Downtown Peterborough To Have Free Outdoor Wi-Fi

**UPDATE (June 21st)** Free outdoor Wi-Fi is still definitely happening in downtown Peterborough but its launch has been delayed, the DBIA tells PTBOCanada. "We've hit a number of snags along the way that have slowed the project down, but it is still very much in the works and will launch this summer," Communications Manager Joel Wiebe tells PTBOCanada. No specific launch date is given, but they're aiming for July.

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ORIGINAL POST

Awesome news for Downtown Peterborough as free outdoor Wi-Fi is coming to the downtown core later this spring, likely in May.

"Wi-Fi and smartphones are becoming integral to the way people shop, dine, work, live and enjoy a night out," says DBIA Communications Manager Joel Wiebe. "Downtown continues to offer a rewarding local experience and modernizing with free Wi-Fi will add to that experience."

The free Wi-Fi will cover much of the main commercial area downtown with potential to expand it if it's a success.

"Wi-Fi is one more way for us to show value to our members and make downtown more competitive," adds DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel.

This exciting venture is a partnership between the DBIA, Community Futures Development Corporation, Peterborough Utilities Group, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism, the City of Peterborough and other potential partners.

The Wi-Fi will be similar to most free networks in that you'll have to hit "agree" on a landing page but you won't need to have a password.

After you sign in, your can tweet and instagram away about our beautiful downtown!

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A Day In A Wheelchair In Downtown Peterborough

Peterborough DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel calls it a "big, eye-opening experience" to see things at this level in the downtown core.

Dave Tuck, Terry Guiel and Andrea Dodsworth

Guiel was referring to his experience spending a day in a electric wheelchair—along with Peterborough Huskies General Manager Dave Tuck—in downtown Peterborough with local accessibility advocate Andrea Dodsworth, who lead the guys on the tour to show them what it's like to navigate stores and sidewalks.

Guiels spoke to 12 different business owners during the day about what they can do to make themselves more accessible, and met with Mayor Bennett to talk about the challenges and offer suggestions as to how to make the downtown more accessible. They also visited the Accessibility office at City Hall to discuss how they can work closer together on future accessibility projects.

After his experience, Guiel says it's important to be more pro-active when it comes to accessibility in the city. "It's the right thing to do to make yourself as accessible as possible," he says. "Our business community really wants to be accessible."

Guiels and Dodsworth realize there are a lot of costs associated with making older buildings and their architecture more accessible, but say there are smaller things that can be done right away—whether it's a ramp, the way that a door opens, the weight of a door. 

Guiel and Dodsworth with Mayor Bennett

"Small changes turn into big ones," says Dodsworth. 

Watch the highly educational video below to see the day through Terry's eyes...

DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel spends a day in a wheel chair to experience downtown Peterborough from an accessibility standpoint. Local accessibility advocate Andrea Dodsworth lead the downtown tour with Peterborough Huskies General Manager Dave Tuck.

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What Could Downtown Look Like In 2032?

The clock above the Sin City downtown is a little off—like 17 years off. So this got us to thinking: What do you think our awesome downtown will look like in 2032 with its shops and restaurants and technology and architecture and cars and bikes and whatnot? Tell us on our Facebook page.

Where we're going, we don't need roads...

A photo posted by ptbo_canada (@ptbo_canada) on Aug 14, 2015 at 2:47pm PDT

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Spot The Difference: Peterborough In Early '60s Compared To Now

Here is an overhead picture of Peterborough's downtown from circa 1962. What do you spot that was there then that isn't now? Tell us on our Facebook page or share below in our comments section.

[pic via Vintage Peterborough, Lindsay and the Kawartha Region Facebook Page]

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