Bobcaygeon Archives — Lindsay Advocate

Western boots and a big heart help define this Kicking Cowgirl

Published on June 12, 2019 in Around Town/Business/Community/Poverty Reduction by Geoff Coleman

It’s a long way from Modesto, California to Bobcaygeon – particularly with stops in Toronto, Nairobi, Kenya, and Gulu, Uganda – but for the owner of the award-winning Kicking Cowgirl Designs western boutique, the journey has been a summation of her skills, passions, and vocation.

Kimberly Dawn had come to the family cottage in Buckhorn since her youth, but made a permanent move to the Kawarthas four years ago. Prior to that she called Toronto home, operating her western boutique from a storefront in a section of her parents’ silk screening shop. Similar to the present store in Bobcaygeon, her 416 location sold western wear ranging from boots, to belts, to hats, to clothing, but the entire business originated from screened t-shirts she sold as a fund-raiser years earlier.

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Mayor talks ‘top 10 ways’ City is moving forward

Published on May 28, 2019 in Municipal by Roderick Benns

At the recent mayoral luncheon in front of the Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce, City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham laid out what he believes are the top 10 ways the City is moving forward to the assembled business leaders.

1 – Roads

“Roads are our number one issue and challenge,” says the mayor.

“We now spend $50 million a year on our 5,400 lane kilometres of road network. We spend 90 per cent more on roads than we did 10 years ago and 50 per cent more on winter control.”

Letham says 35 cents of every tax dollar brought in goes toward roads. The City of Toronto only allocates five cents of every tax dollar to roads, showing the challenge of maintaining this many roads in a single tier municipality with a small tax base.

“Roads are a challenge with the changing climate and we need to change the way we do business. Over the next few years, it will improve.”

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Time to get moving on active transportation

Published on April 24, 2019 in Municipal/Opinion by Jamie Morris

“With an aging population, increasing health care costs and an inactive population, the City of Kawartha Lakes needs to invest in environments that make being physically active the easy choice, while at the same time reducing the environmental footprint. CKL needs to adopt a longer-term vision for how our community is designed and the policies that direct new development.” (City of Kawartha Lakes Integrated Community Sustainability Plan Final Report, April 2014)

The Sustainability Plan was an inspirational document. It saw promoting and enabling active transportation — walking and cycling — as critically important, and called for a decreasing of our dependence on cars.

The preamble to the Active Communities section ends with a vision of transformation: “Connecting communities through safe routes for walking and cycling to school, work and key community amenities . . . can become the way of life in CKL.”

But the Sustainability Plan was meant to be more than inspirational. It included a commitment to “move these words into action.” Around Active Transportation there were sets of actions laid out around four goals, each action given a priority and a timeline.

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Million Dollar Makeover: First intake a success with 17 successful applicants

Published on April 9, 2019 in Municipal by Lindsay Advocate

Communities across the municipality will begin to see makeovers taking place for 17 business and property owners who were successful applicants in the first round of the Million Dollar Makeover funding program. In total, almost $400,000 of the nearly $1,100,000 has been allocated for 2019.

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Molleson family selected for Bobcaygeon Habitat for Humanity home

Published on March 20, 2019 in Community/Poverty Reduction by Lindsay Advocate

The Molleson family’s future is looking brighter after being selected to own one of two Habitat for Humanity homes being built in Bobcaygeon this spring. Bobcaygeon’s Buffy Molleson and her son and daughter, Ashton (9) and Ocean (8), are Habitat for Humanity’s newest future-homeowners.

To Buffy, it means a way to overcome a previously insurmountable obstacle, and a way to provide a stable home for her children. “I have always wanted to own my own home, I just never had what was needed to get a mortgage,” says Buffy. “I am overwhelmed with appreciation and I am deeply grateful for this chance to better the lives of myself and my children.”

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Consultations begin for downtown parking strategy

Published on March 1, 2019 in Municipal by Lindsay Advocate

Council approves study for downtown parking

The municipality is undertaking a downtown parking strategy to examine the current and future parking requirements in the downtown areas of Lindsay, Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon. As outlined in the Kawartha Lakes Transportation Master Plan, this study will develop solutions to optimize parking in the defined areas.

In the last several years, demand for downtown parking has increased dramatically. In downtown Lindsay, the average rate of use for parking during peak weekday business hours has increased from 61 per cent in 2014 to 81 per cent in 2018. Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls have also seen increased pressure on parking resources, especially during the busy summer season.

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Big scoop? Kawartha Dairy says rumours it may go national are premature

Published on February 12, 2019 in Business/Community by Roderick Benns

CEO and General Manager of Kawartha Dairy, Brian Kerr, says rumours that one of this area’s most iconic brands is set to go national is premature.

“We have growth plans, but not a national expansion in the near term.”

Instead, says Kerr, there is “lots of room to grow right here in Ontario.”

A source told The Lindsay Advocate that a national expansion was in the cards this fall, but Kerr shot down this rumour.

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Council approves notable capital and water-wastewater budget

Published on January 24, 2019 in Community/Local News by Lindsay Advocate

At the special council meeting held yesterday, Kawartha Lakes Council approved the largest Capital Budget in the municipality’s history. The budget includes $47.1 million of investment, more than half of that going toward care of roads.

“The 2019 Capital Budget shows we have turned the corner in Kawartha Lakes. This Council is fully committed to looking after the $3.2 billion of assets we have, while ensuring affordability for our residents. I’m pleased that even with the magnitude of our roads program, upgraded recreational facilities and new park developments, we have been able to set aside capital reserves for the future. Our community will benefit this year, and for years to come, through the projects in this budget,” commented Mayor Andy Letham.

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Kawartha Lakes pleased with proposed changes to Ontario’s Growth Plan

Published on January 17, 2019 in Around Town/Community/Environment/Local News by Lindsay Advocate

On January 15, the province released proposed changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, a key document that governs growth within the municipality of Kawartha Lakes.

City staff and Mayor Andy Letham have been involved in ongoing consultation with Hon. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and his staff. In August 2018, Letham and partners from Northumberland and Peterborough County led a delegation at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa to put forward local concerns. Other meetings and discussions have taken place throughout the last several months.

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Lindsay Chamber supports opting in on cannabis, sees green economy connections

Published on January 10, 2019 in Business/Community by Lindsay Advocate

The Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce has written a letter in full support of the City of Kawartha Lakes opting in to allow private recreational cannabis stories.

The letter — penned by Chamber President Bob Armstrong — was directed to Ron Taylor, Chief Adminstrative Officer of the City of Kawartha Lakes, and is printed in its entirety here:

The Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce would like to provide this letter in support of the City of Kawartha Lakes opting-in to allow private recreational cannabis retail stores in our municipality. Our organization represents over 330 businesses in Lindsay and the surrounding area.

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