UPDATE February 20, 2024 – INSPIRE has informed kawarthaNOW the International Women’s Day event scheduled for March 8, 2024 is no longer taking place, providing the following statement:

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project’s International Women’s Day Event is postponed. Refunds will be processed no later than March 31, 2024.”

Early bird tickets are now on sale for the second annual International Women’s Day event hosted by INSPIRE: The Women’s Portrait Project.

Taking place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 8th at the Peterborough Waterfront Holiday Inn, the event features inspiring speakers, workshops, an artisan fair, and more.

“We set the bar pretty high at last year’s event and it was a bit overwhelming to begin the task of pulling the pieces together for this year,” says INSPIRE founder Heather Doughty in a media release. “But the committee knocked it out of the park and we have an incredible lineup of speakers and workshops planned. This is going to be an incredible day — one that you don’t want to miss.”

Emceed by Peterborough performer, filmmaker, and author Megan Murphy, the day begins with opening speaker Dr. Dawn Memee Lavell Harvard, a member of Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, on the topic “Investing in Indigenous Women and Girls: Inviting everyone to the table.”

Attendees can then choose from one of three morning workshops and one of three afternoon workshops.

The morning workshops include “Women and Diet Culture” by dietitian Atheana Brown, “Re-ignite your Self-Confidence” by Team Synergy coach Meg Nimigon, and “Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence” by Wen-Do instructor and social worker Heather Howe.

The afternoon workshops include “Streamline and Simplify Your Space” by Organized By Design founder Nicole Cooke, “I’m not creative but I have to be: how creativity makes you, Peterborough and the world sparkle” by officiant and storyteller Hermione Rivison, and “Women and Cyber Security” by Jessica Erickson of MicroAge.

“The topics of our workshops are very wide — there is a workshop for everyone,” Doughty says.

During both the morning and afternoon, attendees will have free time to network and visit the artisan fair featuring more than 20 female-led businesses. There will also be a sitting yoga session with deep breathing exercises led by Stephanie Bolton, a photo booth, and a community song session by Mila Redwood, founder of Sing for Joy in Toronto.

The day will end with keynote speaker Leah Goldstein, a world champion kickboxer, the first female instructor to train commandos in the Israeli military, and a record-breaking endurance cyclist at over 50 years old. Goldstein will inspire attendees with her story of physical and mental determination and how she has used it to live a life of “no limits.”

Early bird tickets are available online at www.inspirethewomensportraitproject.com for $80, which is $20 less than the regular price.

Group tickets are also available, with early bird pricing of $240 for a group of four or $480 for a group of eight.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2024 is “Inspire Inclusion,” which Doughty is encouraging by providing people with the opportunity to purchase “pay it forward” tickets, which will be distributed to local agencies so that individuals facing financial or other barriers will be able to attend the event.

“What better way to live those words than by doing this?” she says. “This community has a huge heart and I know that attendees will show that by supporting this initiative and providing an opportunity to uplift and empower another individual.”

For more details about INSPIRE’s second annual International Women’s Day event, including information about speakers and workshops, and to buy early bird tickets, visit www.inspirethewomensportraitproject.com. Sponsorship opportunities area also available.

“We are so excited for this day and we hope to see everyone there,” Doughty says. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to fill the Holiday Inn?”

Both the City and County of Peterborough have declared a “significant weather event” in advance of a winter storm forecast to begin Friday night (January 12).

Municipalities can declare a significant weather event under a regulation of the Municipal Act, which allows them to deem municipal roadways as being in a “state of repair” with respect to snow accumulation. The declaration is not a notice of a reduced level of service, but notifies residents that it may take longer than usual to clear the snow.

The winter storm is expected to bring 10 to 20 cm of snow in the City of Peterborough and southern Peterborough County and 15 to 25 cm in northern Peterborough County, with peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour, before turning to rain by Saturday morning.

The snow will be accompanied by strong southeasterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h that, combined with heavy snow, will cause significantly reduced visibility at times. Some areas of Peterborough County may also experience freezing rain conditions as temperatures fluctuate Saturday morning. Following the snow and rain, temperatures will drop to well below freezing by Saturday night, which may create flash-freezing conditions.

“Declaring a significant weather event is a way to advise residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists that clearing snow and treating surfaces on roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes can be expected to be delayed compared to typical levels of service, due to the potential severity of the approaching storm,” says City of Peterborough public works manager John Czerniawski in a media release.

According to the release, the city is prepared to deploy its full complement of 18 plow trucks, 11 sidewalk plows, two graders, seven loaders and backhoes, and four light sanding units. Winter abrasives and de-icers are stocked and workers are ready to be deployed.

City public works crews will focus on arterial and collector roads first, followed by residential streets, sidewalks, and trails, as resources and conditions allow. Work will continue until the city’s 978 kilometres of roads, 404 kilometres of sidewalks, 39 kilometres of trails, and 650 bus stops are cleared.

“Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation as our crews work through this major winter storm,” says Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal. “My sincere appreciation to the city employees who will be working around the clock in difficult conditions this weekend to keep our roads, sidewalks, and trails safe.”

During a significant weather event, residents are advised to use caution and are reminded that typical winter maintenance service levels for roads may not be met.

Motorists are advised to avoid unnecessary travel and adjust driving based on the conditions. Both road users and pedestrians are asked to leave crews the space they need to safely and effectively clean city streets, sidewalks, and trails.

In the City of Peterborough, winter parking restrictions are in place and parking is prohibited on all city streets from 2 to 6 a.m. overnight. The city is also asking residents not to park on city streets for the duration of the storm to allow for effective snow clearing. During snowstorms, free overnight parking is available in municipal parking garages and surface lots. Drivers can use the parking garage entrance ticket for a free ride home on Peterborough Transit.

Peterborough County’s warden is looking forward to seeing the James A. Gifford Causeway project in Bridgenorth completed in 2024, especially the lighted walkway with its learning opportunity about the Indigenous history of the area.

With the causeway’s roadworks tender substantially completed in November 2023, the county expects the installation of lighting along the new multi-use path to be wrapped up by mid-winter 2024, according to a recent Peterborough County media release.

Warden Bonnie Clark said seeing progress on the project continue is one of the initiatives underway in Peterborough County that she’s looking forward to watching unfold this year.

“There are a couple of things I’m excited about, and certainly one is the James Gifford causeway,” Clark told kawarthaNOW. “That project is the largest one that Peterborough County has ever done, so we’re hoping to bring it to fruition this year.”

The warden said one feature of the project is particularly interesting.

“We’ve collaborated with Curve Lake (First Nation), and we’re doing a lighted walkway and interpretation along that walkway across the causeway,” Clark noted. “I’m really looking forward to that. I think it’s going to be informative and (it’s) a beautiful setting for that walk across.”

The county said the design of the next phase of the causeway construction is currently being finalized and will include extensive rehabilitation work on the Chemong bridge. The construction tender for this work is expected to be issued for public bidding in February.

The construction contract will encompass repairing Chemong bridge’s superstructure and substructure, excavating and replacing deteriorated concrete deck sections, and renewing the asphalt surface on the bridge, the county noted.

A new concrete sidewalk on the south side of the Chemong bridge connection to that new multi-use path and the installation of the pathway lighting are also part of the project. In addition, the construction contract includes a road reconstruction component, extending from west of the Chemong bridge to the Kelly Boulevard/Garthorne Avenue intersection.

Peterborough County said construction will begin in the spring and be completed in November.

More details and a schematic of the bridgeworks plan is available on the county’s website.

In other areas of development, Clark is anticipating in 2024 the return — and hopeful approval — of Peterborough County’s official plan from the province.

The warden said the county is also working with the City of Peterborough this year on negotiating the consolidated municipal service agreement between the two local governments. The document outlines where the responsibilities for services fall, such as the county overseeing the paramedic service for the county and city. Meanwhile, social services and social housing fall under the city’s umbrella provided for the county.

In an earlier story with kawarthaNOW, the warden highlighted health care and housing in Peterborough County as two of the key challenges for 2024.

Clark, who is also the deputy mayor of the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, took office for Peterborough County in December 2022. Her career in public service began more than 20 years ago as a township councillor for then Otonabee Township. She has served as deputy mayor of the amalgamated Otonabee-South Monaghan and as a member of county council since 2018.

The time to invest money in the community health care sector is now, the Peterborough Family Health Team (PFHT) says.

In fact, more funding has been needed for about a decade, said PFHT CEO Duff Sprague.

Many of the province’s family health teams are advocating in their communities for a fair top-up from the government.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to fill positions in the primary health care sector,” Sprague told kawarthaNOW. “If Peterborough is able to maintain a robust, fully staffed family health team, it will assist in attracting family physicians to our community. However, this is far from the current reality with no relief in sight.”

Sprague said compensation has been frozen for four years, there has been more than 10 years of no new clinical positions, and more than 10 years of no base budget increases.

“We are less and less able to support local family physicians, their patients, and area citizens who have no primary care,” the CEO noted. “The breakdown of family medicine and primary care is the number one reason that hospitals are overrun.”

Sprague hopes the government will “act quickly” and provide more money for primary health care.

“Fund us to pay our staff a competitive wage, to hire more clinical staff to work with and support family practices and recognize that our base budget is being eaten up by the rising costs of rent, IT and medical supplies,” he said. “We are not still paying 2013 prices.”

PFHT said in a media release that community health care in Ontario is in crisis as it struggles to recruit and retain health workers.

“The rapidly growing wage gap between primary care and other health care sectors is proven and the facts have been brought to light in the recent Ontario Community Health Compensation Market Salary Review.”

The salary review shows some clinical positions as having a wage gap of 30 per cent below market value, with most positions in the range of 20 per cent below market value, the PFHT noted.

“For years, community healthcare has been ignored,” Sprague stated in the media release. “It is extremely detrimental to the health of Ontarians that primary care is left to fall apart.”

“Ontarians already know about the severe and growing shortage of family doctors. They also need to know that years of frozen wages across primary care has resulted in a shrinking number of community-based healthcare professionals such as nurse practitioners, registered nurses/practical nurses, mental health clinicians, pharmacists, dietitians and physician assistants. Our community is fortunate that many of our FHT professionals see primary care as their calling and have stayed with us despite the better-paying opportunities in other health settings.”

Sprague said both the clinical and administrative staff at the PFHT “continue to go above and beyond in delivering services to our community.” They do this, despite not seeing those increases in staffing and compensation, he noted.

“A lot needs to change in Ontario’s health care system, starting with the front door to health care. Family physicians and primary care teams are the foundation of our system and the first step in a person’s health care journey and if they’re gone, comprehensive primary health care is gone.”

The PFHT was one of the first FHTs in Ontario. The health care organization applies a team-based approach to patient care. The PFHT’s interprofessional health care providers include mental health clinicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, registered dietitians, and more.

In the face of social media outrage, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts has continued to defend the decision of his officers to charge a store clerk for assaulting and seriously injuring a man who attempted to rob a convenience store early last Friday morning (January 5).

At around 2:30 a.m. last Friday, officers were called to the Circle K convenience store at the corner of King and Bethune streets in downtown Peterborough. After arriving, officers learned the store clerk had been helping a male customer when another man entered the store brandishing a baseball bat and demanding money.

A struggle ensued, and the clerk was struck with the baseball bat before taking it away from the would-be robber, who then fled the store. The clerk pursued the man onto the sidewalk and struck him several times with the baseball bat. While the clerk was treated by paramedics at the scene, the robbery suspect suffered head injuries and was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre for treatment.

Police subsequently issued a warrant for the arrest of the 37-year-old suspect for robbery, assault with a weapon, and possession of weapon, and arrested and charged the store clerk, a 22-year-old Peterborough man, with aggravated assault.

After Peterborough police issued a media release on Tuesday afternoon about the incident, there was immediate backlash on social media against the police and their decision to charge the store clerk, who was identified on social media as being a person of colour.

On Tuesday evening, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts posted a public statement on his personal account on X (formerly Twitter), defending his officers and their decision to charge the clerk with aggravated assault.

Public Statement: I would not normally release a message of this kind, but the commentary that has taken place following our media release today, in relation to a store clerk also being charged following an attempted robbery (https://t.co/driE7iidYc), is unfair to the men and… https://t.co/wBeVI05vWp

— Chief Stu Betts, Peterborough Police Service (@PtboChiefBetts) January 10, 2024

“In a world where security cameras are everywhere, do you really think we would not have seized and reviewed the footage as part of the investigation and prior to laying charges?” Betts wrote. “This is not about politics — politics have nothing to do with the facts. This is not about race — as some have suggested. This is not about the perception that criminals go free while victims of crime are penalized — this is about the law.”

“I encourage you to stop and think about things before determining what you think has happened, or that an injustice has taken place, because I’m quite confident that not one person who has made a comment about this case has seen the video or has access to the actual facts.”

Betts’ post has since been viewed more than 105,500 times and has attracted more than 280 comments, many of which continue to object to the decision to charge the store clerk.

On Thursday morning, Betts appeared on CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning where he spoke to host Mike Crawley about the police decision, the reaction, and his social media post.

“The intent of my message was to try to address the runaway commentary on social media around vigilantism and then vilifying the police for the decision the officers made to charge the clerk, particularly from a position where people weren’t in possession of the facts,” Betts said. “In fact, the only one — other than my investigators — who’ve seen the video is me. I’ve watched it from beginning to end, so I am in possession of all the evidence that led up to this charge.”

Betts said he had no issue with how the store clerk disarmed the would-be robber inside the store, but it was what happened after the suspect fled the store that resulted in the aggravated assault charge.

“The clerk and the witness actually effectively removed that person from the store, and they did a good job,” he said. “I have no concerns whatsoever with how they dealt with that individual to get him out of the store. The problem is, once they were out of the store, things took a much more dangerous turn … this is what has led up to the (clerk) being charged with aggravated assault. I’m just happy that it didn’t turn out to be anything more serious.”

Betts added that aggravated assault is the most serious assault charge, just one level down from a charge of attempted murder.

“You’ll see that definition (or aggravated assault) includes ‘maims, disfigures or endangers the life’ — that’s what we were dealing with,” he explained. “This would-be robber was transported by air ambulance to a trauma centre (in Toronto) to address the scope of their injuries. The injuries sustained by this individual were disproportionate to their actions within the store.”

As for the outrage related to the police decision to lay a charge against the clerk, Betts said he was “not unsympathetic to the feelings that people have right now” and “can understand and appreciate why people are angry and why they feel that way.”

However, he rejected accusations the police decision was related to politics, police incompetence, or race.

“I needed to support my officers,” he said. “They made the right decision. They consulted with a Crown attorney along the way. This (decision to charge the clerk) wasn’t made in haste. There was the obtaining of evidence. I felt that, within the context I could, I hoped to be able to provide some assurance to people.”

Betts “absolutely, unequivocally” rejected the criticism that race was involved, and claimed that most of the outrage is coming from outside of Peterborough.

“Quite frankly, the outrage, if you will, that seems to have been generated, it is generated elsewhere outside of our community, which would suggest to me that our community has a very good understanding of what’s happening and confidence in what we’re doing here,” Betts said.

He added that he had hoped posting a public statement on social media would help people understand the police decision and “put an end” to the commentary.

“It sadly has had the opposite effect,” he admitted.

Betts said the courts will see the evidence that led to the police’s decision to charge the store clerk, including the video footage that Betts himself has watched.

“Any of the commentary that’s out there on social media, or mainstream media for that matter, do not know what’s happened,” he pointed out. “I can say from beginning to end — all the interactions — I have seen it all on video.”

The negative reaction to the Peterborough incident is reminiscent to the public outrage that followed a 2009 incident in Toronto, where David Chen, the owner of a grocery store in Chinatown, was charged with kidnapping, carrying a dangerous weapon, assault, and forcible confinement after he and two employees caught and confined a man who had earlier stolen plants from the store and returned to the store. Chen and his employees conducted a citizen’s arrest even though the suspect was not caught in the act of committing a crime — something that was not allowed under the criminal code at the time.

While police later dropped the kidnapping and dangerous weapon charges, the case went to trial in 2010 and the three men were acquitted on the remaining charges of assault and forcible confinement.

That case led to the 2013 passing by the Stephen Harper government of Bill C-26, the Citizen’s Arrest and Self-Defence Act, which allows people to make a citizen’s arrest within a “reasonable” period of time after witnessing a crime. Bill C-26 also made additional amendments to the criminal code sections for self-defence and defence of property, replacing the previous definitions of “necessary” and “proportionate” force with “reasonable in the circumstances.”

Canadian self-defence law differs from American law, which includes both “stand your ground” and “duty to retreat” laws in different U.S. states. Stand your ground laws allow people to use deadly force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to defend themselves or their property against certain violent crimes, while duty to retreat laws prohibit using deadly force if it is possible to avoid the danger with complete safety by retreating. Currently, 38 U.S. states have stand your ground laws and 11 states have duty to retreat laws.

In Canada, there is no stand your ground or duty to retreat law. Instead, the criminal code considers the act of self-defence itself and whether a “reasonable person” placed in the same situation would have acted in a similar manner. In general, Canadian courts find a “stand your ground” decision to be unreasonable in situations where retreat is available. Canadian courts have also unambiguously found that it is not reasonable to use deadly force in defence of property alone, where there is not a simultaneous threat to human life or safety.

An exception is in Alberta, where the 2019 Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-Abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act provides civil immunity to property owners who employ force, including lethal force, in defence of homes and other premises.

This story has been updated to correct a misspelling of Mike Crawley’s name.

Environment Canada has now issued a winter storm warning for most of the Kawarthas region for Friday night (January 12) to Saturday night.

The winter storm warning, which was previously a winter storm watch, is in effect for Haliburton County, Hastings Highlands, Peterborough County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes. A winter weather travel advisory is in effect for Northumberland County.

Snow is forecast to begin early Friday evening and will quickly become heavy at times, before transitioning to periods of rain overnight or early Saturday morning as temperatures rise above freezing. Strong southeasterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h will combine with this heavy snow to cause significantly reduced visibility at times.

In Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands, total snowfall accumulations of 15 to 30 cm are possible. In northern Peterborough County and northern Kawartha Lakes, total snowfall accumulations of 15 to 25 cm are possible. In southern Peterborough County and southern Kawartha Lakes, total snowfall accumulations of 10 to 20 cm are possible. In all these areas, peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour are expected.

In Northumberland County, total snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm are possible, with peak snowfall rates of 2 to 5 cm per hour.

Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.

This story has been updated with the latest forecast from Environment Canada.

Providing more housing and increasing access to primary care physicians and health-care professionals are two top priorities for Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark as she contemplates the agenda for 2024.

Clark, who is also the deputy mayor of the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, took office for Peterborough County in December 2022. As she entered the second year of her two-year term as warden, she spoke with kawarthaNOW about a couple of the key issues and challenges for the county in the months ahead.

Like many places in Canada, having more housing options for residents is at the forefront of her thoughts.

“We have 4,000 housing starts in the next couple years just in the county, so we are doing our share here in the county with severances and different subdivisions going,” Clark said.

On a broader level, the warden is engaged in housing discussions through her seat on the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC). Housing affordability and attainability are current focal points for the caucus.

Across the EOWC’s region, there are approximately 12,000 to 14,000 units on municipal community rental housing wait lists, EOWC figures noted.

“People are waiting an average of almost five years and up to 10 years in some cases to access these community rental housing units,” states the EOWC website. “As part of the Ontario government’s goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031, the EOWC is looking to do our part in increasing housing supply through our bold 7 in 7+ regional housing plan.”

The EOWC’s ‘7 in 7+’ regional housing plan proposes building at least 7,000 community rental units over seven years across the region to address the wait lists.

“I’ve been quite involved in that and have been advocating both in Ottawa and in Toronto to our MPs and MPPs,” the warden said. Clark also served as a panelist on housing at the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) conference in 2023.

Also top of mind for Clark in 2024 is improving Peterborough County residents’ access to family doctors and/or nurse practitioners and other health-care providers.

The county recently hired a health care co-ordinator to drive physician recruitment efforts and advocate for a community health centre (CHC) in the county. CHCs are located throughout Ontario and are designed to help people access primary care providers, including doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers, dietitians, and others.

Clark said if one looks at a map that details where the CHCs are located in the province, the gap for Peterborough County is obvious.

“We’re like a desert when it comes to (having) that type of facility and it’s very crucial for new physicians who are not interested in doing (administrative work). They want to come in and take care of the patients. We know we are losing some potential partners, doctors, because we can’t provide that.”

If the provincial government provides the go-ahead for a CHC, Clark said the effort will encompass various partnerships with a variety of stakeholders to bring it to life.

On a broader level, she sits on AMO’s health care transformation committee.

“Anywhere that I can be involved to advocate for (housing and health care), I certainly take full advantage of that,” the warden said.

When asked what she is most excited about this year, Clark said there are a few projects and initiatives that come to mind. Read more in an upcoming story on kawarthaNOW.

Clark’s career in public service began more than 20 years ago as a township councillor for then Otonabee Township. She has served as deputy mayor of the amalgamated Otonabee-South Monaghan and as a member of county council since 2018.