The City of Peterborough will implement a weekly 'green bin' service to collect household organic waste effective October 31, 2023. At the same time, residents will be required to put their garbage in clear garbage bags and garbage collection will move from weekly to every other week. Weekly recycling collection will continue. (Stock photo)
Peterborough city council has approved significant changes to residential waste collection in the city beginning this fall: the use of clear garbage bags for residential waste collection and switching to every-other-week residential garbage collection starting October 31 — coinciding with the introduction of a weekly ‘green bin’ service to collect household organic waste.
City council approved the waste management service changes at its meeting on Monday night (February 27), following general committee approval two weeks ago.
These changes do not effect the existing recycling collection program, which will continue to be provided on a weekly basis. In addition, the Downtown Business Improvement Area, apartment buildings, and private road serviced developments are not affected by the waste management service changes.
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The requirement for clear garbage bags is intended to encourage residents in complying with the city’s recycling and organic waste separation guidelines. The city has identified eight to 10 per cent of material thrown out as garbage could be recycled.
The use of clear garbage bags in other municipalities — including all eight townships in the County of Peterborough — has resulted in significantly fewer recyclable items going to landfill. It also improves worker safety by allowing transfer station staff to quickly assess whether there are recyclable or hazardous items in a bag.
Only clear garbage bags will be collected curbside as of October 31. Although people can switch to using clear bags at any time, the city is encouraging residents to use up their supply of existing opaque garbage bags before the change to clear garbage bags is in effect.
All waste items must be placed directly in the clear bags, with the exception of one smaller opaque ‘privacy bag’ within each clear bag to contain items that residents want to shield from view such as sanitary products or shredded financial information. If organic waste or recyclable material is visible in the clear plastic bags, collectors will use “tolerance” and the bags may still be collected.
Along with the requirement for clear garbage bags, the city will begin collecting residential garbage only every other week beginning October 31, when the new weekly green bin service to collect household organic waste begins.
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The city says weekly garbage collection will no longer be necessary after the weekly green bin collection service is introduced. According to a city study, household organic waste is the largest single component of material going to the landfill, making up 41 per cent of residential garbage.
Every-other-week garbage collection is common in Ontario communities that have green bin programs, including Barrie, Durham, Guelph, Niagara Region, Ottawa, Peel, Simcoe County, Toronto, and Waterloo.
The city expects it will increase the number of garbage bags that each household can put out for collection every other week from the current limit of two bags to a new limit of four bags.
For the new green bin program, the city will provide — at no cost to residents — both smaller green bins for kitchen countertops and larger green bins for curbside collection. Kitchen and food waste, as well as pet waste, can be placed in the green bin for curbside collection, which is a heavy-duty and pest-proof cart with a locking mechanism on the lid.
Delivery of green bins will begin in September and is expected to be completed by mid-October, with weekly curbside green bin collection beginning on October 31.
The city will be providing public education and awareness information to residents about the waste management service changes well before they go into effect on October 31. This includes information shared through local media, informational material that will distributed along with green bins starting in September, and a “what’s in and what’s out” information sheet that details what organic waste can go in the green bin.
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The city will also provide eligible households with a waste management calendar including a map illustrating collection zones and clearly marked collection dates for each zone.
A report will be brought to council at a future date to amend the city’s waste collection enforcement by-law to include new definitions of the waste stream, collection requirements, and penalties for non-compliance as an option if public education efforts are not effective in changing waste disposal behaviours.
In addition to the proposed changes to garbage collection, council approved an update on the transition of Ontario’s residential blue box recycling collection and processing program from a municipally administered system to a producer-administered system effective January 1, 2024.
Under the new system, producers of packaging and paper products become fully responsible for the blue box program. A producer-controlled non-profit organization called Circular Materials Ontario will have responsibility for operating the collection and receiving of blue box materials across Ontario on behalf of all producers.
This story has been updated with city council’s approval of the waste management master plan and additional details of the changes.
Dr. Lesslie Ponraja is moving from his practice in England to join the Kinmount and District Health Centre as a family doctor effective March 1, 2023. (Photo: Dr. Lesslie Ponraja)
The Kinmount area will soon have a new family doctor.
Kinmount District Health Services Foundation has announced Dr. Lesslie Ponraja will be joining the healthcare team at the Kinmount and District Health Centre (KDHC).
Dr. Ponraja comes from Ashford in England, where he has practised medicine for 20 years, including 15 years as a family doctor and five years in a hospital.
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“I am extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Lesslie Ponraja to the Kinmount and District Health Centre,” says Dr. Elena Mihu, who was the first physician to set up a practice at KDHC when the centre opened in 1999. “With his vast experience and friendly, supportive manner, he is a most welcome addition to the KDHC healthcare team.”
Dr. Ponraja, who is married with two young children, invites patients to address him as ‘Doctor Lesslie’. He will join Dr. Mihu in seeing existing patients at KDHC from Monday to Thursday beginning Wednesday, March 1.
Neither doctor will be accepting new patients at this time. Dr. Mihu has been caring for a large number of patients for several years and will initially be sharing her practice with Dr. Ponraja while she prepares for retirement after almost 25 years.
After almost 25 years at Kinmount and District Health Centre, Dr. Elena Mihu is preparing to retire. The transfer of her entire patient roster to Dr. Ponraja will take place over the next few months. (Photo: Kinmount and District Health Centre)
The transfer of her entire patient roster to Dr. Ponraja will take place over the next few months.
Located in the village of Kinmount bordering the City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough County, and Haliburton County, KDHC services a large catchment area of over 5,000 permanent residents as well as up to 8,000 seasonal residents.
One person is dead following a collision on Highway 7 just east of Peterborough on Tuesday morning (February 14).
At around 7:20 a.m., a westbound tractor-trailer and an eastbound sport utility vehicle (SUV) collided between Keene Road and Burnham Line.
The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene.
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No other injuries have been reported.
Highway 7 will remain closed for several hours between Keene Road and Highway 28 while police document the scene.
Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and who has not spoken with police is asked to contact the Peterborough County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122.
Kassy Scott and Tyler Scott, pictured with their two young daughters, used the mentorship experience and seed grant they received through the 2022 Spark Mentorships and Grants Program to expand Rare Escape, their venture that sees delicious culinary offerings paired with an outdoor adventure. The Spark program, offered collaboratively by the Tourism Innovation Lab and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism (a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development), returns in 2023 with applications opening February 14. (Photo courtesy of Rare Escape)
An idea is just that until, at some point, the person with the idea takes decisive action to make it a reality — to, in the words of entrepreneur Kassy Scott, “Go for it.”
In May 2022, Kassy, together with her partner Tyler, went for it, applying to the Spark Mentorships and Grants Program — a pivotal step in their joint creation and development of Rare Escape that sees delicious culinary offerings and the great outdoors come together to create a back-to-nature experience that’s as memorable as it is unique.
In total, 16 Peterborough and area entrepreneurs applied for acceptance into the 2022 Spark program, an initiative offered collaboratively by the Tourism Innovation Lab and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism (a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development).
The program is returning for 2023, with applications being accepted from Tuesday, February 14th to Tuesday, April 4th at tourisminnovation.ca/peterborough.
Application deadline extended
The original application deadline of Monday, March 20th has been extended to Tuesday, April 4th.
With the goal of finding, fostering and supporting new tourism-related ideas, experiences and partnerships, the aim of the program is to enhance current offerings, address gaps or challenges, motivate travel and longer stays, and increase year-round visits to the Peterborough region.
Kassy Scott and Tyler Scott were previously the co-owners of Rare restaurant in downtown Peterborough, where Tyler was also the executive chef. In the couple’s Rare Escape business, Tyler combines his culinary skills with his passion for the outdoors to offer a unique back-to-nature experience. The entrepreneurial couple used the $3,000 seed grant they received through the 2022 Spark Mentorships and Grants Program to expand Rare Escape’s offerings. (Photo courtesy of Rare Escape)
From those who applied for the 2022 intake, 10 were selected to pitch their new tourism idea before a judging panel of local partner representatives and tourism innovators from outside the region. That process done, six applicants were awarded $3,000 each to help lift their idea from concept to reality — Kassy and Tyler Scott among them.
The idea for Rare Escape, explains Kassy, began with her and Tyler’s effort to take care of their mental health while dealing with the pandemic-induced stress of owning and operating Rare Culinary Arts Studio in downtown Peterborough, which they bought in August 2019.
“Tyler and I, from the time we met, would always escape to the outdoors for our mental health,” says Kassy. “Once we got into the most difficult parts of the pandemic, we started reaching inwards again, building a stronger connection with the outdoors to heal ourselves from the crazy stress we were going through to stay grounded.”
“In 2021, Tyler was offered the opportunity, through Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, to take a course called Nature’s Table, which was essentially about facilitating a food experience based around adventure. It was an awakening for him to something that was missing for him and his career, and it opened his eyes to the potential of the opportunity to do something really special that nobody else was really doing in our area.”
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When the opportunity to apply for the Spark program presented itself, the couple took full advantage. Once through the program, with their $3,000 in hand, they returned to running Rare Culinary Arts Studio but sold the business in September 2022, excited to take Rare Escape to the next level.
“We thought Rare Escape would be something we’d do on the side while we had the restaurant going but then, over time, we realized our heart was pulling us in a different direction,” recalls
Kassy, noting after hosting their first outdoor culinary experience, there was “no going back.”
“We started out with Lunch In The Woods. Then we branched out to offer canoe portage lunches. We used the Spark grant to purchase a canoe trailer. We supported local by renting canoes from Wild Rock. We then expanded again to offer Lunch In The Woods With Your Kids and, with the second infusion of our grant, our Winter Hot Tent Experience this winter.”
Robyn Pierson is owner of Indigenously Infused at Curve Lake First Nation, where she grows traditional plants such as sweetgrass, cedar, and sage to serve as ingredients in the candles and essential oils she produces. Through the 2022 Spark Mentorships and Grants Program, she received a seed grant for her business and was mentored by Indigenous entrepreneur and Tea Horse founder Denise Atkinson. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Along with the Scotts, Robyn Pierson and Polina Ratnichkina are two other entrepreneurs who went through the 2022 Spark program. Each emerged with not only a grant, but the immeasurable benefit of having been mentored by established tourism innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
“Spark was the first big leap of faith I took with the business idea,” says Pierson, the owner of Curve Lake-based Indigenously Infused, where she grows traditional plants such as sweetgrass, cedar, and sage to serve as ingredients in the candles and essential oils she produces.
“I have a bit of anxiety over public speaking, but the Spark process was really enjoyable, and everybody was really supportive — it was fun. Spark was a different experience for me. One of the Grandfather Teachings is humility, but that doesn’t mean you can’t promote the great things you’re doing.”
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While grateful to have received one of the grants, Pierson notes the real value of Spark program lies in the mentorships. She says her mentor, Indigenous entrepreneur and Tea Horse founder Denise Atkinson, “went above and beyond, even answering my calls while she was on a retreat in New Mexico.”
Kassy, who was mentored by Yours Outdoors founder Barrie Martin, says she “really lucked out” in being matched with him.
“He took me under his wing and spent so much time with me, answering all of my questions and connecting me with the tools I needed to learn more about specific things that were so new to me. Having someone give their honest opinion of our idea and let you know you’re not crazy is huge.”
Polina Ratnichkina is owner of Camp Rentique, an online business that rents out camping equipment to those who are looking to camp but don’t have access to all the trappings. Through the 2022 Spark Mentorships and Grants Program, she received a seed grant for her business and was mentored by Kelly Johnston of Ontario Travel Information Services. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Meanwhile, Polina Ratnichkina is doing very well with her venture Camp Rentique, an online business that rents out camping equipment to those who are looking to camp but don’t have access to all the trappings. She also came away from last year’s program with a grant and, more importantly, the benefit of advice and guidance from her mentor, Kelly Johnston of Ontario Travel Information Services.
In 2009, Ratnichkina came to Peterborough from her native Russia to attend Trent University. She says she wanted to experience camping but barriers to that activity, most notably the cost of the required equipment to do so, threw up the roadblock that spawned her idea.
“A lot of my Canadian friends talked about how they went camping but I didn’t have any camping equipment,” she recalls.
“When I compiled the list of equipment I’d need, it was so expensive. It took me seven years before I went camping with friends. We were able to borrow equipment, but it was of poor quality — our tent leaked. I can’t say it was the best experience.”
“The barrier to camping is so high. First of all, you have to figure out where to go. You need to know you need to book an Ontario Parks location four months in advance. That’s not common knowledge. And getting everything you need for an enjoyable experience is a very expensive venture.”
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With her business idea percolating in her head, Ratnichkina applied for the Spark program. She was impressed by how easy the application process was.
“All I had to do was record a three-minute interview and take 20 minutes to fill out the application. I was done in one afternoon.”
Noting she had “nothing to lose” by applying, Ratnichkina says she has gained much as a result of being accepted into the program.
“Everyone was so encouraging and welcoming … the environment didn’t feel competitive,” she says, adding “I was just blown away by how supportive everyone was.”
That includes the mentorship she received from Johnston.
“They choose the right mentor for you based on what you want help with. I can figure out the tech and operational side, but I needed help with marketing and strategic partnerships. Kelly was the right person for the needs I had at the time.”
Applications for the Spark Mentorships and Grants Program, an initiative offered collaboratively by the Tourism Innovation Lab and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism (a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development) and funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev), are open until March 20, 2023.
Of note, these three program ‘grads’ are doing well with their businesses — a testament to the value of the Spark experience they have in common. Both the Scotts and Ratnichkina are actively taking reservations online, while Pierson is preparing to open a brick-and-mortar gift shop in Curve Lake where she will host a series of immersive workshops.
All three strongly recommend those with a business idea they want to explore and develop further apply for the Spark 2023 intake.
“So often we shut down our wildest dreams because we’re afraid to go for it,” says Kassy. “It doesn’t hurt to put yourself on the line. That’s how we grow. That’s how we learn. That’s how we’re able to flourish.”
The application deadline for the 2023 Spark Mentorships and Grants Program is Monday, March 20th.
For more information, eligibility requirements, and to apply, visit tourisminnovation.ca/peterborough. You can also register for two virtual information sessions about the program, to be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 2nd and at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8th.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Ontario Associate Minister of Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo speaks at the Opioid Summit on July 11, 2019 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough in front of photographs of opioid overdose victims. (Photo: Office of Michael Tibollo / Twitter)
Another piece of the puzzle to solving the ongoing opioid crisis is falling into place with a joint proposal from Four Counties Addiction Services Team (Fourcast) and the Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) to operate a new 12-bed residential detox and residential addiction treatment facility for substance users in the greater Kawarthas region.
The proposal was announced on Monday (February 13) at Showplace Performance Centre by Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, who was joined by community health experts including Fourcast executive director Donna Rogers, CMHA HKPR executive director Mark Graham, Peterborough Medical Officer of Health Dr. Thomas Piggott, and Peterborough Regional Health Centre chief medical executive Dr. Lynn Mikula, along with Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts, and Peterborough County-City Paramedics chief Randy Mellow.
Fourcast and CMHA HKPR are seeking $1.138 million in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health to operate a facility at a yet-to-be-determined location with six detox beds and six treatment beds, on a pilot basis to demonstrate the effectiveness of the service model. The facility would primarily serve substance users in the city and county of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, the counties of Northumberland and Haliburton, and Curve Lakes, Hiawatha, and Alderville First Nations.
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According to MPP Smith, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo reached out to Smith four weeks ago to advise him another community that had been approved for funding for a residential detox and treatment facility was unable to secure capital funding for their facility, and that the provincial funding would be available “if Peterborough could get a proposal together.”
“In an extremely short period of time, CMHA and Fourcast came together collaboratively to put together a proposal for six residential detox beds and six residential treatment beds, as a first start for this community for residential detox and treatment,” Smith said. “We’ve heard loud and clear this is something our community needs.”
Smith pointed out the provincial funding is not alone sufficient to fund the proposal. Another $300,000 would be needed to cover start-up costs, and partner agencies would need to raise the additional funding to demonstrate to the provincial government the community supports the proposed facility.
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Fourcast executive director Donna Rogers said the addition of withdrawal management and adult residential treatment to Fourcast’s existing continuum of services would provide more supportive opportunities for those in our community who want to make changes to their substance use.
“People who struggle with substance abuse and addictions need many options to navigate their recovery journey,” Rogers said. “A collaborative partnership with CMHA has enabled us to submit a strong proposal for funding to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that we hope is met with a favourable outcome.”
While Fourcast and the community partners have operated a Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site at 220 Simcoe Street in downtown Peterborough since last June, that facility does not offer detox or addiction treatment services. It provides a safe and clean space for people to consume pre-obtained drugs, under the supervision of health professionals, and provides substance users with sterile consumption supplies, education on safer consumption practices, basic medical services, and referrals to drug treatment, housing, and other social services.
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CMHA HKPR executive director Mark Graham said there is a significant need for residential detox and addiction treatment services, which currently do not exist in the greater Kawarthas region. The closet services are in the Oshawa area.
“We don’t have a specific site at this juncture to house 12 beds,” Graham said. “But if we get the funds, we look forward to seeking out the space for these 12 beds.”
According to data from Peterborough Public Health, 59 people died from drug poisoning in 2022 within Peterborough — an average of one person every week. In addition, 539 people visited the emergency department at Peterborough Regional Health Centre for drug poisoning and emergency medical services responded to 357 9-1-1 calls for opioid poisonings. In January 2023 alone, 10 people died from suspected drug poisonings — the deadliest month on record, according to Peterborough’s medical officer of health.
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“Along with prevention, community well-being, and harm reduction, treatment is an important part of the urgent response needed to the crisis we are in here in Peterborough,” Dr. Piggott said. “Peterborough Public Health welcomes this proposal for more local treatment and detox services, and the opportunity it creates to strengthen our response to the drug poisoning crisis. Along with the Peterborough Drug Strategy partners we have been advocating for more tools to address the crisis for over a decade. If funded this will become a critical part of the local response.”
Peterborough Regional Health Centre chief medical executive Dr. Lynn Mikula, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough County-City Paramedics chief Randy Mellow, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, and Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal also spoke in support of the proposal.
“To make it very clear, this is not the finish line — we are just at the starter’s gate,” MPP Smith said. “We still have a long way to go. There are still a number of things our community needs to be more successful with this, but this is one step in the right direction, and we need to take this step now. I’m so grateful for all the hard work that has been done by everyone in the partnership on this.”
Black Honey Bakery & Café's Mayan Hot Chocolate is one of 15 hot chocolate creations available during the inaugural Hot Chocolate Fest in downtown Peterborough from February 17 to 26, 2003. This luxurious vegan hot chocolate beverage is infused with cayenne pepper and cinnamon with a whipped cream topping and chili pepper and cocoa paired with a spiced chocolate cookie for dipping. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
Peterborough’s first-ever Hot Chocolate Fest is coming to downtown Peterborough for 10 days in February.
The inaugural festival was announced at a media event on Monday (February 13) at the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Visitors Centre by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), which is organizing the festival with the support of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and sponsorship by Shorelines Casino Peterborough.
Running from Friday, February 17th to Sunday, February 26th, the festival will see 15 over-the-top hot chocolate creations available for dine-in or takeout at participating cafés and restaurants in the downtown area known as The Boro.
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There will be something for everyone’s taste, from classic hot chocolate beverages taken to the next level, to chocolate-inspired food items, and even hot chocolate cocktails. Vegan and gluten-free options will be available.
“Working behind the scenes, I felt like we were in an episode on The Food Network,” says DBIA communications and marketing manager Hillary Flood. “Without giving away too many spoilers, I can tell you our downtown culinary community truly stepped up to the plate for our Hot Chocolate Fest.”
“We have some whimsical items that will take you straight back to childhood with lots of chocolatey bells and whistles, alongside more adventurous culinary feats like the ‘hot’ chocolate chicken wings Chef Jessie from Champs is cooking up. This festival will transport your tastebuds in really fun and cheeky ways.”
Turnbull Café’s Brownie Raspberry Hot Cocoa is one of 15 hot chocolate creations available during the inaugural Hot Chocolate Fest in downtown Peterborough from February 17 to 26, 2003. It features a blend of rich dark chocolate infused with raspberries and topped with real whipped cream layered with chunks of espresso fudge brownie and fresh raspberries and drizzled in a blanket of pure chocolate sauce under a halo of cocoa snow. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
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The cafés and restaurants participating in the inaugural Hot Chocolate Fest are Black Honey Bakery & Café, Naked Chocolate, Kit Coffee, Dreams Café and Bistro, Turnbull Café, Champs Bar And Grill, Nateure’s Plate, Agave by Imperial, Speak Easy Café, The Black Horse Pub, Milk + Tea, Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews, Canoe Co. Café, and Tragically Dipped Donut.
Festival goers can plan their cocoa adventure by visiting the festival’s online Hot Chocolate Map at ptbohotchocolatefest.com and vote online for their favourite creation.
At the end of the festival the online votes will be tallied to select the winning Top Hot Chocolatier, who will receive bragging rights for the year as well as a hot chocolate-themed trophy.
Dreams Café and Bistro’s Toasty Charms Hot Chocolate is one of 15 hot chocolate creations available during the inaugural Hot Chocolate Fest in downtown Peterborough from February 17 to 26, 2003. This nostaligic offering includes homemade hot chocolate flavoured with toasted marshmallow syrup, whipped cream, marshmallow fluff, and some Lucky Charms hit with the blow torch. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
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“We are proud to be working alongside our partners at the DBIA to support the new Hot Chocolate Fest,” says Joe Rees, director of tourism with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. “This initiative supports local restaurants and cafes during a traditionally slower period in the winter season and will encourage increased visitation and spending in the downtown.”
In honour of the inaugural Hot Chocolate Fest, organizers will be giving away free hot chocolate on Valentine’s Day. The pop-up hot chocolate stand will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday (February 14) in the front courtyard of Peterborough Square between Simcoe and George streets.
For more information on how to participate in Peterborough’s first annual Hot Chocolate Fest, visit the festival website at ptbohotchocolatefest.com and follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.
For the second time in the past three days, a snowmobiler has lost his life following a single snowmobile collision.
Just after midnight on Monday (February 13), members of the City of Kawartha Lakes detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a report of a single snowmobile collision on Four Mile Lake just east of Coboconk.
The snowmobile had crashed into a dock and the lone rider was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Police have identified the victim as a 26-year-old Pickering man but have not released his name.
Police are continuing to investigate the collision.
On Friday night, a 37-year-old American man died after his snowmobile crashed into a tree on a trail in Haliburton County.
This photo of the Trans Canada Trail in Peterborough by Lester Balajadia was our top post on Instagram for January 2023. (Photo: Lester Balajadia @lester.balajadia.photography / Instagram)
If there’s one thing we can count on in January in the Kawarthas, it’s snow — and probably a ‘January melt’ too. This year we had lots of both. Despite the frigid shooting conditions, our local photographers always manage to succeed at making snow and ice look beautiful.
It was also great to start off the new year with two owl photos thanks to Matt Parish, including a snowy owl in early January and a rare sighting of a northern saw-whet owl at the end of the month.
Do you want to get on our top photographers list? All you need is an Insta account and to tag us using our hashtag #kawarthanow when posting your photo.
We share photos from across our readership area, which is the five-county area surrounding Peterborough which includes Peterborough, Northumberland, City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Hastings (we sneak in the occasional Algonquin Park picture as well, particularly if it’s by a Kawarthas photographer).
To see our daily shares of photos, follow us on Instagram @kawarthanow and check out our feed’s highlight reels for recaps of every month in 2023.
A 37-year-old American man is dead following a single snowmobile collision in Haliburton County on Friday night (February 10).
At around 10:40 p.m., members of the Haliburton Highlands detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a report of a single snowmobile collision on an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club trail between Little Hawk Lake and Big Hawk Lake in the Township of Algonquin Highlands.
The snowmobile had crashed into a tree and the lone rider was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The victim is a 37-year-old man from Lancaster, New York, but police have not released his name.
Police are continuing to investigate the collision.
Anyone with any information in relation to the investigation is asked to call the Haliburton Highlands OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
This story has been updated with a correction issued by the OPP for the location of the collision.
During the 26th annual Great Backyard Bird Count running from February 17 to 20, 2023, citizen scientists can count the birds they see, like this red-headed woodpecker, and submit the results online to help researchers track changes in bird populations over time. (Photo: Manny Salas, Macaulay Library)
For more than a quarter century, the annual Great Backyard Bird Count has given people the chance to become citizen scientists and help researchers track changes in bird populations over time.
A joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada, the Great Backyard Bird Count is back for its 26th year in 2023, beginning on Friday, February 17th and continuing until Monday, February 20th (Family Day).
Volunteers from around the world will count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, and then enter their checklists on the Great Backyard Bird Count website or the eBird website, or using the Merlin Bird ID or eBird apps. For more information, visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website at birdcount.org.
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Combined with other bird counts, results from the Great Backyard Bird Count help create a clearer picture of how birds are faring, including whether individual species are are declining, increasing, or holding steady in the face of habitat loss, climate change, and other threats.
“Based on the recently released State of the Birds report, we know that half the bird species in the United States alone are decreasing,” says David Bonter, co-director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Produced by the U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative — a coalition of 29 federal and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and bird-focused partnerships — the 2022 State of the Birds report sounds an alarm about steep population losses in virtually all habitats.
A barred owl. According to the 2022 State of the Birds report, three billion birds have been lost from the United States and Canada in the past 50 years, including 70 “tipping point” species that have lost half or more of their breeding population since 1970. (Photo: Matt Boley, Macaulay Library)
According to the report, three billion birds have been lost from the United States and Canada in the past 50 years, including 70 “tipping point” species that have lost half or more of their breeding population since 1970, and are on track to lose another half or more in the next 50 years.
“We absolutely need the eyes and ears of birdwatchers to give us the big picture when it comes to shifting bird populations,” Bonter adds,
Participation in the Great Backyard Bird Count continues to grow every year, with a record 385,000 people from 192 countries in 2022 submitting checklists reporting more than 7,000 bird species.
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“The Great Backyard Bird Count is a stepping stone towards bird conservation,” says Birds Canada president and CEO Patrick Nadeau. “Taking this step in February launches a journey of discovery whether you’re just beginning to learn about the birds around you or an experienced birder watching out for new feathered friends.”
As well as helping researchers track bird populations, participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a fun outdoor activity for the Family Day long weekend — and it’s good for you.
“Birdwatching and being in nature can reduce stress and improve your mood,” says Chad Wilsey, chief scientist and vice president at National Audubon Society. “Take a moment over this long weekend to observe, listen to, and count birds and improve your health, too.”
Whether you end up hand feeding the chickadees or not, participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 17 to 20, 2023 can be both a fun and healthy outdoor activity for the Family Day weekend. Birdwatching and being in nature can reduce stress and improve your mood. (Photo: Paula Brown, Macaulay Library)
To learn how to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, you can also register for a free webinar that will be livestreamed on YouTube from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15th.
During the live question-and-answer session, experts from Audubon, Birds Canada, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology will share their tips for making birdwatching easier and more enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities and answer questions about identifying and counting birds and more.
The Great Backyard Bird Count website also has tools and information to help both birdwatching newbies and veterans participate in the count. Find out more at birdcount.org.
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While you can simply count the birds you see in your own backyard or in a nearby park, you could also count the birds you see while hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing (depending on conditions) at one of the conservation areas, wildlife areas, provincial parks, or trails open during the winter in the Kawarthas region.
Here are some of them:
Birdsall Wildlife Area (1300 Birdsall Line, Otonabee-South Monaghan)
Darling Wildlife Area (310 5 Line, Otonabee-South Monaghan)
Fleetwood Creek Natural Area (902 Ballyduff Rd., Pontypool)
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