Sunday, March 29, 2026
Home Authors Articles by Five Counties Children's Centre

Articles by Five Counties Children's Centre

Five Counties Children's Centre
41 Articles
Serving children in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides therapy services that assist children who are delayed in their development to build the skills they need in everyday life such as walking, talking, and activities of daily living. For more information, visit www.fivecounties.on.ca.
Five Counties Children's Centre CEO Scott Pepin argues that while words matter, how we use them can matter even more, especially in how they can be used to build someone up or bring them down. A term used in the mid-20th century to refer to people with intellectual disabilities, the R-word has seen a resurgence on social media, where it has been weaponized as a slur and term of ridicule and exclusion. (Photo: Five Counties Children's Centre)

Words really do matter: Why it’s time to leave the R-word in the past

Five Counties Children's Centre -
Five Counties Children's Centre CEO reflects on how our choice of words can inform and inspire, or injure and do harm.
Artist Pat Calvert poses in front of a section of her mural at Five Counties Children's Centre in Peterborough, with Silly the Goldfish in the frame. Silly is a character that shows up around 500 times in various different situations and poses on the expansive, water-themed mural that has graced the walls and hallways of Five Counties for nearly 25 years. (Photo: Five Counties Children's Centre)

A legacy in paint: How Pat Calvert’s imagination transformed the halls of Five Counties...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
Created in 2002 in memory of her mom, the artist's expansive mural at the Peterborough site continues to enchant children and their families to this day.
Through its new "Rethink Therapy" awareness campaign, Five Counties Children's Centre is encouraging families to see that therapy happens everywhere, not just at Five Counties Children’s Centre with a clinician or staff member. Small everyday actions help children build connection, confidence, and their abilities for life. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)

Therapy for children with special needs happens everywhere, not just at Five Counties Children’s...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
New 'Rethink Therapy' awareness campaign highlights how everyday moments, from mealtime to toothbrushing, help build a child's abilities, confidence, and independence.
Suzette and Glen White credit Five Counties Children's Centre for helping their son Adam succeed in life. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 1978 at 10 months of age, Adam received treatment at Five Counties over the next 19 years. "Cerebral palsy is not a gift," Suzette notes, "but we accepted the bumps and difficulties along the way with Five Counties, which was, and still is, a fabulous and generous godsend today for so many!" (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

‘Hope means you’ve got a future’: How Five Counties Children’s Centre changed one family’s...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
Suzette and Glen White credit Five Counties for helping their son Adam, diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant in 1978, succeed in life.
Jordie Barrie credits the treatment he received as a child at Five Counties Children's Centre for helping him succeed as an adult, including in his career as a patient transfer attendant at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, where staff call him "the world's cheerleader." He also enjoys giving back to the community, such as volunteering at the Backyard Summer Social fundraising event in support of Five Counties. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

How early support at Five Counties Children’s Centre helped Jordie Barrie become a hospital...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
As Five Counties marks its 50th anniversary, Jordie's story shows how childhood therapy can shape a lifetime of confidence, compassion, and community service.
At the 1974 sod turning for the "new" Five Counties Children's Centre being built on Dutton Road in Peterborough, Mrs. J.H.C. Willoughby, the 100-year-old daughter of original property owner and former MP George Hillaire, joined then Peterborough Mayor Phil Turner and then Peterborough MPP John Turner for the event. Local Rotarians who inspired the project stand in the back row: director Ed Meyer, president Clair Hilborn, and director Carol Ciscoe. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

Rotary’s starring role in establishing Five Counties Children’s Centre

Five Counties Children's Centre -
A 1970 vision by Peterborough Rotarians sparked the creation of regional treatment centre, with support that continues to help children 50 years later.
Kelly and Tony Doyle share a moment with their youngest child, 11-year-old Max, who received life-changing treatment at Five Counties Children's Centre as a baby. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

The Doyle family thanks Five Counties Children’s Centre for changing the course of their...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
'Whenever we share Max’s health journey with others, we make sure people understand the level of support Five Counties extends to families,' Tony and Kelly write.
The giant mural created by artist Sharon Pearsall at Five Counties Children's Centre in Peterborough has left a lasting impression for children and families. Completed in 1981 when Sharon was finishing high school, the 25-foot wide by 13-foot high mural has stood the test of time over 44 years, putting smiles on those who see it. (Photo: Five Counties Children's Centre)

Sharon Pearsall’s mural at Five Counties Children’s Centre in Peterborough has been bringing countless...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
The now-retired teacher created the fun and welcoming mural as a summer project in 1981 just after she graduated from high school,
Hayley Hodges is the Client and Family Experience Lead at Five Counties Children's Centre, where she received treatment as a child growing up with cerebral palsy and related challenges. She often felt stigmatized about her disability, believing she had to prove her worth and value while showing she was capable and competent. (Photo: Five Counties Children's Centre)

Hayley Hodges at Five Counties Children’s Centre on why marking Disability Pride Month really...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
Hayley shares her own experiences as a person with a disability and explains how we can change the way we perceive disability.
Kids, parents, families, supporters, and local dignitaries joined the celebrations at Five Counties Children's Centre in Cobourg on June 19, 2025 to mark the official opening of the new accessible backyard space. Completed at a cost of $376,000, the backyard project includes accessible amenities like a rubberized track for wheelchairs/bikes/mobility devices, sensory play equipment, a slide, and wheelchair swing, along with other play features, raised garden beds, stage area, gazebo, Indigenous cultural awareness space, sunshade cover, storage sheds, and safety fencing. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

A field of dreams becomes an amazing, accessible reality at Five Counties Children’s Centre...

Five Counties Children's Centre -
Over the past three years, a vacant parcel of land in the site's backyard has been transformed into a safe and fully accessible outdoor space.
123...5Page 1 of 5

Become a #kawarthaNOW fan

34,145FollowersLike
25,922FollowersFollow
17,477FollowersFollow
4,848FollowersFollow
4,029FollowersFollow
3,210FollowersFollow

Sign up for kawarthNOW's Enews

Sign up for our VIP Enews

kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.




Submit your event for FREE!

Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free. To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.

EDITOR'S PICKS

SIGN UP FOR OUR ENEWS




© Copyright kawarthaNOW® 1996 - 2026. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission, or republication strictly prohibited. Trademarks owned by kawarthaNOW include kawarthaNOW®, Keep It In The Kawarthas®, Web Sites That Work®, Kawartha Localist™, Know Your Locals™, businessNOW™, musicNOW™, artNOW™, nightlifeNOW™, encoreNOW™, and KNosh™.