Spring into Learning Returns to Five Counties For a Second Year

The second annual Spring into Learning series returns to Five Counties Children’s Centre May 2 with a focus on helping attendees to rethink disability.

photo courtesy of five counties.

Presenters at the event include a former Canadian Paralympian, a Trent University professor/writer and a social worker/community activist. All three will discuss the importance of shattering pre-conceived notions and biases towards persons with disabilities.

Five Counties notes that the free event is not just for Five Counties families, anyone who supports or interacts with a person with disabilities or who wants to learn more about what it’s like to live with a disability is welcome to attend.

“We had wonderful response to our first-ever Spring into Learning last year, that focused on seeing the ability, not disability in every person,” says Hayley Hodges, the Client and Family Engagement Lead at Five Counties. “This year’s theme focuses on how we can ‘rethink disability’ and see resiliency in individuals who overcome challenges and achieve new things with their different abilities. This year, there will also be special emphasis on the vital role of caregivers and how they can be better supported in their work supporting individuals with a disability.”

The full lineup for the Spring into Learning series includes:

• • Keynote speaker Alec Denys (five-time Paralympian, sports enthusiast and accessibility advocate), sharing his personal story of suffering a life-altering injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down, and how his love of sports helped him discover new abilities.

• • Workshop facilitator Derek Newman-Still (a local author, Trent professor and activist) speaking on the importance of resiliency in their own life to respond and correct presumptions from those who diss their disability.

• • Workshop facilitator Maureen Pollard (social worker and compassionate bereavement care provider) explaining why caregivers need to care for their own well-being as much as the person they support, realizing self-care is not selfish.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Five Counties (872 Dutton Rd.)

Registration is now open for the Spring into Learning series online.

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Drum Legend Paul DeLong Returns to Peterborough for Three Shows This Spring

Best known for his work with singer Kim Mitchell, Canadian drum legend Paul DeLong is coming to Peterborough; performing three shows this spring.

photo courtesy of victoria yeh.

DeLong is said to still spend most of his time on tour with bands around the world to this day, feeding his soul through the music that inspired the drummer to become a musician in the first place - jazz fusion.

Fifty years ago, on May 4, 1973, DeLong saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra live in concert for the first time. They were a jazz-rock fusion band on the cutting edge of music. “My mind was blown, I had never heard anything like them before,” said DeLong from his home in Toronto. "It's still the heaviest experience of my life.”

On the 50th anniversary of the fateful concert that would go on to shape DeLong's career as one of North America's most prolific multi-platinum award winning drummers, Paul DeLong’s ONE WORD band will play at the Gordon Best Theatre on May 4, just weeks before he’s set to play Showplace Theatre with Brass Transit and Lighthouse. 

The show promises to be an "unforgettable night of fusion" with music from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Allan Holdsworth, Weather Report, Jeff, Beck, Jean-Luc Ponty and more.

Joining DeLong on stage will be Peterborough's own award winning electric violinist, Victoria Yeh, Grammy nominee Steve Lucas on bass, Michael Murray shredding on guitar and veteran Toronto keyboardist, Don Baird.

Advance tickets and VIP meet and greet backstage passes are available online.

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Otonabee Conservation Offering Spring Water Awareness Program Resources to Help Keep Children Safe During Spring Melt

Otonabee Conservation partners with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to offer Spring Water Awareness children’s program (SWAP) resources for parents to help keep children safe during the spring melt.

photo courtesy of otonabee conservation.

Each year, Otonabee Conservation partners with OPG to offer SWAP to local schools, helping children understand and recognize the dangers around creeks, streams and rivers during the spring.

The spring melt, also called the spring freshet, occurs this time of year when temperatures increase, melting snow and ice, causing water volume and flows to increase in local watercourses. At this time of year, it is important to remind children to stay clear and stay safe around dams, hydroelectric stations and waterways.

Otonabee Conservation staff will be delivering the SWAP program to many local schools over the next several weeks, and digital SWAP Activity Booklets are available for parents to download from the website to share with their children. The 11-page booklet includes colouring sheets, activities and worksheets that help children to understand the rules for being safe around watercourses. The OPG Kid’s Guide to Staying Clear and Staying Safe is also available for download.

“Fast flowing, cold, deep water, slippery streambanks and unsafe ice present real dangers for everyone this time of year,” says Meredith Carter, manager of Watershed Management Programs at Otonabee Conservation. “We would like parents to talk with their children about avoiding watercourses this time of year, especially if they are outdoors playing during the March Break.”

Children and youth should also be reminded to obey all cautionary signs around waterways and dams, and stay safe by playing with a friend, letting an adult know where they are going and when they will return and dressing properly for the weather.

For further resources, including and a short video by OPG, visit the website.

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Explore the Wonders Of Ancient Egypt With Continuing Education At Trent University

Find inspiration with in-person courses and workshops, including a special course and weekend workshop on the wonders of Ancient Egypt, hosted during the Spring term through Continuing Education at Trent University.

photo courtesy of Trent University.

Spring Continuing Education courses and workshops run throughout March and April. Register before March 1 and save 25 per cent with the promo code SPRING25.

“It is an ideal time to invite people to expand their horizons with Trent Continuing Education as we continue to grow Traill College’s presence as a downtown arts and culture hub,” says Dr. Michael Eamon, principal of Catharine Parr Traill College and director of Continuing Education at Trent. “Whether you’re coming out for a single day workshop, a multi-week course, or our special weekend course, this term promises affordable opportunities where you can learn something new and connect with people.”

New for this spring are offerings focused on Ancient Egypt. The six-week course “Wonders of Egypt: The Great Tombs, Temples & Towns of the Pharaohs” begins on March 22, as well as a special Ancient Egypt weekend running April 29 and 30. Here, participants can choose from a single workshop (for $40) or the full weekend experience with four distinct workshops (for $100). Workshops include: The Great Pyramids of Giza, Valley of the Kings: The World’s Most Famous Burial Grounds, Canadians on the Nile – Early Explorers in Egypt, and Secrets of Egypt Revealed – Recent Discoveries in Egypt.

Additionally, multi-week courses and workshops will provide participants the opportunity to get creative with watercolours, writing and more. All in-person classes take place at Catharine Parr Traill College.

Courses starting at $140 (including HST) for the series, and workshops start at just $40 (including HST), plus appropriate materials. Registration for all courses and workshops is available online.

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The 7 & 14 Day Forecast For Peterborough Looks Splendiferous

It's a beauty day today (April 6th)—high of 10 projected—and aside from a few hiccups it's only going to get nicer—and warmer. Yep, we're ready to call this Spring. Take a look at these projections for Peterborough from The Weather Network...

7 Day Outlook... 

14 Day Outlook...

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PtboPic: One Of The First Signs of Spring

What's a sure sign of Spring? Why people out washing and vacuuming their cars, of course. The official first day of Spring is March 20th. We're in the home stretch.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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First Sign of Spring

I guess the Groundhog was right after all, as high above the houses was the first sign of Spring yesterday.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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