As she takes the reins of Peterborough County-City Paramedics (PCCP), Patricia Bromfield says her top priorities will be supporting Peterborough patients and visitors, along with fellow paramedics and staff.

Bromfield was named as the new chief of PCCP earlier this month. Former chief Randy Mellow announced in December 2023 his upcoming retirement at the end of 2024. With the desire to achieve a seamless transition, Peterborough County council approved a comprehensive succession plan.

Over the next nine months, Bromfield said she’ll be focusing on collaborating closely with Mellow.

“I am very thankful to Peterborough County council for endorsing this remarkable opportunity for a seamless transition,” Bromfield told kawarthaNOW. “It’s a privilege for me to learn from (Mellow), a revered figure and steadfast advocate in this profession.”

In the days ahead, the chief said she aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the historical milestones and future objectives of PCCP, and align those with Peterborough County’s new strategic plan.

However, people will be Bromfield’s top priority.

“Stepping into the role of chief at PCCP, my foremost commitment is to continue to support the needs of the citizens and visitors we service and continue to foster the well-being of our outstanding team of paramedics and supervisory staff,” she said.

Bromfield assumed the role of deputy chief of operations at Peterborough County in the fall of 2022. Before her tenure with the county, she served as the deputy chief of operations at the City of Kawartha Lakes. She also built a substantial paramedic career with the City of Toronto.

“The appointment of (Bromfield) underscores Peterborough County’s commitment to investing in the professional development of its employees and exemplifying its dedication to providing opportunities for growth within the organization, Peterborough County noted in a media release.

“The county looks forward to a continued legacy of exceptional paramedic services under the leadership of (Bromfield).”

Mellow congratulated the chief and welcomed Bromfield into her new role.

“Patricia possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge having progressed through various frontline and leadership roles throughout her career,” Mellow, senior director of emergency and shared services/deputy CAO, said in the media release. “Her experience and passion for supportive leadership and innovation will be an asset to our team and community.”

Sheridan Graham, county CAO and deputy clerk, deputy treasurer, concurred with Mellow.

“Patricia is a proven leader in her field,” Graham said. “Her extensive paramedic services experience with our service, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and the City of Toronto will serve her well as our new chief.”

In addition to working closely with Mellow, Bromfield said she looks forward to collaborating with the county’s leadership team and partners.

“It is a privilege for me to have the opportunity to work alongside some of Canada’s finest paramedics, leaders, and support staff.”

A proposed new City of Peterborough by-law for a new portfolio chair system for city councillors would give chairs the power to establish or dissolve citizen advisory committees.

At city council’s general committee meeting on Tuesday (February 20), Mayor Jeff Leal brought forward a proposed by-law that would reduce the number of portfolios, while also recommending the assignment of councillors to each of the new portfolios.

“It does appear to me that our portfolios should mirror (the commissioners who lead city departments) and of course the various divisions within those commissioners’ responsibility,” Leal said, first referring to an earlier presentation by city commissioners and senior staff about the city’s organizational structure.

“This is about improving governance in the City of Peterborough,” Leal added. “I reflect back in 1985 when we had a budget of about $85 million all in and now, in 2024, we have a budget that’s approaching half a billion dollars. So basically we have in place today the same governance structure that we had back in 1985.”

The proposed by-law would reduce the number of portfolios from 17 to six and, instead of assigning two councillors as a chair and vice chair for each portfolio as in the past, would assign two councillors as co-chairs for each portfolio.

The existing portfolios are: arenas, parks and recreation; arts, culture and heritage; development and construction; diversity; economic development; environment and climate change; finance; fire services; homelessness; housing; planning; public works; seniors; social services; transportation; waste management; and youth.

The new portfolios would be: community services – arts and culture, library services and social services (housing); community services – recreation and parks, fire services and arenas; finance and corporate support services; infrastructure, planning and growth management; legislative services; and municipal operations.

PDF: Portfolio Chairs By-law, COU24-001
Portfolio Chairs By-law, COU24-001

During the meeting, councillor Keith Riel decried a lack of prior consultation about the proposed assignments of councillors to the new portfolios, stating “I was never consulted, but I’m being volun-told now exactly where I’m going to be placed.” Riel’s motion to defer a vote on the proposed by-law until there could a group meeting for further discussion was defeated 9-2, with councillor Dave Haacke begin the only other councillor to support Riel’s motion.

While almost all councillors supported moving forward immediately with the mayor’s new portfolio system, none discussed a section of the proposed by-law that would give them a new authority over the advisory committees that provide advice to council and city staff and include citizens who are appointed to the committees.

Section 9 of the proposed by-law states that a portfolio chair may “strike and dissolve advisory committees comprised of such individuals other than city staff as the portfolio chair considers appropriate to advise the portfolio chair respecting matters related to the portfolio.”

Although councillor Kevin Duguay put forward a friendly amendment to change a word in section 9 from “strike” to “establish” (as he was concerned the former word had negative connotations), there was no other discussion about section 9, including how it could affect the governance of existing or future advisory committees.

The proposed by-law would delay implementation of section 9 until a later date “to permit staff an opportunity to report back respecting the status and roles of the city’s current advisory committees,” at which point council would have to amend the by-law to put section 9 into effect. There was no additional detail or discussion about the nature of the staff report.

There are currently seven advisory committees: the Accessibility Advisory Committee; the Arenas, Parks, and Recreation Advisory Committee; the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee; the Community Investment Grant Advisory Committee; the Museum & Archives Advisory Committee; the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee; and the Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee.

The existing advisory committees were originally established by council through individual by-laws, but these by-laws were rescinded and replaced in 2022 with a new advisory committee by-law (22-088) that consolidated the mandates and meeting procedures contained in the previous individual by-laws into a single by-law, and included a schedule containing the terms of reference for each of the existing committees. City council passed the by-law at the end of its December 12, 2022 meeting with no discussion.

That by-law maintains the authority of city council as a whole to approve decisions about advisory committees, stating that the schedule of committees could be “amended, as required, by a council-approved recommendation of the applicable advisory committee.” The proposed by-law would delegate decision-making authority to a portfolio chair, apparently without requiring approval by council.

Presumably any decisions about advisory committees would require agreement by both of the co-chairs assigned to a portfolio, although the mayor’s proposed by-law does not specify how co-chairs would work together and what would happen if co-chairs disagree on a decision.

As for the mayor’s proposed portfolio by-law, councillors voted to endorse it after first voting to rescind a previous by-law from December 12, 2022 that established existing portfolio chairs. Councillors also voted to endorse the mayor’s selection of co-chair assignments to the new portfolios.

The co-chair assignments are as follows: councillors Andrew Beamer and Dave Haacke to the finance and corporate support services portfolio; councillors Matt Crowley and Joy Lachica to the legislative services portfolio; councillors Gary Baldwin and Don Vassiliadis to the municipal operations portfolio; councillors Kevin Duguay and Joy Lachica to the infrastructure, planning and growth management portfolio; councillors Lesley Parnell and Gary Baldwin to the community services – recreation, parks, fire services and arenas portfolio; and councillors Keith Riel and Alex Bierk to the community services – arts and culture, social services (housing) and library services portfolio.

Items endorsed by general committee on February 20 will be considered by council for final approval on Monday (February 26). Registered delegations will be allowed to speak at that meeting.

Renowned master hypnotist Rebecca O’Rourke is inviting guests to enjoy an evening of laughter and entertainment in support of those in need of service dogs.

On Wednesday, March 27th, the director of Kawartha Hypnosis will be hosting a hypnosis show at Peterborough’s Erben Eatery & Bar with a cocktail hour and door prizes.

The show, which kicks off its cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m., is in support of Paws with Payge, a local non-profit organization founded by a Peterborough teenager to help connect people with service animals. Tickets cost $40 when purchased in advance at erbenptbo.com/event-details/hypnosis-show-in-support-of-paws-with-payge or $50 at the door.

While the customizable programs at Kawartha Hypnosis help clients looking to make a change in their life, such as losing weight or reducing stress or breaking habits, the hypnosis show is all about having a good time for a good cause.

“The outcome of the stage hypnosis is fun and entertainment,” says Rebecca, who will invite volunteers to participate in the experience, putting them in a deep stage of relaxation and heightened suggestibility for light-hearted comical moments and interesting displays of the human mind.

Whether volunteers begin speaking an imaginary language or act like a famed celebrity, the event promises an evening of clean fun — nothing that will embarrass participants — and laughter.

“When we do a hypnosis show, it’s about using the participants to be the star of the show,” Rebecca explains. “It becomes a lot of fun when people in the community see their friends up there having this experience that’s a little bit outside of what they’ve experienced before. I love doing these things that help people have experiences outside of the box.”

Tickets to the event include one signature cocktail and appetizers that are named for the sponsors, like Miskin Martinis and Miskin Mints named after sponsor Miskin Law. There will also be door prizes from the sponsors.

The hypnosis show is in support of Paws with Payge, a new non-profit organization whose mandate is to educate and raise awareness surrounding service dogs, while additionally raising funds for those in the community facing barriers to getting their own required animal.

“Service dogs are very near and dear to my heart,” says Rebecca. “It’s important for people to know the effects that they can have for families in need and that the cost of them, unfortunately, is not something that is attainable for everyone.”

Sixteen-year-old Payge Creasy launched Paws with Payge with her mother Tiffany Creasy after learning first-hand the obstacles in getting a service dog to support her own mental health challenges. Despite having a family connection to help with the process, between navigating widespread scams and funding the costs for training, getting a service dog was a taxing journey for the family.

“There are people out there who struggle more than I do,” says Payge. “If this is how hard it was for me — and we had these connections — for people who don’t have connections, it must be really, really challenging. So I wanted to make accessing service dogs easier for people.”

Now, through Paws with Payge, the teen is spreading awareness, educating on topics like the need for service dogs, the many different kinds of service dogs, and where to go to avoid improper training.

By connecting with other local professionals, including Lexi Mills of Healing Souls K9 Training, the Creasys are hopeful to change provincial regulations and laws to not only make it easier for those in need to get a service dog, but to legitimize them and clear up misunderstandings surrounding what it means to require a service dog.

“We’ve seen some people who think that their dog is a service dog, but it’s an emotional support (dog),” says Payge’s mom Tiffany, explaining that service dogs are tasked to a single person, as opposed to emotional support animals who know commands and pressure points. “They’ll bring it into a public place but it’s not trained. It makes it hard for someone like Payge who has a service dog.”

Payge adds that often people have a specific idea of what they think a service dog is — usually thinking of guide dogs for visually impaired people or medical service dogs that can predict seizures or assist diabetics — while psychiatric assistance dogs, like Payge’s dog Kyle, are overlooked.

“Service dogs are not just for the blind or for the deaf or medical,” says Payge. “There are a bunch of different kinds of (service) dogs.”

In the three months since getting Kyle, a one-year-old Spanish Alano, Payge has been paying better attention in school, spending more time with her family, regularly doing homework, and all around being more “present” in her day-to-day life.

Having to train and focus on Kyle allows her to be more grounded in the moment, without overthinking or becoming stressed.

Though he is still in training, Kyle has also started helping with Payge’s involuntary anorexia, overcoming her lack of hunger cues by prompting her to eat more regularly.

“We weren’t even supposed to expect that for another month but, when it’s dinner time, he paws at me and won’t stop until I go get my food,” she explains. “He follows me around and sits with me while I eat. I couldn’t imagine my life without him now.”

Despite the important work that Kyle does, he also gets plenty of time to play in his new home.

“Without his vest on, you wouldn’t think he is a service dog, because he gives so much energy like he just want to play,” says Payge. “It’s something that people should know: they are normal dogs. But when that vest is on, he’s a working dog.”

Funds from previous Paws with Payge fundraisers have gone to others in need in the community, including a 12-year-old child with autism who was recently able to get a support dog. Proceeds from the Kawartha Hypnosis show will continue to support that child, while any remaining funds will be distributed where necessary in the region.

“Peterborough really is a community of helping each other, so this event is a good way for shining a light on her business,” says Tiffany, referring to Rebecca and Kawartha Hypnosis.

“She can help other people through hypnosis, while maybe breaking down some of the stigma around treatments that are not just medication.”

Kawartha Hypnosis and Paws with Payge are still looking for event sponsors for the March 27 hypnosis show. Interested individuals and businesses can email pawswithpayge@gmail.com.

To purchase advance tickets for the show, visit erbenptbo.com/event-details/hypnosis-show-in-support-of-paws-with-payge.

For more information about Paws with Payge, visit facebook.com/pawswithpayge/.

kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Hypnosis Show in support of Paws with Payge.

With the substantial shortage of health care professionals, Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) is hoping to entice students to consider a future at the west Northumberland hospital.

NHH is currently offering student scholarships for those who are pursuing health care as a career. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on Friday, March 29.

Created in 2003, the purpose of the Health Professions Scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to community students studying to be health care professionals. NHH president and CEO Susan Walsh said the program is key for the hospital and carries even more weight this year, given the challenges in the health care sector.

“The presentation of our annual Health Professions Scholarship has long been an important tradition at NHH,” Walsh told kawarthaNOW.

“As the competition for health human resources has intensified, this scholarship program has taken on even greater significance. There are endless opportunities today for individuals interested in pursuing a career in health care,” Walsh noted.

As a community hospital, NHH competes for talent with organizations not only in the region but right across the country — even globally, the CEO said.

“This scholarship program, while modest, aims to put (NHH) on the radar of local students pursuing future careers in health care.”

Designed to help offset the cost of people’s studies, the scholarship initiative encourages local students to seriously consider NHH when they graduate, NHH noted in a media release.

Any community student enrolled or accepted for enrolment in a full-time health profession or allied health profession program at an accredited university or community college within Canada is eligible to apply.

Academic, as well as extra-curricular activities are considered, and NHH said priority will be given to candidates pursuing graduate, junior- and senior-level studies in the following categories:

• Medicine
• Nursing: RPN, BSN, and MSH degrees
• Pharmacy: Bsc, Pharm and Pharm D.
• Dietetics: BSc
• Nurse Midwife
• Physical Therapy: Graduate and Undergraduate
• Occupational Therapy: Graduate and Undergraduate
• Radiologic Technology: Mammography, C.T. and M.R.I.
• Respiratory Therapist
• Ultrasonographer
• Health Records Administration
• Medical Laboratory Technologist
• Nuclear Medicine
• Speech Language Pathologist

“We look forward to once again receiving applicants from students of all ages, across a diverse range of health professions. We thank each and every student for their time and consideration, and those who endorse them in their letters of recommendation,” Walsh added.

Two awards of $1,500 each are being offered in 2024. Award recipients will be announced at a spring meeting of the NHH’s board of directors.

For more information and to apply for a scholarship, visit this nhh.ca/Careers/StudentScholarship.

The Workforce Development Board (WDB) has unveiled the latest in its series of online ‘career ladders’ — an interactive tool that helps workers and job seekers understand the path from an entry-level position in their chosen profession to progressively more senior positions.

The new Transportation Career Ladder — available at www.wdb.ca/transportation-career-ladder — lists six career levels in the transportation sector, starting with taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs and continuing with bus and subway operators and other transit operators, dispatchers, supervisors of motor transport and other ground transit operators, managers in transportation and, at the top of the ladder, entrepreneurs and business owners.

Each career level includes hourly wages (including low, median, and high), a description of the career level and main job duties, skills needed, sample job titles, and education and training required. Each career level also includes a link to currently available positions listed on WDB’s Local Jobs Hub.

Recognizing the importance of transportation to the tourism industry, the Transportation Career Ladder has been funded by Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8) with funding received from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

The Transportation Career Ladder joins WDB’s other seven career ladders at www.wdb.ca/career-ladders, including accommodation, agriculture, construction, food service, manufacturing, retail, and arts, entertainment and recreation.

As manager of employment services with Employment Planning and Counselling (EPC) Peterborough, Nancy Thompson is most impressed by the ease of information navigation that each career ladder features.

“Having this information right at our clients’ fingertips is just amazing for them,” she enthuses. “It makes it so much easier to do the research because everything’s right there. It’s like being served everything you need on a silver platter.”

Thompson adds that the career ladders can greatly benefit workers and job seekers, who otherwise would have to spend a lot of time and effort to find the same information themselves.

“I googled something the other day and it literally said there were 999,999 links on the subject,” she recalls. “With career ladders, you don’t have to manoeuvre your way through irrelevant information or ads. The career ladder provides only the relevant information you need to move forward. It’s invaluable.”

WDB’s Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Lamantia couldn’t agree more, describing the benefit of being able to see the available local job positions at each level of the Transportation Career Ladder.

“We hear frequently that people are frustrated when they don’t know what an entry position could lead to. When you click the link for job posts for managers in transportation, you’ll see all the active job postings today for transportation managers in the region. So if you start out in your transportation career as a taxi or limousine or Uber driver, you’ll see the potential to grow into a management position locally if you choose to do so.”

Thompson echoes that sentiment.

“Someone might think ‘I’m just an Uber driver’ and not realize where they could go from there,” she says. “The career ladder tells them where they could go while also providing information on what they need to get there.”

Lamantia is quick to note the attractive design and ease of use of each career ladder, crediting Ryan Lowe of Peterborough-based Butter Web Design. The career ladders are mobile friendly and provide the same experience on a smartphone or tablet as on a laptop or desktop.

“People like the format,” she says. “The other piece that’s really powerful is that it integrates with our online job board aggregator tool. If you want to be a dispatcher, you can quickly find out about available dispatcher jobs, and you can also find out about local education providers that will help you get there — all without leaving the career ladder.”

Thompson adds that it’s easy for people to learn how to navigate each career ladder.

“It’s simple for people,” she says. “For anything to work, it has to be simple to use.”

Another benefit of the interactive career ladder is that information like hourly wages can be updated as needed.

“I’ve been in this field for more than 30 years now,” says Thompson. “Back in the day, there were things like career ladders but they were in print. They were only as good as the day they were printed. Now the information can be updated and kept current.”

Employers can also find value in career ladders, adds Thompson.

“A lot of employers say you have to start at the ground level and work your way up,” she points out. “This is an easy way for an employer to show an individual that, while they’re not going to start making $40 an hour, they can work their way up.”

WDB is encouraging people to provide feedback about the Transportation Career Ladder by completing a brief online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/TransportationCareerLadder.

For more information about WDB’s career ladders, visit www.wdb.ca/career-ladders.

This project has been supported by Regional Tourism Organization 8 and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

This story was created in partnership with the Workforce Development Board. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

From extending clinic hours to holding cancer screening days, the Peterborough Family Health Team (PFHT) is introducing initiatives aimed at “maximizing care” for Peterborough residents who don’t have a primary care provider.

The PFHT is expanding the services it currently offers through its health clinic, which has locations on King Street in Peterborough and Strickland Street in Lakefield.

The intent of increasing the number of available appointments is to better serve Peterborough residents who don’t have a primary care physician — those who are also known as “unattached patients.”

“We knew action must be taken to support the alarming number of unattached patients in this community,” said PFHT CEO Duff Sprague in a media release. “While we wait for the Ministry of Health to recognize the seriousness of the crisis in family medicine and primary care, we are using our limited resources to operate the PFHT Health Clinic.”

Residents will now be able to book an appointment on the same day they call, or on the following day, according to the PFHT. Unattached patients who have visited the clinic once or more can now request an appointment to renew their prescriptions through the online booking service.

The clinic is also hosting two upcoming screening days in March. On Thursday, March 14 and Thursday, March 21, the PFHT Health Clinic will hold the “Don’t Be Late, Cancer Won’t Wait” cancer screening day for unattached patients who have a cervix and are due for a Pap test.

“These screenings are one of the many functions in family medicine and a reason why it is vital for all Ontarians to have a primary care provider,” the PFHT noted.

Sprague recently told kawarthaNOW “It is becoming increasingly difficult to fill positions in the primary health care sector.”

The CEO said compensation has been frozen for four years, there has been more than 10 years of no new clinical positions, and more than 10 years of no base budget increases.

“The breakdown of family medicine and primary care is the number one reason that hospitals are overrun,” Sprague said.

He hopes the government will “act quickly” and provide more money for primary health care.

The CEO said the clinic’s new measures are “an interim solution.”

“We are committed to the many thousands of area residents and will do all we can to support their access to high-quality, in-person care by a family doctor or nurse practitioner,” Sprague said.

Sprague considers the recent investments in primary health care, including provinical funding for the new Peterborough Community Health Centre, as positive. However, they “do not come close” to ensuring that every Ontario resident has access to family medicine and primary care teams.

“Not only is the number of physicians opening a family practice unable to fill the gaps made by those retiring or leaving a practice but add to that the four-year wage freeze in primary care teams that has fewer and fewer other clinicians choosing primary care,” he said.

“We are very fortunate to have many clinicians who stay in primary care despite the compensation inequities but without action, there will come a time when even the most passionate will leave primary care.”

The types of non-urgent health concerns that can be addressed at the clinic include sore throat or ears, cancer screening, prescription renewals, women’s health and contraceptive counselling, growth and development concerns, new sprains or strains, and chronic disease check-in.

The PFHT Health Clinic is for residents who do not have access to a family doctor. It is not a walk-in clinic — all patients are required to make an appointment. To book an appointment, call 705-651-4866. For details about this clinic or to renew a prescription, visit www.peterboroughfht.com.