Otonabee Conservation announced the recipients of the annual Environmental Excellence Awards at the organization’s virtual annual general meeting on Thursday night (January 20).

Each year, the conservation authority honours four “watershed champions” with the awards, recognizing people and groups who have demonstrated the advancement of watershed health through projects on the landscape and actions that contribute to a healthier environment for everyone.

The Conservation Partnership Award was presented to Peterborough Public Health by City of Peterborough councillor Gary Baldwin, in recognition of the health unit’s leadership during the pandemic as well as the health unit’s programs and services related to drinking water source protection, water quality monitoring at public beaches, and more. Julie Ingram, manager of environmental health programs at Peterborough Public Health, accepted the award on behalf of the health unit.

The Individual Conservationist Award was presented to Brianna Salmon by Mayor Diane Therrien, in recognition of Salmon’s leadership as the former executive director of Peterborough GreenUP for five years, and her current role as executive director of Green Communities Canada. At GreenUP, Salmon championed and led a successful five-year capital campaign to increase accessibility and infrastructure at GreenUP’s Ecology Park, a community hub for environmental education, native plants, and sustainable gardening practices.

The Business Award was presented to Trent University by Selwyn Township mayor Andy Mitchell, in recognition of the university’s leadership in environmental education and stewardship, including the School of the Environment, the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan, Cleantech Commons, and the university’s first-of-its-kind zero-carbon professional forensics training facility. Julie Davis, vice-president of external relations and Development, accepted the award on behalf of the university.

The Environmental Stewardship Award was presented to the Millbrook chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada by Cavan-Monaghan Township councillor Ryan Huntley, in recognition of the Millbrook chapter’s efforts to improve fish populations, fish habitat, drinking water, and the overall aesthetics of the landscape, with a focus on Baxter and Squirrel Creeks. Millbrook chapter president Scott Calder accepted the award on behalf of the group.

Along with presenting the awards, Otonabee Conservation appointed a new chair and vice-chair of the board of directors.

Cavan-Monaghan Township councillor Ryan Huntley, previously vice-chair, takes over as chair from Selwyn Township mayor Andy Mitchell, who has filled the role since 2014. Municipality of Trent Hills councillor and deputy mayor Michael Metcalf is the new vice-chair.

Malaika Collette, a youth climate activist and program coordinator with Kawartha World Issues Centre, was the keynote speaker at the annual general meeting. She spoke about her inspiration for climate action in the Peterborough area, and how her passion for climate education has taken her work and activism to the national and international stage, including attending and participating in last year’s COP26 in Scotland.

The Peterborough Tool Library will be moving from its current home at the Endeavour Centre to the Peterborough North Habitat ReStore, effective March 1.

Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region is taking over management of the tool library — which allows members to borrow from hundreds of tools for an annual fee — from the Endeavour Centre, which needed to reorganize after two years of navigating the pandemic and find a new home for the tool library so it could continue to grow and expand.

A non-profit organization that builds and renovates affordable homes for low-income working families and individuals, Habitat has long been involved in the circular economy and the reduce, reuse, and recycle movement through their Habitat ReStores.

The non-profit home improvement and building supply stores accept and resell quality new and gently used building materials, furniture, appliances, home décor items, and clothing and accessories, with proceeds from sales funding Habitat home-building projects in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

“We are really excited to see the tool library move under the Habitat umbrella,” says Jen Feigin, director of operations at the Endeavour Centre and a founding member of the tool library, in a media release. “We couldn’t think of a more suitable organization to run the library and continue the mission of growing the sharing economy while providing affordable access to tools. There could really not be a better fit.”

Currently located at the Endeavour Centre at 910 High Street in Peterborough, the tool library was founded in May 2006 by a group of volunteers and has been housed and run by the Endeavour Centre ever since. The tool library will be temporarily closing at its High Street location as of Sunday, February 6th and will reopen at its new location at the Peterborough North Habitat ReStore at 300 Milroy Drive on Tuesday, March 1st, with new expanded hours at the new location to be announced in February.

“Habitat ReStores provide an answer for those looking to donate or those looking to purchase household goods that are eco-friendly and affordable, and now they can also provide shared and affordable access to tools,” says Christina Skuce, director of operations for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region.

“Moving the tool library to the Habitat ReStore is a great fit and will further help to support our mission to empower through local affordable homeownership,” she adds. “And we are excited to be able to offer expanded hours to access the library.”

The relocation of the Peterborough Tool Library to the Habitat ReStore will give Peterborough residents one-stop access to both affordable home-building materials and tools for their home renovation projects, while supporting the work of Habitat for Humanity.

“The community will now be able to go shop for their gently used building materials, furniture, appliances, and home décor items, and borrow the tools they need while they are at it,” says Nikki-Ann Murray, volunteer coordinator with the Peterborough Tool Library. “Both shopping second hand and participating in a community tool library is a great way to lower your carbon footprint.”

For more information about the Habitat ReStore, visit www.habitatpkr.ca/restores.

For more information on the Peteborough Tool Library, including membership options and its inventory of 600 tools and home improvement books, visit www.ptbotoollibrary.ca.

Peterborough police believe there may be more victims of a 65-year-old British Columbia man who has been charged in connection with a sexual assault alleged to have taken place four decades ago.

The Peterborough Police Service launched an investigation in August 2021 after receiving information from a male victim about sexual assaults dating back to the 1980s.

As a result of the investigation, a Canada-wide warrant was issued on January 7 for Gary Bratty, who was arrested by the RCMP in British Columbia on January 17. Peterborough police detectives brought the accused man back to Ontario.

Bratty has been charged with sexual assault, indecent assault on a male, invitation to sexual touching, and sexual interference. He was held in custody pending a bail hearing.

Peterborough police are releasing Bratty’s name as they believe there are further victims who have yet to come forward.

Bratty was a professional weightlifter who was chosen for Team Canada’s weightlifting team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but did not compete because Canada boycotted the games. He was affiliated with Big Brothers of Hamilton in the early 1980s and trained numerous youths in weightlifting throughout the city of Hamilton during this time.

Bratty also worked in provincial correctional facilities in Toronto, Peterborough, and Ottawa from 1980 to 1989. In 1990, Bratty moved to British Columbia where he resided in the Vancouver and Burnaby areas and coached weightlifting at a university in the lower mainland of BC.

Police are requesting further victims to reach out to the police service where they currently live, or to call Detective Constable L. White of the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 ext. 285.

The Ontario government has announced the gradual lifting over the next six weeks of the COVID-19 public health restrictions implemented as a result of the omicron wave.

“Percent positivity has now dropped to 15.9 per cent, new admissions to hospitals are starting to slow, and patients are spending far less time in the hospital when admitted — and our health system workfroce is stabilizing, with more people coming back to work than calling in sick,” said premier Doug Ford in a media conference at Queen’s Park on Thursday (January 20), also attended by health minister Christine Elliott and chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore.

“As I said at the time, while necessary the additional measures were always intended to be time limited,” Ford added. “They were one more tool to blunt the spread of omicron and protect our hospitals. The evidence tells us that these measuers are working and that we can expect recent trendss to continue, as omicron cases peak this month.”

“While we can be confident in how far we’ve come, I want to be crystal clear — we’re not out of the woods yet,” Ford said. “The coming weeks will continue to pose real challenges, especially to our hospitals. But these are challenges our hospitals can manage. We can be confident in our ability to care for people, to provide hospital beds to those who need them, and we can be confident that the worst is behind us as we look to cautiously ease public health measures.

The removal of restrictions will take place in a phases approach, with 21 days between each step depending on trends in public health and health care indicators.

“Final recommendations on moving to each step will continue to be based on the recommendations of the chief medical officer of health, and we are committed to remaining cautious and responsive as we continue to respond to the omicron variant,” Elliott said.

As of January 31, social gathering limits will be increased to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, capacity limits will be increased or maintained at 50 per cent in indoor public settings (including restaurants, bars, retailers, shopping malls, cinemas, gyms, meeting and event spaces, museums, galleries, zoos, casinos, bingo halls, and religious services), and spectator areas at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres will be permitted to operate at 50 per cent seated capacity or 500 people (whichever is less).

As of February 21, social gathering limits will be increased to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, capacity limits will be removed for indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required (including restaurants, gyms, and cinemas), and spectator areas at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres will be permitted to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

In most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required, capacity will be limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance. For indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, there will be no capacity limit if proof of vaccination is required.

In addition, indoor capacity limits in higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required (including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs) will be limited to 25 per cent.

As of March 14, social gathering limits will be increased to 50 people indoors with no limits for outdoor gatherings and social capacity limits will be lifted in all indoor settings, as well as from religious services, rites, or ceremonies.

In all steps, proof of vaccination requirements will continue to apply as well as other public health requirements such as masking.

According to the government, to manage COVID-19 over the long-term, local and regional responses by public health units may be deployed based on local context and conditions.

This story has been updated with additional details.

Peterborough police attended the home of Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott on Wednesday night (January 19).

Witnesses tell kawarthaNOW several police vehicles arrived at Dr. Piggott’s East City home around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, leaving and then subsequently returning at 10 p.m.

On Thursday morning, Peterborough Public Health issued an advisory that Thursday’s regularly scheduled COVID-19 media briefing would be postponed “due to events that happened at the personal residence of Dr. Piggott last night and his need to be with his family.”

On Saturday afternoon (January 15), a small group of anti-vaxxers showed up to protest at Dr. Piggott’s home carrying signs. They dispersed after police arrived. The protest came a day after Dr. Piggott posted on Twitter to criticize anti-vax protestors outside the offices of Peterborough Public Health.

Police have not released details of the Wednesday night incident. However, a video posted on YouTube shows a woman arriving at Dr. Piggott’s home, carrying a plastic food dish, and knocking on his door. When Dr. Piggott answers the door, the woman welcomes him to the neighbourhood and he introduces himself. Dr. Piggott then asks the name of the “gentleman” standing behind the woman.

When Dr. Piggott apparently becomes aware the man is recording the encounter on video, he quickly shuts the door while the woman pulls out a piece of paper out of the plastic food dish and shouts “You’re being served, you’ve been served!”. She then places the piece of paper in his mailbox.

(Editor’s note: the video has since been removed from YouTube for violating its guidelines; however, we have embedded another version of the same video.)

VIDEO: Protestors arrive at Dr. Piggott’s home

The description below the original YouTube video read, “Thomas Piggott, Peterborough Ontario Medical Officer of Health, served Notice: Trespass, Liability and Cease and Desist. Peterborough Public Health uses private security to block the public from accessing publicly funded resources and hides in a private building. We are therefore left with no alternative but to serve them at their residences. Piggott called police after slamming his door. He made FALSE accusations of an “attempted assault” to police. If he’d lie to police about this, what else is he lying about?”

Peterborough resident Tyler Berry, who has been vocal against COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, posted a public Facebook video of police arriving at Dr. Piggott’s home.

On Thursday, Tyler Berry posted another public Facebook video of police arresting and subsequently releasing him. In that video, a police officer can be heard reading charges of criminal harrassment, intimidation, and mischief. It is unclear whether the charges are related to the incident at Dr. Piggott’s home.

On Thursday afternoon, Peterborough police issued a media release stating that a 30-year-old Peterborough man — presumably Berry, although the Peterborough Police Service no longer provides the names of accused people in its media releases — was arrested and charged with criminal harassment and intimidation of a health official.

“The accused was also served with a court summons on two charges of mischief in connection with an unsanctioned parade on December 11, 2021,” the media release reads. “The accused was released on an undertaking with conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on February 17, 2022.”

“Peterborough Police takes these incidents seriously and, in this case, has laid a charge under the new Bill C-3 provisions of the Criminal Code.”

Bill C-3, which received royal assent on December 17 and came into force on January 16, amends the criminal code to make it an offence to “provoke a state of fear” in a health professional or a person who assists a health professional in the performance of their duties.

Later on Thursday afternoon, Peterborough police also charged a 54-year-old Peterborough woman in connection with the incident at Dr. Piggott’s home. As a result of an investigation, a warrant for a person involved was requested by the police and granted. The accused woman was arrested on the warrant and charged with criminal harassment and intimidation of a health official. She was released on an undertaking with conditions and is scheduled to appear in court on February 16, 2022.

Although police do not name the accused woman, Christine Massey is identified in a video as the person who knocked on Dr. Piggott’s front door. Massey publicly posted on her Facebook page about the arrest, where she also writes about her involvement in the incident at Dr. Piggott’s home.

This story has been revised to accurately describe the sequence of events in the video of the incident at Dr. Piggott’s home.

From January 27 to February 4, the 2022 ReFrame Film Festival will connect our communities when we need it most.

Tickets and passes can be purchased at reframefilmfestival.ca, where you’ll also find information about the virtual festival format.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Amy Siegel, ReFrame’s creative director, about how this year’s festival covers environmental and social justice topics.

“Every year for the past 18 years ReFrame has brightened up the depths of winter,” shares Siegel. “I’m proud to say that ReFrame 2022 is here to do that when we need it most. We are looking forward to the conversations and connections that come from watching these films together, even when we are apart.”

“We’re living in a deeply polarized world right now. There are several films this year that are about the struggle to have conversations across divides. What does it mean to have differing opinions? What is the power of art in political work? Many of the answers come from the value and generosity of having vulnerable conversations.”

In addition to this focus on the power of conversation, the environmental films in ReFrame 2022 are connected by two underlying themes: food justice and collective action.

VIDEO: “Food For The Rest of Us” trailer

Food security, food sovereignty, and sustainable food production are all key concerns as we tackle the climate emergency and the ongoing pandemic.

“Many of the films at ReFrame this year explore issues of food justice,” Siegel explains. “Films like Mnoomin: Gift of the Creator reflect on the cultural role of food and food sovereignty, while films like Food for the Rest of Us ask questions about our local relations to food.”

Mnoomin: Gift of the Creator is a local film premiering at ReFrame 2022. Mnoomin is also part of the all-Canadian short film program called “The Earth Sustains Us.” This short film program is packed with premieres and powerful films — including several local films — that you’ll have a difficult time watching if you miss ReFrame 2022.

The feature-length documentary Food for the Rest of Us is about radical activism through farming, Siegel shares.

“The film looks at four community food projects across North America, each in its own way exploring how we can develop more sustainable and equitable access to food,” Siegel says. “Director Caroline Cox will be speaking at ReFrame Festival this year. Cox lives in the Northwest Territories, but she went to school in Lindsay, Ontario. She is excited to be talking at ReFrame 2022 because she still has strong roots in this area.”

“Food for the Rest of Us is particularly interesting because one of the four profiles is a butcher who is trying to reconnect people to humane and local meat supply chains,” Siegel adds. “It is rare in an environmental film about farming practices to bring in sustainable meat eating. That’s an interesting choice.”

VIDEO: “Follow the Drinking Gourd” trailer

Follow the Drinking Gourd is another film on the topic of food justice.

“About the Black food justice movement, this film links the legacy of slavery in the United States to land loss and climate change,” Siegel says. “It manages to do that in 60 minutes while also being accessible and family friendly.”

The other underlying theme, collective action, encompasses the need for both activism and accountability in addressing the climate emergency.

“We see this collective action taking many forms,” Siegel explains, including the local short Conserving Catchcoma, which is premiering at ReFrame 2022 as part of the local “Earth Sustains Us” short film program.

“Conserving Catchacoma reveals the need for collective action to preserve old growth trees here in our own community,” Siegel says. “Many people take the natural beauty of this region for granted.”

Directed by Mitch Bowmile, the film follows efforts to conserve the largest-known stand of old-growth eastern hemlock in Canada. Located in Catchacoma, just north of Peterborough, this forest is home to at least 10 documented species at risk.

VIDEO: “Arica” trailer

“There is also the collective action involved in the lawsuits holding governments and corporations accountable in films like Arica and Youth v Gov,” Siegel adds.

Arica is made by Chilean-Swedish filmmaker Lars Edman, who was born in Chile and grew up in the Swedish village of Boliden, home of a Swedish mining company that dumps toxic waste into a river in Chile. Here, collective action takes the form of the question, “How do we hold first-world nations and corporations responsible for toxic waste?”

Youth v Gov follows 21 youth activists from across the United States of America as they file a ground-breaking lawsuit, making the case that the government has endangered their constitutional rights by creating the climate crisis through six decades of action. Hint: the film is about more than just a lawsuit.

In the Canadian film Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace, we see collective action in the form of coalitions across nations, Siegel says.

This film follows Diane Abel and Chief Roland Willson from West Moberly First Nations, who are part of a coalition of resistance fighting to preserve their treaty and cease construction of a multi-billion-dollar mega-dam along the Peace River in British Columbia, Canada (commonly known as Site C). Director Heather Hatch will be speaking at ReFrame 2022.

Toxic Neighbour is a short film about Eugene Bourgeois, who located his sheep farm next to the world’s largest nuclear facility, the Bruce Nuclear Station in Kincardine, Ontario. When his family and sheep were repeatedly exposed to toxic gases from the nuclear station, Eugene dedicated the rest of his life to pushing his nuclear neighbour for greater transparency and accountability.

VIDEO: “Toxic Neighbour” trailer

Walking with Plants is a visually and musically stunning exploration of how Styawat (Lee Joseph) walks between academic and cultural worlds. Styawat grew up away from her traditional territory in Squamish, B.C., but came to a deeper understanding of her identity as a Skwzwú7mesh woman and returned to her family home. There, she contemplates her relationship with plants and the role of plants as teachers.

GreenUP is once again excited to be a sponsor supporting the ReFrame Film Festival. Visit reframefilmfestival.ca/festival/passes-tickets/ now to get your passes and tickets and join us in the local and global conversations and actions these amazing films inspire.

For information about all 71 films screening at the 2022 ReFrame Film Festival, visit the online film guide at reframefilmfestival.ca/film-guide.

The Lakefield Trail Stewardship Committee has announced the winners of the Lakefield Trail photo contest.

The contest celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Lakefield Millennium Trail, which opened in December 2000.

The contest, which ran from February to December 2021, required photographers to have one foot on the Lakefield Trail when their photo was taken, with each photographer eligible to enter up to five photos.

“With so many people enjoying walking, cycling and skiing on the Lakefield Trail network during the COVID pandemic, the stewardship committee wanted to highlight this exceptional infrastructure in our village,” says committee chair Bruce Bellchambers in a media release. “Physical and mental health is so important and our trail is accessible for all to enjoy.”

Seventeen people submitted 58 photos to the contest. Jurors Laura Peers, Meaghan Larocque, and Lynn Cassels-Caldwell selected the following winners.

1st prize – View with ice on the Otonabee River by Adam Stibbards

2nd prize – Bench on the trail with autumn leaves by Michael Post

3rd prize – View of clouds reflected in the Otonabee River by Natalie Zwicker

Stibbards won a $100 gift certificate to a Lakefield business and Post and Zwicker each won a $50 certificate to a Lakefield business.

“Many of the inspiring images featured glorious sunsets, mist, and ice seen from the main stretch of the trail along the river and emphasized the beauty of nature in the midst of the village,” says contest co-ordinator Laura Peers in a media release.

Although the contest is over, people are encouraged to send in photos they take on the trail to recreation@selwyntownship.ca and they will be used for promotional purposes.

Rogers Communications has expanded its 5G network to eight new cities across eastern Ontario, including Peterborough, Lindsay, Port Hope, and Cobourg in the greater Kawarthas region.

Rogers and the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) made the announcement on Wednesday (January 19).

The network expansion is part of a $300 million partnership between Rogers, the Canadian and Ontario governments, and EORN to bridge the digital divide and bring reliable wireless connectivity across eastern Ontario.

“We congratulate Rogers Communications for completing the first step in improving the reach and quality of cellular coverage across eastern Ontario through the EORN Cell Gap Project,” said J. Murray Jones, Peterborough County warden and EORN chair.

Through the $300 million partnership, Rogers will deliver mobile connectivity to 113 municipalities and Indigenous communities in eastern Ontario by building more than 300 new cellular towers and upgrading over 300 existing sites by 2025.

“Using the latest technologies available, upgrades to the Rogers network in these communities will help support economic growth and improved quality of life,” Jones said. “We also appreciate the support of our federal, provincial, and municipal partners in helping us close the gap in mobile services.”

Rogers 5G service is also now available in Kingston, Carleton Place and Perth in Lanark County, Kingston, and Picton in Prince Edward County.

Fifth generation (5G) wireless network technology is capable of peak data rates of up to 100 times faster than 4G LTE, latency rates as low as one millisecond (10 times lower than 4G LTE), and the ability to connect more devices (up to 10 million connections per kilometre, which is 10 times more capacity than 4G LTE).

In May 2017, EORN — a non-profit organization created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, which represents 13 municipalities across eastern Ontario, to improve broadband access across the region — proposed the Cell Gap Project, a $213 million public-private partnership to enhance both the reach and quality of cellular data services.

Rogers Communication was awarded the contract in March 2021 after a competitive bidding process,

According an EORN-commissioned engineering study, around a quarter of eastern Ontario where there are homes, businesses, or major roads contain cellular “dead zones”, where people cannot access any cellular services and, where cellular service does exist, nearly two-thirds of the area doesn’t have enough capacity to provide high-quality mobile broadband service.

The estimated total cost of the Cell Gap Project is $302 million, with the Canadian and Ontario governments each contributing $71 million, with an additional $10 million coming from the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and most municipalities within the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus.