All the village is a stage: Grove Theatre in the spotlight
True north strong and free: Local residents thinking differently about the U.S.
Travel changes as local residents opt for Ottawa over New Jersey
REAL ESTATE UPDATE
SECOND QUARTER 2025
Author EVAN CONNOLLY REALTOR®
705.928.5604
Office 705.328.3800
birdhouserealty.ca
Political volatility and economic uncertainty have weighed on the spring housing market in 2025. Yet, despite these challenges, Canadians have been weathering the storm— both literally and metaphorically.
Elections, Tariffs and Bad Weather
Over the last year there has been a lot of political instability with recent elections in North America, Mexico and Europe.
Six quarters of growth: Canadian household net worth rose to $17.6T in Q1 2025 - Maria Solovieva, Economist, TD
The tariff moves aren’t surprising, as new leaders look to be bold in their first 100 days.
“Bank of Canada holds interest rate at 2.75% amid ‘unusual uncertainty’”CBC News
Once central banks have more clarity and politicians begin prioritizing economic stability, we’ll likely see a cooling of political tensions.
Locally, the prolonged winter and freak ice storm made the spring market less than ideal.
With warmer temperatures and, hopefully, a gradual lifting of tariffs, the housing market is poised to continue its recovery.
More Choice = More Buyers
Declining rates and rising inventory across all price points are giving buyers new reasons to feel optimistic and to take advantage.
Kawartha Lakes inventory climbed 16.8% Y/Y in May
Homeowners had been holding off on moving, with few listings to choose from and a large number of mortgages set to renew in 2025 and 2026.
National sales-to-new listing ratio at 47.0%, near weakest since 2009
- Robert Kavcic, Senior Economist, BMO
In today’s market, sellers are competing more aggressively on price than in recent years. If the listing price and photos don’t make a strong first impression, buyers simply scroll past.
Debt payments remained flat at 14.4% of disposable income in Q1
As listings increase and competition heats up among banks and sellers— while Canadians’ finances remain stable—we can expect sales to steadily pick up into 2026.
Alicia Stephenson TEAM MANAGER (Unlicensed) Patrick Lynch REALTOR®
Brad Bird BROKER OF RECORD Sherry Hansen REALTOR® Keith McDonald BROKER Evan Connolly REALTOR® Kari Kelsey REALTOR®
Karen Bird REALTOR®
Pent-up Demand to Fuel Canadian Housing Market Later in 2025
Source: CREA, TD Economics.
City of Kawartha Lakes
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President
Please send editorial inquiries to Roderick Benns at roderick@lindsayadvocate.ca or 705-341-1496.
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The Grove Theatre brings the magic both on stage and back stage.
Neighbourly love tested. Local residents rexamining their relationship to U.S. letters to the editor 6
Have time, will travel, but not necessarily south.
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Local residents on Sturgeon Lake showing their support for Canada.
Photo: Evan Aube.
to the editor
Put your phone away and make new friends
Thank you, Richard Gauder, for “A reflection on the lost art of conversation – and how to get it back,” (June Advocate cover story.) Thank you for putting into words what we all need to hear. As part of the 100 Men Kawartha Lakes group, I have noticed at our meetings there are several groups of guys who come to our meetings. As I wander about the room saying hi, I tend to migrate towards guys who might be new to the group or are sitting on their own. I learn so much about them by just asking a few questions and connecting with them.
You mentioned COVID in your article. One thing I noticed on our little dead-end street was people walking. We are fortunate that they had to walk past our house and I know we have made lifelong friends with neighbours we may never have met if they didn’t stop and chat on their daily walks.
I love that in small town Kawartha Lakes (we are in Fenelon Falls) people say hi on the street and often stop to chat. So phones in the pocket, say hi to those around you and make some new friends!
— Brad Campkin, Fenelon Falls
Great reads
Benns’ Belief (Nostalgia vs. Reflection, June Advocate) was a great read. As well, Benns’ reply to the letter “Better Humans Won’t Be Found by Embracing Artificial Intelligence” was also nicely written and logical.
— Heather and Bill Peter, Lindsay
The Advocate welcomes your letters. We do not publish anonymous letters unless it’s a matter of public importance and/or someone risks harm by writing us. We publish under strict guidelines & only if we can verify the person’s identity. Keep your letters to 200 words or less. Simply email roderick@lindsayadvocate.ca.
Dishwashers can still involve family time
This is in response to Brian Walsh’s letter regarding the column in the Advocate by Roderick Benns (Becoming a Better Human.) In his column, Benns argues artificial intelligence can save us time to free us up for other pasttimes, such as spending more time with each other. Walsh argues that technology rarely helps increase family time, and uses the dishwasher as an example, arguing that now families don’t have to spend time together in the kitchen after a meal.
I believe the dishwasher has made us better humans by saving us time that can be spent with our family. When our kids were little, they learned to scrape plates and load the dishwasher, a chore that was very helpful and appreciated. After a large meal, such as Christmas dinner, loading the dishwasher meant that no-one was stuck dealing with the mountain of dishes. I just think that Walsh may have a problem with the concept of dishwashers.
—
Maryon Allen, Lindsay
Bury the lines
In Ginny Colling’s column in the June Advocate, “Power to the people – please”, she makes several useful tips for reducing power outages, but she saves the real gem of wisdom to the last: “Now if they could only bury those power lines so the lights don’t go out during a storm.” Surely that should be a matter of high priority.
—
Carl Sweetman, Lindsay
Divison of Clarke Parts and Equipment Sales Inc.
Remembering Linden Mackey
When a life of service ends, a legacy begins
By Alison Steinsky
From the moment I first stepped through the doors of Mackey Funeral Home at 15, I had the privilege of meeting someone truly extraordinary — Linden S. Mackey.
Linden’s journey in funeral service began under the guidance of his father, Gordon Mackey, and uncle, James E. Mackey. Though he spent a brief time with Turner & Porter Funeral Homes, his heart led him back to Lindsay to carry on the Mackey family legacy as a third-generation owner, alongside his brother James G. Mackey.
Linden didn’t simply work in his community — he lived for it. He devoted his entire life to serving others with compassion, dignity, and unwavering kindness. Whether quietly shouldering grief for those who couldn’t carry it themselves or standing tall as a symbol of strength and reliability, Lindy was always there. His contributions were recognized through numerous awards, but it was his presence, not his accolades, that truly mattered to the people of Lindsay.
To the public, Linden was the face of Mackey Funeral Home and a pillar of grace and trust. To his staff, he was a teacher and protector, always ensuring we felt supported, appreciated, and heard. He led with humility and humour, and he carried a wisdom that only comes from decades of wholehearted service.
To me, Lindy was so much more than a mentor — he was my best friend, my safe place, and the person who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I arrived at Mackey’s unsure and timid, but Lindy gently guided me, offering both space to grow and a voice to be heard. He saw potential long before I could, and because of him, I am who I am today.
Linden leaves behind a legacy not just in the business he built, but in the lives he touched. I am honoured to be one of them.
Thank you, Lindy, for everything. Your love, your leadership, and your light will live on — in us.
Please, check on those you love. Hug them tight and tell them how you truly feel. Life is precious, and so are the people in it.
The Kawartha Art Gallery will be closed this July and August, in order to prepare for our move to a new location in the fall of 2025 at 19 Cambridge St S, Lindsay.
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Ford is right to bring Macdonald back into the light
By Roderick Benns Publisher
God knows I’ve disagreed with Premier Doug Ford on many things. His cancellation of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot. His obsession with building highways and tunnels. His overuse of the word ‘folks,’ if I were to get particularly granular.
But his plans this summer to lift the wooden box that is hiding Sir John A. Macdonald is not one of them. On this, he should be supported.
Historian Charlotte Gray, in the Globe and Mail, recently writes “in the past 20 years, Canadians have turned their backs on the past, preferring to tear down statues of Sir John A. Macdonald rather than explore his tangled legacy.” Or columnist Robyn Urback, in the same newspaper: “It’s taken five years, but finally we’ve realized that a proud country does not put its first prime minister in a box.”
It takes courage to own up to mistakes of the distant past, like residential schools. And it also takes courage to halt this social contagion of Macdonald bashing, being passed off as scholarly, liberal enlightenment.
Indeed. In Patrice Dutil’s new masterful microhistory: Sir John A. Macdonald & the Apocalyptic Year 1885, he points out the annihilation of Macdonald’s reputation began in 2015, the year of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its indictment of the Indian residential school system. No one I know of defends this unacceptable policy from 150 years ago.
As Roy MacSkimming points out in his review of Dutil’s new book on Macdonald in Canada’s History magazine, Macdonald’s name “has been expunged from schools, institutions, even a parkway in the nation’s capital.
Long honoured as the principal creator of Canada, Macdonald has been reduced to a non-person in his own country.”
As we celebrate Canada Day this month, that legacy deserves more balanced scrutiny than we’ve seen from school boards, academia, and in some government circles. Much of the trashing of Macdonald has been about the hunger Indigenous people faced in Canada’s vast northwest at a time when bison populations were in steep decline. And yet as Dutil shows, the first PM made unprecedented efforts to prevent starvation on the prairies, allocating as much money to food relief as his government spent on the entire justice system, despite strong opposition in Parliament.
This was a time when there was near unanimous belief that the white race –British in particular – was superior to all others. And yet race, as the author notes, hardly registered as of personal importance to our first PM. Macdonald believed that with exposure to culture and education, anyone could become a good British subject and integrate into a European-dominated society –a “racially enlightened perspective in 1885,” writes Dutil.
It takes courage to own up to mistakes of the distant past, like residential schools. And it also takes courage to halt this social contagion of Macdonald bashing, being passed off as scholarly, liberal enlightenment.
Unbox the statue of Macdonald. Have real conversations. The worst thing we can do to address a complex legacy is to choose simplistic answers, like tearing down statues. The nation we all seem ready to defend today against U.S. aggression is the same nation Macdonald spent his lifetime creating. The least we can do is to have a few elbows up on his behalf.
Kevin Forster (left) and Al Braatz rehearsing for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Show. The cast and crew spend weeks preparing for opening night. Photo: Geoff Coleman.
Anatomy of a play
Behind the scenes with an actor, a director, and a stage manager at The Grove Theatre
By Robyn Best
When the curtain rises on opening night, the audience is unaware of the hours of rehearsal that have been going on for weeks. And they might not fully grasp the amount of work going on behind the scenes during the show.
Al Braatz is spending his summer at The Grove Theatre to star as Buddy Holly in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.
For him, an important step in his morning is doing warmups. Not only does he do vocal warmups, but he also does hand, finger, and full-body exercises to be fully prepared for the day ahead. “It’s a full-body sport,” he said.
As rehearsals begin, Braatz starts each day getting an idea of what the cast and crew will be doing on that day, the scenes and songs they’ll be rehearsing, and then “we just jump right into music rehearsals and start jamming and trying to really make sure that everything is (really) tight.”
From there the band spends a few hours rehearsing, making sure they’re all in tune with each other and getting the sound just right. About halfway through the day, they break for lunch. “We have an hour to kind of decompress,” Braatz said.
To him, it’s more than just about being able to recite lines, it’s thinking about the intent behind every word and movement. “You have to understand the setting, and you have to understand your social status within all of that. And once you kind of know those things, then you can start really building your character.”
With that, the stakes become even higher when dealing with a real person. “Especially with Buddy Holly, he’s such an iconic role model, and…he was a pioneer in the music industry. He changed music for so many people,” Braatz explained, wanting to ensure he does the character justice.
To find someone who cares so much about a character like Braatz, you need a director who is adamant about finding the right person.
Sean Cox is not only the director of Buddy Holly, he’s also the artistic director and co-founder of The Grove. His job as director involves the important task of hiring the right peo-
ple to be the actors, designers, and people to be in charge of sets, lights, and sounds. Without a good crew, it’s hard to bring a show to life.
“I believe that it is my job to honour the playwright, to honour the material, and to make it accessible to the audience,” Cox said. The way he does this is by guiding and encouraging the performers to tell the story clearly to the audience in an enjoyable way.
Theatre is a uniquely rewarding medium for Cox, as no two performances are ever the same. Each show evolves, shaped by the audience, the weather, and the energy on stage.
“When we go into rehearsals, I have a very clear idea of the show, of how it works, and the staging, where the choreography is, the transitions and the lights and all that,” he said. Cox is able to be this prepared as he makes a model of the stage and uses action figures to represent the different roles on stage to help come up with clear staging and entrance and exits, ensuring there is always a good balance on stage.
During this time, he also likes to hear ideas from other people involved in the production, and he never says no to someone without at least trying an idea out first. “If somebody’s got an idea to do something different, I am very adaptable… As the director, it is my job to encourage the actors to make it their own.”
As Cox and Braatz are busy in rehearsals getting lines and cues performance-ready, stage manager Tracy Lynne Cann has a long list of responsibilities that are crucial to ensuring a show runs smoothly. From setting up rehearsal schedules, checking in with the director, and talking to production about all aspects of the show, including lights and prop placements.
“They call us the glue that holds everything together. We sort of have our hand in liaisoning with every department,”
she said. Her job starts about a week before the performers do “getting the band’s scores printed and getting and making sure that the band has everything they need.”
Throughout rehearsal she’s helping make notes with Cox and, in a show like Buddy Holly, is also fact-checking, taking charge of things like ensuring that the glasses Braatz wears on stage are correct to what Buddy Holly had, and that performers are singing the lyrics correctly. “If you’re off on the script by a word or two, it probably doesn’t matter, but if you’re off on your lyrics, somebody is going to call you out on it.”
While everyone goes home at the end of a long day, it doesn’t mean that the work is over. Braatz spends time going through his notes from every day, so that the next day he can come in and showcase his performance with improvements. He’s also taken the opportunity to study archived footage of Holly to get his movements down pat. Essentially, he must do homework every night.
Once the rehearsal stage has finished, the show is put through a tech period “where it basically becomes the stage manager’s show,” Cann said. Unlike in film production, once the show is ready to open the director is already moving on to the next show, leaving the stage manager in charge.
Contrary to most stage directors, Cox is fortunate enough to not have to bow out completely when a show opens. Instead, he turns his attention to his artistic director duties, which also allows him to enjoy the show. “I’m a theatregoer, and at the end of the day, I want to direct a show that I want to see…a show that I’m proud to show off.”
As opening night approaches the energy in the theatre shifts. Nerves are high, and all the hard work put in over the previous weeks is about to culminate with the audience seeing the performance for the first time.
On opening night, Braatz makes a point to stay close to the rest of the cast, ready to offer support if anyone needs to talk.
He also takes time to ground himself, saying, “I make sure I’m in my body and everything. I’ll sit in a chair for a good 15 minutes and just breathe and sigh, just kind of let out vocalizations and things like that.”
Once curtains are up, there are even more things Cann has to do to ensure a performance runs without difficulties. Stage managers oversee calling lighting and sound cues, they’re also on a headset with assistant stage managers (ASMs) to let them know when curtains are coming and when an actor should be entering. “It’s kind of like air traffic control,” she said.
More people are helping out behind the scenes than many realize. Alongside Cann are her ASMs, production assistants, wardrobe, a dedicated tech person backstage, a company manager, and a technical director.
While she’s busy helping run the show, she also must help her own crew make sure they have a routine backstage perfected, so everyone knows what they’re doing and aren’t running into each other. “It’s actually just as big as the performance on stage, and probably just as choreographed,” she said.
For her, seeing the show open to an audience is a cathartic moment, having spent so much work leading up to opening and just being able to sit back and enjoy it. “If we do a great job, nobody will know that we exist.”
By the time bows have been done, all thoughts turn to reflecting on the experience everyone just shared.
Theatre is a uniquely rewarding medium for Cox, as no two performances are ever the same. Each show evolves, shaped by the audience, the weather, and the energy on stage. “You watch your favourite movie today, it’s one thing. You watch it 20 years from now, it hasn’t changed. It’s the same, but a play or musical, it’s always different,” Cox explained. He finds great joy in witnessing that ever-changing magic, knowing that a show he helped bring to life transforms in its own way every single night. LA
(From left to right) Kevin Forster, Alex Panneton, Isaac Bell, and Al Braatz. The show opens on July 3. Photo: Geoff Coleman.
Safer Drug Supply Program causing concern for doctors in Lindsay and area
By Dr. Joan Dafoe, Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindsay
As a community ER physician, I recently provided care to a teenage boy who was brought by ambulance to our rural emergency department. This high school student almost died from an overdose when he ingested pills that he had purchased on the street. After the young man was resuscitated, he told us that he had bought a bottle of 30 tablets of Dilaudid 8 mg, wanting to use these “to get high.”
In 20 years of practicing medicine in this community, this is the first that I have ever seen Dilaudid 8 mg tablets prescribed to any patient.
In the past few years in our emergency department, we have learned from multiple patients that they are buying Dilaudid 8 mg tablets locally. This is an abnormally high dose of this med-
ication. Dilaudid, also known as hydromorphone, is an opioid/narcotic pain medication available by prescription. Patients suffering with cancer pain are often treated with Dilaudid 1 mg every six hours. A patient with a severe injury such as a broken femur might need Dilaudid 2 mg every six hours prior to surgery. In 20 years of practicing medicine in this community, this is the first that I have ever seen Dilaudid 8 mg tablets prescribed to any patient.
A single tablet of Dilaudid 8 mg could cause a person to overdose, leading them to stop breathing and die.
Considering that the family physicians, primary care NPs, surgeons, ER doctors, and palliative care doctors in our community do not ever prescribe Dilaudid 8 mg tablets, the question arises: how are bottles of these pills available to be purchased illegally on the street in our rural community? (Currently the street value of one Dilaudid tablet can be as low as 50 cents.)
It turns out that the likely source of these bottles of Dilaudid 8 mg tablets that are being sold to our teenagers is the “Safer Drug Supply Program” funded by the Canadian federal government. They state online that it is meant to help prevent overdoses, save lives, and connect people who use drugs to health and social services. Patients who have an addiction to fentanyl and are at high risk of overdose are provided with “prescription medication as a safer alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply.” The usual regimen for these patients is daily Kadian (which is a long-acting morphine tablet) along with Dilaudid 8 mg tablets. Patients are dispensed at least six tablets daily from the pharmacy (meaning they leave the pharmacy with a bottle of tablets). A single patient can be dispensed as many as 40 tablets daily from their pharmacy. Some of these patients are then selling the Dilaudid 8 mg tablets to have money to buy illegal fentanyl.
The reason the patients who are involved in this Safer Opiod Supply Program may be selling their Dilaudid 8 mg tablets is because the prescribed medication is not nearly adequate dosing to replace the amount of narcotic that they are getting from illicit fentanyl. The program may not actually be decreasing the frequency of fentanyl use for many of these patients, in which case it is not lowering their risk of overdose. We are seeing local evidence of high dose narcotics (Dilaudid 8mg tablets) available on the street because of this program.
The Safer Opiod Supply Program is based on a harm reduction initiative without peer-reviewed evidence or guidelines to support the model. The vulnerable members of our communities who are addicted to fentanyl need and deserve better care. They are marginalized within society and are often marginalized even within the health care system. Harm reduction models are an important part of the solution to the ongoing opioid crisis, along with such things as sublocade (a monthly injection with good evidence that it can reduce narcotic withdrawal symptoms and reduce fentanyl use, thereby reducing risk of overdose and death.) We need to be more open-minded and creative with our harm reduction solutions. We cannot run programs that potentially increase community risk overall.
The current Safer Drug Supply Program is unsafe for the patients involved and is unsafe for the community. There are already Safer Drug Supply Clinics in Oshawa and Peterborough. The New Dawn Medical group has been known to prescribe based on this Safer Drug Supply Program, and they have recently opened a virtual clinic in Lindsay.
10th
Anniversary
IN THE NAME OF LOVE
“The best part of Pride 2025 is seeing the new partnerships and support emerging in our community. We have been met with so much love while organizing our ongoing events throughout the year. This year we moved our Pride in the Park back to Victoria Park in Lindsay in honour of our 10th anniversary. It felt like the right move to return to where it all began! We hope to keep expanding our events to communities across all of Kawartha Lakes.”
—Rylee Rae, Kawartha Lakes Pride
Andrea and Robert Majkut of Fenelon Falls have developed an even stronger feeling toward their flag. Photo Geoff Coleman.
In all of us command
Elbows up patriotism strong across Kawartha Lakes
By Geoff Coleman
It seems there’s nothing that turns the heat up on Canadian pride like unexpected attacks by the leader of a historically friendly nation. Comments by the U.S. president in February galvanized this country and contributed to the highest voter turnout in more than 30 years for the recent federal election. And they contributed to a resurgence in national pride regardless of which political party one supported.
And, while it may be cliché to use hockey as a vehicle to talk about Canadian pride, it does seem to be at a level even greater than the 1972 Canada-Russia series, for those old enough to remember.
The attention given to the final game of Four Nations Cup tournament against the U.S. in February during the peak of the American president’s rhetoric, and the responses to the anthems underscored that renewed national pride. It came through as well in the recent Stanley Cup finals, when even casual hockey observers felt the need to see professional sports’ greatest trophy back in Canada. (DID OILERS WIN?)
And who would have ever thought Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers’ character from Saturday Night Live and the Wayne’s World movie) would have more influence in Canada than Wayne Gretzky by channeling Gretzky’s own hockey hero, “Mr. Elbows,” Gordie Howe?
This national-pride-manifested-through-hockey pattern is showing up closer to home, too, A few months ago, Lindsay downtown business owner, Steve Turner made a subtle change to his Sportsline Custom Wear store windows, in light of developments south of the border. Not everyone walking by will have noticed, but the team jerseys on display for window shopping are now always from Canadian teams.
“I had just heard enough from Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state. It’s easy to shrug it off when it’s a one-time joke, but he wouldn’t quit,” said Turner. “It was the lack of respect. I didn’t like the way he was talking down to me, and the rest of Canada.”
Steve Turner made a shift at his Sportsline store in downtown Lindsay to focus on more Canadian teams and more local content. Photo: Geoff Coleman.
He responded the way many Canadians have…by making changes to the way they shop, travel, and generally feel about the nation. Like many of us at the grocery store, when purchasing for his business, Turner has eliminated American suppliers wherever possible.
“It really hasn’t been that hard to avoid spending money in the U.S. I am conscious of buying Canadian. I get materials anywhere but the United States, and I ask sales representatives where they source their products,” explains Turner. He believes there has been a collective back-straightening within Canadian business since the federal elections in the U.S. and Canada, and the start of the tariff war. He mentioned a conversation with an American company’s salesman who called to ask why Turner had not placed any recent orders. When he explained it was a result of ongoing 51st state comments, the salesman told him that business owners across the country were saying the same thing, even suggesting that the only way they might buy from him was if the “Made in the USA” label was cut off the products.
He added that his suppliers have shown signs of responding to this pro-Canadian sentiment. For example, some foreign companies he deals with now operate warehouse facilities in Montreal and Vancouver instead of US cities like New York.
Fellow Lindsay resident Kathy Burge says she can’t remember a time in our history when national pride was more apparent. She pointed to a recent experience that signified there was a major upwelling of Canadian swagger. (Spoiler alert – it involved hockey.)
... business owners across the country were saying the same thing, even suggesting that the only way they might buy from him was if the “Made in the USA” label was cut off the products.
She and her husband Kevin were at an Ottawa Senators game and when the anthem began, “everyone was singing it. And not just quietly. Not mouthing the words. Enthusiastically. A huge unfurled Canadian flag gets passed hand over hand above the crowd during “Oh Canada!”, and I had never heard an audience sing so loudly.”
As snowbirds, Bev Moore and Greg McAdam who live near Coboconk, have enjoyed Florida hospitality for 20 years, and have always felt welcome. “Our friendships have not changed – they are as special to us as always, but the world around us has unfortunately changed. As of late – because
Steve Turner, Sportsline owner, standing in front of the local product display. Photo: Geoff Coleman.
of politics – the energy in Florida has shifted slightly. You can feel a negative energy…it’s something you just feel. So, when arriving back this spring, it was nice to feel the abundance of patriotism that we have found in Canada.”
Bev Moore says they have many good friends in Florida, and they have admired their patriotism. “So, as a musician coming back this spring, at my first gig I had a Canadian flag out front and truly was proud to do so. I believe it creates a unity and maybe I should have thought of hanging it before all this unrest, but better late than never. It is there with respect – not anger or vengeance – but pride in our beautiful country.”
Andrea and Robert Majkut of Fenelon Falls were even more removed geographically from the political situation in Canada this winter since they spent several months in Cambodia, but that did not prevent them from keeping up on events as they happened, thanks to internet service that was better than they have here.
“Although we were on the other side of the planet, when things went a little upside down for Canada, we felt every shock, surprise, insult, and sense of injustice being inflicted on Canadians from the government of our neighbours.”
Andrea went on to say, “It felt like a betrayal by a close friend and our initial instincts were exactly what Canada and Canadians rallied to do. We became unified for ourselves, for each other and for our country.”
Upon their return they did notice a sea change in Canadian esprit.
Specifically, the couple noticed more Canadian flags flying. “We really had a different feeling toward the flags since it was a more inclusive and united sentiment than some of the previous flag-flying sentiments during those initial COVID years.”
Flags are certainly on display in Fenelon Falls as the chamber of commerce organized their Maple Leaf – Mighty Heart initiative that called on businesses and residents to put up their Canada Day flags for the entire month of June instead of only on July 1.
Cross border bitterness for U.S. policy
While the Advocate was interviewing Steve Turner at his Kent Street shop, a young couple on vacation came in and bought two t-shirts. They were from Fort Frances, a northwestern Ontario town a stone’s throw from International Falls, Minnesota. As in all border towns, many residents there cross into the U.S. to shop for groceries, liquor and gas without a second thought. Or they used to. After the repeated comments by the president, Canadian dollars spent in International Falls were dammed to a trickle, according to the couple who didn’t want to be identified. Residents on both sides of the border felt the impact, just as both nations will if the tariff war continues, but Canadians seem ready to emerge from their big brother’s shadow and take a new step on the world stage.
As for Kathy and Kevin Burge, the Senators’ fans, they are in a unique situation since they have a son, daughterin-law, and grandson living in New York. The daughterin-law is an American citizen born to a Republican father and Democratic mother. Political conversations around the dinner table could easily go sideways, but she finds a mutual respect endures from the strong relationship the countries have historically enjoyed.
The same can be said of interactions with strangers. Upon learning they are visiting from Canada, they often hear apologies from Americans for how Canada is being treated.
One of the shirts the millennials bought at Sportsline in Lindsay was an “Elbows Up” t-shirt, and the other bore a more strongly worded message directed at the American president and designed in-house by Turner. It was going to be proudly given to a relative in Minnesota.
“We were greeted by the new energy and resolve to deal with these new challenges in a united and determined way. We felt, a ‘Ya, let’s do this,’ fists in the air, elbows up’ kind of energy and that is exactly how we felt while we were away. We were so glad to see it in action when we returned.”
“It’s like when we booed during the U.S. anthem at the Four Nations Cup,” said the young woman, bringing it all back to hockey. “We weren’t disrespecting the entire United States, we were just taking every opportunity to express our patriotism.” LA
Snowbirds Bev Moore and Greg McAdam, from Coboconk, have felt a bit more negative energy in Florida these days.
YOUR LOCAL LEGAL EXPERTS
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At WARDS LAWYERSPC, we recognize the emotional and mental toll that legal challenges can bring. That’s why we are committed to delivering tailored legal solutions, helping our clients navigate difficult times with confidence and clarity.
Rental bureaucracy blues
By Aliyah Mansur Contributor
Applying to rent an apartment in another country, especially a fast-paced big city, is probably one of the most emotionally dysregulating experiences one can voluntarily take part in. I cannot stress enough how big this hurdle can feel, especially to those of us who loathe having to “play the field” with different apartments; sending messages to multiple potential roommates, hoping to hear back from even one, and trying to coordinate house tours over video call. The process has all the worst aspects of online dating – frequent rejection, ghosting, and cat-fishing run rampant on SpareRoom (a popular app for finding roommates). Then, once you’ve finally been deemed sane, with the “right vibe,” you have to make it through the official rental application, sometimes at lightning speed if there are other applicants in the running.
I used to think that money talks, but some of these property management companies – abroad and at home –might as well be asking for your beating heart or first-born child. (Who are they anyway, Rumpelstiltskin?) Even if you offer a large sum upfront, they will demand an extraordinary amount of your private information. And I mean all of it. Your SIN, photo ID, months of bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns, your boss’ email and phone number, previous landlord reference, your landlord’s dog’s assessment of your character… and God forbid you must drag a guarantor into the fray. They’ll need to submit all their sensitive information too.
Now look, I understand that landlords have risks they take on as well, and it can be emotionally, mentally, and financially devastating to have
a tenant that’s not paying rent. But renters receive next to no information about their landlords. No evidence of repairs made in a timely manner, or history of evictions or infestations, no reviews from previous tenants, no financial documents that show whether the building is in a potentially risky collateral position or guarantees that they will not sell the property during your lease. Renters have to put the roof over their heads in the hands of a person they might not even get to meet.
Every week I hear the words “housing crisis,” either in the news or in casual conversation. And yet, the hoops renters need to jump through keep multiplying. People are generally trusting each other less, and it seems the housing systems are similarly mistrusting. Is it possible these intense bureaucratic processes are contributing to this feeling that we can’t trust our neighbour, without first reviewing their paper trail?
Overall, my own ordeal with finding a safe and clean apartment in the big apple seems to have worked out, but not before over a week of anxiety-tummy. Days spent hoping and praying that this time the extra documents have satisfied the insatiable beast that is property management firms.
I used to think that money talks, but some of these property management companies – abroad and at home – might as well be asking for your beating heart or first-born child. Follow Aliyah on Instagram @bigyaps
BUSINESS Today
PRI Engineering, a Lindsay-based business, opened a new asphalt laboratory in Peterborough last month. The facility supports the needs of asphalt contractors, municipalities, consultants and general contractors across the region by providing local access to essential quality control testing. The new asphalt lab is located at 768 The Kingsway, Peterborough.
ALEX MCLEOD JOINS RILEY FIRM
The Riley Divorce & Family Law Firm welcomes senior associate lawyer Alex McLeod to its team. McLeod brings more than a decade of experience and a respected reputation in family law, particularly in complex and high-conflict parenting and financial matters, according to a media release.
Known for his calm, confident, and practical approach, McLeod combines strong litigation skills with a deep understanding of alternative dispute resolution, always prioritizing client-focused results.
Alex McLeod is an active volunteer in the community.
A lifelong resident of Kawartha Lakes, McLeod lives in the community with his wife and three children. Outside the office, he is an active volunteer, supporting local sports, the arts, and initiatives for vulnerable populations.
“We are honoured to have Alex join The Riley Firm and look forward to the leadership and insight he brings to serving families across Ontario,” says Paul Riley, CEO.
NEW PROJECT TACKLES HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN KAWARTHA LAKES
By Robyn Best
The units can be placed in a variety of locations, like a backyard, if there’s enough land.
Launch Kawartha’s newest project, The Housing Innovation, is launching on July 24th. The goal of the innovation is to make housing more affordable and attainable.
“The idea is to rally the community in the region around what it is that we can do locally as it relates to housing and affordable housing,” said Corey Norman, executive director of Launch Kawartha.
Launch has been able to work with several partners. From 3D printers to drywall companies, it’s been a group effort to get this innovation off the ground. One company is Norsemen Modern Homes, where Aaron Young is helping to bring additional dwelling units (ADU) to Kawartha Lakes.
The units can be placed in a variety of locations, like a backyard, if there’s enough land. They can also be used “as an Airbnb, a rental unit, as secondary income. It fits so many different boxes,” Young said.
While those ordering these homes have to ensure the correct permits are in order, something Young’s team can also do, once it’s ordered it will take roughly 90 days for the ADU to arrive in Canada. From there, it takes 7-10 days to build.
The
goal is to help renters build financial stability and ultimately transition into homeownership.
During the shipping time, the crew is helping to prepare for the new dwelling. “While it’s on its way over here, we are preparing the foundation,” Young said, which could be making a concrete pad, or a basement where helical piers are screwed into the ground the house then sits on and is bolted to. “You have multiple options to be able to do this.”
Once the ADU arrives in Canada, “we either deliver it to you and do the job, or we can deliver it to you, and you do it yourself, or you can hire somebody to pick it up at our depot and deliver it yourself. So, we’re not telling you you have to use us from start to finish,” Young said.
Norman is hopeful these ADUs will make housing a more realistic option for many. Currently, if a house takes eight months and $800,000 to build, with The Housing Innovation the goal is to turn that into three months and $400,000.
“The goal really there is to increase the stock of housing, both here and across the country, that is at an affordable level achievable for the average person starting out work in a community but also achieves the goals of a developer who still needs to turn a profit to pay his employees and keep the business alive,” Norman said.
The Housing Innovation will also offer a program that pairs prospective homebuyers with an investor who purchases a property on their behalf. The individual then becomes a tenant for three years, during which they receive support to save for a down payment and attend credit counseling to improve their credit score. The goal is to help renters build financial stability and ultimately transition into homeownership.
Norman wants to help “individuals or families who would otherwise be renting without this kind of opportunity, now they’re able to get into homeownership.”
Young is looking forward to seeing just how far this project can go. “To have the backing of an organization that’s as powerful as (Launch), it speaks volumes as to where can we go and where this is (going to) lead,” he said. “We’re really looking to scale it out across the country.”
FORGING HER PATH
Local goldsmith finds support, success, and spark through Starter Company
Plus
By Robyn Best
Kyla Vitek saw a golden opportunity – and took it.
That is, when she moved to Pontypool right before the pandemic, she decided to put her skills to use as a goldsmith and open her own jewellery company.
To do so, she got some business help by becoming part of the fall cohort of Starter Company Plus, which helps businesses to start, expand and connect with local entrepreneurs. Those who are accepted receive access to training, mentorships and are eligible for a grant of up to $5,000.
Participants also develop a marketing plan for one year, create company policies and procedures, develop sales techniques, and have one-on-one monthly consultations for their first six months in the program.
Kyla Vitek, a local goldsmith, has launched a jewellery store from Pontypool. Photo: Robyn Best.
As owner of Kyla Vitek Jewellery, Vitek has spent the past two decades honing her goldsmithing skills, though her work was often used behind the scenes in other businesses.
In the past, she taught classes and was often helping with producing pieces like engagement rings and wedding bands. “I was always kind of doing my own designs, but not really promoting it as my own business,” she said.
She moved to Pontypool right before COVID and it “seemed like the opportunity to make a change.” Vitek realized goldsmith jobs weren’t exactly in demand in Kawartha Lakes, so she started to slowly get her business off the ground by “picking up the tools I needed, and then making stock.”
Vitek started going out to markets once pandemic protocols had been lifted. “I’m still figuring it out. Going to markets and introducing myself to people,” and that’s when another vendor at a market had mentioned Starter Company to Vitek. “Then Starter Company Plus came along, and I was like ‘yes, I would like some help.’”
While the project does come with a grant, to Vitek it’s about more than just that. “A huge part of wanting this wasn’t just the cash that was associated with it, it was the support, all the mentorship that comes along with it,” she said. They offer different Zoom meetings that teach the business owners a range of skills, from learning how to better market to financial tracking.
Starter Company has helped her to become more organized in what she’s doing, allowing Vitek to more easily develop a business plan and financial templates which “can be really intimidating.” They have to be completed in order to continue through the grant program. “And you get immediate feedback” as to whether something is being done properly. One thing that Starter Company has allowed her to do is go back to teaching, where she will soon be leading workshops out of her studio. When she first started working, she was a jewellery technician at OCAD, helping students with their work, and then she taught at George Brown
While the project does come with a grant, to Vitek the mentorship was appreciated. Photo: Robyn Best.
College. “I really missed (teaching). It’s kind of a solitary profession if you’re not working in a shop that has a bunch of jewellers.”
She was also able to invest in some more tools, like a rolling mill, which helps to thin out metals without ruining their integrity. “I got some of the things that I would need to be able to teach more easily.”
“A big part too, is that fact that somebody believes in you. There’s a team of people that believe in you enough to make you a part of this program,” Vitek said, adding that the validation of what she’s doing is rewarding.
Seeing the reactions of her clients when they receive custom-made pieces is why she loves her work. She finds satisfaction in being able to bring even the most creative requests to life. One customer requested a wedding band made out of puppy teeth (using molds of teeth, not real ones). “The way they were patterned into the ring, it wasn’t screaming teeth. But him and his partner know, and it was symbolic of their relationship.”
While her job is time-consuming, she loves being able to do everything by hand and is thankful that Starter Company has been able to help her grow her business. LA
A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO ZONING
By Clinton Edwards, senior designer at Hom Drafting and Design Inc.
Once zoning bylaws are understood, the next layer of thoughtful architectural design lies in aligning your project with the official plan of your municipality and region. While zoning governs the specifics — height, setbacks, and land use — the official plan outlines the long-term vision for growth, density, infrastructure, and sustainability. It reflects how a community intends to evolve over decades, and your structure must support that vision.
Designing within both the zoning bylaws and the official plan ensures your project doesn’t just comply — it contributes. For instance, a proposal in a designated intensification corridor may encourage greater density or mixed-use development, while rural or heritage zones may prioritize preservation and environmental protection. Ignoring these broader policies can lead to delays, rejections, or forced redesigns. Smart planning integrates municipal and regional objectives early in the process. It ensures that your design is not only feasible but also aligned with planning staff, community expectations, and council approvals. This proactive approach minimizes risk and maximizes value for developers, residents, and the broader community.
In architectural design, the question isn’t just “What can I build?” but also “What should I build here?” Respecting both the zoning and the official plan ensures your project stands on solid ground — legally, practically, and purposefully.
2025 KAWARTHA LAKES BUSINESS COUNT LAUNCHES
Kawartha Lakes has launched the 2025 Business Count Survey, in collaboration with local chambers of commerce and Lindsay Downtown BIA.
The Business Count Survey provides an in-depth understanding of the local economy to support business development and inform policies and programs. This is the survey’s fifth year, and participation has grown each year. In 2021, the Business Count canvased 262 business across Kawartha Lakes, 525 businesses in 2022, 672 businesses in 2023 and 762 businesses in 2024.
Building on the success of the last four survey years, the team is looking to expand the Business Count Survey this year by visiting more businesses in Kawartha Lakes’ downtowns, commercial and industrial areas. Businesses in these areas will be canvassed by in-person visits, phone calls or email until the end of July.
The Business Count Survey provides an in-depth understanding of the local economy to support business development and inform policies and programs.
This year’s count will be conducted by Colin MacKay, Jonah Neumann, Selina Linton and Rhys Walden, the Kawartha Lakes Business Count Survey team members. They will soon be joined by students from the chambers of commerce and BIA to help survey businesses across Kawartha Lakes.
Businesses are encouraged to take part in the survey to have their voices heard and help shape the future of our communities. All businesses located in Kawartha Lakes are invited to participate by filling out the online Business Count Survey, which can be found at kawarthalakes.ca.
The 2025 Business Count Insights Report will be available in early 2026.
Rhys Walden, Selina Linton, and Jonah Neumann are all summer students working on the city’s official business count.
2024 BUSINESS COUNT HIGHLIGHTS
The majority of data for the 2024 Business Count was collected from businesses in downtowns, commercial and industrial areas of Bobcaygeon, Coboconk-Norland, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, Omemee and Pontypool.
A total of 762 businesses and employment properties were surveyed in 2024. Highlights reported by these businesses are:
• Total Employment: 7,186 jobs
• Occupied Floor Space: Over 2.7 million square feet
• Independently Owned Businesses: 62 per cent of businesses surveyed
• Chamber of Commerce or BIA Membership: 48 per cent of businesses surveyed
• Business Expansion Plans: 11 per cent of businesses surveyed plan to expand their floor space
• Future Hiring Plans: 47 per cent of businesses surveyed plan to hire in the future
WHAT IS THE KAWARTHA LAKES BUSINESS COUNT?
The information collected through the Kawartha Lakes Business Count provides a snapshot of the Kawartha Lakes economy and provides improved regional employment and workforce data. It also assists in making informed decisions related to job and economic growth and enhances communication channels between businesses and the municipality.
Travel boycott to U.S. continues with Canadian and European destinations the main beneficiaries
Laurie Dillon-Schalk and her family were planning a weeklong trip to New Jersey to see a concert this summer – but those plans have been scrapped, and the family will instead be travelling to Ottawa for their summer holiday.
The Kawartha Lakes family’s change of plans isn’t due to typical past concerns, such as poor exchange rates or scheduling conflicts, but rather what Dillon-Schalk describes as regressive policies under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
“In recent months, we’ve become increasingly concerned about the direction of some U.S. policies – from the rollback of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives, to the removal of leaders from public institutions, to immigration actions like deporting international students with valid visas,” Dillon-Schalk told the Advocate.
“These actions raise serious concerns about the treatment of marginalized groups and the long-term health of public institutions. As a family that includes immigrants, first-generation Canadians, members of the LGBTQ+ community, scientists, educators and strong women, we felt it was a moment to pause.”
Dillon-Schalk and her family are among a growing number of Canadians who say they’re boycotting travel to the
By Deron Hamel
U.S. due to a myriad of reasons, including the ongoing trade war, safety at the U.S. border, Trump’s bizarre threats to make Canada the “51st state,” and aggressive policies aimed at marginalized citizens.
“The repeated, and frankly unexpected, ‘51st state’ comments didn’t cause our decision, but they did reinforce that now may be a time to show support for Canada and the many people who are feeling uncertain about where things are heading,” Dillon-Schalk said.
According to the most recent data released by Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians travelling to the U.S. by land and air was down significantly in May compared to a year ago. May marked the fourth consecutive month that saw a decline in return trips to Canada by Canadian residents.
The data, published June 10, shows there were 1.3 million Canadian resident return trips from the U.S. by automobile – a decline of 38 per cent from May 2024. Meanwhile, nearly 490,000 Canadian residents returned from the U.S. by air, down 24 per cent from one year previous.
Statistics Canada also reported that 1.1 million Canadians returned from overseas trips in May – an increase of 9.8 per cent compared to May 2024.
Cheryl McDonald, owner of Cruise Holidays Plus in Lindsay, said the travel agency is seeing an uptick in business lately, with many people planning holidays to Europe. Cruises in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean are top sellers, McDonald added.
McDonald said that Cruise Holidays doesn’t handle much U.S. travel, aside from Alaska cruises. However, she noted that there were a handful of cruise cancellations after Trump took office in January – even though those cruises had been booked prior to his inauguration.
The cancellations the agency did see were largely based on factors such as concerns about crossing the U.S. border, fear of harassment from U.S. citizens and overall anger at Trump’s aggressive policies towards Canada.
“The other opinion being expressed is that people have booked these bucket-list trips so far in advance, sometimes as a celebration of a milestone birthday or anniversary, and they aren’t willing to give Trump even more control over their lives by depriving them of a dream vacation,” McDonald said.
an businesses this summer, with 64 per cent saying they planned to travel within Canada in the upcoming months. According to the survey, 63 per cent of respondents said they will be researching shops, restaurants and attractions before planning their trips.
“It’s encouraging to hear that Canadians are planning to support local small businesses as part of their vacation plans this summer, as it helps both entrepreneurs and our local economies,” said Julia Kelly, TD’s vice-president of small business banking.
“It’s particularly welcome news, as many of our small business customers have been concerned about consumer spending slowing down.”
Although Dillon-Schalk and her family have enjoyed past holidays to the U.S. and have made American friends along the way, she said they do not plan to travel south of the border in the near future due to the political climate in the U.S.
“We see this as a longer-term shift – at least for the next few years,” she said. “That said, we hold a lot of affection for the U.S. and for the people we know there. They understand our decision and the values behind it, just as we respect theirs.”
Instead of travelling to the U.S. this summer, Dillon-Schalk said she and her family will be heading to Ottawa. The change of plans, she noted, has the added benefit of supporting Canadian businesses.
“We’ve always believed in supporting local – whether that’s shopping, giving or travelling,” Dillon-Schalk said. “We’re genuinely excited to enjoy what’s close to home and to support Canadian tourism and businesses.”
The results of a Canada-wide survey conducted by TD Bank Group and released in June show that 89 per cent of respondents said it was important to support small Canadi-
Laurie Dillon-Schalk, husband Andrew Schalk, along with their kids Lucy and Sam Schalk.
There is still time to join the 2025 Summer Reading Club. Register at any library branch and spend your summer exploring books, collecting fun prizes, and taking part in exciting weekly programs. From cactus rock painting to polar bear cookie decorating, frog keychains, rain sticks, and our immersive ocean experience complete with wave lighting and ocean sounds there’s something new to enjoy every week.
Don’t miss special guest events, such as Touch a Truck and Turtle Guardians. You can also enter to win cool prizes throughout the summer including a suitcase for your next big adventure!
Adults can join the summer fun too! Take part in our Adult Summer Reading Challenge and “travel the world” through books. Read titles from at least four different continents for a chance to win a travel-themed gift basket. All completed entries must be submitted by Saturday, September 6, 2025. Pick up a challenge sheet at any branch!
Planning a trip to the lake? Life jackets for kids and adults are available to borrow for up to 7 days from the following branches: Bobcaygeon, Coboconk, Dalton, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, and Norland. First come, first served, no holds.
Learn more: www.kawarthalakeslibrary.ca/lifejackets
All summer programs are free to attend. Visit www.kawarthalakeslibrary.ca for event listings, program details, and registration info.
Outer Layers
1 Feathered "tuxedo" wearer
8 Komodo dragon, for one
14 Wish that one could
15 "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" girl
16 Prepare for printing
17 Peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal
18 Have fingers crossed
19 Barcelona "bravo!"
20 Italian dish ___ buco
21 Circular gasket
23 Super Bowl highlights, for some
25 Gift tag words
26 Maiden name preceder
27 Like the word "please," to a tot
29 "That doesn't ___ thing"
31 "Let ___!" ("Go ahead!")
32 French farewell
33 Awareness blurbs on TV
36 "___ to see why" (skeptic's comment)
39 "Get away from my bone!"
40 Soothes, as to sleep
42 Done preparing
44 More competent
45 ___ Kramer (Seinfeld role)
46 "... ___ quit!" (ultimatum ender)
49 Covers in Cottonelle at Halloween
50 Thumbs-in-suspenders walk
52 Pin to a clothesline again
54 Cries of agony
56 Isn't anymore
57 Veal, in Val-d'Or
58 Players after atoms, in minor hockey
60 Back-of-the-book sections
63 Loosens a corset
64 "It's a bet!"
65 Coho or sockeye
66 Spiny anteater of Australia Down
1 Kipling's Kaa, for one
2 Milne moper
3 Diaper, to a Brit
4 The "G" of Roy G Biv
5 There are "deux" in 11
6 Suffix with graph or social
7 "We are ___ amused" (royal reply)
8 Having round sections, as the brain
9 Cause of an eruption?
10 Reset setting
11 Cape Breton novelist Macleod
12 Logical thinker
13 Beast at Drumheller's Royal Tyrrell Museum
15 Fragrant bush bloomer
19 Egg-bearing, as the eight "outer layers" of this crossword
22 Clock setting std. based in Eng.
23 Weekend lover's cry
24 Wee, to Robbie Burns
28 Paul's role in "Exodus"
30 A little "out there," as an indie film
31 Setting for Gilligan and crew
33 Duckbilled mammal of Australia
34 Court summons
35 "No problems to report"
37 Superlative suffix for hairy or airy
38 Escapee's run
41 CPP recipients
43 Palmes ___ (Cannes festival prize)
45 Crude-mannered
46 Cracked, as a bottle or book
47 Kept perusing an article
48 Crested chameleon kin
51 10 to 12-year-old
53 "The First Time ___ Saw Your Face"
55 Crawled along a lane?
59 Earthy prefix
60 Word from an agreeable Scot
61 Bugs Bunny addressee
62 "You don't even know that?!"
Ontario’s Bill 5
Growth, but at what cost?
By Moya Beall
Last year the City of Kawartha Lakes announced the osprey as its Official Bird. This wasn’t simply a catchy branding exercise. The designation celebrated the city’s vibrant natural heritage and the community’s own conservation efforts to help the bird’s populations rebound from dangerously low numbers. It expressed a commitment to conservation of our natural environment.
Who would have thought that one year later, this sort of commitment would be belittled as the concern of “radical environmentalists” by none other than Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford. This was his response to the opposition of a broad range of individuals and organizations to his government’s Bill 5.
Bill 5 is one of those omnibus bills that amends many pieces of legislation. This one amends environmental protection and assessment, and heritage
protection laws. It repeals the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and replaces it with a weaker law. It amends various laws to push energy, infrastructure and mining projects, regardless of environment, Indigenous, and community concerns. It conjures up “special economic zones” to drive growth at all costs.
Open season on endangered species
Similar to Donald Trump’s targeting of the U.S. Endangered Species Act as an impediment to development, Bill 5 will require decision-makers to include socio-economic considerations and the need for growth when considering protection of endangered species. Like Trump’s proposal to narrow the definition of “harm” and “habitat,” Bill 5 changes the ESA’s habitat definition to include only an endangered bird’s nest and immediate area. (More
than 100 conservation groups have written a letter opposing the Bill’s changes to the ESA.)
The Bill was drafted without consultation with the Indigenous communities.
If this was just a summary of the Bill’s impact on efforts to protect endangered species and improve biodiversity, that alone would be reason to jettison it. Unfortunately, there’s more.
“Special Economic Zones” - a power grab
Rather than spelling out what is actually meant by Special Economic Zones - which were not even mentioned in the recent Ontario election - the Bill lets a cabinet minister decide on the “designated projects” and who will be “trusted proponents” of these zones.
A protest by SCAN! Kawartha Lakes was recently held outside local MPP Laurie Scott’s office to oppose Bill 5, which was later passed by the provincial Conservative government.
It allows for these projects to be exempted from provincial laws and regulations and even municipal by-laws.
Much concern has been expressed about individual ministers or cabinet, rather than the entire government, making these sorts of decisions. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association described the Bill as a “power grab” that lets cabinet “do away with legal safeguards that protect vulnerable communities and Indigenous people, paving the way for corporations to bypass labour and environmental laws.”
The “Ring of Fire” in the treaty lands of the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario is a government priority for a Special Economic Zone, to mine critical minerals there. This is an area known to Indigenous peoples as “the Breathing Lands.” It is one of the largest carbon sinks in the world. The Bill was drafted without consultation with the Indigenous commu-
nities. After weeks of opposition from Indigenous leaders, Ford’s government announced it will amend the Bill to add the duty to consult with First Nations, but is forging ahead to pass the bill without actually meeting with these communities.
What could Bill 5 mean for communities like Kawartha Lakes, where preservation of nature and agricultural land are important concerns?
One example in the Bill is its treatment of the proposed expansion of the privately-owned Dresden landfill in the municipality of Chatham-Kent. While not actually designating it as a “special economic zone”, the Bill exempts the proposal from an environmental assessment. This erases the decision of Ford’s previous Environment Minister that there would indeed be one.
Is it a coincidence that the landfill’s owners, family members and people associated with their businesses have donated more than $200,000 to the Progressive Conservatives since they came to power in 2018? Who knows. But to say the people of Chatham-Kent are upset would be an understatement. (“I’m really pissed about this”, said the Chatham-Kent Mayor.) Understandably. The proposed expansion involves increasing the daily waste rate from 75 tonnes to 6000 tonnes, and moving operations to 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The Chatham-Kent Council unanimously passed a motion calling on the provincial government to reject the landfill’s application, or, at the very least, allow an environmental assessment to go ahead. So far, their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Could something like this happen here?
—Moya Beall is a member of SCAN! Kawartha
For peat’s sake
If you have a garden, you’ve probably used it. If you’ve been lucky enough to hike the three kilometre trail to Western Brook fjord in Newfoundland, you’ve walked over it.
Peat is something we typically don’t think much about unless we’re buying triple mix or compostable plant pots. But it’s getting more attention these days.
The province is pushing through legislation to, among other things, fast-track mineral mining in the Ring of Fire, about 500 km northeast of Thunder Bay. And that happens to be smack dab in the second largest peatland complex on the planet – the Hudson Bay Lowlands.
Peatlands, composed of mostly wet, decomposing sphagnum moss and other plants, store twice the carbon of all the world’s forests combined, says Pete Whittington, wetland researcher at Brandon University in Manitoba. Like wetlands everywhere, peat areas also reduce wildfire and flood risks, filter water and provide important habitat.
That garden peat we buy comes from the lowlands, the source of most of North America’s horticultural peat. It’s an area that stores 1.6 to two billion tonnes of carbon. To mine the stuff, soil must be drained, which exposes decaying vegetation, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. And that’s not something we need on a warming planet. The federal government restricts the amount of peat that can be mined. Extractors fund projects to restore peatlands, which take hundreds of years to form. Restoration work can cut that time down to 20 years. And Whittington is involved in research that could shrink that number even further.
But Ring of Fire mining is something else entirely. The province has been saying that the 5,000 square km area will be a “Special Economic Zone” where, to speed up the mining
process, projects could be exempted from provincial and municipal laws, bylaws and regulations. That includes ignoring environmental regulations.
The dilemma is something of a Solomon’s choice, made worse by the lack of guardrails. Here we have a mining industry wishing to extract critical minerals like chromite, cobalt, nickel, and copper for electric vehicle batteries and green technology. That technology could reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. On the other hand, mining in such an environmentally sensitive area will do major habitat damage, disrupt the flow of water in the Hudson Bay Lowlands and release considerably more carbon into the atmosphere.
Recognizing the importance of peat, England is gradually banning peat products, including bagged compost, between now and 2030. Other countries, like Ireland and Germany, are looking at reducing peat use. And Chile has banned peat extraction altogether.
In Canada, while no province has restricted peat products, some gardening and horticultural groups are urging members to consider peat-free products.
Suggested alternatives include coconut coir, the fibrous by-product of coconut processing in South Asia. Others include vermiculite from South Africa or perlite from Greece. While much better, like anything we buy they do come with environmental costs from production and shipping. Other actions include donating to groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada, or Nature Conservancy Canada. They work to preserve wetlands and peatlands. We also can push the province to set guardrails in that “Special Economic Zone” so that mining companies have to minimize the damage they do to the peatlands and include restoration efforts where they can. Not just for peat’s sake. For everyone’s sake.
Making tracks for Eldon Station
The recent rhetorical flourish about Canada becoming the 51st state, coupled with ongoing economic sabre-rattling from south of the border, have prompted Canadians to prioritize their own backyard when making travel plans this summer.
It was in this spirit that I recently pointed my bicycle northwest and made tracks for Eldon Station – now a lonely place located some 40 km northwest of Lindsay, but once a fairly bustling community situated midway between Kirkfield and Argyle on the old Canadian National Railway line.
I leave Lindsay shortly before 9 a.m. on a Wednesday. The sun is shining and, while rain is forecast for later in the day, it mercifully holds off while I zigzag my way into the depths of Eldon Township. Two and a half hours later, my left knee beginning to throb after pedalling up and down the gravel surface of Prospect Road, I reach my destination.
Greeting me at the intersection of Prospect and Eldon Station Roads is a snake – possibly a milk snake or fox snake – looking almost as sleepy as the little hamlet unfolding in front of me. For ever since CN took up its tracks in 1965, Eldon Station has largely faded into obscurity and today amounts to a small cluster of buildings both ancient and modern. A pair of new homes jostle for space among the still-surviving relics of an earlier age: the long-since deconsecrated church, the heavily altered general store, and a couple of farmhouses ensconced behind the ubiquitous and fragrant lilac bushes.
I turn left onto the hamlet’s namesake road and ease my bicycle to a stop in front of what was once St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Built around 1885 out of pale-coloured brick and sporting Gothic Revival windows on either side, it was by the 1920s doubling as a performance space for the Eldon Station Dramatic Club. On March 23, 1927, the club presented Home Acres, a three-act production by American playwright Arthur Lewis Tubbs, before a sold-out audience. Things had quieted down considerably between 1982 and 1989, when the Rev. Dr. Ron Wallace served as minister at Eldon Station. “The congregation was already in an advanced stage of decline and was only kept going because of the determined efforts of descendants of three pioneer families, the McInnis family, the Campbell family and the Imrie family, totalling seven members in all, who looked after the church building and property,” Wallace remembers. “During these last six years, there were only three services per year, one in the spring, one in the summer, and one in the fall – all of which were held at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon. The congregation took great pride in the fact that there was always 100% attendance at these services, with all seven members always present.
A vernacular farmhouse peeps out from behind blooming lilacs just west of “downtown” Eldon Station. Photo: Ian McKechnie
But as with many such buildings in the countryside, it has gained a new lease on life as a picturesque dwelling-place. “We were starting a family and wanted to raise our kids in the country,” recalls Jen Hardie, who with her husband have made Eldon Station home for the better part of the last 35 years. “We quickly fell in love with the old church and the surrounding area. Converting the church to a home has been a labour of love that 35 years later is still a labour!”
A short distance down the road from the church is the site of the railway station, which has been gone for more than 60 years. Cutting through the well-tilled fields immediately north of Eldon Station Road is the distinctive embankment on which the tracks of the Toronto & Nipissing Railway were first laid in 1872. One hundred years ago, Roy Forman shipped hogs from this station platform to points farther south, and local residents gathered here to bid adieu to sons and daughters who had pulled up roots to relocate elsewhere. Today, the only nod to the community’s receding railway heritage is a model locomotive mounted on top of a mailbox opposite the two-storey general store.
That store was once owned and operated by Wilfred Fleming, whose son Victor later ran the well-known general store in nearby Argyle. As was the case elsewhere, the store supplied local residents with
not only provisions but also a panoply of local gossip that invariably made its way into Lindsay’s papers. “The hustlers amongst the housewives of this community are joyously heralding the early spring by beginning the house cleaning,” remarked one nosy correspondent in 1927. “Some of the most enthusiastic have been caught raking their back gardens. This is confined to a very limited few.” Stories also abound of bootleggers that plied their trade around Eldon Station throughout the 1920s – but for other thirsty travellers, a refreshing bottle of pop from Fleming’s store would probably suffice. Speaking of refreshment, I check my phone and note that it’s almost noon. Lunchtime. Parking my bike just west of the wee hamlet, I find a shady spot in the long grass at the roadside and delve into a picnic lunch consisting of ham and roast beef sandwiches, some salted cashews, a pair of pastries, and a large carrot and apple – all washed down with a swig of Orange Crush. And as I eat, I ponder my long trip back to Lindsay. Hmmm. If only Eldon Station still had its station!
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Eldon Station, has been a private home for the past 35 years. Photo: Ian McKechnie.
Eldon Station storekeeper Wilfred Fleming (1878-1968) with his granddaughters Helen and Ruthie. Jane Veale collection.
Canada Day is every day
The time leading up to Canada Day felt a little different this year. The state of U.S.-Canada relations and the resultant buy-Canadian and boycott U.S. travel campaigns have, at least temporarily, highlighted the importance of asserting our national identity. It has almost seemed that every day is Canada Day lately. Normally it’s the obligatory fireworks on July 1, sporting events like the Olympics, and occasionally the NHL playoffs (sigh) that get us revved up nationally. But we seem more united. Well, most of us do.
It’s a shame that the Liberal campaign co-opted the ‘elbows up’ slogan in the last election. It was the perfect, hockey-themed slogan.
I don’t know if it’s still 40 per cent of Canadians aged 19-34 that said they would vote for annexation to the U.S. My hunch is that this number has receded a bit, but there is no doubt that the cohort of younger people is leaning differently than in the past. Centre and left-leaning parties ignore this fact at their peril. But we should all be concerned about that statistic.
And then there’s good ole’ Alberta. In a recent poll, 29 per cent of residents said they would vote for independence. Yeehaw! And there is always Quebec, bien sur, where the Parti Quebecois are surging provincially at the moment, returning the province to the historical Liberal-PQ battle.
It’s a shame that the Liberal campaign co-opted the ‘elbows up’ slogan in the last election. It was the perfect, hockey-themed slogan. It alluded to
By Trevor Hutchinson Contributing Editor
the fact that we can play tough. Even dirty, when forced to. By using it in the campaign, the Liberals made it forever partisan. In fact, some right-leaning people use it as a pejorative to ironically comment on a social problem. Perhaps sadly, it has become the new ‘blame Trudeau’ response in social media echo-chamber.
The drastic reduction of Canadians travelling to the U.S. has apparently affected some states that benefit from such tourism. But this might be as much related to the immigration stories emanating from down south as it is an expression of patriotism.
However, feelings of unity don’t sustain themselves forever. You will remember that we went from banging on pots in support of healthcare workers to angry protests in front of hospitals during the COVID years.
Saskatchewan and Alberta have already allowed American liquor back on their store shelves. And in the modern age, we aren’t very good at accepting inconveniences.
Will we continue to be steadfast in pro-Canadianness? It’s so hard to predict in these unprecedented times. Trade could normalize this month or more likely, the leader of our nearest and closest ally will continue to be, as the kids say, ‘cray cray.’
All I know is that I am cautiously enthused and strengthened by my fellow citizens. Not that I wake up every morning and haul out the red face paint and get all hyperventilated from balloon-blowing, but I am feeling the national love.
Of course, knowing that the Leafs will bring home the cup (next year) helps.
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OBITUARY
To place an ad in Marketplace, email Rebekah at rebekah@ lindsayadvocate.ca
William Junkin, 45, of Newmarket, passed away on June 13, 2025, after an almost two-year battle with cancer.
Born in Toronto, William grew up in Fenelon Falls. He was a licensed Professional Engineer and, with great strength and determination, earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering while undergoing intensive cancer treatment.
William Junkin, 45, of Newmarket, passed away on June 13, 2025, after an almost two-year battle with cancer.
William had a lifelong passion for hunting antiques, buying and selling fine art, and spending time with his family and close friends at his beloved farm in Fenelon Falls.
Born in Toronto, William grew up in Fenelon Falls. He was a licensed Professional Engineer and, with great strength and determination, earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering while undergoing intensive cancer treatment.
William had a lifelong passion for hunting antiques, buying and selling fine art, and spending time with his family and close friends at his beloved farm in Fenelon Falls.
He is survived by his wife, Deborah Gollob Junkin, and their daughter, Nellie; his mother, Sarah Junkin; his sister, Elizabeth Junkin-Fagan (James Fagan); and his two nieces and three nephews, whom he was proud to love. He was predeceased by his father, Roger Junkin (Nancy Brown). William will also be deeply missed by his several close aunts and cousins in England, his extended family members, and his friends and colleagues.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home, 524 Davis Dr, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y 2P3, 905-898-2100.
A Celebration of William’s life will take place on Sunday, June 29, 2025, from 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. at the Lindsay Golf & Country Club, 282 Lindsay Street South; Lindsay, Ontario, K9V 4R8.
He is survived by his wife, Deborah Gollob Junkin, and their daughter, Nellie; his mother, Sarah Junkin; his sister, Elizabeth Junkin-Fagan (James Fagan); and his two nieces and three nephews, whom he was proud to love. He was predeceased by his father, Roger Junkin (Nancy Brown). William will also be deeply missed by his several close aunts and cousins in England, his extended family members, and his friends and colleagues.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to William’s care team, especially Dr. Peter Anglin, Dr. Alicia Kassam, Luisa Balsamo, and all the dedicated staff at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre and Southlake Health. We are also deeply grateful for all the staff and volunteers at Margaret Bahen Hospice, where he received compassionate end-of-life care.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home, 524 Davis Dr, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y 2P3, 905-898-2100.
A Celebration of William’s life will take place on Sunday, June 29, 2025, from 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. at the Lindsay Golf & Country Club, 282 Lindsay Street South; Lindsay, Ontario, K9V 4R8.
Donations in William’s memory can be made to Margaret Bahen Hospice https://www.myhospice.ca/donate/ Taylor Funeral Home
The family extends heartfelt thanks to William’s care team, especially Dr. Peter Anglin, Dr. Alicia Kassam, Luisa Balsamo, and all the dedicated staff at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre and Southlake Health. We are also deeply grateful for all the staff and volunteers at Margaret Bahen Hospice, where he received compassionate end-of-life care.
Donations in William’s memory can William Junkin
William Junkin
MANUELA DRAGANIC moved to Lindsay in May 2024.
Lindsay Advocate: Why did you choose to move here?
DRAGANIC: To help with family.
Lindsay Advocate: What is your favourite thing about Kawartha Lakes so far?
DRAGANIC: I definitely love the fact that I can get around by myself, as I have a visual disability (except for the Angeline and Kent intersection which is quite dangerous). People are very helpful, and I love to walk in the trails. I also enjoy the Lindsay recreational centre, particularly the Zumba fitness class with two great ladies teaching it.
Lindsay Advocate: What are your favourite local restaurants or shops?
DRAGANIC: Kelsey’s, Kindred with the Monday walking group. Jo Anne’s great advice for natural products, Burns Bulk Food goodies. I love being able to get to the mall on my own. For the people that already know me, I’m a good walker around Lindsay, but the downside is that I used up a few white canes.
Lindsay Advocate: What do you think is missing from Kawartha Lakes?
DRAGANIC: Transportation out of Lindsay, guidance, activities and inclusivity for visual disabled people.
Lindsay Advocate: How were you involved in your previous community and how might you like to get involved in Kawartha Lakes?
DRAGANIC: Mainly guiding, creating activities and helping with inclusivity for visually impaired people. I’m presently in the process of becoming an advocate with the CNIB in Kawartha Lakes and area. This will help people like me to achieve their goals in their daily life and professionally and raise awareness among employers about inclusivity. Since, for this part, it has been a very rocky road for me. I really would love to make a difference. Finally, I would love to thrive in my profession as an Insurance Broker to offer my expertise in the best solutions according to everyone’s needs.
Are you new in town? If you moved to Kawartha Lakes within the past two years and want to be featured here, email us at info@lindsayadvocate.ca.
Photo: Sienna Frost.
WE UNDERSTAND
