Peterborough Blogs
The Norwood Fair has always a great family tradition at Thanksgiving, going strong since 1868!
Electric (Green) City: Peterborough's 7,205 Streetlights Are Going LED
/
Most of the lights on Brealey have already been converted. Photo: Evan Holt
Work has begun to convert the city’s 7,205 streetlights to Smart technology Light Emitting Diode (LED) streetlight fixtures, which will reduce energy use, electricity costs and maintenance costs.
The impact will be as follows…
Energy costs reduced by 54%
Maintenance costs reduced by 80%
Reduced light pollution (the LED fixtures are “Dark Sky Compliant” as all light is directed downward)
Better light quality for pedestrians and vehicle traffic
Each light is made up from numerous Light Emitting Diodes. Photo: Evan Holt
It’s estimated that the conversion to Smart technology LED fixtures will reduce annual electricity costs by 54 percent or by $650,000, and reduce maintenance costs by 80 percent or by $187,000.
The City expects to save an estimated 3,618,570 kilowatt-hours of energy per year, a 70 percent reduction compared to the current energy consumption for City streetlights. The reduction is the equivalent of the typical energy use by 375 homes for an entire year. The annual electricity cost is expected to be reduced to $552,800 from the $1.2 million for the existing streetlights, a savings of $650,000.
The new LED lights will last up to four times longer than the previous High Pressure Sodium (HPS) streetlights which will be removed and recycled at qualified environmental disposal centers. Photo: Evan Holt
LEDs will also help the City reduce maintenance costs by a projected 80 percent because LEDs are a solid-state technology (no moving parts) and last up to four times longer than the City’s existing streetlights.
Maintenance costs will be reduced to an estimated $46,700 a year from the current annual cost of approximately $233,700 for the traditional streetlights, a savings of $187,000.
Photo by Evan Holt
The level of lighting provided by the LED lights remains the same as previous lights. The difference is LED streetlights provide a safer light source with better visibility to both pedestrians and motorists. They offer better clarity and improve the ability to identify colours at night.
The LED Streetlight Conversion Project includes a change from a drop glass fixture to a flat glass fixture, which changes how light is distributed on the roadway and associated area. This change helps prevent light from spilling or dispersing onto adjacent spaces where it is not intended to be.
The new LED streetlights will be networked to automatically notify the City when there’s a light that’s out or malfunctioning, allowing the City to immediately schedule the work to fix the streetlight.
Work to convert all the lights is scheduled to be completed by December 31st.
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 Museum & Archives' Newest Exhibition Terry Fox: Running To The Heart Of Canada Is On Loan From Canadian Museum of History
/Peterborough Museum & Archives' newest exhibition titled Terry Fox: Running to the Heart of Canada is a must see for people of all ages.
The exhibition is on loan from the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, with support from the Terry Fox Foundation, and will be on-site in Peterborough for public viewing until Sunday, December 9th.
Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives
The exhibition provides a unique look at Terry’s epic 143-day, 3,339-mile (5,373-kilometre) journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. It explores Canadians’ deep and abiding affection for Terry and examines his unique place in our collective memory.
Developed by the Canadian Museum of History in partnership with Terry Fox’s family, the exhibition traces Terry’s journey and shows the impact he had on modern Canadian life—the numerous schools, community centres and features of the landscape named for him, and the Canadian coins, stamps and passports bearing his image.
Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives
“During the Marathon of Hope and the months that followed, Canadians filled our home in Port Coquitlam, B.C., with scrapbooks, written tributes and gifts reflecting a collective compassion and admiration for Terry's unselfish act,” says Darrell Fox, Terry’s brother. “More than 35 years later, it is time to share the Terry Fox collection and the compelling story that the memorabilia evoke with the world.
Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives
The Canadian icon’s coast-to-coast journey in 1980 ended near Thunder Bay, when the cancer that had claimed his leg returned, forcing Terry to abandon the project.
He died a national hero in June 1981, at the age of 22, having collected some $24 million. To date, more than $700 million has been raised in his name for cancer research.
Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada is being presented at The Peterborough Museum & Archives (300 Hunter Street East) from September 29th until December 9th.
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.
The Electric City Special Needs Team Just Made 300 Candles To Help Raise Money For The Team & Build Team Chemistry
/The Electric City Maroon & White special needs hockey team gathered at Coach Chris Williams house on Saturday (September 29th) for a candle “pouring party” of 300 homemade candles.
It’s a new fundraising initiative that began with the creation of the “Electric City Candle Company” to assist with the costs of running a special needs sports organization such as ice time, equipment and travel costs.
Candle pouring party at Coach Williams house
“I came up with the idea after seeing a Facebook video on a young girl with Down syndrome who started her own candle company in New Zealand,” Coach Williams tells PTBOCanada. “I reached out to them for advice and was given some great feedback and encouragement on how to get everything off the ground.”
Candle pouring party at Coach Williams house
With very limited financial sponsorship, the money made through the sales of these candles will help the team but more importantly give the opportunity to kids and adults with special needs to be directly involved with the creation and distribution of something beautiful, a product they made from scratch.
“For me, the initiative is important because it gives the players a sense of pride of accomplishment,” Coach Williams says. “They voted on what scents we would use, the dye colours, and of course were involved with the creation of the candles from start to finish.”
Coach Williams (at right) with one of his players
The theme of the 300 handmade soy-based candles made is “Shining A Light On Special Needs”.
It gives the players a chance to get together in a social setting and work together as a team to learn skill sets and build chemistry and confidence—ingredients that will ensure they all have a great season on and off the ice.
One of the players at candle pouring party
The Mason jar style 8.5 oz candles will sell for $10 and are handmade with a focus on seasonal Fall/Winter/Christmas scents including Winterberry, Christmas Garland and Warm Vanilla Sugar. There will be a total of nine different varieties available.
“If we sell the initial trial run of 300, that will give us the chance of getting together again and doing another 300,” Coach Williams tells PTBOCanada.
One of the players at candle pouring party
Players will be selling the candles independently to friends and family, and online sales will be ready by the Thanksgiving weekend through the team’s website electriccityspecialneedshockey.com.
For more information on the candles or if you’re interested in providing financial sponsorship of the team, contact Coach Williams here.
Spread the word on your social media channels about these unique candles for a great cause!
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.
Trent University Is First Canadian Post-Secondary Institution To Green Light Digital Transit Passes
/Kudos to Trent University, which has become the first Canadian post-secondary institution to green light digital transit passes.
The downloadable show ‘n go pass has eliminated thousands of plastic cards and yearly student lineups. The smart technology, ease and convenience, and the added benefits of a more sustainable option were key factors in Trent taking this initiative.
Photo courtesy Trent University
This pilot project program is a collaboration between Trent University, the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) and the City of Peterborough.
"Our new digital transit pass is an effort to keep transit service in the palm of student’s hands,” says Brandon Remmelgas, president of the TCSA. “Our goal is to prevent students from having to carry around a different card for each service they need to access, and it has the added bonus of reducing the number of plastic cards being printed on an annual basis.”
Since rolling out in September, more than 4,000 passes have been downloaded from the digital ID card app available on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Created by tech company ID 123, the passes are renewable online each year.
Click here to learn how to download the pass.
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.
PTBOCanada Featured Post: Learn About Innovation Cluster's CleanTech Program
/
Sponsored video post by Innovation Cluster
Read MoreBrother And Sister Duo To Open Plant Based Eatery And Bar Nateures Plate In Old Brio Gusto Location
/Brother and sister duo Nathan and Danielle White are opening Nateures Plate, a Plant-Based Eatery & Bar, in the old Brio Gusto location on Charlotte Street.
They will be focusing on serving vegan comfort food, desserts and cocktails, and offering the traditional comfort foods using plant-based ingredients.
Nathan and Danielle at Brio Gusto, which they are taking over under new name
The siblings are taking over the restaurant in October and rebranding as Nateures Plate. Their plan is to open by early December.
To follow along on their journey, visit their website here and follow their Instagram page.
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.
50 Years Ago This Month The Old Mustang Drive-In Opened, This Is A Woman's Story Of Her Father Managing It
/Amanda Ford reached out to us, saying she was inspired to write an article long in the making about the Mustang Drive-In after seeing a series of photos taken by Jay Callaghan published here on PTBOCanada in May 2014.
“The erie pictures of the now abandoned drive-in made my heart sink,” Ford says. “When my parents moved out of the drive-in and I moved out of town in 1982, I never did go back. I was happy to know that someone took it over and it was still running but I didn’t realize that in September 2012, the Mustang Drive-In closed its doors, never to open them again.”
Photo by Jay Callaghan of old projector room at Mustang Drive-In
“I promised myself that I would showcase the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough as it was when it first opened,” Ford adds. “I dug through the family archives to find pictures and articles about the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough when it was brand new and viewed as the shining star of entertainment that it was back in 1968.”
Read her memories of its opening below…
——————-
MY MUSTANG DRIVE-IN MEMORIES
Fifty years ago this month in September 1968, the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough opened as one of the biggest drive-ins in Canada.
I was eight years old and my dad, Alan D. Ford, was given the honour of being Manager of the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough. Born in 1920, he began his theatre career back in the 1940s after serving as a Flight Instructor with the RCAF during WWII. He worked in many types of theatres across Ontario and at other indoor movie theatres in Ontario. His dedication and experience earned him the position of Manager, Mustang Drive-In Peterborough. My dad was was the manager there from 1968 until his retirement from the theatre business in 1986.
Amanda’s father Alan Ford
The Mustang Drive-In was to be the flagship Drive-In for GTI Drive-In Services Limited. It boasted a 775 car capacity and was one of the largest screens in Canada.
The Peterborough Examiner wrote about the venture in a 1968 article..
Peterborough Examiner article from September 18th, 1968
Teaser ads began appearing in the Peterborough Examiner starting in August and September 1968 about the opening…
All dressed up for the Grand Opening: The snack bar (pictured below) was originally set up with two sides serving the same item, with a cashier for both lines. This would help move the line along during the busy peak times.
Unknown photographer: From Ford’s Personal Collection
Standard uniform for the girls working in the snack bar: Don’t forget your cowboy hats ladies! Manager Al Ford (aka my dad) only had one rule: Always change into your street clothes when your shift was over. “I don’t want to see girls in uniform climbing in the back of cars with boys!” he would say.
Unknown photographer: From Ford’s personal family collection
Fast Forward to August 1977. Smokey and The Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, played for an amazing eight weeks that summer at the Drive-In! It was the longest playing movie in the history of the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough. (Note: Mustang Drive-In by now is owned and operated by Premier Operating Company)
By this time, I was 17 and working in the kitchen. “Queen of the Fryer” was my unofficial title. It was definitely a family affair. My dad was Manager, my mom (Donna) was the cashier and in charge of the snack bar staff, my sister (Debbie) worked out front serving popcorn and drinks, while my brother (Bob)—the self-appointed “social director”—was busy turning his ushering duties into a game of, “Let’s see how many of my friends I can let in before my Dad finds out!”
When we weren’t busy with work duties, my brother and I would sit upstairs in our family apartment above the snack bar, and watch Smokey and The Bandit without the internal speaker on. (My family lived onsite above the snack bar and beside the projection room, and dad had them wire a speaker that sat behind his chair in our living room so whenever we wanted to watch the movie we could just turn the speaker on to hear the movie.) After eight weeks, we had the dialogue to Smokey down pretty good and would act out the scenes ourselves!
Peterborough Examiner article from August 20th, 1977
My father passed away in January 1991, and my mother Donna still lives in Peterborough. I live in Courtice now, and my sister Debbie lives in Bowmanville and my brother Bob in Omeeme.
The Mustang Drive-In Peterborough was sold in the late ‘80s to an independent business owner. I believe it changed hands one or two more times until the last owner was forced to close when the cost of switching to digital projection was too much.
—guest post by Amanda Ford
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.
The Powerful 100 Women Peterborough Group Raised More Than $11,000 For The Warming Room In Less Than An Hour
/The recently launched 100 Women Peterborough group has announced it raised more than $11,000 in under one hour for The Warming Room/One Roof at their meeting on Tuesday, September 18th.
100 Women Peterborough now boasts 157 members that contribute to different organizations on a quarterly basis. The collective donations are able to impact an organization significantly as The Warming Room noted when they received the contribution to assist with programming in Peterborough.
100 Women Peterborough at cheque presentation to The Warming Room
Members commit to donate $100 at each of the four events hosted throughout the year. The aim is to help women learn about the multitude of different causes in the community, help people in need and join other like-minded women to empower and multiply the impact of their contributions.
"Peterborough is a beautiful, diverse city—it is inspiring to be in a room with people who believe together we can make a difference, together we can create a more compassionate, more loving community,” says Christian Harvey, who presented on behalf of The Warming Room at the meeting. “We are so grateful to 100 Women Peterborough for uniting with us to work toward such a vision."
100 Women Co-Founders pictured with Christian Harvey from The Warming Room
"It was incredible to see how quickly we were able to impact The Warming Room with even more members than the last meeting," says 100 Women Peterborough co-founder Rose Terry. "We are so grateful for the people in our community that continue to spread the word."
One hundred percent of the funds raised by the membership will be donated to four non-profit organizations determined by the membership throughout the year.
Women that are interested in joining the group are encouraged to reach out via the website 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.
Peterborough Police Service Dogs Wolfe and Hal Are Retiring, Two New Canines Starting Early 2019
/After an amazing run, Peterborough Police Service dogs Wolfe and Hal are retiring in December.
Both Wolfe and Hal, German Shepherds imported from Kentucky, are direct brothers with one year separating them in age. Wolfe was purchased by the Knights of Columbus and donated to the service while Hal was purchased by the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough.
Police Service dog Hal pictured with his partner Constable Sam McCullum
PSD Wolfe, eight-and-a-half years old, has worked alongside his partner Constable Tim Fish for the past seven years, while PSD Hal, seven years old, has worked with his partner Constable Sam McCullum for the past six years.
Police Service dog Wolfe pictured with his partner Constable Tim Fish
