The YWCA Challenge for Mom has raised $31,546.11 to support YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s core programs serving women and children affected by gender-based violence.

The fundraiser, which took place in May during the week leading up to Mother’s Day, will support the charitable organization’s programs that receive only partial government funding, including Crossroads Shelter, Haliburton Emergency Rural SafeSpace (HERS), Family Court Support, Transition Support, Nourish, and more.

Like most women’s shelters in Ontario, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton relies on annual fundraising initiatives to cover basic operating costs.

“Locally, the need for emergency support has increased by 30 per cent since the pandemic began,” explains YWCA’s Ria Nicholson in a media release. “With the rising cost of living, women trapped in violent situations — particularly mothers — have even fewer options available than before.”

Participants in the fundraiser included Tammy Keller, who lost her daughter to domestic violence in 2011.

“I want to make sure that women still have places like the YWCA to turn to in their darkest times,” Keller says.

Local businesses also contributed to the fundraiser, offering prizes in a draw for participants who raised $250 or more. Euphoria Wellness Spa and Swish Maintenance Ltd. donated a self and home care prize valued at $800, Leon’s Peterborough donated a décor prize valued at $750, and Ashburnham Alehouse, Primal Cuts, Morello’s Your Independent Grocer, and Millbrook Mercantile donated a foodie prize valued at $475.

Prize winners were notified personally following the May 31 draw. Debbie Nayler won the self and home care prize, Liz Lambert won the décor prize, and Kelly Medhurst won the foodie prize.

The 2022 YWCA Challenge for Mom was sponsored by y Ontario Insurance Network and Baker Tilly, along with local media sponsors kawarthaNOW, Move 99.7, Pure Country 105, Freq 90.5, PTBOTODAY.ca, Oldies 96.7, Peterborough This Week, and The Peterborough Examiner.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact the YWCA’s 24-hour support and crisis line at 1-800-461-7656 or text 705-991-0110. For more information about YWCA Peterborough Haliburton programs and services, visit ywcapeterborough.org/

This week is the Trent Hills Pride Festival, organized by the Trent Hills Queer Collective to celebrate diversity, and the week’s festivities include a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Aron Theatre Co-op in Campbellford on Thursday night (June 23).

The 1975 musical comedy film, based on the 1973 musical stage production of the same name, is a parody tribute to science fiction and horror B movies and stars Tim Curry as Frank N Furter, Richard O’Brien as Riff Faff (O’Brien also wrote the original music), Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss, Barry Bostwick as Brad Majors, Patricia Quinn as Magneta, and Meat Loaf as Eddie.

Although a box office failure, the film quickly developed a cult following, with audiences attending (often midnight) screenings dressed in costumes, parroting the dialogue, and dancing to the music. In particular, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community embraced the film’s themes of diversity and sexual liberation.

The June 23rd screening at the Aron is a fundraiser for Trent Hills Pride, and attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favourite character, dance to the songs, and wear party hats during the happy birthday scene.

A special guest will also be joining the screening: actor J.P. Baldwin of Stirling Festival Theatre, who plays Frank N Furter in the theatre’s production of the stage musical from July 7 to 24.

Tickets are $23 for assigned seating and are available at arontheatre.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the film beginning at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available.

Thursday’s screening follows the unveiling on Monday of the Pride Bench at 66 Bridge St. East in Campbellford, and is the first of several events during the Trent Hills Pride Festival.

On Friday, June 24th, drag queens take over McGillicafey’s Pub & Eatery (13 Bridge St. N., Hastings, 705-696-3600) from 7 to 10 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

On Saturday, June 25th, all branches of the Trent Hills Library are hosting Drag Storytime featuring drag queens Betty Baker and Madeleine Hemel. They’ll be at the Hastings Library at 10 a.m., the Warkworth Library at 11 a.m., and the Campbellford Library at 12 p.m. All ages are welcome. To reserve your spot, email hastingslibrary@trenthills.ca, warkworthlibrary@trenthills.ca, or trenthillslibrary@trenthills.ca.

Also on Saturday, a Pride Party takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Campbellford Fairgrounds at 315 County Road 38. Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate will officially open the festivities, which will be hosted by Peterborough drag queen Sahira Q, with appearances by Betty Baker, also from Peterborough, Cobourg’s Madeleine Hame, and Ontario-based drag queen Banshii Waylon.

There will also be performances by Thomas Vaccaro, artistic director of the Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts, and visual artist and musician Dimitri Papatheodorou, whose band The NorthLumberLads will be performing along with local band The Blue Rigby’s.

A children’s tent will include paint-your-own cookies from Anita’s Creations (who will also be providing decorated Pride cookies to attendees), and face painting by fabric artist Ixchel Suarez. There will also be old-fashioned children’s games, including rope skipping, badminton, an egg and spoon race, and more.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Water, pop, hot dogs, and nachos will be available for sale.

On Sunday, June 26th, a Pride Car-avan will leave from the Campbellford Fairgrounds at 1 p.m., followed by a Pride Picnic in the picnic area behind the arena from 2 to 6 p.m. (bring your own food and beverages).

For more information about Trent Hills Pride, visit www.trenthillspride.ca

Summer officially arrives in Ontario at 5:13 a.m. on Tuesday (June 21), bringing with it the longest day of the year and some of the hottest temperatures and humidex values so far this year.

After a weekend of cool temperatures and gusty winds, a warm front moving in from the west will reach the greater Kawarthas region on Tuesday.

Temperatures will climb into the high 20s or low 30s this week, with humidex values reaching the low 40s.

The summer solstice happens in the northern hemisphere between June 20 and 22 when the north pole reaches its maximum tilt toward the sun (23.44°). The sun traces its longest and highest path through the sky of the year, with the word “solstice” coming from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

The closer you move towards the north pole, the longer the day becomes. In the Arctic circle, this results in the phenomenon known as the “midnight sun” where, for almost two months in the summer, the sun never sets but continuously circles the sky all day.

Cultures throughout history have marked the summer solstice with rituals and festivals. In some areas of Europe, the solstice is considered the middle of summer and is referred to as “midsummer”, but the rest of us consider it the beginning of summer.

Two Havelock families have lost everything in a house fire on Sunday (June 19).

The Bohnsack family and the Wight family both lost their homes, possessions, and pets in the fire in a duplex on George Street between William and Mill streets.

Single-parent Holly Bohnsack and her two young daughters Sterling and Lakely were not at home when the fire happened, but their pets were at home and perished. Lois and Steve Wight, the upstairs tenants, were at home at the time of the fire but got out safely.

“Right now my family needs to process and wrap our heads around what has happened,” Holly wrote on the Facebook page for her home-based sugar cookie business April and August, named after the birth months of her daughters. The first destroyed all her baking equipment and supplies.

“Thank you so much for your prayers and kind words. I will issue refunds to anyone who I have booked in as I have no idea when I will be able to work again. We literally only have the clothes on our backs at the moment.”

Last August, kawarthaNOW profiled Holly’s business and the challenges she overcame during the pandemic.

A GoFundMe campaign for the Bohnsacks has been set up at gofundme.com/f/tragic-house-fire-help-holly-her-family.

A GoFundMe campaign for the Wights has been set up at gofundme.com/f/fire-takes-everything-help-lois-steve.

In addition, The Cottage clothing and gift store in Havelock is accepting clothing and financial donations for the families. For more information, visit facebook.com/thecottagehavelock.

VIDEO: Holly Bohnsack informs her clients of the fire

This story has been updated to provide information about the two families affected by the fire.

On June 27, Canadians celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day, honouring the diverse cultures that make up our home in Canada. Locally in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough, the New Canadians Centre supports over 1,000 clients, from over 100 countries, speaking more than 70 different languages. They each bring with them unique customs, music, dance, food, sports and stories that when put together paint a very beautiful multicultural mosaic of Canada.

Food has an undeniable power to bring people together — whether it’s sitting around a table to share a meal and conversation, learning new cooking styles, or discovering new flavours. With this in mind, the New Canadians Centre in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) invites you to ‘Taste the World at Home’ at the first-ever Canadian Multiculturalism Festival in Peterborough.

From June 20 to July 1, the community is encouraged to participate in the Multicultural Food Crawl by visiting featured downtown restaurants to experience the diverse culinary scene that resides in downtown Peterborough. While you’re at it, pick up a Multicultural Food Passport at participating vendors or at the New Canadians Centre office (221 Romaine St.) and for every $10 you spend, you’ll earn a stamp on your passport. Collect six stamps and you’ll be entered to win a $250 Boro gift card.

Take a stroll downtown on Free Sampling Day on Saturday, June 25th and visit the six featured vendors to try free samples of some of their best dishes from noon to 7 p.m. while supplies last (please see opening times for restaurants below). Locations for the food crawl include: Dirty Burger, Hanoi House, Milk + Tea Shop, Curry Mantra, Real Thai Cuisine, and Levantine Grill.

“Downtown Peterborough is a culinary hotspot for multicultural cuisine in the region,” says Hillary Flood, communications and marketing manager of the Peterborough DBIA. “We are so excited to be partnering with the New Canadians Centre for the Canadian Multiculturalism Festival to acknowledge and celebrate the significant contributions of our international cuisine and newcomer-owned restaurants and how they have shaped our culinary fabric downtown.”

Multicultural Food Crawl Participating Vendors

Dirty Burger

Dirty Burger brings a fresh take on Indian-American fusion to Peterborough’s downtown core. Their menu has everything from fresh and delicious burgers, to items influenced by Chef Om Patel’s Indian/Ugandan Heritage.

Dirty Burger will be offering up samples of their famous samosas, made with a spiced potato and vegetable filling and served up with a spicy mango chutney, on Saturday, June 25th.

Located at 211 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, Dirty Burger is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Real Thai Cuisine

Real Thai Cuisine owners Sam and Tom want to present their patrons with an authentic Thai dining experience, specializing in Central Thailand cuisine. Their flavourful dishes use fresh ingredients and those imported from Thailand, with rich textures and aromatic qualities presented beautifully for an extraordinary dining experience. Thai cooking uses specific herbs such as lemongrass, kafir lime, galangal, Thai basil and mint.

On the sampling day, Real Thai Cuisine will be serving up samples of their famous crispy chicken wontons, fried to perfection, stuffed with chicken and served with Thai sweet chili sauce.

Located at 415 George Street North in downtown Peterborough, Real Thai Cuisine is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and 3:30 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Hanoi House

Hanoi House offers traditional Vietnamese fare such as pho, vermicelli bowls and rice dishes. Owner Susan has created a place where she can share her passion for Vietnamese food with others. They are focused on quality ingredients with a diverse range of flavours, and include vegan and gluten-free options for those with dietary restrictions.

Hanoi House will be sampling mini versions of their banh mi sandwiches at their downtown location. Banh mi is a classic Vietnamese sandwich made with pickled vegetables, cilantro, cucumber, mayonnaise, pate, Vietnamese sausage and fish sauce.

Located at 213 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, Hanoi House is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Milk + Tea Shop

Bubble Tea, also known as Boba, Pearl Milk Tea, or BBT originated in Taiwan and has taken over the world. Milk + Tea Shop is Peterborough’s first dedicated bubble tea location. It is an iced tea but can be served hot, with tapioca pearls, fresh juice loaded with jelly, or as a beverage without pearls.

On June 25, Milk + Tea will be offering up samples of their traditional black milk tea as well as their matcha lemonade.

Located at 360 George Street near Charloote Street in downtown Peterborough, Milk + Tea is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

Curry Mantra

Curry Mantra offers up traditional South Indian cuisine. All of their dishes are made from authentic ingredients, some specially imported from the Mangalore where they were first made by their ancestors. Everything is made fresh to order with vivid colour and a beautiful aromatic smell and flavour.

On the sampling day, you can try a delicious sample of their samosa stuffed with potatoes, veggies, and spices, and their veggie pakoras made with shredded potatoes and onions in a chickpea batter and deep fried until crispy.

Located inside Peterborough Square at 360 George Street in downtown Peterborough, Curry Mantra is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Levantine Grill

Taste Syrian delicacies right at home in Peterborough at the Levantine Grill, serving up a variety of Middle Eastern favourites in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu is vast with everything from classic chicken shawarma, to veggie bowls and traditional Mediterranean pies, kebabs, and a large variety of salads and appetizers including hummus and Baba Ghanouj.

On June 25, Levantine will be providing samples of their shawarma and falafel with an assortment of dips and appetizers including hummus, baba ghanouj, muhmmara, eggplant salad, olive salad, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves.

Located at 356 Charlotte Street at Park Street North, Levantine Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

The New Canadians Centre Peterborough will be offering up a variety of activities and events as part of the first-ever Canadian Multiculturalism Festival, both in person and virtually, so people can participate based on their own comfort level.

Alongside the food crawl and sampling event, there will be a “Try It” series including Peruvian flower making, Taekwondo, Ethiopian cooking, Indian spices, and Zumba. There will be a film screening, a discussion panel, book reading, and activities for kids.

Learn more and register for these events at nccpeterborough.ca/multiculturalismfestival.

This story was created in partnership with New Canadians Centre Peterborough. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

Parks Canada will be temporarily closing an additional 18 locks along the Trent-Severn Waterway beginning Monday (June 20) due to high water levels and flows.

Lock 1 – Trenton through Lock 18 – Hastings will be closed, and inbound vessel traffic will be advised that entry at Lock 1 – Trenton will be closed until further notice.

The Murray Canal — an eight-kilometre canal linking Lake Ontario with the Bay of Quinte — will also be closed on Monday.

On Wednesday, Parks Canada announced Locks 19 – Scotts Mills and Locks 22 – Nassau through Lock 27 – Young’s Point would be closed to navigation as of Friday.

The only two locks that remain open between Lock 1 – Trenton and Lock 27 – Young’s Point are Lock 20 – Ashburnham and Lock 21 – Peterborough Lift Lock.

According to Parks Canada, over the past 20 days, the Trent-Severn’s watersheds have received significant amounts of precipitation, the equivalent of 100 to 200 per cent more than the normal amount expected for this time.

This partial closure will protect boater safety and help to prevent shoreline erosion and property damage experienced by local residents and businesses.

All boaters are strongly encouraged to lower their speeds and watch their wake. Residents and visitors should exercise extreme caution around and on the water.

Parks Canada says it will reopen individual lock stations in stages as soon as it safe to do so.

The City of Kawartha Lakes is getting a new family doctor this summer.

On Wednesday (June 15), the Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative announced Dr. Luke Johnson will begin practising with the Kawartha North Family Health Team at their Fenelon Falls clinic starting in July.

Born in Canada, Dr. Johnson received his medical training in Australia. Since 2016, he has worked as a general practitioner on the Coffs Coast in New South Wales.

He received his Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Carleton University in 2009, his Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Wollongong in New South Wales in 2013, and his Fellowship Royal Australian College of General Practitioner’s (FRACGP) in 2018.

Dr. Johnson, along with his wife Claire and their two children, will be returning to Canada to settle in Fenelon Falls where their extended family has had a cottage for many years.

With the arrival of Dr. Johnson, the Kawartha North Family Health Team will be accepting additional patients. Those who wish to register as a patient with Dr. Johnson should visit the team’s website at knfht.ca. People who have previously received a registration form can email it to patients@knfht.ca.

The Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative is a non-profit and charitable organization whose mandate is to recruit and retain family doctors for the City of Kawartha Lakes. Recruitment and retention coordinator Cindy Snider worked with Marina Hodson, executive director of the Kawartha North Family Health Team, to recruit Dr. Johnson.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for strong winds across the greater Kawarthas region on Friday (June 17).

The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hasting counties.

Strong winds, with gusts up to 70 km/h, will begin near noon and end late Friday evening.

Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage.

Gusty winds can damage soft shelters, tents and awnings at outdoor events.

Isolated power outages possible.