Kids Get An Aquatic Lesson From the Peterborough Children's Water Festival

Over 650 students from over 20 schools in grades 2 to 5 got educated about the element of life as they attended the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) at Riverview Park and Zoo on Wednesday morning.

Julius the turtle and Peterborough Green up’s Karen O’Krafka are presenting to over 300 children at the return of the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The festival returned to an in-person event after going for the last three years in a digital format.

“We are excited to once again offer a live, in-person Water Festival this year after three years of virtual programming,” says Patricia Skopelianos, PCWF chair.

The two-day event saw students from 45 classes from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District and Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Boards learn about water at over 20 learning stations ranging from water consumption, leaks to conservation.

“Once again, we are pleased to offer several activity centres in the French language with the involvement of students from St. Peter Catholic Secondary School,” said Skopelianos. “We are also welcoming back Elder Dorothy Taylor for a midday Sacred Water teaching, Adventures in Understanding by The Paddling Puppeteer Glen Caradus, Stepping Stone by The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, and The Great Fish Migration by OFAH’s Bring Back the Salmon, who will all be returning to the Festival this year.”

During the event, a ceremony was held to commemorate and thank all who supported and sponsored the event.

“We are very fortunate to have tremendous community support for the Peterborough Children's Water Festival,” said Skopelianos. “For 22 years, local businesses and agencies have made generous financial contributions. We also have many volunteers who give their time and expertise and several more who provide in-kind contributions. Our community helps make this Festival a reality for the children.”

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TASSS Students Bringing 'The Wizard of Oz' Musical To Life After Three-Year Hiatus

After being unable to cast a theatrical production for three years, students of Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School (TASSS) are back on the stage, putting on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ musical scheduled with four public shows in June.

TASSS students Izzy Lloyd (left) and Aimee Simmons (right) playing Tin Man and Scarecrow in a rehearsal for their musical production of The Wizard of Oz. 50 students are involved in the production with actors in Grades 11 and 12 while Grade 10 students work as stage hands. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The school was unable to put on a play for the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a long hiatus, the students are eager to get on stage and perform before a live audience according to Michaela Hetherington, TASSS music director.

“The anticipation and the excitement is really building as we get closer,” she said.

Roughly 50 students are involved in the musical production. Grade 10 students are stagehands while Grades 11 and 12 are performing in the production.

Auditions began back in February and students have been working tirelessly to be ready for showtime in June.

“We have students that help out on their first and second-period spares when they don't have class, lunchtime rehearsals and after school,” explained Hetherington. “They've made costumes, set pieces and painting. If you can think of something that goes into a production, they've done it.”

The production is directed and choreographed by Bryanna Ostrander who is also an instructor at Imagine Studios. Justin Hiscox is the music supervisor of the production.

Dates for the shows are as follows:

• June 1, 7 p.m.

• June 2, 7 p.m.

• June 3, 2 p.m.

• June 3, 7 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased through School Cash Online or at the door at TASSS for $20.

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Grade Six Student Earns $10,000 Grant For Habitat For Humanity From National Writing Contest

Grade 6 student Ellyot W. earned Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region a $10,000 grant after being announced as a runner-up in the Meaning of Home national writing contest.

Ellyot read her story during the ground-breaking ceremony of Habitat’s phase two project on Leahy’s Lane. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The contest encourages students in Grades 4-6 to share what home means to them through a short essay or poem.

Students were asked what the ‘Meaning of Home’ is to them and 12,265 students were entered into the contest. Ellyot was one of nine runner-ups with her entry ‘What Home Means To Me.’

“I’d like to congratulate Ellyot for her participation and incredible efforts in supporting affordable housing in her community,” said Susan Zambonin, Habitat CEO. “Her winning $10,000 grant will go towards building 12 new affordable homes on the very ground in which she stood and read her winning entry on Tuesday morning. Because of her hard work and heartfelt story, we can help more local families and individuals have access to safe and affordable homeownership.”

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Hometown PTBO: 10-Year-Old Emerson Riel As the Peterborough Walk Ambassador for the SunLife Walk To Cure Diabetes for JDRF

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks to 10-year old Emerson Riel about his special connection with Petes goaltender Michael Simpson, being the Peterborough Walk Ambassador for the SunLife Walk To Cure Diabetes for JDRF at Nicholls Oval on June 4 and how he deals with having diabetes on a daily basis.

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Peterborough Child & Family Centres Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Grand Opening Of New PlayScape

The grand opening of a new PlayScape helps mark the Peterborough Child & Family Centres’ 40th Anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at their Antrim Street facility on Wednesday afternoon.

Phoebe M., 3, has been a regular visitor to the centre for the past year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Parents and children were invited to use the new PlayScape and tour the facilities during the grand opening.

“It was a passion project for so many people who work here so I think it's pure excitement right now,” said Nicola Lyle, Centre C.E.O.

The PlayScape features a repurposed downhill slide, a circular track for walking and biking, a play kitchen, a canopy and other playground equipment. It replaced a tall climber that had occupied the outdoor space for several years.

“As our population has changed, the children that come here are younger than they used to be 20 years ago,” explained Lyle. “We really identified that the outdoor space no longer worked for us in the way that we wanted it to. We had dreamt for some time for having a much more small child-friendly naturalized space that really made the most of this beautiful outdoors and the nature that we are in.”

The services provided are free as the organization is funded by several levels of government. They offer parent-child interaction programs, parenting education, breastfeeding and a well-baby clinic.

The facility services children from when they are born until the age of six but welcomes kids who are in their kindergarten years that want to use the space.

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Photos: Students Gain Valuable Business Knowledge At Innovation Cluster's LEAPZONE Entrepreneurship Program

Students from Courtice and Peterborough gathered at Innovation Clusters Innovation Cluster's LEAPZONE Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Entrepreneurship Program to gain insight on starting a business at the Venture North Building on Wednesday morning.

Raymond Yip Choy, Fleming and Trent business professor, addresses budding student entrepreneurs at the Innovation Cluster LEAPZONE KPRDSB Entrepreneurship Program. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Students gained insight from networking with local business organizations, professionals and entrepreneurs.

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Local Students Mentored In World of Choices Program To Explore Future Career Options

Over 200 local students learned from over 25 mentors at the Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO) World of Choices program about career paths at Living Hope Church on Thursday.

Ja-NEO held a similar event in early March with the Peterborough Petes at the Peterbrorough Memorial Centre. All photos by Samantha Bianco.

Students ranged from grades 8 to 10 from schools such as St. Martin’s, Adam Scott, Monsignor O’Donoghue and more. Each student listened to five different mentors to gain first-hand insight into career options, benefits and career challenges. Peterborough Fire Department, Peterboro Matboards and RBC were some of the many mentors present.

WOC is a career exploration event aimed at helping students discover new career choices and learn from local industry professionals. Students had the opportunity to get familiar with potential educational paths and grasp a better understanding of the day-to-day duties of several careers.

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Edmison Heights Public School Presents The Wizard of Oz

Edmison Heights Public School is performing The Wizard of Oz May 2 to 4 at Adam Scott CVI.

Photo courtesy of edmison heights Public School.

The play features over 50 Grade 4-6 students on stage and behind the scenes.

The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $5 and are available for purchase at the door. 

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10-Year Old-Boy Catches "Walter" One Year After Stepfather Snags Fish At OFAH Fishing Derby

Like father, like son, as 10-year-old Ben Bumstead has caught the top prize ‘Walter,’ at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Under the Lock Fishing Derby one year after his stepfather Justin Desbarbieux did it on a gloomy Saturday morning at the Peterborough Lift Lock.

Bumstead (left) caught Walter after his third cast not a half-an-hour into the derby. His stepfather Justin Desbarbieux (right) did it last year, five days into the event. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Bumstead caught Walter, the prized rainbow trout that weighs roughly eight to 10 lbs. at a length of 20-24 inches. He caught it after his third cast less than 30 minutes into the event. He snagged Walter with worm bait near the train turn bridge just beside the barrier netting. Bumstead was overjoyed when he found out it was Walter.

“I felt like I could do a backflip,” he exclaimed.

“ I couldn't wait for him to run up to the stage and tell everyone how he just caught Walter,” said Desbarbieux.

The father-son duo was present at Wednesday’s fish release where all the rainbow trout were put into the canal in preparation for the event.

Bumstead gave himself an ‘extra advantage’ prior to Walter being tossed into the water.

“I touched his tail for good luck and I said to the guy, ‘I'm catching Walter this year,’” explained Bumstead. 

Desbarbieux caught Walter last year and has participated in the fishing derby since he was a child. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The two have bonded well over the years as Desbarbieux came into Bumstead’s life at an early age. The two often go hunting and fishing together and call each other father and son. Desbarbieux says he had a ‘proud father’ moment, seeing Bumstead catch Walter.

“You got to love it, especially so early in the derby like that,” he said. “It’s a very proud moment for the kids for sure, you got to love it.”

The Norwood District Public School student is walking away with the grand prize of $1,000 cash and gets to keep Walter. Bumstead said he was splitting some of the money with his early childhood friend but has no plans with the remainder of the cash as of yet.

The derby began Saturday with the youth event — for children 15 and under — at 9 a.m. and the all-ages kicking off Sunday at 9 a.m. and runs until May 7. It includes 25 tagged fish, each with a $200 cash prize sponsored by local businesses.

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New Adaptive Children's Swim Program Launched By YMCA

After receiving a grant from the Peterborough Foundation, the YMCA of Central East Ontario has launched an adaptive swim pilot program for children, especially with disabilities announced on Thursday.

File photo.

The program welcomes children of all abilities, including those with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities, as well as those with autism, ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions according to a press release.

“Swimming is an essential life skill, and we have seen there is a need for affordable, adaptive lessons,” said Shannon Hunter, YMCA regional supervisor of aquatics and camp. “Parents are fearful that their children will get left behind without the skills they need to stay safe this summer.”

The program is designed with guidance from Heads Up for Inclusion and Five Counties Children’s Centre. It was developed after all three organizations received multiple requests from parents for a water safety program.

“We recognize that every child is unique and we are committed to providing individualized instruction that caters to each child's specific needs and goals,” said Hunter. “With the help of Five Counties Children’s Centre, our team of experienced and certified swim instructors has received training in adaptive teaching techniques to ensure that every child feels comfortable and supported.”

Registration for the pilot program is full but you can be put on a waitlist or get more information placed on a waitlist by contacting Shannon Hunter at shannon.hunter@ceo.ymca.ca.

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