Applications are now open for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, almost a month after it was first announced.
Premier Doug Ford announced the grant on December 21, when he also announced the province-wide shutdown that took effect on Boxing Day.
The grant provides a one-time grant of $10,000 to $20,000 to small businesses required to temporarily close or restrict services under the shutdown.
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Eligible businesses can use the money however they wish, including paying employee wages or paying rent.
To be eligible for the grant, a business must have fewer than 100 employees and must have been required to either close or significantly restrict its services as a result of the province-wide shutdown.
In addition, a business must demonstrate at least a 20 per cent decline in revenues in April 2020 compared to April 2019.
New businesses established since April 2019 will also be eligible if they meet the other eligibility criteria (they’ll be able to select another revenue comparison period).
Winter seasonal businesses, such as ski hills, will be permitted to compare revenue from December 2019 or January 2020 to December 2020.
Businesses that ineligible for the grant include those that were already required to close prior to October 2020. Essential small businesses that are permitted to operate with capacity restrictions, such as grocery stores and convenience stores, are also ineligible.
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To apply for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, visit www.app.grants.gov.on.ca/msrf, where you can also apply for the Main Street Relief Grant for Personal Protective Equipment, the Property Tax Rebate Grant, and the Energy Cost Rebate Grant.
Nicole Myers-Mitchell is the inaugural general manager of The Grove Theatre, a new outdoor performance venue in Fenelon Falls in the City of Kawartha Lakes that is staging its first production in summer 2021. (Photo: Roseneath Theatre)
The Grove Theatre — a new outdoor performance venue in Fenelon Falls in the City of Kawartha Lakes — has announced the hiring of Nicole Myers-Mitchell at its first general manager.
Myers-Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a degree in acting from the University of Windsor. In 2006, she moved to Toronto where she worked as an actor and stage manager, as communications and enrichment manager with Volcano Theatre and Peggy Baker Dance Projects, and as development coordinator and manager of corporate development and special events with Opera Atelier out of the Elgin Theatre.
She was also producer and then general manager for Shakespeare in the Ruff’s 2014 and 2015 seasons. Most recently, she has worked as associate producer at Roseneath Theatre in Toronto.
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“I am thrilled to be working with Nicole as general manager,” says Christy Yael, artistic director of The Grove Theatre. “Nicole comes with a wealth of experience in the performing arts that lends itself perfectly to the long-term vision of The Grove Theatre.”
Myers-Mitchell will be relocating to Fenelon Falls with her husband and two-year-old son. While she has worked in Toronto for the past 14 years, she is also familiar with small-town life, having been born and raised in Wallaceburg in southwestern Ontario.
“We are all very excited by the appointment of Nicole to The Grove Theatre,” says Tim Wisener, co-founder of The Grove Theatre.
“Nicole’s experience in arts leadership and administration is exactly what the organization needs to continue its growth. Nicole’s passion for the good the arts can do is infectious and her excitement about living in a small town made her the perfect fit for the organization.”
VIDEO: Introducing The Grove Theatre in Fenelon Falls
The only outdoor performance venue in Kawartha Lakes, The Grove Theatre was created with the help of the Kawartha Works Community Co-operative, a collective that supports a wide range of not-for-profit initiatives that benefit the local community.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation provided the co-op with a $143,700 grant for the construction of the amphitheatre, with members of the local community providing additional support.
The potential audience for The Grove Theatre includes the 75,000 residents in the surrounding community, along with the area’s additional 31,000 seasonal residents, as well as visitors from elsewhere in the Kawarthas and the GTA. Organizers believe the new attraction will provide a substantial economic benefit to the local community, especially Fenelon Falls.
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Built into the garden grove of the Fenelon Falls fairgrounds, the 450-seat open-air venue will host professional performances ranging from musical theatre to Shakespeare plays. Although construction of the amphitheatre was planned well before the pandemic, the outdoor venue also allows for COVID-safe performances.
The Grove Theatre is currently planning its inaugural production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Musical! for summer 2021.
For more information about The Grove Theatre, visit www.grovetheatre.ca, where you can also order tickets for the upcoming summer production.
A Kawartha Lakes police vehicle blocks access to Pigeon Lake Road east of Lindsay after a police shooting on November 26, 2020 that resulting in a 33-year-old suspect and an OPP officer being seriously injured. The suspect's one-year-old son was found fatally shot in the man's pickup truck. (Photo: CBC)
There are still no answers from an ongoing investigation by Ontario’s police watchdog into the November 26th confrontation in Kawartha Lakes between police and a 33-year-old man that resulted in his fatal wounding and the shooting death of his infant son at the scene — and the three police officers who were directly involved in the incident have yet to be interviewed.
According to an update provided by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on Friday afternoon (January 14), little has changed since the SIU’s previous update on December 14th.
Since the December update, the SIU has interviewed an additional four witness officers (for a total of 18 witness officers interviewed to date) and an additional two civilian witnesses (for a total of 14 civilian witnesses interviewed to date).
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However, the SIU states it has not interviewed the three subject officers who each discharged their firearm during the course of the incident, as they “have not as yet availed themselves of an opportunity to be interviewed.”
“Subject officers are under no legal obligation to speak with the SIU but may if they choose to do so,” the SIU states.
The SIU also says it is still awaiting the reports of the post-mortem examinations of the child and his father, which were completed on November 28th and December 4th respectively.
The SIU says the Centre of Forensic Sciences has completed its analysis of the father’s pickup truck — including an exterior examination of the pickup truck, a blood pattern analysis of the truck’s interior, and an initial projectile trajectory analysis — and the SIU is awaiting the report.
The pickup truck was recently released to the SIU, whose forensic investigators have begun a further search for evidence.
The firearms recovered from the scene — including two police-issued rifles, one police-issued pistol, and a pistol located in the pickup truck — along with a number of spent cartridge cases are still with the Centre of Forensic Sciences for examination.
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In its most recent update, the SIU repeats the same statement made in its December 14th update.
“Understandably, there is a pressing public interest in this case, including how the child died and whether it was gunfire from the father or OPP officers that caused the death. The SIU is working to make these determinations.”
On December 14th, the SIU added “Doing so, however, requires time as key evidence must be examined methodically in line with best practices.”
In the January 15th update, the SIU added “In so doing, it is imperative that best investigative practices be strictly adhered to, including the sequencing of various forensic examinations in the proper order.”
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 2,998 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province decreasing by 207 to 3,273.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 19 new cases to report and 16 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 2 to 136.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (800), Peel (618), York (250), Waterloo (161), Niagara (153), Windsor-Essex (148), Hamilton (138), Ottawa (133), and Durham (113).
There are double-digit increases in Halton (81), Simcoe Muskoka (73), Middlesex-London (61), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (51), Lambton (36), Eastern Ontario (27), Brant (25), Huron Perth (20), Southwestern (19), Chatham-Kent (18), and Haldimand-Norfolk (18), with smaller increases in Grey Bruce (8), Algoma (7),and Thunder Bay (6).
The remaining 11 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 2 health units (both in northern Ontario) reporting no new cases at all.
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Of today’s new cases, 53% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,159) among people ages 20-39, followed by 860 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,998 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.4% to 85.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased since yesterday by 0.5% to 4.6%, meaning that 46 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 14.
Ontario is reporting 100 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 45 in long-term care homes. However, these totals include 46 deaths in Middlesex-London that occurred earlier in the pandemic and are being reported today due to a data cleaning initiative. Excluding these 46 deaths, the number of deaths reported today is 54. It is unknown how many of the long-term care deaths reported today include deaths that previously occurred in Middlesex-London.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 10 from yesterday to 1,647, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 1 to 387, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators remaining unchanged at 280.
A total of 76,472 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 3,212 to 63,728. A total of 174,630 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 15,609 daily doses administered and 17,094 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).
Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the state of emergency, there will be no data to report for schools in southern Ontario until at least January 26. There are 29 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 6 from yesterday, with 14 cases among children and 15 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 19 new cases to report, including 10 in Northumberland, 5 in Peterborough, and 4 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton. None of the new cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
An outbreak was declared on January 15 at Crown Ridge long-term care home in Quinte West based on 1 positive case
An additional 16 cases have been resolved, including 5 in Peterborough, 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 136 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 from yesterday, including 51 in Peterborough, 35 in Northumberland, 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 23 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 464 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (408 resolved with 5 deaths), 328 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (279 resolved with 36 deaths), 324 in Northumberland County (284 resolved with 4 deaths), 39 in Haliburton County (38 resolved with no deaths), and 342 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (314 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on January 14.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 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: 464 (increase of 5) Active cases: 51 (no change) Close contacts: 113 (decrease of 27) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 408 (increase of 5) Hospitalizations (total to date): 19 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 40,450 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough (no change)
*As of January 15, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with fewer than 10 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive. The hospital is not providing exact numbers of patients.
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 statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 691, including 328 in Kawartha Lakes, 324 in Northumberland, and 39 in Haliburton (increase of 10 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 62, including 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net increase of 1) Probable cases: 6, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 5 in Northumberland (increase of 1 in Northumberland) High-risk contacts: 153, including 67 in Kawartha Lakes, 55 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (net increase of 4)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 29, including 19 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 41, including 36 in Kawartha Lakes and 5 in Northumberland (no change) Resolved: 601, including 279 in Kawartha Lakes, 284 in Northumberland, 38 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford, Maplewood long-term care home in Brighton, Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay, Tower of Port Hope (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.
**This total includes 22 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 15, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 5 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 342 (increase of 4) Active cases: 23 (increase of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 3 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 314 (increase of 3) Tests completed: 69,467 Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville, Crown Ridge long-term care home in Quinte West (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak was declared on January 15 at Crown Ridge long-term care home in Quinte West based on 1 positive case.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 231,308 (increase of 2,998) Resolved: 197,194 (increase of 2,998, 85.3% of all cases) Positivity rate: 4.6% (decrease of 0.5%) Hospitalized: 1,647 (decrease of 10) Hospitalized and in ICU: 387 (decrease of 1) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 280 (no change) Deaths: 5,289 (increase of 100)* Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,137 (increase of 45)* Total tests completed: 8,791,388 (increase of 76,472) Tests under investigation: 63,728 (decrease of 3,212) Vaccinations: 15,609 daily doses administered, 174,630 total doses administered, 17,094 total vaccinations completed (both doses)
*These totals include 46 deaths in Middlesex-London that occurred earlier in the pandemic and are being reported today due to a data cleaning initiative. Excluding these 46 deaths, the number of deaths reported today is 54. It is unknown how many of the long-term care deaths reported today include deaths that previously occurred in Middlesex-London.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 15, 2020 – January 14, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from December 15, 2020 – January 14, 2021. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from December 15, 2020 – January 14, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving 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 moving average of is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from December 15, 2020 – January 14, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Skaters enjoy Cobourg's Rotary Harbourfront Outdoor Skating Rink. The rink will reopen for daily use on January 18, 2021 with a new mandatory requirement that all skaters wear a non-medical mask, in addition to existing requirements including advance booking of time slots and a maximum of 10 skaters on the rink at a time. (Photo: Town of Cobourg)
Cobourg’s Rotary Harbourfront Outdoor Skating Rink will reopen at 10 a.m. on Saturday (January 16), but with a new mandatory requirement that all skaters wear a non-medical mask.
During an emergency meeting on Wednesday night, municipal council had unanimously decided to temporarily close the popular rink until Saturday while municipal staff reviewed the impact of the province’s stay-at-home order. On Thursday, the Ontario government released the legal text of the order, which permits people to leave home to exercise using an outdoor recreational amenity that is allowed to remain open the province’s Reopening Ontario Act.
“I would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during the temporary closure while we reviewed and received further clarity on the stay-at-home order,” states Teresa Behan, Cobourg’s deputy director of community services, in a media release. “I am pleased that we can continue to provide another recreational outlet that promotes both physical exercise and mental health and well-being during this time.”
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Beginning on Saturday, the rink will remain open daily from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., weather permitting. As well as the new mandatory mask requirement, the previous requirements remain in place:
Northumberland County residents only.
10 maximum occupancy.
Bookings must be made in advance.
Bookings consist of a 45-minute time slot.
Register each member of your household (you will receive a confirmation email).
Abide by all safety protocols including physical distancing.
No organized team sports (hockey) or games of tag are allowed.
Peterborough's medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra is asking residents to try to reduce the number of trips outside the home during the stay-at-home order. For example, instead of making multiple trips to the grocery store during a week, make a single trip and stock up for the week. (Stock photo)
With 24 new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in the Peterborough region since Monday (January 11), local health officials and politicians are urging residents to consider the necessity of each trip outside the home during the province’s stay-at-home order — while anticipation of the Pfizer vaccine’s arrival for local long-term care residents is ramping up.
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Friday (January 15), Peterborough’s medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said public health’s inter-agency vaccine planning team held its first meeting Friday morning.
The vaccine’s local arrival is expected sometime during the week following February 1st, with all long-term care home residents and — if supplies allow — home staff and caregivers receiving their first dose by February 15th.
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“I have complete confidence that we will meet our target and that we will take full advantage of the vaccine when it finally does arrive,” said Dr. Salvaterra.
As for the possible scenario where someone associated with a long-term care home refuses to be vaccinated, Dr. Salvaterra noted obtaining the vaccine is “completely voluntary.”
That said, in a letter she addressed to long-term care home staff, she has urged they “truly consider this (getting a shot) as something for their not only own benefit but also for the benefit of residents.”
“I’d like to see the (vaccination compliance) rate over 75 per cent for long-term care staff,” she added.
The overall COVID-19 picture shows that as of Friday (January 15), there were 51 active COVID-19 cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha region — the same number reported earlier in the week following the resolution of ongoing cases since. In addition, 113 close contacts of positive cases are being monitored.
Since the pandemic’s outbreak, Peterborough Public Health has reported a total of 459 cases, of which 403 have been resolved. There have been five COVID-related deaths confirmed. To date, 40,300 residents have been tested.
Breaking the numbers down further, there has been a decrease in new positive COVID-19 cases. The week of December 28th saw 71 new cases reported, but that dropped to 49 new cases during the week of January 4th. As noted, this week has seen 24 new cases reported so far.
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As for outbreaks, two are ongoing. One is at Fairhaven, the municipally run long-term care home in Peterborough, where a staff member tested positive January 11th, and the other is at an unidentified congregate living facility, also in Peterborough.
In the case of the Fairhaven outbreak, administration has reported there is no evidence as of yet the virus has been transmitted within the home, but the results of outstanding tests are pending.
Much discussion during the briefing centred on the province’s new stay-at-home order. Helping to add some clarity to the rules was Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith.
“This virus does not walk, it doesn’t fly, it can’t move around unless it’s moving with people,” said MPP Smith.
“The stay-at-home order is very simple. It you want to go out, there is one question and only one question that you need to ask. Do you need to go out or do you want to go out? If you need to go out, by all means, go out. But if you want to go out, delay that by a couple of weeks until we lift this order.”
Speaking to heightened social media chatter regarding police doing random stops of people to check why they’re outside of their home, MP Smith insisted that simply isn’t happening.
“Yesterday (Thursday) there was a speed trap on Chemong Road. I have since spoken to police and they have assured me they have not pulled anyone over randomly to find out if their trip was essential. There are a number of reports (of random stops) that are third and fourth hand. There’s nothing first hand.”
MP Smith also addressed another contentious issue, that being the determination that big-box stores are essential and thus allowed to remain fully open.
“We don’t want to be in a position where we’re creating an unbalanced field and unduly punishing small businesses by letting larger stores that sell multiple things stay open,” acknowledged MP Smith.
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“Downtown Peterborough, for example, has struggled significantly. All of the stores there are small stores. In order for you to buy multiple things, you’re making multiple stops. That’s multiple contacts; that’s multiple opportunities to spread the virus. We’re trying to reduce the number of opportunities of having contact with others.”
For her part, Dr. Salvaterra echoed the do-I-need-it-now mantra.
“If it’s a light bulb, do I need it now or can it wait? It’s about making decisions to reduce not only day-to-day trips, but also reduce the number of times you are leaving your home — seeing if you can consolidate those visits and making the most efficient use of those risky times (outside the home). Each time you go out you are taking a risk.”
Also present for the briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell — the latter of whom was re-elected this week to another term as health board chair. In his comments, Mayor Mitchell focused on staying the course until the local population can be vaccinated.
“I know you’re tired and frustrated,” he said. “Everyone is and with good reason. But we can’t give up now. Even though it may not seem like it, the end is beginning to come into focus. This spring we will not just subdue COVID, we will beat it. Our challenge is to get from where we are today to summer.”
A 40-year-old man had died from injuries sustained after being struck by a car Thursday night (January 14) on George Street in Peterborough near the Holiday Inn.
At around 8:30 p.m., police were notified a vehicle had struck a man on George Street between Dalhousie and Townsend streets.
The man was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre and then transported to a hospital in Toronto, where he succumbed to his injuries.
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Police say the vehicle believed to have been involved in the incident was located on Water Street, but have not released any information on whether charges will be laid.
“Police would also like to thank the Good Samaritans who stopped their vehicles to help,” states a media release.
Police have not released the name of the victim.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or on online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
This is the second unnatural death in Peterborough in the past day.
On Thursday morning, a man’s body was found beside train tracks between The Parkway and Lansdowne Street West. The coroner is investigating that incident.
The story has been updated with further details about the incident released by police.
A Buckhorn man, identified only by his first name Rob, with the deer he rescued after it had fallen through the ice on Lower Buckhorn Lake on January 14, 2021. After recovering, the deer returned to the woods. (Photo: Shelley Fine / Facebook)
A Buckhorn man is being hailed as a hero for saving a young deer that had fallen through the ice on Lower Buckhorn Lake on Thursday (January 14).
“This has been such a heartwarming day,” Fine writes in her Facebook post. “My neighbour spotted a young deer who had fallen through the ice and went out in his kayak to save her with a rope.”
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Fine, who only identifies her neighbour by his first name Rob at his request, goes on to describe his heroic efforts to save the deer.
“She struggled for an hour as he tried to get her up on solid ice but she kept going under,” she writes. “He saw she wasn’t going to make it so he crawled out on his belly and used his hands to pull her to safety.”
Rob heads out in his kayak to rescue a deer that had fallen through the ice on Lower Buckhorn Lake. (Photo: Shelley Fine / Facebook)
“He carried her to his shed and he and his wife dried and warmed her off. The deer slept for three hours then took off like a shot.”
Fine calls Rob a hero in her post.
“You acted from your heart,” she writes. “Bravo and so happy the deer was saved.”
After an hour of the deer struggling to get back on solid ice, Rob crawled out on the ice and pulled the deer to safety. He and his wife took the deer to their shed where they dried her off and warmed her up. (Photo: Shelley Fine / Facebook)After sleeping for three hours, the deer woke up and took off into the woods. (Photo: Shelley Fine / Facebook)
klusterfork's Linda Kash (top left) during a six-week improv intensive series on Zoom this past summer, when a group of 10 students enjoyed live and interactive online classes from Canadian entertainment industry pros. Starting January 18, 2021, klusterfork is offering another round of workshops featuring industry pros including Lisa Merchant, Steve Ross, Michael Walters, Wendy Hopkins, Brent Haynes, and more. (Photo courtesy of klusterfork)
Klusterfork’s LOL workshop saved my soul.
I know what you’re thinking. It sounds like hyperbole. Maybe it is. The thing is, I really do notice a significant improvement in my quality of life after participating in the LOL workshop.
Let’s be honest. None of us were naive enough to believe that 2021 would magically erase all of the woes 2020 brought to our lives, but I don’t think any of us expected the New Year to begin like this.
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Two weeks in, and we’ve already witnessed an entire year’s worth of tragedy and upheaval.
Somewhere along the line — likely due to the constant barrage of near-apocalyptic events, the doom-scrolling, the inevitable mind-numbing fatigue that accompanies life in a post-truth society — much to my detriment, I had forgotten how to play, how to laugh.
Thankfully, klusterfork jogged my memory and I am all the better for it.
Like many, I have experienced my fair share of Zoom calls since the pandemic began, but this was a Zoom like no other.
klusterfork co-founder Linda Kash, who performed as the iconic Philadelphia Cream Cheese Angel in the beloved TV commercials from the 1990s, reprised her role in 2020 when Kraft was searching for her successor. Kash is also known for her roles in Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and the Fargo series opposite Ewan McGregor. (Photo: Kraft Heinz Canada)
When I entered the virtual room, I was greeted by the excited faces of the other workshop participants and Linda Kash, the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Angel herself!
I can see how, for some people, the thought of doing improv with Linda Kash, a literal superstar of Hollywood fame, sounds intimidating; however, my experience was anything but. For other people, the opportunity for intimate access to industry giants such as Linda Kash sounds like a dream come true!
Linda and the entire group were nothing but accessible. With Linda at the helm, my nerves quickly gave way to excitement. Her leadership inspired a willingness to play and the group did just that.
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We began with a drawing exercise in which we were tasked to draw a portrait of another group member without ever looking at the page we were drawing on. The task required the participants to be present in the moment. Laughing at our blind-portraiture, we quickly let go of our inhibitions and learned to trust the process.
Next, using the chat feature of the Zoom interface, the group collaboratively wrote a poem. Hilarity ensued. With the stroke of a few keys, our group of individuals was quickly transformed into a team, a collective with a common goal: to play.
We then went on to a series of rapid-fire improv games: “headlines”, character work, scene work, “fortunately/unfortunately”. Each new exercise seamlessly built on the skills developed in the previous one. And, most importantly, each exercise brought another opportunity for raucous laughter.
The session went by so quickly that I totally forgot to take a screen shot for posterity. I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard nor can I remember the last time I truly played.
During her klusterfork workshop with Linda Kash, kawarthaNOW’s Sarah McNeilly participated in a drawing exercise, where participants were tasked with drawing a portrait of another participant without ever looking at the page they were drawing on. Here’s the hilarious result. (Photo: Sarah McNeilly)
The most beautiful thing about play is that it is not ultimately ‘for’ any other purpose.
Play, necessarily, is opposed to work. It is part of what makes us human. In fact, play is a universal element of human behaviour that presupposes culture; it is a widespread behaviour among most animals too.
Play also has wonderful side effects — mainly that it is fun! Play is related to laughter. Currently, there exists mounting data pointing to the medical benefits of laughter.
Laughter releases endorphins, activates the neurotransmitter serotonin (the same brain chemical affected by most anti-depressants), and stimulates the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as the “rest and restore” system).
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All this laughter-induced chemical stimulation leads to lower stress, a strengthened immune system, pain relief, mood improvement, and increased personal satisfaction.
Laughter really is the best medicine.
Directly after participating in klusterfork’s LOL workshop, I noticed significant improvements in my quality of life.
After the most-cathartic experience of playing and laughing, I noticed my stress level had dropped precipitately, which subsequently brought relief to the tension and pain I was feeling in my neck and back. More focused and clear-headed, I was able to complete my tasks with ease. That night, for the first time in weeks, I slept like a baby.
If you’re a professional artist, I need not convince you of the immense benefits of enrolling in one of klusterfork’s workshops. It’s a no-brainer.
An investment in in your art practice now means that, if and when you are ever able to return to work, you will improve our chances at landing the gigs you audition for. Now is the time for skills-building and professional development and what better way to do so than with intimate guidance from industry giants.
klusterfork co-founder Linda Kash’s connections in the Canadian entertainment industry has allowed her to recruit some big names for the workshops, including award-winning actor, improvisor, producer, and instructor Lisa Merchant who will be leading the “genre improv” workshop. (Photo source: lisamerchant.com)
However, the benefits of klusterfork’s LOL workshops go far beyond artistic professional development. From sales people to CEOs, the corporate world has long known that improv training is great for business training.
Beyond the many benefits that improv training can bring to your professional life, it is also good for your soul. It teaches adaptation — radical acceptance. Self-care is so much more than bubble baths. It is so important, now more than ever, to make time for play. Play is healing. You deserve to play.
And, heck, it’s cheaper than therapy!
The next series of workshops begin the week of January 18th. Class sizes range from six to 12 students and range in price from $339 to $425.
Unique access workshops include “Musical Theatre: Auditioning The Song with Steve Ross and special guest Michael Walters”, “Making the Pitch with Wendy Hopkins and special guest Brent Haynes”, “Start-Me-Up Improv with Linda Kash and friends”, “Improv: Genres with Lisa Merchant”, and “Start Me Up: Singing with Kate Suhr”.
For more information about the workshops and how to enroll, visit www.klusterfork.com.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Hastings County, including Bancroft, calling for up to 15 cm of snow on Friday night (January 15) and Saturday.
A strong low pressure system is forecast to track along the U.S. east coast to New England this weekend.
Most of the snow will fall in New Brunswick, southern Quebec, and the most eastern part of Ontario, with 10 to 15 cm of snow expected for Hastings County.
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Snow will begin on Friday night and continue through Saturday, tapering off to scattered flurries by Saturday night.
Other areas of the greater Kawarthas region — including Haliburton, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland — can expect between 2 and 5 cm by Saturday.
Across the Kawarthas region, temperatures will remain at or slightly above freezing until Saturday night.
Poor winter driving conditions are expected. Motorists should consider changing their travel plans accordingly.
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