Peterborough Blogs
City of Peterborough to Celebrate Crossing Guard Appreciation Week Starting Monday
/The City of Peterborough is encouraging everyone to show their support and appreciation for their neighbourhood crossing guards during Crossing Guard Appreciation Week starting Monday to June 7.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
The initiative goes beyond a simple ‘thank you’ and strives to create a heightened awareness of these unsung heroes’ critical role in promoting safe and active travel to school according to the City.
“It's important to celebrate our dedicated staff working as crossing guards who help our students have a safe journey to and from school every day. As a community, we count on their steadfast commitment to the safety of our children, and we appreciate their friendly approach to community service,” said Councillor Don Vassiliadis. “We hope that students, parents, and drivers take a moment this week to tell our crossing guards how much you appreciate them.”
The City of Peterborough currently employs 52 school crossing guards and is looking to fill more positions for September. Anyone interested in applying can visit www.peterborough.ca/CrossingGuard or phone 705-742-7777 ext. 1787.
New Community Safety Zones on roads fronting elementary and secondary schools were implemented in December. Speed limits in school areas were reduced from 50 kilometres per hour to either 40 or 30 kilometres.
All vehicles and cyclists are required by the Ontario Highway Traffic Act to stop and wait until children and crossing guards have cleared the entire roadway at school crossings before proceeding.
To support your local crossing guards:
Stop when a crossing guard raises their stop sign.
Take notice of whether a guard is on duty and slow down when approaching school crossing locations.
Obey the law. Remain stopped until all children and the crossing guard have completely exited the roadway.
Proceed with caution – obey posted speed limits and observe all no stopping and no parking signs – park in designated areas only.
The Ontario Traffic Council held a drawing contest themed ‘Celebrating Our School Crossing Guards’ which received 179 drawing submissions from 50 schools across Ontario including Peterborough.
The winning submissions have been formatted into thank you cards and social media graphics that are available for free download on the Ontario Traffic Council website.
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Peterborough Man Charged After Refusing to Leave Residence and Shoves Officer Into Mailboxes
/A 49-year-old Peterborough man is facing charges after an incident early Thursday morning.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
At roughly 12:15 a.m., there were reports of an unwanted male who did not live there refusing to leave. Officers located the man in the building and while trying to escort him out, the man he resisted and shoved one of the officers into a bank of mailboxes. The man continued to resist and an officer deployed their Conducted Energy Weapon to take the man into custody.
The man was arrested and charged with:
Assault a Peace Officer
Fail to Comply with Probation Order
The accused is currently bound by a probation order with the following condition to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court Friday.
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Local Bird Tests Positive For West Nile Virus
/Peterborough Public Health (PPH) have discovered a local bird has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), announced on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of Dave Ellis.
The bird was found dead in the region early in the month and submitted for testing. Birds and mosquitos can be a host and carry WNV.
During the summer months and early fall, PPH sets traps weekly throughout the City and County of Peterborough to gather mosquito specimens for WNV testing according to a press release. Last year, PPH reports that no mosquitos tested in the Peterborough region were positive for WNV but there were confirmed human cases in Ontario.
The majority of WNV cases do not show symptoms. About 20 per cent of infected people may have a mild flu-like illness with fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash and swollen lymph nodes or other non-specific symptoms that last several days. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, or eye pain. Less than one percent of infected people will develop neuro-invasive disease, with older age groups and males disproportionately affected.
To prevent WNV:
Avoid interacting with dead birds
If one is found on your property, use a shovel and gloves to pick it up and double bag it.
Report the bird to Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative
Thoroughly wash hands with soap and water
Prevent mosquito bites
Cover up when going outside between the hours of dusk and dawn
Use insect repellant containing DEET or icaridin, following manufacturer’s instructions
Remove brush and standing water from property as they use this as a habitat
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Two Peterborough Streets Labeled Top Five Worst Roads In Eastern Ontario
/Peterborough has cracked the top five list twice in CAA’s Eastern Ontario’s Worst Roads of 2024 with Lansdowne Street and Water Street making the cut.
Photo by Keegan Beekers.
Eastern Ontario includes Peterborough County, Prince Edward County, Stormont, Dundas County and more according to CAA.
The following is a list of Eastern Ontario’s top five worst roads:
County Road 49 (Prince Edward)
Glen Road (Belleville)
Water Street (Peterborough)
Queen Street (Kingston)
Lansdowne Street (Peterborough)
Peterborough avoided having one of the worst roads in the province.
They were not listed among the province’s top 10 worst roads which are as follows:
Aberdeen Avenue (Hamilton)
Eglinton Avenue West (Toronto)
Barton Street East (Hamilton)
County Road 49 (Prince Edward)
Hurontario Street (Mississauga)
Bloor Street West (Toronto)
Cedar Street North (Uxbridge)
Finch Avenue West (Toronto)
Lake Shore Boulevard East (Toronto)
Laclie Street (Orillia)
In December, the provincial government invested $10,154,936 into Peterborough-Kawartha to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure for 2024.
Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor addressed that the roads in Downtown Peterborough should be repaired as a priority during that announcement.
“As I've said many times, they're an embarrassment,” he explained in a previous interview. “An embarrassment to me and an embarrassment to every citizen in the City of Peterborough. You can't have your downtown streets in that kind of condition.”
The following is the funding going to each municipality:
North Kawartha: $100,000
Trent Lakes: $119,868
Douro-Dummer: $161,441
Havelock-Belmont-Methuen: $180,124
Selwyn: $304,404
Peterborough County: $996,071
Peterborough: $8,293,028
Peterborough Man Faces Multiple Charges And Has Drugs, Firearms and Cash Confiscated; Two Others Taken Into Custody
/A 33-year-old Peterborough man is facing several charges after an investigation by the Peterborough Police Drug Unit resulting in the seizure of drugs and firearms.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.
On Tuesday, an investigation was conducted in the Rubidge Street and Simcoe Street area. Officers conducted a traffic stop several blocks away and took three people into custody.
During a search after arrest, officers seized:
A 12-gauge shotgun
Ammunition
5 grams – Fentanyl
1 gram – Crystal Methamphetamine
$700+ in Canadian Currency
The man arrested and charged with:
Unauthorized Possession of Weapon
Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose
Carrying concealed weapon
Occupant of motor vehicle knowing there was prohibited or restricted weapon
Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammo
Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking- Other Drugs
Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of Trafficking – Methamphetamine
Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5000 - in Canada
Possession of Firearm or Ammunition contrary to Prohibition Order X3
Fail to Comply with Probation Order X3
The accused is currently bound by three probation orders, each with the following condition: to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
The accused is currently bound by three weapons prohibition orders with the condition not to possess any firearm, cross-bow, prohibited weapon, restricted weapon or prohibited device.
The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court on Wednesday.
The two other people in the vehicle were arrested on the strength of warrants from other jurisdictions.
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Peterborough Memorial Centre Takes Blast to the Past With "The 80s Club" On Nov. 24
/Bust out your neon scrunchies and get your acid wash jeans as the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) is hosting ‘The 80s Club’ featuring four bands bringing back the nostalgia for Nov. 24.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
Honeymoon Suite, A Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats and Spoons are performing their massive hits at the PMC.
“This tour is exciting for us in so many ways,” said Gord Deppe of Spoons. “It's the first time we've toured the country from coast to coast in decades, performing some places we haven't been to since the 80s. On top of that, I get to play with my own group, Spoons, as well as with my new bandmates, A Flock of Seagulls.”
Honeymoon Suite lit Canadian radio on fire in the 80s with hits including ‘Stay in the Light,’ ‘New Girl Now,’ ‘Feel it Again,’ ‘Wave Babies,’ and ‘Burning in Love.’
England’s A Flock of Seagulls is led by singer Mike Score. The Grammy Award-winning new wave act had massive hits like ‘I Ran (So Far Away)’ and ‘Space Age Love Song.’
Bringing their iconic 80s pop songs are Men Without Hat’s ‘The Safety Dance’ and ‘Pop Goes the World!’ The band’s Ivan Doroschuk was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Formed in 1980, Spoons was an intrepid young band from Burlington that helped define the sound of Canadian 80s pop. Their album Arias & Symphonies was named one of the 20 Most Influential Albums of the 80s by The Chart Magazine. They have memorable hits such as ‘Romantic Traffic,’ ‘Old Emotions,’ and ‘Nova Heart.’
Tickets are available at the PMC’s website.
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Two Former Peterborough Petes Square Off at the Memorial Cup In the Battle of Undefeated
/In last year’s Memorial Cup, Owen Beck and Michael Simpson were teammates with the Peterborough Petes.
This year, they are opponents in the battle of undefeated with the Saginaw Spirit and London Knights, respectively, as the two teams face off at the DOW Event Center in Saginaw on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Ken Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.
The Spirit and Knights (both from the Ontario Hockey League) share 2-0 records with the winner advancing to the championship game. The loser will play in the semi-final matchup.
Beck was traded to the Spirit for three draft picks and forward Aiden Young on Jan. 8 as part of the Petes rebuild.
He was originally acquired from the Mississauga Steelheads in exchange for Jack Van Volsen, Justin DeZoete, Peterborough’s second and third-round picks in 2025, Erie’s second-round pick in 2025 and Peterborough’s fourth-round pick in 2026 on Jan. 7 last year.
The Montréal Canadiens prospect played 30 games in the regular season last year, scoring seven goals and 18 assists. He logged another eight goals and eight assists in the playoffs to help Peterborough win an OHL Championship.
Beck played another 25 games with 16 goals and 14 assists prior to being traded to Saginaw.
Simpson was selected by the Petes in the 10th round, 193rd overall, by the Petes in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
He was given the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the playoff MVP when the Petes won the OHL Championship last year.
The London native was traded to his hometown team before this regular season’s start for goaltender Zach Bowen and Kingston Frontenac’s third-round pick in 2025.
City of Peterborough to Celebrate Recreation and Parks Month For June
/The City of Peterborough is celebrating June as ‘Recreation and Parks Month’ with a variety of events and activities.
Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
The goal is to promote the benefits of being active and recognize the contribution that recreation and parks make to the quality of life. The provincial Recreation and Parks Month 2024 theme is ‘'Community Thrives Here.’
“Take time in June to try a new activity or return to an old favourite,” said Councillor Lesley Parnell and Councillor Gary Baldwin. “Access to parks, sports and recreation helps foster physical and mental health, strong communities, and social inclusion. Recreation and Parks Month is a time to celebrate Peterborough’s remarkable parks, trails and sports and recreation services and raise awareness of the role they play as a pathway to individual and community well-being.”
Throughout June, Peterborough Recreation and Parks Services will highlight family-friendly, fun recreation events in the community.
Everyone is invited to the Recreation and Parks Month Kick-off at Quaker Foods City Square between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday. The kick-off will feature breakfast, refreshments, group fitness and children’s activities alongside the weekly Saturday Farmers Market.
A full list of events can be found online.
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Challenger Baseball Starts Swinging For the Fences For the 2024 Season
/Peterborough Challenger Baseball broke out the gloves and bats as it kicked off their season opener for 2024 at Brinton Carpet Park on Monday night.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
