote public health and keep our residents healthy. We are thrilled to start this journey together.”

The HKPRDHU and PPH boards of health will submit a joint voluntary merger application to the Ontario government by April 2. The application will aim to demonstrate how a proposed merger would benefit the communities served by the health units, while supporting outcomes and priorities identified for public health by the Ministry of Health.

Mergers of public health units require provincial legislative change and will not be definitive until the government approves the merger and commits to funding the initiative.

Both PPH and HKPRDHU will continue to operate independently during the provincial review period.

Local high school student Maude Rose Craig has been recognized with a Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for her involvement over the past decade with Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre, a non-profit theatre company that has been bringing regional history to life on the outdoor stage since 1992.

Administered by the Ontario Heritage Trust to recognize remarkable achievements in heritage conservation, the annual juried awards include the Youth Achievement Award, which Craig received alongside Sudbury’s Adam Selalmatzidis.

Ontario’s lieutenant governor Edith Dumont and Ontario Heritage Trust board chair John Ecker presented the 2023 awards at a ceremony in Toronto last Thursday (February 22), where Craig and Selalmatzidis were recognized along with other award recipients.

“Both are innovative and exemplary young people who show the breadth of what is possible in the next generation of heritage,” reads a media release from Ontario Heritage Trust. “Craig integrates theatre and performance into her exploration of history, and Selalmatzidis is a passionate advocate for Sudbury’s biodiversity.”

Other award recipients included Oakville’s Jane Watt who received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Toronto’s Dr. Ron Villiamson who received the Thomas Symons Award for Commitment to Conservation, and four projects that received the Excellence in Conservation awards.

A grade 12 student at Lakefield College School, Craig has volunteered at 4th Line Theatre since she was a young child, including as a performer, special event coordinator, production assistant, young company coordinator, and front-of-house assistant.

As a performer, she has worked alongside professional actors to portray more than 15 historical characters — including Hollywood legend Marie Dressler — in 11 main stage plays and several play development workshops since 2010.

Historical plays in which she has performed include The Right Road to Pontypool, The Cavan Blazers, The Bad Luck Bank Robbers, Queen Marie, The Hero of Hunter Street, and Who Killed Snow White?.

“In her work as a young company coordinator, Maude Rose Craig has been a peer mentor to several young people,” says 4th Line Theatre’s general manager Lindy Finlan in a media release. “She encourages and propels other young people to succeed as emerging arts and heritage performers and creators.”

As 4th Line Theatre’s special event coordinator, Craig assisted with fundraising and event management and, last summer, led the organization’s seasonal audience services team as front-of-house manager, where she was responsible for training a large team of volunteers and ensuring a positive experience for audience members.

As part of the Youth Achievement Award, both Craig and Selalmatzidis will receive the Young Heritage Leaders Scholarship, sponsored by Canada Life and the Ontario Heritage Trust, which provides $3,500 toward their post-secondary education.

Craig is performing as Olive Neal in Lakefield College School’s production of Bullets Over Broadway The Musical from February 27 to March 1 at the Bryan Jones Theatre in Lakefield.

Peterborough is marking International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8th with an afternoon rally and storytelling event in the evening.

While there have been advancements through the decades, there’s still a way to go towards achieving gender equality locally, says Sam Rockbrune of the Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC).

Rockbrune hopes International Women’s Day will shine a light on this issue and others, and the events KWIC is planning in collaboration with Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC) and their community partners will bring community members together.

“According to the Government of Canada’s website, International Women’s Day is a global day to recognize and celebrate women’s and girls’ social, economic, cultural, and political achievements,” Rockbrune said.

The description states that International Women’s Day “is also a time to raise awareness of the progress made towards achieving gender equality and the work remaining to be done.”

“That last part is so important — both KWIC and KSAC and our community collaborators are organizations that recognize that there is still so much work to be done to achieve gender equality here in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough,” Rockbrune said.

“There are many community members who think that gender equality is already achieved, and we don’t need to worry about it anymore here. However, we know that there is still a long way to go before we will achieve gender equality in our community.”

During the past few years, KWIC has heard stories of gender inequality shared by women, two-spirit, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. The areas where inequality is experienced range from Indigenous rights to 2SLGBTQ+ issues to accessing safe health care to equal work and pay opportunities specifically in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough.

“If we are going to achieve gender equality in our lifetime, we need everyone to get involved. Gender equality is interconnected with so many other big issues such as climate change, the cost-of-living crisis, colonialism, et cetera,” Rockbrune said.

“Having an International Women’s Day event for everyone in our community that is free, accessible, open to all, and doesn’t require any previous experience or knowledge is a big step forward.”

In the evening on March 8, local storytellers Aanya Singh, Jaida Ponce, and Kait Dueck will share their stories of gender equality, inspiring inclusion, and community. There will also be opportunities for community members to share their stories before, during, and after International Women’s Day 2024.

“It should be a great evening of community building and connecting,” Rockbrune said. “We are continuing to release details, but registration is open now and more details can be found on our website.”

Rockbrune said this year’s global theme, “Inspire Inclusion,” is very fitting for 2024.

“In Nogojiwanong/Peterborough and around the world, we’ve seen (and) recognized a need to come together and share space and stories. Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication and a core part of being human. Stories are what bring us together, as a community and across generations,” Rockbrune said.

“There is a lot of division in our community right now and we are hoping that by centering inclusion and focusing on storytelling we will bring community members together to recognize that we have a lot in common. Over the past few years, a lot of community members have become isolated, and we are hoping to create an opportunity for us to connect and reach out to one another.”

The events are free and accessible. Prior to the storytelling evening event, there will be a downtown rally and march from noon to 1 p.m. The rally starts in the Peterborough Square courtyard with opening drumming and will proceed north along the sidewalks of George Street to Confederation Park, across from city hall.

At city hall, located at 500 George St. N., the International Women’s Day declaration will be read, city councillor Joy Lachica will share a few words, and a poem from Peterborough’s current poet laureate, Ziysah von Bieberstein, will be delivered.

The storytelling event is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Peterborough Public Library, located at 345 Aylmer St. N. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. The event will also be accessible online through Zoom.

Hosted by Simal Iftikhar, the beginning of the evening will feature the Raging Grannies and an opening drumming from Janet McCue.

Following the three local storytellers’ presentations, there will be a communal activity and a closing poem by spoken word artist Sarah Lewis.

Registration is encouraged and free. For more information about the International Women’s Day event and to register, visit www.kwic.info/international-womens-day-2024.

Environment Canada has issued a flash freeze warning for the northern Kawarthas region for Wednesday afternoon (February 28), along with a special weather statement for the southern region.

The flash freeze warning is in effect for northern Peterborough County, northern Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands. A special weather statement calling for strong winds and a sudden temperature drop is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.

A dramatic change in temperatures is expected on Wednesday with the passage of a sharp cold front, which is also expected to bring strong northwesterly winds gusting to 70 or 80 km/h for much of the afternoon and evening.

Temperatures are expected to go from well above freezing to below freezing within a few hours.

With the passage of the cold front, there is also a risk of thunderstorms in the morning and a risk of freezing in the afternoon for some areas.

Ponding water, slush, and any falling precipitation will freeze as the temperature drops. This will result in sudden icy conditions on roads and walkways. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.

Peterborough police and emergency services responded to a woman in distress at Rogers Cove in Peterborough’s East City on Tuesday afternoon (February 27).

At around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, a member of the public called 9-1-1 to report a woman who was walking along the remaining ice on the shoreline of Little Lake at Rogers Cove.

According to a witness, the woman was yelling and screaming as she was walking along the ice before she fell in.

The witness said the woman was able to get out on her own and was sitting on a park bench when emergency services arrived.

The woman was examined at the scene by paramedics, who wouldn’t comment on her condition or the reason why she was walking on the ice.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.

Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal called concerns about the potential dissolution of advisory committees under his new portfolio chair by-law “malarkey” and “misinformation.”

The mayor made the comments after a lengthy discussion of the by-law at Monday night’s council meeting (February 26).

Despite six public delegations — including the city’s previous mayor — expressing concerns about the by-law and impassioned pleas from some city councillors, city council voted 7-4 to pass the by-law.

Last Tuesday at council’s general committee meeting, Mayor Leal brought forward the proposed by-law that would reduce the number of portfolios from 17 to six and, instead of assigning two councillors as a chair and vice chair for each portfolio as in the past, would assign two councillors as co-chairs for each portfolio.

According to Leal, the intent of the by-law is to modernize the city’s governance structure by aligning councillor portfolios with the city’s departmental structure.

As part of the change, previous portfolios such as diversity, economic development, environment and climate change, seniors, transportation, waste management, and youth would no longer exist as separate portfolios, but would instead be included under the new portfolios of community services (arts and culture, library services and social services including housing); community services (recreation and parks, fire services and arenas); finance and corporate support services; infrastructure, planning and growth management; legislative services; and municipal operations.

The apparent disappearance of several high-profile portfolios, along with a section of the by-law that would give portfolio chairs the authority to establish or dissolve advisory committees, prompted six public delegations to appear before council to raise objections about the by-law.

The first delegation was former Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien-Hale, who expressed concerns “about the way this process is unfolding.”

“I agree with Mayor Leal’s assessment that the current system is outdated and perhaps needs revising, though I am concerned by the proposed shift to six portfolios aligning with the five city departments,” she said. “While this makes sense in theory, it seems to be more of a corporate approach to streamlining the work of committees which is problematic in a municipal community context.”

Therrien-Hale said that, while some city departments are “well suited to councillor oversight,” others are are best left without “political influence or potential political interference.” She added that some of the proposed portfolio chairs, while having related professional experience, “also appear likely to have potential conflicts of interest based on past declarations,” although she did not name the councillors.

Therrien-Hale also expressed a concern about section 9 of the by-law, which states that a portfolio chair may “establish and dissolve advisory committees comprised of such individuals other than city staff as the portfolio chair considers appropriate to advise the portfolio chair respecting matters related to the portfolio.”

“I was on committees over my eight years on council that dealt with appointments or awards relating to community members, and I saw that there can be personal bias that bleeds into that process. It is not democratic or fair to the community to leave this wording which has the potential to be misused.”

Therrien-Hale said that a decision on “this major restructuring” should be deferred until supplementary reports from city staff can be considered in conjunction with the by-law. She also said there are committees that are “too important to leave in the balance,” specifically mentioning the environment and climate change portfolio.

“I understand the rationale for the by-law and I appreciate the work the mayor and clerk’s office have put into it, but I would urge caution at adopting it before council and the community have seen the supplementary reports and there has been clear communication with city residents and the awesome community members who volunteer their time and knowledge for the advisory (committees) about what such changes would mean for their work.”

Other public delegations included Bill Templeman, Cheryl Lyon, Cameron Douglas, Mark Bullock, and Rob Hailman.

“I strongly support withdrawing this report tonight, and instructing staff to consult more deeply with councillors and to come back with a more fully fleshed out set of recommendations that have examined three things,” Lyon said, one of which is section 9, which “seems to give portfolio chairs undue control over committees, and does this power include citizen members or portfolio or advisory committees.”

Lyon also said it was “astonishing” that environment and climate change is missing from the new portfolios, and recommended that such a portfolio be included.

Douglas — who is the founder and teacher of the Youth Leadership in Sustainability program for senior high school students — also expressed concern about the “dissolution of the environment committee,” adding that he was “gobsmacked” that the issue of climate change would be “buried within a much larger planning and development and infrastructure process.”

“When I tell them the city has an environment committee, their faces light up,” Douglas said, referring to his students. “It’s what gives them hope in this process. Please do not put me in a position to go back into my classroom and somehow have to lead a conversation of why our city leaders decided in 2024, as our planetary stability is unravelling, why they decided it was prudent to dissolve an environment committee … I know there’s nothing in the wording right now that that committee is going to be dissolved, but I have absolutely no confidence that it won’t be either.”

“There’s all kinds of questions that I have when I’m looking at this,” Douglas added. “For example, how are we going to work this when certain issues like environment and disability will cross cut the new structure? How are we going to integrate the work that current advisory committees are doing into the new structure? I don’t think you have the answers either, and that’s okay … I’m not sure staff does … but it seems to be rather a rushed decision for us to decide with so many of these crucial unknowns in this process and trusting somehow that it’s going to work out. I could be wrong, but I don’t know of any pressing reason why council tonight needs to somehow come to some final decision.”

Bullock, who represents the environmental organization For Our Grandchildren, also expressed concern about the removal of environment and climate change from the portfolios and its impact on the future of the environmental advisory committee

“It seems possible the committee could soon be without a council representative,” Bullock said. “In our view this would be most unfortunate. Having a council representative on the committee underlines the importance of the committee’s work and facilitates communication and mutual understanding between the committee and council.”

While Bullock also expressed concern that section 9 of the by-law would allow portfolio chairs to dissolve advisory committees, he said the group’s “biggest immediate concern” is the by-law puts into doubt the future of the environment and climate change portfolio.

“There’s clearly no provision in the by-law as it stands for preserving the climate change and environment portfolio,” he said.

Hailman expressed concern with the governance model of the by-law.

“It’s a fairly wide-ranging and substantial change and as such I think it needs a substantial case to be made for it and I feel like that case has not been made to the public and I don’t think it was made last week in this chamber,” he said.

Describing it as a “ministerial model,” Hailman note the by-law apparently allows the mayor, under the strong mayor powers of the Municipal Act introduced by the provincial government in 2022, to delegate mayoral authority to councillors acting as portfolio chairs.

“This strengthens the portfolio chairs from what they have now while weakening the role and oversight of council as a whole,” he said, pointing out an implication for future councils. “We need to be mindful of who will be those portfolio chairs in the future and the relationship they’ll have with the community and the committees that they’re responsible for, because it will not always look like it does today.”

Regarding the new portfolios themselves, Hailman expressed the same concerns as other delegations about the absence of some portfolios from the new structure, and that some issues such as housing and transportation cross over several of the new portfolios.

“Don’t pass this by-law today, please,” Hailman said. “I think further consultation is required. I think further consultation is required with city staff. I think further consultation is required amongst council. I think further consultation is required with the citizens of Peterborough. And I think there may be opportunities to consult with experts outside of the city or perhaps peer municipalities.”

After hearing from public delegations, councillor Keith Riel put forward a motion to defer a vote on the portfolio by-law, also making a statement about his motion.

“I must express my reservations about the process that led to this creation of this by-law, particularly the lack of consultation with city council,” Riel said, emphasizing his concern that portfolio chair positions were assigned to councillors “without proper dialogue” and without considering their “unique strength and expertise.”

“The core of my concern lies in the fact that this by-law sets a precedent for future actions without fully understanding the implications. It solidifies a path forward without guaranteeing us the opportunity to deliberate, ask questions, and provide input. I’m being told to trust the process and await the next stage of accompanying reports.”

During debate on Riel’s motion, councillor Dave Haacke asked city CAO Jasbir Raina to clarify that only the mayor has the authority to assign councillors to portfolios.

Raina said the report for the portfolio by-law was initiated by the mayor, who consulted with the CAO, and that the report and by-law only pertains to portfolios. He also said the by-law has “nothing to do” with advisory committees.

“Those advisory committees were made by the council, so they stay there unless council gives the direction to the staff,” Raina said.

“Where would anybody get the idea that we are dissolving committees from?” Haacke asked. “Because that’s all that I’ve heard. It’s obviously not in this motion.”

The city’s commissioner of legislative services and city solicitor David Potts responded by stating that section 9 of the by-law, which states that a portfolio chair has the authority to strike or dissolve advisory committees, has “nothing to do with advisory committees established by council.”

“The idea behind that, in consultation with the mayor, is that the proposal in this proposed by-law, to delegate authority to portfolio chairs that doesn’t exist now, portfolio chairs may find it helpful from time to time to establish an ad hoc advisory committee for a limited term or maybe for a longer period term,” Potts said.

“It has nothing to do with what council has decided with respect to its advisory committees. Council may choose, in response to the next report, to do nothing with the existing advisory committees. They may choose to do something. But this (section 9) does not usurp, nor could it usurp, council’s authority with respect to establishing or dissolving the committees that council has established. I just want to be crystal clear on that.”

There were no questions to Potts on why that wording — that section 9 does not include advisory committees established by council — was not included in the by-law.

In response to another question from councillor Haacke as to whether the by-law is giving councillors more power, Potts confirmed that the by-law “is delegating authority that individual members of council presently do not have.”

Councillors Alex Bierk, Joy Lachica, Matt Crowley, and Lesley Parnell — who all originally supported the portfolio by-law the previous week at the general committee meeting — supported Riel’s motion to defer the by-law.

“The by-law is setting a precedent for our future without offering a clear path and vision of what the future is,” Bierk said. “We find ourselves navigating in the dark, especially concerning critical areas such as transit, heritage, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), accessibility, economic development, and the urgent matters of the environment and climate change. The feedback from our constituents through emails, calls, and direct interactions resonates with these apprehensions.”

Bierk also echoed Riel’s concern about the lack of consultation with councillors about the assignment of portfolios.

“This change is being presented as a procedural formality, but it’s more than that,” Bierk added. “We must be allowed to see the full picture before making a decision. There are many questions that remain unanswered, and passing this by-law tonight is irresponsible.”

“My biggest concern, and part of the reason assumptions have been made about the loss of committees, is because there’s an absence of language in the motion about particular portfolios that have existed,” Lachica said. “A case was not fully made for rescinding the existing portfolio and to not explicitly outline those portfolios within the new structure of umbrella commissions.”

“A lot of work has been done by many of us in these portfolios to keep them alive and advancing, and working with the community on them,” Parnell said. “They’re very important to be in the language (of the by-law) and acknowledged as a chair and not just assumed to fall under one department head or another,” giving the example of diversity which crosses all city departments.

Crowley supported the deferral motion, stating that he did not want to “be in the dark” and would first “really like to see the road map and see the end game and see what the advisory committees are going to look like.”

Councillor Kevin Duguay said he would not support the deferral motion.

“I respect the concerns of the public and I appreciate their passion, but I view that it’s perhaps a misunderstanding of intent,” he said. “The committees as we know them would stay in place — that’s my understanding — and they could only be changed, if ever, as a result of a resolution (and) discussion in these chambers.”

Bierk, speaking on the deferral motion for a second time, addressed several questions to Mayor Leal.

“What is the urgency to do this, and are you taking to heart some of the things we’ve talked about, and would you support a deferral?”

Leal replied by saying the City of Peterborough “has one of the weakest governance structures in Ontario today” and said he believed in delegated authority, “because delegated authority is more democracy,” before saying he was turning over power to councillors, “to you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you” pointing to each of them in turn.

“Anybody who tells me that this list is going to be (illegible) tonight is malarkey,” Leal said, holding up a piece of paper with what appeared to be list of committees and boards. “It’s the biggest piece of misinformation I ever heard in the longest time.”

“There will be a climate change group,” Leal said. “There will be other groups — seniors, youth. Give us a opportunity to approve our governance and this corporation I believe will provide more effective government on behalf of the citizens of Peterborough.”

“You’re asking us to jump in and trust the process when in fact this by-law is setting a lane for us whether we like it or not,” Bierk said, as Leal attempted to interrupt him to ask whether he was at the session with senior city staff where governance was discussed. “I would like to see what those steps two and three are going to be before I commit to the first step. That’s it, that’s all.”

“Are you telling me I don’t take this seriously?” Leal replied, pointing at Bierk. “Is that what you’re saying?”

Bierk asked for a point of order indicating he did not say that.

“Why did we go to a session about two weeks ago where all the commissioners went through this on a step-by-step basis?” Leal said. “You were there, were you not? Yes or no.”

Bierk literally threw up his hands and did not continue.

Councillors Andrew Beamer, Gary Baldwin, and Don Vassiliadis indicated they would not support the deferral motion, all stating the need to move forward.

After further discussion, a vote to defer the portfolio chairs report and by-law lost 5-6, with councillors Lachica, Bierk, Riel, Crowley, and Parnell voting in favour and Mayor Leal and councillors Baldwin, Haacke, Beamer, Vassiliadis, and Duguay voting against.

A subsequent vote to pass the by-law succeeded 7-4, with Mayor Leal and councillors Baldwin, Haacke, Beamer, Crowley, Vassiliadis, and Duguay voting in favour and councillors Lachica, Bierk, Riel, and Parnell voting against.

Five Counties Children’s Centre is celebrating a big win after the Peterborough Petes and its fans scored a record-breaking amount for kids’ treatment services through a recent hockey fundraiser.

The “Next Gen Game with Petes” last Monday (February 19) at the Peterborough Memorial Centre raised $21,341 for Five Counties Children’s Centre. The total is the largest amount ever fundraised since the Ontario Hockey League team and Five Counties teamed up for the annual Family Day hockey game several years ago.

This year’s game was another sellout, and saw money come in for Five Counties through donations, corporate sponsorships, sales, and proceeds from a silent auction.

Bill Eekhof, spokesperson for Five Counties Children’s Centre, told kawarthaNOW “a number of factors” contributed to the impressive amount generated through the 2024 instalment of the fundraiser.

“Petes fans were very generous, both in making donations at the game and bidding on items in our silent auction,” Eekhof said.

“Five Counties is also grateful for enhanced corporate sponsorships for the event. In the end, it all adds up to more funds to help support more treatment for kids and reduce wait times for services.”

The money raised will go directly towards the centre’s “Building Abilities For Life” campaign that supports high-demand treatment services at Five Counties.

“Through these funds, we can help to reduce wait times and ensure more children and families get access to the care they need when they need it,” said Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties Children’s Centre, in a media release.

“We are so grateful to the Petes, their fans and our other supporters for again showing their support for Five Counties kids.”

In addition to raising money, Pepin said the Next Gen Game with the Petes also lifted the spirits of eight Five Counties kids who enjoyed a behind-the-scenes experience at the game. The children who took part “signed’ a one one-day contract with the Petes, and then took on roles as general manager coach, scout, PA announcer and more.

“The smiles on our kids’ faces lit up the Memorial Centre,” Pepin said. “The Petes were first-rate in creating the Next Gen opportunity, and we heard many good comments and compliments from the kids and their families about their experiences behind the scenes.”

The event also included a pre-game family skate. Many Five Counties kids and families were in attendance as well to cheer on the Petes, while centre staff and volunteers helped organize fundraising events before, during and after the game, Five Counties noted.

“Every year this event continues to grow,” said Eric Ebenbauer, director of sales for the Petes, in the release.

“It’s a great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy their Family Day while supporting other kids in our community. We look forward to continuing this tradition and engaging with Five Counties clients for future Next Gen programs, which was presented by Tim Hortons this year.”

Eekhof said corporate support was integral to the fundraiser’s success, and included the backing from Waste Connections of Canada, which was Five Counties’ lead sponsor for the event overall.

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides speech, physio, and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services for kids and youth from birth to age 19 years in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.

This past year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth in its region — the highest number of clients in its nearly 50-year history.

For more information about Five Counties Children’s Centre, visit fivecounties.on.ca.