City of Peterborough's Public Drop-In Session For Keith Wightman Park This Thursday

The City of Peterborough is hosting a public drop-in session for Keith Wightman Park from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Keith Wightman Public School.

Keith Wightman Park. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Residents are encouraged to come to the drop-in session to discuss improvements to Keith Wightman Park. These improvements would include new amenities and enhancements designed to meet the needs and priorities of the surrounding neighbourhood and those who use the space every day.  

“Parks play a vital role in bringing people together, supporting active lifestyles and creating spaces where communities can thrive,” said Otonabee Ward Councillors Lesley Parnell and Kevin Duguay. “This is an opportunity for residents to directly shape the future of their neighbourhood parks. We strongly encourage everyone to take a few minutes to complete the survey or attend a drop-in session. Your input will help ensure these spaces reflect the needs, ideas, and priorities of the people who use them every day.” 

Residents unable to attend the meeting can share their comments, complete the online survey and learn more about Keith Wightman Park at connectptbo.ca/wightman.

The public survey will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on June 17.  

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Andrea Dodsworth Honoured for Lifetime of Advocacy and Community Service

By Scott Arnold

National AccessAbility Week is shining a spotlight on a local volunteer whose decades of dedication have helped make Peterborough a more inclusive and accessible community.

Andrea Dodsworth receives the Holnbeck Award from city councillor kevin duguay and mayor jeff leal (photo via city of peterborough)

The City of Peterborough is recognizing Andrea Dodsworth as this year's recipient of the Holnbeck Award, an honour that celebrates lifelong volunteer contributions that create lasting change across the city and county.

Dodsworth has spent decades advocating for people with disabilities and their families, working to promote inclusion, accessibility and dignity throughout the community.

According to the city, her efforts have helped remove barriers, improve programs and services, and ensure that people with disabilities are not only supported but empowered and included.

Her work has spanned organizations, initiatives and community partnerships, where she has been a strong voice for accessibility while helping connect people and resources.

The city also highlighted Dodsworth's leadership style, noting her commitment to serving others through mentorship, advocacy and community-building. Whether helping individuals navigate challenges or working toward broader systemic change, she has consistently focused on creating a more welcoming and accessible community.

Presented annually, the Holnbeck Award recognizes individuals whose volunteer efforts leave a lasting impact, and city officials say Dodsworth's contributions have enriched countless lives while helping shape a more inclusive Peterborough for future generations.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Holy Cross Captures OFSAA Silver After Strong Run in Burlington

By Scott Arnold

The Holy Cross Hurricanes battled their way to a silver medal at the OFSAA Boys A/AA Field Lacrosse Festival in Burlington, finishing second among 12 competing schools from across Ontario.

Peterborough’s holy cross hurricanes bringing home silver medal (photo courtesy ofsaa boys a/aa field lacrosse festival

The Peterborough school put together an impressive tournament, winning three straight games before falling to McKinnon Park of Caledonia yesterday in the championship final.

Holy Cross opened the festival with a dominant 14-3 victory over King's Christian School of Oakville. Hayden Heigh led the offence with four goals and two assists, while Tyson Kitchen added three goals and two assists. Logan Pyke earned the win in net.

The team followed that up with a 9-7 win over St. Mary's of Owen Sound, coached by former Peterborough Laker Adam Jones. Colton Adams scored three times, while Braxtin Howard and Tyson Kitchen each found the back of the net twice. Pyke picked up his second win of the day.

Holy Cross then secured its spot in the final with a 9-5 victory over Governor Simcoe of St. Catharines. Howard paced the attack with two goals and two assists, while Zachary Kinchen and Hayden Heigh each scored twice. Pyke earned another win between the pipes.

In the gold medal game, Holy Cross came up against a strong McKinnon Park squad and fell 12-4. Ryder Evans led the Peterborough side with two goals and an assist.

The silver-medal-winning roster included Jacob McMahon, Hayden Heigh, Colton Giles, Oliver Pacey, Graydon Walst, Ben Chambers, Emmett Colby, Morgan Johnston, James Dueck, Zachary Kinchen, Tyson Kitchen, Ryder Evans, Teegan Delaney, Cole McMahon, Anthony Farace, Eddie Post, Noah Gaudet-Barton, Hudson Riel, Landon Jessup, Kade Villa, Camden Ryan, Braxtin Howard and Colton Adams.

Ty Vickers and Logan Pyke served as the team's goaltenders.

The team was coached by head coach Geoff McKinley and coach Chris Moher.

The Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) is the governing body for high school sports in Ontario and represents one of the largest high school athletic sport organizations in North America. Bringing home silver from a provincial championship event is another strong accomplishment for Holy Cross and Peterborough's proud lacrosse community.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Peterborough Petes Defenceman Named to OHL's Second All-Rookie Team

Peterborough Petes first-year defenceman Matthew Perreault has been selected to the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Second All-Rookie Team for the 2025-26 season, announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

“On behalf of the Petes, I’d like to congratulate Matthew on being named to the OHL’s Second All-Rookie Team,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and vice president of operations.. “Matthew had a great season on the backend, solidifying himself as an important piece of our defensive core as a 16-year-old, something that’s not easy to do in this league. We look forward to seeing what he can bring to the ice next season as he takes on a bigger role with the club.”

The Ottawa native was selected by the Petes in the second round, 31st overall, of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Titans organization. In his first season with the Petes, Perreault recorded five goals and 25 assists for 30 points, becoming the first 16-year-old Petes defenceman to reach the 30-point mark in his rookie season since Zach Bogosian scored 33 points in 2006–07.

At the Petes’ annual Awards Banquet, he received the Black’s Family Trophy as the team’s Rookie of the Year.

The Petes currently hold the 13th overall pick in this year’s OHL Priority Selection on June 12 at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston.

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NHL Alumni Take to the Peterborough Memorial Centre Ice For Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario

Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators alumni are hitting the Peterborough Memorial Centre ice for ‘Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario,’ on Nov. 6 in support of Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF).

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The alumni teams both feature former NHL players, some of whom would have competed in the classic playoff games in the early 2000s that started the rivalry. 

“We are really excited to be hosting Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario, with the Peterborough Memorial Centre,” said Vince Bierworth, GPHSF executive director. “Ottawa and Toronto were a huge playoff rivalry in the early-2000’s. We still see the rivalry in regular-season games and the playoffs today. Most recently in the playoffs in the spring of 2025. It is a great rivalry with a passionate fan base. We are excited to host the Toronto and Ottawa fans at Peterborough Memorial Centre.  Proceeds from the event will support our concussion fund. This fund helps to provide education and awareness for youth sport concussion through funding Peterborough Athletics Concussion Awareness (PACA) and providing the HOPE Bursary in Honour of Steve Montador.”

“Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario is going to be an exciting evening for hockey fans and a wonderful opportunity to support an important cause in our community,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Bringing the Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni and Ottawa Senators Alumni to the Peterborough Memorial Centre will showcase the passion and excitement of this historic rivalry while helping raise funds for concussion education and awareness initiatives that support local youth and families. I encourage residents and visitors alike to come out, enjoy a great night of hockey and support the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation.”

A full roster for each team will be announced closer to the event.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. online, in person at the PMC Box Office or by phone at 705-743-3561. Tickets start at just $30 each, with a limited number of VIP upgrade tickets available, which include a pre-game meet-and-greet with either the Ottawa Senators or the Toronto Maple Leafs.

PMC Scoop and GPHSF mailing list members have early access to tickets with a pre-sale on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Peterborough Man Arrested For Theft and Taken Into Custody After Caught Trying to Hide Behind a Bush

A 34-year-old Peterborough man is facing several charges after a theft at a business on Monday afternoon.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 1:30 p.m., officers were called to the area of Lansdowne Street West and Brealey Drive about a theft from a store. Officers spotted a man matching the description given to police on a bicycle. They saw the man get off the bike and attempt to hide behind a bush before taking him into custody.

The man was arrested and charged with:

• Theft under $5,000 - shoplifting X2

• Fail to comply with probation order X2

• Enter premises when entry prohibited (Trespass to Property Act)

The accused is currently bound by two probation orders with the following condition: to not attend the business where the incident happened and to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

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

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Peterborough Regional Airport Taxiway Bravo Construction Underway

Construction of the Taxiway Bravo extension project at the Peterborough Airport is underway.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The project includes the construction of an approximately 1,500-foot extension of Taxiway Bravo to the west. The western extent of the taxiway will include a holding bay designed to accommodate Code B aircraft, with wingspans up to 23.9 metres. The project will improve aircraft movement efficiency, improve capacity, and support future airside development.

During construction, pilots should expect temporary operational impacts, including changes to available runway length, declared distances, taxi routes, lighting availability, and access to portions of the airfield. 

Construction is expected to occur from June to October next year. Throughout the construction period, the available length of Runway 09-27 will be reduced.

• THR 09 DISPLACED BY 1,102FT

• FIRST 1,102FT RWY 09 CLSD

• WITH RWY 09/27 SHORTENED, DECLARED DIST CHANGED TO:

• RWY 09  TORA 5903  TODA 6198  ASDA 5903  LDA 5903

• RWY 27  TORA 5903  TODA 5903  ASDA 5903  LDA 5294

July 6 to July 19, 2026

During this period, declared distances of Runway 09-27 will be further reduced to accommodate the connection of the taxiway to the primary runway. 

• FIRST 3,072 FT RWY09 CLSD DUE CONST.

• WITH RWY 09/27 SHORTENED, DECLARED DIST CHANGED TO:

• RWY 09 TORA 3933 TODA 4228 ASDA 3933 LDA 3933

• RWY 27 TORA 3933 TODA 3933 ASDA 3933 LDA 3324

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Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Classy Chassis and Cycles, Passageway Law LLP, Kawartha Apparel and Business Summit

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…

Classy Chassis and Cycles, the family-run motorcycle dealership in Lakefield, has been keeping it classy for 20 years.

They just celebrated their 20th Anniversary in business! Congratulations! If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, you can visit their showroom at 1399 8th Line Smith in Lakefield or visit their website www.usedhd.ca.

Passageway Law LLP has just welcomed a new associate, Gabrielle Slater-Blair, who was called to the Bar in 2025.

Prior to entering the legal profession, she built her career in the human services sector, working both internationally and domestically on human rights initiatives. Gabrielle works in Family law and is currently taking on new clients. To get in touch with Gabrielle and Passageway Law, you can call their office at (705) 741-5337 or check them out online at www.passagewaylaw.ca.

A dream collab has come to fruition - Kawartha Apparel is now available for sale at Great Outdoors Landing in Bridgenorth!

Kawartha Apparel, owned by Erin Shannon, is a local clothing company that specializes in Lake-inspired apparel and custom clothing, all designed and printed locally on Chemong Lake. It’s very exciting to see two Chemong Lake businesses teaming up to support one another. Kawartha Apparel will also be launching its new website on June 7th – until then, follow them on Instagram at Kawartha_apparel.

The Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Peterborough Economic Development are hosting a Business Summit on June 22 at Ashburnham Funeral Home.

A great day of learning, connecting and understanding how important it is to keep the most important part of the economy, the people who run it as a focus. Visit www.pkchamber.ca/events for more details and to register.

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 brenda@pkchamber.ca.

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Lakers Set Sights on Setting Hot Dog Record During John Grant Jr. Celebration Night

By Scott Arnold

Hot dogs and Hall of Fame honours will share the spotlight Thursday when the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers host a special night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

**Disclaimer: the captains will not actually be using giant hot dogs during thursday’s opening face-off**

The Lakers are launching their first-ever Toonie Dog Night on Thursday and are hoping to set a Peterborough Memorial Centre record for the most hot dogs sold during a game.

Presented by Maple Leaf, the promotion will feature 1,000 hot dogs available for $2 each, plus tax, while supplies last. The initiative is being supported by Maple Leaf Foods, Levy Canada, the City of Peterborough and Real Canadian Superstore.

Lakers Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships Pete Dalliday is hoping they'll break the record for the most hot dogs sold in a single night at the PMC, a mark they'll try to top again when Toonie Dog Night returns during Retro Night on July 23.

Pete Dalliday is hoping the lakers will set the bar high during the first-ever toonie dog night

The evening will also double as a celebration of John Grant Jr. following his induction into the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame.

To mark the occasion, the first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive a free limited-edition John Grant Jr. Hall of Fame trading card.

Grant is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Lakers history and one of the most accomplished lacrosse players to come out of Peterborough.

john grant jr grew up in the minor lakers system before going on to have a legendary lacrosse career

With a record attempt, special giveaways and a Hall of Fame celebration all taking place on the same night, the Lakers are hoping to create a memorable atmosphere for fans at the PMC.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Snowbirds Set for a Flyby to Help Launch 175th Millbrook Fair

By Scott Arnold

The 175th Millbrook Fair will get a high-flying start next week with a special appearance from one of Canada's most recognizable aviation teams.

Canadian forces snowbirds to kick off 175th millbrook fair with a flyby (photo via facebook @CFSnowbirdsFC)

Organizers of the Millbrook Fair have announced that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds will take part in the fair's opening celebrations with a flyby performance scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at approximately 6:30 pm, weather permitting.

The flyby will help kick off the 175th edition of the fair, marking a major milestone for one of the region's longest-running community events.

Fair organizers say they are honoured to welcome the Snowbirds to Millbrook ahead of the team's planned temporary stand-down at the conclusion of its 2026 season.

The visit is expected to draw plenty of attention as residents and fairgoers look skyward for a rare chance to see Canada's iconic military aerobatic team as part of the anniversary celebrations.

With a historic fair and a nationally recognized aviation team coming together, organizers are calling the flyby a memorable way to launch this year's event.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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