Age-friendly Peterborough Community Engagement Survey Now Open

The City of Peterborough is seeking public input on an update to the Age-friendly Peterborough Community Action Plan. The Community Engagement Survey is directed at older adults (ages 50+) who reside in the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation, and Hiawatha First Nation.

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The purpose of the survey is to receive community input and information to gauge how age-friendly the Peterborough region is today and how to make it more age-friendly in the future. The results will be incorporated into the new Community Action Plan for 2023-2025.

The first Age-friendly Peterborough Community Action Plan was launched in 2017 as a guide for Peterborough to become a thriving region that is inclusive, respectful, and accessible to people of all ages and abilities. The goals of the plan are to ensure that older adults have their basic needs met, are able to get around the community, are supported to build relationships, and have the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute.

“The 2017 AFP Plan identified a clear path forward to enhance programs, services, and infrastructure to support healthy aging,” said Keith Riel, Chair of the Age-friendly Peterborough Advisory Committee, “It is important that we hear from older adults so we can incorporate their current needs into the new Community Action Plan.”

The survey can be found on the City’s public engagement website, Connect Peterborough at www.connectptbo.ca/age-friendly, along with the 2017 Community Action Plan, the 2020 Impact Report, and plans for additional public engagement opportunities.

The survey will be available until May 31.

Paper copies of the survey are available at Community Care offices and libraries. If you require assistance completing the survey or would like to request it in an alternative format, please call 705-748-8830 ext. 3624.

More information about Age-friendly Peterborough can be found at www.peterborough.ca/aging.

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Voice of Business: Provincial Election Priorities

With the Ontario provincial election coming up in a little over a month, it’s time to look at what the priorities are for the business community.

No matter what the political leanings of a party are — the business community will play an important role in our province’s economic rebound.

When it comes to elections, the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce is strictly non-partisan. We believe in advocating for local businesses and welcome the support of all parties and candidates in progressing policy that will build, support and provide opportunities for the local business community to thrive.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce put together a four-point plan called Vote Prosperity which lays out the priorities of chambers of commerce and boards of trade for all parties across the province.

The four pillars are:

1. Improve Business Confidence and Predictability

Predictability is fundamental to business confidence, economic recovery and prosperity. Businesses need a stable policy environment with clear timelines, contracts, consultations, and strategies to help them plan for the future and make long-term investments. Given the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, Ontario must also bolster its pandemic preparedness in response to ongoing and future threats.

2. Foster Business and Economic Growth 

The dual economic and public health crises of the past two years have left many businesses and households in Ontario with record levels of debt and financial instability. Pro-growth measures for business will fuel economic recovery. Ontario will need to focus on actions that support business access to the capital, markets and talent that they need to grow.

3. Build Resilient Communities

A strong economy is built by healthy and resilient communities. Ontario will need to address challenges within our health care system, the ongoing impacts of climate change, access to housing, municipalities’ fiscal capacity to support regional economies and infrastructure deficits.

4. Support Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Ontarians’ entrepreneurial spirit is one of the province’s greatest competitive advantages. Ontario will need to foster an environment that encourages new business ideas and investments to boost productivity and create the jobs of tomorrow.

Whoever forms our next government will have some difficult decisions to make. The last couple of years have been incredibly challenging but how we decide to invest in moving forward will have big implications for years to come. Key investments to drive our competitiveness include workforce development and training, immigration, technology, infrastructure, and clean energy. We need to look at removing unnecessary barriers to growth like outdated regulations, an inefficient tax system, obstacles to interprovincial trade and labour mobility.

Our next government is going to have to balance post-pandemic priorities that include our overstretched health care system, supporting key sectors and demographics that have been disproportionately impacted, fiscal pressures from an aging population, supply chain disruptions, and record-high inflation.

Ontario’s next government has a big job ahead of it. We’re asking all parties and candidates to listen to their local businesses and the needs and opportunities they’re presenting as a key component to building Ontario into the province we want it to become.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Cross Cut Exhibit at Lang Pioneer Village Museum Celebrates Rural Ontario Folk Songs

Lang Pioneer Village Museum is hosting a new exhibition entitled Cross Cut: Traditional Ontario Folk Songs Revisited from May 24 to June 4 in the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building (PCAHB).

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An opening reception launching a songbook, double CD and exhibition under the title “Cross Cut” will be taking place on May 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the PCAHB with artist Rob Niezen, Dr. Allan Kirby and a performance by traditional music group Backwoodsmen.

Musician and music historian Dr. Allan Kirby, visual artist Rob Niezen and traditional music group Backwoodsmen selected and revisited just shy of two dozen folk songs from rural Ontario. They created contemporary arrangements and adapted lyrics, resulting in a double CD and an illustrated songbook.

The songbook presents the songs with lyrics and chord progressions, an introduction by Dr. Allan Kirby, and Rob Niezen’s linocuts reflecting on the narrative of the songs with a contemporary perspective by applying the concept of ‘crosscutting’

As part of the exhibit, Lang Pioneer Village Museum will be hosting “Artist on Site” days with Rob Niezen from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 30, May 24 and June 4. Neizen will be at Lang Pioneer Village Museum to discuss the Cross Cut exhibit and display his linocuts.

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Council for Persons With Disabilities Launch Inaugural Capable Con

In an effort to promote inclusivity and the community for living, learning, playing and working equally, the Council for Persons With Disabilities (CPD) has launched its inaugural one-day event ‘Capable Con’ on Tuesday.

(From left to right) Jason King, CPD volunteer; Zaun, King’s guide dog; Rachel Quilty, CPD digital marketing and event facilitator; Mariah Yee, CPD communications coordinator; Andrea Dodsworth, CPD chair; Leslie Yee, CPD vice-chair and Akira, Leslie’s guide dog. They are all joined by superheroes The Capable Crew that were unveiled during the launch. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This inaugural event is scheduled for June 4 — the final day of AccessAbility Week — from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. outside the VentureNorth building. The free event is designed to create open, healthy dialogues about disabilities and accessibility.

“Disability is not one thing; it is interconnected to everything,” Leslie Yee, CPD Vice-chair. Every person will have a disability at some point in their lives.”

The first-ever convention features a variety of all-age events:

• Interactive and inclusive games

• Virtual reality simulators

• Scavenger hunts

• Board games

• Pokémon Trading Card Game tournament for beginners

• All-Day stage entertainment

• Draw prizes

In February, CPD received $26,340 in funding for their simulation software as part of their Time In My Shoes Program. The virtual reality experience allows people to experience the daily challenges many face through realistic simulation.

Simulations range from getting groceries while vision-impaired, navigating a street in a wheelchair and more.

(From left to right) Hearing Loss Hero, Samantha Aurel; Amputee Hero; Bionica Bot, Vision Loss Hero, Traveler and Scout; Twin Autism Heroes, The Power Pals and Wheelchair Hero (currently unnamed). The Capable Crew are fictional characters created as superheroes turning their disabilities into superhero powers. Photo courtesy of CPD.

The unveiling of ‘The Capable Crew’ occurred at the launch. They are a group of fictional superheroes that serve as ambassadors for the event. Each superhero uses their disability as a superpower. They were illustrated by Mariah Yee, CPD communications coordinator.

“We hope this creates a more inclusive and celebratory environment,” said Mariah.

Mariah Yee with her illustrations of The Power Pals, two superheroes who have autism. Yee has been drawing ever since she was at a young age. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

CPD encourages anyone to come including those who are able-bodied. The experience is supposed to educate others and bring awareness of disabilities in a fun and enjoyable manner.

"At some point in your life, you might have to rely on a pair of glasses or possibly a mobility aid as you progress throughout life or injury," said Rachel Quilty, CPD digital marketing and event facilitator. "Coming to Capable Con is just an opportunity to learn about different types of disabilities and types of accessibly in our community all while having fun."

The Capable Crew provides representation for those who never had any before. Quilty grew up with no left forearm or hand. She says her life would have been different if someone like Bionica Bot of the Capable Crew —a superhero with a lost limb — was publicly portrayed.

“If I grew up and saw her on a poster or on a TV show or in my school on a life-size cutout, I promise I would have had a different trajectory in my life,” said Quilty. “I think that having a Capable Crew in full form is a way to show children who are different that different is okay.”

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Teacher Jen Deck Introduced as NDP Candidate For Peterborough-Kawartha In Provincial Election

Teacher Jen Deck joins the NDP for the Ontario Provincial Election as she was introduced by party leader Andrea Horwath at the Peterborough Lift Lock Tuesday afternoon.

Jen Deck (left) with her dog Niko (middle) and NDP leader Andrea Horwarth (right) at the Peterborough Lift Lock. Horwath toured the Peterborough Tour Guild following the announcement. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Deck will be chosen as the NDP’s candidate for Peterborough-Kawartha at a nomination meeting this Thursday.

"We need change now," she said after being introduced. "The system has failed us. Covid has taught us that we need to in our public services, in our healthcare, in our public education so that we can survive the bumps in the road."

LIVE - Excited to be in Peterborough welcoming education leader Jen Deck as our NDP candidate in Peterborough—Kawartha! Together, we'll start fixing what matters most so folks can build their best lives. #onpoli https://t.co/PdCbrUwqtN

— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) April 26, 2022

Deck has been a teacher for 19 years in Peterborough. She has taught the Young Mom’s Program at Peterborough Alternative & Continuing Education; Medically Fragile Learning and Life, Science and Family Studies at Crestwood Secondary School and served as president of the Elementary Occasional Teachers.

"Education was poorly funded going into the Covid pandemic," said Deck. "Our classes are overcrowded, we do not have enough support staff to help deal with dysregulation.

With her experience in the classroom, Deck has made education a priority if elected.

“We have students who struggle to regulate their behaviour more so now after Covid, after two years of chaos but this was in place before that,” she said. “This was a problem. We need more teachers, we need more education staff, we need to fund public education and we can't be playing with this idea of moving to vouchers or some kind of privatized education system because it will fail everyone."

Deck addressed healthcare and caring for small and medium businesses as other major areas of focus.

She will run against the following candidates for the June 2 election:

• MPP Dave Smith, incumbent Progressive Conservative Party

• Greg Dempsey, Liberal Party

• Robert Gibson, Green Party

• Tom Marazzo, Ontario Party

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Ontario Government Announces 128 New Long Term Care Beds Coming To New Home In Havelock

The Ontario government is allocating 128 new beds to a new long-term care home in Havelock, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the Office of Dave Smith.

This is part of the government’s $6.4 billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new long-term care beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded beds across the province.

The Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen will seek proponents who are interested in developing and operating the long-term care home on municipally owned land in 2022.

“The people of Havelock have waited far too long for a long-term care centre. The previous sole source deal had no reasonable prospect of being built,” said MPP Dave Smith. “Today, we are taking measures so that Havelock is in control of the long-term care home that they deserve. They can choose the best fit for their community instead of being told who they had to use. They can choose a provider who will get it built.”

Typically, those wishing to operate long-term care homes submit applications through the call-for-applications process. In this case, working with Havelock, the Ministry is allocating the 128 beds prior to the town identifying a licensee. Once the town selects an operator for the proposed home, the ministry will review the project in the same manner as all other applications.

There are now 539 new and 357 upgraded long-term care beds that are in development or under construction in the Peterborough area, including the following projects:

• 84 new and 172 upgraded beds at Extendicare – Peterborough

• 68 new and 124 upgraded beds at OMNI – Riverview Manor

• 35 new and 61 upgraded beds at Pleasant Meadow LTC

• 224 new beds at PeopleCare – Peterborough

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Peterborough Thunder U15 Girls Volleyball Team Takes Home Silver At Provincial Championship

The Peterborough Thunder U15 Girls volleyball team took home silver at The Ontario Volleyball Association Provincial Championships last weekend.

Photo L-R: Back Row: Cam Morley (Coach), Brynn Millitz, Lara Cottam, Ella Tanna (C), Stella Holbrook, Jess Gascon (Assistant Coach) Front Row: Charlotte Watson, Madigan Murray, Charley Jopling, Clare Lodgins. Photo courtesy of Alida Gorizzan.

The team competed in Division 4, which they entered in 10th place, and were ultimately ranked second amongst the 16 teams within that division.

They won 6 out of their 9 matches over the weekend and made it to the gold-medal final on Sunday however lost after fighting through 3 sets to to Toronto-based team Phoenix Inferno.

“The coaches were instrumental in their success and proud of this result with a team who only had a few months together to train and prepare with a late start due to the pandemic,” said team manager Alida Gorizzan.

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Doors Open Peterborough Is Back After Two Years Of Virtual Events

After two years presenting virtually, Doors Open Peterborough is welcoming visitors into buildings once again, on May 7.

Inside PCVS. Photo courtesy of Doors Open Peterborough.

This annual, free event gives gives the community a chance to see inside buildings not normally open to the public.

On May 7, five buildings will open to the public and three walking tours will be offered. This year’s event is being sponsored by the Peterborough & Kawarthas Association of Realtors (PKAR).

“PKAR is sponsoring Doors Open because we value the opportunity for our community to discover hidden architectural gems, be inspired by our heritage and to see behind some doors that are rarely open to the public,” said Kate Kidd, PKAR president.

The theme of this years event is “design and adaptive reuse”, buildings included will be  Y Lofts, Peterborough Collegiate, Peterborough Theatre Guild, King George Public School and the Peterborough Museum and Archives. 

Themes for the walking tours include the 1916 Quaker Oats fire and explosion; the repurposing of buildings in the block at the top of Hunter Street East; and the civic buildings surrounding Confederation Square.

Most sites will require visitors to wear masks while exploring the interiors.

For more information, visit the Doors Open Peterborough web page: www.doorsopenontario.on.ca/peterborough. An interactive map of the sites is also available: http://maps.peterborough.ca/DOP2022.

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Otonabee Conservation Releases First Ever Climate Change Report Card

Otonabee Conservation has released their first ever ‘Climate Change Report Card’, one year after publishing their Climate Change Strategy.

File Photo.

The Otonabee Conservation Climate Change Strategy includes four goals, to Educate, Adapt, Mitigate, and Implement.

This report card tracks the Conservation Authority’s annual progress of implementing the Climate Change Strategy, tracking it’s goals and provides examples of the actions taken in 2021.

Highlights from the 2021 report card include the adoption of paperless practices including online forms for Hunting Permits, Property Inquiries, and Clean Water Act Notice Applications, and completion of an emissions inventory.

To view the full Climate Change Report Card click here.

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Brian MacDonald Of Peterborough Theatre Guild Reflects On Performers Hard Work Leading Up To The Debut Of 'Annie'

After postponing ‘Annie’ for two years, Peterborough Theatre Guild is set to start it’s week-long performance on Friday, at Showplace.

Brian MacDonald is the musical director and also plays the role of Rooster in the musical. Photo by Luke Best.

While initially slated to run May 2020, the Theatre Guild has had to put Annie on hold since then due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Brian MacDonald, music director and actor in the show, says they have been rehearsing on and off, whenever restrictions would allow it, since then.

“It’s almost surreal, this has been a two and a half year process,” said MacDonald. “Knowing we’re going to have an audience, it becomes real in our minds. There’s a sense of urgency now that just wasn’t there before.”

He notes that most shows take about three months, from auditions to the presentation, and that this is by far the longest ‘rehearsal’ period he has been a part of.

“The one thing you don’t get during a quick rehearsal schedule, is you don’t get to fully know the cast, so we’ve definitely taken advantage of that.”

MacDonald says that while the cast and crew have grown close, they’ve also had to switch roles for various reasons.

Due to the nature of the musical Annie, many cast members are portrayed by children. Having auditioned over two years ago, some of them just don’t fit the role any more, says MacDonald.

“Voices can change so quick, we’ve found that some of our little sopranos have matured into having a beautiful, young-adult, lower voice.”

Now, less than a week away from presentation, MacDonald says he and the cast are excited to finally be able to share their production with an audience.

“Having an audience to be able to interact with, and to be able to have their reactions - that’s the last piece of this puzzle.”

MacDonald notes how supportive Peterborough is of the arts community, and how lucky he and the performers are to have that.

“There are no words to describe the arts community in Peterborough,” he said. “There’s been many times I’ve left Peterborough , but I’ve always came back. It’s a beacon here. There’s just such a community here. The theatre community is somewhere we can go, where we can learn and where we can play. It’s an experience you just can’t get anywhere else.”

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