PTBOCanada Featured Post: Explore PTBO With Patrick McAuley; East City Knife Sharpening
/
Peterborough Blogs
Local Woman is Cleaning the City While Giving Back With Butt 1 Community
/Donna Reid from Peterborough has been collecting cigarette waste for the last three years, and recycling it through Terracycles Unsmoke Cigarette Recycling Program.
Photo courtesy of Butt 1 Community.
Three years ago Reid participated in a community clean up with A Greener Future, an environmental nonprofit focused on litter cleanup and prevention, where she learned that cigarette butts could be recyclable.
“I just thought it would kind of be a no brainer, and I’d get people involved in the community - that’s why I called it ‘Butt 1 Community’, we’re all one.”
For the last three years Reid has been collecting butts, the ash from cigarettes and the cellophane that cigarettes come wrapped in. The carboard case can be put in the regular recycling.
She also invites community members to drop off waste they have collected at her house, and notes that she sometimes comes home to bags of cigarette butts on her porch, a welcomed surprise for her.
“I have sent just over 400 lbs of waste since 2018,” she says.
Reid ships her collection of cigarette waste to TerraCycle once a year. The program gifts her one dollar per one lbs of waste she collects, to donate to a local charity. This year she will donate the funds to Peterborough Streetvoice.
On Sunday Reid announced on social media that she submitted 147 lbs of waste this year.
“I’m getting more awareness out there so I’m hoping each year it grows a bit. The biggest thing is that people don’t understand that cigarette butts are actually waste. They’re the number one thrown out item in the entire world. Number one every time.”
In addition to raising awareness, Reid distributes ‘pocket ashtrays’ to people she sees smoking in public. A pocket ashtray is a small reusable container that suffocates a cigarette ember, contains the smell and allows the user to bring their butt home to throw out, rather than littering.
For more information on Butt 1 Community or to find out how to get involved visit their Facebook or Instagram.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Voting for The Boro's Holiday Window Contest Opens on Friday
/The Boro’s Holiday Window Contest is underway and voting will open on Friday.
In 2017 TOY SHOP OWNER JEAN GRANT Came FIRST PLACE PRIZE IN THE ANNUAL HOLIDAY WINDOW CONTEST. She donated her $300 prize to The Salvation Army Toy Drive. File Photo.
Local businesses can enter their decorated window on The Boro’s website until Thursday.
Voting is open to community members and will be open from Friday until Dec. 6.
The first place window will receive $1,000, second place $500 and third place $300.
This year’s theme is “Holiday Cheer.”
Community members can vote from their homes by visiting the website or they can use the interactive map to take a tour of downtown.
The map highlights participating businesses as well as hot chocolate stops along the way.
Windows will be able to be seen online when voting opens.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
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.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
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.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
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.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
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.”
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
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.”
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
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.
