City Accepting Applications For Peterborough Youth Council
/The City of Peterborough is now accepting applications for the Peterborough Youth Council 2022 term.
Stock photo.
Peterborough Blogs
Art Gallery of Peterborough Launches Inaugural Youth Art Mentorship Program
/The Art Gallery of Peterborough has launched its inaugural Youth Art Mentorship program, announced on Thursday.
Spencer J. Harrison in his studio. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
This program will give youth entering their final years of high school the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and insights into the arts profession.
Led by artist, activist, and educator, Spencer J. Harrison, students will explore the profession through educational and training workshops, all culminating in a group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
This program is comprised of two phases. Free Portfolio Reviews, designed to offer critical feedback to youth. Youth must register for this program by Nov. 24.
Successful applicants in the juried Call for Submissions will work with Artist Mentor (Spencer J. Harrison) and their peers to develop a body of work to present in a group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Applications for this program open on Dec. 1.
This program is open to all youth currently enrolled in Grade 11 and 12, living in the City and County of Peterborough.
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Youth Emergency Shelter Receives $52,900 Through Ontario Grant For Staff Training
/The Youth Emergency Shelter (YES) has received $52,900 to aid in staff training from the Ontario Trillium Foundation at the Murray St. Baptist Church on Tuesday.
Last year, Ontario Trillium Foundation nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The money came from the Resilient Communities Fund grant which was designed to help non-profits rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
The extra funding will be used to help with adding more staff training programs. This included Mental Health First Aid for, Natural Support Connection training provided by A Way Home Canada and the development of an organization-wide well-being strategic plan.
“The YES Shelter for Youth and Families provides a critical service to young men and women in our community facing unique challenges. I have been proud to support their team as they carry out their diligent and compassionate work,” said MPP Dave Smith. “It’s often said that you should take care of the hands that take care of you. In this case, the mental health support this funding enables will ensure the dynamic, high-quality service offered by the staff at YES can continue as we move forward.”
YES has seen an increase in mental and physical health crises amongst those experiencing homelessness with far fewer supports available since March last year.
There has also been an organizational rise in staff burnout accompanying the additional pressures on front-line positions according to Aimee Le Lagadec, YES interim executive director.
“The onset of COVID-19 significantly increased the mental health needs of youth and families experiencing homelessness in Peterborough,” she said. “The Ontario Trillium Foundation made it possible for us to provide our staff with impactful training that has further equipped our organization to support youth and families during a crisis.”
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Martial Arts Academy Training Peterborough Chess Minds
/Training the mind is just as important as training the body for Ninja Academy as they will host an all-ages summer chess tournament announced on Friday.
Georges David-Gnahoui (top) teaches a chess lesson to a young student. The Ninja Academy was formed in 2015 by founding Sensei Paul Teleki and operates in partnership with the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre. Photo Courtesy of Ninja Academy.
Their first tournament will be held during the week of August 30th to September 3rd. Coaching will be provided for participating learners.
Ninja Academy students and parents requested the tournament with coaching from Georges David-Gnahoui.
“Students have been working diligently to test their chess skills and I am happy to see their competitive attitude,” he said.
Students are now eager to expand their skills beyond their peers into the wider community and the tournament is spread out over the week to accommodate safe competitive spaces according to the release.
The Academy has 140+ students, 5 youth Ninja Leaders and apprentices. Photo Courtesy of Ninja Academy.
Depending on the weather, matches may be held at local parks or covered spaces. The academy is providing tutoring opportunities to people who register for the tournament.
Awards will be given to the winners while all competitors will earn a certificate of participation. Every match will be video recorded for review purposes, without the faces of participants and to allow families to watch the match remotely.
“During the lockdowns, chess has become a growing opportunity for our students and this will also help them to compete and grow in other areas as well,” says David-Gnahoui.
The Ninja Academy coaches students towards competitive Judo podiums. They said chess will sharpen the minds of students to support their competitive martial arts.
Registrants will be grouped into their age brackets and competitors will be selected at random to compete.
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Six Local Youth Entrepreneurs Launch Summer Businesses
/Six local youth entrepreneurs have recently launched their summer business ventures thanks to the Summer Company program offered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre (BAC).
(Top row from left to right) Ainsley Dunn, Drew McFadden, Grace Holmquist (Bottom row from left to right_ Owen Gerrard, Timothy Mills, Lawson Hill. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development.
The Summer Company Program is the Government of Ontario’s flagship youth entrepreneurship program which helps youth aged 15-29 try their hand at business ownership by connecting them with up to $3,000 in start-up funding, one-on-one guidance from BAC staff, advice and mentorship from local business leaders, access to business workshops, training and resources and business support.
“This year’s group are committed and passionate youth entrepreneurs. Enrolling in a program like Summer Company requires dedication and a desire to learn and improve small business knowledge. Each of the six students has taken their unique skillset and experiences and turned them into marketable and sought-after products and services,” said Suzanne McCrimmon, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Director of Business Development. “We are grateful to the Province of Ontario for their continued support of the Summer Company program. These youth business owners are learning skills that they will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
This summer’s group of youth entrepreneurs includes:
Creatively Dunn (Norwood, ON) – Owner Ainsley Dunn is currently taking the Indigenous Bachelor of Education program at Trent University and handcrafts all-natural, sustainable handcrafted wooden toys and playsets for children. Her product line includes anything from themed sets, peg people, playdough stampers, stacking toys and Indigenous education sets.
Drew’s Chicks (Cavan Monaghan, ON) – Sharing his passion and love for chickens, Drew McFadden, founder of Drew’s Chicks provides complete chick kits to young families, teachers, and retirement homes. The kits include an enclosed cage, heat lamp, bedding, food, and water containers as well as two baby chicks that customers foster for two weeks, after which time they return to his farm as egg-laying chickens. In addition to chicks, Drew has expanded his fostering services to include baby quail and ducklings.
She Stitch (Douro-Dummer, ON) – Founder Grace Holmquist, a local high school student from Lakefield is a maker who designs and creates reusable bags for shopping and boating, with a focus on striving to reduce the use of plastic bags and creating beautiful, practical, stylish, and unique designs.
Trent Lakes Property Maintenance (Trent Lakes, ON) – Completing his last year of the paramedic program at Fleming College, Lawson Hill offers property maintenance services including painting, grass cutting, spring cleanups and more, focus on offering week-day services to allow homeowners time to enjoy their cottage properties on the weekends.
OG LawnCare (Lakefield, ON) – Owen Gerrard is a local student, entrepreneur offering affordable lawn care services using 100 per cent eco-friendly electric equipment instead of environmentally harmful gas-powered machines which offers clients an opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint.
3D Casting (Peterborough, ON) – Timothy Mills is a recent University of Guelph Mechanical Engineering grad returning to work on his Master of Applied Science. Leveraging his engineering knowledge and skills to launch a manufacturing start-up, he offers casting designs, prototypes and manufacturing of small plastic and aluminum parts through a combination of 3D printing and investment casting.
The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre, operated by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development has been the proud program provider for the City and County of Peterborough since 2001.
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Young Beekeeper is Buzzing About The International Meeting of Young Beekeepers
/Young beekeper Heidi Westbye from Cavan has her eyes set on the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in 2022.
Heidi working on a hive in her protective gear. Photo courtesy of Charlina Westbye.
Westbye’s interest in beekeeping was sparked when she started visiting her neighbours farm and learning about the hives they had on their property.
“I saw my neighbours working around bees and I thought it was really cool,” Westbye said.
The 12-year-old joined the Kawartha Junior Beekeepers, a program hosted by her neighbours, about four years ago though the program has since been paused due to COVID-19.
In the program participants learn about everything that goes on while beekeeping from equipment preparation to honey harvesting. When not in the classroom students observe and identify bees, split colonies and monitor the progress and health of the hive.
Anyone aged 9 - 14 can participate in the once monthly program.
While the program is temporarily halted Westbye has continued to out her neighbours with work at their apiary.
“My favourite part about working there is when we get to extract the honey,” Westbye explained, highlighting the different tools and picks used.
Westbye notes that the worst part of beekeeping is when the bees get angry and recalls a time she wasn’t wearing her full protective suit and got stung 16 times.
“Over the years if you get stung multiple times you start to build a tolerance,” she said.
Westbye is hoping to go to the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in 2022 where junior beekeepers from all over the world will learn more about their craft.
Spots to go are limited so Westbye will participate in a series of tests to qualify to go.
The International Meeting of Young Beekeepers is a combination of competitions that will test participants theoretical and working knowledge of bees and beehives as well as a cultural and social program. The aim of the meeting is to connect young people with similar interests and continue the tradition of beekeeping.
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Fleming College Distributes $415,000 To Students During COVID-19 Pandemic
/To assist with the financial burden caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Fleming College’s Student Emergency Fund provided $415,000 in financial aid support to 1,200 domestic and international students.
The fund was set up to support a variety of student needs during this critical time, including access to equipment for online learning and alternative delivery format, transportation, and food and rent. Funding sources have been a combination of private contributions and government funds.
“We are grateful to our generous donors for their continued support of student success, as well as provincial emergency funding which allowed the College to offer significant financial support to many of our students,” says Fleming College President Maureen Adamson.
The College issued cheques to students on May 1st and have received an outpouring of emails from students expressing gratitude and appreciation for the financial support.
“When the COVID-19 crisis shut down occurred, it was very stressful and hard to see the light at the end of all my hard work with this new hurdle in the road,” says Lisa McGlade, Business Administration - Accounting student. “I am very grateful for Fleming College's financial support which has allowed me to focus on finishing my studies successfully."
Financial need is urgent and ongoing. Fleming College will continue to fundraise in hopes to meet the increasing need of their students. There is a growing concern of how this pandemic will impact students beginning or resuming their studies in the spring and fall semesters, and it’s anticipated that more funding will be required.
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Peterborough Ninja's Crush It At Ajax Judo Tournament, Academy Continues To Grow In Popularity
/Ninja Academy student’s grit and determination was tested on Sunday, February 9th in Ajax to bring home medals from the Shiai (tournament) that hosted young judoka from all across Ontario.
Logan Dunbar won all his matches to secure a Gold in his division, Luis Sperling demonstrated three beautiful throws to get Silver in his division, and Elijah Falls fought diligently to secure his Bronze medal finish with an excellent demonstration of ukemi. Orion Teleki competed in the Ukemi Competition and secured a Gold medal finish with thanks to Sensei Tomoyoshi Hino.
Photo courtesy Ninja Academy
“All Judoka are being celebrated for their courage to compete and commitment to self- improvement,” says Sensei Paul Teleki, pictured above with the students. “They always show up focused and determined to improve themselves and others around them, and it is because of their dedication that all students in the academy will also benefit from their experience and knowledge when they return and train together.”
Because the Ninja Academy is a young club, all students competed against judoka who were of higher rank and age, so the feat of competing in this tournament came with an increased challenge.
Photo courtesy Ninja Academy
The Ninja Academy was formed in 2015 by founding Sensei Paul Teleki and operates in partnership with the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre. It instills values of confidence and respect, all the while promoting fitness and physical awareness.
The academy is growing in popularity quickly, and now has 135+ students, 5 youth Ninja Leaders and apprentices. Residents of all ages—classes are offered from 16 months old to adults—are invited to visit the Ninja Academy on Fridays at 7:15 p.m. at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre in room MPR-A.
Visit ninjaacademy.ca, call 705.868.8683 or email here to learn more about the Ninja Academy.
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The Amazing Impact Five Counties Children's Centre Has Had On 4 Kids Participating With Peterborough Petes On Family Day
/Seven-year-old Daniel’s training at Five Counties Children’s Centre has honed his skills to the point where he has been drafted to skate with the Peterborough Petes on Family Day this year.
As the Petes’ Canadian Tire Seventh Skater, Daniel will represent Five Counties Children’s Centre, which is benefitting from partial ticket proceeds and several activities at the Peterborough Memorial Centre at their game against the Sudbury Wolves.
Left to right: Lois Tuffin (Five Counties Children’s Centre), Mitchell M., Mitchell F, Daniel (shooting ball) Peterborough Petes' group sales co-ordinator Drew Nascimento and Elliot. (Photo courtesy Five Counties Children’s Centre)
“Five Counties has made a huge impact on Daniel’s life,” says his mother Tina. “He went from being an observer in social settings, to confidently becoming a participant.”
When Daniel first came in for treatment at age 2, he was choking on his food and could only say a few words. His therapists helped him learn to eat and identified his apraxia (disconnection) of speech. Now he is an active, healthy child who communicates more clearly and plays hockey for the Ennismore Eagles.
“As his therapist said at the beginning of our journey it was, and still is, like preparing for the Olympics,” his mom adds. “Although we did not see huge changes following each session, the growth has been steady. After many appointments, and perseverance from Daniel, he is able to express his thoughts and ideas through speaking.”
Photo courtesy Five Counties Children’s Centre
