Two Peterborough Men Receive YMCA Peace Medal to Honour Their Contributions to the Community

YMCA Peace week is Nov. 13 - 20. This year Dave Morello of Morello’s Independent and David McNab, a retired Ontario Provincial Police Officer have received YMCA Peace Medals.

Photo courtesy of YMCA of Central East Ontario.

Each year, the YMCA of Central East Ontario honours local Peacemakers with a YMCA Peace Medal at several community events across the region.

YMCA Peace Medals are presented to individuals or groups who, without any special resources, status, wealth or position, demonstrate a commitment to the values of PEACE through contributions made within their local, national, or global community.

Dave Morello has been the owner/operator of Morello’s Your Independent Grocers since August of 2000.

Morello volunteers with and makes charitable contributions to organizations such as Easter Seals, Rotary Club of Peterborough, Five Counties Peterborough and Hospice Peterborough.

He is also a longtime YMCA Board Member and Chair of the YMCA Strong Kids/Your Y is Here Campaign.

Morello has been recognized for his outstanding community work with a number of awards, including the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medallion, Peterborough and District Volunteer of the Year, Peterborough Business Citizen of the Year, Top 20 Most Influential Person in Peterborough, among many others.

Photo courtesy of YMCA of Central East Ontario.

McNab is a retired Ontario Provincial Police Officer, Trent University Professor and community activist.

He and his wife Kristy were instrumental in founding Salaam Peterborough, a group of families who came together to sponsor a refugee family from Syria.

When an 18 year old Syrian refugee living alone in Turkey named Rashid posted a plea on Facebook he was subject to abuse and racism in the comments. In seeing this McNab immediately wanted to help Rashid to pursue his dream of studying to become an engineer.

He has been working with Rashid to improve his English with the help of Trent University by providing structured lessons and fundraising to bring Rashid to Canada.

McNab also drove across the nation in a Lamborghini to help a young cancer survivor, and has participated in the Pedal for Hope Campaign. He was also part of a massive Christmas Toy Drive for young children that supported various organizations including the New Canadians Centre.

A virtual ceremony will take place on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. via Zoom to honour Morello, McNab and other recipients of the 2021 YMCA Peace Medal. This event is free and open to all.

Click here to register.

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Youth Emergency Shelter Launches Annual Holiday Wish List

The YES Shelter for Youth and Families (YES) has published their annual Holiday Wish List, and will continue to update it weekly.

Fundraising Administrator Kathleen Wild, who is coordinating the wishlist, and leading a group of volunteers to organize and wrap all of the holiday donations, so YES workers can distribute gifts to clients over the holidays. Photo courtesy of YES Shelter.

Each year YES asks young people and families that are struggling what items they would like to receive for Christmas. They focus on items that would give them joy, independence or help them enjoy the season.

From now until the end of December staff at YES will update the Wish List each Wednesday.

While the wish list is live all year, the Holiday Wish list features different items.

So far this year youth and families have asked for cosmetics, arts and craft supplies, gift cards for local businesses (especially coffee shops, gaming stores, clothing stores, book stores and nail salons)

“The holidays can be a really rough time for young people and families struggling with homelessness,” said Brooke Erickson, Development Lead at YES. “The YES wishlist not only brightens up the holiday season, but also helps young people and parents feel cared for by their community. It's a chance for Peterborough to show our neighbours that we're here for them, provide some much-needed essentials, and spread the joy of the season.”

YES cannot currently accept any used clothing or items at the shelter. Used clothing, housewares and furniture should be dropped off at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

The YES Shelter is open 24/7, 365 days a year. They provide emergency shelter to youth and families in crisis. Each year YES serves roughly 250 new clients , in addition to many who have stayed at the shelter before.

The shelter also offers long term transitional housing, alternative classrooms for youth, a food and clothing cupboard and outreach staff to help youth and families access the resources they need.

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Local Women's Organization Continues 75th Anniversary Celebration By Donating 75 Care Bags

Soroptimist International Peterborough (SIP) kept its 75th anniversary rolling by donating 75 care bags to One Roof Community Centre (ORCC) on Monday.

One Roof staff member (left) and Marnie Horton (right) unload the care bags at ORCC. SIP has roughly 40 members to empower and aid women all over Peterborough. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The bags contain socks, underwear, personal grooming items, gift cards and feminine products. Some of the donated clothing were hand-knit from SIP members.

The organization chose items that would help women with basic needs according to Dorothy Macdonald, SIP club president.

"There's a good range of choices in there and hopefully there are ladies who will receive the bags will have some enjoyment out of them,” she said.”

Andrew MacGregor expressed his gratitude for the donation after being with the ORCC for less than a month.

"We're very grateful for the Soroptimists, the community and the extended community are always showing this amazing display of generosity," he said. "We're very grateful that they're able to support us this way."

Bags are received visiting ORCC and buzzing the front door. They are kept until all bags have been given out.

SIP also made donations to PARN and The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough on the same day.

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Local Restaurant Celebrates Second Anniversary With 24 Free Meals For the Community

More bellies will be filled as restaurant Capra Toro will give away 24 meals to those in need to celebrate their second anniversary on Sunday.

The meals are going towards individuals or families who are in need or going through rough patches.

The restaurant is encouraging anyone to contact them through Facebook or Instagram to write a brief message of anyone deserving of a meal.

“Giving back is a huge part of our family beliefs here at Capra Toro,” said Ashley MacDuff, Capra Toro supervisor. “We love to give back when we can to the community. We’ve been able to do so with giving people in need and those deserving a meal here and there when we can.”

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Peterborough Singers Accompanist Steps Down After 25 Years of Music

Gael Morrison, accompanist with Peterborough Singers for 25 years, has stepped down from her position, announced on Monday in the Peterborough Singers newsletter.

Gael Morrison and her husband Ev. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Singers.

Following her training at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, Morrison worked with the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, the Peterborough Children’s Chorus and the Cambridge St. United Church Voices of Victory.

Morrison made the drive from Lindsay to Peterborough every week to accompany the Peterborough Singers.

“It made me a better accompanist, since it requires a totally different skill from playing on your own. You need a certain quality and standard to do those big works. And certainly I’ve met some wonderful, interesting people — the music and the people are the highlights,” she said.

While Morrison says she already misses being a part of the Peterborough Singers, she is enjoying having more time for kayaking and hiking.

“A good choir accompanist is the choral conductor’s most important ally in the rehearsal room, and for me, Gael was that person,” said artistic director Syd Birrell. “She is a very fine pianist, an excellent sight reader, a true professional, and she played an integral role in establishing the high standards of the Peterborough Singers, helping build the choir in our early years and beyond.”

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Local Man Completes Hiking the Bruce Trail End to End and is Now Raising Funds for Two Local Charities

After hiking the Bruce Trail in its entirety, local man Jackson Parlevliet is raising money for HeadsupCAN and the Youth Emergency Shelter.

Jackson Parlevliet after completing the Bruce Trail. Photo courtesy of Jackson Parlevliet.

Parlevliet began hiking Canada's oldest and longest marked footpath that stretches 900 km from Niagara to Tobermory on Aug. 11 when he realized his mental and physical health were declining.

“I started doing the hike because I was feeling very depressed,” he said.

After hitting his head at work a few years ago and enduring a severe concussion and brain damage, he was struggling with his mental health.

“I wanted to do something healthy to get me on track. At the beginning it was really really hard, I couldn’t go very far and I was just feeling so out of shape. I stuck with it and kept going until it started to get easy, then it got hard again towards the end because I was just really tired.”

Over the course of the 58 day hike Jackson lost 30 lbs and found a love for hiking. Photo by Jackson Parlevliet.

“I just thought so much. There were certain days I just would be in the woods by myself and start crying,” he said. “But I genuinely feel like a different person now.”

Initially this hike was only meant to better Parlevliet’s health, though as he walked alone he began to think there was potential for something more.

After he completed the trail end-to-end on Nov. 8, 58 days after starting, Parlevliet created a GoFundMe.

50 per cent of all the money raised will be going to HeadsupCAN, a local charity that aims to help those suffering from post-concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) symptoms.

“I picked HeadsUP because it’s personal to me. I’ve been struggling with concussion related brain trauma since I was in high school, and also because I trust where the money is going. The founder Ryan Sutton is from Ennismore.”

The other 50 per cent will be going to the Youth Emergency Shelter.

“I wanted to do something nice at Christmas - I love Christmas. Gifts aren’t what Christmas is about to me, but I still think that kids should be able to have some gifts and have some food and feel like they’re loved at Christmas.”

According to the Bruce Trail website, the trail can be hiked one way in 30 days. Jackson completed his hike (end-to-end and back again) in 58 days. Photo by Jackson Parlevliet.

Parlevliet says it was a tough trek,hiking around 40 km a day, and there were many times he wanted to quit. Now that it’s done he hopes to hike more in the future.

“I’ve wanted to do this Bruce Trail thing for a while. I started thinking about the idea in 2015 or 2015. I didn’t really know anything about it. If you have anything you want to do, just do it. Just make it happen.”

He says he hopes anyone interested in hiking the Bruce Trail will reach out to him on Instagram with any questions.

“I didn’t have fancy gear, I didn’t have poles, I didn’t have good shit - I just did it. It was really uncomfortable at times it rained for like 15 days straight, my feet were soaking, it was really miserable but I made it through and then got to good weather. If there’s anything you want to do, don’t wait for other people - just make it happen. I’m so glad I did it. There were times I thought ‘I can’t do this anymore I want to quit’ but I just kept going and it felt so good to be done.”

To donate to the Bruce Trail End to End Charity Hike click here.

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Holiday Shopping Passports are Back to Support Local Christmas Shopping

Holiday Shopping Passports are back in Peterborough and are available at 150 participating shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and cafes in downtown Peterborough.

Jennie Moore won the Holiday Shopping Passport early bird draw in 2020. Photo courtesy of The Boro.

Shoppers will earn a passport stamp for every $10 you spent locally in downtown Peterborough. Each completed Holiday Shopping Passport increases the chance to win up to $1,500 in Boro gift cards.

The Holiday Shopping Passport program rewards people for shopping, dining, and enjoying downtown. Last year’s program saw shoppers stamp more than $2.5 million worth of Holiday Shopping Passports.

For every $100 spent locally, up to $48 stays in the community, compared to just $14 when shopping at big box stores.

“Every year our Holiday Shopping Passport program brings an excitable shopping buzz into our downtown core,” said Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the DBIA. “In order to combat online and big box shopping trends we have to support programming that celebrates the physical shopping experience. We are so excited to have the Holiday Shopping Passports back and love rewarding our shoppers during the holiday season.”

Shoppers are welcome to collect free stamps at the Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Visitors Centre and The Boro Holiday Hub.

This years’ Passport will be sporting a new holiday graphic, and smaller purse-friendly design. Shoppers are encouraged to shop early to increase their chances of winning in one of the three early bird prizes for a $500 Boro gift card. Early bird draw dates will take place on December 1, 8, & 15.

The final grand prize draw will take place after the holiday season on January 8 where one lucky passport holder will win a $1,500 Boro card shopping spree.

The City of Peterborough will be providing free 2-hour parking in the downtown beginning Black Friday (Nov. 26) until the end of December courtesy of Wolfe Lawyers.

For more information on this year’s Holiday Shopping Passport program visit www.theboro.ca

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Local Veteran Lee-Anne Quinn Shares Remembrance Day from her Perspective

Honourary Lieutenant Colonel Lee-Anne Quinn served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 23 years as an Air Medical Evacuation Nurse.

She was deployed in places like Former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Rwanda, Deer Lake and Fort Hope, Whitehorse and Afghanistan.

When she left the CAF in 2008, she immediately started working as a nurse practitioner in the civilian world.

Reflecting on her service, Quinn shares how important it is for her to make a difference in someone’s life each day.

“If I can’t make a difference for somebody else, it’s not a fulfilled day.”

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Lakefield WWII Veteran Arnold Graham Reflects on Remembrance Day

Arnold Graham, now a month shy of 96-years-old, enlisted with the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterborough Regiment) on Dec. 2, 1942, just ten days before his 17th birthday.

Left, Arnold Graham 1943, Royal Canadian Airforce (Photo courtesy of Lakefield War Vets) Right, Arnold at the Buckhorn Community Centre, 95 years old. Photo by Angela O’Grady

Graham, the youngest of twelve children born to Claire and Isaiah Graham, was the last of his six brothers to enlist in the army.

“I joined up when I was 17 years old,” he said. “My mother said she didn’t want me to go, but I said I want to go because I had six brothers fighting all over Europe and I want to help them get home a little sooner.”

Graham was released from the Reserve Service May 8, 1943 in order to enlist with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Because he was not yet 18 his mother was required to provide a letter authorizing his entrance into the RCAF which she provided.

He got his wings in Quebec, then headed to England where he became part of an air crew flying Lancaster four engine bombers.

Graham joined the 433 Squadron of the RCAF, the “Porcupines”, Bomber Command, and became a Flight Sergeant Air Gunner.

The 433 Porcupine Bomber Squadron’s 1st Op was on Jan 2, 1944 (mining) and the last Op was on Apr 25, 1945 (bombing). They flew 2,316 total sorties with a 90.07% success rate.

During one particular mission with the 433 Porcupine Squadron on March 31, 1945 on Op 208 – Hamburg, a 500-bomber raid, set out with Mustang fighter escorts for the first time. F/Sgt Graham, manning the Mid/Upper Gun, was credited with shooting down an Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow); the first German jet aircraft which had attacked 16 times in 9 minutes. He was the first Canadian Gunner to do so and also recorded the only kill for their Lancaster.

Pictured at the Remembrance Service at the Buckhorn Community Centre are Robert Ough, Arnold Graham and John Bannon, WWII Veteran. Photo by Angela O’Grady.

When Graham reflects on his time in the air force, he recalls his mother.

“My mother was a widow,” he said. “She walked to the post office every day, never missed a day, to get a letter from one of her boys. When she met me when I came home and got off the train in Peterborough she looked at me and said ‘Oh my baby’s home’. I was her baby.”

He also recalls the men he served with in the Air Force.

“I had 13 brothers that I fought with during the war. My own six brothers, and seven in the Air Force. Everytime I go to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day I start to cry.”

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