Northumberland County residents and their pets recently put their feet and paws to the pavement in Cobourg to take a stand against family violence.

Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre has announced that its 17th annual “Walk a Mile” fundraiser in downtown Cobourg on October 5 generated more than $55,000 for the Northumberland not-for-profit organization.

“We are beyond thrilled to have seen our community come together once again at Walk a Mile to support women and children impacted by gender-based violence and we are grateful for this year’s results,” said Cornerstone’s executive director Nancy Johnston.

Walk a Mile, a yearly family-friendly event, brings residents together to raise awareness and money in a quest to achieve a future free of gender-based violence.

“We hope that our community feels hope, inspiration, and motivation as we continue our work together to support families in our community and create a place free from gender-based violence,” Cornerstone said.

Many walk participants wear high-heeled red shoes to symbolize walking a mile in the shoes of women affected by gender-based violence.

The money raised from Walk a Mile is channelled into supporting the programming and services Cornerstone provides to women, children, and youth in Northumberland County. Cornerstone provides shelter, counselling, housing, prevention programming, and more to its clients.

Established in 1983, Cornerstone is an accredited violence against women agency striving to end gender-based violence by providing accessible, compassionate programs and services modelled by best practices and aimed at inspiring hope, creating safety, and fostering resilience.

“Cornerstone has helped so many great people in our area,” Preston Parkinson, a Brighton resident, recently told kawarthaNOW.

Parkinson has participated in the walk six times, which includes taking part in this year’s instalment.

“I got involved to help raise awareness and funds to help support Cornerstone and the great people they help every day,” Parkinson said.

Cornerstone provided service to almost 2,000 women, children and youth in 2023.

“We look forward to this event every year, it is a great way to see the community come together to support families,” said Johnston.

She thanked the event’s lead sponsor, Balder Corporation, and other sponsors including Canadian Tire Cobourg, Post Consumer Brands, Spoolon Manufacturing, Cobourg Police Service, Shoppers Cobourg, Wharram Tree Service, Part Time CFO Services, Stadtke Plumbing and Heating, Port Hope Colour Concepts, Cameco, Cobourg Nissan, and Ganaraska Financial.

“Many thanks to the Lions Club of Cobourg for providing breakfast, and to Starbucks Cobourg for providing coffee and baked goods,” Johnston added. “This event wouldn’t run without our group of dedicated volunteers, many thanks to Cobourg Fire, Cobourg Police Service, Cobourg Legion Pipes and Drums, and our great volunteer team.”

Are you a passionate supporter of world-class healthcare at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC)? Do you have a story to share about how you, a family member, or a friend received great care at the hospital? Can you inspire others in the community to also show their support for the hospital?

The PRHC Foundation has put a call out to members of the community who would like to become volunteer ambassadors for the foundation’s largest-ever fundraising campaign.

Whether you have an inspiring story, want to organize a fundraiser in the community or at your business, or have another idea for supporting the hospital, the PRHC Foundation wants to work with you to make it a reality.

“Our family, friends, and neighbours from across the region have told us that they think of PRHC as a cornerstone of the community, where the excellent care they received was part of some of the most meaningful moments of their lives,” says PRHC Foundation President & CEO Lesley Heighway in a media release. “We’re grateful that our supporters want to share their stories and inspire others.”

Since 1979, the PRHC Foundation has worked alongside the community to support the donor-funded regional hospital that now serves a population of up to 600,000 people. In response to system-wide challenges, a growing and aging population, increased patient volumes, and rising rates of chronic disease and mental illness, the foundation quietly launched a $60 million campaign in 2020 to support technology advancements and increased capacity so PRHC can continue to deliver world-class healthcare close to home.

With $45.5 million already raised through donor generosity, the PRHC Foundation is inviting people of all ages — including former and current patients and their family members, donors, and anyone else who wants to “reimagine health care” at PRHC — to engage in this next phase of the campaign.

You don’t have to live or work in Peterborough to participate as a volunteer ambassador with the PRHC Foundation. With patients coming from Peterborough and Peterborough County, Lindsay and all areas within the City of Kawartha Lakes, Campbellford, Havelock, Cobourg and Port Hope, Port Perry, east Oshawa and parts of the Durham region, north to the Haliburton Highlands and all points in between, anyone who has a connection to PRHC is welcome to participate.

This could be as simple as sharing your story with the PRHC Foundation for its newsletters, website, or social media channels.

“If you have a story about the great care you received, a message for staff, or want to say thanks and connect with our community through a fundraising event, please let us know,” Heighway says. “We want to help share that passion.”

Other ideas for ambassadors could include speaking at community or donor events, hosting a fundraiser, creating an initiative that benefits both your business and care at PRHC such as a sponsorship or point of sale donations, or networking with others on behalf of the Foundation.

There are lots of examples of how community members have taken the initiative to support PRHC, including local businesses like Couture Candy Ptbo. Owner Lisa Couture supported the Campaign for PRHC by hosting a four-month “Supporting Cancer Care is Sweet” initiative that raised $16,700 for the PRHC Foundation.

Then there’s Peterborough gastropub One Eighty, which organized the annual Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament in September and raised $30,500 in support of world-class cancer care at PRHC.

The PRHC Foundation is open to creative suggestions that will support the campaign and will collaborate with volunteer ambassadors to help make them happen. Roles as an ambassador can be customized to a person’s availability, location, passion, and interest.

One of the PRHC Foundation’s current ambassadors is Jennie Ireland, who was diagnosed with breast cancer as a single mom with aging parents. She is grateful she received the world-class treatment she needed close to home at PRHC, allowing her to look after her son and parents and ultimately leaving her cancer free. In addition to being a donor, she now shares her story at fundraising events and donor celebrations so others can understand the impact of donor support on patient care.

Another current ambassador is Nick Beamish, who experienced a cardiac crisis and after assessment at PRHC had to travel three hours to another hospital where he stayed for weeks at Christmastime because PRHC didn’t have the facilities he needed. That made him realize how important donations are to bringing essential new services and leading-edge equipment to PRHC so doctors, nurses, and staff can provide world-class cardiac care close to home.

VIDEO: reImagine. Health. Care. – The Campaign for PRHC

With the help of passionate volunteer campaign ambassadors, the PRHC Foundation will meet its $60 million fundraising goal so the hospital can invest in additional state-of-the-art technology, introduce new lifesaving services, continue to attract top healthcare professionals, and inspire solutions to the critical challenges the hospital faces — ensuring that PRHC continues to deliver world-class care in the region into the future.

“The ambassadors program will support that — connecting volunteers enthusiastic about our donor-funded regional hospital and the health and future of our area, who want to celebrate what PRHC means to them and what’s possible through the power of community,” Heighway says.

For more information on the campaign for PRHC or to volunteer as a campaign ambassador, email foundationeventsonline@prhc.on.ca or call 705-876-5000.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with the PRHC Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

The entire board of directors of the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society (KHCAS) has resigned after learning the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services would be installing a supervisor for up to a year to oversee and manage the child welfare agency in place of the board and executive director.

“Board members can no longer meet their fiduciary duty when this happens,” the board announced in a media release on Wednesday (October 23). The announcement came two weeks to the day after the Ontario government launched a review of the province’s 37 non-Indigenous children’s aid societies.

At a technical briefing on October 9, ministry officials said the review would look at issues such as the quality of protection the children’s aid societies provide, as well as their finances.

The prior week, Premier Doug Ford had suggested the societies are being financially mismanaged, claiming there were “nightmare stories about the abuse of taxpayers’ money.”

“I’ve heard stories of some of these agencies, they’re working in Taj Mahals, they’re paying rent — $100,000 for rent, that the managers are giving themselves a bonus,” Ford said in response to a question about reporting in the Toronto Star about the lack of placement options for children with complex needs.

“All those managers giving yourself a bonus, not worrying about the kids, I’m coming for you. We’re doing a complete audit, and if we see funds not being spent properly on the kids, guess what? You’re looking for another job.”

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario, representing workers at children’s aid societies, said in a joint statement that the review “is another smokescreen to distract from the government’s abject failure to support children and families while opening the door for more privatization in the sector.”

As with other societies across the province, KHCAS — which has its head office in Peterborough and branches in Lindsay and Haliburton — has been running a deficit.

In July, the society announced plans to reduce its $22 million budget by $7.6 million over three years, including by laying off 24 full-time equivalent positions by March 2025. Affecting 20 unionized staff and five non-union and management staff, the lay-offs would amount to a 20 per cent reduction in the society’s workforce. The organization also announced plans to close its Haliburton branch.

Along with budget deficits, a shortage of available beds in group homes and foster homes has meant children’s aid societies across the province, including KHCAS, have had to resort to placing some children and youth — particularly those with special needs or challenging behaviours — in unlicensed settings such as hotels, motels, trailers, and even their own offices. On September 5, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé today announced an investigation into the practice.

“We are aware of numerous incidents across the province of children being placed in these unlicensed settings, many of which have raised some serious concerns about their safety, privacy and comfort,” Dubé said.

In response to the ombudsman’s announcement, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies said child welfare agencies across the province are facing significant challenges in securing out-of-home care and live-in treatment options for children and youth, with a critical shortage in placement options due in part to the cost-of-living and housing crisis in Ontario.

In its media release, the KHCAS board said its members have resigned “with profound sadness” following the province’s decision to install a supervisor.

“The board worked diligently to avert this from happening,” the release states. “However, the difficulties we experienced are echoed across the sector and were not repairable within the structures and guidelines we must work within.”

“Although there will be difficult days ahead, we know that the staff and leadership team at Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society will continue to provide excellent care and service to the children, youth, and families in our communities.”

Following the board’s announcement, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Michael Parsa issued a statement confirming he has appointed Rosaleen Cutler as supervisor for the KHCA “to oversee and operate the society and help ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth receiving services.”

“Although the government does not direct children’s aid societies on placement decisions, we require them to ensure placements are safe, appropriate and meet the child’s needs,” the statement reads. “That’s not an option: it’s the law.”

Parsa said the ministry has provided $4.6 million over and above the KHCAS’ funding allocation since 2020-21, “while working with the society to address the findings of various ministry-led reviews.”

“These reviews have identified a number of significant risks related to the overall operations and financial management of the society,” Parsa said. “In addition, the ministry does not have confidence in the society’s ability to make the necessary strategic decisions to address its growing deficit and operational issues, which may negatively impact the safety and quality of protection services that vulnerable children and youth depend on.”

According to Parsa, Culter will assume responsibility for overseeing the operations and managing the society in place of the KHCAS board and executive director for as long as a year.

“During her term, Ms. Cutler will address the society’s growing financial and operational issues and reinstate good governance and fiscal sustainability, while ensuring the continuity of services to children, youth, and families,” Parsa said.

Cutler was previously executive director of the Children’s Aid Society of Northumberland, before it merged with the Hastings Children’s Aid Society in 2012 to become the Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society. Later, she also worked as project manager and child welfare lead with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and was interim CEO of the York Region Children’s Aid Society before retiring in 2021.

Though Dr. John Beamish ran a family practice for more than 40 years, is known as a trailblazer in the palliative care field, was involved in the founding and success of community health initiatives, supports vulnerable communities in retirement, and has been given awards for such work, he continues to remain as humble as ever.

On October 10, Dr. Beamish was a recipient of the 2024 Award of Excellence from the Ontario College of Family Physicians. The provincial accolade “recognizes an exceptional accomplishment or innovation achieved within the past 24 months in a specific area or for a specific project pertaining to the specialty of family medicine.”

“It was very humbling to be nominated by my peers, but I look upon this as not so much a personal award, but a group award,” Dr. Beamish says. “This is an award for creativity for a group of family physicians trying to deliver healthcare to a marginalized group and it’s a tough problem, but this is a creative effort to try and solve that.”

As a family physician, Dr. Beamish provided palliative care to residents in the city and county of Peterborough for more than 40 years before retiring in 2019. One of the founding members of Hospice Peterborough in 1988, he served in many positions before becoming the medical director for the hospice care centre which opened in 2019.

Throughout his career, Dr. Beamish has also supported the founding of the 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led clinic, and has taught family medical residents at Queen’s University Peterborough-Kawartha through the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Such work earned him Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s Dr. S. Lawrence Librach Award for Palliative Medicine in the Community in 2021, as well as the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha’s Paul Harris Fellow award for community service.

But it is the work he has done since retiring from Hospice Peterborough in 2023 that has garnered the most recent recognition. In collaboration with a small group of other physicians, he is helping to establish Peterborough Street Medicine.

Under an alternate payment plan, the initiative aims to deliver primary care services to those in the community who are homeless and underhoused.

“A theme through my whole practice life has been community involvement, and I really believe that primary healthcare is delivered in the community, not in the hospital, and we need to be creative about finding ways to do that,” he says. “This is a group that is not served by traditional model of phoning and making appointments, so we need to come up with a better way to do it.”

Dr. Beamish explains that such a form of care that support those who are marginalized will have a ripple effect across other communities.

“Providing clinics in settings where (unhoused people) are is one way to improve their health and improve the health of the whole community because, if we look after the most marginalized, that leaves room in emergency and within ambulances for the rest of the community to get the care they need,” he explains. “If we can improve the healthcare of one group, we’re going to improve healthcare right through the community.”

Under the proposed model, physicians would be paid hourly rather than by a fee-for-service model, allowing them to work on a part-time basis to supplement other full-time work.

“Young physicians don’t want to be small business owners — they want to come and do medicine,” Dr. Beamish says. “They want to do other aspects of care, and this will be a very attractive model that physicians may come and choose to spend part of their time doing.”

Dr. Beamish suggests the program will add to other recent community successes in reducing barrier access to healthcare, like the Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic founded in 2023 by family physician Dr. Madura Sundareswaran and the new Peterborough Community Health Centre that will begin seeing clients this fall.

“Peterborough is very innovative when it comes to delivery of primary care,” notes Dr. Beamish. “The more variety of care options we can bring to the community, the more we’re going to be able to attract new primary care physicians which, again, benefits everybody.”

Currently, Dr. Beamish is sitting on the board of the Peterborough Family Health Team as the representative for Peterborough Street Medicine.

“We’re just very, very happy that instead of fully retiring, he has dedicated some of his time to caring for those in shelters with home insecurity, and he’s really dedicating his time to the most vulnerable in our community,” says Duff Sprague, CEO of the Peterborough Family Health Team. “He’s a valued member of our board of directors.”

Despite his retirement, Dr. Beamish shows no sign in slowing down from giving back to the community he both grew up and spent his career working in.

“It’s home,” he says. “I have a great love for the community, and it’s been a real joy to work in.”

Northumberland County and partners are working to provide more families with access to licensed child care in Port Hope, Cobourg, and Warkworth before 2024 comes to a close.

While it has taken time to deliver on its plans, the county recently stated Northumberland and its community partners “are making steady progress on facility renovations” to open the new licensed child care spaces by the end of this year.

The child care spots are part of a broader expansion effort funded by Northumberland County in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. The county expects they will help meet the high demand for child care Northumberland is currently facing, particularly in priority areas that were identified through the county’s early learning and child care service plan.

“All partners are striving to complete work and get identified locations open as quickly as possible to address the urgent demand for child care in our community,” said Lesley Patterson, early years services manager. “While some plans have faced delays, our goal remains to open the majority of these 181 spaces before the end of this year.”

The county said locations set for completion by the end of 2024 include:

• Ruth Clarke Activity Centre, located at 81 Mill St. S. in Port Hope: 70 new child care spaces, operated by Ganaraska Child Care
• 161 Old Hastings Rd. in Warkworth: 47 new child care spaces, operated by YMCA Northumberland
• Northumberland Centre for Individual Studies, located at 780 D’Arcy St. in Cobourg: 15 new child care spaces, operated by YMCA Northumberland

Meanwhile, a fourth location at the Port Hope Community Hub, located at 5325 County Rd. 10, was also identified as part of the child care expansion plans for 2024 and was to be operated by YMCA Northumberland.

“However, this project has been delayed due to unexpected building code updates and licensing-related challenges, largely owing to the age and configuration of the building,” the county said. “A revised project budget is currently under development. Once all costing information has been received, partners will reassess plans and timelines, and provide an update to the community.”

In 2023, the waitlist for licensed child care in Northumberland County grew by 60 per cent, with 3,000 children waiting for spaces. In response, the county said it aims to add 404 new infant-to-age-six spaces by 2026, prioritizing underserved neighbourhoods and high-need areas identified through population demographics and socioeconomic factors.

These expansion plans align with provincial targets for the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, to make high-quality, affordable, flexible, and inclusive child care accessible to more families.

In Budget 2021, the federal government set out to establish the CWELCC system, which involves working with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to build a Canada-wide, community-based system of quality child care.

“This will be a transformative project on a scale with the work of previous generations of Canadians, who built a public school system and public health care,” the federal government noted in a backgrounder about the initiative.

“The clear benefits of early learning and child care should not be a luxury for only the Canadian families that can afford it. Lack of access is not a choice, nor are unaffordable fees. The current system is leaving too many children and families behind, particularly low-income and racialized families.”

Investing in early learning and child care provides jobs for workers (the majority of whom are women), enables parents (particularly mothers) to reach their full economic potential, and “it creates a generation of engaged and well prepared young learners,” the document noted.

In Northumberland, opening the new spaces is a top priority for everyone involved, Patterson said.

“We are working together to meet all licensing requirements, regulatory standards, and quality benchmarks so that families can count on having reliable, inclusive child care close to home.”

The county noted these efforts build on the progress made in 2023 with the addition of 10 infant child care spaces at the Brighton Children’s Centre, located at 24 Elizabeth St., in partnership with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.

“Expansion plans, continuing into 2026, show the strong commitment of all levels of government and local child care providers to support families and create important early childhood development opportunities in the community.”

An autistic Havelock teen has still not been found two weeks after his family reported him missing, and a Facebook group set up by his mother called Help Find Logan to share information or sightings now has 7,400 members.

Logan is 18 years old, 5’6″ with a medium build, with short sandy brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen on Sunday, October 13 and there have been no confirmed sightings since.

“Logan has high functioning autism and some other mental health issues,” according to a Facebook post by his mother. “This is not the first time Logan has taken off but it’s usually only for 12-24 hrs and usually close by. He has been known to get lost sometimes while out. He may hide or run when seen. He does not have any social media or a cell phone.”

According to his mother, Logan is possibly wearing a grey zip-up hoodie and black winter boots.

Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) issued a media release last Thursday (October 17) asking for the public’s help in finding Logan.

In her Facebook group, Logan’s mother notes that he may be hiding and asks people to check outbuildings, shelters, or abandoned buildings on their property.

“He may be anywhere by now,” she writes. “If he has made it to a town please keep an eye out in stores and near dumpsters.”

Logan’s mother also notes that he had around $30 in change on him when he went missing, but that “he doesn’t quite understand the value of that change.”

His mother also points out that some old posts may be circulating on social media referring to an incident two years ago, when Logan went missing on October 21, 2022 when he was 16 years old and was found the following day.

Anyone who has seen Logan or has any information about his whereabouts is asked to call Peterborough County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 and to mention reference number E241382910. To submit an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit stopcrimehere.ca.

This story, originally published on October 22, has been updated with the length of time Logan has been missing.

Peterborough’s ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ will once again be raiding city porches on Saturday (October 26) for their 10th semi-annual porch food drive to help restock the dwindling shelves at Kawartha Food Share.

On Saturday morning, people are asked to leave a bag of non-perishable food items on their front porch. Beginning at 9 a.m., volunteers will drive around the city to 18 different neighbourhoods, collect the donated items, and deliver them to the Kawartha Food Share warehouse.

Organizers ask people to mark their bag of donated items as being for Porch Pirates for Good so volunteers can easily spot it from the street (you can download and print the flyer below if you don’t have one).

While any non-perishable food items are appreciated, items in the greatest demand include peanut butter, canned tuna, canned vegetables and canned fruit, pasta and pasta sauce, canned pasta and packaged macaroni and cheese products (such as Alpha-getti, Kraft Dinner, and Chef Boyardee), breakfast cereal, and canned soup and canned stew.

Other needed food items include individually packaged school snacks for children (such as apple sauce, fruit cups, and chewy bars) and gluten-free items like pasta, cookies, and oats.

Non-food items that are needed include feminine hygiene products and diapers.

PDF: Porch Pirates for Good fall 2024 flyer
Porch Pirates for Good fall 2024 flyer

Instead of donating food, you can also help by making a monetary donation — for every $1 donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $3 worth of food. Volunteers will be able to collect cheques or cash during on October 26, or you can donate online at kawarthafoodshare.com.

In the last four years, the Porch Pirates for Good food drives have brought in over 165,000 pounds of food and over $15,000 in monetary donations.

“The number of clients using food banks across Canada has reached an all-time high,” reads a media release from Kawartha Food Share. “The rising cost of food and supply chain shortages have affected Kawartha Food Share clients, donors, and their own purchasing power. The most vulnerable in our community need our support.”

Dr. Madura Sundareswaran is feeling energized in her quest to attract more family physicians like herself to Peterborough following a new collaboration with the municipality.

The City of Peterborough is partnering with the Peterborough Family Doctors’ Think Tank, which Sundareswaran founded, in support of the city’s new approach to physician recruitment and retention.

The think tank, a consulting and brainstorming group of independent family physicians, focuses on local advocacy and the grassroots-level changes needed to support doctor recruitment and retention from the perspective of family physicians.

“We are excited,” Dr. Sundareswaran told kawarthaNOW. “We have hit the ground running and are already starting to see action items outlined in our report. I am feeling optimistic about the direction that the City of Peterborough is taking.”

“Our most recent report on recruitment and retention is helping to provide guidance on future priorities. All of this is definitely instilling confidence in what is to come.”

She said the think tank is providing guidance and making recommendations to the city’s new physician recruitment coordinator, Chantal Van Parys, and is partnering with the city on joint projects that support primary care in Peterborough.

According to a media release from the City of Peterborough, the think tank’s advice “will be a critical part of the city’s efforts to highlight Peterborough as an ideal place to have a primary care career.”

“Peterborough has a great deal to offer prospective physicians so they can contribute meaningfully to various types of patient care while also living in a community in which they are valued as leaders,” said Mayor Jeff Leal in the release. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to work with local doctors through this partnership to understand the diverse practice types and evolving careers of family doctors.”

Dr. Sundareswaran emphasized the importance of this partnership.

“Peterborough is a fantastic place to live and work, and the think tank is excited about the city’s innovative and unique new family physician recruitment and retention strategy,” she said, referring to the city’s multi-pronged “Whole of Village” recruitment program that city council approved in April with a $580,000 budget until the end of 2025.

“Family physicians should be part of the recruitment effort and, as such, we are proud to be working with the city to leverage the strengths of Peterborough and its local physicians,” Dr. Sundareswaran said. “We all share the common goal of ensuring that everyone in this community has access to a primary care provider, and we look forward to working together to achieve this goal.”

According to the release, the goal of the city’s physician recruitment efforts is to work towards fair and equitable access to primary care, a challenge faced by many communities across the province. As retirements and administrative burdens increase, “it is vital to not only expand access for new patients, but also to maintain care for those already with a family doctor.”

Van Parys, as the city’s new physician recruitment coordinator, is centralizing resources and now serves as the main contact for prospective physicians.

“We will be working closely with (Van Parys) and most often reporting to her directly,” Dr. Sundareswaran said. “This partnership is about leveraging the strengths of the city and its local physicians, but of course each is most familiar with our own unique portfolios. To have a dedicated person liaise between both groups helps is critical.”

The doctor said the partnership came together collaboratively.

“Both the city and local physicians were looking for better ways to work together and ensure that an effective recruitment strategy was in place,” she explained.

“All of us recognize the importance of attachment to a primary care provider for all, so there was a real desire to find a way to work together towards achieving this goal. It truly was a collaborative effort.”

Over the coming months, the city will showcase what Peterborough can offer recent graduates and family physicians who have yet to settle into a practice.