The 63rd Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament Returns After Two-Year Hiatus; Volunteers Honoured Ahead of Event

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After a two-year hiatus, one of Peterborough’s biggest hockey traditions makes its return as the 63rd Annual Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament returns to the ice from Thursday to Sunday.

(form left to right) Bill Auckland, Teena & Jack Flood and Mike Dennis were recipients of Frank Lustic, Steve Casey and Don McCrory’s Referee’s Award respectively at the 63rd Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament. The tournament was formerly called the Peterborough Liftlock Atom Hockey Tournament. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Opening ceremonies of the house league begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Healthy Planet Arena while Rep Division opening ceremonies are at the Peterborough Memorial Centre at 9 a.m. Callum Perks better known as ‘Coach Cal’ is doing the ceremonial puck drop before the game.

This year features 87 teams in 11 divisions playing throughout 10 arenas in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. It is also the return of AAA divisions. While the number of teams dropped from 114 in 2019, chairman Dan McNamee is just happy to have the tournament back for the children.

“The kids are happy to be back, the parents are excited to see the tradition back,” he said. “If it weren’t for the volunteers and directors who were working behind the scenes for this tournament, they’re the ones who get all the accolades for putting on this tournament.”

This year is without the skills competition due to lower numbers but it is not being shelved permanently for future tournaments according to McNamee.

“We’ll give it a little bit of a break and we’ll look at bringing it back in the future,” he explained. “It’s not like it’s gone forever, it’s a great show and those kids are the all-stars for the night and I hope we’ll get it back soon.”

Several awards were distributed ahead of the opening ceremonies recognizing some volunteers for their contributions to the tournament over the years:

  • Don McCrory Referee’s Award for exemplifying McCrory’s dedication to officiating - Mike Dennis

  • Steve Casey Award for a volunteer going the extra mile to contributing to the tournament’s success – Teena and Jack Flood

  • Frank Lustic Award for exemplifying all Lustic’s qualities who volunteered for over 25 years in minor sports – Bill Auckland

A cheque presentation of $2,500 was also donated to Autism Central East Ontario as the chosen beneficiary as the tournament supports a local charity annually.

The eagerness of all the volunteers and committee members showed as they were happy to see the event return after a two-year hiatus, according to McNamee.

“Let’s just get on the ice,” he exclaimed. “I just want to see the kids get skating and see the smiles on their face and hear the parents cheering them on. It feels like two decades and not two years, it’s been a long time coming so let’s play hockey.”

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Peterborough Petes Acquire Defenseman Cam Gauvreau and Draft Picks At OHL Trade Deadline

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As the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline finished on noon Tuesday, the Peterborough Petes made two trades, getting defenceman Cam Gauvreau and four draft picks total announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the peterborough Petes.

The Petes got Saginaw Spirit’s fourth-round pick and Windsor’s 2025 third-round pick in 2025 while trading defenceman James Guo and their sixth-round pick in 2023.

Gauvreau, a 2003-born defenceman from Hamilton, was originally drafted by the North Bay Battalion in the 10th round, 191st overall, in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. A 6’2”, 190lbs, shutdown defenceman, Gauvreau has played 72 games in his OHL career with one goal and eight assists, along with 113 penalty minutes. Gauvreau was traded to Saginaw from the North Bay Battalion in a four-player deal.

“We’re excited to welcome a player of Cam’s character and ability to Peterborough,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “He is a hard-working defenceman who will add a competitive edge to our blueline, while also providing leadership support on and off the ice.”

Peterborough also traded Stevie Leaskovar for the Mississauga Steelheads’s fifth-round pick and a 10th-round pick in 2025.

The Petes next game is against the Sarnia Sting on Thursday. Newly acquired Owen Beck and Cam Gauvreau will make their Petes debut while Brennan Othmann returns from the World Juniors.

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Nominate a Local Business to ‘Beat the Blue Monday’ with Showplace

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The Showplace Performance Centre presents Beat the Blue Monday, bringing free music performances to brighten workplaces across Peterborough on Jan. 16.

Photo courtesy of Mary Zita Payne.

Between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the third Monday of the year, various local businesses throughout central Peterborough will have the opportunity to beat the Monday blues with various local talents.

“The third Monday in January is said to be ‘the most depressing day of the year,’ says Showplace in a press release. “The sub-zero temperatures, the lack of daylight, the arrival of our post-Christmas credit card bill. Don’t worry, Showplace is here to help!”

Photo courtesy of Showplace Performance Centre.

Kate Suhr, Melissa Payne and The Weber Brothers will be visiting nominated businesses on their lunch break to spread some light and cheer in the community through the sharing of art.

To nominate a local business, reach out to Showplace via email and tell them which business could use some cheering up. Remember to include the business name and address.

Visit the Showplace website for more information on Beat the Blue Monday and other event listings.

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Environmental and Racial Justice Leader Named 2023 Ashley Fellow At Trent University

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Chúk Odenigbo, an equity leader at the forefront of racial and climate justice, has been named the 2023 Ashley Fellow at Trent University announced on Monday. 

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

The 2023 Ashley Fellow is co-hosted by Trent University’s Lady Eaton College (LEC) and Peter Gzowski College, colleges that are home to living-learning communities that focus on Indigenous leadership and environmental sustainability and leadership and civic engagement, respectively according to a press release.

“Chúk has received national recognition for his work as a sustainability leader, a changemaker, and a keen representative of the Francophone community in Canada. His visit provides incredible opportunities for students in all colleges to learn and engage with new ideas,” said Dr. Melanie Buddle, Gzowski principal. 

As Ashley Fellow, Odenigbo will visit Trent’s Peterborough campus from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3. He will sit in on lectures, visit classrooms and offer mentorship sessions for students. During his visit, Odenigbo will also deliver two public lectures on social justice:

"When I think about Ashley Fellowship at Trent University, I think of the idea of acting as a future ancestor," said Odenigbo. "As a young person in Canada holding multiple intersecting identities, the Ashley Fellowship means a lot to me because it allows me to be visible for other young people who are still figuring themselves out. [It is] an honour, to have been given the opportunity to interact and share with the next generation of young changemakers."

A Franco-Albertan from Calgary, Odenigbo is passionate about the interactions between culture, health and the environment. This passion has led him to his current role as founding director and director of Ancestral Services for Future Ancestors Services Inc., a youth-led, Indigenous and Black-owned, social enterprise that advances climate justice and equity. 

Beyond his work with Future Ancestors Services, Odenigbo is also co-founder of The Poison and The Apple, a bilingual non-profit organization that seeks to change the ways that Canadians interact with nature and make the outdoors diverse and welcoming spaces for all. 

“An important quality for the Ashley Fellow to embody is a desire to learn and a passion to share knowledge,” said Dr. Christine Freeman-Roth, LEC principal. “Through his research into medical geography, Chúk will be able to shed light on public health policies and strategies and is looking forward to learning more about Indigeneity and amplifying Black knowledge.” 

Odenigbo is enthusiastic regarding the appointment and looking forward to leading discussions around the impact of linguistic justice on climate change and environmentalism; questions of race and equity; defining and valuing Black knowledge in the context of the spread of disease and public health; and environmental racism.

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ReFrame Film Festival Announces Complete Lineup of 2023 Films

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The ReFrame Film Festival reveals a slate of over 60 social justice documentary films for the upcoming virtual festival from Jan. 26 to Feb. 3.

The virtual festival features an extensive list of films on the International circuit including Subject, which explores the life-altering experience of sharing one's life on screen through the participants of five acclaimed documentaries, Be My Voice about exiled journalist Masih Alinejad who urges Iranian women to rebel on social media, The Seeds of Vandana Shiva presenting the incredible life story of the Gandhian eco-activist and Devil Put The Coal In The Ground, which looks at the devastation brought on by the coal industry and its decline.

Canadian premieres include Norwegian Headache about a historic lawsuit that grants unborn Norwegians the right to a clean environment and Freedom Hill which explores the environmental racism washing away the town of Princeville, North Carolina. Canadian feature films include The Colour of Ink following acclaimed Toronto artist Jason Logan as he creates incredible inks from foraged plants and found objects and Love in the Time of Fentanyl about a renegade safe injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Local short films include the world premiere of Rewilding the Classroom by educator Cam Douglas and filmmaker Rodney Fuentes, about aligning educational practices with the reality of environmental crises through the Youth Leadership in Sustainability program and The Butch and the Baby Daddy, by Trent professor Karleen Pendleton Jimenez about a trans/butch lesbian who asks her close friend to help her build a family.

ReFrame and Artspace have collaborated for an in-person exhibition on-view at Artspace from Jan. 25 to Feb. 25. Featured projects include What Fools These Mortals Be, a three-channel video installation that reimagines Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a series of tableaux vivants (living pictures) performed by formerly incarcerated women and Intravene, an immersive audio experience about the opioid crisis. For viewing times and additional live performing information, check out the ReFrame and Artspace websites.

The festival is also hosting an in-person opening night screening at Showplace Performance Centre on Jan. 26. Opening night will feature All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, the critically acclaimed film about the life and activism of renowned photographer Nan Goldin. Tickets are sold separately and are not available as part of the virtual festival.

Audiences across Canada can stream the documentary films from Jan. 26 to Feb. 3.

The full program can be found on the ReFrame website, with virtual passes and ticket packs available now. Tickets for individual virtual films will be available as of Jan. 11. 

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Peterborough Police Service Swear In New Chief Stuart Betts

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Stuart Betts has been sworn in and is official chief of the Peterborough Police Service in a ceremony in the Austin Doran Hall of the Mount Community Centre on Monday.

Police constable Mike Lasseter (left) plays in newly sworn-in Peterborough Police Service chief Stuart Betts (right), who assumes the role on Monday. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Over 100 people were in attendance for the ceremony including Mayor Jeff Leal, Councillor Gary Baldwin, Councillor Keith Riel and officers from around the province for the ceremony among others.

Betts was the Deputy Chief of Operations and Deputy Chief of Administration for the London Police Service prior to joining Peterborough. He brings 26 years of policing into his new role.

“You can expect me to be open, accessible and very present,” said Betts. “I intend to be very public in this community, I see that the role of Chief of Police is more than just Chief of Police, it's about being a leader in the community and that's a role I intend to take very seriously.”

Betts has been familiar with the city as his wife is from Peterborough and he met her here. His first concern is to continue familiarizing himself with the community.

“My first and foremost priority is to really get embedded in the police service, to learn the people, what makes a police service and the people who work here,” said Betts. “My number one priority is to get to know the people who work here so that I know how they're serving the community and then to see what we can do to continue that service and where we can and can't service.”

During Betts’s career, he has served as Frontline Patrol to Executive Services as well as Support Services and Administrative departments.

Betts has completed the Senior Management Institute for Police with the Police Executive Research Forum at the University of Boston and the Police Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Executive Management at the University of Toronto. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from York University, a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the University of Fredericton and is pursuing a second Masters degree in Law in Alternative Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School.

The newly-appointed police chief is also a certified Canadian Risk Manager and certified Change Management Practitioner. He has served as the co-chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Information and Statistics Committee.

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Peterborough Public Health Issues Drug Poisoning Warning After Weekend Responses

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Peterborough Public Health (PPH) has issued a warning following an increase in suspected drug poisonings over the weekend, announced on Monday.

File photo.

There were seven drug-related poisonings were responded to by 911 first responders and the Emergency Department. PPH presumes this is a result of an opioid product that is pink in colour and has an increased level of toxicity according to a press release.

Peterborough Public Health is reminding the public that street drugs may be cut or mixed with toxic substances. Beware that using even a small amount of drug can be fatal.

Give naloxone if you suspect an individual is experiencing drug poisoning. This may improve breathing but may not help the individual regain consciousness. Call 911 and continue to monitor breathing until medical help arrives.

If you use drugs, PPH recommends that you:

  • Don’t use drugs alone. Visit the Consumption Treatment Services site at 220 Simcoe St., open 9:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., days a week.

  • If using with a friend, do not use at the exact same time.

  • Have a plan – Ask someone to check on you or call the National Overdose Response Service 1-888-688-6677.

  • Carry a naloxone kit. Keep it visible and close by.

  • Avoid mixing drugs.

  • Test your drug by using a small amount first.

  • Call 911 immediately if someone cannot be resuscitated after naloxone is administered.

PPH has released a list of signs of an opioid overdose and what to do in case of one:

  • Skin is cold and clammy

  • Fingernails or lips are blue or purple

  • Body is very limp

  • Can’t wake the person up

  • Deep snoring or gurgling sounds

  • Breathing is very slow, erratic or has stopped

  • Pupils are very small

  • If an overdose is witnessed: Call 911. Give naloxone. Continue to check for breathing. Stay with the person until help arrives.

  • Under Canada’s Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, anyone who seeks medical help for themselves or for someone else who has overdosed, WILL NOT be charged for possessing or using drugs for personal use.

Residents can anonymously report drug poisonings and other bad drug reactions using the ‘Drug Reporting Tool’.

Any information shared through the tool supports PPH and community partners in responding to and preventing drug poisonings in the Peterborough area.

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Market Hall Celebrates 25 Years in Peterborough with Sold Out Concert

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The Market Hall Performing Arts Centre is celebrating 25 years in downtown Peterborough with an all-star line up of musicians for their 25th Anniversary Concert Celebration on Feb. 3.

Photo by Luke Best.

After nearly two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Market Hall is set to celebrate their audience for years of support, and for helping them return “stronger than ever” with in-person performances.

“We wanted to do something to thank the community, and what better way than to welcome them in for a show with so much talent on one stage,” said Market Hall general manager Chad Hogan.

Described as being “one of the most memorable shows to grace (the Market Hall) stage,” the anniversary concert will feature many big names including Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, Matt Mays, Terra Lightfoot, Melissa Payne, Brooks & Bowskill and local special guests.

The highly anticipated show sold out in under three hours, which Hogan expresses was a “true testament to the support (patrons) have given Market Hall over the years.”

Photo courtesy of Market Hall.

He mentions that the Feb. 3 show will also include a special announcement regarding a substantial equipment update.

“We wouldn’t have been able to survive without our patrons,” said Hogan.

For more information on the sold out show, visit the Market Hall website.

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DBIA Announces Final Early Bird Holiday Shopping Passport Draw Winner

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The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) announces final early bird draw Holiday Shopping Passport winner on Monday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area.

Helen Lovick’s completed Holiday Shopping Passport was drawn at Agave by Imperial, the new Mexican restaurant located at 376 George St.

Lovick’s winning passport came from Gentry Apparel, where she purchased some clothing items during the holiday season. She was granted her $500 Boro gift card prize by shop owner Andrew Damiany.

“I love shopping downtown for the people, quality and personal touch you experience. It’s important to support your community and neighbours,” said Lovick. “I have a deep respect for entrepreneurs, and what they are able to build for our community.”

The grand prize draw will take place on Jan. 11, where one lucky shopper will win a $1,500 Boro Card and Musicfest Diner’s Book.

Stamp collectors eager to finish their passport cards before the final grand prize draw can collect free stamps at the Peterborough Public Library and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Visitors Centre.

Check out www.theboro.ca/holiday-shopping-passport-season/ for the full list of participating passport locations.

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Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association Charity Auction Raises Over $19,000 with Local Habitat for Humanity

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The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA) charity auction with Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region raised over $19,000 with the help of local sponsors on Dec. 8.

Photo courtesy of PKHBA.

The funds and donations raised for affordable home ownership within the region made the 2022 fundraiser the most successful charity auction to date for PKHBA.

PKHBA plans to host another Charity Auction with Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region this year on Dec. 7.

A full list of donors and their donations can be found on the PKHBA website.

Donors and sponsors who are interested in participating in 2023 can email info@pkhba.com for more information.

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