How A Peterborough Woman With A Prosthetic Got Her Fitting Paddle

Peterborough’s Rachel Quilty was born with a partial left arm and has lived with a prosthetic for most of her life. The 19-year-old, who is affiliated with War Amps, had always wanted to become a camp counsellor at Camp Oconto—an all-girls camp where she had spent many years as a camper.

With her prosthetic, she wasn’t able to complete level D instruction with a traditional paddle which she’d need to teach canoeing as a counsellor. After seeking advice from fellow camp counsellors and getting the word out, The Canoe Museum writes in a blog post how volunteers, retail business and organizations came together to make a paddle that worked for her.

Photo of Rachel with her fitted paddle courtesy Canoe Museum

THE ORIGINAL PROTOTYPES

“Wild Rock Outfitters donated a used paddle for the first prototype, in which a hole was added to accommodate the hook at the end of her prosthetic arm,” the Canoe Museum writes. More than 10 design prototypes were made over the next year to fit with Rachel’s prosthetic.

When Five Counties Children’s Centre asked Wild Rock if there was anyone they could recommend as this project evolved to find her the perfect fitting paddle, they suggested the Canadian Canoe Museum and that’s where volunteer Rick Schuett became involved.

Rachel and Rick at Canoe Museum

Rick, who has been creating custom canoe paddles for three decades, carves paddles on the second floor in the artisan exhibit area on Fridays. Rick’s first paddle for Rachel worked well, with its middle connector on the shaft for movement, but over time the constant pressure eventually broke it apart and the metal hook from her prosthetic wore down the wood on the paddle’s grip.

For the second paddle, the Canoe Museum says that “Rick re-designed the middle connector pieces with stronger materials that enabled the lower portion of the paddle to be mobile for more ease and control. In addition, he added a piece of metal to the paddle’s grip to prevent wear and tear from the hook.”

Photo courtesy Canoe Museum

HOW RACHEL USES THE PADDLE

-> Rachel puts the hook from her prosthetic arm through the hole in the grip and uses her right arm to move the bottom of the paddle.

-> The notch in the middle acts as the wrist she doesn’t have on her left hand and then she’s able to maneuver the paddle to perform various strokes.

With Rick’s expertise and dedication, he has given Rachel the means to accomplish her goals. The Canoe Museum says that in addition to becoming a camp counsellor, Rachel is working as a certified lifeguard and swim instructor at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre where she also uses the specialized paddle to teach swimming.

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Check Out The Little Lake Cemetery Web Mapping Application and Story Map

An interactive web mapping genealogical tool and a new Little Lake Cemetery Story Map which tells the story of the cemetery and some of the early residents of Peterborough is now available.

Residents can explore the updated Little Lake Cemetery Guide and discover something new about their community by using the interactive historical timeline. The mapping application and Story Map can be found here and here.

The interactive map allows users to explore more than 5,500 marked grave sites and provides information on the oldest name and date identified on the monument, a visual location, and a photograph of the marker.

Screengrab of applications

With the help of student interns supported by Young Canada Works, the map has been expanded and enhanced to include the location and information on more than 10,000 unmarked graves within the cemetery.

With the updates, users now have the ability to submit additional information about interments. City of Peterborough geomatics/mapping staff, heritage preservation staff and Little Lake Cemetery collaborated on the mapping projects.

The Story Map application is an interactive webpage that allows users to explore themes relating to the City’s first burial ground, the growth of garden cemeteries, the development of Little Lake Cemetery, and stories of some historical figures from Peterborough’s past.

With nearly 30,000 burials in Little Lake Cemetery, the current map is not a complete record of interments at the cemetery. The City of Peterborough and Little Lake Cemetery foresee future projects will expand the numbers of graves recorded and the narratives presented on the story map.

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Peterborough-Based Tech Startup Ribitt Raises $600,000 In Seed Financing, Continues To Expand

Ribitt, a local tech startup focusing on rewarding consumers for purchases at local shops in their neighbourhood including Peterborough, announced it has raised $600,000 in seed round funding led by angel investors to expand to new neighbourhoods with its one-of-a-kind collective rewards program for local shops.

Using Ribitt’s mobile app, consumers can pay for purchases and collect Ribitt points when they grab their morning coffee, get a haircut or buy holiday gifts at participating local shops. Consumers can redeem these Ribitt points at any participating shop and for the first time, users do not have to wait to to fill out a full stamp card to use their points. Every purchase, no matter the shop, adds to the consumer’s Ribitt points.

Ribitt Co-Founders Sana Virji & Ribat Chowdhury

RIBITT EXPANDING INTO TORONTO & BEYOND

Ribitt, Co-Founded by Sana Virji and Ribat Chowdhury, has more than 30 shops partnered in Peterborough and more than 100 in Toronto. Earlier this year, Ribitt launched in Roncesvalles and The Junction neighbourhoods in Toronto, and plans to begin its expansion across Canada in 2019.

“The future success of local shops lies in them coming together and leveraging their combined network,” says Co-Founder Sana Virji. “Participating in a rewards program at a single coffee shop is more effort than the value for consumers, so when local merchants in a neighbourhood join Ribitt’s single rewards program, they create huge value for their customers while giving them the competitive advantage of scale that bigger chains have.”

Screengrap from Ribitt app

Ribitt’s reward program comes at a time when neighbourhood revitalization and preserving local commerce is a key focus for cities across North America. While Ribitt says there are 27 million “mom and pop” businesses in Canada and the U.S., individually they leave a small footprint and are stunted by the scale of larger retailers and service providers.

“My café and the Ribitt app launched around the same time, so it was a great opportunity to cross-promote each other starting out,” says Lindsay Brock, owner of Amusé Coffee Co. in Peterborough. “Ribitt has been wonderful in terms of gaining awareness for my business and it is a great opportunity for any business that is starting out in a new community or is trying to grow.”

Ribitt is yet another success story coming out of the Peterborough-based Innovation Cluster. As a client of the Innovation Cluster working out of its downtown incubator, Virji and Chowdhury have been able to grow their team, launch their mobile app, partner with stores in Peterborough and Toronto, and raise investment through the Peterborough Region Angel Network.

They have tremendous momentum heading into 2019 and beyond.

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Flying Colours Corp. Breaks Ground For New 100,000 Square Foot Hangar At Peterborough Airport

Global Aviation Services company Flying Colours Corp has broken ground as work starts on building its largest hangar to date at Peterborough Aiport. Industrial construction company Vicano Construction Ltd braved the cool weather to formally begin the fourth phase of expansion plans at the Peterborough, Canada-headquartered company this month. 

On completion in mid-2019, the new building will house a climate controlled, dedicated paint-shop, a spacious hangar large enough to hold up to A220-size aircraft, as well as offices, customer meeting rooms, interiors workshops and a board room. The investment of approximately $25 million will add a further 100,000 square feet to the Peterborough footprint.  

A rendering of the new hangar due to open in mid-2019

More than 100 team members are currently being recruited to bolster the increased demand as the search for maintenance, interiors and paint expertise leads the recruitment drive.

“Our business has grown significantly over the last twelve months and we were running out of space to accommodate all our clients’ requests,” says John Gillespie about the expansion. “Once the building is complete, we will be using it to provide additional capacity for completions, refurbishment and heavy maintenance work scopes on large jet airframes.”

To learn more about Flying Colours, click here.

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A Trent University Nursing Student Is Trent Judo Club's First Female Black Belt

Trent University nursing student Sarah Miller has earned a tremendous honour, becoming Trent Judo Club’s first female black belt. The promotion was made by Sensei Tom Hino and the Trent Judo Club to Sarah, along with the assistance of Sensei Paul Teleki as her Uke partner, at Trent Athletics Centre on Monday (December 10th) evening.

Sarah Miller: “This black belt promotion is truly an honour.”

“This black belt promotion is truly an honour,” says Sarah. “I began Judo at three years old. I was taught discipline, courage, modesty and respect for my fellow Judoka. I learned very quickly that it’s not easy to win, and losing is sometimes harder. Competing at the Canadian Nationals was truly an honour and taking home the bronze medal was great but this milestone allowed me to remember why I love this sport so much. Judo is a part of my life and not a day goes by that I don’t remember what this great sport has taught me.”

Left to right: Eric Guy, Paul Teleki, Sarah Miller & Tom Hino

Sensei Tom Hino says Sarah’s promotion is significant for the following three reasons:

“1. The ratio of men and women is often one sided in Judo, therefore Sarah's black belt promotes positive role modeling for the girls in our Junior classes to be equals among genders.
2. Since the opening of our club in January 2011, we produced 5 Shodan (1st degree) black belt and 1 Ni-dan and Sarah’s accomplishment is a perfect addition to the team.

Sarah holding her Uke partner Paul

3. Sarah is a Trent U student with a heavy workload. Nevertheless she accomplished this feat which indicates Judo training can go hand-in-hand with academic success for all levels of study (from elementary to Ph.D.). Last year, we had a Master Degree student who got Ph.D. as well as his black belt and went on to become a professor at Queens.”

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There Is Free Late Night Transit Service On New Year’s Eve Again This Year

The City of Peterborough is partnering with Wolfe Lawyers for the fourth consecutive year to offer free late night transit service on New Year’s Eve. Last year, 2,476 riders used the free service.

Ride the bus is free of charge on all 12 regular routes between 7:20 p.m. on December 31st and 3:20 a.m. on January 1st. The last bus will leave Peterborough’s downtown terminal at 2:40 a.m. Route maps will be available here.

Handi-Van service will also run during the same hours. Handi-Van trip requests from eligible clients will be accepted until 12:20 a.m. and service will continue until 3:20 a.m. Bookings are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Riders wishing to travel during peak times are encouraged to reserve their trips in advance.

Details regarding the hours of operation will be posted on the “What’s New at Transit” page here and at the downtown Transit Terminal.

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Check Out This Adorable Video Of Riverview Park & Zoo's Stewie Working A Puzzle Feeder

The Riverview Park & Zoo posted an adorable video of a squirrel monkey named Stewie on their Facebook page working a “puzzle feeder” that is getting thousands of views.

Stewie

"An important part of zookeeping is providing daily enrichment for the animals,” the zoo explains in the Facebook post. “Enrichment promotes natural behaviours, enhances mental and physical well-being, and increases an animal’s control over their environment. In addition to all these benefits, it's fun!”

Watch a puzzled Stewie working the feeder to get to his fave food, mealworms…

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Former PCVS Student's Documentary "Youth Unstoppable" To Headline Peterborough ReFrame Film Festival

Youth Unstoppable, a documentary film made by former PCVS student Slater Jewell-Kemker made to amplify youth voices against climate change, will be the opening night film headlining Peterborough’s ReFrame Film Festival at Showplace on Thursday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Jewell-Kemker say that climate change is “actually this incredible opportunity to change everything for the better.” It was while still a student at PCVS that she began her work as a filmmaker-activist chronicling the global youth movement, and most of her early work was made right here in Peterborough.

Slater Jewell-Kemker filming her documentary

Slater moved to the area from Los Angeles when she was 10 years old. “I love this area,” she says. “One of my very first short films, Peace Begins, screened at the ReFrame Film Festival, around the time I started this documentary. It always kind of stuck in my mind, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to come back here when I’m done with this film, to come back to my home area where I can bring my friends and have them see what I’ve been doing for the past ten years?’”

“Slater’s story shows us a way forward in a global crisis that often seems impenetrable, and I know it will foster critical discussion, action, and change amongst all who see it,” says ReFrame Creative Director Amy Siegel.

Scene from her documentary

ReFrame, celebrating its 15th anniversary, will showcase over 60 documentary films at downtown locations—including ten by local filmmakers. ReFrame runs January 24th-27th, 2019.

For more information on the ReFrame lineup and tickets, click here.

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Watch: Lakefield's Instagram Dog Celebrity Owen The Griff In Serena Ryder's New Christmas Video

Millbrook’s pride and joy Serena Ryder, who attended PCVS in Peterborough, has just released a new Christmas video called “Christmas Kisses”. The title track from her very first holiday album, the song spotlights rescue dogs from the Ontario SPCA and dog influencers wearing festive styles.

One of the dog influencers starring in the video is none other than Lakefield’s Owen the Griff, who has 73,000+ fans on Instagram.

Owen the Griff

“One of Serena’s people reached out to us via email,” Owen’s owner/”Momager” Lisa Besseling tells PTBOCanada. “It was filmed at a small studio in Toronto. We were really happy to be a part of this and help bring awareness to supporting animal shelters at this time of year.”

Indeed, the fit was great for Owen the Griff, as he has been an important influencer on Our Pet Project, the Peterborough Humane Society’s capital fundraising campaign to build a new state of the art facility in Peterborough to replace the existing one they are in that opened in 1956.

Watch the video below and spread the word about this great video raising awareness for rescue dogs…

We are proud to partner up with and support the Ontario SPCA this holiday season! Thank you to all the caretakers and volunteers for your continuous hard work and passion to make rescue animals' lives a little bit better and brighter. A special thanks to everyone involved in this video, both dogs and humans!

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