Peterborough Humane Society Receives 4 Dogs Through Partnership With Ontario SPCA & Year Of The Northern Dog Initiative

The Peterborough Humane Society has recently received four dogs (pictured in this post) through a partnership with the Ontario SPCA and its Year of the Northern Dog initiative, which is helping deal with the overpopulation of dogs in Northern communities.

PHS helps animals find their forever homes, and that includes assisting their animal welfare partners in collaboration with communities in the North.

Northern dog named Ichabod

“We are beyond excited to have been part of this initiative with the Ontario SPCA and look forward to a continued partnership with them and future initiatives," says Peterborough Humane Society Executive Director Shawn Morey.

Northern dog named Braveheart

HOW THE NORTHERN DOG TRANSFER HAPPENED

On Sunday, April 29th, a transfer of 21 dogs took place as part of the Northern Dog initiative. The dogs landed in Thunder Bay and then made the trip to the North Bay & District Humane Society. From there, they were broken up and transferred to Quinte Humane Society, Ontario SPCA Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre, the Northumberland Humane Society and the Peterborough Humane Society.

Northern dog named Jewel

This transfer is the result of a partnership between the Ontario SPCA, various Year of the Northern Dog partners and a remote community near the Manitoba border that wanted to find homes for its community dogs. North Star Air Ltd. provided a flight for the dogs into Thunder Bay where they were cared for by volunteers before embarking on the next phase of their journey.

To bring awareness, attention and action to Northern dog overpopulation, the Ontario SPCA has declared 2018 the Year of the Northern Dog. This evolving initiative will support programs intended to bring awareness, attention and action to the serious animal welfare issue of Northern dog overpopulation.

Northern dog named Morey

"We are going through the process of getting these four dogs altered (spay/neuter), and then they will be up for adoption within the next few days," Peterborough Humane Society's Shawn Morey tells PTBOCanada.

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Peterborough Petes Name Rob Wilson New Head Coach

Peterborough Petes alumnus and accomplished professional hockey player and coach Rob Wilson has been named the 23rd Head Coach in team history.

Wilson served as Head Coach of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga’s (DEL) Nuremberg Ice Tigers for the past three seasons, compiling a record of 97-43-0-8 in the German premiere league over that span.

“After conducting a thorough review and selection process through which a number of highly qualified candidates were considered, I’m very excited to announce Rob as our new Head Coach,” says General Manager Mike Oke. “Rob brings a strong knowledge of the game, utilizing current systems and strategies to prepare his players for various game situations."

Rob Wilson (Photo via Nuremberg Ice Tigers website)

Wilson played for the Petes during the 1988-89 season after being acquired from the Sudbury Wolves. He helped the team win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions that season before embarking on a pro playing career that included stops in various North American and European leagues.

“I felt that the opportunity to join the Petes would allow me to have a strong, positive impact on the organization, and particularly on the players,” says Coach Wilson. “As a coach I’m hard but fair. Players will feel intensity through my leadership.”

Wilson has maintained strong connections with the Peterborough area through his career. His daughters Jessica and Lynsay live and attend school in Peterborough, and he owns a cottage on Chemong Lake. His fiancée, Heidi, and her son, Max, will relocate to the area this summer.

The Petes are coming off their 2nd highest attendance in team history and are now hoping to put a winning product on the ice for the fans.

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4 Peterborough Guys Wore Nashville Yellow In A Sea Of White At Winnipeg Jets Game Because Why Not

Four guys from Peterborough—Mark Million, Andrew Marshall, Barrett McKinnon and Pat McAuley—exhibited some kind of courage by venturing to the Winnipeg Jets game Tuesday night (May 1st) wearing their Nashville yellow to cheer on the Predators.

Mark Million, Andrew Marshall, Barrett McKinnon and Pat McAuley

The guys were booed relentlessly at this "Peterborough in the 'Peg'" sojourn by the sea of white there to cheer on their Jets at Bell MTS Place, but it was a great adventure for the boys to experience this.

"The people in Winnipeg were vocal with their displeasure of our colour choice," Pat McAuley tells PTBOCanada. "They were openly booing and yelling at us—all in good fun though, as they very respectful and nice people."

They certainly didn't go unnoticed outside the arena either. Indeed, the hugely popular website Reddit posted about them under the headline "4 Nashville fans showed up to Winnipeg's "White Out"'.

For perspective, here they are in the sea of white...

Photo via Reddit

"The atmosphere at the game was second to none," adds McAuley, who is not only a huge Preds fan but also a great buddy of the Preds captain—Peterborough's Mike Fisher. "Our ears were buzzing from the crowd noise. It was a night we'll never forget."

The boys were even photographed with one of Winnipeg's finest at the game, who ribbed them in good fun.

A Winnipeg police officer with the guys

While the Jets won the game—coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win 7-4—the guys from Peterborough won the arena.

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The Story Behind Kawartha Food Share's First Ever Refrigerated Truck

Kawartha Food Share has something vital they've never had in their 19 year history: a refrigerated truck.

Their goal this year was to start increasing the amount of fresh food products they distribute from their warehouse but in order to start accessing these type of products from donors, they require a refrigerated truck to safely transport food to and from the warehouse.

Thanks to community grants from the Peterborough Police Services Board, Food Banks Canada and the Peterborough Kinsmen, they were finally able to purchase a truck.

"This truck is really a dream come true and couldn't have been possible without our local service groups who believe in our cause and want to help us in the fight against hunger in our community," Kawartha Food Share's Ashlee Aitken tells PTBOCanada.

"Often times when people think of items at a food bank, they think non-perishables and we are really working hard to change that perception," adds Aitken. "Currently about 35 percent of what we distribute to our 8,000 foodbank clients are fresh and frozen foods, and with this new addition we hope to make that 50 percent by the end of the year."

Ashlee Aitken from Kawartha Food Share

KFS will use this vehicle as a way to rescue fresh food from farmers, food producers, suppliers, restaurants and grocery stores in the area that would usually discard safe for consumption produce, and put it on the plates of those in need.

They have only had the truck for a week, but have already formed a new relationship with Costco, a longtime supporter, that allows them to access a variety of fresh produce from their warehouse 6 days a week. They hope to form a similar relationship with other local grocers so foodbank clients will have even more access to healthy, nutritious food options.

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Group Of Seven Terminated From Peterborough Farmers’ Market

[UPDATED POST, May 3rd]

Here is a press release that was just issued on behalf of evicted vendors by Julie Fleming...

"Stunned local farmers are wondering how they’ve been kicked out of the Peterborough Saturday Market after combined decades of providing their community with fresh local food.

In December, just days before Christmas, seven local vendors were given notice of a special meeting to determine whether or not they should be removed from the market.

The board claimed that 16 unnamed vendors had demanded this meeting. On January 8th the membership heard charges against one vendor, Astrid Manske of OtonaBee Apiary. She was allowed to defend herself, and after her defence, the market members voted to keep Astrid at the market.

The other accused vendors were not given an opportunity to defend themselves. The meeting was adjourned and all complaints from the anonymous 16 vendors against the remaining accused were withdrawn. With the complaints withdrawn, the remaining vendors felt a sense of relief that this battle was over and they could all get back to work.
 
So if the membership voted to keep the market whole, and the public spoke out against eviction of local farmers from farmers’ markets, why have 'pink slips' actually been issued?

The answer can only rest with the PDMA Board who have gone rogue over the wishes of the farmers' market members. The eviction order was issued by the PDMFA Board.

The board of the PDMFA are Cindy Hope (Cross Wind Farms), President, Mark Jones (T&R Jones) Marketing Manager, Jill Staples (Staples Maple Syrup) and Jan Laurie (The Sprout house).  

In the eviction notices issued by the PDFMA Board and delivered on Tuesday, the five remaining vendors all received the same letter citing vague allegations of harm to the market’s reputation generated through their 'pink slip' campaign of last December. These were precisely the same bald (and unjustified) allegations that were put forward as the basis for the special meeting last December.

These local farmers never wanted this fight. They wanted a fairly-organized venue to sell their food. The market wasn’t organized fairly and they spoke up inside the organization. They spoke up for fairness, transparency and proper governance. They joined the board, they wrote letters, they shared their concerns. They followed the 'proper channels', but in doing this they were ostracized and targeted as trouble makers. The proper channels at the Saturday Peterborough Farmers’ Market are broken. There was no need to toss anyone off the market. The evicted vendors feel that there is room for re-sellers and a wide variety of local farmers at the Saturday market, but transparency and honesty are non-negotiable.

More information on how the public can help to save local farmers at farmers' markets will be forthcoming."

--------

ORIGINAL POST (May 2nd)

Just days before the Saturday outdoor market season is set to begin, the "Group of Seven" as they are known has received notice that they have been terminated from the Peterborough Farmers’ Market.

All these local vendors—Circle Organic, Otonabee Apiary, Ashburnham Farms Gaelic Garlic, Finest Gourmet Fudge, Chef Marshal and Necessitea Elixir—have been handed their pink slip from the Peterborough Farmers’ Market Board.  

Photo courtesy McLean Berry Farm

One of the evicted vendors, Buckhorn's McLean Berry Farm, has been a staple at the Saturday Farmers Market in Peterborough since 1991—the year Jane and Sam McLean bought the farm, and started attending the market.

"We're very disheartened to have received this eviction notice days before our season starts," Eric McLean from McLean Berry farm tells PTBOCanada. "All we want to do is provide our local communities with fresh fruits and vegetables. We said before that we won't stop fighting for local food and we will continue to do so but need a moment to pause and consider all of our options of how best to move forward as this has really caught us off guard."

More info coming on Wednesday when a press release goes out from Erin McLean, Astrid Manske and Julie Fleming on behalf of the expelled vendors.

We have not received a press release from the Peterborough Farmers' Market board as of yet.

UPDATE: McLean Berry Farm posted this statement on Facebook about what they describe as "a very cloudy and unknown time"...

Hundreds of comments are pouring in our Facebook page. Go here to add yours.

This is a developing story. Check back for more info.

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Field Of Dreams: New Plaque In Memory Of Local Baseball Legend Bill (Mr. Slo-Pitch) Bowers To Be Unveiled

The City of Peterborough, Slo-pitch National and members of the Peterborough Slo-pitch Association have announced the official dedication of a new plaque in memory of Bill Bowers in Bowers Park.
 
The unveiling of the plaque in his honour will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (May 2nd) with speakers from the City of Peterborough, Slo-Pitch National and teammates from the two leagues that Bill played in (who will play after the dedication).

Recognized as “Mr. Slo-Pitch”, Bill organized the first league in Peterborough in 1976.

From this humble start, he single-handedly grew the sport in this area. He coordinated the 1980 Summer Games, the 1989 Co-Ed Provincial Championships and the 1996 National Slo-Pitch championships, all held in Peterborough.

In 1997, Bill was named “Sports Personality of the Year” and “Peterborough Tourism Ambassador of the Year”. 

He also served as President of the Peterborough Slo-Pitch Association and Coordinator with Slo-Pitch National for 27 years. The ball diamonds on Brealey Drive were officially re-named Bowers Park in 1996.

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Silver Bean Cafe Opens For 16th Season In Peterborough

A sure sign of Spring: The Silver Bean Cafe, your waterfront cottage in the city located on the banks of the Otonabee River in downtown Peterborough, opens at 8 am this Tuesday (May 1st) for the season.

This will be the 16th season for the Bean as it's fondly known by locals and tourists alike.

For more details on their opening and community spirit, check out their Facebook post...

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18-Year-Old Student Zach Hatton Is Running For City Council

Eighteen-year-old community advocate Zach Hatton is running for City Council in Northcrest Ward in the upcoming October election. The Grade 12 student at St. Peter Secondary School has a passion for politics, having run for the New Democratic Party in this riding last year. 

Hatton, who will be attending Trent University in the Fall in the Teacher's Education stream while pursing an Arts degree, tells PTBOCanada he is excited about this opportunity and want to help "build and position the city in an even more progressive place." The incumbents in Northcrest Ward are Andrew Beamer and Dave Haacke.

Hatton believes he has a lot to offer the city and constituents in his ward:

“I’m proud to have been born and raised within this community," Hatton says. "I’m connected to our area through my own personal connections and experiences, and they’ve afforded me a great understanding of Peterborough as a whole. My knowledge will be beneficial to our community when applied to the many pressing issues at City Hall right now.”

Hatton says his great pride in the community played a major role in his decision. Indeed, by deciding to attend Trent University in the Fall, he plans to call Peterborough home for many years to come.

Hatton volunteers at many different places including YourTV (formerly CogecoTV), where he has followed local political issues closely while working on many campaigns at all levels of government—including his own personal run recently for the nomination of the New Democratic Party of Ontario.

Hatton, who intends to use social media aggressively throughout the campaign—namely Twitter and Facebook—will be filing his nomination papers at City Hall on May 1st. You can reach him here for more info.

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