Dr. Mark D. Black

“Short Term Rentals are a very popular type of accommodation that over the last few years, through various booking platforms, has become very accessible to tourism. They bring both positives and negatives to the communities where they are located. We want to hear from everyone who may have interest in this topic. Please be sure to voice your opinion on Short Term Rentals in Kawartha Lakes by completing the survey before it closes on February 15,” said Aaron Sloan, Manager of Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing at the municipality.

Everyone is welcome to visit the Short Term Rentals Jump In project page on the City’s website (www. kawarthalakes.ca) to learn more about the project and to participate in the survey. You can also visit the Short Term Rentals page on the website to learn more about the topic.

The deadline to complete the Short Term Rental Survey is February 15, 2023. Once the survey has closed, the next step will be to host a Public Meeting to discuss the findings of the survey and to discuss the draft by-law. The Public Meeting will likely take place at the end of February. The municipality will share the exact date of the meeting once it is confirmed.

Another Scam Making The Rounds

Members of the City of Kawartha Lakes Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating a grandparent scam after an unidentified suspect attended a home in Omemee demanding money. This news release is a re-post by the municipality on behalf of the OPP.

The grandparents in this situation saved themselves from falling victim to the scam by taking these three steps:

• Stop - take a moment to think and question

• Challenge - reject, refuse, or ignore

• Protect - contact authorities

At approximately 4:30pm on January 4, 2023, officers were dispatched to the call, where a suspect identified themselves as an officer with “Whitby Police” and told the complainants that they were to pay $9,000 for their grandson’s bail.

Despite many factors that made the scam sound convincing, such as placing someone on the phone who sounded like their grandson, the grandparents took a moment to stop and challenge the scammers by asking for the address where their grandson was, which did not correlate with the caller’s initial story. The victims then hung up the phone believing it may be a scam and called their grandson confirming that he was okay and not in jail.

Shortly after hanging up the phone, a person attended victim’s address, requesting the bail money. After they realized they would not be receiving any money, the fraudster quickly left the residence, walking away to a vehicle that was parked down the street.

The OPP would like to remind the public to be leery of ever handing out money or personal information, and to always take a moment to Stop, Challenge, and Protect. If unsure, call a friend, family member or police if you have concerns you may have been contacted by a potential scammer. Do not be pressured into making quick financial decisions and ask for contact information, so you can contact them later, once you have taken the time to think about it or consult with someone else and realize that it was a scam.

Kirkfield Lock Repair Contractor Hired

On September 2, 2022, Lock 36 - The Kirkfield Lift Lock suffered a mechanical failure, resulting in the site’s closure for the remainder of the 2022 navigation season.

Parks Canada advises that a contract has been awarded to undertake repairs to return the site to full service.

The scope of work will include;

• Repairs to the structural, mechanical and electrical components.

• System improvements to increase safety controls and access improvements to critical system components.

• Backup system improvements to minimize impacts on future maintenance activities.

The contractor will mobilize to the site in the near future with the goal of having the asset fully operational by the beginning of the 2023 navigation season.

In order to aid with trip planning for boaters and land-based visitors for the 2023 season, updates on the progress can be found on the Parks Canada website. Updates will also be provided via email on a regular basis to interested parties as part of an email subscriber list. If you would like to receive these emails, please contact them at trentsevern@pc.gc.ca and include “Kirkfield Lift Lock” in the subject line.

New Board For The Board

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge, District Health Unit (HKPR District Health Unit) has announced new members to the HKPR District Health Unit’s Board of Health effective immediately, with David Marshall being appointed Chairperson and Olena Hankivisky appointed Vice-chair for the Board of Health.

The Board of Health consists of elected officials from the funding municipalities (The City of Kawartha Lakes, County of Haliburton, and Northumberland County) and provincial appointees. HKPR District Health Unit welcomes new and returning members to comprise the 2022-2026 Board of Health, including:

• David Marshall, Chairperson – Provincial Appointee

• Olena Hankivsky, Vice-chair – Northumberland County

• Bob Crate – Northumberland County (returning)

• Tracy Richardson – City of Kawartha Lakes (returning)

• John Logel – Northumberland County

• Mike Perry – City of Kawartha Lakes

• TBD – County of Haliburton

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”