Art Gallery of Peterborough Launches Inaugural Youth Art Mentorship Program

The Art Gallery of Peterborough has launched its inaugural Youth Art Mentorship program, announced on Thursday.

Spencer J. Harrison in his studio. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

This program will give youth entering their final years of high school the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and insights into the arts profession.

Led by artist, activist, and educator, Spencer J. Harrison, students will explore the profession through educational and training workshops, all culminating in a group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

This program is comprised of two phases. Free Portfolio Reviews, designed to offer critical feedback to youth. Youth must register for this program by Nov. 24.

Successful applicants in the juried Call for Submissions will work with Artist Mentor (Spencer J. Harrison) and their peers to develop a body of work to present in a group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Applications for this program open on Dec. 1.

This program is open to all youth currently enrolled in Grade 11 and 12, living in the City and County of Peterborough.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Greg Dempsey Nominated As Peterborough-Kawartha Liberal Candidate

Greg Dempsey has been nominated as their Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) candidate for the next provincial election in the Peterborough-Kawartha riding announced Saturday.

Photo Courtesy of Greg Dempsey.

He won the nomination over Dane Bland after the party had narrowed the selection down to two candidates.

“Greg is truly committed to improving life for those in Peterborough—Kawartha, and brings a lifetime of experience advocating on behalf of Canadians to the table," said OLP Leader, Steven Del Duca. “By electing Greg Dempsey as their MPP, families in Peterborough—Kawartha will have a strong fighter on their side.”

Greg Dempsey grew up in Peterborough, graduating from Adam Scott CVI in 1999. He holds a BA and BSc from Bishop’s University, a law degree from the University of Victoria, a certificate in International Indigenous Studies from Columbia University in New York and a cum laude LLM in International Human Rights Law from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Dempsey has served with distinction in the Canadian Foreign Service since 2008, representing Canada at the UN in New York, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and in Kabul, Afghanistan.

He has supported the Prime Minister's special advisor on LGBTQ2S+ issues and advised the Hon. Ralph Goodale on Canada’s response to the tragic downing of flight PS752.

“I am incredibly honoured to be the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Peterborough—Kawartha,” said Dempsey. “From my roots in Peterborough, I’ve built a career bringing people together, and I'm committed to electing a better, more caring provincial government — one that will take decisive action on the climate crisis, support the under-resourced, partner with Indigenous peoples, and restore our relationship with healthcare and education workers. Together, I know we can."

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Delta Wye Weasel, Self to Soul, Mill Valley Funeral and Cremation Centre and Dave Adams

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…

Danielle Richard took over David Wells Diesel Equipment back in 2017 and recently changed the name to reflect the business as it operates today.

Called Delta Wye Diesel, Richard is rightly proud of her all-female team in the skilled trades industry. She is a licensed electrician and generator technician.  Natalie Wood is an apprentice electrician and generator technician.

Delta Wye Diesel performs inspections, tests, maintenance and repairs of emergency generators for a variety of industries. They provide a mobile service based out of Bridgenorth but cover a wide area. 

Rev. Jeanne Logan is a Doctor of Metaphysical Science, a Metaphysical Practitioner, an ordained Minister and a Certified Rieki Practitioner.

Jeanne will be launching her business in January, offering facilitation of self-healing and one-to-one counselling. She is offering a one-day workshop entitled Self to Soul on Nov. 20 at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

Self to Soul will help you connect with your higher self to help you navigate this increasingly complex world. Details are at thedivinegateway.com

The Little Lake Cemetery Company recently announced the acquisition of the former Fallis & Shields Funeral Home and expanded its operations into Millbrook.

The company has renamed the facility Mill Valley Funeral and Cremation Centre and will provide a full complement of funeral and cremation services to Millbrook and surrounding communities including towards the Lakeshore.

Little Lake Cemetery Company President and CEO, Mary McGee calls it a natural progression as they’ve been working with Fallis & Shields over the past five years.

Congratulations to Bill Shields and Gwen Hogg on the legacy company they’re leaving behind as they step down from the business. Watch for an Open House on Nov. 24 between 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

A tribute to Dave Adams who recently passed away after a three-year battle with cancer. Stu Harrison knew Dave for every one of the 25 years he spent with the Five Counties Children Centre Foundation and on several occasions watched him tell a story about one of the centre’s clients in a way that had the entire room in tears including Dave himself.

Harrison said Adams was an outstanding guy, an articulate and passionate advocate for children and a true influencer who touch the lives of an untold number of people.

“Like” StoosNews page on Facebook here!

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Operation Catnip Peterborough is on a Mission to Spay and Neuter All Feral Cats in the City

Operation Catnip Peterborough is looking for a warm space to house feral cats post-operation this winter.

Photo courtesy of Operation Catnip Peterborough.

Operation Catnip Peterborough is a non-profit organization working to reduce suffering of and to control the population of feral cats in the community.

Since the organization began in 2013 they have spayed/neutered over 1450 cats through their Trap, Neuter, Return program (TNR).

With the TNR program, Operation Catnip responds to calls around the community regarding feral cats. They set live traps, bring cats to the vet to get fixed then return the cats to the wild.

“If they’re truly feral, really wild, we return them to their colonies - with someone providing them food and monitoring them,” said Kristen Mommertz, a volunteer with Operation Catnip. “If they’re friendly we work with rescue partners to try to find homes for them.”

According to Mommertz, Peterborough has a lot of colonies of feral cats.

“We’ve noticed recently a huge increase of developing cat colonies in rural areas,” she said. “The biggest one we service has just passed it’s 100th cat. They can get out of hand really quickly. Cats can get pregnant three or four times a year and have a litter of four to six kittens and as soon as those kittens are four or five months old they can start getting pregnant.”

The Operation Catnip Logo was created by volunteer and Graphic Designer Kim Russell.

Operation Catnip works in partnership with veterinarians to lessen the costs associate with spaying/neutering a cat and pays for surgeries through fundraising and a grant from the City of Peterborough.

“In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to exist. If everyone got their cats spayed and neutered, if people cared more for animals, we wouldn’t need to be here.”

Mommertz notes that cost is a large barrier for some when considering getting their cats spayed or neutered. A new low-cost spay and neuter clinic is set to open in Peterborough in the next five years, Mommertz hopes that that will encourage more people to get their animals spayed and neutered.

As winter weather approaches Operation Catnip Peterborough is looking for a place to house cats for a few days while they recover from their surgeries.

Due to COVID, Operation Catnip has a long waitlist of cats needing to get fixed. In order to keep up with demand, they hope to find one space to temporarily house all of the cats, in hopes to be able to monitor them all at once.

If they cannot find a recovery space, the organization may need to temporarily pause their operation.

To volunteer with Operation Catnip or to offer a rehabilitation space contact them on Facebook or Instagram.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

The City of Peterborough Approaches the Finalization of the Transportation Master Plan

The City of Peterborough’s Transportation Master Plan update is entering its final stages and City Council is considering giving direction on targets for encouraging people to reduce the use of personal automobiles and taking a more strategic approach to investments in roads.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The report, which is available at peterborough.ca, will be presented at City Council’s General Committee meeting on Monday, November 8, 2021.

Over the next 30 years, the goal would be to increase walking and cycling to 25% of all trips in the City, to increase transit use to 10% of all trips, and to reduce auto travel to 65% of all trips.

The 2012 Transportation Master Plan established a target for 2031 that included 8% of all trips being made by walking and cycling. By 2018, with investments in new infrastructure and services, over 10% of all trips are currently being made on foot or by bike.

Encouraging a significant shift in the way residents travel around the City forms a major part of the recommended new Transportation Strategy – as this is critical to achieving the community’s vision for transportation in 2051, and in supporting the City’s Climate Change goals.

To achieve this shift, the proposed strategy for the new Transportation Plan will include supporting policies and aggressive investments in the cycling, sidewalk and trail networks in order to encourage approximately one in four trips in the City to be made on foot or by bike by 2051.

Policy measures such as higher costs for all-day paid parking, expanding paid parking to new areas of the City, and reducing transit fares for youth to encourage early adoption of transit, would be combined with improved frequency of transit service to encourage approximately one in ten travelers to choose transit for their trip making.

Even with the aggressive goals for shifts to non-auto travel, there will be a need to consider road improvements; however, the recommended strategy adopts a more strategic approach to determining the priorities for road network investment.

Road and intersection improvements that improve traffic flow, enhance safety, and support efficient transit will be prioritized over adding new capacity.

A Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is strategic planning document that establishes the overall direction for transportation planning, transportation policy development, and identifies investments in infrastructure and services that are recommended to accommodate growth, often over a 20- to 30-year horizon.

TMP’s are intended to be reviewed and updated every five to 10 years to account for changes to the planning context in a community, including changes to growth forecasts, changes to the way people travel, implications of external initiatives (such as Via Rail), evolving community priorities, and the resulting changes to policy and infrastructure needs that may arise.

For more information click here.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Petes Player and Coach Named to Canada’s U17 Capital City Challenge

Petes' forward Nick Lardis has been named to Canada’s U17 roster, while Rob Wilson has been named Head Coach for Team White for the inaugural Capital City Challenge in Ottawa, Ontario announced by Hockey Canada on Friday.

Lardis, a 5’10”, 155 lbs winger, has appeared in all 10 games in his rookie season, tallying four goals and four assists for eight points. The Oakville, Ont. native and Petes' sixth overall pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection is tied for fifth in OHL scoring amongst rookies.

“I’m really honoured and excited to put the Team Canada jersey on for the first time in my hockey career,” said Lardis. “You see a lot of players who have success in Hockey Canada’s program who go on to have strong professional careers so it's a great next step for my career.”

Wilson has compiled a 74-58-4-4 record as Head Coach with the Petes including a 4-6-0-0 record this season. The Toronto, Ont. native and Petes alumnus was named Head Coach of Team Red for the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Hamilton, Ont. on Dec. 19, 2019. 

“It’s a great honour to work with Hockey Canada and to be named coach,” said Wilson. “It will be super exciting for me and for the young, elite hockey players across the country to work together in this competitive tournament. It’s a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.”

The Capital City Challenge will feature three national men’s U17 teams and Canada’s National Women’s Centralized Roster. Preliminary-round action kicks off Friday, Nov. 26 at TD Place Arena, home of the Ottawa 67’s.

The preliminary round finishes on Nov. 29 followed by the semifinals the following day. The medal games will take place on Dec. 1.

The Capital City Challenge will serve as a one-time event to replace the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge which was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides an opportunity for Canada’s National Women’s Team to compete as part of its centralization schedule.

Click here to see Canada’s full U17 roster.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Offensive Linesman to Make CFL Debut For Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The lights have never been brighter for offensive lineman Joseph Bencze as he will make his CFL debut with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against the B.C. Lions on Friday night.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are second in the East Division with a 6-5 record behind division leader Toronto Argonauts. Facebook Photo.

The Peterborough lineman was drafted in the fifth round, 45th overall in the 2020 CFL Draft. He signed with the Ti-Cats on Jan. 21 last year but did not play that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bencze made 24 appearances over four seasons with the McMaster University Marauders through 2016-19 as an offensive tackle and defensive tackle.

He recorded 26.5 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks during his time on defence during his university career.

The 6-5 Ti-Cats will host the 4-7 Lions on Friday at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Applications for Property Tax Assistance Program for Seniors now open

Applications are now available for the City of Peterborough Property Tax Assistance program for seniors and people with disabilities on low incomes.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Qualifying applicants will receive a $400 tax credit on their tax accounts which will be applied to the February 2022 interim tax bill. Applicants who previously received more than a $400 credit will be grandfathered in at their higher credit amount.

Applicants can apply under one of the following qualifications:

1. Low-income senior aged 65 years or older receiving benefits under the Guaranteed Income Supplement or the Guaranteed Annual Income System.

2. Low-income senior aged 55-64 years of age with a combined taxable income of less than $30,000 per year.

3. A person with a disability on a low income receiving benefits under the ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program)

Applications are available on the City’s website at www.peterborough.ca/TaxAssistance or at the City Hall Tax Office, 500 George St. N. Residents that received tax credits in 2021 will automatically receive a 2022 Property Tax Assistance application in the mail.

The deadline for submitting this application is February 11, 2022.

For further information refer to the City’s Property Tax Assistance Program on the City of Peterborough website or call the Tax Office at 705-742-7777 ext. 1865.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Foodie Friday: East City Coffee Shop On The Family Lineage On The Restaurant and Unique Breakfast Items

---

We talk with Alban Sina and his staff of the East City Coffee Shop about Sina's family lineage and history with the restaurant and its unique food features.

---

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Pathway of Fame Thanks Supporters and is Searching for New Committee Members

The Peterborough Pathway of Fame issued a statement thanking it’s dedicated individuals who have supported the organization, on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the Pathway of Fame.

Wellington (Wimpy) Borland of Peterborough has tirelessly served the Pathway for a number of years, assuming various roles along the way including, but not limited to the coveted, ‘bell-ringing’ position of ‘Speech Timing Tech.’

Garry and Ruth Johnson of Peterborough have recently stepped away from the Facilitating Committee, but will continue to assist on-site for the annual Induction Ceremony at the Showplace Performance Center each September.

Pam Partridge will continue to support advertising sales in the annual Footprints of Life magazine – a major source of The Pathways funding – from Eastern Canada, to which she has relocated.

The Pathway of Fame is actively seeking community-minded citizens interested in serving on our Facilitating Committee, and welcomes David Goyette as a director. Mr. Goyette is a recent inductee to The Pathway, joining the august group this year.

They are also seeking a qualified individual to serve as the organization’s Treasurer, effective the first of January. The position would be voluntary.

Interested individuals are asked to contact Gordon Gibb, Communications Liaison, via email gordon.gibb@bell.net

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.