First Friday Ptbo Art Crawl is coordinating a new public art mural to be installed on the two interior walls of the alleyway of the Commerce Building at the northwest corner of Water and Hunter streets in downtown Peterborough. Local artists are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submissions is August 4, 2020, with the mural to be completed during the month of August. (Photo: First Friday Ptbo)
A call for proposals to local artists has been issued for a new public art mural to be installed in downtown Peterborough.
A subcommittee of the First Friday Ptbo Art Crawl is coordinating development of the mural, which will cover the two interior walls of the alleyway of the Commerce Building at the northwest corner of Water and Hunter streets.
The mural project is supported by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and Ashburnham Realty, which owns the Commerce Building. The building houses the studios of many of the artists who participate in the monthly art crawl, which has been on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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First Friday Ptbo is seeking proposals from local artists for the new mural. Previous experience is not necessary. Proposals from individual artists or a team of artists will be accepted, although teams must propose a complete and coordinated artwork for the two walls in question.
The proposal deadline is Tuesday, August 4th. Due to the accelerated deadline, artists are encouraged (but not required) to reformat existing works for the mural.
A selection committee of local artists and community members appointed by the First Friday Ptbo mural subcommittee will review the proposals. Deliberations will take place as soon as possible following the proposal deadline, and the selected artist(s) will be responsible for beginning and completing the mural within the month of August.
A $3,000 award will be provided to the selected artist(s). The mural must be completed using exterior latex paint only, which will be provided along with other supplies.
Upon completion, First Friday Ptbo will be hosting a mural launch in September (date to be confirmed).
Ontario premier Doug Ford announces $4 billion in funding for municipalities to address operating and transit shortfalls at Queen's Park on July 27, 2020. Also pictured are transportation minister Caroline Mulroney, municipal affairs and housing minister Steve Clark, finance minister Rod Phillips, and deputy premier and health minister Christine Elliott. (CPAC screenshot)
The Ontario government, in partnership with the federal government, will be providing up to $4 billion in one-time assistance to Ontario’s 444 municipalities to address budgetary shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made on Monday afternoon (July 27) at Queen’s Park by Premier Doug Ford, deputy premier and health minister Christine Elliott, finance minister Rod Phillips, municipal affairs and housing minister Steve Clark, and transportation minister Caroline Mulroney.
“By working together, we have united the country in the face of the immense challenges brought on by COVID-19 and secured a historic deal with the federal government to ensure a strong recovery for Ontario and for Canada,” said Premier Ford.
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“I want to thank Ontario’s 444 local leaders who supported us through our negotiations with the federal government and through each stage of reopening. We will continue to be a champion for our municipal partners as they safely reopen their communities and ensure people can get back to work,” Ford said.
Up to $2 billion will be available to relieve municipal operating pressures, with $777 million coming from the federal government and $1.2 billion from the Ontario government. Another $2 billion will be available to address shortfalls in transit, with $1 billion coming from each of the federal and provincial governments.
The funding will help local governments maintain critical services, including public transit, over the next six to eight months. The province says it will provide details on specific allocations in the coming weeks.
Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Monday (July 27) for much of the greater Kawarthas region, including Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings. When this story was posted, Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes were not included in the watch.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing very strong wind gusts and torrential rain.
Storms are possible for mid-afternoon into the late evening, with 50 mm of rain in an hour or less and damaging wind gusts of up to 90 km/h.
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Very strong wind gusts can damage buildings, down trees and blow large vehicles off the road. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!
The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management recommends that you take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.
Outdoor yoga sessions at 4th Line Theatre's Winslow Farm in Millbrook will be led by yoga instructor Madison Sheward. (Photo: Christine Mepstead)
Beginning in August, 4th Line Theatre will be hosting outdoor yoga sessions at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.
4th Line’s artistic director Kim Blackwell told kawarthaNOW in early July the theatre company was planning on hosting yoga at the farm.
With the postponement of its 2020 summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the yoga sessions are just the latest in a series of innovative initiatives 4th Line has undertaken to engage people who would normally be in the theatre’s audience.
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As well as the new yoga offering, these initiatives include the Monologue Series (where people can experience live readings of selected monologues from past 4th Line plays over the phone), a farmers’ market on Friday mornings, as well as a series of online talks between Kim Blackwell and artists as well as with local business and political leaders.
The outdoor yoga sessions with instructor Madison Sheward will run at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5th, Wednesday, August 12th, and Tuesday, August 18th at Winslow Farm (779 Zion Line, Millbrook). Each session will last 60 minutes and participants will be physically distanced.
“We will be hosting mindful yoga classes in a peaceful, shaded field,” Blackwell says.
For beginners and above, each session will explore a simple flow of yoga poses, breath work, and meditation and is designed to help participants connect through breath, body, and mind. Attendees are asked to bring their own mats, water bottles, and any other yoga equipment.
Those interested can register by calling 4th Line’s box office at 705-932-4445 or emailing sarah@4thlinetheatre.on.ca to book their session. Limited spaces are available for each session.
There is no charge for the sessions, thanks to the sponsorship of 4th Line’s longtime supporter Nexicom.
Peterborough police are seeking two men who wielded knives while robbing two children of their bikes on Sunday afternoon (July 26).
Shortly before noon, the two children, aged 10 and 12, were riding their bikes along a walking path connecting Lansdowne Street to the corner of Pinewood Drive and Cahill Drive in Peterborough.
As the children neared the end of the path, two unknown men yelled at the children to get off their bikes. It was reported that the two men were each holding a knife during the incident.
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Both children got off their bikes and ran south on Pinewood Drive. The two men fled the area with the stolen bikes. The incident was reported to police and officers were dispatched to the area to investigate.
The suspects are described as follows:
Suspect #1
Male
Caucasian
Approximately 6′ tall
Approximately 25 years old
Red shoes
Dark hoody
Jeans
Suspect # 2
Male
Caucasian
Approximately 5’10″
Approximately 23 years old
Blue-green eyes
Black hoody
Jeans
The stolen property is described as follows:
Item #1
“Haro – downtown” child BMX
Metallic green
Possible front and rear black pegs
Black front forks
Serial number KISEK18807
strong>Item # 2
“Strikes” child BMX
Grey frame
No pegs
Red decals on front and lower frame
Black forks, handle bars, and rims
Red and grey tires
Serial Number unknown
Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.stopcrimehere.ca.
Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, has won the 2020 SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a four-day total of 97 pounds, 8 ounces. He's the first Canadian to ever win a Bassmaster Elite Series event. (Photo: B.A.S.S.)
Peterborough angler Chris Johnston is the first Canadian ever to win a Bassmaster Elite Series event — and takes home a $102,000 prize with his title.
Johnston achieved his victory on Sunday (July 26) at the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, New York, with a four-day total of 20 smallmouth bass that weighed 97 pounds, 8 ounces. He was the only competitor to break 20 pounds each day.
“This has been a crazy year fishing-wise for me,” Johnston said. “I had two of the worst tournaments probably in my career and to bounce back and win on the St. Lawrence, of all places, is just incredible. I’ve wanted a big tournament win on the St. Lawrence River bad, and it finally came together.”
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Johnston, who finished 71st and 59th in the first two Elite Series events this year, placed second on day one of the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite with 27-0. He maintained that position for two more days with weights of 24-12 and 23-0.
Connecticut pro Paul Mueller had led the event for all three days going into Sunday, but Johnston added a final limit of 22-12 to pull ahead of Mueller and win by a margin of 1-10.
In 2019’s competition, it was the reverse for Johnston: he led for three days before ending up with second place.
“Finishing second last year makes this win all that much sweeter,” Johnston said. “I can’t wait to get home and celebrate with family and friends.”
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region as well as in Ontario.
Ontario is reporting 138 new COVID-19 cases today, with people under the age of 40 again making up two-thirds of the new cases. While the increase in cases is still higher than earlier in July, it’s a drop from yesterday’s 195 new cases.
The province has now surpassed two million COVID-19 tests completed, including almost 30,000 yesterday. There has also been a substantial drop in hospitalizations, with 44 fewer people in medical care since yesterday.
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As for the Kawarthas, there are no new cases in the Peterborough area for the 35th day in a row — five weeks straight — with all previous cases resolved. Health unit reports for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings and Prince Edward are not available on weekends. The next reports will be available on July 27.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 95 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (93 resolved with 2 deaths), 174 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (153 resolved with 32 deaths), 25 in Northumberland County (24 resolved with no deaths), 12 in Haliburton County (12 resolved with no deaths), and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (38 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there have been 38,543 confirmed cases, an increase of 138 from yesterday’s report, with 34,240 (88.8% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 140. There have been 2,759 deaths, an increase of 1, with 1,791 deaths reported in long-term care homes (no change from yesterday). A total of 2,018,813 tests have been completed, an increase of 29,904 from yesterday, with 26,078 tests under investigation, an increase of 528.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 95 (no change, last positive case was on June 20) Active cases: 0 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 93 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 20,500 (no change)* Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*Due to recent changes in Ministry of Health data, this number will be updated the week of July 27.
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 only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from July 24; the next report will be available on July 27.
Confirmed positive: 211, including 174 in Kawartha Lakes, 25 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (no change) Hospitalizations: 14 (no change) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 189, including 153 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (increase of 4, with 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 each in Northumberland and Haliburton) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from July 24; the next report will be available on July 27.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Recovered: 38 (no change) Total tests completed: 16,085 (increase of 513) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 38,543 (increase of 138) Resolved: 34,240 (increase of 140, 88.8% of all cases are resolved) Hospitalized: 97 (decrease of 44) Hospitalized and in ICU: 30 (decrease of 1) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 21 (increase of 1) Deaths: 2,759 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,791 (no change, 64.9% of all deaths) Total tests completed 2,018,813 (increase of 29,904) Tests under investigation: 26,078 (increase of 528)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 24 – July 24, 2020. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from June 24 – July 240, 2020. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
The 12-metre tall Mr. Applehead at The Big Apple on Highway 401 in Colborne in Northumberland County is now sporting a big yellow face mask. You can't tell, but he's still smiling under the mask. (Photo: The Big Apple / @bigapple401 on Instagram)
Even the world’s biggest apple is doing its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with what could be the world’s biggest face mask.
Mr. Applehead, at The Big Apple just off Highway 401 in Colborne in Northumberland County, is now sporting a big yellow face mask.
Sylvia Nagy, general manager of The Big Apple, says the business decided to put a mask on Mr. Applehead on Thursday (July 23) because face masks are now mandatory inside commercial businesses in Northumberland County, and also to show support for front-line workers.
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Nagy and The Big Apple’s owner Joe Pulla came up with the idea for the mask, which Nagy designed, and installed it with the help of employees.
The iconic giant apple’s mask, easily visible from the highway, has attracted attention in national and social media.
People have been pulling off the highway to take photos with the masked Mr. Applehead — something The Big Apple encourages.
The Big Apple is a bakery and restaurant which, in addition to the Mr. Applehead roadside attraction, features fresh-based pies (including apple, of course) and family-friendly activities and games.
Built in 1988, Mr. Applehead is more than 12 metres tall and features a top observation deck with spectacular views. Appropriately enough, the observation deck is currently closed because of COVID-19 restrictions.
For more information on The Big Apple, visit thebigapple.ca.
Environment Canada has issued another heat warning for the greater Kawarthas region, including Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Hastings County, through Monday (July 27).
This is the third heat warning issued by Environment Canada for the Kawarthas so far in July.
Hot and humid conditions are expected on Sunday and Monday.
Maximum daytime temperatures on Sunday will be 32 to 34°C with humidex values near 40°C. Minimum temperatures Sunday night will be 22 to 25°C, providing little relief from the heat.
High temperatures on Monday are forecast to be 30 to 32°C. Humidex values near 40°C are also expected on Monday.
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Cooler and less humid air is expected to arrive on Tuesday (July 28).
Hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality and result in the air quality health index approaching the high-risk category.
Extreme heat affects everyone, but the risks are greater for young children, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses, and people working or exercising outdoors.
Check on older family, friends and neighbours. Make sure they are cool and drinking water
Reduce your heat risk. Schedule outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day.
Never leave people or pets inside a parked vehicle.
Outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks in a cool place.
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region as well as in Ontario.
After a decrease yesterday, new COVID-19 cases in Ontario have jumped higher again, to 195. The number of new daily cases is continuing to trend up, to levels not seen since early July.
Younger people continue to represent the majority of new cases. Of the 195 new cases, two-thirds (128) are among people under the age of 39, with a quarter of the new cases under the age of 19. Only eight per cent of new cases (16) are among people age 60 and older, with the remainder of new cases people between 40 and 59.
Compare that to the end of May, when almost half of all cases were people age 60 and older, and only one-quarter were people under the age of 39 — with only three per cent under the age of 19.
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As for the Kawarthas, there are no new cases in the Peterborough area for the 34th day in a row, with all previous cases resolved. There are no new cases to report today in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, or Prince Edward and Hastings counties. Two additional cases have been resolved in Kawartha Lakes, with one additional case resolved in Northumberland and one additional case resolved in Haliburton — all previous cases in Haliburton are now resolved.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 95 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (93 resolved with 2 deaths), 174 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (153 are resolved), 25 in Northumberland County (24 resolved), 12 in Haliburton County (12 resolved), and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (38 resolved).
There has been a total of 39 deaths in the greater Kawarthas region since the pandemic began, with 32 of these deaths in Kawartha Lakes. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there have been 38,405 confirmed cases, an increase of 195 from yesterday’s report, with 34,100 (88.8% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 137. There have been 2,758 deaths, an increase of 3, with 1,791 deaths reported in long-term care homes, an increase of 2. A total of 1,988,909 tests have been completed, an increase of 28,809 from yesterday, with 25,550 tests under investigation, an increase of 3,725.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units and hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.
We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 95 (no change, last positive case was on June 20) Active cases: 0 (no change) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 93 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 20,500 (no change)* Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*Due to recent changes in Ministry of Health data, this number will be updated the week of July 27.
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 only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 211, including 174 in Kawartha Lakes, 25 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (no change) Hospitalizations: 14 (no change) Deaths: 32 (no change) Resolved: 189, including 153 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, 12 in Haliburton (increase of 4, with 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 each in Northumberland and Haliburton) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit only provides reports on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 43 (no change, last positive case reported on May 18) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Recovered: 38 (no change) Total tests completed: 16,085 (increase of 513) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 38,405 (increase of 195) Resolved: 34,100 (increase of 137, 88.8% of all cases are resolved) Hospitalized: 141 (decrease of 13) Hospitalized and in ICU: 31 (decrease of 4) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 20 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2,758 (increase of 3) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,791 (increase of 2, 64.9% of all deaths) Total tests completed 1,988,909 (increase of 28,809) Tests under investigation: 25,550 (increase of 3,725)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 23 – July 23, 2020. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from June 23 – July 230, 2020. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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