Motorcycle enthusiast Terry Guiel (closest to camera), executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), leads participants in Peterborough's first-ever United on the Highway Poker Run on August 26, 2023, raising funds for United Way Peterborough & District. The event was organized by the DBIA in partnership with Cogeco and the United Way with prizes donated by sponsors including Lafarge, Euphoria Wellness Spa, Liftlock Cruises, Classy Chassis, Team VanRahan Century 21, Cogeco, Sink or Swim Tattoos, and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
A little rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of local motorcyclists participating in Peterborough’s first-ever United on the Highway Poker Run on Saturday morning (August 26) to raise funds for United Way Peterborough & District.
Originally scheduled for July 15 but postponed because of inclement weather, the event went ahead rain or shine on Saturday, with riders and their bikes gathering in the parking lot of the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. to register for the event in advance of an 11 a.m. departure for the poker run.
A poker run is a fundraising event, where participants — often riding motorcycles — must visit five to seven checkpoints within a specified amount of time, drawing a playing card at each one. The objective is to collect the best poker hand at the end of the run to win prizes.
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The United on the Highway Poker Run was organized by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), in partnership with Cogeco and the United Way. Peterborough DBIA executive director Terry Guiel , who is a motorcycle enthusiast himself, came up with the idea.
“The best fundraisers are the ones that are interactive and fun for everyone involved,” Guiel said in a media release. “People have been very excited about being able to play this classic game while exploring downtown Peterborough and the Kawartha.”
“I thought this would be a unique way to mix my passions for the downtown, motorcycles, and also raising money for amazing local organizations in our community.”
One of the winners of Peterborough’s first-ever United on the Highway Poker Run on August 26, 2023. The fundraiser was organized by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) in partnership with Cogeco to raise funds for United Way Peterborough & District. (Photo: Terry Guiel / Facebook)
Some of the prizes for the United on the Highway Poker Run including $500 and $1,000 worth of motorcycle-related items, along with a downtown shopping spree and more. Prizes were donated by sponsors including Lafarge, Euphoria Wellness Spa, Liftlock Cruises, Classy Chassis, Team VanRahan Century 21, Cogeco, Sink or Swim Tattoos, and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism.
Proceeds from the event will support United Way Peterborough & District.
“When the rubber hits the road, kind hearts and strong passions for community are even more revved up,” said United Way CEO Jim Russell. “We are so grateful to Terry and the team at the DBIA for driving this event, and for helping build a more resilient Peterborough. Bikers are very giving people and we want to thank everyone who (attended) and who generously donated a prize.”
In 2018, Peterborough photographer Heather Doughty was inspired to start a portrait project that would showcase remarkable local women and encourage them to tell their stories. Inspire: The Women's Portrait Project now includes portraits and stories of over 500 women and has expanded with additional projects featuring inspiring women including FarmHER, She Inspires Me, Mom Bod, and Day of the Girl. Pictured is Doughty (front middle) at the "Inspire-bration" event held at The Venue in Peterborough in January 2020 to celebrate the 2019 Inspire nominees. (Photo: Aleisha Boyd Photography)
When photographer Heather Doughty first had the idea of celebrating remarkable women in the community, her goal was to get 52 women to agree to be photographed — one a week for a full year. Now, nearly five years later, Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project has celebrated more than 500 women.
On Sunday, September 17th, Doughty will be launching a display of Inspire’s latest project called ‘Mom Bod 2.0’, where portraits of remarkable mothers and their stories will be publicly displayed on the windows at the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough.
The inspiration for the project dates back to Doughty’s own childhood when she was raised by “a fiercely independent woman,” as she describes her mother. Unheard of for women at the time, her mother returned to work shortly after giving birth. Following the death of her husband (when Doughty was just nine years old), she then became a single mother and never remarried.
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Doughty was already a photographer by then, with her first camera a Kodak Brownie her father gave to her when she was very young. After he passed, she used her photos of him to keep their connection and her memories alive. Now, as a professional wedding and boudoir photographer, Doughty gives others the chance to “hold time” in their own hands.
“I love to capture the feeling of things,” Doughty explains. “I want you to look at the images I create, and I want you to have a feeling, a connection. In every aspect of what I do with my photography, I do it so that the viewer feels connected.”
Doughty says her “absolute favourite thing to do” is “body positive boudoir,” which ultimately prompted her to begin the Inspire project. She explains that oftentimes when she’s photographing women, they come in shy because there’s a piece of their body they’re unhappy with.
Three local women photographed by Heather Doughty for Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project’s “Mom Bod” exhibit. The “Mom Bod 2.0” exhibit will be launched at the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough on September 17, 2023. The project tackles negative stereotypes of women’s bodies post-pregnancy and during early motherhood with powerful stories of motherhood and portraits of women who are proud of their “mom bods.” (Photos: Heather Doughty)
Doughty tries to get them comfortable and feeling proud and supported and, by the end of the session, their attitude towards their own body has changed.
“When the women leave, they feel so powerful,” says Doughty. “You can just see it when they walk out the door. They feel sexy and they feel alive.”
Seeing women feel empowered made her want to create something to help women tell their stories.
“Inspire came from a conversation about how society puts so much pressure on women to be this stereotype,” she recalls. “I wanted a project where I could photograph women just candidly. I just want to show them how beautiful they are and how important they are.”
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Knowing how some women don’t like to be photographed, Doughty wasn’t sure she would get many to agree to be in front of the camera for her project. She asked four women who inspired her if she could take their portrait, and also asked them to write their own story in 500 to 1,500 words. Then she asked those women to nominate a couple of other women, and then those women to nominate a few more, and so the process continued.
Today, Inspire has expanded to other projects, including Mom Bod, of which the second instalment will be launching next month. Named for the colloquial term for the post-pregnancy and early motherhood body, the goal of the project is to showcase and celebrate mothers who are proud to have mom bods — while actively changing the connotation of the term.
“Why is mom bod a derogatory term and dad bod is a sexy stereotype?” Doughty asks. “Moms grew humans. Mom bods are beautiful and they created life.”
A few of Peterborough photographer Heather Doughty’s portraits of local women on display during the “Inspire-bration” event held at The Venue in Peterborough in January 2020 to celebrate the 2019 Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project nominees. (Photo: Aleisha Boyd Photography)
The first instalment of Doughty’s Mom Bod project launched at the VentureNorth Building last July. In all the portraits, which hang full-size from the windows of the building, the women are dressed in sports bras and leggings and candidly photographed in any position they want, “because that’s how you get the true essence of a person” says Doughty.
Something that hadn’t been done for Inspire’s previous projects, each portrait had a QR code that would lead to an audio recording of the mothers reading their own stories. Doughty says hearing women speak their own words in their own voice creates empathy and understanding.
“I firmly believe that if you don’t know a person, that’s when fear can come in, and a fear of a person leads to walls,” explains Doughty. “If you hear a person’s story, or even just the way they frame a sentence or the way they speak, the minute that happens, you become connected and, all of a sudden, a community is built.”
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Another of Inspire’s projects that really highlights stories from women in the community is the FarmHER project. This one was inspired by Doughty’s great-great-grandmother who, after her husband died in a tragic accident, took over a farm all on her own while raising six children and remaining a single mother.
Doughty, who grew up north of Buckhorn in a farming community, calls her great-great-grandmother a “trailblazer” for continuing to farm despite the taboos of the age.
“When you think of a farmer, most people think of men,” she points out. “If you think of the woman, it’s the farmer’s wife with a kid on her hip in the kitchen — which is 110 per cent true, but (for her great-great-grandmother) she’s also driving a tractor. She’s equally as capable as her partner.”
The FarmHER project is a bit more in depth, with Doughty aiming to visit women on their farms once in the spring or summer and once in the winter to show the different aspects and day-to-day life on the farm. The project will launch at the Lang Pioneer village as early as 2024.
Photojournalist Ormond Gigli’s famous 1960 photo “Girls In The Windows,” showing 43 finely-dressed women in the windows of a New York City brownstone, has inspired Peterborough photographer Heather Doughty of Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project to emulate the photo with 52 Inspire nominees. The exhibit will be launched in fall 2023 and will be Inspire’s exhibit at the SPARK Photo Festival in April 2024. (Photo: Ormond Gigli / Archival Pigment Photograph)
Another Inspire project currently in the works involves recreating a photo from 1960. Photojournalist Ormond Gigli famously took a photo titled ‘Girls in the Windows’ featuring dozens of women — including his own wife — dressed in their finest attire standing candidly in the empty windows of a New York City brownstone that was demolished the next day.
Don’t worry … Doughty didn’t make the region’s most inspiring women stand in a soon-to-be-demolished building’s empty windows (the Inspire board wouldn’t let her, she jokes). Instead, she took a snapshot of one of the windows of the J.J. Turner building, blew it up lifesize, and set it up in her own studio.
With help from The Neighbourhood Vintage and Statement House, 52 Inspire nominees were dressed up for the occasion and their photos were taken in the window frame.
Though technical difficulties have set her back a bit, the photo re-creation will be launched this fall and will be Inspire’s exhibit at the SPARK Photo Festival in April 2024.
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Also next year, Inspire will also host their second International Women’s Day event and will bring back Day of the Girl, a project that celebrates young women in the community.
“It’s a beautiful event to host in person because the girls get to come, their parents come, the grandparents come,” Doughty says, adding that’s why they chose not to run it during the pandemic. “It’s so positive and so full of energy.”
In 2021, Inspire also launched the “She Inspires Me” photo essay project that encouraged people from around the world to submit a photo they had taken of a woman in their life who inspires them and up to 1,500 words on why. They received nominations from as far as Australia, Israel, and Germany, with stories of remarkable women, including a group called the Port Melbourne Icebergs who meet up every day to swim together in the ocean in matching swimsuits.
“The Day of the Girl” is a project by photographer Heather Doughty of Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project that showcases remarkable female children and youth who are 19 years of age and younger. Pictured in Doughty with Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut and the world’s first neurologist in space, who a guest speaker at the launch of the October 2019 Day of the Girl exhibit at VentureNorth. Doughty hopes to bring back Girl of the Day in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project)
Though it’s no surprise to Doughty just how many inspiring women there are in the world, or just how many people are eager to recognize and celebrate these women, she admits she’s surprised by how much the project has grown and how wide an audience it has reached.
“It’s beautiful and amazing,” she says. “I’m hoping that we can at some point hit one thousand portraits and then have a big party, because that would be incredible to have all these people together.”
The Mom Bod 2.0 exhibit launches at the VentureNorth Building at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 17th. To keep up to date on upcoming project launches, visit inspirethewomensportraitproject.com or follow Inspire on Instagram and Facebook. You can find more of Heather Doughty’s photography on her website at heatherdoughtyphotography.com.
The City of Kawartha Lakes' "Recipe Revival" project includes a recipe for tea biscuits from the Abbott sisters, who operated the Maryboro Lodge in Fenelon Falls from 1913 until it become a museum in 1963. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
Are you a Kawartha Lakes foodie with a favourite time-honoured recipe and a story behind it?
The City of Kawartha Lakes has launched the “Recipe Revival” project to collect, document, and celebrate recipes that reflect the region’s cultural heritage, whether Indigenous, agricultural and industrial, or immigrant.
“By bringing these recipes back to life, the program ensures that the flavours and stories of the past continue to inspire present and future generations,” reads a media release.
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The Recipe Revival project will collect recipes submitted by the community as well as recipes from the City of Kawartha Lakes historical archives.
The Recipe Revival website at www.kawarthalakes.ca/recipes has launched with three recipes, one submitted by someone with a family connection to the area and two from the archives: Nana’s Fudge by Fenelon Falls seasonal resident Barbara Hooey (submitted by her granddaughter Kirsten Meehan), tea biscuits from Abbott Sisters’ Recipe Book (Maryboro Lodge Collection), and coleslaw from The Lady Hughes Chapter (I.O.D.E Coronation Cook Book).
Each recipe comes with a story. For example, the tea biscuit recipe explains how the Abbott sisters operated the Maryboro Lodge in Fenelon Falls from 1913 until it become a museum in 1963. The sisters best remembered for the teas they hosted under the ancient oak grove. Every year, Maryboro Lodge still celebrates that heritage by offering a formal afternoon tea.
Kawartha Lakes residents, food enthusiasts, and history buffs are invited to participate in the Recipe Revival project by visiting the website to submit their family’s favourite recipes, along with any associated anecdotes, memories, stories, and photos.
Community submissions will be curated and available to the public on the website.
Victoria Park Beach in Cobourg. (Photo: Town of Cobourg)
This is the final report for the 2023 swimming season, as regional health units have ended water quality testing. The Beach Report™ will return in summer 2024.
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
As of Thursday, August 31, the following beaches are unsafe for swimming:
Henry’s Gumming – County of Peterborough (beach closed due to suspected blue-green algae bloom)
Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Northumberland County
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Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in the City and County of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White’s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health provides weekly testing results for beaches in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
The final day of beach sampling for the 2023 season is Friday, September 1 (subject to change). The testing lab is closed for Labour Day. Swim at your own discretion thereafter.
City of Peterborough Beaches (sampled each business day)
Beavermead Park (2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough) – sample date 30 August – SAFE
Rogers Cove (131 Maria Street, Peterborough) – sample date 30 August – SAFE
Peterborough County Beaches (sampled weekly)
Buckhorn Beach (12 John Street, Buckhorn, Municipality of Trent Lakes) – sample date 28 August – SAFE
Crowe’s Line Beach (240 Crowe’s Line Road, Trent Lakes) – sample date 28 August – SAFE
Douro North Park (251 Douro Second Line, Township of Douro-Dummer) – sample date 29 August – SAFE
Ennismore Waterfront Park (1053 Ennis Road, Ennismore) – sample date 30 August – SAFE
Henry’s Gumming (150 Chemong Street S, Curve Lake) – sample date 22 August – CLOSED
Hiawatha Park (1 Lakeshore Road, Hiawatha) – sample date 29 August – SAFE
Jones Beach (908 Jones Beach Road, Bridgenorth) – sample date 30 August – SAFE
Lakefield Park (100 Hague Boulevard, Lakefield) – sample date 30 August – SAFE
Lime Kiln Park (150 Whetung Street E, Curve Lake) – sample date 28 August – SAFE
Norwood Beach at Mill Pond (12 Belmont Street, Norwood) – sample date 29 August – SAFE
Sandy Beach (1239 Lakehurst Road, Municipality of Trent Lakes) – sample date 28 August – SAFE
Selwyn Beach Conservation Area (2251 Birch Island Road, Selwyn) – sample date 30 August – SAFE
Squirrel Creek Conservation Area (2445 Wallace Point Road, South Monaghan) – sample date 29 August – SAFE
Warsaw Caves Conservation Area (289 Caves Road, Warsaw, Township of Douro-Dummer) – sample date 29 August – SAFE
Peterborough County Beaches (sampled monthly)
Belmont Lake (376 Mile of Memories Road, Belmont) – sample date 16 August – SAFE
Chandos Beach (2800 County Road/Highway 620, North Kawartha) – sample date 15 August – SAFE
Kasshabog Lake (431 Peninsula Road, Havelock) – sample date 15 August – SAFE
Quarry Bay (1986 Northey’s Bay Road, Woodview) – sample date 15 August – SAFE
White’s Beach (26 Clearview Drive, Trent Lakes) – sample date 24 August – SAFE
City of Kawartha Lakes
Beach Park – Bobcaygeon – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Birch Point – Fenelon Falls – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Blanchards Road Beach – Bexley – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Bond Street – Fenelon Falls – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Burnt River Beach – Somerville – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Centennial Park West – Eldon – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Centennial Beach – Verulam – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Centennial Verulam Parkette – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Four Mile Lake Beach – Somerville – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Head Lake Beach – Laxton – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Lions Park – Coboconk – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Norland Bathing Area – Laxton – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Omemee Beach – Emily/ Omemee – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Riverview Beach Park – Bobycaygeon – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Sturgeon Point Beach – Fenelon Falls – sample date August 21 – SAFE
Valentia/ Sandbar Beach – Valentia – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Verulam Recreational Park – Verulam – sample date August 28 – SAFE
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Haliburton County
Bissett Beach Minden Hills – sample date August 21 – SAFE
Dorset Parkette – Algonquin Highlands – sample date August 15 – SAFE
Eagle Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 15 – SAFE
Elvin Johnson Park – Algonquin Highlands – sample date August 15 – SAFE
Forsters Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 21 – SAFE
Glamour Lake Beach – Highlands East – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Gooderham Lake Beach – Highlands East – sample date August 21 – SAFE
Haliburton Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 15 – SAFE
Horseshoe Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Paudash Lake Beach – Highlands East – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Pine Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 15 – SAFE
Rotary Head Lake Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Rotary Park Lagoon – Minden Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Rotary Park Main – Minden Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Sandy Cove Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Sandy Point Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Slipper Beach – Dysart et al – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Twelve Mile Lake Beach – Minden Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Wilbermere Lake Beach – Highlands East – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Northumberland County
Caldwell Street Beach – Port Hope – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Crowe Bridge Park – Trent Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Hamilton Township – sample date August 28 – UNSAFE
Hastings Waterfront North – Trent Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Hastings Waterfront South – Trent Hills – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Little Lake – Cramahe – sample date August 14 – SAFE
East Beach – Port Hope – sample date August 28 – SAFE
West Beach – Port Hope – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Sandy Bay Beach – Alnwick-Haldimand – sample date August 28 – SAFE
Victoria Park – Cobourg – sample date August 22 – SAFE
Wicklow Beach – Alnwick-Haldimand – sample date August 28 – SAFE
"What if for one day everything stopped, and we all just listened to the music?" The last Saturday in August in worldwide Play Music On The Porch Day. In celebration of the day, Haliburton Highlands Brewing is hosting an open jam on Saturday afternoon. (Graphic: Play Music On The Porch Day)
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, August 24 to Wednesday, August 30.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
Almost a year after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest, 34-year-old Eduardo 'Tito' Silva was arrested in Sault Ste. Marie on August 22, 2023 and charged with second degree murder and multiple other offences in connection with the July 2022 shooting death of 37-year-old Shawn Singh in Peterborough. (Police-supplied photo)
Almost a year after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest, police have located and arrested a 34-year-old Barrie man wanted in connection with a brazen daytime shooting last July in Peterborough that led to the death of 37-year-old Shawn Singh.
In a joint operation between the Peterborough and Sault Ste. Marie police services, Eduardo ‘Tito’ Silva was taken into custody on Tuesday evening (August 22) after a two-hour stand-off with police in Sault Ste. Marie.
“I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to our team of investigators and to the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service for their roles in bringing Silva into custody,” said Peterborough police chief Stuard Betts during a media conference on Thursday (August 24). “The distance between where Silva is accused of committing his crime and where he was ultimately arrested highlights the fact that crimes and those who commit them transcend regional borders and agencies.”
Last July 2nd, Peterborough police were called to the Park Street North and Sherbrooke Street area in Peterborough following reports that a person had been shot. After arriving, officers located a 37-year-old male victim and administered CPR. The victim was transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre where he succumbed to his injuries. Police later identified the victim as Shawn Singh of Peterborough.
Last September 26th, police announced two suspects had been arrested and charged in connection with Singh’s death. After the execution of search warrants earlier in the month, 35-year-old Rebecca Silva of Toronto was arrested and charged with manslaughter with a firearm and accessory after the fact to murder, and 27-year-old Jack Monine of Peterborough was arrested and charged with second degree murder, accessory after the fact to murder, and failure to comply with probation. At the time, police also issued a Canada-wide warrant for Silva.
Following Silva’s arrest on Tuesday, he was charged with multiple offences in relation to the Peterborough homicide, including second degree murder, discharge of a restricted firearm or a prohibited firearm with intent, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order, and firearm while committing an offence.
VIDEO: July 2 2022 Homicide Arrest
Search warrants conducted at Silva’s residence in Sault Ste. Marie following his arrest have also led to further charges, which police have not specified.
“This arrest was a testament to the quality police work and professionalism of our members and has made our service proud,” said Sault. Ste. Marie police chief Hugh Stevenson. “We’d also like to thank Peterborough Police Service for their hard work and persistence in this case. Together, we were able to get a violent offender off the streets and into custody.”
Silva was held in police custody for a bail hearing on Wednesday (August 23).
Kelly Convery has rebranded her small-scale Ennismore flower farm, originally called The Flower Patch, as Sanctuary Flower Fields. She says flowers were her sanctuary both while she was dealing with the mental health toll during her former pandemic career and also while dealing with the grief resulting from the tragic loss of a close friend. (Photo: Mary Zita Payne Photography)
A former Peterborough paramedic who turned her love for flowers into a business has rebranded her Ennismore flower farm as Sanctuary Flower Fields.
A paramedic with Peterborough County-City Paramedics for 14 years, Kelly Convery says she was passionate about her career but the mental health toll was heavy.
While on maternity leave in 2019, she decided to focus on her family and her love of flowers, starting by growing a small patch of flowers. Her decision to leave her paramedic career was cemented after the tragic death of her close friend Jessica Dalliday. The well-known Peterborough entrepreneur died in April 2021 following a complication that had taken the life of her newborn daughter five days before.
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In a media release, Convery says she found flowers “to be her sanctuary” while she was dealing with both the stress of being a paramedic and then the grief over the loss of her friend, adding that multiple studies have proven the profound mental health benefits of flowers.
“Working as a paramedic, I was reminded of impermanence everyday,” she explains. “Facing unimaginable and unexpected tragedies regularly, I found myself feeling more driven to live my life to the fullest, and go after what I want.”
“Oddly enough, here I am selling cut flowers — which we all know are perishable,” she adds. “I like to think of this as a gentle message of impermanence. A nudge for everyone to enjoy the simple beauty, and savour each moment as it comes.”
Offering a variety of services ranging from floral design to photography opportunities, Sanctuary Flower Fields hopes to offer pick-your-own dates and other social events in 2024. (Photo: Mary Zita Payne Photography)
Located in Ennismore, Convery’s business was originally named The Flower Patch. She admits that, with no agricultural or farming background, she is learning as she grows.
“I really have no idea what I’m doing,” she joked on her Instagram account in 2022. “Just a few years ago I planted potato vine — and I expected to grow potatoes? If I can do this, anyone can.”
Today, Convery’s small-scale flower farm — rebranded as Sanctuary Flower Fields — offers a variety of services ranging from floral design to photography opportunities in “The Flower Field” a hit with local photographers.
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Convery says her seasonal flowers are started from seed, thoughtfully picked, and creatively arranged. She also offers “joy jars,” bouquets, subscriptions, and wholesale or bulk bloom options.
Convery says her flower farm has been well received in the community, with flower orders and field rental inquiries “flooding in.” In 2024, Convery hopes to offer pick-your-own dates and other social events.
On August 24, 2023, an Amber Alert was issued for three-month-old Jazmine Gill-Bissonnette who was abducted by her father, 23-year-old Jacob Bissonnette, in Roseneath about 52 kilometres east of Peterborough. A couple of hours after the Amber Alert was issued, police located the infant safe in Roseneath and took her father into custody. (Police-supplied photos)
An Amber Alert in Ontario has been cancelled for a baby girl abducted by her father in Roseneath on Wednesday evening (August 23), as the girl has been located and her father taken into custody.
The alert was issued early Thursday morning for the pair, who were last seen in Roseneath, about 52 kilometres east of Peterborough in Alnwick-Haldimand Township.
Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) had identified the abducted baby as three-month-old Jazmine Gill-Bissonnette and her father as 23-year-old Jacob Bissonnette.
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The OPP had issued a detailed description and photos of both the baby and her father.
Within a couple of hours of the Amber Alert being issued, police located the baby safe in Roseneath and took the father into custody.
Police are continuing their investigation and have thanked members of the public for their assistance.
Orchard stewards planting fruit trees in City of Peterborough public parks last fall with the Edible Infrastructure program that GreenUP helps lead alongside Nourish. As well as producing food for people and animals, trees help mitigate the effects of climate change. (Photo: Jessica Todd / GreenUP)
Autumn is in the air and nothing brings the season better to mind than our neighbourhood trees. While some folks might argue pumpkin spice is the one to do so, I would disagree.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Vern Bastable, Director of Ecology Park, GreenUP.
The changing of the green leaves to bright reds, oranges, and yellows, the tranquility of leaves gently tumbling to the ground on a warm autumn day, and the sweet smell of leaves starting their process of decay — I think these are the true harbingers of autumn.
Autumn is also a great time to plant a tree. Once the leaves drop and the plant becomes dormant, the cool air stimulates new root growth and gives a newly planted tree time to become established. This gives your new leafy friend a much better chance to survive the next summer’s stressors such as extreme heat and drought.
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This past summer brought forth some strong reasons to consider planting a tree this fall.
It was a hot one. 2023 had a summer of intense temperatures. Many high temperature records were broken across Canada and across the world. Planting a tree in an urban environment helps cool the air.
Urban trees reduce heat islands by producing shade and releasing cooling water vapour into the air. A well-treed neighbourhood can reduce local temperatures by approximately 10 to 20 degrees Celsius overall.
Ecology Park director Vern Bastable examines the only hemlock tree (Tsuga canadensis) growing in the park. Bastable says the hemlock, his favourite tree, can live for hundreds of years in shaded areas before becoming a tree that takes over the forest canopy with its beautiful soft needles. (Photo: Lili Paradi / GreenUP)
It was a dry one. Higher temperatures dried out our forests and caused a much more intense fire season this year. For many of us, this also meant many days of poor air quality warnings.
Planting a tree in your yard can help clean and cool air in a couple of ways. Trees cool the air, which then reduces the load on our power needs. According to the United States Department of Forests and Agricultural Services, just three trees properly grown around a house can save up to 30 per cent of the home’s energy use.
Trees also filter pollutants through their needles, leaves, and bark, all while producing much-needed oxygen.
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It was an unpredictable one. Heavy rainfall and flooding occurred at the beginning of August here in Peterborough.
The foliage of urban trees slows the flow of water and the root system holds soil in place reducing flooding and erosion. A mature tree, one that is 15 centimetres in diameter or larger, can intercept up to 2,000 litres of rainfall a year.
Trees also hold a lot of water. It is estimated that a tree is about 50 per cent water by weight.
The burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is a slow-growing giant that, in time, will produce food for many species of animals. The long-lived tree will sequester carbon for many decades. (Photo: Lili Paradi / GreenUP)
It is clear that climate change is having an impact on our neighbourhood trees. Forest fires and record-breaking local temperatures are both symptoms of climate change. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to raising global average temperatures, we need more carbon dioxide sinks.
Forests are natural carbon sinks because they use photosynthesis to remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce oxygen, putting the carbon to good use in the tree’s wood and sending it to the soil. A popular cited 2022 study by the European Environment Agency suggests that a mature tree can absorb roughly 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.
While there are many practical reasons to plant a tree this fall, let’s not forget that trees are just magnificent. By planting a tree this fall you are investing in the future, creating benefits and beauty that will continue to grow for many years to come.
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If you are thinking of planting a tree this fall and need some advice, GreenUP’s Native Plant & Tree Nursery located at 1899 Ashburnham Drive is open until Thanksgiving weekend (October 6). Although we don’t carry pumpkin spice, we hope by planting a leafy friend you will spice up your autumn season.
You can request the City of Peterborough plant a new street tree in the road allowance (such as a boulevard) for next year’s planting season through the city’s online tree planting request form.
The City of Peterborough will also be hosting a tree giveaway on Wednesday, September 20th. Peterborough residents can pick up trees from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. at 300 Hunter Street East in the north parking lot beside the Peterborough Museum and Archives. Keep on the Trees page on the city’s website for more details.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier) are deciduous trees or shrubs found throughout Ontario as far north as James Bay. They have edible fruits, are a fall foliage interest tree, and are an excellent choice for landscaping as single trees or hedges. (Photo: Vern Bastable / GreenUP)
On August 23, 2023, Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation CEO Erin Coons (middle) accepted a $20,000 cheque from longtime members of the Ops Ladies Auxiliary (left to right) Marion Brumwell, Joan Magahay, Noreen Brasier, and Anne Walker at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. The volunteer group is disbanding now that the Ops Community Centre and Arena has been demolished. (Photo courtesy of Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation)
One of the final acts of the Ops Ladies Auxiliary has been to donate $20,000 to the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation in Lindsay.
The volunteer group was formed with the construction of the Ops Community Centre and Arena in 1974 in the former Ops Township. Since then, members of the Ops Ladies Auxiliary have volunteered their time to assist with community events at the centre, including weddings, funeral receptions, fundraising dances, and agriculture meetings.
In 2022, City of Kawartha Lakes council voted to support the demolition of the Ops Community Centre and Arena, due to its age and extensive repairs needed to keep it operational, at a cost of $300,000. In June 2023, the city awarded a bid to demolish and remove the building. With the demolition of the Ops Community Centre and Arena now completed, the Ops Ladies Auxiliary is disbanding.
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On Wednesday (August 23), longtime members of the Ops Ladies Auxiliary Marion Brumwell, Joan Magahay, Noreen Brasier and Anne Walker met at the Ross Memorial Hospital to present a $20,000 cheque to Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation CEO Erin Coons. The donation will be used to help fund the hospital’s new MRI and CT scanners.
“It’s incredibly kind of the Ladies Auxiliary to mark this bittersweet milestone with a gift that benefits their entire community,” says Coons in a media release. “For so many years, the Ops volunteers made their community better, through recreation and event support.”
“Today, their generosity will touch lives through gold standard diagnostic imaging, which is an integral part of patients’ timely diagnosis and treatment. Patients of all ages throughout Kawartha Lakes will benefit from this gift. All of the members of the Ladies Auxiliary should be proud of what they accomplished together, today and over the past five decades.”
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