PRHC Awarded Highest Possible Standing By Accreditation Canada

Accreditation Canada has issued its formal decision letter congratulating Peterborough Regional Health Centre for achieving Accreditation with Exemplary Standing – the highest possible designation for an accredited organization, on Thursday.

File Photo

This is the second consecutive time PRHC has been awarded with this distinction.

Every four years, a team of Accreditation Canada surveyors are invited to PRHC to evaluate more than 2,700 standards based on quality, safety and efficiency. Based on a site visit in early April, Accreditation Canada has advised that PRHC met or exceeded 98.6 per cent of these standards, the hospitals highest ever score.

The Accreditation Canada website describes the Exemplary Standing designation as being awarded to “organizations that go beyond Accreditation Canada’s requirements and demonstrate excellence in quality improvement.”

“This achievement can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of each and every healthcare professional, employee and volunteer at PRHC,” said Dr. Peter McLaughlin, President & CEO. “This year, we have been faced with challenges unlike anything we have seen before. And yet throughout our on-site survey, our healthcare workers continued to demonstrate all of the qualities that make them such a remarkable team of hardworking people who are committed to providing excellent patient care and support.”

The on-site Accreditation survey team specifically commended PRHC for preparing for and participating in the Accreditation program during a global pandemic, as well as:

• Having a committed, engaged, and knowledgeable Board of Directors, strong leadership with a patient-focused, collaborative approach to care, and healthcare professionals, staff and volunteers who are engaged in quality improvement and proud of the care and service they provide.

• Ongoing engagement with our Patient Experience Steering Committee; their expertise and insights ensure that the patient voice continues to be at the forefront of our discussions and decision-making.

• Promoting a comprehensive Seniors’ Care Strategy and working with community partners to bring about affordable seniors’ housing; an initiative that has been recognized and awarded by the Ontario Hospital Association.

• Collaborative relationships with our community and healthcare partners.

• The implementation of a new, regional clinical information system, which has introduced additional communication tools for serving patients.

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City Of Peterborough With Peterborough GreenUP Offering Up To $1,000 To Install Residential Rain Gardens

The City of Peterborough, with GreenUP, is offering its Rain Garden Subsidy Program which provides residential property owners with educational resources and up to $1,000 toward the cost of installing a rain garden, for the third year in a row.

Photo courtesy of PTBO GreenUP.

“Rain gardens are an important part of a greener stormwater management strategy,” said Curtis Mei, the City’s stormwater systems coordinator. “Rain gardens reduce the amount of polluted runoff entering local waterways, which keeps the watershed healthy and can also reduce the risk of localized urban flooding.”

According to Peterborough GreenUP, there are many options for tailoring the size and style of a rain garden, but they all function in the same way due to their bowl shape. This bowl shape collects water from roofs and other hard surfaces. These gardens use plants and fast-draining soil to absorb and filter water that would otherwise flow straight into storm sewers.

To function properly, rain gardens must be designed and located in a particular way. That’s why this subsidy process provides support for homeowners, including educational and on-site assistance from GreenUP’s Residential Program team.

“We know folks can be intimidated by the idea of designing and building their own rain garden, but it’s doable with a bit of support,” said Hayley Goodchild, coordinator with GreenUP’s NeighbourHOOD and Residential programs. “That’s why GreenUP has partnered with the City to support this subsidy program. We help applicants through the process, step-by-step.”

This year, the maximum subsidy amount has doubled to $1,000 per garden, and GreenUP is providing up to two on-site visits to advise on design and construction.

“The number of subsidies is limited and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis,” said Goodchild. “We encourage you to reach out as soon as possible.”

Interested homeowners can begin their application process at peterborough.ca/raingarden or by calling Curtis Mei, Stormwater Systems Coordinator at 705-742-7777 ext. 1507.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Three Acres, SmartSmiles, Cottage Toys and Providence

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

Brendan Quigley’s business is called Three Acres.

Quigley is a Shopify expert, helping local businesses get set up with an eCommerce site. Brendan provides store setup, Shopify Point of Sale setup, email marketing and custom development. By being connected to the Shopify Network, Quigley can scale up to handle app development, theme development and much more. Check out threeacres.ca for details.

SmartSmiles is a new mobile dental hygiene service recently launched by Dr. Jeremy Wageman.

Jeremy and his wife Wendy Thomas, along with Hygienists Mackenzie and Alina, are excited to be able to make dental care easier and more convenient for busy people. SmartSmiles is housed in a Mercedes Van, and they roll right up to your door. Business or residential, check it out at smartsmiles.me or on Facebook and Instagram.

Congratulations to Donna and Andrew Rork of Cottage Toys as they open their spectacular new building in Lakefield.

Located at the corner of Queen and Concession Street in Lakefield, the new building provides 3,000 square feet of indoor space, plus an outdoor pergola covered display area, lots of parking and high visibility for their watersport equipment like kayaks and paddle boards, as well as their multiple clothing and swimwear lines.

The original store at 180 Charlotte St. is still open and fully stocked for Spring and Summer as well. Stop in or visit cottagetoys.ca.

Speaking of the outdoors, Providence in downtown Peterborough has a new patio out back.

Looking a lot like your back deck, owner Mike Watt is grateful to the guys from Lumbermen Carpentry for their creative approach. Celebrating four years in business Mike is always coming up with new stuff, like using off-cuts from Jesse Bateson at Solid Leather to create new products for Providence. Providenceptbo on Instagram.

“Like” StoosNews page on Facebook here!

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Electric City Football Club Men's Team Shines Under the Bright Lights in Home Opener

It was an opening night that could not have been any better for the Electric City Football Club (ECFC).

The men’s team won their first home game at Fleming College in front of a record-breaking crowd, 3-0 against Windsor TFC on Saturday night.

ECFC players Luke Green (middle) and Connor Wilson (right) celebrating the team’s first franchise win with fans, scoring three goals in 14 minutes. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The hometown team played in front of a record-breaking League1 Ontario attendance of 1,565 fans.

ECFC striker Jordan Brown quickly got Peterborough on the board with a goal in the first two minutes.

Brown got an encore, scoring his second goal of the match in the 12th minute to put ECFC up 2-0.

"I think the way we moved the ball, we were very patient and it's something we needed to focus on," said Brown. "We just need to keep doing what need to do and we'll be fine going forward."

Fans didn’t wait long for another exciting moment as winger David Schaefer netted another goal in the 14th minute to give ECFC a 3-0 lead. The team carried that score into the second half.

"Obviously we took a defeat last week and the response is what we wanted to look for," said Jamie Sherwood, ECFC men's head coach.

ECFC had troubles early in the second half including a penalty kick for Windsor in the 51st minute. ECFC goalkeeper Quillan Roberts made a diving save to continue the team’s shutout.

Midfielder Mohammad Reaz Nafar got ECFC their only red card of the game at the 64th minute of the game, leaving the team with only 10 players for the duration of the match.

"We scored in the first fifteen minutes, three goals but there are moments in the game where the other team had chances and had a bit more control," said Zach Ellis-Hayden, ECFC defender. "I think we can get better at maintaining the lead and staying composed in the match and maybe have control throughout 90 minutes rather than the first 15 minutes then teetering off."

ECFC defended Windsor and limited their scoring opportunities to get their first win in men’s franchise history.

"What I was really pleased about tonight is everything we put into practice — not just this week but the last five weeks being together — is being illustrated to the whole city in front of a record crowd,” said Sherwood.

The men’s next game is next Saturday on the road against Unionville Milliken FC while the women’s team has their home opener on the same date against the Blue Devils FC at 3:00 p.m.

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Spirits Still High As Douro Dummer Falls Short Of Kraft Hockeyville Title

Though the Township of Douro Dummer did not claim the title of Kraft Hockeyville, spirits are still high in the hockey community.

After a Canada-wide vote, Sydney Nova Scotia has been named Kraft Hockeyville 2022.

Though they did not win the grand prize of $250, 000 they will still receive $25,000 towards renovations.

Celebrations continued at the Douro Community Centre, even after the news broke.

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Local School Spruces Its Anniversary With Tree Planting From $3,500 Grant

Over 50 volunteers of students, faculty and sponsors planted 40 white spruce trees around their campus with a $3,500 grant in celebration of Kawartha Montessori School’s 40th anniversary on Saturday morning.

Kawartha Montessori School students Jenna Quinn (left), 14 and Esther van Oostveen (right), 6, digging up dirt to plant one of 40 white spruce trees. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The trees run along both sides of the school and beside Highway 7. Added forestry for the school acts as a natural sound guard, decreases outside distractions for students and beautifies the campus among several other benefits according to Celia Johnstone, Tree Canada community advisor.

"It's a very exposed windy site," she said. "The schoolyard is very exposed so it provides good protection from the wind. There are also shade trees, provide the clean air as we breathe and mitigate the greenhouse effect."

"Having our school on this beautiful 10-acre property, we enrich our academic curriculum daily using the outdoors," said Carolyn Donaldson, Montessori principal. "From a very young age, having these students know that giving back to the environment is so important."

Students planted eight trees on Friday with a total of 48 planted. The ordeal was a positive experience for the school as it was the first community activity they could hold since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's just so great to plant so many trees to help the environment and to impact future generations here,” said Jenna Quinn, 14, grade 8 Montessori student. "It's such a beautiful campus and it's great to have trees out here."

The $3,500 came from the Community Tree Grant by Tree Canada with UPS providing the money as the sponsor. It is given annually with eligibility spreading across Canada.

An application was submitted in the fall by a school community member according to Johnstone.

Snacks such as cookies and muffins with refreshments were made by Montessori students and were served at the tree-planting event.

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Douro Elementary School Fundraising For An Accessible Playground

St Joseph Elementary School in Douro is hosting a garage sale and bottle drive to fundraise for an accessible playground, at the Douro Community Centre on Saturday.

The current play structure at St Joseph.

St Joseph Catholic Elementary School was home to about 235 to 240 students in 2020.

“The school is the only school in the small and close knit community of Douro,” said Nicole Sullivan, a parent at St Josephs. “The school has welcomed all students with a focus on being inclusive and accessible.”

St Joseph’s also hosts a before and after school program facilitated by Compass Early Learning Centre, a not for profit organization.

With students of varying abilities, the current play structure is simply inaccessible to some, says Sullivan.

Staff and students at St Joseph hope to replace the inaccessible, and partly broken, play structure for both students at the school and community members to be able to enjoy.

On Saturday the community will host a garage sale, bottle drive and bake sale at the Douro Community Centre from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. with all proceeds being put towards the new structure.

Also happening in Douro on Saturday is a Plant and Book Sale to support programs of the Douro Library held inside the Douro Arena May 6 from 12 - 4 p.m. and May 7 from 8 a.m. -12 p.m.

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Porch Pirates For Good Will Host Food Drive For Kawartha Food Share On May 14

Porch Pirates for Good are back to collect food for Kawartha Food Share, on May 14.

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) SUSAN DUNKLEY, LOIS TUFFIN, ASHLEE AITKEN AND MEGAN MURPHY ahead of the April 2021 food drive. PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGAN MURPHY.

On May 14, anyone who is not ill or in self-isolation, is being asked to leave a bag of non-perishable food items on their front porch.

Volunteers with the Porch Pirates for Good will drive around Peterborough and collect donations, then deliver them to the KFS warehouse.

Since the beginning of the Pandemic in March 2020, there have been four porch food drives, which have collected over 100,000 lbs of food and over $10,000 in monetary donations.

In March 2022, KFS agencies served over 12,000 individuals - 7510 adults and 4521 children under 18.

In addition to food donations, monetary donations are also accepted. Volunteers can accept cash or cheque on May 14, or donations can be made at any time here.

For every $1 donated, KFS can purchase up to $6 worth of food.

While KFS will accept any food donation, they have compiled a list of their most needed items.

• Peanut Butter – in great need! (KFS suppliers are out of stock)

• Canned tuna

• Canned fruit – in great need

• Individually wrapped school snacks – very helpful

• Pasta and pasta sauce

• Alpha-getti, Kraft Dinner and Chef Boyardee, (things that are easy and that kids like)

• Breakfast cereal

• Gluten free items – like pasta, cookies, oats etc.

• Canned vegetables

• Rice

• Canned soup/stew

• Feminine hygiene products

• Baby formula

• Diapers

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Renaissance On Hunter Art Project Returns And Is Calling For Artists

The City of Peterborough Public Art Program is inviting artists to submit proposals for two Renaissance on Hunter projects.

MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ AUTORINO AND CASSANDRA LEE work ON THEIR HUNTER STREET MURAL in 2021. Photo courtesy of PTBO DBIA.

Now in its second year, Renaissance on Hunter is comprised of two distinct but related public art projects that align with the temporary downtown built environment changes.

The temporary downtown changes will reduce Hunter Street between George Street and Aylmer Street to one-lane, one-way westbound traffic to expand pedestrian space and patio areas. A combination of portable planters and barricades will be installed in four areas along the streetscape to demark the pedestrian spaces and provide physical separation from the traffic lanes.

“The Renaissance on Hunter projects demonstrate how Public Art can support the health and wellbeing in our community and expand our ideas of what Public Art can be. We look forward to seeing the road murals and artist gardens that will be created by the the artists that are selected this year,” said Keith Riel, Chair of the City’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee.

The purpose of both public art projects is to transform the Hunter Street corridor into a welcoming and engaging pedestrian space during the warm weather season:

• The Artists’ Garden Project seeks proposals for themed garden designs and art interventions for the planters along the Hunter Street café district.

• The Road Mural Project seeks proposals for mural designs that will animate the temporary pedestrian areas.

The call for proposals for the Artists’ Garden and Road Mural Projects 2022, including more information about the project parameters and tips to assist with the application process are on the City’s Public Art webpage at peterborough.ca/publicart.

The deadline to submit proposals for both projects is May 26 at 4 p.m. All proposals must be submitted online. The expected completion of the projects is late June.

The Renaissance on Hunter public art projects are being administered and funded through the City of Peterborough’s Public Art Program and will be presented in partnership with the Downtown Business Improvement Area and GreenUP.

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