A Toronto man has been arrested and faces multiple charges connection with a moving scam.

On Sunday (July 13), Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call from a person moving to Peterborough who was in the process of being asked to pay more money by a mover they had hired.

The complainant advised police they had hired a mover who had quoted a low price to move them from Vaughan to Peterborough. The complainant was following the moving truck when it pulled over and the driver demanded more money before completing the delivery. The complainant told the mover they needed to contact their bank, but instead called the OPP.

Peterborough County OPP officers arrived on the scene and blocked the moving truck from being able to drive off. Officers spoke with the driver who was arrested shortly after. After the moving truck was taken to to the complainant’s residence to be offloaded, the vehicle was impounded by police.

Police arrested and charged 40-year-old Brandon Daniels of Toronto with fraud under $5,000, failure to have an insurance card, failure to carry a commercial vehicle operator’s registration (CVOR) or lease, failure to accurately complete a daily inspection report, failure to ensure the daily inspection report is accurately completed, failure to surrender a permit for a motor vehicle, driving a motor vehicle with no currently validated commercial vehicle permit, operating an unsafe commercial vehicle, and driving a motor vehicle with cannabis readily available.

The accused man is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on August 19.

The Peterborough County OPP is reminding that these types of scams happen on a regular basis and can be avoided by following these simple tips. If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. Do your research before agreeing to hire a contractor and read any fine print in any contracts. If you have concerns that it might be a scam, call your local police service.

The OPP urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious offers or suspicious contractor activity.

f you believe you have been targeted by a scam, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

The Arrowsmith School building in Peterborough was devastated by a fire early Monday morning (July 14). Local resident David Horwood provided kawarthaNOW with photos of the fire and the resulting damage.

At around 2:19 a.m., Douro-Dummer Fire Services (DDFS) received a call for a structure fire at 366 Parkhill Road East, just east of the City of Peterborough.

The first arriving crew observed fire had spread through the second storey of the structure, and flames were visible above the roof.

Over 25 firefighters worked throughout the early hours of the morning to extinguish the initial fire, and into Monday afternoon fighting hotspots.

Peterborough County Ontario Provincial (OPP) closed Parkhill Road East between Leahy’s Lane and Kingsdale Drive while fire crews battled the blaze. A residence west of the structure was evacuated as a precaution, and the occupants were able to return to their home on Monday.

The Arrowsmith School building was not occupied at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire and the dollar loss to the property have yet to be determined.

“DDFS crews responded quickly and worked hard to bring the fire under control, and as a result the fire did not spread to nearby structures,” DDFS deputy fire chief Derrick Huffman said in a media release. “We are grateful for the time and effort that our firefighters dedicate to preparing for events like this.”

The Arrowsmith School is a private school in Toronto for children in Grades 1 to 12 with learning disabilities. The original Arrowsmith School was founded in Toronto in 1980 by Barbara Arrowsmith Young, and a second location was opened in May 2005 in Peterborough.

The school closed its Peterborough location in June 2021.

This story has been updated with information from a media release from Douro-Dummer Fire Services.

Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory in Peterborough is once again aiming to set up 200 area children for a successful school year by equipping them with a backpack of school essentials.

The firm is launching its fourth annual “Gear Up for Good” campaign, which is an initiative that aims to supply under-served children in Peterborough with what they need to head back to school.

“Every child deserves the chance to excel in their education,” said founder and CEO Robert Gauvreau in a statement. “We are grateful for the incredible support from our community and partners. The goal remains the same, but our drive to make an even greater impact has never been stronger.”

Launched in 2021, the annual campaign has grown ever year, with last year’s campaign resulting in 208 fully stocked backpacks.

“We are calling on everyone to come together once again to hit our 200 fully stocked backpack goal,” a media release noted.

Once again, the backpacks will be distributed to children through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough and the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Foundation.

Items needed include backpacks, lunch bags and sandwich containers, water bottles, pens, crayons, pencils, pencil cases, pencil sharpeners and erasers, markers and highlighters, scissors, calculators, and more.

Donations can be made through the campaign’s Amazon wish list at bit.ly/GearUpForGood2025 or dropped off at Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory at 150 King Street West, Suite 100, by 1 p.m. on Monday, August 11. Backpacks will be distributed on Friday, August 22.

As part of the initiative, Union Barber is providing haircuts and Domino’s Pizza is offering a free pizza to each family that receives a backpack.

In addition to the help of community members, Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory is also looking for additional support from businesses, which could include providing snacks, water bottles, backpacks, and supplies.

Ahead of last year’s drive, Robert Gauvreau told kawarthaNOW the annual Gear Up for Good campaign aims to help students “start the school year with success and a quick win — a haircut, a pizza dinner, and a fully stocked backpack.”

“Many of these kids, as we know, are coming from unfortunate situations and don’t necessarily have the means to get fit and ready for the school season, so to do that for them would be a huge win,” he said.

As rates of poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity continue to rise, people are looking for hope — and action — when it comes to tackling these key socioeconomic issues in their own backyard.

That’s the message the Basic Income Peterborough Network resoundingly hears from Peterborough residents, so it’s creating a space for connection, reflection, and more by hosting the Hope Festival from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 at Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough.

Supported by the United Way Peterborough & District’s Neighbourhood Fund and Peterborough Public Health, the Hope Festival follows the monthly “Hope Series” that the Basic Income Peterborough Network launched last October.

Each workshop was held in partnership with a local activist or advocacy group working on a different issue to draw connections between the work of those groups, and the Basic Income Peterborough Network’s own efforts towards a national basic income guarantee.

“We hope that people will leave the festival with a sense of joy, some new knowledge, hopefully new conversations with people they didn’t know, a sense of what they feel is key to fostering hope at the community level and some curiosity or maybe even a desire to participate in our next step,” Joëlle Favreau, coordinator of the Basic Income Peterborough Network, told kawarthaNOW.

Rooted in the values of hope, dignity, belonging, equity, and social justice, the event aims to bring together individuals, families, and community organizations “to reimagine a more inclusive and compassionate Peterborough,” according to a media release.

“We have been asking people of all ages what helps them gain a sense of hope and overwhelmingly, we heard that hope is connected to action,” Favreau said. “People want to know that something is being done about the issues that matter to them.”

To help facilitate that action, the festival will feature the “Hope Vision Board” through which participants can share one “ingredient” that they feel is essential to cultivating hope within the community.

Everyone is also encouraged to participate by bringing a personal object — such as a poem, drawing, photograph, or meaningful artifact — to add to the “Hope Gallery” and help shape the collective vision board with objects that represent hope, dignity, belonging, or equity.

The Hope Festival will also feature interactive activities led by local community groups doing transformative work and commissioned art projects celebrating creativity, resilience, and collaboration.

“This festival is more than just a gathering — it’s about planting the seeds of collective change,” said Favreau in a statement.

“By coming together to learn about the amazing work taking place in our community, be transformed by participatory art projects, and share what we need to gain hope, we are reminding ourselves and each other that a better future is possible — one built on dignity and mutual care.”

When asked about the next steps, Favreau said the Basic Income Peterborough Network plans to host another event in October to unveil a video that one artist will be creating with participants at the festival.

“We will also share what we learned from the vision board and explore whether there is some appetite to establish a Hope Coalition,” Favreau said. “This coalition will be informed by the various ingredients identified by participants.”

As for the July event, organizers invite advocates, artists, and people looking to connect to join them “to dream, share, and build community together.”

For more information about the Basic Income Peterborough Network and the Hope Festival, and to volunteer at the festival, visit basicincomepeterborough.ca.