Peterborough Humane Society Celebrates Official Ribbon Cutting of the PetSmart Charities of Canada Peterborough Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic

The Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) and PetSmart Charities of Canada celebrated the official ribbon-cutting of the Peterborough Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic at the Peterborough Animal Care Centre (PACC) Thursday morning.

photo by felicia Massey.

The Clinic will be named for PetSmart Charities of Canada in honour of their generous donations. Representatives from the US and Canada came together at PACC to commemorate occasion with supporters and Mastiff mix Angus.

PetSmart Charities of Canada has cumulatively contributed over $421,000 towards the innovative new animal care facility located at 1999 Technology Dr. in Peterborough.

“Access to spay/neuter is essential for all pets to maintain the momentum on finding homes for all animals,” said Heidi Marston, director of pet placement initiatives at PetSmart Charities of Canada. “When pets do find their home, access to affordable and high-quality veterinary care is foundational to a long and healthy life, care that today, is unattainable for too many pet parents. That’s why we’re thrilled our long-time partners at the Peterborough Humane Society have associated our name with the spay/neuter clinic. Their leadership and commitment to their community through this centre promises to deliver the best care to those in need.”

All photos by Felicia Massey.

“PetSmart Charities of Canada have been a remarkable partner on this journey to our new centre,” said Shawn Morey, executive director at the Peterborough Humane Society. “Their support has been huge in bringing our new centre to a reality, and allowing us to offer more services to our local and regional communities. Partnerships like these are exactly what we need to continue our mission, as well as meet our fundraising goals.”

PHS used the grant funds to purchase medical equipment required for the high-volume spay/neuter clinic within the new centre. The Spay/Neuter Clinic, which serves the public as well as other animal rescue organizations, provides over 25 surgeries a day. The Clinic plans to grow, with the goal of helping over 5,000 pets and their families each year.

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Quaker Foods City Square To Officially Open On Dec. 17

A community celebration for the official opening of Quaker Foods City Square on Charlotte Street is occurring on Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., announced by the City of Peterborough on Tuesday.

The park was open temporarily on Canada Day for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new UN Peacekeepers Monument. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The celebration includs outdoor skating, music, hot beverages, face painting for children and other activities.

The public square is located on the site of the former Louis Street Parking Lot and is a year-round space for community events and activities with family-friendly features. It will included a refrigerated outdoor skating rink for the winter and water play for the summer.

The celebration is being run by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).

All activities are free, with treats and hot beverages available while supplies last, including:

• Sweet treats

• Hot chocolate

• Face painting

• Live DJ

• Stilt walkers and performance art

• Skating (weather permitting and must bring own skates)

The ribbon-cutting ceremony and brief remarks will be held at noon to officially open the square and recognize funding partner contributions and sponsors.

The $6.4-million project was supported by a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, to support the construction of the rink, as well as landscaping and water features.

The City also used $677,909 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from its share of gaming revenues provided as a host community for a casino, and $50,000 from the DBIA to support the project. PepsiCo Foods, through its Quaker brand, is providing approximately $240,000 over 15 years for the naming rights to the public square.

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Living Local Marketplace Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With Gourmet Goods Expansion

It was a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was one year in the making but Alicia Doris celebrated the first anniversary of her brick-and-mortar artisanal shop Living Local Marketplace with a gourmet goods expansion on Wednesday morning.

Alicia Doris has previously worked as a journalist for the Toronto Star and in the local media. Her gourmet goods section was formerly used for storage space. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Doris was unable to do grand opening festivities due to COVID-19 restrictions. She took the storefront’s anniversary as a make-up day to do the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 200-square feet expansion of a gourmet goods section was due to increasing demand and requests from customers.

“I'm just so grateful to be able to share the work of local artisans and small businesses,” said Doris. “They really are the backbone of Living Local Marketplace and to be able to respond to my customers' needs, they're really loving the gourmet goods.”

Her shop sells locally-created artisanal goods that include housewares, personal care and hygiene products and the newly-added gourmet goods. Customers can create customizable gift boxes that can be picked up or delivered from local artizans.

Doris began the business after becoming unemployed at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020.

Originally beginning as a passion project of that spring, Living Local was a seasonal subscription box that shared the work of artisans and small businesses in The Kawarthas. It pivoted to an online gift box shop in the fall of the same year due to higher demand.

“It's all about the people behind the products,” explained Doris. “When we purchase these goods — which are always very high quality — we're supporting our community members, our friends and our neighbours and colleagues. It's an easy connection to make.”

During the ceremony, Doris announced the launch of custom corporate gift boxes that can be delivered coast-to-coast.

Living Local Marketplace was a beneficiary of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development Starter Company Plus Program, receiving a share of a $36,000 grant in December 2020.

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PtboPics: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony At Primal Cuts

Drop in to Primal Cuts at 550 Lansdowne Street West. They opened the store last night with a ribbon cutting ceremony, unveiling the AAA and prime cuts inside.

Owner/butcher George Madill chatting with local food writer Donald Fraser

You can follow Primal Cuts on Twitter and Facebook.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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