Trent University Now Ranked Among The World’s Top Green Universities

Trent University is one of the world’s top green universities, securing a place among the Top 100 environmental university campuses worldwide—and the Top 10 in Canada—according to the recently released UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2017.

“This international ranking confirms Trent’s continued commitment to the environment, and our position as a leading institution in environmental issues,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University.

Trent's Symons Campus on the Otonabee River

Ranked as the 73rd greenest campus in the world, and No. 7 in Canada, Trent was recognized for leadership in six categories:

-> setting and infrastructure
-> energy and climate change
-> waste
-> water
-> transportation
-> education

Trent's Symons Campus along the banks of Otonabee River

Trent ranked No. 30 in the waste management section and No. 22 in the Education section of the rankings.

The GreenMetric rankings, which ranked 619 universities in 76 countries worldwide, is the first and only university rankings in the world that measure each participating university’s commitment in developing an "environmentally friendly" infrastructure.

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Vinnies Is Opening Lakefield Location

Vinnies in Peterborough has announced they are opening a Lakefield location on January 3rd at 144 Queen St. (Unit #1), in the old The Movie People location.

They posted some pictures of the progress recently on their Facebook page...

Vinnies popular Peterborough location is located at 799 Erskine Ave.

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Our Thanks To You: PTBOCanada.com Looks Forward To 2018

We experienced another great year of traffic and growth to the PTBOCanada.com brand—and are nearing 50,000 social followers combined between our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels. We couldn't do it without our awesome readers and advertisers in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, and beyond.

It was an exciting year for us (we turned Lucky 7!), as we launched a brand new show—PTBOCanada—taped on location at StudioPTBO, our full service digital agency spinoff on Sheridan Street in downtown Peterborough; and a video division clients are utilizing to tell their story (email us here for info on that).

On set: "PTBOCanada" Co-host Neil Morton with musician Kate Suhr on our new show

We are grateful to all of you for consuming and sharing our hyper-local content, which focuses on ideas, innovation, entertainment, positivity, and uplifting people and community.

We are in the business of storytelling—content is King—and are looking forward to telling your story in 2018 through all the different forms (narrative, video, photography) available to us in the powerful age of social media. Our plan is to launch a podcast in '18, and we have other exciting plans as well that we look forward to sharing with you in due time.

Our video and marketing director Cody May in the studio

Local entrepreneurs, businesses, startups, artists, innovators, musicians, designers, athletes, dreamers, social media stars/influencers, community builders—we look forward to sharing your story!

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Here's 8 Sets Of Twins With Santa At Peterborough Square

Peterborough photographer Carl Hoskisson has been shooting Santa photos at Peterborough Square for a decade but the one he took on Saturday morning (December 16th) might be among the most epic.

Eight sets of twins gathered with their plaidtastic parents from Peterborough Parents of Multiples for a picture with Santa, and Hoskisson somehow managed to capture this incredibly cute picture that has us seeing double.

Photo by Carl Hoskisson

"It was a unique opportunity," Hoskisson tells PTBOCanada of photographing all the twins. "It's always fun to be a part of something special like that."

Hoskisson has had lots of experience shooting large groups of the years—he is a professional wedding photographer—which allowed him to pull off this group shot quickly.

Here is another picture he captured of one set of the twins...

Photo by Carl Hoskisson

Carl and Santa will be Peterborough Square Monday to Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) taking more photos. Kids, families, groups and pets—yes, pets—are all welcome. Indeed, Carl will be making a donation to the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society for every pet picture he takes.

If twin pets show up? Well that's a whole other story.

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Animals of Peterborough: They Just Couldn't Get Enough Of Peterborough In 2017

It was a big year for animals hanging out around town. We feed you some of the evidence below...

A beaver on Medical Drive

Photo courtesy Pete Dalliday

An otter sliding across the frozen canal at the Lift Lock

A peacock chillin' out on Beardsmore Road

Photo courtesy Steve Novak

Family of geese taking in the fireworks at Del Crary Park

Photo by Jeremy Biden

A duck family that lives in PRHC's courtyard

Photo by Aaron Elliott

A deer hanging out at the Silver Bean Cafe

That little dot is the deer swimming to the island after visiting the Silver Bean Cafe (Photo via Silver Bean Facebook page)

And an animal list is not complete without these chipmunks having a UFC match at King and Charlotte

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PVNC Director Of Education Raffled Off To IT Department In United Way Fundraiser

When PVNC Director of Education Michael Nasello agreed to raffle himself off for a day to raise money for the United Way, he was prepared for many possibilities. He was prepared to take over a kindergarten class. He was prepared to tackle the duties of a school secretary. Last year, he spent the day as an educational assistant.

But this year’s winning raffle ticket will put him in unfamiliar territory in the heart of the Board’s Information Technology department. During a day in January, Nasello will take over responsibilities at the busy IT Help Desk—the hub of all technical issues that come in through the Board office and their 36 Catholic schools.

Director of Education Michael Nasello and IT employee Mara Dal Cin.

“He’s got his work cut out for him—this phone doesn’t stop ringing and we get emails all day,” says Mara Dal Cin, who oversees the Help Desk each day at the Board office in Peterborough and whose winning raffle ticket has earned her a day off in the new year. “I love this job, I’m at the centre of everything. If anything technical goes wrong, they contact me and then I make sure something happens....and that the help gets to where it needs to go.”

Tickets for the Put Your Director to Work Day raffle went on sale board-wide in November. More than 300 tickets were purchased, raising a total of $1,354 for the United Way of Peterborough and District. Overall, PVNC has raised more than $41,000 for this year’s Peterborough campaign.

Watch the hilarious reaction when Mara won the Put Your Director to Work raffle in this video...

Dec. 2017 - Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board Director of Education Michael Nasello calls up the winner of the Put Your Director to Work Day raffle.

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Trent University Launches Ontario’s First Conservation Biology Program With Co-op

A first in the province, Trent University’s new Conservation Biology B.Sc. program will include co-op and placement opportunities that provide graduates with career advantages and the skills and knowledge to help protect the world’s most vital organisms and at-risk wildlife.
 
Now accepting applications for its launch in fall 2018, the new Conservation Biology B.Sc. program will provide students with the opportunity to study the science behind conserving the world’s wildlife.

With the introduction of a one-of-a-kind co-op option, students will also be able to take what they learn in the lab into the real world. Through the five-year co-op option, students will undertake three paid work terms while studying at Trent.

The program also offers a fourth-year placement option that gives students the opportunity to gain awesome work experience, spending the last eight months of their degree working alongside conservation science professionals.

Through Trent’s large network of organizations and agencies, students will have the opportunity to work with and learn from biologists and researchers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry thanks to the University’s on-campus partnership and connection to the Ministry.

Trent has also developed relationships with a number of organizations including the Nature Conservancy Canada, World Wildlife Fund Canada and Parks Canada, providing ample opportunities for students to work with leading agencies in the field of conservation biology.

In the Conservation Biology B.Sc., students will spend time learning alongside leading professors and researchers in the field, studying the science behind the decline in biological diversity across the planet, and will work to better understand the best solutions to this global crisis.

The program is geared to equipping students for the task of protecting species and organisms from becoming at-risk through in-depth studies on a wide variety of species and organisms, studying the current threats to their existence, and examining the various ways to preserving their environment.

Applications to the new Conservation Biology B.Sc. program are now being accepted. Learn more here.

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Magical Light Pillars Over Peterborough Last Night

Local photographer Jay Callaghan captured these beautiful light pillars over Peterborough on Tuesday night.

The photos were taken by Jay near Parkhill Road and Brealey Drive...

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Fleming College Among The Best In North America On Sustainability

In a huge honour, Peterborough's Fleming College has been named as a top performer on sustainability among community colleges in North America.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has ranked Fleming as fifth overall and second best in Ontario in its 2017 Sustainable Campus Index.

Photo courtesy Fleming College

The index recognizes top-performing colleges and universities overall, by institution type, and in 17 sustainability impact areas such as curriculum, energy, transportation, water, investment and finance, and coordination and planning.

The impact areas were measured through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).

Photo courtesy Fleming College

“Fleming College’s feature in this report shows its significant leadership and commitment to advance sustainability,” says AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “We are excited to recognize Fleming for working to secure a thriving, equitable and ecologically healthy world through its comprehensive sustainability efforts.”

Photo courtesy Fleming College

In addition to Fleming’s overall top-five ranking, the College was highlighted in the report for its research related to the salmon hatchery at Frost Campus. The hatchery is part of the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program, which is working to restore the species to Lake Ontario more than 100 years after it was extirpated.

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Petes Host First Ever Star Wars Night

The Peterborough Petes host the Ottawa 67’s on Thursday, December 14th at 7:05 pm in their first-ever Star Wars Night.

Fans are encouraged to be on the lookout for Star Wars characters throughout the PMC, and are also invited to dress as their favourite Star Wars characters for a chance to win a prize. Different Star Wars elements will be present throughout the game.

Thursday’s game is also the annual OHL Onside fundraising and awareness night in partnership with the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC). OHL Onside is a project aimed at increasing the understanding and awareness of young players’ responsibility to demonstrate respect for women, girls, and community members through their actions and words.

Representatives of KSAC will take part in a pre-game ceremony. There will be various activities throughout the game in support of KSAC’s MENding Program, as well as United Way of Peterborough. Fans can take part in a second intermission chuck-a-puck for their chance to win a Bluetooth compact stereo, Pond Hockey-Opoly, and a basket of holiday treats.

Game tickets are available starting at $8 through the Collins Barrow PMC Box Office, online, or by phone at (705) 743-3561.

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