Kawartha Lakes police are investigating two separate fires at two tent encampments in Lindsay early Friday morning (November 1).

At around 5:09 a.m. on Friday, the Kawartha Lakes Police Service along with Kawartha Lakes Fire and Rescue responded to a fire in the area of Bond Street in Lindsay.

Upon arriving, officers observed a small tent encampment and surrounding area fully engulfed in flames.

“Fortunately, the resident and pet were able to escape without harm,” reads a police media release, which also describes the incident as “disturbing.”

Then, at around 6:20 a.m., police and fire crews responded to another tent on fire in the area of Colborne Street East in Lindsay. There were no occupants in the tent at the time of the fire.

Police believe both fires were intentionally set, and the criminal investigations unit is investigating the fires as arson.

Police are looking to speak with the occupants of a pickup truck that was caught on CCTV leaving the Bond Street area at the time of the first fire.

Anyone with information about either fire is asked to contact the Kawartha Lakes Police at 705-324-5252.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Kawartha Haliburton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip online at www.khcrimestoppers.com.

Clocks will ‘fall back’ an hour when daylight saving time (DST) ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday (November 3).

The annual return to eastern standard time (EST) means it will be lighter in the morning when we get up, with the sun rising at 6:54 a.m. on Sunday in the Kawarthas. On the other hand, it will be darker earlier, with the sun setting at 4:59 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

The end of DST also means it’s time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and to check whether the alarms need to be replaced (if they are more than 10 years old, they probably do).

Here’s everything you should know about DST:

Who invented DST and why?

Although it’s commonly believed Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea for DST, it was actually New Zealand entomologist George Hudson.

In 1895, Hudson proposed a two-hour shift in the clocks (he wanted more daylight to collect insects).

“The effect of this alteration would be to advance all the day’s operations in summer two hours compared with the present system,” Hudson wrote in 1898, explaining his original proposal. “In this way the early-morning daylight would be utilised, and a long period of daylight leisure would be made available in the evening for cricket, gardening, cycling, or any other outdoor pursuit desired.”

A few years later, English outdoorsman William Willett also proposed advancing the clocks during the summer months (he wanted more daylight to golf).

The first governments to implement DST were Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916, as a way to conserve coal during World War I. Britain and most other European countries adopted it shortly after, with the United States and Canada adopting it in 1918.

DST used to begin the first Sunday of April and end the last Sunday of October, but in 2007 the U.S. decided to change it to begin the second Sunday of March and end the first Sunday of November in an attempt to conserve energy.

To avoid issues with economic and social interactions with the U.S., the Canadian provinces that observe DST followed suit.

What are the health effects of changing time twice a year?

While the evidence is mixed, some research has found that “falling back” results in more accidents involving pedestrians, while “springing forward” increases the risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents.

In any case, moving clocks forward or backward changes our exposure to daylight and affects our circadian rhythm (the body’s natural internal clock).

In the fall, gaining an extra hour of sleep sounds like a good thing but it can actually make you feel “jet lagged”.

It can take up to a week to adjust your internal clock to the shift in daylight hours.

Why don’t we just get rid of DST?

It’s possible that we’ll soon be ending the practice of changing our clocks twice a year, but by making DST permanent rather than getting rid of it.

On November 25, 2020, the Ontario government gave royal assent to The Time Amendment Act, a private members’ bill tabled by Ottawa-West Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts that proposed making “the time now called daylight saving time the standard time year-round.”

The bill would only come into force if the province of Quebec and the state of New York also make DST permanent. While the Quebec government has previously said it is open to the idea of making DST permanent if neighbouring jurisdictions do the same, the province launched a survey in October 2024 asking residents in western Quebec whether to keep the time change or not and, if not, whether they’d prefer to have DST or EST year round (communities in eastern Quebec currently observe Atlantic time with no time change).

In 2022, it looked like the U.S. was on the verge of ending the bi-annual time change. On March 16, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make DST permanent beginning in spring 2023. Despite passage in the Senate, the bill stalled in the House, where it remained in a committee until it died with the expiration of the previous Congress.

In March 2023, Florida senator Marco Rubio reintroduced the bill into the 118th Congress, where it was sent to a senate committee with no notable progress since.

Is making DST permanent a good idea?

The primary argument for adopting DST permanently is that, by increasing the amount of daylight at the end of the day, it would lead to more economic activity and reduce vehicle collisions, energy usage, and robberies.

But researchers in chronobiology — the study of biological rhythms — disagree that DST should be made permanent. While they also want to get rid of the bi-annual time change, they say we should be permanently adopting standard time rather than DST.

“Based on current chronobiology knowledge, permanent Standard Time (ST) would be a wiser, healthier choice,” the Canadian Society for Chronobiology has said.

Chronobiologists say adopting permanent standard time would move sunrise closer to our body’s internal clock, while permanent DST would move it further away. It’s the light in the morning that is most important in resetting our biological clocks, they say.

And it’s not just the Canadian Society for Chronobiology advocating for the permanent adoption of standard time. The U.S.-based Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, the European Biological Rhythms Society, the British Sleep Society, and the European Sleep Research Society have all issued statements supporting it.

How can we reduce the health effects of the time change?

Here are some suggestions for how you and your family can adapt more quickly to the time change:

• Each morning leading up to the time change on Sunday, try waking up 15 minutes earlier than normal.
• Also try going to bed 15 minutes earlier than normal each night. You can help prepare your body for an earlier bedtime by not eating two hours before you go to sleep, and put down your devices an hour before bed.
• Eat a healthy breakfast when you first wake up, as food is one way to tell your body it’s the beginning of the day.
• After the time change, expose yourself to daylight during waking hours as much as possible.
• Reduce your use of caffeine and alcohol during the day and increase your physical activity.

What Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal described as “a beacon of sustainability” officially opened Thursday afternoon (October 31) in the form of Fire Station No. 2.

Located at 100 Marina Boulevard at the former site of Northcrest Arena, the $11 million state-of-the-art facility replaces the firehall on Carnegie Avenue that opened in 1967 and has long outlived its best-before date.

More notably, the new fire station is the first city-owned facility designed and built to be certified by the Canada Green Building Council as a net-zero carbon and net-zero energy building.

That will be accomplished thanks to the incorporation of automated control systems, ground source heat pumps, rooftop solar panels, and heat recovery systems.

In addition, the building was constructed as a mass timber structure, and features carbon sequestering material as well as what’s described as a high-performance exterior envelope. Featuring an abundance of natural light, there will also be a marked reduction in lighting and heat-loss costs.

According to the City of Peterborough, the station’s next-zero design will result in an estimated saving of $24,270 annually in operational costs.

Addressing a large crowd comprised of current and retired firefighters, several city councillors and city staff, Peterborough Fire Services chief Chris Snetsinger wore the smile of a parent proudly showing off the newest addition to the family.

“This moment is not just about a building — it represents a commitment to progress, sustainability, and enhanced service for all of our residents,” said Chief Snetsinger.

“For 57 years, our old station served us well, becoming a home away from home for countless firefighters. It has witnessed numerous calls for help, acts of bravery, and moments of camaraderie. We’re grateful for the legacy it leaves behind.”

But, added Chief Snetsinger, “Times change, and so do the needs of the community.”

The chief made much of the fact that the new fire station, which also features training areas for pumper operations and various rescue disciplines, is situated where Northcrest Arena once stood.

“That landmark was a hub for community activity for decades. Now, our new fire station will complement its legacy. Just as Northcrest brought people together for events and celebrations and memories, our station will be a beacon of safety and service for all.”

Later, Chief Snetsinger told kawarthaNOW that while the new fire station “was a long time coming, we did it right.” That said, he admitted “it’s tough to say goodbye” to the former station.

“But it’s about response times. As the community changes and the growth patterns change, the fire service has to change also. We’re not far away from the old one, but this does help response times overall and gets us there (to the scene of an emergency) quicker and efficiently.”

The new fire station’s coverage area extends to the eastern limits of the city as well as north of Parkhill Road to the Lily Lake Road subdivision. In addition, he said, the new location ensures a quicker response to the downtown core.

“It’s not just getting to a building,” Chief Snetsinger explained. “It’s time to task, to get up to, perhaps, the 15th floor. Also, our older downtown (firehall) can’t handle those buildings by itself. It needs help. That’s people power, which is also something we’ve been working on with city council — to have enough people to get the job done.”

Prior to Thursday’s hose-uncoupling ceremony — a modified firehall-specific version of the more traditional ribbon cutting — Peterborough councillor Lesley Parnell, the co-chair of community services which includes the fire service, also spoke from the podium.

She said with the completion of the new fire station that will be operational in two weeks, “We are saving lives and saving the planet.”

“The north end of Peterborough is expected to continue to grow,” she noted, adding “That growth will lead to higher demand for emergency services.”

“We also wanted to demonstrate how a public building can reduce its carbon footprint and promote cleaner energy practices. That vision has guided every decision behind this facility.”

Like Mayor Leal, councillor Parnell singled out Peterborough facilities and property management director Gillian Barnes, who led the project team. She praised Barnes for “bringing this home … to what you see today.”

Among her team members was senior project manager Ailan McKenzie, who pointed out the fire station’s certification as the city’s first net-zero energy building means “the building provides as much or more energy than it will consume.”

“It’s a pretty remarkable step for Peterborough and we hope it’s not the last,” she said. “There’s definitely motivation on the city’s part to keep on this path. We’re embarking on some new ventures that will allow us to make this type of building more standard in the city.”

McKenzie added “it’s a great feeling” to be present for the official opening, adding the planning and development process was “a team sport.”

Looking ahead, Chief Snetsinger confirmed a new fire station that will serve East City is on the radar.

“We are still working with our consultant to look at a future fire station,” he said. “The consultant wants that station in East City around the Lansdowne and Ashburnham area, so that’s something we’re going to keep looking at. We don’t have any infrastructure on the other side of the river.”

Other city councillors on hand for the official opening ceremony included Gary Baldwin, Joy Lachica, Andrew Beamer, Dave Haacke, and Kevin Duguay. Also present was former mayor Diane Therrien, whose council made the initial decision to proceed with the project.

On the heels of Food Banks Canada reporting the highest-ever number of monthly food bank visits and signs the food bank system is buckling under the strain, Kawartha Lakes Food Source (KLFS) says it has found itself in situations this year of having “alarmingly low inventory” on hand.

As the provider to member food banks in the City of Kawartha Lakes, in the summer KLFS issued a state of emergency plea to the community for assistance stocking its shelves.

Local food bank usage is up and donations are down, said KLFS donor stewardship coordinator Erika Henry, reflecting the findings of Food Banks Canada’s “HungerCount 2024” report released on Monday (October 28).

Some of the national report’s overall findings include the fact that in March 2024, there were more than two million visits to food banks in Canada — the highest number in history. The number of visits represent a six per cent increase compared to 2023, and a 90 per cent increase compared to 2019. At the same time, “there are signs that the food-banking system is reaching its absolute limit,” the report states.

Henry told kawarthaNOW “the report definitely reflects our situation locally.”

“While our inventory has begun to see the typical holiday season boost, we are still concerned about what happens after the giving boom,” said Henry. “Late winter can be particularly challenging as the inventory starts to wane again while demand increases due to lack of seasonal employment, increased heating costs, and lack of locally available fresh food.”

“Regarding the report’s claim that 30 per cent of food banks are running out of food, we have had moments this year of alarmingly low inventory and at times have had to reduce what was being sent out to our member food banks, with some getting as little as half of what we would typically supply,” she added.

Following KLFS’s social media post in late July declaring the state of emergency, the community responded by donating more than 2,000 pounds of food in the weeks that followed.

“We love this community and are so appreciative of the generous support we receive, but it is unfortunately a band-aid solution that doesn’t address the issues of poverty and a broken social safety net that Food Banks Canada highlights in the report,” Henry said.

The HungerReport notes the two million visits in March “is consistent with record high rates of food insecurity and reflects findings from other recent studies showing greater numbers of people experiencing economic hardship.”

“This year’s increase is happening against the backdrop of the ongoing affordability crisis and an uptick in unemployment rates, including a significant increase in unemployment rates among recent newcomers than in previous years,” the report states.

According to the HungerCount report, 18 per cent of food bank clients now report employment as their main source of income, compared to 16.7 per cent in 2023 and 12 per cent in 2019.

“The fact that having a job no longer protects people from facing food insecurity means that more members of the community are needing our services while fewer are able to support us,” Henry said.

The report adds the number of food bank clients who report employment as their main source of income has historically been between 10 and 12 per cent, but began to climb in 2022 along with the rapid increase in inflation.

“This year, the cumulative impact of inflation has further eroded the purchasing power of people in employment, including many whose incomes are above the official poverty line,” the report states.

Meanwhile, the majority of food bank clients continue to report “grossly inadequate provincial social assistance” as their source of income.

Like Food Banks Canada, KLFS says food banks are not a solution for ending hunger in Canada.

“We are aligned with Food Banks Canada’s position that food insecurity is an income issue, and food banks are not the answer,” Henry said. “We provide emergency food and supplies to those in need, but with demand increasing this dramatically after over 22 years in operation, it’s safe to say that we are well beyond an emergency.”

In 2023, KLFS recorded 13,670 visits to its member food banks and is averaging 1,127 monthly visits this year.

KLFS operates from a centralized distribution centre, where it collects food from reclamation sources, buys food in bulk, sorts, and stores food, promotes awareness of hunger and its impact, and co-ordinates fundraising. It provides food and personal care items to its member organizations on a monthly, fair share basis. The organization supports eight food banks, six social service agencies, and 21 student breakfast programs.

“A food bank is not meant to be a permanent fixture in anyone’s life,” Henry pointed out. “We fully support Food Banks Canada’s recommendations for long-term government action needed to address affordability issues and fix Canada’s broken social safety net.”

To read Food Banks Canada’s 2024 HunterCount report, visit foodbankscanada.ca/hungercount.

As our communities grow, new and custom-built homes of all shapes and sizes are increasingly in demand. Energy needs, however, are costly.

Residential, commercial, and industrial buildings account for close to 30 per cent of Canada’s carbon emissions, when including materials, construction, and use.

It comes as no surprise that the residential building sector is seeking ways to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, build more sustainably, and lower emissions.

The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Home Builders’ Association (PKHBA) is working to support its members — professionals in residential construction — with strategies that both build vibrant communities and long-term sustainability in the residential construction sector in the Kawarthas region.

Recently, PKHBA and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association hosted a full-day workshop for local construction professionals on an innovative and comprehensive strategy called the integrated design process (IDP).

With the guidance of educator Troy Tilbury of Building Knowledge Canada Inc., builders from the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes learned how to build homes with improved performance that reduce owner energy costs and lower construction waste.

The IDP gathers professionals involved in various stages of the building process to collaborate on the construction of a building from the beginning of the design development. Meeting regularly, these experts — which could include the owner, architect or designer, electrical and structural engineers, energy advisors, mechanical/HVAC specialists, and others — work together on overlapping areas of expertise to uncover opportunities to improve building performance.

In the IDP process, practitioners are encouraged to explore certain strategies. These strategies, listed below, can be considered by anyone building or retrofitting a building.

Optimizing the building envelope

Materials that enclose a home (insulation, roofs, and doors, for example) should be chosen for thermal performance that reduces the need for heating and cooling.

Windows and doors can be placed to take advantage of the sun’s warmth to reduce heating needs by up to five per cent.

Designing home systems to integrate effectively

Insulation can be installed, and airtightness can be adjusted so that they complement the heating system to minimize energy waste.

The right-sized heat pump can be an excellent way to reduce energy consumption, while a dual-core hot water heater with a backup tank has the potential to create enough heat to power a home’s radiant in-floor heating and heat a hot tub.

Ensuring good air quality and ventilation

A key takeaway for PKHBA members at the IDP workshop was that houses can never be too airtight, only under-ventilated.

A coordinated ventilation system ensures that fresh air is introduced efficiently to a building without losing too much heat or cooled air. Understanding how to use a home’s Heat Recovery Ventilator (ERV/HRV) is a part of this, and essential for maintaining comfort and maximizing the efficiency of an HVAC system.

Choosing and using materials efficiently

Through the IDP process, participants are encouraged to collaborate on material selection that meets both energy-efficiency and sustainability needs. This can include using advanced framing techniques, insulation with high thermal resistance, and reflective roofing. The carbon impact of manufacturing a building material can also be considered during selection.

Local not-for-profit organization Builders for Climate Action hosts an online tool called the Building Emissions Accounting for Materials (BEAM) Estimator that provides the carbon footprint of various construction materials, while Natural Resources Canada offers an online Material Carbon Emissions Estimator.

Embedding sustainability strategies identified through consultation and collaboration into the design and construction of a building reaps long-lasting rewards for both builder and owner.

Working with professionals early in the planning process keeps project goals achievable and attainable during construction.

Ultimately, a home is much more than the biggest financial investment one can make — it’s a place where families grow, memories are made, and futures are built.

Rebecca Schillemat is the executive officer for the Peterborough & The Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA). PKHBA would like to thank and give credit to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Troy Tilbury of Building Knowledge, and Natural Resources Canada for data and information in this article. For more information about PKHBA, visit www.pkhba.com.

Northumberland County council has authorized county staff to spend up to $40,000 on hotel rooms to house people in Northumberland County who are unsheltered.

As a result of a February 2024 bylaw in Cobourg regulating emergency care establishments (ECE), Northumberland County council heard Tuesday (October 29) that Transition House on Chapel Street in Cobourg would either have to close its doors to additional clients, or significantly reduce the number of people it accommodates pending the outcome of a meeting with the town’s fire department around occupancy and fire codes.

While Transition House and the county are working together to move shelter services to a new and larger space at 310 Division St., council heard that, due to licensing and construction, the new space would not be fully ready until November or December.

The county is currently not meeting four of the requirements of Cobourg’s ECE bylaw. County staff told council it has worked through and resolved about 20 requirements.

Northumberland County CAO Jennifer Moore said staff has requested a meeting with Cobourg staff, but that meeting has not happened to date.

With meeting the bylaw issues outstanding, council ultimately asked county staff to request a meeting with Town of Cobourg staff aimed at resolving the remaining four issues.

Some of the unmet requirements of the Cobourg bylaw include compliance around issues of security, garbage, and liability.

During the council meeting, which resulted in five-plus hours of discussion and several delegations, council asked staff to request that the meeting with Cobourg occur within the next five business days.

It also approved making money available, up to $40,000, for the purpose of purchasing hotel rooms for those in need of shelter while staff from both levels of government determine the next steps.

Council’s direction to staff is to look at ways to comply with the Town of Cobourg’s bylaw, with the aim of being able to get 310 Division St. open and people out of the cold and accessing services as quickly as possible. The motion was moved by county councillor Bob Crate, seconded by warden Brian Ostrander, and passed by council.

This is a developing story.