Niagara Man Wanted On Assault and Weapon Possession Charges From Two Incidents Arrested

A four-month investigation has resulted in a 25-year-old Niagara Region man facing charges in connection with two serious incidents involving assault and possession of a dangerous weapon in Peterborough.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

On Thursday, officers from the Peterborough Police Investigative Services Division along with Investigative Services Officers and the Tactical Team from Niagara Regional Police executed a warrant at a residence in Thorold. 

The man was arrested and charged with:

Incident on Nov. 24, 2023:

• Aggravated Assault

• Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm

• Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm

• Unauthorized Possession in Motor Vehicle

• Carry Concealed Weapon

• Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose

Incident on Jan. 9, 2024:

• Aggravated Assault

• Possession of a Weapon for Dangerous Purpose

On Jan. 9, officers were called to a Peterborough residence about a 37-year-old man with a head injury. The male was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre before being transferred to a trauma hospital in Kingston for treatment. Through investigation, it was determined that the male had been assaulted and officers were able to identify a suspect. 

The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court on both incidents on Friday.

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Sarah McLachlan Kicks Off Canadian Tour Leg at the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Nov. 2

Grammy and Juno-award winning artist Sarah McLachlan has Peterborough and the Memorial Centre the first stop of her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour.

Photo courtesy of Live Nation Entertainment.

Joining her is the acoustic harmony trio Tiny Habits on their first tour of Canada.

“I think it’s interesting as an artist or as a human for that matter, to be able to go back and look at a postcard of a time in your life and reflect on it,” said McLachlan. “I think this tour is going to be a real walk down memory lane for me and I’m hoping that my audience, many of whom have been with me for 30 years, will also be able to go back in time with me.”

The tour celebrates McLachlan’s third studio album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, first released Oct. 22, 1993.

One dollar per ticket sale will be donated to the non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music which provides music education and mentorship free to children and youth facing barriers to access.

Tickets will be available starting with the artist presale on Tuesday. Additional presales will run throughout the week before the general on-sale begins May 31 at 10 a.m.

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Siemens Canada Employees Plant 100 Trees and Shrubs at Riverview Park & Zoo

Employees from Siemens Canada in Peterborough planted 100 native trees and shrubs at the Riverview Park & Zoo on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

The planting was in partnership with Tree Canada and Otonabee Conservation.

A variety of native trees and shrubs, including buttonbush, speckled alder, tamarack, Saskatoon serviceberry, and silky dogwood will increase species diversity and enhance habitat for local wildlife in the area adjacent to the Otonabee River on the Riverview Park and Zoo grounds according to Otonabee Conservation. 

“Siemens employees have planted a wide selection of trees in the Peterborough-area in the past ten years, and more than 17,800 trees in total across Canada,” said Ian Almond, Siemens plant manager. “Beautifying our community and contributing to a more sustainable future is a responsibility and an honour. We are grateful to our employees and our local partners who help make it happen.”

“We are thrilled to continue working with Tree Canada and Siemens to make habitat enhancements in our watershed,” said Janette Loveys Smith, Otonabee Conservation CAO/secretary-treasurer. “We value our ongoing partnership and our shared commitment of supporting community engagement and the environment.”

“Riverview Park and Zoo, welcomes over 300,000 visitors a year with no admission fee for outdoor education and recreation. We are home to many native species of wildlife that share our natural spaces on the shores of the Otonabee River,”  said Cathy Mitchell, Riverview manager and curator. “This project, with support from our valued partners, will help achieve the goal to further naturalize the shoreline and create more bird and pollinator friendly spaces.”

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Art Gallery of Peterborough Receives $25,000 In Funding For Online Exhibition

The Art Gallery of Peterborough (AGP) is receiving $25,000 from Digital Museums Canada, a funding program managed by the Canadian Museum of History, to produce an online exhibition about the Gallery’s history. 

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

“‘Permaculture: The Story of the Art Gallery of Peterborough’ is going to help us remember and thank our founding members and understand the journey our gallery has been on over the last 50 years. I am excited to see the completed project,” said Debby Keating, AGP board president.

This project will celebrate the hard work, dedication and grassroots collaboration of a community, primarily driven by women, who were devoted to the prosperity of arts and culture in the Peterborough-Kawartha region. The completed digital exhibition is expected to launch in 2026. It will explore the origin story of the Art Gallery of Peterborough and take a deep dive into a few key moments in its history.

‘Permaculture: The Story of the Art Gallery of Peterborough,’ was one of eight selected nationwide by an independent advisory committee as part of the Digital Museums Canada (DMC) Community Stories funding stream. DMC recently announced an investment of more than $2 million in 18 new online projects developed by museums, heritage, cultural and Indigenous organizations across Canada.

“We were delighted to receive a record number of proposal submissions this year,” said Leah Resnick, DiMC director. “The DMC investment program provides critical funding as well as application assistance and mentorship for equity-deserving communities.”

Close to 150 proposals were received across the Digital Projects and Community Stories streams this year. Over 40 per cent of awarded projects are from organizations supporting equity-deserving communities.

The DMC investment program helps build digital capacity in Canadian museums and heritage, as well as cultural and Indigenous organizations and gives people living in Canada unique access to diverse stories and experiences. DMC is managed by the Canadian Museum of History, with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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No Carpet For Lakers Classic? Not So Fast...

The Lakers Classic which runs Friday to Sunday is getting carpet after all at the Peterborough Memorial Center (PMC) according to a City Councillor and the Peterborough Lakers.

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. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

The Lakers issued a statement of disheartenment Wednesday morning, stating that the PMC was originally not going to install the new $325,000 carpet until June 12 without explanation.

“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.”

On Wednesday night, the Lakers announced that the carpet would be installed in time for the event according to a Facebook post.

“After some discussion with the Mayor and the support of our lacrosse community, plans are now on to have the carpet laid and available for use by the JR’s and the Laker Classic this weekend,” as stated in a Facebook post.

Criticism was taken to the municipal government and their response confirmed that the PMC is installing the carpet for this weekend.

“I have been advised by City staff that the company which installs the carpet intends to have it in place for the weekend,” said Councillor Leslie Parnell.

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.

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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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