Public health nurse Simone Jackson wearing personal protective equipment as she prepares to open a swab to test a patient for COVID-19 in Peterborough Public Health's clinic. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health)
Peterborough Public Health is reporting three new cases of COVID 19 in its catchment area, including a resident of the Riverview Manor long-term care residence who is now in self-isolation at the Water Street facility.
During a media briefing on Friday (April 3), Peterborough Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra noted there have now been 41 positive cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha. Six of those cases have since been resolved, including that of a member of the Peterborough Police Service who tested positive on March 27 after returning home from a trip abroad.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is now available by calling directly. Based on the results of your self-assessment, contact the centre directly by phone at 705-876-5086 to determine whether an appointment is required. This phone line is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
If symptoms are severe, please call 911 and alert the dispatcher to your travel history and symptoms.
According to the Peterborough Police Service, the member completed the self-assessment questionnaire on returning home and immediately self-isolated before contacting Peterborough Public Health for testing followed by continued self-isolation. The member, who has had no interaction with work colleagues or the public, is now awaiting clearance to return to work.
To date, 842 COVID-19 tests have been conducted locally with results awaited on 267 of those tested. Another 534 cases have been confirmed negative.
Regarding the Riverview Manor situation, Dr. Salvaterra said COVID-19 tests on three other residents have come back negative with test results on five more residents pending. In addition, five employees have been tested with a negative result reported for one.
“There’s a great deal of activity and interaction (involving long-term care and seniors’ residences),” said Dr. Salvaterra when asked if lessons are being learned from tragedies occurring at other Ontario homes, most notably Pinecrest in Bobcaygeon where 15 residents have now died from COVID-19 related illness.
“We established a community of practice with all of our long-term care facilities and retirement homes weeks ago. We have been engaging with them. We’ve been meeting with them virtually. We’ve been sharing the guidance. We actually had an inspector out doing a checklist with all of our long-term care homes to make sure they are in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures. It is very much an active area of our work and we have dedicated some our best staff to work with these partners.”
Dr. Salvaterra also spoke to the blunt message delivered from Queen’s Park Friday afternoon (April 3) that was as clear as it is alarming: if Ontarians continue to follow physical distancing and other measures in place to lessen the effects of COVID-19, 3,000 to 15,000 will die from the virus.
However, warned Dr. Adalsteinn Brown of the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, if Ontarians let their guard down and stop following public health measures, that figure could rise to 100,000 before the pandemic has run its course which, according to Dr. Peter Donnelly, head of Public Health Ontario, could take as long as 18 months to two years.
“This data paints a picture of the value of what we’re doing, the importance of what we’re doing, and the impact of what we’re doing … we are saving lives,” she says.
“We’re also trying to protect our health care system so we do have enough capacity to take care of those who will get sick.”
Dr. Brown, Dr. Donnelly, and Dr. Matthew Anderson, head of Ontario Health addressed the media, based their forecasts on modelling and projection data compiled to date, and extensively analyzed as per Premier Doug Ford’s direction that the Province be as transparent as possible as to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and its anticipated toll.
As for the area served by the other health unit in the Kawarthas (Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, which includes Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton), the latest numbers from Friday (April 3) indicate there have been 65 positive cases reported and 17 deaths (with 15 deaths associated with the outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home). Of the total positive cases, 50 are in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 14 are in Northumberland County, and one is in Haliburton County.
Ontario is projecting between 3,000 and 15,000 deaths over the next two years, based on modelling projections for the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario.
Dr. Peter Donnelly, president and CEO of Public Health Ontario, led a technical briefing for the media on Friday (April 3) to explain the models. Matthew Anderson, president and CEO of Ontario Health, and Steini Brown, dean of the University of Toronto’s public health department, also participated.
Donnelly says the modelling projections are based on Ontario doing everything it can to contain COVID-19 over the projected length of the pandemic, which is between 18 months and two years.
“We can change the outcome for the province by staying home and physically distancing from one another,” Donnelly said. “We need everyone to stay focused in the weeks ahead.”
He said that, if Ontario had done nothing, the number of deaths would have been as high as 100,000.
The range of 3,000 and 15,000 deaths depends on whether stricter public health measures can be implemented.
Projected Ontario Deaths over Course of COVID-19 Pandemic (18-24 months)
As of Thursday (April 2), the official count of COVID-19 deaths in Ontario is 67. Donnelly said the mortality rate from COVID-19 in Ontario is 16 per cent in those over the age of 80, compared to 20 per cent globally.
Around 1,350 Ontarians die every year from seasonal influenza, Donnelly pointed out. However, the mortality rate from COVID-19 is 10 times higher than the seasonal flu since there is no vaccine and no treatment so far.
Based on modelling, Ontario will have 1,600 deaths from COVID-19 by the end of April, but that could be as low as 200 if all residents follow public health guidelines. Without any intervention, the death count would have been 6,000 by the end of April.
Dr. Peter Donnelly, president and CEO of Public Health Ontario, speaking during a media briefing about Ontario’s COVID-19 projection modelling on April 3, 2020. (Screenshot)
Ontario is also projected to have 80,000 positive COVID-19 cases by the end of April based on current intervention measures, but it could be reduced to 12,500 cases if stricter measures are implemented. Without any intervention at all, the number of positive cases would have been as high as 300,000 in April.
A slide deck was presented during the media conference with details of the projections. You can download a PDF version.
“We need you to help us change the outcomes for Ontarians by staying at home and physically distancing,” the deck reads. “Our public health measures so far have made a difference and we need everyone to stay focused on these: stay home, stop the spread, stay safe.”
Future additional public health measures could reduce both the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths. These include:
Reduce the number and types of essential workplaces.
Enhance focus on enforcement and fines for non-compliance.
Expand direction/guidance on physical distancing, including retail settings.
Enhanced support for elderly, homeless and other vulnerable populations and communities.
Consider entry restrictions in some communities including First Nations.
Human resource management (movement of health care workers between settings).
Use of technology to reinforce self-isolation (alerts).
Additional public education and communication (shelter in place with limited exceptions).
The slide deck also provided a best and worst case scenario for Ontario’s capacity of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. Currently, 410 additional ICU beds are available for COVID-19 patients, in addition to those beds already filled by COVID-19 patients. An expansion of another 900 ICU beds is already planned for additional COVID-19 patients.
Ontario ICU Capacity for COVID-19
In the best case scenario, where the curve is flattened, these 900 additional beds would be enough to treat COVID-19 patients requiring an ICU bed during the month of April and beyond. However, in the worst case scenario, where the curve is not flattened, the ICU beds would be filled by April 15th and, by April 30th, there would be a shortage of 2,200 ICU beds.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Canadian Canoe Museum has announced it will remain closed until approximately June 30, 2020. Most of the museum's staff will be temporarily laid off as a result. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The local impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to extend into late spring and summer.
The Canadian Canoe Museum — Canada’s national canoe museum — has announced it will now remain closed until the end of June.
The museum, located at 910 Monaghan Road in Peterborough, made the announcement on Friday (April 3).
“At this time, we will be extending the closure until approximately June 30,” reads a statement from museum executive director Carolyn Hyslop and museum board chair John Ronson. “Between now and then, we will be following daily developments, along with the direction of public health officials. We look forward to reopening as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The museum says the decision to remain closed has an “incredible impact”, including the loss of most of the museum’s revenue and temporary staff layoffs.
“Similar to some of the challenges being faced by cultural organizations across the country and beyond, the closure of our museum means no admission fees, events or fundraising, school group visits, space rentals, store sales, or workshops,” Hyslop and Ronson write. “This equates to an 85 per cent reduction in revenue and in turn, the requirement to issue temporary layoff notices to the majority of our staff members.”
The museum and its galleries have been closed to the public since Saturday, March 14th, and all initiatives and programming was postponed. The museum had tentatively planned to reopen on Monday, April 6th, but this was before more recent COVID-19 developments.
“While this step will ensure the financial sustainability of the organization on the other side of the closure, it was one of the most difficult we have ever had to take,” Hyslop and Ronson write.
“To say that our staff members are completely committed and dedicated to our organization is an absolute understatement. These caring, creative individuals go above and beyond as they take every opportunity to share the stories the collection carries, and they are a critical component of our organization.”
The museum has also relied on 180 volunteers, who contribute to every area of the museum’s operation. Hyslop and Ronson say the museum will keep in touch with volunteers during the closure.
Ronson and Hyslop also write that, while the museum is closed, a small team will maintain communication with stakeholders and supporters and ensure the museum’s collection of watercraft is cared for.
The team will also continue planning for the new museum to be built beside the Peterborough Lift Lock, although it is not yet clear how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect those plans.
The Ontario government's new online portal at covid-19.ontario.ca allows citizens to take an enhanced COVID-19 self-assessment and, if they have been tested for COIVD-19, to check their lab test results.
The Ontario government has launched a new online portal where citizens can take an enhanced COVID-19 self-assessment and, if they have been tested for COIVD-19, check their lab test results.
By offering citizens faster and secure access to their test results, the government says the website at covid-19.ontario.ca will ease some of the pressure on public health units and front-line workers to provide this information.
The new website includes an enhanced self-assessment tool with more specific instructions for people who have returned to Canada in the past month or have higher risks associated with getting COVID-19.
Patients checking their lab test results will be asked to verify their identity with the information on their photo health card. The portal will then provide patients with their test results and offer guidance on next steps.
“With this new portal, patients will be able to access their test results faster from the safety of their home,” says Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “It will help reduce the burden on our public health units and front-line health workers, allowing them to focus their efforts where they are needed most during this challenging time.”
Ontario is also issuing a new emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act that, effective immediately, gives health units the authority and flexibility they need to make staffing decisions, regardless of any collective agreements that may have previously restricted these decisions.
The government says this will give public health units the ability to significantly expand their capacity to implement critical public health functions (such as case and contact management) through the use of volunteers, including medical students and retired nurses.
The government also says the new emergency order will support the recommendation made by Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, for all public health units to implement more aggressive contact tracing and management in response to the increase of community transmission. The government is also encouraging the province’s medical officers of health to use their authority under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act to ensure isolation of cases and contacts of COVID-19.
“We are at a critical juncture in our fight against COVID-19,” said Elliott. “Our success as a province depends on our ability to quickly and effectively stop the spread of this new virus. These actions offer considerable support to our local health units and give them the authority they need to act and contain COVID-19 in our communities.”
Ontario's entire legislated fire region is designated as a restricted fire zone effective April 3, 2020. Ontario's legislated fire region is a series of 36 zones stretching from northern Ontario to central and eastern Ontario. In the Kawarthas, the fire region includes Haliburton County and northern portions of Hastings County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Peterborough County. Residents who live in the restricted fire zone cannot have an outdoor fire of any kind. This includes burning of grass, debris, and campfires — even when using an outdoor fire grate, fire place, or fire pit.
If you’re looking forward to heading up north to have a campfire at the cottage, you are going to be disappointed.
UPDATE
The Ontario government lifted the restricted fire zone designation on May 16, 2020.
On Thursday (April 2), the Ontario government announced that Ontario’s entire legislated fire region will be designated as a restricted fire zone effective April 3rd.
Residents who live in the restricted fire zone cannot have an outdoor fire of any kind. This includes burning of grass, debris, and campfires — even when using an outdoor fire grate, fire place, or fire pit.
Ontario’s legislated fire region is a series of 36 zones stretching from all of northern Ontario to portions of central Ontario.
In the Kawarthas, the fire region includes Haliburton County and northern portions of Hastings County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Peterborough County (see map below).
The restricted fire zone does not extend outside of the fire region. For example, southern Peterborough County including the City of Peterborough is not in the fire region. However, municipalities outside of the fire region may have their own by-laws.
For example, the City of Peterborough has always had a by-law prohibiting outdoor open-air burning. Only Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) approved appliances such as fire bowls, fire-pit tables, and barbecues that burn propane or natural gas are permitted. Chimineas and other wood-burning devices are not approved appliances for open-air fires in Peterborough.
The entirety of Ontario’s legislated fire region has been designated as a restricted fire zone effective April 3, 2020 until further notice. The Ontario government made the decision to support emergency responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Graphic: Government of Ontario)
The Ontario government made the decision to support emergency responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During this very challenging time when we are fighting the spread of the virus, our number one priority is the health and safety of the people of Ontario,” said John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. “We are putting these important preventative measures in place now to ensure that our emergency responders are able to focus their efforts where they are needed most.”
If you need heat for cooking and warmth and you’re in a restricted fire zone, you can only use certain equipment — such as a portable gas stove or propane stove — if you follow certain rules.
Failure to comply with the law in a a restricted fire zone could result in a fine up to $25,000, three months in jail, and financial responsibility for any costs incurred in fighting a forest fire.
This restriction will remain in place until Ontario’s ability to respond to emergencies is no longer impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Here is the southern border of the restricted fire zone in the Kawarthas region. Everything in the cross-hatched area is within the restricted fire zone, which went into effect April 3, 2020 until further notice. The Ontario government made the decision to support emergency responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Graphic: Government of Ontario)
Local municipalities are working to update their websites with information for residents.
The town of Bobcaygeon in the City of Kawartha Lakes has been devastated by the deaths of 14 residents so far at Pinecrest Nursing Home due to COVID-19. Local tribute band The Tragically Hits has organized a porch sing-along of The Tragically Hip's song "Bobcaygeon" on April 5, 2020 in a show of solidarity. (Photo: Kawarthas Northumberland / RT08)
Last Thursday afternoon (March 26), Canadians from across the country were asked to join together to sing The Tragically Hip’s song “Courage” from their balconies, porches, and bedrooms. The day before, Montreal comedian Joey Elias has put the call out on his Twitter account, which was retweeted by former Tragically Hip members Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair.
Now, members of local cover band The Tragically Hits have put out a call for Canadians to come together to sing The Tragically Hip’s song “Bobcaygeon” at 6 p.m. this Sunday (April 5th).
The Tragically Hits’ rhythm guitarist Richard Kyle, a Bobcaygeon resident, tells kawarthaNOW that “Sing Bobcaygeon From Your Front Porch” is intended to be a show of solidarity with the town.
“We hope you will help spread word of this event and then join us from your porch, balcony, or deck as we spread a positive message to a community that could really use the show of support at this time,” Kyle writes in an email.
A hearse departs Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon on March 31, 2020. As of April 4, 22 residents of the home have died from COVID-19. (Photo: Fred Thornhill / The Canadian Press)
Bobcaygeon has been devastated by the many deaths of residents at Pinecrest Nursing Home, located just south of the downtown area, as well as the death of Bobcaygeon resident Jean Pollock, who was the wife of one of the home’s residents, from COVID-19. The large number of deaths (22 as of Saturday, April 4th) has received national attention.
A group of concerned Bobcaygeon citizens has created the Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund to help patients, families, and health care workers affected by COVID-19 in Bobcaygeon and the surrounding area. The Kawartha Art Gallery has made a $2,500 donation to the fund in honour Pollock, who was a long-time volunteer of the gallery and a member of the gallery’s board.
Kyle says Tragically Hip guitarist Paul Langlois will be participating in Sunday’s event, singing from his own porch. For more information about the sing-along, visit the Facebook event page.
Bobcaygeon will be sung this Sunday at 6pm Keri. There's a group of people from there who are organising and promoting it on facebook. I'll be back on my porch again then to sing along with them. The fb link to it that I have doesn't work it seems, but I'm sure you can find it!! https://t.co/7gwKEn0ewv
Syd Birrell, artistic director of the Peterborough Singers, says the choir has an arrangement of “Bobcaygeon” by choir member David Geene, and that each member of the choir will be joining the sing-along from their own porches using that arrangement.
To encourage everyone to participate, including those who might not be familiar with “Bobcaygeon”, we’ve put together some resources below, including the official video, lyrics, and the story behind the song. We’ve also included more information about the Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund, if you wish to donate to help those in need in Bobcaygeon.
I left your house this morning
About a quarter after nine
Coulda been the Willie Nelson
Coulda been the wine
When I left your house this morning
It was a little after nine
It was in Bobcaygeon, I saw the constellations
Reveal themselves one star at time
Drove back to town this morning
With working on my mind
I thought of maybe quittin’
Thought of leaving it behind
Went back to bed this morning
And as I’m pulling down the blind
Yeah, the sky was dull and hypothetical
And fallin’ one cloud at a time
That night in Toronto
With its checkerboard floors
Riding on horseback
And keepin’ order restored
Til The Men They Couldn’t Hang
Stepped to the mic and sang
And their voices rang with that Aryan twang
I got to your house this mornin’
Just a little after nine
In the middle of that riot
Couldn’t get you off my mind
So I’m at your house this mornin’
Just a little after nine
Cause it was in Bobcaygeon where I saw the constellations
Reveal themselves one star at time
The story behind the song
The Tragically Hip released Bobcaygeon in February 1999 as a single from their sixth album Phantom Power. The song went on to win the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000 and has since become one of the band’s most enduring and beloved signature songs.
The song is named after Bobcaygeon, Ontario, a town in the City of Kawartha Lakes about 160 kilometres northeast of Toronto. According to The Tragically Hip’s frontman Gord Downie (who died from brain cancer in October 2017 at the age of 53), the song was not specifically written about the town itself, but rather any small town. He chose Bobcaygeon mainly because it was the only place name he could find that came close to rhyming with the word “constellation”.
The song’s narrator works as a police officer in Toronto (although the police uniform in the video is generic). He’s thinking about quitting his stressful job as he drives back to Toronto from Bobcaygeon, where he sees “the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time” — in contrast to Toronto’s “dull and hypothetical” skies that are “falling one cloud at a time”.
In live performances, Downie referred to “Bobcaygeon” as a “cop love song”, although the gender and identity of the narrator’s love interest changed from performance to performance. In the original video, the police officer’s partner is female, but Downie sometimes introduced the song in concert as being “about a couple of gay cops that fall in love”.
A secondary theme of the song is about racism and anti-Semitism. Downie sometimes introduced the song with “This one asks the question: evil in the open or evil just below the surface?”. In the song’s official video, Rob Baker’s guitar has “This machine kills fascists” written on it.
The song’s bridge refers to the British rock band The Men They Couldn’t Hang performing at a concert at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern (which has checkerboard floors). When they begin to sing their song “Ghosts of Cable Street” (which is about the Battle of Cable Street riot in London in 1936) in an “Aryan twang” (a reference to Neo-Nazis), a similar brawl or riot appears to erupt between fascist and anti-fascist activists in the audience. The narrator, who is mounted on horseback, keeps thinking of his lover in Bobcaygeon while he’s dealing with the rioters.
Another common interpretation of the lyrics in the bridge is that they refer to the Christie Pits riot of Toronto in 1933, when a group of fascists from a Toronto gang called the Swastika Club brawled with a group of young Jewish men after a baseball game. A similar public brawl in Toronto between the Neo-Nazi group Heritage Front and Anti-Racist Action happened in 1993, just a few years before Downie wrote the song.
VIDEO: “Bobcaygeon” Trailer
The Tragically Hip performed in Bobcaygeon for the first time on June 24, 2011, during The Big Music Fest that was attended by 25,000 people. Director Andy Keen documented the band’s appearance is his 2012 film Bobcaygeon.
On the final night of The Tragically Hip’s the Man Machine Poem Tour, which saw the band’s concert in Kingston broadcast nationally by CBC Television, the town of Bobcaygeon held a public viewing on its main street.
In addition to local residents, the event was also attended by a significant number of people who had made a pilgrimage to view the concert there because of the song. The “Concert Under the Constellations” event was the largest public event in the town’s history, garnered more widespread media coverage than any other public viewing party anywhere in Canada outside of Kingston, and a fundraising initiative during the event resulted in the largest single tour-related donation to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Trivia: the song’s reference to “Willie Nelson”, the legendary folk-country singer-songwriter, is also a slang reference to cannabis (Nelson is a frequent user).
Sources: Wikipedia, Stephen Dame of The Hip Museum
Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund
A health care worker at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ontario responds to passing cars honking support on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (Photo: Fred Thornhill / The Canadian Press)
A group of concerned Bobcaygeon citizens has created a fund to help patients, families, and health care workers affected by COVID-19 in Bobcaygeon and the surrounding area.
The fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes and advised by members of the Bobcaygeon community under the leadership of City of Kawartha Lakes councillor Kathleen Seymour-Fagan, is intended to provide eligible recipients with immediate assistance, including food supplies, transportation, technology, hiring and overtime costs, and mental wellness counselling.
The eligibility of each recipient will be determined collaboratively by the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes and the Bobcaygeon advisors. The approach to determine the eligibility of the recipients of the fund will be accountable as well as generous and inclusive.
As of April 4, 2020, 22 residents of Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon have died from COVID-19. Jean Pollock, the 82-year-old wife of one of the residents who frequently visited her husband before the COVID-19 outbreak was confirmed, also died on March 28. 2020 at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. (Photo submitted by Pam Smith)
The Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes will supply the funds to local businesses, charities, and municipal bodies to deliver the funded goods and services to those identified in need. All activities undertaken will align with the objectives of the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes and charitable purposes as defined by the Canadian Revenue Agency.
To make a donation to the Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund, contact foundation coordinator Margaret Cunningham at 705-731-9775 or nfo@kawarthafoundation.ca.
Bobcaygeon and area patients, families, and health care workers in need should contact Seymour-Fagan at kseymourfagan@kawarthalakes.ca.
This story was updated to include information about the Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Public health nurse Julie Brandsma dons a mask as she prepares to test a patient for COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health)
After two consecutive days with no increase in cases, 10 new positive cases of COVID-19 are being reported by Peterborough Public Health, bringing to 38 the total number of positive cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha.
During her daily media briefing on Thursday (April 2), Peterborough Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra noted while the outbreak at St. Joseph’s at Fleming remains “under control,” there are now three positive cases connected with the home off Brealey Drive — two residents and one employee.
“We have not been able to establish a link for the cases (at St. Joseph’s at Fleming), so community transmission is possible,” notes Dr. Salvaterra, adding none of 10 new positive cases “appear to be” to be the result of community transition, although information on each case is still be compiled.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is now available by calling directly. Based on the results of your self-assessment, contact the centre directly by phone at 705-876-5086 to determine whether an appointment is required. This phone line is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
If symptoms are severe, please call 911 and alert the dispatcher to your travel history and symptoms.
To date, 820 COVID-19 tests have been conducted locally with results awaited on 291 of those tested. Another 491 cases have been confirmed negative with five positive cases now resolved.
As for the area served by the other health unit in the Kawarthas (Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, which includes Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton), the latest numbers from Wednesday (April 1) indicate there have been 64 positive cases reported and 13 deaths (with 11 associated with the outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home). Of the total positive cases, 48 are in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 15 are in Northumberland County, and one is in Haliburton County.
Do not flush sanitary wipes, even if they claim to be flushable, down your toilet. Flushing anything other than human waste and toilet paper can create blockages in the pipes leaving your home or the sewage system, resulting in backups and floods. Instead, bag the used items into a sealed bag and properly disposed of the bag in your garbage.
If you’ve been forced to use paper products other than toilet paper for personal hygiene, don’t flush these down your toilet.
That’s because anything other than toilet paper is not designed to be flushed down the toilet. Tissues, paper towels, napkins, and sanitary wipes — even those that claim to be flushable — all have plastic binders to increase their strength.
This means that these paper products do not break down or disintegrate when you flush them, and they can result in blockages both in the pipes leaving your home and in sewage treatment plants and pumping stations.
In a media release, the City of Peterborough reports that its wastewater treatment plant experienced a plug in the screening system on Tuesday (March 31) that caused a backup of raw sewage within the system.
While there was no spillage, the system had to be cleared for treatment to continue. Other local blockages have occurred in multiple areas of Peterborough.
“These wipes are being incorrectly marketed as flushable,” warns Daryl Stevenson, supervisor of wastewater treatment in Peterborough. “They can cause serious blockages and result in property damage and flooding.”
Stevenson reminds everyone to only flush the “three Ps”: pee, poop, and toilet paper. Never flush baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, tissues, napkins, diapers, condoms, cigarette butts, or other items down the toilet.
And never pour fat, oil, or grease into drains or toilets. They build up over time and are a main cause of sewer backups; the same is the case for food scraps.
And remember, if you clog up the sewer pipes leaving your home, you will be responsible for paying to have the clog removed.
If you are using something other than toilet paper for wiping, put the used products into a sealed (and preferably compostable) bag and dispose of the bag in a garbage bin or pail or, better yet, compost the bag if you can.
Make sure these items are properly disposed of in your garbage to help protect the health and safety of staff who are handling the material. Refrain from placing loose hygiene items in any untied bag or loosely in a garbage pail. Curbside waste that has not been properly bagged may not be collected.
With public events cancelled and performance venues, bars and pubs, art galleries, and more all closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the local arts community is on life support. Spoken word artist Justin Million, shown here performing at The Twisted Wheel in September 2019, has recently had to cancel all scheduled National Poetry Month programming for his regular Show and Tell poetry series. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, segregated in our homes, people are finding community through the arts. Through screens we can watch intimate living room concerts from our favourite musicians, or catch full-length opera performances for free. We can take in digital works from visual artists, or retreat to a book. Through art, we are staying connected.
But what is happening to the artists whose work we are enjoying? What about the organizations whose livelihood depends on people getting together to enjoy art?
This is a time of hardship for many, but the arts sector is being particularly hard hit, which could have serious long-term implications for Peterborough’s arts scene and for the city as a whole. The arts are a major draw for the Peterborough community, home to more than 60 arts organizations and many independent artists.
Su Ditta is executive director of the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), an independent not-for-profit corporation mandated by the City of Peterborough to champion the development of the local arts, culture, and heritage community. She notes local arts organizations and artists not only create incredible audience experiences, but they also provide social benefits to the community.
Su Ditta, executive director of Electric City Culture Council (EC3), at the 2019 Peterborough Arts Awards. She wants EC3 to be at the table with the City of Peterborough when emergency relief money comes from the province, so that the significant economic and social impact of the arts is considered when it comes time to distribute relief money. (Photo: EC3)
“The arts are incredibly powerful medicine for social cohesion and community building, a creative engine that brings many different kinds of people together in a very innovative and uplifting experience of the arts,” Su explains. “We know that the social impacts on youth, seniors, and mental health are profound.”
According to numbers gathered by EC3, Peterborough’s arts organizations are also an economic engine. They collectively pump more than $5 million directly into the economy which, according to Su, leads to $100 million in economic spinoffs. Research compiled by Americans for the Arts demonstrates that the arts are proven to attract top talent to a community, build tourism, and promote innovation in the workforce.
In other words, when the arts sector suffers, the entire community suffers along with it.
A community in turmoil
This empty theatre at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough is only good for a photograph. With all upcoming performances cancelled or postponed until the fall, the non-profit organization has suffered a devastating loss of revenue to continue operations. (Photo: Bradley Boyle)
Now, some of Peterborough’s most prominent arts organizations are wondering whether they will be able to keep their doors open.
Chad Hogan, general manager of the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, is one of those concerned.
“COVID-19 has hit Market Hall with a devastating blow,” he admits. “It’s hurt not only our season, but our operations.”
Chad notes that community support is vitally important for the local arts sector in this time.
“In times like these, people turn to the arts for inspiration, hope, and even distraction. We hope the community will continue to rally support for Market Hall and the arts in Peterborough, now and after the pandemic.”
While the entire sector is facing unprecedented challenges, Su points out that venues are struggling now.
“Venues are very vulnerable because they have a huge physical facility that has to be taken care of, even though they have no revenues coming in from the box office,” she says. “They also may be losing sponsors, and they have rent to pay.”
Kate Story of The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough notes that, while they are in full support of social distancing protocols, it has left them facing an uncertain future.
Kate Story and Ryan Kerr of The Theatre on King during happier pre-pandemic times. Other than community donations, there’s no revenue coming in for the small black-box theatre in downtown Peterborough to pay its monthly rent. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
“We are a tiny black-box theatre — with huge community love and support,” Kate says. “People have been donating, and it’s amazing, but it’s hard to see how we will meet the monthly rent of the space.”
This problem is made worse by the uncertainty of when social distancing measures will end.
“How long will this continue? Nobody knows. We hope our reserves and the generous support we receive will be enough to cover the rent. We hope our city will announce some support for arts and culture. We hope the provincial and federal governments announce support for non-profits and the arts.”
Also located in downtown Peterborough, Artspace is also closed due to COVID-19. While staff are able to work from home and grant revenue is currently not under threat, executive director Jon Lockyer notes that the centre’s other income sources could be threatened. For instance, Delta Bingo and Gaming — which is now temporarily closed because of the pandemic — supports various local arts organizations including Artspace, Arbor Theatre, and 4th Line Theatre.
“Proceeds from Delta Bingo and Gaming are frozen until further notice,” he explains. “Other revenue streams for the centre such as fundraising and donations will be reassessed as time passes.”
To help support local artists, Public Energy Performing Arts has launched the Rewind Room, a new weekly livestream showcasing full and excerpted performances from Public Energy’s archives. A chance to virtually gather together and enjoy art, it will focus entirely on local artists, with the opportunity to donate to support these artists. The inaugural even features a performance by UKTI – Mithila Ballal and Ensemble, a celebratory performance of classical Indian dance and Bollywood, taking place the afternoon of Friday, April 3, 2020. UKTI is pictured here performing in the atrium at Peterborough Square on May 25, 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Public Energy Performing Arts executive director Bill Kimball says that, while they have had to cancel their upcoming performances, they haven’t been as hard hit as other groups.
“The people most greatly affected are the artists who would have received fees from these activities and the venues which would have received rental revenue,” he says.
Public Energy is paying a portion of the artist fees for the artists scheduled to perform at the 23rd annual Emergency Festival — originally scheduled to take place at the Market Hall and The Theatre on King over three days starting Friday, April 3rd — but Bill acknowledges that these artists will still face difficulties.
“For the most part these artists are out of work for the foreseeable future.”
To help support local artists, Public Energy has launched the Rewind Room, a new weekly livestream showcasing full and excerpted performances from the Public Energy archives. A chance to virtually gather together and enjoy art, it will focus entirely on local artists, while giving people the opportunity to donate to support these artists.
Of course, individual artists in all disciplines are facing unprecedented challenges because of COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, renowned local musician Rick Fines had a full summer of shows booked. Now he’s uncertain whether any of those bookings will be able to proceed.
Musician Rick Fines, who recently offered an online concert to his social media followers, has had 30 upcoming concerts cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: Jeremy Kelly)
“I have lost two tours and festivals right into June now,” Rick says. “I’m just waiting to hear from the later festivals and see what happens.”
He adds that many of his upfront expenses for the summer can’t be recuperated.
“Unfortunately, I only got a credit for the flights, not a refund. Also, I am just finishing up an album, so I have a lot of expenses and all of my income is gone.”
Poet Justin Million is also feeling the loss of festivals.
“I was supposed to launch my first trade book of poetry at VerseFest, Ottawa’s international poetry festival this past weekend, which was postponed.”
Performance artist Justin Million, shown performing at his regular Show and Tell poetry series before the COVID-19 lockdown, has recently had to cancel all scheduled National Poetry Month programming for the series. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Like Rick, Justin has had to cancel much of his upcoming work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including National Poetry Month programming for his reading series, Show and Tell Poetry Series, and a series of workshops with artists at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
That’s a significant amount of unpaid time also down the drain.
“The planning for all of these lost events or opportunities is simply lost time,” Justin says.
Artist Carolyn Code currently has a show at Atelier Ludmils Gallery. “It’s not the best time to be having a solo exhibition.” Pictured is her work “Tangle”, exhibited at Artsweek 2018. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Visual artists are also feeling the pressure. Carolyn Code currently has a show at the Atelier Ludmila Gallery at the Commerce Building in downtown Peterborough, where many local artists have studios and show work. It’s also a central destination for the First Friday art crawl, which has also been cancelled.
“It’s not the best time to be having a solo exhibition,” Carolyn admits.
Atelier Ludmila is in the process of creating online documentation of the show for those who have been unable to visit the gallery in person. Meanwhile, Carolyn has had to put her art practice on pause.
“My practice is currently on hold while I take care of a little one at home. We keep busy with lots of art and craft projects!”
Printmaker and graphic designer Jeff Macklin is also experiencing an interruption in work.
“My occasional design work fell off almost entirely,” he admits. Still, he forges on.
“We have to just keep moving forward. Otherwise we will have a lot less to look forward to when things return to whatever the new normal is.”
As you might expect, these artists are finding creative ways to work in a changed world. Rick has presented an online concert and is teaching music lessons online, while Justin has begun a new poetry series of sorts.
“I’ve been doing poetry reading on friends’ porches, while keeping the appropriate distance away, during this time to try and keep some sanity,” Justin says. “It’s almost working.”
Still, it’s uncertain how effective these strategies will be at building income, or even recuperating the costs that artists have lost.
Is relief at hand?
Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough is another non-profit organization that relies on performers renting the Erica Cherney Theatre and the Nexicom Studio. At the best of times, performance venues are just making ends meet. (Photo: Showplace)
EC3 hopes to be involved in conversations with the city when emergency relief money comes from the province.
“This is a key thing, that EC3 be at the table when the provincial money comes down and people are making decisions about how to disperse it,” Su says.
She is concerned that the significant economic and social impact of the arts won’t be considered when it comes time to distribute relief money.
“We want to be really certain that the arts sector isn’t viewed as a luxury item, and that any money is dispersed with the advice and guidance of a good cross-section of the community and by skilled professionals.”
EC3 is also advocating for rent relief for arts organizations renting municipal facilities, and the full reinstatement of the municipal property tax rebate for charitable organizations. The property tax is paid by the landlord then returned to the charitable organization by the city.
The city’s 2020 budget saw the previous rebate of 100 per cent pulled back to 95 per cent. While this is still well above the provincial standard, Su says that that extra money could make a big difference to charitable organizations struggling due to COVID-19.
In the meantime, EC3 has begun discussions with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough and some private donors on an emergency response and recovery package for the arts sector. That fund will be open to donations from the community.
But what can we do as art lovers? Su suggests reaching out.
“If you’re a fan or if you know the person, make personal contact with them. Send them an email, say you’re thinking of them, that it must be an extra hard time for them. Ask if there’s any small thing you can do to help.”
Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is a not-for-profit organization that champions the local arts, culture, and heritage community. Pictured is EC3 executive director Su Ditta, host of the Electric City Culturecast, interviewing spoken word artist Justin Millon in April 2019. Among other things, EC3 is advocating for rent relief for arts organizations renting municipal facilities, and the full reinstatement of the municipal property tax rebate for charitable organizations. (Photo: EC3)
Su says that, if you’re in the position to give a donation or make a purchase, this is the time to do it.
“Donate. If you had tickets to a concert that’s been cancelled, rather than take your refund, donate it back to the organization. If you’re a person who is going to do okay financially through the crisis, commission a work.”
Su also suggests supporting businesses that support artists.
“Watson & Lou is selling artists’ work online and giving five per cent of the profit to artists. Anything you can do to help an artist’s financial situation, or a not-for-profit venue’s situation is valuable, no matter how big or how small.”
And what about that livestream by your favourite local musician?
“Art is never free,” Su asserts. “So often artists are expected to perform for free, with this weird idea that the exposure will help them. That’s not how the art marketplace works in Canada. They’re asked constantly to donate works of art or free performances, so you should keep an eye on any opportunity you could participate in where the artist gets paid.”
This also extends to the distribution of relief money, and the creation of next year’s budget.
“I think that artists worry that, when it’s time to give out money and give out support or when we’re building budgets again next year, that they will be too low on the priority list,” Su explains. “I think that’s a legitimate concern and a terrible irony of this practice. We need the arts to bounce back hard, fast, and strong.”
For more information and updates from Electric City Culture Council, visit www.ecthree.org.
This story was created in partnership with Electric City Culture Council. kawarthaNOW would also like to acknowledge the work of Andy Carroll, a local photographer known for his visual documentation of Peterborough’s cultural scene whose photographs are regularly featured on our website. Andy’s cultural photographic activity is now also on pause because of the COVID-19 shutdown.
Shifting Gears is an annual spring program that challenges people to choose more active and sustainable forms of transportation when commuting to work, school, or out in the community. This spring, the Shifting Gears team will provide supports to employers, employees, and community members as we all shift how we work, travel, play, and live to combat COVID-19. While working from home, Lindsay Stroud and other staff from GreenUP are using the group instant messaging tool Slack for collaboration. (Photo: GreenUP)
Each spring, GreenUP usually urges you to participate in Shifting Gears, a program that challenges workplaces and community members to change daily habits and try out different ways of getting around your community. Leave the car at home and instead walk, bike, carpool, take transit, or work from home.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Lindsay Stroud, Manager of Transportation and Urban Design Programs at GreenUP.
This year is different. We are all shifting gears already, in ways we did not expect. COVID-19 has turned our daily habits upside-down.
The Shifting Gears team has decided to do things differently this year, too.
As the Peterborough community works together to help flatten the curve by making big changes to the ways we go about travel and work, Shifting Gears will aim to provide tools, tips, and conversations to support these changes.
One of the current changes we see is that employees, students, and families have shifted to spending more time at home. With that, many workplaces that regularly work from home (a.k.a. remote working, telecommuting) have begun sharing best practices to help employers and employees who are brand new to this way of working.
Physical distancing means many of us are shifting gears to working and living at home full time. Remote working has long been a practice for some organizations, and there is much that we can learn from them as we work to stay socially connected to colleagues, friends, and family. (Photo: GreenUP)
Their tips focus on finding tech solutions, addressing isolation, managing distractions, and finding some balance. Whether we find ourselves working from home or being at home for another reason, these tips can be useful to everyone practising physical distancing.
The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) recently shared a comprehensive guide to helpful tech solutions for working remotely. You can find it at canwach.ca/article/navigating-virtualremote-workplace-during-covid-19. They highlight project management, file sharing, and communication tools to get your team working together online.
Those new to working remotely can often try out a few platforms or tools through free versions or free trial periods. Whether you are a business completing a project for a client or a community group gathering donations, these tools can help you manage your tasks and your team.
VIDEO: Navigating a Virtual Remote Workplace during COVID-19 (Webinar)
Many of the tech solutions making the news recently are those focused on communication. Charity Village has been working remotely since 1995. They use remote communication tools to move projects along, but also to help staff feel less isolated. They know that workplaces are often social places. They suggest finding ways to continue connecting with your colleagues in all the ways you might in the office.
At GreenUP we have started using Zoom (zoom.us), a video conferencing tool that has grown in popularity over the past two weeks. Seeing our office mates face-to-face, even virtually, feels like a gift after being away from folks we used to see daily. Using video calls for informal coffee breaks has allowed for some lighter moments during these stressful weeks.
GreenUP has also moved some of our more casual catch-ups and questions to Slack (slack.com), a group instant messaging tool which is helping to reduce the size of our email inboxes.
Remote work guidelines usually suggest creating a physical space for your work away from home distractions, but these days it is all about balance. Clea Charette and her family are getting used to sharing work space and taking moments in between work for play. (Photo: GreenUP)
Finding new ways to stay connected is important to many of us at this time. Whether for connecting with co-workers, friends, or family, these tools may fill in some communication gaps not met by email, social media, or a phone call.
Shifting gears between work and personal life can be hard. Our friends at Share the Road (sharetheroad.ca, another organization that fully works remotely, recommends that you create a physical workspace at home so you can separate work from personal distractions and put you into an ‘I’m working’ mindset.
They realize that at this time it may be difficult to do as the whole family may be at home alongside you. Instead, these days, find ways to ignore distractions like that pile of laundry and social media, but take the time to be with family and play with the kids. We are all in this rough spot together and the regular rules no longer apply.
Sometimes we cannot simply turn off one part of our life at a moment’s notice. To find some balance, the pros suggest adding structure and variety to your day. Blocking out when you do certain activities, scheduling daily breaks, or filling out a large family calendar of activities can help break up the monotony and give a sense of purpose to each day. Some of the routines you put in place may even be ones that you are already used to.
Sticking to some old routines and fitting in a physical activity break can help to build some structure into our day. Jaime Akiyama and her family have stuck with morning walks, instead of the walk to school. Remember: only go out for walks with members of your own household, while maintaining a physical distance of at least two metres from others. If you have returned from travel outside Canada, you are legally required to self-isolate in your home for 14 days, which means you can’t go out for walks. (Photo: GreenUP)
Jaime Akiyama, from Active School Travel Peterborough, points out that although travelling to school and work is not part of our daily routine these days, stability is important right now, especially for kids. Building a routine similar to past school days will allow you to tap into the benefits of active school travel.
Akiyama’s family has set up their morning routine to mirror their previous school travel days, getting ready and heading out as if they were going to school or work but substituting in a family walk.
Please note: at the time of writing, Peterborough Public Health and Health Canada still recommend that you may go for walks or hikes outside if you practice proper physical distancing (maintaining a minimum distance of two metres from other people and avoiding large gatherings).
However, individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 or who have travelled outside the country in the last 14 days must remain quarantined at home and cannot go outside for walks. It’s the law, and you can be charged with a federal offence under the Quarantine Act if you don’t obey quarantine.
Over the coming weeks, the Shifting Gears team will post more information on these topics to peterboroughmoves.com and begin some community conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Join us there to share your challenges and your tips on how you, your workplace, and your family are shifting gears to work from home. We are also exploring how our regular workshops, tune-ups, and tracking tools can serve the community through this time, so please stay tuned in for more updates.
The Shifting Gears team includes partners from the City of Peterborough, GreenUP, and B!KE. For more information or to get involved, contact Lindsay Stroud, Shifting Gears Coordinator at GreenUP, at lindsay.stroud@greenup.on.ca.
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