A tornado at Sturgeon Lake in Kawartha Lakes on June 23, 2020. (Photo: Amy Reeds @amy_reeds / Twitter)
Environment Canada has issued a tornado watch for Hastings Highlands, and a severe thunderstorm watch for the rest of the Kawarthas region, for late Thursday afternoon (August 3) into the evening.
The severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts up to 100 km/h, toonie to golf ball size hail, and localized heavy downpours.
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In addition, there is a risk of a tornado in Hastings Highlands.
This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.In the event of a tornado, or if a tornado warning is issued for your area, it is recommended you take the following actions.
Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet. Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris.
Peterborough resident Cass Stabler in her front yard rain garden surrounded by wild bergamot, a native plant that flowers from mid to late summer and is adored by many native pollinators. Stabler applied for and received a rain garden subsidy from the City of Peterborough in 2020, the first year the program was offered. (Photo: Hayley Goodchild / GreenUP)
In this week’s GreenUP article, two Peterborough residents share their experience growing rain gardens at home.
Both residents received subsidies through the City of Peterborough’s Rain Garden Subsidy Program, which provides funding to eligible property owners, including homeowners, businesses, and organizations.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Hayley Goodchild, GreenUP Program Coordinator.
A rain garden is a bowl-shaped garden located downslope of a building. It captures rain from a roof, driveway, or other impermeable surface. A rain garden is designed so that you can use less water once the plants are established. Unlike a pond, rain gardens fill temporarily and drain in-between rain events.
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Sue McGregor-Hunter was keen to install a rain garden because of the positive impact it would have on the Jackson Creek subwatershed.
“It is very empowering to know that as individuals we can take an active role in improving our environment,” says McGregor-Hunter.
“Not only does the rain garden stop water from our roof and sump pump from running onto the street, where it collects contaminants before entering the storm sewer system, it has also become a haven for pollinators. The bees love it and so do we.”
Sue McGregor-Hunter’s home in the west end of Peterborough features a front yard rain garden with many native plants, including dense blazing star and prairie smoke, among others. McGregor-Hunter received a subsidy through the City of Peterborough’s Rain Garden Subsidy Program, which provides funding to eligible property owners, including homeowners, businesses, and organizations. (Photo: Hayley Goodchild / GreenUP)
There are many secondary benefits to rain gardens, such as more habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, carbon sequestration, and beautiful landscaping. When many rain gardens are installed in an urban environment like a city, together these gardens can even reduce the risk of flooding.
Cass Stabler applied for a rain garden subsidy in 2020, the first year the program was offered. Stabler installed two rain gardens. The front yard garden captures rainwater runoff that falls from the porch roof. There is a larger garden in the backyard that manages runoff from the rest of the house’s roof.
Both front yard and backyard rain gardens are eligible for funding through the program.
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“When I first began designing my garden, I wanted to put it on the same side of the house as my downspout but there were underground utilities in the way,” Stabler explains. “I had to find a way to deliver the runoff to the other side of the path.”
“When it rains, water collects from the roof in my rain barrel, and then into an overflow hose, which runs beneath the porch and out on the other side. The porch disguises it. I dug an angled trench to carry water, by gravity, from the overflow hose into the garden.”
Rain barrels are an excellent way to capture and direct water that can be used in your rain garden and yard. The GreenUP Store & Resource Centre sells rain barrels made from re-purposed, recycled, food-grade olive barrels, complete with brass spigot and overflow valve, and a five-foot drainage hose. Peterborough Utilities customers can receive a $50 subsidy for a rain barrel purchased from GreenUP.
An aerial shot of a rain garden being installed at a Peterborough property. Both front yard and backyard rain gardens are eligible for the City of Peterborough’s Rain Garden Subsidy Program, which provides funding to eligible property owners, including homeowners, businesses, and organizations. (Photo: GreenUP)
Both of Stabler’s gardens have filled in beautifully over the past three years, with plants that she purchased from Ecology Park’s Native Plant & Tree Nursery.
“I really, really love the wild strawberry,” says Stabler. “It makes a great groundcover. The wild bergamot is blooming right now, and is full of pollinating insects.”
“I also love how little I need to water. Last year I maybe watered once or twice during drought in August, but I really don’t water this garden much. When I do, I use rain from the barrel.”
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Designing and installing a rain garden is rewarding for you, and for the watershed.
Eligible property owners in the City of Peterborough can receive up to $1,000 to offset the cost of installing a rain garden. The subsidy amount is based on the size of the roof or surface that generates runoff. GreenUP staff provide applicants with support through on-site visits and a host of resources available on the GreenUP rain garden resource page.
Lyn Giles of Five Counties Children's Centre (middle) accepts a $20,500 donation from Masons Steve Kirton (left) and Drew Wilson made by the Peterborough District Masonic Association and and the Masonic Foundation of Ontario. The funds will go directly to help more children and youth access speech and occupational therapies at Five Counties Children's Centre. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
The Peterborough District Masonic Association and the Masonic Foundation of Ontario have donated $20,500 to the Building Abilities For Life campaign of Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Serving children in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides therapy services that assist children who are delayed in their development to build the skills they need in everyday life such as walking, talking, and activities of daily living.
The donated funds will go directly to reduce wait times for children and youth by getting them access to high-demand treatment like speech and occupational therapies.
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“Our donation to Five Counties’ Building Abilities For Life campaign is a natural fit,” says Drew Wilson of the Peterborough District Masonic Association in a media release. “We are a fraternity of builders. We build better men who strive to make a better world. It only makes sense then to support Five Counties programs that build better lives for children and families in our district.”
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world. Historians identify its origins in English medieval stonemason guilds, which formed among the skilled craftsmen who built cathedrals, castles, and other stone structures. The term “Masonic lodge” refers to the working quarters that masons built next to construction sites. Today, members include politicians, businessmen, physicians, construction workers, farmers, and more.
Wilson says many local Masons, including himself, know or have had their own children benefit from treatment at Five Counties. The funds being given to Five Counties will also assist children and families in all of the communities within the Peterborough Masonic District, including Peterborough and Northumberland County.
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Local Masons have been raising money for Five Counties through various events and personal donations, from both Masons and non-Masons. The latest donation from Peterborough District Masonic Association follows one made by the Norwood Masonic Lodge last year.
“We greatly appreciate the generosity of Masons of Peterborough District and the Masonic Foundation of Ontario,” says Lyn Giles, director of fund development with Five Counties. “Building compassion, kindness and charitable giving are all hallmarks of the Masonic Order, and now they can add building abilities for life to that list. These funds will go directly to helping more kids and youth get the speech and occupational therapies they need to succeed.”
In 2022-23, Five Counties Children’s Centre served more than 6,200 children and youth in its region — the highest number of clients in its nearly 50-year history. For more information, visit www.fivecounties.on.ca.
Monarch butterfly populations have been decreasing along with the decrease of milkwood plants, which have been destroyed as unwanted weeds with herbicides or other methods. The milkweed plant is critical for the survival of the monarch butterfly, as monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed leaves. (Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
If you’ve recently travelled along the trail network in Kawartha Lakes, you may have noticed patches of ground vegetation have been left untouched.
According to a media release from the City of Kawartha Lakes, city staff have been doing this intentionally — especially patches around milkweed plants — to sustain and support monarch butterfly and caterpillar habitat.
While milkweed was often considered an unwelcome weed in the past, it is critical for the survival of the threatened pollinator. Without milkweed, monarch butterflies cannot complete their life cycle and their populations will continue to decline.
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While monarch butterflies consume nectar from a variety of flowering plants, the milkweed plant is the only host plant that supports a monarch’s full life cycle from egg to caterpillar to butterfly. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweed, which also provide them with shelter.
Four to eight days after the female monarch lays its eggs on milkweed leaves, the eggs hatch and the distinctively striped monarch caterpillars emerge. The caterpillars are eating machines, feeding on the leaves almost constantly, pausing only five times to shed their skin as they grow almost 3,000 times their birth weight in about two weeks.
The caterpillars then enter the pupa state and, about 10 days later, emerge as fully grown adult monarch butterflies.
The life cycle of the monarch butterfly. (Graphic: University of Waikato)
The City of Kawartha Lakes’ monarch-friendly initiative along the trail system will continue for the rest of the summer.
Once the adult butterflies have migrated south in the fall, city staff will re-visit the untouched patches to complete mowing.
Kawartha Lakes is officially recognized as a Bee City by Bee City Canada because the city supports healthy pollinator populations and ongoing efforts to preserve and create pollinator habitat.
"Tip of the Iceberg" co-playwright and songwriter Chris Rait along with actors Mark Whelan and Rick Hughes during a rehearsal for the musical comedy, which runs for 12 performances from August 2 to 12, 2023 at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. (Photo: Globus Theatre)
Globus Theatre’s 20th anniversary season continues in August with the musical comedy Tip of the Iceberg, running for 12 performances from August 2 to 12 at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon.
Written by first-time playwrights Chris Rait, Mark Williams, and Jeannine Bouw, the play tells the story of Gordon and Archie, lifelong friends born and raised in a remote Newfoundland fishing village.
When they see an influx of rich tourists visiting their sleep village who are willing to pay big bucks for an authentic Newfoundland experience, Archie hatches a plan where he and Gordon can make a fortune off the tourists. All they need is a boat, an iceberg, and a little bit of luck.
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Back in 2018, musician Chris Rait approached his friend Mark Williams, a Newfoundland native, with an idea for a play. During an early writing session at Rait’s home, Jeannine Bouw — a member of Rait’s folk-rock group The Treeline — dropped by for band practice and volunteered to help.
“We’d have a glass of wine and Mark would start telling a story and I would type as he would talk,” Bouw says.
Williams’ stories of his family’s experiences and history as rural Newfoundlanders provided the foundation for the rough first draft. Bouw and Rait worked on character development, with Bouw bringing her comic sensibility to the story and Rait eventually writing eight original songs for the production.
“Tip of the Iceberg” playwrights Mark Williams, Jeannine Bouw, and Chris Rait. Rait will be performing in the Globus Theatre production of the play, which runs for 12 performances from August 2 to 12, 2023 at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. (Photo: Lighthouse Festival Theatre)
Having never written a play, a year later the trio brought their work-in-progress to Derek Ritschel, artistic director of Lighthouse Festival in Port Dover, hoping for some simple advice and tips.
“We asked Derek if he could just humour us and read the play for feedback as a favour,” Rait recalls. “The next thing we know we get a call from Derek asking if we can come into his office.”
The meeting led to the three playwrights becoming involved with Lighthouse Festival’s Play Development Program, a second draft of the play, and a professional table read at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.
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Three years later, after many rewrites and edits complicated by pandemic isolation, Tip of the Iceberg premiered in 2022 at the Lighthouse Festival in Port Dover and Port Colborne.
A story of friendships, Tip of the Iceberg is filled with laughter, music, and fun as well as an inspiring message.
“These are two men — their best days are behind them,” Williams says. “But at the same time, throughout the play the audience and the characters come to the realization that it’s not all said and done yet. There are new doors to open, there’s new avenues to travel. You can move on; you can move forward. There’s still a lot of fun to be had.”
Co-playwright and songwriter Chris Rait along with actors Mark Whelan and Rick Hughes will perform in the Globus Theatre production of “Tip of the Iceberg”, which runs for 12 performances from August 2 to 12, 2023 at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. (kawarthaNOW collage of supplied photos)
“I want someone leaving the theatre going ‘I haven’t played my guitar in like 20 years, I want to go home and do that tomorrow’,” Rait adds. “I want to try gardening, or I want to go to Mexico.”
Along with the characters of Gordon and Archie, the play features a musician who functions as a narrator.
For the Globus Theatre production of Tip of the Iceberg, which is directed by Globus Theatre co-founder and artistic producer James Barrett, that musician will be Rait himself, performing his original songs.
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The roles of Gordon and Archie will be played by actors Mark Whelan and Rick Hughes.
A resident artist with Terra Bruce productions in Newfoundland, Whelan has appeared in numerous Globus Theatre productions, including Sunshine Express and Stones in His Pockets, and has numerous stage, television, film, and commercial appearances to his credit.
Hughes has appeared in Persephone Theatre’s Biloxi Blues with James Barrett and Port Hope Festival’s Honeymoon For Three with Mark Whelan, and has also appeared in CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries and Netflix’s Hemlock Grove.
VIDEO: Chris Rait in promotion for original Lighthouse Festival production
Suitable for all ages, Tip of the Iceberg runs for 12 performances at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, August 2nd to Saturday, August 5th and from Tuesday, August 8th to Saturday, August 12th, with additional 2 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday, August 5th and Thursday, August 10th.
An optional dinner is available at 6 p.m. before the evening performances.
Tickets are $45 for the show only, or $90 for dinner and the show, and are available by calling the Globus Theatre box office at 705-738-2037 or online at globustheatre.com.
The Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society paddling in British Columbia in 2007, when the society was known as the David Thompson Brigade. On August 5, 2023, the Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society will arrive in Peterborough during a 250-kilometre journey from Port Severn to Hiawatha First Nation at Rice Lake. (Photo: Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society)
On Saturday (August 5), The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough will be giving a warm welcome to the Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society, a brigade of paddlers who are travelling 250 kilometres down the Trent-Severn Waterway.
Last week, the brigade, made up of paddlers from across Canada, assembled in Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay. After brief training, the crew began their long paddle on July 29, entering the Trent-Severn Waterway at Port Severn in Voyageur canoes. These are large canoes similar to those used by 18th and 19th century French Canadian settlers as well as Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg, and Métis peoples — known as voyageurs — primarily for fur trading.
The 250-kilometre journey is taking the brigade through lakes, canals, 24 lift locks, and The Big Chute before they arrive in Peterborough on Saturday on the shores of Little Lake at the site of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s new home currently under construction.
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There, the paddlers will be greeted by the Canadian Canoe Museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop and curator Jeremy Ward. Together, they will explore the new waterfront campus, share the vision for the new campus, and swap paddling stories over a shared meal.
“We are incredibly honoured and excited that people want to travel from all over Canada to paddle the Trent Severn Waterway in celebration of The Canadian Canoe Museum,” explains The Canadian Canoe Museum’s program manager Peter Vooy. “This is just a glimpse into the enthusiasm there is for the new museum and how we are inspiring Canada by canoe.”
The brigade is made up of 12 Voyageur canoes with paddlers representing people from coast to coast to coast, inclusive to age and region, with invitation to the Chippewas of Rama and Georgina Island First Nations, and the First Nations of Beausoleil, Curve Lake, Hiawatha, and Alderville to participate.
The Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society is an Alberta-based non-profit organization that evolved from the David Thompson Brigade and works to ensure that the enjoyment of paddling big canoes is passed through generations. (Photo: Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society)
The Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society is an Alberta-based non-profit organization that evolved from the David Thompson Brigade and works to ensure that the enjoyment of paddling big canoes is passed through generations. Born in 1770, Thompson was a fur trader, explorer, and surveyor who explored and surveyed more than four million square kilometres of North America wilderness.
Prior to their landing in Peterborough, the Voyageur Brigade will be stopping in Fenelon Falls for lunch on August 1, before spending the night and having the following day off in Bobcaygeon.
Visitors are invited to Garnet Graham Beach Park to greet them upon arrival at approximately 11:30 a.m., with the opportunity to be taken out in one of the canoes.
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After departing from Beavermead Park in Peterborough on the morning on August 6, the crew will paddle on to Hiawatha First Nation as the final leg of the voyage, arriving at the beach at around 1 p.m. Brigade participants and Hiawatha First Nation citizens are invited to the Gathering Space at around 1:30 p.m. for a community barbeque.
“The Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society is upholding a long-held tradition of building community through shared paddling expeditions,” explains Vooy.
“We hope that those involved in the voyage take away a greater appreciation for our waterways, the canoe, and how it can connect us not only to the land and water but one another — maybe new friendships will be forged.”
The Canadian Canoe Museum’s popular Voyageur Canoe Tour offered a one-of-a-kind guided tour where you help paddle a 36-foot Montreal canoe along the Trent-Severn Waterway and through the Peterborough Lift Lock. The tours are on hiatus while The Canadian Canoe Museum awaits for the completion of its new waterfront facility on the shores of Little Lake in Peterborough. (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
This story has been updated to include Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg, and Métis peoples as voyageurs.
After a three-year pandemic absence, Parks Canada's Lock & Paddle event returns to the Peterborough Lift Lock on August 26, 2023. Paddle alongside hundreds of canoes and kayaks along the Trent-Severn Waterway towards the world's tallest hydraulic lift lock, where the two tubs will be packed full as everyone is sent 65 feet in the air. (Photo: Parks Canada)
Now that August has arrived, in just a few short weeks it’ll be time to send the kids back to school, pull out the sweaters and long pants, sip a pumpkin spice latte, and fully embrace the coming of fall.
But, for now, the sun is still shining, the leaves are still on the trees, and the water is still warm — so don’t say goodbye to summer just yet! There is still lots of summer fun to be had in the Kawarthas in August, with everything from outdoor concerts, weekend festivals, live theatre, and good food still in store for us all month long.
Check out this list of events happening throughout the Kawarthas during the month of August.
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1. “The Cavan Blazers” at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook (August 1 – 26)
Actors JD “Jack” Nicholsen and Colin A. Doyle perform a scene from “The Cavan Blazers” running at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook from August 1 to 26, 2023. (Photo: Wayne Eardley, Brookside Studio)
Throughout the month of August, Millbrook’s outdoor theatre company 4th Line Theatre is returning to their roots with the sixth remounting of The Cavan Blazers.
The production was the first to ever be produced at the Winslow Farm in 1992 and it’s back once again by popular demand. Written by 4th Line’s founder Robert Winslow, The Cavan Blazers chronicles the 19th-century conflict between Protestant and Irish Catholic settlers in Cavan Township.
Opening night of The Cavan Blazers is at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 3rd, with preview nights on August 1 and 2. Performances at 6 p.m. continue Tuesdays to Saturdays until August 26. Tickets can be purchased online at www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca for $50 ($45 for children and youth ages five to 16), with $38 tickets available for preview nights.
2. Peterborough Musicfest (August 2 – 19)
Tim & The Glory Boys close out Peterborough Musicfest’s 2023 season on August 19, 2023. Formed in 2013, Tim Neufeld (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Colin Trask (dobro/percussionist) and Brenton Thorvaldson (banjo/guitar) call their boot-stompin’ sound “canoegrass,” a nod to both their bluegrass roots and the rustic country Canadiana the band have more recently begun exploring to great success. (Publicity photo)
Continuing the lineup of great music we saw in July, Peterborough’s free-admission outdoor summer concert series at Del Crary Park continues every Wednesday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. for three more weeks in August.
On August 2, Honeymoon Suite takes the stage, followed by the British Legends Tribute (Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Freddie Mercury) on August 5, Glass Tiger on August 9, Big Wreck on August 16, and Tim & the Glory Boys closing out the festival on August 19. The performer for the August 12 concert is yet to be announced.
3. Two plays at Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre (August 2 – 24)
Chris Rait, Mark Whelan, and Rick Hughes perform in the musical comedy “Tip of the Iceberg” at Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn from August 2 to 12, 2023. (Photo: Globus Theatre)
Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre still has two productions in store to wrap up the theatre company’s 20th anniversary summer season.
The musical comedy Tip of the Iceberg by Chris Rait, Mark Williams, and Jeannine Bouw follows two Newfoundland fishermen and lifelong friends as they set out on an icy adventure. Performances are at 8 p.m. on August 2 to 5 and 8 to 12, with matinee performances at 2 pm on August 5 and 10.
Next up is the comedy Hurry Hard by Kristen Da Silva beginning August 16. The play follows a divorced couple as they reunite with their curling team seven years later. Performances will be at 8 p.m. August 16 to 19 and 22 to 26, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. on August 19 and 24.
An optional dinner is available before evening performances. Tickets for both productions cost $45, or $90 for theatre and dinner, and can be purchased at globustheatre.com/globus-current-season.
4. Outdoor Concert Series at ZimArt Rice Lake Gallery (August 2 – 30)
Jackson Delta (Rick Fines, Gary Peeples, and Alan Black) will perform the last-ever summer concert at ZimArt Rice Lake Gallery near Bailieboro on August 30, 2023. (Photo: Mark L. Craighead)
Head over to the ZimArt Rice Lake Gallery near Bailieboro before it closes for good as of Thanksgiving. After four years of hosting its outdoor summer concert series, ZimArt is presenting the last of the concerts in August.
The Weber Brothers (August 2), Al Lerman (August 16), and Jackson Delta (August 30) will make history as the final musical acts to play at the unique gallery.
You won’t want to miss out on the last chance to spend a summer night of live music surrounded by Zimbabwean sculptures. Tickets cost $40 in advance and can be purchased by emailing musicatzimart@gmail.com. Bring your own chair, beverages, and food for the shows.
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5. Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree (August 3 – 6)
The Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree, Canada’s most celebrated gem and mineral show, runs from August 3 to 6, 2023. (Photo: Bancroft Gemboree)
Visit Canada’s mineral capital from Thursday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 6th for the Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree, the country’s most celebrated gem and mineral show. Over a hundred dealers of fine minerals, gemstone, and jewellery will come to the weekend of keynote speakers, demonstrations, and workshops.
Visitors can browse exhibits of minerals, crystals, gems, fossils, one-of-a-kind jewellery, and art pieces. Events will be taking place at the Bancroft Curling Club, North Hastings Community Centre, and in the outdoor arena.
One- to four-day tickets are available, ranging from $10 to $32. To purchase tickets and for the full schedule, including event locations, visit www.bancroftrockhoundgemboree.ca.
6. Westben Concerts in Campbellford (August 1 – 6)
Award-winning Canadian East Coast songwriter Lennie Gallant performs a concert on Willow Hill at Westben in Campbellford on August 4, 2023. (Publicity photo)
Campbellford’s Westben is wrapping up its summer festival of music in early August, starting with the final two performances of Les Mis in Concert, featuring an all-star cast performing all the favourite musical moments from this international hit, at The Barn at 2 p.m. on August 1 and 2.
Les Mis in Concert will be followed with performances by Lennie Gallant (August 4 on Willow Hill) and Jill Barber (August 5 at The Barn). Laila Biali & the Brian Barlow Big Band (August 6 at The Barn) will be closing out the 2023 concert season performing hits from Joni Mitchell and more.
Tickets cost $55 ($53 for seniors) for all the shows, except for Laila Biali & the Brian Barlow Big Band which is is $65 ($63 for seniors). More information and tickets can be found at www.westben.ca/season-2023.
7. Music @ the Gardens in Haliburton (August 11 – 13)
Abbey Gardens in Haliburton is hosting their third annual weekend music festival under the garden marquee tent from August 11 to 13, 2023. (Photo: Abbey Gardens)
Who doesn’t love live music outdoors? For the third year, Abbey Gardens is hosting their weekend festival, bringing Canadian artists for a weekend of good music under the garden marquee tent from Friday, August 11th to Sunday, August 13th.
Musicians and groups include folk rock band Great Lake Swimmers, bluegrass string band Peter Porcelain and the American Standard, Celtic ballad singer John McDermott, comedy magic duo Brent & Sarah, and Inuk singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark.
Ticket prices range from $20 to $100. Visit abbeygardens.ca/atthegardens/ for more information and to purchase tickets.
8. “Living with Shakespeare” at the Peterborough Museum & Archives (August 12 – 13)
Created by Driftwood Theatre artistic director Jeremy Smith (pictured) and Steven Gallagher and performed by Smith, “Living with Shakespeare” weaves scenes, passages, and music from Shakespeare’s greatest plays with personal stories from Smith’s lifelong relationship to the Bard. Smith will perform the play, with musical accompaniment by Tom Lillington, at 7:30 p.m. on August 12 and 13 outside at the Peterborough Museum and Archives on the top of Armour Hill. (kawarthaNOW collage of Driftwood Theatre Group images)
The Peterborough Museum & Archives will be the stage for Picton’s Driftwood Theatre Group as their celebrated Bard’s Bus Tour comes to a close. Living with Shakespeare is a love letter to the works of William Shakespeare, created by Jeremy Smith and Steven Gallagher.
The production weaves scenes, passages, and music from Shakespeare’s greatest works with personal stories from Smith, who will be performing alongside musical accompaniment from Tom Lillington.
The performance will run August 12 and 13 on Armour Hill outside the museum, beginning at 7:30 p.m., with pay-as-you-can ticket options available ($15, $35, $50, $75). Every $75 ticket purchase will unlock a pair of free tickets to be distributed to organizations representing underserved members of communities. Find more information and purchase tickets at www.driftwoodtheatre.com/see/bardsbustour/.
9. “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Bancroft Village Playhouse (August 16 – 27)
Tweed & Co. Theatre’s production of “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” runs at the Bancroft Village Playhouse from August 16 to 27, 2023. (Photo: Tweed & Co. Theatre)
Head to the Bancroft Village Playhouse for a new production of one of the most classic family-friendly musicals, presented by Tweed & Co. Theatre. From August 16 to 27, stunning sets and costumes will be taking over the stage during Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Evening performances run at 7 p.m. from August 16 to 27, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on August 17, 19 and 20, 24, and 26 and 27. Every performance will have ASL interpretation, and the August 27 matinee performance will be a “relaxed” performance for those who prefer a calmer theatre experience.
Canadian singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt will be the Sunday headliner for the 34th annual music festival taking place on August 19 and 20, 2023 at Nicholls Oval Park beside the Otonabee River. (Publicity photo)
Returning for its 34th year, the Peterborough Folk Festival kicks off with two ticketed concerts featuring the East Pointers with guests Mimi O’Bonsawin and Irish Millie at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on August 17, and Angelique Francis with Emily Burgess at the Gordon Best Theatre on August 18.
The festival continues on August 19 and 20 with an admission-by-donation weekend at Nicholls Oval Park featuring four stages of live music, a family-friendly children’s village, artisan village, food village, and more. Visiting performers include Broken Social Scene, Loreena McKennitt, Splash’N Boots, Dan Mangan, The Sadies, Dizzy, My Son The Hurricane, Skye Wallace, MOONRiiVR, Bad Actors, Reggaddiction, and Mr. Sauga. Local performers include Evangeline Gentle, Matthew Holtby, Brooklyn Doran, Sarah McInnis, Charlie Glasspool, DOSES, VANCAMP, Victoria Yeh, Nicholas Campbell, Little Fire Collective, and The Lucky Ones.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the concerts at Market Hall and the Gordon Best, visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com.
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11. Hastings Waterfront Festival (August 19)
The Hastings Waterfront Festival on August 19, 2023 will bring a full day of summer festivities and fun for the whole family. (Photo: Hastings Waterfront Festival)
The Hastings Waterfront Festival on Saturday, August 19th will bring a full day of summer festivities and fun for the whole family. Activities for kids will include crafts, cookie painting, games, Medieval knight duel shows, axe throwing, and lots more. Show off your big wheels at the car show, with registration beginning at 7 a.m., before visiting the north shore of the Trent River for the Antique Boat Show, courtesy of the Trent Severn Antique and Classic Boat Association.
In the afternoon, take a stroll through a mix of unique finds from local vendors, artisans, and small businesses at the Vendor Village on Front Street East, before enjoying live music while loading up on crispy fried breaded pickerel at the fishy fry from 5 to 7 p.m. Live music from Chante Savoy, Harley and the Howlers, and Storm the Palace will continue late into the evening.
Cobourg musician Tyler Cochrane will be performing with his band at the Roseneath Country Fest on August 19, 2023. (Photo: Tyler Cochrane)
On Saturday, August 19th, the Roseneath Fairgrounds will be hosting the Roseneath Country Fest. Gates open at noon for performances by Hicktown, Tyler Cochrane and band, Jeremy Macklin and band, and Little Lake. The music runs from 1:30 to 10 p.m. (bring a lawn chair).
There will also be a craft show in the arena building, with food and beverage vendors operating all afternoon.
Gate admission cost $30 for adults and $15 for youth aged 13 to 17. Rough camping costs $25 per site with a limit of six people. All proceeds will support the Roseneath Fair taking place from September 29 to October 1.
13. Bobcaygeon Craft Beer and Food Festival (August 19)
The Bobcaygeon Craft Beer and Food Festival runs from 12 to 7 p.m. on August 19, 2023 at Kawartha Settlers Village in Bobcaygeon. (Graphic: Bobcaygeon Craft Beer and Food Festival)
Also on Saturday, August 19th from 12 to 7 p.m., a craft beer and food festival will be taking over Kawartha Settlers Village in Bobcaygeon with live entertainment from The Limestone Cowboys, Kelly Burrows, and Shannon Roszell.
The Bobcaygeon Craft Beer and Food Festival includes featured breweries include Bobcaygeon Brewing Company, Old Dog Brewing Co., Archibald Estate Winery, Haven Brewing Co., Two Blokes Cider, Old flame Brewing, Dusk to Dawn Brewing Co., Fenelon Falls Brewing Co., and more.
This is an age-of-majority event and children are not permitted. Advanced general admission tickets for $20 are currently on sale, with designated driver tickets available for half price at www.bobcaygeonbeerfestival.ca.
14. Buckhorn Festival of the Arts (August 19 & 20)
“Early Morning Breakout – Common Loon Family” by Harvey Bodach, one of the artists at the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts on August 19 and 20, 2023 at the at the Buckhorn Community Centre. (Photo: Buckhorn Festival of the Arts)
Admire beautiful works of art from over 70 artists in a range of mediums at the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts on Saturday, August 19th (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, August 20th (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at the Buckhorn Community Centre. Art work will be available to browse and purchase.
Several new artists will be featured this year, ranging in mediums including mixed media, oil and acrylic painting, photography, graphite drawings, and more. The weekend will also include live music, food, and an art activity zone.
Local Celtic band Hunt the Hare (Jonathan Berlingeri, Frank Callaghan, Kane Miller, and Brendan Quigley) are one of the musical acts performing at the first annual Lakefield Lakefest on August 25 and 26, 2023 at the Lakefield Fairgrounds. (Photo: Hunt the Hare)
Celebrate local talent and crafts with the first annual Lakefield Lakefest happening August 25 and 26 at the Lakefield Fairgrounds.
Performances on Friday beginning at 5 p.m. include Irish Millie, Ty Wilson, and Patio Stones, while Saturday’s performers are SJ Riley, The Acoustically Hip, Tyler Cochrane, Hippie Chics, Amanda Thomas, Jacques Graveline, Hunt the Hare, and Bootleg XXX.
Tickets are $20 for adults or $10 for students/seniors for a one-day pass or $35 for a weekend pass (free for children under 12 when accompanied by an adult). Visit lakefieldlakefest.org to purchase tickets. All proceeds from the event will be going to Lakefield Fairgrounds, Lakefield Foodbank, and the Lovesick Lake Native Women’s Association.
16. Port Hope Jazz Festival (August 25 – 27)
Carlos del Junco & the Blues Mongrels will be performing at the Ganaraska Hotel during the Port Hope Jazz Festival, which runs from August 25 to 26, 2023. (Photo: Carlos del Junco & the Blues Mongrels)
Since 2001, Port Hope Jazz has been giving a stage to Canadian jazz talents during their annual event. This year, from Friday, August 25th through Sunday, August 26th, the performances will be taking place across Port Hope’s well-known establishments including Haute Goat, Beamish House, Ganaraska Hotel, The Village Sage, Trattoria Gusto, Hotel Carlyle and Restaurant, TwentySix, and more.
Performers include Shannon Butcher, Jive Bombers with Johnny Max, Jocelyn Barth, Kalabash, Jack de Keyzer, Colleen Allen, Whitney Ross-Barris, Carlos del Junco & the Blues Mongrels, Bernie Senensky, and more.
Most shows have a $10 door cover, except for the Village Sage and Ganaraska Hotel shows which are ticketed. For the full schedule and for tickets, visit www.porthopejazz.com.
17. Lock & Paddle at the Peterborough Lift Lock (August 26)
VIDEO: Lock & Paddle 2017 at the Peterborough Lift Lock
Parks Canada is inviting everyone to celebrate Peterborough’s Lift Lock National Historical Site when the Lock & Paddle event returns for the first time in three years on Saturday, August 26th beginning at 3 p.m.
Paddle alongside hundreds of canoes and kayaks along the Trent-Severn Waterway towards the world’s tallest hydraulic lift lock, where the two tubs will be packed full as everyone is sent 65 feet in the air.
The event was last held from 2016 to 2019. This year’s theme is “Lift Your Spirits,” and Parks Canada is encouraging all participants to decorate their vessels and wear costumes for the event. No registration is required, and Lock & Paddle is open to people of all ages and skill levels. Visit parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/activ/eclusez-pagayez-lock-paddle for rules and guidelines.
18. Corn Roast at Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene (August 27)
Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene will be ringing in the harvest with a family-friendly Corn Roast on August 27, 2023. (Photo: Lang Pioneer Village Museum)
As the summer winds down, get excited for the fall season by ringing in the harvest with a Corn Roast at the Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene on Sunday, August 27th.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the grounds at the historic village will be turned into a festive celebration with demonstrations including threshing and rug-hooking, horse and wagon rides, live traditional music, a homecraft show from the Peterborough Agricultural Society, and — of course — plenty of fire-cooked corn.
Admission is $15 for adults, 10 for students and seniors, $7 for 5 to 14 year olds (free for children under 5), and $40 for a family pass (two adults and up to four youth). Advance tickets are now available for purchase at www.langpioneervillage.ca/plan-your-visit/events/corn-roast/.
The six Kawartha Lakes entrepreneurs who graduated from the spring 2023 cohort of the Starter Company Plus program offered by the Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre with funding from the Ontario government (left to right, top and bottom): Amanda Runge, Danielle Malcolm, Sharon Johnson, Deanne Taenzer, Kirsten Scott, and Aimee White. (kawarthaNOW collage of supplied photos)
Six entrepreneurs in Kawartha Lakes are growing their businesses thanks to the Starter Company Plus program.
Offered twice a year in the spring and fall by the Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre with funding from the Ontario government, the program provides entrepreneurs with free access to training and business skills development as well as mentorship from local business leaders.
Participants also become eligible for a $5,000 grant to help launch or grow their early-stage business. The program is geared to start-ups that are either pre-revenue or have operated for less than three years.
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Over the past year, 14 local businesses have benefited from the program, with the spring cohort including the following six entrepreneurs and their businesses:
Amanda Runge of Haus Simply, providing home organization and design services
Danielle Malcolm of Muster Point, offering grazing boxes, a food service trailer, catering, and bartending services
Sharon Johnson of Natural Doula, a doula and family photographer
Deanne Taenzer of Harcourt Park Marina, a marina and marketplace
Kirsten Scott of Springboard Grants and Consulting, providing consulting services and grant writing for government and non-government funding
Aimee White of Reveal Upholstery, offering re-upholstery services
“My experience as a participant in the Starter Company Plus Program has been the catalyst to turn my passion into a career,” says Haus Simply owner Amanda Runge in a media release. “I am incredibly grateful for the knowledge and guidance provided by the program and will forever be appreciative of the invaluable mentorship.”
A still from the CCTV camera installed at George and Brock street, one of 12 police-operated CCTV cameras now operational in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Peterborough Police Service)
Twelve closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras operated by the Peterborough police are now up and running in downtown Peterborough.
The installation of the 12 cameras was approved by Peterborough city council at its June 26th meeting.
The CCTV cameras are installed at the intersections of Aylmer and Brock, George and Brock, Aylmer and Hunter St. West, George and Hunter St. West, George and Simcoe, Aylmer and Charlotte, George and Charlotte, Aylmer and King, George and King, Aylmer and Sherbrooke, and George and Sherbrooke, as well as at the Simcoe Street bus terminal.
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Signage has also been posted notifying residents and visitors they are entering an area that may be monitored by CCTV cameras.
“As a service dedicated to public safety, we believe these cameras will be another tool in deterring and solving crime in our community,” says Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a media release.
The cameras are being funded in part by a $185,505 grant from the Ontario government’s CCTV grant program, a three-year $6-million program announced in 2020 for police services across the province, with the annual cost of operating the 12 cameras estimated at a maximum of $8,640.
Signage has been posted in downtown Peterborough notifying residents and visitors they are entering an area that may be monitored by police-operated CCTV cameras. (Photo: Peterborough Police Service)
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According to a frequently asked questions page on the Peterborough Police Service website, only authorized members of the service will have access to the video.
“The video will be used to help solve crime after the fact,” Betts says, adding “There is a procedure in place that limits who and when video can be accessed.”
Unless there is an active incident in progress, police will not be monitoring the cameras in real time. Recorded video will be used by the police to investigate and solve crimes if criminal activity is reported in the areas where the cameras are situated.
The recorded video may be provided to other law enforcement agencies upon request for investigative purposes, and may be released to the public to help identify people of interest in investigations. All access to video is audited and those logs are stored for one year.
This story has been updated with a correction to one of the locations of the cameras.
Led by founding members Johnnie Dee and Derry Grehan, longtime Canadian rockers Honeymoon Suite perform a free-admission concert at Peterborough Musicfest at Del Crary Park on August 2, 2023. (Official promotional photo)
If it’s classic Canadian rock you want, it’s classic Canadian rock you’ll get, and who better to deliver the goods than Honeymoon Suite — a band that has been rocking it hard for more than four decades.
Peterborough Musicfest presents Honeymoon Suite
When: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: Free admission
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent). VIP seating available for sponsors. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighbourhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Full evidence that the honeymoon is far from over can be seen in the quintet’s 2023 touring schedule; a raucous road show that’s bringing the band to venues across Canada and points south. Yes, for sure Honeymoon Suite’s hit making hey-day is well in its rear-view mirror, but there’s still a fair amount of gas in the tank.
Classic Canadian rock’s long relationship with Peterborough Musicfest continues on Wednesday (August 2) as Honeymoon Suite, led by founding members Johnnie Dee and Derry Grehan, hits the stage at Del Crary Park. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert, as always, is free.
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Formed in Niagara Falls in 1981 — the band’s name is a nod to that city’s historically rooted honeymoon capital of the world status — Honeymoon Suite started out as trio with Dee in the mix as guitarist and lead vocalist. Two years later, when lead guitarist Derry Grehan and drummer Dave Betts came on board, good things started to happen and in quick order.
Anchored by the Grehan-written single “New Girl Now” that reached number 23 on the Canadian charts and the top 50 in the U.S., the band’s 1984 self-titled debut album turned heads in a big way, ultimately producing three more singles in “Burning In Love,” “Wave Babies,” and “Stay In The Light.”
Honeymoon Suite capitalized quickly on that initial commercial success, releasing the follow-up album The Big Prize in 1986 and scoring a top 20 Canadian hit with “Feel It Again.”
VIDEO: “New Girl Now” – Honeymoon Suite
Nominated as Most Promising Group at the 1984 Juno Awards, and shortlisted again in the Group of the Year and Album of the Year categories the following year. Honeymoon Suite received its due in 1986, taking home the Group of the Year statue.
Two albums — Racing After Midnight (1986) and Monsters Under The Bed (1991) — followed the band’s initial success, the former giving the band another high-charting single in “Love Changes Everything” along with the tune “Lethal Weapon,” which was the uncredited title song of the 1987 hit buddy cop film of the same name starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover (the song plays over the closing credits).
There things sat until 2001 when Lemon Tongue was released, giving full evidence that Honeymoon Suite was still with us and still producing. Clifton Hill followed in 2008 and, in 2016, the nine-track EP Hands Up brought fans of the band their first new music in eight years.
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As one would expect of any band that has travelled such a long road, personnel changes have numbered several, with lots of movement in and out, but Honeymoon Suite will arrive in Peterborough with original members Dee, Grehan, and Betts on board, joined by mainstays Gary Lalonde (bass) and Peter Nunn (keyboards).
Proving that perseverance pays off, the band’s most recent single, Find What You’re Looking For, which was released over the summer, burst into the top-40 charts across Ca
Following the summer 2020 release of the single “Find What You’re Looking For,” which hit the top 40 charts across Canada, Grehan — who has remained Honeymoon Suite’s principal songwriter since that first hit “New Girl Now” — chatted with Mark Dean of Scholastic Perspectives.
VIDEO: “Stay in the Light” – Honeymoon Suite
“I think it’s just great songs,” said Grehan of the driver behind the band’s staying power.
“When the nineties came along and killed off all the bands from the eighties, (the music) went much darker and more depressing for a while. I wasn’t a fan of nineties music for the most part. I think at some point people just wanted to have a good time and hear melodic rock.”
“You’ve got bands like Journey and Def Leppard that, in some respects, are doing better now than back in the day because it’s all the music … the great songs that they have. They never get old and they’ve gained a new generation of younger fans because it’s great music that makes you feel good.”
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Speaking to the band’s personnel changes, Grehan is delighted to be back at it with Dee et al, acknowledging that “while we’re two very different people,” Grehan has “a good working relationship” with the band’s front man.
“With the music, we butt heads, but at the end of the day, this Honeymoon Suite thing is working for us. We’re still having fun with it. We press on and keep making music because we’ve got fans.”
Saying “the passion never goes away, Grehan described himself as a “lifer.”
VIDEO: “Feel It Again” – Honeymoon Suite
“As far as Honeymoon Suite goes, there’s no date on when we’re going to end this thing. You just keep things going as long as it’s fun, as long as we have that fan base. We’re pretty lucky, after all this time, to be alive and still putting new music out.”
Dee, meanwhile, assures the band’s fans that “there’s no hidden agenda” in Honeymoon Suite’s newer music.
“We listen to what we’ve done in the past and it’s just an extension of that,” Dee said. “There’s no one saying ‘We’ve got to try this or try that to sound current.’ It’s just what comes out naturally. It’s what we’ve learned over the years.”
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert and the entire 2023 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
VIDEO: “Tell Me What You Want” – Honeymoon Suite
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2023 season.
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