Local Tech Company Launches Virtual Reality Platform For Users To Explore Global, Historical & Archaeological Sites

Peterborough-based tech company AVROD have officially launched their virtual reality (VR) platform for users to explore global, historical and archaeological sites for free on Viveport, Steam, and SideQuest platforms.

The platform is dedicated to digitizing and sharing the world's archaeological and cultural heritage sites for study and exploration, and is pivoting as a Covid-19 solution to add remote travel and tourism.

AVROD founder Jeremy Brooks using the platform

Users all over the world are now able to virtually travel to 40 real-world, photorealistic locations within the United States, France, Mexico, England, Portugal, Australia, Egypt, Spain, Canada, Scotland, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Japan, India, Belize, Mongolia and Guatemala.

Users can access different locations by using a headset and their preferred platform to experience and interact with the world around them. In addition to Steam, Viveport, and SideQuest, it will be launching soon on the Oculus Store and for Oculus Quest VR headsets.

Jeremy Brooks started AVROD with the help of the Innovation Cluster and its Virtual and Augmented Reality Zone while an archaeology student at Trent University, and his timing couldn’t be more right for a platform like this.

According to Globe Newswire, the augmented and virtual reality market is expected to see an overwhelming growth of over $2 billion dollars by 2027. The current pandemic supports this growth, as industries start to turn virtual. Museums and other tourist attractions now offer virtual tours, and companies continue to look for ways to give customers an out-of-home experience.  

Brooks and AVROD’s Lead Developer, Manan Patel, have been working hard to bring AVROD to life.

 “Our team of students and young professionals, many of whom are from the Peterborough and Kawarthas area, have achieved incredible milestones to launch Canadian-built AVROD globally—including completely developing and launching AVROD remotely during the lockdown,” says Brooks.  

“We are expecting a global demand for our platform as people look to travel, explore, learn, and collaborate remotely and safely,” he adds. “As the company grows, we will be looking to create new jobs, starting here in Peterborough.”

“The launch for AVROD is perfectly positioned as we deal with the global pandemic and a significant worldwide reduction in travel,” says Michael Skinner, CEO of the Innovation Cluster.

“While people are asked to stay indoors, AVROD can provide an alternative experience for people who want to continue to experience the world with this at-home immersive experience. As virtual reality becomes more and more accessible, AVROD is very well aligned to benefit from the endless possibilities of this industry.” 

 

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Where Was Peterborough Located Millions Of Years Ago?

We know Peterborough was incorporated as a city in 1905 (she’s looking pretty good at 115), and we think that if we asked most Ontarians to point to where Peterborough would be on a map, they could tentatively point somewhere between Ottawa and Toronto.

If we were to ask you where the physical location of Peterborough 400 million years ago (hint… it was under water) or even 750 million years ago, you might not know where to look.

Check out the cool site The Dinosaur Database that has a slick animated map to help you find out how the very spot that we are standing on changes over time. Our planet has sure changed through history!

—by Evan Holt

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Canoe & Paddle's New Patio Is Built On AstroTurf The Toronto Blue Jays Won World Series On

It’s not often—or ever—that you get the chance to eat delicious pub food on a patio in the Kawarthas that sits on AstroTurf that the Toronto Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series on. But that opportunity is now on deck at Lakefield’s Canoe & Paddle, whose new patio sits atop some of the old turf that is such a huge piece of Canadian sports history.

Indeed, the Canoe & Paddle were lucky enough to secure some of the old AstroTurf that the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series on at SkyDome (now Roger’s Centre) on Joe Carter’s dramatic walk-off home run in Game 6 in ‘93, giving the Jays back-to-back World Series titles.

Photo courtesy Canoe & Paddle

Jake Exton from Canoe & Paddle is at bat, and tells PTBOCanada the backstory behind it:

“It was a chance conversation about three years ago with Ian Knott from Indian Rubber Tire Shop in Buckhorn. He built an indoor baseball and lacrosse training centre at his business. He was a pitcher in the U.S., and had contacts within the business. He bought four rolls of AstroTurf when the SkyDome switched the surface in 1994. I remembered him talking about it about three years ago, and on the announcement that we would be able to expand our patios, I made a call and found he still had two rolls—which he was happy to sell to us!”

Photo courtesy Canoe & Paddle

They built the patio within a day, not quite as long as it took to build SkyDome, and the response has been fantastic to eating on the turf—a field of dreams, if you will.

”People love the history behind it and love telling us their stories of watching the game on TV or being there live to watch it happen,” Exton tells PTBOCanada.

Yep, to say they knocked this one out of the park would be an understatement.

And for those that forget…

THE BLUE JAYS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN. 🎉

Joe Carter hits a walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series. #BlueJaysOnSN pic.twitter.com/4eVJ5euWjl

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2020

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Neat Retro Pictures Of The Electric City To Make You All Nostalgic

Many of these gems come via the awesome Old Ontario Series Facebook page that people have been sharing in the “I grew up in Peterborough Ontario 50s and 60s” Facebook group.…

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Once Upon A Time Peterborough Downtown Was Movie Theatre Row

Those new to the city or born later might not realize that once upon a time, Peterborough’s downtown was “Movie Theatre Row” where it was a big social activity to go downtown, pick a movie, and choose a theatre.

Indeed, in a photo shared to their Facebook page (see below) from 1961 taken on George Street, Trent Valley Archives writes that “you can see the imposing signs of the Capitol, Odeon, and Paramount theaters, which made up movie theater row.”

Photo courtesy Trent Valley Archives

Trent Valley Archives adds that going back further in the 1950s, “Peterborough residents would have been able to choose between these three theaters (and the Centre theater, which closed in 1956) when they wanted to see a movie.”

Here is another view of movie theatre row back in the day looking down George Street...

Another view of movie theatre row

To entice patrons, each theater would advertise the films they were showing on their marquee board and in the Peterborough Examiner, according to TVA.

Share your memories of going to these theatres on our Facebook page.

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Check Out The Little Lake Cemetery Web Mapping Application and Story Map

An interactive web mapping genealogical tool and a new Little Lake Cemetery Story Map which tells the story of the cemetery and some of the early residents of Peterborough is now available.

Residents can explore the updated Little Lake Cemetery Guide and discover something new about their community by using the interactive historical timeline. The mapping application and Story Map can be found here and here.

The interactive map allows users to explore more than 5,500 marked grave sites and provides information on the oldest name and date identified on the monument, a visual location, and a photograph of the marker.

Screengrab of applications

With the help of student interns supported by Young Canada Works, the map has been expanded and enhanced to include the location and information on more than 10,000 unmarked graves within the cemetery.

With the updates, users now have the ability to submit additional information about interments. City of Peterborough geomatics/mapping staff, heritage preservation staff and Little Lake Cemetery collaborated on the mapping projects.

The Story Map application is an interactive webpage that allows users to explore themes relating to the City’s first burial ground, the growth of garden cemeteries, the development of Little Lake Cemetery, and stories of some historical figures from Peterborough’s past.

With nearly 30,000 burials in Little Lake Cemetery, the current map is not a complete record of interments at the cemetery. The City of Peterborough and Little Lake Cemetery foresee future projects will expand the numbers of graves recorded and the narratives presented on the story map.

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Check Out The Bicycle Museum Pop-Up Documenting City's Storied Cycling History

The public is invited to see a collection of a dozen historical photos from the late 1800s and early 1900s alongside a replica Penny Farthing bicycle at the Peterborough Public Library starting on December 3rd at noon. The free exhibit showcases Peterborough’s rich cycling history and will run until the New Year.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum and Archives

Peterborough was at the centre of the cycling craze in the 1890s and held the first ever Canadian Wheelmen’s Association provincial meet on July 1, 1898, where big wheel—or Penny Farthing—bikes raced around the track at Morrow Park to the delight of almost 7,000 onlookers.

Photo courtesy of Peggy Brownscombe

“Peterborough has a long tradition of cycling excellence and that tradition needs to be acknowledged—and it needs to continue,” says Tammy Thorne, the creator of TheBicycleMuseum.ca and the pop-up exhibits here in Peterborough, which first launched last month. 

“There’s so much heritage that needs to be preserved in Peterborough, and it’s not just buildings. There are many great stories from this city’s illustrious industrial past that need to be told, and cycling is just one part of that,” adds Thorne.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum and Archives

The images in this must-see collection are largely from the Peterborough Museum and Archives but part of the collection comes from Peggy Brownscombe, the daughter of the former owner of one of the city’s earliest bike shops, White’s Cycle and Sporting Goods. 

“Many of the images have stories behind them that are yet to be discovered,” says Thorne. “For example, we have this lovely photo of Alex Gibson with his high wheel bike and medals. He was a member of the Peterborough Cycling Club, even the treasurer for a time, and his father was likely a watchmaker.”

Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives

“Cycling is a large part of the Peterborough community and has been for some time,” says Jennifer Jones, Peterborough Public Library CEO. “This pop-up exhibit gives us the opportunity to glimpse into the rich history of bicycles in our neighbourhoods. The Library is thrilled to be able to provide the space to bring some of that history to light."

There will be a book to sign at the library where you can add your bicycling history story and contact information. You can also email thebicyclemuseumptbo@gmail.com if you have information about this exhibit or historic bicycling artifacts you would like to share for a future exhibit. 

TheBicycleMuseum.ca will produce new exhibits in 2019 featuring CCM artifacts and bicycles, and another exhibit featuring service bicycles and stories.

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Peterborough Museum & Archives' Newest Exhibition Terry Fox: Running To The Heart Of Canada Is On Loan From Canadian Museum of History

Peterborough Museum & Archives' newest exhibition titled Terry Fox: Running to the Heart of Canada is a must see for people of all ages.

The exhibition is on loan from the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, with support from the Terry Fox Foundation, and will be on-site in Peterborough for public viewing until Sunday, December 9th.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives

The exhibition provides a unique look at Terry’s epic 143-day, 3,339-mile (5,373-kilometre) journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1980. It explores Canadians’ deep and abiding affection for Terry and examines his unique place in our collective memory.

Developed by the Canadian Museum of History in partnership with Terry Fox’s family, the exhibition traces Terry’s journey and shows the impact he had on modern Canadian life—the numerous schools, community centres and features of the landscape named for him, and the Canadian coins, stamps and passports bearing his image.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives

“During the Marathon of Hope and the months that followed, Canadians filled our home in Port Coquitlam, B.C., with scrapbooks, written tributes and gifts reflecting a collective compassion and admiration for Terry's unselfish act,” says Darrell Fox, Terry’s brother. “More than 35 years later, it is time to share the Terry Fox collection and the compelling story that the memorabilia evoke with the world.

Photo courtesy Peterborough Museum & Archives

The Canadian icon’s coast-to-coast journey in 1980 ended near Thunder Bay, when the cancer that had claimed his leg returned, forcing Terry to abandon the project.

He died a national hero in June 1981, at the age of 22, having collected some $24 million. To date, more than $700 million has been raised in his name for cancer research.

Terry Fox – Running to the Heart of Canada is being presented at The Peterborough Museum & Archives (300 Hunter Street East) from September 29th until December 9th.

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50 Years Ago This Month The Old Mustang Drive-In Opened, This Is A Woman's Story Of Her Father Managing It

Amanda Ford reached out to us, saying she was inspired to write an article long in the making about the Mustang Drive-In after seeing a series of photos taken by Jay Callaghan published here on PTBOCanada in May 2014.

“The erie pictures of the now abandoned drive-in made my heart sink,” Ford says. “When my parents moved out of the drive-in and I moved out of town in 1982, I never did go back. I was happy to know that someone took it over and it was still running but I didn’t realize that in September 2012, the Mustang Drive-In closed its doors, never to open them again.”

Photo by Jay Callaghan of old projector room at Mustang Drive-In

“I promised myself that I would showcase the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough as it was when it first opened,” Ford adds. “I dug through the family archives to find pictures and articles about the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough when it was brand new and viewed as the shining star of entertainment that it was back in 1968.”

Read her memories of its opening below…

——————-

MY MUSTANG DRIVE-IN MEMORIES

Fifty years ago this month in September 1968, the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough opened as one of the biggest drive-ins in Canada.

I was eight years old and my dad, Alan D. Ford, was given the honour of being Manager of the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough. Born in 1920, he began his theatre career back in the 1940s after serving as a Flight Instructor with the RCAF during WWII. He worked in many types of theatres across Ontario and at other indoor movie theatres in Ontario. His dedication and experience earned him the position of Manager, Mustang Drive-In Peterborough. My dad was was the manager there from 1968 until his retirement from the theatre business in 1986.

Amanda’s father Alan Ford

The Mustang Drive-In was to be the flagship Drive-In for GTI Drive-In Services Limited. It boasted a 775 car capacity and was one of the largest screens in Canada.

The Peterborough Examiner wrote about the venture in a 1968 article..

Peterborough Examiner article from September 18th, 1968

Teaser ads began appearing in the Peterborough Examiner starting in August and September 1968 about the opening…

All dressed up for the Grand Opening: The snack bar (pictured below) was originally set up with two sides serving the same item, with a cashier for both lines. This would help move the line along during the busy peak times.

Unknown photographer: From Ford’s Personal Collection

Standard uniform for the girls working in the snack bar: Don’t forget your cowboy hats ladies! Manager Al Ford (aka my dad) only had one rule: Always change into your street clothes when your shift was over. “I don’t want to see girls in uniform climbing in the back of cars with boys!” he would say.

Unknown photographer: From Ford’s personal family collection

Fast Forward to August 1977. Smokey and The Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, played for an amazing eight weeks that summer at the Drive-In! It was the longest playing movie in the history of the Mustang Drive-In Peterborough. (Note: Mustang Drive-In by now is owned and operated by Premier Operating Company)

By this time, I was 17 and working in the kitchen. “Queen of the Fryer” was my unofficial title. It was definitely a family affair. My dad was Manager, my mom (Donna) was the cashier and in charge of the snack bar staff, my sister (Debbie) worked out front serving popcorn and drinks, while my brother (Bob)—the self-appointed “social director”—was busy turning his ushering duties into a game of, “Let’s see how many of my friends I can let in before my Dad finds out!”

When we weren’t busy with work duties, my brother and I would sit upstairs in our family apartment above the snack bar, and watch Smokey and The Bandit without the internal speaker on. (My family lived onsite above the snack bar and beside the projection room, and dad had them wire a speaker that sat behind his chair in our living room so whenever we wanted to watch the movie we could just turn the speaker on to hear the movie.) After eight weeks, we had the dialogue to Smokey down pretty good and would act out the scenes ourselves!

Peterborough Examiner article from August 20th, 1977

My father passed away in January 1991, and my mother Donna still lives in Peterborough. I live in Courtice now, and my sister Debbie lives in Bowmanville and my brother Bob in Omeeme. 

The Mustang Drive-In Peterborough was sold in the late ‘80s to an independent business owner. I believe it changed hands one or two more times until the last owner was forced to close when the cost of switching to digital projection was too much.

—guest post by Amanda Ford

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New Little Lake Cemetery Web Mapping Application Identifies Monuments From Mid-1800s To 2000

The City of Peterborough Geomatics/Mapping Division, the Heritage Preservation Office and Little Lake Cemetery Co. announced on Tuesday (February 6th) the re-launch of an Interactive Web Mapping Genealogy tool highlighting the history of Little Lake Cemetery.

Created in conjunction with students from Fleming College’s Geographic Information Systems program, monuments and markers from the mid-1800’s to 2000 have been identified, photographed and mapped for the public interest.

Users can search the grave marker inventory by surname and/or death date. The search results include records containing family names, the oldest date on the monument and an image of the marker. At any point, the user can freely search the map and click on any grave marker to view corresponding information.

It is recognized that this is not a complete record of interments at the cemetery, but is limited in scope to the task assigned to the students at time of the project. It is the hope of the City of Peterborough and Little Lake Cemetery that future projects will be able to expand and enhance this valuable history tool, building towards a more encompassing historical record of the residents interred and the commemorative artifacts that reside at the cemetery.  

Little Lake Cemetery, established in 1850, is a not-for-profit public trust owned by all who have purchased plots at the cemetery. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors and a professional staff. 

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