Peterborough Blogs
Our Scott Arnold watched a couple chipmunks getting all WWE with each other between King and Charlotte Street in Peterborough on Friday (August 11th). So he hit record.
Downtown Farmers' Market Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary With A Party
/In 1996, the Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market was formed by a group of local farmers' looking to set up a new, producers-only market that would help them grow their businesses, build community and offer customers a mid-week downtown location for purchasing fresh seasonal produce and local goods.
Two decades later, the vibrant market is still going strong. On Wednesday (August 16th), it will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a party.
Local Chef Lindsey Dupuis from Brio Gusto will cook up samples using market produce and products, and give you some ideas for using all this delicious abundance as it comes into season.
As well, live music will be provided to accompany the bustling backdrop of the farmers' market. There will also be a draw for a basket of market goods, kids activities and much more.
Head on down on August 16th, talk to the farmers and vendors about the history of the market, and help celebrate this impressive milestone.
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Your Guide To How Peterborough Utilities Group Responds To Watermain Breaks
/Curious about how the Peterborough Utilities Commission (PUC) responds to watermain breaks and leaks? Want to know why some outages are short and some outages take longer to repair?
Below is key information about watermain breaks in this special guest post provided to PTBOCanada by the Water Utility VP, Patrick Devlin, written in collaboration with his team...
WATERMAIN BREAKS: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY HAPPEN
Watermains are underground pipes that distribute water from reservoirs, pumping stations and the water treatment plant to the homes and businesses of Peterborough.
Watermain breaks in Peterborough are most common within the winter months, primarily due to the low temperature conditions which cause the water within the soil to freeze and expand. This freezing activity can result in increased stress to be placed on the pipe, which can cause cracks and or breaks in the watermain that tend to occur at weak points along the pipe.
Weak points within a watermain can arise for a variety of reasons:
-> External Corrosion (pipe age, pipe material, soil conditions)
-> Improper Installation (bedding material, fitting/valve installations)
-> Differential Ground Settlement (nearby construction)
Peterborough benefits from good soil conditions that do not actively promote external pipe corrosion. The PUC also works to minimize the above conditions through redundant construction inspection processes as well as active monitoring and liaison of construction activities within the Peterborough area.
However, watermain breaks still occur due to underground excavations associated with construction activities. For that reason, Ontario One Call (1-800-400-2255) must be notified prior to any ground excavation activities taking place within your property.
NOTIFICATION TO RESIDENTS
There isn’t always time to inform residents of an outage. Once the break has been controlled, there will be a written or verbal notice given to residents informing them of the predicted timelines for repairing and reinstating their water.
Some breaks may cause longer outages than others.
There are two classifications of water main breaks: Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 breaks are low risk breaks that maintain positive flow during excavation and have no evidence of contamination of the watermain. Generally, Category 1 breaks can be repaired quickly with limited implications to the customer.
Category 2 breaks pose a potential risk of contamination and are usually more severe breaks. These breaks are reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH) as well as the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change’s Spills Action Center (SAC). If this type of break occurs, the outage will be longer due to the increased repair and testing procedures required.
There are also a number of other factors that can impact the duration of water service outages due to a watermain break:
-> Size and material (concrete, PVC, cast iron)
-> Location (limited access, high density)
-> Traffic
Overall, the City of Peterborough’s water distribution system is built of varying pipe sizes. If a break occurs on a large diameter trunk main, it may require heavy machinery onsite, as well as larger scale cleanup and traffic control efforts. Access to the watermain can be difficult in some locations which may also lead to increased outage times.
WATER MAIN BREAKS CAN BE DANGEROUS: SAFETY IS THE FIRST PRIORITY
There may be instances when you see and are near a possible water main break. It is important that you keep your distance to ensure your safety. Water from the break may have washed away subsurface soil under paved areas or saturated the soil causing unstable conditions to occur.
If you see a potential hazard, be sure to contact the PUC at (705)-748-9300.
HOW WATERMAIN BREAKS ARE REPAIRED
-> Determine and locate the problem.
-> Control the leak to reduce the risk to public safety and property damages by closing valves and isolating the damaged length of pipe.
-> Contact emergency locate services to ensure no other utilities will be hit while the excavation for repair of the watermain occurs.
-> Once locates have been received, pinpoint and excavate for repair taking all precautionary measures to minimize trench material entering the watermain.
HOW SCHEDULED OUTAGES WORK
Some outages are planned in advance to allow us to repair, replace, and make improvements to our water system. Some outages may be individual residences so that staff can perform work requested by customers such as replacing water services or installing meters.
Each year the PUC repair watermains through the process of cement mortar lining, structural lining and complete replacement.
We make every effort to schedule these outages to be as short as possible and to affect the least amount of customers.
Affected customers are contacted over the phone or by hand delivered notice in advance of scheduled outages. We can have problems notifying people if their contact information is out of date. If you haven’t already done so, please contact us with any updates to your contact information. You can email your updated information to info@peterboroughutilities.ca.
Our staff is dedicated to responding to outages quickly. Your call will be answered 24/7 and Peterborough Utilities staff will work together to get your water back on as quickly as possible, while remaining safe. We understand that outages can be a major inconvenience and we work hard to minimize these disruptions to you. —guest post by PUC
[Related: Guide To How Peterborough Utilities Group Responds To Power Outages]
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Peterborough County On Gifford Causeway Garbage Post Being Shared Widely On Social Media
/On Tuesday (August 8th), Brad Sinclair posted to his Facebook page about the mess of garbage along the James A. Gifford Causeway he discovered while out for a kayak ride. He was appalled by the amount of garbage he saw, and wanted to know what could be done.
The post is getting hundreds of shares from concerned citizens...
Peterborough County put out a media release on Wednesday afternoon in regards to the post with the following response:
"It is disgraceful that some people don't honour and respect the beauty and nature of our region. Peterborough County Waste Management provides waste removal services in the areas where public access is accessible. County Waste Management’s role can be unchanged unless directed by Council. Any decision to restrict the use of the public spaces surrounding the causeway would have to come from Council (in discussions with the MNR and the Township of Selwyn) who meet on August 23."
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Peterborough Theatre Guild New Play Dracula Upcoming, Invites You To Visit Canadian Blood Services
/Peterborough Theatre Guild invites you to visit the Canadian Blood Services at 55 George St N., in Peterborough on Saturday, September 9th, from 8 a.m. - noon.
That day at Blood Services, you will receive one complimentary ticket for PTG's production of Dracula. Also, the members of the cast and crew, including Dracula himself, will be there that day in costume.
The complimentary ticket is valid for the Preview Show of Dracula on Thursday, September 21st at 8 p.m.
Written by Stephen Dietz and directed by John Lunman, the play runs September 22nd through October 8th at Peterborough Theatre Guild's theatre.
Since 1965, PTG has been the home of award winning live theatre in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. For more info, visit their website.
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Downtown Peterborough Beta-Testing Downtown Ambassador Initiative
/Downtown Peterborough announced on Friday (August 4th) that it's launching a Downtown Ambassador Initiative to create a more comfortable and inviting atmosphere for visitors, workers, residents and businesses in the downtown.
This initiative is intended to enhance the feeling of safety and inclusion in the downtown.
DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel making announcement (photo courtesy DBIA)
Below are some of the Ambassadors' primary functions:
1. To provide tourism and visitor information such as locating certain businesses, parking locations and downtown events
2. To handle aggressive and/or inappropriate behaviours
3. To provide security and safety assistance for businesses when it is appropriate
4. To respond to vandalism, littering and graffiti in downtown as well as irresponsible pet owners
5. To provide emergency, first aid and conflict resolution assistance
Photo Courtesy DBIA
A security firm located in the downtown, Kawartha Guard Service, will provide staffing and management for the Downtown Ambassador program.
This new pilot initiative will run from August to September this year and will be then be evaluated.
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Your Essential Guide To How Peterborough Utilities Group Responds To Power Outages
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Everything You Need To Know About Outages
Read MorePeterborough Named One Of Most Active Cities In Canada By Expedia
/Peterborough has been named as the No. 21 most active city in Canada in a new ranking released by Expedia.
Expedia's ranking system was based on the following criteria...
Average number of marathons and hiking trails
Access to bike paths, trails, and races
Per capita gyms, including but not limited to CrossFit, yoga studios, rock climbing, etc.
Abundance of outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing, etc.
Photo courtesy Peterborough & The Kawarthas Tourism
Peterborough has so many awesome outdoor activities to enjoy from canoeing to cycling, and it was great and deserving for Expedia to include the city on their list. You can read their writeup here.
Photo by Evan Holt
