The Centre for Land Conservation has announced Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) is one of six Canadian land trusts to achieve national recognition for its conservation leadership efforts. Founded in 2001, KLT is a non-profit charitable organization that currently protects 44 properties across the Kawarthas region that include 8,100 acres of ecologically diverse lands, some of which are open to the public to hike or enjoy nature. (Photo: KLT)
The Centre for Land Conservation (CLC) has announced six land trusts have achieved certification for conservation excellence, and Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) has made the list that recognizes conservation leadership from coast-to-coast.
For the first time in Canada, these six land trusts have earned “Conservation Excellence Certification,” which recognizes their “outstanding impact, governance, and sustainability in protecting our natural landscapes,” noted Charlotte Craig, CLC’s operations and research coordinator.
“This certification, a rigorous third-party evaluation, sets a new standard for conservation excellence across the country — and KLT is leading the way,” she told kawarthaNOW.
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The program sets the gold standard for land conservation organizations in Canada, ensuring they meet and exceed the highest benchmarks in conservation practices and internal governance.
“Certification enhances credibility, strengthens donor confidence, and increases public trust, leading to greater investment and impact,” Craig said. “By joining the program, organizations commit to continuous improvement, driving excellence across the conservation sector.”
The other five organizations that have been certified for their conservation leadership including three in Ontario — Haliburton Highlands Land Trust, Couchiching Conservancy, and Ontario Farmland Trust — along with Nature Trust in New Brunswick and Southern Interior Land Trust Society in British Columbia.
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“KLT is honoured to be among the first land trusts in Canada to receive Conservation Excellence Certification from the CLC,” said Anna Lee, KLT’s director of people and operations, in a statement.
“KLT remains committed to meeting and exceeding the highest standards in conservation, and we’re grateful to be part of a growing community of land trusts in Canada working to protect and care for the natural and working lands that sustain us.”
Land trusts are non-profit charitable organizations focused on conserving private property through donation, acquisition, and conservation agreements.
Founded in 2001, KLT protects 44 properties across the Kawarthas region that include 3,278 hectares (8,100 acres) of ecologically diverse lands, some of which are open to the public to hike or enjoy nature.
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The CLC was established in 2019 as an independent Canadian policy and program leadership institute to support and grow better, faster, and sustainable private land conservation nationwide. CLC works in partnership with community-based land conservation organizations to develop initiatives that will grow the business of conservation in Canada.
The certification program “represents a watershed moment for land conservation in Canada,” said Lara Ellis, CLC’s executive director, in a media release.
“These six organizations have demonstrated exceptional commitment to conservation excellence. Their certification signals to donors, partners, and communities that they operate at the highest levels of professional practice and conservation impact.”
Protected natural areas are essential to the quality of life of Canadians, providing wildlife habitat and places for recreation, connecting people with nature in their communities, conserving vital biodiversity, and serving as natural carbon sinks that help mitigate climate change impacts, the CLC noted.
Recent polling shows that accreditation programs like the Conservation Excellence Certification “strongly influence” donor confidence, with 90 per cent of Canadian donors reporting increased confidence in third-party certified organizations, according to the release.
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Certified organizations are authorized to use the Conservation Excellence Certification trustmark and will be listed in a public registry on the CLC website.
CLC said additional land trusts are currently undergoing assessment, and the program aims to enrol up to 40 land trusts across Canada by March 2026.
The certification program receives funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada, the McLean Foundation, Power Corporation of Canada, the Echo Foundation, and the Michael Young Family Foundation.
Certification is based on Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices.
Organizations are evaluated on conservation outcomes, governance, sustainability practices, strategic planning, and financial management. Their certification is valid for four years, with the option to renew in the future.
More than 140 regional and community land trusts operate across Canada. Land trusts have protected more than 112,000 hectares (276,758 acres) of Canada’s terrestrial land mass.
During Earth Month, volunteer group Clean Up Peterborough is encouraging residents, businesses, and schools to collect their used, broken, and dried-out writing instruments for recycling. The collected items will then be donated to the non-profit organization TerraCycle through their free recycling program at Staples stores. TerraCycles cleans the items, separates them by material, and turns them into raw materials to then be used to make new products. (Photo courtesy of Steve Paul)
It’s no happy accident that Earth Month lines up with the early weeks of spring. If a junk drawer or office space is on your spring-cleaning to-do list this year and you come across unwanted writing instruments, Clean Up Peterborough wants to take them off your hands for the betterment of the planet.
Now coming up on their one-year anniversary, the volunteer group is hosting a writing instrument drive throughout the month of April to divert as much waste away from the landfill as possible. Products accepted for the collection include pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters, permanent markers, and the caps for such products.
“We all know that people have things that might be put aside in their drawers and not throw away,” says Clean Up Peterborough founder Steve Paul. “I actually have found that there are quite a few people that have pens that don’t work and, for whatever reason, they stick around.”
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Throughout the month, Clean Up Peterborough is encouraging businesses, organizations, schools, and families to set up a box to collect the products at any time. At the end of the month, the organization will then count the collected items and donate them to the free TerraCycle recycling program, which is held at Staples office stores across the country.
TerraCycle will clean the products, separate them by material, and recycle them into raw formats that manufacturers can then use to make new products.
“This program has been around for quite a while, and not many people know about it,” says Steve, noting that he often hears from people that they just throw out their instruments when they are no longer usable. “I thought, ‘What better time to take this opportunity during spring cleaning to use this platform to talk about some good things that we can do?'”
Participating in the Earth Month writing instrument drive hosted by Clean Up Peterborough is free to participants, requiring only a box or bag for collecting. The volunteer group is encouraging participants to get creative by decorating their boxes or engaging in friendly competitions with neighbouring businesses and organizations. (Photo courtesy of Steve Paul)
Clean Up Peterborough previously hosted the drive during Circular Economy Month last October and collected over 500 writing instruments. The drive inspired some schools, offices, and businesses in Peterborough to keep their collections running year-round.
“I just hope that over time, it’ll get more momentum, and it will go from a Circular Economy Month or an Earth Month event into annual collections,” says Steve.
“We can start looking at outreach and education through the kids [in schools], because what better way for them to be stewards of our futures than to talk about it with their families and say, ‘We did this at our school, and this is really important.'”
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Steve adds that one aim of Clean Up Peterborough is always to provide people with accessible solutions and opportunities that help them reduce waste going into landfills and are 100 per cent free to participate in.
“It doesn’t take much time, it doesn’t take any money,” he says. “In fact, in the spirit of circularity, you really just need a bin or a box something that could be created at the school or at the business or organization.”
“It doesn’t take up a lot of space and it’s a huge opportunity for people to reach out to all their professional and family connections and say, ‘What do you have at home?’ Let’s do some spring cleaning and see what we can do.”
In addition to collecting writing instruments for a drive throughout Earth Month, Clean Up Peterborough also collects a number of materials to be reused and repurposed, including milk bags, egg cartons, and used batteries. (Photo courtesy of Steve Paul)
Steve encourages people to get creative with the drive by decorating their boxes, and he also has TerraCycle posters that Clean Up Peterborough can give out to those who want to advertise their independent collections.
“Not every business would like to have a cardboard box sitting at the front of their retail space, but there are ways to beautify it,” he says, suggesting businesses could have fun with it and challenge each other in a contest.
“A little bit of friendly competition actually helps, especially for this because there are no dollars involved and people could be as creative as they want.”
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While organizations are encouraged to start their drives on their own at any time, they can contact Steve at cleanuppeterborough@gmail.com to arrange a pick-up of the donated items at the end of the month.
“I think it has the potential to make a pretty big impact, maybe not just in Earth Month,” he says. “Hopefully we’ll be able to make it permanent by having organizations continue to collect going forward.”
During April and beyond, Clean Up Peterborough is collecting other items for reuse and repurposing them in various ways through partnerships with other community organizations and start-ups. Such products being collected include milk bags, egg cartons, fishing line, ink cartridges, batteries, aluminum pop tabs, and more.
While Clean Up Peterborough is hosting a writing instrument drive throughout April, the volunteer group collects the instruments year-round, as well as a number of other items to be repurposed and recycled. The group is also hosting several neighbourhood clean ups throughout Earth Month. (Graphics courtesy of Steve Paul)
“These become conversation starters to get the word out that you don’t just have to throw everything out,” says Steve. “There are a handful of us in the Peterborough community that are finding ways to become a voice for sustainability and circularity and help people find the places they can take the more obscure items.”
Update – The Ashburnham Memorial Park clean-up scheduled for April 12 has been postponed, as all City of Peterborough parks are officially closed due to the aftermath of the ice storm. A new clean-up will be scheduled when the parks have reopened.
Throughout Earth Month, Clean Up Peterborough is also partnering with various groups to host clean-ups around the city, with dates set for April 12 (Armour Hill/Ashburnham Memorial Park), April 19 (downtown Peterborough), April 22 (Beavermead Park and Beach), and April 28 (Technology Drive parking lot).
To keep up to date on events and drives organized by Clean Up Peterborough, join the Clean Up Peterborough Facebook group.
Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for the entire Kawarthas region for Wednesday (April 2), as well as rainfall warnings or special weather statements for significant rain following the freezing rain.
The freezing rain warning is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands. Rainfall warnings are in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County, with special weather statements for significant rain in effect for Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands.
Freezing rain will begin east of Lake Huron Wednesday morning before reaching central Ontario later Wednesday afternoon. Precipitation may begin as snow and ice pellets for some areas. Total ice accretion of 2 to 4 mm is expected.
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“This freezing rain event will not be nearly as significant as the ice storm from this past weekend,” Environment Canada states.
However, easterly winds gusting 50 to 60 km/h may exacerbate any tree damage. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways, and parking lots may become icy and slippery.
As temperatures rise above the freezing mark, freezing rain will transition to rain over southwestern Ontario Wednesday afternoon and across central Ontario Wednesday evening.
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The rain, at times heavy, will result in total amounts of 20 to 40 mm in Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County, and 15 to 25 mm in Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands.
With thunderstorms expected, rainfall amounts may exceed 50 mm over some areas. Rain will end from west to east Thursday morning.
As the ground is already near saturation, it has little ability to absorb further rainfall and localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads.
A downed tree in Rogers Cove in Peterborough's East City on March 30, 2025. The Peterborough area saw 20 millimetres of ice accumulation, with 25 millimetres in Lindsay. The weight of the accumulated ice caused many tree limbs to break, often taking down adjacent power lines. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
A state of emergency remains in effect for both the City of Peterborough and the City of Kawarthas Lakes due to the severe ice storm over the weekend.
Both municipalities issued updates on Tuesday (April 1) on their response to the storm and services available to residents.
In Peterborough, warming centres remain open for both city and county residents who do not yet have power. They are located at the Healthy Planet Arena banquet hall (911 Monaghan Rd.), Miskin Law Community Complex (271 Lansdowne St. W.), and the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre (775 Brealey Dr.).
The Healthy Planet Arena banquet hall will be open overnight until at least noon on Wednesday, with the other two facilities open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Showers will be available from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily at all three warming centres when they are open.
The Salvation Army and other community partners are providing food at the Healthy Planet Arena.
A free shuttle bus continues to operate for any residents who need to get to any of the three warming centres. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes starting at 8 a.m., with the last trip departing from city hall at 10:50 p.m.
The shuttle bus runs in a loop and stops to pick up and drop off passengers at Murray and George streets (outside city hall at 500 George St. N.), the Simcoe Street bus terminal (190 Simcoe St.), the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, Healthy Planet Arena, and Miskin Law Community Complex.
Peterborough Transit has resumed some routes, with some detours where hazards such as downed power lines affect routes. Routes #5, #10, and #11 are operating as regularly scheduled (route #11A is not operational yet). Route #2 is operating with a minor detour around Reid Street near Hunter Street, and Route #4 is operating from the Peterborough Museum and Archives via Hunter Street to the bus terminal, and extending west to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre via Charlotte Street.
The city’s social services office at 178 Charlotte Street has reopened, with office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The Peterborough Public Library and Peterborough Museum and Archives reopened on Tuesday.
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With the exception of the warming centres, recreation facilities — including arenas, the pool, and community centres — remain closed until at least noon on Wednesday, when the city expects they will reopen as long as power is maintained at the facilities.
Riverview Park and Zoo — including the exhibits, parking lot, playground, disc golf area, and park spaces — will remain closed until further notice, due to damage sustained in the area. Several trees have been damaged, with hanging limbs and downed power lines. The closure will remain in effect as staff work to make necessary repairs and ensure the area is safe. The care of the animals is being maintained and none of the around 150 animals at the zoo were injured due to the storm.
The Provincial Offences Office at 99 Simcoe Street remains closed.
Due to the risk of falling trees and tree limbs caused by ice accumulation, all city parks remain officially closed.
Public works crews continue to respond to downed trees on streets and sidewalks, addressing hazardous situations. There were additional reports of downed trees on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
The city is reminding residents without power to follow guidelines from Peterborough Public Health on food safety and storage and from Peterborough Fire Services on the safe use of generators and gas-powered cooking stoves or charcoal grills.
Curbside garbage, recycling, and green bin collection is proceeding on the regular schedule this week. Spoiled food can be disposed in green bins as long as all packaging has first been removed.
Regular yard waste curbside collection service begins this week, and residential yard waste and tree debris can be dropped off at the city-county landfill at 1260 Bensfort Road free of charge until April 14.
When resources are available, the city will provide curbside chipping service for large tree debris that cannot be processed through the regular yard waste curbside collection. Resources are currently dedicated to addressing hazardous and critical conditions. The city will provide an update when curbside chipping service begins.
The city is temporarily waiving the permit requirement to remove trees that have been destroyed, destabilized, or structurally compromised as a direct result of the ice storm, as long as residents send an email to treebylaw@peterbough.ca — preferably prior to removing the tree or as soon as possible after removing the tree — with photos, property address, tree species information including diameter, and information physiological and structural condition of the tree.
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City of Kawartha Lakes
In Kawartha Lakes, the city’s emergency operations met on Tuesday morning and received updates from all departments, Ross Memorial Hospital, and the Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Health Unit.
Power is being restored to parts of the municipality, including Lindsay (with the exception of southwest area and some other pockets), the main street of Fenelon Falls and south of the bridge, and pockets of the Manvers area and Bobcaygeon. Power restoration to rural and remote areas is expected to take several more days.
Intermittent cell coverage and internet access is continuing to affect communications throughout the municipality.
With the exception of Kawartha Lakes City Hall (26 Francis St., Lindsay), all municipal offices are closed, all recreational facilities are closed and programming cancelled, and all library branches are closed until further notice. The human services offices in Lindsay and Haliburton are closed.
Warming rooms are available at City Hall (in the Victoria Room on the second floor) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Victoria Park Armoury (210 Kent St. W.) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Fenelon Falls Community Centre (27 Veterans Way) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at the following fire stations from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Bobcaygeon Fire Station (1 Duke St.), Bethany Fire Station (88 Ski Hill Rd.), Mariposa Fire Station (552 Eldon Rd., Little Britain), and Burnt River Fire Station (186 Burnt River Rd).
Residents are welcome to charge their devices and warm up, and washrooms and hydration stations are available (bring refillable water bottles).
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Clean-up in urban areas is beginning on the ground with parks staff, so arborists can follow with tree work. Crews are making progress clearing the roads of debris, but several downed power lines are creating hazards.
Lindsay Transit service has resumed, including Limo Transit.
The Lindsay landfill is open Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residential yard waste and tree debris can be taken to the Lindsay landfill for disposal with no tipping fees until further notice.
Any missed waste collections will have double collection the following week.
The entire municipality is under a burn ban for the month of April to ensure fire service resources are not deployed to deal with unnecessary fires. Take residential yard waste and tree debris to the Lindsay landfill or wait until May to have a controlled brush fire with a permit.
Boil water advisories are in effect for residents within the Norland Drinking Water System, and the Woodfield Drinking Water System and Manorview Drinking Water System in Bethany. A boil water advisories for the Sonya Drinking Water System and Pinewood Drinking Water System (Pontypool) have been rescinded.
A boil water advisory requires all water to be used for cooking or drinking must be brought to a rolling boil and boiled for at least one minute prior to use. A safe alternative to using boiled water is using bottled water or water from a private well that has been tested. All other drinking water systems remain operational and water is safe to drink.
In other regional updates, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board has announced that schools (including the Virtual Learning Centre) and child care centres within schools will remain closed to students and staff on Wednesday. Some areas within the school board’s district are still without power and are dealing with the aftermath of the storm, such as power/internet outages, downed trees, and hazardous conditions, and there are freezing rain warnings starting Wednesday morning.
Places for People Haliburton Highlands Inc.'s recent "Sleeping in Cars" event in Haliburton County, which saw 30 campers tough it out overnight on March 21, 2025, has raised nearly $40,000 for local affordable housing efforts. People can still donate for a few more weeks. (Photo: Places for People / Facebook)
Thirty people recently spent a winter’s night sleeping in their cars to raise money for affordable rental housing initiatives in Haliburton County.
Places for People Haliburton Highlands Inc. (Places for People) is less than $1,000 shy of reaching its $40,000 goal for its “Sleeping in Cars” fundraising event. The annual activity challenges participants to sleep in their cars for one night, raising funds through pledges from family and friends.
“There was a very positive atmosphere despite the current political/economic climate which means people think affordable housing is important,” Nataly Mylan, organizer of Sleeping in Cars and Places for People board member, told kawarthaNOW.
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Mylan expressed the organization’s thanks for “such an incredibly generous and caring community.”
“It was awesome to see new faces and meet new people,” she added.
Held on Saturday, March 21 at Head Lake Park in Haliburton, Sleeping in Cars saw 30 campers tough it out until morning.
“We had a great breakfast, thanks to Fork & Flour and Rebel Elixir, and Yvonne from Skin Tech,” noted Mylan.
“We owe Andria Cowan Molyneaux and the ACM Designs team a huge thanks for once again being our event sponsor and for participating. Thanks to Gord Kidd for the music, it certainly helped us keep spirits lifted.”
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Places for People is a charitable organization in the Haliburton Highlands that creates and manages quality affordable rental housing in Haliburton County, striving to foster an environment in which its tenants can thrive.
Solely run by volunteers and not funded by government grants, the organization operates 20 residential units and has provided homes for more than 100 people in the community since 2010.
Sleeping in Cars began in early 2019 when Places for People founder Fay Martin was trying to think of ways to increase awareness about the housing crisis in Haliburton County. The first fundraiser was held in mid-March of that year when, at three separate locations around the county, people gathered together to experience what it was like to sleep in a vehicle.
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Susan Tromamhauser, president of Places for People, said Sleeping in Cars has become an important annual event for the organization.
“The generosity of community members supporting the Sleeping in Cars event plays a crucial role in maintaining our Places for People units, ensuring that our tenants continue to have access to safe, comfortable living spaces,” Tromamhauser said.
“Additionally, this support enables us to plan for future units, addressing the increasing demand for affordable housing throughout Haliburton County.”
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Mylan said it’s not too late to make a contribution to the fundraising effort.
“People can still donate and more donations are still coming in. We realize its a busy time of year — hockey tourney season — so if you didn’t get a chance to come out there’s still time to support this very important charity and support community health and well being.”
World-famous Canadian actor and comedian Mike Myers making an "elbows up" gesture during the closing credits of Saturday Night Life on March 1, 2025. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
World-famous Canadian actor and comedian Mike Myers is bringing his “Elbows Up Comedy Tour” to the Peterborough Memorial Centre this summer.
According to a media release from entertainment agency Polaris Floyd, the new show will be “a love letter to Canada from proud Canadians, whether we live there or not.”
“There’s nobody more Canadian than a Canadian who no longer lives in Canada,” Myers — a dual Canadian and American citizen — told CBC in 2018.
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Myers will perform some of his iconic characters from Wayne’s World, Austin Powers, and Saturday Night Live — including his recent portrayal of billionaire Elon Musk as U.S. President Donald Trump’s right-hand man.
“At each show, Mike will also be bringing along a selection of famous Canada-born comedians and comic actors including Jim Carrey, Dave Foley, Rick Moranis, Dan Levy and his father Eugene, Catherine O’Hara, Russell Peters, Mark McKinney, and more,” reads the release.
While the Peterborough Memorial Centre is listed as one of the 15 stops on the summer tour, the actual date and line-up of each show is still to be announced.
Mike Myers revealing his “Canada Is Not For Sale” shirt during the closing credits of Saturday Night Life on March 1, 2025. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
The name of the tour is a reference to Saskatchewan-born hockey legend Gordie Howe’s favourite method of retribution when slashed on the ice by another player. It has become a rallying cry for Canadians in response to punishing and unjustified tariffs imposed by Trump on Canadian exports and the U.S. President’s repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.
When Myers appeared as Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live, during the end credits he mouthed the phrase “elbows up” while pointing to his elbow and also displayed a “Canada Is Not For Sale” shirt.
“Mike has named his tour Elbows Up because he stands with his fellow Canadians and because he is a huge hockey fan,” publicist Flora Dalipsoy from Polaris Floyd told kawarthaNOW.
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Born in 1963 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough (from where his Wayne’s World character originated), Myers’ continued passion for the Toronto Maple Leafs is well known. He even named two characters in his Austin Powers films after Maple Leafs players: Commander Gilmour was named after Doug Gilmour, and the dog Borschevsky was named after former Maple Leafs player Nikolai Borschevsky.
When asked why Peterborough was chosen as one of the 15 stops on the tour, Dalipsoy told kawarthaNOW that Myers specifically requested it.
“Peterborough is a hockey town and Mike has some fond memories of the area,” she said, but declined to provide further details.
Late night TV host Conan O’Brien displays a copy of the Haliburton Echo during a 2004 interview with Mike Myers, which featured a photo of Myers wearing an elf hat. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
It’s likely that the comment is a reference to the Haliburton Highlands, which Myers visited in the early 2000s and where he was rumoured to own property.
In a 2004 interview with late night TV host Conan O’Brien, Myers spoke about visiting Kosy Korner and McKeck’s Tap & Grill, both in Haliburton. The latter was owned and operated from 1986 to 2009 by former NHLer Walt McKechnie, who is currently deputy mayor for the Municipality of Dysart et al in Haliburton County.
During the interview, O’Brien showed the audience a copy of the Haliburton Echo with a feature photo of Myers wearing an elf hat while visiting Kozy Korner.
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More recently, Myers entered into Canadian politics by endorsing Mark Carney as Canada’s next prime minister and appearing in two campaign ads.
“That’s one of the reasons we’re waiting until the summer for the tour,” Dalipsoy noted. “But Mike will go ahead with the tour regardless of the results of the election. This is about bringing Canadians together no matter who becomes prime minister.”
When pressed for details about when tickets will go on sale, Dalipsoy provided some further clarity.
“They won’t, because I’m not actually a real person and this is an April Fool’s Day prank.”
Mike Myers wearing an elf hat at Kosy Korner in Haliburton, featured in a copy of the Haliburton Echo, which late night TV host Conan O’Brien displayed during a 2004 interview with Myers. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
We did consider skipping an April Fool’s Day story this year, with the unreal state of the world and with many area residents (including kawarthaNOW) still dealing with the aftermath of the weekend ice storm, but then we thought people might appreciate a laugh. Did you know that both “Polaris Floyd” and “Flora Dalipsoy” are anagrams for April Fool’s Day? ChatGPT can come in useful.
Here are our April Fool’s stories from the past seven years:
As communities across the Kawarthas region continue to struggle with the aftermath of the weekend’s ice storm, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the entire region for more freezing rain beginning Wednesday (April 2), followed by significant rainfall until early Thursday morning.
The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.
The potential for freezing rain begins east of Lake Huron Wednesday morning before reaching eastern Ontario later Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday evening.
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Ice accretion of 2 to 5 mm is expected. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy, slippery and hazardous. Ice build-up may cause tree branches to break.
Precipitation may begin as snow and ice pellets, especially over central and eastern Ontario. Southeasterly winds gusting to near 50 km/h on Wednesday may exacerbate any tree damage.
As temperatures rise above the freezing mark, freezing rain will transition to rain, at times heavy, over southwestern Ontario through Wednesday afternoon and across central and eastern Ontario Wednesday night.
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Total rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 mm are expected, with locally higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.
For locations along the Ottawa River, freezing rain may persist into early Thursday morning. Freezing rain warnings will likely be required as the event draws nearer.
In addition to the special weather statement for freezing rain, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the entire region for northwesterly winds gusting to 50 km/h early Monday evening. Strong wind gusts may result in additional damage to trees and power lines.
Downed tree limbs in a west-end neighbourhood of Peterborough on March 30, 2025 after a major weekend ice storm across central and eastern Ontario. (Photo: Barry Killen)
Residents in the greater Kawarthas woke up to the sound of generators and chainsaws on Monday (March 31), as the region deals with the aftermath of a major ice storm over the weekend that left hundreds of thousands without power as transformers exploded and tree limbs broke under the weight of heavy ice and took out hydro lines.
Environment and Climate Change Canada says the areas hardest hit by the ice storm were in central and eastern Ontario: Barrie, Orillia, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, and Kingston. Lindsay saw 25 millimetres of ice accumulation, with 20 millimetres in the Peterborough area.
“I don’t remember seeing this amount of ice accretion ever in my lifetime,” a Peterborough resident told kawarthaNOW on Sunday, as he and his family were walking through Rogers Cove in East City to survey the damage to trees.
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Across the Kawarthas region, residents flooded social media with videos, photos, and comments about the ice storm — in particular about the sound of tree limbs breaking, especially overnight on Saturday. Several people noted that the constant loud and sharp cracks sounded “like a war zone.”
While Hydro One crews have restored power to more than 460,000 customers since the beginning of the storm, many thousands of people remain without power, including around 40,000 in Peterborough.
Most of the power outages were caused by falling tree branches that snapped hydro lines during the two wave of the ice storms on Saturday and Sunday, with high winds on Sunday night creating additional damage. Along with the outages, Hydro One crews have been unable to access some areas with fallen trees making roads impassable until they are cleaned up.
An ice-covered branch in Rogers Cove in Peterborough’s East City on March 30, 2025. The Peterborough area saw 20 millimetres of ice accumulation, with 25 millimetres in Lindsay. The weight of the accumulated ice caused many tree limbs to break, often taking down adjacent power lines. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Hydro One is now estimating that power may only be restored to many customers by Thursday.
According to its website, the provincial utility “prioritizes restoration in a way that brings power back to the greatest number of customers in the shortest period of time.”
“Crews need to repair and rebuild main lines along with other key pieces of electricity infrastructure before repairs can be made to power lines that serve smaller numbers of customers,” Hydro One states.
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Along with Orillia, Muskoka District, and Oro-Medonte Township, the City of Peterborough declared a state of emergency on Sunday. Peterborough County, The City of Kawartha Lakes, and Haliburton Highlands have followed suit, also declaring a state of emergency on Monday.
In Peterborough, many city services and facilities are temporarily closed. At Peterborough city hall, the city clerk’s office customer service desk is open for in-person services on Monday as is Service Peterborough, where social services is offering in-person services including social assistance cheque pickups (the Charlotte Street office is closed). City council’s general committee meeting that was scheduled for Monday evening has been cancelled and rescheduled for the afternoon on Monday, April 7.
The city is continuing to offer warming room and reception centre spaces, where residents can also charge their devices, at the Healthy Planet Arena banquet hall (911 Monaghan Rd.), Miskin Law Community Complex (271 Lansdowne St. W.), and the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre (775 Brealey Dr.).
Healthy Planet Arena banquet hall will be open overnight until at least noon on Tuesday, with the other two facilities open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Showers will be available from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily at all three warming centres when they are open.
Trees covered in ice in Peterborough after two days of freezing rain on March 29 and 30, 2025. (Photo: Lori McKee)
With the exception of the warming centres, all other city recreation facilities are closed for regular operations until at least noon on Tuesday, when the city will assess conditions. The same applies to the Peterborough Museum and Archives, the Riverview Park and Zoo, and the Art Gallery of Peterborough. The Peterborough Public Library will be open until 8 p.m. on Monday, as long as power remains available.
Peterborough Transit has suspended service until further notice due to downed power lines and trees on streets. However, transit buses will be stationed as temporary warming spaces in locations where there is an identified need, including at 611 Rogers Street, 486 Donegal Street, 526 McDonnel Street, and in the cul-de-sac at Hedonics Road.
The city is also offering a free shuttle bus for any residents who need to get to any of the three warming centres. The shuttle will run every 30 minutes starting at 2 p.m., with the last trip departing from city hall at 10:50 p.m. The route runs in a loop from Murray and George streets (outside city hall at 500 George St. N.), the Simcoe Street bus terminal (190 Simcoe St.), the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, Healthy Planet Arena, and Miskin Law Community Complex.
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All city parks are officially closed due to the risk of falling trees and tree limbs.
Tipping fees at the Bensfort Road landfill will be waived until Monday, April 14 for residents disposing of brush and wood waste (this only applies to residential brush and wood waste only and does not include commercial loads).
Residential yard waste collection is also beginning this week, and garbage/recycling and green bin collection is expected to proceed with the normal collection schedule. Residents that receive organics collection can dispose of spoiled food items in green bins (all packaging must be removed from food waste before placing it in the green bin).
Since the ice storm began late Friday, the city’s public works crews have been assessing the conditions on roads and responding to downed tree limbs and trees on streets and public property. Over 24 hours on the weekend, public works received around 1,100 calls for service and Peterborough Fire Services has received more than 700 calls.
The city is asking residents to reduce their water consumption as pumping stations in the city’s stormwater management infrastructure have been operating on backup power sporadically.
Downed tree limbs on Mark Street in Peterborough’s East City on March 30, 2025.
In the City of Kawartha Lakes, the city’s emergency operations centre met to reassess the situation on Monday morning and the municipality has since declared a state of emergency.
Clean-up efforts are underway and will continue in coordination with Hydro One crews as they work to restore power. Power has been restored to parts of Lindsay and Fenelon Falls, but it may be several days until full power is restored across Kawartha Lakes.
With the exception of Kawartha Lakes City Hall (26 Francis St., Lindsay), all municipal offices are closed, all recreational facilities are closed and programming cancelled, and all library branches are closed.
City hall is open until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, and a warming room is available in the Victoria Room on the second floor, where residents are welcome to charge their devices. Hydration stations and washrooms are also available.
Additional warming rooms are available at Victoria Park Armoury (210 Kent St. W.) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fenelon Falls Community Centre (27 Veterans Way) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at the following fire stations from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Bobcaygeon Fire Station (1 Duke St.), Bethany Fire Station (88 Ski Hill Rd.), Mariposa Fire Station (552 Eldon Rd., Little Britain), and Burnt River Fire Station (186 Burnt River Rd).
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Lindsay Transit has resumed service on Monday.
Both the Lindsay and Somerville landfills are open (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. respectively) for residents to dispose of yard waste and storm debris, with no tipping fees until further notice.
Boil water advisories are in effect for residents within the Sonya Drinking Water System, Pinewood Drinking Water System (Pontypool), Norland Drinking Water System, and the Woodfield Drinking Water System in Bethany. A boil water advisory requires all water to be used for cooking or drinking must be brought to a rolling boil and boiled for at least one minute prior to use. A safe alternative to using boiled water is using bottled water or water from a private well that has been tested. All other drinking water systems remain operational and water is safe to drink.
In both Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes, many traffic lights are not functioning. Drivers should treat all intersections as four-way stops.
Drivers avoid downed tree limbs in Peterborough on March 30, 2025. (Photo: Barry Killen)
In other regional updates, both the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB) and the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) have closed all schools and facilities on Monday to students and non-essential staff. PVNCCDSB and TLDSB have since announced they will keep all schools schools closed to students and the public on Tuesday.
Trent University cancelled classes at Symons Campus and Traill College in Peterborough on Monday, and is cancelling them again on Tuesday. Faculty and instructors have been asked to be flexible during this time. Students who have assignments, tests, or take-home exams, should access Blackboard and check their e-mail for updates from instructors. If possible, students should contact instructors directly to discuss any concerns.
As power has been restored to Symons Campus, Water Street residences, Traill College, and the Traill Annex, the Peterborough campus will be open Tuesday and several facilities are available to students, staff and faculty, including the Student Centre, Bata Library, and Trent Athletics Centre. Starting Tuesday, food services will be available in Otonabee College, Lady Eaton College, Traill College, and Traill Annex. Students, staff, and faculty without power at home who can safely travel to campus are welcome to use campus spaces.
Fleming College cancelled in-person classes at its Peterborough, Lindsay, and Haliburton campuses on Monday and will do so again on Tuesday, with classes moved online wherever possible.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reports that downed power lines and trees continue to cause issues throughout many areas in the Kawarthas. While roadways are clear of ice, there remains significant amounts of debris scattered across many roads, with at least 38 road closures in the region due to surface water, debris, and downed trees and power lines. The OPP is urging resident to stay off the roadways and to avoid unnecessary travel.
In the Municipality of Port Hope, the Ganaraska Forest and all Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority properties are temporarily closed due to hazards from from falling trees and limbs.
Canada Post has also announced there will be no collection or delivery of mail on Monday.
This story has been updated with additional updates from municipalities and organizations.
When Montréal contemporary ice skating company Le Patin Libre comes to the Peterborough Memorial Centre on April 8, 2025 to perform "Murmuration" as the final production in Public Energy Performing Arts 2024-25 season, 15 virtuoso skaters from seven countries around the world will take to the ice. The unique form of contemporary performance will be the final show under the helm of Public Energy founder Bill Kimball. (Photo: Nora Houguenade)
A production company can put on hundreds of shows over 31 seasons, but Public Energy Performing Arts founder Bill Kimball will undoubtedly remember the last before his retirement.
For his swan song production, the Peterborough company Kimball founded in 1994 will be taking over the Peterborough Memorial Centre to present Murmuration by Montréal contemporary ice skating company Le Patin Libre.
Tickets are still available for the performance, which takes place for one night only on Tuesday, April 8 beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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Le Patin Libre, which translates to “The Free Skate,” was founded by former high-level competitive skaters and ice show performers who desired to turn their athleticism into artistic expression.
“One of the unique aspects of Murmuration is that it doesn’t feature the kinds of flashy jumps, spins, sparkles, and sequins that a traditional figure skating exhibition does,” says Kimball.
“It’s much more about the choreography of 15 different skaters moving about, sometimes in combination with each other and sometimes completely apart. It’s about the patterns that they’re creating on ice.”
VIDEO: “Murmuration” by Le Patin Libre
Murmuration is inspired by the collective actions of birds that flock together, moving rapidly apart and then regrouping in new formations. With nearly a 900-seat capacity at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, the audience will be immersed in the storytelling and artistry formed by the high-speed and fluid choreography as theatrical sounds and lighting complement the skaters’ movements.
“There is a lot of sound involved with the skates cutting through the ice, from stopping and throwing snow on different performers,” Kimball says, noting that one of the performers will be sporting hockey skates rather than figure skates. “It’s an important aspect that that you don’t get with your traditional shows.”
The choreography is inherently complicated because some of the movements are improvised in the same way as birds in flight, such as when one bird suddenly changes direction and is instantly followed by the rest of the flock. To find performers who could flawlessly execute such improvisation, Le Patin Libre spent nearly two years recruiting international skaters.
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As Le Patin Libre toured a previous show, they held auditions around the world, resulting in a 15-member cast of skaters with a vast collection of backgrounds coming from Canada, the U.S., France, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Many had quit skating altogether to pursue other education and careers, only to return when they discovered the artistic skating offered through Le Patin Libre.
“That’s where the uniqueness comes in, as they can handle this unusual choreography and the need to improvise because of their rebellious positioning in the world of figure skating,” Kimball says. “It’s why we call them mavericks on ice. These skaters have a mindset that doesn’t follow tradition and does allow them to express themselves in an unusual way being from outside the skating world.”
VIDEO: Public Energy’s Bill Kimball speaks with Alexandre Hamel
The 15 skaters who are performing Murmuration include Le Patin Libre founder and artistic director Alexandre Hamel and two other members of Le Patin Libre, who are also the show’s choreographers. Hamel — who will perform a few spins and jumps during the performance — brings a wealth of skating experience from competing at the international circuit to skating professionally for Disney on Ice, though he is also an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been shown at international festivals.
His fellow choreographers are Pascale Jodoin, who trained as a figure skater though often pursues her own styles and has performed in circus projects in Montréal, and the France-born Samory Ba — the only founding member of Le Patin Libre who is not Canadian — who carries more than a decade of international competition experience and has toured for international ice shows like Holiday on Ice (the most visited ice show in the world).
Other Canadians skaters performing in Murmuration include Taylor Dilley, who previously performed with the National Ice Theatre of Canada and explores the performance potential of rock climbing, Haley Alcock, a Montréal-based micrometeorologist and ice dancer who rediscovered a love for skating through the contemporary forms, Jenn Edwards, a multidisciplinary artist based in Labrador who has performed across the country with her choreography presented at festivals internationally, and Maude Poulin, a Quebec competitive skater who first worked with Le Patin Libre as part of the inauguration of the Olympic Ice Oval in Vancouver 2008.
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American skaters include Arizona’s Jacqueline Benson, a triple gold U.S. figure skating medallist and master-rated coach and choreographer, multidisciplinary performer Isaac Alan Lindy whose professional skating resume includes Holiday on Ice and German contemporary company IceLab Leipzig, and Bethann Weick, a former competitive ice skater with experience doing numerous ice shows.
Those hailing from Europe include French skater David Billiau, who trained as a mechanic before pursuing a freestyle skating career that has taken him across France, Switzerland’s Pauline Oxana Irman, who won the Swiss national title in pairs figure skating, and Sweden’s Melanie Kejanne Källström, who blends her figure skating with street-style influences discovered in Oslo where she is the co-founder of Skate Jam Norway and founder of contemporary skating company Synthesice.
Rounding out the international contingent are Kristýna Mikulášová, who hails from Czech Republic but has studied with one of the world’s most prestigious dance schools in the U.K., and Oktawia Scibior, a podium-finishing Polish national level figure skater who has performed in skating shows across Europe and who founded the Slippery Art Project to nurture the emergence of artistic creation through skating.
“Murmuration” from Montréal contemporary skating company Le Patin Libre is inspired by the collective action of birds that flock together, move rapidly apart, and then regroup in new formations. Given its demanding choreography involving rapid-fire improvisation, Le Patin Libre spent nearly two years recruiting skaters and performers from around the world. (Photo: Nora Houguenade)
Kimball says Murmuration — which will appeal not only to those who love the performing arts but anyone who enjoys figure skating shows and competitions — perfectly embodies what he has always aimed to do over his 31 seasons with Public Energy Performing Arts.
“One of my great goals in my time with Public Energy is to get new audiences and broader audiences for contemporary performance,” he says. “The fact that we managed to put a show into an almost 900-seat venue does perfectly represent my idea of getting as wide an audience and exposing contemporary performance to as many people as possible.”
In a review of a recent Murmuration performance in Vancouver, Emily Lyth of the digital arts and culture magazine Stir called the show “jaw-dropping,” “downright breathtaking,” and “exhilarating to watch.”
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Kimball, who attended a performance of Murmuration in Toronto last year and was “blown away,” is encouraging everyone to see the one-night-only performance at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on April 8.
“If you don’t come out to this show, you’re going to regret it later once all your friends tell you about it and you start hearing about it on the news,” he says.
To ensure Murmuration is accessible and affordable to everyone, Public Energy is offering tickets on a sliding scale from $10 to $50 plus fees, with a suggested price of $30 plus fees.
Tickets are available in person at the Peterborough Memorial Centre’s box office at 151 Lansdowne St. W. from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, by phone at 705-743-3561, or online at tickets.memorialcentre.ca.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time media sponsor of Public Energy Performing Arts.
Grade 5 student Owen Anderson of Kaawaate East City Public School in Peterborough nominated his grandmother Jane Anderson for the 2024 Community Care Peterborough "Grandparent of the Year" program and won the junior French category award. The 37th annual intergenerational program will see three winners and three honourable mentions selected from nominations by children in grades 1 to 6, with nominations due by May 6, 2025. (Photo: Heather Doughty Photography)
Community Care Peterborough is once again encouraging local children to share stories about a special older person in their lives — a grandparent, Elder, or senior they admire — and nominate them as “Grandparent of the Year.”
The organization has announced the launch of the 37th instalment of the annual program, with nominations open until May 6.
Grandparent of the Year was first introduced by Anne Innis, a former volunteer and board member with Community Care, to bring different generations together and celebrate the influence they have on each other.
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“Our biggest hope is that we receive an overwhelming number of submissions,” Chris LeBlanc, donors and public relations director for Community Care Peterborough, told kawarthaNOW. “This would mean that the stories of so many are being told and that families are connecting through the generations.”
Community Care Peterborough, in partnership with title sponsor Gardens Retirement Living in Peterborough, invites kids to consider honouring the seniors in their lives.
“For 37 years, this cherished program has encouraged children to celebrate the wisdom, kindness, and influence of a grandparent, Elder, or special older person in their lives,” noted a media release.
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Students in grades 1 through 6 throughout the city and county of Peterborough can participate by submitting a short written piece in either English or French about their favourite older person, along with a hand-drawn picture.
Last year, Community Care expanded the program to also accept nominations from students in the first grade and received almost 200 nominations, including several dozen submitted in French.
“The Grandparent of the Year Award is a wonderful opportunity to connect generations and affirm the dignity, wisdom, and value of seniors in our community — many of whom are clients or volunteers with Community Care Peterborough,” LeBlanc noted.
“The stories we receive each year are a powerful reminder of the impact older adults have on young people, and we encourage all eligible students to take part.”
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Nomination packages have already been distributed to schools throughout Peterborough County, where teachers may use the contest as a writing assignment for their students to practise their English or French language skills.
Submissions will be accepted in both English and French, and a winner and an honourable mention will be selected in each language in two categories — “Primary” (grades 1 to 3) and “Junior” (grades 4 to 6) — for eight awards altogether.
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The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, May 6. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on June 4 at Royal Gardens Retirement Residence at 1160 Clonsilla Ave. in Peterborough.
For more information about the Grandparent of the Year program, reach out to Pamela Beauchamp at Community Care Peterborough by calling 705-742-7067 ext. 221 or emailing pbeauchamp@commcareptbo.org.
Community Care Peterborough provides programs and services to support the health and well-being of seniors and adults living with disabilities in the city and county of Peterborough. Through programs such as Meals on Wheels, transportation services, wellness initiatives, and friendly visiting, the non-profit organization aims to empower people to live independently in their own homes while remaining engaged in their communities.
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