The YMCA of Central East Ontario normally offers a wide range of summer day camps for children, including at Beavermead Park in Peterborough. (Photo: YMCA of Central East Ontario)
The YMCA of Central East Ontario announced on Monday (June 8) that it has cancelled all summer day camps.
The organization made the decision following the Ontario government’s recent extension of the province’s COVID-19 state of emergency until June 30th.
“We had hopes we could move forward and deliver these programs,” says YMCA of Central East Ontario president and CEO David Allen. “However, after the recent state of emergency extension, we realized that key measures such as social distancing would not be possible and that many of the activities that make our day camps what they are would also not be possible.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The YMCA says it wanted to give families sufficient notice to make alternate arrangements, and is directly contacting families that have already registered for the camps and will be issuing full refunds for camp fees paid to date.
“We are exploring new ways to connect with our campers and their families virtually in the coming months,” reads a media release. “We encourage families to watch for updates by email and online at ymcaofceo.ca. We wish to thank families for their support and patience through these unprecedented and challenging times.”
The YMCA also says it will explore options to provide a summer experience for children once the Ontario government provides further direction and when the organization can structure camps according to direction from the province and public health authorities.
During National Nurses Week in May, young sisters Ella and Myriah Mason from Oakwood in Kawartha Lakes sold do-it-yourself cookie kits featuring a scrub and heart and a nurse and heart (pictured) through their home-based Sweet Things Bakehouse on Facebook and raised $558 for the Heroes at Heart appeal at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. (Photo: Jenn Mason)
Like many of us, Ella and Myriah Mason turned to baking during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to pass the time.
The two young sisters from Oakwood, east of Lindsay in Kawartha Lakes, have always enjoyed baking with their mom Jenn, but they’ve now turned their pandemic passion into a sweet home-based business — while also using it to raise funds for community causes.
With the help of their mom, the two entrepreneurs launched Sweet Things Bakehouse back in late March, specializing in do-it-yourself (DIY) sugar cookie kits.
Advertisement - content continues below
“When COVID hit back in March, we decided to make some DIY cookie kits and post them on Facebook for the girls’ friends to purchase and then watch the girls’ live instructional video to learn how to decorate them,” Jenn says.
“We thought that this would be a fun activity to do to help keep everyone busy while social distancing. They ended up being a hit. Even people we didn’t know were purchasing them.”
The girls quickly sold out of their first spring DIY cookie kits in early April, and then sold out their Easter DIY cookie kits — and donated all $560 of the proceeds to Kawartha Lakes Food Source.
With the help of their mom Jenn, sisters Ella and Myriah Mason launched Sweet Things Bakehouse from their home in Oakwood, east of Lindsay in Kawartha Lakes, in late March. The girls have raised over $1,100 for two local causes. (Photo: Jenn Mason)
During National Nurses Week in May, the girls decided to create a DIY cookie kit featuring a scrub and heart and a nurse and heart, with a plan to donate all proceeds to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay.
The kits sold out within an hour, and the girls have since donated $558 to the hospital’s Heroes at Heart appeal, which is supporting urgent COVID-related needs as well as ECG machines.
“We’re so grateful to Jenn, Myriah, and Ella and all of the people who bought their cookies during Nurses Week,” says Ross Memorial Hospital foundation CEO Erin Coons.
Ella and Myriah Mason with their donations of $560 to Kawartha Lakes Food Source and $558 to Ross Memorial Hospital, which they raised by selling their do-it-yourself sugar cookie kits through their Sweet Things Bakehouse Facebook page. (Photos: Jenn Mason)
Sweet Things Bakehouse is now selling Father’s Day DIY cookie kits. The kits, which cost $11 each, contain everything you need to decorate and wrap your own cookies for Dad.
Along with the kits, Ella and Myriah also star in Facebook Live instructional videos explaining how to decorate the cookies with royal icing.
Limited quantities of the kits are available, so if you’re interested in ordering one, visit Sweet Things Bakehouse on Facebook at facebook.com/sweetthingsbakehouse/.
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.
Here’s today summary: there are 90 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 156 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland County, 8 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
There are no new cases to report today in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, or Haliburton. There is no weekend report on cases from Hastings County and Prince Edward County, but the most recent positive case there was reported on May 18.
There has been a total of 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there are 30,617 confirmed cases, an increase of 415 (223 of these cases were impacted by a laboratory-to-public health reporting delay). A total of 24,252 cases are resolved, an increase of 305 from yesterday. There have been 2,426 deaths, an increase of 19 from yesterday, with 1,557 of the deaths being residents in long-term care homes, an increase of 8. A total of 851,532 tests have been completed, an increase of 19,374 from yesterday, with 6,779 tests under investigation, a decrease of 5,606.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 90 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 80 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 10,450 (increase of 400+) 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.
Confirmed positive: 181, including 156 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, 8 in Haliburton (no change) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations: 12 (no change) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 152 (increase of 2) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18)* Probable cases: 185 (no change)* 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: 33 (no change)* Total tests completed: 7,996 (increase of 173)* Institutional outbreaks: None*
*These numbers are from June 5. The health unit does not issue reports on weekends; the next report is due June 8.
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 30,617 (increase of 415)* Hospitalized: 635 (decrease of 38) Hospitalized and in ICU: 117 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 92 (decrease of 5) Deaths: 2,426 (increase of 19) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,557 (increase of 8, 64.2% of all deaths) Total tests completed 851,532 (increase of 19,374) Tests under investigation: 6,779 (decrease of 5,606) Resolved: 24,252 (increase of 305)
*223 of these cases were impacted by a laboratory-to-public health reporting delay.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from May 7 – June 6, 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 May 7 – June 6, 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)
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.
Here’s today summary: there are 90 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 156 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland County, 8 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
There is 1 new case to report today, in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases today in Peterborough, Northumberland, or Haliburton. The most recent positive case in Hastings County and Prince Edward County was reported on May 18.
There has been a total of 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there are 30,202 confirmed cases, an increase of 445 from yesterday (67 of these cases are not new today as they were impacted by a laboratory-to-public health reporting delay). A total of 23,947 cases are resolved, an increase of 364 from yesterday. There have been 2,407 deaths, an increase of 35 from yesterday, with 1,549 of the deaths being residents in long-term care homes, an increase of 30. A total of 832,158 tests have been completed, an increase of 23,105 from yesterday, with 12,384 tests under investigation, an increase of 137.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 90 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 80 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 10,050 (increase of 250+) 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.
Confirmed positive: 181, including 156 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, 8 in Haliburton (increase of 1) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations: 12 (no change) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 150 (increase of 1) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18)* Probable cases: 185 (no change)* 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: 33 (no change)* Total tests completed: 7,996 (increase of 173)* Institutional outbreaks: None*
*These numbers are from June 5. The health unit does not issue reports on weekends; the next report is due June 8.
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 30,202 (increase of 455)* Hospitalized: 673 (decrease of 76) Hospitalized and in ICU: 117 (decrease of 1) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 97 (increase of 3) Deaths: 2,407 (increase of 35) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,549 (increase of 30, 64.4% of all deaths) Total tests completed 832,158 (increase of 23,105) Tests under investigation: 12,384 (increase of 137) Resolved: 23,947 (increase of 364)
*67 of these cases are not new today as they were impacted by a laboratory-to-public health reporting delay.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from May 6 – June 5, 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 May 6 – June 5, 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)
Shahab Stanikzai was a successful businessman in Afghanistan before he fled his native country with his family to escape the Taliban, who wouldn't allow his daughter to go to school. After moving to Peterborough, he started international grocery store Goodies on George in downtown Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Goodies on George)
Update: Shahab Stanikzai no longer operates Goodies on George. The store continues to operate under new ownership.
This story was created in partnership with the New Canadians Centre as part of their #PtboIsMyHome series, where you can meet local immigrant entrepreneurs who are at different points in their settlement experience and careers. These are their stories of hope, home, community, and belonging in Peterborough.
Shahab Stanikzai never dreamed of selling spices when he fled the Taliban in Afghanistan. The owner of Goodies on George (429 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-243-8803) only dreamed of keeping his family safe and making sure his daughter had access to education.
And now that he’s in Canada, like a true entrepreneur, he’ll do whatever it takes to make things work from his shop in downtown Peterborough.
There’s a brightness in Shahab’s voice. He answers questions playfully and happily shares stories from his life before and after coming to Peterborough.
Shahab ran a couple of successful companies in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He started in information technology and, after he sold that company, he turned to gemstones. The gemstone business grew, and he began working with youth who didn’t have family supports. They were trained in how to cut and polish gemstones that were used all over the world — even in the trendy Arizona marketplace.
While his business was helping kids with no other supports to survive, Shahab feared for his own daughter with the Taliban continuing their oppression of women. She could not even leave the house.
“I was a good businessman in Afghanistan, with a presidential life,” Shahab explains. “But the Taliban was a big threat for me, and my daughter could not go to school. We had to leave.”
While Shahab was confident the move would help his own children, he also feared for the youth who worked with him. To ensure they did not lose the independence they had gained, the youth kept running the gemstone business after Shahab moved to Canada,
“I am proud of how well they are doing,” he beams.
Shahab, on the other hand, has faced extensive hardship since landing in Toronto in 2016. Like so many other new Canadians, Shahab made himself useful and started driving a taxi. He did many runs between Toronto and Peterborough and says Peterborough felt good to him. It looked like a place where he could raise his five children so, in 2018, he rented a house with family and started with his store.
Goodies on George is located at 429 George Street North in downtown Peterborough, where owner Shahab Stanikzai sells a large variety of spices as well as international groceries, and makes fresh samosas and pakoras in a small kitchen in the store. (Photo courtesy of Goodies on George)
Goodies on George used to be focused on lottery and cigarettes, but Shahab wanted to be different. He knew people were looking for spices, so he used all his connections in Toronto to bring more and more diverse flavours to Peterborough.
His spices were a hit and he made the move from plastic bags to reusable jars that offer a deposit system to keep customers coming back for refills.
Shahab says his customers were also looking for tasty, healthy foods and now he has many of them happily hooked on his high-quality samosas.
Shahab Stanikzai is Peterborough’s spice king, selling more than 50 spices in his downtown Peterborough shop. He uses some of these spices in his famous samosas. (Photo courtesy of Goodies on George)
“These are the samosas that the fancy downtown hotels sell,” Shahab explains, with pride in his voice. “The spices are different, and the pastry is a higher quality. We make them in the store for our customers and they are hooked.”
Shahab tells a story about a woman who ordered a dozen of his samosas for curbside pick-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had three boys in the car with her and she called Shahab back 15 minutes later to tell him the samosas never made it home and that they needed another order.
“‘What do you add in here?’ she was asking me,” he laughs.
Customers of Goodies on George in downtown Peterborough rave about the high-quality samosas (pictured) and pakoras made fresh in a small kitchen in the store. The store has a 90 per cent positive rating on Google, with 56 glowing reviews about the variety of foods, the spices, the samosas and pakoras, the prices, and owner Shahab Stanikzai. (Photo courtesy of Goodies on George)
The pakoras — a fried south Asian snack made with vegetables or meat dipped in a chickpea batter — are also worth checking out.
And that’s what Shahab wants: more people purchasing his products, because as tough as it is for a new Canadian to be running a small-margin business from downtown Peterborough, things got a lot harder on March 13th when it was clear that COVID-19 was going to decimate small businesses across the region.
Goodies on George is going through the same process that other food-related businesses are during the pandemic: selling grocery products safely and providing takeout and curbside pick-up options. But Shahab needs many more customers if he’s going to continue to support his family.
Shahab is doing his part to attract more customers. He has already improved his store by adding a small kitchen to make fresh salads and special soups along with his famous samosas. And thanks to his years in business that resulted in lots of travel, Shahab knows all about tasty world-class foods he can share with his customers.
“We make so much food so everyone should come to sample it,” he says.
Most of Shahab’s customers are local and, for those who were travelling to Toronto to satisfy their international flavour cravings, he’s hoping to make Goodies on George their new favourite place to connect with the foods they love.
“We have people coming from Belleville and Cobourg and Bancroft too,” he explains. “I feel proud of what we can do, but I also feel anxiety. There is so much pressure. I changed the entire store and I hope people will know that what they need is here, and that they don’t have to go any further.”
At Goodies on George in downtown Peterborough, owner Shahab Stanikzai sells ethnic foods from around the world that aren’t available at traditional grocery stores, making it a popular destination for international students and gourmet cooks. (Photo courtesy of Goodies on George)
As with many entrepreneurs, the past three months have been a challenge for Shahab. He says he has had panic attacks and, while he tries to stay positive, it continues to be a difficult time.
He plans to stay connected with the international students who call Peterborough home and who eat his food to connect with memories of comfort, but he’s also hoping to hear hopeful news about the end of this pandemic.
Until things return to normal, Shahab will continue to make fresh food and sell ethnic groceries to anyone he can, so that he can support his family and give his children the chance to have a bright future here in Canada.
Goodies on George is located at 429 George Street North in downtown Peterborough and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit goodies-on-george.business.site or connect with Goodies on George on Facebook.
This year, the New Canadians Centre is celebrating 40 years of welcoming and supporting newcomers, and the annual Multicultural Canada Day Festival is an important part of this history. The festival brings our community together for a celebration of our country’s birthday and the multiculturalism that is core to Canada’s national identity.
Newcomers and their families have grown to be part of the rich cultural fabric that binds our community together. “Peterborough Is My Home” — our chosen home that we love, cherish, and support. This year’s Multicultural Canada Day programming embraces this sentiment and has been adapted to reflect physical distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To learn more about other #PtboIsMyHome activities and events leading up to and on Canada Day, please visit nccpeterborough.ca. You can also follow New Canadians Centre on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
The Ontario government has extended until Friday, June 19th all existing emergency orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. The orders were set to expire on Tuesday, June 9th.
The extension comes after Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday (June 5) that the government will be releasing its plan next week for the second stage of reopening the province’s economy.
“It is critical that we keep these emergency orders in place so we can continue to reopen the province gradually and safely,” Ford said in a media release issued on Saturday (June 6). “We are not out of the woods yet, and this deadly virus still poses a serious risk.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The government also announced it is extending the suspension of limitation periods and time periods in proceedings in the justice system until September 11th, to ensure people will not experience legal consequences if the original time requirements of their case are not met while the order is in effect. The province says it is working closely with the courts to ensure operations can resume as soon as it is safely possible.
On Tuesday (June 2), the Ontario legislature voted to extend the province’s state of emergency for another 28 days, until Tuesday, June 30th. Orders made under the state of emergency are only effective for 14 days unless they are renewed.
The government can amend or revoke an emergency order at any time. For example, the government is expected to announce additional amendments to emergency orders as it implements the stage two reopening plan, to be announced next week.
“We encourage businesses to begin preparing to reopen, so when the time comes, they will be able to protect employees, consumers and the general public,” Ford said.
Here’s a list of all the emergency orders that have been extended:
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.
Here’s today summary: there are 90 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 155 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland County, 8 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
There are 3 new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases today in Peterborough, Northumberland, or Haliburton. The most recent positive case in Hastings County and Prince Edward County was reported on May 18.
There has been a total of 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there are 29,747 confirmed cases, an increase of 344 from yesterday. A total of 23,583 cases are resolved, an increase of 375 from yesterday. There have been 2,372 deaths, an increase of 15 from yesterday, with 1,519 of the deaths being residents in long-term care homes, an increase of 10. A total of 809,053 tests have been completed, an increase of 22,730 from yesterday, with 12,247 tests under investigation, a decrease of 513.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 90 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 80 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 9,800 (increase of 250+) 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.
Confirmed positive: 180, including 155 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, 8 in Haliburton (increase of 3) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations: 12 (increase of 1) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 150 (increase of 1) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18) Probable cases: 185 (no change) 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: 33 (no change) Total tests completed: 7,996 (increase of 173) Institutional outbreaks: None
Advertisement - content continues below
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 29,747 (increase of 344) Hospitalized: 749 (decrease of 27) Hospitalized and in ICU: 118 (decrease of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 94 (no change) Deaths: 2,372 (increase of 15) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,519 (increase of 10, 64% of all deaths) Total tests completed 809,053 (increase of 22,730) Tests under investigation: 12,247 (decrease of 513) Resolved: 23,583 (increase of 375)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from May 5 – June 4, 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 May 5 – June 4, 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)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford at a media briefing at Queen's Park on June 5, 2020, along with finance minister Rod Phillips, health minister Christine Elliot, and economic development minister Vic Fedeli. (Screenshot / CPAC)
The Ontario government will be releasing its plan next week for the second stage of reopening Ontario’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at a media briefing at Queen’s Park on Friday (June 5), along with health minister Christine Elliot, finance minister Rod Phillips, and economic development minister Vic Fedeli.
“We’re making steady progress, and we’ll be ready very soon to take our next steps in restarting our economy,” Ford said.
But, he added, stage two reopening “won’t happen overnight”. Ford said that businesses will first need time to prepare to reopen.
Advertisement - content continues below
“So early next week, we’ll share more details about stage two of the reopening of our province,” Ford said. “To be clear, stage two will not begin immediately. We’ll be giving notice to businesses to start getting ready.”
Ford also announced that, next week, the government will introduce a phased plan for reopening child care “safely and gradually” to support parents as they return to work.
“As much as stage two will be focused on getting people back to work, it is also about finding ways to try to get life back to normal this summer — even if it’s a little different than before,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to sharing more details early next week.”
A reporter asked Ford about an online petition from hair salon owners who are asking why people can’t get a haircut but they can go get a massage or go to the dentist.
“That makes sense,” Ford said, before passing the question to economic development minister Vic Fedeli. “I don’t disagree with it.”
Fedeli said the announcement next week would have more details on what businesses would be included in the stage two reopening.
“There are many sectors that want to open right away, but we’re always going to take the advice of the chief medical officer of health, the advice of our minister of health, the advice of all of our health professionals as we continue our cabinet discussions on what are essential businesses,” Fedeli said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking during a media briefing in Ottawa on June 5, 2020. (Screenshot / CPAC)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has again refused to commit to extending the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), despite the fact that June is the last month when Canadians who have applied for the benefit for four consecutive months will receive a payment.
Trudeau was responding to a reporter’s question during a media briefing on Friday (June 5), after he had announced the federal government would be providing $14 billion to provinces and territories to help them reopen their economies, as well as an automatic one-time tax-free payment of up to $600 to Canadians with disabilities.
A reporter asked Trudeau, in French, whether the federal government will extend the program or end it. The reporter pointed out that people who have been receiving CERB for the last four months need to prepare if the program will not be extended.
“We recognize that deadlines are arriving,” Trudeau replied, also in French. “We’re working as a government to look at the next steps. We will provide information on this to the media and to the citizens as decisions will be made.”
The CERB program currently provides a $2,000 payment per month for a maximum of four months.
Although the program runs until the fall, Canadians who first applied for CERB retroactively in March and then for each subsequent month will receive their last $2,000 payment in June.
Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough is a not-for-profit organization that relies primarily on rentals to fund its operations. The Erica Cherney Theatre (pictured) and the Nexicom Studio are used by local theatre and performance companies, musicians, and more. The venue has been shut down since the Ontario government first declared a state of emergency on March 17, 2020. (Photo: Showplace)
A fundraising campaign is underway for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund, which will help charitable arts organizations in the Peterborough area make it through the COVID-19 pandemic — with an anonymous donor pledging $20,000 to launch the campaign.
The arts sector has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, with artists in any discipline unable to perform or exhibit their works in person, and performance venues and galleries closed by the Ontario government since March 17th.
The Peterborough Arts Alive Fund is an initiative of Electric City Culture Council (EC3) — an independent not-for-profit corporation mandated by the City of Peterborough to champion the development of the local arts, culture, and heritage community — in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.
Advertisement - content continues below
The fund will provide grants of up to $10,000 each to local arts organizations to help them manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare to reopen.
The grants will be available to arts organizations working in any discipline — including visual arts, media arts, circus arts, theatre and performance art, dance, music, literary arts, spoken word, and interdisciplinary arts — and in any capacity, including creation, production, exhibition, presentation, and performance.
“COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the arts community,” says EC3 president Bill Kimball. “This is a sector that makes an enormous contribution to the quality of life in Peterborough, and plays a profound role in our social and economic well-being. ”
“Both organizations and individual artists are suffering as facilities close, exhibitions are cancelled, audiences drift, box office revenues disappear, and fees and commissions evaporate. These grants will allow the arts community to pivot, adapt, collaborate, plan and retool for the current situation.”
The initial idea for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund came from local educator and arts supporter Deborah Berrill. She is leading a group of private donors, along with EC3 executive director Su Ditta, EC3 board member Peg McCracken, and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.
The group is hoping to raise $100,000 for the fund — enough to provide grants to at least 10 organizations.
Advertisement - content continues below
An anonymous donor has already pledged $20,000 to kick off the fundraising campaign.
“To start the campaign for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund with such a generous donation is inspiring beyond measure and we are very grateful,” says EC3 executive director Su Ditta.
“We live in an extraordinary community that combines an outstanding tradition of philanthropic giving with a passion for the arts and respect for the outstanding artists and arts organizations that create the vibrant cultural life we are so fortunate to enjoy here.”
People can donate to the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund at cfgp.ca/project/arts-alive-fund/ or by mailing a cheque payable to the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough at 261 George St. North, Suite 202, Peterborough, ON, K9J 3G9.
Details of the grant program will be announced when they are available.
To support the local arts sector during COVID-19, kawarthaNOW has donated advertising on its website for local non-profit arts organizations including Showplace Performance Centre, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, Public Energy Performing Arts, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, ReFrame Film Festival, The Theatre On King, and New Stages Theatre Company.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
