Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it certainly helps to have passionate, trusted leaders who know what it takes to make things happen.

As the president of the Rotary Club of Peterborough, Betty Halman-Plumley must lead the way to change every day but, as one of only a handful of women to hold the position in the more than a century history of the Club, she is aware that her responsibility as a leader extends well beyond the role of most presidents.

While the Rotary Club of Peterborough — comprised of community members looking to make positive and lasting change — was founded in 1921, its involvement of women does not date quite so far back. Only in 1989 did the club’s constitution change to officially allow women in the club the following year.

Though certainly not eagerly welcomed by all members at the time, Susan Mackle and Eleanor Phillips became the first female members of Peterborough Rotary in 1990, with Mackle later becoming the first female president in 2001-2002. Halman-Plumley is only the fifth female president of the club since then.

Even on a global scale, only in 2022-2023 did Rotary International welcome its first female president: Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland.

As one of the first female leaders of the Rotary Club, Halman-Plumley shares how she manages the pressure of leadership, the importance of inclusion, and how she manages to do it all while wearing heels and her best lipstick.

I don’t see it as a burden, I see it as a light I’m drawn to.

As the oldest of four children born within five years, perhaps it’s not surprising that Halman-Plumley knows she was “meant to be a CEO or leader.”

Or perhaps it’s not surprising because, no matter the sector she has worked in — from her current role as a division manager with IG Wealth Management, to having been the program director for Ontario Early Years Centre, to being past president of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough — she has always been leading the way.

“They have all been about supporting teams and being really focused on how we’re moving forward,” she says of her past roles. “All my experiences together just builds and grows from that.”

Despite how natural leadership comes to her, it was not lost on Halman-Plumley just how significant the role of Rotary Club president would be when she stepped into the position in 2023. Having been a member of the club for upwards of a decade, she knew how meaningful it was to fill the role as a woman.

“I don’t take it for granted,” she says. “I think about it a lot and I’ve always thought about it through my daughter, and now my granddaughters. How do I want to show up for them? I want people to be proud and I want people to say, ‘Look at her, look at this woman doing it, and she’s passionate and has a heart for this’.”

While that alone could be more than enough pressure for a lot of people to bear, Halman-Plumley does not let the weight get to her, but rather lets it motivate her.

“I think about it a lot, about who I am and who is watching, but I don’t see it as a burden,” she says. “I see it as a light that I’m drawn to at an impossible way.”

You have to take care of yourself first.

Between being a mother and grandmother, to working and being an active community member, it’s not difficult to see that Halman-Plumley is a very, very busy woman. But she’s more than okay with that because she loves everything she does.

“Women can do it. We can juggle a lot of things,” she says. “When you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work.”

That said, she is certainly familiar with stress and has had times of being overwhelmed and getting in over her head.

“When I was in college, I did have a time of burnout, and I’ve had times where I’ve been exhausted,” she recalls. “I learned so much from that and now I’m very aware of what that feels and looks like.”

“You have to take care of yourself first,” she adds, noting that rest is especially important when it comes to leading others. “Rest your mind, body, and spirit, and then build on that.”

For Halman-Plumley, taking care of herself means daily walks and taking the time to be quiet, reflect and reconnect. But, she adds, it also means surrounding herself with people who support her, whether it’s personally from having a network of women she can travel and go for dinner with, to professionally surrounding herself with those who keep her grounded.

“I’ve had great coaches many times in my life and coaches are phenomenal because they help you focus and move towards your goals,” she says. “I really believe in coaches.”

Similarly, both in her profession and the Rotary Club of Peterborough, she notes that leadership can only go so far. It’s the team who really makes things happen.

“At IG, I have a great team that supports me and my clients,” she says. “And with Rotary, there’s a great board and great people around that. As the president, I say ‘Here’s where we need to be moving’ and steering the ship, but everyone is all hands on deck all the time.”

We need the combination of experience with fresh ideas

One of the things Halman-Plumley values most in her work with IG Wealth Management is legacy planning through intergenerational wisdom and connecting with family members.

Proving just how much her leadership roles build off each other, this is a philosophy she similarly brings into her community work by encouraging not only women but people of all ages and expertise to join Rotary.

“We need the combination of experienced Rotarians and newer Rotarians working together,” she says. “I’m such a believer that we need to bring the wealth of experience and knowledge and passion from people have been involved in Rotary way longer than I have, but then also the fresh, new, and other ideas that new Rotarians bring. You need them both.”

The idea of bringing in all views and perspectives was also a priority when Halman-Plumley started different programs for the Ontario Early Years Centre, and one that she will likely continue well beyond her time as Rotary Club president.

“I think that’s just how I’ve always been, and that’s who I am,” she says. “The philosophy is let’s build on the experience and wealth of knowledge that we have and bring in the new, different ideas and perspectives and have it all come together.”

Be yourself.

One of the best compliments Halman-Plumley ever received was being told she brings an “intelligent mind and beautiful heart” to the position, and that’s exactly what she strives to do each day.

“Being in this position sometimes means having important conversations with people and, other times, it’s also having compassion, so it’s who am I as Betty and also who I am as a woman,” she says, noting that it means not shying away from being a feminine leader — even if it means, she jokes, being the first Rotary president to reapply her lipstick before introducing a speaker.

“What I love about this world of inclusiveness is I feel I can be myself. I can be a woman that puts on lipstick and wears high heels and loves to get dressed up and be a feminine woman, while also being in a leadership role.”

As a music lover, adding a bit of herself in the role even includes encouraging speakers to dance their way to the podium.

“I want people to leave feeling so excited and happy and passionate and proud to be a Rotarian and thinking ‘I want to join this amazing group’,” she says.

But just as she is able to expertly balance all aspects of her life, Halman-Plumley finds a way to balance the fun and the work in the Rotary Club. As president, she had prioritized developing their strategic plan and looking to add to the lineup of legacy projects like Five Counties Children’s Centre, Camp Kawartha, and the Rotary Greenway Trail.

“What I love is you can go anywhere in the world and you’re part of a big family in the Rotary Club,” Halman-Plumley says. “As Betty, I can only do so much, but collectively as a club in Peterborough, and internationally, we can have a bigger impact. Some Rotarians are so generous with their time and money, it’s incredible, but they also know that that’s pooled with other Rotarians to make an impact.”

For more information about the Rotary Club of Peterborough, visit www.peterboroughrotary.ca. For membership inquiries, email membership@peterboroughrotary.ca.

A day after he was charged with several vehicle thefts and released from custody, a 26-year-old Peterborough man was arrested again for stealing from vehicles.

On Wednesday morning (April 17), police received a call from a resident about a man rummaging through a vehicle on Perry Street in downtown Peterborough. After arriving, officers conducted a search of the area and located a man matching the description provided to police. The man tried to run, but was taken into custody.

When searching the suspect after the arrest, officers located a makeshift device believed to be used to break vehicle windows as well as stolen items, some of which police have since returned to their owners as a result of online reports filed on April 13.

The accused man, who was also wanted on a warrant and bound by a probation order to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, was arrested and charged with four counts of theft under $5,000, four counts of mischief under $5,000, four counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and four counts of failing to comply with a probation order.

The accused man appeared in court later on Wednesday.

The following night at around 10:15 p.m., officers were called to the Hunter Street East and Mark Street area in East City after a concerned citizen reported a man who appeared to be trying to get into vehicles. After arriving, officers conducted a search of the area and located a man matching the description provided to police.

While speaking to the man, officers located items they believed did not belong to him. The man then tried to run and was taken into custody. During a search after the arrest, officers found about four dozen items believed to have been taken from vehicles.

The suspect was then charged with possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and failing to comply with a probation order. The accused man is being held in custody and will appear in court on Friday.

Police are continuing their investigation and are currently going through the items believed to have been stolen.

Kawartha Lakes has something to chirp about.

Nature Canada recently certified the City of Kawartha Lakes as a “Bird Friendly City.”

A bird-friendly city is described as a community where threats to birds are reduced, and nature is restored so native bird populations can thrive. Residents are actively engaged in admiring and monitoring local bird populations, and organizations host events to protect birds. Certification entails meeting standards to keep birds safe.

Kawartha Lakes has announced it has been awarded Bird Friendly City certification as of March 22, 2024.

“We are thrilled that Nature Canada has awarded us entry level Bird Friendly City certification,” said Kawartha Lakes Councillor Pat Warren in a media release.

“It is a recognition of the commitment to a healthy environment expressed in our strategic plan and the bird conservation efforts of many organizations within our municipality. Along with our Bird Friendly City neighbours — City of Peterborough and Selwyn Township — we look forward to continuing this important work.”

The Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes (BFKL) group submitted an application on behalf of the municipality in February 2024. The BFKL consists of representatives from the Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee, Kawartha Conservation, Kawartha Land Trust, Fleming College, Kawartha Field Naturalists, Kawartha Wildlife Centre, and Kawartha Bird Control.

VIDEO: Bird Friendly City – Nature Canada

Thomas Luloff, who represents the BFKL team, is the academic quality assurance lead and a professor in the school of environmental and natural resources sciences at Fleming College’s Frost campus in Lindsay, and he also serves as board chair of the Kawartha Wildlife Centre.

Luloff recently shared why receiving a bird-friendly city designation is important.

“Becoming a certified bird-friendly city is not just a title; it’s a significant milestone for our community,” Luloff told kawarthaNOW. “It underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship and highlights our dedication to preserving the natural beauty and biodiversity that makes Kawartha Lakes so unique.”

“By creating bird-friendly habitats, reducing light pollution, and advocating for responsible pet ownership, we are not only protecting our feathered residents but also enhancing the overall quality of life for all inhabitants of our city,” Luloff continued.

“Birds play a vital role in our ecosystem, from controlling insect populations to pollinating plants, and by safeguarding their habitats, we are ensuring the health and balance of our environment.”

Speaking of birds, Kawartha Lakes is currently running a contest that invites residents to vote for one of 11 birds to be named “Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes 2024 Bird of the Year.” The online contest aims to showcase the diversity of local bird species and inspire action to protect and conserve birds at the same time.

There will be two rounds of voting, with the first round closing on Migratory Bird Day, which is Saturday, May 11. The top five birds will move on to the second round of voting, which will close on Friday, June 28.

These are the 11 birds on the docket: the northern cardinal, the black-capped chickadee, the American goldfinch, the barred owl, the red-winged blackbird, the tree swallow, the eastern loggerhead shrike, the osprey, the downy woodpecker, the blue jay, and the barn swallow. As of the date of this story, 362 votes have been cast, with the osprey in the lead closely pursued by the northern cardinal and the barred owl.

During the second round of voting, the Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes social media accounts will feature fun facts about each of the five birds and why they’re important to the community.

The official Kawartha Lakes’ Bird of the Year, as voted by participants, will be revealed on June 30.

To find out more about the competition and to vote, visit the Jump In Kawartha Lakes website at jumpinkawarthalakes.ca/bird2024. You need to register for a free account to cast a vote.

The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) is alerting parents and caregivers that there are confirmed cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

As a result, HKPRDHU is reminding parents and guardians to ensure their children’s immunizations are up to date and on file with the local health unit.

Pertussis is a serious bacterial infection that affects the throat and lungs. It was one of the most common childhood diseases and a cause of child mortality in the 20th century. Routine childhood immunization for pertussis, along with protection from polio, tetanus and diphtheria, has significantly decreased the number of cases of the disease.

Whooping cough can be introduced to communities through travel to countries with lower rates of vaccination, and it can circulate among those who are unvaccinated, under vaccinated, or those whose vaccine effectiveness has decreased over time, HKPRDHU noted in a media release.

It is very contagious and spreads via droplets from the noses and mouths of those who are infected, HKPRDHU said. While anyone can get whooping cough, it is most dangerous for children under the age of one year, and pregnant women.

“Immunization remains the best way to protect your child or yourself from getting sick with pertussis,” said Dr. Natalie Bocking, CEO and medical officer of health for HKPRDHU.

“Please familiarize yourself with the symptoms of pertussis and seek medical care if your child has these symptoms. Pertussis can be treated with antibiotics. Lastly, and most importantly, always ensure your child’s routine vaccinations are up to date and have been reported to the local public health unit.”

Once a person is infected by pertussis it can take up to 20 days for them to develop symptoms. The bacterial infection begins like a cold, with a very runny nose.

After a few days, the typical irritating cough begins that becomes more frequent and severe. Coughing may be followed by a “whoop” sound before the next breath.

The coughing can be so aggressive that it causes children to vomit or have trouble breathing, HKPRDHU noted. The cough is usually severe for two to three weeks and then starts to get better, but it can last up to one to two months.

Diagnosed cases of pertussis are treated with antibiotics.

In Ontario, a vaccine series to prevent pertussis is started in infancy with booster doses in adolescence and adulthood. HKPRDHU asks parents and caregivers to check their own immunization records, as they may be eligible for a publicly funded pertussis-containing vaccine when the next booster is due.

HKPRDHU is holding immunization clinics for students or people who do not have a health care provider. To book an appointment, call 1-866-888-4577, extension 1507, or visit the HKPRDHU’s immunization clinics web page.

According to the Government of Canada, pertussis is a disease that happens year-round everywhere in the world.

In Canada, between 1,000 and 3,000 people annually fall ill from pertussis. Worldwide, there are about 20 to 40 million cases of whooping cough and 400,000 deaths from pertussis each year.

Without treatment, pertussis can last for weeks or months, and can cause brain damage or even death, the federal government noted. “It is important that you and your children receive all of your vaccinations for protection of yourself and others.”

For more information about whooping cough, including what it sounds like, visit the Government of Canada’s pertussis web page.

Peterborough city staff are recommending the annual Canada Day parade be cancelled and the $20,000 budgeted for the parade in 2024 instead be devoted to alternative events.

A report to be presented to city council at its general committee meeting on Monday (April 22) states the parade “is no longer a sustainable activity” due to a decline in the number of float entries over the past five years.

“Staff are instead planning for a wider range of alternative events that are a better use of budgeted funds, are more easily managed, and are suited to draw interest from the public,” states the report from community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman.

According to the report, the number of float entries has declined since the pandemic. In 2019, there were 56 float entries, although only 16 participated due to heat and humidity. The parade was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and, when it resumed in 2022, saw only 21 float entries that year and only 25 in 2023.

In comparison, the 2023 Santa Claus parade had move than 60 float entries.

“Considering the costs associated with road closures and the lower float participation numbers the parade is no longer either financially or logistically sustainable as a part of the Canada Day celebrations,” reads the report, noting that the city does not employ staff directly to run events and recreation and park staff have to manage them in addition to their regular job duties.

Instead, the city plans to host a number of other activities on Canada Day, including:

• A mid-morning family-friendly event at Millennium Park, offering several activities such as face painting, music and performers, Zumba, games, try-it activities, and refreshments.
• An afternoon family-friendly music show and entertainment on the stage at Del Crary Park prior to the scheduled Peterborough Musicfest concert in the evening.
• An evening fireworks event following the Peterborough Musicfest concert.

According to the report, a city staff working group was created to review previous Canada Day celebrations. The group consulted with community partners at the New Canadians Centre — which hosts annual multicultural celebrations that culminate on Canada Day — to review the proposed recommendations. Staff at the New Canadians Centre supported the recommendations and provided resources and contacts.

The group also consulted with representatives of Peterborough Musicfest about a city-run afternoon family-friendly music event prior to the evening concert. According to the report, festival organizers and the festival’s sound provider supported the afternoon event.

As for fireworks over Little Lake on Canada Day, another staff report to be presented to general committee on Monday is recommending the fireworks platform in Little Lake be decommissioned and disposed of, with fireworks displays launched from the T wharf and other approved sites instead.

According to the report from acting municipal operations commissioner Jen McFarlane and community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman, the Little Lake fireworks platform has failed several times in the past — most recently in January 2023 when it broke free of its moorings due to high water levels and drifted away, “risking catastrophic damage to critical infrastructure” including the Little Lake fountain.

City staff and a contractor were able to recover the platform and tow it to land, where it remained, with the Canada Day fireworks display for 2023 launched from the T wharf at a lower cost. Because it was no longer in use, the city did not insure the platform in 2023, saving around $2,000 in annual premiums.

“If returned to Little Lake the fireworks platform will incur significant cost, and continued liability to the city’s fountain, as well as other assets on the Trent Severn Waterway,” the report states.

The report notes the estimated engineering costs to review and design a permanent platform would be $10,000 along with additional costs for anchoring and installation, for a total of $14,680, as well as insurance costs estimated at $2,000 per year.

The report adds that, although city staff have received suggestions that the platform could be repurposed as a dock for boats or for swimming, doing so would require additional costs that would exceed the costs of a dock designed and built for those purposes.

Compared to the challenge of living with Parkinson’s disease, climbing to the summit of the world’s fourth-highest mountain peak is a walk in the park, figuratively but literally as well.

Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, to be exact, where Peterborough resident Patrick Steeves will find himself this coming August as a member of a small Team Fox contingent that will trek 19,341 feet to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

As a fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, each member of the team — Steeves included — is required to fundraise a minimum of $10,000 for continued research into the neurological disorder that, this year alone, will see 6,000 new cases diagnosed in Canada.

Back in 2018, Steeves, then age 48, knew something wasn’t right.

“I had facial paralysis and I was drooling,” recalls the longtime high school math teacher. “I’d go to the doctor and it was always an allergic reaction or Bell’s palsy. After about the third or fourth visit, they were like ‘This needs to be looked at.'”

Steeves’ initial Parkinson’s diagnosis was confirmed in April 2022, at which point he immediately underwent LSVT Big physiotherapy. Medications also became part his new reality.

An acronym for Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, LSVT Big trains people with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions to move differently via gestures and actions that are smaller and slower.

“Luckily someone offers it here in Peterborough,” says Steeves. “It made me more active and easier to do things that typically I would be kind of hunched up doing. It encourages a better posture. It exaggerates your movements which makes them not so small when you’re actually doing them.”

“Everyone (diagnosed) has a different outlook in how things will turn out for them. Because I’m fairly young, it means my symptoms may stay at bay longer. One thing they recommend is a lot of exercise at the beginning. That seems to delay some of the symptoms.”

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves. Symptoms start slowly and gradually worsen as the condition progresses over time. Although there’s no cure, medication and rehabilitation can improve symptoms.

With encouragement and support from his wife Marcia and their two teen daughters, Steeves continued his therapy. In addition, he educated himself via information sessions and webinars offered through the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research website. In March 2023, that led to his receiving an email that introduced him to a truly once-in-a-life opportunity.

“They were looking for participants for this trip to Tanzania in August. It would be an eight-day climb (of Mount Kilimanjaro). ‘Would there be any interest?’ I said ‘Yes, I’d like to talk about this,’ thinking there would be an application process. That phone call ended up being the application and I was accepted.”

“I did a lot of research. What was intriguing is it (the climb) is not technical. There’s no rappelling. There’s no climbing around ice sheets. It’s more of a very long hike. But altitude is the concern I’ll have to deal with.”

Joining Steeves for the August 8 to 18 adventure will be three others diagnosed with Parkinson’s and a representative of the foundation. As for the $10,000 in pledges Steeves is required to raise, the first $3,500 of that is due on May with the total amount expected by October 4.

“It (fundraising) has been by word of mouth and through Facebook. It has been through the interoffice mail here (at Adam Scott Collegiate) and with the school board. I’m also a member of the Masonic Lodge, so it was in a monthly bulletin that went out to the entire district.”

As for travel costs and other incidentals, Steeves has to cover that out of pocket, making it clear every cent of the $10,000 he raises will go directly to where it’s intended.

In preparation for the climb, Steeves has ramped up his activity.

“I’m not overly active … I do like to sit and watch TV. But I’ve been doing a lot more walking, adding some hills to my walks. I did weight training after surgery I had last year, so there’s still a lot of that going on.”

“My wife likes to tell me to take a hike, so she was very happy for me to sign onto this — extremely supportive. The same with our kids. They thought it was a bit of a joke at the beginning — ‘Oh yeah, real funny Dad’ — but now they’re kind of warmed up to it.”

Established in 2000, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s through an aggressively funded research agenda as well as further development of improved therapies for those living daily with the disease.

The foundation’s Alberta-born namesake — an awarded and much-loved TV and film actor, author and activist — was diagnosed in 1991 at age 29. He later retired from acting to focus fulltime on advocacy and fundraising, with the foundation he founded raising more than $1.75 billion to date. A documentary about Fox’s life was released last year.

VIDEO: “Still – A Michael J. Fox Movie” trailer

Team Fox, meanwhile, is the foundation’s grassroots member-driven fundraising arm. Since 2006, events held worldwide have raised more than $110 million, all with the foundation’s support.

“There doesn’t seem to be any skeletons in his closet,” says Steeves of Fox’s global appeal as the foundation’s driving force.

“He’s that face that people trust because they know, in his youth, how active he was. They see him and they think ‘Wow, look at this guy. He’s still doing it.”

Not unlike many who have been diagnosed, Steeves shares something with Fox: both were diagnosed at an age that is far younger than that of those whom many typically affiliate the disease with. According to the foundation, only one in five diagnosed experience symptoms before the age of 50.

“I think people, when they hear the word Parkinson’s, equate it somebody in a nursing home or somebody who is bedridden or someone that isn’t very active, but there are teenagers exhibiting symptoms,” says Steeves. “Things were causing me issues, but I never thought it could be Parkinson’s. It just didn’t come to mind at all.”

Now, looking forward rather than back, Steeves can’t wait for the climb, but admits to some “trepidation.”

“It’s like, oh my goodness, I’m going to Africa. I’m going to be dumped at an airport I’m not familiar with, all by myself until I meet the other people. Visas, passports, the plane fare, plus I’m working full time and trying to get an exercise program in to make sure I’m ready. It’s a lot. It’s keeping me busy.”

Saying his diagnosis “might raise me into retirement a little faster” than planned, Steeves says there’s no definitive long-range plan in terms of undertaking a similar adventure beyond the August trek.

“I’m fairly healthy now but I don’t know if I can participate in it (the climb) again next year. I want to take advantage now while I can do it.”

For more information about the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, visit www.michaeljfox.org.

Meanwhile, to donate to Team Fox in support of Steeves, visit tinyurl.com/PatrickSteeves.

Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region’s ReStore location on Braidwood Avenue will be closing on June 15.

The non-profit organization announced on Wednesday (April 17) that its lease is ending on the building that houses one of its two Peterborough ReStores — home improvement and building supply stores that sell gently used building materials, furniture, appliances, and home décor items.

While Habitat has been searching for a suitable new location for the ReStore at 550 Braidwood Avenue — known as the Peterborough South ReStore — in advance of the end of the lease, it has been unable to find one.

In addition to the Peterborough South ReStore, Habitat operates the Peterborough North ReStore at 300 Milroy Drive and the Lindsay ReStore at 55 Angeline Street North. Sales at the ReStores fund Habitat’s operations to help local families and individuals have access to safe, decent, and affordable homeownership.

Originally located at 780 Erskine Avenue, the Peterborough South ReStore moved to 550 Braidwood Avenue in 2014, in the large industrial building that also houses Global Point Logistics, which owns the property.

Global Point Logistics is planning to build a 77-unit residential development in vacant land at the northeast corner of the intersection of Braidwood Avenue and Monaghan Road. The development, which would include a four-storey apartment building and townhouses, was approved by Peterborough city council last June.

While Habitat says the closure of Peterborough South ReStore will not affect its operations, the organization is encouraging the community to continue supporting Habitat’s work by shopping at the Peterborough North ReStore and the Lindsay ReStore. Any donations to Habitat should also be redirected to one of these two ReStores.

A store-wide end-of-lease sale at the Braidwood Avenue location will begin on Monday, April 22nd, with 50 per cent off all items.

Habitat is continuing the search for an available commercial space to replace the Peterborough South Restore, and is asking anyone with information to contact them at info@habitatpkr.ca or 705-874-0201.

Bringing care closer to children and families is one of the goals of a recent move by Five Counties Children’s Centre to open a more permanent location in Haliburton County.

The organization serving children with special needs has signed a new lease for space at the Minden site of Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS), located at 6 McPherson Street.

The renovated, approximately 700-square-foot space is just off the main entrance, situated on the second floor of the community health wing of the HHHS site.

Bill Eekhof, spokesperson for Five Counties Children’s Centre, told kawarthaNOW there are a few wins in terms of the biggest benefits of having this space.

“It means that Five Counties will have a more permanent and prominent location in Haliburton County — as we’re fortunate to have at the HHHS site in Minden — that makes it easier for us to serve and support kids and families in the community,” Eekhof said.

“It means families in Haliburton County can get care closer to home without the need to drive to Lindsay or Peterborough to get it.”

Five Counties said “it’s a homecoming of sorts” as it re-establishes the centre’s physical presence in Haliburton County, and the space will ultimately allow Five Counties staff to see and support more kids, youth and families in Haliburton County.

“We are pleased to reach agreement with (HHHS) on this space,” said Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties Children’s Centre, in a media release.

Five Counties has previously leased another portion of the HHHS site in Minden. That arrangement came to an end when HHHS had to reclaim the space during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“HHHS is delighted to welcome Five Counties Children’s Centre back into our building,” said Veronica Nelson, president and CEO of HHHS.

“Five Counties’ dedication to the community through therapy and treatment services to support children with physical, developmental, and communication needs and their families, is inspiring. HHHS looks forward to a continued partnership with Five Counties to bring health and well-being to our younger local population.”

Five Counties provides speech, occupational, and physical therapies, as well as other kids’ treatment services, in Haliburton County, Peterborough County, City of Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland County.

Five Counties staff work in centre sites in Minden, Lindsay, Peterborough, Cobourg and Campbellford, as well as in local schools and virtually to support children and youth from birth up to age 19 (or age 21 if still in school).

Five Counties was established in Peterborough in 1975 but has supported families in Haliburton County since the late 1980s. Last year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth across its region — the most in its history. Of this total, nearly 250 kids and youth received treatment services in Haliburton County.

“We know that early intervention — especially when it comes to how a child talks or walks — is so important to help kids reach their full potential,” Pepin said.

“Parents and caregivers are dealing with so much already if their child has been diagnosed or identified with unique needs that impact their development. That’s why making it easier for families to get the help they need when they need right in their own community is essential.”

Post-pandemic, Five Counties had been searching for a new space in Haliburton County. In the past year or so, Five Counties opened a new satellite location at Archie Stouffer Elementary School in Minden, using a repurposed classroom for treatment space. That space has been useful as a base of operations for Five Counties staff to see local families and provide treatment in area schools, the centre noted.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Trillium Lakelands District School Board, which has been very generous in allowing us to use the classroom space as a way to see kids, students and families right here in their own community,” Pepin said.

Even with Five Counties moving into the HHHS site in Minden, the centre will continue to use the space at Archie Stouffer school for physiotherapy services, as the wider space there is ideal for this treatment.

Plans are in the works later this spring to hold an official public open house to mark the return of Five Counties to the HHHS site in Minden.