Police have found a three-year-old child who became lost in the woods on Thursday morning (November 12) in Selwyn Township.
The child had been playing with other children in a wooded area behind a residence on Highway 28 prior to becoming separated from the group
Peterborough County OPP were called at around 10 a.m. on Thursday and — along with members of the Central Region Emergency Response Team, Central Region Canine Unit, and the Curve Lake Detachment of the Anishinabek Police Service — conducted a search of the area.
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At around 10:35 a.m., the child was found in good condition and transported out of the woods.
Paramedics assessed the child, who did not require medical attention.
An OPP helicopter had been called in to assist in the search, but was cancelled before it arrived.
If you have a birdfeeder in your backyard, you can get chickadees to come to you by temporarily removing the feeder and instead holding seeds in your hand. This is a fun way to connect with your natural surroundings in late fall and throughout the winter. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Leif Einarson, Communications and Marketing Specialist at GreenUP.
It’s no coincidence that Mental Health Awareness Day falls on November 4th.
This can be a challenging time of year for taking care of our mental health, and the ongoing pandemic does not help.
If you find yourself feeling down, here are a few happiness suggestions to consider.
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1. Awe walks in nature
We already know that spending time in nature benefits to our mental and emotional health.
How exactly do we find “green space” in November, you might ask? Right now, things are more brown and bare than green.
A recent study, however, demonstrates that benefits of time spent in nature have more to do with our intentions than the seasons. The study compared two groups of adults. Both groups were asked to take 15 minute walks every day for eight weeks. The first group was given no instructions about how to take those walks, but the second group was told to find “awe” or “wonder” in their natural surroundings.
Late fall is a great time of year to enjoy getting cozy in your space and in nature. GreenUP’s Vern and Beige have been busy “tucking in” all the trees at the Ecology Park Nursery with a cozy blanket of fall leaves. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
As a result, that second group demonstrated “greater joy” during their walks and “measurably broader smiles” than the first group. The second group also demonstrated “greater decreases in daily distress over time” as well as greater increases in positive emotions and feelings of social connection.
Two great ways to enjoy awe walks at this time of year are by wondering at silence and darkness.
There is something soothing about the silence of a forest or wetland in late fall. The leafless trees are quiet. Most songbirds have migrated. The frogs are hibernating.
In his lovely book Nature’s Year in the Kawarthas, local naturalist Drew Monkman describes November beautifully as a “hush upon the land.” I think that silence is a gift, especially in troubled times.
“Nature’s Year” by local naturalist Drew Monkman is an almanac of the key events occurring in the natural world over the course of a year in the Kawartha Lakes district. An excellent resource to enjoy awe in nature in any season, the book is available for $34.99 at the GreenUP Store and is also available in hardcopy and as an electronic resource at the Peterborough Public Library. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
In 2011, the World Health Organization reported on a 10-year study of environmental noise in Western Europe. They concluded that “there is overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population,” including cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment in children, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, and annoyance.
That WHO study ranked traffic noise as second only to air pollution amongst environmental threats to public health.
Take some time to get away from traffic noise. Go for a bike ride (or drive) away from busy roads for a quiet hike and be in awe of the silence and peacefulness.
Like noise pollution, light pollution can also adversely affect our health by disrupting our sleep. Luckily in Peterborough we can more easily enjoy darkness than our big-city neighbours closer to Toronto. Stargazing is good even in backyards and parks just outside downtown Peterborough.
The night sky is awesome right now. After the time change, clear evenings are perfect for awe walks in a nearby park. Stop, look up, and feel awe at the billions of stars in the Milky Way.
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2. Feed the birds
As well as learning to feed chickadees from your hand, you can even put seeds in your hat to attract them, as GreenUP’s Leif Einarson demonstrates. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
Another way you can experience awe in nature at this time of year is by connecting with birds in your backyard or nearby nature areas.
The black-capped chickadee is a great bird to connect with at this time of year and throughout the winter.
You can learn more about the chickadee in this Bird of the Month profile at the Pathways to Stewardship & Kinship website.
If you want to get really close, check out Jacob’s “Speaking Chickadee” video below from March 27th, where he shows how you can feed chickadees from your hand!
Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, explains the benefits of “hygge” like so: “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love, a feeling of home, and a feeling that we are safe and shielded from the world so we can allow ourselves to let our guard down.”
We have had our guard up against COVID-19 for months. We may not be able to gather with all the people we love, but we can still do simple things in our spaces to get cozy and enjoy some “hygge.”
Our natural neighbours are also getting cozy right now. I was excited to discover a fun Squirrel Nest Game in the Pathway to Stewardship & Kinship e-newsletter last month. In this game, you build nests of dry leaves and use a thermometer to see which one works best. We had lots of fun building and testing our nests.
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4. Travel vicariously
With travel limited because of COVID-19, it feels nice to reflect upon past adventures and dream of possible future adventures.
One fun way I’ve enjoyed dreaming of travels is by following the journeys of different animals that call Ontario home during the summer but migrate elsewhere during our winter. Following these journeys vicariously also builds my appreciation for how important it is that we respect and protect local habitats, and how remarkably inter-connected our global ecosystems are.
Each year, as we watch the milkweed grow and bloom, we marvel at the amazing metamorphosis and multi-generational migrations of monarch butterflies.
Last year I enjoyed travelling vicariously with the incredible Monarch Ultra Relay that followed the 4000-plus-kilometre migratory path of monarch butterflies from Peterborough to the rare oyamel fir forests in the mountains of Mexico.
Each fall the monarch butterflies that underwent metamorphosis in Peterborough join others from across eastern North America in the rare oyamel fir forests in the mountains of Mexico. This photo by Rodney Fuentes of the Monarch Ultra shows the butterflies bunched together as densely as 15,000 per branch in the Cerro Pelon Sanctuary. (Photo: Rodney Fuentes / Monarch Ultra)
If you’re feeling wanderlust, I recommend you take a scroll back through the 2019 dispatches of the Monarch Ultra at themonarchultra.com. That journey is a remarkable celebration of a species unlike any other on this planet.
It is also a celebration of sharing cultures and collective efforts to protect this species across three nations.
Enjoy your daily 15 minutes of awe in nature this November, and try to keep it going right through into 2021. I hope it brings you happiness and good health.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs help, the Four County Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 705-745-6484 or toll-free at 1-866-996-0991. The Four County Crisis Line provides free, confidential mental health crisis intervention support over the phone, for people 16 years and over. They will assist you in dealing with an immediate crisis, and provide support and referrals to appropriate resources.
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, performing at "An Afternoon of Spoken Word & Poetry #2" outside The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough on November 7, 2020. The event was part of Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown, which Million curated, and featured poets and spoken word artists including Jon Hedderwick, Elizabeth Jenkins, Shaun Phua, Nick Taylor, and more. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
On Thursday, November 5th, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and Leslie Menagh of Madderhouse Textile Studios, announced that local poet Justin Million is the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence.
Million’s residency will see him creating new work and performing and hosting workshops and studio hours out of Madderhouse Textile Studios at 383 Water Street from mid-November until the end of December.
Million ought to be an intimidating person to encounter. He’s a powerhouse intellectual with graduate credentials from Carleton University and an impressive 20 publications of his poetry — so far. That said, in addition to teaching creative writing workshops, the local poet could also teach courses on humility.
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As an artist and as a human being, Million is unreservedly genuine. His work, paradoxically simple and complex — serious and satirical — and reminiscent at times of cult-poet Charles Bukowski, offers his readers and audiences a level of accessibility that can only be described as generosity.
Since returning to home to Peterborough in 2015, Million has become a force in the local arts-scene, founding two widely successful event series: the Show and Tell Poetry Series and KEYBOARDS!.
Recently, he’s also curated part of EC3’s Artsweek Shift: Downtown, bringing spoken word, poetry readings, and “Menacing Beauty: the John Climenhage Storefront Project” to various locations downtown Peterborough.
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, performing at the Show and Tell Poetry Series Showcase at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough in April 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
“Show and Tell Poetry Series started in 2015 at Curated, Melinda Richter’s oddity shop in the Charlotte Mews,” Million recalls, “I had just moved back to Peterborough and I didn’t know anyone. I ended up going to a reading there and said I was interested in starting a poetry reading series and Melinda — without knowing me at all — suggested that I do it at Curated.”
“So I started doing Show and Tell Poetry Series and I met a lot of really great people there, including my lovely partner Elisha Rubacha, and then from there we moved to The Garnet, which became our long-time home base, and that’s where I started KEYBOARDS!”
KEYBOARDS! — a live typewriter show — offered audiences a unique experience. Million would encourage audiences to talk among themselves while he harvested snippets of their conversations to craft his improvisational typewritten poems live on stage. The poet would ring a bell, read the unedited work aloud, and place the only existing copy of the found-poetry on a stool for audience members to purchase by donation.
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“People were shocked to be included in a genre that they consider to be high art,” explains Million of the iconic KEYBOARDS! happenings. “Most people who don’t avidly read poetry always say that they don’t understand it, but they also think that poetry is important.”
“I think that’s due to how we’re taught poetry,” he muses. “We’re taught that there’s some secret in a poem, and if you can’t decipher the secret of this 100-year-old poem then you’re an idiot. Which is ridiculous because most of my favourite poems are so accessible that — literally — if you can read, then you can understand the poem.”
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, at the farewell performance of KEYBOARDS! at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough in August 2018. In 2016, Million founded the spontaneous poetry event, which took place on the last Sunday of each month at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough. During 30 events, he created around 500 poems. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
This year was on track to be a banner one for Million, with the release of his highly anticipated first trade book slated for March 21st. However, as is the case for many of us, our year of the virus threw a proverbial wrench in his plans.
“This was my first trade book, perfect-bound by a real publisher — a life goal accomplished,” recalls Million, who was due to launch the book at Ottawa’s international poetry festival, Versefest, which Million helped to found 10 years ago.
“They were going to give me the treatment like I’ve never had. They were going to put me up in a hotel and give me a festival pass, an open bar pass, and a per diem — poets don’t get that kind of treatment!”
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“There was so much wrapped up in this book being launched and then it didn’t happen, which was particularly crushing,” Million adds. “But compared to what’s happening to other people all over the world, it was nothing. I mean, people are dying.”
Million’s grace in the face of loss gives poetic justice to his recent appointment as Peterborough’s 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence.
The program will provide Million with mentorship, a stipend, some production expenses and studio space, along with support for public engagement and audience participation in the downtown, allowing the poet to concentrate on his art practice.
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, performing at The Hi How Are You Revue at the Twisted Wheel in downtown Peterborough in September 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
To execute the program quickly and efficiently, EC3 made the residency eligible only to artists who had been previously been nominated for, but had not won, a Peterborough Arts Award — an annual initiative launched by EC3 in 2018 and championed by Bill Lockington of LLF Lawyers where $2,000 awards are presented to six individuals who have shown outstanding achievement in the arts.
For the inaugural awards, Million was nominated as outstanding emerging artist and, the following year, as outstanding mid-career artist.
“I like to refer to myself as the Susan Lucci of the Peterborough Arts Awards,” Million laughs. “I’ve been nominated twice and haven’t won — I think Drew Hayden Taylor and I are the only two that have been nominated twice and are yet to win, so I’m in pretty decent company there.”
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With the 2020 edition of the Peterborough Arts Awards postponed due to the pandemic, Million considers his designation as 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence an appropriate substitute.
“This residency is basically an arts award,” he continues. “It made the application process that much more streamlined because EC3 didn’t have to vet all of the artists, because they’ve already been vetted for the arts award. In that sense they could launch the program and get things started that much faster.”
“The thing I’m looking forward to the most is the studio space — I’ve never had a studio. Ever. I’ll be able to walk into that room, close the door, and be as creative as I want to. I’ll get the chance to explore.”
“I’m also really looking forward to being able to up my game, so to speak, in terms of experimenting more with projections. I think there’s a lot of possibility to do that kind of bigger-ticket projection work at night in Peterborough so that larger audiences can see it.”
Poet Justin Million (right), the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, speaking during the “Writing off the Edge: Precarious Poetry and Prose” discussion, part of the 2017 Precarious Festival in Peterborough. Also pictured are Narthan Adler (left) and Elisha Rubacha (centre), who is also Million’s partner and a writer and publisher. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
The 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence program will also benefit the Peterborough community writ large.
“Community is made manifest in a live event,” explains Million. “You can feel what community means in the odd comfort of a shared experience.”
“It’s the same thing as when you’re watching a hockey game — I’m a big hockey fan. A typical playoff Hockey Night in Canada begins with a Joel Plaskett song and then Ron MacLean reads a Walt Whitman poem — that’s not a coincidence — art creates a narrative that elevates life experiences.”
“By supporting people in your community that are making art, you’re essentially elevating your own story. You are becoming part of it and you’re allowing that narrative to continue, which only makes your community bigger and better — it’s celebrating yourself in a way that is not born of hubris or misplaced pride.”
Poetry — indeed all the arts — can be an effective means not only for community-building and narrative-shaping, but also for better conceptualizing the challenges we face; thus, it can also play a role in helping us cope with such challenges.
Justin Million’s book “Ejecta: The Uncollected KEYBOARDS! Poems “, available from Apt 9 Press, contains 132 poems from Million’s KEYBOARDS! events that were not collected by members of the audience at the end of the events. (Photo: Apt 9 Press)
“Poetry is concision-based, so you can take a gigantic idea and take a corner of it and write that corner out to the point where it actually speaks to the whole,” explains Million.
Through the voice of poets, the “makers” as the Greek origin of the word indicates, we hear our own voices. Peterborough is blessed to have Justin Million as the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence — to have the opportunity to embrace his poetic voice and to hear our own voices in it.
Visit EC3’s website at ecthree.org for updates regarding the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence program or follow them on Facebook.
To buy a copy of Justin Million’s first trade book, Ejecta: The Uncollected KEYBOARDS! Poems, visit the Apt 9 Press shop on Etsy.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting yet another new record of 1,426 COVID-19 cases today, breaking yesterday’s record of 1,388 cases. This is the sixth straight day of more than 1,000 new daily cases, with the average number of daily cases over the past six days now standing at 1,253.
There has been a record increase of new cases in Peel (468), which has now overtaken Toronto (384) and, along with York (180), makes up the majority of the new cases.
There are smaller increases in Durham (63), Hamilton (62), Niagara (42), Waterloo (40), Halton (30), Ottawa (28), Simcoe Muskoka (27), Middlesex-London (20), Southwestern Public Health (12), Windsor-Essex (11), Thunder Bay (8), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (7), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (7), Sudbury (6), Huron Perth (6), and Brant County (6). The remaining 15 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 5 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 53% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (536) among people ages 20 to 39. With 886 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has dropped by 0.4% to 84.2%. The positivity rate has decreased by 0.6% to 5.1%, meaning that 51 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 10.
For the ninth day in a row, there has been a double-digit increase in the number of deaths, with 15 new deaths reported today, 7 of which were in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 2 to 424, with 6 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 3 more patients on ventilators.
A total of 34,460 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 6,658 to 34,460.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools has jumped to 198, an increase of 39 from yesterday, with 116 student cases, 21 staff cases, and 61 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 19 cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 3 from yesterday, with 6 cases among children and 13 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 2 new cases to report in Peterborough and 1 new death — a resident at Fairhaven long-term care facility.
There are no new cases in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and an additional case has been resolved there. Reports are not available for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, or Haliburton as the health unit is not publishing an update on Remembrance Day.
None of the reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 16 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 11 in Peterborough, 1 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 164 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (150 resolved with 3 deaths), 188 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (168 resolved with 32 deaths), 52 in Northumberland County (49 resolved with 1 death), 22 in Haliburton County (21 resolved with no deaths), and 82 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (76 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 88,209 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,426 from yesterday, with 74,303 cases resolved (84.2% of all cases), an increase of 886. There have been 3,275 deaths, an increase of 15 from yesterday, with 2,087 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 7 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 2 to 424, with 6 additional patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 3 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,476,811 tests have been completed, an increase of 36,707 from yesterday, with 34,460 tests under investigation, an increase of 6,658 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day. Health unit data is more current, and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day.
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: 164 (increase of 2) Active cases: 11 (increase of 2) Close contacts: 10 (no change) Deaths: 3 (increase of 1) Resolved: 150 (decrease of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 35,250 (increase of 100) Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (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. There is no update on Remembrance Day; these numbers are from November 10.
Confirmed positive: 262, including 188 in Kawartha Lakes, 52 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Active cases: 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 24, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 238, including 168 in Kawartha Lakes, 49 in Northumberland, 21 in Haliburton (no change) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (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: 82 (no change) Active cases: 1 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 76 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 6,812 swabs completed (no change)* Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*The health unit was previously reporting 48,710 tests completed; this appears to be an error or a change in how this data is being reported
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 88,209 (increase of 1,426) Resolved: 74,303 (increase of 886, 84.2% of all cases) Hospitalized: 424 (increase of 2) Hospitalized and in ICU: 88 (increase of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 57 (increase of 3) Deaths: 3,275 (increase of 15) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,087 (increase of 7) Total tests completed: 5,476,811 (increase of 36,707) Tests under investigation: 34,460 (increase of 6,658)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 11 – November 10, 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 October 11 – November 10, 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)
Fairhaven is a municipal long-term care home facility located at 881 Dutton Road in Peterborough. (Photo: Fairhaven)
One resident at Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough who had tested positive for COVID-19 has died, and four more residents have tested positive for the disease.
kawarthaNOW obtained a copy of an email sent by Fairhaven’s executive director Lionel Towns to families on Wednesday (November 11).
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our residents, who had tested positive for COVID-19, has passed away,” Towns writes. “We have been in touch with family members, whose loved one passed, to offer our heartfelt condolences. This is a terrible virus and our thoughts are with everyone impacted.”
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Towns also states that the facility, located at 881 Dutton Road, received four additional positive tests on Tuesday (November 10) for residents on the home’s Westview 2 unit.
“Families of the affected residents have been contacted and all (Westview 2) residents have now been isolated in their personal areas out of an abundance of caution,” Towns writes. “Staff are tightly cohorted and no one else will be entering this care area.”
The four additional infections come after the home advised on Monday (November 9) that an asymptomatic resident on the Westview 2 unit had been re-tested over the weekend, with Peterborough Public Health confirming a positive test result on Monday afternoon.
Westview 2 is the same unit visited by a caregiver who tested positive on October 31st, prompting Peterborough Public Health to declare an outbreak at the home.
After the positive resident test was confirmed on Monday, Fairhaven postponed all visits by essential caregivers, while allowing only a maximum of two palliative visitors.
All general visits had already been prohibited when the outbreak was declared, but essential caregiver visits were still allowed according to provincial guidelines.
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At the time the first resident tested positive, all other residents and staff on Westview 2 had been tested and all results received were negative. That changed on Tuesday (November 10), when the tests for four residents on the unit came back positive.
Towns did not provide any further details about the resident who died, other than that the person had tested positive for COVID-19.
Peterborough Public Health reported four new COVID-19 cases in its update on Tuesday afternoon, and has confirmed to kawarthaNOW that these are the four Fairhaven residents who have tested positive.
Women like Jodie Hames of Clayworks Pottery in Bethany own only 16 per cent of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses. To help ensure economic equality and prosperity for women, the Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre has launched the Women's Entrepreneurship Program, funded through the federal government's Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. Over the next three years, the pilot program will support 45 female entrepreneurs starting a new or early-stage business in Kawartha Lakes. There is no financial commitment to participate in the program. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
While the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has varied depending on the industry, there’s one group that has been hit particularly hard across Canada: women-owned businesses.
Prior to the pandemic, 50 per cent of all ventures started across Canada were by women, and 16 per cent of those were small- and medium-sized businesses. Yet making it in business is no easy feat for women, who face a long list of obstacles that their male counterparts may not — lack of networks and mentors, less access to financing, and juggling family responsibilities, to name a few.
In an effort to ensure equality and prosperity for female entrepreneurs, Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre has launched the new Women’s Entrepreneurship pilot program.
Over the next three years, the program intends to support 45 female entrepreneurs starting a new or early-stage business in the Kawartha Lakes region, with training and development opportunities.
“This program is created specifically to assist women in starting, planning, and building full-time businesses in our communities,” says Diane Steven, manager with Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre. “We’re championing female entrepreneurs by helping them overcome hurdles they may face so they can unleash their full potential.”
This includes getting one-on-one guidance from a business consultant, giving participants the confidence to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, build a solid business plan, identify their ideal customers, and to identify the tools and resources they’ll need to build a solid foundation for their business.
Female entrepreneurs like Dana Deathe, owner of The Book Lady bookshop and literary cafe in Fenelon Falls, face unique barriers when developing and growing their businesses, such as a lack of access to resources and funding and balancing family and business responsibilities. The Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre’s pilot Women’s Entrepreneurship Program will provide female entrepreneurs in Kawartha Lakes with virtual business training, workshops and webinars, mentorship, and networking opportunities at no cost. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
“When you want to start a new business, it’s important to understand the bigger picture and the demand for your product or service,” Steven notes.
Through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, selected participants can access virtual business training, workshops and webinars, mentorship, and networking opportunities with like-minded businesswomen — all at no cost.
Steven explains the virtual platform is convenient for women who have a multitude of responsibilities that may require them to have control over the times that they can access the training, and need business supports that work with their individual availability.
Women entrepreneurs are a driving force in Ontario’s economy and essential to creating dynamic communities. Through this program, Steven says, the federal government is recognizing we need to better evaluate and address the barriers faced by women and other underrepresented groups.
“These women are creating employment opportunities not only for themselves but for others as well,” Steven points out. “It’s a wonderful thing to encourage and support.”
The Women’s Entrepreneurship pilot program in Kawartha Lakes has been made possible thanks to the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, a $2-billion investment that seeks to double the number of female-owned businesses by 2025.
Women-led businesses like 11:11 Full Circle Healing in Lindsay, owned by Alyssa Huntley, are underrepresented in Canada’s economy. The Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre’s pilot Women’s Entrepreneurship Program will help women in the Kawartha Lakes region start, plan, and build full-time businesses. There is no cost to participate in the program. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
Kawartha Lakes Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre has already supported hundreds of businesses start-ups in Kawartha Lakes by providing coaching, mentoring, and business development support services.
While the Women’s Entrepreneurship pilot program has recently accepted a handful of female founders, Steven encourages any other women who are interested to start the outreach process now.
To qualify for the program, you must be:
A female entrepreneur over 18 years old living in Kawartha Lakes.
The owner of either a new business that’s not yet registered or one that has been operating within the last four months.
Planning to start a new full-time permanent business that is your main source of income, working an average of 30 plus hours a week.
Operating as a sole proprietorship or partnership. For partnerships, the majority owner must complete the application and is responsible for executing the agreement terms.
There is no financial commitment to participate in the program.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the surge of COVID-19 cases across the country during a media conference on Parliament Hill on November 10, 2020. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
The second wave of the pandemic in Ontario continues to intensify with a new record of 1,388 COVID-19 cases today, which is the fifth straight day of more than 1,000 new daily cases. The average number of daily cases over the past five days now stands at 1,219 — above the 800 to 1,200 daily cases Ontario public health officials projected on October 29.
With the continued increases in new cases in Ontario as well as across the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is asking Canada’s premiers and mayors to protect public health.
“We’re seeing record spikes this morning across the country,” Trudeau said at a media conference on Parliament Hill on Tuesday (November 10). “So I’m imploring the premiers and our mayors to please do the right thing — act now to protect public health.”
Trudeau also urged Canadians to adhere to public health guidelines.
“We all know the virus is surging, so once again I’m asking all Canadians to please follow your local public health guidelines,” he said. “Wash your hands, wear a mask, keep a safe two-metre distance from each other, and download the COVID Alert app. Together, we will get through this.”
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There’s been another record increase of new cases in Toronto (552) which, along with Peel (395), York (100), and Halton (72), make up the majority of the new cases. There are smaller increases in Niagara (50), Waterloo (42), Durham (36), Hamilton (35), Ottawa (23), Huron Perth (23), Simcoe Muskoka (20), Middlesex-London (20), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (8), Southwestern Public Health (7), and Windsor-Essex (7).
The remaining 18 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 6 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 52% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (501) among people ages 20 to 39. With 781 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.5% to 84.6%. The positivity rate has increased by 0.7% to 5.7%, meaning that 57 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 9.
For the eighth day in a row, there has been a double-digit increase in the number of deaths, with 15 new deaths reported today, 11 of which were in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have jumped to 422, an increase of 55 from yesterday; even taking into account under-reported hospitalization numbers on the weekend, this still represents an increase of 42 from the 380 cases reported on November 6. There are 2 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and no change to the number of patients on ventilators.
A total of 27,802 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 1,156 to 27,802.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools has jumped to 159, an increase of 80 from yesterday, with 103 student cases, 23 staff cases, and 33 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 22 cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 12 from yesterday, with 13 cases among children and 9 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 4 new cases to report in Peterborough, with 1 new hospitalization and 1 additional case resolved, and 1 new case in Northumberland.
There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, or Hastings and Prince Edward counties; an additional case has been resolved in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 15 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 9 in Peterborough, 2 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 162 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (151 resolved with 2 deaths), 188 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (168 resolved with 32 deaths), 52 in Northumberland County (49 resolved with 1 death), 22 in Haliburton County (21 resolved with no deaths), and 82 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (74 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 86,783 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,388 from yesterday, with 73,417 cases resolved (84.6% of all cases), an increase of 781. There have been 3,260 deaths, an increase of 15 from yesterday, with 2,080 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 11 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has jumped to 422, an increase of 55 from yseterday. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has decreased by 2 to 82, with no change in the number of patients on ventilators. A total of 5,440,104 tests have been completed, an increase of 29,125 from yesterday, with 27,802 tests under investigation, an increase of 1,156 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day. Health unit data is more current, and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day.
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: 162 (increase of 4) Active cases: 9 (increase of 3) Close contacts: 10 (decrease of 3) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 151 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: Over 35,150 (increase of 50) Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (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: 262, including 188 in Kawartha Lakes, 52 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Active cases: 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 24, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 238, including 168 in Kawartha Lakes, 49 in Northumberland, 21 in Haliburton (no change) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (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: 82 (no change) Active cases: 2 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 75 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 6,812 swabs completed* Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*The health unit was previously reporting 48,710 tests completed; this appears to be an error or a change in how this data is being reported
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 86,783 (increase of 1,388) Resolved: 73,417 (increase of 781, 84.6% of all cases) Hospitalized: 422 (increase of 55)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 82 (decrease of 2) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 54 (no change) Deaths: 3,260 (increase of 15) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,080 (increase of 11) Total tests completed: 5,440,104 (increase of 29,125) Tests under investigation: 27,802 (increase of 1,156)
*This increase is from the 367 number reported on Sunday that did not include data from 42 hospitals. However, the increase is still substantial when compared to the last reported number that included data from all Ontario hospitals, which was 380 on November 6 (an increase of 42).
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 10 – November 9, 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 October 10 – November 9, 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)
Susan Tung, owner of Vietnamese restaurant Hanoi House in downtown Peterborough, stands outside the planned second location of her restaurant at 1040 Lansdowne Street West. (Photo: Susan Tung / Facebook)
businessNOW™ is our round-up of business and organizational news from Peterborough and across the greater Kawarthas region.
In businessNOW, our managing editor collects news and events related to businesses and organizations from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
This week, we’re featuring Hanoi House owner Susan Tung’s plans to open a second Peterborough location of the popular Vietnamese restaurant.
Also included this week is Selwyn Township’s second phase of funding for its Business Reopening Program and the 14 participants in Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre’s Starter Company Plus fall intake.
We also cover the opening of The Christmas Corner in Norwood, the Peterborough DBIA receiving Ontario government funding for new decorative holiday lights in downtown Peterborough, RBC Foundation donating $10,000 to YWCA Crossroads Shelter and Nourish Food Programs, and other highlights of recent business and organizational news.
New business events added this week include the Innovation Cluster’s website development workshop on November 17th, a blockchain for business workshop on November 17th, the Peterborough DBIA’s SEO workshop on November 19th, and the Peterborough Chamber’s virtual AGM on November 19th.
Susan Tung, owner of Vietnamese restaurant Hanoi House in downtown Peterborough, stands inside the planned second location of her restaurant at 1040 Lansdowne Street West. It’s the former location of Copper Branch, a franchise of the plant-based restaurant chain that closed earlier this year. (YouTube screenshot)
Hanoi House Vietnamese Restaurant and Oyster Bar, located at 213 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, plans to open a second location in Peterborough.
Owner Susan Tung made the announcement on social media. She has leased a space at 1040 Lansdowne Street West — the former location of Copper Branch, a franchise of the plant-based restaurant chain that closed earlier this year.
Tung, who previously owned and operated The Golden Wheel on Highway 7 with her parents, opened Hanoi House in downtown Peterborough this past February, just before the pandemic hit.
VIDEO: Susan Tung introduces Hanoi House’s second location
The restaurant, which offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine, has been a hit with local foodies and is obviously thriving despite the pandemic, allowing Tung to expand.
Tung says the new Lansdowne Street location will need some renovations. Stay tuned to businessNOW for details on opening plans.
Selwyn Township announces second phase of funding for Business Reopening Program
The Township of Selwyn in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough has launched the second phase of the township’s Business Reopening Program.
The first phase of the program provided support to local Selwyn-based businesses dealing with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 112 businesses receiving grants of up to $2,500 each to cover pandemic-related expenses such as personal protective equipment, plexi-glass barriers, signage, online upgrades and more.
The second phase of the program will also provide grants of up to $2,500 for local businesses to help with urgent and additional pandemic-related expenses such as professional cleaning services (to respond to a COVID-19 outbreak or a close contact with an infected person) and equipment necessary to extend the business season (such as portable heaters and tents).
Interested businesses can apply directly to Community Futures Peterborough at communityfuturespeterborough.ca/home/covid19/. Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2021 or while funds last.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre announces 14 participants in Starter Company Plus
The 14 successful applicants for the fall intake of the Starter Company Plus program in Peterborough and the Kawarthas during a Zoom call. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre)
The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre has announced the 14 successful applicants who will participate in the fall intake of the Starter Company Plus program.
The eight-week program, funded by the Ontario government, teach new entrepreneurs the necessary skills to start and grow their businesses. Of the 14 participants, seven will be selected and awarded a $5,000 grant based on the creativity and viability of their business ideas and the strength of their business plans.
The 14 participants and their businesses are:
Debra Ragbar of the Kawartha Spice Company in Peterborough, which manufactures curry powder and, spice rub mixes and rim rubs for cocktails.
Lyle Saunders of Saunders Tax Service c/o Peterborough Disability Tax Services in Peterborough, which specializing in the disability tax credit for individuals and caregivers.
Ivan O’Brien of Archer Equipment Inspections Ltd. in Douro-Dummer Township, which inspects heavy equipment for companies interested in purchasing equipment.
Janette Fluke of Florna Sweets in Asphodel-Norwood Township, which creates custom-designed sugar cookies for celebrations and holidays.
Sharyn Inward of Peterborough, whose to-be-named lifestyle and wellness startup business offers yoga and health education to plus-size women.
Jocelynn Vieira of The Kawartha Craft Company in Trent Lakes, which creates easy-to-follow do-it-yourself craft kits for children of all ages using local supplies.
Cheryl Edwards and Charmaine Magumbe of Zingha in Peterborough, a social enterprise that offers originally created positive Afrocentric images on t-shirts, mugs, and bags, and free anti-Black racism resources.
Alicia Doris of Living Local Box in Peterborough, which sells local items from Peterborough and the Kawarthas through custom gift boxes and seasonal subscription boxes.
Andrew Flaman of Circle Life in Cavan-Monaghan Township, a micro-enterprise being incubated at Circle Organic Community Farm in Millbrook.
Susan Dunkley of Suzi Homemaker in Peterborough, which provides services to help people downsize, de-clutter, organize, move, settle estates, and more.
Dean and Amy Howley of King & Tupper in Cavan-Monaghan Township, which offers custom and handcrafted wood decor, art, toys, and furniture.
Jonathan Clement of Elbuns Media in Peterborough, which helps small businesses and non-profits tell their stories through video and written content and develops recruiting and fundraising strategies.
Christopher Nayler of Douglas Works in Peterborough, which offers residential and commercial landscaping, hardscaping, and property maintenance services.
Emiline Willson of The Willson Wagon in Peterborough, which specializes in hand-crafted playdough, curated playdough kits, hand-dyed sensory bin fillers, and more.
The Christmas Corner opens in Norwood
The Christmas Corner is a new shop in Norwood dedicated to all things Christmas. (Photo: The Christmas Corner / Facebook)
Lynn Wilson of Lynn Wilson’s Flowers and Gifts in Norwood has opened a new store dedicated to all things Christmas.
The Christmas Corner (2351 County Rd. 45, Norwood) is located next door to her existing shop and sells all things Christmas, with prices for all budgets. Wilson is restocking with new items weekly.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. COVID-19 guidelines are in place, including a limit on the number of people allowed in the store at one time.
For updates and any changes in hours, visit The Christmas Corner on Facebook.
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Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area receives Ontario government funding for new decorative holiday lights
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith and Peterborough DBIA executive director Terry Guiel with one of the new new decorative holiday lights to be installed in downtown Peterborough. (Supplied photo)
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has received $23,921 from the Ontario government for new decorative holiday lights in downtown Peterborough.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith made the announcement on October 30, with the funding coming from the province’s Rural Economic Development program.
“Our downtown has faced unprecedented challenges in the last several months,” Smith said. “Critical investments in making the downtown brighter, safer and more inviting for the Christmas season is another step forward in our economic recovery.”
As well as the Ontario government funding, the City of Peterborough will be supporting the DBIA by installing the lights.
“With all the stresses our community has been under this past year, we could sure all use something to help brighten the spirit,” said DBIA executive director Terry Guiel. “These beautiful lights should help with that while hopefully attracting some holiday shoppers to the area”.
RBC Foundation donates $10,000 to YWCA Crossroads Shelter and Nourish Food Programs
RBC’s Scott Mancini and Karalee Murray present a $10,000 donation to Ria Nicholson of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. (Supplied photo)
RBC Foundation has donated $10,000 to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton to help address the growing need for gender-based violence supports as well as nutritious food in Peterborough and surrounding area.
“This year has presented our community with unparalleled challenges, specifically for our most vulnerable,” says Scott Mancini, vice-president of commercial banking at RBC. “The work being done by the YWCA and their partners is providing support where the need is greatest. We thank these organizations for making our community stronger.”
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton will use the donation to support women who experience violence at YWCA Crossroads Shelter as well as Nourish’s work in providing nutritious food and innovative programming to battle the chronic issue of food insecurity in the Peterborough community.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Nourish has been working with local agencies to get nutritious food to those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. Home deliveries of food boxes (both free and subsidized) have fed more than 225 families on a weekly basis since April. Other members of the community have received nutritious and local (when possible) ingredients through Nourish on a monthly basis.
YWCA Crossroads Shelter has remained open and continues to provide essential resources, safety, and information around the clock for women and their children in the community. The shelter is able to serve up to eight families while still allowing for proper physical distancing and other COVID-19 safety protocols.
Sandra Dueck moves from Peterborough Chamber of Commerce to Peterborough Police Service
Sandra Dueck. (Photo: Peterborough Chamber of Commerce)
Sandra Dueck is the Peterborough Police Service’s new communications coordinator.
Dueck was the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s policy analyst and communications specialist for the past eight years, and was recently promoted to vice president and director of government relations and communications.
Dueck’s work with the chamber has has been recognized nationally, provincially, and locally — most recently with Dueck receiving the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough’s 2020 Business Woman of the Year in the organization category.
The police’s communications coordinator works with internal and external stakeholders, coordinates with media, manages the police website, and develops the annual report and business plan.
Dueck will start in her new role on Monday, November 23rd.
Highlights of other business and organization news from across the Kawarthas
Jennie MacKenzie of Lakefield Pantry and Bakeshop, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. (Photo: Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism)
Lakefield Pantry and Bakeshop (44 Queen St., Lakefield) celebrated its 40th anniversary on Sunday, November 1st. The store was founded by Cam Fraser and June McCartney, who operated it for the first nine years, before Jennie and John MacKenzie took over the business in 1989.
The Loomex Group in Peterborough is acquiring Montreal-based Explorer Solutions, known for economic development and airport planning services. The move will allow the Loomex Group to enter the global market through the U.S. and France. Explorer Solutions will remain its own entity under the parent company of The Loomex Group, maintaining its name, employees, and offices in Canada, the U.S., and Europe.
Joan Carragher is the new director of education and secretary/treasurer of the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, replacing the retiring Michael Nasello. A Catholic educator for over 30 years and a superintendent with the board, Carragher assumes her new role on January 1, 2021.
Modern Makers Market (651 Chamberlain St., Peterborough), a market selling on behalf of artisans, held its grand opening on Sunday, November 1st.
Despite the pandemic, vendors at the 2020 Lakefield Farmers’ Market reported a 35 per cent this year over 2019 sales, likely due to the market’s efforts to provide a COVID-safe experience for market partons. The market received a $1,234.36 in the summer from the Township of Selwyn’s Business Re-Opening Program to recoup the costs of personal protective equipment provided to volunteers, hand sanitizer and sanitizing station supplies offered to customers, and signage to educate the public and help the market operate smoothly under the new COVID-19 safety protocols.
Enbridge Gas has donated $100,000 to be shared by 20 fire departments in Ontario, including those in the Kawarthas, to purchase educational materials for firefighters to enhance life-saving techniques.
Fenelon Falls Brewing Co. (4 May St., Fenelon Falls) marked its one-year anniversary on Thursday, November 5th.
Two new Port Hope businesses located at 10 Robertson Street held their grand openings on Friday, November 6th: Epic Gymnastics and Dance (an inclusive dance, gymnastics and fitness facility for participants of all ages, stages and skill levels) and Focused Momentum (a 4,000-square-foot gym featuring personal training, including weight, agility, endurance, and aerobic activities and more).
Peterborough video game studio Bloom Digital Media has launched “Later Daters Part 2”, a follow-up to its seniors roantic comedy dating game, available for PC and Mac and the Nintendo Switch.
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Innovation Cluster presents website development workshop on November 17
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is presenting “Hands-ON: Introduction to HTML & CSS with Canada Learning Code” from noon – 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17th.
This free workshop will cover HTML and CSS, the backbone of all websites, including basic techniques and concepts, how to create a website with images, video, and a CSS-defined layout, and more.
This event will be held on the Zoom video-conferencing platform.
CryptoChicks presents blockchain for business workshop on November 17
CryptoChicks is presenting “Blockchain 101 for Business” from 1 to 2 p.m on Tuesday, November 17th.
Businesses can learn about blockchain technology and how it’s transforming industries.
This free virtual event is part of the “Hacking the Digital Curve: Empowering Women Entrepreneurship” webinar series from Northumberland CFDC and the DELIA program, with the support of FedDev Ontario.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts TD Economic Outlook 2020 on November 18
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is hosting TD Economic Outlook 2020 from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, November 18th.
This free online event will feature a discussion with Derek Burleton, TD Bank Group Vice-President and Deputy Chief Economist, about what will shape our economic landscape as we plan for the year ahead.
The event will also include an update from Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development President & CEO, Rhonda Keenan on the resiliency of companies in Peterborough & the Kawarthas during and post COVID-19.
Peterborough DBIA presents SEO workshop on November 19
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) is presenting “Get Found Online” on Thursday, November 19th, with sessions at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
In this online 30-minute workshop, Digital Main Street squad members Kate Storen and Hillary Flood will provide an introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and include tips for free and paid search strategies, followed by a question-and-answer session.
This free event will be held on the Zoom video-conferencing platform and is open to anyone interested, regardless of membership in the DBIA.
Peterborough Chamber hosts virtual AGM on November 19
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting a virtual annual general meeting from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, November 19th.
Chamber members will get a look back at 2019 followed by a special presentation by guest speaker Pierre Cléroux, vice president of research and chief economist with RBC.
At the meeting, Chamber members will be asked to accept the audited financial statements for 2019 and to adopt proposed new by-laws.
Elevating Canadian Experiences hosting online workshops for local tourism operators on November 23 and 24
In partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, Elevating Canadian Experiences is delivering free online workshops for local tourism operators on Monday, November 23rd and Tuesday, November 24th.
The workshops will focus on two themes: culinary tourism and winter and shoulder season tourism.
Tristan Nugent, an Indigenous student at Trent University who participated in the 'Breaking Down Stereotypes' photo-based community art project. Created by Trent's First Peoples House of Learning with photographs by Annie Sakkab, the series features different students raising and refuting commonly encountered racist comments, racial microaggressions, and misconceptions about Indigenous peoples. (Photos by Annie Sakkab)
‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’, a photo-based community art project that confronts racism and celebrates Indigenous identity, is the first in a series of micro-exhibitions programmed for November and December at Artspace in downtown Peterborough.
Betty Carr-Braint, cultural advisor and Indigenous counsellor at Trent University, has supported Indigenous students at Trent’s First Peoples House of Learning for the last five years. Part of her work involves assisting Indigenous students who are struggling with the ongoing impacts of colonization and historical trauma.
During her time at Trent, Carr-Braint has encountered many students who were troubled by the stereotyping they had regularly faced from professors, students, and staff at the university as well as from members of the greater Peterborough community.
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“I heard over and over from students about the racism they were facing in their daily lives,” recalls Carr-Braint, who played a curatorial role in ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’, on display at Artspace until Saturday, November 14th. “I started to think about how we can combat this in a way that gets our point across.”
“I’ve always thought that a picture speaks a thousand words, so I contacted Annie and she helped us to create what we wanted.”
Autumn Cooper, an Indigenous student at Trent University who participated in the ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ photo-based community art project. The project is on display at Artspace in downtown Peterborough until November 14, 2020. (Photos by Annie Sakkab)
Carr-Braint had already collaborated with award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker Annie Sakkab (anniesakkab.com) for another photo-based project that focused on women in Tyendinaga territory.
“She’s very accomplished,” says Carr-Braint. “I feel very blessed to have her as part of my life, and she did an outstanding job. It’s a vision that we wanted to get out there.”
‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ uses Sakkab’s photos of Indigenous Trent students combined with text that identifies and counters stereotypes, selected and crafted by each student participant, to confront racism in a profound way.
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The project, in many ways, emblematizes the spirit of the Jewish ethical metaphysician, Emmanuel Levinas, who developed an ethics of human relations founded on one’s encounter with the face of the other. The photo series challenges stereotypical perceptions and seeks to change them.
“The messaging is designed to educate others because so many students were struggling with these comments,” Carr-Braint explains. “We really want people to think about what it is they’re saying and what impact their words might have on Indigenous people.”
“The students need to be acknowledged for their courage stepping forward and sharing their stories. I think it’s powerful — I don’t think the students realized their power in it until they stepped into it and got to see it presented.”
Angeni Lovelady, an Indigenous student at Trent University who participated in the ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ photo-based community art project. The project is on display at Artspace in downtown Peterborough until November 14, 2020. (Photos by Annie Sakkab)
By challenging and breaking down Indigenous stereotypes, the photo-based project also creates a powerful space for the student participants to restore, revitalize, and reclaim their own cultural identities.
“In 2020, Indigenous people come in all colours,” says Carr-Braint. “We’re not just one colour anymore. That stereotype is still present but that’s not the reality today.”
The photo-based project was originally exhibited at the 2019 Elders Gathering at Trent, where it received much acclaim. Jonathon Lockyer, Artspace’s director and curator, saw the project there and arranged for the work to be exhibited at Artspace.
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“Originally, the exhibition at Artspace wasn’t going to happen until 2021,” recalls Carr-Braint. “But with everything that happened with COVID, the space opened up and we were able to show there. We’re really excited about it.”
The project has resonated well beyond Peterborough/Nogojiwanong, explains Carr-Braint.
“We had so many other colleges and universities come forward asking if they can share the work at their institutions because they were battling the same thing,” she says. “I didn’t think about it that way, but there’s a real need for it so we’re working on getting it to other schools too.”
Papatsi Kotierk, an Indigenous student at Trent University who participated in the ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ photo-based community art project. The project is on display at Artspace in downtown Peterborough until November 14, 2020. (Photos by Annie Sakkab)
Carr-Braint notes the students who participated in the project have been surprised by the reaction to the project, telling her “they didn’t really realize what a big deal it was that they were doing this.”
“I really want to acknowledge their courage to speak out so publicly,” she says. “I’m so grateful for their courage. The students tell me they’re glad they were able to speak to some of the things they were experiencing not only at the university but in Peterborough and the surrounding area as well.”
Systemic racism is the product of an entire system of long-existing structures in society. It manifests itself in our public institutions where stereotypes, biases, and prejudices can have real-life consequences. A quick look at the Canadian news cycle over the last month alone demonstrates how detrimental the consequences of stereotypes can be.
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For example, Brayden Bushby — the Thunder Bay man accused of throwing a trailer hitch from a car and hitting Barbara Kentner from Wabigoon Lake First Nation, who eventually succumbed to her injuries — stands trial on charges of manslaughter, not second-degree murder.
In another example, Chief Michael Sack of Sipekne’katik First Nation in southwestern Nova Scotia recently announced that — after weeks of harassment, intimidation, vandalism, violence, and destruction committed by non-Indigenous mobs — the band will not fish in the upcoming lobster season despite having a treaty right to do so.
And, despite insistence from numerous legal experts, no criminal investigation has been initiated regarding the death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman who died in a Quebec hospital as she recorded hospital staff abusing her.
Ceilidh Isadore, an Indigenous student at Trent University who participated in the ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ photo-based community art project. The project is on display at Artspace in downtown Peterborough until November 14, 2020. (Photos by Annie Sakkab)
These few examples alone demonstrate Canada has a real problem with systemic racism. Denying that it exists is a barrier to reconciliation that contributes to further harm to Indigenous peoples.
“We hear different stories across Canada about what’s happening with Indigenous people and we can see how present racism still is,” Carr-Braint says. “Breaking Down Stereotypes is such an important project, not only for this time but for future times as well.”
It is clear there is much work to be done to end systemic racism in Canada. Reconciliation is a continuous, multifaceted, and complex process that works towards solidarity as a society and country. Reconciliation begins with oneself and then extends into our families, relationships, workplaces, and eventually into our communities and institutions.
Katelyn Miller, an Indigenous student at Trent University who participated in the ‘Breaking Down Stereotypes’ photo-based community art project. The project is on display at Artspace in downtown Peterborough until November 14, 2020. (Photos by Annie Sakkab)
“I believe in the project,” says Carr-Braint. “I believe it’s making a difference — that’s what I need to believe, that it’s making a difference.”
To honour and bear witness to the students who participated in the Breaking Down Stereotypes project, visit the Artspace gallery at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough. The exhibit is on display now until Saturday, November 14th and admission is free.
Artspace is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and noon to 4 p.m. On Wednesday, you can book a private viewing by appointment by emailing Bec at bec@artspace-arc.org or calling the gallery at 705-748-3883. For more information, including COVID-19 protocols in place at the gallery, visit artspace-arc.org/about/contact/.
Xplornet, Canada's largest rural-focused broadband service provider, is offering cutting-edge LTE wireless Internet service that delivers speeds up to 50 Mbps with unlimited data. Xplornet's unlimited data plans mean you can finally watch movies online or video chat with family and friends without worrying about large overage fees if the caps are exceeded.
For residents who reside in rural Ontario, it’s no secret that Internet access can be frustrating to use and quite expensive, especially if it comes with restrictive caps on data usage and large overage fees if the caps are exceeded.
Xplornet is changing this with its new fixed wireless network that delivers reliable and affordable high-speed Internet access to rural communities. Xplornet’s unlimited data plans mean you can finally watch movies online or video chat with family and friends without worrying about large overage fees if the caps are exceeded.
Xplornet, Canada’s largest rural-focused broadband service provider, is constantly evolving their infrastructure to offer a seamless customer experience. The company uses towers, similar to cellphone towers but for fixed Internet connections, along with cutting-edge fibre optic technology across its network to support these towers.
With Xplornet’s high-speed Internet speeds up to 50Mbps and unlimited data, you can work or learn from home — an increasingly important reality for many during these unprecedented times.
Long Term Evolution, better known as LTE, is the technology Xplornet uses to deliver high-speed Internet, which is the same technology that powers the Internet on smartphones. Unlike other Internet providers that offer LTE with speeds ranging from 5 to 25 megabits per second (Mpbs), Xplornet is now offering high-speed internet up to 50 Mbps.
Xplornet Authorized Dealers can install an Xplornet WiFi Router in or near your home to connect all devices to the Internet at the same time, with speeds up to 50 Mbps. For rural Ontarians that rely on traditional telephone lines for Internet access, the difference in quality of service is tremendous.
With high-speed Internet speeds up to 50Mbps, you can stream all of your favourite movies and shows, connect multiple devices online at the same time, game online or video chat with your grandkids, and work or learn from home — an increasingly important reality for many during these unprecedented times.
Of course, using high-speed internet also means you use more data. When watching Netflix or gaming online, it is easy to burn through monthly data caps. This is no longer something to fear — Xplornet offers unlimited data on all its high-speed internet services! They also offer an Xplornet WiFi Router solution that delivers reliable and fast Wi-Fi connections to every device you have.
Xplornet’s cutting-edge LTE wireless Internet service delivers speeds up to 50 Mbps, so your kids can stream all their favourite movies and shows, connect multiple devices online at the same time, game online, and more. And with Xplornet’s unlimited data plans, you no longer have to worry about restrictive caps on data usage and large overage fees if the caps are exceeded.
If you also want to ditch your traditional phone line or avoid high cellphone charges, they also offer Xplornet Home Phone starting at $21.99 per month1. You can keep your existing phone number and benefit from unlimited province-wide calling as well as voicemail, call waiting, do not disturb, and much more, all without additional fees.
For only $24.99 a month1, you can also gain access to unlimited North American-wide calling.
Local Authorized Dealers, who also live in the communities they serve, can get you up and running within days. Xplornet offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its services.
To learn more about Xplornet’s high-speed internet and home phone plans, visit xplornet.com or call 1-866-207-2420 toll free.
1Xplornet 911 service operates differently than traditional 911. For Traffic Management Policies and 911 Terms and Limitation of Liability, see xplornet.com/legal.
This story is sponsored by Xplornet Communications Inc.
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