The Lindsay Advocate - August 2024

High interest, high anxiety for homeowners

Birds of a feather: Avian pastime a joy for many

School boundaries are a line in the sand for many parents

Champagne Champagne

Pearls &Pearls &

November 16th, 2024

Victoria Park Armoury

Early Bird Tickets: $155

After Oct 16th: $175

SOUND SOLUTIONS FOR A CLEAR TOMORROW

As your locally owned clinic for almost three decades, Lindsay Ear Clinic is dedicated to serving Kawartha Lakes and Bobcaygeon. Our audiologists provide personalized solutions for hearing issues, vertigo, tinnitus, and advanced earwax concerns. Being independent allows us to prioritize your well-being with cutting-edge hearing aid technologies.

Your story is our priority, we’re here for you!

Having on-site audiologists is essential for personalized hearing care. We provide regular check-ups, tailored treatment plans, and care to enhance your overall well-being. Our dedicated professionals at Lindsay Ear Clinic ensure your hearing health journey is prioritized and personalized.

& Thursdays 9 AM - 5 PM Hearing Tests & Hearing Aids • Dizzy & Balance Assessments • Tinnitus Management • Wax Removal • Assistive Listening Devices

Measha Brueggergosman-Lee

More

Lubin & More

Big Sugar

September 6, 2024

The Jim Cuddy Band Sunday, September 8, 2024

Actors: Zoë O’Connor as Little Red & Gabriel Macdonald as Wolf & Jennifer Harding, Michael Cox and Geordie Brown in A Musical Tribute to Elton John � Storey Wilkins Photographer Alessia Urbani Costume Designer • Chris Malkowski Lighting Designer • Geordie Brown Music Director

MISSION

Fireside Publishing House is the premier print media company in Kawartha Lakes through its family of magazines and all-local weekly newspaper. We believe that community-based media can bring people together and change lives for the better through the power of storytelling, reflecting local culture, and creating informed and engaged citizens. Our commitment is to deliver high-quality and relevant content that reflects the diverse voices and experiences of our communities. We believe in the transformative power of local media to inspire, educate, and empower.

Publisher: Roderick Benns

Editor/Business Development: Rebekah McCracken

City Editor: Ian McKechnie

Contributing Editor: Trevor Hutchinson

Contributors:

Keely Ross, Simon Ward, Lisa Hart, Sarah Fournier, Geoff Coleman, Naresh James, Ginny Colling

Art Direction + Design: Barton Creative Co., Christina Dedes

Photographers: Sienna Frost

Web Developer: Kimberly Durrant

Printed By: Maracle Inc.

Cover image: Michelle Bassie Brown gets her camera ready to spot some birds in Ken Reid Conservation Area. Photo: Sienna Frost.

Please send editorial inquiries to Roderick Benns at roderick@lindsayadvocate.ca or by calling 705-341-1496.

Home owners feeling the pinch with high interest rates. feature 14 cover 20

Birding is a tried and true peaceful hobby.

School boundaries are changing as Lindsay grows.

OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLOWING MATCH. OCT. 1ST TO 5TH, 2024

Please send advertising inquiries to Rebekah McCracken at rebekah@lindsayadvocate. ca or by calling 705-328-5188, or to Cara Baycroft at 905-431-4638. letters to the editor 6 • city notes 9 • benns’ belief 11 agree to disagree 13 • cool tips for a hot planet 37 just in time 40 • KL public library 42 the marketplace 45 • trevor’s take 46 • every issue •

In 1855, The Lindsay Advocate was the very first newspaper in town. Now, more than a century and a half later, we have been proud to carry on that tradition in our city since 2018. As your local ‘paper of record‘ in magazine format, we take this responsibility seriously. Thank you for putting your trust in us as we work with you to strengthen our community.

A black tern in Kawartha Lakes.

Photo: Teresa Middleton.

to the editor

Can we avoid government to get things done?

In the July edition of the Advocate, the letters section featured four essays from local residents who were critical of their public services and one who appreciated the knee replacement she received from Ross Memorial Hospital.

In ‘Say cheese and vote,’ Trevor Hutchison expressed a similar mix of appreciation and criticism for local politicians who get their photo ops at summer fairs and similar public gatherings.

Last Tuesday, I attended a Trent Lakes Council meeting arranged to receive public feedback on a proposed bylaw for short term rentals. This project in its fourth year of deliberation, and counting, with no end in sight.

With all this criticism for public services, is there a better way to get things done without reflexively turning to politicians and public institutions which inevitably result in higher taxes and more complaints about the effectiveness of the services they fund?

— Gene Balfour, Fenelon

Falls

Indigenous representation would be nice at LEX

Wishing for Indigenous representation at this year’s fall Lindsay Exhibition (LEX). Music, dance, food, clothing, story telling, and history. And invite the stars of the new hit television show (on APTN) about a travelling food truck, “Pow Wow Chow,” to treat us to their unique Indigenous meals, at the LEX food court.

The LEX, which brings so much joy, and makes me wish every day was a fair day, is in desperate need of freshening. And a new bright logo, too.

— Terry Orton, Oakwood

“A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.”

— Marshall McLuhan

Love for Play Stay Live

Just saw the Play Stay Live magazine. It’s terrific. Love the format, the cover art and the layout. It’s substantial and very slick. Nice work.

— Bud Pierce, Fenelon Falls

I got a copy of your new publication – Play Stay Live: The Insider’s Guide to Loving Life in Kawartha Lakes. I found it to be extremely informative, so much information on things I didn’t know about. Very well put together. I loved the highlights, such as some of the comments about shopping at the farmer’s market. I am not a farmer, but I do support them and yes, I am glad you brought it to the public’s attention. I have given lots of copies to non-residents of Kawartha Lakes. The magazine has something for everyone. Okay, so more traffic!

— Eva Molnar, Lindsay

Being a large geographic municipality, Play Stay Live does a great job of underlining the unique character of each of our downtowns and communities. Readers can certainly see there are many things to do and discover in Kawartha Lakes!

Highlighting our biggest employers in the public and private sector on page 13 is a great resource for newcomers looking for job opportunities, and for businesses to see the success companies have experienced in Kawartha Lakes. As our community grows, we expect to see many more young families. The “Kids stuff” showcased on page 23 does a great job of portraying Kawartha Lakes as a family-friendly place to live.

— Rebecca Mustard, manager, economic development, City of Kawartha Lakes

Send us your thoughts to be featured here!

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. Simply email roderick@lindsayadvocate.ca. Keep your letters to 200 words or less.

Flight might be a life-long dream realized for many

Have you ever dreamed of being suspended above the hustle and bustle of everyday life in towns and cities, looking down, unaffected by the noisy traffic, then, drifting over the picturesque countryside enjoying the rolling hills, lakes and lush greenery?

This is the pleasant vista provided when flying in an aircraft over our wonderful Canadian landscape. Ever since I knew what an aircraft was, I wanted to be at the controls.

Before meeting the love of my life, I began taking flying lessons and was hooked. With acquired ratings and experience, we had the exquisite pleasure and ability to fly to distant locations for lunch or dinner or stay over for a tour around a new city or town.

I am retired now, with no affiliation to any for profit aviation business. I simply want to say to enjoy this incredible experience, one only needs to go to your local airport and request a sightseeing trip. (A half hour should do it.)

The pilot should be able to offer you some running commentary on what you are looking at, below, when he or she is not busy communicating on the radio for the obvious safety of all concerned.

Be assured that safety is the watchword, as the mechanical integrity of the machine is federally regulated with complete inspections every 50 hours of flighttime.

Whether your interest is in a private pilot license or a career in the military, aviation opens up a sky full of adventure.

— Jim Baldwin, Omemee

Is this city policy for the birds?

I am responding to the city’s remarks regarding Teresa Messina’s letter to the editor (City warns woman not to feed the squirrels in her backyard, July Advocate.)

When I read the response to Messina’s letter from Aaron Sloan, manager, municipal law enforcement and licensing, and knowing how much Messina has enjoyed the presence of squirrel buddies and how they have helped to relieve her anxiety and depression, I was shocked by his warning: “If wild animals are conditioned to depend on a human for food, they turn away from foraging and when the food source diminishes or the human changes their feeding habit, the animal is less likely to survive.”

Why then, does the city allow people to feed birds? Many people have bird feeders in their backyards. All birds are in fact wildlife. Why is there no concern that birds will be conditioned to depend on humans? Sloan should look around at the numerous new subdivisions and tell me where the naturally available food, water and shelter is in those backyards.

Perhaps Messina could put a few bird feeders out in her yard. Squirrels are notorious for helping themselves at bird feeders and then she can continue to enjoy her squirrel buddies and some new bird buddies – or would she be obliged to call the police to report theft?

— Heather Muir, Woodville

Call Me Maud exhibit at City Hall

The Kawartha Lakes Economic Development – Curatorial Services is holding the ‘Call Me Maud’ exhibit to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery is best known for her novel series Anne of Green Gables.

“Attendees are invited to trace Montgomery’s remarkable journey from her early years in Atlantic Canada to her surprising connection to Kawartha Lakes. Discover the spirit of Montgomery’s life and literary contributions in this unique showcase,” says Courtney Boyd, communications, advertising and marketing officer with Kawartha Lakes.

The exhibit is located on the second floor of City Hall at 26 Francis St., Lindsay, from July 23 to November 29. It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free of charge.

Safe Return policy being offered through local funeral home

Since 2016, MacKinnon & Bowes – a Toronto-based firm specializing in support services for the funeral industry – has been offering a safe return policy through funeral homes such as those operated by Linden Mackey and Alison Lynch in Lindsay.

What is a safe return policy? If someone dies more than 100 km away from home, this Safe Return Assistance Plan covers the costs of the body’s return. It is a lifetime plan in which there are no other fees beyond the initial payment. With one phone call to have the family member returned from anywhere to their home address, clients get professional funeral care to make the arrangements. Noting the reputation of MacKinnon & Bowes, Mackey says, “You do not deal with an insurance company; you deal with the company that is responsible for the repatriation of Canadian Armed Forces.” For more information, call Mackey Funeral Home at 705-328-2721 or visit mackeys.ca.

Senior Fest returns to Adelaide Place Aug. 15

Adelaide Place is hosting its annual Senior Fest on Aug. 15, 2024. From 1:30 p.m. through 4:00 p.m., residents, families, and friends are invited to the retirement home at 81 Albert Street South to enjoy live entertainment, a BBQ, a silent auction, and more. Tours of the facility are scheduled to run at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Visit adelaideplace.com for more information.

The Comfort Zone marks 30 years in business

With its iconic yellow signage, The Comfort Zone has been a local landmark for 30 years. Opened on Aug. 1, 1994, in downtown Lindsay, the business began with a 1,200 square foot store and expanded to 8,000 square feet with the purchase of its 5 Lindsay Street South location 17 years ago. “My wife Michelle and I have met so many wonderful people over the years,” says proprietor Steve Yates. “We moved our residence from Peterborough to Lindsay over 20 years ago. We have seen many mattress and furniture stores come and go over the years, and are proud of our store now celebrating its 30th anniversary. We are also proud of the huge number of customer referrals and repeat customers.”

Got news in your village? Email Ian McKechnie, city editor, at advocatecityeditor@gmail.com

Steve and Michelle Yates of The Comfort Zone. Photo: Sienna Frost.

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Fireside Publishing House to take

the

reins of Kawartha Lakes Weekly newspaper

The local publishing house responsible for The Lindsay Advocate and several other high-end glossy magazines is now in the newspaper business.

Fireside Publishing House Ltd. is taking over Kawartha Lakes Weekly, a newsprint publication delivered with Post Media flyers to 25,000 homes across Kawartha Lakes and available for pickup at many locations. The paper was started by Pamela VanMeer (known then as Kawartha Weekly) in February with a real estate focus and some local news at the back.

Fireside has reimagined the publication as a traditional community newspaper, with a news-first approach. The focus will be on city news, local sports, business, the arts, events, and the many interesting people who live in the city.

The real estate section will return to the centre of the paper, and a classified page and obituaries will be immediately included.

“This is what the community has been missing,” says Roderick Benns, publisher of Fireside. “We always hear ‘I love the Advocate, but I still miss the weekly paper.’ This area has a strong print readership culture, and we aim to give the people what they want.”

Benns says it’s also going to help advertisers because people will be more inclined to pick it up and read it, “so everyone wins.”

Kawartha Lakes Weekly will be the only all-local newspaper in the city.

In addition to The Lindsay Advocate – celebrating its 75th consecutive issue this month – Fireside also publishes The Business Advocate, Kawartha Social, and Play Stay Live: An Insider’s Guide to Loving Life in Kawartha Lakes. Online news is available at lindsayadvocate.ca

Since its inception in 2017, The Lindsay Advocate has won New Business of the Year and has twice won Media Excellence through the Lindsay Chamber. It has also won an innovation award through Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation.

A mockup of the new Kawartha Lakes Weekly newspaper from Fireside Publishing House.

Lack of riverside patios a missed opportunity

By Roderick Benns Publisher

It always pays to venture outside of one’s hometown to see how other urban areas work. There’s nothing better than comparing, contrasting and reflecting on what we do well and where we need improvement.

Spending a few days in Kingston this summer was illuminating in several ways. While I have visited the city many times, I had never made a point of staying to really get a sense of how the city organizes itself.

If you have been there, you know the harbourfront is gorgeous, fashioned by limestone, sailboats, olden times, and tourism. This is a happenstance of geography and history in the former capital of Canada, and so cannot be replicated.

Patio life is everywhere in Kingston, whether overlooking the water or in the bustling downtown. Trendy cafes, family restaurants, breakfast nooks resplendent with foliage – all of them busy with the hum of urban life.

But even allowing for scale differences (Kingston being about five times larger than Lindsay) does not explain the utter famine of comparable riverside patio life here in town.

Here we are, nearly halfway through another summer, and the only place to grab a beer remotely close to the river is the local legion – and I’m not going to count it for obvious reasons. This is an urban planning scandal for a town located in the Kawartha Region. You can bet many newcomers here are thinking the same thing, let alone those of us who have called it home for years. It is a failure of will and imagination of successive councils.

We have a dynamite looking downtown now (with a missed opportu-

nity to have made it more pedestrian-friendly), with beautiful wide sidewalks, amazing shops, and one decent-sized patio on Kent Street, at the Olympia Restaurant. On Cambridge Street, the Pie Eyed Monk has worked hard to energize patio life. Further down the same street, Needful Things is trying to do some innovative things to create a culture of inside-meets-outside. Kindred Café is a hot spot in the downtown core and yet it doesn’t have a green light to pull off a bigger patio, owing to municipal rules.

But even allowing for scale differences (Kingston being about five times larger than Lindsay) does not explain the utter famine of comparable riverside patio life here in town.

If we are going to become a rural-meets-urban kind of destination, then the rules need to change, and the urban part of our town needs a lot more cultivation and definition. Our boardwalk is delightful, and our freshly revamped Rotary trail is welcoming. But where are the eateries and cafes with outdoor options that bring people together and help forge a sense of community?

We also need people living in our downtown – the entrepreneurs, the families, and the dreamers. And yet to get that we are fighting against a prevailing and reflexive North American tendency toward home ownership as the Holy Grail of how to live. But that’s another column.

LEX and plowing match need our support

The Lindsay Exhibition (LEX) and the International Plowing Match (IPM) are coming up this Fall. The LEX is scheduled for Sept. 14 to 22 while the IPM runs from Oct. 1 to 5. Both events will be held at the Lindsay Fairgrounds.

The LEX is a fall highlight that local residents look forward to every year. With its rides, food, and entertainment it’s a great spot to spend a day. The LEX also has over 15 agricultural competitions to enter. While they attract around 45,000 people who attend each year, they need more than 300 volunteers to make it happen.

The IPM is the go-to event to appreciate rural living and agriculture, something very important in this area. This year they will have plowing competitions, horse and tractor plowing, live entertainment, wagon tours, food, and an RV park. They’re expecting more than 70,000 people to make their way to Kawartha Lakes to attend. With an event this big it would be impossible without the help of volunteers and business partners.

There are so many reasons to support these great initiatives in our communities. These include:

Promotion of Agriculture

The Lindsay Agricultural Society (LAS), which organizes the LEX, was formed to encourage an awareness of agriculture and promote improvements in the quality of life of persons living in the local agricultural community. The IPM just underscores how important agriculture is here.

Community Engagement

It’s a great opportunity for community members to come together, engage with each other, and support local businesses.

Educational Opportunities

The LEX and IPM provide platforms for agricultural competitions, promoting learning and appreciation for agriculture.

Support Local Economy

By attracting visitors and promoting local vendors, the LEX helps stimulate the local economy.

These are incredible initiatives that deserve our community’s support this fall.

• spotlight letter

Silver Lights is a ‘one of a kind’ home

The Advocate is a good source of information and I look forward to picking up a copy each month. After reading Tammy Adams’ letter to the Advocate where she expresses “deep concern” over the lack of support and follow through from the various municipal, local and government heads towards Silver Lights Senior Services, Lindsay, which Adams is owner, I’m saddened deeply.

My family and I have a loved one who is a resident of care at Silver Lights. Having experienced in the past few months the lack of care and respect given to our loved one while in a Toronto institution (which was on many an occasion deplorable) I am now beyond grateful to experience the care and kindness, support and respect given to our loved one since June this year.

Silver Lights is truly a one of a kind home for those living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. It’s a place with a heart.

— Zarina Decambra, Lindsay

Agree to Disagree

Star Trek is the world we wish for

In this case, the headline says it all. Star Trek is the world we wish for – and Star Wars is the world we want to avoid at all costs. Star Wars is about…war. Star Trek is about exploring, forging new partnerships, and imagining the world as it could be.

The Star Wars mythos is chaotic in nature, a dystopian mix of Donald Trump, Vladmir Putin and The Hunger Games. It’s an exploding meth lab compared to Trek’s hard-fought paradise.

Star Trek certainly has conflict, but only in the service of preserving a world we would all want to live in. Trek engages viewers intellectually, with episodes that present moral dilemmas, complex characters, and thought-provoking situations. As viewers, we are invited to think about deeper questions. It asks that we think more critically about the world we all share.

My musical friend would have you believe Star Wars is thrilling and it’s hard to deny that. But that’s just it – Star Wars is pretty much just a fantasy shoot-em-up. Star Trek has had incredible scientific impact, predicting cell phones, tablets, touchscreens, Bluetooth, and universal translators, among other inventions. On a cultural level, Trek has had cool guest stars like Stephen Hawking, Kelsey Grammar, and Whoopi Goldberg, among others.

And for richness of characters, Trek has Wars beat by a mile. We get to know the characters well through rich back stories over long-running shows like The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Not to mention the original series, Star Trek: Enterprise, and all the new series created in the past few years, all available for streaming.

There’s no way such a hopeful vision for the world – Star Trek – loses out to a spacebased western like Star Wars. Beam me up, Scotty!

— Roderick Benns is the publisher of the Advocate.

Star Wars is a part of our lives

You’d be hard pressed to find a human on this planet who doesn’t know the name ‘Star Wars.’ For good reason. Star Wars was not only one of the most innovative and entertaining film series ever made, but it has become a part of our everyday lives. Who doesn’t know the phrase: “I am your father,” or Chewbacca’s famous roar, or remember Princess Leia’s slave costume in Return of the Jedi. There are kids pretending to fight with lightsabers, the thunderous theme songs of both the good side and evil sides. When is the last time you saw a kid wearing a Star Trek costume for Halloween?

Star Wars has it all, including the greatest villain ever created. (Who wasn’t scared of Darth Vader in 1977?) It has the good-hearted bad boy, the innocent and loveable hero, the trusted sidekick, the beautiful heroine who doesn’t take any nonsense, wild monsters, and the most memorable vehicle in history – the Millenium Falcon. And the fact that 50 years after the original film it has seen a massive resurgence through shows like The Mandalorian. Star Wars will never die.

For me, it beats Star Trek because Trek is more adult focused and seems to have a narrower range of fans. Frankly, I thought it was boring as a kid. Star Wars is the perfect franchise that captures both kids and adults. And which franchise has the biggest toy line? (I mean, who owns Star Trek toys?). It also has the two greatest film scores in history and the most cultural impact of any film ever made, plus the greatest twist ending in history. (Return of the Jedi, when Darth is found out to be Luke’s father.)

It’s no comparison. Star Wars is the best.

— Simon Ward is the lead singer of Soup and the former front man of The Strumbellas.

By Geoff Coleman Mortgage

Mortgages in Canada coming due in 2024 are equal in value to the annual Gross Domestic Product of New Zealand. That’s $250 billion dollars give or take. 2025 is estimated to be an even bigger year with a staggering $350 billion in mortgage renewals expected.

In the COVID era when most of those mortgages were signed, it was hard for Canadians to resist what were the lowest interest rates in a lifetime, and renewals, early renewals, and first-time mortgages were abundant. In fact, the lowest oneyear fixed mortgage rate in history was 2.79 per cent in 2021.

But, that historically low rate couldn’t last, and now that they have corrected, 80 per cent of all mortgages outstanding as of March 2022 are coming due at still attractive – but higher –rates. Some of us will remember 1981 when a 12-month mortgage reached an astonishing 21.75 per cent.

Local mortgage broker Melony McAndrews notes that people who contact her all say they are concerned by the increase in rates. “I have clients who currently have a three per cent interest rate and are getting quotes from banks at 6.85 per cent. Everyone is worried since they already feel their budgets are stretched to the limit with the way entertainment, food and gas prices are.”

For context, the monthly payment on a $500,000 mortgage at 2019’s 3.25 per cent becomes $550 more per month at 2024’s 5.25 per cent.

The good news is that the Bank of Canada prime has been

mayhem

dropping. The bad news is that experts are divided on whether we will see further reductions. The worse news is that only variable mortgage rates are tied to the Bank of Canada rate. If you are after a fixed rate, McAndrews suggests you pay attention to the five-year Canada Savings Bonds yields. Fixed rates generally run one to three per cent higher than what they are paying.

McAndrews, however, believes the average consumer has a few ways to improve their debt load. She prefers to look at a client’s entire financial situation, not just what appears on a credit check. That’s because a credit check doesn’t show drains on income like having children in daycare or supporting an aging family member. Then it’s easier to work out a plan.

One family she worked with had two full-time employed adults and two teenagers living at home. Restructuring their mortgage and their finances saw a dramatic saving in monthly expenses. Despite a 1.8 per cent increase in their mortgage rate, they were able to lower their monthly expenditures to $4,614 from $6,373. Part of that savings came from moving credit card debt (serviced at around 20 per cent) to the mortgage where they paid far less interest.

Additionally, McAndrews was also able to find the family a rate lower than what the banks were offering.

Private lenders, trust companies, and other financial institutions will give mortgages, so the big five Canadian banks are not your only places to get a loan.

Local residents feeling the financial pinch as reality of higher interest rates sets in

Interestingly, McAndrews said the lowest rate is not always the best solution. Frequently, the lowest is often only offered on a straight renewal. Conditions typically exist so it can’t be used to refinance (as in our credit card debt example above), or may not offer a prepayment option, or comes with a higher penalty should you want out of the mortgage, or perhaps has a longer locked-in term than you need.

More people are using mortgage agents since searching online for a mortgage is not as simple as just comparing rates and going with the lowest. With time-limited offers, introductory rate cut offers, insured vs uninsured offers, first time buyer offers and so on, it sometimes pays to have a professional weed through the options for you.

Kassie Nicholle, a retired educator, used a broker five years ago for the first time and had no hesitation about calling her again when her mortgage was due. In fact, she didn’t have to call since the broker initiated contact when the mortgage was getting close to expiry, and they had a discussion about her current finances. Her lender also made contact, but only with a letter that included a renewal contract with standard terms in place that could be signed and returned. Her mortgage was not held by one of the big five banks, and when that company didn’t come up with the best rate, she switched – this time to another trust company.

“I was really just looking for the best rate possible. In spite of the rate increase from five years ago, my mortgage only went up by $145. But there was an unexpected benefit to using a broker. My agent explained everything to me in everyday language, so I understood it easily, and answered all my questions. And I didn’t have to leave home to do it.”

Joe Fischer took a different approach when his mortgage was due on May 30. With only five days until the June prime lending rate announcement from the Bank of Canada, he elected to let his mortgage expire without any new mortgage worked out. Under the terms of his agreement, he automatically converted to a six-month fixed term mortgage until a new one was settled. He gambled that a rate reduction was coming and that it would improve on what he had been offered by his big bank lender.

For context, the monthly payment on a $500,000 mortgage at 2019’s 3.25 per cent becomes $550 more per month at 2024’s 5.25 per cent.

Unfortunately for him, his bank didn’t make any change to their fixed rates. However, during that five-day gamble he did contact numerous other lenders who were willing to offer a better rate. “I was able to get my bank to match the best rate and avoid all the paperwork involved in setting up a new account at a new institution,” says Fischer.

For starters, Fischer (who freely acknowledges he is a terrible record keeper and uses a variation of the Oscar Madison filing system) was going to have to come up with a copy of his separation agreement, his notice of assessment, three months of bank records showing income deposits, mortgage statements and renewal offers from the current lender, proof of fire insurance, and a direct withdrawal permission form. Doing all that while working a job that doesn’t have banker’s hours with the pressure of an expired mortgage made

staying with his existing bank the easiest solution. It is true that much of that could have been done online, but the process predicated on having facial recognition technology, access to reliable cell service, and confidence in the security of the cloud. He said the digital document filing procedure rarely worked seamlessly.

The one thing Fischer did do right was to take advantage of the annual 15 per cent prepayment option before his mortgage expired.

“I made a lump payment that ended up reducing my monthly charge by $240, saving me $14,000 over the five-year mortgage.”

If he invested that same lump in a GIC for five years, it would have earned almost $9,000.

After recently selling a house, Jennifer Gregson will not have a mortgage in August. And, she is not convinced she will ever have one again. The newly single 50-something acknowledges she has less earning power and less credit power than ever, and most importantly, less time.

When people buy a house – COVIDbased price anomalies aside – they typically see the return on it many decades later. Lee thinks she doesn’t have that kind of time to wait for a nice payoff. So, she is considering permanently renting and investing the difference between the mortgage payment and the rent. As a renter, you’re likely to have more money on hand in the short-term to diversify your portfolio.

Gregson also has the luxury of a job that she can work at from anywhere, so moving to an area where rents do not rival a mortgage payment is an option. Flexibility has a big appeal to renters: if you do find a house you want to buy in the future there is no waiting for yours to sell, you can jump on a deal immediately. Likewise, plumbing problems, leaky roofs, and overgrown gardens are not issues for the renters to solve. LA

Given the sensitivity of the financial information shared, the Advocate has used pseudonyms for those who were renewing their mortgages.

Local mortgage broker, Melony McAndrews.

Aging with dignity

By Naresh James

It’s been over a decade since my retirement and it is time for me to reflect on aging.

In a society obsessed with being young, old age carries a stigma. Those who accept aging as a part of life, are healthier. They maintain positive attitude, and their lives are filled with passion. They are closer to nature.

Seniors who are content, not stuck in being young, and accept aging as a part of growth and changes within their lives, cope better.

Old age by itself is associated with a greater level of health issues. The best way to address this issue is to maintain good health through proper diet, rest, physical and mental activities, meditation and maintaining a flexible routine for stability and comfort.

There exists a perceived or actual loss of relationships with colleagues, family, friends when one ages, and therefore feelings of loneliness and isolation. These negative feelings are linked with higher risks of physical and mental health issues, such as

heart disease, stroke, anxiety, or depression. There are fears of being a burden or about a shortage of money.

The suggested ways to address these issues are acceptance of retirement and aging as a brand new chapter in life. There are ways of capitalizing on past experiences through finding purpose, such as volunteering, mentoring, engaging in nurturing relationships, joining groups, and reaching out to others.

Financial worries are a part of life, but financial stability during old age depends on early planning. Those who start their financial planning early on, enjoy their old age with less financial worries.

Maturity involves learning and growing continuously, despite of all the aches and pains, being open to life’s new experiences, being able to distinguish between loneliness and solitude, and needs versus wants.

Solitude is an opportunity. Mature people can find comfort in being by themselves. Maturity also means patience, being understanding, listening more and arguing less.

Seniors have little need to impress, or please others. Aging has brought a realization that they are who they are. Those who find reasons for being grateful every day, contribute to their overall health and happiness.

By letting go of past regrets and, grudges and baseless anxieties this should bring a sense of empowerment over one’s life.

Naresh James is the retired executive director of the former Canadian Mental Health Association Kawartha Lakes branch.

City blames wet spring and summer for weedy lilac gardens at Lindsay’s Logie Park

By Lisa Hart

Strolling the hardscape pathway through the memorial lilacs of Logie Park, residents may find a legacy that falls short of the gardens they remember – gardens that received a high recommendation from the “Communities in Bloom” judges back in 2002.

“The Lilac Gardens are an important part of Logie Park,” says Mayor Doug Elmslie. It’s a statement that seems to be supported by the Lilac Gardens’ appearance on the Kawartha Lakes Cultural Assets Inventory in the 2020-2030 Cultural Master Plan.

Elmslie says “with all the rain we’ve been getting this spring and summer, it’s understandable that the weeds could easily get out of control but I’m confident that our Parks and Recreation division has a plan in place to address the situation.”

Prior to a park refresh project that began in 2017, and turned into one of Kawartha Lakes’ largest redevelopments, the Lilac Gardens of Lindsay were completely maintained by a stand-alone committee of the Lindsay and District Horticultural Society. In 2007, then-Mayor Ric McGee recognized the achievements of the Lilac Gardens of Lindsay volunteer committee by declaring the lilac the official shrub of Kawartha Lakes.

“I believe the volunteer group still exists but is limited in numbers,” says Jenn Johnson, director of Community Services. While a website remains for the Lilac Gardens of Lindsay, updates end with the promotion of the 2018 Garden Festival. Attempts to contact the group through their general information email resulted in messages being returned as undeliverable.

“The municipality currently maintains the park land, including all garden areas,” explains Johnson, who was recognized by the Ontario Parks Association in 2021 with an Urban Design Award for her role in the park’s redevelopment. “Staff have been maintaining the gardens, hand weeding, line trimming and placing mulch this summer. Unfortunately, it has been an exceptionally challenging summer to keep ahead of the weed growth with current resources available. Staff have short-term and long-term plans to combat the weeds and bring the gardens back to a desirable state.”

As of the Advocate’s press time, obvious progress was being made by city staff in tackling the weeds around the memorial lilacs.

The Lilac Garden’s “Plant a lilac, plant a memory” initiative continues through the City’s sponsorship and dedications website page, but some changes have been made to the program. Originally, residents purchased a memorial lilac for a $100 donation to be cared for by the volunteer committee and were left to source and purchase a marker on their own. Today, the $350 plus tax price tag of a memorial lilac, to be cared for by the city staff, includes a granite marker. Intake for the program takes place bi-annually during spring and fall, and space is limited.

Johnson assures the public that, “Memorial shrubs that require replacement will be addressed with the appropriate species as they are identified.”

The city says they are taking steps to address weed growth near the lilacs of Logie Park in Lindsay. Photos: Lisa Hart.

This bed of lilacs had recently been weeded by the city.

Barred owl.

Photo: Susan Mooney.

Birds eye view – and the people who spend time with them

With 260 species, birding in Kawartha Lakes delights many

By Keely Ross

Being in nature and experiencing our local wildlife firsthand is something to be amazed by and birders have taken it to the next level. Birding is a fun hobby that consists of observing different types of birds. People interested in these creatures are often able to identify what species they’re looking at and some know just by listening to its song.

Most of these hobbyists keep track of their sightings. They will usually have a journal or notebook full of the type, date, time, and place. Michelle Bassie Brown, a local birder, takes photos to document her adventures.

“I love the exercise, connection with nature, but mostly the excitement of documenting and photographing each species.”

While many bird lovers like Bassie Brown often take photos, Susan Mooney, another local birder, says it’s also important to just simply observe sometimes.

“Personally, I do like to take photographs of the birds I see. However, sometimes you have to just sit back, observe, and enjoy the moment when you see something special,” says Mooney.

Birdwatching can be done anywhere – from your porch, window, or on a nearby trail. That’s one of the reasons why Mooney loves this activity.

“I love that birding gets you outdoors. I also love that you can ‘bird’ just about anywhere. It just takes an observant eye or tuned ear to locate birds. You don’t necessarily have to go far to find all kinds of different species of birds. Neighbourhood parks, waterways, backyards, open fields all have birds living in these spaces.”

Some of the most popular spots in Kawartha Lakes among birders are Carden Alvar, Fleming College, Scugog River, and Ken Reid Conservation. Local resident and bird enthusiast Teresa Middleton says the provincial park near Kirkfield is a great place to start.

“Here in the Kawarthas we are blessed with one of the most significant birding areas in the province, the Carden Alvar. Naturally, it is a favourite spot of mine. It’s not uncommon to find me there two or three days a week. Some of our most endangered and threatened species breed there including the Loggerhead. From May to July it is not out of the ordinary to see over 70 species in a single day.”

With each birding adventure comes a new experience. While all these outings can be exciting, many birders hope for one thing to happen – that they get to see a “lifer.”

“For a birder, it is always a thrill to get a lifer. There is always a sense of accomplishment when you actually lay eyes on a bird that you have never seen before,” says Mooney.

People get into birding for all sorts of reasons. Some are looking for a hobby, others because they’re fascinated by birds and want to learn more, and some just stumble upon this interesting activity and stick with it.

Bassie Brown says while out for a walk with her partner on the Fleming College trail in Lindsay, they came across a barred owl. “I was so excited to see it and took many photographs of the owl. I was hooked from that moment on,” she says.

While Kawartha Lakes is filled with more than 260 species of birds, some of the most observed ones are ospreys, warblers, great blue herons and bald eagles. Out of all the different species in our city and surrounding areas birders will still have their personal favourite. Depending on their migration patterns some of these winged wonders will only be in the

Michelle Bassie Brown, a local birder, takes photos to document her adventures.

Osprey voted Bird of the Year

The results from the 2024 Kawartha Lakes Bird of the Year contest are in.

Bird Friendly Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes launched an online poll for local residents to vote for their favourite species of bird. With two rounds of voting, over 500 participants, and 11 contestants the osprey was declared as 2024 Bird of the Year.

“It’s a small wonder this large raptor was victorious. It’s a magnificent bird and a common sight in CKL soaring overhead, diving to capture fish, or nesting in tall trees or on artificial platforms,” says Jamie Morris, chair of the Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes Coalition and the City’s Environmental Advisory Committee’s Bird Friendly Subcommittee.

Ospreys are a special and unique bird. They’re associated with rivers and lakes and Morris says they are incredible fish hunters.

“It has unique adaptations that allow it to dive from heights, seize, and carry off fish: eyes that can factor in refraction of light to pinpoint location of a fish and have a third eyelid that acts like goggles.”

Compared to the other contestants ospreys are set apart in the size department. Their wingspan can be close to 2 meters. It’s safe to say they’re remarkable.

“When we amalgamated to form City of Kawartha Lakes, a silhouette of an osprey in flight was made part of our branding and appears on signs welcoming visitors. The osprey’s win in the popular voting affirms that decision,” says Morris.

Kawarthas for a certain amount of time, so birders often look forward to certain seasons to spot their favourite birds.

“Every spring the highlight for me is the arrival of the bobolink, a boldly marked bird with extraordinarily large feet and one of the most unique calls. Standing by a grassy field if you hear what sounds like R2D2, that is the bobolink… you can’t help but smile,” says Middleton.

Given the variance in their appearance, food choices, and habitats, birds are fascinating for those who take up this hobby. It is their uniqueness that makes them interesting.

“Consider the distances that some of these birds migrate each year, twice a year,” says Mooney excitedly.

“The hummingbirds that we see in this area often winter in Mexico. Some of these hummingbirds will cross the Gulf of Mexico. How can that be? Or consider the Atlantic puffin.

Sandhill crane. Photo: Michelle Bassie Brown.

Osprey. Photo: Michelle Bassie Brown.

This bird only spends the breeding season on land. The rest of the time – in fall and winter – it is floating around the ocean. Remarkable,” she says.

Middleton says birding will help you gain a greater appreciation for the creatures we share this space with and the habitats they live in.

“Birding can be healing, spiritual, exciting or relaxing but most of all it is full of wonder – wonder that such beautiful creatures are all around us and are not seen until you really start looking. It’s very special.” LA

Canada warbler. Photo: Teresa Middleton.

The impact of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot on community health and engagement in Lindsay

By Emma Sonnemann

In a partnership with Trent University’s Community Research Centre, The Lindsay Advocate has been working with the International Development Studies Department. This partnership has allowed two students to research Lindsay’s experience with the basic income pilot by talking to community members and leaders to continue the conversation in a two-part series. This opinion piece is part two of two in the series.

Several years have passed since the Conservative government cancelled Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot (OBIP) program, but the impacts of the program – and especially its premature cancellation are still very prominent in the lives and minds of community members. My research partner and I interviewed Lindsay residents who received funds from OBIP about their experiences and feelings surrounding it. Our research has focused on the way the program impacted individuals in various sectors of their lives. The sectors I looked at are community health and wellbeing, and community engagement and civic mindedness.

Many

expressed a complete lack of trust in

government and said they have very little faith when it comes to the government’s ability to follow through on promises.

All the past recipients we interviewed expressed that they experienced positive shifts in their mental health while receiving basic income funds. Past recipient Dana Bowman said, “I finally had dignity. It gave me independence.” Others expressed a similar sentiment. The importance of socialization was mentioned multiple times throughout our interviews as well. While receiving basic income, recipients were able to attend events and engage in activities which they could not have easily afforded otherwise. These events had major positive impacts on individuals’ sense of belonging and state of mind. Multiple interview participants also stated basic income allowed them to access and receive medical care and services that they previously could not. The program also made travelling for medical appointments much easier as some didn’t have to worry as much about the associated costs. Medical issues and appointments are stressful enough; they should not be made worse or inaccessible due to costs.

All our interview participants expressed a willingness and desire to give back to the community of Lindsay, and receiving basic income made that possible for many of them.

According to the knowledge of the individuals we interviewed, the broader community of Lindsay experienced positive effects thanks to the program. Local businesses benefitted, and initiatives like a community garden had the funds and ability to run, and even donate some goods to the food bank and homeless shelter. This sort of ‘all for one, one for all’ mindset carried through all of our interviews. There likely were some people

who took the funds and did not spend them productively or invest in the community at all, but according to the information we have heard and gathered, those people did not represent the majority.

The program’s early demise seems to have had an unfortunate, but understandable effect on some recipients. Many expressed a complete lack of trust in the government and said they have very little faith when it comes to the government’s ability to follow through on promises moving forward. We were told many stories about people whose three-year plans were abruptly halted and whose hopes disintegrated along with the cancellation. “It could have changed so many things for everybody, if it had been a success,” said one past recipient, who didn’t want to be identified. She explained how much anger she felt in the community when the cancellation was announced and how she felt no consideration was given to the people the cancellation would impact when the government made the choice.

Everything we heard from interview participants suggested that the basic income pilot was benefiting many individuals and the community of Lindsay as a whole. It is unfortunate this was ruined by the Conservative government’s premature cancellation of the program. It would be foolish to say that basic income is the solution to all problems in society, but it is surely a step in the right direction.

Basic income has shown great potential as a tool to promote social justice and equality in many of the communities it has been used in. Despite critics who believe that implementing universal basic income as a permanent measure would lead to people taking advantage of “free money” from the government, past and current research suggest that this is not at all the case.

Productive contributions to society can take many different forms; basic income creates opportunities for people who may not have the ability or means to contribute in the standard sense. But it gives people the ability to make spaces and opportunities for themselves. Everyone needs a hand up at some point in their lives. Basic income could act as this hand up for many.

“In a heartbeat, you lose your job and you’re in the same place as I am. It’s about self-esteem, and dignity, and being able to be part of a community, and part of society, and feeling good about yourself… anyone can end up like me, said Tracey Mechefske, another interview participant. I went to university. I went to college. I had a plan for my life, and my life didn’t turn out that way.”

Many people seem to overlook the human side of basic income and focus all their energy on the economics of it. We all deserve access to healthcare, we all deserve to participate in society, and we most certainly all deserve to have a sense of human dignity.

PROUDLY FAMILY OWNED, LOCAL MATTERS

Your ears collect sound, but it’s your brain that actually understands it. With hearing loss, there isn’t enough sound information coming to your brain from your ears, or the quality of that information is too low. This makes it much harder for the brain to orient itself in your surroundings, and focus on what’s important. That’s why good hearing helps your brain stay fit throughout your life.

Orient better in the full sound scene

Focus more clearly on what you choose

Improve your understanding of speech

Reduce the effort it takes you to listen

Improve your memory

Heritage Stories Festival celebrates Icelandic heritage and one-room schools

For our ancestors, life was often, as Thomas Hobbes put it, “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. So it was for the 352 Icelanders who, in September of 1874, fled the violent storms, summer snows, volcanic eruptions and economic woes plaguing their Nordic island to seek refuge in the Kawartha Lakes district of the newly confederated nation of Canada.

By the spring of 1875, 30 children and 10 adults had died and their employer, the Victoria Railway Company, ran out of funds and left them destitute.

The Ottawa Huron Tract History Association, in partnership with Invest Kawartha and the Kinmount Heritage Centre, will host a Heritage Stories Festival at Celebrations in Lindsay on Aug. 17 from Noon to 4 p.m. to tell the stories of the Icelanders, the locals who befriended them, and the oneroom school system they lobbied for. (See heritagestories. ca for details.)

The festival will feature music, Icelandic artifacts, art by local Iceland photographer, Jennifer Boksman, lessons in conversational Icelandic by local Icelander, Aaron Young, and an exhibit of the one-room schools many Kawartha Lakes residents attended.

Peter Norman, past president of the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto, will speak on the sesquicentennial of the Icelandic Settlement Disaster and Kinmount historian, Guy Scott, will talk about the one-room school system in post-pioneer Kawartha Lakes.

Gwen Sigrid-Morgan, president, Canadian Icelandic Club, Toronto.

In honour of literacy, arts and music, the Festival will offer prizes:

1. For best song about Kawartha Lakes Heritage: $500 plus a chance to perform at the event.

2. For best flash story about Kawartha Lakes Heritage: $500 plus a chance to publish in the Advocate.

3. For best image of the Heritage Stories Festival to be composed at the event: $500 plus a chance to exhibit at the Kawartha Lakes Art Gallery.

4. For all kids heritage colouring entries, the chance to exhibit at the event and in the community, and a basket of goodies for the best piece.

Like today’s residents of Kawartha Lakes, the Icelandic migrants and their local neighbours valued literacy, music, art and education. They found meaning in both hardship and in hope.

“Our ancestors made art from life,” says event organizer, Joan Abernethy. “The stories we tell, the songs we sing, the images we create help save us from madness and despair.” The event will cater complimentary refreshments and a cash bar. Attendance is by donation. Visit heritagestories. ca to register.

— Joan Ruth Abernethy

SS #10 Minden, SS #1 Stanhope. Brown’s Corners, 1894. A union section with Stanhope, it served the area around Brown’s Corners (Carnarvon now) at the intersection of the Bobcaygeon and Peterson Roads.

Last February, KL Hockey and friends hosted “Sparkle and Swagger”, a unique event for which all proceeds supported high school athletics within Kawartha Lakes.

A portion of the funds raised resulted in the inaugural “KL Athletic Award” recognizing two graduating athletes from each of the KL schools who are pursuing post secondary studies ($500 each for one female and one male sport category).

Congratulations to the following recipients, we wish them all the best as they continue their studies:

Fenelon Falls Secondary School: Sophie Kaloudas and Wyatt Pogue

I.E. Weldon Secondary School: Gabi Grof and James Fierheller

Lindsay Collegiate Vocational Institute: Brock Grainger and Maya Legare

St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School: Diana Pande and Will Scully

New school board boundaries create stress for parents, teachers

Experts say there are ways to make it easier for kids to adjust to new school transitions

By Sarah Fournier

Recent school boundary changes have sparked significant concerns among local parents, teachers, and students, alike. Driven by population adjustments and other factors, these changes are not just logistical but emotional – especially for children grappling with the loss of friendships. With the changes confirmed and children slated to start in new schools in September, the focus has now shifted to supporting these kids through the transition.

Christy Reid, a parent of children attending Mariposa Elementary School, expressed deep concern about her children’s friends being moved. Although her kids will remain at Mariposa, the changes have led to difficult questions she struggles to answer. “They don’t understand why their friends were taken away from them,” she said, “and I don’t have answers for the questions they’re asking.” This sentiment reflects a broader anxiety among parents whose children are grappling with the loss of familiar social circles. Reid is especially concerned that this upheaval will affect local kids into adulthood. “They’re breaking these kids from their communities,” she says, referring to the busing of kids to the Oakwood school. “They never once said they would be shipping kids out from Lindsay,” she explains. “They should have looked within Lindsay. These kids are more worldly than our farm kids.”

Courtney Kench, another affected parent, faces a different challenge. Her daughter is one of only two children moving from their current school to a new one. “I know she will adjust, but it will take time,” Kench stated, voicing her frustration about the lack of exemptions for her child. “Being a new kid in the school in Grade 6 is difficult, but I keep telling her she’ll just make more friends, so she’ll know even more people when she goes to high school.”

Both parents expressed concerns about the support available for their children during this transition. “People think kids are always okay and resilient, but that’s not always the case,” said Reid. “We’ve been given no support for the kids at all,” mentioned Kench about the response from the board of education. “I don’t feel like it’s high on their priority list, but kids these days have so many different stressors than we had as kids that we forget about.”

Teachers also losing connections

The loss of friendships is not limited to students, with teaching staff throughout the region also feeling the impact of the changes. Teachers at Central Senior Public School faced significant upheaval, with one teacher describing how the changes to their school’s future leading

Stacey Gudmundsson of Mind Garden Wellness.

Photo: Sienna Frost.

to a surplus of five staff members were announced suddenly at a public meeting.

“We didn’t have any warning that this would affect us like this,” the teacher said, who didn’t want to speak on the record without board authorization. They noted the loss of colleagues and the subsequent drop in morale. “The ‘human’ part of the Human Resources department was left out of the equation.” The teacher observed heightened stress levels among staff as they coped with the unexpected reshuffling and the unconfirmed rumours of the school moving to a Grades 4-8 French Immersion model in the coming years. Similar to the parents affected by changes, Central teachers have more questions than answers when it comes to the future of the school. “We still don’t know what September 2025 looks like… right now it’s all just rumours.”

“They never once said they would be shipping kids out from Lindsay,” she

explains. “They

should have looked within Lindsay. These kids are more worldly than our farm kids.”

Supporting children this September

To help navigate these transitions, child social worker Stacey Gudmundsson of Mind Garden Wellness offers practical tips for parents. She advises parents to give their children four to six weeks to settle in before connecting with teachers about concerns. This period allows children to acclimate to new surroundings, forge new friendships, and connect with the larger school community. If by Thanksgiving, children are still struggling, parents can communicate their concerns with teachers who can offer additional insight or take steps to help them transition. If concerns persist beyond this time, professional resources like Chimo Youth and Family Services can offer targeted help and single-session support.

Throughout this time, Gudmundsson emphasizes the importance of being attentive to children’s emotional signals, such as changes in sleep patterns, desire for favourite foods, and artwork. These indicators can reveal if a child is struggling to adjust to the new school environment, especially if they have trouble communicating their feelings.

For times when children do have questions, Gudmundsson advises parents on how to respond. “If you don’t have a positive answer,” she says, “give a neutral one.” She stresses the importance for parents to keep an open mind and understand that not everything they hear is true regarding new kids at school.

Encouraging children to express their worries and validating their concerns is crucial during this time. Instead of reassuring them that they have nothing to worry about when it comes to making new friends, parents should ask questions like, ‘How long do you think it might take for you to make a friend?’ or ‘How have you made new friends in the past?’ This approach tells children their worry is valid. “It’s not about making the worry disappear,” explains Gudmundsson. “It’s about doing whatever it is even though the worry is there.” LA

Supports from Trillium Lakelands District School Board

Should parents expect support for their students at the board level or at the school level?

Families are encouraged to work with their school principal to organize any supports needed for children, including mental health or special education services.

What specific measures are being put in place to support students’ mental health and wellbeing during the transition to new schools?

Plans for transition vary depending on the students’ needs which would be identified with the parents or guardians and school principal. Every school has access to a mental health counsellor so that support can be put in place if a student is experiencing difficulty with a transition.

Can you provide examples of programs or initiatives designed to help students acclimate to their new school environments?

Case by case, families with additional questions and concerns have reached out to school administration or (the superintendent’s) office to be connected with what they need, such as extra visits to the school or access to the mental health counsellor. These are not time-limited, services meaning that students may continue to receive support as needed next school year.

– Jennifer Johnston, superintendent of learning, Trillium Lakelands District School Board

RESILIENT WOMEN, RESILIENT ECONOMIES

Sept 12, 2024 | 5:30 - 7 PM

Launch Kawartha

Join Launch Kawartha and our Local Chamber of Commerce for an evening of networking for local women professionals and those who care about them.

Maryam Monsef will deliver an interactive keynote, where she’ll share hard-earned lessons and stories of resilience.

Tickets available at: launchkawartha.ca/events

Maryam Monsef

Founder & CEO, ONWARD

A transformative program dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in Kawartha Lakes. Join us for quarterly networking events and inspiring keynotes as we foster genuine connections, celebrate women's entrepreneurship, and create a thriving community of business leaders.

Monsef to encourage mentorship, growing local economy at upcoming Lindsay event

By Roderick Benns

Mentorship helped shape Maryam Monsef many years ago – and now the former federal minister is encouraging local business leaders to take the same approach to help the local economy.

It’s not just a feel-good opportunity, she explains. It’s part of how to build a “resilient economy.”

Monsef will be in Lindsay on Sept. 12 at Launch Kawartha to deliver an interactive keynote address on resilience. The event is sponsored by Invest Kawartha as part of their GiveBack Women’s Mentorship Initiative along with the LDCC, RBC and Rogers.

“I remember walking into my first business networking event when I was just in university and feeling like I didn’t belong. What do I say to these people? I got into my own head,” the Peterborough resident tells the Advocate.

But Monsef was instead greeted by a couple of more established women in business who took her under their wing that day. “They were so kind, with big smiles and energy. They literally took me by the arm and introduced me to so many people.”

It was those conversations she had at the event that she calls the “beginning for me. Those women believed in me before I even believed in myself.”

Now the founder and CEO of Onward, Monsef is a speaker, facilitator, convener and advocate who continues to advance her vision for a world where women and their families are thriving, according to her website. In 2015, Maryam was elected as Member of Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha and chosen to serve in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. She has also served as minister for democratic institutions, minister for the status of women, minister of international

development, minister of rural economic development and established Canada’s first full department for women and gender equality as its minister.

Monsef is looking forward to the opportunity to speak in Lindsay, saying it’s “so important to highlight women’s stories.”

What she learned living in Peterborough for close to three decades is that for smaller communities, a regional approach to economic development is what leads to resilient economies.

“People and neighbours and helping each other out. Neighbours stepping up to solve problems – that’s what holds economies together. It depends on us knowing one another.”

Monsef will be in Lindsay on Sept. 12 at Launch Kawartha to deliver an interactive keynote address on resilience.

She says she shares the same goal as Vince Killen, executive director of Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation (Launch Kawartha) and Terry Guiel, executive director of the Lindsay Chamber.

“The goal that Vince, Terry, and myself have is that people will leave uplifted…with practical tips, and a chance to build new connections,” Monsef says.

One of the things organizers are hoping for is that more established business professionals will bring one younger professional to the event to help open doors for them.

“For me, it started with people who believed in me. I want to do the same for others,” says Monsef.

The evening of food, drinks, keynote presentation, and networking is filling up fast. Get your tickets at launchkawartha. ca and choose ‘Events’ from the menu bar.

Some like it cool

Nausea, migraine-like headaches. Those are some of the symptoms that hit Mike while installing heat pumps in last summer’s record-breaking heat. He missed a couple of days of work because of it. This year, during June’s exceptionally early heat wave, the company provided portable canopies and magnetic umbrellas for protection from the blazing sun.

We all need to adapt to these unnatural events. “Human-caused climate change makes the heat season start earlier and makes heat waves hotter and more dangerous,” the director of climate science at Climate Central told CBC. But they don’t hit every area equally.

In June’s early heat, howler monkeys fell dead from trees in Mexico. In Greece, tourists died or went missing while hiking. In Saudi Arabia, 1,300 pilgrims on the way to Mecca died in the 51.8C temperatures.

We’ve had our own heat tragedies. In 2021, 619 people died from the heat in one week in British Columbia. Most of them lived without air conditioning.

Extreme heat is more deadly than we realize. In fact, it’s the leading cause of weather-related deaths, according to the World Health Organization. U.S. studies show that in many years it’s responsible for more deaths than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined.

Heat also stresses the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. Studies are beginning to show that kids in hot schools have more trouble learning. Excess heat affects our ability to focus and think clearly. And it affects productivity.

Exercise is great, but not when it’s sizzling. Thankfully, the bike club I belong to cancelled a planned two-day bike ride during June’s heat wave.

Those most affected are outdoor workers, young children, the elderly and anyone with an underlying health condition. Children and the elderly are more vulnerable in part because they don’t have the same ability to produce sweat to cool off.

We need policies to reduce the cause of much of this climate disruption by rapidly and equitably phasing out burning oil, gas and natural gas while switching to renewable energy. That would help make the future less catastrophic.

In the meantime, it’s all about adaptation. Municipalities can preserve and expand tree canopies and green spaces. They’re much cooler than asphalt and buildings. And local governments can install public water fountains. They used to be much more common.

To protect those without air conditioning, municipalities are beginning to provide cooling centres. They can also pass bylaws setting a maximum indoor temperature for apartments, something Toronto and Hamilton are working on.

We can also turn up the heat on the province by calling our MPPs to support Bill 198. Introduced by the NDP in May, it addresses many climate impacts, including extreme heat. If passed it would set in motion changes that would protect workers and those living in apartments. It also proposes grants or other incentives to help landlords install heat pumps to keep tenants cool.

And keeping cool is not just cool. It can be life or death.

To protect ourselves, we can:

• Wear loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing, preferably of natural fibres like cotton, linen or bamboo.

• Drink lots of water.

• Plant trees for shade, install window coverings and consider light coloured roofing. If able, install a heat pump. It would provide heating and cooling at a lower operating and planet-heating cost than most other options.

Ensuring that injured, ill and disabled workers are protected in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. It requires education, awareness and commitment from workers, unions, employers and the community at large.

Prevention Link’s high-quality and dynamic training has been developed by experienced advocates who bring their commitment, diversity and hands-on knowledge to our programming. Participants gain the necessary skills, confidence and community-building to benefit their workplaces and the workers they represent.

Sign up today at preventionlink.ca OR

We can provide training just for your members, staff or workplace! Contact us to schedule at your convenience.

Level One: Rights and Obligations

» September 9 – September 10 (In-person)

Level Two: Benefits and Services

» September 25 – September 26 (In-person)

Level Four: Return to Work

» September 15 – September 20 (In-person)

In tune with nature: Sturgeon Point at 125

Every year since 2018 – save for a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020 and 2021 – a good friend of mine and I have made a tradition of motoring up to Sturgeon Point for church one Sunday each summer.

Here in the famous octagonal sanctuary, the sound of vigorous hymn-singing echoes across the Georgian pine walls, commingling with the hymns of birds perched amid the towering trees outside and the distant drone of an outboard motor ferrying a pleasure craft across Sturgeon Lake. Following

the service, we might go for a short stroll up and down the shady streets – all of which are numbered, rather like in New York City – before adjourning to Bobcaygeon or Fenelon Falls for luncheon.

In last month’s issue of the Advocate, I noted that time seems to stand still in some parts of Kawartha Lakes. This is certainly true for the village of Sturgeon Point, which in 2024 marks its 125th anniversary as an incorporated community. Whether standing in the shadows of the Union Church, beneath the eaves of the upper wharf rain shelter, or in the enclosed porch of a cottage built during the reign of Queen Victoria, it is easy to imagine the sight of elegantly-attired young people making their way through the village on bicycles, the sound of a shrieking whistle calling holiday-goers back to the waiting steamboat, and the smell of supper being prepared over a cast-iron woodstove.

Although it was formally incorporated in 1899, Sturgeon Point had been welcoming visitors since the 1830s. Tradition indicates that the first sailing regatta transpired in 1838, and one has been held virtually every year since 1878. Within a decade of Canadian Confederation, tourist traffic at “The Point” was such that a substantial hotel was required to accommodate everyone.

George Crandell, an ex-convict who later made a name for himself as businessman and boat builder, set his sights on an attractive piece of property not far from the lake and here built a palatial hotel in 1876. Five years later, some 3,000 people were said to have flocked to the Point for a production of The Pirates of Penzance. The little community was fast becoming the place to be for anyone wanting to escape the hubbub of urban Ontario – or at least Lindsay – and over the course of the next two decades cottages great and small sprang up on lots laid out by Crandell.

W.A. Goodwin (left) and Emma Clements Goodwin (right) pose with daughter, May Goodwin, at Sturgeon Point in 1919. Courtesy Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives.

in 1915 with funding from

(This was a farsighted move, considering that the latter’s hotel would be consumed by fire after only 22 years in operation.)

The inaugural council consisted of J.D. Flavelle (reeve), Charles H. Grantham, Robert Kennedy, G. Milne, and Thomas Stewart. When these gentlemen took office in June of 1899, the summer season was already in full swing. Residents and excursionists alike found much to occupy themselves with over the ensuing months, with the August civic holiday weekend no doubt being a highlight.

“The Orillians enjoyed their stay at the Point very much, and admitted that Lindsay’s summer resort compared favourably with any of the pleasure resorts on Lakes Couchiching and Simcoe,” noted a correspondent of the long weekend in the Aug. 18, 1899 edition of the Canadian Post. “Some of them spent the afternoon exploring the shady walks, others went bathing or boating, and a goodly number were interested spectators of the sports and games, in charge of Messrs. J.D. Flavelle and R. Millar,” the correspondent continued. “The warm weather drove many to drink, and two or three refreshment booths on the grounds did a rushing business, lemonade, soda water, etc being the only tipples.”

Among the summer residents these visitors from Orillia might have met was W.A. Goodwin, a Lindsay-based painter and decorator who was noted for both his talents with a brush and his decidedly unorthodox views on faith and politics. Goodwin’s drawings and paintings of Sturgeon Point

and surrounding area became an important record of how people were engaging the land and water for recreational purposes. His diminutive cottage at 19 3rd Street was christened Cherry Tree Lodge and today it remains one of Sturgeon Point’s most picturesque landmarks.

One of Mr. Goodwin’s neighbours, Charles Lindstrum, built a two-storey summer home affectionately called Hideaway Cottage up on Irene Avenue opposite 2nd Street. Following his death, this cottage was left to his sister-in-law Nevada Parkin, whose husband, Richard Butler, owned a thriving hotel in Lindsay. “We’d go on the weekends to stay with Uncle Dick and Aunt Nevada,” recalls great-niece Ann MacLeish, whose father purchased the property after Mr. Butler died in 1956.

In addition to the generously-proportioned interior – two bedrooms upstairs and two bedrooms downstairs with 20-foot-high ceilings – MacLeish remembers the enormous screened-in porch where the family ate their meals, and where one might curl up with a good book or a board game on a rainy day. “It was a really, really busy community in those days,” MacLeish recalls of the point. “It was so well-kept – it was just immaculate. It is a great feeling to be there, where you’re in tune with nature.”

W.A. Goodwin said much the same thing in 1937, and to him we give the last word: “Sturgeon Point is certainly a happy place, to enjoy the good old summer time.” LA

Built

the Flavelle family, the octagonal Sturgeon Point Union Church replaced an earlier place of worship dating to 1888. Photo: Emily Turner, City of Kawartha Lakes.

we still love doing storytime)

We are officially halfway through the summer, and what a summer it has been at the library so far. From our popular Touch-A-Truck events, to cookie decorating, turtle visits and everything in between, we’ve had so much fun. Best of all, the activities at the Library in August are pretty spectacular too!

Here is a brief list of events happening in August at the Kawartha Lakes Public Library. For a complete list of offerings, visit the online Events Calendar at kawarthalakeslibrary.ca/calendar.

• Monthly Lego Challenge at all library branches whenever they are open

• Immersive Space Experience in Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Omemee and Bethany *please check the Events Calendar for exact dates and times

• Touch-A-Truck: Police Car at the Dunsford branch on August 13th at 2pm

• Touch-A-Truck: Fire Truck plus a special campfire program at the Oakwood branch on August 14th at 10:30am

• Touch-A-Truck: Garbage Truck at the Fenelon Falls branch on August 16th at 11am

• Birds: Living Dinosaurs from Kawartha Bird Control at the Fenelon Falls branch on August 13th at 11am, and at the Bobcaygeon branch on August 13th at 2pm

Keep reading all summer long! The library has some fun reading incentives and prizes to keep children engaged and excited to read. Head to your closest branch for more details. Have you been tracking your reading progress all summer using the reading passport? Don’t forget to fill out the survey at the back of the book for a chance to win the end of summer prize!

There are so many exciting programs happening at all 14 of our library branches. Visit kawarthalakeslibrary.ca for a complete list of offerings.

And That's Final

1 Job aide: Abbr. 5 Doctor's org.

8 Tomorrow's yesterday 13 "Here comes trouble"

14 Hershey chocolate caramel 16 Suffix with antihist17 *Shortcut, e.g.

19 Prime Minister Modi's country

20 On the rocks

21 Joins forces?

23 Planet in a '70s sitcom

24 *Large oared craft on a sailing ship

25 Detached, musically: Abbr.

28 Smartphone forerunner, briefly

30 H2O, to Henri

31 *Employed population

34 Russian emperors

38 Figure in a human evolution sketch

39 ___ crossroads

40 "The Waste Land" poet's initials

42 Become compost

43 Stone in an oyster bed

45 *Dog breeder's ancestral concern

48 Seasonal worker up north?

50 Having five sharps, musically

51 ___ the crack of dawn

52 *Wedding band measurement

56 Part of S.P.C.A.: Abbr.

58 ATM added charge, say

59 Merchant with a clickable shopping cart

63 Banister end post

64 Death ... or what each part of the answer to the starred clues can be

66 Seed's hard covering

67 Evening, in Paris

68 Back muscles, in gym lingo

69 Utter, in the Bible

70 Porcine pad

71 Word before "while" Down

1 "Self" starter?

2 Street-fighter's blade

3 A handful

4 Newfoundland's nickname

5 Nutty-as-a-fruitcake type

6 "Get going!"

7 Canada Dry ginger ___

8 Followed too closely on the road

9 Wide-ranging, as a bill

10 Kid's retort to a skeptic

11 Canadian country diva Perras

12 Baker or brewer's buy

15 Double Stuf cookie

18 Knightly title

22 Calgary-to-Edmonton dir.

24 ___ Saint-Jean, Québec

25 Trade

26 Enjoy many a liquid lunch, say

27 Kind of code or rug

29 Washed out, colour-wise

32 Lands with a thud, as a joke

33 Prince William's alma mater

by Barbara Olson

35 "What ___-off!"

36 Canadian building supply chain

37 "Ignore this deletion," on a manuscript

41 Sympathy seeker's tale

44 What a party no-show might send

46 Be prone

47 Ball of laughs?

49 Tsk-tsk, old-style

52 Litter's littlest ones

53 "___ bad moon rising" (CCR lyric)

54 Filled with the latest

55 What Jay Z and TMZ share

57 Clumsy ox

59 Correct spelling, perhaps

60 Pinocchio, at times

61 Baby salamanders

62 Flautist's chance to breathe

65 Refusals

Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves

Actor | Writer | Director

Hey Kawartha Lakes!

I'm Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves, professional actor, and acting coach.

Whether

For

BATTERY REPLACEMENT

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Longtime Lindsay Rotarian Jim Mackey was happy to help deliver lunches to the Monday kids’ program at Dalton Public Library in Sebright. Each Monday this summer, Rotarians have been delivering the lunches so that youngsters and their parents can enjoy programs and activities at the library. It’s just one more way that Rotary members display the club motto of “Service Above Self” through their actions.

Rotarian Jim Mackey

the MARKETPLACE

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SERVICES

Free battery installation at BTW. Lifetime warranty available. We’ll take out your old battery and install a new one in most vehicles. 418 Kawartha Lakes County Rd. 36 (across from Tim Hortons.)

Camryn’s Painting Free Quotes. References available. Call 705-887-8868

The Lindsay Rotary Club welcomes inquiries from local residents interested in getting involved with an active, rewarding service club. Call 705-328-0469 for more information.

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Droptine Maples Ontario maple syrup. Available for bulk sale or by the bottle/case. 1L, 500ml, 250ml. Call 705-879-1144

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New one-trip available in Lindsay. Beige, grey or green. Extra vents for increased airflow and lock-boxes for added security. $3500.00 + Delivery Jeff 647-722-0044 Balanceequipment@gmail.com

Treasures on 35 Antiques. Collectibles. Decorative. Over 30 local vendors. 3921 Hwy 35, Cameron. 705-300-1544 facebook.com/treasureson35andmore

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Grass cutting, Fall fertilizing & trimming. Snow contracts now available. Commercial & Residential. Fully insured. Call David E. Burns 705-324-8154

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Hector Greig McNeill

Hector passed away peacefully on June 6, 2024 at Ross Memorial Hospital at age 90. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 33 years, Lois McNeill (nee Squires) and was predeceased by his wife Daphne McNeill (nee Stephenson). He was a proud father to Heather and Peter (Marla), stepfather to Brian (predeceased), Lisa (Spencer predeceased), Lori (Casey), grandfather to Alexandra, Tess, Halle, Will, Ben, Mya, Brody, Chloe and Thomas, great grandfather to James and Lily.

Hector began his life in St. Anthony, Newfoundland along with his sister Lois and brother Curtis.

Retired from the former North York School Board after a 35-year career in education as a principal, he was a conservationist at heart and loved the outdoors, travel, birds and boats of all kinds.

The family would like to thank the staff of Ross Memorial Hospital and Caressant Care Mclaughlin who ensured that Hector was well cared for during his residence.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Mackey Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will take place on July 19, 2024 from 2-5pm at Celebrations 35 Lindsay Street North (705) 341-7872. If you so wish, donations can be made to the Ross Memorial Hospital or Boys and Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes in Hector’s memory. On-line condolences at www.mackeys.ca

Ford’s folksy cover for the real agenda at hand

By Trevor Hutchinson Contributing Editor

A lot of us have passion projects – something that we are emotionally invested in and will do whatever it takes to try and complete.

Our premier is no different, I guess. On the surface, our premier seems overly passionate about alcohol. All of us will remember his ‘buck-a beer’ promise during his first (successful) election campaign. Of course it didn’t happen, but it was smart politics. Approximately 75 per cent of Canadian adults consume alcohol, and beer holds the largest market segment of types of alcohol among those who drink.

Within hours of the first LCBO strike in the history of the province, the government made a map available showing where Ontarians could still buy beer, wine and spirits.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good infographic. It’s just that I don’t remember any map showing which rural emergency departments are closed. Way back in the pandemic, I don’t recall a universal map showing where vaccines were available. I do remember having to inquire online at each privately owned pharmacy to see if I could protect myself and those around me.

Now, I have no problem with drinking. The health and social costs of alcohol use is one factor in the complicated value proposition we make that attempts to balance social well-being with individual freedoms and taxation revenue. In a recent Advocate online piece, Professor David Rapaport succinctly outlined the importance of our provincial liquor sales model to essential services funding like healthcare. In fact, going back to Premiers’ Leslie Frost and Bill Davis (two of the best we have ever

had), the importance of alcohol tax rev enue made LCBO workers an essential service. There was a time when doctors could legally strike but your local LCBO clerk was forbidden by law to do so.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good infographic. It’s just that I don’t remember any map showing which rural emergency departments are closed.

But perhaps the focus on alcohol by a non-drinking premier is more than shameless populism and an appeal to the beer-drinking electorate? What if –and hear me out – it is a folksy cover for the premier’s real passion project: the privatization of all public services? The legitimate backlog of medical procedures resulting from COVID was used to justify private clinics rather than more hospital funding. And maybe getting my driver’s license renewed at, say, an office supply store will be convenient, but I doubt it.

And it could be just a coincidence that the Ontario Science Centre was speedily closed (despite the objection of architects and an offer of private funding to fix the original); and that a big developer who also owns property adjacent to the centre also owns property on provincially expedited highway 413.

I’m not close enough to the powerful to be able to answer my own questions. But I do know that I wouldn’t lose millions of badly needed public money so that I could get my favourite beer or cooler four minutes faster.

Celebrate agriculture and rural living at the 2024 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo.

The Match offers 100s of vendors and exhibitors highlighting agriculture, food, lifestyles, and more.

Experience the past while checking out the antique and historical displays. Daily plowing competitions showcase plowing techniques ranging from the antique to the modern. Relax and take in the fabulous variety of talent and entertainment that will take place on various stages throughout the Match.

October 1st to 5th, 2024 at the Lindsay Fairgrounds For

Become a sponsor or exhibitor and promote your products and services to thousands of potential new customers. Volunteers for a wide variety of roles are welcomed too.