Peterborough police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in an armed robbery of a bank in downtown Peterborough on Monday morning (January 10).

At around 10:45 a.m. on Monday, officers responded to a 9-1-1 call about a robbery at the bank at George and Hunter Street, in which the suspect pointed a firearm at employees before fleeing. Officers and K-9 searched the area but did not locate the suspect.

No one was injured in the incident.

The suspect is described as being in his early 20s, with a large build, brown eyes and brown skin tone, with a tattoo on the back of his left hand.

He was wearing a white t-shirt with a graphic of a bird, a black coat with a hood, light-coloured jeans, and a white mask over top of a black mask.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.

Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for all of the greater Kawarthas region overnight on Monday (January 10).

Bitterly cold arctic air, combined with light winds, will bring extremely cold wind chills to the region beginning near midnight on Monday. This is the coldest air so far this season.

In the northern Kawarthas region, including Haliburton County and northern Hastings County, temperatures will range from -25°C to -32°C with wind chill values near -35°C.

In the southern Kawarthas region, including Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County, temperatures will range from -21°C to -28°C with wind chill values near -30°C.

Wind chills will improve Tuesday morning after sunrise.

Extreme cold puts everyone at risk, but infants, elderly people, people with circulatory problems, and people who are marginally housed are especially vulnerable.

If going outside, dress in layers (including a wind-resistant outer layer). Cover up exposed skin, as frostbite can develop within 10 to 30 minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill.

Consider re-scheduling outdoor recreational activities, especially during the evening. There is a serious risk of hypothermia and frostbite if outdoors for long periods.

Remember: if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.

A Lindsay man is in custody and facing charges following a six-hour standoff with police overnight on Saturday (January 8).

On Saturday at 8:01 p.m., Kawartha Lakes police responded to a report of a man pointing a firearm at another resident at a rooming house on Division Street in Lindsay. The resident had left the house and called police.

Police arrived and set up a containment area around the house for public safety. Officers then contacted the man and negotiated with him to leave the house, which he refused to do. The OPP’s Tactical Response Unit arrived to assist local police and took over containment around the house.

After several hours, police obtained a warrant to enter the residence. At 2:35 a.m., the OPP Tactical Response Unit entered the rooming house and took the man into custody. Officers seized a replica firearm while executing a search warrant.

Alexander LeClair, 35, of Lindsay, is charged with pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, breaching the conditions of release order not to possess any weapons of firearms, and failure to notify change of address.

The accused man was held in custody for a bail hearing.

Peterborough Public Health is investigating after social media posts surfaced of an event held at the Keene Centre of the Arts in Keene on Saturday night (January 8).

Based on videos posted on social media of the event at the venue, which is located at 12 1st Street in Keene, it appears around 20 people were in attendance, with no face masks in sight and few attendees respecting physical distancing requirements.

Under the current provincial public health measures, indoor concert venues and theatres must close and social gatherings are limited to five people indoors.

“Peterborough Public Health is aware of the events that took place over the weekend at the Keene Centre for the Arts,” wrote Peterborough Public Health on its social media accounts on Monday (January 10).

“PPH is currently reviewing the information received and will be following up with the establishment. Further enforcement action will be taken, as necessary.”

The health unit is asking anyone with concerns or more information to submit a complaint using the online complaints form on its website.

The Keene Centre for the Arts
owned by Ida Brown in the small community of Keene, Ontario hosted this event last night with absolutely no COVID-19 protocols.

On stage is Roy from Peterburgers.

These folks sure look “threatened” @mferreriptbokaw!@twpiggott @Ptbohealth pic.twitter.com/nLkwiicWXe

— Tanya (@TanyaFusco) January 9, 2022

Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for the northern Kawarthas for Friday night (January 7) into Saturday morning.

The extreme cold warning is in effect for Haliburton County and northern Hastings County, with wind chill values of -35°C expected.

Meanwhile, Peterborough Public Health has issued the first frostbite alert of the season for all of Peterborough County as well as Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, with wind chill values of -28°C expected Friday night and early Saturday morning.

Extreme cold puts everyone at risk, but infants, elderly people, people with circulatory problems, and people who are marginally housed are especially vulnerable.

If going outside, dress in layers (including a wind-resistant outer layer). Cover up exposed skin, as frostbite can develop within 10 to 30 minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill.

Consider re-scheduling outdoor recreational activities, especially during the evening. There is a serious risk of hypothermia and frostbite if outdoors for long periods.

Remember: if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.

The Ontario government has announced a new grant program for businesses forced to close under the public health restrictions in response to the omicron variant that took effect on Wednesday (January 5) and will remain in effect until at least January 26.

The Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant will provide eligible small businesses with a one-time payment of $10,000.

These include restaurants and bars, indoor sports and recreational facilities (including fitness centres and gyms), performing arts venues and cinemas, meeting or event spaces, tour and guide services, conference centres and convention centres, driving instruction for individuals, before- and after- school programs, and museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions.

Eligible businesses that applied and qualified for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant in 2021 — which provided $20,000 to $40,000 for businesses forced to close or significantly restrict services under the December 2020 province-wide shutdown — will not need to apply for the new grant program. Those businesses will be “pre-screened to verify eligibility” according to a media release from the province.

Businesses that have been established since the 2021 grant program, and businesses that are newly eligible under the new grant program, “will need to apply once the application portal opens in the coming weeks,” the media release reads.

Any small business that qualifies for the Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant can expect to receive their $10,000 payment in February, according to the government.

The province also announced it would be providing electricity-rate relief for three weeks beginning January 18. During that period, electricity prices will be set 24 hours a day at the current off-peak rate of 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is less than half the cost of the current on-peak rate.

The off-peak rate will apply automatically to residential customers, small businesses, and farms who pay regulated rates set by the Ontario Energy Board and get a bill from a utility and will apply both to customers on time-of-use and tiered rate plans.

The government also announced online applications for the Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program will open January 18. originally announced on December 22. the program will provide eligible businesses required to close or reduce capacity as a result of public health measures with rebate payments for up to 100 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to the measures.

Eligible businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs. Those required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs. A complete list of eligible businesses will be provided prior to the launch of the application portal.

From January 1 to July 1, the province is also providing an optional six-month interest- and penalty-free period for businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes, including the employer health tax, taxes on beer, wine, and spirits, tobacco tax, insurance premium tax, fuel tax, international fuel tax agreement, gas tax, retail sales tax on insurance contracts and benefit plans, mining tax, and race tracks tax.

For more information, visit ontario.ca/page/businesses-get-help-covid-19-costs.