January 10, 2012

PtboPics: Dignitaries At Snofest Opening Ceremonies

January 10, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

Here are some photos from Snofest Opening Ceremonies at Lansdowne Place on Sunday.

January 09, 2012

East City: The Soap Was All The Rage Here In Late Eighties

January 09, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

East City: The Soap was a live, improvised soap opera performed on a weekly basis here in the late Eighties. Conceived and directed by Robert Winslow, it was first performed at Artspace, the multi-disciplinary art centre then located at Market Hall before moving production to the old Union Theatre. Here's some video clips taken from the first 25 episodes.

[YouTube]

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January 09, 2012

Video About Rock Camp For Girls & Women's Rock Weekend In Peterborough

January 09, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

[YouTube]

Watch the full episode on Focus this Wednesday on TV Cogeco.

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January 09, 2012

Remember That Christmas Tree Pickup Continues This Week

January 09, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

The City of Peterborough is continuing their Christmas Tree Pickup.

Just leave your tree at the sidewalk (minus the decorations!) and it will be picked up before the end of January (weather permitting).

Do not leave them on top of snowbanks.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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January 05, 2012

What Peterborough Needs To Do To Solve The Productivity Puzzle

January 05, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

With Canada suffering less than most industrial nations from the global economic malaise, we tend to think that we are ahead in the economic "game". In fact, for more than a decade we have lagged behind in productivity—e.g. production of goods and services per worker—than most industrial nations.

Each year, the gap between us and other more productive nations gets bigger. We talk—more like whisper—about this, but we rarely do anything concrete about it. We wait for something to happen that will turn us around. Maybe a decade of waiting is long enough. It is time to act.

In 2012, let's stop waiting for big government, bigger corporations, the rest of the world, or the "universe" to do it for us and do what it takes, right here in Peterborough, to become more productive.

Think of it this way. We, in Peterborough, have received a Christmas present—a new jigsaw puzzle. In its sturdy box, the puzzle contains all the pieces we need to solve the productivity puzzle. We've unwrapped the puzzle, looked at the picture on the front of the box, but we have not yet opened the box. Between Christmas and New Years, we've talked to family and friends about the picture on the box (no one seems to know exactly what it is—kind of abstract, it seems), so we still haven’t opened it.

According to the instructions, there are pieces that represent aspects of the work being done at Fleming College, Trent University, PRHC, OMNR, GE, Siemens, SGS Lakefield Research, Rolls Royce, QTG Pepsico-Frito Lay, Operitel, McColl Turner, LLF, Merit Precision, Steel Works, Page Design, the City and County of Peterborough, a vibrant and creative downtown, talented and ambitious people, and enough technology to sustain much larger communities than Peterborough.

Still, we’re talking more about putting the pieces together than actually trying to do it. We are not alone in this. Many communities are in the same situation. The competitive reality is that the community that puts the puzzle together first will reap the greatest economic benefit.

When we finally open the box and spread the pieces on the table, there is one thing we can be sure of: The puzzle will not be put together by the invisible hand of the market. It will only come together from our will to act, and the action itself.

We, in Peterborough, have all the pieces—resources—we need but we need to complete it, but we need a new way to put this difficult puzzle together. Old ways of putting puzzles together simply will not work. We need to creatively and collectively find new ways to solve the puzzle; news ways to benefit from the resources available for us to use.

And we need to do it right here in Peterborough.

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[Contributed by PtboCanada's Tom Phillips Ph. D. Phillips is Economist & Sustainability Director - Greater Ptbo Innovation Cluster.]

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January 04, 2012

PTBOCanada Introducing New Q & A City Hall Column "Backroom Briefing" By David Goyette

January 04, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

GOYETTE'S BACKROOM BRIEFINGPTBOCanada is excited to be introducing a new reader-driven Q & A column by David Goyette called "Goyette's Backroom Briefing", which will take you into the inner workings of City Hall.

Goyette is the Executive Assistant to Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett (see our Day In The Life Of Mayor Bennett, which includes pictures of the two of them together).

One of Canada's most experienced strategic communication and political consultants, Goyette has provided services to 12 municipalities; 17 Ontario Deputy Ministers; 32 Offices of the Government of Ontario; 90 Canadian politicians including Mayors, Cabinet Ministers and Premiers; and the leadership of all the major Canadian banks. He has received 11 political appointments and had management roles in 12 election campaigns.

Readers of PtboCanada are invited to put questions to David about the skinny at City Hall. Not rumour or gossip or when your local pothole is going to be fixed, but how things really work—how decisions get made or don’t get made, and the stories behind the stories. Consider it your backroom briefing.

Email your burning questions for David about City Hall to feedback@ptbocanada.com.

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January 03, 2012

Today Is The Deadline For Your Snofest Idol 2012 Entries

January 03, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

Today is the final day to enter this year's Snofest Idol, which is open to singers 12 to 22. You need to drop off your entry today at the Showplace box office. First place wins $200, a 3-hour recording session from Haggarty Sound Studio and photo shoot from Mark L Craighead. For more info, go to PeterboroughSnofest.ca. Here's one entry below, of Jessica Wilson performing Justin Bieber's "Mistletoe".

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January 02, 2012

Here Are Winter Driving Tips From Peterborough County OPP To Help Keep You Safe

January 02, 2012/ PTBOCANADA

WINTER DRIVING – TIPS TO REMEMBER

• SLOW DOWN "Speed too fast for conditions" is the No. 1 cause of winter crashes.

• LEAVE MORE SPACE BETWEEN VEHICLES Stopping distances are at least double on snowy roads, and even longer in icy conditions.

• Drive as if your life depends on it because it does.

• BE READY FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS Blowing snow may suddenly reduce visibility, and gusting winds can cause ice to form quickly, especially on bridges and overpasses.

• GET YOUR VEHICLE READY Fit four winter tires. Have an ice scraper/snow-brush in your vehicle to keep your windows, signals, and lights clear before driving. Top up your windshield washer with winter-grade fluid. Keep your vehicle fuel tank at least ½ full, so you don’t run out if you get stranded and to prevent condensation in your gas tank.

• KNOW WHERE YOU ARE Keep track of intersections as you pass them in case you need to call for help in an emergency.

• MONITOR ROAD/WEATHER CONDITIONS Check local media and road authority websites for conditions/closures before you leave, and listen to local radio during your journey. Visit the Ministry of Transportation Website prior to setting out on any trip during the winter. Please do not call 911 or the OPP for "road reports".

• If road conditions are poor and you don’t need to travel, stay home.