Last Saturday (September 14), renowned Canadian wildlife artist and naturalist Robert Bateman received The Algonquin Park Legacy Award at a special event at the Algonquin Art Centre in Algonquin Park.

Bateman was presented the award by his long-time friend, the acclaimed wildlife artist and naturalist Michael Dumas — who was the recipient of the inaugural award last year.

Established by the Algonquin Art Centre, the Algonquin Park Legacy Award recognizes artistic excellence, outstanding contributions to art in Algonquin Park, and life-long dedication to nature and wildlife.

Besides honouring Bateman, the September 14th event was a fundraiser for the 75th anniversary of the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, which was created in 1944 to provide facilities and logistical support for academic and government researches from Ontario and around the world.

Bateman first visited Algonquin Park in 1939 when he was nine years old during a family summer vacation, and began working at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station at the age of 17. While he was there, working as a manual labourer and assisting researchers with their field work, he developed his skills as an artist — with the park’s natural landscapes and wildlife his subjects.

Bateman’s experiences at Algonquin Park were instrumental in forming his lifelong passion for both art and nature.

During his career, Bateman has received numerous honours and awards, including Officer of the Order of Canada in 1994 and 14 honorary doctorates. He has also been the subject of several films and books, and was named one of the top 100 environmental proponents of the 20th century by the Audubon Society of Canada in 1999.

In 2012, he established The Bateman Foundation, a national non-profit organization that uses artwork to promote a connection to nature and the environment. Until 2016, Bateman and his Birgit owned a cottage in Haliburton.

As the September 14th event, Bateman was the keynote speaker and shared with the audience his connections to Algonquin Park and the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station.

As well as giving the award to Bateman, Dumas also presented a limited edition, numbered, and signed copy of The Artists of Kawartha, the fourth book in a series designed and published by Algonquin-area publisher Andrea Hillo. Dumas, who wrote the foreword in the book and contributed several of his art images, personalized the book with a hand-drawn sketch.

Before presenting the award, Dumas read a quote by Bateman from the first book in the series, The Artists of Algonquin, for which Bateman wrote the foreword.

“In 1947 at the age of 17, I landed a dream job at the Wildlife Research Camp, north of Lake of Two Rivers. I was a student ‘chore boy’ but I observed nature and drew and painted my surroundings for four glorious summers. The land is in my blood.”

The other two books in the series are The Artists of Muskoka and The Artists of Haliburton Highlands, and both Bateman and Dumas played large roles in the success of the locally produced series, according to Hillo.

For more information about Hillo’s book series, visit www.theartistsbooks.com.

“Robert Bateman and Michael Dumas have both shown incredible sensitivity, dedication and endless efforts in conservation and research of wildlife and the natural world,” Hillo says. “Their time spent immersed in, and observing nature is clearly documented with their awesome artistic talent, recognized world wide.”

Until Sunday, October 20th, the Algonquin Art Centre is hosting “A Tribute to Robert Bateman”, a special exhibit that looks at his deep connections to Algonquin and its role in his development as an artist and environmentalist.

The Algonquin Art Centre, located on the shores of Found Lake in Algonquin Park, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is voluntary, but a valid Ontario Parks permit is required to visit the centre.

Peterborough’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra held a media conference on Thursday (September 19) to advise patients of Kawartha Endodontics — a dental clinic in downtown Peterborough that specializes in root canal treatment and surgery — about a potential risk of bloodborne infection.

Peterborough Public Health is advising patients of Kawartha Endodontics (425 Water St., Suite 200, Peterborough) who received treatment before July 16, 2019 to make an appointment with their healthcare provider to discuss testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

As Kawartha Endodontics received referrals from across central Ontario, the advisory also applies to patients living outside the Peterborough area who had treatment before July 16th.

While the health unit is not aware of any cases of bloodborne infection arising from treatment at Kawartha Endodontics, Dr. Salvaterra is advising patients of the clinic before July 16th to consult their healthcare provider on whether they should be tested.

“While the risk of infection at this clinic is believed to be low, the risk to an individual patient depends on the frequency and type of procedures that were performed,” Salvaterra said.

On July 11th, Peterborough Public Health received a complaint from a member of the public about the infection prevention and control practices at Kawartha Endodontics. After investigating the complaint on July 15th through an inspection, the health unit could not confirm proper sterilization of dental instruments.

Improperly cleaned and improperly sterilized instruments can spread infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, as well as other bacterial pathogens.

Immediately following the July 15th inspection, Peterborough Public Health issued an order to close the clinic and provided endodontist Dr. Rita Kilislian with a list of requirements as per the Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee standards. The health unit completed a final re-inspection of Kawartha Endodontics on July 25th, was satisfied the dental clinic met the required standards, and rescinded the closure order. Kawartha Endodontics re-opened on July 26th.

The health unit states patients of Kawartha Endodontics who have received treatment on or after July 26, 2019 are not at an increased risk of infection.

Normally, Peterborough Public Health would order the dental clinic to provide patient contact information so the health unit could directly notify patients by mail, to ensure all patients receive the information they need to make a decision about testing for the possible presence of bloodborne infections. However, Kawartha Endodontics is appealing Dr. Salvaterra’s order for this information.

Since a hearing on the matter is not scheduled until mid-January 2020, the health unit has decided to notify patients using the media, social media, and on its website.

If you were a patient at the clinic and received treatment prior to July 16, 2019, visit Peterborough Public Health’s website at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/IPACLapseKawarthaEndodontics to download and print a copy of the patient letter, laboratory requisition, and letter for your healthcare provider.

More information, including the infection prevention and control lapse report, fact sheets regarding hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, and a detailed question and answer section related to this lapse, is also available at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/IPACLapseKawarthaEndodontics.

When I ran, I felt like a butterfly that was free. – Olympic medallist Wilma Rudolph

One can get to Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains from Peterborough via any one of a number of ways, the 4,300-kilometre distance no big deal in a world that has become increasingly smaller.

That said, it’s a safe bet that running that distance has never been high on anyone’s list of options, if it’s listed at all. Then again not everyone is so concerned about the threat facing monarch butterflies that they would actually do just that.

VIDEO: The start of the Monarch Ultra Relay Run in Peterborough (September 19, 2019)

Early Thursday morning (September 19) at the Depave Paradise garden site in Peterborough, members of the Ultra Monarch Relay Run team departed in their collective bid to traverse the same migratory route followed by monarch butterflies at this time of the year.

When they arrive at the Cerro Pelon Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary near Zitácuaro, Mexico on Monday, November 4th, team members will have traversed three countries, all for the purpose of bringing wide attention to monarch butterflies’ declining population and what the loss of the pollinator would mean in terms of the adverse impacts on biodiversity and food security.

“There are many messages, the first one being about pollinators and their decline,” says pollinator advocate and runner Carlotta James, whose vision prompted the project.

“Pollinator populations are in decline all over the world, so we’re trying to do something positive and hopeful and inspiring to raise awareness about pollinators and that citizens can do simple things like plant pollinator gardens.”

“We have such a short time on earth, so why not do something as ambitious as this?” James asks. “Monarch butterflies are an incredible species but what really connects us to them is human beings, so if we want to do something positive we have to connect both. Ultra runners, because they run such long distances … well, we see that connection with monarch migration.”

“Another thing is to educate. We’re hoping schools across Canada, similar to the Terry Fox Run, will engage in positive ecological projects and hopefully do mini monarch ultras and get kids outside running and planting gardens.”

The Monarch Ultra relay run will see runners — 50 initially with room for another 20 to register — teamed in pairs where possible, covering 50- or 100-kilometre segments daily for 47 days.

Joining the runners is filmmaker Rodney Fuentes, the end result of his participation being a documentary about the migratory flight of the monarch butterfly and their plight, the participating runners, and conservation efforts across the continent.

“Carlotta approached me in January 2018 with the idea,” recalls Fuentes, who hopes to have his documentary ready to screen by next spring.

“She asked me if I thought it was crazy and I said ‘You have no idea how much I love crazy. Let’s do this.’ We put our brains together and said ‘OK, how can we make this work?'”

“I have a vision of how this should look as a documentary, but it’s one of those projects that will unfold as we go, so it’s hard to plan. We have a vision but we don’t know if we’re going to get there. Despite having a framework in mind in terms of how the story is going to flow, there’s still going to be tons of improvisatio … a lot of filming on the fly. It’s very exciting because every day will be a learning experience.”

Key to the Ultra Monarch team’s success has been, and will be, the involvement of Clay Williams, serving as race director. Responsible for mapping out the route, he brings to the table five years’ experience as director of the Canal Pursuit for Mental Health Relay Run that annually traverses the Trent-Severn and Rideau canal systems.

“We sat in a little restaurant in town here and I got a glimpse of her (James’) vision,” says Williams.

“I saw the distance was more than I’d ever done before, but the logistics weren’t a huge challenge. Some of the challenges we are going to see included crossing two international borders and just being able to verify the course. Most of the work I’ve done I couldn’t have done 10 years ago. We didn’t have Google street view; we didn’t have Google satellite images.”

“As I’ve gotten to know Carlotta and her vision and the kind of different world she lives in, there’s so much more we all can do. And I think we can encourage others to do something.”

Eileen Kimmett and her husband Joel needed little encouraging. The Peterborough couple signed to run back in February. On September 27th, they’ll run a 50-kilometre segment just south of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

“Being ultra runners, we saw this as a really unique experience,” says Eileen. “We read into it more and it really caught our interest, especially since our kids are getting very concerned about the environment.”

“We decided to plant a pollinator garden in our backyard. We planted milkweed seeds and we started to see some monarchs come. I’m so excited — I ran here this morning.”

And more – Sorry! Hairy deserves her moment… I know, name doesn’t fit this Lovely Lady. Priceless moments with Kedron. 💕🦋

So active after 3hrs! Flying all over in sunroom. A competitive one, racing to Mexico for top hibernation spot. Safe travels. @monarch_ultra @kawarthaNOW pic.twitter.com/KE1QY6bKzw

— Eileen Kimmett (@EileenKimmett) September 17, 2019

Since beginning the Monarch Ultra project last October, the team has connected with conservation organizations across North America to support their work at the local and international level.

That has resulted in partnerships with Bee City Canada, Monarch City USA, Monarch Joint Venture, David Suzuki Foundation, Butterflies and Their People, Ecosistemica AC, Environmental Concern, Monarch: A Living Resort, Save Our Monarchs Foundation, Little River Wetlands Project, and the National Butterfly Centre.

All donations raised by runners’ fundraising efforts will go to Monarch City USA, a non-profit group committed to monarch conservation across the United States.

VIDEO: kawarthaNOW.com Publisher Jeannine Taylor talks about sponsoring Monarch Ultra

In addition, the support of a number of local sponsors has been secured, kawarthaNOW among them.

Locally, donations to the project can be made via the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha website at portal.clubrunner.ca/220 A large number of Rotarians were on hand for the launch to lend their support.

To follow along the Monarch Ultra’s journey, visit www.themonarchultra.com.

This original version of this story has been replaced with full coverage from the event.

On Wednesday (September 18) at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), volunteers from the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival organizing committee and Survivors Abreast dragon boat racing team presented a cheque for $241,738.54 to representatives of the hospital and the PRHC Foundation.

The funds were raised during this year’s Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival, which took place on June 8th at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough. The annual festival has now raised more than $3.6 million raised for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at PRHC.

“It feels good to give back to your community and sharing that feeling with as many people and organizations that make the festival possible is important,” said outgoing festival chair Michelle Thornton.

“It is truly a pleasure to work with the talented, generous and enthusiastic members on the planning committee, as well as all of the participants and members of the community who donate their time and energy to the event as captains, paddlers, volunteers, and donors.”

Thornton, who recently celebrated her five-year milestone as a breast cancer survivor, was also festival chair in 2018 and co-chair in 2017. In October, she is passing the leadership role to fellow Survivors Abreast member Gina Lee.

“Peterborough is a phenomenally giving community and I am grateful to have this opportunity to give back,” Lee said. “I have some big shoes to fill and very much look forward to the challenge.”

PRHC Foundation president and CEO Lesley Heighway said the proceeds of the 2019 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival will be used in PRHC’s laboratory to support fast and accurate diagnosis of both breast cancer and other cancers.

“Breast is just one of the cancers that this vital piece of technology will be used for,” Heighway said, noting that there would be no cancer care at the hospital without the laboratory. “PRHC’s lab processes more than 20,000 cancer-related cases annually. That number represents thousands of additional people who will benefit from the festival and its donors’ investment every single year.”

“We’re so grateful for the support of our partners Survivors Abreast and Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival, and to every one of the paddlers, donors, volunteers and sponsors who helped make this amazing event such a success.”

Breast cancer now affects one in eight women in her lifetime and experts predict that one of every two Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Heighway said waiting for and uncertainty about a diagnosis are two of the hardest things that cancer patients and their loved ones have to deal with, so technological innovation that provides fast and accurate diagnosis is a huge benefit.

“Doctors rely on lab results to determine and confirm cancer diagnoses and treatment decisions,” she explained. “So we’re investing in new laboratory automation technology known as Cellavision, a laboratory system that performs automated digital cell mapping of bloodwork, allowing doctors to determine and confirm 100 per cent of cancer diagnoses and make treatment recommendations with less waiting time and uncertainty for patients and their loved ones.”

For the 18th year in a row, Kawartha Credit Union has been the festival’s platinum sponsor. Crystal Dayman, vice president of marketing and corporate communications, said that caring for others is one of the financial institution’s core values, which it demonstrates through donations and volunteering in the community.

“Being the platinum sponsor of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival allows us to provide financial support while also participating in a fun event that unites Peterborough and surrounding areas in a common goal to improve local health care resources,” Dayman said.

Planning is already underway for the next Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival, marking the festival’s 20th anniversary. The 2020 event is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th at Del Crary Park.