Holy Cross Celebrates Grand Opening Of New Sport Complex

After three years of construction, the next era of athletics for Holy Cross Secondary School (HCSS) is here as a new sports complex with an artificial turf field has officially opened on Tuesday.

City members, Holy Cross student athletes and staff celebrate on the artificial turf that is also available for use by the community. The Holy Cross’s football team began in 2003. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The project cost $3.7 million and sports such as field hockey, football, track and field, rugby and more are played at the complex.

Upgrades include an artificial turf field converting from natural grass. Night lighting, improving track and field features, such as high jump, long jump, and resurfacing the eight-lane track surrounding the field. New pathways and upgraded spectator seating improve the accessibility of the facility.

“To have the field here for all our rugby practices and games, it's awesome,” said Sophie McLean, Grade 11 student and girls’ rugby player.

“For my whole high school career, it's always been at a different school because our field has been at work,” said Eli McColl, HCSS senior student trustee and HCSS quarterback. “It finally feels amazing to be stepping at home and bring our teams here and show them what Holy Cross really is.”

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This is what $3.7 million dollars looks like! Awesome new field you have Holy Cross Secondary School!

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The joint project was led by the city and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB).

Mayor Diane Therrien, Councillor Leslie Parnell and school board officials were in attendance to briefly speak on the official opening.

“We have been watching the construction of this new state-of-the art track and field at Holy Cross CSS with much excitement,” said Joan Carragher, PVNC Director of Education. “We are thrilled that the track is now officially open and we look forward to seeing students and staff using these facilities to the fullest this upcoming school year and for many years to come.”

“Being a father of four daughters who are all involved in athletics, I know that some of the greatest lessons are learned on the sports field,” said David Bernier, PVNCCDSB Chair.

“The new artificial turf field and track amenities are top-notch. This is an exciting project that will greatly improve sports and recreation facilities for the Peterborough community, PVNC students. Artificial turf fields allow us to expand the sports season and add to our “sport’s hub” for sports tourism and local tournaments,” said Parnell. “Artificial fields present savings in terms of annual operating costs as they only need to be raked once weekly and do not need watering or fertilizing.”

Mayor Diane Therrien was one of several speakers that attended the ceremony. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The artificial turf also has safety advantages that the coaches and players have experienced on other fields.

“You're getting consistency in turf like this. It is an aggressive surface. It moves faster but there are no potholes for you to fall into,” said Geoff McKinley, HCSS boys football coach. “Things that we're working on with the athletes are acceleration and deceleration to make sure that they're minimizing injuries but you're not dealing with things that you can't control that can happen on a grass field and the maintenance that goes with that.”

“It gives you the opportunity to cut in and out, make those runs and those passes that you need to make,” said McColl. “It gives you the opportunity to shine as an athlete and shows your full potential as well.”

The facility was available to permit beginning July 19 with community sports groups using it throughout the summer and on evenings and weekends in the fall.

Holy Cross CSS has been using the facility since the beginning of the school year. Community sports teams can contact 705-742-7777 ext. 1829 for current permit information.

The first game played on the field since its opening was girls’ rugby as the Holy Cross Hurricanes hosted the Campbellford District Flames on Tuesday.

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Remy Peters Becomes the Final Petes Frontline Worker of the Week

Remy Peters becomes the final Petes Frontline Worker Drop the Puck winner announced on Friday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Peters is a respiratory nurse who has been splitting his time between the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Sunnybrook Hospital throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Peters was spending most of his time at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital but slowly transitioned to the PRHC due to the increased demand for respiratory nurses in the Peterborough area.

The Petes are celebrating frontline workers who have gone above and beyond for their community during these unprecedented times.

“Both Remy and his wife are frontline workers, and have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic,” said Stephanie Phillips-Nopes, who nominated Peters. “Remy is a kind-hearted man and never complains about his job and has been through a lot during the pandemic. He is a huge Petes fan and deserves a little bit of recognition for his efforts.”

Six frontline workers will take part in the Petes ceremonial puck drop at the maroon and white home opener on Oct. 14 at 7:05 p.m. This game will also mark the first time the Petes and Peterborough Memorial Centre reveal the new, state of the art video board to fans.

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Annual Friday Night Lights Fundraiser For Suicide Awareness Running for a Touchdown

The ninth annual “Friday Night Lights” football fundraiser for suicide awareness with Team55 will take the spotlight at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School on Friday.

Photo Courtesy of Team55.

The “Let’s Tackle Suicide Awareness” campaign will feature a double-header of football games with opening ceremonies beginning at 6:00 p.m. and girls’ rugby games in the afternoon.

• 7:00 p.m. - Adam Scott Collegiate and Vocational Institute vs. Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School

• 9:00 p.m. Holy Cross Secondary School vs Crestwood Secondary School

The games will be broadcasted by YourTV Cogeco where spectators will be tightly limited to avoid large gatherings.

This year’s slogan is “What do you do for you?” to encourage mental health, especially among youth.

Last year’s message was, “Who would you talk to in your time of crisis?” Photo Courtesy of Team55.

Team55 was founded by Dave Pogue, Peterborough Petes president, after losing his son Mitchell to suicide. The number 55 was the latter’s jersey number when he played football for the Adam Scott Collegiate.

The game was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic however the fundraising efforts were still made.

“We’re thrilled to have the live football back, no questions,” said Pogue Mainly for the kids that missed out on participating in sports.”

A goal of $15,000 has been set for the event. Last year raised just under $25,000 with over $17,000 raised in the silent auction alone.

Fundraising efforts are through donations online, their Facebook page “Team55 Tackles Suicide Awareness” or sending a cheque to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) offices at 415 Water St.

An online silent auction will run until Saturday evening with over 110 donated products. Big-ticket items include Blue Jays tickets, a Carrie Underwood-autographed acoustic guitar, Petes Centre Ice Suite tickets and more.

“Local businesses and people who are interested have donated these items,” said Pogue. “They just keep coming back to help. There’s a real camaraderie behind this community to help in mental health.”

Proceeds go to the CMHA’s Assertive Outreach Suicide Prevention (AOSP) program that seeks help and resources for attempted suicide victims.

Tara Slone, Juno nominee and Canadian Football League alumnus and Peterborough’s Brad Sinopoli will guest star in the games’ opening ceremonies.

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Electric City Football Club Opens Pop-Up Retail Merchandise Store

Supporting the Electric City Football Club (ECFC) for their inaugural year has become more convenient with a retail store at their office space.

Co-Founder Keaton Robbins (pictured) serves as the club’s first Operations Manager of ECFC. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The idea for the pop-up store stemmed from the high demand of orders the club had received since its inception in August. It provides convenience for anyone who wants to buy ECFC apparel without the wait.

The amount of support the team has received so far has been overwhelming despite not having their inaugural season started.

“There are more physical manifestations of this brand of this team,” said Keaton Robbins, ECFC co-founder and operations manager. “We were expecting it to be a big deal but we did not think it would be what it has been for sure.”

@ptbo_canada Official ECFC merch is now available at the @electriccityfc office and retail space! ⚽️⚡️#fyp #PTBO #WEAreECFC ♬ Pumped Up Kicks（Bridge & Law Remix） - Foster The People

The store and office space is located at 1054 Monaghan Rd., Suite 202 with over 100 items for sale. They are open on Mon. to Fri. from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Available merchandise includes t-shirts, scarves, ball caps, hoodies and more.

The club offers curbside delivery and nationwide shipping in addition to their in-store shopping. Online orders can be made at their official website.

Plans for bigger retail space are being considered in the future however a pop-up shop is sufficient during the team’s early stages.

The team was announced during the first week of August including a logo launch party. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The team will kick off their first game in May 2022.

“We're so thankful for the response that we saw just in the community when the brand was launched and we were just humbled by the amount of orders we received when we launched the team's online store,” said Robbins.

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Second Annual Lakers Alumni Golf Tournament Tees Off To Support Peterborough Lacrosse

Over 90 golfers were hitting the green at the Keystone Links Golf & Country Club for the second annual Peterborough Lakers Alumni Golf Tournament held on Friday.

In addition to promoting lacrosse within the Peterborough area community, Peterborough Lakers Alumni strengthens ties between past and present players. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

The tournament hosted professional lacrosse players, former Peterborough Lakers and avid golfers to play in the annual tournament. Past and present players such as John Grant Sr., Paul Evans and Shawn Evans were in attendance among several other alumni.

All proceeds go towards the Peterborough Lakers Alumni that support the sustainability and growth of lacrosse in the Peterborough area.

“This tournament is a fundraising and social event,” said Jamie Batley, Alumni president. “Not only is it fundraising but it’s an opportunity for the Lakers, ex-Lakers and all the lacrosse people in the Peterborough area to get together.

Former lacrosse players Howie Stevenson (top left), Art Batley (top right), Bill Ogilvie (bottom left) and Bobby Allen (bottom right) performing their ceremonial first drives at Keystone. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

Former lacrosse players Howie Stevenson, Art Batley, Bill Ogilvie and Bobby Allen kicked off the tournament with the ceremonial first drives at the course’s first hole.

The inaugural tournament in 2019 did not have any women participating. The second-year event had a welcome change with a small handful of female golfers. Batley says he hopes to see more women participating in future events.

The tournament had prizes for lowest score, closest-to-pin shots and longest drives for both the male and female categories.

Prizes such as Alumni golf shirts, gift certificates and gift baskets were given out to the golfers. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

The third annual Peterborough Lakers Alumni Golf Tournament will be held on June 24 next year at Keystone.

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Petes Sign Stevie Leskovar to Standard Player Agreement

The Peterborough Petes have signed defenceman Stevie Leskovar to a standard player agreement with the team on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Leskovar, a 6’3”, 183 lbs, left-shot defenseman was selected by the team in the fifth round, 95th overall in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.

“Growing up in Ontario, it’s been a dream of mine to sign with the OHL,” exclaimed Leskovar. “ The Petes are an amazing organization, I couldn’t ask for much more.”

The Cambridge, Ontario native registered four goals, 21 assists, 25 points and 37 penalty minutes in 31 games with the Cambridge Hawks 2019-2020 season.

In the postseason, Leskovar tallied one goal and five assists for six points in eight games.

“We’re excited to have Steve committed to the Petes,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “He’s a hard-working defenceman that brings size, and strength to the lineup, and is well-linked by teammates and opponents.”

Leskovar will wear number three on his jersey.

The Petes will welcome the Sudbury Wolves to their home opener on Oct. 14 at 7:05 p.m.

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Hometown PTBO: Andrew Verner About the Past and Present of the Petes and His Kidney Transplant

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Peterborough Petes assistant coach Andrew Verner about the Petes history, their future and a heartwarming story about his kidney transplant.

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Philadelphia Flyers Sign Peterborough Petes Forward J.R. Avon

The NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers has signed Peterborough Petes forward J.R. Avon to a three-year, entry-level contract with the team on Wednesday.

As an undrafted free agent, Avon signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) to attend the Flyers’ 2021 development camp and earned a spot on the Broad Street Bullies Training Camp roster on Sept. 21, 2021. The centreman suited up against the New York Rangers in back-to-back games this week.

“I was so determined. Being passed up at the draft and COVID-19 pushed me to work harder and to be myself, which I did,” exclaimed Avon. “It’s been a dream come true today with the signing, I’m speechless still.”

“It’s great news for J.R. despite the challenges of COVID-19 last year. He was committed to training and working hard when he could on and off the ice and we are excited for him,” explained Petes General Manager, Mike Oke. “We look forward to having him come back and share his experience and knowledge from Philadelphia’s camp with the group.”

The Selwyn, Ontario native registered 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 56 games in his rookie campaign after being selected 11th overall in the OHL Priority Selection. Internationally, Avon appeared in six games for Canada White on the U-17 team in 2019-20.

Avon joins Petes defenceman Brian Zanetti in the Flyers’ system.

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Peterborough Challenger Baseball Hits a Home Run In Their Season Finale Return

There was no shortage of smiles and fly balls as Peterborough Challenger Baseball concluded their comeback season with the final game of the year at Kinsmen Park on Thursday.

The Senior division kicked off the final game of the season for the non-profit organization. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Peterborough Challengers squeaked a 16-13 win over the PTBO Rockstars in the championship game of the senior division.

The organization supports anyone with cognitive or developmental challenges or chronic health issues that prevents them from playing an organized sport.

Peterborough Challenger Baseball has 24 volunteer coaches that are all mentored and instructed by the Jays Care Foundation, the charity arm of the Toronto Blue Jays. There were 76 active players this year with several regulars who sat out for safety reasons.

The Challengers were made up of members who benefit from the non-profit organization while the Rockstars are pick-up players that vary week-to-week as their opponents. The games are casual but the competitive spirit resides in every player that walks onto the field according to Bernie Daynes, Peterborough Challenger Baseball president.

“It's all about learning for them as well as some of them can hit a ball. Tonight (Thursday) was quite competitive but it's all about having fun as well,” he said. “They’re still learning some fielding fundamentals and that's what we do here.”

Peterborough Challenger Baseball has several divisions of all ages including Little League Juniors, Martinez Intermediates and Barfield Seniors. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The organization last year was able to have a season from the COVID-19 pandemic but got the thumbs-up for this summer. Weekly play typically begins in May but was delayed until mid-June through September.

Playing baseball was an activity both the players and staff were aiming for after coming off a forced hiatus of 16 months.

“We started planning for a return to play in January of this year. As soon as we got the go-ahead from the province and the local health board, we had our plan in action and we put the players back on the field very quickly,” said Daynes.

The PTBO Rockstars during their final game of the season. The team welcomes all skill levels to participate against the Challengers. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The mission of Daynes’s organization is not only to provide an inclusive outlet for baseball and have fun but to teach life lessons and develop as human beings.

”Also within playing the baseball as a game, it's also as a social network for these players and we also help teach them some social skills as well as how to accept failure as a learning device and not a failure,” he explained. “That's all failure is, that it's an opportunity to learn and these guys here are very quick to learn.”

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Peterborough Petes and Local Brewery Partner With Giveaway For Free Hockey Tickets

Hockey and beer have come together in town again as the Peterborough Petes and the Bobcaygeon Brewing Company have partnered for the Petes Lager Homecoming Contest, to win Petes Suite tickets announced Monday.

The Petes Lager was first introduced to Peterborough in March earlier this year. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Beginning Monday until Oct. 17, seven winners will be selected by buying a Petes Lager (16 oz., pint or tall can) at any participating restaurants, scan the QR Code on the coasters with their electronic device and enter all required information for their entry.

Alternatively, participants can download and print the entry form on the Bobcaygeon Brewing Contest company’s website and mail it to Bobcaygeon Brewing Company.

The beer is a 4.0% light lager and the art was designed by Ryan Dawson and illustrated by freelance artist Cam Miller. Photo Courtesy of Neil Morton.

Winners are randomly selected on Oct. 21 and announced through a video that will be shared on the video board and across social media during a Petes home game.

Chosen applicants are required to answer a skill-testing question to claim the prize. All participants must be 19 years of age or older when entering the contest and only one entry per customer per day. Proof of identification will be required. 

For more rules and information on the Homecoming Contest, click here.

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