Northumberland County residents can lace up their boots or walking shoes later this month in support of Green Wood Coalition.

People can register now to take part in the Coldest Night of the Year event in Port Hope.

The Coldest Night of the Year is a national family-friendly two-kilometre or five-kilometre walk on February 24 in support of local charities serving people who are experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.

“Join us in downtown Port Hope as we unite to bring awareness to the challenges of homelessness, hunger, and hardship in Northumberland County,” said Green Wood Coalition in a statement.

The event begins at 10 Robertson Street in downtown Port Hope on Saturday, February 24th with a check-in time of 4 p.m. After a kick-off speech and zumba warm-up with Tanya from Epic Gymnastics and Dance, the walk gets underway at 5 p.m., with rest stops at Queenies Bake Shop and Ganaraska Financial.

After the walk at 6 p.m., a snack from Happenstance Roastery and Bakery will be provided, along with hot chocolate, tea, and coffee.

Residents can register a team, sign up to walk, or make a donation to raise funds for Green Wood Coalition’s outreach programs.

Green Wood programs include street outreach services, harm reduction supports, a community garden initiative, an art “hive,” and community education, along with its “High-Fidelity WrapAround” program that it offers in partnership with Wrap Canada.

As of the date of this story, $40,071 of the $95,000 Coldest Night of the Year fundraising goal in Northumberland County had been raised by 216 walkers and 54 teams.

Along with community sponsors, local businesses supporting the event include Olympus Burger, which will donate 10 per cent of all meals purchased by walkers on February 24 (just say you’re a walker) and Ganaraska Brewing Company, which is donating a portion of its sales from February 19 to 25.

Organized by the registered charity Blue Sea Foundation, The Coldest Night of the Year take place in both Canada and the United States on February 24, with local activities being held in various communities. Since 2011, the event has raised over $75 million across Canada in 190 communities.

For more information about the Port Hope walk including route maps, and to register or donate, visit cnoy.org/location/porthope.

Peterborough real estate agent Mark Sokolski and his team at The Sokolski Real Estate Group recently donated $41,952 to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton to support the non-profit organization’s services for women and children experiencing gender-based violence.

Sokolski raised the funds by participating in the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s Ecuador Challenge for Shelter in November, when more than 100 Canadian Royal LePage staff members travelled to Ecuador in South America where they spent five days trekking to Mount Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

To prepare for the challenge, Sokolski spent significant time training throughout 2023 while he also fundraised a total of $52,440, with 20 per cent of the proceeds going to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and the remainder going to the YWCA. The entire group of Canadian Royal LePage staff who travelled to Ecuador raised $1.7 million, the most ever raised by a single Royal LePage Shelter Foundation event.

“We are absolutely thrilled by how successful Mark’s efforts have been, both in raising money for such a critical need in our community but also in preparing for and enduring one of the most physically gruelling treks possible,” says Tina Thornton, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s director of philanthropy, in a media release.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to The Sokolski Real Estate Group and to all of the community members who donated to Mark’s campaign for helping to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing gender-based violence.”

The Sokolski Real Estate Group’s donation will support YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s programs and safe spaces, including Crossroads Shelter in Peterborough, the START program, Transitional Housing and Outreach program, the Family Court Support program, the Women’s Well-Being counselling and peer support program, and basic necessities and food for women and children staying in safe spaces.

Following a mischief investigation, Cobourg police have identified two young teenagers who participated in a TikTok challenge that involves banging on residential doors and running away without getting caught.

Participants in the “door-knock” or “door-kick” challenge record themselves as they use their hands or feet to hit or kick doors and then post the video on social media. The mischief usually happens at night, frightening any occupants who may be at home and often causing property damage.

“Online challenges often target youth and can pose serious risks,” Cobourg police state in a media release. “Some challenges encourage harmful and sometimes criminal behaviours. Kids and teens may unknowingly put themselves in dangerous or illegal situations driven by the desire for online recognition.”

While the door-knock challenge has been around since at least 2021, there have been recent reports of incidents in local municipalities including Peterborough. In other jurisdictions, the challenge has resulted in dangerous confrontations between youth and homeowners.

In Cobourg, police received a number of calls in late January and early February from homeowners about two youths kicking their front doors and running away. In each instance, there was property damage. Using footage from CCTV cameras and residential doorbell cameras, police identified two 13-year-old youths.

In lieu of criminal charges, the teens will be subject to extrajudicial measures and sanctions that may include volunteer work, compensating victims, or participating in specialized programs.

The federal Youth Criminal Justice Act requires police to consider the use of extrajudicial measures where they are adequate to hold a young person accountable, especially a first-time non-violent offender.

These alternatives to the court system aim to promote learning and rehabilitation, reintegration into the community, and prevention of further offences by youth. Failure to adhere to extrajudicial sanctions would reengage the youth in the normal court process.

“As chief, I expect all our investigations to be victim centred,” says Cobourg Police Service chief Paul VandeGraaf in the release. “I am proud of all our frontline staff who did great work identifying the responsible youths and ensuring they are accountable within the principles and conditions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. I am confident that the extrajudicial measures, managed by Rebound Child and Youth Services, will be successful.”

One Million Meals Peterborough (OMMP) is calling on community members to support Peterborough’s largest annual food packing event in support of Kids Against Hunger Canada.

OMMP is currently striving to raise $24,000 before Saturday, April 6th, when volunteers will gather to assemble 50,000 meals using the money raised between now and then.

The event is an important one for Peterborough, said Tanya Nabein, a long-sitting committee member for OMMP.

“It brings together people of all ages, working together, to accomplish a mission of helping others in need,” Nabein told kawarthaNOW.

“There is a spirit of camaraderie that happens at these events that is very fulfilling, to know that you’re a part of the solution of helping people in need.”

While the event takes place annually on the first Saturday in April, OMMP also hosts many other events throughout the year.

Peterborough residents can help by becoming a monthly donor, raising money to host their own private event, and by raising awareness.

As for the upcoming meal packing day and what’s possible, Nabein said, “The best thing that we could expect from this year’s event would be that we raise the funds necessary to pack and ship 50,000 meals and that everyone who participates has a great time while doing good.”

According to its website, OMMP strives to inspire Peterborough residents to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

“By becoming a part of this event, not only will you contribute to a united cause, but you will also enjoy a fun and hands-on experience that promotes teamwork,” the group noted.

The event takes place at Rhema Christian School, which is located at 29 County Road 4 (just east of the Parkhill Road East and Television Road intersection).

Those who take part have the option to participate in one or more shifts with Kids Against Hunger Canada and assist in packing food for those who require nourishment.

OMMP invites residents to create their own fundraising pages and share the links with others through social media and email.

“It’s a simple yet rewarding way to witness the generosity of your family and friends as they contribute to this worthy cause.”

Kids Against Hunger Canada is a humanitarian food-aid organization which focuses on feeding children in need, both here in Canada and around the world. It is a registered charity and its head office is located in Peterborough. To learn more about Kids Against Hunger Canada, visit www.kahcanada.org.

For more information about One Million Meals Peterborough, to make a donation, or to register for the April 6th event, visit www.onemillionmealspeterborough.com.

Winter is returning to the Kawarthas, with Environment Canada issuing winter weather travel advisories and snowfall warnings for the region for Thursday (February 15).

Winter weather travel advisories are in effect for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County, with snowfall warnings in effect for Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands.

An area of heavy snow will push through the region during the afternoon and early evening hours on Thursday. The majority of snowfall accumulations may fall within just a few hours due to high snowfall rates. Heavy snow will taper to light flurries through the evening.

For Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland, accumulations of 5 to 10 cm are expected with peak snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm per hour. In Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands, accumulations near 15 cm are expected with peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour.

Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.

Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.

This story has been updated with the latest forecast from Environment Canada.

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) is extending its drug-poisoning alert after an additional five poisonings were noted on Tuesday (February 13), for a total of 19 since Saturday.

On Wednesday, PPH issued the extended alert following a trigger of its Early Warning Surveillance System.

Last Saturday, there were eight drug poisonings on resulting calls for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and hospital emergency department (ED) visits. The presumed substance causing the poisonings is orange and green in colour and sedative effects have been reported.

On Sunday, there were six drug-poisonings resulting in EMS calls and ED visits related to the same presumed substance as the day prior.

Then on Tuesday, there were five drug poisonings resulting in EMS calls and ED visits. A white/beige substance being sold as “down” was tested, confirming the presence of benzodiazepines — which are sedatives — along with fentanyl.

PPH recommends people always carry multiple naloxone kits. However, sedatives cannot be reversed with naloxone, PHH noted. Learn where to get a free naloxone kit at ontario.ca/naloxone.

The health unit issues drug-poisoning alerts with the intention of providing life-saving information about tainted drug supplies for those who use drugs, their loved ones, and service providers in the community.

Drug-checking services are available in Peterborough at the Consumption & Treatment Site (CTS), located downtown at 220 Simcoe St., from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on February 17 and 21 to 23. Test strips for fentanyl, benzos, and xylazine are available at the CTS during hours of operation from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with harm reduction support also available daily during those hours.

Other harm reduction support is available by calling the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677 (NORS) and by calling The Krasman Centre’s Warm Line & Peer Crisis Support Services in Richmond Hill at 1-888-777-0979. The line is available 24/7, with online chat also available from 10 a.m. to midnight at The Krasman Centre’s website.

Crisis support is available 24/7 by calling the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (call or text 9-8-8) or by calling the Telecare Distress Centre of Peterborough at 705-745-2273.

Last week, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) issued a warning about a toxic drug supply being suspected in the nearby community of Belleville.

Emergency services in the city of Belleville responded to a total of 23 overdoses, 14 of which occurred between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6th. The substance of concern circulating in that community was unknown at the time, HKPRDHU noted.

Belleville made national headlines after the city reached out to the provincial government for assistance in managing the volume of incidents, which stressed its emergency services to capacity.

City officials and community partners from local emergency services, as well as Hastings Prince Edward Public Health and Quinte Health, addressed the media during a press conference at city hall following the 23 overdoses.

“This is a very unfortunate event,” said City of Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis in a statement.

“It’s not the first occurrence and it won’t be the last. Like many municipalities across the province and country, we have a very serious drug, addictions and mental health crisis in our city,” Ellis said.

“Our police and emergency services are working around the clock and an immense amount of municipal resources are going toward this issue on a daily basis. We need support from the provincial government on how we move forward with this crisis. It is a crisis that is not specific to Belleville, it is a provincial and federal issue.”

There was nothing but smiles at Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home last month when generations came together for the meeting of a Peterborough centenarian and her 12-week-old namesake.

The namesake, Winnie June Rasenberg, took a taxing journey with her mother from Kingston Peninsula in New Brunswick specifically to meet the 101-year-old Winnifred Hunter who inspired her name.

“It was so special,” says the baby’s mother Megan Doughty. “The two of them were just beaming. It was perfect.”

Doughty, who was born and spent most of her life in Peterborough before moving east a year and a half ago, first became acquainted with Hunter at the end of 2021. When a roommate introduced her to Hunter’s niece (who is also named Winnie), Doughty learned the family was searching for someone who could help Hunter and keep her company.

A personal support worker at the time, Doughty took on the role, visiting Hunter once or twice per week at Kawartha Heights Retirement Living to help with shopping and “adorable” requests like delivering chocolate and fresh-cut flowers.

“She always wanted Laughing Cow cheese,” Doughty recalls. “But mostly I would just sit and chat. We would talk politics because she’s very sharp, very engaged, and she’d tell me her stories about her family. We just had this wonderful conversation, and I grew really fond of her.”

“I always looked forward to when she was coming,” Hunter tells kawarthaNOW. “It was a very nice deed.”

Like Doughty, Hunter is a Kawartha native, raised on a farm close to Springville in what was at the time North Monaghan Township. A chemist, Hunter worked in labs all over, including a munitions lab inspecting gunpowder during World War II, a public health lab in Toronto, a cosmetics labs in Edmonton, and the Quaker Oats factory in Peterborough.

She then spent close to 57 years, unmarried, in Dallas, Texas “to get away from the snow for a while,” before moving into Kawartha Heights Retirement Living in 2018.

“She is a fiercely independent woman which is a core value for me, and I wish it for my Winnie,” Doughty says, noting that even now at a 101 years old, Hunter is very self-reliant. “She’s indomitable, and never gives up. I was expecting to see a big change in her this time, but she was just as sparkling as ever.”

Hunter recently moved from Kawartha Heights Retirement Living into Fairhaven after recovering from a COVID-19 infection that put her in the hospital in October, just before her 101st birthday and the same week Doughty’s daughter was born.

Hunter has since “bounced back” and was eager to meet her namesake.

“I was really delighted, pleased, and honoured,” says Hunter, referring to Doughty and her partner naming their firstborn child after her. “It’s lovely to think of the baby out there who will grow up and be called Winnie.”

Doughty is hopeful that her daughter (who is affectionately called “Wee Winnie”) grows up to have more than simply a name in common with Hunter, including her longevity.

“I feel like a big part of Winnie’s longevity is attributed to her very radiant spirit,” says Doughty. “She speaks so genuinely with such a kind heart and has a deep sensitivity for the situation of others.”

It seems Doughty’s wish has come true already, as “Wee Winnie” was more than happy to have met the woman who inspired her name. Already Hunter was sharing stories with the infant and giving advice that only a centenarian can.

“That was lovely of her to bring the baby who was, of course, just a lovely child,” says Hunter. “She was happy the whole time she was here. She’s going to be a lovely little girl.”

“Winnie is such a beaming little soul and already loves to laugh,” Doughty says of her daughter. “She’s so smiley and social and really engaged, and that’s totally who the elder Winnie is in my mind, too. I hope that my Winnie always carries that spirit with her and that sincere positivity.”

While Doughty has many hopes for how Winnie will grow up in the footsteps of her eponym, Hunter has just one simple wish.

“I just hope her to be a kind child,” Hunter says. “I hope they all have a very good life in New Brunswick, enjoy themselves, and continue on their way.”