Executive director Ashley Safar can’t wait to open the doors of the Peterborough Community Health Centre (PCHC) and usher community members inside for a peek at what’s been going on behind the scenes in preparation for the official opening of the downtown Peterborough clinic.

The PCHC is hosting a grand opening celebration from 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (October 7) at the centre, which is located in Peterborough Square at 360 George Street North.

The free drop-in event will include a ribbon cutting and opening ceremony featuring Kathy MacLeod-Beaver, a traditional knowledge holder from Alderville First Nation, along with traditional women’s hand drumming by Naandewegaan, in the outside courtyard at George and Simcoe streets, followed by a soup tasting inside the building and opportunities to tour the newly renovated space, meet the team, and learn about upcoming services and programs.

“We’re really excited to open our doors to community,” Safar told kawarthaNOW. “For a long time, people in Peterborough have been asking for a community health centre and now we have this space that’s designed to be welcoming, inclusive, and culturally safe, and a place where everybody can feel respected and supported in their wellness journey.”

“We’re looking at health from a holistic perspective,” she added, noting the centre weaves together Indigenous knowledge and western medicine to support holistic well-being. “It’s not just a clinic — it’s a hub for healing, connection, and community.”

The PCHC has been “thoughtfully designed” by Unity Design Studio (formerly Lett Architects) to reflect the diversity of the community it serves. Built by Mortlock Construction Inc., the centre is located on two accessible floors in the mall, occupying the space previously held by TD Canada Trust and the space just below the former branch.

Safar earlier told kawarthaNOW the PCHC’s central location alone increases accessibility, may contribute to a better feeling of safety for residents, and will be supportive of downtown businesses.

“The fact we will be downtown will help support the vibe in the downtown core for folks who are directly accessing the PCHC, but I think there are also going to be a lot of indirect benefits for the community,” she said.

The PCHC will offer a wide range of services under one roof, including primary care, traditional healing, community programming, and advocacy supports. Services are designed to meet people “where they are,” especially those who face barriers to care.

“Healthcare should be a doorway, not a barrier,” Safar said in a statement. “This centre was created with reconciliation at its heart. By blending traditional healing with western healthcare, we aim to improve not just individual health, but the health of our entire community.”

A non-profit, community-governed organization, the PCHC provides the community with a combination of primary health care services, free community programs, and community development initiatives. In February 2024, the provincial government announced it was providing about $4.8 million in annual funding for the PCHC.

The centre’s mandate is to provide care for priority populations, which include people who are without a primary care provider and who identify as belonging to one or more of the following groups: Indigenous individuals, racialized groups or communities, individuals with physical or mental disabilities (including those experiencing mental health conditions or substance use challenges), members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, individuals experiencing homelessness, newcomers (including immigrants and refugees), individuals living in geographically or physically isolated areas who face barriers to accessing care, and individuals living in conditions of extreme poverty.

The clinic’s comprehensive approach to healthcare includes a team of traditional healers, doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers, and more to support people’s individual health needs. People can access community programs, mental health support, social activities, chronic disease education, and more. Services and programs are available at no cost to clients.

Indigenous clients can access culturally specific programs and find opportunities to engage in ceremony, as well as learning from traditional knowledge holders and connecting with elders.

In addition to providing healthcare and wellness services, the PCHC will address and advocate for priorities such as housing and food insecurity to foster a healthier community.

Currently, the PCHC is working with a limited number of clients from its priority populations, through referral-based intakes from its group of partners. Safar declined to provide on how many people the clinic has rostered to date as it’s evolving, she said.

The centre plans to broaden its client base as it grows, and Safar encourages people who don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider to register through the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Health Care Connect program, as the clinic will be drawing from that registry when it’s ready to expand its client intake.

For more information about the PCHC, visit www.ptbochc.ca.

Peterborough resident Betty Halman-Plumley might be celebrating 20 years at IG Wealth Management, but it’s a lot more than her clients and their financial legacies that she has championed throughout the past two decades. With years spent being involved in local organizations in various capacities, she has been a visionary committed to making the community a better place.

To share her appreciation to her clients and to the community, Halman-Plumley is hosting an Afternoon Tea event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 26 at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough.

“I have lots of energy and passion for what I’m doing, so it doesn’t feel like work,” she says. “Working with three generations of families is something I’m passionate about, including setting up legacies with families while people are living and healthy. The bow on that is when we know everyone’s taken care of — the family, their kids’ families, and future generations — we can ask clients if there’s any way to add another element by giving back to the community as a family.”

Born and raised in Peterborough as a first-generation Dutch Canadian and the eldest of four siblings, Halman-Plumley appreciates how hard people work for their money and, as a proud mother and oma, she recognizes the importance of building a financial legacy for families. Her team at IG Wealth Management specializes in providing intergenerational wisdom, wealth, estate, and legacy planning for families, with special care and planning for elderly members.

Prior to becoming a financial consultant in 2005, Halman-Plumley had previously worked in support of families. She spent 25 years at the Peterborough Family Resource Centre, where she implemented several initiatives and was the executive director during the Ontario Early Years Centre designation process.

When she became interested in exploring and expanding her skillset, she moved into the financial planning industry after recognizing the value she and her husband Ken received as clients of IG Wealth Management.

“As we started a growing family, I recognized the benefits of having someone provide financial planning at every stage of our family’s life,” she says. “I thought there’s a good connection there with my previous work with families and being able to support families even further through financial planning.”

One of many reasons Halman-Plumley is proud to be working at IG Wealth Management is because the company is like “a big city with a small-town feel,” where there’s always someone available to answer the phone.

“I’ve talked to many advisors who come to IG from big companies and firms, and they say IG is like the Lamborghini in the garage because of the level of sophisticated planning and support we offer to our clients” she says.

Next year, IG Wealth will be celebrating 100 years as a Canadian planning company.

“I work alongside a trusted team of accountants, lawyers, and wealth and estate planning specialists to provide my clients with holistic, coordinated advice. As a team, we ensure that every aspect of our client’s financial life — from tax and legal to long-term legacy planning — is aligned with their goals.”

“I am pleased to be working with an incredible team — my assistant Kelley Giusti and planning assistant Anthony Bordignon — who play a key role in supporting our clients,” Halman-Plumley adds. “Together, we provide seamless administrative support and deliver comprehensive financial planning solutions, ensuring our clients receive the highest level of service and care.”

In 2016, Halman-Plumley was approached by IG Wealth Management Regional Director Glenn James to be the Division Director / Branch Manager for the company’s new George Street office in downtown Peterborough, a role she says she “happily” filled until 2024.

Always eager to keep learning, throughout her career Halman-Plumley has earned a number of credentials and designations, including Elder Planning Counselor (EPC), Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

With a “heart for God” who sees her work with families as an extension of her faith, Halman-Plumley also most recently earned a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) designation, which tells clients and prospective clients that she is trained to help them align Christian values with their financial planning.

As she has earned these achievements over the past 20 years, she has paved her way in an industry that is largely male-dominated.

“Women are still the minority, but IG is really leading the way with women in this industry,” she says. “Many years ago, it was all men presenting on the mainstage at conferences, and I remember putting in my evaluation, ‘Where are the women?’ Now there’s probably more women presenting than men.”

Throughout her career, from leading programs for fathers at the Peterborough Family Resource Centre to finding ways to get more women working in the financial industry, Halman-Plumley has been determined to engage all perspectives, including all ages, genders, and experiences.

This is the philosophy she brings to the number of community initiatives with which she has been involved, including the Woman’s Business Network of Peterborough (Halman-Plumley was the 2011 president and the Member of the Year in 2013), St. Anne’s Church, Kawartha Child Care Services, School for Young Moms, Alternative Community Program Services, the Festival of Trees, and many more.

As the past president for the Rotary Club of Peterborough — one of five female presidents in the affiliate’s more than a century history — Halman-Plumley strived to include a range of perspectives on the board and when considering the club’s recently unveiled legacy project.

Called Project ROAR, the community-driven $1.5 million campaign to create an inclusive, accessible playground at the Riverview Park and Zoo — which was founded by Rotarian Ross Dobbin in 1933. The design of the transformative project will invite people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the space, by widening pathways for those using strollers and mobility devices, adding even surfaces, and including a comfortable and shaded viewing area for parents and guardians.

“It’s a beautiful partnership between the Riverview Park and Zoo and Rotary and a way that people can learn and feel supported and be inspired while they’re there,” Halman-Plumley says. “All families and the whole community will benefit.”

For more information on the project and to donate, visit www.peterboroughrotary.ca/page/rotary-accessible-playground.

Along with being a Rotarian since 2012, Halman-Plumley continues to find new ways to use her leadership and passion for the betterment of the community, including by recently joining the board of The Mount Community Centre, a non-profit organization motivated by poverty reduction and community development.

“My parents came to this country and I’m just so grateful for that and for what the community has offered my family,” she says. “I’m passionate about families and women and children, so I give back with my time and money because helping people thrive is a real passion for me. I also want to inspire and mentor other women and want to be a role model for my family.”

When she has free time when not working or volunteering, Halman-Plumley loves to travel, read, walk, play golf, dance, and spend time with her family — including her three children and two granddaughters all living in Vancouver — and her close circle of good friends.

“I have lots of amazing women in my life who are leaders in this community,” Halman-Plumley says. “When we get together regularly, we support each other, we have fun together, and we share successes and lessons learned. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of the incredible people in my life.”

That’s why she is hosting the community gathering on October 26 — to show appreciation for the people who have supported her in the past two decades and beyond.

Celebrating 20 “incredible” years with IG Wealth Management and over 40 years giving back to this community, Halman-Plumley says she is proud of her journey and is excited to see what the next 20 years will bring.

“I just want to be able to say thank you,” she says. “Thank you clients, thank you community, and thank you to everyone for supporting me through these past twenty years and through all my life.”

This branded editorial was created in partnership with Betty Halman-Plumley — IG Wealth Management. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

As Trent University’s 54th annual Head of the Trent weekend begins, the Peterborough police and the university are asking students and residents to celebrate “safely and respectfully” and to expect to see a larger-than-normal police presence both on and off-campus during the weekend.

The annual weekend, which features competitive rowing, Excalibur varsity games, alumni gatherings, and family-friendly activities, draws thousands of alumni, students, family, and friends to the university’s Symons Campus as well as to downtown Peterborough.

Trent University’s associate vice president of students Lawrence Lam and Peterborough police staff sergeant Mark Reesor spoke at a media conference Friday morning (October 3) at police headquarters on Water Street in downtown Peterborough.

“The annual Head of the Trent weekend, this weekend, is a time-honoured tradition to celebrate all things green and white with Trent University,” Lam said. “We have alumni and athletes coming in from all over the world back to Peterborough, back to campus, which is a huge boost to our community, our restaurants, our hotels and shops.”

Since it began in 1971 with just 13 boats, the Head of the Trent regatta has grown into one of the largest head races in North America, with more than 800 boats and 1,400 athletes competing along the five-kilometre course on the Trent-Severn Waterway.

As it does every year, Trent University “encourages all participants to celebrate safely and responsibly on campus and throughout the city. Trent works closely with the City of Peterborough, student unions, and local emergency services to ensure the weekend is safe and enjoyable for all.”

Past weekends have been marred by raucous parties attended by hundreds of students, as well as isolated incidents of mischief, theft, and nuisance in downtown Peterborough.

In addition to attending parties, many students traditionally head to downtown Peterborough on Saturday night to socialize and celebrate at the bars.

In preparation for the weekend, Peterborough police have been working over the past few months with fire and paramedics and the City of Peterborough’s emergency management, transit and board of works to develop a coordinated response during the weekend.

According to Reesor, the police response includes increased staffing levels, with the crowd management unit, the volunteer auxiliary unit, and paid duty officers who will be located both on and off-campus “so that we can respond quickly and adequately to any situations that we’re required to.”

“Trent’s very graciously stepped up and paid the bill for these additional officers because they recognize that, both and off campus, some of the people that are coming into the city are here because of the Head of the Trent weekend,” Reesor said.

In addition to the crowd management unit and the auxiliary unit, Reesor said there will be four officers on campus and seven officers in the city, with an additional four officers in the city at night.

Part of the advance planning has included meetings with neighbours and students, with the auxiliary unit visiting areas that have seen large student parties in past years to offer suggestions to neighbours on improving property safety.

While no road closures are planned during the weekend, Reesor said they are possible if required to ensure the safety of students and residents.

For more information about the Head of the Trent weekend, including a schedule of events and activities, visit www.trentu.ca/headofthetrent.

GEPR Energy Canada Inc., the owner of the historic General Electric factory complex at 107 Park Street North in downtown Peterborough, has issued a notice to the City of Peterborough that it intends to demolish a large number of vacant buildings at the 55-acre site, while retaining a number of buildings that are currently in use and those with heritage features.

At its general committee on Monday (October 6), Peterborough city council will consider a report from the city’s commissioner of infrastructure, planning, and growth management Blair Nelson that recommends hiring a consultant to conduct a peer review of a 154-page heritage impact assessment (HIA) report prepared by ERA Architects Inc. on behalf of GEPR Energy Canada Inc. — a report that was completed since the property is listed on the city’s heritage register, although it has not been designated.

GEPR Energy Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of GE Vernova, an energy equipment manufacturing and services company that was formed from the merger and subsequent spin-off of General Electric’s energy businesses in 2024.

The General Electric factory complex began operations in 1891 as the Canadian Works of the Thomas Edison Company and later continued under General Electric. The site includes a complex of 33 buildings built between 1891 and 1981 and used for industrial manufacturing and ancillary purposes.

In 2018, General Electric ceased its manufacturing activities on the site, with most of the buildings now decomissioned with machinery and equipment removed. GE Vernova has maintained office space for 60 employees in the site’s east block and leases several buildings in the west block to BWXT, which was originally part of GE Vernova’s nuclear energy division but became an independent company in 2016 and now specializes in nuclear components and services for government and commercial clients.

The remaining buildings on the site comprising the centre block have been unoccupied since 2018. Since GE Vernova has no current or future use for the buildings, it is proposing demolishing and removing the buildings, which represent around 84,500 square metres (910,000 square feet) of the 104,000 square metre (1.1 million square feet) site.

The buildings proposed for removal are identified as 6, 6B, 6D, 8, 8D, 8E, 8I, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 12, 12ext, 13, 13A, 14, 14A, 16, 16A, 18, 20, 20A, 22, 22C, and 34.

According to the HIA report, the buildings do not meet the requirements for contemporary manufacturing processes and would require extensive and costly interventions to be compatible with any new uses. The estimated cost of reburbishing the buildings in the centre block would be up to $150 million.

“The heritage attributes of many of these buildings have similarly been compromised from repairs, overbuilding and extensions,” the HIA report states. “It is understood that the removal of these buildings will require careful disentanglement from any retained adjacent buildings.”

The HIA report proposes a series of “mitigation strategies” to preserve heritage elements on site while also accommodating the proposed demolition, including fully documenting all buildings on the site, retaining buildings of architectural significance that represent significant periods of development, conserving and restoring a number of the buildings, mothballing two buildings for possible future use, and establishing two permanent interpretive installations.

Under the proposal, GE Vernova would retain several “significant” buildings in the east and west blocks of the site that “reflect distinct construction periods and architectural value which contribute to the understanding of the property’s overall heritage significance.”

Those include the buildings currently in use by BWXT (buildings 21, 24A, 26, and 28) and GE Vernova (buildings 2 and 2A), as well as two unoccupied buildings (8A and 30) that will be retained and mothballed pending potential future uses (mothballing involves securing a building and stabilizing its features so that it can safely remain vacant and to prevent decay).

In the case of one of the mothballed buildings, “careful removal of unsympathetic additions and building extensions will be undertaken to restore the legibility and integrity of the structure.”

GE Vernova is also proposing creating “two publicly accessible interpretation and commemorative zones” to be located at the east and west blocks of the site “as part of the strategy to acknowledge and commemorate the site’s history within the community.”

As council has 60 days after a notice of intention to demolish to respond to the notice, city staff are recommending that council approve up to $50,000 for a sole-source procurement for services of a consultant specializing in heritage conservation, architecture, planning and landscape design to complete a peer review of the HIA report prepared by ERA Architects Inc.

City staff would then consult with the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) and report back to council on whether the property should be designed under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Nelson’s report also advises council that, should they not wish to proceed a detailed heritage review within the 60-day notice period, they have the options of taking no action, passing a motion that council has no interest in pursuing heritage designation for the site, or passing a motion that council has no interest in pursuing heritage designation for the site but direct staff to consult with PACAC and report back to council on the appropriateness of designating the property based on the heritage property elements to be retained.

“Should council choose any of these three alternatives, the proposed demolition would be allowed to proceed subject to applicable law; however, 107 Park Street North would remain on the city’s heritage register,” the city staff report states. “The city would still be able to designate the property under Part IV of the (Ontario Heritage) Act and any future proposed demolition on the property would still be required to give 60-days’ notice in accordance with subsection 27(9) of the Act.”