60 New Canadians Laced Up Skates For Very First Time Before Peterborough Petes Game Last Night

The Peterborough Petes won in OT 6-5 over the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday night, moving them into first place in the Ontario Hockey League.

But it was what happened on the Memorial Centre ice before the game that made the night extra special.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Petes

The Petes teamed up with Rebound Skates and Golf to bring 60 new Canadians to the Peterborough Memorial Centre to try hockey.

For many, it was their first time on skates—a local girls team helped them learn—and their first time taking in a live hockey game.

Photo courtesy Peterborough petes

The night was a collaboration between the Peterborough Petes organization and New Canadians Centre in Peterborough. The skaters ranged in age from 6 to 60, with the bulk of them being tweens and teens.

Try Hockey Night is well underway and our friends from @NCC_Ptbo are having a great time!

Sending our thanks to Rebound Skates and Golf for helping make today happen!#HockeyIsForEveryone #Community pic.twitter.com/B5lFk8f8ZL

— Peterborough Petes (@PetesOHLhockey) November 14, 2019

Young Canadian girls teaching new Canadians the game of hockey tonight in @Ptbo_Canada prior to @PetesOHLhockey game. #HockeyWithHeart #Leaders #RoleModels #PtboProud pic.twitter.com/XShFJKd1sh

— Pete Dalliday (@petedalliday) November 14, 2019

It was a truly special night that these newcomers will never forget as hockey once again brought the community together.

Watch video from their pre-game skate here…

Best thing ever: New Canadians, mostly from Sudan, Syria, and the Philippines, hitting the ice for the very first time before tonight’s Peterborough Petes game, and getting taught how to skate by local girls teams. (video by @ScottArnold12) pic.twitter.com/10r1Sx7k2H

— PTBO_CANADA 🇨🇦 (@Ptbo_Canada) November 14, 2019

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LLF Lawyers Pledges $25,000 To Peterborough Humane Society Our Pet Project Campaign

Our Pet Project, the Peterborough Humane Society’s campaign to build its first-of-its-kind Animal Care Centre, has received a $25,000 pledge towards the new Centre from Peterborough-based LLF Lawyers.

“We are so excited to be a part of Our Pet Project to build the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre,” says Joe Grant, Associate at LLF, who adopted a dog there five years ago. “We are all animal lovers and have been supporters of the Humane Society for many years. Anyone who has been to the current facility can attest to the great work being done as the largest animal shelter in Peterborough County and the only open admission facility.”

Joe Grant, Associate at LLF, and his dog, Molly, who he adopted from PHS 5 years ago

The Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) was established in 1941, and the current shelter was built in 1956 and designed initially as a pound. While the current site has served the community well for the last 60-plus years, PHS has outgrown the space and is caring for more animals than ever before.

In the new, purpose-built facility, animals will have more room and will experience less noise and stress, thereby reducing anxiety and setting them up for a greater opportunity to meet their perfect family.

“In addition to what this Centre will do for our four-legged friends, we’re looking forward to the impact it will have on our local and regional economy,” says Bill Lockington, LLF Founding Partner. “By bringing 20 full-time equivalent positions, and impacting 50 jobs in the design and construction, this local project will create needed, meaningful employment and help attract and retain top veterinary talent to Peterborough and the Kawarthas.”

Joe Grant also has a rescue cat, Steve

Designed by Peterborough-based Lett Architects, the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre will sit on 20 acres of land on Technology Drive and will be home to the Humane Society’s new Adoption and Education Centre that will serve as a community hub, while allowing for expansion of the Humane Society’s outreach, education and advocacy programs.

“We are very excited that LLF has made Our Pet Project their pet project too,” says Shawn Morey, Executive Director at the Peterborough Humane Society. “Our vision is to lead the way in animal welfare in Canada, and this donation takes us another step closer to achieving this goal.”

Fundraising for the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre is now well over the halfway mark, with several families and businesses pledging their contributions in the last couple of months.

[Related: 5 Things You May Not Know About PHS; How The New PHS Will Be Gamechanger For Animal Welfare]

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Get Your Holiday Shopping Passport For Chance To Win Up To $3,000 In Downtown Money

There are nearly 150 places downtown this holiday season where you can shop with your Holiday Shopping Passport and collect stamps for your chance to win big.

Bring your passport downtown when you shop, dine, and pamper yourself. Get your passport stamped when you buy tickets at the box office at Showplace Performance Centre and Market Hall in downtown Peterborough. Collect a free stamp when you use the Peterborough Public Library or get a complimentary one when you drop by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Visitor Centre at 270 George Street North (limit one stamp per person).

Left to right: Wendy Gillis, DBIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Terry Guiel and Malissa Almond hold up a giant Holiday Shopping Passport as they celebrate the kick-off of the annual downtown shopping program at Save Our Soles (Photo courtesy DBIA)

The passports feature three early bird prizes of $500 in downtown money to be drawn December 4th, 11th and 18th, with the grand prize of $1,500 in downtown money to be drawn January 8th.

The Holiday Shopping Passports program rewards people for supporting local businesses by shopping, dining and enjoying downtown. Last year’s program saw shoppers stamp more than $2 million worth of Holiday Shopping Passports.

HOW IT WORKS

-> Every time you spend $10 at a participating business, a box on your passport will be stamped.
-> When your passport is filled (20 stamps), complete the form and drop it off at a ballot box at one of the participating businesses.
-> Each completed passport is a ballot for a draw to win downtown money.  

Bring your Holiday Shopping Passport downtown on November 29th for Black Friday as more than 100 downtown businesses put on some of the biggest sales of the year. Keep in mind that parking is free for two hours in downtown Peterborough on Fridays in November, and seven days a week in December, courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Check out downtownptbo.ca for the full list of participating passport locations.

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The Ontario SPCA & Peterborough Humane Society Kicks Off iAdopt For Holidays Adoption Campaign

The Ontario SPCA and Peterborough Humane Society is asking you to add a special someone to your holiday list—and family. Give an animal the gift of a loving home during iAdopt for the Holidays, a national adoption campaign to find homes for as many animals as possible during a time of year when families are together and can help their new pet settle in.

iAdopt for the Holidays is a program of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society that runs until December 31 at participating SPCAs, Humane Societies and rescue groups across Canada. Last year, more than 3,600 animals from across Canada found their forever homes during the iAdopt for the Holidays campaign. 

“The holidays are actually a great time to welcome a new furry companion into your life,” says Daryl Vaillancourt, Chief, Humane Programs & Community Outreach, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “Together as a family, you can spend time with your new pet and help them settle into their new home. Our focus is finding the right home for every adoptable animal to help ensure the matches we make are lifetime matches.”

Potential adopters take part in the science-based Meet Your Match® program, which matches their personality and lifestyle with the animals awaiting adoption. The adoption process, which is used at all 12 Ontario SPCA and Humane Society animal centres across Ontario including Peterborough, helps ensure adopters are going home with their most compatible match. 

All cats and dogs available through the Ontario SPCA are spayed or neutered, microchipped, up-to-date on vaccinations and come with a gift of one month of pet insurance.

Animals adopted from the Ontario SPCA or the Peterborough Humane Society during the iAdopt for the Holidays campaign will be entered in a draw for a chance to win free pet food for a year from Royal Canin. 

To change an animal’s life during iAdopt for Holidays, visit iadopt.ca.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Fur A Walk, Electric City Works & 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…

When Cheryl Downer said she was “taking the dog fur a walk...” little did she know that she had just named her new business. Fur A Walk offers dog walking, puppy, kitty, and senior pet visits, and pet chauffeur services if you just need to get your pet to the vet or the groomers. Plus they have pet sitting and boarding as well. Available within Peterborough City and surrounding area, they are open seven days a week. Check out furawalk.ca for more info.

Electric City Works is the exciting next chapter for Chalk Therapy owners Tara Lee and Adam Genge. Finalists in the 2017 Win This Space Competition, they opened their first location on Erskine Avenue. Continuous growth and multiple connections with other local artisans triggered the creation of Electric City Works, a maker’s space and market space for over 20 local makers and artists. Buy a special gift, watch it being made, or learn how to make it—it’s all at Electric City Works. Located at 200 Charlotte Street, the Grand Opening celebration is Friday, November 15th from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Sweat Happy Wellness owners Kent and Becky Sheehey recently expanded their Lindsay-based Reformer Pilates business into Peterborough. Reformer Pilates is a machine based system insuring correct posture and alignment. With small classes of 6, they offer lots of personal attention. Located at 87 Adelaide Street in Lindsay, the new Peterborough facility is at Pulse Physio at 866 Chemong road. Visit sweathappywellness.com for more info.

PTBOStrong was formed earlier this year due to the opioid and homelessness crisis facing Peterborough. PTBOStrong aims to raise awareness, education and funds, which will go toward a safe consumption site, local support, and eventually a healing lodge. Fundraising efforts have included concerts, merchandise, and now a new restaurant coupon book featuring 51 local restaurants with Buy one, Get One Free and other offers. A $1000 value for $30! Pick them up at the Chamber of Commerce, Hiawatha First Nation, PJ’s Diner on Sherbrooke, Reggie’s Hot Grill, Aviemore and more. For details, visit peterboroughstrong.com.


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Fleming College Teams Up With Trent University To Cleanup Shoreline At Del Crary Park

Fleming College teamed up with Trent University and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada’s Living Planet @ Campus to host the 3rd Annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup at Del Crary Park on Saturday, November 2nd.

Together, with 61 volunteers including Fleming students, staff and members of the community, the initiative made the following impact:

• Cleaned up over 161.5 lbs. of trash

• Picked up 2,960 cigarette butts

• Picked up 278 pieces of plastic

• Picked up 249 food wrappers

• Picked up 187 pieces of paper

Photo courtesy Fleming College

“Pollution is a growing concern, and when it collects in our local parks and directly affects our wildlife populations, we all have an obligation to make a difference,” says Fleming College President Maureen Adamson. “We are very proud of this initiative, and of our staff and students, and all who participated and made their contribution to our community.”

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is an initiative that encourages the community to take action towards keeping shorelines clean, increasing awareness around proper waste diversion and the ways it affects water and aquatic habitats.

To learn more about Fleming’s sustainability initiatives, click here.

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World War 1 Medals Were Returned To Peterborough Woman After Amazing Discovery At Habitat For Humanity ReStore In Peterborough

Peterborough’s Catherine Allen, a resident at Princess Gardens Retirement Residence, had a surprise and surreal moment when she found out a significant collection of World War I medals that belonged to her father and grandfather that she had no idea were missing were returned to her by Habitat for Humanity ReStore staff.

Indeed, while every donation at ReStore can lead to a new adventure, this one at their north-end location in Peterborough definitely topped them all.

Somehow Catherine’s family medals and a swagger stick—carried by a uniformed person as a symbol of authority—landed in the bottom of a donation box there, and staff worked diligently to return them to their rightful owner.

Catherine Allen pictured with Jill Bennett from Habitat Peterborough (photo by Neil Morton)

“We knew this collection was sentimental and had to be returned to the family,” says Christina Skuce, Director of Philanthropy & Communications with Habitat Peterborough.

Habitat Peterborough board member Jill Bennett took it upon herself to find the family, spending weeks in places like Ancestry.ca and elsewhere in the course of her sleuthing, investigating the origins of the medals.

Through Bennett’s research, and the help of Major W.G. Campbell, Medals Advisor with The Royal Canadian Legion, she was able to trace the medals to Major George Raymore Scott and Honourary Captain Reverend Andrew Joseph Vining.

Catherine Allen with the found medals (photo by Neil Morton)

From there, the medals were traced to Catherine Allen, a ninetysomething relative living in Peterborough at Princess Gardens. Catherine is the daughter of Major Scott and granddaughter of Reverend Vining (father-in-law of Major Scott).

The medals in the collection include a Silver Jubilee Medal (1935), Victory Medal (1914-1918) and a British War Medal (1914-1918), all awarded to Reverend Vining. The collection also includes a British Coronation Medal (1937), Canadian Efficiency Decoration (1940), Victory Medal (1914-1918), and a British War Medal (1914-1918), all awarded to Major Scott. The collection also includes a swagger stick stamped with Major Scott’s initials. (Major Scott was a doctor in Peterborough and in 1946 founded the Scott Medical Clinic on George Street.)

“This is an important piece of a family’s history and I was honoured to do my part to reunite this precious collection with its rightful owners,” says Bennett.

One thing’s for sure: This Remembrance Day has become extra special for Catherine and her family.

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Otonabee Conservation Planted 43,494 Trees & Shrubs Throughout Otonabee Region Watershed In 2019

Otonabee Conservation wrapped up the fall tree planting season on November 5th by planting a Sugar Maple at Memorial Park in partnership with City of Kawartha Lakes.

In 2019, Otonabee Conservation conducted plantings on 24 sites throughout the watershed, putting 43,494 native trees and shrubs in the ground. Their plantings engaged over 450 students and volunteers from across the region.

Photo courtesy Otonabee Conservation

“Planting trees is as an effective way to mitigate climate change by removing atmospheric CO2 from the air,” say Dan Marinigh, CAO of Otonabee Conservation. “Working with landowners and partners to plant trees is a great way for us to work together to build natural resilience in our watershed.” 

When trees are first planted, a large proportion of the annual exchange of CO2 goes into growing the tree’s woody biomass. As a tree grows, it continues to sequester carbon through its annual growth rings, along with a proportion that is drawn from leaf litter, which becomes incorporated into the soil below the tree each fall. Trees are beneficial for many reasons: They clean the air, help us to stabilize soils, increase the value of property, create habitat, and improve our health.

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Shelby Leonard-Watt Selected As Local Coordinator For Peterborough Chapter Of The Shoebox Project

Peterborough’s Shelby Leonard-Watt, co-owner of Save Our Soles, has been selected as the Local Coordinator for the Peterborough Chapter of The Shoebox Project for Women.

The Showbox Project, founded in 2011 in Toronto, collects and distributes gifts in the form of Shoeboxes to women at-risk of homelessness in Canada and the United States. It formed after noticing there were many opportunities to provide gifts to children experiencing homelessness during the holiday season but no such gift drives for their mothers. Wanting to make the holiday season a little brighter for some local women, they decided to ask friends and acquaintances to fill a Shoebox with gifts for the holidays, and it took off from there.

Shelby Leonard-Watt (supplied photo)

Locally, the Shoebox Project will collect and distribute gift-filled Shoeboxes to women in the Peterborough area impacted by homelessness. Each thoughtfully curated and decorated Shoebox is created to share empathy, kindness, and compassion.

“My vision is that we can have an impact on the women in Peterborough and surrounding areas,” says Leonard-Watt. “Starting a Local Chapter is going to be incredibly rewarding but it will only work with your help solemates. Let’s make the Peterborough Chapter of the Shoebox Project the best chapter out there!”

Photo of Shelby via Save our Soles Facebook page

To learn more about the project or get involved, email here and follow on Instagram here.

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Local Artisans Raise Funds for Jamaican Projects Through Annual Event

Jamaican Self-Help (JSH) is hosting the 13th Annual Artisan Show and Sale on November 23rd and 24th with proceeds supporting youth and educational projects in Jamaica. The event brings together over 20 of the community’s finest artisans who will be at Mark Street United Church showcasing a diverse selection of quality art and craft. Artisans will donate 20 percent of their sales to JSH.

At the show, you will find an impressive variety of hand-crafted items including pottery, textile and fabric arts, knitted and woven items, beeswax products, metal and wood work, photography, silver and gemstone jewelry, fresh wreaths and much more. A variety of baked goods and preserves will also be for sale. Admission is free but donations at the door are greatly appreciated. Debit, Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Photo courtesy Jamaican Self-Help

Over its 12-year history, The Artisan Show and Sale has raised more than $38,500, directly funding projects located in Kingston, Jamaica that are developed and managed by partner schools. Fundraising for the show is dependent on local artisans who donate a generous portion of their sales. A number of artisans who will be exhibiting this year have been supporting the show since its inception in 2007.

All are welcome to enjoy the Artisan Show & Sale on Saturday, November 23 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, November 24 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at Mark Street United Church (90 Hunter St. East.)

For more info, click here.

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