Peterborough Blogs
OLG Issues Second-Quarter Gaming Revenue Payment to Peterborough of $800,000
/Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has made their second quarter payment totalling $800,021 to the City of Peterborough for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough announced on Wednesday morning.
Since 1994, host communities have received more than $2 billion in non-tax gaming revenue.. File Photo.
The quarter was from July 1 to Sept. 30.
During OLG’s fiscal year from Apr. 1 to Mar. 31, 2024, Peterborough has received $1,589,950. Since Shoreline’s opening in October 2018, the city has amassed $10,994,315.
These payments to host communities are based on a formula consistently applied across all gaming sites in Ontario using a graduated scale of gaming revenue at the hosted site according to a press release.
“OLG continues to be a proud partner in hosting gaming communities,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “Municipality Contribution Agreement payments help these municipalities fund priorities such as community infrastructure, parks and recreation and local health care facilities, benefiting families and local residents.”
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Rotary Club of Peterborough Increases Water Accessibility With Aquatics Wheelchair Donation to YMCA
/The YMCA of Central East Ontario Balsillie Family Branch’s pools are now more accessible thanks to the Rotary Club of Peterborough-Kawartha with a donation of an aquatic wheelchair.
Rotary’s Len Lifchus (Rotary Club Secretary), MaryAnne Wooldridge (Balsillie Family Branch General Manager) and Bill Gordanier (Rotary Chair of Community Service Projects). Photo courtesy of the YMCA.
The specialized aquatic wheelchair allows members and guests with mobility issues a more accessible entrance into the swimming pools.
“We are thrilled to have a new small chair to access the pool. Our members who are users of a chair can have some comfort in ways of entering the pool,” says Shannon Hunter, Regional Supervisor of Aquatics and Camp. “This chair is great for adults and children. The old chair was not fit for use anymore and we are so thankful that people can still entre our lap pool and therapy pool.”
Members can access the aquatics wheelchair by asking the guard on duty to get it for them. If there is no guard available, staff will direct the member to get it themselves.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Voice of Business: Local Voices Create National Change
/
Big change often starts from something much smaller.
In the Chamber of Commerce context, it often starts with an issue frustrating a local business. A local business person calls up their local Chamber of Commerce to explain the situation and offers some solutions on how the situation could be improved. That Chamber understands that this issue faced by a local business in the Peterborough region is likely having a similar effect on businesses in places like Lloydminster and Fredericton. We work with our local policy committees to draft policy resolutions.
Issues that are provincial in nature are submitted to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) with federal resolutions sent to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC). Once submitted, they get reviewed by committees and Chambers from across the county who then offer their perspectives which in turn help create stronger policy resolutions that are going to be more effective at making change on a large scale.
This last week Chambers and Boards of Trade from across the country met in Calgary for our annual convention, which included nearly six hours of policy debate. There we discuss, amend, and vote on policies that matter to businesses across the country. These resolutions cover a wide range of topics, from fertilizer to ice breakers, from tax reform to bio manufacturing and from immigration to aviation.
If approved, these resolutions become part of the national advocacy platform of the CCC.
Each Chamber or Board of Trade is allowed to submit two resolutions to the CCC annually. Both resolutions submitted by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce were approved thanks to a lot of helpful discussion and recommendations from our fellow chambers over the last few months.
Our resolution Assisting Small Business with Protecting their Data and Business from Cybercrime was put together with the help of a local IT firm and input from several chambers and their members who have IT expertise.
It recommends the Government of Canada:
Broaden the scope of the existing Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) or create a similar grant program focused on cyber security which will allow SMBs to access comprehensive cybersecurity products and services;
Provide specific annual tax credits for the ongoing support and maintenance required from Third Party vendors for SMEs that have satisfied the grant program to assess their technology;
Allow SMEs to write off 100% of their business investments in preventative cybersecurity-related software, equipment and other costs (support services and outsourcing costs) in the year those investments are made;
Provide a subsidy for training of staff on cybersecurity awareness programs; and
Create a SME Cyber Defence Fund that provides SMEs with the necessary support to improve their cyber resilience and close the cybersecurity investment gap.
Our second resolution, Creating a National Strategy Regarding Healthcare Credentials, was very similar to another submitted by Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. Together, we created an even strong policy resolution calling on the Government of Canada to:
Create a national strategy to assist provinces and territories in recognizing out-of-province and international healthcare credentials; and
Create a national proficiency exam that allows national labour mobility for healthcare workers new to Canada, currently working in a province, or newly graduated.
Approval of the resolutions is just the beginning. The next phase of is advocacy. Two years ago, we had a call from a local restaurant that was feeling anxious about being able to repay their CEBA loan and get the interest-free and debt forgiveness support it offered. That conversation led to a successful policy resolution, which led at first to a one-year extension to the program, and now to a further short extension – thanks in part to the advocacy of the CCC and its platform from its members. While we aren’t done advocating for further support through the CEBA program, we have a united national voice thanks to the voice of a local small business owner who had some valid criticisms of the program and offered helpful solutions.
Hopefully, these resolutions — which started from conversations with local businesses — will go on to create meaningful change for businesses across the country.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Forest Hill Real Estate Hosting Second Pumpkin Giveaway Food Drive For St. Vincent de Paul
/Forest Hill Real Estate Inc. Brokerage is bringing back its ‘Annual Great Pumpkin Giveaway’ with a two-day event to collect non-perishable goods for St. Vincent de Paul this weekend.
Last year, Forest Hill gave away over 500 pumpkins and collected three bins of food items. File Photo.
The event runs from runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Saturday is at Highlands Park in Millbrook (where Station Drive meets Pristine Trail) while Sunday is at Jackson Creek Meadows (where Chandler Cresent meets Avery Avenue).
The real estate business requests one non-perishable food item in exchange for a pumpkin (one pumpkin per family while supplies last). The event also has contests, giveaways, prizes and more.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Local Journalist Tells the Untold Stories of the 1973-74 Peterborough Petes In New Book ‘The First Ones’
/Untold stories of the 1973-74 Peterborough Petes, Team Canada’s first team to compete in the first World Juniors held in Russia, are being told by local journalist Ed Arnold and his book, ‘The First Ones,’ to be released this weekend.
Jason Russelle, Russelle Toyota general Manager (left) and Ed Arnold, Author of ‘The First Ones’ (right). Arnold had written Peterborough’s Perfect Season: With Benny and his Jets in May of last year
The announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon at Russelle Toyota where Arnold unveiled the paperback on the team’s 50th anniversary.
The book tells the journey of the Petes with coach Roger Neilson in December of 1973 but also through the perspective of those involved.
According to Arnold, the World Juniors were never officially sanctioned and recognized until 1977. He continues to explain that very little information was available online about the tournament.
“The IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) has nothing on this tournament. You can go on the Internet; all you'll find are summaries of the games and who the players were,” explained Arnold. “The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has literally nothing but a couple of newspaper articles. Hockey Canada has no archive has nothing at all so digging up that information was a matter of finding these players.
The front and back of the paperback book. Photo courtesy of Ed Arnold.
With the help of Bob Russelle, his family and the business Russelle Toyota, Arnold was able to contact most of the team members and others and uncover relevant letters, documents and material.
Several team members will be at the Petes' game against the Oshawa Generals during the Alumni Homecoming Weekend to be honoured this Saturday night.
The paperback sells for $25 and includes several photographs of the journey. It goes on sale at Saturday’s Petes game at the Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and between the first and second period. The Hall is also putting on a small display for the public to view.
The book will be available locally by emailing perfectseason46@gmail.com or at Sullivan's Pharmacy in East City, Trent Valley Archives on Carnegie Avenue and Happenstance Books in Lakefield.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Peterborough Petes Konnor Smith Suspended Four Games, Team Fined $2,000 From Post-Game Brawl Against Brantford Bulldogs
/Peterborough Petes defenceman Konnor Smith has been suspended for four games while the team has been fined $2,000 after a post-game brawl against the Brantford Bulldogs from Saturday’s game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.
The Ontario Hockey League made the announcement Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred shortly after Petes forward Chase Lefebvre had scored the walk-off overtime goal on Bulldogs’s goalie Matteo Drobac. Connor Lockhardt had made the assist on the play but was shoved from behind by Bulldogs’s defenceman Lucas Moore milliseconds after the goal was scored. That push sparked both clubs to clear the benches and confront each other on the ice.
Several scuffles ensued but Smith and Brantford’s Noah Roberts squared off in the middle of the ice.
The League suspended Moore and Roberts for two games while fining Brantford $1,000.
In a separate incident earlier in the game, Bulldogs defenceman Cedricson Okitundu was assessed a match penalty for cross-checking and suspended for three games.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Missy Knott Becomes First Curve Lake First Nation Resident Appointed to Ontario’s Art Council
/Missy Knott has become the first person from Curve Lake First Nation to be appointed to Ontario’s Art Council (OAC) announced on Monday.
It has been more than fifty years since there was an appointee from the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha, with Missy Knott being the first ever from Curve Lake Frist Nation. Photo courtesy of MPP Dave Smith.
The OAC is the province’s primary funding body for professional artists and art organizations, made up of a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors according to a press release. They are community leaders with a variety of expertise in the arts, all appointed throughout the province. They foster the arts – both in creation and production- to enrich Ontarians' lives, communities and economy. The OAC's grants and services to professional, Ontario-based artists and arts organizations support arts education, Indigenous arts, community arts, crafts, dance, Francophone arts, literature, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theatre, touring, and visual arts.
Knott is a singer/songwriter who gained popularity for her unique style and has released music since 2009. She uses her experience of growing up in Peterborough and her relations to Curve Lake First Nation and infuses the two community experiences into her music. She has returned to Curve Lake First Nation for her latest journey of starting a not-for-profit record label, Wild Rice Records.
The record label began in 2018 and helps with youth outreach, mentorship, recording and community connections. Missy uses her record label to guide Indigenous youth to follow their passions and talents. In providing the support she wished she had when she entered the music scene, she continues to inspire and promote the next generation of local artists. She has been active in Indigenous music, using her songs to speak to the matters close to her and her community. In 2017, she was nominated at the Indigenous Music Awards for EP My Sister’s Heart.
“I had the privilege of first working with Missy in the lead up to the Special Hockey International Tournament in Peterborough back in 2017,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “I am so happy that someone who has used her talents to give back to our community as a positive role model is be appointed to the Ontario Arts Council.”
“It is an honour to sit on the Ontario Arts Council Board of Directors,” said Knott. “It is and has always been important to me to foster a creative vision and help artists realize their voice and their passions. Success is not an individual achievement but the result of learning, engaging, collaborating and hard work. The same is true of communities, and I am so happy to be a part of this one.”
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Fleming Phoenix Roundup: Oct. 14 - 15
/The Fleming Phoenix saw their rugby, soccer and cross-country teams compete this past weekend.
The Fleming Phoenix logo was unveiled for the college on Sept. 8, replacing the Fleming Knight. Photo courtesy of Fleming College.
The cross country team participated in their first competition, the OCAA Invitational, held at Centennial College on Saturday.
In the women’s 6K event, Jessica Lehman placed 44th in her division with a time of 31:35.5. In the men’s 8K, Alexander Clark placed 62nd with a time of 34:49.2.
The next event is the provincial championships on Oct. 28 at Conestoga College.
In soccer, the men’s and women’s teams were routed 7-0 and 13-0 respectively by the Durham Lords.
That was the season's final game for the women, while the men will face the George Brown Huskies on Wednesday in the first qualifying game of the postseason. Game time at L’Amoreaux Field starts at 7:30 p.m.
The Fleming Phoenix hosted a women’s rugby sevens tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Nicholls Oval. Seven visiting teams from across the province participated in matches throughout the weekend.
The Fleming Phoenix played four games, losing three and winning one match.
On Saturday, the Phoenix lost to the Durham Lords 47-0 and the Seneca Sting 24-12. Chloe Bender and Hollie Phillips scored for the Phoenix.
On Sunday, the Phoenix lost to the Humber Hawks 15-0 and won 20-0 against the Conestoga Condors. The Phoenix team was up 10-0 over the Condors at the half with Abby Todd and Sydney Hudson each scoring a try. Conestoga defaulted in the second half, leading to a match win of 20-0 for the Phoenix.
This weekend’s games marked the end of the Women’s Rugby Sevens season as the team did not advance to the playoffs.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Campbellford Memorial Hospital Seeking Members to Join Patient and Family Advisory Council
/Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) is seeking community members to join the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) announced on Tuesday.
The PFAC helps discover ways to improve the patient and family experience within our healthcare system.
They are responsible for amplifying the patient and family voice and members actively engage in a wide range of hospital initiatives, committees and projects, helping to chart the course for the evolution of healthcare at our hospital.
Members of PFAC will:
Influence Positive Change: Be an instrumental part of the transformation happening at CMH by directly impacting policies, procedures, and the patient experience.
Share Your Insights: Share your valuable perspectives and experiences, ensuring that the patient and family viewpoint remains at the forefront of our healthcare endeavours.
Shape the Future: Collaborate with healthcare professionals, administrators, and fellow PFAC members to further enhance and champion our already patient-centred healthcare system as we move forward together.
