The East Peterborough Lions Club delivered 75 turkeys and hams this holiday to families who might otherwise have gone without a traditional Christmas dinner.

Individuals, businesses, and service clubs donated most of the turkeys and hams to this year’s Great Turkey Exchange, a program first organized in 2009 by Lois Tuffin. At Tuffin’s request, the East Peterborough Lions Club took over the program in 2022.

This year, the Lions Club distributed 65 turkeys and 10 hams to local families — which was a decrease in demand from 2022, although this year some families asked to be removed from the list.

“One thing that we found incredible this year was, for the first time since we began working with this program, we had people calling and letting us know they received turkeys from another source and asked us to remove them from the list,” said Frank Hewitt, service chair for the East Peterborough Lions Club, in a media release. “That allowed us to be able to supply another family with a turkey or ham for their meal.”

The Lions Club thanked community members who made donations as well as Kawartha Food Share, Morello’s Your Independent Grocer, Giant Tiger, Sobey’s, No Frills, Metro, Lion Jacob Sharman, and the Young Adults of Peterborough Lions Club Branch.

“Their donations were a large part of making the program successful, ensuring families who could not afford a turkey or ham would not go without,” the Lions Club stated, adding that one couple made a last-minute turkey donation on Christmas Eve, “making someone’s holiday meal truly special.”

From meeting new people to sharing ideas and influencing local governance, area municipalities are seeking input, and action, from its residents in the new year.

In Kawartha Lakes, the municipality is calling on people to fill eight positions on various committees in 2024.

“Volunteering for a Kawartha Lakes board or committee is more than just a civic duty,” said Kawartha Lakes in a media release.

“It’s a chance to engage with the community (meet new people, share ideas, and talents), influence local governance (provide input into strategic direction setting and decision-making of the municipality) address community issues (support local government in effectively tackling local challenges), (and) make a meaningful impact (contribute to the betterment of Kawartha Lakes).”

Boards and committees provide advice and recommendations to council. Most committees include members of the public and members of council.

Kawartha Lakes is currently looking to community members to fill committee seats for the duration of the current term of council until November 14, 2026. The application deadline is Monday, January 8th.

Citizens are specifically needed for the City of Kawartha Lakes committee of adjustment, the City of Kawartha Lakes environmental advisory committee, the Fenelon landfill public review committee, and the Lindsay Ops landfill public review committee.

The committee of adjustment is a planning committee that approves or denies minor variance applications to the municipality’s zoning bylaws. The committee also makes decisions on land severances.

Meanwhile, the Kawartha Lakes environmental advisory committee’s mission is to advise council and educate the public on issues that impact the environment of the City of Kawartha Lakes.

The Fenelon landfill public review committee “serves as a point for discussion” about information regarding the operation of the Fenelon landfill site, including environmental monitoring, maintenance, complaint resolution, and new approvals or amendments to existing certificates of approval related to the operation of the landfill site, according to Kawartha Lakes.

The Lindsay Ops landfill public review committee also serves as a channel for discussion about information regarding the operation of the Lindsay Ops landfill site, including environmental monitoring, maintenance, complaint resolution and new approvals or amendments to existing certificates of approval related to the operation of the landfill site, according to the municipality.

“These are unique opportunities for residents of Kawartha Lakes to actively participate in local governance and contribute to our community’s future.”

For more information about joining a Kawartha Lakes board or committee, visit kawarthalakes.ca/committees.

The City of Peterborough is also calling on residents to participate in a civic engagement exercise.

The city is conducting a survey about its current membership model for recreation, fitness, and leisure services, and is also hosting in-person consultations during the first two to three weeks of January.

Peterborough is inviting community members to have their say about a new “tiered community membership model,” including what is working well, what requires improvement, and what residents would like to see included in a community membership.

The new model would include access to recreation facilities throughout the city that offer public swimming sessions, public skating sessions, sports, adult leisure programming, fitness classes and more, the city noted.

Locations may include the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, the McDonnel Street Community Centre, the Healthy Planet Arena, and the new Miskin Law Community Complex currently under construction in Morrow Park.

“All the information that is shared will be reviewed by staff and considered when finalizing the recommended membership model,” the city noted in a media release. “Final recommendations on the membership model will be considered by city council through a recommendation report in the spring of 2024.”

The online survey will be available until Friday, January 19th.

Staff will also be available at city recreation facilities in early January to answer questions and seek feedback from residents. Visit the city’s website at www.connectptbo.ca/community-recreation-membership for dates and times of the in-person consultation sessions.

With only a few nights left to see it, the Illuminated Forest at Ken Reid Conservation Area near has been closed due to vandalism.

Kawartha Conservation made the announcement on social media on Saturday (December 30).

This was the second year for the popular nighttime family attraction, which saw hundreds of trees along the Cedar Forest trail adorned with lights.

The Illuminated Forest was open nightly from December 2 and was scheduled to continue until Tuesday (January 2).

However, vandals broke or damaged a number of the light strings, forcing Kawartha Conservation to close the attraction four days early. According to comments on social media, the damage was done sometime before Friday night.

“Why must people ruin something kind and wonderful for others,” asked one commenter. “Thank you to the volunteers who created a beautiful space to enjoy.”

Though now there’s no limit to the animals he will photograph, Curtis Parypa still remembers fondly the first creature that launched his passion and led him on his current journey to becoming a full-time wildlife photographer and videographer.

It was a pileated woodpecker in Peterborough’s Jackson Park.

“It was actually the first time I’d even realized there were pileated woodpeckers here,” Parypa says. “There was just this big, giant bird on the side of a tree, pecking at it, with the bright red plumage on its head. It was just this really cool experience.”

Misidentifying the woodpecker — Parypa laughs, recalling his first thought “as silly as it is” that it must have been a tropical bird — is a far cry from where Parypa is now: both a bird enthusiast and photographer and who has spent weeks camouflaged in foliage watching and waiting for a shot of a belted kingfisher.

But at the time he saw the woodpecker in the summer of 2020, Parypa, who grew up in Bridgenorth and spent his whole life around Peterborough, hadn’t spent much time fully immersed in nature, even while at his family trailer in Lake St. Peter in Hastings Highlands.

“From my point of view, I was always outside, but not necessarily in nature,” he says. “For the most part, all I saw are robins and gulls — just your standard birds that are common and you see everywhere.”

Throughout high school, Parypa was always taking pictures, though usually it didn’t go beyond cellphone camera photos of his friends skateboarding and the occasional sunsets. But during the pandemic Parypa began taking his camera to parks around the city, saw the pileated woodpecker, and knew that nature was to become the focus of his newfound hobby.

“I started going out to Jackson Park and would just explore around there to really get into the idea of nature,” he says. “Obviously, as I got into it, I started to realize how much wildlife there actually is out there, regardless of where you are.”

Since that fateful day, Parypa can often be found with his Sony a7iv mirrorless digital camera at Jackson’s Park, Beavermead Park, the parks and trails around Trent University, and — one of his favourite spots — Miller Creek Wildlife Area in Bridgenorth.

“The birds are so friendly, so it’s fun to go over there,” Parypa says. “It’s a great place for families to hand-feed chickadees. I even had a red-breasted nuthatch land on my hand, and it was awesome.”

After spending so much time with them, Parypa jokes he has fallen into the “trap” of becoming a bird enthusiast.

“I never thought I’d be a birder, but you get stuck and fall down the rabbit hole and start discovering so many cool birds,” he says. “Even when I was up at my trailer, which is very much in nature, I wasn’t quite noticing all the different animals that are there. Now when I go, I’ll see a falcon fly by and I’m so excited, so it’s just a different appreciation I have now.”

In trying to snap the perfect photos, Parypa has gotten to know his subjects and their habits very well, using apps like Merlin ID to help him both identify and learn about birds. He often practices on the animals he sees more regularly, like the Great Blue Heron, which he says are easier to photograph because “they can be easy-going with people as long as you don’t push your boundaries.”

This newfound love of birds is how Parypa ended up squatted under a custom hide he created using a 3D camouflage net, for days on end earlier this year to get some shots of a belted kingfisher. The decision came after years of heading down to the river, only to hear the “iconic” call of the bird without getting close enough for photos before startling it away.

“It’s incredibly difficult to get photos of them so I decided I needed to do a little bit more research and improve my skills, and knew camouflage would be the best approach,” he recalls.

Parypa found a spot in the trees that the bird liked to perch on and would go early in the day and wait as long as five hours to watch and learn the kingfisher’s routine.

“I kept missing the timing or the weather would be wrong, so the bird wouldn’t come by, but I figured out his habits and managed to get a really close-up photo without disturbing the bird,” says Parypa.

Parypa recently uploaded a video to his YouTube channel documenting the time-consuming efforts taken to capture the photo. Editing together footage of his photography journeys is another activity Parypa has been doing more and more throughout the past year.

VIDEO: What it takes to photograph the Kingfisher

“For a long time, I was posting photos on Instagram, but there was more to my story of each encounter or adventure that I wanted to tell,” he says, adding that, like photography, he did some video editing back in high school.

On his YouTube channel, Parypa shares narratives and stories of his photography adventures, reviews camera gear, and documents the camping trips he takes with his girlfriend Sarah Kelly.

After their first camping trip to Lake St. Peter Provincial Park last summer, the couple made it their goal to fill out every page in the Ontario Provincial Park Passport, which encourages visitors to camp at 115 of the over 300 provincial parks in Ontario.

“I really just wanted to start seeing more places, so we thought we would start trying with this grand, ambitious goal,” Parypa says, joking that it might take as long as 15 years since they’ve only crossed a handful of parks off the list so far.

Along with seeing more of Ontario, Parypa has big goals for the future, hoping to spend more time immersed in wildlife elsewhere in Canada, with a trip to Nova Scotia during puffin season on the top of his bucket list.

He will also be spending more time using his personal printer to sell his photographs through the website he recently launched. Into 2024, Parypa hopes to participate in markets and vendor fairs around the city and county to further introduce his work to the community.

For now, Parypa continues to go in search of finding rare birds to photograph, though, in a full-circle realization, he’s also learning to appreciate those more common birds he overlooked prior to becoming a photographer. Just a few weeks ago, Parypa posted a video where he challenged himself to take a hike every day for one week and take a photo of every animal he passed just to get practice.

“You can get really wrapped up in trying to find specific animals that you forget to pay attention to all the common ones you run into,” he says, noting that he took surprising great photos of gulls that week. “The whole point of that video was to just show more appreciation for everything we have, regardless of its rarity.”

To purchase a photo from Curtis Parypa, visit curtissnapshot.com. You can also follow him on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more photos and videos.

As we take a look back at our top stories of 2023, issues such as homelessness and housing, health care, economic uncertainty, and weather and climate continued to dominate local headlines.

Speaking of weather, last year at this time everyone was dealing with a so-called “bomb cyclone” over the Christmas weekend that disrupted holiday travel plans and knocked out power to thousands of Ontarians. This year, we had the polar opposite (no pun intended): a wet, warm, and foggy Christmas.

As with every year, 2023 had its share of sad or tragic and joyful or inspiring stories, with everything in-between. kawarthaNOW’s publisher Jeannine Taylor and managing editor Bruce Head have chosen a selection of our 23 most-read, most-shared, and most interesting stories from the past 12 months.

We’re presenting them below, in chronological order.

1. The Pizza Factory owners Peter and Anna Bouzinelos thank Peterborough for over 42 years of support

One of Peterborough’s most iconic and beloved family restaurants, The Pizza Factory closed in January when owners Peter and Anna Bouzinelos decided to retire. During the final weeks leading up to the closure, the Bouzinelos raised over $17,000 for Kawartha Food Share. In April, Peter announced he would be making his signature World Famous Caesar Dressing available at local food outlets.

A number of other businesses in the Kawarthas closed in 2023, including Peterborough pregnancy and parenting studio Lavender and Play, Lindsay’s Pane Vino Trattoria & Wine Bar, ZimArt’s Rice Lake Gallery near Bailieboro, Taso’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in downtown Peterborough, the Port Hope Drive In, the Historic Red Dog Tavern in downtown Peterborough, vegan restaurant Nateure’s Plate in downtown Peterborough, and Peterborough’s East City candy shop Flossophy.

However, as you’ll see if you read on to story #3, it wasn’t all bad news for the local economy, as far more new businesses opened or expanded rather than closed in 2023.

2. Peterborough’s new overnight drop-in centre for unhoused people opens

Early in 2023, a coalition of community agencies opened a new overnight drop-in centre at Trinity United Church in Peterborough. The centre has opened despite a December decision by Peterborough city council not to provide $100,000 for the operation of the centre, which the coalition had proposed as an emergency winter response to the city’s homelessness crisis.

That grassroots effort to address Peterborough’s homelessness crisis was the first in a series of developments in 2023. In April, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region leased the former Peterborough Humane Society property to Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) for a transitional community of sleeping cabins for those experiencing homelessness. In December, pending the development of the sleeping cabins, PATH launched a new clothing hub and supply depot.

In May, Peterborough city council endorsed a homelessness plan to end tenting near the Wolfe Street shelter by installing temporary modular housing units and support services by the fall. The modular housing community was providing shelter for 50 people by the end of November.

In September, work began to transform the former Trinity United Church in Peterborough into a community hub for people experiencing homelessness. The Trinity Community Centre now provides a winter overnight drop-in space for up to 45 people every night from 8 p.m. to 8 p.m. until the end of March, as well as a year-round daily daytime drop-in space from 1 to 5 p.m. The Trinity Community Centre is a collaboration between the City of Peterborough, One City Peterborough, the United Way Peterborough and District, and the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network (PPRN), with operating funding from the City of Peterborough.

3. Peterborough’s iconic Pig’s Ear Tavern to reopen this summer

In January, Trent University alumni Steve Robertson and Ashley Holmes announced they had purchased the historic Pig’s Ear Tavern, which closed in 2017, with plans to reopen it by the summer. It took a little bit longer than expected, but the renovated pub reopened in September with the same look and feel as the original pub and now features live music, an open mic, trivia, and more.

As we noted above, far more businesses opened or expanded than closed in the Kawarthas in 2023. Woodville’s The Lokal acquired Kawartha Lakes Winery, a Loaded Pierogi franchise opened in East City, Indigenous electrician Brad Bourrie purchased the 44-year-old company White Electric, KitCoffee owner Helen McCarthy opened Kit’s Emporium, Havelock entrepreneur Meg Kynock launched healthy pet treat business mutmixx, husband-and-wife duo Cody Valliant and Maggie McCallum opened EastEnd Electric Records in Fenelon Falls, Chris Duff and Ashley Foreman grew their Keene hobby farm Duff Acres, Lakefield entrepreneur Beatrice Chan grew her Summer Roads Farm cut flower and raised meat business, 13-year-old Haliburton Highlands entrepreneur Olivia Irvine grew her Roasty Toasty Campfire Company, and Shay-Lynn Hutchings and Sarah Comer launched the Wellness Hub in Haliburton.

Peterborough entrepreneur Mitchell Lowes grew his Flame Spitter Hot Sauce business, Kristina and Aaron Goodwin opened Ivy Event Space in downtown Peterborough, Kelly Convery launched Sanctuary Flower Fields in Ennismore, Kara Parcells expanded Lindsay’s Evolve Dental Hygiene into its own location, brothers Andrew and Sean Fitzpatrick opened Take Cover Books in Peterborough’s East City, Peterborough’s Jordan Lyall grew her Real Life photography business, pescatarian and vegetarian restaurant The Vine opened in downtown Peterborough, Brad Katz opened The Good Baker inside the downtown Peterborough YMCA building, Millbrook’s Natalie Raponi relaunched her Heck Yes! cake business, artist Kay Gregg opened Ecco Gallery and Studios in Lakefield, Lakefield’s The Chocolate Rabbit opened a third location in Peterborough’s East City, and siblings Sloane Paul and Tom Chep launched ARC Motor Company.

A few businesses also changed hands in 2023, with Deanna Bell and Colin Hall selling Millbrook’s Pastry Peddler to Wendy and Mark Bannerman, Ray Leighton taking over Black’s Distillery in Peterborough’s East City from founder Robert Black, and Lisa Dixon selling Blackhoney in downtown Peterborough to Jennifer Miles. Last but not least, the Sayer family will soon be reopening the brand new Sayers Foods in Apsley after a fire destroyed North Kawartha’s only grocery store in December 2020.

4. Hastings resident and CIMRO president Mark Cameron issues urgent appeal for earthquake medical relief

On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing and injuring many tens of thousands of people. Hastings resident Mark Cameron, who cofounded the Canadian International Medical Relief Organization (CIMRO) that provides medical education and relief in disaster zones, issued an urgent appeal for earthquake relief to rescue survivors, including medical supplies.

Peterborough’s Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital heeded the call, raising $2,250 to purchase medical supplies to help treat injured survivors. A month later, teenage Syrian refugee and Peterborough newcomer Rashid Sheikh Hassan launched a poutine fundraiser to raise funds for CIMRO.

5. Peterborough city council approves big changes to residential waste collection this fall

In February, Peterborough city council approved the most significant changes in decades to waste collection in the city, including the introduction of a weekly ‘green bin’ service to collect household organic waste and a switch to clear garbage bags and every-other-week garbage collection beginning October 31.

In April, the city provided a preview of the green bin service. In August, the city announced some Peterborough residents would have new weekly waste collection dates to ensure waste collection services are delivered on schedule as the city grows and to improve worker safety by balancing collection routes. In September, the city began distributing the green bins to around 28,000 households across Peterborough.

On October 31, the first day of the new waste collection service went into effect with the city reporting strong uptake of the use of green bins for organic waste, as well as clear bags for garbage, although there were a few hiccups.

6. Late artist David Bierk’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth has permanent home at Art Gallery of Peterborough

For over four decades, the late Peterborough artist David Bierk’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II overlooked the ice at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Measuring 12 by eight feet, Bierk’s painting was at one time considered the largest portrait of the Queen in North America. Following the Queen’s death on September 8, 2022, the City of Peterborough worked to determine how best to preserve Bierk’s painting, and it was decided to donate the painting to the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s permanent collection, where it will join over 100 of Bierk’s other works.

Other local artist news in 2023 included 94-year-old painter Bill McMillan having his first-ever exhibition at the Art School of Peterborough, Buckhorn-based wildlife artist Michael Dumas receiving the Simon Combes Conservation Artist Award, Peterborough’s Silver Bean Cafe celebrating 20 years with a hanging painted kayak installation created by local artist Jason Wilkins, Peterborough author Carol Koeslag publishing her short story collection at 92, and Peterborough ceramicist Kirsti Smith going viral on social media.

In 2023, kawarthaNOW also profiled local artists JoEllen Brydon, Silvia Ferreri, Kate Story, Jeffrey Macklin, and Christy Haldane.

7. New Peterborough Animal Care Centre is now officially open to the public

In March, the Peterborough Humane Society officially opened the doors of its new home at 1999 Technology Drive. The non-profit organization moved into the new building in January, closing the doors of its previous 65-year-old facility at 385 Lansdowne Street East and moving around 100 animals into the new facility.

The new state-of-the-art 24,000-square-foot animal care centre houses the Peterborough Humane 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.

Designed by Peterborough-based Lett Architects with construction led by Peak Construction, the new facility also includes an aqua therapy pool and underwater treadmill for dog rehabilitation, a family living room to help dogs acclimatize to living in a home environment, and both indoor and outdoor off-leash areas.

8. Former Peterborough mayor and city councillor Jack Doris has passed away

In March, former Peterborough mayor and city councillor Jack Doris passed away at the age of 91. First elected to Peterborough City Council in 1967, Doris subsequently represented his Monaghan Ward constituents for 39 years and served another six years as Mayor before stepping back from politics in 2014. Before his retirement, Doris was the city’s longest-serving municipal politician at 45 years.

In June, it was announced that Doris would be one of 11 new inductees into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame, along with the late Courtney Druce, Sean Eyre, Charlie Gregory, Stephanie and John MacDonald, David McNab, Mike Melnik, Cathy Rowland, kawarthaNOW’s own Jeannine Taylor, and Greg Wells.

9. Peterborough city council votes against funding The Theatre On King

In March, Peterborough city council voted against providing a community investment grant to The Theatre On King, Peterborough’s black box theatre. The previous year, the organization had received the maximum grant of $15,000 under the program but received nothing in 2023, leading The Theatre On King to appeal the decision before council.

Despite eloquent and impassioned pleas from several delegations, council voted against providing any funding for The Theatre On King (as well as the Artisans Centre Peterborough), forcing the organization to appeal to the community for support — an effort that was ultimately successful.

The Theatre On King’s appeal to council did result in a request from councillors that the City of Peterborough revisit its community grants program. After seeking feedback from the public during the summer, city council approved a change in the program for 2025.

Instead of the existing two funding streams, the 2025 program will have three streams: community well-being grants, services delivery agreements, and an art investment fund to be administered by the Art Gallery of Peterborough in collaboration with Electric City Culture Council. The art investment fund would include existing funding for individual artist grants, Artsweek, and the city’s poet laureate program and, beginning in 2025 as a two-year pilot project, a new $60,000 professional arts organization grant program.

10. Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum announces new waterfront campus thanks to a $1.8 million gift

In March, Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum announced it has received a $1,775,000 gift from former CFL player and businessman Stuart “Stu” Lang and his wife Kim to support its 5.3-acre redeveloped waterfront campus featuring 1,200 feet of shoreline with docks, a boardwalk, and restored and naturalized spaces including a wetland, adjacent to the new 65,000-square-foot museum under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive.

In the spring, The Canadian Canoe Museum announced its “Move the Collection: The Final Portage” campaign to support the move of the museum’s entire collection of more than 600 canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft from its former Monaghan Road location to the new facility.

As the campaign’s official media sponsor, kawarthaNOW ran a series of stories in 2023, including a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the move, a profile of the campaign, the economic impact of the new museum, the museum’s delayed fall 2023 opening due to nationwide construction issues including material and labour availability, and the completion of the move of the museum’s collection to the new facility this winter.

11. Dockside pizza drone delivery service coming to Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County this summer

On April 1, kawarthaNOW ran a story about a new drone delivery service called “Pie In The Sky” which delivers freshly made pizzas to cottage docks in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County.

You’ll need to read the story to find out more.

12. Community backlash grows after announcement Minden’s emergency department will close June 1

One of the biggest local stories of 2023 was the spring announcement by Haliburton Highlands Health Services that it would be closing Minden’s emergency department on June 1 and consolidating emergency services at the Haliburton hospital — over a 25-minute drive away at the best of times — due to an ongoing shortage of nursing and medical staff.

Made without prior community consultation, the decision to close Minden’s emergency department — just before the busy tourist season — blindsided and infuriated both Minden residents and local politicians. It led to a consolidated effort by a group of Minden residents to stop the closure, including delivering a petition to Queen’s Park and getting the NDP opposition involved, with local business owners speaking out against the planned closure.

Despite the petition and protests, the closure went ahead as planned on June 1. While it was not a replacement for the emergency department, a new urgent care clinic was opened in Minden at the end of June. Also in June, Haliburton Highlands Health Services president and CEO Carolyn Plummer, who oversaw the closure, took a medical leave of absence.

13. Historic home built for founder of Sullivan’s Pharmacy in East City going up for sale

In May, one of Peterborough’s largest and most historic homes went up for sale for $1,399,800. The John C. Sullivan House was built for the founder of Sullivan’s Pharmacy in Peterborough’s East City and later served as a convent. Known as “Lakeview,” it was designed by famed Peterborough architect William Blackwell, who also designed the Academy Theatre in Lindsay in 1893, the Young Men’s Christian Association building in downtown Peterborough in 1896, and King George Public School in East City in 1913.

Located at 83 Robinson Street across from Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School, the 5,000-square-foot towering home has a total of eight bedrooms and four full bathrooms, including a three-bedroom apartment on the third floor. After five months on the market and at least one price reduction, the home was sold for $1,175,000.

14. Peterborough Petes win OHL championship and advance to Memorial Cup for first time in 17 years

On May 21, the Peterborough Petes defeated the London Knights before a sold-out hometown crowd to advance to the Memorial Cup for the first time in 17 years.

While the Petes would ultimately be defeated by the Seattle Thunderbirds in a semi-final game, the community cheered on the team with several watch parties at Quaker Foods City Square in downtown Peterborough in May.

15. Peterborough woman dies after reports of multiple gun shots downtown early Friday morning

Concerns about crime and the Wolfe Street homeless encampment in Peterborough converged in June when a 36-year-old Peterborough woman was shot to death there on June 2 in the city’s first homicide of 2023.

Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts pledged an ‘all hands on deck’ investigation. Betts said that the murdered woman was not a resident of the encampment.

Less than a week later, police announced they had arrested a 33-year-old Peterborough man in the shooting death, and identified the victim as Sarah King, a mother of two young children.

Along with first degree murder, Jonathan Murphy was also charged with 16 other offences, including possession of fentanyl and cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Police said the murder was not a random incident, but did not provide any further details as the case is before the courts.

16. Air quality statement for smoke in effect for northern Kawarthas Sunday

The environment was another top story in 2023, especially with the many air quality statements issued during June and July because of smoke from forest fires, primarily in Quebec but also in northeastern Ontario.

The smoke, which extended across Canada and into the U.S. and lasted for weeks, created health concerns especially for those with existing health conditions. The increase in forest fires has been partly attributed to a warmer and drier climate as a result of climate change.

More local environmental concerns in 2023 included the discovery of another fuel oil spill in Jackson Creek in downtown Peterborough and the closure of two popular Peterborough city beaches for weeks during the summer due to toxic blue-green algae blooms.

17. Peterborough’s Fleming College suspends 13 programs, including three of its signature culinary-related offerings

In June, kawarthaNOW broke the story of Fleming College’s decision to cut 13 of its programs, including its signature culinary skills, culinary management, and food and nutrition management programs. College president Maureen Adamson said the decision to cancel the programs was due to decline in enrolment, the impact of the pandemic, and other factors.

The decision shocked Mai Dong, co-owner of Rare Restaurant and Bar in downtown Peterborough, who was a June 2022 graduate of the culinary management program. She received the college’s 2023 Alumna of Distinction Award in recognition of her significant contributions to her field and community. The previous owner of Rare, Tyler Scott, was also a graduate of Fleming’s culinary management program and received the college’s 2022 Alumnus of Distinction Award.

While Fleming College cancelled 13 programs, it also introduced 10 new programs ranging from marketing management to forestry techniques.

18. kawarthaNOW’s response to news ban for Facebook and Instagram users in Canada

In August, kawarthaNOW — along with all other verified media companies — lost the ability to post news for Canadians on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The decision to block news on Facebook and Instagram was made by parent company Meta, which objected to the Canadian federal government’s legislation Bill C-18 (the Online News Act) which would require the American company to pay for links to Canadian news shared on its platforms, as well as Alphabet, the parent company of Google, to pay for links to Canadian news indexed in its search engine.

The legislation was prompted by lobbying from Canada’s traditional media industry, originally a coalition of newspaper companies later joined by broadcasters, who have been unable to compete with cheap advertising options offered by both Meta and Google.

Along with many independent online media companies, which benefit from website traffic from social media, kawarthaNOW believes the legislation is deeply flawed. Although Alphabet eventually settled with the federal government, agreeing to pay a set amount to Canadian media companies, most of this funding will go to large media corporations, and Meta continues to block news for Canadians on its platforms.

Despite the settlement with Google, the struggles facing print newspapers continue. In September, Metroland Media Group announced it was ending print editions of 70 community newspapers — including Peterborough This Week, Kawartha Lakes This Week, and Northumberland News — and its flyer delivery business, and laying off more than 600 employees including 68 journalists.

19. 32-year-old man dies after being struck by commercial vehicle on Highway 115 in Peterborough on Monday afternoon

On September 25, a 32-year-old man died after being struck by a commercial motor vehicle on Highway 115 in Peterborough.

As would later by publicly revealed by his family, the man who died was Eric Roter, who struggled with bipolar disorder for 13 years before taking his own life by walking in front of a transport truck on the highway.

On December 19, the day before what would have been his 33rd birthday, his sister Haley Scriver announced the launch of Roter’s Reach Mental Health Awareness, a fundraising initiative aimed at raising money for mental health services and supports. At a media event, Scriver described how the system failed her brother despite the best efforts of his family and friends to get him the help he needed.

20. Terry Guiel quits as executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area

In October, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) announced Terry Guiel had quit as executive director of the organization that represents downtown businesses.

A long-time professional musician in Peterborough, Guiel turned to local politics in 2003, when he was elected to Peterborough city council in Ashburnham Ward. After his three-year council term ended, the late DBIA board chair Erica Cherney hired Guiel on a part-time basis for a year in 2008 to help organize events in the downtown.

After a five-year stint as a legal assistant at the Peterborough law office Farquharson Daly, in 2013 Guiel applied for and was hired as the DBIA’s executive director. He quickly became known as tireless promoter of the downtown and, under his leadership, the DBIA won several awards from the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association for the DBIA’s promotional events and projects, most recently in 2022 for Economic Development – COVID-19 Response & Recovery and for Small Special Events & Promotion for the inaugural Peterborough Mac and Cheese Festival.

Two weeks prior to his departure, Guiel had publicly expressed concerns that the Peterborough police would be leaving downtown Peterborough and moving to the former Johnson and Johnson property on Lansdowne Street West, prompting police chief Stuart Betts to call the claims “fictitious and unfounded.”

As it turns out, both Guiel and Chief Betts were correct. In December, the City of Peterborough announced it would be spending $15 million to buy the former Johnson and Johnson property for a second police station, but the current downtown station will be retained for police operations.

While Guiel has remained silent on the reason for his departure from the Peterborough DBIA, it was revealed in early November that he had accepted the position of executive director with the Lindsay & District Chamber of Commerce.

21. After 135 years at Morrow Park, the Peterborough Agricultural Society and Peterborough Exhibition will need to find a new home

For 135 years until 2019, the Peterborough Agricultural Society had run the Peterborough Exhibition at Morrow Park. The four-day agricultural exhibition was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, while at the same time the Peterborough city council approved a decision to build a $62-million sports complex in the west portion of the park.

In 1938, the Morrow family gifted the 27-acre property to the City of Peterborough on the condition that it be available for the use of the Peterborough Agricultural Society, which was reaffirmed in the Peterborough Act of 1984.

In 2011, the society and the city began negotiating the future of Morrow Park, with the society insisting the park should always be available for the August exhibition and the city seeking the ability to develop the park. In 2015, the city and the society reached an interim agreement that would allow the city to develop 60 per cent of Morrow Park for “parks and recreation purposes,” with 40 per cent of the park remaining available for the society’s use.

In 2017, the city and the society reached a seven-year agreement that would allow for the gradual redevelopment in Morrow Park, with the city agreeing to build two new horse barns, storage space, office space, and public washrooms for the society’s use at an estimated cost of $7 million.

After the city approved construction of the sports complex, which raised controversy about the city’s interpretation of the “parks and recreation purposes” condition of the original Morrow Trust, the society and the city were at odds over the implementation of the 2017 agreement, which also included a “buy-out” clause — which city council has now invoked, leaving the Peterborough Agricultural Society looking for a new home.

22. Online petition to end salmon fishing in Port Hope’s Ganaraska River surpasses 10,000 signatures

In October, Port Hope resident Sean Carthew launched an online petition calling for more regulations around fishing in the Ganaraska River in Port Hope due to an increasing number of anglers using unethical and disrespectful fishing practices during the annual salmon run.

Every fall, salmon and trout leave the cold waters of Lake Ontario and begin a journey upstream through rivers, creeks, and streams to reach their spawning grounds. The salmon run in the Ganaraska River is a popular draw for both tourists and anglers, but recently residents have noticed an increasing number of anglers overfishing, netting, and snagging.

In particular, salmon are being slaughtered for their roe (eggs), with their discarded bodies left behind. Along with dead fish, an increased number of fishing hooks are being left behind, with Carthew and other residents cleaning them up every year after trout and salmon fishing season comes to an end on September 30.

Carthew’s petition ultimately gained more than 13,000 signatures, and has come to the attention of Port Hope council.

23. After being closed for three years, the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge is now open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic

Bobcaygeon residents rejoiced in October after the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge finally reopened after being closed for three years.

The project to rehabilitate the bridge, which began in October 2020, was originally scheduled to be completed in May 2021. Delays with the fabrication and delivery of hydraulic and mechanical components, and the discovery that some components of the bridge were in worse condition than originally anticipated, changed the expected completion date to summer 2021.

Subsequent delays and technical issues changed the reopening date to the end of 2021, then spring 2022, then fall 2022, then the end of 2022. Work continued throughout 2023, until the bridge finally reopened on October 20.

The bridge will be temporarily closed again in the spring prior to the opening of the navigation season, so that final mechanical components required to optimize the bridge swing operations can be installed and to allow commissioning activities to be completed.

If exercise and enjoying the great outdoors are among New Year’s resolutions, residents of Northumberland and Peterborough counties can carve a path forward on new trails near Campbellford.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) recently unveiled new public walking trails at the Mary West Nature Reserve, located at 1186 County Road 35 in the Municipality of Trent Hills.

The newly opened trail system, along with a native plant seed orchard, are part of the privately protected Mary West Nature Reserve.

The nature reserve features 2.8 kilometres of walking trails that wind through forests, wetlands and along a creek. There are new boardwalks and interpretive signs, and the trails are open year-round to hikers during the daytime. Leashed pets are welcome.

“The new trails at the Mary West Nature Reserve are a fantastic community asset for the Campbellford area,” said Mark Stabb, NCC’s central Ontario east program program director, in a media release.

“We hope these new trails encourage people to get out and experience the unique sights, scents and sounds of nature this winter, while travelling through this beautiful forest and meadow.”

The 38-hectare Mary West Nature Reserve is home to towering white pines, spring peepers, a river, and the at-risk eastern wood pewee. Donated in 1991 to NCC through the estate of Mary West (a descendant of the Wests who originally owned the farm at Westben), the property protects wetlands and forests in the Trout Creek and Trent River watersheds.

It is home to species at risk, such as butternut, wood thrush, and snapping turtle.

“This nature reserve also provides carbon storage and flood mitigation, as well as clean drinking water for the community,” NCC noted.

NCC said it is also working to restore old farm fields at the site into a seed orchard of dense native wildflower plantings and grassy meadows.

“This will result in a source of locally grown native seed for NCC’s tallgrass prairie and oak savannah habitat restoration projects across Northumberland County and will provide opportunities for community volunteers to help contribute to habitat restoration over the long term.”

The newly established trail system, parking lot upgrades and the establishment of the native plant seed orchard were supported by numerous partners and donors, NCC noted.

“Nature trails and conservation areas are important for communities and the protection of natural ecosystems,” said Filomena Tassi, minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for southern Ontario, in the media release.

“Our government is pleased to support (NCC) and its efforts to build and maintain lands that benefit the environment. NCC provides opportunities for people to explore, learn about and enjoy the beauty of southern Ontario’s natural habitats, and we are happy to support them.”

During the past two years, NCC said it has influenced the protection of more than one million hectares — almost twice the size of Prince Edward Island — coast to coast to coast.

“In the face of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our ally. There is no solution to either without nature conservation. When nature thrives, we all thrive.”

NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought people together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.

For more information about the Mary West Nature Reserve, call 1-877-231-3552 or email ontario@natureconservancy.ca to inquire about the trails and access points at the nature reserve.

Haliburton Highlands Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 49-year-old man police have identified as Jonathan.

Jonathan, who also goes by John, was last seen in Coboconk at around 2 a.m. on Thursday (December 28). He is believed to be driving a red 2015 Ford Fusion with Ontario licence plate CLJD280.

He is described as 6’3″ tall and approximately 170 lbs, with blue eyes, short brown and grey hair, and glasses.

Jonathan was last seen wearing a blue and white oversized sweater, blue jeans, a blue and white baseball cap, and brown Sketchers.

Police are trying to locate Jonathan out of concern for his health and well-being.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call Haliburton Highlands OPP at 705-286-1431 or the OPP Provincial Communications Centre at 1-888-310-1122.

Kawartha Lakes’ deputy fire chief hopes community members will respond to the call of duty and consider joining the fire department in 2024.

Kawartha Lakes is actively recruiting people to join the Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service (KLFRS).

“Volunteer firefighters are needed for a majority of our fire stations, especially in the rural areas of Kawartha Lakes, to ensure that we have proper staffing when an emergency occurs,” Mike Matthews, KLFRS deputy chief, told kawarthaNOW.

KLFRS is soliciting for firefighters for the spring 2024 recruitment class. By joining the department, residents help protect the community from fires and other hazards, the fire rescue service noted.

Appropriate candidates for the task need to be dedicated, have excellent teamwork skills, be in good health, and be physically fit, KLRS noted.

“You’ll join a team of like-minded individuals, learn transferable life skills, and help promote a safe community by upholding the three lines of defence against fire.”

Firefighters acquire knowledge and participate in a wide range of specialized training. They help promote safety by “upholding the three lines of defence against fire — public fire safety education, fire safety standards, and enforcement and emergency response.”

To be eligible to join the fire rescue service, residents must have a Grade 12 diploma or an equivalent.

Candidates must have, and maintain, the physical strength and agility necessary to perform arduous work, KLFRS noted. They must also be able to competently operate firefighting and rescue equipment and safety equipment in all types of adverse conditions, for prolonged periods, and be able to lift up to 30 kilograms or more. A positive attitude and the ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality are also required.

The recruitment process consists of a formal application, aptitude and physical testing, an interview, and submitting required documentation. The fire service’s administration team will review the applicants.

“Offers will be made to successful applicants and a minimum of one recruitment class of up to 30 individuals will be selected.”

New volunteer recruits will complete 40 hours of online training exercises and 60 hours of in-person training sessions.

Matthews said becoming part of the fire service is a great way to contribute to life in Kawartha Lakes.

“By joining the fire service, you will have the opportunity to give back to the community that you live in and provide help to someone that may be experiencing an emergency and needs help right away,” Matthews noted.

Applications are due by Tuesday, January 2nd.

Volunteer firefighters are being recruited for the following stations: Station 4 (Ops), Station 5 (Dunsford), Station 7 (Bethany), Station 8 (Pontypool), Station 9 (Janetville), Station 14 (Woodville), Station 15 (Kirkfield), Station 16 (Carden), Station 17 (Norland), Station 18 (Kinmount), Station 19 (Coboconk), Station 20 (Burnt River), and Station 21 (Mariposa).

For the complete list of necessary skills and job requirements and to complete an application, visit www.kawarthalakes.ca/VFF.

Peterborough is part of a broad local, national, and international movement to limit the impact of climate change and protect our environment for the future. In 2023, amidst challenging changing weather conditions, including days filled with hazardous fire smoke, local action contributed to national climate goals.

At the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference, held from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, nearly 200 countries met to discuss a swift, just, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

In the spirit of COP28, we wanted to highlight how non-profits, specifically those doing work in Peterborough, are tackling this transition in measurable ways. Much of the work that GreenUP does, with the support of our national partners, is an important step in helping the Peterborough region reach our climate targets and bolster adaptation efforts.

Green Communities Canada (GCC) is one such national partner that certainly takes meaningful action on climate change, and champions a greener future on a national scale. Part of their national support is to provide resources and funding to local organizations like GreenUP to plan, execute, and reflect on climate action initiatives in cities like Peterborough.

GCC recently released its Collective Impact Report for 2022-2023, highlighting the 22 member organizations that are “enabling grassroots action to increase resilience, address vulnerabilities, and protect human and ecosystem health.”

As a member of Green Communities Canada, GreenUP is one small but impactful part of this collective, and contributes to quantifiable national climate action metrics in three distinct program areas.

The first example of GreenUP’s impact is the driven work of GreenUP’s Registered Energy Advisors. This Peterborough-based team is trained to support homeowners to make emissions reductions through pre-retrofit energy assessments and post-retrofit assessments.

GCC noted that, nationally, they had supported home energy retrofits that resulted in reductions of 2,175,000 kilograms (2,175 tonnes) of carbon dioxide per year between 2022 and 2023.

Between January and August of 2023 alone, GreenUP had performed 272 pre-retrofit energy assessment visits in the Peterborough region. By August, 80 of the homeowners out of 272 had completed home retrofits and were ready to access the financial incentives available to them by completing a post-retrofit assessment.

The total reductions resulting from the retrofits that those 80 GreenUP clients completed resulted in 212,900 kilograms (212.9 tonnes) of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions.

Many of GCC’s member organizations also work to improve active transportation efforts in cities.

Between 2022 and 2023, across Canada, participants in GCC members’ active travel programs walked or biked the equivalent of 115 trips from the coasts of BC to Newfoundland, resulting in 216.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions reductions for the calendar year.

In Peterborough, the Shifting Gears programs (delivered by GreenUP) in 2022 resulted in participants using active travel for the equivalent of eight of those cross-Canada trips, for a total of 45,266 kilometres. In 2023, 57,103 more kilometres were travelled using active transportation modes by Peterborough residents.

Finally, adapting green infrastructure was a highlight for urban city centres, including Peterborough.

In 2022 and 2023, GCC member organizations restored 15,825 square metres of urban land. Restoration projects included tree planting, depaving unused concrete areas, installing rain gardens, and restoring riparian zones. The total area is more than 40 basketball courts in size that can now sequester carbon, return filtered rain to the water table, and promote biodiversity.

This work includes 13 mini-orchards being grown and cared for in the City of Peterborough. The Peterborough Community Orchard Stewards continue to support these local Food Forests each season. In the fall of 2023, GreenUP continued building on this success through the planting of our first three mini-forests, made up of 371 trees, and this good work continues.

The COP28 global climate conference concluded with statements supporting that global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut 43 per cent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

As GCC’s executive director Brianna Salmon describes in the Collective Impact report, “We know that communities are at the heart of climate justice solutions.”

Grassroots action led by Green Communities Canada and its member organizations, the local champions of this work, will be essential to reaching ambitious climate targets like those set at COP28.

As a Green Communities Canada member, GreenUP is proud that Peterborough is part of a national movement.

As we move towards more ambitious, and very necessary, climate targets, GreenUP looks forward to continuing this work to ensure our community meets our climate goals.

On behalf of GreenUP, we wish our community a safe and happy New Year. We look forward to working alongside you to advance the local, national, and international climate movement in the critical years ahead.