Canadians will be electing a new federal government on Monday, September 20th.

As expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday morning (August 15), where he asked Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, triggering a snap election.

The election will take place in 36 days, the shortest election campaign allowed under federal law, and during an emerging fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Delta variant.

The Liberals hope to be re-elected for the third time, but this time with a majority. By calling an election now, Trudeau avoids the possibility of a non-confidence vote bringing down his two-year-old minority Liberal government — potentially at a time that is more advantageous for the opposition parties.

Trudeau is taking a calculated risk in triggering an early election. He is counting on Canadians rewarding his government for its handling of the pandemic (including a world-leading vaccination rate), on opposition parties being unprepared for the brief election campaign, and for the election to take place before the fourth wave of the pandemic gets worse.

While the Liberals are currently ahead in the polls (an August 12th Leger Marketing poll has them at 35 per cent support, compared to 30 per cent for the Conservatives and 19 per cent for the New Democrats), their lead is not enough for a majority government.

Both the Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh have said an election is unnecessary and risky during the pandemic. While Elections Canada has stated a vote can be conducted safely during the pandemic, it has also cautioned vote counts could be delayed because of mail-in voting.

In the greater Kawarthas region, only the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha — which is the only riding in the region held by a Liberal — currently has candidates representing all four major federal parties. For the first time in that riding, all the candidates are women.

Incumbent Maryam Monsef, who was the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, will be up against three political newcomers: Michelle Ferreri of the Conservatives, Joy Lachica of the NDP, and Chanté White of the Green.

Here are the candidates named so far for the four major federal parties in the other ridings in the greater Kawarthas region:

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock

Jamie Schmale, Conservative (incumbent)
Judie Forbes, Liberal
To be determined, NDP
To be determined, Green

Northumberland-Peterborough South

Philip Lawrence, Conservative (incumbent)
Alison Lester, Liberal
To be determined, NDP
To be determined, Green

Hastings-Lennox and Addington

Derek Sloan, Independent (incumbent, elected Conservative)
Mike Bossio, Liberal
Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative
Steve Garrison, NDP
To be determined, Green

Fall in the Kawarthas isn’t the same without an agricultural fair and, after going virtual last year due to the pandemic, the Lindsay Exhibition (LEX) will be taking place in person in 2021 — running an extra five days to allow for limited capacity due to physical distancing.

The 167th annual fair will open on Friday, September 17th and run for a full 10 days until Sunday, September 26th. It will feature traditional favourites including midway rides and games, fair food, livestock shows, a demolition derby, and a country music concert.

To keep the fair COVID-safe, capacity limits will be in place for buildings and the grandstand and people will be required to wear masks indoors and at the grandstand shows, including at the country music concert. All midway staff will be required to be fully vaccinated.

“We tried to find a balance between holding an authentic Lindsay Exhibition with all the elements that people expect and minimizing the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus,” states LEX general manager Harry Stoddart in a media release. “We will be meeting or exceeding all the regulations put in place by the Ontario government and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

Other events returning to the 2021 fair include The WoofJocks Canine All-stars, DooDoo the Clown, and Amberley Beatty’s Patsy Cline tribute show — part of an entertainment line-up that will also include a number of local bands and entertainment acts.

New events for 2021 include evening rodeos, a market turkey show, and a horse scenting demonstration — horses trained to locate people in search and rescue.

“We’re excited by the possibility of holding a traditional LEX and giving our community and exhibitors something to enjoy during these challenging times,” says Lois Batty, president of the Lindsay Agricultural Society, which hosts the annual fair with the help of volunteers.

“We already have 25 teams committed to the horse pull, almost double the field we had in 2019. We’ve been planning for almost a year to be able to hold as safe an event as possible during the pandemic.’

Tickets are free on September 17 and 20 to 22, $5 on September 18, 19, and 23, and $10 on September 24 to 26. Admission is always free for children five and under.

Tickets are $10 (in admission to fair admission) for the Demo Cross, Rodeo, and Demo Derby.

Tickets for the Friday night concert at 7:30 p.m., featuring the James Barker Band with opening act Andrew Hyatt, are $40 (ticket price includes $10 LEX admission on Friday).

To accommodate COVID-19 capacity limits, all tickets (including free tickets) must be purchased online in advance.

Coupons for the midway, presented by World’s Finest Shows, are only available in person at the midway (no advance passes).

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lindsayex.com.

The story has been updated to include ticket prices.

The Warsaw Road Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road has now reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, Parks Canada announced on Saturday (August 14).

The bridge has been closed since October last year for a full replacement of the steel swing bridge structure, repairs to concrete abutments, and replacement of mechanical and electrical operating systems.

The project has also brought the bridge up to full highway loading.

The reopening of the bridge, originally scheduled for May, was delayed several times due to various construction-related issues.

Parks Canada advises to expect short, intermittent delays while operational testing of the bridge is conducted.

With the reopening of the bridge, detour routes and sideroad closures implemented by the City of Peterborough will be lifted.

Physical distancing and limiting face-to-face interaction with individuals from outside our households have been essential steps in preventing the spread of COVID-19. But for many, these measures have also caused social isolation and loneliness.

Just as older people are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, they are also particularly vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation — especially after 16 months of the pandemic.

‘Senior Centre Without Walls’ is a free national telephone-based group activity program for connecting isolated seniors and older adults. Age-Friendly Peterborough — a city plan to enhance programs, services, and infrastructure for older adults in the Peterborough area — has brought the program to Peterborough after learning the number of isolated seniors has risen due to COVID.

To launch the program in Peterborough this past May, Age-Friendly Peterborough partnered with Activity Haven Senior Centre and the Peterborough Public Library. Senior Centre Without Walls targets adults in the community 50 years of age and older, allowing them to connect with others from the comfort of their own homes.

Jayne Culbert, Age-friendly Coordinator at the City of Peterborough, was aware of the program before COVID, she says the need for it in Peterborough became more apparent during the pandemic. Since most opportunities for remote socializing rely on computers and the internet, the program is ideal for those who don’t use technology or have internet access since it only requires a telephone.

“We heard about the number of people who were isolated in their home with very little community contact and connection,” Culbert explains. “That’s when we wanted to get this program running for our local Peterborough residents. Isolation is more detrimental to a person’s health than smoking or drinking — it affects their health not only mentally, but also physically.”

To participate in the program, people can register by calling Activity Haven at 705-876-1670 or, for those who use the internet, by emailing hannahpeart@activityhaven.com. Upon registration, participants will be asked if they are okay to call in to join their activity, or if they prefer the moderator to call them. Those who opt to call in themselves are given a phone number and a passcode to dial on the date and time of their chosen activity.

Senior Centre Without Walls releases a bi-monthly calendar with various phone activity offerings, including chair yoga, books chats, tea and inspirational chats, stress busters, memoir writing, and more.

A copy of the Senior Centre Without Walls flyer, calendar, and activity descriptions area are available on the Activity Haven website at activityhaven.com. For those without internet access, print copies are available in the community at the Peterborough Public Library and Community Care Peterborough offices. You can also call Culbert at 705-748-8830 x3227 to have a calendar mailed to you.

According to Culbert, Senior Centre Without Walls is always looking for new ideas for telephone activities older adults might like to participate in, and so they have developed a survey. The survey is available online at surveymonkey.com/r/627DZ8X or you can contact Peterborough Public Library adult programming and outreach librarian Karen Bisschop at 705-745-5382 x2352 for a print copy.

Since it was first launched in May, Senior Centre Without Walls has received great feedback from participants according to Culbert. Their most popular activities are currently chair yoga and stress busters. Even though the program is still growing, Culbert says it’s already making a difference.

“We can touch one person’s life and make somebody’s day better,” she says. “That’s why we’re doing it.”

Anne Driscoll, the project lead for Senior Centre Without Walls, has personally witnessed how the program touches the lives of participants. In addition to her responsibilities as the project lead, Driscoll volunteers as the program’s moderator — meaning she sets up and monitors the calls to make sure everything runs smoothly.

“Being a part of these phone calls as a moderator, I listen to the impact this program is having on people,” Driscoll says. “To hear ‘I so look forward to this call.’ — call by call, you can hear they’re getting more comfortable with each other, and relationships are evolving. I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

One such participant is 95-year-old Henry Weitz, who has participated in the program since May. He says his phone conversations during the ‘Tea & Inspirational Chats’ activity are now the highlight of his week.

“We have a little group, and we talk about everything — when we were young and our whole lives,” Weitz tells kawarthaNOW. “It’s very interesting. I really enjoy every program. It helps me because my connection to the outside is not that good anymore. It keeps your brain going.”

“I must say that the program has been such a gift to me,” he adds. “Living in a retirement residence where most of the residents have some form of dementia, having these phone conversations is the best thing that happens to me all week. Other seniors should join this program. They would really enjoy it. I don’t think enough people know about it yet.”

That’s one of the biggest hurdles of the program so far, according to Culbert. Many isolated seniors do not have access to the internet, so getting the word out to them is a challenge.

Culbert says this is where they need the community’s help. Senior Centre Without Walls relies on word-of-mouth support from adult children and neighbours of seniors to spread the word about the program.

She suggests those looking to support the program print a copy of the flyer and schedule from the Activity Haven Senior Centre website at activityhaven.com, or pick up a print copy at the Peterborough Public Library or a Community Care Peterborough office, and share it with isolated seniors they know in the community.

If the senior in your life is nervous or hesitant to participate in the program, Culbert suggests you join the first call with them. If the senior just wants to listen without participating, Driscoll adds this is also allowed.

Best of all for seniors who are on a fixed income, the program is completely free. Presentations about the program are also available for clubs or groups that want to learn more.

Senior Centre Without Walls is also searching for community volunteers to be moderators and facilitators on the phone calls. Moderators help make sure the calls go smoothly and help promote the program, while facilitators lead activities during the calls. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Culbert at 705-748-8830 x3227 or at jculbert@peterborough.ca.

A Bancroft man is facing two counts of attempted murder and other charges after an alleged assault in the Town of Bancroft in Hastings County on Tuesday night (August 10).

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, officers from the Bancroft OPP responded to a report of an assault at Woodview Lane in Bancroft.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located three injured adults. Two of the injured persons were transported by ambulance to hospital, where one was released and one remains for further medical treatment.

After an investigation, officers arrested 36-year-old Maurice Martin of Bancroft, who has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, assault with a weapon, assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and failure to comply with probation.

Martin was held in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on August 19.

Anyone with information with regarding this incident is asked to contact the Bancroft OPP at 1-888-210-1122. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

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

Ontario is reporting 510 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases rising by 24 to 399.

Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 1 is reporting a triple-digit increase (Toronto at 129 cases) and 13 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (61), Hamilton (51), Windsor-Essex (41), York (33), Halton (26), Waterloo (24), Ottawa (22), Simcoe Muskoka (21), Durham (17), Middlesex-London (15), Brant County (13), Niagara (13), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13) — with 7 reporting no new cases at all.

Of the new cases, 72% are among unvaccinated people, 17% of among fully vaccinated people, and 11% are among partially vaccinated people.

The number of hospitalizations has increased by 7 to 123, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 2 to 111 and the number of patients on ventilators decreasing by 4 to 72. Ontario is reporting 4 COVID-related deaths, but 2 occurred more than 2 months ago and are being reported now as part of a data clean-up, so there are 2 new COVID-related deaths.

More than 20 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 48,682 from yesterday, with almost 9.5 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 48,682 from yesterday, representing just over 64% of Ontario’s total population.

For a daily summary of cases in Ontario, including a breakdown of cases in each of Ontario’s 34 health units, visit ontario.ca/page/how-ontario-is-responding-covid-19.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report over the past 2 days, including 7 in Hastings Prince Edward, 4 in Northumberland, 3 in Peterborough, and 3 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton.

An additional 11 cases have been resolved in the region over the past 2 days, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Peterborough, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward.

The number of active cases has increased by 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, by 4 in Northumberland, and by 3 in Peterborough, and has decreased by 2 in Kawartha Lakes.

There are currently 48 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 9 since August 11, including 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 10 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 2 in Central Hastings), 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 5 in Peterborough. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,649 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,622 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,201 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,147 resolved with 58 deaths), 960 in Northumberland County (937 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,194 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,154 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.

For detailed data for each health unit, visit the COVID-19 trackers for Peterborough Public Health, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

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

Fleming College will require proof of vaccination for all students, employees, and visitors this fall.

The college made the announcement of its vaccination policy on Friday (August 13).

To access programs and activities on any of its campuses (Peterborough, Lindsay, Haliburton, and Cobourg), everyone will be required to have received the first dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine by September 7 and a second dose by October 20. A paper or digital receipt showing proof of vaccination will be required to access campus facilities.

“We believe this policy will provide the best possible protection and freedom to everyone at Fleming to pursue their academic, athletic, and personal goals in a safe environment,” states Fleming College president Maureen Adamson in a media release.

“Vaccination is an effective safeguard against future lockdowns and interruptions in learning, as the scientific evidence shows,” she adds. ‘Given the current spread of the virus and its negative impact on all healthcare services, including the availability of non-COVID-19 related health services, we believe this policy is an important contribution to the communities we serve.”

Fleming College will assist students in gaining access to vaccines through on-campus and local clinics. Anyone who cannot be vaccinated on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code may request an accommodation. For those without proof of vaccination, regular testing will be required.

Fleming College had previously announced a vaccination mandate for students living in on-campus residence.

At the same time Fleming College announced its vaccination policy, the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA) also issued a media release calling on Trent University to adopt a similar vaccination policy.

According to the association, 93 per cent of its members agree that all eligible students, staff, faculty, librarians, and archivists should be fully vaccinated fully before coming to campus, acknowledging exemptions and requests for accommodation based on medical or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code.

“TUFA believes that Trent must continue to exhibit leadership in regard to community health and join with this group of peer institutions,” reads the media release. “TUFA is prepared to work closely with the university to expedite development of such a vaccination policy.”