Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Monday (July 27) for much of the greater Kawarthas region, including Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings. When this story was posted, Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes were not included in the watch.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing very strong wind gusts and torrential rain.
Storms are possible for mid-afternoon into the late evening, with 50 mm of rain in an hour or less and damaging wind gusts of up to 90 km/h.
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Very strong wind gusts can damage buildings, down trees and blow large vehicles off the road. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!
The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management recommends that you take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.
Outdoor yoga sessions at 4th Line Theatre's Winslow Farm in Millbrook will be led by yoga instructor Madison Sheward. (Photo: Christine Mepstead)
Beginning in August, 4th Line Theatre will be hosting outdoor yoga sessions at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.
4th Line’s artistic director Kim Blackwell told kawarthaNOW in early July the theatre company was planning on hosting yoga at the farm.
With the postponement of its 2020 summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the yoga sessions are just the latest in a series of innovative initiatives 4th Line has undertaken to engage people who would normally be in the theatre’s audience.
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As well as the new yoga offering, these initiatives include the Monologue Series (where people can experience live readings of selected monologues from past 4th Line plays over the phone), a farmers’ market on Friday mornings, as well as a series of online talks between Kim Blackwell and artists as well as with local business and political leaders.
The outdoor yoga sessions with instructor Madison Sheward will run at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5th, Wednesday, August 12th, and Tuesday, August 18th at Winslow Farm (779 Zion Line, Millbrook). Each session will last 60 minutes and participants will be physically distanced.
“We will be hosting mindful yoga classes in a peaceful, shaded field,” Blackwell says.
For beginners and above, each session will explore a simple flow of yoga poses, breath work, and meditation and is designed to help participants connect through breath, body, and mind. Attendees are asked to bring their own mats, water bottles, and any other yoga equipment.
Those interested can register by calling 4th Line’s box office at 705-932-4445 or emailing sarah@4thlinetheatre.on.ca to book their session. Limited spaces are available for each session.
There is no charge for the sessions, thanks to the sponsorship of 4th Line’s longtime supporter Nexicom.
Peterborough police are seeking two men who wielded knives while robbing two children of their bikes on Sunday afternoon (July 26).
Shortly before noon, the two children, aged 10 and 12, were riding their bikes along a walking path connecting Lansdowne Street to the corner of Pinewood Drive and Cahill Drive in Peterborough.
As the children neared the end of the path, two unknown men yelled at the children to get off their bikes. It was reported that the two men were each holding a knife during the incident.
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Both children got off their bikes and ran south on Pinewood Drive. The two men fled the area with the stolen bikes. The incident was reported to police and officers were dispatched to the area to investigate.
The suspects are described as follows:
Suspect #1
Male
Caucasian
Approximately 6′ tall
Approximately 25 years old
Red shoes
Dark hoody
Jeans
Suspect # 2
Male
Caucasian
Approximately 5’10″
Approximately 23 years old
Blue-green eyes
Black hoody
Jeans
The stolen property is described as follows:
Item #1
“Haro – downtown” child BMX
Metallic green
Possible front and rear black pegs
Black front forks
Serial number KISEK18807
strong>Item # 2
“Strikes” child BMX
Grey frame
No pegs
Red decals on front and lower frame
Black forks, handle bars, and rims
Red and grey tires
Serial Number unknown
Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.stopcrimehere.ca.
Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, has won the 2020 SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 97 pounds, 8 ounces. He's the first Canadian to ever win a Bassmaster Elite Series event. (Photo: B.A.S.S.)
Peterborough angler Chris Johnston is the first Canadian ever to win a Bassmaster Elite Series event — and takes home a $102,000 prize with his title.
Johnston achieved his victory on Sunday (July 26) at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, New York, with a four-day total of 20 smallmouth bass that weighed 97 pounds, 8 ounces. He was the only competitor to break 20 pounds each day.
“This has been a crazy year fishing-wise for me,” Johnston said. “I had two of the worst tournaments probably in my career and to bounce back and win on the St. Lawrence, of all places, is just incredible. I’ve wanted a big tournament win on the St. Lawrence River bad, and it finally came together.”
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Johnston, who finished 71st and 59th in the first two Elite Series events this year, placed second on day one of the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite with 27-0. He maintained that position for two more days with weights of 24-12 and 23-0.
Connecticut pro Paul Mueller had led the event for all three days going into Sunday, but Johnston added a final limit of 22-12 to pull ahead of Mueller and win by a margin of 1-10.
In 2019’s competition, it was the reverse for Johnston: he led for three days before ending up with second place.
“Finishing second last year makes this win all that much sweeter,” Johnston said. “I can’t wait to get home and celebrate with family and friends.”
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region as well as in Ontario.
Ontario is reporting 138 new COVID-19 cases today, with people under the age of 40 again making up two-thirds of the new cases. While the increase in cases is still higher than earlier in July, it’s a drop from yesterday’s 195 new cases.
The province has now surpassed two million COVID-19 tests completed, including almost 30,000 yesterday. There has also been a substantial drop in hospitalizations, with 44 fewer people in medical care since yesterday.
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As for the Kawarthas, there are no new cases in the Peterborough area for the 35th day in a row — five weeks straight — with all previous cases resolved. Health unit reports for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings and Prince Edward are not available on weekends. The next reports will be available on July 27.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 95 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (93 resolved with 2 deaths), 174 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (153 resolved with 32 deaths), 25 in Northumberland County (24 resolved with no deaths), 12 in Haliburton County (12 resolved with no deaths), and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (38 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there have been 38,543 confirmed cases, an increase of 138 from yesterday’s report, with 34,240 (88.8% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 140. There have been 2,759 deaths, an increase of 1, with 1,791 deaths reported in long-term care homes (no change from yesterday). A total of 2,018,813 tests have been completed, an increase of 29,904 from yesterday, with 26,078 tests under investigation, an increase of 528.
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 and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. 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: 95 (no change, last positive case was on June 20) Active cases: 0 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 93 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 20,500 (no change)* Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*Due to recent changes in Ministry of Health data, this number will be updated the week of July 27.
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 only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from July 24; the next report will be available on July 27.
Confirmed positive: 211, including 174 in Kawartha Lakes, 25 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (no change) Hospitalizations: 14 (no change) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 189, including 153 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (increase of 4, with 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 each in Northumberland and Haliburton) 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 only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from July 24; the next report will be available on July 27.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18) 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: 38 (no change) Total tests completed: 16,085 (increase of 513) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 38,543 (increase of 138) Resolved: 34,240 (increase of 140, 88.8% of all cases are resolved) Hospitalized: 97 (decrease of 44) Hospitalized and in ICU: 30 (decrease of 1) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 21 (increase of 1) Deaths: 2,759 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,791 (no change, 64.9% of all deaths) Total tests completed 2,018,813 (increase of 29,904) Tests under investigation: 26,078 (increase of 528)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 24 – July 24, 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 June 24 – July 240, 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)
The 12-metre tall Mr. Applehead at The Big Apple on Highway 401 in Colborne in Northumberland County is now sporting a big yellow face mask. You can't tell, but he's still smiling under the mask. (Photo: The Big Apple / @bigapple401 on Instagram)
Even the world’s biggest apple is doing its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with what could be the world’s biggest face mask.
Mr. Applehead, at The Big Apple just off Highway 401 in Colborne in Northumberland County, is now sporting a big yellow face mask.
Sylvia Nagy, general manager of The Big Apple, says the business decided to put a mask on Mr. Applehead on Thursday (July 23) because face masks are now mandatory inside commercial businesses in Northumberland County, and also to show support for front-line workers.
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Nagy and The Big Apple’s owner Joe Pulla came up with the idea for the mask, which Nagy designed, and installed it with the help of employees.
The iconic giant apple’s mask, easily visible from the highway, has attracted attention in national and social media.
People have been pulling off the highway to take photos with the masked Mr. Applehead — something The Big Apple encourages.
The Big Apple is a bakery and restaurant which, in addition to the Mr. Applehead roadside attraction, features fresh-based pies (including apple, of course) and family-friendly activities and games.
Built in 1988, Mr. Applehead is more than 12 metres tall and features a top observation deck with spectacular views. Appropriately enough, the observation deck is currently closed because of COVID-19 restrictions.
For more information on The Big Apple, visit thebigapple.ca.
Environment Canada has issued another heat warning for the greater Kawarthas region, including Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Hastings County, through Monday (July 27).
This is the third heat warning issued by Environment Canada for the Kawarthas so far in July.
Hot and humid conditions are expected on Sunday and Monday.
Maximum daytime temperatures on Sunday will be 32 to 34°C with humidex values near 40°C. Minimum temperatures Sunday night will be 22 to 25°C, providing little relief from the heat.
High temperatures on Monday are forecast to be 30 to 32°C. Humidex values near 40°C are also expected on Monday.
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Cooler and less humid air is expected to arrive on Tuesday (July 28).
Hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality and result in the air quality health index approaching the high-risk category.
Extreme heat affects everyone, but the risks are greater for young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, and people working or exercising outdoors.
Check on older family, friends and neighbours. Make sure they are cool and drinking water
Reduce your heat risk. Schedule outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day.
Never leave people or pets inside a parked vehicle.
Outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks in a cool place.
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region as well as in Ontario.
After a decrease yesterday, new COVID-19 cases in Ontario have jumped higher again, to 195. The number of new daily cases is continuing to trend up, to levels not seen since early July.
Younger people continue to represent the majority of new cases. Of the 195 new cases, two-thirds (128) are among people under the age of 39, with a quarter of the new cases under the age of 19. Only eight per cent of new cases (16) are among people age 60 and older, with the remainder of new cases people between 40 and 59.
Compare that to the end of May, when almost half of all cases were people age 60 and older, and only one-quarter were people under the age of 39 — with only three per cent under the age of 19.
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As for the Kawarthas, there are no new cases in the Peterborough area for the 34th day in a row, with all previous cases resolved. There are no new cases to report today in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, or Prince Edward and Hastings counties. Two additional cases have been resolved in Kawartha Lakes, with one additional case resolved in Northumberland and one additional case resolved in Haliburton — all previous cases in Haliburton are now resolved.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 95 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (93 resolved with 2 deaths), 174 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (153 are resolved), 25 in Northumberland County (24 resolved), 12 in Haliburton County (12 resolved), and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (38 resolved).
There has been a total of 39 deaths in the greater Kawarthas region since the pandemic began, with 32 of these deaths in Kawartha Lakes. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there have been 38,405 confirmed cases, an increase of 195 from yesterday’s report, with 34,100 (88.8% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 137. There have been 2,758 deaths, an increase of 3, with 1,791 deaths reported in long-term care homes, an increase of 2. A total of 1,988,909 tests have been completed, an increase of 28,809 from yesterday, with 25,550 tests under investigation, an increase of 3,725.
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 and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. 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: 95 (no change, last positive case was on June 20) Active cases: 0 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 93 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 20,500 (no change)* Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*Due to recent changes in Ministry of Health data, this number will be updated the week of July 27.
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 only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 211, including 174 in Kawartha Lakes, 25 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (no change) Hospitalizations: 14 (no change) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 189, including 153 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (increase of 4, with 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 each in Northumberland and Haliburton) 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 only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18) 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: 38 (no change) Total tests completed: 16,085 (increase of 513) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 38,405 (increase of 195) Resolved: 34,100 (increase of 137, 88.8% of all cases are resolved) Hospitalized: 141 (decrease of 13) Hospitalized and in ICU: 31 (decrease of 4) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 20 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2,758 (increase of 3) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,791 (increase of 2, 64.9% of all deaths) Total tests completed 1,988,909 (increase of 28,809) Tests under investigation: 25,550 (increase of 3,725)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 23 – July 23, 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 June 23 – July 230, 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)
Two photos of 55-year-old Robert Smith of Scarborough, who had gone missing in the Minden area of Haliburton County on July 22, 2020. On July 26, police were called to the north end of Minden Lake where a resident had located a male body near their dock. Police have confirmed the body is that of Smith. (OPP-supplied photos)
Robert Smith, a 55-year-old Scarborough man whose body was found in Minden Lake on Sunday (July 26), was the same person who was a convicted child pornography offender according to media reports.
Global News says a source with the Toronto Police Service has confirmed that Robert Smith is the same person who was sentenced to 20 months in prison and three years of probation after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography.
Smith had been arrested again in June on two counts of distribution of child pornography, and three counts each of possession of child pornography and access child pornography.
Smith was an actor who was best known as portraying a loud-mouth Scotsman in commercials for Alexander Keith’s beer in 2006. He was married with two children.
On July 23, officers from the Haliburton OPP were called in to assist the Toronto Police Service in locating Smith, who had been last seen on Wednesday (July 22) in the Minden area.
OPP officers had located the missing man’s motorcycle in an overflow parking lot off of Horseshoe Lake Road in the Township of Minden Hills.
The OPP’s Central Region Emergency Response Team, Canine Unit, Aviation Services, and Underwater Search and Recovery Unit and Marine patrols began searching the area.
On Sunday (July 26) around 5:30 p.m., police were called to the north end of Minden Lake where a resident had located a male body near their dock. They subsequently confirmed the body to be that of Smith.
A post-mortem examination will be scheduled at the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service in Toronto.
Investigators do not suspect foul play in the death investigation.
This story has been updated with information that Smith was a convicted child porn offender.
The beach at Sandy Lake in Trent Lakes. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, going to the beach is a different experience this year. Public health officials recommend staying home if you feel sick, visiting a beach close to your home to avoid unnecessary travel, bringing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, and maintaining at least two metres of physical distance from other beachgoers.
As of Thursday, July 30th, the following beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming:
Hastings Waterfront North in Northumberland County (based on July 27 sample)
Omemee Beach in City of Kawartha Lakes (based on July 20 sample)
Bewdley Optimist Park in Northumberland County (based on July 20 sample)
The following beaches are closed until further notice due to COVID-19:
Crowe Bridge Park in Trent Hills (Northumberland County)
Victoria Park in Cobourg (Northumberland County)
Little Lake in Cramahe (Northumberland County)
Sandy Bay Beach in Alnwick Haldimand (Northumberland County)
Hiwartha in Hiawatha First Nation (Peterborough County)
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Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White’s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
While we strive to update this story with the current conditions, you should confirm the most recent test results by visiting the local health unit websites at Peterborough Public Health and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. As noted above, the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead are tested every business day so the results listed below may not be current.
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Peterborough City/County
City of Peterborough Beaches (sampled each business day)
Roger’s Cove (131 Maria St, Peterborough) – sample date 28-Jul-2020 – SAFE
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