Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings and special weather statements for the Kawarthas region on Sunday (December 29).
A rainfall warning is in effect for Peterborough County and Northumberland County, with a special weather statement in effect for Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County.
Rain will begin Sunday morning and continue throughout the day. Rain may be heavy at times.
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Rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 mm are expected in Peterborough County and Northumberland County, with 15 to 25 mm expected in Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County, before the rain tapers to isolated showers on Sunday night.
As the frozen ground has a reduced ability to absorb the rainfall, there could be localized flooding in low-lying areas and ponding of water on roads.
Environment Canada cautions against approaching washouts near rivers, creeks, and culverts, and advises keeping children and pets away from creeks and river banks.
Comedians Karen Parker, Jennine Profeta, Elvira Kurt, and Diana Frances will be joined by special guest Linda Kash (not pictured) for Girls Nite Out at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on January 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Girls Nite Out)
From The Second City to Comedy Central acclaim, Jennine Profeta, Elvira Kurt, Diana Frances, and Karen Parker are all comedic powerhouses in their own right.
But something special happens when they take the stage together in Girls Nite Out which, after 17 years, still gets audiences laughing out loud at every show.
The all-female comedy ensemble is kicking off the new year by bringing their popular comedy show to Peterborough’s Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, January 16, when they will be joined by special guest performer Linda Kash.
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“It’s so much fun to be part of, and it’s not just engaging, it’s infectious,” says Kurt, a Toronto-based stand-up comedian, actor, host, and TV writer. “We are stronger as a whole and there are some really dark times in life, so the more laughter we can create, the better.”
Though it has such a long history, Kurt assures you’ll never see the same Girls Nite Out show twice.
“It’s always fresh,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you saw it 17 years ago or you’ve seen every single one. It’s not the same show. It’s changing, and changes with every audience.”
Comedians Elvira Kurt and Jennine Profeta will be joined by Karen Parker and and Diana Frances with special guest Linda Kash for Girls Nite Out at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on January 16, 2025. A Bobcaygeon resident, Profeta created the show 17 years ago with Sarah Quick of Globus Theatre. (Photo: Julie Card / mycollingwood.ca)
Conceived by Globus Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Quick along with Profeta, a Second City alumna and fellow Bobcaygeon resident, the show was first performed as part of Globus Theatre’s second season.
Since then, Girls Nite Out has toured across Canada — including regular annual performances at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon — with a revolving cast of Canadian Comedy Award Winners and CBC comedy regulars, including Profeta and most recently Kurt, Frances, and Parker,
When Kurt was first pitched the idea of using Girls Nite Out to “give audiences a little bit of everything,” she was immediately drawn in.
“I’ve always worked by myself or I’m the only woman on the line-up, so it was just such a treat to do something in collaboration with my sisters — my comedy sisters — and to not just be on my own all the time,” she says.
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While getting to be part of an all-female line-up inspired her in the first place, the uniqueness of Girls Nite Out has motivated Kurt to stick around and be involved in the collective as much as she can.
“This show is not just us doing something for an audience who’s receiving it, but we are making a connection,” she says. “The improvisation relies on audience participation, but not in a way that has historically been true of comedians and audiences where the audience may feel on the defensive. In this case, it’s in celebration that we need you to help us make a stronger connection.”
While it has evolved over nearly two decades, Girls Nite Out shows today begin with Kurt warming up the crowd with stand-up before Profeta, Frances, and Parker join her on stage for various improv games.
Linda Kash (top right) will join Girls Nite Out comedians Karen Parker (top left), Elvira Kurt (bottom left), Jennine Profeta (bottom right), and Diana Frances (not pictured) at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on January 16, 2025. Kash performed with Parker, Kurt, and Profeta for Globus Theatre’s annual presentation of Girls Nite Out in Bobcaygeon in August 2024. (Photo: Elivra Kurt)
“Elvira’s been an icon for so many people,” says Bobcaygeon-based comedian Profeta, noting how eager audiences always are to connect with Kurt after the show. “She’s really touched people in a very personal way, and they always want that opportunity to thank her.”
During the show’s intermission, audience members will have the option to fill out questionnaires to be read by the comedians. Selected and willing participants will be pulled on stage to engage in a “talk show” with Kurt. Based on the talk and stories told, the comedians will perform inspired improv sketches and games.
“We’re going to bring a couple of you up on stage,” Profeta explains. “You’re going to be nervous and unsure and wishing you had another glass of wine, but we’re going to create a safe space to give you a chance and show you how awesome and embarrassing it is, and make you a star. The most inspiring thing for us is seeing what the audience members do when they get up on stage.”
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Profeta shares that, during this portion of the show, the group has seen audience members come up and share very “personal” stories and experiences of trauma and overcoming grief.
“It’s just such an honour that this is how they want to step out into this new journey of their life, and to come to this place to laugh with us,” she says. “Just walking through the doors is brave, but the fact they put their name forward to be on stage with us is an honour because they obviously trust us enough to come up and tell their story.”
“It just proves you can be incredibly funny and sharp and provocative — all of which I love about stand-up comedy — while also being incredibly mindful and considerate of people,” adds Kurt. “It’s really the best of comedy.”
VIDEO: “Girls Nite Out” 2023
The other magic, Profeta says, is seeing women using Girls Nite Out as an excuse to get together with their female friends and family members for a light-hearted evening.
“People treat it as an event to get the girls together,” she says. “I think more women need to have an excuse to get together with each other and just laugh.”
While the four comedians have found a comfort and special camaraderie with one another on stage, they are always eager to invite others to join in on the fun. For the January 16th show, that includes Kash, who stepped in for Frances during this past summer’s two Girls Nite Out shows at Globus Theatre.
“I would watch her, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do right there,” Kurt says of seeing Kash perform at The Second City when she was just beginning her career. “That level of funny and that level of natural talent and skill and dedication is what I wanted, and how lucky that we get to share the stage with her now. She’s just a genius.”
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After 17 years of taking Girls Nite Out to stages across Ontario, Profeta shares how wonderful it is when they get to bring Girls Nite Out home to the Kawarthas .
“It’s where it all began, and we didn’t know what it was about to become,” she says. “We treat it like a celebration. It’s like coming home for Christmas.”
Girls Nite Out will be performed for one night only at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 16th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. Tickets, which are $39 for assigned cabaret table seating or general admission floor seating, can be purchased online at markethall.org, by calling 705-749-1146, or by visiting the box office at 140 Charlotte Street.
More than 250 people attended a "Save Bonnerworth Park" rally on May 18, 2024 at the park at McDonnel Street and Monaghan Road where the City of Peterborough approved a $4.1-million redevelopment project that includes 14 pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, a bike pump track, and a parking lot. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of Mark Wollard video)
Armed with Churchillian determination and unwavering despite a number of setbacks, a citizens’ group fighting to maintain Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park as a cherished urban greenspace captured countless headlines throughout 2024.
As the year draws to a close, Friends of Bonnerworth Park remains active, its members determined to have some influence on what the park’s redevelopment as a $4.1-million 14-court pickleball complex, a new bike pump track, and an associated parking lot will ultimately look, feel, and sound like.
From the outside looking in, with the park off Monaghan Road south of Parkhill Road currently resembling a moonscape, it would appear there’s not much left to fight. Work on the park’s redevelopment, which began in early November with the removal of two ball diamonds along with trees and grass, will recommence in the spring — a certainty resulting from Friends of Bonnerworth Park’s decision to withdraw its notice of an application for a stop-work injunction when its scheduled November hearing was bumped to spring 2025.
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Still, Friends of Bonnerworth Park isn’t going away, its legal expense chest brimming with $43,486 in GoFundMe-solicited funds, and its plan to have influence in terms of what the redeveloped park’s impact on the neighbourhood it resides in being formulated as the calendar flips to a new year.
There are two stories here: one being the litany of 2024 twists and turns related to the park’s redevelopment plan and Save Bonnerworth Park’s efforts to have the project paused or stopped altogether (see the timeline below), and the other being the power of citizenry when, en masse, it determines a wrong has been committed and seeks to have it corrected.
Speaking to the latter, the message is you can fight city hall. You might not win that battle but you can fight, and should do so, when a perceived misstep is committed by those elected to serve the best interests of those they represent.
During his delegation to Peterborough city council on April 8, 2024, Middleton Drive resident John Gerelus displayed a postcard from the City of Peterborough advertising a community drop-in session on March 21, which he says was the only notice nearby residents received about the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment since its initial approval by city council in October 2023. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of City of Peterborough video)
According to Friends of Bonnerworth Park co-director John Gerelus — he shares that role with Richard Scott, Jen Burnard, and Scott’s sister Deb — there were indeed times when it proved difficult for the group to stay on course.
One disheartening setback in particular came in November when the group learned its notice of an application for a stop-work injunction wouldn’t be heard in court November 25 as scheduled but rather the following spring, well after the city will have resumed redevelopment work on the park, leading the group to question whether it should continue its fight against city hall.
“It’s not up to me or the directors to say ‘Yeah, we’re done’,” says Gerelus, referring to the public meeting the group held on December 4. “We needed to have that meeting and present the options and the chance of success for each one. The cost of each one and the time required, and resources need, so everybody can contribute on the decision to continue or not. For us to say ‘Yeah, it’s over’ and walk away isn’t fair to anybody. I don’t want say we’re too far in, but we’re in deep.”
“We’ve impacted the project. It was due to be started in September. We delayed it as much as we could, so that was a win. But, yeah, when the shovels went in the ground and we had to withdraw our (court) application, that was a tough couple of weeks. We made the decision to take a break over Christmas and come back in the new year and just see where we are.”
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That decision was shared with the group on December 4 when some 60 of its number showed up for a meeting at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School on a snowy and driving-hazardous night. Among those present was city councillor Joy Lachica, a staunch ally of the group’s efforts since day one. Also on hand was her council colleague Keith Riel who, along with councillor Alex Bierk, has also been consistently supportive of the group’s fight.
“Regardless of bulldozers and upturned greenery, we can’t be daunted by the things that are in front us,” Lachica says. “We live with belief that’s driven by our values and we continue to fight for what’s best, to fight for what’s right, regardless of what we may see in front of us that doesn’t align with that belief.”
A strength of Friends of Bonnerworth Park, according to Lachica, can be found in the fact that “members of the group are so diverse and multi-talented. They have expertise in areas related to that space. That’s really made a difference in the work it has done to build community and to build strength around what its members believe in for that urban community park.”
The redevelopment plan for Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough approved by city council on April 8, 2024 will see much of the park’s double baseball diamonds removed to accommodate pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, a bike pump track, and a parking lot. According to the Friends of Bonnerworth Park, the baseball diamonds were being used regularly by Peterborough Baseball Association, St. Peter’s Secondary School, and pick-up groups. (Photo: Save Bonnerworth Park website)
“People with parks backgrounds, planning backgrounds, engineering backgrounds — it’s a fusing of many skills and abilities,” Lachica says. “And not only that, there are relationships that have been built over time. They’re the ones that have been users of that wonderful open greenspace.”
“One can look at a journey like this as a community growing in terms of the power needed to build the things that are foundational — climate action, sustainability, the roots of what makes communities hum and thrive and grow. Parks are a vital component of making our spirits thrive and be alive. This group has achieved that in a huge way and continues to.”
In a statement shared with kawarthaNOW, Lachica expressed that her “heart” this holiday season remains with Bonnerworth Park area residents, sympathizing with children “who are abruptly without the winter playground they’ve known and treasured.”
“When cities choose to appropriate legacy community spaces like an urban community park, access to an irreplaceable ‘plein air’ connection to one another is also sacrificed. The immediacy, the proximity to peace, to space, to open equitable use, is lost. This is the very purpose and function of urban community parks and greenspace according to our own City of Peterborough Parks Development Standards 2019, which informs our current Official Plan.”
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While Friends of Bonnerworth Park organized in earnest back in early April, when city council first publicly debated the redevelopment project, the roots of the group’s formation can be traced back to October 2023 when the plan was first floated at city hall.
“The rumour mill was swirling because it wasn’t clear what was happening, so we thought we should alert the community,” recalls the group’s co-director Richard Scott.
“We started delivering flyers in the neighbourhood. That got the ball rolling. Then, when we received notice of the upcoming consultation and open house, we moved into gear. The people we spoke with didn’t have any clue about what was going on. We were very much in the dark. We knew something was happening. We didn’t know how it happened, what the city had approved, if the city had approved it — which we found out it had. It was obvious the city hadn’t consulted anybody in the community.”
The March 21 open house, maintains Gerelus, presented a plan for the park that was “a done deal.”
“One of our neighbours stood up on a chair and said ‘If anybody wants to get involved, let’s get an email thread going and start figuring out what’s going on’.”
Gerelus adds that was the beginning of the Save Bonnerworth Park group, which later in the year morphed into Friends of Bonnerworth Park.
A view of Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough on November 25, 2024 following a month of initial construction work to prepare the now-closed park for the City of Peterborough’s $4.1-million redevelopment project. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Over the course of the year, Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal — a consistent supporter of the redevelopment project — drew the brunt of the group’s ire.
While he restricted most of his comments on the issue to council discussions, Mayor Leal shared with kawarthaNOW what he perceives as the need for a pickleball complex and his desire to see it developed at Bonnerworth Park. History, he says, has shown Peterborough has responded to recreational needs as identified and this is no different.
“If you go back to 2018, the city recreation division did a thorough analysis of needed recreation infrastructure,” he says. “Pickleball was coming on the scene and they determined there was going to be a need for pickleball courts. They hadn’t identified a site, but they identified the growing participation in the sport.”
The mayor provided several other past examples of development projects to build city recreational facilities to meet the demand for growing sports.
“In the 1990s, when the level of participation in slo-pitch was increasing dramatically, the recreation division identified the need to provide infrastructure for slo-pitch. We did (provide the infrastructure). We partnered with Fleming College and built Bowers Park.”
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“At the same time, it emerged that new ice surfaces were needed to accommodate the growth of women’s hockey. We built the Evinrude Centre (now the Healthy Planet Arena). We needed to add capacity and we did. Fast forward and my predecessor, Mayor (Diane) Therrien, and her council looked at what infrastructure was needed and approved the Miskin Law Community (Complex). There’s a long pattern of the city identifying recreational needs and constructing the infrastructure that’s needed.”
“What has been missing through all this discussion is the companion project at Knights of Columbus Park (off Park Street), which will see the building of new tennis courts, an enhancement of the bowl for pickup lacrosse and ball hockey, and a new splash pad to replace the antiquated wading pool that’s there now. There will be a second regional park to meet the needs of the community.”
As for the determination that Bonnerworth Park is the best site for pickleball courts, the mayor says that, while two ball diamonds are being lost, “they were inadequate for adult play” due to their close proximity to neighbouring streets.
He adds the ball diamond at Morrow Park’s east end will be playable again when the work is completed at the Miskin Law Community Complex, adding the city is also “looking at opportunities with both our school boards” to repurpose existing ball diamonds on school properties.
A detail from the revised plan for Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park redevelopment, which was be presented to the city’s arenas, parks and recreation advisory committee and the accessibility advisory committee on August 13, 2024. (Graphic: City of Peterborough / Landscape Planning Landscape Architects)
Meanwhile, Mayor Leal says the argument that limited city dollars should be spent on more pressing issues, such as homelessness and infrastructure in need of repair, is the “same argument” that preceded the development of other recreational amenities.
“There’s always competing priorities for every budget dollar,” he says. “We can spend every budget dollar we have funding homelessness but, if you do that, you do it to the detriment of all other community needs and interests.”
Speaking to Friends of Bonnerworth Park’s principal concern over the loss of urban greenspace, Mayor Leal says that, once the park’s redevelopment is done, “There will still be 63 percent (of the park) that is greenspace.”
On November 7, 2024, the City of Peterborough closed Bonnerworth Park to the public as work begins to redevelop the park against the opposition of many neighbouring residents and others. The closure notice came the day after the city was served with notice of an application for an injunction to stop work in the park, which Friends of Bonnerworth Park has since withdrawn. (Photo: George Brown / Save Bonnerworth Park Facebook Group)
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Mayor Leal claims some of those who are against the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment supported a proposed and highly controversial highway extension through Jackson Park.
“I find it somewhat ironic that the same people that are talking about preserving greenspace at Bonnerworth Park, and I respect that, are the same people in the late 1980s and 1990s (who) were prepared to bulldoze a vast swath of Jackson Park to accommodate a four-lane arterial road and bridge for The Parkway.”
Still, despite the consternation that has evolved between himself and those opposed to the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment, the mayor says he respects the group’s right and willingness to call the city and council to task.
“It’s a very important part of democracy. When there’s great discussion about public policy, that’s part of the democratic process. At the end of the day, as my late father used to say, you agree to disagree. I think that’s the case here.”
A sign placed on a fence surrounding Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough in December 2024. (Photo: John Gerelus)
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That does little assuage either Gerelus or Scott.
“If this whole debacle has taught us anything, the city needs to sit down with individual communities where they’re proposing facilities (be built) before any decisions are made,” says Scott.
“I haven’t heard any admission by the city that they will do things differently in the future. The city, in no way, can be proud of this process and its outcome. This should end up in a planning textbook of how not to do things. To says they have a successful process and outcome is a disservice to every resident of this city.”
Police officers were on hand after upset residents confronted workers at Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough on November 6, 2024 as heavy machinery began preparatory work for the city’s $4.1 million redevelopment of the greenspace, which would see the installation of an expanded skateboard park, a new bike pump track, and 14 pickleball courts. (Photo: Taras Pater)
Now, as Friends of Bonnerworth Park considers next steps — a list ranging from considering a possible lawsuit to seeking active input in the park’s design — its directors are hopeful other communities that are fighting municipal decisions will learn and benefit from their organized efforts and advocacy.
“There are Facebook groups and other groups across Ontario, Canada, and the U.S. that are watching us,” says Gerelus. “We will proudly wear the moniker ‘Let’s not have another Bonnerworth,’ bringing attention to guidelines and rules around where you can put pickleball courts. They’re non-existent now.”
“People are telling their stories about living next door or close to pickleball courts and the effect on their quality of life, their everyday use of their home, and their mental health. They’re winning lawsuits and they’re getting courts closed, but there’s no legislation that guides municipalities.”
“If our actions help create guidelines, that’s great. We’ll take that.”
A visual representation of what 16 pickleball courts could look like from a “preliminary facility fit” document for the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment that City of Peterborough staff presented during a community meeting on March 21, 2024. One reason some residents in the Bonnerworth Park neighbourhood object to the proposal to have that many pickleball courts at the park is because of the amount of additional noise and traffic that will result. A revised redevelopment plan reduced the number of courts from 16 to 14. (Image: City of Peterborough)
Key moments in 2024 in the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment saga
April 2: Meeting as general committee, city council votes to proceed with a planned $4.4-million redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park that will see 16 pickleball courts, a bike ‘pump’ track and a parking lot developed, replacing two ball diamonds and much of the park’s greenspace. As a crowded gallery of park-neighbouring residents watch on, councillor Joy Lachica’s motion to pause the project to allow for consultation with park users is defeated by a vote of 8 to 3, with councillors Alex Bierk and Keith Riel supporting her motion. The heated discussion included Mayor Jeff Leal telling councillor Alex Bierk he “would carve him like a Thanksgiving turkey” after Bierk had referred to borrowing a pickleball racquet from the mayor’s wife, who he mentioned by name, contrary to council protocols.
April 8: After a marathon five-hour meeting that included several delegations speaking for and against Bonnerworth Park’s redevelopment, city council reaffirms its decision to move ahead on the project, with councillor Lachica’s motion of the week prior losing again by an 8-3 vote, again her only support coming from councillors Bierk and Riel. Mayor Leal apologized to councillor Alex Bierk for the “intemperate language” he directed at Bierk at the previous week’s meeting.
April 25: Park-neighbouring residents and supporters organize as Save Bonnerworth Park, launching a website and related online petition that urges ‘city council to consider the impact on our community before proceeding’ with the park’s redevelopment. Within five days, close to 1,300 signatures are garnered — a number that would eventually balloon to more than 8,000. Meanwhile, Save Bonnerworth Park lawn signs, made available by the group, start appearing in neighbourhoods across the city and even in the county.
May 13: Councillor Joy Lachica, frustrated by what she sees as a lack of council oversight on the park’s redevelopment, puts forth a motion that council be granted final plan approval authority, and calls for the provision of a staff report detailing the recommended site plan, final technical studies related to parking, traffic, noise, stormwater management and geotechnical considerations, a record of stakeholder and community consultation related to studies and the site plan, and the budget apportioned for each aspect of the contracted construction work. After the general committee chair councillor Andrew Beamer rules her motion out of order and six of 11 councillors back that ruling, the opportunity for any council discussion around her motion is lost.
May 18: A rally, organized by retired priest Father Leo Coughlin who lives at park-neighbouring Marycrest at Inglewood seniors’ complex, is held at Bonnerworth Park. Saying “The common good is not being served,” Father Coughlin says those living at the Monaghan Road complex have “fear and anxiety over the noise (generated by pickleball play) that will disturb their final years … the level of disrespect is tremendous,” adding “The park has moved from inclusion to exclusion. Anybody should be able to see that’s wrong.”
June 10: Save Bonnerworth Park holds a rally outside Peterborough City Hall just prior to a city council meeting inside. Billed as a “Rally For Answers”, the group puts forth 16 questions it says city council needs to answer, including “Why has the city not considered sites other than Bonnerworth Park?” and “Why the urgency to build this development?” The rally follows a posted city statement that maintains studies, including those examining noise and traffic, will inform the final design, and notes the city doesn’t have enough facilities to accommodate the growing sport of pickleball.
June 27: City council receives a proposal from then Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce CEO and president Sarah Budd that reveals that Don MacPherson, the owner of the long-vacant former Baskin-Robbins property, is “very interested” in pursuing talks with the city that would see the pickleball complex located there. The city, however, dismisses that option outright. In a statement, it says purchasing the property, which the city has identified as a prime location for residential or a mixed commercial-residential development, “would potentially add millions of dollars to the project cost.”
August 13: A new draft plan for Bonnerworth Park’s redevelopment, prepared by Landscape Planning Landscape Architects, is presented to the city’s Arenas, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Accessibility Advisory Committee. The new plan proposes a reduction in the number of pickleball courts, from 16 to 14, fewer parking spots and noise mitigation measures. In addition, some 275 new trees would be planted, with 63 per cent of the park reserved for grass and landscaped areas. As city council had already approved the park’s redevelopment, no vote was sought from, or required of, either committee.
November 6: Now known as Friends of Bonnerworth Park and having hired legal representation, the citizens’ group fighting the park’s redevelopment serves the city with a notice of an application for a stop-work injunction. The injunction, scheduled to be heard November 25, calls for the by-law governing the park’s redevelopment to be squashed and that the development be stayed until the case is heard. Of note, the injunction is served on the same morning that heavy machinery continued removing clay from one of the park’s two ball diamonds — a move which drew a number of residents to the site and led to words between them and workers as city police and private security guards kept the peace.
November 11: Friends of Bonnerworth Park suffers two setbacks in its fight, learning that its notice of an application for a stop-work injunction won’t be heard by the Superior Court of Justice until spring 2025 at the earliest, and then learning that the legal firm it hired, Kitchener-based Kramer LLP, is closing due to the ill health of the firm’s lead lawyer. As the city pledges to fight any injunction filed, work continues at the park as it is fenced off and completely closed to the public.
November 22: Friends of Bonnerworth Park withdraws its application for a stop-work injunction and suspends its GoFundMe campaign that has raised just over $43,000 to cover legal costs. In making that decision, the group cites “the potential for the city to throw all sorts of legal roadblocks in our way to further slow down the legal process and force the community to spend tens of thousands of dollars on additional legal costs.” Despite that decision, the group pledges to continue its efforts to “hold the city accountable for any noise, traffic, lighting and public safety impacts” resulting from the park’s redevelopment.
December 4: Friends of Bonnerworth Park holds a meeting at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School, drawing some 60 supporters despite terrible winter driving conditions. The meeting came two days after an exchange at city council between Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and city solicitor David Potts where Potts alleged the group had no engagement with the Superior Court office to secure a hearing date, claiming the original November 25 hearing date “was made up.” At the meeting, Friends of Bonnerworth Park vehemently denied that accusation, terming the exchange “clearly prearranged … scripted bravado” and “a sickening manipulation of truth.” Meanwhile, the group reiterated its determination to continue its fight, having directed its new lawyer to investigate and advise on what, if any options, are available. Not ruled out was the possibility of a lawsuit citing loss of quality of life being brought against the city — something that couldn’t be pursued until after the park’s redevelopment is done. More likely, however, is the group’s pursuit of becoming “an official stakeholder so we can have input on what goes into the park.”
After searching for more than four hours, police and emergency services were unable to locate a person in apparent distress near the Trent River east of Hastings on Thursday evening (December 26).
At around 4:35 p.m., Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call from a member of the public who reported hearing a man calling out for help near the Trent River in the area of Valley View Lane, around three kilometres east of the village of Hastings in Trent Hills.
Officers with the Northumberland OPP along with emergency medical services and the Trent Hills fire department attended the area, where they patrolled trails and roads on both sides of the river looking for the man.
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The OPP Emergency Response Team and the fire department both used drones in an effort to locate the man, and OPP Aviation Services also joined the search.
Police and emergency crews were unable to find the man and began clearing from the area shortly after 9 p.m.
Police, who believe that the man in distress was somewhere on the south side of the Trent River in the area of Valley View Lane, are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Northumberland OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
Celebrate New Year's Eve with Diamond Dave & The Smoke Eaters at Jethro's Bar + Stage in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Diamond Dave & The Smoke Eaters)
Every Thursday, kawarthaNOW publishes live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that musicians provide directly or that venues post on their websites or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, December 26 to Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
If you’re a musician or venue owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
Excited children at the 2024 Peterborough Children's Water Festival volunteer for an opportunity to experience the "Lather Up" activity centre, which teaches students how they and their families can conserve water when showering. The festival is an annual event at the Riverview Park & Zoo that combines education, fun, and hands-on learning to teach children about the importance of water in their lives, empowering them to take action in their homes and communities to conserve and protect water. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Water is life. It nourishes our bodies, sustains ecosystems, and is certainly the foundation of Peterborough’s history, yet many take it for granted.
Locally, GreenUP has been at the forefront of water education for decades, empowering children, educators, and families to act as water champions — in their homes, schools, and communities.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Natalie Stephenson, Director of Programs, GreenUP
Investing in water education has never been more critical. In the face of growing environmental challenges, programs like the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) offer a shining example of how experiential learning can inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.
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The PCWF is an annual event that combines education, fun, and hands-on learning to teach children about the importance of water in their lives.
“It was such a wonderful experience for my students,” said Kristin Manol, an educator with the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board. “Each activity was meaningful and engaging enough that it captivated the attention of grade fives.”
This coming year, more than 1,400 students in grades two to five, 75 high school students, and 300 adult educators and chaperones from across our region will gather on the banks of the Odenabe (Otonabee River) in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough) at the Riverview Park & Zoo on May 27 and 28. There they will engage in activity centres that highlight the science, history, and cultural significance of water.
Longtime donors Grant and Emma Murphy pose on a golf cart with a certificate of appreciation during the 2024 Peterborough Children’s Water Festival. Individual and corporate donors, as well as event sponsors, are critical to this beloved community event. (Photo: Natalie Stephenson / GreenUP)
The festival’s interactive approach is what makes it so unique and impactful. Children don’t just learn about water; they experience it. They see, touch, test, and observe water in action, from understanding water conservation and pollutants to learning about ecosystems, watersheds, and the cultural teachings of Indigenous knowledge keepers.
“I have already noticed changes in (the students’) water usage in class,” said Merridyth Marshall, an educator with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, shortly after attending the PCWF in 2024 with her grade two students. “They are much more mindful about turning off the sink tap right away after washing their hands.”
For the past 22 years, the PCWF has been led by GreenUP, working in partnership with local educators, water quality specialists from Peterborough Utilities Group and the City of Peterborough, Otonabee Conservation, and other community groups to deliver a curriculum-linked program that is innovative and engaging.
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By fostering this connection to water at a critical age, students develop not only an understanding of the environmental challenges we face, but also the skills and passion to make positive change. These are the young leaders who will advocate for clean rivers, steward our wetlands, and design the green technologies of tomorrow.
However, due to changing factors for longtime funders, the 23-year strong festival now needs the support of the community to continue this important and beloved event. Since the pandemic, funding opportunities have been scarce, making it difficult to deliver the PCWF at its full potential.
As a low-barrier event provided for free to local students, the festival relies heavily on community sponsors, grants, and donations. Without this financial support, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ensure that every child, regardless of economic background, has the opportunity to participate.
Students at the 2024 Peterborough Children’s Water Festival engage in “Leveraging the Locks”, a new activity centre by educator Mary Elizabeth Conrad (pictured) featuring an interactive model of a canal lock, demonstrating their function and importance to communities along the Trent-Severn Waterway. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Access to water education is an equity issue. Programs like the PCWF ensure that all children have the same chance to build their environmental literacy, no matter their school or socioeconomic background.
For many students, this may be their first time experiencing outdoor experiential education or learning about their local water systems. These experiences are transformative — sparking curiosity, connection, and developing pathways for future careers.
Climate change and other interconnected environmental concerns like flooding and algae blooms are impacting communities everywhere. Water systems are under pressure, and the solutions to these challenges will require future generations to think critically, act collaboratively, and care deeply.
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Water education is not an “extra” — it is essential. It equips youth with the skills to address these issues head-on, and it empowers them to take action in their homes and communities, from reducing water waste to protecting local water sources.
The PCWF Steering Committee is now calling on local businesses, organizations, and individuals for support. Investing in the festival is an investment in the future. These funds help to ensure that every child can access the education they deserve, while building a culture of water stewardship that benefits everyone.
A donation, sponsorship, or partnership can make a huge difference, ensuring the festival remains accessible to all. Every drop counts — whether a contribution of $500, $1,000, or more. All funds help the PCWF continue this important work and build capacity to sustain the work, inspiring thousands of young people for years to come.
RBC staff members Sahil Jain and Christa Sandiland welcome students to one of the activity centres at the 2024 Peterborough Children’s Water Festival. RBC employees made a donation to support the festival, one of many local business and organizations that contributed to the day. (Photo: Natalie Stephenson / GreenUP)
“I was very impressed to see employees from RBC and Siemens there supporting the day,” noted Sarah Sullivan-Berardi, an educator with the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board. “I think that demonstrates caring by those companies and humanizes them.”
At GreenUP, we believe in the power of education to create lasting change. Programs like the PCWF provide a wonderful example — when we invest in youth, we invest in a healthier, more sustainable community for all. Those that meaningfully support the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival help us to keep the future flowing.
For more information or to contribute to the 2025 Peterborough Children’s Water Festival happening May 27 to 28, 2025 at the Riverview Park & Zoo in Peterborough, visit pcwf.net.
Franzie Roessl (left) and staff at One Eighty Sports Pub in Peterborough presented a cheque to Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation Community Giving and Engagement Manager Jane Lovett (right) on behalf of the One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament in September 2024. This year's annual event raised its largest amount ever, donating $30,500 to the PRHC Foundation's Campaign for PRHC to reimagine healthcare in the region. The PRHC Foundation encourages community members to consider hosting their own third-party event fundraisers to support the regional hospital. (Photo courtesy of PRHC Foundation)
For the past 25 years, the Roessl family has organized an annual golf tournament to honour Heather Roessl, raising almost $300,000 for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation — a shining example of how the community can rally around the hospital in the memory of a loved one.
Franz (“Franzie”) Roessl was just three years old when his mother Heather was first diagnosed with melanoma in her leg. In 1988, at what was then the Peterborough Civic Hospital, she underwent surgery to remove the cancer, leaving her with a huge scar.
During eight years in remission, Heather had to regularly drive to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto for follow-up care and check-ups.
“Whenever my mom was sick or wasn’t feeling well, she’d be driving to Toronto and it was just an absolute nightmare,” Franzie recalls.
Three months after his wife Heather passed away from cancer in 2000, Franz Roessl Sr. organized the very first golf tournament in her honour. He continued organizing the golf tournament for the next 10 years, before passing the torch to his sons Franzie and Hans. Now known as the One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament, the annual fundraiser for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation has raised almost $300,000 for healthcare at the regional hospital. (Photo courtesy of Franzie Roessl)
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On Father’s Day in 1996, the family learned Heather’s cancer had returned and she immediately underwent another surgery to have her cancerous lymph nodes removed and began care again. However, by Christmas of 1999, the cancer had metastasized.
Franzie was 15 years old when his mother passed away on March 20, 2000.
“I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone,” Franzie says. “I learned a lot from it. What my dad was taught growing up was that life goes on, so he wanted to celebrate her life rather than sit there and mourn.”
So it was then, three months after his wife’s passing, that Franz Roessl Sr. organized the very first golf tournament in her honour at Pine Crest Golf Club in Peterborough with the help of Heather’s best friend.
“My mom golfed all the time,” Franzie recalls. “She wasn’t afraid to have some fun and it was an excuse to go have a couple of beers with the girls. My mom got my dad his first set of clubs, so they really grew together playing golf.”
Heather Roessl (right) was an avid golfer who loved to have fun. That’s why, following her passing from cancer in March 2000, her husband Franz and her best friend decided to organize a fundraising golf tournament in her honour. Nearly 25 years later, now run by her son Franzie, the annual event has raised almost $300,000 for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation (Photo courtesy of Franzie Roessl)
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Franzie’s father continued organizing the golf tournament for the next 10 years, before passing the torch to Franzie and his brother Hans. When Franzie opened One Eighty Hunter sports pub in Peterborough, the event officially became the One Eighty Heather & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament and, eventually, the annual tournament was moved to the Quarry Golf Club in Ennismore.
Every year proceeds from the tournament have been donated to the PRHC Foundation to invest in priority cancer care advancements at PRHC. This year, the record-breaking $30,500 that was raised was added to the PRHC Foundation’s $60 million Campaign for PRHC to reimagine healthcare at the regional hospital.
For Franzie, the memory of how his mother had to drive to Toronto during her many years fighting cancer is one of the reasons why it’s so important to support the PRHC Foundation.
“Rather than driving two hours in traffic to Toronto and two hours back when you’re not feeling well, the hospital provides lifesaving treatment at home,” Franzie says. “The most important thing is getting the help we need here in the comfort of Peterborough, so we always want to be keeping the money in town.”
Ten years after Franz Roessl Sr. organized the first golf tournament fundraiser to honour his wife Heather, who passed away from cancer in 2000, their sons Franzie and Hans Roessl took over hosting the annual fundraiser for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation. The event continues to be loved by generations of the Roessl family, with Hans’ young daughter Elsie now the event’s emcee, always inspiring extra 50/50 ticket sales. (Photo courtesy of Franzie Roessl)
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The PRHC Foundation encourages community members inspired by their own PRHC experience, a loved one’s care or who want to memorialize a friend or family member as the Roessl family has done to host a fundraising event that will support the Campaign for PRHC and bring world-class healthcare closer to home.
“Donors that take the time to organize something for a cause that means a lot to them, or honours the memory of someone they love, are going above and beyond to advocate for the hospital,” says PRHC Foundation President and CEO Lesley Heighway. “Third-party events are a great way to see the community rally around the hospital, bringing out new donors to hear the stories that might inspire them to host their own event.”
With organizational support from the PRHC Foundation, community fundraising events can be very personalized. Many are focused on physical activity, like the One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament and the annual HunTer Fondo cycling event organized by the Peterborough Cycling Club.
Other fundraisers are focused on arts and music like the annual Cancer Takedown variety show, while some donors have built and sold bird houses, organized walks or other personal challenges, hosted meals, created online fundraising pages to share their stories, and sponsored fundraisers through their businesses.
Third-party events like the One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament not only raise funds for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation, but inspire other community members to make donations to the regional hospital and to host their own fundraisers. The PRHC Foundation can work directly with event organizers to offer support on promotion, marketing, tax receipts, and speakers. (Photo courtesy of Franzie Roessl)
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“Anyone from ages five to 100 can do an event and, whether it’s a lemonade stand or a concert, every single dollar raised counts,” Heighway notes. “It’s a really wide range, but we want donors to find something that they are personally interested in and see the value in, and then bring like-minded people along for the ride.”
The PRHC Foundation makes it easy for individuals to organize their event by offering a number of supports including providing a customizable online fundraising page, promoting the event, providing donation receipts, and offering grateful patients the chance to tell their story and share the PRHC Foundation’s vision for healthcare at the hospital.
“It makes it hit home for people,” Franzie points out. “It means a lot to me to hear from a speaker before the golfers go out to golf, so they actually understand why this is happening and where the money goes.”
After two and a half decades, the One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament often sells out before Franzie can even advertise the date. He can already see the future of the tournament, having already been passed down a generation from father to sons, as his nephew is just beginning to learn to golf and will likely be on the greens soon. His four-year-old niece is actively involved in the tournament, having become an engaging emcee and 50/50 ticket seller.
Member of the Roessl family (from left to right): Benny Bleecker, Samantha Bleeker, Franzie Roessl with Elsie Roessl, Franz Roessl, Kim Roessl, and Hans Roessl with Heath Roessl. The One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament is not only a way to inspire the community to raise funds for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation, but it gets the family together every year to honour late family matriach Heather Roessl with an activity she loved. (Photo courtesy of Franzie Roessl)
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“There are a number of factors that make this such a wonderful fundraiser, one being that the tournament has moved between generations, and that PRHC is still so important to the family 25 years later,” says Heighway. “Like for so many families in our region, the hospital becomes essential to each generation.”
Franzie notes that the One Eighty Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament would not be as successful without the help of the golf club, the sponsors who donate prizes, and the golfers who give to the cause.
“It comes down to people giving back to us and we uphold that by keeping it a fun tournament,” he says. “People are always happy to come out for a fun time, knowing their donations are going into the community.”
Franz Roessl (right) with a $6,000 cheque to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation in 2002 after the third annual golf tournament in honour of his late wife Heather Roessl. Over more than two decades, the annual tournament has raised almost $300,000 for the regional hospital. (Photo courtesy of Franzie Roessl)
While Franzie suspects his father wouldn’t have expected the family to still be running the tournament more than two decades later, he knows his mother would have been very pleased.
“This is keeping her legacy going,” he says. “She’d probably be winning this tournament every year if she was playing in it. She’d be the one having the most fun.”
For more information on organizing third-party events to support the Campaign for PRHC or to make a donation, visit prhcfoundation.ca. You can also find out more about events or volunteering as a campaign ambassador by emailing foundationeventsonline@prhc.on.ca or calling 705-876-5000.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
After more than 20 years as a volunteer and employee at Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene, museum operations coordinator Hailey Doughty discovered she is a descendent of Daniel Kidd, the blacksmith who worked in and built the blacksmith shop currently at the living history museum. The discovery inspired Doughty to take a blacksmith workshop alongside her father, which has ignited a new passion for the trade among the family's current generation. (Photo courtesy of Hailey Doughty)
As the museum operations coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Hailey Doughty inspires visitors to find their connection to the land and the history of the region.
But after more than 20 years of involvement with Keene’s living history museum, only recently has Doughty discovered her own direct family tie to the museum’s blacksmith shop.
“One thing I love about Lang is no matter what walk of life you’re in, there’s something here that will connect you,” Doughty says. “Especially for my job, it’s all about making sure that Lang is here not only as an education source and tourism attraction, but it’s connecting people to their past and to Peterborough County.”
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Even before she was born, Lang played an important role in Doughty’s life as it was where her parents were married and where her maternal grandmother worked until her retirement.
Doughty, herself, began “living the pioneer life” as a volunteer at just five years old before moving into various positions as a youth volunteer, seasonal worker, part-time worker, and into her current full-time role.
Over more than 20 years, the novelty of working at the living history museum has never faded for Doughty.
“The Welcome Light”, a painting by internationally renowned Buckhorn-based artist Michael Dumas, features Hailey Doughty when she was a young volunteer at Lang Pioneer Village. Michael and his wife Ellen were visiting Lang during one of the lighted evening events and, after Michael asked Hailey if she knew how to light the lamp, she proceeded to tell them how. Michael told Hailey that, when he was growing up in rural northern Ontario, farmers would light a lamp in their window if they were home and were open to having company visit, and this was called a “welcome light.” (Photo courtesy of Michael Dumas)
“Now we’re always glued to our phones and what’s happening on the news, so it’s definitely a brush of fresh air when I go out and step back in time,” Doughty says. “As a kid, I loved the idea that there was someone who built this house or someone who worked in the shop and I got to talk about it in their perspective.”
“I really liked that idea of keeping their memory alive, even as a kid, and I thought it was so neat to talk about people who I’d never known, but I felt a weird connection to.”
Despite her decades of involvement in the museum and her family’s interest in genealogy, it was only earlier this year when Doughty began researching her paternal ancestry.
Lang Pioneer Village Museum’s blacksmith shop in 1969, two years after the living history museum opened. The shop was moved from Warsaw where it was originally built in 1859 by blacksmith Daniel Kidd, who is Hailey Doughty’s four-times great uncle. (Photo courtesy of Hailey Doughty)
When she came across the name Rosella Kidd, it rang a bell in her head, but she didn’t immediately recognize the significance. It was only when she was walking past the museum village’s blacksmith shop one day and heard the interpreter refer to Daniel Kidd that she realized she was connected to Lang.
Upon digging deeper, Doughty learned Daniel Kidd, who not only worked in the shop but built it in Warsaw in 1859, is her four-times great uncle. Kidd had begun his apprenticeship at the age of 15 in Keene, but eventually gave the shop to his son who turned it into a mechanic shop.
“It’s funny because I never had given it another look,” says Doughty in reference to the blacksmith shop. “I was always in the buildings with the hearth or the stoves, or I was weaving and printing, but I never really thought about the blacksmith shop until I made that connection.”
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When she realized the seasonal blacksmith interpreter was moving on from Lang, Doughty considered it a good opportunity to learn more about the trade herself so she could train the new staff who would come in next season.
After telling her father James Doughty that she was taking a three-day intensive course in Warkworth to learn the trade, he decided to join her on the journey to connect to their lineage.
“I thought it would be such a cool thing to have three generations (of the same family) working in the same blacksmith shop,” she says. “It was almost inspirational to think I’m doing this for my four-times great uncle. If he could do it, then it’s in my blood and that gave me the confidence to try and go for it.”
Even before she discovered she is a descendent of the blacksmith who built the shop that now stands in the village at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, Hailey Doughty had a strong connection to the living history museum. Not only did her parents get married on the property and her grandmother work there, but she became a volunteer at just five years old. (Photo courtesy of Hailey Doughty)
She admits that getting the hang of the trade wasn’t always easy and says it “made me feel muscles I had never worked before.”
“It was such a good thing to do with my dad because I had those moments where I’m pounding on this metal, but then I look over and there’s my dad having a grand old time,” she says.
“This is not only so cool for him and I to share as father and daughter, but we’re reconnecting with our heritage together.”
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According to Doughty, the course also “ignited a passion” in her father.
“He’s always understood Lang is something that was in our family connection but now he’s getting to spark that joy that has always been there for me and my grandma,” she says.
“It’s cool to see your dad be like a little kid. I can’t wait until the spring to get back in the shop and working away. He’s ecstatic, so we’ve got the countdown to when we can be back in the blacksmith shop and do some more creative things.”
James Doughty decided to take a blacksmith course along with his daughter Hailey, the museum operations coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, after she discovered her four-times great uncle was a blacksmith who built the shop located at the museum. (Photo courtesy of Hailey Doughty)
Beyond her personal journey in connecting to her ancestry, Doughty explains there’s a lot that can be learned from engaging in a 19th century trade skill.
“We’re so used to a world of instant where you can check your banking right away, and everything is go, go, go,” she says. “So going from that to then going into something that’s from the eighteen and nineteenth century, it takes you a while to learn that you can’t be perfect right off the start.”
Doughty hopes that the discovery of her family connection and the new passion it ignited in her might support museum visitors in finding their own connections to history.
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“One thing about Lang is that you’re continually learning,” Doughty says. “Knowing that now I have this family connection and I can speak to that, it’s probably going to inspire a seasonal worker, a volunteer, or a visitor to then go and look into their own family history.”
Lang Pioneer Village Museum was established by Peterborough County in 1967 to commemorate the centennial of Canada’s Confederation and to celebrate and preserve the rural history of the area. The 25-acre site features over 30 restored and furnished historic buildings constructed between 1825 and 1910, as well as several replica buildings.
Hailey Doughty is the museum operations coordinator at the Lang Pioneer Village Museum, where she not only educate visitors but helps them find a connection to the land and history of Peterborough County. The discovery that she is a descendent of Daniel Kidd, the blacksmith who worked in and built the blacksmith shop currently at the living history museum, has prompted her to learn the trade of blacksmithing. (Photo courtesy of Hailey Doughty)
Lindsay Garden Club volunteers recently delivered more than 700 brightly coloured Kalanchoe plants, along with Christmas cards created by area schoolchildren, to residents of Kawartha Lakes long-term care homes. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Garden Club)
Joelle Persram watched with delight as seniors with advanced dementia got a twinkle in their eyes as they opened brown gift bags containing unique cards, messages, and a flowering plant, curated especially for them.
Persram, an activation aide at Extendicare Kawartha Lakes, said residents of the Kawartha Lakes long-term care home truly appreciated a recent holiday gesture by the Lindsay Garden Club.
The Lindsay Garden Club delivered its second annual “Flower Power” holiday initiative, which is an endeavour that brings hundreds of flowering plants and handmade Christmas cards to seniors living in long-term care homes in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
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The project celebrates the spirit of giving and aims to bring warmth and joy to residents who may not be able to spend the season with loved ones, said garden club member Jen Lopinski.
Extendicare Kawartha Lakes and Lakeland Village residents received more than 110 gift bags.
“It was fabulous,” Persram told kawarthaNOW. “They loved the plants, but they especially loved all of the homemade cards from the kids. The elderly love physical letters because that was a huge part of their life, (as was) gardening and taking care of plants.”
According to Lindsay Garden Club volunteers, the residents of long-term care homes in Kawartha Lakes who received gift backs especially loved the homemade cards made by area schoolchildren. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Garden Club)
Persram said last year, when the home received its inaugural delivery, one of the residents nurtured the plant for several months and entered it into the Lindsay fair.
The packaging was “delightful” as well, she noted. The gift bags with tissue allowed residents to open the presents and take out their plants.
“What I loved … especially for the (residents) who have more advanced dementia, was their eyes would just light up because they were so excited to open a gift.”
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Persram added the residents particularly enjoyed seeing the red, white, and pink blooms on the Kalanchoe plants.
“They love to garden, and they love having plants on their windowsills. I think it just makes them feel like they’re more at home — because it is their home.”
Earlier in December, Lindsay Garden Club volunteers packed and delivered more than 700 brightly coloured Kalanchoe plants, along with the Christmas cards created by area schoolchildren.
The Lindsay Garden Club’s “Flower Power” holiday initiative delivered hundreds of flowering plants and handmade Christmas cards to seniors living in long-term care homes in the City of Kawartha Lakes. The project celebrates the spirit of giving and aims to bring warmth and joy to residents who may not be able to spend the season with loved ones. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Garden Club)
“We know that the holiday season can be a difficult time for many in long-term care, especially those who may not receive frequent visits,” said Lindsay Garden Club member Kim McGee in a media release.
“The Flower Power Christmas initiative is our way of letting these residents know they are not alone and that they’re remembered and cherished by their community.”
Students at area schools prepared the specially crafted cards to accompany each flowering plant.
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Participating schools included Alexandra Public School, St. John Paul II Elementary School, St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary, School, Parkview Public School, King Albert Public School, Queen Victoria Public School, St. Dominic School Catholic Elementary School, and Heritage Christian School.
Kawartha Classic Flowers, sponsors, and volunteers helped make the initiative flourish, the garden club noted.
Robin Adair is a passionate volunteer and treasurer for the Good Neighbours Care Centre in Peterborough. Operating out of 164 Sherbrooke Street for 40 years, the registered charitable organization always been volunteer-run, and provides clients with food, clothing, homeware, and personal hygiene products entirely free of cost. (Photo courtesy of Good Neighbours Care Centre)
For 40 years, the Good Neighbours Care Centre in Peterborough has been run by exactly that — good neighbours. From the volunteers who commit countless hours stocking the shelves to the local businesses that donate what they can, the charity is a long-standing community effort and the demand for its services is only increasing.
“Over all these years, it’s been a whole variety of volunteers that just continue to make it what it is,” says Robin Adair, volunteer treasurer of the Good Neighbours Care Centre. “We just spent all those years keeping it going and serving our community and we will do that for as long as we get community support.”
Though Adair has been volunteering for the registered charitable organization since his retirement in 2019, the Good Neighbours Care Centre was established in 1984 and has run out of the same building at 164 Sherbrooke Street ever since.
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Four times per week, volunteers of the charity go to three grocery stores in Peterborough to pick up food items like breads, premade salads, and produce. As a member agency, Good Neighbours Care Centre also received items from Kawartha Food Share up to three times per week, on top of receiving a major shipment with up to 10 skids full of packaged food once per month.
Then, clients can drop into the Good Neighbours Care Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pick up, at no cost, the fruits, vegetables, and bread, as well as visit the “sweet corner” full of cakes, cookies, crackers, and other pastries. Editor’s note: the centre is closed for the holidays and will reopen on Friday, January 3.
There are additional opportunities for clients to pick up household goods like gently used clothing, shoes, tableware, toasters, and personal hygiene products — all of which have all been donated by businesses and individuals in the community. If the charity has extra cash, they will purchase additional food to even out the offerings, if necessary.
In addition to collecting food from grocery stores and Kawartha Food Share, the Good Neighbours Care Centre accepts community donations of clothing, shoes, appliance, and personal hygiene products. Clients can stop by the centre Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to browse the shelves of donated items. (Photo courtesy of Good Neighbours Care Centre)
“We run a pretty high-quality operation,” says Adair. “Those who come in to use our services can walk out knowing they have a zipper that works, the clothing is clean, and the food is good.”
Additionally, once per month, clients can get a larger haul of staple goods from the kitchen, including milk, eggs, frozen meals, proteins, coffee, tea, canned goods, pastas, and more. The clients will be able to get enough for the whole family and all it requires is showing a piece of government ID.
“Sometimes we get pork chops or salmon and its $40 worth that can be part of their big shop for the month,” says Adair. “Food banks aren’t there to supply every meal for our clients, but they are here to help them get through the month.”
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Thanks to the suppliers and donors, beginning two years ago, the Good Neighbours Care Centre was able to undergo transformations to better improve client service. The charity repainted the interior of the 100-year-old building, installed central air conditioning, and received a brand-new laminated floor that was entirely donated.
“Our clients are our focus obviously and we want to do the best that we can for them in providing food, providing facilities, and just getting to know them a little bit and build a bit of a relationship with them,” Adair says.
He adds that the pantries are intentionally designed so clients can walk through and select their own vegetables, produce, and products as if they’re shopping at a grocery story.
Clients of the Good Neighbours Care Centre can access the shelves three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They can also visit the kitchen once per month to collect a larger haul of fresh grocery items for the whole family. (Photo courtesy of Good Neighbours Care Centre)
“We try to present a place of high dignity all the way through the system,” Adair says. “That’s our goal with what we do. Treat them on a human basis, because we see all kinds of different economic status of people and how they have to live life.”
Though the centre never closed during the pandemic, Adair says he has since noticed an increase from roughly 50 to 60 people coming in daily before the pandemic to up to 80 or 85 now coming through daily. Some of the increased demand came earlier this year due to higher food prices.
“We found when inflation started going bad on food, around March this past year, all of a sudden we’re getting people we hadn’t seen before,” he says. “Making $36,000 a year on minimum wage doesn’t go very far anymore, so we’re just there to support and give a hand to those who need it. That’s always our aim.”
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This year, the charity has served between 11,000 and 12,000 clients.
“We have clients that are there at 7:30 or 7:45 in the morning for a 10 a.m. start, so it would not be unusual for someone to stand in line for an hour or an hour and a half to get in because it’s first come, first served,” Adair says, adding that occasionally they’ve had to turn people away. “That doesn’t happen real often, but it’s heartbreaking to go out and tell somebody that we’re out of food.”
Increased living costs not only exacerbate the demand for Good Neighbours Care Centre, but also create a barrier for individuals in having the disposable income to donate to the charity.
“Even for a middle-class family, their grocery bill went up, and now they’re just trying to stay alive themselves, so they don’t have more to give to anybody else,” he says. “It’s hard on everybody.”
The Good Neighbours Care Centre is run entirely through the dedication of more than 30 volunteers. Volunteer positions can include doing grocery store pick-ups, sorting donations, and running the centre during opening hours. (Photo courtesy of Good Neighbours Care Centre)
Those who are unable to financially support the charity might be interested in a volunteer position. Such work can range from driving the trucks for pickups, sorting donations, and running the shop during opening. Currently, the centre is made up of more than 30 volunteers, many of who are retirees.
“A person should volunteer long before they retire — you don’t have to wait until you’re 65 to volunteer,” Adair says. “Maybe it’s only a couple hours a week somewhere, but the whole concept of volunteering should be just a part of everybody’s life. Whether you’re a hockey coach or whatnot, you’re taking some of your time and giving it to somebody else.”
“There’s fulfillment in helping somebody else,” Adair says. “I’m in a position that I can do that, and I enjoy doing that. Look at all the people we served this year — 11,000 is not a small number and there’s a lot of households involved in this, so we are thankful for it and for all who support us.”
He notes that while Good Neighbours Care Centre is entirely volunteer-run, there are always ongoing costs like operating the trucks and paying rent, and every bit of support can make a difference.
“Often you get somebody who says ‘I only have 50 bucks’, but we’re grateful for whatever you have,” Adair points out. “We appreciate it even if all you have (to give) is some clothes. Somebody else will be using those clothes. As an organization, we’re just grateful for whatever help somebody can give us, and we’ll just keep it going.”
For more information about the Good Neighbours Care Centre or to make a monetary donation, visit www.goodneighboursptbo.com.
Jacquelyn Craft (left), owner of Peterborough’s The Neighbourhood Vintage, donates bags of clothing to the Good Neighbours Care Centre. Operating since 1984, the charity relies on community donations to meet the demand for services, which has been growing since the pandemic and even more in early 2024 with inflation. (Photo courtesy of Good Neighbours Care Centre)
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