City Of Peterborough Offering Home Ownership Assistance Loans

From a City of Peterborough press release:

There is help for moderate-income, renter households to realize the dream of owning their own home.

The City of Peterborough is offering home ownership assistance loans to eligible applicants in the City and County of Peterborough. The loan will be repayable if the house is sold within twenty (20) years. Any loans, which are repaid, will go into a revolving fund to help other households purchase a home in the future.

Since 2008, the Canada-Ontario Home Ownership program has been successful in assisting 55 renters achieve their dream of owning a home in this area.

The 2013 program will assist approximately 15 households to purchase a new or resale home in the City and County of Peterborough priced at $240,000 or below. The Agreement of Purchase and Sale must be executed after April 2, 2013 and have a minimum of 30 days notice of the closing date. Homebuyers who are 18 years of age and older, earning a gross annual household income of $69,800 or less, currently renting, do not currently own a home and are pre-approved for a mortgage may be eligible. Application packages are now available from the Housing Division at City Hall.

Susan Bacque, Manager, Housing Division with the City of Peterborough, is excited about this program saying, “This is the third time we have been able to offer assistance for the purchase of an affordable home. The range of Housing programs available to City and County residents is broad, addressing the entire housing continuum – from people who are homeless, to low income renter households, to those renters who, with a little assistance, can become successful home owners”.

The City and County support this program as a way to assist moderate-income renter households who are able to carry a mortgage but have not been able to save a full down payment.

For further information please contact: Susan Bacque, Manager, Housing Division City of Peterborough 500 George Street North, Peterborough ON K9H 3R9, 705-742-7777 ext 1492, Toll-free 1-855-738-3755 Ext 1492, email: sbacque@peterborough.ca

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Green Waste Collection Starts Up This Week

Time to sweep away the deadfall as Green Waste Collection starts up this week. All leaf and yard waste is accepted and there is no maximum amount.

Put it in paper bags (plastic not accepted), bushel baskets or garbage bins marked with "Green Waste" labels.

As you can see (picture at right), my sticker is getting kind of tattered so it's time for me to head down to City Hall (or one of the Home Hardware stores) to ask for a new one.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Watch This Reelhunter West Video Filmed Along Hunter Street

Here's a fun, trippy video "Peterborough Forward" on Hunter Street done by local film crew Reelhunter West... 

[YouTube]

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City Of Peterborough Press Release On High Winds & Putting Out Blue Boxes

It's pretty gusty out there! Watch out for the tumbleweeds tumbleboxes on your way home from work that are scattered on the side streets. [UPDATED] And indeed, high winds are scheduled for all week—causing the City of Peterborough to issue this release Tuesday (April 2nd)...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2013 Peterborough, ON --
Blowing Recyclables
High winds are forecast to continue throughout this week. In order to reduce the amount of recyclable items blowing around City streets, residents are asked to please wait till the morning of your collection to place blue boxes at the curb.
Tips to avoid blowing recyclables include:
•    Do not over-fill blue boxes
•    Place paper and flattened cardboard sideways in your "Fiber and Plastic Film" box, rather than piling upwards.
•   Place lighter materials in a secure spot (e.g. put clear plastic trays underneath heavier steel and glass containers).

Residents are encouraged to write their address on their blue boxes, so they can be identified and returned if they should blow away from your property. Lost blue boxes will not be replaced for free.
For more details, please call the City of Peterborough Waste Management Division at 705- 742-7777, extension 1657.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Watch This Video Promoting Fleming College's Next Open House April 6th

The Open House takes place this Saturday (April 6th) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more info, click here.

[YouTube]

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PetSmart Is On Its Way To Peterborough (And They're Hiring)

 

You might have spotted the new building under construction beside XS Cargo on Monaghan Road (898 Monaghan Road)—well that will soon be home to PetSmart, opening June 1st. If you're looking for a job, be sure to check out their employment opportunities.

What does a PetSmart offer? Here are some photos from PetSmart Whitby...

Wet and dry dog and cat food

Fish, reptiles, birds, cages and tanks



Grooming and pet adoption centres

Pet training courses, and overnight boarding

Water for everyone

 

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris and Evan Holt]

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Exclusive: Is The Water Tower On High Street Actually A UFO?

[UPDATE: Happy April Fools Day! The Peterborough Water Tower is not a UFO.]

Locals tell us the water tower on High Street is actually a UFO that takes off in the wee hours of the morning, heading off all over the world on covert missions and then returning before people around town wake up.

We are working on confirming this with UFO experts and researchers, but several locals who live on and near High Street and stay up really late watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon confirm they've seen it take off on weekly missions but then it's there again in the morning—resuming its place as the water tower.

The tower's dual purpose is becoming the talk of the street, with some claiming they've seen aliens disguised as city workers walking alongside the water tower railing.

A Facebook group "UFO High Street" has started and members will be appearing in front of City Council at an upcoming meeting to voice their concerns that the Water Tower is a UFO, and for the city to get rid of that water tower now rather than wait years, which the Examiner wrote about it in 2008. One person tells us, "I've got some grainy footage of the water tower taking off that I may be selling to PMZ after I show it to city council."

Others suggest if it is in fact a UFO, just leave it be. That no harm is being done, and this could become a great tourist attraction in the city and a boom to the local economy. "Leave the UFO and water tower on High Street," one woman told us who lives nearby. "People will come."

But another man added, "I don't want a UFO in my neighbourhood. I don't trust them."

Calls to city council have not been returned.

Our photographer Evan Holt captured the photographs above and says, "It was eerie. That thing looked like it could take off at anytime."

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Jeff Purvey's Will Be Hoppin'

Jeff Purvey's will be the place to be from 4 p.m. on this afternoon as they prepare for the rush of customers that Good Friday brings.

Good thing we were there a little early. As we waited for our fish and chips, we were amazed at the smooth system the employees had and their cheerful and grateful attitude they had towards each customer. If you haven't already called ahead for a reservation, you may find yourself lined up outside for a lengthy amount of time but luckily they have coffee and apple cider to keep you toasty as the evening gets chillier.

 

 

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris and Evan Holt]

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What's Open & Closed This Easter Long Weekend

With excitement, we welcome a long weekend ahead filled with family, friends, good food and hopefully warmer temperatures. Along with all that, we always have that nagging dilemma wondering—what's open and closed?

Here is a quick rundown of what we could find... please contact us if you have something we can add to the list!

Friday, March 29th

Garbage/Recycling will not be picked up! Is this your day it will move to Monday, April 1st?

City Hall - CLOSED

Peterborough Public Library - CLOSED

Art Gallery of Peterborough - CLOSED

Canadian Canoe Museum - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre - 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

YMCA - 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Play Street Indoor Playground - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Peterborough Transit Service - CLOSED

Chapters/Starbucks - CLOSED

Peterborough Social Services - CLOSED

Peterborough Museum and Archives - CLOSED

Lansdowne Place - CLOSED

Charlotte Pantry -  6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sunday, March 31st

Peterborough Transit Services - Regular Schedule

Peterborough Public Library - CLOSED

Chapters/Starbucks - CLOSED

Peterborough Social Services - CLOSED

Peterborough Museum and Archives - Noon - 5 p.m.

Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre - 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Play Street Indoor Playground - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

YMCA - 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Lansdowne Place - CLOSED

Charlotte Pantry -  8:00 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Monday, April 1st

Peterborough Transit Service - Regular Schedule

Peterborough Public Library - CLOSED

Peterborough Social Services - CLOSED

Peterborough Museum and Archives - Noon - 5 p.m.

Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre - Regular Hours

 

 

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Read The Notice Sent By TASSS Principal After Another Fire Was Started At The School

[UPDATE: A teen has been arrested and charged with arson in the first fire on Monday.]

 

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There was another fire at TASSS today (March 28th), the second fire this week at the high school—the first occurred on Monday. And while the fire was contained quickly—it started in a bathroom again—there is obviously growing concern about who is starting them. This email below went out from TAS principal Annie Johnston this morning

 

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From: Annie Johnston 

 

Sadly,the TAS community was again a victim of someone who has deliberately

set fire to a toilet roll in a washroom.  In this case the fire was found

and put out very quickly and the smoke and damage much less.

 

Students and staff followed the fire drill procedure quickly and co

operatively.  The washroom where the fire occurred was in a hallway that

could easily be closed off so the rest of the school could return to their

classes without further interuption.  They were outside approx. 15 min.

Members of the Board Joint health and Saftey team were notified of the

fire and the process to get students back to class safely.

 

 The 3 classes that were in that hall were moved to other rooms in the

school.   The Firefighters have cleared the area of smoke and have done

the needed air tests to ensure that it is safe.  There are no classes

taking place in that hall for the afternoon.  A small odour remains which

will discipate soom.

 

We will be having a whole school assembly this afternoon to discuss the

fires which happened  this week, how they have affected students, staff,

firefighters, police etc... and what we as a community can do to take

charge of our schoo so this does not happen again.   A fire fighter and a

policeman will  also be at the assembly with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Annie Johnston

 

Annie Johnston

Principal

Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School

1009 Armour Road North

Peterborough, Ontario

K9H 7H2

 

[via]

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