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.”

Police have arrested the Fenelon Township man wanted for the murder of a 79-year-old woman found dead in Fenelon Falls last week.

At around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday (October 11), officers with the Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) located and arrested 48-year-old Stephen Whiteway outside a residence in Lindsay. He has been charged with second degree murder.

On October 2, officers were called to a residence on Kanata Trail near Cameron Lake just north of Fenelon Falls after the body of the 79-year-old woman had been found. At the time, the death was considered suspicious and a post-mortem was conducted to determine the woman’s cause of death.

Police, who had issued a warrant for Whiteway’s arrest on Tuesday after deeming the woman’s death a homicide, have identified the victim as Marilyn Whiteway. They have not confirmed whether the accused man is the victim’s son.

The Kawartha Lakes OPP Crime Unit is continuing its 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.

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.

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.