Dave McNab (right), a retired OPP constable, conducts an online English lesson with Rashid, an 18-year-old Syrian refugee living alone in Turkey. McNab connected with Rashid after the teenager had posted a desperate plea in a Facebook group about coming to Canada and was subjected to abuse, including racism. McNab and his veterinarian wife Kristy Hiltz, who have been involved in sponsoring Syrian refugees to come to Canada in the past, have begun the process to bring Rashid to Canada. (Photo courtesy of Dave McNab)
All that is bad about social media has proven to be no match for all that is good about Peterborough.
Through the strangest of circumstances, an 18-year-old Syrian refugee living alone in Turkey has connected with a Peterborough couple who are determined to bring him to Canada — potentially saving his life by offering the opportunity for a new one in a new country.
It was back in early May that Dave McNab, a retired Peterborough County OPP officer, checked out a private Facebook group about birds after he was notified about a thread and some comments that were being made.
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“It looked like there was a squabble going on and that got me curious,” recalls McNab, noting another group member, Matt Park, was “smacking people for being rude to somebody.”
“As I started reading back through the thread, I saw that some members were attacking some young fellow. I read more and realized the fellow they were attacking was a refugee. Matt was basically saying ‘Give the guy a chance.’ He really shone through as somebody defending the underdog.”
The person some of the group’s members were attacking was named Rashid. With little knowledge of English, he had posted a request in the group — intended for people posting photos of birds — for guidance on how he can come to Canada to start a new and safer life.
What he received instead, McNab says, were “racist, hateful, and anti-immigrant” comments from a number of group members, with one member even commenting “Bomb them all … they’re worthless.”
How Rashid stumbled upon the private Facebook group was by pure chance, according to McNab, who speculates that, with his limited English, Rashid had seen the word ‘Canada’ in the name of the group and that had prompted him to post his desperate plea for help in the group. While some group members criticized Rashid for posting a topic unrelated to birds, others considered his post a scam and some turned to racism.
McNab, who says he was “angry, shocked, and disappointed” over the responses he read, resolved to do something after discussing the matter with his wife, veterinarian Kristy Hiltz. That something has evolved into a determined effort to sponsor Rashid to come to Canada and pursue his dream of studying to become an engineer.
Having been involved directly in five refugee sponsorships, this is nothing new for the couple.
In its January 25, 2016 issue, Macleans Magazine profiled the Alkhalaf family and the efforts of the Salaam Peterborough group (which included Kristy Hiltz and Dave McNab) to bring the Syrian refugee family to Canada. (Graphic: Macleans Magazine)
Back in 2015, Hiltz began Salaam Peterborough, a group of Peterborough and Millbrook residents that sponsored Syrian refugees to come to Canada — their efforts to sponsor one family were profiled in Macleans magazine in 2016.
McNab says the couple’s motivation for getting involved this time around was two-fold.
“First, this poor kid was getting abused,” he explains. “From our previous experience with refugees, I knew that what he wrote in his post was exactly how things were. It reminded me so much of another fellow we sponsored — he had talked of running through the night to the border, and the fear and the desperation.”
“I thought, ‘This poor kid has probably gone through the same thing.’ Now he reaches out, thinking this is the one nation in the world that can help him, and they attack him. I thought ‘I’ve got to fix this.'”
McNab was also inspired by the efforts of group member Matt Park to turn the tide of abuse against Rashid.
“He’s basically at war with all these racists,” McNab says. “He had the courage to stand up to them. He took a bit of a bashing too. I said to Kristy ‘I’ve got to back him up.’ I messaged Rashid and wrote that I can help with information and answer any questions. I wrote ‘Message me and forget about the racists. Talk to me and Matt directly.'”
Initially, McNabb communicated with Rashid via a video call. He was greeted onscreen by a “a scared young man — very fearful, very nervous. He probably knew 10 words of English, and I knew 10 words of Arabic. We quickly exhausted that and then it was a bit of playing charades and some Google Translate. But now we knew he was who he said he was.”
The next day, while gardening at his home, McNab couldn’t stop thinking of his 10-minute chat with Rashid, and the reception the desperate teenager’s initial inquiry had received from some members of the Facebook group.
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“I thought ‘I’ve got enough food growing out here to feed 10 families and that kid is probably starving.’ And I was still really upset over how he was treated. I saw some bad things over the course of my (policing) career, but they way they attacked this kid was like hyenas attacking a rabbit. It was unbelievable.”
Peterborough’s Michael VanDerHerberg, a long-time advocate for causes in social housing, refugee settlement, and community development, is helping Dave McNab and Kristy Hiltz with their efforts to bring Rashid to Canada. VanDerHerberg has also offered $5,000 towards the $18,000 cost to support Rashid in Canada for a year; McNab is contributing another $5,000 and is hoping to crowdfund the remainder. (File photo)
Now, with guidance from Michael VanDenHerberg, a Peterborough resident who has helped facilitate the resettling and integration of several refugee families in the city, an effort is underway to bring Rashid to Peterborough.
McNab explains that what’s being sought is a church’s agreement to be the sponsorship agreement holder.
“We also have to raise about $18,000 to pay for his first year here for rent, food, clothing, transportation — things he’ll need to survive but not be a burden on taxpayers. That’s a government requirement.”
McNab was surprised and delighted when VanDenHerberg offered $5,000 to get that fund started — an act of generosity that inspired McNab to kick in $5,000 of his own.
“Suddenly it was real,” says McNab, who is seeking to crowdfund the remaining $8,000.
McNab is working on setting up a GoFundeMe page, but says he has encountered a delay with approvals from the U.S.-based company because the fundraiser mentions Syria and Turkey. Anyone who wants to donate immediately can email McNab at ptbocyclist@hotmail.com.
GoFundMe now available
Dave McNab has now set up a GoFundMe campaign to help bring Rashid to Canada, with a goal of raising $8,000. You can donate at gofundme.com/f/help-bring-rashid-to-canada.
In addition, McNab — who is a photographer and videographer — is willing to work for donations from anyone who wants to preserve a memory or chronicle an event through photos or video.
“My hurdle with the money is going to be an easy one in comparison to the hurdle with the sponsorship agreement,” McNab notes.
“Michael has a connection with a church. He has approached them and asked if they’d consider Rashid under their umbrella. I’m waiting for an answer. If they say yes, it’s a one to two year process to bring him here.”
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The fact that Rashid just turned 18 is significant, as no one under that age can be sponsored.
“I think of my kids at that age,” says McNab of where his empathy comes from. “Rashid doesn’t have official status in Turkey because he’s Kurdish. In the Middle East, with all the refugees and the political situation, if the police catch him, he’s illegally in Turkey and they’ll deport him back to Syria.”
“He’s in danger every day. He’s working, but we know it’s not safe for him to go out. He works for $300 a month and doesn’t do anything else. He’s afraid to leave his apartment.”
“Imagine you’re running from the police in Turkey, and yet there’s a police officer in Ontario who’s pretty much your only friend and your lifeline. The irony is unbelievable. The trust that requires on his part is phenomenal.”
As the effort to bring Rashid to Canada continues, McNab has been working with him to improve his English. Trent University, where McNab teaches part-time, has given him permission to use the university’s Zoom account to provide structured lessons to Rashid.
As with the other refugees he and his wife have helped bring to Canada, McNab says Rashid’s situation is another reminder of how fortunate we are to live in Canada.
“Rashid, for example, will say he’s cooking potatoes. He’ll send me a picture — and he’s having one potato for dinner. My leftovers are more than his meals. It has woken me up to just how hard things are for other people.”
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“We’ve got people willing to come here and work their asses off for a better life,” McNab notes. “They want to pay taxes. They want to make Canada a better place. We have too much here to not share it. That’s the first lesson I learned. The second is anyone can make a difference. One person can make a huge difference for anyone else. All you have to do is wake up and try.
The end goal now, adds McNabb, is “to get Rashid here safely, get him going on his education and career, and then see if we can one day help him reunite with his family — if they’re still alive.”
“It feels like he’s part of the family now, but it’ll be better when he’s sitting at the table with his Canadian family, joining us for dinner and cottage time and all that Canada has to offer.”
This story has been updated to remove the name of the Facebook group to avoid confusion with similarly named Facebook groups.
This story has been updated with a link to Dave McNab’s GoFundMe campaign to bring Rashid to Canada.
Volunteers who have helped plant gardens at the Depave Paradise projects that GreenUP has hosted in recent years have enjoyed the chance to build their friendship with nature and their local community by giving back a healthier greenspace where once there was only asphalt. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Deepening our relationship with nature is essential to climate action.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is Heather Ray, Director of Programs at GreenUP.
Again and again I hear this from Indigenous knowledge holders, environmental educators, scientists, and even students attending the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival: the stronger the relationship we foster with nature, the stronger our appreciation is for the many ways we are intertwined with nature, and the greater our capacity of climate action.
What better framework than friendship for understanding that relationship with nature?
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This Friday — July 30, 2021 — is International Day of Friendship. This day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly with the idea that friendship can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
What if humans and nature are two communities that can create bridges and peace through friendship?
I am curious what our friendship with nature looks like, how we can improve this friendship, and if better climate action may stem from this improved friendship.
What does our friendship with nature look like?
You can build a friendship with water, a key part of nature, by talking to it, splashing with it, or paddling in it. (Photo: Heather Ray)
The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions kept many of us from connecting with our human friends in traditional ways. Many of us went outside more often to explore our yards, our neighbourhoods, local trails, waterways, and parks.
Throughout the lockdowns, the more I spent time with nature, the more I connected and the more I noticed the benefits of a stronger relationship with nature. I enjoyed a clearer mind, more joy in my heart from seeing things grow and change, and more excitement as I began to recognize which wild rabbit was which.
You might think that spending more time in nature as a response to COVID-19 restrictions is, like so much of pandemic life, an exercise in isolation rather than something akin to friendship.
The facts suggest otherwise. Several studies have demonstrated that when residents increase their exposure to nearby nature, they build a stronger sense of unity and belonging in their neighbourhoods. You might say that building a friendship with nature is the foundation to better friendships with our families, friends, and neighbours.
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In 2017, the Great Lakes Commons confirmed this concept through the Water Friendship Project. This project identified the many vital relationships that water is the source of and presented the value and role of these relations in terms of water protection. The project offered concrete actions to guide water policy, curriculum, and advocacy.
The Water Friendship Project demonstrated how friendships flow and connect us like water itself — we are all connected by water and by rediscovering and sharing our relationship with water, we are also building unity and a sense of belonging across and within watersheds.
Bringing people together in Peterborough, Guelph, and Thunder Bay, the project demonstrated how a connection with water informs our other relationships, including with ourselves, with place, and with other people.
How can we improve our friendship with nature?
If you are looking for new ways to connect with nature, try looking at it from different perspectives. You could look up, look behind you, watch the forest as you walk very slowly, or go give those trees a hug. (Photo: Heather Ray)
Spending time together is key to friendship. That said, spending more time together without also maintaining quality attention does not make for a better friendship.
Quality friendship are based on reciprocity and balance: friends both give and receive benefits, and friends do not wield exclusive power over each other.
Nature gives us many benefits. Peterborough Public Health’s Health in Official Plans: A Toolkit (2018) emphasizes how nature provides not only the basic essentials of life, but also improves health and mental health by alleviating adverse effects of stress, improving concentration, and helping us offset chronic illness, disability, and isolation.
I wonder: are we giving back benefits to nature in return for all nature is giving us? As I spend time with nature and soak up the many benefits nature provides, how am I giving back to this relationship? In friendship, you get what you give, as the song says. The same is true of our friendship with nature.
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Here are some ideas on how we can interact with nature in a more reciprocal manner:
Say miigwetch (thank you) to nature and nibi (water).
Positively impact nature as much as possible. Plant or care for a tree, ride your bike (instead of driving your car), reuse a glass jar a million times, compost, remove garbage from waterways, etc.
When nature upsets you, perhaps from flooding, sunburn, an empty rain barrel, or a tornado warning, try to understand why your friend is in this extreme state. What burdens has nature been carrying that are unbalanced or beyond their capacities? How can we lessen these burdens?
How can a better relationship with nature support climate action?
Fostering a better friendship with nature can be the basis for better friendships all around, as evidenced by these smiling faces from a Depave Paradise project in front of the GreenUP Store in Peterborough in 2019. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
As I look at our relationship with nature through a framework of friendship, I see climate change as a result of an estranged friendship. We — as a local and global community — have exploited an unbalanced relationship with nature for decades.
That sort of treatment destroys friendships.
For decades, researchers and environmentalists have been asking why we aren’t taking more climate action as individuals, as communities, as companies, and as countries. Research suggests that this is because climate change seems too distant or abstract for most people.
I wonder, would climate action feel less distant if we approached it as an act of friendship with nature and our neighbours?
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Many of the actions we can take to help improve our friendship with nature can also further climate action. For example, composting enriches our gardens — those backyard spaces for nature — and also diverts waste from landfills and reduces harmful methane gas emissions.
To give back in this friendship, we can also advocate for our friend nature in policy decisions that have impacts on the environment or in our response to climate change.
We need this friendship with nature to be healthy. The only positive pathway into a healthy future is to foster a better friendship with nature now.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 158 new COVID-19 cases today, with 6 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (25), York (19), Waterloo (16), Hamilton (15), Durham (13), and Peel (10) — and 11 reporting no new cases at all. The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 4 to 161.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 8 to 117, the number of ICU patients has decreased by 5 to 122, and the number of patients on ventilators has increased by 2 to 83.
Ontario is reporting 4 new COVID-related deaths today, with none in long-term care homes.
Over 19.1 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 94,116 from yesterday, with almost 8.8 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 77,348 from yesterday, representing over 59% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 27 – July 27, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from June 27 – July 27, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from June 27 – July 27, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 12 new cases to report, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (over the past 2 days), 2 in in Peterborough, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward (over the past 2 days). There are no new cases in Haliburton.
There has been 1 new COVID-related death in Hastings Prince Edward, the area’s 12th death. There has been 1 new hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes.
An additional 9 cases have been resolved in the region, including 5 in Northumberland, 2 in Peterborough, 1 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Haliburton.
Active cases have increased by 3 in Northumberland and by 1 in Kawartha Lakes, have decreased by 1 in Haliburton, and remain the same in Peterborough and Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 33 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 3 since July 26, including 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Belleville and 2 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 3 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,634 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,607 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,164 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,099 resolved with 58 deaths), 949 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 125 in Haliburton County (122 resolved with 1 death), and 1,148 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,133 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
After the remains were discovered of 215 Indigenous children buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia in May 2021, the Indigenous community of Nogojiwanong-Peterborough created a memorial on the steps of Peterborough City Hall. On August 3, the 215th day of 2021, members of Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations will hold a day of mourning in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough to remember and recognize all Indigenous children whose lives were lost to Canada's residential school system. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation members will unite in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough on Tuesday (August 3) to “remember and recognize” Indigenous children who have lost their lives at residential schools in Canada.
The day of mourning is being held on the 215th day of the year — a reference to the remains of 215 Indigenous children found buried at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School Site near Kamloops, British Columbia.
Since that discovery back in May, more remains of Indigenous children have been found at residential school sites in Brandon, Manitoba as well as in Marieval, Saskatchewan and on Kuper Island, British Columbia.
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The Kamloops Indian Residential School was in operation from 1890 to 1969m at which time the federal government took over its administration from the Catholic Church and operated it as a day school residence until its closure in 1978.
Since the discovery of the children’s remains, Indigenous communities across Canada have stood united in demanding an apology from the Catholic Church, as well as a more meaningful recognition of the horrible plight of children in the residential school system and the lasting effects of that shameful chapter of Canadian history.
The Day 215 event in Peterborough will begin with a sunrise ceremony in Del Crary Park, at which time a sacred flame will be lit and burn until sundown. That will be followed by a noon walk from Peterborough City Hall to Del Crary Park. There will be speakers at both locations.
On its Facebook page, Curve Lake First Nation has extended an invitation to all to “remember and recognize our lost children” by attending and showing support.
In addition, organizers are asking residents to decorate their homes with orange-coloured paper art and to obtain orange shirts from Indigenous businesses, such as the Every Child Matters T-shirts available locally at Nish Tees located at Fleming Place near Aylmer and Hunter streets.
In addition, businesses along the George Street route of the walk are asked to show their support by displaying orange-coloured decorations in their storefront windows.
The poster distributed on social media by Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations for the ‘Day 215’ day of mourning. (Graphics: Curve Lake First Nation / Facebook)
kawarthaNOW reached out to Curve Lake First Nation Chief Emily Whetung to speak about the day of mourning, but she declined to be interviewed prior to the event taking place. She is encouraging other communities to hold their own day of mourning on August 3.
Hiawatha First Nation Chief Laurie Carr was also unavailable for comment. However, back in June, she issued a strongly worded statement on behalf of Hiawatha residents and her council, writing residential schools “were a deliberate plan on the part of Canada to commit cultural genocide and, in so doing, take the ‘Indian out of the child.'”
“These children were taken from families and homes…forced to live a life of mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and sexual abuse. Many of these children were horrifically abused. Many others were simply made to disappear, with no concern for their death and no closure for their families.”
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In addition, Chief Carr calls for the following “only acceptable response”:
Canada must, unequivocally, fully fund the search for our children at all residential school locations.
Canada must recognize this loss by declaring a National Day of Mourning.
Churches must unequivocally apologize for their actions and hold those involved accountable.
Justice must prevail with all those involved or responsible held accountable for their crimes against our children.
Chief Carr adds “this cultural genocide” is more than simply “a dark chapter in Canadian history.”
“It is very much our continued reality with First Nations suffering under a legislative process imposed upon us by an antiquated Indian Act and the mindset that we are simply ‘wards of the Crown.'”
She closed by asking Canadians to write their political representatives and church leaders “demanding justice ad closure for all our lost children who are waiting to go home.”
This story has been updated to clarify the noon walk begins at Peterborough City Hall and proceeds to Del Crary Park.
Performers at the Peterborough Folk Festival's 'We Can Do This' four-concert series on August 17, 18, 20, and 21, 2021 include (left to right, top and bottom): Greg keelor, Terra Lightfoot, Hawksley Workman, AHI, Whitehorse, William Prince, Donvan Woods, and Chantal Kreviazuk. The series also features Brittany Brooks and local musicians Melissa Payne, Jimmy Bowskill, Evangeline Gentle, and Lauryn Macfarlane. (Photo collage by kawarthaNOW)
The annual Peterborough Folk Festival is returning in August to present ‘We Can Do This’, a series of ticketed live music concerts featuring 14 visiting and local musicians, in place of the festival’s traditional free weekend celebration at Nicholls Oval Park.
“We realized early this year that logistically a festival at Nicholls Oval was going to be near impossible,” says festival director Ryan Kemp, who announced the line-up of performers for the concert series on social media on Wednesday (July 28).
Greg Keelor, Terra Lightfoot, Hawksley Workman, AHI, Whitehorse, William Prince, Donovan Woods, and Chantal Kreviazukare the visiting performers, along with local musicians Melissa Payne, Jimmy Bowskill with Toronto’s Brittany Brooks, Evangeline Gentle, and Lauryn Macfarlane. One additional performer is still to be announced.
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‘We Can Do This’ features four separate concerts, with the first two on Tuesday, August 17th and Wednesday, August 18th in a transformed Banker’s Commons courtyard in downtown Peterborough (behind St Veronus), and the second two at the Rolling Grape Vineyard in Bailieboro on Friday, August 20th and Saturday, August 21st.
Each concert will follow COVID-19 protocols, with temperature checks for audience members before entry, and face coverings required unless audience members are seated at their tables. Tickets for all concerts are on sale now at peterboroughfolkfest.com, through the non-profit charitable organization’s CanadaHelps page (we’ve provided direct ticket links below for each concert).
The August 17th concert, billed as “an evening of singer-songwriters,” features Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, Terra Lightfoot, Melissa Payne, and Jimmy Bowswill and Brittany Brooks. Tickets are $45 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are sold in tables of two, four, and six. Tickets are available via Canadahelps.org.
VIDEO: “Black Feather” by Greg Keelor (featuring Melissa Payne)
The August 18th show, previously announced, is headlined by Juno award-winner Hawksley Workman (now living in Peterborough) and Toronto-based singer-songwriter and Juno nominee AHI, with 2015 Peterborough Folk Festival Emerging artist Evangeline Gentle. Tickets, which are $45 per person (plus taxes and fees), have been on sale for some time and are almost sold out, with only tables of four still available. Tickets are available via Canadahelps.org.
The August 20th concert features Whitehorse (wife-and-husband duo Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet) and William Prince, with an additional performer to be announced. Tickets are $68 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are sold in seats of two and tables of four and 10. Tickets are available via Canadahelps.org.
The final concert on August 21st features Donovan Woods and Chantal Kreviazuk, along with local musician Lauryn Macfarlane. Tickets are $68 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are sold in tables. Tickets are $68 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are sold in seats of two and tables of four and 10. Tickets are available via Canadahelps.org.
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‘We Can Do This’ will also be chronicled by a professional camera crew for a future film and album, recorded by James and Kellie McKenty’s new In Record Time Studio (a mobile recording studio) and produced and directed by longtime festival board chair Malcolm Byard.
A faculty member at Centennial College in Toronto since 2009 now teaching filmmaking and radio production, Byard has a long list of film credits on his resumé, a highlight being his Best Canadian Feature Film wins at both the Calgary and Edmonton international film festivals.
“I hope to premiere the film at the ReFrame Peterborough International Film Festival this coming January but haven’t contacted them yet, so can’t say for sure if that will happen,” says Byard, noting Emmy award-nominated set director Jim Lanbie of Toronto is helping with the film project along with Centennial grad and camera operator/film editor Adrian Mehes. In addition, Byard is involving some of his current students in the film’s production.
VIDEO: “It’s Over Now” by Terra Lightfoot
Putting on his board chair hat, which he has worn since 2014, Byard says he’s thrilled the festival can once again offer “an opportunity to present local talent and touring Canadian musicians, and also present this year’s Emerging Artist.”
The Peterborough Folk Festival will soon be announcing its 2021 Emerging Artist, an award first bestowed on Millbrook native Serena Ryder 20 years ago, as well as confirming a performance by the artist.
“The festival gives local artists opportunities to make connections,” Byard says. “That’s where my excitement lies — seeing those connections being made.”
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“Having local artists open for Buffy Sainte-Marie or any of the number of artists that perform, they get to learn from them,” Kemp adds. “They can talk right to them. That’s invaluable for anybody pursuing a career in music.”
“But it’s really about bringing people together,” he says. “Artists have been at home — they haven’t been able to work. That’s the biggest thing: getting back to some kind of normalcy. Just being able to pay artists is huge. They’ve missed that for so long.”
Byard notes the February 2021 virtual presentation of Guelph’s Hillside Festival was a turning point, after Hillside contacted the Peterborough Folk Festival in January and asked for some videos of local artists.
VIDEO: “Until You” – AHI
“We filmed performances by Greg Keelor, Melissa Payne, and Jimmy Bowskill (performing together as the trio Black Feather) and Benj Rowland, quickly edited them and sent them off,” Byard says. “In the midst of the dark days of January, the excitement of those musicians to actually get to play, even if just by themselves in an empty room … well, they were just happy to play again.”
When the pandemic caused the cancellation of the Peterborough Folk Festival last summer, for the first time in 30 years, festival organizers were at a loss for how to proceed in 2021.
“Last year on the festival weekend, I was beside myself,” Byard recalls. “I was so depressed, I drew a blank from about August to January. I couldn’t even think about it. And then I got that phone call from Hillside. I thought, ‘You know what? We’ve got to get off our asses and get going here and do something.'”
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After applying for and receiving funding from Heritage Canada, earmarked for helping not just musicians but all arts workers regain employment, plans for We Can Do This started to take shape.
“At that point, I wasn’t expecting that we could have an audience,” says Byard. “It was just bringing in an artist for one song, siting them down in the middle of a forest or something, and recording with James (McKenty) and his mobile recording unit.”
“As things sort of started changing and we found that we had received funding, in late June we had to scramble to come up with something. It was like ‘Wow, we had a plan to do (recording) but now we have to do (live performance).'”
VIDEO: “Am I Just Gonna Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away)” – Whitehorse
While stressing the festival is alive and well and will return to Nicholls Oval in August 2022 as the free weekend event it’s so well known for, Byard says there remains a lingering pandemic effect that’s cause for concern — one that means the festival has no choice but to charge for performances this year.
“We’ve lost a lot of volunteers. We’ve lost board members. We’ve lost sponsors. We need to rebuild for 2022. This film and album is sort of like a calling card to Peterborough that says ‘Hey Peterborough, we’re volunteers. We don’t have a paid staff. We need your help to do what we do.'”
Byard has nothing but praise for festival director Ryan Kemp. Without him, “this festival doesn’t work,” Byard says, adding Kemp has an “understanding of Peterborough audiences and what will appeal to them.”
VIDEO: “Spark” by William Prince (with Serena Ryder)
Byard also stresses the value of the Peterborough Folk Festival for both local and visiting musicians, as well as the festival’s efforts to promote diversity and gender equality.
“We bring in an artist like Donovan Woods three or four times and then the fifth time he performs at Market Hall and sells out. That’s kind of what we do. We bring in an artist, we build an audience for them in the Peterborough area, and then they get to go to Showplace or Market Hall. There were a lot of years where they were passing right by us, but not anymore.”
“We have Indigenous artists every year. We have a 50-50 split of female and male performers. These are things that are really important to us.”
Old Norwood Road is one of three roads connecting Television Road to Ashburnham Drive the City of Peterborough has closed to through traffic until Parks Canada completes construction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Parks Canada has announced the reopening of the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East in Peterborough to vehicles and pedestrians has now been delayed until at least Saturday, August 7th.
“All mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical components are onsite,” Parks Canada states in a media release. “However, issues related to the installation of the components have delayed the bridge testing and commissioning work to next week.”
“If the testing and commissioning goes well, the bridge is expected to reopen on August 7th,” Parks Canada adds. “If additional adjustments or modifications are required as a result of the testing, the bridge opening will be delayed until they are completed.”
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Parks Canada also says that, immediately following the reopening of the bridge, short intermittent delays can be expected for operational testing. Traffic control measures will be in place.
The bridge, originally constructed in 1956, was closed in October 2020 to replace the steel swing bridge structure, to repair the concrete abutments, and to replace mechanical and electrical operating systems. The bridge is now capable of handling full highway loading.
The bridge was originally scheduled to reopen in spring 2021. In May, Parks Canada announced the reopening of the bridge would be delayed until early July. During the closure, local traffic has been detoured along alternate routes.
Jillian Harrington, president of the board of the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, and Joe Grant, chair of the board of the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, explain the proposal to merge the two chambers in a video to members. (Screenshot by kawarthaNOW)
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism have announced plans to merge into a single organization under the proposed new name Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
According to a consolidation proposal distributed to members of both chambers on Wednesday morning (July 28), the boards of directors of both chambers have been exploring opportunities to collaborate over the past few months, with both boards unanimously approving a decision to pursue the consolidation of the two chambers.
The 830 members of the Peterborough Chamber and the 300 members of the Kawartha Chamber will be asked to vote on the consolidation proposal this fall, following information meetings in September.
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The decision to pursue consolidation was prompted by the impact of the pandemic on local businesses.
“As the world begins to repair itself, it’s important more than ever that we share a common voice — a common ground together,” says Jillian Harrington, president of the board of the Kawartha Chamber in a media release.
“We’re very excited about this opportunity to join forces,” adds Joe Grant, chair of the board the Peterborough Chamber.
VIDEO: Proposal to merge the Peterborough and Kawartha Chambers
The consolidation proposal states that a single and larger chamber will be more advantageous, with a stronger influence on government policy, a wider of member services, better training and programs, and cost savings on overhead costs such as insurance and software.
If approved by members, the consolidated chamber will ultimately result in higher membership fees for existing members of the Kawartha Chamber, as the new chamber will adopt the fee structure of the Peterborough Chamber. However, costs will be reduced for the 70 area businesses that currently belong and pay membership fees to both chambers.
The consolidated chamber would retain the Peterborough Chamber’s office and staff at 175 George Street in Peterborough and, in Lakefield, the Kawartha Chamber’s ServiceOntario building and staff at 133 Water Street, as well as the Kawartha Chamber staff currently in the municipal building at 12 Queen Street.
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“We are very excited about the opportunities that a consolidated chamber will present,” says Stuart Harrison, president and CEO of the Peterborough Chamber. “Whether we are putting on a networking event or lobbying city or county council, there is strength in numbers. This is one marketplace and we are committed to strengthening businesses in the entire county.”
With the senior managers of both chambers about to retire in the next 18 months, a merger will also allow for the consolidation of senior management.
“Knowing that retaining local identity will be a priority, I am confident that when I depart at year’s end, the new Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce will be an accessible and effective voice for all businesses throughout the city and county,” says Sherry Boyce-Found, general manager of the Kawartha Chamber.
Victoria Park Beach in Cobourg. (Photo: Town of Cobourg)
The popular Victoria Park Beach in Cobourg is now open on weekends and statutory holidays, just in time for the Civic Holiday long weekend.
At its regular meeting on Monday (July 26), town council voted to fully reopen the beach after a lengthy discussion.
The beach has been open only on weekdays since last September, following a closure for the entire summer of 2020 because of the pandemic.
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Council passed a motion to immediately reopen the beach in a 6-to-1 vote, with deputy mayor Suzanne Seguin voting against the motion.
After a discussion on whether to reopen the beach on weekends on August 3 and whether to take down the rented fencing from the beach perimeter, but to keep it on hand in case it needs to be reinstalled for emergency reasons, council decided to immediately open the beach on weekends but to keep the fencing up until September 7 to help manage crowding on the beach.
Town of Cobourg by-law enforcement and Cobourg police will also retain the authority to temporarily close the beach if an emergency is declared.
While it was open during the week, a 1,200-person capacity limit was in place at the beach. Last Wednesday (July 21), the town closed the beach when the capacity limit was exceeded by about 400 people.
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When asked what the new capacity limit will be with the beach fully opened, town clerk Brent Larmer was unable to provide a specific number.
“We really know what congestion looks like and how it feels on the beach,” Larmer said, adding that enforcement officers also listen to members of the public who feel the beach is too crowded. “Our officers have pretty good judgment, so when they can’t move or they’re rubbing shoulders with people, that’s a good indication there may be too many on the beach.”
Larmer added the town would also follow provincial rules on capacity limits as well as physical distancing requirements.
The Town of Cobourg is encouraging beachgoers to follow rules and safety protocols, including maintaining physical distancing and not playing organized team sports such as beach volleyball.
The town’s website states the beach “may close at any time if rules and safety protocols are not being followed.”
The beach is now open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 129 new COVID-19 cases today, with 4 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (22), Hamilton (15), Waterloo (14), and Peel (13) — and 12 reporting no new cases at all. The seven-day average of daily cases remains unchanged at 157.
Hospitalizations have increased by 29 to 125, but part of this increase may be a result of underreporting as more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the daily bed census yesterday. The number of ICU patients has decreased by 4 to 127, and the number of patients on ventilators has increased by 2 to 81.
Ontario is reporting 5 new COVID-related deaths today, with none in long-term care homes.
Over 19.1 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 92,035 from yesterday, with over 8.7 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 76,179 from yesterday, representing almost 59% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 26 – July 26, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from June 26 – July 26, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from June 26 – July 26, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 3 new cases to report in Peterborough.
Numbers are unavailable for Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland, and Hastings Prince Edward as the respective health units only issue reports on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Numbers for Tuesday will be included in Wednesday’s update.
An additional 3 cases in Peterborough have been resolved, leaving the number of active cases unchanged at 5.
As of July 26, there are 30 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 19 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, and 1 in North Hastings), and 3 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,632 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,605 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,158 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,094 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 125 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,146 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,132 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
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