St. John II Paul Catholic Elementary School is located at at 130 Orchard Park Road in Lindsay. (Photo: St. John II Paul Catholic Elementary School)
Students are back in class at St. John II Paul Catholic Elementary School in Lindsay after police temporarily evacuated the school on Monday morning (February 12) following the discovery of a suspicious object on school grounds.
The school, located at 130 Orchard Park Rd., contacted Kawartha Lakes police after a staff member found the suspicious object at around 8:30 a.m.
As a safety precaution, police evacuated staff and students to the library and gymnasium at nearby Parkview Public School.
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Police then conducted a thorough search of the school and grounds and investigated the suspicious object, which they determined was not a threat.
“There is absolutely no threat to public safety,” reads a media release from Kawartha Lakes Police. “Therefore the scene has been released and the school has been reopened.”
Students and staff began returning to the school after 10 a.m.
According to an update to families from school principal Michael DeMaeyer, the suspicious object was cylindrical and appeared to have attached wires.
Update: KL Police have cleared the scene following an investigation. Police have determined there is no threat to the school community. Students and staff will make their way back from Parkview Public School to proceed with the school day. https://t.co/idTFw9elS2
Peterborough police are investigating a break and enter at Millbrook Foodland early Saturday morning (February 10).
At around 5:40 a.m., Peterborough police received a call from an employee who had arrived at work at the grocery store at 6 Centre Street in Millbrook.
There was extensive damage to the store, with cigarettes reported stolen.
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Police believed the incident happened sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 5:40 a.m. on Saturday morning.
After remaining closed for the initial police investigation and for clean-up, the grocery store reopened later Saturday morning.
Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca
Haliburton OPP have issued an arrest warrant for 28-year-old Michael Gunn of Minden in connection with a robbery and aggravated assault in Minden that took place on February 9, 2024, sending a victim to hospital. (Police-supplied photo)
Police are warning the public of a potential threat to public safety after issuing an arrest warrant for a 28-year-old man wanted in connection with a robbery and aggravated assault in Minden that took place early Friday morning (February 9).
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Friday, officers with the Haliburton Highlands Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to an assault and robbery with a weapon at a home on Parkside Street in Minden. The victim was transported to Haliburton hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
On Saturday afternoon, police released a description of the suspect and advised the public he was considered a potential threat to public safety. On Sunday afternoon, police issued a warrant for the arrest of 28-year-old Michael Gunn of Minden on charges of robbery using firearm, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
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Gunn is described as 6’1″ (185 cm) with a thin build, short brown hair, light-brown partial beard, and blue eyes. He has a tattoo of the Canadian flag with a cross on his right forearm, and a tattoo of a female on his left forearm.
Police have released a photo of Gunn, who they believe has a weapon and is considered a potential threat to public safety. If seen, call 9-1-1 and do not approach.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident or the whereabouts of Gunn is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.khcrimestoppers.com, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
Dr. Madura Sundareswaran, a family physician who has been leading the Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic since January 2023, is seeking another family physician who can work at the clinic for a half day per week and possibly take on some of the clients of the transitional clinic after they have been discharged. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Madura Sundareswaran)
Bringing a new family physician on board at the newcomer clinic in Peterborough, could be a win for the entire community, a Peterborough family doctor says.
As the Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic (PNHC) continues its efforts to recruit a second physician, Dr. Madura Sundareswaran said she envisions a situation that will benefit other residents too, in addition to the clinic’s newcomer clients.
“My hope is that another doctor at the PNHC is another doctor for our community,” Dr. Sundareswaran told kawarthaNOW.
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“The reality is, I am hoping that recruiting for the PNHC will actually supplement recruitment efforts for the city at large,” Dr. Sundareswaran said. “Current trends suggest that by 2026, Peterborough will need a total of 29 full-time family physicians to meet the need for the growing number of unattached patients.”
Currently, there are about 20,000 people without a family physician, she noted.
“In the ideal situation, we are finding family physicians who would also consider taking over a retiring family physician’s practice or willing to join a family practice to help the community at large. I would like to be able to offer supplemental work at the PNHC as a unique opportunity.”
The PNHC is a transitional clinic for immigrants and refugees in Peterborough city or county. The clinic provides short-term medical care for up to six months. The clinic was developed as a pilot project to evaluate and assess the need of such a service for newcomer clients and help structure future programming.
“Since we began operations in January of 2023, we quickly surpassed our target of 50 clients having completed a total of 92 intake assessments for new clients between January and December of 2023,” Dr. Sundareswaran said. “At our current capacity, even a target of 100 new intakes per year would be insufficient to meet the needs of all refugee newcomers in their first year in Canada.”
She suspects recruiting a family doctor for the PNHC mirrors the challenges other clinics and practices are currently experiencing related to physician recruitment efforts.
“I am hopeful but at times disheartened,” the doctor said.
She cites inadequate physician compensation, lack of support for team-based care, increased administrative burden for physicians, and fewer medical students choosing family medicine for their careers, as some of the reasons for the family physician shortage.
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However, Dr. Sundareswaran is optimistic that “with a little thinking outside the box,” the clinic could be successful in its efforts.
“Collaborating with community partners, and with incredible support from the Peterborough Family Health Team, New Canadians Centre, Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation, and a recent grant from the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine/College of Family Physicians of Canada, we have developed a practice model that we hope is somewhat attractive and compensates physicians fairly for the work that they will do in this clinic. But competitive compensation would not be possible without the generous support or our partner organizations.”
The PNHC recently received the Racialized Communities Leadership Grant in Family Medicine to help offset some of its costs — medical supplies and the electronic medical records system.
The grant covers expenses at $5,000 per year, therefore the success of the next two years depends on ongoing in-kind support from partners, she explained.
“First and foremost, my hope is that another doctor at the PNHC is another doctor for our community. A family physician to care for the numerous patients without one, and a family physician who may consider taking some of our PNHC clients who are often discharged without a family doctor after their six-to-nine-month transition with our program.”
The PNHC, with Dr. Sundareswaran at the helm as its sole physician, is a partnership between the New Canadians Centre, Peterborough Family Health Team, and the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation.
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The PNHC operates on a referral-only basis with clients being referred directly to the clinical team from the resettlement assistance program at the New Canadians Centre. To date, clients eligible for the PNHC’s services must be within one year of settlement, have OHIP coverage, and cannot have a family physician already in Ontario.
Between March 2022-2023, Peterborough welcomed 152 government-assisted refugees to its community. Those newcomers did not include Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Canada via the Canada Ukraine authorization for emergency travel program, privately sponsored refugees, or refugee claimants in the community.
“I would love to have a new physician to increase the number of patients we are able to provide services for in a year,” Dr. Sundareswaran said. “I would aim for a total of 150 patients per year with an additional half day per week of additional physician time. If this physician is as passionate about the work, then I would love to collaborate with them to continue to develop the services we offer at the PNHC, especially around health promotion and advocacy.”
Peterborough Family Health Team CEO Duff Sprague, Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, Alliance for Healthier Communities CEO Sarah Hobbs, and Peterborough Community Health Centre board chair Jonathan Bennett at the announcement of $110 million in funding for primary health care teams on February 1, 2024 at the Peterborough Family Health Team offices in Peterborough. (Photo: Peterborough Community Health Centre)
Health care overall in Peterborough received some good news recently, with a provincial government injection of $110 million in funding for primary health care teams in the province. Of that amount, the newly established Peterborough Community Health Centre (CHC) will receive more than $3 million as an initial investment.
Ontario minister of health Sylvia Jones made the funding announcement February 1 during a media conference at the Peterborough Family Health Team offices. It’s the first new community health centre funded in Ontario in more than 15 years.
“We are thrilled that the need in Peterborough has been recognized,” said Jonathan Bennett, board chair of the Peterborough CHC, in response to the announcement. “Community health centres have demonstrated success in responding to homelessness, addictions, and providing effective health care to groups that struggle to connect to services.”
According to Bennett, the non-profit organization will be working with Ontario Health East — part of Ontario Health, an agency created by the Ontario government to connect, coordinate, and modernize the province’s health care system — to determine next steps, including hiring initial staff and seeking out short-term locations from which to offer services.
The new general manager of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Christie Goodwin has had a passion for music since she was young and can still recall the day she knew she wanted to do it professionally. Despite the odds of making a career in music, she held onto her passion, continuing her education both in oboe performance and arts administration. (Photo: Denis Duquette Photography)
There’s nobody more qualified to take on the role of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s general manager than someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes music while also knowing a thing or two about their Peterborough audience. By that logic, Christie Goodwin is a harmonious fit in her new position.
In the 12 years since she lived in Peterborough, the oboist has added to her long list of professional accomplishments, having been a core member of Symphony New Brunswick, an oboe professor at two east coast universities, the director of Moncton’s School of Atlantic Ballet, and the founding manager of a dynamic woodwind quintet.
Combined with her recent completion of a master’s degree in arts management and leadership, Goodwin is eager to be bringing her vast knowledge, experience and passion back to Peterborough soil.
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“I’ve always been an organizer so I began to feel like I can create so many opportunities for other people and for the community in the management role,” she says, noting how especially eager she is to be doing so back in Peterborough. “It’s great to be back — it’s like we never left sometimes.”
A “generational” musician, Goodwin had music in her life before she was even born. Her grandfather and father were both trombonists and her parents met while at a music camp that Goodwin, herself, later attended as a teenager. Growing up just outside of Edmonton, music was ingrained in her upbringing.
“I grew up singing probably before I spoke,” she jokes. “My father never wanted me to become a professional musician because he knew that it’s a hard road, but there was no stopping it. I was just so involved, playing the piano and singing all the time.”
Oboist Christie Goodwin leading a reed-making workshop. She has been teaching music to students of all ages since she was 16 years old. (Photo courtesy of Christie Goodwin)
Her father handed her an oboe when she was in fourth grade to “keep her busy” when she was already playing piano and reading music ahead of her bandmates in the class her father taught. Years later, when she joined the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, she experienced the moment she knew she was “lost for good” in professional music.
“I went to rehearsal and since oboes sit in the middle of the orchestra, all the musicians were all around me,” she says. “That sound — that cello section and the brass from behind — I get goosebumps just thinking about it. That’s how important that moment was for me.”
With such passion and determination to have a professional career in music despite the odds (she guesses that one in 10 people who graduate with a music degree actually become professional performers), Goodwin pursued a bachelor of music in oboe performance at the University of British Columbia on full scholarship.
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“They say you should only go into the arts if you literally feel you might die if you don’t and that’s how compelled I was, and still am, to be engaged with it,” Goodwin says.
Though she began her post-graduate studies in Vancouver, once she got accepted to learn from and study with mentors at the National Academy Orchestra in Hamilton, she knew that Ontario was “where it’s at” for musicians. She can even tell you the exact temperature of the very date she moved to Hamilton.
It was during this time as a new professional in her early twenties that she first met Michael Newnham, music director and conductor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. At the time, he needed an oboist to fill in with the Niagara Symphony Youth Orchestra and called on her.
“I just feel so blessed because when you’re a musician starting out, you don’t say no to anything, and I didn’t,” Goodwin recalls. “So it led me down all these paths and here, 20 or 22 years later, I’m still friends with Michael and here we are working together. That’s pretty great.”
Oboist Christie Goodwin (left) and her bassoonist husband Patrick Bolduc (third from left) were founding members of Ventus Machina, a well-known New Brunswick-based woodwind quintet that also features (left to right) Jon Fisher on horn, James Kalyn on clarinet and saxophone, and Karin Aurell on flute. Although the couple have now left the quintet after their move back to Peterborough, Ventus Machina will continue on. (Photo: Denis Duquette Photography)
While working in retail and with the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra, and sitting as principal oboe in the Niagara Symphony, she received an artist’s diploma in orchestral performance from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto. It was then that she met her now husband, bassoonist Patrick Bolduc.
“We met in our living room,” she laughs, explaining they both were renting rooms in the same house. Though they didn’t know each other before, they ran in the same circles and “obviously, it was meant to be.”
The couple moved to Peterborough in 2006 where Goodwin taught piano to kids and adults of all ages — as she had been doing since she was 16 years old — while she and Bolduc started a family.
They were only in Peterborough for five years before moving east to be core members in the Symphony New Brunswick. There, for more than a decade, Goodwin and Bolduc were both founding members of a well-known woodwind quintet called Ventus Machina, which Goodwin acknowledges is bittersweet to leave behind.
“It’s hard to have to move on from something that we literally poured our souls and creativity into and from our family that were our bandmates,” Goodwin says. “But they’re going to continue on without us, which is great in that we’ve created something that will live past our involvement with young musicians coming in to fill our spots.”
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Developing her skills in administration, Goodwin returned to school to complete a master’s degree in arts management and leadership from Queen’s University, graduating in 2023. She notes that having studied with young people in their mid-twenties will help her in the new role with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra.
“I had the experience of connecting with those fresh perspectives and really current conversations around the arts and business practices,” she says. “I’m really hoping I can bring some of that youthful, optimistic energy to this job and this organization.”
Now, she is eager to be settling back in Peterborough, reconnecting with old friends and artists while refamiliarizing herself with the city and learning what community members want out of the orchestra.
“I’m really interested in having the conversation about how the orchestra can serve, be involved, and be pertinent to the community and Peterborough specifically,” she says. “There are some very exciting things to come.”
Pictured with her husband Patrick Bolduc and their two sons, Christie Goodwin completed a master’s degree in arts management and leadership from Queen’s University in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Christie Goodwin)
Despite her new role as the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s general manager, she has no plans to lock away her oboe in a case. However, she is looking forward to helping create opportunities for other artists and musicians.
“I can create so many opportunities to be good for the industry and for keeping orchestras alive, especially in a smaller place where we don’t have to drive to the big city to have this great experience,” she says. “I’m just totally blessed to have made it this far.”
The 2023-24 season of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra continues on Saturday, April 13th with “This is Italy” (featuring guest artist Beverley Johnston on vibraphone) and concludes on Saturday, May 25th with “Sea You” (featuring guest artist Sheng Cai on piano), with both concerts taking place at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit thepso.org.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2023-24 season.
Northumberland Hills Hospital in west Northumberland County recently announced the recruitment of two neurologists, Dr. Karen Ho and Dr. Courtney Anne Scott, who will be providing virtual neurology consultations. (Photos courtesy of Northumberland Hills Hospital)
Northumberland County residents continue to have growing access to medical specialists with the addition of two neurologists to the medical team at Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) in west Northumberland.
NHH recently announced the recruitment of two neurologists, Dr. Karen Ho and Dr. Courtney Anne Scott.
With the support of NHH’s telemedicine co-ordinator, the two doctors will support local primary care providers and specialists by offering virtual neurology consultations through the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN).
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The neurologists will offer the consultations for reasons including, but not limited to, stroke and transient ischemic attack, multiple sclerosis, demyelination, seizures, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders, and vertigo.
Over the past decade, Northumberland residents’ ability to access specialty care and specialists has been expanded as a result of the virtual opportunities provided by the OTN, Jennifer Gillard, NHH’s vice-president of patient experience, public affairs and strategic partnerships, told kawarthaNOW.
NHH has used the OTN platform in an effort to provide specialized services for patients close to home, while reducing wait times.
“NHH has made a conscious effort in recent years to better connect local patients to specialized (and often hard to access) medical expertise through technology, specifically the (OTN),” said NHH’s Dr.Mukesh Bhargava, chief of staff, in a media release.
“Building on past successes in mental health, rheumatology, and genetics, we have also been successful at enhancing local access to neurologists through OTN. The recruitment of doctors Ho and Scott builds on that.”
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The OTN, one of the largest telemedicine networks in the world, uses two-way videoconferencing to provide access to care for patients in hospitals and other health care locations in a way that’s aimed to be efficient and accessible for both patients and providers.
“We are excited to begin 2024 by welcoming these two neurologists to NHH’s clinical team, and in doing so, continuing to make progress toward our strategic priority of connected care, close to home,” said Susan Walsh, NHH president and CEO, in the release.
“Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Ho and Dr. Scott and thank them for taking this opportunity, through virtual technologies, to bring their specialized and much-needed expertise to patients in west Northumberland County.”
Dr. Ho is a consultant neurologist serving inpatient, remote and outpatient neurologic populations. She has practised as a general neurologist for nine years, while running a busy ambulatory practice in addition to teaching medical students, NHH noted.
She completed both her Doctor of Medicine and training in adult neurology at Queen’s University in Kingston. Prior to medical school, Dr. Ho earned an Honours Bachelor of Science in immunology with high distinction from the University of Toronto.
“I am excited to be joining the NHH medical team through the (OTN),” Dr. Ho said in a statement.
“My priorities as a specialist have always been to provide excellent and compassionate clinical care. I look forward to supporting the patients of west Northumberland County and
expanding treatment options for neurological diseases within this growing community.”
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Dr. Scott is a neurologist who specializes in general and vascular neurology. Since 2017, she has worked at Mackenzie Health, a district stroke centre, in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
She completed both her Doctor of Medicine and neurology residency at University of Toronto. In addition to her medical training, Dr. Scott completed a fellowship in vascular neurology at Boston Medical Center in Boston.
“I am thankful for the warm welcome to (NHH) and Northumberland County,” said Dr. Scott in the release.
“Through my work with the OTN clinic, I am looking forward to collaborating with area providers to better support patients with general and vascular neurological conditions,” Dr. scott said.
NHH asks referring providers to complete the NHH clinical telemedicine consult request. Patients are then scheduled and notified of their appointment, and any specific details, by the NHH OTN nurse.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to Peterborough Fire Services chief Chris Snetsinger during an unpublicized visit on February 8, 2024 to the city's new $10-million net zero carbon fire station under construction at 100 Marina Boulevard. Also pictured are Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark. (Photo: City of Peterborough)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quietly visited Peterborough on Thursday afternoon (February 8) where he toured the city’s new $10-million net zero carbon fire station under construction at 100 Marina Boulevard and met with firefighters.
The visit was not included on the Prime Minister’s official itinerary for Thursday and media were not invited to attend.
Photos posted on social media by the City of Peterborough show Trudeau with Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, the city’s chief administrative officer Jasbir Raina, Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark, and Peterborough Fire Services chief Chris Snetsinger, among others.
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The prime minister’s office also posted photos on social media of Trudeau meeting with firefighters at the station.
Trudeau’s visit comes two weeks after the federal government and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities announced the city will be receiving a total of $9.3 million in loans and grants through the Green Municipal Fund for the new fire station, located at the former location of Northcrest Arena.
The new facility will replace the existing Fire Station 2 on Carnegie Avenue, which was built in 1967, and will be the city’s first building designed, built, and certified as a zero carbon building for both performance and design categories. The green design is expected to save the city an estimated $24,270 per year in operational costs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets Peterborough firefighters during a visit on February 8, 2024 to the city’s new $10-million net zero carbon fire station under construction at 100 Marina Boulevard. (Photo: Prime Minister’s Office)
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating after a Northumberland County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer shot and injured a 28-year-old man early Saturday morning (Feburary 10) at a home in the Colborne area.
According to the SIU, at around 1 a.m. on Friday, Northumberland County OPP received 9-1-1 call from a residence in the area of Highway 401 and County Road 25 about a domestic violence incident. The caller reported the man had a firearm.
When officers arrived on scene, the man shot at police. An officer then shot the man, who was taken to hospital for treatment. No details were provided about the man’s condition.
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The SIU has assigned three investigators and two forensic investigator to the case.
The SIU is asking anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians.
The Capitol Theatre in Port Hope is offering family programming in March including A WeeFestival Weekend for young children before March Break and, for older children and teens, Camp Capitol and the Teen Songwriting Intensive during March Beak. (Graphics courtesy of Capitol Theatre)
Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre has announced a number of upcoming programs for families in March, including two innovative theatrical shows for young children and March Break camps for older children and teens, along with a casting update for the Capitol’s spring musical.
“The Capitol is striving to offer something for everyone, and that includes kids and their families,” says the Capitol’s artistic director Rob Kempson in a media release. “I have a background in education and spent a number of years as a teacher, so bringing to our community high-quality programming for children and youth has always been at the top of my mind.”
For the weekend before March Break, the Capitol is partnering with Toronto’s WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for Early Years to present A WeeFestival Weekend on March 8 and 9. The program features two theatrical shows created specifically for young children and their families. Tickets are only $12 per show for children and $20 for adults.
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Lost & Found features three artists who spin stories inspired by items they discover in the lost and found box. A children’s mitten becomes a fish, a woolly wrap becomes the mouth of a whale, a winter hat becomes a hungry beaver, and a flowing scarf becomes a mischievous grandmother who loves stories and urges the performers on.
Recommended for children ages 3 to 6, Lost & Found is a participatory performance that uses live music, found-object puppetry, and inventive storytelling to inspire and delight the audience.
Lost & Found runs at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 8th and at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 9th.
Hilary Wheeler performing in the WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for Early Years show “Lost & Found” in 2023. (Photo: Mallory Browne)
Quest for the Moon is a heartwarming and engaging story about the friendship between a young fox and the Moon, told with the magic of shadow puppetry, music, and theatre in a sensory-rich and intimate setting.
The cautious and fearful fox is happy to listen to the Moon’s stories about far-off places she has seen on her path across the sky, until one night the Moon goes missing and the fox must summon the courage to go in search of his friend and discover the world beyond his den.
Recommended for children 2 and older, Quest for the Moon runs at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 8th and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 9th.
VIDEO: “Quest for the Moon” trailer
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For March Break, the Capitol is offering two day camps for older children and teens running from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. all week from Monday, March 11th to Friday, March 15th. The weekly fee is $325 per participant, with before and after-care from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. available for an additional $75 per participant.
Designed for children and teens ages 9 to 15, Camp Capitol features five days of singing, dancing, acting, and art led by expert instructors. Campers will improve their “triple-threat” skills and show off their work in a culminating performance on the Capitol Theatre main stage on Friday afternoon. Both beginner and experienced performers are welcome.
For teens in Grade 9 and up, the Teen Songwriting Intensive is offered in partnership with Northumberland County’s Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG). Participants will hone their skills as a songwriter in a variety of styles, explore new ways of making music, and learn about the industry. The week features workshops with special guests, opportunities to record demos, and a culminating presentation for friends and family.
Joel Cumber will perform as Frog and Haneul Yi will perform as Toad in the Capitol Theatre’s production of the family musical “A Year with Frog & Toad,” running from May 17 to June 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Theatre)
Later in the spring, The Capitol will be presenting the family musical A Year with Frog & Toad, based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved books, with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by William Reale. The whimsical show chronicles the story of two friends — the very chipper Frog and the rather grumpy Toad — through four fun-filled seasons as they join the other animals of the forest to plant gardens, go swimming, rake leaves, go sledding, and learn life lessons along the way.
Directed by Fiona Sauder, the play will feature Joel Cumber as Frog, Haneul Yi as Toad, and ensemble members Landon Doak, Taylor Lovelace, and Yunike Soedarmasto. The show runs from May 17 to June 2, with tickets costing $48 ($40 for those under 30 and $22 for children 12 and under).
For more information, tickets for A WeeFestival Weekend shows and A Year with Frog & Toad, and to register for the March Break week-long day camps, visit capitoltheatre.com.
Little Britain Foodland, located on the northeast corner of Little Britain Rd. and Eldon Rd. in Little Britain in Kawarthas Lakes, has announced on Facebook it will be closing March 16, 2024. Parent company Sobeys has confirmed the closure to kawarthaNOW. (Photo: Google Maps)
As Little Britain’s Foodland grocery store prepares for a farewell event, parent company Sobeys says closing a store is never a decision “we make lightly.”
Located at 1043 Little Britain Road in Kawartha Lakes, the grocery store announced on its Facebook page on January 23 that the store will be closing on March 16.
The store stated in its post that Sobeys decided not to renew its lease with the owner of the land where Little Britain Foodland is located.
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When asked why it was closing the store, Sobeys said it was a decision based on a number of factors.
“Our company has an unwavering commitment to serving families and communities, especially those in rural areas where we know that families rely on community grocery stores for convenience and access,” Sarah Dawson, public affairs lead for Sobeys, told kawarthaNOW.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had to make a difficult decision to close the Foodland in Little Britain. The decision to close a store is never one we make lightly, and various contributing factors are considered. We regularly review our operations, and the decision is driven by that regular assessment process and is in line with our normal course of business.”
Dawson said Sobeys expresses its gratitude to the Little Britain community for its “loyal patronage over the years.”
“We also want to acknowledge the dedication and service provided by our store team. Their commitment to customers and the community has been exceptional, and we are working to support impacted teammates as they navigate this transition,” Dawson added.
Little Britain Foodland declined an interview with kawarthaNOW.
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In announcing the closure, Little Britain Foodland’s Facebook post stated, “I have seen a lot of changes over the years. Lots of people have come and gone but this is by far the saddest news for our amazing community in a long time.”
That post generated more than 350 shares and 50 comments from local community members and customers.
Some people wondered how the closure would affect some of Little Britain’s older adults.
“How are all the elderly people that don’t drive going to survive,” one person asked.
Another post called Little Britain Foodland “the anchor for our community. It will be missed terribly.”
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Residents expressed the need for a grocery store and the hope for one in the future.
On that note, Little Britain Foodland stated, “we will miss each and every one of you and like you, we hope a deal can be made with someone willing to continue serving our community.”
Little Britain Foodland is hosting a special send-off event on Saturday, March 2nd from noon to 4 p.m. for community members and staff, including past owners and former employees.
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