A drunk driver knocked out power to around 4,000 residents in the Lakefield area after colliding with a hydro pole early Sunday morning (September 25)

At around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Peterborough County OPP responded to a complaint that a pickup truck on Lakefield Road had left the roadway and struck a hydro pole. The complainant also reported they observed the driver fleeing the scene on foot.

Police located the driver at a nearby grocery store and determined he was under the influence of alcohol. Daniel Kay, 26, of Wilberforce was arrested and charged with operation while impaired (blood alcohol concentration 80 plus), operation while impaired (alcohol), and fail to remain.

The accused man had his driver’s licence suspended for 90 days and his vehicle impounded for seven days. He is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on November 2.

No injuries were reported at the time of the collision. However, the area was without power for around eight hours while Hydro One crews repaired the damaged pole.

Police are reminding motorists to plan ahead when consuming alcohol. Use a designated driver, cab, public transit, or stay overnight. Any amount of alcohol or drugs can impact your ability to make sound judgments.

Hey Lakefield and area peeps with power out. Top half of hydro pole snapped across from The Maples in Lakefield at Seaforth Cres. 4K people out. Hydro on scene with new poles. Est fix 1 pm. Power on south of Ptbo Appliances. No pics (driving!) #Lakefield #Stoney @kawarthaNOW pic.twitter.com/xDo4b4Bn7u

— Mz Emma ???????? (@Hey_MzEmma) September 25, 2022

Boaters with vessels that cannot be trailered and who have been unable to return to their home port because of the closure of the Kirkfield Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway will be able to proceed through the lock beginning on Monday (September 26).

Located a few kilometres north of the Village of Kirkfield, the Kirkfield Lift Lock suffered a severe mechanical failure on September 2 that resulted in the closure of the lock. Since then, Parks Canada has been working on the site to allow for the passage of vessels to their home ports.

“After multiple inspections by qualified consultants on the superstructure and mechanical components, the Lift Lock has been approved to offer limited, single-chamber lockages to vessels returning to their home ports that cannot be trailered,” reads a media release from Parks Canada.

To proceed through the lock, boaters must email trentsevern@pc.gc.ca and provide their full name, phone number, length and beam of their vessel, their current location, their home port, and any additional special needs such as accessibility issues. Parks Canada will contact boaters via telephone to confirm and provide a lockage date and time.

Delays experienced by boaters will vary depending on the position of the Lift Lock chambers when the boater arrives. Upbound vessels will experience a lockage time of around six hours, while downbound vessels will experience a lockage time of around 30 minutes. Boaters (and pets) will be asked to disembark their vessels while the transfer is underway. Access to washroom facilities and shelter, in the case of inclement weather, will be available.

Boaters are asked to arrive at the lock only on the agreed-upon date and time for lockage and with sufficient provisions for the duration of the vessel’s lockage, as there are no amenities such as restaurants or accomodations within walking distance of the lock. While the parkland around the lock remains closed to the public, boaters can use that space while their vessels are going through the lock.

The Kirkfield Lift Lock is the second highest hydraulic lift lock in the world with a lift of 15 metres. The lock is situated at the highest point along the Trent-Severn Waterway at 256.20 metres (840.5 feet) above sea level.

The great blue heron has been selected as Peterborough’s first official ‘city bird’, following an initiative by Bird Friendly Peterborough — a community group made up of representatives from local nature-focused organizations — to have Nature Canada certify the city as being bird friendly.

The announcement was made at the City of Peterborough’s inaugural Environmental and Climate Action Expo on Friday (September 23), after a community vote held from August 2 to September 5 where residents were asked to choose their favourite bird species from a list of 16 local birds curated by Bird Friendly Peterborough.

Bird Friendly Peterborough then selected the winning bird from the five species that received the most votes, which were the northern cardinal (322), great blue heron (319), osprey (260), black-capped chickadee (232), and pileated woodpecker (198).

“Congratulations to everyone involved with Bird Friendly Peterborough for a successful campaign to raise awareness of Peterborough’s birds and the essential role they play in our ecosystem,” said Kemi Akapo, city councillor and deputy mayor in a media release.

The largest heron native to North America, the great blue heron is found near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. They primarily feed on small fish, but also eat a wide range of larger insects, frogs and toads, and even rodents and other small mammals.

Generally solitary feeders, herons often forage while standing in shallow water, locating their food by sight then spearing it with their long and sharp bill and usually swallowing it whole.

American artist, naturalist, and ornithologist John James Audubon (after whom the Audubon Society is named) illustrated and described the great blue heron in the second edition of his early 19th-century book Birds of America.

His description of the bird will resonate with anyone who has tried to get close to a great blue heron.

“Extremely suspicious and shy, this bird is ever on the look-out,” Audubon writes. “Its sight is as acute as that of any falcon, and it can hear at a considerable distance, so that it is enabled to mark with precision the different objects it sees, and to judge with accuracy of the sounds which it hears. Unless under very favourable circumstances, it is almost hopeless to attempt to approach it.”

On June 27, Peterborough city council approved an application from Bird Friendly Peterborough that elected the city as being bird friendly through Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City certification program. In April, Nature Canada had certified Peterborough as having met the entry-level requirements of the program through existing city policies and community programs.

“Thank you to everyone who participated in the community vote for Peterborough’s official city bird,” said Thomas Luloff of Bird Friendly Peterborough. “The majestic great blue heron, often seen along the shores of the Otonabee River and surrounding waterways, perfectly represents Peterborough’s connection between land and water.”

For tips on reducing threats to local birds, and to learn more about making homes and businesses bird friendly, visit www.birdfriendlypeterborough.ca.

One person has been seriously injured in a head-on collision in Trent Hills on Thursday evening (September 22).

At 6:43 p.m. on Thursday, the Northumberland OPP and emergency services responded to the scene of a two-vehicle head-on collision on 4th Line near County Road 8.

One of the drivers was transported by air ambulance to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

County Road 8 was closed between Burnbrae Road and Catchmore Road while police documented the scene.

If you live in the greater Kawarthas region, you may want to cover up your plants overnight on Thursday (September 22).

On the first day of fall, Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for all of Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Hastings County, and Haliburton County.

Temperatures are expected to drop near the freezing mark Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Frost may damage frost-sensitive fruit trees and vegetable plants. Take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees, especially those in frost-prone areas.

Environment Canada issues frost advisories when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.

On Friday, the first full day of fall, temperatures will remain in the low double digits.

This story has been updated to include the extension of the frost advisory to the southern Kawarthas region.

Beginning after the Thanksgiving long weekend, Peterborough’s popular Jackson Creek Trail — part of the Trans Canada Trail — will be temporarily closed from the concrete bridge at the entrance to Jackson Park west to Ackison Road in Selwyn Township.

The trail closure will continue until mid-December, while upgrades to revitalize the length of trail owned by Otonabee Conservation are being completed.

According to a media release from Otonabee Conservation, construction activities along the length of the trail will include addressing points of erosion, installing culverts, regrading slopes, enhancing bridges, resurfacing of the length of the trail, and adding benches and educational signage.

The project to revitalize the trail is being primarily funded by a $523,917 investment from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, administered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

The project is also being funded by a grant from Trans Canada Trail to enhance the local section of Canada’s national trail and through $20,000 in community donations raised through the Otonabee Conservation’s Your Metres Matter campaign

The trail will close completely on Tuesday, October 11th until Friday, December 16th, pending weather conditions. The trail may reopen earlier than December 16 if the work is completed sooner.

PDF: Map of Jackson Creek Trail Closure and Detours
Map of Jackson Creek Trail Closure and Detours

During the closure, detours will be in place to direct trail users to use alternate routes using local roads, sidewalks, and multi-use trails that extend from Parkhill Road West and Monaghan Road in Peterborough to Ackison Road in Selwyn Township.

Updates or changes to the planned closure will be available on the Otonabee Conservation website at otonabeeconservation.com.

Peterborough’s new animal care centre is expected to be completed this fall, with the Peterborough Humane Society moving in by year’s end.

Currently under construction at 1999 Technology Drive in southeast Peterborough, the 24,000-square-foot Peterborough Animal Care Centre will house the society’s adoption and education centre and regional high-volume spay and neuter clinic, as well as the Ontario SPCA’s provincial dog rehabilitation centre — the first of its kind in Canada.

On Thursday (September 22), the Peterborough Humane Society announced it has entered into a partnership with Concord-based pet food distributor Can-Pet Inc. to sponsor the facility’s promotional and retail area. It will be named after Jade, the late dog of Can-Pet Inc. vice-president Nick Nicoloff.

Jade’s Pet Boutique will support Can-Pet Inc.’s vendors and specialize in Canadian, environmentally friendly, and economical products for consumers, according to a media release from the Peterborough Humane Society,

Jade, a border collie, was the “president and CEO” of Can-Pet Inc. as well as a company ambassador, who came to work every day for 17 years. When she wasn’t at work, Jade was a therapy dog at long-term care homes accompanied by her human mom Cindy.

“When I saw the stories on the news of the shelters across the country facing record surrender numbers and capacity levels and need for resources, I knew we needed to step in and help however we could,” Nicoloff says. “But this is just the start of the partnership — the best is yet to come. We can’t wait to see what other initiatives we can partner with our vendors and the Peterborough Humane Society to better animal wellness in our country.”

The Peterborough Humane Society is still looking to raise funds for the capital campaign, with multiple naming opportunities available.