Three levels of government have announced over $64 million in funding to support three projects to build and repair affordable homes in Peterborough.

The announcement took place on Wednesday (October 11) during an official ground-breaking ceremony at 681 Monaghan Road, where the City of Peterborough is building a new six-storey building that will include 53 units, including 37 one-bedroom units, 11 two-bedroom units, and five three-bedroom units, along with amenity space and utilities on the ground floor.

Peter Fragiskatos, parliamentary secretary to federal housing, infrastructure, and communities minister Sean Fraser, made the announcement on behalf of the minister during the ground-breaking event, which was also attended by Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith on behalf of Ontario municipal affairs and housing minister Paul Calandra, Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, and Peterborough city councillor Keith Riel, chair of the city’s housing and homelessness portfolios.

Expected to be completed in summer 2024, the 681 Monaghan Road project will provide housing for vulnerable populations in Peterborough, including Black Canadians, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and homeless people or those at risk of homelessness.

“With this announcement, we are supporting the needs of Indigenous peoples, seniors, people with disabilities, Black Canadians, women and their children and other vulnerable communities across Peterborough,” Fragiskatos says in a media release. “This funding will make it possible for thousands of families and individuals to access new homes, taking a crucial step towards addressing the need for affordable housing in these communities.”

The 681 Monaghan Road project received $18.9 million in federal funding through the third round of the Rapid Housing Initiative, $40,000 in SEED funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), $854,810 through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative, and over $4 million from the City of Peterborough.

“The City of Peterborough has a housing crisis,” said Mayor Leal. “We have a vacancy rate of 1.1 per cent, lowest in Ontario today, and our average rent ranks 10th highest in Canada. This announcement is a significant first step in addressing the housing pressures our residents are facing. I want to thank the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario for their support, and our local MP Michelle Ferreri and MPP Dave Smith for their tremendous advocacy for this project. By working together, we will keep building a better tomorrow.”

Funding was also announced for a project to repair 945 affordable housing units owned and operated by the Peterborough Housing Corporation at various locations in Peterborough, with over 30 per cent of the units allocated to women and children. At least 20 per cent of the units will be accessible and the repairs will result in at least a 25 per cent reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The repairs of the units are expected to be completed by December 2025.

The Government of Canada is contributing almost $3.5 million to the project through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, with the Peterborough Housing Corporation and the City of Peterborough contributing over $8 million.

“The funding announcement by CMHC and the Government of Ontario will allow the City of Peterborough and our housing provider Peterborough Housing Corporation to move forward on meeting and supplying much-needed housing,” Councillor Riel said.

The third project, a six-storey building located at 555 Bonaccord Street and known as Hunt Terraces, opened its doors to residents in April 2023. Hunt Terraces has 85 units in total, including one and two-bedroom units for people experiencing homelessness.

The Hunt Terraces project received $19.8 million in federal funding through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund and $50,000 in SEED funding, with $1.4 million from the City of Peterborough, over $2.4 million through the Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative, over $1 million through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative, $3.2 million from the Peterborough Housing Corporation, and over $1 million in municipal investments. The Ontario government is also providing an additional $177,958 through the Homelessness Prevention Program.

“Our government made a commitment to the people of Ontario to get the full spectrum of housing built and that includes accessible and affordable housing,” said MPP Smith. “Today’s announcement ensures that people in our community have access to affordable housing that provides a safe and supportive environment.”

The 2023 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival has raised $290,025.18 for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), surpassing their goal for the second year in a row.

Volunteers from the festival’s organizing committee and the Survivors Abreast Dragon Boat Team presented the donation to PRHC Foundation representatives on Wednesday (October 11) at the T-wharf on Little Lake, the site of the annual festival.

This year’s fundraising goal was $205,000.18 — an amount that reflects the estimated two out of five Canadians who will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime and the one in eight women will develop breast cancer. That goal was surpassed the day before race day on June 10, and this year’s total exceeds last year’s donation of $202,268.41 by almost $90,000.

“When it gets really busy and there is still so much work to do, I often reflect on why we do this year after year,” says Michelle Thornton, the festival’s chair and a member of the Survivors Abreast Dragon Boat Team, in a media release. “It’s because we make a difference. We make a real difference in someone’s life. We might not even know that someone, but that doesn’t matter. Because of us, someone won’t have to travel to receive their treatments, or someone will be diagnosed early and a life will be saved.”

Since the festival was first launched in June 2001 as Liberty Mutual’s “Day on the Water”, becoming Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival the following year, it has raised more than $4.2 million for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment in the Peterborough region.

“The number of patients from Peterborough and the surrounding area who rely on PRHC for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment continues to climb,” says PRHC Foundation president and CEO Lesley Heighway, adding that the 2023 donation by the festival will allow the regional hospital to invest in new state-of-the-art technology to serve more cancer patients, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and provide safer and more effective treatments.

Sponsors cover the cost of hosting the event so that 100 per cent of the money raised can be donated to the PRHC Foundation, in particular Kawartha Credit Union, which has been the festival’s presenting sponsor every year since 2001.

“At Kawartha Credit Union, care for others is one of our core values and we are passionate about contributing to the well-being of the communities we serve,” says Kawartha Credit Union president and CEO Norah McCarthy. “Being the platinum sponsor of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival allows us to provide financial support while also participating in a fun event that unites Peterborough and our surrounding areas in a common goal to improve local health care resources.”

Planning for next year’s festival, which will take place on June 8, will begin soon. Anyone wishing to volunteer their time and skills can email Thornton at michellethornton.365@gmail.com.

“As with most successful events, our festival thrives because of a community-driven spirit and like-minded people,” Thornton says. “The support from the community is phenomenal and I can’t adequately express my gratitude or how proud I am of our planning committee and the effort they put in to making the event what it is.”

Lori Richey is Peterborough County’s new physician recruiter.

Richey has over 28 years of experience in the health care sector, most recently executive director and physician recruiter with the Peterborough Family Health Team, a position she held for five years before leaving in 2020 to pursue an interest in interior design and photography.

Richey was also director of operations and human resources manager at the Peterborough Family Health Team for over eight years, from 2006 to 2015. Prior to that, she was manager of human and information resources at Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough for 14 years.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have someone with Lori’s expertise and background join the team at Peterborough County,” says Peterborough County CAO Sheridan Graham in a media release issued on Wednesday (October 11).

“We are excited and look forward to Lori’s direct collaboration with the townships, to understand their residents’ needs, to support our existing family physicians and to recruit much-needed family physicians to our region,” Graham adds.

Richey will start in her new role on Monday, October 23rd.

The Historic Red Dog Tavern in downtown Peterborough has been sold and will close as of November 1.

On Tuesday (October 10), Dave MacQuarrie, the live music venue’s longtime sound technician, posted the news of the pending closure on Facebook, sparking a flurry of reminisces.

“It’s with a mix of immense sadness and gratitude that I can now safely say what everyone in town has been hearing — the Red Dog has been sold and we will be closing the doors permanently on November 1st,” wrote MacQuarrie, adding “It’s been a great run.”

Contacted by kawarthaNOW, MacQuarrie says current Richard Halka, who bought the 189 Hunter Street West property in 2010 from Michael Skinner, has sold it to “two people … one is kind of an investor.” Based on what MacQuarrie has heard, he adds “I don’t think they’re too interested in having live music there in the future.”

Asked if the buyers are local, MacQuarrie said “I believe so, yes.”

While he has no idea what the new owners plan for the space, MacQuarrie says “The quote that I heard was ‘Total gut job'”

“We had bookings into March 2024. All those are cancelled.”

“There are tenants living upstairs now and I believe that they’re going to continue to live there, so I believe the renovations will be focused on the main room, Clancy’s and The Underdog.”

MacQuarrie says while he’s sad the Historic Red Dog will be no more, its sale hasn’t come as a surprise.

“The inevitability (of a sale) was staring me in the face. When we were putting on bigger shows, there were three venues in town. There are about 20 now.”

“These days, nightlife is in direct competition with Netflix. I can stay in and watch a show that I went to in 1980 at Massey Hall. It’s perfect sound and I can get snacks and it doesn’t cost me anything. That didn’t use to exist.”

MacQuarrie started mixing shows at what was then the Legendary Red Dog in 2004, initially in The Underdog in the pub’s basement.

“(Musician) Tom Wilson said ‘This is my kind of room because this is a southern Ontario draught (beer) room,'” noted MacQuarrie.

“These rooms don’t really exist anymore. There are few and far between. The Ganny (Ganaraska Hotel) in Port Hope is one and (so is the recently reopened) The Pig’s Ear. They used to be everywhere. This (the Red Dog) was where everyone went on the weekends. You feel the footprints of the musicians who have come before. There are ghosts in that room.”

Built in the early 1880s by local developer David Henthorne, the building originally opened as Clancy’s Hotel. It underwent several name changes over the years, including the Peterborough House, the American Hotel/House, and Brownie’s Tavern.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the building housed three pubs, including Clancy’s, the Legendary Red Dog, and the Underdog. The Legendary Red Dog hosted a number of notable Canadian performers including Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, The Tragically Hip, Jeff Healey, the Cowboy Junkies, and Ronnie Hawkins.

The building received a heritage designation from the City of Peterborough in 2007. In 2009, Skinner purchased the building and renamed it The Historic Red Dog Pub and Tavern. Halka purchased it the following year.

Reached for comment in Maryland where they are on tour, The Weber Brothers — Ryan and Sam — immediately reflected on 2001 when, newly arrived in the area and having soaked up all they could from the late Ronnie Hawkins, they were given the chance to play regularly at what was then the Legendary Red Dog.

“It was home for us … (the late) John Greco and everybody there really took us in and gave us a place to play,” recalls Ryan, with Sam noting how important such an outlet is to a young musician.

“There were always great musicians coming there and performing,” Sam says. “The place was packed with locals. Lucky for us, we were given the opportunity play there whenever we wanted. At that (young) age, when you’re in your formative years, the chance to have that much stage time is really helpful in honing your craft. We owe a lot to that place for giving us that opportunity.”

“An amazing testament to that place,” says Ryan, was it being home to numerous benefits over the years, many of which the brothers lent their talent to.

“Too numerous to count the amount of times that those (benefits) happened. It was like ‘Yup, let’s do it here. What day do you want to do it?’ But that’s also a testament to the town, where the community comes together for whoever is in need. The Red Dog was the spot where that was done and that was huge.”

Referencing the pub’s long history, Ryan says that gave it its “mojo.”

“It’s in the walls. It’s on the stage. It’s in the room. You can feel it. The room is full of memories.”

Sam, however, says he was less moved by the building’s history and more moved by those acts he was able to enjoy there over the years.

“Buzz Thompson, Bobby Watson, Jericho’s Wall, Paul James, Five Alarm Funk, Paul Reddick — the amazing music that we all got to experience there blew my mind apart many times over.”

Like MacQuarrie, Frank Girard spent a lot of time at the Red Dog going back to the 1980s, as a sound technician and as a guitarist with several bands.

“With the bands in the corner, they could hear the P.A. system instead of just hearing the monitors. It was like you were jamming in your basement. It gave you that big sound.”

The birth of the Underdog, says Girard, is a story in itself, involving former owner Ray McGregor.

“His daughter was getting married. He was phoning around, trying to find a hall for the reception. When he heard the prices, he renovated that room and had it in his own place. Then he turned it into a little bar.”

Note: kawarthaNOW has been unable to contact owner Richard Halka to confirm the sale of the Red Dog, the identity of the new owners, or future plans for the building.

The original version of this story has been updated with Paul Rellinger’s story.

The City of Peterborough’s new $62-million arena complex, currently under construction in Morrow Park at Lansdowne and Park streets, will be named the Miskin Law Community Complex.

Peterborough city council, meeting as general committee on Tuesday night (October 10), endorsed a sponsorship naming rights agreement with Miskin Law, a personal injury and civil litigation firm based in Peterborough.

The agreement would see Miskin Law pay $600,000 to the city over 10 years, with $90,000 per year for the first five years and $30,000 per year for the second five years. Miskin Law would be responsible to pay any costs for branding of the facility, including signage on the building.

Expected to open in September 2024, the new arena complex will include two NHL-size ice pads and a running track, as well as a second branch of the Peterborough Public Library, two multipurpose rooms, and commercial office space. A potential future phase of the development would include an aquatics complex with an indoor swimming pool.

The budget for the first phase of the facility includes $1 million in sponsorship revenue — representing around 1.6 per cent of the total cost of the facility — to offset the project’s cost.

For the remaining $400,000 in sponsorship revenue, the city will be seeking sponsors for the two ice pads, the multipurpose rooms, the running track, and the library branch.

According to a report to general committee from Richard Freymond, the city’s commissioner of finance and corporate support services, city staff met with 11 potential sponsors for naming rights for the facility and recommended Miskin Law as the “best prospect” as the sponsor.

“The opportunity with Miskin Law represents an appropriate fit with all parties’ interests and aligns well with the building naming right asset,” the report reads.

The report cites Miskin Law’s reputation as a litigation firm, partner Murray Miskin’s past and present involvement with Trent University, Miskin Law’s membership in local organizations such as the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and the firm’s history of sponsoring local non-profit organizations, including naming rights for the stage at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.

General committee’s endorsement of the sponsorship agreement will be considered for approval at the regular city council meeting on Monday, October 23rd.

A 79-year-old woman who was found dead in Fenelon Falls last week was murdered, according to police, and an arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect.

On Monday (October 2), officers with the Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were called after the woman was found dead in a residence on Kanata Trail near Cameron Lake just north of Fenelon Falls.

Police considered the woman’s death suspicious and a port-mortem was scheduled to determine the cause of death. The Kawartha Lakes OPP Crime Unit began an investigation under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, with assistance from members of the OPP Central Region Crime Unit, Kawartha Lakes OPP Community Street Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Services, and OPP Regional Support Team,, and in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.

On Tuesday (October 10), police deemed the suspicious death a homicide and issued an arrest warrant for 48-year-old Stephen Whiteway of Fenelon Township. Whiteway, who is is known to frequent the Lindsay area, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Police have not released the name of the victim or details of any relationship between the accused man and the victim.

Anyone with information that might assist the investigation is asked to call Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip online at www.khcrimestoppers.com. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay has a new full-time general surgeon.

Dr. Simon Adams officially began working at the hospital in September, where he will be performing endoscopies and surgeries for hernias, gall bladders, bowel cancers, and more.

Originally from Stratford-upon-Avon in England, Dr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Leicester in 2000. He spent more than 10 years practising medicine in the United Kingdom before moving to Canada.

From 2013 to 2019, he completed the general surgery residency program at University of Saskatchewan, and has served as a locum general surgeon (filling in for other surgeons) in Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. In 2021, he a one-year fellowship in abdominal wall reconstruction.

“I am excited to join the team at Ross Memorial Hospital and start seeing patients,” Dr. Adams says in a media release. “Having spent time treating patients and expanding my skillset throughout Canada, I’ve come to realize how much I enjoy the small-town feel. I look forward to learning more about the Kawartha Lakes and serving this tight-knit community.”

Referrals to Dr. Adams at Ross Memorial Hospital must be made either through a primary care provider or an emergency department physician. His office can be reached at 705-320-9916.

“Dr. Simon Adams is a skilled surgeon with lots of experience,” says Ross Memorial Hospital chief of staff Dr. Bharat Chawla. “We are happy to welcome him to Ross Memorial where he will be a valued addition to our hospital, surgical team, and community.”

Kawartha Lakes police have charged two teenage boys with the armed robbery of a Lindsay store early Saturday morning (October 7).

At around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, police officers were called to a business on William Street North in Lindsay.

After arriving, officers learned two suspects in disguise had entered the store, brandishing a hatchet. After demanding cash from the clerk, they fled the store.

Police located and arrested the suspects a short distance away. No one was injured during the incident.

As a result of the investigation, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy have each been charged with robbery with a weapon and disguise with intent.

The accused teenagers will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay on November 21.