Peterborough Man Arrested After Allegedly Hitting Teen Multiple Times With Baseball Bat In Road Rage Incident

A 46-year-old Peterborough man is facing charges after a road rage incident Thursday night.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 8:30 p.m., officers were reported an incident that occurred before 8 p.m. at The Parkway and Hwy 115 exit.  An aggressively driven vehicle rear-ended another.

When the parties stopped to exchange information, the 17-year-old driver of the vehicle that was rear-ended was struck several times with a bat by the other driver. The suspect and the victim then left the area, following each other for a bit before the victim stopped to call the police. 

The 46-year-old was charged with:

• Assault with A Weapon

• Careless Driving (Highway Traffic Act)

• Fail to Report an Accident (Highway Traffic Act)

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 1.

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City of Peterborough Opens Registration For Fall Recreation Programs

The City of Peterborough has opened registration for its fall recreation programs such as instructional sports, youth programs and fitness and health programs.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Most programs start during the third week of September and can vary in length between four and 12 weeks.

Explore the activities that are available and register online.

Registration for the fall swimming lesson sessions opens later, with public registration opening at 7 a.m. on Aug. 28 and early registration for Sport and Wellness Centre members opening at 7 a.m. on Aug. 27.

The fastest way to register for fall recreation programs is online. In-person registration is available at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 775 Brealey Dr. or by phone at 705-742-0050.

Back this fall

Learn to Skate programs, Adult Recreational Hockey, Line Dancing, Children’s Dance, Land Fitness classes, Aqua Fitness, Ninja Kids and Judo will all be offered. Also back this fall is the popular Babysitting course, Pickleball, Adult Beginner Swimmer, Birthday Party packages and personal training programs.

McDonnel Street Community Centre

The City continues to grow its program offerings at the McDonnel Street Community Centre, 577 McDonnel St. Community members can visit the McDonnel Street Community and participate in programs including darts, shuffleboard, tabletop games, cards, and group fitness classes. The McDonnel Street Community Centre is a hub for adults to socialize, take in workshops and learn new skills.

Fitness and drop-in sport schedules

Updated schedules for drop-in sports, swimming, group fitness, aqua fitness and drop-in ice-skating programs such as Shinny hockey and public skating are available at peterborough.ca/RecPrograms. Hard copies of the schedules are available at the Sport and Wellness Centre.

Downtown Youth Space

Back this fall is the popular free drop-in sports program for youth ages 10 to 16 on Friday nights at the Sport and Wellness Centre. Downtown Youth Space is a free, inclusive drop-in centre offered by the City of Peterborough Recreation and Parks Services Division welcoming youth ages 12 to 18. It is a supervised recreational program, offering a variety of activities including air hockey, billiards, ping-pong, video games, board games and open gym.

Stop N’ Play

Stop N’ Play can be used for fitness classes, workouts, or lane swims at the Sport and Wellness Centre. With Stop N’ Play, Sport and Wellness Centre facility users can get in their time at the recreation facility and for 90 minutes their child (ages six weeks to 11 years old) will be supervised by the Centre's Program Staff team. Stop N’ Play takes place in the Centre's Youth Room, located across from the facility reception desk. Stop N’ Play is open to both members and non-members. Registration is required for Stop N’ Play and is non-refundable. Visit peterborough.ca/StopNPlay for information on the scheduled hours, rates, and rules.

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Chicken Farmers of Ontario Donate 350 KG of Chicken to Kawartha Food Share to Distribute Among Local Food Banks

In a partnership to help combat food insecurity, the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) have partnered with Food Ontario to donate 350 kg of chicken to Kawartha Food Share at the latter’s facility on Thursday afternoon.

Tim Klompmaker, CFO District 9 Board Director; Shanade Thomas, Food Ontario and Ashlee Aitken, Kawartha Food share general manager putting the CFO SWAG and chicken on display. The CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program contributes over 1 million meals annually to local food banks. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Thanks to the continued dedication of the Ontario chicken farming community who donate their chicken to food banks year-round, since 2015, the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program has donated over nine million chicken meals,” said Tim Klompmaker, CFO District 9 Board Director.

The donated chicken will contribute to over 3,000 meals for families and individuals in need throughout Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

“Proteins, like chicken, are among some of the most-needed items at food banks and we want to ensure that Ontario communities and food banks have a steady supply of safe, healthy, locally-grown chicken,” said Klompmaker. “Chicken Farmers are proud to support the Peterborough community.”

The CFO made the donation through the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program. It enables chicken farmers to donate their chickens to food banks across Ontario.

Peterborough and the Kawarthas have received chicken donations contributing to 70,200 meals provided through local food banks since May of 2022.

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Broadway Park Officially Opens In City's North End

Broadway Park is officially up and running as the City celebrated its official opening on Thursday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The park is at 872 Broadway Blvd. in the City’s north end, northeast of Milroy Drive and Chemong Road.

The new Park features include a playground with swings, a basketball half-court, seating areas, and paved walkways. The City’s Parkland Development Assistance Program, Tollington Parks Endowment Fund and Access Fund supported the project.

Northcrest Ward Councillors Andrew Beamer and Dave Haacke joined the neighbourhood for the official opening of the park.

“Neighbourhood parks contribute to healthy, thriving neighbourhoods. The opening of this park provides new recreational amenities for the well-being of people in our growing community,” said Haacke.

“This new park is a great addition to the north end of Peterborough,” said Beamer. “The new playground equipment, basketball half court and accessible features throughout the park reflect priorities identified by the neighbourhood and will ensure that families and people of all ages will continue to enjoy the park for years to come.”

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Hometown PTBO: Gary Dalliday Memorial Golf Tournament of the Broadcaster's Esteemed Career and Community Service

This week on Hometown PTBO, David Tuan Bui talks with Community Care Peterborough, Tim Dalliday and Dan O'Toole about Gary Dalliday's legacy of his career and community service at his Memorial Golf Tournament.

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Bonnerworth Park Project Consultation Extended

The public commenting period for the draft plan for the Bonnerworth Park project has been extended to 5 p.m. on Aug. 21.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Public comments on the draft plan, which can be viewed through the City’s community engagement hub can be submitted using the comments tool on the project page, by emailing bonnerworthproject@peterborough.ca or by calling 705-742-0050 ext. 2226#.

The draft plan for the park, located at 550 McDonnel St., was posted last Thursday.

A presentation outlining the features of the draft plan is posted on the project page.

A community outdoor recreation facility needs study, community consultation, the project budget and site-specific technical studies to inform the creation of the project plan.

A summary of the submissions from the current commenting period will be posted on the project page.

Community consultation for the Bonnerworth Park project and the Knights of Columbus Park project was undertaken from February through April 2024 with two surveys, two public meetings, and meetings with recreation facility user groups related to the two projects.

City Council initially approved the Bonnerworth Park project when it approved the Parks and Outdoor Recreation Facilities Study in October 2023. It approved the Bonnerworth Park project in the City’s 2024 Budget in December 2023.

The draft plan shows features such as:

• About 275 trees will be planted in the park

• About 63 per cent of the site will be green space – landscaped/grass

• Setbacks from neighbouring properties

• Noise attenuation measures, including noise attenuation fencing and landscaping such as berms

• The location of 14 pickleball courts, down from 16 when the concept was initially introduced

• The location of the new bike pump track will be designed with grass areas between the bike paths

• The expansion of the existing skateboard park

• Parking areas totalling 44 spaces, which is a reduction from a previous concept

• Pathways within the park

Construction is expected to begin in fall 2024.

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Peterborough Petes Announced 'Big 8' Community Promotional Nights For 2024-25 Season

The Peterborough Petes have announced their ‘Big 8’ community promotional nights for the 2024-25 season that include nights such as the Teddy Bear Toss and Pink in the Rink game.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Each game is centred around a community initiative with a local presenting partner.

The following are the Big 8 dates:

• Home Opener

• Sept. 26 - 7:05 p.m. - Kingston Frontenacs

• Pride Night

• Oct. 3 - 7:05 p.m. - North Bay Battalion

• Remembrance Day Game - Title sponsor still available

• Nov. 5 - 7:05 p.m. - Oshawa Generals

• Teddy Bear Toss

• Dec. 5 - 7:05 p.m. - Sarnia Sting

• Pink in the Rink

• Feb. 1 - 7:05 p.m. - Oshawa Generals

• Family Day Game

• Feb. 17 - 2:05 p.m. - Kitchener Rangers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters Night

• March 6 - 7:05 p.m. - Ottawa 67’s

• Fan Appreciation Night

• March 20 - 7:05 p.m. - Kingston Frontenacs

Partnership packages for the Big 8 are still available. Interested businesses can email Jeremy Coulter.

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Peterborough Teen Arrested For Allegedly Striking a Man With a Hatchet During An Altercation

A 17-year-old Peterborough male is facing assault charges after allegedly striking a man with a hatchet on Wednesday night. 

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 11:50 p.m., officers were called to a residence in the Stewart Street and Townsend Street area about a disturbance. Officers located a man with an injury to his arm and administered first aid until he could be taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre by EMS. 

Through investigation, officers learned that a male and a female had been in a physical altercation and when a neighbour tried to intervene, he was struck on the arm with a hatchet. The couple then fled in a vehicle.

Officers were able to identify and then locate the couple at a residence in the Fairbairn Street and Raymond Street. The male was taken into custody without incident.  The weapon was also seized.

The teen was arrested and charged with:

• Assault – Spousal

• Aggravated Assault

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

The accused is bound by a release order with the following conditions: to remain in their residence between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

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

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Ontario Government Invests Over $3 Million to Improve Trent University's Infrastructure

The Ontario Government has invested $3,002,300 into Trent University’s infrastructure to help its students access to modern facilities, learning tools and equipment, announced at the school’s Student Centre on Thursday morning.

(From left to right) Kathy Bruce, Trent president and vice-chancellor; Tariq Al-idrissi, Vice-President of Finance & Administration and Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP in front of ongoing consutrction of an accessible pathway along the Otonabee River. The pathway stretches from Bata Library to Champlain College. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Trent is using the money to:

• Enhance the learning environment and campus experience for students, faculty and staff with infrastructure upgrades and improvements to critical academic and research facilities.

• Increase efficiency and reduce the University’s environmental impact by enhancing building exteriors, mechanical and electrical systems.

• Prioritize accessibility, AODA standards, health and safety through essential facilities as well as ramps and stairs, and updated signage.

“This support will ensure students at Trent University have access to modern instructional equipment to meet business and industry standards, increase student access to micro-credentials and enhance the overall student experience,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “By investing in postsecondary infrastructure, we are not only supporting our local economy but ensuring students develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.”

“This significant contribution from the government helps Trent University enhance the environments of our renowned campuses, ensuring our award-winning architecture and its infrastructure are keeping pace with the latest upgrades and innovations,” said Cathy Bruce, Trent president and vice-chancellor. “At Trent, we are dedicated to student success and wellbeing, prioritizing a safe and modern environment for both learning and teaching. This investment not only strengthens the University but also reinforces Trent's role as a vital asset and key contributor to the local communities and Ontario’s economy.”

The most notable part of the investment is an accessible pathway that starts from Bata Library, travels north underneath Faryon Bridge and extends out to Champlain College. The construction has already been ongoing for two years with expected projected completion before Head of the Trent which takes place on Oct. 4 and 5.

While the University is known for its architecture, it had its accessibility issues. Having the balance between modernization and preserving heritage was key in making these upgrades.

“We have that level of modernization that students are looking for, we have safe and accessible campuses but we also need to be preserving the heritage,” said Bruce. “We needed to preserve the riverside and we need to make it really conducive to community and anybody who wants to come along here and enjoy that.”

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Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes Submits Temporary Rezoning Application to City For Affordable Housing

Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) submitted a completed application for a temporary rezoning to the City for affordable housing, announced on Wednesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The rezoning is for 385 Lansdowne St. E. and the Peterborough City Planning Department has approved the application. It will be presented to the City Council General Committee on Aug. 26.

A site development agreement pre-consultation has been conducted with City staff, Planning, the Building Department, and Fire Services to establish the parameters for the site's development and operation.

“This is the first step in providing a valuable community resource to address homelessness in the City of Peterborough and will enable us to offer secure, heated sleeping cabins and supporting amenities for 24 unhoused individuals,” said Keith Dalton, PATH board member.

The plan is to build 30 sleeping cabins for unhoused people at the former Peterborough Humane Society building. Habitat KPR has agreed to sign a three-year lease with PATH for the latter to use the tiny homes in April of last year.

The program is currently funded for the first year of operation and PATH will seek support from Peterborough citizens and provincial and federal levels of government to extend this service for three years according to a press release. This is being done while PATH proceeds with its Phase 2 program for community-funded permanent, affordable housing.

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