Starting this week, visitors entering Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay will be required to provide proof of full vaccination status — with some exceptions.

The hospital announced the policy on Monday (November 22), which does not apply to essential care partners or to patients. There are also limited exceptions to the new policy, which comes into effect on Thursday, November 25th.

“Ensuring a safe and healthy environment for everyone who works at and receives care at our hospital is our highest priority,” says Anne Overhoff, the hospital’s vice president clinical and chief nursing executive, in a media release.

“Immunization against COVID-19 helps decrease transmission of the virus to vulnerable populations and minimize serious illness and overall deaths,” Overhoff adds. “We feel our policy strikes the appropriate balance between limiting potential transmission and maintaining visitation that is required in the delivery of exceptional care.”

As of November 25, every visitor entering Ross Memorial Hospital will need to present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and valid government-issued identification. Only vaccines approved by Health Canada will be accepted (two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD or one dose of Janssen/Johnson & Johnson).

There must be at least 14 days from the time the second dose of a two-dose vaccine was administered for a visitor to be permitted entry.

Visitors will also need to pass screening, practice hand hygiene, and wear a face mask at all times when in the hospital and on hospital property, and refrain from eating or drinking while in hospital and on hospital property.

Visitors who do not provide proof of vaccination and government-issued identification, and who do not meet the definition of an essential care partner (someone who is required to enable care for safety or compassionate reasons), will only be permitted to enter the hospital if they are supporting patients under one of the following exceptions:

• Those visiting patients at the end-of-life (within weeks).
• A birthing partner or doula of a patient giving birth at the hospital.
• Patients who require a support person in the Emergency Department.
• Parents of children under the age of 18.
• Individuals under the age of 12.
• Patients receiving a life altering diagnosis.
• Patients who require a support person to safely attend their appointment. This includes physical, cognitive and developmental disability, and who have challenges with communication and mobility.
• Those xxperiencing a mental health crisis.

According to Ross Memorial Hospital, this policy aligns with many other hospitals in Ontario.

Peterborough municipalities and First Nations have launched “My Covid Champion”, a new four-week campaign to recognize and celebrate those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic.

Beginning Monday (November 22), Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations, the City of Peterborough, and Peterborough County are inviting local residents to nominate their “Covid Champion”.

When nominating a Covid Champion, residents are encouraged to consider essential service providers, healthcare workers, and first responders, as well as friends and neighbours.

“There are countless people in our community who deserve recognition and thanks, from healthcare workers, to grocery clerks, to supportive neighbours,” says Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien in a media release.

“As an alternative to our traditional Civic Awards, this year we are pleased to partner with Hiawatha First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, and the County of Peterborough to celebrate the heroes in our community that kept us safe, healthy, and fed during the past 20 months.”

Nominations can be made on social media (details below), with paper copies of nomination forms available at county, township, and local government offices.

As an added incentive, Covid Champions and those who nominate them will qualify to receive one of eight locally sourced gift baskets valued at $250 each. A random draw held during the week of December 13th will determine the gift basket recipients.

To nominate your Covid Champion on social media:

• Go to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
• Decide who you would like to nominate as your Covid Champion.
• Write a brief tribute to your Covid Champion, describing why you are nominating them.
• Be sure to include the hashtag #mycovidchampion in your post.

You can also tag your Covid Champion and one or all of @PtboCounty, @curvelakefirstnation, @CityPtbo, and @hiawathafirstnation. If you are not tagging one of the municipalities or First Nations, make sure your post is public so your nomination can be included and to qualify for the gift basket draw.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with our sister First Nation, Curve Lake, and our neighbours in the City and County of Peterborough, to celebrate the unsung heroes of this pandemic, who went above and beyond,” says Hiawatha First Nation Chief Laurie Carr.

“For those who embodied our Seven Grandfathers Teachings and kept us safe and healthy over the last 20 months, we say Chi-Miigwetch.”

Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum has launched a $1.5 million public fundraising campaign for its “great portage” — preparing its collection for the move to the new museum now under construction.

The museum, currently located at 910 Monaghan Road, has more than 600 watercraft and 500 paddles, as well as hundreds of artifacts and an archives and library collection.

According to a media release from the museum, every item in the entire collection needs to be prepared for eventual transfer to the museum’s new home at the Johnson Property at 2077 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough.

“Every vessel and artifact requires detailed cleaning, documentation, stabilizing, packaging, transportation, a quarantine and inspection process, and installation in the new museum,” says museum curator Jeremy Ward. “Each step is crucial to preserve this renowned collection and its many stories so it can be shared for generations to come.”

The museum is encouraging people to support the Move The Collection campaign at canoemuseum.ca/move by donating to move a canoe, kayak, paddle, or artifact.

Donation amounts range from $100 to $500 to support the transfer of paddles and related equipment all the way up to $5,000 to support the transfer of the largest vessels in the museum’s collection.

VIDEO: Help us Move The Collection – Canoe Museum’s great portage needs your help

Unlike the museum’s existing facility, where only a portion of its collection is on public display, the museum’s new facility will house the entire collection in a building that meets Class A conservation standards. The new facility, located near the shore of Little Lake beside Beavermead Park, is scheduled to open in summer 2023.

According to the museum, staff and interns under the direction of the museum’s curatorial department will be carefully cleaning, photographing, documenting, and packing each canoe and kayak before placing it on a custom pallet to see it safely moved.

Once packed, each canoe will be tagged according to its future location in the racking system within new museum’s collection hall or to be incorporated into brand new exhibits at the new museum.

The museum will be hosting a virtual tour called “Moving the Collection: Behind-the-Scenes with Curator Jeremy Ward” at 7 p.m. on Thursday (November 25).

The Zoom tour will include “a look at the unique challenges and surprises of moving a collection of this size (and the stories these watercraft carry) to their new home at the water’s edge.”

Tickets are pay what you can, with proceeds supporting the new museum. For more information and to register, visit canoemuseum.ca/virtual-tours/.

Ontario children aged five to 11 will be eligible to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments beginning on Tuesday (November 23).

On Friday, Health Canada approved the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, a modified formulation which is one-third the dose (10 micrograms instead of 30 micrograms) of the vaccine available for those 12 and older. The recommended interval between the two doses for full vaccination is eight weeks.

Ontario expects to receive over one million doses of the paediatric vaccine from the federal government, which will then be immediately distributed to public health units, pharmacies, and primary care settings across the province. This is enough vaccine to provide first doses to all eligible Ontario children aged five to 11.

“Offering the protection of the vaccine to children aged five to 11 is a significant milestone in Ontario’s fight against COVID-19 in advance of the holiday season,” says Ontario health minister Christine Elliott in a media release. “We continue to encourage all Ontarians to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children aged five to 11 can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.

The vaccine will also be available directly through public health units using their own booking system, through participating pharmacies, and through participating primary care providers.

In the Peterborough area, dedicated family-friendly paediatric vaccination clinics for children aged five to 11 will be offered at the Healthy Planet Arena (formerly Evinrude Centre, at 911 Monaghan Road in Peterborough) Mondays to Thursdays and in schools throughout the city and county. The first clinic appointments will be available starting Monday, November 29th.

Parents or caregivers of children aged five to 11 will usually have to provide consent on behalf of the child, either in advance or at the time of the vaccination appointment. Consent forms will be provided online and in paper at clinics.

Vaccine certificates with QR codes will be available for inoculated children, although there is no current requirement in Ontario for children aged five to 11 to show proof of vaccination.

According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), while most children infected with the COVID-19 virus have no or mild symptoms, some infected children may rarely develop severe COVID-19 disease and require hospitalization.

Infected children are also at risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), following infection with the COVID-19 virus. MIS-C is a serious but rare event that can occur several weeks following infection.

NACI also says infected children may be at risk of a post COVID-19 condition known as long COVID or post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, although current limited evidence suggests the risk is lower in children compared to older age groups.

According to NACI, the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is 90.7 per cent effective. Interim clinical findings did not indicate any serious safety concerns with the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. No cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining) related to the vaccine were reported. Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and NACI will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The provincial government is encouraging parents, caregivers, and children who have questions about the vaccine to visit ontario.ca/covidvaccinekids, to call the Provincial Vaccine Confidence Line at 1-833-943-3900 or to visit COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service at sickkids.ca/vaccineconsult to book a confidential phone appointment with a SickKids clinician.

A 37-year-old Oshawa man died after his vehicle rolled over during a multiple-vehicle collision on the southbound lanes of Highway 115 near Manvers on Monday morning (November 22).

Peterborough County OPP and emergency crews responded to the scene of the collision near Porter Road, which resulted in the closure of all lanes of the highway.

Police report three vehicles entered the centre median, resulting in three separate collisions in close proximity to each other.

One of the vehicles rolled over, resulting in the driver suffering fatal injuries.

Police have since identified the victim as David Legris, 37, of Oshawa.

The northbound lanes were closed at Porter Road and the southbound lanes were closed at Tapley Quarter Line until around 6 p.m. on Monday afternoon.

Police are continuing to investigate the collision.

The original version of this story has been updated with additional information released by the Peterborough County OPP.

Environment Canada has issued a snow squall warning for Monday afternoon (November 22) for the northern Kawarthas Lakes, including Fenelon Falls, and a snow squall watch for the southern Kawartha Lakes including Lindsay.

A winter weather travel advisory for Haliburton County also remains in place Monday morning.

Snow squalls from Georgian Bay are forecast to move into the region late on Monday afternoon. These squalls will bring rapidly accumulating snowfall and reduced visibility at times due to blowing snow, with strong northwesterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h.

For the northern Kawartha Lakes, local snowfall accumulations of 15 to 25 cm are expected by Tuesday morning, with amounts up to 30 cm possible in areas that experience persistent snow squalls. Snow squalls will dissipate Tuesday morning.

For the southern Kawartha Lakes, snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm are expected, with snow squalls expected to dissipate Monday night.

In both areas, travel will be impacted including the evening commute. Motorists are advised to exercise caution.

In Haliburton County, a winter weather travel advisory remains in place, with snow squalls persisting throughout Monday morning. Snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm are expected with locally up to 15 cm possible in areas experiencing the most intense squalls. The snow squalls are forecast to move out of the area this afternoon.

This story updates a previous snow squall warning and winter travel advisory issued on Sunday.

The Garnet, located at 231 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, has been sold.

Current owner Chad Emby announced the sale to Kim Cameron and John Clarke on The Garnet’s social media accounts on Friday (November 19).

“We want to thank the community for supporting us over the last seven years, and we wish the new owners Kim and John much success in the future,” Emby writes.

Emby purchased the business, when it was called The Red Garnet, from the former owner in 2014. It is one of the last remaining small music venues in downtown Peterborough, featuring local and touring artists.

The new owners plan to open a new British-style pub called Crook & Coffer in the location in 2022. The new venue will continue to offer live music.

Emby writes The Garnet will still be available for private parties during the month of December, and all previously booked live music dates will be honoured.

This story has been corrected.

One person is dead and another seriously injured following a two-vehicle collision on Friday night (November 19) on Highway 35 around 22 kilometres south of Lindsay.

Kawrtha Lakes OPP and emergency crews responded to the collision near Highway 7A East at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Police report an SUV was travelling southbound on Highway 35 when, for unknown reasons, it crossed into the northbound lane and struck a pick-up truck.

The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pick-up truck was transported to a Toronto-area hospital with serious injuries.

Police have not yet released the identity of driver of the SUV who died.

Highway 35 was closed between Highway 7A East and Lifford Road overnight while police documented the scene.