Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal Proclaims February As Black History Month
/City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal has proclaimed February as Black History Month, issuing the below statement on Wednesday.
photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.
Peterborough Blogs
Local Fraternity Having 48-Hour Outdoor Campout To Fundraise For Housing Insecurity On Feb. 10-12
/The 12th annual Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) in a Box fundraiser returns on Feb. 10 - 12 to raise awareness about housing insecurity in the Peterborough and the Kawarthas announced on Tuesday.
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Members of the TKE fraternity CHRISTOPHER MILLS, BRENDAN ALEXANDER, OSCAR FUCHS AND MARCUS FUCHS HUDDLED IN A MAKESHIFT STRUCTURE WITH HAY AND A TARP IN THE COLD AT THE VENTURE NORTH PARKING LOT ON GEORGE STREET NORTH on Feb 5 & 6 last year. File photo.
Volunteers from (TKE) student fraternity are camping for 48 hours to raise funds and awareness about the need for affordable housing in Peterborough with proceeds going to support Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and the Kawarthas. The goal is to receive $5,000 with $600 already raised.
Various shelter-based organizations in the city have benefitted from this event including One City Peterborough, One Roof, and Habitat for Humanity from 2017-2020 according to a press release.
“We selected Habitat for Humanity again because we believe that their work towards developing housing for low-income families is going to positively impact the Peterborough community,” says former TKE President, Alexander Mills. “As a student who works part-time, I have found that it is hard to find affordable housing while being able to pay for tuition, the increasing food prices, and other living expenses. I have been very fortunate to be able to afford these things, but I can see that the number of people in our community who can no longer afford basic living expenses has risen and continues to rise.”
The event is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. on Feb. 10 until 4 p.m. on Feb. 12 in the parking lot of the Venture North at 270 George St. N.
“We are very happy to be partnering with TKE again to raise awareness for affordable housing,” says Jenn MacDonald, Communications & Donor Services Manager at Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region. “Too many working families in our community do not have stable or secure housing and are one eviction notice away from the threat of homelessness. With escalating rent prices and a vacancy rate of less than 1%, this event helps highlight the precariousness many in our community are facing.”
Funds raised will support Phase 2 of Habitat’s condo project, bringing 12 affordable units to the City of Peterborough according to a press release.
To donate to the fundraiser, you can visit their page online.
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Local Leafs Fan Mike Davy, 65, Passes Away From Cardiac Arrest After Returning From First Live Toronto NHL Game
/Peterborough’s Mike Davy passed away overnight from cardiac arrest at 65, after coming back from his first live Toronto Leafs Game on Wednesday night.
Davy at his first Leafs game with Toronto winning 3-2 in overtime. Photo courtesy of Craig Meridith.
Davy was diagnosed with ‘global development delay’ that significantly hinders his physical and cognitive development. He also had several heart complications throughout his life, undergoing several surgeries including his heart valves. He was supposed to get x-rays of his heart the following morning.
He spent ten years under social worker Craig Meridith through Fleming College’s Blue Box program. He passed away peacefully overnight on Meridith’s couch after returning home from the Leafs game. Meridith said there weren’t any telltale signs of his death when he stayed overnight.
“He had a cough, like a hack. You didn't really think anything of it because he's had heart surgeries over the year,” explained Meridith.
Davy often would accompany Meridith and his partner to their trailer. Photo courtesy of Craig Meridith.
Davy attended his first Maple Leafs game in Toronto on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. Forward Mitch Marner scored the walk-off game-winning goal in overtime for a Maple Leafs 3-2 win.
It was the perfect first and last game for Davy to watch before his passing said Meridith.
“When they announced Mitch's name, his arms went up in the air and he almost jumped out of the wheelchair” he explained. “I had to pin him down so he didn't fall over out of sheer joy.”
Davy had done volunteer work with Trent University with their Blue Box program, Bata Library and bussing tables. He was a Special Olympics athlete in bowling.
“He's funny and outgoing but he also knew how to push your buttons at the same time when he was seeking attention,” said Meridith. “At the end of the day, he was a great guy.”
Davy was also an avid fan of the Peterborough Petes and Toronto Blue Jays.
'Blankets for People' Initiative Launched For Anyone Needing It For the Cold Weather; Blanket Donations Can Be Made to Windsor's Drycleaning
/The Peterborough County-City Paramedics (PCCP), Fourcast, Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough and Windsor’s Drycleaning Centre have launched the first-ever ‘Blankets for People’ initiative to provide blankets and/or sleeping bags to anyone who needs them announced on Friday.
(from left to right) Kerri Kightley, Fourcast; Craig Jones, Peterborough County City Paramedics commander of operations and Bruce Thompson, Windsor’s Drycleanign Centre co-owner wrapped in a blanket to kick off the inaugural ‘Blankets for People’ initiative. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Peterborough City/County residents are encouraged to donate new or used blankets and sleeping bags at Windsor’s Drycleaning Centre to be cleaned and packaged for redistribution. There are already some blankets donated towards the cause prior to the announcement of the initiative.
The cleaned items are shipped to Fourcast’s CTS site at 220 Simcoe St. (beside the Downtown Bus Terminal) to be picked up. Clean blankets or sleeping bags will be given with no questions asked. There are no criteria for anyone to receive a blanket according to Craig Jones, Peterborough County City Paramedics commander of operations.
“There's a no-barrier environment,” said Jones. “If you need a blanket, we will get you one.”
‘Blankets for People’ will run until the cold weather season has finished.
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Havelock Fire and Ice Festival Hosting Hockey Player Brigette Lacquette
/The HBMProud Havelock Community Outdoor Rink is set to host the Fire and Ice festival; a free event featuring hockey player Brigette Lacquette on Feb. 11.
Photo courtesy of the Havelock Fire and Ice Festival.
From noon to 7 p.m., the Havelock Fire and Ice festival will have many family-friendly activities to enjoy, including ice carving, fire performers, a petting zoo, fireworks and more.
The festival will feature an appearance by hockey player Brigette Lacquette. Lacquette is the first First Nations hockey player to be named to Canada's National Women's Team.
Lacquette first joined the National Women's U18 Team in Aug. 2008, and went on to win silver and gold at the 2009 and 2010 IHF U18 Women's World Championships.
For more information on Havelock’s Fire and Ice festival, visit the rink’s Facebook page.
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City of Peterborough Open Nominations For 2022 Civic Awards
/Nominations for the City of Peterborough 2022 Civic Awards are open to recognize and honour local volunteers and achievers in sports, arts and culture who had outstanding achievements in 2022 announced on Friday.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
“It’s the people of Peterborough that make our City special,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “If you know someone who had outstanding accomplishments in 2022 through sport or volunteerism in community, culture or environmental stewardship, let’s make sure they get recognized.”
Nominations are open until March 31 at 4:30 p.m. for the following categories:
Adult Athlete of the Year
Athletic Award of Merit
Community Betterment
Cultural Betterment
Environmental Stewardship
Holnbeck Award
Junior Athlete of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mayor's Youth Award
Senior Athlete of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
Youth Volunteer of the Year
Nomination packages are available using the interactive form online and paper copies are available at City Hall, located at 500 George St. N.
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Local Shoppers Drug Mart Campaign Raises Over $10,000 For YWCA Crossroads Shelter
/Donations to the 2022 LOVE YOU Giving Shelter campaign by Shoppers Drug Mart raised $10,638 in support of the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton for women experiencing gender-based violence announced Wednesday.
file photo.
“We’re thrilled with the success of the LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart fall fundraising program to grow women’s health and would like to thank everyone who participated. Each year, our customers and staff demonstrate their generosity and their commitment to supporting women in our community, and we couldn’t be more proud of everyone’s contributions,” said Shoppers Drug Mart owner (High St., Chemong Road and Lansdowne St. locations) Mohan Joshi. “YWCA Peterborough Haliburton plays a critical role in our area, and the proceeds from this year’s campaign will go a long way to helping them support women who are fleeing abuse.”
This annual campaign is national in scope, yet locally based, with customers and employees donating directly to women’s shelters in the community to ensure that resources and programming are available to meet the needs of women across the country.
“Your generosity fuels YWCA intervention programs that make it possible for women and children to safely escape violence and rebuild their lives. Thank you for helping to ensure that strong, reliable support continues to be available in our community,” said YWCA executive director Kim Dolan.
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Fleming Orientation Welcomes New Students with Winter Skate
/Fleming College Sutherland Campus welcomed students for the new January semester, offering on-campus events and information for new and returning students on Thursday.
photo by Samantha Bianco.
On campus, students had the opportunity to attend program orientation sessions, meet faculty and connect with Fleming’s Student Experience team, along with some fun on-campus events.
The day started with a pancake breakfast at the Steele Centre, and a skating rink from Fleming Student Administrative Services was open to all students at the Sutherland Residence Village. Magician and comedian Wes Barker performed for students at the Steele Centre Pub, and free beaver tails were handed out later in the afternoon to the first 150 students.
As of January 2023, Fleming has just over 5,300 students across their three campuses.
1,434 students at the Frost Campus (Lindsay)
3,1812 students at the Sutherland Campus (Peterborough)
58 students at the Haliburton School of Art + Design (Haliburton)
These numbers also include 1,100 new International students from around the world who came to Fleming this January.
photo by Samantha bianco.
