With those who received two doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine among the first approved for a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna, Peterborough’s acting medical officer of health is reassuring those who received AstraZeneca that is remains effective against COVD-19.

During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (November 4), Dr. Ian Gemmill — who himself, like Premier Doug Ford, has received two doses of AstraZeneca — termed its 80 per cent efficacy rate “pretty darn good” in terms of the protection it offers from serious illness and hospitalization.

“When they get a third dose of an mRNA vaccine, they’re going to have amazing protection,” he said.

“It is not a reflection of any concerns regarding the effectiveness of any of the vaccines,” Dr. Gemmill said of the booster dose. “We know that the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines are very safe. We know that they provide powerful and resistant protection against COVID-19. However, as vaccine protection may begin to wane over time, the booster shots will protect our most vulnerable population.”

Eligible Peterborough-area residents can book a booster shot starting November 8, with the first available appointments on November 9. Those eligible for a booster shot are individuals aged 70 and up, health care workers and essential caregivers in congregate settings such as long-term care and retirement homes, those who received two doses of AstraZeneca or one dose of Janssen, and First Nations people and their non-Indigenous household members.

Dr. Gemmill confirmed that, as of next week, all residents of local long-term care homes and retirement residences will have been offered a booster shot.

To support residents eligible for a booster shot, Peterborough Public Health will once again be part of the provincial booking system. Appointments can be booked online at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by phone 1-833-943-3900.

The overall vaccination picture to date reveals a slow but sure increase in the number of people rolling up their sleeves, be that for a first or second dose.

As of late Wednesday (November 3) afternoon, 86.8 per cent of eligible residents aged 12 and up have received one dose while 83.6 per cent have received two doses. In the age 12 to 17 group, 86.5 per cent have received one dose while 80.4 per cent are now fully immunized.

“The percentage of fully vaccinated youth has increased by two per cent from two weeks ago,” noted Donna Churipuy, the health unit’s director of public health programs and COVID response incident commander, adding “This is contributing to the low number of cases in our secondary schools.”

Against the backdrop of increasing vaccine percentages and the pending administration of booster shots, the active case count continues to trend downward.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, there were 12 active cases in the region with 36 close contacts of cases being monitored. Both these numbers are down from the last briefing two weeks ago, in particular the close contacts total that was 132 at that point. To date this week since Monday, just three new cases have been detected.

However, this positive news is tempered with word of another COVID-related death involving a man in his 70s who, according to Churipuy, was unvaccinated. The first COVID-related death since September 10, it’s the 24th since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.

As for outbreaks, there is one that was just declared in a workplace.

Meanwhile, on the vaccine certificate enforcement front, Peterborough Public Health environmental health manager Julie Ingram said she’s pleased with the level of compliance.

“A lot of premises that we’ve done secret dining at have been fully compliant doing their proof of vaccine checks and proof of identification checks,” she said. “We know it’s not easy and we know it can be a pain but it’s exceptionally important that these activities continue, especially now with the increase in capacity limits.”

Since the last media briefing on October 21, two Peterborough eateries — Wild Wing on Charlotte Street and PJ’s Diner on Sherbrooke Street — have been charged and fined $880 each for lack of compliance with the proof of vaccination and identification requirement.

Earlier in October, Peterburgers on George Street was similarly fined. Ingram notes there remains “issues with compliance” at that business and an investigation is ongoing.

“We’re now six weeks into this requirement,” notes Ingram. “There was a time and a place for continuous education and warnings — we’re starting to get to the point that we’re past that. Proof of vaccine is an expectation. It’s your responsibility as a business owner to know if the requirement applies to you or not.”

Also in attendance for Thursday’s media briefing was Board of Health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.

This week, senior political officials from nations around the world are at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. This “Conference of the Parties” (COP for short) is the 26th annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

There’s a lot at stake with COP26, so I asked three local experts for their perspectives on COP26 and why it matters both globally and locally.

“The COP meetings began almost 30 years ago at the 1992 Rio Summit, when the UNFCCC was negotiated,” explains Stephen Hill, associate director of the Trent School of the Environment. “The goal of the UNFCCC has always been to commit to stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions. In their language, the goal is to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.”

Hill shares an analogy to explain this. Think of the entire planet as a bathtub that can only hold so much greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) before it overflows into “dangerous” territory. That overflow point is 1.5 to 2 degrees of global warming.

“There are two parts to preventing dangerous global warming,” Hill says. “First, we have to stabilize the GHG level in the bathtub by reducing the flow to a trickle. The modelling shows we must act now. That means reducing emissions at least 45 per cent below 2010 levels as soon as possible, ideally by 2030.”

“The second part is figuring out how to drain the bathtub. Reducing emissions to near zero is crucial but not enough by itself. That net-zero target requires capturing and storing significant amounts of carbon, both with natural and technological solutions.”

VIDEO: Earth To COP

The intention of the 2015 Paris Agreement (COP21) was for each nation to commit to reductions they felt they could achieve, not to stabilize GHG levels globally.

Brace yourself: here comes some doom and gloom. The global flow of GHGs into the atmospheric bathtub continues to increase — even during COVID-19 — and has increased every year since the 1992 UNFCCC agreement was signed.

Today world leaders are gathering at COP26 to evaluate the progress of each nation and set another round of ambitious reductions targets.

“Even with our late start, it will take time to turn a big ship like our energy system around,” Hill points out. “Emissions don’t go down that quickly. What we need to see first are domestic policies and accountability measures that back up the commitments nations make at the COP.”

“The Paris Agreement, along with public pressure and youth activism, acted as a catalyst for recent political action. In the last five years, climate politics have changed tremendously in Canada. For the first time, we now have credible policies and plans.”

Stephanie Rutherford, associate professor in the Trent School of the Environment, agrees.

“The plans that the Canadian government has put forward in the last year aren’t perfect, but they’re the first I’ve seen with any kind of teeth,” Rutherford says.

“We need to be asking for real, measurable targets, enforcement mechanisms, and plans for ratcheting down emissions throughout the course of the policy over many years. There are also lots of environmental non-governmental organizations, like GreenUP, that have decades of experience and knowledge on these issues that the government could leverage going forward.”

Rutherford’s research focuses on environmental justice and multi-species perspectives. While previous COPs have tended to overlook the importance of habitat and ecosystem protection and restoration, this year’s COP looks different.

“The climate crisis is not separate from the biodiversity crisis,” explains Rutherford. “These are interlinked crises. You can’t have a conversation about climate change without also talking about habitat loss and mass extinction.”

According to Rutherford, the stakes are high for Canada.

“Climate change is an issue not only of the environment and the economy, but also of justice and equity,” she says. “First Nations people in Canada have disproportionately felt the impacts of climate change, and there is a lot at stake in the relationship between climate change and reconciliation.”

“Canada was once known as an environmental leader, but no more. We take a lot of body blows at these COPs because we make big promises but with almost no follow-through. The world is waiting to see us actually act. It will not be easy. There are jurisdictional disputes with some provinces. Historically, Canada has also not pursued the kind of policies that prioritize habitat protection, ecosystem integrity, and treaty rights before resource extraction. We have work to do.”

Like Canada, Peterborough (once known as “The Electric City” as it was the first town in Canada to use electric streetlights in the late 1800s) likes to stake claim to a reputation for innovation and environmental leadership.

“As a community, we should be thinking about how we will live in this changing world in a low-carbon economy,” Hill says. “We should be anticipating what this means for jobs, businesses, housing, education systems, and transportation systems. There are pockets of truly amazing leadership in Peterborough, but we are falling behind other communities.”

One of those pockets of amazing leadership is the Endeavour Centre, the Sustainable Building School.

“I am most excited and also most frustrated about the potential of the building industry for emissions reductions,” shares Chris Magwood, founder of the Endeavour Centre. “There’s so much talk about incremental reductions in emissions over decades, but with buildings it could be way more than incremental. We could literally — right now in the next few years — reverse the climate impact of buildings.”

“COP26 is the first time that buildings and the building industry have had a central presence. There is a net-zero demonstration house at COP26. For decades, the Endeavour Centre has been trying to demonstrate the potential of low-carbon building approaches. The new forensic crime scene building at Trent University is a net-zero carbon storage building. This and other local projects are world-leading demonstrations of what’s possible right now. These approaches exist, but it seems people do not recognize them as the major precedent-setting examples that they truly are.”

Magwood believes municipalities are going be the leaders in this area, even though building codes are written at the national level.

“Duoro-Dummer had the very first low-carbon building incentive program in North America,” Magwood notes. “The Endeavour Centre is working with Nelson in B.C. right now on something like that. We start working next month with Vancouver and Toronto looks on the verge of doing something. Municipalities don’t have power over building codes, but there seems to be the most willingness to move quickly at that level.”

“I would hope that politicians start to see the potential for becoming the world leader in manufacturing biogenic building materials,” suggests Magwood. “Canada is rich in all the best sources of raw materials, and most of these resources are available in rural areas like Peterborough. We are smart enough to manufacture here. We just need the push to do it and scale it up. There’s a compelling economic and environmental case for doing this.”

To learn more about the global significance of COP26, visit the UN Climate Change YouTube channel.

For more information on the climate action resources available locally, now, visit greenup.on.ca/climate-action-resource/.

When Dave Graham was diagnosed with colon cancer in late March 2020, he came to that proverbial fork in road: either wallow in self-pity while thinking endlessly of a possible tragic outcome, or take action to ensure others facing a similar trial continue to have the healthcare they need locally.

With surgery now well in his rear-view mirror, the 74-year-old Bridgenorth resident is looking very much forward as he undergoes twice-monthly chemotherapy treatments, having chosen to go the latter route by walking a very challenging 7,000 steps daily to raise money for cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).

To date, he’s logged in excess of 650,000 of his goal of 735,000 steps — an estimated 225 kilometres. More notably, since beginning his daily walks August 1, Graham has raised more than $7,500 in donations for the PRHC Foundation — an amount well in excess of his original $5,000 goal. With plans to continue his walks until early December when his chemotherapy ends, Graham has set a new goal of $10,000.

Donations in his name can be made online through his PRHC Foundation fundraising page at prhcf.akaraisin.com/ui/PRHCFPersonalFundraisingPages/participant/7077596.

“When I was diagnosed, my wife and I were both in the room — we were floored,” recalls Graham, noting the results of an at-home cancer screening test suggested there was a problem and a subsequent colonoscopy confirmed his cancer.

“We came home and talked about it. I’ve got cancer and there’s nothing I can do about it, so I might as well make the best of it. I thought there’s got to be something good that can come out of this. Shortly after, I came to the conclusion that I’ll do this walk and we’ll see what happens. I then went to the hospital and spoke to the foundation and they set up the fundraising page.”

Admitting his 10 chemotherapy treatments to date “knock the energy out of you,” Graham readily admits to days when he wants to “stay in bed” or “sit down and do nothing” but credits his faith with helping him stay the course. In addition, there’s the selfless support of his family: his wife Liz, their daughter Leslie, and their sons Matt and Alan.

“I can’t describe how proud I am of my kids that they have stepped up to support me the way they have,” says Graham.

On November 13 at her Bridgenorth home, Leslie will have her head shaved while her brother Matt will shave off his “signature” handlebar moustache. That commitment has brought in close to $2,000 in pledges, yet to be added to the overall fundraising total.

“My plan was to somehow put myself in a position outside my comfort zone to say ‘I’m here with you,'” says Leslie.

“You can’t take it away,” she adds, referring to her father’s cancer. “You can’t fix it. You can wish and wish, and pray and pray, and hope and hope. This is a way for me to feel a little bit out of my comfort zone. I want do that for him.”

Leslie admits to being “completely in awe” of her father’s walking fundraiser, noting his cancer diagnosis “has given him a different determination and grit.”

“I can’t take the diagnosis and the fear away — what we can do is something like this,” she says of her and Matt’s hair-shaving fundraiser. “We’re saying ‘You’re not alone. We’re behind you and we’re beside you.'”

“I’m more proud of my dad than I thought was possible,” Leslie adds. “I stand behind him 100 per cent in what he’s doing. He’s going through chemo and wants to do 7,000 steps a day up until his final treatment. That seems unreachable, yet here he is. I’m amazed.”

According to PRHC Foundation president and CEO Lesley Heighway, while she’s most appreciative of the funds being committed in Graham’s name, the bigger value of what he has undertaken can be found in the message it sends.

“It gives people hope and it inspires other people to consider making a difference of their own by doing something similar,” says Heighway.

“As we’re still navigating the pandemic, these fundraising events are more important than they have ever been for so many reasons. Yes, financially, they are extremely important for our hospital but they also galvanize people. They bring people together. He’s inspiring others to think ‘Wow, look at what he’s doing. Maybe I could do something similar.'”

Heighway stresses that all fundraisers that benefit PRHC are vital, regardless of their scope and the amount ultimately raised.

“Many times they start with a patient experience — a patient saying thank you for the great care they received,” she says. “The best way that they can give back is by organizing, or getting a group together to organize, an event like this one.”

“There’s so much joy with many of these events though. In Dave’s case, he’s still going through treatment. It’s a difficult time, but look at what he has already accomplished. He set an inspired goal and he’s already met it. Now he has raised the bar while still going through treatment for his cancer. That’s pretty miraculous.”

The foundation, notes Heighway, wholly supports such community fundraisers by making staff available to provide tips, answer questions, and set up a dedicated donation webpage.

Saying she’s “surprised every day” by the community’s support of PRHC, Heighway says there’s no such thing as a small gift, adding “All of those gifts come together to enable the great care that we have here.”

“It’s a huge morale boost when staff and medical professionals see what people are undertaking in the community to ensure that the next person who comes after them can have access to world-class care.”

Graham is quick to credit PRHC in return, saying the doctors, nurses, and staff he has had contact with throughout his cancer journey have been “absolutely wonderful.”

“I am overwhelmed,” he says. “The support I have received, both in the donations and through people sending me cards or giving me a phone call, has been just phenomenal. It gives me that little extra step, that little extra encouragement, to keep on going. They all say I’m in their prayers. That’s the most important thing for me.”

“There have been times when my wife has had to pull me up by the bootstraps and say ‘Come on, get going.’ You’ve got cancer. It’s a deadly disease. You think ‘How am I going to get through this?’ My faith has carried me to the point where I’ve never really felt panicky. I’ve been reasonably calm about the whole thing.”

Graham’s daughter Leslie says every donation, no matter what denomination, “is like a shot of adrenaline for my dad. He has this undiminished appreciation for people’s generosity. It’s almost like a child seeing a train for the very first time.”

“We have had our struggles independently and jointly, but there’s always something to smile about and there’s always something to laugh about. There’s always something positive that you can find and hang onto. Dad taught us that. When things are super tough, or you’re dealing with something really hard, address it. When things are heavy, attach a balloon to it and it’s okay. That’s my dad.”

Looking ahead, Graham has reason to be cautiously optimistic. With his chemotherapy treatments expected to come to an end in early December, his blood work to date has come back clear and a CAT scan produced a similarly favourable result.

In the meantime, he makes no secret of his strong religious faith and how it sustains him.

“Give it all to the Lord and he’ll look after it. People will say ‘Yeah, sure, okay, that’s wonky’, but the strength that He provides so you can keep a positive attitude is as important as anything. If you let it, it will get you down so fast and then you’re in big trouble.”

Effective Saturday (November 6), the Ontario government will be expanding eligibility for booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to those aged 70 or older, health care workers, and First Nation, Inuit, and Metis adults and their non-Indigenous household members, as well as people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Provincial officials provided details of Ontario’s booster dose rollout during a technical media briefing on Wednesday (November 3), prior to an announcement by Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore on Wednesday afternoon.

Currently, third doses of COVID-19 vaccines are only being offered to people who are immunocompromised, at an interval of eight weeks after their second dose. More than 161,000 of the 250,000 currently eligible for third doses have received them.

Beginning November 6, those eligible for a third dose can book their booster dose appointment through the government’s COVID-19 vaccination portal at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by calling the provincial vaccine contact centre at at 1-833-943-3900. between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

People can also book their booster dose directly through public health units that use their own booking systems or at select pharmacies. Hospital-based health care workers are encouraged to reach out to their hospital employer to get vaccinated directly through their hospital’s vaccination program.

Either mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) may be used as a booster dose, regardless of which COVID-19 vaccine was used for the first and second dose.

The expanded eligibility for the booster shots represents around 2.75 million people.

Officials said the government is making booster doses for those aged 70 and over a priority based on increased risk of gradual waning immunity six months after receiving their second dose and a high risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

First Nation, Inuit and Metis adults and their non-Indigenous household members are being prioritized due to increased risk of gradual waning immunity, as well as these communities having been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in Ontario and inequities related to the social determinants of health.

Health care workers are being prioritized based on increased risk of gradual waning immunity and a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to their work environments. which could result in an increased risk of transmission to vulnerable populations.

The list of health care workers eligible for a booster dose is broad, including all hospital and acute care staff, all patient-facing health care workers and staff, medical first responders, health care workers and essential caregivers in congregate settings, and home and community health care workers providing in-person care.

The government also announced it would be proceeding with first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 beginning in November, pending approval of COVID-19 vaccines by Health Canada (expected during November).

The vaccine will be delivered through mass immunization clinics, school-based clinics, pharmacies, and more. Parental or caregiver consent will be required for the Pfizer vaccine for children, which will at a lower dose than the adult version.

Government officials said the province will focus on expanded third doses until the vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds is approved and available in Ontario, at which point the priority will shift to vaccinating that age group with first doses.

Officials said the province is also planning to gradually expand eligibility for booster doses to all Ontarians sometime next year, with timing for the rollout to the general public to be based on clinical recommendations.

A 78-year-old Omemee woman is dead after a vehicle collision on Highway 7 just east of Omemee.

At around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon (November 2), Kawartha Lakes OPP and emergency services responded to a head-on collision involving a SUV and a sedan.

As a result of the collision, 78-year-old Elsie Lees of Omemee was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other driver was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Highway 7 just east of Omemee will remain closed for several hours while police investigate.

Detours are in place at Orange Corners Road and Emily Park Road.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is asked to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Gymnastic Ontario’s lifetime suspension of Marcel Rene, the longtime owner and coach of Champions Gymnastics in Peterborough, isn’t the result of anything “nefarious.”

That’s the word from Rene, 71, who tells kawarthaNOW that if there were any reason for his suspension that should alarm the parents and guardians of his young athletes, Gymnastics Ontario wouldn’t have given him the option of re-applying for his membership in three years’ time and wouldn’t be allowing him to stay in his current position until January 1, 2022.

Gymnastics Ontario, the sport’s governing body in Ontario that sets operating standards and practices for member clubs, posted a notice about Rene’s lifetime suspension on its website on Monday (November 1) that gave no reason for the suspension.

In a statement about the suspension emailed to kawarthaNOW on Tuesday, Gymnastics Ontario CEO Dave Sandford states Rene’s suspension resulted “following complaints” received by the organization, but provided no details about the nature of the complaints.

“Out of respect for the complainants, Gymnastics Ontario is unable to provide particulars in respect of the matters that were raised in the complaints,” Sandford adds. “Gymnastics Ontario can confirm that when the complaints were made known to it, they were investigated and promptly dealt with. Gymnastics Ontario can further confirm that the individuals affected by the allegations made against Mr. Rene were involved in the complaints process, including its resolution.”

Sandford also states there is no “risk of harm” from Rene continuing as a coach of Champions Gymnastics until the suspension takes effect in the new year.

“Gymnastics Ontario has not been apprised of any information that suggests there is any risk of harm to its members in permitting Mr. Rene a brief period of time to remove himself from Champions’ operations.”

While at no point in his statement does Sandford state that Rene can re-apply for membership in three years, Rene says that’s the case as confirmed by an agreement rider.

“Whatever conflict that was involved has all been settled,” said Rene, who did not clarify what that “conflict” involved.

“This is just the finalized part of it,” Rene said. “I am in agreement with it because I was planning on retiring anyway. It’s not related to COVID. It’s a private matter between myself and Gymnastics Ontario. It doesn’t involve the (Champions Gymnastics) club. Whatever statements Ontario Gymnastics made yesterday were the culmination of everything.”

Rene confirmed his son Etienne, a partner in Champions Gymnastics, will take over as head coach come the new year. Rene added he has prepared his son, who has served as a coach for the past 25 years, for that position.

“I’m in agreement with the suspension but there are still some questions that I have,” said Rene, without clarifying what those questions are. “It’s not something I want to pursue any time in the near future. I just want to get through this COVID crap and get my club on a firm footing.”

Rene said the suspension is “strictly a personal thing” between him and Gymnastics Ontario, and does not affect Champions Gymnastics.

“Our club is a member of Gymnastics Ontario in good standing. We received a letter about that just the other day. Nothing changes in the operation of Champions Gymnastics.”

“My retirement was planned two years ago when I turned 70. If it hadn’t been for COVID, I would have retired. We wouldn’t be having this conversation. The only reason there’s a sort of sensationalist attachment to this is I run a gymnastics club. If I was CEO of a company and got bought out, this wouldn’t be in the media.”

“It’s not a big thing,” maintained Rene. “They (Gymnastics Ontario) have to put a statement like this out to basically inform all the clubs in Ontario that I’m not a registered member with Gymnastics Ontario, which means I’m not covered by any of their insurance. I can’t just walk out on the floor at a competition. They have to let people know.”

While both Gymnastics Ontario and Rene are elusive in terms of what’s at the root of the lifetime suspension decision, Sandford said in his emailed statement that his organization “is committed to creating and maintaining a safe sport environment.”

“Gymnastics Ontario invites its members and its stakeholders to report to it any behaviour that fails to uphold these values,” Sandford said.