The greater Kawarthas region, along with the rest of central and northeastern Ontario, is getting a new area code.

Area code 683 will be introduced on Saturday, June 18th, joining the other two area codes for the region: 705 and 249.

While there will be no change to existing phone numbers, new numbers beginning with 683 will be created.

Ontario now has 17 active area codes: 226, 519, and 548 in southwestern Ontario; 416, 437, and 647 in Toronto; 289, 365, 742, and 905 in the GTA and surrounding region; 343, 613, and 753 in Ottawa and southeastern Ontario; 249, 683, and 705 in central and northeastern Ontario; and 807 in northwestern Ontario.

In June 2023, that number will increase to 18 when area code 382 is added to southwestern Ontario.

The introduction of new area codes is the result of decisions by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in response to the growing demand for telephone numbers. Each new area code means just over seven million new numbers can be assigned to customers (due to restrictions, not every possible seven-digit number can be assigned).

The first two area codes in Ontario, 416 and 613, were introduced in 1947. In 1953, area code 416 was split to form area code 519 in the western part of the province. In 1957, area code 705 was created from portions of the 613 and 519 areas and served nearly all of Ontario north and west of the Golden Horseshoe. In 1982, area code 807 was introduced for northwestern Ontario. In 1993, the 905 area code was introduced for areas surrounding Toronto (it had previously been the area code for Mexico City).

In 2001, Ontario began the switch to 10-digit dialing for local calls when new area codes were overlaid on existing area codes: 647 was introduced in the area covered by 416 and 289 was introduced in the area covered by 905. Additional area codes were introduced in 2006 (226), 2010 (343), 2011 (249), 2013 (437 and 365), and 548 (2016).

Last October, area code 742 was added to the area served by 289, 365, and 905 and, in March, 753 was added the area served by 613 and 343.

VIDEO: 10-digit dialing introduced in 2001

On the eve of the lifting of most remaining masking requirements in Ontario, Peterborough Transit is strongly recommending riders continue to wear masks on conventional transit and will continue to require masks on its specialized transit van services. Peterborough Public Health will also continue to require the wearing of face masks at its clinics and reception areas.

On Wednesday, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore issued a statement that all remaining masking requirements would be lifted as of midnight on Saturday morning (June 11), except in long-term care and retirement homes.

“To continue providing an additional layer of protection for the most vulnerable, masks will still be required in long-term care and retirement homes,” Dr. Moore said.

The mask mandate for indoor public settings was lifted on March 21, except for public transit, healthcare settings, long-term care and retirement homes, and shelters and other congregate care settings providing services to vulnerable people. The mandate for these settings was originally set to expire April 27 but was extended until June 11.

Although no longer required as of June 11, Dr. Moore has recommended that masking continue in congregate care settings. He is also allowing all organizations to set their own masking policies.

“Masking is recommended in higher-risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes,” Dr. Moore said. “While masking requirements are expiring, organizations may implement their own policies. Ontarians should continue to wear a mask if they feel it is right for them, are at high risk for severe illness, recovering from COVID-19, have symptoms of the virus or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19.”

On Friday, Peterborough Transit announced it would continue to require the wearing of masks for its specialized transit van service, and “strongly recommends and welcomes” the continued wearing of face masks by customers on buses, at the transit terminal, and other transit locations where physical distancing is not possible. This is the same policy being followed by the Toronto Transit Commission.

On Thursday, Peterborough Public Health announced it would continue to require masks to be worn in all health unit clinics. This includes COVID-19 vaccine clinics, routine immunization clinics, school-based immunization clinics, and the sexual health and oral health clinics at the health unit’s offices at 185 King Street. Masks must also continue to be worn in the reception areas at the health unit’s offices.

According to Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott, the health unit is continuing to require masks in clinical service settings and reception areas for the protection of staff and visitors.

“We are continuing to see deaths from COVID-19, even with community transmission now moving to low risk,” Dr. Piggott said. “Masking remains the second-most effective way after getting the vaccine of reducing transmission. It is well worth it in high-risk settings and settings with poor ventilation to protect ourselves and those more vulnerable around us.”

Due to an ongoing dispute with the City of Peterborough, the Peterborough Agricultural Society will not be holding the Peterborough Exhibition at Morrow Park this year.

The annual four-day agricultural exhibition has been running annually from 1845 until 2019. It was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, hosting virtual events instead.

“At the start of 2022 the board was looking forward to once again returning to Morrow Park to host a series of in-person agricultural events,” the society states in a media release issued on Thursday (June 9). “However, after repeated attempts at working with the city we have been unable to book facilities to hold the events that we had planned.”

The society says it is shifting events to other locations including Kawartha Downs and Bethany.

The City of Peterborough has approved the construction of a $62-million sports complex in the west portion of Morrow Park, fronting Park Street south of Lansdowne Street West. With construction set to begin by the fall of 2022, the first phase of the project for the twin-pad arena and library branch will include 423 parking spaces. The second phase of the project, which includes an aquatics complex, would result in an additional 149 parking spaces when completed.

According to the society, it has been “attempting to work” with the city over the past 18 months, including holding multiple meetings with staff and members of council.

“While we have supported the future development of the park, we have repeatedly expressed concerns that the proposal does not fulfill the agreement that was signed in 2017,” the society states. “The site plan for the park ignores the requirement for facilities that were initially negotiated, including an area for a sand ring and an agricultural memorial.”

“It has become apparent that the City of Peterborough has no intentions to live up to the agreement. We have repeatedly asked the city for a commitment, timeline, and budget to address the items that are listed in the 2017 agreement and they have failed to do so in the four years of the seven-year agreement.”

The society also states that it has encountered challenges, barriers, and a “reluctance” from the city to permit the use of existing facilities so that the society can continue to hold agricultural and food-related educational events.

“This has been discouraging and demoralizing for the group of volunteers who are passionate about the promotion of agriculture and food education.”

“We have a great group of youth and senior agriculture leaders who are eager to organize events but we have been faced with silence from the city in response to our attempts to schedule events at Morrow Park,” says society president Viren D’Souza. “Despite our best efforts and the agreement we have with the city that provides for our use of Morrow Park, the Peterborough Ex is dying a slow death at the hands of the city due to their unwillingness to respond to our scheduling requests.”

The Morrow family gifted the 27-acre property to the City of Peterborough in 1938 on the condition that it be available for the use of the Peterborough Agricultural Society, which was reaffirmed in the Peterborough Act of 1984.

The act states “that the (Peterborough Agricultural) Society, the Corporation (of the City of Peterborough), and the trustees of the R. A. Morrow Memorial Park Trust believe that it would be in the best interest of the Society and the Corporation that the property be conveyed to the Corporation to be used for park and recreational purposes and to be used by the Society as an exhibition grounds for an annual exhibition and for other purposes … in perpetuity”, adding that if the terms and conditions are not met, the property reverts to the Morrow family.

“The Peterborough Agricultural Society has engaged with the city in a positive and constructive manner with respect to the development of Morrow Park and the agreement between the two parties,” the society states. “The repeated requests at every stage have been ignored leading our board to believe that the city has never had intentions to fulfill the agreement and has been bargaining in bad faith. As such, the Ag Society will be looking at other options to ensure that the agreement is upheld so we can continue to deliver on the mandate that we have been delivering on for more than 175 years.”

This story has been updated with corrections to the number of parking spaces for the Morrow Park development project.

As part of the broader response to the drug poisoning crisis, Peterborough Public Health has launched a new opioid harms data portal on its website, providing information about the number of emergency medical service 911 calls, emergency department visits, and deaths related to drug poisonings.

The health unit shared information about the portal, along with Peterborough Public Health’s existing drug reporting tool, during a virtual media briefing on Thursday afternoon (June 9) with medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott, health promoter Jocelyn Qualtrough, and epidemiologist Sarah Peacock.

Last updated June 6, data on the opioid harms data portal will be updated monthly. According to the most recent data on the portal, 17 people have died from drug poisonings so far in 2022, with 38 people having died in the last 12 months (June 2021 to May 2022) — translating to one person dying every 10 days on average.

“This is part of a broader trend that I’ve spoken about significantly since I’ve arrived here and I’m deeply concerned about, which is an increasingly toxic drug supply on the street and an increasingly worsening drug poisoning crisis in our community,” Dr. Piggott said. “Looking to last year’s data, in the past five years we’ve had a nearly 450 per cent increase in the number of deaths.”

“But looking at the deaths doesn’t capture the full picture,” he added. “It misses the burden on our health system, on our ambulance providers, on families, friends, and most importantly on people themselves who are using drugs. The burdens go far beyond just the numbers that we see, but understanding and having clear communication on the numbers that we are seeing is a critical component.”

The portal also provides statistics about the number of 911 calls and emergency visits, including statistics on gender, age, time, and location. For example, over the last 12 months, more than half of emergency department visits involved men and more than half were people aged 25 to 44, with almost half of the visits between 4 p.m. and midnight.

The drug reporting tool is an online survey where residents can anonymously report drug poisonings and other bad drug reactions.

While the tool has been available for some time, originally for health unit partners and then to the public, it has now been integrated into the Peterborough Public Health website.

The drug reporting tool also provides anecdotal information that is not included in the opioid harms data portal, as not everyone experiencing a drug-related harm calls 911 or goes to the emergency department.

The opioid harms data portal and drug reporting tool are part of the health unit’s opioid early warning and surveillance system.

According to Qualtrough, the tools are intended to increase public awareness and understanding and compassion, increase communication between partners, and support informed decision-making.

The opioid harms data portal is available at peterboroughpublichealth.ca/your-health/drugs-and-harm-reduction/opioids/opioids-data/, and the drug reporting tool is available at peterboroughpublichealth.ca/your-health/drugs-and-harm-reduction/opioids/opioids-drug-reporting-tool/.

Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival is returning to Del Crary Park on Saturday (June 11) for the first time since the pandemic began.

Two days before the festival, participating individuals and teams have raised over $121,000 of the festival’s $180,000 goal, with 100 per cent of all pledges going to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast and other cancers at the regional hospital.

Everyone is welcome to attend the festival, cheer on the racers, and take part in the day’s activities.

Here’s a schedule of events (times are subject to change):

• 7:30 a.m. – First shuttle bus leaves Healthy Planet Arena
• 8 a.m. – Awakening the Dragon/Opening ceremonies
• 9 a.m. – First race heats begin
• 9 a.m. – Vendor Village Market opens
• 9:30 a.m. – Family Fun Zone opens
• 10:40 a.m. – Mackenzie Cup Race (followed by the Flower Ceremony)
• 11 a.m. – The Thirsty Dragon Beer Garden opens
• 12:10 p.m. – Second race heats begin
• 2 p.m. – Divisional finals begin
• 3:15 p.m. – Awards ceremony at the bleachers (race trophies and top individual fundraisers)
• 4 p.m. – Raffle draw at the tent near the bleachers
• 5:45 p.m. – Last shuttle bus leaves Del Crary Park

Here’s a festival site map:

2022 Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival site map

Modern Makers Market is partnering with the festival to offer the Vendor Village Market, a unique shopping and food experience with more than 40 vendors.

The Thirsty Dragon Beer Garden, hosted by Cameron’s Brewing and Rice Lake Hard Cider, is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Family Fun Zone will offer activities and crafts to keep the whole family entertained. Businesses and organizations at the Family Fun Zone include the Peterborough Axe Club, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Kawartha Gymnastics Club, Lavender and Play, Orangetheory Peterborough, Fancy Faces – Face Painting by Gab, B!ke – the Peterborough Community Bike Shop, Selfie Photo Booth, White Tiger Taekwondo, and the Peterborough Canoe and Kayak Club.

You can also visit the Dragon Shop (just past the bleachers) to purchase festival-branded team shirts, ball caps, water bottles, pullover hoodies, mystery bags, and more.

Of course, the highlight of the day are the dragon boat races, which begin with the randomly seeded morning challenge from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

At 10:40 a.m., four teams of breast cancer survivors will compete for the McKenzie Cup.

This race will be followed at 10:50 a.m. by the Flower Ceremony, an annual tradition to both remember and honour those who have lost their battle with breast cancer.

The afternoon challenge, seeded by morning race times, will run from 12:10 to 1:40 p.m., followed by the open women finals from 2 to 2:20 p.m., the community women and junior finals at 2:30 p.m., and the community mixed and open mixed combined finals from 2:40 to 3 p.m.

The awards ceremony, with race trophies and recognition of top individual fundraisers, takes place at the bleachers at 3:15 p.m.

Here’s the full race schedule:

2022 Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival race schedule

If you’re planning to drive to the festival on Saturday, be aware the car parking is limited around Del Crary Park and that several roads around Del Crary Park will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Perry St. from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent St.
• Lake St. from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent St.
• Lock St. from the north side of Romaine St. to the south side of Crescent St.
• Romaine Street from the east side of Lock St. to the west side of Crescent St.
• Crescent St. from the south side of Perry St. to the west side of Winch St.
• Rink St. from the east side of George St at the Del Crary Park Marina entrance.

Parking is available at the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, the King Street Parkade, the Rehill Lot on Wolfe Street, and the Healthy Planet Arena.

From 7:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., a shuttle bus will be running from the Healthy Planet Arena to Del Crary Park, Del Crary Park to the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, the Simcoe Street Parking Garage to the King Street Parkade, the King Street Parkade to the Rehill Lot on Wolfe Street, the Rehill Lot on Wolfe Street to Del Crary Park, and Del Crary Park to the Healthy Planet Arena.

Here’s a map of the parking locations and the shuttle bus route:

2022 Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival shuttle bus and parking lots

Those travelling to the festival by bike can park in the supervised bike valet parking near the Art Gallery of Peterborough provided by B!ke – the Peterborough Community Bike Shop. Basic bike maintenance will also be available.

For more information about the 2022 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival and to donate, visit www.ptbodragonboat.ca.

The Northumberland detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is seeking the public’s help in locating a missing 16-year-old Brighton girl.

Brooke England was last seen on Tuesday (June 7) on County Road 41 in Brighton.

She is described as female, white, 5’1″ and 110lbs, with a slim build, shoulder-length curly brown hair, and hazel eyes.

England is possibly wearing a combination of a crop top, baggy sweater, with jeans or track pants, and is believed to be wearing Nike Air Force 1 shoes.

She is known to carry a light baby blue/white Javasport backpack.

If you have had any contact with Brooke England or have any information regarding her whereabouts, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.