Canadian Blood Services is visiting campuses of Ontario colleges and universities to recruit stem cell registrants and representatives will be at Trent University on February 12, 2024. Students between the ages of 17 and 35 are asked to participate by having their cheeks swabbed. (Photo: Canadian Blood Services)
Canadian Blood Services is asking post-secondary students to “swab up” and “save a life.”
Representatives from Canadian Blood Services are visiting campuses of Ontario colleges and universities to recruit stem cell registrants.
Members of “Canada’s Lifeline” team will be at Trent University on Monday, February 12th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the main lobby of the Trent Athletic Centre.
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“Canada’s Lifeline is coming to select colleges and universities to help you join the stem cell registry and save lives,” Canadian Blood Services noted in a media release.
“Students have the power to change the life of a patient by attending swabbing events across Ontario campuses from February 5 to 16.”
Canadian Blood Services is asking students between the ages of 17 and 35 to participate by having their cheeks swabbed. Between February 5 and 16, students can register to become a stem cell donor and potentially be a match for one of the nearly 1,000 Canadian patients waiting for a life-saving stem cell transplant, Canadian Blood Services noted.
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Stem cell transplants can treat more than 80 diseases and disorders, according to Canadian Blood Services.
“Post-secondary students have the power to change a patient’s life, because people ages 17 to 35 make the best life-saving stem cell donors. When a patient undergoes a stem cell transplant, it’s often their last hope for survival, and the use of stem cells from younger donors typically leads to better patient outcomes.”
Patients who need a stem cell transplant are more likely to find a matching donor among those who share their ethnic ancestry. Students who come from an ethnically diverse or mixed-race background could be the match a patient has been waiting for, Canadian Blood Services said.
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Campuses participating in Ontario, in addition to Trent University, include:
Queen’s University in Kingston
University of Ottawa in Ottawa
Carleton University in Ottawa
University of Toronto in Toronto
Toronto Police College in Etobicoke
York University in Toronto
Sheridan College in Oakville
Ontario Tech University in Oshawa
Centennial College in Scarborough
University of Waterloo in Waterloo
Lambton College in Sarnia
Western University in London
McMaster University in Hamilton
Georgian College in Barrie
Brock University in St. Catharines
Interested students who are unable to attend one of the events can still register online. Find out more about the campaign at blood.ca/swabatschool.
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For more information or to join the registry, visit blood.ca/stemcells or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization. Regulated by Health Canada as a biologics manufacturer and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health, Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope, infrastructure and governance. In the domain of blood, plasma and stem cells, Canadian Blood Services provide services for patients on behalf of all provincial and territorial governments except Quebec.
The national transplant registry for interprovincial organ sharing and related programs reaches into all provinces and territories.
The new Canadian Canoe Museum under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough is clad in Corten steel siding. Also known as weathering steel, the siding is designed to rust with exposure to weather and will eventually form a stable surface with a rust-like patina finish. This finish guards against future corrosion and prevents the need to paint the steel in the future. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
If you’ve recently walked or driven past the new Canadian Canoe Museum under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough, you may have wondered about the streaks of rust on the grey steel siding surrounding the building.
It’s not a defect with the steel siding — the rusting is intentional. According to a recent progress email from the museum, the steel siding that encompasses the building’s exterior is designed to rust with exposure to the weather.
Known as Corten or weathering steel, the high-strength low-alloy steel will form a stable surface with a rust-like patina finish over time. This finish guards against future corrosion and prevents the need to paint the steel in the future.
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For an idea of what the museum’s final exterior finish will look like, you can visit Ashburnham Ale House on Hunter Street East in East City, which was clad in Corten steel siding when it was built in 2013. Today, now fully weathered, it has a deep dark rustic colour and texture.
As for the new museum, along with the Corten steel siding, installation of windows and the roof are now all completed. Around the museum’s exterior, trees have been planted, pavement is being poured in several areas, and light posts are being installed. Grading for the constructed wetland basin has also now been completed.
At the back of the building facing Little Lake, boulders from the current museum have been brought to the site and repurposed for the museum’s Campfire Circle, and the Canoe House is being prepared for the move-in of on-the-water equipment including canoes and kayaks.
Ashburnham Ale House, pictured under construction in 2013, is also clad in Corten steel siding. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)Ashburnham Ale House, pictured in 2022, now has a deep red rustic patina finish. (Photo: Ashburnham Ale House)
Inside the new building, drywall for the Atrium is being finished and painted, and wood ceiling and wall treatment are being installed as well as light fixtures. Work is also well underway on the Gathering Room — which will host events, educational experiences, and other functions — as well as on the Upper Terrace, which connects the space to the outdoors.
The first canoes, kayaks, and other exhibition materials have been hung in the Exhibition Hall, and 300 watercraft have been moved into the Collection Hall, with around 200 still to be moved in.
Work also continues for the Living Traditions Centre, which will house the Artisan Studio, Canoe-Building Studio, and Millshop. A glass garage overhead door has been installed that will connect creators, artisans, and builders to the outdoors while they are practising or learning a skill.
With most exterior work completed on the new Canadian Canoe Museum, interior work is well underway. Drywall for the Atrium is being finished and painted, and wood ceiling and wall treatment are being installed as well as light fixtures. (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
Several other areas of the new museum are also beginning to take shape as well, including a library, archive and research Room, a kitchen adjacent to the Gathering Room, washrooms, and a staff area.
The museum’s construction team includes Unity Design Studio (formerly Lett Architects), Chandos Construction, DG Biddle and Associates, Engage Engineering, Kelson Mechanical, Lancer Electric, and LEA Group.
Along with private donations, the museum is being funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Weston Family Foundation, the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and the Province of Ontario.
An architectural rendering of the new Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, facing Ashburnham Drive, showing a completely weathered exterior. (Illustration: Unity Design Studio, formerly Lett Architects)
Dance theatre artist Dreda Blow and actor and puppeteer Brad Brackenridge will present "Looking for Lear" at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on February 27 and 28, 2024 as part of New Stages Theatre's Brand New Stages Festival. The family-friendly show about the work of the 19th-century English poet Edward Lear will feature music, tap dancing, ballet, poetry, storytelling, and puppets. (Photo: Bruno Merz)
After an acclaimed six-performance run over the holidays of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Peterborough’s New Stages Theatre is back in 2024 with the Brand New Stages Festival, a week-long showcase of new and emerging theatre shows and artists.
Running from February 27 to March 3, the Brand New Stages Festival features three shows at two different theatres, including Looking for Lear by Dreda Blow and Brad Brackenridge, Life Without by Steve Ross, and Tuesdays & Sundays by Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn.
First up is Looking for Lear by dance theatre artist Dreda Blow and actor and puppeteer Brad Brackenridge, a 70-minute workshop production about the works of Edward Lear, the 19th-century English artist, illustrator, musician, author, and poet best known for his popular “nonsense” collections of poems and limericks.
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Born from The Lear Project that Brackenridge and Blow presented at Public Energy’s Erring at King George in May 2022, Looking for Lear both reimagines and expands those vignettes into a full production that also includes music by multi-instrumentalists Susan Newman and Rob Fortin.
With elements from vaudeville and travelling theatre, this family-friendly show includes tap dancing, ballet, poetry, storytelling, and an array of Brackenridge’s lovable puppets that spring from unexpected places.
The show will be performed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27th and Wednesday, February 28th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are $20 general admission, or $10 for arts workers, students, and the underwaged.
Linda Prystawska as Liz and Sean Dolan as Josh in a promotional photo for the debut production of “Life Without” by Steve Ross at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre in August 2023. A staged reading of the acclaimed play takes place at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on February 29, 2024 as part of New Stages Theatre’s Brand New Stages Festival. (Photo: Ann Baggley)
For the second production of the Brand New Stages Festival, New Stages is presenting a staged reading of Life Without by Steve Ross, the renowned Canadian actor who starred in New Stages’ production of Every Brilliant Thing last January.
A play about intergenerational trauma presented mainly as a series of monologues, Life Without tells the story of Liz and Jack, a working class couple who are dealing with a past family tragedy and its impacts on their teenage grandson Josh. The play debuted last August at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre, with Linda Prystawska as Liz, Robert King as Jack, and Sean Dolan as Josh. Christopher Hoile of Stage Door called the production “a searing, utterly involving work” that “deserves the widest possible audience.”
New Stages founder and former artistic director Randy Read is returning to direct the play, which will feature Fiona Reid as Liz and Michael Riley as Jack, with Sean Dolan reprising his role as Jack from the debut production.
Recommended for audience members 14 and older, Life Without will be performed at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 29th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are $22 general admission, or $11 for artsworkers, students, and the underwaged.
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The Brand New Stages Festival wraps up with a staged reading of Tuesdays & Sundays by Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn. Inspired by the true story of William Millman and Mary Tuplin and the tragedy that shook the quiet community of Margate, Prince Edward Island, in 1887, this critically acclaimed play has toured extensively across Canada and internationally.
Directed by Megan Murphy, the New Stages production will feature two new and emerging acting talents to be announced.
Tuesdays & Sundays will be performed at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 3rd at The Theatre On King in downtown Peterborough. Both performances, which are only available to New Stages subscribers, are already sold out.
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Tickets for Looking for Lear and Life Without are available in person at the Market Hall box office (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough), by phone at 705-775-1503, or online at tickets.markethall.org.
Following the Brand New Stages Festival, New Stages’ 2023-24 season will continue with a staged reading of Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Nora and Delia Ephron on May 11 and 12, and a staged reading of Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang on June 9, with both readings at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.
Samantha Banton, a poet, an entrepreneur, and a licensed paralegal, is one of the Peterborough residents profiled in the New Canadians Centre's "Our Neighbourhood" video series, which highlights the unique stories, experiences, and journeys of newcomers. As well as celebrating the diversity of newcomers to Peterborough, the video series also explores the discrimination and racism they often face. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of video by Jeremy Kelly / Impact Communication
We can talk all we want about the discrimination, indifference and, yes, outright hate experienced by newcomers to Peterborough, but hearing about it straight from the mouths of those who daily live that reality is a potential game changer.
That’s the hope of the New Canadians Centre that, on Friday (February 2), premiered its “Our Neighbourhood” video series — a compilation of testimonials from six newcomers, each speaking not only to the opportunities that their new home has provided them but also unsettling moments when it’s been clear they’re not welcome.
With support from the City of Peterborough, the video series produced by Impact Communications was funded via a Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives grant provided by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage.
The premiere, held at Ivy Event Space on Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, drew a large crowd, each of the video participants among them:
Tim Nguyen, a high school student from Vietnam, a musician, and a young leader who, as someone with an accent, talks about the challenge of starting over in a new country.
Tashvi Menghi, a teenager from India who arrived just one year ago and, as an artist and youth activist, strives to be a support for other newcomers struggling to fit in.
Miguel Hernandez, a Venezuelan artist who, in Canada for close to 10 years, has met the challenges of immigration and settlement through his art.
Fatma Al Ahmed, a high school student from Syria who, as a woman who wears a hijab, speaks to the challenges and barriers that young Muslims face.
Bhisham K. Ramoutar, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who highlights the value of representation in traditionally marginalized fields and spaces.
Samantha Banton, a Jamaican poet and entrepreneur who wants to see more diverse spaces and representation become a reality, and has taken steps to move that along.
VIDEO: “Our Neighbourhood” video series trailer
The New Canadians Centre’s Mauricio Interiano, who came to Canada in 2010 from his native Honduras and subsequently earned his BA in international development and sociology from Trent University, was front and centre at the event, introducing the screening before welcoming each of the participants profiled in the video series.
“We really wanted to showcase some aspects of being a newcomer that are not always in the media,” said Interiano. “We often are really quick to celebrate what newcomers are doing here, but it’s time to talk about the challenges that newcomers face when they’re in a new country.”
“Our six speakers, at some point in their video, speak about some of the challenges they’ve had — but it’s important to note that these are not complete stories. These videos are conversation starters.”
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Interiano noted the New Canadians Centre assisted close to 1,400 newcomers last year. He added a big part of the centre’s work involves increasing the community’s “capacity of receiving and welcoming refugees and immigrants.”
“Peterborough is well known for for receiving and welcoming newcomers,” he said. “I want to believe, as a newcomer, that it is a safe space, but that doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen. The videos highlight the hopes and dreams of each participant, but also the discrimination and racism that each has experienced.”
Interiano, who was involved in the process that determined who would be profiled, said each participant deserves admiration for their courage to put themselves out there.
“It’s not easy to talk about such challenges,” he said, adding “They want to see a change.”
New Canadians Centre executive director Andy Cragg (left) chatted with Peterborough city councillor Matt Crowley (right) during the premiere screening of the “Our Neighbourhood” video series on February 2, 2023 at Ivy Event Space on Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
In his remarks, New Canadians’ Centre executive director Andy Cragg said the video series serves up some hard truths deserving of more attention by the community at large.
“Peterborough is incredibly welcoming but, at the same time, it’s a community where Indigenous people and people of colour experience racism and discrimination on a regular basis. Both of those things are true and that can be uncomfortable.”
The video series, said Cragg, “validates the experiences of folks in our community who love living here but who also have that experience (of discrimination and racism) on a regular basis.”
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Also on hand was Reem Ali, the City of Peterborough’s diversity, equity and inclusion officer. She too praised the courage of each participant.
“I did a quick online search of what it means to be welcoming,” said Ali. “It means making someone feel happy and accepted. It means welcoming everyone while calling for all of us to be transformed. It means showing compassion, cordiality and generosity. It means having intentional, inclusive practices and norms that enable all of us not only to survive but thrive. It means we focus on integration rather than assimilation.”
“They (the videos) are gateways to identifying the themes, or rather, the symptoms that are holding us back from being welcoming. Symptoms that point to systemic inequities and diseases that we don’t like to talk about much, such as racism, hate, and discrimination.”
The premiere screening of the New Canadians Centre’s “Our Neighbourhood” video series drew a large audience on February 2, 2023 at Ivy Event Space on Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. Each of the six Peterborough residents profiled in the series was introduced at the event, answering questions afterwards. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Ali pointed to the takeaway of the videos’ production and sharing.
“These (examples of discrimination and racism) are not problems that individuals or specific groups must address alone,” Ali explained. “These are societal and systemic issues that require collective action. But the stories also remind us that there are bright moments as well as opportunities for becoming more welcoming and inclusive, and that we all have a huge role to play in that.”
For more information about the New Canadians Centre, and including its many programs and offerings for newcomers, visit www.nccpeterborough.ca.
The Kawartha Lakes Legends Special Olympics basketball team gets a workout in Fenelon Falls. This is the first year for the team, which is accepting new athletes as it grows. (Photo: Theresa Burfield)
The Kawartha Lakes Legends Special Olympics basketball team is proving to be a slam dunk for Theresa Burfield’s son, Steven, and other Kawartha Lakes teens and adults who have an intellectual disability.
When Burfield, her husband Mike, and Steven relocated from Aurora to Kawartha Lakes, they discovered there wasn’t a Special Olympics basketball team.
Today, Steven and other athletes who have an intellectual disability are lacing up their sneakers and shooting hoops.
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“Steven participated in Special Olympics basketball in Aurora,” Burfield told kawarthaNOW. “When we moved to the Kawartha Lakes area, he eagerly joined the bowling team, but was disappointed to find that there was no basketball team. My husband Mike and I decided to offer to start a team in this area.”
In March of 2023, Burfield attended a meeting of the Special Olympics Kawartha Lakes council and presented her proposal to start the basketball team.
“They eagerly accepted, and, with their encouragement and administrative assistance, we put everything in place,” she said.
The Kawartha Lakes Legends Special Olympics basketball team was born.
The Kawartha Lakes Legends Special Olympics basketball team was founded by Theresa and Mike Burfield, with the support of the Special Olympics Kawartha Lakes council, after the couple moved to the area with their son Steven, who had participated in Special Olympics basketball in Aurora and was disappointed to learn there was no similar program in Kawartha Lakes. (Photo: Theresa Burfield)
To make it happen, the Kawartha Lakes Civitan Club donated $1,000 so the team could purchase all the equipment necessary to play, as well as pay for the gym rental for the first session, which ran from October to December 2023.
“Lindsay Canadian Tire gave us a discount on the equipment we purchased there,” Burfield added.
The Kawartha Lakes Legends welcomed 11 athletes to its first practice in October 2023. Burfield has been witnessing the team’s growth and the players’ progress ever since.
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“We are very excited by the team’s progress. The basketball experience of the athletes ranged from beginner to very experienced. The beginners are gaining skill and confidence, largely thanks to the efforts of the volunteer coaches and the patience and mentorship of the more experienced players,” Burfield said.
Everyone is enjoying the workout, the friendly competition, and the camaraderie of belonging to the team, she added.
“We’re seeing weekly improvement in skill and ability, but the best thing we’re seeing is the development of each participant both athletically and socially.”
Other Special Olympics athletes from Kawartha Lakes include five-pin bowler Steven Pyke, who has been selected to the Team Ontario team-in-training heading to Calgary for the Special Olympics Canada National Winter Games. Pyke continues to focus on weekly bowling with his teammates in preparation for those games. (Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Ontario)
Their team is designed as a “recreational” team, meaning that it’s not aspiring to compete at a regional, provincial, national, or international level, Burfield explained.
“We eventually would be interested in challenging other area teams to a game from time-to-time, though. The athletes think we should try to make it to the NBA.”
The team is open to adding more players to its roster. Those interested in possibly joining are welcome to watch a practice underway on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Langton Public School in Fenelon Falls, located at 35 Wychwood Crescent.
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Special Olympics is for teens and adults who have an intellectual disability. The athlete must be registered with Special Olympics Ontario. Registration is completed online at specialolympicsontario.com.
There is a cost of $30 for each nine-week session. The current session ends March 14. The next session runs March 21 through to May 16.
“In order to ensure our athletes are appropriately supported, Special Olympics maintains a five-to-one athlete-to-coach ratio,” Burfield noted. “Our programs — whether it be basketball, bowling, softball, curling, or other new sports — can only grow if we have committed volunteers to attend.”
Swimmer Teagan McDonald from Kawartha Lakes is training as for the Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Spring Games. (Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Ontario)
Those interested in volunteering can also do so on the website.
“You do not have to be athletic or know anything about the sport — we just need your patience and enthusiasm in supporting our athletes,” Burfield said.
For further information about the basketball team, contact Burfield at tburfield@hotmail.com.
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In general, members of the local Special Olympics programs “are continuing their winning ways with so many great opportunities for athletes to represent Kawartha Lakes this season,” said Special Olympics program consultant Hellaina Rothenburg in a media release.
Local five-pin bowler Steven Pyke has been selected for the Team Ontario team-in-training, heading to Calgary for the Special Olympics Canada National Winter Games. The games start February 27 and run through to March 2.
Last month, the Lindsay Hard Rockers curling club took two teams to the Funspiel hosted by SOO-Muskoka, at the Gravenhurst curling club. Both teams returned home with medals.
In December, the Lindsay Hard Rockers curling club took two teams to the Funspiel hosted by SOO-Muskoka at the Gravenhurst curling club. Both teams returned home with medals. Pictured from left to right are Bradley Wayles, Alan Craig, and Keith Bacon. (Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Ontario)
Teagan McDonald, who has been swimming since she was an infant, is putting in her training as she prepares for the Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Spring Games. Those games are being held from May 23 to 25 in Waterloo Region.
For general information about becoming a Special Olympics volunteer, contact Rothenburg by phone at 1-888-333-5515 ext. 276 or by email at hellainar@specialolympicsontario.com.
The puck drop for the Peterborough Petes' 15th annual Pink in the Rink game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on February 3, 2024. Despite losing in overtime to the Niagara IceDogs, the Petes organization achieved its goal of breaking $1 million in funds raised for cancer care over the past 15 years of the annual game. (Photo: Kenneth Andersen Photography)
Although the Peterborough Petes are second last in the Eastern Conference standings, they are first in fundraising for cancer care.
On Saturday night (February 3), the Petes hosted the Niagara IceDogs at the Peterborough Memorial Centre for the 15th Annual Pink in the Rink game.
The campaign has raised a preliminary total of $49,103.26 — just dollars shy of the $50,000 goal — and has pushed the total funds raised during the history of the campaign to over $1 million. For this season’s campaign, all Petes players acted as ambassadors to help meet the $50,000 goal and push the grand total over $1 million.
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“I’d like to thank the players for being ambassadors for this year’s campaign,” said Michael Oke, the Petes general manager and vice president of operations, in a media release. “We started this initiative 15 years ago with Petes staff such as Aaron Garfat, Cathy Webster, and Don Sharp. To be able to raise over one million dollars in just 15 years is an amazing accomplishment.”
Proceeds from this year’s Pink in the Rink campaign, which is in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Wheels of Hope program, were raised by the Petes players acting as campaign ambassadors, as well as the 2024 Game Jersey Auction, a silent auction, a bucket pass, Pink in the Rink T-shirt sales, and chuck-a-puck.
Over the past 15 years, the Petes have raised a grand total of $1,003,239.20.
“We hope to see this campaign continue to grow at the rate that it has today,” Oke said. “Wheels of Hope is a great program, and we’re extremely pleased that the funds from this year will be put to good use.”
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Despite the campaign’s success, the Petes would ultimately fall to the IceDogs 5-4 in overtime.
Quinton Pagé led the way for the Petes with two goals. Carson Cameron also scored and added an assist, with Caden Taylor rounding out the scoring. Aiden Young, Tommy Purdeller, Cam Gauvreau, Nico Addy, Jonathan Melee, and Braydon McCallum all picked up an assist each.
Liam Sztuska stopped 42 out of 47 shots in the loss.
Canadian journalist, author, documentary producer, and podcaster Steve Paikin. (Photo via Speakers Spotlight website)
The Lakefield Literary Festival is bringing Canadian journalist and author Steve Paikin to Lakefield College School’s Bryan Jones Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22nd for a conversation about the current state of political leadership in Canada.
Best known as the award-winning host of TVO’s flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin, the Hamilton native is also the author of eight books, including his critically acclaimed 2022 John Turner: An Intimate Biography of Canada’s 17th Prime Minister. Paikin is also a documentary producer, whose Return to the Warsaw Ghetto won the Silver Screen Award at the US International Film and Video Festival, and a political podcaster.
A graduate of the University of Toronto with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University, Paikin also holds honorary doctorates from McMaster University, Victoria University, Laurentian University, York University, and honorary diplomas from Humber College, Centennial College, Mohawk College, and Fanshawe College. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in December 2013 and invested into the Order of Ontario in January 2014.
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The March 22nd conversation with Paikin, which will be moderated by Lakefield Literary Festival board chair John Boyko, will also include a question-and-answer session withthe audience and an opportunity to meet Paikin and have a book signed.
Tickets of the event cost $30 and are available in person at Happenstance Books and Yarns 44 Queen Street in Lakefield or online at lakefieldliteraryfestival.com.
Attendees at the event will also be the first to hear about the author lineup for the annual festival, which will take place on July 19 and 20 in Lakefield.
The Lakefield Literary Festival was established in 1995 as a celebration of Margaret Laurence, but has since become a celebration of the rich literary heritage of Lakefield and the surrounding area, including the works of Catharine Parr Traill, Susanna Moodie, and Isabella Valancy Crawford, all of whom lived and wrote in Lakefield.
The festival celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019 and, after a three-year pandemic hiatus, resumed in 2023 with Waubgeshig Rice, Kai Thomas, Sheila Heti, Harley Rustad, Iain Reid, and Catherine Hernandez among the Canadian authors attending.
Northumberland County warden Brian Ostrander (far right) attended the recent Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto with his Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus colleagues to to highlight challenges around housing with Ontario minister of infrastructure Kinga Surma (second from left). Also pictured, from left to right, are Peterborough County warden and EOWC vice-chair Bonnie Clark, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski, Renfew County warden and EOWC chair Peter Emon, United Counties of Prescott & Russell warden Pierre Leroux, Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP John Jordan, and Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith. (Photo courtesy of EOWC)
Northumberland County’s warden and the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) recently had the ear of the province’s minister of infrastructure.
Reflecting on the recent Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto, Northumberland County warden Brian Ostrander said he and his EOWC colleagues took the opportunity to highlight challenges around housing, among other key issues for the caucus.
“With the EOWC, I attended a delegation with the minister of infrastructure (Kinga Surma), providing the minister and her team with the needs across eastern Ontario and the municipal sector in general,” Ostrander told kawarthaNOW.
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“We know that in order to build more houses faster we also need to invest in the municipal infrastructure that is required to service those homes and the residents who will move to our communities,” Ostrander said. “We highlighted the massive gap between what municipalities can afford to do with property tax dollars and the need for repairs and maintenance items.”
On another note, the warden added, the EOWC continues to support a review of how services are delivered, by which level of government, and how they are funded.
“The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is undertaking a social and prosperity review which will help guide municipalities and the province to better understand what services might be better managed at the provincial level and how we might better provide revenues to the municipal levels of government to manager service delivery and pay for infrastructure upgrades and renewals,” Ostrander explained.
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From across Ontario, the EOWC joined more than 2,000 rural municipal colleagues at the conference to participate in meetings with provincial ministers, members of provincial parliament, and the Ontario New Democratic and Liberal opposition parties to share the EOWC’s “critical priorities,” a media release noted.
The EOWC’s pressing priorities include affordable and attainable housing, next generation infrastructure funding, long-term care, and modernizing the construction approval process. For details about the priorities, visit the EOWC website at eowc.org.
“The EOWC believes that strong partnerships between government are needed to tackle housing, health, and economic challenges across the region,” said Peter Emon, EOWC chair, in the media release. “The ROMA Conference was a success in building upon our relationships to better serve our 103 communities across rural eastern Ontario.”
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Ostrander said housing was also on the agenda of a delegation he took part in with Northumberland County. The warden attended a delegation with the associate minister of housing Rob Flack, providing him with Northumberland’s need for lands, currently owned by the province, that might be better used at the county level for affordable housing projects.
“The conversation was thoughtful, and we hope to hear from the ministry on next steps soon,” Ostrander said.
Overall, “ROMA was very busy from a minister’s delegation perspective” for the Northumberland warden, as he attended three different delegations during the conference, which ran from January 21 through 23 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel on Queen Street West.
ROMA is the rural voice of AMO. The association “is an integral part of AMO” and several of its executive members serve on the AMO board of directors, according to the ROMA website. Policy, research, and advocacy activities are undertaken by ROMA through AMO.
“ROMA is committed to promoting, supporting and enhancing strong and effective rural governments and socially and economically sustainable rural communities, today and into the future,” the website states.
Established 25 years ago by Mieke Schipper, Gamiing Nature Centre is located in Kawartha Lakes south of Bobcaygeon on the shores of Pigeon Lake. The 100-acre property features an educational centre, a spruce and pine forest, seven kilometres of public trails, 77 acres of protected land including 30 acres of wetlands, and 1,200 feet of undeveloped shoreline. With a focus on children's education, the not-for-profit organization regularly hosts artisan and nature workshops, guided hikes, and summer camps. (Photo courtesy of Gamiing Nature Centre)
For 25 years, Gamiing Nature Centre — located east of Lindsay and south of Bobcaygeon on the shores of Pigeon Lake — has been a welcoming place to connect with nature through camps, workshops, trails, and exploration.
Even all these years later, landowner and volunteer executive director Mieke Schipper never tires of seeing guests enjoy the 100 acres of wetlands, forest, wildlife and landscapes the property has to offer.
“The enthusiasm of people walking the trails continues to be one of the most amazing things,” she says when looking back on the past 25 years. “We have nowhere that says ‘Don’t touch’ or ‘Don’t enter’, so people who want to run off the trails and explore can do that and have their own fun — and it’s fun for us to watch.”
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And yet for Schipper, who recently turned 80 years old, the journey to creating the donation-run education centre started long before its opening. When she purchased the land with her family in 1986 after selling a property down the road, Gamiing Nature Centre was nothing more than a “pretty nasty” abandoned farm and farmhouse that had plans to be developed.
Having immigrated from the environmentally conscious Netherlands, where conservation was “very much a part of my upbringing,” Schipper was determined to bring some biodiversity back to the land. She began by taking samples of the soil to determine the plant life that would be best suited to the environment and planted hundreds of spruce and pine trees.
“I thought it would take 20 to 30 years, but it was actually quite a bit sooner because the minute it started growing, the birds would come and bring seeds from somewhere else,” Schipper recalls. “The whole natural succession started happening quite quickly. It has been a fascinating process to watch it happening.”
In 2001, Mieke Schipper (third from left) connected with environmental lawyer Ian Attridge (second from left) to help form the Kawartha Heritage Conservatory, which became Kawartha Land Trust and currently protects 33 properties in the Kawarthas region representing more than 5,300 acres of diverse land. In 2017, the Schipper family formed a conservation easement agreement with the not-for-profit land conservation organization to protect the property in perpetuity. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Schipper raised horses and sheep on the farmland until eventually transforming the property into the environmental education centre that stands today. Originally called Gamiing Centre for Sustainable Lakeshore Living, the name comes from the Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin) word for “at the shore” — both reflecting the property’s close proximity to Pigeon Lake and recognizing the original inhabitants of the area.
“I’m a settler and a quite recent one, so that was for me to honour people who lived there before,” Schipper says. “I have a need to acknowledge that and to honour that.”
Long before it was open to the public, Schipper wanted the property to be put into a land trust to protect it from development in the future. As there wasn’t a land conservation organization in the region, she connected with environmental lawyer Ian Attridge to help form the Kawartha Heritage Conservatory, a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 2001. Now known as the Kawartha Land Trust, the charitable organization currently protects 33 properties in the Kawarthas region representing more than 5,300 acres of diverse land.
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In 2017, the Schipper family formed a conservation easement agreement with Kawartha Land Trust to protect the property in perpetuity. The easement protects the natural heritage features of 77 acres of the Schipper property, including the area that has been designated by the province of Ontario as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and a Provincially Significant Wetland. Several species at risk, including the Least Bittern and the Blanding’s Turtle, are living throughout 30 acres of wetland on the Schipper property.
The first thing Schipper did to welcome the public to learn from the land was to establish more than seven kilometres of recreational trails ranging in difficulty. Upon opening the property to the public, she noticed immediately there were two ways people used the trails: children would run as fast as they could to get through it, while adults would converse with each other the whole way. To encourage visitors to notice their surroundings, including some of the more than 180 species of flora and fauna that now thrive on the land, she created “trail bingo” cards.
“We want you to come here and observe, so we had to come up with something tangible to make that happen,” Schipper says, noting that it proved to be a success right from the beginning. “Parents loved it, and they didn’t even realize what they were missing.”
Gamiing Nature Centre has always made children’s education a priority by offering March Break camps, the Discovery Shack, a forest school, and summer camps. (Photos courtesy of Gamiing Nature Centre)
In accordance with the educational centre’s original name, the very first workshops were centred around preserving and maintaining the 1,200 feet of undeveloped shoreline on Pigeon Lake. Schipper compares her efforts to make visitors understand the importance of leaving trees and shrubs to grow near shorelines, rather than replacing them with grass, as “almost becoming a religion.”
“The grass has very tiny roots and the lake will just chew that up,” says Schipper, adding that Gamiing Nature Centre continues to host those workshops today. “I still do them because it’s something that I so wholeheartedly believe in.”
Over the next two decades, Gamiing added more and more workshops, including artisan ones like the popular greenwood carving lessons led by Curve Lake master carver Jon Wager. Other repeat workshops, including wellness-based workshops like yoga and nature-based trail walks focused on birding or mushroom foraging, are typically led by passionate community members who want to share their knowledge with the community.
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Gamiing, which has added the The Hayloft Reception Venue and the Discovery Shack in the past decade for more learning opportunities, has always made children’s education a priority by offering March Break camps, a forest school, and summer camps. From kayaking and trail hikes to storytelling and fire-building, the educational offerings extend well beyond learning about conservation efforts.
“In the forest, people ask ‘How you can learn? How can you do math?'” Schipper says. “Well, you can count trees or learn all the history there is here. It doesn’t matter what you can come up with. Everything can be done outside and learned outside, and I find it amazing that the kids who come here are so happy and can’t wait to come back.”
Young adults also have plenty of opportunity to learn, with many students coming from Fleming College’s Lindsay campus to participate in co-op placements and courses on the property.
Now 80 years old, Mieke Schipper is the founder and volunteer executive director of Gamiing Nature Centre. After purchasing her 100-acre property in 1986, she has spent decades dedicated to its environmental conservation, including by planting hundreds of native trees to encourage the biodiversity and sustain the property’s 180 species of flora and fauna. In 2017, the Schipper family formed a conservation easement agreement with Kawartha Land Trust, a not-for-profit land conservation organization she helped form in 2001. (Photo courtesy of Gamiing Nature Centre)
“They’re all so engaged, wanting to make the world a better place, which is why they’re studying there anyway,” Schipper says. “I’ll always enjoy seeing the people who come here.”
There will be lots of fun and educational opportunities in February when Gamiing Nature Centre hosts its annual Family Day celebrations called Winterlude on Monday, February 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. With admission by donation, the full day of family fun includes kick-sledding, snowshoeing, a scavenger hunt, an obstacle course, hot chocolate, and more.
For more information or to make a donation to the Gamiing Nature Centre, visit www.gamiing.org or following Gamiing on Facebook and Instagram.
On Family Day (February 19, 2024), Gamiing Nature Centre is hosting the annual Winterlude featuring sledding, snowshoeing, bird feeder making, animal tracking, hot chocolate, a scavenger hunt, and more. (Photo courtesy of Gamiing Nature Centre)
Conner Clarkin, owner of Revelstoke Café, will be opening Bar 379 in mid March at the former location of The Twisted Wheel at 379 Water Street in downtown Peterborough. The new live music venue will host bands from a range of genres, with punk music and hip-hop being Clarkin's personal passion. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
A long-vacant downtown Peterborough space will soon be home to the pulsating sound of live music, in particular that of the punk and hip-hop variety.
Bar 379 will open in mid March at the former location of The Twisted Wheel at 379 Water Street (just north of Simcoe Street).
Conner Clarkin, who co-owns Revelstoke Café at 641 George Street North, says he originally eyed the former location of The Spill, also on George Street, for his new venture but switched gears.
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“I was walking by here one day and saw the ‘For Lease’ sign and reached out and it all worked out in my favour,” says Clarkin who, when he’s not hard at it at Revelstoke alongside his wife Tash and his dad Jeff, sings lead vocals for alternative punk band Heartless Romantics.
“I grew up in Peterborough in the local music scene. I’ve seen a lot of venues come and go. Cooking and live music are my two passions. I had to put the live music on pause for a little while to get the restaurant up and going. I was kind of waiting for the right opportunity and then this came up.”
The space has been empty since The Twisted Wheel closed in 2019, less than a year after it was opened by Jonathan Hall and Mike Judson. Hall, who founded the Hootenanny On Hunter Street music festival, died of a heart attack in March of that year.
The late Jonathan “Jonny Trash” Hall DJing at The Twisted Wheel at 379 Water Street in downtown Peterborough in October 2018. Bar 379 owner Conner Clarkin will keep The Twisted Wheel lettering on the windows to pay homage to Hall. (Photo: Jack Martin)
“We came in here a lot,” recounts Clarkin, adding “It was always full, always pumping. We’re going to keep The Twisted Wheel (lettering) on the windows, just to kind of pay homage to Johnny (Hall) and what he built here.”
“They didn’t have as much live music — a lot of DJ music. We really want to push that we’re a live music venue and get really cool acts through here. It’s a small room, but the intimacy of seeing a band in a 50-person room is really cool.”
“My background is punk music. I also do a lot of hip-hop work. Those two genres will definitely make their way through the door, probably more than others, but we’re super open to anyone. We want to host all sorts of bands, representing all sorts of genres.”
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With plans to open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. until last call, Clarkin says the bar will serve mostly craft beers, with “some cheaper options for the student crowd. We’ll also be pushing the boundaries with cocktails. It’s all about the experience.”
“As for food, we’re going to be working with The Food Shop across the street. Anthony (Lennan) is going to provide us baked fresh goods along the lines of soft pretzels and sausage rolls and anything else he can think of.”
Ultimately, the goal, says Clarkin, is to offer “an inclusive, accessible space for people from all walks of life. We want to host all sorts of acts, all sorts of special nights, and bring in a really good variety of folks, and remind people that downtown isn’t as bad as a lot of people say.”
Once the bar is open, Clarkin sees his role as that of the welcoming host.
“Just treating every guest how you would want to be treated when you go out. Being nice to someone goes a long way. It’s a lost art. We just want everyone to feel good here and feel taken care of.”
Conner Clarkin, owner of Revelstoke Café, inside his new live music venue Bar 379 at the former location of The Twisted Wheel at 379 Water Street in downtown Peterborough. Set to open in mid March, Bar 379 will host live music and offer craft beer, cocktails, and more. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
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Not lost on Clarkin is the number of downtown bars that have closed in recent years, the latest being the Historic Red Dog on Hunter Street West. That said, new nightspots have opened, examples being Jethro’s Bar + Stage and the second coming of The Pig’s Ear Tavern. Both are thriving, which bodes well for Clarkin’s new bar.
“My paramount plan is to really advocate more for the downtown. I’m friends with all the business owners along this stretch of Water Street. They’re all great people making a go of it. This strip of Water Street (between Simcoe and Hunter streets) is really cool. It’s becoming the new Hunter Street.”
“If I can keep walking in here every day with a smile on my face, and I’m able to keep feeding my family and feeding my employees’ families and keeping everyone happy, that’s the goal.”
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“We have so many great young people in this town, so many great musicians, so many great artists, and we’re lacking space for them,” Clarkin notes. “If I can play even a tiny part in giving people opportunities like I was given when I was younger, I’m set for life. That’s all I really care about — giving back to a community that’s been so generous to me.”
Between Revelstoke Café and a one-year-old at home, with twins on the way, this new venture won’t leave a lot of wiggle room for Clarkin. He’s good with that.
“We’re blessed. I’ve got a great support system. My father is very hands on with both businesses and that really helps.”
Now, with the opening of Bar 379 just weeks away, the broad smile on Clarkin’s face speaks to his anticipation.
“I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. Let’s get this done. Let’s get it open.”
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