Former Peterborough Pete and OHL Champion Cory Stillman Named Guelph Storm Head Coach

Former Peterborough Pete and OHL Champion Cory Stillman has been named the head coach of the Guelph Storm, announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the Ontario HockeyLeague.

Stillman will become the club’s 18th head coach in franchise history.

“Cory brings a wealth of experience as a player and champion as well as a mentor and a teacher of young players,” said George Burnett, Storm general manager. “His desire to return to a head coaching role and lead our group both on and off the ice was very apparent throughout this process. I look forward to working closely with Cory to continue to move our program forward.”

Stillman played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for three seasons. He has won the Emms Family Trophy as OHL Rookie of the Year with the Windsor Spitfires in 1991 and won a J. Ross Robertson Cup with his hometown Peterborough Petes in 1993. Stillman amassed 271 points in 178 regular-season games and 26 points in 36 career playoff games during his OHL careern.

He was drafted sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Stillman registered 727 points in 1025 career NHL games with Flames, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers. Stillman won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning and Hurricanes in 2003-04 and 2005-06.

After his playing career in 2010-11, Stillman went on to work in Player Development for the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes before returning to the OHL as Head Coach of the Sudbury Wolves in 2017-18. He mentored the likes of Quinton Byfield, Jack Thompson, Chase Stillman, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Isaak Phillips. Stillman spent three seasons as the Wolves’ bench boss before joining the Arizona Coyotes as an assistant coach in 2020-21.

“I am excited to be named the next Head Coach of the Guelph Storm,” said Stillman. “Working with Scott and George, who are both proven winners, I truly believe we can create something special in Guelph. I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

His son Chase was drafted 29th overall by the New Jersey Deveils in 2021. Chase spent two seasons with the Peterborough Petes and won an OHL Championship in the 2022-23 season.

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Hometown PTBO: Porter Martone Captaining Team Canada to a Gold Medal at the IIHF U18 World Championships

This week on Hometown PTBO, David Tuan Bui talks with Mississauga Steelhead Porter Martone about captaining Team Canada to an IIHF U18 World Championship Gold Medal, his father and former NHLer Mike Martone and why he was named “Porter.”

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Two Peterborough People Arrested on Drug Trafficking Charges; Man Charged With Impaired Driving

Two Peterborough people are facing several charges including drug trafficking and impaired driving from an early Thursday incident.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 3:45 a.m., officers were called to a parking lot on Water Street and Parkhill Road West about a suspicious vehicle. 

Officers saw a vehicle running and a man asleep in the driver’s seat. Once he woke, the male attempted to drive away but was stopped by the officers after noticing signs of impairment.  A female passenger in the vehicle was also taken into custody. 

During a search of the vehicle after arrest, officers seized:

• Cocaine - 48.9 grams

• Crystal Methamphetamine – 20.7 grams

• Fentanyl – 56.6 grams

• Marijuana – 3.7 grams

• Percocet - 155 pills

• Oxycodone - 21 tablets

• Xanax – 1 tablet or bar

• Pre-Gabalin - 13 capsules

• Packaging materials (sandwich bags / tin foil)

• 10 Cellphones

• Large quantities of currency from multiple countries

As a result of the investigation:

A 35-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with:

• Operation while impaired – drugs

• Failure to comply with release order - other than to attend court x2

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking-Opioid (other than heroin) x2

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking- Other Drugs x2

• Possession of a Schedule III substance for the purpose of Trafficking

The accused is currently bound by a recognizance order with the following conditions not to have, consume or possess any drugs that are not prescribed and to not be inside a motor vehicle without the registered owner.

The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court Thursday.

A 36-year-old Peterborough woman was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking-Opioid (other than heroin) x2

• Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking- Other Drugs x2

• Possession of a Schedule III substance for the purpose of Trafficking

The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court Thursday.

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Smile Cookie Campaign Raises $50,713 for Five Counties Children’s Centre

The Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) did not frown as it received $50,713 from the annual Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign in Cobourg and Colborne.

Five Counties Children’s Centre CEO Scott Pepin gets help from volunteers to serve up smiles during the recent Smile Cookie Campaign at Tim Hortons in Cobourg and Colborne.. Tim Hortons has been raising funds for local charities for over 25 years. In total since its inception in 1996, the Smile Cookie Campaign at Tim Hortons has raised more than $111 million for charities and community groups. Photo courtesy of FCCC.

The campaign ran from April 29 to May 2. The proceeds of each Smile Cookie sold helped FCCC’s high-demand treatment services such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, reduce wait times for kids and their families in Northumberland County.

“Smile Cookie really lived up to its name, as the funds raised from their sales will put smiles on the faces of many children and their families in our community who can get the care they need when they need it,” said Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO. “We want to say a huge thank you to the Northumberland community for showing their support through the purchase of Smile Cookies and their donations during the campaign.” 

Five Counties was among hundreds of charities and community groups in Canada and the U.S. to benefit from the Smile Cookie campaign his year. Nearly $18.8 million was raised in total in 2024 according to a Tim Hortons news release.

"We'd like to extend a huge thank you to every Tims guest who supported our annual Smile Cookie campaign this year,” said Axel Schwan, Tim Hortons president. “Through your generosity and support, we're collectively making a big impact for more than 600 charities and community groups.”

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City of Peterborough Continues To Accept Entries For 2024 Canada Day Parade Until June 14

The City of Peterborough continues to accept entries from community groups and businesses until June 14 for the Canada Day Parade on July 1.

Photo by Samantha Bianco.

Parade entry applications are open until June 14 at 4:30 p.m. 

“The Canada Day parade has been a family favourite in Peterborough for decades,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “It’s fantastic to have the community come together to celebrate our country and reflect on its history. Having an entry in the parade is an excellent opportunity for local businesses and community groups to connect with everyone along the parade route.”

Parade entry forms are available online and paper copies are available at the Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre at 775 Brealey Dr. and City Hall at 500 George St. N.  

While the Canada Day Parade welcomes both community groups and commercial floats, the latter will be charged a fee of $125, payable online, according to a press release.

Each parade entry will require a representative to attend a safety orientation meeting on June 25 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the banquet room of Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd. 

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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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