In Hindu mythology Uma represents the power of light. Fittingly, Argentina’s newest wine is named after the Hindu goddess, possessing many of the qualities she is renowned for, including excellent balance.
Good Libations With Astrid Young
420 George
It wasn’t just the desire to create an upscale, boutique retail/office space that spurred the creation and development of 420 George, Signum Corporation’s most recent project.
“We believe strongly in Peterborough’s downtown,” says vice president, Katherine MacDonald. “There is a rich history of long-standing businesses and financial institutions combined with young and up and coming stores that makes Peterborough’s core a vibrant and desirable place to be. We decided to embark on the project of building premium boutique, office space because we felt there definitely was a need for it. As a result, we rebuilt 420 George from inside out.”
Renowned for a long line of successful project developments including Kawartha Glen Condominiums, Scotiabank, and the Americredit Call Centre, MacDonald explains that while 420 George was niche-inspired, it was a leap of faith to take on the project and renovate the building.
“When you partner with a company, as was the case with Scotiabank, you work together on the project. 420 George is very much Signum-driven. We’ve created a space we hope people will find desirable.”
Described as an elegant combination of contemporary urban and restoration architecture with state of the art building systems, Signum hired designer Norma de la Vega of Mi Casa Designs to help retain the original beauty and authenticity of the structure.
“The building is a real gem,” says de la Vega. “We wanted to retain that and as a result we kept things very organic while at the same time giving the space an upscale, boutique look and feel. I’ve worked with Signum on several projects and this one was very challenging and exciting. They are great people to work with.”
Approximately 2,600 feet of retail space is available on the main floor of 420 George with an additional 3,000 on both the second and third floors of the building. Rebuilt from the inside out, 420 features a brand new elevator, multi-zone heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, large thermal windows, R20 insulation in the walls and roof, and a new roof.
“The building is situated amongst some fantastic businesses downtown and it’s in close proximity to plenty of parking.”
For more information, email info@420george.com or call 705-741-9021.
All photos by Michael Cullen of Trent Photographics.
“The Land Between” Documentary Premiere in Lakefield
Have you ever heard the phrase “The Land Between”? Did you know that most of The Kawarthas exist in The Land Between? Did you know that The Land Between stretches across a major portion of Ontario right over to Couchiching? Have you ever driven north from Peterborough to Buckhorn or Burleigh Falls and noticed the sudden change in landscape?
A national non-profit organization and several partners have produced a documentary film called “The Land Between”, which will premiere in Lakefield on July 26.
Shine On
When it comes to the retail fashion business and her own personal life, Tia Star Pivirotto follows her heart as much as her head.
After just two and a half years of launching her on-line clothing store, TiaStar.com, the bright, passionate and outgoing Tia is expanding into a physical retail space in downtown Peterborough.
Le Petit Bar – Water Street, Peterborough
When Shannon Mak and Roland Hosier envisioned the interior of Le Petit Bar, the focal point was a zinc bar akin to those in Paris where wine, cheese and charcuterie are enjoyed in the time honoured French way. “It was too expensive to purchase one, so we built it ourselves,” says Hosier.
As the owner and operator of Hunter Street West’s St. Veronus Café & Tap Room, Hosier now co-owns Le Petit Bar with Mak, a skilled wine professional who grows and makes her own food and writes about it for various publications. “I pretty much do what Shannon tells me to do,” Hosier says.
That includes learning how to use a soldering iron to build the bar with local contractors Gabe Robinson and Tom Reader. It is indeed at the heart of the intimate gathering place where customers are enjoying wines by the glass, along with a varying selection of charcuterie, cheeses and mixed boards – every Tuesday through Saturday from 4:00 pm until the wee hours.
Passionate about good food, wine and culture since she was 18, Mak’s journey started out in her garden where she grows everything from tomatoes to cucumbers. “We do a lot of pickling and canning and we grow herbs year-round.”
Pointing to the bottles of bitters she and Hosier are hand-crafting themselves for cocktail consumption — yet another draw for the well-appointed — Mak explains it’s not simply the food and wine people are lining up for. Local sommelier and wine agent, Christopher Wilton agrees.
“Shannon and Roland are knocking it out of the park with the cocktails they’re making. I had a rare moment when I tried their version of a Sazerac,” Wilton explains. “It was pretty exciting to experience the possibility a drink, similar to a great wine, can hold.”
With a wealth of experience in the food and wine industry, Mak is skilled in the art of service. Naturally, she possesses the ability to intuit customers’ needs.
“We want everyone to feel relaxed and at home but we also want them to be excited about the food and wine we’re serving, where the recipes originate and where the food is grown and cured,” she says. “It’s all part of the experience at Le Petit Bar.”
Le Petit Menu
Enjoy browsing these menus, which are a sample of what we offer:
- Sample Features Menu – Le Petit Bar (PDF, 151 KB)
- Sample Drinks Menu – Le Petit Bar (PDF, 169 KB)
Charcuterie is a French term meaning “cooked meat”. It refers to the delicious culinary art of confit, curing, smoking and drying in order to create items like sausage, salami, prosciutto & pâté. Charcuterie is served to you on a board, with house‐made mustards, olives, pickles, seasoned arugula and fresh bread. Ideal for sharing, these boards make a great appetizer, snack, or meal (depending on how you’re feeling).
Contact Le Petit Bar
399 Water Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9H 3L7
Telephone: 705-775-7384
Hours
Tuesday & Wednesday: 4 pm – 12 am
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 4 pm – 2 am
Emily Whetung MacInnes
Why did you return to the Kawarthas after you graduated from law at Osgoode?
“It was my goal to be working and living on Curve Lake, where I grew up. Before I came back I was living in Vaughan. It’s so crowded there and no one knows you. Life here is simpler and less complicated. I feel very fortunate to be able to experience the natural beauty of this region while having access to all of these great restaurants, café’s and theaters in the downtown core.”
Original Opera “The Auction” Graces Westben Stage
Westben’s world premiere presentation of “The Auction” is not a typical opera in its rural Canadian setting, yet it stays true to the essence of what opera is about. Opera is an art form often steeped in rich emotion, with each character expressing themselves fully through song. “The Auction” tells the story of how a family is impacted when farming proves to no longer be sustainable for them.
How Hollywood Made the “King of 21st Century Blues” Famous
By 2000, Chris Thomas King had already established his career as a hip/hop blues musician — with seven albums, 10 million records sold and both a Grammy and a Country Music Award — when he was featured playing the part of Tommy Johnson in the Coen brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? And yet he became more widely known from his role in the film (and a song on the soundtrack) than from his own prolific musical career.
Ode’min Giizis Indigenous Arts Festival
It was more than 30 years ago that Peterborough hosted one of the largest and most vibrant international Indigenous theatre celebrations the city has ever seen, but Patti Shaughnessy still remembers the vivid impact it had on her.
“This was a remarkable festival. It was a collective gathering of Indigenous artists from all over the world, including Japan, Africa, the U.S. and Canada.”
“2nd Unit” by Tim Etherington
Tim Etherington is a Peterborough writer and teacher with a long history in live performance. His newest play, Zombies Versus Bunnies, which he co-wrote with his daughter Lydia, will be performed at the Showplace Lounge on June 21st and 22nd.
Here are three brief excerpts from Tim’s short story 2nd Unit, about a small town in Southwestern Ontario that is invaded for several days by a film crew shooting a television “movie of the week”.
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