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President Obama Gave Amazing Shout-Out To Maryam Monsef In House Of Commons
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Obama shaking hands with MP Monsef
It was an amazing and unexpected moment in the House of Commons for Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef Wednesday night.
During a powerful and rousing speech to Parliament by U.S. President Barack Obama, he gave a beautiful and touching shout-out to Monsef, telling the story of how she fled Afghanistan with her mother and siblings after her father was killed by the Taliban. Many on social media said it was the highlight of his talk.
VICE News Canada Features Editor Justin Ling tweeted this...
Buzzfeed Canada Politics reporter Emma Loop tweeted this...
Speaking of the need to embrace immigrants, Obama said this of Monsef, the Minister of Democratic Institutions, in his speech:
"We see the refugees who feel that they have a special duty to give back, and seize the opportunities of a new life. Like the girl who fled Afghanistan by donkey and camel and jet place and who remembers being greeted in this country by helping hands and the sound of robins singing. And today she serves in this chamber and in the cabinet because Canada is her home."
Monsef was blown away by the remarks, and later tweeted this:
A standing ovation for Monsef was given after Obama's remarks in the House of Commons.
Buzzfeed's Emma Loop tweeted this video of Obama shaking hands with Monsef after his speech...
"It was unexpected," Monsef tells PTBOCanada of Obama's shout-out. "It was humbling and lovely. I immediately thought of my mother, her courage, her pursuit of a better life for her and her kids."
Monsef, who says it was really neat to shake hands with Obama, tells PTBOCanada this of what the moment means to her and her upbringing in Peterborough: "My story is what it is because of Peterborough, which treated my family so well when we came here. It's just another reminder about the people of our community, and their acts of kindness. How these acts of kindness and community are never forgotten."
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Why A Peterborough Waving Jogger's Happiness Is Contagious
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Jim McLean lives life to the fullest
Read MoreGordie Howe's Act Of Kindness To A Teenage Waiter At Mother's Pizza In Peterborough Had Lasting Impact
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Hockey icon Gordie Howe has passed away at the age of 88, and many are sharing their recollections of how this man touched so many lives well beyond hockey.
93.3 MY-FM radio personality Joel Scott shared an amazing anecdote on his Facebook page about the impact Gordie Howe had on him during one moment as a teenager when Scott was a waiter at Mother's Pizza in Peterborough. Read it below..
Joel Scott's Facebook post:
"I served Gordie Howe once as a teenager waitering at Mother's Pizza in Peterborough. He was with his wife. I was terrified. As I went to the table, my mouth went dry, my hands were shaking, my voice cracked as I asked them what they wanted...he clearly knew I was nervous...they ordered...he asked where a great place would be to take his wife for a drive... I was sweating through my shirt a bit i was so nervous around him.....This is the guy who owned hockey for 40 years! The Gordie Howe Hat Trick !! Mr. Elbows! When I brought the bill over, I thanked them and wished them well..I remember his credit card said Howe Enterprises on it..and when they got up to leave, Mr. Howe came over to the bar and put his hand on my shoulder..and told me I did a great job, and wished me a great weekend. A classy move from a class act."
Howe's gesture had a lasting impact on Joel: "He knew I was terrified and and in awe...and it was his quiet way of letting me know it's all good kid," he tells PTBOCanada. "It was a reminder that no matter how big you get you always treat people with respect and kindness...he embodied that his whole life."
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Meet The Peterborough Dentist Who Travels Around The World To See Pearl Jam
/Peterborough dentist Edward Segura has to be one of the biggest Pearl Jam fans on the planet. Segura, who owns every Pearl Jam album ever made, has been to about 40 Pearl Jam concerts around the world.
"I clearly remember the day in 1991 when I first heard Pearl Jam," Ed tells PTBOCanada. "My then-girlfriend and current wife Christine and I were hanging out at my parents’ home in Toronto after spending a day record shopping on Yonge Street. I had purchased this band Pearl Jam’s debut record, Ten, as it was being touted as an incredible record from a young angry band with great music and social integrity. I had heard 'Alive' on the radio as it was on regular radio play at the time. As soon as the needle hit the record….well that was the beginning of a lifelong affair for me with this unparalleled band."
Ed with his son Aidan in Prague to see Pearl Jam in 2012
Segura travels around the world, often with his wife and two boys, Aidan and Liam, to go to Pearl Jam concerts—working his vacation schedule around them, and getting front row seats as much as possible.
"A live show by Pearl Jam must be experienced to truly appreciate just how good this band is," he says. "They never play the same set twice, and play on average 2:45-3 hours a night in a world where most big bands will play on average 1.5 hours!"
Seeing Pearl Jam in New Orleans in 2013
The first time Ed saw Pearl Jam perform live was at Lolapalooza on August 5th, 1992 at Barrie’s Molson Park—an unbelievable experience for a self-described "19-year-old grunge pissed-off kid."
"The energy is one I will never forget," Ed tells PTBOCanada. "The crowds during the '90s grunge era were very aggressive and there was a lot of crowd-surfing and slam dancing. You had your ripped jeans or jean shorts, a T-shirt under your flannel shirt, long hair, and Doc Martens with wool socks. That was the uniform. As I have gotten older, I have noticed: (1) crowds are older, as is the band obviously; (2) that youthful aggression and disdain for everything no longer exists but the excitement of seeing them perform live is alive and well; and (3) the crowds are familial."
The Pearl Jam tour shirts Ed has collected over the years
After Lolapalooza, Ed would see them perform anywhere near/in Toronto, where he was living at the time, and over the years things have snowballed since moving to Peterborough.
"I have been guilty of planning family trips around Pearl Jam tours," Ed tells PTBOCanada. "In 2012, my son Aidan and I saw them twice in Berlin and in Prague."
Ed's son Aidan with the tambourine Eddie Vedder gave him at Berlin concert
Indeed, an amazing moment with Eddie Vedder happened at one of the Berlin shows. "I managed to get Aidan, who was 10 at the time, front row seats, and Eddie Vedder gave him his tambourine at the end of the show—which was an unforgettable event for both of us."
"We stayed at the Four Seasons Prague and didn’t realize the band was also staying there (we missed them)," Ed adds. "That family trip was awesome, and seeing them perform in Europe was the icing on the cake."
Wristband tickets Ed scored in 2014 for Detroit concert
Ed (to the left) of Eddie Vedder rocking out in Detroit, 2014
Ed has travelled to various Canadian and U.S. cities to watch them over the years: Hamilton, Ottawa, Halifax, Toronto, New Orleans, New York, Detroit, Chicago, and somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin for their 20th anniversary shows.
Seeing Pearl Jam in Halifax, 2009
Seeing Bono and Eddie, 2005, Toronto
Over the past week alone, Ed's family went to Ottawa to watch them perform—then saw them twice in Toronto. "All three sets were three hours long and vastly different," Ed says. "Any hardcore fan will tell you that there are no two PJ shows that are alike, and that is the beauty of this band."
Ed with his son Aidan seeing Pearl Jam in Ottawa, 2016.
Rocking out to Pearl Jam in Toronto, 2016
Another concert pic from Ed at Pearl Jam's Toronto show, 2016
Ed is such a huge Pearl Jam fan that he plays their songs as part of this grunge/classic rock cover band, the Jobbers, he's in in Peterborough with four other local fortysomething guys. He also loves discussing Pearl Jam with his patients, and has been known to play their music during his operatories.
He also has a collection of 40 guitars in his basement, and would love to get one signed by members of Pearl Jam some day.
Seeing Eddie in Halifax, 2005
Next up for Ed and his Pearl Jam tour: This August, he and fellow Peterborough dentist Dr. Brian Smith along their wives will be going to see Pearl Jam perform at Wrigley Field in Chicago. "That will be insane," Ed says.
Oh, and Ed adds that there are much bigger Pearl Jam fans than him: "Believe it or not, there are way crazier fans than myself. I just read about a guy who saw his 1000th show!!!"
—By Neil Morton
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That Magical Session On Stoney Lake With Ronnie Hawkins, Gordon Lightfoot & Kris Kristofferson
/UPDATED POST (August 16th, 2016): It has been unveiled on Kris Kristofferson's Facebook page that their magical collaboration that weekend on Stoney Lake was "Me & Bobby McGee". You can buy it here.
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ORIGINAL POST (May 12th, 2016)
By all accounts, it was a magical couple of days in early May on Stoney Lake near Peterborough that no one who was there will ever forget.
Music icons Ronnie "The Hawk" Hawkins, Gordon Lightfoot and Kris Kristofferson gathered at The Hawk's sprawling Hawkstone Manor Estate overlooking majestic Stoney Lake in the Kawarthas for a secret recording session in the Hawkstone studio—the specific details of which no one will divulge yet.
Front row: Gordon Lightfoot, Ronnie Hawkins & Kris Kristofferson. Back row: Robin Hawkins (The Hawk's son), Ryan Weber, James McKenty & Sam Weber. Photo by Leah Hawk, Facebook page
Many local musicians—including the Weber Brothers, James McKenty from The Spades, Melissa Payne, Karl "Kawartha Karl" Lawson and more—were also there, along with The Hawk's kids Robin and Leah, and some members of the Sadies and Blue Rodeo.
"We were fortunate enough to be part of a historical moment," Sam Weber, one of the hired session musicians, tells PTBOCanada, adding "We were asked to keep what went on pretty much under wraps until further notice."
Photo by The Weber Brothers, Facebook page
What we do know is that a special song was recorded.
"3 Pals who happen to be Legends!!! Lightfoot Hawkins and Kristofferson!! What a song they recorded, last 2 days!! Can't disclose what CLASSIC HIT it is. All in good time!!!," Leah Hawk, The Hawk's daughter, said on a Facebook post.
Photo by The Weber Brothers, Facebook page
Imagine being a fly on the wall for this recording session with these legends The Hawk, Kristofferson and Lightfoot...
Photo by The Weber Brothers, Facebook page
Melissa Payne had this to say to PTBOCanada about being there: "It was an honour and a privilege to watch these three legends not only immersed in one another's company but to watch them come so Alive with their shared passion for the music."
Photo by The Weber Brothers, Facebook page
Kawartha Karl, who is good friends with The Hawk, even had the chance to have his guitar autographed by Gordon Lightfoot...
Karl Lawson and Gordon Lightfoot (photo by Eric Kelso Mckibbon, Facebook)
We can hardly wait to see the result of this music collaboration.
—By Neil Morton
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Isaiah Was Hit By A Truck, Here Is His Remarkable Road Back To Life
/Early last October, a Peterborough teenager named Isaiah was hit by a pickup truck after getting off a city bus.
Isaiah suffered a traumatic brain injury along with numerous facial fractures and broken bones all over his body.
Isaiah after being in hospital for nearly 4 weeks
Isaiah was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. For several weeks, he was in a coma and no one was sure if he would survive.
His mom told him he needed to fight as hard as he possibly could to live.
Fight Isaiah did, taking small steps along the way on his road to recovery—showing his family and friends and caregivers many miracles along the way.
And being able to visit home for Christmas...
And saying his first word since the accident, "Addy", his sister's name...
Despite setbacks along the way, Isaiah is fighting his way back to some semblance of normalcy.
Including shooting hoops...
And holding hands with his sister, while walking again...
And... well... watch this amazing video called "Isaiah's Journey" below posted to YouTube—narrated by Isaiah's mom—that documents his journey back home...
Hallelujah.
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Peterborough Teen Fulfills Lifelong Dream Today By Going On Set Of Jeopardy
/The TV show Jeopardy posted to their social media pages Monday (April 4th) about a Peterborough teen's special visit to a taping of the iconic show.
Quinn Heffernan, 16, who is a Jeopardy "superfan"—he never misses a show and even watches old shows online in his free time—got to go on set thanks to the Sunshine Foundation of Canada.
"We had the pleasure of meeting a J! superfan thanks to the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. Quinn has extensive knowledge of Jeopardy!, and we were so happy..."
It was a bucket list moment for Quinn, a Grade 11 student at Holy Cross Secondary School who lives with a rare disorder known as hemiplegia. He got to fly to Los Angeles with his family and sit in on three tapings of his favourite show.
He even got to meet his idol and fellow Canadian Alex Trebek, which was posted about on Jeopardy's Facebook page....
image via Jeopardy's Facebook page
After the taping, Jeopardy spoke with Quinn to get a sense of his amazing experience...
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Peterborough Photographer Ellen Bond Is A Star On The Rise
/Peterborough photographer Ellen Bond is drawing rave reviews for her photography, including a powerful photo, "Movement", she took in Dundas Square in Toronto of Curve Lake's Leslie McCue (see below) and Lindy Kinosameg.
"I wanted to show the juxtaposition of traditional First Nation beliefs and the chaos of today," Ellen tells PTBOCanada, adding that Leslie is a former student of hers at Kenner from her high school teaching days.
Photo by Ellen Bond, taken February 22, 2016 in Dundas Square
Bond left teaching and is currently studying photography—her passion—at Algonquin College in Ottawa. She has quickly developed into an excellent editorial and portrait photographer.
Ellen Bond: Photographer on the rise
Ellen was published in the Ottawa Business Journal recently, and also got the chance to shoot for the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG)—she was on the field for every Ottawa RedBlack game last season.
Indeed, she took these great photos below of former Crestwood student Brad Sinopoli—who plays for Ottawa in the CFL—including one with his Dad.
Brad Sinopoli. Photo by Ellen Bond
Brad Sinopoli with his Dad, Sam. Photo by Ellen Bond
