Video: Those Were Quite The Fireworks At Del Crary Park On Little Lake

/

[YouTube]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

PtboPics: Free Bike Checkup Day

/

Peterborough Moves and Wild Rock were on hand yesterday across from City Hall to hand out maps of Peterborough trails and perform a free bike checkup.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Stuff to Do in Peterborough This Weekend

/

Friday

The Art of the Turtle, Peterborough Public Library, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tickets $20 for members/$30 for non-members.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels presented by The Peterborough Theatre Guild, Showplace Performance Centre, 8 p.m. Tickets $25/Adults, $22/Senior, $15 Student 

Saturday

Walk to Cure Huntington's Disease, Registration 9 a.m. at City Hall

Giant Indoor Yard Sale, Peterborough Armoury, (220 Murray Street) 9 a.m. -1 p.m. 

Red Pashmina Walk, starting from the Silver Bean Cafe, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Dancing with the Docs - Disco Fever, The Venue, 6:30 p.m. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels presented by The Peterborough Theatre Guild, Showplace Performance Centre, 8 p.m. Tickets $25/Adults, $22/Senior, $15 Student 

Sunday

2011 Walk of Hope, Beavermead Park, Registration 9:30 a.m. 

Humanwave, Showplace Performance Centre, 1 p.m. 

Sean McCann with Jeremy Fisher, Gordon Best Theatre, 7 p.m. Tickets $26 at Moondance

 

To submit info for "Stuff to do in the Patch This Weekend", email evan@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Video: "Textuality" Film Premiere At The Venue

/

Man Wearing "Born To Fish" T-Shirt Catches Walter At Greenwing Fishing Derby

/

[chextvDOTcom]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

The Impact Of Peterborough's "Creative Class" On Local Economic Innovation & Growth

/

On the Gerti's patio. Photo by Evan HoltWith the arrival of spring, people shed their jackets and hats to once again take to the outdoors. In downtown Peterborough, the restaurant patios are busy, the streets are bustling, and "people watching" has returned as a seasonal pastime.

First impressions are that this is simply people enjoying the warmer weather and, perhaps, spending some of their hard earned income in anticipation of an active summer. The reality is that much more is going than meets the eye. The activities that we see are at the heart of the future of the local economy. It is from the interaction of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives that economic innovation is begun.

Richard Florida of the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto, and advisor on economic growth to the British Prime Minister, has attributed economic innovation and growth of cities to the role of the "creative class". Florida’s study of seven regions of 100,000 to 250,000 people in Ontario indicates that Peterborough is well positioned when compared to similar communities in terms of the creative class.

From rigorous measures used by Florida, Peterborough placed first in terms of its technological capacity—far ahead of Kingston and Guelph. In terms of the talent necessary to support growth, and cultural diversity and tolerance, Peterborough finished just behind Kingston and Guelph.

It is through venues where people gather together for social purposes rather than just employment that the creative class interacts. It is in places like downtown Peterborough, and the diversity of activities there that new ideas will come from interactions—planned and fortuitous.

Casual observations of the recent buzz downtown shows many young people working and gathering, and interacting with people of many ages and backgrounds. Art and music is thriving here in a way that is the envy of many other communities.

The attachment of young people to venues like those found in downtown Peterborough has positive economic consequences that are often overlooked by those who only see the activities as social, rather than economic.

The Municipal and Provincial governments are doing their part to develop the infrastructure—physical and social—necessary in supporting the activities of the creative class. Every local organization—private, public, and not-for-profit—needs to take into account the significance of supporting the creative class when making decisions that have community impacts beyond that of the organization itself.

Innovation, technologically and organizationally, is a reality even for small communities like Peterborough. It is time that we recognized the nature of economic growth in our time, practice innovation rather than just preaching it, and focus our efforts on promoting sustainable growth by nurturing the creative class.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Tom Phillips Ph. D.]

[Editor's Note: This is Tom's first column for PtboCanada.com. He is Economist & Sustainability Director - Greater Ptbo Innovation Cluster]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Video: Mother's Day Jane's Walk In The Patch In Honour Of Jane Jacobs

/

PtboPics: Saturday Farmer's Market Moves Outdoors For the Season

/

[Peterborough and District Farmers Market]

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

"Sleepy" Bobcaygeon Is Getting Busy Preparing For 25,000 Tragically Hip Fans Who Are Ready To Rock

/

City officials are "hoping for the best but are planning for the worst" for the Big Music Fest hitting there June 25th and starring the Hip. This will be the biggest show ever to enter the Kawartha Lakes region.

[chextvDOTcom; Tragically Hip - "Bobcaygeon"]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

"Peteborough As A Welcoming Community" Photo Contest

/

Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration is hosting a photo contest in which you can send a maximum of three photos showcasing "Peterborough as a Welcoming Community." Photos can be sent up until May 15, 2011 to ppcii.ptbo@gmail.com.  

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.