Peterborough Blogs
North-End Fire Station Gets Groundbreaking Ceremony From City of Peterborough
/The construction of a new Fire Station No. 2 has officially been marked by a groundbreaking ceremony on 100 Marina Blvd. at the former Northcrest Arena location held on Thursday.
Lett Architects Inc. designed the fire station to be completed for the fall of 2024. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The new fire station is replacing the Carnegie Avenue location which was built in 1967. It will aid in making fire response times quicker since you have three minutes to escape a building without injury according to Peterborough Fire Services Chief Chris Snetsinger.
He continues to state that the replacement of Fire Station 2 is necessary as the needs of fire services have evolved since the current station was built in 1967.
“The station has served our community well over the years, but because of its design it has become increasingly challenging to provide the services that are necessary from the existing station,” said Snetsinger. “The new station is designed and strategically located to support our community’s existing neighbourhoods and projected growth.”
The new facility is being built following the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Standard for both design and performance according to Councillor Leslie Parnell.
The building is designed to achieve net zero energy performance using onsite renewable energy to reduce operating and maintenance costs.
“The new fire station will help position and support our Fire Services workers as they respond to emergency calls in our community,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “By building it using Zero Carbon standards, we’re reducing our environmental footprint in our delivery of this essential service.”
Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.
JCB Construction Canada was awarded the construction contract by the City for $10 million.
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Two Partnerships Lead To Increase In Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams For Peterborough Police
/Three Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams are working in the communities of Peterborough, Lakefield and Cavan-Monaghan after the Peterborough Police Service entered two partnerships announced on Thursday.
(Mental Health Nurse D. Forsyth (front) with (fron left to right) Constable J. Rye; Constable J. Morris; Mental Health Worker M.Faught (CMHA); Mental Health Worker A. Swift (CMHA); Constable S. Leavitt) at the Peterborough Police Station. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.
The partnerships are with Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) and Peterborough Regional Health Centre PRHC) according to a press release.
In each case, a mental health worker, nurse or social worker is partnered with an officer to respond to crisis incidents and to follow up on cases where their services may help.
“As a service, we have been working extremely hard with our community partners to put the funding and people in place,” says Inspector Jamie Hartnett, Operations, Peterborough Police. “The Service understands and believes in the success these partnerships can have for our community. They are making a difference.”
“We are extremely grateful for the Partnership with Peterborough Police Services over the past 12 years through the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team. This model has proven successful and we are excited that the team is expanding to include more skilled community partners, like PRHC,” said Mark Graham, CMHA HKPR CEO.
“Partnerships like these are absolutely vital, and we are so pleased to be working closely with Peterborough Police Service and CMHA to provide community-based care, when and where it is needed, for people who are experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Sean Martin, PRHC Vice President. “Among many other important benefits, the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team model has been shown to reduce the number of patient visits to the hospital’s emergency department and crisis response unit.”
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Hometown PTBO: Peterborough Police Chief Stuart Betts About Becoming Chief and Meeting His Wife In Peterborough
/This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with new Peterborough Police Service chief Stuart Betts about meeting his wife in Peterborough, his hobbies and interests and becoming police chief.
Peterborough Police Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson Announces Retirement After 36-Year Tenure
/After more than 36 years of service, Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson announced his retirement from the Peterborough Police Service announced on Wednesday.
File Photo.
His retirement will be effective on March. 1. He is assuming the role of Chief of Police for Port Hope.
“The Peterborough Police Services Board acknowledges and thanks Tim Farquharson for his exemplary dedication to serving the citizens of Peterborough, Township of Cavan-Monaghan and Village of Lakefield over the past 36 years,” said Mary ten Doeschate, Peterborough Police Service board chair. “His commitment to the service members and community was most recently noted as he took on the role of Acting Chief during the past year.”
Farquharson began as a Constable with the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service (now Peterborough Police Service) in 1986. During his 36-year tenure, he has worked Front Line and Community Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Intelligence, Drug Unit and Support Services, at all ranks - most recently as Deputy Chief of Police. He became Acting Chief after former chief Scott Gilbert abruptly retired on Feb. 7 last year. He has then been relieved by new chief Stuart Betts.
Farquharson has been recognized as a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Services for his role in the Peterborough Drug Strategy Task Force and received several honours of exemplary service and leadership in policing.
He has been an advocate of helping issues such as homelessness, mental health and addiction. He has developed support and raised awareness on those issues such as his ‘Stand With Tim’ campaign.
“The Board wishes Deputy Farquharson all the best on his upcoming retirement,” concluded Doeschate.
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Acting Captain Christopher Roberts Retires After a 19-Year Tenure With Peterborough Fire Services
/Peterborough Fire Services acting captain Christopher Roberts is retiring as Tuesday is his last day with the service announced on Facebook on Monday.
Photo courtesy of Peterborough FIre Services.
“We would like to extend all the best to Christopher as he moves on to the next chapter in his life. You will be missed,” said Peterborough Fire Services in a Facebook post.
Roberts spent 19 years and eight months with Peterborough Fire Services, joining on May 26, 2003.
“I had a great career with fantastic people,” commented Roberts on Facebook.
Peterborough Police Service Swear In New Chief Stuart Betts
/Stuart Betts has been sworn in and is official chief of the Peterborough Police Service in a ceremony in the Austin Doran Hall of the Mount Community Centre on Monday.
Police constable Mike Lasseter (left) plays in newly sworn-in Peterborough Police Service chief Stuart Betts (right) who assumes the role on Monday. Betts
Over 100 people were in attendance for the ceremony including Mayor Jeff Leal, Councillor Gary Baldwin, Councillor Keith Riel and officers from around the province for the ceremony among others.
Betts was the Deputy Chief of Operations and Deputy Chief of Administration for the London Police Service prior to joining Peterborough. He brings 26 years of policing into his new role.
“You can expect me to be open, accessible and very present,” said Betts. “I intend to be very public in this community, I see that the role of Chief of Police is more than just Chief of Police, it's about being a leader in the community and that's a role I intend to take very seriously.”
Betts has been familiar with the city as his wife is from Peterborough and he met her here. His first concern is to continue familiarizing himself with the community.
“My first and foremost priority is to really get embedded in the police service, to learn the people, what makes a police service and the people who work here,” said Betts. “My number one priority is to get to know the people who work here so that I know how they're serving the community and then to see what we can do to continue that service and where we can and can't service.”
During Betts’s career, he has served as Frontline Patrol to Executive Services as well as Support Services and Administrative departments.
Betts has completed the Senior Management Institute for Police with the Police Executive Research Forum at the University of Boston and the Police Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Executive Management at the University of Toronto. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from York University, a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the University of Fredericton and is pursuing a second Masters degree in Law in Alternative Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School.
The newly-appointed police chief is also a certified Canadian Risk Manager and certified Change Management Practitioner. He has served as the co-chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Information and Statistics Committee.
Enbridge Gas Assisting Douro-Dummer Fire Services in Supporting Firefighter Training
/Enbridge Gas Inc. is helping Douro-Dummer Fire Services (DDFS) purchase firefighting training materials through a Safe Community Project Assist $5,000 donation announced Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of Enbridge Gas and Douro-Dummer fire services.
The announcement was made at Fire Station 4 in Warsaw with Fire Chief Chuck Pedersen, Deputy Fire Chief Derrick Huffman, Mayor Heather Watson and Ian Moase, GTA East Region operations manager of Enbridge Gas in attendance.
The Safe Community Project Assist program with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) supplements existing training for Ontario volunteer and composite fire departments in the communities where Enbridge Gas operates.
“At Enbridge Gas, safety is our priority. We’re proud to support Ontario firefighters who share our commitment to keeping our communities safe, healthy and vibrant,” said Moase.
This year’s $250,000 donation from Enbridge Gas will be shared by 50 Ontario fire departments including Douro-Dummer Fire Services. Funds will be used to purchase educational materials to assist in training firefighters in life-saving techniques.
Since the launch of Safe Community Project Assist in 2012, 294 grants have been provided to Ontario fire departments for additional firefighter training according to Enbridge Gas in a press release.
“These resources from Enbridge Gas are timely and much appreciated as we ramp up testing for firefighter certification to meet our new legislative requirements,” said Pedersen.
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No Injuries In George Street Apartment Fire; Estimated $75,000 In Damages
/Peterborough Fire Services were called to an apartment building on George Street after reports of smoke coming from it around 2:20 a.m. on Monday morning.
File photo.
Upon arrival, PFS says the third floor of the building was completely charged with smoke. The fire was located in one apartment and was extinguished before spreading any further.
No injuries were reported and the fire's cause is currently under investigation according to acting captain Jude Rutland. $75,000 in damages has been reported.
Peterborough Fire Services Extinguishes Wolfe Street Tent Fire
/Peterborough Fire Services aided someone out of a fiery tent on a property on Wolfe Street, east of Aylmer Street, on Sunday.
Peterborough Fire Services have responded to fires at the Wolfe Street tenting site eight times in the last four weeks. File photo.
