The late afternoon sun appears pinkish orange on July 19, 2021 due to smoke from active forest fires in northwestern Ontario moving over southern Ontario. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for all of the greater Kawarthas region for Sunday (July 25) due to high levels of air pollution.
The special air quality statement is in effect for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Hastings County, and Hastings County.
Smoke plumes from active forest fires in northwestern Ontario might affect portions of southern Ontario Sunday afternoon. Particulate matter combining with ground-level ozone may deteriorate the air quality.
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Conditions may persist into Monday.
If you or those in your care are exposed to wildfire smoke, consider taking extra precautions to reduce your exposure. Wildfire smoke is a constantly changing mixture of particles and gases which includes many chemicals that can be harmful to your health.
Individuals may experience symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.
Visit www.airhealth.ca for information on how to reduce your health risk and your personal contribution to pollution levels, as well as for current and forecast AQHI values.
The Peterborough Axe Club at 280 Perry Street in Peterborough has reopened after some renovations. Guests can visit the club to enjoy both axe throwing or darts. In light of COVID-19, the club can welcome four groups of up to 10 people at a time. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Axe Club)
Now that Ontario is in step three of its reopening plan, things are looking up for small businesses. But it’s easy to overlook the challenges many businesses have faced while navigating the pandemic over the past 16 months.
For Peterborough Axe Club owner Carlo Raponi, feelings of excitement and disappointment aren’t mutually exclusive. While Raponi is overjoyed to reopen the Peterborough Axe Club, it came at the cost of closing his Lindsay location this past spring.
Prior to the pandemic, axe throwing had become an increasingly popular sport, with its unique mix of skill and socializing through leagues and private events. Raponi launched the Peterborough Axe Club in 2016 with his business partner Kalen Davidson and, in 2018, expanded to open a second location in Lindsay.
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When both locations were forced to shut their doors during pandemic lockdowns, revenue dried up. While Raponi did receive COVID-19 support grants from the government, he says the grants had to support expenses for both locations — and it just wasn’t enough to sustain both, resulting in the difficult decision to close the Lindsay Axe Club in April.
“When I started to look at paying for two locations, not receiving income on either of them, and all those grants are being split in half, I realized I was going to end up sinking both ships if I didn’t cut the rope on one,” Raponi explains.
“That’s a really tough decision because, in the beginning, you want to deny that’s what needs to happen. At one point, you have to say, ‘We need to save one, and it will come at the cost of the other.'”
Peterborough Axe Club owner Carlo Raponi in a May 2020 Instagram video explaining how the pandemic forced him to close the Lindsay Axe Club, which opened in 2018. (Video screenshot by kawarthaNOW)
The closure was a devastating loss for Raponi, his staff, and his Lindsay customers. After making the decision, Raponi says sharing the news of the Lindsay closure was like getting punched in the gut twice.
“When you make a decision like that, you go through the grieving process,” says Raponi. “There’s denial, anger, sadness, and then you go numb. Then, you tell your customers, and you cycle through it all again.”
Raponi says the club’s league members came forward after the announcement to close, looking to do whatever they could to keep the Lindsay location open. There was even talk of a small group collecting money to purchase the club themselves.
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“Our league members are the lifeblood of the axe club,” he says. “They’re people who have come to the club and enjoyed the sport of axe throwing, but even more so, they’ve found a community of people who are accepting. The axe throwing is fun, but the community we foster is the centre point.”
Now that the Peterborough location has reopened, Raponi is excited to welcome league members back to the Peterborough Axe Club. He notes that while he and staff are excited about the future, he wants to be transparent about how difficult the past year has been for the business.
“Everybody wants to put on a smiling face and say ‘Yeah, we’re doing good,’ because nobody wants to be that downer,” says Raponi. “But that’s not the reality. The reality is that we lost one of our two businesses. The reality is that I sat across the table from our Lindsay manager and told him that he no longer has an income for him and his daughter. The reality is that I let go of six staff from Peterborough.”
Pictured pre-pandemic, the reopened Peterborough Axe Club has seen some renovations and also includes a new dart lane and league. The club is open to walk-ins Thursday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can also book a group event through their website. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Axe Club)
Nevertheless, the Peterborough Axe Club has not and will not lose its fun energy despite the hardships, according to Raponi. He says his staff, customers, and league members are all stellar and have been excellent at keeping morale up throughout the pandemic.
“Our staff have been amazing, and I can’t applaud them enough for having a good attitude and disposition,” Raponi points out. “So much of what we are is our staff. The way staff engage without our guests has always been our pride and joy.”
According to Raponi, his customers were incredibly positive and supportive earlier in the pandemic when the club was still open with restrictions. He expects he will see that kind of attitude again now that the club has reopened.
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Unlike retail shops and restaurants that closed during the pandemic, where customers could still order online for curbside pickup or takeout, Raponi notes there wasn’t much his customers could do to keep supporting his business, other than offering encouragement. However, he says those displays of support have been more valuable than people may think.
“The number of emails I’ve received from league members — encouraging us, telling us how much they love that community and can’t wait to get back — is fantastic,” says Raponi. “I’ve even been getting messages from league members since stage three has been announced. People are really excited.”
While the closure of the Lindsay location was devastating, there is a silver lining for Peterborough customers. Raponi has transferred some of the equipment from the closed location, including furniture and monitors for scoring, to the Peterborough space.
Every Wednesday, Peterborough Axe Club will be at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene as part of the resort’s summer activities for guests. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Axe Club)
“As terrible as that closure was, we’ve been working on making the Peterborough space even more beautiful than it was,” Raponi says. “Over the course of these lockdowns, we didn’t just sit on our hands. We said this is a great time to improve the space and how the space looks.”
The revitalization will give Peterborough Axe Club customers a sense of something new and fresh when they return to the club. As well, the Peterborough Axe Club now has a darts lane and will continue with the darts league that was launched before the pandemic.
Guests can also expect appropriate COVID-19 safety protocols, such as physical distancing and face coverings. As the interior of the Peterborough Axe Club is quite large, Raponi says maintaining physical distancing between groups is not a problem.
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While still acknowledging that the challenges aren’t over, Raponi feels excited and optimistic about the coming months — especially fall and winter, which are typically the club’s busiest seasons.
“There’s such duality between wanting to be energetic about the future and sharing the harsh reality of what it’s like to be in the trenches,” Raponi says. “For the business owner, when we invest our money into starting a dream and then all the endless hours that go into it, it’s not just a business — it’s my sweat and blood and tears.”
That being said, community support has been vital in getting Raponi through the pandemic, and he has felt no shortage of it.
“Support is so big,” Raponi says. “Knowing the thing that you do in your community, your community loves, values, appreciates, and looks forward to — that gives you every reason to get out of bed.”
Peterborough Axe Club is located at 280 Perry Street, Unit 1, in Peterborough. For more information, including walk-ins, group bookings, and league play, visit www.ptboaxe.com.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
After 2 straight days of increases in the daily case count, Ontario is reporting a decline at 170 new COVID-19 cases today. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 1 to 159.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 5 are reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (44), Peel (26), Hamilton (17), Waterloo (15), and Grey Bruce (13) — and 11 are reporting no new cases at all.
Hospitalizations have dropped by 12 to 125, the number of ICU patients has decreased by 4 to 132, and the number of patients on ventilators has increased by 2 to 86. Ontario is reporting 3 new COVID-related deaths, with none in long-term care homes.
Almost 18.9 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 124,261 from yesterday, with over 8.4 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 105,628 from yesterday, representing over 57% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 23 – July 23, 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 23 – July 23, 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 23 – July 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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Numbers for the greater Kawarthas region are unavailable on weekends as no health units in the region publish reports on Saturdays or Sundays. The weekend’s numbers will be provided when the health units issue their reports on Monday.
As of July 23, there are 28 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, 4 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 5 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,627 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,601 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,152 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,094 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 123 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,146 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,126 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
Westben's 'Welcome Back Weekend' starting July 30th will feature concerts on Friday and Saturday night at the new Willow Hill outdoor venue, followed by a concert on Sunday afternoon at Westben's primary performance venue The Barn (pictured). To accommodate pandemic protocols, seating will be limited to 100 people in physically distanced groups. The Barn's massive walls and doors will be rolled away, serving the dual purpose of providing open-air ventilation and allowing guests to experience music and nature at once. (Photo: Wayne Eardley, courtesy of Northumberland County)
With step three of Ontario’s reopening now in full effect, Westben in Campbellford is welcoming back in-person audiences for a weekend of open-air live music.
The weekend will kick off on Friday, July 30th with a concert called ‘Friends on the Hill’, featuring local Trent Hills musicians as they inaugurate Willow Hill — one of two new outdoor venues Westben has created to allow audiences to enjoy physically distanced outdoor concerts.
On Saturday night, multi-award-winning ensemble Lemon Bucket Orkestra will also perform on Willow Hill and, on Sunday afternoon, virtuoso flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels will take the stage at The Barn, Westben’s iconic primary performance venue.
Westben’s ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ will kick off on Friday, July 30th with a concert called ‘Friends on the Hill’, on Westben’s new outdoor venue Willow Hill, featuring Campbellford’s Ken Tizzard and Music for Goats (pictured performing for a Digital Concert at The Barn), Trent Hills musicians Jana Reid, Luke Mercier, Kim Dafoe, Out by Lucy and Robert Longo, and Westben’s Donna and Brian Finley. (Photo: Wayne Eardley, courtesy of Northumberland County)
Tickets for all three concerts are available now at westben.ca/events.
Donna Bennett and Brian Finley, founders of the not-for-profit arts organization, created two new outdoor venues at their 50-acre farm in response to the pandemic. Willow Hill is a natural amphitheatre on a mowed field north of The Barn, where concert attendees bring their lawn chairs for seating, and The Campfire provides a similar but more intimate experience for a smaller audience.
Guests can enjoy a custom-made picnic while they watch a concert at Willow Hill. Gourmet picnic baskets made by Chef Ravi Anandappa of Antonia’s Bistro in Campbellford can be ordered within 48 hours of concerts and picked up at the General Store or at the entrance of Willow Hill.
Westben founders Brian Finley and Donna Bennett sit on Willow Hill, a new outdoor performance venue at Westben where guests will enjoy live music in the open air while sitting on their own lawn chairs or blankets. (Photo courtesy of Westben)
“We created these outdoor venues because we thought it would make people feel more comfortable,” Donna explains. “I think it’s going to be fantastic after COVID, too. It’s really fun to be out on this grassy, natural amphitheatre. We’re going to sell around 150 tickets or so, but in non-COVID times we can sell more.”
In addition to being the first event on Willow Hill, the inaugural Friends on the Hill concert is an opportunity for attendees to support local musicians after a challenging year. The show will feature Campbellford’s Ken Tizzard and Music for Goats and Trent Hills musicians Jana Reid, Luke Mercier, im Dafoe, Out by Lucy, and Robert Longo.
Donna, a soprano, will also perform at the concert along with her husband Brian, who is an accomplished pianist and composer.
VIDEO: “End Of The World” – Ken Tizzard and Music For Goats
Since Friends on the Hill will feature artists of varied genres, the show has something for everyone.
“I’m excited to open the new venue with our local musicians,” Donna syas.
Westben’s welcome back weekend continues on Willow Hill at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 31st with the Lemon Bucket Orkestra. The one-of-a-kind, genre-bending ensemble describes themselves as a “Balkan-Klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super band.”
Westben’s ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ continues on Saturday, July 30th with a concert by the Lemon Bucket Orkestra on Willow Hill. Lemon Bucket Orkestra is a multi-award winning ensemble, self-described as a “Balkan-Klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super band.” (Publicity photo)
“They are really wild,” Donna says. “That concert will be really fun.”
The final concert of the weekend take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 1st with a concert by Toronto’s Juno award-winning flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels in The Barn, a timber-frame structure custom built as Westben’s first and primary performance venue.
Throughout the sunny days of the summer and fall, The Barn’s walls and doors roll away to create a rustic open-air atmosphere. While The Barn typically seats 400, under the current pandemic restrictions, Westben will be seating only 100 guests for a performance.
VIDEO: “Freedom” – Lemon Bucket Orkestra
“It’s beautiful when you’re sitting in The Barn,” Donna notes. “You can hear the birds and look out to see the meadow and the pond. We’re all about experiencing nature and music together.”
Michaels will be the first musician to perform to a live audience at The Barn after countless months of pandemic closures. The multiple gold and platinum recording artist has earned worldwide acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
“It’s upbeat, makes-you-want-to-dance kind of music,” Donna says, describing Michaels’ music as “beautiful, electrified guitar.”
VIDEO: “Sunchild” – Robert Michaels
Westben’s welcome back weekend is a monumental celebration for Donna and Brian who, along with the Westben’s staff and Board of Directors, have handled the arduous task of keeping Westben alive during the pandemic with grace and resiliency.
“It was pretty devastating,” Donna recalls. “We had no ticket revenue because we had to cancel our events. But our members, our sponsors, and our donors stayed with us, and the federal and provincial government subsidies were fantastic. We were able to survive and shift.”
One of those shifts was Digital Concerts at The Barn where, once a month, Westben released an intimate pre-recorded concert of an artist performing at Westben without an audience. The free concerts were incredibly successful, receiving tens of thousands of views by people from all over the world, while promoting what makes Westben so special.
Folk/country harmony trio Good Lovelies are one of several artists who have participated in Westben’s Digital Concerts at The Barn. (Photo: Steve Dagg)
Donna and Brian intend to continue these digital concerts throughout the coming fall months, so those who are not yet ready to visit Westben can still experience brilliant artists in performance.
While she’s pleased with the response to the digital concerts, Donna says she’s overjoyed to welcome audiences back to Westben to experience music the way it is meant to be heard — live and in person.
In 1989, soprano Donna Bennett and pianist and composer Brian Finley were pursuing international careers in music when they moved from Europe to Donna’s hometown of Campbellford to start a family. There, the couple founded the not-for-profit arts organization Westben among the hills of Northumberland County. In 2017, the couple were invested in the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. Their citation reads in part, “Their work has contributed to community building in the region, and has played an important role in supporting Canadian music and emerging artists.” (Photo: Wayne Eardley, courtesy of Northumberland County)
“We really miss seeing people and The Barn is lonely without people,” Donna says. “Live music is something unique that brings us in tune with ourselves. It stirs up memories. It gives us hope. It soothes the soul. There’s nothing like live music. I’m happy about our digital concerts, but live music is special on its own.”
And Westben has a lot more live music in store, including its first ever open-air festival this September. The line-up includes Westben’s own Bennett-Finley Family, classical pianist André Laplante, singer-songwriter and pianist Laila Biali, Lakefield’s musical family Leahy, and pop superstar Serena Ryder (performing two shows).
Also premiering in September is Westben’s second new outdoor venue, The Campfire. Concerts at The Campfire will be small and intimate at 20 guests per show, and provide a unique opportunity for audience members to chat with the artist. As part of the open-air festival, Kerri Ough of Good Lovelies and Ben Whiteley will be performing at The Campfire, as will jazz vocalist Sammy Jackson and guitarist Tom Fleming, and a yet-to-be-announced artist.
In 1999, Donna Bennett and Brian Finley founded Westben Arts Festival Theatre. The following year, they had The Barn custom built for performances at their 50-acre farm at 6698 County Road 30 North in Campbellford. (Photo: Steve Dagg)
Another new offering called Sounds in Nature will bring small groups of 15 or less to the Mary West Nature Reserve, located on a 96-acre property owned by the Nature Conservatory of Canada just across the road from Westben. A naturalist from the Nature Conservatory will teach groups about the plants and birds they encounter, while little speakers installed in the trees you walk past amplify the sounds of nature.
“It will be really cool,” says Donna. “The sound installation gently enhances the sounds of the birds and water that are already actually there.”
In the meantime, Donna encourages the community to support Westben by purchasing tickets for one of the upcoming concerts. You can also support Westben by becoming a member, and receive perks such as first dibs on tickets.
Westben’s ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ culminates with a concert in The Barn featuring flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels on Sunday, August 1 at 2 p.m. The Juno award-winning Toronto musician found an unexpected new audience last year when his song “Memento” became the Service Canada hold music for people applying for benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Publicity photo)
Donna adds that she and Brian are grateful for the support they’ve received over the past 16 months, allowing them to once again give audiences the opportunity to enjoy Westben in person.
“I want to thank our members, donors, sponsors, government sponsors, and business partners for helping Westben get through this difficult time,” she says.
Westben is located at 6698 County Road 30 North in Campbellford. To learn more, buy tickets, and support Westben, visit westben.ca. You can also follow Westben on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
This story was created in partnership with Westben.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the entire greater Kawarthas region, calling for heavy rain by Saturday evening (July 24) and continuing overnight.
The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough County, City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Hastings County, and Haliburton County.
After a sunny morning, clouds will begin moving into the region early Saturday afternoon, with showers and thunderstorms beginning Saturday evening.
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The rain will be heavy at times, with localized accumulations reaching 30 to 50 mm.
In some areas, rainfall amounts may exceed 50 mm.
Rainfall warnings may be issued for portions of the greater Kawarthas region later on Saturday.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 192 new COVID-19 cases today, the highest single day increase in the past 2 weeks for the second day in a row. Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 9 are reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (43), Peel (25), York (18), Waterloo (18), Durham (11), Hamilton (11), Ottawa (10), Simcoe Muskoka (10), and Grey Bruce (10) — and 11 are reporting no new cases at all.
The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 4 to 160.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 3 to 137, the number of ICU patients has decreased by 4 to 136, and the number of patients on ventilators remains unchanged at 84. Ontario is reporting 1 new COVID-related death.
More than 18.7 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 120,231 from yesterday, with almost 8.4 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 102,648 from yesterday, representing almost 57% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 22 – July 22, 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 22 – July 22, 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 22 – July 22, 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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There are 10 new cases to report in the greater Kawarthas region, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes over the past 2 days and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases in Peterborough, Northumberland, or Haliburton.
An additional 12 cases in the region have been resolved, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes over the past 2 days and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
Regional active cases have decreased by 2 in Kawartha Lakes and remain the same in Peterborough, Hastings Prince Edward, and Haliburton.
There are currently 28 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 2 from yesterday, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, 4 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 5 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,627 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,601 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,152 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,094 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 123 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,146 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,126 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
The beach at the Selwyn Beach Conservation Area. (Photo: Township of Selwyn)
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials recommend staying home if you feel sick, visiting a beach close to your home to avoid unnecessary travel, bringing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, and maintaining at least two metres of physical distance from other beachgoers.
As of Thursday, July 29, the following beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming:
Centennial Park Beach – West (Kawartha Lakes)
Elvin Johnson Park – Algonquin Highlands (Haliburton County)
Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Hamilton (Northumberland County)
Tweed Park – Stoco Lake (Hastings County)
Note: Victoria Park beach in Cobourg is now open on weekends and statutory holidays.
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Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in the City and County Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White?s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health provides weekly testing results for beaches in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has reported a privacy breach, in which a mass email sent to around 500 residents in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton exposed their email addresses to anyone who received the email.
The health unit sent the email, which related to COVID-19 vaccine appointments, to email addresses provided by people when booking their initial appointments.
Because of the way the email was sent, the email addresses of all recipients were included in each copy of the email.
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“We take this issue very seriously and sincerely apologize for this incident,” says medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking in a media release.
“We are reaching out to affected individuals and also working internally to ensure there is no repeat of this situation.”
The health unit, which has reported the privacy breach to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, is asking anyone who received a copy of the email to not forward it to any other person or third party and to delete the copy immediately.
Anyone who needs to contact the health unit can do so at info@hkpr.on.ca or 1-866-888-4577 ext. 5020.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 185 new COVID-19 cases today, the highest single day increase in the past 2 weeks. Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 9 are reporting double-digit increases — Grey Bruce (22), Toronto (18), Hamilton (17), Peel (13), Waterloo (13), Durham (11), York (11), Halton (10), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (10) — and 9 are reporting no new cases at all.
The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 6 to 156.
Hospitalizations have increased by 1 to 140, the number of ICU patients has decreased by 4 to 140, and the number of patients on ventilators has risen by 14 to 84.
Ontario is reporting 7 new COVID-related deaths, with none in long-term care homes.
More than 18.6 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 125,166 from yesterday, with almost 8.3 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 107,238 from yesterday, representing almost 56% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 21 – July 21, 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 21 – July 21, 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 21 – July 21, 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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There are 2 new cases to report in the greater Kawarthas region, including 1 in Peterborough and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
As of this week, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is now only providing updates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thursday’s numbers will be included in Friday’s update. Beginning next week, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health will also only provide updates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
An additional 3 cases in the region have been resolved, including 2 in Hastings Prince Edward and 1 in Peterborough.
Regional active cases have decreased by 1 in Hastings Prince Edward and remain the same in Peterborough.
There are currently 30 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 1 from yesterday, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, 4 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 5 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,627 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,601 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,143 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,083 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 123 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,145 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,125 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
Detail from a aerial photo by Peterborough-based drone and video production team Unmanned of the landmark High Street water tower in Peterborough, as work continues to rehabilitate the 64-year-old water tank and tower to extend its useful life. (Photo courtesy of Unmanned)
Peterborough’s landmark water tower is getting a facelift.
Peterborough-based drone and video production company Unmanned has shared aerial photos and footage on its Instagram account of the ongoing rehabilitation of the High Street water tower.
Unmanned was hired to document the work by Burlington-based Landmark Structures Co., which has been contracted by the Peterborough Utilities Commission to replace the internal and external coatings of the water tank to extend its useful life.
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“The High Street water tower is one of the main symbols we think of when we think about Peterborough,” Kyle Christie, chief marketing officer of Unmanned, tells kawarthaNOW. “We are very excited to be documenting the progress of its restoration. We believe in the potential this city has, and seeing the tower brought back to life is a testament to what Peterborough can be.”
The High Street water tower, which was constructed in 1957, stands around 32 metres tall (105 feet) and has a capacity of 4,500 cubic metres of water (one million gallons).
The $3.5-million project to replace the water tank’s coatings began in April and is expected to be completed in October. The work also includes miscellaneous health and safety upgrades to the tower.
Scaffolding surrounds the landmark High Street water tower in Peterborough in these two photos by Peterborough-based drone and video production team Unmanned. The project to rehabilitate the water tank and tower began in April and is expected to be completed in October. Unmanned was hired to document the work by Landmark Structures Co., which was contracted by Peterborough Utilities Commission to complete the $3.5-million project. (Photos courtesy of Unmanned)
A similar project was completed in 2019 for the Sherbrooke Street water tower, which was constructed in 1983. Once completed, the Sherbrooke Street water tower became glossy white rather than powder blue and now features the City of Peterborough’s “water bacon” logo.
According to the Peterborough Utilities Commission, treated water is stored at various locations throughout the city in underground reservoirs and elevated storage tanks.
The stored water is used to supplement supply during times of high water demand and in emergency situations such as firefighting.
The High Street water tower in Peterborough before the rehabilitation project began (left), and the Sherbrooke Street water tower (right) after a similar project was completed in 2019. (Photos from Peterborough Utilities Commission website)
Unmanned was co-founded by Kyle Christie and chief executive officer Felipe Gutierrez in April 2020.
The full-service video production company, which also serves Toronto and the GTA, creates both on-ground and above-ground footage for film, television, and advertising.
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