Rosalea Terry (top left), lead for the Innovation Cluster's Women Breaking Barriers program, in a Zoom session with some of the 10 female founders in the first cohort of the program. The next six-month cohort of Women Breaking Barriers begins on March 1, 2021, with applications for the next 10 female founders open until February 12. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
Applications are now open for the next 10 female entrepreneurs to join the Innovation Cluster’s Women Breaking Barriers program.
The program is designed to fast track the development of businesses founded by women in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and social innovation fields. Statistics reveal that only six per cent of Canadian technology firms have a female CEO, and more than half have no female executives at all.
The six-month program includes specific and advanced training sessions geared towards female founders, as well as weekly mentorship with advisors, peer-to-peer learning, and community networking. At the end of the six months, participants have the opportunity to pitch their businesses to angel investors. There is no cost to participate in the program.
“Targeted programs are essential to decrease roadblocks and move the dial forward for female-led companies in STEM and social innovation which face unique challenges,” says Rosalea Terry, program lead with the Innovation Cluster.
Made possible by a $75,000 seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and RBC, Women Breaking Barriers launched in September 2020 with its first cohort of 10 female founders.
They will end their participation in the program at the end of February by pitching their businesses to the Peterborough Region Angel Network.
“With the first cohort coming to an end, we have seen how much of a difference this program can make and the group has exceeded all expectations,” Terry says. “The founders are about to pitch to the Peterborough Region Angel Network made up of over 30 investors.”
Through the Women Breaking Barriers program, which is made possible by a $75,000 seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and RBC, the Innovation Cluster is working towards changing statistics that show women are significantly under-represented in technology businesses are related fields. (Graphic courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
One of the 10 participants in the first cohort is Othalia Doe-Bruce, founder of InnovFin Consulting Inc., which specializes in blockchain technology for finance companies.
“My participation in the Innovation Cluster was a game changer for both me at a personal level and my business, especially given the impact of COVID-19,” Doe-Bruce says.
“I was lucky to be selected as one of the very few brilliant women disrupting their industries and to benefit from the support of knowledgeable and experienced advisors, mentors and experts. I encourage aspiring female entrepreneurs to apply to the program and see their ideas and businesses exponentially boosted.”
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The next six-month cohort of Women Breaking Barriers begins on Monday, March 1st. Applications are now open until Friday, February 12th. To learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements, visit innovationcluster.ca/breakbarriers/.
The Innovation Cluster is also holding a free virtual information session on Zoom for interested applicants from 12 to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2nd. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com/e/135880946569.
4th Line Theatre managing artistic director Kim Blackwell at the box office at Winslow Farm in Millbrook in 2018. Although 4th Line Theatre postponed its entire 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, under Blackwell's leadership the theatre company continued to develop content to engage audiences, and renowned theatre critic Lynn Slotkin has recognized Blackwell's efforts with the Jon Kaplan Mensch Award. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Every year, renowned Toronto theatre critic and writer Lynn Slotkin recognizes outstanding work in theatre with her series of “Tootsie” awards.
This year, 4th Line Theatre’s artistic director Kim Blackwell has been recognized with Slotkin’s prestigious Jon Kaplan Mensch Award. Named for Jon Kaplan, the late theatre reviewer for NOW magazine, the award recognizes recipients as people of integrity and high honour.
Slotkin, who is considered to be one of the preeminent voices in professional theatre both nationally and internationally, publishes The Slotkin Letter, a monthly newsletter that chronicles her theatre-going experiences in Canada and elsewhere. It’s the go-to industry resource for theatre practitioners and aficionados alike.
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When Slotkin writes about a theatre performance, people around the world pay attention. She’s kind of a big deal.
This year, Slotkin has honoured Blackwell with the Jon Kaplan Mensch Award for the work Blackwell did during the 2020 pandemic season at 4th Line Theatre. It’s kind of a big deal.
“It sure was a nice cap on a lousy year,” says Blackwell of the award, one of the several Tootsies Slotkin announces every year.
Renowed Toronto theatre critic and writer Lynn Slotkin participating in a theatre criticism roundtable hosted by Intermission Magazine in 2017. Slotkin’s work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Performance Magazine, How Theatre Educations, and the Hollywood Reporter, as well as on CBC and TV Ontario. (Photo: Dahlia Katz)
The awards are so-named because of Slotkin’s long-time practice of giving Tootsie Roll Pops to people in the theatre community when she had an enjoyable theatrical experience.
“It was nice to be recognized for a year that we worked really, really hard to keep art and audience engaged with each other on some level,” Blackwell says.
During a year in which arts cancellations were the norm (and that’s okay!), 4th Line Theatre, with Blackwell at the helm, managed to offer an impressive amount of quality programming despite the loss of the company’s regular 2020 summer season.
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“I’m terribly proud,” says Blackwell, reflecting on the last year. “I’m proud of how hard the staff worked and how willing everybody was to try things.”
Against all odds, 4th Line Theatre hosted artist talks, online readings, a weekly farmers’ market, yoga classes, a free telephone monologue series, and the world premiere of Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, an outdoor Halloween production co-written by Blackwell and 4th Line’s general manager Lindy Finlan.
“I have an incredible partner in Lindy Finlan,” Blackwell adds. “We actually did a full play — the largest play that happened in Canada since March of 2020 — our Halloween show.”
kawarthaNOW’s arts and culture writer Sarah McNeilly performing as switchboard operator Alice Cameron in 4th Line Theatre’s 2018 production “Crow Hill: The Telephone Play”, written by Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow. It was one of the plays comprising 4th Line’s Monologue Series in 2020. In this innovative approach to theatrical performance during the pandemic, an actor would call you at no charge to deliver a dramatic reading of one of 27 monologues from 4th Line’s archive of plays. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
“We also did a full theatre festival in downtown Peterborough, the brain-child of Christina Adams that I full-heartedly supported — the Open Spaces Festival. There were, I think, at one time, three plays going on at a time in different locations in Peterborough, which is pretty cool.”
Slotkin’s Jon Kaplan Mensch Award recognizes so much more than the amazing high-quality programming 4th line was able to offer, against all odds, during the pandemic. It also recognizes Blackwell’s leadership.
Thanks to her leadership, many people in our community were able to keep their jobs in the arts and continue to support their families, which is nothing short of miraculous during a pandemic that has otherwise devastated the sector.
“I’m really thankful I was able to offer the opportunities for our staff, but I couldn’t have done it without governmental support,” Blackwell points out. “We lost half a million dollars in earned revenue last year. We usually have an operating budget of around a million dollars, so we lost half our revenue.”
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“I’m terribly proud that we kept all of our admin staff on at their full wages, but we did not do it in a vacuum,” Blackwell adds. “There’s no way we could have done it without emergency funding — without the federal and provincial support. That is how dire this situation is. The pandemic is that financially devastating. We would have had to close up shop.”
Looking back on 2020, Blackwell earnestly says “It was the hardest year of my life.”
While leading 4th Line Theatre through an unprecedented crisis, Blackwell also lost her mother in the middle of 2020. Even in grief, she was able to find lessons through introspection.
“There’s a lot to be grateful for but, at the core of it, 2020 sucked,” she says. “But it did force me to slow down — to analyze why I was rushing so much and taking so much on, both personally and professionally.”
“I’m hoping that I’m able to take some of those lessons about slowing down, self-evaluation, and self-analysis with me on the journey forward,” she adds.
Jack Nicholsen in 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales” written by Kim Blackwell and Lindy Finlan. The COVID-safe play was presented outdoors at the Millbrook farm in October 2020, and was the theatre company’s only production during the pandemic. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Needless to say, the challenges we face did not magically disappear when the clock struck 12 on New Year’s Eve. Though there is hope on the distant horizon, so far 2021 is shaping up to be another challenging year.
“The number one priority for 2021 is everyone’s health and safety,” explains Blackwell. “That’s always our number one priority at 4th Line, it’s just made more clear by the pandemic.”
2020 Jon Kaplan Mensch Award Recipients
Along with Kim Blackwell, the other recipients of this year’s Jon Kaplan Mensch Award are Nina Lee Aquino of Factory Theatre in Toronto, Tim Carroll and Tim Jennings of the Shaw Festival in Stratford, Mitchell Cushman of Outside the March in Toronto, Arkady Spivak of Talk is Free Theatre in Barrie, and Julie Tepperman of Convergence Theatre in Toronto.
In terms of what lies ahead for 4th Line Theatre, Blackwell is committed to offering even more quality programming, which, in turn, will provide jobs for many theatre artists, technicians, and personnel — not to mention some much-needed connection for theatre-starved audiences.
“We want to bring forward some of the really successful things we did in 2020,” she says. “It’s always my number one priority to get a summer season in when we can because it’s what we do best. It’s what people love about us.”
“Ultimately, I’m not doing this job for any other reason than to create art,” says a steadfast Blackwell. “Hopefully, we’ll get back to some semblance of normal.”
The entire region is celebrating Kim Blackwell’s Jon Kaplan Mensch Award, and so we should — it’s a win for all of us. This prestigious recognition from a preeminent theatre critic demonstrates what we all already know here in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough: what we do here matters.
We make world-class art here that, on occasion, garners well-deserved, world-class recognition.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 3,945 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 140 to 3,546.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 8 new cases to report and 14 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 6 to 173 (although numbers for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable today).
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (with a record-breaking 1,160 cases), Peel (641), York (357), Windsor-Essex (223), Waterloo (220), Durham (190), Middlesex-London (173), Niagara (151), Ottawa (129), and Halton (118).
There are double-digit increases in Simcoe Muskoka (85), Eastern Ontario (72), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (69), Hamilton (64), Southwestern (49), Brant (42), Lambton (39), Haldimand-Norfolk (22), Thunder Bay (20), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (19), Northwestern (17), Chatham-Kent (16), Huron Perth (14), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (10), and Peterborough (10), with smaller increases in Sudbury (8) and Porcupine (7).
The remaining 7 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases.
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Of today’s new cases, 52% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,458) among people ages 20-39, followed by 1,099 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,496 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.3% to 83.8%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unavailable on weekends.
Ontario is reporting 61 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 21 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 26 to 1,483, although this number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals and is likely under-reported. With 6 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 388 COVID-19 patients in ICUs in Ontario. With 22 more patients with COVID-19 on ventilators reported today, there are now 266 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 62,308 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 21,866 to 39,362. A total of 113,246 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 9,983 daily doses administered and 5,884 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 8 new cases to report, including 3 in Peterborough and 5 in Hastings Prince Edward. Reports for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable for Sundays.
An additional 14 cases have been resolved, including 9 in Peterborough and 5 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There is 1 new hospitalization of a COVID-19 patient (in ICU) in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 167 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 6 from yesterday, including 60 in Peterborough, 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (5 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 5 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 435 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (370 resolved with 5 deaths), 308 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (247 resolved with 35 deaths), 291 in Northumberland County (253 resolved with 3 deaths), 37 in Haliburton County (32 resolved with no deaths), and 334 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (301 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 8.
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: 435 (increase of 3) Active cases: 60 (decrease of 6) Close contacts: 172 (no change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 370 (increase of 9) Hospitalizations (total to date): 19 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 40,050 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough (no change)
*As of January 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. An exact number is 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.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from January 9.
Confirmed positive: 627, including 308 in Kawartha Lakes, 291 in Northumberland, and 37 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 80, including 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (no net change) Probable cases: 1, in Kawartha Lakes (net decrease of 1) High-risk contacts: 124, including 41 in Kawartha Lakes, 54 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (net decrease of 14)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 26, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 38, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (no change)) Resolved: 532, including 247 in Kawartha Lakes, 253 in Northumberland, 32 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford (increase of 2)****
*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 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 8, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
****Outbreaks were declared at Fenelon Court Long-Term Care Home in Fenelon Falls and Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford on January 8.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 334 (increase of 5) Active cases: 28 (no change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 3 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 301 (increase of 5) Swabs completed: 33,686 (increase of 3,498) Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 215,782 (increase of 3,945) Resolved: 180,720 (increase of 2,496, 83.8% of all cases) Positivity rate: 6.2% (as of January 8, updates not available on weekends) Hospitalized: 1,483 (increase of 26)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 388 (increase of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 266 (increase of 22) Deaths: 4,983 (increase of 61) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,990 (increase of 21) Total tests completed: 8,501,611 (increase of 62,308) Tests under investigation: 39,362 (decrease of 21,866) Vaccinations: 9,983 daily doses administered, 113,246 total doses administered, 5,884 total vaccinations completed (both doses)
*This number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals and is likely under-reported.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 10, 2020 – January 9, 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 December 10, 2020 – January 9, 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 December 10, 2020 – January 9, 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 December 10, 2020 – January 9, 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)
On January 29, 2021, Andy Tough's YouTube series Live! At The Barn will feature a tribute to guitarist Jimmy Deck, who passed away suddenly in December. The tribute will include an interview and one of Deck's solo performances. (Photo: Linda Tough)
What has been nothing short of a true labour of love for Andy Tough is set to reap yet another series of live-off-the-floor musical performances featuring five local acts.
Live! At The Barn is recorded and edited by Tough at the Norwood-area barn recording space he owns with his wife Linda.
The series returns to YouTube on Friday, January 15th at 8 p.m., with well-known British Invasion pop-rockers the Rick & Gailie Band leading the charge.
A new video performance will debut at 8 p.m. on successive Friday evenings, as follows:
January 22 featuring Tungsten
January 29 featuring James ‘Jimmy’ Deck
February 5 featuring High Waters Band
February 12 featuring the Rob Phillips Trio with singer Marsala Lukianchuk and violinist Saskia Tomkins.
The second series of Andy Tough’s Live! At The Barn recordings of local musicians kicks off on January 15, 2021 with a performance by well-known British Invasion pop-rockers the Rick & Gailie Band. (Photo: Linda Tough)
Each video will remain available for viewing permanently, alongside performances from the first series featuring Gunslingers, The Fabulous Tonemasters, Wylie Harold and Out On Bail, Weber Brothers Band, and House Brand.
According to Tough, the sudden passing of Tami J. Wilde collaborator James ‘Jimmy’ Deck on December 21st has resulted in a tribute to Deck being presented, as opposed to what was originally captured — a full performance featuring the longtime duo.
“Tami was uncomfortable with releasing their performance,” Tough says. “But she did agree to allow me to do a short tribute to him featuring a short interview and one of the solo performances he gave during the taping on October 3rd.”
A solo performance by the late James ‘Jimmy’ Deck will be released on Andy Tough’s YouTube channel on January 29, 2021. While Deck performed with his long-time collaborator Tami J. Wilde at Live! At The Barn, Wilde was uncomfortable with releasing their full performance. (Photo: Linda Tough)
Meanwhile, shortly after Tungsten recorded their hard rock/metal performance in September, drummer Nathan Lauder, the son of the band’s late founder, was involved in a serious motorcycle crash that resulted in major injuries.
“They’ve been trying to keep the band going in his father’s honour and then this happens,” Tough notes.
Originally, Steel Horse Gypsies were scheduled for this series’ lineup and were actually recorded at the barn. The band wanted to do a post-audio mix of their performance but with their Toronto studio closed due to COVID restrictions, that is yet to be done.
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A performance by Tungsten will be released on Andy Tough’s YouTube channel on January 22, 2021. The band’s drummer, Nathan Lauder, was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash shortly after the band’s performance was recorded in September 2020. (Photo: Linda Tough)
“The plan is to release that as a special episode in the future,” Tough says.
Since each band was recorded, Tough, who specializes in audio/video production and presentation through his business RMS Events, has been hard at it, editing performance tape and mixing it with interviews he conducted with each act.
“Having created the template, it was easier to hang the content onto a framework,” he explains. “It’s certainly not cookie cutter, but there’s some continuity between the first and second series.”
The first series’ episodes, says Tough, have collectively had 2,200 views to date. In addition, artists’ choice singles from those shows have had more than 3,000 social media views, while Weber Brothers singles released by the band on their Facebook page have also had more than 3,000 views.
Live! At The Barn founder and producer Andy Tough (right) recording an interview with singer Marsala Lukianchuk. (Photo: Linda Tough)
“It’s great exposure for everybody,” says Tough of the response. “Certainly, it’s had a huge impact locally.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is the much-needed shot in the arm the performance platform has provided for participating acts that have been deprived of live venue opportunities since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
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The experience has been good for Tough’s psyche as well, providing a welcome opportunity to do something — anything — in the absence of work as a result of the pandemic shutdown.
“It’s keeping me sane,” he says. “It’s not bringing any money into the house but it keeps my production mind rolling along.”
As for the possibility that he’ll line up bands for a third series, Tough says while he would “love to do it,” he may have to look at charging bands for his services or have acts bring sponsor dollars to the mix.
VIDEO: Live! At The Barn – Season 2 Preview
“We had been looking for sponsorship but it didn’t pan out the way that we hoped,” Tough admits. “Frankly, I didn’t have the time to go out and knock on doors. That’s the trouble with being a solo producer — you have to wear all the different hats.”
“But we’re going to a do third series regardless, probably in the summer,” he adds.
That said, the second series did enjoy some support courtesy of David Goyette, Peterborough Hydroponics, Rural Lynx High Speed Internet, and Diane Lauder and Robert Mahler of Tungsten. kawarthaNOW, meanwhile, has returned as the series’ media sponsor.
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A performance by High Waters Band will be released on Andy Tough’s YouTube channel on February 5, 2021. (Photo: Linda Tough) A performance by the Rob Phillips Trio featuring singer Marsala Lukianchuk and violinist Saskia Tomkins will be released on February 12, 2021. (Photo: Linda Tough)
With one series have debuted and another set to follow suit, Tough says he remains struck by “how gracious and friendly and thankful all the bands were during the recordings.”
“There were no egos. It was a very positive experience. Everybody worked towards a greater good, did their best, and felt good about having the chance to do it.”
As a long-time supporter of local music, kawarthaNOW.com is proud to be a media sponsor of Live! At The Barn.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 3,443 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 12 to 3,406.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report and 37 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 15 to 173.
Three new outbreaks have been declared, in congregate-care settings in Belleville, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford. A workplace outbreak in Peterborough County has been declared resolved.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (1,070), Peel (548), York (303), Windsor-Essex (282), Ottawa (179), Durham (166), Niagara (134), and Waterloo (116).
There are double-digit increases in Middlesex-London (80), Halton (78), Simcoe Muskoka (71), Hamilton (67), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (55), Southwestern (47), Lambton (45), Eastern Ontario (42), Haldimand-Norfolk (26), Huron Perth (22), Brant (15), Sudbury (13), Porcupine (11), Chatham-Kent (11), Grey Bruce (11), Algoma (10), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (10), with smaller increases in Renfrew (9) and Peterborough (8).
The remaining 7 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases.
Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,261) among people ages 20-39, followed by 979 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,915 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 84.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unavailable on weekends.
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Ontario is reporting 40 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 26 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 11 to 1,457. With 13 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 382 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 6 fewer COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 244 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 72,900 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 11,839 to 61,228. A total of 103,263 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 15,700 daily doses administered and 5,880 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report, including 9 in Peterborough, 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 3 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton, but active cases there have increased by 1.
Three new COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared in the region as of January 8: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, and Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford. An outbreak at a workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan in Peterborough County has been declared resolved.
An additional 37 cases have been resolved, including 25 in Peterborough, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Northumberland.
There are currently 173 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 15 from yesterday, including 66 in Peterborough, 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (5 in Quinte West, 15 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 5 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 432 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (361 resolved with 5 deaths), 308 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (247 resolved with 35 deaths), 291 in Northumberland County (253 resolved with 3 deaths), 37 in Haliburton County (32 resolved with no deaths), and 329 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (296 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 8.
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: 432 (increase of 9) Active cases: 66 (decrease of 16) Close contacts: 172 (increase of 7) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 361 (increase of 25) Hospitalizations (total to date): 19 (increase of 3)* Total tests completed: Over 39,950 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough (decrease of 1)**
*As of January 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. An exact number is not provided.
**An outbreak at a workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan in Peterborough County has been declared resolved.
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 statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 627, including 308 in Kawartha Lakes, 291 in Northumberland, and 37 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 80, including 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (no net change) Probable cases: 1, in Kawartha Lakes (net decrease of 1) High-risk contacts: 124, including 41 in Kawartha Lakes, 54 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (net decrease of 14)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 26, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 38, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (no change)) Resolved: 532, including 247 in Kawartha Lakes, 253 in Northumberland, 32 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford (increase of 2)****
*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 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 8, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
****Outbreaks were declared at Fenelon Court Long-Term Care Home in Fenelon Falls and Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford on January 8.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 329 (increase of 4) Active cases: 28 (increase of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 2 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 296 (increase of 3) Swabs completed: 30,188 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak was declared at Hastings Manor Beech Villa (secure wing) in Belleville on January 8 due to 1 positive case.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 211,837 (increase of 3,443) Resolved: 178,224 (increase of 2,915, 84.1% of all cases) Positivity rate: 6.2% (as of January 8, updates not available on weekends) Hospitalized: 1,457 (increase of 11) Hospitalized and in ICU: 382 (increase of 13) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 244 (decrease of 6) Deaths: 4,922 (increase of 40) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,969 (increase of 26) Total tests completed: 8,439,303 (increase of 72,900) Tests under investigation: 61,228 (decrease of 11,839) Vaccinations: 15,700 daily doses administered, 103,263 total doses administered, 5,880 total vaccinations completed (both doses)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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 December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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 December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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 December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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)
The Convivio Chorus performing at the December 2015 In From The Cold concert at Market Hall in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW.com)
In From The Cold has raised $12,957.47 for YES Shelter for Youth and Families in Peterborough, despite the pandemic precluding an in-person concert over the holiday season.
According to In From The Cold co-founder and director John Hoffman, this is the largest annual amount raised in the concert’s 21-year history.
“Back in September, I could never have imagined that we’d be able to hold any sort of In From the Cold event, let alone raise almost $13,000,” Hoffman says. “But thanks to the power of Trent Radio, and the generous donations of our sponsors and the individuals who donated through our Canada Helps fundraiser, we continued to be able to support the YES Shelter for Youth and Families.”
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Since 2000, In From The Cold has been a live concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough over two nights every December, with each concert recorded for a Christmas Day broadcast on Trent Radio. Thanks to the support of sponsors and with musicians generously donating their time, all ticket proceeds have gone to YES Shelter for Youth and Families. Over 20 years, the fundraising concert has raised over $130,000 for YES.
Because of the pandemic, a live concert couldn’t be held this year. So the founders of In From The Cold — Hoffman along with musicians Susan Newman, Rob Fortin, and Curtis Driedger — reviewed 20 years’ worth of recordings to create a “best of” selection that was broadcast on Trent Radio and streamed on its website on December 11th and 12th. The radio concert was free, but people were encouraged to donate in lieu of purchasing tickets.
Hoffman says he is grateful to Trent Radio — in particular, programming director Jill Staveley — as well as to the concert’s 12 sponsoring businesses and organizations and to all the people who donated.
John Hoffman, co-founder and director of In From the Cold, with Meagan Hennekam, executive director of the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, in 2019. Over the past 20 years, the In From the Cold concert has raised almost $140,000 in support of YES. (Photo courtesy of John Hoffman)
“As I’m sure you can imagine, YES has had a very challenging year, so they need community support more than ever,” Hoffman says. “On behalf of all of the In From the Cold community, including the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
A registered charity, YES Shelter for Youth and Families in Peterborough serves youth aged 16 to 24 and their families, providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, an alternative high school classroom, a food cupboard, and transitional programs. To support YES, visit yesshelter.ca.
A sombre Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives at a media conference on Queen's Park on January 8, 2021, accompanied by Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe, education minister Stephen Lecce, and health minister Christine Elliott. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
With Ontario reporting 4,249 new cases on Friday morning, Premier Doug Ford held a media conference to warn Ontarians the province is in a “desperate situation”, referring to COVID-19 modelling projections he has seen that will be released to the public on Tuesday (January 12).
“When you see the modelling, you’ll fall off your chair,” Ford said. “Everything is on the table right now. There will be further measures because this is getting out of control, and we have to do whatever it takes.”
“This is so, so serious,” he added, urging Ontarians to stay home and adhere to public health measures. “As a matter of fact, this is the most serious situation we’ve ever been in — ever — since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, echoed Ford’s warning.
“Today’s numbers are, to be frank, they’re scary,” Dr. Jaffe said. “It’s going the wrong way. We have more and more people hospitalized, more and more people in ICU, more and more people on ventilators. The hospitals are starting to have to cut back on elective surgeries and other very important procedures that require ICU care. They’re starting to have to move patients between hospitals.”
Dr. Jaffe said there are an increasing number of outbreaks in congregate care, particularly in long-term care, as well as increased positivity rates even in children. She added that, with the more contagious UK variant of COVID-19 now in Ontario, the province is in a “very serious situation.”
“We need to consider all possible measures to contain this infection,” she said. “We don’t want more people dying. We don’t want the ICUs overwhelmed. We don’t want morgues overwhelmed. We don’t want to scare people, but on the other hand I think there’s too much complacency.”
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Today’s record increase of 4,249 new cases includes 450 cases from Toronto, mainly from January 5 and 6, that were not previously counted due to a data upload delay. However, even excluding these cases, the total case count for today is still a record-breaking 3,799, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 253 to 3,394.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 27 new cases to report and 29 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 1 to 188. Another new COVID-related death is being reported in Kawartha Lakes.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (1,382, which includes the 450 previously unreported cases). Peel (691), York (427), Niagara (213), Windsor-Essex (184), Hamilton (175), Durham (170), Ottawa (154), Waterloo (147), and Halton (134).
There are double-digit increases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (85), Simcoe Muskoka (75), Lambton (56), Middlesex-London (53), Eastern Ontario (45), Brant (41), Southwestern (40), Huron Perth (31), Grey Bruce (20), Haldimand-Norfolk (20), Sudbury (13), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (13), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (12), Renfrew (12), and Chatham-Kent (10), with smaller increases in Thunder Bay (8), Peterborough (8), Northwestern (7), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (7), and Porcupine (6).
The remaining 4 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all reporting at least 1 case.
Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,618) among people ages 20-39, followed by 1,217 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,738 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.5% to 84.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased since yesterday by 0.1% to 6.2%, meaning that 62 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 6.
Ontario is reporting 26 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 15 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have decreased by 26 to 1,472. With 6 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 368 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 5 more COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 250 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 73,067 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 7,285 to 73,067. A total of 87,563 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 14,932 daily doses administered and 4,053 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses).
Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the provincial shutdown, there will be no data to report for schools in southern Ontario until January 26. There are 28 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 15 from yesterday, with 14 cases among children and 14 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 27 new cases to report, including 9 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, 6 in Northumberland, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Haliburton. None of the new cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There is 1 new COVID-related death to report in Kawartha Lakes — the third death in three days. While none of the three deaths are related, the health unit reports those who have died were all high-risk contacts of confirmed cases.
An additional 29 cases have been resolved, including 12 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton.
There are currently 188 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 1 from yesterday, including 82 in Peterborough, 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Northumberland, 27 in Hastings Prince Edward (6 in Quinte West, 13 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 4 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 423 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (336 resolved with 5 deaths), 303 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (239 resolved with 35 deaths), 288 in Northumberland County (252 resolved with 3 deaths), 36 in Haliburton County (32 resolved with no deaths), and 325 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (293 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 8.
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: 423 (increase of 9) Active cases: 82 (decrease of 3) Close contacts: 165 (increase of 10) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 336 (increase of 12) Hospitalizations (total to date): 16 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 39,800 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan (no change)
*As of January 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. An exact number is 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.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 627, including 303 in Kawartha Lakes, 288 in Northumberland, and 36 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton)* Active cases: 80, including 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 2) Probable cases: 2, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes (net decrease of 1) High-risk contacts: 138, including 49 in Kawartha Lakes, 61 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton (net increase of 8)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 26, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 38, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (increase of 1, in Kawartha Lakes) Resolved: 523, including 239 in Kawartha Lakes, 252 in Northumberland, 32 in Haliburton (increase of 11, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope (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 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 8, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 325 (increase of 6) Active cases: 27 (no change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 2 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 293 (increase of 6) Swabs completed: 30,188 (increase of 1) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 208,394 (increase of 4,249)* Resolved: 175,309 (increase of 2,738, 84.1% of all cases) Positivity rate: 6.2% (increase of 0.1%) Hospitalized: 1,446 (decrease of 26) Hospitalized and in ICU: 369 (increase of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 250 (increase of 8) Deaths: 4,882 (increase of 26) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,943 (increase of 15) Total tests completed: 8,366,403 (increase of 71,481) Tests under investigation: 73,067 (increase of 7,285) Vaccinations: 14,932 daily doses administered, 87,563 total doses administered, 4,053 total vaccinations completed (2 doses)
*This total includes around 450 cases in Toronto, mainly from January 5 and 6, that were not previously counted due to a data upload delay. Excluding these cases, the total case count for today is 3,799.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 8, 2020 – January 7, 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 December 8, 2020 – January 7, 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 December 8, 2020 – January 7, 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 December 8, 2020 – January 7, 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)
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEEPO) has purchased the Leslie M. Frost Natural Resource Centre in Haliburton County for $3.2 million. The 40.63-acre property has 1,480 feet frontage along Highway 35 and 2,800 feet of shore line on St. Nora Lake. It includes 21 buildings that can accommodate more than 200 people in a mix of dorm-style rooms and cottages, a full kitchen, dining, hall, and recreation centre. (Photo: CBRE Limited Real Estate Brokerage)
In an twist of irony, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEEPO) has bought the historic Leslie M. Frost Natural Resource Centre in Haliburton County for $3.2 million.
The Ontario government — which had used the centre in the past to train government staff, including many OPSEU members, before closing it in 2004 — put the property up for sale in October with an asking price of $1.1 million.
“The property is an absolute gem,” states OPSEU president Smokey Thomas in an announcement on Friday (January 8) from the union, which represents 170,000 public sector workers.
“From training forest rangers in the 1920s to training our members and leaders in the 2020s, this property will serve OPSEU/SEEPO’s hardworking members so that they can continue to support our province, its people, and its economy.”
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OPSEU states the $3.2 million purchase price was approved earlier this week by the OPSEU’s executive board. It is unknown whether there were competing offers on the property that resulted in the purchase price being $2.1 million over asking.
According to OPSEU first vice-president and treasurer Eddy Almeida, preserving the integrity of the site is of “utmost importance” to the union.
“We’ve got a huge opportunity but also a real duty here,” he says. “A duty to preserve the property’s integrity, respect the environment, and be good to neighbours working closely with the rural community in Haliburton County.”
The Frost Centre sits on a 40.63-acre property with 1,480 feet frontage along Highway 35 and 2,800 feet of shore line on St. Nora Lake. (Photo: CBRE Limited Real Estate Brokerage)
“We look forward to joining with our community partners to reinvigorate the Frost Centre,” Almeida adds. “We know the centre’s impressive history and its true value, and we’re committed to breathing new life and purpose into this property, to serve our members and the broader community at large.”
The 40.63-acre property, which was sold “as is”, has 1,480 feet frontage along Highway 35 and 2,800 feet of shore line on St. Nora Lake. It includes 21 buildings that can accommodate more than 200 people in a mix of dorm-style rooms and cottages, a full kitchen, dining, hall, and recreation centre.
The buildings are in poor condition as they haven’t been maintained for the past 10 years. There are multiple easements on the property, including for access to a public dock and boat launch.
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Commonly called the Frost Centre, it first opened in 1921 as a training facility for provincial forest rangers. In 1944, the Ontario government and the University of Toronto Faculty of Forestry entered into a partnership to create the Ontario Forest Technical Training School on the site.
In 1974, then-Premier Bill Davis announced the site would be developed as an environmental and resource management education centre and would be called The Leslie M. Frost Natural Resources Centre, after the province’s 16th premier. It was used as a training centre for government staff, as well as by school groups, wildlife organizations, eco-tourism groups, and more.
In 2004, the Liberal government of the time announced it was closing the centre to save around $1.2 million in annual operating costs, including laying off OPSEU members who were working at the centre, prompting public outrage. More than 26,000 people had visited the centre in its last year of operation.
The property boundaries of the Frost Centre in Haliburton County. (Photo: CBRE Limited Real Estate Brokerage)
The centre closed on July 13, 2004. In response to the controversy around closing the centre, the government announced it would lease the property for “environmental and outdoor education activities” rather than sell it.
Led by area cottager and former IBM executive Al Aubry, the not-for-profit Frost Centre Institute was established on the property in 2007, where it offered an educational summer camp, a conference centre, and environmental programming.
The Frost Centre Institute closed in 2010, after operating a deficit for three years, largely due to high expenses during the winter months when the centre was hardly used.
The Ontario government then put the property up for sale, but was unsuccessful in selling it. The government has been paying for basic maintenance of the property ever since.
Premier Doug Ford responding to a reporter's question about whether students will return to school during a media conference on January 7, 2021. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
As Ontario reports a new record high of 3,519 cases and 89 deaths, the provincial government has announced online learning for all elementary students in southern Ontario will be extended until Monday, January 25th — the same date when secondary school students are scheduled to return to class.
Elementary sudents were originally scheduled to return to schools for in-person learning on Monday, January 11th.
At a media conference earlier today, Premier Doug Ford said the positivity rate among children has spiked since schools closed before the holidays. In late November and early December, the positivity rate for kids aged 12 to 13 years old was 5.4 per cent; in early January, it has climbed to nearly 20 per cent.
“One in every five children under the age of 13, they’re testing positive,” Ford said. “That’s not mentioning all the other kids that haven’t been tested, that might have a runny nose or cough. I will never, ever put our kids in jeopardy.”
The government attributes the increase in cases to children being infected while at home over the holidays, when some families ignored public health advice and got together with others not in their households. Targeted testing done among students and staff in December has confirmed that schools are not a significant source of transmission. To support families during this extended school closure, child care centres, and home-based child care services will remain open.
With cases rising in northern communities, the government is also extending the shutdown in northern Ontario for another 14 days, until at least January 23, aligning with the shutdown period in southern Ontario. However, elementary students in northern Ontario will return to in-person learning on Monday, January 11th.
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With today’s record-high increase in new cases, the seven-day average of daily cases across the province has increased by 76 to 3,141. Of Ontario’s 34 public health units, 10 are reporting new cases in the triple digits.
The province is also reporting 89 deaths — the highest single-day number of COVID-related deaths since the pandemic began — including 43 deaths in long-term care homes and the second death in Kawartha Lakes in just two days.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 31 new cases to report and 29 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 8 from yesterday to 189.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (891), Peel (568), York (457), Windsor-Essex (208), Waterloo (175), Durham (174), Ottawa (164), Hamilton (146), Middlesex-London (115), and Niagara (112).
There are double-digit increases in Halton (95), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (90), Simcoe Muskoka (78), Eastern Ontario (36), Brant (27), Southwestern (22), Chatham-Kent (19), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (17), Grey Bruce (16), Northwestern (15), Algoma (12), Peterborough (12), Huron Perth (12), Haldimand-Norfolk (11), North Bay Parry Sound (10), and Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (10), with smaller increases in Sudbury (9) and Thunder Bay (7).
The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Renfrew) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 50.4% are among people older than 40, with the highest number of cases (1,289) among people ages 20-39, followed by 1,051 cases among people ages 40-59, 514 cases among people ages 60-79, and 448 cases among people ages 19 and under. With 2,776 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 84.6%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased since yesterday by 2.4% to 6.1%, meaning that 61 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 6.
Ontario is reporting a record-high 89 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 43 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 9 to 1,472. With 2 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 363 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 4 fewer COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 242 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 65,772 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 10,288 to 65,772. A total of 72,631 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 12,251 daily doses administered and 2,173 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses).
Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the provincial shutdown, there will be no data to report for Ontario schools until January 25. There are 43 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 14 from yesterday, with 16 cases among children and 27 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 31 new cases to report, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Peterborough, 7 in Northumberland, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases in Haliburton. None of the new cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There has been 1 new COVID-related death in Kawartha Lakes — the second in two days — with 1 new hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes. There is also 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough.
An additional 29 cases have been resolved, including 9 in Hastings Prince Edward, 8 in Peterborough, 8 in Northumberland, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.
There are currently 189 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 8 from yesterday, including 85 in Peterborough, 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 30 in Northumberland, 27 in Hastings Prince Edward (8 in Quinte West, 14 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 2 in Central Hastings), and 5 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 414 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (324 resolved with 5 deaths), 297 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (234 resolved with 34 deaths), 281 in Northumberland County (248 resolved with 3 deaths), 35 in Haliburton County (30 resolved with no deaths), and 319 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (287 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 7.
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: 414 (increase of 8) Active cases: 85 (decrease of 7) Close contacts: 175 (increase of 8) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 324 (increase of 15) Hospitalizations (total to date): 17 (increase of 1)* Total tests completed: Over 39,650 (increase of 50) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan (no change)
*The health unit is reporting no additional hospitalizations. However, as of January 7, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports a total of 4 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit. This is an increase of 1 from yesterday.
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 statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 613, including 297 in Kawartha Lakes, 281 in Northumberland, and 35 in Haliburton (increase of 20, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes and 7 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 78, including 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 30 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (net increase of 6) Probable cases: 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (no change) High-risk contacts: 130, including 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 65 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton (net decrease of 18)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 26, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)*** Deaths: 37, including 34 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (increase of 1, in Kawartha Lakes) Resolved: 512, including 234 in Kawartha Lakes, 248 in Northumberland, 30 in Haliburton (increase of 23, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope (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 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 7, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 319 (increase of 3) Active cases: 27 (decrease of 6) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 2 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 287 (increase of 9) Swabs completed: 30,187 (increase of 2) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 204,145 (increase of 3,519) Resolved: 172,571 (increase of 2,776, 84.5% of all cases) Positivity rate: 6.1% (decrease of 2.4%) Hospitalized: 1,472 (increase of 9) Hospitalized and in ICU: 363 (increase of 2) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 242 (decrease of 4) Deaths: 4,856 (increase of 89) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,928 (increase of 43) Total tests completed: 8,294,922 (increase of 65,772) Tests under investigation: 65,772 (increase of 10,288) Vaccinations: 12,251 daily doses administered, 72,631 total doses administered, 2,173 total vaccinations completed (2 doses)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 7, 2020 – January 6, 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 December 7, 2020 – January 6, 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 December 7, 2020 – January 6, 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 December 7, 2020 – January 6, 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)
Northumberland OPP and Cramahe Township Fire Department vehicles responding to a house fire in the town of Colborne on January 6, 2021, which claimed the life of a 45-year-old woman. (Photo; OPP)
A 45-year-old woman is dead following a house fire in the town of Colborne on Wednesday (January 6).
At around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, Northumberland OPP were notified of a fire at a home on Norton Lane.
Shortly after police arrived at the scene, Cramahe Township Fire Department also arrived and removed a female occupant from the blaze.
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Northumberland paramedics transported her to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
The OPP have since identified the victim as Tanya Skeew Hawk, 45, of Cramahe Township in Northumberland County.
OPP secured the location while the Office of the Fire Marshal conducted an investigation.
The fire has been deemed non suspicious in nature.
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