Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating a fatal police-involved shooting that happened in Haliburton County on Wednesday (July 15), following a mask-related incident at a Minden grocery store earlier in the day.

The shooting resulted in the death of a 73-year-old man.

According to the OPP, the shooting occurred in the area of Indian Point Road in the Eagle Lake area, off Harburn Road in the municipality of Dysart at al, east of the village of Haliburton.

At around 8 a.m., the OPP received a call about a disturbance at Easton’s Valu-Mart grocery store on Highway 35 in Minden, around 40 kilometres away from the site of the shooting.

Witnesses say a man assaulted a store employee who asked the man to put on a face mask, as is required by the local health unit. He reportedly then crashed his vehicle into the store before driving away.

Follow-up investigation led police to an address on Indian Point Road in the Eagle Lake area. During the investigation, shots were fired which caused the responding police to request additional officers.

Further confrontation between police and the man resulted in him being injured. He was transported to hospital, where he later succumbed to his injury.

Police closed Harburn Road at around 11 a.m. where witnesses report seeing an ambulance arrive.

As of 2 p.m., the OPP said there was no longer concern for public safety but are requesting residents stay away from the the area of Indian Point Road.

Police are currently investigating a serious criminal matter near the Village of #Haliburton. Currently there is no concerns for public safety. Please remain away from Indian Point Road near Eagle Lake until police complete this investigation. ^jf pic.twitter.com/ecncyluG1W

— OPP Central Region (@OPP_CR) July 15, 2020

As the SIU is now investigating, the OPP will be providing no further information on the incident.

This story has been updated with further information from the OPP.

With stage three of the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan dawning this Friday (July 17) in the Peterborough region, public health officials and municipal leaders are bracing for a whole new set of challenges that will inevitably result.

Under stage three, dine-in restaurants, bars, performing arts venues, movie theatres and gyms are among amenities allowed to reopen with well-entrenched safety protocols still required. In addition, the limit on social gatherings will increase to 50 for indoor events and 100 for events held outdoors.

During her weekly media briefing held Wednesday (July 15), Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra confirmed a mandatory face covering requirement, similar to what has been put in place in neighbouring health unit districts, “is under active consideration” for the Peterborough region, adding, “We are hoping to have something to share publicly by early next week at the latest.”

“Wearing a face covering is recommended for indoor dining,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “The only time you don’t have to wear a face covering is while you are eating or drinking. When you get up to use the washroom or move about, there is an expectation that a face covering be worn.”

Dr. Salvaterra added that those dining out should stay in their social circle and not mix with others. Speaking again to the face covering requirement, she added increasing numbers of people are wearing masks despite her not making them mandatory.

“I was at Lansdowne Place on the weekend and the percentage of people wearing face coverings was close to 90 per cent. That’s a big increase from even a few weeks ago. We’re seeing more compliance than less and that gives me a great deal of reassurance.”

Referencing an information session she held last week involving local municipal leaders. Dr. Salvaterra said she heard “strong support for the requirement of face coverings in commercial establishments and on public transit.”

She said she also heard concerns about overburdening the business sector, and prefers taking an educational approach by providing businesses with the tools and resources they require, and making sure that the language does not mean that someone will be refused entry but “rather that a best effort will be made to ensure that everyone entering is wearing a face covering.”

Meanwhile, in response to a concern raised by a kawarthaNOW reader regarding public health staff not seen to be wearing masks during that person’s visit to the King Street building on Tuesday (July 14), Dr. Salvaterra said that while all of her staff have been provided masks but, “as long as they can maintain the two-metre distance (from others) they’re not required to use them.”

She added that, where plexiglass dividers separate staff from visitors, a face covering is not required.

“That said, we’re noticing an increase in the number of people coming into the building. As the (building) traffic increases, it’s going to be required that staff always wear a mask when travelling within the building.”

Also allowed under stage three guidelines are team sports and a partial re-opening of Shorelines Casino.

Speaking to the former, Mayor Diane Therrien said City of Peterborough staff have been, and will be, in touch with applying user groups regarding the granting of permits. As for the casino, she has heard nothing on its opening and there is nothing as of yet on Shorelines website to indicate what the plan is.

Dr. Salvaterra, while encouraged that the Peterborough region has come out of stage two with no new cases and that the two-week incubation period since Canada Day has now been passed with no new cases, said preparation for a second wave of the virus continues per direction from the province.

“Right from the start, we recognized that we’re in this for the long haul,” she said, noting events occurring south of the border and worldwide teach invaluable lessons. “We’re seeing resurgences in India, Brazil, and other jurisdictions. That serves as a reminder that we are in a pandemic.”

“This is not over. If we let down our guard, we can expect to see more cases. It makes a compelling case for all us to continue to do our part.”

As stage three arrives locally, the latest COVID-19 related numbers provide reason for optimism.

As of 4 p.m. Monday (July 14), the total number of positive cases in Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations remained at 95, with no new cases reported over the past 24 days.

Of the positive cases, 93 have been resolved with two COVID-19 related deaths reported. For the eighth consecutive week, there are no institutional outbreaks reported.

Meanwhile, an estimated 19,550 people have been tested, with 1,000 people during the course of the past week. One of every eight residents in Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area has been tested — a testing rate of 13.2 per cent.

Locally, there have been 64 positive cases detected per 100,000 people compared to Ontario’s rate of 249 positive cases per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the local incidence rate over the past week is zero positive cases per 100,000 people, again much lower than the provincial incidence rate of six cases per 100,000 people.

Also participating in Wednesday’s media briefing was Selwyn mayor and Peterborough board of health chair Andy Mitchell.

Police have recovered the body of a a 20-year-old North York man who went missing after a canoe capsized on Tuesday night (July 14) on Pigeon Lake south of Bobcaygeon.

Just after 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the Kawartha Lakes OPP and Kawartha Lakes Fire and Rescue responded to a call of a capsized canoe.

Police say five people, none of whom were wearing life jackets, were in the canoe when it capsized.

Four of the five people were located by a boater and taken to shore, but one canoeist was not found.

Fire services and police, including an OPP helicopter, conducted a search for the missing canoeist on Tuesday night but were unsuccessful.

The OPP’s underwater search and recovery unit joined the search early on Wednesday morning (July 15) and later recovered the missing man’s body.

Police have not yet released the man’s name.

This story has been updated with information that the missing man’s body has been recovered.

Kawartha Lakes police are seeking a male suspect in the robbery of a Lindsay business on Monday night (July 13).

At around 8:12 p.m., police responded to a report of a robbery at a Lindsay Street South business.

A male had entered the business wearing a disguise, displayed a knife, and then demanded money from the clerk. He then exited the store with a quantity of cash and went west on Durham Street.

The suspect is described as white and slim, wearing a black hoodie, jeans, black cap, face mask, and white-rimmed glasses.

Police are looking for any witnesses who may have seen the incident or know who may have committed this crime.

If you have any information, call police at 705-324-5252. If you wish to provide your information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

The drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at the Kinsmen Civic Centre in Peterborough will continue to operate on weekdays until further notice.

Until Friday, July 24th, the clinic will be open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Beginning on Monday, July 27th, the clinic’s new hours will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Let by Peterborough Paramedics with support from Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), the City of Peterborough, and Peterborough Public Health, the drive-through clinic at 1 Kinsmen Way is for residents without any symptoms of COVID-19 who wish to be tested.

Testing is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring your Ontario health card with you. Children under one year old will not be swabbed at this clinic and should be referred to their family healthcare provider for testing.

Peterborough residents with symptoms of COVID-19 — or residents with or without symptoms who wish to be tested on the weekend — can call the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at PRHC at 705-876-5086 to book an appointment.

The PRHC Assessment Centre runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily by appointment only.

This story has been updated to correct an error in the original media release. The clinic’s new hours beginning on Monday, July 27th will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., not 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you’re in Bancroft and eastern Haliburton County this week and see police and military vehicles and personnel on local roads, don’t be alarmed — it’s just an annual training exercise.

Officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Tactical Rescue Unit, the OPP Canine Unit, and other services within the OPP will be joining the Canadian Armed Forces in a joint training exercise between Wednesday, July 15th and Saturday, July 18th.

Canadian Armed Forces and OPP vehicles, along with Canadian Armed Forces and OPP members, will be out on the roads conducting the training.

The OPP requests that the public refrain from interrupting the training or contacting the police if you happen to see any Canadian Armed Forces or OPP members.