Police released this photo of a single-vehicle collision on Glamorgan Road in Haliburton County on October 16, 2020. 44-year-old Jeffrey Teatro of Haliburton later died in hospital from injuries he sustained in the collision. (OPP-supplied photo)
A Haliburton man has died following a single-vehicle collision in Haliburton County on Friday evening (October 16).
At around 7:50 p.m., police, fire, and paramedics responded to reports of a collision on Glamorgan Road in Highlands East township.
The driver was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
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Haliburton Highlands OPP have identified the victim as 44-year-old Jeffrey Teatro of Haliburton.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled.
Glamorgan Road was closed for several hours while police investigated. Police say the cause of the collision is still under investigation.
The newly launched Lavender and Play Family Boutique and Studio in Peterborough is an innovative partnership between Rooted Lavender owner Sonja Martin and Play Café owner Sarah Susnar. Located at 1434 Chemong Road, Lavender and Play offers a variety of sustainable and socially responsible apparel, toys, puzzles, books and accessories, and toy subscriptions, as well as family support services and classes for moms and kids. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
Local moms and their kids have reason to celebrate with the recent launch of Peterborough’s new Lavender and Play Family Boutique and Studio.
Lavender and Play is the result of a partnership between the owners of two family-focused businesses, Sonja Martin of Rooted Lavender and Sarah Susnar of Play Café. The two women have merged their two businesses under the new brand, which launched in September.
Located at 1434 Chemong Road, Lavender and Play offers a variety of sustainable and socially responsible apparel, toys, puzzles, books and accessories, a toy rental subscription with curated high-end toys and equipment, paper crafts for under $5, a wooden activity box subscription (available for 3, 6, or 12 months), as well as custom gift boxes.
Lavender and Play’s boutique and online store feature a thoughtfully curated collection of ethically made and environmentally friendly products made from natural materials as well as merchandise from 12 local makers and artisans, including watercolour prints, body and bath products, wooden and crochet toys, sensory tools, playdough, and much more. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
Customers can also purchase items through Lavender and Play’s new online store at lavenderandplay.ca.
Lavender and Play also takes its services a notch further by specializing in postpartum doula support, yoga, and behavioural consultations.
A spacious studio hosts physically distanced family wellness classes such as parent and toddler yoga, mom and baby groups — where topics such as sleep, pelvic floor health and nutrition are covered — and postpartum workshops where moms can share triumphs and lighten the load when it all feels like things are too intense to manage. Some sessions are offered virtually.
Sarah Susnar, co-owner of Lavender and Play Family Boutique and Studio in Peterborough, previously operated Play Café for five years in Peterborough. She has worked as an early childhood educator for nine years and recently added birth and postpartum doula to her wheelhouse. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
The merging of the two businesses is a sign of resilience, agility, and creativity to survive the pandemic, explains Martin, who owned and operated her Rooted Lavender business for four years.
Last November, Play Café — which Susnar founded in 2015 — moved from Brookdale Plaza to a larger space further north on Chemong Road to accommodate its quickly growing business. Then in March, the café was forced to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Much of Play Café’s success had depended on drop-in customers as well as birthday parties, mom and baby groups, and family paint nights. Being forced to close took a crippling toll on Susnar’s business, according to Martin.
Lavender and Play’s spacious studio hosts physically distanced family wellness classes such as parent and toddler yoga, mom and baby groups, and postpartum workshops where moms can share triumphs and lighten the load when it all feels like things are too intense to manage. Some sessions are offered virtually. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
“The loss of revenue from the café’s services and the growing overhead costs were getting harder to manage,” Martin explains. “Sarah was closely watching other play-based cafés in different cities and noticed that they were either closing or pivoting to online retail.”
It left Susnar at a crossroads: either innovate or implode. So, over the summer, she approached Martin, who she had gotten to know well over the years while Martin was teaching part-time yoga, meditation, infant massage, and baby sign language classes at the café.
Susnar offered her an enticing business proposition: blend their complementary skills and open a kids’ boutique, coupled with family support services and classes for moms trying navigating the stages and challenges of parenthood.
Sonja Martin, co-owner of Lavender and Play Family Boutique and Studio in Peterborough, previously operated Rooted Lavender. A behaviour therapist with 25 years of practice under her belt, she’s also a registered yoga and meditation teacher, core confidence specialist, postpartum doula, La Leche League leader, and certified infant massage instructor. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
The merging of the two businesses made sense, with both women having vast experience in both child care and health and wellness.
Aside from running Play Café, Susnar worked as an early childhood educator for nine years and recently added birth and postpartum doula to her wheelhouse. Martin, a behaviour therapist, has 25 years of practice under her belt. She’s also a registered yoga and meditation teacher, core confidence specialist, postpartum doula, La Leche League leader, and certified infant massage instructor.
In an effort to remain true to Susnar’s vision when she opened Play Café five years ago, Martin says Lavender and Play will give mothers some much-needed stress relief, if only for a short time.
Lavender and Play’s new online store at lavenderandplay.ca offers curbside pick-up and items are delivered at no cost within Peterborough. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
“Parenting is hard and the coronavirus is adding an extra layer of stress on families,” Martin notes. “Sarah and I are moms and we understand how difficult it can be. It’s such a wonderful yet challenging time of your life — and you need support.”
The boutique and online store display a thoughtfully curated collection of ethically made and environmentally friendly products made from natural materials such as wood, felt, cork, and bamboo.
Both the physical and virtual stores are also stocked with merchandise created by 12 local makers and artisans, including watercolour prints, body and bath products, wooden and crochet toys, sensory tools, playdough, and much more.
Rooted Lavender’s Sonja Martin previously taught part-time yoga, meditation, infant massage, and baby sign language classes at Sarah Susnar’s Play Café. When Susnar decided it was time to reinvent her business because of the pandemic, she proposed to Martin that the two women blend their complementary skills and open a kids’ boutique, coupled with family support services and classes for moms trying navigating the stages and challenges of parenthood. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
“We painstakingly analyze every product that we add to the store,” Martin explains. “We want to be sure that each item meets a need for a child and is offered at a price point that parents can afford.”
Lavender and Play offers curbside pick-up and items are delivered at no cost within Peterborough.
Charming product offerings aside, Martin says Lavender and Play is all about delivering superior customer service with a personal touch. Both Martin and Susnar thrive on the one-on-one connections they have made with their customers, including those who have supported them since day one.
“Play Café’s customers have supported Sarah for five years,” Martin reflects. “And that has worked in our favour because they know the great customer service they’re going to continue to receive.”
Rooted Lavender and Play Café have merged under the new brand Lavender and Play Family Boutique and Studio. (Logo design: Laura Hervieux)
Lavender and Play’s grand opening takes place on Saturday, October 24th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1434 Chemong Road, Unit #1, in Peterborough. Visitors can take advantage of a few sales during the celebration.
Health and safety guidelines will be place to keep everyone safe, and masks will be mandatory to enter the store.
Lavender and Play Boutique and Family Studio is located at 1434 Chemong Road, Unit #1, in Peterborough. For more information, email lavenderandplay@gmail.com or visit lavenderandplay.ca, where you can learn more about their classes, register for a class, or purchase a product. You can also follow Lavender and Play Boutique and Family Studio on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
This story was created in partnership with Lavender and Play Boutique and Family Studio. The support of local sponsors and local advertisers like Lavender and Play means kawarthaNOW can keep all of its content free and available to everyone with no paywall or registration required.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 805 new COVID-19 cases today, although this number includes cases from Toronto that should have been reported yesterday but were not due to a data upload error.
Most of the new cases are in Toronto (374), Peel (107), York (93), and Ottawa (70), with smaller increases in Durham (30), Halton (25), Waterloo (19), Hamilton (12), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (10), Middlesex-London (9), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (9), Brant County (8), Niagara (7), Simcoe Muskoka (6), and Windsor-Essex (6).
The remaining 19 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 8 reporting no cases at all. Of today’s cases, 52% are among people under the age of 40. With 682 more cases resolved, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 85.8%.
There have been 10 new deaths and 17 additional people have been hospitalized since yesterday, for a total of 278, with 5 more people admitted to ICUs and 6 more patients on ventilators. A total of 44,722 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has decreased by 3,525 to 33,630.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, Peterborough is reporting new cases for the fourth day in a row. Today, there are 2 new cases in Peterborough, for a total of 4 active cases.
Reports are unavailable on weekends for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
There are currently 9 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 4 in Peterborough, 4 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 136 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (130 resolved with 2 deaths), 183 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (164 resolved with 32 deaths), 45 in Northumberland County (44 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (18 resolved with no deaths), and 65 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (56 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 63,713 confirmed cases, an increase of 805 from yesterday (this number includes cases from Toronto that should have been reported yesterday), with 54,686 (85.8% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 682. There have been 3,041 deaths, an increase of 10 from yesterday, with 1,979 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 5 from yesterday. An additional 17 people have been hospitalized, with 5 more people admitted to ICUs and 6 more patients on ventilators. A total of 4,617,563 tests have been completed, an increase of 44,722 from yesterday, with 33,630 tests under investigation, a decrease of 3,525 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: 136 (increase of 2) Active cases: 4 (increase of 2) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 130 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 32,850 (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 16.
Confirmed positive: 247, including 183 in Kawartha Lakes, 45 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 226, including 164 in Kawartha Lakes, 44 in Northumberland, 18 in Haliburton (no change) Active cases: 1 (no change) 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 from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from October 16.
Confirmed positive: 65 (increase of 2) Active cases: 4 (increase of 1) 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: 56 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 42,542 (increase of 67) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 63,713 (increase of 805)* Resolved: 54,686 (increase of 682, 85.8% of all cases) Hospitalized: 278 (increase of 17) Hospitalized and in ICU: 72 (increase of 5) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 42 (increase of 6) Deaths: 3,041 (increase of 10) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,979 (increase of 5) Total tests completed: 4,617,563 (increase of 44,722) Tests under investigation: 33,630 (decrease of 3,525)
*Due to an upload error that has since been corrected, today’s numbers include cases from Toronto Public Health that should have been captured in yesterday’s count.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 16 – October 16, 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 16 – October 16,2020. 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 announcing York Region will move into a modified Stage 2 during a media conference at Roche Canada in Mississauga on October 16, 2020. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 712 new COVID-19 cases today and, with York Region becoming the latest hotspot in the province, the Ontario government has announced that, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Monday (October 19), York Region will join Ottawa, Peel and Toronto public health regions in a modified Stage 2 for the next 28 days.
“This was not an easy decision to make,” Premier Doug Ford said during a media conference at Roche Canada in Mississauga on Friday (October 16). “I know this will be very, very difficult for many people to hear, but we can’t allow this virus to get into our long-term care homes. We need to protect our schools and communities. We need to keep performing vital surgeries in our hospitals. We need to stop the spread before things get worse. We need to avoid a full lockdown.”
York Region has reported an average of 79 new cases over each of the past 4 days, has a positivity rate near 2.8% (well above the provincial average), and has seen a doubling in the number of hospitalizations along with a significant jump in ICU admissions and ventilated patients.
Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (213), Peel (135), Ottawa (108), York (62), and Halton (46), with smaller increases in Durham (27), Hamilton (22), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (18), Middlesex-London (12), Windsor-Essex (12), Waterloo (12), Simcoe Muskoka (11), and Lambton (9). The remaining 21 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 9 reporting no cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 54% are among people under the age of 40. The positivity rate has decreased by 0.9% to 2% (this means that 2% of the tests that were performed on October 15 were positive for COVID-19). With 713 more cases resolved, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to 85.8%.
There have been 8 new deaths and 8 additional people have been hospitalized since yesterday, for a total of 261, with 5 more people admitted to ICUs and 5 more patients on ventilators. A total of 38,507 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 841 to 37,155.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools today is 98, a decrease of 2 from yesterday, with 55 student cases, 12 staff cases, and 31 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 11 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 9 from yesterday, with 7 cases among children and 4 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there is another new case to report in Peterborough, for the third straight day in a row. However, an additional 2 cases have been resolved, leaving 2 active cases. There are also 2 new cases to report in Hastings and Prince Edward counties; however, an additional case has been resolved, leaving 4 active cases. There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, or Haliburton.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 7 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 2 in Peterborough, 4 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 134 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (130 resolved with 2 deaths), 183 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (164 resolved with 32 deaths), 45 in Northumberland County (44 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (18 resolved with no deaths), and 65 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (56 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8
Province-wide, there have been 62,908 confirmed cases, an increase of 712 from yesterday, with 54,004 (85.8% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 713. There have been 3,031 deaths, an increase of 8 from yesterday, with 1,974 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 4 from yesterday. An additional 8 people have been hospitalized, with 5 more people admitted to ICUs and 5 more patients on ventilators. A total of 4,572,841 tests have been completed, an increase of 38,507 from yesterday, with 37,155 tests under investigation, an increase of 841 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: 134 (increase of 1) Active cases: 2 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 130 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: Over 32,700 (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.
Confirmed positive: 247, including 183 in Kawartha Lakes, 45 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 226, including 164 in Kawartha Lakes, 44 in Northumberland, 18 in Haliburton (no change) Active cases: 1 (no change) 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 from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 65 (increase of 2) Active cases: 4 (increase of 1) 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: 56 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 42,542 (increase of 67) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 62,908 (increase of 712) Resolved: 54,004 (increase of 713, 85.8% of all cases) Hospitalized: 261 (increase of 8) Hospitalized and in ICU: 67 (increase of 5) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 36 (increase of 5) Deaths: 3,031 (increase of 9) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,974 (increase of 5) Total tests completed: 4,572,841 (increase of 38,507) Tests under investigation: 37,155 (increase of 841)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 15 – October 15, 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 15 – October 15,2020. 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)
These face masks, branded with the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market logo and produced by Madderhouse Textile Studios and the Newcomer Sewing Crew, are available for purchase at the market merchandise booth. The Peterborough Regional Farmers' Marke reeturns to its indoor winter location at Peterborough Square on October 17, 2020, with COVID-19 safety measures in place. (Photo: Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market)
The Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market is returning to its indoor winter location at Peterborough Square on Saturday (October 17), but it won’t be the same as last year due to the pandemic.
The indoor market’s COVID-19 safety measures, developed with Peterborough Public Health and Peterborough Square, include:
Directional traffic flows.
Physical distance between vendors.
Stanchions for managing lineups.
Designated dining area maintained by a dedicated staff member.
Hand washing and sanitizing stations.
Regularly cleaned and maintained ventilation system.
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In addition, all market attendees are required to wear face masks, except while eating in the designated dining area. People who have a health condition that prevents them from safely wearing a mask and children under two years of age are also exempt from wearing masks.
The market runs in the lower level of Peterborough Square every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information about the market’s COVID-19 health and safety measures for vendors and customers, read the COVID-19 Market Guidebook.
According to the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance, a coalition of 13 arts organizations and live performance venues in Peterborough and the surrounding region, the future of local performing arts is in immediate jeopardy due to the continuing pandemic. For example, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough is still carrying $10,000 in monthly expenses, despite having reduced its pre-pandemic expenses by between $30,000 to $50,000, with no revenue coming in. (Photo; Bradley Boyle)
The future of the performing arts is in immediate jeopardy due to the pandemic, according to a media release issued on Thursday (October 15) by the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance.
The alliance is a member-led coalition representing 13 arts organizations and live performance venues in Peterborough and the surrounding region, including charitable organizations and private enterprise.
Members include 4th Line Theatre, Electric City Culture Council, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, New Stages Theatre Company, Peterborough Memorial Centre, Peterborough Musicfest, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Peterborough Theatre Guild, Public Energy Performing Arts, Showplace Performance Centre, St. James Players, The Theatre on King, and The Venue.
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While the alliance’s members have been supported by government financial aid such as the wage subsidy and commercial rent relief programs, and have have taken steps to reduce expenses (including laying off staff), these measures have been insufficient to guarantee their future viability.
“Unfortunately, over six months without meaningful revenue has left our members in a desperate financial situation,” the alliance states.
To illustrate the issue, the alliance provides examples of the financial situation that two of its members are facing.
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough is still carrying $10,000 in monthly expenses, despite having reduced its pre-pandemic expenses by between $30,000 to $50,000. With no revenue available to address the remaining expenses, the not-for-profit organization is looking at an accumulated deficit of $150,000.
The Theatre on King, a small black-box theatrical performance venue in downtown Peterborough, has lost 80 per cent of its revenue due to the pandemic. While the theatre’s sole full-time staff person has been collecting the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) instead of drawing a salary, and although the building’s landlord has provided a short-term rent reduction of 50 per cent, The Theatre on King will need at least $30,000 to continue to operate into 2021.
Performance venues in Peterborough range in size from the intimate black box theatre The Theatre on King (pictured) to the 4,329-seat Peterborough Memorial Centre, operated by the City of Peterborough. Other performance venues and performing arts organizations that are part of the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance include Peterborough Musicfest, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Peterborough Theatre Guild, St. James Players, Public Energy, Showplace Performance Centre, The Theatre on King, and The Venue. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
“As we hit the pandemic;s second wave, we are gravely concerned about the future of the performing arts in the region,” the alliance states. “Without immediate relief, beloved venues and arts organizations are facing permanent closure.”
“We are reaching out to all levels of government, private industry, foundations, media, and the community to raise awareness and share our knowledge about what supports would make a difference to organizations like ours, both here and right across the country.”
The alliance is calling for stable and comprehensive multi-year funding measures, such as rent and tax relief, wage subsidies, operating support, funding for personal protective equipment, and subsidies for reopening with smaller audiences.
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“Direct support for our organizations equals support for the communities that rely on us, and the innumerable businesses — hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs, and so many more — that depend on us for their success,” the alliance states. “The performing arts bring vitality, health, and wellness benefits, and our members generate an outsized economic impact on the city and region.”
For example, Peterborough Musicfest brings in at least $5 million to the local economy through its free-admission concerts every summer, the alliance states, and 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook has an economic impact of almost $4 million.
“The loss of venues and arts organizations would have a profound negative impact on businesses, on tax revenue, and on our reputation as a desirable place to visit, live, work, and invest,” the alliance states. “It would take years, if not decades, for Peterborough and the region to recover socially and economically from the gap left by our closure.”
According to the alliance, it will be more affordable to keep local arts organizations and performance viable now, rather than to allow them to permanently close and to attempt to rebuild the performing arts community in the future.
As of October 19, 2020, the COVID-19 assessment centre at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay will move inside the hospital, in the former admitting area at the south side of the hospital. Free parking for people visiting the assessment centre is available in the short-term parking lot at the south side of the hospital, entering from Kent Street. Testing is by appointment only. (Photo: Google Maps)
Effective on Monday (October 19), the COVID-19 assessment centre at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay will move inside the hospital.
The existing drive-through centre will close at the end of the day on Friday (October 16).
The new location of the assessment centre is in the former admitting area at the south side of the hospital (the current admitting department is now located inside the main entrance).
The entrance of the new location of the COVID-19 assessment centre at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. Testing is by appointment only. (Image: Google Maps)
The new location is separated from other clinical programs and areas within the hospital, “to support the safety of all patients, staff, and physicians” according to a media release from the hospital.
Testing is by appointment only. The hospital has provided the following instructions for booking and getting a test.
Call 705-328-6217 or request an appointment online at www.rmh.org.
Do not leave multiple messages or submit multiple forms.
Appointments are available Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
You will receive a call back within one or two business days.
When arriving for your appointment
Arrive to the hospital at your appointment time.
Park in the short-term parking lot at the south side of the hospital, entering from Kent Street. There is no charge for parking for those visiting the assessment centre. All other patients should use short- or long-term parking on the north side of the hospital.
Wear a mask.
Bring your health card and identification.
Proceed to the south entrance (follow signage for COVID-19 Assessment Centre).
Maintain physical distancing from others awaiting testing.
If symptoms are severe, including difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion or losing consciousness, you should be seen in the hospital’s emergency department immediately.
To stay up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 information at Ross Memorial Hospital, visit www.rmh.org/covid-19
Peterborough County OPP and the Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Fire Department responded to a fire at Havelock residence on October 13, 2020, where they located the body of a person. Police have now identified the victim as 70-year-old Barbara Stoddard of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township. The fire has been deemed non-suspicious. (Photo: OPP)
Police have released the name of the victim of a fire at a Havelock residence early on Tuesday morning (October 13).
At around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Peterborough County OPP and the Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Fire Department were called to respond to a structure fire on County Road 30 south of the village of Havelock.
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At around 9 a.m., they located the body of a person within the structure, and have now identified the victim as Barbara Storring, 70, of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township.
The Office of the Fire Marshal was contacted and investigated the cause of the fire. The fire has been deemed non-suspicious and the police investigation is closed.
The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service in Lindsay. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
For the first time, Kawartha Lakes police have issued a charge under the federal Quarantine Act after a Lindsay resident failed to self-quarantine after returning from travel abroad.
On Tuesday (October 13), the Public Health Agency of Canada contacted the Kawartha Lakes Police Service to request officers complete a quarantine compliance check at a residence in Lindsay.
The agency informed police a Lindsay resident had been ordered to remain inside their home, in quarantine for 14 days, after recently returning to Canada from a foreign country.
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When officers visited the resident’s home, they learned that the resident was away, visiting another community and not abiding by the quarantine order.
Officers returned to the person’s home the following day and issued the resident with a provincial offence notice for “Failure to comply with an order prohibiting or subjecting to any condition of entry into Canada”, contrary to section 58 of the Quarantine Act.
Upon conviction, the charge carries a fine of $1,130.
On Thursday (October 15), Ottawa police charged a 53-year-old woman under the Quarantine Act after she returned to work at a long-term care home four days after returning to Canada from a trip abroad. This was the first charge laid in Ottawa under the legislation.
A 2018 promotional photo for Peterborough's improv and sketch comedy troupe LLAADS, whose name was a acronym of the first names of its six members: Lindsay Unterlander, Adam Wilkinson, Luke Foster, Dan Smith, and Sarah McNeilly. The second "A", Adam Martignetti, is behind the camera. The troupe, which has now disbanded, is donating its savings to The Theatre on King, LLAADS' pre-pandemic performance home. (Photo: Adam Martignetti)
When the fine folks at kawarthaNOW.com invited me to be an arts and culture contributor, I wondered if there might ever come a time when I, as a practising theatre artist, would find myself awkwardly having to write about a production in which I had also participated.
Disclaimer: that time is now.
I am writing about LLAADS, a sketch comedy troupe that I am honoured to have performed with for just short of two years. Though writing about this endeavour isn’t nearly as awkward as I had anticipated, I think it’s safe to say that the subject/object dichotomy has flown the coop.
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This story is personal. It is a gesture of love, a celebration of life, and a pledge for the future.
If you’ve never heard of LLAADS, I will be so bold as to speak on behalf of the entire troupe when I say that we think you are an inherently flawed human being. Just kidding!
LLAADS member Adam Martignetti during a performance at The Theatre on King. He gets his own photo because he’s missing from this story’s feature photo and because his moose onesie should never be forgotten. (Photo: Eryn Lidster)
LLAADS is an acronym for the names of the troupe members: Lindsay Unterlander, Luke Foster, Adam Wilkinson, Adam Martignetti, Dan Smith, and Sarah McNeilly. The invisible “E”, which is also silent, represents our tech-goddess and Zen-master of cool, Eryn Lidster.
I will be forever grateful to Luke Foster and Dan Smith for founding LLAADS in 2018. They handpicked each of the talented and multifaceted members of the troupe. Their madcap idea to create and perform monthly sketch comedy shows brought us together as comedians and as friends, and we are better for it.
“We had no idea what was going to happen,” recalls Lindsay of LLAADS’ debut performance. “Without telling one another, three of us had drained our bank accounts before arriving for the show so that we’d have enough money to cover the cost of the venue rental, just in case it was a flop.”
“We ended up selling out that show,” she laughs, “and I guess the rest is history.”
It is only now, in retrospect, that I can truly appreciate the magnitude of our collective accomplishment. It really is quite historical.
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In just under two years, LLAADS created and performed 19 original sketch and improv shows. Not impressed? Let me break that down for you: we collectively wrote, memorized, blocked, designed, and performed 225 original scripts!
That’s an average of 12 a month, and that’s only the ones we performed (Dan, if I ever learn how to properly pronounce archaic British currency names, I promise to perform your poker script)!
To say it was a lot of work would be an understatement, my cortisol levels are spiking just thinking about it. Frankly, I don’t know how we did it but we did, and we did it well.
The LLAADS improv and sketch comedy troupe during a pre-pandemic performance at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough: a concerned Sarah McNeilly, an incredulous Dan Smith, a napping Lindsay Unterlander, a bemused Luke Foster, a pontificating Adam Martignetti, and a missing Adam Wilkinson. (Photo: Eryn Lidster)
“We weren’t always the most well-oiled machine but the comedy was slick,” laughs Adam Wilkinson.
“We always walked away with something we were proud of,” adds Lindsay.
In a true Hair Club For Men moment, I can honestly say that I’m not just a (former) member of LLAADS; I’m also a fan!
LLAADS member Lindsay Unterlander donning a face mask in September 2019. Either LLAADS was ahead of its time, or Lindsay knew something the rest of us didn’t. (Photo: Adam Martignetti)
I think we produced some really funny and cutting-edge comedy and, given the fact that we performed for sold-out audiences every month, I’ll wager that there exist some people in Peterborough who would be inclined to agree.
Our greatest strength was the collective itself. Due to the varying comedic styles of the troupe’s members, LLAADS comedy was dynamic. It was zany, cerebral, satirical, feminist, slapstick, political, physical, morbid, sometimes taboo, and always hilarious.
LLAADS was a many-headed hydra.
LLAADS members Luke Foster, Dan Smith, Sarah McNeilly, and Lindsay Unterlander workshopping material. In two years, the troupe collectively wrote, memorized, blocked, designed, and performed 225 original scripts. (Photo: Adam Martignetti)
“The LLAADS were a wondrous rabble, smashing together some of the unique talents of Peterborough,” proclaims Adam Wilkinson.
“Everyone involved had such a unique and individual contribution to the troupe,” adds Luke. “It really was a pleasure to be a part of and to witness.”
“I have fond, fonder AND fondest memories of pacing in the congested dressing room with Sarah,” says Dan. “We’d hear our trusted friends land that first big laugh and we’d stifle ours upon each other whilst silently plotting to top it.”
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“Being a part of the LLAADS was one of the great joys in my life,” says Adam Martignetti. “I created and performed with people I love, and pushed myself and others to be greater than we thought ourselves to be.”
“I didn’t realize how much I grew from it,” Lindsay muses. “It helped me find my voice as a woman in comedy. We could explore things that are taboo for women and work through them on the stage.”
The stage where we cut our teeth, The Theatre on King (TTOK), like every other live performance venue in our fair city, is at risk.
LLAADS members Dan Smith, Adam Wilkinson (back), Luke Foster, and Sarah McNeilly. (Photo: Adam Martignetti)
Earlier this week, Lindsay suggested LLAADS donate the money we had saved for festival fees, travel, and other miscellaneous expenses — a total of $1,000 — to help our beloved TTOK through this tough time in our year of the virus.
“Hanging onto a jar of money for a troupe that doesn’t really exist anymore while the space that made us possible struggles just feels wrong,” says Lindsay of LLAADS donation.
The poster for the very first LLAADS show, performed on March 31, 2018 at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough. (Graphic: Adam Martignetti)
“When COVID ends and we start something, it will be new,” she continues. “It will have a new name, and perhaps not all of the same people. This donation to TTOK is an attempt to help ensure the theatre will still be there when this is over.”
“I won’t imagine a future without TTOK,” Dan insists. “It welcomes and embraces and baffles and entrances and inspires and bathes a bald pate in gold paint.”
“TTOK itself, like a fountain of rainbow paint, spewed forth art of all forms, some of which were formless,” Adam Wilkinson explains.
“The LLAADS sprang out from that fountain, mixing some old with some new,” he continues. “I hope that our small gesture can keep that rainbow blood flowing ’cause, when this is all over, we will need some of that beautiful rainbow soul to remind us why life is worth living.”
“The LLAADS’ donation to The Theatre on King was, quite literally, the easiest decision the group has ever made,” Adam Martignetti concludes.
LLAADS, the Queen of Peterborough sketch comedy, channelling “Bohemian Rhapsody”. (Graphic: Adam Martignetti)
Though it was a great run, LLAADS has run its course. It’s only fitting that the last thing we should do together as a collective is to close the circle, in a sense, by giving back to the theatre that gave so much to us. By investing in the future, we are honouring our collective past.
LLAADS hopes this donation will inspire others to donate to The Theatre on King. Realistically if a bunch of broke comedians can donate, anyone can!
To donate to TTOK, visit publicenergy.ca/support/donate/ and choose “The Theatre on King” from the drop-down menu. Or watch Adam Martignetti’s hilarious and moderately helpful video, in his signature VHS aesthetic, below.
VIDEO: Local Theatre? Local Theatre! – Donate to The Theatre on King
Note: Eryn Lidster could not be reached for comments for this article. To be fair, I told you the “E” was silent.
LLAADS’ “silent E” behind the scenes: Eryn Lidster. (Photo: Adam Martignetti)
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