Ontario’s police watchdog has cleared a Kawartha Lakes police officer of any wrongdoing in a May arrest in Lindsay that broke a man’s ribs.

The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency, independent of the police, that conducts criminal investigations into circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in serious injury, death, or allegations of sexual assault.

At 7:54 a.m. on May 23, the Kawartha Lakes Police Service responded to a call from a home near Colborne Street East and Verulam Road North in Lindsay, with the caller claiming a man was threatening to burn down the house. The occupant of the home said they were concerned for their safety and wanted the man removed from the home.

One of two Kawartha Lakes police officers who arrived at the home spoke with the man inside the home and eventually decided to arrest him for uttering threats. As the two officers were escorting the man out of the home, they found themselves in a struggle on the living room floor with the man.

The officers eventually handcuffed the man behind his back, lifted him off the floor, and took him outside where he was placed in the backseat of a police cruiser. At the police station, the man complained of pain and was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with multiple left-sided rib fractures.

“On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the SO (subject officer of the investigation) committed a criminal offence in connection with the complainant’s arrest and injuries,” reads a report from SIU director Joseph Martino released on Thursday (September 21).

“According to the body of evidence proffered by the officers, the Complainant resisted his extraction from the house, eventually falling to the floor in the living room. Once down, he refused to release his arms from underneath his torso to be handcuffed, and kicked out with his legs. The WO (witness officer) controlled the Complainant’s legs as the SO wrestled control of his right arm. The SO then delivered a knee strike to the Complainant’s left side, which assisted in freeing the left arm to be handcuffed. No further force was used against the Complainant.”

Martino states the officer’s knee strike against the man “constituted legally justified force,” as the officer had wrestled the man’s right arm free and had tried to do the same with the left arm (so the man could be handcuffed) before resorting to the knee strike.

“That, in my view, was a proportionate escalation of force that was reasonable in the circumstances,” Martino writes. “It is also alleged that the Complainant was repeatedly punched to the left rib area by the SO while he stood handcuffed by a police cruiser outside his home. The video footage, however, does not capture any such force. Nor was force of this nature observed by a civilian witness to the events in question.”

Martino concludes that, while one or more of the man’s rib fractures “may well be” the result of the officer’s knee strike, “I am not satisfied on reasonable grounds that any part of the injuries are attributable to unlawful behaviour on the part of the officer” and that there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges.

A life well lived is a life well worth remembering.

Ernie Ferguson has been blessed with the former, and, at age 95, is equally fortunate to still have extraordinarily clear memories of his life journey.

To be clear, Ferguson struggles at times to connect the dots but there are a lot of dots; countless episodes and interactions that, when recalled with any level of clarity, provide a most welcome glimpse of a Peterborough that was slower, simpler and, arguably, more content.

The logical step for Ferguson was to get down in writing his memories so they will survive his passing. At the urging of his daughter Cindi, who had gifted him with a book titled Dad, Share Your Life With Me for his 90th birthday, Ernie began that process on January 1, 2022.

The result is Thanks for the Memories, a collection of wide-ranging reminisces, committed to paper “with guidance from Mona,” Ferguson’s wife who died peacefully in 2022, just days shy of her 91st birthday.

“After Mona passed away, the kids said it was more important than anything that I write the story of my life,” recalls Ferguson. “It’s all just stuff that came into my head. It’s not really in any good form.”

Regardless of that critical self-assessment of the end product, Ferguson is clearly proud of his 70-page collection of memories, and is equally delighted to share it with anyone who wants to come along for the ride. As for the dedication to Mona, well, that was a no-brainer.

“I was unsure of a title, but one morning I woke up and to my mind came ‘Thanks for the Memories,'” marvels Ferguson, adding “That was my Mona communicating with me. She was thanking me for the memories.”

A turning point for Ferguson on his way to adding author to his list of many life accomplishments was his receipt of Dying To Be Me, Anita Moorjani’s memoir that tells the story of her cancer fight and a subsequent near-death experience that was followed by a complete recovery. Reading that book proved to be nothing short of an epiphany for Ferguson.

“When she (Mona) passed away, it was a wonderful experience,” says Ferguson. “I know people say it was sad, but it wasn’t anything like that. It was a happy experience. People ask me ‘Do you miss her?’ I don’t really. She’s here. If I’m wondering about something, I get the answer from Mona. People ask ‘How do she communicate with you?’ Well, it just comes into my head. That’s just the way it is.”

There are several dates embedded in Ferguson’s memory but one — January 31, 1948 — has always been, and remains, special on a level all the other dates can’t compete with. It was the date he met Mona Peirson, who he would eventually marry.

“I invited Mona out on her 17th birthday,” recalls Ferguson, noting the occasion was a dance at the old Brock Street Arena featuring The Tommy Dorsey Swing Band.

“I was 20 (years old). Four of us guys bought tickets and asked girls to go. I can’t remember much about them. All I remember is Mona. She was the first girl I ever asked out. My mom and dad (Ruth and Ernie Ferguson) had a skating club at the Peterborough curling rink. When I was looking for a date, I saw Mona there and thought ‘That’s my date.'”

Ferguson chose wisely, his first intuition leading to 74 years of being rarely apart from Mona, if ever.

Married on May 12, 1951 at George Street United Church, the couple had two children early on — Heather Jane and Clarinda (Cindy) Catherine. In January 1970, the couple welcomed Marcus Charles, whom they adopted and brought to Peterborough from Ottawa.

He didn’t know it at the time, but Ferguson’s work life was predetermined in March 1941 when he was in Grade 8 at King George Public School.

“Dad worked at Goodyear in Hamilton when he got married but he only stayed there for six months … he said all they did was work and drink,” says Ferguson, who was born in the Steel City.

“The family moved to Peterborough and Dad delivered for Lansfields Cleaners on Louis Street. One day, Ivan Lillico, who owned Lillico Motors where dad bought his vehicles, said ‘You’re working for Lansfields and he is making all kinds of money but you’re doing all the work. You should start your own business.'”

After accepting Lillico’s offer of space at a building he owned on Water Street, the couple opened Ferguson Cleaners, a laundry and dry cleaning business. Young Ernie worked there along with his brother Wayne and sister Arlene, alongside a host of longtime loyal employees.

When, in 1959, Ferguson’s dad decided to incorporate the business, he brought Ernie and Wayne in as partners. Ten years later, when Twin Cleaners on Monaghan Road went up for sale, the brothers bought the business, which Wayne ran. With time, the laundry and dry cleaning ’empire’ grew with four buildings — the last being at 128 Hunter Street East, today home to Ashburnham Ale House.

The last day of 1990 saw Ferguson sell the business, freeing up time for him and Mona to do what they did for years and still loved to do — volunteer.

“Mona started volunteering with her mother at the old Civic Hospital; she took a cart around and sold books and treats and stuff,” says Ferguson. “Next thing you know she’s volunteering with Community Care (Meals On Wheels) and then got into volunteering with the Food For Kids program. It’s something we loved to do together.”

At age 88, Mona marked an incredible 50 years as a Community Care volunteer. Her husband, by comparison, was a newbie, helping out for 29 years following his retirement from the dry cleaning business.

“Mona was that kind of person … I just went along for the ride,” says Ferguson, deflecting, as he habitually does, attention from himself.

Asked for one nugget that close to 96 years of life has taught him, Ferguson answers quickly.

“Everybody gets a soul and that soul communicates with you all the time,” he says, adding “I know a lot of people will have some trouble with that, but that’s what Mona and I learned.”

“You put a tulip bulb in the ground and it grows and becomes a beautiful flower. If our maker, our creator, could do that for a tulip bulb, he could do the same thing for a human being. We had all we needed to live our life. We just had to pay attention and listen. Whatever we needed to do, it came to us. We didn’t have to think about it. It’s as simple as that.”

“Mona and I communicate all the time. Whatever is in my head, I get an answer from Mona. I don’t understand it. All I know is if I’m trying to figure out something, the next thing I know is I have the answer. That’s my Mona helping me out.”

Clearly, this article serves only to scratch the service of Ferguson’s long and fruitful life — a full and vibrant life that continues, as evidenced by a recent get-together with family and friends at Swiss Chalet to celebrate the much anticipated ‘launch’ of Thanks for the Memories.

“I thought ‘Isn’t it a shame? I’m going to die and take my memories with me.’ Well, here we are, able to share them with others.”

For a copy of Thanks for the Memories, those interested can message Ferguson via his Facebook page.

Peterborough police service dog (PSD) Gryphon helped apprehend two shoplifters in two separate incidents in Peterborough on Wednesday (September 20).

In the first incident at around 4:40 p.m., officers were called to a business in the Park Street and Lansdowne Street area about a man who had left the store without paying for items. Upon arriving, officers were directed to a man matching the description given to police.

Police constable Dillon Wentworth with the assistance of PSD Gryphon was able to prevent the suspect from fleeing. During the arrest, the suspect dropped a backpack and officers could see he had a knife in his hand. The suspect complied with demands to drop the knife and was taken into custody without incident. The store property was located and returned to the business.

A 34-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. Police also learned the accused man was wanted on two outstanding warrants. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on October 17.

In the second incident at around 7 p.m., officers were again called to a business in the Park Street and Lansdowne Street area about a man who had left the store without paying for items. They learned from an off-duty OPP officer the man had headed north on Park Street and was near the Knights of Columbus Park. Police constable Wentworth and PSD Gryphon arrived in the area, were directed to a man matching the suspect’s description, and were able to prevent the suspect from fleeing. The suspect threw the property to the ground and was taken into custody without incident.

A 23-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. The accused man is currently bound by a probation order to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, and he was further charged with failure to comply with a probation order. He is being held in custody and will appear in court on September 21.

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 84-year-old Brighton man.

The man, who police are only identifying as Reginald, is a white man, 6’4″ tall with an average build.

He has grey-white hair and a grey-white moustache. He is possibly wearing a sweater, jeans, and blue shoes.

He is driving a black 2000 Cadillac STS with licence plate BRNP 949. He was last seen at around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday (September 20) on Harbour Street in Brighton. He may be in the Kemptville area.

Police believe he may have become confused and are concerned for his well-being.

Anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Reginald or his vehicle are asked to call Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) at 1-888-310-1122.

Peterborough Transit has launched a new online tool that allows riders to track the location of buses and plan their trips in real-time.

Developed by Strategic Mapping Inc., the mobile-friendly tool at pt.mytransitride.com provides real-time bus locations and the direction they are travelling in, predicted arrival and departure times, as well as service changes for all fixed route transit operations.

Using the online tool, users can search by address, transit stop, or route, and they can select and favourite a specific route.

A trip planner feature also allows users to identify a departure and arrival location (including by clicking on the map) and date and time for when a bus is departing or arriving. The tool will generate instructions on how to get to the nearest transit stop and which route or routes to take.

“This is a key advancement to transit service in Peterborough,” says city councillor Keith Riel, chair of council’s transportation portfolio, in a media release. “Knowing where your bus is before you leave home is a game changer for transit customers. The trip planner will allow customers to ride with confidence, providing reliable, step-by step navigation from one destination to another, anywhere within the route system in real-time, or for planning trips in advance.”

Although the online tool is now operational, work on further refinements is ongoing. Transit customers who don’t have access to the internet can call 705-745-0525 to find out the real-time location of their bus.

With the first day of fall this Saturday and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation the following Saturday, four local Indigenous-led organizations are inviting members of the Peterborough-Nogojiwanong community to a free social gathering from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday (September 21) in the Peterborough Square courtyard.

“Dagwaagig N’kweshkodaadidaa” — which means “let’s meet and greet in autumn” in Anishinaabemowin, the Obijwe language — will feature drumming, dancing, food, local Indigenous vendors, and language learning opportunities.

All Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members are welcome to join the event, which is being presented by Lovesick Lake Native Women’s Association, Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle, Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, and Trent University’s First Peoples House of Learning.

“Dagwaagig N’kweshkodaadidaa is an opportunity to connect with the Indigenous community of Nogojiwanong during a time where we have so much to celebrate,” says Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre executive director Ashley Safar in a media release, mentioning both the autumnal equinox and Peterborough Pride.

“It is also a day leading up to a time of reflection, mourning and healing as we approach the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. My hope is that this event will be an opportunity to come together as a larger community to learn and connect.”

This is the second social gathering organized by the four organizations, with the first — Niibing N’kweshkodaadida (“let’s meet and greet in summer”) — taking place on June 22. The gatherings came out of “Virtual Cup of Tea” sessions organized by Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough executive director Jennifer DeBues and representatives of each of the four organizations.

“For the Community Foundation, we are learning about our responsibilities as treaty people,” DeBues says. “After the discovery of the unmarked graves in Kamloops (in 2021), the Foundation decided to set aside a portion of our annual budget for reconciliation activities. As we built relationships with Indigenous-led organizations in the community, we invited them to make the decisions around how to use that money. The idea of a series of social events came from that.”

More Indigenous-led social gatherings are planned for the future.

“It has been so exciting working together on this initiative to bring community together,” says Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle executive director Angela Connors. “With the support of the Community Foundation, we have been able to share perspectives and resources, build better relationships, and see the potential for future collaborations. We are stronger together.”

The Canadian Canoe Museum has announced its new facility under construction on Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough will open over the winter, with an official grand opening celebration set for the spring.

According to a media release issued by the museum on Wednesday (September 20), the museum’s originally scheduled fall opening date has been delayed due to nationwide construction industry issues.

“Material and labour availability, supply chain disruptions, and scheduling and sequencing complexities have caused unavoidable delays in completing the impressive two-story, 65,000-square-foot museum and its five-acre lakefront campus,” reads the media release.

The new museum is now scheduled to open over the winter once it is completed, with an official grand opening planned for May.

“I am thrilled to announce that we will welcome our supporters to the new museum and campus the weekend of May 11th for our grand opening celebrations,” says the museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop. “While the pandemic and its impacts on the construction industry have affected our timeline, it has not affected the spirit and enthusiasm for this project. It will be worth the wait when visitors can explore this beautiful facility and our many new offerings and then continue to the lakefront for a memorable paddling experience.”

The grand opening weekend — which coincides with the start of the paddling season — will see donors, partners, members, volunteers, and dignitaries gather to celebrate the new building and Lang Lakefront Campus. It will also mark the launch of the museum’s full visitor experience with on-water activities to honour Canada’s paddling legacy. A schedule of events will be released closer to the grand opening date.

When the new facility opens over the winter, the museum’s entire collection of over 600 paddled watercraft and artifacts will be under one roof and accessible to visitors for the first time in the museum’s history. A portion of the collection will be on display in the 20,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall, with the remainder held in the similarly sized Collection Hall.

In the Exhibition Hall, visitors can explore new exhibits at their own pace or through a guided tour and learn new skills in an artisan workshop. Food and drink from the Silver Bean Café will be available in the museum’s café, with the facility and its multipurpose room available to rent for community and corporate meetings, conferences, events and weddings.

All programming at the new museum will offer hands-on indoor and outdoor experiences connecting visitors and locals to the land, water, and canoe. A host of customizable and curriculum-linked programs will build on inspiration found in the exhibits and use the outdoor Lang Lakefront Campus year round. Workshops will include fire building, outdoor cooking, camping, plein air painting, and paddling skills.

In the spring, the Lang Lakefront Campus will offer on-water programming, daily 90-minute Voyageur canoe tours, and canoe and kayak rentals. Children’s day camps, adult paddling courses, and backcountry canoe trips will also run throughout the summer months.

While the originally scheduled opening date of the new museum has been delayed, The Canadian Canoe Museum has already moved more than 100 canoes and kayaks from its previous Monaghan Road location into the Exhibition Hall of the new facility, with the remaining 500 watercraft to be relocated to the new museum over the next two to three months.

“Moving this first portion of the collection into its new home was an incredible moment in this organization’s history,” says museum curator Jeremy Ward. “This collection is unlike any other worldwide and has been recognized for its national significance to this country. Now it finally has a home befitting it. It was certainly an emotional moment for myself and our team.”

Peterborough-based McWilliams Moving & Storage is the official mover and lead sponsor of the museum’s “Move the Collection: The Final Portage” campaign, which is continuing to raise awareness and funds for the collection’s move to the new facility.

As for the museum’s $40-million “Inspiring Canada – by Canoe” fundraising campaign to support the cost of building the new facility, the museum has now raised 97 per cent of its goal, with fundraising events held this summer in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and Peterborough.

Along with community donations, the museum is being funded by lead donor and government partners including the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Weston Family Foundation, the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and the Province of Ontario.

Canadians from across the country and beyond who want to support The Final Portage of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection to its new home can make a donation at canoemuseum.ca/final-portage.

Businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities for The Final Portage can email Megan McShane at megan.mcshane@canoemuseum.ca.

For more information about the new museum, visit canoemuseum.ca/new-museum.

kawarthaNOW is proud to be the official media sponsor of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Move the Collection: The Final Portage Campaign.

Police have charged a 31-year-old Peterborough man with mischief and obstructing a peace officer in connection with several incidents related to antisemitic flyers being distributed in neighbourhoods throughout Peterborough — and are consulting with the provincial government on an additional charge of wilful promotion of hatred.

Between May and July, antisemitic pamphlets were reported in the area of Parkhill Road West and Crowley Crescent, in the Medical Drive and Weller Street area, in the Lansdowne Street and George Street area,in East City, and the Wolsely Street and Chemong Road area. In total, police received 19 reports of the antisemitic flyers from residents.

“There is no room for hate in our community at any time,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a media release in July. “The number one goal of the Peterborough Police Service is public safety, and the service is committed to this goal.”

After a four-month investigation, last Friday (September 15), officers with the Peterborough Police Service’s Investigative Services Unit conducted a search warrant of a residence and located items connected to the distribution of the antisemitic flyers. During the investigation, the suspect in the case provided police with a false name and address.

As a result, a 31-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with mischief and obstructing a peace officer. The accused man was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on September 26.

“I would like to thank the investigators and officers involved in this investigation,” says Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a media release issued on Tuesday (September 19). “It was important to do a thorough investigation into the origin of this disturbing material and speaks to our continued commitment to public safety.”

Police say they are consulting with the Ministry of the Attorney General to have the incidents deemed as a wilful promotion of hatred under Canada’s criminal code, which is an indictable offence punishable with a prison term of up to two years.

“Police must balance constitutional rights with the Criminal Code of Canada which makes investigations very complicated,” reads a police media release. “Before laying some hate-motivated or bias-motivated criminal charges under the Criminal Code of Canada, police are required to conduct an investigation and then turn the file over to the local Crown Attorney’s office and get consent from the Attorney General’s Office.”

There are several charges under the criminal code that require the Attorney General’s consent before charges are laid: advocating genocide, public incitement of hatred, wilful promotion of hatred, and wilful promotion of antisemitism. Advocating genocide is punishable with a prison term of up to five years, with the other charges each punishable with a prison term of up to two years.