Heavy snow and damaging wind gusts up to 120 km/h on December 23, 2022 resulted in power outages in the Cobourg and Colborne areas. (Photo: Lakefront Utility Services Inc. / Facebook)
If you live in the Cobourg or Colborne area and have lost power due to the winter storm, it may take 12 to 24 hours to be restored.
UPDATE Sat Dec 24 8 p.m.
Lakefront Utility Services Inc. reports 99 per cent of homes in Cobourg have had their power restored. The remaining homes without power are due to an issue on the property side. Those residents are advised to call an electrician to fully restore power to their homes.
According to a media release from the Town of Cobourg issued on Friday afternoon (December 24), Lakefront Utility Services Inc. is responding to multiple outages in the Cobourg and Colborne area due to the inclement weather.
“Unfortunately, the heavy winds and snow have created an unsafe work environment for crews,” the media release states. “Due to the unsafe conditions, restoration time may take 12 to 24 hours.”
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Residents with power are asked to check in with family and friends and see if they require a place to stay for the evening. For those who are without power and in urgent need to get warm, call the Cobourg Community Centre at 905-372-7371. Staff are monitoring the line and can assist those in need.
Crews will work as quickly and safely to restore power to all impacted customers when safe to do so. Wind gusts of up to 110 km/h are forecast to continue until early Saturday morning.
If you experience downed wires in your area, remain at least 10 metres away and do not touch any debris in the area. To report an outage, call 905-372-2193.
Residents without power are asked to follow these suggestions:
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Don’t open your freezer or fridge unless it is necessary. A full freezer will keep food frozen for 24 to 36 hours if the door remains closed.
Never use charcoal or gas barbecues, camping heating equipment, or home generators indoors. They give off carbon monoxide. Because you can’t smell or see it, carbon monoxide can cause health problems and is life-threatening.
Use proper candle holders. Never leave lit candles unattended and keep out of reach of children. Always extinguish candles before going to bed.
Keep your doors closed to ensure heat remains in the house as best as possible.
Turn off all tools, appliances, and electronic equipment, and turn the thermostat(s) for the home heating system down to minimum to prevent damage from a power surge when power is restored. Also, power can be restored more easily when there is not a heavy load on the electrical system.
Turn off all lights, except one inside and one outside, so that both you and hydro crews outside know that power has been restored.
Make sure your home has a working carbon monoxide detector. If it is hard-wired to the house’s electrical supply, ensure it has a battery-powered back-up.
Protect sensitive electrical appliances such as TVs, and computers with a surge-protecting power bar. For those without serge-protectors, unplug sensitive electrical appliances.
Peterborough police have arrested a 48-year-old Cavan-Monaghan Township man and charged him with multiple offences in connection with a road rage incident in September where he allegedly fired a handgun at another driver.
In the early morning of September 8, a car travelling from the Cobourg area to Peterborough along Highway 28 was followed by a pickup truck that was driving very close, changing speeds, and flashing its high beams.
The two vehicles eventually pulled over in the area of Highway 28 and Zion Line, where the driver of the pickup truck exited his vehicle with a handgun and fired one round in the direction of the other driver, striking the ground. Both drivers then got back in their vehicles and drove off.
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After the incident, police issued a description of the suspect and his pickup truck. Through investigation, police were able to establish the identity of the driver that brandished the firearm.
On Thursday (December 22), members of the Peterborough Police Street Crime Unit with the assistance of the Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at a Cavan-Monaghan Township home.
Police located and arrested a 48-year-old Cavan-Monaghan Township man inside the residence and charged him with the following offences: use of a firearm while committing an offence, careless use of a firearm, careless storage of a firearm, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, discharge a firearm with intent, operation of a vehicle while prohibited, and possession of a schedule I substance (cocaine).
The accused man was held in custody for a bail hearing on Friday.
Veteran Canadian singer-songwriter Ken Tizzard will be hosting his first live Whiskey Wednesday show in four years at the Be My Guest Family Restaurant in Campbellford on Wednesday, December 28th. (Photo via Ken Tizzard / Facebook)
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, December 22 to Wednesday, December 28.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
A woman sitting at a Christmas-decorated table holding a mobile phone displaying kawarthaNOW's Christmas and New Year's holiday hours story. (kawarthaNOW photo)
Due to the winter storm, the holiday hours listed below for business and government services on December 23 and 24 may not be current. Please call first to confirm hours.
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day are all statutory holidays in Ontario that fall on the weekend this year. All liquor and beer stores are closed, except for a selected few that will be open on Boxing Day. Government offices and services, which are normally closed on weekends, will observe the statutory holidays on the next business day, with many municipal offices closed for the entirety of Boxing Week.
Most businesses — including malls, box stores, and grocery stores — are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but are open on Boxing Day. Many businesses close early in the afternoon on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 278 selected businesses, services, and organizations across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially where you see “call” or “call to confirm” or if you are travelling any distance. If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not have the hours for restaurants in this list as there are far too many to include.
Bewdley Community Recycling Centre 7650 County Rd. 9, Hamilton 905-342-2514
8:30am-5:00pm
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
9:30am-5:00pm
8:30am-5:00pm
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
Brighton Community Recycling Centre 1112 County Rd. 26, Brighton 613-475-1946
8:30am-5:00pm
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
9:30am-5:00pm
8:30am-5:00pm
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
Canada Post Mail Delivery / Offices (Note: post offices operated by the private sector will be open according to the hours of service of the host business
Regular delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
Regular delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
No delivery/collection
City of Kawartha Lakes City Hall, Municipal Service Centres, and Administration Offices 26 Francis St., Lindsay 705-324-9411
Closes at 12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Parks, Recreation and Culture facilities, arenas, and pools Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411
Closes at 12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Public Libraries Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411 x1291
Regular hours (Bethany branch closed until Dec 31)
10:00am-2:00pm (Kirkfield branch not open)
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
Regular hours
10:00am-2:00pm (Kirkfield branch not open) (Kirkfield branch not open)
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Waste and Recycling Collection 26 Francis St., Lindsay 1-888-822-2225
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Moves to Dec 27
Moves to Dec 28 (Dec 28 to 29, Dec 29 to 30)
Collection from Dec 29
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
City of Peterborough Day Cares Peterborough 705-748-8830
CLOSED AT 12:00PM
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Peterborough Garbage Pickup Peterborough 705-745-1386
No change
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
No change
No change
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
City of Peterborough Recycling Pickup Peterborough 705-876-1600
No change
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
No change
No change
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
City of Peterborough Social Services (for emergency shelter services call 705-926-0096) Peterborough 705-748-8830
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
Cobourg Public Library 200 Ontario St., Cobourg 905-372-9271
Lindsay Human Services 322 Kent St. W., Lindsay 705-324-9870
CLOSED AT 12:00PM
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
Lindsay Library 90 Kent St. W., Lindsay 705-324-9411 x1291
Regular hours
10:00am-2:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
Regular hours
10:00am-2:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
Lindsay Ops Landfill 51 Wilson Rd., Lindsay 1-888-822-2225
8:00am-5:00pm
8:00am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
8:00am-5:00pm
8:00am-5:00pm
8:00am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
Lindsay Transit / LIMO Specialized Transit 180 Kent St. W., Lindsay 705-324-9411
7:00am-7:00pm
9:00am-4:00pm
NO SERVICE
7:00am-7:00pm
7:00am-7:00pm
7:00am-7:00pm
9:00am-4:00pm
NO SERVICE
7:00am-7:00pm
Municipality of Port Hope Municipal Offices 56 Queen St., Port Hope 905-885-4544
Closes at 12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
North Kawartha Municipal Office 280 Burleigh St., Apsley 705- 656-4445
Open
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
North Kawartha Township Recycling Collection 340 McFadden Rd., Apsley 705-656-3619
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
North Kawartha Township Waste Collection 340 McFadden Rd., Apsley 705-656-3619
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
No change
Northumberland Material Recovery Facility (no material drop-off by public, but blue boxes, green bins, backyard composters are available for purchase) 280 Edwardson Rd., Grafton 1-866-293-8379
8:30am-4:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
8:30am-4:00pm
8:30am-4:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism Visitor Centre 1400 Crawford Dr., Peterborough 705-742-2201
Campbellford Memorial Hospital is located at 146 Oliver Road in Campbellford. (Photo Campbellford Memorial Hospital)
Campbellford Memorial Hospital is closing its emergency department for most of Christmas Day due to a nursing staff shortage.
The emergency department will be temporarily closed from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 25th.
According to a media release issued by the hospital on Thursday afternoon (December 22), a contingency plan has been implemented to deal with the temporary closure “to ensure the impact to patient care is as minimal as possible.”
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EMS and other emergency services are aware of the temporary closure. While the emergency department is closed, ambulances will take patients directly to the closest area hospital that offers emergency medical services.
“While every effort was made to keep the emergency department open, including reaching out to our regional partners, the ongoing province-wide shortage of health human resources continues to put a strain on health care operations throughout our region,” reads a hospital media release.
The hospital says area residents requiring emergency health care treatment during the closure should call 9-1-1, and those with urgent health care treatment should go to other hospitals in the region, which include Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Trenton Memorial Hospital, Belleville General Hospital, or Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
This is not the first time Campbellford Memorial Hospital has been forced to temporarily close its emergency department due to staffing challenges. In October, the hospital closed its emergency department for three days and, last December, the hospital closed the emergency department over Christmas Eve.
Five Counties Children's Centre Resource Consultant Liz Martella is part of the agency's Investing in Quality (IIQ) initiative. Along with supporting children and families in child-care settings, IIQ staff also provide resources, supports, and mentorship opportunities for early childhood educators in the Peterborough area. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
Every month, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides a story about the work of the charitable organization. This month’s story is by Shannon Cattoni, Program Manager.
New Year’s typically brings fireworks, but not just the celebratory variety that light up the night sky.
Often, there are sparks of disbelief that come with news that Canada’s top corporate CEOs will be paid more by noon on the first working day of the New Year than the average person will make over the entire 12 months.
The income gap between the super-rich and ordinary workers is mind-boggling. It also speaks to how our society recognizes the values of certain professions — registered early childhood educators (RECEs) being a perfect example.
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Do we realize the valuable and important services provided every day by registered early childhood educators? Not in the way we should, even though the care and nurture of the youngest members of our society is of vital importance. Today’s infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers will become tomorrow’s doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, and leaders, so support for them in the early years is essential.
Brain development is most important before age six, and RECEs play a critical role in laying the foundation for a child’s development, learning and future success. Registered early childhood educators relate to each child’s individual needs so they can grow to be the best versions of themselves. It’s as simple as reading a book to a child or helping them learn a new word. It can mean comforting a youngster who has skinned a knee and needs a hug and soft reassuring voice, ensuring the child feels safe and secure.
RECEs also show commitment to support children and families, as noted in the Ontario pedagogy for the early years entitled How Does Learning Happen?. The resource lays out the four foundations of belonging, wellbeing, engagement and expression that are important for a child’s healthy development, and which RECEs practise every day.
VIDEO: A message from Shannon Cattoni on Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day 2022
Studies show that effective early childhood programs lead to future academic success well beyond the early years. Investing in quality child care pays for itself, yet there is still reluctance to offer living wages, benefits, and pensions that registered early childhood educators deserve.
This despite the fact that — just like other professions such as doctors, nurses, and teachers — RECEs belong to a professional college that requires them to be registered, follow clear ethical and professional standards, and carry out continuous professional learning.
At Five Counties Children’s Centre, part of our agency’s work is the Investing in Quality (IIQ) Peterborough initiative.
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Funded by the City of Peterborough, Five Counties staff guide the IIQ initiative which supports registered early childhood educators and all supporting staff in the Peterborough region with professional learning sessions, communities of practice, mentorship opportunities, access to resources/information, and an annual Inspiring Early Learning Conference.
This work is essential to support and retain RECEs in a profession that has seen many people leave in droves, while also preparing and mentoring a new generation to take leadership roles in the local early learning profession at a time when many of its current leaders are set to retire.
We need to open our eyes to the important work being done by registered early childhood educators. We shortchange their work at our own peril, given that the value they provide our children is worth its weight in gold.
Shannon Cattoni is the Program Manager at Five Counties Children’s Centre who oversees the Investing in Quality initiative.
The eastern white pine provides nesting areas for many birds that over-winter, including chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. The seeds from its cones also provide food for forest animals, such as rabbits, red squirrels, and birds. (Photo: Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Hayley Goodchild, Program Coordinator at GreenUP.
Are you looking for an enjoyable and affordable outdoor winter activity? Get to know native plants that provide visual interest and ecological value all year-round.
Here are four cold-season favourites chosen by plant-savvy staff at the City of Peterborough and Alderville Black Oak Savanna.
Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) is a winter favourite of Nicky Partridge, urban forest technologist with the City of Peterborough.
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“White pine is a common tree of most Ontario forests and is one of the first trees I learned to identify as a kid growing up camping in Algonquin Park,” Partridge says. “It holds significance to me because there are five needles in each of its bunches, and five people in my family.”
“Ecologically speaking, Pinus strobus is an important winter tree. It is an ideal screen and windbreak on cold, windy days, and it provides nesting areas for many birds that over-winter, including chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. The seeds from its cones also provide food for forest animals, such as rabbits, red squirrels, and birds.”
The unique windswept form of white pine is hard to miss in the winter. There are many wonderful local white pines within the city limits. In Jackson Park, these stately trees can be admired near Parkhill and Monaghan or along the trails in the lower part of the park.
You can experience mature eastern white pines in public spaces throughout the City of Peterborough, including the ones pictured here at Inverlea Park. (Photo: Hayley Goodchild)
White pine is a great choice to plant at home as well. It is a fast-growing conifer that can easily reach 80 feet but is often shorter in cities. Plant away from sidewalks and driveways to ensure the tree is not damaged by road salt or urban pollution.
Gillian Di Petta, coordinator of the Mitigomin Native Plant Nursery at Alderville Black Oak Savanna, and Julie Henry, the organization’s natural heritage coordinator, explain the important role that native plants play in the winter.
“Native plants in the winter are beautiful in both form and function,” they explain. “Allowing plants to die back in the fall without interference ensures that the natural ecosystem functions. They provide refuge for overwintering insects, natural seed dispersal, and forage for birds and mammals.”
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If eastern white pine is the kind of plant you can appreciate from a distance, Di Petta and Henry’s three favourites benefit from a closer look.
“Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a native shrub whose branches have a striking red-orange colour visible in the winter,” Di Petta and Henry say. “Dense plantings of red osier can provide cover and serve as a perch for small birds.”
Planting red osier dogwood can be easy, as once you have one plant, you can propagate cuttings by ‘staking’ them into the ground.
The leafless branches of red osier dogwood can be quite striking in winter. (Photo: Gillian Di Petta)The spikes and seed heads of dense blazing star. (Photo: Gillian Di Petta)
Di Petta and Henry note that herbaceous, flowering plants including grasses and forbs provide beauty, critical food, and habitat for native wildlife during the winter.
As a forb for your garden, Henry and Di Petta recommend dense blazing star (Liatris spicata), whose showy spikes of pinkish-purple flowers are a treat for humans and bees alike. In the winter, pollinators and other insects take shelter in the hollow stems, while dense blazing star’s tall form provides visual weight and structure in the garden year-round.
Last but not least is savanna grass (Sorghastrum nutans), one of the characteristic warm-season grasses of oak savanna and tallgrass prairie (both of which are endangered ecosystems). The team at Alderville Black Oak Savanna does important work to restore, maintain, and promote these environments.
Native plants, such as this savanna grass at Alderville Black Oak Savanna, can provide ecological value and visual interest year-round. (Photo: Gillian Di Petta)
“Savanna grass holds onto seed longer than most native grasses,” explain Di Petta and Henry. “The textured plumes of this striking yellow grass can provide food for ground-foraging birds.”
This impressive grass can grow up to five feet tall in the right conditions and really shines in both winter gardens and expansive grasslands.
Red osier dogwood, dense blazing star, and savanna grass can all be found in the region. To see them and more native plants this winter, plan a trip to Alderville Black Oak Savanna, located on Alderville First Nation, just south of Rice Lake. Their operating hours and other information can be found online at aldervillesavanna.ca.
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After learning about these incredible plants, curl up with a hot drink on a cold day and design your own winter garden. All the plants mentioned, other than white pine, happen to work well in rain gardens, which are bowl-shaped gardens that temporarily hold and absorb runoff from nearby surfaces.
Designing your rain garden now means you can enjoy these native plants throughout all four seasons, 2023 and beyond.
The City of Peterborough subsidizes the cost of installing a rain garden on eligible properties, to a maximum of $1,000. To learn more and get started on your application, visit www.peterborough.ca/raingarden.
Hayley Goodchild is a program coordinator with Peterborough GreenUP. You can contact Hayley at hayley.goodchild@greenup.on.ca or 705-745-3238 ext. 213.
UPDATE Dec 23 2022 12:36pm – Police advise missing Rahmya Cottrelle has been located.
Peterborough police are asking for the public’s help in locating missing 15-year-old Rahmya Cottrelle.
She was last seen in the area of Aylmer and Murray Streets in the City of Peterborough on Wednesday (December 21).
Police say there is concern for her well-being.
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Cottrelle is described as female, Black, 5’3″ tall and approximately 140 lbs, with black shoulder-length hair in multiple small braids.
She is wearing a maroon hoodie with grey track pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 ext. 225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect for the entire Kawarthas region for Friday (December 23) into Saturday.
Environment Canada has issued winter storm warnings for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands. In addition, a rainfall warning is in effect for Northumberland County for Thursday.
In the southern areas of the Kawarthas (southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County), temperatures are expected to plummet this morning leading to a potential flash freeze. Rapidly falling temperatures will be accompanied by snow and very strong winds which will result in widespread blowing snow. In Northumberland County, total rainfall amounts of 20 to 30 mm are expected by Friday morning, before transitioning to snow from west to east by early Friday afternoon.
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Very cold wind chills in the minus 20s are expected to develop on Friday and persist into the weekend. Rapidly falling temperatures will be accompanied by damaging winds along with snow, heavy at times. Blizzard-like conditions are likely to develop late Friday.
Total snowfall amounts of 5 to 15 cm are expected by Saturday morning, with wind gusts up to 90 km/h in southern Peterborough County and southern Kawartha Lakes and 100 to 120 km/h in Northumberland County. Widespread blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility.
In the northern areas of the Kawarthas (northern Peterborough County, northern Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands), snow will continue through Friday before tapering to flurries on Saturday, with additional amounts of 10 to 20 cm by Friday night. The snow, heavy at times, will be accompanied by wind gusts up to 70 km/h. Snow squalls are expected to develop Friday night for some locations and continue into Saturday.
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Avoid travel if possible or consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery or difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop
Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight
The story has been updated with the latest forecast information from Environment Canada.
After two long years of holidays interrupted by COVID-19, like many of you, I am looking forward to a more normal sort of holiday season.
Christmas eve 2020, I was working with my team to put the finishing touches on our COVID-19 vaccine campaign plan that was set to begin shortly. It had been a whirlwind of a year. Not only because this would be my first Christmas as a father, but because the most significant pandemic of our generation was in full swing.
The community had come together to protect each other and science had been working tirelessly to deliver a safe new vaccine in record time thanks to incredible global collaboration.
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The vaccines arriving cold and on time was my Christmas wish. And they did! The beginning of the vaccine campaign was a stressful time in public health, but as more vaccine arrived, it turned to excitement. Everyone would soon have their chance to have protection against the COVID-19 virus. And protection it has given us!
Fast forward to present day, in my new home of Peterborough, we estimated that as many as 291 lives in the Peterborough Public Health region may have been saved due to efforts from the community and from impressive vaccine coverage.
It is a lot to be proud of as a community and a country, but there are many lives lost to mourn. In the Peterborough Public Health region, we recently surpassed 100 deaths in 2022 and 130 since the beginning of the pandemic. We continue to see the impacts of the pandemic as lives are lost weekly.
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This fall, as restrictions lifted and personal protective measures became relaxed, we saw the return of other respiratory viruses. This has been taking a toll on families and young children, but most of all on our health care system. Before the pandemic, flu season was a difficult time every year when the already limited health care capacity was stretched thin. But now, the health care system finds itself stretched thin, bare, and in crisis.
So, while this year will be more normal. For me, it will be a modified normal. I plan to invite in all of the merry and cheer, and none of the respiratory viruses!
Here are five of my tips to stay safe and still have all of the fun this holiday season:
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1. Make sure you’re up to date on COVID-19 and influenza vaccines
If you haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine or flu vaccine within the last six months, get a dose now.
Peterborough Public Health continues to administer COVID-19 vaccines at Peterborough Square and local pharmacies offer COVID-19 and flu vaccines.
2. Don’t be the one to bring a virus to the party
Stay home if you feel unwell. Any symptoms at all, but especially a fever and cough, mean that you should not be attending gatherings.
Consider a virtual video option for your party so people who are sick don’t feel left out.
3. Mask up
Wearing a mask, especially a tightly fitting KN95/N95 style mask, is the best protection in crowds or at social gatherings.
Choosing to mask up for even part of the gathering can reduce your risk and the risk to those around you.
If you feel social pressure not to mask up, then don’t. Social changes take time to become normalized in a society. For example, most of us could NEVER imagine drinking and driving but this was a common behaviour a few decades ago.
4. Air out the party
Gone are the days of Grandma’s stuffy, hot, highly attended holiday parties. Ventilation in indoor settings can decrease risk of viruses transmitting.
So crack windows or doors, get a cross breeze going, turn up your furnace fan, or use a HEPA filter in the party room to ensure the air you’re breathing will be safer for everyone.
Even better, try a new tradition of attending a snowy outdoor gathering or connect on a walk.
5. Check out what is happening in the community
Your risk of getting sick with a respiratory infection is higher if transmission is moderate to very high in the community.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
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