Wild Water & Wheels Pipeline Express Coaster (Last Remaining Bailey Auto Sled Coaster In World) Has Closed Down

The amusement and theme park related news site Coaster Nerd reports that Wild Water & Wheels Pipeline Express Coaster has closed down. It was the last remaining Bailey "Auto Sled" coaster in the world.

Many people have fond memories of going down that coaster at Wild Water & Wheels over the years—it even made our list of 57 Signs You’re From Peterborough—and many a parent has taken their kids there. The long walk up the stairs to get to the platform overlooking Chemong Road could be as harrowing as the ride depending on the wind on any given day.

Photo by Bria Pigeon

Wild Water & Wheels says a new attraction is slated open in 2020, but no word yet on what that will be.

Share your memories of this coaster on our Facebook page.

Take a final virtual spin (or two) here…

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Canoe Museum's Campfires & Cocktails Flannel Event Raises Over $40,000 To Support Educational Programming

More than 200 people attended the Canadian Canoe Museum’s first-ever “Campfires and Cocktails” event on May 4th, enjoying local food and drink, live music and an amazing auction.

The event raised $40,250 to support educational programming and will return next year, offering community members another opportunity to “channel their flannel”.

Photo by Bryan Reid for Canadian Canoe Museum

The museum’s galleries were brimming thanks to the support of many, including the volunteer organizing committee, sponsors, food providers, and the 15 local artists and distinguished Canadians who painted paddles for the live auction.

The evening was set to music by local country-folk-pop trio the Dixie Hicks and complemented by artisans at work in the Preserving Skills Gallery.

Dixie Hicks, photo by Bryan Reid for Canadian Canoe Museum

“This first-of-its-kind event was embraced by the community, and we are so grateful for all the support the museum received,” says Caroline Anderson, Annual Giving Co-ordinator with the museum.

Photo by Bryan Reid for Canadian Canoe Museum

“From the organizing committee led by Jane Ulrich, to the local businesses who brought such incredible creativity to the table, we were amazed by the initiative and interest,” adds Anderson.

To learn more about the Canoe Museum, paddle over here.

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How It Works: Centennial Fountain

UPDATE: We were at Little Lake on Friday, May 17th, when Centennial Fountain kicked on for the season. Daryl Stevenson, Supervisor of Wastewater Treatment at City of Peterborough, explained to us how it works. Watch this video below produced by StudioPTBO…

ORIGINAL POST:

The iconic Centennial Fountain in Peterborough is a huge attraction for locals and tourists alike to view from many different vantage points around the city.

The fountain is the highest jet fountain in the country. Installed in 1967, the water shoots up 76m (250 feet).

Photo courtesy City of Peterborough

The Centennial Fountain will turn on for the 2019 season at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 17th.

Check out historical footage of construction of the fountain here.

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Peterborough Airport Celebrating Its 50th Anniversary With Epic Air Show

Peterborough Airport is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an Air Show featuring the most exciting lineup of aerial demonstrations that Peterborough has seen in decades. The show takes place on Saturday, September 21th and Sunday, September 22th.

Headlining the show are the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerial demonstration team and the SkyHawks Canadian Armed Forces parachute team. The Air Show will also feature aerial demonstrations by Rick Volker, Todd Farrell, MKT Aerobatics and the Great War Flying Museum. Static aircraft displays, local food vendors and activities for kids will round out the show.

“We are thrilled with the line-up of performances we have assembled to celebrate the Airport’s 50th anniversary,” says Airport General Manager Trent Gervais. “There really is something for everyone—from heart-stopping excitement to graceful manoeuvres and everything in between.”

A variety of ticket options are available. Adult tickets are $30, a family pass is $70 and a VIP Experience is $200, plus applicable taxes and fees. Ticket pricing is also available for children, youth/students, seniors and veterans.

For more info on the show and tickets, go here.

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Due To Unsafe Boating Conditions Parks Canada Is Delaying Start Of Navigation Season

Due to unsafe boating conditions, Parks Canada is delaying the start of the 2019 navigation season for the Trent-Severn Waterway until Friday, May 24th.

Above normal snowpack in some areas and significant precipitation system-wide have resulted in extreme high water levels and flows throughout the Trent-Severn Waterway, which causes unsafe boating conditions.

Picture courtesy parks canada

Until then, the Trent-Severn Waterway will remain closed to all boat traffic and all forms of water-based activities are discouraged. This closure will ensure boater safety, and help to mitigate shoreline erosion and property damage experienced by local residents and businesses.

During this week, Parks Canada will diligently continue to make adjustments to water flows in order to restore safe conditions in preparation for the navigation season.

The public are welcome to continue to enjoy the canals' lock stations, which will be fully open to land-based visitors starting May 17th, and lock staff will be on hand to welcome them. 

Visitors are encouraged to always exercise caution around water. This is especially important now with elevated water levels and flows.

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Government of Canada Contributes To Flood Mitigation Projects In Kawartha Lakes

Flooding is Canada’s costliest and most frequent natural disaster. As such, on Wednesday (May 15th), MP Maryam Monsef announced more than $100,150 in federal funding to the Province of Ontario to support work on two projects under the National Disaster Mitigation Program to better plan for and protect against the effects of flooding.

Kawartha Conservation is leading delivery of these two projects that will contribute to updating and establishing floodplain mapping in the Fenelon Falls South and McLaren’s Creek areas. The maps will help protect these communities from flooding events and will guide future land use decisions. As well, the City of Kawartha Lakes has contributed $87,086 for these projects.

photo courtesy Government of Canada

“Canadians are increasingly experiencing the costly effects of climate change through extreme weather events,” says Monsef.

“We need to act purposefully and responsibly to prepare our communities with the supports needed to mitigate this damage. Investing in climate resilience infrastructure is part of our climate plan and part of our plan to grow our economy. Today’s announcement will provide Kawartha Conservation with some of the tools required to protect communities in our region from flooding.”

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PRHC Opens Doors To 4,300-Square-Foot Martin & Denise Pick Learning Centre

On Tuesday (May 14th), Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) announced the opening and dedication of the hospital’s new, purpose-built Martin & Denise Pick Learning Centre.

Using flexible design principles, the 4,300-square-foot Learning Centre is the largest available meeting space in the hospital, offering a 100-person-capacity area that can be converted into two smaller spaces.

It also has a dedicated clinical training area providing a wide range of state-of-the-art training tools and equipment in a simulated patient care environment, and comes equipped with sophisticated Information Technology (IT) tools and services to fulfill the organization’s clinical and support service training needs.

Members of the Pick Family pose at the entrance to the new Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre that now bears their name. From left: Dr.Rardi van Heest, Denise Pick, Martin Pick and Charles Pick.

The dedicated educational space was made possible by the generous support of the PRHC Foundation donors who funded the $3.1 million project, and support of the Pick family was essential to the Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation representative and former PRHC Foundation Board Member Martin Pick said the choice to support the Learning Centre and the hospital was a very personal one for his family:

“My father, Otto Pick, died from his third heart attack in 1959 at the age of 54, but in his short life, he and his amazing wife Marie laid the foundation for a seed enterprise that’s now a global presence in the industry,” says Pick. “The last years of his life, however, lacked any quality. Had he lived today in the period of bypasses and stents, his life would likely have been much longer and a great deal more comfortable. We chose the PRHC Foundation and the Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre to honour our parents’ hard work and imaginative foresight, and because advances and innovation need the support of the community to become possible.”

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All The Details For The Rotary Victoria Day Fireworks At Del Crary Park

The Rotary Clubs of Peterborough and Peterborough Kawartha are pleased to announce the lineup for this weekend’s 17th Annual Fireworks Event, which will be held on Saturday, May 18th at Del Crary Park.

Admission is free. Here is the schedule…

LIVE MUSIC - FREE

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Peterborough LIVE*

->  Lauryn Macfarlane, (country/ folk/indie singer songwriter)

-> Nicholas Campbell, (15 year old rockabilly sensation) 

-> Charlie Earle (female R&B singer)

*Entertainers will change if the event is postponed to the rain date.

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm The Austin Carson Band

8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Man on the Wall

CHILDREN’S EVENTS - FREE

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

-> Bouncy Castles

-> Face-Painting

-> Popcorn and Ice Cream (while quantities last)

There will be food and drinks available for sale from a variety of vendors. Rotarians will be selling GLO products in the Rotary tent and around the park. Look for the Blue & Yellow Rotary jackets.

FIREWORKS

Countdown at approximately 9:40 pm (Dusk)

Note: *The rain date is Sunday, May 19th.

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Zoo's Miniature Train Ride Opening Late This Year

The Riverview Park and Zoo’s popular miniature train ride traditionally opens around the Victoria Day long weekend but not this season unfortunately.

The zoo has announced that the opening has been delayed due to the project for the rehabilitation of the pump house building at the dam being delayed by the poor weather this spring.

“We are not able to operate the train until the project is completed,” the zoo says. “At this time, we’re estimating that we’ll be opening in the second week of June.”

For updates, follow the zoo on Twitter and Facebook.

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