Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of southern Ontario, including Peterborough and the Kawarthas, for snow overnight on Sunday (January 7) and into Monday morning.
Snowfall totals will average about 10 cm across southern Ontario, with higher amounts to the northeast of the Great Lakes.
The snow will spread from west to east this evening and tonight, and then taper off from west to east on Monday.
Snow will be falling over all areas during the Monday morning commute. Untreated roads are expected to be slippery.
Folk Under The Clock presents folk singer-songwriter Garnet Rogers, along with Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough on January 21, 2018. (Photo: Bruce Dienes)
Garnet Rogers’ life has settled down quite a bit since touring in the 1970s and early 1980s with his older brother, the late great Canadian folk music legend Stan Rogers.
Folk Under The Clock presents Garnet Rogers and Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman,
When: Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 4 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St. E, Peterborough) How much: $40.50 assigned seatings ($28 for students)
Tickets are available at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
While he has a few shows upcoming in the near future — including a January 21st show at Peterborough’s Market Hall with Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman — Garnet’s days of month-long tours have come to an end. He and his wife Gail live on a quiet farm outside of Brantford, and these days he’s been chasing the songwriting muse.
“I’m mostly trying to do some playing, a little bit of writing, which doesn’t seem to be coming to fruition that easily,” Garnet tells me. “They seem to get harder to find as you get older. What was it Leonard Cohen said? ‘If I knew where the good songs came from, I’d go there more often.'”
The pace of life is quite different for Garnet now than it was when he toured with Stan.
“We had to tour all of the time,” he recalls. “We just toured and toured and toured. We never stopped and we were never home. We were always broke. It wore you out, especially back in those days.”
Garnet vividly brings “those days” to life in his 731-page memoir Night Drive: Travels With My Brother. He published it independently and sells it from his website at garnetrogers.com. First released in 2016, the book became popular in 2017 (Garnet was interviewed by Tom Powers on CBC Radio’s q in August). The book has now had several printings since its initial release.
Garnet Rogers published his memoir, “Night Drive: Travels With My Brother”, in 2016. (Photo: Ball Media)
Garnet and I chatted about his book among many other things, and he always seemed to return to themes of hardship, fear, and even violence.
“There were not nearly as many places to play back then. Stan and would find ourselves in these situations where you’re in some bar and you think ‘We should not be here, oh god.’ It was like a western movie where the music stops and everyone turns around and stares at you, and you know at some point there’s going to be a shoot out.”
Looking back, Garnet suggests his brother was not necessarily the simple and peaceful folk singer that many people assume. In fact, their touring years were rife with trouble.
“There’s was a lot of involvement with police,” he says. “Stan was actually charged with attempted murder at one gig [he was later let go]. That’s not really part of the public legend of this big hearty folk singer who wrote Barrett’s Privateers. He was broke, terrified, and full of anger all the time.”
VIDEO: “Night Drive” – Garnet Rogers
Garnet had to delve deep into those memories when writing Night Drive. Although the years of touring were extremely tough for both he and his brother, Garnet still found humour in dark places as he was writing.
“There was always something bizarre going on. There was drugs and booze and police and weirdness. You know, young people acting badly.
“I’d just be sitting in the chair giggling most of the day and my wife would be reading a book and she’d say, ‘OK, what now?’ So I’d have to read her the passage. She’d either laugh or say ‘You really can’t write that!'”
VIDEO: Garnet Rogers reading from his book “Night Drive”
Overall, Garnet found the act of putting those memories to paper a positive one.
“I really miss doing it now. You’re remembering this terrifying stuff, or weird things, or people who came through our lives and who were wonderful to us. Some of those people are long gone now. I got to hold them up to the light and say how great this person was. Pete Seeger or Odetta or Noel Harrison — these people we met in the folk world.”
While Garnet says there are some similarities with writing songs, the process of writing a book was mostly a different experience.
“With my songs I tend to find some tiny little thing I can celebrate, in a poetic way, and find the best way to convey the message,” he explains. “You’re trying to find the most evocative, and usually the funniest, way to convey the story,”
But to write the book, he realized he had to dig much deeper to expand on these stories from his past. Over the years, Garnet had told some of the stories on stage and to friends and, after being urged to write them down, he decided to embark on the book.
VIDEO: “Soul Kiss” – Garnet Rogers
While the experience seemed daunting at first, it ended up being quite natural for him.
“It came pretty easy once I sat down to it,” he says. “I actually read that book on writing by Stephen King [On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft]. I read it over a weekend. When I got up on Monday morning, I thought ‘I know how to do this now’. I sat at the keyboard and I pretty much didn’t get up until eight months later.”
Although he enjoyed working on the book, Garnet also loves the stage and is looking forward to returning to Peterborough to perform at the Market Hall.
“I’m excited to get back to Peterborough,” he tells me. “I love that town and I love the room.”
VIDEO: “Shadows on the Water” – Garnet Rogers
Presented by Folk Under The Clock, the concert will also feature New York folk duo Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, who Garnet praises.
“I don’t even know where to begin with them,” he says. “Karen is an incredible songwriter, with beautiful poetic lyrics. Her songs are full of funk and poetry and sex and rhythm. They can break your heart and have you laughing within a few sentences.”
As for Peter, Garnet describes him as one of his top 20 guitar players.
“I put him right up there with people like John Martyn and Prince, he’s just so incredibly innovative. He does not sound like anyone else.”
VIDEO: “Without Me” by Karen Savoca with Pete Heitzman
The three artists toured a lot together between 2000 and 2004, and that is the last time they were in Peterborough together as well.
The January 21st show will be memorable for a whole bunch of reasons, including great musicianship, lots of laughs, and at least a few incredible stories from when Stan and Garnet Rogers traversed Canada week after week.
Tickets are $40.50 for assigned regular seats and $28 for students (all tickets include fees). You can get tickets at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org. Doors open aat 3 p.m., with the show beginning at 4 p.m.
Matt Sobb, Steve Marriner, and Tony Diteodoro are MonkeyJunk. The award-winning Ottawa trio is performing at Peterborough's Market Hall on January 9, 2018. (Publicity photo)
“I’m talkin’ about the blues, I ain’t talkin’ about monkey junk.” – Eddie James “Son” House Jr. (1902-1988)
Narket Hall presents MonkeyJunk
When: Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St. E, Peterborough) How much: $20 general admission (cabaret table seats are assigned)
Tickets are available at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
In the 1960s, when American delta blues singer and guitarist Son House described how contemporary musicians played the blues, he dismissed it as “monkey junk” instead of actual blues music.
So it’s self-deprecating but not entirely inaccurate for Ottawa-based blues-rock trio MonkeyJunk to have proudly chosen the phrase as their moniker.
“The truth of the matter is that we aren’t exactly a blues band,” says frontman Steve Marriner. “In the beginning that was true, but now we write our own songs, and let them come out however they may.”
While the band’s musical prowess draws from iconic masters of country and delta blues like Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Lee Hooker, they push the boundaries of the genre by incorporating swampy blues and rock stylings along with intelligent and thougtful lyrics. They also listen to music from bands such as JJ Grey & Mofro, The Black Keys, Sit Down Servant, Tedesschi Trucks Band, and more.
VIDEO: “Time to Roll” – MonkeyJunk
“We don’t owe the blues nazis, the blues purists, a thing,” Marriner says in a 2013 interview with The Toronto Star.
Formed in March 2008, MonkeyJunk is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and is kicking off a tour of southern Ontario, followed by a tour of the U.S., with a concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough on Tuesday, Jaunary 9th.
The band consists of Marriner (lead vocals, baritone guitar, harmonica, and Hammond organ), Tony “D” Diteodoro (lead guitar, vocals), and Matt Sobb (drums and percussion, vocals).
The band doesn’t have a bass player, in the tradition of blues bands like Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers and Moreland & Arbuckle, which also helps form their unique sound. Marriner often plays a baritone guitar, which is tuned to a lower pitch than a standard guitar, to fill out the bottom end.
Tony D and Steve Marriner performing at Ottawa Bluesfest in 2015. (Photo: Dan Nawrocki)
Marriner, the youngest member of the band at 33, first garnered attention in the Ottawa blues scene in his early teens as a blues harmonica prodigy. Prior to forming MonkeyJunk, he performed in Ottawa bands the Johnny Russell Band and the JW-Jones Blues Band.
As well as being a producer, sideman, and session player, Marriner has toured the world performing alongside Harry Manx and has shared the stage with musicians such as Randy Bachman, Colin James, and Big Sugar. He’s performed at The Dobro in downtown Peterborough in the past, most recently this past December (MonkeyJunk has also played at The Dobro several times).
Diteodoro, who was born in Italy before emigrating to Canada with his family when he was very young, began playing the trombone in school. He was good at it, but switched to guitar when he was 13, inspired by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin (“You can’t pick up chicks with a trombone”). At the age of 19, he performed for three nights in Buddy Guy’s band and, at the age of 29, opened for the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan.
These events helped propel him into a long-standing career with his own popular project, The Tony D Band. He has also toured with some of Canada’s greatest blues musicians, including the late Dutch Mason.
VIDEO: “Once Had Wings” – MonkeyJunk
Sorb played his first gig when he was 18, when the drummer in his brother’s band didn’t show up for a rehearsal. Although he wasn’t a very experienced drummer at the time, Sorb sat in and by the end of the rehearsal was the new drummer (“It was baptism by fire”).
Before joining MonkeyJunk, he was a very busy session drummer around Ottawa. He has backed up several regional, national, and international artists live on stage, both touring and in studio. Sorb has performed with Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds), Jeff Healey, Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond), The Tony D Band, his brother’s band Marty Sobb and The Mobb, among many others.
MonkeyJunk has released five records: Tiger in Your Tank in 2009 (re-released in 2014), To Behold in 2011, All Frequencies in 2013, Moon Turns Red in 2015, and their latest album, Time To Roll, in 2016.
So far, they’ve won two Canadian Independent Music Awards, a Blues Music Award, a Juno Award, and an astounding 20 Maple Blues Awards — with three nominations for the 21st annual Maple Blues Awards on January 15th including Songwriter of the Year and best harmonica player and drummer.
VIDEO: “You Make A Mess” – MonkeyJunk
William Shatner, who hosted the 2012 Juno Awards where MonkeyJunk won for best blues album for To Behold, called the band “The Sultans of Swamp R&B.”
The band was also a favourite of the weekly syndicated radio program Elwood’s BluesMobile, hosted by famous actor and Ottawa native Dan “Elwood Blues” Aykroyd. The program, which began as House of Blues Radio Hour in 1993, showcased blues and blues-based music until it ended in July 2017.
Come out to the Market Hall at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9th to help MonkeyJunk celebrate its 10th anniversary. Tickets are $20 and are available at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
As legendary Canadian guitarist David Wilcox has said, “MonkeyJunk are keeping the spirits of Muddy Waters and the other roots giants alive with their own unique brand of music. Check it out — you won’t be disappointed.”
Police are reminding the public not to leave cars unattended while warming them up during the extreme cold weather.
Two of five recent stolen vehicle investigation by the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) involved owners who said they left their vehicles running in their driveways idling with the keys in the ignition.
In another case, the owner left a set of keys in his unlocked car.
All but one vehicle has since been recovered; a blue 2005 Nissan Murano with Ontario licence plates #BYEN192 remains outstanding.
Police advise an unlocked car is an open invitation to thieves to steal any valuables you have left inside. And if you leave keys in the ignition or a spare set in the glove compartment, this can lead to far more serious consequences.
A thief can commit other criminal acts with your car, knowing that the car is not registered to them. They can also drive dangerously when approached by police leading to devastating consequences.
Unless your vehicle is equipped with a remote starter so the vehicle can be warmed up but not driven, the best advice is to always stay with your vehicle.
Do not leave keys inside your vehicle, even if locked in the glove compartment. Police also advise not to leave garage door openers inside your vehicle. There have been incidents where thieves have entered a vehicle and then used the garage door opener to gain access to homes.
And don’t leave your insurance or vehicle permit in your glove compartment. Thieves can also steal these documents to commit fraud or steal your identity.
Boiling Over’s Coffee Vault in Linday and Kyoto Coffee in Peterborough are participating in Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group's second annual "Common Kindness Day" on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. The insurance company is pre-paying for 1,000 free coffees or teas across Ontario, asking customers who receive a free beverage to "pay it forward" by pre-paying for another customer's coffee or tea. (Photo: Kyoto Coffee / Twitter)
You can get a free coffee (or tea) in Lindsay and Peterborough when Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group’s “Common Kindness Day” event returns on Wednesday, January 10th — and the chance to make someone else’s day brighter.
Boiling Over’s Coffee Vault (148 Kent St W. Lindsay) and Kyoto Coffee (2621 Lakefield Rd., Peterborough) will be offering 100 free coffees or teas to the first patrons through their doors.
The complimentary beverage comes with just one simple request: to pay the kindness forward by buying someone else a coffee or tea, creating a ripple effect.
The Commonwell will be pre-paying for a total of 1,000 coffees in nine communities across Ontario: Lindsay, Peterborough, Perth, Barrie, Belleville, Alexandria, Midland, Whitby, Ottawa, and Stittsville.
Kyoto Coffee owner Tracy Cosburn with Stu Harrison at last year’s Common Kindness Day. (Photo: Kyoto Coffee / Twitter)
The insurance company first launched Common Kindness Day — and the ‘pay it forward’ coffee event — in January 2017 as a way to bolster community spirit.
After the first event, The Commonwell president and CEO Tim Schauf said the response was overwhelming and “far exceeded our wildest expectations.”
“The ‘pay it forward’ donations from generous locals kept the free coffee pouring for several days, so much so that Common Kindness Day became a week-long celebration,” Schauf said.
Last year, 90 customers of Boiling Over’s Coffee Vault in Lindsay received a free coffee and paid for 82 coffees for other customers. In Peterborough, 30 customers received a free coffee and paid for 12 coffees for other customers.
The most generous community was Belleville, where 106 customers received a free coffee and paid for 101 coffees for other customers.
Gail Moorhouse has been appointed interim executive director at Community Futures Peterborough. (Photo: Community Futures Peterborough)
The Board of Directors at Community Futures Peterborough has announced that Gail Moorhouse has been appointed as the economic organization’s interim executive director.
Moorhouse is replacing Jeff Day who announced his resignation in December.
Moorhouse was a member of the Community Futures Peterborough board, but has resigned from her position from the board during this interim appointment. She has more than 20 years experience in various sales, management, training and marketing roles. She currently runs her own business in Ennismore and has previously held positions with Microsoft, HP, and Catalyst Finance.
“We are confident Gail is the best person to lead the organization through this transition and maintain stability for our clients during this time,” says Board Chair Peter Gaffney.
“In addition to her successful career, her service on the Board provides her with the skills, knowledge and experience to oversee the organization during this transitory period.”
Community Futures Peterborough is recruiting a permanent Executive Director. The job description is available at communityfuturespeterborough.ca.
Gail Moorhouse (middle) replaces Jeff Day (left), who announced his resignation from the executive director position in December. Also pictured is former board member Kim Appleton.
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health with Peterborough Public Health, has declared a community-wide influenza outbreak in Peterborough due to a recent increase in the number of confirmed local cases.
“We now have influenza outbreaks at four long-term care homes in our area and have seen an increased number of patients presenting at the PRHC Emergency Department with influenza-like illness,” Dr. Salvaterra says.
“We have been seeing an increase in influenza cases ever since the Christmas holiday began and now we have enough evidence to believe there is widespread transmission occurring.”
Dr. Salvaterra says people who have had a flu shot are at less risk of being infected.
“There is no reason to believe that this year’s vaccine is not a strong match with circulating strains,” she explains.
All of the long-term care homes affected by the outbreak have instructed staff who did not get the flu shot to take antiviral medication.
“Antivirals can be effective as a second-line treatment to prevent influenza spread when outbreaks occur or to treat an influenza infection, if used early,” Dr. Salvaterra says. “Hopefully, most caregivers have been immunized but, if not, antivirals, masks and good hand washing can help protect those who are vulnerable.”
Most healthy individuals are able to weather the virus and will not require a visit to the doctor. For those who are feeling unwell, Dr. Salvaterra recommends they stay home to avoid spreading the virus.
People with compromised immune systems, other chronic diseases, or even a healthy woman in her last trimester of pregnancy are at greater risk of hospitalization and death from influenza. Anyone who has symptoms of influenza and risk factors for severe illness or complications should seek medical care as soon as possible.
“Physicians and nurse practitioners are prescribing antivirals for patients who might benefit from them,” Dr. Salvaterra says. “But this needs to be done within the first 24 to 48 hours of the illness.”
Elmhirst's Resort in Keene launches its winter live music series on Saturday afternoons with old-time music from Lotus Wight on January 6th at the Wild Blue Yonder Pub. (Photo: Lotus Wight)
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 4 to Wednesday, January 10.
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.
This painting, part of the series 'Garden of Earthly Delights' by artist Peter Barron. will be on display this month at Evans Contemporary in downtown Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Evans Contemporary)
This January, we see a lot of bright abstract shows happening throughout the area, at the Art Gallery of Bancroft, Evans Contemporary, and Black Honey. A couple of shows in the spirit of the open studio, featuring artists at work, can be found at Star X and Coeur Nouveau, and one never knows what other nearby studios may open their doors on the evening of the Friday, January 5th.
A soiree on the same evening at Meta 4 Gallery will be happening, highlighting work done by students and instructors in their studio throughout the year, and Watson & Lou will be open late with refreshments as well.
There are a series of interesting workshops coming up at the Arts and Heritage Centre — who are currently accepting donations of recyclable goods to be made into masks, costumes, and massive puppets! Artspace presents ‘hochelaga rock’ by Hanna Claus, an interesting new take on an historic monument.
Hanna Claus reminds us that some histories we will not find written in history books.
In this show, we are looking into the story of the Iroquois village encountered by Jaques Cousteau in 1535, which is commemorated by Hochelaga Rock. This story is but one side of history, and this commemoration but one way of remembering. Claus’s ‘hochelaga rock’ draws attention to this fact, and makes room for indigenous voices and world views outside the western structures of chronology and record.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 12th from 7 until 9 p.m., with the artist in attendance. An artist’s talk will be held the following day at Artspace at 1 p.m.
Artspace is an accessible space located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
The Arts and Heritage Centre invites you to participate in ‘Animating Warkworth by Night’
An amazing giant owl puppet! Large scale puppets like this one will be created in ‘Animating Warkworth by Night’ a series of workshops to be held at the Arts and Heritage Centre in Warkworth. (Photo courtesy of Ah!)
The Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth will be hosting a series of mask, costume and puppet-making workshops beginning on Saturday, January 27th and continuing through February into early March. These fun workshops will be overseen by costume designers and artists as participants create epic masks, costumes, and giant puppets!
The Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is currently seeking donations of recycled materials they can use from their winter workshops. (Graphic courtesy of the Ah!)
The centre is currently seeking donations of materials they can reuse such as CDs, cardboard tubing, fabric, newspaper, shredded paper, flowers, feathers, beads, clean pop bottles, and coils of wire.
These items can be dropped in boxes located outside the Arts and Heritage Centre, located at 35 Church St. in Warkworth.
The workshop series ‘Animating Warkworth by Night’ will culminate in a showing at the Maple Syrup Festival in March and the main event this summer: parading them through town as part of Warkworth’s second annual ‘Warkworth by Night Festival’ on Saturday, June 2nd.
More upcoming workshops include dance (Bollywood and Bhangra, Cuban Salsa, International Folk dance, and more) and also lantern making.
Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is located at 35 Church Street in downtown Warkworth. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For more information about upcoming workshops and fees, visit ahcentre.ca or contact Rebecca Baptista, Arts Administrator, at info@ahcentre.ca or 705-925-4450.
Evans Contemporary presents ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Peter Barron
One of Peter Barron’s colourful abstracted paintings from ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’. (Photo courtesy of Evans Contemporary)
This month Evans Contemporary will feature Peterborough-based artist Peter Barron. His brightly coloured abstracted series ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ is definitely eye-catching. Landscapes and figures emerge from bold bright daubs of colour and tangled brushstrokes, creating images both abstract and representational.
First setting up his studio here in Peterborough in the early 1970s, Barron has shown his prints and paintings both nationally and internationally, and also been an active member of his local arts community. These paintings are done in acrylic and oil, on both canvas and panel.
Come out to the opening reception on Friday, January 5th from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. The show will be on display in the gallery until Saturday, January 27th.
‘Your House is on Fire’ by Ann Jaeger, from her show last May at the Arts and Heritage Centre. (Photo courtesy of Ann Jaeger
Ann Jaeger will be taking over Star X for the month of January, working on a new series of work for an upcoming exhibition.
Drop in and see her in action creating her mixed media work, and perhaps gain some insight into her process during the First Friday Art Crawl. A reception will be held on Friday, January 5th, from 6 to 11 p.m.
Star X is located at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. Hours of operation are Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Coeur Nouveau hosts Andrew MacDonald and Sarah Gibeault
Details of some previous textile-based work by Andrew Macdonald (left) and Sarah Gibeault (right).
Artists Sarah Gibeault and Andrew MacDonald will be working in the Coeur Nouveau gallery space for the month of January, giving people an inside look into their artistic processes.
Drop by on Friday January 5th between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. to see what they are up to.
Coeur Nouveau is located on the 2nd floor of the Commerce Building at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West in downtown Peterborough.
Meta4 Gallery presents ‘Studio Soiree’, a tribute to students and instructors
People browsing work from instructors and students at the Studio Soiree at Meta4’s Port Perry location in 2015. Meta4 will be hosting its first Studio Soiree at its Peterborough location on January 5th. (Photo: Meta4 / Facebook)
Showing work from instructors and students over the year as a tribute to work done in their own studio, Meta4 will open its doors on the night of Friday. January 5th from 6 until 11 p.m.
Drop by for some light refreshments, mingle, and see what people have been up to in the studio.
Also, if you register for classes before January 12th, you will receive a $10 discount!
META4 Gallery is located at 164 Hunter St. West in downtown Peterborough. For more information, e-mail ptbo@meta4gallery.ca, call 705-874-9444, or visit www.meta4gallery.ca.
Black Honey features Robert Atyeo
One of Robert Atyeo’s abstract paintings from his ‘Path’ series currently on display at Black Honey. (Photo courtesy of Robert Atyeo)
The visual art of Robert Atyeo, who is known to many as a musician, will be on display this month at Black Honey.
Drop in for a coffee and check out these colourful pieces. The show continues through January into February, and a reception for the show will be held on Friday, February 2nd, as part of the February First Friday Art Crawl.
Black Honey is located at 217 Hunter St. West in downtown Peterborough. Find them online at www.blackhoneycafe.ca.
Art Gallery of Bancroft presents ‘Flow’ by Freddie Towe
An abstract painting by Freddie Towe, part of her show ‘Flow’ currently on display at the Art Gallery of Bancroft. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Bancroft)
This show by mixed-media artist Freddie Towe will be on display at the Art Gallery of Bancroft for the month of January, with the final day of the show being Saturday, January 27th.
Towe has been working with various art forms for the past three decades, beginning with video and film, then assemblage and sculpture, and eventually painting.
In 2015, Towe moved to the Bancroft area where she set up her studio. She shows her work at A Place For the Arts and Bridge Street.
“My work often speaks to my need for connection and of what can be discarded or over looked,” Towe says. “I work in this metaphor to find connection. The work contains figures, architecture, interiors, exteriors, urban, rural and extra-terrestrial landscapes central to my imagination. It talks about how lives can seem random, serendipitous, fitting together in only place and time.”
Drop by and see Towe’s latest abstract paintings at the Art Gallery of Bancroft.
The Art Gallery of Bancroft is located at 10 Flint Avenue in Bancroft. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, visit www.artgallerybancroft.ca.
GreenUP's Jenn McCallum cycling to work in the winter. Winter weather can be chilly and windy, but why not try ditching the car and choosing a more healthy and active way to get to work? You can also save a lot of money by choosing active transportation instead of driving. (Photo: GreenUP)
The year 2018 has arrived and, with the promise of a full New Year ahead, many of us pause to think about our lifestyles, spending, and health.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Jenn McCallum, GreenUP Water Programs Coordinator.
If you are considering making some positive changes this year, check out these eight money-saving and green New Year’s resolutions from our staff here at GreenUP.
These suggestions will help you to save money on household expenses and reduce waste and energy consumption.
1. Use salt responsibly on roads and walkways
At this time of year, we need traction on our roadways to avoid slips and falls. However, using road salt — especially to excess — has negative implications for our waterways and wildlife, eats away at our footwear and clothing, and harms dogs’ and cats’ paws.
Using road salt only when required and using it conservatively reduces your impact on the environment and reduces the amount of salt you need to purchase.
You may also consider purchasing Swish Clean and Green Ice Melter, which is a more responsible alternative to conventional road salt and is available from the GreenUP Store.
2. Lug a mug
Bring your own travel mug to buy your coffee or tea: you will save money and help the environment.
“Both Tim Hortons and Starbucks offer a 10 cent discount if you bring your own mug,” says GreenUP’s environmental educator Glen Caradus says.
“That might not seem like much, but if you’re a regular coffee drinker the savings can add up fast. In 2016, Canadians threw away over 1.5 billion disposable cups, which is a big cost to our environment.”
3. Avoid idling your car
Modern cars only need about 30 seconds to warm up in the winter. That means that there is no need to warm up your car any longer than that.
Reduce your spending on gas and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by only turning on your car when you need it — and avoid the drive-through.
When it is -15°C or colder, a more cost-effective and greener alternative is to plug in your car’s block heater overnight. Not only does this make your car easier to start in the cold weather, but a warmer engine will heat the air in the car more quickly.
Idling your car when you are inside can also attract theft, which has expensive and time-consuming implications.
4. Ride a bike or walk to work, or take transit
In the winter, this is a tough one, because the weather can be chilly and windy and not that appealing for walking or bike riding. However, you can save a lot of money by choosing active transportation instead of driving.
“It costs about $0.58 per kilometre to operate a car compared to $0.06 per kilometre to bike, and walking is free,” according to GreenUP’s Transportation and Urban Design Coordinator Jaime Akiyama:
Be sure to consider the cost of operating a car plus the added parking costs. Walking or cycling will save you money and provide you with some of the daily physical activity that you need.
5. Buy dry goods in bulk
To save money and reduce packaging and waste, bring your own jars or containers to a bulk food store and buy your dry goods in bulk.
Using jars also prevents pests from getting into your food, such as mice or moths.
But be sure to only purchase what you need in bulk because, if you really want to save money, it is important to avoid food waste.
6. Use a power bar and turn it off when not in use
At home or at work, remember that any plugged-in lamps, computers, and kitchen appliances are still using “phantom power”, which means they are still drawing small amounts of energy from your electrical outlets.
To save money on your electricity bill and to reduce your energy consumption, plug your appliances into a power bar and switch it off when not in use.
Or use power bars with built-in timers that can shut off automatically during times when you’re not using them.
7. Turn off lights when not in use
Turning off lights will save you money because this will help reduce your energy usage.
When you leave a room, simply turn off the light to cut your costs.
If you frequently forget to turn lights off, you may also want to install automated lights that shut off automatically for you.
8. Install and use a programmable thermostat
To reduce your heating costs, set your programmable thermostat so that your home is cooler while you are sleeping or while you’re at work.
For every 1°C that you reduce your heat by over a seven-hour period, you will save one per cent on your energy bill.
Heating and cooling your home accounts for about 65 per cent of your energy bill, so you can easily save $100 a year by using your heating and cooling systems more efficiently.
Give one or more of these New Year’s resolutions a try to save money and to make your lifestyle in 2018 greener and cleaner.
Have a happy, healthy, economical, and green New Year from all the staff at GreenUP!
Jenn McCallum is the Water Programs Coordinator at GreenUP. For more information about her programs, contact her at 705745-3238 ext. 208 or by email at jenn.mccallum@greenup.on.ca.
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