Photos: U11 Collingwood Blues Win 'Chris Fee Cup' From Host U11 Peterborough Petes to Kick Off 64th Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament

The Chris Fee Cup goes to the Collingwood Jr. Blues U11A, shutting out the host Peterborough Petes U11A team, 3-0 to open the 65th Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Friday morning.

All Photos by David Tuan Bui.

The cup is a feature opening game against a visiting team against the host Petes team since 1997.

Will Whiteley, Ellis Cox and Benner Leal scored for Collingwood to shut out the Petes 3-0 to capture the 2025 Chris Fee Cup.

The tournament features 64 teams in seven divisions.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Peterborough Petes Down the Division-Leading Barrie Colts With Four-Goal Flurry

The Peterborough Petes have bumped the Barrie Colts from the top of the Central Division after a four-goal flurry early in the game to win 5-2 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough PEtes.

Nico Addy kickstarted the Petes after receiving a lob pass in the neutral zone from his own defensive end. He drove to the net and wristed it past Colts goaltender Sam Hillebrandt for a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. It was the period’s only score. Petes goaltender Zach Bowen had to leave the game due to an undisclosed injury after the period, stopping all six shots. Easton Rye took over the goaltending duties for the remainder of the game.

The second became a fireworks show for Peterborough. With 7:14 into the period, Petes captain Johnathan Melee had a puck pinball to his stick and wristed it in to make it 2-0. Aiden Young got on the scoresheet just over three minutes later. He got position over the Colts defender in front of the netminder and buried the point-blank one-timer for a 3-0 Petes lead. Peterborough was not done as they quickly swarmed the puck on a dump-in. Quinton Pagé was first to it and Caden Taylor ripped home the one-time for a 4-0 lead. Barrie was able to respond with two quick goals in less than two minutes to make it 4-2 into the third.

Barrie tried to battle back from their deficit but late in the frame but Peterborough added some extra insurance as Liam Ladds, off a loose puck from a pass, backhanded it in the wide-open net for a 5-2 lead and win.

The Colts loss have bumped them down to second in the Central Division as the Niagara IceDogs defeated the Saginaw Spirit, 7-2, to take to top slot.

The Petes stay home when they host the Brantford Bulldogs for Superhero Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Trent-Severn Waterway Listed In New York Times's '52 Places to Go in 2025'

Peterborough and the Kawarthas have garnered attention from the New York Times as the Trent-Severn Waterway was listed as one of their ‘52 Places to Go in 2025.’

Photo courtesy of Justen Soule and the Canadian Canoe Museum.

The article highlights the 240-mile Trent-Severn Waterway, where its rivers, lakes and canals go from one end of Ontario to the other, connecting Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.

A few organizations and companies have been featured in the article.

Author AnneLise Sorensen gives her main highlight to the Canadian Canoe Museum with its new 65,000-square-foot lakefront. The museum is known to have the most extensive collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft worldwide.

“The museum exhibits styles from across Canada — showcasing them in a curved building inspired by, yes, the canoe — and honours the vessel’s Indigenous legacy,” said Sorensen. “The waterway is also undergoing a multiyear revitalization project, which includes retrofitting its monumental hydraulic lift locks, among the highest in the world.”

Boat rental company Le Boat, 100 Acre Brewing Co. and BeaverTails also had honourable mentions in the article.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Hometown PTBO: Renée Oake Carrying On Her Father's Legacy Through the Carl Oake Rotary Swim

This week on Hometown PTBO, David Tuan Bui talks with Renée Oake, about her father's recent passing, carrying his legacy through the Carl Oake Rotary Swim and how the fundraiser has impacted the community.

Anyone can donate at any time online at the Rotary’s website.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Peterborough Police Warn Public of Surfacing Phishing Email Scam

The Peterborough Police Service has issued a warning to residents about a phishing scam in an attempt to take money from victims, reported on Friday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Over the past week, several reports have been filed to the Police where the victim receives an email indicating someone has been watching their online activity and threatens to send that information to their contacts. The victim is provided with an amount of money to pay to stop the release of information and a cryptocurrency account to deposit it.

Anyone who receives such an email can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or the Peterborough Police Service through the online reporting portal. 

In phishing scams, thousands of emails are sent out and the fraudsters involved then wait for someone to take the bait and respond or just follow the instructions and send money.

• If you don’t know where an email is from or you are not expecting an email, do not open it and do not click on any links within the email. 

• If you have any doubts about the email and request delete it. 

• Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca and/or your local police service

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

City of Peterborough Exceeds 2024 Housing Targets

The City of Peterborough has exceeded 2024’s housing targets, issuing permits for 515 housing units to residential construction developers in 2024, which is over the provincial target of 392 housing starts by more than 30 per cent, reported Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

“As a municipal government, we’re doing whatever we can to facilitate the construction of the housing that Peterborough residents need," said Mayor Jeff Leal. “We're focused on solutions and ensuring housing development moves forward.”

Out of the 515 housing units, 346 were apartment-style units. The City’s total estimated value for constructing the 515 housing units is anticipated to be about $101.2 million.

The Province has set a target of 4,700 new housing units in Peterborough by 2031.

In 2023, the Province assigned a target of 345 housing starts. The City says they exceeded that target by more than 25 per cent, issuing 435 permits to homebuilders that year.

“Surpassing our targets two years in a row demonstrates real progress, but we know there’s still more work to be done,” Leal said. “It’s vital that we keep up the momentum and continue to work closely with residential construction developers, community partners and other organizations to keep progress on track.”

Last year, Leal launched the Mayor’s Task Force for Housing Creation to work with local housing sector experts to develop recommendations to help facilitate the creation of more housing in Peterborough.

On Nov. 5, Leal released a report from the Task Force, highlighting the Task Force’s 15 recommendations to help speed up the pace of housing construction and address the housing crisis. City Council received the report during a Dec. 9 meeting and approved seven recommendations to be implemented immediately. Council directed staff to bring forward a report for further consideration on the remaining eight recommendations in April.

“By working together, we’re taking meaningful steps to help accelerate housing construction and meet the needs of our growing community,” Leal said.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

65th Annual Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament Kicks Off Friday In Three-Day Event

A continued Peterborough hockey tradition lives on as the 65th-Annual Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament faces off starting Friday, announced at the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday night.

(From left to right) John Whiston, Scott McMichael, Paul Buchner and Bill Byrd were the recipients of the Don McCrory Referee’s Award, Steve Casey Award and Frank Lustic Award (two winners) respectively. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The three-day event starts Friday, with opening ceremonies for house league and rep divisions at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC). YourTV Cogeco is broadcasting the first two opening games for house and rep divisions.

The broadcasted games are the PHA 3 Orange Crush facing the Apsley Flames for the house league opening game at 9:30 a.m. Friday. The other is the Peterborough Petes U11 battling against the Collingwood Jr. Blues U11 at 10:45 a.m. in the rep league opening game, also known as the Chris Fee Cup. It pits the host Peterborough team against the visiting squad.

This year features 64 teams from throughout the province with seven divisions.

Tournament chairman Wally Moore says he is happy to continue seeing a long-standing hockey tradition in Peterborough that has run through several generations.

“We've had so many local kids play over the years. My kids played in it, practically everyone's kids have played in it at one point,” he explained. “This town is a sports town and for hockey, they really get behind it. It's generations through generations. It's grandparents that used to run it, then their sons run it then their grandkids run it. It's a family affair.”

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

A cheque presentation of $2,500 was also donated to the Ennismore Inclusive Playground Project (Jude’s Joy) as the chosen beneficiary, as the tournament supports a local charity or more annually.

Several awards were distributed ahead of the opening ceremonies recognizing some volunteers for their contributions to the tournament over the years:

• Don McCrory Referee’s Award for exemplifying McCrory’s dedication to officiating - John Whiston

• Steve Casey Award for a volunteer going the extra mile to contributing to the tournament’s success – Scott McMichael

• Frank Lustic Award for exemplifying all Lustic’s qualities who volunteered for over 25 years in minor sports – Paul Buchner and Bill Byrd

The announcement also paid homage to longtime tournament volunteer Steve Casey, who passed away last year on June 6 at Hospice Peterborough.

He helped for over 50 years of the tournament and was the chairman for 26 years from 1986 to 2012.

“Steve was dedicated to this tournament,” explained Moore. “We're fellow GE workers so there's a lot of us still involved because Steve would recruit each of us year to year. He did a wonderful job.”

The City’s Peterborough Civic Awards is renaming its Adult Athlete of the Year Award to the Steve Casey Award in his honour.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Petes Acquire Edmonton Oilers Prospect From the Ottawa 67's; Team Releases Former Oshawa General Overage Forward

The Peterborough Petes have made their transaction of the week ahead of Friday’s trade deadline as they acquired Edmonton Oilers prospect Brady Stonehouse from the Ottawa 67’s in exchange for Sudbury’s fourth-round pick in 2027 and a sixth-round pick in 2028.

The team also announced that overage forward Ryder McIntyre has been released from the team.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Shaver and the OHL.

Stonehouse, an overage forward from Blenheim, Ont. was originally selected by the 67’s in the second round, 26th overall, of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. In 218 games over parts of four seasons in Ottawa, he scored 80 goals and 66 assists for 146 points. In 25 playoff games with the 67’s, he had four goals and five assists for nine points. In October of 2023, Stonehouse signed an entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers after attending the team’s rookie and main camp as an undrafted free agent.

“Brady is an extremely competitive forward who plays hard at both ends of the ice,” said Michael Oke, general manager and vice president of operations. “Having played over 200 games in the OHL, we know that his experience will be very beneficial for our young group. We’re looking forward to having him join our team and aiding in his development as he prepares to turn pro next season.”

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes have released overage forward Ryder McIntyre. He was acquired from the Oshawa Generals in December of 2023. McIntyre has been in 78 games for Peterborough, scoring 18 goals and adding 21 assists for 39 points.

“I’d like to thank Ryder for his commitment to the Petes and the city of Peterborough over the past year,” said Oke. “He has been a great ambassador for the Petes and we wish him all the best moving forward.”

The Petes return home to host the Barrie Colts for the first time this season at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Peterborough Man Charged For Breaching Probation After Being Found In a Parking Garage

A 31-year-old Peterborough man is facing a charge of breaching probation after being discovered by Police on Wednesday night.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 9:50 p.m., Community FIRST Unit officers were conducting a proactive patrol of a parking garage in the area of Charlotte Street and Simcoe Street. They located the man in a stairwell, determined he was on a probation order not to be in the area and took him into custody. 

The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court on Thursday.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

ReFrame Film Festival Announces Opening Night Celebration Details

ReFrame Film Festival is kicking off its 21st season with opening night scheduled at Showplace Performance Centre for Jan. 23, announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of ReFrame Film Festival.

The night starts at 6 p.m. with a catered pre-show reception downstairs in Showplace’s Cogeco Studio. The event will officially open at 7 p.m. on the main stage by artist Alice Olsen Williams.

Attendees will be treated to a screening of the new Canadian documentary Red Fever (2024), directed by Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge. The film follows Cree’s Diamond on his journey to explore the pervasive impact of stereotypical Indigenous imagery in popular culture says ReFrame Festival.

“Red Fever began as an exploration of cultural appropriation and how our spirituality, traditional wear, objects, identities and ceremonies were being exploited – often by people who meant well, but were ignorant of their significance,” said Diamond. “The idea behind Red Fever evolved into a study of the vast influence Native America has had, and still has, on Western culture from sports, fashion, politics, and the environmental movement today.”

“Neil and I welcome you to a new look at our history – and in Neil’s witty, teasing, understated Cree way that he tells these stories – we hope you come to appreciate Indigenous cultures with a new understanding – and can abandon the buckskin mini dress and braided wig in your mind – for images so much more inspiring, rich, and real,” said Bainbridge.

The evening will end with live musical performances by Missy Knott (Singing Wild Rice Girl) and James Mixemong.

The cost of the event is $25 or on a pay-what-you-can pricing basis.

Opening Night is not included with festival passes. Tickets for opening night must be purchased online.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.