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Tony Jeffery receives $500 reward for shopping local in downtown Peterborough

Holiday Shopping Passport early bird winner Tony Jeffery (left) celebrates his win with Andrew Damiany, owner of Gentry Apparel at 377 George Street North, where Jeffery completed his winning passport. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)

Tony Jeffery has won a $500 Boro gift card for shopping local in downtown Peterborough, as part of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) annual Holiday Shopping Passport program.

For ever $10 people spend at any of more than 140 participating downtown business, they receive a stamp in their holiday shopping passport. When a passport is filled with 20 stamps (representing $200 in spending), the completed passport is entered into a draw for three $500 early bird prizes and a $1,500 grand prize.

Jeffery’s passport was drawn as the winner of the first Holiday Shopping Passport early bird prize last Wednesday (December 6) at the Peterborough DBIA office at 313 Water Street.

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Jeffery completed his winning passport after shopping at Gentry Apparel at 377 George Street North, where store owner Andrew Damiany presented him with a $500 Boro gift card. Boro gift cards can be redeemed at any of the participating businesses in downtown Peterborough.

“I’ve been filling out holiday shopping passports for a long time as I lived and worked downtown for many years,” Jeffrey says in a media release. “It feels so nice to win after being a long-term stamp collector.”

“Our downtown is so dynamic. It has always had so many unique shops, restaurants, and cafes with new places to discover all the time — not to mention it’s the perfect size for getting around. I’m so excited to win and treat my wife to a nice dinner and cross some more items off my shopping checklist”.

The two remaining $500 early bird prizes will be drawn on the next two Wednesdays in December (13 and 20), with the $1,500 grand prize to be drawn on Wednesday, January 10th.

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You can get a holiday shopping passport at any of the participating shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and cafes in downtown Peterborough. Visit theboro.ca/holiday-shopping-passport for a list of all the participating businesses.

To start off your holiday shopping passport with no purchase necessary, you can get complimentary stamps at the Peterborough Public Library at 345 Aylmer Street North, the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Visitors Centre at 270 George Street North, and the DBIA office.

To make it easier to shop downtown, the City of Peterborough is now offering free two-hour parking in the downtown until the end of December, courtesy of Wolfe Lawyers.

Peterborough police issue warning after man followed and accosted woman on Saturday

Peterborough police have issued a warning to the public after a man followed and accosted a woman on Saturday afternoon (December 9).

At around noon on Saturday, officers were made aware of an incident where a woman was walking her dog in the Euclid and Trent streets area of Peterborough, south of Parkhill Road East and east of Armour Road, when she was approached by a man driving what was described as an “old-style” black SUV.

The man then followed her on foot, grabbed her hood, and told her she had to come with him immediately. The woman’s dog intervened and bit the man. The man then followed the woman in his vehicle to Caddy Street, where he eventually drove away.

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The man is described as white, 50 to 60 years old, around 6’4″ tall with a medium, solid build, and clean shaven with salt-and-pepper hair. He was wearing a black coat with blue jeans and white sneakers.

The victim did not know the make or model of the man’s vehicle or get the plate number.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 ext. 555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at online stopcrimehere.ca.

New Sayers Foods in Apsley will be a ‘game-changer’ says North Kawartha mayor

The new Sayers Foods in Apsley, pictured in October 2023, is expected to open in early 2024. It has been over three years since a massive fire destroyed the original building, leaving residents of North Kawartha Township without a local grocery store. (Photo: Sayers Foods / Facebook)

When a massive fire destroyed the only grocery store in North Kawartha Township just over three years ago, the community felt its loss in more ways than one.

Since 1976, the Sayers family and their supermarket had been part of the fabric of the village of Apsley — first as Sayers General Store before becoming an IGA, a Foodland, and then, in 2017, Sayers Independent Food Town.

While locals were suddenly left without a place to buy groceries during the trying times of the pandemic in December 2020, they also lost one of their social hubs — the fire occurred early in the month before the provincial-wide lockdown after Christmas. While Sayers was a place for fresh produce and pantry staples, it also provided some residents with the chance to connect with their fellow community members.

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With construction now completed on a new store expected to open early in the new year, North Kawartha Township Mayor Carolyn Amyotte is bubbling with enthusiasm about the prospect of the return of Sayers Foods.

“It has been really tough,” Amyotte said. “We’re a resilient community and we adapt, and certainly people have adapted, and local businesses have adapted to support community folks.”

The mayor said that effort has been impressive “but certainly nothing takes the place of having a full grocery store.”

The gap caused by the fire was felt even more so because Sayers had taken on an active role during the pandemic, Amyotte noted, by stocking up supplies, arranging for 24-hour shift coverage, introducing an online ordering system, and delivering groceries to people who were in isolation.

“They were rock stars,” Amyotte said, adding having them “sidelined” just before another provincial lockdown was “heart-breaking.”

North Kawartha Township Mayor Carolyn Amyotte helping to fill customer orders at the former Sayers Foods in Apsley during the pandemic in April 2020, eight months before the grocery store was destroyed in a fire. (Photo: Sayers Foods / Facebook)
North Kawartha Township Mayor Carolyn Amyotte helping to fill customer orders at the former Sayers Foods in Apsley during the pandemic in April 2020, eight months before the grocery store was destroyed in a fire. (Photo: Sayers Foods / Facebook)

The mayor recalled hearing the news of the fire at 7 a.m. on December 5, 2020 and thinking, “I’ve got to go in and give my town a hug.”

“At that point, we couldn’t even picture where we are today — the end is near,” Amyotte said of the three years it has taken to get to this point. “It’s a beautiful new building, which is going to be a game-changer for downtown Apsley.”

After the fire, according to Amyotte, she was working behind the scenes, with every level of government “on standby” to try and help the community.

“Everybody recognized the seriousness of the situation and were prepared to come forward.”

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Amyotte said Sayers has a key economic impact on the community for not only the seasonal residents and tourists it attracts during summer months, but for its year-round residents who are employed by the store.

“They were one of our biggest employers — one of the top three,” she said about the Sayers family. “They’re also big community supporters.”

Jeff Sayers co-owns and manages the store with his siblings Barb and Rick. His parents are semi-retired but will still have an office in the new building. He says he expects to have between 30 and 50 employees when the store is open and at full capacity.

Sayers Foods in Apsley was engulfed in flames in the early morning of December 5, 2020. (Photo: Sayers Foods / Facebook)
Sayers Foods in Apsley was engulfed in flames in the early morning of December 5, 2020. (Photo: Sayers Foods / Facebook)

It has been a long three years, Jeff said, filled with processes that needed to be followed which encompassed insurance paperwork, consultants, an appraisal, and some construction material delays — but walking away from the grocery store business wasn’t an option.

“This is our way of life,” Jeff said. “We’ve received an outpouring of community support. The community definitely needs a grocery store.”

In addition to the supermarket essentials, the new Sayers Foods — which has increased square footage in the store portion — will have an expansive deli, which will encompass ready-to-go meals and a pick-up window. There will also be a café with seasonal outdoor seating and Wi-Fi.

Jeff projects the store will have a “soft” opening in late January, as he is just waiting on the occupancy permit, and anticipates a grand opening in early spring.

20th anniversary of Peterborough’s ‘A Cozy Christmas’ raises funds for teachers and students in West Africa

With the theme of "Christmas Around the World," the 20th anniversary of A Cozy Christmas benefit concert at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough at 2 p.m. on December 17, 2023 will feature members of the Foley family along with all-new performers telling stories and singing songs to celebrate holidays around the world while raising funds for underpaid teachers in West Africa as well as a young African woman studying to become a nurse in her own community. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)

Everyone knows that listening to Christmas carols is good for the soul, but at Peterborough’s ‘A Cozy Christmas’ benefit concert, Christmas music does a lot more than spread holiday cheer to those in the audience — it also helps under-privileged children in West Africa get access to education.

On Sunday, December 17th beginning at 2 p.m., the Foley family and their musical friends will once again be decking the halls of the Showplace Performance Centre for an afternoon of festive song, fun storytelling, a silent auction and artisan market, and lots of community spirit.

With the 20th anniversary theme of “Christmas Around the World,” Hugh Foley will once again be emcee for the evening, sharing stories of holiday traditions around the globe. Other members of the Foley family will take to the stage to show off their musical talents, including Bridget Foley and the Gospel Girls, Dan Foley (who will be coming from New Brunswick to take to the stage in his Mountie uniform alongside his daughter Amelia), and a handful of young children who dance to the Christmas tunes as only young people can.

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“Everyone’s from these different walks of life, but they all come together for a good cause,” says Theresa Foley, the event organizer and box office manager at Showplace, a long-time supporter of the fundraiser. “It’s really great to see.”

Returning to the stage, Theresa herself will be performing alongside her group Asante, joined by Sheila Prophet and Norma Curtis. Other performers who have donated their time year after year include Murray and Sibernie James-Bosch, Lochlan Craighead Foley, Glen Caradus, The Woodhouse Crooks, and more.

New this year, Theresa has invited The Men in Black, formed by a group of Filipino priests, to perform and share their own traditional songs and stories about Christmas in the Philippines.

Theresa Foley and Peter Brown (pictured) founded the charity Humanwave which, since the 1990s, has been raising awareness and making a difference in the world, including in West Africa by raising funds for the drilling of safe water wells, the creation of a school food program, sponsoring students whose families can't afford to pay school fees, and helping to pay teachers in those schools. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)
Theresa Foley and Peter Brown (pictured) founded the charity Humanwave which, since the 1990s, has been raising awareness and making a difference in the world, including in West Africa by raising funds for the drilling of safe water wells, the creation of a school food program, sponsoring students whose families can’t afford to pay school fees, and helping to pay teachers in those schools. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)

The 20th anniversary theme is certainly a fitting one considering the concert’s profits will be donated to students attending Hungerpiller Christian Academy in Payneville, a poor village in the West African country of Liberia.

“The schools there aren’t supported by the government, so the teachers don’t make proper wages or often don’t get paid at all,” explains Theresa. “We raise funds and find sponsors for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to go to school because they’re either orphans or from families who just don’t have the funds.”

Theresa finds sponsors through her organization Humanwave that she started with business partner Peter Brown. Working alongside Thunder Bay-based charity Lifewater Canada, Humanwave was originally formed to raise money to bring safe water wells to communities in need.

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“We were both church musicians and we would have all these conversations about making the world a better place,” says Theresa. “We were very aware that we live very privileged lives in comparison to other people, so the organization just grew into its own thing.”

When Theresa and Peter visited the community in 2007 and 2008 after a few years of running the fundraisers, they came to realize that there was another way they could provide support.

“When you’re feeding and taking care of an entire village and you’re getting safe water, it’s providing health which is, of course, so important,” says Theresa. “But if you ask the people there if they want water or education, 99 per cent of them will say education, because for them education means hope and a better future.”

Some of the proceeds from the 20th anniversary A Cozy Christmas benefit concert at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough at 2 p.m. on December 17, 2023 will support Grace Bockary (second from right), a sponsored graduate from Hungerpiller Christian Academy in Liberia, West Africa. Grace is now attending a nearby university to study nursing after which she plans to return to her community. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)
Some of the proceeds from the 20th anniversary A Cozy Christmas benefit concert at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough at 2 p.m. on December 17, 2023 will support Grace Bockary (second from right), a sponsored graduate from Hungerpiller Christian Academy in Liberia, West Africa. Grace is now attending a nearby university to study nursing after which she plans to return to her community. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)

Since then, the organization began finding sponsors to help the students go to school — which is not inexpensive in the rural community — while the benefit concert provides holiday bonuses to the teachers who pave the future for the young learners.

The 20th anniversary concert is extra special, as proceeds from the silent auction held during the show will go towards funding one of the sponsored graduates, Grace Bockary, who is attending a nearby university to study nursing.

“It’s amazing because when she graduates she’ll become a nurse in her community and that’s a win-win-win,” says Theresa, adding that Grace and her principal negotiated with the university to get a reduced rate to be able to study. “We don’t usually sponsor post-graduate studies but with that kind of determination, we definitely want to show support.”

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The auction will be taking place in the lower-level Nexicom Studio at Showplace during A Cozy Christmas, and will have products donated by the artisan vendors, including The Chocolate Rabbit, Pampered Chef, and pieces from local artists and makers, who will also be selling gifts in the artisan’s “village.”

“The whole event is a lot of fun,” says Theresa, adding that hosting A Cozy Christmas is something the family looks forward to doing each year. “We love doing it. It’s a chance for us to get the family together, for the little ones to have their opportunity to be on stage, and for people can give back during the holidays.”

A Cozy Christmas is taking place at the Showplace Performance Centre at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 17th, with doors opening at 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $15 for students and can be purchased online at showplace.org or by visiting the box office at 290 George Street North. Groups of more than 10 can get a discounted rate of tickets for $20 each. To become a market vendor for the afternoon, email Theresa at boxoffice@showplace.org.

For 20 years, Theresa and Hugh Foley and members of their family, joined by their musical friends, have donated their time and talents to host the annual A Cozy Christmas benefit concert to raise funds for under-privileged children and under-paid teachers in Liberia in West Africa. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)
For 20 years, Theresa and Hugh Foley and members of their family, joined by their musical friends, have donated their time and talents to host the annual A Cozy Christmas benefit concert to raise funds for under-privileged children and under-paid teachers in Liberia in West Africa. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Foley)

Ontario’s police watchdog clears Peterborough police officer in August armed stand-off at car dealership

On August 11, 2023, a 28-year-old man driving a Jeep Cherokee fled police before crashing the vehicle into a pole at Chemong Road and Towerhill Road, exiting the vehicle while carrying a gun, and entering the Peterborough Volkswagen dealership where he assaulted an employee and held them hostage when police arrived. The man, later determined to be suffering from acute mental illness, began drinking automotive fluids after police tried to get him to drop his gun and later died. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of video by Barry Killen)

Ontario’s police watchdog has cleared a Peterborough police officer of any wrongdoing in connection with a stand-off at a car dealership in August that ended in the death of a 28-year-old man.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) — an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police officers that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or discharge of a firearm at a person — issued its report into the incident on Friday (December 8).

The SIU interviewed the police officer who was the subject of the investigation, six civilian witnesses, and five witness officials, including a fellow police officer who arrived at the scene. The SIU also reviewed memo books from witness officials, evidence at the scene, and photographic, audio, and video evidence, including in-car camera footage from the subject officer’s cruiser.

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According to the SIU report, at 2:15 p.m. on August 11, 2023, a police officer was travelling in his cruiser in the area of Park Street North and Parkhill Road West when he was forced to quickly react as a Jeep Cherokee abruptly reversed out of a driveway.

The officer decided to stop the Jeep for a traffic infraction and, when the vehicle failed to stop, he began a pursuit. The officer chased the Jeep, which ran a red light before eventually making its way onto northbound Chemong Road. The officer followed for a period, but then discontinued pursuit in the area of Bellevue Street.

The 28-year-old man driving the Jeep, who was later determined to be suffering from mental illness and having an acute episode at the time of the incident, lost control of the Jeep at Chemong Road and Towerhill Road and crashed into a pole at the northwest corner of the intersection. He emerged from the vehicle holding a firearm and held up a taxi at gunpoint before making his way in the service garage of the nearby Peterborough Volkswagen dealership.

Frustrated when he was unable to obtain keys for one of the vehicles under repair, the man struck an employee of the dealership in the back of the head with the gun and was holding the employee at gunpoint by the southwest corner of the garage when the police officer arrived in his cruiser.

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On hearing broadcasts of 911 calls reporting a motorist emerging with a gun from a crashed vehicle, the officer had made his way to Chemong Road and Towerline Road where he was directed by civilians to the dealership.

The officer drove his cruiser a short distance into the garage through the west bay door, exited, and confronted the man at gunpoint. The time was 2:18 p.m. The officer ordered the man to drop the gun he was holding to the head of the employee. Although the man released the employee, who fled from the garage, he refused to drop the gun. Instead, he turned the gun on himself, pointing it under his own chin, and repeatedly asked the officer to shoot him.

The officer replied that he was not going to shoot the man, but wanted him to drop the gun so they could talk. As the stand-off continued over the next several minutes, the man sprayed and poured the contents of various automotive fluids from containers on nearby benches before drinking from them. It was later determined the man had ingested antifreeze, engine coolant, and motor oil.

A witness took this cell phone photograph of the man's pistol on the floor of the service garage at the Peterborough Volkswagen dealership. (Photo via SIU report)
A witness took this cell phone photograph of the man’s pistol on the floor of the service garage at the Peterborough Volkswagen dealership. (Photo via SIU report)

At this point, a second officer armed with a C8 rifle had arrived at the scene and, along with the first officer, implored the man to drop the gun and refrain from drinking from the containers.

At around 2:24 p.m., not more than six minutes from when the first officer had arrived on scene, the man collapsed and dropped his firearm. Officers moved in, secured the weapon, and handcuffed the man. Realizing that he was in medical distress and having seizures, they rolled the man into the recovery position, removed the handcuffs, and administered CPR until the arrival of firefighters and paramedics.

The man was transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre and pronounced dead at 3:32 p.m. The pathologist who later conducted an autopsy on the man was unable to arrive at a preliminary cause of death.

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“On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the SO (subject officer) committed a criminal offence in connection with the Complainant’s death,” writes SIU director Joseph Martino in the report. “The question is whether there was any want of care on the part of the SO, sufficiently serious to attract criminal sanction, that endangered the Complainant’s life or contributed to his death. In my view, there was not.”

“The SO was lawfully placed when he confronted the Complainant in the dealership garage,” Martino continues. “He had cause to believe that the Complainant had fled from the site of a crash into the dealership armed with a gun, and he was duty-bound to attend the scene to ensure public safety. Once in the garage, and seeing him holding (the employee) at gunpoint, the officer also had grounds to arrest the Complainant for a variety of offences.”

Martino adds the officer showed “due care and regard for public safety” during the incident, including concern for the man’s safety.

“From a distance of several metres, behind the front driver side of his cruiser, the SO did what he could to de-escalate the situation. Though the Complainant was in possession of a gun, which he could have discharged at the officer at any moment, the SO held his fire and tried to talk him down.”

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Martino says the officer could not have withdrawn from the scene, as the man “had already shown a propensity for violence” and the officer could not be sure other people in the vicinity would not be endangered.

“Similarly, the use of a conducted energy weapon or pepper spray were not reasonable options for a variety of reasons, including the SO’s distance from the Complainant and the location of a vehicle between them, the presence of flammable materials in the area, and the officer’s vulnerability to return gunfire in the event those weapons did not work.”

Martino adds that, once the man had collapsed, officers moved in quickly to render emergency first-aid.

“There are no reasonable grounds to conclude that the SO conducted himself other than within the limits of the criminal law in his dealings with the Complainant, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case,” Martino concludes. “The file is closed.”

Two people in their 70s and their family pet dead after two-vehicle collision in Warkworth

Police released this photo of the scene of a fatal collision between a pickup truck and a car on Dominion Road in Warkworth on December 8, 2023. The occupants of the car, which included two people from Hastings in their 70s and their family pet, died as a result of the collision. (Photo: Northumberland OPP)

Two people in their 70s and their family pet died following a two-vehicle collision in Warkworth early Friday afternoon (December 8).

At around 1:20 p.m. on Friday, the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Northumberland Paramedics, and the Trent Hills Fire Department responded to a report of a collision between a pickup truck and a car on Dominion Road in Warkworth.

The occupants in the car included two people from Hastings, aged 76 and 70, along with a family pet. The 76-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 70-year-old was transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. The family pet succumbed to its injuries. Police have not released any other information about the victims.

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The driver of the pickup truck, a 33-year-old from Carrying Place, suffered minor injuries in the collision.

Dominion Road between Mill Street and Old Hastings Road was closed for several hours while police investigated and documented the scene.

Police are continuing to investigate the fatal collision. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or their local police. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.

Five Counties Children’s Centre receives almost $400,000 in funding for its Northumberland Backyard Project

The Ontario government and the Ontario Trillium Foundation have provided $396,100 in capital funding to Five Counties Children's Centre to help develop an outdoor accessible backyard space at the centre's Cobourg location. Pictured are Five Counties Children's Centre CEO Scott Pepin, Ontario Trillium Foundation representative Elaine Sheppard, Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini, Northumberland County Early Years Service Manager Lesley Patterson, and Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

Five Counties Children’s Centre has received almost $400,000 in capital funding for its Northumberland Backyard Project from the Ontario government and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

In partnership with the County of Northumberland, Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, YMCA Northumberland, and the local EarlyON Child and Family Centre, Five Counties Children’s Centre plans to transform the backyard area at the centre’s location at 800 Division Street in Cobourg into a safe and fully accessible outdoor area that provides more space and options for treatment, recreation, cultural awareness, and outdoor education programs.

With the initial grading, drainage, landscaping, and fencing done this summer and fall, the capital grants will support the project’s completion in 2024. Once completed, the backyard will include an accessible playground, sensory play equipment, garden area, gazebo, stage, and a track for wheelchairs, bikes, and other mobility devices.

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“We are extremely grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for investing in our backyard, our kids, and our community,” says Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties Children’s Centre, in a media release. “The capital funding will not only transform our backyard but will help transform lives. Our field of dreams is almost a reality, and the end result will be a fully accessible, culturally responsive, nature-based play space that boosts outdoor treatment sessions, reduces wait lists, and helps children and families enjoy accessible play.”

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides speech, physio, and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services, for children and youth up to the age of 19 in the counties of Northumberland, Peterborough, and Haliburton and the City Kawartha Lakes. This past year, the non-profit organization served more than 6,200 children and youth in its region, with one quarter of them in Northumberland County.

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is providing $255,100 to revamp and expand the parking lot at Five Counties to accommodate more families accessing services at the centre and the neighbouring EarlyON site. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is providing $141,000 for the building of the accessible track and other play features.

City of Kawartha Lakes honours local stewards of community heritage with Osprey Heritage Awards

The City of Kawartha Lakes' municipal heritage committee honoured Boyd Heritage Museum (pictured is chair Barb McFadzen), author Sara Walker-Howe, Paulette Sopoci of Primrose Hill Manor, and the Manvers Township Historical Society (pictured is president Teresa Jordan) with the 2023 Osprey Heritage Awards at City Hall in Lindsay on December 7, 2023. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)

The City of Kawartha Lakes honoured stewards of community heritage with the Osprey Heritage Awards at City Hall in Lindsay on Thursday (December 7).

Author Sara Walker-Howe, the Manvers Township Historical Society, Paulette Sopoci of Primrose Hill Manor, and Boyd Heritage Museum were all recipients of the awards that celebrate outstanding projects and contributions promoting and preserving community heritage within Kawartha Lakes.

Returning for the first time since before the pandemic, the 2023 Osprey Heritage Awards acknowledged community heritage projects and contributions from 2019 to 2023. The awards include three categories — publication and research, community heritage, and heritage restoration or adaptive reuse — with the city’s municipal heritage committee introducing an inaugural 25-year heritage award this year.

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Sara Walker-Howe received the Publication and Research Award for her non-fiction book Historic Citizens of Kawartha Lakes which features 20 unique stories of local women, including the first woman from Kawartha Lakes to become a doctor or the first woman doctor to establish a practice in Lindsay, a woman from Verulam Township who became a spy and ran a trading post in Siberia during the Russian Revolution, and a woman who parachuted out of hot air balloons only to be shot in the back, carrying the bullet next to her lungs until the day she died.

The Manvers Township Historical Society received the Community Heritage Award for 40 years of work honouring the heritage of the former township of Manvers, including opening a research centre at the old post office in Bethany, registering the organization’s buildings as heritage sites, creating a website and Facebook page, expanding display opportunities to the library space in Bethany, and hosting community outreach events including a project to honour local veterans with banners in three villages in the former township.

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Paulette Sopoci received the Heritage Restoration/Adaptive Reuse Award for an extensive renovation of Primrose Hill Manor in Janetville, which was built in 1880 and is known locally as the Doctor’s House. Renovations over the past two-and-a-half years included new electrical wiring, a new plumbing stack and hot water tank, a new furnace and two air conditioners, new bathrooms, and an updated kitchen. Sopoci also hired skilled tradesmen to restore the walls and ceilings in each room, with special attention given to the grand hallway and double parlour. Medallions, corbels, and crown mouldings were respected to maintain the heritage look of the home.

Bobcaygeon’s Boyd Heritage Museum received the inaugural Heritage Milestone Award, which acknowledges the dedication of heritage organizations in Kawartha Lakes in 25-year increments. Built in 1889, the building that now houses the Boyd Heritage Museum was home to The Boyd Lumber Co., The Trent Valley Navigation Co., and a private school for the Boyd children. Boyd Heritage Museum has been collecting and preserving artifacts and records about Mossom Boyd, a pioneer who arrived in Upper Canada in 1833 when he was 19 years old and subsequently became the “Lumber King of the Trent Valley,” his businesses, two generations of his family, and the Village of Bobcaygeon and surrounding areas.

The Osprey Heritage Awards will return in 2025, with the awards now following a bi-annual schedule that alternates with the Doors Open initiative of the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Northumberland County buys 47-bedroom complex as ‘homelessness a rising concern in Canada’

Northumberland County has announced it's in the midst of buying a 47-bedroom complex at 310 Division Street in Cobourg for a new 35-bed emergency shelter with related services to be operated by Transition House. The building is the former location of Cobourg Retirement Residence, which closed earlier in 2023. (Photo: Google Maps)

With the purchase of a former retirement residence in Cobourg slated to be finalized on Friday (December 8), Northumberland County and Transition House are hoping to make some headway to address the pressing need for housing and shelter services.

Northumberland County announced this week it’s in the midst of buying a 47-bedroom complex at 310 Division Street, the former location of Cobourg Retirement Residence. The county is partnering with Transition House on the new facility, which is intended “to modernize shelter services,” in addition to providing a roof overhead for more people living unsheltered.

County council reviewed a staff report during a special council meeting on Wednesday (December 6) regarding the final arrangements on the purchase. Staff, county councillors, service providers, residents, and business owners spoke in support of, and against, the new facility.

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“County council recognizes the need to rapidly expand new shelter, supportive, transitional, and affordable housing opportunities for vulnerable and low-income residents,” said Northumberland County Warden Mandy Martin.

“With homelessness a rising concern across Canada, we are seeing the increasing impacts in Northumberland, with more people living rough in their cars, in parks and forested areas, individually or in encampments. The county is looking at all possibilities, all real estate ventures, to increase options across the entire housing spectrum.”

If all goes as planned, the county said it aims to have the new building open by the spring of 2024.

Transition House currently operates an emergency shelter with dormitory accommodation for 22 people and 24/7 support at 10 Chapel Street in Cobourg, located around the corner from the proposed shelter location at 310 Division Street. (Photo: Transition House / Facebook)
Transition House currently operates an emergency shelter with dormitory accommodation for 22 people and 24/7 support at 10 Chapel Street in Cobourg, located around the corner from the proposed shelter location at 310 Division Street. (Photo: Transition House / Facebook)

Operators of the former Cobourg Retirement Residence announced earlier this year that the facility would be closing its doors. The vacant property came to the attention of county staff in early November, who brought a report to a November 15th closed session of county council. In the report, staff proposed purchasing the property on behalf of Transition House and entering into a mortgage agreement with Transition House.

In accordance with Municipal Act provisions for closed sessions, the purchase of the facility was completed with approval from county council through a confidential report so as not to interfere with commercial negotiations, the county noted.

The goal is to relocate shelter operations to the new facility and close the current location at 10 Chapel Street, which is around the corner from the proposed new location.

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Hillary Allen and Jeff Crowley of Cobourg Orthopaedic & Sports Injury Clinic, located at 304 Division St., made a presentation during the December 6th meeting.

“For 17 years we have lived and worked within 100 metres of both the current and proposed new site,” Allen said.

“We are business owners and employers of 18 health-care practitioners, 95 per cent of which are taxpayers in Northumberland County. We are property owners. We have lovingly restored 304 Division Street, sitting directly south (of) 310.”

Allen noted they also recently renovated a building at 301 Division Street, with the goal of maintaining and having a positive impact on downtown Cobourg. They have lived downtown and are actively involved in the community, she added.

 During a special meeting of Northumberland County council on December 6, 2023, the owners of Cobourg Orthopaedic & Sports Injury Clinic beside the proposed new location of the emergency shelter expressed concerns about the impact on the neighbourhood of the existing emergency shelter, which is located just around the corner. (Photo: Google Maps)
During a special meeting of Northumberland County council on December 6, 2023, the owners of Cobourg Orthopaedic & Sports Injury Clinic beside the proposed new location of the emergency shelter expressed concerns about the impact on the neighbourhood of the existing emergency shelter, which is located just around the corner. (Photo: Google Maps)

As health-care professionals, Allen said they have compassion and understanding for people who are homeless and in need of assistance both locally and “across our entire country.”

“It is also why we have remained largely quiet, up until now,” Crowley added. “We are genuinely concerned about the state of chaos that has become commonplace in our neighbourhood and extending into downtown over the last four years.”

He said when Transition House changed its model of care four years ago to serve as a low-barrier emergency shelter, it “drastically” and “negatively” impacted the neighbourhood. Vandalism, theft, drug use, trespassing, intimidation, and public urination and defecation are among the challenges, Crowley noted.

Allen said they don’t blame Transition House residents for all the “disorderly behaviour” but said “it attracts associates that engage in this behaviour.”

Ultimately, relocating and enlarging Northumberland’s emergency shelter, “without question imposes significant negative consequences,” she stated.

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Transition House is Northumberland’s only emergency shelter for adults experiencing homelessness. The current shelter has four rooms, each equipped with bunk beds, and can accommodate a maximum of 22 people. Staff can further accommodate up to seven people through arrangements with local motels, as an overflow measure.

In the new building, about 35 emergency shelter spaces will address immediate need and, over the longer-term, transitional housing accommodations and other services will create “pathways out of homelessness,” the county noted.

“There are many circumstances that can push people into crisis without a place to call home,” said Reverend Neil Ellis, board chair for Transition House. “We know that housing is essential to a person’s inherent dignity and well-being, and to building sustainable and inclusive communities.”

“As winter takes hold, this hub will create more options for people to come in out of the cold. Transition House looks forward to welcoming them to this safe, warm space.”

The county and Transition House will be hosting community information and engagement sessions for residents in the coming weeks.

For more information about 310 Division St. and to subscribe for updates, visit Northumberland County’s website.

nightlifeNOW – December 7 to 13

Hailing from a long lineage of storytellers and musicians in Prince Edward Island, singer-songwriter and guitarist Shane Pendergast is keeping the Maritime folk tradition alive. He performs at Jethro's Bar + Stage in downtown Peterborough on Saturday evening. (Promotional photo)

Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, December 7 to Wednesday, December 13.

If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.

With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).

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Arthur's Pub

930 Burnham St., Cobourg
(905) 372-2105

Thursday, December 7

8-10:30pm - Open mic w/ Bruce Longman

Friday, December 8

8-11pm - Chris Devlin

Saturday, December 9

8-11pm - Steve Battig

Black Horse Pub

452 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 742-0633

Thursday, December 7

7-10pm - Jazz & Blues Night ft. Rob Phillips

Friday, December 8

5-8pm - Bread & Soul; 9pm - Between The Static

Saturday, December 9

5-7:30pm - Bob Butcher; 7:30pm - One City Fundraiser ft Odd Man Rush, auction table ($10 cover)

Sunday, December 10

4-7pm - Bluegrass Menagerie

Monday, December 11

6-9pm - Rick & Gailie's Crash & Burn

Tuesday, December 12

7-10pm - Open stage

Wednesday, December 13

6-9pm - Tami J. Wilde

Coming Soon

Thursday, December 14
7-10pm - Jazz & Blues Night ft. Rob Phillips

Friday, December 15
5:30-8pm - Taylor Abrahamse; 9pm - Pop Machine

Saturday, December 16
5-8pm - The Receivers; 9pm - Space Cadets

Sunday, December 17
4-7pm - Washboard Hank & Mountain Muriel

Wednesday, December 20
6-9pm - Victoria Yeh & Mike Graham

Boston Pizza Lindsay

435 Kent St. W., Lindsay
705-328-0008

Friday, December 8

8-11pm - Pinky and Gerald

Claymore Pub & Table

95 King St. W., Cobourg
905-372-5231

Thursday, December 7

7-10pm - Karaoke

Coach & Horses Pub

16 York St. S., Lindsay
(705) 328-0006

Saturday, December 9

2-5pm - Gramps & Bonnie w/ Smilin' Randy

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Crook & Coffer

231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
705-876-0505

Friday, December 8

7:30-10pm - Jimmy Breslin

Saturday, December 9

2:30-4:30pm - Avian Agenda; 7:30-10:30pm - House Brand Duo

Dominion Hotel

113 Main St., Minden
(705) 286-6954

Saturday, December 9

5:30-7pm & 7:30-9pm - Candlelit Festive Dinner (traditional dinner w/ vegetarian option available) & Carol Sing with Gord Kidd & Friends ($27+HST, reservations recommended)

Dr. J's BBQ & Brews

282 Aylmer St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5717

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 16
1-4pm - PMBA Deluxe Live ft host Al Lerman w/ Rob Foreman & Alan Black (by donation, $10 suggested)

Erben Eatery & Bar

189 Hunter St W,, Peterborough
705-304-1995

Thursday, December 7

12:30-2:30pm - Lounge Music w/ Doug McLean; 7pm - Brittany Munns

Monday, December 11

4-6pm - Lounge Music w/ Doug McLean

Tuesday, December 12

8pm - Karaoke

Wednesday, December 13

8-11pm - Open mic

Coming Soon

Thursday, December 14
8-11pm - Little Fire Collective and The Watched Pots

Friday, December 15
7:30pm - A Weber Brothers Christmas in support of One City Peterborough ($25 show only, $45 dinner and show, in advance at https://www.erbenptbo.com/event-details/a-weber-brothers-christmas-erben-supporting-one-city-peterborough)

Ganaraska Hotel

30 Ontario St., Port Hope
(905) 885-9254

Saturday, December 9

2-6pm - Live music TBA

Coming Soon

Sunday, December 17
2-6pm - A Country Christmas Show ft Mike McGivern, Borderline Express w/ Sweetgrass Band, Larry Adams, John Noonan, Brian Stewart, Tom Mark, and more

Gordon Best Theatre

216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 876-8884

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 16
8pm - Benj Rowland with Nick Procyshyn and the Bad Milk ($20 in advance at https://checkout.square.site/buy/IKHBZYVHD3QUD7FYPOF5PZKM)

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Jethro's Bar + Stage

137 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
705-931-0617

Thursday, December 7

8-10pm - Victoria Yeh; 10pm - The Union

Friday, December 8

6-8pm - Joey O'Neil & Tennyson King; 8-10pm - Zachary Lucky; 10pm - The Boo Radley Project

Saturday, December 9

6-8pm - Shane Pendergast; 8-10pm - Sad Boi Variety Hour ft Caitlin Currie, Emily McCann, Cassie Noble; 10pm - Little Nerves

VIDEO: "White Lies" - Shane Pendergast

VIDEO: "She's on My Trail" - Shane Pendergast

Sunday, December 10

3-6pm - Open Blues Jam

Wednesday, December 13

8-10pm - Karaoke w/ Anne Shebib

Kelly's Homelike Inn

205 3rd Street, Cobourg
905-372-3234

Friday, December 8

7-10pm - Live music TBA

Saturday, December 9

4-8pm - Live music TBA

The Locker at The Falls

9 Lindsay St., Fenelon Falls
705-887-6211

Coming Soon

Friday, December 15
7-9pm - North Country Express (no cover, reservations recommended)

Saturday, December 16
7-10pm - Brian Ruddy (no cover, reservations recommended)

The Lounge in the Hollow Valley Lodge

1326 Kawagama Lake Rd., Dorset
705-766-1980

Sunday, December 10

7pm - Open Jam hosted by Sean Cotton

McGillicafey's Pub & Eatery

13 Bridge St.. N., Hastings
(705) 696-3600

Thursday, December 7

7-11pm - Karaoke

McThirsty's Pint

166 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 743-2220

Friday, December 8

9pm - Jacob Henley

Saturday, December 9

9pm - Cale Crowe

Sunday, December 10

8pm - Open mic

Tuesday, December 12

8pm - Live music TBA

Wednesday, December 13

9pm - Live music TBA

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Murphy's Lockside Pub & Patio

3 May St., Fenelon Falls
(705) 887-1100

Thursday, December 7

7:30pm - Open mic w/ David Evans

Pig's Ear Tavern

144 Brock St., Peterborough
(705) 745-7255

Saturday, December 9

8pm - Nicholas Campbell & the Two Metre Cheaters ($5)

Tuesday, December 12

9pm - Open mic hosted by Casey Bax

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 16
8pm - The Venisons w/ Mississippi Grover ($5)

The Publican House

300 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5743

Thursday, December 7

7-9pm - Doug Horner

Friday, December 8

7-9pm - SJ Riley

Puck' N Pint Sports Pub

871 Chemong Rd., Peterborough
(705) 741-1078

Friday, December 8

7pm - Andy & Friends

Saturday, December 9

8pm - Kate & Bobby

The Rockcliffe - Moore Falls

1014 Lois Lane, Minden
705-454-9555

Friday, December 8

7pm - Joe Garrisi (POSTPONED)

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 16
7pm - Jeff Moulton

Scenery Drive Restaurant

6193 County Road 45, Baltimore
905-349-2217

Saturday, December 9

5-7:30pm - Kathleen (Kat) Lovett

Sticks Sports Pub

500 George St. S., Peterborough
(705) 775-7845

Friday, December 8

7-10pm - Brisk Recharge Duo

Tap & Tonic Pub & Bistro

18-22 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 947-2333

Thursday, December 7

7-10pm - Justin Cooper

That Little Pub

26 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 653-0001

Saturday, December 9

8-11pm - Live music TBA

Tuesday, December 12

7-11pm - Karaoke

The Thirsty Goose

63 Walton St., Port Hope

Saturday, December 9

8pm-12am - Brian Bracken

Coming Soon

Wednesday, December 20
8-11pm - Karaoke Night for Northumberland Food Share

The Venue

286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008

Coming Soon

Saturday, January 20
8pm - Man Machine Poem Tragically Hip tribute ($20 in advance at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/allthingsmusic/1087647)

White House Hotel

173 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 741-2444

Thursday, December 7

7:30pm - Karaoke

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 16
9:30pm - High Waters Band ($10)

Sunday, December 31
9:30pm - New Year's Eve Party ft. Bootleg XXX ($20 at the door)

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