Flames engulf the Arrowsmith School building at 366 Parkhill Avenue East in Peterborough in the early morning of July 14, 2025. (Photo: David Horwood)
The Arrowsmith School building in Peterborough was devastated by a fire early Monday morning (July 14). Local resident David Horwood provided kawarthaNOW with photos of the fire and the resulting damage.
At around 2:19 a.m., Douro-Dummer Fire Services (DDFS) received a call for a structure fire at 366 Parkhill Road East, just east of the City of Peterborough.
The first arriving crew observed fire had spread through the second storey of the structure, and flames were visible above the roof.
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Over 25 firefighters worked throughout the early hours of the morning to extinguish the initial fire, and into Monday afternoon fighting hotspots.
Peterborough County Ontario Provincial (OPP) closed Parkhill Road East between Leahy’s Lane and Kingsdale Drive while fire crews battled the blaze. A residence west of the structure was evacuated as a precaution, and the occupants were able to return to their home on Monday.
The Arrowsmith School building was not occupied at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire and the dollar loss to the property have yet to be determined.
The Arrowsmith School building at 366 Parkhill Avenue East in Peterborough was extensively damaged by a fire in the early morning of July 14, 2025. (Photo: David Horwood)
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“DDFS crews responded quickly and worked hard to bring the fire under control, and as a result the fire did not spread to nearby structures,” DDFS deputy fire chief Derrick Huffman said in a media release. “We are grateful for the time and effort that our firefighters dedicate to preparing for events like this.”
The Arrowsmith School is a private school in Toronto for children in Grades 1 to 12 with learning disabilities. The original Arrowsmith School was founded in Toronto in 1980 by Barbara Arrowsmith Young, and a second location was opened in May 2005 in Peterborough.
The school closed its Peterborough location in June 2021.
This story has been updated with information from a media release from Douro-Dummer Fire Services.
Robert Gauvreau (right) of Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory in Peterborough with representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough and the Kawartha Haliburton Children's Foundation and a local student celebrating the results of the 2024 "Gear Up for Good" campaign. The annual back-to-school initiative, which returns for its fourth year in 2025, provides under-served children with school essentials. (Photo: Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory)
Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory in Peterborough is once again aiming to set up 200 area children for a successful school year by equipping them with a backpack of school essentials.
The firm is launching its fourth annual “Gear Up for Good” campaign, which is an initiative that aims to supply under-served children in Peterborough with what they need to head back to school.
“Every child deserves the chance to excel in their education,” said founder and CEO Robert Gauvreau in a statement. “We are grateful for the incredible support from our community and partners. The goal remains the same, but our drive to make an even greater impact has never been stronger.”
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Launched in 2021, the annual campaign has grown ever year, with last year’s campaign resulting in 208 fully stocked backpacks.
“We are calling on everyone to come together once again to hit our 200 fully stocked backpack goal,” a media release noted.
Once again, the backpacks will be distributed to children through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough and the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Foundation.
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Items needed include backpacks, lunch bags and sandwich containers, water bottles, pens, crayons, pencils, pencil cases, pencil sharpeners and erasers, markers and highlighters, scissors, calculators, and more.
Donations can be made through the campaign’s Amazon wish list at bit.ly/GearUpForGood2025 or dropped off at Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory at 150 King Street West, Suite 100, by 1 p.m. on Monday, August 11. Backpacks will be distributed on Friday, August 22.
As part of the initiative, Union Barber is providing haircuts and Domino’s Pizza is offering a free pizza to each family that receives a backpack.
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In addition to the help of community members, Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory is also looking for additional support from businesses, which could include providing snacks, water bottles, backpacks, and supplies.
Ahead of last year’s drive, Robert Gauvreau told kawarthaNOW the annual Gear Up for Good campaign aims to help students “start the school year with success and a quick win — a haircut, a pizza dinner, and a fully stocked backpack.”
“Many of these kids, as we know, are coming from unfortunate situations and don’t necessarily have the means to get fit and ready for the school season, so to do that for them would be a huge win,” he said.
A hazy sunset in Haliburton County on July 13, 2025 caused by westerly winds bringing smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario to the region. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for the Kawarthas region for poor air quality and reduced visibility because of forest fire smoke.
The special air quality statement is in effect for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings County.
Smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario has moved into the area, causing the air quality to deteriorate significantly. The poor air quality may persist through Monday (July 14) and possibly into Tuesday for some areas.
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As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.
You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance.
People more likely to be impacted by outdoor air pollution, including people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, people with an existing illness or chronic health condition, and people who work outdoors, should reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms.
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When indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool.
Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Actions can include using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system or a certified portable air cleaner that can filter fine particles.
If you must spend time outdoors, a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke. Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health.
Check in on others who are in your care or live nearby who may be more likely to be impacted by outdoor air pollution.
This story has been updated with the latest information issued by Environment Canada.
Two months before they are set to release their 14th studio album, Canadian alt-rockers Sloan will perform a free-admission concert at Peterborough Musicfest in Del Crary Park on July 16, 2025. (Photo via Sloan website)
For a band named after “Slow One,” Sloan sure came out of the gate pretty fast and is showing zero sign of slowing down anytime soon.
On forming in Halifax in early 1991, the alt-rock quartet took its name from one Jason Larsen, a mutual friend of Sloan’s members. Larsen had been nicknamed “Slow One” by his boss, which came out sounding like Sloan courtesy of his employer’s French accent. Larsen was on side with that, with one condition: that he be featured exclusively on the cover of the band’s first album — the 1992 EP Peppermint — which he was.
This is a great story, but an even better story can be found in what has happened since for Sloan in the form of 13 full albums and nine Juno Award nominations, with a 1997 Best Alternative Album win for One Chord To Another.
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Peterborough Musicfest presents Sloan
When: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: Free admission
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent). VIP seating available for sponsors. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighbourhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Even more remarkable, and a rarity of sorts, is that Sloan’s original configuration of Jay Ferguson (rhythm guitar), Chris Murphy (bass), Patrick Pentland (lead guitar), and Andrew Scott (drums) remains intact, the only deviation from that consistency being the touring contributions of Greg MacDonald (keyboards).
Sloan’s near 35-year journey will continue Wednesday (July 16) when Peterborough Musicfest welcomes the band to Del Crary Park.
Admission is, as always, free, thanks to the support of a number of year-to-year sponsors, kawarthaNOW among them.
VIDEO: “Underwhelmed” – Sloan
When grunge music was gaining a firm foothold in Seattle and surrounding area in the late 1980s and early 1990s — think Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice In Chains — Sloan was immersed in a similar movement on Canada’s East Coast.
With each member of the band contributing vocals and songwriting, the band played its first show in February 1991 at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.
Buoyed by the success of that debut, Sloan didn’t waste any time, releasing the aforementioned EP Peppermint and its lead single “Underwhelmed” in 1992, followed a few months later by a debut full album in the form of Smeared. A reworked version of “Underwhelmed” on that album peaked at number 25 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.
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In early 1995, in the face of rumours that the band was splitting up, Sloan put the tongue-wagging to rest, releasing Twice Removed, which earned gold status for Canadian sales and reaped a 1994 Juno Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. Two years later, Chart music magazine’s readers poll of the top Canadian albums of all time saw the album top the list. It felt like everyone was talking about Sloan.
Riding that high, Sloan released One Chord To Another in 1996. Still the band’s best-selling album, it brought the aforementioned Juno Award in 1997 on the strength of the high-charting singles “The Good In Everyone,” “The Lines You Amend,” and “Everything You’ve Done Wrong.” The album also continued the band’s progression to more of a Beatles-influenced power-pop sound.
Eleven more studio albums followed over the next two decades-plus, along with seven more Juno Award nominations from 1999 to 2012, five of those for Best Rock Album — in order, for Navy Blues, Pretty Together, Never Hear The End Of It, Parallel Play, and The Double Cross.
VIDEO: “If It Feels Good, Do It” – Sloan
After Sloan released its latest album, 2022’s Steady, bassist and vocalist Chris Murphy sat down for an October 2022 interview with the coincidentally named Emma Sloan of Range Magazine.
From the comfort of his home in Toronto, where the band is now based, Murphy spoke of the “democracy” that has served Sloan well.
“Each Sloan album is a shuffle deck of the musicians involved, and our influences,” he said. “We’re set up as a democracy, but not the type where we can out-vote each other. Everyone gets their own section of the album. All four of us write, expect each other to write, and share the credit, money, and responsibility evenly.”
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“It’s a big reason why we’re still here — because we share everything and give everyone space to contribute creatively,” Murphy said. “After all, why else would you want to still hang out with someone you hung out with in high school?”
“When it comes to the writing process, though, we don’t exactly write together. It’s almost like The Beatles’ White Album, where it was basically four solo acts that were each other’s backing band.”
Another key to Sloan’s longevity and continued output, he added, is having a common love of their craft that only serves to strengthen the union.
VIDEO: “Scratch The Surface” – Sloan
“We’re fans of music, just like everyone else, and love to feed into that fandom. Creating events, items, room for lyric analysis … it’s what it’s all about. When it comes to the band, I’m usually the one making the phone calls like, ‘Our last record came out in 2018. Let’s get on with it.'”
All these years later, not lost on Murphy is the fact that Sloan brings something unique to the table beyond their music and stage presence.
“They say if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. I don’t know if there are many other bands you can name that are still making records with their original lineup 30 years in.”
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Three years after that interview, Sloan is still going strong, with the band set to release its 14th album, Based On The Best Seller, this September 26th. They released the first single from the new album, “Live Together,” in June.
This Wednesday’s concert will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by indie rock duo Alyssa Morrissey and Kyler Tapscott performing under the Cogeco tent near the George Street entrance to Del Crary Park.
They are appearing as part of Musicfest’s new Future Sound Series featuring the talents of local performers this summer.
VIDEO: “Live Together” – Sloan
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 38th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until Saturday, August 16th.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2025 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2025 season.
With support from the United Way Peterborough & District and Peterborough Public Health, the Basic Income Peterborough Network is hosting the "Hope Festival" on Saturday, July 26 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Millennium Park on Water Street in Peterborough. (Graphic: Basic Income Peterborough Network)
As rates of poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity continue to rise, people are looking for hope — and action — when it comes to tackling these key socioeconomic issues in their own backyard.
That’s the message the Basic Income Peterborough Network resoundingly hears from Peterborough residents, so it’s creating a space for connection, reflection, and more by hosting the Hope Festival from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 at Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough.
Supported by the United Way Peterborough & District’s Neighbourhood Fund and Peterborough Public Health, the Hope Festival follows the monthly “Hope Series” that the Basic Income Peterborough Network launched last October.
Each workshop was held in partnership with a local activist or advocacy group working on a different issue to draw connections between the work of those groups, and the Basic Income Peterborough Network’s own efforts towards a national basic income guarantee.
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“We hope that people will leave the festival with a sense of joy, some new knowledge, hopefully new conversations with people they didn’t know, a sense of what they feel is key to fostering hope at the community level and some curiosity or maybe even a desire to participate in our next step,” Joëlle Favreau, coordinator of the Basic Income Peterborough Network, told kawarthaNOW.
Rooted in the values of hope, dignity, belonging, equity, and social justice, the event aims to bring together individuals, families, and community organizations “to reimagine a more inclusive and compassionate Peterborough,” according to a media release.
“We have been asking people of all ages what helps them gain a sense of hope and overwhelmingly, we heard that hope is connected to action,” Favreau said. “People want to know that something is being done about the issues that matter to them.”
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To help facilitate that action, the festival will feature the “Hope Vision Board” through which participants can share one “ingredient” that they feel is essential to cultivating hope within the community.
Everyone is also encouraged to participate by bringing a personal object — such as a poem, drawing, photograph, or meaningful artifact — to add to the “Hope Gallery” and help shape the collective vision board with objects that represent hope, dignity, belonging, or equity.
The Hope Festival will also feature interactive activities led by local community groups doing transformative work and commissioned art projects celebrating creativity, resilience, and collaboration.
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“This festival is more than just a gathering — it’s about planting the seeds of collective change,” said Favreau in a statement.
“By coming together to learn about the amazing work taking place in our community, be transformed by participatory art projects, and share what we need to gain hope, we are reminding ourselves and each other that a better future is possible — one built on dignity and mutual care.”
When asked about the next steps, Favreau said the Basic Income Peterborough Network plans to host another event in October to unveil a video that one artist will be creating with participants at the festival.
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“We will also share what we learned from the vision board and explore whether there is some appetite to establish a Hope Coalition,” Favreau said. “This coalition will be informed by the various ingredients identified by participants.”
As for the July event, organizers invite advocates, artists, and people looking to connect to join them “to dream, share, and build community together.”
For more information about the Basic Income Peterborough Network and the Hope Festival, and to volunteer at the festival, visit basicincomepeterborough.ca.
UPDATE – On Sunday afternoon, Environment Canada cancelled the severe thunderstorm watch.
Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the southern Kawarthas region for Sunday afternoon and evening (July 13).
The severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.
A line of thunderstorms may develop over the region and move slowly eastward. The main threat for hazardous thunderstorms will be Sunday afternoon into early evening.
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Severe thunderstorms may include wind gusts up to 100 km/h, heavy downpours, and up to toonie-size hail.
Strong wind gusts can damage trees and buildings and overturn vehicles.
Emergency Management Ontario recommends that you take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches. Take cover in a basement or interior room. If outside, protect yourself from flying debris and hail.
"After the Storm", an oil painting by Buckhorn artist Michael Dumas that depicts a Canadian Lynx in an environment affected by climate change, won the Artists for Conservation Seerey-Lester Award of Excellence in 2024. "Of Light and Life" is a retrospective exhibition of five decades of Dumas' work at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre's Agnes Jamieson Gallery from July 17 to September 13, 2025, with an opening reception featuring the artist on Saturday, July 19. (Photo courtesy of Michael Dumas)
When an artist has had a five-decade career full of numerous awards, art shows around the world, and the kind of success that Michael Dumas has found, you might think he could create a new work in the blink of an eye — but that’s certainly not always the case.
At his upcoming exhibit at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery, located at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre in Minden, Dumas will be lifting the veil and offering a glimpse into the process of creating his distinctive works of art by displaying observational sketches and preliminary drawings.
On display from Thursday, July 17 to Saturday, September 13, “Of Light and Life” will feature work that spans his career offering several new pieces and styles that you might not anticipate from the acclaimed wildlife artist. An opening reception takes place on Saturday, July 19 from 1 to 3 p.m., where Dumas will also be launching his new book Algonquin Legacy.
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“I hope people will be able to see more deeply into the art and realize how much thought and time that goes into it,” Dumas says. “They’re not just pictures — they’re statements of something that’s much deeper than that.”
The title of the exhibition combines two foundational and active ingredients of Dumas’ work that are exemplified across the more than 70 pieces in the exhibition.
Light, he explains, creates colour but also reveals form, which supports the foundation for everything he does with his “first love,” drawing.
“I am very caught up in different circumstances of light,” Dumas says. “It can be very dramatic light, it can be subtle, but light has an ever-changing effect on the way we look at the world. Because of that, I often return to the same subjects at some of the same places, because it will appear very different depending on the change of light.”
Internationally renowned Buckhorn-based wildlife artist Michael Dumas in his studio in 2017 working on his oil painting “Looking Out” featuring an eastern phoebe in a flour mill. (Photo courtesy of Michael Dumas)
As for the component of “life,” he says there is a duality both in how he is depicting living things, while also offering insight into his own perception.
“My work is based on what I see and what I observe and what I experience and how it affects me, so a big part of that becomes my life I’m expressing through my paintings,” he says.
“There is a very strong emotional content. I will relate to things in my childhood, relate to different memories and other experiences, so by the time all of that filters through to the point where it’s so strong that I begin to paint, that’s the release.”
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Unlike traditional retrospective exhibitions, “Of Light and Life,” will not be organized in chronological order, but rather will be spread across three separate areas.
The first is devoted to process and progress, featuring earlier work that shows Dumas’ evolution as an artist.
The oldest piece on display will be a wax crayon drawing from 1954-55 when Dumas was only four or five years old. There will also be preliminary sketch work that helps him get visuals of the wildlife he later turns into his award-winning realist paintings.
“Oversized Shirt” and “Waiting for a Friend” are two sketches by world-renowned Buckhorn artist Michael Dumas. His retrospective solo exhibition “Of Light and Life” at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden from July 17 to September 13, 2025 will feature several observational sketches and preliminary drawings to give viewers a glimpse of the process behind an art piece. (Photo courtesy of Michael Dumas)
“It brings you in and you appreciate the work more, because you begin to realize that the art is not created just by someone sitting down and doing it all out in the head,” Dumas says.
“There’s a whole involvement with environment, with experience, and those things generate not just facts, but they generate emotions and impressions of things. And all of that dictates the direction of the painting. You get an idea or concept and it’s like a string, a thread you hold onto while you’re painting, and as long as you can hold on to that thread, it leads you in the right direction.”
“All the preparation and keeping hold of that emotional content of what inspired you in the first place is very important to me,” he adds.
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Perhaps surprising to Dumas fans who are most familiar with his works depicting nature, the second section of the show will include portraits of people.
“That room is going to be dedicated to people, places, and things,” he says.
“A lot of that is going to be very much not just new paintings for people, but a new overall impression of what I do and have done my whole career.”
“Luis” (oil on birch) by Michael Dumas. Fans of the Buckhorn wildlife artist might be surprised to know that he has done portraits throughout his career. Some of these, as well as pieces focused on places and things, will be on display during his solo exhibition “Of Light and Life” running at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden from July 17 to September 13, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Michael Dumas)
But, to no surprise, the largest room will be dedicated to the wildlife and nature-oriented subject matter for which Dumas has become well known not just locally, but around the world.
Throughout five decades, he has used his artwork to promote and raise funds for conservation initiatives and groups. In 2023, he was the recipient of the Simon Combes Conservation Award from Artists for Conservation.
“To me, it’s this privilege of seeing the secret lives of very evasive creatures you don’t get to see every day, and which can be a bit of a mystery,” Dumas says. “These are paintings of things that are happening in the world when nobody is around to see them. That’s how I look at the paintings: I try to be an invisible ghost observing these things but they’re really happening unbeknownst to the rest of the world.”
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During the July 19th opening reception for “Of Light and Life,” Dumas will also be celebrating the launch of his new book Algonquin Legacy, which will document his appreciation for Algonquin Provincial Park.
Born and raised in the hamlet of Whitney, on the southeast border of the park, Dumas spent years working as a park ranger and has been involved in research projects — including getting to cuddle bear cubs to keep them warm.
Through stories, photographs, and, of course, many visuals, Algonquin Legacy will include some of these stories and show Dumas’ appreciation for a place that has played a “tremendous role” in his life. The latter quarter of the book will depict works where his life has taken him beyond the park.
When Michael Dumas celebrates his new retrospective exhibition “Of Light and Life,” at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre’s Agnes Jamieson Gallery with an opening reception on July 19, 2025, he will also be celebrating the release of his new book “Algonquin Legacy,” which shares stories of the significant role that Algonquin Provincial Park played in his life while he was growing up in Whitney and throughout his career. (Images courtesy of Michael Dumas)
“I wanted to create a book envisioning the way I would want a book of an artist that I really liked,” he says. “I would want to see big images. I want to see how the artist has done things. I would want drawings to be there, and I want to see the relationship of things.”
Dumas encourages community members to join him at the opening reception, which will be full of bites, beverages, art, and lots of stories.
“I want to extend a really big invitation for people to come out and see it and not be shy in approaching me,” he says. “I love talking to people.”
The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is located at the Minden Hills Cultural Centre at 174-176 Bobcaygeon Road, a four-acre site in the village of Minden that also includes the Minden Hills Museum & Heritage Village, Nature’s Place, and the Minden Hills Branch of the Haliburton County Public Library.
Michael Dumas sketching a penguin on Avian Island in Antarctica in 1990. (Photo courtesy of Michael Dumas)
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott engages with young students interested in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) on July 10, 2025 as Ampere celebrated its first summer camps in its new makerspace at 12 Peel Street in Lindsay, which was renovated with the help of a $200,000 grant from the provincial government's Ontario Trillium Foundation. (Photo: Ampere)
Ampere is moving full steam ahead in Lindsay with its first series of educational summer camps in its new space for students of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
At a media event on Thursday (July 10), Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott stopped by to see the team at Ampere and discuss the impact of a $200,000 capital grant the non-profit organization received in 2024 through the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
The grant was used to purchase and install flooring and lighting at Ampere’s new makerspace, located at 12 Peel Street in Lindsay. The facility, which is more than triple the size of Ampere’s former makerspace, is now welcoming its first groups of summer campers.
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“It’s exciting to see the (OTF) invest this $200,000 in Ampere association’s headquarters/makerspace renovation,” said MPP Scott in a media release. “This funding will help expand access to vital digital skills and technology services, helping to empower the people of Kawartha Lakes to take part in the growing STEAM economy.”
For over a decade, Ampere (formerly the Pinnguaq Association) has partnered with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to provide people with access to STEAM education and opportunities.
Ampere said the new makerspace is designed and conceived to function as a learning space for people of all ages and will also serve as a community hub for events and gatherings of all types.
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“The lighting and flooring are key elements of those objectives and are fundamental to creating a warm, welcoming space where community members of all ages can thrive,” the organization noted.
“This grant helped us create a warm environment that’s welcoming to all, but also flexible and able to adapt to unique learner or group needs,” said Ryan Oliver, Ampere’s CEO.
“Everything has been chosen intentionally, from floors that consider young learners and robot wheels, to lighting zones that create warm, natural light, while offering flexibility to accommodate specific event or participant needs.”
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Ampere’s 4,500-square foot Lindsay makerspace is “filled with robots, maker kits, oozing oobleck, Minecraft marvels, and some of the best STEAM educators in Canada,” according to Ampere’s website. “It’s also a community hub where people of all ages can learn about and embrace the power that STEAM creates, in their own lives, in their own way.”
Ampere applies a “lifecycle” approach to education, which aims to ensure it’s supporting learners at every age and at every stage of life. The organization offers programming through its makerspaces in Lindsay, Iqaluit, Nunavut, and New Brunswick, and works directly with community partners, social organizations, governmental funders, and educational institutions across the country.
In another first for Ampere, the organization offered its inaugural STEAM School scholarship in the Kawartha Lakes this year. The scholarship was available to one child or youth between the ages of nine and 12 years old.
A value of more than $1,300, the scholarship allowed one child to attend STEAM school one day per week between January and June.
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Jamie Steel, Ampere’s senior lead of community relations, told kawarthaNOW at the time that Ampere had high hopes for the scholarship and STEAM education overall. Steel said STEAM school gives children and youth the chance to explore their interests and passion for the subjects in a hands-on environment.
“Not only will what they learn help prepare them for the STEAM-powered world we live in, the way they learn — in an inclusive community of peers — is intended to support relationship building and a sense of belonging.”
The STEAM School, which Ampere launched in Kawartha Lakes in September 2024, is a day school that gives learners in Grades 4 to 6 the chance to advance their knowledge of STEAM subjects and learn how they can contribute to the STEAM sector.
To learn more about Ampere and STEAM education, visit amp.ca.
A view of Victoria Beach on Lake Ontario in Cobourg. (Photo courtesy of Linda McIlwain)
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
As of Thursday, July 17 at 12 p.m., the following beaches are unsafe for swimming:
Rogers Cove in Peterborough
Lakefield Park in Lakefield
Squirrel Creek Conservation Area in South Monaghan
Burnt River Beach in Somerville
Rotary Head Lake Beach in Haliburton County
In addition, as of July 3, Peterborough Public Health has received multiple reports of residents experiencing swimmer’s itch, a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to infection with certain parasites of birds and mammals, after swimming at White’s Beach in Trent Lakes. For more information and precautions, visit the Swimmer’s Itch page on the health unit’s website.
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Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in the City and County of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White’s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
As of 2025, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health provides weekly testing results for only six designated public beaches in Hastings County and Prince Edward County. It no longer regularly samples another 13 beaches due to historically low occurrence of high bacteria levels.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for the southern Kawarthas region beginning Friday (July 11) and possibly continuing until next Thursday.
The heat warning is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.
Southern Ontario will experience a multi-day period of hot and humid conditions. The temperatures and humidex will meet or be extremely close to heat warning criteria, with the hottest day being Saturday. A shift in the weather pattern on Thursday will likely end the heat.
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Daytime highs of 29 to 32 degrees Celsius are expected, with humidex values of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius.
Overnight temperatures will provide little relief from the heat, with lows of 19 to 23 degrees Celsius.
To help deal with the heat and humidity, Environment Canada is providing the advice listed below.
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Take action to protect yourself and others, as extreme heat can affect everyone’s health. Determine if you or others around you are at greater risk of heat illness. Check on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people in-person or on the phone multiple times a day.
Watch for the early signs of heat exhaustion in yourself and others. Signs may include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue. Stop your activity and drink water.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency! Call 9-1-1 or your emergency health provider if you, or someone around you, is showing signs of heat stroke which can include red and hot skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and change in consciousness. While you wait for medical attention, try to cool the person by moving them to a cool place, removing extra clothing, applying cold water or ice packs around the body.
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Drink water often, and before you feel thirsty, to replace fluids.
Close blinds and shades to keep the sunlight out, and open windows if outside is cooler than inside.
Turn on air conditioning, use a fan, or move to a cooler area of your living space. If your living space is hot, move to a cool public space such as a cooling centre, community centre, library, or shaded park.
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Follow the advice of your region’s public health authority.
Plan and schedule outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day.
Limit direct exposure to the sun and heat. Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.
Never leave people, especially children, or pets inside a parked vehicle. Check the vehicle before locking to make sure no one is left behind.
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