Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the southern Kawarthas region for the possibility of heavy rain in thunderstorms on Friday afternoon (June 16).

The special weather statement is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop Friday afternoon into the evening.

These showers and thunderstorms will be slow moving and could produce very localized heavy rainfall in the amounts of 30 to 50 mm if they remain in place over one area.

Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance.

Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible. Heavy rainfall in combination with other weather factors, such as hail, wind, and lightning, will make outdoor activities unsafe.

Peterborough drivers will face detours and delays beginning Monday (June 19) as work begins on infrastructure projects on two major roads — Parkhill Road West and Lansdowne Street West.

Parkhill Road West between Aylmer and George streets will be closed to through traffic for a major infrastructure project to replace storm and sanitary sewers and the watermain as well as road reconstruction. Related work will also be undertaken between Rubidge and Aylmer streets and between George and Water streets during the project.

Lansdowne Street West between Park and George streets will be reduced to two lanes for an extensive infrastructure project that includes replacing storm and sanitary sewers and the watermain as well as adding traffic signals at Aylmer Street.

Both projects are scheduled to be completed by spring 2024. Construction work is also underway on the approaches to the Lansdowne Street West Bridge over the Otonabee River, expected to be completed this fall.

For the Parkhill Road West project, detour routes will be in place during the construction period. Eastbound traffic on Parkhill Road will be detoured to Reid Street to McDonnel Street to Water Street to Parkhill Road. Westbound traffic on Parkhill Road will be detoured to George Street to McDonnel Street to Reid Street to Parkhill Road. An alternate detour route for George Street southbound traffic will be Barnardo Avenue to Wolsely Street to Chemong Road to Reid Street to Parkhill Road. Elcombe Crescent will be closed from Water Street to Parkhill Road West for the duration of the detour routes. Access to local properties will be maintained.

Peterborough Transit’s Route 9 Parkhill will be operating on a detour route during the construction. The eastbound route will travel from Parkhill Road south on Reid Street, east on McDonnel Street, and turn north on Water Street to Parkhill Road where it will continue eastbound travel. The westbound route will travel south on George Street from Parkhill Road to turn west on McDonnel Street, and north on Reid Street to Parkhill Road where it will continue westbound travel.

The Parkhill Road West project includes excavation, grading, removal and installation of storm sewers, sanitary sewers, watermain, storm, sanitary, and water services, low impact development features, stormwater management, and new curb and gutters and sidewalks. The project will also include structure adjustments, asphalt milling, base and surface asphalt installation, tree plantings, signage installations, and pavement markings.

Traffic management and calming measures are also being put in place as part of the project, including reconfiguring Parkhill Road at Bethune Street and at Aylmer Street to improve traffic and pedestrian safety, adding a raised median, and closing the south leg of Bethune Street at Parkhill Road.

Access will be maintained for local traffic, although delays may be experienced by local traffic during the construction period.

For the Lansdowne Street West project, the road will be reduced to two through-traffic lanes, with one lane in each direction, between Park and George streets until the completion of the work. Local traffic will still have access within the construction limits, although delays may be experienced.

The project includes excavation, grading, installation of new storm sewers, sanitary sewers, and watermain, as well as adding traffic signals at Aylmer Street. The project also includes installing street lights, concrete sidewalks, multi-use trails, traffic islands, tree plantings, pavement markings, and signage.

The city is advising drivers to plan alternate routes and exercise caution when travelling through the construction zone.

Work is also underway at the Lansdowne Street West Bridge over the Otonabee River this summer, including removing the asphalt and granular road base, inspecting the bridge approach slabs, and installing new road base granular, base, and surface asphalt on either side of the bridge.

Lansdowne Street will be reduced to a single lane in each direction while work is completed. Access for local traffic will be maintained during the lane reductions, although local traffic may experience delays.

“We understand that road construction can cause inconveniences, and we appreciate the patience and cooperation of the community,” says Blair Nelson, the city’s engineering and capital works director during this project. “Our team will work diligently to minimize disruptions and maintain local traffic access to the greatest extent possible.”

For more information about road construction projects and for a road construction map, visit peterborough.ca/construction.

Kawartha Conservation is urging local landowners to be aware of a devastating fungal disease targeting oak trees that has been confirmed in Canada for the first time.

Oak wilt is a disease caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. It was first recognized as a significant forest pest in 1944 in Wisconsin and is now known to occur in 24 states within the U.S.

In 2016, it was detected in Michigan less than one kilometre from Canada. Insect samples collected in 2019 from traps placed along the Ontario border tested positive for oak wilt DNA. In May of this year, oak wilt was discovered in a residential area in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The fungus spreads from infected oak trees to healthy oak trees on the back of the sap beetle that likes to drink the sap from fresh wounds (like a pruned limb, broken branch, or cut-down tree). Once a tree is infected, the fungus can spread to healthy neighboring oak trees through root system connections.

“Oak wilt can quickly spread from one tree to another, leading to devastating losses within the oak population if not adequately addressed,” says Colleen Cathcart, forestry and landowner services technician at Kawartha Conservation, in a media release.

The signs of oak wilt are: dull green, brown, or yellow leaves; cracks in the trunk; white, grey, or black fungus; and early and sudden leaf drop. Red oaks are more susceptible to the fungus, while white oaks have been showing some tolerance to the fungus, with slower symptoms.

If you suspect a tree has been infected with oak wilt, report it immediately to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

To prevent the spread of oak wilt, avoid pruning or otherwise damaging oak trees between April and October. During the cold months, the fungal spores are less likely to be transmitted, reducing the risk of infection. By avoiding pruning when the sap beetles are most active, the chances of transmission are greatly diminished.

Apply wound paint immediately after pruning an oak tree or causing damage to the tree, especially if the wound is created during the warm seasons but also during the winter months. Wound paint acts as a protective barrier, preventing sap beetles from feeding on sap and fungal spores from entering into the tree. This measure can significantly reduce the risk of infection and subsequent tree mortality.

As with preventing other invasive forest pests, don’t move firewood between locations — for example, from your home to a cottage or campsite. By moving firewood, you could unwittingly spread pests like oak wilt or the emerald ash borer to a previously pest-free area.

“The discovery of oak wilt in Niagara Falls should serve as a wake-up call that it is now in Ontario,” Cathcart says. “While it may be some time before it reaches the Kawartha watershed area, residents and landowners should remain vigilant and take necessary precautions.”

Cathcart notes the loss of oak trees will have a big impact on the biodiversity in forests, as well as food for wildlife because of the importance of the acorn. Oak trees are also important to stabilize slopes and reduce soil erosion.

Peterborough’s Riverview Park and Zoo had some famous visitors on Tuesday (June 13), when the Kratt brothers visited to film an episode of their show Wild Kratts that will feature the zoo’s Bactrian camels.

The zoo posted a couple of photos from the visit on its Facebook page on Wednesday, where the post has garnered more than 1,200 reactions and hundreds of shares in only seven hours.

Martin and Chris Kratt are American zoologists, actors, directors, producers, and educational nature show hosts. They have produced five TV series, including Kratts’ Creatures and Zoboomafoo, aiming to educate children about species, biology, zoology, and ecology.

The Kratt brothers are best known for the cartoon versions of themselves they voice in their Peabody Award-nominated series Wild Kratts, now in its seventh season. Airing in 32 countries, the show is available on PBS Kids in the U.S. and on TVOKids in Canada.

Each Wild Kratts episode begins and ends with a live-action segment of the Kratt brothers describing the characteristics and capabilities of a particular species of animal — which they call its “creature powers” — before seguing into the episode by asking viewers to imagine having the powers of the animal.

The episode then transitions to the animated segment, where the brothers go on expeditions to study animals in the wild.

“It’s our longest-running series by far and I think it has the broadest reach of any of our shows,” says Martin in an interview with Victoria Davis for the Animation World Network.

“The kids we were making Kratts’ Creatures and Zaboomafoo for, it’s their kids who are watching Wild Kratts. This all started because we wanted to introduce kids to amazing animals and, hopefully, through that, inspire them to help save endangered species when they grow up.”

Stay tuned for a future episode of Wild Kratts to discover the “creature powers” of the Riverview Park and Zoo’s Bactrian camels.

VIDEO: “Creature Powers – Wild Kratts

A Kawartha Lakes grandmother discovered she was a millionaire after checking a lottery ticket a couple of months after the draw.

Karen Redmond of Cameron says she purchases lottery tickets about twice a month, playing Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 and always choosing to play Encore.

The 70-year-old retiree bought her winning ticket at the Shoppers Drug Mart on Kent Street in Lindsay, but left it in her purse for a couple of months before checking it. She discovered she had matched all seven Encore numbers in the exact order in the March 31st Lotto Max draw.

“I was having a yard sale when I took a break to check it,” she says. “When I realized I won, I gave away the rest of the items in my yard sale.”

She says she validated her ticket at the store and the machine shut down.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she recalls, before returning home to tell her partner about her win. “He said, ‘Are you for real?’ We had to sit down because we were in shock. My family and friends couldn’t be happier for me.”

Redmond plans to go on vacation and share her winnings with her children and grandchildren.

“I’ve been excited and sleepless,” she says. “I’m still on cloud nine.”