Thanks, Peterborough, for four great years

The two things I knew about Peterborough were Trent University and The Petes. That was it. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I loaded up my car and made Peterborough my home in the summer of 2013.

The first house I looked at was a place on Park St. Upon arriving, there were two cop cars pulled up in front. My mom and I stepped out of the car and as we got closer to the front porch, suitcases and clothes started getting hurled out the front door. The current tenant was being evicted, and the landlord came out to the front steps accompanied by two burly police officers and asked my mom and I point blank, “Still interested? We politely declined.

My next stop was a basement apartment owned by a 70-year-old widow. She took one look at my lanky, 21-year-old frame and said “no partying, and no uhmmm, you know, pillow-wrestling with visitors.” NEXT.

The final home we looked at was nestled between Bethune and McDonnell streets, $450 a month, everything included, and I’d be living with five Trent Students. Seemed like a win-win.

I had to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to start my job as a producer/anchor for the morning show. I pulled out of my driveway early in the morning and drove down Bethune to a stop sign. While I was stopped I heard a knock on the window. The person was wearing next to no clothes, a pound of makeup, and heels. I slammed my foot on the gas, and let me tell you I never arrived to work quicker and more alert in my entire four years on the job.

I lasted in that place a year before I moved into a two-bedroom apartment in the downtown core that was littered with bedbugs. I eventually would move four times in four years, eventually settling in East City.

There was a lot a 21-year-old city boy from Ottawa had to learn.

Stories of Corey Perry winning a Stanley Cup are people’s pride and joy. Their love of hockey is richly entwined with their OHL team, the Peterborough Petes. Not many OHL teams can boast the alumni the Petes have. Steve Yzerman, Chris Pronger, Mickey Redmond, and yes even Wayne Gretzky for a few games. (It’s true, look it up). Hockey, I would find, is deeply rooted in people’s blood, but I would find so is lacrosse. Lacrosse players like Shawn Evans and John Grant Jr. are godlike figures in a town of 80,000 people.

The love of local sports heroes stretches into local politics, business owners, and hot-button issues as well. Trust me, every day was different working in the newsroom. It was everything but a “sleepy” media market. When people tried to burn down a mosque, it made national headlines, and caused

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make an appearance. It highlighted just how powerful Peterborough people can be when they work together to help a cause bigger than themselves.

It was in that moment that I realized Peterborough is a town that always finds a silver lining.

I met many people who got up each and every day who made it their mission to make their community a better place. It was infectious, and I eventually started to feel proud to call it home. You certainly welcomed me in a strange way, but man, were you ever hard to leave.

As I packed up the last of my things to move to Toronto, I couldn’t help but break down. Peterborough gave me the perfect start to my career, and who knows, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to call it home again.

Thank you, Peterborough.

Colin Teskey is a Toronto-based radio broadcaster who worked in Peterborough until earlier this year.