Fleming College Fire Combat Team Competing At National FireFit Championships

UPDATE: September 12th, 2017

-> The Fleming team won gold for the second year in a row for Top School overall.
 
-> The team also won a silver in the Relay event. The Relay members included:
Eric Fergonas
Danny Grant
Nathan Vanderpoel
Lucas Manders

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

ORIGINAL POST

A team from Fleming College is taking on the “toughest two minutes in sport” September 6th to 10th, competing in the Canadian National FireFit Championships in Ottawa.

Fleming’s Fire Combat Team consists of 10 male and female Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training students, along with faculty coach Shawna Coulter. Another four Fleming alumni are competing with their respective fire departments.

2016 photo courtesy Fleming College

"Participation in this sport not only fosters a solid commitment to a very high level of firefighter fitness but also encourages our team members to approach any challenge with a newfound belief in their own capabilities,” says Coulter. 

“Training and competing at this level requires as much mental strength as it does physical, directly influencing career readiness and success rates of our past members in securing and excelling in firefighter careers.” 

2016 photo courtesy Fleming College

The Fleming team is hoping to build on a winning record: In 2016, they won a gold medal in the relay race as well as a silver in the co-ed two-person relay. In addition, the team had the second fastest rookie competitor in all of Canada.

2016 photo courtesy Fleming College

The FireFit Championships is a competition based on firefighting tasks commonly performed in emergency situations. A course comprised of six gruelling physical tasks tests the strength, endurance and overall fitness levels of firefighters.

Competition categories are available for men and women, offering both individual and team relay competitions.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

Wedding Guests Form Heart Shaped Love For Bride & Groom In Farmer's Field In Keene

Chris Bryan and Ashleigh Blinkhorn—who both grew up in Keene—married there on August 26th on Ashleigh's parents farm near Peterborough.

Ashleigh & chris

It was a beautiful day for a wedding on the Blinkhorn Farm.

What the made the day even more special was the idea for the guests to form a heart shape in the field after the ceremony to symbolize their love for Chris and Ashleigh.

Here are the guests taking their positions...

Aerial imaging photographer Mack Evenden captured the moment for the couple using his drone, and explains to PTBOCanada how it went down:

"The idea came sooner, but we didn't actually work on making the heart until two days before the wedding when my friend, and Chris's cousin, Mike Raymer (an engineer and now a full time firefighter in Ajax), actually calculated out the perimeter of the heart needed with roughly 150 guests with each person taking up roughly 3 feet of space sideways."

"Once they spray painted the heart with their calculations, they cut the grass so that it was easier for the guests to know where to stand and the spray paint wouldn't show up in the picture," Evenden tells PTBOCanada.

"I was given 15 to 30 minutes to round everybody up and take the shot. We made an announcement directing everybody where to go, and they all lined up. The photographs and video were taken in less than 20 minutes. Having the heart shape cut out of the grass greatly reduced the amount of time needed for people to get into position."

Here is what it looked like from the sky, with guests forming the heart around the bride and groom...

And here is a closer up view of the love...

Here is Evenden's drone capturing the wedding guests afterward as they ran into the heart to gather around Chris and Ashleigh...

One thing's for certain: This is one summer wedding these guests will never forget.

Watch the drone video footage here...

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

12 Mallards In Peterborough Died Suddenly On Sunday

Local naturalist/writer Drew Monkman has posted on his blog "Our Changing Seasons" about the sudden, mysterious death of 12 Mallards in the North End of Peterborough on Sunday (September 3rd).

Photo by Barb Evett

Monkman writes on his blog that, "At around 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 3, residents in the Tobin Court and Evans Dr area in the north end of the city, reported the sudden death of 12 Mallard ducks. Earlier a group of 14 ducks was observed walking up Tobin from a local pond just south of that location, munching on grass. They did not display any distress at the time. Moments later 12 of these ducks lay dead on residents’ lawns and driveways."

The police were called as well as the MNR, Humane Society and the City of Peterborough, and an investigation has begun. As for the two surviving ducks, they are now being treated at a wildlife rescue hospital.

Monkman tells PTBOCanada he hopes we can get to the bottom of what caused the deaths: "Although we don't yet know for certain, I suspect some kind of pesticide explains the deaths."

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

Peterborough Couple Hit This Robin Hood At Peterborough Axe Club

One of the best shots ever made at Peterborough Axe Club happened at the Thursday league night when Ken and Amy Smith hit this Robin Hood—and the Bull's Eye at the same time—while practising doubles.

Hitting a "Robin Hood" as Amy did—splitting the ax—is like getting a hole in one in golf or making a full court shot in basketball.

For Ken and Amy, this perfect shot will definitely be a moment they will never forget. You know what they say... the couple that throws together, grows together!

—post by Aaron Elliott

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

Local Photographer Releases Zine On Back Alleys Of Peterborough

Since moving to Peterborough 13 years ago, photographer Kevin Collins has been fascinated by the back alleys in the downtown core.

"Most of these alleys are only accessed by discrete tunnels or 'holes in the wall' and open up into a whole other world," Collins says on his website introducing the "Backwater" series, which has been released in zine format (more on that below). "In spring 2017, I set out to try and capture downtown Peterborough from a different perspective."

Photo by Kevin Collins

"While many of the buildings in downtown Peterborough have gone through multiple restorations and renovations over the years, the backsides of these buildings are relatively untouched," Collins writes.

Photo by Kevin Collins

"Many of these areas are covered in graffiti, and held together with crumbling bricks, rotten wood and corrugated sheet metal, and in that, I’ve attempted to capture the dilapidated beauty of these nooks and crannies and that they still function as part of local business or provide living accommodations," says Collins.

Photo by Kevin Collins

"I wanted to capture downtown Peterborough differently than most of the other photos I've seen," Collins tells PTBOCanada. "We walk by these alleys and corridors everyday and never give them a second thought. To try and convey some of the grit, all the photos were shot on black and white film."

Below are a few more of the photos Collins took in the series, which has been released in a new zine called Backwater that you can order a copy of by clicking here. 

Photo by Kevin Collins

Photo by Kevin Collins

Photo by Kevin Collins

Photo by Kevin Collins

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

5th Annual Paint The Town Red For United Way Of Peterborough Raises Record $15,000

The United Way of Peterborough has announced that the 5th annual Paint the Town Red on July 19th raised a record breaking $15,000+.

Thirty-two restaurants, cafes and pubs—up from 22 last year—donated 25 percent of their daily sales to support United Way Peterborough & District, with proceeds directly impacting vital social services in this community. The donations came in from restaurants, individual donations from customers, and the UW's newly launched Text to Give program.

Left to right: United Way of Peterborough Director of Philanthrophic Impact Lisa Smith, United Way of Peterborough CEO Jim Russell & United Way of Peterborough cabinet member Laura Crann.

A Big Red Spoon (with a touch of plaid) was introduced this year by the United Way of Peterborough, and folks were clamouring for a spoon spotting and spoon selfies. Built by United Way cabinet member Terry Guiel—Executive Director of the DBIA—it was a hit all day with restaurant/cafe owners and patrons.

Also, the hashtag #PaintPtboRed was trending on Twitter across Canada, most of the day hovering in the Top 3, once again showing how engaged this community is on social media.

“Our community is passionate and resilient, and the success of this year’s Paint the Town Red event is testament to that," says Jim Russell, CEO of United Way Peterborough & District.

"Our restaurants and food are second to none in the Province. And once again we thank the entrepreneurial spirit of our restauranteurs and their commitment to building local economy while at the same time giving back to community."

The dollars raised in this event will be going right back into this community to support the United Way of Peterborough's 16 partner agencies in their work building a stronger and healthier community.

This year's United Way of Peterborough campaign is chaired by our PTBOCanada Co-Founder Neil Morton. The next two big United Way events are UW's Campaign Launch at the Evinrude Centre on September 19th and Petes Plaid Night in support of United Way on November 2nd. Contact Lisa Smith at the United Way for ticket info for those events.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

A Son On His Family's Anxiety About His Dad Losing His Job When GE Plant Closes

The Fuller family, like many other GE families in Peterborough, are all feeling anxious right now. With the GE Plant here closing in Fall 2018 after 125 years in the community, Robert Fuller will be one of about 350 employees losing his job.

"I think our biggest fear is the unknown of what next year will bring when GE closes," his son Connor, 24, tells PTBOCanada. "What will my Dad do for work? How will our living situation change? How will GE compensate its employees? There's a lot of unanswered questions that I feel many families are thinking about right now."

Connor with his Dad, Robert

The Bridgenorth family—which also includes Connor's mother Kim (a bookkeeper at the Real Canadian Superstore in Peterborough), his sister Kaitlin and their family dog, Sadie—are in shock about the news of the plant closing, and Connor says his Dad doesn't know what he will do when he loses his well paid job and security.

"My father has worked there 27 years," Connor tells PTBOCanada. "He doesn't have a college education, so GE is all he knows. He'll be 53 when they close, so he's not old enough to retire, but too old to find a new job again."

Photo by Evan Holt

Both Connor and his sister Kaitlin still reside at home after their post secondary education and while both have careers—Connor as quality control technician for Publican House Brewery in Peterborough, his sister as a registered vet tech in Woodbridge, Ont., where she commutes—this has not alleviated the stress the family feels about making mortage payments.

"I don't know if we can afford to live in our house with my Dad's current salary getting taken away," says Connor. "Next fall will be very hard not just for us, but for every family affected by this."

Got a GE story to share? Email us at tips@ptbocanada.com.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

2nd Annual Legacy Blood Drive In Honour Of Dr. Chan

Dr. Andrew Chan was a well-respected member of the Peterborough community for nearly 20 years.

He joined the Medical Centre as a gastroenterologist in 1996. Throughout his career, he became known as a great leader. He stayed current in his field while investigating innovative medical technologies, was constantly pushing to improve patient care, and all the while never lost sight of the importance of bedside manner.

In honour of Dr. Chan’s contributions to his patients and this community, the 2nd Annual Legacy Blood Drive is taking place from Wednesday, September 6th to Friday, September 8th.

Organizers tell PTBOCanada they are excited to try and reach their goal of 150 donations this year—surpassing the 117 units collected last year.

For more info on blood donor times, see the poster below. To register, call 1-888-236-6283 or go online to blood.ca.

Please share on your social media channels.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.

PRHC Foundation Receives $1 Million Pledge From McCloskey International

The PRHC Foundation has announced a pledged gift of $1 million from McCloskey International in support of outstanding patient care for children and babies at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).

The announcement was made at the Greenbridge Celtic Folk Festival hosted by internationally‐renowned musicians Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, and held this weekend on the McCloskey family property in Keene near Peterborough.

Left to right: PRHC Foundation CEO Lesley Heighway, Donnell Leahy, Sylvia and Paschal McCloskey of McCloskey International, Natalie MacMaster and PRHC Foundation Governor Emeritus Terry Windrem join MacMaster and Leahy's children at the site of this weekend's Greenbridge Celtic Festival for a photo in celebration of the McCloskey's $1 million pledge to the PRHC Foundation.

Paschal McCloskey, McCloskey International founder and president, says the visionary gift represents both an investment in the Children & Babies Program at PRHC, and in the Foundation’s legacy program outreach:

“The thought of a baby or a child requiring hospital care is heartbreaking, especially when it means seeking specialized treatment outside our community,” says McCloskey. “Not only can the costs add up quickly, but the emotional toll of being separated from family support systems can be devastating. McCloskey International is committed to investing in innovative technologies that support care for PRHC’s most fragile patients and their families close to home, where and when they need it most.”

“With their support of critical lifesaving equipment, as well as investing in the Foundation’s ability to raise funds for the future through our legacy giving program, McCloskey International is truly transforming care, both today and tomorrow,” says PRHC Foundation CEO Lesley Heighway.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.