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

Ontario is reporting 210 cases today, with 7 of the province’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases: Waterloo (52), Peel (23), Hamilton (19), Toronto (18), Grey Bruce (17), Simcoe Muskoka (12), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11). The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 11 to 194.

Hospitalizations have decreased by 7 from yesterday to 194, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 5 to 215 and the number of patients on ventilators dropping by 10 to 145.

Ontario is reporting 4 new COVID-related deaths, including 1 in a long-term care home.

Almost 16.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, a record increase of 268,884 from yesterday, with over 89% of Ontario’s total population now having received at least one dose. Over 6.3 million people have been fully vaccinated, an increase of 243,259 from yesterday, representing almost 43% of the total population.

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

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 3 new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Peterborough, Northumberland, Haliburton, or in Hastings Prince Edward.

An additional 2 cases in the region have been resolved, in Kawartha Lakes.

Regional active cases have increased by 2 in Kawartha Lakes and remain unchanged in Peterborough and Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 60 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 from yesterday, including 29 in Peterborough, 25 in Kawartha Lakes, and 6 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Central Hastings, and 2 in North Hastings). There are no active cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,614 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,563 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,120 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,050 resolved with 58 deaths), 945 in Northumberland County (928 resolved with 17 deaths), 122 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,134 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,117 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.

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

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

As Ontario’s vaccination rates rise and the province moves through the steps of reopening, Peterborough’s surge in COVID-19 cases this week reminds us that the pandemic is not yet behind us.

During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (July 8), Dr. Rosana Salvaterra reported 29 active cases in the community, more than double the 11 active cases the previous week, with the increase largely due to an outdoor workplace outbreak in the City of Peterborough and community transmission resulting from a Father’s Day social gathering in North Kawartha Township.

As a result, Peterborough region’s weekly case incidence rate has now jumped to 19 per hundred thousand people — up significantly from the 2.7 per hundred thousand reported last week and well above the current provincial average of nine cases per hundred thousand.

“This is the first time in the whole course of the pandemic that Peterborough’s local rate is higher than the provincial case incidence rate,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “It is not only higher, but it’s more than double the provincial rate.”

Peterborough’s case incidence rate is the fourth highest in the entire province this week, according to Dr. Salvaterra.

“When I look at these numbers, it indicates to me that we continue to be at a very precarious point in our pandemic,” Dr. Salvaterra said.

The region’s rise in cases is tied to an active outbreak at an outdoor workplace in the City of Peterborough, as well as a few clusters of transmission in North Kawartha.

The workplace outbreak, which was declared on July 6, is the first outbreak in the Peterborough region for weeks.

Although the workplace is outdoors, Dr. Salvaterra noted that an investigation found workers were not properly adhering to personal protective equipment requirements for workplaces.

“With transmissibility of these variants, despite the workers working outdoors, there was a lot of transmission that occurred,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “These variants are very transmissible, even outdoors.”

Both the alpha and delta variants make up the 29 active cases in the region, according to Dr. Salvaterra.

Along with the workplace outbreak, most of the new cases occurred in North Kawartha, where infections at a social gathering spread to a childcare setting and a local business.

Dr. Salvaterra said the North Kawartha spread is all tied to a single social gathering held on Father’s Day — before the province permitted social gatherings.

“Public health measures were not followed for the social gathering, and it spread from there,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “It doesn’t take much to light the fire and see it spread out. We saw that with the Severn Court outbreak in February. I think we’re seeing a little bit of that in North Kawartha on a smaller scale.”

Noting that other regions with high transmission rates remained in lockdown while the rest of Ontario moved to step one and two of reopening, Dr. Salvaterra said she’s concerned Peterborough could be prohibited from moving to step three unless cases decline.

“If we can follow public health measures, we can potentially move ahead to step three, but if we don’t, we can go backwards,” she noted. “I think it just reminds us that we can’t be complacent. We have to follow the rules. There’s good reason and evidence behind them.”

Among the new cases reported in the Peterborough region this week, Dr. Salvaterra said some were not vaccinated while others had only received a single dose.

“We also can observe elsewhere in the province that most hospitalized cases of COVID-19 are in patients who have either one dose or no dose of the vaccine,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “That’s why it is important to make vaccinations as accessible as possible.”

According to Peterborough Public Health’s immunization reports, 76 per cent of the eligible population have now received their first dose, and 42 per cent have received their second dose. These numbers include Peterborough residents who received their vaccines both within and outside the region.

“The numbers continue to climb, and the gap between those who’ve received just a first dose and those who’ve been fully immunized is starting to narrow,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “For adults hanging on to their late August second-dose appointments, please consider rebooking for an earlier date. We have lots of availability as of July 20.”

As for those who have yet to receive their first dose, Dr. Salvaterra noted the mass immunization clinic at the Evinrude Centre accepts walk-ins. The clinic has been administering first does to 60 to 80 walk-ins per day.

“I do encourage everyone who has not had their first dose to head down and get immunized at one of our mass immunization clinics, or head to your closest pharmacy and get yourself on a list there,” said Dr. Salvaterra.

As of July 7 at 4:50 p.m., there are 29 active cases of COVID-19 in the Peterborough region — an increase of 18 cases this week. There have been 22 COVID-related deaths in the region to date.

Two worlds collided Thursday morning (July 8) in Peterborough as the future of passenger rail service in southern Ontario was unveiled at the site of one of the Ontario’s most historic Canadian Pacific rail stations.

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, joined by Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef and Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, announced Ottawa’s commitment to develop intercity high frequency rail (HFR) service in the Toronto to Quebec City corridor.

With completion of the project forecasted for 2030, and with $500 million already set aside in the federal budget for the early stages of the procurement process, the HFR line will feature stops at a number of communities along the corridor, Peterborough among them.

As a project that has been considered, reviewed, reconsidered, lobbied for and outright promised for years, there’s now a light at the end of the train tunnel.

Being done in conjunction with VIA Rail — the passenger rail service’s president and CEO Cynthia Garneau was also on hand — the project represents the largest transportation infrastructure initiative undertaken in Canada in decades.

The new dedicated rail line will result in shorter travel times and faster trains that will reduce average trip times significantly. For example, as much as 90 minutes will be shaved off the average Toronto-to-Ottawa trip.

The dedicated passenger rail track would allow for train speeds in the 177 to 200 kilometres per hour range.

Other benefits include more reliable on-time performance (up to 95 per cent from the current average of 67 per cent), more direct routes with improved connectivity between communities as well as to other modes of transportation, and new rail service for a number of communities including Peterborough.

The procurement process for the project begins this fall. That will include engaging Indigenous groups and communities for feedback, working with the private sector to determine capacity as well to gather opinions on the best possible delivery model, and starting a dialogue with partner rail companies to negotiate for dedicated routes both in and out of communities situated along the corridor.

“A phased approach will help ensure the success of this project,” said Minister Alghabra.

“A significant amount of work has been done since 2016. We’ve been working closely with VIA Rail and the Canada Infrastructure Bank to make progress in the design and planning stages. Our government plans to select a delivery model prior to the request for proposals that will launch this fall. We want more reliable and cleaner travel options for Canadians and we want it to be done right.”

Terming the announcement “a historic moment for the people of Peterborough, for the people of Ontario and for the people of Canada,” Alghabra acknowledged the restoration of passenger rail service to Peterborough “has been talked about for years.”

In her remarks, MP Monsef echoed that, crediting “leaders in Peterborough-Kawartha who believed this was the right thing to do for our community — who brought others along and did the due diligence. This moment, this celebration, is for you.”

“In post-pandemic Canada, we are all aware of how vital our connections are,” Monsef added. “Whether it’s our internet connections, whether it’s our connections by water, whether it’s our connections by air, whether it’s our connections through land transportation opportunities, these connections are vital.”

Mayor Therrien, meanwhile, shared that her mom told her stories about taking the train to Peterborough when she was a kid.

“This project has been talked about and studied … to know that things are moving forward is exciting,” Therrien said. “I know we still have decisions to make, like where the new station is going to go — this spot (the historic CPR station that houses the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce) looks pretty great to me — but that’s to be decided.”

Afterwards, Therrien talked about the impact the new passenger rail service will have on the city.

“There are a lot of people that live in Peterborough that work in the GTA,” she noted. “It will help alleviate traffic on the 115. There are a lot of people working remotely that might want to live here but still want easy access to not just Toronto but Ottawa and Montreal.”

“We know we’re trying to move people out of their cars as much as possible, so any form of public transportation is a good thing.”

As for the location of a new train station, Therrien said the downtown is her preference.

“Historically, there was a reason this stop was downtown. That would really be a boon to our economy.”

An interested observer of the announcement, who was acknowledged for his behind-the-scenes work lobbying for passenger rail service to the region, was Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Mayor Jim Martin.

“We’re hoping we’re going to be a part of it … we have almost 100 acres right in the middle of town (Havelock) that’s all rail yard,” Mayor Martin noted.

“Whether it’s cleaning the trains or servicing them, and also perhaps a (train) stop, Havelock is a railway town. A lot of things have changed but it’s kind of coming back. Maryam (MP Monsef) has kept things rolling, as did (former Peterborough-Kawartha MP) Dean Del Mastro in the past. It’s my hope that we remain in the conversation.”

Hosting the announcement was Peterborough Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Stu Harrison, who has also been a key player in the lobbying process for a return of passenger rail service to the region. He noted there’s another local benefit to the service.

“There’s a significant amount of freight business that comes through this area,” Harrison pointed out. “But it’s a 10-kilometre-per-hour speed limit all the way into Toronto — a 16-hour trip.”

With passenger trains using the HFR line during the day, freight trains could run on the line at night.

“That freight would now be allowed to run at night at dramatically faster speeds,” he explained. “That’s going to be transformative. It will literally save freight service in this area and save us putting a lot of trucks on the road if we lost the line.”

On Thursday morning (July 8), Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for all of Ontario, including the Kawarthas, for heavy rainfall on Thursday.

Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to move across the province on Thursday.

Some of these showers and thunderstorms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall amounts of 30 to 50 mm. Isolated amounts exceeding 50 mm will also be possible in some locations.

On Thursday afternoon, Environment Canada also issued a rainfall warning for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County, with rainfall amounts of 50 to 75 mm possible by early Thursday evening.

Affected locations include Peterborough, Cobourg, Port Hope, and Trent Hills.

Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.

A community project to create a pollinator garden in a park in Reaboro — located between Omemee and Lindsay in the City of Kawartha Lakes — is nurturing the ecosystem and friendships alike.

Community volunteers have enjoyed coming together socially to do something incredibly positive: create a garden of native plants that attract and create a habitat for bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial pollinators.

It all started when project head Marnie Callaghan, who loves nature, read Nature’s Best Hope – A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by entomologist Douglas Tallamay.

“He says the natural parks and all these areas we’ve set apart simply aren’t big enough,” Callaghan explains. “Our pollinators and our birds are crashing in numbers.”

After reading Tallamay’s book, Callaghan felt a call to action. She wondered about her surroundings and considered what she could do to better create a habitat for pollinators.

“His book is very hopeful in that if all private landowners plant native plants, they will come back,” Callaghan says. “I’ve started planting a lot of native plants even in my garden.”

But Callaghan wanted to do more outside of her garden. She brought her attention to a section of Reaboro Park that was not being used. After some inquiry, the City of Kawartha Lakes permitted a section of the park to be used for the garden.

The project was made possible by a grant from the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, which supports projects led by seniors that promote volunteerism and benefit communities, with seniors being involved in the garden project every step of the way.

Callaghan says that once she had the project approved and funded, it was down to planning, but she wasn’t sure how to make her idea come to life.

Enter Elayne Windsor, a friend of Callaghan with the organizational skills the project needed. The former teacher arrived at Callaghan’s house, equipped with her “massive teacher chart paper and markers,” as she tells kawarthaNOW, ready to break the project down into tasks and begin delegating.

“I think with any project you’re trying to get off the ground, you need different people and their different skills,” Windsor explains.

The two women spread the word, finding friends and neighbours interested in helping with the project. The first crew of volunteers got together to lay all the groundwork for the garden. That included taking out all the existing grass, bringing in topsoil, making a path, and installing a fence. Another volunteer crew got together later to do the planting.

“That was just lovely because we had all been so isolated because of COVID,” Callaghan recalls. “It was just such a nice day. We took down our lunches and had our lunch down in the park.”

According to Callaghan, every volunteer at the park that day met someone they did not know, so the project had the added benefit of expanding their circle of neighbours.

“My original thought was to create a pollinator garden, but it’s ended up being a great community-building project,” Callaghan remarks.

“During COVID, I realized the value of having community projects,” Windsor adds. “To bring people together and have a common goal — that appealed to me.”

The garden, which is mainly finished with the plants and fence installed, is also an educational opportunity. Some who visit the garden are deciding to plant native plants in their home gardens too.

“I’m a gardener, and it’s inspiring me to look and research the plants that I do put into my garden, really making sure that I don’t have invasive species,” Windsor says.

There have already been two bee hotel workshops run at the garden, as well.

As for long-term plans, Callaghan says they plan to further the educational experience of the garden by placing identifications in front of each plant. The signs will include the name of the plant and the butterfly or moth for which it is a host.

Although it won’t happen this summer, Callaghan adds that they look forward to adding trees on the north side of the garden, colourful birdhouses, and two benches.

A sign donated by RK Designs of Reaboro is soon to be installed at the garden as well.

The garden is part of the Kawartha Lakes Pollinator Pathway, one of the efforts by the City of Kawartha Lakes to support healthy pollinator populations by creating and preserving pollinator habitat. The municipality has been officially recognized as a “Bee City” by Bee City Canada, a charitable organization that encourages action to protect pollinators.

The garden will need to be maintained throughout the summer, so volunteers have set up a schedule where, in pairs, they are responsible for a couple of weekends to water and weed.

Those interested in getting involved with the Reaboro Park pollinator garden can email Marnie Callaghan at callaghandrafting@outlook.com.

Community Care Peterborough has won the $20,000 grand prize in CanadaHelps’ Great Canadian Giving Challenge.

The non-profit organization, which supports seniors and adults living with physical challenges in the City and County of Peterborough, beat out more than 16,000 charities across Canada to claim the prize.

During June, CanadaHelps asked Canadians to donate to their favourite charity, with every $1 donated through the CanadaHelps donation platform giving the charity another chance to win a $20,000 grand prize.

“The Great Canadian Giving Challenge was originally launched in order to counter the cyclical summertime drought many charities experience annually,” says CanadaHelps president and CEO Marina Glogovac in a media release. “As the pandemic continues and we begin recovery efforts, many charities are in need of critical support as some face declining donations.”

During this year’s challenge, 214,672 donors from across Canada gave $26,218,918 to 16,611 charities, with CanadaHelps naming Community Care Peterborough the winner on Canada Day.

“We are so thrilled to win the Great Canadian Giving Challenge,” says Alicia Vandine, donor relations and communications lead for Community Care Peterborough, in a media release. “For over 30 years and of course, throughout the COVID pandemic, we have been supporting our clients to remain safely in their own homes.”

VIDEO: Community Care Peterborough wins Great Canadian Giving Challenge

Vadine attributes the win to the organization’s efforts to make it easier for people to donate using CanadaHelps.

“We adapted our fundraising plans, operating virtual events and improving our online presence, to make it easier for people to support this work with their donations, improving our capacity and process to make online donations easy and secure using our CanadaHelps charity account.”

Vadine says Community Care Peterborough plans to use half of the grand prize to support the organization’s Give a Meal program, which subsidizes Meals on Wheels services to those in greatest need, and the other half going to the organization’s Drive for Dialysis program, which drives dialysis patients to medical appointments.

“Our staff and more than 700 active volunteers support nearly 7,000 clients in the City and County of Peterborough,” says Community Care Peterborough executive director Danielle Belair. “Together, we have provided more than 42,000 hot and frozen meals through our Meals on Wheels program and 22,000 drives to help clients get to medical appointments and other important visits.”

“Our team also provides grocery delivery, telephone reassurance checks to check-in with clients at home, support with home care and maintenance, medical equipment loans, as well as many more client programs.”

For more information about Community Care Peterborough and to make a donation, visit commcareptbo.org.