An updated Reggie's Hot Grill in Peterborough's East City has reopened under the ownership of Steve and Carolyn Effer and features original Reggie's recipes (photo: Reggie's Hot Grill / Facebook)
Reggie’s Hot Grill
Steve and Carolyn Effer are making a name for themselves in the local fast food business.
The couple opened the Red Wagon Chip Truck last May on the Lakefield highway near Giant Tiger. And two weeks ago they became the proud new owners of Reggie’s Hot Grill in East City. They have quickly given Reggie’s a facelift with new fryers, a new venting system, a fresh coat of paint, and an expanded menu while keeping your Reggie’s favourites.
BlushDrop capture all of the video shot from friends and family at weddings and professionally edits it into a keepsake montage (photo: BlushDrop / Facebook)
Since winning the Bear’s Lair competition last year, Rick Dolishny has been busy building his business. BlushDrop takes the video shot by friends and family at weddings and special occasions and creates a keepsake montage.
Rick has established key markets, so he is taking his show on the road with a full trade show exhibit at Canada’s Bridal Show in Toronto, then it’s on to shows in Chicago and Dallas. By pre-selling gift cards and wedding packages, Rick plans a big kick start to his 2017.
Located at Venture North, you can check BlushDrop out at www.blushdrop.com.
Discovery PBX on January 10
The Discovery PBX on January 10 also features a special announcement from Sofie Andreou & Associates (image: Peterborough Chamber)
Lots of business events are happening this week… The Chamber of Commerce kicks off its 2017 schedule of the Peterborough Business Exchange with Discovery PBX, profiling a number of new Chamber members in a tabletop trade show format.
It’s a great opportunity for the business community, employers, consumers, and community agencies to connect with these new business owners.
The event is open to everyone and takes place tomorrow (Tuesday, January 10th) from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Venue on George Street in downtown Peterborough.
Women in Politics panel on January 11 at Women’s Business Network of Peterborough
The Women in Politics panel features MP Maryam Monsef, Selwyn Mayor Mayor Smith, and Peterborough City Councillor Diane Therrien (image: WBN Peterborough / Facebook)
The Women’s Business Network of Peterborough starts off strong on Wednesday night (January 11) with Women in Politics, a panel featuring MP Maryam Monsef, Mayor Mary Smith, and Councillor Diane Therrien, moderated by the Chamber’s Sandra Dueck.
January 13 deadline for Win This Space competition
The Win This Space competition prize includes a rent-free storefront in downtown Peterborough (image: Peterborough DBIA / Facebook)
The Peterborough DBIA’s Win This Space deadline is this Friday (January 13).
You could win your own storefront in the downtown with 12 months free rent and a raft of other prizes, products, and support services. You just need to put together a good business pitch in a three-minute video and submit it.
Peterborough's own Mayhemingways (Josh Fewings and Ben Rowland) are heading out on tour with Bill and Joel Plaskett in early spring (photo: Jeremy Kelly)
If any musician still needs validation of the importance of always giving your best when performing live, Josh Fewings of Mayhemingways has a story to share.
In August 2014, Fewings and bandmate Benj Rowland performed at the Peterborough Folk Festival. Unknown to them, Juno Award-winning recording artist Joel Plaskett was in the Nicholls Oval Park crowd, later catching up with the Peterborough musical duo at a festival after-party.
“He dug us,” recounts Fewings, noting Plaskett invited him and Rowland to drop by his Dartmouth, Nova Scotia recording studio the next time they were down east. They eventually did just that last year, with Plaskett then catching their act in a neighbouring Halifax pub.
With studio work completed on Solidarity, an album written and recorded with his father Bill, Plaskett looked to touring the new music in 2017. Some 1,200 kilometres distant, Fewings’ phone buzzed.
“Joel asked if we were free in March and April,” Fewings says. “The only thing we had planned was to do a little tour of Europe, but we only had three or four gigs booked so we cleared our calendar.”
“Him asking us (to tour) so out of the blue is mind blowing. He has a really good band (The Emergency) but this tour is about the album with his dad and he wanted a different approach on it. Anytime someone like Joel Plaskett asks you tour, that’s a good day.”
“My dad and I playing music together is something real.” To be released in February, Solidarity is the new album Joel Plaskett (right) recorded with his father Bill (photo courtesy of Joel Plaskett)
With Solidarity due to be released on February 17th, the 20-stop cross-Canada tour begins on March 15th in Truro, Nova Scotia. So far, the only show in the Kawarthas is on Wednesday, May 3rd at the Academy Theatre in Lindsay (tickets are $34.50 and can be ordered at www.academytheatre.ca or phone 705-324-9111. For all the tour dates, visit joelplaskett.com/tour/
Peterborough show announced!
The Plasketts and Mayhemingways will perform at the Market Hall in Peterborough on Sunday, May 7, 2017. Tickets are $33.90+fees and go on sale January 18th. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.markethall.org.
As well as backing up the Plasketts, Mayhemingways will open each show, with lead singer Rowland switching between accordion, banjo, guitar, and tenor guitar (while holding down the bass using foot pedals) and Fewings on drums, percussion, and back-up vocals. This allows the duo to produce a big sound for their mix of originals, traditional tunes, and covers, all with distinct Cajun, blugrass, country, and Celtic influences. They’ve been described as folk-rock, alt-country, and “fuzz-folk”.
“The Mayhemingways are great,” Plaskett tells me in a phone interview. “They make a real racket for two guys. And I mean racket in a good way. I thought it would be a neat fit.”
VIDEO: “Altantic City” by Bruce Springsteen, performed by Mayhemingways
The new record and tour with his dad Bill is a new direction for Plaskett.
“It’s strange for me to not bring my band on the road with me — it’s a huge part of what I’ve done,” Plaskett explains. “But I wanted this record to be about my father and me. If I have the band there, the expectations are for the show to end up in a big rockfest. With my dad, that’s not the end game. I want to be able to control the dynamics, with a more acoustic presentation. I pick the points where the electricity is there.”
And the 42-year-old Plaskett has generated a lot of electricity over the last 24 years as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His initial foray into the music business saw him serve as lead singer and guitarist for Halifax-based Thrush Hermit and, in the late 1990s, drummer for Neuseiland. After both bands broke up, that’s when things really fell into place for the Lunenburg native.
Fronting The Emergency, Plaskett earned a Juno Award nomination in 2002 as Best New Artist — a nod earned via critical acclaim for the trio’s debut album Down At The Khyber. Follow-up album Truthfully, Truthfully brought commercial success the trio’s way.
All the while, Plaskett kept hard at it as a solo artist as well, recording four albums in total, the latest being 2015’s The Park Avenue Sobriety Test. And the plaudits kept coming his way: five more Juno Award nominations and a win in 2010 for Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Three, as well as numerous nominations and wins at the East Coast Music Awards.
VIDEO: Bill & Joel Plaskett – Solidarity Album Trailer
In 2016, a project that been percolating for some time finally got his full attention.
“My dad has been an inspiration but also someone I learned from when I was younger,” Plaskeet says. “I’d been wanting for awhile to document what he does and sort of collaborate with him.”
“Since I’ve become a parent, I feel the clock ticking a little bit. Becoming a father myself, I realize the connection I have with my dad is powerful. He’s still very able-bodied, but he’s in his seventies now and neither of us is getting any younger. So it was ‘Let’s make a record together.’ It’s something I’m really lucky to be able to do. I’m hoping this may be the first of several records we do.”
Describing his father as “a good singer and guitar player in his own right,” Plaskett says the album features songs written by both himself and his dad.
“It’s definitely a folkier side of what I do. My dad and I share a love of folk music; English stuff from the 1960s and 1970s. There are influences that we share. It’s folky in its instrumentation but it’s also got a little political undercurrent, social commentary, stuff like that. We recorded the album during the run-up to the American election. Not that we were writing about that, but that was sort of the backdrop.”
Bill and Joel Plaskett: “My dad and I share a love of folk music.” (photo courtesy of Joel Plaskett)
“The song Solidarity isn’t a political song per se but, to me, the title and what it represents sort of ties in to my and my dad’s story. The verses are little vignettes from our lives. The older I get, the more my own politics creep into my writing. At the same time, it’s not all about that. There are love songs on the record too.”
While touring is nothing new for Plaskett, touring with his dad is — and that has both father and son excited for what lies ahead.
“My dad and I playing music together is something real,” he says. “I’ve had people tweeting me that ‘I bought tickets for me and my mom’ or ‘for me and my dad’. My 20-year-old self probably would have thought that’s not very punk rock but, where I am in my life now, it makes me happy to hear that.”
Not lost on Plaskett is how fortunate he has been to prosper in a business where fame is often fleeting at best.
“I don’t have a back-up plan. I think that’s why I’m still playing, to be honest. I don’t have an education to fall back on. My education is basically my experience playing music and writing songs, and learning how to perform them live and putting on a strong show. The fact that I’m able to carve out a living is really a blessing. To be able to include my dad in that is even better.”
VIDEO: “Hunter Street Blues” – Mayhemingways
On January 16th, the Plasketts will welcome Fewings and Rowland back to their Nova Scotia studio where they’ll rehearse for the tour. For Fewings, there’s a sense that “a cosmic alignment is happening” in terms of Mayhemingways’ good fortune.
“I like to think it’s been pretty well earned from playing as much as we can since we got together,” says Fewings, adding, “Even if this hadn’t come about, we would still feel very good about what we’ve done.”
Ahead for the duo, prior to the Plaskett tour, is a February trip to Alberta to record tracks for a new album — a follow-up to their 2016 critically acclaimed debut album Hunter Street Blues.
Meanwhile, for Plaskett, post-tour will see much more of the same: writing and recording with the addition of exploring “something more conceptual” with his friend and songwriter Shotgun Jimmy. But the tour with his dad, he says, is currently at the centre of his universe.
“I love playing gigs,” he says. “It makes me feel more connected to people. It makes me feel like I’m part of something. There’s a shared energy. It feeds my ego too — don’t get me wrong, but it has a lot to do with not feeling so alone in the world.”
Reminded that Lindsay’s Academy Theatre, where he’s played before and will again on May 3rd, lays claim to a resident ghost, Plaskett isn’t concerned.
“I heard that. I sort of believe in that stuff, so I’m ready. Bring it on.”
That’s a sentiment no doubt shared by many who are anxious to experience his new tour with his dad Bill and Mayhemingways.
Time-zone inventor Sir Sandford Fleming in 1895 (photo: Wikipedia)
Today is the 190th birthday of Sir Sandford Fleming (1827-1915), the namesake of Fleming College in the Kawarthas, and Google has honoured Fleming’s birth with a doodle.
Fleming is best known as the inventor of Universal Standard Time (including time zones), but he also helped engineer much of Canada’s national railway and designed Canada’s first postage stamp.
Born in Kircaldy in Scotland, Fleming began working for an engineer at age 14, when he learned to design and build harbours and waterworks, and also surveyed for the railway. He moved to Canada in 1845 at the age of 18, and spent his first summer at the Peterborough home of Dr. John Hutchison.
Google’s doodle on January 7, 2017 honours Sir Sandford Fleming’s 190th birthday (illustration: Sophie Diao)
Fleming worked in Peterborough as a surveyor until 1849, when he became a fully qualified engineer. He drew and printed several maps, including the first map of Peterborough.
Beginning in 1863, Fleming led plans for the Intercolonial Railway, which would connect New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and Quebec). In 1867, he was appointed engineer-in-chief for the railway. Despite objections, he insisted on building railway bridges out of fire-resistant iron and stone instead of less expensive wood.
By 1871, plans were made to extend the railway west to bring British Columbia into the confederation of 1867, and Fleming was offered the chief engineer post on the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1872, he surveyed a practical route through the Yellowhead Pass across the Rocky Mountains.
Donald Alexander Smith (Lord Strathcona) driving the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie, British Columbia, on November 7, 1885, with Fleming standing behind him (photo: Wikipedia)
By 1880, 600 miles completed of the railway were completed, but a change of government and privatization of the railway resulted in Fleming’s dismissal from the project. However, in 1884 he became a director of the Canadian Pacific Railway and was present when the last spike was driven on November 7, 1885.
Sir Sandford is best known for inventing Universal Standard Time, as a result of issues he identified while working on railway timetables. In standard time, the globe is divided into 24 time zones, each an hour from the next and all a fixed number of hours from the “prime meridian” in Greenwich, England. Standard time was adopted globally in 1884.
VIDEO: Heritage Minutes: Sir Sandford Fleming
Seven facts about Sir Sandford Fleming
In 1849, the 22-year-old Fleming helped found the Royal Canadian Institute in Toronto in 1849, a society dedicated to the “encouragement and general advancement of the Physical Sciences, the Arts and Manufactures”, and he designed the society’s crest. The institute established the Sandford Fleming Medal and Citation in 1982, which is awarded annually to a Canadian who has made outstanding contributions to the public understanding of science (past winners include David Suzuki, Jay Ingram, Terence Dickinson, and Bob McDonald).
In 1851, at the age of 24, Fleming designed Canada’s first postage stamp, known as the “three-pence beaver”. Despite tradition calling for using Queen Victoria on stamps, Fleming proposed using the beaver as a symbol of Canada because it was characteristic of Canadian wildlife and was known for its industriousness, building skills, and tenacity.
Fleming designed Canada’s first postage stamp, the “Three-Pence Beaver”, which helped popularize the beaver as an emblem of Canada (image: Canada Post)
In 1879, Fleming championed the idea of a trans-Canada telegraph and an underwater cable linking Canada with Pacific nations, which ultimately led to a telegraph cable laid across the floor of the Pacific Ocean in 1902, connecting Vancouver Island to New Zealand and Australia.
In 1879, Fleming was appointed chancellor of Queen’s College in Kingston, where he helped to establish the (originally Presbyterian) institution as a secular university with strong science and engineering programs. He remained chancellor until his death in 1915 at the age of 88.
In 1895, Fleming proposed a flag for Canada, featuring the Union Jack on a red background with a white seven-pointed star.
In 1897, at the age of 70, Fleming was knighted by Queen Victoria.
Fleming College, a community college of applied arts and technology, was named after Sir Sandford Fleming. It opened in Peterborough in 1967 and has since expanded with campuses in Lindsay, Haliburton, and Cobourg.
The green flag is flying at the Trent canal near the Peterborough Lift Lock, meaning the ice is safe for skating (file photo)
The green flag is flying at the Trent-Severn Waterway canal at the Peterborough Lift Lock, meaning the ice is safe for skating.
It’s the first time the canal has been open for skating this winter.
If you plan to head out for a skate this weekend, be advised that the ice is currently rough. The City of Peterborough plans to flood the ice next week, weather permitting, to smooth it out.
The Trent Severn Waterway and the City Peterborough offer public skating on the canal at the Peterborough Liftlock every winter.
The city monitors ice conditions regularly, with a flag flying to indicate the status. A green flag means ice conditions are safe and skating is permitted, and a red flag means the opposite.
For other public skating in Peterborough and The Kawarthas, remember to check out our Public Skating events column.
In Sadie's Last Days on Earth, Morgan Taylor Campbell stars as Sadie Collins, a teenaged girl who's terrified of the forecasted apocalypse (photo: Jag Gundu)
As we look at the news, the internet, and social media, there’s doubt that our entire society seems to have suffered massive anxiety about 2016. Going into 2017, we hope for change but it’s also possible we’re at the threshold of the apocalypse.
A71 Entertainment presents Sadie’s Last Days on Earth
When: Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) How much: $10 general admission
Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by calling 705-749-1146, or online at www.markethall.org (a $3 box office service fee applies). Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
It’s an interesting time to be living in — which beautifully plays into many of the major themes in the new Canadian independent film Sadie’s Last Days on Earth, making its one-night only debut at Peterborough’s Market Hall on Thursday, January 12th, 2017.
Produced by BrancSeater Productions, Sadie’s Last Days on Earth is the latest in A71 Entertainment’s continuing film screenings at Market Hall. Founded by former Peterborough residents Chad Maker and Kirk Comrie, A71 Entertainment gives audiences across Ontario and beyond the opportunity to see homegrown independent films that might normally slip under the radar of the blockbuster fare offered at major movie theatre chains.
Sadie’s Last Day on Earth is the story of an 18-year-old Sadie (Morgan Taylor Campbell), who becomes convinced the end of the world is near. As she begins preparations for the upcoming apocalypse, Sadie puts together a list of things she needs to achieve before the end, from learning how to sew to kissing a boy to winning back her best friend Brennan (Clark Backo).
On Sadie’s (Morgan Taylor Campbell) list of things to do before the apocalypse: master survivalist cuisine, learn to sew, kiss a boy, and (most importantly) get her best friend Brennan (Clark Backo) back (photo: Jag Gundu)
At the helm of Sadie’s Last Days on Earth are writer/director Michael Seater and producer Paula Brancati. It’s the second feature film by the pair of Toronto-based actors, who visited Peterborough back in December 2015 when A71 Entertainment brought their first film, People Hold On, to the Market Hall.
According to Paula, Sadie’s Last Days on Earth was inspired by the belief the world would end on December 21, 2012 because of the end of the Mayan calendar (among other things).
“We’re ambiguous about what time the film takes place in, but it’s an interesting time for this film to come out,” Paula tells me in a phone interview. “Especially with the political temperature these last few months and with everything that went on in the world last year.”
The film, starring Morgan Taylor Campbell as Sadie, explores modern teenage anxiety and the universal theme of acceptance from others and ourselves (photo: Jag Gundu)
Probably best remembered by audiences for her role as Jane Vaughn in Degrassi: The Next Generation or as Jenny Zalen in CBC’s cult favorite Being Erica, Paula is currently performing the role of Miss Honey in the Toronto stage production of Matilda: The Musical.
She not only co-produced Sadie’s Last Days on Earth, but also appears in the film as Sadie’s teacher Connie.
“I definitely had my producer hat on very tightly leading up to our three days shooting Connie,” Paula says. “But Mike wanted to take me off e-mails for the three days we were doing my scenes.”
Paula describes the significance of Connie’s role in the film.
Co-producer Paula Brancati (left) also stars in the film as Connie, Sadie’s teacher and confidant (photo: Jag Gundu)
“Once Sadie goes full on into preparing for the apocalypse, she’s lost her best friend Brennan,” Paula explains. “One of the things on Sadie’s list to get Brennan back, so she confides in Connie. Connie also confides in her because she’s ending a relationship. So they have a unique language they share, and they trust each other and treat each other as equals.”
Although Sadie’s Last Days on Earth looks like a quirky teen comedy following in the traditions of Heathers or Ghost World, the film presents a commentary on anxiety through its strong female protagonist.
“Sadie is an incredible heroine and a wonderful leading character to watch,” Paula says. “She’s so charming and hilarious in expressing all of her neuroses in the film. Our girl Morgan Taylor Campbell is fantastic in this. I think it’s a really cool time for female characters who are strong, and we’re seeing that in television and film in many ways.’
Paula’s involvement in Hold On People and Sadie’s Last Days on Earth has proved her to be a successful producer. But her role in the film doesn’t mean she intends to revert to acting.
Sadie (Morgan Taylor Campbell) has two weeks to prepare for the apocalypse (photo: Jag Gundu)
“I think there’s a world where it’s possible to do all of it, if you’re willing to put in the time and you have incredible team members,” Paula explains. “I love working with Mike and starting our company has changed the course of my career, and it’s changed the ways I can be involved in this business that I love so much.”
Both Paula and co-producer Michael Seater started acting at a very young age. Michael is best known for his lead role in the popular Canadian teen sitcom Life with Derek, and he also appeared in a recurring role as criminal mastermind James Gillies in Murdoch Mysteries, as well as other television and film work.
You can’t see it in theatres: Sadie’s Last Days on Earth screens for one night only at Peterborough’s Market Hall on January 12
“Neither Mike nor I went to formal school for production training, but we have had thousands and thousands of hours on sets since we were very little,” Paula says. “So finding each other has been a joy, and being able to produce content that we feel is worth watching, and hiring our friends to act in it, or finding a crew in line with our tastes, and being able to continue to build on that relationship is a dream. It’s so much fun to be able to make films with people you admire.”
Sadie’s Last Days on Earth opened in Toronto on December 9th with a limited run, but gained a tremendous response.
“We ended up staying in theaters longer than we had expected because ticket sales were great, and we were sharing space with Star Wars: Rouge One,” Paula says.
“I was pleased that people wanted to come out and see a Canadian indie at a time when there was so much award-season fare that was available. I think that there is space for all kinds of film, and I think that our audience is hungry for content that feels fresh.”
Support Canadian cinema! Don’t miss the chance to see Sadie’s Last Days on Earth at Market Hall on Thursday December 12th. The film begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.
The gift included a scarf, chocolates, a Tim Horton's gift card, and a handwritten Christmas card with a message of hope (photo: Susan McKenzie)
Susan McKenzie of Omemee, Ontario, wants to thank a family — known only by their first names James, Sarah and Aria — for making her Christmas a very special one.
Susan was working a Christmas Eve shift in her support services job at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay when she was the recipient of a random act of Christmas kindness.
“I was feeling a little sorry for myself,” Susan tells kawarthaNOW, “when a couple with a baby and a beautiful red bag approached me on my break and said ‘This gift is for you’. After my shock, they explained how for 10 years on Christmas Eve they have a family tradition to give a gift to someone they do not know.”
Susan accepted the gift, thanked the family and wished them a Merry Christmas, and they went out the front door into the night.
The gift bag contained a scarf, a box of chocolates, a Tim Horton’s gift card, and a moving handwritten card which reads in part:
It’s our family tradition to give a gift to someone we don’t know at Christmas. We do this because of the gift of joy, hope and faith that has been given to us.
We know life and this time of year can be very difficult for many. We’ve suffered loss, hurt and understand what it means to hope for something. After 9 years of long waiting, tears & frustration, this Christmas we are celebrating our 1st Christmas with our miracle daughter.
The journey has been hard with many seeing us struggle. However our hope did not waiver, and we want to encourage and share this hope.
Our hope in Jesus provided the strength to keep believing and trusting in a God that loves to see his children reach victory. To us it seemed like the wait was forever. Maybe you feel there is no hope in a circumstance you’re going through, but we want to say there is hope!
James, Sarah & Aria
kawarthaNOW kudos to James, Sarah and Aria for celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
Leslie Bradford-Scott, founder of award-winning Walton Wood Farm, is featured in the first episode of the new business video series BizMapPtbo (photo: BizMapPtbo)
On Tuesday, January 10th, a new business video and vlog series called BizMapPtbo is debuting at 5 p.m. on CogecoTV and at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s Discovery PBX at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.
Created, produced, and hosted by local entrepeneur Sofie Andreou, BizMapPtbo aims to connect business owners with the resources and support they need to launch and grow a business in the Greater Peterborough Area. It features interviews with local business owners who share the lessons they’ve learned from launching startups or growing successful ventures.
“This series is not about startups, it’s about mapping your business growth,” Andreou says. “We hope to inspire companies of all sizes to consider Peterborough as the place to live, play and prosper.”
BizMapPtbo is created, produced, and hosted by Peterborough entrepreneur Sofie Andreou (photo: BizMapPtbo)
The 12-episode series also highlights tips from local community partners and subject matter experts who discuss a wide range of topics, including starting a company, commercial property planning, best hiring and training practices, marketing strategies, networking for success, outsourcing technology, and more.
The pilot episode, “Inception to Launch – Secrets of Launching a Business in Peterborough”, showcases Leslie Bradford-Scott, founder of Walton Wood Farm, a bath and beauty products company in Bailieboro. Bradford-Scott appeared on CBC Televisions Dragons’ Den in October 2016 (she made a deal) and also won the 2015 Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition in Peterborough.
The pilot episode also includes segments featuring Jamey Coughlin of Peterborough Economic Development, Rosalea Terry of the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, Gwyneth James of Cody & James Chartered Professional Accountants, as well as Andreou.
VIDEO: Episode 1 – Inception to Launch
Beginning on Tuesday, January 10, BizMapPtbo will air one half-hour episode each week at 5 p.m. on CogecoTV. The episodes will also be available for streaming at www.bizmapptbo.com.
“In each episode we’re creating a map that portrays many Peterborough’s business connections in one place,” Andreou says, “showing how expansive our business ecosystem really is.”
Future episodes include “Marketing Stories for Success” on January 17th, ” Training and Hiring in Peterborough” on January 24th, ” Lease, Buy or Build your Commercial Space” on January 31st, “Peterborough: Your Networking Mecca” on February 7th, and “Time to Outsource your Technology?” on February 14th.
Peterborough Public Health encourages residents with private wells to test water quality at least three times each year
If you want to check the water quality of your private well, you can now deliver water samples directly to Peterborough Public Health at 185 King Street in downtown Peterborough beginning Monday, January 16th.
“We are pleased to make it easier for residents in Peterborough county or city to get their well water samples tested,” says Atul Jain, Manager of Environmental Health Programs. “As water quality changes over time, we recommend testing private wells three to four times a year to prevent health risks.”
Peterborough Public Health has set up a new courier service between its downtown Peterborough location and the Public Health Ontario Laboratory, located at 99 Hospital Drive, where the samples are tested. Free sample bottles are available on the third floor by the main counter at 185 King St. as well, so now residents can pick up a bottle and return it to the same location.
Water samples can be dropped off at Peterborough Public Health between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Fridays.
You can also continue to drop off samples directly to the Hospital Drive lab itself (between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.), as well as the location at the Havelock Belmont Methuen Municipal Office (1 Ottawa St. E., Havelock).
The well water testing service is available at no charge to all residents and cottagers in the City and County of Peterborough County.
Well water samples are tested for two types of bacterial contamination: total coliforms and E. coli. The presence of E. coli indicates the water has been contaminated with fecal material, which can contain disease-causing microbes. These organisms can cause severe gastrointestinal illness. Anyone can become ill if they consume contaminated water, but the young, elderly, and immuno-compromised are at a higher risk.
You will receive water quality results by mail or you can call Public Health Ontario’s Interactive Voice Response at 1-877-723-3426. If you have questions about water quality test results, you can call the Peterborough Public Health’s Safe Water Program at 705-743-1000, ext. 232, for a free consultation.
To find out how to test for contaminants other than total coliforms and E. coli, contact Peterborough Public Health at 705-743-1000, ext. 232 or visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.
The incomparable Washboard Hank, who just launched his new website at www.washboardhank.net, performs at the Wild Blue Yonder Pub at Elmhirst's Resort in Keene on January 7th as part of the resort's free winter music series (photo: Wayne Eardley)
Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, January 5 to Wednesday, January 11.
If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.
Saturday, January 28 7pm - Peterborough Folk Fest presents Hannah Georgas ($20 general admission plus $3 service fee, tickets at www.peterboroughfolkfest.com)
Junction Nightclub
253 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 743-0550
Saturday, January 7
10pm - Pure Saturdays
Kawartha Coffee Co.
49 Bolton St., Bobcaygeon
(705) 738-1500
Coming Soon
Friday, January 13 7-8:30pm - Mayhemingways (PWYC, $10 suggested)
Saturday, January 27 9pm - Nicole Coward (PWYC, $5 suggested)
McThirsty's Pint
166 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 743-2220
Thursdays
10pm - Jan Schoute
Fridays
10pm - Brian Haddlesey
Saturdays
10pm - Brian Haddlesey
Mondays
10pm - Trivia Night
Tuesdays
9pm - Topper Tuesdays w/ DJ Jake Topper
Wednesdays
9pm - Cody Watkins
The Mill Restaurant and Pub
990 Ontario St., Cobourg
(905) 377-8177
Thursday, January 5
8pm - Cindy McCredie & Scott Maybee
Coming Soon
Thursday, January 12 8pm - Bridgett Foley & Mike Graham
Oasis Bar & Grill
31 King St. E., Cobourg
(905) 372-6634
Thursdays
6:30pm - Live music
Sundays
5:30pm - PHLO
Wednesdays
6:30pm - Live music
Pattie House Smokin' Barbecue
6675 Highway 35, Coboconk
(705) 454-8100
Coming Soon
Saturday, January 14 9pm - B&B Blues Band
Pig's Ear Tavern
144 Brock St., Peterborough
(705) 745-7255
Fridays
Pingo
Saturday, January 7
10pm - Sean Conway & the Postmodern Cowboys, Oxford Blue ($3)
Mondays
Pool Night
Tuesdays
Music night w/ DJ Johnny Punter
Wednesdays
Humpday Karaoinke
Coming Soon
Saturday, January 21 10pm - New Grease Revival ($3)
Friday, March 10 8pm - Jack De Keyzer Solo Performance ($15)
Sapphire Room
137 Hunter St., Peterborough
(705) 749-0409
Monday, January 11
9pm - 16mm Film Night hosted by Josh Fewings (admission by donation)
Shots
379 George Street K9H 3R2, Peterborough
(705) 749-9315
Wednesdays
10pm - Wednesday House Party
Southside Pizzeria
25 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough
(705) 748-6120
Fridays
9am-12pm - Open mic ($2); 8pm - Karaoke
Tuesdays
9am-12pm - Open mic (free); 8pm - Karaoke
The Spill
414 George St., Peterborough
(705) 748-6167
Coming Soon
Friday, January 13 9pm - Deathsticks Tape Release w/ Surinam, Garbageface, Bonnie Trash ($5 or PWYC)
Saturday, January 14 9pm - Sparklesaurus, Holy Christopher, Prime Junk ($8)
Sweet Bottoms Coffee
19 Colborne St., Fenelon Falls
(705) 887-7506
Note
Sweet Bottoms is closed for renovations until Monday, January 30
The Trend
110 London St., Peterborough
(705) 750-1265
Coming Soon
Reopening on Monday, January 9
The Venue
286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008
Coming Soon
Wednesday, January 25 5:30-9:30pm - Peterborough Chamber presents Power Hour ft. MP Maryam Monsef, MPP Jeff Leal, Warden J. Murray Jones, Mayor Daryl Bennett
Saturday, February 18 6pm - The Quest MMA/Thai Boxing
Bird watching is a great family activity. It provides children with the opportunity to develop an interest in local wildlife. With some patience and by being very still, you can even train Chickadees to feed right from your hand – an experience that is sure to bring joy to all. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Specialist.
Winter is here! The temperature is dropping and the season has brought us beautiful fluffy snow. Some of us layer up in coats, mitts, and scarves to go outside and enjoy the winter, while others curl up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate. Whether you prefer to embrace the snow or to hibernate, a great way to enjoy the season is to get to know the array of birds that share your backyard.
Winter is hard for birds as they face the cold temperatures, windy days, and long dark nights. Birds primarily feed on insects, which are very difficult to find in the winter. Many birds migrate south to seek warmer temperatures and a heartier source of insects, but many remain in cold northern areas for the season. You can help ease the hardships for birds that stick around by providing food to supplement their diet.
The Peterborough Field Naturalists keep the birdfeeders at GreenUP Ecology Park stocked full of seed over the winter, providing a consistent and reliable source of food for the birds in the park. You can watch for the frenzy of birds at the feeders in these areas while walking along the Trans-Canada trail that travels through Ecology Park, next to Beavermead in East City.
Black-capped chickadee
Bird watching is a great family activity that can start with making small feeders and simply watching from the window. It provides children the opportunity to develop an interest in local wildlife.
Children get to know common species found in the yard and will quickly recognize the familiar “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call of the Black-capped Chickadee and the “birdie-birdie-birdie” of the Northern Cardinal. With some patience and by being very still, you can even train Chickadees to feed right from your hand — an experience that is sure to bring joy to all.
Providing food for the long term gives birds a consistent source that they can rely on and come back to throughout the year. There are many seed-types and feeders that you can use to attract a variety of species to your yard. Stores carry several seed options and feeder constructions to suit the birds in your area. With so many options, how are you to know which to choose?
Northern cardinal
You may want to attract certain birds to your yard. If so, Black-capped Chickadees and Northern Cardinals enjoy black oil sunflower seed; Blue Jays and American Crows feast heartily on whole peanuts; Mourning Doves enjoy cracked corn spread over the ground; Woodpeckers peck away at suet and Waxwings love fruit.
If you’re just getting started, you may want to start with one feeder and a seed that will attract the largest variety of birds. GreenUP Board Member, Peterborough Field Naturalist, and long-time birder Martin Parker suggests that black oil sunflower seed is a great option. It has a thin shell and a high fat content making it an ideal choice for many bird species.
Parker also suggests experimenting to see which birds live in your yard and the seeds they prefer. To do this, you can provide a sample of different seeds within the sections of an egg carton, place it in your yard, and watch to see which seeds are eaten and which are left behind. Then you can invest in a larger bag of the more popular seed and an associated feeder.
Blue jay
If you’re looking for a great winter activity over the holidays, consider gathering up some supplies to make outdoor holiday tree ornaments for the birds!
Wildlife-friendly ornaments and garlands can be used to decorate a holiday tree in your yard, or can be strung in trees in the park.
Adorning trees with healthy treats is a festive way to attract birds. String grapes, cranberries, and popcorn onto strings; spread pinecones with shortening or peanut butter and roll them in a variety of seeds. Some species of birds particularly enjoy feasting on frozen fruits such as oranges and apples because they are a natural source of sugar and an essential source of energy for winter birds.
To further support birds in your own backyard, you can hang birdhouses, enhance your hedgerows, and plant trees. These provide shelter from the chilly winds and protection from predators such as cats and hawks. In warmer seasons, birds will choose these areas to nest and take cover.
Mourning dove
Want to do even more? Bird Studies Canada provides great opportunities to get involved with citizen science, community bird watching programs. With Project FeederWatch, backyard birders periodically record bird species and numbers present at their feeders.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is another program where birdwatchers of all ages can record what they see at their feeders over a four-day period. Both of these programs help scientists study bird populations across Canada and North America.
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