United Ways in the greater Kawarthas region are receiving almost $5,000 as part of a $120,000 donation from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and its employees to 27 United Way locations across Ontario.

United Way Hastings & Prince Edward is receiving $1,370.55, United Way Peterborough & District $1,288.20, United Way Northumberland $1,175.92, and United Way City of Kawartha Lakes $1,160.94.

In July 2021, OLG launched a virtual promotion called “Collecting for the Community,” which included a commitment by OLG to donate $50,000 to United Ways across Ontario. Each of the 27 United Way locations was guaranteed to receive $1,000, but player participation increased the local contribution.

Along with the $50,000 contributed through the virtual promotion, OLG’s 2021 employee United Way fundraising campaign raised almost $70,000 — more than double their original goal.

OLG president and CEO Duncan Hannay and United Way Greater Toronto president and CEO Daniele Zanotti took part in a virtual cheque presentation, with Zanotti accepting the donation on behalf of all United Ways.

“As the pandemic continues to impact communities across Ontario, our friends and neighbours facing challenges — and the frontline community workers working so hard to serve them — need our support like never before,” Zanotti said. “Thank you to OLG corporate and staff for once again standing with community and demonstrating that we truly are in this together.”

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is closing its mass immunization clinics in Lindsay and Cobourg by the end of February.

The clinic at the Lindsay Exhibition will close on Friday, February 25th and the clinic at Cobourg Community Centre will close on Saturday, February 26th. The health unit says the two mass immunization clinics are no longer needed as most eligible residents in the region have already received their booster doses.

Instead, the health unit will offer in-house clinics at its office locations at 108 Angeline Street South in Lindsay and 200 Rose Glen Road in Port Hope, with dates and times to be announced. Clinics located in Fenelon Falls and Minden will continue to run once a week until Thursday, March 24th.

“As of today, 85.8 per cent of people within the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District have been vaccinated with their first dose and 82.4 per cent with their second dose,” says medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking in a media release. “Our booster dose coverage for people aged 18 years and older has also topped 60 per cent.”

“The daily number of new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to decline, and other indicators are trending in the right direction,” she adds. “Although two of our mass immunization clinics will close by the end of this month, COVID-19 vaccines will still be widely available to eligible individuals through our in-house clinics located in Port Hope and Lindsay, community pharmacies, and health-care providers.”

Walk-ins for first, second, and booster doses (if eligible) are available for anyone five and older at the health unit’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton, with both mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) available.

For a list of clinic locations, dates, and times, visit www.hkpr.on.ca/.

As of 8 a.m. on Friday (February 18), the Ontario government is expanding booster dose eligibility to youth aged 12 to 17. Appointments will be booked for approximately six months (168 days) after a second dose. To be eligible for a booster dose or a fourth dose (if eligible), at least 84 days must have passed since your most recent shot.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize all of our employees and volunteers who have been assisting with COVID-19 immunization, case and contact management and outbreak response,” Dr. Bocking says. “Your dedication and tremendous contributions to keeping the people of the Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge districts safe and healthy throughout this pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

Port Hope council voted unanimously on Tuesday night (February 15) to purchase 1,334 acres of land from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in the Wesleyville area in Port Hope for $18.6 million. The municipality will take ownership of the land on March 31, 2022.

Part of the Williams Treaties area and territory of the Mississaugas, the property includes around 700 acres of environmentally important land, 600 acres that could potentially be developed, and 260 acres of developed industrial land. It also includes over 18 acres located along four kilometres of protected Lake Ontario shoreline, which represents 20 per cent of the entire waterfront of Port Hope.

“These lands open up so many opportunities for us as a community,” said Port Hope mayor Bob Sanderson, who initiated discussions with OPG about the property in 2019.

“First and foremost, we will be able to control how we grow and meet provincial growth targets,” Sanderson said. “We will also be able to achieve many of the goals we set for ourselves in terms of heritage, cultural, and environmental protection.”

The municipality will receive a $20 million low-interest loan through Infrastructure Ontario’s municipal financing programs to fund the land purchase which, along with other costs including land transfer tax, will total $19.2 million.

For the 260 acres of developed industrial land, OPG’s original intent was to develop a power generating station. However, the project was stopped in the late 1970s after some of the infrastructure and buildings were constructed — including one of the province’s largest smokestacks — but the facility was never made operational. Over time, that portion of the property was repurposed as leased industrial space for both OPG and private companies, including Bromley Fabricators Inc. and Peterborough Equipment Ltd.

VIDEO: Municipality of Port Hope – Wesleyville

Under the purchase agreement, OPG will lease the 260-acre developed industrial portion of the property from the municipality and will sub-lease to the current industrial tenants for the first seven years of the municipality’s ownership. Port Hope will receive $530,000 in annual lease payments from OPG and the other tenants on the site, as well as some tax revenue.

The 700 acres of environmentally important land could be available for parks, recreation, green space, and the protection of significant natural and cultural features, including heritage sites in Wesleyville Village. The 18 acres located along the Lake Ontario shoreline could be used for waterfront and riverwalk enhancement.

For the 634 acres that could be developed, options include residential, commercial, and employment lands. However, the municipality has no immediate plans or recommendations for how this portion of the property will be used.

Calling the land acquisition the first step of a long-term investment, the municipality says it will take decades to reach its full potential and expects to begin an extensive public consultation process in 2023.

“There is truly something for everyone here and I’m so pleased that council and staff are 100 per cent behind this incredible multi-generational opportunity that will benefit the community beyond any of our lifetimes,” Sanderson said.

More details about the Wesleyville land acquisition are available at porthope.ca/en/your-municipal-government/wesleyville.aspx.

Police have recovered the trailer containing more than 2,000 small-calibre firearms that was stolen in Peterborough early Sunday morning (February 13).

Peterborough police say Peel Regional Police have located the trailer in Peel region. Peel police had already recovered the stolen truck cab in an industrial area of Brampton on Monday night.

“Peterborough police would like to thank Peel Regional Police and the other law enforcement agencies that continue to assist with this case,” Peterborough police say in a media release issued early Wednesday morning (February 16). “Thank you to public and media for helping to get the descriptions of the vehicles involved out. ”

The trailer and its contents are being returned to Peterborough, where Peterborough police and the firearms manufacturer (Savage Arms of Lakefield) will review the trailer’s contents to determine if any of the firearms have been taken.

“The focus to date has been to locate the trailer and the missing firearms,” Peterborough police say. “The investigation will continue as will the search for suspects.”

Peterborough police believe Sunday’s theft is connected to at least five other attempted thefts of tractor trailers that took place between Friday, February 11 and Monday, February 14.

Two of the businesses were on Neal Drive, two on Technology Drive, and one on Parkhill Road East. In several cases, the businesses reported suspects attempted to start up trucks and hook them up to trailers before fleeing the scene.

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

A group of people on Facebook is organizing a “slow roll” vehicle convoy through Peterborough on Saturday (February 19).

According to a Facebook event, the convoy intends to gather at the Dobbin Road parking lot at Fleming College at 11 a.m., and then proceed east on Lansdowne Street to Ashburnham Road, north on Ashburnham to Parkhill Road, and then south into downtown Peterborough.

“All vehicles welcome. Big rigs, tractors and more,” writes one of the event organizers on the Peterborough Freedom Rally Convoy Facebook group, which was created on February 13 and is described as “A friendly and safe protest convoy threw (sic) the city of Peterborough.” The group has over 200 members.

Fleming College is aware of the convoy’s plan to gather in the Dobbin Ross parking lot and tweeted on Tuesday (February 15) that it has not been asked for permission to use its property and does not intend to give it.

Fleming is aware of a plan to organize a convoy of protestors on our property this weekend. We have not been asked for permission & permission will not be granted. For the safety our students, including those living on campus, we ask organizers to find an alternate location.

— Fleming College (@FlemingCollege) February 15, 2022

Both the City of Peterborough and Peterborough police have been made aware of the planned convoy.

On Wednesday (February 16), the Peterborough Police Service issued a statement about “upcoming events in our community,” without specifically mentioning the planned convoy.

“Peterborough Police is committed to the safety and security of all residents,” the statement reads. “When we become aware of a situation, we look into it and resource it as necessary. The Peterborough Police Service would like to remind the public that unsanctioned events have a high probability for personal injury and property damage, and a police response is not an endorsement, but a commitment to public safety.”

While unnecessary slow driving is already illegal under section 132 of Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, with fines between $150 and $1,000 upon conviction, it is unclear whether new powers given to police under Ontario’s state of emergency declared last Friday (February 11) will apply to a “slow roll” convoy through Peterborough streets.

The new regulation, which is intended to protect critical infrastructure and highways, makes it illegal to block any highway, including municipally owned roadways, that causes a “serious interference with the safety, health, or well-being of members of the public” among other things.

However, the regulation excludes any impediment “that is trivial, transient, or minor in nature” or where users “can easily avoid the impediment.”

It is also unclear whether the new regulation under the federal Emergencies Act applies to all “slow rolls.” The regulation prohibits any “public assembly” that leads to a breach of the peace by seriously disrupting the movement of persons or goods or the serious interference with trade, interferes with the functioning of critical infrastructure, or supports the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property.

As news of the planned convoy spread on social media, some Peterborough residents are already expressing both concern and anger.

#Ptbo community safety alert:

Two groups are trying to organize convoys through the city within the coming weeks, starting this Saturday. #ptbo #ptbokawartha #Peterborough

— Johnny Fondue (@EatsFood2) February 15, 2022

Here, @mferreriptbokaw

These are your constituents telling you they do not want these rolling blockades in our city. #NotInOurCity
Shouldn't be in anyone's.@kawarthaNOW @PtboExaminer @PtboPolice @OPP https://t.co/81ZwOyWvMV

— Bringer of Context (@ItsMe_Context) February 15, 2022

This story has been updated to include a statement from the Peterborough police.

Police have identified the victim of a fatal two-vehicle collision in Haliburton County on Friday afternoon (February 11).

On Friday at around 12:10 p.m., Haliburton County OPP and emergency services responded to the collision involving a passenger vehicle and flatbed truck on Highway 35 near Shoe Lake Road, south of Dorset in the Township of Algonquin Highlands.

As a result of the collision, one driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Haliburton County OPP have identified the victim as a 28-year-old woman from Callander near North Bay.

Highway 35 was closed for several hours for the police investigation.

At the request of the victim’s family, this story has been updated to remove the name of the victim and a photo of the collision released by police.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of the greater Kawarthas region, with a forecast for a messy mix of wintry weather from late Wednesday (February 16) through Friday morning.

The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings County.

A low pressure system is expected to track northeast across Lake Erie and Lake Ontario which could bring a messy mix of wintry precipitation to southern Ontario.

Precipitation will likely begin as rain late Wednesday, with 15 to 25 mm possible, and transition to snow Thursday afternoon, with 10 to 20 cm possible by Friday morning, except in Northumberland County, where snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 cm are possible.

Freezing rain and ice pellets are also possible Thursday afternoon and evening.

Localized flooding is possible. Surfaces may become icy and slippery. Snow will be heavy at times, with reduced visibility in snow and blowing snow. Road closures and utility outages are possible.

As the track of the low pressure system is currently uncertain, the types of precipitation, timing, and amounts may change.

Police have located the truck cab of the tractor trailer carrying more than 2,000 small-calibre firearms that was stolen in Peterborough early Sunday morning (February 13) — but the trailer and its cargo are still missing.

At around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Peel Regional Police advised Peterborough police that the truck cab had been located in Brampton, in an industrial area in the Queen Street and Goreway Drive area.

Police describe the trailer as a 2014 Hyundai 53-foot Dry Freight Van trailer, license plate V3092A, white in colour. with a silver metallic line that runs horizontally the whole length of the trailer.

Police have also provided additional information about the trailer: the number on the trailer is 14002.

Along with other municipal police forces, Peterborough police are working with the OPP, RCMP, Homeland Security, and the Canada Border Services Agency to locate the trailer.

“At this point Peterborough Police has no information that would connect the theft of firearms to the ongoing protests across the province,” reads an update to the media release issued on Tuesday afternoon (February 15).

Peterborough police believe Sunday’s theft of the tractor trailer is connected to at least five other attempted thefts of tractor trailers that took place between Friday, February 11 and Monday, February 14.

Two of the businesses were on Neal Drive, two on Technology Drive, and one on Parkhill Road East. In several cases, the businesses reported suspects attempted to start up trucks and hook them up to trailers before fleeing the scene.

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

Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien has temporarily stepped down for health reasons, and has asked deputy mayor Andrew Beamer to act on her behalf.

Therrien issued a statement a few minutes shy of 6 p.m. on Monday (February 14), just before a general committee meeting of city council was set to begin.

“Today, I asked Councillor Andrew Beamer, Deputy Mayor for the City of Peterborough to temporarily take on the role of acting mayor,” Therrien wrote. “I am taking a leave of absence, effective immediately, to address my personal health.”

Therrien did not provide any further details about her personal health in the statement.

“While it pains me to step away from my responsibilities as our community continues to deal with the impacts of COVID, I deeply appreciate Deputy Mayor Beamer’s willingness to step up as well as my fellow councillors for filling in as they are able,” she wrote. “I know the important work of the city will continue in my absence, and I look forward to re-joining you all soon.”

Therrien did not attend the general committee meeting. At the end of the meeting, Beamer acknowledged her leave of absence.

“The mayor has our complete support while she takes the time that she needs,” Beamer said. “When Mayor Therrien is ready, she will resume her role as mayor of the city of Peterborough.”

In November, Therrien announced she would not be seeking re-election when voters go the polls in the next municipal election on October 24, 2022, and did not intend to seek another level of political office.

This story has been updated to correct a typo in the final aragraph.

Peterborough radio personality Vince Bierworth is the new executive director of GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation in Peterborough.

“We are excited to have Vince assume the role of executive director and are confident in his ability to lead the foundation forward with our continued objectives of supporting our community and the Peterborough Family Health Team,” writes the board in an announcement on Monday (February 14).

Promotions manager for almost seven years for Bell Media’s Pure Country 105, MOVE 99.7, and Bounce 91.9 and the afternoon drive host on Pure Country 105, Bierworth has been a volunteer and supporter of GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation for almost 10 years, including as vice-chair of the organization’s board of directors.

Bierworth assumes the role from Laura Kennedy, who departed the non-profit organization in January after over five years as executive director.

Kennedy is now vice president of marketing communications at Park Place Financial.

GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation raises funds for medical equipment, programs, and services for patients of the Peterborough Family Health Team in the City and County of Peterborough.