10th Annual Cop Shop At Lansdowne Place Was Everything Amazing About This Community

Lansdowne Place's 10th annual Cop Shop event—a beautiful partnership between Peterborough Police and LP—was another huge success on Wednesday (December 9th).

Chief Murray Rodd and officers greet the kids

Each year, select kids are picked up from their school in a limousine and taken to the mall, where they are met by Peterborough Police officers who become their personal shoppers for the day.

"We work with the school boards to identify kids that despite various challenges have risen above and excelled in school," Helen Edwards, Marketing Director with Lansdowne Place, tells PTBOCanada.

"These kids are brought in by limo, given a $200 Lansdowne Place gift card and then partnered with an officer who becomes their personal shopper for the day."

Lansdowne Place donates the gift card to each child, who might arrive with a list of gifts they wish to purchase, or work with their officer to decide what to shop for.

"Our tenants donate gifts or offer great discounts," Helen Edwards tells PTBOCanada. "Tim Hortons provides breakfast, all the officers are volunteering their time, Welsh Limo donates the transportation and we donate gift cards, a new winter coat for each child and Stockings for each child."

It was amazing to see all the police officers who volunteered to be part of this special day, and to the mall's retailers for donating gifts and discounts.

Says LP's Helen Edwards: "Quite simply, this event is our way of giving back to a community that has given us so much. It is our favourite day to come to work, not because of what we give the kids but because of how we continue to be inspired by these amazing kids year after year. They remind us what Christmas really is all about."

It was a day that the kids—and community—will never forget. Here's the group photo...

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A Peterborough Man Just Completed An Epic 21 Year Restoration On His 1971 SAAB 96 V4

Through amazing perservance, dedication—and help from others—Peterborough's Matt Stimpson might just have undertaken one of the longest (and furthest) car restorations in history.

Matt's Saab story begins in 1989 as an 18-year-old in Abingdon, Oxfordshire in the UK, when his father, Allan, bought him a 1971 SAAB 96 V4 in Tyrol Green colour.

Matt Stimpson as a teenager with his new Saab in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

"It was my first car—my father was a Motor Trader and found it for me," Matt tells PTBOCanada. "I drove it through my college years in the UK before rust got the better of it (they did suffer badly from underside rust), so the SAAB finally came off the road in 1994."

Stimpson as a teen behind the wheel with his father, Allan

The car was stored away for a number of years there, and Matt started to slowly take it apart. He then began the arduous task of collecting hard-to-get parts to put it back together.

"Ebay was great for getting all sorts of parts," Matt tells PTBOCanada. "Ironically, the hub caps came from a Canadian whilst the car was still in the UK." Other parts came from all over the world—Sweden, Holland, Germany, Hungary, UK, and the US.

The beautiful restored car pictured with the garage Matt built to house it

When Matt emigrated to Canada in 2005, he looked into how to get the car here. The Saab ended up being shipped in the rolling shell in the same container as their personal effects.

"The house we bought here in Peterborough on Weller St. didn’t have a garage so I had to build a 'new home' for it, so I could finish off the restoration," says Matt. "The house also needed a fair amount of work, so the Saab had to take a back seat whilst we knocked the house apart."

"The steering wheel was a 'barn find', Matt tells PTBOCanada, "a Les Leston Stirling Moss, extremely rare find. Someone offered me $1,000 for it a few years ago!"

But despite the life stages adulthood brings—marriage, work, home, kids, etc.—Matt stuck with it over the years and slowly but surely the Saab began the transformation into its original self. A re-birth, if you will.

Matt tells PTBOCanada: "Every nut and bolt has come off this car—the body stripped down to bare metal and everything has been powder-coated, painted or replated."

The beautiful restored engine

Help came from all over in Peterborough to realize Matt's dream of restoring his childhood car.

"CCS Industrials and Part Source have been great at finding some of the more obscure nuts and bolts for it," Matt tells PTBOCanada. "Jack’s Autobody on Erskine St. painted the panels and did a fantastic job on the colour match. A friend who is an expert in historic rallying helped get the engine (a German Ford V4) fired back into life—after sitting for two decades."

The Saab's Headliner was remade by the very talented Leslie Menagh and the seat foam—Saabs are known for their super comfy seats—came from Restwell. "They were very helpful in getting the correct density foam so the seats feel 'original'," Matt says.

Matt just recently ran his restored Saab (an extremely rare find in Canada these days) for the first time on the road after 21 years—"it was a quick run around the block to make sure everything works," he says.

Nonetheless, it was a great ride. A historic ride. With his son. Everything has come full circle. And next up? Well, he's going to retire it to the garage for winter before getting it back on the road in the Spring—and becoming a regular at Bridgenorth Cruise Night.

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Help Find Missing Woman Catherine Davies

[UPDATE: Missing Person Catherine Davies was located on December 10th safe and sound.]

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The Peterborough Police Service is asking for the public’s assistance in locating missing person, 65-year-old Catherine Davies.  

Davies was last seen in Peterborough the afternoon of November 28th, 2015. She is described as Caucasian, approximately 5’2”, 160lbs with chocolate coloured hair and speaks English, French and Russian.

Anyone with any information related to this case is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

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The Amazing Story Of A PRHC Balloon That Landed On A Front Lawn In Dolgeville, New York

A balloon at PRHC intended to let the Peterborough community know about the hospital's new 24-hour patient visiting policy has had amazing, unintended consequences.

See, the balloon somehow became dislodged at the hospital, and travelled (it took about a week) all the way to Dolgeville, New York—a small town at the base of the Adirondack Mountains. It landed on the lawn of a woman named Julie Ruggiero, a teaching assistant at Dolgeville Central School.

Once Ruggiero retrieved the balloon, she began researching the hospital online, and was amazed to see how far it had travelled. She was also amazed at the kindness of the Peterborough community.

When looking up the hospital online, she happened upon Dr. Peter McLaughlin’s recent CEO blog post praising Peterborough's response following the fire at the Peterborough mosque. She used this information as an opportunity not only to reach out to the hospital and the Peterborough community, but also as a beautiful teaching moment for her students.

Here is an excerpt of an email she sent to PRHC on December 1st. It is, quite simply, amazing:

“We are so sorry for what has happened there to your mosque, but find it amazing the fundraising effort of your community to raise so much money toward the rebuilding of the mosque! Please let everyone know that your message has traveled internationally and we have implemented it in our curriculum here at school. The 6th and 7th grade social studies teachers have shown the balloon to our children and videos of the terrible acts put upon your community. We have taught them that the community together can do so many things for each other and that there are more acts of kindness than bad!  Thank you for your message and we stand with you in your acts of kindness in this world as more need to be recognized!!”

So... Peterborough's hope and kindness travelled hundreds of kilometers—by balloon.

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UPDATE: A Peterborough Woman Desperately Needs Her Mobile Phone Back

UPDATE (December 3rd): After a tip came into our PTBOCanada Facebook page, the phone has been found at Galaxy Cinemas. Thanks to the community for your help!

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Priscilla Topsy lost her BlackBerry at Galaxy Cinemas in Peterborough Tuesday night (December 1st) while on a movie date with her husband Tom, and they are desperately trying to retrieve it. Her son Hoban was stillborn earlier this year, and the phone has memories of him stored on it that Priscilla wants back.

Supplied photo of Priscilla with her BlackBerry

With Priscilla's permission, her friend Mandy Nadeau has reached out to PTBOCanada and asked us to share this information. 

Here is the important information from Priscilla's Facebook post in the screengrab below, and a more legible direct link can be found here. 

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Inspired by Amy Schumer Photo Peterborough Dad Just Wrote How Dads Feel About Their Daughters

Amy Schumer posted a photo of herself on Monday (November 30th) to her Facebook and Twitter pages that renowned photographer took Annie Leibovitz took. Schumer's caption to the photo: "Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you Annie Leibovitz."

Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you @annieleibovitz pic.twitter.com/kc0rIDvHVi

— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) November 30, 2015

Amy Schumer posted the above photo to her social media channels

A Peterborough father and husband, Jason Wilkins, shared the viral post on his Facebook page along with this powerful message that most every Dad can relate to:

"I love everything about this.

I've witnessed female body image issues run rampant through my family. Now, seeing it in my 9 year old daughter - it's heart breaking. If only the women in my life could see themselves through my eyes. You're all beautiful. Stop letting the media in, and spend more time loving yourselves."

Jason's Facebook post

"When I saw that post by Amy Schumer, it instantly made me happy," Wilkins tells PTBOCanada of his eloquent Facebook post. "We need more of that—much much more where our daughters can see that being a strong, successful woman isn't contingent on a small waist line."

Jason and Averie

"My daughter Averie is a gymnast, artist, silly dancing, practical joke making, loving, caring, bright shining light," Wilkins tells PTBOCanada. "She makes me smile everyday, which is why it kills me when that smile fades and gives way to anxiety and low self esteem, like, 'Look at my stomach Dad, look how fat I am.' As a father, you want your little girl to grow up strong, opinionated, passionate—but more than anything, you want them to love themselves and truly know their worth, without any doubt. So, hearing from your 9-year-old that she is too fat—well, I couldn't feel more helpless."

Wilkins is frustrated by what his daughter sees in the media. He tells PTBOCanada this:

"With the strong pull of media, and the continued push for women to look better, be thinner, have better skin, have better hair, etc. etc, how do our daughter's escape this? I don't have the answer, but I will continue to tell her and show her how much she is loved—how much her brothers, stepmother, mother, grandparents and friends care about her unconditionally."

So... how do we change things? Share your input on our Facebook page.
 

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Just A Horse Drawn Sleigh Going Through Tim Hortons Drive-Thru In Lakefield

You never know what you're going to see at a Tim Hortons drive thru in the country. On Sunday (November 29th), for example, a horse drawn sleigh ride made a pit stop to fuel up at a drive thru in Lakefield, Ontario, before continuing on its merry way through the village.

Lakefield's Tim Rollwagen was there to tweet it out this picture.

Heading through the drive thru @TimHortons. Christmas in the Village - #Lakefield. pic.twitter.com/wBbELccbnA

— Tim Rollwagen (@trollwag) November 29, 2015

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Toddler Named Sophia Rhymes Off Canadian Cabinet Ministers, Picks Maryam Monsef As Her Fave

UPDATE -> February 1st, 2016:

A toddler named Sophia, who named Maryam Monsef as her favourite MP in an adorable and inspiring YouTube video late last year (see the video below), got to meet the MP in person today.

Monsef tweeted about the amazing experience of meeting Sophia...

Today, I met with a superstar and a future parliamentarian. Thanks to Sophia The First for her interest in democracy pic.twitter.com/bQ77Io4wc9

— Maryam Monsef (@MaryamMonsef) February 1, 2016

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ORIGINAL POST

A toddler—and future politician?—named Sophia has done an amazing job of reciting the new Cabinet Ministers of Justin Trudeau.

And Sophia's favourite? Peterborough's Maryam Monsef.

Watch (and learn) as Sophia names them below to her Dad...

Toddler and future politician names the new Cabinet Ministers of Justin Trudeau.

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Special Weber Brothers Christmas Album Release Party & Musical Play December 19th

The Weber Brothers have a special night planned for Saturday, December 19th at the Market Hall you don't want to miss—a Christmas album release party as well as a self-penned Christmas play entitled When Christmas Falls on Peterborough.

The night is in support of their 10th album, A Weber Brothers Christmas. This self-penned, never-before-seen, one-night-only Christmas play—which happens to be set in Peterborough—will be the sleigh that delivers these songs to the good boys and girls at the Market Hall.

In keeping with the Christmas spirit of giving, a portion of proceeds will be donated to the amazing Peterborough Huskies Special Needs Hockey Team.

The Weber Brothers Christmas Play/Album Release—with special guest Brock Zeman—takes place on December 19th at Market Hall. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m. An all ages event, tickets are $25 and available at the Market Hall box office at 705.775.1503 and Moondance Records, 705.742.9425.

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