Green Communities Canada (GCC) green infrastructure program lead Jenn McCallum (middle) and GreenUP native plant propagation coordinator Hayley Goodchild (right) install a row of fruit trees and perennials at One City Peterborough's Trinity Community Centre in 2024. The Green Infrastructure project, supported by the GCC Living Cities Canada Fund, was designed to improve stormwater management, access to shade, and opportunity to tend food plants at Trinity Community Centre. (Photo: Laura Keresztesi / GreenUP)
GreenUP recognizes that solutions to the climate crisis are complex. At the same time, local action can make a difference.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Tegan Moss, Executive Director, GreenUP.
GreenUP aims to help people prevent the worst impacts of climate change. The organization builds community so that people can rely on one another, teaches simple, joyful, and accessible solutions that can be integrated into daily life, and ensures that young people hear not only stories of danger but also of hope.
GreenUP strives to create a community where people work together and embody the change needed in the world.
Advertisement - content continues below
GreenUP’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is coming up Wednesday (March 26) at its offices in downtown Peterborough, and all are invited to attend. The event begins at 3 p.m. with a board-led business meeting, where the annual report, financial statements, and board elections will be part of the agenda.
Following the business meeting, from 4 to 6 p.m., GreenUP will host an open house offering an opportunity to meet the team, explore programs, and learn how to get involved.
This portion of the event will provide a chance to connect directly with program coordinators and see firsthand how GreenUP is making an impact.
GreenUP staff and board members converse at the organization’s 2024 annual general meeting held at the Peterborough Library. This year’s AGM and open house will be hosted at GreenUP’s downtown offices on March 26, 2025 from 3 to 6 p.m., and GreenUP has extended the invitation to the community to attend. (Photo: Lili Paridi)
For those interested in GreenUP’s plans for the year ahead and ways to get involved, the open house serves as an excellent opportunity to engage directly with program coordinators. Speaking with staff offers insight into the many different aspects of sustainability that GreenUP addresses.
GreenUP works to enable positive change through both widespread educational campaigns and by supporting individuals and organizations in taking targeted, meaningful action. As a result, the organization’s programs are diverse.
On any given day, one member of the team may be planting trees with volunteers, while another coaches a homeowner on energy efficiency, and another plans for thousands of children to attend the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival. Staff are working simultaneously on many intersecting sustainability topics.
Advertisement - content continues below
At the AGM, GreenUP will release their 2025 program profile which highlights the breadth and depth of its work on behalf of the environment. The content has been organized into four key areas of action to make it easier to navigate and find information that aligns with individual interests.
The four areas of action are:
Education and youth engagement
Sustainable living and climate action
Community stewardship and biodiversity
Partnerships and collaboratives
These areas of action are interconnected, and many of GreenUP’s programs address overlapping themes.
Three children learn about how a lock works from a community expert during the 2024 Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF). Supported by GreenUP, the PCWF is a long-running annual community event that teaches students in Grades 2 to 5 about the importance of water. (Photo: Karen Halley)
GreenUP’s team is eager to build connections across various areas of sustainability, though simplifying messaging can be challenging when solutions are complex. The organization is grateful for community members who are interested in exploring these solutions and looks forward to engaging in conversations during the open house portion of the AGM.
As GreenUP looks ahead to 2025 and beyond, sustained investment in environmental programming remains critical in the face of the climate crisis.
With support from funders, partners, and the community, GreenUP aims to continue to enrich its work in educating the next generation, reducing emissions in the residential and business sectors, and protecting biodiversity. Those interested in learning more about GreenUP programs are encouraged to attend the AGM.
Advertisement - content continues below
Taking action on behalf of the climate is urgent. GreenUP is proud of its accomplishments in 2024 and looks forward to celebrating that work with the community.
The 2025 GreenUP AGM and open house will be held Wednesday, March 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. with AGM business at 3, followed by the open house from 4 to 6. During the open house, program coordinators will be available to discuss specific action areas and opportunities for involvement, snacks will be offered, and a kids activity centre will be available.
RSVPs are encouraged to help with event planning. Visit greenup2025agm.eventbrite.ca to confirm attendance and learn more. For those unable to attend, the annual report and program profile will be available online afterwards.
Michael Williams and Reanna Montopoli from Trent Health in Motion pose beside a Green Economy Peterborough (GEP) banner at the 2024 Leadership in Sustainability Awards. GEP is a GreenUP program and network for local businesses that supports their sustainability goals, of which Trent Health in Motion is a member. (Photo: Heather Doughty Photography)
The Domestic Response Squadron of the 31 Canadian Brigade Group of the Canadian Army Reserve from London, Ontario participating in a training exercise in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in April 2023. (Photo: 31 Canadian Brigade Group / Facebook)
If you see soldiers and military vehicles moving across Northumberland County beginning in mid-April, don’t be alarmed.
Troops from across the province, including personnel from the 31 Canadian Brigade Group of the Canadian Army Reserve from London, Ontario, will be holding a domestic training exercise on April 26 and 27 in the county. The advance team will arrive as early as April 22, and all personnel will depart by April 30 following cleanup operations.
According to a media release from Northumberland County, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has been planning the large-scale exercise since last spring, as part of an expansion of training efforts to ensure operational readiness for domestic disasters.
Advertisement - content continues below
The training exercise will provide military personnel with hands-on experience while also fostering collaboration with local municipalities and emergency management partners, the release states.
County residents can expect to see a military presence beginning in mid-April, with around 800 troops, military vehicles, aircraft, and support staff operating in Hastings, Roseneath, Alderville First Nation, Bewdley, Percy Boom, Plainville, and Burnley. Military training will also include portions of the West Ganaraska Forest.
“This training exercise is an excellent opportunity for Northumberland County and our local municipalities to collaborate with the Canadian Armed Forces, reinforcing our collective preparedness for emergency situations,” says Colleen McCabe, the county’s health, safety, and emergency risk manager.
Advertisement - content continues below
“We want to reassure our residents that this is strictly a training event, not a real emergency,” McCabe adds. “While you may see increased military activity across the county, there is no cause for concern.”
The soldiers will not be armed, and the CAF will manage its own security and first-aid response. Northumberland County’s emergency services have been briefed and will provide support if required through normal response channels.
Residents are asked to use extra caution near military vehicles and personnel. While residents are not permitted to observe the training activities for safety reasons, they are encouraged to welcome military personnel if they encounter them in the community.
Five Counties clinicians Katy Morton (left) and Emily Vann get first and second graders at St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School in Douro to stretch and show how "tallies" (letters like t, f, and b) differ from others in the alphabet. The exercise aims to reinforce proper printing techniques for the students. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
Every month, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides a story about the work of the charitable organization. This month’s story is by Jennifer Camenzuli, Program Manager, Five Counties Children’s Centre.
When it comes to helping a group of first and second graders form letters, Emily Vann and Katy Morton are making it a fun, full-body workout.
Emily and Katy, clinicians at Five Counties Children’s Centre, are in a classroom at St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary School in Douro at the invitation of teacher Melanie Julian.
The aim is to help Mrs. Julian reinforce proper printing for her students.
Advertisement - content continues below
Standing at the front of the class, Emily uses a flip chart to demonstrate the different styles of letters: “tallies” like t, f, and b; “smallies” like a, c and e; and “sinkers” like g, j and p. She also shares a simple tip that’s relatable to the students.
“Ever go to the park? Ever go down the slide?” Emily asks the students. “Well, the letter ‘y’ is the same thing. Go down the small slide first, then back up the climber, and then the big slide’s next.”
As students practise printing in their notebooks, Emily, Katy, and Mrs. Julian go around the class to assist, offer hints, or correct a child’s pencil grasp.
As Five Counties clinician Emily Vann looks on, a St. Joseph’s student successfully applies a sticker showing that the letters like b, d, and f are “tallies” and not to be mistaken for “smallies” letters like a, c, and e or “sinkers” letters like g, j and y. School-based rehab services are a big part of the work Five Counties staff do to support kids and families in the community. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
The printing lesson is reinforced by students forming letters in the air with their fingers and standing up to identify different types of letters, either by touching their toes (for the “sinkers”), putting hands on their waist (for the “smallies”), or reaching out to the sky (for the “tallies”).
The half-hour session is interactive and engaging, and is repeated in dozens of schools across the Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton region.
The School Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS) program based at Five Counties sees clinicians provide occupational therapy, physiotherapy, or speech language therapy support to students on a one-on-one basis or in a classroom setting.
Advertisement - content continues below
A tiered intervention model (levels one, two, or three) is used by Five Counties, in consultation with the school, to determine specific supports for students based on their needs.
In these cases, the school — not the family — is the one requesting Five Counties’ specialized support. School staff identify potential needs of students and refer them to the Centre’s SBRS program. Parents are informed about the proposed intervention and must consent to having a Five Counties clinician work with their child.
SBRS is an important element to the work Five Counties does to support local children and youth with physical, developmental, and communication needs. While it may be less known than the Centre’s other services, it is significant. Last year alone, Five Counties staff provided school-based treatment services to 3,910 students across the region.
The work that Five Counties staff do in local schools is meant to assist educators and support student learning, as (from left) Five Counties occupational therapy assistant Emily Vann, St. Joseph’s special education resource teacher Sinead McIlwain, and Five Counties occupational therapist Katy Morton can all attest. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
Emily and Katy’s presence at St. Joseph’s in Douro is a sampler of what SBRS staff might do in schools.
In addition to supporting Grades 1 and 2 students to form letters, the duo visit a senior kindergarten and Grade 1 class to support the teacher in offering activities that develop and strengthen students’ fine motor skills.
Later, they will work with Grade 4 students on self-regulation, helping them identify emotions and choose strategies to control their bodies, maintain focus and handle stressors.
Interspersed between classroom visits are one-on-one support sessions for students.
Advertisement - content continues below
Katy loves being in schools to support educators and student success.
“We’re augmenting what teachers are doing,” says Katy, who is an occupational therapist at Five Counties. “If you can go into a classroom, identify a problem, and work with the teacher and the school team on a couple of strategies to help, then we’re making a difference.”
She calls it “heartwarming” to leave a classroom teacher with one or two strategies to work on with kids, then return a week or two later to see what they’ve achieved.
In between classes, Five Counties clinicians Katy Morton (left) and Emily Vann prepare for their next lesson. In a single day at St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary School in Douro, the duo supported Grade 1 and 2 students to form letters, visited a senior kindergarten and Grade 1 class to support the teacher in offering activities for students’ fine motor skills, and worked with Grade 4 students on self-regulation. Their work is a sampler of what Five Counties staff do in schools across Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
Sinead McIlwain, a special education resource teacher at St. Joseph’s, says the relationship with Five Counties is a win-win situation — for students and educators.
Accessing the specialized support of Five Counties, clinicians can enhance what teachers do in the classroom, while the one-on-one help offered to individual students can fill a gap.
“Teachers are open to the strategies and support being offered,” Sinead notes. “Five Counties staff can help plant the seed in students, and teachers can water and nurture it to fruition.”
Advertisement - content continues below
For Emily, an occupational therapy assistant at Five Counties, helping a child learn to write or master a certain letter means making the exercise fun and easy.
“Most of the kids I work with don’t like to write because it’s hard or challenging for them,” she says. “For the kids that are struggling with the letter ‘a,’ you can show them that you start it with a ‘c’, and just add a straight-up-and-straight-down line, and they go ‘Oh’.”
It’s those “aha” moments that make Emily smile.
“It’s one of the best parts of my job,” she notes.
Cobourg resident Marina Di Francesco began volunteering for the New Canadians Centre in 2023, receiving training to be a volunteer English language teaching assistant. The non-profit organization is recruiting volunteers to help support newcomers to Northumberland County with their English-language skills. (Photo: New Canadians Centre / Facebook)
The New Canadians Centre (NCC) is inviting Northumberland County residents to extend a helping hand to newcomers by getting engaged in the work of the NCC.
With offices in Peterborough and Cobourg, the NCC is in the midst of launching a volunteer drive for residents to learn more about the work of organization in Northumberland County and expects to host a volunteer orientation session in the near future.
Jillien Amalia Hone, NCC’s volunteer administrator, said the NCC is looking to inform local community members and neighbours about the centre’s programs and services in Northumberland and how they can participate in this work.
Advertisement - content continues below
“Our hopes for the volunteer drive are to invite more local residents to contribute their skills, abilities and gifts to building a more welcoming community for immigrants and refugees in the Northumberland area,” Amalia Hone told kawarthaNOW.
“This specific drive targets people who are interested in supporting newcomers to Northumberland with their English-language skills, so we also hope to connect with new volunteers who are excited about practising English either one-on-one or in a group setting.”
The NCC is currently looking for volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring for English Language Learners (ELL) and host a weekly English conversation group.
Advertisement - content continues below
To support volunteers this role, the NCC will host a future volunteer orientation session. The session will cover the basics of the volunteer program, the steps to becoming a volunteer English tutor or group facilitator, the latest updates on ELL learners in Northumberland, and what volunteering could look like for those who take part.
Cobourg resident Marina Di Francesco started volunteering as an English tutor in 2023.
“I like volunteering at NCC because it has given me the opportunity to help people learn English in an established NCC program,” said Di Francesco in a media release.
Advertisement - content continues below
“It can be overwhelming for a person and/or family to immigrate to Canada. NCC may be the first immigrant aid agency that many of our Northumberland newcomers encounter,” Di Francesco added. “If I can help to make newcomers’ transition less disorienting and more welcoming, then I have made a positive difference in someone’s life.”
When asked what makes volunteering for the NCC rewarding, Amalia Hone said volunteers “not only get to share and make a difference in a newcomer’s experience in Canada” but “also get to make connections and learn about other cultures in (their) community.”
Northumberland residents interested in the above roles can reach out to Amalia Hone at volunteer@nccpeterborough.ca for more information.
Advertisement - content continues below
The NCC is a non-profit organization that has been providing newcomer services in Peterborough since 1979. In 2008, it opened a second office location in Cobourg to better serve the Northumberland community.
The NCC’s goal is to empower people who are new to Canada, so they can be recognized as equal and valued members of Canadian society. It also aims to provide leadership to cultivate newcomers’ meaningful economic, social, and cultural inclusion in the community.
Chief Stuart Betts (third from left) marked the beginning of the celebrations of the Peterborough Police Service's 175th anniversary on March 18, 2025 by placing the police service's official 175th anniversary on marked patrol vehicles. Also pictured from left to right are police services board vice-chair Drew Merrett, Peterborough mayor and board member Jeff Leal, board chair Mary ten Doeschate, city councillor and board member Gary Baldwin, board member Steve Girardi, and deputy chief Jamie Hartnett. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service)
The Peterborough Police Service is celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2025, along with the City of Peterborough.
Police chief Stuart Betts marked the beginning of the celebrations on Tuesday (March 18) by placing the police service’s official 175th anniversary crest on marked patrol vehicles.
“We are honoured to be stewarding the celebration of this milestone,” Chief Betts said in a media release. “It is important for us to say thank you to the officers and civilians that built this organization and have served with dedication as our community has grown.”
Advertisement - content continues below
A community celebration event will be held on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the new police facility at 1421 Lansdowne Street West, where the public can meet officers and watch demonstrations. The event will also feature recruitment information, a BBQ, petting zoo, obstacle course, and more.
In 1850, the Town of Peterborough was incorporated through the Municipal Corporations Act of 1849 — also known as the Baldwin Act, after Upper Canadian lawyer and politician Robert Baldwin who led an effort to delegate authority from district councils to municipal governments so they could raise taxes, enact by-laws, and establish their own police forces.
One of the first acts of the town council was to appoint Peterborough’s first chief constable William Cummings, along with four part-time constables, to police the community of around 2,200 people.
The Peterborough Police Service’s official 175th anniversary crest. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service)
In 1998, the Village of Lakefield and the City of Peterborough agreed on a joint community police service and, in 1999, amalgamated the former Peterborough Community Police Service and the Lakefield Police Service (Lakefield’s first village constable Thomas Hull was appointed in 1875).
The Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service was de-amalgamated in 2015 and rebranded as the Peterborough Police Service, with Lakefield contracting for police services.
Also in 2015, Cavan Monaghan Township — which had previously contracted police services from the Ontario Provincial Police — decided to contract police services from the Peterborough Police Service instead.
Advertisement - content continues below
Today, the Peterborough Police Service has 162 officers and 96 civilian members serving the residents of the City of Peterborough, the Village of Lakefield, and Cavan Monaghan Township, with a combined population of around 100,000 people.
“When looking back through our history, it is not surprising to see the Peterborough Police Service at the forefront of policing and public safety innovation,” Chief Betts said.
“We pledge that the service of the future is just as forward thinking and responsive to the needs of our policing communities. As part of that pledge, we will revisit the mission, vision and values of our service to ensure they reflect not only today’s expectations, but also the future needs of our organization and the community.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The world’s first modern police force was established in 1829 by British Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, who introduced legislation to form the Metropolitan Police in London, U.K. (the “bobby” nickname for a London police officer came from Peel’s first name).
Prior to the establishment of the full-time, professional, and centrally organized police force, London’s population of nearly 1.5 million people has been policed by 450 constables and 4,500 night watchmen who belonged to many separate organizations.
Considered the father of modern policing, Peel developed nine general principles that saw police officers considered as citizens in uniform, embodied by the principle “The police are the public and the public are the police.” Peel’s principles followed the concept of “policing by consent,” based on transparency, integrity, and accountability for exercising police powers.
A team paddling their makeshift watercraft battles the current of the Ganaraska River during the 2018 "Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny" race in Port Hope. The 2025 event on Saturday, April 12 will see the return of the beloved Crazy Craft race, where participants build a raft out of any combination of items. This year's event also includes a new floaty category that was scheduled to make its debut last year but was cancelled due to inclement weather. (Photo: Walton St. Photography)
Given that construction projects and the weather were not in Port Hope’s favour during the 2024 “Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny” annual event, organizers are committed to ensuring this year’s festival on Saturday, April 12th is one for the books.
That might just be possible given that this year’s festivities will see the return of the beloved Crazy Craft race as well as the all-new floaty category that was originally supposed to have debuted during last year’s festivities.
“Mother Nature did not cooperate last year, and we didn’t have much happening on the river,” says event co-chair Barrileigh Price. “Just the thought of coming back this year and being able to get the canoes and kayaks all the way down from start to finish and to be able to launch the Crazy Crafts is super exciting.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Float Your Fanny has been an annual tradition since 1981 to commemorate a flood that devastated the downtown the year prior. On March 21, 1980, a torrential downpour caused the Ganaraska River to overflow and flood 66 acres of downtown Port Hope to depths up to 1.5 metres. Every bridge was washed out, as well as part of the Walton Street downtown and its buildings, and reportedly a child drowned in the flood.
Since then, Float Your Fanny has evolved into a 10-kilometre watercraft race with categories for canoes, kayaks, crazy crafts, and, now, floaties. Both a festival and a tourist attraction, the family-friendly celebration includes events throughout the town and the “Fannyville” outdoor event village full of entertainment, activities, and vendors.
The Crazy Craft race — where participating groups trave; down the river on rafts made from a combination of different items to form a floating vessel — will see its return to the river this year following last year’s hiatus due to the closure of the Sylvan Glen Bridge.
VIDEO: Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny – Port Hope, Ontario
The category has become one of the most beloved of the festival, as participants donning themed costumes never fail to amuse spectators as their rafts fall apart, flip over, entirely collapse, or otherwise leave them wet and submerged.
“They put a lot of time and effort into their costumes and their build, and a lot of them don’t test out their craft before they get there,” Price says. “It’s a really great thing just to see everybody with their creativity and their excitement.”
Price notes that in recent years, she has seen more and more older participants competing to celebrate a milestone like a birthday or retirement after having sat on the sidelines for a number of years.
“It’s a split of people participating that have been doing it for years — using the same craft with modifications or they bring in a new craft every year — and then you’ve got those people (with) bucket list items and are doing it for the very first time,” Price says. “We’re always looking to grow it bigger and to get more and more people out. The more intricate the crazy craft, the better the show.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Weather permitting, the 2025 festival will see the first-ever floaty race (anything that is inflatable is eligible), which was intended to be the replacement for last year’s Crazy Craft before inclement weather caused the floaty race’s cancellation as well.
“It’s a bite-sized adventure,” Price says. “It could be a little daunting for somebody to have to think about building a crazy craft and then having to be on a cold river in April, but being able to go out buy some form of an inflatable, put some air in it, and spend 15 or 20 minutes floating down — it’s just a bite-sized taste of what the big adventure could be.”
Also returning is the free Fannyville event village, complete with a kids’ zone, vendors, live music, and more at the finish line at the Cavan Street and Barrett Street Bridge. The village has been a feature of the race during the last 15 years, ever since Price and her father Barry Adamson began to co-chair Float Your Fanny.
Following the 2025 Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny on April 12, 2025, Barrileigh Price and her father Barry Adamson will be retiring from their positions as co-chairs for the annual event in Port Hope. Among their accomplishments over 15 years include adding the free Fannyville area full of entertainment, vendors, and activities. (Photo courtesy of Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny)
“I had a child under the age of two and a baby in my arms and it was very difficult for me to stand around waiting for the action, and waiting to watch my husband come down the river,” Price recalls. “We’ve spent the last fifteen years growing it — not just the river race, but a community festival.”
It’s one of the things she is most proud of now that she and her father are passing on the baton, retiring from chairing the event after this year’s race. Those interested in becoming involved are encouraged to reach out to Price and Adamson, and follow along this year to see the behind-the-scenes operations during the event.
A public meeting will be held for those interested in stepping into leadership roles, with details to be announced after this year’s race.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
“It’s been so amazing to be a part of,” she says. “The best thing about it is being there on the day, and seeing so many community members coming out to just enjoy what Port Hope has to offer while having fun and cheering everybody on.”
“Barry and I may be stepping down, but we’re still very passionate about the event and we’re going to do whatever we can to support the new leadership. We’re looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
For more information about Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny and to register for the race, visit www.floatyourfanny.ca.
Toronto-based sketch comedy trio The Red Hot Sili Peppers (Glenna Walters, Emily Callahan, and Julia Ettlinger) will be joining host Linda Kash and local improv artists Jennine Profeta, Janet Van De Graaff, and Megan Murphy for klusterfork entertainment's "Impros All-Pros" comedy show at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough on March 21, 2025. (Photo: Alicia Carrick)
One month to the day that klusterfork entertainment brought The Coincidence Men to Peterborough’s Gordon Best Theatre, the ladies will also get their rightful due.
Toronto-based all-female sketch comedy trio The Red Hot Sili Peppers will headline the “Impros All-Pros” comedy show on Friday night (March 21) at the Hunter Street West venue, joining host Linda Kash and local improv performers Jennine Profeta, Janet Van De Graaff, and Megan Murphy for a night of laughter, with Danny Bronson providing musical accompaniment.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. show cost $20, with advance tickets available by e-transfer to klusterfork@gmail.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door if available.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
The Red Hot Sili Peppers — Emily Callahan, Julia Ettlinger, and Glenna Walters — arrive fresh on the heels of their appearance at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival where they ultimately won the peer-voted Sketchiest Sketch Troupe Award.
“We were really excited — we admire all the people in the Toronto comedy community, so to be recognized in that way is really special,” says Callahan. “We were like ‘Whoa, are we dreaming? This was too much fun.'”
The Red Hot Sili Peppers have been having too much fun for some three years now, with Ettlinger noting they came together “sort of intuitively” during a Second City improv comedy training program.
Glenna Walters, Julia Ettlinger, and Emily Callahan decked out as The Red Hot Sili Peppers with cocktails in hand. (Photo courtesy of The Red Hot Sili Peppers)
“We fell in love with each other and knew that we worked really well together. Then we entered a sketch (comedy) competition called Sketch to the Death from which we took home the Best Newcomer Award. Now, a year later, we just finished our first-ever show that we produced ourselves and we’re bringing it to Peterborough.”
Walters adds the trio went through the Second City class together and “knew we didn’t want to be with another group. We signed up for Sketch to the Death having never written a sketch together. We didn’t know if we were funny — we had never done it before. How do you know? But it worked out.”
“We’re super grateful that we get to be friends. Whenever the three of us get to hang out and write, it’s work, but it feels we’re just three best friends laughing. That’s such a lucky feeling to have. It feels unique, like we’re in our own bubble where we get to laugh and have fun.”
Based on that, asked if they would do what they do for free, Ettlinger quickly counters, to group laughter, “We do it for free all the time.”
“That’s how you know you like it; it’s almost like when you get paid, you’re like ‘Oh, OK … thank you,'” adds Callahan.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Meanwhile, the sketch writing process is as collaborative as what audiences see and hear.
“We write together,” says Ettlinger, adding “We didn’t plan on doing it that way, but it’s worked out that way. We sit down, usually in the same room but sometimes on Zoom.”
“What that lends itself to is we’re able to collaboratively make this finished product that always highlights everyone somewhat equally. The goal is to make the best sketch. I think we’ve gotten really good at writing for each other. I know what Glenna’s style is. I know what Emily’s style is. They know what my style is. Writing for each other is really fun too.”
“Part of the magic we’ve created is being able to work together to create something. The goal is for the sketch itself to be the shining character.”
The Red Hot Sili Peppers (Emily Callahan, Julia Ettlinger, and Glenna Walters) took home the Sketchiest Sketch Troupe Award at the 2025 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. (Photo courtesy of The Red Hot Sili Peppers)
Callahan adds the creative process sees the three of them text each other constantly.
“We’ll send each other ideas. We’ll think it’s funny. We’ll sit with an idea and think ‘OK, how do we make this into a two, three, four, five, 10-minute sketch? Where are the legs?’ Sometimes there are no legs. Sometimes there are legs and it’s very fun.”
“What we really try to aim for is to be relatable,” adds Walters. “The funniest comedy is when someone can relate to it, and laugh at themselves too.”
The first half of this Friday’s show will see the Red Hot Sili Peppers, joined by Kash, Profeta, Van De Graaff and Murphy, stretch their improv legs. Then, in the second half, they’ll perform most of the scripted sketch comedy show that brought them their peers’ nod at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
While Walters has appeared in a previous klusterfork improv show in Peterborough, this marks the first performance in the city for Callahan and Ettlinger.
“When I did the klusterfork show, I was quite nervous,” recalls Walters.
“I was thinking ‘I’m a 23-year-old girl. I don’t know if any of this is going to be funny.’ And then the audience was just amazing. Obviously, Linda (Kash) is also incredible. Whatever she touches is gold, but I was shocked that Peterborough was hungry for comedy and improv. It was beautiful.”
Glenna Walters, Emily Callahan, and Julia Ettlinger performing in costume as The Red Hot Sili Peppers. The trio met during a Second City improv comedy training program and in 2024 entered a sketch comedy competition called Sketch to the Death where they won the Best Newcomer Award. (Photo courtesy of The Red Hot Sili Peppers)
While being very funny has been key to The Red Hot Sili Peppers’ success, Callahan credits their continued upward trajectory to the one thing that is unique to sketch and improv comedy.
“We say to each other before we go on stage ‘You know what? If we forget our lines, at the end of the day, we are improvisers — we’ve got each other’s backs,'” she says.
“That’s why I love it the most. It really is a team sport. No matter what you do when you go on stage, someone has to come out and help you out, and help you get through it. At the end of the day, that’s where the funny also is.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
As for having each other’s backs, Ettlinger adds the three of them “physically touch each other’s backs” before going on stage.
“I do it with new people I play with and with these gals I’ve been with for three years,” she says.
Callahan also performs as a stand-up comic. She says her improv background was key to giving her the confidence to go it alone before an audience.
“It is a completely different ball game,” she says of stand-up. “Some people like that the responsibility is all on them. They don’t want to have a team for whatever reason. But improv, that kind of stage presence, got me to that mic because it gave me that comfortability with being on stage in general.”
The Red Hot Sili Peppers (Glenna Walters, Emily Callahan, Julia Ettlinger) recently finished the first-ever show they have produced themselves and will be performing it during klusterfork entertainment’s “Impros All-Pros” improv comedy show at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough on March 21, 2025. (Photo courtesy of The Red Hot Sili Peppers)
All three concur that improv training, whether one wants to pursue the comedy genre professionally or not, is far from a wasted exercise.
“I tell everybody ‘Get in an improv class,'” says Ettlinger. “It’s the best thing you can do for your life. It rewires your brain. You start to make choices and then have to sit with those choices, and support other people’s choices.
“If you ADHD, it’s incredible. If you have anxiety, it’s incredible. If you have depression, it’s incredible. If you don’t have any of those things, you probably don’t need to be in an improv class. Just kidding.”
Toronto-based sketch comedy trio The Red Hot Sili Peppers will be joining host Linda Kash and local improv artists Jennine Profeta, Janet Van De Graaff, and Megan Murphy for klusterfork entertainment’s “Impros All-Pros” comedy show at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough on March 21, 2025. Danny Bronson will provide the musical accompaniment for the show. (Photo: Alicia Carrick)
“Improv helped me know who I am as a person,” adds Walters.
“It made me more comfortable with myself. It made easier for me to talk to strangers and show my true personality. You never know where it can go. I did not think it would go this far. I just wanted something to put my creative juices into and it’s taken me into a whole new world I didn’t think I would be a part of.”
That “whole new world,” says Ettlinger, is there for The Red Hot Sili Peppers to conquer.
“I have very high hopes; I don’t see it ever going away. I see us being on television. I see us going all over the world performing. More importantly, I think we’re going to be friends for a very long time.”
Share on Bluesky
“One of the most nerve-wracking things about comedy is not getting laughs,” adds Walters. “But before we perform, we say ‘Just make each other laugh.’ That’s the most important part. If I can crack up Emily or Julia on stage, it has been an awesome night.”
“We are winners if we make each other laugh on stage,” Callahan affirms.
For information about klusterfork entertainment, and to learn more about upcoming improv comedy workshops and classes, visit www.klusterfork.com.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of klusterfork entertainment’s Impros All-Pros.
The Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic is located on the second floor of the building at 99 Toronto Rd., where Community Health Centres of Northumberland is located. (Photo: Google Maps)
Northumberland County and partners are looking to hear from area residents and others who’ve used the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic.
The county is teaming up with students from the Loyalist College nursing program for a survey aimed at gathering input about people’s experiences related to accessing services at the Toronto Road clinic in Port Hope.
The Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic, which opened in August 2024 as a one-year pilot project, is delivered in partnership with the Community Health Centres of Northumberland (CHCN).
Advertisement - content continues below
Through the survey, the partners hope to determine the clinic’s impact in the community and explore ways to enhance its services. The questionnaire should take about 10 minutes to complete and is available online at porthopeclinic.ca. Paper copies are also available at the clinic at 99 Toronto Rd.
The Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic is intended to help address the gap in health care access for people without a family doctor. Through the pilot project, the county is aiming to evaluate the feasibility of providing medical walk-in clinic services on a permanent basis.
Information shared in the survey will support research for the pilot evaluation process and “will help provide valuable insight into how services could be improved,” the county noted in a media release.
Glenn Dees, Northumberland County’s director of health and human services, shared with kawarthaNOW a few insights into the clinic’s use to date and his hopes for the survey’s findings.
Dees said data points to people visiting the clinic for issues such as fever and systemic infections, respiratory issues, injury issues, and skin allergies — “the typical things people would go to see their primary care provider for, for the most part, if they have a primary care provider.”
“That’s really the intent of the clinic: to provide primary care services to those individuals who are not attached to a doctor,” he added.
Advertisement - content continues below
There’s always a physician on site, Dees said, adding that the clinic is well-used by the public and at capacity most of the time when it’s open.
According to Dees, while the partnership with the college will help collect quantitative data, the county is also evaluating the quality of service at the clinic.
“The next stage, where we’re at now, is launching the survey to capture some of that qualitative data,” he said. For example, the survey asks participants if they were able to receive care when they attended the clinic, whether they felt their concerns were heard, whether they were given an opportunity to ask questions, and whether they were connected to the services they needed.
“I think what we’re hoping to see is that there’s a good need for it,” Dees said. “So, with the quantitative data, we can establish that the clinic is being very well-utilized and it’s addressing concerns (for patients) that maybe otherwise might go unaddressed.”
The county is also hoping to see that the clinic is alleviating some of the pressure on emergency departments and reducing the costs associated with visiting a hospital.
Advertisement - content continues below
For almost 20 years, a medical walk-in clinic was available to the community at 99 Toronto Rd. in Port Hope, until it closed in 2020.
In early 2024, with an ever-increasing need for local primary care services, Northumberland County council committed to reopening a clinic at the same location for one year to assess the possibility of permanently restoring walk-in clinic services.
“With a high number of unattached patients in Northumberland, it is essential that we leverage expertise and resources across partnerships to meet local needs,” Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander told kawarthaNOW just prior to the clinic opening last summer.
“Together, the county and the CHCN will pilot a restoration of services via the Port Hope Medical Walk-in Clinic as a crucial step towards ensuring accessible health care for all residents.”
The Port Hope and District Health Care Foundation, along with the Town of Cobourg, the Rotary Club of Port Hope, Loyalist College, and other community partners are helping fund the initiative, the release noted.
Advertisement - content continues below
The clinic is a same-day clinic, when capacity allows, and is not for emergency care. It handles medical problems that are considered non-life-threatening such as fever without a rash and vice versa, abdominal pain, mild vomiting or diarrhea, wheezing or shortness of breath, sinus infections, moderate flu-like symptoms or cold symptoms, sore throat, ear pain, eye injury, sprains and strains, small cuts without continuous bleeding, minor burns, painful urination, and dehydration.
The clinic’s hours of operation are variable and subject to change based on physician availability. For upcoming hours and additional information, visit porthopeclinic.ca.
The Ontario Medical Association estimates there are 2.5 million people in the province who are without a family doctor. In Northumberland County alone, more than 8,000 Northumberland residents do not have a primary care provider and this number could rise to more than 20,000 by 2026, according to information from the county.
The common merganser is one of the species of migrating waterfowl that rest and feed on Little Lake in Peterborough while waiting for northern lakes to thaw before they continue on their northbound journey to their breeding grounds. (Photo via Peterborough Field Naturalists website)
As part of its 85th anniversary celebrations in 2025, the Peterborough Field Naturalists (PFN) is bringing back the Waterfowl Viewing Festival.
Described in a media release as a “cherished tradition from the 1990s,” the community event will take place around Little Lake in Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday (March 22).
“Little Lake has long been a resting spot for northbound migrating waterfowl,” reads the PFN website. “Geese, loons, ducks, and mergansers rest and feed while waiting for northern lakes to thaw before continuing their journey to their breeding grounds. For a short time, this provides us with an excellent opportunity to see a variety of these interesting birds, some of which may be performing courtship displays.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Open to everyone, the free event will take place at The Canadian Canoe Museum’s docks on the shores of Little Lake, with two other sites set up around the lake.
Some of PFN’s most experienced birders will be sharing their insights about the returning birds, and high-powered viewing scopes will be available for people to observe the birds.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for nature enthusiasts of all ages to experience the wonder of migration and deepen their appreciation for our local ecosystems,” says PFN president Sue Paradisis. “We’re thrilled to revive this festival as part of our 85th anniversary celebrations.”
Founded in 1940, PFN is a volunteer-run registered charity supported by membership fees and donations which is committed to fostering an appreciation for nature through education, conservation, and community engagement.
An annual membership in PFN costs $40 for families, $30 for adults, or $15 for students. For more information or to join, visit peterboroughnature.org.
PFN will be announcing additional events planned throughout 2025 to mark the club’s 85th anniversary.
The baseball diamonds at Riverside Park (middle) and East City Bowl (upper right) in Peterborough's East City. (Photo: Google Maps)
The City of Peterborough is planning repairs and upgrades to the ball diamonds at Riverside Park and East City Bowl and will be hosting a public information session in April about the first phase of the work to be completed at Riverside Park.
In February, city council authorized the Riverside Park and East City Bowl renovation project to proceed at an estimated cost of $560,000.
According to a media release, the city determined upgrades at Riverside Park to be a priority for the project after input from local baseball groups identified the wood fence, bullpen, batting cage, score keeper’s tower, irrigation, and lighting as areas in need of improvement.
Advertisement - content continues below
The first phase of the work, scheduled to begin at Riverside Park in the fall, would include replacing the outfield wall and score keeper’s tower and providing irrigation.
The city is inviting residents to learn more about the proposed upgrades at a public information session from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 3rd at the Peterborough Lions Community Centre, located at 347 Burnham Street beside East City Bowl.
City staff will be available to answer questions about the project, and residents can provide feedback on what amenities they want to see as part of the proposed revitalization of Riverside Park.
Advertisement - content continues below
In addition to the public information session, residents can complete a public survey online until Friday, April 11 at connectptbo.ca/riverside, where they can also find more information about the project.
Hard copies of the survey are available at city hall.
The second phase of the project, which would take place at East City Bowl in 2026 subject to budget approval, would include replacing the bleachers and score keeper’s booth, installing new dugouts, irrigation, and adding a new lighting system.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
