City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County residents can buy a brick and help build upon emergency shelter and outreach services for area community members in need of housing.

A Place Called Home (APCH) has brought back its “Buy a Brick” fundraising campaign for the holiday season.

The organization provides a 19-bed emergency shelter (completed in 2022), outreach services, and around-the-clock supports to hundreds of men, women, families, seniors, and youth in the City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL) and Haliburton County.

The current demand for services is extremely high, said Jennifer Lopinski, APCH’s fund development coordinator.

“The need for housing and housing supports in both the CKL and Haliburton County are at a critical level,” Lopinski said.

“In September 2021, the CKL completed a combined Point in Time Count and Registry Week to capture a snapshot of homelessness in the community and connect those who we identified to the homelessness system — 184 households were identified as being homeless at that time.”

“Since 2021, skyrocketing rental rates and rising inflation have negatively impacted housing affordability in our community,” Lopinski noted. “Currently the waiting list for subsidized housing is over 10 years.”

The Buy a Brick campaign gives residents a chance to support “a truly special gift this holiday season,” APCH stated in a news release. “We are offering the unique opportunity to memorialize your donation forever on the wall of APCH’s new shelter.”

Bricks are available to buy now for $250 each and donors will receive a $200 tax receipt with their purchase. APCH said the bricks are expected to be installed in the late spring of 2024.

“Proceeds from this campaign will be used to support APCH’s increased operational costs since moving into our new larger purpose-built shelter,” the organization said. “Our shelter program provides a safe place to call home, three meals a day, and effective supports to help those experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet and back into the community,” APCH noted.

The outreach program assists people at risk of homelessness by providing them with hot meals and access to shower and laundry facilities.

“Our qualified staff work closely with those at risk of homelessness to overcome the barriers that are putting them at risk of losing their housing through effective referrals, advocacy, and compassion,” APCH said.

For more information about A Place Called Home, visit www.apch.ca. To purchase a brick, visit www.apchbricks.com which will take you to the CanadaHelps website.

This holiday season, the Peterborough Humane Society is encouraging community members to help animals in need — either by giving them a forever home or supporting the organization’s work at the Peterborough Animal Care Centre.

To spread the message, the Peterborough Humane Society has launched a campaign ad called “It’s never too late to fall in love again” that was created and donated by Peterborough-based creative agency Unmanned. The ad features an adorable cocker spaniel mix who finds their forever home during the holidays — both in the video and in real life.

“We really wanted to encourage the community to either adopt or if they can’t adopt, donate, or if they can’t donate, help spread the message and awareness about these animals in need,” says Kyle Christie, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Unmanned.

Unmanned, which launched in 2020 as a drone photography and videography services company before evolving into a full-service creative agency, worked to develop the ad with the Peterborough Humane Society — completely free of charge.

In the past, the agency would organize a fun promotional ad for themselves around a holiday or special occasion, but this year they devoted their talents for a better cause.

“We thought this year our time would be better spent if we give back to an organization and do something that creates value not only for ourselves, but for something bigger than ourselves,” says Christie.

VIDEO: “It’s never too late to fall in love again”

Christie adds the Peterborough Humane Society was one of the first organizations that came to mind. Earlier this year, the organization officially opened its new Peterborough Animal Care Centre at 1999 Technology Drive, a state-of-the-art 24,000-square-foot facility hosting the society’s shelter and adoption and education centre, the Ontario SPCA’s provincial dog rehabilitation centre, and a regional high-volume spay and neuter clinic to provide affordable spay and neuter services and prevent pet overpopulation.

“The work they do in the community and what they do for all the animals with the new building is amazing,” Christie says. “They’re really pushing ahead and growing, so it was a good fit for us. Plus, it’s pretty easy to tell a nice story when animals are involved.”

The minute-long ad follows an elderly gentleman — played by Christie’s own grandfather — who crafts what appears to be a leather belt in his workshop, before wrapping it as a gift and readying himself to meet someone named Lucy. After leaving his house carrying the gift, the man arrives at his destination and waves a greeting at a smiling woman who emerges from a building to meet him.

The ad’s big reveal is that the man has actually arrived at the Peterborough Animal Care Centre. The woman is a volunteer who brings the man a dog named Lucy he has adopted, and the man’s gift is a leather collar for Lucy.

“Unmanned is really good at storytelling and creating good messages for organizations,” says Christie. “It was a really great chance for us to put something together to really show our creative side, while at the same time helping an organization and, ideally, helping the animals get adopted.”

The donation of the ad came at a good time for the Peterborough Humane Society, which has seen a larger need for support over the last few months.

“We’ve been seeing unprecedented numbers of animals — not only in Peterborough, but nationally — with the cost of living and inflation,” says Kassie Graham, marketing and communications coordinator at the Peterborough Humane Society. “Prices for animal food, litter, treats, and even laundry detergent has increased, which means our donations don’t stretch as far as they used to.”

As the Unmanned team worked in collaboration with the Peterborough Humane Society to plot their idea for the ad, they were very intentional about depicting an elderly man as the protagonist who takes home a new companion.

“Peterborough has a very high population of senior citizens and they make up a very large portion of our supporters, so we wanted an ad that they could relate to,” says Graham, adding that the video also spotlights an “incredibly dedicated” volunteer named Edith.

Though typically there is a lot of warning and discussion around giving pets as presents for the holidays, due to the influx of gifted animals being left at shelters once Christmas has come and gone, the Peterborough Humane Society has a thorough vetting process to help ensure a pet has found its forever home. Unlike many breeders and puppy mills, the Peterborough Humane Society requires adopters to fill out an application that demonstrates they intend to care for the animal over the long term.

“Every year, millions of animals are born and many wind up in shelters, so adopting a pet from a shelter can contribute to the reduction of overpopulation and provides a home for an animal in need,” Graham says. “It also supports the cause of animal welfare compared to adopting from a breeder. We have nearly 50 animals available for adoption with over 100 in our care. Despite the time of year, each one needs a home, so we always vet each adopter to find a proper home and ensure they all find a good fit.”

Of the dozens of dogs in the shelter waiting to be adopted, many are medium-aged ranging from one to five years old. They are the ones often left behind while puppies and older dogs — desired by seniors for their low maintenance — are often the first to be selected.

That’s why an almost one-year-old cocker spaniel mix living in the shelter was chosen to play Lucy in the Unmanned ad, representing the middle-aged animals that “tend to be overlooked,” according to Graham. Despite playing the role of Lucy, the dog is actually male and is named Benji.

“Benji was surrendered to us after being hit by a car and had a dislocated saccharolytic and multiple pelvis fractures,” explains Graham. “After weeks of cage rest and limited activities, he was able to get back to his normal self and was available for adoption.”

Just days after filming, Benji caught his big break and ended up finding his real-life forever home for the holidays. His adopters, Gawsee and Lucas, says the “energetic and friendly pup” is doing very well in his new home.

Though Christmas is just days away, Graham adds that it’s not too late to give a pet a home for the holidays. If you’re not able to adopt, there are still many ways you can support the animals being cared for at the Peterborough Humane Society.

“One thing we really hope this holiday season is that the community will open their hearts to these animals in need,” says Graham. “There are so many ways to support. It can be fostering or adopting, donating resources or services like Unmanned did, volunteering, or even just sharing messages. Every year, we help thousands of animals, but we couldn’t do it without the community support. Every bit counts.”

To make a donation, adopt or support the Peterborough Humane Society, visit peterboroughhumanesociety.ca. For more information on the creative and ad work done by Unmanned, visit theunmannedav.com.

At its final meeting of 2023, 100 Women Peterborough has chosen Vinnies Peterborough to receive a donation of up to $10,000 that will support the organization’s efforts to address food insecurity.

The collective philanthropy group met last Tuesday (December 12) at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.

At each of its quarterly meetings, 100 Women Peterborough hears presentations from three organizations randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by the group’s members. The organization receiving the most votes from members receives the collective donations.

The three organizations that presented to 100 Women Peterborough at December’s meeting were Vinnies Peterborough, Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield, and the New Canadians Centre, with Vinnies chosen by majority vote to receive member donations.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support Vinnies Peterborough and contribute to their efforts in providing assistance to those in our community who need it most,” says Alyssa Stewart, a founding member of 100 Women Peterborough, in a media release. “Especially during the holidays, we know that the power of collective giving makes a tangible difference in the lives of those facing challenges.”

Operated by lay Catholic organization the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Vinnies operates three thrift store locations helping families in need as well as a food bank at 256 Murray Street that helps thousands of people each month.

During their presentation to 100 Women Peterborough, Vinnies noted the increased need throughout the region due to rising food insecurity. The group’s donation to Vinnies will ensure that families and individuals experiencing hardship receive access to the food bank during a time period when the need is significant.

“We are so honoured to have been chosen by this wonderful group of 100 women to receive their donation,” says Sue Armitage of Vinnies. “The timing couldn’t have been any better with the holidays upon us. You all have helped us put the merry back in Christmas for so many less fortunate in this community. With our deepest gratitude not only from us, but from the people you have helped.”

Since its formation in 2018, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated nearly $180,000 to 22 local organizations: 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, and Camp Kawartha.

With membership hovering around 80 members over the past few years, 100 Women Peterborough is planning to revamp the group and its structure in 2024 with a goal of regaining some of the membership lost during the pandemic. To that end, the group is planning a relaunch event in April next year.

The collective philanthropy movement began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, the women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. The movement has grown over the past 17 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with hundreds of chapters in Canada alone.

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

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for the entire Kawarthas region for Monday night (December 18) into Tuesday morning.

The weather advisory is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, western Northumberland County, and Hastings Highlands.

Rain showers are expected to quickly change to snow Monday afternoon or evening as colder air moves into southern Ontario. Snow may become heavy at times Monday evening or overnight, with total snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 cm possible. Increasing northwest winds gusting to 50 km/h may result in localized areas of blowing snow in exposed areas.

There may be reduced visibility in heavy snow and local blowing snow and icy and slippery road conditions.

Travel may be hazardous due to sudden changes in the weather. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance.

If you’re hoping this snowfall means a white Christmas, you may be disappointed. Unless something changes, the snow will melt as the forecast is calling for above-freezing temperatures on Wednesday as well as over the weekend.

Kawartha Lakes police have launched an arson investigation after a fire at a Lindsay home early Sunday morning (December 17).

At around 2 a.m. on Sunday, Kawartha Lakes police and fire and rescue crews responded to a residential fire on Russell Street East in Lindsay.

When officers arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames. No injuries were reported.

Police have released an image taken from a camera inside the home of a suspect pouring what appears to be gasoline onto the floor.

The police investigation into the fire is continuing with the assistance of Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal. Police are asking residents in the area of Russell Street East and Simcoe Street who have video surveillance to review their footage from around 2 a.m. on December 17.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252. If you prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.khcrimestoppers.com.

A neighbouring home was also affected by the fire.

While Lisa van der Veen and her son Dylan and their dog and cat were able to escape without injuries, their home suffered significant damage from fire, smoke, and water.

As the family will not be able to return to their home for the foreseeable future, Lisa’s sister Katherine van der Veen has set up a GoFundMe campaign

This story has been updated with information about damage to a neighbouring home and the displacement of the family.

The 24th annual In From The Cold benefit concert has raised almost $23,174.05 — its highest amount ever — for YES Shelter for Youth and Families.

The two in-person concerts were held over two nights on December 8 and 9 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, with the second night also livestreamed.

This year’s total breaks last year’s record of $19,963.43 and brings the 24-year total raised or YES Shelter for Youth and Families to over $190,000. Along with proceeds raised from ticket sales and individual donations, local businesses and organizations contributed the highest amount in monetary donations ever for this year’s concert.

“The dramatic increase in funds raised over the past two years is primarily due to the generosity of our ever-growing number of community sponsors who, this year, contributed a record $16,000 in cash along with a variety of valuable in-kind sponsorships,” wrote John Hoffman on Facebook.

Hoffman, who first organized In From The Cold in 2000 with fellow musicians Susan Newman, Rob Fortin, and Curtis Driedger, also recognized the efforts of Brooke Erickson, fundraising and communications manager for YES, for the record fundraising totals in the past two years.

“Brooke’s diligent and effective work has more than doubled both the number of sponsors and the dollar amount of their contributions since 2021,” Hoffman wrote.

Advocate-level sponsors for this year’s In From The Cold concert were kawarthaNOW, McInroy and Associates, and Wild Rock Outfitters, with patron-level sponsors Finley Custom Stair & Rail, Herod Financial Services, Jo Pillon, Realtor, LLF Lawyers, Manitoulin Transport, PartTime CFO Services, and Artspace.

Supporter-level sponsors were Ashburnham Ale House, Ashburnham Funeral Home and Reception Centre, Black Honey Bakery and Cafe, Camp Ponacka, Charlotte Paint and Wallpaper, Dayle and Reid Finlay, Kawartha Credit Union, Long and McQuade, McDougall Insurance, Rolling Grape, Sandbagger, Sam’s Place, Sparq, Teachers for Kids, The EL (P), and The Living Vine.

This year’s concert once again saw Hoffman, Newman, and Fortin performing as Carried Away, along with with multi-instrumentalist Michael Ketemer and Celtic harpist Tanah Haney, as well as the 30-voice Convivio Chorus led by Newman and Driedger with his youth performers The Claveer Cousins.

Highlights from this year’s concert included the Convivio Chorus performing eight songs, four of which were the New Hebrides hymn “The Christ Child’s Lullaby,” “Star Of Wonder” written by Terre Roche of The Roches, the Peter, Paul and Mary standard “A Soalin’,” and the Swedish carol “Jul Jul Stralanded Jul.”

In addition, the Driedger-led Claveers sang “Christmas Maybe” and Hoffman, joined by Haney, performed an instrumental medley of two Swedish songs traditionally sung to mark St. Lucia’s Day on December 13th.

If you missed this year’s In From The Cold concert, you can listen to Trent Radio’s broadcast of the recorded concert throughout Christmas Day on 92.7 FM and at www.trentradio.ca/stream.htm.

kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time sponsor of In From The Cold.

A recent endeavour to clean up Jackson Park has left an impression beyond a tidier green space on Parkhill Road West in Peterborough.

On November 25, members of the environmental action group Friends of Jackson Park (FoJP) and volunteers collected 45 large plastic bags of refuse, 11 propane tanks, a roll of rusty fencing, and other junk in their quest to tidy up the park.

Much of the trash was generated by encampments in Jackson Park. In a recent email newsletter to supporters, FoJP noted encampments and other activities are creating mounds of litter and hazards in the park.

“Unfortunately, there are other messy sites, and encampments are likely to continue to occur,” reads the newsletter. “We need to keep working on solutions so that the valley and people can be healthy, safe, and in a good home.”

While the renewed space is a reward of the crew’s efforts, something else also came to light on clean-up day.

“There are many people who care for the park’s environment and who want to support it as a safe sanctuary for residents and visitors to explore and enjoy nature,” a representative from FoJP told kawarthaNOW.

VIDEO: Refuse in Jackson Park

During the November 25th clean-up, a group of 10 people collected the trash and a crew from the City of Peterborough hauled it away. An earlier FoJP clean-up had filled 20 bags of garbage from the park.

“Kudos to all the FoJP folks and volunteers for this great work,” reads the newsletter. “We hope the site can now heal.”

When asked what’s next, the FoJP representative told kawarthaNOW the group continues “to renew and refocus its efforts on launching a ‘New Day’ for Jackson Park and greenspace protection in Peterborough, which we kicked off with an event in Jackson Park this past July.”

“Over the winter and into next spring, FoJP wants to continue broadening engagement and connections with the community and everyone who cares about protecting Jackson Park’s natural features and recreational spaces,” the representative said.

“We hope for continued engagement with the community to include things like announcing our new mission and vision statements, creating user-friendly mapping of Jackson Park, researching and drafting ideas for proper stewardship planning, and planning activities in the park like more litter pick-ups.”

FoJP welcomes new volunteers who are willing to lead those or other activities. Reach out via e-mail to friendsofjacksonpark@gmail.com for more information about volunteering and to sign up for a newsletter to stay informed about the latest activities.

FoJP was founded in 2011 by Peterborough resident Rob Steinman to protect Jackson Park from a plan by the City of Peterborough to extend the Parkway through the park. Beginning in 2013, in partnership with Karen Hjort-Jensen and Peter Hewitt, Steinman led community efforts to stop the proposed extension.

The Parkway extension would have seen a road and four-lane bridge constructed through the heart of the park. During the decade of opposition and environmental action led by FoJP, the Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change ordered the city in 2016 to complete a full environmental assessment, with city council eventually voting to remove the Parkway from the city’s official plan and to give Jackson Park heritage designation in 2021, and to remove the Parkway from the transportation master plan in 2022.

In November, the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha named Steinman as a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his environmental advocacy work through the local action group.

“It’s a great story to tell children because it teaches them that everyone’s different and there shouldn’t be any set idea of normal.”

That’s how children’s author Scott Kalbfleisch describes his debut book, The Story of A Goat, which has gained nothing but positive reviews since its Amazon release back in October.

Readers will have the chance to connect with Kalbfleisch, ask questions, and buy signed copies of the children’s book on Wednesday, January 10th at the Peterborough GreenUP Store (378 Aylmer Street North). The book launch will be a drop-in event running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Written for children aged one to eight years old and illustrated by Peterborough graphic designer Sarah Crane of Frolic Design, The Story of A Goat follows Wishwash the Goat as he gets teased by the other goats for his over-sized horns. Despite feeling left out, Wishwash must learn to embrace and celebrate the things that make him different from his peers.

“He has to figure out what he can do with those horns, and then he ends up using them to show how great he is,” says Kalbfleisch. “The Story of the Goat teaches kids that everyone’s unique in their own way, and everyone has a talent — it’s just up to them to find it.”

Since the age of six, Kalbfleisch has dealt with the challenges of being different himself, living with a neurological disease related to Rasmussen’s Encephalitis. Navigating the world with a disability that set him apart from his peers encouraged Kalbfleisch to share the story of what can be achieved despite one’s limitations.

“It symbolizes that you shouldn’t feel like you have to live up to someone’s opinions,” says Kalbfleisch. “You should be proud to be who you are.”

Though the book was released at the end of October, the 35-year-old author actually wrote the story for a school assignment back in the eleventh grade. The assignment was to write about an antelope based on a picture, but instead, Kalbfleisch thought of it as a unique goat-and so, Wishwash was born.

“My teacher said it was such a good story and sent such a good positive message that I should probably get made into a book one day,” says Kalbfleisch, who adds that he had been a writer long before telling Wishwash’s story. “I’ve always loved creative writing in school and loved writing stories, so this was just one of the stories that I kept.”

Despite wanting to revisit the story, Kalbfleisch got busy with work and didn’t have the chance to bring it back until now that he is on long-term disability. The publication saw immediate success with Kalbfleisch selling more than 70 copies within the first month of its release.

In addition to the positive messaging, Kalbfleisch often gets a lot of feedback from readers who “love” the goat’s name, which is one of his own favourite parts of the story. While the other characters have alliterative names like Chee Chee the Chipmunk and Hammy the Hog, Kalbfleisch was more intentional in selecting his protagonist’s name.

“I’m part Indigenous and my grandfather used to call me ‘waagosh’, which means fox in my native language,” says Kalbfleisch, adding that he found out his mother — who is adopted — is of Chippewa descent.

With the book’s rapid success, Kalbfleisch already has been big plans for The Story of A Goat.

“I’d really like to get The Story of A Goat made into a short animated film or series,” he says.

Though he says he never imagined himself becoming a published writer, Kalbfleisch also plans to revisit some of the other stories he has written throughout his life.

“I have written about five more that I could possibly get illustrated and published coming up,” he says.

As he focuses on more storytelling, Kalbfleisch remains grateful for the encouragement he has received from his housemates at Shared Dreams for Independent Living, where he lives with other men who have physical and developmental challenges at The Mount Community Centre.

“They’ve been very supportive,” he says. “They all have their boundaries they have to overcome as well, with learning disabilities or in a wheelchair, and that’s why I dedicated this book to Shared Dreams and all the men.”

Kalbfleisch will be signing copies of The Story of A Goat at the Peterborough GreenUP Store on Wednesday, January 10th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also purchase the book on Amazon.