The Venue in downtown Peterborough is listed for sale for $2,450,000. (Photo: REALTOR.ca)
The Venue in downtown Peterborough is for sale.
The multifunctional event space, located at 286 George Street North, was listed in mid-January with R.J.L. Realty Ltd. Brokerage for $2,450,000.
Previously The Vibe nightclub, The Venue was purchased in 2006 by local entrepreneur Michael Skinner and opened in 2010 after a $1-million renovation. It is currently operated by Catia Skinner, CEO of Kawartha Entertainment Group Inc.
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The 14,000-square-foot building — which features a lobby wine bar, main hall, and balcony lounge — has a capacity for 900 guests for a cocktail party or for 400 seated guests. Since opening, The Venue has hosted concerts, conferences, trade shows, weddings, and special events.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on event and performance venues, with lockdowns and public health measures either preventing organized events or requiring capacity restrictions making many events financially infeasible.
Co-owner Michael Skinner tells kawarthaNOW that, while the decision to list The Venue for sale “is not directly COVID related,” the pandemic’s adverse effects on business is a factor.
“Most of the events we run there are networking social events,” he says, noting he was forced to lay off 53 employees when the pandemic hit last March, keeping three on who were then laid off in November.
“In the world of social distancing, it’s extremely hard to run an event,” he adds. “On and off, we have been allowed to let up to 50 people, including staff, come in.”
The Venue in downtown Peterborough is a multipurpose event space that hosts a wide range of events including conferences and conventions, weddings, business meetings, galas and other fundraisers, concerts, art shows, and sports events. (Photo: Kawartha Entertainment Group Inc.)
Skinner is adamant he won’t be devastated if the building doesn’t sell.
“We’re exploring to see who’s out there, and sometimes the only way to find out is to put it up for sale,” he says. “We’ve had six or seven showings, [including] a couple of people that are local. So far all the people the agent has talked to very much want to see it continue to be exactly what it is.”
That’s good news, particularly for Peterborough’s music community that has seen a number of downtown venues close in the last couple of years. Still, Skinner acknowledges “it’s possible” a buyer would want to repurpose the building.
“But it’s a special-purpose building that’s very much built for entertainment,” he notes.
“We’re selling it with all the chattels, all the equipment, the sound system, and the whole works. We also have quite a number of events that are booked, a lot of annual events that we run. When we finally have a vaccine and things open back up again, all of those events are going to still happen. It’s not impossible [that it would be repurposed], but I’m not sure how feasible that would be.”
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“We can be a bit picky and choosy on who buys it,” Skinner says. “I want it to benefit our downtown where I think it has become a bit of a pillar. I want to see that continue. I put a lot of my soul into building it. We didn’t necessarily do it from a financial point of view. Catia and I typically donate back whatever profit it makes at the end of the year.”
Skinner makes it clear The Venue has, and will continue, to make money.
“It hasn’t made a lot of money every year because we’ve donated a lot back but I don’t want to give the impression it doesn’t make money, because it does. Somebody else coming in doesn’t have to do that [donate back to the community], although we’d encourage it.”
The Venue features a full kitchen, capacity of more than 900 or 400 for a sit-down dinner, and concert-quality sound equipment. (Photo: Kawartha Entertainment Group Inc.)
Skinner says he was driven by a “personal passion” to establish The Venue, and hopes that any new owner would see the value it serves to the community as an multifunctional event space.
“We needed something in the community that brought everyone together. We want someone that wants to build community and keeps the same vision of it being multi-purpose and has the vision to keep it going.”
To that end, Skinner says he’s willing to work with a potential buyer to make the sale happen.
“We’re willing to do a pretty significant VTB [vendor take back]. Catia and I are willing to hold the financing. We know that financing special-use buildings is tricky. We’re willing to be the financer or even potentially a minority partner. We’re pretty flexible as long as the buyer is willing to support both the business and the arts community.”
Police are seeking the owner or operator of this charcoal-grey four-door Toyota Matrix hatchback with black rims in the death of 40-year-old Corey Johnston on January 14, 2021 in Peterborough. (Police-supplied photo)
Peterborough police are continuing their search for a second vehicle that was in the area when a pedestrian was struck and killed in downtown Peterborough in January.
Corey Johnston, 40, of Peterborough was killed in the incident, which took place on George Street North near the Holiday Inn at around 8:30 p.m. on January 14, 2021.
As part of the investigation, police are seeking to identify the owner or operator a second vehicle that was in the area at the time of the incident.
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The charcoal-grey four-door hatchback with black rims — which police have since determined is a Toyota Matrix — was seen travelling northbound on George Street, then continuing northbound on Water Street before turning westbound onto King Street, then southbound on George Street before turning westbound onto Sherbrooke Street.
Police are asking the owner or operator of the vehicle to contact them.
Anyone from the public who is able to identify the owner or operator of the vehicle is asked to contact Constable Pilling at 705-876-1122 ext 254, or to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at stopcrimehere.ca.
Police are seeking the owner or operator of this charcoal-grey four-door Toyota Matrix hatchback with black rims in the death of 40-year-old Corey Johnston on January 14, 2021 in Peterborough. (Police-supplied photo)
Writer and publisher Elisha Rubacha participated in a recent national discussion on basic income for artists, hosted by the Media Arts Network of Ontario. At the 2017 Precarious Festival in Peterborough, Rubacha demonstrated physically making a book before a live audience, making visible the invisible labour that goes into arts sector publishing. The festival explored the consequences of economic insecurity of working artists, a situation that has only become worse during the pandemic. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
The pandemic has laid bare the ever-widening wealth and income inequality that exists in Canada.
Though flawed, emergency response benefits such as CERB and CRB — the closest thing the country has ever seen to a basic income — have provided an income floor, preventing or alleviating poverty for many Canadians (for those able to access the programs, that is), while also stimulating and stabilizing the broader economy.
In terms of pandemic recovery, basic income has increasingly been a subject of discussion across the political spectrum. As such, support for basic income is growing among parliamentarians and the wider Canadian public.
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Much advocacy work continues to be done, and Canadian artists and arts workers — many of whom face unreliable incomes and precarious labour conditions — are proving to be leading voices in ongoing basic income conversations.
In July 2020, over 300 Canadian artists, arts workers, and organizations (including Peterborough-Nogojiwanong’s Electric City Culture Council) published an open letter, signed by organizations representing 75,000 artists, asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to create a permanent Basic Income Guarantee.
Recently, the Media Arts Network of Ontario hosted two full-day panels called “Basic Income: An Artists’ Commission”, which will inform a report authored by the commissioners for advocacy work ahead of a possible federal election this year.
Writer and publisher Elisha Rubacha and poet Justin Million were two of 20 Peterborough-area artists profiled in 2020’s “Essential”, a photography project by Julie Gagne sponsored by the Electric City Culture Council to raise awareness of the precarious situation of local artists and arts organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: Julie Gagne)
More than 20 artists from across the country, working within all disciplines, delivered testimonies regarding the impact a steady, fixed income (or lack thereof) has had on their lives and artistic practices during the pandemic.
One of the testifiers, writer and publisher Elisha Rubacha from Peterborough-Nogojiwanong, also happens to be an expert on basic income.
In addition to being a practising artist, Rubacha, who works as a knowledge transfer specialist and civic engagement coordinator for local not-for-profit Nourish Peterborough, advocates for a national Basic Income Guarantee program.
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Rubacha has also participated, as both an artist and a panellist, in Precarious: Peterborough ArtsWORK festival (2017) and Precarious2: Peterborough ArtsWORK Festival (2019). Co-presented by Public Energy and Fleshy Flud, both of the month-long multi-arts festivals investigated precarious labour through artistic works, workshops, and community-based panel discussions. The next Precarious festival is slated to occur later this year, with a mix of online and in-person events.
As discourse surrounding basic income becomes mainstream, Rubacha stresses the need for linguistic clarity to distinguish the many nuances to various approaches to basic income programs.
“People use UBI [Universal Basic Income], which is an American import, as an umbrella term, but that’s not what many Canadian advocates are looking for,” Rubacha says.
Instead of a UBI, which would be given to every citizen and then taxed back from those who don’t need it, most Canadian experts are calling for a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) — a needs-based, means-tested income support program.
Elisha Rubacha, pictured at a book launch at The Theatre on King in December 2017, is the editor and designer of bird, buried press in Peterborough. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
For advocates like Rubacha, a UBI model is not feasible for pandemic recovery for artists or others living on a low income, as it would be too slow and too expensive to implement.
“The problem with UBI is that it costs too much up-front,” explains Rubacha. “It’s going everywhere instead of where it’s most needed. Whereas a BIG is income-tested for people living in poverty and then it tapers off, much like the Canada Child Benefit.”
Since the tax system infrastructure already exists, tax-rate increases would not necessarily be required to fund a negative income tax-style Basic Income Guarantee program; in fact, a BIG could actually result in savings for the state.
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“We’re currently spending billions of dollars on poverty every year, especially on health care and the criminal justice system,” says Rubacha. “All kinds of health problems are directly related to food insecurity, and so many people are criminalized because they’re living in poverty. Lifting people out of poverty frees up so much money that we’re currently wasting.”
“People want to work. In the Mincome [Manitoba] pilot project, the only demographics that saw a dip in workforce participation were mothers choosing to stay home with their kids and young people choosing to stay in school so they could get better jobs.”
“In the Ontario pilot project, we saw a lot of entrepreneurs,” Rubacha says, referring to the basic income pilot project announced by the previous Liberal government in 2017. The three-year pilot was cancelled prematurely by Doug Ford’s PC government in July 2018, a month after it was elected, citing the program’s high cost as one factor.
“The people who did leave their jobs actually went on to start new businesses and create even more jobs in their community,” she points out.
Hamilton photographer Jessie Golem’s “Humans of Basic Income” photographic series showed the human side of the Ontario government’s decision to cancel the Ontario Basic Income Pilot Program. Rather than a Universal Basic Income (UBI) model, which would be given to every citizen and then taxed back from those who don’t need it, most Canadian experts are calling for a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG), a needs-based and means-tested income support program. (Photo: Jessie Golem)
For artists who face unreliable incomes, a BIG would provide an income floor to help cover the costs of living, freeing their time and energy to create artwork on their own terms. It would give them leverage when faced with unsafe or underpaid work.
A BIG could put an end to the romanticized trope of the “starving artist”, an exploitative framework that currently sees cultural production — a massive economic driver — subsidized by the unpaid work of artists.
The arts and culture sector accounted for $56.02 billion of Canada’s total GDP in 2018. That’s twice as much as the forestry sector at $21.8 billion and nearly 10 times as much as sports at $5.9 billion.
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“Artists have been living precariously for generations — we always have — and that’s not something I have a romantic, fuzzy feeling about at all,” says Kate Story, founder and artistic director of the Precarious festivals.
“I don’t create better when I’m miserable and I can’t eat or pay my rent,” continues Story. “Those periods in my life have not been conducive for creative output.”
As Rubacha so eloquently stated to close her testimony on the national stage, “If we continue to accept ourselves as starving artists, we will be doomed to try to create under those conditions.”
This story has been corrected to clarify the difference between Universal Basic Income and a Basic Income Guarantee.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 1,058 new cases today, with no new cases of any COVID-19 variants. The seven-day average of daily cases in Ontario has increased by 14 to 1,045.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 14 new cases to report, with an additional 18 cases resolved. The number of active cases across the region has decreased by 3 to 96.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (325) and Peel (215). For the first time since November 17, the number of daily cases in York (87) has dropped below 100.
There are double-digit increases in Hamilton (56), Waterloo (48), Simcoe Muskoka (47), Durham (45), Thunder Bay (32), Halton (28), Northwestern (26), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (18), Niagara (14), Lambton (10), and Windsor-Essex (10), with smaller increases in Middlesex-London (9), Haldimand-Norfolk (8), Porcupine (7), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (6), and Brant (6).
The remaining 15 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 8 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 55% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (417) among people ages 20-39, followed by 318 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,083 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% at 94.2%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.6% from yesterday to 3.3%, meaning that 33 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 21.
Ontario is reporting 11 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 4 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 24 new daily deaths over the past week.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 14 from yesterday to 646, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 3 to 280, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 8 to 189.
A total of 31,163 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 5,424 to 11,883.
A total of 569,455 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 12,922 from yesterday, with 240,669 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 4,747 from yesterday, representing 1.63% of Ontario’s population.
There are 55 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 25 from February 19, including 47 student cases and 8 staff cases. There are 15 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 1 from February 19, with 14 cases among children and 1 case among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 14 new cases to report, including 8 in Northumberland, 4 in Peterborough, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new new cases to report in Hastings Prince Edward or Haliburton.
An additional 18 cases have been resolved, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, and 4 in Peterborough.
There are currently 96 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 3 from yesterday, including 41 in Peterborough, 22 in Northumberland, 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 6 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Central Hastings), and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 611 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (561 resolved with 9 deaths), 528 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (468 resolved with 53 deaths), 430 in Northumberland County (397 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with no deaths), and 395 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (377 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on February 20.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 611 (increase of 4) Active cases: 41 (no change) Close contacts: 242 (increase of 3) Deaths: 9 (no change) Resolved: 561 (increase of 4) Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 43,100 (increase of 50) Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 976 (as of February 19)
*As of February 22, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays. These numbers are from February 21 and 22.
Confirmed positive: 1,009, including 528 in Kawartha Lakes, 430 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 10, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 8 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 43, including 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 22 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net decrease of 3) Probable cases: 1 in Kawartha Lakes (net decrease of 2) High-risk contacts: 154, including 71 in Kawartha Lakes, 74 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 14)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 44, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 64, including 53 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (no change) Resolved: 915, including 468 in Kawartha Lakes, 397 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 14, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes and 7 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 138,863 (increase of 366) Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (no change)
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**This total includes an additional 9 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of February 22, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports no patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).
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 daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 395 (no change) Active cases: 12 (no change) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 377 (no change) Tests completed: 60,809 (increase of 281) Vaccines administered: 1,850 (increase of 367) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 294,144 (increase of 1,058) 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,045 (increase of 14) Resolved: 276,937 (increase of 1,083, 94.2% of all cases) Positivity rate: 3.3% (increase of 0.6%) Hospitalizations: 646 (decrease of 14)* Hospitalizations in ICU: 280 (increase of 3) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 189 (increase of 8) Deaths: 6,872 (increase of 11) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 24 (no change) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,857 (increase of 4) Total tests completed: 10,725,321 (increase of 31,163) Tests under investigation: 11,883 (decrease of 5,424) Vaccination doses administered: 569,455 (increase of 12,922) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 240,669 (increase of 4,747), 1.63% of Ontario’s population Total COVID-19 variant cases: 390 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (decrease of 1); 9 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 1 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
*More than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher than is shown here.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 22 – February 21, 2021. 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 January 22 – February 21, 2021. 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)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from January 22 – February 21, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from January 22 – February 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from January 22 – February 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Annamie Paul, leader of the Green Party of Canada, spoke at the virtual annual general meeting of the Peterborough-Kawartha Greens on February 20, 2021. Currently without a seat in the House of Commons, Paul plans to run in Toronto Centre in the next federal election. (Photo: Green Party of Canada / Facebook)
On Saturday (February 20), Annamie Paul, the Green Party of Canada’s newly elected leader, spoke virtually at the annual general meeting of the Peterborough-Kawartha Greens.
Paul, who holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa and a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University, was elected leader this past October, replacing former leader Elizabeth May and making history as the first Black and first Jewish woman to lead a major political party in Canada.
In Paul’s remarks at Saturday’s meeting, she built momentum for the upcoming federal election, congratulating the Peterborough-Kawartha Electoral District Association (EDA) for their efforts.
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“Whoever becomes your contestant will be so lucky,” Paul said. “I am so incredibly impressed by everything that your local EDA and local volunteers are doing to stay engaged even between the election cycles, because it’s not just about the election itself. (It’s about) everything you’re doing to help your communities, everything that you’re doing to make sure that there is a strong Green voice and strong Green representation all year long.”
Looking towards the next federal election, Paul said she is excited to promote and support whatever candidate the Peterborough-Kawartha Greens nominates for federal MP.
“I am very excited when you finally do have your confirmed candidate to promote and support that person,” she said. “We can do everything to make sure that person gets elected, and your communities have the strong Green representation that they deserve.”
In the meantime, Paul encouraged attendees who are excited about the Green Party and their policies to contribute in any way they can.
“We are completely people-powered, and we’re still very much a start-up,” said Paul. “Anything that we accomplish, we are going to accomplish it only together.”
Annamie Paul was elected leader of the Green Party of Canada on October 3, 2020, replacing Elizabeth May and becoming the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of a major political party in Canada. The 48-year-old has been involved in politics since she was 12, when she worked as a page in the Ontario legislature. (Photo: Green Party of Canada / Facebook)
According to Paul, she and the Green Party have recently been working on sharing their policies and values with Canada by getting mainstream media attention. Paul said she has done between 700 to 800 interviews since becoming the party’s leader.
“We’re working really hard to make sure that our voice is heard, particularly at this time when there are so many important decisions that are being made and some that are not being made,” she remarked.
In terms of the party’s current goals in response to COVID-19, Paul said they are “talking a lot about the need to complete a social safety net now and in the future, how we’re going to protect people until the very end of this pandemic, and how we’re going to learn the lessons to move beyond that and ensure that we don’t end up in this situation again.”
Paul noted The Green Party of Canada is committed to being the loudest voice for speaking for the climate and environment.
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“We have the chance of a lifetime to create a green recovery from the pandemic,” she said. “We have the chance to create an economy that is sustainable, that recognizes the finite resources of our planet, and that allows everyone to have an equitable access to a dignified life.”
“Racial and social justice as well,” she added. “These are things that cannot be forgotten, and we are reminded of the reasons every day during this pandemic.”
Paul said that, while the Green Party of Canada is a relatively small federal party with only three seats in the House of Commons, it can have a big impact.
“We are small but mighty, and I can tell you sincerely that every Green that gets elected is like electing three or four members from every other party,” Paul told the meeting’s attendees. “They work hard. They are so committed.”
In a call to action, Paul concluded her speech by acknowledging the recent strides the party has made and congratulating the work of the local Greens.
“We are seeing support and momentum for our party in places that we had not seen before or certainly at this level,” Paul said.
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“We’ve been seeing some extraordinary polling results here in Ontario. There was just a poll last week that had us at six per cent in Alberta, which is just unheard of.”
“This is a moment for us to really seize on that momentum and offer a really bold alternative to people that are looking for positive, progressive politics now and in the next election. I am very excited to be working on that with all of you. I am very excited to see all that you will be doing as a local EDA community.”
Currently, Paul is the only federal party leader represented in the House of Commons who is not also an MP. She ran in the October by-election in Toronto Centre, which was held by former finance minister Bill Morneau until he resigned in the wake of the WE Charity scandal. Paul was defeated by Liberal Marci Ien, but she plans to run in the riding again in the next federal election.
The federal election is scheduled for October 16, 2023, but could take place earlier if the minority Liberal government is defeated in a non-confidence vote.
Peterborough Police Service headquarters on Water Street in Peterborough. (Photo: Pat Trudeau)
Peterborough police are looking for two suspects after a home invasion robbery on Sunday morning (February 21).
At around 6 a.m. on Sunday, police received a call that two men had broken into a home in the Monaghan Road and Brown Street area, stealing six long guns and a bayonet.
The homeowner was treated at Peterborough Regional Health Centre treated for injuries and released.
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The canine unit was called in to help track the two suspects, but was unsuccessful.
The first suspect is described as a man with a white complexion, possibly in his mid-30s, around 5’9″ tall with a medium muscular build. The second suspect is described as a man with a white complexion, possibly in his mid-20s, around 5’9″ tall with a thin build.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 1,087 new cases today, including 5 new cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 391. The seven-day average of daily cases in Ontario has increased by 15 to 1,031.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are no new cases to report in Peterborough or Hastings Prince Edward, with 1 additional case resolved and the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 1 to 99. However, updates for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable on Sundays.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (344), Peel (156), and York (122).
There are double-digit increases in Ottawa (77), Durham (51), Simcoe Muskoka (49), Waterloo (43), Windsor-Essex (32), Thunder Bay (31), Hamilton (26), Halton (20), Brant (15), Lambton (13), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13), Huron Perth (12), and Middlesex-London (10), with smaller increases in Northwestern (9) and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (6).
The remaining 16 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Temiskaming) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (414) among people ages 20-39, followed by 315 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,140 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases is unchanged at 94.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.5% from yesterday to 2.7%, meaning that 27 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 20.
Ontario is reporting 14 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 4 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 24 new daily deaths over the past week.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 39 from yesterday to 660, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 14 to 277, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators remains unchanged at 181.
A total of 48,178 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 13,455 to 17,307.
A total of 556,533 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 16,404 from yesterday, with 235,922 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 6,771 from yesterday, representing 1.6% of Ontario’s population.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are no new cases to report in Peterborough or Hastings Prince Edward. However, reports for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable as the health unit does not issue updates on Sundays.
An additional 1 case has been resolved in Peterborough.
There are currently 99 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 1 from yesterday, including 41 in Peterborough, 24 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, 12 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 6 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Central Hastings), and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 607 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (557 resolved with 9 deaths), 525 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (461 resolved with 53 deaths), 422 in Northumberland County (390 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with no deaths), and 395 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (377 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on February 20.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 607 (no change) Active cases: 41 (decrease of 1) Close contacts: 239 (decrease of 3) Deaths: 9 (no change) Resolved: 557 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 43,050 (increase of 300) Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 976 (as of February 19)
*As of February 19, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 998, including 525 in Kawartha Lakes, 422 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 46, including 24 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no net change) Probable cases: 3 in Northumberland (no change) High-risk contacts: 140, including 65 in Kawartha Lakes, 63 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net increase of 1)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 44, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 64, including 53 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (no change) Resolved: 901, including 461 in Kawartha Lakes, 390 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 138,497 (increase of 678) Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (decrease of 3)****
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**This total includes an additional 11 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of February 19, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient is hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).
***Outbreaks at Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Extendicare Cobourg long-term care home, and Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon were declared resolved on February 20.
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 daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 395 (no change) Active cases: 12 (no change) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 377 (no change) Tests completed: 60,528 (increase of 3,380) Vaccines administered: 1,483 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 293,086 (increase of 1,087) 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,031 (increase of 15) Resolved: 275,854 (increase of 1,140, 94.1% of all cases) Positivity rate: 2.7% (increase of 0.5%) Hospitalizations: 660 (decrease of 39)* Hospitalizations in ICU: 277 (increase of 14) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 181 (no change) Deaths: 6,861 (increase of 13) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 24 (no change) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,853 (increase of 4) Total tests completed: 10,694,158 (increase of 48,178) Tests under investigation: 17,307 (decrease of 13,455) Vaccination doses administered: 556,533 (increase of 16,404) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 235,922 (increase of 6,771), 1.6% of Ontario’s population Total COVID-19 variant cases: 391 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 5); 9 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 1 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
*More than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher than is shown here.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 21 – February 20, 2021. 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 January 21 – February 20, 2021. 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)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from January 21 – February 20, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from January 21 – February 20, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from January 21 – February 20, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Throughout the pandemic, Dr. J's BBQ & Brews in downtown Peterborough continues to offer barbecue, smoked fresh daily. They also sell a selection of specialty beers and bourbons. With the recent lifting of the stay-at-home order, the restaurant is once again offering COVID-safe in-person dining. (Photo courtesy of Dr. J's)
The coronavirus pandemic has brought physical and social isolation, meaning for many, feelings of community and togetherness are needed more than ever. Throughout the rollercoaster ride of COVID-19, father-and-son duo Addison and Ted Brown, owners of Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews in downtown Peterborough, have stayed true to their business model — bringing people together through barbecue.
The recent transition out of the provincial stay-at-home order and into the colour-coded framework was welcomed news for the Browns, since they could once again reopen their doors for in-person dining.
According to Addison, the pair are excited to continue sharing what is special about their barbecue: the unique social atmosphere that he experienced at family dinners growing up.
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“We have a passion for barbecue,” Addison says. “We just want to continue bringing families and friends together and allow them to enjoy the food that I grew up with.”
Addison and Ted opened Dr. J’s in 2014. Addison tells kawarthaNOW there have been many ups and downs throughout their eight years in business, with the pandemic being a massive hurdle. Nevertheless, he says running this establishment has “been one of the most incredible experiences of my life,” even throughout this past and very difficult year.
“The second lockdown was very tough on us,” Addison explains. “The time of year we were shut down, January and February, is the slowest time of year for Dr. J’s and most restaurants.”
Addison Brown and his father Ted opened Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews in 2014. Addison, pictured pre-pandemic, says their goal with the business is to recreate the the atmosphere of their own family dinners. (Photo courtesy of Dr. J’s)
Addison says they were forced to lay off their staff throughout the lockdown, but continued business by offering curbside takeout and delivery.
“My dad and I just worked by ourselves grinding out food and getting orders out to keep us going,” he recalls.
Now that their indoor dining has reopened, Dr. J’s staff have returned to continue offering customers takeout and delivery as well as sit-down dining under the increased safety protocols mandated by the provincial government.
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Although safety measures cause less physical togetherness, Addison says the ability to see and chat with his regular customers safely has been a very nice change.
“The way we’ve got it spread out with tables six feet apart and limiting the numbers of people at each table, I still think it’s a really fun atmosphere,” says Addison. “You can still come and watch a game, have a beer, and enjoy some good barbecue.”
“It was nice to see regulars coming back in and see that they’re doing okay — to be able to have a friendly chat with the people you care about,” he adds.
Dr. J’s also offers catering. Catering orders can be made online within 48 hours’ notice. (Photo courtesy of Dr. J’s)
While Addison says he hopes customers experience a fun and social environment when visiting the restaurant, he adds that his priority is making customers safe.
“Every table is six feet apart,” Addison explains. “All the staff are wearing masks and continually washing hands. I think that the people who do come out to our establishment have that safe feeling of sanitization and comfort.”
Dr. J’s still offers takeout and delivery for those wanting to bring the experience of barbecue home with them. To order takeout, you can call 705-874-5717 to place an order or come inside the building and order from a server. You can pick up your food inside or call the store to request curbside pickup, where staff will bring orders to your vehicle.
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In terms of delivery, you can order Dr. J’s directly through their website at www.drjs.ca. Although delivery is also available through DoorDash, Addison urges customers to order directly through the Dr. J’s website since DoorDash takes a significant cut of their profits.
“It is better for our business, but it also supports another local business,” Addison notes. “The delivery company we use is A&B Delivery, and it’s a locally owned business.”
Dr. J’s business model of bringing people together in a positive way is exemplary not only in customer experience but also in the ways they give back to the Peterborough community.
In December 2020, Dr. J’s raised $2,450 for mental health and suicide awareness by holding a gift-wrapping fundraiser. (Photo courtesy of Dr. J’s)
In December, the restaurant raised $2,450 for suicide awareness through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Haliburton Kawartha, Pine Ridge. At this fundraiser, which Addison hopes to make an annual event, individuals brought in their Christmas presents and paid to have volunteers with masks and gloves wrap them. One hundred per cent of the donations went directly to the CMHA.
“Especially with what’s happening today with lockdowns and closures, mental health is a severe issue,” says Addison. “It affected our family personally with friends passing.”
Dr. J’s charity work did not stop there, with Addison also heading up the donation of a Christmas dinner to One Roof Community Centre.
In December 2020, Dr. J’s also gave back to the community by coordinating the donation by local restaurants of 160 meals for One Roof Community Centre. They’re asking the community to also give back by supporting locally owned restaurants. (Photo courtesy of Dr. J’s)
“It started off when I was just going to donate a couple of turkeys to One Roof because I’ve volunteered there before, and a hot meal can go very far, especially around the holidays,” Addison recalls.
“I was talking to my good buddy George from Primal Cuts, and he goes ‘Well, I’ll throw in four [turkeys].’ I thought to myself, that was easy. I have a lot of friends who own restaurants in downtown Peterborough, so I thought instead of just doing turkeys, let’s try to do a whole meal.”
From there, Addison phoned around and got an overwhelming response from fellow business owners. For example, Rare committed to providing roasted vegetables, and The Publican House committed to providing stuffing.
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Ashburnham Realty then sent out an email about the Christmas dinner to all of their commercial tenants, bringing many more donations.
Within the span of two days, about 20 local businesses came together to provide a spread that made up over 160 meals for One Roof Community Centre.
“Even though I had an idea with just a couple of items, it was incredible to see all these struggling businesses still take a bit out of their business to help others,” Addison says. “It was amazing. It made my year. I truly believe that Peterborough is known for rallying together to help people out.”
Located at 282 Aylmer Street, Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews is named after Dr. John Harvey, for whom the original building was built in 1858. The building was sold in 1870 and became a boarding house called “The Montreal House”. Before Dr. J’s opened in 2014, The Montreal House was a well-known local bar. Pre-pandemic, Dr. J’s also hosted the Peterborough Musicians Benevolent Association’s monthly Deluxe Blues Jam. (Photo: Google Maps)
For local businesses like Dr. J’s to continue spreading this sense of togetherness, Addison reminds the community to please reciprocate the support, especially throughout the pandemic.
“By supporting local businesses, the community will see that the support from local restaurants will just keep increasing,” Addison says. “I think it’s a very important cycle for people to help all of us out.”
To view their menu or place an order for delivery, you can visit their website at www.drjs.ca.
Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews is located at 282 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough. Currently, they are open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 1,228 new cases today, the highest single day increase since February 13 when 1,300 cases were reported. There is 1 new case of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 386. The seven-day average of daily cases in Ontario has decreased by 10 to 1,016.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 11 new cases to report and 8 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 1 to 100. There is 1 new COVID-related death in Hastings Prince Edward.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (331), Peel (228), and York (132).
There are double-digit increases in Hamilton (86), Ottawa (54), Durham (47), Thunder Bay (41), Halton (40), Waterloo (38), Simcoe Muskoka (36), Windsor-Essex (31), Middlesex-London (24), Northwestern (20), North Bay Parry Sound (17), Brant (17), Lambton (14), Niagara (13), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11), with smaller increases in Eastern Ontario (8), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (7), Peterborough (6), and Haldimand-Norfolk (6).
The remaining 12 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 53% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (436) among people ages 20-39, followed by 345 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,313 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to 94.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.1% from yesterday to 2.2%, meaning that 22 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 19.
Ontario is reporting 28 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 11 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 24 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 4 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have increased by 10 from yesterday to 699, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 6 to 263 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 9 to 181.
A total of 57,194 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 9,208 to 30,762.
A total of 540,129 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 21,295 from yesterday, with 229,151 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 11,436 from yesterday, representing 1.56% of Ontario’s population.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 11 new cases to report, including 4 in Northumberland, 3 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
There is 1 new COVID-related death in Hastings Prince Edward. A member of the Tyendinga Mohawk Territory who recently tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away.
An additional 8 cases have been resolved, including 3 in Northumberland, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, 1 in Peterborough, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. Outbreaks at Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Extendicare Cobourg long-term care home, and Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon were declared resolved on February 20.
There are currently 100 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 1 from yesterday, including 42 in Peterborough, 24 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, 12 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 6 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Central Hastings), and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 607 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (556 resolved with 9 deaths), 525 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (461 resolved with 53 deaths), 422 in Northumberland County (390 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with no deaths), and 395 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (377 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on February 20.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 607 (increase of 3) Active cases: 42 (increase of 2) Close contacts: 242 (increase of 7) Deaths: 9 (no change) Resolved: 556 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 42,750 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 976 (as of February 19)
*As of February 19, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 998, including 525 in Kawartha Lakes, 422 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 46, including 24 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no net change) Probable cases: 3 in Northumberland (no change) High-risk contacts: 140, including 65 in Kawartha Lakes, 63 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net increase of 1)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 44, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 64, including 53 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (no change) Resolved: 901, including 461 in Kawartha Lakes, 390 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 138,497 (increase of 678) Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (decrease of 3)****
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**This total includes an additional 11 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of February 19, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient is hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).
***Outbreaks at Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Extendicare Cobourg long-term care home, and Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon were declared resolved on February 20.
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 daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 395 (increase of 3) Active cases: 12 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 6 (increase of 1)* Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 377 (increase of 3) Tests completed: 57,148 (no change) Vaccines administered: 1,483 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*A member of the Tyendinga Mohawk Territory who recently tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 291,999 (increase of 1,228) 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,016 (decrease of 10) Resolved: 274,714 (increase of 1,313, 94.1% of all cases) Positivity rate: 2.2% (increase of 0.1%) Hospitalizations: 699 (increase of 10) Hospitalizations in ICU: 263 (decrease of 6) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 181 (decrease of 9) Deaths: 6,848 (increase of 28) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 24 (decrease of 4) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,849 (increase of 11) Total tests completed: 10,645,980 (increase of 57,194) Tests under investigation: 30,762 (decrease of 9,208) Vaccination doses administered: 540,129 (increase of 21,295) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 229,151 (increase of 11,436), 1.56% of Ontario’s population Total COVID-19 variant cases: 386 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 1); 9 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 1 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 20 – February 19, 2021. 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 January 20 – February 19, 2021. 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)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from January 20 – February 19, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from January 20 – February 19, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from January 20 – February 19, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Olde Stone Brewing Company and Hot Belly Mama's are two popular restaurants located at 180 George Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo via Olde Stone Brewing Company on Facebook)
Two iconic downtown Peterborough restaurants have fallen victim to the pandemic.
Travis Smith, owner of Olde Stone Brewing Company and Hot Belly Mama’s, announced on Facebook on Saturday (February 20) that the two restaurants will be closing at the end of the month.
“It is with deep regret and sadness that we are informing you today that as of March 1st we will be closing our doors to the public for good,” Smith writes. “We tried very hard to continue on and persevere throughout this pandemic and subsequent lockdowns but unfortunately we were beaten by it.”
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Located at 380 George Street, Olde Stone Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by well-known restaurateur Scott Wood, who currently owns Ashburnham Ale House, as one of the first craft breweries in Ontario. Wood later acquired Hot Belly Mama’s and relocated it beside Olde Stone.
Smith, who worked at Olde Stone in 2000 and later at Ashburnham Ale House, purchased the two restaurants from Wood several years later.
Olde Stone Brewing Company is a traditional pub and Hot Belly Mama’s is Cajun creole restaurant. Both restaurants serve Olde Stone’s craft beer.
Travis Smith, owner of Olde Stone Brewing Company and Hot Belly Mama’s in downtown Peterborough. (Photo via Olde Stone Brewing Company website)
“We want to take a minute to thank every single one of you that supported us over the last 25 years from celebration dinners to first dates, to a Friday night pint and everything in between,” Smith writes. “We have watched your families grow, and we have toasted those who have had to leave us. We truly feel very fortunate to have been a part of such a vibrant, tight-knit and caring community.”
Both restaurants will continue to offer takeout or curb-side pickup Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 8 p..m. until the end of February.
“So please give us a call to enjoy that blackened catfish or a mound of sweet potato fries and we’ll be here with big smiles on our faces waiting to see you,” Smith writes. ” Thank you Peterborough and we’ll see you soon!”
“Many don’t even know about the health struggles Travis has been facing the past year,” Day-Ross writes on her Facebook page. “Let’s show him what our community is about.”
As of 3:30 p.m. on February 20, in only three hours after it was created, the campaign had already raised more than $14,000. The original goal of raising $100,000 has since been changed to $500,000.
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