A Year In Review By Felicia Massey
/I have the privilege of writing stories each day that showcase the passions, efforts and accomplishments of some very inspiring people in the community.
As the year wraps up and I celebrate three months with PTBOCanada, I want to share my top five favourite stories — in chronological order — that I have enjoyed writing in 2022.
Photo by Felicia Massey.
The sixth annual Pulling for Dementia Fire Truck Pull was the first story I had the opportunity of covering “in the field.”
The World Alzheimer’s Day event raised money for programs and services through the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton by challenging teams to pull a 44,000-pound firetruck the fastest as supporters cheered them on at the Peterborough Airport.
At the time of my story the online fundraiser had raised just under $8,000. Today, the fundraiser sits at $9,225 for the Alzheimer Society.
Photo by Felicia Massey.
When beloved kindergarten teacher Mrs. Lytle was diagnosed with breast cancer, the Keith Wightman school community rallied in support of her during their annual Terry Fox walk. Staff and students honoured Mrs. Lytle with cheers, high-fives and hand-written notes as she visited with her class.
I am grateful to have felt the tremendous impact that Mrs. Lytle continues to have on her school community.
Photo courtesy of The Main Ingredient.
After 43 years, Ken and Deb Fraser decided to retire as owners of The Main Ingredient. The Fraser’s opened the environmentally-conscious bulk health food store in 1979, promoting the use of reusable containers to reduce excess waste.
Former store manager Mike Hall was asked to take over the business in 2021, along with his wife Whitney. The Hall’s spoke optimistically about the future of The Main Ingredient, recognizing that this business endeavour was a lot different than their music promoting.
Seeing a cherished small business continue to flourish with new ownership and perspective was really special.
I had the privilege of interviewing psychic medium Theresa Caputo from the TLC series Long Island Medium!
Prior to her Peterborough Memorial Centre appearance, we talked about her podcast Hey Spirit and her 10th anniversary of touring, where she guides audience members through grief and healing at her live shows.
I was then able to meet Theresa and experience the live show with my Mom, which was very surreal.
Photo courtesy of Patti Kimball.
Author Patti Kimball spoke with me about her grief memoir ‘Siren on Repeat: What My Best Friend’s Death Taught Me About Hope and Grief.’
After losing one of her best friends at just 14 years old, Patti processed her grief through writing. She outlined to me the importance of preserving Aprile’s memory, as well as teaching readers that everyone’s “grief journey” looks different, and happens on their own terms.
Patti shared a number of stories about her times with Aprile and I feel honoured to have gotten a glimpse into their friendship.
Honourable mention — Clothing Store 'The Neighbourhood Vintage' Opens Its Doors in Downtown Peterborough
Here are a few of my favourite pictures I took of The Neighbourhood Vintage! The vintage clothing store owned by Jacquelyn Craft carries a number of vendors, including her own brand Minty Vintage.
Photo by Felicia Massey.
On a personal note…
