The Downtown Shuffle

Hunter St.

The business area pictured above just off Hunter Street is going to be a hopping spot over the next while with businesses on the move!

Old Wine Shoppe location

BE Catering is moving from 188 Hunter to the old Wine Shoppe location at 356 Charlotte Street, and is slated to open this Fall.

Birchbark Media is moving from the Charlotte Mews to the old Burrow location when Burrow moves to 242 Hunter Street.

Glow Maternity will be moving in November from their current location into the BE Catering space. This will allow Glow to grow its retail presence, be more accessible to the public, and still maintain their popular studio space for courses and workshops for expectant families in the Peterborough area.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Peterborough Utilities Reporting Scam Alert

During the past week, Peterbororough Police have received a number of complaints from concerned citizens about a Peterborough Utilities (PUC) representative calling saying they had an overdue account that needed to be settled. 

Here's how the scam works...

1. People were asked on the phone to obtain a money order and send it to a provided address.
2. A phone number is provided and when called, it is answered by a "Hydro Billing Dept". 

This is not a legitimate phone number or PUC representative, police say. This scam has also been reported in Toronto, Whitby and Thunder Bay.

PUC has also tweeted out about the scam, warning the public...

Attention all small business owners. We have had a rash of calls to our office from scam artists stating that they will disconnected.1/2

— ptbo_utilities (@ptbo_utilities) August 15, 2015

If they don't pay immediately using a prepaid credit card. This is NOT PUG. Police have been advised. Do not give out CC information.

— ptbo_utilities (@ptbo_utilities) August 15, 2015

Please share on your social media channels.

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Wild Rock Is Getting A Facelift

Renovations are well underway on the building that Wild Rock is in at 169 Charlotte Street as they add some beautiful stonework to their facade.

This downtown stalwart remains open during construction, and will look even sharper when it's complete.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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What Could Downtown Look Like In 2032?

The clock above the Sin City downtown is a little off—like 17 years off. So this got us to thinking: What do you think our awesome downtown will look like in 2032 with its shops and restaurants and technology and architecture and cars and bikes and whatnot? Tell us on our Facebook page.

Where we're going, we don't need roads...

A photo posted by ptbo_canada (@ptbo_canada) on Aug 14, 2015 at 2:47pm PDT

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Peterborough's Bud Fisher Has A Fun Social Media Fishing Show

Bud Fisher

Like fish? Like fishing for fish? Well then you'll love the Bud Fisher Fishing Show, an online social media show hosted on Instagram and now YouTube by Peterborough-bred Bud Fisher.

The videos with Bud and his (sometimes famous) fishing buds are all only about 15 seconds, providing short, fun tips.

Bud Fisher

Born and raised in Peterborough, and now living in Ottawa, Bud has always had a love for fishing and has taken his passion and expertise and turned it into this social media series—bringing viewers hilarious yet practical advice.

Check out some of Fisher's fishing episodes below...

BassCurls

Pro Tip

Tackle Time with Bud Fisher

Bass Curls, Bud Fisher Fishing Show

Bud Fisher Fishing Show

Bud Fisher Fishing Show

Rather large Striper

For more, check out the vids on his Instagram and YouTube pages, and follow him on Twitter.

—By Aaron Elliott

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People Around Town Are Noticing This Hilarious "Cult" Poster

People have been noticing this poster around town and posting to their social media channels.

via rylalonde on tumblr

Have you seen it around? Have you considered joining this, er, cult? There are already a few takers gauging from this below...

via Kemi Akapo on Facebook

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Here Are Headlines About Peterborough From The 1920s and 1930s

Trent Valley Archives gave the Peterborough Chamber a really interesting gift recently—a Word document called the "Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Scrap Book". The scrapbook is a list of some of the events, speeches, elections and advocacy issues between the years 1928 and 1937 in Peterborough.

HIstorical photo of Peterborough (we do not know the year but it's cool)

The community of the late '20s, early '30s was concerned with bringing people and business to the area, along with brainstorming ways to showcase Peterborough to the world—in other words, very similar to today.

Roy Studio photo from late '20s/early '30s

Here are some of the fascinating headlines/issues of that time frame from the scrapbook...

"Central Ontario Communities encourage highway extension"

"Boat builders make protest against luxury tax"

"Give a man a job campaign"

"Canadian tourist trade worth promoting, and should punish hotels that hurt our image"

"CNR planning to close railway lines from Port Hope"

"Board of Trade not opposed to building of Severn Locks"

"Editorial: Complete the Canal"

"US Tourists spent $517,706 in District"

"Downtown shopping promotion being deferred; idea liked, but too short lead time for Christmas"

"Boatmakers complain the depth of the Trent Canal is sometimes less than six feet that is advertised"

"Business men think it a good idea to promote Kawartha’s through big US sports shows"

"Water supply on Trent holding strong; can operate large factories"

"Parking time on George Street to be limited to 20 minutes"

--------------------------

—written by Sandra Dueck, Policy Analyst/Communications Specialist, Peterborough Chamber

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The Backstory On The Hilarious Citiots Improv Troupe

The Citiots Improv have become a fixture in Peterborough, playing monthly sold-out shows at the Gordon Best Theatre on Hunter Street —and more and more private gigs around Ontario as they grow in popularity. They provide, as renowned Canadian improv comedian Adam Cawley describes, "hilarious, fast paced, unforgettable improv." (Cawley himself has performed with them on several occasions.)

How did this awesome, influential troupe come to be? One of its original founders, Ray Henderson, explains...

2009

"Ray! Can you get some of the gang together and do a show at the Bethany Hills Ski Resort this weekend? I’ve called you guys 'The Citiots’!'" That phone call from the legendary Paul O’Sullivan in February 2009 changed the lives of myself, Dan Smith, Luke Foster, and everyone who followed.

Up until that point, Paul and I had been the producers of the successful “Impros vs Joes” series at the Gordon Best, which began in 2008. "Improvs vs Joes" was an evening of improv that included some of Paul’s famous friends (Jack Mosshammer, Patrick McKenna, Lisa Merchant, Colin Mochrie, and, of course, his wife, Linda Kash, to a name a few) as well as local “Joes”, including students from his classes as well as Dan Smith and Luke Foster. The latter had already achieved some success with their former troupe, “The Shrimps”, years earlier.

ALWAYS PICK UP THE PHONE

Back to the phone call from Paul O'Sullivan…I immediately called Dan Smith and asked if he would do the show with me, and who else he thought we should ask. Fast forward to that night in February 2009 in Bethany Hills, as five very nervous improvisers sat around a dinner table at the resort, pouring over the games list, hoping we remembered how to play each game. Hoping our mouths wouldn’t fail us and allow for noise to exit in some cohesive and entertaining fashion.

That first ever Citiot crew consisted of myself, Dan and Luke, as well as Phil Oakley and Emily Doyle—a performer that had been a part of my shows with Arbor Theatre since she was 8 years old in 1999. The ski resort must have liked us, because “The Citiots” were hired for 2 more shows that spring (Megan Murphy made her debut at the second show).

Dan Smith with special guest Adam Cawley at a show

We did well in Bethany, but Dan and I didn’t think that a Peterborough audience would be ready for a Citiots show. Afterall, they knew us. Why would they pay to see us? And Peterborough already had the Impros vs Joes Show.

Flash forward to November, 2010. The week of an Impros show, Paul called me to let me know that he and Linda were double booked and couldn’t make the Friday gig. I called Dan. We already had the sponsorship in place. The room was booked. Should we make it a Citiots show?

NERVES: THE FIRST SHOW AT GORDON BEST THEATRE

As people climbed the stairs of the Gordon Best that November 2010 night, they were greeted at the door by a familiar face, me, who explained to them that it was no longer an Impros show, but a “Citiots” show. Same people…ish would perform, I told them, minus the “celebrity” element, and that it was up to them if they wanted to stay. They did.

The night was a success, with Luke, Dan, Phil and now Paul Nabuurs and I, along with Danny Bronson on the keys.

THIS THING IS GETTING REAL

May 2011. The same situation arises with Impros. Cancellations. But we improvise again with the same plan. We make it a Citiots show. Ray, Luke, Dan, Paul, Danny and Megan—and now with 17-year-old Kate Ethier as a guest. Result: Same happy audience.

June 2011. Why not actually PROMOTE an actual Citiots Show? Why not see if people want to come and see us? Ray, Dan, Kate, Danny, and now Kenn Gibb and Pat Maitland joined the fray. And people came. And people laughed. It was beautiful.

MOMENTUM BUILDS

Over the years now, we have performed (almost) every month at our homebase, the Gordon Best, as well as many other venues, private parties, fundraisers and corporate events. We have secured sponsorships from industry juggernauts, Steam Whistle Brewery and PTBOCanada.com. We have an official photographer, Jess Latone of J.Lee Photography. We received the Wire Award for “Best Performance Artist”, as voted by fans.

We have shared the stage with some of the Improv industry’s best, including Patrick McKenna, Linda Kash, Peter Wildman, and Mantown Improv (Canadian Comedy Award Winners for best Improv Troupe). We have brought local icons up on stage with us, including Paul Rellinger, Catherine Hanrahan, Caley Bedore, The Jobless boys, and Mike Judson. 

Our current lineup of Ray, Dan, Luke, Kenn, Paul, Kate, Mike, Danny and Andrew Root have been a unit since January 2014. We know that we owe it all to this amazing and incredibly supportive community who continually come out and share laughter and love with them.

Oh, and Paul O'Sullivan, thanks for your phone call. You changed our lives forever.

—written by Ray Henderson

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The Citiots next show is Friday, April 21st at 8 pm at Gordon Best Theatre. Learn more about them on their website.

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