A Peterborough resident was shocked to see a squad of armed police suddenly appear in their Lock Street neighbourhood on Thursday (June 24).

The resident, who has asked to remain anonymous, provided kawarthaNOW with exclusive dramatic video footage and several photos of the incident.

In a media release, Peterborough police say their street crime unit and emergency response team were executing a search warrant at a Lock Street residence.

In the video, the emergency response team — with one officer carrying a battering ram — disappears behind a home.

You can hear a loud bang moments later, presumably from police knocking a door in. One man then emerges from the front of the home, is commanded by police, and raises his hands.

Police say they seized a quantity of crystal methamphetamine and arrested and charged three people with various offences.

VIDEO: Drug bust on Lock Street in Peterborough

Ginny Ellis, 32, of Campbellford was charged with possession of a Schedule 1 substance, possession of a prohibited weapon, four counts of breach of release order, and breach of probation

Lucan Watters, 43, of Peterborough was charged with breach of undertaking and warrant for fail to appear in court.

Joel Telford, 24, of Peterborough was charged with possession of property obtained by crime, in connection with the theft of a parcel from a porch in March 2021.

Ellis was held in custody and will appear in court on June 25.

Watters, who is also facing charges from another police service, was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on July 8.

Telford was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on July 8.

The Ontario government has confirmed that all Ontarians 18 years of age and older who have received their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine will be eligible to book an appointment to receive their second dose as of 8 a.m. on Monday, June 28th.

To date, more than 30 per cent of all adults in Ontario have been fully immunized. Around 1.5 million more Ontarians will become eligible for their second doses on Monday.

“Ontario’s vaccine rollout continues to pick up speed, allowing us to provide more second doses ahead of schedule while supporting our communities most at risk,” said health minister Christine Elliott in a media release issued on Friday (June 25).

“All vaccines provide strong protection against COVID-19 and the Delta variant, and I encourage everyone to book your second dose appointment as soon as possible,” Elliott added.

In June, Ontario is confirmed to receive 5.2 million doses of Moderna and 4.7 million doses of Pfizer.

An additional 3.54 million doses of Pfizer will arrive in July, although only 907,000 doses will be received during the first two weeks of the month instead of the 1.7 million doses originally expected. The remainder of the Pfizer doses will arrive during the last two weeks of July.

All available COVID-19 vaccines provided provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants, including the Delta variant. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) states that mixing vaccines is safe and effective, so it makes no difference if you receive Moderna as your second dose even if you received Pfizer as your first dose.

Starting Monday, all Ontario adults needing a second dose can book an appointment by visiting ontario.ca/bookvaccine or calling 1-833-943-3900 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The decision of the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board to not install secondary flagpoles at its schools and the Catholic Education Centre for the purpose of displaying ‘special purpose’ flags is being met with growing frustration, anger and criticism.

On Tuesday night (June 22), trustees Helen McCarthy, Kevin MacKenzie, and Braden Leal voted in the favour of the move while trustees Michelle Griepsma, Emmanuel Pinto, and Linda Ainsworth voted against the motion. The tie vote resulted in board chair David Bernier being forced to vote. He subsequently voted against the proposal.

Student trustees Eli McColl and Josh Hill spoke in favour of the move but, due to the rules governing the board’s procedures, neither could vote on the matter.

While the motion called for secondary flagpoles being put in place to display the flags of organizations and events being held during specified months and weeks of awareness, the matter mostly zeroed in on the display of the multi-coloured Pride flag symbolic of the LGBTQ2S+ community and its recognition, as well as wider acceptance.

In the aftermath of the board’s decision, Jewel McDonald, whose children are in the Catholic school system, launched an online petition noting the importance of ‘ALL students’ being made ‘to feel welcome and equal in our learning environments.’

As of Thursday evening after one day of being posted, more than 2,700 people had signed on, breezing well past the original goal of 1,500 signatures. The petition can be accessed at change.org/p/pvnccdsb-we-want-the-pride-flag-at-our-pvnccdsb-schools.

Among the many comments is one from a Catholic board teacher who is ‘sad and disappointed that the board voted against protecting and celebrating student identities … I worry about how safe students and teachers will feel in our school board.’ Another respondent wrote ‘I am embarrassed and ashamed to be part of a community that does not want to be loving and inclusive to all, especially in light of the latest residential school tragic discoveries.’

McDonald says she was “furious” when she first heard word of the board’s decision to not allow flags such as the Pride banner to be displayed at schools.

“I’m an ally of the LGBTQ community and it felt like a punch to the gut,” she adds.

“We’re at time now, fortunately, where it feels like the majority are being loud with their support. It’s not enough but we’re getting there. When you are part of the minority that says ‘No, we’re going to support but we’re going to do it quietly,’ that’s not good enough.”

We are proud of the efforts our schools have made and will continue to make to ensure all our students, regardless of orientation, are unconditionally loved and supported, and we will continue the great work we are engaged in to foster inclusive and loving school communities.

— PVNCCDSB (@PVNCCDSB) June 23, 2021

On Wednesday (June 23), both Bernier and board director Joan Carragher issued statements.

Bernier noted Catholic schools “welcome and value all students and celebrate diversity within our communities, and we are committed to supporting the LGBTQ2S+ members in our PVNCC community. We are committed to nurturing safe and inclusive learning environments in each of our schools.”

For her part, Carragher affirmed “our steadfast commitment to supporting our LGBTQ2S+ students. We must now work even harder to ensure all of our students, especially our most vulnerable students, feel our love and know that they belong in our school communities. We will not deny their BEING, we will celebrate their unique selves and they will know through our words and actions that they are loved, and indeed that they are wonderfully made.”

Both statements can be read in their entirety at www.pvnccdsb.on.ca by clicking on the links listed in the News section on the home page.

Making it clear she can’t and won’t speak against a board ruling, McCarthy laments that the opportunity for “a teachable moment” for the board was lost with the motion’s defeat.

“About 30 years ago, I took a course on moral decision making in the Catholic Church … I wanted to know, being a teacher, what the answers were,” she recounts.

“I learned in that course that the Church does not presume to come between an individual’s conscience and God. This may be inconsistent with Catholic teaching but Catholics are free to choose and think out stuff themselves. That didn’t seem to impress anybody at the meeting and I’m so disappointed.”

“If people want to be happy Catholics, they can be. They don’t have to be locked into betrayal that they just cannot, in their best-informed conscience, support. It’s almost defying the teachings on conscience to tell somebody ‘Too bad for you. This is the Catholic way.'”

Among those watching the meeting’s proceedings closely was Braden Clark, vice-chair of Norwood Pride and treasurer of Pflag Peterborough. He says this isn’t just a Pride flag issue. Rather, it’s an attempt to ensure all marginalized students feel recognized and included.

“The motion that Helen put forward … the concept is a secondary flag pole that’s meant to raise flags for Autism Week or Black History Month or Indigenous Month. Everyone was so heated and one-sided about Pride and the ‘homosexual manifesto’, all students are being penalized. Marginalized students are being excluded based on the personal beliefs of four trustees.”

An amendment to term the secondary flagpoles as “social justice” flagpoles, put forward by Leal, was defeated. That resulted in a vote on McCarthy’s original motion.

Clark says when he saw the agenda for the meeting he saw that were four delegations who would be speaking on the Pride flag.

“Three of them had very strong views about homosexuality and that the Pride flag was part of a homosexual manifesto. They didn’t know what the flag itself actually means.”

Clark praises student trustees McColl and Hill for representing students well and speaking passionately to the Pride flag’s display.

“What it really boils down to is the vote of the trustees and the personal beliefs of four individuals that basically is telling students your opinion doesn’t matter. We don’t value you. We don’t wish to have visible representation of you within the schools.”

Looking ahead, Clark says “I don’t think the fight is over.”

“Someone suggested to me that perhaps we should organize a protest. A physical protest is not really going to drive action. It’s a sign of support but we’re all about action. Our (Norwood Pride’s) letter of support for raising the flag had been sent to the trustees in advance and a copy did go to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Part of our follow-up will be another letter to the commission.”

Meanwhile, McDonald says she plans at some point to present the online petition to the board, and that the matter returns for reconsideration and another vote.

“No matter what the board decides, it’s important that enough people know and enough students see that, on the ground level, the support is there,” she says, adding “The petition has already done that. I’m beyond thrilled.”

As a Catholic school parent, McDonald says the board decision has given her pause.

“It’s made me feel almost ashamed to be a part of this system. But the educators my children have are teaching my children the same things I’m teaching my children. That is what matters … the people that spend the time with my children. I know they’re being cared for. I know the educators within the system, regardless of what the board thinks or says, are raising a beautiful generation of children.”

Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene will be opening for its 54th season on Friday, July 2nd.

Due to the pandemic, the museum will once again only be offering guided tours this summer that must be booked in advance.

Until step three of Ontario’s reopening plan takes effect later in July, the guided tours will be outdoors only.

While members of the public will not be allowed to tour inside the historic buildings, interpreter guides will open their doors for a peek inside while sharing their history. The outdoors-only tours will also include additional trades demonstrations, such as blacksmithing or tinsmithing.

Staggered tours will begin every 15 minutes and must be booked in advance by visiting the museum’s Shopify page at lang-pioneer-village-museum.myshopify.com.

The price of a guided tour is $40 for a group of four. Additional group members may be added to the tour at an additional cost, up to the group maximum permitted by public health measures. While the museum’s snack shop will not be open, packaged traditional treats and drinks as well as items from the museum shop can be purchased at the time of booking.

Visitors will be required to self-screen prior to coming onsite, observe physical distancing with other groups, and to wear masks when in buildings.

New for 2021, the museum will have its first full-time First Nations interpreter at the village’s Aabnaabin Camp.

The museum has also increased accessibility for visitors with mobility issues. While the village features accessible hard-packed pathways, the historic buildings were built in the 19th century prior to accessibility standards.

Since some of the buildings are not accessible or have upper levels with steep stairs, the mseum is launching a new digital accessibility platform that will provide guests with mobility challenges the opportunity to sign out a tablet with access to a database of photographic and video footage of the inaccessible spaces within the village.

For more information about Lang Pioneer Village Museum, visit langpioneervillage.ca.

With Ontario set to move into step two of the province’s reopening plan on Wednesday, June 30 at 12:01 a.m., Peterborough’s medical officer of health is encouraging residents to get their second doses of vaccine as soon as they can.

During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (June 24), Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said she’s reviewing the list of what’s allowed in step two and — if there’s something she sees as needed to address “any potential gaps” in protection — she will direct local residents accordingly.

As for the move to step two when the vaccination-related benchmarks needed for step three have already been achieved, she said she’s in full agreement with a cautious approach.

“The three weeks (before moving to step three from step two) allows time not only for the incubation period of 14 days but it also builds in additional time for the delay in reporting,” she explained. “Typically people who get sick need to get tested and there’s a 48-hour delay until they get their results.”

Noting both the highly transmissible alpha (B.1.1.7) and even more transmissible delta (B.1.617) variants are present in the Peterborough region, Dr. Salvaterra stressed the best protection remains being fully vaccinated with two vaccine doses.

“Second doses will stop the fourth wave,” she said.

The updated vaccination numbers indicate that Peterborough-area residents are hearing that message loud and clear.

As of yesterday afternoon, 96,708 area residents have received at least a first dose — an increase of some 3,500 since June 14. However, the big increase is in the number of residents who are now fully vaccinated, with more than 14,000 having received their second dose in the same period, to bring the total of fully vaccinated residents to 30,649.

Close to 77 per cent of all residents aged 18 and up have received a first dose, while just under 60 per cent of youths aged 12 to 17 now have the same level of protection.

Those looking for a reason to feel optimistic over what’s ahead need look no further than the local case count statistics.

As of yesterday, the number of active cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake, and Hiawatha are at 17 — a decrease of 18 since June 14.

However, Dr. Salvaterra noted the number of close contacts of positive cases being monitored “isn’t decreasing at the same rate”, with that number having doubled to 76 over the last 10 days.

Five new cases have been confirmed so far this week, which is the lowest weekly case count number since early February.

To date in June, with the month almost over, 77 new cases have been reported, down considerably from May’s count of 273 new cases. Meanwhile, there are no current outbreaks in the region — a trend that has held steady since May 28.

Also commenting during Thursday’s briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.

Sunday, June 27th is Canadian Multiculturalism Day — a day to celebrate Canada’s diversity and reflect on how multiculturalism enriches the fabric of Canadian society.

This year, New Canadians Centre Peterborough will mark the occasion with a day of virtual programming, celebrating the unique customs, music, dance, food, sports, and stories of newcomers to Canada.

Canada has one of the highest annual immigration rates per population of any country globally, with around 300,000 new immigrants arriving in Canada in 2020. Canadian Multiculturalism Day is a chance to recognize that Canada is a land made up of immigrants who contribute to a vibrant multicultural society.

“We strive towards a multicultural society that celebrates the richness of diverse human cultures,” says Andy Cragg, executive director of New Canadians Centre, in a media release. “When we celebrate diversity, we create community, and we help all people to feel like they belong, to have hope, and to build confidence.”

This year is also the 50th anniversary of Canada’s multiculturalism policy. In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy — intending to preserve the cultural freedom of all people living in Canada and to recognize the cultural contributions of diverse ethnic groups to Canadian society.

“We know that people continue to be targeted for being different, made to feel unwelcome and excluded, but we must counter this with hope and love, remaining confident that we can move forward in our pursuit of equity,” Cragg says.

VIDEO: “We Are The Radical Monarchs” trailer

Virtual attendees can tune in for a multicultural showcase featuring performances from the Ukti Centre for Movement & Arts, Irish Millie, and Blue Wave Taekwondo.

Another program features stories shared on a community radio podcast called ‘Newcomer Radio Group’, where 10 newcomers share their stories of home, transition, integration, and community. The radio podcast is a joint project of the New Canadians Centre and Trent Radio, Trent University’s student-run radio station.

In partnership with ReFrame Film Festival, the virtual event will also feature a free online film screening of We are the Radical Monarchs, a documentary film about the Radical Monarchs — an alternative to the Scout movement for young girls of colour.

#CookWithNCC — a series created by kawarthaNOW in partnership with the New Canadians Centre — shares stories from newcomers of settlement, food, and cooking.

Stories in the series include Jessie Iriwanto from Indonesia and her beef rendang recipe, Tuncay Alkan from Turkey and his hummus recipe, and Imad Mahfouz from Syria and his yalanji recipe.

Programming for the virtual Canadian Multiculturalism Day will be released through the day on June 27 on the New Canadians Centre’s website at nccpeterborough.ca/multiculturalism-day/ and on their Facebook page and YouTube channel.

New Canadians Centre Peterborough is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers to become full and equal members of Canadian society. Over the past year, the New Canadians Centre has supported more than 1,000 clients from 96 different countries, speaking a total of 58 different languages.

Editor’s note: while kawarthaNOW supports Canadian Multiculturalism Day as a way to celebrate diversity and the cultural contributions of diverse ethnic groups, we also recognize the significant contributions of Indigenous heritage and culture to the fabric of Canadian society, and acknowledge Canada’s shameful treatment of Indigenous peoples and the historical oppression of their heritage and culture.

The Ontario government has announced it will be moving to step two of the province’s reopening plan as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday (June 30), two days earlier than originally scheduled, despite having exceeded the benchmarks it set to move to step three.

In step two, the maximum number of people who can gather together increases, more outdoor activities are allowed to resume, and more indoor services are allowed to reopen. The changes in step two include:

• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people
• Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 5 people
• Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity
• Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity
• Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times, and at 25 per cent capacity and other restrictions
• Outdoor dining with up to 6 people per table, with exceptions for larger households and other restrictions
• Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity of the particular room
• Outdoor fitness classes limited to the number of people who can maintain three metres of physical distance
• Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions
• Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity
• Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity
• Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity
• Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions.

For more details on the province’s reopening plan, visit ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario.

To proceed to step two, Ontario needed to have vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 20 per cent with two doses.

As of Wednesday (June 23), the province had already exceeded these benchmarks, with 76 per cent of adults having received one dose and over 29 per cent having received two doses.

Ontario has already met the benchmarks the province set for moving to Step Three, which would allow for even larger social gathering and events, retail operating at capacity where people can maintain two metres of physical distance, performing arts venues and cinemas, and more.

Despite surpassing step three benchmarks, the government says Ontario is not proceeding immediately to step three.

“While the province has surpassed Step Three vaccination targets, Ontario may remain in Step Two for a period of approximately 21 days to allow the most recent vaccinations to reach their full effectiveness and to evaluate any impacts of moving to Step Two on key public health and health care indicators,” states a media release. “When it is determined to be safe, the province will promptly move to Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen.”

Ontario has also seen continued improvement in key public health and health care indicators, including hospitalizations, ICU occupancy, and weekly case incidence rates. From June 11 to 17, the provincial case rate decreased by 24.6 per cent. As of June 22, the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs is 305, including 10 patients from Manitoba, as compared to 450 two weeks ago.

With the adjusted step two schedule, step three would begin on Wednesday, July 21st — although the province may decide to move to step three at an earlier date.

“Vaccination markers are one of the metrics,” said Dr. David Williams during a media conference on Wednesday at Queen’s Park — his last media conference as Ontario’s chief medical officer of health as he retires and Dr. Kieran Moore takes over.

“While we might say we’ve blown past (the targets), most over the 20 per cent (of people receiving two doses) have got that in the last week and a half, so they have another week and a half to build up immunity til they’re ready to go, and we know that they’re immune and just not vaccinated in that point.”

Dr. Williams also pointed out the province is also considering other metrics, including the relatively high number of people in hospital intensive care units and outbreaks of the delta variant in regions such as Waterloo.

“Opening and closing is very disturbing to people and so, while everybody’s in a hurry, we’d rather be taking slow strides forward than trip going out the door,” he added. “Be patient.”

“The other issue we’re following is the delta variant that’s in Ontario now,” said incoming chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore, noting the variant is now making up around 50 per cent of new cases. “We’re seeing that it’s spreading rapidly in certain areas of Ontario now, including the Waterloo region.”

“We’ve followed also what’s going on in England and, as Dr. Williams said, in other areas of the globe where, even despite high immunization rates, they’re having resurgence of activity. And that’s one of the last things we want to see happen in Ontario, so I do believe a slow and cautious approach is warranted.”