Peterborough Blogs
Hometown PTBO: Ashlee Aitken Discusses Moving to Peterborough, Volunteer Work With Food Drives, Kenya and Their Lacrosse Culture
/This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Ashlee Aitken from Kawartha Food Share about her decision to move to Peterborough, her work with charities and food banks and how she fell in love with Kenya and their lacrosse culture.
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Local Author Releases Book Excerpt of Tony Hawk's Peterborough Appearance
/Local author Tony Cosgray released excerpts of his upcoming book, “Tales From The Dead City” which references legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and his Peterborough appearance over 30 years ago on Tuesday.
Cosgray’s book, written for his children, tells his life of growing up in Peterborough as a metalhead in the 80s and 90s.
Hawk made an appearance at M&J’s Skatetown in Peterborough in December of 1989 skating with Ray Underhill and local skateboarders. Below is the excerpt of Cosgray’s book describing the legendary skateboarder’s appearance from local witnesses.
I first met Norm Macdonald at Trent Radio. I think he might have been playing Black Flag or Beastie Boys. His music tastes immediately grabbed my attention and we started chatting. First thing that set Norm apart from everyone else at the radio station is that he was much older than the rest of us. He looked like someone’s father. We talked about music for some time. I remember him telling me about Led Zeppelin playing at The Rock Pile [Masonic Temple] with Teegarden & Van Winkle in 1969.
Norm had a couple of shows on Trent Radio. One was an album rock show ‘Never Made it To Top 40’ and another was ‘Sessions - Skate Music’. He explained to me that he was mostly doing the Sk8 show on Trent Radio… where he would play bands like NoFx and Bad Religion to help him market his indoor skate park. At the time, I didn’t even know that we had an indoor skate park in town. My first thought was ‘cool another spot for shows’. Turns out Norm was in fact someone’s father. His two sons Mike and Jamie were heavily into skateboarding so to encourage them Norm decided to open up M&J’s Skatetown [Named after his children] at 810 Rye St. sometime in 1988.
From what I remember… When you went into M&J’s the walls were filled with skate decks for sale. Even after the park closed Norm continued on with the distribution of decks. There was a counter where they sold trucks, wheels, stickers and ‘Thrasher Magazine’. A television sat on the counter which played Sk8 related videos. After the waivers would be filled out, to the left behind the counter there was a hallway that led into the first room in the park. On the right was a couple of back-to-back pipes they called ‘bigtime’. First time I walked past that I saw a kid on a bike come down straight on his neck. I don’t know how Norm didn’t have a heart attack every day watching that stuff.
Further down the hall and through a door was an even larger room with a vert ramp at the back and a few smaller ones closer to the entrance.
In December of 1989 eighteen-year-old legend Tony Hawk and 27-year-old Ray Underhill skating for Powell & Peraltas ‘Bones Brigade came up from California to skate at Norm Macdonald’s M&J Skatetown. There is some various youtube footage of them skating there. An amazing video exists of Tony Hawk clearing the gap between the backroom vert ramp over to the middle ‘playland’ one.
Norm Macdonald remembers:
“...I paid $3,500 appearance fee plus accommodation, food and airfare for Tony [Hawk]. Ray was paid for by Powell Peralta. What are icons and legends to some are guys I have known since they were young. Ray Underhill and I were close right until the day he died…”
Etienne Rene remembers:
“...The first spine ramp in the first room was called bigtime! The back ramp in the second room was a nine-foot vert ramp and the spine ramp that Tony [Hawk] transferred to was called playland. There was also a hip ramp next to playland and a 6 foot next to the hip ramp. Plus a 3 foot as well. The park did change the layout a few times but that was the layout when Tony [Hawk] was there…
Norm Macdonald remembers:
“...Only one Vert ramp, but a series of mini ramps. First Spine ramp was Playland in the back room. Big Time had two spines one which was cut to make the first deck spine in Canada…”
Norm had a loud sound system hanging above the halfpipes that would pump out Ministry, Faith No More and Nirvana.
Norm Macdonald remembers:
“...Tony [Hawk] turned me onto Ministry and Ray [Underhill] to Sisters of Mercy…”
“Although I never skated, I knew enough to be aware that this place was a really, really big deal. M&J’s Skatetown had gone all out, making the spot one of North America’s leading indoor parks.”
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Local Musician Goes Viral With Golf Parody Song
/What was supposed to be a fun video shared around friends and family has become viral with almost 80,000 Youtube views in less than a week for musician Chad Driscoll since its release on Sunday.
The song, “Ontario, Let Me Go (Play Some Golf)” is a parody of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
The viral video is about typical golfer experiences and how they cannot golf under the unexpected shutdown extension. Ontario had prohibited golf and other outdoor recreational activities under the new restrictions on April 16.
Driscoll has received massive support and positive reviews from viewers and golf courses extending as far as Ottawa.
“A lot of golf courses have been reaching out and thanking me for the song and stuff which is kind of funny,” he said.
Driscoll released his first album, Unreliable Instincts back in 2011. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.
The lyrics and recording took roughly an hour. Using John Denver for a parody was a decision that organically happened and was recognizable by all ages according to Driscoll.
He wrote the song as a way to relate his golf experiences with others and express his grief for the sudden decision of not being able to play.
“Talk to any golfer, they’re really frustrated and it’s something that we can all resonate with,” said Driscoll. “I’ve been golfing since I was a kid. It’s been a big part of my life.”
Driscoll attended St. Peter’s Secondary School in Peterborough. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.
People are looking for things to do during the pandemic and restricting something that is safe can get mentally taxing according to Driscoll.
“It was such a great way to get out of the house,” he said. “It felt normal out there. You didn’t have a mask on and you were six feet away from each other. When they closed, I was really bummed.”
Driscoll’s first live singing performance was when he was 10 in 1991. He participated in the” Nintendo Search for the Stars” singing contest placing second at Lansdowne Place.
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Hometown PTBO: Robert Roode Discusses His Athletics in Peterborough, His Close Friendship With Tracey Kelusky and Professional Wrestling Career
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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with WWE Superstar and current SmackDown Tag Team Champion (with Dolph Ziggler) Robert Roode on his playing sports as a child, his relationship with local lacrosse star Tracey Kelusky and his career in professional wrestling.
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Hometown PTBO: Gary Lawless Growing Up In Peterborough, the City's Great Athletes and His Journalism Career Into the NHL
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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Vegas Golden Knights Insider Gary Lawless on growing up in Peterborough, the local athletes he grew up and played with and his journalism career in town to the NHL.
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Local Woman Reeling In the Muskie Fishing Life
/Some people use fishing as a way to relax but for Megan Patterson, she seeks the thrill of catching the biggest muskie possible.
Patterson was born in Kingston but moved to Peterborough at an early age. Photo Courtesy of Megan Patterson.
Patterson has fished for over five years and took up the sport after meeting her now-husband who also is an avid fisherman.
Every time she fishes, her goal is to always catch the biggest muskie possible and embrace the thrill that comes along with the catch.
“It’s feeling like the drop of a rollercoaster, there’s a drop in your stomach and so much adrenaline at the same time,” explains Patterson. “It’s an overwhelmingly exciting emotion.”
Patterson works at Trent University as a team member of the Careerspace and Office of the Registrars departments. Photo Courtesy of Megan Patterson.
Patterson fishes at Chemong or Katchewanooka Lake (near Lakefield) during the week but travel out to more faraway places for bigger muskies. Lake St. Clair near Windsor is where she began to fall in love with the sport after having her early fishing experiences there.
Despite Pattersons high angler skill, her goal of catching a 50-inch muskie still eludes her.
“My biggest fish is 49 (inches) and a bit,” she said. “I’ve had so many 48 and 47. I never try to have any expectations when I go to these lakes.”
Despite not meeting her goal, Patterson typically catches at least one muskie a weekend and can have days of catching over 10 in the same timeframe.
Patterson graduated from Trent University with a joint major in business administration and cultural studies in 2015. Photo Courtesy of Megan Patterson.
Patterson is a member of several fishing organizations Muskies Canadaeveral muskie organizations such as Muskies Canada, Canadian Fishing Network and the Ontario Women's Anglers Association.
She also is an ambassador for companies such as Shimano, Musky Maniacs and many more, appearing in trade shows to showcase new fishing products.
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Trent University Honours Top Student-Athletes At Virtual Athletics Celebration
/It was a fantastic season for Lauryn Bons and Thomas Reid as they were awarded the Arthur Cup, Trent University’s highest athletics award to graduating students for outstanding contribution, sportsmanship, participation and leadership in athletic programs on April 9.
Thomas Reid (left) and Lauryn Bons (right) are originally from Orillia and Trenton, Ontario respectively. Photo Courtesy of Trent University.
The awards were given at Trent’s Excalibur Awards banquet in a virtual setting to honour all of their athletes.
Bons was the female recipient for rugby as an inside back from 2017-2021. She will earn her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at the end of the semester.
She earned the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women’s rugby for her outstanding commitment to extracurricular activities in the 2019-2020 season.
“It was an absolute honour to be this year's Arthur Cup award recipient,” said Bons. “My four years at Trent has been an absolutely amazing experience and I am so thankful for my teammates, coaches and professors who have supported me both athletically and academically throughout my degree - I could not have done it without them.”
Bons (right) has played every single position in rugby except for the hooker position. Photo Courtesy of Lauryn Bons.
Reid earned the top male honours in men’s soccer as the team’s captain and as a centre-back defender. He is finishing his fourth year in biology with a minor in psychology and has been on the honour roll for four years running.
“I know a lot of great athletes and great people have won this award in the past so it certainly is an honour to share this award with them as well,” said Reid. “I was actually surprised to find out that I won because there are so many deserving athletes at Trent.”
Reid was named “Rookie of the Year” for Trent men’s soccer in 2017. Photo Courtesy of Thomas Reid.
Both award-winning students are founding members of the 1EX Council, a student-athlete leadership council dedicated to enhancing the overall experience of Excalibur athletes.
Their leadership and high standard in academics earned them the award according to Deborah Bright-Brundle, director of athletics and recreation.
“Lauryn and Thomas have been exemplary representatives of Trent Excalibur, who have demonstrated leadership in this very different year,” she said. “They have demonstrated leadership for their team and for Trent Athletics overall.”
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Hometown PTBO: Tracey Kelusky Discusses His Lacrosse Upbringing and Career and How He Calls Peterborough Home
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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with former National Lacrosse League number one overall pick Tracey Kelusky. The NLL star talks about his lacrosse career, coming back to Peterborough and his new gig as the head coach of the Panther City Lacrosse Club in Texas.
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Hometown PTBO: Mark Astrom Recalls Running on the Field During '93 Blue Jays' World Series Walk-Off Home Run
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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Mark Astrom of Peterborough. Astrom shares his experience of running onto the field during Joe Carter’s walk-off home run that gave the Toronto Blue Jays back-to-back World Series Championships in 1993.
