Families with young children are invited to take part this month in the EarlyON "Discovery Passport" program, which involves visiting EarlyON locations in Northumberland County to learn more about their activities and programs while playing games and collecting stamps to win prizes. (Photos: Northumberland County)
EarlyON Northumberland is extending a boarding call for area families to grab their passport for a program aimed at promoting fun and play at EarlyON centres in Northumberland County.
In November, EarlyON Northumberland is bringing back its “Discovery Passport” initiative, which encourages families to visit EarlyON centres and partner locations across Northumberland to take part in activities, collect stamps, and be entered for a chance to win prizes.
Lesley Patterson, Northumberland County’s manager of Early Years services, shared with kawarthaNOW some of the highlights of the 2024 initiative and her hopes for this year’s program.
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“The children were always so excited to receive their passport stamp stickers when they had completed an activity,” Patterson said.
“They got to choose from a wide assortment of fun stickers and were proud to place them on the square in the passport. Families were very engaged in this fun, interactive opportunity.”
EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer free drop-in programs for parents, caregivers, and young children under six years old. There are seven EarlyON Child and Family Centre locations across Northumberland and a variety of partner sites in local libraries and community centres.
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EarlyON programs provide families with opportunities to engage in hands-on learning and play, both indoors and outdoors. “From the recently introduced Grandfriends program – bringing seniors and families together – to special programs for new or expecting parents, there is something for everyone.”
Programs are offered at various locations throughout the community on weekdays, weekends, mornings, and evenings.
“We’re excited to bring back the EarlyON Discovery Passport,” Patterson said. “It’s a wonderful way for families to explore new programs and activities, such as the Goodrich-Loomis Conservation Area adventures and family hikes in the Northumberland County Forest.”
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Families interested in exploring EarlyON programs are invited to pick up a Discovery Passport at any EarlyON location or print one at home. They will receive a stamp from their EarlyON educator each time they complete an activity in the passport, by visiting an EarlyON centre, attending a program, or completing an activity.
Families who collect five or more stamps and submit their passport to an EarlyON educator by Saturday, November 29 will earn a small prize and be entered to win one of two $100 Indigo gift cards.
Patterson hopes the program proves to be successful like last year.
“One outcome would be to increase awareness of the free early learning programs across Northumberland County that support healthy child development and parent connections,” Patterson said. “This initiative encourages parents and children to engage in our programs in a variety of ways.”
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For instance, if they always attend an indoor program, maybe they will try an outdoor activity this time.
“It is meant to be interactive, creating opportunities for families to see new things, and maybe bring a friend or two along for the experience,” Patterson said.
Daniel Marlatt, an elemental artist at Miskwaa Art Studio and Outdoor Gallery in Trent Lakes, has announced his free "Dedicate a Canoe" project inviting community members to dedicate a six-inch canoe handcarved by the artist to a loved one and send it down the Miskwaa Ziibi river at Marlatt's studio in spring 2026. The free-of-charge project is inspired by the similar "lil Red Canoe" project and blog that Marlatt launched in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Marlatt)
In a new social project from Kawarthas elemental artist Daniel Marlatt, you can dedicate a miniature canoe to a loved one at no cost and release it into a river.
Inspired by nature, Marlatt works across a range of mediums at his Miskwaa Art Studio and Outdoor Gallery, located between Bobcaygeon and Buckhorn in Trent Lakes. He creates unique items from wood and stone and often embarks on major projects in his studio throughout the slower winter months.
Marlatt’s upcoming “Dedicate a Canoe” project takes inspiration from the “lil Red Canoe” project he launched in 2019 that saw him release one-inch miniature canoes down the Miskwaa Ziibi river that flows along his property.
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Marlatt began a daily blog at lilredcanoe.blogspot.com about the project and his goal of releasing 99 of the canoes, each of which were each dyed red using wine. He began inviting anyone who visited the gallery to release a canoe, and ultimately created 350 of the mini-canoes over more than two years.
“Not one had been reported found because they were so small, so they would just degrade,” says Marlatt, noting that people began dedicating the canoes. “Word got out and people started coming out and just releasing them for their reasons — some for the loss of a loved one, some for the loss of a pet.”
Marlatt says it was “incredible” to see the response people had after letting their canoes free in the river.
“They were more joyous and happier because it was symbolic of letting something go,” he says. “They see the pain that they’re feeling go down the river. Of course, there were a lot of tears, a lot of crying, but it was a real relief to these people.”
When watching visitors release miniature canoes in memory of a lost loved one through his “lil Red Canoe” project, artist Daniel Marlatt often noticed participants being flooded with a sense of relief and feeling “set free.” For his upcoming “Dedicate a Canoe” project, Marlatt will be inviting participants to send six-inch canoe handcarved by the artist and engraved with a message of choice down the Miskwaa Ziibi river Miskwaa Art Studio & Outdoor Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Marlatt)
In April of 2022, Marlatt decided to go even bigger and released a foot-long canoe with a message in a bottle. In May 2025 — over three years later — a person named Frank left a message on Marlatt’s blog stating the canoe washed up on the shore of his Little Bald Lake property.
Getting this reminder, along with having other visitors drop by throughout the summer asking about the lil Red Canoe project, encouraged Marlatt to revisit the initiative at a much larger scale. His Dedicate a Canoe project now uses six-inch canoes, providing space for dedications and messages.
The first canoe Marlatt made for the project was dedicated to renowned artist Neil Broadfoot, who was a friend of Marlatt and passed away in 2020. The artists met through the now-defunct Kawartha Artists Group and did a successful show, “The Canadian Shield Through the Eyes of an Artist,” alongside a third artist in 2018.
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“We just hit it off right away,” Marlatt recalls of first meeting Broadfoot. “We had a lot of good times together and he would come out here (to the studio) often.”
It takes Marlatt about five hours to hand carve each canoe out of spruce and engrave it though pyrography. The canoes are also burned to create a rustic look and remain all-natural so as not to be harmful to the environment.
Marlatt, who already has a waitlist started for the Dedicate a Canoe project, says there is no cost to participate — with the only obligation being that participants come to the studio to set the canoes free in the Miskwaa Ziibi.
The first miniature canoe in Daniel Marlatt’s “Dedicate a Canoe” social project has been dedicated to renowned artist Neil Broadfoot, who passed away in 2020. Marlatt and Broadfoot met through the Kawartha Artists’ Group and did shows together, including “The Canadian Shield Through the Eyes of an Artist.” (Photo courtesy of Daniel Marlatt)
“It doesn’t have to be just in memory of a passing,” he says of a participant’s reason for releasing a canoe. “They can be set free for no reason but that the person wants to participate in the project. Another reason is maybe they’re a young married couple setting out on their life together, and they can put their names and the date on the canoe.”
Marlatt will create the canoes throughout the winter and, in the spring, participants will come to the studio to release their boat on the Miskwaa Ziibi.
“They can look forward to gathering with friends and family,” he says. “A lot of people feel the energy here. It’s the whole experience of setting it free and watching it go, and then just letting that energy being released.”
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Given the river’s location close to the Trent-Severn Waterway, Marlatt says there are opportunities for the canoes to be found in a range of locations, and given that they are larger, they won’t degrade as rapidly as the smaller ones.
“They have the potential of actually heading out to the ocean through Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence,” he says. “I’ve had people visit me in the studio who are from England and they even say it might be a possibility it could wash up on the shores of England. You never really know where they’re going to end up.”
In case the canoes are ever found, Marlatt will be adding an inscription that reads “please set me free again” on the back of the canoe so “it continues on its own little journey.”
One of artist Daniel Marlatt’s six-inch canoes to be released into the Miskwaa Ziibi river in spring 2026 as part of the “Dedicate a Canoe” social project. Above the dedication canoe is one of the canoes from Marlatt’s “lil Red Canoe” project, which inspired his latest project. There is no cost to participate in Marlatt’s “Dedicate a Canoe” project, with the only obligation to visit Miskwaa Art Studio and Outdoor Gallery in the spring to release the canoe into the Miskwaa Ziibi river. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Marlatt)
Regardless of where a canoe ends up and the path it takes to get there, Marlatt hopes there will be healing in the moment of the sendoff.
“It gives me a real warm feeling seeing how it changes people just to let it go,” he says. “They walk away with a sense of feeling a little bit of relief in actually watching it go down the river and being set free. It’s basically setting something free inside them that will give them that sense that things will be all right.”
Daniel Marlatt describes himself as an “elemental artist” who works with different species of wood which have unique grain patterns and whose artistic process includes the use of water-based stains and pyrography finished with a high grade epoxy resin. He also works with stone from the Miskwaa Ziibi river, which runs alongside Miskwaa Art Studio & Outdoor Gallery, which he founded in Trent Lakes in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Marlatt)
Attendees at the Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) announcement on November 7, 2025 about the creation of the new Kawartha Highlands South nature reserve in the Municipality of Trent Lakes included (from left to right) Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, KLT board member Geri Blinick, KLT trustee Gary Pritchard, KLT executive director John Kintare, Ontario Land Trust Alliance executive director Alison Howson, and KLT board chair Randy Northey. (Photo: Stephanie Lake)
With funding from donors and the federal and provincial governments, Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) has completed the purchase of a 435-acre property in Peterborough County where the land conservation charity has created a protected nature reserve and has plans to offer community hiking trails in the future.
The Kawartha Highlands South nature reserve is an ecologically significant property located in the Municipality of Trent Lakes and is adjacent to the provincially owned Kawartha Highlands Signature Site, a popular destination for locals and visitors to the region.
On Friday morning (November 7), KLT hosted an announcement at Kawartha Highlands South to acknowledge the donors and funding agencies that made the nature reserve possible and to share information about future community hiking trails.
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Earlier this year, KLT embarked on a fundraising campaign to raise $1.6 million to protect the property, with $1.5 million going towards the land purchase and an additional $100,000 going towards project-related costs and KLT’s stewardship fund to ensure the property will be cared for in perpetuity.
In addition to government and agency funding, over the summer KLT received donations from more than 450 individuals and families after an anonymous donor stepped up to match all donations of up to $100,000.
According to KLT communications manager Dani Couture, the success of the fundraising campaign showed how important protecting Kawartha Highlands South was to the community.
“Our donors, volunteers, and supporters passionately support ambitious conservation projects like this one time and time again, making immediate and lasting differences for nature,” Couture told kawarthaNOW.
The 435-acre Kawartha Highlands South property is bounded on three sides by the southern end of Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. (Image: Kawartha Land Trust)
Along with community donations, KLT received $260,000 from the Natural Heritage Conservation Program’s Land Trusts Conservation Fund, $150,000 from the Echo Foundation, $129,000 from the Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, and $120,000 in funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.
The organization also received support from the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, the Ontario Conservation Accelerator, and Wild Rock Outfitter’s ComPassion Project.
Back in March, KLT learned the property had been listed for public sale by a family that has owned and cared for the land for decades. The owners accepted an offer from KLT with a deadline of May 15, which the owners later extended to July 16 and then to August 31 to allow KLT additional time to raise the necessary funds to purchase the property.
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“When KLT saw this ecologically significant property go up for sale, we knew we had to act,” said KLT executive director John Kintare in a media release. “The sheer volume of support from our community, funders, and donors was inspiring. Together, we were able to protect nature for future generations and create hiking trails for the community to enjoy. We’re really looking forward to welcoming residents and visitors to KLT’s Kawartha Highlands South nature reserve.”
According to KLT, more than 100 species of birds and larger mammals like black bears, moose, and fishers have been observed on the Kawartha Highlands South nature reserve, including at least 12 species at risk.
Almost 70 acres of the property is comprised of wetlands, which provide denning, nesting, and foraging habitat for numerous species, including river otters, turtles, wading birds, waterfowl, and others.
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With the property bordered on three sides by Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, a popular destination in Ontario for nature enthusiasts, hikers, and paddlers, KLT is aiming to create three to five kilometres of public access hiking trails in Kawartha Highlands South, with the potential to connect the trails to existing ones in the park
Before creating the trails, KLT plans to observe the property for a full year — including during all four seasons — to make decisions that strike a balance between ecological needs and recreational needs. The charity expects to have the trails established and open to the public by the fall of 2027.
Since being founded in 2001 by a group of passionate conservation-minded citizens, KLT has protected 47 properties across the Kawarthas comprising more than 8,700 acres of diverse types of land, and assists in the management of one additional property. On its nature reserves that are open to the public during all four seasons, KLT currently maintains more than 50 kilometres of trails and hosts free events in nature throughout the year as part of its “Passport to Nature” program.
Michelle Yu and Amir Haidar during a rehearsal for "Hansel & Gretel - The Sticky and Sweet Panto" at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope. The two actors, who have each performed in several past productions at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope and shared the Capitol stage for the first time in 2023, are taking on the lead roles in the holiday musical comedy written and directed by Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson. Running for 45 performances from November 21 to December 28, 2025 at the historic downtown venue, the panto includes both "naughty" versions for adults and family-friendly "nice" versions. (Photo: Sam Moffatt)
Familiarity gets a lousy rap, what with it often associated with the contempt it allegedly breeds.
Amir Haidar and Michelle Yu are having none of that. As the lead actors in this year’s holiday season panto at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, the pair know each other well. Familiarity, in their case, breeds mutual admiration.
Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto, running for an ambitious 45 performances from November 21 to December 28, stars Haidar and Yu in the title roles as two siblings who are abandoned in a forest and fall into the hands of nasty witch who lives in a gingerbread house.
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With the play written and directed by Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson, the circle of trust is complete. Back in 2023, Kempson directed the Capitol Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors, which brought Haidar and Yu together onstage for the first time. This year’s holiday production marks Haidar’s fourth Capitol production while Yu returns to the historic venue for a third time. Both are thrilled.
“I have done pantos in the past and I just love them — they’re so much fun,” enthuses Haidar. “I’m always grateful to be asked, or considered, to apply to work at the Capitol.”
“To work with Rob, to work with the energy there, is absolutely beautiful. To get to do it around the holiday time, and to get do it in that environment with a new kind of show, was really exciting for me. It took no convincing for me to be like, ‘Yes, please. Please have me.'”
Amir Haidar and Michelle Yu performing together at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope during the 2023 production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” (Photo: Sam Moffatt)
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Yu is no less excited to be back in the Capitol fold, recalling her first experience as an audience member taking in a production of 9 to 5.
“I remember so clearly that my friends who were working on the production just had the best time,” she says.
“Rob always assembles really good people, and he makes it really feel like a second home. You see familiar faces every time you pass through, from the ushers to Rob who’s running the whole thing. Everyone knows everyone’s name. There’s a community-based vibe, which is just such a great work environment to be a part of.”
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By definition, a panto — short for pantomime — is a type of musical comedy that originated in 18th-century England, where it continues to be popular holiday theatre fare. Based on a well-known fairy tale, with a story adapted for a broader audience, key elements of a panto are audience participation, slapstick comedy, theatrical cross dressing, and music and dancing.
Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto checks all those boxes, says Haidar, noting how appealing that is as an actor.
“At the beginning of my career out of school, I got the incredible opportunity to do four pantos at the Stirling Festival Theatre from 2013 to 2016,” recalls Haidar, terming that run “one of the more formative experiences of my entire life. I wouldn’t be the actor I am today without it.”
“It’s a different beast of a show. The rules are completely different; the way the audience approaches it is completely different. It’s informed by the fact that it’s during the holiday time, and there’s a specific merriment and joy that comes with that, but the function of the show is different. It’s meant to entertain, to make you laugh and make you think about things a little differently, but it’s just fun. It’s challenging because you kind of have to be quicker on your feet.”
Amir Haidar (left) as Bud in Stirling Festival Theatre’s 2013 production of “Rapunzel, A Hairy Tale.” (Photo: Stirling Festival Theatre)
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For Yu, this is her second panto role, having made her panto debut a couple of years ago in Halifax.
“It feels like such a tradition for the families who are coming to see you. They’re excited and you’re a part of their formative Christmas memories, which is something I feel so grateful for whenever I’m do any holiday show, panto or not. My panto experience has really taught me how to engage with audiences. It requires you to be more present every single show. You can’t go on autopilot in a panto the same way you can with a set script.”
Not lost on either Haidar or Yu is the fact they are portraying characters that beloved by generations since the German fairy tale was first collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. As such, audiences will arrive with some pre-conceived expectations.
“Pantos are usually based on fairy tales or well-known stories, so there’s always this archetypal or well-known character idea you’re stepping into,” Haidar says. “But the cool thing about a panto is it’s subverted and it’s turned on its head.”
“I was re-reading part of the script today and I was like ‘Wow, Rob was able to turn the stories a little bit onto their head and change the characters in a way that you’re introduced to this version of Hansel and Gretel in a way that’s really fun. Yes, there’s a little bit of what you’re used to, but it’s twisted enough in a fun way that I’m excited to create our version.”
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Yu fully concurs, assuring audiences “are going to completely forget what show they thought they were walking into by scene two. It’s so ridiculous and silly and fun.”
While traditional British pantos cleverly incorporate adult-oriented humour in a way that goes over the head of the children in the audience, making the show suitable for the entire family, most North American pantos have “nice” versions for families and “naughty” versions for adults. Such is the case with Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto, which features a nice version suitable for kids aged eight and up and a naughty version ladened with mature language and themes that is recommended for those aged 16 and up.
“It’s now become this thing that happens everywhere,” says Haidar of the dual panto script.
“The naughty version is naughty in a super fun way — not in any crass or tacky way. The songs will probably be the same, and the general storyline will be the same, but there are certain jokes and innuendos.”
“Some people might think that because there’s a naughty and nice version, the nice version isn’t as fun or enjoyable or as vibrant. I feel families are going to get such a fun time out of it because there’s so much in it that’s exciting, whether there’s naughtiness in it or not.”
Michelle Yu (left) in the 2023 production of “Cinderella” at Neptune Theatre in Halifax. (Photo: Neptune Theatre)
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As for performing together again, that’s an experience both Haidar and Yu are embracing.
“I’m paraphrasing here, but Rob always says, for his theatre, he has a no-jerks policy,” notes Haidar. “Anytime someone asks me about someone that I’ve worked with, it’s never ‘Are they a good singer? Are they a good actor?’ It’s ‘What are they like to work with? Are they kind? Are they nice? Are they generous? Do they have a good work ethic?'”
“I can’t say enough amazing things about Michelle in terms of skill and talent,” he adds of his co-star. “If you’ve heard her sing, you’ve heard no one else sing. Getting to work together on Little Shop of Horrors was such a beautiful experience. She’s one of the nicest humans I’ve ever met. There’s something exciting about stepping into a show where maybe you don’t know certain people, but there’s also something exciting about stepping into a show to pay off not only someone you know but you think so highly of.”
Yu doesn’t hesitate for a second in reciprocating Haidar’s praise, addressing him directly.
“I know you’re blushing, but you truly have no ego about you,” she says. “You’re here to make the best version of a piece of a show and that’s really inspiring. I’m so excited to work together again. I was reading through the script and there were some parts I that was like ‘Oh, this is so Amir.'”
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With opening night drawing nearer, both Haidar and Yu are as anxious as kids on Christmas Eve.
“Just getting to opening night is always my pat on my shoulder because it really takes such a huge team effort for everything to come together,” says Yu, adding “It’s like ‘We did it. We got here against all odds.'”
“Rob always makes sure the audience knows we built this from scratch here in Port Hope,” adds Haidar.
“This is so cliché, but what makes theatre so special is it’s a fleeting moment we’re all sharing together. That’s especially true for a panto, where every show, based on how the audience will react, will be a little different every night.”
Michelle Yu and Amir Haidar (right) with other members of the cast of “Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto” during a recent rehearsal. The two actors are taking on the lead roles in the holiday musical comedy written and directed by Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson. Running for 45 performances from November 21 to December 28, 2025 at the historic downtown venue, the panto includes both “naughty” versions for adults and family-friendly “nice” versions. (Photo: Sam Moffatt
Beyond Haidar and Yu, the cast includes Jacob MacInnis portraying the Witch, with Kory Fulton, Arinea Hermans, Jeremy Lapalme, Yunike Soedarmasto and Nathanael Judah filling out the ensemble. Musician Justin Han is also in the mix.
The production’s creative team is comprised of choreographer Genny Sermonia, music director Scott Pietrangelo, music arranger Jeff Newberry, set designer Anna Treusch, associate set designer Mary Witlib, costume designer Joyce Padua, lighting designer Michelle Ramsay, sound designer Christie Heriot, stage manager Kat Chin, assistant stage manager Jess Gordon, and assistant director Jill Harper.
The “naughty” version of Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto runs at 7:30 p.m. from November 21 to 27, November 29 and 30, December 3 to 7, 10 to 14, 17 to 20, 22 and 23, and 26 to 28, with an additional evening performance at 8 p.m. on November 28 and matinee performances at 2 p.m. on December 16 and 18.
Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson (middle) directing a recent rehearsal of “Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto,” which he also wrote. The holiday musical comedy runs for 45 performances from November 21 to December 28, 2025 at the historic venue in downtown Port Hope. (Photo: Sam Moffatt)
The “nice” version has matinee performances at 2 p.m. on November 22 and 23, 30, December 6 and 7, 13 and 14, 20, 23, 27 and 28, with an additional matinee performance at 3 p.m. on November 29 and morning performances at 10:30 a.m. on November 26 and December 3, 10, and 17.
Tickets are $48 for adults over 30, $40 for youth and adults ages 13 to 30, and $22 for children 12 and under. The November 21 “naughty” performance, which is a pay-what-you-can preview, is almost sold out.
To order tickets, visit the box office at 20 Queen Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, call 905-885-1071, or order online at capitoltheatre.com/hansel-and-gretel/.
Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services has received 198 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to distribute to local homeowners in need as part of Safe Community Project Zero, Enbridge Gas's annual public education delivered in partnership with the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council, which will see over 14,200 alarms donated to 75 fire departments across Ontario. (Photo: Municipality of Port Hope)
With Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services responding to 25 calls for service related to carbon monoxide emissions over the past year, fire chief Jason Williams is hopeful a recent donation of combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will help save lives in Port Hope.
The Port Hope department has received 198 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to deliver to local homes under Safe Community Project Zero, Enbridge Gas’s annual public education delivered in partnership with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council to promote the installation of the alarms in homes in Ontario communities where Enbridge operates.
Enbridge Gas, which developed the program to bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero, has donated more than 115,000 alarms to 75 fire departments across Ontario since the program began 17 years ago, including over 14,200 alarms valued at $450,000 this year alone.
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When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), an odourless toxic gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels, including natural gas.
“Working smoke and CO alarms save lives, period,” Chief Williams, who is also Port Hope’s director of protective services, told kawarthaNOW.
“Throughout my career with the Ontario Fire Marshal and the fire service, I have seen far too often the effects of not having working alarms, resulting in serious injury or death throughout the province of Ontario. It is the law to have working smoke and CO alarms in your home.”
As of January 2026, changes to the Ontario Fire Code will require carbon monoxide alarms on every level of a residential home with a fuel-burning appliance, the chief noted.
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Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services will be distributing the alarms in the community, with a focus on homeowners who might otherwise not be able to afford them.
“Our fire prevention division has been in contact and in communication with local community groups in and throughout the Municipality of Port Hope,” Chief Williams said. “Our plan is to identify those homeowners in the community who need the alarms, and who may have limitations on purchasing their own. We want to ensure that these alarms go to those residents who are truly in need of these life-saving devices.”
Of the 25 calls Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services received during the past year, there were eight situations involving elevated levels of carbon monoxide. In some cases, residents required treatment and transportation to the hospital via emergency medical service as a result of carbon monoxide exposure.
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“Carbon monoxide alarms play a vital role as a second line of defence against this invisible threat, often called the silent killer,” said Ryan Marshall, operations manager for Enbridge Gas, in a media release.
“Proper maintenance of fuel-burning appliances is the most effective way to prevent carbon monoxide exposure. We’re proud to support our communities by raising awareness and helping Ontarians take simple, proactive steps to stay safe in their homes.”
The objective of Safe Community Project Zero is to deliver these alarms to areas where they are needed most.
“It is a program that not only helps fire departments raise awareness about the legal requirement to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed in all Ontario homes, but also reinforces the critical role they play in saving lives,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg, who is also chair of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council.
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Public education and prevention are key parts of the work conducted by Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services, Chief Williams noted, and partnerships like Safe Community Project Zero help the department reach people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to these critical safety devices.
Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection, rescue, and emergency response services to residents and businesses across the Municipality of Port Hope, which includes the town of Port Hope and a number of villages and hamlets.
The department operates three fire stations with a combination of full-time and volunteer firefighters and is committed to fire prevention, public education, and community safety through ongoing training, outreach, and emergency preparedness initiatives.
The Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council was established in 1993 with a mission to help create “a world where no one is hurt by fire.” Chaired by the Ontario Fire Marshal, the council promotes fire prevention and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals with an interest in public safety.
For the fourth straight year, a public Remembrance Day sunrise service will take place at Little Lake Cemetery in Peterborough. The service is open to anyone who would like to attend. (Photo courtesy of Opus Tribute Group)
For the fourth straight year, the not-for-profit group behind Little Lake Cemetery and Highland Park Funeral Centre in Peterborough is hosting a public sunrise service on Remembrance Day.
The service will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday (November 11) at the war memorial in the veterans section of Little Lake Cemetery, located at 915 Haggart Street. The service is open to anyone who would like to attend.
Remembrance Day events in the Kawarthas
For a list of Remembrance Day ceremonies, parades, services, and related events across the greater Kawarthas region, visit our Remembrance Day Events column.
“It’s important to honour our veterans who have fought for the freedoms we have today,” says Opus Tribute Group CEO James Belk in a media release.
“Little Lake and Highland Park staff wanted to give our community another opportunity to honour those veterans. As schedules don’t always allow for people to pay tribute at the Cenotaph at 11 a.m., this provides an alternative for those to do that before work or school.”
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Past ceremonies have been officiated by Regimental Chaplain Nancy Wilson of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and included playing of “The Last Post” followed by two minutes of silence.
Staff will be at the main gates of Little Lake Cemetery on Tuesday morning to direct attendees to the service.
Little Lake Cemetery and Highland Park Funeral Centre are also continuing to work with various area schools in association with the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation, which focuses on educating youth in Canada about Canadian veterans. Local students have been placing Canadian flags at individual veteran’s graves in the days prior to Remembrance Day.
Peterborough's Cormor and Bracebridge's 3DCP Muskoka have partnered to create a unique line of 3D printed products available at Stony Lake Furniture Co. in Lakefield. The founders of the two 3D printing construction companies are encouraging customers to think outside the box and challenge them on architectural design products that can be made through 3D printing. (Photo courtesy of Cormor)
Three innovative businesses have teamed up to design, manufacture, and sell a line of versatile and custom furniture using large-scale 3D printing.
At Stony Lake Furniture Co. in Lakefield, you’ll find stylish planters that have been made with the cutting-edge technology and modern craftsmanship of Cormor and 3DCP Muskoka, both of which are 3D printing companies working in construction and based in Peterborough and Bracebridge respectively.
“What we’re looking to do is (bring together) collective minds because of the freedom of design capabilities of this technology,” says Dwight Corcoran, CEO and co-founder of Cormor, which has been involved in 3D printing for four years. “More imaginative minds and more creative minds are going to push us even further.”
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Also known as additive construction, 3D construction printing is a digitized process whereby a specialized material (often specially formulated concrete) goes into a mixer and then is extruded through an autonomous robotic arm, layer by layer. There is no need for formwork as the concrete sets very quickly after each layer.
“It makes beautiful architectural design products that you can’t get through any other form of creating,” says 3DCP Muskoka founder Linda Reisman, who suggests the process of 3D printing sounds much simpler than it is.
“There are many steps involved because you have to get the material just right and there are a lot of different factors that come into play,” she says. “But if you have the material right and the program is right, then off the printer goes and you just have to watch it make this beautiful object — and it can go very quickly.”
Corcoran adds that finding the precise material is imperative because weather, water, and temperature can all have an impact on how the product comes out.
“It’s not as easy as just pushing a button as people might think,” says Reisman. “You can watch all the videos, and it looks so easy and everything comes out perfectly, but we have a lot of bloopers also where things are modelling and then all of a sudden it collapses. It’s definitely a technique that has to be precise.”
With the right material and machinery, Cormor and 3DCP Muskoka have crafted sleek one-of-a-kind planters that can be used indoors or outdoors and demonstrate the custom capabilities of 3D printing.
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“It’s just a cool conversation starter when people come into the store because it’s totally new to them,” says Lisa Besseling, owner and principal designer of Stony Lake Furniture Co.
“Being able to come in here and touch it is different than seeing it online. Online you really don’t see the designs well. They’re gorgeous, and the texture of the material in person is really cool and almost looks like rope.”
The 3D printed planters are a good fit for Stony Lake Furniture Co., according to Reisman.
The new line of 3D printed products available at Stony Lake Furniture Co. in Lakefield from Cormor and 3DCP Muskoka are crafted using a specially formulated concrete mixture that is durable and can withstand harsh weather and a range of temperatures. The products are also sustainable because the 3D printing process results in almost no material waste. (Photos courtesy of Cormor)
“Lisa’s products are incredible, and they go really well (with the 3D printed collection),” Reisman notes. “She has a premium product in her shop, so I think it’s a very good combination that we hope to expand on.”
For her part, Besseling says she hopes to collaborate with Cormor and 3DCP Muskoka throughout the winter by designing the next products, including side tables, coffee tables, and other furniture, to be featured in the collection.
“It would be fun to come up with some stuff for client work or work on some small pieces for in the store,” she says. “All of that is very exciting from a retail and interior design perspective.”
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As for selling customers on the products themselves, Corcoran points to the versality of concrete as a building material.
“Concrete’s been around forever — iIt’s the most widely used construction material that there is and it’s durable,” he says.
“Then it’s really about opening up your imagination. What do you want designed? We can come up with something that will work. We’re looking for people like Lisa who has a creative talent and knows her customers. Then if the customer has an idea, we can probably print it.”
Lisa Besseling is the owner and principal designer of Stony Lake Furniture Co. in Lakefield. She is working in collaboration with Cormor and Muskoka 3DCP to design more custom 3D-printed products such as side tables and coffee tables. (Photo courtesy of Cormor)
3D printing also offers a sustainable construction solution because, in addition to being durable, the products are also more efficient, requiring less labour, and there is very little waste.
“You can use all kinds of different materials and different concrete or mortar mixes, and most of it is low carbon (with) the continuous push is to use more eco-friendly products,” says Corcoran. “Because it’s digitized, you already know how much material you need and you only make that amount, so there’s not this waste that is usual in construction.”
While additive construction is a relatively new technology and construction activity has slowed from a 2023 peak, Corcoran sees 3D printing as the future.
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“It’s taken longer than we all expected to take off in Ontario and in Canada, but in the next five to 10 years, this automation is a real thing,” says Corcoran.
“What’s always happening is there are new advances going on very quickly and so, being involved in that as both our companies are, we’re always playing with the new technology and trying to push it further. It’s going to be here to stay.”
Reisman adds that 3DCP Muskoka and Cormor are the first 3D printing construction companies in Canada to have collaborated to do architectural design products.
“As we start pushing it more to people in the public, there’s going to be more uses,” Corcoran says. “The technology is advancing quickly, the material’s advancing quickly, and then people involved in it are going to push the boundaries. It’s not like it’s replacing people, because it just changes the way people work. You still need minds, and you need people to be able to do the digital process for the robot. It helps save the backs of people that are in that industry, but it won’t replace them.”
Dwight Corcoran is the CEO and co-founder of Cormor, a 3D printing construction company based in Peterborough. He believes 3D printing is the future of the industry and invites customers to come up with innovative projects that can be custom printed using the cutting-edge technology. (Photo courtesy of Cormor)
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Corcoran and Reisman suggest it’s only the beginning of their collaboration and there is so much capacity for customizable projects, from restaurant bars and cash desks to those with company logos and even those made with materials beyond concrete.
“Whether it’s a table or an outdoor BBQ or bathtub, the products are endless,” says Reisman.
“Challenge us on the designs and we’ll come up with something for you,” Corcoran adds. “There are almost unlimited ways of constructing with the 3D printing, so challenge us. We’re looking for that.”
Linda Reisman is the co-founder and CEO of 3DCP Muskoka, an innovative start-up specializing in 3D printing for the construction industry. She believes that 3DCP Muskoka and Cormor are the first 3D printing construction companies in Canada to have collaborated on 3D printed architectural design products. (Photo courtesy of 3DCP Muskoka)
The first significant snowfall of the season in the Kawarthas region is expected for Sunday (November 9).
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Hastings Highlands.
A low pressure system could bring significant snowfall to parts of southern Ontario on Sunday. Snow is expected to begin Sunday morning and continue through Sunday evening, with snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 cm possible in the Kawarthas region.
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As Environment Canada’s confidence remains low with respect to the strength and track of the weather system, the areas affected and snowfall amounts may change.
Motorists should expect difficult winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays.
Although there’s a chance of additional flurries on Monday and Tuesday, the snow is unlikely to hang around with higher temperatures forecast for later in the week.
This story has been updated with the latest forecast information from Environment Canada.
Point in Time executive director Marg Cox (second from left) and Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) program supervisor David Bradley (fourth from left) along with peer specialists cut the ribbon for "Coming Full Circle" at 83 Maple Avenue in Haliburton on November 4, 2025. Funded by Health Canada, the two-year initiative is designed to help people with mental health and addiction challenges succeed by building a network of trained and mentored workers who have lived experience. (Photo: CMHA HKPR)
Two non-profit agencies have come together to offer a new program that will help people in Haliburton County with substance use and mental health challenges by pairing them with others who have lived experience.
Point in Time and the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) officially launched “Coming Full Circle” on Tuesday (November 4) at the program’s location at 83 Maple Avenue in Haliburton.
The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from project leaders and dignitaries, guided tours of the community space, opportunities to meet peer support workers, and information about support services.
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Funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program, Coming Full Circle is a two-year initiative designed to help people with mental health and addiction challenges by building a network of trained and mentored peer support workers who have walked in their shoes.
“Coming Full Circle is a program staffed entirely by six peer specialists with lived and living experience of substance use, addictions, and mental health (challenges),” program supervisor David Barkley of CMHA HKPR told kawarthaNOW.
“They are people who know firsthand what it’s like to face those challenges in Haliburton County. The peers are fostering a safe and judgement/stigma-free space for authentic connection, understanding, and support.”
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Along with CMHA HKPR and Point in Time, which offers a wide range of supports and services to children, youth, and families in Haliburton County, Coming Full Circle is supported by the Haliburton County Connections Committee (formerly the Haliburton County Mental Health and Substance Use Working Group).
In a media release, Barkley said the program represents a new approach to care, as peer support workers with lived experience understand the barriers and challenges that people face.
“That authenticity helps build trust and makes it easier to navigate the tough realities that can come with living in smaller, rural communities,” he added.
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The name of the program reflects that it not only supports people with substance use and mental health challenges, but also employs people who have lived experience with the same challenges.
“Peer support workers offer a unique and invaluable perspective, fostering trust, empathy, and connection in ways that traditional services often cannot,” the media release noted.
“By centering peer support in this initiative, Coming Full Circle not only creates employment opportunities, but also strengthens the fabric of community care.”
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Barkley told kawarthaNOW he hopes the program will bridge the gaps in service for people in the community who are underserved while also breaking down barriers to support.
“We want to help as many people who are facing challenges around substance use and addiction in Haliburton County as possible,” he said. “But, ultimately, if we can assist just one person by listening, supporting, or helping them with their goals or needs, it’s a success.”
The head office of the Kawartha Haliburton Children's Aid Society is located at 1100 Chemong Road in Peterborough. (Photo: Google Maps)
Just over a year after the entire board of the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society resigned following a provincial government takeover of the child welfare agency, a new board of directors is in place led by former United Way Peterborough & District CEO Len Lifchus.
Joining Lifchus on the newly formed board are lawyer Blake Jeffries as treasurer, healthcare professional John Corso as vice-chair, Curve Lake First Nation councillor Arnold Taylor, educator Allison Sadowski, and former Peterborough County warden J. Murray Jones.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity to lead the board at Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society,” says Lifchus in a media release. “This is an opportunity for collective leadership to work alongside staff in achieving the mission of the organization.”
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As well as serving as United Way Peterborough & District CEO for 10 years, Lifcus served as CEO for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton until he retired in 2014. He has also served on the boards of many organizations over the years, including as chair of the board of Hospice Peterborough.
The formation of the new board comes 13 months after Ontario premier Doug Ford suggested that Ontario’s 37 non-Indigenous children’s aid societies were being financially mismanaged, with the province subsequently launching a review to look at issues such as the quality of protection the children’s aid societies provide as well as their finances.
As with other societies across the province, the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society — which has its head office in Peterborough and branches in Lindsay and Haliburton — was running a deficit.
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In July 2024, the agency announced plans to reduce its $22 million budget by $7.6 million over three years, including by laying off 24 full-time equivalent positions by March 2025. Affecting 20 unionized staff and five non-union and management staff, the lay-offs would amount to a 20 per cent reduction in the agency’s workforce. The organization also announced plans to close its Haliburton branch.
Along with budget deficits, a shortage of available beds in group homes and foster homes has meant children’s aid societies across the province, including the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society, have had to resort to placing some children and youth — particularly those with special needs or challenging behaviours — in unlicensed settings such as hotels, motels, trailers, and even their own offices.
The previous board of the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society resigned on October 23, 2024 after learning the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services would be installing a supervisor for up to a year to oversee and manage the child welfare agency in place of the board and executive director.
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Following the board’s announcement, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Michael Parsa issued a statement confirming he had appointed Rosaleen Cutler as supervisor for the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society “to oversee and operate the society and help ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth receiving services.”
“During her term, Ms. Cutler will address the society’s growing financial and operational issues and reinstate good governance and fiscal sustainability, while ensuring the continuity of services to children, youth, and families,” Parsa said.
Cutler was previously executive director of the Children’s Aid Society of Northumberland, before it merged with the Hastings Children’s Aid Society in 2012 to become the Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society. Later, she also worked as project manager and child welfare lead with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and was interim CEO of the York Region Children’s Aid Society before retiring in 2021.
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Over the past 13 months, Cutler has led the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society during the development of a deficit management plan and the implementation of the agency’s operational review.
Although a new board is now in place, Cutler will continue to lead the agency until a permanent executive director has been recruited.
“Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society has experienced some significant changes over the last few years,” Cutler says in the media release. “I look forward to supporting the board in its establishment of priorities while providing strategic leadership and guidance within agency operations as we move forward.”
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