New Startup Peterborough Tool Library Is Awesome

UPDATE: April 17th. The Indiegogo campaign is 67% of the way there in their final week. Click here to help them reach their goal.

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UPDATE: March 30th. The Indiegogo campaign to raise money for this amazing concept has gone live. Click here to check it out and give.

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ORIGINAL POST

This is awesome: Peterborough's first Tool Library is starting up. Think of the tool library as like a typical library but for tools instead of books. The not-for-profit Peterborough Tool Library provides community members access to hundreds of tools that they may need to make their projects happen.

Members of the Peterborough Tool Library will have access to a wide variety of household and construction tools. The founders take care of the purchasing, storage, maintenance and hassles of owning tools—and people simply borrow the tools they need when they need them.

Peterborough Tool Library founders: Jen Feigin, Chris Magwood, Tessa Nasca, Dave Hope, Pete Mack and Hillary Manion. (Absent: Lindsay Stroud) PHOTO By Tony Armstrong

The Peterborough Tool Library is comprised up of seven dedicated community members—Jen Feigin, Chris Magwood, Tessa Nasca, Dave Hope, Pete Mack, Hillary Manion and Lindsay Stroud—who came together around a shared vision of fostering creativity and self-sufficiency in our community, while contributing to a sustainable local sharing economy.

The committee also wants to provide access to tools for those that cannot afford them, as many folks do not have the money to invest in their own collection of tools. That is why their membership is so affordable.

For just $50 a year, members have access to hundreds of high quality tools. They even offer a reduced student rate ($40) and a sliding scale for folks that cannot afford the full membership.

The committee is currently creating an Indiegogo campaign—it should be live by mid-March—so that community members can show their support for the Tool Library by purchasing their membership in advance. If the campaign is a success, they will be opening their doors to members in May—and be housed at the Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school on High Street.

Meet the Tool Library committee! We're working hard to give access to hundreds of tools for $50/yr @Ptbo_Canada #DIY pic.twitter.com/dtc0PlMirb

— Ptbo Tool Library (@PtboToolLibrary) March 1, 2016

The Tool Library is a not-for-profit initiative, and all of the money they collect will go towards updating and maintaining their tool collection. Once they open their doors, they will be looking for volunteers to help staff the Tool Library.

For information on memberships and volunteering, get in touch with Jen Feigin at info@ptbotoollibrary.ca. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

—By Aaron Elliott

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Peterborough Together: A Celebration of Peace and Unity At PCVS

Service organizations, faith communities, local foundations, First Nations representatives and people from across the Peterborough Region will come together at an event at PCVS on Sunday, March 6th to deliver a message of inclusion.

"Peterborough Together – A Celebration of Peace and Unity will build on the remarkable outpouring of support to the Muslim community that was shown after the attack on the Masjid Al-Salaam building," says Rev. Eilert Frerichs from Mark Street United Church.

“Our hope is to counteract some of the fears of the Muslim community and other recent newcomers to our country that continue to be expressed and fueled by anti-Muslim rhetoric both at home and abroad," says Rev. Frerichs.

The event starts at 2 pm in the auditorium of PCVS, and includes special musical performances and guest speakers. Everyone is welcome to attend this free-admission event that is organized by Mark Street United Church. All faith communities are invited.

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Peterborough Community Trading Cards Introduced To Raise Money For The Warming Room

Kawartha Local—a company that sells locally produced products—has launched a fun community trading card project to raise money for The Warming Room.

Kawartha Local's Rob Howard explains that the collectable cards of "community heroes" are a tangible way to show a love of community, with after-cost proceeds going to The Warming Room—a safe place where Peterborough’s most vulnerable can spend a winter night when no other options are available.

Mike Judson

Each card depicts a different local community hero. According to Howard, “they are all people who make a difference every day—and, just as importantly, work to bring out the superhero in others.”

The cards feature caricature illustrations by local artist Jason Wilkins, with graphic design work by Jeff Macklin of Jackson Creek Press. Featured on the cards are MP Maryam Monsef, Mike Judson, Donald Fraser, Diane Therrien, Michelle Ferreri and our PTBOCanada co-founder Neil Morton.

Maryam Monsef

“There are dozens and dozens of people we could recognize this way in Peterborough,” says Howard. “But for this edition, we asked six to participate.” 

A reception and project launch is taking place Saturday, February 6th from 4 to 6 pm at Black Honey Coffeehouse, 221 Hunter. Cards will be available for sale with several “superheros” on hand at the event.

Donald Fraser

Cards are sold in packages of 3 for $17.70, and are available online at kawarthalocal.ca, and at Naked Chocolate and Black Honey Coffeehouse on Hunter Street. Collectors can complete their set by trading any “doubles” at Facebook.com/KawarthaLocal or by making contact with other collectors on Twitter with the #PTBOTradingCards hashtag.

Diane Therrien

Howard has plans to do a future edition with different personalities. "If we do another Peterborough Trading Cards edition, it will have a different theme and support a different local charity," he says.

Michelle Ferreri

For more information on the “Peterborough Trading Cards” project, contact Rob Howard at 705.791.0050 or email.

More deets on the official launch and reception here.

Neil Morton

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The President Of Kawartha Muslim Religious Association Wrote This Love Letter To Community

Kenzu Abdella, President of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association, posted a beautiful note to the Peterborough community on Facebook. Read it below...

"Dear Donors,

I am writing this letter on behalf of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association (KMRA) to thank you for the heartfelt support you provided to us through the crowdfunding campaign for the restoration of the Masjid Al Salaam after the fire that occurred on November 14th, 2015.

While the tragedy of this hate crime has shocked and saddened our Muslim community, we are highly encouraged by the outpouring of support that people like you have provided to us at a time of great need for our community.

Although the perpetrator(s) of this crime intended to create fear, division and hatred it in fact had the opposite effect. We believe strongly that something remarkable has come out of this tragedy in the form of overwhelming community solidarity in Peterborough. We also believe that the crowdfunding campaign has had a mobilizing effect that has extended beyond Peterborough and we are deeply thankful to you for that. We feel that we are in the midst of special people who care about promoting tolerance, neighbourliness, and who respect diversity.

I am writing you this letter to advise you that the KMRA’s insurance will cover most of the restoration that your donation was intended to cover. The KMRA is proposing that the surplus funds be utilized to create a fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough – a charity that inspires giving to build a vital community for everyone. Through this newly created fund, initial grants will be made to two important charities that are addressing significant needs in greater Peterborough:

1. Five Counties Children’s Centre, which is dedicated to supporting and enriching the independence and general quality of life for children and youth with physical, developmental, and communication needs, and;

2. YWCA Crossroads Shelter which provides emergency shelter and support services for women and their children who are escaping abusive situations (a problem that cuts across all economic and social aspects of society).

We hope you will agree to join with KMRA in supporting the needs of women and children in our community as an ongoing and lasting expression of gratitude for the outpouring of support extended to us in a time of need. On the other hand, if you feel that your donation was specifically for reparation of damages to the Mosque and you would like your funds to be returned to you, please send an email to kmra.pe@gmail.com no later than December 22.

And rest assured that whichever option you choose, our gratitude for your support will remain the same.

Once again we would like to thank you for your immediate and heartfelt response to our crisis in this difficult time."

—Kenzu Abdella, President of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association

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The Powerful Role Of Community Ambassadors

A recent Town Hall hosted by MP Maryam Monsef at the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough reinforced the vital role of civic engagement in community building, in politics and beyond.

For a significant portion of the Town Hall, those in attendance—about 100 were expected, but over 250 showed up—were broken into pods by the facilitator Jocasta Boone to meet other members of the community and share their ideas on what Peterborough and "community" means to them.

It became quickly apparent the event far transcended "politics". It was about ideas around city and community building.

Town hall breaking into pods to discuss what brought them here today. #ptbotownhall pic.twitter.com/YmiXfJD0jh

— PTBO_CANADA (@Ptbo_Canada) December 12, 2015

A recurring theme in the pods—and they were full of buzz and chatter and debate—was how passionate people are about Peterborough, and how much this city has going for it, from its amenities to its organizations and institutions and businesses, to its giving people.

Of course, there were many areas of improvement suggested—more jobs, better social programs, more accountability, retention of our youth from leaving for bigger cities, etc.—but ideas were given for how to fix things, not just what's broken.

Great conversations at the town hall meeting @MaryamMonsef pic.twitter.com/mNwY1hKs44

— Hannah Routly (@RoutlyH) December 12, 2015

At its core, the engaged citizens there at the Town Hall—a wide demographic ranging from teens to millennials to adults to seniors—are community ambassadors. A local version, if you will, of global citizens. People who care passionately about their city, and believe we have something special here.

Beyond the Town Hall, the power of community ambassadors—those who talk up their city far and wide in positive ways—is not to be understated in building and uplifting community. It is seen every day in our community. It could be a teacher, a cafe owner, a social media influencer, a fireman, a police officer, a CEO, a city councillor, a university or college student, a nurse, a high school student, an entrepreneur, a hockey player, a senior, an artist, whoever.

The sense in the room at that Town Hall is that collectively—as a whole—we are are building something special in Peterborough. That the power of collaboration and giving and offering solutions—further fuelled and accelerated by the sharing on social media platforms—makes this a moment when the city is on the verge of greatness.
 

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10th Annual Cop Shop At Lansdowne Place Was Everything Amazing About This Community

Lansdowne Place's 10th annual Cop Shop event—a beautiful partnership between Peterborough Police and LP—was another huge success on Wednesday (December 9th).

Chief Murray Rodd and officers greet the kids

Each year, select kids are picked up from their school in a limousine and taken to the mall, where they are met by Peterborough Police officers who become their personal shoppers for the day.

"We work with the school boards to identify kids that despite various challenges have risen above and excelled in school," Helen Edwards, Marketing Director with Lansdowne Place, tells PTBOCanada.

"These kids are brought in by limo, given a $200 Lansdowne Place gift card and then partnered with an officer who becomes their personal shopper for the day."

Lansdowne Place donates the gift card to each child, who might arrive with a list of gifts they wish to purchase, or work with their officer to decide what to shop for.

"Our tenants donate gifts or offer great discounts," Helen Edwards tells PTBOCanada. "Tim Hortons provides breakfast, all the officers are volunteering their time, Welsh Limo donates the transportation and we donate gift cards, a new winter coat for each child and Stockings for each child."

It was amazing to see all the police officers who volunteered to be part of this special day, and to the mall's retailers for donating gifts and discounts.

Says LP's Helen Edwards: "Quite simply, this event is our way of giving back to a community that has given us so much. It is our favourite day to come to work, not because of what we give the kids but because of how we continue to be inspired by these amazing kids year after year. They remind us what Christmas really is all about."

It was a day that the kids—and community—will never forget. Here's the group photo...

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The Amazing Story Of A PRHC Balloon That Landed On A Front Lawn In Dolgeville, New York

A balloon at PRHC intended to let the Peterborough community know about the hospital's new 24-hour patient visiting policy has had amazing, unintended consequences.

See, the balloon somehow became dislodged at the hospital, and travelled (it took about a week) all the way to Dolgeville, New York—a small town at the base of the Adirondack Mountains. It landed on the lawn of a woman named Julie Ruggiero, a teaching assistant at Dolgeville Central School.

Once Ruggiero retrieved the balloon, she began researching the hospital online, and was amazed to see how far it had travelled. She was also amazed at the kindness of the Peterborough community.

When looking up the hospital online, she happened upon Dr. Peter McLaughlin’s recent CEO blog post praising Peterborough's response following the fire at the Peterborough mosque. She used this information as an opportunity not only to reach out to the hospital and the Peterborough community, but also as a beautiful teaching moment for her students.

Here is an excerpt of an email she sent to PRHC on December 1st. It is, quite simply, amazing:

“We are so sorry for what has happened there to your mosque, but find it amazing the fundraising effort of your community to raise so much money toward the rebuilding of the mosque! Please let everyone know that your message has traveled internationally and we have implemented it in our curriculum here at school. The 6th and 7th grade social studies teachers have shown the balloon to our children and videos of the terrible acts put upon your community. We have taught them that the community together can do so many things for each other and that there are more acts of kindness than bad!  Thank you for your message and we stand with you in your acts of kindness in this world as more need to be recognized!!”

So... Peterborough's hope and kindness travelled hundreds of kilometers—by balloon.

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Help A Syrian Family Come To Peterborough

Safe Haven for Refugees is a group of Peterborough citizens who have banded together to help sponsor a Syrian family—the Alftih family—who will be resettling in our city.

The Alftih family fled their home in Syria after their family clothing business and livelihood was destroyed in the civil war. They have been living in Lebanon for the past several months.

The parents, Haran and Randa, and their four beautiful children—Sham, 3 years old and her brothers, Gaith, Omar, and Karim, 8, 12, and 16 years old—want to rebuild their life here in Peterborough, Canada, but will likely arrive with not much more than the clothes on their back. Safe Haven For Refugees is raising money to help provide the necessities of life—including housing, clothing and food costs for one year.

Give what you can here. Every dollar counts.

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