Central Smith Creamery Ice Cream Social Raises $13,420.25 For PRHC Foundation

Central Smith Creamery has announced that their Ice Cream Social on July 20th raised $13,420.25 for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation.

“The hospital has always been near and dear to our hearts,” says Jenn Scates, Vice-President of Marketing for Central Smith Creamery. “We are so fortunate to have a state-of-the-art, accredited hospital right in our community. The doctors and nurses are so committed and passionate about helping people get better. This is our way of saying thank you for the great care!”

Cheque presentation at Central Smith (photo courtesy PRHC Foundation)

With all proceeds from the day being donated to the PRHC Foundation, ice cream eaters were encouraged to say thank you for great care to the doctors and nurses at Peterborough Regional Health Centre by purchasing a $2 tribute card at the checkout, among other fundraising activities at the event. A whopping 1,500 tributes were generated.

On Thursday, July 25th, staff at Peterborough Regional Health Centre were in for a real treat when Central Smith arrived in the cafeteria over lunch hour to scoop free ice cream. The local ice cream company wanted to personally say thank the doctors and nurses who work tirelessly to deliver great care to the community.

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The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper Announced By 4th Line Theatre As December Production

4th Line Theatre in Millbrook has announced a brand new off-season production for Christmas 2019 called The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper.

Written by Lindy Finlan and directed by Kim Blackwell, The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper is a Nancy Drew-style mystery. Set in the 1960s in Millbrook, a church congregation is divided when props and costumes for the upcoming Christmas concert go missing. The Needlers, a band comprised of local young people, are accused of being the culprits. Tensions mount and The Needlers take to the streets of Millbrook to solve the mystery and clear their names.

Lindy Finlan: Playwright, The Fool of Cavan: A christmas caper (Photo by Tristan Peirce Photography)

Like previous 4th Line off season productions, The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper will take audiences on an adventure through the streets of Millbrook as they try to solve the mystery. 

The production will have a 10-performance run beginning on December 3rd and closing on the 14th. Audiences attending the performances on December 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th and 14th will have the added treat of a Christmas-themed music concert after the show.

Kim Blackwell: Director, The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper

The plays are not performed at the Winslow Farm. The production travels up and down dark paths and over uneven terrain for approximately 1 km. 4th Line asks each patron to dress for the weather, wear appropriate footwear and bring a flashlight with them to the performance. The performances will go on rain, snow or shine. 

DETAILS:

The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper

Written by Lindy Finlan

Directed by Kim Blackwell

Location: St. Thomas Anglican Church (16 Centre Street, Millbrook)

Tickets are on sale now. Call 705-932-4445 or 1-800-814-0055

4THLINETHEATRE.ON.CA

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Kit Coffee, Taso's Restaurant And Pizzeria & More!

PTBOCanada is delighted to to be running StooNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

Last year Swish Maintenance and their Charlotte Products division introduced a camera that can identify invisible pathogens. Called OptiSolve, the camera can reveal invisible contamination on surfaces. It might look clean, but is it really clean? It’s an amazing technology that can help your company or institution perform an audit and establish cleaning systems that can not only elevate your standards, but give you a competitive edge. Diane Richard of Diatom Consulting has been contracted by Swish to bring Optisolve to market. If you are in the healthcare, food, office, or hospitality sectors, check it out at diatomconsulting.ca or optisolve.net.

Lots of recent activity in Peterborough’s Downtown core with the opening of several new businesses, including Taso’s Restaurant and Pizzeria. A family owned Greek and Italian restaurant, you’ll find their Homemade Signature Pizza, Pasta, Gyro, Fresh Ground Burgers, an eight-layer lasagna and lots more. Daily Specials, Gluten-Free and Vegan options are also available. Located across from Showplace, you can find Taso’s on Facebook.

Taso’s 8-layer lasagna

Illume Room Cosmetic Teeth Whitening owner Emma Pineo was one of the DBIA's Win this Space Top 10 contestants. Her new shop is located at 414 George Street in the former Spill location. Emma offers laser teeth whitening, spray tanning and a complete retail product line as well. Call 705.768.5130 or go online at illumeroom.com.

Illume Room owner Emma Pineo

At Kit Coffee Espresso Bar & Bake shop at 144 Hunter Street, owner Helen McCarthy offers an espresso bar and bakeshop in a cozy, bright space, serving everything from traditional cafe eats and drinks to Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, plant based, and kid friendly options. Go to Kitcoffeeptbo.ca for more info.

Kit Coffee owner Helen McCarthy

”Like” StoosNews page on Facebook here!

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Feature Film Beacon Street Shooting Scenes In Downtown Millbrook

The beautiful town of Millbrook near Peterborough, which is often used for scenes on TV series and movies, has once again been transformed into a set for Beacon Street, a new feature film in production being filmed on location there for several days.

Many of the stores and cafes in town have been transformed for scenes in this Netflix movie, including the local Home Hardware, which is now Rudolph’s Dry Tack & Hardware…

The Millbrook Business Improvement Area posted to their Facebook page video of all the people from the film production supporting business in the community, including the Pastry Peddlar…

Here are a couple more pictures from the set…

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22 Nations Competing At World Lacrosse U19 Championships In Peterborough

The opening ceremonies of the 2019 World Lacrosse U19 Women’s Lacrosse Championships at Trent University will honour the origins of the sport within Indigenous nations alongside 21 additional teams.

The ceremony on Wednesday, July 31st at 6 p.m. at Justin Chiu Stadium at Trent officially opens the U19 Championships. Over the next 10 days, 22 nations—including the Haudenosaunee—will compete in games at Trent and at Fleming College. Canada will defend its 2015 World Championship with Team Canada alumnus Allison Daley on the bench as associate coach.

The modern game of lacrosse originated with the Haudenosaunee and has been played among them for centuries. It is known as Teiontshihkwa:’eks (pronounced Day yoo chee gwa ecks), meaning the “ball and stick” game, as well as Tewa’a:raton (pronounced Day wa awe law doo), meaning the “netted stick” in the Mohawk language. It was passed among different Indigenous nations including the Anishinaabe as a way to settle disputes and heal the body and mind.

“As a reflection of Indigenous communities who began this sport, we are opening our event with a focus on the people who first played this great game,” says co-chair Cheryl MacNeill, a Team Canada alumnus from 1987, who referees the sport around the world. “We are looking forward to seeing teams come together from six continents, many of them for the first time at games of this calibre.”

Field lacrosse is now one of the fastest growing sports in North America, with a record number of teams playing in the women’s U19 games this summer. When Peterborough hosted this event in 2007, 11 teams competed. Now, twice as many teams will take to the field.

The Haudenosaunee will lead the teams entering the stadium, followed by 20 visiting teams in alphabetical order, accompanied by bagpipers. Team Canada will enter last. All teams will be introduced in English, French and Anishinabemowin, then circle the stadium around the Armour Hill drum group.

The opening ceremonies are free for the public to attend. Seating will be limited so guests are encouraged to come early to participate.

Additional games will be played at Fleming College as well and the event’s final banquet will be hosted there on August 10th.

The full schedule for the games is available here.

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The Ferris Wheel Is Returning To Peterborough Ex

Organizers of the Peterborough Ex have contracted Magical Midways to be their midway operator for this summer’s Peterborough Ex, which runs August 8th-11th at Morrow Park.

Peterborough Ex attendees can expect to see a new mix of rides for thrill-seekers, families and little children—and the always-popular Ferris Wheel will be making a return.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Ex

“We’ve been hearing that Peterborough has been looking for more variety and better value from our midway,” says Ryan Moore, President of the Peterborough Agricultural Society, which runs the Ex. “Magical Midways has a wide selection of midway games and rides that we are excited to be bringing to this year’s Ex.”

The family-run operator has been providing midway fun for three generations and have been involved in fairs and exhibitions throughout Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Ex

Advance ride-all-day midway passes will be available for $25 (regularly priced $40) and are available online or at The Peterborough Ex Office, Starfra Feeds, Sunderland Co-Op, Morello’s Independent and Craft Works at the Barn.

Admission passes for all four days are $10 per person and children under five are free. For more information, to volunteer or sponsor the Ex—now in its 174th year—visit peterboroughex.ca.

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The Sheepdogs To Totally Rock Peterborough Musicfest This Wednesday

Peterborough Musicfest presents three-time Juno Award-winning The Sheepdogs on Wednesday, July 24, at 8 p.m.

Formed in 2006 in Saskatoon by Ewan Currie, Ryan Gullen, Sam Corbett and Leot Hanson, The Sheepdogs self-released their first three albums with the third disc, 2010’s Learn & Burn, eventually certified platinum in Canada, and upon its re-release in 2011, bringing the band three 2012 Juno Awards: Single of the Year for “I Don’t Know”, Rock Album of the Year and New Group of the Year.

The Sheepdogs (Photo via Sheepdogs Facebook page)

Buoyed by their appearance on the August 2011 cover of Rolling Stone, The Sheepdogs released a self-titled album in 2012 which spawned the hit songs Feeling Good and The Way It Is.

With Rusty Matyas in the mix, replacing the departed Hanson, the band recorded its fifth studio album, Future Nostalgia, in 2015. That same year saw more band personnel additions in the form of Jimmy Bowskill and, later, Currie’s brother Shamus.

Photo courtesy Peterborough musicfest

The Sheepdogs’ latest album release, 2018’s Changing Colours, saw the band nominated in two categories at the 2019 Juno Awards. It features the singles Nobody, Saturday Night and I’ve Got A Hole Where My Heart Should Be, which hit No. 1 on the Canadian rock charts.

If you haven’t seen them play, don’t miss their show this Wednesday under the stars at Musicfest on the banks of Little Lake.

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New Local Theatre Company Grassboots Theatre Launches

Actors and theatre-makers Peyton Le Barr and Chris Whidden have started a new theatre company called Grassboots Theatre, and they are making their debut this summer with an evening of storytelling and a production at Artspace on July 25th.

Chris Whidden and Peyton Le Barr (Photo by Matthew Hayes)

ABOUT PEYTON LE BARR

Le Barr is an established actor who has performed in the UK, Russia and Canada. She has worked alongside top directors in Toronto and has been a guest artist at Humber College, teaching an introduction to site-specific performance. She works with Peterborough’s Public Energy Performing Arts in production. 

Peyton Le Barr (Photo by Ian Brown)

ABOUT CHRIS WHIDDEN

Whidden, a graduate from Ryerson University’s acting program, is a writer and performer with a focus on mask and clown. As a performer, Chris has become an active emerging artist. In addition to his work onstage, Chris has written multiple plays performed in Toronto including Roaring Robert, which was presented by Shadowpath Theatre to a sold-out run at the Toronto Fringe.

Chris Whidden (Photo by Ian Brown)

Peyton and Chris have purchased a farm in Havelock near Peterborough, and are currently renovating the property to create an outdoor theatre studio. Down the line, they intend to offer the space as an artist retreat to local artists.

Their first event at Artspace, “Share Off! An Open-Mic For Storytellers”, is an evening of storytelling taking place on July 25th at 7 p.m. Participants from the community will share their own true stories (5 minutes or less) following the theme of Firsts. “It seemed like a fun and unique way to learn more about the people of Peterborough on a more personal level,” says Le Barr.

Community members are encouraged to sign up as a storyteller or just come and watch. Spots are limited, so interested storytellers should register in advance here.

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Temporary Overflow Shelter Beds Added At Peterborough Public Library As Homeless Crisis Grows

With the Tent City at Victoria Park (see pictures) growing in numbers—and this area in the midst of a heat wave and possibility of severe thunderstorms—the community is acting.

Youth Emergency Shelter, Brock Mission, Fourcast, United Way of Peterborough and District, and the City of Peterborough are partnering to temporarily open 15 overflow beds at Peterborough Public Library, plus another 15 overflow beds at the Youth Emergency Shelter.

Photo of Tent City by Neil Morton, PTBOCanada

COORDINATED APPROACH TO OVERFLOW BEDS

Peterborough Social Services is coordinating intake at the Peterborough Public Library when the overflow bed space opens at 9 p.m. each night. People will be directed to available space at a shelter—Brock Mission, Cameron House, or Youth Emergency Shelter—or to one of the overflow shelter beds at the Library or Youth Emergency Shelter.

People who use the overflow beds will be asked to be out of the space by 8 a.m. each morning.

The coordinated approach to providing overflow beds will also connect people with support services and housing programs. Housing first is the goal rather than having people live in shelters.

In the meantime, the City is working with community partners to secure a longer-term location for the provision of overflow beds.

Photo of Tent City by Neil Morton, PTBOCanada

Youth Emergency Shelter has been able to make the space for 15 overflow beds available for individuals of all ages, even though it normally only provides beds for youth and families. The shelter and housing providers have been able to move families into housing and other accommodations, which has opened up space for overflow beds as a temporary service.

Homeless people who are camping at the Tent City and elsewhere should go to the Library at 9 p.m. to speak with staff who will connect them with a shelter or overflow bed. The City is asking people not to camp in public spaces that are not meant for that type of use.

Photo of Tent City by Neil Morton, PTBOCanada

The overflow bed service was temporarily shut down on Canada Day when the service provider Warming Room’s lease expired for the former location on Murray Street. On the last night that the service was at the Warming Room, there were 29 people using overflow beds.

Warming Executive Director Christian Harvey told CBC Ontario Morning on Thursday (July 18th) that the Warming Room is still trying to secure a new location after getting a few leads for possible spots.

The City of Peterborough says that shelter bed availability can change each day. Last week, there were as many as about 25 beds available in the shelter system. On July 17th, there were six beds available at Cameron House for women, three beds available at Youth Emergency Shelter for youth, and no beds available at the Brock Mission for men.

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