A partial solar annular eclipse was visible across Canada, including in the Kawarthas region, on Saturday (October 14) — a teaser for next spring’s total solar eclipse that will be fully visible over parts of southeastern and southwestern Ontario.

In the Kawarthas, around 20 per cent of the sun was obscured by the moon during Saturday’s annular eclipse, an event that happens every one or two years when the sun and moon are exactly in line with the Earth.

During an annular eclipse, the distances between the Earth, moon, and sun mean the moon’s disk appears to be slightly smaller than the disk of the sun. Unlike a total solar eclipse where the moon’s disk completely covers that of the sun, an annual eclipse results in a “ring of fire” surrounding the dark disk of the moon. Annular comes from the mathematics term annulus, which is the region between two concentric circles.

In the western hemisphere, this “ring of fire” was only visible in regions in the west and southwest of the U.S., as well as some regions in Central America and the northern regions of South America.

Because only a small portion of the sun was obscured by the moon in the Kawarthas, you wouldn’t have noticed the eclipse unless you were looking at the sun using eclipse glasses or — as in the case of Peterborough resident Sean Bruce — recording it on video.

In fact, it takes a total solar eclipse to result in visible darkening, and that only happens if you are in the path of “totality” when the moon completely obscures the sun.

VIDEO: October 14, 2023 partial solar annular eclipse by Sean Bruce

During the last total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, which was the first visible in North America in decades, almost 70 per cent of the sun was obscured by the moon in the Kawarthas. Other than making the sun look like a crescent moon, there was no visual evidence the eclipse was happening.

However, that won’t be the case during the next total solar eclipse in North America, which will happen next spring on Monday, April 8th.

The path of totality for that eclipse will pass right over the parts of southeastern Ontario — including Kingston, Belleville, and Cobourg — as well as over Lake Ontario, the Niagara region, and parts of southwestern Ontario.

Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 48-year-old Brighton man.

The missing man, who police have identified as William, was last seen on September 26 in Belleville.

William is described as being six feet tall and around 130 pounds, with brown-grey hair.

He may be driving a silver 2016 Kia Soul passenger vehicle with Ontario plate CFRR565.

William is known to frequent Northumberland County and Prince Edward County.

Police are asking anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of William since he was last seen to contact the Northumberland OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

The YMCA branch in downtown Peterborough now has a new aquatics wheelchair thanks to a donation from the Rotary Club of Peterborough-Kawartha.

The YMCA of Central East Ontario has used the donation to purchase a specialized aquatics wheelchair for the swimming pools at its Balsillie Family Branch at 123 Aylmer Street South.

The wheelchair will allow YMCA members and guests who have mobility issues to enter the pools more easily.

“Our members who are users of a chair can have some comfort in ways of entering the pool,” says YMCA aquatics supervisor Shannon Hunter in a media release.

“This chair is great for adults and children. The old chair was not fit for use anymore and we are so thankful that people can still enter our lap pool and therapy pool.”

Members can need the aquatics wheelchair can ask the guard on duty to get it for them. If there is not a guard available, staff will direct the member to get it themselves.

A 34-year-old man is dead following a collision with a transport truck on Highway 7A west of Bethany Thursday morning (October 12).

At around 8:20 a.m. on Thursday, Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision between an eastbound car and a westbound transport truck on the highway.

The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have identified the victim as a 34-year-old Manvers Township man but have not released his name.

Highway 7A was closed between Porter Road and Highway 35 for several hours on Thursday morning while police documented the scene.

While the cause of the collision remains under investigation, the OPP have stated that “drivers, passengers, and other road users can significantly contribute to safe roads by avoiding risks and complying with all traffic laws.”

Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and has not spoken with police is asked to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

The Ontario government has invested an additional $2 million in Five Counties Children’s Centre, a charitable organization serving children with special needs in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, and Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith and Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott were at the organization’s Peterborough location at 872 Dutton Road on Thursday (October 12) to announce the increase in funding, which is part of the Ontario government’s $330-million investment in pediatric health services for children and youth announced this summer.

“This long-term funding commitment demonstrates the Ontario government’s commitment to support the health and well-being of children and youth in our province, including right here at home,” MPP Smith says in a media release.

The additional funding means Five Counties will see its provincial funding increase by $2,024,625 per year, with $1,714,000 going towards community and school-based rehabilitation and $310,625 for preschool speech and language services.

“Five Counties is a pillar of our community that offers supports to so many children in a variety of ways,” says MPP Scott. “Our government is proud to continue to support the Centre’s commitment to improving the lives of those in our communities with their innovative treatment programs.”

According to Five Counties CEO Scott Pepin, the funding increase means the organization can serve more children, youth, and families and reduce wait times for children’s treatment services such as speech, occupational, and physio therapies, which can be as long as 18 to 24 months in some cases.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Ontario government for this additional investment in children’s treatment services,” Pepin says. “This is a huge win for our kids and families, as it will allow us to see and serve more families to help get them the treatment they need when they need it.”

The increase in funding will help Five Counties retain existing staff and recruit new staff, filling current vacancies and add more clinicians in areas of high-demand services.

“Investing in our staff means we can invest in important treatment services that benefit our kids and families,” Pepin adds. “The funding also allows us to be more competitive and an employer of choice, especially to fill hard-to-recruit therapy positions that are often in high demand and short supply.”

Along with other treatments services for children, Five Counties provides speech, physio, and occupational therapies through its locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg, Campbellford, and Minden, as well as in area schools and other community settings. In the past year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth in the region, the highest number of annual clients the organization’s nearly 50-year history.

In 2022-23, the Ontario government provided over $9.5 million in funding for Five Counties Children’s Centre, with most of the organization’s remaining revenue coming from the City of Peterborough at almost $3 million, Northumberland County at almost $1.3 million, and fundraising and donations at almost $550,000. The additional $2 million in funding represents an increase of over 20 per cent in the organization’s 2022-23 provincial funding.

An online petition calling for more regulations around fishing in the Ganaraska River in Port Hope has surpassed its initial goal of 10,000 signatures within a week. The petition, which was launched on October 3, is now aiming for 15,000 signatures.

Organized by well-known Port Hope resident Sean Carthew, the petition on change.org is calling for fishing to be “shut down” between the Corbett’s Dam and the CN bridge (Robertson Street Bridge). The petition comes in response to the growing number of anglers who visit the region to catch large numbers of salmon during the annual salmon run.

Every fall, salmon and trout leave the cold waters of Lake Ontario and begin a journey upstream through rivers, creeks, and streams to reach their spawning grounds. The most common salmon species in Ontario are chinook and coho salmon.

“The amount of fish being taken or discarded for roe has turned into nothing short of a tragedy,” reads the petition, which later adds, “We cannot let this continue. The fishing and lack of respect for the river has gotten out of hand.”

The call for change comes following the October 1st community river clean-up, organized by Port Hope councillor Adam Pearson through his business Queenies Bake Shop. Running for over a decade, the clean-up is done each year after trout and salmon fishing season comes to an end on September 30. This year, around 70 people came out for the clean-up — the most ever.

“I was flabbergasted at the amount of garbage,” says Carthew, noting that he and his girlfriend alone picked up upwards of 40 to 50 fishing hooks and collected two bags full of fishing lot. “Times that by the 70 people out there and we’re looking at 2,500 to 3,000 hooks in a little area. It’s not safe. It’s disgusting.”

An angler himself, Carthew has been fishing from the river his whole life and in the past few years has noticed an increasing number of people “not respecting the river” by overfishing, netting, and snagging.

He attributes the increase to people coming from out of town who are drawn to the low water level, high volume of salmon, and lack of trees along the river — especially during the salmon run when as many as 20,000 fish are swimming upstream.

“It’s so easy to fish down there,” Carthew explains. “It’s almost too accessible. The fish are too vulnerable, and people are taking advantage of it.”

The petition points out that it’s not just the fish that are impacted by the fishing — Port Hope’s tourism is dwindling because many residents and visitors who want to watch the salmon run or fish themselves don’t want to see the “butchery.”

“It’s probably quite upsetting if a child who wants to go fishing sees someone with coolers full of salmon, or decapitated salmon, along the river,” notes Carthew. “If there was no fishing in that section, people coming to watch the salmon (run) would be epic.”

If blocking the river from fishing completely is not a viable solution, Carthew has other recommendations, including moving the dates of fishing season so it closes before the salmon run, only permitting fly fishing, or only permitting single barbless hooks to take away the snagging. He also suggests more policing, although he recognizes the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is short-staffed.

Some of the petition’s supporters suggest the ministry work with First Nations.

“Fish are relatives, not resources,” writes one petition supporter. “If the City (of Port Hope) or the Province is considering change, then I’d suggest working with First Nations in the territory. This can be so much more than just protecting stocked salmon. Help turn the City’s Land Acknowledgement into action.”

Carthew notes that, if the municipality were to shut down the section of the river during the salmon run, it could alternatively be used as a sanctuary or educational opportunity, similar to the Run Salmon Run Festival he has organized on September 10.

During that event, more than 200 people dressed in pink crowded the streets for Party in Pink, followed by an afternoon festival of crafts, food, live performance, activities and educational booths from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

“It’s a beautiful positive day around the salmon run and that’s why I created that festival, because it was just negativity in town,” Carthew explains. “A lot of people aren’t fishing, they’re just doing illegal things down there, so we needed to have a positive thing in town.”

Carthew’s petition saw immediate support, with local signers leaving comments to point out the other impacts of the fishing on the community like the smells of the “irresponsible discarding of fish,” the “impact on wildlife,” and the inability to access the river due to crowds of anglers.

Other supporters, many of whom are anglers themselves, suggest they can’t even call the practice fishing due to its unethical and disrespectful nature.

“It’s absolutely disgusting, the way these so-called anglers are fishing,” writes one petition supporter. “It’s not sporting to stand in a shallow pool of water with hundreds of salmon dying while they try and spawn.”

Other commenters, however, argue that removing access to this region of the river will just result in the same problems existing in other areas. Carthew disagrees.

“It’s so easy here in town,” he points out. “If they’re going to a river that’s not as easy — with the high river banks, it’s tough walking — I don’t think they’ll go. People are just really taking advantage of the situation here and I don’t know if we stopped that, it would spill over into other rivers.”

While Carthew explains the petition will be used to help Port Hope council come up with a solution, he suggests it could also be used by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority.

It’s clear the concerns are already being heard, as the future of the river during the salmon run was brought up at the latest Port Hope council meeting held on October 3. While no solutions have been discussed yet, there was recognition of the need for change.

“I’ve done some preliminary outreach to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, but it’s clear that the status quo is not going to be tenable for the future,” said Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky at the meeting. “We are working on a plan for the future, and we do not want to see a repetition of what happened this year.”