Community Care Peterborough, which supports Peterborough-area seniors and adults living with physical challenges, will use its $20,000 grand prize from CanadaHelps to support the organization's Give a Meal program, which subsidizes Meals on Wheels services to those in greatest need, and the Drive for Dialysis program, which drives dialysis patients to medical appointments. (Photo: Community Care Peterborough / Facebook)
Community Care Peterborough has won the $20,000 grand prize in CanadaHelps’ Great Canadian Giving Challenge.
The non-profit organization, which supports seniors and adults living with physical challenges in the City and County of Peterborough, beat out more than 16,000 charities across Canada to claim the prize.
During June, CanadaHelps asked Canadians to donate to their favourite charity, with every $1 donated through the CanadaHelps donation platform giving the charity another chance to win a $20,000 grand prize.
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“The Great Canadian Giving Challenge was originally launched in order to counter the cyclical summertime drought many charities experience annually,” says CanadaHelps president and CEO Marina Glogovac in a media release. “As the pandemic continues and we begin recovery efforts, many charities are in need of critical support as some face declining donations.”
During this year’s challenge, 214,672 donors from across Canada gave $26,218,918 to 16,611 charities, with CanadaHelps naming Community Care Peterborough the winner on Canada Day.
“We are so thrilled to win the Great Canadian Giving Challenge,” says Alicia Vandine, donor relations and communications lead for Community Care Peterborough, in a media release. “For over 30 years and of course, throughout the COVID pandemic, we have been supporting our clients to remain safely in their own homes.”
VIDEO: Community Care Peterborough wins Great Canadian Giving Challenge
Vadine attributes the win to the organization’s efforts to make it easier for people to donate using CanadaHelps.
“We adapted our fundraising plans, operating virtual events and improving our online presence, to make it easier for people to support this work with their donations, improving our capacity and process to make online donations easy and secure using our CanadaHelps charity account.”
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Vadine says Community Care Peterborough plans to use half of the grand prize to support the organization’s Give a Meal program, which subsidizes Meals on Wheels services to those in greatest need, and the other half going to the organization’s Drive for Dialysis program, which drives dialysis patients to medical appointments.
“Our staff and more than 700 active volunteers support nearly 7,000 clients in the City and County of Peterborough,” says Community Care Peterborough executive director Danielle Belair. “Together, we have provided more than 42,000 hot and frozen meals through our Meals on Wheels program and 22,000 drives to help clients get to medical appointments and other important visits.”
“Our team also provides grocery delivery, telephone reassurance checks to check-in with clients at home, support with home care and maintenance, medical equipment loans, as well as many more client programs.”
For more information about Community Care Peterborough and to make a donation, visit commcareptbo.org.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 164 cases today, the lowest daily increase since last July 18 when 164 cases were also reported. Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 5 are reporting double-digit increases, including Toronto (32), Peel (26), Waterloo (25), York (13), and Grey Bruce (10). The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 7 to 203.
Hospitalizations have increased by 47 from yesterday to 202, but some of this increase may be a result of underreporting yesterday when more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the daily bed census. The number of ICU patients has decreased by 2 to 226 and the number of patients on ventilators has increased by 4 to 161.
Ontario is reporting 9 new deaths, including 2 in long-term care homes.
Almost 16 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 215,719 from yesterday, with over 88% of Ontario’s total population now having received at least one dose. Over 5.8 million people have been fully vaccinated, an increase of 196,164 from yesterday, representing almost 40% of the total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 5 – July 5, 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 June 5 – July 5, 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 June 5 – July 5, 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 13 new cases to report, including 10 in Peterborough, 2 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.
An additional 8 cases in the region have been resolved, including 4 in Peterborough, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland.
Regional active cases have increased by 6 in Peterborough and by 2 in Hastings Prince Edward and have decreased by 2 in Kawartha Lakes and by 1 in Northumberland.
There are currently 54 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 5 from yesterday, including 25 in Kawartha Lakes, 23 in Peterborough, and 6 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Central Hastings, and 2 in North Hastings). There are no active cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,605 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,560 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,115 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,045 resolved with 58 deaths), 945 in Northumberland County (928 resolved with 17 deaths), 122 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,134 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,117 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
Warren Hennessy, owner and chef of Hendows Fine Food, has moved his restaurant and catering business to the plaza at 116 Parkhill Road in Peterborough. Hennessy uses locally sourced ingredients and is committed to offering high-quality food to his customers. (Photo courtesy of Warren Hennessy)
After a challenging year, Warren Hennessy of Hendows Fine Food is marking a new beginning with a new location for his restaurant and catering business at 116 Parkhill Road in Peterborough,
According to Hennessy, the restaurant has moved from its previous location at 309 Townsend Street since its landlord sold it. However, the move is an incredibly positive and timely change for Hendows Fine Food.
“It’s a much better location,” Hennessy told kawarthaNOW in an interview last week. “We’re getting ready to open, and I’m looking forward to it. We’ve had a lot of inquiries, and we haven’t even opened yet — we’re just cleaning and prepping.”
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The restaurant, which opened on Tuesday (July 6), is located in the former Nicholls Oval Restaurant, at the plaza where the Rotary Greenway Trail crosses Parkhill Road.
Hennessy says he has completely transformed the inside of the building by cleaning and redecorating. With high schools and elementary schools out for the summer, Hennessy says he received help with cleaning and setting up from his teacher friends.
The change in locations comes after a challenging year for Hendows due to the pandemic. Between the lack of in-person dining and events to cater, Hennessy says the latest lockdown greatly affected his business.
“The lockdown in December hurt us, and the next one just killed us,” Hennessy recalls. “It was absolutely devastating. I would say we’re down over 80 per cent.”
At its former location, catering was Hendows’ primary source of income before the pandemic — once catering 15 weddings in a single year.
“That was my big income,” Hennessy says. “You get three or four weddings of 200 people, and that makes a year to live off.”
Hendows Fine Food is now located at 116 Parkhill Road in Peterborough, in the former Nicholls Oval Restaurant at the plaza where the Rotary Greenway Trail crosses Parkhill Road. (Photo courtesy of Warren Hennessy)
With the restrictions on events and large gatherings this year, Hennessy has only two weddings of 50 people to cater. However, these events are still subject to cancellation depending on the COVID-19 situation.
As for the restaurant side of his business, Hennessy says breakfast was his most popular option pre-COVID.
“Since people were locked up for so long, they don’t go for breakfast anymore,” Hennessy explains. “Nobody gets breakfast for pickup. Who wants to take cold eggs home?”
So while the move is an exciting new beginning for Hennessy, it is also hard to do financially. Hennessy, who has quite a bit of his own money invested in the move, says he has been unable to receive government assistance for his business.
He applied for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, and like many others are reporting, had issues with the application. Although his application was received, Hennessy says it has neither been approved nor rejected.
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In March, Hennessy applied for the grant and still has not received any help or resolution to the problems. He says he has contacted Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith’s office and was told they had someone working on his case, but he still has not received an update or resolution.
“It would be nice if the government gave us a little bit of help,” Hennessy says. “With the 10 or 20 grand I would have received, it would have made this move a whole lot easier.”
In terms of Hennessy’s pandemic pivots, Hendows has been kept afloat by offering home-style, take-home meals — including lasagnas, cabbage rolls, meatloaves, and more.
“People were looking to feed their families because they’re working and they’re tired,” Hennessy notes. “That’s what kept us going. A lot of my regular customers stayed regular and ordered quite often.”
After spending days cleaning and redecorating the former Nicholls Oval Restaurant location at 116 Parkhill Road in Peterborough, Warren Hennessy opened the new location of his restaurant and catering business Hendows Fine Food on July 6, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Warren Hennessy)
In the new space on Parkhill Road, Hennessy is looking forward to hosting his regular customers in-store and expanding his customer base. Although the restaurant has no space for a patio, Hennessy says there is plenty of space inside for physically distanced indoor dining when permitted in step three of Ontario’s reopening plan, expected later in July.
At its former location, Hendows Fine Food was a catering restaurant that also happened to offer indoor dining. Their business model is now changing to focus more on the restaurant aspect. He is adjusting his menu slightly, taking some items off and adding others. Scottish batter fish-and-chips is one such item Hennessy is adding.
According to Hennessy, the “fine food” part of his business is very important to him. Hendows uses locally sourced ingredients and Chef Hennessy’s recipes are his own. Even home-style options like burgers and ribs are top quality.
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“I like good food,” Hennessy remarks. “I don’t want to serve poor quality food.”
With Hendows now open at its new location, Hennessy expects to begin offering daily specials for his home-style meals. For example, on Tuesdays, they might offer meatloaf and, on Wednesdays, lasagna.
He also promised to offer a special to students.
“A burger, fries, and a pop for around 10 dollars,” Hennessy says. “It will be something like that.”
Hendows Fine Food is open at 116 Parkhill Road in Peterborough from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To view the menu and learn more about the restaurant and catering business, visit their website at www.hendowsfinefood.com.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism has launched a new tourism campaign based on Indigenous teachings. The "O'de Piitaanemaan Pledge" encourages both residents and visitors to respect the land, waterways, and communities of the region. (Graphic: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism)
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism has launched a new tourism campaign, based on Indigenous teachings, that encourages both residents and visitors to respect the land, waterways, and communities of the region.
Developed in consultation with Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation and drawing on the traditional teachings of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg, the “O’de Piitaanemaan Pledge” is about respect — “respect for the land, for each other, and for those who will come after us”, according to a media release from Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism.
“If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s the power of unity, of working together for a mutual cause,” says Tracie Bertrand, director of tourism for Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and the offical destination marketing organization for the city and county of Peterborough.
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“Respect for the people, culture, and natural spaces we depend on, for future generations — for each other — has never been more important, and the O’de Piitaanemaan Pledge is meant to unify everyone for whom Peterborough & the Kawarthas lives within their hearts,” Bertrand adds.
Pronounced “Oh-da Pee-tah-na-mawn”, the Ojibway word for respect, the O’de Piitaanemaan Pledge comes from the Indigenous teaching of “mnaadendamowin” to give respect to all creation.
The pledge is as follows:
I pledge to be light on the land and wise on the water.
I’ll explore my surroundings with an open heart, ask for help when I need it, and be kind to strangers.
Before starting my day, I’ll gear up, make a game plan, and get wind of the weather.
I’ll remember my miigwech’s, thank-you’s, and merci’s.
With every new season, I’ll seek fresh experiences and flavours, trails, and friends.
I’ll place safety before sport when pedalling, paddling, parking, or power boating.
Be it bison, baked goods, or a crafty brew, I’ll buy local where I can.
I’ll greet new cultures and traditional teachings with curiosity, kindness, and compassion .
After feeding my soul with authentic adventures, I’ll take fond memories with me and leave nothing but footprints behind.
VIDEO: The O’de Piitaanemaan Pledge: Peterborough & the Kawarthas
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The people of Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation believe that because everything is connected, everyone must do their part.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism is encouraging everyone to take the pledge and share it with friends and family via social media using the hashtag #OdePiitaanemaanPledge, with a goal of reaching more than 500 pledges by the end of the year.
A resident receives a COVID-19 vaccination at the Fenelon Falls immunization clinic. (Screenshot from HKPRKHU video by kawarthaNOW)
Residents of the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County who have not yet received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine can get one at walk-in immunization clinics in Cobourg or Fenelon Falls during July.
The two clinics, at the Cobourg Community Centre (750 D’Arcy St.) and Fenelon Falls Community Centre (27 Veterans Way), are open to any area resident 12 years of age or older who has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine.
In a media release issued on Monday (July 5), the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit states that, while almost 77 per cent of the area’s residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines, first-dose vaccine appointments are starting to level off at local mass immunization clinics.
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“We realize not everyone may have been able to book appointments through the provincial booking system or been able to access COVID-19 vaccines through other channels,” says Dr. Natalie Bocking, the health unit’s medical officer of health. “By providing this opportunity, we want to remove any barriers and make it as easy as possible for anyone who has not yet received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to get one.”
The Cobourg walk-in clinic is available from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays — July 8 and 9, 15 and 16, and 22 and 23 — and the Fenelon walk-in clinic is available on Saturdays and Sundays — July 10 and 11, July 17 and 18, and July 25 (but not July 24).
If there is a strong demand for the first-dose walk-in clinics, the health unit will expand them to its other mass immunization clinics later in July.
The announcement of the walk-in clinics comes on the same day the health unit reported a spike of 17 new cases in Kawartha Lakes over the past three days, increasing the number of active cases in the area by by 15.
Brianna Wood, sister of The Food Forest's owner Lasair Wood, sits at the single-table patio in front of the vegan restaurant. Thanks to a proposal by landlord Ashburnham Realty, The Food Forest has an additional four tables on a back patio shared with Providence and St Veronus. (Photo: The Food Forest / Facebook)
The ‘support local’ message has been everywhere throughout the pandemic — and for a good reason. Overall, small businesses have been vulnerable in the face of lockdowns and restrictions over the past 15 months.
Some were able to survive the storm better than others. According to Lasair Wood, owner of The Food Forest — a vegan and gluten-free restaurant in downtown Peterborough — her business has managed well despite the difficulties.
There are several contributing factors to The Food Forest’s ability to sustain the pandemic. Their food travels well as takeout, and they are the only entirely gluten-free and vegan restaurant in Peterborough. However, Wood credits her restaurant’s success over the past year mainly to those in the Peterborough community who have taken the ‘support local’ message to heart.
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“Honestly, we’re doing pretty well,” Wood remarks. “The community’s been supporting us so much throughout COVID. I feel like if we were in another city, we probably would have closed in three months. Since we’re in Peterborough, and since a lot of people have been deciding to shop local instead of big companies, we’re okay.”
This isn’t to say the restaurant hasn’t had its fair share of challenges and pivots this year. Even as Wood prepares to move through the province’s next phases of reopening, she is making adaptations to the restaurant due to the effects of COVID.
At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Wood had to lay off all of her staff. The Food Forest subsequently lost most of its long-term staff since they moved back home to various cities and countries outside Peterborough. Once the business reopened and came into a position to bring in more staff again, Wood had to hire and train new people.
The Food Forest is known for its creative vegan fare, such as this BBQ pulled-jackfruit sandwich that contains no meat, dairy, eggs, or gluten. The restaurant serves fresh organic juices and smoothies, gourmet salads, soups, delicious desserts, cooked and raw entrées, and more. (Photo: The Food Forest / Facebook)
In fact, for those first few months of the pandemic, Wood ran the entire business — doing everything from cooking to administration — by herself.
“That was stressful, hard work,” Wood recalls. “By the end, no one was able to come back and work for me anymore, so we had to hire a completely new staff. That was really hard.”
The inside of the restaurant also looks a little different now due to COVID. Since there is no indoor dining, The Food Forest does not have a defined front and back of house. That will change when indoor dining, with capacity and other restrictions, is once again permitted during step three of Ontario’s reopening plan expected later in July.
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For now, Wood is training some of her staff to be servers in preparation.
“We’re training two servers right now, so hopefully we’ll get busy enough again to be able to have a front and back of house,” Wood says. “I want my staff to all be confident in what they’re doing by the time we do that. Now, since we’re not doing tables inside, there’s no point of having a front of house and back of house.”
Food Forest patrons who want to dine can currently do so on the restaurant’s patios. The restaurant has one table on their front patio and four tables on a back patio, which is shared with St Veronus and Providence. Two of the four tables on the back patio can seat up to six individuals, the limit per table under step two of Ontario’s reopening plan.
Limited to outdoor dining and takeout during step two of Ontario’s reopening plan, The Food Forest is preparing to offer indoor dining once the province moves into step three. Owner Lasair Wood is committed to human health, animal welfare, environmental mindfulness, and community. Her restaurant aim to provide delicious and healthy, common allergen-free foods with as much organic and local produce as possible. (Photo: The Food Forest / Facebook)
The shared patio came into fruition last summer as a result of a proposal by landlord Ashburnham Realty.
“We had a meeting where they proposed the idea, and we all thought it would be super awesome,” Wood recalls. “Ashburnham Realty already had plans to put a courtyard back there but just pushed it up because of COVID. We have great landlords.”
According to Wood, the businesses all pulled together to make the proposal a reality.
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“With all three businesses working on it together, it made things go really smoothly and easy,” she says.
The patio has been a hit among Food Forest patrons, Wood says. Most of her customers already know about it from social media before arriving at the restaurant — which is good since customers cannot see or access the patio directly from the restaurant.
“When people come to dine, they come in through the front, and then we ask if they want to sit at the front or back patio,” Wood explains. “If they choose the back patio, we tell them how to get to it. They actually have to walk across the block because there is no way to get to it from inside the restaurant, which is something we do have to work on for next summer.”
For those with a sweet tooth, The Food Forest’s vegan and sugar- and gluten-free cheesecakes are made in house, with as many raw and organic ingredients as possible. (Photo: The Food Forest / Facebook)
“When people come around, I’ll make eye contact and wave them over to their table and put their food on it,” she adds. “It’s really relaxed and chill here.”
The Food Forest still offers takeout, which has been a popular option throughout all stages of the pandemic. Wood says during the first COVID lockdown, a friend of hers personally delivered orders, but when she could no longer do this, they signed up for Uber Eats.
Uber Eats takes a 20 per cent commission fee on all deliveries, so those who want to support local can order and pickup from The Food Forest directly.
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“The whole 20 per cent thing definitely sucks,” says Wood. “But at the end of the day, I look at the sales from Uber and it’s still worth it to be doing it.”
Wood is grateful that the community’s commitment to supporting local often extends to how they order their takeout.
“A lot of people ask if we deliver, and when we tell them that they can do it through Uber, they actually change their mind and come and pick it up instead,” Wood notes.
Like all bread at The Food Forest, the bun of the chipotle mushroom burger is gluten and wheat free and is sourced from a gluten-free bakery. (Photo: The Food Forest / Facebook)
Whether you choose to dine-in on their patio or place an order for takeout, The Food Forest continues to follow COVID-19 protocols — including cleaning, contact tracing, and sanitizing — to keep customers safe.
The Food Forest also recently added a new menu item to their offerings: a vegan and gluten-free charcuterie board.
“It has vegan brie and feta,” Wood says. “It’s about 70 or 80 per cent organic depending on the fresh produce we can get for it. You can order it with or without a bottle of wine, too, and there’s a deal on the wine.”
Wood asks the community to continue choosing local and thanks everyone who has supported her restaurant over the last year.
Lasair Wood bought The Food Forest from previous owners Katie Lynn and Adam Deck in 2018 when she was only 19 years old. Through hard work and with the support of loyal customers, she has succeeded in keeping Peterborough’s only 100 per cent gluten-free and plant-based restaurant running during the pandemic. (Photo: The Food Forest / Facebook)
“Please continue the mindset of supporting local,” Wood says. “Try not to order off Uber as much as you can. If you can go and get your food, just go, so the restaurant doesn’t have to lose 20 per cent.”
“I really love our community,” she adds. “It’s been so awesome. I could not be any happier.”
You can also support The Food Forest by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
To learn more about The Food Forest, Peterborough’s only 100 per cent gluten-free and plant-based restaurant, and view their menu, you can visit their website at www.foodforestcafe.com.
The Food Forest is located at 153 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. They’re open for takeout and patio dining Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Food Forest is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.
This story has been updated to correct the feature photo caption.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 170 cases today, the lowest daily increase since September 9 when 170 cases were also reported. Only 4 of Ontario’s 34 health units are reporting double-digit increases, including Waterloo (34), Toronto (27), Grey Bruce (18), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (13). The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 6 to 210.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 3 from yesterday to 155, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the daily bed census so the actual number of hospitalizations may be igher.
The number of ICU patients has decreased by 7 to 228 and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 2 to 157. Ontario is reporting only 1 new death, with none in long-term care homes.
Over 15.7 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 144,795 from yesterday, with over 87% of Ontario’s total population now having received at least one dose. Almost 5.7 million people have been fully vaccinated, an increase of 132,840 from yesterday, representing over 38% of the total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 4 – July 4, 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 June 4 – July 4, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 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 June 4 – July 4, 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 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Peterborough, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.
A new outbreak was declared at an unidentified workplace in Peterborough on July 4.
There has been 1 new COVID-related hospitalization in Peterborough and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
An additional 7 cases in the region have been resolved, including 4 in Peterborough, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
Regional active cases have increased by 15 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward and have decreased by 2 in Peterborough and 1 in Northumberland.
There are currently 49 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 13 since July 2, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Peterborough, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Northumberland. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,595 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,556 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,114 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,042 resolved with 58 deaths), 945 in Northumberland County (927 resolved with 17 deaths), 122 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,132 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,117 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Monday afternoon (July 5) for most of the greater Kawarthas including Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Hastings County.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts and large hail on Monday afternoon.
Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles.
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Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!
Environment Canada issues severe thunderstorm watches when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce one or more of the following: large hail, damaging winds, torrential rainfall.
The story has been updated to reflect the severe thunderstorm watch now includes all of Kawartha Lakes as well as all of Peterborough County.
Serena Ryder, pictured at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough in December 2019, will be performing on Willow Hill at Westben in Campbellford on September 25 and 26, 2021. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Live music is returning to Westben in Campbellford with open-air concerts in late July and early August and a September music festival that includes Canadian pop superstar Serena Ryder.
To accommodate pandemic uncertainty, Westben has reconfigured its main performance venue The Barn and has created two new outdoor venues: Willow Hill and The Campfire.
At The Barn, seating has been reconfigured to provide physically distant seating in cabaret-style pods. Three of the four walls at The Barn, which also has ceiling fans, will be open for air circulation.
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Willow Hill is a natural amphitheatre by the willow tree and pond just north of The Barn, where audience members will bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. The Campfire will provide an intimate experience between an artist and an audience of 20, where audience members will bring their own lawn chairs or blankets — and enjoy s’mores and a chat with the artist.
The audience size at each venue will depend on the provincial government’s public health restrictions as the time of the performance, but all seats will be placed in groups of six and will be physically distant from other groups of six.
Westben is also offering a musical nature walk experience on the Mary West Trail, located right across the road from the Westben entrance. The Mary West Nature Reserve is a natural area of meadows and forest managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Ken Tizzard. (Publicity photo)
The open-air season begins on 7 p.m. on Friday, July 30th with Friends on the Hill, featuring favourite Trent Hills musicians inaugurating the new Willow Hill outdoor venue. Tickets are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Saturday, July 31st, multi-award-winning ensemble Lemon Bucket Orkestra performs on Willow Hill at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Juno award-winning singer and virtuoso guitarist Robert Michaels will perform twice on Sunday, August 1st, with a 2 p.m. performance at The Barn and a 7 p.m. performance on Willow Hill. Tickets for either performance are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Westben’s fall open-air music festival begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 10th with Campbellford’s own Ken Tizzard performing at The Campfire. Tickets are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
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At 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 11th (and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 18th and Saturday, September 25th), Westben presents Sounds in Nature, a nature walk on the Mary West Trail featuring a guided sound installation by Northumberland Music Studio owner and Westben sound engineer Andy Thompson. Tickets for each walk are $45 for adults, $43 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Saturday, September 11th at 2 p.m., Westben’s own Bennett-Finley Family — Westben co-founders Donna Bennett and Brian Finley along with the next generation Ben (bass) and Eve (violin) — will perform at The Barn. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Juno award-winning classical pianist André Laplante will perform two concerts at The Barn, with the first at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 11th and the second at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 12th. Tickets for either performance are $65 for adults, $63 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Westben co-founders Brian Finely and Donna Bennett. (Photo: Westben)
On Sunday, September 12th at 7 p.m., Juno award-winning jazz vocalist Sammy Jackson will be joined by guitarist Tom Fleming for a performance at The Campfire. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist, and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali will perform two concerts at 7 p.m. at The Barn, on Friday, September 17th and Saturday, September 18th. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Lakefield’s Juno award-winning musical family Leahy will perform two concerts on Willow Hill, both at 2 p.m., on Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th. Tickets for either performance are $75 for adults, $73 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
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Kerri Ough of Good Lovelies will be performing with Ben Whiteley (Basia Bulat, Good Lovelies, Lindi Ortega, Ken Whiteley, The Weather Station, Liam Titcomb) at The Campfire at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 19th. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Saturday, September 24th at 7 p.m., Westben will present a yet-to-be-announced artist at The Campfire. Tickets are $45 for adults, $43 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
The fall open-air music festival culminates with two performances by vocal powerhouse Serena Ryder on Willow Hill, both at 2 p.m., on Saturday, September 25th and Sunday, September 26th. The Millbrook native has become one of Canada’s musical superstars, earning six Juno awards and international acclaim for her many hits such as “Stompa”. Tickets for either performance are $100 for adults, $98 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
VIDEO: “Better Now” – Serena Ryder
Tickets are available now for Westben members and go on sale for the general public at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 12th by phone at 705-653-5508 (1-877-883-5777 toll free) or online at westben.ca. Ticket prices listed above do not include HST and a $6 order fee.
All concerts will be 60 to 70 minutes with no intermission. The Milkshed Bar and General Store will be open.
For more information and updates on Westben’s 2021 open-air season, visit westben.ca/events.
Starting at 8 a.m. on Monday (July 5), all Ontario children and youth aged 12 to 17 are eligible to book their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Children and youth who book an appointment will receive the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only COVID-19 vaccine currently authorized by Health Canada for those aged 12 and over.
The provincial government originally planned to offer children and youth their second dose beginning the week of August 9th, but announced in mid-June the schedule would be accelerated.
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Second doses can be booked through the provincial booking system at 1-833-943-3900, which is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week, or by booking online at ontario.ca/bookvaccine.
Second doses can also be booked directly through public health units that use their own booking system and through participating pharmacies.
The Ontario government says it expects to receive around 3.54 million doses of Pfizer in July. During the first two weeks of July, the allocation will be 907,000 doses, down from the 1.7 million doses expected initially, with the remaining 2,637,000 Pfizer doses expected to arrive during the last two weeks of July.
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