"I spent a lot of time during this pandemic trying to define what 'safe at home' means when you are not afforded the safe part of home. Threat is not a new part of my life be it from a pandemic or from a physical being. We should remember that safe at home doesn't always mean at home safe." - Elizabeth Jenkins, Poet (Photo: Julie Gagne)
On August 31st, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) in Peterborough launched “Essential”, a photography project that raises awareness of the precarious situation of local artists and arts organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of EC3’s Peterborough Arts Alive initiative, the Essential project is a series of 17 photos by local photographer Julie Gagne that depicts 20 local artists during the pandemic. Each of the photos feature an artist or artists in their home or workplace and is accompanied by an artist statement about their experience of the pandemic.
Twice each week until the end of October, kawarthaNOW is publishing photos from the series. Today, we feature poet Elizabeth Jenkins.
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Elizabeth Jenkins, Poet
Elizabeth Jenkins, Poet – The Essential Project. (Photo by Julie Gagne, design by Rob Wilkes)
A message from EC3 about The Essential Project
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on both individual artists and arts organizations in Peterborough. Performance venues and galleries have been closed, concerts cancelled, exhibitions postponed, entire seasons abandoned. Organizations and facilities are trying to grapple with the loss of revenue and an uncertain future. “Reopening” is not straightforward, to say the least.
Individual artists have lost their creative income and the opportunity to work together to create — something that is absolutely vital to them and to their audiences. Many have pivoted, and developed and presented some great virtual and digital projects. But nothing replaces live performance in front of a live audience and the catalytic energy that comes from being together to rehearse, discuss, and plan projects, to gather at an opening or artist talk.
Isolated at home, cut off from their communities and the lifeblood that is their artistic practice, local artists still found ways to keep our cultural life alive. Silenced and almost invisible, they kept working. But it hasn’t been easy.
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Local photographer Julie Gagne began photographing a number of Peterborough residents in their homes during the earlier stage of the pandemic and posted the photos on Facebook. The eloquent, haunting images of her “Within” portrait project included some artists, and those incredibly moving images caught the eye of EC3 executive director Su Ditta.
Julie’s photos made us think. We have all benefited from the work of artists during the pandemic: we’ve listened to music, read books, watched films, toured virtual exhibitions, tuned in to living room concerts. What has it been like for the artists? Will people remember how essential the arts were to getting through the pandemic when it comes to recovery funding and budget planning? Will arts organizations be supported in a robust recovery plan?
EC3 asked theatre artist Sarah McNeilly to curate and coordinate, and approached Julie Gagne to do a distinct series of photos that spoke to the experience of local artists and what art means to our lives, in good times and in bad. It’s essential.
This arts awareness project is both a witness to the struggles of, and a testament to the courage and contributions of this community during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Julie and everyone in the arts community who have kept us going.
Fairhaven is a municipal long-term care home facility located at 881 Dutton Road in Peterborough. (Photo: Fairhaven)
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Fairhaven in Peterborough as of Tuesday (September 15).
Lionel Towns, executive director of the municipal long-term care home at 881 Dutton Road in Peterborough, confirmed to kawarthaNOW that the facility has declared a COVID-19 outbreak after an employee tested positive for the disease.
Towns said that, due to the outbreak declaration, no visitors or leaves of absence are allowed.
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Peterborough Public Health, which has since confirmed the positive test result and has also declared an outbreak at the facility, reports that the positive case was identified on Saturday (September 12).
In a media release, Towns states that Fairhaven is implementing the following measures, effective immediately:
All residents and all staff members will be tested, including all residents in the home areas in which the employee worked.
Peterborough Public Health will conduct contact tracing for the staff member who tested positive.
The staff member who tested positive will not return to work at Fairhaven until 48 hours after they have had a negative test result.
All general and caregiver visits will cease until the positive case is resolved.
All leaves of absence will cease until the positive case is resolved.
This story has been updated with additional details from Peterborough Public Health and Fairhaven.
Ida Brown is again presenting performance events at The Keene Centre for the Arts, located at the historic former Keene Methodist Church that she and her husband Matt Pukarowski purchased in 2018 and transformed into performing arts space. With a plexiglass shield in place to separate performers from the audience, and with other health and safety protocols in place, Brown is bringing live music, comedy, and more to the venue. (Photo courtesy of The Keene Centre for the Arts)
Although Ida Brown never wavered on her ambition to one day own and manage a performance arts space, not even she could have imagined her lifelong dream would be realized in the sleepy village of Keene.
And although The Keene Centre for the Arts — along with every other performing arts venue — had to temporarily close its doors earlier this year due to the pandemic, Brown has been back in full swing since August hosting COVID-safe events including local live music, comedy, and more.
“I knew, totally and completely, this was where we needed to be,” recalls Brown of her first impression upon entering the then-for-sale former Keene Methodist Church at 12 First Street in the village southeast of Peterborough.
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That was in June 2018. Soon after, Brown and her husband Matt Pukarowski bought the historic building and have since given it vibrant new life as the home of the Keene Centre for the Arts and Brown’s in-house theatre company MyIda Rose Theatre.
“I wanted to have a space for my theatre forever, since my kids were small,” says Brown.
“I fell in love with it and we decided to purchase it and make it into a place for performance artists to come and create things,” Brown adds.
The Keene Centre for the Arts is located at 12 First Street in Keene. (Photo courtesy of The Keene Centre for the Arts)
What followed were extensive renovations to the building, preceded by one very pleasant surprise.
“We went upstairs and discovered a rose-shaped window that was hidden by a brick chimney. Immediately I said ‘We have to take that brick down.'”
That unique architectural feature revealed, Brown, with the help of her husband, her mom Myrna and her grown children, set about transforming what was, since 1927, the Keene Masonic Lodge into the space she had envisioned for so long.
The Keene Centre for the Arts is located in a historic building that was previously the Keene Methodist Church (pictured circa 1900) and the Keene Masonic Hall since 1927. (Photo: Roy Studio)
The arduous work included enlarging and strengthening the existing raised floor that would serve as a stage, and removing brick and rubble from the upper floor rooms. Along the way, slowly but surely, the required work permits were obtained as well as a liquor licence which was granted just this past February.
“At first I was completely gung-ho but there was a point where I realized it was actually happening … my stress level went through the roof and I became terrified,” admits Brown.
“I did a play (The Grinch) in December 2018 (at Keene United Church). The Keene Centre for the Arts wasn’t open yet but I really wanted the community to get to know me. That was very well received. I talked to every single person I could to and was on social media, constantly adding people. My husband said ‘Would you please get off the phone?’ but I was determined.”
The Keene Centre for the Arts includes the MyIda Rose Theatre, a portmanteau of Ida Brown’s mother’s first name along with her own and a tribute to the unique rose window feature of the building. (Photo courtesy of The Keene Centre for the Arts)
The Keene Centre for the Arts is not only home to MyIda Rose Theatre — the theatre name combines her mom’s name Myrna and Brown’s first name while paying tribute to the rose window — but is also available for rental by community groups looking for a space to hold activities.
The main room’s cabaret-style seating can accommodate 60 people while there’s capacity for 40 people upstairs.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated some changes to the venue. Along with public health and safety protocols including face masks, physical distancing, and frequent cleaning, these included the installation of a large plexiglass shield separating performers from the audience.
At The Keene Centre for the Arts, a plexiglass shield separates the performers from the physically distanced tables in the audience. (Photo courtesy of The Keene Centre for the Arts)
The journey that brought Brown to Keene can be traced back to her childhood when her mom exposed her to theatre in Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake. As a child, she created plays in the family backyard, casting neighbourhood kids in various roles as needed.
More formally, she later attended McMaster University where she studied English and drama. With the arrival of her first child Bethany — “She loved to jump on coffee tables and sing” — Brown decided to give her an outlet for her creative energy, founding Brown Children’s Theatre which staged various productions at Hamilton venues, including at a pub, a church basement and The Staircase Café Theatre.
“I continued to adapt or produce one show a year … that’s how we started to bring together parents and their children new to theatre to create huge theatrical productions,” recalls Brown.
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Moves to Cambridge and Elora followed and Brown, kids in tow, produced a number of productions at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, the Elora Centre for the Arts and the Fergus Grand Theatre.
All the while, each summer, she brought cast members to Hastings to her parents’ cottage and fishing camp in Roseneath for “cast party weekends” which included performing for audiences in Hastings.
When her dad was diagnosed with dementia in 2013, she moved her family to Hastings to be closer to him.
Enlarging and strengthening the existing raised floor that would serve as a stage was one of the many renovations undertaken by Ida Brown and Matt Pukarowski to make The Keene Centre for the Arts a flexible performing arts venue. (Photo courtesy of The Keene Centre for the Arts)
“I rented space at the Warkworth Centre for the Arts and, as my five children got to the right age for the parts, I would do certain plays again,” says Brown, who had named her theatre troupe The Little Town Theatre.
“I had been renting space forever, so it was time. I found the church on MLS and we took a look. I could see the promise the moment I walked through the door.”
“There was a pillar going right down the centre of stage but I saw only the little theatre I had been dreaming of for so many years.”
Ida Brown and her husband Matt Pukarowski, a millwright by trade, purchased the historic former Keene Methodist Church and extensively renovated it to transform it into an intimate performing arts venue. (Photo courtesy of The Keene Centre for the Arts)
As of now, both Brown and her husband, who now live in Cordova Mines, are working at full-time at the centre.
Matt Pukarowski is a millwright by trade but currently has no work in that field, giving him the time to help out, including handling the sound for bands that perform there.
Now that Keene Centre for the Arts is a COVID-safe venue, Brown has been able to bring back the popular Sharon’s Cafe, an open mic event with lunch specials held on Thursday afternoons, and recently launched the Keene Comedy Club featuring aspiring comedians on Thursday nights.
VIDEO: Cassie Noble performs at the Keene Centre for the Arts
Cassie Noble in the fishbowl at The Keene Centre for the Arts!
Local bands scheduled so far for this fall include Checkmate (Sep. 19), Emily Burgess (Sep. 25), The Tonemasters (Oct. 17), The Rodgers Boys (Oct. 24), and Kelseidoscope aka Kelsey Eide (Oct. 24).
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region and Ontario.
Today, there are 3 new COVID-19 cases to report in Peterborough and 2 new cases in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, or Prince Edward and Hastings counties.
There are 4 active cases in Peterborough, 3 active cases in Northumberland, and 5 active cases in Prince Edward and Hastings counties. An additional 2 cases have been resolved in Kawartha Lakes, leaving no active cases there, and there are no active cases in Haliburton.
Ontario has reported 313 new COVID-19 cases today, the largest daily increase since June 6th, when 415 new cases were reported. The majority of the new cases are in Toronto (112), Peel (71), Ottawa (60) York (13), Durham (9), Halton (7), Waterloo (7), Middlesex-London (6), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (6), and Simoe Muskoka (6).
The remaining 25 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 15 reporting no new cases. Almost 70% of the new cases across Ontario are among people under the age of 40.
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Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 109 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (103 resolved with 2 deaths), 179 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (160 resolved with 32 deaths), 37 in Northumberland County (33 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 44,817 confirmed cases, an increase of 313 from yesterday, with 39,974 (89.2% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 133. There have been 2,816 deaths, an increase of 1 from yesterday, with 1,818 deaths reported in long-term care homes (no change from yesterday). A total of 3,342,138 tests have been completed, an increase of 29,540 from yesterday, with 19,260 tests under investigation, a decrease of 7,505 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.
Confirmed positive: 109 (increase of 3) Active cases: 4 (increase of 3) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 103 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 26,300 (increase of 60) 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 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 231, including 179 in Kawartha Lakes, 37 in Northumberland, 15 in Haliburton (increase of 2, in Northumberland) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 208, including 160 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Northumberland, 15 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Kawartha Lakes) Active cases: 3 (decrease of 2 in Kawartha Lakes, increase of 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: None (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 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
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: 25,893 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 44,817 (increase of 313) Resolved: 39,974 (increase of 133, 89.2% of all cases) Hospitalized: 47 (increase of 8)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 17 (increase of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 8 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2,816 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,818 (no change) Total tests completed: 3,342,138 (increase of 29,540) Tests under investigation: 19,260 (decrease of 7,505)
*Around 35 hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census for September 12. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from August 14 – September 13, 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 August 14 – September 13, 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)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford comments on the 313 new COVID-19 cases reported in the province on September 14, 2020, at a media conference at Queen's Park with education minister Stephen Lecce, health minister Christine Elliott, and finance minister Rod Phillips. (CPAC screenshot)
With Ontario reporting 313 new cases today — the largest daily increase since early June — Premier Doug Ford is warning Ontarians that a second wave of COVID-19 is coming.
“Together we kept the numbers down all summer, but we all know that a second wave of this virus is coming,” Ford said at a media conference at Queen’s Park on Monday (September 14) with health minister Christine Elliott, education minister Stephen Lecce, and finance minister Rod Phillips.
“We see it all over the world. This virus is amongst us and it’s spreading. So the only question left is how bad will the second wave be? And the answer to that question is up to all of us.”
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The last time the province reported a daily increase of this size was on June 6th, when 415 new cases were reported. Of today’s new cases, the majority continue to be in Toronto (112), Peel (71), and Ottawa (60). Of the 749 new cases reported over the past three days, Toronto makes up 34 per cent of the cases, Peel 23 per cent, and Ottawa 18 per cent.
“Today’s numbers are a cause for concern for all of us,” Ford said. “Let me be crystal clear: every option is on the table. We will take every step necessary, including further shutdowns.” Ford later said any lockdowns would be regional, recognizing that some areas of the province have no COVID-19 cases.
In addition to the hotspots of Toronto, Peel, and Ottawa, the number of public health units reporting more than five cases is also increasing, including in York (13), Durham (9), Halton (7), Waterloo (7), Middlesex-London (6), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (6), and Simoe Muskoka (6). The remaining 25 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 15 reporting no new cases.
Over the past three days, almost 70 per cent of the new cases across Ontario are among people under the age of 40. Ford said large social gatherings are the biggest problem.
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“I’m begging you, please just cut out the social gatherings,” Ford said. “It’s just not worth it, because COVID is ramping up again and we just can’t have the large social gatherings. We have to make sure we’re very vigilant, and we don’t take our eye off the ball. Not everyone, but small percentages are getting lax in the protocols and guidance, and think everything is okay, and it’s coming back to bite us.”
Health minister Elliott said the increase in today’s numbers is “disturbing and significant” and reiterated that people must follow public health guidelines.
“We don’t want to have to shut things down or lock things down again, but it is absolutely essential that people continue to follow the rules with respect to social gatherings — not go to large groups where people are not practising these hygiene measures, because that’s what’s causing COVID-19 to spread,” Elliott said.
“I know it’s been a long time, but it’s not going to be forever. So please continue to follow those rules, and hopefully we’ll come out of the second wave just as well as we came out of the first.”
Elliott said the government will soon be releasing a “robust fall preparedness plan” that also takes into account the approaching flu season and reduced capacity of the hospital system due to the first wave.
As for the possibility of future regional lockdowns, Elliott said the additional measures will be based on a combination of factors, including the number of new cases and new hospitalizations, as well as advice from the province’s health experts.
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Province of Ontario
September 11 (reported September 12)
Confirmed positive: 44,300 (increase of 232) Resolved: 39,717 (increase of 119, 89.7% of all cases) Hospitalized: 43 (decrease of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU: 18 (decrease of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 8 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2,814 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,817 (no change) Total tests completed: 3,281,455 (increase of 35,618) Tests under investigation: 30,491 (decrease of 893)
September 12 (reported September 13)
Confirmed positive: 44,504 (increase of 204) Resolved: 39,841 (increase of 124, 89.5% of all cases) Hospitalized: 39 (decrease of 4)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 14 (decrease of 4) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 9 (increase of 1) Deaths: 2,815 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,818 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 3,312,598 (increase of 31,143) Tests under investigation: 26,765 (decrease of 3,726)
*Around 35 hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census for September 11. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
September 13 (reported September 14)
Confirmed positive: 44,817 (increase of 313) Resolved: 39,974 (increase of 133, 89.2% of all cases) Hospitalized: 47 (increase of 8)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 17 (increase of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 8 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2,816 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,818 (no change) Total tests completed: 3,342,138 (increase of 29,540) Tests under investigation: 19,260 (decrease of 7,505)
*Around 35 hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census for September 12. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from August 14 – September 13, 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 August 14 – September 13, 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)
There will be no parade or large public gatherings for the 18th year of Pride in Peterborough, but that doesn’t mean Pride Week is cancelled. Plans are in the works for various community-run virtual events from Friday, September 18th to Sunday, September 27th to facilitate safe participation for all.
A testament to the resiliency of the community and the Peterborough Pride Committee’s commitment to provide space for participants to gather, share ideas, speak their minds, support each other, and have fun in a safe and accepting environment, “Pride in Other Spaces” aims to connect LGBTQ+ individuals and the community despite the challenges of our year of the virus.
“Obviously we’ve had mixed feelings about it,” says Rick Lambert of the Pride committee. “The small group of people that are involved in Pride organizing have had the same complex personal traumas during the pandemic as anyone else.”
“The consensus that we [the Pride Committee] came to was that individuals in the LGBTQ+ community can often feel isolated, and Pride brings an opportunity for people to come together and feel supported — that they’re not alone — so we felt compelled to do something,” Lambert adds.
“We were hearing from Toronto Pride and other Pride committees that were doing virtual events and there’s a lot of stuff that can be done online. As with any other year, we, the Pride committee, don’t actually run a lot of the events — rather, we invite the community to propose their own.”
“There are going to be various panel discussions, livestreams, and we have films that are going to be available for people to watch,” Lambert explains. “Instead of having a single event, there will be a link that they can go to watch the films at any time.”
VIDEO: “Changing The Game” official trailer
A Michael Barnett documentary, Changing The Game, which follows the lives of three high school athletes at different stages of their athletic seasons, personal lives, and unique paths as trans teens, will be presented online from September 18th to 27th by ReFrame Film Festival, Gender Journeys HKPR, and Peterborough Pride.
For details about how to connect to the event, visit the Facebook event page.
As part of this year’s Peterborough Pride virtual festivities, local drag icon Sahira Q will be hosting a drag bingo event via Zoom on Friday, September 18th. They will also be debuting their DJ talents on Insta Live on Sunday, September 20th. (Photo courtesy of Sahira Q)
On Friday, September 18th, local drag icon Sahira Q will be hosting a virtual drag bingo event via Zoom as a part of Dis-Orientation Week, hosted by the Trent Queer Collective, the Trent Centre for Women and Trans People, and OPRIG Peterborough. Register for the event on the Zoom website.
On Sunday, September 20th, and every second Sunday following, Sahira Q will debut their DJ talents on Insta Live as a part of Peterborough Pride. There will also be an online drag event hosted by Fleming College on Thursday, September 24th. Follow Sahira Q @dragsahiraq on Instagram to stay updated about events.
“It’s definitely different than other years,” says Sahira Q, also known as Said Jiddaway when they’re offstage, “I remember last year, when I was on the Pride Committee, it was so much more hands-on — we were planning a parade and so many events.”
“It kind of sucks — some people look forward to Pride all year long; it’s their moment to connect with people like themselves. But we’re doing what we can and we’re doing our best to make sure that those people don’t feel left out this year.”
“I’ve done three digital events so far. It’s hard in a way because it lacks the interactivity of a live crowd, but at the same time, I’m working with it. Now I’m DJ-ing — I’m still producing content, just in a different way.”
“Ours is a community that needs connection and right now we can only connect through the internet. Online is not the same but it’s so important that there is still that connection, so I’m letting it be different but still good.”
The theme of the year’s virtual Peterborough Pride Week is “Pride in Other Spaces”, as the COVID-19 pandemic means there can be no Pride parade or large public gatherings. People are encouraged to show their “Pride in Other Spaces” by flying Pride-related flags or by decorating their homes and businesses to signal that they are a part of a welcoming community where nobody needs to feel isolated or unsafe. (Graphic courtesy of Peterborough Pride)
To show support this year, Peterborough Pride is inviting everyone to show their “Pride in Other Spaces” by flying Pride-related flags or by decorating their homes and businesses to signal that they are a part of a welcoming community where nobody needs to feel isolated or unsafe.
“That way,” Lambert says, “if people are out and about, even if they’re not meeting with people, they can still feel supported and welcomed from the broader community, which is one of the things that we always hope comes from Pride every year.”
Throughout this pandemic, we have found safe ways to come together and care for each other as a community — to show our support. Pride in Other Spaces is another example of our ability to master the art of making the most of it. To support Peterborough Pride by making a donation, you can send an e-transfer to treasurer@peterboroughpride.ca.
Tom Mortlock, District Deputy Grand Master of Peterborough (second from right) presents a cheque for $17,253.25 to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton's major gifts officer Ria Nicholson, on behalf of the Peterborough District Masonic Association, in support of the YWCA Crossroads Shelter for women and children. Mortlock was accompanied by the association's district fundraising project chairman Danny McLaughlin (left) and the district secretary Philip Lake (right). (Photo courtesy of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton)
The Peterborough District Masonic Association has donated $17,253.25 to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s Crossroad Shelter, which provides crisis and support services to local women and children fleeing abuse.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton made the announcement on Monday (September 14).
“The leadership of caring men in our community who understand that responding to the impact of violence against women and their children, a responsibility we all share, is especially important in these uncertain times,” says YWCA Peterborough Haliburton executive director Kim Dolan.
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According to the Masons’ Grand Lodge of Canada, “Masons are spiritual and moral men who choose to associate with groups of like-minded individuals for mutual benefit. What they find in Freemasonry is a disciplined and systematic course of self-improvement based on the Golden Rule: always do to others what you would like them to do to you.” There are 3.2 million masons across the world and more than 40,000 in Ontario.
Tom Mortlock, who is the District Deputy Grand Master of the Peterborough District Masonic Association, presented the cheque to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. Together with his family and the MortWalk Construction Team, Mortlock has been actively involved in the YWCA’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraising event in Peterborough for many years.
“The essential service provided by the caring YWCA family is a resource that the Masons of Peterborough District were very proud to support this year,” Mortlock says.
This past May, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton announced it was ending the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event after 11 years. The event has raised more than $950,000 for the Crossroad Shelter, including $103,028 in 2019.
Funds raised by the Peterborough District Masonic Association throughout the year were added to proceeds from the association’s “Stand a While in Her Shoes” event, a drive-through and drop-off fundraising event and bottle drive held at the Peterborough Masonic Temple on Rubidge Street in June.
Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for overnight on Monday (September 14) and into Tuesday morning for almost all of the Kawarthas, including the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough, Haliburton, and Hastings counties.
Patchy frost is expected overnight as temperatures drop to near or just below the freezing mark.
Some plants may be damaged or even destroyed by frost. Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas. Take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.
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Environment Canada issues frost advisories are issued when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.
Northumberland County is not included in this frost advisory.
Moore Lake is located in Minden Hills around 17 kilometres south of Minden. (Photo: Google Maps)
Police have recovered the body of a 39-year-old North York man who slipped under the water after the family’s canoe capsized on a lake in Minden Hills.
On Saturday (September 12), Haliburton Highlands OPP and emergency crews were called to assist with a capsized canoe on Moore Lake, about 17 kilometres south of Minden.
A family of four — including a man, woman, and two young children — has been paddling on the lake when their canoe capsized.
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Boaters in the area came to the family’s assistance, pulling the woman and the two children out of the water. The man had already slipped under the water before he could be rescued.
The OPP’s helicopter and Underwater Search and Recovery Unit assisted in searching the lake for the missing man. Along with members of the Minden Hills Fire Department, they located and recovered the body of the missing man shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Investigators are citing absence of safety equipment as a significant contributing factor in this tragedy.
The OPP encourages all Ontarians to take personal responsibility for ensuring water safety for themselves and their children. It is important for everyone to be aware of proper boating and swimming practices, including wearing a lifejacket or PFD, learning how to swim, and not drinking or using drugs when swimming or operating a vessel.
This story has been updated to correct information previously provided by the police, who had stated the man who drowned had passed one of his children to rescuers before slipping under the water. Those involved in the rescue and witnesses have stated the man had already slipped under the water when the rest of the family was rescued and police have issued a clarification.
Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO) is advising families to have a back-up plan in place after reporting on Friday (September 11) that almost 40 bus routes to public and Catholic schools have been cancelled for Monday (September 14).
STSCO, which provides school transportation for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board, has been informed that First Student bus company will have to cancel 38 school bus routes for both morning and afternoon runs on Monday due to a bus driver shortage.
On Thursday (September 10), First Student bus company was forced to cancel six bus routes to St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood, affecting 243 students, because of a driver shortage.
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The routes cancelled for Monday are listed by school on stsco.ca and are also provided below.
As bus companies across Ontario are having difficulty hiring and retaining drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, STSCO warns that bus route cancellations and delays may be a daily occurrence in the weeks ahead.
STSCO will post any disruptions on its website daily to give parents and guardians as much advance notice as possible.
Families in both Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board are asked to monitor the STSCO website in the mornings and evenings, sign up for automatic notifications, and follow @stsco_ca on Twitter for information on cancellations and delays.
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