Popular Bubble Tea Franchise 'Chatime' Hosts Grand Opening In Peterborough's North End

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Peterborough’s newest entrepreneur Kanza Ghzanfar started her week-long grand opening of the popular bubble tea franchise Chatime in the north end of town on Friday.

Kanza Ghzanfar (left) with her brother Zaeem Ghzanfar (right) during Chatime’s first day of business. Their father owns the neighbouring Osmow’s Shawarma and is operated by Zaeem. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The grand opening runs until Nov. 23. The storefront is located on 1447 Water St. Unit 6 next to the Osmow’s Shawarma. Ghzanfar’s family owns the latter and had worked there for an extended period of time since opening in 2018. The young entrepreneur wanted to take a risk and bring her love of bubble tea to Peterborough.

“Personally, I'm just the biggest fan of Chatime myself and five years ago I was craving bubble tea,” she said. “I put 'bubble tea' in Google Maps and the closest it was taking me to was Oshawa.”

Bubble Tea is a popular Taiwanese drink commonly consists of green or black flavoured tea typically with chewy tapioca balls (that act as the ‘bubbles’) and can include milk. Other popular toppings include popping boba (encased spheres of syrup or juice), jelly or fruit.

Customers can adjust sugar and ice levels to their bubble tea as the beverage boasts to be a healthier alternative to other sweet drinks.

Chatime is an chain with over 3,000 locations worldwide according to their website. It is widely popular in the Durham and Greater Toronto Area region.

Ghzanfar is from Toronto and attended University of Toronto (St. George Campus), earning a double major bachelor’s degree in criminology and politics. She earned her Masters at Wilfrid Laurier University, studying national security. She turned down a Ph.D offer and wanted to stick to her roots. She was immersed in a business with her family for several years and wanted to continue that.

“Back then, I didn't know I was going to get involved in the business world but I knew that if I was going to do something at any point, it would have to be bubble tea related,” explained Ghzanfar.

The week-long grand opening has a photo booth with bubble tea props. There are also two daily promotions during that week including a buy on get on free promotion on select drinks (Pearl Milk Tea, QQ Mango, Peach Green Tea) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Customers can spin a wheel to possibly win free drinks, toppings and other prizes from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The store is fully-employed by Trent University students and accepts Trent flex cards as payment. Ghzanfar had many food and drink options in close proximity to her post-secondary institutions but believes Trent students do not have the same luxury.

“I feel like with Trent, there are wasn't that many options for students that were available so close to campus so that was primarily why I wanted to target that kind of community,” she explained. “At the end of the day, I still wanted to get involved with the locals are aware of our presence, what the product is and what we bring to the table.”

Chatime is open seven days a week and are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delivery orders can be made through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes.

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CMHA HKPR Becomes Provider For National Suicide Crisis Helpline Launching On Nov. 30

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The Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) will be a local provider for the new 9-8-8 National Suicide Crisis Helpline launching on Nov. 30.

Tracy Graham, CMHA Director of Programs and Services (left); Ellen Watkins, CMHA Director of Corporate Services (middle) and Mark Graham, CMHA CEO. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The progrma launch officially starts at 3 a.m. on Nov. 30. Anyone can can call or text 9-8-8 to access the helpline.

“We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected as one of nearly 45 national providers for the new 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, which will launch on November 30th, 2023,” said Mark Graham, CMHA CEO.

The helpline has been federally funded nationwide for $156 million. It is for anyone in Canada thinking of suicide or those concerned of someone contemplating it. CMHA will have six 9-8-8 responders on standby to listen and provide confidential support without judgement and are available 24/7.

9-8-8 is a national helpline but anyone calling from a local area code in Peterborough, Haliburton, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes and surrounding Six Nations reserves (Curve Lake, Hiwartha, Scugog and Alderville) will be routed to local call takers at the CMHA HKPR call center in downtown Peterborough.

As a result of the helping, CMHA HKPR’s Four County Crisis — widely known as ‘4CC’ — has been rebranded and is growing into the Integrated Crisis Intervention Services Model. Individuals who are experiencing thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, or who are worried about someone they know, can now call 9-8-8 instead of Four County Crisis.

It becomes the direct line for their Safe Beds program and after-hours housing support. If individuals call the line (705-745-6484) in crisis, they will receive a message to hang up and call 9-8-8.

“Through our strategic planning process, we learned that our community, clients, and staff were all looking for an easier to navigate crisis system with the opportunity for more meaningful connections,” said Graham. “With the launch of the new helpline, we will also be restructuring our current crisis services to provide easier to navigate, streamlined crisis support to individuals in Peterborough and County, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes, and Haliburton.”

The Model includes adding an additional eight Brief Services Mental Health Workers who will be distributed across the four counties. It also includes moving the Safe Beds facility from a residential neighborhood to downtown Peterborough and increasing bed capacity at Safe Beds with an opportunity for transitional housing according to a press release.

Individuals who are looking to access Safe Beds can call 705-745-6484. Community partners can send referrals for Safe Beds to safebeds@cmhahkpr.ca.

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Petes Captain Donovan McCoy Scores Walk-Off Overtime Goal In 6-5 Win Over North Bay

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Petes captain Donovan McCoy gave Peterborough a a great start to their three-game road trip with a walk-off overtime goal to beat the North Bay Battalion 6-5 at the North Bay Memorial Gardens on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

North Bay struck first as Anthony Romani hit a one-timer from the slot, beating Liam Sztuska for a 1-0 lead 3:04 into the game. Peterborough received a power play seconds later and capitalized as Johnathan Melee snapped a one-timer from outside the faceoff circle to tie it at one apiece. Less than three minutes later, Peterborough off the rush, saw Braydon McCallum making a drop pass to Owen Beck and the Montréal Canadiens prospect sniped it for a 2-1 lead. North Bay, not to be outdone, Romani tied the game up, writing a shot outside the faceoff circle for a 2-2 tie going into the second.

Peterborough had their turn to strike quickly in a period with a power play chance. Beck found Chase Lefebvre alone in front of the net. The latter was stopped the first time but Sam McCue charged in to pick up the loose change and bury it for a 3-2 Petes lead. Peterborough kept scoring in bunches as Cam Gauvreau launched a point shot and was tipped but Brody Partridge for a 4-2 lead.

However, in 36 seconds, North Bay rang off two goals in back-to-back power plays (including a two-man advantage) from Ty Nelson and a Romani hat trick to tie it up going into the third.

Scoring slowed down in the third period as each team scored once. Ethan Procyszyn and McCue scored respectively for their teams and the game went to overtime.

Captain McCoy took the extra frame into his own hands as he stickhandled through two defenders and beat Dom DiVincentiis on the backhand to send Peterborough home with two points for the 6-5 overtime win.

The Petes continue their road trip against the Sudbury Wolves on Friday with puck drop 7:05 p.m. at Sudbury Community Arena. Shoeless Joe’s is hosting the Official Road Game Watch Party at Shoeless Joe’s Peterborough.

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Two Robbery Suspects Being Sought By Peterborough Police In Separate Incidents

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The Peterborough Police Service is investigating two separate robberies that occurred on Thursday morning and another in the evening.

At roughly 5:15 a.m., police were called to the business at McDonnel Street and Aylmer Street area. Officers learned that a man had attempted to pay for several items but when the card was declined, he brandished a knife at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed over some cash and the suspect fled on a bicycle westbound on McDonnel Street.

The suspect is described as:

  • Approximately 5'10"

  • Male, Caucasian

  • Red “Among Us” long sleeve shirt

  • Black balaclava

  • Headlamp

  • Red and Black scarf

  • Black pants

  • Tattoos by eyes

At roughly 6:45 p.m., officers were called to the Parkhill Road and Water Street business. Police learned that a male had taken the automatic coin register and brandished a knife at employees when they tried to stop him. He fled the scene in a grey van with a female driver. Officers could locate the van a short distance away but the suspect was not there.

The suspect is described as:

  • Male, white

  • 30-40 years old

  • Facial hair

  • Wearing a long white t-shirt, camouflage pants, grey t-shirt wrapped around his head

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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City of Peterborough Maintains AA+ Credit Rating

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Standard & Poor’s has maintained the City of Peterborough’s credit rating at “AA+” in its recently released credit report on the municipality, reported on Thursday.

Standard & Poor’s is a financial services company that offers services including credit ratings, data analysis and equity research to both the private and public sectors worldwide. File Photo.

The report cited the City’s ‘political and managerial commitment to disciplined fiscal policies’ as the reasoning for its rating.

‘AA+’ is the second highest rating on Standard & Poor’s credit rating scale.

Standard & Poor’s pointed to the strong support by the federal government and the Province for municipalities and the City’s financial management.

“The stable outlook reflects S&P Global Ratings' expectation that, in the next two years, Peterborough will sustain healthy operating surpluses. Although we expect temporarily higher after-capital deficits during this time as the city proceeds with its large capital plan, we expect they will stay below 5% of total revenues, on average, from 2021-2025. In addition, we expect increased additional borrowing to support the capital plan but that the city's tax-supported debt will remain below 65 per cent of operating revenue over the forecast horizon,” states Standard & Poor’s.

Among the observations for the City of Peterborough’s credit rating, Standard & Poor’s has cited:

  • The City's exceptional liquidity position and supportive institutional framework continue to bolster its credit profile

  • The City’s political and managerial commitment to disciplined fiscal policies

  • An extremely predictable and supportive local and regional government framework that has demonstrated high institutional stability and evidence of systemic extraordinary support in times of financial distress

  • Municipalities have demonstrated a track record of strong budget results with debt burdens, on average, low compared with those of global peers and growth over time has been modest

  • Projection that the City’s capital spending will increase in the next several years, with after-capital deficits widening to an average of 4.7 per cent of total revenues in 2021-2025

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City's 50-Unit Modular Bridge Housing Community For the Homeless Expected to Operate In a Few Weeks

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The City of Peterborough’s 50-unit modular bridge housing community at the Rehill parking lot is in its final steps and is expected to move in people in a few weeks at a private media tour held Thursday morning.

Each unit is equipped with electricity, air conditioning and a heating system. A bed, night table, cutlery, dresser, towels, mini-fridge and waste receptacles are also in each unit. Most of the items are donated by the Elizabeth Fry Society. There are also five washrooms next to the module housing. They are fitted with a toilet, sink and shower.

Amenities and activities are also available just outside the module housing. The Wolfe Street building will act as a community space. Laundry and wheelchair washrooms are located nearby but off the site and available to those in the modular system.

The City has already chosen 50 people to move into the units from the tent encampment off Wolfe Street. It is based on a list of those who have been marginalized for several years, according to Councillor Keith Riel.

“We are going to give people a new lease on life,” he said. “Someone who has lived in a precarious position for a couple of years in a tent is second to none.”

Riel added that overflow accommodations are at the former Trinity United Church.

Those staying in modules are capped at around 18-24 months of being in the modules though occupancy varies from person to person. Transitional housing programs are available for those ready to move out.

Final construction pieces and staffing need to be finalized and secured before the modules are occupied, according to Jocelyn Blazey, the City’s homelessness programming manager.

“There are some key markers that we have identified both as the City and with Elizabeth Fry as they are providing support and security to make sure that the site is ready from a programming perspective,” she explained. “We wanted it to be a smooth transition for folks and we want staff and clients to feel supported so there are a few key things that we still need to make sure to put in place.”

Two support staff and two security guards provided by Elizebeth Fry will be at the housing facilities when they become operable. The Society also aims to have welcome baskets ready for the individuals moving in. They are asking the public to help with donations to help fill them which can be dropped off on-site.

Items include:

  • Hats/toques

  • Mittens

  • Tim Hortons Gift Cards ($10 value)

  • Food and drink

    • Snacks

    • Fruit

    • Protein shakes/bars

    • Water/Juice/Pop

The modules were proposed to be built in August by City Council, with off-site construction of the units starting in September. Council was diligent in streamlining the process to get the units up and running as soon as possible, according to Councillor Alex Bierk.

“Usually, the bureaucracy of the system really slows things down but this has been something that has come together really quickly and we've worked out a lot of details,” he explained. “At the end of the day, what we have here is so much better and different than what we had last winter.”

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Peterborough Police Service to Launch Community F.I.R.S.T. Program to Address Increasing Property Crime

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In response to increasing property crime in the city, Peterborough Police Service has announced the Community F.I.R.S.T. (Community-Focused Investigation & Response Support Team) program launching in January, announced on Thursday morning.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The program consists of four frontline officers to primarily address and investigate property crimes. The officers’s workload is generated through calls for service and reports made through the online reporting portal according to Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service.

“This program is in response to what we have been hearing from the community for several years when it comes to property crimes,” he said. “We know property crimes have adverse effects on residents and business owners and we want to do a better job in responding to these types of calls.

Crimes to be investigated by the unit will include mischief, thefts, stolen property and shoplifting.

Over the past five years, Peterborough’s non-violent crime severity index, including property crimes, has increased just over 28 per cent. This increase is by far the highest of all comparator services according to the Peterborough Police.

“Our officers are busy responding to high-priority calls each and every day which means that these types of calls get lower priority,” Betts continued. “It is frustrating for victims of crime, and it is frustrating for our officers who want to serve the community. Each of us knows it’s what the community expects and deserves.”

Community F.I.R.S.T is a year-long pilot program, after which its effectiveness and sustainability will be assessed.

Our officers will wear high-visibility clothing, be deployed in pairs and conduct investigations related to break-and-enters, thefts, mischief and stolen property throughout Peterborough, Cavan-Monaghan, and Lakefield.

In the third quarter, the Peterborough Police Service received the following calls:

SCreenshot.

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Trent University’s Newest College to be Named Gidigaa Migizi to Honour Professor Doug Williams

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To honour and celebrate the memory of the late Gidigaa Migizi (Doug Williams), Trent University is naming its sixth college will be named Gidigaa Migizi College.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

The Gidigaa Migizi College is being built on the east bank of the Symons Campus in Peterborough. The building will include as many as 700 new beds for first-year students and classrooms, faculty offices and student spaces. The University expects it to open in the fall of 2028. The new college crest, scarf and colours will be unveiled next year.

“This naming is a testament to Trent’s ongoing commitment to recognizing and celebrating Indigenous culture and heritage,” said Marilyn Burns, vice president of Trent communications and enrolment. “Gidigaa Migizi, a respected elder and a pillar in the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg and Trent communities, has left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire and educate our students for generations to come. Gidigaa Migizi College will stand as a beacon of knowledge, diversity, and respect, embodying the spirit of inclusivity and learning that is at the heart of Trent University.”

The professor, elder, and community leader was known for his dedication to Trent students and for protecting Anishnaabeg's treaty rights.

The decision to select an Anishnaabe name for the new college was a recommendation of the University’s Champlain Report to honour the treaty and traditional territory on which Trent University sits, according to a press release. Meaning ‘spotted eagle’ in English, the name Gidigaa Migizi College was recommended by the University’s Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers Council and approved by Trent’s Board of Governors.

“Gidigaa Migizi was a giant both at Trent and in the Anishnaabeg nation. He was a champion of knowledge, of learning, of students and of our community,” said Anne Taylor, Curve Lake First Nation Elders Council member. “In our culture, eagles are held in high esteem and symbolize honour, respect, strength, courage, and wisdom. These are all characteristics we want Trent students to embody.”

Migizi was one of the first graduates of Trent University’s Native Studies (now Indigenous Studies) program. After graduating, he remained involved with Trent, helping shape academic programs, administrative policies, and cultural practices and advancing education about Indigenous peoples.

He was co-director of the Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program and a professor at the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. Migizi served on the University’s Indigenous Education Committee and the Elders Council. Before joining Trent as a student and then as a faculty member, Gidigaa Migizi was a bricklayer who helped build Champlain College at the University.

Migizi was an active negotiator for the legal recognition of treaty rights. His greatest accomplishment in this arena was the advocacy work he undertook in the precedent-setting case R v. Taylor and Williams, working through the court system to bring legal recognition of pre-confederation treaty rights through the interpretation of Treaty 20, 1818. As a result of this landmark case, he defended the right to hunt and fish for signatories to the Williams Treaties as stated by Trent.

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Hometown PTBO: Chris Marris of the Peterborough Theatre Guild and Two Generations Being Involved in Local Arts

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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Chris Marris about how she got into the Peterborough Theatre Guild, her life as a retired teacher/principal and her mother's involvement in Peterborough arts.

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Clarington Trustee Kevin MacKenzie Re-Elected as PVNC Catholic Board Chairperson

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Clarington trustee Kevin MacKenzie has been re-elected as the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board chairperson during their annual meeting at the Catholic Education Centre on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of PVNCCDSB.

MacKenzie is serving for the 2023-2024 term. He has served five years as a trustee, having first been elected in the 2018 municipal election. He served as the Board’s vice-chairperson from 2021-2022 and chairperson from 2022-2023.

“Serving as chairperson has been a profound honor, and being re-elected is a responsibility I accept with both pride and humility,” said MacKenzie. “The past term has shown me the incredible capabilities of our students and staff, a testament to our commitment to excellence in Catholic Education. In my second term, I am committed to deepening our collective efforts, ensuring every student flourishes in an environment that values faith, learning, and community.”

Simultaneously, Peterborough County trustee Jenny Leahy was re-elected as vice-chairperson in her second year. Leahy joined the Board of Trustees in May last year as an appointee and was re-elected to the position during the Oct. 24, 2022 municipal election.

Peterborough trustee Loretta Durst had her second anniversary appointment to the Board. Durst won re-election in the Oct. 24, 2022 municipal election.

Trustees Joshua Glover (Clarington), Mary Ann Martin (Kawartha Lakes) and Kathleen Tanguay (Northumberland) marked one-year anniversaries at the Board table.

Tuesday was the first annual meeting for trustee John Connolly (Peterborough), appointed to his position in September.

During Tuesday’s annual board meeting, trustees were appointed to standing and ad-hoc Board committees.

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David Tuan Bui