A City of Peterborough staff recommendation that historic Inverlea Park be removed from the list of potential sites for a new north-end Peterborough fire hall will go before city council in January.

That’s the word from Northcrest Ward councillor and Peterborough Fire Services chair Andrew Beamer who — in an email sent to some of the many residents greatly concerned over Inverlea Park’s inclusion on the consultant-recommended short list — confirms staff will recommend the elimination of the park as a potential site “based on discovery, agency and departmental feedback.”

For members of Save Inverlea Park, a Facebook-fuelled community group that has been very vocal and visible in its opposition to the park being considered as possible new fire hall location, this news is encouraging.

That said, Johan Ragetli, the founder and co-administrator of the Friends of Inverlea Park Facebook group, which has more than 570 members, says they’re not going away.

“It (Inverlea Park) should never have been on the list on the first place,” says Ragetli, a resident of Dennistoun Avenue whose residence overlooks the park and, like many throughout the neighbourhood and beyond, is home to a “Save Inverlea Park” lawn sign.

“Everyone still has an appetite to make sure that (Inverlea Park’s elimination as a potential fire hall site) gets done. We’re not going to sit back.”

Back in June, the city hired Toronto-based Dillon Consulting to review city-owned properties where a new fire hall could be built to replace the 52-year-old often-flooded Fire Hall 2 on Carnegie Avenue.

What came back was a report listing three possible locations: the Northcrest Arena property on Marina Boulevard, a parcel of open space at Sunset Boulevard and Chemong Road, and Inverlea Park north of Parkhill Road on the west bank of the Otonabee River.

According to Councillor Beamer, Inverlea Park made the cut based on it being reviewed “through one lens only: emergency response times. That’s pretty important when you’re relocating a fire hall.”

Inverlea Park is considered a historic site, with a plaque erected there in 2009 by the Peterborough Historical Society explaining its history. The park is named after Inverlea, the former residence of Robert Dennistoun, a Peterborough County judge from 1868 to 1886.

Before the Inverlea residence was demolished in 1911, it was the home of the Victoria Museum — one of Ontario’s first museums — and also served as Peterborough’s first library. The park property was acquired in 1894 by the Nicholls Park Trust, a bequest of Charlotte Jane Nicholls, one of Peterborough’s most noted philanthropists.

“Residents have asked why was Inverlea Park even on the list,” Councillor Beamer says. “It had high scores for emergency response times. It has fast access to the bridge crossing to East City, it’s very close to downtown, it’s very close to Northcrest (Ward) and it’s on the Otonabee River for a potential future boat access.”

“The next step is staff and the consultant look at all the other factors — transportation, traffic, the history of the park, whether it has any trusts and everything else. There will be a report coming to council in January with all the other factors covered. And public consultation will also occur.”

In his email, Councillor Beamer explains the reason Inverlea Park hasn’t been already eliminated as a potential site is because doing so would “invalidate” the process.

“We will have undermined our own step-by-step methodology and biased narrowing of the selection. This means the folks who reside near the other two locations have a valid argument for believing that our process if deeply flawed and future analyses will be brought into question. The integrity of the process must remain intact.”

Complicating matters as it pertains to the Inverlea Park site is the fact that when the Nicholls Park Trust transferred it to the city in 1938, it did so with the proviso that the city agree to perpetually maintain the park and keep it as such.

Councillor Beamer says the city is well aware of that obligation, as is Ragetli.

“We think there’s a legal issue here,” he says, inferring his group isn’t shy to take things further should Inverlea Park remain in the mix.

“It’s environmentally sensitive land,” Ragetli points out. “The city talks about the floodplain on Carnegie. That’s just a creek. We’re on a floodplain here from the river. In the flood of 2004, there was a river of water coming right through where they want to build the firehall.”

“One of our preferred outcomes is not just to see it changed — to get Inverlea Park off the list — but also to see re-examined how these things happen and protect our green spaces in general,” he says.

Ragetli adds he’s confident the noise made by the Save Inverlea Park movement has made a difference.

“I think they are probably feeling the heat. There has been a fairly vigorous campaign of letter writing and phone calling. I feel we’re doing a lot of the right things. It’s worked so far.”

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

Ontario is reporting 2,290 new cases today — the fourth straight day of cases over 2,000, increasing the seven-day average of daily cases by 63 to 2,089.

“The trends we’re seeing throughout Ontario are very, very concerning,” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement today, following yesterday’s call by the Ontario Hospital Association that the province implement additional lockdowns, adding that he will be holding an emergency meeting over the weekend with all CEOs of all hospitals in Ontario.

VIDEO: Statement from Premier Doug Ford

Ford said he will make an announcement on Monday afternoon (December 21) on further public health restrictions, and that existing regions in lockdowns that were set to expire on Monday — Toronto and Peel — will remain in lockdown. On Friday (December 18), the provincial government also announced Hamilton would be moving into lockdown on Monday.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 12 new cases to report and 25 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 15 to 108.

Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (691), Peel (361), York (296), Windsor-Essex (207), and Hamilton (126).

There are double-digit increases in Durham (89), Waterloo (84), Simcoe Muskoka (61), Halton (57), Ottawa (52), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (51), Niagara (47), Southwestern Public Health (37), Middlesex-London (30), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (16), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (13), and Thunder Bay (11), with smaller increases in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Lambton (9), Haldimand-Norfolk (8), Renfrew (7), Chatham-Kent (7), and Huron Perth (6).

The remaining 11 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s cases, 53% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (848) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 642 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,992 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to 85.6%. The average positivity rate across Ontario since yesterday has decreased by 0.1% to 3.9%, meaning that 39 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on December 17.

Ontario is reporting 40 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 11 in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have decreased by 42 to 877, with 2 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 4 fewer patients on ventilators.

A total of 58,178 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 2,604 to 81,235.

There are 133 new cases in Ontario schools today, a decrease of 37 from yesterday, with 111 student cases and 22 staff cases. There are 13 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 16 from yesterday, with 9 cases among children and 4 cases among staff.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 12 new cases to report, including 5 in Northumberland, 4 in Peterborough, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton.

An outbreak was declared at Case Manor Care Community in Bobcaygeon on December 17 after an employee tested positive

None of the cases reported today in Ontario schools or licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.

An additional 25 cases have been resolved, including 13 in Hastings Prince Edward, 7 in Peterborough, 3 in Northumberland, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes.

There are currently 108 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 15 from yesterday, including 35 in Hastings Prince Edward (14 in Quinte West and 12 in Belleville), 45 in Northumberland, 21 in Peterborough, and 7 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 264 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (238 resolved with 5 deaths), 219 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (191 resolved with 32 deaths), 183 in Northumberland County (134 resolved with 1 death), 27 in Haliburton County (27 resolved with no deaths), and 238 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (198 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 23.

Province-wide, there have been 151,257 confirmed cases, an increase of 2,290 from yesterday, with 129,417 cases resolved (85.6% of all cases), an increase of 1,992 from yesterday. There have been 4,098 deaths, an increase of 40 from yesterday, with 2,537 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 11 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 42 to 877, with 2 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 4 fewer patients on ventilators. A total of 7,234,913 tests have been completed, an increase of 58,178 from yesterday, with 81,235 tests under investigation, an increase of 2,604 from yesterday.

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

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.

Confirmed positive: 264 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 21 (decrease of 3)
Close contacts: 68 (decrease of 4)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 238 (increase of 7)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 12 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 38,200 (increase of 100)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven in Peterborough (no change)

*Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports that, as of December 18, there is currently 1 patient with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit.

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: 429, including 219 in Kawartha Lakes, 183 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 4 in Northumberland)*
Active cases: 52, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes and 45 in Northumberland (net decrease of 2)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 317, including 24 in Kawartha Lakes, 163 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (net increase of 7)**
Hospitalizations (total to date): 18, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 357, including 193 in Kawartha Lakes, 137 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: Extendicare Kawartha Lakes in Lindsay, Case Manor Care Community in Bobcaygeon (increase of 1)**

*Two previously reported cases have been transferred to another health unit, reducing the case counts by 1 in Kawartha Lakes and by 1 in Northumberland.

**This total includes 118 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

***An outbreak at Case Manor Care Community in Bobcaygeon was declared on December 17 after an employee tested positive.

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: 238 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 35 (decrease of 10)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 3 (increase of 2)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 198 (increase of 13)
Swabs completed: 15,867 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: Seasons Dufferin Centre in Quinte West (no change)

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 151,257 (increase of 2,290)
Resolved: 129,417 (increase of 1,992, 85.6% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 877 (decrease of 42)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 261 (decrease of 2)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 168 (decrease of 4)
Deaths: 4,098 (increase of 40)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,537 (increase of 11)
Total tests completed: 7,234,913 (increase of 68,246)
Tests under investigation: 81,235 (increase of 2,604)

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

Not unlike the classic radio programming promo tagline, it was all COVID all the time on Thursday (December 17) when Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef conducted her annual end-of-the-year one-on-one media interviews.

Coming near the end of an extremely challenging and, for all too many Canadians, tragic year, that was no surprise. Since its advent in March, the pandemic has dominated global and local headlines with little to no sign of that changing any time soon. That it dominates MP Monsef’s thoughts as the calendar prepares to reveal a new year fulfills expectations.

For those who expect to hear expressions of hope and encouragement from their elected representatives in the midst of dark times, MP Monsef doesn’t disappoint.

“We have, over the past 10 months, gone from not really knowing what this virus is to having a vaccine for it,” she says.

“To have vaccines on our soil, to have those first needles go into people’s arms this past week, we have come a long way since this pandemic was declared. That’s a testament to the systems and institutions that those who came before us have left us with — our universal health care system, our democratic institutions, our public health.”

“We know the fight against COVID has not yet ended but there’s certainly hope. Hope that the vaccine is going to roll out, hope that our communities are going to hold together, and hope that the lessons of the pandemic will be applied to building even stronger systems, even stronger institutions, even stronger communities to be able to have the resilience to deal with whatever may come next.”

As the the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, MP Monsef stays on script, saying if there’s a silver lining to be found in the dark COVID cloud, one need look no further than the role women have played in the response to the pandemic.

“Eighty per cent of those on the front lines of the fight against COVID are women,” says MP Monsef.

“One of the few highlights of the year has been our country’s collective appreciation for women who are essential to our very survival, whether it’s stocking grocery shelves, or cleaning hospitals, or looking after our kids, or looking after our elders.”

“These amazing humans, who have devote their time and talent to looking after our loved ones, to looking after our very basic needs, haven’t always received the appreciation or recognition that they deserve.”

“There’s a collective reckoning across the country where we are seeing these heroes in a new light. They have made some of the biggest sacrifices. They’ve taken time away from their loved ones, they have been exposed to the virus, they have showed up to work day after day.”

“The best thing that we can do to help them and lessen their workload, to let their live get back to some semblance of normal, is to keep following public health advice. To stay home this Christmas, as difficult as that may be, to wear face coverings, and wash our hands.”

Saying the best part of her job “is the people part,” MP Monsef says she has been no less immune to the pandemic’s effects.

“My community is where I get my grounding. It’s where I get my inspiration. To not be able to walk downtown and go into Showplace or Market Hall and see people, see artists on the stage, see the community supporting them; to not be able to go to the Norwood Fair, to not be able to see the Santa parades, it is definitely hard.”

“Life has changed but what fills me up now is our community has been able to contain community spread so well. That’s thanks to so many people, including public health and our residents who are making a lot of sacrifices.”

Staying connected to each other, says MP Monsef, will be key to any success the COVID recovery plan meets.

“At the end of the day, we are all Canadians,” she says. “The response to COVID has been strong because of our connections, not only with one another but also between leaders. That Team Canada approach is going to have to hold strong.”

“The federal government has been able to do what it can so that eight out of 10 dollars spent on COVID measures support individuals, businesses, and charities, but also support provinces and territories with delivering on their responsibilities around health care, around education, around child care, and so on.”

“That collaboration is going to be essential to the vaccine rollout but, beyond that, in the recovery. Those connections are going to have to remain strong for Canada to get out of this, to stay competitive, and to build back better.”

As she looks ahead to the new year, equally anxious to put 2020 behind us, MP Monsef says “there are so many reasons to be hopeful and optimistic about what’s ahead of us.”

“My hope is we continue to practice physical distancing and other public health measures that have allowed our community to come this far. My hope for those who have lost loved ones and haven’t been able to come together to grieve is that they find strength knowing there’s a community around them that can’t wait to give them a hug; who can’t wait to shed tears with them.”

“It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get through this because we’re Canadians and because our community has always come together in difficult times.”

“There’s going to be a lot of hard work on the other side of this thing. We’re going to have to roll up our sleeves and move forward fast, but my hope is everyone takes a break (over the holidays). A lot has happened. Very few people are okay. I haven’t met anybody who has said ‘Oh ya, I’m doing great.'”

“My hope is people rest and know they have just endured one of the most difficult years of their lives, but it is going to get better.”

If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit during this pandemic year, check out the Merry & Bright Festival at the Lindsay Exhibition fairgrounds at 354 Angeline Street South in Lindsay.

The drive-through festival of lights, which opens Friday (December 18), features more than 30 decorative displays from area businesses and organizations as well as videos projected onto the fairground’s barns.

Presented by the Lindsay Agricultural Society and the 2021 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, the festival is a joint fundraiser for the Lindsay Agricultural Society, United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes, Kawartha Lakes Food Source, Lindsay Lions, the Lindsay and District Curling Club, and Heritage Christian School.

The festival runs from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly until Thursday, December 31st (except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day). On the final evening of the festival, there will also be a fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Admission is by donation, with a minimum of $20 per vehicle. Group tickets are also available.

Tickets must be purchased in advance at shop.lindsayex.com/merry-bright-festival/, where you can select your preferred date and arrival time. Each ticket is valid for one entry during the one-hour window on the selected date and time.

Local residents and businesses have rallied behind The Theatre On King (TTOK), Peterborough’s only black-box theatre, donating tens of thousands of empty alcohol bottles and cans to help the theatre make it through the pandemic.

The theatre launched its ‘Toast TTOK’ empties drive on November 21st, with people encouraged to bring their empties to TTOK at 171 King Street in downtown Peterborough every Saturday.

Since the pandemic began, the theatre has been forced to remain closed. Like other performance venues, the lack of ticket revenue has threatened TTOK’s financial viability.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that our empties drive would be this successful,” says Kate Story, TTOK director of communications. “We’ve raised over $3,000 so far — at 10 cents a can, that means our volunteers have sorted and deposited tens of thousands of bottles and cans.”

The campaign is continuing this Saturday (December 19), and will then take a holiday break until the new year, when it will resume for two more Saturdays (January 2nd and January 9th).

“The community support has been amazing,” says Ryan Kerr, TTOK’s artistic director.

“So many people have donated so many empties to help ensure the Theatre On King will make it to the other side of this pandemic. It has meant the world to feel so supported.”

“Beyond the much needed and appreciated financial support that will help keep the lights on, it’s really lifted our spirits to see that so many people care about The Theatre On King and want to do what they can to see us through this crisis,” Kerr says.

In addition to donations from local residents, eight Peterborough bars and restaurants — Ashburnham Ale House, Black Horse Pub, Kettle Drums, Le Petit Bar, The Olde Stone Brewing Co., Publican House Brew Pub, Rare, and St. Veronus — also donated all their empties produced on Giving Tuesday (December 1).

“We are so grateful for all of the support we’ve received,” Story says. “Our supporters are heroes, especially the local restaurants that donated empties to support our campaign.”

“Their generosity at a time like this has been incredible.” Kerr adds, referring to bars and restaurants being among the businesses hardest hit by the pandemic,

The Black Horse Pub has taken its support one step further, by committing to donate to TTOK all empties produced every Tuesday for the entire month of December.

“We also want to thank our amazing team of volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible,” Story says. “It’s beginning to feel like we might actually make it to the other side of this.”

To show your support for The Theatre On King this holiday season, you can bring your empties to TTOK at 171 King Street between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 19th.

If you can’t make it to TTOK, you can also arrange for volunteers to pick up your empties from your home between 11 a.m. and noon on Saturday.

For more information about the Toast TTOK empties drive and to learn how to arrange a porch pick-up, visit ttok.ca.

At its third and final virtual meeting this year, 100 Women Peterborough has raised more than $5,000 for Community Counselling and Resource Centre (CCRC) in Peterborough.

The collective philanthropy group met on Zoom on Tuesday (December 15) to raise funds for an organization in need. Prior to the pandemic, the group met in person four times a year, with each member committing to donate $100 during each meeting. The group has been meeting virtually during the pandemic, with attendance at meetings optional in recognition of the financial impact of the pandemic on some members.

Whether meeting in person or virtually, the group hears presentations from three organizations randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by the group’s members. The organization receiving the most votes from members receives the donations contributed by the group’s members.

The three organizations that presented to 100 Women Peterborough at Tuesday’s virtual meeting were CCRC, Community Living, and the Peterborough Regional Health Care Foundation.

CCRC was chosen by majority vote to receive the funds, and 100 Women Peterborough expects the total donation to be more than $5,000.

“Many charities are unable to pursue their traditional fundraising efforts and campaigns because of COVID-19,” says Alyssa Stewart, one of the co-founders of 100 Women Peterborough. “It is so important for us to support them right now so that they can continue to support our community.”

For almost 65 years, CCRC has provided services that offer counselling, support, and resources to assist with personal well-being, credit and financial management, access to housing, and connection with the community.

“No one expects to end up in a situation they can’t solve,” says CCRC executive diretor Kirsten Armbrust. “Job losses, trauma, grief, family, or health problems can happen to anyone and sometimes you need help to navigate that. CCRC offers counselling for personal issues and also support around housing and personal finance to get through those difficult times and find a better way forward.”

CCRC’s services have become even more important to the community during the pandemic and, in March, CCRC began providing it services virtually, while preparing to re-open for limited in-person appointments for those who need them. They now provide a blend of in-person and virtual supports and expect this to continue throughout the coming months. However, the pandemic has resulted in unexpected costs for the charitable non-profit organization.

“There have been many costs associated with providing safe confidential services during COVID, both virtually and in-person,” Armbrust says. “These costs were not anticipated and, while we have been lucky to have received some funding from other sources to off-set these in the short term, we have been concerned with the ongoing costs as the pandemic continues. The money from the 100 Women will go a long way in helping us continue to provide these services on an ongoing basis.”

100 Women Peterborough was founded in February 2018 by Rosalea Terry, Catia Skinner, Wendy Hill, and Alyssa Stewart, who were inspired by similar groups in other communities.

The concept of collective philanthropy began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, the women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization.

The movement has grown over the past 15 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with more than 210 chapters in Canada alone.

Since its formation, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated more than $100,000 to 11 local organizations: Hospice Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Unlimited, One Roof Warming Room, New Canadians Centre, Cameron House, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Casa De Angelae, Lakefield Animal Welfare Society, Community Care Peterborough, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, and CCRC.

100 Women Peterborough is always accepting new members. Women who interested in joining 100 Women Peterborough should visit www.100womenptbo.ca for more information.

Police are looking for a suspect after an armed robbery in the east end of Peterborough on Tuesday night (December 15).

At around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, police were called to a store on Armour Road after reports of a robbery at knifepoint. The suspect left with a quantity of cash and lottery tickets.

The K-9 unit was called in to help search and led police for a distance but did not locate the suspect.

The male suspect was wearing a grey winter coat, light grey track pants, brown gloves with re-enforced knuckles, a black mask, a black toque, and black boots.

He was carrying a blue satchel bag and brandished a kitchen-style knife during the robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.stopcrimehere.ca.