The Historic Red Dog Tavern in downtown Peterborough has been sold and will close as of November 1.

On Tuesday (October 10), Dave MacQuarrie, the live music venue’s longtime sound technician, posted the news of the pending closure on Facebook, sparking a flurry of reminisces.

“It’s with a mix of immense sadness and gratitude that I can now safely say what everyone in town has been hearing — the Red Dog has been sold and we will be closing the doors permanently on November 1st,” wrote MacQuarrie, adding “It’s been a great run.”

Contacted by kawarthaNOW, MacQuarrie says current Richard Halka, who bought the 189 Hunter Street West property in 2010 from Michael Skinner, has sold it to “two people … one is kind of an investor.” Based on what MacQuarrie has heard, he adds “I don’t think they’re too interested in having live music there in the future.”

Asked if the buyers are local, MacQuarrie said “I believe so, yes.”

While he has no idea what the new owners plan for the space, MacQuarrie says “The quote that I heard was ‘Total gut job'”

“We had bookings into March 2024. All those are cancelled.”

“There are tenants living upstairs now and I believe that they’re going to continue to live there, so I believe the renovations will be focused on the main room, Clancy’s and The Underdog.”

MacQuarrie says while he’s sad the Historic Red Dog will be no more, its sale hasn’t come as a surprise.

“The inevitability (of a sale) was staring me in the face. When we were putting on bigger shows, there were three venues in town. There are about 20 now.”

“These days, nightlife is in direct competition with Netflix. I can stay in and watch a show that I went to in 1980 at Massey Hall. It’s perfect sound and I can get snacks and it doesn’t cost me anything. That didn’t use to exist.”

MacQuarrie started mixing shows at what was then the Legendary Red Dog in 2004, initially in The Underdog in the pub’s basement.

“(Musician) Tom Wilson said ‘This is my kind of room because this is a southern Ontario draught (beer) room,'” noted MacQuarrie.

“These rooms don’t really exist anymore. There are few and far between. The Ganny (Ganaraska Hotel) in Port Hope is one and (so is the recently reopened) The Pig’s Ear. They used to be everywhere. This (the Red Dog) was where everyone went on the weekends. You feel the footprints of the musicians who have come before. There are ghosts in that room.”

Built in the early 1880s by local developer David Henthorne, the building originally opened as Clancy’s Hotel. It underwent several name changes over the years, including the Peterborough House, the American Hotel/House, and Brownie’s Tavern.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the building housed three pubs, including Clancy’s, the Legendary Red Dog, and the Underdog. The Legendary Red Dog hosted a number of notable Canadian performers including Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, The Tragically Hip, Jeff Healey, the Cowboy Junkies, and Ronnie Hawkins.

The building received a heritage designation from the City of Peterborough in 2007. In 2009, Skinner purchased the building and renamed it The Historic Red Dog Pub and Tavern. Halka purchased it the following year.

Reached for comment in Maryland where they are on tour, The Weber Brothers — Ryan and Sam — immediately reflected on 2001 when, newly arrived in the area and having soaked up all they could from the late Ronnie Hawkins, they were given the chance to play regularly at what was then the Legendary Red Dog.

“It was home for us … (the late) John Greco and everybody there really took us in and gave us a place to play,” recalls Ryan, with Sam noting how important such an outlet is to a young musician.

“There were always great musicians coming there and performing,” Sam says. “The place was packed with locals. Lucky for us, we were given the opportunity play there whenever we wanted. At that (young) age, when you’re in your formative years, the chance to have that much stage time is really helpful in honing your craft. We owe a lot to that place for giving us that opportunity.”

“An amazing testament to that place,” says Ryan, was it being home to numerous benefits over the years, many of which the brothers lent their talent to.

“Too numerous to count the amount of times that those (benefits) happened. It was like ‘Yup, let’s do it here. What day do you want to do it?’ But that’s also a testament to the town, where the community comes together for whoever is in need. The Red Dog was the spot where that was done and that was huge.”

Referencing the pub’s long history, Ryan says that gave it its “mojo.”

“It’s in the walls. It’s on the stage. It’s in the room. You can feel it. The room is full of memories.”

Sam, however, says he was less moved by the building’s history and more moved by those acts he was able to enjoy there over the years.

“Buzz Thompson, Bobby Watson, Jericho’s Wall, Paul James, Five Alarm Funk, Paul Reddick — the amazing music that we all got to experience there blew my mind apart many times over.”

Like MacQuarrie, Frank Girard spent a lot of time at the Red Dog going back to the 1980s, as a sound technician and as a guitarist with several bands.

“With the bands in the corner, they could hear the P.A. system instead of just hearing the monitors. It was like you were jamming in your basement. It gave you that big sound.”

The birth of the Underdog, says Girard, is a story in itself, involving former owner Ray McGregor.

“His daughter was getting married. He was phoning around, trying to find a hall for the reception. When he heard the prices, he renovated that room and had it in his own place. Then he turned it into a little bar.”

Note: kawarthaNOW has been unable to contact owner Richard Halka to confirm the sale of the Red Dog, the identity of the new owners, or future plans for the building.

The original version of this story has been updated with Paul Rellinger’s story.

The City of Peterborough’s new $62-million arena complex, currently under construction in Morrow Park at Lansdowne and Park streets, will be named the Miskin Law Community Complex.

Peterborough city council, meeting as general committee on Tuesday night (October 10), endorsed a sponsorship naming rights agreement with Miskin Law, a personal injury and civil litigation firm based in Peterborough.

The agreement would see Miskin Law pay $600,000 to the city over 10 years, with $90,000 per year for the first five years and $30,000 per year for the second five years. Miskin Law would be responsible to pay any costs for branding of the facility, including signage on the building.

Expected to open in September 2024, the new arena complex will include two NHL-size ice pads and a running track, as well as a second branch of the Peterborough Public Library, two multipurpose rooms, and commercial office space. A potential future phase of the development would include an aquatics complex with an indoor swimming pool.

The budget for the first phase of the facility includes $1 million in sponsorship revenue — representing around 1.6 per cent of the total cost of the facility — to offset the project’s cost.

For the remaining $400,000 in sponsorship revenue, the city will be seeking sponsors for the two ice pads, the multipurpose rooms, the running track, and the library branch.

According to a report to general committee from Richard Freymond, the city’s commissioner of finance and corporate support services, city staff met with 11 potential sponsors for naming rights for the facility and recommended Miskin Law as the “best prospect” as the sponsor.

“The opportunity with Miskin Law represents an appropriate fit with all parties’ interests and aligns well with the building naming right asset,” the report reads.

The report cites Miskin Law’s reputation as a litigation firm, partner Murray Miskin’s past and present involvement with Trent University, Miskin Law’s membership in local organizations such as the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and the firm’s history of sponsoring local non-profit organizations, including naming rights for the stage at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.

General committee’s endorsement of the sponsorship agreement will be considered for approval at the regular city council meeting on Monday, October 23rd.

A 79-year-old woman who was found dead in Fenelon Falls last week was murdered, according to police, and an arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect.

On Monday (October 2), officers with the Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were called after the woman was found dead in a residence on Kanata Trail near Cameron Lake just north of Fenelon Falls.

Police considered the woman’s death suspicious and a port-mortem was scheduled to determine the cause of death. The Kawartha Lakes OPP Crime Unit began an investigation under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, with assistance from members of the OPP Central Region Crime Unit, Kawartha Lakes OPP Community Street Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Services, and OPP Regional Support Team,, and in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.

On Tuesday (October 10), police deemed the suspicious death a homicide and issued an arrest warrant for 48-year-old Stephen Whiteway of Fenelon Township. Whiteway, who is is known to frequent the Lindsay area, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Police have not released the name of the victim or details of any relationship between the accused man and the victim.

Anyone with information that might assist the investigation is asked to call Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip online at www.khcrimestoppers.com. You may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.

Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay has a new full-time general surgeon.

Dr. Simon Adams officially began working at the hospital in September, where he will be performing endoscopies and surgeries for hernias, gall bladders, bowel cancers, and more.

Originally from Stratford-upon-Avon in England, Dr. Adams earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Leicester in 2000. He spent more than 10 years practising medicine in the United Kingdom before moving to Canada.

From 2013 to 2019, he completed the general surgery residency program at University of Saskatchewan, and has served as a locum general surgeon (filling in for other surgeons) in Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. In 2021, he a one-year fellowship in abdominal wall reconstruction.

“I am excited to join the team at Ross Memorial Hospital and start seeing patients,” Dr. Adams says in a media release. “Having spent time treating patients and expanding my skillset throughout Canada, I’ve come to realize how much I enjoy the small-town feel. I look forward to learning more about the Kawartha Lakes and serving this tight-knit community.”

Referrals to Dr. Adams at Ross Memorial Hospital must be made either through a primary care provider or an emergency department physician. His office can be reached at 705-320-9916.

“Dr. Simon Adams is a skilled surgeon with lots of experience,” says Ross Memorial Hospital chief of staff Dr. Bharat Chawla. “We are happy to welcome him to Ross Memorial where he will be a valued addition to our hospital, surgical team, and community.”

Kawartha Lakes police have charged two teenage boys with the armed robbery of a Lindsay store early Saturday morning (October 7).

At around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, police officers were called to a business on William Street North in Lindsay.

After arriving, officers learned two suspects in disguise had entered the store, brandishing a hatchet. After demanding cash from the clerk, they fled the store.

Police located and arrested the suspects a short distance away. No one was injured during the incident.

As a result of the investigation, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy have each been charged with robbery with a weapon and disguise with intent.

The accused teenagers will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay on November 21.

Cobourg Police Service has received a $100,000 grant from the Ontario government to expand a collaboration with Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre, an accredited violence against women agency in Cobourg that provides shelter, counselling, housing support, and prevention services in Northumberland County.

In 2017, Cobourg police and Cornerstone launched the Violence Against Women Response Enhancement Project as a one-year pilot project that brought experts in gender-based violence into the police service alongside officers, allowing victims of gender-based violence to receive direct and expert support from a counsellor while pairing victim advocacy with criminal investigation.

Since then, the program has continued to evolve with best practices and has adjusted to trends and community needs. In 2021, Cobourg police worked with Cornerstone to provide a safer space for victims during a sexual assault interview. Victims were provided with the option to have a support person from Cornerstone present during their interview for enhanced support, potentially reducing re-traumatization through the interview process.

With the $100,000 grant, Cobourg police and Cornerstone will be rebranding the Violence Against Women Response Enhancement Project as the Intimate Partner Abuse Response Strategy program and expanding the program’s geographical reach, establishing a full-time position, adding services for sexual assault victims, increasing training for officers on intimate partner abuse, and developing best-practice documentation for police, social service programs, and domestic violence and sexual assault prevention centres.

“With the funding, we are excited to expand this program to support victims and survivors,” says Cornerstone executive director Nancy Johnston in a media release. “The grant will allow us to create an innovative framework that can be applied by other interested police services over a larger geographical area, furthering our shared work of supporting our local and larger communities in creating a violence-free future.”

The $100,000 grant is part of the Ontario government’s $4 million Victim Support Grant Program to help support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, human trafficking. and child exploitation. The Cobourg Police Service is one of 45 municipal and First Nations police departments and OPP detachments that received funding through this program in September for 2023-2024.

“Our partnership with Cornerstone is vital to supporting victims and survivors of intimate partner violence,” says Chief Paul VandeGraaf of Cobourg Police Service. “The support from the province through this grant money (increases) our ability to come together to stand against the intimate partner violence epidemic by focusing on collaborative solutions, increasing the number of people connected to Cornerstone services, enhancing training for officers to ensure the readiness of our team at Cobourg Police Service and in Port Hope to support the community.”

“We continue to foster a positive working relationship with Cobourg Police Service and we are truly appreciative of the Victim Support Grant program that will provide the opportunity to continue our partnership with Cobourg Police Service and enhance our ongoing collaboration with them and Port Hope Police Service,” Johnston says.

“Partnerships and collaboration can help us succeed in creating safe and resilient communities,” says Chief Tim Farquharson of Port Hope Police Service. “Cornerstone continues to support those impacted by gender-based violence and we are pleased to be a partner. Strengthening families, youth and individuals through programs and services always results in a stronger community. We are grateful for the province’s investment in Northumberland County through this grant. We will continue to work towards sustainable funding for the long term to support the safety, health, and wellness of our community.”