The late James Massie has gifted 61 hectares of ecologically significant land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), which will allow Canada's leading national land conservation organization to expand the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, named after the late environmentalist Hazel Bird, to 215 hectares. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio)
With forested areas, sand barrens, and wetlands, 61 hectares of ecologically significant land in Northumberland County will now be protected in perpetuity by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).
On Tuesday (September 16), NCC announced it has received a legacy gift that will allow it to strengthen the conservation corridor in the Rice Lake Plains and protect the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve.
An estate gift of land from James Massie will allow for the permanent protection of the biologically rich site and the chance to expand the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve — a community treasure that features four kilometres of walking trails — to 215 hectares.
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The reserve is named after the late environmentalist Hazel Bird who, beginning in the late 1960s, helped re-establish the then-endangered eastern bluebird through the Bluebird Trial project, which saw the installation of hundreds of bluebird boxes in farmers’ fields in the Harwood area. A member of the Willow Beach Field Naturalists, Bird won the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society Conservation Award in 1996. She passed away in 2009 just two weeks before her 89th birthday.
NCC staff first met Massie more than a decade ago when the organization began habitat restoration efforts at the reserve. Massie knew Hazel Bird, with remnants of her iconic bluebird box network remaining on the land.
“Years ago, when NCC began habitat restoration work at the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, Mr. Massie, then a neighbour, was concerned about what he saw happening, worried that we were damaging the land, not healing it,” Brianne Curry, NCC’s communications manager for the Ontario region, told kawarthaNOW.
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“But over time, through conversations and trust built with our local staff, he came to understand the ecological goals behind the work,” Curry explained. “That shift from concern to understanding to confidence was so profound that Mr. Massie ultimately chose to leave his land to NCC in his will. It is a powerful example of how education and relationships can change minds and lead to lasting impact.”
The expansion protects a range of habitats, from restored tall grass prairie to spring-fed headwater wetlands and spans a four-kilometre cross-section of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The gifted property is located immediately south of the existing nature reserve. It supports a diversity of native species and contains remnant tall grass and oak savannah communities that are rich with prairie plants, such as savannah grass, sand dropseed, and New Jersey tea.
The property’s proximity to the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, a signature site for tallgrass prairie restoration, means its protection helps sustain a large example of globally rare black oak savannah and woodland habitat, according to a media release.
“This project builds on conservation efforts in the Rice Lake Plains and Northumberland County, where NCC and local partners have been working to restore habitats for many years,” the release states.
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The newly expanded reserve is also being managed as a source of native tall grass seed to support habitat restoration initiatives across the region, after receiving a boost from the Greenbelt Foundation.
The NCC expressed its gratitude to the late James Massie, stating that his “vision and generosity made this conservation achievement possible,” and also thanked the many private donors who also supported the project.
“NCC is proud and honoured that Mr. Massie has entrusted this property to NCC, and we’re thrilled about its direct connection to the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve,” noted Mark Stabb, NCC program director for central Ontario east, in a statement. “We are looking forward to restoring tallgrass ecosystems, such as oak savannah, on this fantastic property — a conservation outcome we know Mr. Massie wanted for his land.”
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This bequest brings the total area of conservation land protected directly by NCC in the Rice Lake Plains and Northumberland County to more than 1,200 hectares.
Habitat and restoration activities planned for the property include mapping of tall grass remnants, removal of some trash and debris, controlling non-native invasive species, and planting and seeding projects.
As Canada’s largest environmental charity, NCC has worked with partners to conserve natural landscapes since 1962. The private, non-profit organization aims to deliver solutions to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale and long-term conservation.
Tight Space Productions, a collective of independent filmmakers in their final year of film school at Toronto Metropolitan University, will be spending one week in Fenelon Falls in October 2025 to shoot a short eco-horror film. Also a metaphor about silencing voices, "The Pines" follows two ecologists who go to a remote cabin to study a mysterious fungus, which slowly infects them as the forest's hidden secrets come to life. The group is aiming to raise $12,000 to fund the ambitious project. (Photo: Tight Space Productions)
For one week in October, something sinister will be coming to life amongst pine trees in Fenelon Falls when a group of film students from Toronto shoot a thesis short film.
Titled The Pines, the film is the latest project from Tight Space Productions, a collective of independent filmmakers in their final year of film school at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Led by Alireza Jhomson, Angelo Agostino, Ethan Karmoil, and Alex Davidson, the film — labelled their most ambitious project to date — is an atmospheric horror short that follows two ecologists who go to a cabin in a remote forest to study a mysterious fungus that’s been growing on pine trees. When one of them develops a horrifying infection, the other works to unravel the true nature of the forest and uncovers something ancient buried beneath it.
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“They find these buried secrets and these buried evil things that have happened on that plot of land,” says Jhomson, who is the director and co-writer of the film. “At its core, it’s a story of nature and how nature always remembers, and the memory and danger of ignoring what came before.”
Given that Jhomson believes “metaphors are what separates a good film from a really good film,” there is also a deeper meaning about the silencing of voices. As an Iranian immigrant who came to Canada in 2014, Jhomson says this silencing is something he likes to “shine a light on” and incorporate throughout his projects.
“I come from a country where if you spoke out, it was dangerous,” he says. “If you criticized the government, it was dangerous. If you walked into the street and a little piece of your hair was sticking out of your hijab, it was dangerous. I’m so grateful to be here (in Canada) because I see kids my age back home and their lifestyle is just so different.”
The crew of Tight Space Productions, a collective of independent filmmakers in their final year of film school at Toronto Metropolitan University, behind the scenes of their latest film and first feature film “We Will Be Together,” which will be released in 2026. The ambitious crew of film students is currently working on “The Pines,” a short eco-horror film which is their most ambitious project to date and will be filmed on location in Fenelon Falls. (Photo: Tight Space Productions)
Jhomson recalls the 2022 wrongful arrest and killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the Iran morality police for not wearing her hijab properly and how it sparked the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran — a movement that remains active despite brutal repression by the Iranian authorities, who have killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands more.
“I was looking at my life and people my age protesting, fighting for their voices to be heard, fighting for that freedom,” Jhomson says. “They were getting abused and beat up and I was here (thinking) this is my chance to incorporate those voices into my stories.”
“The Pines is about a land that hasn’t forgotten what happened to it,” he adds. “It’s about those souls underneath that forest that are still grieving, and still remembering that they were wrongly displaced.”
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Though it’s certainly a horror film, Jhomson assures that The Pines will not be relying on “cheap jump scares.”
“(Our characters) go on their hero’s journey but some movies don’t do that, especially horror films, because they’re just trying to scare you. There are a lot of films where that’s their only goal and the story is out the window, but a horror story is just a good story.”
As an eco-horror film, which Jhomson calls an “underexplored” sub-genre, the use of the creepy and dark forest is an expected element of The Pines. But while surely any wooded area could be transformed into a threatening and ominous setting, when Jhomson visited his friend’s grandmother’s cabin in Fenelon Falls for the first time, he was instantly “drawn” to the forest out front, noting it was “love at first sight.”
“It clicked to me because in front of the plot of this cottage are these massive pines, and it’s a field of human-planted pine trees,” he says. “You know they didn’t just grow there because it’s so structural. It’s just rows and rows and rows of pine trees. I was blown away by the beauty of it — I knew filming had to be done here.”
VIDEO: “The Pines” fundraising appeal
Given that the Tight Space Productions is shooting on location, the students are aiming to raise $12,000 before they begin filming to cover the cost of transportation to and from Fenelon Falls for all cast and crew, accommodation and food, set construction, and gear rental. One of the costliest expenses is the makeup and special effects to bring the forest and fungal infections to life.
“We’re not doing any visual effects,” Jhomson says, referring to post-production effects such as computer-generated imagery. “We could have done the visual effects route, but it’s not authentic to the story we’re trying to tell and it’s not authentic to us.”
Tight Space Productions is encouraging donations by offering tiered sponsorship opportunities beginning as low as $25.From behind-the-scenes exclusives to being named an executive producer, there are some major perks for donating — whatever it takes to get the film made, according to Jhomson.
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“If I don’t raise enough money for this film, it’s not getting made. Even the smallest amount … will help us get this film made. We’re not selling you a product — we’re inviting you to be a part of something. We’re inviting you to be a part of this massive, exciting opportunity to help four young filmmakers go out with a bang in their fourth year.”
For updates on the film and to learn more about Tight Space Productions, and watch previous short films, follow Tight Space Productions on Instagram or YouTube.
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) is teaming up with Haliburton's Places for People to develop a 35-unit condominium development on Peninsula Road in Haliburton that would include 20 affordable home ownership units and 15 affordable rental units. (Photo: Habitat PKR)
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) is teaming up with Places for People, a not-for-profit charity that specializes in developing and managing affordable rental housing for people in Haliburton County, to build a 35-unit affordable condominium development in Haliburton.
The partnership and proposed development on Peninsula Road, announced on Thursday (September 18) at a community event at the Haliburton Legion, would help address the urgent need for affordable housing in Haliburton County by combining home ownership and rentals.
Habitat PKR would offer 20 housing units through its affordable homeownership program, which allows individuals and families to purchase a home with no down payment and a geared-to-income mortgage, and Places for People aims to purchase 15 units for affordable rentals along with a commercial unit for the organization’s use.
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“When the chance to purchase land in Haliburton came up, we knew the need was there,” Holly McKinnon, communications and marketing manager for Habitat PKR, told kawarthaNOW.
“Almost 40 per cent of tenant households in the (Haliburton area) are paying more than 30 per cent of their income on housing. Partnering with Places for People just made sense. They’re rooted in the community, they have strong support, and their affordable rental program reaches people who may not qualify for a Habitat mortgage but still deserve safe, stable housing.”
The development would include one and two bedroom units that are universally accessible, modern, and energy-efficient for individuals, couples, families, and seniors, as well as dedicated commercial space.
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The partnership between the two organizations combines Habitat PKR’s decades of experience building affordable homes and supporting families into homeownership with Places for People’s knowledge of affordable rental housing and its connections in the local community.
“Habitat PKR has long been the trusted leader in building affordable homes for homeownership, making them the perfect partner for Places for People as we expand the affordable rental sector,” said Places for People president Susan Tromanhauser in a statement. “Together, the organizations are creating a model that will strengthen Haliburton for years to come.”
With plans still in early development, the two organizations are currently focusing on gaining community support and raising funds for the development. The earliest date for construction to begin is 2027.
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“These 35 homes will be so much more than affordable housing,” said Habitat PKR CEO Susan Zamboni. “They will give local families and individuals the stability, dignity, and opportunity they deserve. Safe, stable housing strengthens the entire community. When people have a secure place to live, their incomes grow, they invest locally, and Haliburton thrives.”
Since 2002, Habitat PKR has supported 98 families into affordable homeownership through a series of home-building projects.
Since 2010, Places for People has grown to own and manage 20 residential units across Haliburton County, housing over 100 people including 32 families.
The annual Oldies 96.7 Fugitive Contest, where one determined listener will catch a mystery Fugitive for a $10,000 reward, is returning to Peterborough starting September 22, 2025. The contest offers five clues revealed on air at scheduled times every weekday, as well as one visual clue and one bonus clue that can be revealed on air at any time. Crack the clues, find the Fugitive, and ask the question "Are you the Oldies 96 point 7 Ten Thousand Dollar Fugitive?" to claim the prize. (Photo courtesy of Oldies 96.7 / My Broadcasting Corporation)
Fall is almost here, which means it’s time for the exciting annual Peterborough-wide hunt where thousands of people sharpen their analytic skills and ask anyone and everyone they see a simple question: “Are you the Oldies 96 point 7 Ten Thousand Dollar Fugitive?”
Oldies 96.7, the classic hits radio station owned by My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), will once again dropping mind-bending clues that will lead one dedicated detective to identify the mystery Fugitive and claim an astounding $10,000. All you have to do is crack the clues, track down the location of the Fugitive, and ask the magical question verbatim.
If you are correct in identifying the Fugitive, they will give you the “key” to the grand prize — a letter with a phone number to call and a password you must use to confirm you have caught the Fugitive. The Fugitive will also have in their possession a certificate redeemable for a cheque for $10,000 — your tax-free bounty for catching the Fugitive.
“The contest keeps getting bigger and better each year,” says MBC VP of Content Rob Mise. “It really engrosses people to get in the mind of the Fugitive and try to solve these riddles and clues along the way.”
The Fugitive can be found somewhere in the City of Peterborough anytime between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday beginning on Monday, September 22. Since the Fugitive will be going about his or her regular life, they could be anyone and they could be anywhere — your local barista at your favourite cafe, the coworker who shares your cubicle, the coach at your kid’s baseball game, and more. In fact, the Fugitive could be right under your nose.
In 2024, for the second consecutive year, Michael Stringer (left) was the winner of the Oldies 96.7 $10,000 Fugitive Contest. After six weeks of searching, he cracked the clues and located and identified Fugitive Mike Dunkley (right) along the Otonabee River behind the Holiday Inn on George Street. (Photo courtesy of Oldies 96.7 / My Broadcasting Corporation)
To begin your search, tune into Oldies 96.7 daily for hyperlocal clues hinting to the Fugitive’s identity. Clues will be dropped every day at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. There will also be a picture clue dropped online daily.
“You have to look at the clues in every single way,” Mise explains. “You have to decipher words, decipher where the punctuation is, and decipher it in your own way. You have to put on your thinking cap on, because it’s $10,000 — it’s not going to be easy.”
If you miss some clues, or want to start in the middle of the contest, you’ll have access a list of clues anytime online at www.ptbotoday.ca/oldies-96-7-fugitive.
But having access to clues you might have missed doesn’t mean you can skip out on listening to Oldies 96.7. The station will also be serving up one bonus clue every weekday anytime between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and that bonus clue will not be later revealed online. These bonuses could appear at the most unexpected of times — before a song, in the middle of a commercial break, during the news — so keep listening and keep your notepads handy.
Mise cautions listeners to be vigilant, because you never know what “curveballs” will be thrown at you next — or just how close to you the fugitive could be.
“My number one advice to anybody is just keep the radio tuned and locked into 96.7,” says Mise. “You never know what’s going to happen during the fugitive contest.”
For the official rules and the list of daily clues as they are posted, visit www.ptbotoday.ca/oldies-96-7-fugitive. The contest is sponsored by Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods and Peterborough Mitsubishi.
Know Your Locals™ is a branded editorial feature about locally owned independent businesses and locally operated organizations, and supported by them. If your business or organization is interested in being featured in a future “Know Your Locals” branded editorial, contact Jeannine Taylor at 705-742-6404 or jt@kawarthanow.com or visit our Advertise with kawarthaNOW page.
A rendering of Ashburnham Realty's proposed 17-storey apartment building to be located on Crescent Street in Peterborough, from EcoVue Consulting's notice of an open house about the proposed development to be held on September 23, 2025. The rendering includes what the notice describes as "the potential new location of the Art Gallery of Peterborough." (Graphic via EcoVue Consulting)
The board of the Art Gallery of Peterborough (AGP) has been “exploring the potential” of relocating the gallery to a proposed 17-storey mixed-use building to be developed by Ashburnham Realty on Crescent Street behind the existing gallery building.
That’s according to a report from the gallery that will be presented by the city’s cultural services manager Stoyan Barakov to the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) on Tuesday (September 23) — the same day a public open house about the proposed Crescent Street development will be held at the AGP at 250 Crescent Street.
According to a notice for the open house from EcoVue Consulting, the planning consultant for Ashburnham Realty, the 17-storey mixed-use building would include 231 rental apartment units and commercial space on a portion of the ground floor, with a portion of the second and third floor as “the potential new location of the Art Gallery of Peterborough.”
The AGP’s report to ACAC states that Paul Bennett of Ashburnham Realty invited the AGP to consider relocating within the proposed Crescent Street development, which would consolidate nine existing properties located along Crescent Street, Lake Street, and George Street.
“The AGP has engaged the services of Unity Design Studio to develop (a) rendering based on the needs assessment included in the Feasibility Study Update, 2020,” the report states. “We are working the consulting firm V Formation to develop a Business Case and undertake a Fundraising Feasibility Study.”
The AGP adds that a report and business case document will be submitted to city council meeting as general committee on Monday, October 6.
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A 2011 study on the AGP conducted in response to issues of limited space, technical deficiencies, and risks to the art collection at the existing Del Crary Park location recommended either a major renovation of the existing facility or relocation to a new site that could meet the professional and technical standards required for a Class A designation.
This led to a 2014 feasibility study by Lundholm + Lett, which explored two potential new sites in downtown Peterborough along with the existing site and concluded that renovating and expanding the existing facility would be more cost-effective and had several advantages.
According to the City of Peterborough’s 2020 budget document, an update to the feasibility study was planned for presentation to council in 2020, alongside a review of AGP bylaws and its memorandum of understanding with the city. kawarthaNOW is unable to locate any public information about the 2020 update.
As for the public open house, it will be held in a drop-in format at the AGP from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23. The open house notice states there will be no formal presentation, but members of the developer’s consulting team will be available to answer questions.
Crews fighting the HAL019 fire east of Burnt River in Kawartha Lakes, which burned across 27 hectares from August 9 to 20, 2025. During that time, Burnt River metal artist Christina Handley used her large Facebook following to collect hundreds of dollars so she could buy drinks and snacks that would energize the firefighters who were battling to bring the fire under control for hours in the heat. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
The generosity community members showed one another and utility workers following the devastating ice storm that swept through Ontario in the spring was not the extent of natural disasters beginning out the best in people this year.
Just as people across Kawartha Lakes and beyond showed up for one another then, Burnt River artist Christina Handley used her Facebook connections to raise hundreds of dollars to purchase and deliver snacks and drinks to the firefighters who tirelessly fought a wildland fire burning east of Burnt River and south of Kinmount in August.
“There’s good people in the world,” says Handley. “It’s such a nice feeling to know that there are good people still in the world when you hear all the bad stuff.”
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Residing on a cattle farm in Burnt River, Handley learned the power of her Facebook connections when she first launched her business, Handley Acres Metal Creations. A former photographer, Handley decided to buy a plasma cutter “just for fun” in 2016 because of her love of metal.
After teaching herself to use it, she began posting some of her pieces — which are done entirely freehand and often created with scrap metal — to Facebook and quickly garnered an online audience.
“It really just snowballed organically,” she says. “Facebook has really been the best tool for me. I have a really great following, the people are fantastic, and I keep posting stuff when I make it, and it sells. I’m truly blessed, and I know it.”
Christina Handley is a Burnt River metal artist who found a large Facebook audience for her business Handley Acres Metal Creations. When her followers learned she was delivering drinks, snacks, and ice to the crews who were fighting a wildland fire just kilometres from her home, many of them began sending her money to support her efforts. (Photo courtesy of Christina Handley)
This escalated even more throughout the pandemic when people spent so much time shopping online.
If Handley posted something, it would sell within minutes, and she even had to begin announcing ahead of time when she would post items for sale because followers would often miss out due to how quickly things would sell after she posted them.
“I’d watch the clock on my computer and as soon as it hit eight, I would post, and I would have 16 or 20 items sell out in minutes,” she says. “They are an amazing group of people.”
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That statement was further proven last month when a wildland fire named HAL019 by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) burned from August 9 to 20 across 27 hectares, roughly three kilometres from Handley’s farm.
She had cattle pastured closer to the fire, though they were not in danger due to a divide created by a small lake.
“I have never in my life seen anything like that,” she says. “You see it on the news and on TV, but we had water bombers in Burnt River. It was crazy, it was so out of control. It was something else. I don’t want to ever see that again.”
With the support of her Facebook followers, Burnt River artist Christina Handley purchased and delivered Gatorade, water, coffee, muffins, ice, protein bars, and more to firefighters battling wildland fire HAL019, which burned just east of Burnt River from August 9 to 20, 2025. Some of the firefighters told Handley they had never been so well treated by a community before. (Photo: Christina Handley)
As early as the second day of the fire, she contacted Scott Sabovitch, captain of Kawartha Lakes Fire Station 20 in Burnt River, to ask if she could drop off snacks and drinks to show her appreciation to the firefighters.
“I just wanted to do something,” she says. “I don’t even know how many there were — dozens and dozens of them fighting every day for 12 or 14 hours in 40-plus degree heat.”
She began bringing the firefighters water and Tim Hortons coffee, while also driving up the road multiple times a day to keep tabs on the fire. When she made a post on Facebook about the delivery, she was immediately supported by family, friends, and former customers who started sending her money and asking how they could be involved.
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With more money, Handley was able to increase the loads, gathering together protein and granola bars, cases of Gatorade, muffins, coffee, croissants, Timbits, and bags of ice that would be used to fill the coolers across ground crew stations.
Her grocery bills of supplies would total upwards of $700.
“I borrowed three coolers from my neighbour, and I would take them into Sobeys and Foodland and I would just fill them with as many bags of ice as I could,” Handley says. “They were just forever grateful for that.”
Metal artist and photographer Christina Handley of Handley Acres Metal Creations in Burnt River uses a plasma cutter to create decorative garden and home pieces, entirely freehand and often using scrap metal. (Photo: Christina Handley)
As the fire continued to burn, she reported back to her community of Facebook connections what she was hearing from the firefighters, including messages of gratitude.
When the fire was finally held on August 13, Handley had to tell people to stop sending her money, responding to 90 private messages from her business page as well as another 30 on her personal page. By the time she got through those, there were another 10 messages from people eager to support the workers.
“They are just the absolute best,” she says of her Facebook followers. “There were people from around here that sent (money), but there were also people from the States who wanted to send money, because it was affecting me and my world.”
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Handley says that, through the process, she was told by some of MNR workers that all the firefighters were appreciative and that they had never been so well treated by a community before.
“I love to hear that,” Handley says. “I’m just so grateful that nobody was hurt, and they obviously got (the fire) out.”
According to the MNR, the HAL019 fire was under control by August 15 and was fully extinguished on August 20 — 11 days after it started. The suspected cause of the fire was a lightning strike during a thunderstorm.
Christina Handley was one of the community members invited to attend an appreciation dinner at the Burnt River Hall on September 15, 2025 for the firefighters who successfully battled two wildland fires in August in Kawartha Lakes, including crews from Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service, Trent Lakes Fire Rescue, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the City of Kawartha Lakes Public Works Department, with dinner provided by Dianne’s Country Cooking & Catering and supported by other local businesses and community members. The event was also attended by Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott, Kawartha Lakes fire chief Terry Jones, Kawartha Lakes mayor Doug Elmslie, deputy mayor Charlie McDonald, and councillors Pat Warren, Dan Joyce, Mark Doble, and Ron Ashmore. (Photo: Christina Handley)
An art-making activity for kids at the 2024 Monarch Festival in Peterborough's Millennium Park. The 2025 festival returns from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 20 and also features a 10-kilometre race raising funds for Camp Kawartha's school pollinator garden project and a one-kilometre kids' fun run. (Photo: Monarch Ultra)
Peterborough will be all aflutter on Saturday (September 20) when the third annual Monarch Festival returns to Millennium Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., coinciding with a fundraising race and a kids’ fun run.
Hosted by the Monarch Ultra, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the monarch butterfly, the celebration of community and environmental activism invites the public to learn about the threatened pollinator species while enjoying performances, presentations, and vendors.
Monarch Ultra co-founder Carlotta James told kawarthaNOW the event is intended to be more than just a celebration, but to inspire “a deep sense of connection within our community.”
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“I hope people walk away not only with a greater appreciation for the monarch butterfly but also with a renewed commitment to protecting it,” James said.
“This species faces real threats, and its survival depends on collective action. If the festival can spark even a few lasting conversations or motivate someone to plant milkweed or reduce pesticide use, it will be a powerful step forward.”
At its heart, the Monarch Festival is a celebration of nature’s beauty and the interconnectedness of all living things, James said. Organizations and environmental groups will be out “in full force,” educating attendees on how they can support monarch butterfly populations and other pollinators.
The agenda for the third annual Monarch Festival in Peterborough’s Millennium Park on September 20, 2025. (Graphic: Monarch Ultra)
From planting native milkweed to protecting pollinator habitats, attendees will learn about actionable ways to protect these endangered species.
Myer’s Landscaping and For Nature Gardening & Landcare will lead a pollinator garden workshop, and local butterfly enthusiast Eileen Kimmett will host a monarch tagging workshop.
Participants can also receive free milkweed seeds to support monarch conservation.
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Along with the workshops, the festival also features Indigenous hand drumming, Zumba dancing, face painting, a scavenger hunt for children, a silent auction, environmental presentations, and more than 20 vendors who will showcase sustainability and biodiversity initiatives.
The festival begins at 10 a.m. with a welcome and introduction by James, and fellow Monarch Ultra co-founder Rodney Fuentes — the filmmaker behind The Monarch Ultra, a documentary about the eponymous 4,300-kilometre relay run from Peterborough to Mexico in 2019 that started it all — will be the emcee.
In addition, the event includes an art competition for high school students to showcase the beauty of monarch butterflies while encouraging creativity and awareness for youth. The winner of the competition will receive a tote bag with art supplies from the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
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The weekend also includes a 10-kilometre fundraising race and a one-kilometre kids’ fun run along the Rotary Trail and the Otonabee River, with a 9:30 a.m. start time for the kids’ fun run and a 10 a.m. start time for the 10-kilometre race. While registration for the race and run are closed, those who wish to cheer on the runners for the 10-kilometre race can see the route at www.plotaroute.com/route/2556557.
The race is raising funds for Camp Kawartha, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring environmental stewardship and fostering meaningful connections with nature. The funds raised will go directly to purchasing native plants for building pollinator gardens at various schools in Peterborough and Curve Lake.
For more information about Monarch Ultra and the Monarch Festival, visit www.themonarchultra.com.
Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for the Kawarthas region for early Saturday morning (September 20).
The frost advisory is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Hastings Highlands, and eastern Northumberland County.
Frost is possible as temperatures drop overnight to near the freezing mark, or below the freezing mark in some areas, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Temperatures will rise to the double digits by late morning.
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Frost may damage some crops in frost-prone areas.
Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas, and take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.
Frost advisories are issued when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.
Senior planner and project manager Justine Giancola of Dillon Consulting, a consulting firm retained by the City of Peterborough, leads a presentation about a proposed Community Planning Permit System during a statutory public open house on September 17, 2025 at Miskin Law Community Complex. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of Concerned Citizens of Peterborough video)
The fear that Peterborough residents “will lose their voice” in the city’s consideration of development applications was expressed during a public open house held Wednesday night (September 17) at the Miskin Law Community Complex.
The statutory open house, required under the Planning Act and hosted by Dillon Consulting, was held to provide information about the proposed Community Planning Permit System (CPPS). If adopted by the city, the land use planning tool would replace the current comprehensive zoning by-law, combining zoning by-law amendments, minor variances, and site plan applications into a singular application and plan approval process.
During her slide show presentation of the CPPS planning tool, Dillon Consulting senior planner and project manager Justine Giancola was interrupted more than once by attendees upset over Peterborough city council’s recent approval of a zoning by-law amendment that clears the way for TVM Group to build a 17-storey residential high-rise on Hunter Street in East City. The plan originally submitted by the developer called for a 10-storey building.
If that wasn’t enough to fire up some in her audience, as first reported Wednesday by kawarthaNOW, Ashburnham Realty is now seeking to build a 17-storey residential high-rise on Crescent Street near the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
The local developer had originally filed an application for official plan and zoning by-law amendments allowing a 15-storey building. The revised development plan will be the subject of a public open house on September 23, 6 to 8 p.m., at the art gallery.
On each table at the open house was a one-page plea, written anonymously, urging “Stop high-rise development along the Crescent Street waterfront.”
“Let’s put people before profit. We advocate for smaller, more genteel and harmonious design that respects the waterfront and does not obliterate it,” the note read in part.
Former city councillor Ann Farquharson was one of the attendees at the open house who reflected the concern that the CPPS is oriented towards developers.
“Clearly this is going to make the process easier for developers,” said Farquharson, who sat at a table with city councillors Alex Bierk, Keith Riel, and Joy Lachica — three of the four councillors who voted against the zoning by-law amendment that clears the way for TVM Group’s 17-storey building in East City.
“They (city planning staff) are going to be more permissive with developers,” she added. “People are going to lose their voice. More decisions will be made by staff without (city) council oversight. The benefits to the community are minimal to nil. This is entirely development benefiting.”
“This is Peterborough. It is not Manhattan. It is not downtown Toronto, nor do we want it to be.”
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For her part, Giancola reminded her audience that the open house was being held to present information about the CPPS, not debate past approval of developments. She clarified that point for kawarthaNOW after the meeting.
“We have not been part of any development applications within the city, so I really can’t speak to any of that history,” she said of Dillon Consulting’s role. “We’ve been hired to work on a Community Planning Permit System for the city; to look at how we regulate development approvals going forward.”
As she outlined to the audience, the purpose of the open house was to present a draft official plan amendment to update policies related to six so-called strategic growth areas in the city and enable the corresponding CPPS.
The purpose of the proposed official plan amendment is four-fold: to implement city council’s April 28, 2025 motion to remove building height restrictions and angular plane requirements within the strategic growth areas; to update the vision of, and objectives for, strategic growth areas; to update policies that allow for alternative measures to reduce parking demand, including car share and cash in lieu of parking policies; and to enable a city-wide CPPS.
The intent of the open house was to provide residents with the opportunity learn more about the draft official plan amendment and provide input before the matter is considered by city council sitting as general committee. That public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, October 27 in the city council chambers.
Prior to the CPPS being adopted, city council must first adopt policies that enable it within the framework of its official plan. The proposed official plan amendment doesn’t include a recommended CPPS. Rather, it allows for the CPPS to be put forward at a later date — most likely in spring 2026 — when a CPPS by-law will be presented for city council approval.
Brad Appleby, director of planning, development and urban design with the City of Peterborough, responds to a question during a statutory public open house on September 17, 2025 at Miskin Law Community Complex about a proposed Community Planning Permit System. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of Concerned Citizens of Peterborough video)
One of those who will have a say in how all this plays out is councillor Alex Bierk who, along with councillor Joy Lachica, represents Town Ward that encompasses downtown Peterborough. He told kawarthaNOW that his takeaway from the open house was “the clear feeling from the public that their voices are not being heard” when it comes to the consideration of development proposals put before city council.
“I’m interested in what changes we can make so that there’s more public input,” he said.
“The CPPS is built upon consultation. It’s important to me how that consultation is done. I think it has to be more than just a public meeting where we expect people to show up. We need to go those strategic growth areas (to conduct consultation). There are different frameworks for what any concerns will be in those areas.”
“I voted I favour of the CPPS because it allows growth to happen by cutting out the red tape, as long as developers follow the rules that are set in the plan. The plan is based largely upon consultation. In a perfect world, the community’s voices would be heard, loud and clear, within the plan.
“In building the plan, it’s very important that the consultant meet communities where they’re at, and very important that residents in those areas show up to create a vision for their neighbourhood is going to look like.”
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Asked to respond to a widely held belief that city council is pro-developer at the expense of legitimate resident concerns over the scope of recently approved developments, such as the TVM build in East City, councillor Bierk agreed that perception isn’t without merit.
“The decisions that council has made this term have mostly placated the development community. It’s like a game of The Price Is Right — ‘Walk up to council, spin the wheel … what do you want?’ instead of listening to the voices of numerous community members who are showing up and voicing valid concerns over how development is being done in their neighbourhoods.”
“The decision to allow (TVM Group’s 17-storey building) in East City is groundbreaking. It will, unfortunately, change the way development happens in the city from this day forward. I thinks we’re at a crossroads politically. A lot of people feel their voices aren’t being heard. A lot of people are talking about what the 2026 (municipal) election will look like. The turn-out tonight shows that people want to be involved in the process around how (development) decisions are being made.”
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For her part, Farquharson argues there are controls over development in place. The issue, she says, is they are being bypassed as part of the process that sees city staff recommendations go before city council for its approval of applications.
“The official plan might have to be changed in terms of regulations that the province wants, but there’s no need to amend the official plan as far as (building) height restrictions or angular planes. That doesn’t have to be part of it.”
Speaking to the Ashburnham Realty development on Crescent Street, Farquharson said she just found Tuesday out about the developer’s plan to increase its height to 17 storeys.
“If the official plan is not amended, I believe the maximum (allowed) would be 10 storeys,” said Farquharson, adding “If it’s amended, it could be 25 storeys. The sky’s the limit.”
“The precedent of 90 Hunter Street East (the TVM building) has said to other developers ‘Well, they’ve set a precedent, so we’ll get 17.’ Right now, the developer isn’t permitted to get 17 storeys on Crescent Street, but if this (the official plan amendment and CPPS adoption) happens, they likely will.”
“The misapplication of the (current) guidelines, the zoning by-laws, and urban design guidelines is happening because we have a pro-developer city council and mayor. What’s going to happen a year from now (with the municipal election) could be a very different thing, but right now that’s the case.”
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Asked if she fears for the future of the city, Farquharson answered quickly.
“Very, very much so. We can facilitate housing, and diverse housing, all over this city. There are empty lots and vacant lands everywhere. We don’t have to have 17-storey buildings. We’re not helping those in the greatest need of housing. But developers, naturally, want to make more money — the higher they go, the more money they can make.”
“Development’s important, but it’s got to be good development, appropriate development — development that enhances our community and our neighbourhoods. A lot of damage can be done in the next year. We need to stay vigilant.”
In the face of what Giancola heard from open house attendees, Farquharson included, she point out she’s heard good things from other Ontario municipalities, such as Huntsville, Brampton and Gananoque, that have put adopted a CPPS.
“Through my conversations (with Huntsville planning manager Richard Clark), it has been huge in terms of streamlining approvals,” Giancola said of the CPPS in that municipality. “Having one framework, one set of rules and process … to have a single application and single approval.”
“The traditional process that we have to regulate land use has a number of challenges and constraints that I think the city is feeling, along with perhaps everyone in this room,” Giancola added. “This (CPPS) will not be a silver bullet. This will not fix everything. However, we think it’s a better system for the city to help manage growth and development that continues to be planned for.”
Kingston band Emilie Steele & The Deal perform their blend of indie rock and alt-country at Jethro's Bar + Stage in downtown Peterborough on Saturday night. (Promotional photo)
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