On Tuesday (May 29), the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and Warming Room Community Ministries announced a new pilot program to improve downtown Peterborough while helping people living on the margins.

Called “One City Peterborough”, the four-month pilot program has two parts: it will hire people with barriers to employment to assist with cleaning the downtown area, and it will support two full-time outreach workers who will assist people downtown — with a focus on helping those facing homelessness, social exclusion, and mental health issues.

The new program represents a dramatic shift in the Peterborough DBIA’s ongoing efforts to address concerns the downtown is unsafe. Last year, the DBIA launched an “ambassador” program, where outside security staff were hired to patrol downtown streets, but put that pilot program on hold following public criticism it was targeting people living on the street.

With “One City Peterborough”, the DBIA has taken a different approach, by partnering with Warming Room Community Ministries and getting the support of the social service agencies including the City of Peterborough Social Services Division and the United Way of Peterborough & District as well as private businesses Wild Rock Outfitters and Cherney Realty.

“This is an exciting opportunity to work with some very knowledgeable partners to help some of the most vulnerable people in our downtown,” says DBIA executive director Terry Guiel. “We’re looking forward to helping those marginalized by society to overcome their barriers to employment by helping us keep our downtown looking great.”

In the first part of the pilot program, residents of the Warming Room will be paid for $17.50 per hour — well over both the minimum wage and the recommended living wage — to assist in cleaning up the downtown.

Two teams of two people each will make daily walks to pick up litter and clean messes in public areas. So far, 12 residents are ready to work for the program; shifts for workers may be limited to allow people to participate without affecting their government benefits.

We’re excited about the Launch of One City Peterborough. One City is a pilot program in designed to make @downtownPtbo more welcoming for everyone. It’s great to see so many organizations and local businesses coming together to improve the downtown area. pic.twitter.com/xKyj8GQizc

— Peterborough Ec Dev (@PtboEcDev) May 29, 2018

Similar initiatives have been launched in other cities in Canada and the U.S. over the last few years, including pilot programs in Vancouver, Toronto Winnipeg, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Fort Worth, and Seattle.

Earlier this year, Nanaimo in British Columbia launched its “Urban Clean Up Program” to clean up needles and garbage by providing people living in the streets with jobs that help them change the way they see themselves.

The second part of the “One City Peterborough” program sees two full-time outreach workers from the Warming Room — Hannah Thackeray and Ashley Bonner — who will assist people downtown, with a focus on helping those facing homelessness, social exclusion, and mental health issues.

The outreach workers will also be available to assist local businesses and the community as a whole, by providing services like directions and information about local businesses.

“What makes downtown such a gift is its diversity — people living together, working together, and enjoying themselves together,” says Christian Harvey, Director of Warming Room Community Ministries.

“It is a beautiful picture of what community can be. Our goal is to build on this and show that downtown truly is a community for everyone.”

The pilot program runs from June 1 to September 30, 2018 and will cost $49,500, with the Peterborough DBIA providing half of the funding and the remaining funds coming through partners and sponsors. Depending on the results of the program, the Peterborough DBIA will consider running it year round.

As for why the program is named “One City Peterborough”, a post on the Warming Room’s Facebook page summarizes it best:

“There isn’t one Peterborough for tourists, one Peterborough for customers, one Peterborough for business owners, one Peterborough for the homeless, one Peterborough for the employed … there’s One City Peterborough.”

If you are an individual, organization, or business that wants to support the program, you can contact the Peterborough DBIA at 705-748-4774 or the Warming Room at 705-874-5157.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is urging patients of Lakeland Clinic (2 Albert St. North, Lindsay) who received dental treatment between November 10, 2017 and February 21, 2018 to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Patients who received treatment at the clinic during that time they may be at risk for a bloodborne virus.

The warning comes after the health unit investigated the infection and prevention practices of the clinic and found there were times in which proper sterilization of equipment may not have happened. When sterilization is not done properly, there is a risk that clients may be exposed to other people’s germs on improperly cleaned instruments.

The investigation started after the health unit was notified of a person recently diagnosed with hepatitis C who had received treatment at Lakeland Clinic. The investigation then revealed a potential link to a second person with hepatitis C who also received treatment at the clinic.

The health unit has been working closely with the staff of Lakeland Clinic and proper sterilization practices are now in place.

VIDEO: Statement from Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health

“The clinic has worked with the Health Unit to correct any identified deficiencies in their sterilization practices and they are now operating at the expected standard of care,” says Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health for the HKPR District Health Unit. “As a result, the clinic is permitted to continue its practice.”

Though the risk of contracting a virus is low, all patients who received treatment between November 10, 2017 and February 21, 2018 are being urged to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Early diagnosis can ensure anyone infected receives treatment and does not unknowingly spread a virus. Many people are are infected with these illnesses do not display symptoms.

“We are recommending that people get their blood tested as soon as possible,” Dr. Noseworthy says. “Many people infected with bloodborne viruses may not even know they are ill and may be putting other people at risk.”

Identified patients of the clinic have received a letter and a requisition that allows them to go directly to a lab to have their blood drawn for testing. Test results will be provided to the health unit which will notify patients of their results in one to two weeks after the blood tests have been completed.

More information is available on Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit website at www.hkpr.on.ca or by calling the Health Unit 1-866-888-4577, ext. 1006.

From May 28 to June 1, 2018, nurses will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m on all other weekdays.

The health unit is continuing its investigation.

If you’re driving through Omemee, you may have seen the new mural on the west side of the Omemee Legion building at 46 King Street East.

The 24-by-16-foot mural, celebrating the culture and heritage of Omemee and acknowledging the service of veterans, consists of four panels painted by Mount Forest artist Cliff Smith of GoBigMurals.

“The mural acts as a tribute to the village of Omemee,” says Laurie McCarthy, City of Kawartha Lakes Tourism Development Officer. “It highlights some of the great assets, like the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail, that attract international visitors to our region each year.”

The mural is part of the Discover Omemee initiative and is designed to encourage the drive-through traffic along Highway 7 to stop and explore the community.

Discover Omemee also includes community-attraction maps produced by artist and photographer Carrie Cockburn, a music-themed mural on the wall of the former library at Coronation Hall, and guitar-shaped wayfinding signs on village streets.

The mural initiative was a community collaboration led by the Omemee and District Lions Club through partnership with the Omemee Legion and Kawartha Trans Canada Trail.

The project was funded in part by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport through the Kawarthas Northumberland Partnership Allocation Program. The City of Kawartha Lakes Economic Development department assisted in the facilitation of the funding and project development.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony and public celebration of the new mural will take place as part of the Omemee Days event at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 30th at the Omemee Legion.

Just in time for summer, construction of Peterborough’s first adult outdoor gym at Beavermead Park is now complete — although finishing touches still need to be added.

The gym is located in the northwest corner of the park, adjacent to the beach and near the volleyball courts and the children’s playground.

The placement of the gym right next to Little Lake should offer a nice breeze for those working out, and then access to the water for a cool-off swim.

The gym’s equipment was installed by Brantford-based company New World Park Solutions Inc., the Canadian supplier of the American outdoor fitness equipment company Playworld.

The gym includes several products from Playworld different product lines, including the LifeTrail Advanced Wellness System, Energi, and Stretch & Go.

While the gym is intended for use by all adults, the LifeTrail equipment was specifically designed for adults 50 and over, and is focused upon functional fitness, helping you to maintain or improve your ability to perform everyday activities.

There are different fitness stations with several types of exercises, as well as standalone equipment such as a recumbent bike. The gym includes a fitness station that can accommodate wheelchairs, making it fully accessible for persons with disabilities.

Work on the project began in May. People are already testing out the equipment, even though some finishing touches such as an accessibility ramp and landscaping need to be completed. Once that work is complete, there will be an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The grand opening is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13th.

First announced in June 2017, the project has been funded with contributions of $25,000 from each of the Rotary Club of Peterborough-Kawartha and the Rotary Club of Peterborough and $40,000 from the City of Peterborough.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund Benefit Concert has raised $10,000 to support awareness, education, and acts of reconciliation between the First Peoples and the settlers of Turtle Island/Canada.

“We had a packed house and a wonderful evening of music, humour, dance, and poetry,” say Melodie McCullough and Sue Nelson, who organized the event.

“Thanks to the overwhelming generosity and support of the Nogojiwanong/Peterborough community, we were able to raise a significant amount of funds to donate to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund.”

The concert, held on May 11, 2018 at the Market Hall, raised funds through ticket sales, sponsorships from local businesses and community organizations along with a silent auction.

More than 300 people attended the sold-out event that featured both Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers. Hoop dancer Crystal “Beany” John, the Wshkiigomang Women’s Hand Drum Group from Curve Lake First Nation, and spoken word artist Keara Lightning were joined by Mayhemingways, the Thomas A. Stewart Jazz Combo Band, and headliners The Sadies.

“Last October we set out with a goal of raising $10,000 and that’s exactly what we achieved,” say Nelson and McCullough. “The enthusiastic community response is such an encouraging sign of the good intentions of so many in the spirit of reconciliation.”

The event was emceed by Curve Lake author and playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, and residential school survivor Shirley Williams (a member of the Bird Clan of the Ojibway and Odawa First Nations of Canada and Professor Emeritus of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University) delivered the welcoming prayer.

Mike Downie, who co-founded the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) in 2016 with his late brother Gord and the Wenjack family, attended the event along with his siblings Patrick and Paula.

The contribution of the Nogojiwanong/Peterborough community was recognized by DWF on their Facebook page on Friday (May 25):

“A big thank you from the Downie Wenjack Fund goes to the organisers, artists and musicians and everyone who came to support the DWF Benefit in Peterborough. A sold-out event! Thank you!”

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund seeks to promote and inspire grassroots and community-based acts of reconciliation across the country. It supports activities that bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, such as canoe trips, hockey exchanges, a rugby program, and an Arctic expedition.

The fund was established about a year before Gord Downie’s death from brain cancer in 2017, and arose two years after The Tragically Hip front man created The Secret Path, a personal project to tell the story of Chanie Wenjack through an music album, graphic novel, and documentary.

Gord was inspired to develop The Secret Path after learning about Chanie, a 12-year-old Anishinaabe boy who died from exposure on October 22, 1966, after escaping his forced confinement at Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora and attempting to walk the almost 600 kilometres back to his family home on the Marten Falls First Nation in Manitoba.

The Wenjack Theatre and the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University in Peterborough are both named in honour of Chanie.

Earlier today (May 25), the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) handed out the inaugural Peterborough Arts Awards at The Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts at McDonnel St. Activity Centre in Peterborough.

Six awards of $2,000 each were presented for outstanding achievement in the arts. Funding for the awards has been provided by sponsors through the efforts of Bill Lockington of LLF Lawyers, who led the sponsorship campaign to successfully raise $60,000 to support each of the awards over five years.

The awards were open to professional artists and arts supporters in any discipline living in the city and county of Peterborough. Almost 50 nominations were received, with winners selected by a peer assessment jury comprising Caroline Langill, Nadine Changfoot, Jonathan Bennett, and Rob Fortrin.

The Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts featured performances by Curtis Driedger, Two of Strings, Unity Singers, Justin Million, and Beau Dixon, with remarks by EC3 executive director Su Ditta, EC3 president and Public Energy artistic director Bill Kimball, Bill Lockington, and City of Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett, who was the event’s honourary patron.

“Peterborough has a thriving, vibrant arts community that contributes to the exceptional quality of life in our region,” said Mayor Bennett.

“In galleries, performance venues and public spaces, artists help to define who we are as a community. They express. They reflect. They inspire. The Peterborough Arts Awards allow us to come together as a community to recognize excellence in the arts that benefits the social, cultural and economic well-being of our city.”

Over lunch, Wandy Nanimbush, Curator of Indigenous Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, delivered a keynote address.

Her address was followed by the presentation of the Bierk Art Fund Bursary Awards for post-secondary students in the visual arts. The four $500 bursary awards were made possible with support from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough’s Bierk Art Fund, established to honour the memory and celebrate the life of Peterborough resident Liz Bierk, wife of renowned artist David Bierk.

One of the Bierks’ sons, artist Alex Bierk, presented the awards to Jemma Woolidge, Lauren Kenzora, Dasha Egudkina, and Miles Hamilton.

After lunch, Su Ditta and Kate Story announced the shortlist of Peterborough Arts Awards finalists in each award category, with short videos describing each finalist’s contribution to the arts, before the winners were announced:

Melody Thomas (Music) – Outstanding Emerging Artist (Sponsor: Merit Realty)

Brad Brackenridge (Theatre) – Outstanding Mid-Career Artist (Sponsors: Betty and Bill Morris)

Robert Winslow (Theatre) – Outstanding Senior Artist (Sponsor: BrandHealth)

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Writing) – Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Artist (Sponsor: LLF Lawyers)

Krista English (ReFrame Film Festival) – Arts Catalyst (Sponsors: Kate and Alex Ramsay)

Beth McMaster (Showplace Performance Centre and Peterborough Theatre Guild) – Arts Champion (Sponsor: Ashburnham Realty)