Home Blog Page 205

Central Smith Creamery launches third annual ‘Fill the Truck’ campaign in support of Kawartha Food Share

For the third year in a row, Central Smith Creamery in Selwyn Township will be filling a delivery truck with donated non-perishable food items instead of ice cream for the "Fill the Truck" campaign, which encourages local businesses and organizations to collect food items and monetary donations by December 15, 2023, when Central Smith will pick up the donations and deliver them to Kawartha Food Share. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)

I scream, you scream, we all scream … to fill the truck!

On Friday, December 15th, when Central Smith Creamery loads up their delivery truck, it won’t be with the premium ice cream for which the Selwyn-based company is known. Instead, they’ll be filling it with donated non-perishable food items collected by local businesses and organizations for Kawartha Food Share.

This will mark the third year the family-owned business has organized the “Fill the Truck” campaign. After running a food drive during the first pandemic holiday season to support the community through a difficult time, in 2021 the team at Central Smith decided to do something even larger.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

“The great thing about this whole campaign is it was driven by staff,” says Central Smith vice president and co-owner Jenn Scates. “It started in a meeting where somebody suggested it would be cool if we could fill the truck, and (Fill the Truck) was born. We had a great committee of people that started reaching out to a lot of our partners.”

Participating businesses and organizations will launch their own independent food drives over the coming weeks to collect items for Fill the Truck. Then, on December 15, Central Smith “elves” will visit each location and collect the donated items, with the ultimate goal to fill at least one truck.

“What’s been great to see this year is that businesses are reaching out to us instead of us reaching out to them,” says Shannon Meagher, Central Smith’s inventory control coordinator. “People are getting to know what it is that we do every year.”

Meagher adds that it’s not just local businesses taking part, but organizations, churches, and schools. While some have participated each year since the inaugural campaign, the list has continued to grow, with more than 35 organizations already signed up to be involved this year. There is still opportunity for other groups to participate by contacting Central Smith before Friday, December 1st.

Last December, the Central Smith Creamery second annual "Fill a Truck" campaign delivered 14,500 pounds of non-perishable food items as well as $10,000 in monetary donations from 38 businesses and organizations to Kawartha Food Share. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)
Last December, the Central Smith Creamery second annual “Fill a Truck” campaign delivered 14,500 pounds of non-perishable food items as well as $10,000 in monetary donations from 38 businesses and organizations to Kawartha Food Share. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)

You can donate non-perishable food items at participating businesses and organizations, which include:

Adam Scott Collegiate
Applewood Retirement Residence
Basket Express
BrokerLink
Canopy Support Services
Chemong Public School
Chumleighs
Couture Candy
Crestwood Secondary School
Dentistry on Sherbrooke
Ferndale Bible Church
Harco
Hearts 4 Joy
Holiday Inn
Hospice Peterborough
Jesse’s Tap & Grill
Kawartha Metals
Kawartha Orthodontics
Kingdon Timbermart
Murrdogs Craft Barbery
PFW Country Store
R.F. Downey Public School
Rolls Royce
Scotiabank (Clonsilla, Hunter St. W., and Chemong Rd. branches)
Selwyn Firehall
Selwyn Township
Shining Waters Chiropractic
St. Catherine Daycare
St. Patrick’s Daycare
Style Boutique
Sullivans General Store
Sullivan Law

 

You can also drop off donations at the bins outside of Central Smith Creamery (and “buy a four-litre tub of ice cream at the same time,” jokes Scates).

At the end of last year’s collection day, Central Smith had dropped off 14,500 pounds of non-perishable food items — a full truckload — to Kawartha Food Share, as well as $10,000 in monetary donations.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

“Since COVID, everyone knows that the community needs more assistance year after year, and that need continues to grow,” says Meagher. “This is a really great way for businesses to make a big impact.”

Central Smith will provide participating businesses with promotional material, including printed flyers and social media posts, as well as a list of high-demand non-perishable food items identified by Kawartha Food Share.

On pick-up day, the Central Smith truck will travel two separate routes, with one going through Lakefield and another visiting Peterborough locations. A map of the routes with participating locations will be released ahead of the collection date

Jesse's Tap and Grill in Ennismore, which also participated in Central Smith Creamery "Fill a Truck" campaign in 2022, is one of 35 businesses and organizations currently signed up to participate in the community food drive again this year. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)
Jesse’s Tap and Grill in Ennismore, which also participated in Central Smith Creamery “Fill a Truck” campaign in 2022, is one of 35 businesses and organizations currently signed up to participate in the community food drive again this year. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)

Beyond the food collection itself, Scates acknowledges how rewarding it is to see the community coming together in support of a good cause and finding their own ways to get staff and clients involved. For example, Dentistry on Sherbrooke in Peterborough is encouraging clients to donate by welcoming them with a lobby display that includes a truck resembling the Central Smith truck.

“They’re having fun with it,” says Scates. “It’s been a real community builder for us, and we’ve gotten to know some new friends.”

Scates adds that while food donations are always appreciated at Kawartha Food Share, which distributes food to 37 food banks and cupboards in Peterborough County, monetary donations are just as highly valued and can often go a long way — for every $1 donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $3 worth of food.

“(Kawartha Food Share) has better buying power than you and I do,” says Scates. “We actually encourage a lot of our participants to give money because we know they can stretch it a little further than we can.”

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Central Smith’s planning manager Katie Watt explains that, when dropping off the donations last year, the team was given a tour of the Kawartha Food Share to get a better sense and appreciation for what the organization does on a daily and weekly basis.

“We found out a lot more about the reach that they have and the amount of need that they’re fulfilling,” she says. “That’s only grown more and more this year with food insecurity on the rise. We can get the food to them, but they’re certainly the pros in distributing it amongst the community to the people that really need it.”

Given the increase in food insecurity and community need, Scates hopes Central Smith can exceed last year’s goal.

Central Smith's "Fill the Truck" campaign brings together businesses and organizations across Peterborough County to help address food insecurity over the holiday season. Already well on their way to collecting non-perishable food items, Dentistry on Sherbrooke in Peterborough has crafted a fun and creative display in its waiting room to encourage donations. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)
Central Smith’s “Fill the Truck” campaign brings together businesses and organizations across Peterborough County to help address food insecurity over the holiday season. Already well on their way to collecting non-perishable food items, Dentistry on Sherbrooke in Peterborough has crafted a fun and creative display in its waiting room to encourage donations. (Photo: Central Smith Creamery / Facebook)

“We’re thrilled to be able to help host it again as a company and I’m so proud of all our staff for the initiative,” Scates says. “Last year we filled one truck fully, so if we can fill a truck-and-a-half or two trucks this year that would be amazing.”

Businesses and organizations interested in being a part of the Fill the Truck campaign can email shannon@centralsmith.ca or jenn@centralsmith.ca before December 1.

For more information about Central Smith Creamery, visit www.centralsmith.ca. For more information about Kawartha Food Share, visit www.kawarthafoodshare.com.

First Friday Peterborough celebrates local creatives with outdoor holiday market on December 1

The Commerce Building Courtyard in downtown Peterborough will be transformed into a festive market on December 1, 2023 for the Neighbourhood Holiday Market organized by The Neighbourhood Vintage in partnership with First Friday Peterborough. The evening event during the First Friday art crawl features work from 20 local artists and artisans, live music performances, and food and drink. Pictured is the December 2022 market. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of First Friday Peterborough video)

December’s First Friday art crawl in downtown Peterborough is celebrating local creatives with a special outdoor holiday market.

Organized by The Neighbourhood Vintage in partnership with First Friday Peterborough, the Neighbourhood Holiday Market takes place in the Commerce Building Courtyard at 383 Water Street from 5 to 9 p.m. on December 1.

The family-friendly and accessible market will feature works from 20 local artist and artisan vendors, live music performances by local musicians Benj Rowland, Brooklyn Doran, and Caitlin O’Connor, and food and drink offered by local eateries Kit Coffee, La Hacienda, and St. Veronus.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

The first winter outdoor market in the Commerce Building Courtyard took place during last December’s First Friday art crawl, followed by a spring outdoor market during June’s event.

“The markets have been such a wonderful way for our community to come together,” says Jacquelyn Craft, owner of The Neighbourhood Vintage at 391 Water Street who organizes the markets, in a media release. “I love being able to create community events that showcase the vibrant creative talent here in Peterborough. From artists to makers, musicians to restaurants, there are so many talented members in our community and this has been a really great way for the public to discover them.”

The vendors participating in the Neighbourhood Holiday Market include Burn Island, Marrs Brand, Meowlinda, Olive Cedar Studio, Habitual Moon, 8th Troupe, City House Country House, Steaped Slow Ceramics, Keetarella, Take Cover Books, Whimsy & Wonder, Open Sky Stories, Away Designs, Miguel’s Art, The Artful Apricot, Ella Mollie, Well Grounded, TSC Studio/Gallery (Marcia Watt), Cheesecrafts, and Knitsbymich.

VIDEO: First Friday Peterborough December 2022 Outdoor Market

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

The Neighbourhood Holiday Market is a great opportunity to find unique holiday gifts produced by local creatives while supporting both the arts community and the local economy.

“We get really excited about our outdoor events for First Friday since they always feel extra special,” says First Friday Peterborough marketing and events coordinator Melissa Wilson. “There’s music and food, and the energy and atmosphere is always so positive. It’s always so gratifying to see our hard work pay off when the community gets together to enjoy and celebrate the arts before the holiday season.”

Run by volunteers, First Friday Peterborough is a monthly art crawl event showcasing local artists at downtown galleries, studios, shops, and cafes. Admission to all locations is free. For more information and to keep up to date on future art crawls and markets, visit First Friday Peterborough on Facebook and Instagram.

 Organized by The Neighbourhood Vintage in partnership with First Friday Peterborough, the Neighbourhood Holiday Market in the Commerce Building Courtyard in downtown Peterborough on December 1, 2023 is a great opportunity to find unique holiday gifts produced by local creatives while supporting both the arts community and the local economy. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of First Friday Peterborough video)
Organized by The Neighbourhood Vintage in partnership with First Friday Peterborough, the Neighbourhood Holiday Market in the Commerce Building Courtyard in downtown Peterborough on December 1, 2023 is a great opportunity to find unique holiday gifts produced by local creatives while supporting both the arts community and the local economy. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of First Friday Peterborough video)

 

This story has been updated to remove a reference to two local breweries participating in the event.

As its spring grand opening nears, hundreds of canoes make their journey across town to Peterborough’s new Canadian Canoe Museum

The Collection Hall at The Canadian Canoe Museum's new waterfront location in Peterborough will feature racks of canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft from around the world, representing diverse cultures and building techniques, each with a valuable story. The space will be visible to visitors and accessible for tours and by appointment. (Rendering: Lett Architects Inc.)

As the spring grand opening of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s new facility on the shores of Little Lake draws closer, the museum is approaching another monumental milestone as part of its move — its team has begun to install the remainder of the world’s largest collection of paddled watercraft in the Collection Hall.

While the canoes and kayaks featured in the new 20,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall have already been moved in, these 100 watercraft represent only one-sixth of the entire collection that will be housed in the state-of-the-art facility at 2077 Ashburnham Drive.

Over the coming months, another 500 watercraft will be installed in the similarly sized Collection Hall. Once that milestone has been completed, the entire collection will — for the first time in the museum’s history — be under one roof and accessible to visitors. At the museum’s previous Monaghan Road location, visitors could only see around 20 per cent of the collection on exhibit.

The Canadian Canoe Museum's current collection centre pictured in 2018. For decades, the majority of the museum's collection has been stored in an old warehouse behind the museum that has been largely inaccessible to the public. The new museum's Collection Hall will house the entire collection under one roof for the first time in its history, where it will be visible and accessible to visitors. (Photo: FusionRiver Photography)
The Canadian Canoe Museum’s current collection centre pictured in 2018. For decades, the majority of the museum’s collection has been stored in an old warehouse behind the museum that has been largely inaccessible to the public. The new museum’s Collection Hall will house the entire collection under one roof for the first time in its history, where it will be visible and accessible to visitors. (Photo: FusionRiver Photography)

As the next phase of the “Move the Collection: The Final Portage” fundraising campaign, The Canadian Canoe Museum is launching the “Fill the Collection Hall” campaign on Giving Tuesday (November 28) to support moving the remaining watercraft into the Collection Hall.

“A key reason we’re making this move is to put this collection in a safe and accessible place that matches the quality and significance of the collection,” says Carolyn Hyslop, the museum’s executive director. “We’re giving the collection Class ‘A’ Museum Environmental Control standards with the infrastructure in place to look after it and make it accessible for visitors.”

Located on the main floor at the north end of the building, the Collection Hall will see the canoes and kayaks stacked on shelves, bow-to-stern and six vessels high. Each watercraft will be on a custom-built cradle, allowing for easier and safer transportation between the Collection Hall and the Exhibition Hall.

The Canadian Canoe Museum's team has begun transferring canoes and kayaks to the new Collection Hall. On the left, empty racks line one of the five aisles, while canoes and kayaks fill the right side from floor to ceiling. Once complete, the Collection Hall will be home to more than 500 canoes and kayaks. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The Canadian Canoe Museum’s team has begun transferring canoes and kayaks to the new Collection Hall. On the left, empty racks line one of the five aisles, while canoes and kayaks fill the right side from floor to ceiling. Once complete, the Collection Hall will be home to more than 500 canoes and kayaks. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

“At 20,000 square feet, this room has been designed to meet our commitment that the full collection would be stored on-site with room for growth,” says Jeremy Ward, the museum’s curator. “That’s always been out of reach for the public, as it’s always been in a warehouse that is not accessible except under exceptional circumstances, so this is a dream come true.”

Watercraft in the Collection Hall will be arranged by construction type, as it is the one piece of information that is known about every watercraft in the collection. Aside from practicality, associate curator Beth Stanley explains that the museum’s organizational methods will allow visitors to grasp the magnitude of the various vessels in the collection.

“It’s going to be very visually stunning, with a whole run of wood and canvas canoes in every colour you can imagine as far as you can see,” she says. “It really hits you what a unique collection this is when you can see the diversity of watercraft with different construction types, shapes, and sizes in one big room.”

The 20,000-square-foot Collection Hall is situated on the main floor of the new museum, next to the Artisan Workshop where the living traditions of canoe building will be visible to inspire visitors. With 23-foot-high ceilings and a glass wall in the atrium and mezzanine, visitors will be able to take in the vast expanse and diversity of the collection for the first time in the museum's history. (Rendering: Lett Architects Inc.)
The 20,000-square-foot Collection Hall is situated on the main floor of the new museum, next to the Artisan Workshop where the living traditions of canoe building will be visible to inspire visitors. With 23-foot-high ceilings and a glass wall in the atrium and mezzanine, visitors will be able to take in the vast expanse and diversity of the collection for the first time in the museum’s history. (Rendering: Lett Architects Inc.)

A wall of windows will allow museum visitors to see what’s in the Collection Hall right from the atrium on the main floor when they enter the building.

“Visitors will always be able to walk up to the glass and get a sense of the story of the canoe in all its forms,” explains Ward. “A lot of effort goes into the design, layout, interpretation, and presentation of the collection in the Exhibition Hall, but when people step into the Collection Hall or look through the window, they will immediately realize the story of the canoe is so much bigger than they ever imagined.”

That story includes the late iconic Canadian author and environmentalist Farley Mowat’s beloved Vagabond (also nicknamed Conception), a 1920s Peterborough Canoe Co. canoe that he donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum in 2006. Farley’s father, Angus, first acquired the canoe and brought it to Saskatchewan during the Great Depression.

The canoe was Farley Mowat’s first connection to nature in his youth. It was used throughout his life, even moving back to Ontario with him. As an avid sailor, Mowat continued to modify the canoe’s sailing rig throughout the years. “We had a love affair, the canoe and I,” Mowat once said. “She was part of me.”

The late Canadian author and environmentalist Farley Mowat donated his beloved canoe, named Vagabond, to The Canadian Canoe Museum in 2006. Farley wished his "sweetheart" safe travels before the 1920s Peterborough Canoe Co. canoe began its journey to the museum. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The late Canadian author and environmentalist Farley Mowat donated his beloved canoe, named Vagabond, to The Canadian Canoe Museum in 2006. Farley wished his “sweetheart” safe travels before the 1920s Peterborough Canoe Co. canoe began its journey to the museum. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

Vagabond has now been moved to the Collection Hall, where it will remain visible through the atrium windows. It is just one of many watercraft in the museum’s collection that will not initially be on display in the Exhibition Hall but represents a fascinating chapter in the story of the canoe.

While visitors will always be steps away from the windows of the Collection Hall while they browse the museum’s exhibits, grab a latte from the museum’s café, or visit the museum’s store, the Collection Hall will also be accessible for tours and by appointment. The museum’s design provides ample room to move a watercraft to ground level so guests, donors, and researchers can spend time with the canoe or kayak.

“The Collection Hall has been designed to accommodate traditional care practices, like smudging ceremonies,” notes Hyslop. “The entire building is designed with that in mind, so that kind of stewardship and care of the collection extends throughout the whole space.”

The late Canadian author and environmentalist Farley Mowat's canoe Vagabond has been moved into the new Collection Hall and will be visible from the atrium. Mowat's canoe is just one of many beautiful and significant watercraft the Collection Hall will host. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The late Canadian author and environmentalist Farley Mowat’s canoe Vagabond has been moved into the new Collection Hall and will be visible from the atrium. Mowat’s canoe is just one of many beautiful and significant watercraft the Collection Hall will host. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

Small artifacts will be stored in a room separate from the Collection Hall, and that room will also be accessible for tours and by appointment.

With the Collection Hall on the first floor and the Exhibition Hall on the second floor, the museum has an ingenious method of moving watercraft from one floor to the other. When the atrium is not in use, the team will use a crane that swings out from the second-floor balcony to lower or lift a platform containing the watercraft on its custom-built cradle.

As for the atrium itself, it features a large east-facing curved window to let in lots of light, and the space can be rented after hours for corporate events. The south end of the atrium is the location of the museum’s café, with a seating area that leads out to a waterfront patio.

Collections assistants Dane Allendorf and Nicholas VanExan prepare to unload four canoes from a trailer at the new Canadian Canoe Museum on Ashburnham Drive. Over 500 canoes and kayaks will be moved into the Collection Hall in the coming months. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
Collections assistants Dane Allendorf and Nicholas VanExan prepare to unload four canoes from a trailer at the new Canadian Canoe Museum on Ashburnham Drive. Over 500 canoes and kayaks will be moved into the Collection Hall in the coming months. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

“One of the most amazing things about our architect’s creativity is their ability to find many uses for the same space,” says Ward. “We have so much efficiency in the design. At its very heart, the building is a functional and creative beauty. Its construction ensures that it meets all our needs.”

Hyslop adds that not only is the building’s design functional, but it immediately immerses visitors into the new museum and all that it offers beyond the exhibits. Right from the moment visitors enter the building, they can see through a floor-to-ceiling window into the Artisan Studio, where lots of hands-on activities will be taking place.

“We’ve made activities in the Artisan Studio visible to the public, so they are part of the regular visitor experience, whether you’re just coming in to go to the store or the café or whether you’re here for an exhibit visit and a tour,” says Hyslop. “We want people to be immersed in that making culture right from the moment they step through the front door.”

The Exhibition Hall will consist of seven different exhibits and will feature over 100 canoes and kayaks on display. Each area will explore a different theme through the lens of the canoes and kayaks on display and the stories they carry. Interactive displays and multi-media elements will allow visitors to connect with the collection, builders, and storytellers through stories, demonstrations, reflections, and play. (Graphic courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The Exhibition Hall will consist of seven different exhibits and will feature over 100 canoes and kayaks on display. Each area will explore a different theme through the lens of the canoes and kayaks on display and the stories they carry. Interactive displays and multi-media elements will allow visitors to connect with the collection, builders, and storytellers through stories, demonstrations, reflections, and play. (Graphic courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

As the museum team continues moving the rest of the watercraft into the Collection Hall, they are also in the installation phase for the exhibits, working with knowledge holders and partners from coast to coast to coast. The Exhibition Hall will offer seven different exhibits exploring various themes through the lens of the over 100 canoes and kayaks on display.

“We’re bringing a lot of fresh, contemporary perspectives into the space,” says Ward. “The perspectives and stories reflect a balance of First Nation, Mètis, and Inuit watercraft, as well as canoes and kayaks and stories from peoples of all backgrounds.”

Work is also continuing on finishing the interior and exterior of the new building. Hyslop points out that, once all that work is completed, The Canadian Canoe Museum will just be at the beginning of its new life.

Collections assistant Dane Allendorf uses a Combilift to place a canoe onto upper racking in the new Collection Hall. Collections assistant Nicholas VanExan stands nearby, providing directions. The Combilift is compact and multi-directional, allowing The Canadian Canoe Museum to make the most of the building's footprint and efficiently store all watercraft under one roof. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
Collections assistant Dane Allendorf uses a Combilift to place a canoe onto upper racking in the new Collection Hall. Collections assistant Nicholas VanExan stands nearby, providing directions. The Combilift is compact and multi-directional, allowing The Canadian Canoe Museum to make the most of the building’s footprint and efficiently store all watercraft under one roof. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

“The build we’re doing right now is amazing, but it is only the foundation for all of the programming and opportunities that will exist at the new location,” says Hyslop. “We’re looking forward to the days when we can return to welcoming visitors through the doors to see everything else the museum will offer.”

To support The Canadian Canoe Museum’s “Fill the Collection Hall” fundraising campaign, you can make a donation at canoemuseum.ca/ways-to-support.

For updates on the new museum, follow The Canadian Canoe Museum on Instagram and Facebook or subscribe to their newsletter.

Canoes temporarily wrapped in protective plastic and of various sizes and colours line the racks of the Collection Hall in the new Canadian Canoe Museum. Each canoe or kayak is placed on the racking, bow-to-stern, facing towards the atrium's large windows. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
Canoes temporarily wrapped in protective plastic and of various sizes and colours line the racks of the Collection Hall in the new Canadian Canoe Museum. Each canoe or kayak is placed on the racking, bow-to-stern, facing towards the atrium’s large windows. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)

The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Move the Collection: The Final Portage campaign is supported by McWilliams Moving & Storage Ltd (Lead Sponsor and Official Mover of The Canadian Canoe Museum), kawarthaNOW (Media Partner), Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism (Tourism Partner), Grant Thorton (Final Portage Partner), along with supporters and donors from far and wide.

 

kawarthaNOW is proud to be the official media sponsor of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Move the Collection: The Final Portage Campaign.

nightlifeNOW – November 23 to 29

Toronto-based roots singer-songwriter and pianist Devin Cuddy will perform with his band at Jethro's Bar + Stage in downtown Peterborough on Sunday night in support of his new record "Dear Jane". (Photo: Shelley Hayes)

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 23 to Wednesday, November 29.

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).

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Arthur's Pub

930 Burnham St., Cobourg
(905) 372-2105

Thursday, November 23

8-10:30pm - Open mic w/ Bruce Longman

Friday, November 24

8-11pm - Greg Dowey

Saturday, November 25

8-11pm - Andy Earle

Bancroft Eatery and Brew Pub

4 Bridge St., Bancroft
(613) 332-3450

Friday, November 24

7pm - Andrew Irving

Saturday, November 25

8pm - Karaoke

Coming Soon

Sunday, December 3
7pm - Open mic w/ Chad Cullen

Black Horse Pub

452 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 742-0633

Thursday, November 23

7-10pm - Jazz & Blues Night ft. Rob Phillips

Friday, November 24

5-8pm - Mike MacCurdy & Jeremy James; 9pm - Alan Black & The Steady Band

Saturday, November 25

5-8pm - Irish Millie; 9pm - Gunslingers ($10)

Sunday, November 26

4-7pm - Staig & Billings

Monday, November 27

6-9pm - Rick & Gailie's Crash & Burn

Tuesday, November 28

7-10pm - Open stage

Wednesday, November 29

6-9pm - The Colton Sisters

Coming Soon

Thursday, November 30
7-10pm - Jazz & Blues Night ft. Rob Phillips

Friday, December 1
5-8pm - Dagnabbit; 9pm - Jake Norris & The Side Street Band

Saturday, December 2
4-8pm - Parade Day Christmas Show with Rick & Gailie; 9pm - Water Street Slim & The Unlikely Heroes

Sunday, December 3
4-7pm - Metsaema

Wednesday, December 6
6-9pm - Victoria Yeh & Mike Graham

Boston Pizza Lindsay

435 Kent St. W., Lindsay
705-328-0008

Friday, November 24

8-11pm - Bread & Soul

Claymore Pub & Table

95 King St. W., Cobourg
905-372-5231

Thursday, November 23

7-10pm - Karaoke

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Crook & Coffer

231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
705-876-0505

Friday, November 24

7:30-10:30pm - Jimmy Breslin

Saturday, November 25

2:30-4:30pm - The Skelligs; 7:30-10:30pm - Tom Eastland

Dominion Hotel

113 Main St., Minden
(705) 286-6954

Thursday, November 23

4pm - Gord Kidd

Erben Eatery & Bar

189 Hunter St W,, Peterborough
705-304-1995

Thursday, November 23

7:30pm - Pangea Project w/ Smoke in Mirrors ($5); 9pm - Sing-along w/ Joslynn Burford

Monday, November 27

6:30-8:30pm - Dixieland Jazz

Tuesday, November 28

8pm - Karaoke

Wednesday, November 29

8-11pm - Open mic

Coming Soon

Friday, December 15
7:30pm - A Weber Brothers Christmas in support of One City Peterborough ($25 show only, $45 dinner and show, in advance at https://www.erbenptbo.com/event-details/a-weber-brothers-christmas-erben-supporting-one-city-peterborough)

Ganaraska Hotel

30 Ontario St., Port Hope
(905) 885-9254

Saturday, November 25

2-6pm - Boneyard

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 2
8:30pm - Monkey Junk ($30)

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

Gordon Best Theatre

216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 876-8884

Thursday, November 23

8pm - Burning Bridges, Night Danger, Playing With Fire ($15 in advance at https://www.bestptbo.com/ or at door)

Friday, November 24

POSTPONED - 9pm - Garbageface, Anomalia, Night Danger ($15 in advance at https://www.bestptbo.com/, $20 at door)

Saturday, November 25

8pm - Howlin' Circus w/ The Intimidators ($10 in advance at https://howlincircus.com/event/5248274/651901493/)

The Granite

45 Bridge St. W., Bancroft
613-332-1500

Friday, November 24

5-8pm - Ed Stephenson

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Jethro's Bar + Stage

137 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
705-931-0617

Thursday, November 23

10pm - The Union

Friday, November 24

6-8pm - Chester Babcock; 8-10pm - The Griddle Pickers; 10pm - Cherry Garcia Band

Saturday, November 25

6-8pm - Newberry Family Variety Hour(s); 8-10pm - Loublu; 10pm - The Venisons

Sunday, November 26

3-6pm - Open Blues Jam; 7-9pm - The Devin Cuddy Band "Dear Jane" Release Show ($20 in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/725475846787)

VIDEO: "Dear Jane" by Devin Cuddy

Wednesday, November 29

8-10pm - Karaoke w/ Anne Shebib

Kelly's Homelike Inn

205 3rd Street, Cobourg
905-372-3234

Friday, November 24

7-10pm - Live music TBA

Saturday, November 25

4-8pm - Live music TBA

The Locker at The Falls

9 Lindsay St., Fenelon Falls
705-887-6211

Thursday, November 23

7:30pm - Karaoke w/ Ross Burgoyne

The Lounge in the Hollow Valley Lodge

1326 Kawagama Lake Rd., Dorset
705-766-1980

Sunday, November 26

7pm - Open Jam hosted by Sean Cotton

McGillicafey's Pub & Eatery

13 Bridge St.. N., Hastings
(705) 696-3600

Thursday, November 23

7-11pm - Karaoke

McThirsty's Pint

166 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 743-2220

Friday, November 24

9pm - Jacob Henley

Saturday, November 25

9pm - Jordan Thomas

Sunday, November 26

8pm - Open mic

Tuesday, November 28

8pm - Live music TBA

Wednesday, November 29

9pm - Live music TBA

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Murphy's Lockside Pub & Patio

3 May St., Fenelon Falls
(705) 887-1100

Coming Soon

Thursday, December 7
7:30pm - Open mic

Pig's Ear Tavern

144 Brock St., Peterborough
(705) 745-7255

Saturday, November 25

8pm - Charlie Horse ($5)

Tuesday, November 28

9pm - Open mic hosted by Casey Bax

Coming Soon

Saturday, December 2
8pm - Caitlin & Friends

The Publican House

300 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5743

Thursday, November 23

7-9pm - SJ Riley

Friday, November 24

7-9pm - House Brand Trio

Puck' N Pint Sports Pub

871 Chemong Rd., Peterborough
(705) 741-1078

Friday, November 24

7pm - Andy & The Boys

Saturday, November 25

8pm - High Waters Band

The Rockcliffe - Moore Falls

1014 Lois Lane, Minden
705-454-9555

Friday, November 24

7pm - JJ Blue

Coming Soon

Friday, December 1
7pm - Colin Jennison

Scenery Drive Restaurant

6193 County Road 45, Baltimore
905-349-2217

Saturday, November 25

5-7:30pm - Mike Tremblay

Tap & Tonic Pub & Bistro

18-22 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 947-2333

Thursday, November 23

7-10pm - Justin Cooper

Taps and Corks on King

70 King St. W., Cobourg
905-372-6634

Friday, November 24

10pm - Derek Downham

That Little Pub

26 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 653-0001

Thursday, November 23

8-10pm - Tyler Cochrane

Tuesday, November 28

7-11pm - Karaoke

The Thirsty Goose

63 Walton St., Port Hope

Friday, November 24

8pm-12am - Bruce Longman

Saturday, November 25

8pm-12am - Live music TBA

White House Hotel

173 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 741-2444

Thursday, November 23

7:30pm - Karaoke

Local sponsors will double donations to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton this holiday season

All donations made to the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton before December 31, 2023 will be matched by local sponsors up to $48,500 with their "Shine a Light in the Darkness" holiday fundraising campaign to help women and children fleeing gender-based violence and abuse. Donors can also choose to sponsor a woman, child, or family in Peterborough or Haliburton, or donate a gift card to a selection of preferred local businesses. (Stock photo)

This holiday season, community members donating to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton can double their impact through the “Shine a Light in the Darkness” holiday fundraising campaign. Local sponsors have banded together to match up to $48,500 in donations made to the charitable organization until December 31.

A member of YWCA Canada, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton provides safe shelter, resources, and support to women escaping gender-based violence and abuse in Peterborough and Haliburton County. The organization has been holding the holiday giving campaign annually for more than 10 years.

“It’s an incredible initiative and it really encourages folks in our community to donate generously and we’re so grateful,” says the YWCA’s new director of philanthropy Tina Thornton.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

The list of sponsors making the donation match possible include Linz Hunt of Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Electric City, Ontario Insurance Network, HTM Insurance in Cobourg, Herod Financial Services, Olivia and Gord James, Alena Heitlinger and David Morrison, Baker Tilly, and GM Financial. Several other individuals and businesses who are sponsoring the campaign have chosen to remain anonymous.

“It’s amazing that so many of them are donating so generously and don’t request any acknowledgement for that gift,” Thornton points out.

For a more personalized gift, donors can choose to sponsor a woman and a child together, or a woman or a child individually depending on need, in either Peterborough or Haliburton County. There are also smaller donation options to provide a meal or a gift to a woman or child, again depending on their need.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

“The sponsorship program has been part of our holiday giving campaign for a few years now,” says Meghan Moloney, communications manager for YWCA Peterborough Haliburton. “It allows us to immediately provide some support, in the form of either gift cards or gift certificates to specific local businesses, to a woman staying in the shelter over the holiday season.”

Moloney adds the YWCA also encourages gift card donations as they allow the women and families to have the freedom to customize the gifts to suit their needs and preferences. The organization recommends donations of $25 gift cards from President’s Choice, Sobeys, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Glecoff’s Family Store in Haliburton, and local pizza places — locations requested by the women accessing the YWCA’s services — as well as pre-paid gas cards and pre-paid credit cards.

Thornton explains that donations to the holiday campaign are extra important this year, as the shelter has seen a large influx of women accessing their services over the past few years.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased rates of gender-based violence across the country and across the world, referred to as the “shadow pandemic” by the United Nations. Rates of calls to help lines had a drastic increase immediately at the start of lockdowns.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Locally, the demand for services at YWCA Peterborough Haliburton reached new record-breaking highs in 2021. According to the organization’s 2023 annual report, there was a 70 per cent increase in the number of women who accessed the YWCA Crossroads Shelter from the previous year.

“Financially, our need is quite great this year, as over one-third of the cost for our wrap-around programming comes through donations from our community,” Thornton says. “The demand has unfortunately never been greater. We are also seeing a shift in the level of severity and complexity for the clients coming to us.”

The matched donations for the “Shine a Light in the Darkness” Campaign will support many of YWCA’s lifesaving programs and safe spaces, including shelter operation, the START program, the transitional housing and outreach program, well-being counselling, peer support programming, family court support, and basic necessities and food for the women and children staying in safe places.

“We like to refer to it as a journey of care,” explains Thornton. “It’s an umbrella of supportive programming that starts from the moment that woman makes the choice with that first crisis call — with counsellors there to support her 24 hours per day — right up to the point where we’re providing second-stage housing for her and she’s standing on her own two feet and regaining her independence.”

“By supporting our holiday giving campaign, community members can truly help shine a light in the darkness for those who need it the most,” adds Moloney.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Despite the increased demand for services at the YWCA, Thornton and Moloney remain encouraged by the amount of support they have seen from the community and will continue to see throughout the holiday season.

“We have a very philanthropic community,” Thornton says. “We’re incredibly optimistic and we really believe that our community will answer the call for support and, of course, we’re so grateful to those who have already made the choice to donate so generously.”

For a donation to be matched dollar for dollar up to $48,500, donations must be made by midnight on Sunday, December 31st.

To make an online donation, visit ywcapeterborough.org. Donations can also be mailed to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, 216 Simcoe Street, Peterborough ON K9H 2H7 or over the phone by calling 705-743-3526.

LOCATED – Police and family concerned for safety of missing 50-year-old Peterborough man

Missing 50-year-old Philip Tate of Peterborough. (Police-supplied photo)

Peterborough police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 50-year-old Peterborough man.

Philip Tate was last seen on Wednesday night (November 22) at around 8:45 p.m. leaving his home in the Gilchrist Street and Parkhill Road West area of Peterborough.

He is described as white, 5’11” tall, bald with facial hair, and has green eyes.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

He was last seen wearing a black or blue puffy coat, a black or grey toque, sweatpants, and Keen sandals.

Police and family are concerned for his safety.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 x225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

How we can get more kids walking to school to benefit their health and the environment

Five children on their way to school in Peterborough. Over the past few decades, the proportion of children who walk to school has decreased dramatically. (Photo: Active School Travel Peterborough)

Walking and biking to school are great for children’s health, offer opportunities for quality time, and can even improve student concentration and performance.

Unfortunately, while most of today’s parents walked to school when they were kids, over the past several decades the number of families walking to school has steadily declined, and traffic congestion in school zones has become a daily reality.

In the 1980s, about 44 per cent of students in Canada used active transportation modes for the journey to school. Forty years later, it was down to 21 per cent according to Ontario Active School Travel’s research.

This decline in daily activity can seem like a casualty of modern life. The answers might seem obvious: we are busier, we have more commitments both at home and at work, and many of us live in more spread-out communities where walking to school seems out of reach. Let’s break down these ideas below and really get to the bottom of why less kids are walking to school.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

The first issue is a hard one to change: are children living too far away from their schools? Not necessarily. For Peterborough elementary schools, on average over half of students live within their school’s walk zone, meaning distance cannot be the only reason people are not choosing an active trip to school.

Another often-cited reason is concerns about traffic danger. Parenting guides from the 1960s and 1970s suggest that kids as young as six were trusted to walk to school themselves, but recent brain development studies would suggest that, until about ages nine to 12, kids are unable to accurately judge the distance and speed of traffic.

Understandably, parents want to accompany and protect their children in busy school zones. However, these concerns can create a vicious cycle, where the perception that it is unsafe to walk to school leads parents to drive children, adding more vehicles and further decreasing safety.

VIDEO: “Why did Kids Stop Walking to School?”

Increased traffic in the school zone means more chances for injury, and risk is increased by both the volume and speed of vehicular traffic. Cars going at 50 kilometres per hour, for example, have a fatality rate of 80 per cent, whereas cars heading at 30 kilometres per hour have a fatality rate of only 10 per cent.

In addition, research shows that not all children or neighbourhoods face risk equally, and it is the children who don’t have the luxury of choice who are potentially being put in more danger.

Children of equity-deserving groups are more likely to walk or bike to school, and often do so in neighbourhoods where infrastructure like sidewalks and crossings are not prioritized. A report analysis by CBC noted that lower income neighbourhoods in Toronto have 50 per cent more fatal collisions between cars and pedestrian than more affluent neighbourhoods.

Equity issues within the walk to school are both structural and cultural. Although we cannot snap our fingers and have the layout or density of our cities change, or immediately lower all speed limits, we can shift in some tangible ways with key interventions that shift our culture, or change our own mindset.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Enter the walking school bus — a small solution that can yield wider social benefits.

It works similarly to a regular school bus, where students are “picked up” at predetermined times and locations. Walking together, parent or volunteer “drivers” lead the group safely to school.

Walking in a large group adds visibility and increases safety while also serving as a reminder that our streets and cities are for people, not just people in cars.

One of the main reasons parents drive their kids to school is because they are concerned about their safety. Organizing a "walking school bus" where parents or volunteers lead a group of children to school adds visibility and increases safety while also serving as a reminder that our streets and cities are for people, not just people in cars.  (Photo: Active School Travel Peterborough)
One of the main reasons parents drive their kids to school is because they are concerned about their safety. Organizing a “walking school bus” where parents or volunteers lead a group of children to school adds visibility and increases safety while also serving as a reminder that our streets and cities are for people, not just people in cars. (Photo: Active School Travel Peterborough)

With a walking school bus, kids have fun and de-stress with their friends and arrive at school with clear heads, ready to learn. In a world where only 17.5 per cent of children get their daily recommended 60 minutes of exercise, this can improve mental, social, and physical health.

It can provide relief for busy parents, too, who no longer have to drive their kids into the busy and stressful school zone. This reduces traffic congestion and harmful emissions, contributing to a safer environment for all.

Walking school buses are a powerful tool in changing our cultural attitudes. It is no wonder that this trend has been gaining traction across social media platforms.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

This initiative reminds us of the power of community, and that big change can come from simple solutions, even in our own neighbourhoods. Connect with friends, neighbours, or school councils to begin organizing a walking school bus today.

For more information on walking school buses, check out this online resource from The Canadian Cancer Society. If you have any concerns with your school walk zone, contact Active School Travel Peterborough at activeschooltravel@greenup.on.ca.

 

This article was inspired by filmmaker and urbanist Utaye Lee’s video on the topic (see above).

Peterborough city council reduces proposed 2024 property tax hike to 7.38% from almost 10%

Peterborough city council is now proposing a 7.38 per cent residential property tax hike instead of the nearly 10 per cent proposed in the original draft 2024 budget.

After three days of meetings as finance committee this week, city council concluded it budget deliberations on Wednesday night (November 21) recommending a series of changes to decrease the proposed property tax rate increase by more than two per cent.

The proposed 7.38 per cent rate hike it is still more than twice as much as the 3.15 per cent rate increase last year. It would add $10.72 per month, or $128.65 for the year, to residential taxes for each $100,000 of property assessment. For a home assessed at $600,000, this would be an increase of $771.90 for the year.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

City staff say a substantial property tax hike is needed to maintain existing levels of service affected by inflationary increases as well as to support investments in infrastructure, policing, city employee compensation, transit service improvements, municipal law enforcement services, snow removal operations, and customer service improvements.

Finance committee recommended several changes to decrease the originally proposed property tax hike, primarily by shifting around $3 million in taxes from residential properties to commercial and industrial properties by increasing the tax ratio for both commercial and industrial property classes from 1.5 to 1.65 — reversing a trend of decreasing the ratios in previous years.

Other recommendations include using $800,000 in investment interest generated from the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. to Hydro One, using $200,000 in gaming revenue from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) that the City of Peterborough receives for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough, and creating a new service fee for unplugging sanitary sewer lines on private property to generate an estimated $85,000 in annual revenue.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Finance committee also decided to reverse course on proposed reductions of around 3.6 per cent in funding for community organizations including Artspace, Community Care Peterborough, Peterborough Musicfest, Peterborough GreenUP, New Canadians Centre, and more. Instead, grants to certain organizations would increase by 1.5 per cent compared to 2023 as a cost of $43,800 with additional monies coming from the city’s general contingency fund.

The three days of finance committee meetings followed a series of public meetings in the last two weeks on the proposed budget. City council is scheduled to consider approving the 2024 budget at its meeting on Monday, December 11th, when registered delegations can present to council.

For more information about the draft 2024 budget, visit peterborough.ca/budget.

East Peterborough Lions Club seeking donations of turkeys and hams for Great Turkey Exchange

Lions Theresa Hewitt and Lucas with a donated turkey during the Great Turkey Exchange in 2022, when the East Peterborough Lions Club took over the long-running program. As well as delivering turkeys and hams to individuals and families in need, the Lions distributed them to organizations including One Roof, YES Shelter for Youth and Families, the Brock Mission, and the YWCA Crossroads Shelter. (Photo: East Peterborough Lions Club / Facebook)

The East Peterborough Lions Club is seeking donations of turkeys and hams this holiday season to distribute to families who might otherwise go without a traditional Christmas dinner.

The Great Turkey Exchange was first organized in 2009 by Lois Tuffin through Peterborough This Week when she was the editor-in-chief. The program ran for 12 years and distributed 2,700 turkeys and hams until it went on hiatus in 2021, after pandemic-related supply chain shortages made it difficult to get donations.

At Tuffin’s request, the East Peterborough Lions Club agreed to take over the program in 2022 and is continuing it this year.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

“Our club has helped out by delivering turkeys to groups and we saw how grateful people are to have strangers help feed their families,” says Frank Hewitt, district governor of District A-3 of Lions Cubs International, which covers central Ontario. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to resuscitate the program and fill such a great need in our community.”

Over its history, the Great Turkey Exchange has delivered the main course for 17,500 Christmas dinners in the Peterborough area, with most of the donated turkeys and hams coming from individuals and businesses.

The East Peterborough Lions Club is encouraging the community to participate again this year, either by purchasing and donating turkeys and hams or by donating cash so they can be purchased.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Donations can be dropped off at the Kawartha Food Share warehouse at 665 Neal Drive in Peterborough.

If you would like your donation to be picked up, email greatturkeyexchange@gmail.com with your address.

The turkeys and hams will be distributed to families who cannot afford a turkey or ham for Christmas. Families in this situation can email greatturkeyexchange@gmail.com and ask to be placed on the donation list.

New Stages Peterborough brings a classic Christmas film to life on the Market Hall stage

New Stages Peterborough is presenting "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough for six performances from December 13 to 17, 2023. Set in a 1940s radio station before a live "studio" audience, actors (from left to right) Kerry Griffin, Megan Murphy, M. John Kennedy, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, and Brad Brackenridge will play all the characters from the movie and also create all of the sound effects. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

Five professional actors will bring Frank Capra’s classic 1946 Christmas film to when New Stages Peterborough presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough for six performances from December 13 to 17.

The Market Hall stage will be transformed into a 1940s radio station, with the Market Hall audience as a live “studio” audience, while actors M. John Kennedy, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, Megan Murphy, Kerry Griffin, and Brad Brackenridge will play all the characters from the movie and also create all of the sound effects.

The family-friendly play was inspired by the film’s screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling, and Capra himself, who also directed and produced the film. The screenplay was based on the short story and booklet The Greatest Gift self-published by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1943, which itself was loosely based on Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Originally filmed in black and white, It’s a Wonderful Life stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has sacrificed his personal dreams to run the family business Bailey Building and Loan — a type of financial institution similar to a credit union that made home loans more broadly accessible from the 1830s to the 1930s. After the business suffers a devastating financial loss on Christmas Eve, a despondent George considers taking his own life. Clarence Odbody, a guardian angel attempting to earn his wings, intervenes to show George all the lives he had touched and what the world would be like had he not existed.

“Bringing Frank Capra’s classic film to the stage began almost twenty years ago when longtime friend and teacher Frances Kondziela asked me to pen an adaptation for her high school ensemble,” playwright Joe Landry said in 2006. “After the premiere of this original incarnation, the piece was produced by TheatreWorks in New Milford, Connecticut, and was then chosen for its first professional production at the legendary Westport Country Playhouse.”

As that original full-scale production literally attempted to replicate the film on stage, its costs skyrocketed and the production was dropped. That’s when the concept of staging the production as a live radio play set in the same time period as the original film was born.

"It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" was written by Joe Landry after an attempt to stage a full-scale production of Frank Capra's classic 1946 Christmas film proved too costly. The radio play version premiered in 1996 and has since been produced around the world, largely through word of mouth alone, to critical acclaim. (Photo: Colin Eastland)
“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” was written by Joe Landry after an attempt to stage a full-scale production of Frank Capra’s classic 1946 Christmas film proved too costly. The radio play version premiered in 1996 and has since been produced around the world, largely through word of mouth alone, to critical acclaim. (Photo: Colin Eastland)

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play premiered in 1996 at Stamford Center for the Arts in Stamford, Connecticut.

Since then, the play has been produced around the world, largely through word of mouth alone, to critical acclaim — including by one of the only surviving cast members of the original film who says the famous line, “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”

“I have seen the radio show performed many times and this was the best one I have ever seen,” said Karolyn Grimes, who played six-year-old Zuzu Bailey. “You have found the true magic from this story.”

Advertisement - content continues below

 

 

Although It’s a Wonderful Life is now considered one of the greatest films of all time, it bombed at the box office when it premiered and received mixed reviews, despite being nominated for five Academy Awards in 1947, including best actor, best picture, and best director.

“The weakness of this picture, from this reviewer’s point of view, is the sentimentality of it — its illusory concept of life,” wrote Bosley Crowther in The New York Times on December 23, 1946. “Mr. Capra’s nice people are charming, his small town is a quite beguiling place and his pattern for solving problems is most optimistic and facile. But somehow they all resemble theatrical attitudes rather than average realities.”

For the next three decades, It’s a Wonderful Life remained relatively forgotten. Then, in 1974, the film’s copyright expired and it fell into the public domain. This meant the film could be broadcast on television without licensing or royalty fees — which it was, year after year during the holiday season, soon becoming a tradition for many families. Capra, who passed away in 1991, said it was his favourite of the films he directed and that he screened it for his own family every Christmas.

Donna Reed and James Stewart (middle) in a scene from Frank Capra's classic 1946 Christmas film "It's a Wonderful Life." In New Stages Peterborough's production of "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," five actors will perform all the characters from the film as well as sound effects. (Photo: RKO Radio Pictures)
Donna Reed and James Stewart (middle) in a scene from Frank Capra’s classic 1946 Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In New Stages Peterborough’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” five actors will perform all the characters from the film as well as sound effects. (Photo: RKO Radio Pictures)

The New Stages production of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play stars eight-time Dora Mavor Moore Award actor M. John Kennedy (The Tilco Strike, Give ‘Em Hell, Fireside Munsch) as George Bailey, two-time Dora-nominated actress Ordena Stephens-Thompson (‘Da Kink in My Hair, Fairview, Harlem Duet, Sweat) as Mary Hatch and other characters, Megan Murphy (The Verandah Society, Murphy’s Law) as Violet Bick and other characters, Kerry Griffin (SlapHappy, Second City, Bad Dog Theatre Co., Globus Theatre) as Henry F. Potter and other characters, and Brad Brackenridge (comedic and dramatic actor, puppeteer, and theatre artist) as Clarence the Angel and other characters.

The play is directed by the New Stage’s artistic director Mark Wallace, a two-time Dora nominee and a 2003 recipient, with Toronto’s Gabriel Vaillant as music director and pianist, Korin Cormier as costume designer, Sean Harris and Patricia Thorne as set and lighting designers, and Esther Vincent as stage manager.

Recommended for audience members over eight years of age, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play opens on Wednesday, December 13th and runs until Sunday, December 17th, with 7 p.m. evening performances from Wednesday until Saturday and 2 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday.

New Stages artistic director Mark Wallace (third from left, wearing the Christmas hat) is directing "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" for six performances at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough from December 13 to 17, 2023. Actors (from left to right) Brad Brackenridge, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, M. John Kennedy, Megan Murphy, and Kerry Griffin will play all the characters from the movie and also create all of the sound effects. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
New Stages artistic director Mark Wallace (third from left, wearing the Christmas hat) is directing “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” for six performances at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough from December 13 to 17, 2023. Actors (from left to right) Brad Brackenridge, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, M. John Kennedy, Megan Murphy, and Kerry Griffin will play all the characters from the movie and also create all of the sound effects. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

General admission tickets are $40 ($20 for students, arts workers, and those who are underemployed) and are available in person at the Market Hall box office (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough), by phone at 705-775-1503, or online at markethall.org. A 25 per cent discount is available for group sales of 10 or more tickets.

For more information about New Stages’ 2023-24 season, visit www.newstages.ca.

 

The original version of this story has been updated with cast photos. kawarthaNOW is proud to be media sponsor of New Stages Theatre Company’s 2023-24 season.

Become a #kawarthaNOW fan

29,968FollowersLike
24,998FollowersFollow
17,728FollowersFollow
4,323FollowersFollow
3,485FollowersFollow
2,905FollowersFollow

Sign up for kawarthNOW's Enews

Sign up for our VIP Enews

kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.




Submit your event for FREE!

Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free. To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.