Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 526 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases rising by 29 to 469. Of the new cases, 67% are among unvaccinated people, 21% are among fully vaccinated people, and 11% are among partially vaccinated people.
Toronto is reporting another triple-digit increase today of 128 cases. Of Ontario’s remaining 33 health units, 11 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (83), York (66), Hamilton (52), Windsor-Essex (46), Ottawa (20), Middlesex-London (20), Simcoe Muskoka (18), Durham (17), Waterloo (14), Niagara (11), and Halton (10) — and 7 are reporting no new cases at all.
The number of hospitalizations has increased by 10 to 108, but 10% of hospitals did not submit data yesterday for the daily bed census so the actual number of hospitalizations is likely higher. The number of ICU patients has increased by 3 to 119 and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 5 to 66.
For the second day in a row, Ontario is reporting no new COVID-related deaths.
More than 20.2 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 26,033 from yesterday, with over 9.5 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 20,086 from yesterday, representing almost 65% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 16 – August 15, 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 July 16 – August 15, 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 July 16 – August 15, 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 21 new cases to report over the past 3 days, including 11 in Hastings Prince Edward, 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, 1 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton.
There is 1 new COVID-related hospitalization in Peterborough.
An additional 17 cases have been resolved in the region over the past 3 days, including including 11 in Hastings Prince Edward, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Peterborough.
The number of active cases has increased by 1 in Kawartha Lakes and by 1 in Haliburton, and remains the same in Peterborough, Northumberland, and Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 50 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 since August 13, including 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (14 in Belleville, 8 in Quinte West, 3 in Prince Edward County, 2 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 10 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, 5 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,650 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,623 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,206 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,151 resolved with 58 deaths), 961 in Northumberland County (938 resolved with 17 deaths), 127 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,205 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,165 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
Owned and operated by Holly Bohnsack, April and August is a home bakery located in Havelock specializing in hand-crafted and decorated sugar cookies. Customers of the cookie business can place custom orders for unique and specific cookie designs. (Photo courtesy of Holly Bohnsack)
One might think that all those who worked from home pre-pandemic were in an excellent position to handle the challenges of COVID-19.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for Holly Bohnsack’s home cookie business ‘April and August’. Although she works alone from her kitchen, Holly’s pandemic journey included numerous hurdles for her business — hurdles Holly managed to overcome, demonstrating strength and resiliency.
Naturally, the events industry has been one of the worst affected by the pandemic. Since April and August was primarily an events-based bakery, fulfilling custom cookie orders for weddings and parties, the pandemic meant Holly’s primary source of orders evaporated.
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“With each lockdown, it meant that there were no large get-togethers,” Holly explains. “There were no corporate functions, no weddings, no big birthday parties — which is where I get my large orders from. That was super difficult.”
The lack of events was by far not April and August’s only pandemic challenge. When COVID initially hit in March of 2020, Holly could no longer easily source the ingredients she needed to make cookies. Flour and sugar were sold out at every grocery store, and shipping delays meant that supplies like edible paints and dyes were weeks late to arrive.
“I ended up having to shut down for three months because I couldn’t get the flour and sugar, and my supplies were taking too long,” Holly recalls. “I also wasn’t getting enough big orders to make it worth it.”
Holly Bohnsack launched her cookie business, April and August, in March 2019 after taking up cookie decorating as a hobby. After posting her creations on social media, Holly started receiving comments from friends asking to place an order, and decided to make it a business. She named April and August after her two daughters’ birth months. (Photo courtesy of Holly Bohnsack)
When she did start taking orders again, Holly had to shift her working hours. As a single mother, Holly had her two young daughters at home with her during the day. She began spending all day with her kids and all night in the kitchen baking.
Since she wasn’t receiving significant event orders anymore, Holly also shifted her expectations and targeted her marketing differently. She adjusted to orders being typically for no more than one or two dozen cookies, and she started selling cookie activity kits for children staying at home.
“I had to change the way I was doing things, in that my business became less so event based and more so targeting bored kids,” says Holly. “I started doing a lot of decorate-your-own cookie kits. I targeted my marketing towards parents having a fun family thing to do when their kids were stuck home.”
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These changes helped April and August make it through the pandemic — in addition to a great show of community support. According to Holly, small cookie orders from people who just wanted to support her business were an essential part of keeping April and August going.
“The community has been awesome through the whole thing,” Holly says. “I’m part of the Women’s Business Network and the Peterborough Chamber. They have done their absolute best to support me all the way through. WBN women ordered cookies to give me that little bit of business even when we were in lockdown. That support and lifting each other up has always been there, and it hasn’t faltered throughout COVID.”
The pandemic hit just after Holly had finally been approved by public health to use her home kitchen for her cookie business. Prior to that, when she first launched the business, Holly commuted to a kitchen in a church to do all the baking.
During the pandemic, Holly Bohnsack shifted her April and August cookie business to focus less on event orders and more on activities for children. Holly began offering decorate-your-own and paint-your-own cookie kits for children who were stuck at home throughout the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Holly Bohnsack)
“Peterborough County is back and forth on whether home kitchens are allowed or not,” Holly explains. “When I first started, I had to rent a kitchen space out of a basement of a church which meant I was going back and forth. It worked, and it allowed me to start my business, but it was a pain in the butt.”
As a single parent, things became much easier for Holly when public health inspected and approved her home kitchen for the business in February of 2020. In addition, it set her up nicely for what was, at the time, the unforeseen circumstance of COVID-19.
“Pickups can now be done at any time and baking can be done at any time,” Holly notes.
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Holly accepts orders from customers through her social media accounts, email, or by phone, and customers typically pick up the orders at Holly’s Havelock home. April and August does offer delivery anywhere between Havelock to Peterborough for special contracts, such as with businesses or real estate agents.
In terms of how cookie orders work, all orders are completely customizable by the customer.
“People contact me with whatever they need, and I somehow make it into a cookie,” says Holly. “It’s all me, and it’s all done by hand. You’re never going to get two cookies that are exactly the same. I make whatever your dream is for your event come to life on a cookie.”
Holly Bohnsack’s April and August business makes custom-order cookies, like this TikTok series she created for a customer. Holly bakes and decorates each cookie herself, by hand. (Photo courtesy of Holly Bohnsack)
For holidays, April and August also offers customers a selection of already designed cookies.
Holly launched April and August — named after her two daughters’ birth months — in March 2019 after falling into the business almost accidentally. After finding herself out of work, she took up cookie baking and decorating as a hobby to keep herself from going stir crazy. After posting her creations on social media, she began receiving requests for orders.
“After I had so many people reach out, I went and got inspected and got my food handler’s certificate and all that stuff to move forward,” Holly explains. “It fell in my lap. It’s kind of crazy.”
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Now that Ontario is well into step three of its reopening plan, things are again looking up for April and August. Holly says she is receiving many large orders for the events that provincial guidelines once again permit.
“I am busier now than I have been since COVID started,” Holly says. “It’s been a great bounce back. People are doing events now because we have been so shut down and haven’t been able to have any parties or get-togethers. I’ve had orders for children’s half birthdays because they haven’t been able to celebrate them. There are weddings, get-togethers, and birthday parties. Stage three has been a big deal for me.”
Looking to the future, Holly says she can now look at expanding in the ways she was gearing up for before the pandemic threw a wrench in her plans. For example, she plans to expand her product offerings to include more baked goods as well as gourmet dog treats.
While cookie butter cinnamon is April and August’s signature cookie flavour, owner Holly Bohnsack offers just about any flavour you could imagine. Lemon and chocolate chip are also popular cookie flavours. Holly hopes to keep building her business over the next couple of years and launch new products such as gourmet dog treats. (Photo courtesy of Holly Bohnsack)
“I had planned to start that before COVID,” she explains. “As we open up more and more and as the kids go back to school in September, I can start trying some new things.”
Holly is thankful to the community for supporting her home business throughout the pandemic, so she can start thinking again about expanding.
“Not everyone needs cookies, but that word-of-mouth support and liking and sharing my posts on social media is one of the next best things people can do to support me,” says Holly.
To see Holly’s latest creations and to place a custom cookie order, you can follow April and August on Facebook and Instagram.
Residents 80 years of age and older receiving their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the COVID-19 immunization clinic in Peterborough on March 21, 2021. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Exactly five months after it first opened, the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough is closing.
Peterborough Public Health announced on Monday (August 16) it will be closing the clinic this week, and will instead begin offering pop-up clinics at locations throughout the city and county of Peterborough in August and September.
Walk-in vaccinations (no appointment needed) will be available at the Evinrude clinic from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, with the final clinic running from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday (August 19). All Peterborough-area residents over the age of 12 who require a first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are eligible for to receive their vaccine without an appointment.
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The Evinrude Centre clinic first opened on March 19, 2021, providing first-dose vaccinations for Peterborough-area residents 80 years and older.
The vaccine clinic at Peterborough Regional Health Centre will also shut down this week, with walk-in and by-appointment vaccinations available from 8 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.
All future pop-up vaccination clinics offered by Peterborough Public Health will be walk-in only, with no appointment needed, so the provincial booking system will not be used.
Dates and locations for upcoming pop-up clinics will be available on the Peterborough Public Health website at peterboroughpublichealth.ca/walkin.
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The Ontario government also announced on Monday it is requiring public health units and publicly funded school boards to work together to host vaccination clinics in or near schools, with clinics expected to run before school starts and during the first few weeks of school.
“Having vaccination clinics at our schools will make it more convenient for students to receive their vaccine in a familiar and comfortable environment and will help to ensure a safer and sustained reopening of our schools,” says Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, in a media release.
The clinics will provide first and second doses, on a voluntary basis and with informed consent, for eligible students as well as educators and school staff.
As of August 15, more than 69 per cent of youth aged 12 to 17 have received a first vaccine dose and 56 per cent have received a second dose.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 511 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases rising by 12 to 440. Of the new cases, 68% are among unvaccinated people, 18% are among fully vaccinated people, and 13% are among partially vaccinated people.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, Toronto is reporting a triple-digit increase at 116 cases and 12 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (69), York (64), Hamilton (48), Windsor-Essex (27), Halton (24), Waterloo (24), Middlesex-London (21), Niagara (20), Ottawa (17), Durham (17), Huron Perth (11), and Simcoe Muskoka (10) — with 6 reporting no new cases at all.
The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 38 to 98, but 10% of hospitals did not submit data yesterday for the daily bed census so the actual number of hospitalizations is likely higher. The number of ICU patients has increased by 5 to 116 and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 1 to 71.
There are no new COVID-related deaths in Ontario.
More than 20.1 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 40,907 from yesterday, with over 9.5 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 31,315 from yesterday, representing over 64% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 15 – August 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)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 July 15 – August 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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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.
For yesterday, the provincial data is reporting 4 new cases for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health and 4 new cases for Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, with no new cases for Peterborough Public Health. Regional numbers for the weekend will be confirmed in Monday’s update.
As of August 13, there were 48 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 10 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 2 in Central Hastings), 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 5 in Peterborough. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,649 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,622 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,201 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,147 resolved with 58 deaths), 960 in Northumberland County (937 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,194 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,154 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
On August 15, 2021, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau spoke with reporters at Rideau Hall in Ottawa after visiting Governor General Mary Simon to seek the dissolution of Parliament and the launch of a general federal election to be held on September 20. (CPAC screenshot by kawarthaNOW)
Canadians will be electing a new federal government on Monday, September 20th.
As expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday morning (August 15), where he asked Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, triggering a snap election.
The election will take place in 36 days, the shortest election campaign allowed under federal law, and during an emerging fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Delta variant.
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The Liberals hope to be re-elected for the third time, but this time with a majority. By calling an election now, Trudeau avoids the possibility of a non-confidence vote bringing down his two-year-old minority Liberal government — potentially at a time that is more advantageous for the opposition parties.
Trudeau is taking a calculated risk in triggering an early election. He is counting on Canadians rewarding his government for its handling of the pandemic (including a world-leading vaccination rate), on opposition parties being unprepared for the brief election campaign, and for the election to take place before the fourth wave of the pandemic gets worse.
While the Liberals are currently ahead in the polls (an August 12th Leger Marketing poll has them at 35 per cent support, compared to 30 per cent for the Conservatives and 19 per cent for the New Democrats), their lead is not enough for a majority government.
Both the Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh have said an election is unnecessary and risky during the pandemic. While Elections Canada has stated a vote can be conducted safely during the pandemic, it has also cautioned vote counts could be delayed because of mail-in voting.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, only the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha — which is the only riding in the region held by a Liberal — currently has candidates representing all four major federal parties. For the first time in that riding, all the candidates are women.
Incumbent Maryam Monsef, who was the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, will be up against three political newcomers: Michelle Ferreri of the Conservatives, Joy Lachica of the NDP, and Chanté White of the Green.
Here are the candidates named so far for the four major federal parties in the other ridings in the greater Kawarthas region:
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
Jamie Schmale, Conservative (incumbent)
Judie Forbes, Liberal To be determined, NDP To be determined, Green
Northumberland-Peterborough South
Philip Lawrence, Conservative (incumbent)
Alison Lester, Liberal To be determined, NDP To be determined, Green
Hastings-Lennox and Addington
Derek Sloan, Independent (incumbent, elected Conservative)
Mike Bossio, Liberal
Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative
Steve Garrison, NDP To be determined, Green
The 167th annual Lindsay Exhibition returns as an in-person event in September 2021, featuring traditional favourites including midway rides and games, fair food, livestock shows, a demolition derby, and a country music concert. The fair will run for an extra five days, from September 17 to 26, to allow for limited capacity due to physical distancing, with other pandemic protocols also in effect. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Agricultural Society)
Fall in the Kawarthas isn’t the same without an agricultural fair and, after going virtual last year due to the pandemic, the Lindsay Exhibition (LEX) will be taking place in person in 2021 — running an extra five days to allow for limited capacity due to physical distancing.
The 167th annual fair will open on Friday, September 17th and run for a full 10 days until Sunday, September 26th. It will feature traditional favourites including midway rides and games, fair food, livestock shows, a demolition derby, and a country music concert.
To keep the fair COVID-safe, capacity limits will be in place for buildings and the grandstand and people will be required to wear masks indoors and at the grandstand shows, including at the country music concert. All midway staff will be required to be fully vaccinated.
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“We tried to find a balance between holding an authentic Lindsay Exhibition with all the elements that people expect and minimizing the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus,” states LEX general manager Harry Stoddart in a media release. “We will be meeting or exceeding all the regulations put in place by the Ontario government and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Other events returning to the 2021 fair include The WoofJocks Canine All-stars, DooDoo the Clown, and Amberley Beatty’s Patsy Cline tribute show — part of an entertainment line-up that will also include a number of local bands and entertainment acts.
New events for 2021 include evening rodeos, a market turkey show, and a horse scenting demonstration — horses trained to locate people in search and rescue.
The 2021 Lindsay Exhibition will feature traditional favourites such as a demolition derby. It runs for an extra five days, from September 17 to 26, to allow for limited capacity due to physical distancing, with other pandemic protocols also in effect. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Agricultural Society)
“We’re excited by the possibility of holding a traditional LEX and giving our community and exhibitors something to enjoy during these challenging times,” says Lois Batty, president of the Lindsay Agricultural Society, which hosts the annual fair with the help of volunteers.
“We already have 25 teams committed to the horse pull, almost double the field we had in 2019. We’ve been planning for almost a year to be able to hold as safe an event as possible during the pandemic.’
Tickets are free on September 17 and 20 to 22, $5 on September 18, 19, and 23, and $10 on September 24 to 26. Admission is always free for children five and under.
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Tickets are $10 (in admission to fair admission) for the Demo Cross, Rodeo, and Demo Derby.
Tickets for the Friday night concert at 7:30 p.m., featuring the James Barker Band with opening act Andrew Hyatt, are $40 (ticket price includes $10 LEX admission on Friday).
To accommodate COVID-19 capacity limits, all tickets (including free tickets) must be purchased online in advance.
Coupons for the midway, presented by World’s Finest Shows, are only available in person at the midway (no advance passes).
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lindsayex.com.
The story has been updated to include ticket prices.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 578 new cases today — the highest daily increase since June 10 when 590 cases were reported 510 — with the seven-day average of daily cases rising by 29 to 428.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, Toronto is reporting a triple-digit increase at 167 cases and 12 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (67), York (64), Hamilton (57), Windsor-Essex (42), Niagara (23), Halton (21), Durham (20), Middlesex-London (20), Waterloo (18), Ottawa (16), Brant County (11), and Simcoe Muskoka (10) — with 7 reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 71% are among unvaccinated people, 19% of among fully vaccinated people, and 10% are among partially vaccinated people.
The number of hospitalizations has increased by 13 to 136, with the number of ICU patients and ventilated patients remaining at 111 and 72 respectively. Based on a sample of 62% of the hospitalizations, 80% are people who are vaccinated. Based on a sample of 52% of ICU patients, 91% are people who are unvaccinated.
Ontario is reporting 2 new COVID-related deaths.
More than 20.1 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 50,343 from yesterday, with over 9.5 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 38,379 from yesterday, representing over 64% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 14 – August 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 July 14 – August 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 July 14 – August 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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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. Regional numbers for the weekend will be included in Monday’s update.
As of August 13, there were 48 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 10 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 2 in Central Hastings), 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 5 in Peterborough. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,649 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,622 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,201 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,147 resolved with 58 deaths), 960 in Northumberland County (937 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,194 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,154 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
After being closed since October 2020 and several construction-related delays, the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road in Peterborough reopened for vehicle and pedestrian traffic on August 14, 2021. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
The Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road has now reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, Parks Canada announced on Saturday (August 14).
The bridge has been closed since October last year for a full replacement of the steel swing bridge structure, repairs to concrete abutments, and replacement of mechanical and electrical operating systems.
The project has also brought the bridge up to full highway loading.
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The reopening of the bridge, originally scheduled for May, was delayed several times due to various construction-related issues.
Parks Canada advises to expect short, intermittent delays while operational testing of the bridge is conducted.
With the reopening of the bridge, detour routes and sideroad closures implemented by the City of Peterborough will be lifted.
Henry Weitz, 95, has been participating in the Senior Centre Without Walls program launched in partnership between the City of Peterborough's Age-Friendly Peterborough initiative, Activity Haven Senior Centre, and the Peterborough Public Library. Weitz says he particularly enjoys the 'Tea & Inspirational Chats' activity, since he has little social interaction outside the retirement home where he's living. (Photo courtesy of Age-Friendly Peterborough)
Physical distancing and limiting face-to-face interaction with individuals from outside our households have been essential steps in preventing the spread of COVID-19. But for many, these measures have also caused social isolation and loneliness.
Just as older people are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, they are also particularly vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation — especially after 16 months of the pandemic.
‘Senior Centre Without Walls’ is a free national telephone-based group activity program for connecting isolated seniors and older adults. Age-Friendly Peterborough — a city plan to enhance programs, services, and infrastructure for older adults in the Peterborough area — has brought the program to Peterborough after learning the number of isolated seniors has risen due to COVID.
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To launch the program in Peterborough this past May, Age-Friendly Peterborough partnered with Activity Haven Senior Centre and the Peterborough Public Library. Senior Centre Without Walls targets adults in the community 50 years of age and older, allowing them to connect with others from the comfort of their own homes.
Jayne Culbert, Age-friendly Coordinator at the City of Peterborough, was aware of the program before COVID, she says the need for it in Peterborough became more apparent during the pandemic. Since most opportunities for remote socializing rely on computers and the internet, the program is ideal for those who don’t use technology or have internet access since it only requires a telephone.
“We heard about the number of people who were isolated in their home with very little community contact and connection,” Culbert explains. “That’s when we wanted to get this program running for our local Peterborough residents. Isolation is more detrimental to a person’s health than smoking or drinking — it affects their health not only mentally, but also physically.”
The July and August 2021 schedule for the Senior Centre Without Walls program, which was launched in May. The City of Peterborough’s Age-Friendly Peterborough initiative, which has partnered with Activity Haven Senior Centre and the Peterborough Public Library on the program, is hoping the community can get the word out about the free interactive telephone program to isolated seniors living in the community. (Graphics: Activity Haven Senior Centre)
To participate in the program, people can register by calling Activity Haven at 705-876-1670 or, for those who use the internet, by emailing hannahpeart@activityhaven.com. Upon registration, participants will be asked if they are okay to call in to join their activity, or if they prefer the moderator to call them. Those who opt to call in themselves are given a phone number and a passcode to dial on the date and time of their chosen activity.
Senior Centre Without Walls releases a bi-monthly calendar with various phone activity offerings, including chair yoga, books chats, tea and inspirational chats, stress busters, memoir writing, and more.
A copy of the Senior Centre Without Walls flyer, calendar, and activity descriptions area are available on the Activity Haven website at activityhaven.com. For those without internet access, print copies are available in the community at the Peterborough Public Library and Community Care Peterborough offices. You can also call Culbert at 705-748-8830 x3227 to have a calendar mailed to you.
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According to Culbert, Senior Centre Without Walls is always looking for new ideas for telephone activities older adults might like to participate in, and so they have developed a survey. The survey is available online at surveymonkey.com/r/627DZ8X or you can contact Peterborough Public Library adult programming and outreach librarian Karen Bisschop at 705-745-5382 x2352 for a print copy.
Since it was first launched in May, Senior Centre Without Walls has received great feedback from participants according to Culbert. Their most popular activities are currently chair yoga and stress busters. Even though the program is still growing, Culbert says it’s already making a difference.
“We can touch one person’s life and make somebody’s day better,” she says. “That’s why we’re doing it.”
Anne Driscoll, the project lead for Senior Centre Without Walls, has personally witnessed how the program touches the lives of participants. In addition to her responsibilities as the project lead, Driscoll volunteers as the program’s moderator — meaning she sets up and monitors the calls to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“Being a part of these phone calls as a moderator, I listen to the impact this program is having on people,” Driscoll says. “To hear ‘I so look forward to this call.’ — call by call, you can hear they’re getting more comfortable with each other, and relationships are evolving. I’m honoured to be a part of it.”
The Senior Centre Without Walls offers seniors regular activities over the phone, including chair yoga, books chats, tea and inspirational chats, stress busters, memoir writing, and more. It’s a way isolated seniors and those without internet access can participate remotely in social activities. (Stock photo)
One such participant is 95-year-old Henry Weitz, who has participated in the program since May. He says his phone conversations during the ‘Tea & Inspirational Chats’ activity are now the highlight of his week.
“We have a little group, and we talk about everything — when we were young and our whole lives,” Weitz tells kawarthaNOW. “It’s very interesting. I really enjoy every program. It helps me because my connection to the outside is not that good anymore. It keeps your brain going.”
“I must say that the program has been such a gift to me,” he adds. “Living in a retirement residence where most of the residents have some form of dementia, having these phone conversations is the best thing that happens to me all week. Other seniors should join this program. They would really enjoy it. I don’t think enough people know about it yet.”
That’s one of the biggest hurdles of the program so far, according to Culbert. Many isolated seniors do not have access to the internet, so getting the word out to them is a challenge.
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Culbert says this is where they need the community’s help. Senior Centre Without Walls relies on word-of-mouth support from adult children and neighbours of seniors to spread the word about the program.
She suggests those looking to support the program print a copy of the flyer and schedule from the Activity Haven Senior Centre website at activityhaven.com, or pick up a print copy at the Peterborough Public Library or a Community Care Peterborough office, and share it with isolated seniors they know in the community.
If the senior in your life is nervous or hesitant to participate in the program, Culbert suggests you join the first call with them. If the senior just wants to listen without participating, Driscoll adds this is also allowed.
Best of all for seniors who are on a fixed income, the program is completely free. Presentations about the program are also available for clubs or groups that want to learn more.
Senior Centre Without Walls is also searching for community volunteers to be moderators and facilitators on the phone calls. Moderators help make sure the calls go smoothly and help promote the program, while facilitators lead activities during the calls. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Culbert at 705-748-8830 x3227 or at jculbert@peterborough.ca.
A Bancroft man is facing two counts of attempted murder and other charges after an alleged assault in the Town of Bancroft in Hastings County on Tuesday night (August 10).
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, officers from the Bancroft OPP responded to a report of an assault at Woodview Lane in Bancroft.
When officers arrived at the scene, they located three injured adults. Two of the injured persons were transported by ambulance to hospital, where one was released and one remains for further medical treatment.
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After an investigation, officers arrested 36-year-old Maurice Martin of Bancroft, who has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, assault with a weapon, assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and failure to comply with probation.
Martin was held in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on August 19.
Anyone with information with regarding this incident is asked to contact the Bancroft OPP at 1-888-210-1122. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
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