An Otonabee-South Monaghan Township woman has died in hospital from severe injuries she sustained after her all-terrain vehicle crashed into a tree on Saturday night (October 30).

According to Peterborough County OPP, 44-year-old Nicole Richardson was travelling on Sandy Lake Road in Havelock-Belmont-Metheun Township around 7 p.m. on Saturday when her ATV collided with a tree.

Police and emergency crews were called to the scene, and Richardson was transported to a Kingston-area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

She succumbed to her injuries in hospital at 9:50 p.m. on Monday night.

Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the collision.

Ontario experienced a record number of wildfires this year, including one of the largest in the province’s history, due to severe drought and dry weather conditions that began in July.

The Ontario government released the information in a media release on Monday (November 1) marking the official end of the 2021 fire season and thanking fire ranger and support staff for their courage and dedication.

Between April 1 and October 31 this year, there were 1,198 fires in Ontario — almost double the 607 fires in 2020 and well above the 10-year average of 839 fires for this period.

According to the government, Ontario experienced arid and hot weather and faced drought conditions not seen in close to 50 years in northwestern Ontario.

Around 793,325 hectares of forests were burned, including a 200,000 hectare fire — one of the largest in Ontario’s history — that prompted the government to issue an emergency order for northwestern Ontario and call upon fire crews from the United States, Mexico, and Australia for assistance.

During this year’s fire season, Ontario received the assistance of nearly 500 fire personnel and 25 aircraft. This support included assistance from Canada, the United States, and 20 specialized fire personnel from Australia and over 100 firefighters from Mexico.

“We are deeply thankful to all members of our fire staff and the staff of our national and international partners,” says Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry.

“Our thanks and appreciation also go out to local businesses that worked with the province to protect their communities during these trying times,” Rickford adds. “Our hearts go out to Indigenous communities affected by this historic season. They faced hardship, enduring the pain of being separated from their homes, families, and communities.”

In addition to fighting fires in Ontario, the province deployed more than 80 fire personnel to Manitoba and one to the Northwest Territories to assist with their firefighting efforts.

Judy Johnston of Peterborough has won $66,902.50 in the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation’s first-ever 50/50 lottery.

PRHC Foundation staff called Johnston on Thursday (October 28) to let her know her ticket number A-2580031 was the winner.

“I’m shocked,” Johnston said, who was on the golf course when she received the call. “I’m speechless … thank you so much.”

Johnston also had her choice of selecting a bonus prize of either a $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate or $2,000 in cash. She chose the gift certificate.

The PRHC Foundation first launched the 50/50 lottery in September, which includes early bird prizes as well as a grand prize. Proceeds from the lottery directly support the PRHC Foundation, which raises donations for healthcare equipment and technology at the hospital that government doesn’t fund.

“There are significant investments needed to fund the technological advancements and essential medical equipment required to support great patient care,” says Lesley Heighway, president and CEO of the PRHC Foundation, in a media release. “That’s why the support of the community is so important. The proceeds from the new 50/50 lottery will help fund the equipment and technology that form the foundation of patient care.”

VIDEO: PRHC Foundation staff call Judy Johnston

The 50/50 lottery continues in November, running until November 29, with early bird draws held on “Thousand Dollar Thursdays” (November 18 and 25) when one ticket holder will win $1,000. All ticket holders are also entered into the grand prize draw on November 30 which includes the jackpot — which grows during the month as more tickets are purchased — as well as a bonus prize of a $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate or $2,000 in cash.

Ticket are available online only at prhcfoundation5050.com, where you can buy 10 tickets for $10, 40 tickets for $20, 160 tickets for $40, or 400 tickets for $75. Ticket buyers must be 18 years of age or older and in the Province of Ontario to play.

“When people buy their tickets, they’ll have the added comfort of knowing that thanks to their support, our loved ones, friends, and neighbours can always find the world-class care they need and deserve right here at home,” Heighway says.

The Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Foundation and Century 21 United Realty Inc. are raising funds to make Christmas brighter for local children in need.

The Barnyard Benefit Concert on Sunday afternoon (November 7) at Hollowbrook Highlands in Bethany Hills will feature a performance of The Verandah Society with Kate Suhr and Megan Murphy with special musical guest Irish Millie. The event also includes a silent auction along with trail walks, campfire chili, a cash bar, and surprise guests.

Tickets are $75 each, with proceeds shared between the Salvation Army Toy Drive and Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Foundation’s Santa’s Sleigh.

For more than 30 years, Century 21 United Realty Inc. has donated to the Salvation Army Community and Family Services of Peterborough, which provides toys for families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to buy them.

The Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation’s Santa’s Sleigh, hosted in partnership with the Peterborough & Kawarthas Association of Realtors and the East Peterborough Lions, takes place at Walmart on Chemong Road in Peterborough from November 25 to December 6. Shoppers choose a child’s name from the tree and drop gifts off in Santa’s Sleigh. The donated toys are delivered by Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society social workers for children to open on Christmas Day.

Emceed by Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director of 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, the Barnyard Benefit Concert takes place at Hollowbrook Highlands (formerly South Pond Farms), with new owner Andrea Lehman donating the venue as well as a two-night stay in the Hollowbrook Highlands country cottage as a silent auction item.

Megan Murphy and Kate Suhr first created The Verandah Society, which melds music with personal stories of the region, in the summer of 2020 to connect with and perform for people during the pandemic. They have since travelled around the region, performing on people’s porches and verandahs and in their backyards, and performed this past August at a residency at 4th Line Theatre along with musician Saskia Tomkins.

Irish Millie is the stage name of Peterborough’s Amelia Shadgett, a fiddling prodigy whose debut album Thirteen has been nominated for a 2022 Canadian Folk Music Award.

Tickets are available now through 4th Line Theatre’s online box office at secure1.tixhub.com/4thlinetheatre/online/ or by calling Donna at Century 21 United Realty at 705-743-4444.

Sponsored by Holiday Ford Peterborough, The Barnyard Benefit Concert runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 7th at Hollowbrook Highlands (1020 Gray Rd., Pontypool), with free parking on site. Proof of vaccination and face masks are required indoors.

Birds Canada is seeking citizen scientists in the Kawarthas to count birds in their backyards for Project FeederWatch, which begins in November and runs until April.

A joint project of Birds Canada and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch depends on volunteers to get researchers the data they need to see how winter bird populations may be changing. Understanding long-term trends is an important step towards conserving bird populations.

You don’t have to own a bird feeder to participate. The trees, shrubs, and water around homes provide important habitats for birds year-round. By counting birds in your yard over the winter, you can help researchers understand how these habitats and the birds using them are changing over time, as well as which species are doing okay and which need conservation attention.

You also don’t need to be an expert bird-watcher to participate (Project FeederWatch provide resources to help you identify the birds you see) or make a huge time commitment (even if you count birds only once during the season, that is a helpful snapshot of the birds in your location).

Last season, almost 5,000 citizen scientists across Canada participated in Project FeederWatch. You can join them by becoming a member of Birds Canada at birdscanada.org/feederwatch with a monthly or one-time donation of any amount. You can also join by calling 1-888-448-2473 or emailing pfw@birdscanada.org.

When you sign up for the first time, you will receive a poster of eastern and western common feeder birds, a Birds Canada calendar, digital access to Winter Bird Highlights (the FeederWatch magazine), and tools to track and explore birds on our website or mobile app. If you give $5 or more monthly (or $50 annually), you’ll also receive BirdWatch Canada magazine.

After you’ve joined Project FeederWatch, count your backyard birds periodically from November 13, 2021 through April 30, 2022 and submit your counts online at feederwatch.org.

You can also use the Project FeederWatch mobile app, available for Apple and Android devices.

You can use the FeederWatch app to keep track of your counts, note your snow depth and effort, and submit your counts directly to the Project FeederWatch database.

The app is connected to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds online guide. While entering your count, press and hold any species to see detailed information about the species, including photos, identification tips, natural history, and a range map.

You can also access an interactive tool to see which birds prefer which foods in any region of Canada. For more information about the app, visit feederwatch.org/about/feederwatch-app/.

Birds Canada is the country’s only national organization dedicated to bird conservation. Project FeederWatch is supported in Canada by national sponsor Armstrong Bird Food and by Wild Birds Unlimited.

On the eve of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP26), five post-secondary institutions in the eastern GTA region — including Trent University in Peterborough — have officially launched a new green technology hub called the Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH) District.

Along with Centennial College, University of Toronto Scarborough, Ontario Tech University, and Durham College, Trent University is part of a consortium that aims to work with the public and private sectors, as well as Indigenous communities, to develop the region’s sustainable technology sector by collaborating on research, academic programming, and commercialization of advanced technology.

“Through this collaboration, we look forward to driving environmental technologies to spark new partnerships, and foster the economic health of our regions and beyond,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice chancellor of Trent University in a media release. “With 11 nature areas, experimental farm and rooftop gardens, and 15 environmental degrees, as well as renowned researchers, labs, facilities, and Cleantech Commons, Trent is home to the environmental leaders of today and tomorrow.”

Some of the EaRTH District initiatives already under development include:

• Sustainable farming technology, including Canada’s first net-zero vertical farm as well as off-grid farms that would allow for sustainable local food production.
• New technologies that will reverse groundwater pollution to increase water safety.
• Transportation sector innovation, such as capturing energy from vehicle brake systems to recharge batteries for hybrid hydraulic heavy vehicles and hybrid electric heavy vehicles, improving fuel economy by up to 70 per cent.
• Using microbes to convert biomass-derived waste (such as paper-making waste, food waste, and sewer sludge) into value-added products.
• Training the clean energy workforce to meet the growing demand for maintenance of net-zero homes, electric vehicles, and more.
• Incubating and supporting entrepreneurs and clean-tech startups.

A study commissioned by the consortium estimates EaRTH District will generate $8.4 billion in total direct cumulative output, $1 billion in taxes, and more than 4,000 jobs over the next two decades.

According to the study, EaRTH District initiatives have the potential to reduce travel by over 36 million kilometres, yielding a reduction of over eight million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions as well as millions in cost savings.

“Given the state of our environment, the situation requires immediate action that can only be solved with the greatest minds working together, which we have right here,” says Andrew Arifuzzaman, chief administrative officer at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. “Collaboration among the five post-secondary institutions working on solutions amplifies the effort exponentially. It’s time for us to contribute on a global level, and EaRTH is the gateway to doing so.”

For more information on EaRTH District, visit earthdistrict.ca.