Leafs and Canadiens Alumni Face Off in Rivalry Night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Nov. 17

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The first round of the Maple Leaf Alumni who will be playing Rivalry Night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Nov. 17 has been announced.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The announcement was made by the PMC and Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF), Your Family Health Team Foundation. The Rivalry Night features the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni team taking on the Montréal Canadiens Alumni team. Proceeds support GPHSF and Peterborough Athletic Concussion Awareness (PACA).

“There is no greater rivalry in professional hockey and arguably, all of professional sports than the Habs versus Leafs,” said Vince Bierworth, GPHSF executive director. “It’s going to be a lot of fun having these passionate fans in the Memorial Centre cheering on the alumni of their favourite teams.”

Toronto Maple Leaf Alumni include:

Rick Vaive – A prolific goal scorer, Vaive was the first 50-goal scorer in Maple Leafs franchise history, surpassing that threshold three times. His 54 goals in the 1981–82 season would stand as a Toronto Maple Leafs franchise record for 40 years before Auston Matthews surpassed it in 2021–22. Over 13 seasons, 8 with the Leafs, Vaive amassed 441 goals in 876 games.

Steve Thomas – Known as a playoff performer, Thomas scored 421 regular season goals in his NHL career, including topping the 40-goal mark twice. He had two stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs, first breaking into the NHL from 1984 to 87, then again playing three seasons with the Leafs from 1998 to 2001.

Al Iafrate – Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984, Iafrate played seven seasons on defence for the Leafs, becoming one of the best-known Leafs defensemen of the era and having the hardest slap shot in hockey. He appeared in 4 All-Star Games in his 12-year NHL career.

Todd Gill – Gill played all or parts of 12 seasons for the Maples Leafs from 1984 to 1996, finishing his nearly 20-year NHL career in 2003. He anchored the Leafs defence to two Conference Finals in the 1992-93 season and 1993-94 seasons, leading Leaf defensemen in scoring during the 92-93 campaign.

Mike Krushelnyski – A 4 time Stanley Cup champion as a player and Coach, Krushelnyski played 4 seasons for the Maple Leafs from 1990 – 1994, being an important part of some deep playoff runs. Krushelnyski is known as part of the biggest trade in NHL history when the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings, a trade that included Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski.

Dave Reid (Coach) - A former Peterborough Pete player and General Manager, Reid broke into the NHL with the Leafs in 1988 and won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 and one with Colorado in 2001. He is now a broadcaster and NHL analyst.

Additional players include forwards Rich Clune, Wayne Primeau and Dave Mcllwain, Ric Jackman and Matt Martin. Playing goal for the Maple Leafs Alumni is Adam Munro.

Lineups are subject to change and more players may be announced.

The Montreal Canadiens Alumni Team will be announced in the coming weeks according to the PMC.

Tickets are available for $25 ($20 for children) plus applicable fees online, in person at the Box office or by phone at 705-743-3561.

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Sentinel Risk Insurance Group and Darling Insurance Donate $20,000 to Food For Kids From Fundraising Golf Tournament

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Peterborough Food for Kids and Kawartha Lakes Food for Kids walk away with $10,000 each in a donation from Sentinel Risk Insurance Group and Darling Insurance announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The golf tournament had taken a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funds were raised from an annual golf tournament hosted by both insurance companies held at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club on Aug. 31. All proceeds from the sold-out event go to the chosen charity, with a new charity chosen in each calendar year.

Proceeds go towards Food For Kids’s local student nutrition programs—working to provide students with access to nourishing food at school which helps with concentration in class, a reduction in school absences and achieving higher academic scores according to a press release.

“This donation was a true group effort on behalf of everyone involved and we are beyond thankful for that,” said Greg Kruk, partner, Sentinel Risk Insurance Group. “Supporting students and providing them the right tools to be successful in school has always been crucial—perhaps now more than ever given today’s cost of food.  Our team is thrilled to be able to help to the Food for Kids organization and highlight the important work they do.”

“Giving back to the communities that we live and do business in is an important part of the work we do,” said Peter Blodgett, Darling Insurance president. “This year’s tournament was the first year we’ve been back post-pandemic, and the support we saw from our communities, partners and teams was incredible—this level of donation is not possible without their support--and we are sincerely thankful for that.” 

“100 per cent of the money raised at the golf tournament will go directly to helping local student nutrition programs to provide nourishing food at school for all students,” said Angela Fuchs, Peterborough Food for Kids community development coordinator. “Last year there were over two million meals served in Peterborough City and County and your donation will help to support students to be able to do their best each day at school.”

“The nutrition programs in City of Kawartha Lakes will be serving almost a 1000 more meals every day due to growing need and this donation will directly help schools afford more food,” said Megan Curran, Kawartha Lakes Food for Kids school nutrition program coordinator. “With the increasing cost of food, donations like this help our schools sustain their programs and continue to help students thrive.”  

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United Way Announces First-Ever Funding Recipients From Women United of Over $15,000

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United Way Peterborough & District’s inaugural Women United Fund has donated $15,800 split between Peterborough Child and Family Centres and Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre at the former’s main office announced on Wednesday morning.

(from left to right) Betsy Ferrar, United Way Manager of Community Impact; Nicola Lyle, Child & Family Centres CEO; Maryam Monsef, CEO and Founder of ONWARD; Brittany McMIllian, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre executive director and Kellie Walden, Peterborough Child and Family Centres director of administrative services. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Women United Fund was donated by Maryam Monsef, CEO and Founder of ONWARD, to help United Way offer a funding opportunity for one-time projects. United Way published a Request for Proposals this past June that sought initiatives supporting women, girls and gender-diverse people in the Peterborough community according to a press release.

“The Women United Fund embodies what is possible when community comes together to address a shared goal,” said Betsy Ferrar, United Way manager of community impact. “This grant was not only made possible through Maryam’s generous donation but also her drive and awareness of local issues as the founding chair of our local Women United group. In addition, we want to extend our gratitude to all of the applicants who brought forward creative and compassionate solutions to complex gender-based issues.”

Taking place between Sept. 1 and Aug. 31 next year, the inaugural Women United Fund recipients are:

Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, for their project titled Leading Ladies. There was $4,750 in Women United funding, contributing to leadership training for women in the local non-profit sector. Through weekly seminars, women will engage in training that spans topics related to leadership and advocacy as stated in a press release. Guest speakers from various professional backgrounds will participate in the training delivery. Women have traditionally made up a strong portion of employees within the non-profit sector, so providing leadership training tailored to the sector's unique intricacies will support their personal and professional growth as they advance into senior roles.

“KSAC is honoured to have received funds through the Women United Fund. With this funding, we will be able to provide leadership training and expertise to women in the non-profit sector,” said Brittany McMIllian, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre executive director. Our Leading Ladies Curriculum will create a safe community for women to support their growth as future leaders.”

Peterborough Child and Family Centres received $11,050 for their ‘Empowering Two Generations’ project. The funding will support young, parenting women through life skills programming according to United Way. This project will enhance their current programming to ensure their vulnerable clients can increase their skills and confidence in the areas of parenting, health and wellbeing, educational support, financial literacy, and personal development. Participants will also be supported through access to transportation, childcare, and a meal to reduce barriers to accessing the programs and services at PCFC.

“Peterborough Child and Family Centres has been providing support to vulnerable pregnant women, parents, and their young children for almost 30 years,” said Nicola Lyle, Child & Family Centres CEO. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our work with young parenting women, providing the tools they need to overcome barriers to employment and education, build resilience, and improve their families’ well-being.”

“Tough economic times are often toughest on women and women-led families. I applaud every agency working to support women and the most vulnerable in our community,” said Maryam Monsef, CEO and Founder of ONWARD. “Thanks to the team at United Way for working with me to establish the Women United Fund and for selecting two projects that offer professional and personal development opportunities for young moms and leaders in the non-profit sector. I look forward to building on this momentum with the Women United Steering Committee and our caring community.”

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Hometown PTBO: Jen Johnstone of Alzheimer's Society Running the 'Pulling for Dementia' Fire Truck Pull

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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks to Jen Johnstone of the Alzheimer's Society and Andrew Pyle of CIBC Wood Gundy about the 'Pulling for Dementia' fire truck pull to benefit the Society's programs and services for those living with dementia.

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Former Peterborough Petes Akil Thomas Scores Hat Trick Against Vegas Golden Knights In Preseason Game

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Former Peterborough Petes Akil Thomas is making a case to crack the Los Angeles Kings’s roster as he scored a hat trick against the Vegas Golden Knights in preseason action to lead the team to a 4-3 comeback win at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night.

Akil Thomas skating with a young fan prior to a game. Photo courtesy of the PEterborough Petes.

Thomas’s first goal came late in the second period with 4:21 left as Thomas shot a quick wrister after a pass from Francesco Pinelli to bring it to a 2-1 Golden Knights lead.

Now down 3-1 into the third, Thomas capitalized on a loose-puck rebound after a Steven Santini shot. It went off Vegas goalie Adin Hill’s pad and Thomas unleashed a quick wrist shot to cut the Golden Knights’s deficit to one.

With just over two minutes left, Los Angeles pulled their goalie to try and tie the game. Former Barrie Colts captain Brandt Clarke took a shot from the point that was blocked by Vegas’s Johnathan Marchessault. Thomas chopped at the loose puck on the backhand and hit the top-shelf corner for the hat trick to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Tyler Madden scored 4:30 into overtime to give the Kings a 4-3 comeback win over Vegas.

Thomas was acquired by the Petes in a trade from the Niagara IceDogs in Jan. 2020 for Cameron Butler, two second-round picks (2020, 2022), one third-round pick (2022) and a fourth-round pick (2024).

He played 22 games for the Petes, scoring nine goals and 31 assists before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Ontario Hockey League.

Thomas was drafted by the Kings in 2018 in the second round, 51st overall. Following his OHL career, Thomas spent time with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign since the 2020-21 season. He has not played a regular-season game with the Kings since being drafted into the NHL.

The Toronto native is well-known for his game-winning goal for Team Canada in the gold-medal game against Russia at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

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City of Peterborough Postpones Monaghan Housing Unit Groundbreaking Ceremony

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The official groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new six-storey, 53-unit affordable housing building at 681 Monaghan Rd. has been postponed to align with an upcoming announcement according to the City of Peterborough announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

A new date will be released once the City confirms the details.

Construction is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

The City of Peterborough is building the affordable housing project on property they own and the housing will be managed by the City’s social housing agency, Peterborough Housing Corporation.

Information on the project is available on the City’s online community engagement hub, Connect Peterborough, at connectptbo.ca/affordable-housing-project.

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Trent University Honours Faculty In First-Ever Celebration of Excellence in Humanities and Social Sciences Awards

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Trent University hosted its first-ever Celebration of Excellence in Humanities and Social Sciences awards ceremony by bringing together department chairs and distinguished donors to celebrate exceptional faculty and students.  

Award winners from the inaugural Humanities and Social Sciences Award Ceremony gather together on the Symons Campus. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“The Humanities and Social Sciences are the heart of any university, leading the way in challenging the way we think, especially in challenging times, by inspiring students and alumni to think critically and creatively about how we can better understand and improve the world around us," said Dr. Mark Skinner, Trent dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. “This awards ceremony symbolizes not only a celebration of our students' remarkable achievements but also the enduring culture of academic excellence that thrives within Trent’s Humanities and Social Sciences departments. We are honoured to recognize the dedication of our students and to showcase the profound impact of our outstanding faculty.” 

A full list of the awards and recipients follows: 

  • Alexander Nielsen (Lady Eaton College), Anthropology Faculty Prize — Awarded to a student with the highest overall standing in the introductory course in Anthropology from the previous year, provided they continue as an Anthropology or Archaeology major and earn the top mark in any of our first-year Anthropology courses. 

  • Isla Gole ‘18 (Catharine Parr Traill College), Andrew Wernick Essay Prize — Awarded to a Cultural Studies major or joint-major for the best essay of a critical or theoretical nature related to the subject areas of the Cultural Studies program, submitted to a juried competition held by the department. 

  • Samantha Paolucci, Department of English Literature Scholarship — Awarded annually to the highest achieving student entering the fourth quarter of the Honours program in English Literature. 

  • Mady Rodrigues-Raby (Lady Eaton College), W.L. Morton Essay Prize in History — Named after the distinguished Canadian historian, an early member of the Trent History Department, and the first principal of Champlain College, this prize is awarded to the third-year student writing the best essay. 

  • Sasha Jones ‘19 (Peter Gzowski College), Alan Wilson Prize — Named in honour of the founder of the Trent History Department and the Canadian Studies Program, this prize is awarded to the Honours student achieving the highest record in the fourth year. 

  • Avery Shortland (Peter Gzowski College), International Development Studies (IDST) Fundraising Trust Award — Awarded annually to the student with the highest standing in the first year of IDST. 

  • Lucas Skolseg (Champlain College), The Mary's Fund Scholarship — Awarded annually to an outstanding student entering the final year of the Honours program in Philosophy. Established in honour of Mary Margaret (Stewart) Beattie and Mary Marjorie (Murphy) Beattie. 

  • Lindsey Russell ’19 (Champlain College), Outstanding Graduating Sociology Student Award — Awarded annually to a top graduating student at each campus. Sponsored by the Canadian Sociological Association.  

  • Jack Carey (Peter Gzowski College), Carolyn Sarah Thomson Scholarship — Awarded annually in recognition of the Canadian Studies student with the highest average entering their second year at Trent. 

  • Jasmine Boisvert ‘19 (Catharine Parr Traill College), Swiss Embassy Award/Prix de l'ambassade de Suisse au Canada — Awarded to the graduating student with the highest overall average in recognition of credits acquired in the study of the French language. 

  • Alex Bruneau (Lady Eaton College), George S. Henry — Awarded annually to the student that achieves the highest combined grade average in the two introductory courses, POST 1011H and POST 1002H. 

  • Carly Walker (Lady Eaton College), ROMA Humanities and Social Sciences Award — Established by the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), this award is granted annually to an exceptional student enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program in the Humanities and Social Sciences. 

  • Sophie Medeiros (Lady Eaton College), ROMA Humanities and Social Sciences Award — Established by the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), this award is granted annually to an exceptional student enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program in the Humanities and Social Sciences. 

  • Dean Howley ’06 (Peter Gzowski College), School of Business, Decanal Award for Teaching Excellence — Awarded to exceptional faculty member who has made a profound impact on student success through teaching and mentorship.  

  • Dr. Antonio Cazorla-Sánchez, Trent History Department — Recognized for recent election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. 

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Award-Winning Mac + Cheese Festival Returns to Downtown Peterborough For Third Straight Year For All of October

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There are 21 Downtown Peterborough Businesses vying for the title in the third year of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area’s (DBIA) award-winning Mac + Cheese Festival, running all of October, announced at the Venture North Building on Wednesday morning.

Three mac and cheeses were sampled at the press conference: Heartburn City, Mind Your Carrots & Peas and Lactose Overload. Photo by David Tuan BUi.

The downtown businesses offer their mac and cheese dishes for all of October for take-out or dine-in. Classic macs, adventurous macs, handheld macs and even ‘mac-it-at-home’ options are available for this year’s festival.

The winning business will receive their bragging rights for the year, a hand-crafted trophy, the title of mac-and-cheese champion and a donation to Kawartha Food Share in their name.

New businesses entering the competition include The Vine, The Food Shop, The Pasta Shop and Sam’s Place Weinery.

Anyone can vote online for their favourite mac and cheese dishes throughout the month and use a Mac Map to locate which businesses are participating.

“We were so beyond proud to be chosen as the top mac of 2022, tying with Capra Toro for the winning prize,” said Amanda da Silva, The El(P) co-owner. “Being a newer business in downtown Peterborough, we’ve had such a blast participating in these foodie festivals. The culinary competition in this city sure is steep.”

The festival website has previous winning recipes and locally curated recipes for home chefs. Recipe cards include a hearty ‘local mac’ that utilizes local ingredients from The Ptbo Food Shop and recipes from previous champions: Sam’s Place and The El (P).

“Our Mac + Cheese Festival has been incredibly successful both locally and provincially and has even gone on to inspire other BIAs in the province to adopt similar events,” said Terry Guiel, DBIA executive director. “We won an award last year for ‘special events and promotions’ at the Ontario Business Improvement Area awards conference and our team is really proud of how these cheesy shenanigans continue to inspire not only local chefs but other cities in Ontario.”

At the press conference, three mac and cheeses were sampled at the event.

  • Heartburn City: Pickled jalapenos, hot sauce and crushed Hot Cheetos

  • Mind Your Peas & Carrots: Peas, carrots and hot dog slices

  • Lactose Overloard (winner): Havarti, mozzarella, marbled cheddar, Tex-Mex and queso

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Green Bin Distribution Begins For New Organic Waste Collection Service

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The City of Peterborough’s Green Bin distribution has begun deliveries to roughly 28,000 eligible households with weekly collection service beginning the week of Oct. 31 announced on Wednesday.

File Photo.

The new service is intended to reduce the amount of garbage going to the landfill, extending its life and promoting sustainability by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions according to a press release.

By diverting organic waste from the landfill and converting it into valuable compost, we are taking a vital step toward a cleaner and healthier environment, said Mayor Jeff Leal.

“Residents have been asking the City for this service,” he said. “I’m excited for this initiative that reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal and also contributes to the creation of nutrient-rich compost.”

Peterborough residents currently divert about 53 per cent of waste through programs such as the Blue Box for recyclables, the household hazardous waste collection depot and yard waste collection according to the City. The Green Bin service is anticipated to divert an additional 15 to 20 per cent of garbage.

Delivery of the Green Bins to households will be completed over the next several weeks leading up to the program's launch. There is no additional fee to households to get the Green Bins and a smaller container for use in the kitchen which are included in the implementation of the new service.

The bins are designed to conveniently collect organic waste including food scraps and other compostable materials. They include a pest-proof locking mechanism to keep the organic materials securely contained.

Residents are asked to look inside the Green Bin when it is delivered to find an information kit that includes:

  • A guide on Green Bin, recycling, yard waste and garbage services

  • A calendar that shows collection schedules

  • An information sheet on the Green Bin service, including a list of what can and cannot go in the Green Bin

  • An information sheet on the new requirement to use clear bags for curbside garbage collection

  • Samples of clear garbage bags and a coupon to assist with transitioning to the requirement to use clear garbage bags and compostable liners for the Green Bin that GLAD Canada provides as part of its sponsorship of the rollout kits.

  • “Battery Cube” sponsored by Call2Recyle.   The battery cube is a small cardboard storage unit for used batteries that can be dropped off at collection sites for proper disposal.   The City of Peterborough and Call2Recycle want to ensure hazardous waste products like batteries are diverted from our landfills.  

Residents are advised not to start putting food waste and other organic materials into the Green Bins until Oct. 23 – the week before the weekly Green Bin collection service starts on Oct. 31.

The new Green Bin service is one of several changes to waste services that start the week of Oct.31:

  • Weekly Green Bin collection

  • Bi-weekly garbage collection (except for the Downtown Business Improvement Area, which maintains its current collection schedule)

  • Clear bag requirement for curbside garbage collection for all homes and businesses that receive City waste collection

The Green Bin service is being rolled out to residential properties of six units or less, plus specific selected condominium properties that will be notified that they are part of a pilot project.

Councillor Gary Baldwin, chair of Council’s Waste Management Portfolio, encouraged residents to actively participate in the Green Bin program to support the community’s sustainability goals.

“The success of our organic waste collection program relies on the active engagement of our community members,” he said. “We are confident that our residents will embrace this opportunity to reduce waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to a more environmentally friendly Peterborough.”

Residents can use the online tool to see their collection day and whether they receive Green Bin service.

About 8,000 households will have their waste collection day changed starting the week of Oct.31 as collection routes are redistributed to evenly spread out the number of stops between collection days which will help improve the reliability of the service and safety for waste collection workers as stated in a press release.

Program details, including collection schedules and guidelines, are available online and in the printed handouts placed in the Green Bins being delivered to households.

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Two Scam Incidents Totalling $13,000 In Losses Hits Peterborough, Police Reminds Community To Be Cautious

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The Peterborough Police Service has received reports of two scams totalling $13,000 that have surfaced in the community as stated on Wednesday.

File photo.

Officers are investigating after a business owner reported suspicious credit card purchases for about $4,000 worth of products being made.

In another case, a resident was scammed out of over $9,000 when they were informed their computer had been compromised.  The resident was asked to send money in Bitcoin to fix the problem. 

Frauds can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Anyone victimized by a scam can call 705-876-1122 or complete a report online.

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