When Showplace Performance Centre opened in downtown Peterborough on October 5, 1996, the first song performed was “This Is The Moment” from the musical Jekyll & Hyde.

On Tuesday afternoon (June 11) at the performing arts venue, Beth McMaster — the founding chair of the non-profit organization’s board of directors — had her moment, feted by friends and local arts leaders as a plaque denoting her many, and continuing, contributions was unveiled.

Prominently displayed in Showplace’s ‘Sunshine’ Sean Eyre Lobby, the plaque reads “Showplace Performance Centre gratefully acknowledges the outstanding contribution of Founding Chair Beth McMaster. Her inspiration and ongoing commitment to this theatre have made a lasting impact on the arts in Peterborough.”

McMaster was overwhelmed by the tribute, fighting to hold back tears as the plaque was unveiled to rousing applause. Prior, she accepted a certificate from the City of Peterborough from mayor Jeff Leal, who said, “The citizens of Peterborough owe Beth a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

Showplace executive director Scott Lale also addressed he gathering, expressing gratitude to McMaster on behalf of the current board and staff.

Following the plaque unveiling, McMaster reflected on the effort to establish a performing arts centre in Peterborough.

“It was very hard to envision (what Showplace would become),” said McMaster who, in 1992, met with Erica Cherney, Elizabeth Farquharson, and Barb Scott “and decided we had to make something happen.”

A month after that lunch meeting, a board of directors was established. Among its members were former Peterborough mayor Sylvia Sutherland, Doug Armstrong, and Pat Lett — each of whom attended Tuesday’s event.

“We looked at a lot of places in Peterborough,” recalled McMaster of the search for a location for the performance venue. “This was the Odeon theatre, which we decided on. We had people who said ‘It’s not going to be big enough.’ Other people said ‘It’s too big.’ We tried to come up with a mid-sized theatre and that’s what we ended up with.”

Purchased in 1995, the space at 290 George Street North was designed by the Peterborough architectural firm of Lett/Smith to accommodate 650 seats. Aggressive fundraising resulted in the mortgage being paid off by 2000.

Admitting to being “very emotional” during Tuesday’s unveiling ceremony, McMaster said what made it particularly special were the people that shared the tribute with her.

“I was allowed to look at the guest list because they asked who I would like to have here. I (have) here the people who influenced my life and have been great supporters of me over the years. They come to all my shows. They are always there. I can depend upon them.”

Guest list or not, it was pretty clear most all on hand were going to attend regardless.

“Such visionaries,” said Pat Hooper of McMaster et al of their efforts to make Showplace a reality.

Hooper was most recently co-champion, with McMaster, of Showplace’s “Take A Seat for Act II” campaign. That efforts raised funds to replace the venue’s aging seats and for other upgrades.

“We’ve had a long relationship … it’s always fun to be with her and feed off her energy and talent,” said Hooper of McMaster. “She’s patient but she has high expectations, and expects people to meet those. That’s fair enough. And she doesn’t suffer fools but she’s got a great sense of humour, which is so important.”

Meanwhile, Paul Wilson — a Peterborough city councillor at the time that Showplace was discussed, developed, and opened — said he “can’t imagine Peterborough without Showplace, and I can’t imagine Showplace without Beth.”

“She’s very modest,” Wilson added. “She doesn’t extol her abilities and accomplishments. What they’ve done with the plaque in the lobby is marvellous — long overdue.”

Over the years, McMaster has created many fundraising productions for Showplace, including the very popular “Spring Tonic” shows and, more recently, “The Legendary Icon Series” that will continue this October with a tribute to Dolly Parton and Tom Jones.

While Showplace’s founding and reputation as a premier performing arts venue has McMaster’s fingerprints all over it, her resumé is also highlighted by a number of high-profile volunteer roles, including past chair of the annual United of Peterborough and District Campaign and board positions with a number of non-profits, the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough among them.

McMaster is also a founding member of the Peterborough Theatre Guild, and has premiered many of her plays on its Guild Hall stage.

McMaster’s community service has seen a number of honours bestowed upon her, including Peterborough Citizen of the Year (1994), Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellowship (1996), a Peterborough Pathway of Fame induction (2000), the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2003), Trent University’s Distinguished Alumni Award (2012), and in 2018, the City of Peterborough Arts Champion.

Following the formal portion of the plaque unveiling, the celebration moved to Showplace’s downstairs lounge where entertainment was provided by singers Meg Murphy, Lisa Devan, Wayne Robinson, and Bob Trennum, with Rob Phillips accompanying the quartet on piano.

Among the selections performed was a song written especially for McMaster — a clear crowd favourite.

The Peterborough & District Pathway of Fame has announced the 10 inductees of the 2024 Pathway of Fame, including the late founder of The Canadian Canoe Museum.

Established in 1997, the Pathway of Fame honours people who have contributed to the arts and humanities heritage of the Peterborough. Nominations are submitted annually by the public in the categories of visual arts, literary, dramatic arts, entertainment/musical, cultural/community betterment, community Samaritan, media, and community builder.

Kirk Wipper, whose collection of more than 600 canoes, kayaks, and other paddled watercraft became the basis for what would become The Canadian Canoe Museum in 1997, has been inducted in the category of community builder. His induction, 13 years after his death at the age of 87, comes on the heels of the May opening of the new state-of-the-art museum facility on the shores of Little Lake, where all of Wipper’s collection will be accessible for display for the first time in the museum’s history.

Inductees in the cultural/community betterment category include retired journalist and active volunteer Jim Hendry, educator and environmental activist Glen Caradus, former Peterborough County warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough GreenUP executive director Tegan Moss.

Local musicians Earl Wilfong and Melissa Payne have been inducted in the entertainment category, artist and 2SLGBTQ equity advocate Spencer J. Harrison has been inducted in the visual arts category, and YourTV producer and on-air host John Lewis has been inducted in the dramatic arts category.

Ray Ostapovich, who has been a member of the Peterborough Lions Club for almost six decades, has been inducted in the community Samaritan category.

A public induction ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10th at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, which the Pathway of Fame notes is the first time the induction ceremony has been held on a weeknight. The event is free and open to the general public as well as to families, friends, and supporters of the inductees and past inductees.

Below are the short bios of each of the 2024 inductees, as provided by the Pathway of Fame.

Spencer J. Harrison (Visual Arts)

As an artist, activist and academic, Spencer J. Harrison’s work has been, and remains, highly influential in the call for a change in attitudes around equity and for fuller inclusion for members of 2SLGBTQ community, his art featured at several galleries across Ontario as he positions artists in the academic work as knowledge creators.

John Lewis (Dramatic Arts)

Possessing of an unabashed love for Peterborough’s music scene, YourTV producer and on-air host John Lewis, via his well researched signature programs Junction 28 and The Skinny, has introduced a broad audience to music artists in our midst while mentoring countless volunteers looking to make their own mark in the community television realm.

Earl Wilfong (Entertainment)

A lifelong entertainer who has performed across North America and overseas in Europe, Peterborough native Earl Wilfong has shared stages and collaborated with numerous well-known acts but has never forgotten where he comes from, selflessly gifting his talent time and time again to the benefit of countless local causes and organizations.

Melissa Payne (Entertainment)

Ennismore born and raised Melissa Payne was gifted her first fiddle at age four and has never put it down, fashioning a remarkable music journey that has seen her record three full-length albums and collaborate with the likes of Natalie MacMaster and Greg Keelor, while making the mentoring and supporting up-and-coming musicians a priority.

Jim Hendry (Cultural/Community Betterment)

Since retiring from The Examiner in 2014 after a 32-year career with the Peterborough newspaper, Jim Hendry found himself with the time to devote to causes that he’s passionate about, and the United Way of Peterborough and District, the ReFrame Film Festival and newcomers to Peterborough remain grateful he didn’t put his feet up.

Glen Caradus (Cultural/Community Betterment)

As an educator with Camp Kawartha, Ecology Park and the Canadian Canoe Museum, musician, storyteller and puppeteer Glen Caradus has made educating kids and young people on Canadian history and the environment his mission while raising thousands of dollars for climate change advocacy groups by way of his Ride For Climate initiative.

J. Murray Jones (Cultural/Community Betterment)

Retiring in 2022 after a remarkable run in Peterborough County politics, including 11 years as warden, J. Murray Jones’ legacy is as well-founded as it is secure, his leading the charge to bring expanded broadband and cellular service to the county and rural eastern Ontario, and his steady hand during the pandemic, being hallmarks of his time in office.

Tegan Moss (Cultural/Community Betterment)

Promoting active transportation, as she did as the longtime executive director of B!KE, or working to mitigate the effects of climate change, as she does now leading Peterborough GreenUP, Tegan Moss has long had the best interests of Peterborough residents well in mind, her advocacy helping others lead healthier eco-friendly lives.

Ray Ostapovich (Samaritan)

A member of the Peterborough Lions Club for close to 60 years, Ray Ostapovich played a key role in the development of the service club’s Handicap/Medical Equipment Loan Program which, at age 88, he still oversees, collecting, repairing and delivering used assistive devices and medical equipment to anyone hard pressed to purchase new.

Kirk Wipper (Community Builder)

With the new home of the Canadian Canoe Museum now open, Kirk Wipper is being remembered for his diligent efforts, over many years, securing, storing and preserving more than 500 canoes and related artifacts, providing the springboard for what has become the internationally recognized Peterborough-based home of all things canoe.

A 13-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl are facing multiple charges after stealing a car in Kingston and driving it to Peterborough, where it was seen driving around a city park and later struck a fence and a wall at other locations in the city.

At around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Peterborough Police Service received a call about a vehicle being driven on a soccer field and the beach at Beavermead Park. Officers received two more calls about the vehicle, one as it left a parking lot in the Braidwood Avenue and Jane Street area striking a fence, and the other after it struck a concrete wall in the Morphet Avenue and Morrow Street area.

After the vehicle struck the concrete wall, two people were seen fleeing the vehicle. A short time later, officers spotted two people who matched the description given to police walking in the area and took them into custody.

Police learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Kingston the previous day and was also wanted in connection with a traffic complaint in the north end of Oshawa earlier on Sunday evening.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested and charged a 13-year-old Oshawa boy who was driving the vehicle with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, failing to comply with a sentence, two counts of failing to remain, two counts of careless driving, and driving a motor vehicle without a licence.

Police also arrested and charged a 13-year-old Kingston girl who was a passenger in the vehicle with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

The accused boy is being held in police custody and will appears in court on Monday (June 10). The accused girl was released from custody on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on July 15.

The Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service is seeking volunteer firefighters to serve in various communities within Kawartha Lakes this fall.

Mike Matthews, deputy chief of the Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service, said the fire department is recruiting people for several posts, most notably to cover the northern communities of Kinmount, Burnt River, Kirkfield, Carden, and Norland.

“Our hope for the fall 2024 recruitment is to encourage individuals for our fire stations in the northern communities of Kawartha Lakes to apply for the position of volunteer firefighter,” Matthews told kawarthaNOW.

“There are other fire stations we are hiring for as well,” he said, noting those who are interested can check out the recruitment page on the municipality’s website at www.kawarthalakes.ca/vff. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, July 3.

The deputy chief said firefighting provides a rewarding opportunity for community members who join the department.

“This is a valuable way to give back to your community by becoming part of the team that responds when an emergency arises.”

All new recruits are required to complete 40 hours of online training prior to participating in 66 hours of in-person training. Both these elements are mandatory and need to be completed before recruits are assigned to halls and allowed to respond to calls, the deputy chief noted.

A volunteer firefighter is a paid position, with firefighters receiving $23.91 an hour once they begin in-person training.

In terms of the commitment the role involves, Matthews said, “the emergency calls could happen at any time, but we are also very aware of the importance of a good work-life balance.”

Aside from emergency calls, there are two firefighter training nights at the volunteers’ respective stations per month.

“Public education and fire prevention events are a big part of fire service, and there is the ability to be a part of these events in your community,” he noted.

Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service relies on both full-time and volunteer firefighters to staff its fire department. Firefighters are committed to providing fire protection services in their local areas and for the community at large.

“Volunteer firefighters play an important role in keeping our communities safe from fire and other hazards,” Kawartha Lakes notes on its website. People who are dedicated and possess excellent teamwork skills, along with being in good health and having an adequate level of physical fitness, are encouraged to apply for the role.

“Volunteer firefighting is a great way to learn valuable skills, give back to your community and earn extra income,” the website states

Other advantages of volunteer firefighting, according to Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service, include gaining transferrable life skills, becoming a member of a dedicated team, acquiring valuable knowledge and participating in a wide range of specialized training, and helping to promote a safe community by upholding the three lines of defence against fire: public fire safety education, fire safety standards, and enforcement and emergency response.

Applicants are asked to apply for the firehall that is the closest to where they live. Applying to more than one firehall could disqualify an applicant.

Kawartha Lakes Fire Service is not currently hiring volunteer firefighters for the following firehalls: Station 1 Lindsay, Station 2 Omemee, Station 3 Bobcaygeon, Station 4 Ops, Station 19 Coboconk, Station 21 Mariposa, and Station 22 Fenelon Falls.