Through sales of the 2025 Paramedic Therapy Dog Calendar fundraiser featuring the Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules (front), Northumberland Paramedics raised over $1,000 to deliver over 50 holiday meals to seniors and community members in need this winter. Pictured from left to right are Northumberland paramedic Joe Glass, Ketch's Korner owner Melissa Dale, Northumberland Paramedics Chief Susan Brown, and (with Ivy Joules) Northumberland Paramedics superintendent of quality improvement education Giselle Lech. (Photo: Northumberland County)
Northumberland residents have stepped up to provide holiday meals to residents in need over the winter, and in turn, will be embracing puppy love all year long in 2025.
Northumberland County has announced its first-ever fundraising calendar, featuring photos of the Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules, was a success. Money raised through sales of the calendar was used to purchase meals for community members who are less fortunate, to enjoy over Christmas and during the upcoming Family Day holiday.
Northumberland Paramedics has been raising money to deliver holiday meals for the past three years. In 2022 and 2023, the fundraisers were internal initiatives with the paramedic team and the paramedic association.
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“2024 was the first year involving the community, with the sale of the paramedic therapy dog calendars,” said Kate Campbell, Northumberland County’s director of communications and IT.
“With the success of this initiative, paramedics are considering ways to once again undertake a community fundraising campaign to support the delivery of holiday meals in December 2025, and this may include (another edition) of the calendar,” she told kawarthaNOW.
As a result of the community response to the 2025 paramedic therapy dog calendar fundraiser, Northumberland Paramedics raised more than $1,000 to deliver the holiday meals to seniors and community members this winter.
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Paramedics worked closely with Ketch’s Korner restaurant in Cobourg to deliver 25 meals to community paramedicine clients during the Christmas holidays. They are planning to deliver another 27 meals during the week of Family Day in February.
“We are so grateful for the incredible support we received from the community during the first year of this fundraising initiative,” said Northumberland Paramedic Chief Susan Brown in a media release.
“Thanks to the community’s kindness, we were able to partner with the very generous Ketch’s Korner to provide holiday meals and a friendly visit from our community paramedicine team to seniors and vulnerable community members over the holidays.”
Northumberland Paramedics therapy dog Ivy Joules, a young golden retriever, often visits community paramedicine clients and also provides support to the team of paramedics. (Photo: Northumberland Paramedics)
Ivy Joules, a young golden retriever, often visits community paramedicine clients and also provides support to the team of paramedics.
“She is truly a source of joy for us, and we’re thrilled that, through this program, she has spread her paws-itive impact even further in our community, one smile at a time,” Brown added.
Each year, Ketch’s Korner donates approximately 250 meals to people in need, as well as to first responders working over the holidays.
“Northumberland Paramedics wanted to amplify this generous and impactful initiative by raising funds to expand the number of meals that could be distributed.”
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The calendar was launched in the fall of 2024 ahead of the holiday season to help support those efforts.
“We started giving out meals to seniors 10 years ago,” said Ketch’s Korner owner Melissa Dale in the release.
“It all started with a lady who was going to be alone for Christmas, as her son was going to be out of town for the holidays. So, my daughter and I dropped off a turkey dinner for her — she was going to have a peanut butter sandwich. That’s what started the whole thing.”
Within only one month of pre-sales last fall, Northumberland Paramedics sold 135 calendars. The calendar features photographs of Ivy Joules exploring Northumberland and interacting with residents, community paramedicine clients, Northumberland Paramedics, and staff delivering other county services.
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Northumberland Paramedics’ community paramedicine program offers non-emergency in-home care to seniors and vulnerable community members in Northumberland County. The program aims to provide preventative and patient-centred care while helping to manage the high demand on hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and emergency services.
For more information about the community paramedicine program, visit northumberland.ca/cp.
To see Ivy Joules at work throughout the county, residents are invited to follow her adventures on Instagram @we.need.ivy.stat.
Jay Malinowski and Tony Rabalao of Toronto-based reggae and world beat band Bedouin Soundclash will be playing an intimate acoustic show at The Venue in downtown Peterborough on Saturday night. (Photo: Bedouin Soundclash / Instagram)
Every Thursday, kawarthaNOW publishes live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that musicians provide directly or that venues post on their websites or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, January 23 to Wednesday, January 29.
If you’re a musician or venue owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
Central Smith Creamery in Selwyn Township is receiving up to $200,000 in federal and provincial funding for new equipment and technology through the Ontario government's Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative, part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5-billion five-year program involving the federal and provincial and territorial governments. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)
Central Smith Creamery in Selwyn Township is receiving up to $200,000 in federal and provincial funding for new equipment and technology.
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $7.18 million in 70 projects across the province to enhance and modernize dairy processing capacity and food safety through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5-billion five-year program involving the federal and provincial and territorial governments.
The partnership, which is intended to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector, includes $2.5 billion — with 60 per cent of the funding provided by the federal government — for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
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In Ontario, that includes the Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative, which provides successful applicants with up to $200,000 for 50 per cent of eligible costs to enhance processing efficiency and food safety in their facilities by adopting modern milk processing methods. The funding can be used to acquire new or refurbished equipment, provide one-time training, and more.
Central Smith Creamery will use the funding to purchase various technologies, including an ultraviolet liquid storage tank, volume and temperature control systems, a fat tester system, liquefier load cells, an upgraded raw material management system, and a robotic conveyor system.
The Dairy Processing Modernization Initiative is open to the 171 licensed cow and goat dairy processors in Ontario, along with additional sheep and buffalo dairy processors. While 90 per cent of the available funding has been allocated, applications are still being accepted until November 30 or until funding runs out, whichever comes first.
A selection of four documentary films screening at the 2025 ReFrame Film Festival (left to right, top and bottom): "Logging Algonquin" by Conor DeVries, "Singing Back the Buffalo" by Tasha Hubbard, "The Monarch Ultra" by Rodney Fuentes, and "London Grown" by Richard Mejeh. (Photos courtesy of ReFrame)
The annual ReFrame Film Festival opens tonight (Thursday, January 23), returning in a hybrid format with in-person events in downtown Nogojiwanong/Peterborough until January 26 and with online streaming from January 27 to February 2.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by guest writer Eryn Lidster, Creative Director, ReFrame Film Festival.
As many festival-goers know, ReFrame showcases some of the best new environmental and social-justice documentary films each year. ReFrame 2025 will be no exception, presenting several films celebrating the beauty of our natural world with stunning images and stories of resilience and growth.
The moment a filmmaker picks up their camera, the story becomes about the relationship between themselves and the natural world. It is this cyclical relationship between humanity and our environment which is the focus of these thought-provoking and beautiful films.
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VIDEO: “Logging Algonquin” trailer
What steps can we take to strengthen our commitment to sustainability and environmental protection? Directed by Conor DeVries, Logging Algonquin (Friday, January 24 at 5 p.m. in-person at the Market Hall and on-demand online) looks at the historical and ongoing logging happening in Algonquin Provincial Park. The film asks the question: “Does logging belong in our modern-day park?”
VIDEO: “The Monarch Ultra” trailer
Innovative solutions to environmental challenges often emerge when we ask ourselves “What can we do?” In Rodney Fuentes’ The Monarch Ultra (Friday, January 24 at 10 a.m. in-person only at the Market Hall), a group of runners trace the migration path of the monarch butterflies from Peterborough, Ontario to Central Mexico to raise awareness for pollinator conservation.
VIDEO: “The Cigarette Surfboard” trailer
Benjamin Judkins’s The Cigarette Surfboard (Friday, January 24 at 5 p.m. in-person only at Showplace Performance Centre) reminds us that each of us has a role to play in protecting our planet, by harnessing our unique passions and talents. In this film we follow Taylor Lane as he creates a functional surfboard with 10,000 littered cigarette butts collected from California beaches. His journey takes him around the world to learn what ocean activists and professional surfers are doing to protect and restore the health of the ocean.
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VIDEO: “Razing Liberty Square” trailer
The impacts of the environmental crisis hit closer to home for some than for others. In Katja Esson’s Razing Liberty Square (Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m. in-person at Showplace Performance Centre and on-demand online) residents of Liberty Square, a public housing project in Miami, know that sudden interest in their neighbourhood comes from the fact that it is located on the highest-and-driest ground in the city.
Both Razing Libery Square and Richard Mejeh’s London Grown (Saturday, January 25 at 10 a.m. in-person only at Showplace Performance Centre) show the inextricable relationship between climate justice and racial justice.
In London Grown, Sandra Salazar D’Eca’s food growing projects focused on empowering the Black community in London, England, come under threat when the council announces a three-fold increase in annual rents to local farming allotments. Supporting those most affected by the crisis and those working toward a better future inspires hope.
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VIDEO: “The Wild Path Home” trailer
Local filmmaker Anne-Marie Jackson’s The Wild Path Home (Saturday, January 25 at 5 p.m. in-person at the Market Hall and on-demand online) highlights innovative efforts by leading specialists in the environmental, health, and educational fields to create immersive experiences that reconnect young adults with nature.
VIDEO: “Singing Back the Buffalo” trailer
Connection to the natural world is vital to its protection. A stunning exploration of this connection is Singing Back the Buffalo (Sunday, January 26 at 12 p.m. in-person at Showplace Performance Centre and on-demand online), an epic reimagining of North America through the lens of buffalo consciousness.
After a dark recent history, the buffalo herds are awaiting their return, aided by dedicated Indigenous activists, leaders and communities, including award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard. These films show us how we can each take action for environmental justice, by protecting our planet and our future.
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GreenUP is once again excited to be a sponsor supporting the ReFrame Film Festival.
In-person, hybrid, and virtual festival passes and tickets are available now. Individual rush tickets for in-person screenings will be available at festival venues 15 minutes in advance of each scheduled screening from January 23 to 26. You can purchase passes and tickets at reframefilmfestival.ca.
GreenUP thanks author Eryn Lidster, creative director for the ReFrame Film Festival, and the entire ReFrame team for their tireless work in sharing relevant, environmentally informative films with our community year after year.
Minden's Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary is encouraging residents and shopper to stop feeding the young deer that has been frequenting Todd's Your Independent Grocer in the village of Haliburton. Nicknamed Mooch, the fawn is part of a herd living on the nearby edge of a forest and was orphaned last year after a vehicular collision killed its mother. Though Mooch is healthy, the sanctuary's founder Monika Melichar warns that taming and feeding the deer could put it in harm's way. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
The Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden is warning residents they are “killing with kindness” when they feed a young deer that has been hanging around Todd’s Your Independent Grocer in the village of Haliburton.
Aptly named ‘Mooch’ by the sanctuary’s founder Monika Melichar, the fawn has been frequently spotted outside the store begging for food in the parking lot for likely up to the last six weeks.
Though the Municipality of Dysart et al passed a by-law banning deer feeding in 2023, shoppers have fallen prey to the animal’s cuteness and have been providing Mooch with apples, carrots, corn, and other food items.
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“He’s being taught to be domesticated, and that is our biggest concern,” Melichar says. “As a community, we’re teaching him that it’s okay to come into the parking lot and mooch for food, because we give him that positive reinforcement by providing him with food. He’s young and he’s naive, so that quickly teaches him that it’s a good place to go because he’s getting that juicy apple.”
Born last summer, Mooch — who Melichar calls “he” although the fawn has yet to be identified as a doe or buck — is with a herd that often stays along the edges of the forest behind the grocery store, though is the only one who dares venture into the parking lot.
Based on photos from last summer and given that fawns are typically still with their mother at this age, it’s believed that Mooch lost his mother in late fall last year after she was struck by a vehicle.
Born last year, Mooch is a young deer that has been regularly fed outside of the Independent grocery store in Haliburton. Though he is a part of the nearby herd, his mother is believed to have died in a vehicular collision in the late fall. Nearby Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary is concerned that if Mooch does not stop being fed, the fawn could become too comfortable around humans and be struck by a car, suffer from nutrition deficiencies, or even hurt people. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
Melichar suggests that while it’s hard to walk past Mooch without offering food because the fawn is “so darn cute,” continuing to do so could cause problems in the future. If Mooch is a buck, when he enters rutting season he could become “aggressive” and “demanding” to the people who once supplied him with food.
“He will be stronger, and he can jump on people. If they’re holding an apple, let’s say, and eating it themselves, not intending to feed him, he will jump up and try to take that apple,” she explains.
“That’s what happens when a deer becomes unafraid of humans. Deer are strong and have razor-sharp hooves, so if they paw at somebody they can actually slice skin open.”
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Melichar is also concerned that Mooch’s comfort around humans provides more opportunity for the fawn to be hit by a vehicle. Just this month, Haliburton Highlands OPP reported that a recent traffic analysis saw a “concerning” rise in motor vehicle collisions, with deer-related collisions accounting for 82.5 per cent of these incidents. Hotspots from 2019 to 2023 include Country Road 21 and Highway 118.
“It’s because we are more in the bush, but it’s also because the deer are becoming unafraid of human activity and commotion and will mingle among cars and cross the roads even when cars are coming,” Melichar says about the frequency of deer-related accidents.
She adds that the very day after Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary assessed Mooch, a deer that had been hit by a car was found in a ditch near the grocery store and had to be shot by the OPP because he suffered such terrible injuries.
“This is what we really need to stop. It’s too sad to have the constant injuries and car collisions happening,” says Melichar.
A pile of apples was left by the side of the road in Haliburton for a fawn who has been hanging around the village over the last few weeks. The Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary encourages those who feed deer to do so away from the roadsides, with nutritious foods, and without directly interacting with the deer. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
Melichar also says that feeding deer can be harmful to the animals, as oftentimes they are being given food they would not find naturally when foraging during the winter, when their diet consists of twigs, branches, bark, and winter-green plants.
For example, people who feed deer will commonly give them corn. While deer love corn, it takes a lot of energy to digest and having such a high-carbohydrate diet can cause nutritional and developmental problems for deer. They can even develop “Aladdin’s Slippers,” a disease that causes the hooves to curl upward.
“Sadly, that is not uncommon in this area and there are a few deer suffering from that right now, and it’s directly linked to feeding them corn.” says Melichar. “They love corn — it’s like candy to them — but they’re not getting the nutrients they need to develop properly.”
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While deer feeders might be quick to suggest that deer need help sourcing food during the cold spells, Melichar says the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary found Mooch to be completely physically healthy and “has no issue of being starved.”
It is true that deer face challenges in accessing food in the winter with the build up of deep snow, and Melichar recognizes that feeding wildlife can be a source of joy for many people in Haliburton. She just encourages people to think about how they’re doing it.
“People like to feed the deer because there’s nothing more beautiful than seeing a little group of deer eating in your front yard, but let’s be reasonable and smart about it,” she says. “Do it with the deer’s welfare in mind.”
While Mooch is very cute, Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary founder Monika Melichar says people should frighten the deer away so it does not become comfortable around humans and vehicles. A deer in Mooch’s herd was recently struck by a car, found in a nearby ditch, and ultimately shot by the OPP. Many highways around Haliburton County are labelled as “hotspots” for vehicle collisions involving animals, with more than 82 per cent involving a deer. (Photo: Mary Lou Betz)
She suggests deer should be fed on individual properties and far away from the roadside and the danger of vehicles. Instead of feeding them corn, give them other grains such as oats. It can also be helpful to collect boughs and sticks and leave them on top of the snow.
“Deer like cedar this time of year, so cedar boughs are beautiful, and it feeds them a more nutritious, natural diet as opposed to corn and molasses, which is terrible junk food and can cause those deficiencies in the deer,” Melichar says.
If residents do feed deer, Melichar cautions against getting too close to them.
“Keep them wild by not taking selfies with them or petting them or coaxing them to come and eat right out of your hand. That is just strictly stroking your own ego and that is not helping that deer and is causing a lot of harm. I call that killing with kindness.”
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If deer come too close, Melichar encourages people to “shoo” them away by making lots of noise and waving their arms around to encourage them to return to more forested areas away from people.
“The response is tough love, meaning teach the deer to fear you,” she says. “Put your food out, walk away, and let the dear come. That’s fine, but if you do it with your ego in mind, for your own gratification, those deer are now being taught that you’re a kind person. But not everybody is, and cars are certainly not kind.”
As for Mooch, Melichar suggests the only way to ensure he stays safe is to instill a fear of humans again, rather than reinforcing the idea that humans offer a food source.
Monika Melichar, pictured with a porcupine named Quill, is founder and president of Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden. Melichar is a federally and provincially authorized wildlife custodian and has over 30 years of experience working with orphaned and injured wildlife. She holds a BSc in Zoology from the University of Guelph and has worked at the Metro Toronto Zoo. (Photo: Sue Carr-Tiffin)
Given that Mooch is physically healthy, she does not want to bring the fawn to the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary, as it would only be a “band-aid on one deer.” Relocation would only provide a temporary solution, as Mooch would find his way back.
“We need to re-educate the community and just give them the idea and the strength and the power to say ‘I love seeing deer here in Haliburton County and I want the deer to stay’ because, if we keep them afraid, there will be less collisions, less interactions, less raided gardens,” says Melichar.
“We do want to keep our wildlife wild, and the only way to do that is to stop interfering and stop promoting the taming by encouraging the wildlife to be eating out of our hands.”
Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark (middle of front row, in light brown jacket) with members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC) along with Ontario government cabinet members and MPPs at EOWC's annual inaugural meeting in Kingston on January 9 and 10, 2025, when Clark was acclaimed as EOWC chair and Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson was elected as vice-chair. (Photo courtesy of EOWC)
There’s no shortage of challenging issues facing municipal leaders across the province, and the County of Peterborough’s Bonnie Clark is zeroing in on three priorities in the months to come for the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC).
Clark, warden of Peterborough County, was recently acclaimed as the 2025 chair of the EOWC. The EOWC is a non-profit organization that advocates for 103 small urban and rural municipalities across eastern Ontario. Clark had served as the EOWC’s vice-chair since 2023.
Settling into her new seat at the helm, she shared with kawarthaNOW her thoughts around what she sees as the key priorities this year for the EOWC.
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“In 2025, EOWC will seek to highlight the region’s economic strength, emphasizing its significant contribution to the Canadian economy through exports,” Clark said.
“We will be continuing to advocate for our region and our businesses who would be severely impacted should the threatened US tariffs be imposed. The EOWC supports initiatives like Fortress Am-Can to boost regional and North American economic resilience.”
An initiative of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Fortress Am-Can is described as a renewed strategic alliance between Canada and the United States “that is a beacon of stability, security and long-term prosperity,” according to the EOWC. “This plan will strengthen our economic partnerships on both sides of the border.”
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Clark said her work as chair will focus on the three priority areas of infrastructure, housing, and health care.
“Recognizing the critical need for infrastructure investment, the EOWC advocates for increased funding from higher levels of government to address the region’s aging infrastructure and growing deficit,” Clark said.
In the housing sector, the EOWC emphasizes the importance of facilitating housing development, and supporting a “housing first” approach to address affordability and homelessness.
“Furthermore, while acknowledging the Ontario government’s efforts to improve healthcare access, the EOWC stresses the need for stable and sustainable funding models for impactful community paramedicine programs. Community paramedicine has already made huge impacts by providing front-end community-based care and lessening the burden on emergency rooms,” Clark noted.
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Clark was acclaimed as chair earlier this month during an EOWC two-day conference in Kingston, which also saw Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson elected as vice-chair.
She brings with her to the role more than 20 years of public service experience. With a 28-year career as a registered nurse and deep roots as a member of a proud farming family, “Warden Clark is uniquely positioned to represent and advocate for the residents of eastern Ontario,” noted a media release from the County of Peterborough.
“She is committed to fostering collaboration with public, private, and community organizations to advance the interests of all member municipalities.”
Spanning 50,000 square kilometres and serving 800,000 residents, the EOWC has championed regional priorities with a unified voice for more than 20 years. The organization works closely with governments, businesses, non-profits, Indigenous leaders, media, and the public to advance key initiatives that strengthen communities across the region.
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As chair, the County of Peterborough said Clark is uniquely positioned to advocate for issues affecting Peterborough County.
“Working together with the EOWC enables Peterborough County to leverage the voices of 103 municipalities regarding common issues and goals to advocate at higher levels of government.”
As for Clark, she said it’s “an honour” to serve in a new capacity for 2025.
“It is a critical time for our country, province, and region to step up, and the EOWC remains ready to work and ready to grow. I look forward to working with my caucus colleagues in the year ahead to advance priorities of infrastructure, housing, and health care on behalf of our 103 municipalities and residents across eastern Ontario.”
A slide from a presentation on economic development and tourism in Peterborough County given by economic development general manager Rhonda Keenan and tourism and communications manager Tracie Bertrand to county council on January 22, 2025. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
Peterborough County is moving forward with an economic development and tourism plan for the county and its townships.
During a council meeting on Wednesday (January 22), councillors received a presentation from the county’s economic development general manager Rhonda Keenan and tourism and communications manager Tracie Bertrand, who were seeking council’s approval for proposed priorities for economic development and tourism and the next steps in developing a plan.
The county assumed responsibility for economic development and tourism after Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), a not-for-profit organization that had been providing economic development and tourism services on behalf of the County and the City of Peterborough for 25 years, announced it was dissolving at the end of 2024 after the city declined to renew an agreement to continue to provide funding to the organization and the county followed suit.
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In September, the county hired Keenan (previously the president and CEO of PKED) along with Sarah Budd (previously the president and CEO of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce) to join Bertrand in leading the county’s new economic development and tourism department, with Budd taking on the role of manager of community development.
In late October, the county also opened a new economic development and tourism office, located in the former post office at 12 Queen Street in Lakefield, to serve as the central hub in a “hub and spoke” model that will provide services to businesses and residents across the county, including satellite locations in the various townships.
Meanwhile, the City of Peterborough has yet to hire a person to lead its new economic development department, although an announcement is reportedly imminent.
Introducing her presentation to council, Keenan provided an overview of the activities her team has completed over the past three months, including visiting 13 local businesses, attending 12 local and regional events, responding to 10 inquiries from businesses looking for expansion opportunities and new space, and attending seven tourism roundtables and 10 community service group meetings.
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Keenan noted that the Ontario government has announced a new Rural Ontario Development Program aimed at supporting economic growth, workforce capacity and business development in rural communities. The program, which rural affairs minister Lisa Thompson announced on Tuesday (January 21) at the 2025 annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, will include $10 million in annual funding over the next two years for a total of $20 million.
“Our plan, as we’re starting to lay it out, is definitely in alignment with the direction of the province, and hopefully with future funding that follows,” Keenan said.
Tuesday was also when the county launched The Business Advantage program with an open-house style session at the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre, offering local business owners the opportunity to meet with the economic development and tourism team along with representatives from Community Futures Peterborough’s Business Advisory Centre, the Innovation Cluster, and the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
“It was a great kick-off because it was a good steady day, lots of great support, but businesses were able to be connected with the people that they needed to be connected with,” Keenan said. “So that was a great win yesterday, and we are looking forward to Cavan Monaghan (Township) next month, and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen after that, and we continue to want to roll that out and expand.”
Keenan said that local businesses are asking for better connections, and the economic development and tourism department is planning to bring Business Advisory Centre workshops to the county as well as creating the county’s own business-related workshops and events.
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After describing the attractions already available in Peterborough County such as Lang Pioneer Village and the diversity of industries in the county, Keenan noted the challenges faced in developing a comprehensive economic development and tourism plan for the county.
She pointed out that each township in the county has different geographic draws and influences, with Trent Lakes near Bobcaygeon in Kawartha Lakes, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen near the City of Belleville, and Cavan Monaghan near Durham Region.
“We also still have the push and pull into the City of Peterborough itself,” Keenan added. “Those influences need to be considered in what types of businesses would do well in each of these communities, but it also gives us as a county the opportunity to recognize that we are being pulled, and create a made in Peterborough (County) solution that is drawing inward and supporting inward.”
Keenan outlined three requirements for growing Peterborough County’s economy: creating jobs as well as increased assessment to grow the municipal tax base, evaluating the existing real estate inventory available for businesses, and collaborating with individual townships that already have their own economic development functions.
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Keenan shared a number of sectors that are expected to expand in 2025, including agri-tourism, the wellness economy, vertical farming, mystery tours, and small-scale manufacturing, while recognizing that policies of the new Trump administration may affect economic growth in some sectors.
“I really want to start with what we don’t want,” she said. “I know it’s a hard no for megasites (large contiguous tracts of land that are choice locations for big industrial operations) from previous presentations that I have made. We’re not ready. We don’t want this; we like the appeal of our small-town charm. We don’t have the ability, the housing, the infrastructure, or even the contiguous land to do that.”
Keenan then asked council how they felt about the idea of “smaller industrial condominiums” — buildings that may be around 1,500 square feet and include workshop space, office space, and some retail space.
“This is really the next phase of growth would be for small entrepreneurs to move out of their garages, move out of their basements, and take out space,” she explained. “Having a building such as this also allows for expansion opportunities … as opposed to having to move out to another location when they’ve grown out of space.”
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Keenan shared with council what she believes are the priority areas for economic growth that would provide the greatest return on investment: supporting existing businesses, followed by agriculture, tourism, and small-scale manufacturing.
“Our businesses are saying ‘We’re feeling isolated’, ‘We need more support’, ‘We need to be more connected to each other’,” she said. “They’re saying ‘Workforce issues are still keeping me up at night’, ‘We need to have more year-round visitors’.”
For agriculture, Keenan noted that the county has 863 farms, but they are typically small-scale farms selling products at local farm gates and farmers’ markets.
“What we know is that it doesn’t pay them enough, and farmers often have to have full-time jobs to supplement (their income) and they farm in between that work,” she said, adding that a strong agricultural sector means coming up with more ways for farmers to generate more revenue. Some options might include diversified new products, vertical farming, on-farm diversified uses, and agri-tourism.
For tourism, Keenan noted that many tourism operators are “very small mom-and-pop shops” trying to compete with the global travel trade. She said climate change is affecting the traditional winter season, with snowmobilers heading further north or east for consistent conditions, and that creating year-round attractions may necessitate creating something indoors.
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She added that there’s an opportunity for the county to become a health and wellness destination.
“We do like to joke internally that the county is where the Electric City comes to recharge,” she said, referring to the City of Peterborough. “I know they won’t like that, but that’s certainly the way we consider it.”
Keenan pointed out that businesses need to create “Instagram-worthy” experiences to attract visitors, and have the opportunity to “bundle packages” with other businesses. She also referred to the Trent-Severn Waterway being listed as a top destination by The New York Times.
“We are anticipating that we’re going to see an uptick in visitation,” she said, before wondering whether businesses in the county are going to be ready for it and whether it will translate into year-round visitation.
For small-scale manufacturing, Keenan said there are 284 manufacturers in the greater Peterborough area, employing 3,685 people and grossing over $3.1 billion. However, 49 per cent of those manufacturers have no employees other than the owner. Of the 284 manufacturers, 165 are food processing operations with one to four employees.
“Manufacturing doesn’t have to be huge, but it creates a huge opportunity,” she pointed out.
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After describing the priority areas for economic growth, Keenan described the “made in Peterborough County solution” that would result in the county being a recognized supporter of business with a stable and growing economy, a destination for year-round visitation that has “exciting new experiences,” a recognized collaborator and relationship builder, and growing the key sectors that have the largest potential for economic growth.
“We ultimately want to bring back to you an economic development plan after working through some of those tactics and angles with our (economic development) advisory committee and working group,” Keenan said. “We want to create a collaborative framework so that we’re all aware, and agree, who does what — and again, it might be different between the county and each of the townships, but we all know, as well as our partners. That will allow us to give a workplan and a budget that can be assigned for review for council approval.”
Keenan then asked county council to confirm the direction proposed in her presentation, along with a recommendation that council direct staff to proceed with creating a detailed economic development and tourism action plan through the economic development advisory committee that incorporates feedback and input from council.
Staff would also create a collaborative framework to establish the roles and responsibilities of the county and township economic development functions, and establish a real estate review working group that would report back to council.
After county council approves all the work, staff would then be directed share the results with township councils.
Keenan’s presentation was well received by council. Some of the comments made by councillors included the lack of year-round accommodation, the lack of employment lands, the lack of consistent wayfinding signage throughout the county, the need for performance measures for economic growth outcomes, and the need to create collaborations between local businesses.
In her comments, councillor Lori Burtt, deputy mayor of Asphodel-Norwood Township, noted the success of the first session of The Local Advantage in her community and lauded the work by Keenan and Betrand.
“These two people have done more in our township in the last few months than we’ve received in the last six, seven years,” she said. “That is really appreciated, and our businesses appreciate that as well.”
Council voted to approve a motion to accept the presentation and its recommendations.
The rehabilitated Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge reopened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic on October 20, 2023. Since the rehabilitation project began in October 2020, the project has faced continual issues that delayed the completion of the project from May 2021. (Photo: Impact 32 / Facebook)
The Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge will be closed for 10 days in early February to install permanent vertical end lifts for the bridge, but will reopen in time for Bobcaygeon’s annual Frost Fest event on the Family Day weekend,
Last April, Parks Canada announced that temporary end lifts were installed to support normal bridge swing operations for the 2024 navigation season. The end lifts successfully ensured the bridge sealed tightly to the abutments during swings.
In November, Parks Canada announced that the end lifts would be permanently installed, which will require a full road closure from Monday, February 3rd to Wednesday, February 12th.
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“We are working closely with the community to ensure that the bridge will be open for Bobcaygeon’s Annual Frost Fest, which is scheduled to take place from Friday, February 14th, to Monday, February 17th,” Parks Canada states in a media release issued on Wednesday (January 22).
According to Parks Canada, another short closure may be required following Frost Fest to complete the work. The final commissioning of the bridge will take place in early spring when warmer temperatures allow.
In October 2023, the Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge reopened after being closed for three years for a rehabilitation project that included many delays. Final commissioning was originally scheduled to be completed in spring 2024.
Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is located at 1 Hospital Drive in Peterborough. (Photo: PRHC)
Forbes has named Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) as one of Canada’s best employers in 2025.
The regional hospital has been ranked 19 out of 27 of the best employers in the healthcare and social services category, and 199 out of the best 300 employers across all sectors.
“Every day, I see the work that our healthcare leaders, staff, physicians and volunteers put in to make our regional hospital such a special place,” says PRHC President and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula in a media release.
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“It’s wonderful to see a prestigious organization like Forbes recognizing that too. At PRHC, our greatest strength is our people. One team, here for our community when you need us most,” Dr. Mikula added.
PRHC is the Kawartha region’s largest employer, with more than 3,100 staff and 450 physicians with hospital privileges along with a core group of 250 volunteers delivering acute healthcare to more than 300,000 in Peterborough and the surrounding communities.
Forbes released its Canada’s Best Employers list on Tuesday (January 21). According to Forbes, it created the list by partnering with market research firm Statista to survey more than 40,000 Canada-based employees working for companies and institutions that employ at least 500 individuals within Canada.
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Anonymous survey respondents were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to rate it based on a range of criteria, including salary, work flexibility, training programs, and opportunities to advance. Participants were also asked if they would recommend their previous employers within the last two years.
Along with the survey responses, Forbes also included survey data from the previous three years in case an organization just had one good year, although more recent data and evaluations from current employees were weighted more heavily.
The inductees of Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario's 10th annual Peterborough Business Hall of Fame, pictured in the lobby of the Venture North Building in downtown Peterborough on January 22, 2025, are (from left to right, bottom to top) Diane Richard, Nancy Wiskel, Matt Holmes, Michael Riseley, Kelly and Martin Carbajal, Darrell Junkin, Grant Seabrooke, Raj Patel, Micheal Eatson, Eric Eatson, Graeme Eatson, and Drew Merrett. Not pictured: Toni and Kelli Grady, Margo and Paul Hudson, and Donnell Leahy, Natalie McMaster, and Julia Leahy. (Photo courtesy of JA-NEO)
Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO) has announced the inductees for the 10th annual Peterborough Business Hall of Fame, with the largest number of local business leaders ever inducted in a single year.
Business Hall of Fame chancellor Allan Hill of Domino’s Pizza announced the 22 inductees from the lobby of the Venture North Building in downtown Peterborough on Wednesday morning (January 22).
The 2025 inductees are:
Darrell Junkin of Craftworks at the Barn
Tony and Kelli Grady of Grady Feet Essentials
Grant Seabrooke of Machine Dynamics Ltd.
Matt Holmes and Michael Riseley of Holmes Riseley LLP
Donnell Leahy, Natalie McMaster, and Julia Leahy of Natalie Donnell Entertainment
Margo and Paul Hudson of Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods
Nancy Wiskel of Dan Joyce Clothing
Martin and Kelly Carbajal of La Mesita Restaurante
Drew Merrett of Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre
Diane Richard of Diatom Consulting
Raj Patel of Ennismore Foodland
Peter, Rita, Michael, Eric, and Graeme Eatson of Peterborough Volkswagen
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“JA-NEO is excited to unveil the 10th annual class of inductees to join our ever-growing Business Hall of Fame as we mark our 10th induction ceremony this May,” said JA-NEO president and CEO John McNutt in a media release.
“As we celebrate 10 years of our Business Hall of Fame, we are thrilled to welcome our biggest class yet who are helping to inspire and show local youth that starting their own business can be rewarding and last multiple generations much like the business leaders being honoured today.”
The inductees will be formally inducted at The Venue in downtown Peterborough on Thursday, May 29.
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Early bird tickets for $75 are available until April 13, with the regular price $125 thereafter. Tickets are available at ja-neo.org/ja-business-hall-of-fame/.
According to JA-NEO, the event helps the organization recruit volunteers, investors, and partners to help deliver their programs at no cost to students or schools.
“Proceeds from the event help JA-NEO meet the growing demand for financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs, providing essential support to facilitate the future success of every JA student,” states the release.
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