Do you and your co-workers or friends have what it takes to pull a 44,000-pound fire truck further and faster than anyone else?

That’s the challenge of the local Alzheimer Society’s “Pulling for Dementia” Fire Truck Pull, which is returning for the first time since the pandemic began.

Excitement is building for the sixth annual fundraiser, which takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21st at the Peterborough Airport. All proceeds from the event will support the programs and services of the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton. (Update: due to the forecast for rain on Wednesday afternoon, the event will now conclude at noon rather than 2:30 p.m.)

VIDEO: Alzheimer Society Fire Truck Pull

“The fifth annual event was very successful,” notes the organization’s donor relations coordinator Ryan Arnold, referring to the 2019 fundraiser which raised around $40,000. “It was an amazing day, full of fun with great energy. I sent an email letting our past teams know that it’s coming back, and got a bunch of responses back saying ‘We’re in!’ and ‘Can’t wait!’, so there’s already a lot of excitement.”

While the challenge of the event is to see which team can pull an 44,000-pound fire truck the furthest distance in the least amount of time, that’s not the only bragging right a team can earn.

At the 2019 event, the Minds in Motion Cobourg team — comprised of people living with dementia and their family members — wasn’t the physically strongest team but raised, they were the team that raised the most funds for the event, pulling in $16,000.

Teams are comprised of either 10 men, 12 women, or 12 men and women. Each team must raise at least $1,000 before the event to participate in the fire truck pull. For the first time, individuals can also register for the event this year for a minimum donation of $100. But don’t worry — you won’t be expected to pull the fire truck by yourself.

“Some people might be interested but don’t have the 10 or 12 people to form a team,” Arnold explains. “As we get closer to the event, we’ll build out a team of registered individuals. If we still don’t have enough for a full team, we’ll place some of our staff on the team so they will get a chance to pull.”

Teams and individuals can register now at firetruckpull.ca.

Also new this year is the location of the event at the Peterborough Airport, a switch from the Memorial Centre parking lot that will be unavailable in the fall due to the start of construction of the new twin-pad arena in neighbouring Morrow Park.

“We have a big space there — it’s going to work out really well,” says Arnold, noting both the City of Peterborough and The Loomex Group (which manages the airport) answered “Of course” when asked if they could accommodate the event.

What isn’t new this year but is welcomed wholeheartedly is the return participation of Rev. Ken Fast, a Cobourg-based Lutheran minister who is again serving as honorary chair for the event.

Dubbed “the world’s strongest priest,” Rev. Fast holds several Guinness World Records for feats of strength, including his pulling of a 188.83-ton Globemaster III airplane, several fire trucks and, if that’s not enough, a house.

“A lot of people have claimed, especially my competitors, that I cheat — that I have divine intervention,” noted Fast in a 2016 interview with kawarthaNOW prior to that year’s fire truck pull event. “But I work hard at it and I was gifted with some ability.”

As has been the case for past pulls, the majority of the teams will be comprised of office workers and corporate staff taking advantage of what Arnold terms “a great team-building exercise.” Up for grabs, besides some serious bragging rights, is a trophy for fastest pull time.

Of note, says Arnold, every cent brought in stays in with the local Alzheimer Society, going directly into programs and services. To date, close to $150,000 has been raised through the event since its inception. However, there’s another benefit, notes Arnold.

“We find, with all our events, we get an uptick in awareness,” he says. “We see an increase in referrals. We see more people reaching out. The money raised is great, but the media attention is huge. It’s all about letting people know we’re here.”

With close to 11,000 people in the society’s catchment area who are living with Alzheimer’s and forms of dementia, heightened awareness is vital.

“Everyone has a story, a connection to Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia, especially in our community where we have an older population,” notes Arnold. “Our rate of dementia is one of the highest in Ontario and it’s continuing to grow.”

“It’s really important that we continue to fundraise and raise awareness, and that we need to be able to provide the supports and services required deal with that rapid growth. Every day there’s new research, new developments, and new supports. A lot of people look at a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s as the end, but there’s a whole life to live.”

The Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton provides services supportive services at no charge to families and individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, throughout all four counties including the communities of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Lindsay, Haliburton, Minden, Cobourg, Port Hope, Campbellford, Havelock, and Millbrook. The society also provides a range of public education services within the communities its serves, as well as educational opportunities to those living with dementia and those supporting persons with dementia including family members, caregivers and professionals.

For more information on the society and the services it provides locally, visit alzheimer.ca/en/pklnh or call 705-748-5131.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

Both of the health units in the Kawarthas region have issued opioid alerts on Monday (August 15). Peterborough Public Health has issued a drug poisoning alert and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit has issued an opioid overdose alert.

On Friday and Saturday, Peterborough Public Health detected a higher-than-usual number of opioid-related paramedic calls for service, with a total of nine drug poisonings treated by paramedics and the emergency department at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

“This is presumed to be the result of a product that may contain benzodiazepines,” Peterborough Public Health states in a media release. “A benzo-related overdose may last for hours and make it hard to wake up an individual. This high number of paramedic calls for service has prompted Peterborough Public Health to issue a public warning in the hopes of preventing further harms to the community.”

Peterborough Public Health is reminding the public that street drugs may be cut or mixed with toxic substances, and that using even a small amount of drug can be fatal.

The HKPR District Health Unit has issued an opioid overdose alert for the City of Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland County due to a “disturbing” rise in the number of overdoses being recorded.

“With the significant spike in overdoses in recent days, this alert is meant to inform the community to take precautions,” says Kate Hall, a health promoter with the health unit, in a media release. “Contributing factors for these local overdoses may include people using alone or a potentially contaminated or poisoned drug supply that is leading to more severe overdose reactions.”

Both health units are encouraging people who use drugs to do the following:

• Don’t use drugs alone. In Peterborough, drug users can visit the Consumption Treatment Services site at 220 Simcoe Street, which is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
• If you do use drugs alone, ask someone to check on you or call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677.
• If using with a friend, do not use at the exact same time.
• Test your drug by using a small amount first.
• Avoid mixing drugs.
• Carry a naloxone kit. Keep it visible and close by. You can get a naloxone kit at most pharmacies and needle exchange sites.

Signs of an opioid overdose include cold and clammy skin, blue or purple fingernails or lips, a limp body, an inability to wake the person up, deep snoring or gurgling sounds, slow or erratic or stopped breathing, and very small pupils.

If you witness an overdose, call 9-1-1 and administer naloxone if available. Continue to check for breathing and stay with the person until help arrives.

Under Canada’s Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, anyone who seeks medical help for themselves or for someone else who has overdosed will not be charged for possessing or using drugs for personal use.

Residents of Peterborough and Peterborough County can anonymously report drug poisonings and other bad drug reactions using the Peterborough Public Health’s drug reporting tool. Residents of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton can anonymously report drug-related incidents using a similar online submission form.

Kawartha Lakes police are seeking a suspect in connection with a robbery in Lindsay on Friday (August 12).

At around 9:15 p.m., police responded to a report of a robbery at a convenience store on Queen Street in Lindsay.

A male suspect approached the counter and brandished a weapon, demanding money from the clerk before leaving the store. No physical injuries were reported.

The suspect was last seen exiting the store before running westbound on Queen Street.

The suspect is described as a white male with a medium build. He entered the store wearing a dark-coloured button-up collared shirt and dark-coloured jeans.

Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to contact the Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at khcrimestoppers.com.

Two Ottawa residents were killed when their plane crashed in rural Port Hope on Saturday night (August 13).

At around 8:51 p.m., the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received information that a Piper Cherokee aircraft had crashed into a field near a private airstrip by Kellogg Road and Massey Road in Port Hope.

OPP and emergency services arrived at the scene, where the two occupants of the aircraft — identified as 74-year-old Alvin Crosby of Ottawa and 72-year-old Suzanne Parent of Ottawa — were pronounced dead.

The OPP have since cleared the scene.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is continuing an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

The Piper Cherokee is a popular family of two-seat or four-seat light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft and designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use.

Four men are now facing charges following an attempt at the Peterborough police station on Saturday afternoon (August 13) by followers of self-proclaimed “Queen of Canada” Romana Didulo to “arrest” Peterborough police officers, with police also seeking two suspects for assaults on a counter-protester.

Based in British Columbia, Didulo espouses a mix of sovereign citizen beliefs, QAnon conspiracy theories, and new age spirituality. She claims she has supernatural abilities, including invisibility, because she is a member of a highly advanced alien race called the Arcturians who possess miraculous medical technology. She has more than 70,000 followers on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

Didulo’s name first began surfacing during the pandemic, when she encouraged her followers to distribute “cease and desist” orders to health care workers, politicians, and others supporting COVID-19 restrictions and vaccinations. Last November, Didulo was detained by police after she encouraged her followers to “shoot to kill” anyone who gives vaccines to children. She has also called on her followers to stop paying their energy and water bills and taxes.

One of Didulo’s followers in the Peterborough area is Frank Curtin, who organized and led Saturday’s protest at the Peterborough police station in response to a call from Didulo on Telegram.

“Who amongst you are prepared to keep your city safe, peaceful and secure after you’ve peacefully arrested Peterborough Ontario Police?” Didulo had asked her followers.

Didulo, who was in Peterborough for Saturday’s protest, claims her followers have raised more than $100,000 so she can “tour Canada” in an RV along with her entourage.

Curtin met with Didulo in her RV on Saturday.

Weird, he looked so happy earlier today when he had a meeting her on an RV. Shame pic.twitter.com/NT62otneok

— Johnny Fondue (@Eatsfood2) August 13, 2022

Didulo emerged from her RV at one point to offer vegetables and sardines to her supporters.

Q: What does a Queen feed her subjects?

A: Veggies & sardines

(There’s no punchline, this is real life.) #cdnpoli #Peterborough #QAnon pic.twitter.com/If57IV3TWE

— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) August 13, 2022

At around 1 p.m., Curtin led a group of around 30 people to the Peterborough police station at 500 Water Street in downtown Peterborough.

Dramatic march from Confederation Square to the @PtboPolice station, where Romana Didulo’s supporters plan to arrest the entire (?) police force and turn them over to the military.

Respectfully, this is batshit. #cdnpoli #Peterborough #QAnon pic.twitter.com/DgouHsppLe

— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) August 13, 2022

The group remained outside the police station for several hours, attempting to gain access.

At one point, there was an incident between a protester and a counter-protester.

Counter-protester endures three separate physical assaults from an older lady who grabs his knapsack, lifts her foot to his crotch, and rips off his mask.

This happened directly outside @PtboPolice station. There’s not a single cop in sight. #cdnpoli #Peterborough #QAnon pic.twitter.com/Ba7lRtHpjb

— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) August 13, 2022

At around 4 p.m., police officers arriving for their shift were blocked by protesters, who also tried to gain access to a secured entrance of the police station.

According to the police media release, “the officers attempted to take a protester into custody when officers were surrounded. A protester then struck two officers.”

Frank Curtin and another man get arrested, Romana followers freak out at what’s happening. #ptbo #Romana https://t.co/Rk8F0SUV9R pic.twitter.com/VkjJaaWQ1G

— Johnny Fondue (@Eatsfood2) August 13, 2022

Police arrested a 54-year-old Millbrook man and charged him with mischief and resisting arrest, as well as a 56-year-old man and charged him with two counts of assaulting police.

Although police no longer release names of accused people in media releases, Curtin can be seen in videos posted in social media being dragged by four officers into the police station.

Both accused men were held in custody and appeared in court on Sunday (August 14).

Following the arrests, some protesters remained outside the police station until the evening, with Didulo leaving Peterborough in her RV around 7 p.m.

Later in the evening, Didulo posted on social media that she had asked protesters to “be Peaceful and Calm” and that “Putting oneself in harms way is not the way to do it …”

Rough translation: “everything that went wrong today is Franks fault not mine.”

That’s how this??ends, the most predictable thing that’s happened today. pic.twitter.com/BeVYSfGLKx

— Johnny Fondue (@Eatsfood2) August 14, 2022

On Monday (August 15), Peterborough police announced a third man had been arrested Sunday in connection with the incident.

“Officers took a 31-year-old Peterborough man into custody for his actions during the incident at the rear door of the police station which included kicking the door to the station and striking an officer while doing so,” reads a media release. “The suspect then repeatedly kicked at the door and further encouraged others to participate. The suspect then went to another area and began yelling and banging on the windows of several police cars with officers in them.”

The accused man was arrested and charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, two counts of counselling an indictable offence which is not committed, mischief, and obstructing a peace officer. He was held in custody and appeared in court on Monday.

Peterborough police are also seeking two suspects after several incidents involving the counter-protester, after the man waved down officers who were on general patrol.

“Officers learned that the victim’s sign was ripped, and he was verbally threatened in one incident and had his mask ripped off by another person while out in front of the police station,” reads a media release.

VIDEO: Update from Peterborough Police Acting Chief Tim Farquharson

The first suspect is a white woman, approximately 65 years old, 5’3″ in height, and wearing a light blue plaid blouse and sunglasses. The second suspect is a 50-to-60 year-old man with a white moustache and goatee, around 5’7″ in height, and wearing a black leather vest with chains hanging from the pocket, blue jeans, and a black head scarf.

Here are photos of both suspects being sought by @PtboPolice

Please help identify them. pic.twitter.com/D5W77PgxjS

— Tanya (@TanyaFusco) August 15, 2022

After videos and photos of the two suspects were widely circulated on social media, one of the suspects — a 55-year-old Peterborough man — turned himself in to Peterborough police on Wednesday afternoon (August 17). The man, who is accused of ripping down the counter-protester’s sign, was arrested and charged with mischief under $5,000. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on August 30.

Police are continuing to investigate the female suspect who was observed ripping a mask off the counter protester.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Crime Line at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.

This story has been updated with new information about the two suspects in the assaults on the counter-protester.

As numerous employers in Peterborough and the Kawarthas and the City of Kawartha Lakes continue to experience a labour shortage in the aftermath of the pandemic, a new workforce development program aims to reverse that trend in a big way.

Matching job seekers with local jobs in demand, the Pathways to Prosperity program focuses on those who are unemployed or underemployed, either as a result of employment-limiting barriers or pandemic-related job loss or uncertainty.

Funded in part by the federal government and the province — Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced $2.7 million for the program back in April — Pathways to Prosperity offers job seekers four weeks of Fleming College-provided skills training for various certifications, followed by a five-week local job placement.

With funding in place until March 31, 2023, the program is administered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) in partnership with Fleming College, City of Kawartha Lakes Economic Development, Muskoka-Kawartha Employment Services, and the Workforce Development Board.

For employers who sign onto the program, there is a 50 per cent wage subsidy for each participant’s full placement period. In addition, each participating employer’s supervisors and managers will be offered free leadership training and support to ensure a successful placement experience.

The program is targeting food service line cooks and general labourers in construction, manufacturing, and agriculture as positions to be filled.

“Our goal is to address the needs that our businesses have been sharing with us,” explains PKED President and CEO Rhonda Keenan. “We know employers are having a hard time with workforce, but we also know we don’t have a strong group participating in the labour market. COVID impacted so many people, over and above others having some barriers to employment.”

“We also know businesses have been scrambling to try and figure everything out — to adjust, pivot, and do those things everyone was talking about constantly during COVID. This program addresses the needs of both job seekers and employers.”

Rebecca Mustard, Economic Development Manager for the City of Kawartha Lakes, notes the Pathways to Prosperity program “is targeted at key economy-driving industries” in the region.

“This is all about how we get our labour force and the jobs available matched for community prosperity,” she says.

“All four sectors — food service, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture — are what we call export industries in economic development. They bring external wealth into the community. You really want to have a solid foundation of those industries, and this program is an opportunity to increase their workforce.”

According to Statistics Canada, more than 367,000 jobs were vacant in Ontario in May. The Pathways to Prosperity program will give job seekers in Peterborough and the Kawarthas and the City of Kawartha Lakes the skills and the certifications they need for high-demand local jobs.

“Job seekers are getting key certifications they’ll need when working,” Mustard explains. “That’s big for job seekers but it’s also great for employers, because they’re getting employees who have some of the basic requirements they need to be working in their facilities or at their locations.”

The program, which has taken in its first few cohorts for construction and agriculture general labourers, is now accepting new participants — both employers and job seekers — for all four sectors.

Those looking for work who want to participate can register for an information session at investptbo.ca/jobmatch/jobseekers/ or by contacting any of the employment service agency partners listed at investptbo.ca/jobmatch. Employers who want to participate can apply at investptbo.ca/jobmatch/employers/.

Keenan notes the training aspect of the program alone makes it invaluable for job seekers who want to pursue a new career or a career change.

“That education sets you up for so many career paths,” she says. “It’s basic but solid foundational training.”

Mustard adds that, while each Pathways to Prosperity work placement is limited to five weeks, the intent is to match job seekers with opportunities that may lead to permanent employment.

“We have that end goal — sustainable, long-term employment for the individual and for the business,” she says.

For job seekers reluctant to re-enter the workforce because they believe only low-paying jobs are available, Keenan points out the “growth potential” associated with entry-level positions at many local employers.

“While you might start at a lower rate, you can move very quickly up to a higher rate when you have the skills an employer needs,” she says. “There are good-paying jobs in the community, but employers need skilled workers to fill them. Pathways to Prosperity is a way to get those skills, many of which are also transferable to other jobs.”

For job seekers who may have past preconceptions about jobs in the food service, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors, Keenan notes the Pathway to Prosperity program provides a way for them to test the waters.

“We’re creating a safe and coached approach to entering those jobs so it’s not scary and overwhelming,” she says. “The training gives them that foot in the door to decide whether the job is something they want to do.”

If a job seeker signs up for a particular sector and discovers it isn’t right for them, Keenan notes, they can re-apply for placement in another sector.

“This program is all about helping people learn about an industry, get some fundamental basic skills to succeed, get placement with an employer to see what it’s like to work in that industry, and have the supports for the first year of their employment to be able to navigate working for that employer in that industry,” Mustard adds. “We want to set them up for success.”

Mustard says employers in the City of Kawartha Lakes “are really interested in the program,” adding “there are jobs waiting at their end.”

“We want people to want to work in their communities. We want people to work in an industry they’re interested in, using this program to launch them into that industry. Getting back out there is tough. This program is designed to help you do that and succeed. We will cheer you along and give you all that we can to ensure you succeed.”

Keenan adds employers in Peterborough and the Kawarthas are also eager to participate in the program.

“Peterborough and the Kawarthas and the City of Kawartha Lakes are such great places to work,” Keenan says. “We have so many passionate businesses that do so many great things. They need workers right now. We want to see people working where they live. This is a great way to be able to attain skills, support our local businesses, and grow our local economy.”

“The program is exciting because it involves economic development, our post-secondary college institution delivering training the way they do very well, and our employment service organizations,” Mustard says. “All of us are working together to support the economy from a position that looks at the job seeker and the needs of the employer, and the growth and sustainability of each sector.”

This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

A Vaughan teenager has drowned in Shadow Lake near Norland in Someville Township in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Just before 6 p.m. on Thursday (August 11), officers with the Kawartha Lakes detachment of the OPP responded to a call about a possible drowning.

Police learned a man had been swimming when he failed to resurface. According to a media release, “extraordinary life-saving efforts were taken by good Samaritans including a nearby boater that dove into the deep water, recovered the swimmer, and brought him to the shore.”

Haliburton County Emergency Services along with City of Kawartha Lakes Fire and Rescue conducted CPR and transported the man to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police have released the name of the victim as 18-yaer-old Trons Yalda of Vaughan.

Kawartha Lakes OPP are investigating the death in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, and say no foul play is suspected. A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.