Peterborough Blogs
Homegrown Chef Lives Dream of Opening Downtown Pizzeria
/After almost 20 years in the cooking business, chef Sean Crooks gets to be his own boss by opening Pizza Bodega in downtown Peterborough in a grand opening on Friday.
Pizza Bodega’s logo was designed by Sean Crooks’s significant other. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Pizza Bodega is Crooks’s first business and is located at the side of Spanky’s bar on Hunter Street beside the Simcoe Parking Garage.
The restaurant models after New York-style pizza with a thinner crust and a bigger pie compared to most conventional places.
The opportunity to open a business came from his friendship with Matt Russelle, Spanky’s owner, who asked Crooks to supply the food for his business.
"Spanky and I have jokingly talked about working together here and there over the years," said Crooks. "The timing just happened and it seemed to be the right time and here we are."
Sean Crooks has also worked in Prince Edward County and abroad in Western Canada. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Crooks’s cooking career has had pizza follow him wherever he has gone. That made the decision to open a pizzeria as his first business venture.
Several of Pizza Bodega’s ingredients are sourced either locally or within Ontario including dry-cured pepperoni, smoked ham and spiced ground wagyu. Gluten-free and vegan options will be available on the menu.
"Everybody loves pizza and (I’m) trying to make the pizza fun and not too pretentious,” said Crooks.
Sean Crooks has worked in several Peterborough kitchens such as Primal Cuts, Gerti’s and Capra Toro. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
All customers attending Pizza Bodega’s grand opening will receive a free entry for concert tickets to The Arkells. The pizzeria is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays.
The restaurant opened this week for a friends-and-family event on Wednesday and a take-out window on Thursday. The grand opening will feature a full outdoor back patio with live music and beer samples.
"It is my very first venture out on my own so it's definitely very challenging, said Crooks. "There's a lot more to deal with than just the kitchen side of things now I'm taking on the entire animal but I'm super excited and super nervous. I just want to see where this goes."
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Virtual Hike For Hospice Registration Open Now
/Registration is now open for the 2021 Virtual Hike for Hospice fundraiser.
Photo courtesy of Hospice Peterborough
Virtual Hike for Hospice is an event meant to connect families, friends, neighbours, and coworkers to support and recognize the palliative and bereavement struggles of individuals and families.
This year’s Hike will encourage participants to go for a walk, hike or bike at a time that works best for them between September 11-17, 2021.
An opening ceremony is planned for September 11 at 10a.m, and will be available to view on the Hike for Hospice Facebook, and YouTube.
Participants are encouraged to share their stories, photos, videos, and fundraising ideas on the Hike for Hospice Facebook page or send them to Aimée at aoreilly@hospicepeterborough.org.
The last day of the virtual hike will feature a closing ceremony to honour loved ones and thank participants.
Participants are invited to register individually or as a team by following this link.
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11 Festivals and Events in Peterborough and Area Recieve Over $900,000 in Funding
/11 festivals and events in Peterborough and the Kawarthas have received over $900,000 in provincial funding through the 2021 Reconnect Festival and Event Program.
MEGAN MURPHY (LEFT) AND KATE SUHR (RIGHT) of 4th line Theatre. 4th Line theatre is receiving $92,842. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISTAN PEIRCE PHOTOGRAPHY AND 4TH LINE THEATRE.
The Reconnect Festival and Event Program offers non-capital funding for events in Ontario that provide safe experiences virtually or in-person when it is safe to do so.
$43 million was given to 439 festivals and events across Ontario.
11 festivals and cultural organizations hosting events in the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes area are receiving a total of $904,386 in funding.
Among the recipients are Peterborough Music Fest, the 2022 ReFrame Film Festival, 4th Line Theatre and Public Energy’s Pivot 2.0 Series.
For a full list of recipients click here.
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Peterborough Petes Announce Partnership with Get a Shot to Take a Shot Campaign
/The Petes and Peterborough Public Health have announced a new partnership today with the ‘Get a Shot to Take a Shot’ campaign. The two-month long initiative is designed to promote vaccine uptake and protect Peterborough and the Peterborough County from COVID-19.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.
The ‘Get a Shot to Take a Shot’ campaign offers anyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccine dose between August 9 and September 30 at a clinic run by Peterborough Public Health, Peterborough Regional Health Centre, or a local pharmacy, a chance to win a pair of tickets to a Petes home game during the 2021-22 season.
“The Petes are excited to team up with Peterborough Public Health for the ‘Get a Shot to Take a Shot,’ campaign,” said Executive Director of Business Operations, Burton Lee. “We understand that the safest and quickest way to return to a hockey season with an arena full of cheering fans is dependent on vaccine uptake. It will be an honour to host hundreds of local fans who have done their part to keep the Peterborough community safe at games next season.”
Those who receive their first or second vaccine dose during this time period will be provided a QR code at their vaccination site to enter the ‘Get a Shot to Take a Shot’ contest.
A virtual draw will take place on September 30 where 250 names will be drawn. A total of 500 tickets will be awarded.
Of the ticket winners, five will be drawn for an opportunity to shoot the puck in the net from centre ice during the first intermission of an upcoming home game. The winner of the shootout will then get to enjoy an additional Petes home game in the Petes Executive Suite.
For more information about the contest visit www.gopetesgo.com. For more information about COVID-19 vaccination and clinic locations visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.
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PTBO Celebrates the 101st Anniversary for the Trent-Severn Waterway of Parks Canada In Video Series
/Historian Dennis Carter-Edwards takes you through the history of the Peterborough Lift Lock with the start of an amazing series with PTBOCanada with never-before-seen photos!
This summer series explores the history of Trent-Severn Waterway of Parks Canada on its 101st anniversary!
Part 1: Lift Lock Origins
Carter-Edwards takes us through the story of how canal construction began in Peterborough including Cobourg entrepreneur James Grey Bethune and his mishaps with the Commission.
Part 2: Thomas Stafford Rubidge
Canal engineer Thomas Stafford Rubidge conducts surveys to feasibly further canal works and maybe getting in a fistfight with his assistant.
Part 3: Richard Birdsell Rogers, Henry Holgate and the Lift Lock Construction
Carter-Edwards takes us through the story of how canal construction began in Peterborough including Cobourg entrepreneur James Grey Bethune and his mishaps with the Commission.
Part 4: The Liberal Party and the Peterborough Lift Lock in 1896
See how the Liberal Party thought of the canal system and the Lift Locks after winning the federal election in 1896.
Part 5: Extending the Canal System Amidst the 1911 Election
Despite that the Liberal and Conservative Parties were in favour of an extended navigation system from Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay, see how politics and the canal system would intersect through the 1911 election.
Part 6: Maintenance, Improvements and Tourism of the Trent Severn Waterway
Following the 1920s, the government had the challenge of maintaining and upkeeping the Lift Locks while using it as a tool to promote tourism.
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The City of Peterborough Has Released Official Plan Final Draft
/The City has announced the release of a final draft of the proposed new Official Plan for the City of Peterborough.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
The Official Plan is a policy document prepared under the Planning Act that will set the vision and direction for growth and development to the year 2051.
The new draft builds on an initial draft that was released for consultation in June 2019 by incorporating changes to address public, agency, First Nations and provincial comments, and to reflect the results of a Land Needs Assessment that determined the City’s development land requirement to 2051
The proposed Official Plan and the final Land Needs Assessment are now available for review on the City’s website and through Connect Peterborough.
The City will be organizing a final series of online public information sessions throughout August and September to help build awareness of the proposed Official Plan as it moves forward to approval.
When the details for the information sessions are finalized, they will be posted here.
Those wanting to receive updates regarding the Official Plan and upcoming events are invited to subscribe to the City’s Official Plan blog or to Connect Peterborough.
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A Dash of Denney Invites Locals to Doodle Dash Around The Kawarthas
/A Lindsay in-home bakery, Dash of Denney, is inviting locals to explore the Kawarthas with Doodle Dash - a scavenger hunt celebrating local businesses.
Photo Courtesy of A Dash of Denney
Bakery owner Leaha Denney is a mental health nurse who organized the event.
“When I started my own business a few months ago I started to connect with all these people and find out about all of these businesses around me and I thought ‘how did I not know about all of these?’" she said.
Denney decided something needed to be done to bring more attention to the businesses operating in the area.
Along with The Lunch Box, a food truck located in Rosedale, A Dash of Denney has planned “Doodle Dash.” It is a scavenger hunt-style game that will lead players to different store fronts in the Kawarthas.
Participants must order a Doodle Dash Kit and map for $50 from A Dash of Denny on Instagram. The map will act as a ‘key’ for participants to show at stops along the way. It will earn them discounts or free stuff at certain locations.
“This scavenger hunt is our way to share all of these businesses we have found and hopefully people will find ways to connect to their community that they didn’t even know existed before,” said Denney.
Prizes will be awarded based on a point system.
Participants can earn points by ‘checking in’ at participating locations on Instagram. There will also be riddles and games along the way to earn extra points.
10 per cent of proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kawartha Lakes, Kawartha Lakes Food Source, Womens Resources and Community Care Hospice.
Participants are also encouraged to bring physical donations with them on the scavenger hunt to leave at designated locations. A list of preferred items can be found on Dash of Denney’s Instagram.
Those wanting to participate in a 19+ version of Doodle Dash will add a $5 donation to the cost of their kit and map.
Doodle Dash will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday.
Prizes can be viewed at the ‘hub’ of Doodle Dash, Strike Point Bowling in Lindsay.
“You get to explore and reconnect,” said Denney. “People are reopening again so it’s just nice to remember where these locations are and go see what they have to offer.”
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Get Outside With the Kawartha Conservation Foundation Explore Nature Challenge
/The Kawartha Conservation Foundation is encouraging people to use the trails at Ken Reid Conservation Area as part of the Explore Nature Challenge.
Photo courtesy of The Kawartha Conservation Foundation.
It is a virtual fitness challenge where participants can walk, run, bike or hike the 11 km of trails at their own pace.
The goal of this challenge is to get people outside and active.
Participants who complete the challenge will have trees planted on their behalf at one of Kawartha Conservation’s properties and receive a commemorative medal.
To participate in the challenge, receive a medal and have a tree planted on their behalf, participants must pay $20 for an individual, $35 for a couple or $40 for a family.
Anyone is welcome to apply here.
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Local Man Collects Donated Lacrosse Equipment For Local Clubs and Abroad
/After gathering over 1,200 pounds of community-donated lacrosse gear, John Davis Jr. is giving the equipment to local clubs and underprivileged Ugandan children this fall.
Anything deemed unusable has been discarded from being donated. Photo Courtesy of John Davis Jr.
Davis Jr. has collected gear since the start of the pandemic in the spring of last year through a Facebook campaign. Sticks, helmets, gloves, shoes and more are many of the things given to the cause.
Peterborough, the rest of Ontario and Quebec have donated their gear to Davis Jr. in honour of the cause. The Peterborough Minor Lacrosse Association and Peterborough Lakers have given two sets of home and away jerseys as part of the collection.
The equipment will go to the Uganda Lacrosse Foundation to provide underprivileged Ugandan youth to have access to play lacrosse. Any leftover gear that will not be sent overseas will be donated to local clubs and organizations according to Davis Jr.
“I intend on reaching out to different communities who need equipment for their house leagues,” he said. “I probably have 1,200 to 1,300 pounds of gear.”
Majority of the gear intended for Uganda will be field lacrosse equipment as opposed to box lacrosse. Photo Courtesy of John Davis Jr.
The Davis family have been born with lacrosse in their blood. Davis Jr. is the son of Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame inductee Johnny “Shooter” Davis —who has the Major Series Lacrosse playoff MVP trophy named after him — who won the Mann Cup in his rookie year in 1966.
John Davis Jr. (pictured) is a contributing writer for the New Jersey-based lacrosse website, crossecheck.com. Photo Courtesy of John Davis Jr.
Though Davis Jr. opted not to play professional lacrosse, his desire and passion for the game remained. He got the idea of helping Uganda lacrosse through contacts he made working as a writer for crossecheck.com.
After meeting with Ugandan players and Jaffari Makanda Ibrahim, president of the Ugandan Lacrosse Network and hearing their stories, inspired Davis Jr. to help a campaign with the University of Michigan.
Johnny “Shooter” Davis (pictured) has won two consecutive playoff MVP awards in 1966-67. Photo Courtesy of John Davis Jr.
