Bailieboro Country Music Star Jade Eagleson Performs at World-Famous Grand Ole Opry In Nashville

Bailieboro and country music star Jade Eagleson stepped into the historic circle, performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. for the first time on Friday night.

Photo courtesy of Austin Chaffe.

“I've dreamt about this moment my entire life,” said Eagleson. “To stand on the biggest stage in country music in front of all of my family, friends and country music fans was an incredible honour and a memory I will cherish forever. Thank you to the Opry for having me and I hope to be back on that stage very soon.”

The Grand Ole Opry is considered one of country music’s prestigious stages. The multi-platinum artist performed ‘Rodeo Queen’ and an emotional tribute to his wife and sons with his #1 track, ‘She Don't Know’ according to a press release.

The multi-platinum artist also shared new music as part of his Worth The Double two-pack: ‘Worth The Double’ and ‘Welcome To Rock Bottom.’

Eagleson will perform at several events in the United States before the end of the year including the Dallas Country, Folk and Red Dirt Festival, Red Dirt BBQ Festival Victoria, and Stoney's Rockin' Country in Las Vegas.

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Ontario Government Investing Over $10 Million For Faster Emergency Care and Increased Ambulance Availability For Peterborough County

The Ontario Government is investing $10,037,559 in Peterborough County to connect people to faster emergency care faster and increase ambulance availability, announced at Peterborough EMS on Friday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“When people call 911, they need to know that paramedics will arrive quickly to meet their needs. A delay in a service call of just minutes can lead to drastically different results,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “The Peterborough County-City Paramedics work hard to deliver emergency medical care. This investment will help all of us receive better service when our loved ones pick up the phone at that critical time.”

According to a press release, the province is increasing land ambulance funding by six per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $10,037,559 this year. The release continues to state that this base funding increase helps municipalities address increased costs and continue delivering high-quality emergency care.

“With record high population growth and call volumes, our Peterborough County-City Paramedics are working hard to keep up,” said Bonnie Clark, Peterborough County Warden. “The Provincial funding announced today will help our paramedics service to continue providing the high quality of care that Peterborough County and City residents expect and deserve. Thank you to the province for this funding to help our paramedics do their job and keep our communities safe and healthy.”

To further reduce delays paramedics encounter when dropping patients off at a hospital, the Ontario government is investing $607,727 in Peterborough County through the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program to hire more nurses and other eligible health professionals dedicated to offloading ambulance patients in hospital emergency departments.

“Peterborough County/City Paramedics have worked closely with PRHC identifying and implementing strategies to assist with offload delays,” said Patricia Bromfield Peterborough County Paramedic Chief. “The continuance and increase of funding received this year is important for our ongoing staffing of this program and returning our ambulances back to the road to service the community.”

The program allows paramedics to return to the community faster and respond to their next 9-1-1 call sooner. It has significantly reduced ambulance offload times and increased ambulance availability for 9-1-1 patients across the province. As a result of this investment and the dedication of healthcare professionals, provincial ambulance offload time has been reduced by more than 50 per cent since its peak in October 2022 according to a press release.

Ontario is also continuing to implement the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) across the province to ensure urgent patients receive critical care sooner. The system helps prioritize and triage emergency medical calls and dispatch paramedics sooner. Over the last year, the province has rolled out MPDS to Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Renfrew and is accelerating progress to implement the system at the 15 remaining dispatch sites across Ontario over a year ahead of schedule.

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Peterborough U15 AAA Petes Undefeated to Capture BP Icefest Championship

The Peterborough Jesse’s Tap and Grill U15 AAA Petes reached the top of the mountain to become BP Icefest champions, defeating the Kitchener Jr. Rangers in overtime, 1-0, to cap off an undefeated run on Sunday night.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Minor Petes.

Their journey to the top started with routing Timmins 6-0 on Thursday.

In a close game, the Petes edged out the same Kitchener team 2-1 in overtime followed by a 5-0 win over Cambridge.

On Saturday, the Petes knocked off the Buffalo Regals 5-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.

They faced off against Burlington and shut them out 4-0.

The Petes got the Grey Bruce Highlanders in the semifinals and posted another shutout, winning 1-0 over Grey Bruce on Sunday morning.

With little rest, the Petes capped off their undefeated tournament with a win over Kitchener, earning their fifth shutout of BP Icefest.

Goaltenders Landen White and Matty Colling were outstanding all weekend.

Rostered players were Prestin Allen, Blake Brioux, Tyson Hawley, Taymon Browne, Liam Williams, Kotter Grove, Reid Cameron, Lucas McIntyre, Cole Roberts, Cooper Poskin, Hannu Packalen, Colton Adams, Kalum Phillips, Gage Cooper-Bailey, Joe Gusso, Taytem Adams. Landen White and Matty Colling were the goalie tandem that helped Peterborough with five combined shutouts.

Head coach Joe Hawley led the team which was backed by assistant coaches Rob Baker, Dan Robertson, Brock Davis and Kevin Sparling. Trainer Lynn Todd and manager Ben Adams were also part of the winning Petes team.

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Peterborough Woman Charged With Arson After Allegedly Setting Fire To Townhouse Deliberately

A 55-year-old Peterborough woman is charged with arson after a fire Friday evening.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 8:50 p.m., officers were called to a Stewart Street residence.  Police learned that a tenant had deliberately set the fire. There were no injuries and Peterborough Fire Services estimated $200,000 in damages.

The woman was arrested and charged with:

• Arson, Disregard for Human Life

The accused was held in custody and appeared in Weekend and Statutory Holiday (WASH) court on Saturday.

The Peterborough Police Service and the Ontario Fire Marshal continue to investigate.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Maple Light, Cancer Takedown, Peterborough County and Sarah Budd

PTBOCanada is delighted to be running the Business Beat columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

A Peterborough company has launched Canada’s first hard maple seltzer.

Maple Light founders were inspired to create the refreshing cocktail while boiling down sap in their sugar shack. Seeing an opportunity, they official launched Maple Light this summer. It’s a drink that is lightly and naturally sweetened with a hint of real maple syrup balanced with subtle citrus notes. The drink is now available at select bars, restaurants, and golf courses and is expected to launch in grocery and convenience stores this fall. You can order it at drinkmaplelight.ca

It's time for the third annual Cancer Takedown fundraiser on Nov. 7 from 7 to 10 p.m at Market Hall.

It’s a night of song, story, and solidarity featuring the comedic genius of Linda Kash and Megan Murphy and music from Melissa Payne, Kate Suhr, The Weber Brothers, and more. All proceeds go to cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Tickets are available at tickets.markethall.org.

Thanksgiving may be behind us but our farming community is still very much at work harvesting their crops that feed our communities.

Peterborough County and the local OPP want to remind the rest of us to slow down and be aware that there are large, slow-moving vehicles on roads. The vehicles may not be fast enough to keep up with traffic, but our farmers are on a tight timeline to get the harvest in. Don’t expect them to pull over on the shoulder. Make sure you have a clear path and that the operator knows you’re behind them before passing. It’s the safe and respectful thing to do and the OPP are reinforcing that with careless driving fines for impatient drivers.

We at the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce bid farewell to Sarah Budd, our President and CEO for the last two years.

Sarah brought extensive experience from the non-profit world, having served for 15 years as the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region. She leaves the Chamber a stronger voice for businesses across the region. She will take that passion and energy for the business community to her new role as the manager of Community Development in the County’s new economic development department.

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Organization Raising Funds For Inclusive Playground to Be Built In Ennismore

To remove barriers for children to be able to play together equally, Accessible Playgrounds Ontario (APO) is raising $250,000 to build an inclusive playground at the Ennismore Waterfront Park in Ennismore.

Grant (left) pushing her son Jude (right) on a swing. According to Grant, 38 per cent of Canadian children with a disability almost never get physical exercise outside of school. Photo courtesy of APO.

Julie Grant of APO is spearheading the project, ‘Jude's Joy,’ named after her three-year-old son Jude, who was born with cerebral palsy.

According to Grant, there are no accessible playgrounds in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

“The closest fully accessible/inclusive playground to Selwyn is 64 km away in Port Hope and the second closest is Port Perry,” she explained.

Jude cannot independently walk and requires a walker to travel. Grant says several playground features are not as accessibility-friendly as they seem.

Most accessible playgrounds have rubber surfacing and intentionally designed play elements such as ramps. Roughly half of the money raised goes towards that surfacing, and Grant attributes the wood chips as a cheaper alternative.

“The most common barrier at playgrounds is the surfacing choice, which is often wood chips, which limits Jude's ability at two to three years old to use his walker independently,” she explained. “Secondly, the absence of ground-level play elements does not permit the learning opportunities that fully abled people can experience. Therefore, potential learning is lost.”

The other half of the funds raised have already been deliberated on, as Grant explained how else the money will be spent.

“Considerations include a ramp onto the main play structure, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, an accessible swing with a harness, various music elements at ground level, and a play-tot structure for younger children from 18-plus months.”

So far, $55,000 has been raised for the initiative. Grant is seeking more from the community to get closer to the goal.

“Our journey began with an initial donation and partnership with the Ennismore Optimist Club. We are currently reaching out to all of the local service clubs in Peterborough and the Kawarthas to inform these organizations of our initiative and build relationships to support this venture,” she explained. “We recognize this playground will draw from our entire region. We also are using our donor packages to introduce our project to surrounding businesses and organizations.”

Donations can be made through the Township of Selwyn in person or by mail via debit, cheque, or cash; Canada Helps; or by cheque to the Optimist Club of Ennismore.

“This provides the opportunity for the entire family, with members of varying abilities, to share in the play experience,” explained Grant. “It is inclusive, not exclusive.”

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Two People Charged and Arrested With Possession of Drugs, Cash and Stolen Vehicle During Traffic Stop

A 38-year-old Peterborough man and a 29-year-old Curve Lake woman are facing multiple charges after an incident involving having a stolen car with drugs and cash on Friday morning.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 3:15 a.m., officers made a routine traffic stop in the area of George St and Lansdowne St for a Highway Traffic Act violation.

Police discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen. The driver and passenger were subsequently arrested. An investigation revealed a quantity of cash and illegal drugs were located in the possession of the vehicle occupants.

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

• 106.9 grams of Methamphetamine

• 10.1 grams of Crack Cocaine

• 0.2 grams of Fentanyl

• Quantity of pills believed to be Xanax, Dilaudid, and Ecstasy

• $710 CAD and $19 USD

• Several cell phones

• Drug paraphernalia

The man was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000

• Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – Methamphetamine

• Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – Cocaine

• Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – Other Drugs x 2

• Driving while under suspension

• Red light – fail to stop

The woman was arrested and charged with:

• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000

• Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – Methamphetamine

• Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – Cocaine

• Possession of a schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking – Other Drugs x 2

• Fail to comply with probation order

Both accused were held in custody and appeared in court on Friday.

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Ontario Government Invests Over $9.5 Million For Peterborough's Critical Infrastructure

The Ontario government is investing $9,536,982 to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure in the City of Peterborough, announced at City Hall on Friday morning.

In 2025, Ontario will allocate $400 million in OCIF funding to help 423 small, rural and northern communities build roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure. Communities may accumulate funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funding will be delivered in 2025 through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and is part of the government’s $190 billion capital plan to build and expand more homes, highways, hospitals, transit and high-speed internet across the province according to a press release.

“This investment of over $9 million will improve infrastructure throughout the City of Peterborough, particularly in the downtown core,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “It is formula-based funding that is sent out to the municipalities each year and is something they can count onto plan for critical infrastructure projects.”

“With this support, we can address key projects that will improve our core infrastructure and create long-lasting benefits for our residents,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Strong infrastructure is the backbone of our city’s future, and this partnership with the province plays a pivotal role in ensuring a vibrant Peterborough for many years to come.”

The OCIF provides funding for local infrastructure projects in municipalities with populations under 100,000, rural and northern municipalities and Local Services Boards that own water or wastewater systems.

The funding allocations are based on a formula that accounts for each community's needs and economic conditions.

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City of Peterborough to Remove Temporary Downtown Patio Starting Oct. 29

The City of Peterborough is removing the temporary downtown patios to prepare sidewalks and roads for winter snow-clearing operations starting on Oct. 29.

File Photo.

Restaurants and other businesses that have temporary patios on sidewalks and in on-street parking next to their businesses will remove their patio furniture by the end of the day on Oct. 28 to clear the way for the removal of the fencing and large planters starting the next day.

The expanded patio spaces were installed in May.

With the expanded patio areas removed, Hunter Street West between George Street North and Aylmer Street will return to a two-lane, two-way street. During the summer, that section of Hunter Street was temporarily made into a one-lane, westbound, one-way street to add more patio and pedestrian space in the café district.

“This was the fifth summer for the central area patio program, enhancing public space in the heart of the City. We thank local restaurants, cafes and businesses who work with the City to create a welcoming experience for visitors in the downtown, bringing the community together throughout the summer season,” said Town Ward Councillor Alex Bierk and Councillor Joy Lachica in a joint statement.

“The downtown patio program has once again created an inviting and animated atmosphere to our urban core, transforming our streets into lively, welcoming spaces for both residents and visitors to enjoy." said Nour Mazloum, Downtown Business Improvement Area executive director. “As the season wraps up, we want to thank our partners at the City of Peterborough for this incredible initiative that not only supports local businesses but also greatly contributes to making downtown Peterborough a vibrant destination in the summer season.”

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Peterborough Petes Goaltending Stellar But Fall In Overtime to Rival Oshawa Generals

Peterborough Petes’s goaltender Zach Bowen earned first star of the game honours with 43 saves but could not get the win as they lost to the Oshawa Generals 2-1 in overtime at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Peterborough struck first 1:47 into the game. On the rush, Caden Taylor opted to take the shot and rifled it past Generals goalie Jacob Oster for a 1-0 lead.

It was the only goal until the early third period as Oshawa’s Luca Marrelli had the puck at the point and was able to snipe it through traffic for a 1-1 tie.

The game needed overtime to decide a winner but it gave the Petes their first point of the season after they had been held without one in seven games.

It only took 25 seconds to finish overtime as Lauri Sinivuori in a two-on-two, received a saucer pass and rifled it top shelf for the walk-off goal and a 2-1 win.

The Petes can get revenge on the second half of the home-and-home series as they travel to Oshawa to face the Generals on Friday night. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m.

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