Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 593 new cases today, with the 7-day average of daily cases increasing by 5 to 722.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 1 is reporting a triple-digit increase — Toronto (141) — with 13 reporting double-digit increases — Peel (61), Ottawa (46), Windsor-Essex (45), York (39), Hamilton (38), Niagara (34), Halton (26), Middlesex-London (20), Waterloo (20), Simcoe Muskoka (18), Durham (17), Eastern Ontario (11), and Southwestern (10) — and 5 reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 66% are people who have not been fully vaccinated (59% have not received any doses and 7% have received only one dose) and 25% are people who have been fully vaccinated with two doses, with the vaccination status unknown for 9% of the cases because of a missing or invalid health card number. The 7-day average case rate is 11.21 per 100,000 for unvaccinated people, 7.1 per 100,000 for partially vaccinated people, and 1.64 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated people.
Hospitalizations have dropped by 17 to 346, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 4 to 188 and the number of ICU patients on ventilators increasing by 6 to 125. Ontario is reporting 4 new COVID-related deaths.
Over 21.24 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 35,691 from yesterday. Over 10.21 million people are fully vaccinated, an increase of 20,520 from yesterday, representing just over 69% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from August 15 – September 14, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from August 15 – September 14, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from August 15 – September 14, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report, including 7 in Hastings Prince Edward, 6 in Haliburton, 5 in Northumberland, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Peterborough.
There has been 1 new COVID-19 hospitalization and 1 new ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 32 cases have been resolved in the region, including 13 in Hastings Prince Edward, 14 in Peterborough, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Haliburton.
The number of active cases has increased by 4 in Northumberland, by 4 in Haliburton, and by 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and has decreased by 12 in Peterborough and by 6 in Hastings Prince Edward.
The numbers for Hastings Prince Edward, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are over the past 2 days.
There are 110 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 8 from September 13, including 42 in Peterborough, 22 in Kawartha Lakes, 22 in Hastings Prince Edward (8 in Belleville, 8 in Quinte West, 3 in Prince Edward County, 2 in North Hastings, and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 14 in Haliburton, and 10 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,768 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,703 resolved with 23 deaths), 1,261 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,194 resolved with 58 deaths), 984 in Northumberland County (957 resolved with 17 deaths), 143 in Haliburton County (128 resolved with 1 death), and 1,325 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,291 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on September 10.
Peterborough's Opioid Response Hub will be located in the former Greyhound bus terminal at 220 Simcoe Street (at Aylmer Street North) in downtown Peterborough, pictured here in October 2020. A $160,000 fundraising campaign has been launched to renovate the location. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Less than a year after it was announced that an Opioid Response Hub would be established in Peterborough to better respond to the opioid crisis in the community, a newly launched fundraising campaign is underway to ensure that ambition is soon realized.
On Wednesday morning (September 15), the Four County Addiction Services Team (Fourcast) revealed details of the ‘Light The Way To $160K’ campaign that will bring in funds to renovate the hub located at 220 Simcoe Street (at Aylmer Street), the site of the former Greyhound bus terminal.
To date, a ‘soft’ campaign has seen almost $27,000 of that $160,000 goal already raised.
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According to Fourcast executive director Donna Rogers, donations to the campaign can be made through the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (CFGP) website at www.cfgp.ca/LightTheWay or by mailed cheque to the CFGP, 261 George Street North, Peterborough K9J 3G9. Cheques should be made out to Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough and include CTS Fund on the memo line.
Referencing “an incredible loss for so many families, friends, and colleagues,” Rogers spoke to the urgency of the renovations being done soon to enable the hub to open and begin providing a range of services and supports.
In making her case, she notes data compiled by Peterborough Public Health shows that 42 people died as a result of drug poisoning and overdose in 2020. To date this year, with more than three months remaining, there have been 36 deaths.
Donna Rogers, executive director of Four County Addiction Services Team (Fourcast), speaks at the launch of the Light The Way To $160K fundraising campaign for the new Opioid Response Hub at 220 Simcoe Street in downtown Peterborough on September 15, 2021. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
“220 Simcoe Street is the proposed future site for Peterborough’s Consumption Treatment Services [CTS] funding application,” affirmed Rogers.
“While we await approval to operate a CTS, we will transform this space to increase our ability to collaborate and co-ordinate services to respond to those in need in our community. The building will undergo renovations to create usable space for wrap-around addictions treatment and other services to support opioid users.”
In addition to Fourcast, other frontline health-focused agencies involved in the hub’s day-to-day operation are PARN – Your Community AIDS Resource Network, Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (NPLC), the Mobile Support Overdose Resource Team (MSORT), Peterborough Drug Strategy (PDS), and Peterborough County-City Paramedics.
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Speaking to the hub’s location, which has drawn concern from some downtown property owners, Rogers reiterated it is “the perfect site.”
“But obviously a former bus terminal is not optimally configured to be a hub for substance users to access treatment services and health supports,” she added. “Our campaign will provide us with the resources to make this space usable for wrap-around community services and addiction treatment on site.”
“We will renovate the space in such a way that it will be optimally configured for opening a CTS as soon as our provincial application for funding is approved. Until that time, the entire space will be used for services and supports for those seeking help for addictions.”
The rate of confirmed opioid-related deaths in Peterborough and Ontario from 2016 to 2020. (Graphic: Light The Way To $160K campaign, modified by kawarthaNOW)
Also on hand for the fundraising campaign announcement were NPLC executive director Suzanne Galloway and MSORT program manager Kerri Kightley.
Galloway said her group’s involvement stems from a clear understanding that “addiction is a health issue.”
“We know that people who use drugs often face judgment and other barriers to seeking health care,” she said. “The Opioid Response Hub we’re creating here will provide walk-in access for on-site care including wound care, getting sterile drug using equipment, returning equipment they have used, mental health supports and addictions treatment.
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“Key here is staff will build trusted relationships with service users and connect them to resources in the community,” Galloway added. “We will also host services on site.”
Meanwhile, Kightley said MSORT has acted as a link between those who have overdosed and the available support services.
“What our team is able to do is walk alongside someone as they begin to figure out those first few steps of making change — those first few steps of connecting to more health and social services supports,” Kightley said, noting her agency’s services aren’t restricted to Peterborough city but extend into the county.
Following the formal announcement of the of the Light The Way To $160K fundraising campaign, Fourcast executive director Donna Rogers took members of the media on a tour of the currently vacant space, pointing out where certain services will be located in the building once the renovations are complete. According to the floor plan, space has been set aside for assessment and treatment, consultation, withdrawal management, and the distribution of harm reduction supplies. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
“The importance of having a team like this partnered with other health and social services supports as part of an Opioid Response Hub is that we’re able to fill in the gaps between what’s existing in Peterborough and programs that need to be further developed,” Kightley added.
Following the formal announcement of the fundraising campaign, Rogers took members of the media on a tour of the vacant space, pointing out where certain services will be located in the building once the renovations are complete.
According to the floor plan, space has been set aside for assessment and treatment, consultation, withdrawal management, and the distribution of harm reduction supplies.
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The campaign, noted Rogers, has a secondary goal of raising awareness around the issue of the opioid crisis as well as the responses that are available.
“This is a good day … we have felt very confident since receiving our federal exemption status in May, which was a huge hurdle,” said Rogers. “It took us three years to get a federal exemption that would allow us to be able to operate a CTS. That was the first step.”
“The next step is the funding for the CTS. While the CTS tends to be a lot of what people will focus on, what we’re really excited about is — regardless of when the CTS funding is approved — we have space where we can do a lot of work that will be part and parcel of what will be adjacent to the CTS once that is open. This is really good news.”
“For people who are often stigmatized when they reach out for health care and other help, having a space where we are more optimally configured to respond to their needs means they don’t need to go to five different places. They don’t need to go through six sets of barriers in order to accomplish a single task. We believe the experience of stigma will be greatly reduced.”
Rogers is confident the fundraising goal will be met, noting the response to ‘soft’ campaign is encouraging.
“We saw people come forward with donations and we barely asked for those,” she said. “We know that people have been impacted and affected, and we know that people want some solutions. We believe having a space that we can provide better responses is a really important part of that.”
A survey conducted by the Peterborough Drug Strategy in November 2019 bears that out, showing 74 per cent of more than 1,600 people surveyed agree a CTS site will benefit the community. Survey participants ranked the reduction of injuries and deaths from drug overdose and poisonings, the prevention of blood-borne infections, and fewer publicly discarded needles and drug litter as key benefits of providing a CTS.
A separate survey of injection drug users showed 91 per cent would access a CTS site in downtown Peterborough if it were available.
Britney Krzeminsk, a registered veterinary technician at Omemee Veterinary Hospital, is going to shave off all 28 inches of her hair in a fundraiser for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. She has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Canada Helps. (Photo courtesy of Britney Krzeminsk)
An Omemee woman is going to shave her head in support of brain tumour research.
Britney Krzeminsk launched a fundraiser earlier this month in support of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada after someone she loves was diagnosed with a brain tumour in June.
“Through their journey it has become clear to me how important continued research into treatment of brain tumours is,” Britney writes on CanadaHelps. “We have come a long way, but there is still work to be done in getting anyone diagnosed with a brain tumour life-saving treatment and care.”
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As an added incentive to donors, Britney offered to cut lengths off her 28-inch mane of hair if she met her fundraising goals.
If she reached her $1,500 goal, she promised to shave her head completely — and she’s already raised over $2,000 with a month left to go.
Britney is a registered veterinary technician at Omemee Veterinary Hospital, and has also worked for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, helping to care for and rehabilitate injured native Ontario turtles.
In addition to raising funds for brain tumour research, Britney Krzeminsk, will be donating her cut hair to a Toronto non-profit organization that makes wigs for those who have lost their hair due to illness. Omemee Veterinary Hospital, where Britney works, is supporting her cause by donating proceeds from its $10 cash ‘fear free’ nail trims in September to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. (Photos courtesy of Britney Krzeminsk and Omemee Veterinary Hospital)
Omemee Veterinary Hospital is also supporting Britney’s cause, by donating proceeds from its $10 cash ‘fear free’ nail trims in September to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.
Britney will be donating her cut hair to Chai Lifeline Canada, a non-profit organization based in Toronto that makes wigs for those who have lost their hair due to illness.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 577 new cases today, with the 7-day average of daily cases increasing by 2 to 717.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 1 is reporting a triple-digit increase — Toronto (116) — with 14 reporting double-digit increases — Peel (67), Windsor-Essex (54), York (46), Brant (33), Waterloo (25), Ottawa (23), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (22), Halton (21), Hamilton (19), Simcoe Muskoka (18), Middlesex-London (18), Durham (13), Chatham-Kent (10), and Southwestern (10) — and 4 (all in northern Ontario) reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 69% are people who have not been fully vaccinated (60% have not received any doses and 9% have received only one dose) and 22% are people who have been fully vaccinated with two doses, with the vaccination status unknown for 8% of the cases because of a missing or invalid health card number. The 7-day average case rate is 11.13 per 100,000 for unvaccinated people, 7.32 per 100,000 for partially vaccinated people, and 1.62 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated people.
Hospitalizations have increased by 74 to 363, but some of this increase may be a result of underreporting by more than 10% of hospitals over the weekend. The number of ICU patients has increased by 3 to 192 and the number of ICU patients on ventilators has increased by 3 to 119. Ontario is reporting 6 new COVID-related deaths.
Over 21.2 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 28,657 from yesterday. Over 10.19 million people are fully vaccinated, an increase of 16,119 from yesterday, representing almost 69% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from August 14 – September 13, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from August 14 – September 13, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com) COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from August 14 – September 13, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 12 new cases to report in Peterborough, with 4 additional cases resolved and the number of active cases increasing by 8 to 54.
Numbers are unavailable for Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland, and Hastings Prince Edward as the respective health units only issue reports on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Numbers for Tuesday will be included in Wednesday’s update.
There are 118 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 8 from yesterday, including 54 in Peterborough, 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (16 in Belleville, 5 in Quinte West, 3 in North Hastings, 2 in Central Hastings, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 10 in Haliburton, and 6 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,767 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,690 resolved with 23 deaths), 1,255 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,190 resolved with 58 deaths), 980 in Northumberland County (957 resolved with 17 deaths), 137 in Haliburton County (126 resolved with 1 death), and 1,318 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,278 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on September 10.
A tornado at Sturgeon Lake in Kawartha Lakes on June 23, 2020. (Photo: Amy Reeds @amy_reeds / Twitter)
Environment Canada has issued a tornado watch for northern Kawartha Lakes and all of Haliburton County for Tuesday evening (September 14), with a severe thunderstorm watch also in effect for southern Kawartha Lakes, all of Peterborough County, and northern Hastings County.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms which may produce tornadoes.
A line of severe thunderstorms is moving eastward across the regions early Tuesday evening,
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Large hail (up to ping pong ball size), wind gusts up to 120 km/h, and heavy downpours are possible.
Some of these storms may contain tornadoes. This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.
In the event of a tornado, or if a tornado warning is issued for your area, it is recommended you take the following actions: Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell, or interior closet.
Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris.
Ontario health minister Christine Elliott provides an update at Queen's Park on September 14, 2021 on the province's new proof of vaccination requirement that goes into effect September 22. (CPAC screenshot by kawarthaNOW)
The Ontario government has released guidance for businesses and organizations to support them in implementing the proof of identification and proof of vaccination requirements, commonly called a ‘vaccine passport’, that takes effect Wednesday, September 22nd.
Government officials provided details during a technical media briefing on Tuesday morning, followed by an official announcement by health minister Christine Elliott Tuesday afternoon.
“To ensure individuals, families, and business know what to expect, today we are sharing new materials and guidance to prepare them for these changes and to help address any questions,” Elliott said.
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As of September 22, Ontarians will need to be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide proof of identification and proof of vaccination to access certain public settings and facilities. Ontarians can print or download their vaccination receipt from the provincial booking portal at covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccine-booking-support.
The government says it is working on additional supports and services to assist Ontario residents who need help obtaining proof of vaccination, including requesting a copy be sent by mail. Those who need support obtaining a copy of their vaccination receipt, including those who do not have access to a computer or printer, can call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
There have been two changes since Ontario’s original announcement on September 1.
Although the government originally stated photo identification would be required to accompany proof of vaccination, it has expanded acceptable forms of identification to those that contain your name and date of birth.
Proof of identification can include a birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card, citizenship card, driver’s licence, a government-issued identification card (Ontario or other) including a health card, and an Indian Status Card or Indigenous Membership Card. The name and birth date on the identification must match the ones on the vaccine receipt.
The government has also expanded the list of businesses or organizations where proof of vaccination is required to include indoor areas of commercial film and television productions with studio audiences and indoor areas of waterparks.
The full list of indoor settings where proof of identification and proof of vaccination is required is as follows:
Indoor areas of restaurants, bars, and other food and drink establishments without dance facilities. Outdoor patios and delivery and takeout are excluded.
Indoor and outdoor areas of food or drink establishments with dance facilities, including nightclubs, restoclubs, and other similar establishments. Delivery and takeout are excluded.
Indoor areas of meeting and event spaces, including banquet halls and conference and convention centres (with limited exceptions)
Indoor areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities, including fitness/sporting/recreational facilities, pools, leagues, sporting events, waterparks, indoor areas of facilities where spectators watch events, and personal physical fitness training, with limited exemptions
Indoor areas of casinos, bingo halls, and other gaming establishments
Indoor areas of concert venues, theatres, and cinemas
Indoor areas of bathhouses, sex clubs and strip clubs
Indoor areas of horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues
Indoor areas where commercial film and TV productions take place with studio audiences. Cast and crew members are excluded.
Proof of identification and proof of vaccination requirements do not apply to businesses or organizations not listed above, including those that provide access to necessary medical care, groceries, and basic medical supplies.
The government has also confirmed the exemptions to the proof of identification and proof of vaccination requirements, including:
Workers, contractors, repair workers, delivery workers, students, volunteers, inspectors or others who are entering the business or organization for work purposes and not as patrons.
A patron who is entering an indoor area solely to use a washroom, to access an outdoor area that can only be accessed through an indoor route, to make a retail purchase, while placing or picking up an order (including placing a bet or picking up winnings in the case of a horse racing track), while paying for an order, to purchase admission, or as may be necessary for the purposes of health and safety.
Children under 12 years of age.
Patrons under 18 years of age who are entering the indoor premises of a facility used for sports and recreational fitness activities solely for the purpose of actively participating in an organized sport, including training, practices, games and competitions. This includes sports leagues, organized pick-up sports, dance classes, martial arts, and swimming classes. It does not include youth who are spectators at sporting event, or youth who are using a gym or other area with exercise equipment or weights unless actively participating in an organized sport.
Patrons who are entering the indoor premises of a meeting or event space, including a conference centre or convention centre, solely for the purposes of attending a wedding service, rite or ceremony or a funeral service, rite or ceremony, but not an associated social gathering. Patrons attending an associated social gathering between September 22 to October 13 will have to provide the results of an antigen test administered within the previous 48 hours establishing that the person is negative for COVID-19.
Patrons who provide a written document, completed and supplied by a physician, registered nurse, or nurse practitioner, stating the person is exempt for a medical reason from being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and the effective time period for the medical reason. Patrons with a medical exemption are required to present identification as well as the medical exemption document.
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Patrons are required to ensure that any information they provide to the business or organization to demonstrate proof of identification and proof of vaccination (or proof of qualifying for an exemption) is complete and accurate.
Businesses or organizations are responsible for ensuring they meet the requirements regarding proof of identification and proof of vaccination, including matching the name and the date of
birth of the patron listed on the vaccination receipt against the name and date of birth on a piece of identification and verifying the validity of the receipt (either an Ontario receipt issued at the time of vaccination or any format of receipt downloaded from Ontario.ca that shows the holder is fully vaccinated against COVID-19) or a receipt signed by an Indigenous Health Provider or a receipt from another jurisdiction that shows the holder is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Businesses or organizations are also responsible for verifying the receipt shows that the holder is fully vaccinated and verifying the date of administration of the final shot in the series is at least 14 days prior to the date the patron is seeking access to the business or organization.
Proof of identification and proof of vaccination requirements will be enforced by provincial offences officers, which can include by-law, police, public health inspectors, and regulatory officers from several ministries and agencies. Provincial offences officers may take a measured approach to enforcing orders, starting with education and warnings.
Failing to comply with proof of identification and proof of vaccination requirements can result in charges under the Reopening Ontario Act, with set fines of $750 for individuals and $1,000 for corporations. Maximum penalties based on a prosecution under the Reopening Ontario Act are up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail for an individual, up to $500,000 and up to a year in jail for an individual who is a director or officer of a corporation, and up to $10 million for a corporation.
In situations where a business or organization faces harassment or threats of acts of violence, the government says they should contact law enforcement.
Dreams Cafe and Bistro is offering a new fine dining menu, but without the dress code. Chef Warna Hetti promises affordable yet intensely flavourful and artfully presented dishes, like this Haddock Andromedae featuring Scottish haddock cured in beet jus, coconut sherry and mirin on a Thai lotus root cushion cured in cognac, Scotch bonnet-infused Tunisian olive oil and orange zest. (Photo: Warna Hetti @nukechef / Instagram)
This month, food writer Eva Fisher learns about the new fine dining menu at Dreams Cafe & Bistro in downtown Peterborough, discovers a mysterious new ghost kitchen in Peterborough called Boss Wings that specializes in chicken wings and fries, dishes the tea on Peterborough’s newest bubble tea spot Milk + Tea, and picnics with Bobcaygeon’s Cheese Please Catering.
Dreams Cafe & Bistro in Peterborough now offering a fine dining menu
Dreams Cafe and Bistro Chef Warna Hetti has developed a new fine dining menu. On his “Nüke Chéf” Instagram account, Warna describes himself as an “innovative Chef exploring unorthodox ingredients, developing, and redefining complex dishes for multi-sensory palate experience.” (Photo: Warna Hetti @nukechef / Instagram)
Dreams Cafe & Bistro (138 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-742-2406) is now offering a fine dining menu — but without the dress code.
Chef Warna Hetti, known as @nukechef on Instagram, has created an elegant menu inspired by both northern Italian and southeast Asian flavours.
Warna, who co-owns the restaurant with Jatin Chanana, began his culinary journey in an unexpected place: while studying nuclear physics at university.
“I started to learn about different ethnic dishes from around the world through friends from many different countries,” he says.
Thus began a 35-year journey, which took him across the globe learning about cultural and ethnic culinary traditions specific to certain regions of Asia, Europe, Eurasia, America, and indigenous cultures of Canada.
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His travels were an important source of inspiration when developing the new Dreams Cafe & Bistro menu.
“Our menu has dishes that are inspired by northern Italian and southeast Asian flavours, ingredients, herbs, spices, preparing methods, and processes.”
The menu includes gamberi (jumbo prawns) with a choice of spaghetti, fettuccine, or tortellini, Sri Lankan Ceylon curries with chicken, prawns and Thai golfball eggplant, and pan-braised jumbo shrimp with coconut tempered jasmine rice and banana blossom fritters.
“Most of these intensely flavourful dishes are very uncommon to Canada,” Warna notes.
Chef Warna Hetti is known for posting photos of his beautifully plated dishes on his @nukechef Instagram account, like these cognac-cured Hokkaido jumbo scallops served on gold-rimmed Royal Doulton fine bone china. (Photo: Warna Hetti @nukechef / Instagram)
He takes pride in the new menu and invites all of Peterborough, including those who might not enjoy some of the formalities of fine dining, to come and try it.
“The specialty dishes I create — with unusually rich flavours, aromatic herbs, and spices, combined with complex art as I present them on plates — together with personalized service and finesse and elegance in ambience, create a semi-formal fine dining atmosphere where a dress code is not required.”
“And the menu is affordable,” he adds. “Peterborough needed a place like this, where extraordinary dishes are created to redefine the palate experience.”
For more information, visit the Dreams Cafe & Bistro website at dreamscafebistro.com.
Who’s the boss behind Boss Wings? New secret ghost kitchen serves up mystery
Boss Wings is a new ghost kitchen in Peterborough offering wings by delivery made by a mystery chef. (Photo: Boss Wings)
A ghost kitchen sounds a little bit cryptic to begin with, but add to that an anonymous chef and we’ve got a cracking mystery on our hands.
Boss Wings opened this August in Peterborough, offering a menu of chicken wings, topped fries, and dips for the side.
The mystery chef says that this is a chance for them to try something new.
“I’ve been in the food industry for the last seven years so it has been really fun putting together this new menu. So many in our community know me for a certain cooking style, so it has been great to show off what else I have up my sleeve. Who’s the boss? Be your own boss!”
Boss Wings, which can be topped with a variety of delicious toppings, can be ordered online and delivered to your door. (Photo: Boss Wings)
The wings are made entirely from scratch.
“It’s a family recipe that requires each wing to be hand breaded, fresh, and cooked to order. Our customers will never, ever have a frozen wing from a bulk bag.”
Popular menu items include the Sweet Heat Wings (habanero and sweet mango), Canadian Delight (maple bacon barbecue sauce topped with bacon crumble), and the Alpha Wings (Greek with oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon and bell peppers). Fun fry options range from Omega Fries with crumbled feta and diced green onion and a classic poutine with real cheese curds.
Milk + Tea set to bring bubble tea magic to downtown Peterborough
Kathy Song and Philip Cho moved from Toronto to Kathy’s hometown of Peterborough to open a new bubble tea destination in the downtown. (Photo: Philip Cho)
Get ready boba fans! Peterborough’s newest bubble tea shop Milk + Tea (360 George St. N., Peterborough) is almost ready to open.
Co-owners Philip Cho and Kathy Song are finishing last-minute renovations and training staff, and they expect to open within the next two weeks.
Kathy describes herself and Philip as “huge bubble tea fans”. The pair met in Toronto, but Kathy’s parents are based in Peterborough. While staying with her parents during her maternity leave, she even had her bubble tea delivered.
“I would have huge cravings for it so, when Phil would commute back and forth from Toronto to Peterborough for work, he would order multiple different bubble teas to bring back for me to enjoy.”
Milk + Tea, opening soon at 360 George Street North in downtown Peterborough, will focus on bubble tea with traditional flavours like milk black tea, taro, peach tea, and more. (Photo: Milk + Tea @milkandteashop / Instagram)
This crystallized an idea they had long held.
“We would always talk about our dreams and how we wanted to open up our own shop one day and would love to move out of the city. It just made sense for us to make the move back to my hometown and make our dreams come true.”
The menu will focus on bubble tea with traditional flavours like milk black tea, taro, peach tea, and more. Drinks can be topped with tapioca pearls, flavoured jellies, magic balls or left plain. Milk + Tea will also serve cupcakes and Japanese cheesecake.
For updates, you can follow Milk + Tea on Instagram at @milkandteashop.
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Cheese please! Catering venture shows that a love of cheese can run in the family
Owned by Joelle Lambert, Bobcaygeon’s Cheese Please Catering offers picnic boxes of delicious cheese on the go. (Photo: Cheese Please Catering)
Joelle Lambert is no stranger to good cheese. A longtime market vendor selling goat and sheep cheese, and the daughter of award-winning cheese maker Pieter vanOudenaren, it’s not surprising she would start her own cheese catering business, Cheese Please Catering (647-216-7722).
“All four of my grandparents were from the Netherlands, so it’s only fitting that my life revolves around cheese,” Joelle quips.
Cheese Please Catering’s menu includes portable picnic boxes and more elaborate trays. All catering can be customized to your preferences. The offerings include specialty cheese, cured meats, carries (such as crackers, baguette or cookies), fresh produce, dried fruit and nuts, pickles, olives, and preserves.
Joelle selects her cheeses to suit a variety of tastes.
Platters from Cheese Please Catering offer both mild and strong flavours. (Photo: Cheese Please Catering)
“In my catering, my goal is to hit the marks from mild to medium and strong flavours, soft, medium and hard styles, and include a variety of goat, sheep and cow milk cheeses,” she says.
Her favourite cheeses are are sheep feta, cumin-spiced gouda, and thea — an aged sheep’s milk cheddar made by her father, which she asserts would be a favourite regardless of the family connection.
Ashley Lamothe, an Indigenous mompreneur, blogger, public speaker, and workshop guru, has started a second business for spotlighting Indigenous creativity and beauty. Creative ResiNation, the new sister business to Creative Kwe, offers handmade resin art and more. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
When the pandemic first hit, Creative Kwe owner Ashley Lamothe was sure it would be a closing force to her Nogojiwanong-based creativity coaching business. As it turns out, not only did she successfully adapt to the pandemic, but she also launched a second business, Creative ResiNation, alongside it.
Before the pandemic, Creative Kwe was an in-person business where Ashley would facilitate dream board workshops and creative workshops. providing all the supplies. The business was born from Ashley’s passion and resiliency, after she moved back to her hometown of Peterborough om 2016 while grieving the tragic loss of her partner and father of her two children.
“I chose to come back to Peterborough because that’s where I grew up,” Ashley explains. “I gave up everything and just came here.”
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Ashley was on a job search when someone suggested she start a business. Ashley says she initially thought the idea was “crazy” but, after evaluating her strengths, realized she’s always been a creative person and decided to leverage that by starting her business.
“I love seeing how creative practice and different forms of creativity can inspire anything and everything,” Ashley says. “My whole mission is to support women who feel like they’re not creative but want to be.”
As an Indigenous entrepreneur, Ashley also has a mission to showcase Indigenous beauty and creativity. According to Ashley, every piece of both Creative Kwe and Creative ResiNation is rooted in the traditional values of the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe people. The name ‘Creative Kwe’ reflects Ashley’s Indigenous identity since “Kwe” is Ojibwe for ‘woman.’
Ashley Lamothe donates 20 per cent of every sale of Creative ResiNation’s ‘Keychains for a Cause’ to Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies that support women leaving domestic violence. Handmade by Ashley, each personal safety keychain comes with a resin heart with holes for your fingers and is paired with a lanyard, safety whistle, pompom, and sanitizer or lip gloss holder. This summer, proceeds went towards First Step Women’s Shelter in located in Sioux Lookout. (Photos courtesy of Ashley Lamothe)
When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, Ashley’s business came to a momentary halt since in-person workshops and coaching were prohibited. She says she thought the pandemic would kill her business, until she realized she offer her services online.
After being inspired by fellow small business owners who transformed their businesses to adjust to the pandemic, Ashley designed digital Creative Kwe courses — including a self-directed course participants can work through at their own pace.
“If COVID taught us anything, it’s that not everyone moves and learns at the same pace,” Ashley notes. “We are all so unique, and I play on that and encourage it through self-directed courses.”
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To meet the needs of community agencies and individuals who can’t afford one-on-one sessions, Ashley also began to offer one-hour livestreamed workshops on Facebook and Zoom. In these monthly “creative care” workshops, Ashley walks participants through ways to be creative without needing many supplies, such as journaling or paper planning.
“It doesn’t necessarily have the one-on-one support that coaching provides, but it’s something for people to participate in and experience,” Ashley explains.
Not only did Ashley work hard to keep her Creative Kwe business afloat, but she also built another business from the ground up during the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, Ashley Lamothe’s Creative Kwe creativity coaching business offered in-person services. In response to public health restrictions during the pandemic, Lamothe began offering virtual coaching and workshops. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
With her latest venture Creative ResiNation, Ashley sells handmade resin art. A multi-disciplinary creative person, Ashley experimented with vinyl, paint pouring, and resin moulds during the pandemic.
“I started playing with resin moulds and doing keychains, bookmarks, and glitter tumblers,” Ashley says. In November 2020, she did a soft launch on Facebook to gauge interest in her art.
The soft launch went over exceptionally well, with Ashley receiving plenty of custom orders for Christmas. So she spent the winter working, creating, experimenting, and building a Shopify website. This past June, Ashley fully launched her Creative ResiNation online shop.
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“It’s my self-expression through vinyl and resin,” Ashley explains. “Every piece on my shop is curated or designed by me. Every single piece is truly unique and one of a kind.”
Creative ResiNation now also offers apparel, as well as beaded earrings and more from Northern Turtle Creations — Indigenous art by Ashley’s mother Kim Lamothe.
Ashley says both of her businesses are founded on the mission to spotlight Indigenous beauty.
Creative ResiNation merchandise is curated and designed by Ashley Lamothe. Every piece is custom made and entirely unique. Pictured are BPA-free plastic drink cups, including the Mno Bimaadiziwin Cold Cup and the SodaCan Cup. (Photos courtesy of Ashley Lamothe)
“Growing up Indigenous, there’s been so much trauma historically and continually,” says Ashley. “Our beauty often gets pushed aside because there’s so much focus on the trauma. And there should be — awareness is crucial. But a big passion for me is also to showcase our beauty, our resilience, and our pride.”
“We are a proud people,” she adds. “We are proud in our teachings, in our growth, where we come from, and where we’re going.”
As for her Creative Kwe, Ashley plans to launch a course in the fall on non-Indigenous ally-ship and education. The course will be for settler-owned businesses that want to make meaningful changes within their business structure. She is collaborating with other Indigenous women to design the course.
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Creative Kwe’s workshops are meant to inspire productivity through engagement and creativity, and have themes such as digital dreaming, creative journaling, edible art, and more. Pictured is Creative Kwe owner Ashley Lamothe leading a creativity workshop pre-COVID. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Lamothe)
“That’s the future for Creative Kwe — moving towards creating more awareness and education around true meaningful change and ally-ship,” says Ashley. “I’m big on self-sustainability and economic reconciliation. If I can contribute to that, I can’t wait.”
In addition, Ashley is designing a creativity coaching certification course that will be Indigenous-specific. Participants in this course will learn a combination of Indigenous teachings and creativity coaching.
With pandemic restrictions easing, Ashley is figuring out what kind of in-person services she can offer again with Creative Kwe.
“I have to take a step back again and explore,” she says. “Now I’ve made this pivot to digital, what is in-person going to look like? That’s something I’m working through now. I’ve been asked a few times about in-person workshops, and I’m trying to read through all of the regulations and figure out where Creative Kwe fits.”
Ashley says she is thankful to community support for helping to get Creative Kwe through the pandemic, and the support she has received with her latest business Creative ResiNation. In particular, she notes the considerable amount of support that has come from the Peterborough business community.
“Not necessarily through monetary support, but by networking and showcasing,” Ashley explains. “It’s been inspiring,”
Ashley Lamothe is a proud Indigenous entrepreneur and artisan. Her mother, Kim Lamothe, is also a Anishinaabe/Metis artisan whose work is available in Ashley’s Creative ResiNation online shop. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
“I don’t think I could have started a business anywhere but Peterborough,” she adds. “It’s been because of the business community and the support that I’ve even gotten this far.”
To learn more about Creative ResiNation and to order products, visit creativeresination.com. You can also follow Ashley’s new business on Facebook and Instagram.
To learn more about Ashley’s creativity coaching business Creative Kwe, visit creativekwe.ca.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 600 new cases today, with the 7-day average of daily cases increasing by 3 to 715.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 1 is reporting a triple-digit increase — Toronto (114) — with 11 reporting double-digit increases — Peel (84), York (67), Ottawa (59), Windsor-Essex (47), Hamilton (32), Waterloo (30), Halton (28), Durham (20), Simcoe Muskoka (16), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (16), and Brant (10) — and 5 reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 72% are people who have not been fully vaccinated (65% have not received any doses and 7% have received only one dose) and 21% are people who have been fully vaccinated with two doses, with the vaccination status unknown for 7% of the cases because of a missing or invalid health card number. The 7-day average case rate is 11.12 per 100,000 for unvaccinated people, 7.06 per 100,000 for partially vaccinated people, and 1.63 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated people.
Due to a technical issue, the number of hospitalizations for September 12 is not available. The number of ICU patients has increased by 5 to 189 and the number of ICU patients on ventilators has decreased by 9 to 116. Ontario is reporting 4 new COVID-related deaths.
Over 21.18 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 15,842 from yesterday. Over 10.17 million people are fully vaccinated, an increase of 9,226 from yesterday, representing almost 69% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from August 13 – September 12, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from August 13 – September 12, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from August 13 – September 12, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 28 new cases to report over the weekend, including 10 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, 6 in Northumberland, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Haliburton.
An outbreak at a private residence party in Northumberland was declared on September 11.
There has been 1 new COVID-related hospitalization in Peterborough.
An additional 21 cases have been resolved in the region, including 9 in Peterborough, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
The number of active cases has increased by 4 in Northumberland, by 4 in Haliburton, by 2 in Kawartha Lakes, by 1 in Peterborough, and has decreased by 3 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are 110 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 8 since September 10, including 46 in Peterborough, 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (16 in Belleville, 5 in Quinte West, 3 in North Hastings, 2 in Central Hastings, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 10 in Haliburton, and 6 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,755 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,686 resolved with 23 deaths), 1,255 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,190 resolved with 58 deaths), 980 in Northumberland County (957 resolved with 17 deaths), 137 in Haliburton County (126 resolved with 1 death), and 1,318 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,278 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on September 10.
A partnership between the Ontario government and Metrolinx, the two GO-VAXX buses operate as fully functioning vaccine clinics, with the necessary supplies and trained staff to provide assistance to people and ensure vaccines are administered safely. (Supplied photo)
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is bringing a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on a modified GO Transit bus to Haliburton and Lindsay in September.
A partnership between the Ontario government and Metrolinx, two GO-VAXX buses have been travelling to malls, festivals, community hubs, and events over the summer.
A GO-VAXX bus will be in Haliburton County from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 19th. The bus will be at Abbey Gardens at 1012 Garden Gate Drive, located 10 minutes from Haliburton Village (towards Carnarvon) just off Highway 118.
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On Sunday, September 26th from 5 to 9 p.m., the GO-VAXX bus will be at the Lindsay Exhibition at 354 Angeline Street South, coinciding with the demolition derby at LEX.
“We’re pleased to be working with the province and Metrolinx to bring the GO-VAXX bus to our communities,” says Doreen Boville, a health promoter with the health unit, in a media release. “We encourage anyone who still needs COVID-19 vaccine to get aboard the bus and get a first or second dose so they are fully protected against COVID-19, especially as we head into a fourth wave.”
Each GO-VAXX bus operates as a fully functioning vaccine clinic, with the necessary supplies and trained staff to provide assistance to people and ensure vaccines are administered safely. All COVID-19 safety precautions are followed on board, including the required pre-vaccination screening and post-vaccination monitoring.
The buses are fully accessible and no appointment is needed.
Anyone wishing to take advantage of the GO-VAXX bus to receive a vaccine is reminded to bring their health card. If you do not have a health card or your health card is expired, bring another form of government-issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, Status card, or birth certificate.
The health unit recommends you dress for the weather in case there is a line-up, while wearing clothing that allows for easy access to the upper arm such as a loose-fitting shirt or top.
Wear a mask that covers your nose, mouth, and chin and do not visit the GO-VAXX bus if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
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