Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough's Jared Wayne Signs With NFL's Houston Texans
/Peterborough’s Jared Wayne did not get his named called but his NFL dream is far from over as he signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Houston Texans on Saturday.
Jared Wayne is the son of former CFL linebacker Patrick Wayne. The latter spent nine years in the league mostly with the Ottawa Roughriders but also had stints with the B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
It would have been the first person from Peterborough to be drafted to the NFL if his name was called.
Wayne played four seasons of his collegiate football career all with the Pittsburgh Panthers, totalling 13 touchdowns during that span.
He finished with career-highs of 60 receptions for 1,062 yards — his first 1,000-yard season — and five touchdowns; one short of last year’s total.
Locally, Wayne has played in the Kinsmen Minor Football League, Peterborough Wolverines and Adam Scott Lions.
In his final collegiate game, he helped the Panthers win the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 30 with five receptions for 50 yards for a 37-35 win over the UCLA Bruins. His performance earned him an invite to play in the Hula Bowl.
He had another year of eligibility with Pittsburgh but decided to enter the NFL draft according to his father and former CFL linebacker, Patrick Wayne.
“I’m very proud, the whole family is proud of how he’s grown on the field and as a person,” he said in a prior interview with PTBOCanada.
Wayne impressed NFL scouts with his speed, posting a 4.53 second 40-yard dash at the combine.
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10-Year Old-Boy Catches "Walter" One Year After Stepfather Snags Fish At OFAH Fishing Derby
/Like father, like son, as 10-year-old Ben Bumstead has caught the top prize ‘Walter,’ at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Under the Lock Fishing Derby one year after his stepfather Justin Desbarbieux did it on a gloomy Saturday morning at the Peterborough Lift Lock.
Bumstead (left) caught Walter after his third cast not a half-an-hour into the derby. His stepfather Justin Desbarbieux (right) did it last year, five days into the event. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Bumstead caught Walter, the prized rainbow trout that weighs roughly eight to 10 lbs. at a length of 20-24 inches. He caught it after his third cast less than 30 minutes into the event. He snagged Walter with worm bait near the train turn bridge just beside the barrier netting. Bumstead was overjoyed when he found out it was Walter.
“I felt like I could do a backflip,” he exclaimed.
“ I couldn't wait for him to run up to the stage and tell everyone how he just caught Walter,” said Desbarbieux.
The father-son duo was present at Wednesday’s fish release where all the rainbow trout were put into the canal in preparation for the event.
Bumstead gave himself an ‘extra advantage’ prior to Walter being tossed into the water.
“I touched his tail for good luck and I said to the guy, ‘I'm catching Walter this year,’” explained Bumstead.
Desbarbieux caught Walter last year and has participated in the fishing derby since he was a child. Photo by David Tuan bui.
The two have bonded well over the years as Desbarbieux came into Bumstead’s life at an early age. The two often go hunting and fishing together and call each other father and son. Desbarbieux says he had a ‘proud father’ moment, seeing Bumstead catch Walter.
“You got to love it, especially so early in the derby like that,” he said. “It’s a very proud moment for the kids for sure, you got to love it.”
The Norwood District Public School student is walking away with the grand prize of $1,000 cash and gets to keep Walter. Bumstead said he was splitting some of the money with his early childhood friend but has no plans with the remainder of the cash as of yet.
The derby began Saturday with the youth event — for children 15 and under — at 9 a.m. and the all-ages kicking off Sunday at 9 a.m. and runs until May 7. It includes 25 tagged fish, each with a $200 cash prize sponsored by local businesses.
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Ontario Government Invests Over $470,000 For Administered Care Within Long-Term Care Homes
/The Ontario Government has invested $471,728 in two projects in Peterborough-Kawartha to aid seniors with complex medical needs at their long-term care home instead of a hospital, announced on Friday afternoon.
(From left to right) MPP Dave Smith; Nancy Rooney, Fairhaven Executive Director; Tia Nguyen, Fairhaven Vice President and Laura White, Fairhave resident. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Examples of long-term care include seniors with dementia and bariatric care.
The funding is part of a $20 million investment this year in 189 projects province-wide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.
The projects funded are as follows:
$30,000 to St. Joseph’s at Fleming for the purchase of bariatric equipment to support long-term care home transition;
$441,728 to Fairhaven for the purchase of bariatric equipment, minor renovations, and specialized staffing and training to support complex resident care needs while reducing unnecessary hospitalization.
“This investment, tailored to the needs of our community, will provide long-term care residents right here in Peterborough-Kawartha with the specialized supports and services they need,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP.
These projects help residents get care in their long-term care home without having to go to the emergency room or be admitted to the hospital.
The Local Priorities Fund is part of an investment of over $120 million in 2022-23 for specialized services and supports that are helping long-term care residents with complex needs access connected and convenient care in the right place according to a press release.
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Fleming College Student To Compete In National Culinary Competition
/Fleming College Culinary student Mayank Mohandas has punched his ticket to the National Culinary Federation (CF) Competition in Niagara Falls after taking the top spot in the CF Central Region Chef’s Challenge Competition, announced on Friday.
Photo courtesy of Fleming College.
Mayank is in his fourth semester of the Culinary Management program. He was joined at the March competition by fellow students Josh Massie and alumna Sophie Crowder.
Competitors had to break down a chicken and then turn four portions of it into an entrée.
The National Junior Chef Competition at the CF Conference runs from June 4 to June 8.
Crowder placed third in the Central Regional competition and is now a support team member on Senior Team Canada. They are competing in Luxembourg later this year.
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April Photography In Review With Dave Ellis
/Omemee-based wildlife photographer Dave Ellis shares some of his captures from the month of April. You can see his work featured in our daily ‘Good Morning PTBO’ posts.
Photos: City Hall and Peterborough & District Labour Council Gather For Half-Mast Flag Raising Of National Day of Mourning
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Roughly over 80 people gathered at City Hall for a flag-raising on the National Day of Mourning. Municipal politicians such as Mayor Jeff Leal and Councillor Joy Lachica spoke at the event. Peterborough & District Labour Council members and several others were in attendance for the event.
The day honours those who have lost their lives in the workplace. A flag has been flown at half mast in memoriam of those who passed on.
Rotary Club of Peterborough Awards Nearly $10,000 To Advance Environmental Innovation
/The Rotary Club of Peterborough and Cleantech Commons hosted the inaugural Rotary Environmental Innovators Awards Thursday evening, recognizing a number of local environmentalists.
The Rotary Environmentalist Innovators Fund (REIF) announced the first recipients of the 2023 Rotary Environmental Innovators Award at the event, hosted by Camp Kawartha.
"The response to our call for environmental champions has been phenomenal," said Rotarian Graham Wilkins, who is leading the REIF initiative. "The high-calibre applications we received are a testament to the environmental leadership and collaboration within our community. We look forward to bolstering our support for initiatives to address society's most pressing environmental challenges in new innovative waves.”
Three environmental innovators were awarded $3,000 each towards initiatives addressing environmental issues affecting the Peterborough region.
Carlotta James, Monarch Ultra: The Monarch Ultra raises awareness about the decline of monarch populations through its long-distance running events, social media channels, the media and partnerships with schools, non-profits and municipalities. This vear, they are planning Peterborough's first-ever Monarch Butterfly Festival and Race to bolster monarch butterfly conservation efforts. The organization is also planning festivals and races in the USA and Mexico.
Craig Onafrychuk, Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance (BCWA): A collaborative community initiative, the BCWA is dedicated to conserving and enhancing the local watershed. The Alliance is working with community stakeholders and government to monitor ecological systems in the Baxter Creek watershed, educate the broader community and implement innovative conservation initiatives to protect the natural heritage through landowner stewardship plans and conservation agreements.
Dylan Radcliffe, creator of a drone for large-scale environmental restoration projects: Dvlan has created a drone that broadcasts high-value tree and tallgrass seed with precision over large areas to help restore essential ecosystems. The drone operates autonomously with limited operator intervention and can be constructed with tools commonly available in school or library makerspaces. The intention is to release the project as an open-source design - a relatively new concept in the environmental sector.
"Helping start-ups and entrepreneurs bring their innovative green technologies to the market is at the heart of Cleantech Commons," said Martin Yuill, Cleantech Commons Executive Director. "Initiatives such as REIF are the launchpad for many high-impact advances that will move society forward while protecting the environment.”
Given the applicants' exceptional ingenuity and commitment to environmental conservation, two additional finalists received $300 each for their initiatives:
Zachary McCue, REPWR: REPWR designs and builds renewable energy systems for the intermodal shipping network, which provide clean power for the shipping industry and lower greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact.
Christa Plumley, Ava&Ziva: As a sustainable clothing brand, Ava&Ziva strives to reduce the environmental impact of the clothing industry by using deadstock fabric for its high-quality, small-batch garments.
The REIF partners have exciting plans for the coming months, including ramping up their fundraising efforts, networking, mentorship opportunities for applicants and introducing a youth award.
Trent University President Leo Groarke Announces Intention to Step Down From Presidency
/Trent University President Dr. Leo Groarke to step down from his presidency as of June 2024, deciding not to pursue a third term as president.
photo courtesy of trent university.
