Sherry Senis Sworn In as Peterborough County Deputy Warden

Sherry Senis, mayor of Selwyn was sworn in as the Peterborough County Deputy Warden on Wendesday.

Senis takes over the role of Deputy Warden after J. MUrray Jones. The latter served for 11 years as warden. Photo courtesy of Peterborough County.

Senis assumed the role after being selected by Warden Clark on Dec. 2.

The new Deputy Warden has served in municipal government since 2006, first as a member of Selwyn township council representing Smith Ward. She became Deputy Mayor in 2014 and was acclaimed Mayor of Selwyn during the October municipal elections. Mayor Senis’ selection represents the first time that Peterborough County Council has had both leadership positions held by women.

“I am honoured and pleased that Warden Clark has asked me to take on the role of Deputy Warden, I am passionate about my Township as well as Peterborough County,” said Senis. “There is much we can do and I am looking forward to dealing with any opportunities and challenges as they arise and working together, we can achieve this. I look forward to working alongside Warden Clark, my fellow Councillors, the greater community and staff.”

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MPP Dave Smith Relocating Constituency Office to Chemong Road Plaza

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith is on the move as his is relocating his Action Centre to 864 Chemong Rd. announced on Wednesday.

DAVE SMITH was re-elected as MPP on June 2, EARNing BACK-TO-BACK TERMS FOR THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY FOR THE PETERBOROUGH-KAWARTHA RIDING since GARY STEWART FROM 1995-2003. PHOTO BY David Tuan Bui.

The new location is in the Asta Spirit Plaza across from Brookdale Plaza. The signage has already been installed as of Wednesday. The current location at 1123 Water St. will be demolished to construct new housing units such as townhouses and two-bedroom apartments by Cherney Properties.

Over the last few months, the new location has undergone interior renovations to make it fully accessible for seniors and anyone with disabilities. The renovations include a wheelchair ramp, an automatic door opener, bathroom upgrades, widen doorways and the creation of open, barrier-free space for those with visual impairments according to a press release.

“After four years at our Water Street location, we’ve come to the decision that it’s time for us to move. We desperately need more housing in Peterborough,” said Smith. “We aren’t going far though. I’ve always said that it is important that people from across the riding, not just the city, can easily access the Action Centre. This location maintains the ample parking and access by the townships surrounding the City of Peterborough that our existing office has.”

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PKAR Selects CMHA HKPR as Charity of Choice For Fundraising Efforts

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of REALTORS (PKAR) has chosen the Canadian Mental Health Association of Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) as their 2023 Realtors Care Charity of Choice, announced on Wednesday.

File Photo.

Each year REALTOR members of PKAR donate funds to Realtors Care which is presented to a local charity that supports housing in the community. In 2022, PKAR raised $25,919 to support the YES Shelter Peterborough as the charity of choice.

This means that in 2023 all PKAR fundraising efforts will support CMHA HKPR.

The CMHA HKPR is working hard to address homelessness and mental well-being through community-based mental health and addictions services and programs and the development of their Garden Homes Project. The goal of this program is to reduce homelessness in Peterborough City and County by providing affordable, small homes to those who are most vulnerable.

“Much of our community has been challenged with access to affordable housing. This generous donation from PKAR lends itself to creative ways to finding a solution to a highly complex problem,” says Mark Graham, chief executive officer at the CMHA HKPR. “With low vacancy rates and many people facing homelessness, this initiative is needed now more than ever.”

PKAR says they are ‘proud to support this incredible initiative which will act as a valuable ‘demonstration project’ for other tiny homes, hopefully paving the way for more affordable housing and improved health for all.’

“Unfortunately, homelessness is an ongoing struggle for some of the most vulnerable people in our community, and across the province”, says Kate Kidd, PKAR president. “Housing is a priority for our REALTOR members, and the CMHA HKPR initiative will serve to directly support this issue and give those in need a chance at a brighter future.”

For more information, visit the PKAR website.

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10 Things To Do In-and-Around Peterborough This Weekend; Dec. 16 - 18

Photo courtesy of Braden Glasbergen.

There is just one weekend until Christmas!

With a variety of events and activities in Peterborough City and County this weekend, there is sure to be fun for the whole family.

Visit with Santa and support SickKids at Dr. J’s!

Santa Claus is coming to Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews, raising money for SickKids! Get your photos taken with Santa from noon to 6 p.m. with a $5 donation. Gift wrapping will be available from Dec. 16 to 18 from noon to 6 p.m. with a donation of your choice.

When: Sun. Dec. 18, 12 p.m.

Where: Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews, 282 Aylmer St. N, Peterborough, Ont.

Hang out with the donkeys at PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary

Come to the Donkey Sanctuary for a curbside visit and meet the animals! These visits are free, however donations are gratefully accepted by the sanctuary.

Personal tours are offered on Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon. There is a maximum of five people (including children) and is $20 a person. Be sure to email the sanctuary to schedule your tour in advance!

Email: primrosedonkeysanctuary@gmail.com

When: Sun. Dec. 18, 1 p.m.

Where: Primrose Donkey Sanctuary, 1296 Bowmanton Rd. RR 4 Roseneath, Ont..

Enjoy the ‘Seasons of Ravenwood’ holiday display and food drive!

Extravagant Christmas displays are back at the Glasbergen’s as they invite the public to tour their grounds and support their “Fill the Sleigh” food drive in support of St. Vincent de Paul.

Walkways are created to guide visitors through their front lawn to view the display filled with ornaments, lights, signs and more. The family has requested everyone not to touch the decorations because of its fragility.

Anyone driving by is also requested to stop and see the display to not disrupt traffic flow and for everyone’s safety.

When: Fri. Dec. 16, 6 p.m.

Where: 1723 Ravenwood Dr. Peterborough, Ont.

Cheer on your Peterborough Petes at the annual Christmas game

Join the Peterborough Petes at the Peterborough Memorial Centre as they take on the Kingston Frontenacs.

Tickets: Available online here.

When: Sat. Dec. 17, 7:05 p.m.

Where: Peterborough Memorial Centre, 151 Lansdowne St. Peterborough, Ont.

See Dreamer the Supertramp Experience

DREAMER is the authentic re-creation of the legendary '70's rock band Supertramp. The 8-piece group of multi-instrumentalists perform all of the sounds used in the real Supertramp show, from sax, clarinet, trombone, vintage keyboards and the unmistakable Supertramp vocal sound.

The musicians were hand-picked for their expertise in capturing the often intricate arrangements of Supertramp's material, and are a strong compliment to the feature vocals of Roger Hodgson (performed by Emmy award-winning Phil Naro) and Rick Davies (performed by keyboard player & singer Rich Hamelin). Complete with projections and period style costumes, DREAMER will take you on a musical journey back in time!

Tickets: Available online here.

When: Sat. Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Showplace Performance Centre, 290 George St. Peterborough, Ont.

Get cozy ‘Under A Winter’s Moon’ with Loreena McKennitt!

A series of seasonal concerts were held in a historic sanctuary in Loreena’s home base of Stratford, Ontario in Dec. 2021 and recorded live. She’s now releasing that magical concert as her 16th album with a two-week companion tour of Ontario. It is a captivating live performance rich with a miscellany of carols and tales that incorporates McKennitt's eclectic Celtic sound with elements of Indigenous oral traditions.

The evening will feature such favourites as “Coventry Carol”, “Good King Wenceslas” and the “Huron Carol” and include a special appearance by Ojibway artist and flautist Jeffrey Red George. The second set embodies Gemini Award-winning actor Cedric Smith with a reading of, A Child’s Christmas in Wales (in six parts). It is a moving and nostalgic piece of prose by the late Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

Loreena will be accompanied by Caroline Lavelle on cello and recorders, Graham Hargrove on percussion, Errol Fischer on fiddle, Pete Watson on guitar and 12-string bouzouki and Cait Watson on Irish whistle.

All tickets purchased for the show’s original date will be honoured.

Tickets: Available online here.

When: Sun. Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Showplace Performance Centre, 290 George St. Peterborough, Ont.

Enjoy activities for the whole family at the new Quaker Foods City Square

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Despite the ribbon-cutting ceremony being postponed, the activities will still continue at Quaker Foods City Square. Activities are scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with outdoor skating, face painting and a DJ who will play music during the event.

The year-round space is located at the former Louis Street Parking Lot off the corner of Aylmer Street and Charlotte Street.

Please be advised that protests are scheduled to take place this Saturday at the Quaker Foods City Square.

When: Sat. Dec. 10, 11 a.m.

Where: Corner of Aylmer Street and Charlotte Street.

Get into the holiday spirit at Christmas Music Morning with the St. James Choir

Join for a special Christmas music morning at the St. James Choir’s Sunday service. Music Director Brian MacDonald and the St. James United Church choir will be belting Christmas tunes in-person and online with Twitch streaming!

When: Sun. Dec. 18, 10:30 a.m.

Where: St. James United Church, 221 Romaine St. Peterborough, Ont.

Jam out with Between the Static at The Black Horse Pub!

Jam out with Between the Static with a night of classic rock at The Black Horse Pub. There is no cover for this event.

When: Fri. Dec. 16, 9 p.m.

Where: The Black Horse Pub and Restaurant, 452 George St. Peterborough, Ont.

Drive-through the Merry and Bright Festival

The Merry & Bright Festival features almost one kilometre of light displays created by local individuals, businesses and organizations to raise donations and support the community.

The drive-through festival is a joint fundraiser for the Lindsay Agricultural Society, United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes, BGC Kawarthas, Kawartha Food Source, Lindsay Lions Club and Heritage Christian School.

Tickets: Can be purchased online here or $20 cash at the gate.

When: Fri. Dec. 16, Sun. Dec. 18, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Lindsay Fairgrounds, 354 Angeline St. S, Lindsay, Ont.

Trent University Cancelling Thursday Exams Due To Inclement Weather

Trent University exams scheduled for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. for Thursday have been cancelled due to the winter storm.

File Photo.

The Peterborough and Durham GTA campuses remain open during that time.

Instructors will notify students on future plans for those affected by the cancellations. Friday’s exams expected to continue as scheduled according to Trent.

University officials are monitoring the weather while crews are clearing campus roads and pathways. Trent will provide an update regarding 8 a.m. exams on Friday on the school’s website and the University’s social media channels by 6 a.m. Trent advises campus visitors to exercise caution on pathways, parking lots, and stairways.

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Quaker Foods City Square Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Cancelled Due To Impending Protest; Activities To Proceed

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Quaker Foods City Square this Saturday has been put on hold due to an impending protest however, family activities will proceed as normal announced on Wednesday.

THE PARK WAS OPEN TEMPORARILY ON CANADA DAY FOR A RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY OF A NEW UN PEACEKEEPERS MONUMENT. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The protest arranged by Michelle McQuaid is known as the ‘Concrete Priorities Protest’ to protest the City’s celebration and spending on the park , especially the heated concrete while Peterborough is undergoing a homelessness crisis.

The $6.4-million project was supported by a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, to support the construction of the rink, as well as landscaping and water features.

The City also used $677,909 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from its share of gaming revenues provided as a host community for a casino, and $50,000 from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area to support the project. PepsiCo Foods, through its Quaker brand, is providing approximately $240,000 over 15 years for the naming rights to the public square.

Former Mayor Diane Therrien declared a state of emergency on homelessness in Peterborough after calling a special city council meeting on Oct. 13. This occurred a few weeks prior to the municipal election when Therrien said she would not run for another mayoral term.

McQuaid stated the following on the social media event on the City’s alleged inaction on the homelessness issue:

“I know tents are not ideal, but they would be alot more comfortable on HEATED PAVEMENT! We have community members sleeping outside, in cars, tents... Whatever shelter they can make... ...and The City of Peterborough decides to celebrate? I'd like to know exactly what they are celebrating and acknowledge what they are choosing to ignore.”

The protest is still scheduled to occur despite the City withdrawing certain activities and the ribbon-cutting ceremony according to the Facebook event.

The City has stated that speeches will be rescheduled to thank the partners and sponsors that contributed to the park’s construction but has yet to release a date.

The family activities are still scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p..m. There is outdoor skating, face painting and a DJ to play music during the event. Hot chocolate, sweet treats, stilt walkers and performance artists were scheduled for the event but have been withdrawn due to the protest.

The square is located at the former Louis Street Parking Lot off the corner of Aylmer Street and Charlotte Street. It is a year-round space for community events and activities. The space includes a refrigerated outdoor skating rink during winter and a water play feature for the summer.

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Peterborough Petes to Host PWHPA at First-Ever School Game

The Peterborough Petes is one of four OHL teams to host a Professional Women’s Hockey Player’s Association (PWHPA) game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Feb. 10 announced by the Ontario Hockey League on Wednesday.

Founded in 2019, the PWHPA features four teams comprised of 100 of the world’s best female hockey players and was formed with the goal of creating a sustainable league that provides equity, fairness, and opportunity in women’s professional hockey. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

This will be the first-ever school game hosted by the Petes. It will contain top professional and Olympic women's hockey players, including Olympic and world champion Marie-Philip Poulin, Rebecca Johnston, Blayre Turnbull, Jessie Eldridge and more. The game is a part of the PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour and will feature Team Harvey’s (Montreal) taking on Team Scotiabank (Calgary). 

“Last year the Petes were proud to be the first OHL team to partner with the PWHPA, and to see that initiative expand to three additional OHL markets this season is really special,” said Burton Lee, Petes executive director of business operations. “Women’s hockey is thriving and the Petes are fortunate to have the best players in the world coming to our city to play in front of thousands of Petes Season Ticket Members and local school children.” 

Petes season ticket members and suite holders are entitled to complimentary PWHPA school day game tickets up to the number of season tickets in their regular season package.

Other tickets to the game are being held for schools in the Peterborough area and will not go on sale to the general public. 

All local schools are invited to attend the PWHPA game with discounted group tickets. The following school group opportunities are available:

• Fundraising chuck-a-puck

• National Anthem Program

• Intermission games and activities

• School Skate (pre-game or post-game)

• PWHPA Autograph Sessions

• Interactive curriculum-based activities

• Women's and Girls' Hockey recognition

• And more…

To organize school tickets, email tickets@gopetesgo.com, or call (705) 743-3681 ext. 6000.

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Free Two-Day Youth Hockey Camp Being Hosted By Overtime Hockey and Auto Connect Sales For Dec. 29 - 30

Overtime Hockey Company and Auto Connect Sales have opened a draw for anyone to attend their third annual Holiday Stars Camp taking place on Dec. 29 and 30.

Photo courtesy of Overtime Hockey Company.

The draw is for 70 players to come to the free camp with all ballots to be submitted by Sunday at noon. Winners will be notified by email and posted online.

Anyone selected will receive two hours of on-ice lessons from OHC instructors and corresponding jerseys.

“Peterborough’s a hockey town and not everybody has an opportunity to afford it,” said Martin Templeman, Autoconnect Sales owner and president. “It’s tough enough to put their kids in hockey let alone in camps and learn extra skills and I thought it was a worthy cause. How many kids would love to do it but are not in a financial position to do it? If there’s a way you can help a kid in your own community, you do it.”

“It's a pleasure for us at Overtime Hockey Company to partner with Martin and Cheryl of AutoConnect for a third year by providing 70 local hockey players an amazing opportunity,” said Kaury Jones, Overtime Hockey Company co-owner. “Our partnership allows us the ability to give back to the hockey community who gives so much to local businesses and charitable initiatives.”

Age groups are divided by year, ranging from anyone born between 2011-2017.

Schedule:

• (2017) 9 a.m. at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

• (2016) 10 a.m. at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

• (2015) 11 a.m. at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

• (2014) noon at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

• (2013) 1 p.m. at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

• (2012) 2 p.m. at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

• (2011) 3 p.m. at OHC Center - Dec.29 and 30

To register for the camp, click here.

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The Lindsay Agriculture Society Presents the Merry and Bright Festival

The Merry & Bright Festival held at the Lindsay Fairgrounds features almost one kilometre of light displays created by local individuals, businesses and organizations to raise donations and support the community from Thursday to Dec. 23.

Photo courtesy of Shanice Sproule.

The drive-through festival of lights is a joint fundraiser for the Lindsay Agricultural Society, United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes, BGC Kawarthas, Kawartha Food Source, Lindsay Lions Club and Heritage Christian School.

Attendees can enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride — for Saturday only — and visit Santa at his portable workshop.

In 2020, the Lindsay Agricultural Society hosted the Merry & Bright Festival for the first time as a way to raise money for their partner organizations which missed the opportunity to fundraise at the year’s Lindsay Exhibition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They say the event was very successful in its first year, providing each partner organization with over $5,000 in donations.

The display is at the Lindsay Fairgrounds located at 354 Angeline St. S. in Lindsay. Tickets can be purchased online or by paying cash at the gate.

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