The Peterborough Regional Heath Centre (PRHC) has opened the area’s first clinic to provide expedited, barrier-free treatment for patients who are addicted to alcohol or opioids.

The Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic has been operating in early March at 159 King St. Suite 302 in downtown Peterborough (co-located with PARN). It is open from 8 to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The RAAM clinic is staffed by PRHC physicians and registered nurses. No booked appointment or physician referral is necessary, although referrals from doctors, nurses, social workers, addiction counselors, and community providers are welcomed.

“Our Rapid Access Addiction Medicine clinic provides immediate access to lifesaving treatment by offering same-day counselling and addiction medication, and prescription therapies,” says Dr. Jim McGorman, an Emergency Department physician with PRHC who is now also treating patients at the new clinic.

“This care model has been shown to help save lives by engaging patients with both short- and long-term therapies as soon as they are ready to pursue those treatments.”

The RAAM clinic model is designed to initiate therapy for opioid or alcohol addiction and then triage clients to the most appropriate ongoing care provider. It is not intended to replace or duplicate the care provided by a family physician or a treatment clinic. RAAM clinics have been implemented in cities across Ontario including Oshawa and Scarborough, where they are helping to prevent opiate overdoses and reduce emergency department visits and inpatient stays for people with addictions.

According to a media release, the RAAM clinic at PRHC is working closely with other health care providers and resources in the community to ensure patients have access to additional supports following their initial treatment, as they move through the continuum of care.

The clinic is funded by $200,000 from the Ministry of Health and the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

The RAAM clinic has been operating in its downtown location at 159 King St. Suite 302 (co-located with PARN) since March 5. It is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 11 a.m.

A group of local women is encouraging other women in Peterborough to get involved in politics by hosting “Cultivating Change – Engaging Women in Political Action” on Thursday, April 26th.

The event, which takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Ashburnham Reception Centre (840 Armour Road, Peterborough), includes a moderated panel discussion featuring three women with political experience: Gail Moorhouse (a former municipal candidate for Cambridge City Council). Lauren Hunter (a political organizer and consultant), and Mary Smith (Mayor of Selwyn Township and Deputy Warden of the County of Peterborough).

The non-partisan evening will include discussions and a question-and-answer session with the panelists, information on the upcoming municipal and provincial elections, information on campaign organization, and time for sharing experiences and networking.

Everyone is welcome to attend the event, which will include light food and refreshments. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to register at Eventbrite.

“Cultivating Change – Engaging Women in Political Action” has been organized by a group of professional women who are working to encourage discussion, dialogue, and involvement in politics while seeking gender equity.

The group, which came together under the organization and inspiration of Gail Moorhouse, consists of Jocasta Boone (Director, Resonance Centre and Publisher, Electric City Magazine), Devon Girard (former political advisor), Gail Moorhouse (former council candidate), Louise Racine (Founder, Thirteen Moons and Peterborough International Women’s Day Conference), Jeannine Taylor (Founder/Publisher kawarthaNOW.com), Heather Watson (Founder and CEO, acorn30), and Lynn Zimmer (Executive Director, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton).

A brief biography of each of three panelists follows.

Lauren Hunter

Lauren Hunter’s experience in politics includes various roles on over a dozen campaign teams over the past 10 years, including municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns. She has also been a political staff at both the provincial and federal levels, and most recently worked with Maryam Monsef, MP for Peterborough-Kawartha.

Government relations, public affairs, and communications are at the heart of Lauren’s career. She currently acts as a management consultant for Laridae, where she leads strategy and planning projects, brings stakeholders together, and helps organizations implement change.

She was previously the Director of Operations at the Rideau Institute in Ottawa, and she holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University.

 

Gail Moorhouse

Gail Moorhouse was inspired to organize the Cultivating Change committee based on her personal experience in the 2010 municipal election, when she ran for city council in Cambridge and came in second.

While she was disappointed to not have won, she refers to the election as a fantastic experience, and is driven to share her experience as a candidate and inspire others to get involved and organize.

Gail is currently the Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough, a not-for-profit organization that supports small business development through flexible financing and business counselling services.

 

Mary Smith

Mary Smith was elected to the position of Selwyn Township (formerly the Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield) in 2010 and again in 2014. She is currently in her final term, having opted to not seek re-election in 2018.

Mary’s municipal career began in 1998, when she was acclaimed as Deputy Reeve of the Village of Lakefield and automatically became a Councillor for the County of Peterborough. Elected Lakefield Ward Councillor for the new Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield in 2000, Mary served two terms in that position.

In 2006, she was elected Deputy Reeve for the Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield and once again served on Council for the County of Peterborough. She is currently also Deputy Warden of the County of Peterborough.

 

For more information about “Cultivating Change – Engaging Women in Political Action”, visit the event’s Facebook page.

What does Mother Nature have against Spring this year?

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of southern Ontario, including the Kawarthas, warning of a potential ice storm this weekend.

A fast-moving low pressure system will cross Southern Ontario today (April 11) bringing an area of rain with it. The precipitation may start as freezing rain this morning, before quickly changing to rain as temperatures rise above the freezing mark.

Over higher terrain areas, the freezing rain may last a bit longer. Closer to the Lake Ontario shore, only rain is expected.

A much more significant freezing rain event is looking increasingly likely for portions of southern Ontario on Saturday and Sunday (April 14 and 15) as a slow-moving low pressure system approaches the area.

Precipitation may start as rain, but increasing northeasterly winds will draw colder air from an Arctic high pressure system to the north, resulting in a changeover to freezing rain or ice pellets. A few rounds of precipitation are likely during this period with a significant threat of prolonged freezing rain in some areas.

At this point, there is still considerable uncertainty with regards to which areas may be most affected. Areas closer to Lake Ontario may remain slightly milder on Saturday with a changeover to freezing rain possibly delayed until later in the day.

This has the potential to be a major ice storm for some regions with ice accumulations in excess of 20 millimetres possible. Ice accumulations of this magnitude combined with gusty winds to 60 km/h may result in widespread power outages due to fallen tree limbs and power lines. Travel is also expected to be hazardous.

Some regional outdoor events will be cancelled or postponed because of the forecast. For example, the annual Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny event in Port Hope originally scheduled for Saturday, April 14th has been moved to the following Saturday (April 21).

Freezing rain is expected to change to rain possibly heavy at times on Sunday as temperatures rise above the freezing mark.

Hooning – A term primarily used in Australia and New Zealand to describe driving a vehicle in a reckless or dangerous manner, generally to provoke a reaction from onlookers.

Peterborough native Jeremy Kelly is on track, both literally and figuratively, as he elevates his passions for both auto racing and filmmaking to a whole new level.

On Friday, April 27th at 9:30 p.m., Velocity (part of the Discovery specialty cable channel network) will air Hoonin’ All Day, Kelly’s 22-minute film detailing how he and three friends brought a four-cylinder car with 400,000 kilometres on its odometer back to life and then took it for a glorious spin on the track at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

“We had some hiccups along the way but we got it there,” says Kelly, who was joined in the adventure by Tyler Junkin, Nate Mitchell, and Andy McCann.

“It was destined for the scrapyard. We diverted that fate, picked up a trip permit, stuffed four grown men into it, put some performance parts and tools in the trunk, and road tripped it to Shannonville.”

Kelly notes “after a very slow run” they went to work on the car, installing a super charger and racing tires.

“We got to go out and light it up,” says Kelly, adding the same car later came within half a second of beating the lap time of a $100,000 Hellcat Challenger in a King of the Hill event at Peterborough Speedway before the car eventually met its scrapyard destiny.

“I was begging and pleading for Tyler to keep it but, truthfully, the car was so rotten,” says the Ennismore resident.

With an estimated reach of 70 million households in the United States, Velocity is airing Hoonin’ All Day as part of a 10-part pilot series titled Dispatch.

The same network, which airs automotive-related programming, has brought its viewers shows with catchy titles such as Kings Of Crash, All Girls Garage, and Fat And Furious.

Kelly notes hoonin’ is Australian slang for showing off with a car in a dangerous and reckless manner — something the 31 year old knows all about and practices as a competitive racer most actively at Peterborough Speedway, a 50-year-old 1/3 mile oval just west of the city off Mount Pleasant Road.

Besides anticipating the airing of Hoonin’ All Day, Kelly is gearing up for the start of another season of racing commencing May 19th.

“I dreamed of being a race car driver,” says Kelly. “My grandfather used to race at Peterborough Speedway and Bell City (in Selwyn) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights back in 1969 and 1970.

“Getting into racing was kind of like a tribute to him. It’s like a family event for us. We don’t necessarily get together at the dinner table, but we get together every Saturday night at Peterborough Speedway and have some fun.”

If you subscribe to the widely held notion that winning is fun, Kelly has that covered. Last season, he emerged as champion of the Four-Fun division featuring four-cylinder cars, his familiar number 80 car racing to the top points total in the division — his second championship in just 3-1/2 seasons

As satisfying as that success has been, it’s clear that hanging with fellow car buffs Junkin, Mitchell, and McCann is every bit as fulfilling.

“I met the guys at different times but the one thing that keeps us grounded is we’re all obsessed with cars and motor sports,” says Kelly. “We’re all racing cars and working on cars, working on a shoestring budget to make everything work.”

“Nate is kind of like the goofy, joker, one-liner type of guy and he’s a crazy race car driver. I’ve never seen anybody drive so recklessly but make it work.

“Andy is like the king of projects. He’s got like 20 cars on the go and none of them are finished. He tears apart cars all day long at Kings Auto Wreckers and he’s super clever when it comes to making it work.

“Tyler is like the guru. He’s very technical and very matter of fact. If there’s one kind you need on your team to execute and get things done, this is the guy.”

“I’m way late to the game compared to these guys in terms of car mechanics and racing. I’ve had to try to prove myself.”

What Kelly did bring to the table, and clearly still does, is big-time talent when it comes to documenting on film whatever project he’s involved with.

Trained formally at Sheridan College, the St. Peter’s alumnus honed his craft over the years since, notable projects including a 2006 canoe-related documentary he worked on with Tony Buell and, a few years back, working with Rob Viscardis to produce Before We Arrive: The Story of The Weber Brothers.

Then there was 2012’s Highways To Fairways, a Bent Nose Media-produced 14-part TV series about two bad golfers scouring the world for unique golf courses. Kelly served as director of photography and lead editor for that production.

For all his skill, however, Kelly says the road to having Hoonin’ All Day aired on Velocity was paved with “sheer luck.”

After going to Michigan to try and get a job with a show called Roadkill — an automotive-themed show co-hosted by former Hot Rod Magazine editor-in-chief David Freiburger — Kelly discovered it’s “incredibly hard to get a creative job across the border.”

Undeterred, he opted to produce a similar show back home in Canada, involving a few friends and even fewer dollars.

“We virtually had no budget … we just winged it,” says Kelly. “In total we produced four pilot episodes for release on YouTube and started shopping the show to sponsors and anybody I could talk to in the media and car world.”

“As soon as we had our first episode done, the one that’s going to air on Velocity, I took that and flew down to Georgia to meet with Roadkill co-host Mike Finnegan at the Caffeine and Octane Car Show. “I said ‘Here’s our show, it’s totally RoadKill-inspired’, all while hoping that would lead to something.”

VIDEO: Hoonin’ All Day Episode 1: Blackstock Derby

It did, in the form of 10 episodes developed for Velocity’s on-demand platform. It was there things sat until word came that Velocity was going to air an episode of the show for its national audience.

With the April 27th airing date nearing, Kelly is pumped.

“It’s the most thrilling thing, the most gratifying experience, to be part of … when you don’t know if it’s the best thing to be spending your money and time on, but your gut tells you to go for it,” he says.

“When it starts to pan out and things start happening and people notice what you’re doing, it so fulfilling. I can’t describe how excited we all are. Creatively, it was a lot of fun to just wing it and not really pre-plan too much.

“Things happened naturally and unfolded in front of the camera. You take those moments and build from them. We had a bit of template but it wasn’t scripted that much. The guys are natural comedians.”

And in Alfred Hitchcock-like fashion, the filmmaker also appears in Hoonin’ All Day, having used what he terms “a bit of camera magic” to make that happen.

“We’re going to get together at my parents’ house to watch it. There’s a big TV in the basement, so we’re going to check it out and have a couple of celebratory beers.”

Peterborough’s Faith Dickinson has received an invitation to the Royal Wedding.

The 15-year-old Dickinson is one of 1,200 members of the public invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding at Windsor Castle on May 19th, including young people who “have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities” according to an April 10th media release from the Royal Family.

In 2017, Dickinson was one of 20 young people honoured with the inaugural Diana Award, presented to her by Prince William and Prince Harry. The Diana Award is a charity legacy to the belief of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, that young people have the power to change the world.

Dickinson is one of seven of the Diana Award recipients who have been invited to the wedding, according to a media release from The Diana Award.

#ICYMI seven of the incredible young people we work with have been invited to the #RoyalWedding next month!

One of them is Faith, who received her Legacy Award from HRH Prince Harry almost exactly a year ago.

Read the full announcement at https://t.co/QADiTorU6B#DianasLegacy pic.twitter.com/wJXDg1wfkp

— The Diana Award (@DianaAward) April 10, 2018

Dickinson was honoured for her “Cuddles for Cancer” charity. She started the charity, which provides fleece blankets for people living with cancer, when she was nine years old. She’s now made more than 3,500 personalized blankets for people around the world.

Dickinson will interviewed by CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning guest host Mary Ito on Friday (April 13) where she will share more information about her invitation.

Award-winning author and bee expert Mark L. Winston will be the keynote speaker at the two-day Pollination Summit presented by Peterborough Pollinators, which takes place on Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6th.

Winston, who has a PHd in Entomology and is the former Director for the Centre for Dialogues at Simon Fraser University, is one of the world’s leading experts on bees and pollination. His 2014 book Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive won both the Canadian Science Writers Book of the Year Award and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction.

With Canadian poet Renée Sarojini Saklikar, Winston has co-authored a new book Listening to the Bees, a compendium of his field notes and her poems which will be released at the end of April.

The Pollination Summit begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 5th at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) with a “Honey Fair” featuring all things bees — honey, garden support, beekeeping, and related information with displays. Winston will also be available to sign copies of his new book.

Then, from 8 to 9 p.m., Winston will deliver his keynote address on the topic “If we could change our relationship with nature, what would the bees have to teach us?” The talk will be followed by a question-and-answer session, another book signing, and socializing, wrapping up at 10 p.m.

On Sunday, May 6th from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., three pollinator tours will be available, dependent on the weather: a tour of a private garden that supports native pollinators, a tour of an urban farm with a pollinator garden and some hives, and a tour of a community hive installation at a local school.

The tours will be followed by a visioning dialogue from noon to 3 p.m. at Lett Architects (138 Simcoe St, Peterborough), where Winston along with Ben Wolfe will lead a discussion on the topic of his keynote. The event will include refreshment break of local herbal teas sweetened with local honeys.

While the pollinator tours are free, the May 5th event at the Market Hall costs $28 ($18 for students), with tickets available at the Market Hall or online at markethall.org.

The May 6th visioning dialogue costs $15 (plus a fee), with tickets available online at Eventbrite. Only 50 tickets are available, although an additional 20 seats will be available at no cost for youth and students.

Peterborough Pollinators is a citizen-led initiative committed to cultivating a resilient environment for local pollinators, including creating pollinator gardens throughout Peterborough.

For more information about the group and the Pollinator Summit, visit peterboroughpollinators.com.