kawarthaNOW writer Paula Kehoe rides the zipline at Treetop Trekking in the Ganaraska Forest near Port Hope in 2017. Outdoor adventure companies are among the tourism and travel businesses eligible for the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant of up to $20,000, as long as they have fewer than 100 employees and can show at least a 20% decline in revenue between 2019 and 2020. (Video screenshot)
Applications are now open for the provincial government’s $100-million Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant.
The grant program, which was first announced on March 29, provides a one-time payment of $10,000 to $20,000 to support eligible small tourism and travel businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible businesses include travel agents, hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, hunting and fishing camps, indoor tourist attractions such as escape mazes, outdoor adventure companies, recreational rental services such as houseboat rentals, mobile food services like chip trucks, and more.
Advertisement - content continues below
To qualify, businesses must have fewer than 100 employees and demonstrate they have experienced a minimum 20 per cent revenue decline between 2019 and 2020. Businesses that began operating in 2021 are not eligible.
Businesses that have already received the Ontario Small Business Support Grant are not eligible for the new grant.
Also ineligible for the grant are campgrounds, caterers, convention centres, event planning services, museums, zoos, historic sites, farmers’ markets, tour and guide services, and more.
Small business owners can use the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant in whatever way makes the most sense for their business.
On May 13, 2021, in his first media briefing in weeks at Queen's Park, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the province's stay-at-home order would be extended until at least June 2. (CPAC screenshot)
Ontario’s stay-at-home order will remain in place until at least Wednesday, June 2nd, Premier Doug Ford announced at a media briefing on Thursday (May 13).
“We need to do everything in our power to protect this summer for all Ontarians — my goal is to have the most normal July and August possible,” Ford said. “Obviously, that won’t mean large sporting events or concerts but, if we manage the next few weeks properly, I believe that we can have things in a very good place this summer.”
“To do so, we need to keep driving cases down and easing the pressure on our hospitals. We need to maintain the stay-at-home order and all public health measures until at least June the 2nd.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The stay-at-home order was originally set to expire next Thursday (May 20).
Ford said that, with “over 130,000 people” getting a dose of vaccine daily, he expects that Ontario will be able to reopen outdoor recreation on June 2nd. He added that, by then, the province would also provide more details on reopening Ontario “in the days and weeks to follow.”
Ford also announced that, beginning the week of May 31, the province will begin administering the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to youth between the ages of 12 and 17, along with any family members who have not yet received the vaccine. Special dedicated youth and family clinics will also be set up throughout the weeks of June 14 and 21.
The province will work with public health units and school boards to offer both doses of Pfizer vaccine to youth aged 12 to 17 by the end of August, part of what Ford called a “two-dose summer.”
In the interim, all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools in the province will continue with virtual learning.
Advertisement - content continues below
During the media briefing, Ford continually returned to his requests to the federal government to enhance border measures, including reducing incoming international flights, implementing mandatory pre-departure PCR testing for all domestic air travellers entering Ontario, and addressing “the loophole” at Canada’s international land border by implementing a mandatory three-day hotel quarantine in federally designated hotels at the highest traffic crossings.
“In the past two weeks alone, 40 domestic and 24 international flights landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport with confirmed cases of COVID-19,” Ford wrote in a May 12th letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Unfortunately, because there is currently no testing requirement for domestic travellers, passengers who may have been exposed on the domestic flights are immediately able to move around within Canada.”
“During the same two-week period, 172,000 individuals, excluding essential truck drivers, have crossed Canada’s international border. Many of these travellers entered at the land border to bypass mandatory hotel quarantine.”
“Further, we have seen alarming reports that one in three individuals travelling internationally by air have also been able to bypass this requirement. According to recent data from the Public Health Agency of Canada, approximately 88,000 air travellers have been granted exemptions and no reasons were offered for why they were able to avoid the quarantine hotel rules.”
A 63-year-old woman is dead after a possible drowning in Loon Lake, about 12 kilometres southeast of the town of Haliburton in Haliburton County.
According to a media release from Haliburton Highlands OPP, police responded to a report of a “person in the water who appeared to be in distress” at 3 p.m. on Wednesday (May 12).
After arriving at the scene with Dysart et al Fire Department and Haliburton County EMS, police found a 63-year-old woman “with no vital signs.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The woman was transported to hospital where attempts to resuscitate her failed.
Police have provided no details on the cause of death and say they are still investigating the incident.
They will not be releasing any further information, including the woman’s name, at this time.
When you wash clothing made of synthetic materials like polyester or nylon, they shed tiny fibres that flow down the drain. These microfibres are so small they don't get filtered at sewage treatment plants and they enter our waterways, where they can distrupt the food chain. Microfibers account for 85 per cent of human-made debris found on shorelines worldwide. (Stock photo)
Throughout the month of May, students from across the region are zooming with the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival to learn about the importance of water and what they can do to conserve, protect, and improve their relationship with water.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Jessica Todd, Resource Centre Associate and Wonders of Water Support Staff at GreenUP.
Adults can also learn how to have a more sustainable relationship with water, starting with how we care for our clothes.
Did you know that every time you do a load of laundry, hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic particles — known as microfibres — wash off our synthetic clothing and are released into our waterways?
Advertisement - content continues below
Most of us own some clothing or textiles made from synthetic materials, such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon. These fast-fashion materials are common because of their availability and affordability.
When we wash synthetic fabrics in the washing machine, hundreds of thousands of microfibres shed off the fabrics and flow down the drain. These microfibres make their way to local wastewater treatment plants, where most of them are too small to be filtered so they end up in our local rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Synthetic microfibres are particularly dangerous because they have the ability to disrupt the food chain. Microfibres are readily consumed by fish and other wildlife due to their small size. Since one animal eats another, the microfibres are able to travel up the food chain.
VIDEO: The Story of Microfibres
In recent research, plastic microfibres have been discovered in pretty much everything from plankton to humans. They have been found in the water we drink, the food we consume, and the soils we grow our food in. Microfibre pollution poses a major threat to our waterways, ecosystems, and human health.
To address this issue, we need systemic solutions from government in the form of policies and regulations. There are also behavioural solutions that we as individuals can offer to help reduce our microfibre footprint.
Here are five ways you can reduce microfibre waste:
Advertisement - content continues below
1. Wash synthetic garments less frequently
The more often we wash our clothes, the more fibres shed off and enter our waterways.
Wear that synthetic sweater a couple more times before you wash it. Also, the less we wash our clothes, the longer they will last.
If you want to freshen up your clothes before they need a wash, try hanging them outside for some fresh air!
2. Take care of your synthetics
If you are suddenly thinking of throwing your synthetic garments in the garbage to prevent microfibre shedding, please think again. A lot of resources and energy were used to create those garments, and the smartest thing you can do is make sensible use of them for as long as they last.
When washing synthetic garments, be mindful of wash cycles and temperature. Switching to a gentle cycle and a cooler temperature can reduce microfibre shredding.
Using gentler eco-friendly detergents, such as the Canadian-made Tru Earth laundry strips, can help reduce the shedding of microfibres. They are also better for the environment because they don’t use the plastic packaging typically associated with other laundry soaps. (Photo: Jessica Todd)
Synthetic garments tend to wear out faster when we wash them using more intense cycles and higher temperatures. The more worn-out our materials become, the more microfibres they shed. Choosing a shorter wash cycle or hand-washing when you can are also great options to help reduce microfibre shedding.
Be mindful of the detergents you use. Try using more gentle, eco-friendly detergents, such as Tru Earth and Down East. Tru Earth offers eco-friendly zero-waste laundry detergent strips and Down East is a liquid laundry detergent that is non-toxic and gentle on all fabrics. Both of these products are Canadian-made and can be purchased through the GreenUP Store at shop.greenup.on.ca.
Advertisement - content continues below
3. Use a fibre-collection device
One of the most effective ways to minimize your microfibre waste is to use fibre-collecting device when washing your clothes.
Washing bags like the Guppyfriend can reduce microfibre pollution from your washing machine.
At the end of a wash cycle, you just scoop out the collected microfibres from the bag and put them in your garbage.
Using a solution like the Guppyfriend Washing Bag both protects clothes and reduces microfibre pollution. You can purchase the Guppyfriend bag at the GreenUP Store. (Photo: Jessica Todd)
4. Be mindful when shopping for clothing
Choosing to purchase only 100 per cent natural fibre clothing is an effective way to avoid microfibre waste.
Whether clothing is made from wool, alpaca, cashmere, cotton, linen or silk, these natural fibres are biodegradable and can be broken down naturally — unlike plastic microfibres.
Clothing made from these materials is often more comfortable too!
Advertisement - content continues below
5. Educate yourself and take action
Maybe this is the first you’ve heard of microfibre pollution. That’s okay! Many people aren’t aware of this issue, and that’s why it’s important to continue to spread the word and build awareness.
Take time to do your research and educate yourself as a consumer. Look for how transparent brands are about their responsibility to reduce microfibre pollution.
Many companies market their efforts to create synthetic clothing out of recycled plastics. The bonus to this is that it can reduce our dependence on the raw petroleum resources used to make new plastics, shifting us away from a wasteful linear economy and more towards a circular economy.
In Peterborough, treated water is returned to the Otonabee River. Most microfibres are too small for water treatment technology to prevent this pollution from entering our watersheds and ecosystems. (Photo: Jessica Todd)
Be aware, however, that even garments made from recycled plastics will still produce microfibre pollution. The number of microfibres that are shed from different qualities of plastic is a relatively new area of study.
Obviously, avoiding synthetics entirely is the most robust way to reduce your personal footprint when it comes to microfibre pollution. That said, in time some studies may shed light on how some synthetic materials and design approaches may reduce microfibre pollution.
Next time you are buying a garment or doing a load of laundry, take a moment to consider the importance of water and what you can do to conserve, protect, and improve your relationship with water.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 2,320 new cases, with 6 health units reporting triple-digit increases. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased to 2,826 and the proportion of active cases continues to decline.
Hospitalizations have decreased significantly, with a large decrease in the number of ICU patients and a smaller decrease in the number of patients on ventilators. Ontario is reporting 39 deaths today, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes.
Ontario has now administered almost 6.5 million vaccine doses, with more than 50 per cent of the population aged 18 and over having received at least one dose. Over 400,000 Ontarians are now fully immunized against COVID-19, with a record increase of 5,471 people receiving their second dose yesterday.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there has been a COVID-related death in Northumberland for the second day in a row, the county’s 16th death. There are 24 new cases to report across the region (including 11 in Peterborough, 8 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland) and an additional 19 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 4 to 258. See below for detailed information from each health unit in the region.
Advertisement - content continues below
Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (712), Peel (452), York (157), Durham (139), Hamilton (113), and Ottawa (105).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Niagara (87), Waterloo (81), Halton (78), Middlesex-London (77), Simcoe Muskoka (55), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (40), Windsor-Essex (35), Brant (26), Haldimand-Norfolk (25), Southwestern (18), Huron Perth (15), Hastings Prince Edward (11), Peterborough (11), and Porcupine (10), with smaller increases in Northwestern (9), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Grey Bruce (9), Thunder Bay (8), Eastern Ontario (8), Algoma (7), Sudbury (6), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (6).
The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 59% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (983) among people ages 20-39 followed by 659 cases among people ages 40-59 and 390 cases among people 19 and under.
With 3,477 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to at 92.3% — the 23rd straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 2.1% to 6.4%, meaning that 64 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on May 11.
Ontario is reporting 39 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 27 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 1 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have fallen by 109 to 1,673, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 26 to 776 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 9 to 559.
A total of 45,681 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 3,259 to 28,174.
A total of 6,491,666 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 140,785 from yesterday, and 402,258 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, a record increase of 5,471 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.73% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.04% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 44.06% of the population, an increase of 0.96% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 24 new cases to report, including 11 in Peterborough, 8 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
A community outbreak in Hastings Highlands in North Hastings, involving 7 cases, was declared on May 11.
For the second day in a row, there has been a new COVID-19 related death in Northumberland, the county’s 16th death. There is 1 new hospitalization in Northumberland, 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough, and 2 new ICU admissions in Peterborough.
There are 11 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 2 in Northumberland.
An additional 19 cases have been resolved, including 7 in Peterborough, 5 in Hastings Prince Edward, 4 in Northumberland, and 3 in Kawartha Lakes. An outbreak at an unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville was declared resolved on May 11. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Belleville was declared resolved on May 12. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Peterborough was declared resolved on May 12.
There are currently 258 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 4 from yesterday, including 83 in Hastings Prince Edward (15 in Quinte West, 40 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 7 in Prince Edward County, 11 in Central Hastings, and 8 in North Hastings), 79 in Peterborough, 61 in Kawartha Lakes, 31 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,326 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,230 resolved with 17 deaths), 801 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (697 resolved with 56 deaths), 855 in Northumberland County (808 resolved with 16 deaths), 110 in Haliburton County (105 resolved with 1 death), and 1,036 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (943 resolved with 10 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on May 12.
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: 1,326 (increase of 11) Total variants of concern cases: 515 (no change) Active cases: 79 (increase of 4) Close contacts: 253 (increase of 17) Deaths: 17 (no change) Resolved: 1,230 (increase of 7) Hospitalizations (total to date): 60 (increase of 1)* ICU admissions (total to date): 13 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: Over 51,000 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Sunshine Daycare in Peterborough, Unidentified home child care centre #1 in Peterborough County, Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County (decrease of 1)** Vaccine doses administered: 60,427 (increase of 4,018 as of May 7) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,421 (increase of 210 as of May 7)
*As of May 11, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 13 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 2) and a total of 73 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 3).
**An outbreak at an unidentified workplace (#5) in Peterborough was declared resolved on May 12.
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: 1,766, including 801 in Kawartha Lakes, 855 in Northumberland, and 110 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)* Total variants of concern cases: 483, including 195 in Kawartha Lakes, 263 in Northumberland, and 25 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland) Active cases: 96, including 61 in Kawartha Lakes, 31 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net decrease of 3) Probable cases: 5 in Kawartha Lakes (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 65, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 29 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 73, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 16 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Resolved: 1,610, including 697 in Kawartha Lakes, 808 in Northumberland, and 105 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 186,360 (increase of 388) Vaccine doses administered: 79,432 (increase of 7,067 as of May 10) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,462 (increase of 191 as of May 10) Outbreaks: Staples and Swain Law Office in Lindsay, OPP Offender Transport Lindsay, Dairy Queen in Lindsay (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 May 12, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 8 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase 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: 1,036 (increase of 8) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 397 (increase of 3) Active cases: 83 (increase of 3) Deaths: 10 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 17 (decrease of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 7 (decrease of 2) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 5 (decrease of 1) Resolved: 943 (increase of 5) Tests completed: 136,178 (increase of 7) Vaccine doses administered: 68,691 (increase of 1,083) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,745 (increase of 70) Outbreaks: Quinte 5 at QHC Belleville General Hospital, ICU of QHC Belleville General Hospital, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, Community outbreak in Hastings Highlands in North Hastings (net decrease of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville was declared resolved on May 11. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Belleville was declared resolved on May 12. A community outbreak in Hastings Highlands in North Hastings, involving 7 cases, was declared on May 11.
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 499,412 (increase of 2,320) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 98,945 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 3,399); 568 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 38); 1,683 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 91) VOC R(t): 0.92 (increase of 0.03 as April 30)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,826 (decrease of 88) Positivity rate: 6.4% (decrease of 2.1%) Resolved: 461,076 (increase of 3,477), 92.3% of all cases (increase of 0.2%) Hospitalizations: 1,673 (decrease of 109) Hospitalizations in ICU: 776 (decrease of 26) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 559 (decrease of 9) Deaths: 8,374 (increase of 32) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 27 (decrease of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,936 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: 14,603,406 (increase of 45,681) Tests under investigation: 28,174 (increase of 3,259) Vaccination doses administered: 6,491,666 (increase of 140,785), 44.06% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.96%)** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 402,258 (increase of 5,471), 2.73% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.04%)**
*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.
**An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from April 11 – May 11, 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 April 11 – May 11, 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 April 11 – May 11, 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 April 11 – May 11, 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 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from April 11 – May 11, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Ontario plans to begin administering first doses of COVID-19 vaccine this June to children and youth 12 to 17 years of age, according to an update from Ontario health officials on Wednesday morning (May 12).
Health minister Christine Elliott confirmed the province’s plans at a media briefing at Queen’s Park on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are actively working on the vaccine rollout plan for 12 to 16 [sic] year olds with the Ministry of Education and working with our public health units as well,” Elliott said. “This is extremely important — we want to make sure our young people can receive the doses as soon as possible.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Elliott said more information will be provided after details are worked out.
According to provincial health officials, planning will consider Indigenous schools, private schools, and students with special needs, and the vaccine could be administered at existing clinics or through “dedicated delivery channels, if needed”.
In response to a reporter’s question, Elliott said the vaccine will not be compulsory for children.
On May 5, Health Canada authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children 12 to 15 years old — the first COVID-19 vaccine in Canada approved for use in children.
Over 50 per cent of Ontarians aged 18 and over — over six million adults — have so far received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with more than one million doses administered in Ontario since the start of May.
The province projects to have administered first doses to 65 per cent of Ontarians aged 18 and over by the end of May.
A passerby watches Public Energy's 2020-2021 Artist in Residence Irèni Stamou as the choregographer and dance artist completes movement research in a rehearsal space at Artspace Peterborough. Public Energy is seeking applications from artists for its 2021-2022 Local Artist in Residence Program. (Photo courtesy of Public Energy)
Public Energy Performing Arts in Peterborough has extended the call for applications for its 2021-2022 Local Artist in Residence Program until 5 p.m. on Monday (May 17).
If you’re an artist working in dance, theatre, or performance living in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong, neighbouring counties, or Treaty 20 Territory of the Williams Treaties, the program is an amazing opportunity for creative support.
The history of artist-in-residence programs is a long one. Indeed, proto-residency programs can be traced back to the times of sovereigns, lords, and patrons of the arts encouraging artistic practice to enhance the status of their courts and kingdoms.
Advertisement - content continues below
As we know them today, artist-in-residence programs date back to the early 20th century, when wealthy benefactors regarded the offering of guest studio space to artists as a new kind of romantic patronage.
There is no one-size-fits-all model for the ways in which contemporary artist-in-residence programs are offered and used — numerous programs exist all over the world. Though varied and multi-faceted, generally speaking, residencies are incubators for artistic productivity and inspiration.
“The chief purpose of our residencies is to help an artist create a new work or a new show,” explains Bill Kimball, executive director of Public Energy Performing Arts. “At the core of it, we want to further and support the creation of the next show that the artist is working on by helping them with their creative process.”
Performance artist Melissa Addison-Webster, one of Public Energy’s 2019-2020 Local Artists in Residence. (Photo courtesy of Public Energy)
Public Energy’s artist residency program is also an opportunity for funding and developmental support, with $2,000 in seed funding to help the 2021-2022 Local Artist in Residence create their work.
“We have a financial contribution, a fee that’s attached to it, which they can use in any way they like,” Kimball says. “The artist might need to bring somebody in to make some costumes or act as a collaborator, or they can use the stipend for themselves as a way of getting by so they can simply focus on their artistic practise without worrying about a day job.”
In addition to financial support, Public Energy’s Local Artist in Residence Program provides professional development support including administrative, marketing, and production, as well as grant writing or editing support.
“Staff are available to help the artists in the areas of grant writing, marketing, and publicity,” Kimball says.
Advertisement - content continues below
“Sometimes as artists we don’t necessarily have an opportunity to work on ourselves or it’s not our forte,” adds Melissa Addison-Webster, one of Public Energy’s 2019-2020 Local Artists in Residence.
“My residency was truly foundational for my work as a choreographer. I was very thankful that I had the opportunity. The wisdom, knowledge, and guidance of folks from Public Energy helped to build my own vision as a choreographer, and also as an artist in general.”
According to Addison-Webster, Public Energy’s organizational and grant-writing support were especially helpful.
“Those are the nuts and bolts that artists sometimes need assistance with, and Public Energy was really, really helpful with that,” she says.
As part of her Public Energy residence in 2019-2020, performance artist Melissa Addison-Webster partnered with the Brain Injury Association Peterborough Region to facilitate movement workshops to explore themes of transformation and belonging. (Photo courtesy of Public Energy)
Beyond providing financial and professional development support for artists, Public Energy’s Local Artist Resident Program also benefits the greater community.
“With Public Energy’s support, it means there are more artists from this area creating work and putting out there for people to see,” Kimball points out. “It means there are more artists interacting with our local community.”
“In addition to presenting their work, quite often these artists do workshops and classes, which have a great benefit to the entire community. Having local artists working benefits everybody in the community.”
Part of the support Public Energy provides for their artists in residence includes creating public awareness around the artists’ work — and public feedback, where desired. Artists in residence are required to present a minimum of two public engagement activities, either in person or online.
Advertisement - content continues below
Public presentations can take many forms, including work-in-progress shows, open rehearsals, open forums such as question-and-answer sessions, or offering workshops or classes for professional artists and community members.
“I am completing my artist residency this summer with a site-specific dance project at Millennium Park, where I will receive feedback on my work-in-progress ‘Bone Stories: short solo dance scenes,’ which I am choreographing for myself and dancer Dreda Blow,” says 2020-2021 Artist in Residence Irèni Stamou.
“I am so grateful and appreciative of my artist residency,” adds the choreographer. “Public Energy has been so supportive and attentive to how I have been developing my artistic practice and direction, from grant writing to offering me a rehearsal space at the Artspace’s gallery when not in use. I am collaborating with other inspiring artists, venturing into new perspectives and experimenting with film work and writing projects.”
While the 2021-2022 residency does not come with studio space, Public Energy will arrange and pay for necessary space and technical support for public activities offered during the residency.
Public Energy’s 2020-2021 Artist in Residence Irèni Stamou. The choreographer and dance artist will be completing her residency in summer 2021 with a site-specific dance project at Millennium Park, (Photo: Anita Erschen-Pappas / Anita Photo Studio)
Applications for Public Energy’s Local Artist in Residence Program are open to artists with a wide range of experience and performing arts practises, from emerging to established artists. However, the residency is particularly beneficial for artists with an established practise of creation.
The residency work period can occur any time between September 2021 and May 2022. Depending on the artists’ work plan and timeline, the residency period can be as long or as short as the artist needs.
Applications will be assessed by an independent committee of peers, based on criteria including the impact on the artist’s work and professional development, how the artist’s work and development will benefit from the three aims of the program (financial support, professional development mentorship, and public awareness), feasibility of the process and ability of the artist to carry out the project, and artistic merit of the project.
Advertisement - content continues below
Public Energy’s 2020-2021 Artist in Residence Nicole Malbeuf, a performer, mover, maker, and instructor based in Peterborough. When she is not developing her artistic work, she works at growing her business Trellis Arts & Entertainment, instructs adult and teen circus classes at the Peterborough Academy of Circus, and works with A2D2 Aerial Cirque Dance Company. (Photo: KayLens Photography)
Committed to equity practices, Public Energy encourages applications from Indigenous artists, artists of colour, artists with disabilities, and queer, transgender, and two-spirit artists. If you are an artist living with a disability and require accommodation or assistance with your application, Public Energy will provide assistance and support.
Proposals will be accepted by email or web application form no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, May 17th. To access the online submission form, and to learn more about submission eligibility and requirements, visit Public Energy’s website publicenergy.ca/artist-in-residence-program-submissions/.
Artists who have participated in Public Energy’s Local Artist in Residence Program include Brian Solomon (2017-2018), Roshanak Jaberi and Brandy Leary (2018-2019), Melissa Addison-Webster and Anne White (2019-2020), and Nicole Malbeuf, Irèni Stamou, and Common Threads Collective (2020-2021).
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time media sponsor of Public Energy.
Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, announced on May 11, 2021 the province is pausing the administration of first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to a higher-than-expected risk of rare blood clots. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
With Ontario reporting 2,073 new cases today, the smallest daily increase since March 19 when 1,829 cases were reported, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams announced the province will no longer be administering first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, due to a increased “safety signal” of a rare but serious blood clot known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).
“Effective today, Ontario will be pausing the rollout and administration of first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine at this time,” Dr. Williams said during a media briefing late Tuesday afternoon, adding that the decision is being made “out of an abundance of caution.”
Recent data shows the risk of VIIT in Ontario is 1 in 60,000 people vaccinated, higher than the previously observed rate of 1 in 100,000. As of May 8, there have been 8 cases of VIIT in Ontario out of the 651,012 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine given to date.
Dr. Williams said the province’s health experts are reviewing the data before making decisions about proceeding with second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but noted the risk of blood clots appears to be reduced in people receiving second doses.
“Data from the UK points to a much-reduced risk of VITT in second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine,” Dr. Williams said. “We look forward to providing more guidance in advance of people needing to receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
Dr. Williams said another factor in deciding to pause first doses of AstraZeneca is the increased and reliable supply of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and also a recent downward trend of cases.
“We’re also seeing early promising results of administering two doses of different vaccines, and have asked the National Advisory Committee on Immunization to provide direction on the interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines,” he said, adding that people who received their first dose of AstraZenca “did absolutely the right thing to prevent illness and to protect their families, loved ones, and communities.”
Of today’s new cases, only four health units are reporting triple-digit increases — Toronto, Peel, York, and Durham — with the seven-day average of daily cases dropping below 3,000 for the first time since April 7.
Hospitalizations have increased significantly compared to yesterday, but the increase may reflect underreporting of hospitalizations over the past 2 days. There has been a two-digit decrease in the number of ICU admissions but an equivalent increase in the number of patients on ventilators. Ontario is reporting 15 deaths today, including with 3 new deaths in long-term care homes.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there has been a new COVID-related death in Northumberland, the county’s 15th death. There are 26 new cases to report across the region (including 13 in Peterborough, 10 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes) and an additional 26 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 2 to 254. See below for detailed information from each health unit in the region.
Advertisement - content continues below
Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (685), Peel (389), York (231), and Durham (144).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Halton (84), Ottawa (77), Hamilton (72), Niagara (59), Middlesex-London (56), Waterloo (56), Simcoe Muskoka (39), Windsor-Essex (30), Brant (20), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (18), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (17), and Porcupine (15), with smaller increases in Sudbury (9), Grey Bruce (7), Southwestern (7), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (6).
The remaining 14 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 1 health unit (Thunder Bay) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 60% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (861) among people ages 20-39 followed by 572 cases among people ages 40-59 and 379 cases among people 19 and under.
With 2,898 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to at 92.1% — the 22nd straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.6% to 8.5%, meaning that 85 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on May 10.
Ontario is reporting 15 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 3 new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 28 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 2 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have increased by 150 to 1,782, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the past two reports so previous hospitalizations may have been underreported. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has decreased by 26 to 802 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 21 to 568.
A total of 28,109 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 12,078 to 24,915.
A total of 6,350,881 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 112,103 from yesterday, and 396,787 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 2,903 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.69% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.02% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 43.11% of the population, an increase of 0.76% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 26 new cases to report, including 13 in Peterborough, 10 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
An outbreak at Dairy Queen in Lindsay was declared on May 10, an outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Central Hastings was declared on May 10, and an outbreak at Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County was declared on May 11.
There has been 1 new COVID-19 related death in Northumberland, the county’s 15th death. There is 1 new hospitalization in Northumberland, 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough, and 1 new ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are 33 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 19 in Hastings Prince Edward, 8 in Peterborough, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
An additional 26 cases have been resolved, including 11 in Hastings Prince Edward, 6 in Peterborough, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Haliburton, and 2 in Northumberland. An outbreak at Transition House shelter in Cobourg has been declared resolved.
There are currently 254 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 from yesterday, including 80 in Hastings Prince Edward (15 in Quinte West, 40 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 6 in Prince Edward County, 11 in Central Hastings, and 6 in North Hastings), 75 in Peterborough, 60 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,315 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,223 resolved with 17 deaths), 797 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (695 resolved with 56 deaths), 854 in Northumberland County (804 resolved with 15 deaths), 110 in Haliburton County (105 resolved with 1 death), and 1,028 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (938 resolved with 10 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on May 11.
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: 1,315 (increase of 16)* Total variants of concern cases: 515 (increase of 8) Active cases: 75 (increase of 10) Close contacts: 226 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 17 (no change) Resolved: 1,223 (increase of 6) Hospitalizations (total to date): 59 (increase of 1)** ICU admissions (total to date): 11 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 50,900 (no change) Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Sunshine Daycare in Peterborough, Unidentified home child care centre #1 in Peterborough County, Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County (increase of 1)*** Vaccine doses administered: 60,427 (increase of 4,018 as of May 7) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,421 (increase of 210 as of May 7)
*The health unit is reporting 13 news case in the last 24 hours. The total case count has increased by 16 because 3 cases have been added from previous days.As of May 10, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 15 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 1) and a total of 70 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
***An outbreak at Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County was declared on May 11.
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: 1,761, including 797 in Kawartha Lakes, 854 in Northumberland, and 110 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)* Total variants of concern cases: 475, including 189 in Kawartha Lakes, 261 in Northumberland, and 25 in Haliburton (increase of 6, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Active cases: 99, including 60 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (decrease of 7, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 5 in Kawartha Lakes (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 64, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 28 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 72, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Resolved: 1,603, including 694 in Kawartha Lakes, 804 in Northumberland, and 105 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton) Tests completed: 185,748 (increase of 1,260) Vaccine doses administered: 79,432 (increase of 7,067 as of May 10) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,462 (increase of 191 as of May 10) Outbreaks: Staples and Swain Law Office in Lindsay, OPP Offender Transport Lindsay, Dairy Queen in Lindsay (no net 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 May 11, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 7 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 1).
***An outbreak at Transition House shelter in Cobourg has been declared resolved. An outbreak at Dairy Queen in Lindsay was declared on May 10.
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: 1,028 (increase of 10) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 394 (increase of 19) Active cases: 80 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 10 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 18 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 9 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 6 (no change) Resolved: 938 (increase of 11) Tests completed: 136,171 (increase of 316) Vaccine doses administered: 67,608 (increase of 845) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,675 Outbreaks: QHC Belleville General Hospital, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, ICU of QHC Belleville General Hospital, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, involving 3 cases, was declared on May 10.
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 497,092 (increase of 2,073) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 95,546 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,283); 530 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 19); 1,592 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 34) VOC R(t): 0.92 (increase of 0.03 as April 30)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,914 (decrease of 103) Positivity rate: 8.5% (increase of 0.6%) Resolved: 457,599 (increase of 2,898), 92.1% of all cases (increase of 0.2%) Hospitalizations: 1,782 (increase of 150)** Hospitalizations in ICU: 802 (decrease of 26) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 568 (increase of 21) Deaths: 8,342 (increase of 15) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 28 (decrease of 2) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,934 (increase of 3) Total tests completed: 14,557,725 (increase of 28,109) Tests under investigation: 24,915 (increase of 12,078) Vaccination doses administered: 6,350,881 (increase of 112,103), 43.11% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.76%)*** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 396,787 (increase of 2,903), 2.69% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.02%)***
*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.
**More than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the past two reports, so previous hospitalizations may have been underreported.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from April 10 – May 10, 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 April 10 – May 10, 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 April 10 – May 10, 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 April 10 – May 10, 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 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from April 10 – May 10, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
First-dose vaccination doesn’t on its own guarantee COVID-19 immunity.
That’s the message being relayed by Peterborough’ medical officer of health after reporting that “at least the last three deaths” locally were people who had received their first shot of vaccine.
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Tuesday (May 11), Dr. Rosana Salvaterra reported two residents who died recently — a 79-year-old on Sunday (May 9) and a 64-year-old on Monday (May 10) — were infected “after (receiving) their vaccine”, adding “there had not been enough time for the vaccine to work.”
Advertisement - content continues below
“The person who died Monday had about four weeks from the time of their immunization to the time of infection. That’s an example of someone who just wasn’t able to benefit from the protection of the vaccine. It’s a sobering reminder that even with the first dose, we aren’t fully protected and we can’t let down our guard and have to continue to follow the public health protocols.”
All three people had received a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
“Although the vaccines typically make the illness less severe, what we’ve seen is, certainly for those who have underlying chronic conditions or other illnesses, there’s just not enough protection from (the first dose) of the vaccine. The good news is the vaccines are working for most people but, even at their best, they’re not going to be 100 per cent effective.”
The two most recent deaths bring to 17 the total number of people who have died as a result of a COVID-19 infection since the pandemic was declared in March of last year.
However, the bigger picture remains somewhat more optimistic with local infection rates showing some improvement.
As of Monday (May 10) at 4:30 p.m., the number of active cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha was reported as 65 — down three from what was reported last Friday. Since Monday, no new cases have been detected locally, with the total number of new cases in May at 71. Meanwhile, the number of close contacts of positive cases being closely monitored by public health staff is now at 227, up 11 from last week.
There are currently four active outbreaks in the region, down from five last week, with an outbreak in a workplace setting now declared over.
Advertisement - content continues below
On the vaccine front, Dr. Salvaterra was particularly pleased to hear from Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef that 655,000 AstraZeneca doses are expected to arrive in Canada “in the coming weeks.” That news is music to the ears of those who have received AstraZeneca for their first dose and are anxiously awaiting word of their second shot appointment.
The mixing and matching of vaccine doses is the subject of a United Kingdom study and direction on that practice is expected at some point from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).
But on Monday (May 10), Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said it’s “likely” those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine may receive a different vaccine for their second shot if there’s a shortfall in AstraZeneca shipments.
“We have primary care providers in Peterborough who immunized more than 4,500 of their patients and are looking for second doses (of AstraZeneca) for them,” noted Dr. Salvaterra.
“The current recommendation from NACI is that you complete your series with the same vaccine, so that is currently what we recommend in Peterborough. Whatever you had for your first dose should be the same for your second dose.”
“There are trials underway to see if you may actually get better protection by using different ways to boost the immune system. I expect when those trials are complete and the results are available, we will certainly take them into consideration.”
The total number of those who have received at least their first dose locally is 60,427, with close to 56,000 of those Peterborough-area residents. That brings the coverage rate to 45.4 per cent. Meanwhile, 4,421 people who have received two vaccine doses and are now fully immunized. These numbers will be updated late this Thursday (May 13) afternoon as they are every week.
The province extended vaccine eligibility today (Tuesday) to people with at-risk health conditions and to workers who can’t work from home. This Thursday (May 13), vaccine eligibility will open to those 40 years old and older.
Advertisement - content continues below
“As of this morning, we had 2,000 open appointments available but I expect they’ll be booked very quickly as these new groups become eligible,” said Dr. Salvaterra, noting that many more vaccine appointments will be available starting next week with the still expected arrival of a new vaccine shipment.
Area residents are directed to phone the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900 to book their COVID vaccination appointments when they are in the age group that has become eligible. The line is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week. Eligible residents can also continue to book their appointments online by visiting ontario.ca/bookvaccine.
Meanwhile, with increasing talk of the provincial government possibly extending the stay-at-home order until at least the end of May, Dr. Salvaterra noted provincial daily case counts are still high.
“While our number of cases has declined, they are falling very slowly,” she said. “Some of the important indicators we need to watch include the percentage of people who are being tested positive and the number of secondary cases each new case produces. They all need to come down. They are coming down here, but we have a ways to go before the order can be lifted.”
As for enforcement of public health restrictions, Peterborough Police Services Inspector John Lyons confirms one charge was laid in connection with a religious service held this past weekend at Nichols Oval. That gathering, Lyons said, drew 30 to 40 participants.
For her part, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien made it clear the group did not have a permit to hold the event in Nichols Oval, adding no permits are being issued for any city park.
Also commenting during Friday’s briefing were MP Monsef, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.
Peterborough residents will once again see the Centennial Fountain in Peterborough's Little Lake running as of May 26, 2021, after Peterborough city council oted unanimously to rescind a 2020 resolution that saw the fountain inactive during the 2020 season. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
The majestic Centennial Fountain in Peterborough’s Little Lake will be turned back on for the 2021 season beginning Wednesday, May 26th.
Peterborough city council’s general committee voted unanimously on Monday (May 10) to support a motion by councillor Keith Riel that rescinds a resolution made last April that kept the fountain inactive during the pandemic.
Last January, councillor Kim Zippel brought forward a motion to reduce operation of the fountain from four to two months a year — July and August — in response to the climate change crisis. Zippel had argued that reducing the fountain’s operation would reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and save around $40,000 per year.
Advertisement - content continues below
After a public outcry, including an online petition signed by more than 2,000 people, council asked city staff to come up with an alternate plan. That alternate plan proposed running the fountain for 12 hours per day instead of 14, saving the city around $11,400 which would be credited to the city’s climate change reserve.
When considering the plan in mid-April last year after the city declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, council voted instead to keep the fountain turned off during 2020 given the economic impact of the pandemic.
Councillor Henry Clarke, who made the original motion to keep the fountain turned off, supported resuming its operation for the 2021 season.
“Nobody ever thought it would be shut down for this long,” Clarke said. “It’s been a horrendous thing. The community is tired, so maybe to say we’re going to turn on the fountain to give them something to look at, to celebrate, and to be happy about, would be a very good thing for the community.”
“I never supported switching it off,” councillor Dean Pappas said in support of Riel’s motion. “I thought we needed to give people hope and give them a reason to walk around outside … I’m voting to give people hope again.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Councillor Stephen Wright also supported Riel’s motion.
“I’m going to take a long walk from my home in the north end just to go look at the fountain and walk back home, because it signals hope that we’re rounding the corner on this pandemic,” he said.
While the fountain will operate until Thanksgiving as in a regular year, two elements of the April 2020 resolution would remain in effect: the fountain will run 12 instead of 14 hours per day and any operational savings from the reduced hours will be credited to the city’s climate change reserve.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
