A look back at another busy year in East City

As 2017 draws to a close, it’s time to look back and the best stories of the year. Here’s a look at the first half of 2017.

In January, the Peterborough Museum and Archives continued their P.A. day camps, providing one day programs for kids that included fun as well as learning.

In February, the first round of the Effective Speaking program got underway at The Peterborough Lions community Centre.

The competition is designed to develop public speaking skills in students, but also builds selfconfidence. The top students in each division moved on to the district event and those who placed first in that round moved on to the finals.

Also that month, the Peterborough New Horizons band held a percussion workshop for members, led by Joe Uebelacker. About 40 musicians turned out, most of them new to percussion instruments.

The class had mini-lectures and hands-on practice. Members quickly learned and applied their new musical skills.

In April, Carla Brown and Cathy Ruttle organized a reunion for all former employees and volunteers of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

The event brought people together who had not seen each other since they worked at St. Joe’s. There were photos and memorabilia to view, contact information to exchange and catching up with former co-workers.

“At St. Joes, we worked together as a family. I realized how much I missed them,” said Brown.

Also in April, the Peterborough Museum partnered with TIFF once again as part of TIFF’s Canada On Screen. It was part of the larger National Canadian Film Day, a film festival that ran Apr. 17, making it the largest oneday film festival in the world.

The project brought the best in Canadian film to the screen and was a Canada 150 event. In May, the Peterborough Lions held their annual Walk for Dog Guides. The event raised money for raising and training service dogs to provide help to clients with physical or medical disabilities.

The local walk has raised $110,000 since it began 19 years ago.

Also in May, the Peterborough Rotary club hosted their annual spelling bee, with 41 of 46 local schools taking part.

In addition to bragging rights, there were bursaries for the top three schools to be used to fund school literacy programs. Local businesses donated prizes for individual winners, venue space and gifts-in-kind.

Closing out the first half of the year was a fundraiser concert organized by the Peterborough New Horizons band.

The money raised goes to a different organization each year In 2017 proceeds were earmarked to fund a state-of-the-art mammography machine for the Peterborough Breast Assessment Centre at PRHC.

The concert was personal for PNHB member Judith Manary, who was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.

She performed with her band mates, playing flute and alto sax.

Manary stressed the importance of regular mammograms and welcomed the new state of the art equipment.

“The new equipment generates more accurate images and helps in early detection.”