Environment Canada has issued multiple weather warnings for much of the greater Kawarthas region beginning Sunday morning (December 3) into Monday.
Freezing rain warnings are in effect for Peterborough and Kawarthas Lakes, with 2 to 3 mm of ice build-up possible Sunday morning into early evening.
Freezing rain is expected to begin Sunday morning and may be mixed with snow or ice pellets at times. Freezing rain may briefly change to rain in some areas in the afternoon, but a quick transition to snow is expected by the evening as temperatures cool once again.
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A snowfall warning is in effect for Hastings Highlands, with peak snowfall rates of 2 to 3 cm per hour possible Sunday night and expected snowfall accumulation of 15 to 20 cm by Monday morning. A winter weather travel advisory is in effect for Haliburton County, with expected snowfall accumulation of 10 to 15 cm by Monday morning.
Snow, which will begin late Sunday morning or early afternoon, may become mixed with ice pellets or transition to freezing rain in the afternoon in some areas. The snow is expected to become heavy in the evening and then continue overnight before tapering to flurries Monday morning.
Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance.
In his new novel "Cold" to be released on January 9, 2024, Curve Lake First Nation writer Drew Hayden Taylor has crafted a thriller and murder mystery that blends horror with his trademark humour. The story features the Wendigo, a malevolent character from traditional Anishinaabe folklore, placed in a contemporary setting. (Photo: Sarah Cornthwaite)
Whether it’s through theatre productions, essays, novels, or documentaries, every story Curve Lake First Nation writer Drew Hayden Taylor tells is one that transcends communities, celebrates Indigenous ways of life, and bridges the gap between cultures.
Taylor’s next release, a novel titled Cold, is no different, as it introduces an Indigenous myth into a contemporary setting. Published by McClelland & Stewart, the 368-page novel is being released by Penguin Random House Canada on January 9, 2024.
Kicking off with a tragic plane crash that leaves its survivors fighting for their lives, Cold follows several characters who seemingly have no connection to one another — until they do. There’s an Indigenous Hockey League player, an alcoholic professor of Indigenous studies who is having an affair with a student teacher, a journalist-turned-author who published a memoir about surviving a plane crash, and a detective investigating a string of gruesome murders in Toronto.
When the characters come together under realization that someone might just be hunting them all, the novel heightens with a deadly battle and unpredictable conclusion.
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“I have taken a character from traditional Anishinaabe mythology and modernized it,” says Taylor. “I’ve put it in the middle of the largest city in Canada and I put it on a rampage.”
That mythological character is the Wendigo, a malevolent and cannibalistic spirit rooted in both Anishinaabe and Cree oral tradition.
“It’s a metaphor frequently used for greed,” says Taylor, adding that the basic story follows a creature who will eat anything and everything. “It’s a story about appetites and people who can’t get enough — you might have a certain amount of money, but it’s never enough, or you have a certain amount of power, but you want more. The Wendigo is about desires grown to excess.”
The late Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau’s 1964 portrayal of the Wendigo, eating humans who have been transformed into beavers. (Photo: Estate of Norval Morriseau)
It’s not the first time Taylor has employed Indigenous folklore in his writing. His novel Motorcycles & Sweetgrass, which was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award in fiction in 2010, featured Nanabush — a mischievous trickster, shapeshifter, and culture hero in the Anishinaabe storytelling tradition.
“I wanted to take another character from Indigenous mythology and put them in a contemporary environment and see what happens,” he says about Cold. “The Wendigo is an interesting character because it’s known as one thing — the Cannibal Spirit — but it is a larger metaphor for many other things and that intrigued me.”
Taylor first began writing his modern take on the Wendigo between 20 to 30 years ago, though originally he penned the story as a screenplay for a feature film.
“As I’ve discovered in my life, sometimes a story isn’t ready to be told then — it needs to marinate, it needs to mature,” Taylor says, adding that his previous works The Night Wanderer and Sweetgrass & Motorcycles were both started long before their publication and were originally written as a play and screenplay respectively. “While the structure of the story may not always work, the story is usually stronger than the box that it’s put into, and sometimes it needs a different box.”
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Taylor explains he became inspired to pick up the story again while working as a writer-in-residence at the Berton House in Dawson City, Yukon, in 2017. After hearing a lecture from The Book of Negroes author Lawrence Hill and having dinner with him, Taylor became “so invigorated” that he went home and immediately wrote the first 2,000 words of Cold.
After shelving the work-in-progress for a few years for other projects, Taylor finally found the time to focus on it during the pandemic, and this time the story took a different style than many of his other works.
“I always wanted to write a thriller and I wanted to write a horror novel,” notes Taylor, adding that he also wanted the story to be largely plot-driven in a way many of his other works aren’t. “I wanted to write something that had a very strong narrative in it, where you had to follow this story in order to understand what was going on.”
In his new novel “Cold” to be released on January 9, 2024, Curve Lake First Nation writer Drew Hayden Taylor wanted to create a narrative-driven story with elements from the horror, thriller, and murder mystery genres, infused with his trademark humour. “Moon of the Crusted Snow” author Waubgeshig Rice calls it “creepy and funny, smart and lively, and overall a strikingly dynamic book that will keep readers on edge from start to finish.” (Photo: McClelland & Stewart / Penguin Random House Canada)
The writing process proved to be an enjoyable one for Taylor.
“Who doesn’t want to write something that’s scary with the big monster and big fight scene — almost like a Marvel film,” he asks. “As I was writing it, I was just having so much fun.”
Though it takes on an adventurous storyline, readers should know that right from the start, Cold includes the same easy and lighthearted humour that one has come to expect of Taylor. After all, that’s how he makes the story accessible to all, no matter the audience.
“I’m always interested in whacking the Indigenous funny bone,” he says. “I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled to over 150 First Nation communities in Canada and the United States and everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been greeted with a laugh, a smile, and a joke.”
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Taylor explored his interest in Indigenous humour in Me Funny, his 2006 edited collection of essays from various writers. Since then, he has always paid close attention to the power of humour and what it means in Indigenous culture.
“Frequently, the dominant culture thinks of native people as thinking only of doom, gloom, anger, problems, et cetera,” he points out. “But we’re very funny people with a marvellously developed sense of humour, so I’m very much into healing through humour.”
Further weaving Indigenous culture, Cold includes title chapters written in Anishinaabemowin.
“I wanted to reinforce for the reader that this story, and the Wendigo, goes back to a long time ago and it was originally told in that language,” Taylor explains.
VIDEO: “Going Bushcraft” Teaser – Going Native Season 2
As Cold nears its release date, Taylor is also in the process of recording the narration for the third season of his APTN documentary Going Native, where he visits communities to explore Indigenous ways of life in the 21st century.
With season one and two journeying through communities across Canada and the United States, for season three, Taylor — who is the show’s host, writer, producer, and director — learns from people across the globe from Mexico to New Zealand, Australia, and the Arctic.
“There’s so many interesting Indigenous peoples around the world so we wanted to start bringing them into the circle and show the wonderful, the wacky, the interesting and the amazing things they’re doing,” he says. “We’re aiming to erase stereotypes and educate the public as to the way native people currently live and enjoy life.”
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With both Cold and the third season of Going Native to be released in the coming months, there are three things that Taylor aims to do, which is his goal in all his writing.
“My journey as a writer — whether it’s theatre, articles, essays, or novels — is always to entertain, to educate, and to illuminate.”
Cold will be on bookshelves and available as a paperback, e-book, and audiobook beginning January 9, 2024. For more information on Taylor’s work, visit drewhaydentaylor.com.
Cobourg police have installed new CCTV cameras on Meredith Avenue (left) and at the intersection of Brook Road North and King Street East (right) in response to community safety concerns raised by residents in east-end neighbourhoods. (Photos: Cobourg Police Service)
In response to community safety concerns, Cobourg police have installed two closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the town’s east end.
One of the cameras is installed at the intersection of Brook Road North and King Street East and the other is installed on Meredith Avenue off Brook Road North.
The two cameras are part of the Cobourg Police Service’s CCTV network that already consists of 28 operational cameras, with plans to almost double the number of cameras in operation next year.
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On November 11, police officers canvassed neighbourhoods in the east end of Cobourg to hear directly from residents after seeing concerns raised online about community safety and crime that didn’t align with incident reports to police.
Officers spoke with 90 residents from the neighbourhoods of Cottesmore Avenue, Meredith Avenue, Thomas Street, Jane Street, Brook Road North, Rolling Street, and King Street East (between Cottesmore Avenue and Brook Road North).
The top three community concerns identified by residents included feeling unsafe while walking in the neighbourhood, people trespassing on property, and property being stolen from backyards and porches.
The top two responses from residents when asked what they would like to see done to address concerns were increased police presence through foot patrols, especially at night, and implementation of CCTV cameras in and around neighbourhoods.
On November 11, 2023, Cobourg police officers canvassed neighbourhoods in the east end of Cobourg and spoke with 90 residents about safety concerns. Along with increased police presence through foot patrols, especially at night, residents wanted to see CCTV cameras in and around the neighbourhoods. (Photo: Cobourg Police Service)
The Cobourg Police Service’s CCTV network is funded through the Ontario government’s CCTV grant program, a three-year $6-million program announced in 2020 for police services across the province.
Cobourg police say the expansion of their CCTV network, which is scheduled for completion by the end of next summer, will further expedite the identification of suspects involved in incidents, facilitate evidence collection, and bolster court prosecutions.
As their CCTV project progresses, Cobourg police will also be launching a community-wide camera registry, where residents and companies can volunteer to register their own cameras with police so that, in the event of an incident, police can rapidly request footage from those participating in the program.
Dr. Mervyn A. Stone is the longest-serving professional staff at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. The local family physician, who has worked at the hospital for 45 years, was one of 158 employees recognized for long service at the hospital's annual Long Service and Excellence Awards on November 29, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Ross Memorial Hospital)
Ross Memorial Hospital celebrated long service and excellence among staff during an awards ceremony in the hospital’s cafeteria on Wednesday (November 29), including a local family physician who has worked at the hospital for 45 years.
Dr. Mervyn A. Stone was one of 158 employees recognized at the hospital’s annual Long Service and Excellence Awards, which celebrates hospital employees and professional staff who are marking significant milestones at the hospital, along with those nominated by their peers in specific categories of excellence.
“I have had the privilege of watching the Ross Memorial Hospital evolve from a general practitioner-based facility to a hospital of excellence with the addition of multiple specialties,” Dr. Stone says in a media release. “This remarkable journey has been defined by the compassion of colleagues, the dedication of the hospital staff, and administration, and the trust bestowed on me by countless patients and their families.”
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“It’s been an honour to contribute to the hospital’s legacy of excellence in health care,” Dr. Stone adds. “As I embark on my next goal of 50 years of service, I will watch with great interest as our hospital adapts to the progress in medicine and the challenges presented with an aging population and growing community.”
The Long Service Awards recognized 129 staff who have worked at the hospital between five and 45 years. After Dr. Stone, the next longest-serving employee is Carole McBride, director of critical care, medicine and patient flow, who has worked at the hospital for 40 years.
“Our long-serving team members have developed an intimate knowledge of the hospital and the community we serve, something that can’t be taught in a classroom,” says Ross Memorial Hospital president and CEO Kelly Isfan in a media release. “They contribute to a uniquely caring culture at the Ross and a collective strength that is unmatched.
Ross Memorial Hospital’s Karen Harrison of nutrition services received a Dedicated to Excellence award and clinical educator and support specialist Jennifer Maunder received a Champion of Change award and was also recognized for 25 years of service at the hospital. The women were two of 29 staff who were nominated by their peers for an Excellence Award at the hospital’s annual Long Service and Excellence Awards on November 29, 2023. (Photos courtesy of Ross Memorial Hospital)
Along with the 129 staff receiving Long Service Awards, 29 staff received an Excellence Award across four categories: dedicated to excellence, champions of change, committed to the team, and respectful community.
Employees who received an Excellence Award include Karen Harrison of nutrition services, described as the “welcoming face” of the hospital’s staff cafeteria, who was recognized with Dedicated to Excellence award, and clinical educator and support specialist Jennifer Maunder, who received a Champion of Change award and was also recognized for 25 years of service at the hospital.
“What better reflection of the importance of their work than having their name brought forward by a peer?” says Isfan of the Excellence Awards recipients. “It says a great deal when the people they work shoulder-to-shoulder with each and every day feel compelled to see their efforts acknowledged. They are all leaders and examples of what we all strive to accomplish through our work here at Ross Memorial Hospital.”
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A full list of all the award recipients is provided below.
The Kawartha Food Share is launching their 2023 Reverse Advent calendar initiative to give to those in need this holiday season. Rather than taking a daily treat from a traditional Advent calendar, you collect a suggested essential food or other item each day from December 1 to 21 and donate the items to Kawartha Food Share so they can distribute them to families before Christmas. (Graphic: Kawartha Food Share)
This holiday season, instead of opening an Advent calendar where you receive a goodie each day, Kawartha Food Share is asking community members to collect just one food item each day to give back to those in need.
The organization’s “Reverse Advent Calendar” launched on Friday (December 1) and will run until the food share’s final day of collection ahead of the holidays on Thursday, December 21st.
The process is simple: Kawartha Food Share suggests one item per day on the calendar to be put aside into a box so that, at the end of the 21 days, people will have a full box of items to give to a family needing support this holiday season.
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“It’s such a good way to get involved and a fun way to get kids involved,” says Ashlee Aitken, general manager of Kawartha Food Share, which distributes to food banks and food cupboards across Peterborough County. “Rather than just getting a chocolate from an Advent calendar, you’re giving something to someone in need.”
Prior to annually launching the calendar six years ago, Aitken explains, community members would reach out to Kawartha Food Share to inquire about priority items or donating hampers during the holiday season. The organization created the Reverse Advent calendar to help community members see the items that are most in-demand in the region and to help them curate their own box of goods, one item at a time.
She adds that the Reverse Advent calendar also gives classrooms and other groups the opportunity to present challenges with collecting the items.
“If every student had one item or every family brought in one item each day of the month, it all adds up very quickly,” says Aitken. “It’s meant to be small items each day that are feasible for a family to donate and at the end of the month, we give it to someone that needs it.”
Kawartha Food Share volunteer Franz preparing a box to be given to a local family in need this holiday season. Items on the 2023 Reverse Advent Calendar include essential non-perishable food items, treats for the holidays, toiletries, toilet paper, and other items of necessity for families in need. Volunteers sort through the boxes to ensure each one meet the needs of the individual families being gifted the goods. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share)
With days devoted to toiletries, toilet paper, baby food, snacks, and treats, the calendar suggests a range of items to ensure the box is well-rounded to meet a family’s needs.
“There’s a bit of everything,” Aitken notes. “Oftentimes when donating to food banks, you just think of the non-perishables, but there’s so much more that we offer, including toiletries and other items.”
While the calendar makes up the recommendations for each day to go into the donated box, Kawartha Food Share will adjust the items in a box based on a specific family’s needs before giving them to the family.
“Not every family needs things like baby food, for example, so we will pull them out of the ones who don’t and give to those who do,” says Aitken, adding that every item on the Reverse Advent calendar including baby food is needed by someone. “Items like that are very expensive for our clients and are always great to have.”
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This year, the Real Canadian Superstore at Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough contacted Kawartha Food Share to offer support to the project. Each day, the corresponding item on the calendar will be located near the checkouts to make it easy for donors to find. Rather than grabbing that last-minute chocolate bar they don’t need, it encourages community members to make a meaningful purchase that gives back to those in the community.
“We really appreciate Superstore’s support,” says Aitken. “They’ve been really big champions of ours for a long time but having them do this is another bonus for us.”
Though community members are always eager to give this time of year, Aitken explains the need is even more dire this year as food banks supported by Kawartha Food Share have been seeing an increased demand because of socioeconomic factors.
“It’s been a challenging couple of years for many people in our community, especially this year with the cost of food rising significantly,” Aitken points out.
New this year, the Real Canadian Superstore at Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough is supporting Kawartha Food Share’s Reverse Advent Calendar initiative by keeping the daily corresponding product by the checkouts for easy and meaningful last-minute purchasing. Donations to Kawartha Food Share can be made directly at the grocery store or taken home to add to the donor’s Reverse Advent Calendar box. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share)
The rising cost of food has also diminished Kawartha Food Share’s wholesale buying power when it comes to monetary donations, according to Aitken. In 2021, the food share could purchase up to $6 worth of food with every $1 donated. Today, that $1 can only purchase up to $4 worth of food or even less, with the cost of some items now equal to their retail value.
“It’s less that our agencies can purchase, and it’s been a challenging year trying to keep up with the demands,” she says. “But doing these fun little initiatives that get people engaged and giving back in an easy way always really benefits us and those in need.”
The Reverse Advent calendar is made up of suggestions for those needing guidance. Kawartha Food Share also encourages and accepts donations of all kinds, even if they are not listed on the calendar.
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Items listed on the Reverse Advent calendar can be purchased all at once and donated immediately or they can be collected over the 21 days, as long as they are dropped off at Kawartha Food Share by Thursday, December 21st so the organization has time to give them to families ahead of the holidays.
“Peterborough is such an extremely generous community,” says Aitken. “The people that support us do so because they want to help their fellow community members. They are so generous and we really appreciate the support.”
All boxes and individual donations can be dropped off at Kawartha Food Share’s warehouse at 665 Neal Drive in Peterborough between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday until December 21. For more information about Kawartha Food Share and the 36 member agencies it supports, visit kawarthafoodshare.com.
The Port Hope police station at 55 Fox Road in Port Hope. (Photo: Port Hope Police Service)
Ontario’s police watchdog has discontinued its investigation into a Port Hope police officer who fired her gun at a stolen pickup truck in July, turning the matter over to the Port Hope Police Service.
According to preliminary inquiries by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Port Hope police officers went to a McDonalds drive-thru at 175 Rose Glen Road on Sunday, July 30th after receiving information that a stolen vehicle and man wanted by police was there.
In an effort to arrest the driver, officers blocking his vehicle in with their vehicles and directed him to turn off the engine. The man then attempted to flee officers in the truck.
As the vehicle passed an officer, an officer took aim at the wheel on the driver’s side and shot her firearm. The bullet ricocheted off the wheel and struck the officer in her face. The driver fled the scene in the stolen pickup truck. The injured officer was transported to Northumberland Hills Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Due to the nature of the incident, the SIU invoked its mandate. The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency, independent of the police, that conducts criminal investigations into circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in serious injury, death, or allegations of sexual assault.
After completing its preliminary inquiries, the SIU announced on Thursday (November 30) that it was terminating its investigation.
“Based on video footage and utterances made by another officer in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it established the officer fired in the direction of the wheel, not the driver,” reads an SIU media release. “As such, it does not appear that the matter falls within the SIU’s statutory jurisdiction. This matter has been referred to the police service for investigation as they deem necessary.”
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The Port Hope Police Service has issued a media release stating that they will be reviewing the incident “in its entirety.”
“The wellness of our officer, mentally and physically, has been our priority,” the media release states. “The support from all members of the Port Hope Police Service will continue. Policing is an extremely challenging profession, and our officers are faced with split second decisions based on previous experiences as well as their training.”
Early in the morning following the incident, Northumberland OPP arrested the 29-year-old driver of the stolen pickup truck. Jordan Denny of Cobourg was charged with two counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle, flight from police, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Juno-nominated and Canadian Folk Music Award winning Toronto-based bluegrass band The Slocan Ramblers (Frank Evans, Adrian Gross, and Darryl Poulsen with Charles James) are performing on Wednesday, December 6 at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo via slocanramblers.com)
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, November 30 to Wednesday, December 6.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
Sunday, December 17 2-6pm - A Country Christmas Show ft Mike McGivern, Borderline Express w/ Sweetgrass Band, Larry Adams, John Noonan, Brian Stewart, Tom Mark, and more
The Peterborough GreenUP Store and Resource Centre in downtown Peterborough offers many eco-friendly choices for your holiday gift giving, including locally made items that support the local economy while decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from delivery vehicles. (Photo: Eileen Kimmett / GreenUP)
Are you looking from eco-friendly stocking stuffers in time for Christmas?
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Eileen Kimmett, Program Coordinator for the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre.
With weeks left until the holiday giving season, think of how your gifts meet high environmental and ethical trade, labour, and human rights standards. Whether that be to source waste-free, long-lasting, or locally made gifts, your choice can create a positive climate impact.
The GreenUP Store and Resource Centre is a unique starting point for anyone looking to support a non-profit organization, while making better purchasing decisions. Choosing the environment can be affordable, too. Low-impact stocking stuffers that range from under $5 to $25 are sure to keep you on the ‘nice list’ — for the planet and your wallet too.
Keep the environment in mind when choosing decorations or small gifts. Pictured is an example of how you can decorate your tree with homemade ornaments, and gift small and sustainable stocking stuffers that have a positive environmental impact. (Photo: Eileen Kimmett / GreenUP)
This year, GreenUP has many locally sourced items from small businesses. We’ve compiled a list of stocking stuffers at various price points below to help kick-start your journey towards an environmentally friendly holiday.
Items with an asterisk* are local makers from around Peterborough and the Kawarthas. A portion of purchases towards local makers also goes towards climate programming in the community, so it’s a win-win!
Gifts under $5
Gifts under $5 at the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre in downtown Peterborough include buttons and stickers designed by local artist Brianna Gosselin. (Photo: Funagoshi Stickers)
Ornaments from EcoMum and RDR Creations
Stainless Steel Straws
Bamboo Eating Utensils, Spoon, Fork, and Knife
Beeswax Tealights from This Old Flame*
Vegetable/Flower Seeds from Urban Tomato Lady*
Shower Steamers from Milieu Market
Handmade Gift Bags and Stockings from Marie Oliver*
Buttons and Stickers from Brianna Gosselin*
* Local makers
Gifts between $5 to $10
Handmade cards, bamboo toothbrushes, and handmade soap are a few gifts between $5 and $10 you can get at the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre in downtown Peterborough. Items which have no packaging, low-waste packaging, or recycled packaging are more beneficial for keeping waste out of the landfill and out of the environment. These items often also required less energy to make, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo: Eileen Kimmett / GreenUP)
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Lip Balm from Swift Acres*
Handmade Soap from Swift Acres*
Christmas Cards from Three Tree Cottage* and Brianna Gosselin*
Handmade Cards from Anita Clifford* and Ella Mollie*
Handmade Key Chains from Spruce Moose*
Birch Baby Diaper Balm, Baby Lotion, or Shampoo Sample Packet from Birch Babe*
* Local makers
Gifts between $10 to $15
Gifts between $10 to $15 at the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre in downtown Peterborough include liquid wildflower honey from Swift Acres in Apsley, whose apiary is surrounded by wildflower fields and backs onto Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. (Photo: GreenUP)
Small Bowls/Pottery from Kristina Albright*
Shampoo Bar from Birch Babe*
Lip Tint from Birch Babe*
Lotion Bar and Cucumber Soap from Milieu Market
Handmade Soap from Purple Urchin
Natural Deodorant from Swift Acres*
Knitted Pocket Animals from RDR Creations*
Spork from Ahimsa Eco
Honey from Swift Acres*
Maple Syrup Tasting Trio from Red Mill*
Beeswax Candles from This Old Flame*
Herbal/Medicinal Tea from Community Medicine Garden*
* Local makers
Gifts between $15 to $20
Gifts between $15 to $20 at the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre in downtown Peterborough include Unpaper Towels from Peterborough-based Cheeks Ahoy. These rewashable single-ply cotton flannel cloths can replace single-use paper towels and napkins. (Photo: GreenUP)
Coffee from Birds & Beans, Rapids End*, Old Rail
Beeswax Jar Candles from Swift Acres*
Bath Salts from Purple Urchin
Black Pepper and Birch Muscle Rub from Purple Urchin
Beeswax Food Wrap from Abeego, Lake Reflections Apiary*
Chocolate Face Mask from Purple Urchin
Mittens and Hats from RDR Creations* and Brianna Gosselin*
Mascara Set from Birch Babe*
Hand/Body Butter from Sweet Flowering Wellness*
Unpaper Towels from Cheeks Ahoy*
3in1 (Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash) Kids Starter Kit from Myni
* Local makers
Gifts between $20 to $25
Gifts between $20 to $25 at the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre in downtown Peterborough include one-of-a-kind “Beerings” (earrings made out of beer cans) by Peterborough maker Keetarella. (Photo: Keetarella)
Christmas Cards (five pack) from Jackson Creek Press*
Earrings made out of beer cans from Keeterella*
Candles from Swift Acres*
* Local makers
Choosing gifts from local makers is good for Peterborough’s local economy as well as the environment. (Photo: Joon Kim)
When you choose to buy sustainable products, you are helping to reduce your impact on the environment and are helping to mitigate climate change. When you choose to buy local, waste-free, and handmade, you directly support the planet.
The GreenUP Store and Resource Centre is located at 378 Aylmer Street North in downtown Peterborough between Hunter and Simcoe Streets and online at shop.greenup.on.ca.
Beginning December 14 until December 23, the GreenUP Store and Resource Centre will have extended hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day between Monday and Saturday (closed on Sundays). We hope to see you soon!
This story was published in partnership with Peterborough GreenUP.
Ray Leighton, co-founder of Hip Vodka, is the new owner of Black's Distillery in Peterborough's East City. (Photo courtesy of Ray Leighton)
Black’s Distillery in East City is under new ownership and, for those who with a penchant for vodka with a unique flavour twist, that’s good news indeed.
From the outside looking in, much remains the same at the location at 99 Hunter Street East on the corner of Mark Street. In fact, the Black’s Distillery name is being retained, and the familiar gin, vodka, rye, barley, cassis, and cherry whisky liqueur offerings remain in supply and available.
What’s now new is Hip, a relatively new but increasingly popular kid on the vodka block. The brand has taken up residence at the distillery, offering vodka in mango, watermelon, and bubble gum flavours, each in a bottle that, yes, has a unique hip-like shape.
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Hip Vodka was launched in early 2017 by friends and then business partners Ray Leighton and Dave Robinson. While the latter “has gone a different route,” Leighton tells kawarthaNOW he is staying the course, guiding the brand to its fair share of the crowded liquor market.
The acquisition of Black’s Distillery from founder Robert Black, and the planned opening of another location in Pickering, is part of the effort that also sees Hip Vodka products being shipped to the United Kingdom, St. Kitts-Nevis, Cameroon, and Jamaica, and domestically to Alberta, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island.
“My goal is to build the brand of Black’s, to build the brand of Hip, to support local, and to grow the business,” explains Leighton. “Hip is a global brand but I want to keep building and promoting the culture of the Black’s brands. That helps Hip and it also helps Black’s.”
“I didn’t want to change the name — Black’s has been there since 2018. A lot of people know it. There’s a lot of synergy there. We have different product audiences but it’s good to have both. Our brand is one segment of the market. The brands provided by Robert Black have a different market segment. This is good for both brands.”
According to co-founder Ray Leighton, Hip Vodka is a “fun brand” offering vodka in unique flavours including mango, watermelon, and bubble gum. (Photo courtesy of Hip Vodka)
A resident of Port Perry, Leighton settled on Peterborough as the location of a brick ‘n’ mortar outlet for Hip Vodka products due to its relatively close proximity to his home. He says locating at an existing distillery is a huge bonus.
“To build a distillery from scratch takes an extremely long time,” he says. “You’re dealing with the government and, as anybody who has ever dealt with the government knows, it takes quite awhile to get things done.”
“I’ve always liked Peterborough,” Leighton adds. “I like the small town community that’s starting to grow. There are a lot of positives there. Being in Peterborough allows me some uniqueness — that I’m building something and hopefully, as I build it, the community supports it.”
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Noting that since Black’s is a distillery, Leighton says patrons can sample existing Black’s products as well as Hip’s lineup of vodkas along with its Hip Gin Silver.
“We just recently hosted a small event there, Cocktails And Chaos, for about 25 women who wanted a night out,” says Leighton. “They learned about charcuterie and cocktail drinks. It was pretty successful.”
“Black’s will continue providing a location to buy products, but I want to grow it to become a small event place. We can only handle 20 to 30 people but it’s a great landing spot for a small party.”
A promotion for Hip Vodka outside Black’s Distillery at 99 Hunter Street East, on the corner of Mark Street, in Peterborough’s East City. (Photo courtesy of Ray Leighton)
Reflecting on how far his venture has come, Leighton says the initial focus was on standing out as unique in the very crowded alcohol market.
“The first thing that attracts people is the branding — the design and the attraction of the packaging,” he says, adding “With alcohol, that starts with the bottle itself. My partner (Robinson) and I came up with the design.”
“As for the name, I wanted it to be simple. I looked up ‘hip’ in Urban Dictionary. Basically, it means cooler than cool. I like to think of us as that. It’s a fun brand. This is not the product you’re going to have a cigar with. We’re not a fine Scotch. We are a very fun brand. We want you to have a party.”
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With the Hip brand already having gone global, Hip Vodka is produced at multiple distilleries and shipped in batches. Meanwhile, the marketing of Hip apparel via the website is another revenue stream. Leighton says a non-alcoholic Hip Caesar mix, branded as Cajun Candy, will soon be available at Sobeys stores as well as at Black’s Distillery.
Hip’s Pickering location, says Leighton, will open in December or early January, followed in the latter half of January by a soft launch at Black’s Distillery, with the date yet to be determined.
“We’ll be distilling half our product in Peterborough and the other half in Pickering. The Peterborough location is the flagship. Pickering is not a destination distillery — it will be more of a retail store.”
Under Ray Leighton’s ownership, Black’s Distillery’s will continue to function as a distillery as well as a retail outlet to buy products, but he hopes to also make the location a venue for small events. (Photo courtesy of Ray Leighton)
The evolution of Hip, says Leighton, has been “such a personal journey.”
“I don’t think of it as ‘Wow, I’ve achieved this.’ I look at it as a journey, as each day I’ve got to tackle this and keep building the brand.”
“If you don’t know the alcohol space, if you don’t have good branding, you will not survive. It doesn’t matter how good the product is. Hip Vodka sells itself. That’s why I believe it’s going to be a significant player down the road as I slowly build the brand.”
For information on Hip Vodka, including a full listing of its product offerings, visit www.hipvodka.com.
Canada’s new 988 suicide crisis helpline launched at 9 a.m. on Thursday (November 30). In the Kawarthas region, calls and texts will be answered by workers with the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR).
People across Canada who are experiencing a mental health crisis — or who know someone who is — and need immediate support can call or text 988.
Similar to 911 for emergency services, 988 is an easy-to-remember three digit code where people can get free confidential and non-judgmental support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Calls and texts to 988 will be directed to a network of 39 community partners across the country that offer suicide prevention services such as counselling. Funded by the federal government, the 988 helpline is available in English and French.
In the Kawarthas region, CMHA HKPR was selected as the local provider, which means people calling or texting from an area code in Peterborough, Haliburton, Northumberland, and Kawartha Lakes will be routed to local workers at CMHA HKPR’s call centre in downtown Peterborough.
Along with the launch of the 988 helpline, CMHA HKPR has restructured its Four County Crisis (4CC) service as part of a new integrated crisis intervention service model. The Four County Crisis line at 705-745-6484 has now become the direct line for CMHA HKPR’s Safe Beds program and after-hours housing support.
Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge CEO Mark Graham (right) speaks about the new 988 suicide crisis helpline at a media event on November 17, 2023 with program and services director Tracy Graham (left) and corporate services director Ellen Watkins. (Photo: CMHA HKPR)
The Safe Beds program is a safe and supportive environment in a home setting that helps those 16 years of age and older decrease or alleviate their crisis through services that are sensitive to individual needs. If people in a mental health crisis call the former Four County Crisis line, they will receive a message to hang up and call 988.
CMHA HKPR’s new integrated crisis intervention service model also includes eight more brief services mental health workers who will be located across the four counties (brief services are quick or short-term sessions to address immediate needs).
The new model also includes moving the Safe Beds facility from a residential neighbourhood to downtown Peterborough and increasing the bed capacity with an opportunity for transitional housing.
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