Peterborough Police Issue Reminder During Ongoing Heat Warning to Not Leave Pets or Children in The Vehicle

Peterborough Police Service are reminding the community to check on the most vulnerable to heat and to not leave pets or children unattended in vehicles during the ongoing heat warning.

photo by david tuan bui.

A heat warning is in effect for Peterborough with Environment Canada calling for temperatures into 30’s with the humidex in the upper 30’s to 40’s through Wednesday and Thursday.

How you can help:

• Call 9-1-1 if the child or animal is in distress

• Take down the car’s make, model and license plate number and provide that information to the Peterborough Police Service when you call.

• If there is a business nearby, ask a manager or store security to make an announcement to locate the car’s owner.

• Wait by the vehicle until help arrives.

If it is an emergency call 9-1-1.  If it is a non-emergency, you can call Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122, or in the case of an animal situation you can also call the Ontario Animal Protection Unit, 1-833-9-ANIMAL (264625).

For more information, visit the link.

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Peterborough Petes Select Rio Kaiser 28th Overall In the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft

From Germany to Canada, defenceman Rio Kaiser has been selected by the Peterborough Petes, 28th overall in the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The 6’7” Berlin, Germany native spent most of the 2022-23 season with EC Red Bull Salzburg U20 in Austria. In 18 games this season with EC Red Bull Salzburg, the 16-year-old scored four goals and eight assists for 12 points. Kaiser has appeared on the German U16, U17 and U18 national teams, tacking on a goal in five appearances.

“We were very excited to be able to select Rio,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “He’s a big, young defenceman who skates well and we believe the Peterborough Petes would be an excellent option for him to continue his development.”

Rio is the second player selected by the Petes out of Red Bull Hockey Academy in Austria. The 2022 first-round import pick Tommy Purdeller came from the same program.

Peterborough originally held the 31st pick however three teams ahead of the Petes passed. That bumped the Petes to the 28th selection. The defending OHL Champions elected to pass on their second-round pick in the draft as Tommy Purdeller will occupy the other import slot on the team.

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GoFundMe Created to Assist Peterborough Man and His Family After a Motorcycle Accident Leaves Him in Hospital

A GoFundMe has been created to assist local man Chris Lee after a serious motorcycle accident in Peterborough that left him in a hospital at St. Michael’s in Toronto.

photo courtesy of the gofundme.

He was airlifted to St. Michael’s Hospital from the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Thursday and his condition is unknown.

On the fundraiser page, created by Lee’s co-worker Taylor MacMillan, she says the money raised will be put towards any costs associated with his recovery, and to support the everyday expenses that may be affected due to missing work.

Lee, who works in the construction industry, has three children; Payton, Kaden and Oaklyn.

“Chris is an amazing person and he never hesitates to help others in need so hopefully everyone can help return this favour to him and his family,” she says on the page.

As of this story being published, the GoFundMe has raised just over $15,000 of the $20,000 goal. To donate, click the link.

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Trent Valley Archives Hosting True Crime Tour ‘Peterborough Perpetrators’

Back by popular demand, Trent Valley Archives (TVA) will offer its true crime walk in downtown Peterborough entitled ‘Peterborough Perpetrators’ on July 14 and 21 and on August 11 and 18.

photo courtesy of tva.

Madison More, researcher and knowledgeable tour guide, will lead the tour which will touch on the astonishing discovery of human remains linked to a lumberjack of the town’s early days.

Other stories covered include a daring escape from the Peterborough jail with its ensuing province wide police chase and the shooting of Murray Green owner of the Grand Hotel.

The cost of the tour is $20 per person, with tours running rain or shine. Those who are interested can sign up by calling TVA at 705-745-4404. Tickets are also available through the website.

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Voice of Business: The Availability, Accessibility and Accuracy of AI Is Changing the Business Landscape

Technology is continually changing business.

Over the last year, artificial intelligence (AI) has grown in its ability and accessibility to the average person and business. It has caused us to re-think what can be automated, how we shape our customer experience, and how we manage our teams.

Many of us have typically viewed automation from a more physical sense. We have machines that weld, paint, and drive heavy equipment by themselves. Now, it seems technology is coming for the creative tasks. At a recent event with local manufacturers and supply chain businesses, automation was a popular topic with a lot of it focused on artificial intelligence taking on administrative and creative work. AI is streamlining training, reporting, and administration. One manufacturing representative noted that there will always be jobs for people that work with their hands — it’s the office side of the business where jobs are being replaced by machines.

Chatbots are quickly becoming a regular point of engagement for customers as businesses are looking to save money and improve efficiency. In a time when many businesses are operating with fewer staff than they would like due to challenges attracting talent — efficiency is everything.

Hootsuite put together an article for Digital Main Street called 10 Ways an AI Customer Service Chatbot Can Help Your Business. Their suggestions for including AI Chatbots in a business include:

1. Provide customer support in multiple languages

2. Answer repeat FAQs and save your team time

3. Gather customer demographic information

4. Personalized shopping support

5. Convert deals and upsell

6. Anticipate trends

7. Book in-store appointments

8. Improve customer wait times

9. Improve customer retention

10. Provide a consistent user experience

The Hootsuite report includes the benefits of using AI for customer support, describing it as: “You can think of AI as one of your star customer support team members — they’re always available, never complain, and are hyper-organized”. Ultimately, AI allows you to support your customers at all hours while meeting their accessibility needs and language of choice, allowing your team to focus on other tasks.

The name getting a lot of the attention these days is ChatGPT, but it’s a quickly growing sector with a lot of options and different companies looking to offer the latest and greatest innovation. ChatGPT was recently purchased by Microsoft and included as part of their search engine, Bing, for free.

We asked the AI chatbot on Bing how businesses can use AI and it came up with its own explanation:

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an essential tool for businesses in recent years. AI can help businesses automate and optimize routine processes and tasks, which can save time and money. It can also help businesses make faster decisions based on outputs from cognitive technologies. AI can help businesses improve their productivity and operational efficiencies by reducing the time employees spend performing a task. This can lead to more work being done in less time, enhancing the company’s overall productivity.

AI can also help businesses reach a larger audience and establish long-term customer relationships. This can create customer loyalty, leading to a continuous revenue flow for the company. With time, AI is getting more sophisticated and powerful. So, it’s high time you ditch your legacy systems and integrate AI into your business operations.

However, it is important to note that there are risks associated with AI as well. Mistakes can cause massive damage to a company’s infrastructure and reputation…Cyberattacks are extremely common today, so businesses need to be aware of the vulnerability of their systems to cyberattacks.”

The availability, accessibility, and accuracy of AI is changing the business landscape. Businesses looking to tap into better use of technology can get free help from our Digital Main Street team. Get in touch with the Chamber and we’ll set you up with an expert.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Pet Lovers Give Blood at the Peterborough Humane Society Blood Drive Event

The Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) has partnered with the Canadian Blood Services Peterborough to host a Pet Lovers Give Blood event on July 13 and 20 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

stock image.

Members of the PHS team will be donating at the Peterborough Donor Centre (55 George St. N) as they call upon the community to do the same.

The QR Code and will direct those to the Pet Lovers Peterborough Team that can also be used to book appointments.

Pet Lovers Peterborough has partnered with Canadian Blood Services to help make a difference for patients in Canada. To join the team and help save lives, visit the website.

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Peterborough Musicfest Adds Shawn Desman and Honeymoon Suite to the Summer Concert Lineup

Peterborough Musicfest has announced that Shawn Desman and Honeymoon Suite will be joining the lineup of free concerts at Del Crary Park this summer.

Shawn Desman, the chart-topping, multi-platinum selling, award winning artist will be coming to Peterborough Musicfest Saturday, July 15 Del Crary Park. His hit single ‘Maniac’ marked his return to the charts last October.

The Canadian Classic Rock band Honeymoon Suite began performing together in 1982, releasing chart topping hits New Girl Now, Stay In The Light and Feel It Again. Their most recent album Hands Up came out in 2017.

Musicfest will host Honeymoon Suite on Wednesday, August 2. Both shows are set to begin at 8 p.m.

For more information and full lineup details, visit the website.

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One Roof Peterborough Announces Extended Hours During Heat Warning

One Roof Community Centre will be open for extended hours until 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday and from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday due to a heat warning issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

file photo.

Environment and Climate Change Canada that is forecasting temperatures up to 33 degrees for the Peterborough area.

One Roof Community Centre, which provides services on behalf of the City and County of Peterborough, is located at 99 Brock Street. Lunch will be served between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

For full description of meals and other services that One Roof provides, visit the website. For information about how to protect yourself from extreme heat, visit the Government of Canada website. 

Water Filling Stations

Outdoor water bottle filling stations are available at City facilities in the following locations:

• Quaker Foods City Square, 215 Charlotte St.

• Eastgate Park, 2150 Ashburnham Dr.

• Peterborough Marina, 92 George St. N.

Members of the public are also able to refill a water bottle inside the following City facilities during hours of operation:

• Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St.

• Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 775 Brealey Dr.

• Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd.

• Kinsmen Civic Centre, 1 Kinsmen Way.

Homelessness Services

Emergency shelters are open and available to people experiencing homelessness who require emergency overnight shelter:

1. YES Shelter for Youth (705-748-3851), 196 Brock St.

2. Brock Mission Men’s Shelter (705-748-4766), 217 Murray St.

3. Cameron House Women’s Shelter (705-748-4766), 738 Chemong Rd.

4. Overflow Shelter at 210 Wolfe St. (705-748-4766 – ask for Overflow Shelter)

Emergency After Hours Services related to emergency shelter are available through the Social Services by calling 705-926-0096. The Peterborough Social Services website has full details on the website.

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Peterborough Public Health Issues Drug Poisoning Warning

Peterborough Public Health has issued a warning Tuesday following an increase in suspected drug-poisonings in the area.  

file photo.

Over the long weekend, Peterborough Public Health detected over 15 suspected drug-poisonings that occurred in Peterborough City/County. Poisonings were responded to by 911 first responders, emergency department staff and service providers in the community. These reports have prompted Peterborough Public Health to issue a public warning in the hope of preventing further harms to the community. 

At this time, a specific substance has not been identified as the cause of the poisonings. However, there are reports of a light green substance and pink substance being of concern. All community members are asked to be careful when using drugs. Peterborough Public Health is reminding everyone that street drugs may be cut or mixed with toxic substances. Beware that using even a small amount of a drug can be fatal.  

Additional information can be found using the link.

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New Reduced Speed Limits and Community Safety Zones in Peterborough School Areas

City Council approved reduced speed limits and Community Safety Zones for all City elementary and secondary school areas in the City of Peterborough at its meeting on June 26.

photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.

Speed limits will be reduced to 40 kilometres per hour on major roads fronting schools and 30 kilometres per hour on minor roads fronting schools and local roads leading to a school driveway. Local roads with walkway access to school property will receive a 40-kilometres-per-hour speed limit.

Work will begin this summer to install the new speed limit and Community Safety Zone signs in accordance with Highway Traffic Act regulations and the road safety treatments for five pilot school areas are expected to be in place this fall. A public education campaign will take place in time for back-to-school travel.

“School area safety is a priority for Council. We want our children to be safe,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Reducing the speed limit on the roads around our schools will create a safer environment for children and families walking or cycling to school. Watch for new signage and public education to be rolled out for the next school year.”

“Community Safety Zones in school areas will add another layer of safety, in addition to the City’s effective Crossing Guard program and school bus safety laws,” said Peterborough Police Chief Stuart Betts. “These important reduced speed limits will be enforced through doubled fines set out by the Highway Traffic Act. Reduced vehicle speeds help save lives.” 

The school area safety project comes from key infrastructure policy initiatives established through the Transportation Master Plan that was approved by Council in March 2022. This project implements several of the measures recommended in the Safe School Zones section, including education, engineering and enforcement measures to improve the safety in school areas. 

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