Winter Season Not Slowing Down Griffin's Greenhouses; Business to Continue Community Outreach

Winter may slow down other green places but Lakefield’s Griffin’s Greenhouses continues to help the community during the colder seasons.

Photo courtesy of Griffin’s Greenhouses.

The Greenhouse offers regular seasonal workshops. These can include building wreaths, mini-sleighs and floral arrangements for the holidays.

“One of our goals is to educate the knowledge and options that you can still garden in the winter,” said Vikki of Griffin’s Greenhouses.

She notes that November is the second-busiest month of the year. The Greenhouse uses several outlets to help inform the community about their options regarding growing their green thumbs.

“We’re providing lots of knowledge. We put out videos on Youtube done by a local videographer,” she explained. “Knowledge is our number one takeaway to share what we know. We always keep the door open and follow back to people who always have questions. We’re really confident and generous with our time in answering questions.”

The business has been operating for roughly 48 years. Vikki and her brother Kyle purchased the business from their parents several years ago. After going to college and university and working in other career paths, the siblings eventually returned to the family business they grew up helping their parents run.

The business has received help from the family, spanning several generations. Vikki says she’s proud to call Griffin’s a ‘true family business.’

“People have seen our children watch our children grow, and our staff have seen them too,” she explained. “Some of our staff have been with us for over 20 years. There’s that comfort and familiarity that people value in our business.”

A week before Christmas, Griffin’s Greenhouse will run its ‘Dutch Auction’ to clear all inventory before its new season in March. It’s an opportunity for the business to start fresh with brand-new products for its customers.

“We’re not into recycling for next season,” said Vikki. “We want fresh and new.”

As a reflection of their Dutch heritage, the auction is a way flowers are sold in the Netherlands, a fun way of clearing out all merchandise and starting again with a clean slate.

“We feel we are vibrant and active in our community,“ explained Nikki. “Giving and sharing back with the community with our time is something that we’re proud of.”

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Survivors Abreast Peterborough Dragon Boat Team Celebrates 25 Years

Sent by Michelle Thorton

Survivors Abreast Peterborough, celebrates its 25-year anniversary this month. The Dragon Boat Team, made up of breast cancer survivors from the Peterborough area, was founded by Meredith Cosburn, who was encouraged by a friend (a member of the Toronto-based Dragons Abreast team) to do what she had done to help with her own breast cancer recovery – join a dragon boat team.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival.

Breast cancer survivor dragon boat paddling began at the University of British Columbia in 1996. Dr. Don McKenzie a professor in the department of sports medicine and an exercise physiologist, challenged the prevailing medical thinking that woman treated for breast cancer should avoid rigorous upper body exercise for fear of developing lymphoedema, a debilitating and chronic side-effect of treatment. Dr. McKenzie developed a program to determine the impact of exercise on breast cancer survivors, choosing dragon boat paddling as the epitome of strenuous, repetitive upper body exercise. He trained twenty-four breast cancer volunteers in a gym for three months, introduced them to dragon boats and taught them paddling techniques. At the end of the three-month season on the water none of the volunteers had lymphoedema. Not only that, survivors found they were fitter, healthier and happier. They loved the camaraderie and support of their fellow paddlers. They realized dragon boat paddling could become a means of raising breast cancer awareness and show that survivors could lead normal lives. They called themselves “Abreast in a Boat”.

And so, with the help of a newspaper article calling on other breast cancer survivors, Survivors Abreast held it’s very first meeting on Nov. 18, 1999.

By January 2000, the “Peterborough and District Breast Cancer Survivors Dragon Boat Team” was 27 members strong and they were excited to learn how to paddle.

The Team soon adopted the name Survivors Abreast Peterborough.

The team still needed a boat and Dr. John Rowsom, then chief of surgery at PRHC, was instrumental in helping them overcome this hurdle. He and three other doctors, Dr. R. Chenoweth, Dr. J. Scott and the late Dr. R. Jaroszonek, each donated $1,000 for a down payment towards a dragon boat.

A story about the team published in the Peterborough Examiner sparked enough interest for Liberty Mutual to provide the rest of the money needed to pay for a dragon boat built by Glenn Fallis of Voyageur Canoe.

The Holiday Inn then donated wharf space and the Chamber of Commerce offered free parking. Lawyer Bill Lockington volunteered free legal counsel to incorporate the team which eventually gained charitable status.

April 30, 2000 was the first time the team actually got in the boat. The community was on board right away and a special dedication was held with a traditional eye-dotting ceremony. Getting the team on the water was truly a community effort. Survivors Abreast Peterborough Dragon Boat Team celebrates 25 years as a team! The following year the team announced that dragon boat races would take place on Little Lake as part of the third annual Great Kawartha Canoe-A-Thon. The event was called Liberty Mutual’s Day on the Water and was in support of various charities. Survivors Abreast donated $25,000 to the PRHC Breast Assessment Centre.

In 2002 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival took on a life of its own and hosted its very first official Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival. $84,509.18 was donated to the PRHC Foundation in support of the Breast Assessment Centre. The event has since grown to be one of our communities’ most anticipated events to kick off the summer.

By 2007 the festival had raised over $1 million and the team was awarded a Civic award for community betterment. The new breast assessment centre at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre was completed in 2008 and was named the “Survivors Abreast Breast Assessment Centre”. The team also received a Peterborough This Week Philanthropy Award that year.

In 2005, Survivors Abreast travelled to Vancouver in celebration of the Abreast in a Boat team’s 10 year anniversary and to commemorate Dr Don Mackenzie who founded the breast cancer paddling movement. This festival proved to be the very first international dragon boat festival for breast cancer paddlers. A second one was held in Australia 2 years later. These led to the formation of the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission (IBCPC), a commission of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). A formal bidding process was introduced for the 2010 international festival, and Peterborough was chosen over 2 teams from England, 1 from Italy and 1 from New Zealand. 66 teams came from all over Canada, the US, Australia, England, Italy and South Africa. Survivors Abreast was awarded three Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards that year. One for tourism, Health and Wellness and Marketing, and one for Promotions. The International Festival has been held every 4 years since 2010. Survivors Abreast travelled to Sarasota, Florida in 2014, Florence, Italy in 2018, Waikato, New Zealand in 2023 and will be attending the IBCPC festival in France in 2026 to represent the Peterborough region.

In keeping with the team’s mission to improve fitness and develop the paddling skills required for dragon boating while raising awareness and fundraising for breast cancer care in our community, Survivors Abreast Peterborough takes pride in hosting the annual Peterborough’s Dragon boat Festival.

To date, the Festival has raised more than $4.5 million for breast and other cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment through the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation.

Next year’s event will take place on June 14, 2025. Survivors Abreast has grown over the years and the Festival has evolved. The team has represented Peterborough and the surrounding area at regattas and other events near and far…rain or shine. They continue to raise awareness and give back to the community because it’s always been about Hope, Passion, Dedication, Community, Fun and Making a Difference, One Race at a Time.

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Peterborough Petes Drop 4-1 to Owen Sound Attack at Home

The Peterborough Petes took a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Owen Sound Attack during Special Olympics game night, in support of Special Olympics Ontario and Law Enforcement Torch Run at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth ANdersen and the Peterborough Petes.

The visitors struck first on the power play as Pierce Mbuyi was left alone in front of Petes goaltender Zach Bowen after a pass from Antonio Tersigni. Mbuyi beat Bowen short side and made it 1-0 after one.

Owen Sound found themselves with another man advantage and Mbuyi struck again. This time, he wristed a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

The Petes had an opportunity to get back in the game with a five-minute power play due to a James Petrovski cross check from the Attack. Peterborough turned the puck over in the attacking zone thanks to Braydon McCallum and fed Johnathan Melee for a one-timer and power play goal. The Petes trail 2-1 heading into the third.

Both teams struggled to score in the third until late in the frame where Ben Cormier got a pass and one-timed it home past Bowen for a 3-1 lead late in the frame. Peterborough pulled their goalie to try and get back in the game but after LA Kings prospect and Owen Sound goaltender Carter George made a save he took a shot at the empty net. He potted the goalie goal to make it 4-1 for the dagger.

The Petes hit the road to take on the Kitchener Rangers on Friday at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Couple Arrested After a String of Thefts From a Business They Were Employed Under

A couple in their 20s faces multiple charges after information about thefts at a Peterborough business was brought forward, reported on Thursday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Community FIRST Unit officers were made aware of many incidents between January and June while the suspects were employed by the business. After reviewing the information, the officers located the suspects, who turned themselves in at the police station on Thursday.

As a result of the investigation:

A 25-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with:

• Theft Under $5,000 X19

A 27-year-old Peterborough woman was arrested and charged with:

• Theft Under $5,000 X16

The accused were released on an undertaking and are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24.

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No Injunction For Bonnerworth Park Construction Says City of Peterborough

The City of Peterborough says that there is no injunction against the Bonnerworth Park construction project and there is no scheduled court date.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

As stated by the City, construction of a bike pump track, expanded skateboard park, pickleball courts, and associated features at Bonnerworth Park at Monaghan Road and McDonnel Street continues.

The City also states that reports that the Superior Court of Justice will hear Friends of Bonnerworth Park's application on Nov. 25 are incorrect.

The City has been informed that the applicant’s law firm, Kraemer LLP, does not intend to handle the injunction application going forward and that Friends of Bonnerworth Park plans to retain new legal counsel.

On Nov. 12, the City Council approved direction authorizing the City to respond to the injunction application in the Superior Court of Justice.

The City’s public communications on it will be through legal counsel and its response to the court filing.

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MPP Dave Smith Named Ontario PC Party Candidate In Next Provincial Election For Peterborough-Kawartha

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith is going for a third consecutive term as he has been acclaimed as the Ontario PC party’s candidate in the next provincial general election, announced on Thursday.

Photo by Luke Best.

Smith earned his second term in a back-to-back after being re-elected in 2022 with 20,188 votes which is 38.5 percent of the ballots. Gary Stewart was the last Conservative MPP for the Peterborough-Kawartha riding to get elected for consecutive terms from 1995-2003.

Smith was declared the winner 38 minutes after the polls had closed. Premier Doug Ford was re-elected to a second term 11 minutes after polls closed. They earned a majority government seven minutes later.

“I want to thank the great people of Peterborough Kawartha for putting their trust in me to once again carry the banner for Premier Ford and the Progressive Conservatives in the next provincial election,” said Smith. “We have accomplished so much over the last seven years but my work is not yet finished. I want to thank my family for their unwavering support and all of my friends who have rallied around me to help make life better for everyone in our region.”

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Hometown PTBO: Josh Fredricks With the Grand Opening of His New Restaurant, "The Locker Room"

This week on Hometown PTBO, David Tuan Bui talks with Josh Fredricks about the grand opening of his new restaurant, The Locker Room, his past food ventures and why staying in Peterborough is best for raising his family.

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Downtown Holiday Night Market Hits Peterborough Dec. 6

Get into the holiday spirit, as the third annual Downtown Holiday Night Market will hit Peterborough on Dec. 6.

Photo courtesy of The Neighbourhood Vintage.

The market will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Bankers Commons Courtyard of the Commerce Building at Water and Hunter Streets downtown. The courtyard will turn into a marketplace filled with twinkling lights, over 25 vendorslive music.

Hosted by The Neighbourhood Vintage and First Friday Ptbo, the free, family-friendly event has local vendors, makers, musicians and food and drink purveyors.

“We are so excited to bring this collaborative market back to the community this December,” said Jacquelyn Craft market organizer and Neighbourhood Vintage. “Peterborough is lucky to have so many talented local creatives, and this market is an opportunity to get together with friends and family, get into the holiday spirit and support local all in one.”

“The winter months can be a quiet time of year for the First Friday Ptbo art crawls, with the colder weather and other holiday obligations pulling folks away from art-centred evenings. It's been so excellent to see these markets come to life over the years and bring our community together to celebrate local art and music,” said Emma Scott, local graphic designer and First Friday volunteer committee member. “We are so lucky to live in a city where small businesses, restaurants, and volunteers collaborate wholeheartedly with the arts community for events like this. When we help each other, we all thrive.”

Highlights of the Downtown Holiday Night Market include:

• Local Makers & Vendors: Discover handmade gifts, one-of-a-kind crafts, and artisanal goods from over 25 local creators. From jewelry and clothing to home decor and artwork, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

• Live Music: Enjoy the sounds of talented local musicians performing throughout the evening. Featuring local performers Kayla Mahomed, VanCamp, and Brad Renaud. From holiday classics to upbeat tunes, their performances will add to the festive atmosphere and provide a soundtrack to your shopping and dining experience.

• Delicious Food & Drinks: Savor seasonal flavors from local restaurants St. Veronus, Love You, Mean It, La Hacienda, and Vanilla Room. Whether you're in the mood for mulled wine or cider, gourmet street food, or sweet treats, there’s something to warm everyone up on a chilly night.

• Family-Friendly & Accessible: We are committed to making the Downtown Holiday Night Market an inclusive and accessible event for the entire community. Bring the whole family out to enjoy this special holiday market.

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Oshawa Woman Charged With Fraud After Forging Documents to Be Employed as a Personal Support Worker

A 38-year-old Oshawa woman is facing charges after providing false documents to obtain employment as a personal support worker.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

On Oct. 30, a Peterborough business made officers with the Fraud Unit aware of the incident. In conjunction with the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC), they determined that the certification provided during a job interview was fraudulent.

The woman was arrested and charged with:

• Utter forged document x2

The accused was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 17 

The Peterborough Police Service Fraud Unit has determined that the accused did not work as a personal support worker in Peterborough. 

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Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Add Four New Board Members

Four new people have joined the board of directors of the Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, announced at the organization’s 2024 Annual General Meeting.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic.

Melinda Gilmour, Barbara Lillico, Samantha Roan and Susan Scott were welcomed to the board. They join existing members Lesley Beagrie, board chair and already-serving board members, Joan Conrad, Lesa Fox and Margaret Keatings.

Gilmour, a registered nurse with additional certification as a community health nurse, serves as Director of Clinical Services at Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes Community Health Centre.

Roan recently joined Peterborough Public Health as the Manager of Indigenous Public Health. She is also pursuing her PhD in Indigenous Studies at Trent University.

Lillico retired after 25 years as Chief Executive Officer of the Peterborough Child & Family Centres.

Scott is a former journalist and communications specialist for several health care organizations. She also owned and operated her own communications consulting business.

The clinic also welcomed Danielle Howson to the role of Nurse Practitioner Lead and Executive Director. Howson has worked at the clinic for approximately four years as a nurse practitioner and now takes on the overall leadership of the clinic.

“I am so grateful to accept this new role within the Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic. I am pleased to continue to support and engage with the remarkable patients and staff of the clinic,” said Howson. “I respect the challenges that come with changeover of staff and leadership, and I remain optimistic that the clinic will grow and thrive in the coming months and years. The staff of the clinic are knowledgeable, skilled, and dedicated to providing exceptional primary health care and I am honoured to have their support as I learn this new role. I am equally looking forward to working closely with the board and the expertise they bring in guiding the clinic to success.”

“As our community experiences the pressures of shrinking primary care resources, we are pleased to work collectively as a Board towards our strategic goals of improved integration of services, diversity, equity and inclusive care delivery and collaborative practice,” said Beagrie. “To this end, I am delighted to welcome Danielle Howson to the position of Nurse Practitioner Lead and Executive Director. Danielle’s experience with the clinic and her professionalism will provide the leadership to guide our committed staff to achieve these goals. We welcome our new board members who will add a rich tapestry of skills and experience to our board - diversity of cultural backgrounds, communication and administrative experience, and leadership in health and social service sectors. Together, with our new and exciting team, we will capitalize on existing opportunities that will forward our mission and vision, and advocate for accessible and equitable primary care service for the city of Peterborough.”

The Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic has operated since 2011 after a grassroots, collaborative community effort to create an accessible, welcoming primary care clinic serving anyone without a primary care provider in the city and county of Peterborough, especially people experiencing barriers to health care access. The clinic has an interdisciplinary team with expertise in providing primary care to people with health risks including poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, experiences of violence and trauma, serious mental health challenges and social isolation.

The team comprises nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, registered social workers, mental health clinicians, personal support workers, and administrative support staff.

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