Peterborough Blogs
Little Lake Makes Big Splashes Again With Centennial Fountain Turned On For a Full Season
/Little Lake has come alive again as the Centennial Fountain has turned on for the season on Thursday morning.
Daryl Stevenson, City of Peterborough’s wastewater treatment manager turning on the Centennial Fountain by a tablet. The iconic fountain is considered one of the highest jet fountains in the country, shooting up to 76 metres in the air. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The fountain had different schedules for the past two years. This year, it runs on a full schedule this year from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. until Oct. 10.
“Two years ago, the fountain was off for the entire year,” said Daryl Stevenson, City of Peterborough’s wastewater treatment manager. “Last year, Council decided to run the fountain from slightly reduced hours but we're looking forward to a good season again this year.”
The fountain will have nightly LED light shows. It plays a part in several major events that take place near it according to Stevenson.
"It's part of Little Lake, whether it's part of the Dragon Boat Festival or any of the concerts going on at night," he explained. "It's iconic, it's beautiful, it's one of the largest fountains in Canada and people just love coming to see it."
The Centennial Fountain was installed through a donation by General Electric Canada in 1967 to mark the Canadian Centennial celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.
Peterborough Woman Share Tips On Making Virtual Meetings More Accessible For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People On Global Accessibility Awareness Day
/Thursday marks the 11th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Peterborough woman Barb Downey hopes to provide insight about making virtual meetings more accessible for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Barb Downey working at her desk at DeafBlind Ontario Services in Peterborough. Photo courtesy of DeafBlind Ontario, Peterborough.
Downey, a Facilitator of Community Services at DeafBlind Ontario Services in Peterborough, communicates using American Sign Language (ASL).
Downey notes that while video communications platforms like Zoom bridge distances, making meetings, gatherings, and events around the world more inclusive, they can also create new challenges for people that communicate using sign language.
“ASL is my first language. In a virtual environment, it is important that I communicate with the translation of an interpreter, rather than through the chat function,” said Downey, through an interpreter.
When it comes to virtual meetings, being able to clearly see the interpreter is essential to communication, says Downey. She points out that smaller Zoom meetings make it easier for other participants, and herself, to see her interpreter.
“While in large online settings, there are many thumbnail displays of people, sometimes a couple pages of them. If a person does not identify themselves, I may not know who is speaking. The same goes for people that talk over one another, making it difficult for the interpreter to translate everyone. This means I may miss important information, which also happens when the meeting freezes or lags, creating a barrier to communication,” she said.
Thursday marks the 11th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day. This day aims to raise awareness about digital (web, mobile, software, etc.) access and a commitment to inclusion for more than one billion people around the world with diverse abilities.
“Technology has come a long way in bridging the gap and helping Deaf people connect from afar. However, in my opinion, there is more that can be done to make virtual meetings and events more inclusive,” said Downey.
According to Downey, some ways to make virtual meetings more accessible include scheduling frequent breaks.
“The hearing population can look away from the online meeting and still listen to the conversation or presentation. While someone who is Deaf must focus and constantly watch the screen. After long periods of time, this can strain your eyes and be tiring.”
Avoiding screensharing for long periods of time is important, she says, as that takes over the main screen and shrinks the interpreters window.
It is also important to look and speak directly to the person who is deaf, not to the interpreter.
City Of Peterborough Begins Annual Road Work Program
/Peterborough Residents will experience closed roads, lane closures and flagging operations as part of the City of Peterborough’s annual road work program, beginning mid-May.
Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.
The work is anticipated to be finished by November.
Using condition rating information, City staff have identified 10 of the highest priority streets that require pavement preservation treatments in 2022.
Seven roads will receive new surface asphalt paving:
Fairbairn Street between Wolsely and Hillside streets
Ford Street between Chamberlain and Lansdowne streets
Langton Street between Hilliard and Water streets
Lansdowne Street West between Monaghan Road and Park Street South
Monaghan Road between Edison Avenue and Riverside Drive
Sherbrooke Street between Bethune and Reid streets
Woodglade Boulevard between Glenforest and Kawartha Heights boulevards
Two roads will receive full-depth asphalt pavement structures:
Parkhill Road East between Television Road and the Trent Canal
Television Road between Parkhill Road and the CP Rail tracks
Micro-surface treatment will be completed on Milroy Drive between Chemong Road and Towerhill Road.
Grinding and paving operations along Fairbairn Street, Lansdowne Street West and Sherbrooke Street will be conducted under road closure at night between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. to reduce the impact on traffic.
Grinding and paving operations along Monaghan Road and Woodglade Boulevard will be conducted under road closures during July and August to coordinate with reduced activity at nearby schools during the summer.
Parkhill Road East and Television Road pulverizing, grading and paving operations will require a single-lane closure with flagging operations for a duration of an estimated five days for each side of the road.
The work is being done by Coco Paving Inc. on behalf of the City.
Pavement crack sealing will take place at various locations across the City to help extend the life of the road
This work is being done by Fine Line Markings Inc. on behalf of the City and is not expected to cause road closures.
This and other road work projects are posted on the City of Peterborough’s interactive road construction map, available online at peterborough.ca/constructionmap.
Ukrainian Refugee Ready to Make Peterborough His New Home
/Ukrainian refugee Sergii Gubanov has called Peterborough home after five days of arriving in town last Thursday.
Photo courtesy of Pete Dalliday.
He was forced to flee Ukraine and arrived in Peterborough with nothing except a backpack
Gubanov obtained his driver’s licence on Tuesday and has been seeking employment. He is seeking a place to live next month and get a bike to ride to work.
He has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Forensic Science.
Gubanov has a sister and a nine-year-old niece and wants them to follow his lead by immigrating to Canada.
“By the grace of God, I hope to bring them to Canada to safety from this war once I get established in the community,” he said.
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Brett Kissel Kicks Off Tour In Peterborough After Winning Juno Country Album Of The Year
/Country artist Brett Kissel is more than ready to kick off his tour at The Peterborough Memorial Centre after winning Juno Country Album of The Year.
Photo by Luke Best.
“Are you congratulating me on my Juno win or on my Oilers win?,”
The Alberta singer was busy setting up his stage at the Memorial Centre on Tuesday in preparation for his Thursday night concert, still buzzing from both a successful night at The Juno’s and an exciting night for Edmonton Oilers fans.
2022 has been a monumental year for Kissel. In addition to winning Country Album of The Year, he was also nominated alongside Justin Bieber and The Weeknd for Single of The Year, with his song ‘Make A Life, not A Living’.
Now, he’s kicking off his first tour since the pandemic shut down the music scene at The Memorial Centre, a venue he says he’s always wanted to play.
“We love playing in this area, myself and my band,” he said. “To get back in the saddle, especially at an arena like this with such a storied franchise with The Petes, we’re so excited.”
Thursday night will be his first time singing many of his new songs in person, after not touring during COVID.
“There could be two people at Thursdays show and I would still give it my all because of the level of gratitude I have to be playing in front of people again is just off the charts.”
Kissel says this is his biggest tour to date, with stops all over Canada, a few in the U.S and even headlining at a music festival in Italy.
“I think they’re intrigued with a Canadian cowboy coming over wearing a cowboy hat and singing his songs,”
After Peterborough’s show Kissel will head to Ottawa, Toronto and then London for the long weekend.
Tickets are still available for Thursdays show, which will feature singer Jess Moskaluke as opener. Tickets can be purchased here.
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City Services Open In Peterborough On Victoria Day
/For Victoria Day on Monday many City services and facilities will be operating under holiday hours or will be closed for the holiday.
Photo by Luke Best.
There are no changes to curbside garbage and recycling collection.
Public washrooms in City parks are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The facilities in Jackson Park close daily at 5 p.m. Visitors at Del Crary Park can access washroom facilities at the Marina.
Splash pads are open daily from noon to 7 p.m. There will be no lifeguard supervision at the Beavermead Park or Rogers Cove beaches until June 25.
Open
Transit will operate on a Sunday/Holiday service schedule on Monday, May 23
Peterborough Marina at 92 George St. N. is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Peterborough Museum and Archives at 300 Hunter St. E. is open noon to 5 p.m.
Sport and Wellness Centre at 775 Brealey Dr. is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Kinsmen Civic Centre is open from noon to 10 p.m. for scheduled user groups.
Public Works can be reached at 705-745-1386. This line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Recycling Depot at 390 Pido Rd. is open 24 hours (self-serve)
Closed
City Hall, including Building Services, the Clerk’s Office and the Tax Office
Arenas division office
Art Gallery of Peterborough at 250 Crescent St.
City-operated child care centres
Grant Thornton Box Office and Peterborough Memorial Centre (The box office is normally closed on Mondays. Visit online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at memorialcentre.ca for information and tickets)
Hazardous and Electronic Waste Depot at 400 Pido Rd. (The Hazardous and Electronic Waste Depot’s normal operating schedule is Wednesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Healthy Planet Arena at 911 Monaghan Rd.
Landfill at 1260 Bensfort Rd.
Peterborough Public Library at 345 Aylmer St.
Provincial Offences Act office at 99 Simcoe St.
Social Services office at 178 Charlotte St. (For after-hours emergencies for Social Services, please call 705-926-0096)
