Peterborough Transit Providing Special Shuttle Bus Service To City's Warming Centres

A free shuttle bus is available for residents who need transportation to any of the City of Peterborough’s three warming centres, announced on Monday afternoon.

File Photo.

The shuttle will run every 30 minutes starting at 2 p.m. The last trip departs City Hall at 10:50 p.m.

The route runs in the following loop:

• Murray and George streets, outside City Hall, 500 George St. N.

• The Simcoe Street Bus Terminal

• The Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 775 Brealey Dr.

• Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Rd.

• Miskin Law Community Complex, 271 Lansdowne St. W.

This shuttle bus is free of charge and available to all residents.

Regular transit service is suspended until further notice.

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Ice Storm Updates From City of Peterborough (March 31)

With ongoing power outages due to the severe ice storm over the weekend, the City will keep warming centres open on Monday for anyone needing a heated location.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The City says Hydro One continues to address downed power lines in the region and City Public Works crews are responding to downed trees and tree limbs on public property.

An emergency declaration remains in place for the City of Peterborough as the immediate response and recovery efforts are expected to extend over several days.

Residents are asked to avoid unnecessary travel.

Warming centres are open at the following locations:

• Healthy Planet Arena, banquet hall, 911 Monaghan Rd., open until at least noon on Tuesday

• Miskin Law Community Complex, 271 Lansdowne St. W., until 11 p.m. on Monday

• Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 775 Brealey Dr., until 11 p.m. on Monday

Except for the warming centre spaces listed above, City recreation facilities—including arenas, fitness centres and the pool—are closed for regular operations until at least noon on Tuesday. The City will reassess conditions on Tuesday.

Peterborough Transit is stationing buses as temporary warming locations in areas with an identified need, including at:

• 611 Rogers St.

• 486 Donegal St.

• 526 McDonnel St.

• Hedonics Road, in the cul-de-sac

Garbage and Green Bin collection are expected to proceed according to the normal schedule. Yard waste collection begins this week.

For residents who are taking yard waste to the landfill, tipping fees for residential yard waste will be waived until April 14 to assist with recovery efforts following the ice storm.

The Service Peterborough and City Clerk’s Office customer service desks at City Hall, 500 George St. N., are open for in-person services.

Social Services offers in-person services, including social assistance cheque pickups, in Service Peterborough at City Hall, 500 George St. N., on Monday. The Social Services office at 178 Charlotte St. is closed for in-person services; Social Services staff are available by phone and email.

Peterborough Public Library will be open until 8 p.m. on Monday, depending on the facility's power being maintained.

Peterborough Transit has suspended service until further notice due to downed power lines and trees on streets. It is monitoring conditions and will resume service when conditions allow.

Peterborough Museum and Archives, Riverview Park and Zoo and Art Gallery of Peterborough are closed until noon on Tuesday. The City will reassess conditions on Tuesday.

City Council’s General Committee meeting, which was scheduled for Monday evening, has been canceled and rescheduled for the afternoon of April 7.

With sewage pumping stations sporadically operating on backup generators, residents are asked to reduce water consumption to lower the water flow through the wastewater treatment system.

Peterborough Fire Services reminds residents who are using backup generators and equipment like a gas-powered cooking stove or charcoal grill to follow safe practices to avoid risks from carbon monoxide.

With the continued risk of falling tree limbs and trees until recovery efforts can address trees in parks, all City parks are officially closed until further notice.

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City to Resume Yard Waste and Large Item Collection Services

Curbside leaf and yard waste collection resumes Tuesday and continues weekly through the last week of November.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough,

The City encourages residents to use paper yard waste bags or rigid, open-top reusable containers with handles. There is no limit to the number of bags or containers that can be placed at the curbside. Plastic bags will not be collected.

Yard waste will be collected weekly on the same day as green bins.

Set-Out Requirements:

• Reusable containers must display two clearly identifiable yellow labels indicating “Yard Waste.” These labels are available free of charge at City Hall (500 George St. N.), Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Brush may be bundled with light rope or twine. Bundles should not exceed 1 meter (3 feet) in length or 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter.

• Each paper bag, container, or bundled item must weigh less than 13 kg (30 lbs.).

The City of Peterborough offers a paid large item collection service for items that exceed the regular garbage allowance, such as furniture and appliances.

Large items weigh more than 13.6 kg (30 lbs) and measure longer than 1 meter (3 feet).

City Public Works crews will begin collecting large items at 7 a.m. on the Monday of the designated collection week. Please note that collections may extend over several days depending on the volume of items. Residents are asked not to remove items from the curbside if they have not been collected on the initial day.

Residents must book large item collection in advance. Collection must be booked by the Tuesday preceding the collection date.

Bookings open on Tuesday.

For pricing and to book a pickup, visit peterborough.ca/pickup or call 705-742-7777 (dial 0 for Service Peterborough).

Date Collections and Booking Deadlines:

• April 28, 2025 (Deadline: April 22)

• May 26, 2025 (Deadline: May 20)

• June 23, 2025 (Deadline: June 17)

• July 28, 2025 (Deadline: July 22)

• Aug. 25, 2025 (Deadline: Aug. 19)

• Sept. 29, 2025 (Deadline: Sept. 23)

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32nd Annual Kawartha Woodlot Expo Returns to Fleming College’s Frost Campus

UPDATED: 2:37 p.m. 02-04-25

The event has been cancelled due to the severe ice storm and the State of Emergency declared by the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Fleming College is hosting the 32nd Annual Kawartha Woodlot Expo in partnership with the Ontario Woodlot Association on April 5, announced on Monday.

Photo courtesy of Fleming College.

Faculty, staff and alumni within Fleming’s School of Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences have created engaging, hands-on workshops to help participants develop woodlot ownership, forest management, and tree identification skills. The Kawartha Woodlot Expo helps property owners and students better understand the big and small forests' role on private land and their environmental impact.

Registration is open to all with fees set at $40 per person.

Participants can attend two workshops (one in the morning and one in the afternoon), a silent auction, a chainsaw draw, raffle prizes, a roast beef lunch, coffee and snacks. Topics range from chainsaw basics and lumber scaling to tree identification, forest bathing, and more.

Workshop spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Specific workshops require personal protective equipment (PPE). Participants are encouraged to bring their own, but equipment will be provided if needed.

Registration can be done online.

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Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Mortsocks, Doody Call, Listening For Spring and Paluski Boats

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…

The team at Mortlock Construction have long prioritized community, taking on projects that support and house those living on the margins.

Now they’re trying something a little different. Upon learning that socks are the most needed clothing item in homeless shelters, they’ve launched Mortsocks. This social venture involved working with a local design company to develop Peterborough-themed dress socks that give back. Buy one pair of Mortsocks and Mortlock Construction will donate six pairs of socks to those in need through Brock Mission and the Peterborough Community Health Centre. You can order them online or pick up a pair at The Vine at 165 Sherbrooke St. in Peterborough. You can make a difference – one step at a time.

Spring is a good time to hire someone to do the dirty work of cleaning up after your dog with Doody Call, a new luxury pet waste removal service.

They offer a premium, discreet, and eco-friendly solution to keep outdoor spaces clean, fresh, and waste-free. Doody Call offers white-glove customer service, flexible scheduling, and top-tier sanitation practices. Their services include single visits to weekly maintenance plans, providing tailored solutions that fit every pet owner’s lifestyle. Find out more at doodycall.ca.

AON’s Canterbury Gardens is presenting Listening for Spring, a magical evening of serenading sounds in support of the Canadian Council of the Blind Peterborough Chapter.

The evening will feature the meaningful mental magic of Ian Crawford, the delightful Jazz of Carling Stephen and Rob Phillips, and a silent auction. It all happens May 2 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Canterbury Gardens. Get more information at ccbpeterborough.com.

We’re going to keep profiling business that are making things right here in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. This week it’s Paluski Boats.

They’ve been making boats since 1980, originally starting with recreational rowing shells. They have built a reputation for high-quality craftwork, design, and durability. Today, Paluski manufactures high-performance and extremely durable canoes, kayaks, and paddles that meet the needs and expectations of recreational boating enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. All their materials are 100% made in Canada with their production facility in Lakefield.

If you want to have your business featured on the Business Beat or know of a business doing something new and interested, shoot an email to joel@pkchamber.ca.

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"Peterborough Has Become My Home" Peterborough Petes Captain Reflects On Four-Year Tenure With Team

As Petes captain Jonathan Melee bids farewell to his team and the city after four years, he reflects on how Peterborough became his home and winning an OHL Championship.

Melee (left) has been named the 63rd captain in franchise history after the departure of former captain Donovan McCoy who was traded the the Sudbury Wolves. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Melee played his final game as a Pete against the Oshawa Generals on Sunday. He committed to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., to play for the Pioneers for the 2025-26 season. Melee says he will bring the leadership and championship mentality he learned in Peterborough to Sacred Heart.

“(It’s) The way I’ll come to the rink every day ready to work, being a friendly guy in the locker room, (being) a leader and just bringing a championship mentality to the dressing room,” he explained.

The Hamilton Bulldogs (now Brantford Bulldogs) originally selected Melee in the second round, 21st overall, of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. He played in 26 games for the Bulldogs before being acquired by the Petes in January of 2022 in a trade involving Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish.

Melee was part of the OHL Championship-winning Petes during the 2022-23 season, where he had nine goals and 18 assists in 58 games. He also tacked on five goals in 13 playoff games during that championship run.

“The guys welcomed me in right away,” said Melee. “That group was special. That championship team, I'll never forget every face in that dressing room, I'll always have that bond and memories to share and reconnect with.”

On Jan. 10 last year, Melee was named the team’s 63rd captain in franchise history. This came after the team had traded away former captain Donovan McCoy to the Sudbury Wolves prior to the trade deadline.

Along with the OHL Championship, Melee also left Peterborough with some extra hardware as the Petes held their annual year-end banquet and awards ceremony at the Venue on Tuesday.

Melee took home three awards, including the Ed Rowe Memorial Award (most goals), the Bill Bennett/CKPT Memorial Award (leading scorer) and the coveted Petes Executive Trophy (most valuable player voted by teammates).

Petes captain Johnathan melee (left) after being presented the Petes Executive Trophy (most valuable player voted by teammates) by George Gillespie, Petes Board of Directors Treasuer. melee was a recipient of the Ed Rowe Memorial Award (most goals) and Bill Bennett/CKPT Memorial Award (leading scorer). pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

Last season, he won the Outboard Marine Veterans Award (sportsmanship and ability). During the 2022-23 season, he won the Norm Bryan Award (most improved player).

Melee finishes his Ontario Hockey League tenure with the Petes, scoring 48 goals and 72 assists for 120 points in four seasons. The Rockland native says he will miss Peterborough which he considers his home away from home.

“Peterborough has become my home and I don't even have the words to say how much I love it in Peterborough and how thankful I am I ended up here,” he explained. “I have nothing but thanks for the city, thanks for everybody in the organizations, everyone that's been involved in the past four years. It's a place I call home, a place I'm comfortable (with) and I'm going to miss seeing all these faces every day.”

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Fill It Up With 'Burst the Bus' Food Drive For Kawartha Food Share

To help stock the shelves at Kawartha Food Share (KFS), a ‘Burst the Bus’ food drive is happening this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Kawartha Food Share.

STC Bus Lines drivers will be at grocery stores collecting non-perishable food items, toiletries, feminine hygiene products and diapers for Kawartha Food Share.

Collections are at Greg’s No Frills, Chub and Nikki’s No Frills, FreshCo (Brock Street), and Foodland in Norwood (all food items collected at this location are delivered to the Norwood Food Bank).

The following are items in need:

• Peanut Butter

• Canned tuna

• Canned fruit

• Individually wrapped school snacks

• Pasta and pasta sauce

• Alpha-getti, Kraft Dinner and Chef Boyardee

• Breakfast cereal

• Gluten-free items – like pasta, cookies, oats, etc.

• Canned vegetables

• Canned soup/stew

• Feminine hygiene products

• Diapers

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Driver Caught Going 103 km/h In 50 Zone; Fourth Consecutive Day Police Issue Stunt Driving Charge

A 20-year-old driver faces a stunt driving charge going 103 km/h in a 50 zone in Peterborough on Thursday morning.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.

At roughly 11:40 a.m., a Traffic Unit officer on general patrol spotted the speeding vehicle in the Water Street and Marina Boulevard area. They were recorded going 103 km/h in a 50 zone. 

The driver was charged with:

• Stunt in excess of 40 km/h

• Speeding 103km/h in a 50 km/h

The driver was issued a 30-day license suspension and the vehicle was impounded for 14 days. 

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City of Peterborough Declares Significant Weather Event Ahead of Weekend Ice Storm

The City of Peterborough has declared a significant weather event, effective immediately, in advance of the ice storm expected this weekend.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The City is actively monitoring weather forecasts and conditions. Winter abrasives and de-icers are ready to go, and Public Works crews are ready to deploy the City’s 18 plow trucks, 11 sidewalk plows, two graders, seven loaders and backhoes to help keep roads, sidewalks and trails clear.

Crews will work throughout the weekend to keep roads clear; however, depending on the storm's severity, ice accumulation may still occur on roads, sidewalks, and parking lots.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the region, forecasting a potent spring storm that will begin late Friday and last until Monday.

Significant ice accumulation can result from freezing rain, with general amounts of five to 15 mm and amounts in excess of 20 mm possible. Environment Canada warns that utility outages, slippery surfaces, and broken tree branches from ice build-up are a possibility.

City forestry crews are standing by, ready to clear fallen branches and trees that may become an issue.

To report a downed branch or tree on City property please call Public Works at 705-745-1386. This line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Due to ice accumulation, there is potential for power outages. Residents should be prepared if an extreme weather event results in a power outage.

Having an Emergency Preparedness kit on hand is essential for staying safe.

Emergency Preparedness Kits should include:

• Battery-powered or windup flashlight

• Battery-powered or windup radio

• First Aid Kit

• Portable external battery charger for cellphones, laptops, etc.

• Water (Two litres per person per day)

• Canned or dried food that won’t spoil

• Manual can opener

• Extra batteries for your flashlight or radio

• Cash- if there is an extended power outage, many stores may only be able to accept cash as a form of payment

• Blankets

• Candles and matches

• A list of emergency numbers and important contacts

Residents are encouraged to charge devices in advance of a weather event.

Motorists should also ensure enough fuel in their vehicles before the storm, as local gas stations may also lose power.

Residents should ensure that downspouts are directing rain away from the foundations of buildings. 

Residents can help by clearing debris away from the storm sewer drains near their property if possible.

Due to the volume of water moving through local waterways, residents are reminded to stay a safe distance from the water’s edge as banks can be slippery and unstable.

Otonabee Conservation has issued a Flood Warning for all watercourses in our region. Residents are advised to monitor conditions and take appropriate action to protect themselves and their property from flooding.

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Police Investigate Three Cases of Vehicles Stolen From Neighborhoods

The Peterborough Police Service are investigating three vehicles reported stolen during the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

All three vehicles were Toyota models—a 2022 Corolla, a 2024 Land Cruiser and a 2024 Tundra. Two vehicles were taken from neighbourhoods in Peterborough’s west end (Woodglade Blvd and Kawartha Heights Blvd; Sandalwood Drive and Fair Avenue) and the third was taken from a residence on Park Street South. 

In the case of the Land Cruiser and the Tundra, the sunroof feature was smashed, and personal items along with the vehicle’s GPS were found several kilometres from where the vehicle was taken. A black sedan is involved in both cases.

The Tundra was tracked and recovered and police in Quebec arrested an 18-year-old from Saint-Sophie, Que. 

The Land Cruiser was not recovered but was last seen heading toward Highway 7. 

The Corolla was last known to be travelling on the 115. 

In the video footage, a black sedan is seen near the Tundra truck at approximately 1:46 a.m. before driving away. Two minutes later, Sedan returns and two people get out of the vehicle. They can be seen moving around the vehicle before returning to the sedan and driving away. Four minutes later, they come back and one person is seen on the roof of the vehicle and another moving around on the ground before leaving the area again. Three minutes later, they return again where one person enters the truck, starts it and then both the truck and sedan leave the area.

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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