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There is life after The Pizza Factory in the form of wide availability of Peter’s signature World Famous Caesar Dressing

Although The Pizza Factory in Peterborough closed in January 2023, onwer Peter Bouzinelos will once again be making his signature World Famous Caesar Dressing (pictured in 2021) available in Peterborough at Foodland and Sobeys locations, at Farmboy on Lansdowne Street West, and at Taso's Restaurant and Pizzeria on George Street North. It will also be available in Bridgenorth at Pizza Villa and in Norwood at Ralph's Butcher Shop. (Photo courtesy of Peter Bouzinelos)

Close to three months since The Pizza Factory served its last customer, it’s difficult to pinpoint what once loyal patrons of the iconic Peterborough restaurant miss the most.

Is it the incomparable hospitality of former owners Peter and Anna Bouzinelos, or is it Peter’s signature World Famous Caesar Dressing? For many, it’s most likely a combination of both.

While The Pizza Factory remains relegated to the past as Peter and Anna enjoy the early days of their retirement, the good news is the garlic explosion that is Peter’s signature salad dressing will soon once again be widely available for purchase at several local food outlets.

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“We’re going to launch at the end of this week,” Peter tells kawarthaNOW.

Produced and bottled at two locations — one in Peterborough and the other in Norwood — and marketed under the Peter’s Famous Foods banner, Peter’s World Famous Caesar Dressing will be available in Peterborough at Sobeys and Foodland locations, at Farmboy on Lansdowne Street West, and at Taso’s Restaurant and Pizzeria on George Street North. It will also be available in Bridgenorth at Pizza Villa and in Norwood at Ralph’s Butcher Shop.

“I’m retired but I’m not retired,” says Peter. “I’m supposed to be taking it easy but when you have a young wife, she doesn’t let you relax. I never got a pink slip in my working life. I don’t want to get one now during my retirement.”

Peter Bouzinelos came to Canada from Greece in 1970 when he was 17, and moved to Peterborough in 1975. He opened The Pizza Factory in Peterborough in April 1980 with his former partner Tom Malakos. Anna began working at The Pizza Factory in 1981 and the couple married in 1992. Out of concerns for Peter's health, Peter and Anna closed The Pizza Factory in January 2023. (Photo courtesy of Peter Bouzinelos)
Peter Bouzinelos came to Canada from Greece in 1970 when he was 17, and moved to Peterborough in 1975. He opened The Pizza Factory in Peterborough in April 1980 with his former partner Tom Malakos. Anna began working at The Pizza Factory in 1981 and the couple married in 1992. Out of concerns for Peter’s health, Peter and Anna closed The Pizza Factory in January 2023. (Photo courtesy of Peter Bouzinelos)

Asked if it’s his sense people miss his salad dressing, Peter says “Very much so.”

“Everywhere when we come across anybody, they say ‘OK, we can’t have The Pizza Factory food, but where’s the salad dressing?’ That was more encouragement for us to do this.”

While both Peter and Anna are delighted to continue offering the salad dressing to the garlic-starved, another post-restaurant closing development has left them both feeling particularly proud.

During the final weeks leading up to restaurant’s closing on January 29 — close to 43 years after it opened — diners and well-wishers had the opportunity to purchase coffee mugs, T-shirts, toques, and hats emblazoned with The Pizza Factory logo, produced by Ricart Branded Apparel and Promo. In addition to that, restaurant tables, furniture and assorted items were sold off.

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When all was said and done, $17,140.12 was the net result, with every penny of that amount going toward the purchase of food for Kawartha Food Share.

With the help of Al Armstrong and his staff at Sobeys on Lansdowne Street West, purchased no-perishable food items were loaded onto six skids and then delivered by Cathcart Trucking to Kawartha Food Share’s warehouse on Neal Drive.

“Once again we were surprised by the support of Peterborough and area, and how thrilled they were to be part of such a thing,” marvels Peter.

Peter and Anna Bouzinelos at The Pizza Factory in Peterborough in January 2023 before it closed for good. After closing their popular restaurant, the couple raised $17,140.12 from keepsake sales and auction proceeds which they used to purchase food for Kawartha Food Share. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Peter and Anna Bouzinelos at The Pizza Factory in Peterborough in January 2023 before it closed for good. After closing their popular restaurant, the couple raised $17,140.12 from keepsake sales and auction proceeds which they used to purchase food for Kawartha Food Share. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)

In early January, when Peter and Anna sat down for an extensive interview with kawarthaNOW, the couple revealed the decision to close The Pizza Factory and retire was prompted, in large part, by his doctor’s stern orders “to step back.” Besides feeling the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, stress was taking a toll on Peter’s 68-year-old body.

While he deflects questions about his health, Peter says he is feeling good. But one thing he will talk about all day is his appreciation for Peterborough’s support, both then and now.

“If there was a way that I could go and stay at the corner of Lansdowne and The Parkway, I would do it,” he says, referencing how much his misses interacting with longtime patrons.

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At their home, a wall is home to plaques, citations, and other forms of recognition Peter and Anna received over the years for their numerous contributions to sports organizations, community events, and various causes.

“That comforts me but it makes me anxious to get out and do something more,” says Peter, noting the many notes of good wishes they received from patrons during the final weeks before closing are destined for keepsake albums.

In the meantime, the couple’s immediate attention is on the production and distribution of Peter’s World Famous Signature Dressing “unless I get a job at Walmart as a greeter.”

Peterborough is a great place to make the most of your bike this spring

Peterborough has lots of great opportunities for cycling, including the Trans Canada Trail that runs through the heart of Peterborough and boasts many destinations (like Roger's Cove pictured here) that are perfect for a picnic to celebrate the spring blooms. Cycling can reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood, increase time with your loved ones, and reduce greenhouse gases that would have been emitted through driving a vehicle. (Photo: GreenUP)

Spring is the time when many folks reach for their handlebars and get their bike ready for warmer weather.

The first bike ride of the year can be a joyful thing for Peterborough residents, even if there might be some residual creaks and squeaks to tend to after a long winter.

A city like Peterborough is a great place to make the most of your spring rides and to motivate you to start your biking journey. Here are some tips from B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop how to do so.

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Choose a fun destination

It can be a good way to motivate yourself and others to get out and see new sights.

For example, the Trans Canada Trail runs through the heart of Peterborough, and boasts many destinations perfect for a picnic to celebrate the spring blooms.

 

Bike with friends and/or family

Good company can be part of the pleasure. B!KE is a community cycling hub that offers seasonal rides for those looking to join a social ride.

On Earth Day (Saturday, April 22), the Odoonabii Watershed Stewards are organizing a ride leaving from B!KE’s George Street location to connect riders to different parts of our watershed.

 

Choose quality time on a bike over fitness

Peterborough is home to a plethora of bike training events and workshops. Let's Bike Peterborough was a series of events in 2022 that invited kids of all ages to explore bike safety, learn new skills, and participate in games, all for free. (Photo: Jessica Todd / GreenUP)
Peterborough is home to a plethora of bike training events and workshops. Let’s Bike Peterborough was a series of events in 2022 that invited kids of all ages to explore bike safety, learn new skills, and participate in games, all for free. (Photo: Jessica Todd / GreenUP)

Starting new things can often not be easy, but it can feel great once you get the hang of it.

Taking time to enjoy sights and sounds or other moments can be more rewarding than a new ‘personal best’ on a segment of road or trail. Connect with each other and the great outdoors.

 

Make sure your bike is up to the task

Get a tune up or perhaps install some useful accessories that make your ride safer or more comfortable.

Learn the basics of do-it-yourself bicycle care at B!KE.

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For the size of the city that Peterborough is, it is astounding how many options it has for anyone new to biking. If you are looking for resources to start riding again or more often, Peterborough has what you need. You could pick up a trail map at any of our local bike shops, at Peterborough Tourism, or at the GreenUP Store & Resource Centre.

Cycling is becoming more and more popular in Peterborough, but quality equipment may still be inaccessible to those who want to bike this season.

This is why B!KE organizes the annual Kids’ Bike Build. This season, donations of used kids bikes streamed in from all over Peterborough and the Kawarthas. On March 26 and April 2, staff and volunteers tuned up over 55 bikes and gave them to the New Canadians Centre, Children’s Aid Foundation, Boys & Girls Club, and the YES Shelter for Youth and Families.

A not-for-profit organization, B!KE held a "Kids' Bike Build" event on March 26 and April 2, 2023, when they refurbished donated bikes and provided them free of charge to local organizations working with children and youth. (Photo: B!KE)
A not-for-profit organization, B!KE held a “Kids’ Bike Build” event on March 26 and April 2, 2023, when they refurbished donated bikes and provided them free of charge to local organizations working with children and youth. (Photo: B!KE)

It is easier to say ‘yes’ to biking when there is so much community support.

B!KE’s mission is to empower people to travel by bike. B!KE provides an ‘open shop’ program which boasts a supervised do-it-yourself workshop space with the tools, parts, and expertise for bike repair. The shop is perfect for both aspiring and experienced mechanics alike.

Eileen Kimmett, GreenUP Store & Resource Centre coordinator and Peterborough bike advocate, was one such newcomer to biking regularly.

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“I started commuting by bike in 2020,” Eileen says. “There are so many types of bikes and so many places to bike around in Peterborough. Programs like Shifting Gears at GreenUP and buying an affordable bike from B!KE helped me cycle in fairer weather and access the tools needed to do so.”

“Fitness aside, it’s a great stress relief. It’s amazing to be out there, in all seasons, feeling very proud of yourself that you are helping the environment and your personal health and well-being. You start thinking, ‘What if everybody rode their bikes?'”

We hope that, like Eileen, you are excited to ride your bike more this spring. See you on the roads and trails!

 

Mark Romeril is the executive director of B!KE, a not-for-profit, member-based cycling education and support organization. If you’re interested in learning more about B!KE’s workshops, events, and programming, check them out at ommunitybikeshop.org and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

47-year-old man dead in motor vehicle collision near Kinmount

A 47-year-old Kinmount man has died in a motor vehicle collision near Kinmount in the City of Kawartha Lakes early Tuesday evening (April 18).

Shortly after 7 p.m., the Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a collision on Pinery Road near Kinmount.

The lone occupant of the vehicle, a 47-year-old man from Kinmount, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released the identity of the victim.

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Pinery Road was closed near Watson Road for several hours while police documented the scene.

The cause of the investigation remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and who has not spoken with police is asked to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122.

LOCATED – Northumberland police searching for missing 30-yaer-old Brighton woman

Northumberland OPP have released a video on social media about their search for 30-yaer-old Tianna of Brighton, who has been missing since April 18, 2023. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)

The Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 30-year-old Brighton woman.

Tianna (no last name given) was last seen at around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday (April 18) on Raglan Street in Brighton.

She is described as female, white, 5’10”, approximately 140 lbs, with blonde hair, possibly worn in a ponytail. She has a tattoo of a cat on her right shoulder.

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Tianna is possibly wearing a red, blue, and white plaid shirt, with jeans and dark running shoes.

She is known to frequent Northumberland County, Quinte West, Prince Edward County, and the Bancroft area.

Police are concerned for her well-being and are asking anyone who may have information on her whereabouts since Tuesday evening to contact the Northumberland OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122.

VIDEO: Missing Brighton woman

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New Stages Peterborough founder Randy Read returns to the Market Hall stage May 7 to perform in ‘The Secret Mask’

Randy Read, Sergio Di Zio, Megan Murphy, and Jade O'Keefe will perform in a staged reading of Rick Chafe's comedic drama "The Secret Mask" on May 7, 2023 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. (kawarthaNOW collage)

It’s purely coincidental that Randy Read, who is himself still recovering from a serious injury, will perform as a man recovering from a stroke in New Stages Theatre Company’s staged reading of The Secret Mask on May 7 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.

The 70-year-old founder and former artistic director of New Stages is returning to the stage for the first time since he suffered a devastating pelvic fracture last November after being knocked off his bicycle by a truck. He will read the role of Ernie in Canadian playwright Rick Chafe’s comedic drama about a man who, after a debilitating stroke leaves him with a speech disorder and memory loss, is reunited with the estranged son he abandoned decades before.

New Stages announced the staged reading, where the actors perform the script without sets or costumes, last September as part of its 25th anniversary season. The Secret Mask, which premiered in 2011 at Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was a finalist for the 2014 Governor General’s Award For Drama. The Ottawa Citizen called it “alternately hilarious and touching” and “a poignant triumph.”

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Joining Read for the staged reading will be Gemini-Award winning actor Sergio Di Zio, performing as Ernie’s estranged son George, and Megan Murphy, performing as Ernie’s patient speech therapist Mae. Jade O’Keefe, fresh off her successful run of Gibson and Sons at the Peterborough Theatre Guild, will round out the cast.

In this heartwarming and often hilarious play, Winnipeg resident George is contacted out of the blue by a Vancouver hospital to come help his father Ernie, who has suffered a stroke leaving him with memory loss and aphasia, a speech disorder for which he is receiving treatment from speech therapist Mae.

George hasn’t had contact with his father for almost 40 years, ever since he walked out on his family when George was a toddler. But while George feels hurt and betrayed, Ernie can’t remember his words or where he lives.

Randy Read (left) with actor Shawn Wright at the Market Hall on March 26, 2023, when New Stages presented a staged reading of Daniel MacIvor's "New Magic Valley Fun Town" featuring Wright. It was Read's first outing to the theatre since he experienced a devastating pelvic fracture last November after being knocked off his bicycle by a truck. Read will be taking to the stage on May 7, 2023 to perform in a staged reading of Rick Chafe's "The Secret Mask." (Photo courtesy of Randy Read)
Randy Read (left) with actor Shawn Wright at the Market Hall on March 26, 2023, when New Stages presented a staged reading of Daniel MacIvor’s “New Magic Valley Fun Town” featuring Wright. It was Read’s first outing to the theatre since he experienced a devastating pelvic fracture last November after being knocked off his bicycle by a truck. Read will be taking to the stage on May 7, 2023 to perform in a staged reading of Rick Chafe’s “The Secret Mask.” (Photo courtesy of Randy Read)

Faced with the reality of caring for a father he never knew, George struggles to make sense of their past and to move on with their newly entwined future. The two men must work through their mutual distrust, fractured memories, and a broken looking glass of language.

Playwright Rick Chafe, who was born in Toronto and raised in Winnipeg, based part of The Secret Mask on his experiences with his own father, who developed aphasia after suffering a stroke.

Aphasia is a disorder affecting speaking, understanding speech, or reading or writing as a result of damage to the part of the brain that is responsible for language processing or understanding. The 67-year-old actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia last spring (his condition has since worsened with a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia).

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After Chafe’s father suffered a stroke, Chafe and his four siblings took turns visiting their father. During that time, Chafe took notes of both his and his siblings’ observations.

“That is all rolled into one character in the play,” Chafe explains in a 2015 interview with the Prince George Citizen. “I kept feeling like it was exploitative, and I couldn’t do that to my father. But I kept some notes anyway, just to have them later when I could think it over from a place of greater distance.”

While his father’s stroke informed that aspect of the play, Chafe relied on the experiences of a friend who had been abandoned by his father at a young age to develop the tension between George and Ernie.

Playwright Rick Chafe based "The Secret Mask" on his own personal experiences after his father suffered a stroke resulting in aphasia. (Unattributed photo)
Playwright Rick Chafe based “The Secret Mask” on his own personal experiences after his father suffered a stroke resulting in aphasia. (Unattributed photo)

“He would verify things for me, and gave me the authenticity I needed in the reactions and behaviours of the son in the play,” Chafe says.

The staged reading of The Secret Mask takes place for one night only at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 7th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.

General admission tickets are $22 ($11 for arts workers, students, or the underwaged), available in person at the Market Hall box office at 140 Charlotte Street from 12 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday or online anytime at tickets.markethall.org.

 

kawarthaNOW is proud to be media sponsor of New Stages Theatre Company’s 25th anniversary season.

The New Stages staged reading of "The Secret Mask" will be performed on May 7, 2023 at  at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Poster courtesy of New Stages)
The New Stages staged reading of “The Secret Mask” will be performed on May 7, 2023 at at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Poster courtesy of New Stages)

Five Counties Children’s Centre celebrates the many volunteers supporting their clinical services and fundraising efforts

For Pam, giving back to Five Counties Children's Centre as a volunteer is personal. She holds the distinction of being the very first child that Five Counties served at its inception in 1974. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)

Bob is a former educator who volunteers at Five Counties Children’s Centre because he loves helping kids. For five years, he’s given his time and talent to support our work and — even in retirement — still has a lesson to share.

“Volunteering is rewarding,” Bob says. “I know a lot of people who volunteer, and they get as much fun out of it as they give. Seeing smiling faces when you volunteer makes you feel good to know that you’re helping.”

Bob’s tireless efforts to support Five Counties make us smile too and that’s appropriate during National Volunteer Week (April 16-22).

It’s the time we celebrate the contributions made by millions of Canadians, who, according to Statistics Canada, contributed five billion volunteer hours in 2018 alone.

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While COVID-19 severely curtailed volunteering, Five Counties is fortunate to again have dozens of volunteers supporting our clinical services and fundraising efforts. On the fundraising side over the past year, our volunteers contributed 710 hours — equal to working every minute for an entire month!

For Pam, volunteering at Five Counties is personal, as she was the very first child that Five Counties served at its inception in 1974.

“Five Counties was the outlet for me to gain confidence and get used to socializing with other children my own age,” Pam says. “It helped me so much when I became an adult.”

Volunteers make all the difference at Five Counties Children's Centre, including Bob (third from right) who was among the many volunteers who helped out at the Santa's Breakfast fundraiser for Five Counties at Lansdowne Place in Peterborough in November 2022. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
Volunteers make all the difference at Five Counties Children’s Centre, including Bob (third from right) who was among the many volunteers who helped out at the Santa’s Breakfast fundraiser for Five Counties at Lansdowne Place in Peterborough in November 2022. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)

A childhood connection is part of the reason why Jackie is a donor, volunteer, and fundraiser for Five Counties. As a young child, she used leg braces to help with mobility issues.

“The work that Five Counties does is incredibly important and valuable to help the children they serve,” Jackie notes. “With the help of the various programs and services offered… children are able to live enriched, full lives.”

For Judy, the “seed of interest” to volunteer at Five Counties was planted in seeing her niece receive care and support in the early 1990s from a Toronto-based children’s treatment centre.

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“The ordeal of watching my niece struggle and face each day of pain and suffering with bravery and determination was life-changing,” Judy recalls. “I have seen many sick children in my life and they have a certain bravery that is unique to them. It’s as if they were born with an extra dose of courage.”

It’s inspiring to work with Bob, Pam, Jackie, Judy and others who volunteer for many different reasons.

Volunteers tend to downplay their role and work, but what they do is significant — as demonstrated at the Winterfest event that Five Counties organized in February.

Dozens of volunteers support clinical services and fundraising efforts at Five Counties Children's Centre. Volunteers contributed 710 hours towards fundraising efforts alone, which is equal to working every minute for an entire month. (Graphic courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
Dozens of volunteers support clinical services and fundraising efforts at Five Counties Children’s Centre. Volunteers contributed 710 hours towards fundraising efforts alone, which is equal to working every minute for an entire month. (Graphic courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)

While each volunteer contributed three or four hours apiece at the event, the sum total of their efforts was providing enjoyment to hundreds of families, raising awareness about Five Counties programs and services, and netting more than $30,000 to support our work.

Canadian curler Sherry Anderson was right on target in noting, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”

At Five Counties, we greatly value our volunteers who are worth their weight in gold!

Earth Day is a reminder for all of us to take action against garbage pollution

Volunteers pick up garbage during a past Super Spring Cleanup Week. For the past 15 years, the three Rotary Clubs in the Peterborough area have organized the annual event during Earth Week in April to encourage everyone within the community to become a steward and protector of the environment by taking part in a garbage cleanup. (Photo: Rotary)

For as long as humans have roamed the planet, we have created garbage. Way back when, it might have been a pile of animal bones, vegetables rinds, or worn clothes, whereas for the last 100 or so years, we have created piles of plastic, glass, paper, rubber, and metal all littering our environment.

As the planet is speeding towards a climate breakdown with unseen disasters to follow, we find ourself fighting wars on many fronts. One of them is the war against pollution, with garbage being the most visual, often right under our noses.

Researchers are telling us there are now microplastics in water, soil, and even in the air on every continent of the planet. Traces of various levels of plastics are found in animals and humans alike.

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Whole islands of garbage are floating in the oceans gaining in size, only to be broken up by mega storms and then wash up on our beaches. Marine life is greatly endangered through ingesting particles and entanglement. Meanwhile on the continents, many waterways, forests, fields, meadows, cities, towns, roadsides, and parks are contaminated with all sorts of garbage.

Our landfill sites are overflowing and expanding to new pristine farm land, to then be covered with a few feet of dirt and left to rot and ferment while contaminating the soil, groundwater, and air for many years to come.

Wealthy countries have been dealing with the ever-increasing garbage by shipping their trash across oceans to poor and corrupt countries, often causing contamination and poisoning of their own environment.

There are many factors causing all that garbage. Overpopulation, consumerism, convenience, packaging, making profits, poverty, lack of education and awareness and funding, or just blatantly not caring for the environment.

Those of us who have travelled in developing countries will have seen much unsightly trash only a few steps away from hotels and tourist sights. It always pains my heart to see people allowing their community to turn into a garbage pit. Lack of funding to establish systems for collection and disposal, as well as not educating the citizens about the hazards, are mostly to blame.

Here in North America, garbage contamination is not due to the lack of infrastructure to dispose of it. Neither is there lack of education, as most children will participate at one point at a school-organized cleanup.

For many, there seems to be a disconnect with nature and a lack of awareness of the impacts of garbage contamination. There seems to be an inherent habit to disrespect nature and fellow citizens. Selfish and careless individuals who will do whatever they want continue to litter the environment with coffee cups, wrappers, or dog poop baggies.

Billions of cigarette butts are discarded every day, with their plastic fibre filters leading the list of garbage found in the environment worldwide. The breaking down of these filters in time will allow small particles to be absorbed by water and soil — a slow and deadly process.

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To prevent a total and fatal plastic contamination of the entire planet, a major shift needs to happen:

  • Industries have to produce quality products that last longer and have to reduce and recycle packaging.
  • Industries need to stop making kitsch and useless junk. It all ends up to be garbage and needs to be disposed.
  • Governments need to educate and regulate production of consumer products. If it’s junk, don’t allow it to be made, imported, or sold.
  • Retail must reduce packaging, sell quality products, and introduce refunds. Just imagine if a Tim Hortons coffee cup had a $1 deposit. Surely there would be no more coffee cups scattered all over the place.
  • As consumers, we must reduce our hunger for buying inferior and useless stuff. It all ends up in the garbage dump and costs a lot of money. Of course the production and shipping of all that material consumes huge quantities of energy and raw material.

To save our planet from poisoning, humanity needs to recognize the damage caused by garbage.

Citizens of all stripes must get involved in cleaning up the environment. By taking part in a cleanup, we get a sense of ownership and responsibility for the planet. We must start right outside our own homes and in our neighbourhoods, then move on to county roads, ravines, creeks, lakeshores, and beaches.

Seeing garbage anywhere must not be acceptable to anyone anymore. If you see it, get rid of it — for only then will the land we walk on, the water we drink, and the air we breathe be clean and healthy for a long time to come.

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Municipalities and organizations in many countries are calling on their citizens to help with spring cleanups.

Here in Peterborough, mayor Jeff Leal issued a Rotary-prompted proclamation calling on all citizens to participate and help clean our community during Earth Week at the end of April. Several community organizations such as the Ashburnham Stewardship group, Friends of Jackson Park, Crawford Rail Trail, Rotary clubs, and church groups as well as businesses are coming out to clean up trash accumulated throughout the winter months.

Join a group or start your own initiative with family, kids, friends, or colleagues and be part of a solution. Adopt a section of a park, a path, a ravine, a beach near you and keep it clean throughout the year. Your connection to that piece of land will change you from a frustrated bystander into a participant and steward.

Remember to bring a plastic bag with you on your walks — you’ll need it. Happy cleanup!

Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal has proclaimed the week of April 22 to 29, 2023 at Rotary Super Spring Cleanup Week. (Photo: Günther Schubert)
Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal has proclaimed the week of April 22 to 29, 2023 at Rotary Super Spring Cleanup Week. (Photo: Günther Schubert)

City of Peterborough provides a first look at new green bin program for organic waste

On April 17, 2023, the City of Peterborough provided a demonstration of the new collection trucks for the city's new green bin program for organic waste coming this fall, including the automated equipment that will be used to pick up and empty the large green bins during curbside collection. (Photo: City of Peterborough)

In advance of Earth Day on Saturday (April 22), the City of Peterborough provided a first look at the city’s green bin program for organic waste coming this fall.

At a media event in the parking lot of Eastgate Park on Ashburnham Drive on Monday morning, the city demonstrated the new collection trucks, including the automated equipment that will be used to pick up and empty the large green bins during curbside collection.

All eligible households will receive one of the heavy-duty pest-proof bins, which include wheels and a locking mechanism on the lid, as well as a smaller container for use in the kitchen.

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The green bin program is being rolled out to most residential properties, except for multi-residential and condominium properties that receive private waste collection services.

The city will begin delivering the green bins to eligible households in September and expects delivery to be completed by mid-October, with weekly curbside green bin collection beginning on October 31.

The green bins can be used to dispose of all food waste (whether cooked, raw, or spoiled, as well as bones), soiled paper products (including tissues, paper towels, cardboard, and pizza boxes), and pet waste and kitty litter (as long as it is is not contained in plastic liners or plastic bags).

VIDEO: City of Peterborough green bin collection demonstration

Items that will be disposed of in the garbage include non-recyclable product packaging, coffee pods, diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, and plastic bags and film (overwrap).

Organic material collected in the green bin program will be processed at the city’s Green Resource Organics Works (GROW) centralized composting facility. At full capacity, the facility could accept up to 40,000 tonnes of organic material per year from the city and county of Peterborough.

According to a media release from the city, diverting organic material from the landfill for composting will reduce methane gas production at the landfill and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,943 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2030 and by a total of 79,305 tonnes between 2023 and 2050.

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As organic material makes up about 40 per cent of residential waste in Canada, diverting organics away from the current garbage generated by Peterborough households into the new weekly green bin program means the city’s garbage collection can shift to an every-other-week schedule.

Along with the green bin program and the shift to every-other-week garbage collection, the city will require the use of clear bags for curbside garbage collection beginning October 31.

Waste audits in Peterborough in 2020-2021 found that about 10 per cent of material in curbside garbage bags was recyclable material.

Indigenous ancestral gifts to Prince of Wales in 1860 on display in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough until November

Handbag/Makak made by Margaret Anderson, 1860. (Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III, 2023)

A new exhibition opening at the Peterborough Museum & Archives on Saturday (April 22) will feature Indigenous birch baskets gifted to the Prince of Wales in 1860 that are returning for a visit to their ancestral lands in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough.

In 1860, His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales — the eldest son of Queen Victoria who was heir apparent for almost 60 years until he became King in 1901 — toured North America. During a stop at Rice Lake village (now Hiawatha First Nation) on September 7, 1860, Michi Saagiig women presented him with gifts of quilled birch bark baskets called ‘wiigwaasii makakoons’ (pronounced ‘weeg-wah-see mah-ka-coons’).

Through a partnership between Hiawatha First Nation, the Mississauga Nation, the Peterborough Museum & Archives, and Royal Collection Trust, 13 of the makakoons will be on exhibition at the Peterborough Museum & Archives from April 22 to November 19, 2023.

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The exhibit, called ‘To Honour and Respect: Gifts from the Michi Saagiig Women to the Prince of Wales, 1860’, will explore the cultural knowledge, love, respect, and diplomacy that went into the makakoons.

The makakoons are on loan from Royal Trust Collection in England, which cares for the Royal Collection and also manages the public opening of the official residences of His Majesty King Charles III. Since 1860, the makakoons have been part of the Royal Trust Collection and housed at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

“Hiawatha First Nation and the Mississauga Nation communities are coming together to welcome these Ancestors home for a visit,” says Chief Laurie Carr of Hiawatha First Nation in a media release. “We know that the makakoons have the names of women makers attached, and there are descendants of these women in our First Nations.”

Makak made by Sarah (Sally) Taunchy, 1860. (Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III, 2023)
Makak made by Sarah (Sally) Taunchy, 1860. (Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III, 2023)

Peterborough Museum & Archives will provide a safe and accessible home for the ancestral items while they are in Canada, with Hiawatha First Nation leading all associated programming, such as workshops on quillwork provided by Hiawatha First Nation artist Sandra Moore and the Michi Saagiig language provided by Curve Lake member Jonathan Taylor.

“While the Ancestors are with us on Michi Saagiig Territory, the Peterborough Museum & Archives will create space for everyone to visit, and we will share knowledge about this art through viewing, workshops, and language classes,” Chief Carr explains. “We will sit with the Ancestors and acknowledge their spirits and what they have to teach us. Each of the makakoons will add to our cultural knowledge and strength as Michi Saagiig Peoples.”

The exhibition has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Peterborough Museum & Archives, and the City of Peterborough, and with the support of the Mississauga Nations, including Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Alderville, Mississaugas of Scugog Island, Mississauga First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, and Hiawatha First Nation.

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“Royal Collection Trust is delighted to exhibit this group of gifts presented to the future King Edward VII during the landmark first royal meeting with the Michi Saagiig in 1860,” says Rachel Peat, curator of decorative arts at Royal Collection Trust.

“Since then, these outstanding works of art have been displayed within the royal residences as a symbol of relations between Mississauga Nation communities and the Crown. Today, this project offers an important opportunity to reconnect with Michi Saagiig knowledge holders and affirm links with this community.”

An exhibition opening will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 22nd at Peterborough Museum & Archives (300 Hunter St. E., Peterborough). Themed crafts will be set up in the multi-purpose classroom for children and adults. Admission is by voluntary donation.

Makak made by Polly Soper, 1860. (Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III, 2023)
Makak made by Polly Soper, 1860. (Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III, 2023)

 

This story has been updated with official photos from the Royal Collection Trust.

Eryn Lidster is the new creative director of the ReFrame Film Festival

Eryn Lidster is the new creative director of the ReFrame Film Festival. (Supplied photo)

Eryn Lidster is the new creative director of the ReFrame Film Festival.

Lidster, who will be responsible for implementing the creative and artistic vision of the annual festival, has a strong background in programming and project management with an emphasis on
film, media art, and theatre.

In 2018 and 2019, Lidster was awarded the Gregory R. Firth Memorial Prize for their film work, which has been screened internationally. Lidster is a founding member of Canadian Images in
Conversation screening collective, currently serves as chair of the board at Artspace artist-run centre, and “is a passionate supporter of local arts organizations, artists, and arts workers,” according to a media release.

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Lidster was recently project manager of the 2022 Erring at King George Festival with Public Energy, and has supported the production of over 40 performance works in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong since 2016. They hold an Honours BA from Trent University in cultural studies with a specialization in image, sound, and performance from Trent University. Lidster has also served as a guest lecturer in documentary film and a media technician at Trent’s cultural studies and media studies departments.

“I am eager to bring my love and deep curiosity for film and media art to the organization, and to come together with the community around a shared passion for the vital work of environmental
and social justice,” Lidster says in a media release. “I am deeply grateful to the dedicated ReFrame staff, board, and volunteers, past and present. I will endeavour to uphold the high standards you have set. I look forward to everything we will accomplish together.”

Lidster was hired following an extensive search process for a successor to Amy Siegel, who has served as creative director since 2018. Lidster joins festival director Kait Dueck in the co-leadership of the ReFrame Film Festival. Dueck was hired in October 2022 to replace Jay Adam, who was in the festival director role since 2018.

“We are very pleased that Eryn is joining our team,” says ReFrame board chair Jim Hendry. “Their commitment to film, the power of art to make change, and their deep connections with
Peterborough’s artistic community will ensure that ReFrame’s vision continues to be reflected in the festival’s film offerings and our community work.”

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