Municipality of Brighton council has chosen Hannah MacAusland to fill the vacant seat on council. (Photo courtesy of Hannah MacAusland)
The Municipality of Brighton will welcome a new councillor for the community into council chambers on Monday (January 27).
During a special council meeting held on January 24, Brighton council selected Hannah MacAusland to fill the vacant council seat for the remainder of the 2022-2026 term of office.
At 22 years old, MacAusland is the youngest person to serve on Brighton council and the youngest woman serving on a municipal council in Ontario.
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Council members shared the news with MacAusland and congratulated her at her workplace in Brighton on Friday afternoon following their decision, Municipality of Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander told kawarthaNOW.
Earlier that day, council heard presentations from all of the applicants who put their names forward.
The vacancy was declared during the December 9, 2024 council meeting, following the passing of Councillor Byron Faretis, who was elected to council in 2022. At a Decemeber 24 special council meeting, council reviewed a staff report titled “council vacancy appointment process” and approved the application process to fill the vacant seat.
In accordance with the Municipal Act, council is required to fill the vacancy within 60 days of a vacancy being declared, either through a direct appointment or through a by-election.
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Brighton council — which consists of the mayor, a deputy mayor, and five councillors (when at capacity) — proceeded to fill the office of councillor vacancy through an appointment by a call for applications process.
During the January 24 meeting, council listened to presentations from all of the applicants prior to selecting MacAusland for the role. The public was invited to listen to the applicants’ presentations virtually, as the meeting was streamed live on the municipality’s YouTube channel.
Along with MacAusland, the other applicants were Steph Hails, Laurie Caouette, Mary McEwan, Jake DeGroot, Hannah MacAusland, Joyce Cassin, Mohamed (Mo) Khan, Laura Knegt, and Doug Leblanc. Three candidates — Drew MacDonald, Christina Bergmann, and Clifford Clark — withdrew from the appointment application process.
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Born and raised in Brighton, MacAusland describes herself as “a young and passionate community member.”
“I bring a new friendly face, fresh perspectives and am eager to listen and learn from all residents,” MacAusland stated in her candidate biography. “I value the voices of those who have lived in Brighton their entire lives, as well as newcomers choosing to make this community their home
“I appreciate both rural and urban living that Brighton has to offer. Brighton is not just where I live, it’s where I see my future. I understand the challenges and opportunities of being a young parent and can identify with the younger demographic in Brighton. I aim to be approachable and a dedicated voice for all in this community.”
MacAusland will take the oath of office at 6:30 p.m. during the January 27 council planning meeting. The meeting can be streamed online on the municipality’s YouTube channel or attended in person at 35 Alice St. in Brighton.
encoreNOW for January 27, 2025 features (from left to right, top and bottom) Electric City Players, Terra Lightfoot, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Gowan, Jack de Keyzer, and Sweet Water Country Music. (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 the Electric City Players’ staging of a Shakespearean romantic comedy, Terra Lightfoot’s teaming up anew with Melissa Payne in Haliburton, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s performance of hit movie music, Gowan in concert at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre, acclaimed blues guitarist Jack de Keyzer’s return to Market Hall, and a tribute to country music’s Merle Haggard at Cobourg’s Victoria Hall.
Peterborough’s Electric City Players turn to The Bard once more
Lauren Yandt plays Viola/Cesario and Eddy Sweeney plays Sebastian in the Electric City Players production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” running for four performances at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre from January 30 to February 1, 2025. (Photos courtesy of Electric City Players)
If it ain’t broke, don’t even think about fixing it.
Building on the success of last year’s staging of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, Peterborough’s Electric City Players are now giving The Bard’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will their full attention.
The company will stage the romantic comedy from Thursday to Saturday (January 30 to February 1) at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, continuing its mission “to create ambitious, immersive, multi-media theatre experiences” that “explore how our distant past can help us see our past and our possible futures more sharply.”
Company co-founders Jacqueline Barrow and Andrew Loeb have assembled a Shakespearean-sized cast for this production, with Viola and Sebastian played by Lauren Yandt and Eddy Sweeney. It’s a reunion of sorts for the pair, as they portrayed MacDuff and Lady MacDuff in Macbeth.
Penned by Shakespeare in and around 1601 and 1602, the first known public staging of Twelfth Night was in February 1602 at London’s Middle Temple Hall.
The play’s storyline centres on twins Viola and Sebastian who are separated in a shipwreck. Disguised as a page named Cesario, Viola enters into the service of Duke Orsino (Jason Shulha) and falls in love with him. However, Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia (Carissa Kaye), who rebuffs his advances. When Orsino sends Cesario to court the countess on his behalf, Olivia falls in love with Cesario, unaware that he is a woman. Chaos and misunderstandings ensue.
Top to bottom, the cast features actors quite familiar to local theatre buffs, several of whom having appeared in Peterborough Theatre Guild productions.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. on January 30 and 31 and February 1, with an added 2 p.m. matinee on February 1. Discounted tickets are now available at a cost of $32 ($24 for students) at www.markethall.org.
Terra Lightfoot and Melissa Payne a great double bill in Haliburton
VIDEO: “The Only One Of Your Kind” – Terra Lightfoot
By all accounts, Terra Lightfoot’s performance at Market Hall back in November was terrific, the Juno Award-nominated singer-songwriter providing full evidence of why her 2023 album Healing Power was longlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.
Local fiddle treasure Melissa Payne opened that show, making the night an even better experience for those who were wise enough to grab a ticket. Now the two are reprising that show, coming together for a concert on Saturday (February 1) at the Haliburton Legion.
Presented by the Haliburton County Folk Society, Payne will again open the proceedings, followed by Lightfoot with her trio. Better still for the headliner, the venue is a hop, skip, and a jump from the Hamilton native’s rural Haliburton Highlands home.
Performing in a folk/roots rock style, Lightfoot has released five albums to date, with her 2017 album New Mistakes having garnered a 2018 Juno Award nomination as Adult Alternative Album of the Year. That album was also longlisted for a Polaris Music Prize.
VIDEO: “September Skies” – Melissa Payne
When Lightfoot and I chatted prior to her Market Hall show last fall, I learned quickly that her personality and genuine love for what she does is a big part of the attraction for her fans. Like a true professional, she has no issue sharing her stage with another.
“She and I get along like a house on fire,” said Lightfoot of Payne. “She’s so much fun and so talented — a great songwriter. She’s always up for a laugh. That’s my favourite thing about her. I love playing with people who also have fun off stage.”
If you missed the two together the last time around, here’s your opportunity to make amends. Advance tickets cost $42 ($37 for Haliburton County Folk Society members and students) and can be ordered at www.haliburtonfolk.com and, if any are left, tickets will be $47 at the door.
The Lightfoot-Payne show kicks of February Folk Fest, a month-long celebration of talented musicians and community spirit taking place at venues across the Haliburton Highlands. More information is available at myhaliburtonhighlands.com/february-folk-fest/.
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Famed movie music gets the full PSO treatment once again
VIDEO: “Raiders March” by John Williams with Vienna Philharmonic
Wise is the arts organization that listens to its patrons and acts accordingly.
Having heard very good things after its sold-out “Popcorn, Please!” concert during its 2023-24 season, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is reprising its performance of film-associated music, presenting “Indiana Jones Meets The Godfather” on Saturday and Sunday (February 1 and 2) at Showplace Performance Centre.
With PSO music director and conductor Michael Newnham at the helm, the orchestra’s third concert of its current season will tackle Nina Rota’s score to The Godfather as well as perform legendary composer John Williams’ signature music that added so much to the excitement of the Indiana Jones franchise. Also on the musical menu are selections from the memorable scores for Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other blockbuster films.
“I’m interested in showing an audience and an orchestra how great the music actually is, when you take away the other things like the film and the images and you just listen to the music by itself,” Newnham recently told kawarthaNOW.
If you’ve never experienced that full orchestra sound in an acoustically excellent room, this concert promises a wonderful introduction.
Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on February 1 and 3 p.m. on February 2, with tickets ranging from $33 to $55 ($12 for students) and available at showplace.org. As per usual, Newnham will deliver an insightful pre-concert talk starting 45 minutes before each show.
Lindsay’s Academy Theatre welcomes the very talented Gowan
VIDEO: “Strange Animal” – Gowan (2020)
I loved high school.
To avoid any confusion, that had nothing to do with my scholastic experience. Rather, it had everything to do with the social side of the equation — something that was furthered by my chairing the school dances as a student council member for four of five years.
So what’s that got to do with this column? Well, a student one year ahead of me was a pretty good piano player, singer, and showman all rolled into one. With two other students, he formed Rhinegold. I booked the trio regularly for school dances, mainly because they checked two very big boxes: they were good and they were cheap.
Decades on, Larry Gowan is now known by his surname only, having enjoyed a remarkable career, both as a solo recording artist and, starting in 1999, as a keyboardist and singer with Styx. Along the way, with multiple Juno Award wins and nominations to his credit, I’m sure Gowan has never referenced my giving him his first big break, but I’m laying claim to that just the same. Why? Because I can.
On February 7, Gowan will headline at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre, delivering hits such as “A Criminal Mind,” “Strange Animal,” “Moonlight Desires,”” and “All The Lovers In The World,” most likely wearing his trademark kilt — a nod to his Scottish heritage. As those who have caught him in concert a few times at Peterborough Musicfest can attest too, this will be a lot of fun.
Tickets to Gowan’s 8 p.m. performance cost $70 at www.flatoacademytheatre.com. Not lost on me is that’s about what we paid Rhinegold in the mid-1970s.
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Blues guitarist extraordinaire Jack de Keyzer back at Market Hall
VIDEO: “I Can’t Hold Out” performed by Jack de Keyzer
On the Canadian blues music landscape, few have, or can, emulate the powerhouse guitar skills, and resulting success, of Jack de Keyzer.
Since the 1991 release of his debut album Hard Working Man, de Keyzer has delivered as just that. Twelve albums have followed, with Juno Award wins for 2003’s 6 String Lover and 2009’s The Corktown Sessions. He has also received seven Maple Blues Awards, and was granted its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
As a sought-after session guitarist, de Keyzer has worked with Etta James, John Hammond Jr., Ronnie Hawkins, Bo Diddley, and Blue Rodeo.
Now promoting his latest album Tribute, the ever-busy de Keyzer is making the rounds, including a Saturday, February 8 stop at Peterborough’s Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. Tickets to the 8 p.m. concert, which is almost sold out, cost $32 and are available at www.markethall.org.
Country music’s Merle Haggard hailed at Cobourg’s Victoria Hall
VIDEO: “Sing Me Back Home” – Merle Haggard (2006)
Whether you’re a fan of country music or not, you have to admit the genre has gifted us with more than a handful of one-of-a-kind artists.
The late Merle Haggard certainly fits that billing.
From the 1960s into the 1980s, the California native had a remarkable 38 number one hits on the American country music charts. That body of work contributed greatly to his receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and inductions into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Not too bad for a guy who spent his early years in San Quentin Prison before turning his life around and launching his music career.
With that body of work to draw from, it’s no surprise that Cobourg-based Sweet Water Country Music will pay tribute to Haggard’s music on Sunday, February 9 at the town’s Concert Hall at Victoria Hall. The concert is part of the Sweet Water’s 2025 music series.
Sweet Water Band members Steve Pittico, Dusty King Jr., Steve O’Connor, Doug Johnson, Tom Hall and Donny Reed are accomplished musicians in their own right, as studio or touring musicians, or both. Combined, they’ll perform a number of those 38 top hits that made Haggard a household name — even for those who aren’t fans of the genre.
Peterborough city staff’s proposal to cut municipal grant funding to arts organizations mobilized hundreds to fight for its continuance. Through all that pain, we were reminded just how lean many organizations run, despite best efforts to be viable. One of the groups being proactive is the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, which is selling 50-50 draw tickets online until May 31. To be drawn on June 3, the winner gets half the pot, with the other half supporting the venue’s operation, including artist fees. Tickets are for sale at www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/mhpac.
Registration is open Port Hope’s Camp Capitol, offered by the Capitol Theatre for youths aged nine to 15 years old. There are three options: a March Break day camp from March 10 to 15 and two summer day camps from July 21 to 25 and August 18 to 22. Theatre staff introduce camp participants to art, music, drama and dance, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse at theatre life. For more information and to register, visit capitoltheatre.com/community/.
A proposed development of two eight-storey and one six-storey condominium buildings on Northcott Avenue, located in the subdivision currently being constructed off Lily Lake Road in Peterborough, comprising 140 residential units. The City of Peterborough has received $3.75 million in provincial funding to upgrade infrastructure in the Towerhill Road and Fairbairn Street area. (Rendering: One Community Planning)
The City of Peterborough’s application for funding under the second round of the Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) has been approved.
On Monday (January 27), the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced Peterborough is one of 23 municipalities in Ontario that will receive a total of almost $138 million in funding under HAF, a $4.4 billion initiative announced in 2023 that will run until 2027-28.
While the CMHC media release does not indicate how much funding each municipality would receive, the City of Peterborough had applied for $10,690,354 under the $400-million second round of HAF. The city applied for the funding after a previous application for $24 million under the first round of HAF funding was rejected.
According to the release, the $138 million in HAF funding to the 23 municipalities will accelerate the construction of over 4,200 homes over the next three years.
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The CMHC announcement comes the day after the Ontario government announced it is providing $3.75 million to the City of Peterborough under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.
The funding comes through the program’s Housing-Enabling Core Servicing Stream, which includes $400 million to help build, repair, and maintain municipal roads, bridges, and culverts that will promote housing growth in communities across Ontario.
The city had applied for the funding to upgrade infrastructure in the Towerhill Road and Fairbairn Street area, where a subdivision is currently being constructed off Lily Lake Road.
According to a media release from Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, the provincial funding will facilitate the construction of up to 4,956 new homes in Peterborough.
Peterborough police staff sergeant Dan MacLean spoke to the media on March 23, 2023 after a three-year-old girl died in hospital from injuries she sustained when she was struck in the driveway of a Woodglade Boulevard home when a vehicle left the roadway. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of Peterborough Police Service video)
A 43-year-old Peterborough woman has been convicted of careless driving causing death in connection with a collision in 2023 that killed a three-year-old girl.
At 9 a.m. on March 23, 2023, the girl was struck in the driveway of her family home on Woodglade Boulevard between Kawartha Heights Boulevard and Sherbrooke Street by a southbound SUV that had left the road and jumped the curb.
The girl was transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre with life-threatening injuries and succumbed to her injuries later that day. Two other children were also in the driveway at the time of the collision, but were not injured.
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After a five-month investigation, Peterborough police charged a 43-year-old Peterborough woman with careless driving causing bodily harm or death.
On Friday (January 24,), the woman was found guilty of careless driving causing death under the Highway Traffic Act. Police have not released the identity of the woman, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, February 28.
Penalties for careless driving causing death include a fine of $2,000 to $50,000 and/or imprisonment up to two years, and a driver’s licence suspension up to five years. A careless driving conviction will also result in six demerit points as well a significant increase to car insurance premiums.
Peterborough city council will be considering a proposed new program that would allow the City of Peterborough to expropriate land in the central area of the city on behalf of private developers for housing projects.
The proposal will come before council on Monday evening (January 27) at its general committee meeting, which will also serve as a public meeting on the proposal as per requirements of the Planning Act.
A report from Blair Nelson, the city’s commissioner of infrastructure, planning and growth management, proposes amending the city’s central area community improvement plan to add the “Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance Program,” while also expanding the existing central area community improvement plan area to conform with the expanded central area in the city’s new official plan.
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The Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance Program would mean the city could forcibly acquire land from a property owner, “conveying it to a third-party for the purpose of carrying out development and redevelopment” according to the report.
For example, if a private developer had already acquired a substantial number of contiguous properties for a housing development but was unable to convince a remaining property owner to sell a desired property, the developer could apply to the program to have the city expropriate that property and sell it to the developer.
“Acquiring the land needed for redevelopment can be a challenging, costly and time-consuming endeavor,” reads the report. “Failure to assemble an appropriately sized and configured land assembly can lead to less-than-optimal development proposals, failure of certain projects to come to fruition, delay in the provision of much needed housing supply, continuation or exacerbation of land use conflicts and ultimately an inability to meet the vision outlined for the City’s Central Area as depicted in the Official Plan.”
The report states that the intention of the program is so the city “can strategically acquire properties that could be key components of private redevelopment projects” when the private developer has had difficulty acquiring the properties.
PDF: City of Peterborough Central Area Community Project Area
City of Peterborough Central Area Community Project Area The proposed expanded central area community improvement area, where the City of Peterborough could expropriate properties under the proposed Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance Program.
There are three pieces of provincial legislation — the Planning Act, the Municipal Act, and the Expropriations Act — that give the city the power to acquire land in this manner.
Section 28(1) of the Planning Act allows a municipality to designate a “community improvement project area,” which it defines as “a municipality or an area within a municipality, the community improvement of which in the opinion of the council is desirable because of age, dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangement, unsuitability of buildings or for any other environmental, social or community economic development reason.”
In 2011, the City of Peterborough adopted a community improvement plan for its central area. Under the same section of the Planning Act, when a municipality’s official plan designates a community improvement project area, the municipality is allowed to acquire land within that area.
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To encourage development and redevelopment in the central area, the city’s community improvement plan has included several incentive programs based on tax increments and grants that have evolved over time.
Although Section 106(1) of the Municipal Act normally prohibits municipalities from the “granting of bonuses” to commercial enterprises — including by lending money, selling properties below fair market value, or exempting developers from fees or levies — an exemption to this prohibition is granted in the Planning Act for community improvement plans.
While the Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance Program does not involve the city providing financial incentives for developers, it would leverage the city’s powers under provincial legislation to expropriate land for the benefit of a developer.
“This proposed new program is different and would enable the City to become directly involved by using expropriation powers under the Municipal Act to acquire and convey land to a developer who has demonstrated its development will meet key goals and deliverables as set out in the program and helps to achieve the overall vision of the (Community Improvement Plan for its Central Area) and Official Plan for the Central Area,” reads the report.
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Although the Municipal Act does give municipalities the power to expropriate privately owned land through the provincial Expropriations Act, municipalities have traditionally only done so when the land is required for public use, such as for public utilities, infrastructure, or highway development.
However, there have been situations where Ontario municipalities have expropriated land for the use of private commercial interests.
In the late 1990s, the City of Toronto expropriated 10 properties at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets and sold the assembled land to a private developer. In the early 2000s, the County of Oxford expropriated a parcel of commercial land so that Toyota Canada could build a manufacturing plant in Woodstock near London.
More recently, the Region of Waterloo — with funding support from the Ontario government — has been attempting to expropriate 770 acres of farmland in Wilmot Township to create serviced land for future industrial projects.
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As for the City of Peterborough’s proposed Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance Program, the report states it would be “net neutral” to the city’s budget, with all costs associated with expropriating land to be recouped from the developer.
“Use of this program would be an exceptional last resort for a developer because the cost of acquiring property through expropriation is high and staff-time intensive,” the report reads. “The rationalization for expropriating land must demonstrate a strong financial and logistical benefit to the community.”
Applications to use the program would have conditions, including that the developer has demonstrated “considerable effort” to acquire the desired property on its own, the developer already owns “a significant majority” (60 per cent or more) of the land proposed for development, and that the developer’s acquisition of the additional land would “directly result in a more suitable development” (such as a regularly shaped building lot).
“The proposed development must demonstrate that acquisition of the additional land will result in a significant increase in the number of dwelling units to be provided compared to a development that excludes the said lands,” the report adds.
All applications under the Strategic Land Acquisition and Conveyance Program would be approved by council. The process for land use approvals, including zoning by-law amendments and site plan approvals, would also be followed.
Environment Canada is forecasting strong winds in the southern Kawarthas region for Monday (January 27).
A wind warning is in effect for Northumberland County, with a special weather statement for strong winds in effect for southern Peterborough County and southern Kawartha Lakes.
Strong southwesterly winds are expected to develop on Monday afternoon and will continue into Monday night.
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In Northumberland County, wind gusts could reach 100 km/h, with gusts of 80 to 90 km/h in southern Peterborough County and southern Kawartha Lakes.
High winds can cause damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, and toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break. Power outages are also possible.
Flurries, blowing snow, and snow squalls are possible in the evening. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions due to high winds.
Peterborough & The Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA) and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region collectively raised more than $30,000 for housing in the community following their seventh annual charity auction on December 5, 2024, with each organization receiving $15,412. Pictured at the Habitat ReStore in Peterborough are PKHBA chair Rob Hatfield, Habitat director of construction Kylee McGrath, PKHBA director Jennifer Hurd of Reliance Home Comfort (title sponsor of the event), and PKHBA executive director Rebecca Schillemat. (Photo courtesy of PKHBA)
With a shared commitment to building homes, fostering partnerships, and strengthening community, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) and Peterborough & The Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA) each have an additional $15,000 to apply to their missions following a successful holiday fundraiser.
The two organizations have announced that their seventh annual charity auction, held on December 5, raised more than $30,000 for their endeavours.
This event brought together local businesses, industry professionals, and community supporters. With funds split evenly, PKHBA and Habitat PKR will each receive $15,412 to advance their missions and support the professional home-building industry in the region.
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“PKHBA supports Habitat for Humanity PKR because we all need to work together to build the housing our community needs,” PKHBA executive officer Rebecca Schillemat told kawarthaNOW.
“We need all types of housing, and Habitat is the only organization providing affordable home ownership. When families have the stability of owning a home it helps them grow, and it often helps them move up in the housing continuum into market home ownership.”
Schillemat said her organization also believes in providing decent housing for the community and building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.
“PKHBA’s mission aligns with Habitat for Humanity PKR’s mission in providing housing in our community. We can do more together. We value the partnerships and results of our combined efforts.”
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In addition to the money raised for the two organizations, the charity auction was also a success for other reasons. Schillemat said local high school students donated “amazing” small construction projects to support the auction.
“The donations showed support for housing in our greater community, and it showcased the talent of students in high school construction programs,” she noted.
There was also another win when auctioneer Jason McIntosh asked for additional donations when guests turned in their auction paddles at the end of the night.
“Everyone who handed back their auction paddles donated $25 to Habitat for Humanity PKR,” Schillemat said. “It was an amazing boost at the end of a great event.”
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As for Habitat for Humanity PKR, CEO Susan Zambonin noted the community effort made the event possible.
“We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support from our community,” Zambonin said in a media release. “This event demonstrates the incredible impact we can achieve when we come together to address housing challenges and create a brighter future for families in our region.”
Habitat for Humanity PKR also gave a shout-out to Reliance Home Comfort, the presenting sponsor, along with other sponsors, local businesses, volunteers, and attendees who donated auction items that contributed to the successful night.
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According to Habitat for Humanity PKR, the organization is dedicated to creating a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. By mobilizing volunteers, businesses, and community partners, it aims to construct affordable housing that empowers local families to achieve stability and build brighter futures.
Money raised at the auction will help Habitat PKR construct additional homes for families in need in the region, the release said.
PKHBA has been represented the home-building industry in Peterborough and the Kawarthas region since 1956. As a non-profit organization, it advocates for effective government policy, supports member businesses, and strives to foster excellence in homebuilding.
Proceeds from the auction will enable PKHBA to continue its work in improving home-building needs in the area, according to the release.
The original version of this story has been updated with a correction. The charity auction was the seventh annual, not second annual, event.
Ashley and Kevin Woollacott are Peterborough entrepreneurs who made use of a flexible and personalized loan from Community Futures Peterborough to grow their business, Summer Soul Yoga & Wellness. Ashley, who is also a 2024 graduate of the Starter Company Plus program offered by the Community Futures Peterborough's Business Advisory Centre, used the flexible loan to invest in Pilates Fitness Reformers to expand the wellness studio's services. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
Whether an entrepreneur is launching a new business or looking to expand an existing one, obtaining financing to realize their vision is often the greatest challenge.
Fortunately, Community Futures Peterborough makes it easy for entrepreneurs and business owners in the City and County of Peterborough to apply for a flexible, personalized loan that suits the specific needs of their businesses.
“Every single dollar that is lent out through Community Futures Peterborough is returned back into that same lending fund to be re-dispersed only within our community,” says Community Futures Peterborough executive director Devon Girard. “That money is constantly being reinvested back into businesses and entrepreneurs in our area.”
Sam Sayer and Owen Walsh received a flexible and personalized loan from Community Futures Peterborough to launch their new downtown Peterborough restaurant, Love You, Mean It. The duo are also were also 2024 graduates of the Starter Company Plus program offered by the Community Futures Peterborough’s Business Advisory Centre. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
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Celebrating 40 years in 2025, Community Futures Peterborough has been a trusted resource for financial and business advisory support for entrepreneurs since 1985. Funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the not-for-profit organization offers flexible loans to businesses – including those that may not qualify for financing from traditional lenders.
“Traditional lenders require historical sales information or a minimum credit score, but for someone who’s just starting out and within their first year or two of business, they don’t have that track record or proven success rate,” says Braden Clark, Loans Manager with Community Futures Peterborough. “We are willing to take the risk on investing in those clients.”
That risk is evaluated by the organization’s 12-member volunteer board of directors, which reviews and approves each loan application. Not only do board members have a range of experience and expertise in business, finance, and law, but they also live in the community.
In addition to launching a new business or expanding an existing one, entrepreneurs can use flexible and personalized loans from Community Futures Peterborough to acquire an existing business, as Katie Küntz did when she bought Peterborough arts and craft retailer and creative hub Watson & Lou from the previous owner. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
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“Because our board of directors is comprised of local volunteers, there’s a chance they may know the applicant, they may know the business, and they may have insights into the industry on a local level,” Clark explains. “We’re very personalized in our approach and work one-on-one with each client and evaluate them as a person, not a number.”
The board takes what Clark calls a “holistic approach” to reviewing loan applications, using the 5 Cs of credit to analyze risk: character (a borrower’s credit history, credit score, and payment), capacity (a borrower’s income and ability to repay a loan), capital (a borrower’s net worth), collateral (assets a borrower can use to secure a loan), and conditions (external factors such as the economy that may affect a borrower’s ability to repay a loan).
Given this personalized approach, Community Futures Peterborough can review and approve some loan applications within as little as 24 hours, ensuring entrepreneurs have quick access to funds.
By securing a flexible and personalized loan from Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough fitness studio Summer Soul Yoga & Wellness was able to expand by purchasing Pilates Fitness Reformers. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
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Such was the case for Ashley Woollacott, who needed to acquire new equipment for her Peterborough business Summer Soul Yoga & Wellness.
“We highly recommend Community Futures for their exceptional support throughout our loan process as we prepared to purchase Pilates Fitness Reformers,” says Woollacott. “The team made the entire experience quick, straightforward, and hassle-free. We purchased and paid for the Reformers all within a couple of days.”
Woollacott was one of 21 graduates of the 2024 Starter Company Plus Program, the first cohort of the provincially funded entrepreneurial training program offered through Community Futures Peterborough’s Business Advisory Centre. Along with expert guidance and one-on-one mentorship, graduates received a conditionally pre-approved micro-loan as well as a free six-month membership with the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
When Peterborough entrepreneurs Sam Sayer and Owen Walsh had a vision to launch a new restaurant to bridge the gap between casual dining and fine dining, they applied for and secured a flexible and personalized loan from Community Futures Peterborough to complete the necessary renovations to a vacant space on Hunter Street. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
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For Owen Walsh, co-owner of downtown Peterborough’s Love You, Mean It bar and restaurant, the Starter Company Plus program provided the mentorship he and co-owner Sam Sayer needed to establish their business.
“The Starter Company Plus program was a great tool for us to learn new skills to help our business excel in its first year,” says Walsh. “Getting a loan through Community Futures was a great help in the startup of our restaurant. It was a straightforward process that allowed us more flexibility in our opening months.”
And with a loan from Community Futures Peterborough, Walsh and Sayer had the finances they needed to transform Love You, Mean It into the contemporary and elevated restaurant it is today.
“We were excited to hear Sam and Owen’s plans to start their new venture together, helping to fill a vacant space on Hunter Street,” says Clark. “Our funding helped them complete the necessary renovations.”
With a flexible and personalized loan from Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough entrepreneurs Sam Sayer and Owen Walsh were able to complete renovations to make their new downtown Peterborough restaurant, Love You, Mean It, exactly what they dreamed. Community Futures Peterborough can provide a repayment schedule that works best for a client’s budget, and all loans are open and repayable at any time without penalty to the client. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
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Given that each of Community Futures Peterborough’s advisors has more than 10 years of experience in business ownership/management, and with their focus on supporting local entrepreneurs, the organization works one-on-one with each client to customize a solution that meets both their needs and any challenges they face.
“We can come up with a repayment solution that works best for the client’s budget,” says Clark. “If they’re in a tourism industry with a large seasonal influence on their revenue, we can customize payment plans so their payments are higher in the months when they have more revenue coming in. We also can respond quickly if a client is in a situation where they need to defer a payment.”
All loans from Community Futures Peterborough are open and repayable at any time without penalty to the client.
“If an entrepreneur has a fantastic season and wants to pay off our loan completely, they can do that and there’s no penalty associated,” says Clark. “Again, it will go back into the loan fund and get cycled back into our community.”
Katie Küntz was able to purchase Peterborough arts and craft retailer and creative hub Watson & Lou from the previous owner thanks to a flexible and personalized loan from Community Futures Peterborough. Not only do the loans help local entrepreneurs start, expand, or manage businesses, but repaid loans go back into Community Futures Peterborough’s lending fund for further reinvestment in local businesses. (Photo supplied by Community Futures Peterborough)
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Flexible loans are available whether an entrepreneur needs financing to start a new business, expand an existing one, or buy an established business.
Such is the case with Katie Küntz, who needed a loan to purchase Peterborough arts and craft retailer and creative hub Watson & Lou from the original owner.
“The application process through Community Futures was both comprehensive and flexible,” Küntz says. “They were very accommodating in working with me to achieve my specific goals.”
“The business I purchased is a beloved Peterborough staple, and without the assistance from Community Futures, it’s unlikely the business would have been able to continue operating. Their support has been invaluable in helping me transition the business and carry it forward.”
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Mike Hannah hasn't let a life-long movement disorder slow him down. Born with cerebral palsy, the one-time client of Five Counties Children's Centre credits the centre for helping him to hit the ground running. After being introduced to competitive sports in 1981, the Kawartha Lakes resident went on to win dozens of medals at regional, provincial, and national track-and-field competitions over the next 20 years. He was inducted into the Lindsay and District Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
It’s a golden age for Five Counties Children’s Centre, as it marks 50 years in 2025 of supporting local children and youth with physical, developmental, and communication needs.
Providing care closer to home for kids and their families was the main motivator behind the Centre opening its doors on Dutton Road in Peterborough on October 2, 1975.
Every month, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides a story about the work of the charitable organization. This month’s story is by Scott Pepin, CEO, Five Counties Children’s Centre.
In the early 1970s, Rotary Clubs across the region spearheaded the project and, with the support of local leaders and families of children with disabilities, convinced the provincial government to support construction of Five Counties. It meant kids and families didn’t have to drive to Oshawa, Kingston or Toronto for treatment.
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Over five decades, Five Counties has expanded to offer more services and sites to help countless kids and youth in our community. It’s their stories — like Mike Hannah’s — that tell Five Counties’ story.
The Kawartha Lakes resident, who was inducted into the Lindsay and District Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, is well-known for his athletic exploits and charity work. Born with cerebral palsy, Mike credits Five Counties for helping him hit the ground running.
That relationship started for Mike as a child when he began receiving speech therapy and occupational therapy at Five Counties in 1976. That was only a year after Five Counties opened its doors in Peterborough as a children’s treatment centre to serve the entire region.
“I would probably not be where I am today — Five Counties changed my life,” Mike says.
A conceptual drawing from the early 1970s of what the Five Counties Children’s Centre would look like. The drawing was part of a 1974 brochure that was created to state the case for why such a children’s treatment centre was needed. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)
Back then, Five Counties didn’t have a presence in Lindsay (that didn’t come until 1981), so Mike and a handful students from other schools in and around what was then known as Victoria County were bused twice a week to the Centre in Peterborough for treatment.
Mike remembers working with his speech therapist on his language skills, as well as other Centre staff who assisted with his walking, movement and balance.
“I really improved a lot,” he says, noting the determination and support of his parents made a big difference too.
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Mike also has fond memories of attending Camp Omigolly, a summer day camp offered at Emily Provincial Park for Five Counties clients. Being able to play and interact with other kids who had disabilities also let him know he wasn’t alone.
But it was being introduced by Five Counties to the “disabled games” in 1981 that really put Mike on the path to his life-long passion for sports.
That year, Peterborough was hosting what was then called the Games for the Disabled and 12-year-old Mike successfully hit his stride, winning two gold and two silver medals in track and field events.
“Five Counties got me into sports, so that really opened up for me a whole different view of what I could accomplish,” Mike recalls.
At the 1974 sod turning for the “new” Five Counties Children’s Centre being built on Dutton Road in Peterborough, Mrs. J.H.C. Willoughby, the 100-year-old daughter of original property owner and former MP George Hillaire, joined Peterborough Mayor Phil Turner and Peterborough MPP John Turner for the event. Rotary Club members who inspired the project stand in the back row: director Ed Meyer, president Clair Hilborn, and director Carol Ciscoe. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)
Over the next two decades, Mike would win dozens of medals at regional, provincial, and national track-and-field competitions. He set many records and made many friends along the way as he took part in running, swimming, shot put, discus, javelin, hammer throw, and other events.
With Five Counties marking its 50th anniversary in 2025, Mike is grateful to share what the Centre has helped him achieve — just as he wants to inspire others with disabilities.
“If I can show to other kids, it doesn’t matter whether you have a disability or not, you can still achieve things,” Mike says. “Hopefully they can see, if he can do it, I can do it.”
When he's not building furniture and other wood products to sell through his business Cutting Edge Woodworking, 15-year-old Millbrook entrepreneur Isaiah Jalsevac builds custom remote-controlled airplanes. Hoping to work as a pilot or in aerospace or aerodynamic engineering, he is entering his project on ground effect vehicles into the Peterborough Regional Science Fair with his goal to qualify for the Canada-Wide Science Fair being held this spring in Fredericton, New Brunswick. (Photo: Cutting Edge Woodworking / Facebook)
A young Millbrook entrepreneur is taking the future into his own hands by using his woodworking business to not only fund his future college tuition, but to achieve his goal of taking his project on ground effect vehicles to the Canada-Wide Science Fair.
Isaiah Jalsevac founded Cutting Edge Woodworking when he was just 11 years old because, as he says, “life needs money.” Though he has explored various methods to satisfy his need to build from whittling to making knives by forging, Jalsevac ultimately decided he wanted his business to focus on woodworking.
“I’ve been into woodworking and making stuff with my hands since forever, but woodworking just seemed to be the thing I really enjoyed,” he says. “I like making stuff.”
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Entrepreneurship evidently runs in the family as Jalsevac, now 15, learned the trade from his father and an uncle who runs a similar side business. He even paid homage to their influence and support by naming Cutting Edge Woodworking for the family lawn care business his dad and uncles used to own.
While Jalsevac began the business selling coffee tables and side tables, it didn’t take long for him to become more adventurous and seek out a challenge, suggesting that the farm-style tables “sound more complex than they are.”
“I got really bored because it’s just sanding and painting,” he says. “So then I got into woodturning, carving, and much more complicated artisan style.”
Isaiah Jalsevac, a 15-year-old entrepreneur from Millbrook, has enjoyed building things with his hands for as long as he can remember, exploring interests in whittling and forging before launching his woodworking business Cutting Edge Woodworking when he was only 11 years old. (Photo: Cutting Edge Woodworking / Facebook)
Using local cheery, maple, hickory, or ash, Jalsevac also makes hand-turned rolling pins, candlesticks, platters, bowls, and spinning tops. These smaller items make it easier for him to attend local farmers’ markets and the annual Hand of Man Art and Craft Sale, held in Peterborough’s Morrow Building, which he attends every fall.
To further challenge himself, Jalsevac has recently been crafting more live-edge cutting boards and he’s been trying out more off-centre wood turning, a process which intentionally has the wood mounted slightly off the lathe’s centre.
“They’re really, really fun to make, and very hard,” he says about the candlesticks he’s made through this process. “I think that’s probably something I’ve been most proud of.”
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He’s also planning to dive back into doing larger pieces again, but not just the basic coffee tables, as he’s aiming for dining tables, cabinetry, and taking on more custom orders.
“I’m still developing my skills a little bit,” he says. “I’ve been building up my tool repertoire for quite a while, but it still is lacking a lot and I’m limited by space.”
That limited space is the result of his workshop being situated in his family garage, where his father also has a home workout area.
“I’m slowly encroaching on his gym step-by-step as I get each new tool, so he might put his foot down sooner or later,” Jalsevac jokes.
Isaiah Jalsevac selling his hand-turned rolling pins, candlesticks, platters, bowls, and spin tops at the 2024 Hand of Man Art and Craft Sale in Peterborough. The 15-year-old Millbrook entrepreneur, who started his woodworking business Cutting Edge Woodworking when he was 11, is not only saving for his future college tuition but also funding his passion for building remote-controlled airplanes. (Photo: Cutting Edge Woodworking / Facebook)
Another goal on the list? Hiring some of his siblings to turn Cutting Edge Woodworking into a full family affair. He is the oldest of seven siblings and though his sisters aren’t interested in woodworking, a few of his brothers have been coming into his workshop more and more.
“I’ve got a bit of pressure because my uncle got all his siblings through college basically because he hired them,” he says, adding he wants to do the same. “We’ll see how that goes — they’re not very controllable.”
While the long-term goal is to use his business to get himself and his siblings through their post-secondary education, he also hopes Cutting Edge Woodworking will be able to fund his passion for building remote-controlled airplanes.
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Jalsevac is thinking about becoming a pilot, aerospace engineer, or aerodynamics engineer, and has already been making steps towards getting his pilot license by looking into scholarships. Making it to the Canada-Wide Science Fair would help him get one step closer.
“It’s on ground effect vehicles, which is a type of specially designed plane that has a huge increase in efficiency and lift,” he explains of his science fair project. “I’m trying to make some of those, test the efficiency, and go to the science fair with that.”
A ground effect vehicle is a craft designed to glide just above the surface, typically over water, by taking advantage of the “ground effect” aerodynamic phenomenon, where high-pressure air forms between the vehicle and the surface to create lift. Unlike traditional aircraft, these vehicles only operate within the ground effect zone, offering enhanced efficiency and speed with reduced drag.
Cutting Edge Woodworking owner Isaiah Jalsevac works out of his family’s garage in Millbrook. Since launching his business at the age of 11, the 15-year-old entrepreneur has been developing his skills and acquiring more tools. (Photo: Cutting Edge Woodworking / Facebook)
Jalsevac’s ultimate goal is to make it to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, an national event hosted annual by Youth Science Canada to showcase youth innovation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The national fair is the culmination of regional STEM fairs held across the country.
To make it to the national level, Jalsevac must first place as a top contender during the Peterborough Regional Science Fair, being held this year on Tuesday, April 8 at Trent University.
He says that getting to compete at the national-level competition in Fredericton, New Brunswick from May 31 to June 7 “would be a big deal.”
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Despite this ambitious goal, Jalsevac admits that making it to the Canada-Wide Science Fair this year might not be in the cards.
“Turns out making planes is a little bit harder than I thought and it also requires a lot of money, so I’ve been trying to be as frugal as I possibly can and it’s backfired on me,” Jalsevac says.
He explains that he deferred purchasing the flight controller he needed to test his plane’s efficiency because it was priced at a few hundred dollars.
“I’d been postponing getting it as long as I possibly could to try and figure out a different way to get efficiency data, but I just had to bite the bullet and get it,” he says. “Now I only have a couple months until the science fair, so I’ll have some time to get results, but I won’t have time to get it as polished as I would like.”
Isaiah Jalsevac began his woodworking business Cutting Edge Woodworking by selling farmhouse coffee and side tables. Though his focus has recently been on smaller artisan items like candlesticks, spin tops, bowls, and cutting boards, he wants to challenge himself again by taking on larger and more complex projects like dining room tables and cabinetry. (Photo: Cutting Edge Woodworking / Facebook)
Though it might take longer than anticipated, Jalsevac is determined not to let the setback stop him.
“I’m definitely going to enter the project in the Peterborough (Regional) Science Fair this year, but I’m just going to use it to fund my next year’s science fair project and keep going year after year.”
For more information, follow Cutting Edge Custom Woodworking on Facebook.
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