Peterborough Blogs
Homelessness Benefit Concert Returns With 'Peterborough Performs IV' For United Way at Showplace On March 7
/Sixteen acts are taking the stage at Showplace Performance Centre for United Way’s ‘Peterborough Performs IV: Musicians United to End Homelessness’ to fundraise for homelessness initiatives announced Thursday morning.
Musician Dan Hicks is one of 16 acts joining ‘Peterborough Performs IV."‘ Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The one-night event takes place on March 7 at Showplace (290 George St. N.) at 7 p.m. with tickets for $50.
The campaign is in its fourth year with the ultimate fundraising goal $1.45 million. The concert has raised over $84,000 to date, with 95 per cent of the proceeds going to local shelters according to Paul Rellinger, event organizer.
“We all feel homelessness is a big issue that we can't as individuals do anything about,” he said. “You can make a difference with this event.”
While the event averages over $28,000 annually in raised funds, Rellinger adds that no goal is set for this campaign's fourth edition.
“The first goal is to do better than the year before,” he said. “What I'm really excited about is the event is going to well pass $100,000 in money raised over four events and that's pretty good for something that was just an idea four years ago.”
Tiffany Arcari from ‘The Tiffany Show’ is the emcee for the event.
The following are the acts performing at this year’s concert:
The Weber Brothers Band
Emily Burgess
SJ Riley
The Austin Carson Band
The Peterborough All-Star Band (featuring Rick and Gailie Young)
The Cheryl Casselman Trio
Irish Millie
Tom Eastland
Chris Collins
Bread & Soul
Phil Stephenson/Glen Cardus/Ron Kervin
Jacques Graveline
The Hippie Chicks
Michaela Hetherington
Dan Hick
Tim Burnie (stand-up comedian)
An online auction with over 50 items runs until March 7 at 10 p.m. Local businesses, sponsors and organizations have donated all the lots for the auction.
Tickets to Peterborough Performs are available for purchase at the Showplace Box Office. The discount code ‘LoveLocal’ is available to purchase two tickets for $40 until next week Thursday.
Woman Arrested After Allegedly Striking a Man With a Cell Phone And Closing a Door On His Hands
/A 21-year-old Peterborough woman is facing charges after a domestic incident with another man on Thursday morning.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
At roughly 4:10 a.m., officers responded to a disturbance in the Goodfellow Road and Talwood Drive area. A verbal argument between a man and a woman broke out with the woman allegedly striking the man in the head with a cell phone and closing a door on his hands, injuring them.
The woman was arrested and charged with:
Assault with a Weapon
The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on March 19.
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Suspicious Package at Chandler Crescent and Florence Drive Deemed Safe Peterborough Police Say
/Peterborough Police have determined that a suspicious package discovered at Florence Drive and Chandler Crescent area sidewalk left on Wednesday night is deemed safe.
A DRPS Bomb Squad Robot examining the suspicious package. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.
The package was spotted at roughly 6:30 p.m. when Police had advised the public to stay clear and residents living in the area to remain in their households during the investigation. They had stayed in their houses for several hours.
The Durham Regional Police Bomb Squad was called to assess the package and deemed it safe at approximately 10 p.m.
The Peterborough Police Service thanks the neighbourhood for their patience and understanding.
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Stay Clear of Chandler Crescent Due to Suspicious Package Warns Peterborough Police
/Peterborough Police have Florence Drive closed at Chandler Cres for an investigation regarding a suspicious package.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Police request that everyone avoid the area and remain in your residence if you reside on the street.
The police appreciate those and thank everyone for their patience and understanding.
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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Peterborough County Council Approves 2024 Budget
/Peterborough County Council has approved the 2024 Budget entails a rise in the levy by 6.29 per cent during Wednesday’s meeting.
Photo courtesy of Peterborough County.
The budget changes include:
a dedicated infrastructure levy set at 2.5 per cent
an increase of 2.57 per cent for the Operating Budget
and an increase of 1.22 per cent for the Shared Services Budget
This increase in the levy translates to a tax rate increase of 5.69 per cent or approximately $21.81 for every $100,000 in residential assessment.
“Peterborough County staff were tasked with presenting a budget that is both responsible and comprehensive, and they successfully fulfilled that mandate,” said Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden. “This budget will enable the County to tackle both operational and capital infrastructure needs, all while managing the challenges of inflation and the cost of living that persistently affect our ratepayers as well as the County's operations, finances, and those of our service provider partners.”
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Man Flees Residence With Prescription Medication After Break and Enter; Police Seeking Information On Suspect
/The Peterborough Police Service is investigating after a residential break and enter in the Village Crescent and Lansdowne Street area early Wednesday morning.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
At roughly 1:45 a.m. officers were called to the residence and learned that a homeowner had woken up to find an unknown man in their home. When spotted, the man fled the home with some prescription medication.
Officers started searching the area and K9 Officer Wentworth and PSD Gryphon were called in for a track. During the search, officers followed a long distance to a broken window on an abandoned house in the Lansdowne Street and Clonsilla Avenue area. Officers searched and determined no one was in the building.
The suspect was described to police as:
Male
5'10"
Thin build
Wearing dark clothes including a dark hoodie
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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$70 Million Winning LOTTO MAX Jackpot Ticket Sold In Kawartha Lakes
/Peterborough City and County residents better check their lottery tickets as Tuesday’s $70 Million Winning LOTTO MAX Jackpot ticket was sold in Kawartha Lakes, announced on Wednesday.
File Photo.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) will not reveal the location of the ticket’s sale until a winner has claimed the prize at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.
The winning numbers were 01, 04, 23, 24, 31, 40 and 48 with 38 as the bonus.
The next LOTTO MAX Jackpot is estimated to be $18 million.
Peterborough's Annual Swap and Seed Sale, 16th-Annual Seedy Sunday Hits Peterborough Square March 10
/Those with green thumbs can get an early start on spring as Peterborough’s 16th Annual Seedy Sunday hits Peterborough Square on March 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., announced on Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of Urban Tomato.
This popular seed sale and swap event allows those in attendance to learn, get the tools and resources needed to grow this season.
The free-admission event will have a diverse range of locally grown heirloom vegetables, flower and herb seeds, vermicomposting supplies and bulbs available for perusing and purchase from local vendors. These locally grown seeds are adapted to our unique climate and grown to thrive on your farms and gardens according to a press release.
Community groups will display information about their work and provide visitors opportunities to get involved with local food, farming, water, and environmental programs and to answer questions about gardening, seed saving and growing this season.
Attendees can expand their gardens at the Seed Exchange Area to swap seeds with other growers, pick up some new and unique seed varieties and chat with other seed savers.
Educational, hands-on activities will be offered throughout the afternoon.
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Voice of Business: Enforcing Fair Property Tax Ratios
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Businesses in Ontario pay much higher property tax rates than residents, despite using fewer services. The Ontario Municipal Act requires municipalities to tax commercial and industrial properties at a ratio of 0.6 to 1.1, but many municipalities have no plans to comply.
For 2024, the City of Peterborough moved to increase its business tax ratio from 1.5 to 1.65, shifting added tax burden onto the business community in order to minimize the rate increase for homeowners. This trend is causing concern among businesses across Ontario.
The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce has put together a policy resolution on this tilted “Enforcing fair property tax ratios” that we have submitted to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC). It will go to the membership to debate and vote on in April, at which point approved resolutions become part of the advocacy efforts of the OCC for the next three years.
Our resolution:
Commercial and Industrial property taxes in Ontario municipalities are calculated based on a ratio of what residential property owners pay. For example, if a municipality has a commercial tax ratio of 1.75, commercial property owners are paying 175 per cent what a resident is paying for the same amount of property tax assessment.
The Ontario Municipal Act Reg. 386/98: Tax Matters – Allowable Ranges for Tax Ratios sets an allowable range for property tax on commercial and industrial properties at 0.6 to 1.1.
A quick look at tax ratios from a selection of municipalities from across Ontario from 2023 demonstrates that this range is not being followed:
Commercial Industrial
Barrie 1.43 1.51
Milton 1.46 2.09
Peterborough 1.5 1.5
Brantford 1.75 2.25
Guelph 1.84 2.2
North Bay 1.88 1.4
Woodstock 1.9 2.63
Sudbury 1.91 3.45
Belleville 1.92 2.4
Kingston 1.98 2.63
Thunder Bay 1.98 2.37
Clarington 1.98 2.49
Sarnia 2.02 2.4
Niagara Falls 2.15 2.95
Sault Ste. Marie 2.31 4.38
