A frost advisory is in effect for almost all of southern Ontario, including the Kawarthas, overnight for the entire weekend until Monday morning.

Environment Canada is forecasting widespread frost overnight on Friday (September 18), Saturday, and Sunday due to a persistent ridge of high pressure bringing low nighttime temperatures below the freezing mark.

Freezing temperatures and frost are also expected each night through the weekend due to a persistent ridge of high pressure.

Frost may destroy fruit crops, vegetables, and other plants. Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas. Take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.

Environment Canada issues frost advisories when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.

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

With Ontario reporting 293 new COVID-19 cases today, the seventh straight day of daily increases over 200, Premier Doug Ford announced new restrictions on organized public events and social gatherings in Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel Region — the three areas of the province that have consistently reported the highest number of new cases.

Ford also announced legislation to introduce a new minimum fine of $10,000 for the organizers of illegal social gatherings. “This is the highest fine anywhere in the entire country,” Ford said. This fine, which would apply everywhere in Ontario, is in addition to the $750 fine for individuals who show up at illegal gatherings.

“We will throw the book at you if you break the rules,” Ford said during a media conference at Queen’s Park on Thursday (September 17), where he was accompanied by health minister Christine Elliott, municipal affairs and housing minister Steve Clark, and chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams.

“We can’t afford to let a few rule-breakers reverse all the hard work and progress the people of Ontario have made over the past six months,” Ford added. “It’s just not fair to the vast majority of people who are following the rules and thinking of others.’

As of Friday (September 18), in Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel, outdoor events or gatherings are now restricted to a maximum of 25 people (instead of the previous 100) and indoor gatherings are now restricted to a maximum 10 people (instead of the previous 50). The restriction applies to functions, parties, dinners, gatherings, BBQs, or wedding receptions held in private residences, backyards, parks, and other recreational areas.

The new limits will not apply to events or gatherings held in staffed businesses and facilities, such as bars, restaurants, cinemas, convention centres or banquet halls, gyms, and recreational sporting or performing art events. Existing rules, including public health and workplace safety measures, for these businesses and facilities continue to be in effect.

Ford also announced legislation that would freeze rent increases in 2021 for most rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled residential units, along with legislation to extend the ban on commercial evictions until October 30, 2020.

Of the 293 new COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario today, most are in Toronto (85), Peel (63), Ottawa (39), and York (37) with smaller increases in Halton (12), Simcoe Muskoka (10), Windsor-Essex (7), Niagara (7), Waterloo (6), Middlesex-London (6), and Hamilton (6). The remaining 23 public health units in Ontario are reporting five or fewer cases, with 14 reporting no new cases.

Of the new cases, 70% are among people under the age of 40. There have been 3 new deaths, and 9 new hospitalizations. There are 21 new cases identified in Ontario schools (5 students, 4 staff, and 12 unidentified) and 2 new cases (1 child and 1 staff) in licensed child care settings.

Ontario completed 35,134 tests yesterday and — reflecting the continued increase in testing — is reporting a backlog of test results, with 37,624 tests currently being investigated.

One new case of COVID-19 in Peterborough

In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case to report in Peterborough, for a total of 6 active cases. There are no reports available today for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, or Prince Edward and Hastings counties. None of the 21 COVID-19 cases identified in schools and child care settings are in the Kawarthas.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 111 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (103 resolved with 2 deaths), 178 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (159 resolved with 32 deaths), 40 in Northumberland County (34 resolved with 1 death), 15 in Haliburton County (15 resolved with no deaths), and 52 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (42 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.

Province-wide, there have been 45,676 confirmed cases, an increase of 293 from yesterday, with 40,424 (88.5% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 179. There have been 2,825 deaths, an increase of 3 from yesterday, with 1,824 deaths reported in long-term care homes (no change from yesterday). A total of 3,433,697 tests have been completed, an increase of 35,134 from yesterday, with 37,624 tests under investigation, an increase of 9,278 from yesterday.

This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.

Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

Confirmed positive: 111 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 6 (increase of 1)
Deaths: 2 (no change)
Resolved: 103 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 26,850 (increase of 200)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)

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 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from September 16.

Confirmed positive: 233, including 178 in Kawartha Lakes, 40 in Northumberland, 15 in Haliburton (increase of 3 in Northumberland, decrease of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)*
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 208, including 159 in Kawartha Lakes, 34 in Northumberland, 15 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberand, decrease of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)*
Active cases: 5 (increase of 2 in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)

*One previously reported case has been removed as it is a duplicate of a care reported by another public health unit.

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 reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from September 16.

Confirmed positive: 52 (no change)
Active cases: 5 (no change)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Hospitalized: 0 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change)
Recovered: 42 (no change)
Total tests completed: 27,320 (increase of 1,427)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 45,676 (increase of 293)
Resolved: 40,424 (increase of 179, 88.5% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 53 (increase of 9)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 21 (increase of 1)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 12 (no change)
Deaths: 2,825 (increase of 3)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,824 (no change)
Total tests completed: 3,433,697 (increase of 35,134)
Tests under investigation: 37,624 (increase of 9,278)

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

This story has been updated with the latest COVID-19 statistics from Peterborough.

After a little more than a week at its new location at Northcrest Arena, Peterborough’s drive-through COVID-19 testing centre is relocating again — this time to help meet the higher demand for testing.

Effective next Monday (September 21), the centre for people without symptoms will be located at Eastgate Memorial Park at 2150 Ashburnham Drive in East City, north of Beavermead Park and across the road from the Trent-Severn Waterway headquarters.

The operating hours of the centre will remain the same: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays.

The centre is led by Peterborough Paramedics with support from Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), the City of Peterborough, and Peterborough Public Health. A joint media release announcing the relocation states that the centre has seen higher-than-normal testing volumes since Labour Day, with more than 420 people tested on Tuesday (September 15) alone.

“Lines at testing centres in communities across Ontario have grown longer in recent days, and testing capacity is limited in many areas,” the media release states. “People should first seek testing options within the area where they live, work, or attend school.”

The drive-through centre is intended only for people who don’t have symptoms of COVID-19. People with symptoms should call PRHC’s Assessment Centre at 705-876-5086 to determine whether an appointment is required.

When visiting the testing centre, bring your Ontario Health Card and driver’s license with you if you have them. The final day of the centre’s operation at Northcrest Arena will be Friday (September 18).

GreenUP is excited to invite volunteers and members of the public to join our Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods planting event at Back Dam Park (902 Rock Road, Warsaw) on Friday, September 25th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From 1 to 1:30 p.m., we will release the new Action Plan for Water in Warsaw, a 10-year plan that GreenUP’s Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods (SUN) program developed with residents and partners in Warsaw. We invite participants of all ages to join us for the planting and action plan launch. To ensure event safety, we are requiring registration by email to jenn.mccallum@greenup.on.ca in advance.

Through generous funding from the RBC Foundation, the one-year SUN Warsaw program set out to develop a water action plan and plant a total of 500 square metres (5,400 square feet) of gardens — roughly the area of one NBA-sized basketball court.

In 2019, we planted 218 square metres at two locations: the Township of Douro-Dummer Municipal Office (894 South Street) and the Warsaw Arena and Community Centre (93 Ford Street). The Back Dam Park planting on September 25th, and a planting at Warsaw Public School this fall, will help us to achieve our community planting and land restoration goal.

The planting projects in Warsaw focus on protecting the water by reducing erosion, filtering rainwater, and enhancing habitat for aquatic life. The 2019 planting projects included the installation of a rain garden and a shoreline planting.

Rain gardens are bowl-shaped gardens designed to slowly absorb rainwater that runs off of rooftops or roads. The plants chosen for rain gardens have deep-growing roots that stabilize the soil and absorb the rain. Shoreline plants are important for cleaning and filtering water, reducing erosion, and providing habitat for fish and other animals.

Our September 25th shoreline planting and action plan release at Back Dam Park will feature a total of 96 plants, including trees, shrubs, and wildflowers along the southwestern side of the park.

In this area, there is a tributary that flows in the spring and dries up in the summertime. These plants will clean the water, stabilize the banks of the tributary, and tolerate summer droughts.

“The planting that is taking place at the Back Dam Park will not only enhance the visual appeal of the park, it will also improve the quality of the surface water that flows into the Indian River and provide vital habitat to pollinators and other sensitive species,” observes Martina Chait-Hartwig, temporary chief administrative officer and deputy clerk for the Township of Douro-Dummer. “The location of the planting, similar to the planting that took place last year in the Millennium Garden and at the Warsaw Community Centre, are locations where water ponds have proved challenging from a grounds maintenance perspective.”

“Instead of fighting these natural characteristics of the land by adding fill or additional draining, the SUN Program is showing that with innovative thinking and native plants we can harness these locations to work as water treatment and holding areas that benefit not just visitors to the parks but also improve the quality of our local water supply.”

The upcoming event on September 25th will also launch the Action Plan for Water in Warsaw. This action plan documents the current characteristics of the watershed and identifies priorities for protecting the Indian River waterway.

The quality of the Indian River is currently good, receiving a “B” grade in the 2018 Otonabee Watershed Report Card. For comparison, the Otonabee River received a “C” or “fair” grade, and no areas of our local watershed received an “A” grade.

Only nine per cent of surfaces in the Warsaw community are impermeable (i.e., roofs or roads, where water cannot penetrate). This exceeds the guideline set by Environment Canada for no more than 10 per cent impermeable surfaces in a developed area. The Indian River also supports diverse species, with over 230 species identifications noted in the online iNaturalist community.

In order to maintain good water quality and prevent future degradation, the action plan advocates for water conservation at homes and businesses, by regularly maintaining septic systems and installing rain barrels and greywater reuse systems. Another recommendation is to strengthen municipal and county land use planning policies to limit development in sensitive ecosystems.

“The SUN Warsaw program has been a great experience for both the community and township staff,” Chait-Hartwig says. “We have all learned about the importance of water in our community and that small changes to our yards, gardens, and public lands can yield be results.”

The action plan was developed through engagement with an advisory committee and with the Warsaw community, which has a population of 750. The advisory committee includes representatives from Otonabee Conservation, the Township of Douro-Dummer, and the County of Peterborough, along with Warsaw residents.

“The SUN Warsaw project provides a unique opportunity for residents to engage in community planning and action projects that address climate change and increase resilience,” explains GreenUP executive director Brianna Salmon. “Using innovative participatory planning tools that centre on the visions and priorities of residents, while also building strategies and coalitions to support implementation, the SUN Warsaw Action Plan is a visionary document that provides a roadmap toward greater sustainability.”

“Often, small-scale community planning projects emphasize engagement in urban neighbourhoods. This project demonstrates the transferability of these approaches to rural areas. GreenUP was thrilled to work in Warsaw, and to showcase the great potential for communities in the county of Peterborough to be climate action leaders.”

GreenUP has implemented health and safety practices to keep participants safe. We require participants to register in advance for the event, and we are restricting the total number of participants.

We are also maintaining two metres of physical distancing between participants, sanitizing tools, providing a hand-washing station, and requesting that participants bring their own gardening gloves, tools, water, and food.

If you would like to register to plant with us at Back Dam Park on September 25, or to learn more about the SUN program, please contact Jenn McCallum at jenn.mccallum@greenup.on.ca.

While the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic saw visits to hospital emergency departments drop significantly due to concerns over the virus’ spread, Canadian Blood Services saw just the opposite happen when it comes to blood donors.

According to Jill Gemmiti, events coordinator for the Peterborough branch of Canadian Blood Services, after the general shutdown in mid-March, the organization saw a sizable increase in local blood donations.

“We never closed … we put out so much more information about the need for blood,” recalls Gemmiti of that time. “Anyone who’s a regular blood donor is so committed to doing it. They saw the need and responded to it. The Peterborough community has been amazing.”

However, since that rush during the early weeks of the pandemic, Gemmiti admits things have settled down somewhat.

“A lot of people are working from home and don’t want to leave,” she says.

Now, with Canadian Blood Services in the midst of its September Childhood Cancer Awareness campaign with the Giving Thanks campaign earmarked for October, Gemmiti is hopeful for a like response as well as an uptick in first-time donors.

As of Wednesday (September 16), there were 114 open appointments at the Peterborough permanent clinic at 55 George Street North (at Perry Street across from Del Crary Park). But looking ahead to October, there are a whopping 410 appointments waiting to be filled.

To book an appointment in either month, visit www.blood.ca or phone 1-888-2 DONATE (236-6283). Gemitti notes the Give Blood app, through which an appointment can be booked, is also available for download on the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

The Peterborough clinic is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 8 p.m., and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as for a few hours every other Saturday.

The big COVID-related change is donors must have an appointment booked in advance — no walk-ins are permitted. Gemmiti explains that’s because of the need to reduce the number of people in the clinic at any one time.

“Come at your appointment time,” advises Gemmiti, adding “Don’t come an hour early. We can’t have you in the clinic.”

What hasn’t changed is the frequency which people can donate blood. For females it’s every 84 days; for males, it’s every 56 days.

For those who are concerned about donating blood during the pandemic, Gemmiti is quick to provide reassurance.

“Giving blood is probably the safest thing you can do,” she explains. “There are so many restrictions — we’re so careful.”

A quick check of Canadian Blood Services’ pandemic-related protocols bears that out. All donors are screened both when they make an appointment and when they come for their appointment, all equipment and surfaces (including donor beds) are frequently cleaned, masks are required in the donor centre, all chairs in waiting areas are spaced two metres apart as are donor beds, and laminated donor information pamphlets are sanitized after each use (or discarded if they are not laminated).

The full list of safety and wellness measures can be found at blood.ca/en/enhanced-wellness-measures-are-in-effect.

As Gemmiti eyes those open appointments in September and October, she notes she’s hopeful they will be filled — despite the fact that the outreach work she typically does is on hold.

“I used to go out into the community and do events to get people to book, but now I can’t do that,” she explains, adding that the busing of high school students to the permanent clinic is on indefinite hold, as is the hosting of mobile clinics at Trent University and area high schools.

“We’re trying to figure out all these new ways to get people to donate,” Gemmiti says. “We need media coverage, we need people like you (kawarthaNOW) to get the message out there. I can’t go to Petes’ games or all the different events I used to go to (for outreach), so I’m doing a lot more social media and things like that.”

“When I looked at October, I thought ‘Oh my gosh, we have so many appointments to book’,” she says, noting that Canadian Blood Services donates to 700 hospitals across Canada.

“We have to meet those orders. Every 60 seconds, someone in Canada needs blood. One car accident could require 50 units of blood. That adds up to 50 people donating. It’s a constant need. It never goes away.”

For more information about Canadian Blood Services and the extensive COVID-19 safety protocols in place, visit www.blood.ca.

Randy Mellow, the chief of Peterborough County-City Paramedics, will soon also be leading the Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service.

The City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County made the announcement in a joint media release issued on Tuesday evening (September 15).

The current chief of Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service, Andrew Rafton, is retiring in November after 35 years of service.

The decision to share a paramedics chief follows a joint review of paramedic services for the two municipalities, prompted by Rafton’s upcoming retirement and a need for greater efficiencies between the two paramedic services.

Both municipal councils recently received presentations from the paramedic services review team, which includes the chiefs and senior staff from the two services, and approved a shared services agreement for the paramedics chief.

With 34 years of paramedic service experience, Mellow has served as Peterborough County-City Paramedics chief since 2014, and previously served as deputy chief as well as chief of Essex-Windsor EMS. He is also the current president of the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada.

Both municipal councils have directed the joint paramedic services review team to analyze additional opportunities for efficiencies between the two services, including in purchasing, human resources, facilities, and fleet management. The two councils will consider any recommendations coming from the analysis in 2021.