The Peterborough community has come through once again for local people in need, donating 13,560 pounds of food and $4,710 in cash to Kawartha Food Share to help restock their empty shelves for the winter.

During the “Spare A Square #2” city-wide porch food drive on Saturday (October 24), Peterborough residents were asked to leave bags filled with non-perishable food items on the porches.

Beginning at 9 a.m., 200 volunteers drove around the city to collect the items and deliver them to Kawartha Food Share’s warehouse.

“Once again, we are absolutely blown away with the support and generosity shown by our community,” Kawartha Food Share writes on Facebook. “We say it all the time, but we truly could not do what we do without you, Peterborough. Thank you so very much.”

If your bag wasn’t picked up, you can drop the donations in a collection bin located in all local grocery stores, or in the donation bins located outside of Kawartha Food Share’s warehouse at 665 Neal Drive in Peterborough.

During the food drive, people also donated $4,710 cash — for every $1 donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $6 worth of food. Cash donations also let Kawartha Food Share purchase food that is needed most.

To make a cash donation to Kawartha Food Share, and for volunteer opportunities, visit www.kawarthafoodshare.com.

“Winter is Coming” food drive

Kawartha Food Share has also just launched its “Winter is Coming” food drive during the month of November. The food drive will take place across Peterborough County in Selwyn, North Kawartha, Trent Lakes, and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen.

Local politicians, including Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, the Warden of Peterborough County and the Mayors of Selwyn, North Kawartha, and Havelock, as well several council members, will be volunteering to collect donations at local grocery stores on the following dates:

• Buckhorn Foodland (3329 Buckhorn Rd., Buckhorn) – Saturday, November 7th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• John’s Valu-Mart (871 Ward St., Bridgenorth) – Friday, November 13th from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
• Lakefield Foodland (1 Queen St., Lakefield) – Saturday, November 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Havelock Foodland (38 Ottawa St. W., Havelock) – Saturday, November 21st from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sayers Foods (132 Burleigh St., Apsley) – Saturday, November 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Volunteers will be taking all COVID-19 safety precautions and those making a donation are asked to wear a mask.

Kawartha Food Share assists more than 8,900 people every month through 11 food banks and 20 food cupboards in the city and county of Peterborough as well as through four meal programs and six housing projects.

Those people, including families with children, who rely on Kawartha Food Share every month are particularly vulnerable. And if people on limited incomes cannot get needed items at grocery stores, they will turn to a food bank.

It’s that time of year again: daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1st, when clocks move back an hour.

The good news is that it will be lighter in the morning when we get up to go to work or school; the bad news is that the sun will set at 5 p.m.

It’s also time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and to check whether they need to be replaced (if they are more than 10 years old, they probably do).

Here’s what you should know about daylight saving time:

Who invented daylight saving time and why?

Although it’s commonly believed Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea for daylight saving time, it was actually New Zealand entomologist George Hudson who, in 1895, proposed a two-hour shift in the clocks (he wanted more daylight to collect insects).

“The effect of this alteration would be to advance all the day’s operations in summer two hours compared with the present system. In this way the early-morning daylight would be utilised, and a long period of daylight leisure would be made available in the evening for cricket, gardening, cycling, or any other outdoor pursuit desired,” Hudson wrote in 1898, explaining his original proposal.

A few years later, English outdoorsman William Willett also proposed advancing the clocks during the summer months (he wanted more daylight to golf).

The first governments to implement daylight saving time were Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916, as a way to conserve coal during World War I. Britain and most other European countries adopted it shortly after, with the United States and Canada adopting it in 1918.

Daylight saving time used to end on the last Sunday of October (and begin on the first Sunday of April) but, in 2007, the U.S. decided to change it to the first Sunday of November (and the second Sunday in March) in an attempt to conserve energy.

To avoid issues with economic and social interaction with the U.S., the Canadian provinces that observe daylight saving time followed suit.

What are the health effects of changing time twice a year?

While the evidence is mixed, some research has found that “falling back” results in more accidents involving pedestrians, while “springing forward” increases the risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents.

In any case, moving clocks forward or backward changes our exposure to daylight and affects our circadian rhythm (the body’s natural internal clock).

In the fall, gaining an extra hour of sleep sounds like a good thing but it can actually make you feel “jet lagged”.

It can take up to a week to adjust your internal clock to the shift in daylight hours.

Why don’t we just get rid of daylight saving time?

If Ottawa-West Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts has his way, Ontario will no longer have a bi-annual time change, but not by getting rid of daylight saving time — he proposes making it permanent, giving us more light in the evening and less light in the morning.

In October 2020, Roberts tabled The Time Amendment Act in the Ontario legislature, “to make the time now called daylight saving time the standard time year-round”. The bill has already passed second reading.

However, researchers in chronobiology (the study of biological rhythms) disagree that daylight saving time should be made permanent. They also want to get rid of the bi-annual time change, but say we should be permanently adopting standard time rather than daylight saving time.

“Based on current chronobiology knowledge, permanent Standard Time (ST) would be a wiser, healthier choice,” the Canadian Society for Chronobiology writes on Twitter.

Chronobiologists say adopting permanent standard time would move sunrise closer to our body’s internal clock, while permanent daylight saving time would move it further away. It’s the light in the morning that is most important in resetting our biological clocks, they say.

And it’s not just the Canadian Society for Chronobiology advocating for the permanent adoption of standard time. The U.S.-based Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, the European Biological Rhythms Society, and the European Sleep Research Society have all issued statements supporting it.

How can we reduce the health effects of the time change?

Here are some suggestions for how you and your family can adapt more quickly to the time change:

• Each night leading up to Sunday, try going to sleep 15 or 20 minutes later than normal (and waking up 15 or 20 minutes later than normal).
• Don’t stay up extra late on Saturday night because you are gaining an hour of sleep. That’ll just mess up your sleep schedule even more.
• Make sure you keep bedrooms dark in the morning (after daylight saving time ends, the mornings will be lighter earlier).
• Eat a healthy breakfast when you first wake up, as food is one way to tell your body it’s the beginning of the day.
• After the time change, expose yourself to daylight (or bright light indoors) during waking hours as much as possible, and avoid bright light when it’s dark outside.
• Reduce screen time in the evening, especially an hour or two before bedtime.
• Reduce your use of caffeine and alcohol during the day and increase your physical activity.

It’s already challenging enough finding work during a pandemic without having to visit all the different job listing websites every day, searching for something local that matches your skills. Now, thanks to a new online tool from the Workforce Development Board (WDB), local job seekers can save a lot of unnecessary time and effort.

The Local Jobs Hub at www.wdb.ca/jobs is a job search engine that connects residents to active job opportunities in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland, and Muskoka that are specifically tailored to match their skills and needs.

The online tool automatically aggregates local job listings from more than 30 online job boards, and comes with enhanced features users may find helpful with their search — including a regional map at www.wdb.ca/map that cross-references job postings with nearby bus routes, cycle routes, schools, childcare centres, and more.

Job hunters can also filter listings by key criteria, including skill level and type, part-time or full-time jobs, and whether a job is temporary, contract, or permanent.

Jennifer Lamantia, WDB’s chief executive officer, points out the hub’s consolidation of job listings streamlines the search process for users.

“It saves time for job seekers because it pulls listings from major sites like Kijiji and Indeed, as well as local job boards such as Trent University’s, which links to our site.”

The Local Jobs Hub is also a great way for employers to get more eyes on their job listings, she says.

“When an employer posts a listing on any of the popular job search websites, the Local Jobs Hub will automatically pick it up and direct more traffic to their listing, drawing them to more talent within the region.”

A few months ago, the WDB initiative caught the attention of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED).

The economic development organization had already heard through the Mayor and Warden’s Economic Recovery Task Force that some employers are having difficulty filling vacant positions, and that the availability of local jobs is an important factor for post-secondary students deciding to return to the region. So PKED reached out to WDB to offer additional promotional support to help raise awareness of the tool.

Rhonda Keenan, PKED president and chief executive officer, says the WDB’s tool is an important asset for supporting the region’s economic recovery by connecting local employers with local job seekers.

“The WDB Local Jobs Hub tool allows job seekers to see the number of available positions in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, including hundreds of full-time and permanent positions, as well as part-time jobs for students,” Keenan says.

“We have so many wonderful employers in Peterborough and the Kawarthas and it’s been encouraging to see the number of new job postings grow throughout September to reach levels similar to postings in January, prior to the onset of COVID-19.”

Lamantia adds that, while there was a big drop in job postings during the first two months of the pandemic, that trend has reversed now that more and more businesses have resumed operations.

“Things picked up in July as restrictions eased a little and postings started to head in a positive direction again,” Lamantia says.

That trend continued for the rest of the summer and into early fall, with the number of new job postings in September rising by 12 per cent — eight per cent higher than when the tool launched in January.

Lamantia also points out that the Local Jobs Hub has now seen a dramatic rise in users, largely a result of the joint marketing efforts of WDB and PKED to promote the online tool. When it launched in January, the Local Jobs Hub had around 1,000 monthly users. In September alone, that number had climbed to around 4,600 users — an increase of 369 per cent.

While Lamantia says employment in some sectors remain limited due to the pandemic, job postings have increased significantly in health care, social assistance, retail trade, along with professional, scientific, and technical services. In Peterborough, September saw a huge increase in job postings for transportation and warehousing, with an increase of 188 per cent from August.

WDB also saw an uptick in job postings for manufacturing, construction and food and accommodation services, Lamantia says.

In addition to making it easier and faster for job seekers to find these opportunities, Lamantia explains, the Local Jobs Hub also offers useful information for community partners. The WDB publishes a monthly “Eye on the Labour Market” newsletter which highlights the top 10 jobs and skills in demand locally.

You can access the Local Jobs Hub by visiting www.wdb.ca/jobs. The website also includes an FAQ section for both job seekers and employers who would like more information.

For job seekers who don’t have access to the internet, Lamantia encourages them to visit their local employment service provider or a public library to access the online tool.

For more information on WDB, visit www.wdb.ca.

This story was created in partnership with PKED and WDB.

Although In From The Cold, Peterborough’s favourite annual Christmas concert and a fundraiser for local youth and families, will not take place in person this year due to the pandemic, the show will go on in a safe and delightfully innovative way.

In From The Cold “At Home” will be broadcast on Trent Radio 92.7 FM (and streamed on Trent Radio’s website) on December 11th and 12th and will feature a “best of” selection of traditional carols and seasonal songs performed by some of Peterborough’s top folk and roots musicians.

Thanks to the late John Muir, founder of Trent Radio, there exist audio recordings of every In From The Cold concert ever performed over the past 20 years.

“John Muir was one of our first partners,” explains John Hoffman, musician and co-founder of In From The Cold. “He was our soundman and he was running Trent Radio at the time and he asked if he could record (the concerts) for the radio. So we have 20 years of tape.”

In pre-pandemic times, In From The Cold took place over two consecutive nights every December at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. The concerts always sold out, but people who missed the performances could tune in to Trent Radio on Christmas Day to hear a replay of the concert for much of the day — which became a traditional all of its own.

There’s something Dickensian about the fact that In From The Cold is possible this year because of John Muir. It feels like a Christmas miracle — a gift — perhaps better captured by the famous words of W.G. Sebald: “And so they are ever returning to us, the dead.”

“It’s wonderful,” Hoffman says. “It’s a legacy of John’s vision and all the work he did over the years.”

With a plan in place, the founders of In From The Cold — John Hoffman along with musicians Susan Newman, Rob Fortin, and Curtis Driedger — now have to review 20 years’ worth of recordings — up to 50 hours of music. They plan to select around 20 songs for a broadcast (and stream) that will be around two hours long.

“I’ve been listening to recordings and it’s actually going to be really hard to make the selections,” Hoffman muses. “We’ve got lots of great material and it’s been a trip down memory lane for me. I’m really pleased to hear some of the old stuff.”

The annual concert, which carved out its own niche by specializing in enchanting Celtic tunes and other seasonal music that is seldom heard at most Christmas concerts, has been a holiday must-see since the year 2000.

This year on Friday, December 11th and Saturday, December 12th at 7 p.m., folks can tune in to Trent Radio at 92.7 FM (or stream online at trentradio.ca/stream.htm) to hear the “greatest hits” for free.

Audiences are encouraged to cozy up, order in from a local restaurant, and deck the halls to the sounds Christmas past.

Over the last 20 years, the concert has raised more than $140,000 for Peterborough’s YES Shelter for Youth and Families. While this year’s broadcast and stream will be free, Hoffman still hopes listeners will use the opportunity to support YES.

“We still want to encourage audiences to donate to YES this year,” Hoffman says. “We’re going to suggest that they donate the price of a ticket for everybody in their listening party. If we can get 500 people to donate $20, that’s $10,000, which is the amount we usually raise for YES each year.”

Hoffman also hopes In From The Cold “At Home” might even raise a little more this year for local youth and families in need.

“Because people can listen on the web this year, people from all over the world can tune in,” Hoffman notes. “Lots of us have friends and relatives who always wanted to come but were too far away in the past, so they can listen this year and maybe some of them can donate too.”

“We’ve never tried a fundraising campaign like this but I’m optimistic. People who support In From The Cold support YES —I think we’ll do alright.”

Hoffman says he and his colleagues have a few other ideas for making the concert into a memorable and unique event that will help people get in the mood for Christmas.

“We’re going to be able to give people a really great at-home experience,” Hoffman says. “We’ve made a lot of really great music over the years and the process of trying to find the best In From The Cold tracks has been illuminating — it makes me proud.”

More details will be released in the coming weeks. Follow In From The Cold on Facebook to learn more about how to support the YES Shelter for Youth and Families and for updates about this year’s virtual concert.

Effective Monday (October 26), the COVID-19 testing centre previously located at Eastgate Memorial Park in Peterborough’s East City is moving inside Northcrest Arena at 100 Marina Boulevard.

To accommodate colder weather through the fall and winter seasons, drive-through testing will no longer be available. People with appointments will be asked to come inside the arena for their test.

Operating hours will continue to be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, with testing available by appointment only. With appointment-based testing, traffic is not expected to be a problem at or around Northcrest Arena.

Testing at Northcrest Arena is only available for those who meet at least one of the following criteria:

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

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

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

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

Clean your hands as you enter the arena, wear a mask inside at all times except when you are being tested, and keep a physical distance of two metres between yourself and other people.