Kayak rentals and open beaches kick off summer long weekend
Kayak rentals and open beaches kick off summer long weekend
Lineups at Dooher’s and Sharpe’s mark the official beginning of cottage season
Even with its wet start, this long weekend really launches summer in Trent Hills.
On Wednesday, the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce and Campbellford Business Improvement Area held a ribbon cutting and set Councillor Daniel Giddings off in a kayak to mark the official opening of the new kayak-docking system on the Trent River near the Chamber’s office.
The $65,000 kayak dock makes it easier for anyone to get into and out of a kayak. The dock was purchased by the Campbellford BIA thanks to a federal Covid recovery Tourism Relief Fund grant, said Nancy Allanson, CEO of the Chamber.
The Chamber is renting kayaks for 90 minutes for $35. “They can be reserved online or by calling the Chamber at 705-653-1551,” Allanson said. “We will also be creating kayak experiences to encourage visitors to enjoy a meal, stay overnight, and explore other activities in Trent Hills.”
"On behalf of the Campbellford BIA we want to thank Nancy and the Chamber for this joint collaboration,” said Eva Allaire, president of the BIA. “It is a great addition to Campbellford and Trent Hills for bringing tourism to our downtown businesses."
For the past 20 years, the Chamber has been contracted by the municipality to provide tourism marketing and promotion services. This year it will receive $91,000 for its efforts. At a council meeting in February, Allanson presented a report with a long-term vision for tourism in the area and discussed a shift in the Chamber’s work from promotion of existing services to add management of tourism projects. The kayak rental project is one of its first steps in that direction.
Students have been hired, partly funded by the federal Canada Summer Jobs program, to work at the Trent Hills Visitor Centre, manage overnight boat registrations, and rent the kayaks.
For safety reasons, it will only rent to people over 18 who have previous paddling experience. Anyone with their own kayak can use the dock system to launch and paddle between locks 12 and 13. “It is open for all paddlers to use, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week,” Allanson said.
I’ve paddled the downtown area of the river in a canoe, and it can be challenging if any power boat goes through because the wake creates waves that bounce back and forth off the core wall on both shores.
The Chamber is also spending $50,000 for upgrades to Old Mill Park Docking on the west side in 2024.
Area beaches are open
The beaches in Hastings – north and south shore – and the swimming area at Crowe Bridge Park are all open and testing fine, according to the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Well, on the website they all show green, which means fine, but the listing for Crowe Bridge says it was tested June 21 and results are pending. I asked the health unit’s communications person what that meant but didn’t get a response. Will let you know if/when I find out.
In case you’re wondering, these are the only beaches in Trent Hills that the health unit tests.
New chief of emergency department
Campbellford Memorial Hospital announced on Thursday that Dr. David Li, who has been interim chief of the Emergency Department since last fall, has been appointed the permanent leader.
"I'm honored to take on the role of Chief of the Emergency Department," Li said. "I look forward to continuing to work with our incredible team to provide the highest standard of care to our patients and to support the health and well-being of our community."
He’s taking over a challenging position given that the department has been forced to close or redirect patients several times in recent months due to a lack of space. As I wrote on June 19, a $15-million proposal to expand the department while efforts continue to persuade the Ford government to approve a new larger hospital has been stalled, despite support for it from the ministry’s health district.
Li studied medicine at the Université de Montréal and completed a postgraduate family medicine residency program at McGill University. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University.
Before joining Campbellford Memorial Hospital in 2021, Li worked in Dryden and Sioux Lookout where he served in the emergency department, the inpatient unit, and medical clinics. Reflecting on his time in Northwestern Ontario, Li said: “The experience really prepared me for the unique challenges of rural medicine, and I couldn’t be happier to have found a home here in Campbellford.”
"Dr. Li has shown outstanding commitment and expertise in his work with our Emergency Department,” said Dr. Dimitri Louvish, Chief of Staff. “We are thrilled to have him leading the team and are confident that his vision and leadership will drive further advancements in our emergency services."
Warkworth Covid-19 outbreak declared over
On June 26 the health unit noted the end of the Covid-19 outbreak at Warkworth Place long-term care centre that was declared on June 15. There are no current outbreaks anywhere in Northumberland County.