Soubliere Family With Friendly Fires Donates $25,000 To The Peterborough Humane Society

The Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) has received a $25,000 donation from Alex Soubliere of Friendly Fires.

The Soubliere family with their dog Olive. Photo courtesy of the Humane Society.

The $25,000 will be distributed to the Peterborough Humane Society’s Our Pet Project capital campaign to build the Peterborough Animal Care Centre (PACC).

In recognition of this donation, the Memorial Patio will be named The Friendly Fires Patio. This Gift will also be recognized on the Donor Wall located in the lobby of the new PACC as ‘Alex Soubliere & Family / Friendly Fires’. The Friendly Fires Patio will be utilized for education sessions, business meetings and for staff and public use.

“We are so very fortunate to have such a dedicated, hard working and committed team at the Peterborough Humane Society that goes above and beyond caring for animals. The fact that they have spearheaded an initiative to have a new world class animal care facility built right here in our city is a testament of just how great this team really is,” said Soubliere. “My entire family, including our Portuguese water dog Olive, is very happy that we could help contribute to the new Animal Care Centre and we hope this helps encourage others to do so as well.”

Photo courtesy of the Humane Society.

“Support from local businesses like Friendly Fires and individuals like Alex and his family are incredibly important to the success of this project. This new Centre will put Peterborough on the map in regards to setting a new standard in animal wellness & care, which in turn will also support our local businesses and community. We are extremely grateful for these relationships, they are what makes our region so amazing!” said Shawn Morey, Executive Director at Peterborough Humane Society.

The Peterborough Animal Care Centre will be over 24,000 square feet and include a state-of-the art Animal Adoption & Education Centre, Publicly Accessible & High-Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic and a Provincial Dog Rehabilitation Centre.

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Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor Is Ready To Return To Peterborough After COVID Restrictions Got In Their Way

Blue Rodeo will return to Peterborough after an over two-year hiatus, and is ready to hit the stage at The Peterborough Memorial Centre.

File Photo.

The April 13 show will be their fourth attempt at playing in Peterborough due to changing restrictions and health scares.

Now, back on tour with a healthy band and crew, Blue Rodeo is ready to return to Peterborough with new songs and new energy found over two years of lockdown.

Keelor recorded two solo albums, and Blue Rodeo recorded a new album over the last two years.

“Not being on the road meant I had a little time to rest, and to write,” he said. “Seldom have I ever had that much time off to just write songs. It sort of worked for me. The darkness that is in the world and the death that came from COVID is very upsetting, but I managed to have a very creative time.”

They’re looking forward to joining fans in Peterborough to make music, and hopefully invite the audience to let go for the evening, says Keelor.

“I’m very lucky that whatever God-given talent I have makes me able to deal with the world better, in this strange state,” said Keelor. “The shared experience of singing and sharing music and getting the response of the audience - it’s a vibrational thing and it raises your resonance in your mind and body and soul.”

Tickets are still available to the show here.

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Local Man Wins $44,775 With PRHC Foundation 50/50 Draw

Local man Peter Sullivan is now $44,775 richer, after winning the PRHC Foundation 50/50 draw on April 1.

Peterborough Subaru General Manager Hernan Lagos presents Peter Sullivan, the newest winner of the PRHC Foundation 50/50 Lottery presented by Peterborough Subaru, with a ceremonial cheque for $44,775.00. Photo courtesy of PRHC Foundation.

Sullivan won with ticket number D-1982608.

He has yet to chose his bonus prize, which is either a $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate or an extra $2,000 cash.

The next PRHC 50/50 draw will begin now.

Tickets bought early will be entered in “WINning Wednesdays” – where $2,500 cash will be awarded on April 21 and $2,000 cash on May 5.

The Lottery runs until May 16 with the winner drawn on May 17.

Tickets can be purchased online only at prhcfoundation5050.com.

Options include 10 tickets for $10, 40 tickets for $20, 160 tickets for $40 or 400 for $75. Ticket buyers must be 18 years of age or older and in the province of Ontario to play.

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Avian Flu Confirmed In Local Flock Of Birds

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) is currently investigating a confirmed report of avian influenza (H5N1) discovered in a local flock located in Selwyn Township. This is the fifth confirmed report of avian influenza on an Ontario farm over the past few weeks.

Stock Photo.

“The risk to human health remains low and we are not aware of any local human cases at this time,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “The virus does not easily cross from birds to humans, and the current strain is listed as being of ‘lower than normal’ concern for spreading to humans.”

PPH is working closely with provincial and federal partners, including the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on the investigation, says Piggott.

In March 2022, HPAI H5N1 virus was detected in Ontario in wild and commercial poultry. Its spread has been primarily attributed to the migration of infected waterfowl.

Avian influenza is a viral disease that affects mostly domestic poultry and wild birds such as geese, ducks, and shore birds. Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are a natural reservoir for mild strains of avian influenza. The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 is known to kill both wild birds and commercial poultry.

Residents should not touch a wild bird, including waterfowl, that is sick, injured or dead. Report any sick or dead birds (including waterfowl), to the Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at (866) 673-4781.

Those with backyard chickens or other domestic birds can get more information related to prevention and detection of disease in backyard flocks and pet birds that is available here or by calling the CFIA at 226-217- 8022.

Transmission of avian influenza to people from the consumption of undercooked eggs or poultry is unlikely. As a general practice, food safety measures should always be practiced when handling poultry and egg products such as washing hands before and after food handling, keeping products separate to prevent cross contamination, cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces and fully cooking poultry products.

For more information visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca and search for “avian influenza”.

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U14 Fitzsimmons Garage AAA Petes Capture OHMA Title With Walk-Off Goal

It was a clean sweep for the undefeated U14 Fitzsimmons Garage AAA Petes as they won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) Championships at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville over the weekend.

The U14 Fitzsimmons Garage AAA Petes scored 25 goals and allowed nine during their five-game winning streak at the OMHA Championships. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Minor Petes.

The Petes defeated the York-Simcoe Express in the championship game in overtime 3-2. The team got their walk-off championship goal 8:16 into the extra period to seal their undefeated weekend.

The team won all three games on Friday and Saturday to qualify for the playoffs — the top four teams qualified — of the three-day event. They won their next two playoff games to win the championship.

Four of nine teams from the Peterborough Minor Hockey Council represented at two OMHA Championship weekends for AAA.

The U15 Ben Smith Sells AAA Petes secured a spot in the semi-finals with a round-robin record of 1-1-1. They fell in the semi-finals 3-2 to the Central Ontario Wolves.

The U12 Jesse's Tap & Grill AAA Petes finished the round-robin with a 2-1 record, advancing to the semi-finals on Sunday. They lost 2-1 to Niagara North Stars in the playoff round.

The U11 Peak Benefits AAA Petes played in the OMHA Championship weekend on March 25-27 but did not make the playoffs.

The U9 Hockey Hotel AAA Petes played in their championship weekend March 11 - 13 in Belleville and earned a silver medal.

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City Of Peterborough Arena And Aquatics Complex Project Site Plan And Project Update

The City of Peterborough is engaging with the community and stakeholder groups on the site plan design of the new Arena and Aquatics Complex.

Mock up courtesy of the city of peterborough

Phase 1 of the project, which is expected to start construction this fall and be completed by the fall of 2024, will include a twin-pad arena and library branch in a community centre that will be built at Lansdowne and Park streets on the west side of Morrow Park.

 The site plan will detail the layout of the project on the property, as well as features such as the parking and landscaping.

The engagement session includes an in-person “Open House” style viewing of project display boards where the community is invited to drop in and can submit any questions or comments with City staff regarding the site plan design for the project. A Public Information Session, with participation online or by phone, will follow in the evening. The Public Information Session will include a presentation from the project consulting team, Perkins + Will Architects, with a project update and site plan design details.

1)    Drop-in Viewing of the Project Display Boards

• Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2022

• Time: noon to 4 p.m.

• Location: Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N. Friends of the Library Community Room

2)    Public Information Session

• Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2022

• Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Online: www.connectptbo.ca/arenaandaquaticscomplex using MS Teams online or

• Phone: 1-833-651-1158, Conference ID: 704843826

Visit www.connectptbo.ca/arenaandaquaticscomplex for information on the project, including previous presentations, project conceptual designs, and the Council approval to add a library branch within Phase 1 of the project.

For questions or comments call 705-742-7777 ext. 2419. The virtual Public Information Session will be recorded and posted for viewing following the session.

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ECFC Announces New Men's Head Coach After First Day of Training Camp

After the Electric City Football Club (ECFC) had its first day of training camp at Fleming College for the men’s team, they introduced Jamie Sherwood as their head coach announced on Monday.

Jamie Sherwood, ECFC men’s head coach (left), Neil Morton, ECFC co-founder/co-owner (middle) and Jordan Brown, ECFC striker sharing a moment after training camp. Sherwood was brought from Wales to Peterborough over the weekend. Photo by Luke Best.

“After an extensive search, we believe that Jamie is the right person to lead this project forward,” said Rob Jenkins, ECFC President, “He has had success in Europe at a very high level in both the men’s and women’s game which was very important to us and he bought into what we are trying to do with this project right away.”

Sherwood holds his UEFA A License and spent six years coaching at Cardiff City FC on two separate occasions from 2003-2005 and 2012-2014.

He was an Academy coach on the Men’s side and head coach of Cardiff City Ladies He led Sherwood led the team to a Welsh Cup Title, English Premier League Runners Up, Premier League Cup Finalists, and a FA Cup Quarter Final.

Following his time with Cardiff City LFC, he joined Yeovil Town LFC as the Head Coach where he stayed from 2014 – 2018. He was recognized as FA Womens Super League 2 Club of the Year award twice for his excellence on and off the pitch.

In 2016 he also led Yeovil Town LFC to the league title which saw them gain promotion to the FA Women’s Super League where they played the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Sherwood won the 2016 Somerset Sports Coach of the Year award thanks to his achievements with Yeovil Town LFC.

“Not many managers, players or supporters get the chance to build a club from its inception and this project gives that opportunity,” said Sherwood. “To be integral to the shaping of a culture, environment and game model is a huge reason why I have been drawn to Electric City FC. Creating an elite environment that allows players to flourish and to produce performances that will bring the community together is such an exciting proposition.”

Sherwood has also spent time at and had success at a number of other clubs in Europe including Taffs Well FC, Barry Town United AFC, and Bridgewater United. He was also part of the Men’s Technical Staff with the Welsh FA from 2003 - 2010 which has developed global talents like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey. Sherwood was the Head of Football at Cardiff and Vale College as his most recent tenure.

Electric City FC Men’s team officially began training camp today in preparation for their highly anticipated season opener away to reigning champions Guelph United on April 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

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Selwyn Dentist Celebrates Wedding Day On Stage With Carrie Underwood

Selwyn dentist and newlywed Courtney Toms got the experience of a lifetime on stage at a Carrie Underwood concert in Las Vegas, hours after her wedding.

Toms, who practices at and owns Selwyn Family Dental, married her husband James Peterson on April 2 in Las Vegas.

According to Karen-Lee Toms, Courtney’s mother and office manager, the two decided to escape the hustle and bustle of work, head to Las Vegas alone and get married.

To celebrate the two went to a Carrie Underwood concert, where Toms wore a sash that read ‘Bridgenorth ON’ in hopes someone from Underwood’s team would recognize the hometown of the singers husband - the plan worked.

Toms was spotted by Underwood’s team before the show and asked to go on stage.

“Carrie Underwood has been Courtney’s idol since she was very young,” said Karen-Lee. “She knows everything that she does, knows every word to every song.”

When she got on stage, Underwood joked that she was now her Maid of Honour and the two sang Underwood’s popular ‘All-American Girl’ together.

Carrie Underwood posted a photo of the two to social media.

“It was the perfect wedding for Courtney.”

“They’ve been dating since they were 17,” said Karen-Lee. “But Courtney’s been so busy with school, with a new practice, they put themselves on the backburner for a bit and then COVID came, they said it’s not worth the stress so they went to Vegas and were going to whoop it up just the two of them.”

Karen says Courtney had never even been on an airplane before this trip.

“It’s so nice for people to see good things happening to small-town people,” said Karen-Lee. “Courtney is a sweetheart and all the staff and all her patients have taken so well to her.”

Comments on Selwyn Family Dental’s social media post were filled with praises for Dr Toms, celebrating the exciting news.

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Applications Open For 2022 Artist Initiated Public Art Projects

The City of Peterborough’s Public Art Program invites artists or artist teams to submit their ideas to create art in public spaces.

A COMMUNITY MEMBER PAINTS “HELLO” ON PICNIC BY THE WATER as part of the 2021 Public Art Project. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ AUTORINO.

This call is open to both established and emerging artists, including those interested in expanding their practices into the public realm for the first time. Artists can propose artworks in any scale, scope, and medium in any part of the City.

The intention is to commission two projects, valued at $12,000 each. Projects are to be presented or installed within City limits between June and December 2022.

Special projects, such as Artist-initiated Projects, are a key area of focus of the Public Art Program that enable the program to keep up with emergent practices, respond to the needs of our community and integrate art into multiple sites within a short timeframe. These initiatives also provide opportunities for artists to experiment, and the freedom to create artworks outside the limits of a predetermined site, theme or medium.

This opportunity is open to professional artists of all disciplines. Applications are welcome from individual artists, artist teams, artist collectives, ad hoc groups, or arts and culture organizations, as well as partnerships and collaborations between arts and non-arts applicants. Artists and cultural practitioners from the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations are encouraged to apply.

There is a two-stage Call for Proposals.

Stage 1 requires an initial artwork concept, preliminary site approvals, and expressions of interest from co-creators and other participants.

For the second stage of the selection process, shortlisted artists will be invited to an interview to discuss more in-depth their experience, vision, and approach as well as the financial viability of their plans.

The call for proposals for Artist-initiated Projects, including more information about the project parameters and tips to assist with the application process are on the City’s Public Art Program web page at peterborough.ca/publicart.

Submissions for Stage 1 are due May 12 at 4 p.m. All Proposals must be submitted online.

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Peterborough Police Service Warns Public Of Snapchat Scam

Peterborough Police Service is warning the public about a scam around the social media app, Snapchat that surfaced on Friday.

Snapchat instantly erases photos of “snaps” sent across users unless they are screenshotted. Senders are notified if the receiver screenshotted the snap. Photo by Luke Best.

Officers received two reports where kids under 15 were asked to send nude photos of themselves. They were threatened to have their photos distributed if they did not send money or gift cards.

Anyone with information or experienced the scam is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.

Additionally, report any incidents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

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