Professional Wrestler Cody Deaner To Guest Speak At Local Elementary Schools

Through a sponsorship with the Kiwanis Club of Peterborough, Chris Gray, known professionally as TNA Wrestling’s Cody Deaner, is doing his sixth guest speaker tour of several Peterborough schools this February.

photo courtesy of the kiwanis club of peterborough, facebook.

Gray will speak at St. Theresa Catholic Elementary School and Kawartha Montessori School on Feb. 2, and St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School and Keith Wightman Public School on Feb. 3.

“We’re very excited to bring Chris back to Peterborough for another tour,” said Kiwanis Club of Peterborough Past-President Jeff Westlake. “His previous tours have been tremendously popular with both students and staff. This will bring the number of schools we’ve visited to twenty.”

Gray is a recommended speaker with the Canadian Student Leadership Association, who’s mission is ‘to support and encourage student leadership in Canada.’

“I’m delighted to be returning to Peterborough next month”, said Gray. “The partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Peterborough has been outstanding these last few years, and I’m eager to inspire area kids with my stories and message of ‘Dare to Dream Big.’”

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Peterborough Regional Health Centre Welcomes First Baby of 2026

Parents Tahirih and Noah welcomed their baby girl into the world Thursday at 1:01 a.m. as the first baby delivered at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) in 2026.

file photo.

Baby Rowshan-Vandelinde, who is currently awaiting her first name, was born weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces and is the first child for Tahirih and Noah.

“We laboured while the snow fell softly over a sleeping Peterborough and our family began a new year, a new day and a new chapter together in the quiet of the very early morning,” said Tahirih.

PRHC reports that the hospital saw nine births on New Year’s Day.

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Ross Memorial Hospital Welcomes First Baby of 2026

Parents Jessie and Mathew welcomed their baby boy Theo into the world Thursday at 8:47 p.m. as the first baby delivered at the Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in 2026.

Photo courtesy of ross memorial hospital.

Baby Theo was born weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce and measuring 21 inches (53 cm) long.

“We were not anticipating this as his due date wasn’t for a few more weeks. We had friends over the night before and woke up to my water breaking at 4:45 a.m. I tried to go back to sleep thinking I could wait it out, but I was having contractions, so we came to the hospital. I was in labour for just over 12 hours, pushed for 17 minutes, and then my little sweetheart arrived,” said Jessie. “From the minute we walked in the door and were greeted, to the staff cleaning our room, everyone has been fantastic. Our nurse stayed an extra two hours to see the birth through. It feels like we’ve been at home, it’s been very comforting.”

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Northumberland Hills Hospital Welcomes First Baby of 2026

Hayley Boivin and Nate Hladysh welcomed their baby girl Emma into the world on Thursday at 12:02 a.m. as the first baby delivered at the Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) in 2026.

Photo Courtesy of the Northumberland Hills Hospital.

Baby Emma is the first child for Hayley and Nate, weighing lbs. 7 oz. and measuring 19 inches (49 cm) long.

“We thought she would be born earlier, but as the day went on, we thought maybe she will be a New Year baby. She just made it into the new year! We are excited, happy and a bit overwhelmed,” said Boivin. “We want to thank Dr. Awad and Dr. Smith, the aestheticist Dr. Radonich and the nurses, Alyssa, Tori and Kristen for all of their care and attentiveness.”

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Peterborough Police Service's 19th Annual CopShop Gives 23 Kids a Holiday Shopping Spree at Lansdowne Place

There were 23 kids who got to do holiday shopping with Peterborough Police Services during the 19th annual CopShop at Lansdowne Place on Thursday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The children enjoyed a limo ride from school and were partnered with a Peterborough Police Officer.

The officers will serve as personal shoppers for the kids and each will receive a $200 Gift Card to shop around. The young shoppers also received a Peterborough Petes goodie bag and winter boots donated from Sign-a-fied.

“CopShop is an event so many of our officers and civilian members look forward to each year,” said Detective Constable Mike Peckham of the Peterborough Police Service. “This year, we have about two dozen officers plus civilian members volunteering their time to build positive relationships and spend time with young people from the community in a fun way.”

“CopShop is our favourite day of the year,” says Helen Edwards, Lansdowne Place general manager. '“It’s magical to see the joy on the children’s faces as they shop and share in the holiday spirit. This event brings holiday cheer to our Centre and creates memories that last a lifetime.”

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Kids Wishes are Getting Fulfilled With Launch of Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Foundation's 2025 Santa's Sleigh

In its 36th year, the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation (KHCAS) is helping fulfill kids' Christmas wishes through the 2025 Santa’s Sleigh Program, launched at the Chemong Road Walmart on Thursday.

Amira Sharman and her mother Makaya Dafoe get a Merry Christmas and holiday cheer from Santa as Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation launches its Santa’s Sleigh program for 2025. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The program is in conjunction with the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, East Peterborough Lions Club, 101.5 The Wolf, Global Peterborough and 100.5 Fresh Radio.

Roughly 1,000 children are involved in the foundation, with gift requests written on tags and placed on a Christmas tree in Walmart. Shoppers can grab a tag, fulfill it, and put it in a drop-in sleigh at the store. The program runs until Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.

“We are inviting the community to choose a child’s gift suggestion from our tree at Walmart, then shop for that gift in order to fulfill the child’s holiday wish” said Carrie Truman, KHCAS executive director. “The gifts will go directly to children in our community, so that together we can put smiles on the faces of local children this holiday season.”

@ptbo_canada The Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation is helping fulfill roughly 1,000 kids' Christmas wishes through the 2025 Santa’s Sleigh Program. #ptbocanada #journalism #news #fyp #holidays ♬ Christmas Is Coming - DM Production

Presents, gift cards and monetary donations are accepted during the program. Donated money purchases gifts and gift cards for children and youth involved with the KHCAS.

Donors can make online monetary donations on the foundation’s website.

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New Indigenous Studies Dual Credit Program Launched In Partnership With Trent University & Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

High school students in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) can now earn a credit in Indigenous Studies from Trent University while completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma with the launch of a new dual credit program.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“For decades, Trent has been creating curriculum and opportunities to engage students at all levels in Indigenous education. It has been wonderful to partner with the innovative team at Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board to create this unique pathway for students,” said Marilyn Burns, Trent vice president of Communications & Enrolment. “As HPEDSB students gain exposure to Indigenous scholarship and ways of knowing, they are also gaining real university academic experience and getting a head start on their degree.”

The program is in place for the 2025/26 academic year. It gives students in the HPEDSB enrolled in two high school credit courses (Contemporary Indigenous Issues and Perspectives in a Global Context or First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Governance in Canada) the opportunity to earn a 0.5 university course credit in INDG 1001H: The Foundation of Reconciliation at Trent. This means students who are accepted to Trent University in the future will begin their studies with half a credit already earned for their degree.

The Foundation of Reconciliation half-credit course at Trent also fulfills the University’s Indigenous Course Requirement (ICR), which was implemented in 2018 to ensure all undergraduate students take at least one course focused on Indigenous topics during their degree. Over 20,000 students have completed the ICR since its introduction according to Trent.

The new dual credit program will be piloted at Eastside Secondary School in Belleville. As part of the program, students will engage in land-based learning activities and events, receiving instruction and teachings led by faculty and staff from Trent’s Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. Students will deepen their understanding of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives and build real-world skills through university-level study.

“This agreement reflects our shared commitment to advancing Indigenous education and creating meaningful learning opportunities for students that translate into strong community relations,” said Katherine MacIver, HPEDSB director of education. “This opportunity will no doubt help students strengthen their academic foundation, foster critical thinking, and build confidence for the transition to postsecondary education.”

“This is a perfect opportunity to support students along their learning journey, to build relationships and friendships across our institutions, and to connect students directly with professors, elders, and knowledge holders,” added Dr. Kevin Fitzmaurice, associate professor in the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies.

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Inaugural Lemonade Stand Day Raises $7,000 For Riverview Park and Zoo's Rotary Accessible Playground Project

A classic drink helped the Riverview Park and Zoo move closer to their $1.5 million goal for the Rotary Accessible Playground Project, as the inaugural Lemonade Stand Day raised $7,000 towards the initiative.

Photo courtesy of the Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The Kiwanis Club of Scott’s Plains held its first-ever Lemonade Stand Day on Aug.23. The event saw 33 families raise $7,000 for the project, which was celebrated on Sunday.

“The priority was for Lemonaders to have fun and the feedback we have received about Lemonade Stand Day has been wonderful,” said Greg McLeod, Secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Scott’s Plains. “The Lemonaders are already looking forward to next year and so are we.”

The club added an $8,000 donation, while the Rotary Club of Peterborough matched the total of $15,000, bringing the grand total to $30,000 towards the initiative.

The concept was first presented to the Rotary Club in 2024 by Cathy Mitchell, Riverview Park and Zoo CEO. She was grateful for the community support towards the project from the inaugural fundraiser.

“We are so honoured to be the recipients of the funds raised through Lemonade Stand Day,” she said. “These funds will be put towards the Rotary Accessible Playground Project, which is an exciting playground redesign project that will rethink the space ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, can experience the fun of play.”

The fundraising campaign was launched in mid-August

Project upgrades include widened pathways between play areas for people using strollers and mobility devices, new surfaces throughout the playground to make getting around easier, relaxing shady spaces with great sight lines to make it more comfortable for visitors and their caregivers.

Donations towards the project can be made online.

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Peterborough Teen Awarded $500 Swim Ontario Student Athlete Scholarship For Swimming

Junior competitive swimmer Olivia Jones of the Peterborough Swim Club has been recognized with the $500 Swim Ontario Dan Taylor Student Athlete Scholarship, presented at the Swim Ontario Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon on at the Airport Marriott Hotel in Toronto on Saturday.

Olivia Jones (left) and Coach Kent Crockower (right) with the Award. Photo courtesy of Christina Jones.

A student at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School, Jones has maintained a GPA of 4.0. She began swimming competitively at the age of 10, when she joined the Trent Torpedoes Swim Club (now known as the Peterborough Swim Club).  Olivia recently earned a 10th-place finish in the 800-meter Freestyle event at the Ontario Swimming Championships and an eighth-place finish in the one-kilometre event at the Ontario Open Water Championships this past summer. 

“Swimming has taught me discipline, time management, and perseverance,” she said. “I’m honoured to receive this scholarship, and feel motivated to keep pushing toward new goals- both at school, and in the pool.” 

Photo courtesy of Christina Jones.

Team Aquatic Supplies collaborates with Swim Ontario to fund the $500 scholarships, awarded to outstanding student-athlete swimmers across the province.

Each year, only 12 student-athletes across Ontario—one male and one female from each Swim Ontario region— are selected for the scholarship. Recipients are chosen for their combination of academic achievement and swimming excellence, reflecting the late Dan Taylor’s belief that the sport of swimming builds good habits, confidence, discipline, and leadership.

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Five Counties Children’s Centre Celebrating Milestone With Family 50-Fest On Sept. 27

To mark its 50th anniversary, the Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) is hosting its Family 50-Fest on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its facility on 872 Dutton Rd.

Photo courtesy of FCCC.

The free, fun, family-friendly event is billed as a community celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the children’s treatment centre being established in 1975 according to Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO.

“Five Counties has so much to celebrate as we mark our golden age of providing life-changing treatment for children and their families in our region,” he said. “And that’s what Family 50-Fest is all about – reflecting and celebrating on the Centre’s five decades of service to our communities.”

The event has kids’ activities, petting zoo, circus performers, touch a police cruiser, games, facepainting, story time, food, music and more. An open house/tour of the Five Counties site in Peterborough will be available, along with a display of historical articles and items from five decades of caring for children. Local dignitaries have also been invited to speak.

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