Peterborough Diane Therrien and Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef hosted a meeting at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough on July 23, 2019 and subsequently released a 10-point plan for a rapid response to the homelessness and housing issue in Peterborough. Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones (left) and Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith also attended the meeting. (Photo: Office of Maryam Monsef)
Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien and Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef hosted and spoke at a meeting on Tuesday (July 23) at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough to discuss the homelessness and housing issue in Peterborough.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones also spoke at the meeting, whose attendees also included other elected officials, city staff, developers, and front-line workers.
The meeting at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough included elected officials, city staff, developers, and front-line workers. (Photo: Office of Maryam Monsef)
Following the meeting, Mayor Therrien and MP Monsef issued the following joint statement.
As a result of today’s meeting at the Mount Community Centre, a 10-Point Plan for a Rapid Response to Homelessness and Housing has been established. The plan consists of the following:
Immediately implement recommendations arising from the Rapid Response to Homelessness and Housing Meeting on July 23 to provide more supports and services to encourage those living rough to move indoors.
Mayor will strike a Rapid Shelter Task Force to determine a Plan A and Plan B for more permanent, low-barrier shelter for the most vulnerable in our community, with a report due to Council in 60 days.
Willing government partners will help the Task Force by providing staff to form a Secretariat.
Willing government partners will help the Task Force by suggesting community experts to form the membership of the Task Force.
The voices of those living rough in our community, as well as community experts and advocates, will be heard through the development of the Task Force report and the future creation of low-barrier shelter through multiple avenues, including representation on the Task Force and consultations.
City of Peterborough will continue to develop its Official Plan to ensure that creative solutions for housing are available to the community, such as allowing for tiny homes through zoning and by-law amendments, and will look to create an inventory of land that could be made available for affordable housing development.
Willing government partners will continue to work together to support a community response to the opioid crisis and mental health needs, including by supporting a Consumption and Treatment Site.
A public summit will be held on August 13 to ensure the community can help inform the path forward.
Willing government partners will work with community and service providers, as well as willing local developers, over the next 60 days to create new applications to the National Housing Strategy that meet the housing needs of the City and County of Peterborough and that move to build 2,000 units over the next two years.
Regular information updates about progress on this plan will be delivered to internal partners and to the community at large.
In the short term, we will continue actively working with the County of Peterborough to identify immediate solutions. The Peterborough Public Library is providing a temporary space for emergency shelter from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. each day. Staff from the Brock Mission and City of Peterborough Social Services are stationed at the Library to help connect people with more permanent housing and shelter, as well as critical support services, and the Library continues to function as usual during the day. As well, 15 additional beds have also been opened at the YES Shelter, which are being made available to people of any age who are in need.
The City has been vigorous in its on-going efforts to find a low-barrier shelter location for some of Peterborough’s most vulnerable citizens. City outreach workers have been visiting locations where people are camping to reach out and help connect them with available services and shelter, and the Peterborough Police Service and first responders deserve to be commended for their work ensuring the public safety.
Construction of the new Brock Mission is imminent, more single mothers and their children are being housed through YWCA’s Homeward Bound program, and another 1,432 families in Peterborough-Kawartha have found affordable housing with the assistance of more than $7 million in federal government investments. Good work to build affordable housing in Peterborough has been done for many years by groups like the Mount Community Centre, and supported by the federal government.
However, we know that more housing is needed. We know that Peterborough needs 2,000 new units in the next two years as part of a longer-term plan for housing. Through the combined efforts of everyone in attendance at today’s meeting — elected officials, including MPP Dave Smith, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones and City councillors, City staff, land developers, private investors, front-line workers – and with billions of funding available through the first-ever federal National Housing Strategy, which is already delivering early results to our community, we can make this ambitious goal happen — if we work together.
When Peterborough is presented with challenges, we always rise to the occasion to not only meet them, but exceed them. We make the impossible possible. Together, we will ensure everyone has a home they can be proud of and feel safe in.
Brian Kerr, CEO and general manager of Kawartha Dairy in Bobcaygeon, has been profiled by the Globe and Mail. A Bobcaygeon native who previously worked for Kraft Heinz Canada, Kerr has been working at Kawartha Dairy since September 2018. (Photo via strategyonline.ca)
businessNOW™ is the most comprehensive weekly round-up of business and organizational news and events from Peterborough and across the Kawarthas.
This week’s business and organizational news includes Kawartha Dairy CEO and general manager Brian Kerr being profiled in the Globe and Mail, federal funding announced to make Peterborough a ‘green economy hub’, the launch of the PedalBoro multi-passenger bike service in downtown Peterborough, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation making an $837,838 first-quarter payment to the City of Peterborough, the Peterborough Yoga Festival donating $3,500 to two local organizations, and the ‘Remembering Romeo’ pet photo event raising $700 for the Peterborough Humane Society.
Every week, 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.
Also featured this week are Kit Coffee Espresso Bar and Bake Shop opening in downtown Peterborough, The Cat and The Fiddle in Cobourg closing without warning, Peterborough video game studio Canuck Play’s upcoming release being mentioned in Sports Illustrated, the Peterborough Chamber seeking members for its 2020 board of directors, and the Town of Cobourg launching a redesigned and improved website.
New regional business events added this week include Fleming College’s Innovation and Technology Showcase in Peterborough on July 25th, the Lindsay Chamber’s breakfast networking meeting in Lindsay on July 31st, Rebound Child & Youth Services hosting the Northumberland Chamber’s next networking event in Cobourg on August 13th, and the Port Hope Young Professionals and Port Hope Chamber hosting a “house party” in Port Hope on August 16th.
The 46-year-old Bobcaygeon native began his role at the dairy in September 2018, a little more than a year after he left Kraft Heinz Canada where he was most recently chief marketing officer. He worked at Heinz for nearly 19 years.
The Globe and Mail story by Camilla Cornell notes that Kerr first worked for Kawartha Dairy when he was 11 years old, when he was hired to scooping ice into bags for fishermen’s coolers.
Kerr, who went to Fenelon Falls Secondary School, later began loading and driving delivery trucks and continued to work part-time with the company until he was 19.
Also a member of the board of directors of the Ontario Dairy Council, Kerr is hoping to expand Kawartha Dairy’s own retail outlets and also expand its distribution to other retailers in urban areas, according to the Globe story.
“I think urban expansion makes sense,” he tells Cornell. “And we’d be silly to not look at Toronto. It’s the biggest market in Canada.”
Kawartha Dairy was founded in 1937 in Bobcaygeon by Jack and Ila Crowe. Pictured is Jack Crowe with a Kawartha Dairy tanker. The dairy’s products, especially its ice cream, have become a staple of cottage country in central Ontario. (Photo: Kawartha Dairy)
Kawartha Dairy produces and distributes ice cream, milk, and butter, but only its ice cream products are available outside of central Ontario in limited locations. The company recently opened a new 54,000-foot distribution centre as well as two new retail outlets in Barrie and Newmarket.
The Globe story points out that Kawartha Dairy faces a potential risk in moving outside of its traditional stronghold in cottage country, where it has benefited from word of mouth advertising and customer loyalty. There is greater competition in urban areas and the relatively small independent dairy does not have the same economies of scale as its big dairy competitors.
Kawartha Dairy was founded in 1937 by Jack and Ila Crowe, who bought a small dairy in Bobcaygeon and later, in the mid-1950s, began to produce ice cream. Kawartha Dairy continues to be owned and operated by the Crowe family and has 150 employees, along with seasonal staff.
Federal funding announced to make Peterborough a ‘green economy hub’
Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef announcing $256,250 in federal funding for three new green economy hubs, including in Peterborough. An initiative of the non-profit organization Green Economy Canada, green economy hubs have already been established in Hamilton and Burlington, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Waterloo Region, and York Region, with 250 businesses collectively reduced 200,000 tons of greenhouse gases to date. (Photo: Office of Maryam Monsef / Facebook)
Peterborough is about to join seven other Ontario communities to become a “green economy hub” that will help local businesses achieve their energy efficiency and sustainability goals.
On Thursday (July 18) at the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough, Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, on behalf of natural resources minister Amarjeet Sohi, announced $256,250 in federal funding for three new green economy hubs.
Green economy hubs support local networks of businesses to set and achieve sustainability targets, including carbon emission reductions. The hubs are an initiative of Green Economy Canada, a non-profit organization founded in Waterloo in 2014 as Sustainability CoLab.
PedalBoro multi-passenger bike service launches in downtown Peterborough
PedalBoro’s 15-passenger party bike received a fair share of attention on Tuesday (July 16) during the bike tour company’s inaugural downtown tour from The Olde Stone Brewing Company to the Publican House Brewery before heading to Millennium Park. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
Hillary Flood and Peter Rellinger have launched PedalBoro, a 15-passenger group pedalling experience that will take participants to downtown core pubs for pub crawl “brew stops” featuring samplings of their beer.
The service plans to expand offering later this summer to include “dish crawls” to four downtown Peterborough restaurants.
Current pub crawl partners are The Olde Stone Brewery Company, The Publican House Brewery, Next Door, and The Twisted Wheel.
With the launch of PedalBoro, Peterborough is just the fifth Canadian city offering the party bike experience, the others being Vancouver, Calgary, London, and Montreal.
For more information and to register as an individual or a group, visit www.pedalboro.com.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation makes an $837,838 first-quarter payment to the City of Peterborough
Shorelines Casino Peterborough is located at 1400 Crawford Drive. (Photo: Shorelines Casino Peterborough / Facebook)
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has issued a first-quarter non-tax gaming revenue payment of $837,838 to the City of Peterborough for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough (1400 Crawford Dr., Peterborough).
The payment for the period April 1 to June 30, 2019 brings the total non-tax gaming revenue payment to the city to more than $2 million since October 2018.
The funds municipalities receive from OLG for hosting a gaming facility are based on a graduated scale of gaming revenue that is consistent across all sites in Ontario. Municipalities will use the revenue for various projects, including investment in local infrastructure, community programs and services, roads, and public transit.
Peterborough Yoga Festival donates $3,500 to two local organizations
The Peterborough Yoga Festival has donated $2,500 to Alternatives Community Program Services Peterborough and $1,000 to the United Way Peterborough & District. (Photos: Peterborough Yoga Festival / Facebook)
The Peterborough Yoga Festival has donated $3,500 to two local organizations: $2,500 to Alternatives Community Program Services Peterborough and $1,000 to the United Way Peterborough & District.
The funds were raised during the fifth annual festival held on June 22nd. Every year, all proceeds of ticket sales from the festival are donated to charitable organizations.
In addition to the $3,500 to local organizations, the festival donated the remaining $1,500 to Nanhi Dunya, an organization in India that offers educational opportunities to underprivileged children.
‘Remembering Romeo’ raises $700 for Peterborough Humane Society
Tracey Ormond, organizer of the Remembering Romeo fundraiser, with husband Mike, their three cats, and border collie Finn. Local photographer Heather Doughty donated her time and equipment to take the portraits of people with their pets. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
‘Remembering Romeo’, a pet photo fundraiser held on July 14th, has raised $700 for the Peterborough Humane Society.
Organized by local businesswoman Tracey Ormond and photographer Heather Doughty, the fundraiser offered digital photos by Doughty of people with their pets.
While there was no cost for a portrait, people were encouraged to make a donation to support the Peterborough Humane Society’s Safe Nights for Pets program, which provides temporary shelter for pets when their owners are faced with hospitalization, domestic abuse, or temporary displacement.
The $700 raised by the event will cover 14 safe nights for pets.
Ormond was inspired to create the fundraiser after the passing of her cat Romeo in June. At the time, Ormond realized she didn’t have very many photos with Romeo and waned to ensure that other pet owners did, while supporting a good cause.
“I am humbled by the support of my friends and this community,” Ormond says. “It was amazing to back a great cause in the name of Romeo … we look forward to having this fundraiser again next year.”
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce donated space at its offices for the event.
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Kit Coffee Espresso Bar and Bake Shop opens in downtown Peterborough
Helen McCarthy has opened Kit Coffee Espresso Bar and Bake Shop at 144 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Kit Coffee / Facebook)
Kit Coffee Espresso Bar and Bake Shop has opened in downtown Peterborough.
Owned and operated by Helen McCarthy, the cafe features espresso, americano, machiatto, latte, cappuccino, and more, along with made-from-scratch baked goods — including gluten-free scones.
Gluten-free raspberry, blueberry, and orange-glazed scones at Kit Coffee Espresso Bar and Bake Shop. (Photo: Kit Coffee / Facebook)
Kit Coffee is located at 144 Hunter Street West, the former location of Caffeina.
The Cat and The Fiddle in Cobourg closes without warning
The Cat and The Fiddle in Cobourg. (Photo: Cat and Fiddle / Facebook)
Popular Cobourg pub The Cat and The Fiddle (38 Covert St., Cobourg) closed without warning or explanation last Friday (July 19).
Established in 1985, the business is owned by Barrie and Eira Jones and the building is owned by local property developer Phoenix Genesis.
Last Monday (July 15), the pub announced on its Facebook page that Barrie Jones would be retiring on July 31, 2019. On Friday, customers arrived at the pub to find its doors locked.
It is unknown if or when The Cat and The Fiddle will reopen.
According to a report by Northumberland Today, Phoenix Genesis representative John Lee said on Friday that he is unaware why the pub has closed.
Several reader comments on the pub’s official Facebook page, which was unavailable over the weekend but has now been restored, accuse Phoenix Genesis of locking the doors.
On Sunday (July 21), when the official Facebook page was unavailable, a second Facebook page called “Cat N Fiddle Cobourg” was created, levelling various accusations against the pub’s owners.
Peterborough video game studio Canuck Play’s upcoming release mentioned in Sports Illustrated
Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football 2019. (Graphic: Canuck Play)
Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football 2019, an upcoming video game created by Peterborough-based game studio Canuck Play with Spear Interactive, was mentioned in Sports Illustrated last Monday (July 15).
In the “Ten Takeaways” section of an article by Robert Klemko, he writes “I’m a few weeks late on this but if you’re like me and you don’t play video games often but you miss the hell out of the EA Sports’ NCAA football games, this may be welcome news to you. Doug Flutie has partnered with a video game developer to make Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football.”
“It’s being produced by a former online producer for all the EA Sports titles, and while it won’t have the budget of an EA game and the state of the art gameplay that comes with that, it will have a college football franchise mode, with an impressive-looking recruiting platform. Competing for recruits in dynasty mode was always the big draw for me growing up, so I’m pumped to give Flutie’s game a try when it comes out this fall.”
Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football 2019 is set for release in September 2019 on Xbox One and PS4.
Peterborough Chamber seeks members for its 2020 board of directors
The 2019 board of directors of the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. (Photo: Peterborough Chamber)
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is seeking members who are interested in serving on its 2020 board of directors.
The board plays a significant role in the development of Chamber policies and focuses on governance of the organization through policy governance.
Volunteers must be willing to make the appropriate time commitment. Only members in good standing may apply.
Town of Cobourg launches redesigned and improved website
The Town of Cobourg has launched a redesigned and improved website at www.cobourg.ca.
The revision of the town’s website took five months of digital market research where hundreds of other municipal, tourism and private sector websites were reviewed for best practices. The site was improved to ensure a clean appearance, ease of navigation, and improved content and functionality driven by the needs of citizens, including feedback gathered from a citizen survey.
The website continues to be responsive and easily readable by any type of device including smartphones and tablets. In addition, the new website meets the accessibility standards required by the Province of Ontario and includes accessibility features such as a screen reader and the ability to change font size and contrast.
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Fleming College hosts Innovation and Technology Showcase in Peterborough on July 25
Fleming College is hosting an Innovation and Technology Showcase from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 25th at the Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre on the Sutherland Campus (599 Brealey Dr., Peterborough).
The free event will showcase applied projects developed by graduating Fleming technology students and will demonstrate experiential learning in action, where students take on real world challenges and find real world solutions.
Project sponsors and hosts include local community businesses, industries, and public and private sector organizations.
VentureNorth hosts “Celebration of Collaboration BBQ” in Peterborough on July 26
VentureNorth is hosting a “Celebration of Collaboration BBQ” from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, July 26th at the VentureNorth building (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
The business hub in downtown Peterborough is home to various local economic development organizations including the Innovation Cluster, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, and Community Futures Peterborough. Ashburnham Realty, Junior Achievement Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, and the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce will also be participating in the event.
The open house event is an opportunity to learn more about these organizations and more, and will feature a BBQ catered by Franz’s Butcher Shop & Catering with samples from Publican House Brewery, live music from Paper Shakers, and prizes.
Lindsay Chamber hosts breakfast networking meeting in Lindsay on July 31
The Lindsay & District Chamber Chamber of Commerce is hosting its next M2M Breakfast Meet Up from 8 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 31st at Smittys Family Restaurant (370 Kent St., Lindsay).
Bring your business cards and chat with other like-minded people while enjoying a breakfast you order from the Smitty’s menu.
No registration required and this is a free event (just pay for what you order).
Port Hope Chamber hosts Women in Business Breakfast Series in Port Hope on August 6
The Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce is hosting the next seminar in its Women in Business Breakfast Series from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Jack Burger Sports Complex (60 Highland Dr., Port Hope).
Local women in business are invited to attend the session, which will focus on the importance of self care and resources available locally.
The cost for the session is $5 per person, in advance or at the door.
Peterborough Chamber hosts Chamber AM breakfast meeting in Peterborough on August 13
The next Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Chamber AM breakfast meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 13th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
Networking begins at 7 a.m., with breakfast orders taken at The Edison at 7:30 a.m. At 7:45 a.m., you can make your best 30-second elevator speech to the room), followed by a mystery guest speaker at 8 a.m.
There is no cost for the event (order what you like and pay for what you order).
Rebound Child & Youth Services hosts Northumberland Chamber’s next networking event in Cobourg on August 13
The Northumberland Central Chamber Of Commerce’s next Meet and Greet event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13th at Rebound Child & Youth Services Northumberland (700 D’Arcy St. N., Unit 20).
The monthly business networking events are hosted by Chamber members on the second Tuesday of every month. This is an opportunity both for networking and to learn more about the services provided by the host Chamber member.
FastStart Peterborough hosts “Goodbye Summer, Hello Entrepreneurship” seminar in Peterborough on August 13
The next FastStart E-Connect seminar, “Goodbye Summer, Hello Entrepreneurship!”, takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13th at the Silver Bean Cafe in Millennium Park (1130 King St., Peterborough).
Donna Floyd, founder and CEO of Cottage Toys, and Jillian Scates, sales and operations analyst with Central Smith Creamery, will discuss family business and working in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
FastStart Peterborough is a partnership between Trent University, Fleming College, and the Innovation Cluster.
Innovation Cluster hosts “Hands-ON: Maintaining Mindfulness as an Entrepreneur” workshops in Peterborough starting on August 14
On Wednesdays in August, the Innovation Cluster is hosting “Hands-ON: Maintaining Mindfulness as an Entrepreneur”, a three-part series emphasizing mindfulness for entrepreneurs.
“No Stress Zone: Pilates with the Healthy Sweet Potato” is a Pilates class at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough) on August 14th, followed by “Managing Stress and Burnout with Legendary Coaching” on August 21st, and “Pause for Paws – Therapy Dogs” on August 28th, when East Central Therapy Dogs will bring in volunteers to do an hour of de-stressing with their dogs.
All workshops will have a limited amount of space and registration is mandatory. Registration for the series will open in August, and businessNOW will have all the details when available.
Port Hope Young Professionals and Port Hope Chamber host a “house party” in Port Hope on August 16
Port Hope Young Professionals and the Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce are hosting a “house party” starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 16th at the Penryn Park at the Port Hope Golf & Country Club (82 Victoria St. S., Port Hope).
The event for the Port Hope business community will feature live music by the Brown Bag Tour Company, local food, a cash bar, and more.
More details will be available closer to the event date.
Venture13 hosts The Employer Event in Cobourg on August 20
The Community Employment Resource Partnership, Northumberland County, and the millennial team of Canada Summer Jobs students at the Community Training and Development Centre are presenting “The Employer Event” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20th in the lecture hall at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
The focus of the event is how to recruit, retain, and train millennials (employees aged 20 to 45) who, by 2025, will make up 75 per cent of the workforce. You will learn information from experts in recruitment, retention, and training, explore a variety of techniques and resource, and discover innovative ideas, insights, and strategies.
Bancroft Chamber hosting Mineral Collecting Tours now until August 31
The Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting Mineral Collecting Tours now until Saturday, August 31st at various locations in Hastings County.
Registration is held at 9 a.m. at the Chamber office (51 Hastings St. N., Bancroft) on the day of each tour, with tours departing at 9:30 a.m. The tours take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with each tour lasting around five hours.
Participants are responsible for their own equipment (mandatory safety glasses and closed-in footwear and rockhounding equipment) and transportation. The cost is $17 for adults, $12 for youth aged 16 and under, or $50 for a family of up to five people. Additional fees are required for specific sites.
The Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Armed Forces are conducting a joint training exercise in the Bancroft area in the evening of July 23, 2019. Pictured is a military training exercise held at Camp Aldershot in Nova Scotia in June 2019. (Photo: Lieutenant (Navy) Sean Costello)
If you are in the Bancroft area on Tuesday night (July 23) and see police and military vehicles and personnel on local roads, don’t be concerned — it’s just a 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.
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.
Brock Grills, pictured here (under clock, holding banner) after winning the Peterborough-Kawartha federal Green Party nomination on February 25, 2019, has stepped down as the candidate for personal reasons. (Photo: Peterborough-Kawartha Federal Green Party Association )
The Peterborough-Kawartha Federal Green Party Association announced on Tuesday morning (July 23) that its candidate for the 2019 federal election, Brock Grills, has stepped down for personal reasons.
“Mr. Grills is proud of his contribution to the Green Party locally but needs to take time for personal matters,” a media release states.
Grills won the nomination on February 25, 2019, beating out rival Jane Davidson.
With fewer than three months left before the federal election, the association is now seeking a new candidate.
Anyone with interest is asked to contact association CEO Gianne Broughton at info@ptbogreens.org.
The Sheepdogs perform a free, sponsor-supported concert at Peterborough Musicfest in Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough on July 24, 2019. Pictured are band members Sam Corbett (drums, backing vocals), Jimmy Bowskill (guitars, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, pedal steel), Ewan Currie (vocals, guitars, clarinet, drums), Shamus Currie (keyboards, trombone), and Ryan Gullen (bass, backing vocals). (Photo: Matt Dunlap)
Some things are simply well worth waiting for, if not long overdue.
Close to four years after he joined The Sheepdogs for the European leg of the rock band’s Future Nostalgia Tour, Bailieboro native and 2005 Juno Award nominee Jimmy Bowskill is right where he belongs and deserves to be — included, for the first time, in the band member listing for The Sheepdogs’ latest album.
Peterborough Musicfest presents The Sheepdogs
When: Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: Free admission
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent for $4/chair). VIP seating available for sponsors. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighbourhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Those who saw and heard the unassuming kid (he really was a kid) cut his musical teeth in Peterborough live music venues still easily recall his huge talent and how the blues a la Robert Johnson oozed from every pore of his body.
It was that same talent and passion for the blues that impressed the late blues guitarist Jeff Healey, prompting him to invite the 11-year-old Bowskill off the street to perform on his club stage in Toronto.
And years later, it was Bowskill’s mastery of string instruments that led to The Sheepdogs inviting him along for the tour ride in November 2015.
On Wednesday, July 24th at Del Crary Park, The Sheepdogs — Bowskill alongside frontman Ewan Currie, Ryan Gullen, Sam Corbett, and Shamus Currie — will bring their three-time Juno awarded sound to Peterborough Musicfest. The band — including Bowskill — last performed at Musicfest in August 2017. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free, thanks to the support of sponsors.
VIDEO: “I Don’t Know” – The Sheepdogs
In a promotional story by Nick Krewen for the band’s latest album Changing Colours, bass guitarist and co-founder Gullen credits Bowskill with giving The Sheepdogs “a new sensibility” with the addition of his prowess on pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle.
Among Changing Colours‘ generous 17 tracks is “The Bailieboro Turnaround” — a folk-flavoured instrumental tribute to Bowskill’s hometown.
“We identify strongly with rock ‘n roll but there’s definitely some branching out,” Ewan Currie says in the same article. “There’s more keyboards featuring Shamus and more stringed instruments. It’s still rock ‘n roll, but there are more colours.”
VIDEO: “The Bailieboro Turnaround / Up in Canada” – The Sheepdogs
Long before inviting Bowskill into the fold, The Sheepdogs formed in Saskatoon in 2006. Originally a trio called The Breaks with Ewan Currie, Gullen, and Corbett, guitarist Leot Hanson soon joined the band and they changed their name to The Sheepdogs — a name inspired by an incident from Ewan Currie’s childhood.
“When I was a young boy my mother left me in the front yard of our house and I wandered off down the street,” Currie recalls in a 2015 interview with Jon Berrien of GroundSounds.
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“She went running looking for me and found me down at the park playing with a kindly sheepdog. I’ve always felt like those dogs were especially benevolent and sort of watched over me.”
The quartet independently released its first album Trying To Grow the following year. While that album, and 2008 follow-up The Sheepdogs’ Big Stand, failed to chart, 2010’s Learn & Burn was a game changer, peaking at #14 on the Canadian album chart and earning platinum status.
Not hurting matters at all was the band’s performance in “Battle of the Instant Bands” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in June 2011, which preceded their reader-selected appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone that August — the first unsigned act ever featured on the storied magazine’s cover — and a subsequent appearance the same month on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
VIDEO: “The Way It Is” – The Sheepdogs
VIDEO: “Feeling Good” – The Sheepdogs
That same month also saw the EP Five Easy Pieces spawn two top-charting hits, “I Don’t Know” and “Who?”
So it was no huge surprise when music industry recognition arrived in a big way via 2012 Juno Award wins for Rock Album of the Year for Learn & Burn, Single of the Year for “I Don’t Know”, and Best New Group.
Following the 2012 release of The Sheepdogs (the band’s fourth album also platinum certified and Juno Award nominated on the strength of #1 charted singles “The Way It Is” and “Feeling Good”), Hanson departed the band and Ewan Currie’s younger brother Shamus Currie joined the band.
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Hanson’s replacement, Winnipeg guitarist Rusty Matyas, was in the mix for Future Nostalgia, the band’s fifth album recorded in a cottage on the shores of Stoney Lake and released in 2015.
There things sat until Bowskill got the call for that tour of Europe and the subsequent February 2018 release of Changing Colours. Producing three singles to date — “I’ve Got A Whole Where My Heart Should Be”, “Nobody”, and “Saturday Night” — that album brought two 2019 Juno Award nominations The Sheepdogs’ way.
“Most of the records we’ve made have been under a short time constraint,” Corbett tells Nick Krewen. “This one was done over six months, with some songs sitting around for two months. Then we’d come back and try different things, so as a result some of the songs took a different shape. In some situations, there’s more of a ‘jamming’ feel because we could experiment.”
VIDEO: “Downtown” – The Sheepdogs
VIDEO: “I’ve Got A Hole Where My Heart Should Be” – The Sheepdogs
For Corbett, 2018 was particularly difficult. Diagnosed with cancer, he began treatment in October of that year. Come New Year’s Eve in Niagara Falls, he was again behind his drum kit, shortly after announcing the birth of his first child.
While The Sheepdogs have been blessed with recording success, touring has been, and remains, where it’s at for the quintet. Earlier this year, the band joined Rival Sons for a tour of Europe and North America — a jaunt which included The Sheepdogs’ first ever shows in Scandinavia.
VIDEO: “Nobody” – The Sheepdogs
“We could never sit back and rest on our laurels,” says Corbett, with Currie in full agreement.
“Do good work and the people will find you. Let the work speak for itself. That’s our big philosophy.”
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Win VIP passes to MusicFest!
As a returning sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest, kawarthaNOW.com will be giving away VIP seats to every one of this summer’s concerts again this year.
While the concerts are free to all, VIP seats are not available to the general public — only to festival sponsors. You are guaranteed a chair near to the stage for the best view.
The giveaways are exclusive to subscribers to our weekly e-news. For your chance to win, sign-up to our weekly e-news at k-n.ca/subscribe.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission, sponsor-supported concerts featuring a total of 21 acts during its 33rd season — each concert staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2019 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
"Birds of Prey", a two-hour demonstration by master falconer Matt Lieberknecht, takes place at Gamiing Nature Centre on Pigeon Lake on August 10, 2019. Lieberknecht will bring various owls, falcons, kestrels, and other raptors for an interactive show for the whole family, engaging both young and old with his fascinating stories about each bird. (Supplied photo)
This August, master falconer Matt “The Birdman” Lieberknecht is returning to Gamiing Nature Centre on Pigeon Lake for “Birds of Prey”, an interactive show on raptors for the entire family.
Gamiing Nature Centre presents Birds of Prey
When: Saturday, August 10, 2019 from 2 – 4 p.m. Where: Gamiing Nature Centre (1884 Pigeon Lake Rd., Kawartha Lakes) How much: $10 adults, $5 children and youth 16 and under, $25 early bird family pass (2 adults and up to 3 children)
Featuring master falconer Matt Lieberknecht and various owls, falcons, kestrels, and other raptors in an interactive show for the entire family. Proceeds to support Gamiing’s Nuturing Nature fundraising campaign.
The two-hour demonstration takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 10th on the centre’s 100-acre property between Emily Park and Bobcaygeon.
Raptors — which include hawks, eagles, falcons, kestrels, owls, and vultures — are birds of prey that hunt and feed on small animals like rodents and larger animals like squirrels and rabbits.
While many birds eat meat, raptors have three traits that distinguish them from other birds: they have curved beaks with sharp edges for tearing flash, they have sharp talons on their powerful feet for grasping and carrying off prey, and they have keen eyesight to detect prey at great distances.
Lieberknecht will bring owls, falcons, kestrels, and other raptors to the Gaming Nature Centre event. He will outline everything an aspiring falconer or birder might wish to learn about raptors, from the food he gives them (minced quail, bones and feathers included) to the equipment he uses.
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Among other things, he will explain the importance of using the forearm as a perch and selecting the correct glove, and the significance of the thin strap of leather (known as a jess) around a captive raptor’s leg.
“The audience is sure to be impressed with master falconer Matt Lieberknecht,” says Gamiing executive director Mieke Schipper. “We are excited to welcome Matt back once again. He is truly fascinating to watch.”
Master falconer Matt “The Birdman” Lieberknecht with a turkey vulture. (Supplied photo)
Tickets for the event are $10 for adults and $5 children and youth 16 years of age and under. A family pass (including two adults and up to three children) is also available for $25 until July 31st and $30 thereafter. You can get your tickets online now at Eventbrite.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Gamiing Nature Centre’s Nurturing Nature fundraising campaign.
Gamiing, an Ojibwa word meaning “at the shore”, is a charitable organization that receives no government funding. The centre relies on donations to operate its outdoor youth education programs, Wild at Heart Forest School, and nature workshops, and to conduct maintenance of public access trails on the property
For more information on Gamming and to donate, visit www.gamiing.org.
Charlene "Charlie" Earle performing with her quartet Little Fire in April 2014 at the former Barbeside Salon, with Aaron Cavon on bass and Dave Tough on guitar (not shown: Brandon Root on drums). Earle passed away on July 19, 2019 at the age of 33. (Photo: Esther Vincent / evmustang.ca)
Peterborough musician and artist Charlene Earle passed away suddenly on Friday (July 19), kawarthaNOW has learned. She was 33 years old.
Celebration of Life
Ryan and Sam Weber of The Weber Brothers are planning celebration of life for Charlene Earle from 1 to 11 p.m.
on Sunday, July 28th at the Historic Red Dog (189 Hunter St. W., Peterborough). More details are coming soon.
Earle, who performed as Charlie Earle and Charlie Maine and was known as Chuck by her friends, had just played at the Historic Red Dog Tavern in downtown Peterborough the previous evening, as part of the Weber Brothers’ WE Thursdays concert series.
In 2012, Earle moved from Toronto to Peterborough, where she performed as a vocalist and well as working as a bartender at The Garnet.
Charlie Earle with Aaron Cavon, Brandon Root, and David Tough in Little Fire, which performed in 2013 and 2014. (Photo: Little Fire / bandcamp.com)
As a musician, Earle was known for her powerhouse vocals in the style of Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner.
She sang backup vocals with Beau Dixon’s band Slips & The High Fives and, from 2013 to 2014, was the lead vocalist in the band Little Fire along with Dave Tough on guitar, Aaron Cavon on bass, and Brandon Root on drums.
More recently, she performed with local musicians including the Weber Brothers, Rob Phillips, Pat Temple and the Hilo Players, and others.
VIDEO: “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James performed by Charlie Earle
Earle had recently formed a new “modwave” band called Nudge, with Erika Nininger, Will Dobbin, Rick Sloukji, and Brandon Root.
She was also an artist, who painted in acrylic.
Her work was featured publicly for the first time on March 1st this year during “Celebrating Black Arts Vol II”, a First Friday Art Crawl event at the Historic Red Dog for Black History Month.
A work in acrylic on canvas by Charlene “Charlie” Earle. Her work was featured in March during an event celebrating Black History Month. (Photo: Charlie Earle / Facebook)
As word spread on social media of Earle’s death, her friends and fellow musicians expressed their shock and sorrow.
Here are a few samples of public posts on Facebook, including this moving tribute by The Weber Brothers:
You ever look at a diamond? Seen it’s brilliance radiate within and rush outward, dazzling and hypnotizing the eye?…
My heart broke today. I don't have the right words but so, so much love. And too many conversations, plans and schemes. There was so much music left to make. Let people know you love them always. Always.
The Highlands Cottages, located at 3133 Peterborough County Road 36 in Buckhorn, is a spectacular place to live or to run a business like an Airbnb. The two-acre property on almost 700 feet of waterfront includes a 4,000-square-foot log home, two winterized log cabins, and a boathouse. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions)
“There’s something magical about this property.”
Devin MacDonald, current owner of The Highlands Cottages in Buckhorn, stands on a large deck overlooking the water with husband David.
See the full listing for 3133 Peterborough County Road 36, Buckhorn at ballrealestate.ca.
In front of us are literally tens of thousands of acres of pristine wilderness, the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, a patchwork of green and blue. In a few hours the sun will set over the river. A fish turns lazily in the water just off the sand beach. Pink granite stone shimmers in the sunlight.
It’s spectacular, and we haven’t even been inside yet.
VIDEO: The Highlands Cottages (3133 Peterborough County Road 36, Buckhorn)
The Highlands, as David and Devin refer to it, is a two-acre residential property on almost 700 feet of waterfront featuring four buildings: a 4,000-square-foot log home, two winterized log cabins, and a boathouse.
The three-bedroom main house is expansive, freshly renovated and beautifully appointed, featuring quartz countertops, stately log walls, and spectacular views of the water from both sides of the house.
Incredible potential as a business or a home
The main house tastefully blends rustic hand-hewn logs with modern elegance. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions)
The property offers a fantastic space to start a new business, or continue the Airbnb rentals that Devin and David have offered there.
“We chose to Airbnb the two cottages, but there are so many applications,” David muses.
The vast great room in the main house could be a yoga studio, a music studio, a performance space or a conference room. It has incredible potential.
The expansive great room in the main house offers infinite possibilities for family recreation, or to start your own business. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions)
“It’s up to the creativity of the person and how they want to apply it, but the buildings are here and the footprints are here. If someone has an entrepreneurial spirit, it’s a great place to be.”
The Airbnb cottages are routinely booked without any advertising, aside from occasional social media posts.
“This environment and this place really make it easy to do that,” David explains.
This two-bedroom “fox” cottage could be a profitable Airbnb or an impressive in-law suite. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions)
Selected Airbnb reviews of The Highlands
“The cottage is beautiful and extremely well equipped. Gorgeous surroundings and excellent location. We enjoyed ourselves very much and are looking forward to returning in the summer.”
“Perfect for anyone looking to enjoy nature. We enjoyed fishing, paddle boating, tube riding down the river and every night a BBQ overlooking the peaceful river.”
“The location is beautiful, quiet, and serene- pictures seriously don’t do justice. Inside the cottage it is spacious, clean, and homey.”
The Highlands Cottages listing on Airbnb has hundreds of five-star reviews, and these will be transferred to the new owner if they wish to keep that business active.
David says that the Airbnb business is easy to run.
“You make sure the guests are comfortable and that what they need is there, but at the end of the day they’re here for the view and the water and to get out of the city.”
The Highlands is also a wonderful family home. As a father, David has watched his son grow up swimming and playing in the river.
“It’s a great place to grow up and experience nature,” David says.
The one-bedroom “beaver” cottage has a deck overlooking Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
With three separate buildings, it could be a home or cottage for an entire extended family — or your family can live in the main house and simply use the cottages as occasional guesthouses for friends and family when they come to visit.
In either case, there is plenty of room for everyone to have their own space while enjoying time together.
Wildlife and recreation at your doorstep
The property at 3133 Peterborough County Road 36 offers incredible wildlife sightings. This deer was spotted swimming in the river. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
Imagine sitting on the deck overlooking the water on a summer morning, drinking your coffee to the sound of a loon call.
The Highlands property is a haven for wildlife, with moose, foxes, deer, turtles, and playing otters often making appearances.
“We’re on the edge of the wilderness so you don’t know what you’re going to see,” David points out. “Every day is something new.”
Hardworking beavers are a regular sight in the river. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
There is one animal, however, that you can set a clock by. The home is just a short paddle to a beaver dam, and beavers regularly pass by the property in the morning and the evening on their daily rounds.
Beyond the wildlife, there are many recreational options here. Canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming and hiking are all at your doorstep.
Love to fish? The Highlands is a fisherman’s dream. David says that he has caught large and smallmouth bass, walleye, and even muskie.
The sun sets over a spectacular view of Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park at The Highlands Cottages. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
“I’ve seen musky spawning in the spring and there are some really big ones,” he says.
“Our neighbour keeps track of how many he catches every year and last year he caught five. The river is pretty abundant and alive and it doesn’t get a lot of traffic because it’s off of the main lake.”
Secluded but convenient location
Directly across from hundreds of square kilometres of protected parkland, The Highlands Cottages is also adjacent the Mississauga River, home to many fish, including bass, walleye, and even musky. Buckhorn is only minutes away, and Peterborough is just over a 20-minute drive. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions)
Uniquely situated, this property affords the opportunity to enjoy luxurious seclusion while being just minutes from Buckhorn’s groceries, dining, a gallery, and winery.
“We’re close to town, but out here you don’t feel like it,” Devin says.
That’s an understatement. The property is directly across from hundreds of square kilometres of protected parkland, with Kawartha Highlands being the largest park in southern Ontario after Algonquin Provincial Park. If so desired, a paddle from the dock can yield days of adventure.
The property is a year-round photographer’s delight. Otters at play are frequently spotted in the sparkling clear water. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
You can enjoy some of the best natural scenes Kawartha Highlands Park has to offer, including provincially significant wetland and rare wildlife, while still maintaining a wifi connection.
The property is also accessible to larger urban centres: just over 20 minutes from Peterborough and under two hours from Toronto.
Superior craftsmanship and all-season comfort
The meticulous craftmanship of the thick hand-hewn log walls moderate the interior temperature all year round. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
The buildings are all scribe log, which means that every log is hand picked and hand hewn to make a log wall that fits together like a meticulously built puzzle.
Devin says that the beautiful thick log walls also offer a practical advantage.
“The temperature inside is really moderate. In winter it retains a lot of heat, and in summer it stays really cool.”
Beautifully built, each building features thick hand-hewn log walls combined with tasteful modern décor. All of the buildings have wood fireplaces. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions
I visited in the midst of a heat wave and the house felt cool and comfortable, with no need for air conditioning.
The beautiful hand-hewn logs carry throughout the home, making it both rustic and elegant. The home is immaculate. You’ll find quartz countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, high-end appliances, a jet tub in the ensuite bathroom, and lots of fireplaces.
This is a place to be truly comfortable.
The freshly renovated kitchen features new top-of-the-line appliances and quartz countertops. (Photo: Darryl Griffioen, OneLook Productions)
All of the buildings have wood fireplaces and, because of the insulating logs, a cozy fire in the kitchen can keep the entire house at 23 to 25 degrees Celsius.
“Not very many people even keep their furnaces at their temperature,” David points out.
Outside you can enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, skating, and snowmobiling. Winter at The Highlands is truly beautiful and tranquil.
A once-in-a-lifetime find
Sparkling pink granite offers a place to bask in the sun, to jump into the river for a swim, or to enjoy a campfire. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
At The Highlands, sparkling pink granite outcrops punctuate the serene landscape, perfect for basking or for jumping into the river (there is a 15-foot drop along the rocky part of the shoreline).
The main house is built directly into the beautiful and massive granite.
Devin points out the colours of the stone can brighten or intensify depending on the time of year.
“It’s pretty amazing. The colours really change according to the day or the season. The pink gets so vibrant.”
The wild chives are in flower during my visit, peppering the property with savoury beauty. Across the sparkling blue river is a tapestry of green.
The property is situated in the heart of what has been termed “The Land Between,” a corridor of incredible habitat diversity home to many rare species of plants and wildlife.
A property like this really is a once-in-a-lifetime find.
Life is good on the beach: the Highlands Cottages offers the beauty of Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park in a space characterized by modern comfort. (Photo: Devin MacDonald)
Mostly found in wooded or brushy areas, the blacklegged tick is the only species of tick known to carry Lyme disease. If you encounter a tick, you can upload a photo to the Etick website at www.etick.ca to find out if it's a blacklegged tick. If it is, you can submit it to Peterborough Public Health for testing in case it is infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Every summer, we hear about the potential dangers of being bitten by a tick and developing Lyme disease — a potentially serious inflammatory infection.
But not every one of the 40 species of ticks in Canada carries Lyme disease so, if you find a tick, the first step is to identify what species it is.
There’s where a new website comes in. At www.etick.ca, you can submit a photo of any tick you find and get confirmation if it belongs to the species that carry Lyme bacteria. The website also includes real-time mapping of tick submissions, and a free mobile app will be launching in the fall.
“This website makes it easy for residents to determine if they’ve found a blacklegged tick,” says public health inspector Wanda Tonus of Peterborough Public Health.
“Then they can then submit the insect to Peterborough Public Health for testing to see if it’s infected with Lyme disease.”
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi, shown here in a photograph that has been magnified 400 times. Around two hundredths of a millimetre in length, the bacteria are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. (Public domain)
In Ontario, the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also known as the deer tick) is the only species of tick known to carry Lyme disease. If you’re bitten by an infected blacklegged tick, you may develop symptoms including a rash (often shaped like a bull’s eye), fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches and joint pains, unusual fatigue, and more.
Lyme disease is named after the town of Lyme in Connecticut, where the first case of the disease was diagnosed in 1975. Until about 10 years ago, most Lyme disease infections were caused by ticks in the United States. However, because of climate change, blacklegged ticks have spread to new areas of Ontario.
Wooded or brushy areas are the preferred habitat of ticks. In the Kawarthas, the highest-risk areas for infected ticks are mainly to the southeast of Peterborough.
The Ontario Lyme Disease Map Estimated Risk Areas is updated annually, providing information to assist public health professionals and clinicians in their management of Lyme disease. (Map: Public Health Ontario)
The number of confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease in Ontario increases every year. According to Public Health Ontario, there were 1,003 cases in 2017 — twice as many as in 2016. Of these cases, 31 people required hospitalization.
In the Peterborough area, Peterborough Public Health received 195 tick submissions in 2018, with 95 confirmed as the blacklegged species. Of these 95, seven tested positive for Lyme disease; however, only one of these positive ticks was acquired locally.
The eTick website at www.etick.ca was originally developed in Quebec by Bishop’s University, so it’s available in both English and French. After you upload your tick photo to the website, you’ll find out within 48 hours where it’s a blacklegged tick.
This tick was found on the trail through Jackson’s Park in Peterborough on May 15, 2019. A user uploaded the photo to the Etick website at www.etick.ca where it was identified as a blacklegged tick. (Photo via eTick)
If you find out it’s a blacklegged tick, Peterborough Public Health encourages you to submit it for testing as soon as possible. Place the tick in a sealed container or ziploc bag and bring it to Client Services on the third floor of 185 King Street in downtown Peterborough between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Of course, the best way to avoid the possibility of Lyme disease it to prevent tick bites in the first place. If you are spending time outdoors — especially in areas that are forested or have tall grasses, weeds, or many shrubs — you should take the following precautions:
Reduce your exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks. Tuck your shirt into your pants and tuck your pants into your socks.
Wear light-coloured clothing so you can better see if a tick has latched onto your clothing.
Apply an insect repellent containing DEET to your clothing and exposed skin to deter ticks.
Keep to the middle of the trail when hiking to avoid contact with tall grasses and bushes containing ticks.
Check your clothing and entire body for ticks when you come back from the outdoors, paying special attention to hidden areas like the groin, armpits, the scalp, and the back of the knee. Have someone check you or use a mirror.
Have a shower after returning from the outdoors as soon as you can, to wash off any ticks that you may have missed.
Put your outdoor clothing into your dryer on high heat for an hour (don’t wash it first). Ticks thrive in wet environments but will not survive the heat of the dryer.
Check your pets for ticks. Pets can also pick ticks up from outdoor areas and bring them into your home, where they could bite you.
Note that Lyme disease is not a contagious disease: you can only get it through the bite of an infected tick. So it can’t be spread from animal to human (or vice versa) or animal to animal.
A view of Victoria Beach on Lake Ontario in Cobourg. (Photo courtesy of Linda McIlwain)
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™, our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the Kawarthas, and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
As of July 25, 2019, the following beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming:
Bewdley Beach – Northumberland County
Harwood Beach – Northumberland County
Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White’s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
While we strive to update this story with the current conditions, you should confirm the most recent test results by visiting the local health unit websites at Peterborough Public Health and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. As noted above, the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead are tested every business day so the results listed below may not be current.
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Peterborough City/County
City of Peterborough Beaches (sampled each business day)
Roger’s Cove (131 Maria St, Peterborough) – sample date July 24 -SAFE
Beavermeade (2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough) – sample date July 24 – SAFE
Peterborough County Beaches (sampled weekly)
Back Dam Beach (902 Rock Rd., Warsaw, Township of Douro-Dummer) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Buckhorn (John Street, Buckhorn) – sample date July 23 – SAFE
Crowe’s Line Beach (240 Crowe’s Line Rd, Harvey) – sample date July 23 – SAFE
Curve Lake Lance Woods Park (Chemong St S, Curve Lake) – sample date July 23 – SAFE
Curve Lake Henry’s Gumming (Whetung St E, Curve Lake) – sample date July 23 – SAFE
Douro (205 Douro Second Line, Douro-Dummer) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Ennismore (1053 Ennis Road, Ennismore) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Hiawatha (1 Lakeshore Rd, Hiawatha) – sample date July 24 – SAFE
Jones Beach (908 Jones Beach Road, Bridgenorth) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Lakefield Park (100 Hague Boulevard, Lakefield) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Norwood (12 Belmont St, Norwood) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Sandy Lake (1239 Lakehurst Road, Municipality of Trent Lakes) – sample date July 24 – SAFE
Selwyn (2251 Birch Island Road, Selwyn) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Squirrel Creek Conservation Area (2445 Wallace Point Rd, South Monaghan) – sample date July 23 – SAFE
Warsaw Caves (289 Caves Rd, Warsaw) – sample date July 22 – SAFE
Peterborough County Beaches (sampled monthly)
Belmont Lake (376 Miles of Memories Road, Belmont) – sample date July 11 – SAFE
Chandos Beach (Hwy 620, North Kawartha) – sample date July 11 – SAFE
Kasshabog Lake (431 Peninsula Road, Methune) – sample date July 11 – SAFE
Quarry Bay (1986 Northey’s Bay Rd, Woodview) – sample date July 11 – SAFE
White’s Beach (Clearview Drive, Galway) – sample date July 4 – SAFE
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