Peterborough's Walk About Clown Spreads Smiles Upon the City

Carolyn Collins has been dubbed Peterborough’s Walk About Clown and is spreading smiles - and donations - to the community.

Photo Courtesy of David Bui.

When Collins began to sense that a close friend of hers was struggling with the ongoing lockdown, she took it upon herself to cheer her up.

Though she is retired, Collins worked as a clown in the past. She found her best clown outfit and took to the sidewalk in hopes that walking past her friend’s window would put a smile on her face. During the short five-minute walk, she got more attention than anticipated.

“I had at least a dozen vehicles honking and waving at me,” she said. “So I thought I should keep it going.”

Collins now sports fun outfits and hula hoop tricks on the corner of Cherryhill Road and Brealey Drive every weeknight from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. dependent on the weather.

She also leaves encouraging chalk messages on sidewalks and posters on nearby posts.

Photo Courtesy of David Bui.

“The smiles are the best part,” she says.

Fans of Collins have given her money though she does not keep it for herself.

“I’ve decided any money I’m given will go to charity,” she explained. “I was just able to drop off $365 to Community Living in Peterborough. The way I see it, somebody else needs the money more.”

She has now begun collecting money for Five Counties Children’s Centre and has decided every month she will donate to a different charity.

While clowning around is raising money for various charities around the city, Collins says she does it is to spread joy.

“One smile turns into two. Two turns into four and next thing you know we have a million smiles.”

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Irish Millie Brings a New Generation to Celtic Music

Ameilia Shadgett is breaking the age barrier of Celtic music and bringing the culture to people of all ages.

Thirteen by Irish Millie. Cover art done by Barking Pixel Design Co. Photo Courtesy of Irish Millie.

The 14-year-old, known as Irish Millie, released her first album titled Thirteen in May.

Recording an album has been a dream of hers for a long time but it took time to get the ball rolling.

While playing at a local farmer’s market, Gregory Pastic from LaunchPad Records approached Millie and her dad Murray with hopes to record an album. Her dreams came true when the pandemic hit and she had more time to focus on her music.

“It feels like I’m stepping up a bit and getting a little bit bigger,” she said. “When I would listen to my favourite artists on Spotify I’d think ‘I want that for myself and the fact that that has happened — I’m overjoyed.”

Now Millie and her dad spend their time playing gigs at local venues. While most of the crowd is often much older than Millie, she says her friends are a great support and she hopes that more young people will come to realize just how fun Celtic music can be.

Millie says she feels fiddle music is often directed at people older than herself and she wants to change that.

“It’s a very cool culture and a very diverse community of people that are involved in this kind of music,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of younger people realize that until they’ve heard it.”

The music Millie plays makes her feel empowered and she wants anyone that listens to feel the same.

“I want everyone to understand why I love it.”

Irish Millie is playing at The Blackhorse Pub on July 7 and 21 at 6:00 p.m.

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PTBOCanada Adds Angela O'Grady to the Team as New Writer

Humber College graduate Angela O’Grady joins the PTBOCanada expanding team as their newest writer on Monday.

O’Grady’s hobbies include camping, music and eating at local restaurants. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

O’Grady earned her Bachelor’s Degree in journalism in April and was born in Peterborough. She graduated from St. Peter’s Secondary School in 2016 and grew up in Douro.

“I’ve always loved everything local and very excited to be able to report on the place I grew up in,” said O’Grady.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Angela back when we did our internships together,” said David Tuan Bui, PTBOCanada Editor. “We had a great rapport then and I know we’ll have fantastic chemistry working for PTBOCanada moving forward.”

O’Grady has been an athlete her whole life playing sports such as hockey, baseball and field hockey. Photo Courtesy of Angela O’Grady.

O’Grady went into journalism since she enjoys writing. The career choice always had something to write about which made it a good fit she tells PTBOCanada.

You can reach out to O’Grady with her email at angela@ptbocanada.com.

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Millbrook Man Wins $150,000 In The Big Spin Instant Game

Congratulations to Tyler Duquette of Millbrook for winning $150,000 with THE BIG SPIN INSTANT game (Game #3100).

Tyler Duquette, a 29-year-old rail worker, said he was confused when he saw the virtual wheel land on BIG SPIN. “I thought, what’s going on now?” he said while at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings. “I told my wife who was waiting in the car and she didn’t believe me at first,” said Duquette. “When I showed her the ticket and explained what was going on, she was so excited!”

Duquette plans to pay bills, help his mother and plan a special trip when it is safe to travel again.

The winning ticket was purchased at Millbrook Convenience on Tupper Street in Millbrook.

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PTBOCanada Announces David Bui As New Editor

New PTBOCanada Owner/Publisher Kirtus Evoy is excited to announce that David Tuan Bui is joining us as the Editor of PTBOCanada.

“David has been living in Peterborough for over 30 years and has been actively engaged with our community,” says Kirtus. “He is a Trent University alumnus and his journalism background is going to be a significant asset for the company moving forward. He is full of many fresh ideas for fans of PTBOCanada. His personality and enthusiasm are just what we’re looking for to help us in this new chapter of PTBOCanada.”

David Bui

“David is a fantastic fit for PTBOCanada,” says Neil Morton, former editor/owner. “He has such great energy, and a love for community, collaboration and hyper-local journalism. He has a passion for storytelling and bringing the PTBOCanada brand to life in new, engaging ways that will really resonate with readers. I’m super stoked to see where he takes this.”

“I’m incredibly honoured to be given this opportunity to be working for PTBOCanada,” says David.

"I’ve always loved Peterborough and have embraced what the city has to offer. Now I can share all my experiences with everybody around me and I hope I can bring this city even more to life with my perspective. I wish Neil Morton nothing but the best. I’m certain that Kirtus, Aaron Elliott and I can really hit the ground running and make PTBOCanada a place where everyone can enjoy our content as we go into the next chapter. I look forward to interacting with our community to really highlight the wonders this city has to offer.”

David expressed his gratitude for this opportunity on Twitter…

Well @CityPtbo, meet your newest media personality! I am officially the new editor/writer of @Ptbo_Canada! I'm excited to share the experiences of my hometown and do the same for you! I want to be as interactive as possible with the audience! I'm so grateful for this opportunity!

— David Tuan Bui (@DavidTuanBui44) February 18, 2021

You can reach David with story ideas at davidbui@ptbocanada.com.

You can reach our new owner Kirtus Evoy at kirtus@ptbocanada.com for inquiries regarding advertising opportunities.

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Well-Known Peterborough Family Creates Fundraiser for Hospice Peterborough

In honour of the late Jan Paris, the local family who founded and owns Paris Marine in Lakefield has pledged to match donations to the Hospice monthly giving program until the end of February.

At age 73, Jan was a healthy and vibrant Peterborough woman who enjoyed volunteering, painting, taking trips with her husband to their second home in Florida and spending as much time as she could with her beloved grandchildren.

After getting an all-clear from a physical in July 2019, however, she’d learn by the end of the year that she had a rare form of leukemia. The Paris family say they relied on Hospice Peterborough services throughout Jan’s illness and when it was time to grieve.

The Paris family: Jan and Bill Paris with daughters Tracey, Deborah and Julie. (photo courtesy Hospice Peterborough)

“I don’t know how we would’ve gotten through this without Hospice Peterborough,” says Bill Paris, her husband of more than 50 years. “It’s the kind of organization that you don’t know much about until the time comes that you need them.”

To honour Jan’s memory, her family has initiated the “For the Love of Jan” fundraiser for Hospice Peterborough and has pledged to match all donations made to the monthly giving program, up to $10,000, until the end of February. To date, more than $6,000 has been received.

Jan and Bill Paris created more than 50 years’ worth of memories together. (photo courtesy Hospice Peterborough)

All donations to “For the Love of Jan” will be directed to programs that support children and teens, an area for which Hospice Peterborough receives no government funding.

The groups support youth in our community who have experienced the death of someone close to them and—often through arts-based activities—help them manage their feelings and behaviours. Through the pandemic, Hospice continues to offer these services virtually either one-on-one or in small groups.

Jan Paris with her granddaughter Kensington. (photo courtesy Hospice Peterborough)

Hospice Peterborough executive director Hajni Hős thanks the Paris family for sharing their deeply personal story and for giving back to the community in memory of a loved one.

“It is fitting to direct these funds to children and teen groups in honour of a cherished mother and grandmother who devoted herself to her family,” Hős says. “When children in our community can better manage their grief, we all win.”

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Peterborough Petes To Send PGHA Player Payton Rogers To Lake Placid For Toronto Six’s Inaugural Season

Congrats to Payton Rogers who has been selected to represent the Peterborough Petes as a cardboard cutout in the stands of the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York for the Toronto Six’s inaugural season with National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL).

Nominations for the Petes “Hardest Working Minor Hockey Player” opened on Tuesday, January 12th and closed on Tuesday, January 19th at 5 p.m. Over the week, kids of all ages across a variety of teams were nominated for their perseverance and dedication to improve their hockey skills at home. When the call for submissions closed, one winner was randomly selected and it was Payton Rogers of the Peterborough Ice Kats tier 1 program with the Peterborough Girls Hockey Association.

Photo graphic courtesy Peterborough petes

“Payton loves hockey and is often found watching hockey or practicing in her driveway with her brother,” says nominator John Gillis. “Payton is committed and works very hard. She demonstrated everything that the Petes were looking for when creating this campaign as she continues her passion and dedication to hockey throughout the struggle of the pandemic.”

Payton’s cardboard cutout will join the likes of Nicole Baxter of the National Women Soccer League Sky Blue, Sue Bird from the Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association and shortstop for the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, Bo Bichette.

The Toronto Six are the sixth National Women’s Hockey League team to be granted a franchise. They join the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whales, Metropolitan Riveters and the Minnesota Whitecaps. 

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Man Makes Heroic Rescue To Save Young Deer From Drowning On Lower Buckhorn Lake

A Buckhorn man made a heroic rescue on Lower Buckhorn Lake on Thursday (January 14th) to save a young deer from certain drowning in the freezing cold water.

Rob in kayak (Photo courtesy Shelley Fine)

As his neighbour Shelley Fine shares in a widely shared post on Facebook about his act of bravery, here’s how it went down…

This has been such a heartwarming day. My neighbour spotted a young deer who had fallen through the ice and went out in his kayak to save her by using a rope. She struggled for an hour as he tried to get her up on solid ice but she kept going under. He saw she wasn’t going to make it so he crawled out on his belly and used his hands to pull her to safety. He carried her to his shed and he and his wife dried and warmed her up. The deer slept for three hours then took off like a shot. Rob (he doesn’t want his full name mentioned) you are a hero!! You acted from your heart Bravo and so happy the deer was saved.

Rob with the exhausted deer after rescue (Photo courtesy Shelley Fine)

Shelley tells PTBOCanada she wasn’t at all surpised Rob would attempt such a rescue, as this is just in his nature:

“I know this guy—he is a humble guy who doesn’t think twice about helping others,” she says. “He just goes into action to help others. He plows my driveway, looks out for me, looks out for others. He has an empathetic nature, which is just what the world needs more of now.”

The exhausted deer warming up in blanket (Photo courtesy Shelley Fine)

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Trent University Mourns the Passing of Founding President Thomas H.B. Symons

The Trent University community is mourning the death of its founding President Thomas H.B. Symons, remembering the remarkable man and the industrious, highly regarded scholar who brought his vision for Trent to life and helped sustain it for over 55 years. 

Thomas H.B. Symons in his office at Rubidge Hall. (Photo courtesy Trent University)

“It was a privilege to know President Symons,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University.

“He was gracious, interested, and always obliging when I came to Trent. With great enthusiasm, he told me about Trent’s origins, the politics of Peterborough, and the lessons he learned from so many years in academic leadership,” Groarke adds.

Thomas H.B. Symons with Bata Library in background. (Photo courtesy Trent University)

Internationally renowned as a champion of education and student success, Professor Symons accepted the challenge posed by a committee of Peterborough citizens in 1961 to create a university for the city. He served as Trent University's president and vice-chancellor for 11 years until 1972.

Thomas H.B. Symons interacting with students. (Photo courtesy Trent University)

His leadership in education and his contributions to society and the nation were widely recognized, including his investment as a member of the Order of Canada in 1976 and the Order of Ontario in 2002. After retirement, Professor Symons remained an active member of the University community as well within Peterborough and beyond.

Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, had this to say about Symons in a tweet…

Thomas Symons was a beacon of intellectual light and Canadian scholarship. He loved this country and brought this love to the world. His legacy is an inspiration and his contributions will continue to benefit all who seek understanding and who ask the great Canadian questions. pic.twitter.com/Wc9l98brII

— Elizabeth Dowdeswell (@LGLizDowdeswell) January 2, 2021

You can read more about Professor Symons’ life and legacy at Trent and around the world on Trent University’s special tribute website.

Thomas H.B. Symons in Trent University's 50th Anniversary parade procession. (Photo courtesy Trent University)

In recognition of Professor Symons’ exceptional contributions to Trent University and as an expression of deep sympathies to family, friends and colleagues, the flag atop Bata Library will be lowered.

In lieu of flowers, the Symons family has asked that donations be made to the T.H.B. Symons Trust for Canadian Studies at Trent University. 

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24-Year-Old Legally Blind Trent Student Brett Michael LeBlanc Is Missing

On Friday, November 20th, Brett Michael LeBlanc was reported missing to the Peterborough Police Service.

Brett, 24, is a student at Trent University and was last seen late Tuesday night (November 17th) on campus. Brett is legally blind. He is able to walk without assistance and typically wears black sunglasses, according to a Peterborough Police media release. He is described as a male white, 5 ft 10”, 169 lbs, brown medium length hair, thin moustache, wearing white high-top sneakers.

Photo of BretT Courtesy Peterborough Police

On Saturday, November 21st, Peterborough Police, along with Trent University security, conducted a ground search on Trent University property with negative results.

If members of the public—including Trent University students—have any information on Brett’s disappearance, you are asked to call police at 705-876-1122.

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