Last week, Peterborough County hosted an information session with Lakefield and Douro-Dummer businesses to discuss the possibilities, advantages, and concerns of two new construction projects that will impact their operations.
The County is currently in the midst of two major projects that would help improve the flow of traffic to and from the Village of Lakefield.
One is a short term bridge rehabilitation plan to improve the structural integrity of the river crossing in the Village set to be completed in 2027.
The second is a longer term Lakefield Transportation Master Plan aimed at finding an opportunity for improved traffic crossing of the Otonabee River as the future growth projected for Lakefield is significant. This project is not expected to start construction until around 2050.
In the short term for the Lakefield bridge, Peterborough County has contracted DM Wills Associates Limited to undertake the design and tender preparation for the rehabilitation of the existing bridges.
While this is one rehabilitation project, there are actually two bridges that make up the one crossing over the Otanabee in Lakefield.
Doug Saccoccia, General Manager, Engineering & Construction for Peterborough County, told the Herald, that while it may seem like it is one bridge to drivers, there are actually two separate structures with a landmass in the middle.
Jessie from the Nutty Bean Cafe in Lakefield proudly holds up their entry in the Lakefield Village Lions Chocolate Creation Contest.
During the February 4 County Council meeting a new approach to economic development and tourism was approved for Peterborough County that would see staff leave the physical building of 12 Queen Street in Lakefield in favour of a virtual live chat option and mobile visitor services.
Back in October of 2025, the Economic Development committee received a report from General Manager, Tourism and Communications, Tracie Bertrand outlining options for the future of tourism in the County.
Peterborough County took over tourism operations for lower tier municipalities at the beginning of 2025 and had been operating out of the Old Post Office (below the clock tower) in Lakefield.
The options within the report included four options:
1. Maintain Status Quo (Deliver Visitor Services Year-Round): provides stability, consistent visitor/information service, and strong regional coordination. Limited to one location. The budget would be consistent with 2025, +$14,000 for one summer student.
The township of Selwyn is taking a more proactive approach to snow removal in front of school areas thanks to a petition organized by local resident Danielle Lavender.
Lavender started a petition requesting that the township priority school zones for snow ploughing and sanding. She stated in her petition to council that conditions have become unsafe and hazardous for students, staff and parents following multiple recent snowfall events siting that the roads and sidewalks around both schools have repeatedly remained unploughed and untreated during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times.
Her petition that was signed by about 130 community members requested that the township:
• Designate the area surrounding St. Paul Catholic Elementary School and Lakefield District Public School (LDPS) as a high-priority zone for snow ploughing and sanding
This short documentary is a portrait of a tiny town, Lakefield, Ontario, and its independent weekly, the Herald. Across North America, newspapers are dying, but in Lakefield, Terry McQuitty, the town paper’s publisher, carries on a rich, 150-year-old tradition. Set to the pace of small-town life, Unheralded is a testament to the vital role newspapers can still play, and the close bond between reporter and reader.
