Art Gallery of Peterborough Closed Temporarily For Building Maintenance Until Saturday

The Art Gallery of Peterborough will be closed to the public from Wednesday to Friday for regular building maintenance and a collection reorganization project, announced by The City of Peterborough on Tuesday night.

File Photo.

The Gallery will reopen with regular hours on Saturday.

For information about Gallery exhibitions and programs, visit the Art Gallery’s official website.

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Fleming College Offering New Aquaculture Students Free Training

Fleming College is offering free training to new aquaculture students in a nationwide initiative to upskill Canada’s workforce, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of FLeming College.

Through an agreement with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University in Newfoundland, Fleming College is covering the cost of the first-semester tuition fee (including ancillary fees) for 20 Aquaculture Foundations students. This funding is available for the January 2024 intake.

The compressed first semester begins Jan. 2 to March 29 with no mid-semester reading break.

Fleming’s program focuses on fish culture, aquaculture techniques and fish husbandry, with a unique focus on Indigenous studies and practices in the aquaculture industry.

This initiative is part of the Growing the Canadian Aquaculture Workforce of the Future program, sponsored by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, administered through the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University according to Fleming,

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Three-Month Investigation Leads to Assault Charge for Etobicoke Man

A three-month investigation in Peterborough from July led to an assault charge against a 25-year-old Etobicoke man reported on Tuesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 11:50 p.m. on Nov. 26, officers with Investigative Services spotted a man wanted in connection with an assault reported to police on July 23. The victim was allegedly struck with an object and pepper sprayed. Officers were able to take the suspect into custody without incident.  At the time of the incident, the victim was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for treatment.

As a result of the investigation, a 25-year-old Etobicoke man was arrested and charged with:

• Aggravated Assault

The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court on Nov. 7.

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Brant Basics Winner of DBIA's Downtown Halloween Window Contest

Brant Basics was declared the winner of the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) best window for this year’s Downtown Halloween Window Contest, announced on Tuesday.

(From left to right) Katrina Favron, Kaitlin Burley and Kayla Peters celebrate their win in front of the Brant Basics shop window. Photo courtesy of the DBIA.

Days after the DBIA’s Spooktacular Halloween in the BOOOro, the annual spooky event included a dark forest-themed window decorating challenge for shop owners.

Over 20 businesses participated in the window challenge to creatively transform their shop windows into captivating displays.

Locals voted for their top three Halloween window displays throughout the contest period from Oct. 13 – 31, casting over 1,000 votes online.

K C Costumes and Studio East were runner-ups with 230 votes and 125 votes respectively.

The top three winners will be receiving $300, $200 and $100 for their winning windows.

“Our team is so excited to win this year’s contest! All the businesses who participated did such a fabulous job and we can’t wait to see the downtown light up again for the holiday season,” said Katrina Favron of Brant Basics. “We all came up with different ideas and worked as a team to transform our window, it was a such a fun project to work on together and we will definitely be treating the staff to a nice dinner from one of our amazing local restaurants to celebrate.”  

Brant Basics winning Halloween window display. Photo courtesy of the DBIA.

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4th Line Theatre Accepting Applications For Playwright Funding

4th Line Theatre is recommending playwrights to receive funding of between $1,000 and $3,000 to develop new works through the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Rebekah Littlejohn and 4th Line Theatre.

Ontario-based professional theatre artists and artists’ collectives can apply by Jan. 12, 1 p.m. The Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the government of Ontario, is the primary funding body for professional arts activities in the province.

4th Line Theatre will administer the granting program with the primary goal of supporting as many playwriting projects as possible. Secondarily, they are also looking for projects that align with its artistic mandate: To preserve our Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of regionally-based, environmentally-staged historical dramas, with special consideration for culturally diverse artists and collectives, artists living with a disability.

“I understand the financial challenges faced by playwrights and the OAC’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is vital to supporting their writing projects,” said Kim Blackwell, 4th Line managing artistic director.

Application forms are to be completed online on the OAC website. Interested applicants will need to create a NOVA account and follow the instructions for submission. If interested applicants have any questions about the process, please contact 4th Line Theatre’s Administration by email at submissions@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone at 705-932-4506. The applications will be reviewed by Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

Funding decisions are based on the artistic interest of the project, the quality of the artistic examples given and the program's impact on the artist’s development. 4th Line Theatre will then forward a positive funding decision to the OAC for final recommendation. Grant amounts will be determined by the number of approved applicants and the funds available from the program.

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City of Peterborough Expects Residents to Move Into 50-Unit Modular Bridge Housing Community Later This Month

The City of Peterborough expects Residents of the new Modular Bridge Housing Community to start moving into the 50 units in this month following the completion of installation and construction of the units.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The inspection of the electrical hookups to each unit — which all have electric heating and cooling systems — needs to be completed, according to a press release. The City is also finalizing agreements with the operators of the site.

The City’s emergency shelter network, operated by community partner agencies, offers 106 shelter beds. The overflow shelter bed program, temporarily moved to the Peterborough Public Library at 345 Aylmer St., had about 24 beds available each night in October.

As part of the emergency winter response plan, the City has also agreed with One City to open a new overnight drop-in space that will open at the Trinity Centre on Reid Street following renovations, which are nearing completion.

The Modular Bridge Housing Community and the new overnight drop-in space are part of the updated homelessness services strategy that Council approved in May last year.

To facilitate the construction and installation of the Modular Bridge Housing Community on a former municipal parking lot on Wolfe Street, Council approved in September a temporary amendment to the City of Peterborough’s Parks and Facilities By-law and Trespass By-law to temporarily allow tenting on the municipal parking lot at the southeast corner of Aylmer and Wolfe streets.

Temporarily allowing tenting on the property at Aylmer and Wolfe Streets is intended to provide a clear and safe work environment for the construction and installation of the Modular Bridge Housing Community on the nearby Rehill Parking Lot on Wolfe Street.

The temporary amendment to the Parks and Facilities By-law and Trespass By-law was scheduled to expire on Nov. 15. Council has extended the temporary amendment until Jan. 5 to allow for the completion of the construction and installation of the Modular Bridge Housing Community, the execution of the required agreements all with the intent that residents start moving into the units in November.

When the temporary amendment to the by-laws to allow tenting on the property at Aylmer and Wolfe Streets is revoked, anyone who is tenting on the property will be informed of the change – that tenting is no longer allowed on the property or any other City-owned property – and that their tents must be removed.

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Ontario Government Introducing Legislation For Employers to Disclose Salary Range and AI Use In Hiring

The Ontario Government intends to introduce legislation that, if passed, would require employers to include expected salary ranges in job postings and disclose if artificial intelligence (AI) is used in its hiring process, announced at the YMCA on Monday morning.

SCreenshot.

Disclosing this information allows employees to make informed decisions in their career search, according to the Ontario Government. Ontario would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to require businesses to disclose if AI is used during their hiring process.

“At a time when many companies are posting record profits, it is only fair they communicate transparently about how they pay workers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “And as the use of artificial intelligence in Ontario skyrockets, our government will continue to take action to ensure workers aren’t excluded from the job market because of technological biases and that their privacy rights are protected.”

AI tools and algorithms are being adopted by Ontario businesses at a rapid rate and generate high volumes of personal data about job applicants and employees, according to a press release. In response to the growing concerns about the ethical, legal and privacy implications of AI, the provincial government is proposing to require employers to inform potential employees if it is being used in the hiring process.

The Ontario Government continues to vow to help end workplace misconduct and hold abusers to account. They will also be conducting consultations and detailed analysis on ending the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in the settlement of cases of workplace sexual harassment, misconduct or violence, as stated by Piccini.

“The consultations will identify legislative options to restrict the use of NDAs while protecting the rights of victims and survivors,” he said. “It’s past time we end a practice that allows businesses to shelter the behaviour of some of the worst members of our communities.”

These changes are part of a larger package that, if passed, would expand on the ground-breaking actions introduced in the Working for Workers Acts, 2021, 2022 and 2023. They will be unveiled in the coming days to protect workers, help them earn bigger paycheques and help newcomers contribute to building Ontario according to a press release.

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Peterborough Police Engaging in 'Prime Prevention Week' for 2023 From Nov. 5 - 11

The Peterborough Police Service is participating in Crime Prevention Week 2023, from Nov. 5 to 11 with ‘Awareness. Engagement. Prevention’ as this year’s theme.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Crime prevention is an important part of community safety and a way everyone can participate in keeping their communities safe. It’s important that residents report crime or suspicious activity to police,” said Chief Stuart Bettes. “Through reports, whether it’s 9-1-1, the non-emergency line or online reporting portal, we can learn about the crime trends in our community and work toward proactive measures.  This way we can ensure that we have the right information to have the right people in the right place to do the right thing.”

The Peterborough Police Service Auxiliary Unit conducts several crime prevention audits for homes and businesses.

Police are announcing several crime prevention tips throughout the week.

For emergencies or to report a crime in progress please call 9-1-1. 

For non-emergencies, call 705-876-1122 x225 or report online through the online reporting portal.

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Little Lake Cemetery to Hold Remembrance Day Public Sunrise Service

A public sunrise Remembrance Day service is taking place at the war memorial in Little Lake Cemetery at 7:30 a.m. this Saturday.

Photo courtesy of Little Lake Cemetery Co.

“This is the second year we are providing this service to the public,” said James Belk, Little Lake Cemetery Co. president and CEO. Approximately 70 people attended the service last year and we hope even more people are able to attend this year. We had many attendees voice their appreciation to us for putting on the service.”

The service is being officiated by Regimental Chaplain Nancy Wilson of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. There is going to be The Last Post followed by two minutes of silence included in the service.

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Kawartha Food Share Named Recipient of Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign

Tim Hortons famed Holiday Smile Cookies have given Kawartha Food Share (KFS) a big reason to be happy as the latter is the recipient of this year’s campaign running from Nov. 13 to 19, announced on Monday.

The Smile Cookie campaign began in 1996 as a way to help raise funds for the Hamilton Children’s Hospital in Ontario, and has grown to become a major fundraising event at Tim Hortons Restaurants. Photo courtesy of KFS.

The announcement was made by KFS on social media posted Monday morning.

Purchasing a Holiday Smile Cookie during the designated week will have half the proceeds benefit KFS while the other half goes to Tim Horton’s Foundation Camps.

Cookies purchased at Tim Hortons in Peterborough, Lakefield, Curve Lake, Havelock and Bridgenorth will contribute to KFS.

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