County and townships faced tough COVID-19 realities in 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in several significant closures across Peterborough County this year.
During mid-April, cottagers and other seasonal residents with property within Hiawatha First Nation weren’t permitted to enter the community or travel through it.
A checkpoint station was established to stop non-permanent residents from entering the area and upon arrival, volunteers asked permanent residents to provide their driver’s license or a bill for proof of residency.
At the time, Otonabee-South Monaghan Township Mayor Joe Taylor said he hoped people would understand the objective of the checkpoint.
“In order to protect that community and the outline area, which includes our township, I’m hoping that our residents will be patient with this slight inconvenience and work with Hiawatha First Nation to make sure that this accomplishes exactly what it’s intended to do, and that’s to make it safer for everyone,” he said.
A similar checkpoint was in place at Curve Lake First Nation.
When a month-long lockdown across southern Ontario began on Dec. 26, there were no checkpoints in at either Curve Lake or Hiawatha but non-residents were asked to stay out of the communities.
Actions of local residents and out-of-town visitors also caused the Burleigh Falls Crown land along the TrentSevern Waterway in Selwyn Township to close. The piece of property managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) closed on July 9 due to overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and safety concerns.
Mike Duncan, an MNRF officer, said the site couldn’t be reopened until visits to the area decreased and until it was rehabilitated.
“There’s a lot of litter and a lot of unsanitary items that are still there that we have to clean up, unfortunately. There’s clothing, fast food containers, food, human excrement, toilet paper, plastic, paper, beach toys, diapers … You name it,” he said.
The closure impacted the Burleigh Falls Inn, resulting in several cancellations. However, Jennifer Craig, general manager of the inn, said she hoped the closure would ultimately increase their business.
“I hope it just wakes everybody up. Their behaviour has consequences. As my grandmother would say, ‘Your mother didn’t raise you that way.’ And that’s I think what everybody has to remember … Just being nice to each other and respecting the area we’re in. For some reason along our way we stepped out of that and forgotten that,” she said.
During September, Peterborough County council unanimously agreed to establish a permanent no-trespassing zone on the south portion of the James A. Gifford Causeway and a temporary no-trespassing zone on the north portion on the Bridgenorth side due to health and safety concerns.
Council also agreed to a county staff recommendation to ban camping at the causeway.
Though closed for eight months for construction and not because of COVID, the continuing closures of the Warsaw Swing Bridge and sections of nearby Old Norwood Road, Maniece Avenue and McFarlane Street have impacted local businesses in the city and county during an already difficult year for businesses because of the pandemic.
“This has truly affected many businesses in our township and East City. Many of our residents are regular customers of East City and downtown Peterborough,” said Douro-Dummer Deputy Mayor Karl Moher. “That’s not right. These businesses are already having trouble surviving in the new reality.”