6th Annual Great Canadian Family Day To Take Place At The Canadian Canoe Museum

With hands-on festival fun for the entire family, The Canadian Canoe Museum is hosting its 6th Annual Great Canadian Family Day on February 17th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

This event offers a chance for local families to come together for one-of-a-kind experiences in the museum’s galleries. With more than 15 stations featuring interactive activities and high-quality take home crafts, children of all ages will be entertained and engaged.

Back by popular demand, children can craft their own clothes-pin paddlers and then watch them fly through the galleries on the voyageur canoe zip line.

Kids can also create their own shadow puppets and scratch art, just like on some of the museum’s birch bark canoes.

photo courtesy canadian canoe museum

In addition, a pop-up Canoe Café will offer families the opportunity to relax and refresh with hot drinks and snacks while watching short animated films before heading back into the galleries. 

photo courtesy canadian canoe museum

Admission is priced per family at $30, but is free with the purchase of a Family Membership—specially priced at $40. Among other benefits, a Family Membership includes free admission year-round!

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The McLean Family Selected As 2019 Farm Family Of The Year

The Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture and the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce have announced the McLean family, of 2191 16th Line, Lakefield as the 2019 Farm Family of the Year.

In January 1991, Sam and Jane McLean purchased the farm and moved in with their two small children, Ben and Erin. In 2010, with Ben and Erin’s increasing involvement, the McLeans purchased a second berry farm, Buckhorn Berry Farm, one concession north of the McLeans’ home farm. 

The McLean Family

They now work both farms, harvesting strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, snap peas, beans, asparagus, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers, currants, rhubarb, squash and zucchini; they also produce maple syrup, jam, pickles, and preserves.

Aerial view of farm

At McLean Berry Farm, the main store offers produce from the farm as well as other local farms. Each spring, the McLeans welcome families from all over to their sugarbush and sugar shack for their annual Maplefest. 

The sugar shack

At Buckhorn Berry Farm, the family offers two on-farm stores, pick your own strawberries and raspberries, and other fruits and vegetables. 

The family also hosts the annual Pumpkinfest, attracting 13,000 visitors in 2019. Each farm also sells to local grocery stores and attends various farmers’ markets throughout the region.

The family uses a number of growing techniques including trickle irrigation, day neutral strawberries, fall raspberries and high tunnels in order to extend and improve their growing season and provide fresh fruits and vegetables each season.

The McLean family is actively involved in volunteering in the farming community, including service on the Haliburton Kawartha Maple Syrup Producers Association, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, Farmers’ Market Ontario, and the Lakefield Farmers’ Market.

In 2017, McLean Berry Farm was awarded the Tourism/Hospitality Award and Erin McLean received the Young Professional of the Year Award from the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism. 

The award will be presented at the Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture Annual Banquet on Friday, November 22nd, at the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.

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Enjoy Beautiful Jackson Park This Thanksgiving Weekend

The leaves are changing just in time for Thanksgiving Weekend here in Peterborough and there is no better place to go and see them than Jackson Park!

Whether for family photos or just a chance to take in the Autumn air, be sure to go for a stroll on the many trails.

Parking is usually pretty cramped in the entrance off Fairbairn Street, so don't forget the huge parking and entrance just off Bonaccord Street.

—post & photos by Evan Holt

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Help A Family Get Their New Goalie Equipment Back Lost Off A Truck

On Saturday morning, a family on the way to an arena for a Liftlock Atom Hockey Tournament game lost a bag full of brand new goalie equipment when it fell off the back of their truck somewhere between Warkworth and Norwood (see map below). Call Shane at 705.924.2213 if you find it.

More info below via our friends at The Wolf's Facebook page...

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The Mystery Photo Album That A Peterborough Woman Is Trying To Solve

Peterborough photojournalist Niki Allday has always had a fascination with photography and historical things. So when her Uncle Sean was at a rummage sale near Grafton, Ontario this summer and spotted an old photo album from an unknown family, he picked it up and brought it to Niki. 

"The album seems to be a family tree of some sort," Niki tells PTBOCanada. "I would love to get these photos back to the family. I know I would be so thankful to have memories like this of my family."

See pictures below from the album that Niki sent us—they look to be from the late 19th/early 20th century, and the name "Little" appears on several—and share on your social media channels. Contact her if you know the family that would like this back.

Photo album cover

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Help A Peterborough Woman's Little Brother With His Spinal Surgery Fund

Sean is an 11-year-old who was born with a severe chromosome disorder, as well as autism...

Sean

Sean has gone through countless surgeries and procedures each year of his life to help his health. He is currently recovering at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto from his latest and most serious surgical procedure—unteathering his spinal cords.

Despite his serious condition, Sean remains positive—full of strength and hope.

His older sister Jordan Slavik—who lives in Peterborough and is married to friend of PTBOCanada Brandon Slavik—is trying to get the word out about a GoFundMe campaign that has been started to help with the expensive cost of Sean's home care in Newmarket that will be needed for months after he gets home from the hospital.

My wife's lil bro had spinal surgery yesterday & we're looking for help going on-http://t.co/VBtRkwVwDR Your help is beyond appreciated!

— Brandon Slavik (@slavikPTBO) May 16, 2015

The money raised will go towards assisting with hospital bills, medication costs, and nurses that will be required nearly around the clock when Sean returns home.

Spread the word on your social media channels, and give what you can here. The campaign is attempting to raise $5,000, and almost $1,000 has been raised so far.

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Benefit For Peterborough's Ryan O'Brien & Family January 31st At Dr. J's

On December 26th, Peterborough's Ryan O'Brien was rushed to the Kingston hospital due to an aneurysm which caused a stroke. The stroke resulted in Ryan being paralyzed on his left side. He has undergone two brain surgeries and is still in ICU there on a ventilator—with his family travelling back and forth to Kingston to visit. His road to recovery will be a long one. Ryan, his partner Melissa and their four children need your help.

A benefit has been organized for January 31st starting at 8 pm at Dr. J's, with Missy Knott and Scarlett Grace performing, Brian Ellis serving as the MC & DJ, and the headliner Colt Harvey. There will be a silent auction table with a variety of merchandise and door prizes. All proceeds will go to help this family, which is in need of financial support during this difficult time. For more details on the event, go here.

Please share on your social media channels.

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