Collective philanthropy group 100+ Women Who Care Northumberland has launched an initiative for young people called 100 Youth Who Care Northumberland. (Graphic: 100+ Women Who Care Northumberland)
A group of women in Northumberland County has launched a new initiative aimed at inspiring a kinder and more community-minded generation of young people.
100+ Women Who Care Northumberland is a collective philanthropy group that brings like-minded women together to support local charities, with each member donating $50 four times a year.
Now, members are striving to extend that spirit of giving by introducing 100 Youth Who Care Northumberland, an initiative that invites children and teens to make a difference through simple, everyday acts of generosity.
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“The impetus was to encourage young people to get involved in acts of kindness and philanthropy (through) teachings and activities we do with our kids,” Nicole Beatty, who is co-lead of 100 Youth Who Care along with Erin Kruk and Rebecca Verbeem, told kawarthaNOW. “100 Women is part of 100 People Who Care (Northumberland) and we have the 100 Guys Who Care Northumberland group, so adding a youth initiative completes the circle.”
The “100 Who Care” collective philanthropy movement began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the first 100 Women Who Care group. After their first meeting, those women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization. The movement has grown over the past 19 years to include groups of men, women, youth, and children around the world, with hundreds of chapters in Canada alone — including in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland.
“Our goal is to engage kids in the community,” Beatty said. “The focus isn’t so much on fundraising as it is about teaching the values of being involved and (instilling) civic values.”
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As part of that aim, young people in the community are invited to take part in the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge, which is running now through to December 13. It calls on youth to register online, complete acts of kindness, and then share them, with the goal of celebrating a collective 100 acts of kindness across Northumberland County.
“We believe every child, no matter their age, can experience the joy of giving,” said Kruk in a media release, with Verbeem adding, “Kindness is contagious. When one young person does something good, others follow.”
Free downloadable activity kits are available to download, with suggestions for giving back include activities like a hosting a bake sale for charity, collecting school supplies for those in need, and writing thank-you notes to local helpers.
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Proceeds from all 100 Youth Who Care fundraisers will support a dedicated 100 Youth Who Care fund with micro-grants for youth-focused charities and projects in the region.
A teen philanthropy council called the Kindness Crew will help review applications and decide where funds are shared. This process is aimed at ensuring youth play a hands-on role in giving back.
“100 Youth Who Care helps young people see that they have the power to make real change,” said Beatty. “It’s about planting seeds of compassion that grow into a lifetime of giving.”
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Although a 100 Kids Who Care group was founded in Northumberland before the pandemic, it was stalled due to shutdowns, according to Beatty.
“With new energy and the three of us as moms of young kids, we wanted to reignite the program,” Beatty said of herself and her co-leads. “We renamed it youth to be more inclusive of ages.”
Young people, families, and schools can sign up for the 100 Acts of Kindness Challenge and download free resources at 100womennorthumberland.ca/100-youth.
Dr. Fraser Barratt and his wife Cassidy, who is from Ontario, in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Dr. Barratt received his medical education and general practitioner training. The couple is moving to Kawartha Lakes where Dr. Barratt will take over the Fenelon Falls practice of the retiring Dr. Hor Ven Zung effective December 1, 2025. (Photo supplied by Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative)
A new family doctor is coming from Scotland to Fenelon Falls in December to take over the practice of a retiring physician.
On Tuesday (November 18), the Kawartha Lakes Health Care Initiative (KLHIC) and the Kawartha North Family Health Team announced that Dr. Fraser Barratt will take over the practice of Dr. Hor Ven Zung effective December 1.
Dr. Zung, who came from Calgary in 2015 to begin practising with the Kawartha North Family Health Team in Fenelon Falls, is retiring on December 1.
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As for Dr. Barratt, he completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 2015, where he continued studying to complete his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2018. In August, he completed his general practitioner training in Edinburgh.
“He is the first recruit through KLHIC’s new International Recruitment program,” says KLHCI chair Stacey Gudmundsson in a media release. “KLHCI sincerely wishes to thank Dr. Zung for the many years of care to her patients, the Kawartha Lakes community, and many hours assisting KLHCI’s overall recruitment efforts.”
Dr. Barratt has a family connection to Ontario in that his wife, Cassidy, is from the province.
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“I look forward to meeting all the patients who will be under my care, and my wife and I are very excited to build a home in the Kawartha Lakes” says Dr. Barratt.
According to the media relase, Dr. Barratt will be unable to accept new patients at the current time as he is accepting all of the patients of Dr. Zung’s practice.
“I feel privileged that Dr. Barratt has chosen to take over my practice,” Dr. Zung says. “I know that my patients will be pleased to have their medical needs addressed by a well-trained and kind physician. I want to welcome him and Cassidy to the Kawarthas and him to my practice with the Kawartha North Family Health Team.”
Victoria SL is the owner of T-Elle Boutique by VSL, a woman's fashion and beauty shop in downtown Peterborough that stocks made-in-Canada outfits by Canadian designers like Joseph Ribkoff and Frank Lyman and offers unconventional dresses for weddings and special occasions as well as casual wear. During the 2025 holiday shopping season, the Charlotte Street store is offering discounts on summer wear collection items and gift certificates as well as Black Friday savings. (Photo courtesy of T-Elle Boutique by VSL)
With sales and exclusive discounts at T-Elle Boutique by VSL in downtown Peterborough, it’s easier than ever to shop for all the fashionistas on your shopping list this holiday season.
Victoria SL purchased the Charlotte Street women’s boutique in 2022, adding entrepreneur to a resume that also includes being a language professor with a PhD in Linguistics, a licensed Zumba instructor, a Chinese opera singer, a voice-over artist, a master of ceremonies, and a YouTuber. As with words, dance, and music, Victoria believes fashion is an important way for people to express their creativity, personality, and individuality.
T-Elle Boutique by VSL focuses on made-in-Canada outfits by Canadian designers like Joseph Ribkoff and Frank Lyman and offers unconventional wedding dresses, mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom dresses, dresses for special occasions like graduations and proms, and casual wears. The boutique also provides in-house alterations, which are not limited to clothing purchased in-store.
In addition to clothing, T-Elle Boutique by VSL stocks quality footwear brands, Atomy skin care products, and jewellery, including both Swarovski and brands that use Swarovski crystals, and will soon be launching partnerships with local vendors to become a full-service fashion and beauty hub.
Staff at T-Elle Boutique by VSL provide each customer with a personal shopping and fashion experience, tailored to their individual features including skin tone, body shape, and personality, ensuring customers walk out of the shop feeling confident, unique, and happy with their purchase.
In addition to offering women’s fashions, T-Elle Boutique by VSL in downtown Peterborough sells skin care products by Atomy and jewellery brands, including Swarovski. All summer wear collection items are currently priced at 40 per cent off and, on Black Friday, the boutique will host additional discounts on select collections and all shoes will be on sale for $30 for one day only. The boutique is also participating in the Peterborough DBIA’s annual Holiday Passport Program, where shoppers can win The Boro gift cards. (Photo courtesy of T-Elle Boutique by VSL)
Exclusive bonus: When shopping at T-Elle Boutique by VSL, mention you read this kawarthaNOW story and receive a $15 credit when spending $250 or more (excluding gift certificates) in one transaction until January 31, 2026.
The holiday shopping season is a great time to drop by T-Elle Boutique by VSL, as all remaining summer wear collections are priced at 40 per cent off until inventory is gone.
You’ll also find Black Friday sales on November 28, when select collections will be marked down and all shoes will be priced at $30 for one day only.
If you’re not sure about the best gift for the fashionista on your shopping list, you can also save big on gift certificates. All gift certificates over $50 will be 10 per cent off if purchased before December 31 (conditions apply).
Once again, T-Elle Boutique by VSL is one of nearly 200 downtown businesses participating in the annual Holiday Passport Program organized by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA). For each $10 you spend in the store, you earn a stamp on your passport. When your passport is filled with 20 stamps, it becomes a ballot for one of three early bird draws in December for a $500 Boro gift card and a grand prize draw for a $1,500 Boro gift card in January. Boro gift cards can be used at over 150 locally owned businesses, including T-Elle Boutique by VSL.
While doing your holiday shopping, be sure to check out the window display at T-Elle Boutique by VSL, which won the Peterborough DBIA’s annual holiday window contest last year.
“It is always great to be the winner of a contest,” Victoria SL says. “We are also keen to contribute to the aesthetic part of Peterborough.”
Located at 131 Charlotte Street, Unit 2, T-Elle Boutique by VSL is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For your convenience, the boutique is also available outside business hours by appointment only. Contact the store at 705-742-7778 or vselle7778@gmail.com.
For fashion inspiration and updates, follow T-Elle Boutique by VSL on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Shop The Boro is a branded editorial feature series about locally owned independent businesses in downtown Peterborough, created in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
With a Boro gift card, supporting locally owned businesses in downtown Peterborough has never been easier. Buy a Boro gift card for your family, friends, or co-workers and let them choose their own adventure. Whether it’s a delicious meal and a night out, a one-of-a-kind find, or a day of relaxation, it’s truly the gift of possibility. You choose the value, they choose the gift.
With a Boro gift card, you are giving more than just a gift — you’re also supporting the people and places that make Peterborough/Nogojiwanong a truly special place to work, live, and play. Shop, dine, and explore the core with Boro gift cards, available online at theboro.ca/product/the-boro-gift-cards/.
The Municipality of Port Hope is celebrating the completion of the Walton Street reconstruction project and the launch of the annual Candlelight Festival with a street party on November 28, 2025, which will include the Candlelight Walk where participants carry lights from Walton and Pine streets to Memorial Park while singing carols. (Photo: Municipality of Port Hope)
Port Hope will be celebrating both the completion of its major infrastructure work downtown and the holiday season with a street party at the end of November.
The municipality will mark the conclusion of the three-year-long Walton Street reconstruction project on Friday, November 28, when it will also celebrate the holiday season with a street party from 4 to 9 p.m. to launch the annual Candlelight Festival, which runs until January 2 and features festive light displays in Memorial Park and Rotary Park.
According to Municipality of Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky, hosting this year’s affair without construction as a backdrop is a reason for Port Hope and its businesses to celebrate.
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“The Walton Street reconstruction has been a journey for us all,” Hankivsky told kawarthaNOW. “On behalf of the municipality, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our community, especially our downtown residents and businesses, for their patience and unwavering support throughout this once-in-a-generation main street reconstruction.”
“As we move forward, I hope this spirit of pride and unity continues to flourish. Let us keep supporting our local businesses, celebrating our shared resilience, and proudly showing what it means to live in Port Hope.”
The mayor described the Walton Street reconstruction project as crucial for the future of the historic downtown in west Northumberland County. The project involved making improvements to old water mains and sanitary sewers and expanding capacity for storm sewers that had become inadequate over time.
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Now that construction is complete, Walton Street is fully available for the Candlelight Festival launch party that will include an outdoor licensed area, fire pits, photobooths, projected animations, roaming buskers, free hot chocolate, an augmented reality scavenger hunt, horse-drawn carriage rides, and more.
Portions of Walton Street, John Street, Ontario Street and Queen Street will be closed to vehicles to allow pedestrians to safely explore the downtown, and public transit will be running until 9:30 p.m. to make it easier for residents to come downtown.
The Port Hope Heritage Business Improvement (HBIA) is also joining the celebration by hosting Moonlight Madness on November 28, which is also Black Friday when local businesses offer discounts and sales to mark the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
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In addition, there will be outdoor artisan market on Lent Lane, through the Granary parking lot and out onto John Street, with food vendors also available.
The launch of the Candlelight Festival also features the annual Candlelight Walk, which begins at 6 p.m. at Walton and Pine streets and concludes at Memorial Park, where there will be live music, hot chocolate, and a countdown to the park’s lighting display.
Walk participants are invited to bring their singing voices as well as a lantern, a candle inside a protective container, a battery-operated candle, or a flashlight, although some flame and battery-operated candles will be available at the start of the walk while supplies last.
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Candlelight Walk participants are also encouraged to bring a donation of a non-perishable food item for the Fare Share Food Bank.
During the walk, representatives from Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG) will help lead carolling, featuring holiday favourites from Deck the Halls to Jingle Bells to Silent Night. A list of the carols and their lyrics is available on the Municipality of Port Hope’s website.
The afternoon following the launch of the Candlelight Festival, Port Hope will be hosting the 88th annual Santa Claus Parade, with the theme of “Deck the Downtown.” The parade will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the intersection of Ridout Street and Bramley Street and continue along Walton Street to Queen Street, finishing at Augusta Street.
encoreNOW for November 17, 2025 features (from left to right, top and bottom) "Hansel & Gretel - The Sweet & Sticky Panto" at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre, Boreal at Bancroft Village Playhouse, the Colin James Trio at Peterborough's Showplace Performance Centre, "We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes" at Lakefield College School's Bryan Jones Theatre, Hawksley Workman at Peterborough's Market Hall, and "A Christmas Story: The Musical" at Lindsay's Academy Theatre. (kawarthaNOW collage)
encoreNOW is a bi-weekly column by Paul Rellinger where he features upcoming music, theatre, film, and performing arts events and news from across the Kawarthas.
This week, Paul highlights Hansel & Gretel – The Sweet & Sticky Panto at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, Boreal’s “Songs for the Snowy Season” concert at Bancroft Village Playhouse, the Colin James Trio in concert at Showplace, the screening of We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes at Lakefield College School’s Bryan Jones Theatre, Hawksley Workman in concert at Market Hall, and the stage musical version of A Christmas Story at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre.
Naughty or nice, Capitol Theatre’s holiday panto sure to delight
Michelle Yu and Amir Haidar during a rehearsal for “Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky and Sweet Panto” at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope. The two actors, who have each performed in several past productions at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope and shared the Capitol stage for the first time in 2023, are taking on the lead roles in the holiday musical comedy written and directed by Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson. Running for 45 performances from November 21 to December 28, 2025 at the historic downtown venue, the panto includes both “naughty” versions for adults and family-friendly “nice” versions. (Photo: Sam Moffatt)
Rob Kempson is creatively silly and, much to the benefit of Capitol Theatre audiences, that’s a very good thing.
As artistic director of the Port Hope performing arts venue, Kempson remains a breath of fresh air, bringing his imaginative flair to bear on any stage production he has a direct hand in. At no time of year is that more evident than during the lead-up to Christmas when the Capitol presents its annual and much-loved holiday season panto.
On Friday, November 21, Hansel & Gretel – The Sticky & Sweet Panto will debut, with both “nice” and “naughty” versions staged over the following weeks until December 28. As writer and director, Kempson’s fingerprints are all over this one, ensuring smiles and laughter will abound, both on stage and in the audience. Kempson wouldn’t have it any other way.
Portraying the title characters are acclaimed stage veterans Amir Haidar and Michelle Yu. This isn’t their first Capitol Theatre rodeo. Back in 2023, they appeared together in Little Shop of Horrors. For Haidar, this musical comedy marks his fourth Capitol Theatre production; for Yu, this is her third go-round at the Queen Street venue.
Featuring musical arrangements by Jeff Newberry and music direction by Scott Pietrangelo, the story you know, or at least are somewhat familiar with. Hansel and Gretel are siblings who, abandoned in the woods, fall prey to a nasty witch who calls a gingerbread house home. Their adventure is the basis for the story beloved by generations since the German fairy tale was first collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
A panto — short for pantomime — is a form of musical comedy that originated in 18th-century England, where it continues to be popular holiday theatre fare. Based on a well-known fairy tale, with a story adapted for a broader audience, key elements of a panto are audience participation, slapstick comedy, theatrical cross dressing, and music and dancing. In short, the perfect fit for Kempson’s playful silliness.
The “nice” version, for ages 8 and up, has matinee performances at 2 p.m. on November 22 and 23, 30, December 6 and 7, 13 and 14, 20, 23, 27 and 28, with an additional matinee performance at 3 p.m. on November 29, and morning performances at 10:30 a.m. on November 26 and December 3, 10, and 17.
The “naughty” version, for ages 16 and up, runs at 7:30 p.m. from November 21 to 27, November 29 and 30, December 3 to 7, 10 to 14, 17 to 20, 22 and 23, and 26 to 28, with an additional evening performance at 8 p.m. on November 28, and matinee performances at 2 p.m. on December 16 and 18.
Tickets are $48 for adults over 30, $40 for youth and adults ages 13 to 30, and $22 for children 12 and under. Visit capitoltheatre.com to order.
Boreal brings their acclaimed “Songs for the Snowy Season” show to the Bancroft Village Playhouse
VIDEO: “Shepherd of the Road” – Boreal
Three award-winning Canadian singer-songwriters will be bringing their acclaimed holiday show to the Bancroft Village Playhouse for one night only on Friday (November 21).
Boreal first came together in 2006 when Katherine Wheatley, Tannis Slimmon, and Jude Vadala — each with their own longstanding and award-winning careers — decided to join together for a winter-themed show called “Songs for the Snowy Season.”
That show quickly became an annual touring tradition across Ontario, and eventually led to the trio’s 2014 debut album, Winter’s Welcome. When Vadala retired from the trio in 2019, Angie Nussey took her place. In 2025, Boreal released their second album Winterbirds, which has since been nominated for three 2026 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
With Wheatley performing on guitar, Slimmon on percussion, mandolin, and guitar, and Vadala on keyboards, all three women equally share singing duties, taking advantage of the unique timbre of their voices when writing and arranging their songs.
The trio’s songwriting and vocal prowess, including spellbinding harmonies, combined with the humour and honest storytelling in their live shows, has drawn high praise from Juno award-winning Canadian folk singer-songwriter David Francey.
“I’ll give you three good reasons for catching Boreal in concert,” Francey said. “There are three wonderful writers in this band, and three beautiful voices. That’s two reasons. The third is the magic that happens when these three women combine those wonderful songs and voices on stage. Each brings their own brilliance to the whole. Magical’s the word. I was transported.”
Tickets to the Bancroft Village Playhouse concert cost $30 and are available at www.villageplayhouse.ca.
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Blues rocker Colin James fronts his trio for Showplace visit
VIDEO: “Open Road” – Colin James
It’s not every day that an eight-time Juno Award recipient comes our way, so it’s well worth noting when a musician of such stature does just that.
Since embarking on his journey in 1983 when he opened for Stevie Ray Vaughan, Regina-born Colin James has established himself as arguably Canada’s preeminent blues rock singer and songwriter.
Along with all those Juno statues, James has taken home an astounding 31 Maple Blues Awards, and reaped the rewards that recording seven gold-certified and four platinum-certified albums brings.
James’ most current album, 2024’s Chasing The Sun, co-produced by Colin Linden, marked his 18th studio offering. Over the years, he has worked with a number of celebrated artists — an impressive list that includes Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy, and the late Jeff Healey. All this years on, he’s showing no sign of slowing down.
On Tuesday, November 25 at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, the Colin James Trio will see him joined by guitarist Chris Caddell and bassist Steve Marriner. They’ll run through James’ material, including 1990’s “Just Came Back,” which remains his highest-charting Canadian and American single.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. concert cost $55 at showplace.org.
Ontario’s Farmerettes get their due via documentary screening
VIDEO: “We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes” trailer
The best thing about a forgotten story is the prospect of it being discovered and given its due.
In the summer of 2024, Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre presented the world premiere of Onion Skins & Peach Fuzz: The Farmerettes. Written by Alison Lawrence based on the book by Shirleyan English and Bonnie Sitter, it related the story of the 40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Canadian farms during, and after, World War II and thus helped sustain the nation’s food supply while young Canadian men, who worked the farms, were fighting overseas.
On Wednesday, November 26 at Lakefield College School’s Bryan Jones Theatre, that inspiring story will be shared again — this time on film.
We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes is an award-winning documentary that comes to us from filmmakers Colin Field and Bonnie Sitter. Following the screening, the pair will sit down for a Q and A session, joined by 4th Line Theatre managing artistic director Kim Blackwell. There will also be an opportunity purchase signed copies of English and Sitter’s book Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario’s Farmerettes.
If you attended the 4th Line Theatre production and have a yearning to learn more about this relatively unknown chapter of Canadian history, this event is for you. If you’re not familiar with the story at all, this is a great opportunity to come up to speed.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. screening cost $25, and are available at www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca. A portion of the ticket proceeds will go to 4th Line Theatres’s 30 to the Future Endowment Fund and to the Lakefield College Northcote Farm Endowment. In addition, a collection will be taken for those displaced by the October 9 fire in downtown Lakefield.
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Hawksley Workman is right at home for Market Hall concert
VIDEO: “Human” – Hawksley Workman
There’s nothing like a short commute to work.
Canadian rock singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman has performed at prestigious venues, Toronto’s historic Massey Hall just one on a long list. But, as a Peterborough resident since 2020, there’s something no doubt something very enticing about headlining a concert just a hop, skip and step away in the city’s downtown core.
So it is that that the singer-songwriter and accomplished multi-instrumentalist will perform as a duo with keyboardist Todd Lumley at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, November 27.
With 17 solo albums to his credit, the Juno award-winning Workman has long garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Since his 1999 ground-breaking self-produced indie debut For Him and The Girls, Workman has consistently delivered, bringing his music around the globe to the tune of more than 1,000 shows.
In a March 2020 interview with kawarthaNOW, Workman said he sensed Peterborough was “in transition,” adding, “In a lot of the cities and towns this size in Canada, manufacturing has moved on and they’re sort of redefining themselves. I feel like a strong downtown is still an essential part of the heart of a city.”
Amen to that, and kudos to Workman for backing that up with a hometown performance.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. concert cost $54 ($64 for cabaret seating) at www.markethall.org.
Ralphie’s quest for that Red Ryder air rifle comes to Lindsay
VIDEO: “A Christmas Story” movie trailer (1983)
On the Rellingers’ list of favourite holiday films, A Christmas Story holds a perennial place. There’s something infinitely captivating about young Ralphie Parker and his no-holds-barred desire for a Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle as a gift from Santa.
Set in 1940s Indiana, the 1983 film, based on the book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash and featuring a memorable performance by Darren McGavin as Ralphie’s dad, was actually partly filmed in Canada and earned two Genie Awards as result.
A Christmas Story, of course, earned a stage treatment, which came in the form of A Christmas Story: The Musical. It debuted at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre in Missouri in 2009 and later enjoyed a short run on Broadway in 2012.
From November 28 to 30, Lindsay’s Academy Theatre is presenting the musical with an all-local cast and crew. Directed by Beth Wilson, Jace Jolicoeur plays Ralphie, with supporting roles played by Tim Brown, Matt Avery, Tara Restrepo, and Jude Collver.
If you love the movie, as I do, you’re sure to enjoy this stage take.
Curtain is 7 p.m. on November 28 and 29, with 2 p.m. matinees on November 29 and 30. Tickets cost $37 for adults and $27 for kids 12 and under and are available at www.flatoacademytheatre.com.
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Encore
I’m delighted to see that super local music fan Les Manley is again organizing Musicians’ Appreciation Night. Set for December 4 at The Social, the love-in, which was first held last year, has at its root a simple premise: an opportunity to thank local musicians for the gifts of their talent and, in the case of many charitable efforts, their time. The 7 to 11 p.m. event will feature music by Bitchin’ Betties, an all-female band comprised of some incredible talent. Manley pays all the associated costs, so there are two things to do here: go and show your love for local musicians, and donate a few bucks to offset Manley’s costs. This is a great gesture. I went last year and the smiles on the faces of those feted lit up the room. Well done, Les.
The apple really doesn’t far fall from the tree. Joanna Bronson, the daughter of Peterborough music treasure Danny Bronson, has just released her debut single “Highway 28.” Produced by J.P Cormier, the inspiration for the song came to Joanna as she drove along — you guessed it — Highway 28. She posted on Facebook that it’s “a reflection of love and life and how both move on and change in ways you never really expect. Then looking back and wishing the past well.” Joanna and Danny performed together this past March at Peterborough Performs VI and were outstanding. No real surprise there, but a treat for anyone who took in the show. Give “Highway 28” a listen below. You won’t be at all disappointed.
Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon is presenting the traditional British panto "Jack and the Beanstalk," a comic retelling of the classic fairytale by artistic director Sarah Quick, from December 3 to 17, 2025. Quick, who both watched and performed in pantos during her childhood in England, has written and produced Globus Theatre's panto every year for almost two decades, most recently including (left to right, top and bottom) 2021's "Mother Goose," 2022's "Cinderella," 2023's "Puss in Boots," and 2024's "Aladdin." (kawarthaNOW collage of photos courtesy of Globus Theatre)
Holiday pantos were a formative tradition for Sarah Quick when she was growing up in England and, since founding Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre with her husband James Barrett in 2003, she has aspired to make the same impact on children who take to the stage or sit in the audience for the professional theatre company’s annual holiday show.
The artistic director of Globus Theatre has written and produced a traditional British panto every year for almost two decades, inviting the whole family to engage in the traditional holiday fun of her childhood.
This year is no exception, with Globus presenting Jack and the Beanstalk from December 3 to 17, with seven performances for area school groups and eight public performances.
Sarah Quick as the Wicked Stepmother and Rebecca Anne Bloom as Cinders in “Cinderella,” Globus Theatre’s 2022 traditional British panto that also featured community actors including participants in Globus Theatre’s School of Dramatic Arts. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
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“When we talk about accessible theatre and theatre for everyone, that’s what a panto is because it’s for all generations,” says Quick. “It appeals to the very little ones, to grandma and grandpa, and everybody in between.”
For Quick, who hails from northern England, being involved in a panto with her church theatre group as a child was not only synonymous with the holiday season, but led her on the path to working in theatre.
“It was where I learned what performing could be, and it was where I learned that it was something I could do reasonably well which, at that age, was quite an exciting discovery,” says Quick, adding that a role in a panto was also her first professional gig in London’s West End after she graduated from theatre school.
A Christmas Pantomime colour lithograph bookcover from England in 1890 and a cover of pantomime text for Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal in London’s Drury Lane in 1899. Evolving from a form of Italian theatre that made its way to Britain, pantomime had become a staple of London theatres by the early 18th century and, during the Victorian era, grew in popularity to become the holiday tradition that continues to this day. (Public domain photos)
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Very popular in the United Kingdom, a panto (from the word pantomime) is a family-friendly musical comedy, usually based on a classic fairytale and staged during the lead-up to Christmas. Evolving from a form of Italian theatre that made its way to Britain, pantomime had become a staple of London theatres by the early 18th century and, during the Victorian era, grew in popularity to become the holiday tradition that continues to this day.
“You can go your local church hall or your local seaside theatre, and the prices are designed for the entire family to go and have a day out,” Quick says of pantos in England. “All the theatres are packed. It’s a really exciting time, so that’s what I wanted to bring here.”
One reason for the enduring popularity of traditional British pantos is because their storylines appeal to children while adults enjoy humour and innuendos that the children in the audience don’t get.
“I think in more recent years, Disney has done that quite well, where some movies are ostensibly for kids but the adults can get the slightly more risqué comments, the slightly cleverer wordplay, or the political jokes,” says Quick. “Those are there for the adults and go over the kids’ heads, which makes it a lot of fun for everybody.”
A classic British panto also invites audience participation, such as booing when the villain comes on stage. This tradition, says Quick, is one that Globus Theatre audiences have grown to love since the theatre company staged its very first panto in 2006.
The cast of Globus Theatre’s 2021 holiday panto “Mother Goose”. The Bobcaygeon theatre company is presenting its traditional British panto “Jack and the Beanstalk,” a comic retelling of the classic fairytale by artistic director Sarah Quick, from December 3 to 17, 2025. Traditional British pantos are fun for the whole family because the storylines appeal to children while adults enjoy the jokes and innuendos that go over the head of children in the audience. (Photo: Dahlia Katz)
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“It was quite funny because the first time, when the evil person came on, all the English people in the audience knew to boo heavily, and you could see all the Canadians looking around asking ‘What’s going on?’ and thinking this is not appropriate theatre behaviour,” Quick recalls with a laugh. “Now everybody knows — as soon as the villain comes on, you hiss and you boo. They’re prepared for audience participation.”
This year, Globus is presenting an original retelling of a classic fairytale with Jack and the Beanstalk. Though audiences may be familiar with the story — Jack sells a cow for some magic beans that grow into a towering beanstalk leading to the realm of a giant, from whom Jack steals treasures to help his poor widowed mother — there are many unique surprises, new characters, and fun twists in Quick’s comical rendition.
“You won’t know exactly who is in Jack and the Beanstalk and exactly what happens,” she says of the Globus version. “In our Jack and the Beanstalk, it’s the Baron Dithers who is trying to evict Dame Trott from the Dottie Dale Dairy and he sent his henchmen to do the job for him.”
Quick herself will be playing Poison Ivy, the giant’s evil sidekick who has her own gremlins. And, once again, Globus Theatre’s artistic producer James Barrett will portray the Dame, a classic role in traditional pantos that’s played by a man wearing heavy makeup and flamboyant women’s clothing.
Toronto-based actor Katherine Cappellacci as Snow White with Globus Theatre co-founder and artistic producer James Barrett as the Dame in Globus Theatre’s 2017 British panto “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Barrett has taken the role of the Dame since the theatre company began staging pantos in 2006 and will be doing so during “Jack and the Beanstalk,” running from December 3 to 17, 2025. (Photo: Sarah Quick)
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“The first time James played a Dame, he was putting on the dress and said ‘Are you sure this is traditional in England?'” Quick recalls. “Now if we did not give him the Dame role, he would be absolutely gutted. He loves it.”
Quick and Barrett will be joined by fellow panto regular Kevin Sepaul along with Hayden DiMarco, a recent graduate of the Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto.
“We always bring in somebody who has just graduated theatre school and is embarking on their professional career,” Quick says. “The kids get to talk to them about what it’s like to go on to further education at theatre school and start a job as an actor. It’s great to be able to give that emerging artist a gig, but it’s also really cool for the kids to see theatre as a career option.”
This is important to Globus Theatre because there will be upwards of 40 children involved in Jack and the Beanstalk, both on and off the stage.
Young performers rehearsing for Globus Theatre’s traditional British panto “Jack and the Beanstalk,” a comic retelling of the classic fairytale by artistic director Sarah Quick, from December 3 to 17, 2025. Around 40 local children and youth will be involved in the production, both on and off the stage. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
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“It’s not about being a perfect performer or being extremely skilled in certain areas — it’s about being yourself on stage,” Quick says. “My job is to give kids that huge amount of confidence that they can perform, and they can create this environment where they have 150 people laughing because of something they said.”
The opportunity to perform in the panto reflects Globus Theatre’s aim to foster a love of performance in children and youth in Kawartha Lakes.
“It’s important for them to know that they can go on and be an actor if they want to be and if they have that ability,” she explains. “But regardless, even in just the moment, they’ve found their happy place. They’re in a safe place to create and be alongside each other.”
The stage will see performers from as young as six to those into their eighties, as the panto will also include the community choir from Globus Theatre’s season-opening show, Desperate to be Doris. Called the Bobcaygeon Sound Collective, the choir is becoming a vibrant part of the theatre’s productions.
A rehearsal for the Bobcaygeon Sound Collective, a community choir organized by Globus Theatre for the theatre company’s season-opening production of “Desperate to be Doris.” The choir will be once again taking to the stage during the Globus Theatre’s holiday panto “Jack and the Beanstalk,” a comic retelling of the classic fairytale by artistic director Sarah Quick, from December 3 to 17, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
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Throughout the panto’s run, Globus Theatre will also be performing the panto for 1,200 students as school groups come from Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Omemee, and beyond for private showings.
“I love the career that I have — I love the opportunities it’s afforded me,” Quick says. “Being able to go to work each day and feel like you’re enjoying what you do, having fun, and making an impact is massive.”
“If I can give one kid a year that sort of feeling, that this is something that they could go on and do, that would be tremendous.”
A traditional British panto, Globus Theatre is presenting “Jack and the Beanstalk” from December 3 to 17, 2025 in Bobcaygeon, including includes seven performances for area school groups and eight public performances. (Graphic courtesy of Globus Theatre)
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Jack and the Beanstalk runs for eight public performances, opening at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 5 with additional evening performances at 8 p.m. on December 6 and December 12 and 13 and 2 p.m. matinee performances on December 6 and 7 and December 13 and 14.
For a full festive night out, an optional three-course Christmas dinner is available before all evening performances. For those looking to host a holiday celebration for family, friends, or employees, group bookings are also available.
“Coming to see this high energy panto is a great way to get into that holiday spirit,” says Quick. “Everybody is having a ball.”
Tickets are $35 for adults and $22.50 for children 16 and under for the show only, or $85 for adults and $42.50 for children 10 and under for dinner and the show. Tickets can be ordered online at globustheatre.com/shows-all/jack-and-the-beanstalk. For more information on group bookings, call the box office at 705-738-2037 or 1-800-304-7897.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Globus Theatre. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
The Illuminated Forest at Ken Reid Conservation Area near Lindsay is open nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. from December 12 to 28, 2025, with free public transit from Lindsay to Ken Reid and back available on December 12 and 13 and 19 and 20. (Photo: Kawartha Conservation)
The Illuminated Forest is returning for its fourth year to Ken Reid Conservation Area near Lindsay, with a new opportunity to help even more residents experience it.
Kawartha Conservation first created the holiday tradition, which sees trees decorated with thousands of lights, in 2022. This year, the front trails of the forest will be transformed into a glowing winter wonderland nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. from Friday, December 12 to Sunday, December 28.
Visiting Ken Reid Conservation Area is free, although there is a $4 parking fee per vehicle. Parking is available in both the main parking lot at the dog park and at the administration building parking lot as needed.
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To make the Illuminated Forest accessible to even more residents, Kawartha Conservation and the City of Kawartha Lakes are partnering to provide free public transit between Lindsay and Ken Reid Conservation Area on Friday and Saturday, December 12 and 13 and again on Friday and Saturday, December 19 and 20.
On those dates, buses will depart from the rear parking lot at Canadian Tire at 377 Kent Street West in Lindsay to Ken Reid every hour starting at 4:30 p.m., with the last departure at 7:30 p.m. Buses will depart from Ken Reid back to the Canadian Tire parking lot every hour starting at 5 p.m., except for the final departure which will be at 8:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.
Kawartha Conservation is asking residents who have enjoyed the Illuminated Forest and would like to see it continue as a holiday tradition to consider making an online donation.
Members of the Northumberland Hills Hospital and Ontario Health Team Northumberland's Essential Care Partner (ECP) Working Group, an interdisciplinary team of people with experience in primary care, nursing, allied health, social work, home care, and clinical information, as well as ward clerks, those in leadership positions, volunteers, and people with lived experience. The group co-designed the ECP pilot program, which officially acknowledges the vital role of caregivers in a patient's healthcare journey, and will monitor the program with guidance from the Ontario Caregiver Organization. (Photo: Northumberland Hills Hospital)
As a full-time caregiver himself, Howard Goodfellow is excited to see a new program launch at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg that officially acknowledges the role of caregivers in a patient’s healthcare journey.
The hospital and Ontario Health Team Northumberland have launched a new pilot program, with guidance from the Ontario Caregiver Organization, called the Essential Care Partner (ECP) program. The first of its kind in Northumberland County, the program formally recognizes the role of caregivers in the hospital setting.
Goodfellow is a volunteer with Ontario Health Team Northumberland’s Experience Partner Council, launched in 2021 to give patients and caregivers a voice in local priorities for healthcare and community care services. He is also part of the ECP working group, whose members helped design and will monitor the pilot project.
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“I think the ECP program will be vital to strengthening trust between families and the care team, reducing caregiver stress, and connecting caregivers with resources to assist them in navigating their caregiver journey,” Goodfellow said in a media release. “I am really pleased to see this program come to Northumberland and hope to see it expand beyond the pilot and throughout the county.”
Ontario Health Team Northumberland executive lead Andrea Groff shared her thoughts with kawarthaNOW about the value of the pilot and her hopes for its outcome.
“At its heart, this pilot is about recognizing the essential role that care partners play in a patient’s journey,” Groff said. “By formally including care partners as part of the care team, we hope to not only support caregivers in the vital work they do every day but strengthen communication leading to improved patient experience and outcomes.”
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The ECP program, which recognizes one or two essential care partners who have been chosen by the patient, has three key pillars: identify the caregiver, include them as part of the care team, and support the caregiver.
Launched at Northumberland Hills Hospital in early November, the ECP program is now available to all admitted patients on the hospital’s first floor (1A/1B) units, inclusive of restorative care, inpatient rehabilitation, integrated stroke, and palliative care.
Participation is optional, and essential care partners do not replace professional staff roles.
Building on lessons learned from the pandemic, essential care partners will receive training and personal protective equipment in the event of an outbreak to enable them to continue to have access to the patient they support in alignment with infection prevention and hospital policies.
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Jennifer Gillard, Northumberland Hills Hospital’s vice-president of patient experience, public affairs and strategic partnership, said the ECP pilot program builds on informal practices already in place at the hospital “to formally acknowledge the critical role caregivers play in supporting patients.”
Executive sponsor of the pilot project, Gillard acknowledged the work of the interdisciplinary ECP working group, which includes people with experience in primary care, nursing, allied health, social work, home care, and clinical information, as well as ward clerks, those in leadership positions, volunteers, and people with lived experience.
“There is much wisdom in this group and our pilot will be stronger because of the input that was so generously shared,” Gillard noted.
According to Groff, patient and caregiver partners identified the ECP program as a priority in the early days of Ontario Health Team Northumberland. She said she looks forward to seeing the impact of the program on patients, caregivers, and providers.
“Success for us will mean that patients and their care partners feel valued, informed, and supported,” Groff said. “Our hope is that this approach becomes a model we can expand across Northumberland, creating a more consistent, compassionate care experience for everyone.”
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Now that the pilot is underway, upon admission to one of the 1A/1B units at Northumberland Hills Hospital, patients will be invited to identify the caregiver or caregivers who are important to them. Essential care partners can be family members, friends, or paid caregivers, who may or may not also be substitute decision makers or have powers of attorney.
Once identified as participants in the ECP program, caregivers will receive a badge identifying them as part of the care team. They will receive support in the form of resources, training, and materials to assist in their caregiving.
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will be joined by Québécois vocal quartet Quartom (baritone Benoit Le Blanc, bass-baritone Philippe Martel, tenor Joé Lampron-Dandonneau, and baritone Julien Patenaude) for "Quartom Sings Noël," the PSO's annual holiday concert on December 6, 2025 at the Emmanuel United Church. The quartet will perform a mix of
French versions of familiar Christmas carols, carols popular in Quebec, and English-language family favourites, with the orchestra also playing works by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, French composer Georges Bizet, and Canadian composer Ronald Royer. (Photo: Antoine Duguay)
With help from the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO), you can celebrate the holiday season by not only hearing your favourite Christmas songs but by being introduced to some you may never have heard before — including some popular festive French tunes.
Taking place at 7:30 p.m. on December 6 at Emmanuel United Church in downtown Peterborough, “Quartom Sings Noël” will see Québécois vocal quartet Quartom perform with the orchestra.
“This is a great way to hear an orchestra for the first time,” says PSO music director and conductor Michael Newnham. “The holiday concerts are very special because they’re usually designed so that somebody who might never have heard a symphony orchestra before would feel comfortable coming. It’s really great for people of all ages and backgrounds — it’s very accessible even for a very young person under the age of 10.”
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Formed in 2008, Quartom is an a cappella vocal quartet comprised of classically trained musicians. The founder is baritone Benoit Le Blanc, who began his training as a chorister and soloist with Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal. He then studied at the Université de Montréal, where he obtained a master’s degree in vocal performance. Known as a performer of French and religious music, he has recorded several CDs and has sung with several ensembles.
For fellow baritone Julien Patenaude, music is in his blood. He was introduced to music by his mother Thérèse at four years old and later sang for 10 years at Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal under the direction of his father, conductor and composer Gilbert Patenaude, who founded the Laval Symphony Orchestra. He continued his musical training at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, the University of Toronto, and McGill University, and has since worked as a soloist and chorister with several ensembles in Quebec and teaches, directs, and works in stage production.
Bass-baritone Philippe Martel began his musical training with the Maîtrise des petits chanteurs de Québec before studying administration in university. He registered at the Cégep Sainte-Foy in music and earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from McGill University. He regularly performs as a soloist with various ensembles and with the Opéra de Montréal.
The newest member of the group, tenor Joé Lampron-Dandonneau, earned a master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Victoria before completing vocal studies at McGill University. He obtained a graduate diploma in vocal performance in the class of soprano Dominique Labelle and was a finalist for the prestigious 2019-2020 Wirth Vocal Arts Prize. He has worked with numerous choirs and previously held a position with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
Newnham previously worked with the group in 2019 when he was asked to conduct a holiday concert for the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra in British Columbia and Quartom were the special guests.
“They were absolutely delightful to work with,” he recalls. “These operatically and classically trained singers have beautiful arrangements and are very witty and charming, and the way that they held the audience — absolutely non-Francophones — in their hands for two consecutive concerts in B.C. was extraordinary.”
“These gentlemen just exude charm and they’re brilliant singers. They’re high quality and so I was always looking for the chance to work with them again.”
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Instead of the PSO’s usual venue of Showplace Performance Centre, the concert is being held at Emmanuel United Church which, according to Newnham, “is a really great place to do something with the human voice because it projects really well.”
During the concert, the audience will hear Quartom perform French versions of familiar carols, including “Vive le vent” (the French version of “Jingle Bells”), “Minuit, chretien” (“O Holy Night”), and “Les anges dans nos campagnes” (the hymn “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” often called “Angels We Have Heard on High”).
The quartet will also introduce the audience to carols that are popular in Quebec, including “Nouvelle agréable” and “Dans une étable obscure.”
There will also be some English-language family favourites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “12 Days of Christmas,” as well as less commonly heard carols like the African-American spirituals “Go Tell it on a Mountain” and “Mary Had a Baby.”
VIDEO: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Quartom (with tenor Kerry Bursey)
As well as accompanying Quartom, the PSO will be performing the waltz from Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty as well as the Carillon and the Farandole from French composer Georges Bizet’s L’Arlésienne suites — classical music that is often heard around Christmas.
There will also be music from Canadian composer Ronald Royer, who researched Canadian Christmas carols and holiday traditions for Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017 and subsequently composed the “Fantasia on Canadian Christmas Carols” for orchestra.
Royer’s piece includes “The Huron Carol,” written by a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in Ontario in the 17th century and considered the first Canadian Christmas carol, “The Cherry-Tree Carol,” a traditional English carol from the early 15th century that found a new melody and lyrics in Canada, “Il est né, le divin Enfant,” a traditional French carol that travelled to Canada and became part of French-Canadian Christmas celebration, and “La Guignolée,” a French medieval tradition that travelled to Canada with the first French settlers and became popular in Quebec and parts of the Maritimes.
“The Huron Carol we all know, but there are other ones that we sometimes forget about,” says Newnham.
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“There’s a big smorgasbord of different things,” says Newnham of the holiday concert. “But this is very much a Canadiana kind of concert. It’s charming, fun, and the orchestra itself is better than ever, so I’m always looking forward to doing things with them.”
While there will be no audience sing-along at the end of this year’s concert, Newnham assures Quartom has ways of inviting audience participation. In addition, a cider reception will follow the concert.
“However people are getting prepared for the holidays, however they celebrate them, they will feel they’re being led in emotionally and spiritually,” says Newnham. “A symphony orchestra does that in a way that I think is extremely special.”
Depending on the seat you choose, tickets are $60.04, $52.84, or $38.42 (all fees included) with student tickets costing $16.79 for all seats. Tickets are available at thepso.org/quartom.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-26 season.
Habitat for Humanity Northumberland CEO Cathy Borowec (far right) with members of the Molaski family (James, Jack, Elizbeth, Peter, and Sarah) during an event on November 13, 2025 to celebrate the completion of the single detached home for the multi-generational family. (Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Northumberland)
The Molaski family will soon have the keys to their own home in Cobourg, as Habitat for Humanity Northumberland unveiled the newly constructed dwelling for the multi-generational family of six on Thursday (November 13).
Habitat for Humanity Northumberland board members, volunteers, and staff joined the Molaskis, community members, neighbours, and local politicians to celebrate the completion of the single detached home.
The Molaski family is comprised of Elizabeth, four children, and Elizabeth’s father Peter.
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The dedication ceremony was a memorable experience for Cathy Borowec, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland’s CEO.
“It feels good,” Borowec told kawarthaNOW.
“It is Habitat’s intention to scale up where possible on the land that is available for building. In this particular neighbourhood, with the size of the home required to meet the needs of the future owners, it was a single family home that could fit. Nonetheless, a Habitat for Humanity home dedication is always a success as we help a family into homeownership from their often sub-standard, unaffordable rental home.”
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In 2023, Habitat Northumberland received the donation of the property from the Town of Cobourg. Construction began in March 2024, coinciding with Habitat’s seven-unit build in Baltimore.
At the beginning of 2025, the Habitat for Humanity Northumberland team set a goal to complete eight homes in one calendar year.
It was something “we have not set our sights on before,” Borowec noted. “That goal pushed us to work differently, to build smarter, and to engage even more volunteers and partners. The result is that more families, like Elizabeth’s, are gaining the stability and security of affordable homeownership right here in their own communities.”
The Government of Canada has committed $882,000 through the Affordable Housing Fund under the National Housing Strategy toward Habitat for Humanity Northumberland projects, including this Cobourg home.
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As new Habitat homeowners, the Molaski family, together with friends and extended family, has contributed more than 500 volunteer hours in the Habitat ReStore and at the build site.
After being approved into the Habitat homeownership program, the family patiently waited for a suitable project to become available that could accommodate their multi-generational household and meet their unique needs for a home.
“The support from our community to bring a Habitat home to completion and the number of individuals who contribute is cause for celebration,” Borowec said of Thursday’s dedication. “For these people to meet and hear from the future homeowners is part of the reward for their work.”
As for the Molaskis, Borowec said “The family is so excited as the move-in date approaches and that is lovely to experience.”
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Founded in 1998, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland is one of 44 local Habitats working in Canada and part of the not-for-profit network of Habitat active in more than 70 countries worldwide.
Families and individuals who are in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.
The Molaskis are the 78th family to partner with Habitat for Humanity Northumberland since 1998.
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