It’s been said that a society can be judged by the way it treats its animals, but that isn’t what drives Thom Luloff and all those associated with the Kawartha Wildlife Centre.

Rather, their compassion is rooted in something less lofty but no less sincere — that caring for injured and sick wildlife is simply the right thing to do.

Until this past June when it announced what was termed a temporary shutdown, the Ennismore-based volunteer-run charitable wildlife rehabilitation organization was able to do its important work. Then the money ran out.

At that point, Luloff, chair of the centre’s board, in conjunction with board members, had two options: call it a day or find a way to eventually re-open the centre with an eye on its sustainability over the years ahead.

“It would have been very easy to say ‘We’re done,'” admits Luloff, adding “lots of discussion” followed the closure with a number of centre-saving options considered.

“We spent seven years building this organization and doing this service for the community, and we met some great people along the way, but we had never done a community-wide appeal. We decided, as a board, to do that. Let’s put this out to the community. This is our last chance (to keep the centre open).”

VIDEO: Kawartha Wildlife Centre featuring Thom Luloff

The result is an ambitious fundraising campaign that was launched last Friday (December 8), the goal being to raise $200,000 by June 1, 2024. As of this writing, some $25,000 had come in.

“We don’t want to see the centre close (permanently) but it will if this appeal isn’t successful,” says Luloff.

“The ball is in the community’s court. We’ve done everything we can to try and keep us going, through the pandemic, through huge inflation with massive cost increases — it’s been a real challenge. We’re a young charity. We didn’t have a whole lot of years before COVID.”

While the organization was founded in 2017, the centre itself opened in 2019 at 470 Robinson Road in Ennismore. Since then, its volunteers has cared for more than 2,000 wildlife ‘patients’ ranging from porcupines to great blue herons to owls — 134 species in total. Since opening, the patient caseload has increased by close to 350 per cent.

Back in June, a shortfall in volunteers combined with the resignation of the centre’s authorized wildlife custodian — to legally practice wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario, a person must by authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry — forced the difficult decision to close the doors and examine a possible course forward.

Of note, the centre has always been reliant on community support, a reality necessitated by the fact that it isn’t eligible for any government funding as spelled out in Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. That, says Luloff, means all wildlife rehabilitation providers in the province “have to go the charitable route.”

While raising the funds needed to re-open is one challenge, another is securing enough volunteers to keep it operating as it has. However, Luloff says if the fundraising campaign falls short of its target, that will be a moot point.

“As we get closer to spring, when things gets busy and it looks we can re-open, we’ll be putting out a call for volunteers,” he says. “We’ve always been a volunteer model with very dollar going toward wildlife care. We can’t attract the same number of volunteers that we did before the pandemic. Life has changed for a lot of people. We can’t continue to operate as a volunteer-run-only organization. We still have a need for volunteers but they can’t be it because it (wildlife care) is a 24-7 job.”

“At this point, it’s about the money. We don’t want people to step forward and say ‘Yeah, I want to come and help’ if there’s no money to hire staff. We’re not going to open if we’re not able to do that.”

Should the campaign hit its target goal or ideally surpass it, Luloff says the board has looked beyond the immediate need, adopting a plan that will ensure there’s “a sustainable pot of money to take us forward.”

“This campaign is about setting us up and making sure we have a three-year buffer to be able to continue our service forever — sustainability moving forward with at least one full-time staff person whose role would also include some fundraising, some purpose-built pieces. That’s the missing piece that will allow us to be able to do our work going forward as opposed to relying on volunteers only.”

While he’s “encouraged” by the community response to date, Luloff says he’s well aware “that these are exceptionally challenging times for people. The socioeconomic challenges we are facing in this area are huge.”

“There are so many charities that are on the verge (of shutting down permanently), just like we are,” Luloff notes. “The need has never been stronger and the resources have never been lower. I’m very much aware it’s a large ask and that there are a lot of competing priorities.”

That said, the centre is making it as easy as possible for people to give, the simplest way being online at www.kawarthawildlifecentre.ca where a link will take visitors to the Canada Helps donation page. The centre will also accept cheques mailed to 470 Robinson Road, Ennismore, Ontario K0L 1T0.

“If people are unsure if they want to donate now, they can pledge money. We’ve created a pledge form on our website with pledges due on June 30th. So if you want to give but don’t want to donate until you’re sure the centre will re-open, we encourage you to pledge money. That way you’re not out of pocket if the centre doesn’t re-open. We’ll cancel the pledge if we’re not reopening.”

Tax receipts are issued for donations. In the case of pledges, they will be issued for the 2024 taxation year.

Meanwhile, calls are being made to potential corporate donors, with Luloff noting every option is on the table, including naming rights for the centre.

If the campaign target is hit by June 30 — the total of money received and money pledged — and required staff and volunteers are in place, the centre will re-open, possibly as early as July 1. In the event the campaign hits its goal earlier, an earlier opening date is possible.

Luloff, a conservation biology professor at Fleming College, is hoping for the best.

“This work is a labour of love,” Luloff says. “Sadly, there’s a lot of pain and distress you deal with. We see animals at their worst. Hit by a car, damaged in some way, injured, sick … we see a lot of sadness. All of us have come to do this work usually because we’ve seen something and tried to do something about it and realized ‘Wait, there’s nothing available’.”

“What keeps us here is knowing that there are a lot of people who do care and want to see wildlife not affected by humans as much as it is. Almost every single patient brought in isn’t brought to us by accident. There’s been some sort of human-wildlife interaction that ended negatively.”

“We are so fortunate to be in Canada where we have this nature around us and yet we’re one of the few countries that does absolutely nothing in terms of helping animals when they need help. That’s why we exist. There is a gap between what we’re doing on the ground for these animals versus what they need.”

For more information about the Kawartha Wildlife Centre and to make a donation or pledge, visit www.kawarthawildlifecentre.ca.

Eric Roter had a mental health illness and supportive family members, but no matter where they turned for help they hit barriers, his sister says.

Eric, who lived in Big Cedar and Apsley in recent years, passed away on September 25, 2023 following his battle with bipolar disorder and, ultimately, “a lack of resources” according to Haley Scriver.

He was 32.

Scriver and her family, devastated by her brother’s loss, are officially launching a new association and fundraising campaign in Eric’s memory on Tuesday, December 19th. Roter’s Reach Mental Health Awareness will strive to raise awareness and money to support mental health supports and services.

Scriver, who lives in Young’s Point, has been sharing on social media insights into her brother and his life.

“I’m working on completing Eric’s story,” Scriver said in an interview with kawarthaNOW. “Obviously, it’s not the easiest thing to do.”

The family said in the pursuit of providing assistance and resources during Eric’s journey with bipolar disorder, as well as support following his passing, they discovered “a significant gap in available aid.”

“He was just failed at every step, and he couldn’t have had a more loving, supportive family on both sides,” Scriver said, referring to Eric’s own family and his wife’s.

“We weren’t helped at any step,” she added, noting she reached out to crisis lines, police, and the local hospital, for example. “We just had to watch my brother destroy his life because he was mentally ill.”

Eric, owner of Roter’s Reach Property Maintenance, was an avid angler and a chicken wing connoisseur.

“He loved any excuse for a good crokinole or cornhole match, and he had an uncontrollable sweet tooth,” his obituary reads.

“He was always the first person to lend a hand or help a friend in need. He was best known by those closest to him as a fiercely loyal friend, for his strong belief in vigilante justice, and for his comedic timing, which was unparalleled. Eric has impacted the lives of so many people, and to know Eric was to love him.”

To honour Eric’s memory and address unmet needs in mental health supports, Roter’s Reach is accepting donations and offering signature merchandise for sale.

All proceeds raised by Roter’s Reach will be donated to programs or organizations that support people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the family noted.

Scriver said she and her family are still determining the specific organization or effort that will benefit from the fundraising campaign.

“Once the most fitting cause or causes come to light, Roter’s Reach plans to make a significant donation in support of these initiatives.”

Scriver hopes that, by coming together as a community, the association can help bridge the gap and create a lasting impact on the lives of those in need.

For more information or to make a donation, visit the Roter’s Reach website at rotersreach.ca.

At its meeting on Monday night (December 11), Peterborough city council approved a 2024 budget that would see a residential property tax hike of seven per cent.

This is less than the 7.38 per cent increase in the draft budget recommended by council’s finance committee on November 21, which was itself a decrease from the 9.59 per cent increase in the original draft budget.

Still, the seven per cent increase is more than twice as much as the 3.15 per cent rate increase in the 2023 budget. It would add $10.17 per month, or $122.02 for the year, to residential taxes for each $100,000 of property assessment. For a home assessed at $600,000, this would be an increase of $732.12 for the year.

During a breakfast meeting with Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal hosted by Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce on November 21, the mayor called the 2024 budget “a course correction budget to avoid a series of double-digit increases down the road.”

At Monday’s meeting, councillor and finance committee chair Andrew Beamer said the budget will improve maintenance of city roads and infrastructure as well as municipal services, while expressing concern about the size of the tax hike.

“We do need to make key strategic improvements in the community to ensure that we are not falling behind and that we are moving forward,” Beamer said. “This has to be a one-time budget situation. This can’t become the norm. We need to work together for a more manageable budget next year.”

One of the major changes from the original draft budget to reduce the residential tax increase from 9.59 per cent to 7.39 per cent was shifting around $3 million in taxes from residential properties to commercial and industrial properties by increasing the tax ratio for both commercial and industrial property classes from 1.5 to 1.65 — reversing a trend of decreasing the ratios in previous years.

A little over a week after hosting the mayor’s breakfast meeting, the Chamber issued a media release objecting to the decision and urging city council to reconsider.

“It’s disappointing that the finance committee would recommend a significant change in economic policy, a policy that was drafted with thorough consultation with local businesses, to give residents the appearance of a reduced tax increase,” said the Chamber’s president and CEO Sarah Budd. “We routinely hear from our government leaders that there is one taxpayer. Shifting $3 million in tax levy to one group of property owners and calling it savings for another does not give the impression that we are all in this together.”

To further reduce the residential tax hike form 7.38 to seven percent, some of the changes from the finance committee version of the budget include using $1.31 million instead of $800,000 in investment interest generated from the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. to Hydro One, increasing transit fares to generate an additional $100,000 in revenue, and deferring $150,000 from the Sherbrooke Street reconstruction class environmental assessment project.

The approved budget also increases grants by 1.5 per cent to certain community organizations including Artspace, Community Care Peterborough, Peterborough Musicfest, Peterborough GreenUP, New Canadians Centre, and more. The original draft budget has proposed reductions of around 3.6 per cent in funding for the organizations.

As part of the 2024 budget, council decided to set aside $226,021 in payments to Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development for physician recruitment. The funds will remain in reserve until council considers a report early in the new year about hiring a physician recruiter.

Council also did not support increasing the budget by $374,686.45 to allow for the purchase of a electric heavy-duty vehicle for wastewater collection to replace an existing diesel truck that is due for replacement. At its general committee meeting on December 4, council had endorsed the increase of $604,644.17 for the vehicle purchase — which would include immediate delivery of the vehicle, two heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations, staff training, and more — instead of $248,892.46 for a new diesel truck that would be delivered in two to three years.

Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal presented the 2024 budget to council on Monday night under the new Strong Mayor Powers created by the Ontario government. The mayor’s budget incorporated all the changes recommended by council during its deliberations. Under the Strong Mayor Powers, council can amend the proposed budget by passing a resolution within a 30-day review period. The mayor then has 10 days from the end of the council review period to veto any council amendment.

Environment Canada has issued a snow squall watch for much of the Kawarthas region for Tuesday night (December 12) and Wednesday.

The snow squall watch is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, and southern Haliburton County.

Lake effect snow squalls are expected to develop Tuesday evening or overnight in the wake of a passing cold front and affect areas east of Georgian Bay and portions of the Bruce Peninsula. These snow squalls will will continue into Wednesday afternoon before weakening by Wednesday evening.

Under the snow squall bands, visibility will be significantly reduced due to the heavy snow combined with blowing snow, and snow will quickly accumulate. Locally heavy snowfall with total amounts of 10 to 25 cm is expected in the northern Peterborough County, northern Kawartha Lakes, and southern Haliburton County, with 10 to 20 cm expected in southern Peterborough County and southern Kawartha Lakes.

Snow squalls cause weather conditions to vary considerably, commonly shifting from clear skies to heavy snow within just a few kilometres. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.

Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.

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

Peterborough police have issued a warning to the public after a man followed and accosted a woman on Saturday afternoon (December 9).

At around noon on Saturday, officers were made aware of an incident where a woman was walking her dog in the Euclid and Trent streets area of Peterborough, south of Parkhill Road East and east of Armour Road, when she was approached by a man driving what was described as an “old-style” black SUV.

The man then followed her on foot, grabbed her hood, and told her she had to come with him immediately. The woman’s dog intervened and bit the man. The man then followed the woman in his vehicle to Caddy Street, where he eventually drove away.

The man is described as white, 50 to 60 years old, around 6’4″ tall with a medium, solid build, and clean shaven with salt-and-pepper hair. He was wearing a black coat with blue jeans and white sneakers.

The victim did not know the make or model of the man’s vehicle or get the plate number.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 ext. 555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at online stopcrimehere.ca.

When a massive fire destroyed the only grocery store in North Kawartha Township just over three years ago, the community felt its loss in more ways than one.

Since 1976, the Sayers family and their supermarket had been part of the fabric of the village of Apsley — first as Sayers General Store before becoming an IGA, a Foodland, and then, in 2017, Sayers Independent Food Town.

While locals were suddenly left without a place to buy groceries during the trying times of the pandemic in December 2020, they also lost one of their social hubs — the fire occurred early in the month before the provincial-wide lockdown after Christmas. While Sayers was a place for fresh produce and pantry staples, it also provided some residents with the chance to connect with their fellow community members.

With construction now completed on a new store expected to open early in the new year, North Kawartha Township Mayor Carolyn Amyotte is bubbling with enthusiasm about the prospect of the return of Sayers Foods.

“It has been really tough,” Amyotte said. “We’re a resilient community and we adapt, and certainly people have adapted, and local businesses have adapted to support community folks.”

The mayor said that effort has been impressive “but certainly nothing takes the place of having a full grocery store.”

The gap caused by the fire was felt even more so because Sayers had taken on an active role during the pandemic, Amyotte noted, by stocking up supplies, arranging for 24-hour shift coverage, introducing an online ordering system, and delivering groceries to people who were in isolation.

“They were rock stars,” Amyotte said, adding having them “sidelined” just before another provincial lockdown was “heart-breaking.”

The mayor recalled hearing the news of the fire at 7 a.m. on December 5, 2020 and thinking, “I’ve got to go in and give my town a hug.”

“At that point, we couldn’t even picture where we are today — the end is near,” Amyotte said of the three years it has taken to get to this point. “It’s a beautiful new building, which is going to be a game-changer for downtown Apsley.”

After the fire, according to Amyotte, she was working behind the scenes, with every level of government “on standby” to try and help the community.

“Everybody recognized the seriousness of the situation and were prepared to come forward.”

Amyotte said Sayers has a key economic impact on the community for not only the seasonal residents and tourists it attracts during summer months, but for its year-round residents who are employed by the store.

“They were one of our biggest employers — one of the top three,” she said about the Sayers family. “They’re also big community supporters.”

Jeff Sayers co-owns and manages the store with his siblings Barb and Rick. His parents are semi-retired but will still have an office in the new building. He says he expects to have between 30 and 50 employees when the store is open and at full capacity.

It has been a long three years, Jeff said, filled with processes that needed to be followed which encompassed insurance paperwork, consultants, an appraisal, and some construction material delays — but walking away from the grocery store business wasn’t an option.

“This is our way of life,” Jeff said. “We’ve received an outpouring of community support. The community definitely needs a grocery store.”

In addition to the supermarket essentials, the new Sayers Foods — which has increased square footage in the store portion — will have an expansive deli, which will encompass ready-to-go meals and a pick-up window. There will also be a café with seasonal outdoor seating and Wi-Fi.

Jeff projects the store will have a “soft” opening in late January, as he is just waiting on the occupancy permit, and anticipates a grand opening in early spring.