Dr. Dennis Darkwa, pictured with his wife Dr. Joana Sarfo, will begin practising as a family doctor with the Kawartha North Family Health Team in Bobcaygeon on December 1, 2025 and will be accepting new patients. Dr. Sarfo, who is also a family doctor, and the couple's three children will join Dr. Darkwa in Bobcaygeon after she completes her general practitioner residency in the U.K. (Photo supplied by Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative)
A new family doctor is coming to Bobcaygeon in December.
Two days after the Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative (KLHIC) and the Kawartha North Family Health Team announced Dr. Fraser Barratt is coming to Fenelon Falls, the organizations announced on Thursday (November 20) that Dr. Dennis Darkwa will be joining the Kawartha North Family Health Team in Bobcaygeon as of December 1.
Unlike Dr. Barratt, who is taking over the practice of retiring family doctor Dr. Hor Ven Zung, Dr. Darkwa will be accepting new patients.
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Dr. Darkwa completed his Bachelor of Science in Human Biology at the School of Medical Sciences at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana in 2008, where he continued studying to complete his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) in 2011.
After practising for around nine years in various hospitals, clinics, and other organizations such as International SOS, Dr. Darkwa completed his general practitioner residency and training in Gloucestershire/Swindon in the U.K., where he qualified as a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Dr. Darkwa’s wife, Dr. Joana Sarfo, is also a family doctor and is currently completing her general practitioner residency in the U.K. The couple and their three children visited the Kawartha Lakes this past summer. When Dr. Sarfo has completed her residency, she and the couple’s three children will be joining Dr. Darkwa in Bobcaygeon.
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“I am excited to begin providing care to the people of Bobcaygeon and the surrounding area,” Dr. Darkwa says in a media release. “It will be a pleasure becoming familiar with the community as I settle in and await the arrival of my family.”
Through the Kawartha North Family Health Team, Dr. Darkwa will be accepting new patients who are registered with Health Care Connect. Patients in need of a local family doctor are encouraged to register with Health Care Connect at 1-800-445-1822 or www.ontario.ca/healthcareconnect.
Dr. Darkwa is the second family physician recruited through KLHIC’s new International Recruitment program.
City of Kawartha Lakes politicians, staff, paramedics, and project partners gathered at 230 Angeline Street South in Lindsay on November 18, 2025 to mark the next step towards the construction of a new $50-million paramedics headquarters in Lindsay, unveiling a new sign to mark the site of the facility, with construction expected to begin in spring 2026 now that a lease agreement with Trillium Lakelands District School Board for the property has been finalized. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
The City of Kawartha Lakes is one step closer to construction of a new $50-million paramedics headquarters in Lindsay.
On Tuesday (November 18), Kawartha Lakes mayor Doug Elmslie along with members of council and city staff, OPSEU Local 371 president Bruce Mackay representing paramedics, and representatives from project partners Salter Pilon Architecture and Ball Construction unveiled a new sign to mark the site of the new headquarters at 230 Angeline Street South.
The event was held to mark a milestone in the project, with the municipality having signed a 25-year-lease agreement with Trillium Lakelands District School Board on September 1 for the property, which is also the location of the Lindsay Adult and Alternative Education Centre operated by the school board.
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With the land agreement finalized, the project can move forward with final design and site preparation. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026 and the facility is anticipated to be completed by fall 2027.
“It will be the first facility designed specifically for paramedics and the unique work we do every day,” said paramedic services chief Sara Johnston. “Bringing much of our team together under one roof will help us work more efficiently and allows us to expand to meet the growing needs of the community we’re proud to serve.”
As well as bringing together paramedic services from multiple locations across Kawartha Lakes, the headquarters will also house administrative offices, training, logistics, and fleet operations.
It will also provide a back-up location for the city’s critical IT infrastructure and serve as a back-up for 911, as it includes Kawartha Lakes Police Service’s Backup Communication Centre.
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Last fall, Kawartha Lakes city council received an overview of the initial design plan of the project, which included a presentation by Johnston. At the time, councillors asked various questions about design elements, costs, and the availability of grants, and sought clarification around the lease agreement with Trillium Lakelands District School Board.
Councillors also discussed the impact of the new centre on the surrounding neighbourhoods, and what to expect regarding response times to calls.
Chief Johnston shared how the current paramedic facilities are outdated and insufficient to meet the needs of both staff and the growing community.
“I don’t think it comes as any surprise that the need for a paramedic facility is a very long-standing issue,” Johnston said at the time.
“Many of the paramedics, myself included, have been here since the service was downloaded to the municipality in 2002. When that download happened, paramedics were being moved into buildings that were being used for other municipal use. So, in Lindsay, for example, the paramedics were moved into 89 Saint David Street, which is a public works facility.”
“What was intended to be a temporary solution until a facility was able to be built, or the paramedics were moved into a different location, has extended now beyond 20 years,” the chief noted.
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The new facility will feature more indoor parking, which is key because a temperature-controlled environment is necessary for both the ambulances and medical supplies, such as IV fluids, council heard. Inside the current facility, there isn’t room for staff to decontaminate after calls or even just keep a safe distance from each other for infection prevention and control reasons, Johnston said.
The new paramedics headquarters will consolidate seven of the 11 existing paramedic facilities into a central location, improving operations and efficiency, the staff report noted. Many of the existing facilities may be repurposed, particularly those identified for expansion as shared municipal spaces.
Another anticipated benefit is improved reaction times. The Paramedic Service Master Plan and Refresh evaluated facility location options by analyzing travel time performance alongside call distributions and future development trends.
The lease cost for the new facility will be offset by the savings gained from terminating a current facility lease, the report noted.
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Council had earlier approved an investment in the new paramedic headquarters and fleet centre. In May 2023, Salter Pilon Architecture was awarded the design and contract administration for this project. Since then, staff have been working closely with Salter Pilon Architecture “to create a purpose-built facility that meets the community’s growing needs.”
The estimated cost for the paramedic headquarters and fleet centre facility is $50 million.
Kawartha Lakes expects to hold a formal ground-breaking ceremony in the spring of 2026, coinciding with the beginning of construction.
In an effort to restore the tree canopy in Peterborough damaged by recent climate events, GreenUP has planted hundreds of native trees throughout the community with the support of volunteers, including along the Trans Canada Trail in Ecology Park in June 2025. This planting project was funded in part by a grant from the Trans Canada Trail along with donations from the community. (Photo: Yvonne Hollandy / GreenUP)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Tegan Moss, Executive Director, GreenUP.
This summer was scorching. Average temperatures soared far above normal, local creeks ran dangerously low, and trees across the region struggled to survive the drought. It’s clear that the urgency of the climate crisis is escalating. So much is at risk.
Our community canopy has been hit hard in recent years: the emerald ash borer, the derecho of 2022, the ice storm this past spring, and now this summer’s drought. Our crops, our trees, and our most vulnerable relations all need protection.
We must take action now.
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At GreenUP, we know that trees are part of the solution. They capture carbon, lower temperatures, support mental health, and create habitat for countless species. That’s why we’re growing trees — right here, right now — in the heart of our community.
As part of our work in 2025, GreenUP partnered with Camp Kawartha and the PVNC Catholic School Board to deliver a project called Reconciling with the Land. GreenUP supported the project by facilitating schoolyard greening projects that connected to the Anishnaabemowin language learning programs at St. John Catholic Elementary School, St. Paul’s Catholic Elementary School in Lakefield, and the Curve Lake First Nation School. The 624 youth who participated in Reconciling with the Land programming all had opportunity to learn about the importance of trees.
As part of our educational work this year, GreenUP also developed educational tree identification signage now installed at Ecology Park and on a trail regularly used by students at the Curve Lake School. When you next visit Ecology Park, we encourage you to give yourself extra time to learn about the 11 species we have new feature signage for. The signs provide stories about each species, provide pictures of the tree structure and leaf, and include names for the tree in English, Latin, and Anishnaabemowin.
GreenUP’s Little Forest program supported the planting of 924 trees across four Peterborough schools in 2025. Pictured are students at Otonabee Valley Public School preparing the soil for planting day. (Photo: Laura Keresztesi / GreenUP)
Through our native plant propagation program at Ecology Park, we are on track to grow more trees than ever before. This year, as part of our plan to learn and teach about growing native trees we added six new air prune beds, each capable of producing more than 100 native tree seedlings annually. These seedlings will help restore canopy lost to drought and storms.
In 2025 alone, hundreds of children planted 924 trees at four local schools through our Little Forest program. Volunteers joined us to plant another 125 trees at Ecology Park. These are tangible steps toward a healthier future.
When renowned scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger visited GreenUP this fall, she shared a simple but powerful solution: each of us must plant six native trees in the next six years. GreenUP is making that possible right here in Peterborough. Together we can achieve important climate action goals. Your support is essential to build the momentum.
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Stephen Hill, longtime GreenUP champion and donor, puts it best: “GreenUP delivers tangible results here at home. This is solution-based work. As donors, we can fund solutions to big environmental challenges right here at home.”
Our winter fundraising goal is $25,000. Every dollar helps us grow and plant more trees, welcome school groups and volunteers to Ecology Park, and teach practical ways to take climate action. A gift of just $35 allows us to grow a native tree from seed and nurture it right here in our community. Imagine the impact when hundreds of us come together to plant the future.
For more than 30 years, GreenUP has been a hub for community-based environmental action. Generations of local residents have learned how to live more gently on our planet through their connection with Ecology Park and GreenUP’s many climate action programs.
In October 2025, staff and volunteers planted 125 new native trees in GreenUP Ecology Park. Some of the group is pictured here in the park alongside a handful of new educational signs associated with select species in the park. (Photo: Yvonne Hollandy / GreenUP)
Now, as we face another season of climate challenges, your support is needed more than ever.
Please donate today to help GreenUP grow native plants in Ecology Park and plant those trees throughout our community. Together, we can cultivate a generation of action. Together, we can grow the future we all depend on.
Carried Away and the Convivio Chorus performing at the 2015 In From The Cold concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. The 26th annual Christmas benefit concert, which has raised more than $220,000 to date for Peterborough's YES Shelter for Youth and Families, is returning to the Market Hall on December 5 and 6, 2025, featuring an earlier start time on Friday night, a Saturday afternoon matinee, and roots singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Benj Rowland as a special musical guest. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
While there remains a lot to be said for not fixing something if it’s not broken, there’s no harm in mixing things up a bit now and then in the pursuit of freshness.
Since debuting in 2000, In From The Cold, an annual benefit Christmas concert for Peterborough’s YES Shelter for Youth and Families, has been staged before sold-out audiences at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.
For the concert’s organizers, not messing with a tried-and-true formula is well entrenched, and rightly so. That said, tweaking this and adding that has its place.
So it is that In From The Cold, which will be staged for its 26th year on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6 at the downtown Peterborough venue, will not only feature an earlier evening performance and a matinee performance for the first time, but will also see the return of a guest performer for the first time in many years — in the form of roots singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Benj Rowland.
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Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. Friday evening performance or the 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon matinee cost $29 for assigned seating ($34 for assigned cabaret table seating) and are available at tickets.markethall.org.
Again featuring an enchanting mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas and winter season-themed songs, In From The Cold proceeds will add to the more than $220,000 raised for YES since day one.
“Last year, I must have had a dozen people say to me ‘I love your show, I’d love to come, but I don’t drive anywhere at night,'” says co-organizer and longtime Peterborough musician John Hoffman of the impetus for adding a matinee show.
Another change this year is the Friday night concert start time of 7:30 p.m. instead of the usual 8 p.m.
“I noticed last year that some people left at half time,” Hoffman says. “It wasn’t that they weren’t enjoying the show. It was going too late for them.”
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Benj Rowland, pictured performing during the debut episode of Trent Radio’s “Radio from the Stage” live radio broadcast series at The Theatre On King in downtown Peterborough on October 29, 2023, will be the special musical guest at the 2025 In From The Cold concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
As for addition of a special guest to the lineup — something that hasn’t happened “for at least 10 years” — Hoffman says Rowland suits the feel and format of In From The Cold perfectly.
“Benj always does an interesting take on any song,” says Hoffman. “I remember hearing him do ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ He did it in a minor key and it was kind of moody. That song has always been done inappropriately. If you listen to the words, it’s a very sad song, but it’s sung as a sing-along. Benj captured the proper mood of the song.”
For another example of Rowland’s unique take on songs, Hoffman recalls his years performing with fellow Peterborough musician “Washboard Hank” Fisher.
“One of the songs we did was ‘The Marmora Pig.’ It’s about a pig that escapes from the slaughterhouse. It was always a kind of ha-ha joke song. I stumbled on a video of Benj doing it. It wasn’t funny — it was touching. There was some pathos in it and empathy for the pig. I was like ‘Wow, he took this song and made something completely different and interesting.’ That’s what Benj always does. He’s a real musical thinker.”
At In From The Cold, Rowland will play a set on his own, with one of the songs being Jackson Browne’s “The Rebel Jesus,” as well as later joining the ensemble for three songs.
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Also taking to the stage will be In From The Cold regulars Carried Away, comprised of Hoffman with Susan Newman, Rob Fortin, Michael Ketemer, and Tanah Haney, who are known for their performances of Christmas songs you won’t hear anywhere else.
Among the songs they’ll perform are “In Praise of Christmas,” which dates back to Elizabethan England, “Candlemas Eve” from the Oxford Book of Carols, Bob Dylan’s “On A Night Like This,” and “Shine Over Lake And Strand,” a Swedish Christmas carol that dates back more than 100 years.
Also returning are the Claveer cousins, performing original music and a skit developed by Curtis Driedger, and the 28-member Convivio Chorus, performing a new take on the traditional British folk Christmas carol “The Holly And The Ivy,” as well as The Pogues’ “Fairytale Of New York” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” from My Fair Lady, which will be performed in a way that highlights the song’s theme about a marginalized person wishing for safe shelter.
Michael Ketemer and Carried Away (Rob Fortin, Susan Newman, and John Hoffman) performing 21 years ago at the 2004 In From The Cold concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
“Part of the reason we got a guest is we found last year really hard,” says Hoffman, admitting “We were a little over-ambitious.”
“Last year, going into the last rehearsal of Fairytale Of New York, I had doubts as to whether we’d be able to pull it off. It came together, but it was stressful. This year, we’re having a much easier year. Less worry.”
The desire to take it a little easier is understandable, given that co-founders Hoffman, Newman, Fortin, and Driedger have been doing the concert every year for the past 26 years.
“This show’s not going to last forever — we’re at the age where it could end anytime,” Hoffman reflects. “We’re trying to make it easy on ourselves. If we continue the show next year, I already have somebody in mind to be a guest. But getting younger people involved is good. If there comes a time when we’re no longer doing the show, or we’re only a small part of the show, we’re not going to find a bunch of 60-year-olds to replace us.”
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What is heartening, says Hoffman, is In From The Cold continues to draw new interest despite the crowded Peterborough cultural landscape.
“When we first did this, there was never another show either the night before, the night after, or the night of,” recalls Hoffman.
“This year, The Once are playing (at Market Hall) the night before us, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra are playing Saturday night after our matinee, and The Barra MacNeils are playing at Showplace on Sunday.”
“That’s great — it’s what you want to see in an arts and music community. There’s a lot more competition, but I think we present something different. I think we get some people who wouldn’t go to ‘normal’ Christmas shows.”
VIDEO: “In From the Cold” – A Film By Rodney Fuentes (2017)
Another factor that plays a role In From The Cold’s enduring popularity is the fact that the performers are friends. That, says Hoffman, can’t be overstated in terms of the overall vibe of the concert.
“We don’t necessarily see each other that often,” says Hoffman, noting In From The Cold “is always like a reunion.”
“When Susan asks people if they want to be involved, it’s always ‘Yeah, bring it on. This is something we look forward to.’ It’s the same for the audience.”
Meanwhile, while some talk of supporting another organization has occurred over the years, Hoffman says In From The Cold and YES Shelter for Youth and Families go together like the proverbial peas and carrots.
“I don’t want to desert them,” says Hoffman, adding “We’ve grown up together. We’re like siblings in a way.”
“When we started, YES was not well known. It has lots of support from the community now, but it’s still dependent on this kind of fundraising to some extent. The amount of money we raise each year isn’t that much, but YES depends on it. We’re happy to support them, and we’re really happy with the way YES has grown (with) the depth and breadth of the programs offered.”
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In From The Cold 2025
When: Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 6 at 2 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-775-1503) How much: $34 reserved cabaret seating, $29 reserved regular seating (service fee included)
Note: If you can’t make it (or you can’t get tickets before they sell out), you can listen to Trent Radio’s broadcast of the recorded concert on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m. and on Christmas Day at 1 p.m. at 92.7 FM and online at www.trentradio.ca/stream.htm.
Beyond In From The Cold’s entertainment value, which is considerable in itself, Hoffman says there’s something else at play that has proven a huge attraction when it comes to a benefit concert.
“There’s always been this thing that Christmas brings out the best in people; that it can be transformative,” he says. “A lot of that is very idealistic, but people feel good about it. There’s this time of the year that, along with everything else, people think about being good people — about being nice to each other and doing nice things for people.”
“Like a lot of entertainment, it helps people forget their troubles. When you have challenges and having hard times, you need to feel good. We have a part to play in that.”
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a longtime media sponsor of In From The Cold.
Mayor Jeff Leal reads a motion unanimously approved by the Peterborough police service board in closed session on November 19, 2025 that reaffirmed the board's request for a 9.22 per cent increase in the police service's operating budget in 2026. During budget deliberations on November 18, city council had voted to send the request back to the board for potential reductions. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
The Peterborough police service board made short work of a city council request that it review the police service’s proposed 2026 budget for potential reduction by reaffirming the original requested increase of 9.22 per cent in 2026.
On Wednesday afternoon (November 19), the board — provincial appointee and chair Mary ten Doeschate, provincial appointee and vice-chair Drew Merrett, Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, Peterborough city councillor Baldwin, and citizens’ appointee Steven Girardi — met virtually along with police chief Stuart Betts and deputy chief Jamie Harnett.
The day before, when meeting as general committee to review the city’s draft 2026 budget, council voted 6-5 to send the proposed police budget back to the police service board for potential reductions, despite city staff warning council that doing so could delay the city’s draft 2026 budget beyond the scheduled December 8 approval date.
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The police service board has requested a 9.22 per cent increase in the police operating budget in 2026. The original ask was for $41,506,841, representing an increase of 9.8 per cent ($3,704,600) over 2025, but was subsequently decreased by an estimated $220,000 reduction in benefits for police employees.
During a November 10 presentation of the 2026 police budget to city council, Chief Betts said the requested increase was driven by personnel costs related to legislative and regulatory requirements of the province’s Community Safety and Policing Act.
He said those requirements required the addition of 10 new full-time equivalent positions, including two new officers, six full-time civilian positions, and four part-time civilian positions, as well as non-personnel costs including training and information technology.
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At Wednesday’s meeting, the police service board met for 20 minutes in closed session before returning to public session with a motion from Mayor Leal that had been unanimously approved by the board.
“The Peterborough Police Services Board has reviewed its budget, and it will remain at the requested level of 9.22 per cent for 2026,” the mayor said, reading his motion. “The police services board notifies the City of Peterborough clerk John Kennedy of this decision, and asks that the clerk distribute the decision to all members of Peterborough city council.”
The board then adjourned its meeting with no further discussion.
"Down on the Farm, Way Back When" is a memoir written by Stephen Nelson that contains over 200 stories about growing up on his family's small dairy farm just north of Campbellford. Available in hardcover, paperback, and as an e-book, the book is a "walk down memory lane" for people who grew up on a farm throughout the 1960s to 1980s and provides insight into farm life for those who did not. (Photos courtesy of Stephen Nelson)
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about daily life on a farm, or if you’ve ever had to explain farm life to your city-slicker friends, Stephen Nelson’s memoir is for you.
Down on the Farm, Way Back When is a collection of stories, some humorous and some touching, about the author’s childhood spent on a dairy farm north of Campbellford. From stories about spending nights at the fair to reflections on how technology has changed agricultural practices, the memoir is filled with behind-the-scenes memories of life on a small family farm.
“The book itself is a walk down memory lane for the older generation and it’s a good way for the older generation to connect with the younger generation,” says Nelson. “But it also tells people, even city people that have never lived on a farm, what it really means to be a farmer and what a farmer in my day had to do.”
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Now retired and living with his wife in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Quebec, just south of Montréal, Nelson spent his career working in publishing. A graduate of Fleming College, Nelson worked in the Public Service of Canada in Ottawa for 35 years, including for the R.C.M.P., where he worked with manuals, and over the last 30 years in National Defence, where he was a publications supply manager and reviewed manuals for format and layout before becoming the department’s publishing policy writer.
During work trips out of town, he would spend his downtime telling a co-worker stories about growing up on the family’s 300-acre dairy farm, where Nelson’s father raised purebred Holstein cattle, exhibiting them at fairs and exhibitions until he sold the farm in 1986.
“I started telling (my co-worker) a few stories and he would say ‘Why did you do that?’ or ‘How is that done?'” recalls Nelson, who began to realize many people did not know what it was like to be raised on a farm.
Author Stephen Nelson exhibiting his calf, Nelcroft Rockman Kam, at the Campbellford Fair in 1968. His memoir “Down on the Farm, Way Back When” features many black-and-white photos depicting life on the farm. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Nelson)
When he retired 10 years ago, Nelson began writing and publishing some of his stories and recollections on a Facebook page called Growing Up On A Dairy Farm. He gained 400 followers from around the world in five years, and when he finished sharing stories on the page, he decided to compile them all into a book.
“It’s something that I can leave the family,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to have a legacy of writing a book.”
Comprised of “stories a farmer would tell to another farmer,” Down on the Farm, Way Back When is divided into various sections covering aspects of farm life like “The Fields,” “The Animals,” and “The Fair.”
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Some of the stories are entertaining, such as the pranks his father would play at the fairs — like convincing people to see a “hairless dog” (which turned out to be a hotdog) — and Nelson getting to meet NHL players Bobby and Dennis Hull and Sam Pollock, then-general manager of the Montréal Canadiens, at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
“I remember everyone was congratulating (Pollock) and asking him ‘How are the Montréal Canadiens going to do this year?’ He basically said ‘I don’t care. I’m here because of my cattle,’ and all the farmers started cheering for him.”
As Nelson was writing one story, he would recall more and more, and says some of them affected him more than others. This includes a reflection about what a smock, which is often worn while out in the field, means to a farmer.
“It’s covered in dirt and grease because of the hard work you’re doing,” Nelson explains. “It’s the idea of spilled milk because you might kick (over) a pail. Sure, you don’t cry over spilled milk, but that also affects how much money you’re losing because your milk production is going down. It’s the idea that you could be cut, and you wipe your blood on your smock. All of these little things just hit home when I started writing it.”
The Nelson family’s farmhouse north of Campbellford. Earle R. Nelson raised purebred Holstein cattle on the 300-acre farm, which had in the Nelson family for generations, until he sold the farm in 1986. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Nelson)
In contrast, Nelson also reflects on the white clothes a farmer wears when in the ring at a fair showing their cattle. These clothes are white when the show begins, but they get dirty and soiled like the smocks as time goes on.
“Wearing the white clothes shows how much it means to the farmer and the sacrifices of the farmer that has to do everything to make cows produce milk and to get it to the quota that can be allowed to show at the fair or exhibition,” he says.
“You’ve got to spend time overnight at the fair away from your family, regardless of whether it’s an anniversary or — heaven forbid — a bereavement. It’s just the hard work that goes into it to do it all. And a farmer has to have a love of animals, the outdoors, and hard work. People don’t realize how hard a farmer works.”
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Throughout the book, there are black-and-white personal photographs of Nelson doing chores on the farm and showing at the fairs. The front cover also features a snippet of the painting “Winter Barnyard” by Canadian nature artist Robert Bateman.
Nelson hopes the photos will not only help showcase life on the farm but will appeal to “history buffs that are interested in rural life from the 1960s to the 1980s” while also showing that not much is different today when it comes to small family farmers themselves.
“Even though the technology has changed with bigger and better farm equipment, bigger barns, and more cattle, a farmer is still the same,” Nelson says. “They’re a person of many jobs. You’re not just a person doing the milking — you’ve got accounting, you’ve got forecasting, you’re checking on the weather, you’re doing bookkeeping, and you don’t have anybody else to give the jobs.”
In his memoir “Down on the Farm, Way Back When,” Stephen Nelson describes the pranks his father, Earle R. Nelson, would play at the local fairs and exhibitions where they would show their Holstein cattle. Nelson dedicated the book to his late parents, Eleanor and Earle R. Nelson and to all farmers, past and present. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Nelson)
In sharing stories about his childhood, Nelson also hopes he’ll inspire others to pass down their own stories.
“One thing I want people to take away from it is to not be afraid to (speak) about their lives to the next generation,” he says of the book. “Maybe it will spur ideas for them to talk about how they grew up, whether it was on a farm or not.”
On the Farm, Way Back When is available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book through Indigo, Amazon, FriesenPress, and at independent bookstores. To find a copy, visit www.stephen-nelson-author.com. The book is available at Indigo in Peterborough and Belleville and at Coles in Lindsay. The Lindsay Public Library and the three branches of the Trent Hills Public Library also have it in their collections.
Peterborough city council voted unanimously on November 18, 2025 to transfer $3 million from the city's legacy income retention reserve account to reduce the all-inclusive rate increase in 2026 by 1.3 per cent. The proposed increase for 2026 now stands at 6.56 per cent, with the draft budget scheduled to be presented to city council for adoption on Monday, December 8, when public delegations will be heard. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of City of Peterborough video)
After two days of deliberations on the City of Peterborough’s draft 2026 budget, city council has recommended changes that would reduce the all-inclusive rate increase in 2026 to 6.56 per cent, including by deferring several projects and by transferring $3 million of interest income from a special reserve fund.
The all-inclusive rate consists of municipal property tax, education tax, and municipal sanitary sewer surcharge rates. A 6.56 per cent increase would add around $340 in 2026 for a median residential property assessed at $260,000.
Prior to councillors meeting as general committee on Monday and Tuesday (November 17 and 18) to review the budget, the proposed all-inclusive rate increase stood at 7.92 per cent.
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The original version of the draft budget presented to councillors on November 3 had a 7.84 per cent increase, but the city’s commissioner of finance and corporate services Richard Freymond noted a reduction of $665,000 in employee benefits costs and an additional $269,000 for the city’s Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grant reduced the increase to 7.43 per cent.
The all-inclusive rate increased to 7.29 per cent as a result of council’s November 3 decision to award a $1.12 million contract to One City Peterborough to provide low-barrier shelter services in 2026.
During the deliberations on Monday and Tuesday, council made several recommendations to decrease the all-inclusive rate, including by deferring consideration of a $900,000 project for a public washroom at Jackson Park until 2027, deferring consideration of a $375,000 budget for the Coldsprings Growth Area Planning Studies until 2027, and deferring a $25,000 request to convert a washroom space at City Hall into a kitchenette.
The net tax levy requirement has also been reduced by $204,477 to reflect the increased final current value assessments from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.
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However, the largest decrease to the tax levy requirement by far comes from council’s unanimously supported recommendation to use $3 million from the city’s legacy income retention reserve account in 2026 — resulting in a decrease to the tax levy of 1.32 per cent.
Money in the legacy income retention reserve account comes from interest earned on investments using the proceeds of the sale of assets of Peterborough Distribution Inc. to Hydro One. Council approved the establishment of the fund in 2022 with interest income to be used to fund a portion of the city’s capital program.
While commissioner Freymond said using the reserve for operating costs will not impact the capital program in 2026, Mayor Jeff Leal pointed out that doing so only defers the problems with the city’s budget until 2027.
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“In 2027, that’s when the real decisions will have to made,” Mayor Leal said. “There’s fundamental problems, structurally, with the budget of the City of Peterborough. It’s in two areas: it’s on the assessment side — revenue base — and on the operations side. Hopefully, when the report comes back on (city) efficiencies, et cetera, and looking at alternative service delivery models for the City of Peterborough, that’s when the tough decisions will have to be made.”
“This decision to use the interest revenue is a stop-gap measure. It certainly gets us through 2026, I appreciate that, but the tough sledding is down the road in 2027 and beyond, when we really need to put the budget under the microscope and once and for all repair the structural problems we have.”
With the next municipal election scheduled for October 26, 2026, a new council will be dealing with the 2027 budget.
Council also directed that the proposed 2026 police service operating budget of $41,506,841 — representing an increase of 9.8 per cent ($3,704,600) over 2025 — be returned to the police service board for any potential reductions. (The original requested increase of 9.8 per cent has since been reduced to 9.22 per cent to reflect an estimated $220,000 reduction in benefits for police employees.)
Increases in the next tax levy recommended by council include an additional $90,137 in 2026 for the Community Development Program to offset a reduced funding from Peterborough County, an increase of $25,000 for the 2026 individual artists grant program administered by the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), and an increase of $32,000 for the Peterborough Public Library’s collections acquisition fund.
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After council’s budget deliberations, the draft 2026 budget reflects a 2.11 per cent increase in the city’s operating budget, a 2.16 per cent increase for infrastructure and capital needs, a 0.53 per cent increase in the sanitary sewer fee, and a 1.76 per cent increase for external agencies that are funded by the city.
The budget includes $434.2 million in spending on municipal services, funded by $198.4 million in municipal property taxes and $235.8 million in revenues including user fees, grants from other governments, recoveries, interest from investments, and service charges
It also includes $139.2 million for capital projects, including the renovation and expansion of two police stations, Lansdowne Street West improvements between Spillsbury Drive and Clonsilla Avenue, wastewater treatment plant revitalization, extending a taxiway at the Peterborough Regional Airport, road paving, purchasing transit buses, and water service distribution infrastructure.
Beyond the 2026 draft budget, council also made several recommendations for future consideration, including giving Ashburnham Memorial Park priority for the next round of city park improvements, that a pedestrian crossing for the Crawford Trail Extension Project from Monaghan Road to Townsend be at the signalized intersection of Monaghan Road and Lansdowne Street, and that staff be directed to bring forward a report to the 2027 budget to explore parking and other revenue opportunities at Riverview Park and Zoo.
The city’s 2026 draft budget is scheduled to be presented to city council for adoption on Monday, December 8, when public delegations will be heard.
The original version of this story has been updated to reflect that the proposed increase to the Peterborough Police Service’s operating budget is 9.22 per cent due to a reduction in employee benefits.
In 2027, Peterborough County is planning rehabilitation work on the Lakefield bridge on County Road 29 (Bridge Street) that crosses the Trent Canal and the Otonabee River. (Photo: Google Maps)
Peterborough County and Selwyn Township are advising local businesses of two significant transportation projects that will affect the village of Lakefield and surrounding area — one in 2027 and one in the years to come.
In 2027, Peterborough County is planning rehabilitation work on the bridge on County Road 29 (Bridge Street) that crosses the Trent Canal and the Otonabee River.
“This project is essential to keep the bridge safe and functional for years to come,” reads an email sent to Lakefield businesses from Breanna Guiotto, Selwyn Township’s acting economic development coordinator.
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According to a five-year forecast for the county’s 2026 capital works projects, the total cost for the bridge rehabilitation project is estimated at $2.725 million, including $1.5 million for the portion of the bridge that crosses the Otonabee River and $1.225 million for the portion of the bridge that crosses the Trent Canal.
As the bridge is the only crossing over the Otonabee River in the Lakefield area, Selwyn Township says the rehabilitation project could bring challenges for nearby businesses, including changes in traffic flow or detour routes, changes to delivery access, and shifts in customer or employee travel patterns.
“That’s why Peterborough County Economic Development and Selwyn Township are committed to early communication and collaboration with the business community,” Guiotto’s email reads. “A meeting with local businesses will be scheduled in the first half of 2026 to review project plans, share timelines, and discuss ways to minimize disruption.”
The sections of the County Road 29 (Bridge Street) that will undergo rehabilitation work in 2027. The total cost for the project is estimated at $2.725 million, including $1.5 million for the portion of the bridge that crosses the Otonabee River and $1.225 million for the portion of the bridge that crosses the Trent Canal. (Graphic: Peterborough County)
The township is also exploring options to support local businesses during the bridge rehabilitation project, including clear signage and maps showing businesses remain open, joint marketing and “shop local” promotions using the Driftscape app in collaboration with Peterborough County, and regular updates on detours, timelines, and access routes.
Another option includes a community event or grand re-opening celebration once the bridge work is complete.
The potential impacts of closing the only river crossing in the Lakefield area is one of the reasons why Peterborough County is undertaking a long-term planning study to understand how the current transportation system meets the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors and to identify infrastructure gaps and outline improvements to support future growth in the Lakefield community.
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A 2022 update to the county’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) for the Lakefield area road network recommended the study identify a location for a new two-lane arterial road and bridge crossing the Otonabee River.
The study is meant to guide future decisions over the next 25 years, with no immediate construction or physical changes planned.
According to a public information centre held Lakefield-Smith Community Centre on October 28 to introduce the study to the community, the County Road 29 bridge crossing of the Otonabee River will be operating over capacity by 2051 based on planned growth in Lakefield and the surrounding area.
One of the display boards from the October 28, 2025 public information centre on the Lakefield Transportation Master Plan showing potential locations for a new Otonabee River crossing, as well as the option to widen the existing County Road 29 (Bridge Street) bridge to four lanes. (Graphic: Peterborough County)
One of the initial options being considered is widening the existing County Road 29 (Bridge Street) structure to four lanes, although the 2022 TMP update did not recommend it as a preferred option because of technical and economic impacts, although it was the preferred option in terms of environmental impact.
Other initial options include constructing a new bridge (and potential new road alignment) at County Roads 32/33, constructing a new bridge between 7th Line and County Road 32, constructing a new bridge between 6th Line and County Road 32, and constructing a new bridge (and new road alignment) between County Road 29 (Lakefield Road) and Centre Road.
Before the end of the year, Peterborough County intends to complete technical and environmental reviews, confirm recommended crossing locations, and identify and evaluate conceptual alignments and crossing design options.
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In winter 2026, county staff will hold a second public information centre to present and gather feedback on the evaluation of alternative crossing alignments, recommended road network improvements, and the conceptual design of a second Otonabee River crossing.
In spring 2026, county staff will finalize recommendations, prepare a Transportation Master Plan report, issue a public notice and begin a 30-day public comment period, and present the report to county council for approval.
Collective philanthropy group 100+ Women Who Care Northumberland has launched an initiative for young people called 100 Youth Who Care Northumberland. (Graphic: 100+ Women Who Care Northumberland)
A group of women in Northumberland County has launched a new initiative aimed at inspiring a kinder and more community-minded generation of young people.
100+ Women Who Care Northumberland is a collective philanthropy group that brings like-minded women together to support local charities, with each member donating $50 four times a year.
Now, members are striving to extend that spirit of giving by introducing 100 Youth Who Care Northumberland, an initiative that invites children and teens to make a difference through simple, everyday acts of generosity.
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“The impetus was to encourage young people to get involved in acts of kindness and philanthropy (through) teachings and activities we do with our kids,” Nicole Beatty, who is co-lead of 100 Youth Who Care along with Erin Kruk and Rebecca Verbeem, told kawarthaNOW. “100 Women is part of 100 People Who Care (Northumberland) and we have the 100 Guys Who Care Northumberland group, so adding a youth initiative completes the circle.”
The “100 Who Care” collective philanthropy movement began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the first 100 Women Who Care group. After their first meeting, those women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. The movement has grown over the past 19 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with hundreds of chapters in Canada alone — including in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland.
“Our goal is to engage kids in the community,” Beatty said. “The focus isn’t so much on fundraising as it is about teaching the values of being involved and (instilling) civic values.”
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As part of that aim, young people in the community are invited to take part in the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge, which is running now through to December 13. It calls on youth to register online, complete acts of kindness, and then share them, with the goal of celebrating a collective 100 acts of kindness across Northumberland County.
“We believe every child, no matter their age, can experience the joy of giving,” said Kruk in a media release, with Verbeem adding, “Kindness is contagious. When one young person does something good, others follow.”
Free downloadable activity kits are available to download, with suggestions for giving back include activities like a hosting a bake sale for charity, collecting school supplies for those in need, and writing thank-you notes to local helpers.
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Proceeds from all 100 Youth Who Care fundraisers will support a dedicated 100 Youth Who Care fund with micro-grants for youth-focused charities and projects in the region.
A teen philanthropy council called the Kindness Crew will help review applications and decide where funds are shared. This process is aimed at ensuring youth play a hands-on role in giving back.
“100 Youth Who Care helps young people see that they have the power to make real change,” said Beatty. “It’s about planting seeds of compassion that grow into a lifetime of giving.”
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Although a 100 Kids Who Care group was founded in Northumberland before the pandemic, it was stalled due to shutdowns, according to Beatty.
“With new energy and the three of us as moms of young kids, we wanted to reignite the program,” Beatty said of herself and her co-leads. “We renamed it youth to be more inclusive of ages.”
Young people, families, and schools can sign up for the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge and download free resources at 100womennorthumberland.ca/100-youth.
Dr. Fraser Barratt and his wife Cassidy, who is from Ontario, in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Dr. Barratt received his medical education and general practitioner training. The couple is moving to Kawartha Lakes where Dr. Barratt will take over the Fenelon Falls practice of the retiring Dr. Hor Ven Zung effective December 1, 2025. (Photo supplied by Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative)
A new family doctor is coming from Scotland to Fenelon Falls in December to take over the practice of a retiring physician.
On Tuesday (November 18), the Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative (KLHIC) and the Kawartha North Family Health Team announced that Dr. Fraser Barratt will take over the practice of Dr. Hor Ven Zung effective December 1.
Dr. Zung, who came from Calgary in 2015 to begin practising with the Kawartha North Family Health Team in Fenelon Falls, is retiring on December 1.
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As for Dr. Barratt, he completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 2015, where he continued studying to complete his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2018. In August, he completed his general practitioner training in Edinburgh.
“He is the first recruit through KLHIC’s new International Recruitment program,” says KLHCI chair Stacey Gudmundsson in a media release. “KLHCI sincerely wishes to thank Dr. Zung for the many years of care to her patients, the Kawartha Lakes community, and many hours assisting KLHCI’s overall recruitment efforts.”
Dr. Barratt has a family connection to Ontario in that his wife, Cassidy, is from the province.
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“I look forward to meeting all the patients who will be under my care, and my wife and I are very excited to build a home in the Kawartha Lakes” says Dr. Barratt.
According to the media relase, Dr. Barratt will be unable to accept new patients at the current time as he is accepting all of the patients of Dr. Zung’s practice.
“I feel privileged that Dr. Barratt has chosen to take over my practice,” Dr. Zung says. “I know that my patients will be pleased to have their medical needs addressed by a well-trained and kind physician. I want to welcome him and Cassidy to the Kawarthas and him to my practice with the Kawartha North Family Health Team.”
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