Peterborough Blogs
Grade Three Students From Edmison Heights Help Reunite Family Members From Syria
/On Saturday, June 17th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., a dedicated group of Grade 3 students from Edmison Heights Public School will host a yard sale to help raise funds to reunite a Syrian family displaced by war.
The yard sale will take place in the Adam Scott parking lot and there will also be a silent auction featuring donations generously gifted to the class by local artists and businesses.
Safe Haven for Refugees Peterborough is excited that teacher Laura Smith and her students have taken the initiative to help reunite family members from Syria.
In January 2016, Safe Haven had the privilege of welcoming the Alftih family from Aleppo Syria. Mohammad and Randa and their four children have now been settling into their life in Peterborough for over a year.
While the family has done very well, opening a successful family business—Oasis Mediterranean Grill (OMG) this year—the family has left behind most of their close family members. Reunification of families can often be the missing piece toward successful integration in a new country and community.
This Grade three class at Edmison Heights is determined to help get the family back together, and “be the change they want to see”. “They had such a beautiful life in Aleppo before the war," says 8-year-old student Rielle MacDougall. “They have lost all of that now.”
This year, Safe Haven is anticipating the arrival of the Alftih children’s grandmother, grandfather, their aunts and their cousins on their mother Randa’s side. Laura Smith and her students hope that the community will support their efforts by coming out to the sale this coming Saturday.
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Four Student Art Exhibits To Be Displayed At Canada's 150th Anniversary Celebrations In Peterborough
/The Canada’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations Committee has announced four student art exhibits that will be displayed publicly during the City’s four-day celebration running June 29th to July 2nd.
The Committee, in partnership with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, has sponsored Canada themed art projects at a dozen schools across Peterborough.
The Art School of Peterborough conceptualized the exhibits and has been facilitating the art projects in local schools over the last several months. Students are busy putting the final touches on their work. Hundreds of unique Canada-themed pieces have been created and will be shown in local schools, while a selection of the works will form four public art exhibits in highly visible areas throughout Peterborough’s 150th celebrations.
“The Committee wanted to make sure we engaged students and school communities so that their voices were included in this important celebration of our country in our city,” Communications Chair Galen Eagle says. “The art exhibits will be a must-see and should give residents another great reason to Celebrate at Home.”
ART EXHIBIT DETAILS
Title: Canada Growing Strong
Date: Running Thursday, June 29 – Sunday, July 2.
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily
Location: West side of Silver Bean Café in Millennium Park
Summary: Students from St. Catherine CES have created and colourfully painted 150 clay flowers representing provincial flowers from across Canada. Displayed together, the flowers make a powerful statement about the beauty that unites our provinces coast-to-coast.
Title: Canada-mation
Date: Running Thursday, June 29 – Sunday, July 2
Location: Charlotte Mews Tunnel
Summary: Students from St. Alphonsus CES, St. Paul CES Peterborough and Chemong Public School have created Canada-themed Claymation videos that will be projected on the Charlotte Mews tunnel throughout the four days of celebrations.
Title: Canada Assembled
Date: Friday, June 30
Location: Hunter St. (road will be open to pedestrians only)
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Summary: Students from St. Anne CES have created large, wooden puzzle pieces that can be assembled to create the Canada 150th logo in this interactive exhibit.
Title: Canada Walking Forward
Date: Sunday, July 2
Location: Along the path and stairs that connect the Peterborough Museum and Archives to the Lift Lock grounds.
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Summary: Students from St. Paul CES Peterborough and Immaculate Conception CES have created and colourfully painted 150 clay footprints. The footprints are imprints of the students’ own feet and have been decorated to answer the question, “What does Canada mean to you?”
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The Amazing Backstory On The Wheelchair Accessible Swings Being Installed At Riverview Park & Zoo
/James and Jennifer Todd had a dream to have wheelchair accessible swings be installed at Riverview Park & Zoo's playground area, and that dream is now becoming a reality.
"We're hoping to have the swings installed and ready for use in about two weeks," the Zoo's Manager & Curator Jim Moloney tells PTBOCanada. "The swings were completely paid for with funds raised by James and Jennifer, who spearheaded this project."
James Todd tells PTBOCanada how the couple came up with the idea to do this:
"Two years ago, we were planning a picnic at the zoo for us and some friends, and my wife realized that our one friend Jenn had a son in a wheelchair. We started asking ourselves what was really offered for him to enjoy there on the playground.
That is when we decided that Peterborough needed wheelchair swings. We phoned the zoo, and talked with the curator Jim about possibilities. That day, a GoFundMe campaign was started, and we figured we'd help with raising maybe $1,000 towards some new swings.
I received an email the next day from Ed Arnold from the Examiner and learned that the pro hockey alumni was donating $2,500 to the cause. Mr. Arnold's article on that Monday morning sparked another $1,000 anonymous donation and started the GoFoundMe getting a lot of attention, including the CBC in Toronto.
A collection at a Peterborough Lakers game generated a fair bit, as well as another anonymous donation of $2,500, and a major donation from the Fowlers Lions/Lioness weekly cruise night. We received donations from as far as New Jersey, and before we knew it, we were over $16,500! We had landscaping donated as well to remove a tree where the swings are being installed.
The zoo still has a cost for fencing, fixing asphalt and the ground covering, so any donations are still extremely appreciated, and can be arranged through the Zoo."
Todd tells PTBOCanada he knew it would be a challenge for these swings to be created, but is ecstatic with the results and how the community got behind this:
"We couldn't be happier at the work of the curator Jim, and the swing manufacturer for making this happen. We cannot wait to see people from all over use these swings.
In some cases, it will be the first time a child, teen, or an adult has ever been on a swing."
Peterborough's Two Special Needs Hockey Teams Just Played Against Each Other For First Time Ever
/History was made in Peterborough on Saturday morning (January 28th) as the Kawartha Komets Juniors played against Electric City Maroon & White at the Evinrude Centre in a battle between the city's two special needs hockey teams—the first time they had ever played each other.
Kawartha Komets coach David Fisher & Electrick City coach Chris J-Boy Williams
"This was a huge event and such a step forward between the clubs with nothing but smiles and happiness on the ice which is what special needs hockey is all about," Coach J-Boy Williams says, adding "A big thanks to Carol and David Fisher for inviting us to play and cheers to a bright future and many more friendly games between us!"
Here are pictures Eileen Kimmet captured of an emotional day these parents, kids and coaches will never forget...
The game was a nailbiter, ending in a 6-6 tie.
There Is An Amazing Race For Youth Happening In Peterborough As Part Of Snofest
/Join the fun on Saturday, January 21st, 2017 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. as teams will race to finish tasks at 10 different pit stops all located downtown in an Amazing Race that is part of Snofest activities.
Teams must visit each pit stop and perform a task before they will receive their next clue. The Top 3 teams to finish the race will win cash prizes.
Snofest file photo courtesy City of Peterborough
ALL THE IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THE RACE
-> The race starts at 2 p.m. sharp from The LOFT, Downtown Youth Space room #15 at PACE@PCVS, 201 McDonnel Street.
-> Players must be between the ages of 13 to 19 to participate.
-> There is no registration fee.
-> Teams will consist of 2 players.
-> Yummy free pizza and hot chocolate will be provided at the LOFT, Downtown Youth Space at the end of race.
-> To register your team, email estewart@peterborough.ca or call 705.742.7777 x 1805 or text 705.927.7046.
All teams must pre-register. The registration deadline is Thursday, January 19th, 2017 at 4:30 pm.
Snofest file photo courtesy City of Peterborough
The Invisible Bully: Peterborough Boy Pens Powerful Letter About Living With A Concussion
/The PVNCCDSB shared a powerful letter on their Facebook page (see in its entirety below) from Grade 6 St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School student Jack Crawford. The 11-year-old, who plays hockey for the Minor Peewee AA Petes, wrote about what it's like to live with a concussion—"I had my own invisible bully in my brain but I couldn’t stand up to it," he eloquently says.
His mother Amelia tells PTBOCanada seeing her child suffering through this was devastating: "A concussion is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and 'traumatic' would be how I would describe this experience as a parent. To see your child suffer physically, socially and emotionally is devastating. I would tell Jack over and over again that 'God always has a way of making something good come from difficult.' Now that Jack has had a chance to tell his story, he truly feels like good has come from his struggle, which is amazing."
Jack Crawford
