Local Author Releases Book Excerpt of Tony Hawk's Peterborough Appearance

Local author Tony Cosgray released excerpts of his upcoming book, “Tales From The Dead City” which references legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and his Peterborough appearance over 30 years ago on Tuesday.

Cosgray’s book, written for his children, tells his life of growing up in Peterborough as a metalhead in the 80s and 90s.

Hawk made an appearance at M&J’s Skatetown in Peterborough in December of 1989 skating with Ray Underhill and local skateboarders. Below is the excerpt of Cosgray’s book describing the legendary skateboarder’s appearance from local witnesses.

I first met Norm Macdonald at Trent Radio. I think he might have been playing Black Flag or Beastie Boys. His music tastes immediately grabbed my attention and we started chatting. First thing that set Norm apart from everyone else at the radio station is that he was much older than the rest of us. He looked like someone’s father. We talked about music for some time. I remember him telling me about Led Zeppelin playing at The Rock Pile [Masonic Temple] with Teegarden & Van Winkle in 1969.

Norm had a couple of shows on Trent Radio. One was an album rock show ‘Never Made it To Top 40’ and another was ‘Sessions - Skate Music’. He explained to me that he was mostly doing the Sk8 show on Trent Radio… where he would play bands like NoFx and Bad Religion to help him market his indoor skate park. At the time, I didn’t even know that we had an indoor skate park in town. My first thought was ‘cool another spot for shows’. Turns out Norm was in fact someone’s father. His two sons Mike and Jamie were heavily into skateboarding so to encourage them Norm decided to open up M&J’s Skatetown [Named after his children] at 810 Rye St. sometime in 1988.

From what I remember… When you went into M&J’s the walls were filled with skate decks for sale. Even after the park closed Norm continued on with the distribution of decks. There was a counter where they sold trucks, wheels, stickers and ‘Thrasher Magazine’. A television sat on the counter which played Sk8 related videos. After the waivers would be filled out, to the left behind the counter there was a hallway that led into the first room in the park. On the right was a couple of back-to-back pipes they called ‘bigtime’. First time I walked past that I saw a kid on a bike come down straight on his neck. I don’t know how Norm didn’t have a heart attack every day watching that stuff.

Further down the hall and through a door was an even larger room with a vert ramp at the back and a few smaller ones closer to the entrance.

In December of 1989 eighteen-year-old legend Tony Hawk and 27-year-old Ray Underhill skating for Powell & Peraltas ‘Bones Brigade came up from California to skate at Norm Macdonald’s M&J Skatetown. There is some various youtube footage of them skating there. An amazing video exists of Tony Hawk clearing the gap between the backroom vert ramp over to the middle ‘playland’ one.

Norm Macdonald remembers:

“...I paid $3,500 appearance fee plus accommodation, food and airfare for Tony [Hawk]. Ray was paid for by Powell Peralta. What are icons and legends to some are guys I have known since they were young. Ray Underhill and I were close right until the day he died…”

Etienne Rene remembers:

“...The first spine ramp in the first room was called bigtime! The back ramp in the second room was a nine-foot vert ramp and the spine ramp that Tony [Hawk] transferred to was called playland. There was also a hip ramp next to playland and a 6 foot next to the hip ramp. Plus a 3 foot as well. The park did change the layout a few times but that was the layout when Tony [Hawk] was there…

Norm Macdonald remembers:

“...Only one Vert ramp, but a series of mini ramps. First Spine ramp was Playland in the back room. Big Time had two spines one which was cut to make the first deck spine in Canada…”

Norm had a loud sound system hanging above the halfpipes that would pump out Ministry, Faith No More and Nirvana.

Norm Macdonald remembers:

“...Tony [Hawk] turned me onto Ministry and Ray [Underhill] to Sisters of Mercy…”

“Although I never skated, I knew enough to be aware that this place was a really, really big deal. M&J’s Skatetown had gone all out, making the spot one of North America’s leading indoor parks.”

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City Counsellors Unanimously Votes to Turn On Centennial Fountain

The Centennial Fountain in Little Lake will come back on for this year starting on May 26 after city counsellors voted in a virtual meeting on Monday.

File Photo.

Coun. Keith Riel originally suggested turning the fountain on and it was unanimously voted in favour of the proposition.

The fountain was turned off back in April 2020 during the pandemic to save costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Coun. Henry Clarke originally proposed the fountain’s closure last but agreed to have it on “to celebrate and be happy about.“

"It signals hope we're rounding the corner on this pandemic," said Coun. Stephen Wright.

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Local Musician Goes Viral With Golf Parody Song

What was supposed to be a fun video shared around friends and family has become viral with almost 80,000 Youtube views in less than a week for musician Chad Driscoll since its release on Sunday.

The song, “Ontario, Let Me Go (Play Some Golf)” is a parody of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.

The viral video is about typical golfer experiences and how they cannot golf under the unexpected shutdown extension. Ontario had prohibited golf and other outdoor recreational activities under the new restrictions on April 16.

Driscoll has received massive support and positive reviews from viewers and golf courses extending as far as Ottawa.

“A lot of golf courses have been reaching out and thanking me for the song and stuff which is kind of funny,” he said.

Driscoll released his first album, Unreliable Instincts back in 2011. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.

The lyrics and recording took roughly an hour. Using John Denver for a parody was a decision that organically happened and was recognizable by all ages according to Driscoll.

He wrote the song as a way to relate his golf experiences with others and express his grief for the sudden decision of not being able to play.

“Talk to any golfer, they’re really frustrated and it’s something that we can all resonate with,” said Driscoll. “I’ve been golfing since I was a kid. It’s been a big part of my life.”

Driscoll attended St. Peter’s Secondary School in Peterborough. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.

People are looking for things to do during the pandemic and restricting something that is safe can get mentally taxing according to Driscoll.

“It was such a great way to get out of the house,” he said. “It felt normal out there. You didn’t have a mask on and you were six feet away from each other. When they closed, I was really bummed.”

Driscoll’s first live singing performance was when he was 10 in 1991. He participated in the” Nintendo Search for the Stars” singing contest placing second at Lansdowne Place.

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Fleming College Soars With Free Aircraft Interior Program

The sky is the limit with Fleming College’s SkillsAdvance Ontario Altitude aircraft interior program.

Students in SkillsAdvance Altitude train to be Aircraft Interior Technicians and Upholstery Technicians. Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.

The College is offering a new intake of the free 12-week program that offers job readiness skills, technical training as an Aircraft Interior Technician or Upholstery Technician and a paid work placement with a local company.

“This is a great opportunity for anyone in our community who is unemployed or underemployed. There is industry demand for workers locally as well as beyond the region,” said Pam Stoneham, Dean of the School of Trades and Technology at Fleming.

The SkillsAdvance Ontario Altitude Altitude classroom at the City of Peterborough Airport. Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.

The program is open to early school leavers, unemployed or underemployed youth and adults. EI eligible and non-EI eligible as well as women, Indigenous peoples and newcomers to Canada are encouraged to apply.

All training takes place at the City of Peterborough Airport. Participants start with in-class instruction and progress to hands-on training. The program culminates with a paid, two-week work placement.

“The program has been optimally designed for both students and employers,” said Stoneham. “It provides thorough hands-on training, soft skills that are essential for employment, and real-world work experience. This is all done in a compressed format that is highly specialized for the unique needs of the airline industry. Students can train quickly and graduate into the workplace.”

There is no cost to participants as all training and related costs for tools and equipment are covered.

Applications are due by May 21 with classes starting May 31. For more information or an application, visit their website or contact Tonya DeJong.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Jessica Dalliday, Canveda, NanoNation and the Seniors Showcase

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…

Canveda is a Peterborough-based grower of Health Canada licensed medical-grade cannabis and they have just announced the launch of their recreational brand called Strain Rec. It will be available at local licensed cannabis stores as well as the Ontario Cannabis Store.

Canveda employs 25 people locally and they’ve worked closely with Fleming College to develop an internship program with their business school. 

 

NanoNation Canada is a 100% Indigenous-owned, Peterborough-based company specializing in the distribution and application of antimicrobial cleaning products, to hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, food processing plants, restaurants, retail outlets and more.

NanoNation has just announced that it is bringing its cleaning solutions to the retail market thanks to its partnership with Canadian-made Bacoban products, which will be manufactured in Lindsay. Watch for retail outlets coming soon, but in the meantime, you can purchase the product online at their official website.

The Peterborough Chamber’s annual Seniors Showcase will be a virtual event this year. The popular event draws hundreds of seniors each year to attend workshops and visit the exhibitor booths.

This year the showcase will take place online the entire month of June with a great lineup of informative workshops, a panel discussion and more. If you’d like to showcase your company in a five-minute video, check out the details at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s website.

 

Many people in the community are still trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of Jessica Dalliday on April 6th. Jess was the owner of Pilates On Demand, touched many lives and has been honoured in many ways in the last month.

Now, Inspire, the Women’s Portrait Project, has decided to permanently honour Jess by dedicating their annual She Inspires Me campaign in her name. The names of six women were released last week and you can read their stories, and read about Jessica Dalliday’s Inspiring life at her website.

Photo Courtesy of Chantelle Watt.

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Fleming College Partners with Seneca To Expand Diploma to Degree Pathways

Fleming College struck a five-year agreement with Seneca College to provide Fleming graduates more than 80 pathway options to 12 honours bachelor degree programs at Seneca announced Thursday.

Photo Courtesy of Fleming College

Diploma and advanced diploma graduates from Fleming can continue their education at Seneca in business, child development, marketing, mental health, crime analysis, therapeutic recreation, data sciences and interdisciplinary studies.

Students pursuing Seneca degrees benefit from programs connected to industry and include work-integrated learning opportunities that prepare graduates to excel in their fields. This includes frontline experience in areas of local need such as childhood development and mental health.

“The omnibus agreement provides an opportunity for nearly all of our students to stretch their Fleming diploma further and enhance the value of their credentials even more,” said Maureen Adamson, Fleming College president. “The new pathways significantly build on our already strong partnership with Seneca and lay the foundation for further collaboration.”

Photo Courtesy of Fleming College

The goals of the newly-established agreement which went into effect Mar. 1, 2021 are to create opportunities that recognize the value of a student’s previous education and provide seamless, accessible and innovative options to further their post-secondary education.

“We are delighted to further our partnership with Fleming and add these new academic pathways within the Ontario college system,” said David Agnew, Seneca president. “Fleming graduates who build on their credentials at Seneca will find flexible program delivery and practical learning experiences that will give them the skills and experience to contribute to Canada’s post-pandemic recovery.”

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Hometown PTBO: Robert Roode Discusses His Athletics in Peterborough, His Close Friendship With Tracey Kelusky and Professional Wrestling Career

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with WWE Superstar and current SmackDown Tag Team Champion (with Dolph Ziggler) Robert Roode on his playing sports as a child, his relationship with local lacrosse star Tracey Kelusky and his career in professional wrestling.

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Local Group Creates Video Highlighting Small Businesses During Pandemic

Small businesses have been negatively affected by the pandemic but entrepreneurs Kyle McDonald, Mike Watt and several others wanted to highlight their importance with a heartstring-grabbing video released Monday.

The video, “For SmALL of Us” showcases the importance of how small businesses play a role in local communities. While it is easy to tell everyone to shop local, the video wanted to spread the message to emotionally connect with their audience while preventing the saying from becoming cliché according to both entrepreneurs.

“We’ve seen a million things to say support local and shop local, you can only say the same thing for so long,” said McDonald, owner of Pioneer Inc. “They just push it aside and it falls on deaf ears.”

“It’s about reframing the message about giving small businesses the first opportunity,” said Watt, owner of Providence, S.O.S. Save Our Soles, Flavour Fashion and PTBO Northern Originals. ”I never hear about how Costco is what makes Peterborough so great. It’s the bridal shop you got your wedding dress or the suit you got married in or the coffee shops that you sat down at.“

The 60-second video does not mention Peterborough so it could be used universally. Photo Courtesy of Kyle MacDonald.

The video’s idea was inspired by Watt after a conversation with his wife —who co-owns S.O.S. with Watt — and when Premier Doug Ford and the Government of Ontario announced a month-long province-wide shutdown that extended into six weeks that took effect early April.

Hà Nội House and St. Veronus Café and Tap Room were some of the businesses that were portrayed in the video. Photo Courtesy of Tyler Tindale

The rapidly-changing pandemic rules have forced these small businesses to be creative and innovative just to stay afloat said Watt.

“Everybody is struggling in their own way right now and the creativity is out there,” he said. “People are doing podcasts, interviews and doing these side hustles to bring all these businesses to light. People are seeing how are they are going to survive in this third wave.”

Sam’s Place in Downtown Peterborough on Hunter Street is shown here. Several shots of downtown were taken to compile the video. Photo Courtesy of Tyler Tindale

While the 60-second video contained all shots of Peterborough, the city’s name was not branded so it could apply to all small businesses as opposed to just one place. It has received heavy positive feedback and the message has spread very quickly according to Watt and McDonald.

“Likes are fine (on social media) but shares are what make a difference,” said McDonald. “On the other side, it has made a resurgence and has our city gone up in local business.”

“It’s been awesome. People are really embracing it and sharing it in and out of town. It’s doing what we wanted to do,” said Watt. “We wanted people to have a passion for this town and other towns and have people recognize that this is a conversation.”

The video was branded by brand developer Bryan Sage, videographer Jeremy Kelly did the editing and photography was by Tyler Tinsdale. Klint Davies wrote the script and Mike Judson of Pure Country 105 did the voice-over.

“We have to ramp up to a point in June where we can open. Hopefully we can open and hit the ground running and willing to shop and support these businesses,” said Watt. “We want to start the conversation. It comes from a place of encouragement and our city. We want people to think about our businesses.”

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Flying Colours Completes Ten-Year Inspection On Heavy Maintenance For An Aircraft

Flying Colours Corp. has completed a 120-month heavy maintenance inspection for a Bombardier Global XRS aircraft.

Photo Courtesy of Flying Colours Corp.

In addition to the airframe inspection and maintenance strip down, the aircraft underwent additional upgrades including the equipping of Ka-band connectivity and ADS-B Out installation.

The Honeywell JetWave™ Ka-band system necessitated hardware installation of a tail-mounted antenna, cabin router, modem and associated wiring to support global high-speed connectivity. Full external paintwork completed the aircraft enhancements before redelivery to the owner. A further three Bombardier Global aircraft are scheduled for ten-year heavy checks over the next six months at Flying Colours Corp.’ North America facilities.

A full pre-purchase inspection accompanied the maintenance work, which was conducted on behalf of a UK-based customer. The positioning into North America for the complex project highlights a growing trend Flying Colours Corp. is noticing as European owners and operators recognize the distinct benefits of having maintenance, interior, avionics, and paintwork projects completed in parallel in-house at a single location at competitive rates.

“Our extensive experience, reputation for quality output and established high-tech facilities where we can complete all work under one roof makes our offering extremely attractive for those needing multifaceted work scopes fulfilled on time and within tight budgets,” says Eric Gillespie, Flying Colours Corp executive vice president. "The larger the package the greater the justification for bringing aircraft to our North American facilities.”

The expert team’s ability to provide MRO support in conjunction with pre-purchase inspections, transaction and pre-registration administrative support ensures customers maximize budgets and minimize downtime.

Interest is coming from predominantly northern European-based operators. Confirmed European projects for the next quarter include a major 240-month maintenance inspection, cabin management system upgrade and full exterior paintwork for a Bombardier Global Express as well as a 48-month inspection on a Challenger 605.

“We’re gaining significant traction in Europe and we anticipate that as our profile continues to rise in the EMEA region and the pandemic recedes, we will support and satisfy the needs of an increasing range of owners,” adds Andrew Pearce, Flying Colours EMEA sales manager.

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Construction For New Peterborough Animal Care Centre Set to Begin

The Peterborough Humane Society has begun construction on the Peterborough Animal Care Centre that is the first building devoted to advancing the well-being of animals in a press release on Thursday.

Owen the Griff (pictured) helping with the blueprints of the new facility. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society.

The building will have three facilities in one located at 1999 Technology Dr. in Peterborough. The Peterborough Animal Care Centre will be home to the Peterborough Humane Society’s Adoption and Education Centre, a publicly accessible Spay/Neuter Clinic and a Provincial Dog Rehabilitation Centre through partnering with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Humane Society.

“After almost a decade of planning, we are ecstatic to announce we are breaking ground!” says Shawn Morey, PHS executive director. “This Centre is going to be a huge resource for the community. A great deal has changed in the animal wellness world since our current building was constructed over 65 years ago. This new purpose-built facility will not only serve our community through providing accessible spay/neuter services, but also allow the animals under our care to experience less hurdles in getting healthier and happier, thereby setting them up to meet their new family that much sooner.”

A digital rendering of the building’s exterior. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society.

The Spay/Neuter Clinic provides publicly accessible spay/neuter surgeries, allowing up to 25 animals per day to receive their spay/neuter surgery as stated in the press release.

The Provincial Dog Rehabilitation Centre will be custom-built to help dogs who need more support and individualized care than an animal centre can provide. It will contain a number of unique features including hydrotherapy equipment such as an underwater treadmill for physical rehabilitation and exercise.

A digital rendering of the building’s interior. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society.

“To see shovels in the ground is a cause for celebration as it means we are one step closer to making this state-of-the-art animal wellness facility a reality,” says Daryl Vaillancourt, chief of Ontario SPCA . “This unique partnership with the Peterborough Humane Society is a major step forward for animals, particularly dogs who have experienced challenges that we can help them overcome at this new facility.”

PHS still needs the community’s support to reach its fundraising goal. To date, $7.5 million of $10 million has been raised. They encourage the community members to help with the project by visiting ourpetproject.ca or ontariospca.ca/dogrehab.

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