The City of Peterborough has declared a “significant weather event” after over 10 cm of snow fell on the city in a few hours on Friday afternoon (December 26).

Municipalities can declare a significant weather event under a regulation of the Municipal Act, which allows them to deem municipal roadways as being in a “state of repair” with respect to snow accumulation. The declaration is not a notice of a reduced level of service, but notifies residents that it may take longer than usual to clear the snow.

“Declaring a significant weather event is a way to advise residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists that clearing snow and treating surfaces on roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes can be expected to be delayed compared to typical levels of service, due to the potential severity of the storm,” says the city’s public works operations manager John Czerniawski in a media release.

The city’s public work crews deploy 18 plow trucks, 11 sidewalk plows, two graders, seven loaders and backhoes, and four light sanding units with winter abrasives and de-icers to clear and treat 1,028 kilometres of roads, 412 kilometres of sidewalks, 44 kilometres of trails, 29 municipal parking lots, and 650 bus stops.

The city says its snow clearing operations will focus on arterial and collector roads first, with residential streets, sidewalks, and trails to be addressed as resources and conditions allow. Snow removal will then begin at 250 additional locations including cul de sacs, dead ends, and wide corners.

“Residents are reminded that there may be delays to this work based on available resources,” the media release states. “Road users and pedestrians are asked to leave crews the space they need to safely and effectively clean city streets, sidewalks, and trails.

The city is asking motorists to avoid unnecessary travel and to adjust driving based on the conditions. While parking is prohibited on all city streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. every night during the winter, the city is also asking residents not to park on city streets at other times for the duration of the storm to allow for effective snow clearing.

The city adds that Peterborough Transit may adjust service, including the use of designated snow routes, in response to weather conditions. Updates on transit service will be posted at @Ptbo_Transit or customers can call 705-745-0525 for current service information.

The city is also advising that, due to the snowfall, the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre will be opening at 8 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. on Saturday (December 27). Community arenas will also be opening at 8 a.m. Other city facilities are expected to open as scheduled on Saturday.

Peterborough police have arrested a 44-year-old man wanted in connection with a December 6 homicide in Peterborough and a December 23 homicide in Oshawa.

Police arrested Michael Waterman in Peterborough on Friday afternoon (December 26).

At around 3 p.m., officers with the Investigative Services Unit became aware the suspect was in Peterborough. After the Emergency Response Team went to a residence in the Dalhousie and Aylmer Street area, officers called out to Waterman, who exited the residence and surrendered to police.

Police arrested Waterman and charged him with second-degree murder.

Waterman was wanted for second-degree murder after a 33-year-old man was found severely injured in an apartment near Brock and Aylmer streets in downtown Peterborough on December 6 and died of his injuries at the scene.

Waterman was also wanted for second-degree murder after a 44-year-old man was fatally stabbed a man in the area of Park Road South and John Street in Oshawa on December 23.

The accused man is being held in police custody and will appear in court on Saturday.

As it faces a significant shortfall during its annual holiday fundraising campaign, The Salvation Army Peterborough is asking the community to help.

The non-profit charity says it’s $150,000 short of its $675,000 goal through the “Hope for all Seasons” and kettle campaigns.

With the organization raising 75 per cent of the total operating budget for its community and family services offerings over the holidays, the current shortfall will severely limit The Salvation Army Peterborough’s services to the community in 2026.

“Our community is suffering,” pastor Mark Dalley told kawarthaNOW. “We can turn away from those hurting, judging them for their choices and the circumstances they find themselves in, or we can offer love and grace — the same things we want others to offer us when we go through difficult times.”

Since the beginning of December, The Salvation Army Peterborough has helped more than 2,000 families receive Christmas hampers with the community’s support. However, the need continues to rise in Peterborough. In 2025, the organization saw an increase of 15 per cent in those accessing its services.

“Our sincerest desire is that every member of the community would partner with us to help us meet the needs, and for us to come together as family this Christmas in Peterborough,” Dalley said. “If everyone in Peterborough was to give just $2 each between now and New Year’s, we would not only meet but surpass our fundraising goal.”

Dalley mentioned the organization’s breakfast program as an example of the suffering being experienced, with another increase in 2025 in the numbers of people attending the program.

“Unfortunately, this increase is not new — we have seen at least a 10 per cent increase every year since 2020,” he noted. “It used to be only that those coming for breakfast were the homeless of our community, but not anymore. Today we are also seeing families and students struggling to make ends meet, coming to get something to eat before heading off to school and work.”

“With our numbers climbing and the cost of food increasing, it has been difficult for us to meet these needs. Yet, we have hope.”

Dalley said the Peterborough community has always responded when The Salvation Army Peterborough has needed support.

“They have given generously through volunteer service and financial contributions,” he said. “We believe that if they knew how deep our need is this Christmas, they would rally behind us once again. We need their help.”

“That is what is at the top of our Christmas wish list this year: to see lives transformed, addictions healed, and children surrounded by the love and hope of their community.”

Donations can be made by stopping one of the Salvation Army Peterborough’s Christmas kettles in the community, dropping by its offices on Simcoe Street, or by mailing a cheque to The Salvation Army Peterborough, 219 Simcoe St., Peterborough ON, K9H 2H6.

Credit card donations can also be made by phone by calling 705-743-313 ext. 257. Leave a message for a call back.

The Salvation Army Peterborough has been serving the local community since 1885, providing practical assistance and compassionate care to individuals and families in need. Through programs such as the food bank, breakfast program, emergency support, and seasonal assistance, the organization works year-round with the goal of offering hope and dignity to all.

GreenUP grew over 5,000 native plants in 2025 and supported the planting of hundreds of others. In celebration of these restoration efforts, along with newly installed tree identification signage at Ecology Park, GreenUP will highlight a few select native trees in a three-part series over the holidays.

When most life seems to retreat in the harsh Canadian winter, coniferous trees stand tall — sheltering wildlife, cleaning the air, offering reliable food sources, and adding a welcome splash of colour to an otherwise grey landscape.

Each of these species brings its own unique traits, transforming what could feel like a bleak midwinter into a season of opportunity for countless creatures.

From the black-capped chickadee to red squirrels and the white-tailed deer, these evergreens don’t just support wildlife — they sustain it. Their cones offer nutrient-packed seeds, their fresh twigs provide winter browse, and even the occasional berry hanging on from fall becomes a welcome treat. Together, they create a dependable winter pantry long after other food sources have disappeared.

Among these winter champions, the eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) stands out as a symbol of resilience. Known as the “Great Tree of Peace” amongst the Haudenosaunee, this tree’s tall, straight trunk and soft bundles of five needles carve a silhouette instantly recognizable across Ontario. Yet, beyond its iconic form lies a wealth of ecological gifts.

The soft, flexible branches of the white pine offer a dense shelter from the cold, harsh winter winds and snow. Black-capped chickadees, pine siskins, and other small songbirds often choose white pine stands for foraging and rest, as their needles offer shelter from the elements. Red squirrels also rely on these giants, caching cones through the summer to prepare for their much-needed winter feasts.

Food and shelter aside, white pines also play a crucial role in shaping winter habitats. Their soaring trunks provide lookout posts for owls and hawks alike, while mature stands break the wind and create calmer understory conditions where deer can rest. Even in the deepest cold, white pines remain pillars of resilience.

The white pine isn’t alone — it shares the spotlight with another humble giant, the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Found throughout cool ravines and shaded northern slopes, the hemlock creates some of the most stable winter microhabitats in the forest. Its shiny green needles with a pale underside form dense, layered canopies that buffer wind like no other, trapping warmth, catching snow, and leaving the forest floor below surprisingly warm.

Nuthatches and golden-crowned kinglets find themselves foraging through fine needles in search of overwintering insects, while the deer below stop to take a break in this unique utopia. Though they often have a frail appearance, hemlocks are ecological powerhouses responsible for cooling rivers and providing habitat for brook trout.

In winter, when life seems to retreat in wait for spring, hemlock stands remain quietly alive, softening the landscape, sheltering the vulnerable, and shaping entire ecosystems from their shaded understories to the cold streams they guard. Their presence offers a subtle reminder that resilience doesn’t need to be loud or towering; sometimes, it’s found in the gentle sweep of evergreen branches that make survival possible.

Another conifer with a compelling story is eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), also known as “The Tree of Life.” This hardy species offers remarkably high-quality winter browse, making cedars an essential food source for deer, rabbits, and porcupines when other options are buried under snow.

Often found clinging to limestone cliffs, wetland edges, and rocky shorelines, this tree’s flat overlapping scales make up its unique leaves, which are recognized by all. Simply put, this tree survives where few other trees dare to grow, including the Niagara Escarpment, where some of Canda’s oldest eastern cedars still stand.

Cedar’s contributions extend far beyond its limbs. Flocks of cedar waxwings often drift through white cedar stands in winter, pausing amongst the sheltered branches. Mature cedar stands also form wide-spreading fibrous root systems that work to stabilize soil along streams and wetlands, protecting vital riparian habitats that remain active throughout the winter.

Winter may strip the world to its bare essentials, but in the evergreen presence of white pine, hemlock, and cedar, lies a story of endurance. Their branches hold not only snow, but entire communities. Their roots anchor more than soil — they anchor entire ecosystems. In their company, the winter forest feels less empty and far more alive.

Visit Ecology Park to see these native tree species and the newly installed tree identification signage, funded in part by Trans Canada Trail, and featuring Anishnaabemowin translation of the tree names courtesy of Curve Lake First Nation and The Creators Garden.

You can support GreenUP’s work to restore native habitat locally by donating today at greenup.on.ca/donate-now/.

A 44-year-old man already wanted for a December 6 homicide in Peterborough is now also wanted in connection with a homicide in Oshawa early on Tuesday morning (December 23).

Michael Waterman is one of two suspects accused of stabbing 44-year-old Jeremy Russell in the area of Park Road South and John Street in Oshawa.

Russell, who was located on the roadway suffering from stab wounds, was transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre in life-threatening condition where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Officers with the Durham Regional Police Service have arrested 33-year-old Nicholas Robbins from Oshawa and charged him with second-degree murder, and Waterman is wanted on the same charge.

Durham police say the victim and the two accused men are all known to each other.

In Peterborough, Waterman is wanted for second-degree murder after a 33-year-old man was found severely injured in an apartment in downtown Peterborough on December 6 and died of his injuries at the scene.

Peterborough police have already arrested two of the suspects in that homicide, and have been searching for Waterman.

Although Peterborough police originally identified Waterman as being from Peterborough, Durham police have indicated he is from Oshawa.

Durham police are warning the public that Waterman is considered armed and dangerous. If you spot Waterman, do not approach him and call 9-1-1 immediately.