General Motors has confirmed it will be closing its assembly plant in Oshawa, sending ripples through surrounding communities like Peterborough.

“Not every auto worker that’s in the plant lives in Oshawa,” said outgoing Oshawa mayor John Henry in an interview Sunday evening (November 25) with the Globe and Mail. “It will affect a lot of communities, Port Hope, Cobourg, Peterborough, Lindsay, City of Kawartha Lakes and then all of Durham region.”

GM’s Oshawa plant employs just over 2,600 people, including 2,522 unionized workers. Many of those workers commute from communities outside of Oshawa.

The U.S. auto giant confirmed on Monday (November 26) it is closing five facilities in North America, eliminating 15 per cent of its salaried staff, to focus on the production of electric and autonomous (self-driving) vehicles. Assembly plants in Oshawa, Detroit, and Warren (Ohio) will be “unallocated” in 2019, according to the announcement, along with propulsion plants in White March, Maryland and Warren, Michigan. Two unnamed plants outside North America are also affected, as well as an assembly plant in South Korea whose closure was previously announced. Read the complete announcement.

Workers at the Oshawa plant walked off the job on Monday morning in protest of the announcement.

Unifor, the union representing the auto workers, is scheduled to hold a discussion with GM on Monday afternoon.

“Unifor does not accept the closure of the plant as a foregone conclusion,” says Unifor president Jerry Dias. “Oshawa has been in this situation before with no product on the horizon and we were able to successfully make the case for continued operations. We will vigorously fight again to maintain these good-paying auto jobs.”

The GM plant in Oshawa assembles the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Regal, Cadillac XTS, and Chevrolet Equinox, and completes final assembly work on Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.

Oshawa is also GM’s Canadian headquarters and where one of its two Canadian Technical Centres is located. The Oshawa centre focuses on chassis and body sub-systems, alternate fuels, specialty vehicles, cold weather development, and complex project delivery.

The announcement of the closure comes after GM recently completed a $500 million transformation of the assembly line at the Oshawa plant, making it the only one in North America capable of building both cars and trucks.

Ontario premier Doug Ford issued a statement on Monday regarding General Motors’ decision to close the Oshawa plant:

“Today is a difficult day for the workers at the General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant,” Ford says. “It is a difficult day for the thousands of workers at hundreds of Ontario auto part suppliers that depend on the GM Oshawa Assembly Plant for much of their business, as well as for workers and small business owners throughout Oshawa and the wider Durham region.”

Ford says the Ontario government is “exploring measures to help impacted workers, businesses and communities cope with the aftermath of this decision.”

This includes authorizing Employment Ontario to deploy its Rapid Re-Employment and Training Services program to provide workers with targeted local training and job services. Ford will also bea sking the federal government to immediately extend Employment Insurance (EI) eligibility to ensure impacted workers in the auto sector can fully access EI benefits.

Production first began at the Oshawa plant in 1953 and, by the the 1980s, the plant employed around 23,000 people.

In addition to the 2,600 people currently directly employed by the Oshawa plant, thousands of other people employed by businesses in the auto parts sector would also be negatively affected by the closure, as well as businesses that supply products and services to the workers who will be losing their jobs.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

When Mike Melnik, former radio host and owner of Impact Communications in Peterborough, was out walking his dog one winter, he had no idea he’d end up in the emergency room at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) and spend Christmas at the hospital. Read Mike’s story in his own words below.

This is the first of a series from the PRHC Foundation to show how your donations to our hospital make a real difference in the lives of real people. Over the next five weeks, kawarthaNOW will be sharing these stories of hope from patients, doctors, and parents. This week’s story is how donations help advance emergency care at our hospital.

Many people don’t realize government funding only covers a portion of what hospitals need to meet the best practices in patient care. It’s private donations from people like you that allow PRHC to purchase the technology and equipment to advance patient care — both in the emergency room and throughout the hospital.

Please read Mike’s story, watch a video featuring PRHC’s Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. Mark Troughton, and hear from PRHC Emergency Department physician Dr. Alex Weiler. And then please consider giving more families the Gift of Hope by making a donation to fund urgently needed equipment and technology that makes world-class care possible at your hospital.

Mike Melnik’s story

Do you have a minute? I’d like to tell you about the time Rosie and I went for a walk and I ended up spending Christmas in the hospital. Not the holiday I was expecting.

It happened in the blink of an eye. One minute we were walking down the hill, the next I hit the ground and heard a sharp crack. I knew right away it wasn’t good.

I headed over to the Emerg at Peterborough Regional Health Centre where they took some X-rays that showed I had three broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung. Not going to lie. It hurt. I ended up spending five days in the hospital. Definitely the last thing I was expecting when Rosie and I headed out the door that day.

That’s the thing about emergencies. They happen when you least expect it. When they do, you want your doctors and nurses to have the equipment they need to do their job so you can feel better and go home as quickly as possible.

Looking back, I’m so grateful to everyone at PRHC. I had great care that led to a speedy recovery. But I’m also really grateful to the donors who funded the equipment and technology that made that care possible.

That’s why I support the PRHC Foundation and why I agreed to share my story. It’s donors who fund the equipment that makes up the backbone of patient care and supports quick, accurate diagnosis and treatment. Not only in the Emergency Department, but throughout the rest of our hospital.

We all have our reasons to give. This is mine. Please join me this holiday season by donating now and making great care possible for someone else.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday,

Mike & Rosie

P.S. Rosie was totally fine and had a great Holiday at home! : )

Donor-funded technology and equipment advances emergency care

Dr. Mark Troughton, Chief of Emergency Medicine at PRHC, shares why he and his colleagues need state-of-the-art equipment in order to deliver world-class emergency patient care at your hospital.

Emergency Department physician Dr. Alex Weiler thanks donors

My name is Dr. Alex Weiler. As an Emergency Department physician at PRHC, I know my patients are never really ready for a medical emergency like the one that brought Mike through our doors.

And yet, the Emergency Department at PRHC is ready for the thousands of patients who turn to us each year, including those who will need our help this holiday season.

Our ED is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And every person who comes through our doors deserves access to the latest equipment to quickly diagnose their illness or injury.

Help us be ready for the 87,000+ patients who will need us this year.

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation works with donors to fund the equipment and technology that form the backbone of patient care at PRHC — bringing new lifesaving services to our region, and helping attract and retain expert doctors, nurses, and staff. For more information, visit www.prhcfoundation.ca or call 705-876-5000. You can also follow the PRHC Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Support for a safe and inclusive Peterborough community is being crafted one stitch at a time with the first-ever Community Knots Stitch-A-Thon in support of the United Way of Peterborough and District and the the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC).

Happening at Bennett’s Home Furnishings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 1st, members of the crafting community — knitters, chrocheters, rug hookers, felters, embroiders — are invited to fill 100 chairs in the Lazy Boy showroom while creating support for survivors of sexual violence and trauma.

Organized by KSAC with support from Peterborough’s own Needles in the Hay boutique, the event is set to raise awareness, much-needed funds, and a collection of hand-crafted hats, scarves, and mittens for those being supported by local shelters — while bringing together a supportive community of crafters and artisans.

Needles in the Hay owner Deanna Guttman knows just how meditative, therapeutic, and healing it can be to stitch.

Her shop supports a community of enthusiasts and artists who knit, crochet, weave, and felt and she is thrilled to partner with Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre on the event.

“Needlecraft is primarily a female endeavour and it’s great to be involved, as a feminist, in such a women-led industry,” Guttman says. “I know the centre uses this as a tool for mindfulness and so when (KSAC interim executive director) Lisa Clarke popped-in to the store and pitched me, it was a great opportunity.”

Guttman says knitters tend to work in groups so whole clubs are welcome at the December 1st event, but she stresses that individuals and solo makers are also welcome to fill one of the chairs at Bennett’s Home Furnishings.

“I’ve always got a number of projects on the go, so I’ll be working on those at the event,” Guttman says, stressing that there is no pressure to complete a certain item or project during the day of the event.

She explains the stitch-a-thon is about bringing people together, allowing for interaction, and sharing a love of arts and crafts.

“This is going to be about gathering more than it is about getting something done,” Gutmann says.

“Some people knit constantly, and they might be able to finish a hat at the event. I knit less now, after buying the store — go figure — but I’ve got a number of projects on the go, so that’s what I’ll be working on.”

Participants are asked to pay a $25 fee or, in lieu of the fee, to collect sponsorships for three hand-crafted projects that will be donated to local shelters. Hats, mittens, and scarves are all welcome.

Guttman hopes that the event will be well attended and that it will be one more opportunity for people to understand the healing nature of needlecraft.

Already offered as a free weekly workshop by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, “Purls of Wisdom” is a multi-generational knitting circle that involves older women who have been trained by the centre to provide mentorship, leadership, and wisdom to young people who have experienced trauma.

The intergenerational knitting circle offers valuable skills and strategies that assist young people with managing stress and anxiety, and Guttman says she’s really happy that the healing power of knitting is being shared in the community.

KSAC interim executive director Lisa Clarke agrees.

“Often, with the survivors of sexual violence we work with, we explore grounding and mindfulness techniques,” Clarke says. “One of the most creative of those is stitching — whether its knitting, crocheting, quilting or even needle felting.”

Clarke says the centre is grateful for the ongoing support of the United Way of Peterborough and District and everyone is looking forward to raising funds and awareness in this unique way.

“We thought, let’s all gather together, in those amazing Lazy Boy Chairs at Bennett’s Home Furnishings, and stitch, share, and celebrate together with the master knitters from Needles in the Hay,” she says.

The Community Knots Stitch-A-Thon is open to everyone and, besides offering a chance to connect with other caring crafters while enjoying the beautiful decor at Bennett’s Home Furnishings, participants will be able to enjoy food supplied by Sunset Gourmet.

Tickets to participate in the event are $25, available in advance online at eventbrite.ca or at the door on the day of the event.

To waive the fee, get sponsored to make three projects for local shelters and bring your projects with your completed sponsorship forms to the event (forms can be downloaded at www.kawarthasexualassaultcentre.com).

At the event, there will be prizes for the top sponsor, most projects made for donation, and door prizes.

Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (150 King St., 3rd Floor, Peterborough) is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting those affected by sexual violence. In Peterborough, the centre offers individual counselling, group counselling and workshops, peer supports, public education, and professional training. For more information, visit www.kawarthasexualassaultcentre.com. If you are experiencing a crisis, call the 24-hour toll-free support line at 1-866-298-7778.

As a Chartered Professional Accountant, Peterborough’s Michael Konopaski knows full well that dollars wisely invested now have a much better chance of producing a terrific return later.

So it is that Konopaski, with a $10,000 cheque in hand, will drop by the Balsillie Family Branch of the YMCA of Central Eastern Ontario (123 Aylmer St, S., Peterborough) on Friday afternoon (November 23) — resulting in the huge smiles all round that typically accompany such generous philanthropy.

The $10,000 donation, which will go directly to the YMCA’s annual Strong Kids Campaign, comes from Burlington-based Aligned Capital Partners Inc. In the 1990s, Konopaski and his father co-founded the original firm in Peterborough that eventually evolved into Aligned Capital Partners Inc., with Konopaski remaining the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

Funds raised through the Strong Kids Campaign help children, teens, and young adults participate in local YMCA programs they typically wouldn’t have access to due to limited financial resources. Last year’s campaign raised more that $13 million nationwide and helped 125,000 people.

Back in April, the 2018 local campaign — chaired by longtime Peterborough grocer Dave Morello and benefitting those served by YMCA of Central East Ontario branches in Peterborough, Trenton and Belleville — kicked off with a goal of $267,000.

Knowing that Aligned Capital Partners Inc. “had money to donate, like most great organizations”, Konopaski did his homework, settling on the Strong Kids Campaign as a most worthy recipient.

“I did a ton of research and, to me, (the Strong Kids Campaign) is all about local impact,” says Konopaski, who is also Managing Director of Inclusive Advisory, a multi-disciplinary partnership of accountants, financial advisors, and lawyers based at 521 George Street North in downtown Peterborough.

“It provides opportunities to families that might not normally have those opportunities. As a result, kids have been introduced to the bigger picture. That can be anything from leadership to just becoming more civic-minded down the line. For some kids, that comes to them naturally. They don’t need a lot of guidance when it comes to learning how to become a good team member or learning how to work with others but others need more formal structure. This is the type of program that allows for that.”

Besides the immediate benefit that the donation will provide, Konopaski is intrigued by the long-term effect.

“One of the challenges that Peterborough has had is younger people think there’s nothing to do here or there is no opportunity,” he says.

“Kids that are recipients of this funding might be put in a situation where they could meet somebody who will help or mentor them to learn about the opportunities that are in the area. I would hope that the kids that are beneficiaries of this program have the same kinds of opportunity that my kids had.

“Peterborough is just one of many communities that’s competing for top talent. We have to invest in our youth. There are lots of different ways to do that but educational aspects, training, and learning are key, introducing them to that bigger picture.”

VIDEO: YMCA Strong Kids Campaign

A longtime YMCA member, Konopaski didn’t have to be sold on the benefits of the organization or its declared mission of strengthening the foundations of community.

“The YMCA is an organization that you can be involved with your entire life,” he says. “Kids learn how to swim there. There are people that have been members for more than 50 or 60 years. I see a lot of fellowship there: people seeing their friends and family members. It’s a great cornerstone of the community.”

He adds “the quality of the people” at the helm of the local Strong Kids Campaign was also a major factor in the decision to give.

Konopaski strongly encourages others who are in a position to give, either privately or corporately, to learn more about the Strong Kids Campaign and its benefits.

That said, he notes Peterborough “has literally hundred of charities … there’s a need in so many different areas.”

For more information about the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, visit ymcastrongkids.ca. for more information about Aligned Capital Partners Inc., visit www.alignedcapitalpartners.com.