Peterborough Petes Name Winner of Overtime Teacher Program

After a three-day voting period, Grade 7 and 8 teacher Marc-Andre Brisson of James Strath Public School has been declared the Peterborough Petes Overtime Teacher program winner on Tuesday.

Brisson was the first of four to receive his nomination on May 28. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Voting began on Saturday through Monday for the four finalists including Amanda McIness, Daniel Murphy, Joanne Haacke and eventual winner Marc-Andre Brisson.

Brisson was nominated for his unique ability in developing personal connections with all his students. Whether discussing hockey or current news, he is celebrated for fostering an open dialogue with his students and ensuring that everyone is comfortable in the classroom.

For winning the honour, Brisson earns a Petes’ prize package that includes a Zoom call for his class with Rob Wilson, Petes head coach and goaltenders Tye Austin and Michael Simpson for their students.

All four finalists will receive two tickets each to the Petes home opener in the fall.

Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

“Having been nominated by a student to be the Overtime Teacher means a great deal to me,” said Brisson. “Students are extremely busy these days with online learning and for Cameron to take the time out of his day to complete the nomination process, it means a lot. I am so proud of the students in my class, and all the students at James Strath and their perseverance through this tough school year.”

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Four Finalists For Petes Overtime Teacher Program Finalized For Voting

One of four outstanding teachers will be declared the winner of the Peterborough Petes Overtime Teacher program in a vote announced Wednesday.

Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Voting opens on the Petes website this Saturday at 8:00 am until Monday at 8:00 pm to crown the ultimate Overtime Teacher. Fans can vote as many times as they want for their favourite educator as each vote counts towards the end result.

The four finalists are Marc Andre Brisson, Amanda McIness, Daniel Murphy and Joanne Haacke. 

Receiving the first nomination of the four, Brisson received his honour on May 28. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Marc Andre Brisson- The Grade 7 and 8 teacher at James Strath Public School was nominated for his unique ability for making personal connections with all his students. Whether it is talking about hockey, or what is going on in the news, he is celebrated for fostering an open dialogue with his students and ensuring that everyone is comfortable in the classroom.

McInnes received her nomination on June 4. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Amanda McInnes- McIness works at St. Catherine C.E.S., teaching Grades 7 and 8. The elementary school teacher is recognized for her ongoing work in supporting students at the Peterborough Regional Science Fair (PRSF), and Canada Wide Science fair (CWSF). This year at the CWSF, two of McIness’ students took home the top prizes. 

Murphy received his nomination on June 11. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Daniel Murphy- Murphy, an Educational Assistant at Highland Heights Public School, works with students in Grades 2-4. In his fifth year as an educator, Murphy’s positivity and dedication to his students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic impressed everyone around him. He is continuously celebrated for facing each new challenge with optimism and for prioritizing his students' needs.

The final teacher, Haacke received her nomination on June 15. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Petes.

Joanne Haacke- Haacke teaches Grades 3-5 at James Strath Public School. Haacke is being honoured for her amazing work both in and out of the classroom. Not only is she extremely dedicated to her job as an educator, but she also serves as an assistant coach and is a chair on the board of directors for the Kawartha Komets.

The winning teacher will receive a Petes prize package that includes a Zoom call for their class with Petes Head Coach Rob Wilson and goaltenders Tye Austin and Michael Simpson. They will also receive two tickets to the Petes’ home opener for the upcoming 2021/2022 season.

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Award-Winning Documentary Showcases Kenyan Lacrosse Story in Peterborough

Filmmaker Janet Wells of Quarry Island Films’ documentary “Sleeping Warrior” had Peterborough as one of several focuses since it was one of the major sites for the film to be released this year.

The documentary shows a true story of two girls Sharon Opari and Moureen Atieno from Africa’s first female lacrosse team, — represented by Kenya — their journey to the 2019 World U19 Women's Field Lacrosse Championships and the transformation of their lives upon returning from the event that was held in Peterborough in August 2019.

During filming, one player discovered that her deceased mother might be alive after all so the documentary filmed that her journey to find her real family as part of the story.

The title comes from a mountain the girls train under in Kenya called ‘Sleeping Warrior’. Photo Courtesy of Janet Wells.

Justin Chiu Stadium at Trent University and Fleming College were the sites of the world championships. This was Peterborough’s second time hosting the event with the first in 2007.

Filming was done from June to December in Peterborough and Kenya in 2019.

Janet Wells and Timothy Mwaura were co-directors of the documentary. Photo Courtesy of Janet Wells.

Several girls on the team have barely travelled so coming to Peterborough was a new experience in more than one case according to Wells.

“There is something about Kenyan athletes, people are just drawn to them and they’re warm and lovely people,” said Wells. “They’re very beautiful and I learned so much.”

The team got to experience boat rides, Canadian cuisine, a box lacrosse match and many other experiences that were previously foreign to them.

“They all hated salad, they boil everything and cook all vegetables,” Wells laughed. “They also don’t like cheese either.”

Several members of Kenya’s lacrosse team have only played a few games before coming to Peterborough. Courtesy of Janet Wells.

The girls were put up in several places during their time in Peterborough. Lakefield College accommodated them for three days and some stayed at Wells’s cottage in Stony Lake.

One other notable place where the girls were housed was the cottage featured in the film, “Cheaper By the Dozen 2” in Stony Lake.

This was the first boat ride the Kenyan lacrosse team had ever gone on when they visited Canada. Photo Courtesy of Janet Wells.

The film has yet to make its theatrical debut in Canada though Wells has mentioned giving Peterborough a private screening hopefully this year.

Despite being showcased at several film festivals and earning many awards, it is not publicly available though it is on screens in Nairobi and touring film festivals.

The Kenyan team placed 18th at the 2019 World U19 Women's Field Lacrosse Championships in Peterborough, losing to Isreal in the 17th place match, 11-10.

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Hometown PTBO: NHL Alumnus John Druce Details His Hockey Career, Being Starstruck On the Golf Course and Pedal For Hope

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks to former Washington Capitals forward John Druce about being in the NHL, his coaching career, meeting a certain James Bond actor while golfing and participating in Pedal for Hope.

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Local Broadcaster Helps Lacrosse Website's Inaugural Launch

Peterborough’s Stephen Stamp has been one of the most significant lacrosse figures in the world and he can add the launch of Lacrosse Link to his list of accomplishments.

Stamp has called six World Lacrosse Championships in his broadcasting career. Photo Courtesy of Stephen Stamp.

Founded by Saskatoon Box Lacrosse founder Randy Trobak, the website is a news and video content provider containing information to educate, empower and expose lacrosse to a worldwide audience. News, interviews, roundtables and professional analyses are several columns that Lacrosse Link will feature.

“If you’re looking for something you’ll want to find (in lacrosse), you may see something you never thought you’d be interested in, “ said Stamp. “It’s a way to have a community and to have connections made.”

Stamp (right) hosted the 2020 Major Series Lacrosse draft show held at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Jan. 27, 2020. Photo Courtesy of Stephen Stamp.

Trobak recruited Stamp to launch Lacrosse Link and first introduced the idea back at the 2017 Founders’ Cup in Saskatoon, Sask.

Stamp hosted the first episode which featured Sean Aggus, commissioner of the Junior A Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League and Karl Christiansen, commissioner of the BC Junior A Lacrosse League about the 2021 season that premiered on Monday.

“We got good feedback from the first video,” said Stamp. “It was gratifying to see that people were happy to see me involved.”

The show has several guests lined up for future broadcasts and has quickly gained recognition from high-profile lacrosse figures according to Stamp.

“People are excited to be a part of it,” he exclaimed. “It’s really fun to see how it’s starting out and I think it’ll be really neat to see where it goes.”

Lacrosse Link is also hosted by former National Lacrosse League broadcaster Tanner Fetch. He met Stamp during the 2017 Founders’ Cup and were broadcast partners for the championship event.

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Hometown PTBO: Peterborough Petes Mike Martone, Mike Williams and Andy Johnson Recap the City Hosting the Memorial Cup

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with former Peterborough Petes Mike Martone, Mike Williams and Andy Johnson about the 1996 Memorial Cup on its 25th anniversary; the only year Peterborough hosted the prestigious tournament.

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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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