Memorial Centre Refuses to Install Carpet For Lakers Classic Says Peterborough Lakers

The Lakers Classic is likely being played on concrete as the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) is not putting in the new carpet in time for the tournament according to a Facebook post made by the Peterborough Lakers on Tuesday night.

the Laker Classic has seen many top-level professional players represent their home centers, including local pros such as Shawn, Scott and Turner Evans, Josh and Zach Currier, Ethan Walker, Robert Hope, Thomas Hoggarth, John Grant Jr., and Tracey Kelusky and more. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

The statement claims that the PMC has refused to install the new $325,000 carpet in time for the upcoming Jr’s and Laker Classic which will run from May 24 to 26.

“Despite our requests and the significant community impact of this decision, we were informed without explanation that the carpet would not be put down until June 12,” as stated in a Lakers press release. “This decision is a significant blow to our Junior Lakers and the many young athletes participating in the Laker Classic, who will miss the thrill of playing on the premier turf.”

The Laker Classic is in its 36th year, missing only two seasons: one due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the other to a storm and tornado.

The long-standing tournament has been recognized by the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA), earning Historical Status. It is renowned for kicking off the box lacrosse season for the highest-ranked ‘A’ division in the province.

The Classic has roughly 35-40 teams and 90-100 games over three days across five arenas.

The tournament features divisions from Tyke to Midget with athletes aged seven to 16 across the province.

Playing on turf pays tribute to the Creator’s Game and includes many Indigenous teams from Kahnawake, Six Nations, and Akwesasne.

“In light of PMC's refusal, we urge our supporters to contact their councillors and the mayor to express their dismay at how this decision and other latest decision that resulted in the Lakers late home start, tarnishes our community's reputation as the best box lacrosse center in the world. The Senior Lakers remain committed to advocating for all community teams and continuing to support the growth and success of lacrosse in Peterborough despite clawbacks by the PMC and city each year,” according to a statement released by the Lakers.

The PMC was reached out for a comment but did not respond.

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Peterborough and the Kawarthas Under Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Peterborough and the Kawarthas are under a severe thunderstorm watch that can take effect on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Jay Callaghan.

Conditions favour developing severe thunderstorms that may produce strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain according to Environment Canada.

Wind gusts of around 100 km/h could accompany toonie-sized hail. The risk of a tornado is highest this afternoon and evening.

Thunderstorms will develop along a cold front moving through the province this afternoon and evening. The main threats will be strong winds and hail but tornados are also possible.

Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Environment Canada advises that water-related activities may be unsafe due to violent and sudden gusts of wind over bodies of water.

Residents are urged to go indoors then thunder roars for risk of lightning.

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Two People Arrested on Alleged Theft and Mischief Early Tuesday Morning

Two Peterborough people are facing theft and mischief charges after going through vehicles early Tuesday morning.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 2:30 a.m., officers were called to the Robinson Street and Rogers Street area about two people going through vehicles. Officers located two people who matched the description given to the police.

They were taken into custody without incident. Officers further searched the area and located several damaged vehicles and items believed to have been used to attempt to enter them.  

As a result of the investigation, a 34-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with:

• Theft Under $5000

• Mischief Under $ 5,000

• Trespassing at Night

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court June 18.

A 31-year-old Peterborough woman was arrested and charged with:

• Theft Under $5000

• Mischief Under $ 5,000

• Trespassing at Night

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court June 18.

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Pavement Cracks To Be Sealed Throughout Peterborough Starting Next Month

The City of Peterborough will begin pavement preservation and crack sealing throughout various areas beginning next month.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The project is expected to achieve completion in the fall but the City has yet to release a list of locations.

The work includes routing and sealing of cracks in the asphalt pavement surface.

There are no scheduled road closures at this time but traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on collector and arterial roadways and reduced to one lane with the use of flagging operations on local streets according to a press release.

The City has awarded the above noted project to Fineline Markings Inc.

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Voice of Business: The Voice of Businesses Across the Country

Chambers of commerce are your local voice of business. We meet with businesses, non-profits, charities, governments, and local stakeholders to identify barriers to economic growth and opportunities and push for that change.

While the issues vary between chambers and the communities they serve, they are far more similar than different. As a result, we work well together to take local grassroots ideas and issues and amplify them as an advocacy effort to municipalities, the provincial and federal governments, as well as other industry associations.

Most of the 1,000 members of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce do not have the resources to employ professional policy analysts and economists to research and draft effective policy proposals nor do they have the resources to hire government relations specialists and lobbyists to bring it to the attention of decision-makers.

That’s where the chamber network comes in. Across Canada there are more than 400 chambers and boards of trade working with 200,000 businesses to amplify the local issues that affect business across the country.

Recently, chambers from across Ontario met for our annual convention and policy debate. We discussed, debated, and ultimately approved 28 new policy resolutions on behalf of businesses across the province, including three submitted by our chamber. This brings our total to 103 policy resolutions in our 2024-2027 compendium. We have recommendations spanning everything from student housing to training people to work on electric vehicles to investments in life sciences. These policy resolutions are all topics we feel are relevant to businesses across Ontario. They are now a focal point for advocacy not just for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, but all of us local chambers.

Here are the summaries of our additions to this year’s policy compendium:

Enforcing fair property tax ratios

Issue

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.

Recommendations

That the Ontario Chamber of Commerce urge the Government of Ontario to:

Enforce existing property taxation ratios set out in the Ontario Municipal Act Reg. 386/98: Tax Matters – Allowable Ranges for Tax Ratios by withholding provincial support — including access to provincial funding streams — to municipalities that:

1. are not taxing commercial and industrial properties at the required rates or

2. are not actively transitioning to the required rates based on a plan that specifies gradual decreases on a timeline approved by the Province.

Making Ontario more competitive for permanent residency

Issue

Ontario is less competitive than other provinces when approving permanent residency for new Canadians. This impacts our ability to attract talent at a time when we desperately need to increase our workforce.

Recommendations

That the Ontario Chamber of Commerce urge the Government of Ontario to:

Make Ontario more competitive for securing permanent residency by:

1. Tailoring the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program to target candidates who fall outside the federal criteria with an emphasis on those already working in Ontario, including establishing a program for those with long-term work experience in Ontario as a pathway to residency.

2. Reducing employment criteria barriers, including:

   a. Providing clarity on what NOC codes will be invited in the future or eliminating the requirement to select a specific job or occupation from a list altogether.

   b. Lowering the revenue requirement and requirements for a specific number of employees for businesses to allow for smaller businesses to sponsor permanent residents.

3. Opening up the Student Job Offer Stream program to students in one-year programs.

4. 4Improving the functionality of the OINP website, providing a more up-to-date and user-friendly experience.

Maximizing Growth in Built Areas

Issue

Historic downtowns in cities across Ontario are full of underused mixed-use buildings. These multi-storey buildings have commercial space on the bottom and un- or under-used residential space in the upper floors. Inquiring about updating to once again have people living in these buildings can trigger expensive inspection processes on buildings that were built long before building, fire, and accessibility codes. Those that do try to develop these spaces are often met with unrealistic costs to meet heritage preservation and accessibility regulations, leaving empty housing in the heart of our towns and cities.

Recommendations

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce urges the Government of Ontario to:

1. Designate the Downtown Revitalization Program be used for a pilot project that allows private building owners and municipal officials to study and assess, using an independent consultant and without punitive action, the needs of a building or series of buildings in a downtown core.

2. Implement a policy for municipalities that will allow for the redevelopment of upper floors of aging mixed-use downtown buildings for use as residences that takes a fiscally responsible approach to heritage preservation and accessibility standards.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Rotary Club of Peterborough Hosting Open House For General Public to Understand Its Operations

The Rotary Clubs of Peterborough, Peterborough-Kawartha, and Bridgenorth-Ennismore-Lakefield are hosting an open house for the public to understand the Rotary’s operations this Thursday at the McDonnel St. Activity Centre.

The Club celebrated its 100th Anniversary on April 1, 2021 Photo courtesy of the Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The open house is from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with opening remarks at 5:45 p.m. Guest speakers are also at the open house to speak to the public.

“Guests will have the chance to chat with Rotarians and see how Rotary is making a difference in our community and around the world,” as read in a statement from a press release.

Light food is being provided with a cash bar available on site.

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Kawartha Food Share's 'Porch Pirates For Good' Food Drive Is Back to Plunder Peterborough On June 1

Kawartha Food Share's (KFS) ‘Porch Pirates For Good’ food drive is back in Peterborough to restock empty shelves for June 1.

For the past four years, the food drive has yielded over 140,000 pounds of food and over $12,000 in monetary donations. Photo courtesy of

Households are asked to leave a bag(s) of non-perishable food items on their front porch for the Porch Pirates to collect starting at 9 a.m.

Food bank clients have reached an all-time high throughout Canada as rising costs of food and supply chain shortages have affected their clients, donors and purchasing power, according to KFS.

The following is a list of items requested for donation:

• Peanut Butter

• Canned tuna

• Canned vegetables and canned fruit

• Individually wrapped school snacks

• Pasta and pasta sauce

• Alpha-getti, Kraft Dinner and Chef Boyardee

• Breakfast cereal

• Gluten free items – like pasta, cookies, oats etc.

• Canned soup/stew

• Feminine hygiene products

• Diaper

• Monetary Donations (can be made online or during item collection)

For every $1 donated, $3 worth of food can be purchased, according to KFS. Volunteers can collect cheques or cash during their pickups.

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Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area Appoints New Executive Director

The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has appointed Nour Mazloum as its new executive director, effective June 10, announced on Monday.

Mazloum has experience in marketing, communications and community engagement. Photo courtesy of DBIA.

Nour's appointment came after the former director Terry Guiel, stepped down last October.

During her tenure in Kingston, Mazloum spearheaded the launch of a Naloxone for Business program in collaboration with the Downtown Kingston BIA and established the Kingston Young Professionals Network, a platform for fostering collaboration and networking among emerging leaders in the community.

“I am excited to join the Peterborough DBIA as the new Executive Director,” said Nour Mazloum. “I am looking forward to working closely with the Board of Directors, downtown businesses and staff to advance the strategic priorities. Together, we will build on the momentum to ensure downtown Peterborough is a vibrant, inclusive and thriving urban space.”

As the new Executive Director, Nour Mazloum will oversee strategic initiatives, community engagement efforts, and placemaking projects further to elevate the vibrancy and appeal of downtown Peterborough according to a press release.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nour as our new Executive Director,” says Sacha Lai-Svirk, DBIA Chair. “Her proven leadership, innovative approach, and passion for community engagement make her the perfect candidate to lead the DBIA in its strategic revitalization initiatives. We are confident that Nour's appointment will mark a new chapter of growth and prosperity for downtown Peterborough.”

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Peterborough Police Service Issue 27 Traffic Tickets During Victoria Day Weekend

Peterborough Police Service Traffic Unit officers completed a traffic enforcement initiative during Canada Road Safety week issuing 27 throughout the City of Peterborough and Lakefield on Friday during the Victoria Day weekend.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

There were five warnings and three vehicles were taken off the road in addition to the 27 tickets issued:

• Child Seats x2

• Unplated Vehicle x1

• Cell Phones x2

• Unnecessary Noise x2

• Suspended Driver x1 

• G1 Driver violation x1

• Red Lights Visible at Front x1

• Emissions Violations x2

• Speeding x5

• Drivers Licence Offences x4

• Insurance Violations x3

• Permit Violations x3

Traffic complaints can be reported through the online portal or by calling the Traffic Unit at 705-876-1122 x289.

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London Knights Sign U16 Peterborough Petes Defenceman to OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement

The London Knights have signed Peterborough Petes U16 AAA defenceman Caleb Mitchell to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement on Friday.

Photo courtesy of the Ontario Hockey League.

Mitchell was the Knights second round (39th overall) pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection from the Peterborough Petes U16 AAA.

The Omemee native spent the last two years with the Petes, getting five goals and 20 assists.

In the OHL Cup, he helped the Petes with six assists in six games.

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