Watch: Peterborough Symphony Orchestra Michael Newnham Music Director Interviewed On PTBOCanada Show

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On Episode 29 of “PTBOCanada”, we sit down with Michael Newnham, who has been the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra Music Director & Conductor for 18 years.

Michael Newnham

Michael—also the Founding Conductor of the Kawartha Youth Orchestra—has lived and conducted around the world but talks about why he chose to make Peterborough his permanent home.

In this wide ranging interview, he speaks about his passion for music, community and life…

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Transformed Trent Bata Library Opens

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The transformed “Library of the Future”—Trent University’s iconic Bata library—opened on Monday (October 29th) and it features a combination of the familiar and the stunningly new, with amazing views.

“With an emphasis on the original Ron Thom architecture and more open views to take in campus vistas, there is oodles of student space,” says the Trent University Alumni Association in a Facebook post.

Photo via Trent University Alumni Association Facebook Page

Folks on Twitter are raving about it…

Bata Library 2.0 includes a makers’ space with a 3D printer and other high tech gadgetry.

Photo via Trent University Alumni Association Facebook page

Make sure to sign the welcome board there as well…

Photo via Trent University Alumni Association Facebook page

This is a soft opening as some areas of the Bata building still require finishing touches. An official Bata Library Grand Opening Celebration event will take place November 16th, with more details to come on that from Trent U.

Here are some more pics of the new space…

Photo via @trentuniversity

Photo via @trentuniversity

Photo via @BataLibrary

Photo via Trent University Facebook page

Photo via Trent University Facebook page

Photo via Trent University Facebook page

Photo via Trent Univesity Facebook page

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Fleming Fire Combat Team Takes FireFit Nationals By Storm

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Congrats to the Fleming Fire Combat Team, which took the Canadian 2018 National FireFit Championships in Calgary by storm. They brought home a National bronze medal in the co-ed relay and a silver medal in the co-ed X3 division.

The team has gained much momentum since its inception in 2014, and over the last three years brought home National medals competing against the fastest and fittest firefighters from across Canada.  

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Seven national qualifying students and two coaches travelled to Calgary to compete against the best at the Canadian National FireFit Championships, which was televised by TSN. This year, the team upped their game by not only competing against other schools but also competing in the Open category as a way to be considered equals in the sport.

The 2018 Fleming Fire Combat Team was comprised of two volunteer coaches: full-time firefighter Shawna Coulter and 2015 team Alumni Trevor Russell. The team included Kendal Freshwater, Gaelen Palleske, Drew Goble, Kaylea Brunatti, Eric Fregonas, Mak Hope and Logan Cornelius. (Team member Janell Stonehouse was unable to attend this year’s competition.)

“I am very proud of the team’s outstanding effort and dedication,” says Shawna Coulter. “It is a huge commitment for these young people and often a juggling act between academic, work and training schedules. The team took on the challenge with enthusiasm. Their drive and genuine love for the sport is demonstrated at every practice and at every competition.”

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Fleming College Gives Back To Community, Cleans Up Shoreline At Del Crary Park

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Fleming College teamed up with World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF) to host the 2nd Annual Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up at Del Crary Park on Saturday, October 13th.

Together with more than 50 volunteers including Fleming students, staff and members of the community, the initiative made the following impact…

-> Cleaned up over 108 kg of trash, an increase of 194% from 2017
-> Picked up 3,502 cigarette butts
-> Picked up 376 pieces of small plastic
-> Cleaned up 1.2 km of shoreline

Photo of shorelne cleanup courtesy Fleming College

The Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up is a national conservation program that provides Canadians the opportunity to take action in their communities wherever water meets land, one bit of trash at a time.

The Shoreline Cleanup is now recognized as one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada, and it is great Fleming College is participating in this initiative.

Pollution is a growing concern—especially when it collects in our local parks where it can directly affect wildlife populations. According to WWF, Canada’s Living Planet Report, pollution including plastic waste and micro plastics are one of six leading causes to wildlife decline.

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Bras Around The Building 2018 Campaign Collects 5,889 Bras And Raises $11,922

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Country 105, Energy 99.7 and Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre have wrapped up the 8th Annual “Bras Around the Building” Campaign. With the support of the community, a total of 5,889 bras and counting were collected.

With the generous contribution of $1 per bra from Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre, along with other monetary donations from local businesses and individuals, the 2018 Bras Around the Building Campaign raised $11,922, which will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer research.

For the last four weeks, residents of Peterborough and The Kawarthas have been donating their gently used bras, and many took up collections from family and friends for this powerful campaign.

The bras will hang on the Country 105/Energy 99.7 building at 59 George St. N. until Monday, October 29th as a symbol of support for women battling breast cancer, to honour survivors and to remember those who have lost their battle.

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Watch: Bullet The Pig On PTBOCanada Show

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Bullet on PTBOCanada show. He loves his Cheerios!

On Episode 27 of PTBOCanada, our Neil Morton interviews Sarah Heydon, owner of the local celebrity pig Bullet the Pig, who appears at many events.

Sara discusses the amazing impact Bullet has had on her life… and the life of many others.

Sarah Heydon on PTBOCanada

Watch our interview with Sarah (and Bullet) below, and learn more about Bullet in this recent article we did about him…

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Watch: A Peterborough Grandmother Of 5 On Why She's Become An Environmental Activist/Leader

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On Episode 26 of PTBOCanada, our Neil Morton sit downs with Peterborough's Kate Grierson, a grandmother of five (soon to be a sixth) who has become an environmental activist/leader after taking Al Gore’s Climate Reality training course in Pittsburgh in 2017.

On the heels of this New York Times article that details scientists’ findings that there is a strong risk of climate crisis as early as 2040 unless we take extreme measures now to combat it, Grierson outlines some of the ways we can all make a difference in our everyday lives. This is a political and moral issue, she says. Watch the interview below…

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Norwood-Based Entomo Farms Expanding After Receiving Local Funding & Gaining National Attention For Innovative Product

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The Norwood-based, family-owned company Entomo Farms—which produces and sells edible insects—is seeing exponential growth after receiving funding through Community Futures Peterborough and Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII) in order to continue growing through automation, increasing scale and process improvements.

The expansion comes after Entomo Farms started to supply their cricket powder (the edible insects market is growing dramatically) to the Loblaw’s chain under the President’s Choice label, along with over 50 companies in eight countries. This is another sign that food suppliers recognize edible insects are becoming increasingly mainstream in the modern diet.

“Once again, we are incredibly fortunate to have the support of great Peterborough and Ontario organizations to help us grow our business,” says Darren Goldin, co-founder of Entomo Farms.

Darren Goldin from Entomo Farms

“Entomo Farms is an excellent example of the type of client the SOFII Program was designed for,” says Vince Killen, Executive Director, CF Eastern Ontario.

“A company who is in the process of dynamic growth, has developed innovative and/or disruptive technologies, created or expanded into export markets, impacts regional economies and create jobs. Partnerships like this with the Community Futures Peterborough team are the cornerstone of building our innovation ecosystem here in Eastern Ontario. We are proud to provide this funding to Entomo Farms and its team.”

Entomo Farms staff member

As an agriculture technology client with the Innovation Cluster, Entomo Farms have had support from the Peterborough and the Kawarthas community and networks from the start.

“Entomo Farms is a proven example of a modern agtech company that is setting the bar and thriving in the Peterborough area,” says Michael Skinner, President and CEO of the Innovation Cluster. “As North America’s largest supplier of edible insects, the Entomo Farms team have been able to utilize the local organizations available in the region to achieve the company’s highest potential.”

Roasted insects at entomo farms

This expansion will grow Entomo Farms current workforce by 38 percent within the next year.

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Diane Therrien Elected New Mayor Of Peterborough

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Peterborough has a new Mayor. Diane Therrien defeated incumbent Daryl Bennett, with 19,254 votes—68.98 percent of the vote. Bennett finished with 8,659 votes, or 31.02 percent.*

Picture via @DianeNTherrien on Twitter

“Thank you #ptbo for believing in me and for expecting more. Tonight you spoke loudly and I am humbled to be your next mayor of Peterborough,” Therrien says in a tweet.

She also posted to Instagram to thank voters…

Thank you #ptbo for believing in me and for expecting more. Tonight you spoke loudly and I am humbled to be your next mayor of Peterborough.

162 Likes, 43 Comments - Diane Therrien (@dianetherrienptbo) on Instagram: "Thank you #ptbo for believing in me and for expecting more. Tonight you spoke loudly and I am..."

*Unofficial results for the City of Peterborough 2018 Municipal Election as released by John Kennedy, Returning Officer on October 22, 2018.

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PTBOCANADA


Watch: John Witzing From The Whiteboard Project On Running In A Shipping Container For 24 Hours

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On Episode 25 of PTBOCanada, Peterborough’s John Witzing talks about how his Whiteboard Project lead to him running in a shipping container in Lake Tahoe, California for 24 Hours to raise money for Wounded Warriors Canada and other mental health initiatives.

John Witzing on PTBOCanada

In the wide-ranging interview, John talks about the resilience and mental fortitude it took him and another Peterborough guy, Josh Chessman, to be able to do this extreme 24-hour isolation and endurance challenge at the Spartan World Championships on September 28th…

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