Omemee's Bob Young performing his song "Hey America" along with Peterborough musicians Ryan Weber of The Weber Brothers and Melissa Payne and Travis Good and Mike Belitsky of Toronto band The Sadies. Bob's younger brother, the legendary Neil Young, also performs in the video. (Screenshot)
If you have the passion, it’s never too old to try something new, as demonstrated by Omemee resident Bob Young. At 78 years old, he has released “Hey America”, his first-ever song.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt if your younger brother is a legendary musician. A video of “Hey America” released by Neil Young last Thursday (October 28) features a performance of Bob’s folk song by his band, Young Bob & The Peterboroughs.
Bob performs on lead vocal and acoustic guitar, with Peterborough musicians Ryan Weber of The Weber Brothers on bass and Melissa Payne on fiddle and harmony vocal, and members of Toronto band The Sadies, Travis Good on banjo and harmony vocal and Mike Belitsky on drums.
Advertisement - content continues below
And Bob’s famous brother also makes an appearance in the video, on harmonica and harmony vocal.
Bob says he was inspired to write “Hey America” a couple of years ago when he was watching Donald Trump on TV and wrote down a few lines.
“When I got home, I found I could play those lines on guitar,” Bob says. “Gradually, it became what it is now. It took a while to be able to play and sing the song from start to finish. When I could finally accomplish that, it was a victory.”
VIDEO: “Hey America” performed by Young Bob & The Peterboroughs
The song’s lyrics include lines such as, “Hey America / Give love a chance / It’s the beacon of freedom / Set your liberty free / Make equality real.” It’s no coincidence the song was released a few days before the U.S. election.
Bob says he was encouraged to record the song by his family and close friends, including Neil and his wife Daryl Hannah, singer-songwriter Carrie Alice Williams, the song’s co-writer Diane Marshall, and Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor.
“The recording process all happened at once,” Bob explains. “I had never done that either. It was a band performance that had spontaneity. In another session, some vocal harmony was added, and Neil played harmonica.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The video was directed by filmmaker Adam CK Vollick (who also worked on Neil Young’s December 2018 Home Town concert in Omemee), along with Neil Young and Daryl Hannah. It was shot at Gores Landing Hall, south of Rice Lake.
“The filming of Hey America was done in the COVID-19 environment,” Neil writes on his website, after releasing the video days before the U.S. election.
“One shot where we’re all standing together, singing without masks, was done in three separate shoots with the same background and assembled in post-production to look like three people singing together.”
Melissa Payne, Neil Young, and Travis Good singing harmony vocals to Bob Young’s song “Hey America”. Due to the pandemic, the three musicians were filmed separately using the same background, and the shots were assembled in post-production to make it appear they were singing together. (Screenshot)
A former golfer, Bob’s foray into songwriting isn’t his first artistic endeavour. He’s also been working on his book True Golf – Mind Power and the Art of the Direct Hit , which details his golfing experiences with his longtime friend, the late Canadian professional golfer Moe Norman.
Bob, who says he has more songs “all from the same creative spark”, is encouraging others in his generation to try something new.
“All you aging baby boomers out there, give it a shot,” Bob says. “As Yogi Berra put it, It ain’t over ’til it’s over, and even then it ain’t over. I agree.”
Omemee’s Bob Young was inspired to write “Hey America” after watching Donald Trump on TV. His family and close friends encouraged the 78-year-old former golfer to record the song. The video was shot at Gores Landing Hall, south of Rice Lake. (Screenshot)
Decorated World War II veteran Joseph "Joe" Sullivan, pictured at left in England in 1942 when he was 22 years old, passed away on November 1, 2020 at the age of 100 at Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home in Peterborough. Sullivan was one of the last surviving members of the 1st Battalion of the 9th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division that came ashore at Juno Beach in Normandy, France in June 1944. Sullivan served as a radio operator with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. (Photos courtesy of the Sullivan family)
I know what they’re saying son
There goes old man Joe again
Well I may be mad at that I’ve seen enough
To make a man go out his brains
Well do they know what it’s like
To have a graveyard as a friend
‘Cause that’s where they are boy, all of them
Don’t seem likely I’ll get friends like that again.
– Talking Old Soldiers (Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
An obituary serves its purpose well, providing a snapshot of a life lived.
In but a few words, we learn not only of one’s passing but also as many details as the writer is willing to share — family lineage, professional and personal milestones and, often, a few descriptors that speak to character.
As an obituary, the listing for Joseph (Joe) Cornelius Sullivan does its job, praising the “proud” Second World War veteran as “a selfless leader, mentor and advocate” who has left behind a “legacy of strength, courage, honour, generosity and love.” If the objective here is to make those who never crossed paths with Joe sense they have missed out, mission accomplished.
Advertisement - content continues below
When I learned Sunday (November 1) of Joe’s passing at age 100, my first thought — that I didn’t miss out — was admittedly totally selfish. I offer no apology for that. Rather our meeting and spending time was a privilege in every sense of the word.
On two occasions — first in November 2012 and in the same month in 2018 — I made the trip to Peterborough’s Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home and was wholly welcomed into the fourth-floor “home” of one of the then just two surviving members of the 1st Battalion of the 9th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division that waded ashore in Normandy, France in June 1944.
Just 23 years old when French soil first muddied the soles of his army issue boots, the radio operator — a carpenter by trade — spent the next 56 days on the front line as his battalion advanced into Holland. Finding himself in the German port city of Emden when the guns fell silent in May 1945, Joe had accomplished the first objective of all who have gone to war — he was alive.
Radio operator Joseph Sullivan (rear row, right) celebrating with his signals platoon in Emden, Germany, on Victory in Europe (VE) Day on May 8, 1945. A signals platoon in an infantry battalion was responsible for maintaining communication between the companies of the battalion and battalion headquarters. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Sullivan)
Joe returned to Holland in 2005 for the 60th anniversary of that country’s liberation from Nazi occupation but never returned to France. However, 10 years later, France came to Joe, awarding him the rank of Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaporte. Among the Canadians so honoured are First World War air ace Billy Bishop and singer Céline Dion — pretty good company.
Upon coming home in December 1945, Joe returned to work as a carpenter before embarking on a new career in 1967, selling real estate for Bowes and Cocks. Retiring in 1978, he was gifted with more time very well spent with his wife Ella (English). They were residing together at Fairhaven when Ella passed in February 2015 — the parents of four daughters and a son, and grandparents and great-grandparents many times over.
There you have it. The Cole’s Notes version of the life of Joseph (Joe) Cornelius Sullivan. Allow me to now tell you about the man I met on two occasions and came away full of respect for and grateful I didn’t miss out.
Advertisement - content continues below
For all their chest-swelling pride in their service, most veterans long gone and those still with us share another trait — silence. The assault on the senses they experienced is too painful, too fresh even after all these years. We respect their silence as we should. They’ve more than earned that.
But there are exceptions to that and, as each passing year sees us more removed from their service, we need to hear their voices. They speak to the very core of lest we forget.
With remarkable clarity, Joe remembered it all, not hesitating to talk of what he saw, what he heard, and what he felt without glorifying the experience but always, always, honouring the sacrifice and courage of his battalion mates.
A 98-year-old Joe Sullivan at Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home in Peterborough in 2018, displaying a montage of medals related to his war service. In 2015, Joseph Sullivan was awarded the French National Order of the Legion of Honour (bottom left) in recognition of his war service. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
Settled in his easy chair, his many framed wall-mounted medals and citations looking down upon him, Joe admitted to being “always scared” before adding “But we knew we had a job to do.”
In that moment, Joe was in France circa the summer of 1944 and I was there with him. No, Joe didn’t have me at hello but he had me with every word that followed.
Remembrance Day 2020 has fallen victim to the scourge of COVID-19 and its associated restrictions. Annual ceremonies held at cenotaphs across the country, including the beautiful Walter Allward-designed tribute in Peterborough’s Confederation Park, will be brief and much toned down with residents urged not to attend — a dramatic departure from the you-must-attend invitation that has always been extended.
Advertisement - content continues below
I hope that by sharing here my experience of sitting down with Joe, and my lasting admiration for his service and open recollections, I can help fill a void. We don’t have to be present to remember. We simply have to remember their presence.
A twist of fate, a wrong step in any one of a number of directions, and Joe might not have come home. His would be a name long-chiseled on the cenotaph; a reminder that there once was a man who was scared but did the job he had to do.
Joseph Sullivan (second row, second from right) with the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders in Leesten, The Netherlands, for the 60th anniversary of Holland’s liberation in May 2005. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Sullivan)
But Joe came home — “I consider myself lucky” he said — and his gift to me, and through me to you, was his willingness to talk about that which many have refused to speak of with a singular purpose in mind: that we never forget.
A funeral mass for Joseph Sullivan will be held at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church (300 Wilson St., Peterborough) at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, followed by internment at Highland Park Cemetery. COVID-19 restrictions are in place, space is limited, and face coverings are required.
As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to Fairhaven Long-Term Care. Online condolences may be made at www.highlandparkfuneralcentre.com.
Premier Doug Ford announces Ontario's new classification system for COVID-19 activity in public health units at a media conference at Queen's Park on November 3, 2020. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
With Ontario reporting a single day record of 1,050 new COVID-19 cases, the provincial government released its new “COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework”, which includes classifying public health unit regions into one of five colour-coded categories to reflect the level of COVID-19 activity.
Details were announced on Tuesday (November 3) during a media conference at Queen’s Park by Premier Doug Ford, health minister Christine Elliott, finance minister Rod Phillips, Treasury Board president Peter Bethlenfalvy, and chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams.
“This framework, developed in consultation with our health experts, will serve as an early warning system allowing us to scale up and scale back public health restrictions on a regional or community basis in response to surges and waves of COVID-19,” Ford said. “By introducing public health measures sooner, we can keep this deadly virus at bay, bend the curve and reclaim a little more of our normal lives.”
The least restrictive category is Green-Prevent, which includes standard public health measures. The majority of public health units currently fall in this category, including the three in the greater Kawarthas region. The next category is Yellow-Protect, which includes strengthened measures; Brant County, Hamilton, Durham, and Halton currently fall in this category. Orange-Restrict includes intermediate measures; Toronto, Peel, York, Ottawa, and Eastern Ontario Health Unit currently fall in this category.
There are currently no health units in the two most restrictive categories: Red-Control, which includes stringent public health measures, and Grey-Lockdown, which includes maximum public health measures.
Advertisement - content continues below
The new system modifies existing health measures depending on the category, which in some cases are less restrictive than the current modified Stage 2 requirements affecting Toronto, Peel, York, and Ottawa.
For example, in Yellow-Protect, bars and restaurants must close at midnight, alcohol cannot be served past 11 p.m., and only 6 people can be seated together. In Orange-Restrict, bars and restaurants must close at 10 p.m., alcohol cannot be served past 9 p.m., and only 4 people can be seated together.
The list of all proposed measures, including for social gatherings, bars and restaurants, sports and recreational facilities, meeting and event spaces, retail, personal care services, casinos, bingo halls, and gaming establishments, cinemas, and performing arts facilities are included in the COVID-19 Response Framework, available below.
The new colour-coding system will go into effect as of Saturday (November 7), although Toronto may be delayed into entering the Orange-Restrict level until the following week at the request of Mayor John Tory.
Of the 1,050 new cases reported today, most are in Toronto (408), Peel (212), Halton (86), York (76), and Durham (57), with smaller increases in Ottawa (34), Niagara (31), Hamilton (34), Simcoe Muskoka (21), Southwestern Public Health (20), Waterloo (20), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (11), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11), and Brant County (10). The remaining 20 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 13 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 51% are among people under the age of 40. With 837 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 85.4%. The positivity rate remains unchanged at 4.0%, meaning that 40 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 2.
There have been 14 new deaths, including 8 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have increased by 29 to 357, although this increase is based on yesterday’s number that excluded data from 40 hospitals. There are 2 fewer patients in ICUs and 2 additional patient on ventilator.
A total of 25,279 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 5,361 to 20,758.
The number of cases in Ontario schools has jumped to 134, an increase of 65 from yesterday, with 82 student cases, 13 staff cases, and 39 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 23 cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 17 from yesterday, with 7 cases among children and 16 cases among staff.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 2 new cases to report in Peterborough; however, an additional case has been resolved, leaving 7 active cases there. There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, or Hastings and Prince Edward counties. An additional case has been resolved in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, leaving 6 active cases there.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 17 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 7 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 152 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (143 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (166 resolved with 32 deaths), 50 in Northumberland County (46 resolved with 1 death), 20 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 81 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (70 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 78,705 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,050 from yesterday, with 67,244 cases resolved (85.4% of all cases), an increase of 837. There have been 3,166 deaths, an increase of 14 from yesterday, with 2,024 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 8 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 29 to 357, although this increase is based on yesterday’s number that did not include data from 40 hospitals. There are 2 fewer patients in ICUs and 2 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,200,247 tests have been completed, an increase of 20,758 from yesterday, with 20,758 tests under investigation, an increase of 5,361 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’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: 152 (increase of 2) Active cases: 7 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 17 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 143 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 34,550 (increase of 50) Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)
*An outbreak at Fairhaven Long-Term Care in Peterborough was declared on October 31 after a caregiver tested positive.
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 Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 255, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 50 in Northumberland, 20 in Haliburton (no change) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 14, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 6 in Northumberland (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 231, including 166 in Kawartha Lakes, 46 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change) Active cases: 4, including 3 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (no change)
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 from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 81 (no change) Active cases: 6 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 70 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 46,791 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 78,705 (increase of 1,050) Resolved: 67,244 (increase of 837, 85.4% of all cases) Hospitalized: 357 (increase of 29)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 73 (decrease of 2) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 47 (increase of 2) Deaths: 3,166 (increase of 14) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,024 (increase of 8) Total tests completed: 5,200,247 (increase of 25,279) Tests under investigation: 20,758 (increase of 5,361)
*This increase is from data reported on November 2, which did not include numbers from 40 hospitals. The number of hospitalizations reported on November 1 was 350.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 3 – November 2, 2020. 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 October 3 – November 2, 2020. 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)
Security footage of a suspect brandishing a conducted energy weapon during a robbery attempt at a drive-thru ATM in Orillia on October 26, 2020. Sebastian Gaudino, 46, of Minden Hills Township was arrested by police on October 30, 2020 and faces three charges. (Police-supplied photo)
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have arrested a Minden Hills man suspected in four robberies in Coboconk, Orillia, and Gravenhurst on October 25 and 26.
In two of the incidents, the suspect approached people at an ATM, brandished a conducted energy weapon, and demanded cash.
In the other two incidents, the suspect entered a convenience store with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded cash.
On Friday (October 30) at around 10:50 a.m., members of the OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit located and arrested the suspect on Highway 12, near Concession 10, in the Township of Ramara.
Advertisement - content continues below
Orillia OPP, in conjunction with York Regional Police, had identified the suspect earlier in the day and were actively searching for him at the time of the arrest.
Sebastian Gaudino, 46, of Minden Hills Township, has been charged with robbery with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and unauthorized possession of a weapon.
The accused man is set to appear on December 1, 2020, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Orillia.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 948 new cases today, with most of today’s new cases in Toronto (315), Peel (269), York (81), and Ottawa (64).
There are smaller increases in Durham (32), Hamilton (30), Simcoe Muskoka (28), Niagara (24), Windsor-Essex (23), Halton (19), Waterloo (19), Southwestern Public Health (11), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (11), and Middlesex-London (7). The remaining 20 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 11 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 55% are among people under the age of 40. With 826 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 85.5%. The positivity rate has increased by 1.0% to 4.0%, meaning that 40 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 1.
There have been 7 new deaths, including 3 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have dropped by 22 to 328, although 40 hospitals did not submit data for this report. There are 3 additional patients in ICUs and 1 less patient on a ventilator.
A total of 27,908 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has decreased by 8,536 to 15,397.
There are 69 new cases in Ontario schools reported today, a increase of 8 since October 30, with 41 student cases, 6 staff cases, and 22 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 6 cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 3 from October 30, with 5 cases among children and 1 case among staff.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case to report today in Northumberland and 1 new case in Haliburton, with an additional case resolved in Kawarthas Lakes. There are 3 new cases to report in Hastings and Prince Edward counties; however, 3 additional cases have been resolved, leaving no change in the number of active cases there. There are no new cases to report in Peterborough.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 17 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 6 in Peterborough, 7 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 150 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (142 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (166 resolved with 32 deaths), 50 in Northumberland County (46 resolved with 1 death), 20 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 81 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (69 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 77,655 confirmed cases, an increase of 948 from yesterday, with 66,407 cases resolved (85.5% of all cases), an increase of 826. There have been 3,152 deaths, an increase of 7 from yesterday, with 2,016 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 3 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has dropped by 22 to 328, although 40 hospitals did not report data for this report. There are 3 additional patients in ICUs and 1 less patient on a ventilator. A total of 5,174,968 tests have been completed, an increase of 27,908 from yesterday, with 15,397 tests under investigation, a decrease of 8,536 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’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: 150 (no change) Active cases: 6 (no change) Close contacts: 17 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 142 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 34,500 (increase of 50) Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak at Fairhaven Long-Term Care in Peterborough was declared on October 31 after a caregiver tested positive.
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 Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 255, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 50 in Northumberland, 20 in Haliburton (increase of 2, 1 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 14, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 6 in Northumberland (no net change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 231, including 166 in Kawartha Lakes, 46 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 2) Active cases: 4, including 3 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton (net increase of 1) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (no change)
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 from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 81 (increase of 3) Active cases: 7 (no net change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 69 (increase of 3) Total tests completed: 46,791 (increase of 718) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 77,655 (increase of 948) Resolved: 66,407 (increase of 826, 85.5% of all cases) Hospitalized: 328 (decrease of 22)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 75 (increase of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 45 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 3,152 (increase of 7) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,016 (increase of 3) Total tests completed: 5,174,968 (increase of 27,908) Tests under investigation: 15,397 (decrease of 8,536)
*Approximately 40 hospitals did not submit data to the Daily Bed Census for October 31. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 2 – November 1, 2020. 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 October 2 – November 1, 2020. 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)
Fairhaven is a municipal long-term care home facility located at 881 Dutton Road in Peterborough. (Photo: Fairhaven)
For the third time since September, a COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home in Peterborough.
On Saturday (October 31), Fairhaven executive director Lionel Towns said COVID-19 had been detected in a swab test of a caregiver on Westview 2 at Fairhaven.
He said Peterborough Public Health confirmed the test result on Saturday afternoon and subsequently declared an outbreak at the home.
Advertisement - content continues below
Towns said no residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and that all residents, staff members, and contract service providers on Westview 2 will be tested for the virus.
The health unit is also conducting contact tracing for the caregiver who tested positive, Towns added.
“All general visits will cease until the outbreak is declared over,” Towns said. “Palliative visits will continue.”
While general visitors are not allowed during an outbreak, under provincial guidelines issued on October 5th, essential visitors — including support workers and caregivers — are allowed access to the home during an outbreak, including a maximum of one caregiver per resident at a time.
However, Towns is requesting caregivers consider postponing any visits until the home is out of outbreak.
“While we have been informed by the ministry that we cannot prevent essential caregivers from visiting, I believe that it is in the best interest of the home, its residents and staff, if loved ones wait until the outbreak period is over (hopefully two weeks),” Towns said.
“A short period of time away, unlike the months of isolation imposed at the start of the pandemic, will potentially be the difference between a short outbreak and a longer period of time with the potential for the coronavirus to be in the building.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Peterborough Public Health has declared two previous outbreaks at Fairhaven: one from September 15th to 28th, and another from September 28th to October 13th.
In each of those outbreaks, a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
After reporting 1,015 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, Ontario is reporting 977 new cases today.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (279), Peel (238), Ottawa (130), and York (113). There’s a new outbreak in Brant County, which is reporting 25 cases today compared to 3 yesterday.
Other increases include Durham (31), Niagara (31), Waterloo (26), Simcoe Muskoka (23), Hamilton (21), Halton (16), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (9), Windsor-Essex (7), and Middlesex-London (6). The remaining 20 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 7 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 53% are among people under the age of 40. With 864 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 85.5%. The positivity rate is unavailable on weekends.
There have been 9 new deaths, including 4 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have jumped by 30 to 350, and this number does include 40 hospitals that failed to submit data for the report. However, there is one less patient in an ICU and 8 fewer patients on ventilators.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are no new cases to report in Peterborough, and an additional 2 cases have been resolved, leaving 6 active cases. Reports are unavailable on weekends for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, or Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
There are currently 16 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 6 in Peterborough, 7 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 150 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (142 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (165 resolved with 32 deaths), 49 in Northumberland County (46 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 78 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (66 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 76,707 confirmed cases, an increase of 977 from yesterday, with 65,581 cases resolved (85.5% of all cases), an increase of 864. There have been 3,145 deaths, an increase of 9 from yesterday, with 2,013 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 4 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has jumped by 30 to 350 (with 40 hospitals not reporting data), but the number of patients in ICUs has decreased by 1 and the number of patients on ventilators decreasing by 8. A total of 5,147,060 tests have been completed, an increase of 37,133 from yesterday, with 23,933 tests under investigation, a decrease of 12,329 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’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: 150 (no change) Active cases: 6 (decrease of 2) Close contacts: 17 (decrease of 2) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 142 (increase of 2) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 34,450 (increase of 200) Institutional outbreaks: None (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 from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from October 30.
Confirmed positive: 253, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 49 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Northumberland)* Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 14, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 8 in Northumberland (decrease of 5 in Kawartha Lakes, increase of 5 in Northumberland) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 229, including 165 in Kawartha Lakes, 46 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Active cases: 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (no net change) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak was declared at Warkworth Long Term Care on October 29 after a staff person 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 reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from October 30.
Confirmed positive: 78 (increase of 3) Active cases: 7 (increase of 2) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 66 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 46,073 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 76,707 (increase of 977) Resolved: 65,581 (increase of 864, 85.5% of all cases) Hospitalized: 350 (increase of 30)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 72 (decrease of 1) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 46 (decrease of 8) Deaths: 3,145 (increase of 9) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,013 (increase of 4) Total tests completed: 5,147,060 (increase of 37,133) Tests under investigation: 23,933 (decrease of 12,329)
*Approximately 40 hospitals did not submit data to the Daily Bed Census for October 30. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 1 – October 31, 2020. 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 October 1 – October 31, 2020. 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 in Ontario from October 1 – October 31, 2020. The red line is the number of new hospitalizations reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new hospitalizations. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from October 1 – October 31, 2020. The red line is the number of new deaths reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Old Norwood Road is one of three roads connecting Television Road to Ashburnham Drive the City of Peterborough has closed to through traffic until Parks Canada completes construction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Residents living on McFarlane Street aside, few have the front-row seat to traffic on that road that Fergus Crough has occupied over the past three years.
As the crossing guard for Armour Heights Public School students, Crough is seeing not only more traffic and speeding on McFarlane Street but also an increase in the number of trucks using the road.
“You would rarely see a big truck here … maybe a dozen over the past few years,” he says, adding “Now I’m seeing two or three per day. Big tandems, tractor trailers … all sizes of trucks.”
Since October 5th, McFarlane Street has been one of a number of East City roads greatly impacted as a result of a number of detours put in place by the City of Peterborough to accommodate Park Canada’s reconstruction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road.
That work is scheduled to be completed by spring 2021. Until then, with Parkhill Road East at the bridge closed to all but local traffic.
Eastbound traffic is being diverted to use University Road, Nassau Mills Road and Armour Road, while westbound traffic is being steered toward Television Road, Lansdowne Street East, and Ashburnham Drive.
Meanwhile, MacFarlane Avenue, Old Norwood Road, and Maniece Avenue between Ashburnham Drive and Television Road are each closed to all but local traffic. (MacFarlane Avenue connects to McFarlane Street via Trentview Road, which is also closed to through traffic).
A car turns southbound onto Television Road from Parkhill Road East on the afternoon of Saturday, October 31st, due to the closure of Parkhill Road to through traffic between Armour Road and Television Road until Parks Canada completes construction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Since the detours came into effect, a growing and very loud collective voice has resonated from East City where a number of residents are expressing their concerns — not only over the resulting traffic gridlock but also the fact they weren’t consulted prior to the detour decision.
Even more maddening for concerned residents, they aren’t hearing back from city officials despite several attempts to seek some resolution.
“We understood that when the work on the swing bridge happened, we would face interruptions and inconveniences, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for the city to shut down several access streets to East City like they have,” says Euclid Avenue resident Andrew MacGregor, referring to the closures of through traffic on McFarlane Avenue, Old Norwood Road, and Maniece Avenue.
Advertisement - content continues below
“Parks Canada closing the bridge to work on it isn’t the problem, that work really needs to get done,” MacGregor adds. “The problem is we can’t exit our neighbourhoods.”
Using the East City Ptbo Facebook page as its social media platform, a large group of East City residents, MacGregor among them, have been pushing hard for a review of, and modifications to, the detour plan.
Among the more outspoken of the group has been Armour Road resident Brenda Cowan, a hearing aid practitioner whose business, The Ear Depot, is located near the swing bridge on Parkhill Road East. While she says her business hasn’t been adversely affected by the closure of Parkhill Road East, she has seen a substantial increase in traffic on Armour Road as a result.
VIDEO: Detour traffic in East City, Peterborough – October 31, 2020
“There has been a domino effect of safety issues, infrastructure issues, and signage issues that have resulted from the closure of Maniece Avenue and Old Norwood Road,” says Cowan.
“We (the group) don’t want committees. We don’t want discussion. We don’t want studies. We want the (local traffic only) signs removed from Maniece and Old Norwood Road. They’re public roads. They’re not under construction. It’s a cash grab with a $110 fine and two demerit points for disobeying road signs.”
“Residents living on those streets are no more important than we are. Why don’t we just close Armour Road because I don’t like the traffic? I don’t have a problem at all when there’s construction on the roads closed. They’ve closed public roads paid for by our taxes. They’re closing these roads because we’re not in the same bracket as residents on those streets. I’ve lived long enough in this town to know that’s the case.”
A vehicle waits to cross the single-lane bridge on McFarlane Street via Ashburnham Drive. An increasing amount of traffic (including heavy trucks) has been using McFarlane Street via Ashburnham Drive as an alternate route during the closure of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road. kawarthaNOW visited the bridge at 4 p.m. on the afternoon of Saturday, October 31st and stopped counting after 100 vehicles used the route in a period of 10 minutes; the traffic situation is even worse on weekdays. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Then there’s the matter of increased traffic on McFarlane Street and the adverse effect that heavy truck traffic in particular may be having on the four-ton limit single-lane McFarlane Street bridge.
“Because there’s no proper signage at Lansdowne and Ashburnham Drive for trucks coming off the highway, they’re going up Ashburnham and over the bridge,” says Cowan, adding “Someone is going to get critically hurt or killed if that bridge collapses.”
Ashburnham Ward councillor Keith Riel, along with his ward councillor colleague Gary Baldwin, has heard it good from the group. While Riel dismisses outright any suggestion that road closure decisions are made with residents’ income status or property tax contribution in mind, he agrees this road detour plan is in need of revision.
Advertisement - content continues below
“There was no consultation with council on this, this was a city staff decision,” he says.
“I probably have more questions than solutions, but something has to be done. We’re looking at eight months of these road closures that are not conducive to moving people.”
Councillor Riel will have the opportunity to ask his questions this Tuesday (November 3rd) when a meeting on the issue is held, involving himself and Councillor Baldwin, city staff, Mayor Diane Therrien, and neighbouring county officials and politicians.
“Decisions were made based on the fact that the roads (MacFarlane Avenue, Old Norwood Road, and Maniece Avenue) aren’t designed or engineered to handle the (anticipated) volume but it has turned political,” assesses Mayor Therrien.
“The decision was made to try and limit those roads to local traffic only and direct everyone else to roads that were designed to handle higher volume. We’re open to any feedback if there is anything that can make it easier.”
Maniece Avenue at Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough’s East City. The road is one of three connecting Ashburnham Drive to Television Road the City of Peterborough has closed to through traffic until Parks Canada completes construction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road in the spring of 2021. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
For his part, MacGregor wants to hear acknowledgement that what is in place isn’t working and revisions are going to be made.
“Nobody is suggesting that we shouldn’t be detouring cars or we shouldn’t be doing the bridge work, but the inconveniences that have been imposed are overstepping.”
Should that meeting amount to nothing in terms of no changes, MacGregor promises an escalation of the group’s efforts.
“It was easy to put these restrictions in place, so it’s easy to remove them,” he says, adding a petition on the matter is prepared and ready to be issued via social media. “We won’t take no for answer.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Cowan, however, is not optimistic the November 3rd meeting will result in any changes. She’s basing that on the fact that the group’s pleas have been, according to her, ignored — outside of Councillor Riel’s efforts.
“They (city staff) have been very poor responding to us because they want it to go away,” she says.
“I want to see the politicians stand up and do the job they were elected for. They were very quick to come to our door and want our vote. They better be just as quick to reach out when their constituents don’t like decisions that been made.”
“I’m 71 years old. I don’t care about people’s egos or toes being stepped on at City Hall. They are there to represent us. It’s not a dictatorship but they’re using COVID-19 as a cover for pushing through things improperly.”
One of the concerns expressed by East City residents is the increasing use of the single-lane McFarlane Street bridge by tractor trailors and other heavy trucks using Ashburnham Drive to enter the city from Highway 115. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Both MacGregor and Cowan say, if anything, this exercise in citizen dissent has proven there is power in numbers.
“When we start to show that we’re willing to put time and effort into making this something bigger than just simply emailing councillors, that sends a very big message,” MacGregor says. “We’re not waiting for them to come back and tell us they’re not going to do anything.”
He adds the group’s perception is they’re being viewed at City Hall as simply “neighbours making noise.”
“Some level of injustice has happened here. City staff went ahead and made decisions unilaterally without consultation from the neighbourhood or city council. That would have taken time, but taking time is necessary. Yes, we’re making a loud noise. What we are wanting to hear is they agree this situation isn’t working and that they’re going to make changes.”
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,015 new COVID-19 cases, the highest increase since October 25 when a record 1,042 new cases were reported.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (325), Peel (282), Ottawa (94), and York (88), with smaller increases in Hamilton (41), Halton (31), Niagara (23), Durham (23), Waterloo (22), Simcoe Muskoka (20), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13), Windsor-Essex (10), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (6), Grey Bruce (6), and Middlesex-London (6).
The remaining 19 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 8 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 52% are among people under the age of 40. With 798 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 85.5%. The positivity rate is unavailable on weekends.
There have been 9 new deaths, including 5 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have increased by 6 to 320, with 2 fewer patients in ICUs and 2 additional patients on ventilators.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case to report in Peterborough. Reports are unavailable on weekends for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings and Prince Edward counties
There are currently 18 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 8 in Peterborough, 7 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 150 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (140 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (165 resolved with 32 deaths), 49 in Northumberland County (46 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 78 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (66 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 75,730 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,015 from yesterday, with 64,717 cases resolved (85.5% of all cases), an increase of 798. There have been 3,136 deaths, an increase of 9 from yesterday, with 2,009 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 5 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 6 to 320, with 2 fewer patients in ICUs and 2 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,109,927 tests have been completed, an increase of 41,920 from yesterday, with 36,262 tests under investigation, a decrease of 4,801 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’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: 150 (increase of 1) Active cases: 8 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 19 (decrease of 27) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 140 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 34,250 (increase of 150) Institutional outbreaks: None (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 from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from October 30.
Confirmed positive: 253, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 49 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Northumberland)* Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 14, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 8 in Northumberland (decrease of 5 in Kawartha Lakes, increase of 5 in Northumberland) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 229, including 165 in Kawartha Lakes, 46 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Active cases: 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (no net change) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak was declared at Warkworth Long Term Care on October 29 after a staff person 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 reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from October 30.
Confirmed positive: 78 (increase of 3) Active cases: 7 (increase of 2) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Resolved: 66 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 46,073 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 75,730 (increase of 1,015) Resolved: 64,717 (increase of 798, 85.5% of all cases) Hospitalized: 320 (increase of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU: 73 (decrease of 2) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 54 (increase of 2) Deaths: 3,136 (increase of 9) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,009 (increase of 5) Total tests completed: 5,109,927 (increase of 41,920) Tests under investigation: 36,262 (decrease of 4,801)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 30 – October 30, 2020. 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 September 30 – October 30, 2020. 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)
Detail of a painting by Rocky Lawrence Green from his latest show 'a private view', on display at Atelier Ludmila Gallery in downtown Peterborough beginning Friday, November 6th during the COVID-safe First Friday Peterborough art crawl. (Photo courtesy of Atelier Ludmila)
As the pandemic continues to plague us this month, art galleries are re-opening with staunch safety measures in place.
The First Friday art crawl continues to happen in downtown Peterborough at reduced capacity, with new paintings by Rocky Green at the Atelier Ludmila Gallery. The Art Gallery of Northumberland hosts its 42nd annual juried show, and Artspace in Peterborough will be showing a series of 10-day micro exhibits (and is also presenting a virtual Q&A session writing exhibition applications and grants).
The Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden is showing ‘TRUSS’, four installations of sculpture by Carey Jernigan. Artsweek Peterborough is presenting Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown, featuring poetry, spoken word, and visual art in downtown Peterborough.
So, if you’re feeling very cooped up, you can venture out with your mask and visit any of these exhibits. In some cases you may need to make an appointment, but they are open for viewing.
And last but not least, don’t forget the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s It’s All About ARTISTS! online auction in support of local artists is on now, closing on November 7th
Atelier Ludmila Gallery presents ‘a private view’ by Rocky Green during First Friday Peterborough
One of the works by Rocky Green included in his exhibit ‘a private view’ at Atelier Ludmila Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Atelier Ludmila)
Rocky Green’s ‘a private view’ at Atelier Ludmila Gallery is a series of paintings depicting scenes from the life of the artist.
These deftly painted pieces depict quiet moments, little bits of everyday life — a private viewing of excerpts from the artist’s life. As the title insinuates, all viewings will feel private since only five viewers will be allowed in at a time at Atelier Ludmila.
To see the show in person, drop by Atelier Ludmila Gallery from 6 to 10 p.m. during First Friday Peterborough on Friday, November 6th.Atelier Ludmila Gallery is located on the second floor of the Commerce Building (129 1/2 Hunter St. W., Peterborough). The gallery is open from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment throughout the week. To book an appointment, email ludmilaprojects@gmail.com.For more information, visit atelierludmila.com.
Two moose paintings by artist Joe Stable, on display at ACME Art and Sailboat Company during First Friday Peterborough. Moose t-shirts are also available. (Photos courtesy of Joe Stable)
There will be other studios in the vicinity open. Joe Stable will be featuring his moose paintings (and moose t-shirts) at ACME Art and Sailboat Company, located on the third floor of the Commerce Building (129 1/2 Hunter St. W., Peterborough).
In all studios, COVID-cautious measures in place of course. These include reduced capacity, physical distancing, mask wearing, and frequent hand sanitizing.
For more information about First Friday Peterborough, visit firstfridayptbo.com.
Art Gallery of Northumberland hosts its 42nd Annual Juried Show
The COVID-safe opening of the 42nd Annual Juried Show at the Art Gallery of Northumberland in Cobourg. (Photo: Art Gallery of Northumberland / Facebook)
This November marks the 42nd year of the Annual Juried Show at the Art Gallery of Northumberland. Supporting artists in the area and fostering community, the gallery is happy to be able to continue with its annual tradition during these challenging times.
The winner of the Juror’s Choice is ‘Crossroads’, a collage by Elayne Windsor, and the runner-up is ‘The Chronicles of Eleanora II’, a tryptich of three graphite drawings by Rolf Busch.
The jurors were Andrea Carson Barker, Linda Jansma, and Olexander Wlasenko.
‘Crossroads’ by Elayne Windsor and ‘The Chronicles of Eleanora II’ by by Rolf Busch. (Photos: Art Gallery of Northumberland / Facebook)
A People’s Choice award will be determined by votes cast by visitors coming to the gallery to view the exhibition, which runs until Wednesday, November 11th.
The Art Gallery of Northumberland is located on the third floor of the west wing of Victoria Hall (55 King St. W., Cobourg). Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Wednesday by appointment only.
To book an appointment, call 905-372-0333 or use the online form at www.artgalleryofnorthumberland.com/agn-reopens/, where you’ll also find information about the safety measures in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Advertisement - content continues below
Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden presents ‘TRUSS’ by Carey Jernigan
A sculpture from ‘Patternmaker-Play’ and ‘Patternmaker-Stress’, two of four installations by Carey Jernigan at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden. (Photo courtesy of Agnes Jamieson Gallery)
Carey Jernigan’s exhibition ‘TRUSS’ at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden is comprised of four sculptural installations, ‘Patternmaker-Play’, ‘Patternmaker-Stress’, ‘Crossing’, and ‘One in Three’.
In these installations, Jernigan explores history, current world events and issues of violence against women. The two ‘Patternmaker’ installations are based on the experiences of employees of a steam-powered pumphouse in Hamilton and feature gears and kinetic movement, while ‘Crossing’ speaks to borders, and invites us to question both the safety and validity of national borders, making use of ladders and glass to bisect a room, creating a border that is both unsafe and arbitrary.
‘One in Three’ makes reference to the fact that one in three women will experience some form of intimate partner violence or sexual violence during her lifetime. The installation feautes a series of cubes, which represent a search for order during difficulties experienced in life.
VIDEO: TRUSS by Carey Jernigan
Jernigan trained as a furniture maker with Heidi Earnshaw Design, and her sculptures and interactive artwork feature wood, light, and memory. She explores industrial processes, material culture, and the people and places they shape. Her work has been featured in New York at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, in Canada at Craft Ontario, the Workers’ Arts and Heritage Centre, Harbourfront Centre, Parkdale Film & Video Showcase, the Khyber Centre for the Arts, the Anna Leon Owens Gallery, Eyelevel Gallery, and the Nova Scotia Public Archives, and in Portugal at De Liceiras 18.
‘TRUSS’ will be on display at Agnes Jamieson Gallery until Sunday, November 29th.
The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is located in the Minden Hills Cultural Centre at 176 Bobcaygeon Road in Minden. For more information, call 705-286-3763 or visit mindenhills.ca/agnes-jamieson-art-gallery/. A limited number of people are allowed in the gallery at one time. Masks are required and physical distancing is practiced in the space, with floor markings to remind you to stay apart, and hand sanitizer is also readily available.
Artspace presents three micro-exhibitions in Peterborough
Artspace in Peterborough is hosting three 10-day micro-exhibitions in rapid succession in November through December: ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ by the First People’s House of Learning from November 4th to 14th, ‘Around’ by John Climenhage from November 18th to 28th, and ‘Attention is a Task We Share’ by Robin Love from December 2nd to 12th.
These three shows all deal with community and perspective. ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ is photo-based exhibit based on the first-hand experiences of indigenous youth in the post-secondary community, ‘Around’ is a series of paintings of local scenes around Peterborough from the perspective of painter John Climenhage, and ‘Attention is a Task We Share’ deals with ways of knowing and questions our Euro-centric education system.
‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ by The First People’s House of Learning
From the exhibit ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ by The First People’s House of Learning. (Photo courtesy of Artspace)
As the title clearly states, ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ aims to break down stereotypes and deals with hurtful comments based on wrongly held assumptions and racist beliefs that indigenous students are faced with as they attend Trent University. This will be an eye-opener for some.
Though the people who see and experience these realities are very much aware since they bear the brunt of it, those who are not targets of cruelty and injustice can be completely oblivious. An exhibit like this, coming from community experiences, can teach those who are blissfully unaware, and sometimes in complete denial, that racism is a real threat, and sadly, alive and well in our community.
The fact that this is experienced by young people today, here and now, should be a wake-up call to anyone and everyone who thinks racism is a thing of the past.
The exhibit will run from Wednesday, November 4th until Saturday, November 14th.
‘Around’ by John Climenhage
From John Climenhage’s exhibit ‘Around’. (Photo courtesy of Artspace)
This series of bright impressions of the streets and byways of Peterborough is familiar and refreshing.
Painted in John Climenhage’s signature style the scenes are lively, full of light and movement. The familiar and sometimes drab is brought to life with a sense of immediacy in these paintings, allowing the viewer to appreciate the everyday moment, and see the streets of Peterborough in a new light. The show will run from Wednesday, November 18th to Saturday, November 28th.
Also make sure to check out the exhibit of Climenhage’s paintings at various downtown Peterborough locations as part of the Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown project curated by Justin Million (see below).
‘Attention is a Task We Share’ by Robin Love
From Robin Love’s ‘Attention is a Task We Share’. (Photo courtesy of Artspace)
This installation is made up of two pieces, ‘Short Talk on Process’ and ‘Things Take the Time They Take’. Looking at learning environments critically, these pieces deal with the way such environments are structured to reinforce the dominant culture and ideology.
Challenging Euro-centric ways of learning, artist Robin Love sets up environments which emphasize process over outcome, and which allow accident and improvisation to inform the learning process. This points to possibilities within education for diversity, and acknowledges that there are many ways to learn and come to know and understand things.
This show runs from Wednesday, December 2nd until Saturday, December 12th.
Advertisement - content continues below
Physical distancing, limited numbers allowed in the gallery space, mask wearing, and sanitization are all in practice at Artspace to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access and free admission during regular open hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday, by appointment on Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
Artspace hosts a virtual Q&A on writing exhibition applications and grants on November 18
Each year, Artspace offers a workshop on writing for grants and applications.
This year, the workshop will be offered differently. On Wednesday, November 18th, Artspace’s assistant curator Hannah Keating will go live on Artspace’s social media accounts to answerquestions about the application process, including writing effective project proposals or artist statements and navigating online submission platforms.
You can submit questions until 4 p.m. on November 18th by emailing Hannah at hannah@artspace-arc.org or sending Artspace a private message through Facebook or Instagram.
Artsweek Peterborough presents Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown curated by Justin Million
Artsweek 2020, Peterborough’s biennial 10-day multidisciplinary arts festival, has been postponed until September 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In lieu of the festival, this year Artsweek Peterborough is presenting Artsweek SHIFT, a six-month initiative of pop-ups, online, and COVID-safe in-person events. All the events are free.
First up is “Downtown”, curated by poet Justin Million, which celebrates local visual artists, poets, and spoken word artists who live and work in Peterborough’s downtown core, and who have kept on working throughout the pandemic.
Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown curator and poet Justin Million at “An Afternoon of Spoken Word & Poetry” outside The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough on October 24th. “An Afternoon of Spoken Word & Poetry #2” take place in the same location on November 7th.
Following a first event in October, November brings “An Afternoon of Spoken Word & Poetry #2” featuring readings by Katherine Heigh, Justin Million, Shaun Phuah, and Nick Taylor.
The event takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 7th in the back parking lot of The Theatre On King at 171 King Street in downtown Peterborough.
Bring your own chair and wear a mask (audience members are required to wear a mask at all times during the event).
Advertisement - content continues below
There’s also “Menacing Beauty – The John Climenhage Storefront Project” on now and running until Friday, November 13th at various downtown Peterborough restaurant and bars.
“Climenhage’s paintings are unmatched in how they chronicle the changes affecting our urban, rural, and even wilder landscapes,” writes Justin Million, curator of Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown.
“John’s work executed during the pandemic is fresh, it’s immediate, it’s crucial,” Million adds. “These are paintings devoid of folk, rife with the menacing stress of long shadows creeping into what would otherwise be idyllic city scenes.”
In addition to an exhibit at Artspace, Peterborough artist John Climenhage’s paintings will be on display at eight locations in downtown Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Artsweek)
The paintings will be on display at Dreams of Beans (138 Hunter St. W.), Providence (131 Hunter St. W.), Rare (166 Brock St;), The Sapphire Room (137 Hunter St. W.), Sam’s Place Deli (188 Hunter St. W.), St. Veronus Cafe and Tap Room (129 Hunter St. W.), The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W.), and The Night Kitchen (168 Hunter St. W.).
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
