The Logie Park Skating Loop is located at Logie Park at 325 Logie Street in Lindsay. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
The Logie Park Skating Loop in Lindsay opens for the season on Tuesday (January 16), the City of Kawartha Lakes has announced.
Located at Logie Park at 325 Logie Street, the outdoor ice rink will be open seven days a week from noon until 7 p.m. There is no charge to skate.
The refrigerated oval, which is maintained with a rink resurfacing machine, features a natural stone seating area where people can sit and take a rest during skating.
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The washroom facilities at the park will also be open during regular hours of operation.
The Logie Park Skating Loop is for skating only, with the exception of speed skating, figure skating, backwards skating, and skating games. No sticks, pucks, or other hockey equipment are permitted.
The skating loop is part of the Logie Park redevelopment project which began in 2017 and was completed in 2020. The park also includes an all-ages play area, accessible washrooms, a splash pad, an asphalt path network, and more.
The City of Peterborough's has created a new official X (Twitter) account with the @CityPtbo name (left). The original city account, which was hacked and renamed (right), still includes all the posts of the city's original account, its followers, and the grey checkmark indicating a government organization. (kawarthaNOW screenshots)
The City of Peterborough’s account on X, formerly called Twitter, was hacked on Sunday (January 14).
According to a media release from the city, the account was taken over by a hacker and renamed @JupiterExhanqe.
“No personal information was shared by the City of Peterborough through its X social media account,” reads the media release.
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The hacked account describes itself as “Full stack ecosystem play focused on advancing decentralized trading, solana & the meta.”
While the city has reacquired the original @CityPtbo account name, all content originally posted by the city (over 18,000 tweets) as well as the city’s 16,097 followers remain on the hacked account. The city is advising those followers that any tweets they see from the @JupiterExhanqe account are not from the city.
The hacked account also still includes the grey checkmark that X uses to indicate an account representing a government organization.
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The city has contacted X to request that followers of the renamed account be restored to the @CityPtbo account.
Social media accounts, especially government accounts and those with a large number of followers, are a frequent target for hackers. They may try to hack the accounts for bragging rights or to use them for cybercrime or to distribute spam.
It is not known how hackers gained access to the city’s X account, but they can do so using different methods, including social engineering, phishing scams, week or reused passwords, malware, and “man-in-the-middle” attacks. To keep an account secure, X recommends using a strong and unique password, enabling two-factor authentication, and requiring an email and phone number to request a reset password link or code.
Megan Murphy on stage during the 2016 premiere of her award-winning documentary "Murphy's Law" at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. Also a performer, radio host, emcee, writer, director, and storyteller, Murphy has left her mark on Peterborough in more ways than one, and she's picked up some life lessons along the way. (Photo: Showplace Performance Centre)
While those in her orbit would have no limit to the words they could use to describe Megan Murphy, with “hilarious” undoubtedly landing high on the list, she has difficulty branding herself with just one title.
That’s because she has left a mark on Peterborough in more ways than one: as an actress, an on-air radio personality, a writer, a public speaker, an emcee, a director, an improv comedian, a storyteller, an award-winning filmmaker, a Pathway of Fame recipient — need we go on?
If that isn’t enough reason to love her, what if we told she’s just simply a cool person to be around, with lots of wise words. Here are just a few of the many life lessons you can learn from the artist herself.
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1. The crummy things are more fun when we add a little creative spark to it.
Something you may not know about Murphy is that she grew up being obsessed with Anne of Green Gables. And that is an understatement.
“Growing up, I thought I was her,” Murphy laughs. “Everything was a little bit more dramatic. If it was a beautiful day, it was the ‘most beautiful day’ and, if it wasn’t, it was the ‘depths of despair’.”
A very young Megan Murphy riding a tricycle. She grew up “obsessed” with Anne of Green Gables, imagining her life to be just as literary and dramatic. As a child, she would stage productions with her friends and sisters for an audience of parents, while using performance to make chores a lot more fun. (Photo courtesy of Megan Murphy)
As a creative child, she would team up with her sisters and friends to put on full-production plays (with special effects lighting from her bedside lamp and all) and invite her parents to sit in the audience.
When she wasn’t setting up productions, she used theatre and stories to make regular life just a little more fun, creating songs and skits while she and her sisters were cleaning and doing chores.
“I knew if I could make things fun, everybody does more for me,” she jokes. “The crummy things you have to do in life are more fun when we add a little creative spark to it.”
2. When you’re more in personal alignment, then it’s easier for the universe to conspire in your favour.
Though early on Murphy hadn’t thought the arts to be a viable career option, while studying at St. Peter’s Secondary School, she credits “amazing” teachers and mentors that directed her (literally and figuratively) towards the arts, including Jane and Charlie Werger and Patricia Young. She was even awarded the TD Canada Trust scholarship for Outstanding Community Leadership upon graduation.
But after applying and auditioning for various fine arts programs around the province, Murphy found herself torn between a few different schools. So she left the decision to the universe: she sealed an acceptance letter for two schools, laid them beside her bed, and sent off the first letter that her foot landed on when she got out of bed in the morning. That’s how she ended up in school for fine arts at York University.
“It’s really a metaphor for how many things in life we overthink,” she says.
After moving from Toronto back to her parents’ home in Peterborough, Megan Murphy was at a low point in her life having lost her mother Mary Anne to cancer in 2012 and having recently ended a six-year relationship. Then she found her late father Marty’s journal of the 1,400-kilometre cycling trip across Ireland he made when he was 26, and decided to restore her father’s bike, replicate his journey, and make a documentary film about it. (Photos courtesy of Megan Murphy)
Twenty years later, she would listen to the universe once again when she stumbled upon her late father’s journal of his 1,400-kilometre cycling journey across Ireland in 1973. Having recently lost her mother and ended a romantic relationship, she was feeling lost and knew it was a sign to do the journey herself — on the same bike.
And then she made a movie about it. Murphy’s Law, which tells her story of the experience, won Best Documentary at Ireland’s Fingal Film Festival in 2016.
“When I’m more aligned with myself and in congruence with myself, I feel like the universe conspires to help me more,” she says. “Tthere have been definite times where that has been pretty indicated in my life.”
“Then there are definite times and years where I wasn’t listening enough to myself, let alone the universe, so no doors opened easily. I think when you’re more in personal alignment, then it’s easier for the universe to conspire in your favour.”
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3. The arts are something that can bring people together.
While figuring out her role in the world as a fresh graduate living in Toronto, Murphy teamed up with some industry friends to start a theatre company called Column 13. She already had an agent and booked some gigs (including an episode of Flashpoint), but didn’t always appreciate the competition involved in being an actress.
“I’m actually far more collaborative, which is what I love about theatre — it’s what I love about all the arts,” she says. “The reasons I went into theatre are about expression and storytelling, unravelling the mystery of what it means to be a human being and collaborating with other people, raising each other up.”
Megan Murphy (right) with Linda Kash emceeing the inaugural “Cancer Takeown” fundraiser at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in 2022. Among many other collaborations, the pair have also acted together and served as ambassadors for Showplace Performance Centre during a 2021 fundraising campaign to replace the theatre’s seats. (Supplied photo)
She continues to work in collaboration with other local artists including good friends comedian Linda Kash and musician Kate Suhr, and organizations like 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook.
“The arts are something that can bring people together,” Murphy says. “There’s transformation that happens through the arts and a way to change our minds. It’s one of the places where we can still have conversations that are difficult to have and it’s a palpable way to have them.”
4. Share your story. It doesn’t own you anymore.
At 30 years old, Murphy attended the Documentary Film Institute at Seneca College because she wanted to “tell stories that mattered.”
“People are so much more interesting than the stuff we can make up and most of the stuff we make up is based on real people,” she says. “I am so interested and curious about what it means to be a person, and the complicated and nuanced and conflicting things we do as human beings.”
VIDEO: “Murphy’s Law” trailer
To encourage others to let her share their story, she knew she had to share hers too, leading her to turn her journey across Ireland into Murphy’s Law, which premiered in 2016 to two sold-out audiences at Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough. A Q&A after the film screenings allowed her to see how telling her story affected others feeling lost in their own place of hardship.
“My story was just an in for people to be able to process what they were going through and what a gift that is,” says Murphy. “It is raw and humbling, but there’s an empowerment in your story not owning you, and I think that’s what I learned and what I would encourage others. Share your story. It doesn’t own you anymore.”
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5. The energy of other human beings cannot be duplicated.
Though Murphy jokingly admits there may have been a part of her that was motivated to become an actress for the roaring applause, much of it has to do with her desire to be in rooms full of people who are connecting with one another.
“It’s much more soulful for me now, and about the alchemy that takes place when humans are in a space together,” she says, noting that it became more apparent during the pandemic when that connection was lost.
“There was this kinetic magic when we were all back in spaces together, and I would get goosebumps of the energy of other human beings that cannot be duplicated with AI or Zoom. There’s something that exists in the space between us and yet I knew we would take it for granted again because that’s part of what makes us interesting.”
4th Line Theatre’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell (middle) joins musician Saskia Tomkins (bottom), singer-songwriter Kate Suhr (left), and storyteller Megan Murphy during a media day at 4th Line Theatre on Millbrook in August 2021, promoting The Verandah Society, a show created by Murphy and Suhr during the pandemic. (Photo: Hannah Abrahamse / kawarthaNOW)
For this reason, she formed The Verandah Society with musician Kate Suhr during pandemic summers. After coming across a story written by her uncle about how children in the 1930s would sit on verandahs in summer evenings and share stories, she recognized the same thing was happening because of pandemic restrictions. So she and Suhr brought songs and storytelling to backyards and porches in the region.
“It was such a special thing to meet people in their own place, which never happens,” Murphy says. “They always come to us but suddenly we were coming to them, and you see these little bubbled groups of people and how hungry we were for that kind of connection and meaning. I loved it.”
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6. Say ‘yes’ to anything — and figure it out along the way.
From working on contracts for her uncle, an international engineer, to becoming a morning radio co-host with 93.3 MyFM, 107.9 Classic Rock. and Oldies 96.7, to doing improv even though it “terrifies” her, Murphy has made many decisions in her life by simply saying “Sure, how hard can that be?”
Now, she’s doing it once again. Though she has had several short stories and memoirs published in Reader’s Digest, her current writing project is all new for her: a full-length play.
“Turns out, it’s really, really hard to write a play,” she jokes.
Megan Murphy is currently working on a full-length play for 4th Line Theatre’s 2025 season. The play recounts the settlement of the region by Peter Robinson and Irish immigrants in 1825 for its 200th anniversary. (Photo courtesy of Megan Murphy)
The play — called “Wild Irish Geese” — is about Peter Robinson and the over 2,000 Irish immigrants (including Murphy’s ancestors) who settled in the region in 1825. She is writing it for the 2025 season at 4th Line Theatre — the 200th anniversary of the Robinson settlement.
After that, she plans to pen a book of personal essays in a style like David Sedaris and Nora Ephron. Though it might be all new for her, Murphy is doing what she has done so many times before: saying “yes” and figuring it out along the way.
Murphy is currently for hire as an emcee, public speaker, performer, and ideation consultant to help organizations tell their story through video. She’s even taken a few online medical classes, if you’re in need of some medical advice.
A sign held by a participant at a vigil for Palestine in front of Peterborough City Hall notes the number of Palestinian civilians killed as a result of the Israel-Hamas war. (Photo: Helen McCarthy)
A group of concerned individuals and organizations is holding another weekly vigil for Palestine in front of Peterborough’s City Hall on Monday afternoon (January 15).
Calling themselves Nogojiwanong Palestine Solidarity, the group is demanding an immediate ceasefire and lifting of the siege on Gaza to allow for immediate aid, and “an end to Canada’s complicity in Israel’s war crimes, genocidal attacks on Gaza, and colonization of Palestinian land.”
“We join the thousands who have been in the streets across the world to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza who are facing the worst bombardment seen this century,” reads a media release. “We are outraged by this violence and condemn the Israeli apartheid state that is currently doubling down on collective punishment of the Palestinians and tightening its nearly 17-year siege of Gaza.”
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“This includes the prevention of any electricity, food, water and fuel from entering Gaza — putting all lives at risk of disease and starvation while the bombing continues. In addition to physical violence and attacks, we have witnessed the racist denigration of Palestinians as ‘barbaric’ and ‘human animals’ (in the words of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant).”
Nogojiwanong Palestine Solidarity is also calling for “the safe release of all hostages currently held by Hamas and Israel.”
The group says it will continue to gather in front of Peterborough City Hall every Monday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. until there is a permanent ceasefire, calling on Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough City Council to join other municipal politicians who have urged the Canadian government to support a permanent ceasefire.
The Nogojiwanong Palestine Solidarity group says it will gather in front of Peterborough City Hall every Monday afternoon until there is a permanent ceasefire. (Poster: Nogojiwanong Palestine Solidarity)
More information about Nogojiwanong Palestine Solidarity, including links to various campaigns and other resources, is available at linktr.ee/nogojiwanong2palestine. The group also has an Instagram account at @nogojiwanong2palestine.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered in capitals around the world, including in Washington DC and London England, in a global day of action calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Sunday marks 100 days since October 7, when hundreds of Hamas gunmen infiltrated southern Israeli communities from Gaza, killing around 1,300 people and taking around 240 others hostage, most of whom were civilians.
Israel responded by unleashing weeks of devastating air strikes on Gaza followed by a ground force invasion, both of which have displaced an estimated 1.3 million people. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry estimates the Israeli military action has killed almost 24,000 Palestinians and wounded 60,000 others, mostly civilians including women and children. Earlier this week, South Africa accused Israel of genocide in a case brought to the International Court of Justice. Israel has disputed the accusation.
Grade 6 student Ellyot, flanked by Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri, at the May 23, 2023 groundbreaking of phase two of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region's Leahy's Lane development. Ellyot's entry in last year's "Meaning of Home" national student writing contest won $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region to support the construction of 12 affordable condo units. This year's contest is open until February 23, 2024. (Photo: Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region)
There’s no place like home, and Peterborough-area students have the chance to explain why — and support local affordable housing efforts at the same time.
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region is taking part in “Meaning of Home,” a national writing contest for students in grades 4 through 6. Students are asked to share in words what home means to them.
Submissions are being accepted by mail or online at meaningofhome.ca until February 23. Every student who enters the contest will help Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region build safe and affordable homes, the organization said.
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“We are very excited to have the opportunity again to engage students in conversations about home through the national Meaning of Home contest,” said Jenn MacDonald, communications and donor services manager for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, in a media release.
“It is truly amazing to see the level of thought and creativity the students put into their entries and the support of our affordable home building efforts.”
In 2024, Habitat’s goal is to receive 15,000 student submissions across Canada.
As well as securing a $10,000 grant for for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region to support the construction of 12 affordable condo units in phase two of the Leahy’s Lane development, 2023 “Meaning of Home” writing contest winner Ellyot won a tablet, a pizza party for her class, and the opportunity to read her winning entry at the groundbreaking of phase two of the Leahy’s Lane development. (Photo: Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region)
One of the local submissions in last year’s contest helped Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region secure $10,000.
“In 2023, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region had the exciting opportunity to celebrate local runner-up winner, Ellyot W., from Grade 6 (at) St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough,” MacDonald told kawarthaNOW.
“Ellyot’s winning entry, ‘What Home Means To Me’, received a $10,000 grant for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, supporting the construction of 12 affordable condo units in the City of Peterborough through phase two of the Leahy’s Lane development,” MacDonald explained.
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The 12-unit condo building currently under construction at 21 Leahy’s Lane in Peterborough are located next to the completed phase one development at 33 Leahy’s Lane, a 41-unit affordable condo building that was Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region’s first-ever multi-residential project.
For her winning entry, Ellyot also received a tablet, a pizza party for her class, and the opportunity to read her winning entry in front of public officials, media, future habitat homeowners and others present at the kick-off of phase two of the Leahy’s Lane construction.
On May 23, 2023, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region kicked off construction for phase two of its Leahy’s Lane affordable condominium development. When completed, each of the 12 units at 21 Leahy’s Lane will come fully equipped with in-suite appliances, a fridge, dishwasher, washer and dryer, and stove. The energy-efficient condo units will help owners save on utility costs. (Photo: Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region)
Housing continues to be an important concern for all Canadians, including children, who understand how it can provide them with a safe place to study, pursue their dreams and build a better life, Habitat noted.
“Nothing compares to the feeling of strength and security that comes from having a safe place to call home,” said Julia Deans, Habitat for Humanity Canada President and CEO.
“Every child in Canada deserves to feel this way and that’s why we continue building and advocating for more affordable housing. The enthusiastic response to this annual contest where children share in their own words what home means to them is truly inspiring.”
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Every local student who enters the contest will help Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region build safe and affordable homes by earning a $10 donation provided by the contest sponsors.
Across Canada, three grand-prize winners will also receive a $30,000 grant to help their local Habitat for Humanity build homes for families in need of affordable housing. In addition, nine runners-up will receive a $10,000 grant for their local Habitat for Humanity.
Founded in 2007 by Canadian private mortgage insurance provide Sagen, the Meaning of Home contest has raised more than $2.3 million, while encouraging more than 100,000 students to become more active and compassionate citizens, Habitat noted.
VIDEO: Meaning of Home – Habitat for Humanity Canada
Last year, more than 12,000 entries raised $302,000, helping families in 42 communities across Canada build a brighter future through affordable homeownership.
In the past four national competitions, there have been four student winners from local schools across the Peterborough and Kawartha Region. Their winning entries have raised a total $40,000 for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region Leahy’s Lane developments, which has already supported 41 local families and individuals into affordable homeownership in the City of Peterborough.
To enter the contest, parents and teachers can sign up at meaningofhome.ca.
A closure sign just east of the Hunter Street bridge at Burnham Street in Peterborough's East City. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
A portion of Hunter Street East in Peterborough East City will be temporarily closed to through traffic for almost two weeks beginning on Monday (January 15).
The road will be closed between Mark Street and Rogers Street until Friday, January 26th for the installation of water and sanitary connections.
Access to residences and businesses in the closure area — which include Ashburnham Ale House, Lift Lock Foodland, Hard Winter Bakery, and more — will be maintained while work is completed.
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The north sidewalk on Hunter Street East and the Rotary Greenway Trail will remain open during the construction period.
Eastbound traffic will be detoured along Burnham Street and westbound traffic will be detoured along Rogers Street.
Detour routes will be posted for traffic, including on Maria Street to the south.
Environment Canada has issued a multi-day snow squall warning for the northern Kawarthas region, along with a winter weather travel advisory for the southern region for Sunday (January 14).
The multi-day snow squall warning is in effect for northern Peterborough County, northern Kawartha Lakes, and Haliburton County.
Lake effect snow squalls will continue from Saturday night through at least Monday, and likely into Tuesday, as strong westerly winds bring much cooler air to the region. Total snowfall accumulations of 15 to 40 cm are possibly by Monday evening, with peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour.
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Snow squalls cause weather conditions to vary considerably; changes from clear skies to heavy snow within just a few kilometres are common. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations.
The winter weather travel advisory is in effect for southern Peterborough County and southern Kawarthas Lakes, with lake effect snow bands from Lake Huron and Georgian Bay forecast to move into the area on Sunday morning. Total snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm are possibly by Sunday afternoon, with peak snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour.
Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop.
Young readers explore books during a previous Peterborough Family Literacy Day event. With the theme "Let's Have A Family Party," Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2024 returns to the lower level of Peterborough Square on Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
All too often, for whatever reason, we don’t make the time to pause and celebrate things that are well worthy of celebration.
Take, for example, the simple act of reading, particularly as a family unit, and the proven benefits of that activity in terms of children’s development.
For more than 25 years, a group comprised of educators, literacy advocates, and family activity organizers has made the time to ensure that Peterborough families can come together to celebrate literacy in all its forms.
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With the theme “Let’s Have A Family Party,” Peterborough Family Literacy Day returns to the lower level of Peterborough Square on Saturday, January 27th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
With the goal of inspiring families to learn together, the free admission event is again offering a full and diversified program, including what has become an event-opening staple in the form of Readers’ Theatre that sees local dignitaries come together to read a children’s story, with each assuming a character in the story.
The main stage will also welcome musicians Glen Caradus and Phil Stephenson presenting “N Is For Nature,” Drag Queen Story Time creator and storyteller Betty Baker, Takeout Poetry with Peterborough poet laureate Ziysah von Bieberstein, and a reading of Building A Home presented by the New Canadians’ Centre.
Musicians Phil Stephenson (left) and Glen Caradus performing at a past Peterborough Family Literacy Day event. The musicians will present “N Is For Nature” during Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2024 at Peterborough Square on Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
Again added to the mix are free books, snacks, and interactive literacy activities for all children and youths in attendance.
Laura Murray, the children’s community development librarian at the Peterborough Public Library, has been a member of the event’s organizing committee for as long as she can remember.
While she sees and encourages reading as a family activity on a near daily basis, Murray says the buzz emanating from what is a very busy three hours dedicated wholly to family literacy is a springboard for the encouragement of reading activity in a home setting.
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“The kids are running around, wanting to see things,” Murray says, adding “It’s dynamic, it’s vibrant and, yes, it’s exhausting, but it’s so much fun.”
“It’s a drop-in, so you don’t have to come at a particular time. It’s free. Each child receives a book. You don’t have to pack a snack — we’ve got that covered for you. And you’re going to participate in activities and crafts.”
“We’ve worked hard as a committee to curate this fun event celebrating literacy, showcasing how accessible it can be. You might be thinking ‘How am I doing literacy in my family?’ and then thinking ‘I’m not doing enough.’ Let us show you that you’re doing everything right but also provide information on some things you can do pretty easily.”
Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2024 at Peterborough Square on Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature Drag Queen Story Time creator and storyteller Betty Baker and Takeout Poetry with Peterborough poet laureate Ziysah von Bieberstein. (Photo of Betty Baker by Luke Best)
Back as Peterborough Family Literacy Day’s honorary chair for another year is Paul Rellinger, a writer for kawarthaNOW and a former reading tutor with the Trent Valley Literacy Association.
“Watching kids get excited keeps you young,” says Rellinger, who also returns as the event’s main stage emcee.
“But more than that, it takes me back to my youth in east end Toronto — to a time when I got my first library card at a young age and walked a mile each week to and from the library. It was a different time. If the rabbit ears were working we got like two channels on the television, so reading it was. I soaked up books like a sponge.”
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Rellinger adds, and Murray concurs, there are so many more appealing entertainment options for kids and teen youths today, such as video games and social media scrolling.
As such, reading is a tough sell. However, he adds, when reading is encouraged by a parent or guardian, it inevitably becomes a habit that can provide lifelong benefits.
“Kids only spend so much time in school — learning happens in the home too and reading is part of that,” notes Murray. “It reinforces what they’re learning in school with a fun element added because they’re enjoying the activity with their parents and siblings.”
Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2024 at Peterborough Square on Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature a reading of “Building A Home,” a children’s picture book commissioned in 2021 by the New Canadians’ Centre that shares the experiences of immigrant children when they arrive in Canada. (Text and illustrations: Casandra Lee)
There’s another far-reaching benefit as well.
According to ABC Life Literacy Canada, children whose parents are involved with them in literacy activities, such as reading together, score higher on standardized reading tests. In addition, according to a 2017 Scholastic Canada report, parents’ reading habits play a huge role in how often kids read, with close to 60 per cent of kids who are frequent readers having parents who read almost daily.
And then there’s the most sobering fact of all: an estimated 48 per cent of adult Canadians have below-high-school-level literacy skills, negatively impacting their ability to function at work and in their personal lives. More alarming, 17 per cent function at the lowest literacy level — unable, for example, to read medicine bottle dosage instructions.
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While Peterborough Family Literacy Day on its own won’t impact those sobering statistics, it does promote a get-them-while-they’re-young approach that is needed on a broader level to see adult literacy proficiency increase.
“When all is said and done, the event is a celebration of reading and other literacy-related activities, such a reading a recipe together and baking as a family,” says Rellinger. “We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re encouraging the turning of a wheel that has proven effective in producing benefits later in life.”
Better still, during a time when families are budgeting tightly in the face of rising costs, reading is an activity that’s easy on the wallet, with children-suitable books typically available at any one of a number of weekend yard sales.
One of the most popular draws of the annual Peterborough Family Literacy Day event at Peterborough Square is the free book giveaway, where every child goes home with a book. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
“Or come to the library,” encourages Murray, noting it offers a number of reading programs for infant children up to teens, with more information on what’s available at www.ptbolibrary.ca.
Along with the library, the event organizing committee has representation from Peterborough Child and Family Centres, Trent Students For Literacy, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, and the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board.
Event sponsors, providing in-kind or financial support, are the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough, the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha, Literacy Ontario Central South, the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, the Peterborough Native Learning Program, the Peterborough Police Service, Compass Early Learning and Care, Teachers For Kids, the New Canadians’ Centre, Friends of the Library, BGC Kawarthas, and Peterborough Square.
Northumberland Hills Hospital is located at 1000 DePalma Drive in Cobourg. (Photo: Northumberland Hills Hospital / Facebook)
Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) is planning to build a new operating room (OR).
The NHH Foundation is celebrating a donor’s gift of more than $2.5 million, which will be used to construct and equip a fourth OR at the Cobourg hospital, which serves west Northumberland County residents.
The gift from the William B.G. Humphries’ Radlett Foundation of $2.538 million was directed towards the foundation’s Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care campaign. Having a fourth operating room is a priority project identified within that campaign.
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“The development of a fourth OR aligns with NHH’s strategic plan’s first priority — bringing care close to home,” said Susan Walsh, NHH president and CEO, in a media release.
“The addition of a fourth OR is not only an expansion of services, but also positions us to continue growing in tandem with the community of west Northumberland County. We are grateful for support from donors like Mr. Humphries, whose generosity helps to support the development and vitality of NHH.”
William (Bill) Humphries, who passed away in 2020, supported many charities over the years. He anonymously made contributions, and he was known more behind the scenes as “a man of his word, whose quiet generosity would positively impact the lives of many,” the NHH Foundation noted.
William Brian Geoffrey Humphries passed away in December 2020. The William B.G. Humphries’ Radlett Foundation has donated $2.538 million to the Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation to construct and equip a fourth operating room at the Cobourg hospital. (Photo: Humphries family)
Upon his passing, Humphries named three trustees to oversee the Radlett Foundation, a foundation Humphries established to continue his charitable endeavours. The trustees co-ordinated this recent donation to the hospital.
“Bill was a discreet gentleman,” said trustee Don McQuigge.
“When we were discussing the possibility of a gift to support a new operating room at NHH, we asked ourselves, what would Bill do? We felt that the benefits this gift could have on the lives of so many people, from a variety backgrounds, was something he would stand behind. We are pleased to be able to direct and co-ordinate this gift and to be able to celebrate his legacy in this way.”
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The foundation said the construction of the new OR will begin this year.
“This gift is a huge step forward in our campaign and a true boost of confidence for our volunteer team as we continue to work towards our goal,” said Hank Vandermeer, chair of the Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care campaign.
“It has shown the magnitude of generosity that exists in our community. We are incredibly thankful.”
More than 20 years ago, the foundation embarked on a journey to build “a world-class facility” to serve the surrounding communities. NHH opened in 2003.
“Our community is not the same as it was in 2003,” the NHH Foundation noted.
“The demand for our hospital’s services is changing and growing as our population continues to increase and age. Now is the time for us to act, to prepare to meet our future head on by joining together to support our Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care campaign. With your help, we will raise $25 million to fund crucial redevelopment, essential new programs, and life-saving technology at NHH.”
Learn more about the Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care campaign at itstimenorthumberland.ca.
Rachel Charlebois is an Apsley-based metal artist with more than 57,000 Instagram followers from around the world. Having combined her love of art with her experience in welding, she creates custom furniture, signs, and artwork by hand using a plasma cutter. Much of her work includes landscapes, trees, and wildlife, though she is always experimenting with techniques to add more colouring and layering to her pieces. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Charlebois)
Between changing trends and unpredictable algorithms, there’s no simple blueprint to gaining thousands of social media followers.
Yet Apsley metal artist Rachel Charlebois has done exactly that, racking up more than 57,000 followers on her Metal by Rachel Instagram account.
The platform has helped her build an audience of not only those residing in and cottaging near her village, but of welders, artists, and admirers from across the world.
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“Now we just need something that pays per views on Instagram,” Charlebois jokes. “That would be ideal.”
Through her social media channels (she’s also on TikTok and Facebook), Charlebois sells the custom signs, furniture, and artwork she crafts with her steady hand, a fine eye for detail, and her Hypertherm Powermax45 XP plasma cutter.
Often focusing on landscapes, scenery, and wildlife for design, she typically uses a 14-gauge mild steel with various techniques for colouring and layering.
Apsley-based metal artist Rachel Charlebois is entirely self taught. Here, she mastered a precise technique of applying heat with a propane torch to get the colouring of water in the landscape. Too much or too little heat would have left the artwork brown or purple rather than the eye-catching blue. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Charlebois)
And it was all self-taught, while she worked in Moase Machine Shop just down the road from her family home after high school. While she had a few tech classes in welding while attending school in Lakefield, she mostly learned on the job while repairing snowplows and other heavy machinery.
Knowing Charlebois had always been “artsy” with a fondness for drawing, one day eight years ago, her boss encouraged her to get creative with the plasma cutter.
“I picked it up, drew something, started playing around, and I just loved it,” she recalls. “I started out with trees because I love trees — that was always one of my favourite things to draw.”
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Charlebois stayed at Moase Machine Shop for 15 years, doing her art in her free time while attending shows and even being included in the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour for a few years.
“Doing the tours and little art shows here and there would help me to build the confidence to be able to start the business,” she says, acknowledging that she was always more reserved growing up. “I just did whatever I wanted and hoped people would buy it.”
People were doing exactly that and finally, four years ago, Charlebois officially launched Metal by Rachel and began doing custom pieces. She rented shop space from Moase Machine to weld her creations up until last year, when she moved into her own private workshop on her own property in Apsley.
Work by Apsley-based metal artist Rachel Charlebois, like these metal roses, has attracted many thousands of followers to her social media accounts. While many of the orders she receives are for personalized signs, she takes every opportunity to push herself to be creative and find new ways to approach her medium. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Charlebois)
While taking on the new orders — often surnames tethered to wood or other sheet metal — Charlebois takes every opportunity to push herself to be creative and find new ways to approach her medium.
“Now that I’ve had my work out there for a while, it’s easier for people to allow my creative freedom because they can look back through my previous work and see my style,” Charlebois notes.
When she does get those opportunities to get creative, she doesn’t hesitate to try something new, like applying heat or rusting for colour.
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While a lot her designs are crafted using a Cricut machine to design a template that helps her draw on the steel, Charlebois tries to draw freehand when she can.
“When you’re an artist, you feel sometimes like you get trapped into making the same thing, and it can be a little bit draining,” she acknowledges. “But the more confident I get, the more I ask clients if I can have more creative freedom to explore more, which really helps.”
Recently, when Charlebois received a custom order for an image of a Highland cow, she asked if she could take creative reign. What she ended up with has become one of her favourite pieces, as it posed a challenge for her as something she hadn’t done before.
One of Rachel Charlebois’ favourite works in recent months, this face of a Highland cow gave her the opportunity to get more creative by trying a design she had never done before. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Charlebois)
“Most of the time when I pick favourites, it’s because I was a little nervous going into it and by the end, I proved to myself that I could do it,” she says. “It just makes it that much more worthwhile.”
Though Charlebois has had several Instagram reels that have gained hundreds of thousands (and sometimes more than a million) views to give her a surplus of followers, most of her over over 57,000 Instagram followers have come over a steady pace throughout her years in businesses.
“A lot of my orders on Instagram come from the States, which is interesting,” she says. “Then Facebook is a lot more of the local audience, so I really get the best of both worlds.”
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Dozens of the comments on her feed come from fellow professional and hobbyist welders and artists asking for tips and advice on the equipment and techniques she uses.
Catering to this audience, Charlebois has curated story “highlights” of how-to demonstrations and various equipment to support the followers who have found her while searching for content on plasma cutting.
“The fact that I do it by hand is pretty interesting to a lot of people,” she says, noting that a lot of metal work is made through CNC (computer numerical control), a method that uses software to direct the plasma cutter.
“There’s definitely a benefit with that too — because people can make a whole bunch of something and be able to do it faster, sell it for cheaper, and get more customers — but I think there’s something special about handmade,” Charlebois adds. “When you do it by hand, no two are ever the same. Nothing will ever be the same. Maybe that’s why people are drawn to it.”
Recently Charlebois has taken on more projects in collaboration with her husband Justin Charlebois and his woodworking business, Arc N Saw, to create custom-made furniture, including a harvest table and coffee table.
This year, the duo will be working together more often to craft one-of-a-kind furniture that blends wood and metal.
In 2024, metal artist Rachel Charlebois is planning to do more collaborative work with her husband Justin who does custom wood furniture, kitchens, cabinetry, closets, wall units, and more through his business Arc n Saw. Recently, they collaborated to create one-of-a-kind coffee tables and a harvest table. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Charlebois)
“Making table legs makes me a little bit nervous because it’s not as artsy for me” Charlebois admits. “It’s more about having to measure and being very specific and perfect — but it helps me grow my work, for sure.”
Similarly, Charlebois says launching her own business has provided her with more than an income.
“It’s definitely helped me grow and come out of my comfort zone,” she says. “Some parts of it makes me so nervous, but now that I’m older I’ve realized that that’s just part of being human and you have to push through it. Once you push through, it helps you become more confident.”
After working out of the shop at her former workplace Moase Machine Shop in Apsley, metal artist Rachel Charlebois recently began working out of her own workshop built by her husband and located on their property in Apsley. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Charlebois)
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