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Peterborough Blogs
Local 100 Year Old Veteran Named Knight Of The Legion Of Honour For France To Recognize His Role In The Liberation Of France During WWII
/Pte. (Ret’d) Sir Frederick Herbert Allison of Lakefield is now officially a Knight of The Legion of Honour for France, in recognition of his participation in the liberation of France after D-Day.
Allison, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, was a Motor Mechanic with the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers during World War Two.
Allison spent his time overseas repairing vehicles and on more than one occasion found himself in situations he only describes as miracles.
“The sound of a bullet whizzing by your ear just makes you think - if I were a few inches this way or that I wouldn’t be here.”
WWII officially ended on Sept. 2, 1945, but because Allison was a mechanic he stayed in Amsterdam repairing vehicles and was discharged on Jan. 1, 1946.
Now, 76 years later, he is being honored by France for his participation in liberating their country from Nazi occupation.
Allison’s grandson, James, says he learned about this award after Remembrance Day last year and began communicating with the French Consulate in hopes to have his grandfathers efforts officially recognized.
After many phone calls and lots of patience, Allison received his medal and a Presidential Decree from President Macron of France on July 11.
On Tuesday, Allison’s family members and Dave Smith, MPP, gathered at Peterborough’s cenotaph to recognize his service on behalf of the Province.
@ptbo_canada Replying to @ptbo_canada Over 75 years after he came home from Europe, Sir Frederick H. Allison is Knighted to The Legion of Honour, a very well deserved honour. He says the thought of being a ‘Sir’ is ‘beyond my old brain’ 🇨🇦#Veteran #ww2 #PTBOCanada #LegionOfHonour #canadianveterans #CanadianVet #CanadianLegion #CanadianMilitary #Knighted #Mechanic #Canada ♬ Memories (Piano Instrumental) - Benny Martin
Allison says he doesn’t feel like a ‘Sir’ though he is honoured to be recognized.
The Legion of Honour was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 as a general military and civil order of merit.
This honour can be awarded to anyone, from anywhere that upholds the idea of liberty and equality. It requires 20 years of civil achievement in peacetime or extraordinary military bravery and service in times of war.
It has been awarded to artists, activists, soldiers and countless other individuals. The Legion of Honour is divided into five degrees: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Croix (Grand Cross).
Perhaps the most notable Canadians to have received this honour are Brian Mulroney, Leonard Brierley, one of the first Canadian soldiers to land on Juno Beach during the D-Day Invasion, Beverly McLachlin and now, Sir Frederick H. Allison.
PTBOCanada spoke with Pte. (Ret’d) Sir Frederick H. Allison on his 100th birthday in April.
Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development Accepted To Circular Cities & Regions Initiative Peer-to-Peer Network Initiative
/The City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, together with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), have been accepted to the Circular Cities & Regions Initiative Peer-to-Peer Network Initiative (CCRI).
Photo by Luke Best.
The CCRI provides important access to mentorship and support from advisors representing leading Canadian and international circular economy educators and practitioners. By the end of this program, the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County will develop their circular economy roadmaps and action plans for their corporate plans and policies.
The Peterborough and the Kawarthas region has a long and celebrated history of pursuing sustainable and innovative initiatives through Sustainable Peterborough and Green Economy Peterborough.
“The City of Peterborough is committed to climate action. We worked with our County partners through Sustainable Peterborough on the Climate Change Action Plan and continue to build on that partnership to advance our region’s sustainability goals,” said Mayor Diane Therrien, City of Peterborough. “We are excited to join the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative and expand our collaboration with other leaders in sustainability and best climate practices nationwide.”
Participating in the CCRI will shift towards greater circularity and reduce the region’s ‘embodied carbon’ footprint, thus supporting the local Climate Change Action Plan and vision to build a strong economy based on partnerships, innovation, and a commitment to sustainability.
Council for Persons with Disabilities Seeking Participants for Disability Recreation Research
/The Council for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) is looking for people to participate in research on disability recreation announced on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of CPD.
The study helps CPD understand improvements for recreational programming for anyone with disabilities and create inclusive and integrated programs aimed at persons of all abilities in Peterborough according to a press release.
This study and the programming to follow are funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
During the study, CPD wants anyone with backgrounds including being disabled, able-bodied and marginalized to participate in an in-person focus group. For those who would like to participate but cannot attend the focus group, there is a survey available online.
The study will take place on Aug. 10 between noon and 1:00 p.m. at Venture North, 270 George St. N.
For more information or to join the study please e-mail Felicity Phillips, CPD recreation coordinator at felicity.phillips@pcpd.ca.
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Curve Lake First Nation Community Fundraising For New Wheelchair For Elder Dorothy Taylor
/Elder Dorothy Taylor is a prominent member of the Curve Lake First Nation community, who works as an Ojibwe traditional Elder, hand drummer and water environmental activist. After being diagnosed with Limb and Girdle Muscular Dystrophy in December 2000, members of the community are rallying together in hopes to purchase her a new wheelchair to allow her to continue doing the work she loves to do.
Photo by Georgie Horton- Babtiste.
“Dorothy is so lovely, so vibrant,” said Alix Taylor, a member of Curve Lake First Nation. “ She always says she has her rose coloured glasses on. Despite having physical ailments she always makes an effort to get out and share her knowledge.”
Alix met Dorothy 12 years ago, when Dorothy was in the early stages of starting ‘Sacred Water Circle’.
Sacred Water Circle is a group founded by Dorothy. It is a volunteer run, not for profit initiative that has brought together Indigenous and non- Indigenous people to work together for the benefit of water. The group strives to spread the message ‘Water is Life’ by hosting Water Walks and spreading knowledge throughout the area.
In addition to being a water activist Dorothy is an Ojibwe traditional Elder.
She spends her days sharing her knowledge of Indigenous culture with Indigenous children in Curve Lake and involved with Family Services.
Dorothy can also be found at local Pow Wow's, walking her dog on the beach and visiting community members.
Since being diagnosed, Dorothy’s mobility has been greatly affected, says Alix.
“The disease she has is progressive,” she said. “Her mobility continues to slowly deteriorate but she still wants to continue doing what she has been doing, she wants to continue educating and sharing her knowledge.”
Alix says the wheelchair she is currently using isn’t fit for rural areas.
“She can’t do the things she does in her normal life without this. Sure, she could continue to share her knowledge, but she deserves this. Her quality of life depends on it.”
Alix says they have been applying to funding though none of it will cover the full cost of the chair.
Alix, with volunteers from the Sacred Water Circle, want to raise $32,000.00 to purchase Dorothy a wheelchair called a Magic Mobility Extreme X8.
To date they have raised over $8,000 through the GoFundMe. They hope to plan in person fundraisers in the fall, which will be announced via Sacred Water Circle social media page, or the GoFundMe page.
Pathway of Fame to Hold Celebratory Concert For 25th Anniversary
/In honour of their 25th anniversary, the Peterborough and District Pathway to Fame is holding a celebratory concert to honour all inductees announced on Monday.
Last year’s induction ceremony was limited to 50 people due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Photo courtesy of the Pathway to Fame, Peterborough & District.
The concert performing at the event is on Sept. at 7:30 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre.
The formal induction of the Class of 2022 Pathway inductees is on the same-day morning with the concert in the evening. The City of Peterborough and Peterborough County will proclaim the Sept. 10 as “Pathway of Fame Day” according to a press release.
The concert honours all inductees past and present who have enriched and improved the Peterborough community and commemorates the last 25 years.
The event features a collection of 21 performers and speakers who are Pathway inductees. Their video presentation is in memory of musical inductees who have passed on.
The event will be hosted by inductees Megan Murphy and Paul Rellinger and is being produced and financially sponsored by inductee David Goyette.
Tickets are $25 and are available through Showplace at boxoffice@showplace.org or 705-742-7469.
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The Capital PTBO To Hold Inaugural Charity Home Run Derby For Local Sports Initiatives
/Sports apparel store The Capital PTBO has announced its inaugural Home Run Derby to be held on Oct. 1 at the Kinsmen Arena ball diamond in support of local sports organizations.
Mark Million (pictured) opened The Capital PTBO in late January this year with his brother Justin. Photo by Luke Best.
The store is accepting registrations through social media private messages or by email at captain@thecapitalptbo.ca. The derby registration fee is $25 and requires participants to bring their own pitcher to throw the ball, slo-pitch style.
The all-ages event is capped at 40 batters each getting 10 pitches where the most home runs hit is declared the winner.
"This is an idea brought to us by Pete Dalliday which was an interaction brought to him by Colin Teskey and Jordan Mercier of Extra 90.5 Radio,” said Mark Million, Capital PTBO co-owner.
Prize structure, food vendors and charity proceed recipients will be announced at a later date. Million has confirmed monetary prizing and custom-made trophies for the winners. They also get their name on the store’s “Wall of Honour,” a banner hung from the store’s roof.
The event could be separated into age divisions however it is not confirmed what they are yet.
@ptbo_canada Need a place to hang out and do all things sports? The Capital PTBO invites you to relax, hang out and maybe shop while you are there! #PTBOCanada ♬ Smokin Out The Window - Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak & Silk Sonic
Million had remarked that he opened his store as a sports hub for Peterborough and was community-oriented in a prior interview with PTBOCanada. He is seeking volunteers for the event as is confident they will help make it a success.
“We need a lot of help,” he explained. “One thing we have known in the last six months is that when we have put a call to action out, whether to build our lending library or people with their own sports mantles that they want to put on display, we've had people to volunteer to help us out. That's the Peterborough way.”
This event is only the beginning of a series of events Million’s store wants to do for the local community.
“The Home Run Derby is the tip of the iceberg,” he explained. “We'd love to run a street hockey tournament, we'd love to do a three-point contest; all these sorts of things where we can integrate in public spaces and not-for-profit, that's the key. Everything goes back into supporting youth sports and youth initiatives.”
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Photos: New Canadians Centre Hosts Picnic In The Park For New Community Members From Ukraine
/The New Canadians Centre Peterborough invited new, Ukrainian members of the community and long time community members to a picnic at King Edward Park on Wednesday night to meet, chat and eat together.
The rain held off long enough for picnic goers to enjoy traditional Ukrainian foods like Bublik and cabbage rolls, as well as some Canadian staples.
In a release earlier this week NCC announced that they have served approximately 90 individuals to date.
Linda and Peter Adam, who have lived in Peterborough for most of their lives, opened their home to a young Ukrainian refugee, and were at the picnic on Wednesday.
“We saw in the news that there was a need for homes, and I just talked to Pete about it and responded the next day,” said Linda.
The couple has never done anything like this before, though Linda says they are both glad they did it.
“She has really brought a lot of life into our house.”
In response to the offers of support from the community, the NCC has worked with CCRC’s Housing Resource Centre to create a web listing for hosts to post their homestay offers and to support hosts with information and advice: https://www.ccrc-ptbo.com/home-together/ukraine/.
As Ukrainian families arrive in Peterborough NCC will update their ‘SoKind’ registry for items they need. The NCC is unable to store an excess of donated items, so they kindly ask for only items specified on the registry.
The Wellness Centre is hosting a Zumba Party in support of the New Canadians Centre on July 26 at 6:30 p.m..
Led by international zumba instructor Ricardo Marmittee, this is a pay what you can class with all proceeds going to support Ukrainians and other new comers to Peterborough.
To register make a donation to the New Canadians Centre noting ‘Zumba Fundraiser’ the donation will act as a ticket.
Community Care Apsley Awarded Volunteer Of The Year After Supporting Community Through Loss Of Grocery Store
/Community Care’s Apsley service office accepted the 2022 Community Volunteer of the Year Award from the Township of North Kawartha at the recent Peterborough County Recognition Awards Ceremony.
Some Community Care volunteers in Apsley and North Kawartha accepting certificate to display in their space. Cathy Leard, Chris Evans, Holly Hilker, Mary Hall and Sue McKinlay. Photo courtesy of Community Care Apsley office.
