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No face-to-face classes at Fleming College for start of fall semester

By kawarthaNOW -
Fleming College has campuses in Peterborough (pictured), Lindsay, Haliburton, and Cobourg. (Photo: Fleming College)

On Monday (May 11), Fleming College announced that its fall semester, which begins on Tuesday, September 8th, will not include face-to-face classes.

Instead, the fall semester for the college’s 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students will begin with online classes and alternative course delivery until a transition to face-to-face classes can take place.

“Our fall semester will be delivered through alternate models as we prepare for multiple scenarios for our campuses and classrooms to create the utmost in safe learning environments,” says Fleming College president Maureen Adamson. “We will follow guidelines from public health and the province, and our delivery decisions will be focused on the health and safety of everyone in our community.”

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Fleming College — which has campuses in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg, and Haliburton — says its “Fleming Safe” plan will ensure that students can complete the learning outcomes required in their programs while maintaining the highest possible safety standards in compliance with all government and public health directives.

“The plan allows flexibility to react to the loosening of health and safety restrictions by being ready to begin face-to-face applied learning responsibly and appropriately,” Adamson says.

“We do not anticipate that all health and safety restrictions will be lifted all at once — we are ready to respond swiftly to advance student success effectively given the circumstances that will present themselves.”

Fleming College says it will work with community partners to re-establish field placements, field trips, clinical placements, and other applied learning opportunities aligned with health and safety directives.

At the outset of COVID-19 pandemic, Fleming College established task teams to develop the response to the pandemic. The teams assigned to academic programming and facilities protocols are now assembling detailed plans for the return to classes in September.

Alongside planning for the return to class and access to campus facilities this fall, the college is also assessing how students will safely access residence, food services, and athletics.

The college will share decisions on these broader college services and programs in the near future.

“I want to thank our students for their patience,” Adamson says. “We are taking these steps to provide as much certainty as we can for students and their families at this point in time. In keeping with our guiding principle of ‘safety first’, we are dedicated to moving forward and mitigating any risk of recurrence.”

“I also want to thank our Fleming employees for their incredible resilience and dedication to our students and our communities.”

For more information about Fleming College’s response to COVID-19, visit flemingcollege.ca/covid19.

Canadian pandemic buying: hand sanitizer, flour, alcohol, coffee filters, hair dye … and condoms

By Bruce Head -
Not bags of cement: 20-kilogram bags of flour at No Frills in downtown Peterborough on May 7, 2020. According to Statistics Canada, sales of flour at Canadian grocery stores peaked at 200 per cent in March over the same time last year, reflecting the number of Canadians baking at home during the pandemic. Flour sales slowed in early April, but continue to exceed last year's sales by 81 per cent. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)

Hand sanitizer, flour, alcohol, coffee filters, hair dye … and condoms.

These are some of the products that saw record increases in sales at Canadian grocery stores during March and early April, according to a new study released by Statistics Canada on Monday (May 11).

On the other hand, cut flowers, cosmetics, and hair styling and cutting supplies saw a drop in sales.

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Canadian Consumers Adapt to COVID-19: A Look at Canadian Grocery Sales up to April 11 is a follow-up study to Canadian Consumers Prepare for COVID-19, a similar study released by Statistics Canada in early April.

The April study had found a surge in grocery store sales in March, with the biggest increase in sales in hand sanitizers (up 792 per cent over the previous year) and masks and gloves (up 377 per cent). Personal cleaning products also saw a dramatic increase in sales, with facial tissues up 253 per cent, bathroom tissue up 241 per cent, personal wipes up 231 per cent, and paper towels up 187 per cent from 2019.

The April study also found that Canadians were busy stocking up their pantries in March with shelf-stable products, with sales of rice up 239 per cent over the same period in 2019, pasta up 205 per cent, canned vegetables up 180 per cent, flour up 179 per cent, and canned fish, meat, and seafood up 169 per cent.

52-week change in weekly sales of select grocery retailers. (Chart: Statistics Canada)
52-week change in weekly sales of select grocery retailers. (Chart: Statistics Canada)

While staples such as eggs, butter, and bread also increased in the second week of March, along with fresh foods including potatoes and meat, sales for perishables increased by much less than dry and canned goods.

Statistic Canada’s most recent study finds that, by early April, the sales of many health and personal care items had slowed. While hand sanitizer sales were still high, they had dropped from 792 per cent over the previous year to 345 per cent.

Interestingly, while sales of cold remedies surged 226 per cent over the previous year in early March, by April their sales had returned to pre-pandemic levels. It’s possible Canadians initially scooped up cold remedies believing they would help with COVID-19.

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Sales for household paper products also slowed in the first weeks of April, although they still remained higher than last year — reflecting the number of Canadians sheltering at home. People are doing their “business” at home rather than at work and school.

By April 11th, sales of shelf-stable foods had returned closed to pre-pandemic levels, with one notable exception. Flour sales, which peaked at 200 per cent in March, continued to exceed last year’s sales at 81 per cent over the previous year.

Canadians busy with pandemic baking also purchased more butter and margarine (18 per cent more than last year), eggs (44 per cent more than last year), and milk (21 per cent more than last year) — although the increase in milk sales may have more to do with cereal sales, which are up 70 per cent over 2019.

In the week leading up to Easter, cut flowers and chocolate usually see rising sales. This year though, the sales of cut flower in grocery stores fell 47 per cent over last year, while chocolate sales only rose by one per cent.

52-week change in weekly sales of alcohol and coffee filters. (Chart: Statistics Canada)
52-week change in weekly sales of alcohol and coffee filters. (Chart: Statistics Canada)

With the closure of bars and restaurants, Canadians have been drinking more at home. In provinces where beer and wine are available from grocery stores, Canadians purchased alcohol for home consumption at levels notably higher than in 2019, peaking at an 80 per cent increase by the third week of March. By April 11th, alcohol sales in grocery stores were still at 68 per cent higher than last year.

Not surprisingly, with people out of work or working from home and with less access to coffee shops, the sales of coffee filter increased 68 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

With the closure of hair salons, sales of hair colouring products had increased to 75 per cent over last year by April 11th. But, while people weren’t willing to let their hair go grey, they were willing to do without makeup. By the end of March, the sales of cosmetics had dropped by 44 per cent. Sales picked up a bit in April, but were still 33 per cent lower than the same time last year.

People were also willing to let their hair grow longer, but only to a point. Hair styling and cutting supplies fell by 35 per cent in March but, two weeks later, rose again by 17 per cent.

Finally, Canadians apparently were initially concerned about a pandemic baby boom. By the third week of March, sales of family planning products including condoms and contraceptives had risen to 41 per cent over the same time last year.

However, by the end of March and early April, sales dropped back to normal levels — perhaps because Canadians found themselves with more family planning products they could use despite the lockdown (or they were too busy baking).

Ontario government to extend state of emergency until June

By kawarthaNOW -
At a media briefing on May 11, 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed the Ontario government would be extending the province's state of emergency until early June. (Screenshot / CPAC)

While the Ontario government slowly proceeds to reopen the economy, Premier Doug Ford has confirmed the Ontario government will be again extending the province’s state of emergency.

He made the comment when responding to a reporter’s question during a media briefing at Queen’s Park on Monday (May 11).

“We’ve seen some really positive numbers, but we need consistency for two weeks,” Ford said. “But to continue moving forward, yes, we are going to have to renew the state of emergency.”

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On April 14th, the Ontario legislature approved an extension of the state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (ECMA) until Tuesday, May 12th.

The legislature will sit again on Tuesday (May 12) when MPPS are expected to vote on an extension of the state of emergency until Tuesday, June 2nd.

The extension would also allow current emergency orders to remain in effect, such as the closure of non-essential businesses, bars and restaurants, and performance venues, as well as restrictions prohibiting social gatherings of more than five people.

However, the Ontario government can independently modify emergency orders as required. For example, the government has already modified its emergency orders to allow garden centres and nurseries to reopen on May 8th, hardware stores and safety supply stores to reopen on May 9th, and retail stores with a street entrance to provide curbside pickup and delivery on May 11th.

As for when the state of emergency will end, Ford said that depends on a consistent two-week decrease in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Ontario.

“Once we get through this, that’s going to be taken off the table once we see the confidence within the system — we see the numbers drop consistently,” Ford said. “We’re crossing our fingers we’re on the right path right now.”

The provincial government first declared a 14-day state of emergency on Tuesday, March 17th. Under the provisions of the ECMPA, the state of emergency could be extended for one additional 14-day period (until April 14th) with further 28-day extensions requiring a vote in the legislature.

Police release names of two men who died in last week’s Highway 28 collision

By kawarthaNOW -
Travis Richardson, 34, from Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, and Shane Simkins-Mather, 33, of Georgina, Ontario, died following a collision on May 7, 2020 betweeen a car and tractor trailer on Highway 28 between Mt. Julian Viamede Road and Northey's Bay Road in Woodview. Pictured is a closure of Highway 28 following another head-on collision in February 2019. (Photo courtesy of Geri-Lynn Cajindos)

Peterborough County OPP has released the names of the two people who died as a result of a collision last Thursday (May 7) on Highway 28 south of Northey’s Bay Road in Woodview, north of Burleigh Falls.

Related story

Two dead after collision on Highway 28 in Woodview

Travis Richardson, 34, of Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia and Shane Simkins-Mather, 33, of Georgina, Ontario, were killed when their car collided with a tractor trailer.

The driver of the tractor trailer was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Daily COVID-19 update for Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region – May 10, 2020

By kawarthaNOW -

kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.

Here’s today summary: there are 73 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 137 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

That’s an increase of 2 cases since yesterday’s report, with 1 new case in Peterborough and 1 new case in Northumberland.

There have been 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

Province-wide, there are 20,238 confirmed cases, an increase of 294 from yesterday, with 14,772 cases resolved, an increase of 389 from yesterday. There have been 1,634 deaths, an increase of 35 from yesterday. A total of 433,994 tests have been completed, an increase of 17,618 from yesterday, with 14,816 tests under investigation, an increase of 491 from yesterday.

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 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

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

Confirmed positive: 73 (increase of 1 of May 9)
Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable*
Results pending: Data currently unavailable*
Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 9)
Resolved: 61 (increase of 3 from May 9)
Total tests completed: Over 4,800 (no change from May 9)*
Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming (no change from May 9)**

*Peterborough Public Health and its partners are currently testing in long-term care homes and retirement homes. This is rapidly increasing the number of tests performed and causing a delay in the health unit’s ability to accurately report these figures. Current data will be provided as soon as possible.

**Number of cases not provided.

 

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: 158, including 137 in Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (increase of 1 from May 9)*
Probable cases: 0 (no change from May 9)
Hospitalizations: 11 (no change from May 9)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 9)
Resolved: 126 (no change from May 9)
Institutional outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton (no change from May 9)**

*A laboratory decision was made to reject all COVID-19 positive test results performed over the weekend of Apr 25-26. After re-swabbing and re-testing, 10 cases previously reported confirmed cases have been removed as re-testing has indicated negative results for COVID-19.

**Number of cases not reported.

 

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 from May 9)
Probable cases: 185 (increase of 5 from May 9)
Deaths: 5 (no change from May 9)
Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 9)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 9)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 9)
Recovered: 22 (no change from May 9)
Total tests completed: 3,995 (no change from May 9)
Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor in Belleville (no change from May 9)*

*Number of cases not reported.

 

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 20,238 (increase of 294 from May 9)
Hospitalized: 961 (decrease of 55 from May 9)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 195 (increase of 8 from May 9)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 140 (decrease of 18 from May 9)
Deaths: 1,634 (increase of 35 from May 9)
Total tests completed 433,994 (increase of 17,618 from May 9)
Tests under investigation: 14,816 (increase of 491 from May 9)
Resolved: 14,772 (increase of 389 from May 9)

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario by public health unit, January 15 - May 9, 2020. (Graphic: Public Health Ontario)
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario by public health unit, January 15 – May 9, 2020. (Graphic: Public Health Ontario)

 

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

Our top nine Instagram photographers for April 2020

By Jeannine Taylor -
This photo of artwork featuring beach stones and salvaged driftwood by Port Hope artist Lee Higginson and her two sons was one of a series of four photos of their artwork that comprised our top Insta post in April. (Photo: Lee Higginson of Fluke Craft @flukecraft / Instagram)

If there was anything we all needed during month two of the Great Pandemic of 2020, it was a group hug. So it warms my heart on a frigid spring day to see artists Lee Higginson’s photo of her beach art at the top of our Instagram list for April.

With the next top spots featuring photos from Bobcaygeon (where 28 residents of Pinecrest Nursing Home have died because of COVID-19) and Nova Scotia (where a madman killed 22 people), it demonstrates April was a highly charged and emotional month for our followers.

But, of course, we also have the usual round-up of picturesque landscapes and waterscapes, sunsets and sunrises, with a red fox on the list for good measure.

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Do you want to get on our top photographers list? All you need is an Insta account and to tag us using our hashtag #kawarthanow when posting your photo.

We share photos from across our readership area, which is the five-county area surrounding Peterborough which includes Peterborough, Northumberland, City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Hastings (we sneak in the occasional Algonquin Park picture as well, particularly if it’s by a Kawartha photographer).

To see our daily shares of photos, follow us on Instagram @kawarthanow and check out our feed’s highlight reels for recaps of every month in 2020.

 

#1. Pandemic beach art by Lee Higginson of Fluke Craft @flukecraft

Posted April 18, 2020. 7,001 impressions, 682 likes

Along with her two boys, Lee Higginson of Fluke Craft in Port Hope had been making public art on West Beach during the pandemic, using beach stones and salvaged driftwood, when the pandemic closed down the beach. So they are continuing with their art in their own backyard.

 

#2. For the love of Bobcaygeon by Douglas + Son @douglasandson

Posted April 26, 2020. 6,506 impressions, 659 likes

 

#3. Remembering the victims of Nova Scotia by Cindy Bartoli Photography @cbart03

Posted April 21, 2020. 6,315 impressions, 499 likes

 

#4. Snowy April sunrise by Tim Haan @tim.haan.photography

Posted April 19, 2020. 6,182 impressions, 615 likes

 

#5. Algonquin at rest by Jesse & Susan @followmenorth

Posted April 13, 2020. 6,143 impressions, 516 likes

 

#6. Kiluna Island in Stony Lake by Ward Strickland @ward.strickland

Posted April 21, 2020. 6,106 impressions, 651 likes

 

#7. Sunset on Chemong Lake by Joe Yusiw @kawartha_joe

Posted April 25, 2020. 6,050 impressions, 701 likes

 

#8. Edwin Binney’s Community Garden in Lindsay by United Way for Kawartha Lakes @unitedwayckl

Posted April 25, 2020. 5,978 impressions, 427 likes

We used this photo in our story about the Ontario government’s announcement on Arril 25th permitting community gardens to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a popular announcement, with our story shared almost 28,000 times on Facebook and Twitter.

View this post on Instagram

The Ontario government announced on Saturday (April 25) that emergency orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act will be amended to permit the use of allotment gardens and community gardens across the province. The gardens, which are a source of fresh food for people including those who face food insecurity, were previously not considered an essential service. With the growing season fast approaching, many advocates for food security and community gardens raised concerns that the gardens were forced to remain closed under Ontario’s state of emergency. Local medical officers of health will provide advice, recommendation and instructions that the gardens must meet to operate, such as physical distancing, and cleaning and disinfecting commonly used equipment and surfaces. Pictured is the largest community garden in the Kawarthas, Edwin Binney’s Community Garden in Lindsay, which harvested 5,500 pounds of vegetables in 2019, all of which were donated to social service agencies, food banks, shelters, and children’s programming agencies. Read more in our News & Community section at kawarthanow.com (link in bio). ????????? #food #gardening #communitygardens #kawarthalakes #lindsay #peterborough #ptbo #ptbokawartha #ptbocanada #kawarthas #kawarthanow

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on

 

#9. Kashabog Lake starry night by Mike Quigg @_evidence_

Posted April 24, 2020. 5,882 impressions, 447 likes

Daily COVID-19 update for Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region – May 9, 2020

By kawarthaNOW -

kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.

Here’s today summary: there are 72 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 136 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

There has been no increase in the number of positive cases since yesterday’s report. Moira Place in Tweed was declared out of outbreak on May 7

There have been 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

Province-wide, there are 19,944 confirmed cases, an increase of 346 from yesterday, with 14,383 cases resolved, an increase of 393 from yesterday. There have been 1,599 deaths, an increase of 59 from yesterday. A total of 416,376 tests have been completed, an increase of 19,227 from yesterday, with 15,307 tests under investigation, an increase of 666 from yesterday.

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 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

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

Confirmed positive: 72 (no change from May 8)
Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable*
Results pending: Data currently unavailable*
Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 8)
Resolved: 58 (increase of 1 from May 8)
Total tests completed: Over 4,800 (no change from May 8)*
Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming (no change from May 8)**

*Peterborough Public Health and its partners are currently testing in long-term care homes and retirement homes. This is rapidly increasing the number of tests performed and causing a delay in the health unit’s ability to accurately report these figures. Current data will be provided as soon as possible.

**Number of cases not provided.

 

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: 157, including 136 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (no change from May 8)*
Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1 from May 8)
Hospitalizations: 11 (increase of 1 from May 8)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 8)
Resolved: 126 (no change from May 8)
Institutional outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton (no change from May 8)**

*A laboratory decision was made to reject all COVID-19 positive test results performed over the weekend of Apr 25-26. After re-swabbing and re-testing, 10 cases previously reported confirmed cases have been removed as re-testing has indicated negative results for COVID-19.

**An outbreak Ross Memorial Hospital was declared over on May 8. An outbreak at Case Manor in Bobcaygeon has been rescinded due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

 

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 from May 8)
Probable cases: 180 (decrease of 6 from May 8)
Deaths: 5 (no change from May 8)
Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 8)
Recovered: 22 (increase of 2 from May 8)
Total tests completed: 3,995 (decrease of 153 from May 8)
Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor in Belleville (decrease of 1 from May 8)*

*Moira Place in Tweed was declared out of outbreak on May 7.

 

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 19,944 (increase of 346 from May 8)
Hospitalized: 1,016 (decrease of 12 from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 203 (increase of 10 from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 158 (decrease of 8 from May 8)
Deaths: 1,599 (increase of 59 from May 8)
Total tests completed 416,376 (increase of 19,227 from May 8)
Tests under investigation: 15,307 (increase of 666 from May 8)
Resolved: 14,383 (increase of 393 from May 8)

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario by public health unit, January 15 - May 8, 2020. (Graphic: Public Health Ontario)
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario by public health unit, January 15 – May 8, 2020. (Graphic: Public Health Ontario)

 

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

Ontario provincial parks to open for free day use by Victoria Day long weekend

By kawarthaNOW -
Hiking in a provincial park. (Photo: Ontario Parks)

The Ontario government is opening provincial parks and conservation reserves for limited day-use access, with the first ones opening on Monday (May 11) and the remaining ones opening on Friday (May 15) in time for the Victoria Day long weekend.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who was wearing a t-shirt with a message thanking front-line workers instead of his usual suit, made the announcement on Saturday (May 9) along with health minister Christine Elliott and environment, conservation and parks minister Jeff Yurek.

“With Victoria Day around the corner, we have more good news to share today,” Ford said. “As of Monday, May the 11th, we will begin opening our provincial parks and conservation reserves for day use.”

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Camping will not be permitted, only recreational day-use activities which will be limited to walking, hiking, biking, and birdwatching.

“People will once again be able to enjoy the outdoors in one of our man beautiful provincial parks and conservation reserves our Province has to offer,” Ford said.

Public health measures will have to be followed at all times, Ford noted, including practising physical distancing, avoiding social gatherings, and staying home if you’re sick.

“We’re trusting people to be responsible and take this seriously, so they can enjoy themselves while staying safe and healthy,” Ford said.

Day visitors will also be able to access all parks and conservation reserves for free until the end of the month.

“With the warm weather just around the corner, I know that many Ontarians are looking forward to spending more time outdoors after being cooped up inside for so many weeks,” Yurek said, adding that Ontarians should also stay local, avoiding unnecessary travel to other areas of the province.

“If you’re planning to visit a provincial park, please only visit the one that is closest to your community,” Yurek said.

In response to a reporter’s question about whether public health measures at the park will be enforced, Yurek said Ontario Parks staff would be on hand to monitor the parks, but visitors would be expected to take personal responsibility for adhering to the measures.

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Ontario Parks, an agency of the government, manages 340 provincial parks and 295 conservation reserves in Ontario. Of these, 520 will be open on May 11th, with the remaining 115 open on May 15th.

Camping and other activities other than walking, hiking, biking, and birdwatching will not be permitted at any provincial park or conservation reserve.

All buildings and facilities including washrooms, water taps, campgrounds, backcountry campsites, roofed accommodations, playgrounds, and beaches will continue to be closed. Drinkable water will also not be available, so visitors are asked to bring their own supplies.

The government is asking residents to visit www.ontarioparks.com/park-locator to check the status of local provincial parks before heading out.

Over the next several weeks, Ontario Parks’ staff will be conducting critical maintenance and other parks start-up procedures, so that more recreational activities and facilities will be available when it is safe to do so.

Two downtown Peterborough businesses looking for 50 local families who need free meals

By kawarthaNOW -
Taso's Restaurant and Pizzeria and Kewley Security Inc., both in downtown Peterborough, have teamed up to deliver free pizza, wings, and salad to 50 families on May 11, 2020. (Photo: Taso’s Restaurant and Pizzeria)

Two downtown Peterborough businesses have teamed up to feed Peterborough families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Update – Sat May 9 at 2:30 pm

All 50 spots have now been filled.

Taso’s Restaurant and Pizzeria (287 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-775-3000) and Kewley Security Inc. (195 Simcoe St., Peterborough, 705-874-3131) are offering free pizza, wings, and salad to 50 families.

The meals will be delivered free of charge on Monday, May 11th from 2 to 6 p.m.

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So far, they’ve identified 30 families in need and are looking for 20 more before Monday.

If you are, or know, someone who needs a free meal due to their economic circumstances, you can send a direct message to Taso’s on their Facebook page.

Include a name, address, and phone number. Also note if a vegetarian meal is needed.

Kewley Security Inc. and Taso’s Restaurant have teamed up to feed Peterborough families in need. We’re offering 50…

Posted by Taso’s on Thursday, May 7, 2020

Trudeau extends wage subsidy program, but won’t commit to expansion of emergency response benefit

By kawarthaNOW -
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emerges from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on May 8, 2020 to announce an extension past June of the federal government's Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program for businesses. (Screenshot / CPAC)

On Friday (May 8), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program for businesses would be extended beyond the month of June — but he didn’t commit to expanding the Canada Emergency Response Benefit beyond the existing four months’ worth of benefits.

The announcement came on the heels of information showing that Canada lost almost two million jobs during April alone, with the total jobs lost since the pandemic began at more than three million. The unemployment rate now stands at 13 per cent, the second highest unemployment rate on record.

More than seven million people are receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). CERB provides monthly payments of $2,000 to Canadians who have lost all or most of their employment or self-employment income due to the pandemic.

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In comparison, since the wage subsidy program launched last week, employers have applied for subsidies for almost two million workers — around a quarter of the workers receiving CERB. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program covers 75 per cent of an employee’s wages, up to $847 per week, for employers with payroll systems.

While the CERB program runs retroactively from March 15th to October 3rd, workers can only apply for a maximum of four months of benefits — $8,000 in total. The benefit will run out in July for workers who have applied for CERB for four consecutive months starting from the first benefit period in March.

The Prime Minister says the wage subsidy program, which currently runs retroactively from March 15th to June 6th, will now be extended beyond this 12-week period.

“As provinces and territories start to gradually reopen over the coming months, and the CERB becomes less and less needed, this subsidy will play an even greater role,” Trudeau said. “That’s why I can announce today that we will be extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy beyond June, to help kickstart our economic reopening and boost jobs.”

Trudeau promised more details next week, and encouraged businesses that haven’t already applied for the wage subsidy program to do so.

When asked by a reporter whether CERB would also be extended, Trudeau pointed out that the CERB program is running over a longer timeframe than the wage subsidy, but didn’t say whether the maximum of four months’ worth of benefits would be increased.

“The Canada Emergency Response Benefit has always been planned to last longer — had a timeline that was already longer — than the wage subsidy,” Trudeau said. “But we recognize that, as the economy starts to reopen, people will be getting back to work, leaving the emergency response benefit and perhaps going on to the wage subsidy as employers bring people back on and get them back to work as our economy picks up over the coming weeks and months.

Trudeau also said that federal heritage minister Steven Guilbeault would be announcing details of the distribution of the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations.

Beginning on Friday (May 8), $500 million in funding will start flowing to partner organizations — including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canada Media Fund, FACTOR, Musicaction, and Telefilm Canada — for distribution to cultural and sport organizations. The majority of the funding will be provided to arts and culture organizations, followed by the audiovisual sector and the sports sector.

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