Local Horror Author Strikes Deal With Netflix for Film Adaptation

Author Ian Rogers will have something to scream over as his book “Every House Is Haunted” will become a Netflix movie announced last week.

Ian Rogers won ReLit Award in the “short fiction “ category for Every House is Haunted in 2013. Photo Courtesy of Ian Rogers.

The details of when production is currently unknown but the confirmation was given to Rogers by email about the news over a week ago.

The book is a collection of short horror fiction stories released in 2012 where movie adaptation will feature the novelette, “The House on Ashley Avenue”.

The movie is titled the book’s name over the novelette to make it more recognizable according to Rogers.

Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi of Raimi Productions are the film producers and have hired Rogers as a consultant. Just having them being involved with the film is an honour to the award-winning author.

“I know it’s cliché to say but it’s a dream come true,” said Rogers. “This is massive for my writing career. Having Sam Raimi wanting to do my film together, it’s like Stephen King asking me to do a book together.”

Ian Rogers (pictured) currently resides in Peterborough with his wife Kathryn Verhulst-Rogers, a manager of Communications at Trent University. Photo Courtesy of Ian Rogers.

Rogers’s book is inspired by his normal life with imaginary twists. He says his stories are inspired by places he is close to such as Nova Scotia, Toronto and Peterborough where his family lives, his hometown and his current residence respectively.

The House on Ashley Avenue is inspired by his neighbourhood walks in Toronto he tells PTBOCanada.

“Ashley Avenue is not a real street, I used to go for walks and I was walking in that area,” he said. “It was this really beautiful summer day and there was this immaculate house. When you put a twist, you ask, “What could go wrong on a day as beautiful as this?’”

“Shards” is Rogers’s latest book release where five friends rent a cabin but only four come out alive. His book is available to read online for free. Photo Courtesy of Ian Rogers.

Every House is Haunted has been out of print but Rogers plans to print another edition in time for the movie’s release as stated on his book’s official website.

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Local Pregnancy Service Receives Generous Donation from Women's Organization

Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services received $4,800 from 100 Women Peterborough as their first donor of 2021 on Friday.

Sharon LeBoubon (left) PPSS staff member receiving donations from Pastor Scott Wheeler of Kawartha Community Church. Several churches donate and support PPSS with fundraisers as part of their community involvement. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services

The donation was made on Mar. 26 and came from a majority vote by the volunteers of 100 Women Peterborough after their first virtual meeting of 2021.

“We are proud that we can continue to support organizations in need during this difficult time,” says Wendy Hill of 100 Women Peterborough. “Fundraising has become more difficult for these organizations during the pandemic so our group has never been more important.”

All supplies for clients are donated from local organizations and individuals. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services

“We’re grateful for the 100 Women,” Said Helen DeLuna, Executive Director of PPSS. “They recognize that we’re helping the community.”

The money will be used to renovate the building, replacing the carpet with new hard floors to aid in the cleanliness and sterility of the facility.

The renovations are expected to begin late this month. The clinic has already finished painting and acquired new furniture according to DeLuna.

A donor of a single mother gave the pictured diapers and clothes for PPCC according to DeLuna. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services

PPSS offers pregnancy resources such as parenting classes and a baby boutique supplied by donors. Clients can redeem rewards from taking the educational courses for diapers, toys, clothing and other material resources.

They offer medical-grade pregnancy tests, sexually transmitted infection tests and treatments that are free and confidential.

Every client receives a specialized gift bag during the Christmas season that includes gift cards with the essentials. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services.

100 Women Peterborough is an all-volunteer organization where 100 women meet quarterly, donate $100 each for every meeting totalling $10,000 and give it to charity.

PPSS is located at 473 Aylmer St N. in Peterborough and can call (705) 742-4015 to book an appointment or speak with a nurse.

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Trent University Hosts "Trent Day" For Community Philanthropy Celebration

Trent University will celebrate its inaugural and virtual event, “Trent Day” to showcase school spirit, share empowering stories and promote giving to support student needs on Friday.

Each campus college including the Durham campus will host donation campaigns for their respective houses and their affiliated students. The University will match all donations dollar-for-dollar to the Trent Fund up to $15,000. The fundraiser will last for 24 hours.

“We were looking for creative ways to build more support for students,” said Lee Hays, alumni engagement and services director. “We really got talking about founding values about the community so we thought, how we can celebrate this in a big way on an annual basis.”

The free event will kick off with a virtual music performance from Trent alumni musicians such as The Jerry Cans and I, The Mountain on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. It will be hosted by culinary personalities, sisters and alumni Maddie and Kiki Longo; Canada’s favourite “Female Grill Masters”.

A presentation called “The Last Lecture”, will feature an address by Ryan Palaro, graduating student, Melissa Law, alumnus, Natalie Nelson, LEC academic skills instructor and Professor Bill Smale from the School of Education who will offer their words of inspiration on Friday at 4:00 p.m.

The lecture is meant as a motivating farewell address for graduating students before convocation.

Alumni and this year’s graduating class are encouraged to post memories of their campus experience on social media using the hashtag #TrentDay that will be featured by the university to show school spirit.

“It’s a great way for students and the local community to show how much that community supports them as a student,” said Hays. “We’re also giving thanks to the campus communities.”

Trent Day’s date is a reference to The Trent Act of Apr. 3, 1963. The date the university received its first charter and was founded.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Y-Drive PTBO, Canadian Life Science, Tru Faces, Donna Williams and Hugh Foley

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

Stu somehow missed this business when they launched last year so here’s a shoutout to Y-Drive Ptbo, Peterborough’s home-grown rideshare company.

With 31 drivers, 4000 downloads and 7000 rides completed, co-owners Erica Young and Rob Davidson are justifiably proud of their company growth.

If you have a look at their social media and here on PTBOCanada they’ve found many ways to give back including recently replacing a bike that had been stolen from a young Peterborough boy.

Canadian Life Science is a local company located on Jameson Drive here in Peterborough. They are analytical, chromatography and dissolution products distributors and they recently developed and introduced two rapid response COVID-19 tests, one for antigens, the other for antibodies, with results in 15 minutes. If you are in a point of care, in-patient care setting, check out their website.

Tru Faces is a wonderful new initiative recently launched by sisters Emilee and Hannah. Both visually impaired, the sisters want to build a community where people with disabilities can connect with one another, have someone to talk to and have someone who understands how they feel.

They also want to educate others about disabilities, raise awareness and break a few stereotypes. They have t-shirts for sale, seeking a sponsor to help them build their ambassador program and are looking to build the Tru Faces community.  

Congratulations to Donna Williams who recently announced that after eight years at the Holiday Inn she is moving on to join the team at Vandermeulen Plumbing. 

We also send congrats to Hugh Foley on the publication of his new book: Tales from Seanchai. A fun collection of short stories and lore from Ireland and Canada's Celtic cultures. Just look for Hugh or Theresa Foley on Facebook for details.

 “Like” StoosNews page on Facebook here!

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"Porch Pirates for Good" Community Food Drive to Benefit Kawartha Food Share

Hoist the mainsails because the porch pirates are coming to get your treasure for Kawartha Food Share.

(from left to right) Susan Dunkley, Lois Tuffin, Ashlee Aitken and Megan Murphy taking the “Porch Pirates for Food” gimmick to another level. Every $1 donation gets $6 of food purchasing power for the food drive. Photo Courtesy of Megan Murphy.

“Porch Pirates for Food” volunteers will collect non-perishable foods and/or money left in front of houses for Kawartha Food Share as a food drive campaign on Saturday, Apr. 10.

The event is a twist on the infamous “porch pirate” term where thieves steal delivered items from your doorstep but applying a positive spin.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m., residents are encouraged to leave their donated items in a bag outside their homes either on their porch, driveway or steps in a visible manner for volunteers to pick up.

Any donating businesses will be collected on Friday and can e-mail Susan Dunkley at susan@suzihomemaker.ca to participate. Pickups will run from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The business goal is to collect 20,000 pounds of food said Dunkley in the press release.

Kawartha Food Share warehouse volunteers have been reduced from 50 to 10 to comply with the COVID-19 pandemic. All food is sorted and inspected before being redistributed to the public. Photo courtesy of Megan Murphy.

This is the third food drive campaign run since the COVID-19 pandemic last March. The Spare-A-Square food-raiser drives — in reference to last year’s toilet paper shortage — collected 41,267 pounds of food and over $5,000 in monetary donations according to a press release.

“The need for food has increased by 20 per cent since the pandemic,” says Megan Murphy, event organizer. “I am so excited and so grateful for all of our volunteers and our drives and every community member who was able to leave stuff outside. It’s been a horrible year but this is a way to stay safe and connected.”

Despite no official goal for the community food drive, Murphy would like to see roughly 9,000 pounds in food donations to a grand total of 50,000 pounds from prior collections.

Money can be donated with the goods or online at Kawartha Food Share’s website. Photo Courtesy of Megan Murphy.

On average, 8,700 people are using food banks every month in the City and County of Peterborough with 35 per cent of local food bank users under the age of 18.

If you would like to make an online monetary contribution, you can go online to Kawartha Food Share’s donation page.

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Local Boy Breaks Guinness World Record with Longest Milk Tooth

Peterborough, meet your newest Guinness World Record holder.

Nine-year-old Luke Boulton of Peterborough officially has the Guinness World Record for the longest milk tooth extracted of 2.6 cm.

The tooth was extracted on Sept. 17, 2019, by dentist Dr. Chris McArthur of Liftlock Family Dentistry when Boulton was eight years old at the time.

Luke Boulton (left) with dentist Dr. Chris McArthur (right) after getting their official measurement to submit to Guinness. Photo courtesy of Craig Boulton.

The tooth broke the previous record of 2.4 cm held by 10-year-old Curtis Baddie of Columbus, Ohio set on Feb. 18, 2019.

“It was a bit disturbing at first to think that was in someone’s mouth,” said Craig Boulton, Luke’s father. “It was pretty impressive.”

The adult tooth was growing behind the milk tooth which is why it needed to be extracted according to Craig.

Luke currently has his world-record tooth stored in the blue case. Photo Courtesy of Craig Boulton.

After the tooth extraction, Luke’s oldest sister, Leah, remarked that it could be a world record. That inspired the family to submit an application to Guinness World Records.

The application process took 12 weeks between each submission. An initial application had to be accepted then a formal one had to be submitted. Video evidence, witness accounts and a small biography were elements requested as part of the application process.

The tooth (2.6 cm) is barely shorter than a Loonie’s diameter (2.65 cm). Photo Courtesy of Craig Boulton.

Luke gained immediate fame from his peers and teachers at St. Patrick’s Catholic Elementary School where they announced his world record over the public address system.

He is honoured to be in a with several other great people who are in the world record book according to the submitted biography. Luke wants to open the world record book and show his family and friends his record-breaking achievement.

The official certificate has yet to be issued to Luke however he plans to incorporate the encased tooth with the award once he receives it.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford Announced Four-Week Province-Wide "Emergency Brake"

Ontario will go into at least a four-week, province-wide shutdown on Saturday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an “emergency brake” to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants.

The announcement was made Thursday afternoon in a live stream at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

“This is a new pandemic,” said Ford. “We’re now fighting a new enemy. The new variants are far more dangerous than before. They spread faster and they do more harm than the virus we were fighting last year.”

The shutdown will take effect on Saturday, Apr. 3 at 12:01 a.m.

According to the Government of Ontario, they are urging Ontario to take these safety measures:

You should:

• Stay home as much as possible

• Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with) and stay at least two metres apart from everyone else

• Limit trips outside your home to necessities, such as:

  • Getting food or medication

  • Going to medical appointments

  • Supporting vulnerable community members

  • Child care

  • Getting exercise or walking pets

Always:

• Stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild

• Stay two metres apart from people you don’t live with

• Wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces or any time physical distancing is not possible

Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health outlines the restrictions of the “emergency brake.”

• Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings but outdoor gatherings are limited to a five-person maximum

  • Gatherings with the same household members or one-household gatherings can meet with one other solo household member

• A 50 per cent capacity limit for, grocers, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, pharmacies and other stores that primarily sell food

  • A 25 per cent limit for all other retailers including big box stores

• No personal care services.

• No indoor or outdoor dining however take out, delivery and drive-thru options are permitted

• No indoor or outdoor sports, sports facilities and recreational fitness, with very limited exceptions

• Day camps are not permitted

• Limiting capacity at funerals, weddings and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors and to those who can social distance two metres outdoors. Social gatherings affiliated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors are not included.

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Hometown PTBO: Mark Astrom Recalls Running on the Field During '93 Blue Jays' World Series Walk-Off Home Run

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Mark Astrom of Peterborough. Astrom shares his experience of running onto the field during Joe Carter’s walk-off home run that gave the Toronto Blue Jays back-to-back World Series Championships in 1993.

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Little Lake To Be Renamed "Big Lake" to Create Better Optics for Peterborough

UPDATE: Happy April Fool’s Day!!

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While Little Lake is synonymous with Peterborough like Market Hall, Quaker Oats and the Memorial Centre, sources tell PTBOCanada that there are serious discussions happening behind closed doors regarding a name change to “Big Lake”.

Photo by David Tuan Bui

Attracting more tourists to provide city revenue and giving Peterborough a “big city” feel are some reasons for the change according to the unnamed source.

“Little Lake makes us look small but ‘Big Lake’ reflects the direction the city is going in right now — we’re growing and we have the best amenities including this gorgeous lake,” the source tells us. “When people are attending Musicfest from all over Canada and the world, do we want them to think, ‘Little Lake or Big Lake?'"

Photo by David Tuan Bui

There is no doubt Little Lake has a rich history and name. Adam Scott built a sawmill and grist-mill in 1818 on the south edge of the lake and the settlement of Scott’s Plains would eventually become Peterborough.

The Electric City is moving into a bold new era of innovation, fresh ideas and momentum as it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada. It is why name change advocates say now is the time to call it Big Lake.

PTBOCanada reached out to City Hall but they refused to comment at this time, "We’ve got bigger fish to fry than to comment on that," a staffer told us.

Photo by David Tuan Bui

PTBOCanada editor David Tuan Bui did report seeing a small group of people standing on the deck of The Lighthouse Lounge & Grill overlooking the marina holding. He claims to see them holding renderings of a marketing design that featured the name “BIG LAKE” in all-caps.

“I was taking a walk in beautiful Del Crary Park where I noticed something was going on at the upper deck,” said Bui. “Out of nowhere, I saw the words and thought this would be big news!”

In the Legend of the rendering, it also said “PTBO Fountain”, making us wonder if they are considering changing the name of Centennial Fountain as well.

“Listen, I can neither deny nor confirm the existence of those renderings, but what I can tell you is that Centennial Fountain is the highest jet fountain in Canada,” the source says. "Imagine having the highest jet fountain on Big Lake as opposed to Little Lake? They work well together, especially when combined with boaters and tourists who travel up to the alpha Historic Lift Lock. Big Lake just works better overall.”

Photo by David Tuan Bui

PTBOCanada did an informal poll regarding the possible name change at Del Crary Park and 33% of respondents (we polled three people) did not think it was the worst idea.

“It’s great to be nostalgic about the past, but we have to push forward,” said one respondent. “I mean, it’s not like we’re changing the name of the city, right? It’s a lake. And it actually does look pretty big if you think about it.”

The other two respondents thought it was a bad idea. “If they change the name to Big Lake, I’m moving to Oshawa,” laughed one. “Little Lake foreva!” said the other respondee. “Put that on a Tee!!”

What do you think of a possible name change? Go to our Facebook page and weigh in...

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List of City Services' Availability During Easter Weekend

The City of Peterborough has released a list of city services that will operate, close or have modified hours in observance of Easter weekend from Apr. 2 to 5.

Garbage and recycling pickup will only affect residents who have theirs on Fridays which will be moved to Monday. Photo by David Tuan Bui

City Hall

City Hall will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2 and Monday, Apr. 5, 2021. Online services are available at the City of Petebrorough’s website.

Arenas Division

The Arenas Division office will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2 and Monday, Apr. 5. Arena bookings and ice rentals are closed Friday, Apr. 2 and open from noon to 9:00 p.m. on Monday, Apr. 5.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic will operate in the Evinrude Multipurpose Room for scheduled appointments only.

Transit

Peterborough Transit will operate on a holiday service schedule on Friday, Apr. 2. There are no changes to weekend service schedules and regular service will operate on Monday, Apr. 5. Please visit the website or call 705-745-0525 for detailed schedules.

Garbage and recycling collection and facilities

Curbside collection

Curbside waste collection for Friday, Apr. 2, 2021 moves to Monday, Apr. 5. Residents must have garbage and recycling at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on Apr. 5. All other collection that week remains unchanged.

Landfill

The City-County Landfill at 1260 Bensfort Rd. will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2. It will be open on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The landfill is closed Sunday and open on Monday, Apr. 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Household Hazardous Waste Depot

The Household Hazardous Waste Depot at 400 Pido Rd. will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2 and open Saturday, Apr. 3 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 

Sport and Wellness Centre

The Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre will be closed on Friday, April 2, 2021. On Monday, April 5 the Centre will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The Centre’s advanced reservation will reflect the reduced hours.

Peterborough Public Library

The Library will be closed from Friday, Apr. 2 through Monday, Apr. 5. Curbside pickup will not be available during this time. Regular operations at the Library will resume Tuesday, April 6.

Art Gallery of Peterborough

The Art Gallery of Peterborough will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2. Appointments are available for Saturday and Sunday between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Visitors are asked to call 705-743-9179 to book their visit.

Peterborough Museum and Archives

The Museum will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2. The Museum is open to visitors by appointment only with bookings available for Saturday, Apr. 3, Sunday, Apr. 4 and Monday, Apr. 5. Please call the Museum at 705-743-5180 or book your appointment online. Current exhibit information is available on the Museum website.

Provincial Offences Act office

The Provincial Offences Act office at 99 Simcoe St. will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2 and Monday, Apr. 5.

Social Services office

The Social Services office at 178 Charlotte St. will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2 and Monday, Apr. 5. Emergency shelter services remain open: call 705-926-0096 after hours, during weekends and on holidays.

Child care centres

City-operated child care centres will be closed on Friday, Apr. 2 and Monday, Apr. 5.

Public Works

The Public Works phone at 705-745-1386 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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