How much can humanity take? “Winter is coming” indeed. I’m talking about that long, long winter followed by the non-arrival of spring in March and April. I’m now writing this in May, wishing for the November-like temperatures and drizzle to disappear.

In cottage country, deep snow and ice cover on the lakes persisted well into April. In our top photos for last month, you’ll notice a couple lakes were solid ice late into April, although others opened up right on schedule. Mother Nature owes us a catapult into warmth and summer soon (but first — blackfly season!). At least the ice is finally out … but the Kawarthas do look stunning in all seasons.

Do you want to get on our top photographers list? All you need is an Insta account and to tag us using our hashtag #kawarthanow when posting your photo.

We share photos from across our readership area, which is the five-county area surrounding Peterborough which includes Peterborough, Northumberland, City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Hastings (we sneak in the occasional Algonquin Park picture as well, particularly if it’s by a Kawartha photographer).

To see our daily shares of photos, follow us on Instagram @kawarthanow and check out our feed’s highlight reels for recaps of every month in 2019.

#1. River otters in Buckhorn by The Highlands Cottages @thehighlandscottages

Posted April 7, 2019. 7,817 impressions, 3,345 views, 636 likes

It was Sunday Funday when the river otters came out to play at The Highlands Cottages just north of Buckhorn.

View this post on Instagram

Good Sunday morning our #kawarthapeeps! We hope your Sunday has as many #funtimes as the #riverotters do at @thehighlandscottages Video by @thehighlandscottages #wildandfreeinthekawarthas #riverotter #otter #mississaugariver #kawarthahighlands #kawarthahighlandsprovincialpark #buckhornON #buckhorn #trentlakes #ptbokawartha #thekawarthas #kawarthas #kawarthalakes #sundayfunday

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 7, 2019 at 3:52am PDT

#2. Fairy Lake Island by Ward Strickland @ward.strickland

Posted April 6, 2019. 7,048 impressions, 592 likes

It’s not spring (or summer) until Ward Strickland is back at Stony Lake capturing his favourite vistas from Fairy Lake Island … and that’s Stony without the ‘e’ (Ward says so). This was actually a repost throwback post from warmer days because so many of our followers had seen enough ice and snow!

View this post on Instagram

Good Saturday morning our #kawarthapeeps from #stonylake thanks to @ward.strickland This one is for all the cottagers, visitors, trekkers, paddlers, boaters who are patiently waiting for warmth and ice-out. #fairylakeisland #summerinthekawarthas #kawarthalakes #kawarthas #thekawarthas #ptbokawartha #northkawartha #ptbo #kawarthaclouds

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 6, 2019 at 2:31am PDT

#3. Easter jackrabbit by Linda McIlwain @lindamac11

Posted April 21, 2019. 7,044 impressions, 671 likes

It was a special Easter Sunday this year with this local jackrabbit.

View this post on Instagram

Happy Easter Sunday our #kawarthapeeps. It's the #easterbunny from @lindamac11 #easterweekend #springinthekawarthas #ptbo #peterboroughontario #ptbokawartha #thekawarthas #kawarthalakes #kawarthas #KNreshared #kawarthanow #wildandfreeinthekawarthas #rabbit #hare

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 21, 2019 at 3:18am PDT

#4. Eagles over the Otonabee by Dave Ellis @dave.ellis.photos

Posted April 17, 2019. 6,792 impressions, 529 likes

View this post on Instagram

Good Wednesday morning our #kawarthapeeps! Great #baldeagles capture by @dave.ellis.photos over the #otonabeeriver! #selwyn #baldeagle #ptbokawartha #kawarthas #thekawarthas #wildandfreeinthekawarthas #birdsofthekawarthas

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 17, 2019 at 3:20am PDT

#5. Easter Monday (and Earth Day) on Big Bald Lake by Joe Yusiw @kawarthajoe

Posted April 22, 2019. 6,136 impressions, 478 likes

View this post on Instagram

Good Monday morning our #kawarthapeeps from #bigbaldlake thanks to @kawartha_joe Ice is out on most lakes south of the shield. Lakes to the north – not quite there yet. #easterweekend #eastersunset #springinthekawarthas #iceout #kawarthalakes #kawarthas #buckhorn #bobcaygeon #trentlakes #thekawarthas #ptbokawartha

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 22, 2019 at 3:07am PDT

#6. Sunday morning, all quiet over Peterborough by Brian P. @bparypa73

Posted April 14, 2019. 5,852 impressions, 363 likes

View this post on Instagram

Good Sunday morning our #kawarthapeeps from #peterboroughontario thanks to @bparypa73 #ptbo #ptbosunrise #ptbokawartha #kawarthas #thekawarthas #sundayfunday #springinthekawarthas

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 14, 2019 at 3:14am PDT

#7. Easter Weekend ice and snow on Gold Lake by Cindy Bartoli @cbart03

Posted April 20, 2019. 5,845 impressions, 393 likes

View this post on Instagram

Beautiful #easterweekend views our #kawarthapeeps from @cbart03 #goldlake #kawarthahighlands #kawarthahighlandsprovincialpark #ptbokawartha #northkawartha #kawarthas #april #springinthekawarthas #springmelt

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 20, 2019 at 3:34pm PDT

#8. Ready for the Easter long weekend on Big Bald Lake by Gilstrof & Gray @gilstorfandgray

Posted April 18, 2019. 5,777 impressions, 310 likes

View this post on Instagram

Long. Weekend. Ready. How about you? Double tap. From @gilstorfandgray but we think maybe @kawartha_joe had something to do with this too. In any event a great weekend to visit #bobcaygeon and @gilstorfandgray #bigbaldlake #bobcaygeon #buckhorn #kawarthalakes #kawarthas #thekawarthalakes #iceoutwhen #cokl #cityofkawarthalakes #thekawarthas #trenthills

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 18, 2019 at 2:06pm PDT

#9. Orange Corners trestle bridge by Julia Luymes @julialuymesart via @joannesplace

Posted April 4, 2019. 5,705 impressions, 321 likes

Everyone loves the view at Orange Corners!

View this post on Instagram

Good Thursday morning our #kawarthapeeps from #orangecornerstrestlebridge thanks to @joannesplace ?? by @julialuymesart #kawarthatrails #orangecorners #springinthekawarthas #kawarthanature #kawarthalakes #kawarthas #ptbokawartha #cityofkawarthalakes

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on Apr 4, 2019 at 3:14am PDT

If you were planning to put your boat in for the Victoria Day weekend, be advised the Trent-Severn Waterway will not be open for navigation.

For safety reasons, Parks Canada is delaying the opening of the 2019 navigation season on the Trent-Severn Waterway by one week, until Friday, May 24th.

The waterway normally opens on the Friday of the Victoria Day weekend. In 2017, Parks Canada also delayed the opening of the season by one week due to high water levels and flows.

Above normal snow pack in some areas and significant precipitation system-wide have resulted in extreme high water levels and flows throughout the Trent-Severn Waterway, which causes unsafe boating conditions. Parks Canada is delaying the opening of the system for the safety of the public and visitors.

The Trent-Severn Waterway will remain closed to all boat traffic until May 24th and all forms of water-based activities are discouraged. This closure will ensure boater safety, and help to mitigate shoreline erosion and property damage experienced by local residents and businesses.

During this week, Parks Canada will continue to make adjustments to water flows in order to restore safe conditions in preparation for the navigation season.

While lock stations will be closed to boats, land-based visitors are welcome to visit the lock stations effective Friday, May 17th, where staff will be on hand to welcome them.

Parks Canada advises that the Murray Canal will open as scheduled on May 17th.

With the official dedication of The Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre yesterday (May 14), the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is well on the way to its goal of becoming a learning hospital.

The new 4,300-square-foot centre will support multidisciplinary healthcare training and education initiatives at the hospital, by offering a 100-person capacity area that can be converted into two smaller spaces, as well as a dedicated clinical training area with a wide range of state-of-the-art training tools and equipment in a simulated patient care environment.

It also comes equipped with sophisticated information technology tools and services for clinical and support service training at the hospital.

The $3.1 million learning centre, which was originally approved by the hospital’s board of directors in early 2015, was funded by community donors to the PRHC Foundation.

In particular, the support of the Pick family through the Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation of Lindsay — which supports many local organizations — was essential to the foundation’s fundraising efforts.

“My father Otto Pick died from his third heart attack in 1959 at the age of 54,” said Martin Pick, a former PRHC Foundation board member and representative of the Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation, who attended the opening with his wife Denise and son Charles.

“In his short life, he and his amazing wife Marie laid the foundation for a seed enterprise that’s now a global presence in the industry. The last years of his life, however, lacked any quality. Had he lived today in the period of bypasses and stents, his life would likely have been much longer and a great deal more comfortable.”

The learning centre has been named after Martin and Denise Pick, who chose to donate to the PRHC Foundation both to honour their parents and to demonstrate that advances and innovation at the hospital need the support of the community.

“Your transformational support will enable the continuous learning that is essential to fostering innovation and excellence in patient care and help PRHC’s healthcare professionals reach their full potential,” said PRHC Foundation President and CEO Lesley Heighway, in thanking the Pick family for its support.

Heighway also thanked all the other many donors who contributed to the learning centre.

“Thanks to your generosity, our hospital’s most valuable asset — its doctors, nurses and staff — now have access to the space and technology they need to further develop their skills and deliver world-class care to patients from across our region,” she said.

PRHC President and CEO Dr. Peter McLaughlin also thanked the Pick family and the other PRHC Foundation donors.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre after years of planning, fundraising and construction,” he said.

“By supporting our staff with leading-edge educational space, technology and equipment, we continue to champion and promote the continuous growth and development of our people, ultimately improving the quality of care we provide for patients in Peterborough and across the region.”

In recognition of the increased risk of flooding due to climate change, Kawartha Conservation has received $187,000 from the Government of Canada and the City of Kawartha Lakes to help map out floodplains within the Kawartha watershed.

Over the next 18 months, Kawartha Conservation will update and establish floodplain mapping for 9.5 kilometres of McLaren’s Creek and 6.5 kilometres of Fenelon Falls South.

Once complete, the mapping will help guide land use decisions in the two areas for the foreseeable future. With improved technology, data provided from the two floodplain mapping projects will allow the City of Kawartha Lakes and Kawartha Conservation to be more prepared for potential threats from flooding.

“As the frequency and intensity of severe weather events continue to grow, updating and establishing floodplain mapping is critical to the safety of people and property,” explains Kawartha Conservation CAO Mark Majchrowski. “These two projects continue to better position Kawartha Conservation and the City of Kawartha Lakes to provide added surety in protecting people and their property from flooding events, and will be used in our planning and permitting activity.”

Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef announced the federal funding today (May 15) on behalf of the federal Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The Government of Canada is providing $100,150 in funding to the Province of Ontario to support the two projects.

The funding comes from the National Disaster Mitigation Program, established in 2015 to address rising flood risks and costs and to mitigate the effects of flood events. Under the program, the federal government cost-shares up to 50 per cent of eligible expenses for provincial projects.

“Canadians are increasingly experiencing the costly effects of climate change through extreme weather events,” Monsef says. “Today’s announcement will provide Kawartha Conservation with some of the tools required to protect communities in our region from flooding.”

The City of Kawartha Lakes has also contributed $87,086 to the two projects.

“The city is very pleased to have Kawartha Conservation receive the National Disaster Mitigation Program funding from the Federal government,” says Richard Holy, the city’s manager of policy planning. “The floodplain mapping for these two areas will improve our understanding of the watercourses and better guide land use decisions in the future.”

Flooding damage has accounted for 80 per cent of federal disaster assistance payments over the past 20 years. Studies have demonstrated that every dollar invested in mitigation generates a savings of six dollars in future disaster costs.

For more information about Kawartha Conservation’s flood plain mapping work, visit kawarthaconservation.com/permits-planning/flood-plain-mapping-studies.

Last call for paddlers!

Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival is less than a month away, and organizers are encouraging participants to register at ptbodragonboat.ca by Friday, May 17th.

In order to have your name on the festival-branded souvenir shirt available for purchase at the One Stop Dragon Boat Shop, teams must register by Friday.

The 19th annual fundraiser takes place on Saturday, June 8th at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough, where community, junior, competitive, and breast cancer survivor teams join together for a fun and exciting day of dragon boat racing on Little Lake.

Hosted by Survivors Abreast (a competitive Peterborough-based dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors) and presented by platinum sponsor Kawartha Credit Union for the 18th time, the festival raises funds for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).

Cancer affects almost everyone, with one out of eight women diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and nearly one of every two Canadians diagnosed with some type of cancer in their lifetime. If you don’t ever receive a cancer diagnosis, chances are one of your family or friends will.

To date, the festival has raised more than $3.3 million for PRHC, allowing the hospital to acquire state-of-the-art equipment and technology that the government does not fund. This year, the festival is fundraising for a laboratory technology known as CellaVision, which performs automated digital cell mapping of blood work, allowing doctors to determine and confirm cancer diagnoses and make treatment decisions with minimal delays.

But the CellaVision system isn’t just for breast cancer: it will also be used to help treat other cancers. PRHC’s lab processes more than 20,000 cancer-related cases annually, so funds raised by Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival will benefit everyone who needs cancer treatment.

This year’s fundraising goal is $191,000. That number symbolizes that it takes 19 dedicated paddlers and one passionate team captain to paddle a team to success, both on the water and in their fundraising efforts. To recognize their extra efforts, a team captain will be randomly selected to represent all captains and will be invited to participate in the opening ceremonies to help “awaken the dragon”.

The top fundraising teams will enjoy some special perks on festival day. The luxury “Dragon’s Lair” returns as the prize for the top fundraising team (complete with butler, gourmet lunch, in-tent massage, and much more) and will once again be joined by the “Dragon’s Loft” and “Dragon’s Nest” — homes of the second- and third-place fundraising teams that feature a canopy tent in a prime festival location, a special lunch and beverages, exclusive access to the “Pink Potty”, and more.

To register as a team or a paddler, visit ptbodragonboat.ca. A team consists of 20 paddlers and a drummer, and anyone over 13 years of age, men and women, can participate on a team. The registration price includes one on-water practice prior to event day with an experienced coach and steersperson, all required paddling and safety equipment, a team photo that can be downloaded after the event, and a day full of fun.

New this year are shorter 250-metre races, replacing the 400-metre races of past years. It’s a speedier and less gruelling way to get to the finish line.

Returning this year is the Junior Dragons division, which includes participants between the ages of 13 and 18, is back again this year — it’s perfect for school, social, and athletic clubs. Also returning this year are the exciting knockout finals for the festival’s more competitive open divisions.

If you want to paddle but don’t have a team, you can still participate by joining the “Paddlers Pool”. Once you register as an individual paddler, festival organizers will contact you to discuss the details of your participation and to connect you with a team that needs paddlers.

If you don’t want to paddle but you still want to contribute to the cause, you can donate to an individual paddler, a team, or the event itself. Every dollar of your pledge remains in the community, supporting PRHC.

While the dragon races are the highlight of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival, the festival is not just for paddlers. Festival organizers have partnered with local business and organizations so that everyone in the community can enjoy the day.

Modern Makers Market, organizers of local artisan events such as the Holiday Market, will be back at the festival this year to host the festival’s Vendors Village Market with more than 45 makers of quality, hand-crafted products, delicious food options, and outstanding customer experiences. All of the vendors’ participation fees will go towards the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival.

In exciting news, for the first year ever Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival is hosting a beer garden. The Thirsty Dragon beer garden will feature brews from Cameron’s Brewing Co. of Oakville, as well as non-alcoholic craft beer from Partake Brewing.

Festival hours will be extended beyond the final races to encourage participants and supporters to stick around and celebrate their paddling and fundraising success with teams, family, and friends.

Also new this year will be live musical entertainment coordinated by the Peterborough Folk Festival. The musical line-up will be announced closer to the festival date.

There’s also the Family Fun Zone, expanded this year with even more free activities for the whole family:

• Photo booth and bubble station
• Dragon boat crafts courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough
• Face painting brought to you by Morgann’s Cosmetic Arts and Cosmetic Transformations
• Axe throwing with Peterborough Axe Club
• Canoe crafts, canoe race, and paddle carving station provided by The Canadian Canoe Museum
• Kids’ obstacle course courtesy of Kawartha Gymnastics Club
• Mini boat races provided by Peterborough Canoe and Kayak Club
• Hula hooping and kids’ dance with Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre
• Craft and colouring games, toys, sensory tables, and a place for parents to relax provided by Play Cafe
• Watch and try tae kwando with White Tiger Tae Kwando
• Try fencing with Peterborough Multi-Sport Centre
• Jiu Jitsu brought to you by Jitsu Peterborough.

You can also cycle to the festival and make use of the supervised bike parking courtesy of Peterborough Moves and B!KE: The Peterborough Community Cycling Hub.

For more information and to register, donate, or volunteer, visit ptbodragonboat.ca. For updates, make sure to follow Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday and the unofficial start of summer at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough on Saturday, May 18th with the 17th annual Rotary Victoria Day Fireworks and Family Night.

Jointly presented by the Rotary Clubs of Peterborough and Peterborough Kawartha, the event features live music, children’s activities, food and drink vendors and (of course) a spectacular fireworks display above Little Lake.

Admission is free and rain dates are Sunday, May 19th and Monday, May 20th.

Family night begins at 5 p.m., with three performers presented by Peterborough LIVE: country-folk indie singer-songwriter Lauryn Macfarlane, 15-year-old rockabilly sensation Nicholas Campbell, and female R&B singer Charlie Earle. (If the event is postponed to due to rain, the performers will be different on Sunday.)

Peterborough rockers The Austin Carson Band will perform from 6 to 7:30 p.m., followed by Man on the Wall from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

While the musicians are performing, there will be bouncy castles and free face painting for the kids, with ice cream and popcorn provided free of charge (while supplies last).

Food and drinks will be available for sale from a variety of vendors, and Rotarians will be selling glow products in the Rotary tent and around the park (look for the blue and yellow Rotary jackets).

The count-down for the fireworks display will begin at dusk (around 9:40 p.m.).

The following roads around Del Crary Park will be temporarily closed from 4 to 11 p.m. on the day of the event: Perry Street from George Street to Crescent Street; Lake Street from George Street to Crescent Street; Crescent Street from Romaine Street to Perry Street; and Lock Street from Romaine Street to Crescent Street. Local traffic will be permitted.

The free event is made possible by sponsors, including platinum sponsor ScotiaBank,

“We are delighted to partner again with Scotiabank as the platinum sponsor,” says Rotary fireworks event co-chair Stephen Kylie. “With this sponsorship we will have a tremendous fireworks display, local entertainment, and an expanded children’s program.”

Gold sponsors for the event are Bryston Ltd., Best Western Otonabee Inn, Bouncers Are Us , Central Smith Creamery, Harco Enterprises, Lions Club East Peterborough, LLF Lawyers, Longley Harley Davidson of Peterborough, Peterborough Examiner, Peterborough Tent & Event Rentals, Peterborough This Week, Rent All Centre, Russelle Toyota, Signarama, The Rehill Company, Trent Security, Survivors Abreast, and Swish.