Four members of the Afzaal family died in London, Ontario on June 6, 2021 when a 20-year-old man intentionally rammed them with his pickup truck. From left to right: Yumna Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Talat Afzaal and Salman Afzaal were killed when a man ploughed his pickup truck into them. Nine-year-old Fayez (not pictured) survived the attack but remains in hospital.
Peterborough’s Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities are coming together to host a virtual vigil on Friday (June 11) in honour of the Afzaal family of London, Ontario.
Four members of three generations of the family died Sunday evening while they were out for a walk when a 20-year-old London man rammed his pickup truck into them: 46-year-old Salman Afzaal, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Afzaal, and Salman’s 74-year-old mother Talat Afzaal. The couple’s nine-year-old son Fayez survive the attack but remains in hospital.
London police have confirmed the driver, who they arrested shortly after the attack, intentionally targeted the family because they were Muslim. Police have charged the driver with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and are also considering terrorism charges.
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Peterborough’s Abraham Festival, a local multifaith organization, is inviting everyone in the Kawarthas to join the virtual vigil on the Zoom video-conferencing platform at 2 p.m. on Friday “to remember together in condolence, comfort, and healing”, according to a media release.
“Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings all confirm that what affects one affects us all,” says Abraham Festival committee chair Helen McCarthy. “When we come together, we become the change that we want to create.”
Those interested in joining the vigil can register via Google Docs at forms.gle/HuYq6cqGB3Z4qVeB6. Registration is open until noon on Friday, when a Zoom link will be sent to all registrants.
Those attending the vigil are invited to place a flower near their screens in honour of the Afzaal family.
A funeral for the family takes place in London on Saturday, with an outside service in the afternoon at the London Islamic Centre that will be livestreamed.
Peter Blodgett, owner of Darling Insurance, with Lexie. Although Blodgett is allergic to all animals, he has donated $100,000 towards the construction of the Peterborough Humane Society's new animal care centre. (Supplied photo)
Peter Blodgett, owner of Darling Insurance in Peterborough, Lakefield, and Omemee, has donated $100,000 towards the construction of the Peterborough Humane Society’s new animal care centre.
Construction of the animal wellness facility, to be located at 1999 Technology Drive, began in May.
“Truthfully, I’m allergic to all animals,” Blodgett says. “But I have been involved in the farm community throughout my life and have a great appreciation for animals big and small. I’ve been observing the work of the Peterborough Humane Society and the positive impact they are making in our community over the past few years and wanted to get behind their mission.”
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Blodgett is well known for supporting charitable causes in the community. He is a founding member of “Loonies on the Street” and has helped raise nearly $2 million dollars for Kawartha Food Share over the past 20 years. He has also served on many boards, including Peterborough Musicfest and chairing Fairhaven long-term care home’s capital campaign.
“Peter has been a wonderful friend and supporter of the Peterborough Humane Society for years, but this recent donation truly has us humbled,” says Shawn Morey, executive director of the Peterborough Humane Society.
In recognition of Blodgett’s donation, the lounge in the adoption centre lobby of the Peterborough Animal Care Centre will be named the Peter D. Blodgett Darling Insurance Lounge.
With Blodgett’s donation, the Peterborough Humane Society has now raised more than $7.6 million of its $10 million fundraising goal.
For more information about the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre and to donate to the campaign, visit www.ourpetproject.ca.
GreenUP program coordinator Sara Crouthers, pictured enjoying a hike with her son at Sibbald Point Provincial Park, explains that the traumatic injustices faced by the world's Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour also extend to the environmental movement. (Photo courtesy of Sara Crouthers)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Sara Crouthers, Program Coordinator at GreenUP.
This June, perhaps more than ever, we need allies against racism. June is recognized as Indigenous History Month in Canada. June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. These occasions celebrate the distinct histories and cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people.
We are also marking the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and the police-involved death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet.
Recent news reminds us of the traumatic injustices Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour (BIPOC) face worldwide. Heavy on my mind are the anniversary of the Nakba in Palestine, confirmation of the horrors of the Canadian Indian residential school system in Kamloops, and ongoing old-growth logging on unceded Indigenous land on Vancouver Island.
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These injustices and horrors can feel overwhelming. I invite you to further your learning journey by beginning to find your place in support of environmental justice.
Environmental justice is closely connected to the fight for justice for BIPOC people. However, mainstream environmentalism often disregards the unique positions of BIPOC people.
“The environmental movement has historically, and often deliberately, excluded BIPOC voices, knowledge, and experiences,” explains Patricia Wilson, founder of the Diverse Nature Collective, a BIPOC-led organization dedicated to creating safe spaces for conservation-minded folks.
Patricia Wilson, founder of the Diverse Nature Collective, plants white pine seedlings at John Earle Chase Memorial Park, a property protected by the Kawartha Land Trust. (Photo courtesy of Patricia Wilson)
Many of the early foundations for the environmental movement are intimately connected to white male leaders and their pseudo-scientific ideologies of white supremacy. These racist voices have prolonged echoes, even today.
“Conservation organizations, environmental groups, and nonprofits severely lack representation from individuals who identify as BIPOC,” observes Wilson. “Until all voices are heard and included, we will not be able to properly protect and conserve the natural world.”
In addition to often being excluded from environmentalism, BIPOC folks are also more likely to experience environmental racism. Environmental racism describes the systems that reserve environmental privileges and exploitation for predominantly white communities while pushing environmental contamination and damaging consequences into predominantly BIPOC communities.
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Environmental racism includes white supremacy and the biased action or inaction of governments and other organizations that privilege white communities over BIPOC communities.
There are many examples of environmental racism. Consider Africville in Nova Scotia, where neighbourhoods populated by Black people were chosen as dumping grounds for hazardous waste. Consider pipelines built on unceded Indigenous land. Consider the many First Nations reserves affected by boil-water advisories or permanently tainted water sources.
Environmental racism negatively impacts social, economic, and physical well-being. Environmental racism also breaks our connection to the land we live and depend on.
BIPOC people and allies fight environmental racism through environmental justice movements. Environmental justice is considered “intersectional” because it combines both social justice and environmentalism. In other words, environmental justice considers both the damage done to our environment and also the ways that damage tends to impact racialized groups more than non-racialized groups.
Rebuilding that broken relationship to place and nature is an important part of the environmental justice movement.
There are several local and global organizations working to help Indigenous, Black, and other people of colour rebuild their relationship with the land.
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The TRACKS Program, for example, stands for Trent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science. TRACKS is hosted at Trent University, in a funding partnership with the Kawartha World Issues Centre and the First Peoples House of Learning. TRACKS offers an Oshkwazin Indigenous Youth Leadership program for Indigenous high-school-aged youth.
Jaida Ponce is a Summer Program Supervisor with the TRACKS Oshkwazin Program. “Oshkwazin” is Anishinaabemowin and in English loosely means “to light your internal fire.” (Photo courtesy of Jaida Ponce)
“In my work with Oshkwazin, I create more inclusive and fun on-the-land programming for youth coming from all walks of life,” explains Jaida Ponce, Oshkwazin Summer Youth Supervisor. “We create connections to Indigenous knowledge and western sciences programs.”
“Everyone is on a learning journey. Knowing about the place you come from while creating and understanding the place you’re currently living helps create a healthy relationship to place. At TRACKS, I’ve been able to help youth start their journey to creating those relationships with place.”
Nurturing a relationship to place is important for both Indigenous people and for settlers and newcomers in Canada.
On-the-land programming that centres Indigenous perspectives and creates safe, anti-racist spaces for connecting with the land is key to this learning journey.
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Creating safe spaces for BIPOC folks to feel comfortable on the land and within the environmental sector was also Patricia Wilson’s goal when she founded the Diverse Nature Collective.
“The Diverse Nature Collective was born out of the idea that diverse and racialized voices need to be heard and supported within the environmental sector in order for us to create meaningful change and protection of our natural assets,” explains Wilson. “Our aim is to provide opportunities for BIPOC folks to learn, explore the outdoor world, and build community.”
Environmental justice can be personal and professional, individual and collective.
“For me, environmental justice means creating safe learning spaces for everyone to grow in their own gifts and create relationships with the land,” says Ponce.
“Advocating and making space for diverse voices is arguably the most important thing we can do in the environmental justice movement,” Wilson adds.
The Jiimaan’ndewemgadnong “The Place Where the Heart of the Canoe Beats” pocket park at the corner of King Street and Water Street in downtown Peterborough now features a canoe art installation by local Anishinaabe artist Tia Cavanagh. (Photo: Ben Hargreaves / GreenUP)
This month, and every month, I encourage you to actively seek out more resources and voices like these. Listen to those voices: whether you identify as BIPOC or not, you are being invited to develop your own place in support of environmental justice.
A note from author Sara Crouthers: This article was written before the June 6 racist attack in London, Ontario. I am heartbroken to hear this news. Everyone at GreenUP offers our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those who were killed and injured in this premeditated act of Islamophobia and terror.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
With Ontario set to begin step one of its reopening plan on Friday, the province is reporting 411 new cases today — the second straight day of increases under 500 and the lowest daily increase since September 20 when 425 cases were reported.
For the first time since the third wave began, no health units are reporting triple-digit increases and almost two-thirds of Ontario’s 34 health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases for the second day in a row. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased to 657 and the proportion of active cases has declined for the 51st straight day.
Hospitalizations and ICU patients have dropped, although these has been a small increase in patients on ventilators. Ontario is reporting 33 deaths, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes for the third day in a row, but 11 of these deaths occurred in April and May and are being reported now.
With almost 10.5 million vaccine doses administered, including a record number of doses administered yesterday, over 70% of Ontario’s total population has received at least a single dose. Almost 9% of the population is now fully vaccinated, with a record number of second doses administered yesterday.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 7 new cases (including 5 in Peterborough, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward) and an additional 14 cases resolved. The net number of active cases in the region has decreased by 5 to 71. Active cases have decreased in Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland and remain the same in Peterborough and Haliburton. With Hastings Prince Edward reporting its first new case since the end of May, it now has 1 active case again.
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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (97) and Peel (72), with smaller increases in Waterloo (35), York (26), Hamilton (25), Porcupine (21), Middlesex-London (21), Niagara (20), Durham (18), Windsor-Essex (16), Simcoe Muskoka (13), Halton (10), and Lambton (6).
The remaining 21 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 7 health units reporting only 1 case and 6 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 61% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (150) among people ages 20-39, followed by 113 cases among people ages 40-59 and 102 cases among people 19 and under.
With 932 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to at 97.1% — the 51st straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.7% to 2.0%, meaning that 20 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on June 8.
Ontario is reporting 33 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes for the third day in a row. This number includes 11 deaths that occurred in April and May that are now being recorded as part of a data review and cleaning initiative. Excluding these deaths, 22 deaths were reported yesterday and the seven-day average of daily deaths has increased by 1 to 18.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 50 from yesterday to 571, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 15 to 466 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 9 to 314.
A total of 30,456 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 975 to 15,135.
A total of 10,445,119 doses of vaccine have now been administered, a record increase of 177,506 from yesterday, and 1,282,676 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, a record increase of 108,346 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 8.71% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.74% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 70.90% of the total population, an increase of 1.20% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 7 new cases to report, including 5 in Peterborough, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward — the first new case there since the end of May, which the health unit says is related to travel. There are no new cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.
There are 6 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Peterborough, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
There are 2 new COVID-related hospitalizations in Peterborough.
An additional 14 cases have been resolved, including 6 in Peterborough, 6 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland
There are currently 71 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 5 since yesterday, including 31 in Kawartha Lakes, 28 in Peterborough, 9 in Northumberland, 2 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward (in Quinte West).
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,535 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,486 resolved with 21 deaths), 1,059 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (984 resolved with 57 deaths), 931 in Northumberland County (905 resolved with 17 deaths), 121 in Haliburton County (118 resolved with 1 death), and 1,121 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,109 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on June 5.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,535 (increase of 6)* Total variants of concern cases: 711 (increase of 2) Active cases: 28 (no change) Close contacts: 64 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 21 (no change) Resolved: 1,486 (increase of 6) Hospitalizations (total to date): 72 (increase of 2)** ICU admissions (total to date): 15 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 53,100 (increase of 50) Total vaccine doses administered (residents and non-residents): 90,716 (increase of 11,566 as of June 3) Number of residents who have received first dose: 81,390 (increase of 9,270 as of June 3) Number of residents fully vaccinated: 9,388 (increase of 2,729 as of June 3) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace #11 in Peterborough, Riverview Manor long-term care home in Peterborough (no change)
*The health unit is reporting 5 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total case count has increased by 6 because 1 case has been added to a previous day.
*As of June 9, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 2 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1) and a total of 76 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 2,111, including 1,059 in Kawartha Lakes, 931 in Northumberland, and 121 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)* Total variants of concern cases: 762, including 393 in Kawartha Lakes, 333 in Northumberland, and 36 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland) Active cases: 42, including 31 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (decrease of 6, including 4 in Haliburton and 2 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 1 in Kawartha Lakes (decrease of 2 in Kawartha Lakes) Hospitalizations (total to date): 77, including 43 in Kawartha Lakes, 31 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 75, including 57 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 2,007, including 984 in Kawartha Lakes, 905 in Northumberland, and 118 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 197,310 (increase of 519) Vaccine doses administered to residents: 112,750 (increase of 7,966 as of June 7) Number of residents fully vaccinated: 14,676 (increase of 3,568 as of June 7) Outbreaks: Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, LCBO Port Hope (no change)
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**As of June 9, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,121 (increase of 1) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 489 (no change) Active cases: 1 (increase of 1) Deaths: 11 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 1 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 1 (no change) Resolved: 1,109 (no change) Tests completed: 147,887 (increase of 6) Vaccine doses administered: 117,205 (increase of 2,583) Number of people fully vaccinated: 15,275 (increase of 1,422) Outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 537,487 (increase of 411) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 134,608 of B.1.1.7 Alpha variant (increase of 902); 1,125 of B.1.351 Beta variant (increase of 28); 4,073 of P.1 Gamma variant (increase of 64) VOC R(t): 0.74 (decrease of 0.01 as of June 9)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 657 (decrease of 46) Positivity rate: 2.0% (decrease of 0.7%) Resolved: 521,743 (increase of 932), 97.1% of all cases (increase of 0.1%) Hospitalizations: 571 (decrease of 50) Hospitalizations in ICU: 466 (decrease of 15) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 314 (increase of 9) Deaths: 8,920 (increase of 33)** 7-day average of daily new deaths: 18 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,962 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: 15,454,884 (increase of 30,456) Tests under investigation: 15,135 (increase of 975) Vaccination doses administered: 10,445,119 (increase of 177,506), 70.90% of Ontario’s total population (increase of 1.20%)*** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 1,282,676 (increase of 108,346), 8.71% of Ontario’s total population (increase of 0.74%)***
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**This number includes 11 deaths that occurred in April and May that are now being recorded as part of a data review and cleaning initiative. Excluding these deaths, 22 deaths were reported yesterday.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from May 9 – June 8, 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 tests completed in Ontario from May 9 – June 8, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from May 9 – June 8, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day rolling average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from May 9 – June 8, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from May 9 – June 8, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses, and the blue line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Mariloup Cahill, the youngest daughter of Peterborough business owner Rob Cahill and his wife Marie-Noelle Denis, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost two years ago when she was nine years old. Members of the Cahill-Denis family are walking from Peterborough to Ottawa to raise funds for diabetes research as part of the Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF. (Photo: Cahill-Denis family)
It’s the 100-year anniversary of the Canadian discovery of insulin, and three members of a local family began a 263-kilometre trek from Peterborough to Ottawa on Wednesday (June 9) in the hopes of making the need for insulin a thing of the past.
Almost two years ago, Peterborough business owner Rob Cahill and his wife Marie-Noelle Denis found out their youngest daughter, Mariloup Cahill, has type 1 diabetes. Diagnosed at nine years old, she has since endured around 3,000 needles to receive her life-saving insulin.
So, with this year’s Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF set to finish on June 13, Denis and her oldest daughter Laurence Denis-Bertrand — along with Laurence’s boyfriend David Patton — have set out to walk to Ottawa and raise funds for diabetes research along the way.
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“For Mariloup’s sake, we wish for a day without the need for insulin or a full night’s sleep without the need to check her blood sugar level,” says Cahill, who manages Cahill’s clothing store in downtown Peterborough.
“Raising dollars for this cause can advance type 1 diabetes research, and improve the lives of the tens of thousands of Canadians living with this disease,” he adds.
Cahill’s will be donating up to $2,500 to match funds donated to support the Peterborough-to-Ottawa journey of the three walkers — known as “Team Ti-Loup”. You can donate to Team Ti-Loup at jdrf.akaraisin.com/ui/jdrfwalk21/t/e514a179321d4bbb8d80a91a61717ed4. As of the date of this story, they have raised almost $3,000 of their $10,000 goal.
The family’s schedule and route for their walk from Peterborough to Ottawa. (Photo: Cahill-Denis family)
Team Ti-Loup is scheduled to arrive in Ottawa on June 13, to coincide with the finish of the 2021 Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF.
This year’s walk is especially important given that 2021 marks 100 years since Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin under the directorship of John Macleod at the University of Toronto, developing it for use as a medication in 1922. Banting and Macleod would receive a Nobel Prize for their work in 1923.
Prior to the discovery of insulin, the life expectancy of people with type 1 diabetes was cut short. With cells unable to use glucose as a source of energy, the liver breaks down fat into a fuel called ketones, eventually building up in the blood to toxic levels. The only effective treatment for diabetes at the time was a strict no-carbohydrate diet with as few as 450 calories per day — resulting in some people dying from starvation.
Laurence Denis-Bertrand (right) and her boyfriend David Patton are walking from Peterborough to Ottawa along with Laurence’s mother Marie-Noelle Denis. (Photo: David Patton)
There’s no question that insulin — a pancreatic hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy — has saved countless lives.
But while insulin helps people with diabetes live long and healthy lives, it’s not a cure. People requiring insulin have to regularly monitor their blood sugar levels, be careful what they eat, inject insulin several times a day or more, and remain at risk of additional health complications.
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has rebranded with a new logo and has launched a new website. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has announced it has rebranded with a new logo and a new website at ptbodbia.ca.
Established in 1981, the Peterborough DBIA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
The not-for-profit organization, which represents more than 400 businesses in the downtown core, focuses on promoting and beautifying downtown Peterborough and assisting and advocating on behalf of its members.
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“We are turning a new chapter — 40 years is a long time in the non-profit world,” states DBIA executive director Terry Guiel in a media release.
“We don’t intend to rest on our laurels. Our new rebrand and member-facing website will really help our organization communicate not just our programming but our overall vision for downtown Peterborough.”
According to the media release, the new Peterborough DBIA website offers easier access to resources and support programs for DBIA members. Investors and developers will eventually be able to book a virtual tour of the downtown. Businesses will also be able to register for associate memberships.
The new logo of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. (Image courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
In addition to the new website, the Peterborough DBIA will continue to operate The Boro website at theboro.ca, which promotes downtown Peterborough businesses.
A child with a coupon for a free 'Froster' at a local Circle K convenience store from a local OPP officer. Under the OPP's positive ticketing program, kids will be rewarded this summer for practising personal safety (such as by wearing a bicycle helmet), performing good deeds, and more. (Photo: OPP)
This summer, officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be rewarding children and youth across Ontario for acts of kindness and exhibiting positive behaviour.
Through a partnership with Circle K convenience stores, OPP officers will be handing out thousands of ‘positive tickets’ — coupons redeemable for a free small ‘Froster’ at a local Circle K.
The officers will be on the lookout for kids practising personal safety (such as by wearing a bicycle helmet), being kind to others and doing various good deeds, participating in community activities, demonstrating pride in their community (such as by picking up litter and trash), deterring crime, and observing school crossing rules.
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They may also hand out the coupons to establish a rapport with kids in their patrol area.
The OPP stresses officers will not seek or record any identifying information when handing out the coupons, as the purpose of the program is to help police foster strong relationships with the youth they serve in their communities.
“This is a great initiative and allows officers the opportunity to interact with youth in a positive manner,” says Inspector Terry Ward, Dufferin OPP Detachment Commander. “These interactions with police can open dialogue with the youth and leave a good lasting impression.”
‘Operation Freeze’ is a partnership between Circle K convenience stores and the OPP. (Photo: OPP)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 469 new cases today — the ninth straight day of increases under 1,000 and the lowest daily increase since September 25 when 435 cases were reported.
For the second day in a row, only Toronto is reporting a triple-digit increase, with almost two-thirds of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting 5 or fewer cases and a third reporting no new cases at all. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased to 703 and the proportion of active cases has declined for the 50th straight day.
There has been a double-digit increase in hospitalizations, but this may be a result of underreporting over the past 2 days. Both the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and ventilated patients have decreased. Ontario is reporting 18 new deaths, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes for the second day in a row
With over 10.2 million vaccine doses administered, almost 70% of Ontario’s total population has received at least a single dose and almost 8% of the population is fully vaccinated, with a record number of second doses administered yesterday.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 6 new cases (including 3 in Peterborough, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland) and an additional 5 cases resolved. Active cases in Kawartha Lakes have decreased by 1 and have increased by 1 in both Peterborough and Northumberland, resulting in a net increase in active cases by 1 to 76. Active cases in Haliburton are unchanged and there are no active cases in Hastings Prince Edward.
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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (182).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Peel (76), Porcupine (40), Durham (30), Halton (24), Waterloo (24), Ottawa (13), Niagara (13), Hamilton (12), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11), with smaller increases in Windsor-Essex (9) and Brant (7).
The remaining 22 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 11 health units reporting no new cases at all. York is reporting no new cases because of data cleaning and updating previously reported cases.
Of today’s new cases, 59% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (167) among people ages 20-39, followed by 129 cases among people ages 40-59 and 111 cases among people 19 and under.
With 1,010 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to at 97.0% — the 50th straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.9% to 2.7%, meaning that 27 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on June 7.
Ontario is reporting 18 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes for the second day in a row. The seven-day average of daily deaths has increased by 1 to 17.
Hospitalizations have increased by 74 from yesterday to 621, but this may be a result of underreporting over the past 2 days when more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has decreased by 16 to 481 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has fallen by 34 to 305.
A total of 17,579 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 8,426 to 14,160.
A total of 10,267,613 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 158,209 from yesterday, and 1,174,330 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, a record increase of 87,525 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 7.97% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.59% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 69.69% of the total population, an increase of 1.07% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 6 new cases to report, including 3 in Peterborough, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Hastings Prince Edward or Haliburton.
There are 6 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Peterborough, and 1 in Northumberland.
An additional 5 cases have been resolved, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Peterborough.
There are currently 76 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 1 since yesterday, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 28 in Peterborough, 11 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Hastings Prince Edward.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,529 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,480 resolved with 21 deaths), 1,057 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (978 resolved with 57 deaths), 931 in Northumberland County (903 resolved with 17 deaths), 121 in Haliburton County (118 resolved with 1 death), and 1,120 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,109 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on June 5.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,529 (increase of 3) Total variants of concern cases: 709 (increase of 2) Active cases: 28 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 65 (decrease of 11) Deaths: 21 (no change) Resolved: 1,480 (increase of 2) Hospitalizations (total to date): 70 (no change)* ICU admissions (total to date): 15 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 53,050 (increase of 50) Total vaccine doses administered (residents and non-residents): 90,716 (increase of 11,566 as of June 3) Number of residents who have received first dose: 81,390 (increase of 9,270 as of June 3) Number of residents fully vaccinated: 9,388 (increase of 2,729 as of June 3) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace #11 in Peterborough, Riverview Manor long-term care home in Peterborough (no change)
*As of June 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 3 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1) and a total of 76 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 2,109, including 1,057 in Kawartha Lakes, 931 in Northumberland, and 121 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland)* Total variants of concern cases: 758, including 392 in Kawartha Lakes, 330 in Northumberland, and 36 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Active cases: 48, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no net change, with a decrease of 1 in Kawartha Lakes and an increase of 1 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 3, in Kawartha Lakes (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 77, including 43 in Kawartha Lakes, 31 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 75, including 57 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 1,999, including 978 in Kawartha Lakes, 903 in Northumberland, and 118 in Haliburton (increase of 3 in Kawartha Lakes) Tests completed: 196,791 (no change) Vaccine doses administered to residents: 112,750 (increase of 7,966 as of June 7) Number of residents fully vaccinated: 14,676 (increase of 3,568 as of June 7) Outbreaks: Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, LCBO Port Hope (no change)
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**As of June 8, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,120 (decrease of 1) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 489 (decrease of 1) Active cases: 0 (no change) Deaths: 11 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 1 (decrease of 3) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 1 (no change) Resolved: 1,109 (decrease of 1) Tests completed: 147,881 (increase of 10) Vaccine doses administered: 114,622 (increase of 3,885) Number of people fully vaccinated: 13,853 (increase of 1,773) Outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 537,076 (increase of 469) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 133,706 of B.1.1.7 Alpha variant (increase of 1,010); 1,097 of B.1.351 Beta variant (no change); 4,009 of P.1 Gamma variant (increase of 30) VOC R(t): 0.75 (no change as of June 7)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 703 (decrease of 32) Positivity rate: 2.7% (decrease of 0.9%) Resolved: 520,811 (increase of 1,010), 97.0% of all cases (increase of 0.1%) Hospitalizations: 621 (increase of 74)** Hospitalizations in ICU: 481 (decrease of 16) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 305 (decrease of 34) Deaths: 8,887 (increase of 18) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 17 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,960 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: 15,424,428 (increase of 17,579) Tests under investigation: 14,160 (increase of 8,426) Vaccination doses administered: 10,267,613 (increase of 158,209), 69.69% of Ontario’s total population (increase of 1.07%)*** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 1,174,330 (increase of 87,525), 7.97% of Ontario’s total population (increase of 0.59%)***
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**Some or all of these increase may be attributed to underreporting in yesterday’s report, when more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from May 8 – June 7, 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 tests completed in Ontario from May 8 – June 7, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from May 8 – June 7, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day rolling average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from May 8 – June 7, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from May 8 – June 7, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses, and the blue line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
For more than 20 years, the Peterborough Native Learning Program has been decolonizing approaches to education by offering integrated literacy and essential skills opportunities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults, aged 19 and over, in the Peterborough-Nogojiwanong area. (Graphic: Peterborough Native Learning Program)
Right now in your community, there are numerous Indigenous-led organizations working towards social justice, most of which have been doing this important work for many years now. By donating to Indigenous-led organizations in your community, you can help keep their important work going.
One of these organizations is the Peterborough Native Learning Program (PNLP) which, for over 20 years, has been decolonizing approaches to education by offering integrated literacy and essential skills opportunities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults, aged 19 and over, in the Peterborough-Nogojiwanong area.
“We use the Seven Grandfather Teachings as the foundation of all the work we do,” explains PNLP program assistant Wanda Prince of the organization’s pedagogical approach.
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“Whether you’re Indigenous or not, some of the most powerful teachings we can learn in our lives are rooted in Indigenous traditions,” Prince says. “The medicine we’re teaching, the Seven Grandfather Teachings — humility, love, honesty, bravery, respect, wisdom and truth — serve as the foundation for everything we do at PNLP.”
PLNP offers learning courses and more at three locations, in Peterborough, Lakefield, and Curve Lake.
“We support our learners in every way we can,” says PNLP’s county instructor Barbara Mills.
Every dollar donated through Canada Helps to the Peterborough Native Learning Program during National Indigenous History Month is a chance for the not-for-profit organization to win $20,000, which it would use to fund an accessible washroom in its Peterborough office.
“In addition to literacy and essential skills-building, we help address our learners’ barriers like food, childcare, or transportation,” Mills adds. “We can help with all those things and, if there’s something we can’t directly address, we work closely with our partner agencies and provide referrals to our learners so they can access any supports they need.”
Throughout the pandemic, PNLP has been going strong, doubling down on their efforts to promote digital literacy and remove technological barriers, ensuring no learner is left behind.
“One of our learners, Rebecca, came to us wanting to learn Ojibway,” Prince recalls. “She needed a laptop, and we found a way to provide her with one. We were able to address that barrier and she was over the moon.”
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“Because of our support, Rebecca was really able to connect with her culture throughout the pandemic. She was able to go to virtual powwows, attend meetings with elders for teachings, and really embrace artmaking — she made some really beautiful pieces.”
With greater access to technology and the digital skills training from PNLP, Rebecca was able to navigate Zoom and other platforms to access cultural opportunities and supports throughout the pandemic.
“It’s been over a year now since I was given this generous gift and it has saved my sanity through these crazy times,” says Rebecca of her PNLP experience. “I learned how to make so many new crafts with all the local Indigenous organizations on a weekly basis. I have also earned seven certificates with Good Learning courses, and I just completed a Mental Health First Aid Training course.”
Through the support of the Peterborough Native Learning Program, learner Rebecca was able to connect with her culture throughout the pandemic by attending virtual powwows, meetings with elders for teachings, and embracing artmaking, including this beaded leather bag. (Photo: Peterborough Native Learning Program)
As we look towards pandemic recovery, PNLP staff, volunteers, and learners are eager to return to face-to-face programming. However, the organization is currently in desperate need of an accessible washroom at their Peterborough Square location.
“The accessible washroom is going to be a huge deal once we can go back to physical in-person learning,” says Mills. “Right now, we can’t even go back because the mall’s bathrooms aren’t open. So we can’t go back to our office because there’s nothing there for us to safely use the washrooms.”
“So many of our learners are either elderly or living with disabilities, and we want to provide them with a barrier-free learning environment,” Prince adds. “This is why we’ve entered Canada Helps’ Great Canadian Giving Challenge for National Indigenous History Month. We’re really hoping to be able to raise the funds we need to build an accessible washroom at our office.”
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For the month of June, every dollar donated to PNLP at canadahelps.org/en/gcgc/55579 increases the organization’s chances of winning $20,000.
Funding the work that is already being done by Indigenous-led organizations is an immediate and effective way to show your support for Inuit, Métis, and First Nations peoples, especially during during National Indigenous History Month.
“We’ve been here for 20 years, and people still don’t know about us,” says Prince. “Now’s the time for our community to recognize us and to value and support the work we do.”
For more information about the Peterborough Native Learning Program, visit www.pnlp.org.
Environment Canada has just issued a special weather statement for all of the Kawarthas for Tuesday afternoon and early evening (June 8).
Isolated thunderstorms moving slowly across the region this afternoon will contain brief very heavy downpours. Local rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 mm in an hour or less are possible along with gusts to 70 km/h.
Sudden very low visibility and ponding of water on poorly drained areas of highways from the downpours may result in difficult driving conditions.
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The showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to end this evening.
The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings County.
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