Lansdowne Place Mall To Close Food Court For Dine-In As Of Wednesday

Lansdowne Place Mall announced on Tuesday that in accordance with the province’s new restrictions they will be operating at 50 per cent capacity and closing the food court for dine-in beginning Wednesday.

File Photo.

While indoor dining at the mall will be closed, take-out remains open.

Proof of vaccination is not required to shop at Lansdowne Place.

For more information, click here.

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Petes AAA Steve Richey Tournament Is Cancelled

In accordance with Mondays announcement from the Ontario government, which includes the closure of arenas, the Peterborough Petes AAA Steve Richey Tournament of Champions has been cancelled.

The Steve Richey Tournament is a premier AAA tournament.

In past years this tournament has drawn some of the top ranked AAA teams from Ontario and the US.

The tournament was originally scheduled for Jan. 13 -16. There has been no mention of rescheduling.

Beginning on Wednesday 12:01 am all arena facilities will be closed for a period of at least 21 days.

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Update On Municipal Services And Facilities Effective Wednesday

The City of Peterborough provides the following update on municipal services and facilities affected by the new provincial regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic that come into effect on Wednesday and lasting until at least Jan. 26.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

The City continues to encourage people to use online and phone options to access municipal services, where available, to reduce in-person interactions as part of efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Visit peterborough.ca for information on online services and contacts for by-phone services.

Services not listed below continue to operate under current conditions. For up-to-date information on municipal services affected by the COVID-19 pandemic visit peterborough.ca/covid19.

Arenas

As indoor recreation facilities, community arenas are closed effective January 5 under the provincial regulations.

COVID-19 vaccination clinics provided by Peterborough Public Health will remain operational at Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd. To book a vaccine appointment, please visit ontario.ca/covid.

The provincial direction provides an exemption for select professional and elite amateur sport leagues. The City is seeking clarity on the provincial regulations in terms of what they mean for the operation of the Peterborough Memorial Centre for the Peterborough Petes.

Art Gallery of Peterborough

The Art Gallery of Peterborough would be required to close under the updated provincial regulations; however, the gallery is already closed in January to accommodate lighting improvements to the main gallery space and the installation of new exhibitions.

Online programming will continue on Facebook (@AGPtbo), Twitter (@AGPtbo_) and Instagram (@AGPtbo_). Visit the Art Gallery’s website at www.agp.on.ca for digital programming, news and updates.

Outdoor recreation facilities

The provincial regulations allow outdoor recreation facilities to remain open with certain restrictions and public health measures in place. The City is reviewing the provincial regulations and will be consulting with Peterborough Public Health on the operation of outdoor recreation facilities.

Municipally-operated child care services

The municipally-operated before- and after-school child care programs at Edmison Heights Public School and at Westmount Public School will not operate during the Province’s closure of schools for in-person learning starting January 5. Should the municipally-operated school-age programs get approved by the Province to operate emergency child care services for school-age children, families will be notified.

The municipally-operated child care programs at Pearson Child Care Centre and Peterborough Day Care Centre remain open.

Peterborough Museum and Archives

The Peterborough Museum and Archives will be closed effective Jan. 5 until at least Jan. 31.

The museum gift shop is open for curbside pickup.

For details visit www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.ca or call 705-743-5180, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Peterborough Public Library

Under the provincial regulations, the capacity for visitors in the Peterborough Public Library will be limited to 50% effective Wednesday.

Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre

The Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre will be closed effective Wednesday.

Wellness Centre memberships will be placed on automatic hold beginning Wednesday. For further information regarding the Wellness Centre closure visit peterborough.ca/pswc.

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Viral Sensation "Coach" Cal to Appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The legacy of seven-year-old Internet sensation Callan Perks or “Coach Cal” continues as he will be a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing on Wednesday.

Callan Perks signed a one-day contract as the Peterborough Petes Next Gen head coach on Nov 28. Photo by Jenish Odigski.

Perks first came to stardom after giving a pre-game speech to the Peterborough Petes in their Next Gen game. The day allowed the children a chance to join the Petes hockey operations and entertainment staff and participate in their respective roles for a day.

Since the video went viral, Perks has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBC’s The National and picked up by TSN and the NHL.

Perks is a grade 2 student at Lakefield District Public School. He has skated since he was two and started playing hockey as a centreman when he was three.

His favourite NHL team is the Edmonton Oilers with Connor McDavid as his favourite player. The undefeated coach wants to be an NHL player when he grows up. Following his hockey-playing career, he wants to be a hockey coach or general manager.

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Local Veterinary Clinics Band Together During New Years Eve Emergency

Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital and Norwood Veterinary Clinic stepped in to take the pressure off Kawartha Veterinary Emergency Clinic, who had reached capacity and were forced to close their doors to pets that needed care, on New Year’s Eve.

Dr. Kristy Hiltz. Photo courtesy of Sherbrooke Heights Animal Clinic.

When Stacey MacPherson, a registered veterinary technician (RVT) at Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital, saw KVEC’s post on Facebook stating they were at capacity she knew she had to do something.

She sent a message in the SHAH group chat, and her co-workers felt the same.

Dr. Kristy Hiltz, SHAH, got in contact with KVAC and they quickly worked out a plan.

“Stacey said ‘What do we do? How can we help?’,” said Hiltz. “I said ‘If they ask us to take any patients, do we have anyone that would be willing to do that?’ and immediately I had another veterinarian and two technicians volunteer and say ‘we’re in.’.”

Within an hour of MacPherson bringing the problem to her co-workers attention, SHAH was open and ready to take on patients at 5:30 p.m.

“I was super proud of my staff. First of all that Stacey called it to our attention and for Dr. Sarah and Jill and Stacey for stepping up and coming in to work - even after working a full week. This was supposed to be their day off.”

Norwood Veterinary Clinic also stepped in to provide relief for KVAC. Dr. Hiltz notes that this is not the first time veterinarians in Norwood have offered help to other clinics.

“Kudos to Dr. Scott in Norwood. I will say this is not the first time she’s stepped up to offer help, just out of the goodness of her heart,” said Dr. Hiltz. “There’s definitely veterinarians out there who will see the greater need and respond to that need, and that’s what they did.”

Dr. Hiltz says that this emergency on New Year’s Eve highlighted the crisis going on in the veterinary world right now.

“This is a part of a really big crisis we’re seeing Canada-wide. We don’t have enough veterinarians or veterinary staff. The need, especially during COVID, increased dramatically and that just put so much pressure on people who are already over worked.”

She notes that mental health in those working in the industry in declining.

“We have veterinarians and support staff who are burning out, there’s an association now for suicide prevention in veterinarians and techs and that’s not a good thing.”

Dr. Hiltz does not have an immediate solution for the issues the veterinary world is facing right now. She says that the emergency on New Years Eve was resolved because of caring staff that were physically and mentally able to work, but that may not always be the case.

“People need to balance their physical and emotional health with the work that required. I think it’s mirroring what’s going on in human medicine. As much as we talk about a crisis in veterinary medicine and being over-worked, I think about the crisis they’re experiencing and my heart goes out to them. It’s hard to say no when someone needs help - whether it’s a person or a little furry creature.”

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Riverview Park And Zoo To Temporarily Close Monday In Response To COVID-19

Riverview Park And Zoo will close on Monday, they announced after the Ontario Government released new COVID-19 restrictions.

Photo courtesy of Riverview Park and Zoo.

In a social media post on Monday, zoo manager and curator Jim Moloney, said the zoo would close as COVID-19 cases surge and Ontario re-introduces the modified stage two restrictions.

The zoo re-opened in November, after being open for scheduled tours only since July. The zoo was completely closed to the public from March 2020 until then.

In the social media post, Moloney said “We’re disappointed to have to close again, and hope to welcome out visitors back soon.”

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Discarding Of Your Christmas Tree In Peterborough County

Curbside pick-up of Christmas trees in the City of Peterborough begins on Tuesday, while surrounding townships have different methods of disposal.

Peterborough

Residents of Peterborough are asked to leave their real, unwrapped, un-decorated trees in a visible area on the curb throughout January. There is no need to call for pick up.

Selwyn

Trees can be dropped off at 1275 County Road 24 (Centre line Smith) during daylight hours.

Douro

Trees can be dropped off at 713 County Road 4 during daylight hours.

Buckhorn

Trees can be dropped off at 2467 County Road 36 during daylight hours.

Havelock

Trees can be dropped off at 649 County Road 46 during daylight hours.

Millbrook

Trees can be dropped off at 1111 County Road 10 during daylight hours.

It is asked that all trees must have decorations and lights removed. Artificial trees will not be accepted.

The Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario suggest placing real Christmas trees in a backyard or garden, where it will provide winter shelter for birds.

They also suggest ‘decorating’ the tree with treats for birds and other wildlife such as orange slices, peanut butter spread on seed cones, or suet balls stuffed with sunflower seeds.

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Ontario Will Return To Modified Step Two On Wednesday

Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that Ontario will return to modified step two, on Wednesday.

Screenshot.

The new restrictions will take place for at least 21 days.

Students and school staff will move to online learning until at least Jan. 17. School buildings will be allowed to remain open for child-care operations, and to provide instruction for students with special education needs who are unable to learn at home.

New measures include:

• Closure of indoor dining. Takeout, drive through and delivery are still allowed.

• Closing indoor, gyms, theatres, concert venues, theatres, cinemas, museums, galleries and zoos

• Limiting indoor social gatherings to five people and outdoor gatherings to 10, and 50 per cent capacity limit for weddings, funerals, religious services and retail settings.

• Capacity limits for personal care services, including hair and nail salons, will be cut to 50 per cent.

• Outdoor settings will be allowed to stay open with restrictions and limited to 50 per cent capacity.

• Hospitals must pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries.

• Businesses and organizations are required to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.

"The immediate goal of these measures will be to blunt the latest wave so we can ease the pressure on our hospitals," Premier Ford said. "We face a tsunami of new cases in the days and weeks ahead."

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Peterborough Regional Health Centre Welcomes The First Baby Of 2022

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) welcomed the first baby of 2022 on Jan. 1.

Photo courtesy of PRHC.

Cruz Elliot Eby was born at 2 a.m. on Saturday and weighed seven pounds, three ounces.

Cruz is welcomed by parents Leanne and Shaun and two older brothers, Anderson and Maxwell.

Mom and Dad expressed thanks to Dr. Dr. Vanek and Sam (RN) for the care they received while at PRHC.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Peterborough and Kawartha Chamber of Commerce

PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

For Stu Harrison’s first column of the year, he wanted to focus on one story, the merger and consolidation of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce.

The merger talks were triggered by the retirement of the General Manager of the Kawartha Chamber, Sherry Boyce-Found, who has skillfully managed the Kawartha Chamber for nearly 20 years. She not only retired in July and again in December but Sherry is likely still tying up loose ends today! Hats off to you Sherry!

As the Boards of both organizations considered all of the various aspects of a possible merger, it became obvious that a consolidated Chamber would be much stronger in a number of ways.

Nine full-time staff, working in both the Peterborough and Lakefield offices, representing over 1000 local businesses in the City and County, will continue to deliver on three fundamental promises; Influence, through our lobbying efforts at every level of government to help create the conditions for growth and improve the competitiveness of the business community. Profile, helping local businesses find new clients and partnerships through marketing and promotion. Knowledge, helping local businesses with training on business fundamentals and navigating the maze of Government supports, rules and regulations and to get us to the other side of this Pandemic.

The new Chamber will also continue to operate the ServiceOntario office in Lakefield with five staff ready to help.

In the next few weeks and months, you will see the roll-out of a new brand, consolidated social media channels, a new website and some exciting new programming and services.

If you are in business in the City or County of Peterborough, I hope you’ll take a look at the new Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce. For now, peterboroughchamber.ca or kawarthachamber.ca

 “Like” StoosNews page on Facebook here!

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