Partial Lane Closure At Kirkfield Lift Lock For Repairs Scheduled For Tuesday Until Saturday

The Kirkfield Lift Lock (Highway 503) will experience traffic interruptions from a lane closure starting from Tuesday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 a.m. according to Parks Canada.

THE KIRKFIELD LIFT LOCK IS LOCATED A FEW KILOMETRES NORTH OF THE VILLAGE OF KIRKFIELD. PHOTO COURTESY OF PARKS CANADA.

The closure facilitates crane access, supporting the Kirkfield Lift Lock Urgent Repair project according to Parks Canada. Traffic controls, including flaggers and signage, will be in place as necessary.

The pedestrian walking path from the south side to the washrooms through the road-level walkway will be unavailable during this period.

While repairs progress, Parks Canada advises boaters that single chamber lockages remain in place, operating on demand and taking approximately 60 minutes per transfer.

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Kirkfield Lift Lock Repairs Contracted; Projected Completion For This Year's Navigation Season

Parks Canada has awarded a contract for the Kirkfield Lift Lock to undergo repairs since suffering a mechanical failure on Sept. 2 that resulted in its closure for the rest of 2022.

The Kirkfield Lift Lock is located a few kilometres north of the Village of Kirkfield. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.

The Lift Lock is scheduled to be fully operational by the beginning of this year’s navigation season according to Parks Canada.

The scope of work will include: 

• Repairs to the structural, mechanical and electrical components.

• System improvements to increase safety controls and access improvements to critical system components.

• Backup system improvements to minimize impacts on future maintenance activities.

The Kirkfield Lift Lock is the second-highest hydraulic lift lock in the world with a lift of 15 metres (49 ft). The Kirkfield lock is at the highest point along the waterway at 256.20 m (840.5 ft.) above sea level.

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Ravenwood Drive Christmas Display Invites Public For "Fill the Sleigh" Food Drive

Extravagant Christmas displays are back at the Glasbergen’s as they are inviting the public to tour their grounds and support their “Fill the Sleigh” food drive in support of St. Vincent de Paul this Friday.

Photo courtesy of Braden Glasbergen.

Their Christmas display, known as ‘Seasons on Ravenwood’ is one of four larger-than-life exhibits — with Easter, summer and Halloween as the other displays — the family does annually.

Walkways are created to guide visitors through their front lawn to view the display filled with ornaments, lights, signs and more. The family has requested everyone not to touch the decorations because of its fragility. Anyone driving by is also requested to stop and see the display to not disrupt traffic flow and for everyone’s safety.

Jenn (left) and Braden Glasbergen (right) with their Halloween ghost ship as one of thier biggest displays of the year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Visitors are encouraged to take photos of the displays and with Santa who will make an appearance.

“We love expressing the joy of the Christmas season through lights and decorations and getting to experience visitors' faces when they come to visit makes it worthwhile,” said Braden Glasbergen. “Everyone shows their love of the displays in different ways, the excitement that the little ones share when they run towards the lights or point out Santa on the balcony to the seniors who slow down in their cars and smile at the nutcrackers and reindeer.”

The family is collecting non-perishable goods for St. Vincent de Paul and encourages anyone who visits to bring items to their drop-off box.

“Sharing our seasons with the community and having the community share back with their food donations allows the feeling to go full circle, helping others while having some fun,” said Glasbergen.

The Glasbergen’s display is on 1723 Ravenwood Dr. and is open to the public from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.

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Little Lake Makes Big Splashes Again With Centennial Fountain Turned On For a Full Season

Little Lake has come alive again as the Centennial Fountain has turned on for the season on Thursday morning.

Daryl Stevenson, City of Peterborough’s wastewater treatment manager turning on the Centennial Fountain by a tablet. The iconic fountain is considered one of the highest jet fountains in the country, shooting up to 76 metres in the air. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The fountain had different schedules for the past two years. This year, it runs on a full schedule this year from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. until Oct. 10.

“Two years ago, the fountain was off for the entire year,” said Daryl Stevenson, City of Peterborough’s wastewater treatment manager. “Last year, Council decided to run the fountain from slightly reduced hours but we're looking forward to a good season again this year.”

The fountain will have nightly LED light shows. It plays a part in several major events that take place near it according to Stevenson.

"It's part of Little Lake, whether it's part of the Dragon Boat Festival or any of the concerts going on at night," he explained. "It's iconic, it's beautiful, it's one of the largest fountains in Canada and people just love coming to see it."

The Centennial Fountain was installed through a donation by General Electric Canada in 1967 to mark the Canadian Centennial celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.

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Hometown PTBO: Jenn and Braden Glasbergen Putting Up Four Different Front-Yard Displays for Charity

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Jenn and Braden Glasbergen of Ravenwood Drive about their Easter display, how they put on four different themes a year and strengthening the Peterborough community with their setups.

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Pirate Ghost Ship Looting Community Solidarity For Smiles and Charity

UPDATED: Aug. 21 11:26 a.m.

It may seem like an overly elaborate Halloween decoration but the pirate ghost ship on Jenn and Braden Glasbergen’s property has brought communities together while supporting charity.

Jenn (left) and Braden Glasbergen (right) have had four different elaborate front-yard decorative displays such as Easter, dinosaurs, a ghost pirate ship and a gingerbread house. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Built last year, the ship was primarily built for Halloween decoration that took about 10 weeks but has received upgrades in 2021 such as a second walkway and more decorations.

The Glasbergen’s built it largely for the community to enjoy — and partially to enjoy the decorating and holiday celebrations — but also added a charity element after onlookers asked about making donations.

The ship weighs roughly 300 pounds according to the Glasbergens. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The family did not want money but accepted non-perishable food and drink for donors to see the ship. The items went to food banks like St. Vincent de Paul for the last two years. Animal food and goods such as pet litter, toys and accessories would also be donated to local animal shelters, as the Glasbergen’s are self-proclaimed animal lovers.

“The whole entire car was filled to the brim with food and pet supplies,” send Jenn.

The ship set a good example for kids to be involved in their communities added Braden.

“It was good for the kids too, they would bring a can of soup or a box of mac and cheese or something like that to donate,” he explained. “It helps them learn to give back as well.”

The ship is fully detachable from the house and is stored in the garage when not in season. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Located on Ravenwood Drive, the decorated ship has attracted communities and even out-of-town residents to see the spectacle.

"We had a family on Halloween that saw the ship, they went back home, the whole entire family dressed up in pirate costumes,” mentioned Jenn. “We have people that have to pass every single night because the kids have to say goodnight to the ship.”

Some decorations were purchased however there were building materials and other ornaments were community-donated towards the cause.

The ship has attracted a large amount of community attention and is now open to the public including the donation box. It gets put up around late summer and taken down right after Halloween.

A treasure cove display that has a built walkway path independent of the the ship’s entrance. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The family is currently expecting more decorations to be delivered.

The ship has served as a community spotlight for the family’s neighbourhood, creating a mentality where everyone helps everyone according to the couple.

"It's a good way to give back to the community," said Jenn. "If the community would still like to keep giving, then let's pay it forward."

The family advises that anyone driving to see the ship to exercise caution and to pull over and not obstruct any traffic behind them by driving slowly.

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Centennial Fountain Begins Operation For the Season

Little Lake’s Centennial Fountain has turned on for the 2021 season following a decision by City Council at its Tuesday meeting.

Commonly considered the highest jet fountain in Canada, the Centennial Fountain shoots water up to 76 metres in the air. Photo Courtesy of City of Peterborough

The fountain will run from May 26 until Thanksgiving Monday, October 11.

Its nightly LED light show will pay tribute to frontline workers, running every evening beginning at 8:00 p.m.

“Frontline workers have kept our community safe, healthy and functioning throughout the pandemic. The Centennial Fountain light show is a fitting tribute to express our gratitude for their hard work and dedication,” said Mayor Diane Therrien. “The fountain is a symbol of hope as we begin to emerge from the pandemic this summer. We hope it will encourage people to get outdoors which is good for mental and physical well-being.”

The city urges residents to restrict outdoor gatherings to five people or less when observing the fountain. They ask everyone to avoid crowded areas and follow all public health guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19.

​The Centennial Fountain was installed through a donation by General Electric Canada in 1967 to mark the Canadian Centennial celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.

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The Clock is Still Right, Twice a Day

While renovation continues on Market Hall (reopening in March 2011), one of Peterborough's most iconic landmarks is stuck in time.

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