PTBOCanada Featured Post: Downtown Peterborough Is Rocking This Spring/Summer With Events Galore
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Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough Region Farmers’ Market Launches On Saturdays In Downtown Peterborough
/Local farmers and the Peterborough Regional Farmers Network (PRFN) put out a call on May 19th for the community to rally support for a new farmers’ market, and after several offers of new locations it has accepted the offer from Brad Smith, President and CEO of AON Inc., to locate the new Saturday farmers’ market to the AON Citi Centre courtyard in downtown Peterborough.
The new market will be called the Peterborough Region Farmers’ Market, and will be all local growers: “The public can arrive every Saturday and shop with confidence because local farmers will be clearly identified,” says Astrid Manske, PRFN Board member and owner of OtonaBEE Apiary.
AON Citi Centre property is located on the corner of Charlotte and Aylmer in downtown Peterborough, and the site is large enough to hold a considerable number of vendors. In addition, nearby parking is plentiful and free on Saturdays.
The site has many other advantages too, including the newly renovated public library up the street, the main City bus station located within a two-minute walk, and many people can walk or bike to the new location. In the future, the Citi Centre site will have the new Louis Street Urban Park on one side and the revitalized Bethune street project on the other.
"Farmers markets work great in downtowns and this announcement just makes our downtown even more out of the ordinary,” says Terry Guiel, executive director of the DBIA.
Peterborough Region Farmers’ Market will officially kick off Saturday, June 9th, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Riverview Park & Zoo Train Opens For Season
/The miniature train ride is opening for the season at Riverview Park & Zoo. The train's regularly scheduled hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the cost is still just $2 (cash only).
Update of what's open on Victoria Day long weekend at the Zoo...
Hours -> 8:30 am - dusk
Miniature Train Ride: Open (weather permitting)
Snack Bar: Open
Guest Services: Open
Playground and Super Slide: Open
Splash Pad: Not Open Yet
Wheel Chair Swings: Not Open Yet
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Victoria Day Fireworks Rescheduled
/The Rotary Victoria Day Fireworks Family Night in Peterborough has been rescheduled to Sunday, May 20th due to inclement weather in the forecast for the original date of Saturday, May 19th.
As a result, the following road closures will be in place from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on May 20th:
• Perry Street from George Street to Crescent Street;
• Lake Street from George Street to Crescent Street;
• Crescent Street from Romaine Street to Perry Street; and
• Lock Street from Romaine Street to Crescent Street.
Local traffic will be permitted.
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28th Annual Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale Is May 26th
/It's the 28th Annual Gilmour Street Garage Sale this year—one of the can't miss community events in the city.
Photo by Evan Holt
As per tradition, the Gilmour Street Garage Sale falls on the Saturday after the long weekend. This year, it's Saturday, May 26th starting at 9 a.m.—although people have been known to show up as early as 7 a.m. in the hunt for a good bargain.
The biggest street sale in all of Peterborough, it extends out to many other streets in the neighbourhood, and there are also many sales for charitable organizations in town.
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Recipe For Success: How Community Support Are Helping Bintou And Aicha Cherif Pursue Their Dreams
/“He used ketchup instead of tomato paste!”
Bintou Cherif remembers the time her brother improvised while cooking their favourite dish, Jollof.
Sharing good food with people is important to Bintou and her sister Aicha.
Aicha Cherif and her sister Bintou engage in life-enriching programs at the New Canadians Centre
Growing up in a refugee settlement in the Ivory Coast of Africa, they learned to cook Jollof—a rice dish made with peppers, onions, and tomato paste—over an open fire.
Living close to the ocean and spending most of their days outdoors, they had access to fish, which they would add to the one-pot meal.
“It didn’t taste very good,” Bintou smiles, as she recalls her brother’s experiment.
Bintou is speaking to the crowd of people filling the St. James United Church auditorium for a community dinner. Having completed the Food Handling Course, Bintou and Aicha have been busy volunteering in the kitchen prepping and cooking for the community meal.
“I really hope you enjoy the meal—and don’t worry, we used tomato paste, not ketchup,” she says laughing wholeheartedly, and the community gathered in the gym, along with her.
Bintou Cherif, pictured with NCC Settlement Worker in Schools Coordinator Jess Devlin, and Aicha Cherif attend the ESL program at Thomas A. Stewart
A few weeks after the dinner, Bintou and Aicha look forward to the public reception and sharing their photographs at the Newcomer Youth Photography Project exhibit of the SPARK Photography Festival.
How is it possible for Bintou to share her story with such confidence when just eighteen months ago she spoke very little English?
How is it possible to grow up without running water, electricity or any modern conveniences and learn what it takes to prep and cook a meal for more than 100 people?
“It’s our job at the New Canadians Centre to provide our clients with the tools they need to be successful,” explains Jessica Devlin, Settlement Workers in School (SWIS) Coordinator.
“It’s up to them what they do with these opportunities. I’ve seen the changes in Bintou and Aicha since they arrived in Canada less than two years ago. They participate in several programs and are often the first to volunteer for every activity. Their confidence is building and so is their capacity to achieve success. They’ve been given a chance, and they’re running with it.”
Participating in life-enriching programs like the Food Handling Course and the Newcomer Youth Photography Project, Bintou and Aicha are building skills and confidence so they can secure summer employment and feel confident about their abilities.
Due to the support they’ve received from our community, they have the opportunity to express themselves in ways that are meaningful and positive.
Bintou Cherif (l) with sister Aicha in front of the "Be Alive in Peterborough" community mural
Knowing they have the skills to achieve success, Bintou and Aicha build capacity for higher learning and are empowered to pursue their dreams of becoming a lawyer and a doctor.
The friendships they have made by participating in outreach activities are invaluable as they continue to grow and develop a sense of belonging to the community they now call home.
Eager to give back to a community that’s supported and welcomed them, Bintou and Aicha are often the first to take advantage of volunteer opportunities at the New Canadians Centre. “We like volunteering because it’s fun and we get to meet new people.”
The New Canadians Centre welcomed more than 800 clients from 79 different countries from around the world last year. That number has increased by more than 38% since 2016.
Learn more about Bintou and Aicha's story in this video...
Engineers Say Damage To James A. Gifford Causeway Is Significant
/Damage to County causeways from the wind storm of May 4th has been assessed by engineers, and County Council have approved repairs to both the James A. Gifford Causeway and the Gannon’s Narrows Causeway.
According to a county press release, staff are in the process of working with local approval authorities to coordinate the exact timing of the work so as not to disturb fish spawning habitat.
While the damage is significant from the storm, the public is advised that both causeways are safe to travel.
“County Council has made the decision to approve the recommended work on both causeways to ensure continued use of these important vehicular routes in the County,” says Warden Joe Taylor. “We will continue to ensure the public is made aware of the timing and status of the work in the coming weeks.”
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W. Garfield Weston Foundation Invests Whopping $7.5 million In The Canadian Canoe Museum’s New Facility
/The W. Garfield Weston Foundation is investing a whopping $7.5 million in The Canadian Canoe Museum’s new facility to be built at the water’s edge.
This lead private gift announced on Wednesday (May 16th) will support capital costs and educational program development for the new museum, to be built alongside the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. It is the largest known private one-time gift to a charitable organization in the City and County of Peterborough.
Rendering of new Canoe Museum
“From the high-profile headquarters that is the new museum, we will be inspiring Canada by canoe," says John Ronson, Chair, Board of Directors. "This investment is indeed transformational, and will not only support the construction of the new museum, it will see our programming reach more people inside the museum, outside the museum, and virtually, around the world."
The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has been a long-time supporter of the museum dating back to 1995, two years prior to its opening, and was instrumental in its founding.
The construction of the new canoe museum is being supported by a $65 million fund raising campaign.
The addition of this beautiful new museum at the Historic Lift Lock's doorstep will make this a must see destination for even more visitors from around the world.
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Peterborough Musicfest Announces 2018 Summer Lineup
/The lineup for the 32nd Peterborough Musicfest season has been announced and includes the likes of The Trews, A Flock of Seagulls, Howard Jones, Big Wreck, Tebey and much more.
Tebey is the headliner on July 28th...
Tebey
