The Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road has now reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, Parks Canada announced on Saturday (August 14).

The bridge has been closed since October last year for a full replacement of the steel swing bridge structure, repairs to concrete abutments, and replacement of mechanical and electrical operating systems.

The project has also brought the bridge up to full highway loading.

The reopening of the bridge, originally scheduled for May, was delayed several times due to various construction-related issues.

Parks Canada advises to expect short, intermittent delays while operational testing of the bridge is conducted.

With the reopening of the bridge, detour routes and sideroad closures implemented by the City of Peterborough will be lifted.

Physical distancing and limiting face-to-face interaction with individuals from outside our households have been essential steps in preventing the spread of COVID-19. But for many, these measures have also caused social isolation and loneliness.

Just as older people are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, they are also particularly vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation — especially after 16 months of the pandemic.

‘Senior Centre Without Walls’ is a free national telephone-based group activity program for connecting isolated seniors and older adults. Age-Friendly Peterborough — a city plan to enhance programs, services, and infrastructure for older adults in the Peterborough area — has brought the program to Peterborough after learning the number of isolated seniors has risen due to COVID.

To launch the program in Peterborough this past May, Age-Friendly Peterborough partnered with Activity Haven Senior Centre and the Peterborough Public Library. Senior Centre Without Walls targets adults in the community 50 years of age and older, allowing them to connect with others from the comfort of their own homes.

Jayne Culbert, Age-friendly Coordinator at the City of Peterborough, was aware of the program before COVID, she says the need for it in Peterborough became more apparent during the pandemic. Since most opportunities for remote socializing rely on computers and the internet, the program is ideal for those who don’t use technology or have internet access since it only requires a telephone.

“We heard about the number of people who were isolated in their home with very little community contact and connection,” Culbert explains. “That’s when we wanted to get this program running for our local Peterborough residents. Isolation is more detrimental to a person’s health than smoking or drinking — it affects their health not only mentally, but also physically.”

To participate in the program, people can register by calling Activity Haven at 705-876-1670 or, for those who use the internet, by emailing hannahpeart@activityhaven.com. Upon registration, participants will be asked if they are okay to call in to join their activity, or if they prefer the moderator to call them. Those who opt to call in themselves are given a phone number and a passcode to dial on the date and time of their chosen activity.

Senior Centre Without Walls releases a bi-monthly calendar with various phone activity offerings, including chair yoga, books chats, tea and inspirational chats, stress busters, memoir writing, and more.

A copy of the Senior Centre Without Walls flyer, calendar, and activity descriptions area are available on the Activity Haven website at activityhaven.com. For those without internet access, print copies are available in the community at the Peterborough Public Library and Community Care Peterborough offices. You can also call Culbert at 705-748-8830 x3227 to have a calendar mailed to you.

According to Culbert, Senior Centre Without Walls is always looking for new ideas for telephone activities older adults might like to participate in, and so they have developed a survey. The survey is available online at surveymonkey.com/r/627DZ8X or you can contact Peterborough Public Library adult programming and outreach librarian Karen Bisschop at 705-745-5382 x2352 for a print copy.

Since it was first launched in May, Senior Centre Without Walls has received great feedback from participants according to Culbert. Their most popular activities are currently chair yoga and stress busters. Even though the program is still growing, Culbert says it’s already making a difference.

“We can touch one person’s life and make somebody’s day better,” she says. “That’s why we’re doing it.”

Anne Driscoll, the project lead for Senior Centre Without Walls, has personally witnessed how the program touches the lives of participants. In addition to her responsibilities as the project lead, Driscoll volunteers as the program’s moderator — meaning she sets up and monitors the calls to make sure everything runs smoothly.

“Being a part of these phone calls as a moderator, I listen to the impact this program is having on people,” Driscoll says. “To hear ‘I so look forward to this call.’ — call by call, you can hear they’re getting more comfortable with each other, and relationships are evolving. I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

One such participant is 95-year-old Henry Weitz, who has participated in the program since May. He says his phone conversations during the ‘Tea & Inspirational Chats’ activity are now the highlight of his week.

“We have a little group, and we talk about everything — when we were young and our whole lives,” Weitz tells kawarthaNOW. “It’s very interesting. I really enjoy every program. It helps me because my connection to the outside is not that good anymore. It keeps your brain going.”

“I must say that the program has been such a gift to me,” he adds. “Living in a retirement residence where most of the residents have some form of dementia, having these phone conversations is the best thing that happens to me all week. Other seniors should join this program. They would really enjoy it. I don’t think enough people know about it yet.”

That’s one of the biggest hurdles of the program so far, according to Culbert. Many isolated seniors do not have access to the internet, so getting the word out to them is a challenge.

Culbert says this is where they need the community’s help. Senior Centre Without Walls relies on word-of-mouth support from adult children and neighbours of seniors to spread the word about the program.

She suggests those looking to support the program print a copy of the flyer and schedule from the Activity Haven Senior Centre website at activityhaven.com, or pick up a print copy at the Peterborough Public Library or a Community Care Peterborough office, and share it with isolated seniors they know in the community.

If the senior in your life is nervous or hesitant to participate in the program, Culbert suggests you join the first call with them. If the senior just wants to listen without participating, Driscoll adds this is also allowed.

Best of all for seniors who are on a fixed income, the program is completely free. Presentations about the program are also available for clubs or groups that want to learn more.

Senior Centre Without Walls is also searching for community volunteers to be moderators and facilitators on the phone calls. Moderators help make sure the calls go smoothly and help promote the program, while facilitators lead activities during the calls. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Culbert at 705-748-8830 x3227 or at jculbert@peterborough.ca.

A Bancroft man is facing two counts of attempted murder and other charges after an alleged assault in the Town of Bancroft in Hastings County on Tuesday night (August 10).

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, officers from the Bancroft OPP responded to a report of an assault at Woodview Lane in Bancroft.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located three injured adults. Two of the injured persons were transported by ambulance to hospital, where one was released and one remains for further medical treatment.

After an investigation, officers arrested 36-year-old Maurice Martin of Bancroft, who has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, assault with a weapon, assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and failure to comply with probation.

Martin was held in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on August 19.

Anyone with information with regarding this incident is asked to contact the Bancroft OPP at 1-888-210-1122. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

Ontario is reporting 510 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases rising by 24 to 399.

Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 1 is reporting a triple-digit increase (Toronto at 129 cases) and 13 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (61), Hamilton (51), Windsor-Essex (41), York (33), Halton (26), Waterloo (24), Ottawa (22), Simcoe Muskoka (21), Durham (17), Middlesex-London (15), Brant County (13), Niagara (13), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13) — with 7 reporting no new cases at all.

Of the new cases, 72% are among unvaccinated people, 17% of among fully vaccinated people, and 11% are among partially vaccinated people.

The number of hospitalizations has increased by 7 to 123, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 2 to 111 and the number of patients on ventilators decreasing by 4 to 72. Ontario is reporting 4 COVID-related deaths, but 2 occurred more than 2 months ago and are being reported now as part of a data clean-up, so there are 2 new COVID-related deaths.

More than 20 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 48,682 from yesterday, with almost 9.5 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 48,682 from yesterday, representing just over 64% of Ontario’s total population.

For a daily summary of cases in Ontario, including a breakdown of cases in each of Ontario’s 34 health units, visit ontario.ca/page/how-ontario-is-responding-covid-19.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report over the past 2 days, including 7 in Hastings Prince Edward, 4 in Northumberland, 3 in Peterborough, and 3 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton.

An additional 11 cases have been resolved in the region over the past 2 days, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Peterborough, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward.

The number of active cases has increased by 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, by 4 in Northumberland, and by 3 in Peterborough, and has decreased by 2 in Kawartha Lakes.

There are currently 48 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 9 since August 11, including 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 10 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 2 in Central Hastings), 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 5 in Peterborough. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,649 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,622 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,201 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,147 resolved with 58 deaths), 960 in Northumberland County (937 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,194 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,154 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.

For detailed data for each health unit, visit the COVID-19 trackers for Peterborough Public Health, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.

Fleming College will require proof of vaccination for all students, employees, and visitors this fall.

The college made the announcement of its vaccination policy on Friday (August 13).

To access programs and activities on any of its campuses (Peterborough, Lindsay, Haliburton, and Cobourg), everyone will be required to have received the first dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine by September 7 and a second dose by October 20. A paper or digital receipt showing proof of vaccination will be required to access campus facilities.

“We believe this policy will provide the best possible protection and freedom to everyone at Fleming to pursue their academic, athletic, and personal goals in a safe environment,” states Fleming College president Maureen Adamson in a media release.

“Vaccination is an effective safeguard against future lockdowns and interruptions in learning, as the scientific evidence shows,” she adds. ‘Given the current spread of the virus and its negative impact on all healthcare services, including the availability of non-COVID-19 related health services, we believe this policy is an important contribution to the communities we serve.”

Fleming College will assist students in gaining access to vaccines through on-campus and local clinics. Anyone who cannot be vaccinated on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code may request an accommodation. For those without proof of vaccination, regular testing will be required.

Fleming College had previously announced a vaccination mandate for students living in on-campus residence.

At the same time Fleming College announced its vaccination policy, the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA) also issued a media release calling on Trent University to adopt a similar vaccination policy.

According to the association, 93 per cent of its members agree that all eligible students, staff, faculty, librarians, and archivists should be fully vaccinated fully before coming to campus, acknowledging exemptions and requests for accommodation based on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code.

“TUFA believes that Trent must continue to exhibit leadership in regard to community health and join with this group of peer institutions,” reads the media release. “TUFA is prepared to work closely with the university to expedite development of such a vaccination policy.”

Dr. Thomas Piggott will be the Peterborough region’s new medical officer of health and CEO of Peterborough Public Health as of December 1.

The board of health for Peterborough Public Health made the announcement on Thursday (August 12).

“The board of health was very impressed with Dr. Piggott’s extensive track record in public health,” says board chair Andy Mitchell in a media release.

“We are confident he’ll serve our community with the care, passion, and scientific expertise our residents have come to expect from their medical officer of health,” adds Mitchell, referring to the retiring Dr. Rosana Salvaterra. “We look forward to his leadership at this dynamic time in public health, both locally and provincially.”

A newcomer to the Peterborough area, Dr. Piggott is currently the medical officer of health of Labrador-Grenfell Health in the northern regions of Labrador, where he also serves as the executive lead for population health and rural and remote health in the region.

He has experience collaborating on public health with Indigenous communities in Canada and internationally, and led a pandemic response along with Indigenous governments in Labrador for outbreak prevention and a vaccination rollout with priority on Indigenous communities.

Prior to his role at Labrador-Grenfell Health, Dr. Piggott worked as a field doctor with Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is a public health and preventive medicine specialist as well as a practising family physician, who who completed his Masters in Public Health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with residency training at McMaster University. He is also actively involved in research and teaching in public health at McMaster University and Memorial University.

Dr. Piggott’s wife is also a family physician and they have two young daughters. They all enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, running, bicycling, swimming, gardening, and camping.

As current medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra will be retiring at the end of September, the board of health also announced that Dr. Ian Gemmill will provide medical direction to the health unit until Dr. Piggott begins in the position on December 1.

Dr. Gemmill is the former medical officer of health for Kingston-Frontenac-Lennox-Addington Public Health and was most recently acting medical officer of health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit before Dr. Natalie Bocking assumed the role.

During the transition period, Larry Stinson will serve as interim CEO of Peterborough Public Health and Donna Churipuy will serve as incident commander for the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continuity in the health unit’s emergency response.

Less than a week after Ross Memorial Hospital announced it would be closing its drive-through clinic at the Lindsay Exhibition as of August 27, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has announced it will be closing its COVID-19 mass immunization clinics in Cobourg, Minden, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford effective September 3.

“Instead of people coming to us for a vaccine at fixed clinic sites, we want to increase vaccine uptake and access by taking the vaccine into the community through mobile and pop-up clinics,” says medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking in a media release issued on Wednesday afternoon (August 11).

The mobile and pop-up clinics will be offered in areas of the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County where vaccination rates are lower and where residents may have difficulty getting to a mass immunization clinic.

In recent weeks, as vaccination rates have increased, the health unit says the number of people attending the mass immunization clinics has fallen noticeably. This has led to the decision to redeploy health unit staff and resources so they can be used more effectively.

“The clinics have done wonderfully well, and we are extremely grateful to the many volunteers, service groups, organizations, and municipal partners with whom we worked in partnership,” Dr. Bocking says. “Without their support, the mass immunization clinics would not have been possible.”

Walk-ins and appointments will continue to be offered at the clinics in Cobourg, Minden, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford until September 3, with both mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) available at these clinics. Dates, times, and locations for clinics are available on the health unit’s website at hkpr.on.ca/2021/07/30/vaccination-clinics/.

Many pharmacies as well as health care providers in the region also continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines.

As of August 9, almost 80 per cent of residents 12 years of age and older in Haliburton County, Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes have received at least one vaccine dose, with just over 71 per cent full vaccinated.