Peterborough Blogs
East Peterborough Lions Club Great Turkey Exchange To Help Families in Need This Christmas
/The East Peterborough Lions Club is seeking community donations of turkeys and hams through their ‘Great Turkey Exchange’ this Christmas; collecting and distributing them for families in need announced Wednesday.
The Great Turkey Exchange operated from 2009 until 2020, taking a hiatus in 2021 after supply chain shortages made it difficult to get donations.
Over its history, the program has delivered the main course for 17,000 Christmas dinners in the Peterborough area.
“Our club has helped out by delivering turkeys to groups and we saw how grateful people are to have strangers help feed their families,” says Frank Hewitt, East Peterborough Lions Club service chair. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to resuscitate the program and fill such a great need in our community.”
The Lions say turkey and hams donated to the program typically come from individuals and businesses who recognize both the sentimental and nutritional value of a traditional Christmas meal. The community can help by donating turkeys and hams, or cash donations to purchase these items.
Donations can be dropped off at Kawartha Food Share located at 665 Neal Dr. or picked up by emailing your address to greatturkeyexchange@gmail.com.
For families who are unable to afford a turkey or a ham this holiday season, email greatturkeyexchange@gmail.com and ask to be put on the donation list.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
The Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade Returns to Peterborough
/After two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade will return to Peterborough on Dec. 3.
File photo.
The theme for the 47th Kinsmen parade will be ‘Christmas Around the World.’
The parade will begin at 4:45 p.m. at Peterborough City Hall, making its way down George Street and ending on Prince Street. Typically the parade route ends at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, but as the Peterborough Petes have an OHL game that night, they will end on Prince Street instead.
Those who are interested in being apart of this year’s celebration are asked to complete and return the application to the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough. Registration deadline is Nov. 25.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
‘Indoor-Outdoor’ Public Art for Public Facilities Project Seeking Art Submissions
/The City of Peterborough Public Art Program is inviting artists to submit two-dimensional artworks for consideration as new public art installations at municipal facilities and community spaces across the City announced on Monday.
File Photo.
Indoor-Outdoor is a two-stage public art project that will integrate artwork created by local artists into City spaces such as parks, recreation facilities and downtown City Hall. Stage one (Indoor) will be completed early next year and stage two (Outdoor) will be completed later in the year.
The project is being administered through the City of Peterborough Public Art Program, in accordance with a resolution of Council in November 2021 on the funding of public art and is open to professional artists and cultural practitioners living in the City and County of Peterborough, Hiawatha First Nation or Curve Lake First Nation. The commission value for each artwork is $4,500.
The program seeks new, recent or past original works for indoor facilities. A selection committee will discuss each application and select four artworks; considering artistic merit, relevance and feasibility.
The City’s intentions with this project is to “enrich these spaces and people’s exposure to art by bringing art to places where people frequent,” and allow the art pieces to “speak to the spirit of sport and consider the inherent relationship between beauty and skill,” according to a press release.
The four selected artworks will be installed and displayed for twelve to eighteen months at either City Hall, Kinsmen Civic Centre, Healthy Planet Arena or the Sport and Wellness Centre, rotating the works between sites at the end of each term.
The Indoor artworks will be mounted on the main foyers of each facility.
Submissions for the Indoor-Outdoor project close on Dec. 15, at 4 p.m. All submissions must be completed online. More information about the project can be found on the City’s Public Art webpage.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Capra Toro Giving Away 72 Free Meals On Sunday To Those Needing a Helping Hand On Third Anniversary
/UPDATED: 4:35 p.m. on 18/11/2022
Capra Toro is continuing their annual tradition of giving away 72 meals to those needing a helping hand in celebration of its third anniversary this Sunday.
Last year, the restaurant gave 24 meals for its second anniversary. Auto Connect Sales and J&L Services footed the bill for an extra 24 meals each respectively totalling 72. The latter has matched Capra Toro’s 24 meals as well as Mike's Tattoo & Piercing totalling 72 meals.
The restaurant is encouraging anyone to contact them through Facebook or Instagram to write a brief message to anyone deserving of a meal.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Hometown PTBO: Matthew Wilson On Playing In the Special Olympics and DREAMS Gala for Down Syndrome
/
This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks to Matthew Wilson who has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome about his love of Elvis Presley, playing basketball at the Special Olympics and the DREAMS Gala by the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough happening on Nov 18th.
United Way Launches New Initiative to Support Local Women and Girls
/The United Way Peterborough and District launched ‘Women United’ on Wednesday, an initiative that aims to drive social and economic change, break down barriers and improve the lives of women and girls in the community.
Former Peterborough-Kawartha Maryam Monsef (middle) founded ‘ONWARD’, a venture that connects, inspires and empowers female leaders in early July of this year. Photo by Felicia Massey.
They offer mentorship and allyship for women and girls in vulnerable circumstances through financial support and advocacy.
“Women and children in our community are hurting. We saw through the pandemic that single moms, black, Indigenous radicalized folks, those with disabilities, particularly women, were going to be hit hardest,” said Maryam Monsef, Women United founding chair. “Women felt more vulnerable and were more vulnerable and so were their children.”
Members and donor support help the United Way to fund programs through the Culinary Collective and Elizabeth Fry Society.
The United Way says a significant portion of investments goes towards their 20 partner agencies, 14 led by women.
“The pandemic showed us that all that hurt, all that pain and all that suffering, that women’s leadership is key to recovery,” said Monsef. “When women are doing well, the multiple organizations in our community including United Way and other agencies led strongly by women are better off.”
Every six days a woman in Canada is killed by her domestic partner according to statistics presented by the United Way. Emergency housing for these women and their children is often less accessible than housing for men, says Betsy Farrar, United Way manager of community impact.
She notes that the current Point In Time count of those experiencing homelessness proves that women are less likely than men to seek these services.
“The research shows that women avoid co-ed shelters due to past experiences of violence within those settings and locally, there’s just not enough options for women to access emergency shelters,” said Farrar.
Farrar says there are 32 beds designated to men, 32 co-ed beds, and seven women-exclusive beds in local emergency shelters.
“Darkness To Light” Invites Sunrise Watching For Anyone Impacted By Suicide and Overdose
/Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) is hosting the second annual ‘Darkness To Light Winter Solstice Gathering’ that invites those impacted by suicide and overdose to Rogers Cove to watch the sunrise on Dec. 21, announced Thursday.
Photo courtesy of GPHSF.
