Peterborough Pride Celebrates Diversity with 'Change Starts Here' Pride Week

Nogojiwanong/Peterborough Pride Week will take place this year from September 17-26. This is the 19th year of Pride in Peterborough.

Peterborough Pride held a T-Shirt design contest this year. The winning design was submitted by Chantel Daniels and Julie Stender. Their design will be featured on t-shirts sold this year, they also received a $100 prize. Photo from PTBOPride.

The theme of the 2021 Pride Week is “Change Starts Here”. The gay or queer rights movement was born out of a need for fundamental change to end the oppression, discrimination, and violence against 2SLGBTQ+* individuals, says Peterborough Pride.

“Over the last 50 or so years we have seen laws change to end the oppression and to provide equal rights,” said Peterborough Pride in a press release. “That said, violence and discrimination against People of Colour and Black, Indigenous, and Queer individuals has continued. We all have to actively make the changes to the culture that perpetuates these injustices.”

Due to COVID-19 there will be no parade, march or large gatherings during Pride Week this year.

Various community run virtual events and gatherings will be announced and can be found here.

Peterborough Pride invites community members to show their Pride and express their feelings by decorating their homes and businesses to signal that they are part of a welcoming community where nobody needs to feel alone or unsafe.

To learn more about Nogojiwanong/Peterborough Pride Week 2021 go to peterboroughpride.ca

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International Overdose Awareness Day Memorial Event Held At The Silver Bean

A memorial service to honour those lost to drug overdose was held at the Silver Bean Cafe on Tuesday.

White crosses set up at the event to honour those lost to overdose.

The event was hosted by Gail Perry, a member of Moms Stop The Harm, an organization of people impacted by substance use related harm or death.

Perry lost her daughter Jody Smith to complications related to opioid use three years ago.

“I’m not ashamed of how my daughter lost her life,” Parry said. “I’m ashamed of how people pick and choose which life has value.”

Parry says her daughter was mistreated during hospital visits because of her opioid use, which ultimately lead to her death.

“Stigma is deadly,” she said. “It is a killer. It creates dangerous and narrow minded attitudes towards those who need help and understanding. It shames and keeps people silent, alone and in hiding. Stigma interferes with getting the right kind of support and medical attention.”

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Tuesdays event hosted members from local harm reduction offices like PARN, The Elizabeth Fry Society and Fourcast.

The Elizabeth Fry Society provided on-site Narcan kits and training.

“Narcan is a way to help preventable deaths,” said Abby from The Elizabeth Fry Society. “It’s a way to practice empathy, it’s a way to help support people that are struggling in our community that are being stigmatized and demonized by societal expectations that we’ve been fed our entire lives.”

A Narcan kit includes two doses of Naloxone, a nasal spray that is used to reverse overdoses in an emergency situation.

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Witchy Ways Hosts Women at Once in a Blue Moon Full Moon Circle

Witchy Ways Peterborough hosted a community of women for a full moon circle last night under the Sturgeon moon. Visitors were invited to tap into Grandmother Moons energy in a safe, authentic space, free of judgement.

Women in attendance were gifted a few crystals as well as flowers from River Bend Bouquets. Photo courtesy of Angela O’Grady

Witchy Ways was founded by Nicole Turco in January 2020 and Liz Shaughnessy-Rowe joined shortly after. Together they encourage individuals to claim their joy, use their gifts and own a life created by themselves.

The focus of Witchy Ways is crystals, healing, moon cycles, ceremonies and rituals, knowledge exchange, empowerment and reconnection with one’s self.

Written on Witchy Ways Instagram is “The word ‘witch’ was a way to demonize women in their power. There is no warts, flying on brooms or devil worship. Just a woman/man who heal with knowledge and wisdom.”

“One of the hardest things to know is that we are in control of our lives,” said Shaughnessy-Rowe.

Liz Shaughnessy-Rowe and Nicole Turco. Photo by Mary Zita Payne Photography.

A moon circle is hosted for women to honour and celebrate the different cycles of the moon, says Shaughnessy-Rowe. A new moon is a time to set intentions for the month ahead and a full moon is when one makes room for those upcoming intentions by releasing any feeling or practices that may be draining one’s energy.

“The moon is a feminine energy and as women our bodies are controlled by the moon, we have cycles,” she said. “That’s the idea behind the moon circle is, it’s all women and it’s a beautiful, safe space to work on yourself.”

The Full Moon Circle started with a tarot reading and introductions by Shaughnessy-Rowe and horoscopes written by her sister, Brooke Shaughnessy. Shelly Hope led the group in mediation before women were asked to write down anything they want to release.

While all of the women in attendance were there for different reasons and coming from different backgrounds, many found that they had written similar words. Lack of confidence, body shaming, fear of failure and the need to forgive ones self were among common themes shared.

“A lot of people feel uncomfortable being vulnerable, and you will be vulnerable but you’re also going to be supported by the women around you,” said Shaughnessy-Rowe before the event.

In small groups, women discussed what they had written and then burned with whispers of ‘and so it is’ around the circle.

To end the night each woman said thank you. Some said a simple thank you to Witchy Ways for hosting the event, and some thanking everyone in attendance for their acceptance and for making a space unlike any they had ever been a part of.

For updates on the next moon circle and re-caps of past moon circles visit Witchy Ways Instagram.

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The Annual Heritage Hunt Contest Has Started

The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee has launched its annual Heritage Hunt contest.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough

Small groups and individuals are encouraged to test their knowledge of Peterborough’s architecture for a chance to win prizes. The contest consists of identifying 36 architectural details on buildings in a defined area of the city. All details are visible from public areas and both sides of the street are in play.

Booklets are available at the City Hall reception desk, 500 George Street North Monday - Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

An online form, including a map of the area where all the architectural details can be found, is available here.

Prizes will be awarded for the correct identification of the most architectural elements on the clue sheet. This year’s prizes will feature gift cards from local businesses.

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11 Festivals and Events in Peterborough and Area Recieve Over $900,000 in Funding

11 festivals and events in Peterborough and the Kawarthas have received over $900,000 in provincial funding through the 2021 Reconnect Festival and Event Program.

MEGAN MURPHY (LEFT) AND KATE SUHR (RIGHT) of 4th line Theatre. 4th Line theatre is receiving $92,842. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISTAN PEIRCE PHOTOGRAPHY AND 4TH LINE THEATRE.

The Reconnect Festival and Event Program offers non-capital funding for events in Ontario that provide safe experiences virtually or in-person when it is safe to do so.

$43 million was given to 439 festivals and events across Ontario.

11 festivals and cultural organizations hosting events in the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes area are receiving a total of $904,386 in funding.

Among the recipients are Peterborough Music Fest, the 2022 ReFrame Film Festival, 4th Line Theatre and Public Energy’s Pivot 2.0 Series.

For a full list of recipients click here.

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Snoop Dogg Is Coming To Peterborough

9-0-Nickel Entertainment, Energy 99.7 and the Peterborough Memorial Centre are excited to welcome Snoop Dogg to the Peterborough Memorial stage on May 16th.

Snoop Dogg, the legendary record producer, singer and rapper, will be bringing his Snoop Dogg & Friends Tour to the PMC May 16th at 8 p.m. Snoop has amassed 17 Grammy Award nominations in an incredible career.

Also on the bill is Canadian Hip Hop star Peter Jackson, featuring his album which is currently No. 1 on the Canadian charts.

Tickets go on sale April 8 at 10:00 a.m. at memorialcentre.ca, by calling 705.743.3561, or in person at the Baker Tilly Box Office inside the PMC.

Tickets range from $69.99 - $124.99 plus applicable fees and taxes.

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Neil Sanderson Of Three Days Grace Special Guest Speaker At Team 55's 6th Annual Friday Night Lights

On September 21st, all of Peterborough and beyond is invited to Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School for the annual Friday Night Lights, a Team 55 event supporting suicide prevention through the Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge. 

While the event has drawn big crowds in the past, organizers hope this year will be even bigger as they embrace the opportunity to showcase the community’s passion for suicide awareness and mental health to the Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Health, who is expected to be in attendance.

From left to right: Dave Pogue from Team 55, Jack Veitch from CMHA and Jeff Challice from TASSS.

“We really need to get as many people to TASSS on Friday night as possible—we want to pack the place,” says Dave Pogue, founder of Team 55: Let’s Tackle Suicide Awareness.

At the opening ceremonies, this year’s special guest will be speaker Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace. The Canadian band, including the Adam Scott alumnus, is about to embark on a European tour before returning for a Canadian tour in late November.

Friday Night Lights begins September 21st at noon with games and a barbeque, and the Open Ceremonies start at 6 p.m. The main event kick-off is at 7 p.m.

For more on Friday Night Lights and Team 55, watch this recent interview we conducted with Dave Pogue on PTBOCanada show…

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Happy Gilmour! The Biggest Street Sale In Peterborough Is May 27th

It's the 27th Annual Gilmour Street Garage Sale this May—one of the can't miss community events of the year in the city.

As per tradition, the Gilmour Street Garage Sale falls on the Saturday after the long weekend. This year, it's Saturday, May 27th (with a Sunday rain-date) starting at 9 a.m.—although people have been known to show up much earlier than that in the hunt for a good bargain.

The biggest street sale in all of Peterborough—it extends out to many other streets in the neighbourhood, and there are also many sales for charitable organizations in town.

It runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., don't miss it!! Share on your social media channels!!

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Here's The Route Map For The Pokémon Go Party In Downtown Peterborough On Saturday

Downtown has become a hotspot for catching Pokémon, so the Downtown Business Improvement Area and PtboCanada.com are inviting all trainers to the hub of our city on Saturday, August 6th from noon to 5 p.m. to catch as many as they can.

To bring in as many Pokémon as possible, Downtown Peterborough be using lure modules at seven PokeStops.

Saturday’s event will focus on the George Street area between Simcoe and Brock streets as well as Hunter Street between George and Aylmer streets. Here is the route map...

The Pokémon Go event will have several dedicated phone charging stations and there will be a colouring contest sponsored by Gerri’s Arts and Crafts in the Peterborough Square entrance at the corner of George and Simcoe streets.

Hey George!

George, King of Downtown, will also make a guest appearance at noon at the colouring station.

“There’s so much enthusiasm from the community for this event,” says Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area. “It’s great to see a video game that gets people outside and enjoying our beautiful city. This event is an opportunity to do something a little different, have some fun, and enjoy a summer Saturday afternoon downtown.”

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