Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region has partnered with Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH), giving new life to a vacant Lansdowne Street East building while providing real hope for the unhoused.

On Tuesday (April 25) outside Habitat for Humanity’s office location on Milroy Drive, representatives of both organizations revealed an ambitious plan that checks major boxes for both.

With its pending purchase of the former Peterborough Humane Society building at 385 Lansdowne Street East, Habitat for Humanity will lease the building to PATH for three years for the purpose of providing transitional shelter support. In addition, the property will be home to 15 sleeping cabins, their occupants able to access shower and bathroom facilities in the main building.

At the end of the three-year lease, the hope is that PATH will have secured property — at a location still to be determined — for a community that can accommodate 30 tiny homes. Habitat for Humanity, meanwhile, will move ahead with plans to develop affordable condo units at the site of the now-vacated building.

“Habitat for Humanity has just made it possible for PATH’s dream to become a reality,” said PATH chair Trish Campbell, adding “This is the birth of a creative relationship to respond to Peterborough’s housing and homelessness crisis.”

Habitat for Humanity CEO Susan Zambonin noted the partnership speaks directly to the agency’s mission.

“Our vision is a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live,” she said. “This partnership will allow Habitat for Humanity to give a hand up to PATH and unhoused members of our community by providing them with a safe place where they can connect, heal, and build community.”

Later, Zambonin termed the collaboration “a real win-win.”

“This (unhoused people) is a population we don’t serve, so it’s an ideal opportunity for us to partner with PATH. We had been trying to help PATH find some land for awhile but they found this all on their own. We’re just happy they included us to help them with the purchase.”

While PATH awaits word on a temporary use rezoning application required to use the space for transitional shelter support, Habitat for Humanity has a long road ahead in terms of getting approvals for its intended use of he property.

“We will be purchasing the property at the end of June — we have an accepted offer (to purchase),” Zambonin said. “PATH will start renting it at that point and doing some renovations inside the building to meet their needs for three years. At that point, we’re hoping that we’ll have the by-law amendment that we need in order to then move forward with our proposal.”

“We still have to have a meeting with our architect to see how many units he thinks the site will support. We’re thinking commercial (units) on the bottom and condos second floor and above, however many stories that happens to be. We’ll have to see what the site can support in terms of parking.”

With the mission is to provide homes to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, PATH formed in 2021.

While some tiny homes have been constructed, finding a location for them has proven elusive, including a proposal to locate them on a vacant property at Park and Lansdowne streets that was denied by city council following lengthy and, at times, heated debate.

On Tuesday, Town Ward councillors Alex Bierk and Joy Lachica — both staunch supports of the tiny homes model — were on hand.

“It’s such a joy to have conversations this morning with those on the ground who have spearheaded this from the beginning,” said Lachica.

“There have been obstacles but they (PATH) stayed the course and here we are. Partnership has been found and, together, there’s a vision for something bigger. Something that Peterborough hasn’t experienced yet; something that we’re seeing in other cities that has been successful.”

For his part, Bierk summed up his feelings in just a few words — “This is a good day,” adding “We need to listen to the needs of people that are unhoused. They’re telling us that the current system in place is not working for them. We need to start building systems and supports that are going to meet the needs of individuals who are unhoused.”

Bierk added a report coming before council in early May will be related to “what we’re hearing today. I just came from a homelessness meeting. There’s a lot in the works that hopefully is going to finally start to address the issue in a meaningful way and we’re going to start to work toward some change.”

According to PATH land acquisition working group lead Keith Dalton, with the announcement of the partnership made, “We can now move forward on the many pledges of financial and in-kind support” received from the community.

“The missing piece has been land,” added Dalton.

Meanwhile, Zambonin, while stopping short of saying other Habitat for Humanity agencies should take note of this partnership and follow accordingly, did note “there’s an excellent opportunity for other Habitat affiliates to help tiny homes across the country.”

A media release states the project “is in the early development stages” and that an open house will be scheduled in the coming weeks to give neighbouring residents an opportunity to learn more and provide feedback.

In the interim, residents who have any questions or comments or who would like to submit statements of support can email pathadm22@gmail.com.

This story has been updated with complete coverage of today’s announcement by Paul Rellinger.

The Peterborough Petes have defeated the Ottawa 67’s to advance to the Eastern Conference championship for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

In game six of their best-of-seven semi-final series at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Monday night (April 24), the Petes won the game 5-4 to eliminate the regular season champions and to take the series 4-2.

The Petes led the game 2-1 by the end of the first period, with goals by Connor Lockhart and Avery Hayes. The Petes dominated the second period, with Lockhart scoring again along with Jonathan Melee. Early in the third period, Lockhart achieved a hat trick (with Chase Smith’s third assist of the game) to increase the Petes’ lead by 5-1.

Ottawa then scored three successful goals but were unable to tie the game, with Michael Simpson stopping 35 of 39 shots for his eighth win of the postseason.

In the Eastern Conference championship, which will be played between April 27 and May 9, the Petes will face either the North Bay Battalion or the Barrie Colts, whose series is tied 3-3 with the deciding game to be played in North Bay on Tuesday night.

Tickets for the first and second championship home games will go on sale to the general public at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning through the Peterborough Memorial Centre’s Grant Thornton Box Office.

The backlash from the Minden community continues to grow following the announcement by Haliburton Highlands Health Services last Thursday (April 20) that the Minden emergency department will be closed effective Friday, June 1st, with all staff to be transferred to the emergency department in Haliburton.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services currently operates two emergency departments that are open 24/7, one at 4575 Deep Bay Road in Minden and the other at 7199 Gelert Road in Haliburton, both with on-site heliports. Unlike the Haliburton location, which has 15 in-patient beds, the Minden location does not offer in-patient acute care services.

According to a statement from Haliburton Highlands Health Services president and CEO Carolyn Plummer and board chair David O’Brien, the decision to close the Minden emergency department was made in response to an ongoing shortage of nursing and medical staff.

“We know how much the community has appreciated having an emergency department in Minden,” reads the statement. “This decision has been made so (Haliburton Highlands Health Services) can continue to maintain high-quality health services for everyone in Haliburton County. It will help us run a more sustainable operation in the long-term, while supporting the well-being of our staff and physicians.”

“It also means we can do more to support our staff and physicians. The pressure to keep two emergency departments open, on top of the personal and professional sacrifices it has demanded, has been unbelievable. We have to support our staff, so they can keep protecting and caring for our patients.”

With the closure of the Minden emergency department, local residents would need to travel 25 kilometres northeast to Haliburton’s emergency department — a 25-minute drive.

“With the only in-patient beds in the county being located at the Haliburton site, this change means that anyone who comes to the emergency department and needs to be admitted to hospital can do so without having to be transferred, when beds are available.”

The two other nearest hospitals, both an hour’s drive from Minden, are South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Site in Bracebridge and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay.

Haliburton Highlands Health Services first announced in November 2021 that ongoing staffing shortages could result in a temporary reduction of services at one of its emergency departments. Additional statements were issued in April and December 2022 that staffing shortages could result in temporary closures, although such closures never took place.

In the December 2022 and January 2023 meetings of the Haliburton Highlands Health Services board, president and CEO Carolyn Plummer noted the organization was continuing to rely on agency staffing and contract staff to keep both emergency departments open. The minutes do not indicate whether a decision was under consideration to permanently close the Minden emergency department. Minutes for the March 2023 meeting of the board are not yet available.

Both Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter and deputy mayor Lisa Schell took to Facebook to say they were blindsided by the decision.

“There was absolutely no prior consultation with county or township staff or elected officials,” Carter writes on Facebook, noting he and other area mayors were only informed of the decision during a Zoom meeting the night before the announcement, despite meetings with Haliburton Highlands Health Services on December 19, January 19, and March 16.

“I was present at all of the meetings and although we discussed the fear of having to temporarily close either of the ERs due to lack of staff (which never occurred), there was never any discussion or warning that there was a plan afoot to permanently close the Minden Emergency Department … The process to make this decision was shrouded in secrecy.”

Along with the decision to close Minden’s emergency department, Carter has also expressed concern about the timing of the closure.

“The decision is to close the Minden Emergency Department (the larger of the two in terms of volume) on June 1st,” he writes. “Most of us don’t need to be reminded that June is the start of the period when our population triples with cottagers and tourists.”

During the Haliburton Highlands Health Services annual general meeting last June, Plummer had reported that Minden’s emergency department had 12,768 visits for the past year, compared to 9,766 for Haliburton’s emergency department.

For her part, Minden Hills deputy mayor Lisa Schell calls the decision to close Minden’s emergency department “very shortsighted and difficult to understand.”

“Minden is listed as one of the fastest growing communities in the country,” Schell writes on Facebook. “This will cause health and economic harm and is absolutely shameful! The community has had ZERO opportunity to engage with the board before this decision was made! I am speechless.”

The decision to close the Minden emergency department, along with the resulting community outrage, has been covered by local media as well as by Global News and CTV News.

Although with local politicians, local residents are protesting the decision, including through a Facebook group called Save Minden Ontario Emergency Room with almost 3,000 members.

“Everyone needs to take part and flood media along with our provincial government,” reads the group’s description. “Let everyone know how Minden sticks together and this is not right. Especially for our future and our kids.”

In addition, Minden resident and former Minden firefighter Patrick Porzuczek has launched an online petition called Help Save the Minden Hills Emergency Department that has so far received more than 3,000 signatures.

“This closure will be a devastating loss to Minden Hills and all surrounding communities,” Porzuczek writes. “There have been no public meetings or an explanation as to how this closure will impact all of those who use the ER, including local fire departments and paramedic services.”

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre has launched a ‘chair-ity’ fundraising campaign where patrons can purchase naming rights for one of 400 new chairs the outdoor theatre company has purchased for its barnyard venue at the Winslow Farm.

The purchase of the new chairs follows a survey completed last year where 44 per cent of patrons expressed a desire for more comfortable and safe chairs. As part of the 4th Line’s strategic planning process in the fall, the organization’s board of directors unanimously voted in favour of the purchase of new chairs — even self-financing the purchase if necessary.

“Our audiences spoke loud and clear that, while they love theatre, they would like us to address their comfort with different chairs,” says 4th Line’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell in a media release.

Built for stability, comfort, and durability, the new Canadian-made chairs are a composite of wood and metal that can safely hold 500 pounds. With a powder-coated steel frame built to withstand the elements, the contemporary and comfortable chairs will not fade, peel, or crack.

The new chairs will be in place for 4th Line’s upcoming season, which kicks off on June 27th with the world premiere of The Tilco Strike, written by D’Arcy Jenish and directed by Cynthia Ashperger, followed in August by a restaging of 4th Line’s flagship play The Cavan Blazers, written by Robert Winslow and directed by Kim Blackwell.

For a $200 donation to 4th Line’s chair-ity campaign, patrons can purchase naming rights to a chair, which includes a personalized engraved plaque on the chair.

VIDEO: 4th Line Theatre’s Chair-ity Campaign Launch

Brian Field — a Millbrook-based businessman, mortgage broker, co-owner of Field Day B & B, and theatre enthusiast — has stepped up to chair the campaign, which kicked off in March with a generous starting donation by Andrew and Ally Pyle and Pyle Wealth Management CIBC Wood Gundy.

“I look forward to summer evenings spent at the farm in Millbrook, being swept away to days gone by, all while learning quirky parts of the history of the area I now call home,” Field explains. “What I did not look forward to — the case of numb bum I found myself with! I am thrilled to be the ‘chair of chairs.’ Please join me in securing the comfort of 4th Line patrons, now and in the future, with your support of the chair-ity campaign.”

“To have Brian Field offer to chair the fundraising component of this project is truly gratifying,” Blackwell adds.

Both naming rights donations and smaller donations to the chair-ity campaign can be made online at secure1.tixhub.com/4thlinetheatre/online/b_don1.asp, with all proceeds supporting the not-for-profit organization.

“With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day right around the corner, buying a chair is a great gift for a loved one who has everything,” reads the media release. “It is a deeply thoughtful gift which will last for years to come.”

Tickets for 4th Line’s upcoming season can be purchased by phone at 705-932-4445 (toll-free at 800-814-0055), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or in person at 4th Line Theatre’s new Box Office location at 9 Tupper Street in Millbrook.

Parks Canada is preparing for the opening of the 2023 boating season on the Trent-Severn Waterway and will be conducting spring maintenance on three swing bridges in Peterborough this week.

The bridge work includes preventative maintenance tasks like washing and greasing swing bridges, and conducting visual inspections to ensure their safe operation.

The following swing bridges in Peterborough will be temporarily closed for regular spring maintenance, weather permitting:

• Maria Street Swing Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25th
• Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26th
• McFarlane Street Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27th

Detour routes will be posted for all closures.

Depending on water flow conditions, navigation season on the Trent-Severn Waterway normally opens on Victoria Day and runs until Thanksgiving.

For more information about the Trent-Severn Waterway, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/trent.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for possible significant rainfall in Haliburton County on Saturday (April 22).

Periods of rain will move into the area later Friday afternoon or early in the evening and will continue into Friday night, with amounts near 5 mm possible.

After a brief break in the precipitation overnight, another more significant round of rainfall is expected Saturday with a further 10 to 25 mm possible by the evening.

Although these amounts are not particularly high, the area is sensitive to any additional rainfall. According to Otonabee Conservation, water levels in the Haliburton and reservoir lakes are approaching their respective full levels due to the past several weeks of sustained snow and ice melt and rainfall runoff.

There is a small possibility that up to 50 mm may fall across the northern portions of the Haliburton region. If this happens, then run-off will cause water levels and flows on the Kawartha Lakes and Otonabee River to increase more than anticipated and rapidly. Otonabee Conservation is advising residents and businesses located in flood-prone areas on the shores of the Kawartha Lakes and Otonabee River to remain vigilant.

Environment Canada’s confidence in where the heaviest rainfall will occur Saturday is still low. Rainfall warnings may be required for some regions.

Elsewhere in the greater Kawarthas region for Saturday, Environment Canada is calling for showers, at times heavy, with 10 to 25 mm of rain possible. There is a risk of a thunderstorm late Saturday afternoon and again early in the evening.

The Ontario government has provided a grant of up to $1,560,500 for the Peterborough Humane Society’s new Peterborough Animal Care Centre at 1999 Technology Drive.

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith made the announcement at the centre on Friday (April 21) on behalf of Ontario infrastructure minister Kinga Surma.

“The Peterborough Humane Society has been a staple in our community providing services for more than 80 years to people of Peterborough,” Smith says in a media release. “I’m proud to say that the Government of Ontario has recognized the exceptional work that the Peterborough Humane Society does and has made this investment in a new state-of-the-art facility in our community. I’m looking forward to 80 more years of alleviating suffering, rescuing, healing, and facilitating the adoption of animals.”

The funding comes from the province’s $200-million Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund, announced in the 2021 budget, which provides infrastructure funding to strategic community projects and sports and recreation facilities.

According to the media release, the Peterborough Humane Society will use the grant to provide accessible outdoor spaces at the Peterborough Animal Care Centre for community engagement and to enhance nature and healthy activity, including a recreational trail system, accessible building signage, and patio spaces for outdoor leisure and corporate event purposes.

“The incredible support from our provincial government is instrumental in allowing us to achieve our programming and service goals through the completion of our new centre,” says Peterborough Humane Society executive director Shawn Morey. “This funding will help us in developing a hub not only for animals, but also for our local, and regional community members to enjoy for generations to come. We are one step closer in making this centre a premier destination for animal wellness.”

The Peterborough Animal Care Centre, which includes an animal adoption and seduction centre, a high-volume regional spay-and-neuter clinic, and the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society’s provincial dog rehabilitation centre, opened earlier this year. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, June 24th.

Emily Martin is leaving Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough after nine years, including the last five as general manager.

Martin made the announcement to her friends on Facebook on Friday (April 21).

“I’ve been fortunate to find another arts administration position in a nearby community that will allow my family to remain in Peterborough, a city that we have come to love since we moved here in 2004,” she writes.

Martin first came to Showplace in 2014 in the position of marketing and administrative manager, following 10 years with Peterborough Musicfest including the last four as that organization’s general manager.

She became interim general manager of Showplace in July 2017, after previous general manager Ray Marshall resigned to pursue other interests. In April 2018, the Showplace board appointed her as general manager.

During her time as general manager, Martin led the not-for-profit charitable organization through the pandemic and also through a capital campaign that included the theatre replacing its old seats with new state-of-the-art seating.

According to Martin, she will continue as general manager until May 4, with Wayne Bonner stepping down from the Showplace board as past chair to act in the role while the board recruits a new general manager.