Demolition Continues Lakefield Home Hardware Fire Aftermath

Demolition work of the the recent structure fire at the Home Hardware building continues in the Village of Lakefield.

Photo courtesy of James Forrester.

According to the the Township of Selwyn, significant progress has been made on the demolition of the structures razed by the fire. For safety reasons, Queen Street will remain closed for approximately another week as demolition continues. During this time, Burnham Street between Queen Street and Charlotte Street will also remain closed.

“We know how eager everyone is to see Queen Street reopen,” said Mayor Sherry Senis. “The closure is required to ensure public safety and provide a safe workspace for the demolition crew. We are grateful to residents and business owners for their continued patience and support as this important work continues.”

Businesses in Downtown Lakefield remain open during demolition.

In an effort to support local businesses and encourage visitation, the Township is highlighting several initiatives underway or in development, including:

• The Lakefield Scavenger Hunt – to help drive local engagement (postponed due to the fire and rescheduled for a later date);

• Lakefield Ladies Night – a community-focused shopping event;

• Holiday Programming aimed at supporting ‘shop local’ efforts; and

• An upcoming media story highlighting Selwyn, including Lakefield.

In addition to these supports, Peterborough County and the Township of Selwyn will be working together on an upcoming Social Media Campaign for Lakefield to Shop Local, Support Local, and Visit Local. This series will highlight local stores, community groups, and ongoing efforts while encouraging visitors to return and experience all that Lakefield has to offer.

To ensure continued collection services for businesses and tenants affected by the road closures, the following arrangements are in place:

• Business owners that back onto Charlotte Street must place their garbage and recycling on Charlotte Street.

• Businesses located on the corners of Queen Street can use the appropriate side street (Albert Street or Reid Street).

• All other businesses must take their garbage and recycling to the Reid Street end of Queen Street and place items on the inside of the road barricade (not on Reid Street itself).

The Townships asks to ensure containers are clearly marked with your address so they can be easily identified and returned after collection.

Two streetlights on Queen Street, immediately adjacent to the affected buildings, were removed during firefighting operations. These will be reinstalled once the demolition is complete. 

The Township extends sincere thanks to the demolition crews, emergency responders, Township staff, and community partners who continue to support Lakefield’s recovery efforts.

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Demolition Underway From Lakefield Home Hardware Fire Aftermath

Due to the extensive structural damage and urgent safety concerns, the Township of Selwyn has begun the demolition of the remaining Home Hardware structure from Thursday’s fire.

Photo courtesy of Selwyn Township.

The cause of the fire remains unknown; however, the fire is believed to have originated in an upper-floor apartment unit. No injuries were reported form the incident.

The Township made applications for demolition permits on Saturday, the Selwyn Building Department issued the permits the same day.

Material is being handled with a grappler and vibration impacts are not expected from the work. Dust will be minimal as the material remains saturated with water from firefighting activities according to the Township. The demolition is being directed by engineering professionals and supervised by Priestly staff from a boom truck stationed above the work site. The area is fenced off to ensure public safety. Queen Street from Albert Street to Reid Street and Burnham Street from Queen Street to Charlotte Street remain closed.

Businesses in Lakefield remain open, except for Lakefield IDA which has experienced significant water and smoke damage. The only parking available in downtown Lakefield is in the Municipal Parking Lot located beside The Village Inn. Customers will need to walk to access open businesses.

“This has been an incredibly difficult few days for the community of Lakefield,” said Mayor Sherry Senis. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these tragic events. We extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders, Township staff and community members who have shown such compassion and resilience during this challenging time.”

Community-based support initiatives are being organized by Century 21 United Realty, Canoe & Paddle, The Nutty Bean Café, Village Pet Food Supply, The Loon Restaurant and many others working directly with displaced residents and business owners.

Residents wishing to assist are encouraged to contact these local businesses directly for information on how they can contribute to ongoing support efforts.

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McDonnel Street at George Street to Experience Temporary Nightly Road Closures Starting Monday

McDonnel Street will be temporarily closed to through traffic at George Street nightly, starting Monday and continuing until Friday, Oct. 10, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.   

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The closure will allow for road resurfacing and the installation of a commemorative crosswalk.  

George Street will remain open to through traffic and may be reduced to one lane during various stages of construction. Posted detours will be in place.  

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McFarlane Street Bridge Closed Until Oct. 10 For Redecking

The McFarlane Street Bridge is closed to vehicular traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians for redecking starting Oct. 6 and will continue until 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, according to Parks Canada.

Google Maps Screenshot.

Detour signage has been posted for alternate routes.

Parks Canada recommends to cross at either Hunter Street East, Maria Street or Parkhill Road East during the closure.

Navigation will remain unaffected during this period.

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Section of Aylmer Street Temporarily Closed to Traffic Starting Monday

A section of Aylmer Street between Lake Street and Westcott Street will be temporarily closed to through traffic starting Monday until Oct. 3, for underground sewer replacement.  

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The following detours will be in place for vehicles and pedestrians: 

• Northbound traffic on Aylmer Street will detour west on Romaine Street, north on Park Street and east on Rink Street, continuing back to Aylmer Street. 

• Southbound traffic on Aylmer Street will detour east on Rink Street, south on George Street and west on Romaine Street, continuing back to Aylmer Street. 

• One sidewalk on the east or west side of Aylmer Street will remain open to pedestrians when servicing work impacts sidewalks. 

Access for local traffic in the construction area will be maintained. 

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City Seeking Public Input For Sherbrooke Street Roadway Reconstruction Project

The City of Peterborough invites the public for insight into the planned reconstruction of Sherbrooke Street from Glenforest Boulevard to the west City limit, with construction expected to start in 2028.  

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough

The project will include adding a centre turning lane, improving grading and sightlines, building sidewalks, as well as enhancing pedestrian and cycling amenities in a key corridor that connects the west end of the City to the downtown according to a press release. 

Residents are invited to view the project scope and plans, as well as additional project information and resources, and submit questions and feedback through the interactive features on the City’s community engagement hub.

The general goals of this project are to: 

• Improve traffic flow by constructing a centre two-way left-turn lane; 

• Improve the grading and sightlines for users travelling over the hill on Sherbrooke Street near Hywood Road;

• Improve access to commercial and residential properties within the corridor; 

• Add/improve pedestrian and cycling facilities, including the implementation of protected intersections and in-boulevard cycle tracks on both the north and south sides of the roadway. The Ontario Traffic Council's Protected Intersection Guidelines introduction is available in the "Documents and Drawings" section of the Connect Peterborough project page for more information regarding protected intersections.  

With the information collected through the Connect Peterborough question and comment engagement tool, the project team will review and consider all feedback, implementing changes to the project plans where feasible. The feedback period will close in November.

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Ontario Government Invests $878,878 For New Canadians For Training to Land Jobs In Trades Sector

The Ontario Government has invested $878,878 through the Skills Development Fund Training Stream to support new Canadians in Peterborough-Kawartha in acquiring skills for jobs in the construction industry, announced at Toromont Cat and Battlefield Equipment Rentals on Thursday.

Trainer Shawn Shaw (left) gives a lesson on heavy machinery to New Canadian students getting into the trades sector. Since its launch in 2021, Ontario’s Skills Development Fund has helped connect more than half a million job seekers with skills and training for careers. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This funding is a part of our broader effort to strengthen Ontario’s workforce, improve productivity, and protect workers from U.S. tariffs, according to David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

“Our government is protecting Ontario by investing in the tools, training, and resources needed to keep our workforce strong,” he said. “Through targeted funding, we’re strengthening our supply chains, growing a job-ready workforce, and building the foundation for a more self-reliant and productive province – one that can compete, deliver and win.”

The investment is made in partnership with Utimus, a business that aims to provide new Canadians with proper training to enter the workforce. Augmented by some online training and job resumé help, students can go through training as quickly as two to three weeks said Brian Macdonald, Utimus CEO.

“We have a number of partners and through those partners, we deliver both online and in-person training,” he explained. “In this case, we do heavy equipment training and some basic carpenter skills to get New Canadians into worksites as quickly as possible and ultimately careers in the skilled trades.”

The ‘Training New Canadians for Construction Jobs’ program aims to prepare newcomers to Canada to work in the construction sector in Eastern Ontario such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and other in-demand skilled trades said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP.

“By investing in new Canadians, we're not only helping them build a new life in Ontario but also addressing a critical labour shortage in the construction industry,” he said. “This funding will ensure that our newcomers have the skills to thrive and contribute to a stronger, more prosperous Ontario.”

@ptbo_canada The Ontario Government has invested $878,878 through the Skills Development Fund Training Stream to support new Canadians in Peterborough-Kawartha in acquiring skills for jobs in the construction industry. #ptbocanada #peterborough #journalism #news #fyp ♬ Trendsetter - Connor Price & Haviah Mighty

The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is open to a wide range of applicants, including employers, industry associations, labour unions, hospitals and more.

“We are training excellent people that are ready to go on your jobsite,” said Macdonald. “They've got the safety training, they've got basic skills, they're going to provide good labour so let's get them building.”

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Maria Street and Ashburnham Drive Westbound Lane Closed For Service Maintenance Until Friday

The westbound lane of Maria Street between Rogers Street and Ashburnham Drive will be closed to through traffic beginning Monday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The closure is necessary for underground service maintenance. Work is expected to be completed by Friday.

The eastbound lane will remain open throughout the construction period.  

Detour routes will be posted for westbound traffic.  

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Peterborough Transit Terminal Temporary Relocating Bus Stops Due to Construction

Due to construction at the downtown Peterborough Transit Terminal, all bus stops there for both departures and arrivals will temporarily relocate for the period from Aug. 5 to Sept. 5, announced on Monday. 

File Photo.

Screenshot.

Temporary signs will be posted at each of the new boarding locations. 

All routes will continue to operate on their regular schedules. Some routes will be required to make minor detours to their temporary stop locations. 

Upgrades to the downtown Transit Terminal will remove the requirement for the buses to reverse out of the pick-up and drop-off locations as recommended in the Transportation Master Plan, Transit Route Review and Long-term Growth Study. Construction is expected to take four weeks.

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Riverview Park & Zoo Train Closing Early Due to Pumphouse Rehabilitation Work

The Riverview Park and Zoo’s miniature train is operating until Aug. 4, as it will close for the season to accommodate rehabilitation work on the Water Street Pumphouse and Dam. 

File Photo.

The Dam will undergo construction work to address concrete deterioration and improve its infrastructure to further its long-term functionality. Construction work is expected to begin this summer.

The Miniature Train Ride crosses the dam as part of its route around the Zoo area. The train cannot safely cross the dam while it is under construction.  

The train operates daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Miniature Train Ride will reopen to visitors during the long weekend in May 2026.  

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