Two of Peterborough’s cultural treasures — Showplace Performance Centre and Peterborough Museum & Archives — have each received almost $100,000 in government grants.

Showplace Performance Centre, a non-profit performance venue in downtown Peterborough that remains closed due to the pandemic, has received a $99,620 grant under the Ontario government’s Rural Economic Development program. Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced the grant on Thursday (October 8).

“Our unique stores, shops and entertainment venues are struggling to make ends meet,” Smith said, referring to the impact of the pandemic. “These investments will support our downtown core at such a difficult time and improve accessibility for our residents.”

The $99,620 grant will help Showplace’s capital campaign to replace the theatre’s aging seats, which are 24 years old this week.

Peterborough Museum & Archives has received a $97,330 grant under the federal government’s COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for cultural, heritage, and sport organizations.

The museum, which is managed by the City of Peterborough but also relies on donations, will use the grant to help maintain its operations during the pandemic.

“The city is extremely grateful for the federal support of the Peterborough Museum and Archives during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said museum director Susan Neale.

“The Museum and Archives is dedicated to ensuring the preservation of Peterborough’s movable heritage, including national cultural property. The Museum is able to continue the highest standard of care and conservation.”

Beginning this Friday (October 9), you must now book an appointment online to get a test at the COVID-19 drive-through testing site at Eastgate Memorial Park in Peterborough’s East City — but only if you meet the eligibility criteria.

The eligibility criteria for testing is one or more of the following:

• You are showing mild symptoms of COVID-19.
• Peterborough Public Health has informed you that you have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19.
• You have received a notification through the COVID Alert app (available from the Apple App Store or Google Play).
• You are part of an outbreak investigation as informed by Peterborough Public Health.
• You are required to be tested routinely, such as staff at long-term care and retirement homes.
• You are planning an indoor visit with a loved one at a long-term care home.
• You are a traveller without symptoms and require a test to confirm you do not have COVID-19 before travelling internationally.
• You have been advised by a medical professional that testing is required prior to a procedure.

To book online, visit s-ca.chkmkt.com/?e=210138&h=71305F7BD7FC4D6&l=en. This link is also available on the websites for Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Peterborough Public Health.

You can only book an appointment online, so if you don’t have internet access you’ll have to ask a friend or family member who does to help.

When you book online, you will first be asked to complete a brief survey to confirm your eligibility before being redirected to an appointment scheduling form. You will then be asked to select one of the available dates and time slots for your test and provide your name, address, and contact information, and indicate which of the eligibility crieria you meet in the “Reason for Appointment” text box.

After clicking the “Book Now” button, you will receive an email confirmation that your appointment has been booked successfully.

A separate appointment must be booked for each person being tested, and only one test will be administered per email confirmation. If there are multiple people in one car travelling to the testing centre, each person requires their own email confirmation to be tested.

Booking dates will be opened two days in advance, and a limited number of appointments will be available from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. for each day. If there are no appointments displayed in the calendar, this means all available slots are booked and you will need to try again the following day.

On the day of your appointment, arrive five minutes before your scheduled appointment time, bring your health card and driver’s licence (if you have one), and present your confirmation email (printed or electronically) when you arrive.

When you have your email confirmation, you can only get a test on the date and time of your appointment. If you don’t have your email confirmation, you can’t get a test.

You may also be screened when you arrive at the testing site. If you don’t meet one or more of the screening criteria listed above, you won’t be tested for COVID-19.

The testing centre at Eastgate Memorial Park is located at 2150 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough. On Thanksgiving Monday, it will be open (by appointment only).

This story has been updated to fix a broken link to the online booking form.

Stella the cat was dying when her unknown owner abandoned her at Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital in Peterborough. But the veterinary clinic saved her and she now gets a lot of love from staff, clients, and visitors — including from a young girl who visits her every day.

When a man walked into the vet clinic with a cat in a box many months ago, he left the box on the counter and just walked out without saying a word. While it was obvious to the clinic’s vet and staff that Stella was in extreme distress, they had no idea why.

After taking an x-ray, they discovered Stella was pregnant — but her kittens had died in her womb and she was suffering from a life-threatening infection as a result. With Stella literally dying in front of them, they rushed her into surgery and saved her life.

Although with much treatment Stella eventually recovered, she was left with neurological damage that affects her balance. She also has a rare genetic abnormality where she was born with an extra pair of small ear flaps behind her normal ears.

But that only makes her even more special to the clinic’s staff, clients, and visitors, because Stella is also a very affectionate cat who constantly approaches them looking for belly rubs and head scratches.

That includs a young girl who, before the pandemic, would drop in to the clinic every day to pet Stella. Although COVID-19 restrictions mean she can no longer enter the clinic to see Stella, she still stops by every day to give Stella some virtual love through the glass of the door or window.

Stella’s story is documented in a video posted on Rumble.

Have you ever heard cottonwoods rustle in the wind? Like many trees in the poplar family, their leaves amplify even the slightest breeze. I drank in this sound during a visit to Five Counties Children’s Centre in Peterborough’s north end this summer and felt a sense of calm that has been all too rare in recent months.

My visit was part of an ongoing project between Five Counties and GreenUP. Together we’re transforming the centre’s outdoor space into an accessible Blue-Green Therapy Garden. The “green” in the name represents sustainability, while “blue” reminds us of our connections and obligations to the Otonabee Region watershed.

This space will be used to enhance Five Counties’ services and educate the community about the health benefits of nature.

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto has offered a similar garden and play program at their two-acre Spiral Garden since the 1980s.

“We see children open up to being outdoors and responding to what they see, hear, smell, taste, feel, think and do, in a natural setting that they may not experience in their daily lives,” says Shannon Crossman, program coordinator at Holland Bloorview. “We see them learning to relax into getting wet, messy, and dirty and joyously experiencing these states.”

A 2018 study that compiled global data involving over 280 million people demonstrated that spending time in nature benefits your health. This adds to growing scientific evidence suggesting that by engaging with nature you can improve both your physical and mental health.

“Having activities that are nature-based and site-specific, supported by caring, nature-loving adults, goes a long way to opening up the kids’ minds to what it can mean to be in nature in a connective, meaningful, safe and creative way,” Crossman adds.

A collaborative co-design process guides the project at Five Counties. Everyone in the community has been invited to participate in the design of the garden. The result is a vision that reflects the needs, priorities, and creativity of the staff, children, and families at Five Counties.

“We are very excited about our partnership with GreenUP to create a special place for our clients and staff,” says Scott Pepin, chief executive officer at Five Counties. “I know the kids and the therapists working with them will enjoy investigating and discovering while exploring the various areas.”

“And these activities will in turn help develop their speech, fine and gross motor skills in a relaxing, positive environment. Additionally, staff, including myself, will welcome a natural space where we can go to refresh and recharge during the workday.”

The garden at Five Counties will feature a series of zones. Each zone will offer a different opportunity for sensory engagement, therapeutic programming, and unstructured play.

A calming prairie zone will allow staff and visitors of all abilities to immerse themselves among plants that move in the wind and are soft to touch. A nature zone will encourage children to explore and interact with plants and wildlife.

By crouching, reaching, and navigating uneven surfaces, children will develop their gross and fine motor skills in a less clinical setting than they are used to.

The project also has environmental benefits and will help increase local biodiversity by adding nearly 1,000 plants to the property. This helps Peterborough’s urban forest grow and protects our watershed by improving the ground’s ability to absorb and filter rain water.

VIDEO: Future location of the therapy garden at Five Counties Children’s Centre

Work on the garden begins this fall and will continue into 2021. This month, GreenUP staff and volunteers will layer compost and woodchips over cardboard and newspaper to establish the garden beds. This technique is called “no-dig” or “lasagna” gardening. It reduces the work of removing sod, adds organic matter to the soil, and minimizes the amount of waste generated during construction.

Volunteers are also invited to join us next spring when we will plant trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers into the decomposing layers.

Of course, you don’t need a fancy garden to enjoy the health benefits of being in nature. It can be as simple as taking time to notice the living environment around you. Give these suggestions a try:

• See how many different colours of fall leaves you can find. How do they feel in your hands?
• Pick an apple from a tree and enjoy the crisp fall taste. (Don’t forget to ask permission if the tree is on someone else’s property.)
• Look for late-blooming flowers you can smell, such as asters and goldenrod. Are they attracting pollinators?
• Find a safe spot near the river to sit and listen to the water. Talk to the river and tell the water why you are thankful for it.

The Blue-Green Therapy Garden Project has been made possible by a generous donation to the Five Counties Children’s Centre.

For more information about the project, or to inquire about volunteering on with its instillation this October, email Hayley Goodchild, Sustainability and Landscaping Project Coordinator, at hayley.goodchild@greenup.on.ca. Volunteers are required to register in advance.

To learn more about the physical and mental health benefits of nature, visit treehugger.com/huge-study-confirms-significant-health-benefits-nature-4858628.

Peterborough Public Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Adam Scott Collegiate following confirmation Monday (October 5) that a fourth student has tested positive, but insists the school’s closure is not necessary.

In her weekly media briefing held Wednesday (October 7), Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra said public health officials aren’t certain if the latest student case was a result of transmission within the Langton Street high school.

“We can’t rule it out, which is why we’ve taken an abundance of precaution and declared an outbreak,” she said. “We’ve identified an additional cohort that needed to be excluded and those students were sent home Monday and will be out for 14 days. We are awaiting test results on those high-risk contacts and they will be able to go back to school once we’ve been able to clear them with a negative test result.”

A total of 31 students were sent home on Monday as a result of the fourth positive case.

Dr. Salvaterra noted that, if public health officials were to have “difficulty controlling the outbreak”, that would be a reason to close Adam Scott “but that hasn’t been the case.”

“Many of the excluded high-risk contacts (of three Adam Scott students who tested positive earlier) have returned. They’ve cleared their incubation period. We don’t need to close the school. We’ve only had the one transmission where we can’t link it to a close contact or any other exposure.”

Adam Scott CVI Principal Wilf Gray sent an email to families on Wednesday afternoon advising them of the outbreak.

“Signs will be posted on school doors identifying the current outbreak status,” Gray states. “We continue to implement our enhanced daily pandemic cleaning protocols, and regular disinfection of our school with the electro-static sprayer.”

You can read the complete email at the end of this story.

Turning to the latest COVID-related data, Dr. Salvaterra said, as of Wednesday morning (October 7), there were eight active cases in the Peterborough area, with the last confirmed new case being that of the Adam Scott student. In addition to the Adam Scott outbreak, an earlier declared outbreak at Fairhaven Long-term Care Home remains in effect.

Of the total 130 local cases since mid March, 120 have been resolved while a total of 31,500 residents have been tested — just more than 21 per cent of all residents. Public health officials, said Dr. Salvaterra, are currently monitoring about 100 high-risk cases.

Across Ontario as of Wednesday morning (October 7), 583 new cases were reported, with 60 percent of those cases under age 40. That affected age trend is being reflected locally, with 62 of the 130 cases confirmed falling the age group of 39 and under. That, said Dr. Salvaterra, isn’t surprising.

“Our seniors have been very cautious and self-isolating until very recently,” she said.

“That population has continued to be very careful. They’re very aware of their vulnerability. But given what we know about socialization, it’s not surprising to see younger adults and youths being infected. There were lots of social gatherings over the summer — a lot of house parties. What we’re seeing is the result of that kind of behaviour.”

With the Thanksgiving long weekend fast approaching, Peterborough Public Health is “strongly recommending” that celebrations be restricted to those only in your household and that travel outside the region be avoided.

“Connecting with others is what the holiday is all about, so for family and friends outside your household, we encourage you do so virtually or outdoors,” Dr. Salvaterra states in a media release issued on Wednesday morning.

For a lower-risk Thanksgiving celebration, Dr. Salvaterra advises the following:

• Stay home.
• Stay local.
• Plan an indoor celebration with household contacts only.
• If planning to visit with family and friends, keep it outdoors, stay within gathering limits and stay at least two metres apart. Wear face coverings when moving about but remember, they are not an excuse to get close. Physical distancing and masks must work together to be effective.
• Connect with family and friends virtually.

For a moderate-risk celebration, her recommendations are as follows:

• If your household will include any students or family members who are not usually part of your bubble, have them practice hand hygiene, wear a face covering indoors and keep at least two metres distance, especially while eating or drinking.
• Ensure food is individually plated by someone who is symptom-free and knowledgeable in safe food handling. Do not share food and beverages buffet or family style.
• Before anyone comes in your home, check to make sure they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and have not been identified as a close contact of someone who has COVID-19.
• Do not participate in social gatherings, including religious services, if you are sick, have recently travelled outside of Peterborough to an area with a high rate of transmission, are awaiting testing results or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19.

Dr. Salvaterra further advises that those who travel from Peterborough to a higher-risk area of the province limit their contacts and take the normal precautions. Upon returning home, self-monitor for symptoms and limit your number of contacts for 14 days.

Beyond Thanksgiving, Halloween is next big traditional social occasion. At Wednesday’s media briefing, Dr. Salvaterra said Peterborough Public Health has been told, as recently as this week, that the Ontario government intends to provide guidance as it pertains to both Halloween and Remembrance Day.

“That guidance is imminent,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll have it in time to do some good planning. I have to see the provincial guidance and determine if it’s a good fit with our local experience. We do have that flexibility in Ontario that allows us to strengthen much of the provincial regulations but I have to see and understand that provincial guidance first.”

Also attending Wednesday’s media briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien, and Selwyn mayor and Peterborough Board of Health chair Andy Mitchell.

Regarding progress on the potential vaccine front, MP Monsef noted contracts are in place to purchase more than 150 million doses. As well, supplies have been purchased to administer more than 72 million doses “when a safe and viable option is available.”

PDF: Email sent to families from Adam Scott CVI Principal Wilf Gray
Email sent to families from Adam Scott CVI Principal Wilf Gray

This story has been updated to include the email sent by Adam Scott CVI to families.