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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Peterborough Humane Society's Wraps Up 50/50 Lottery & Marlin Travel ‘Ruff’le With Record-Breaking Numbers

The Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) has wrapped up its’ Fall 2024 PHS 50/50 Lottery with an all-time high record of $43,905, completed on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Humane Society.

Melissa of Peterborough was announced as the 505/50 winner and claimed the $21,950 grand prize.

The PHS 50/50 Lottery featured an additional raffle draw, the Marlin Travel ‘Ruff’le, for a $5,000 gift certificate for use at Marlin Travel Peterborough won by Elaine Mason.

The PHS 50/50 Lottery & Marlin Travel ‘Ruff’le ran from Sept. 14 to Oct. 15 raising $36,312 for needy animals at Peterborough Humane Society. Tickets

“Once again Peterborough and the Kawarthas have answered the call to help animals at Peterborough Humane Society; we are humbled by their kindness,” said Shawn Morey, PHS executive director. “We are so grateful to everyone who bought tickets, the small businesses that promoted the lottery and to the community who helped spread the word. Everyone had a hand in making this a great success.”

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City of Peterborough Opens Comments For Tourism Municipal Services Corporate Proposal

The City of Peterborough is inviting residents to submit comments on its proposal to incorporate a Municipal Services Corporation as an eligible tourism entity.

Photo by Keegan Beekers.

It administers, pursuant to applicable law, the 50 per cent net transient accommodation tax, also known as municipal accommodation tax or MAT, which must be used exclusively to promote tourism according to the City.

To submit a comment on the proposal to incorporate the Peterborough Tourism Municipal Services Corporate can go online.

The commenting period will close on Oct. 30. The comments will be reviewed and summarized in a report to the City Council. 

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