The Bobcaygeon Legion has donated $5,000 to the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation to support the hospital’s new clinical information system.

Members of the Royal Canadian Legion Bobcaygeon Branch 239 have supported the hospital for the past 30 years, according to a media release from the foundation.

Their donations have helped fund modernization projects in the Dr. Gargi Bhatia Family Birthing Centre, the construction of the dialysis unit, and critical acquisitions in the operating suites, laboratory, intensive care unit and diagnostic Imaging.

The latest donation will support the hospital’s clinical information system, part of a digital transformation that connects bedside medical equipment and life-saving technology to patients’ medical records and makes them accessible to care providers and patients wherever they are.

“This exceptional gift from the Bobcaygeon Legion Branch 239 to the Our Best To You holiday appeal is just the latest gesture of generosity in their long history of community support,” says Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation CEO Erin Coons.

“Service organizations including the Royal Canadian Legion continue to have a profound impact on the Ross. We’re grateful for their interest in ongoing efforts to modernize and enhance patient care in their community.”

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of southern Ontario, including the greater Kawarthas region, for a “significant” winter storm expected later this week and into the holiday weekend.

Precipitation may begin as rain or snow late Thursday (December 22) before possibly transitioning to rain in many areas early Friday.

Temperatures are expected to plummet on Friday, leading to a potential flash freeze for locations that received rainfall. Rapidly falling temperatures will be accompanied by strong to potentially damaging winds, along with snow that may be heavy at times.

Environment Canada says temperatures on Friday night into the weekend will likely be the coldest of the season to date.

Blizzard conditions are possible late Friday into the weekend for areas downwind of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. For locations east of the Great Lakes, a “multi-day lake effect snow event” is expected into the weekend in the wake of the system.

“While there is high confidence in a high impact winter storm, the details regarding wind speeds, precipitation types, and amounts remain highly uncertain at this time,” Environment Canada states. “Please monitor your local forecast and the latest alerts for your area.”

Environment Canada is suggesting people consider altering travel plans through the holiday weekend as conditions may become dangerous.

Extensive utility outages are also possible.

Police rescued a Peterborough man in his 70s on Sunday night (December 18) after he became lost while walking his dogs in a remote wooded area of Cavan.

After Peterborough police were made aware of the situation at around 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, several officers — including police constable Bob Cowie and police service dog Isaac — began searching for the man.

Around two hours later, the officers found the man and his dogs. The man was uninjured.

Police then used a remotely piloted aircraft system to help the group navigate safely out of the bush.

“With policing a rural area such as Cavan-Monaghan, tools such as our K9 unit and remotely piloted aircraft system are invaluable to help find people who have become lost or are missing,” says acting police chief Tim Farquharson.

“We are pleased this situation turned out positively.”

VIDEO: Missing man rescue (December 18, 2022)

Actor Ryan Reynolds has sent a video of encouragement to Rowghan Hart, the 14-year-old girl who remains in hospital after surviving a horrific head-on collision near Peterborough in November that killed her parents and brother.

Rowghan’s cousin Tanya Hart posted an update on Friday (December 16) on a GoFundMe campaign, in which she described that Rowghan has endured five major surgeries in just over three weeks.

“Rowghan is so strong and hasn’t complained once,” Tanya wrote. “She has smiled and made jokes, continuing to amaze the doctors, nurses and everyone that surrounds her. Thank you also to Ryan Reynolds, who sent Rowghan a video of encouragement yesterday. It brought a smile to her face.”

In an update last week, Tanya explained the hospital’s orthopaedic surgeon had told Rowghan “the most unimaginable news regarding her future.”

“We sat by her side as she processed her new reality that she may never walk again,” Tanya wrote. “I can honestly say that is was the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my life.”

On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 22nd, Rowghan was travelling in an SUV with her father 46-year-old Jonathan MacDonnell, mother 52-year-old Stephanie Hart, and brother 18-year-old Riddick Hart — who called themselves the “MacHart” family — on Highway 7 just east of Peterborough when their vehicle collided head-on with a pickup truck driven by 42-year-old Jason Schmidt of Hastings. Rowghan, the sole survivor, was airlifted to SickKids Hospital in Toronto in critical condition.

A funeral service for Rowghan’s parents and brother has not yet been arranged, according to Tanya, so the family can focus entirely on Rowghan’s recovery as well as her grandparents.

“We are sorry that we have to delay the services for Stefphanie, Jon and Riddick into the new year,” Tanya wrote. “However, it is so important that Rowghan be healthy and stable enough to be in attendance, in order to continue to process and grieve her beloved family.”

The GoFundme campaign organized by Tanya has so far raised more than $87,000 to support the MacHart family. A second GoFundMe campaign created by relative Kathryn Wilson has raised almost $9,000.

Thanks to Peterborough police service dog Gryphon, three suspects in an early morning break and enter have been apprehended and are facing charges.

At around 3:15 a.m. on Friday (December 16), Peterborough police were called to a break and enter in progress at a home in the London Street and Water Street area.

Upon arriving, officers learned three suspects had entered the home but fled when the homeowner confronted the trio. PSD Gryphon was able to track the group for several blocks and they were taken into custody.

As a result of the investigation, a 26-year-old Peterborough woman, a 23-year-old Peterborough woman, and a 25-year-old Peterborough man have each been charged with breaking and entering a dwelling house with intent to commit indictable offence, and the man and 23-year-old woman have also each been charged with failing to comply with a probation order.

Police learned that the man was wanted on a warrant for breach of probation. The trio were released on an undertaking and will have separate court appearances in early January.

PSD Gryphon is a two-year-old Dutch Shepherd who joined the Peterborough Police Service’s canine unit in March. He is trained in human scent detection and location, suspect apprehension, article detection, handler protection, and narcotics detection. His handler is police constable Dillon Wentworth.

They came. They saw. They praised.

Several leading members of Peterborough’s arts community gathered at the Peterborough Public Library on Wednesday night (December 14) to celebrate the 75th birthday of poet, composer, and musician Madame Daphne Jane Rogers Molson, hailing her tireless support of fellow artists as well as the community in general.

A number of presentations were made, including a citation recognizing the Peterborough native’s birthday milestone from city council read by Mayor Jeff Leal, who lauded the guest of honour as “someone who helps make our city a truly inspiring place to live, work and play.”

Tables crammed full with certificates, honours, and medals recognizing Molson’s poetry spoke clearly to her literary contributions, providing full evidence of her stature as a member of the International Poetry Writers’ Who’s Who. Available for purchase were copes of her published work, including her 2021 work Peterborough, Ontario, Canada: City Hallowed In Centennial Fame, Remember You And Your Famous Name.

“Daphne is a cherished and outstanding citizen,” said Mayor Leal. “She models resiliency. She teaches us how to be courageous and to follow our passions every day, no matter how hard the challenges we may face. We’re proud of her many artistic and cultural accomplishments, and honoured and grateful for her support of different organizations.”

And there have been challenges for Molson, particularly in regards to her health. Besides longstanding mental health issues, she has breast cancer for which she has refused treatment. That, however, has done little if anything to dampen her creativity and her boundless support of other artists.

Celebration co-organizer Su Ditta, executive director of the Electric City Culture Council, said Molson “should be at the top of the list” of local arts community ambassadors.

“We’re celebrating a life dedicated to the arts — someone who is an ardent supporter of the arts and art of all kinds,” Ditta said. “Daphne writes, she composes music, she plays music, she’s a visual artist, she works with painting groups.”

“Daphne has some health problems but has shown incredible resilience, fortitude, and courage throughout her life against many odds. She has a better social life than I do. She goes to the Puck and Pint; she goes to Lakers games. She’s just an inspiration and we wanted to celebrate that.”

But for all the kind words that were spoken, the greatest testament to Molson’s impact was in the clear recollections by her friends of the first time they made her acquaintance.

“I met her at an East City garden party fundraiser that Artspace had,” recalled Ditta. “There was a workshop with floating Japanese fish on bamboo poles — beautiful handmade paper fish. Daphne made one. She got up and started marching back and forth in front of the band that was playing jigs and reels. That got my attention and it caught the attention of everyone there. Before I knew it, there was this incredible scene happening with local musicians playing this beautiful music, art everywhere, and Daphne getting all these folks who didn’t know each other standing up and moving back and forth and dancing.”

“That night, it had gotten cold. It was raining. My mom, sister and I were driving across the Hunter Street bridge and there she was, all by herself. We gave her a ride home. We’ve been close friends ever since.”

Public Energy executive director Bill Kimball also harkened back to that first encounter.

“We met when I was a student at Trent around 1978 or 1979,” he said. “It was at the lunch counter at Parkway Variety (where Levantine Grill is now). I was there with my partner Martha and we ordered hot fudge sundaes. While we were eating them, we hear this voice from the other side of the room, calling out to us, asking ‘Is that quite luxurious?’ We knew we were in the presence of someone special. How often does someone ask you that?”

“What we’re celebrating is a person who has no limits on her enthusiasm for life and art. Someone who, despite her mental challenges, can express that in a way that appeals to a broad range of people. There’s nothing that’s not genuine about Daphne. She doesn’t have a bad word to say about anybody.”

Meanwhile, Art Gallery of Peterborough curator Fynn Leitch took time to declare Molson “a beloved wonder,” adding her “interest in supporting and remaining connected with the community is a part of her everyday practice.”

“She has carefully documented the history of the arts here, in addition to the history of the city. She has worked diligently to gather and share the story of Peterborough. It’s a real form of love; a generous gift to this and future generations. I’ve loved the conversations we’ve had about the amazing work that artists do, but also creating spaces in which we could think about things like colour and texture, and the types of communities we could build.”

Leitch too recounted her first encounter with Molson, back on one of her first days working at Artspace.

“Elizabeth Fennel introduced me to Daphne, to her outfits, and to her incredible value for the community as an artist, a poet, a composer, a musician and an avid arts supporter,” Leitch said. “They told me to take very good care of you.”