Peterborough Ranked One Of Most Active Cities In Canada

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Expedia has ranked Peterborough one of the 21 most active cities in Canada. 

Some of the factors Expedia looked at in compiling their list include: average number of marathons and hiking trails; access to bike paths, trails, and races; per capita gyms; and abundance of outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing, etc.

Photo by Neil Morton, PTBOCanada

"To paraphrase Salt-N-Pepa, you’ve got to push it when you’re in Peterborough, Ontario," Expedia says of Peterborough.

"This means pushing your endurance along Trent Canal when you’re riding your bike next to dozens of pros. Pushing your body up just a little higher off the safe ground at Rock and Rope Climbing Centre. And pushing your paddle skills on Little Lake to one day earn a glittering spot at the Canadian Canoe Museum in town."

Click here to view Expedia's entire ranking.

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The Awesome Open Street Community Event Peterborough Pulse Is This Saturday

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Beautiful downtown Peterborough is about to become a vibrant, car-free corridor this Saturday (July 21st) with the return of Peterborough Pulse, which reimagines the possibility of community and the public realm for a single day

This is when for one summer day, the streets are filled with cyclists and roller-skaters, families pushing strollers, karate and fencing demonstrations, art and music, and more.

Now in its 4th year, Pulse will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s Pulse route will run along George Street from McDonnel St. to Sherbrooke St. and will include Charlotte Street from George St. to Aylmer St.
 
New this year is a snack hub—delicious idea!—on Charlotte Street next to the George Street intersection.

This year, the Pulse team will be expanding the Pulse effect all summer long with the Pulse Play Guide. The Pulse Play Guide is a uniquely local summer passport curated to reflect the magic of Pulse with recreation activities the whole family can discover together, from axe throwing to star gazing.

The Play Guide will offer families free access to some of the most spectacular recreation opportunities offered in the city of Peterborough. Printed Play Guides can be picked up at a number of the local art galleries and museums including: The Museum and Archives, Hutchinson House, The Canadian Canoe Museum, Art Gallery of Peterborough, and the OFAH Heritage Centre.

A download option of the guide will also be made available on the Pulse website here. 

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There Is A Spectacular Lavender Field Oasis Near Peterborough In Bloom Now

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If you love lavender, take a drive to 8667 Gilmour Road in Port Hope near Peterborough and you will find your heaven.

It is there you will have a unique experience at a place called Laveanne—a tranquil oasis connecting nature, local food, culture and community.

There are rows and rows of this beautiful, scented purple haze which are in bloom for July.

Look at Laveanne from above, this labrinth is spectacular...

"It's absolutely stunning," says Peterborough's Eileen Kimmett who recently visited.

This bench and its scents and romantic views awaits you...

According to their website, "the bloom is short, and the best time is between the 2nd- 3rd week of July to see the most intense colour and experience the amazing buzz of thousands of Honeybees."

They start to harvest the fields the last week of July, as in August all the blooms are distilled in their lavender essential oil. The fields close for two weeks from August 1st to August 15th to allow them to harvest, process and prune their plants. Their gift shop will remain open during this time.

In July, you can even do yoga among the blooms...

For July, Laveanne is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, smell, er... click here.

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PTBOCANADA


It's Playtime For Adults: Peterborough’s First Adult Outdoor Gym Opens

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It's playtime for adults as the City’s first Adult Outdoor Gym officially opened at Beavermead Park on Wednesday, June 13th.

Mayor Daryl Bennett was joined by Len Lifchus, President, Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha and Andi van Koeverden, President, Rotary Club of Peterborough for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Ribbon cutting ceremony on June 13th

The outdoor gym equipment was funded thanks to contributions of $25,000 each from Rotary Club of Peterborough-Kawartha and the Rotary Club of Peterborough and $40,000 committed by the City of Peterborough.

Rotary Outdoor Gym is located in Beavermead Park adjacent to the volleyball courts and near the children’s playground. It includes a variety of exercise machines, some of which are accessible for people with disabilities.

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PTBOCANADA


Barnardo Park Splash Pad Opens With A Splash

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Just in time for summer, the City of Peterborough celebrated the grand opening of the Barnardo Park Splash pad on Tuesday, June 12th.

The rehabilitation of Barnardo Park includes:

-> a new splash pad
-> replacement of play structures
-> upgrades to walkways and parking areas to improve the accessibility of the park

Photo courtesy City of Peterborough

The project was supported by a $300,000 Ontario150 Community Capital Program grant.

"This new state-of-the-art splash pad will be a great addition to the north end of Peterborough,” says Councillor Andrew Beamer. “The new playground equipment, modern splash pad and accessible features throughout the park will ensure that families will continue to enjoy the park for years to come.”

The Barnardo Park Splash Pad (955 Barnardo Avenue) will be open daily throughout the summer from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Lansdowne Place Train Running Again Until March 31st

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First introduced when it ran last summer and was a popular attraction with kids, the trackless train is running again at Lansdowne Place until March 31st.

The mall is always looking for new activities families can enjoy together, and bringing this back in the winter months was a great idea. 

The train is available to all ages—it's $3 per ride, and only $2 on Thursdays—and runs on the following days:

Wednesday: 11AM - 7PM

Thursday: 11AM - 7PM

Friday: 11AM - 7PM

Saturday: 10AM - 6PM

Sunday: 11AM - 5PM

For the month of February, the train will run on the upper level of the mall and for the month of March, it will run on the lower level.

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PTBOCANADA


Morrow Park Turned Into A Skating Rink After A Flash Freeze And Skaters Rocked It

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The snow thaw from the rain and then flash freeze on Friday has combined to turn a portion of Morrow Park into a wondrous, relatively smooth ice rink.

Donald Fraser posted great video of the action on Facebook and added on the post, "Sometimes we feel like a small town. The Peterborough Ex fairgrounds froze into a perfect rink. And Peterborough came out to play!"

Watch the vid below...

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PTBOCANADA


Ontario Speed Skating Oval In Lakefield Opens Sunday For 2018 Season

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The Ontario Speed Skating Oval in Lakefield has the ice prepped and ready to go for Sunday (January 7th) starting at 12 noon.

Their devoted ice crews have braved the cold weather this week to build a thick layer of ice. But according to their Facebook page, "because the weather was too cold to use the Zamboni to smooth the ice, the surface is a little uneven."

The Oval is made possible by the work of volunteers and donations from those who visit. To help pay for the cost of making the ice and improving the facility, you can leave a donation when you visit.

This is a bucketlist experience, so make sure to try it!

For more info about the Oval, visit their Facebook page.

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Couple MacGyvers Homemade Curling Rink & Rocks On Pond Near Kinmount

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Taras Pater and his wife Bonny Anderson had friends up to their property on Wasyl Pond near Kinmount, and were looking for a fun outdoor activity to keep them busy.

Since their visitors didn't have skates, Taras and Bonny suggested constructing a curling rink on their pond, and set to improvising both a rink and curling rocks in the most Canadian of ways.

Photo courtesy Taras Pater

Taras tells PTBOCanada how they built it:

"We shovelled off the snow and the ice looked pretty rough underneath. So we proceeded to cut a hole in the ice and poured buckets of water over the surface to smooth it out. As it was very cold out, the water froze fairly quickly.

The next trick was making curling 'rocks'. I cut some 4" slabs of pine and screwed in some old kitchen cabinet door pulls that I inherited from a reno to make the handles. When we first tried tossing them, they were way too light and did not glide well at all."

Photo courtesy Taras Pater

Photo courtesy Taras Pater

Bonny can up with a tweak that made all the difference and allowed the rocks to switchin' to glide, Taras tells PTBOCanada.

"My wife, Bonny, came up with the brilliant idea of dipping the bottoms of the rocks in the hole we cut. The water froze up quickly and after about a dozen or so dips and freezings of each stone, we had a good inch of ice on the bottoms of each rock."

"Not only did the stones get considerably heavier, but they also got a great amount of glide as well," adds Taras, who doesn't curl himself but whose mother-in-law Maxine is an avid curler in Lindsay. "We considered painting a house as well but opted for a wood stump as a target instead."

Photo courtesy Taras Pater

Here is a close-up of the rocks that Taras MacGyvered from 4" slabs of pine and old kitchen cabinet door pulls...

Photo courtesy Taras Pater

Oh, and one more neat timbit, er, tidbit from Taras about where the rink was constructed:

"I had the privilege of naming the pond, Wasyl, after my deceased father, as almost all of the pond lies on our property and I noticed it was unnamed on Google maps."
 

Bonny and Taras

Yep, his Dad would be proud. And maybe now, this pond will sweep its way onto Google maps.

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Lansdowne Place Has A Silent Train On Sunday Mornings For Kids With Sensory Sensitivities

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Lansdowne Place has launched a train at the mall this summer, and it's already been a hit with kids and their parents as Engineer Rick leads rides throughout the mall.

But those with sensory issues can also now enjoy "Lansdowne Place Station", as it's been fondly called by passengers. The mall has added a "Silent Train" to its trackless train inside the Shopping Centre on Sunday mornings before it opens for those with sensory sensitivites.

As many mall-goers know, the innovative mall has been running a "Silent Santa" as well for years during the Christmas season, and the mall wanted to offer the same experience to those families who want to use the train.

"There are many families in the community that benefit from our Silent Santa program so when we were asked by a parent if the mall would also host silent train rides, the answer was YES," says LP's marketing director Emily Dart. "We understand that the mall can be very overwhelming for an individual with sensory sensitivities, which is why the Silent Train runs each Sunday morning before Lansdowne Place opens. This will allow families to enjoy the train without the distraction of busy crowds and loud noises."

The "Silent Train" runs Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 10:45 am. on the upper level of the mall until August 27th.

For more details about the train, including a listing of the train’s operating hours, visit lansdowneplace.com.

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