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.
There are lots of options to enjoy nature in the Peterborough area this winter, including several hidden gems including Robert Johnston Eco Forest. Owned and maintained by Douro-Dummer Township, Robert Johnston Eco Forest offers several lovely forested trails and a stunning view over rolling hills. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
As 2021 begins, we still find ourselves amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Though we may feel uncertainty and apprehension about the year ahead, there is one thing we can control in these unprecedented times: we can spend time in nature.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Jenn McCallum, Water Programs Coordinator at GreenUP.
Nature, sometimes referred to as Vitamin N, can improve both mental and physical health, and is linked to happiness and well-being.
If you don’t yet have a 2021 New Year’s resolution, might I suggest increasing your Vitamin N exposure?
You don’t need to go far to enjoy the benefits of Vitamin N in the greater Peterborough area. In fact, having indoor plants, a street tree in front of your home, or a backyard garden are all considered nearby nature.
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Enjoying nearby nature can also include running along the Rotary Greenway Trail, walking the Lakefield Millennium Trail, or skating on the Trent Canal (check this page on the City of Peterborough’s website to find out whether the ice is safe for skating).
During the winter, the Peterborough Nordic Club (peterboroughnordic.com) maintains a cross-country ski trail in beautiful Jackson Park.
The ski trail is set on the four-kilometre stretch of public trail that travels through the centre of the park. While it is free to access, consider purchasing a membership or offering a donation to support the dedicated volunteers who maintain this course.
With its many kilometres of groomed trails, Kawartha Nordic Ski Club in the Township of North Kawartha is a popular destination for both Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. The trails are a brief drive from both Burleigh Falls Inn and Viamede Resort (which also offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the adjacent Stony Lake Trails), making it an ideal activity for your next Canadian winter getaway. (Photo: Kawartha Nordic Ski Club)
North of the city, past Burleigh Falls, is the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club (kawarthanordic.ca) where you will find nine kilometres of snowshoe trails and 46 kilometres of cross-country ski trails. If you need equipment, they have rentals available.
Many of Kawartha Land Trust’s trails are also open to the public, even in the winter,
“Kawartha Land Trust has a beautiful mix of properties ranging from mixed forests to wetlands,” says Patricia Wilson, community conservation coordinator with the non-profit land conservation organization. “Most are open for the public to explore and enjoy.”
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“If you’re an avid hiker I would highly recommend the Stony Lake Trails,” Wilson adds. “You’ll experience beautiful views of the lake, cross stunning wetlands and forested areas, and encounter open meadow thickets. You may even meet some deer along the way!”
As well as the Stony Lake Trails, you can visit John Earle Chase Memorial Park Trails, the Ballyduff Trails, and Cation Wildlife Preserve.
For those unfamiliar with Kawartha Land Trust, Wilson suggests visiting the protected properties page on the organization’s website at kawarthalandtrust.org for descriptions of each property including access to downloadable maps.
Winter is a great time to find wildlife tracks like these grey squirrel tracks found in GreenUP’s Ecology Park. Take a photo and use apps like iNaturalist to help you identify the animal that created them. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Numerous other organizations maintain natural spaces for our enjoyment. Visit the Otonabee Conservation website (otonabeeconservation.com) and municipal parks and recreation web pages for more local nature destinations.
While exploring our natural areas, please remember that they are home to many wildlife species. Maintain a “leave no trace” ethic by staying on designated trails and leaving nothing behind.
Discarded waste — like dog poop, toilet paper, snack wrappers, disposable masks, and plastic water bottles — can pollute waterways and harm wildlife. While winter snow may hide these things, they do not go away; they resurface again in the spring to do damage.
You can enjoy nature in your own backyard. Attract birds, like this red-breasted nuthatch, by installing a bird feeder. Visit Cornell University’s allaboutbirds.org for detailed information on our feathered neighbours. (Photo: Jackie Donaldson)
Dog poop and human waste are especially harmful. They can contain the illness-causing E. coli bacteria that can make its way into rivers and lakes.
As well as being harmful, waste can take away from the experience of other outdoor enthusiasts. Carry all your waste out with you or dispose of it in a provided garbage receptacle. Use on-site washrooms or wait until you can get to one.
If you’d like to go a step further and give back to our beautiful natural areas, then consider conducting your own garbage clean-up during your outdoor adventure.
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The next time you go out for a stroll or a hike, bring medical gloves (or a trash picker) and a garbage bag. If you find waste that is safe to pick up, put it in a bag and take it with you. Dispose of it in a provided public waste receptacle or transport it home to your own garbage bin.
If you can, safely clean recyclable items such as plastic water bottles and beer cans and place them in your blue bin for curbside pickup.
If you find used needles while exploring nature don’t touch them. They are not safe to handle. If they are on public property in the City of Peterborough, contact Public Works at 705-745-1386. If found in Peterborough County, call the OPP at 705-742-0401.
Red foxes share our urban neighbourhoods. Keep your eyes peeled for their startingly bright red coat as these timid creatures are fast. Learn more about them on inaturalist.org. (Photo: Jackie Donaldson)
With these suggestions in mind, it’s time to get out there and take in some good old Vitamin N! Go and enjoy the health and wellness benefits of nature while leaving natural areas clear of garbage.
You will feel great, the wildlife will thank you, and fellow trail users will enjoy their walk as you did!
A 23-year-old Peterborough woman is facing an assault charge after a verbal dispute with a neighbour escalated on Wednesday (January 6).
At around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night, officers were called to an apartment building on Parkhill Road West after a woman called saying she had been assaulted after asking her neighbours to be quiet.
As a result of an investigation, 23-year-old Laura Thackeray was arrested and charged with assault.
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Thackeray was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on January 21st.
The female victim received minor injuries during the assault but did not require medical attention.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 3,266 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 49 to 3,065.
Cases in the triple digits are being reported by 10 of the province’s 34 health units.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report and 25 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 4 to 197. There has been 1 new death in Kawartha Lakes.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (805), Peel (523), York (349), Windsor-Essex (208), Waterloo (206), Niagara (192), Hamilton (153), Durham (145), Middlesex-London (127), and Halton (100).
There are double-digit increases in Ottawa (94), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (64), Simcoe Muskoka (57), Eastern Ontario (47), Southwestern (45), Lambton (24), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (14), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (14), Chatham-Kent (14), and Thunder Bay (10), with smaller increases in North Bay Parry Sound (9), Sudbury (8), Brant (8), Algoma (7), Hastings Prince Edward (7), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (7), Haldimand-Norfolk (7), and Huron Perth (6).
The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Porcupine) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 52% are among people under the age of 40, with the highest number of cases (1,239) among people ages 20-39, followed by 935 cases among people ages 40-59, 461 cases among people ages 19 and under, and 447 cases among people ages 60-79. With 3,005 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to 84.6%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased since yesterday by 0.9% to 8.5%, meaning that 85 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 5.
Ontario is reporting 37 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 20 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 116 to 1,463. With 9 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 361 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 1 more COVID-19 patient on a ventilator reported today, there are now 246 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 51,045 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 15,679 to 55,484. A total of 60,380 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 10,350 daily doses administered and 860 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 9. There are 57 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 1 from yesterday, with 16 cases among children and 41 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 2 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton, although the number of active cases there has increased by 2.
There has been 1 new COVID-related death in Kawartha Lakes.
None of the new cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
An additional 25 cases have been resolved, including 10 in Northumberland, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Peterborough, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward. As of January 6, the outbreak at Riverview Manor in Peterborough has been declared resolved.
There are currently 197 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 4 from yesterday, including 92 in Peterborough, 34 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Hastings Prince Edward (12 in Quinte West, 15 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, 3 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 32 in Northumberland, and 6 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 406 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (309 resolved with 5 deaths), 285 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (231 resolved with 33 deaths), 275 in Northumberland County (240 resolved with 3 deaths), 35 in Haliburton County (29 resolved with no deaths), and 316 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (278 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 6.
Province-wide, there have been 200,626 confirmed cases, an increase of 3,266 from yesterday, with 169,795 cases resolved (84.6% of all cases), an increase of 3,005 from yesterday. There have been 4,767 deaths, an increase of 37 from yesterday, with 2,885 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 20 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 116 to 1,463. With 9 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 361 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 1 more COVID-19 patient on a ventilator reported today, there are now 246 COVID-19 patients on ventilators. A total of 8,229,150 tests have been completed, an increase of 51,045 from yesterday, with 55,484 tests under investigation, an increase of 15,679 from yesterday. A total of 60,380 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 10,350 daily doses administered and 860 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses).
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: 406 (increase of 7) Active cases: 92 (increase of 3) Close contacts: 167 (decrease of 10) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 309 (increase of 4) Hospitalizations (total to date): 16 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 39,600 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan (decrease of 1)**
*As of January 6, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports a total of 3 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit. This is a decrease of 1 from yesterday.
**As of January 6, the outbreak at Riverview Manor in Peterborough 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: 595, including 285 in Kawartha Lakes, 275 in Northumberland, and 35 in Haliburton (increase of 11, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 72, including 34 in Kawartha Lakes, 32 in Northumberland, and 6 in Haliburton (net decrease of 7) Probable cases: 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes) High-risk contacts: 147, including 45 in Kawartha Lakes, 68 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net decrease of 14)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 25, including 16 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths: 36 (increase of 1, in Kawartha Lakes) Resolved: 500, including 231 in Kawartha Lakes, 240 in Northumberland, 29 in Haliburton (increase of 18, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland) 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 30 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 6, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 3 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: 316 (increase of 3) Active cases: 33 (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: 278 (increase of 3) Swabs completed: 30,185 (decrease of 617) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)*
*Information on current outbreaks is unavailable.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 200,626 (increase of 3,266) Resolved: 169,795 (increase of 3,005, 84.6% of all cases) Positivity rate: 8.5% (decrease of 0.9%) Hospitalized: 1,463 (increase of 116) Hospitalized and in ICU: 361 (increase of 9) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 246 (increase of 1) Deaths: 4,767 (increase of 37) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,885 (increase of 20) Total tests completed: 8,229,150 (increase of 51,045) Tests under investigation: 55,484 (increase of 15,679) Vaccinations: 10,350 daily doses administered, 60,380 total doses administered, 860 total vaccinations (two doses) completed
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 6, 2020 – January 5, 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 6, 2020 – January 5, 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 6, 2020 – January 5, 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 6, 2020 – January 5, 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)
Peterborough's medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra during a media briefing at Peterborough Public Health on March 23, 2020, when the Peterborough area only had three confirmed COVID-19 cases. As of January 5, 2021, there are 399 cases in the area, with 119 new cases reported over the past two weeks alone. (Photo: Peterborough Public Health)
The good news-bad news rollercoaster that has marked the COVID-19 pandemic since day one is continuing true to form.
During her weekly media briefing held Wednesday (January 6), Peterborough’s medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra noted that, while she is expecting the first doses of vaccine to arrive locally before the end of January, infection numbers “have soared” as the full effects of the holiday season become apparent.
“We saw the beginning of our surge on Christmas Day with a tripling of our usual number of daily cases and this has been sustained with a record number of 20 new cases being reported one day this past weekend,” said Dr. Salvaterra.
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The numbers lend proof to her assessment. As of Wednesday afternoon, there are currently 89 active cases of the virus in Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area of Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha — a disturbing jump since December 23rd when there were 27 active cases locally.
“This represents a tripling of our (positive) cases over the past two weeks,” noted Dr. Salvaterra.
In total, there have been 399 local positive cases since the pandemic took hold in mid March 2020. That’s an increase of 119 cases over the past two weeks alone. In addition, public health is monitoring the status of 177 close contacts of positive cases — up from 107, again over the past two weeks.
“For the week starting December 28th, we reported 71 new cases,” reported Dr. Salvaterra. “For the week starting January 4th, so far we were at 13 new cases as of yesterday (Tuesday) evening. I can assure you this has increased again. In December, there were 137 new cases. So far, in January, we are already at 52 cases.”
“The trend is definitely worrisome. Fortunately, despite the significant rise in cases, there has been no change in the number of deaths in our community…these remain at five.”
Despite these sobering numbers, Dr. Salvaterra says it’s not all doom and gloom. An outbreak at Riverview Manor long-term care home on Water Street has been declared over, meaning there are no current outbreaks at senior care or retirement homes.
That said, three other outbreaks remain in effect, including a major outbreak that at its height saw 14 people — five residents and nine staff — test positive at a Peterborough community home overseen by Community Living Trent Highlands.
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According to the Community Living Trent Highlands executive director Teresa Jordan, the outbreak was declared December 23rd. Five of the nine staff cases are now resolved while two of the five resident cases are likewise resolved. At this point, how COVID-19 was first introduced to that environment hasn’t been determined.
The other two outbreaks involve another congregate living facility, the identity of which hasn’t been disclosed as of yet by public health, and a workplace outbreak in Otonabee-South Monaghan that resulted in a “voluntary closure.” The number of cases associated with the congregate living facility were not released; the workplace outbreak has a total of eight cases, including four within the purview of Peterborough Public Health.
the answer is there are 8 total cases, with only 4 being local to our health unit area.
On the daily evolving vaccine front, Dr. Salvaterra said she’s “expecting” the first doses of vaccine to arrive locally before the end of January and the initial recipients will be residents of long-term care residences.
“We have areas in Ontario where the (COVID-19) risk is greater,” acknowledged Dr. Salvaterra.
“We have no outbreaks in long-term care at present. However, we have an increased incidence of COVID-19 and it’s growing every week. That will put the long-term care homes and their residents at greater risk.”
“We are preparing. We are meeting tomorrow (Thursday) with all of our home providers, long-term care and retirement homes and congregate living settings. There’s a checklist that will help them prepare for immunization. We have consent forms we will be sharing with them so as soon as we get delivery of vaccines we will be immunizing.”
That said, Dr. Salvaterra stressed once more that responsible individual behaviour is the best defence against continued community spread of the virus.
“Do I really need to go out? Can I do it virtually instead?” said Dr. Salvaterra, of what residents should be asking themselves.
“If you see a crowd, it’s up to you to turn around and stay away. Yes, we have enforcement in place but really it falls on the individual. If you have a symptom, get tested. If you are tested, don’t go shopping. Don’t go to work. Stay home until you get your result.”
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Dr. Salvaterra added that while outdoor activity is encouraged, “Unless we can prevent crowding at outdoor rinks and on toboggan hills, we will see transmission of COVID occurring at those sites.”
She said the City of Peterborough will soon be posting capacity limit notices at rinks and toboggan hills. To that end, she noted there will be increased enforcement at outdoor winter activity locations.
“If I don’t see better adherence, I will have no other option but to order that these areas be closed,” she warned.
As for the suggestion from Premier Ford that the introduction of a curfew across Ontario isn’t off the table, Dr. Salvaterra said “There’s more that the province could be and should be doing,” adding she would “welcome” further measures as needed.
Also sitting in on Wednesday’s briefing were Peterborough Board of Health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones — who made his frustration clear.
“We really need to get through to people that seem to want to protest this whole thing and go into denial,” said Warden Jones. “I’m hearing from them everyday, and I’m sure Diane (Mayor Therrien) is too, about how all this is phony and how their rights are being taken away.”
“We’ve really got to stop this nonsense and get together on this. Let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
Looking ahead, on Friday, January 15th at 2 p.m., Dr. Salvaterra will host a virtual community forum during which she will take questions from registered residents. To register, visit eventbrite.ca/e/135399941871. Dr. Salvaterra invites questions from the community in advance so she can try to address them during her presentation. A field to submit questions is included as part of the online registration process.
J. Murray Jones was re-elected as warden of Peterborough County in December 2020. The 72-year-old Douro-Dummer Township mayor is entering his 10th year as county warden. (Photo: Peterborough County)
Anyone who has spent any amount of time with J. Murray Jones can be forgiven if he or she came away with the image of the character John portrayed by singer Billy Joel in his 1973 hit song ‘Piano Man’.
The recently re-elected Peterborough County warden — who is also mayor of Douro-Dummer Township — is indeed ‘quick with a joke.’ However, that affability aside, that’s where the comparison abruptly ends for, unlike Joel’s fictional bartender, there is absolutely no place Jones would rather be.
“I’m honoured,” Jones says of his re-election. “It’s what I enjoy doing and I think it’s the role I do best.”
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Jones is now entering his 10th year as county warden, a record-setting run that was interrupted in December 2016 when Otonabee-South Monaghan Mayor Joe Taylor was elected to the position for a two-year term.
Acclaimed warden once more in 2018, Jones’ return bid this past December was contested by Scott McFadden, mayor of Cavan Monaghan Township. Following the tabulation of county councillors’ emailed votes, Jones emerged victorious.
“I have nothing but good things to say about Scott,” says Jones, dismissing outright any real or perceived animosity he has towards his warden seat challenger.
“Scott is extremely valuable at the council table. He has wonderful insight into all kinds of issues and, quite honestly, we would terribly miss the opportunity for him to delve into those issues.”
That matter settled, Jones brings his experience and steady hand to what will no doubt be an extremely challenging 2021 — a year that arrives shrouded in the dark shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected all of us in so many ways.
As well as serving as Peterborough County Warden, J. Murray Jones is mayor of Douro-Dummer Township. Pictured in 2018 is Jones (front right) with deputy mayor Karl Moher (front left) and (back row) councillors Heather Watson, Tom Watt, and Shelagh Landsmann. (Photo: Douro-Dummer Township)
To that end, like municipal leaders across the province, Jones is anxious to see vaccine distribution in the county occur as soon as possible.
“We are making it very clear that we want county residents protected sooner than later,” he says.
“But let’s not throw stones. Are mistakes going to be made? Absolutely. But more mistakes are going to be made if we take on the negative attitude I keep hearing out of some people’s mouths. Let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
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Also looming out there is the ongoing matter of annexation as the City of Peterborough seeks to secure land for industrial development. That issue, says Jones, “is very much in the ballpark of Cavan Monaghan Township.”
“The township is taking the lead. They’ve got to do what they think is right — we get that. But from a regional perspective, if we want jobs, if we want industries, if we want all these wonderful things moving in, we need to have a place to put them. There’s got to be some way for the city and the township and the county to come up with a way of working together and doing this.”
“We’ve been saying that for years but it keeps getting stalled. I think maybe it’s the way people talk to each other that prevents discussion from going any further. We (the county) tried to be the mediator in years past and it never really worked but, if the opportunity arises, I’d have no problem trying to get the two mayors together. We’ll see what happens. It’s been around for so long now.”
“I get both sides of the argument. If I was the mayor of Cavan-Monaghan I wouldn’t want the big city pushing me around and telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. You get your back up. I think anybody would. But from the city standpoint, they have no more room (to grow). There has got to be middle ground here.”
Maniece Avenue at Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough’s East City. The road is one of three connecting Ashburnham Drive to Television Road the City of Peterborough has closed to through traffic until Parks Canada completes construction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road in the spring of 2021. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
If there’s a silver lining to be found in the pandemic crisis, Jones says it can be found in what has generally been improved co-operation between the two municipalities, with one glaring exception — the lack of consultation with the county prior to the numerous road closures necessitated by the reconstruction of the Warsaw Swing Bridge on Parkhill Road east of Armour Road.
“That was handled extremely poorly by Mayor (Diane) Therrien and the city … I’ve told her that,” says Jones.
“The city treated the county and neighbouring townships in a very condescending way. That bridge is like five feet away from the Douro-Dummer boundary. What do you mean you’re not going to talk to us about it? Their decisions about closing these roads had a huge impact on county residents and there was absolutely no communication with us. Nothing.”
“I’m still upset about that. But you don’t go setting City Hall on fire because you didn’t get your way. You work on it and try to make the best of it.”
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Jones says the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, of which he is a member, will continue to provide regional “clout” when it comes to lobbying the provincial and federal governments. In addition, Jones chairs the Eastern Ontario Regional Network that is now launching its Cell Gap Project that identifies where gaps are in rural cell phone connectivity and works to address those shortcomings.
Also in 2021, Jones says work will continue in earnest on the reconstruction of the James A. Gifford Causeway, spanning Chemong Lake between Ennismore and Bridgenorth, which Jones calls “the biggest infrastructure project that the county has been involved with.”
Now age 72, Jones says the sun is setting on his political life.
Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones with Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef in pre-pandemic times. (Photo: Maryam Monsef / Facebook)
“You don’t know what’s around the corner but right now, if I had to give a definitive answer, this will likely be my final two years in the political game. I’d like a life with the freedom to do what I want to do and not have to put up with some people’s unusual comments who don’t know what they’re talking about. I need a break from that.”
But before that break comes, rest assured Jones will continue to make perfectly clear Peterborough County’s position in terms of the overall health of the region.
“We are not country hicks. We have 55,000 people who live outside the city limits. Without those 55,000 people, a big city like Peterborough would go down the tubes in a hurry. That’s why we sometimes get our back up when it becomes evident we are not getting the respect we deserve.”
“I remember (former Peterborough mayor) Daryl Bennett and I were at a meeting. There were maybe 100 people in the room. All we heard was ‘City, city, city … how wonderful … city, city, city.’ It got to be my turn to speak. I said ‘Just for the fun of it, all of you who live in the county, put your hand up.'”
“Well, 75 per cent of the people in that room put their hand up. That’s when I asked Daryl to go in the other room. I’d like to talk to my county ratepayers. We need more respect than we get. We’re starting to get that more, but maybe Peterborough city councillors and staff need to be reminded a little more. Without those 55,000 people, they’d be in a lot of trouble.”
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In the meantime, Jones makes it clear that, while you can call him late for supper, don’t call him a politician.
“I absolutely detest it when people call me a politician,” he says. “I hate it. I’d like them to say he’s one of the few guys who wasn’t your typical politician. That he was there for the right reasons. That he made decisions to benefit all of us. That he was just an average guy and had the attitude he’s no better than anyone else. I’m doing the best I can do in the position that I’m in and I’m not going to apologize for that.”
Whatever the next two years brings, count on Jones always being ‘quick with a joke.’
“I like to promote a little bit of humour. You know me … that’s kind of what I do. There are 600 zillion people in China who really don’t care what Peterborough County council does. Let’s put it in perspective. Let’s do the best job we can possibly do and maybe have a little smile about it. The sun is still going to come up tomorrow.”
Hillary Flood begins her new role as communications manager of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) on January 6, 2021. She is replacing Joel Wiebe, who will be joining the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce as its new government relations coordinator on January 25, 2021. (Supplied photo)
businessNOW™ is our round-up of business and organizational news from Peterborough and across the greater Kawarthas region.
In businessNOW, our managing editor collects news and events related to businesses and organizations from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
This week, we’re featuring new faces at local organizations, including Hillary Flood becoming the new communications manager of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. She’s replacing Joel Wiebe, who will be the new government relations coordinator for the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. In the local arts community, Hannah Keating has left Artspace in Peterborough and Sarah Cullingham, Sarah McNeilly, and Beau Dixon are joining the board of Electric City Culture Council (EC3) in Peterborough.
Other staff changes include Michael Tamane and Hillary Manion joining Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre and Jay MacJanet becoming the new superintendent of learning with Trillium Lakelands District School Board.
In business-related news, applications are now open for the winter intake of the Starter Company Plus program in Peterborough, Peterborough-based health food startup Chimp Treats has launched a new oatmeal product line, and Stone Fountain Motel in Fenelon Falls is under new ownership.
New business events added this week include Selwyn Township and the Kawartha Chamber presenting “Greening Your Business” sessions on January 13th and 19th, CryptoChicks presenting a business financing webinar on January 19th, and the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development presenting a food business bootcamp every Wednesday evening from January 27th to March 31th.
Hillary Flood is the new communications manager of Peterborough DBIA
Hillary Flood (left), the new communications manager of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), has more than 10 years of experience in communications, marketing, and event coordination. She has been very active in downtown Peterborough, including launching PedalBoro, a 15-passenger bike that offered downtown Peterborough tours in partnership with local pubs and eateries, in 2019 with her partner Pete Rellinger. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
Hillary Flood is the new communications manager of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
Flood, who begins her new role on Wednesday (January 6), will be responsible for directing communication strategies for the DBIA, including digital marketing, media relations, as well as The Boro gift card program.
Flood has more than 10 years of experience in communications, marketing, and event coordination. She has a postgraduate certificate for event management from Algonquin College as well as a diploma in business administration marketing from Fleming College.
Flood, who is currently employed on a contract basis with the DBIA for their Digital Mainstreet team that supports main street businesses with digital tools and technology training, has worked on a host of projects for the DBIA over the years. She coordinated the award-winning event Pulse open streets festival that takes place in downtown Peterborough, worked with Peterborough Kawartha Economic Development as the program coordinator for Startup Peterborough, and worked with Peterborough GreenUP as their transportation programs coordinator.
In 2019, she and her partner Pete Rellinger launched PedalBoro, a 15-passenger party bike that offered tours in downtown Peterborough in partnership with local pubs and eateries.
“Hillary already comes to us with a vast knowledge of our downtown members and their needs,” says DBIA executive director Terry Guiel. “She has worked with most of our businesses and many organizations over the years in many capacities, not to mention she is already deeply ingrained as part of our DBIA team.”
She replaces Joel Wiebe, who is the new government relations coordinator for the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. Guiel also praises Wiebe’s contributions to the DBIA.
“I can honestly say nobody worked harder and implemented more unique programs to support downtown businesses in the entire province than Joel did,” Guiel says. “I wish him well in his new role with the chamber and look forward to working with him in his new capacity.”
Joel Wiebe is the new government relations coordinator for the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce
Joel Wiebe has left the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area to take on the role of government relations coordinator for the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. (Supplied photo)
Joel Wiebe has left his role as communications manager of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) to take on the job of government relations coordinator for the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce.
Wiebe will be responsible for working with elected leaders and public servants on government policy and legislation at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
In addition, he will help the chamber develop its knowledge channel, keeping members informed about changes to policy and legislation, providing training opportunities on business fundamentals, and helping to profile the knowledge and expertise of our members.
Weibe, who has 13 years of experience in journalism, marketing, communications, and project management, begins in his new role on Monday, January 25th.
Hannah Keating has left Artspace in Peterborough
Hannah Keating has left Artspace after taking on a full-time role as associate curator for public programs at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa. (Supplied photo)
After three years, Hannah Keating has left her job as assistant curator with Artspace, the non-profit artist-run centre in downtown Peterborough.
She has taken on a full-time role as associate curator for public programs at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work and grow in the supportive environment at Artspace and, more widely, in my Peterborough community,” Keating says.
“I feel so privileged to have collaborated with the staff and board and the artists who have come through the centre over the past three years.”
This is the second recent departure from Artspace. In December, the organization’s board of directors announced director and curator John Lockyer was leaving after six years.
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Sarah Cullingham, Sarah McNeilly, and Beau Dixon join board of Electric City Culture Council in Peterborough
Sarah Cullingham, Sarah McNeilly, and Beau Dixon have joined the volunteer board of the Electric City Culture Council. (Supplied photos)
At its annual general meeting in December, the board of the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) announced three three new community volunteers have joined the board: planner and community worker Sarah Cullingham; performance artist, scholar, and kawarthaNOW arts and culture writer Sarah McNeilly; and actor, director, and playwright Beau Dixon.
The new board members “all bring a wealth of skills, knowledge, enthusiasm and experience to the work of this local not-for-profit organization that serves the arts and culture sector in Peterborough and the surrounding region”, the board announced.
EC3 also thanked outgoing members Alex Bierk and Kate Story for their service.
Cullingham, McNeilly, and Dixon join EC3’s returning board members: president and chair Bill Kimball (Public Energy), secretary Nadine Changfoot (Trent University), vice-chair Peg McCraken (Peterborough Singers), treasurer Chad Hogan (Market Hall), and Elisha Rubacha (bird, buried press).
Michael Tamane and Hillary Manion join Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre
Michael Tamane and Hillary Manion have joined the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre. (Supplied photos)
Michael Tamane and Hillary Manion are the latest employees of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre.
Tamane joins the Business Advisory Centre in the new position of virtual services advisor until September 2021. He will be working remotely on a part-time basis, providing information to entrepreneurs in the region through a virtual platform. His focus will be on connecting start-ups with assistance and resources to launch their business. He will serve as the first point of contact for the Business Advisory Centre, providing extended hours and offering completely virtual services through channels like online chat, email, and phone.
Tamane graduated from Brock University’s Goodman School of Business with an MBA and BBA while also completing an International Business Exchange at the Surrey School of Business in the United Kingdom. Most recently, he has been a teaching assistant in the entrepreneurship program at Brock University, where he has worked with local business and supported the creation and implementation of online content during the pandemic.
Hillary Manion will be joining the Business Advisory Centre in January as entrepreneurship officer while Madeleine Hurrell takes a parental leave.
Manion is a founding member of the Peterborough Tool Library and served as treasurer and board member for the Peterborough Folk Festival. On a personal level, she is very familiar with the demands of small business and life as an entrepreneur.
Jay MacJanet is the new superintendent of learning with Trillium Lakelands District School Board
Jay MacJanet is the new superintendent of learning with Trillium Lakelands District School Board. (Supplied photo)
Trustees with the Trillium Lakelands District School Board have trustees approved the appointment of Jay MacJanet as the board’s new superintendent of learning.
MacJanet, who replaces the retiring Dave Golden, will be supporting schools and working with administrators and teachers to further develop their instructional knowledge.
MacJanet comes from the District School Board of Niagara, where he has been a school administrator for over 15 years.
He began his new position on Monday (January 4), and plans to move from Niagara to Muskoka with his family.
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Applications now open for winter intake of Starter Company Plus program in Peterborough
Applications are now open for the winter intake of the Starter Company Plus program, offered through the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre with funding from the Government of Ontario.
The program is designed to provide business training for aspiring to experienced entrepreneurs aged 18 and over in the City and County of Peterborough, who are launching a new business or expanding an existing business that has been operating for five years or less.
Applications close at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13th.
Peterborough-based health food startup Chimp Treats launches new oatmeal product line
Chimp Treats has launched a new product line of healthy, sustainably packaged oatmeal. Fruitful Oatmeal is currently available in two flavours, Cranberry Pistachio and Coconut Almond Goji, with more to come. (Photos: Chimp Treats)
Peterborough-based health food startup Chimp Treats launched a new oatmeal product line in December.
Fruitful Oatmeal is a healthy, sustainably packaged oatmeal sold exclusively online and delivered directly to the consumer. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Chimp Treats has been offering contactless delivery on their products throughout the year, including free delivery within 20 kilometres of the Peterborough area.
Chimp Treats flagship product is Nicecream, a dessert made entirely from fruit. The company then expanded with its Fruitful Smoothies product in April 2020, followed by their Sip product.
The company’s fourth product line, Fruitful Oatmeal is currently available in two flavours with more to come: Cranberry Pistachio (quick oats, rolled oats, dried cranberries, cane sugar, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and Himalayan pink salt), and Coconut Almond Goji (quick oats, rolled oats, dried coconut, coconut sugar, almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and Himalayan pink salt).
For more information and to order online, visit chimptreats.com.
Stone Fountain Motel in Fenelon Falls is under new ownership
Tome Arsovski has purchased Stone Fountain Motel in Fenelon Falls. (Photo: Stone Fountain Motel)
After nearly 25 years, the Stone Fountain Motel at 5876 Highway 35 in Fenelon Falls is under new ownership.
In October, Tome Arsovski purchased the family-run motel from Sue and Bob Edwardson.
“I want to expand on the plans that were already in place”, he tells the Fenelon Falls & District Chamber of Commerce. “I would like to build up a family park, set up a tenting campground, and add more hydro sites for trailers. I want to create a nice place for all families to visit.”
Selwyn Township and Kawartha Chamber present “Greening Your Business” sessions on January 13 and 19
Selwyn Township and Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism are presenting “Greening Your Business: Cost Conscious & Sustainable Practices for 2021”, a two-part webinar series with the first session from 4 – 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13th and the second session from 4 – 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19th.
The series offers tips and tricks for your business related to waste management and diversion, transportation, and energy saving.
Session 1, “Waste Management & Diversion + Future Planning”, will explore ways of saving costs through minimizing waste and sustainably diverting recyclable materials for the betterment of your business and the environment, with presentations from Beachwood Resort and Summer Roads Flower Company.
Session 2, “Transportation & Energy Saving + Future Planning”, will explore ways of saving costs and helping the environment through active, public, and electric modes of transportation and leveraging energy conservation strategies and funding opportunities, with presentations from Sunblockers and The Nutty Bean.
Both sessions will also discuss the proposed federal single-use plastics ban and provincial blue box recycling transition to producer and consumer responsibility, and discuss COVID-19 challenges and opportunities.
The sessions, which take place on the Zoom video-conferencing platform, are free and open to all (you don’t have to be a chamber member). For more information and to register, visit business.kawarthachamber.ca/events.
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CryptoChicks presents business financing webinar on January 19
CryptoChicks, a not-for-profit educational hub with a female focus, is presenting “Tools and Techniques to Finance Your Business” from 1 – 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19th.
The webinar will provide guidance and information on tools and sources of funding to finance your new business idea or to grow your established business. The guest speaker is Jonathan Irwin, director at Leyton Canada, who will be talking about Canadian grants for business and how and where to apply. After the workshop, CryptoChicks will schedule a practice session to build your pitch deck with you.
This free webinar is part of the “Hacking the Digital Curve: Empowering Women Entrepreneurship” webinar series from Northumberland CFDC and the DELIA program, with the support of FedDev Ontario.
City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development present food business bootcamp from January 27 to March 31
The City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development are presenting “10-Week Value-Added Food Business Bootcamp” from 6 – 8 p.m. from Wednesday, January 27th to Wednesday, March 31st.
The aim of this 10-class free program is to provide entrepreneurs who may also be small or medium-sized farmers and food product owners in the Kawartha Lakes or Peterborough area the knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities to turn their recipes into a retail-ready food product.
The program includes online facilitation of a dedicated program of live workshops delivered on the Zoom video-conferencing platform. The workshops are delivered as a sequential, laddering-up bootcamp, with classes held on Wednesday evenings.
The deadline to apply for this free bootcamp, funded in part by the Ontario government, is Wednesday, January 13th.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 3,128 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 273 to 3,065. Cases in the triple digits are being reported by 11 of the province’s 34 health units.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 26 new cases to report and 23 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 5 to 201. There has been 1 new death in Northumberland.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (778), Peel (614), York (213), Durham (172), Middlesex-London (151), Hamilton (151), Windsor-Essex (142), Waterloo (129), Halton (128), Ottawa (126), and Niagara (101).
There are double-digit increases in Simcoe Muskoka (72), Lambton (62), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (46), Eastern Ontario (45), Chatham-Kent (39), Southwestern (35), Brant (29), Huron Perth (21), and Haldimand-Norfolk (18), with smaller increases in Hastings Prince Edward (9), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (7), and Grey Bruce (7).
The remaining 10 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 2 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people under the age of 40, with the highest number of cases (1,140) among people ages 20-39, followed by 880 cases among people ages 40-59, 456 cases among people ages 60-79, and 450 cases among people ages 19 and under. With 2,015 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.3% to 84.5%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased since yesterday by 0.3% to 9.4%, meaning that 94 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 4.
Ontario is reporting 51 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 22 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 157 to an all-time high of 1,347. With 19 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 352 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 51 more COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 245 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 35,152 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 20,122 to 39,805. A total of 50,030 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 7,607 daily doses administered and 117 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 between December 22 and January 8. There are 58 new cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 29 from yesterday, with 14 cases among children and 44 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 26 new cases to report, including 10 in Peterborough, 7 in Northumberland, 7 in Hastings Prince Edwards, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
Of the new cases in licensed child care settings, 1 staff case has been reported at Wee Watch Private Home Day Care in Peterborough.
An additional 23 cases have been resolved, including 11 in Hastings Prince Edward, 9 in Peterborough, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
There is 1 new death to report in Northumberland, along with 1 new hospitalization.
There are currently 201 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 5 from yesterday, including 89 in Peterborough, 41 in Northumberland, 34 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 15 in Belleville, 1 in Prince Edward County, 3 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), and 4 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 399 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (305 resolved with 5 deaths), 276 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (223 resolved with 32 deaths), 274 in Northumberland County (230 resolved with 3 deaths), 33 in Haliburton County (29 resolved with no deaths), and 313 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (275 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on January 5.
Province-wide, there have been 197,360 confirmed cases, an increase of 3,128 from yesterday, with 166,790 cases resolved (84.5% of all cases), an increase of 2,015 from yesterday. There have been 4,730 deaths, an increase of 51 from yesterday, with 2,865 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 22 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 157 to an all-time high of 1,347. With 19 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 352 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 51 more COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 245 COVID-19 patients on ventilators. A total of 8,178,105 tests have been completed, an increase of 35,152 from yesterday, with 39,805 tests under investigation, an increase of 20,122 from yesterday. A total of 50,030 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 7,607 daily doses administered and 117 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses).
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: 399 (increase of 10) Active cases: 89 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 177 (decrease of 12) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 305 (increase of 9) Hospitalizations (total to date): 16 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 39,500 (increase of 50) Outbreaks: Riverview Manor in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #1 in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #2 in Peterborough, Workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan (no change)
*As of January 5, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports a total of 4 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit.
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: 583, including 276 in Kawartha Lakes, 274 in Northumberland, 33 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 7 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 79, including 34 in Kawartha Lakes, 41 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 4 in Northumberland and 3 in Kawartha Lakes) Probable cases: 2, in Northumberland (no change) High-risk contacts: 161, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 75 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (net decrease of 18)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 25, including 16 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)*** Deaths: 35 (increase of 1 in Northumberland) Resolved: 482, including 223 in Kawartha Lakes, 230 in Northumberland, 29 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland) 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 28 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 5, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 3 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: 313 (increase of 7) Active cases: 33 (decrease of 3) 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: 275 (increase of 11) Swabs completed: 30,802 (decrease of 626) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)*
*Information on current outbreaks is unavailable.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 197,360 (increase of 3,128) Resolved: 166,790 (increase of 2,015, 84.5% of all cases) Positivity rate: 9.4% (decrease of 0.3%) Hospitalized: 1,347 (increase of 157) Hospitalized and in ICU: 352 (increase of 19) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 245 (increase of 51) Deaths: 4,730 (increase of 51) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,865 (increase of 22) Total tests completed: 8,178,105 (increase of 35,152) Tests under investigation: 39,805 (increase of 20,122) Vaccinations: 7,607 daily doses administered, 50,030 total doses administered, 117 total vaccinations (two doses) completed
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 5, 2020 – January 4, 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 5, 2020 – January 4, 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 5, 2020 – January 4, 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 5, 2020 – January 4, 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)
Ross Memorial Hospital is located at 10 Angeline Street North in Lindsay. (Photo: Ross Memorial Hospital)
Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay has announced two additional measures to promote safety for patients, visitors, and employees due to rising COVID-19 cases in Kawartha Lakes.
Effective Wednesday (January 6), the hospital will change its visitor guidelines from one visitor per patient per day, to one designated visitor per patient with one visit per day. This means that each patient may select only one person as their designated visitor, and that person can only visit the patient once per day.
Effective Thursday (January 7), the hospital will supply medical-grade masks for all patients and visitors. Patients and visitors should continue to wear their own cloth mask upon entering the hospital, when they will be given a new medical-grade mask at the screening station. This mask must be worn over the nose and mouth throughout the visit.
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The hospital continues to provide in-person appointments for most of its care programs, while other programs are conducted virtually. Patients whose appointments change will be contacted by their care provider or clinic. The hospital’s surgical program has added additional days to their schedule to continue to address the backlog created by the earlier shutdown.
Currently, the hospital has three patients who have been admitted with COVID-19. These patients are in isolation, with staff continuing to follow appropriate safety measures for the care of these and all patients, including appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Ross Memorial Hospital has seen a significant decrease in visits to the emergency department, and urges people to not wait to seek emergency care.
“We’re here for you,” says Kelly Isfan, the hospital’s president and CEO. “We don’t want you to delay a hospital visit if you need care.”
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should visit the emergency department:
Seizure or convulsions.
A broken bone or wound requiring stitches.
Chest pain or tightness in the chest.
Difficulty breathing.
Abdominal pain.
Confusion and disorientation.
Stiff neck and sensitivity to light.
Continuous vomiting or severe diarrhea with signs of dehydration.
Sudden severe headache, weakness, vision problems, numbness/tingling, trouble speaking, dizziness.
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In addition, any infant under three months of age who has a fever over 38.5°C (101°F) or who has a fever and is difficult to wake should be seen at the emergency department.
Visitors to the emergency department should come alone, unless a support person is essential (for palliative patients, critically ill, children under the age of 18, or those with cognitive impairments).
For the latest information about Ross Memorial Hospital visitor guidelines, COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 activity, visit www.rmh.org/covid-19.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 3,270 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 190 to 2,792.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 31 new cases to report and 22 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 8 to 196.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (917), Peel (581), York (389), Windsor-Essex (246), Ottawa (131), Waterloo (126), and Durham (122).
There are double-digit increases in Middlesex-London (98), Hamilton (94), Niagara (86) Lambton (77), Halton (70), Eastern Ontario (55), Simcoe Muskoka (54), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (48), Southwestern (42), Brant (29), Chatham-Kent (25), Huron Perth (22), Renfrew (11), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (11), with smaller increases in Haldimand-Norfolk (7), Thunder Bay (6), and Peterborough (6).
The remaining 17 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 50% are among people under the age of 40, with the highest number of cases (1,238) among people ages 20-39, followed by 979 cases among people ages 40-59 and 495 cases among people ages 60-79. With 2,074 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.4% to 84.8%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 4.1% to 9.7%, meaning that 97 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 3.
Ontario is reporting 29 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 14 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 192 to 1,190, but this total does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals so is under-reported. With 4 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 333 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 34 fewer COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 194 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 39,121 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 8,086 to 19,683. A total of 42,419 vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 4,868 from yesterday.
Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the provincial shutdown, there will be no data to report for Ontario schools between December 22 and January 8. There are 29 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 28 from December 31, with 11 cases among children and 18 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 31 new cases to report, including 11 in Northumberland, 10 in Hastings Prince Edward (including 1 in North Hastings), 7 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Peterborough. There are no new cases in Haliburton. None of the new cases in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
An additional 22 cases have been resolved, including 10 in Peterborough, 6 in Northumberland, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There is 1 new COVID-19 hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes. In Peterborough, there are currently 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
There are currently 196 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 8 from yesterday, including 88 in Peterborough, 37 in Northumberland, 36 in Hastings Prince Edward (12 in Quinte West, 17 in Belleville, 1 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 2 in North Hastings), 31 in Kawartha Lakes, and 4 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 386 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (286 resolved with 5 deaths), 272 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (222 resolved with 32 deaths), 267 in Northumberland County (228 resolved with 2 deaths), 33 in Haliburton County (29 resolved with no deaths), and 296 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (264 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on December 27.
Province-wide, there have been 194,232 confirmed cases, an increase of 3,270 from yesterday, with 164,775 cases resolved (84.8% of all cases), an increase of 2,074 from yesterday. There have been 4,679 deaths, an increase of 29 from yesterday, with 2,843 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 14 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 192 to 1,190, but this total does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals so is under-reported. With 4 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 333 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 34 fewer COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 194 COVID-19 patients on ventilators. A total of 8,142,953 tests have been completed, an increase of 39,121 from yesterday, with 19,683 tests under investigation, a decrease of 8,086 from yesterday. A total of 42,419 vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 4,868 from yesterday.
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: 389 (increase of 3) Active cases: 88 (decrease of 7) Close contacts: 189 (decrease of 7) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 296 (increase of 10) Hospitalizations (total to date): 16 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 39,450 (no change) Outbreaks: Riverview Manor in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #1 in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #2 in Peterborough, Workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan (no change)
*As of January 4, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports a total of 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit.
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 for the two-day period January 3 and January 4.
Confirmed positive: 572, including 272 in Kawartha Lakes, 267 in Northumberland, 33 in Haliburton (increase of 18, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 72, including 31 in Kawartha Lakes, 37 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 7) Probable cases: 2, in Northumberland (no change) High-risk contacts: 179, including 58 in Kawartha Lakes, 92 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (net decrease of 60)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 24, including 16 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes) Deaths: 34 (no change) Resolved: 479, including 222 in Kawartha Lakes, 228 in Northumberland, 29 in Haliburton (increase of 11, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 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 27 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
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: 306 (increase of 10) Active cases: 36 (increase of 9) 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: 264 (increase of 1) Swabs completed: 30,802 (increase of 4,100) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 194,232 (increase of 3,270) Resolved: 164,775 (increase of 2,074, 84.8% of all cases) Positivity rate: 9.7% (increase of 4.1%) Hospitalized: 1,190 (decrease of 192)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 333 (increase of 4) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 194 (decrease of 34) Deaths: 4,679 (increase of 29) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,843 (increase of 14) Total tests completed: 8,142,953 (increase of 39,121) Tests under investigation: 19,683 (decrease of 8,086) Total vaccine doses administered: 42,419 (increase of 4,868)
*As more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, the number of hospitalization is under-reported.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 4, 2020 – January 3, 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 4, 2020 – January 3, 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 4, 2020 – January 3, 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 4, 2020 – January 3, 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)
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