Peterborough city council will begin meeting in person again in council chambers at Peterborough City Hall as of Tuesday, September 8th.

The city has implemented health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including installing glass partitions for councillors and city staff, as well as physical distancing for attendees and increased sanitization.

The first meeting to take place in person will be general committee, beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Because of the new physical distancing requirements, there will be very limited seating available for members of the public. Residents who are interested in attending a meeting must contact the Clerk’s Office at 705-742-7777 ext. 1820 to inquire about reserving a seat. Only those with a reserved seat will be admitted to City Hall.

When they arrive at cCity Hall, attendees will be asked COVID-19 screening questions. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms or has been exposed to the virus is asked to stay home and contact a testing centre. While in City Hall, visitors are asked to wear a face covering and to use hand sanitizer.

For those unable to attend or who wish to watch from home, council meetings as well as meetings of the general and finance committees will continue to be streamed live at peterborough.ca/watchcouncil.

If you miss the livestream, the city uploads recordings of council meetings to the city website within a week of the meeting.

This long weekend, let’s reflect upon the meaning of Labour Day. Where we have been and where we are going as labourers in Peterborough and Canada?

Labour Day began in the 19th century as a celebration of improved labour conditions and labour unions in Canada. For many people, the labour movement and the word “labourer” may have strong associations with physical work and the trades. Whatever kind of work you are able to do, you are a meaningful part of the labour force, and this Monday is our national day to formally celebrate your contributions to our economy and society.

Looking back in local history, Peterborough workers have fought crucial battles in labour movements. Consider the 1919 lockout of moulders demanding a reduced work week and higher wages, the Auburn-Bonnerworth strike of 1937 for higher wages and better treatment for workers, and the unionization fight at General Electric in the 1940s and 1950s. Peterborough is a driving force in labour history.

This Labour Day, take a moment to wonder how labour might fundamentally change in the post-COVID era. What might Labour Day celebrate in 2021 and beyond?

The pandemic has shown that healthy economies and decent work rely on a healthy environment. Our top political issues over the past five months have been crisis preparedness, economic resilience, and inequality, and these are also prevalent themes in the ongoing climate emergency.

The unemployment rate is hovering just under 10 per cent in Peterborough and above 10 per cent nationally. Pressure is mounting on the all levels of government to deliver an economic strategy that will launch our communities down the road to recovery. This strategy also needs to build more resilience and equity into Canadian communities as we anticipate more destabilizing events like COVID-19 in the future.

In the post-COVID era, traditional energy industries have seen major job and financial losses. Our best hope for economic recovery is to create green jobs as part of the essential transition to a decarbonized economy. Stimulus spending and recovery strategies could prioritize the creation of a resilient green economy with an eye to equity. We could create millions of sustainable jobs for Canadians, vibrant and resilient communities, and also improve the lives of marginalized workers.

What could an expansion of green jobs look like in the Peterborough region? There are a number of sectors that have potential for the creation of green jobs locally, including agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and trades.

As part of a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, large-scale projects in infrastructure, transportation, energy, and technology sectors will be major job creators. Green jobs, especially those in renewable energy, are often locally based, creating secure regional job markets less susceptible to relocation.

Adding quality jobs within the context of a green recovery could help build community resilience in Peterborough. Decent jobs are stable, have reliable hours, and pay a living wage.

In the Peterborough region, precarious work has become a defining issue that, as of 2018, impacts as many as 64 per cent of local workers. Temporary work, unpredictable hours, no health benefits, and low pay have become status quo in our community, often requiring members of our community to have more than one job just to get by.

Before COVID-19, many people were ringing alarm bells about the increasingly precarious and unequal nature of employment. The pandemic has once again emphasized these issues.

“If you don’t have a car, if you can’t afford to stop working, or if your work is such that it can’t be done remotely, the pandemic has shown you that your safety is not a priority,” observes Dr. David Tough, historian and professor at Trent University.

“(COVID-19) shows us who has access to safe and healthy options for their children, for their elderly parents and grandparents.” Tough adds. “And a lot of people who accepted these inequalities before COVID are now seeing them as inhumane.”

Statistics Canada reported in August the unemployment rate for racialized workers is 16.2 per cent, more than one-and-a-half times higher than the rate for white workers. This statistic quantifies the lived experience of systemic employment discrimination that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indigenous communities, too, have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to pre-existing inequities. The impacts of this crisis on women, migrant workers, and racialized groups must be considered in a just green recovery. A justice-centred, community-led green recovery would involve prioritizing decent work for vulnerable populations and supporting self-governance for Indigenous communities as they rebuild from this crisis.

The business community in our region would have a rare opportunity to connect to green recovery funding that could lessen the impact of this crisis on vulnerable persons, and could also help businesses save money in the long-term. Improving indoor workplaces through high-efficiency ventilation, and enhanced heating and cooling would have a beneficial impact on worker health and safety.

Transitioning local business fleets away from combustion vehicles in could help improve air quality and health outcomes. Investing in transit and active transportation for workers is another way businesses can reduce the burden on our most vulnerable, while promoting a green recovery.

Programs that help grow the green economy could usher in a new wave of green jobs in our region. Green Economy Peterborough, set to officially launch services in the spring of 2021, will support small and medium businesses as they secure green recovery funding.

Through participation in our local hub, businesses will create climate action plans, increasing their capacity to partake in the green recovery and potentially access funds that become available.

Green Economy Peterborough will be one of eight community-led business hubs supported by Green Economy Canada. One of the most prominent voices advocating for a green recovery, Green Economy Canada emphasizes that environmental sustainability, human well-being, and business success are synonymous. Our communities can build back better by investing in projects that protect both workers and the environment.

To learn more about Green Economy Peterborough, visit greenup.on.ca/green-economy-peterborough/ or contact Natalie Stephenson, hub coordinator at Green Economy Peterborough, at natalie.stephenson@greenup.on.ca.

Now that summer is almost over, the Town of Cobourg will be reopening Victoria Beach after the Labour Day long weekend for recreational use during the week only.

In June, Cobourg town council voted unanimously to close the popular beach until Monday, August 31st because of concerns about overcrowding during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure both residents and visitors comply with emergency orders prohibiting social gatherings and health directives on physical distancing.

At the August 31st regular council meeting, council instructed town staff to reopen Victoria Beach effective Tuesday, September 8th for active recreational activities during the week, including swimming, walking, running, kitesurfing, and other similar activities.

The beach will remain closed on weekends until October 14th, when the fencing will be removed and the beach will be fully reopened.

There will be no lifeguards on duty and the canteen and restroom facilities will stay closed. Porta-potties, which are located at the south end of Division Street and in Victoria Park, will remain in place and will be regularly disinfected.

The Town of Cobourg is asking all beach goers to abide by public health and safety protocols including physical distancing.

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

Today, Ontario is reporting 133 new cases of COVID-19. However, with 137 more cases resolved, there is a net decrease today in the number of active cases. Most of the new cases are in Toronto (43), Peel (34), York (15), Ottawa (12), and Durham (6). The remaining 29 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 21 of them reporting no new cases at all.

Almost two-thirds of the new cases are among people 39 years old and younger, with 15% of cases under the age of 20. The province has now processed more than 3 million tests, and continues to lead the country in daily testing.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland, for a total of 5 active cases. There are no new cases to report in Peterborough, Prince Edward and Hastings counties, or Haliburton. There are currently 3 active cases in Peterborough and 4 active cases in Prince Edward and Hastings counties. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 105 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (100 resolved with 2 deaths), 180 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (158 resolved with 32 deaths), 34 in Northumberland County (31 resolved with no deaths), 15 in Haliburton County (15 resolved with no deaths), and 49 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (40 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

Province-wide, there have been 42,554 confirmed cases, an increase of 133 from yesterday’s report, with 38,506 (90.5% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 137 from yesterday. There have been 2,812 deaths, no change from yesterday, with 1,816 deaths reported in long-term care homes, a increase of 1. A total of 3,013,892 tests have been completed, an increase of 24,004 from yesterday, with 18,273 tests under investigation, an increase of 2,525.

This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.

Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

Confirmed positive: 105 (no change)
Active cases: 3 (no change)
Deaths: 2 (no change)
Resolved: 100 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 25,000 (increase of 100)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.

The health unit provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays..

Confirmed positive: 229, including 180 in Kawartha Lakes, 34 in Northumberland, 15 in Haliburton (increase of 2, 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change)
Deaths: 32 (no change)
Resolved: 204, including 158 in Kawartha Lakes, 31 in Northumberland, 15 in Haliburton (no change)
Active cases: 5, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (increase of 2)
Institutional outbreaks: Campbellford Memorial Multicare Lodge (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 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 49 (no change)
Active cases: 4 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Hospitalized: 0 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change)
Recovered: 40 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 23,411 (increase of 643)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 42,554 (increase of 133)
Resolved: 38,506 (increase of 137, 90.5% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 60 (decrease of 5)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 13 (decrease of 4)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 9 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 2,812 (no change)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,816 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 3,013,892 (increase of 24,004)
Tests under investigation: 18,273 (increase of 2,525)

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.