From monitoring its water use daily to using LED technologies for lighting inside and outside the hospital, Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) in Cobourg is being touted for its environmental efforts.

The west Northumberland hospital has been recognized by the Canadian Coalition of Green Health Care for its ongoing work toward energy conservation and environmental responsibility.

The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care works with health care facilities to share green health care best practices and to support organizations interested in enhancing their environmental responsibility and becoming better equipped to deal with the unique challenges facing health service organizations.

To be considered for the Green Health Care Awards, NHH was required to track its performance against key indicators also measured by hospital peers on a national scorecard maintained by the coalition known as the Green Hospital Scorecard.

How does a hospital make strides on a daily basis to become more environmentally responsible and conserve energy?

Chuck Cudmore, NHH’s director of plant operations, shared a few examples with kawarthaNOW.

“NHH’s combined heat and power system is one example of a step we have taken in recent years to improve energy performance,” Cudmore said. “Since this unit has been operationalized, it has significantly impacted annual energy and greenhouse gas performance.”

Cudmore pointed to the hospital’s interior and exterior lighting systems as another example. “We’ve installed LED technologies, which help in reducing the energy required to light these fixtures and also reduce maintenance costs.

“Our energy performance is monitored regularly, with preference given to design and construction practices that incorporate energy efficient considerations.”

NHH has held staff training sessions on how employees can make changes that can improve efficiencies.

When it comes to water use, the hospital’s consumption of the resource is monitored daily, Cudmore noted.

“NHH is diligent in looking at water conservation measures,” he added.

The Green Hospital Scorecard is the only comprehensive health care environmental performance benchmarking tool in Canada, measuring energy conservation, water conservation, waste management and recycling, corporate commitment, and pollution prevention, NHH noted in a media release.

NHH’s recognitions in the 2022 Green Hospital Scorecard are for water excellence, waste management, and leadership.

“As we experience first-hand the evidence of climate change, it is vitally important to continue making a conscious effort to protect the environment through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Susan Walsh, NHH president and CEO, in a statement.

“NHH remains committed to always improving energy and water usage at our hospital through innovative solutions that not only maintain a continuum of operations and services but are also environmentally sustainable.”

Chad Gyorfi, vice-president and chief financial officer at NHH, said the awards “are a testament to the dedication of our facilities and engineering team, who work hard to reduce NHH’s overall carbon footprint by continually prioritizing greener solutions for the hospital.”

To learn more about the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, visit greenhealthcare.ca.

One person has been seriously injured in a two-vehicle collision Thursday morning (January 18) on County Road 28 near Bewdley in the Municipality of Port Hope.

At around 8:54 a.m. on Thursday, Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and fire and emergency medical services responded to collision between a passenger vehicle and a tractor trailer near Boundary Road.

As a result of the collision, one of the drivers was transported by air ambulance to receive medical treatment for serious injuries.

A section of County Road 28 from 9th Line to County Road 9 has been closed while police investigate and document the scene.

Peterborough and area residents can support high-demand treatment services for kids with developmental disabilities by taking part in two upcoming fundraisers in support of Five Counties Children’s Centre.

Two events — one new and the other a returning favourite — are coming up in February and benefit clients of Five Counties.

Candlelights for Kids is an evening outdoor family skate on February 10 at the Ontario Speed Skating Oval in Lakefield. The Next Gen Game with the Peterborough Petes takes place on the afternoon of Family Day, which is February 19, with a pre-game family skate prior to the Petes facing off against the Kitchener Rangers at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

“The intent of both of these events is to raise funds — but we hope, also some fun for families,” said Bill Eekhof, communications co-ordinator for Five Counties Children’s Centre.

“We don’t have any set fundraising goals but proceeds from both will go towards our Building Abilities for Life (BAL) campaign. Our overall fundraising goal for BAL is $500,000 this year; money raised from BAL goes directly to support high-demand treatment services at Five Counties,” Eekhof explained.

High-demand treatment services include speech, occupational, and physio therapies provided to local children and families.

Last year’s Petes’ Family Day game raised approximately $3,000.

Money generated through BAL is above what Five Counties receives from the provincial government, allowing the centre to serve more kids in an effort to reduce wait times, Five Counties noted.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Peterborough Petes and the Ontario Speed Skating Oval on these two separate events that will offer family fun and support the life-changing work that we do every day,” said Lyn Giles, director of fund development for Five Counties. “Come out and embrace winter activities and help ensure more kids get the treatment they need, when they need it, to be the best they can be.”

Candlelights for Kids is the first-ever joint fundraiser for Five Counties and the Ontario Speed Skating Oval. The February 10th event takes place at the oval at 3358 Lakefield Rd. in Lakefield.

Weather permitting, families can lace up for outdoor skating on the oval by candlelight. Two skating sessions will be available, with one from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and another from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There will be hot chocolate and food at the venue.

Tickets are $10 per adult and $5 per child. Tickets are limited and will be available at the end of January on the Ontario Speed Skating Oval website at ontariospeedskatingoval.com.

At the Next Gen Game with the Peterborough Petes, attendees can participate in a pre-game family skate starting at 1 p.m., with the game beginning at 2:05 p.m. A silent auction fundraiser, face painting, giant LEGO and more will be held during the game.

“Five Counties kids will take part in behind-the-scenes experiences at the game, including playing the role of coach, scout, general manager and PA announcer,” Five Counties noted.

Game tickets are available directly from Five Counties for $15 each by calling 705-748-2337 ext. 248 or by emailing development@fivecounties.on.ca.

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides speech, physio, and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services for kids and youth from birth to age 19 years in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.

This past year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth in its region — the highest number of clients in its nearly 50-year history.

With an upcoming screening of a film called A Human Picture, the Basic Income Peterborough Network (BIPN) is hoping to “help galvanize public conversation and ideally influence policy-makers” around the importance of a basic income.

BIPN is co-presenting the short documentary on Friday, January 26th at 3 p.m. during the ReFrame Film Festival.

The film is about Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot project, which was launched in 2017 under the former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne’s government. Shortly after being elected in 2018, the Ford government announced it was ending the pilot project.

Almost 4,000 people were enrolled in the pilot program in five regions: Lindsay, Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Brantford, and Brant County. A provincial minister said at the time it was part of a plan to “reform social assistance to help more people get back on track.”

The screening of A Human Picture, being held at the Peterborough Public Library, located at 345 Aylmer St. N., also includes a post-screening panel discussion called “Impact of Basic Income” with filmmakers Simon Brothers and Luke Mistruzzi, basic income pilot participant and activist Jessie Golem, and author and activist Jamie Swift.

“BIPN is thrilled to be able to partner with ReFrame for this event,” said BIPN’s Steph Benn. “We feel the film and the panel afterwards will help galvanize public conversation and ideally influence policy-makers to adequately address the growing epidemic of poverty and poverty-related issues in communities across Canada.”

Benn describes A Human Picture as “a powerful short honouring the lived experiences of some of the participants of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot.”

Specifically, the filmmakers were moved by the response of pilot project participant Jessie Golem after the newly elected Ford government unexpectedly and prematurely cancelled the pilot — “a devastating blow to the 4,000 Ontario participants,” Benn explained.

“Jessie’s response was to photograph many of the participants as they held signs to say what basic income had meant for them. It was a beautiful effort by Jessie to document what participants had experienced.”

BICN is screening the film because it sheds light on such vital issues, Benn said.

“Many community members are living with extreme poverty, insecurity, precarious housing, poor health, access to education, opportunity, and loneliness. Poverty can be extremely isolating. The impact of poverty on families and individuals is devastating and current social safety policies are stigmatizing and inadequate.”

Benn hopes the film offers the audience a chance to listen to some of the pilot’s participants, who share what it meant to them to be able to make ends meet.

“The film is a beautiful documentation of many important aspects of this story.”

The panel afterwards provides attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences from a variety of different perspectives, she added.

“We hope that many will leave the event determined to make the elimination of poverty and a guaranteed livable income a public demand, an election issue, and a reason for hope,” Benn said.

“A guaranteed livable income shifts the approach away from safety nets and instead moves us toward a raised floor — giving everyone that needs it, a guaranteed livable income with no strings attached.”

More information about the film and panel discussion is available on the ReFrame website at https://reframefilmfestival.ca/film/a-human-picture/, where you can also purchase passes and individual tickets.

To promote income-based accessibility to the festival, ReFrame provides a pay-what-you-can option for individual screenings (tickets are available at festival venues 20 minutes in advance of screenings).

ReFrame also distributes a limited number of free festival passes and ticket packages to the community through the Community Access Program. These are available to the public through the Peterborough Public Library. ReFrame also partners with local advocacy groups and service organizations to distribute free tickets to their membership.

The merger of two community housing sites in Peterborough will ultimately mean more housing and support for people who have disabilities, high-risk seniors, and others.

That’s the goal of a recent initiative that encompassed Kawartha Participation Projects (KPP) officially changing its name to Thrive Housing and Support (Thrive). The decision to rebrand coincides with the amalgamation of KPP and Hilliard Park Homes at 800 Hilliard St. into a single organization.

Thrive manages community housing, and provides outreach and 24/7 support to people with physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, acquired brain injuries and seniors who are considered to be at high risk. Along with Hilliard Park Homes, housing includes 18 units at Towerhill Village (17 Towerhill Road) and 30 units at St. Peters (443 Reid St.).

Sandy Woodhouse, Thrive’s CEO, said there are key projected benefits of the merger.

“I would say the most exciting part of the partnership is that two great community housing sites have officially come together to form Thrive Housing and Support, an agency whose mission is to deliver exceptional housing and support services that positively impact people in our community,” Woodhouse told kawarthaNOW.

“The biggest impact on the people as a result of the merger is that Hilliard Park Homes now has the designation as a special needs provider — the same as Towerhill Village — so we are able to house and support more clients with physical disabilities, high-risk seniors, and people with acquired brain injuries.”

The KPP board, after much contemplation, “seized the perfect timing” for the name change, Thrive noted. As part of the transformation, Thrive has released a video explaining the rationale behind the choice of the new name. The video can be viewed at www.thrivehs.ca/thrive-video.

“The rebranding not only reflects the organization’s commitment to growth, but also introduces a new mission statement — creating communities where people can thrive,” Thrive said in a media release.

The organization’s newly launched website at www.thrivehs.ca contains the new vision and values statements, along with other features, including photos and stories about real tenants, clients, and the staff members who work at Thrive.

“In terms of services, Thrive Housing and Support will continue its unwavering commitment to providing community housing and personal support to people with physical disabilities, high risk seniors and people with acquired brain injuries in order for them to live independently and thrive in a way that is meaningful to them,” the organization said. “Clients and tenants can expect the same, if not enhanced, level of service that has become synonymous with the organization.”

Thrive has also announced the addition of 10 new supportive housing units at 191 Rink St., also known as the Sawmill. These units will provide new opportunities for people to live independently.

Out of the 10 new units, five have been specifically designated to Thrive clients, with a priority given to those at risk of homelessness or patients in the hospital who need a home more suitable to their needs.

The Brain Injury Association Peterborough Region has partnered with Thrive, employing a dedicated case manager to provide wrap-around supports to residents in five additional units, to complement the services provided by personal support workers through Thrive.

“This initiative has been made possible through the combined efforts of numerous partners,” Thrive added. “Ashburnham Realty, who constructed and owns the Sawmill, played a pivotal role in working collaboratively with Thrive and providing both units and office space. The City of Peterborough has also demonstrated its commitment to the well-being of the community and prevention of homelessness by generously providing rent supplements, ensuring that living costs remain affordable for clients of the program.”

Thrive dates back to 1978 when it was established under the KPP name. Today, Thrive supports approximately 120 clients with physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and those considered to be high-risk seniors. The organization employs about 100 front-line and administrative staff who support the group of clients. Thrive also extends property management services to its community housing partners.