If you see American flags flying at Victoria Hall in downtown Cobourg later this month, it’s not an invasion — the production company for Ginny & Georgia is returning to shoot the second second season of the Netflix series.

G2G Series 2 Inc. will be visiting Cobourg from Tuesday, February 22nd until Friday, February 25th, with filming taking place at Victoria Park, Victoria Hall, and on King Street West (from Third Street to Hibernia Street).

There will around 120 crew members, 100 background performers, and 40 production trucks in Cobourg during this time. Filming preparation will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on February 22 and 23, with filming from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on February 24 and tear-down from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on February 25.

A mother-and-daughter coming-of-age series starring Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howy, Ginny & Georgia tells the story of 15-year-old Ginny Miller, who often feels more mature than her free-spirited 30-year-old mother Georgia Miller.

The production company visited Cobourg in August and October 2019 to film the first season of the series, which was watched by 52 million subscribers in the first 28 days after its release in 2021.

During filming day on Thursday, February 24th, Third Street between King Street to Albert Street will be temporarily closed (local access will be allowed) from 4 to 11 p.m. King Street West between Hibernia Street and Third Street will be closed from 6 to 11 p.m.

There will also be intermittent traffic stoppages on Queen Street West, McGill Street, and Church Street from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on King Street West from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Lot and on-street parking in downtown Cobourg will be restricted while the production company is in town, with designated parking areas for film production vehicles paid for by the production company.

This includes Albert Street Lot #6 South and a small portion of Albert Street Lot #6 North, the McGill Street Parking Lot (February 24, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.), the Centennial Pool Lot (February 23 at 8 a.m. until February 24 at 5 p.m.), and metred parking spaces on the west side of Second Street, the east and west sides of Third Street, McGill Street, Queen Street, and Church Street, and various spaces on King Street West.

See the maps below for parking restrictions and filming locations.

Cobourg police will be working directly with the production company to ensure safety and traffic control, and the Town of Cobourg will work closely with the production company to ensure they are meeting all Town of Cobourg requirements and COVID restrictions.

“Ginny & Georgia” Parking restrictions and filming locations

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency in Ontario in response to protestors occupying the city of Ottawa and blockading the border crossing in Windsor, including enacting emergency orders to protect critical infrastructure with non-compliance resulting in maximum fines of $100,000 and up to a year in jail.

“Today, I’m using my authority as Premier of Ontario to declare a state of emergency in our province,” Ford said at a media conference at Queen’s Park on Friday (February 11), also attended by solicitor general Sylvia Jones, attorney general Doug Downey, and transportation minister Caroline Mulroney.

Ford made the announcement after stating the province is “on track” to remove almost all remaining public health restrictions including removing the vaccine passport system, one of the demands of those occupying Ottawa and blockading border crossings, and after acknowledging the frustration of Ontarians after two years of public health restrictions because of the pandemic.

“I know these frustrations have reached a boiling point for many Canadians,” he said. “The result is what we are seeing in various cities across our province and our country.”

However, Ford said, the rights to free speech and to peacefully protest are not “without reasonable limits.” He said Ontario’s economy is built on trade, especially with the United States, with more than $700 million of trade flowing every day over the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor alone.

“That trade employs hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who work in auto plants and factories across our great province,” he said. “Those jobs feed millions of families. They are the lifeline for our province and its economy. And while I appreciate the right to protest, that right cannot and must not extend to cutting off that lifeline.”

Calling the situation in Ottawa a “siege” and an “illegal occupation”, Ford urged the remaining protestors to go home and to take their children with them.

“This is no longer a protest. With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home. And I know that the vast majority of the people did that — they came, they peacefully demonstrated, they made their point, and they left. And I want to say to those people, you’ve been heard loud and clear. Canada has heard you. My message to those still in Ottawa, to those at our border crossings: please go home. To those of you who have brought your children, please take them home. I urge you. It’s time to leave. And it’s time to do so peacefully.”

For those who choose to remain, Ford warned there will be “severe” consequences.

“To the very small groups who’ve chosen to take a different path, to those who’ve chosen to take a city of one million people hostage for the past two weeks, to those who’ve attempted to disrupt our way of life by targeting our lifeline for food, fuel, and goods across our borders, to those trying to force a political agenda through disruption, intimidation, and chose, my message to you is this: your right to make a political statement does not outweigh the right of hundreds of thousands of workers to earn their living.”

“It does not outweigh our right to get food across our borders. Your right to make a political statement does not outweigh the rights of the million people in Ottawa to live peacefully, free of harassment and chaos in their own homes. So let me be as clear as I can, there will be consequences for these actions, and they will be severe.”

As for the state of emergency, Ford said he will convene Cabinet to use legal authorities to enact emergency orders that make it illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people, and services along critical infrastructure in Ontario.

“This will include protecting international border crossings, 400 series highways, airports, ports, bridges, and railways,” Ford said. “It will also include protecting the safe and essential movement of ambulatory and medical services, public transit, municipal and provincial roadways, as well as pedestrian walkways. Fines for non-compliance will be severe, with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year imprisonment.”

Ford said the province may also take away the personal and commercial licences of drivers who do not comply with orders.

While stressing the emergency orders are temporary and will not restrict the right of Ontarians to peacefully protest, he said the province has “every intention to bring new legislation that will make these measures permanent in law.”

Calling the situation a “pivotal moment for our nation”, Ford appealed for a return to civil peace and unity.

“The eyes of the world are upon us right now, and what they are seeing is not who we are,” he said. “It’s not what Canada’s about. This is not how we change things here in Canada. We do it through the ballot box, because we are Canadian and we are better than that. So, as a province, as a nation, we must collectively draw a line.”

“We must stand for the values that define us. We must come together right now, we must heal the divide that is fracturing our society. We must come together now, not as opponents, but as Canadians.”

The City of Kawartha Lakes has recognized seven winners of the 2021 Bee Hero Garden Challenge on behalf of Bee City Canada.

Bee City Canada, a program of the charitable organization Pollinator Partnership Canada, encourages municipalities and their residents to support bees and other pollinators on both public and private land and to foster environmental awareness of the importance of pollinators.

In 2017, Bee City Canada designated Kawartha Lakes as a “Bee City” — the third in Ontario and the seventh in Canada at the time. The municipality launched the Bee Hero Garden Challenge in 2020 to encourage residents of Kawartha Lakes to help improve the habitat for native pollinators by planting a garden.

The 2021 challenge saw an variety of contestants show the progress of their gardens with before and after pictures, with the following participants selected as Bee Heroes:

Lindsay Community Gardens

Bonita O’Neill and Elizabeth Elliot took the lead at the pollinator garden at Lindsay Community Gardens, located at Fleming College’s Frost Campus, with the help of all the community gardeners. Many hours and attention were put towards planting in masses, without pesticides, for continuous bloom, larva, and water provisions. The garden features many herbs, including zinnias, parsley, and nasturtium.

Anne McMillan

Anne McMillan started her garden in the fall of 2020 with the sole purpose of attracting bees, butterflies, and birds. There are at least 10 varieties of perennials and they were all purchased from Anna’s Perennials near Bobcaygeon, where she was also given advice on what to plant.

Brynley and Bryce Ridgway

The Ridgways started their garden in the summer of 2020, planting yarrow, bee balm, blanket flower, and New England aster using a Canadian Wildlife Federation bee pollinator kit, along with some bright pink petunias. In 2021, they planted brynley and bryce, and their mother added delphiniums and shasta daisies, which are their birthday flowers.

Michelle MacDonald

After years of neglect, the MacDonald’s family garden was in need of some care and the family worked very hard to bring it back. They gave the front garden a huge overhaul, adding different plants to help spruce it up for more pollinators. MacDonald’s four-year-old daughter is always helping in the garden and loves watching the plants grow.

Mary Rose Clark

Mary Rose Clark’s garden started in the spring of 2021 with plants provided by a friend. It features only perennials and concentrates on colour, height, shape, and flowering season. There are two apple trees that cast a shade at different parts of the day and, in total, the garden has over 80 plants with 40 varieties.

Jane Stewart

Jane Stewart has six gardens with pollinator plants and bushes. A couple of years ago, she planted two types of wildflower seeds, one for butterflies and one for bees, following inspiration from the wildflower garden at her favourite golf course. Many of the plants are perennials and the others reseed themselves. The garden has a beautiful array of colours and shapes.

Thomas and Jackie Saunders

Low maintenance and large variety is Tom and Jackie Saunders’ goal. Their garden is for bees, birds, and butterflies and features flowering weeds for natural food, as well as bee balm, lavender, columbines, roses, holly hocks, lupines, stone crop, Russian sage, and summer and winter savory.

“Thank you for doing what you do for the environment,” said Deputy Mayor Tracy Richardson, who presented descriptions and photos of the winners’ garden at a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday (February 8), with several of the winners attending virtually.

“It is so good to see the enthusiasm and the dedication to your gardens, and you are making a difference, so thank you very much,” she added.

In addition to receiving certificates on behalf of council and the municipality’s environmental advisory and pollinator action committees, each Bee Hero received gift cards from local native plant nurseries Grow Wild Native Plant Nursery and Green Side Up.

After a two-year hiatus in its 40-year history because of the pandemic, plans are underway for the return of Port Hope’s annual “Float your Fanny Down the Ganny” celebration.

The weird and wacky race down the Ganaraska River is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 9th, with an inclement weather date for the following Saturday.

“We are cautiously optimistic about the return of Float Your Fanny and a community celebration to mark the 40th race in our history,” says Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson in a media release. “We are keeping a watchful eye on the COVID-19 situation and, after careful consideration and in collaboration with community and emergency service partners, we are able to take the first step in the planning process.”

While the race is a fun celebration of spring, it marks a catastrophic event in Port Hope’s past.

On March 21, 1980, a torrential downpour of rain combined with blocked storm drains and sewers caused the banks of the Ganaraska to spill over into the town of Port Hope. Every bridge on the river was washed out, as well as the board sidewalk and part of Walton Street, damaging buildings, and a child was recorded as having been drowned.

The Port Hope flood was forever recorded in the history books and the commemorative race has become a signature event for Port Hope.

Participants are challenged in a rigorous 10-kilometre race down the Ganaraska River. At the finish line, an outdoor event village called “Fannyville” is set up to host food, drink, and merchant vendors, on-stage entertainment, children’s activities, and a live commentary of the race results, culminating in an award presentation for the race finalists.

“We’ve been hibernating for two years and are ready to celebrate the unofficial start of spring with the return of this much-loved Port Hope tradition,” says Float Your Fanny committee co-chair Barry Adamson. “Our small non-profit organization appreciates the support of the municipality to help us bring this event back to our community calendar. We are excited, cautious, but ready to get back out there and have some good old-fashioned fun.”

Port Hope fire and emergency services are working with community emergency service partners in safety planning and will be on-site during the event. Participants and spectators must follow protocols and remain mindful and respectful of each other along the riverbank.

“The health and safety of the community remains top priority for event organizers and the municipality,” reads a media release.

The event plan has been reviewed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to ensure the municipality remains in compliance with all policies and procedures to support the safety and sustainability of the fish and wildlife habitats in the river.

Participant registration is now open on the Float your Fanny Down the Ganny Race website at www.floatyourfanny.ca, where you can also find the registration fees to enter the race as well as rules and regulations.

The sudden retirement of former Peterborough Police Services chief Scott Gilbert was the dominant topic of discussion during a virtual media briefing held Thursday morning (February 10).

Taking questions were Peterborough Police Services Board chair Les Kariunas and acting police chief Tim Farquharson, the latter named to that role following the former chief’s retirement, announced on February 4, that took effect February 7.

“He (Gilbert) came to us (the police board) to retire, we accepted that, and we wished him best of luck — the time was quick but that’s what we did,” said Kariunas, who refused any comment on a media report that alleged Gilbert was the subject of officially filed complaints.

“I know everybody’s concerned about the suddenness,” Kariunas acknowledged. “Yes, it is sudden but we’re dealing with it very well. From the board side, there’s no need for an investigation. There’s no investigation required going forward. That’s all I want to say at this point.”

“That (Gilbert’s retirement) was something the board had to take seriously and had to act very quickly on. He had been here for 3 and a half years and felt that moving forward was something that was personally in his cards. We (the board) wish him the best of luck.”

Gilbert became the ninth chief of the Peterborough Police Service in July 2018, replacing Murray Rodd who retired after 35 years with the service, including 10 years as chief. Before coming to Peterborough, Gilbert was a long-time member of Toronto Police Service.

As to the question of whether a pay-out was offered Gilbert, Kariunas admitted there “have been precedents for that” but, citing the service’s human resources policies, said he can’t discuss that as it pertains to Gilbert.

“We (the board) had every confidence in the chief going forward but he decided to retire. We did a KPMG study where there were online surveys, there were one-on-ones, and there were group-focused surveys on an anonymous and confidential basis. Overall we felt that we were moving forward in a positive way. From the entire service as a whole, there was generally satisfaction.”

“I can’t say for everybody in the service whether there were complaints or not, but we did our diligence to ensure we were moving forward in a positive way. The chief decided to retire so now we have to move forward in that way.”

Placed suddenly into the top cop role was Farquharson who, since 2012, has served as deputy police chief.

“On Friday, I was told the chief had decided to retire. The board chair (Kariunas) spoke to me and asked if I’d be interested in the acting role while they conduct a search (for a new chief). I said ‘Absolutely, I’ll take that challenge on.'”

The search process, said Kariunas, will begin with the next Police Services Board meeting.

“We have to dust off previous process and review it and sharpen it up and go forward,” he said.

“We’re discussing the search process but we’re certainly committed to not only internal candidates coming forward but external (candidates) as well. There’s a process for that as there was in 2018 (when Gilbert was hired).”

“We don’t have an acting deputy chief right now,” Kariuna said, referring to Farquharson’s new role as acting chief. “That leaves us obviously with a gap. That kind of pressures us to move on this quick. We want to get through this process as quickly as possible.”

For his part, Farquharson says he hasn’t considered putting his name forward as a candidate for the top job.

“Honestly, I haven’t time to think about and I hadn’t thought about it before that,” he said. “I don’t know what next week or next month will bring. I haven’t even talked to my family about what future plans are. I’m concentrating now on the day-to-day operations and supporting an incredible service.”

“We’ve taken, and are going to continue to take, the time to connect internally with our members. Obviously when things like this happen, it’s sudden but we have incredible people. They come to work every day to work. I would say, by going around to the shifts, that everybody is ready to hit the ground running and keep going.”

The media briefing was originally called to provide details on the Peterborough Police Service “moving forward, highlighting upcoming projects, goals and challenges.”

While Kariunas did provide a state of-the-union-type overview as an introduction, all of the subsequent media questions centred on Gilbert’s retirement, and the circumstances around that, as well as acting chief Farquharson’s acceptance of the interim position and his focus moving forward.

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton and the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre are collectively receiving over $200,000 in provincial funding to help address the growing demand during the pandemic for rural services for women who have experienced violence and exploitation.

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott and Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith made a virtual announcement on Thursday (February 10), along with Kim Dolan, executive director of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton will be receiving $142,949 to support the Haliburton Emergency SafeSpace (HERS) program — which provides a safe space within Haliburton County so that women and their children can move away from the abusive situation in their home, without leaving their support systems, jobs and schools, families and friends behind — as well as an additional $8,272 for training initiatives.

“The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton and Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre provide services to the most vulnerable members of our community,” Scott said. “This funding will help ensure they can continue to deliver supports and operate local shelters during the pandemic, especially for those who are in rural and remote areas and face transportation barriers.”

The Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre will be receiving $55,088 to deliver crucial services and supports to survivors of human trafficking and women who have experienced violence.

The funding will be used to support a collaborative project between Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle to provide public education (including events, conferences, and workshops) in Curve Lake First Nation, Alderville First Nation, and Hiawatha First Nation for human trafficking victims and survivors and those at risk of human trafficking.

“Today’s funding will help so they can write a better ending to their story,” Smith said during the announcement, acknowledging Scott’s advocacy work for services for vulnerable women in her riding.

The funding from Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is part of the Ontario government’s $3.6 million investment in rural frontline agencies to address the growing strain on services due to COVID-19.

According to Dolan, calls to the HERS program from women experiencing gender-based violence have increased throughout the pandemic.

“For women who are living with violence, there’s always unpredictability and uncertainty,” said Dolan. “(The pandemic has) added additional barriers to women who are contemplating leaving. It’s made it much more complicated for women to reach out and for services to reach in.”

For the fourth time in the past year, the reopening of the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge has been delayed — this time until the fall.

“Parks Canada was recently informed by the contractor that progress on the refabrication of the mechanical components for the bridge has been slower than expected and has resulted in further delays to the rehabilitation project schedule,” reads a media release from Parks Canada on Wednesday afternoon (February 9).

The project to rehabilitate the bridge, which began in October 2020, was originally scheduled to be completed last May. Delays with the fabrication and delivery of hydraulic and mechanical components, and the discovery that some components of the bridge were in worse condition than originally anticipated, changed the expected completion date to the summer.

Last July, Parks Canada announced the bridge would not reopen in the summer because key mechanical components involved in rotating the bridge needed to be refabricated as they did not meet safety and quality standards. The refabricated components were to be installed in October following the closing of the navigation season, with the bridge expected to reopen for vehicle use in December.

In December, Parks Canada announced a new consultant has been brought onto the project to review and finalize the design and the refabrication of required components for the bridge. After the review of the project, the contractor advised Parks Canada the reopening of the bridge needed to be pushed to spring 2022 due to issues mainly associated with the mechanical component refabrication.

“Design and refabrication of the mechanical components for the bridge continues offsite,” Parks Canada states. “The components are expected to arrive on location through the spring and summer 2022 at which time they will be installed. Once installation of the components has begun, the remainder of the bridge work will be able to continue with an expected completion in late summer/early fall and bridge reopening scheduled for fall 2022 once testing has been completed.”

Parks Canada says the bridge work is not expected to impede boat navigation, as the work does not impact the nearby Lock 32.

The enhanced pedestrian access over the upper lock gates and its access paths will continue to remain open until the bridge project has been completed.

“Parks Canada is working closely with the Contractor to bring the project to its completion,” reads the media release “Further updates will be provided as new information becomes available.”