“Grab your stretchy pants.”

That’s the advice from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) about the Peterborough Mac + Cheese Festival, which returns in October with 19 mac and cheese dishes available at participating downtown Peterborough restaurants.

The second annual celebration of local food and the talents of local chefs runs for the entire month of October. It’s a self-guided festival, so carb lovers can indulge as often as they like, alone or with family and friends. There are both traditional and innovative mac and cheese dishes, with vegan and gluten-free options also available. A map of the participating restaurants is available below.

“It’s the ideal number one comfort food, and we all need a little comfort coming out of COVID and all the restrictions,” said DBIA executive director Terry Guiel during a launch event on Wednesday morning (September 28) at The Food Shop at 374 Water Street.

Once again this year, downtown restaurants will be vying to be crowned Mac + Cheese Champion, an honour bestowed last year on Sam’s Place Deli for their Jalapeño Bacon Mac + Cheesewich.

“We were beyond proud to be chosen by the Peterborough Community as the winner for 2021, and we had a lot of fun coming up with our sandwich recipe,” says Sam’s Place Deli owner Sam Sayer. “It was an amazing feeling to hold that trophy above our heads, We can’t wait to compete again this year. More than anything, we are excited to see what the other chefs will be bringing to the table this fall.”

Foodies will be able to vote online for their favourite mac and cheese dishes all month long, with the victor chosen by the end of October — receiving bragging rights for the year, a cheesy hand-crafted trophy, and a sizable donation in their name to Kawartha Food Share.

Earlier this year, the Peterborough DBIA won the best special event and promotion award from the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association for the inaugural Peterborough Mac + Cheese Festival.

“The idea for this mac and cheese festival really came from the fact that we are in a university and college community,” Guiel said. “I remember my time in college, and the number one food we all ate was Kraft mac and cheese.”

But unlike that simple box of macaroni with cheese product, the 19 dishes being offered by downtown restaurants during the Peterborough Mac + Cheese Festival include some adventurous options such as Whistle Stop’s Mac n Cheese Poutine, DR. J’s Mac in a Waffle Bowl, La Mesita’s El Diablo Mac + Cheese, Crepes of Wrath Mac + Cheese Crepe, and Tragically Dipped Holly Macaroni — a donut-shaped mac and cheese. A full list of all 19 dishes is available below.

“We’re the culinary capital of the region and some of our restaurants are the best in the region,” Guiel said. “It’s great to see them take this very simple mac and cheese concept and turn it into a culinary luxury item.”

One again this year, the Peterborough Mac + Cheese Festival will be partnering with Kawartha Food Share to run a food drive. During the festival, each participating restaurant will be accepting non-perishable donations. Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their donations downtown when visiting any of the participating restaurants.

New to this year’s festival is a make-at-home recipe challenge for budding home cooks. Along with a recipe for last year’s winning Jalapeño Bacon Mac + Cheesewich, a local mac recipe is available on the festival’s website.

Curated in partnership with The Food Shop, the local mac recipe features handmade pasta from the Pasta Shop paired with local cheeses, milk, and stone-ground flour. All the ingredients for the local mac recipe can be found at The Food Shop on Water Street.

Sponsored by Shorelines Casino, the Peterborough Mac + Cheese Festival runs from Saturday, October 1st until Monday, October 13th. For more information, visit www.ptbomacandcheesefest.com and follow the festival on Instagram and Facebook.

Mac and Cheese Dishes

Adventurous Macs

• BrickHouse No Eff’n Way Mac Burger
• Whistle Stop’s Mac n Cheese Poutine
• DR. J’s Mac in a Waffle Bowl
• Tragically Dipped Holly Macaroni (gluten free)
• Champs Spinach Mac + Cheese Dip
• Boardwalk’s Mactoberfest
• Real Thai’s Mac + Cheese Bowl
• La Mesita’s El Diablo Mac + Cheese
• Crepes of Wrath Mac + Cheese Crepe
• The Dirty Butter Chicken Mac
• Amandalas Cheese + “Howcutearewe”

Vegan Macs

• Forest Vegan Mac (Gluten Free)
• Nateure’s Plate Mac n Please
• Grilled Cheesewich
• Sam’s Mac & Cheese Loafwich
• Maple Moose Grilled Cheese

Classic Macs

• El (P) Creamy 3-Cheese Chorizo BeerMac
• McThirsty’s McTastic Mac
• Crook and Coffer’s Mac + Cheese Brulee
• Black Horse Sweet Potato Mac

Mac Map

View a standalone map

Shoppers Drug Mart’s third annual fall LOVE YOU Giving Shelter fundraising campaign is now underway, with all local funds raised supporting YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.

The campaign, which runs until October 14, kicked off on September 10 when Shoppers Drug Mart announced a $300,000 donation to Women’s Shelters Canada, a national organization advocating for change on the issue of violence against women and supporting over 600 violence against women shelters and transition houses across the country.

During the fall LOVE YOU Giving Shelter campaign, customers can donate by purchasing and personalizing the “LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart” icons, which are prominently displayed on the campaign tree in all participating stores. All donated funds stay in the community where they are raised.

“We are deeply grateful to have been selected again by Shoppers Drug Mart for their 2022 Giving Shelter campaign,” says Kim Dolan, executive director of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, in a media release. “Unfortunately, the need for violence against women support services has remained high since the onset of the pandemic. With the continued support of Shoppers Drug Mart and our incredibly compassionate community, we are able to ensure that much-needed safety, resources, and support are available to women in crisis.”

In Canada, 44 per cent of women have reported experiencing some form of psychological, physical, or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. This means most Canadians likely know a woman affected by domestic violence, but may not be aware of it because these women may be afraid to speak out.

Historically, domestic violence increases at a time of economic uncertainty. First, it was the pandemic and now Canadians are facing the highest cost of living since the 1980s.

Every six days in Canada, a woman is killed by her intimate partner. Many survivors of domestic abuse cannot “just leave” because they depend on their abusers for basic needs and have few means of escape. For women who try, it takes an average of seven attempts to permanently leave an abusive partner. On any given night, more than 600 women and children are turned away because shelters are already full.

During the LOVE YOU Giving Shelter campaign, Shoppers Drug Mart Customers can support women in their community by purchasing a “leaf” for $2, a “butterfly” for $5, an “apple” for $10, or a “bird” for $50. Donations can also be made online at shoppersdrugmart.ca/givingshelter.

“This is our third year partnering with the YWCA for the LOVE YOU campaign,” says Mohan Joshi, pharmacist and owner of the Shoppers Drug Marts on Lansdowne Street and Chemong Road. “They are an incredible organization to work with. Our customers always have a big response. I think it’s a cause everyone can get behind, because unfortunately the reality is most people know someone affected by gender-based violence, which is what makes the work they do so important.”

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton provides safe shelter, resources, and support to help women safely escape violent situations, build upon their existing strength, and move forward in their lives. Confidential support, resources, safety planning and information are available to women, as well as the people who love and support them.

It will first present itself as a headache.

Depending on the severity, nausea or vomiting will follow, along with dizziness, a heightened sensitivity to light or noise, and an inability to concentrate, quite possibly leading to confusion and memory lapses.

Widely known as the invisible injury, a concussion is not to be taken lightly. As a traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head, the effects can be long lasting and, in severe cases, fatal.

On May 8, 2013 in Ottawa, the captain of the John McRae High School girls’ rugby team was tackled and upended before landing hard on her head. Despite quick on-field medical attention and excellent post-injury care at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Rowan Stringer died four days later. She was 17 years old.

A 2015 coroner’s inquest into Stringer’s death determined the cause to be Second Impact Syndrome (SIS). Evidence revealed that Stringer had texted to a friend that she had sustained blows to the head during earlier rugby games on May 3 and 6. Despite suffering headaches, and having searched ‘concussion’ on Google, Stringer messaged her friend that she would continue play the sport she loves, writing ‘Nothing can stop meeee! Unless I’m dead.’

The tragedy of Stringer’s death can’t be overstated. It was preventable. Had she not returned to play after those first blows to the head, she would still be alive today, having graduated from Ottawa University to which she had already been accepted, and working as a nurse.

If Ryan Sutton considers himself lucky, he isn’t saying. That said, it’s not lost on him that any one of the eight concussions he has sustained — four by the time he graduated high school — could have left him permanently disabled, or worse. Now, as project manager of Peterborough Area Concussion Awareness (PACA), Sutton’s personal experience “fuels” his work increasing education on the signs of concussion and, more vitally, the importance of allotting time to heal.

In 2018, Rowan’s Law was passed by the Ontario legislature, making it mandatory for sports organizations to ensure athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under age 18, and coaches, team trainers, and officials confirm they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources module. In addition, leagues must put in place a Concussion Code of Conduct that lays out rules supporting concussion prevention, and establish Removal-From-Sport and Return-To-Sport protocols.

With the last Wednesday of each September designated Rowan’s Law Day, PACA will mark September 28th in a significant way, premiering at www.paca.health a series of videos highlighting four critical aspects of concussion: Recognize, Remove, Manage, and Prevent.

VIDEO: Recognize, Remove, Manage, Prevent – Docuseries Trailer

Shot mostly in Peterborough, the hour-long four-part video series was produced by Sutton with his university friend (and equally passionate concussion awareness advocate) Seth Mendelsohn contributing as a story creator and editor.

Featuring a combined 19 interviews, the series aims to influence local, provincial, and national sports organizations to take concussion more seriously by implementing policies and strategies aimed not only at early recognition of the symptoms but also the removal of athletes from play until it’s safe for them to return.

“The video series shows how all the stakeholders — teammates, coaches, parents, and teachers — can support one another and how important that is to someone who’s going through a concussion experience,” says Sutton, mindful of the difference that such awareness and protocols could have made for Rowan Stringer.

“One of the things we really try to address is the teammate and the friend have the ability to help that (concussed) individual and speak on their behalf,” adds Mendelsohn.

“It’s hard to explain what you’re going through (when concussed). It’s hard to identify. There are a lot of challenges that happen when you experience the injury. Having a person who’s a bit more educated on the severity can break down some of those walls.”

Sutton notes many concussed athletes go through “an internal negotiation” following their injury, asking themselves ‘Should I play? Should I not play?’

“When the stakes are high, more often than not athletes will continue to play,” says Sutton, who played hockey, baseball, and rugby as a youth growing up in Peterborough.

Mendelsohn, who was raised in Markham, played high school football in Vaughan. He suffered his only diagnosed concussion in Grade 12, a week before the season started.

“I was able to get back to class pretty quickly, but it took me four to six weeks to get back to football,” he recalls. “A lot of my teammates were also my classmates. They didn’t really understand why I wasn’t able to play if I was in class.”

“It was very alienating and it led to mental health complications that I didn’t acknowledge at the time. It was hard to correlate the head injury with the anxiety. When I met Ryan, we were able to connect about our experiences. I’ve learned a lot more through this journey that we’ve been on.”

Mendelsohn and Sutton met at Brock University, teaming up to co-found the HeadsUp Concussion Advocacy Network in 2017 with the mission “to build collaborative networks and partnerships that work to innovate concussion education, research and awareness.” Sutton, meanwhile, wrote his Masters thesis on The Sport Related Concussion Experience. A few years later, in his role at PACA, he connected with Mendelsohn to continue the work they started and remain passionate about.

“We’ve been on a journey to essentially get to where we’re at right now,” says Sutton, noting he’s confident more communities will “take notice of the work we’re doing at a local level” and be inspired to do likewise.

While Mendelsohn agrees there’s much work to still be done around concussion awareness, management and prevention, he’s heartened by the progress seen since Rowan Stringer’s tragic death.

“Ryan and I have talked at a few high schools and seen that Rowan’s Law Day is such a big thing for them — they all wear purple, they all have their own way of addressing this,” he says.

“What I don’t think people really understand is the youth concussion rate has constantly risen since 2010. This is an ongoing issue but we are seeing a lot more education, with a lot more people realizing that this is something that needs to be talked about.”

Both agree that the example being set by professional sports leagues in the form of players being removed from the game if they suffer a head hit is a good thing in terms of its influence on lower-level sports organizations.

“Whatever they see on TV, whatever they’re seeing live at a pro game, they’re going to start to emulate,” says Ryan, adding “More rigid removal from playing is very important. It’s going to trickle down.”

Still, personal experience is the best teacher, and for both Sutton and Mendelsohn, it’s the driver of all they do and plan to do.

“I felt really strange when I was going through my recovery in terms of how I was perceived,” says Sutton.

“I’m a big advocate of understanding the social side of the injury. We know a lot about the medical side, but not how it’s intertwined with mental health. I’m very passionate about helping others not go through what I went through or, if they do, have resources available to them that will make them feel like they’re not alone.”

To view the PACA concussion education documentary series, visit www.paca.health.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

This Friday (September 30) is the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, intended to remember and honour the lost Indigenous children and survivors of Canada’s residential school system as well as their families and communities. The day will be recognized with events in both Indigenous and settler communities throughout the greater Kawarthas region

The Canadian government established National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in June 2021, in response to the Call to Action #80 from the 2015 final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As well as remembering and honouring those lost to residential schools and the thousands of survivors, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day for Canadians to educate themselves about the heritage, culture, stories, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

September 30th is also Orange Shirt Day, when Canadians are encouraged to wear orange to raise awareness of the tragic legacy of Canada’s residential school system. The date of September 30 was chosen for Orange Shirt Day because it is the time of year when Indigenous children were taken from their homes to residential schools.

In the greater Kawarthas region, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on Friday will be marked with various events in both Indigenous and settler communities. Highlights of some of the events are listed below.

Curve Lake First Nation is hosting an event at Lime Kiln Park with a sunrise ceremony at 6 a.m. and an “Every Child Matters Walk” at 10:30 a.m. beginning and ending at the Curve Lake Community Centre, followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. Social drumming and dance will take place from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by a pizza dinner at the community centre at 4:30 p.m. Professor Jackson Pind will speak at 5 p.m., with a ceremony to honour survivors following at 6 p.m. and an open mic night at 7 p.m. Participants are encouraged to wear their Orange Shirts.

Hiawatha First Nation is hosting a plaque unveiling and a community dinner to honour their citizens who attended a residential school. The event, which takes place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Gathering Space at 431 Hiawatha Line, includes an opening prayer and smudge, an honour song by Michi Saagiig Manomin, remarks from Chief Laurie Carr and other invited guests, a commemorative plaque unveiling, and a catered dinner with traditional foods. Those attending are encouraged to wear their Orange Shirts.

Alderville First Nation is hosting a walk beginning at noon on Friday, from Alderville’s health services building to the community centre.

Trent University is hosting a number of in-person events including a Sunrise Ceremony at 6 a.m. at Mnidoowag A’Kiing Traditional Area, a Heart Garden Reflection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kerr House at Traill College, Settlers Taking Action and Responsibility from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bata Library Podium, Three Sisters Community Lunch at 12 p.m. at Gzowski College, a Community Sacred Fire from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Champlain College Fire Pit with a moment of silence at 2:15 p.m., “Truth Before Reconciliation: Indian Residential and Day School Histories” by Professor Jackson Pind at 3 p.m. at First Peoples Gathering Space, a Round Dance at 4:30 p.m. at the Bata Library Podium, and “One of that Witchcraft Dancing” reading and talk by residential school survivor and Elder Shirley Ida Williams and a “Returning Home” film screening at 7 p.m. at Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space.

Fleming College is holding events at all three of its campuses in Peterborough, Lindsay, and Haliburton. Events include a reading of “Phyllis’s Orange Shirt,” a reading and talk with Indigenous poet and City of Peterborough poet laureate Sarah Lewis (at the Sutherland and Frost campuses), remarks by Indigenous artist Rick Beaver (at the Frost campus), and a screening of “The Secret Path: The Chanie Wenjack Story.” The Sutherland Campus will also include a “Living Library” featuring Indigenous Fleming alumni and local Indigenous community members. Students, staff, and faculty will be encouraged to decorate rocks which will line walking paths at each campus, with decorated rocks to be placed during an Orange Shirt Walk at each campus in the afternoon. Nish Tees will be set up at each campus selling Orange Shirts.

In Peterborough, local singer-songwriters will be performing at an event to raise awareness and conversation as well as funds for an Indigenous-led culture-based private school in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough. The event takes place Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Crook & Coffer at 231 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. Admission is a $10 donation or pay what you can. Local musicians include Craig MacEachern from Acoustically Hip, Jacques Graveline from Black Knight Satellite, and Samara Johnson.

Proceeds from the event will support Sage and Sunshine, the area’s only school providing full-day Indigenous culture-based education for Indigenous students. Owned and operated by Ashley Wynne, an Anishinaabe mother of four and an early childhood educator, the school serve families with children aged four to 10. For those who are unable to attend the event, or who wish to provide additional support, the organizers encourage a donation to the Downie & Wenjack Fund at downiewenjack.ca.

Also in Peterborough, Hutchison House is hosting a special reception on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. to unveil its new Land Acknowledgement plaque with original artwork by local artist Fred Taylor of Curve Lake First Nation. Light refreshments will be served as Taylor shares his story as a residential school survivor and how he uses his art to heal from the anger and hurt he felt from the Mohawk Institute. While admission to the reception is free, reservations are required by calling the museum office at 705-743-9710 as seating is limited.

In Port Hope, the Dibaajimowin Cultural Centre is presenting an event at 3 p.m. at Port Hope Memorial Park that includes the sharing of Indigenous culture through stories, dance, and ceremony and a sacred fire. Please note that Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services has granted special permission to allow for a fire to take place in Memorial Park. Out of respect for the residential school survivors and the children who never made it home, participants are encouraged to wear an Orange Shirt.

In Cobourg, Dr. David MacDonald, author of The Sleeping Giant Awakens, will present on the topic “The TRC Seven Years Later: Settlers and Conciliation with Indigenous Peoples” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (September 29) at the Concert Hall at Victoria Hall. On Friday, a Sharing Circle will be located at Rotary Habourfront Park from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, featuring prompts located around the fountain to promote critical thinking about past and current issues and foster healthy conversations to have with friends, family, and other people you meet at the circle. The event takes place near the Indigenous ‘Seven Feathers’ Crosswalk on Albert Street at Second Street, which features seven feathers representing the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe people: love, respect, courage, honesty, humility, truth, and wisdom.

Also on Friday in Cobourg, Northumberland Christian School, Church on the Hill, Northumberland Youth Unlimited, and Grace Christian Reformed Church will host an all-ages gathering at 1 p.m. at the Victoria Park Bandshell featuring Jonathan Maracle, Mohawk/Scot musician and founder of Broken Walls.

In Bobcaygeon, the settler group Truth and Reconciliation Community Bobcaygeon is celebrating First Peoples on Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. at the grounds of the Boyd Museum Gallery and the Bobcaygeon Library featuring artist David Beaucage Johnson and Peterborough’s poet laureate Sarah Lewis from Curve Lake First Nation.

Fourcast and the community partners involved in Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site at 220 Simcoe Street have released a “community impact report” providing an update on the site’s first three months of operation.

The CTS site provides a safe and clean space for people to consume pre-obtained drugs — the CTS site does not provide drugs — under the supervision of health professionals, with staff always on hand to respond to medical emergencies. Along with host agency Fourcast, the other community partners for the CTS are PARN, Peterborough County-City Paramedics, and the Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, with on-site services provided by PARN Harm Reduction Works and the Mobile Support Overdose Response Team (MSORT).

Service users are also provided with sterile consumption supplies, education on safer consumption practices, basic medical services, and referrals to drug treatment, housing, and other social services.

Since opening on June 13, Peterborough’s CTS site has had 149 unique registered users. In July, there were 31 average daily visits, with 91 per cent of users between the ages of 20 and 49, with 48 per cent using the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

The number of visits to the CTS site has increased significantly since its opening, with 151 visits in June, 489 in July, and 944 in August, for a total of 1,584 visits.

During July, there were nine overdose incidents at the CTS, with no deaths.

The community impact report also includes comments from nearby organizations and a business on the positive effect of the CTS site to date.

“I’ve certainly noticed a decline in public use and discarded needles in and around the downtown,” says Terry Guiel, executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. “I’ve noticed nothing that could be tied to the site in any negative way. I haven’t received one call or email in association with the CTS site and I’ve noticed a great improvement in the downtown in the last several weeks.”

“I have to admit that there is something that has changed and I believe I can attribute a good portion of that to the CTS site,” he adds. “It certainly has not had any of the overdramatic issues that some people thought would occur. It’s good to see these early signs that it is having a positive impact.”

“From Wild Rock’s perspective, the biggest tangible change that our staff have seen is that our back parking lot is cleaner,” says Tori Silvera, general manager of Wild Rock Outfitters. “We’ve found less than ten needles since the end of June. This is a huge reduction as compared to pre-CTS. It means our staff don’t have to put themselves at risk and pick them up … It’s gratifying to know that
the CTS is working.

“Since the CTS opened, we’ve noticed a big drop in drug-related emergencies in and around the library,” says Mark Stewart, library services manager with the Peterborough Public Library. “Prior to the opening of the CTS, drug poisonings were a common occurrence at the library, now they happen rarely. The library staff is in strong support of the CTS and is grateful to have this community resource close by.”

“Some transit staff have noticed a quicker response time to suspected overdoses in the terminal/parking garage areas that may be the result of the clinic having a paramedic on site,” says Laurie Stratton, transit manager with the City of Peterborough.

“When someone is outside our office and non-responsive, our staff have been able to visit the CTS and ask for help with the situation,” says Tegan Moss, executive director of Peterborough GreenUP. “This has happened three times and there’s always been a prompt and helpful response. While the CTS staff made it clear that when they are busy they may not be able to help, so far they have been able to resolve our issues effectively and provide support to people who are struggling. Since the CTS opened, our staff now know where to go for help and we have not had to call the police, which is new.”

A copy of the Community Impact Report is provided below.

PDF: Community Impact Report CTS – Sept 2022
Community Impact Report CTS Sept 2022