You can show your love for food-insecure families during February by participating in “Love Month”, a month-long series of events Kawartha Lakes Food Source is hosting with local businesses and organizations — including Kawartha Conservation, which will be lighting and decorating a forest trail at Ken Reid Conservation Area in Lindsay.

During Love Month, Kawartha Lakes Food Source is raising awareness about food insecurity in the City of Kawartha Lakes while also providing the community with more opportunities to donate during one of the months when the non-profit food distribution organization feeds the most people yet receives the fewest donations.

Love Month kicks off on Wednesday (February 1) with Kindness Bingo, where participants have until February 25 to fill a straight or diagonal line on a bingo card by completing the tasks in each square of a bingo card. Tasks include a variety of free activities, donating to local charities, shopping at local businesses, and taking part in the rest of the events connected to Love Month. Kindness Bingo participants will have a chance to win two tickets to the “Take a Bite Out of Hunger!” gala dinner in April.

Kindness Bingo cards are available in Lindsay at Kawartha Lakes Food Source’s distribution centre at 164 Needham St., Unwrapped Kawartha at 112 Kent St W., Kawartha Art Gallery at 190 Kent St. W. (2nd floor), Burns Bulk Food at 118 Kent St. W., North Ward Coffee Co. at 172 Angeline St. N., Ken Reid Administrative Centre at 277 Kenrei Rd., Kawartha Lakes Public Library at 190 Kent St W., BGC Kawarthas at 107 Lindsay St. S., Hill’s Florist at 182 Lindsay St. S., and The Kent Florist at 92 Kent St. W.

Also beginning on February 1st is “Love Bright”, a forest trail at Ken Reid Conservation Area near Lindsay that Kawartha Conservation is adorning with twinkling lights and Love Month decorations. Located near the off-leash dog park, the Love Bright trail will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the entire month of February.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this wonderful event and to help raise awareness and funds for those in need in our community,” says Kristie Virgoe, Kawartha Conservation’s director of stewardship and conservation lands. “We invite everyone to come and experience Ken Reid Conservation Area at night and to support a great cause while enjoying a unique and beautiful experience.”

One dollar from each $4 paid parking admission to Ken Reid Conservation Area between 5 and 9 p.m. for the month of February will go to support Kawartha Lakes Food Source. As well, visitors are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food donations in the Administrative Centre during regular business hours Monday to Friday. Visitors can also make monetary donations directly to Kawartha Lakes Food Source by scanning the QR code at the entrance of the Love Bright trail

“We had such an amazing response to the Illuminated Forest in December at Ken Reid Conservation Area,” Virgoe says. “We’re excited to be able to work with the Kawartha Lakes Food Source to create the Love Bright Trail and provide a new heart-warming experience for visitors.”

On Wednesday, February 8th from 7 to 8:15 p.m., Unwrapped (112 Kent St. W., Lindsay) will be offering a Vinyasa Flow yoga class. Admission is a food or monetary donation to Kawartha Lakes Food Source. All levels, from beginner to advanced, are welcome to join but must bring their own yoga mats.

On Valentine’s Day (Tuesday, February 14th), Kawartha Lakes Food Source is hosting a “Valentine’s Day Paint Night” at its distribution centre (164 Needham St., Lindsay). Participants will enjoy snacks, beverages, and a painting lesson from a professional artist.

Tickets are $55 per person and includes all materials, food, and drinks. They can be purchased online at eventbrite.ca/e/523780570787 or in person at the distribution centre.

Wrapping up Love Month is a food drive at the Kawartha Lakes Food Source distribution centre (164 Needham St., Lindsay) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 25th.

Non-perishable food items like peanut butter, coffee, and condiments are welcome, along with perishable food items including fresh vegetables, eggs, and milk. Personal care or household items are also welcome.

At the food drive, Kindness Bingo participants will have a chance to win two tickets to “Take a Bite Out of Hunger!”, a gala dinner to be held in April at Hobart’s Steakhouse (189 Kent St. W., Lindsay) featuring a new curated menu for the event and a selection of local beer. To be entered into the draw, bring a donation and completed Kindness Bingo card to the February 25th food drive.

To learn more about about Kawartha Lakes Food Source or Love Month, visit kawarthalakesfoodsource.com.

Peterborough city council approved the city’s 2023 budget on Monday night (January 30), including a property tax increase of 3.15 per cent.

The increase is 0.85 per cent less than the four per cent increase proposed in an earlier version of the draft budget to the property tax rate.

“Council made changes to the draft budget to ensure that investments reflect the priorities of the community, including spending on critical infrastructure and providing support for housing and homelessness, while at the same time respecting the current financial conditions,” said Mayor Jeff Leal.

The 3.15 per cent increase, which compares to a 2.87 per cent property tax increase in the 2022 budget, which would add $53.23 per year for each $100,000 of residential assessment for the typical household. For example, a city household with a home assessed at $600,000 would see an additional $319 annually in property tax.

“Residents in our community are feeling the costs of inflation and the challenging economic environment in their daily lives,” said councillor Andrew Beamer, city council’s finance chair. “Municipal services are also impacted by those pressures. Council made difficult decisions to lessen the increasing cost of services for taxpayers, drawing from reserves to meet needs in some areas and cutting spending in other areas to push down the tax increase.”

The approved budget includes $131.2 million in capital expenditures including road work, a household organic waste composting facility and collection equipment, flood reduction efforts, facility maintenance, funding for the planned replacement of a fire station, sanitary sewer repairs, construction of the new twin-pad arena at Morrow Park, and police capital projects.

The approved budget also includes $325.8 million in operating expenditures for programs and services including waste management, road maintenance, wastewater sewers and treatment, social assistance, affordable housing, fire services, policing, and recreation, arts and heritage.

Highlights of the approved budget include:

• Eleven new hires at the Peterborough Police Service due to the increasing number of calls for service, increasing crime severity in the community, and an increasing population in the communities it serves.
• $6.1 million in municipal spending for housing and homelessness services (a 5.7 per cent increase over 2022), including support for approximately 2,000 social housing units, rent supplements, and the operation of four emergency shelters with 106 shelter beds.
• $7.6 million in the capital budget toward the $21.2-million household source separated organics program implementation, with a city-wide green bin program expected to start in fall 2023.
• $1 million for the implementation of the urban forest management strategic plan including tree planting and urban forestry management.
• $750,000 to upgrade 3,000 street light fixtures to LED lights, which reduce energy use and energy costs.
• Holding Peterborough Transit expenses at the 2022 level, which reduces the 2023 net requirement by $951,000.
• Deferring an $800,000 project that is part of upgrading water and sewer service to the Peterborough Airport, until a land deal is reached to bring the airport property within the City of Peterborough boundaries.
• Establishing a permanent annual individual artist grant program at $50,000 a year, through a three-year agreement with Electric City Culture Council, with funding from the capital budget in 2023 and the program built into the operating budget in 2024 and 2025.
• Providing $281,800 from the capital levy reserve for the final two instalments of the city’s contribution to the Eastern Ontario Regional Network cell gap project as approved by council in 2019.
• Using $287,780 from a reserve and contingency to provide additional funding, in addition to the amount included in the draft 2023 budget documents, to Peterborough Public Health.
• Deferring, until consideration in the 2024 budget, a proposed $150,000 project for the next stage of the development of a Downtown Heritage Conservation District Plan.
• Using $200,000 from the social services reserve to add a third worker at the overflow shelter program and Brock Mission to help individuals with better support for referrals to services and to assist with housing searches, develop more of a harm-reduction focus, address service restrictions differently, and other functions.

Here’s how the municipal portion of property taxes is being spent, per $100,000 of residential assessment:

23.6% goes to external organizations

• Peterborough Police Service – $232.59
• Peterborough Paramedics – $48.89
• Fairhaven Long-Term Care – $12.79
• Peterborough Public Health – $10.85
• Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development – $8.64
• Otonabee Conservation – $6.64
• Peterborough Humane Society – $3.63
• Business Improvement Areas – $1.42
• Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster – $1.15

22.9% goes to infrastructure and planning services

• Engineering, Construction and Public Works – $102.14
• Transportation – $103.79
• Environmental Services – $60.59
• Peterborough Airport – $18.19
• Asset Management and Capital Planning – $12.93
• Planning – $10.66
• Building Inspection and Protective Services – $6.91
• Office of Infrastructure and Planning Services – $1.42

22% goes to capital levy, debt payments, and other financial expenditures

• Capital financing costs – $265.67
• Property taxation costs – $24.15
• Other expenditures – $10.86
• Contingency provision – $3.83

13.3% goes to Community Services

• Social Services – $95.95
• Arts, Culture and Heritage – $42.87
• Arenas – $18.88
• Community Services Administration (incl. community grants) – $17.18
• Recreation – $9.70

11.8% goes to fire services and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer

• Fire Services – $149.46
• Communication Services – $5.95
• Office of the Chief Administrative Officer – $4.65
• Emergency Management – $4.01

6.4% goes to Corporate and Legislative Services and City Council

• Corporate Information Services – $29.79
• Financial Services – $18.55
• Human Resources – $9.87
• Facilities Management – $9.58
• City Clerk – $7.08
• City Council – $6.51
• Legal Services – $5.51
• Facilities and Planning Services – $1.35

More details on the city’s 2023 budget are available at peterborough.ca/budget, including the budget documents, a breakdown for each program area, and a listing of the top capital projects.

A police investigation has resulted in the seizure of over illicit drugs worth over $1.1 million, Peterborough police announced on Monday morning (January 30).

Last Wednesday, officers with the Peterborough Police Service Drug Unit and Emergency Response Team along with members of the Durham Regional Police Service executed search warrants at several locations in Peterborough and at a Durham Region residence.

As a result of the search warrants, officers located and seized seven kilograms (15.4 lbs) of crystal meth, five kilograms (11 lbs) of cocaine, a half a kilogram (1.1 lbs) of crack cocaine, 600 grams (1.3 lbs) of fentanyl, three kilograms (6.6 lbs) of Xanax pills, 52 Percocet pills, and 34 hydromorphone pills. Xanax is a benzodiazepine and Percocet and hydromorphone are opioids.

“This seizure of illicit drugs is one of the largest in Peterborough Police Service history,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts.

“This is an example of the proliferation of illicit and harmful substances that have infiltrated our community. While we are not unique in this regard, it is very concerning for me, and I commend the work of our Drug Unit for their ongoing commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

Police also seized $3,000 cash in combined Canadian and US currency and three vehicles.

VIDEO: Peterborough police announce January 25, 2023 illicit drug seizure

A man and a woman were arrested during the search.

Both 54-year-old Jack Goneau of Peterborough and 37-year-old Regan Morrison of Peterborough are each facing six charges of possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine, crystal meth, fentanyl, hydromorphone, Percocet, and Xanax) and one charge of possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime (under $5,000).

Goneau and Morrison was held in custody and appeared in court on January 25. Police said they are releasing their names as a matter of public safety.

Kawartha Lakes police are reminding the public continued abuse of 911 calls is a criminal offence and can cause a serious delay for those in need of urgent assistance, after a 48-year-old Lindsay man is accused of making over 20 unnecessary emergency calls in the last three weeks.

At 6:28 p.m. on Saturday (January 28), police responded to a Lindsay Street South residence for the second time that day after a man called 911. Each time, the caller would not speak and hung up.

Further investigation confirmed the man had made over 20 emergency calls since January 13. Although police had given him a warning on two previous occasions, he continued to call 911 without any reasonable explanation.

Police have charged 48-year-old David Hulland of Lindsay with public mischief and harassing communications. He will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay on March 9.

A 911 emergency is when someone needs help right away because of injury of an immediate danger. Police say that, if you have called 911 accidentally, it is important to stay on the line to speak to a communicator to explain the error.

Every 911 call is taken seriously, and explaining the mistake can eliminate the need for the emergency communicator to call back. It is also important to ensure cell phones are locked to avoid accidentally calling 911.

For non-urgent reports to police, Kawartha Lakes residents should call the non-emergency line at 705-324-5252 or visit the Kawartha Lakes Police Service website at www.kawarthalakespolice.com.

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for the entire greater Kawarthas region for Saturday evening (January 28) to Sunday afternoon.

The winter weather travel advisory is in effect for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.

A long duration snowfall is expected due to a low pressure system tracking south of the area, with snow beginning Saturday evening and continuing through Sunday afternoon.

Periods of snow with total accumulations of 10 to 20 cm are expected by Sunday afternoon.

Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery.

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

A new initiative to collect donated blankets and sleeping bags and provide them to those in need was launched on Friday (January 27) at Windsor’s Dry Cleaning Centre in Peterborough.

The “Blankets for People” initiative is a collaboration between Peterborough County-City Paramedics, Fourcast, Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, and Windsor’s Dry Cleaning Centre.

Peterborough-area residents are being encouraged to donate new or used blankets and sleeping bags by dropping them off at Windsor’s Dry Cleaning Centre at 655 Parkhill Road West.

Windsor’s Dry Cleaning Centre will professionally clean the donated items at no cost and deliver them to Fourcast’s Consumption and Treatment Site at 220 Simcoe Street beside the downtown bus terminal.

Staff at the Consumption and Treatment Site will give out a blanket or sleeping bag to anyone who requests one, with no questions asked.

“There are no criteria for anyone to receive a blanket, and Fourcast’s amazing staff provide a caring and judgment free environment,” reads a media release from Peterborough County. “Thank you to Windsor’s Dry Cleaning Centre for showing their warm heart by making sure all the blankets and sleeping bags are clean and ready to go.”