City of Peterborough Issues Waste Disposal, Charging Station and Public Shower Details

The City of Peterborough has released details regarding waste disposal, charging stations and public shower details in response to last weekend’s massive windstorm.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Temporary green waste drop-off site

A temporary green waste drop-off location for trees and brush resulting from the storm on Saturday will open at 425 Kennedy Rd. starting this Saturday until further notice with no disposal fees for residents as part of the storm recovery efforts.

The site is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

Residents can bring any trees, brush, leaves and sticks that were generated by the storm to the temporary drop-off area. Other green waste, such as grass clippings and garden waste, will not be accepted at the temporary drop-off site but can be put out through the regular curbside green waste collection program or taken to the landfill.

The temporary green waste drop-off site will not be accepting any other type of waste generated by the storm, including construction materials and food waste.

To access the temporary green waste drop-off site, residents are asked to enter from River Road South as Highway 115 is reduced to one lane in the area next to the location.

There may be wait times at the temporary green waste drop-off site depending on traffic volume.

Regular green waste curbside collection program

There is no limit on the quantity of green waste that can be placed at the curb however, it must be put out within guidelines on sizes and weights to allow crews to handle the material. Due to the high amount of material, collection may be delayed.

Green Waste includes brush, branches, hedge and tree trimmings, grass clippings, leaves, house and garden plants, trimmings, and small quantities of sod (within weight limits).

All brush and branches must be tied in bundles up to one metre (three feet) in length and 30 centimetres (12 inches) in diameter, weighing no more than 23 kilograms (50 pounds). Larger size items cannot be loaded into the collection vehicle.

Stumps, soil and stones are not accepted through the green waste collection.

As an alternative to curbside collection, the City accepts green waste at the Bensfort landfill at a fee of $7 for 100 kilograms or less of material or for $95 per tonne for the entire load.

For green waste collection questions, please call 705-745-1386.

Garbage and recycling collection

For the waste collection periods of May 24 - 27 and May 31 - June 3, the City is adjusting its garbage collection guidelines to allow one extra garbage bag or one extra garbage can (lift) to be put out for collection for each household, increasing the limit to three from two, to accommodate the disposal of spoiled food due to the extended power outages.

A lift is:

• One plastic garbage bag no greater than 66 centimetres by 90 centimetres and a maximum of 23 kilograms (50 pounds) in weight;

• One garbage can no greater than 125 litres (30 gallons) with side handles and a lid and 23 kilograms (50 pounds) in weight; or

• One item less than one metre (three feet) in length and 23 kilograms (50 lbs.) in weight.

Peterborough residents may also take garbage directly to the landfill at 1260 Bensfort Rd. during operating hours on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m with all standard fees.

For garbage collection matters, please call 705-745-1386.

For general waste management related questions, please call 705-742-7777, ext. 1657.

While the garbage collection limit is adjusted for the storm response, the City asks that residents please separate out recyclable materials before throwing out food waste. There is no limit on the amount of recyclables that can be put out for collection each week. Recyclable materials can also be taken to the Recycling Depot on Pido Road at no charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Access to charging stations and showers

The City is providing access to showers at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre.

Individuals must ask to use the showers to get access to the amenities at the facilities.

For those looking to charge electronic devices and electronic mobility aids, the following locations are available for charging devices during their regular operating hours:

• Peterborough Public Library

• Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre

• Healthy Planet Arena

• Peterborough Museum and Archives

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Local Food Truck Owner Steps Up And Offers Meals To Anyone Without Power

Travis Berlenbach, owner of Trip Taco food truck in Peterborough put a pause on business as usual after a devastating storm hit the area on Saturday and offered residents soup and sandwiches while many were left without power.

Berlenbach was busy setting up his Taco truck at Fleming College for the Electric City football game when the storm hit.

“We just got set up and then the storm hit,” he said. “It was pretty crazy. We had to bring some people into the trailer because I saw things flying through the air and I knew it was a risk to try and make it to the building.”

After the storm, Berlenbach began to hear of the mass power outages in the city, though he still had power. He knew he needed to do something.

“I wanted to open on Sunday, but I wasn’t able to get into my shop because it’s at one of the only gas stations open in town,” he said.

He says he didn’t realize the extent of the damage and amount of people out of power and food until he went to visit his mom.

“Normally it annoys me when I see fast food joint packed, being a tiny local taco shop but I realized people weren’t there to get burgers and fries, they were there out of necessity,” said Berlenbach.

Berlenbach says because of working in restaurants his whole life, he is quite resourceful.

In a social media post on Monday, Berlenbach announced his plans to put together soup and sandwiches to distribute at his food truck, and that he wouldn’t be officially charging anything - though welcomed people to pay what they could.

“My job is to feed people and I just wanted to try and do that as best as I could I guess. I know what it’s like to have your back against the wall needing something. I have something right now, not much but I have it if people need it,” said Berlenbach.

Trip Taco is located at 1794 Chemong Rd. They offer catering for events of all sizes.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

The Canadian Canoe Museum Closed Due to Windstorm Damage

Extensive damage from Saturday’s windstorm has caused the Canadian Canoe Museum to close while it undergoes repairs announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum.

The museum is temporarily closed until June 4, reopening at 10 a.m.

Damage includes torn signage from high winds, blown-out windows in the Collection Centre and downed trees at both locations. The main building's roof suffered significant damage with several attachments being blown off. It resulted in rain and moisture entering the galleries, soaking several different parts of the museum.

No one or collection pieces were injured or damaged during this windstorm.

The Museum is reopening with its summer operating hours in effect (Wednesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Any pre-purchased tickets for May 22 to June 3 will be refunded.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Weekend Youth Box Lacrosse Tournament Cancelled To Allow Hotel Availability For Emergency Workers

The 2022 Laker Classic youth box lacrosse tournament scheduled for this Saturday has been cancelled due to the ongoing emergency situation from last week’s windstorm.

File Photo.

The City’s Emergency Control Group discovered yesterday that roughly 600 out-of-town electrical utility workers who are in Peterborough to assist with power restoration risked losing their hotel rooms due to lack of available rooms.

Room availability coordination for hotel rooms were not made according to a press release. Not enough rooms were available for the electrical utility workers aiding the emergency response efforts.

Cancelling the tournament aids in easing the pressure on hotel room availability. The tournament would use the Peterborough Memorial Centre, Kinsmen Civic Centre and Healthy Planet Arena.

The City has issued the following statement regarding the cancellation of the tournament:

“The City regrets both having to cancel the use of the facilities for this event as well as the timing of the decision. Restoring power to all residents and businesses remains a priority following the devastating storm on May 21, 2022.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Parks and Trails Closed From Windstorm Until Further Notice

All City of Peterborough parks and trails are closed until condition assessments can be done from fallen trees from the Saturday windstorm announced Thursday.

There have been almost 12,100 requests for service through the City of Peterborough Public Works since the storm on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The following parks/fields are open for usage and permitted activities:

• Baseball diamonds – Bowers Park, Brinton Carpet, Bonnerworth North and South, Fairbairn/Poplar, Kinsmen, Milroy, Northland, Stacey Green and Turner

• Sports fields – Eastgate Hogan, Eastgate Mark Forrester, Milroy and Kinsmen

• Bonnerworth skatepark

• Simcoe and Bethune basketball courts

The City has urged everyone to respect park closures and to stay away from trees, on public and private property until the condition of the trees can be assessed and any necessary remediation work is completed as trees and limbs have continued to fall.

As incoming inclement weather approaches with higher winds, a tree that may appear to be safe could have structural damage that poses a risk.

Inspections have begun in City parks and trails. Nicholls Oval, Jackson Park and Sherbrooke Woods have sustained substantial damage to treed areas.

Parks that are re-opened following assessments will be posted at peterborough.ca/stormresponse as they are re-opened or residents can call 705-742-7777 ext. 0 for an update.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

NDP's Andrea Horwath Hits Peterborough Days After Massive Windstorm Strikes Town

New Democratic Party (NDP) provincial leader Andrea Horwath stopped in Peterborough to witness the damage from Saturday’s massive windstorm on Wednesday afternoon.

NDP Provincial Leader Andrea Horwath (left), Mayor Diane Therrien (middle) and Peterborough-Kawartha riding candidate Jen Deck at the Lions Club where several large trees were uprooted from Saturday’s windstorm. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Horwath came at Mayor Diane Therrien’s request shortly after the storm hit the area. It was the first day Horwath went back on tour from isolation since she tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday.

“It's shocking to see the impact of the storm,” said Horwath. “One minute, everything was a normal Saturday afternoon and then within a matter of minutes, complete havoc rained through the community and that's a scary thing. Seeing it physically makes me feel a lot of concern for people who actually went through it."

“There's a lot of devastation," said Therrien. “We still have a lot of residents without power and a lot of folks who are really struggling. We worry about seniors that are isolated and some of the folks in some of the high-rise buildings with accessibility issues are certainly a concern so the City's been doing everything they can.”

Therrien, Horwath and Peterborough-Kawartha riding candidate Jen Deck walked around the East City area and discussed issues that needed to be addressed as a result of the storm’s damage.

“I think these kinds of incidents reinforce the imperative that we have to deal with the climate emergency," said Horwath. “Our plan, the Green New Democratic Deal is one that is very proactive that will bring our greenhouse gas emissions down by 50 percent by 2030 and have a carbon-neutral economy by 2050."

Horwath was critical of the province’s disaster response system.

"The disaster response system in Ontario has never really functioned very well so people end up waiting sometimes years for any kind of financial assistance and that's not just good enough," explained Horwath. "We need to be getting financial assistance into people's pockets as quickly as possible, our plan calls for a 30-day maximum in terms of having to wait."

@ptbo_canada #PTBOCanada resident caught Saturdays #ONStorm from their apartment building. Transformers & Hydro lines down all over the city🤳: Nevil Patel #Derecho #Weather #Transformer ♬ Stan by Eminem - vanessa

Therrien called a state of emergency for Peterborough earlier that morning after submitting the declaration to the province yesterday.

"The state of emergency helps the municipality by giving us a little bit more flexibility to work around the normal government process,” said Therrien. “Government doesn't always work the fastest so being able to call in different partners rather than go through a procurement process, just to be able to say we need this kind of equipment, we need this kind of people and volunteers now. It just gives us the ability to be more nimble in our decision making."

Therrien could not offer a timeline of when the state of emergency will be lifted.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Most Areas In Peterborough To Have Restored Power By End of Tuesday

Most of the City is expected to have power restored by Hydro One while damage caused by Saturday’s severe windstorm is under repair.

File Photo.

The storm is causing extreme pressure on City of Peterborough public works, forestry, and waste collection services. Crews are doing their best to address storm damage and respond to the increased volume of material.

City crews are prioritizing requests for service related to downed trees along streets and sidewalks. With the extent of the damage, there is a significant backlog. Residents are asked to refrain from calling more than once to report a location. Requests are logged and prioritized.

As some streets may still be blocked by downed trees and power lines, some areas may not receive curbside waste collection on their scheduled day this week if crews are unable to safely access the area in waste collection vehicles at the time of collection.

Green waste

There is no limit on the quantity of green waste that can be placed at the curb; however, it must be put out within guidelines on sizes and weights to allow crews to handle the material. Due to the high amount of material, collection may be delayed.

Green Waste includes brush, branches, hedge and tree trimmings, grass clippings, leaves, house and garden plants, trimmings and small quantities of sod (within weight limits).

All brush and branches must be tied in bundles up to one metre (three feet) in length and 30 centimetres (12 inches) in diameter, weighing no more than 23 kilograms (50 pounds). Larger-size items cannot be loaded into the collection vehicle.

Stumps, soil and stones are not accepted through the green waste collection.

As an alternative to curbside collection, the City accepts green waste at the Bensfort landfill at a fee of $7 for 100 kilograms or less of material or for $95 per tonne for the entire load.

For green waste collection questions, please call 705-745-1386.

Garbage

For this week and next week, the City will be adjusting its garbage collection guidelines to allow one extra garbage bag or one extra garbage can (lift) to be put out for collection for each household, increasing the limit to three from two, to accommodate the disposal of spoiled food due to the extended power outages.

A lift is:

• One plastic garbage bag no greater than 66 centimetres by 90 centimetres and a maximum of 23 kilograms (50 pounds) in weight;

• One garbage can no greater than 125 litres (30 gallons) with side handles and a lid and 23 kilograms (50 pounds) in weight; or

• One item less than one metre (three feet) in length and 23 kilograms (50 pounds) in weight.

Peterborough residents may also take garbage directly to the landfill at 1260 Bensfort Rd. during operating hours. Please refer to the City website at peterborough.ca for further details.

For garbage collection matters, please call 705-745-1386.

For general waste management related questions, please call 705-742-7777, ext. 1657.

While the garbage collection limit is adjusted for the storm response, the City asks that residents please separate out recyclable materials before throwing out food waste. There is no limit on the amount of recyclables that can be put out for collection each week. Recyclable materials can also be taken to the Recycling Depot on Pido Road at no charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

City facilities

City Hall at 500 George St. N. and the Peterborough Waste Management Facility/landfill on Bensfort Road will re-open for in-person services on Wednesday. The landfill is only able to accommodate transactions for customers using cash or customers with landfill accounts until its internet and phone service are restored (updates will be provided when services are restored).

Other City facilities are closed for public use for regular services on Wednesday.

Social Services will offer in-person service at the Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N. on Wednesday for emergency basic needs assistance for clients. For all other inquiries, clients should contact their case workers by phone or email. Social Services will transfer to the Social Services office on Charlotte Street when power is restored to that facility.

Peterborough Transit is operating regular service. The customer kiosk at the downtown terminal is currently closed due to the power outage.

Access to showers and charging for electronics

For anyone who needs access to showers, the City will provide access to showers at Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, Healthy Planet Arena and Kinsmen Civic Centre from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 25 and May 26 Individuals must ask to use the showers to get access to the amenities at the facilities.

For those looking to charge electronic devices and electronic mobility aids, the following locations will be available for charging devices (regular services at the locations will not be available) on Wednesday, May 25, 2022:

• Peterborough Public Library, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Healthy Planet Arena, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Peterborough Museum and Archives, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Safety

The City strongly encourages residents to stay away from trees in parks and on trails. Assessment of damage continues. Damaged trees may not yet be identified or addressed, which may be hazardous with limbs that may fall. The cleanup following the storm is ongoing and it will take some time for crews to move throughout all of the City’s parks and trails.

Emergency services urge residents to only use 9-1-1 for emergencies. They are experiencing a higher-than-normal volume of non-emergency calls to 9-1-1.

Peterborough Fire Services reminds residents that open-air burning with wood is not permitted in the City. Only outdoor fire appliances that burn propane or natural gas are permitted. Chimneys and other wood-burning devices are not approved.

Residents are asked to refrain from raking green waste, including leaves and branches, into the streets as they are a hazard to cyclists and vehicles using the road, and it may block catch basins, which could lead to local flooding.

Community food programs

• Community agencies continue to provide food programs, including:

• Salvation Army, 219 Simcoe St., takeaway breakfast, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday through Friday

• One Roof Community Centre, 99 Brock St., take away lunch, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

• Kawartha Food Share continues to support its member food banks that are operating throughout the community

• Community Care meals program

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

PtboPics: Here Are Pictures People Sent To Us Of The Wind Storm Damage Today

Today was definitely bad hair day. Crazy winds. Here are just a few of the images that people emailed to us or tweeted to us.

For more on the wind damage, check out this CHEX report.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.