Peterborough Police Dedicating Traffic Enforcement For October

The Peterborough Police Service is continuing dedicated traffic enforcement on the big four driving offences during October.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The four offenses are as follows:

• Aggressive Driving

• Distracted Driving

• Impaired Driving

• Seatbelt Offences

Since the beginning of the month, officers have issued:

• 32 cell phone tickets

• Three cell phone warnings

• Five seatbelt infractions

Penalties for driving with a handheld communication device:

First conviction:

• a fine of $615 if settled out of court (includes a victim surcharge and the court fee)

• a fine of up to $1,000 if a summons is received or if you fight the ticket in court and lose

• three demerit points

• 3-day suspension

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Peterborough Chamber Honours Institutions at 2023 Business Excellence Awards

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce held their 2023 Business Excellence Awards with an awards ceremony at Showplace Performance Centre on Wednesday night.

Hajni Hős, Hospice Peterborough executive director accepting the award for Employer of the Year. Photo courtesy of the Peterborugh Chamber.

The annual ceremony publicly recognized and honoured local businesses with a passion for excellence. 

Over 50 businesses and individuals were profiled in 22 categories.

The following are the nominees and recipients for their respective categories:

Local Focus

• The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge (winner)

• New Beginnings Building Services

• Peterborough GreenUP

Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Cheeks Ahoy (winner)

• Flossophy Ptbo

• Y Drive Canada

Health & Wellness

• Euphoria Wellness Spa

• The Spa + Clinic at Fleming College

• The Willow Studio (winner)

4-Under-40 Profiles, in memory of Kathy Windrem

• Ashley Bonner (winner)

• Ashley Flynn (winner)

• Lauren Hunter (winner)

• Laura Montague (winner)

Professional Services

• Engage Engineering Ltd.

• Fox Law Professional Corporation

• Lett Architects Inc. (winner)

Commercial Development or Renovation

• Key Design Inc. (Key Design Inc. Studio & Office)

• Peterborough Housing Corporation (Hunt Terraces)

• Peterborough Humane Society (Peterborough Animal Care Centre) (winner)

Business Student Leadership Prizes

• Emma Olstad (Trent University) (winner)

• Eesha Gupta (Fleming College) (winner)

Retail

• Living Local Marketplace (winner)

• Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre

• Plant Goals

Stuart Harrison President's Award

• Don Dyck (Kingdon Timber Mart, Kingdon Truss) (winner)

Micro Business

• OmniWorx Design

• Peterborough Currents Media Inc. (winner)

• Social Kat Media

Tourism

• Kawartha Country Wines

• Otonabee Region Conservation Authority

• Peterborough Museum & Archives (winner)

Businesswoman of the Year

• Nicole Truman (Fox Law Professional Corporation) (winner)

Green Initiatives

• Cheeks Ahoy

• The Land Canadian Adventures Inc.(winner)

• Peterborough Folk Festival

Skilled Trades

• Black Rock Developments

• Bruce Maly Plumbing & Drain Services Inc.

• Van de Bor Paving Ltd. (winner)

Hospitality

• Burleigh Falls Inn & Suites

• Nostimo By The Original Greek

• Taso's Restaurant & Pizzeria (winner) 

Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year

• Imad Mahfouz & Hashem Yakan (Levantine Grill) (winner)

Customer First

• The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge

• Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre

• The Willow Studio (winner)

Marketing & Promotion

• Community Futures Peterborough (winner)

• INSPIRE: The Women’s Portrait Project

• Showplace Performance Centre

Peterborough County Farm Family of the Year

• Todd & Jennifer Payne & Family (Asphodel Sheep Company) (winner)

Not-for-Profit

• Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region

• Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Foundation

• Peterborough Humane Society (winner)

Employer of the Year

• Engage Engineering Ltd.

• Gauvreau | Accounting Tax Law Advisory

• Hospice Peterborough (winner)

Business Citizen of the Year

• John Cunningham (Community Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd., Ashburnham Funeral Home & Reception Centre, Kawartha Aquamation) (winner)

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Market Hall Is Back To Provide Uplift Spirits With "Cancer Takedown" For Cancer Care

Market Hall is back for the second Annual Cancer Takedown as a 'spirit-raiser' for anyone touched by cancer for Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Market Hall.

The night shines a light on the mental burden of cancer and unites people through song, story and solidarity. All proceeds go to Cancer Care at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Performances will be done by Melissa Payne, Kate Suhr, Linda Kash, Megan Murphy, Anthony Bastianon, Rob Phillips and Pol Coussée. It also includes people sharing their cancer stories.

Husband and wife team Rick and Amy Kemp founded the event. Rick has been a patient of PRHC since 2019 when he was diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer. In May 2021, his battle doubled as he was diagnosed with a second primary cancer, CNS lymphoma.

“The mental battle of cancer is as tough as the physical battle. Some days, even tougher,” said Rick. “Let's find more ways to help more people get through the mental part.”

Donations can be made at the event or online.

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Lang Pioneer Village Gets Spooky With All Hallows' Eve On Oct. 27 and 28

Lang Pioneer Village is getting in on the spooky fun, teaching the origins and traditions of Halloween on All Hallows’ Eve set for Oct. 27 and 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Heather Doughty and Lang Pioneer Village.

This year’s event is a hybrid of both the Museum’s Historic All Hallows’ Eve and Spooky Halloween events that feature both historic and contemporary Halloween elements.

Tractor and wagon rides, party games, storytelling, maze walk, fortune telling, face painting, a monster bash and more are some of the activities being hosted at the historic village.

Hot chocolate, treats and hot dogs (for a fee) are available at the weekend. All children will receive a treat bag at the end of each evening.

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Melanoma Canada’s Mole Mobile Offering Free Skin Cancer Screenings This Sunday

Melanoma Canada’s Mole Mobile is stopping in Peterborough to give free skin cancer screenings at Sobeys (Lansdowne location) this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Melonoma Canada recommended that people RSVP before coming but it does not guarantee a spot. Individuals will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. All appointments are walk-in only according to their website.

Each year, roughly 89,000 Canadians are diagnosed with melanoma and skin cancer. Survival rates are high if detected early. Unlike other cancers, it is often clearly visible on the skin according to Melonoma Canada.

The Mole Mobile typically visits major Canadian cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist, underserved communities, rural areas and Indigenous regions to help speed up the time to diagnosis.

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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.”

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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.

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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:

1. 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;

2. 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;

3. 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;

4. Provide a subsidy for training of staff on cybersecurity awareness programs; and

5. 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:

1. Create a national strategy to assist provinces and territories in recognizing out-of-province and international healthcare credentials; and

2. 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.

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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.

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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.

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