Ontario Announces Support For Small Businesses

The Ontario Government announced an Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant for small businesses that are subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen, on Friday. It will provide eligible small businesses with a grant payment of $10,000.

Eligible small businesses include:

• Restaurants and bars;

• Facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness activities (including fitness centres and gyms);

• Performing arts and cinemas;

• Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions;

• Meeting or event spaces;

• Tour and guide services;

• Conference centres and convention centres;

• Driving instruction for individuals; and

• Before- and after- school programs.

The Ontario government is also providing electricity-rate relief to support small businesses, as well as workers and families spending more time at home while the province is in Modified Step Two.

For 21 days starting at 12:01 am on Jan. 18 electricity prices will be set 24 hours a day at the current off-peak rate of 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is less than half the cost of the current on-peak rate. The off-peak rate will apply automatically to residential, small businesses and farms who pay regulated rates set by the Ontario Energy Board and get a bill from a utility and will benefit customers on both Time-of-Use and Tiered rate plans.

Online applications for the previously-announced Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program will open on Jan. 18. This program will provide eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity with rebate payments for up to 100 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to public health measures in response to the Omicron variant.

Eligible businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs. Those required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs. A complete list of eligible businesses will be provided prior to the launch of the application portal.

The Ontario Government is also introducing a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes, cutting wholesale alcohol prices to provide approximately $60 million in annual support to restaurants, bars and other businesses, and extending COVID-19 paid sick days until July 31, 2022 to keep workers safe and ensure they do not lose pay if they need to miss work for reasons related to COVID-19.

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What Ontario’s Return To Step 2 Public Health Measures Means Locally

Peterborough Public Health has released guidelines highlighting what a modified version of Step 2 will look like in Peterborough.

File Photo.

“We recognize this transition is another hardship for local businesses and we appreciate the efforts that most are making to modify their operations and once again, comply with new restrictions,” said Julie Ingram, Manager of Environmental Health. “Many local operators have already reached out to us for advice and support, and we thank all businesses who are doing their part.”

On Jan. 5, the province returned to a modified version of Step 2 of the Provincial Roadmap to Reopen in response to increasing cases and strain on Ontario’s health care system. Highlights of the new regulations include:

- Workplaces must ensure workers work remotely, unless the nature of work requires the worker to be on-site,

- Enhanced capacity limits for businesses and workplaces; requirements to post capacity limits,

- Ongoing general requirements related to masking indoors, screening, and COVID-19 Safety Plans,

- Restrictions to operating hours and the sale and service of alcohol at applicable businesses,

- Food establishments must close indoor dining areas, take-out and delivery is still permitted,

- Restrictions for organized public events, and reduced social gathering capacities to up to 5 people indoors and 10 people outdoors,

- Indoor sports and recreational facilities must be closed, with very limited exceptions,

- Indoor meeting and event spaces closed, with very limited exceptions.

“Please adhere to the social gathering limits, make sure to screen for symptoms before leaving home, wear your mask in public settings, and consider alternative safe activities,” she said, adding that a list of Safe Activities During COVID19 has been updated on www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca. Shopping locally and avoiding travel outside the region are also other important ways residents can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 at this critical time.

Ingram said that the primary focus of Peterborough Public Health’s COVID-19 enforcement team is to help support local business with the Step 2 changes, however, they are still receiving and investigating public complaints related to noncompliance. Local residents can submit complaints online at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca in the Reporting Complaints section.

“We need to be kind to those around us as each family situation is unique. Check in on each other and know that there are supports in our community to help you or someone you know. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis should contact 911 immediately or present to the nearest emergency department,” said Ingram.

For more information about local mental health helplines and other supports, visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and click on the section for COVID-19 – Supports for Mental Health & Substance Use and COVID-19 – Supports for Basic Needs. The Canadian Mental Health Association has a list of helplines and other resources available at https://cmhahkpr.ca/mental-health/links/.

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Peterborough Public Health Warns That Local COVID-19 Case Count Is An Understatement Is Likely Closer to 10,000

Medical officer of health, Dr. Thomas Piggot, said on Thursday that the active number of COVID-19 cases is likely much higher than reported.

There are currently 1,111 active cases of COVID-19 in Peterborough, though Dr. Piggot says that due to the provincially mandated restrictions on PCR testing there are many more un documented cases.

“Prior to the changes in the testing criteria, the modelling estimates we saw provincially showed potentially we were underreporting by a factor of eight. So there are eight times more cases,” he said.

Dr. Piggot says the current case count is a severe underestimate and that there are closer to 10,000 cases.

“There is lots of concern and uncertainty with what’s happening, but there’s reason for hope,” he said. “I really feel we’re at the darkest part of the night before the dawn that is coming.”

To date, 41.6 per cent of eligible local residents aged 18 and up have received a third booster shot. 85.2 per cent of eligible residents aged five and up have received one dose, 80 per cent have received two doses.

Anyone looking for a first or second dose can walk in to a clinic with no appointment.

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Peterborough Public Health Hosting Vaccination Clinic For Youth Aged 5-11

Two new child-friendly vaccination clinics are planned at the Healthy Planet Arena on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

Appointments can be booked through the provincial booking system online at www.ontario.ca/covidvaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

Only children who are 5-11 years old at the time of their appointment are eligible to receive the pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is based on date of birth, not year of birth.

“With 55% of local youth aged 5-11 still requiring their first dose, I urge families to get their children vaccinated as quickly as possible to protect them and help in the community-wide effort to slow the spread of Omicron,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “We are pulling out all the stops to make vaccinations as accessible as we can, and there are currently 3,200 appointments available for those aged 5- 11, including over 1,000 this weekend alone.”

Dr. Piggott also reminded residents that eight weeks between doses is recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). However, for parents who consent and want to make the decision to get their child a second dose sooner, the minimum interval between first and second dose of a Pfizer-BioNtech Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is 21 days

Residents who wish to receive their second dose appointments earlier than the eight-week interval must book by calling 1-833-943-3900 and providing informed consent. Accelerated second appointments earlier than eight weeks cannot be booked online.

PPH will continue adding more clinics over the coming weeks to help provide the best protection for this age group. Parents and guardians are asked to remember that it does take two weeks after the second dose for full immunity to be in effect.

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New Capacity Restrictions at the Peterborough Memorial Centre And Updated Schedule

The Government of Ontario announced on Monday that no spectators will be allowed into sports and entertainment venues until Jan. 26.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Credits will automatically be applied to Season Ticket Member accounts by the Box Office after each game that is played without permitting fans to attend, and can be used toward playoff tickets, 2022-23 Season Tickets, or other PMC events.

Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly by the PMC Grant Thornton Box Office or Petes staff with further information.

Games played during this time will be broadcast live on YourTV and OHL Live, and on the radio at Freq 90.5.

Fans looking to use their ticket credits towards a discounted OHL Live subscription can contact the Petes Sr. Coordinator, Season Ticket Sales & Service, Mike Kosciesza, at 705-743-3681 ext. 263 or by email: mkosciesza@gopetesgo.com.

All 2021-22 flex pack voucher usage will be extended through to the entire 2022-23 season. All ticket prices from the 2021-2022 season will be honoured for those redeeming their vouchers the following year

For those who have already redeemed their flex pack vouchers for a game between Jan. 5 and 26, their tickets will be treated like a single game ticket. All single game ticket holders will be contacted directly by the Grant Thornton office ticketing team directly.

Below is a list of the affected home games (schedule subject to change):

• Jan. 8 vs. Kingston at 7:05 p.m.

• Jan. 13 vs. Sudbury at 7:05 p.m.

• Jan. 15 vs. Oshawa at 7:05 p.m.

• Jan. 20 vs. Ottawa at 7:05 p.m.

• Jan. 27 vs. Kingston at 7:05 p.m.

The Ontario Hockey League today announced a series of changes to the 2021-22 OHL Regular

Season schedule, including one Petes home game that will be postponed due to COVID-19

protocol and two previously postponed home games that have been rescheduled later this

month.

Due to Covid-19 protocol, the following game has been postponed:

• Jan. 6 vs. Hamilton at 7:05 p.m.

The following games have been rescheduled:

• Jan. 18 – Peterborough Petes at Niagara Ice Dogs, 7:00 p.m. (from Dec. 31)

• Jan. 25 – Mississauga Steelheads at Peterborough Petes, 7:05 p.m. (from Dec. 4)

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Local High School Teacher Taking Shift Back To Online Learning In Stride

High school teacher Kelli O’Connell says while the Ontario Government announcement of shifting back to online school is not ideal, it is important to focus on the positive.

Stock photo.

The Ontario Government announced on Monday that schools would shift back to online learning until at least Jan. 17.

This came just days after they announced that students would return to in-class learning on Jan. 5.

“We just jump right back to where we were last year - which is working from my kitchen - while trying to get my 12 year old on their computer at some point,” said OConnell.

OConnell is currently teaching high school french, and has a 12 year old in grade 7 at home.

She says her high school aged students have little interest in engaging online.

“They do not appear on screen, they do not share anything, they’re really moderately ‘checked in’ it’s very difficult to engage them - whereas in class we can chat face to face and I can call on people - but online they don’t want to speak and I don’t blame them.”

Teaching online has forced herself and her colleagues to becoming creative with her teaching and grading.

“It’s almost impossible to test students, because they’re on their computer so they can just Google anything. I say to my students ‘it’s about effort, how much effort are you putting into this?’,” she said.

O’Connell say that while this is not an ideal situation, it is ultimately what herself, and other teachers have to deal with.

“I don’t see any advantage to getting my knickers in a knot about something I can’t control,” she said. “This too shall pass, this is going to be over at some point and ultimately it’s an exercise in creativity. It’s learning to find the positive. It’s better if we can figure out how we can make this the most exciting and interesting adventure. Look - we are living in one of the best times to have a pandemic, we have Netflix people.”

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COVID-19 Numbers In Peterborough For January 4, 2022

There are currently 1,035 active cases of COVID-19 in Peterborough as of Jan. 4, 2022.

For more information visit: https://localcovidtracker.ca/

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Petes AAA Steve Richey Tournament Is Cancelled

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

The Steve Richey Tournament is a premier AAA tournament.

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

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

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

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Update On Municipal Services And Facilities Effective Wednesday

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

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

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

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

Arenas

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

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

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

Art Gallery of Peterborough

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

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

Outdoor recreation facilities

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

Municipally-operated child care services

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

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

Peterborough Museum and Archives

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

The museum gift shop is open for curbside pickup.

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

Peterborough Public Library

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

Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre

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

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of Riverview Park and Zoo.

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

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

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

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