Julie Grant, shown holding her son Jude, is a big advocate for more accessible playgrounds and inclusive play structures, like the wheelchair swing at Peterborough’s Riverview Park and Zoo. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
Playgrounds are more than child’s play. In many ways, they help lay the building blocks for life.
Play is how kids learn, and unstructured play opportunities — like those on playgrounds — benefit children in many ways. Kids can be active, explore, socialize, interact, problem solve and be independent.
Every month, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides a story about the work of the charitable organization. This month’s story is by Colleen Ristok and Caitlin Ivany, Recreation Therapists at Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Many families take going to the playground for granted, but Julie Grant isn’t one of them. Her two-year-old son, Jude, has cerebral palsy and developmental delays and receives treatment at Five Counties Children’s Centre. For kids like Jude, barriers and obstacles to play (including on a playground) can put them at a disadvantage with their peers. They miss out on the fun, fitness, and fellowship with others.
Advertisement - content continues below
As a mother, Julie is passionate about the right of children of all ages and abilities to enjoy play, especially on playgrounds. As Julie notes, “My sweet boy loves to crawl, sing, play with water and explore the world around him. And although he doesn’t yet walk (he’s trying hard), or talk and is delayed, he still deserves the ability to play at a playground in some capacity. Every child deserves that.”
We couldn’t say it better. Accessibility and inclusion should be considered hallmarks of any society, and where better to demonstrate this than on the playground?
Studies show that children with disabilities are four times less likely to get exercise outside of school than other children. This impacts their mental health, anxiety, fitness and overall well-being.
Sky and her mom toss the ball back and forth in Logie Park in Lindsay as Five Counties staff member Melinda looks on, during a recent Active Kids: Lindsay program. Logie Park features a number of accessible features, including a paved path network that is ideal for wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and other mobility devices. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)
Accessible playgrounds (or ones with accessible features) benefit all children, regardless of their ability. Creating accessible play spaces allow children with exceptionalities and those without to interact and have fun together. Playgrounds become places to build understanding and empathy, while forging new friendships between kids of different ages and abilities.
This breaks down barriers to play and promotes diversity in all walks of life.
By creating these accessible spaces in a park setting, we help children understand inclusion and acceptance of others, which they stand to benefit from for their entire lives.
Advertisement - content continues below
We’re fortunate to have shining examples of accessible playgrounds in our region, as well as resources to create even more:
Peterborough’s Riverview Park and Zoo has many accessible features for families to enjoy, including wheelchair swings that are believed to the be the only ones of their kind in Ontario.
‘Zac’s Dream’ is a fully accessible playground located in Port Hope’s Memorial Park. It was championed by Zac Andrus, a one-time Five Counties client and inspirational youth advocate, who led community fundraising efforts some years ago to see the playground go from dream to reality.
The EPIC Lab Inclusive Playgrounds Playbook is an excellent guide created in association with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. The playbook offers municipalities, groups and families a step-by-step guide to create inclusive playgrounds from concept to completion.
Inclusive Play Spaces from the Jumpstart Foundation is a potential funding partner for municipalities and community groups looking to start and build accessible playground features.
Five Counties’ Recreation Therapists Colleen Ristok and Caitlin Ivany say that accessible playgrounds benefit all children, regardless of their age or abilities.(Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)
Julie also believes in “championing this journey of inclusiveness and accessibility” for her son Jude and others. It’s why she formed the Accessible Playgrounds Ontario Facebook group to let families share locations and photos of accessible playgrounds. Using this data, Julie has compiled a Google Maps list of accessible playgrounds that have rubber or turfed surfacing, which make using them easier to access for kids in wheelchairs or mobility devices.
“It may feel like globally we still have a long way to go for an inclusive world,” Julie notes, “but let’s celebrate the efforts of our communities and highlight how far we have come with inclusive play.”
How far we’ve come, and how much more we can yet achieve together!
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Peterborough composer and musician Justin Hiscox, who is recovering from a severe infection that may leave him unable to work for weeks or months. (Photo: 4th Line Theatre / Facebook)
A GoFundMe has been set up for well-known Peterborough composer and musician Justin Hiscox, who is recovering from a severe infection that has already taken all the toes on one of his feet.
When this story was originally published on Wednesday afternoon (August 16), around $6,000 had been raised for Hiscox in a few hours after the crowdfunding campaign was launched. As of the following morning, almost $22,000 had been raised.
Hiscox is best known for his work as a musical director with 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, but he has also provided music direction for TimberBeast Productions in Gravenhurst, The Anne Shirley Theatre Company at Trent University, the Peterborough Theatre Guild, and St. James Players. He also acts as music supervisor for Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School’s musical theatre program.
According to the GoFundMe set up by Lindy Erin Finlan of 4th Line Theatre, Hiscox was taken to the emergency department at Peterborough Regional Health Centre on August 1 after an infection in his leg spread to his foot. The infection is extensive and has resulted in the amputation of all the toes on his right foot. Healthcare professionals are working to save the remainder of his foot and leg.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Hiscox was the musical director for 4th Line’s production of The Tilco Strike in July, where he also appeared as an actor. He was also set to be the musical director and an actor for the current production of The Cavan Blazers, which opened on August 1.
“Justin could very well be unable to work for many weeks or even months, while he focuses on his recovery and rehabilitation,” reads the GoFundMe page. “We want to allow Justin the time needed to get healthy, by giving him the financial breathing room to heal. This would mean collecting enough monies for him to not worry about working for the foreseeable future.”
Finlan adds that Hiscox “is in great spirits and very optimistic, as is his way.”
Ivy Event Space is located at 164 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough in the former location of Meta4 Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Ivy Event Space)
A new multi-purpose and affordable event space has opened in downtown Peterborough.
Established by Kristina and Aaron Goodwin, Ivy Event Space is located at 164 Hunter Street West in the former location of Meta4 Gallery.
The Goodwins, who have experience in both accounting and hospitality and tourism, launched their business after noticing a gap in the availability of event spaces for certain types of gatherings.
Advertisement - content continues below
“After moving to Peterborough seven years ago, we quickly embraced the city’s vibrant social scene and saw the community’s strong desire for a versatile event venue,” Kristina says in a media release.
Faced with limited choices for venues that did not restrict catering and alcohol services, the couple often found themselves hosting gatherings at their own home. After the birth of their daughter in 2020, they also realized there was a lack of suitable options in the area for hosting children’s parties.
The Goodwins decided they would create a sophisticated yet versatile event space that would cater to various types of celebrations such as children’s parties, family holiday potlucks, and formal bridal showers, as well as corporate events.
Ivy Event Space can host 60 people for an intimate sit-down event or 80 people for a cocktail reception or similar gathering. (Photo courtesy of Ivy Event Space)Kristina and Aaron Goodwin decided to open Ivy Event Space after noticing a gap in local event spaces for certain types of gatherings, including children’s parties. (Photo courtesy of Ivy Event Space)
Advertisement - content continues below
With a flexible layout, Ivy Event Space can host 80 people for a cocktail reception or 60 people for an intimate sit-down event. The couple says that, unlike traditional event venues that have strict vendor restrictions, their venue allows clients to have full control over their event experience.
The Goodwins say they are available to give prospective clients tours of the new space.
Unlike traditional event venues that have strict vendor restrictions, Ivy Event Space allows clients to have full control over their event experience. (Photo courtesy of Ivy Event Space)Ivy Event Space co-owners Kristina and Aaron Goodwin often found themselves hosting events at their own home because of limited choices for venues that did not restrict catering and alcohol services. (Photo courtesy of Ivy Event Space)
The original version of this story has been updated to change the website address of Ivy Event Space.
Levantine Grill is owned and operated by banker Hashem Yakan and chef Imad Mahfouz, who previously owned a restaurant in Damascus, Syria. The pair have been named Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce. (Photo: Levantine Grill)
The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce has announced both selected award recipients and all the finalists for the 20th annual Peterborough Business Excellence Awards.
Imad Mahfouz and Hashem Yakan of Levantine Grill have been both been named Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year. The pair opened the restaurant, which serves a variety of Mediterranean foods including shawarma, kebabs, pies, and salads, at the corner of Park and Charlotte streets in Peterborough in 2022. Coming to Canada from Syria with his family in 2015 to escape the war, Mahfouz is a chef who previously owned a restaurant in Damascus, while Yakan is a banker with a master’s degree in business management. The two men met in Peterborough and discovered they shared the same dream of opening a restaurant.
The chamber has also announced Nicole Truman of Fox Law Professional Corporation is the Businesswoman of the Year, an award sponsored by the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough, and the Payne family of Asphodel Sheep Company is the Peterborough County Farm Family of the Year. Ashley Bonner, Ashley Flynn, Lauren Hunter, and Laura Montague are the recipients of the chamber’s 4-under-40 Profiles.
Advertisement - content continues below
Three finalists in each of 15 award categories have also been announced. A full list is provided below.
The 2023 awards ceremony will take place in person on the evening of Wednesday, October 18th at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, with a pre-show party at The Venue. Tickets are available for $55 (plus HST) until September 18, and $65 (plus HST) thereafter.
Globus Theatre's production of Canadian playright Kristen Da Silva's curling comedy "Hurry Hard" stars (left to right, top and bottom) Dave Pearce, Elana Post, Kevin Sepaul, Alex Furber, and Sarah Quick. The play runs for 11 performances from August 16 to 26, 2023 at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. (Supplied collage)
Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon is presenting the final summer play of its 20th anniversary season with a production of Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva’s curling comedy Hurry Hard, running for 11 performances from August 16 to 26 at the Lakeview Arts Barn.
The play revolves around Sandy and Bill, a formerly married couple whose curling team split up when they did seven years before. Separated into a men’s team and a women’s team who begrudgingly share the ice at the local curling club, the two teams are about to compete in a big regional bonspiel against a neighbouring community. When a medical emergency leaves the men’s team short of a player, the two teams will need to reconcile if they have any hope of taking home the trophy.
Like Globus Theatre’s previous August production of Tip of the Iceberg, Hurry Hard was commissioned through the playwright development program of Port Dover’s Lighthouse Festival, where it premiered in July 2019. That fall, it went on to win the Stage West Award for best new comedy at the Tom Hendry Awards, handed out in Toronto by the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
Advertisement - content continues below
Oakville-based playwright Karen Da Silva sets her plays in Ontario locales from Sudbury to Stayner. Her other plays include Book Club, Five Alarm, Sugar Road, Where You Are, The Rules of Playing Risk, Beyond the Sea, and Gibson & Sons. Canada’s most-produced playwright Norm Foster has called her “one of the brightest new comedic playwrights in all of Canada.”
In 2018, Globus Theatre staged a production of Da Silva’s Sugar Road, which featured Globus Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Quick in a supporting role as the brash country music fan Caroline Dawn.
“I played a character that got stuck in a sleeping bag,” Quick recalls in a media release. “We can’t wait to bring more of this type of physical comedy and snappy one-liners to our stage again.”
Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva with her award-winning script for “Hurry Hard,” which was commissioned through the playwright development program of Port Dover’s Lighthouse Festival, where it premiered in July 2019. That fall, it went on to win the Stage West Award for best new comedy at the Tom Hendry Awards, handed out in Toronto by the Playwrights Guild of Canada. (Photo: Lighthouse Festival)
Quick will also perform in Hurry Hard, along with Globus regulars Dave Pearce and Kevin Sepaul and new company members Elana Post (Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Port Stanley Festival Theatre) and Alex Furber (Drayton Entertainment, Theatre Orangeville).
According to playwright Da Silva, sports provide an “alluring subject for storytellers.”
“In addition to the natural abundance of story ingredients — protagonists and antagonists, a ticking clock, built-in stakes — there’s the idea that competition brings out the best and the worst in us,” Da Silva explains. “There’s a quote most often attributed to Heywood Hale Broun, ‘Sports don’t build character, they reveal it’.”
“As a writer interested in relationships and the comedy that arises from them, this offered too many possibilities to resist,” she adds. “This is why Hurry Hard concerns itself less with curling than with what curling does to and for the characters. If you come for the curling, I promise there is some.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Hurry Hard runs for 11 performances at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, August 16th to Saturday, August 19th and from Tuesday, August 22nd to Saturday, August 26th, with additional 2 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday, August 19th and Thursday, August 24th.
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.
Globus Theatre’s 20th anniversary season will continue this fall with Rhinestone Cowgirl starring Leisa Way (October 17 to 21), The Case of The Mysterious Mystery starring Chris Gibbs (September 23), the comedy show Girls Night Out (November 4), and the murder mystery A Christmas Story .. of Murder (November 15 to 25). From December 5 to 17, Globus Theatre will present its annual traditional British panto, Puss In Boots by Sarah Quick.
Pictured in 2013, Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School (PCVS) closed in 2012 after a year-long fight by students protesting the the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board's decision to close Peterborough's oldest high school. "Give 'Em Hell", a new play that retells the final school year leading up to the closure, will be performed from September 15 to 23, 2023 in the auditorium at Peterborough Alternative and Continuing Education (PACE) in the former PCVS building. (Photo: Pat Trudeau)
The world premiere of a play about student activism in the year leading up to the 2012 closure of Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School (PCVS) will be performed in September in the auditorium of the former McDonnel Street high school.
Written by Peterborough native and award-winning playwright Madeleine Brown and directed by award-winning director Aaron Jan, Give ‘Em Hell retells the final school year before the closure of PCVS and stars eight Peterborough teenagers — Lion Addison, Jalen Brink, Edith Burton, Ziqin Chen, Ella Cunningham, Eloise Harvey, Isabelle Siena, and Jessie Williams — alongside professional actors M. John Kennedy, Jeff Dingle, and Sarah Lynn Strange.
In 2011, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board decided to close one of Peterborough’s four high schools due to declining enrolment and eventually announced PCVS — the city’s oldest high school and one of the oldest in Ontario — would be the one to close. The decision prompted months of student-led rallies, protests, marches, and speeches to keep the school open.
Advertisement - content continues below
A committee of students called ‘Peterborough Needs PCVS’ raised almost $250,000 to fund a legal battle to keep the school open, a fight that ultimately failed. The students’ activism made national headlines, and even CBC TV’s Rick Mercer dedicated one of his rants to the students, encouraging them to “raise a little hell.”
Presented by Theatre Direct Canada in partnership with 4th Line Theatre, Peterborough Museum & Archives, and Public Energy Performing Arts, Give ‘Em Hell includes six public performances from September 15 to 23 in the auditorium at Peterborough Alternative and Continuing Education (PACE) in the former PCVS building in downtown Peterborough, with designs by Melanie McNeill, JB Nelles, Logan Raju Cracknell, and and Uri Livne-Bar.
“Give ’em Hell is a truly entertaining, fiercely relevant and provocative play that will surely inspire the next generation of young activists through its powerful and true story,” reads a media release from Theatre Direct Canada.
VIDEO: Rick Mercer Report: Rick’s Rant – The Kids Are Alright (2012)
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 15th and Saturday, September 16th and on Thursday, September 21st and Friday, September 22nd, with 2:30 p.m. matinee performances on Sunday, September 17th and Saturday, September 23rd.
The hour-long play will include a 15-minute question-and-answer session with the artists. There will also be an exhibition of archival materials from this turning point in the school’s history.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, teenagers, or students (plus tax and fee) and are available now at eventbrite.ca/e/611203876247.
Advertisement - content continues below
Performances for schools will also be presented from September 19 to 21. For school bookings, e-mail Madeleine Brown at madeleine@theatredirect.ca.
Brown is an playwright and actor whose previous plays include the comedies Madeleine Says Sorry (2017), Everyone Wants A T-Shirt! (2018), and News Play (2019), all of which debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival.
In 2020, she was named one of two recipients of The Ellen Ross Stuart “Opening Doors” Award and, in 2022, she was a member of Driftwood Theatre’s Beyond the Bard Playwrights Unit and 4th Line Theatre’s Interdisciplinary Residency Program.
Madeleine Brown is a Peterborough native and an award-winning playwright. (Photo via Hart House)
On August 15, 2023, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts announced that 32-year-old William Weir has been arrested for the stabbing death of 27-year-old Jacob Jansen on August 8. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of Peterborough police video)
Police have arrested and charged a 32-year-old Peterborough with first-degree murder in connection to the stabbing death of a 27-year-old man in downtown Peterborough last Tuesday night (August 8).
Seven days after the homicide, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts announced the arrest at a media conference at George and Simcoe streets on Tuesday morning (August 15).
Last Tuesday at around 11:30 p.m., police responded to a call for service at George and Charlotte streets where they found a man suffering from a stab wound.
He was transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre where he died.
Advertisement - content continues below
Police later identified the victim as 27-year-old Jacob Jansen of Peterborough.
On Monday, police located and arrested William Weir, 32, of Peterborough and charged him with first-degree murder.
Betts said footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras police recently installed in the downtown core “proved to be a vital piece of evidence in this particular investigation.”
VIDEO: August 8 Homicide Arrest
“I would like to recognize the hard work and the many hours of our dedicated detectives who helped to identify this individual (and) gather and validate evidence, all of which culminated in his arrest,” Betts said at Tuesday’s media conference.
“The family of the victim has been notified and has been made aware of the arrest,” he added.
The accused man is in police custody and will appear for a bail hearing later on Tuesday.
In June 2023, Flame Spitter Hot Sauce owner Mitchell Lowes (middle) celebrated his 100th retail location at Buckhorn Foodland. He originally started the business in 2021 with a partner, but now runs it on his own. He credits the fast growth of his company both to his sobriety and the support of the community, including from Community Futures Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce)
Things are heating up for Flame Spitter Hot Sauce this summer with the help of Community Futures Peterborough.
Flame Spitter Hot Sauce hasn’t been around long but, with the increasing demand for hot sauce across the continent, the business is growing fast. Its products are sold in almost 110 stores across Ontario and is expanding to offer products beyond hot sauce.
For founder Mitchell Lowes, owning his own business hasn’t just been the achievement of a professional dream he’s always harboured — he actually credits it with turning his whole life around, motivating him to quit drinking and get sober. And none of it would have been possible, he explains, without his family and the support he received from the community.
Flame Spitter Hot Sauce currently offers six different hot sauces, each with a different heat to match the customer’s preference. Flavours include Original, Harvest, Love Sick, Reaper, Peach Plaque, Barbaric BBQ, and the hottest sauce, Til Death, named after Til Death BBQ and Catering. In addition to hot sauce, Flame Spitter has its own seasoning salt, created by 12 different spices, and N.O.I.R., a spicy blueberry honey that was created in collaboration with Peterborough’s Black Honey Bakery. (Photo courtesy of Modern Makers Market)
Share on Bluesky
Though Lowes spent years working in the restaurant industry as a chef, he always had plans to start up his own business. He took business courses in high school before going to Fleming College to further his studies.
When a fellow chef approached Lowes in the spring of 2021 with the suggestion they create their own hot sauce, he ran with the idea. By July last year, when his friend had decided to pursue other goals, Lowes took over the company all on his own.
In turns out that taking over the business was exactly what Lowes needed, especially when he decided to quit drinking and become sober.
“I’ve changed my life around and have a community behind me which has supported me through my whole journey,” Lowes says.
Though he spent years working in the restaurant industry as a head chef, Mitchell Lowes always knew he wanted to get into owning his own business. Now Lowes owns Flame Spitter Hot Sauce, a fast-growing company with products on shelves across Ontario. The growth of his business has allowed him to stick to personal goals and Lowes has now been sober for almost a year, which he attributes to the success of his business and the support of the community. (Photo courtesy of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce)
Share on Bluesky
Flame Spitter Hot Sauce began as an online retailer but, after profiting initially, Lowes saw sales decline and realized he had to get his product into stores. Rather than dealing with the time-consuming and costly process of getting on the shelves at major grocery chains, he honed his sales skills and relied on cold calling to get his products into stores.
After he perfected his pitch, Lowes found that local businesses in the Peterborough area were willing to give his products a chance.
“Locally, people want to support us,” Lowes says, adding that the now-closed Creative Lounge retaurant in Peterborough was the first local business to stock his hot sauce.
“They said they’d take us on and see how it sells,” he recalls. “It sold, and then we got into more and more stores, and then eventually we were overpopulated in the area.”
Though Lowes knows hot sauce is in demand, he also recognizes it’s not an essential food item. That’s something he hears time and time again from store managers, he explains, and yet they continue to purchase anyway to support his company, admiring his story and how fast the company has grown.
Mitchell Lowes is expanding the products offered by Flame Spitter Hot Sauce, including with this spicy blueberry honey created in collaboration with Peterborough’s Black Honey Bakery. (Photo courtesy of Black Honey Bakery)
Lowes’ first major location outside butcher shops and gift stores was Millbrook Foodland. From there, he was able to easily expand into other Foodland locations.
Now Flame Spitter Hot Sauce can be found in stores as far north as Iroquois Falls and south to Windsor. Flame Spitter Hot Sauce has also been invited to be a vendor for the YOW! Awards, one of North America’s biggest hot sauce events, the Taste of Manilla in Toronto, SIP Niagara, and Crooks Rapid Country Festival.
Additionally, Flame Spitter can be found on local restaurant menus, including at the Holiday Inn where Lowes rents the kitchen to make his hot sauce. Other businesses are seeking collaborations with Flame Spitter including Haliburton’s Til Death BBQ & Catering, which gave their name to Flame Spitter’s hottest sauce (a tangy sauce featuring the Carolina Reaper pepper).
Share on Bluesky
“We do a lot of really great collaborations now which I get excited about,” says Lowes, adding that it’s a benefit to everyone. “Collaboration helps their sales and helps my sales.”
Another Flame Spitter product called N.O.I.R. (a spicy blueberry honey) was created in collaboration with Peterborough’s Black Honey Bakery.
But one of the largest support systems Lowes had while building his business came from Community Futures Peterborough, a not-for-profit organization that provides financial and advisory support to small businesses and entrepreneurs in Peterborough County.
With support from his family, including his wife (who now owns a piece of the business) and their young daughter, Flame Spitter Hot Sauce owner Mitchell Lowes has committed to his sobriety, which he links to the growing success of his business. (Photo courtesy of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce)
Share on Bluesky
When Lowes first approached Community Futures Peterborough, he was given a small loan to help build his business. With this, Lowes says he grew from having Flame Spitter in 12 stores to over 80 stores. Since then, Community Futures Peterborough provided him with further financial support when Lowes needed capital while waiting on payments from his retailers.
“Without Community Futures Peterborough, I feel my company would not be where it is,” says Lowes, adding that the organization has helped him beyond financing, even recently helping him get set up with an accountant.
Community Futures Peterborough has also helped Lowes connect with other entrepreneurs through the online business networking community. One of the most important networking connections he has made is with a handful of other hot sauce businesses in the region, where have supported him even though he is the competition.
“It feels really good and it keeps me driven to have a community of people that are pushing me,” explains Lowes. “These business owners are going to help you figure stuff out. They’re going to help you get places and they actually intentionally want good for you.”
Flame Spitter Hot Sauce’s first major location outside butcher shops and gift stores was Millbrook Foodland. From there, he expanding into other Foodland locations. Now Flame Spitter Hot Sauce can be found in stores as far north as Iroquois Falls and south to Windsor. (Photo courtesy of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce)
Share on Bluesky
Along with providing financial support and helping him connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, Lowes has also benefited from Community Futures Peterborough’s participation in ‘Team Ptbo’ — a group of local economic development organizations that also includes Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
One example of how Team Ptbo is supporting the local entrepreneurial ecosystem is the recent partnership between Community Futures Peterborough and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce that allows new loan clients like Lowes to receive a free six-month Chamber membership, so they can benefit from both the networking and promotional opportunities the Chamber provides for its members.
“Mitchell’s story represents that of several clients we serve,” says Ron Black, Chair of the Loans Committee and Board Director for Community Futures Peterborough. “They come to us for their initial start-up funding and we continue to support them as they grow and expand their business. We hope that by showcasing Mitchell’s story to the community, others can be inspired by his resilience, commitment to entrepreneurship, and are motivated to pursue their own business.”
Flame Spitter Hot Sauce products line a shelf among other condiments at a Foodland grocery store. (Photo courtesy of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce)
For Lowes, that resilience and commitment to entrepreneurship largely comes from his own personal stake in the business. He sees its success as directly related to his own sobriety.
“When you start associating with business people and business friends, that’s what keeps you going,” he explains. “You’re in this whole new realm of society.”
With support from his family, including his wife (who now owns a piece of the business) and their young daughter, Lowes already has his sight set on his future plans.
Share on Bluesky
“My end goal is to have the Flame Spitter Kitchen — I want a restaurant that is Creole and Cajun because I love that type of food,” says Lowes, joking that he wants to be more than the ‘hot sauce guy’.
“I want Flame Spitter to be a whole brand, not just sauce,” he says.
For now though, Lowes is continuing to bask in the success of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce and appreciating all the support he has received as a new entrepreneur.
The logo for Mitchell Lowes’s Flame Spitter business. (Image courtesy of Flame Spitter Hot Sauce)
Community Futures Peterborough has a mission to support small businesses with flexible financing in the City and County of Peterborough. It has invested more than $40 million in over 1,100 small businesses since 1985, creating or maintaining more than 4,100 jobs in the City and the County. Community Futures Peterborough is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
With any luck, fall colours will be in full display when the Hike Haliburton Festival returns to the Haliburton Highlands from September 21 to 24, 2023. The 20th annual festival features 31 volunteer-guided hikes ranging from easy to challenging as well as paid experiences offered by local outfitters and more. (Photo courtesy of Hike Haliburton)
Strap on your hiking boots, pull out those walking sticks, load up on the protein bars, and get your cameras out, because registration is now open for the annual Hike Haliburton Festival, now in its 20th year.
Awarded as one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario in 2023 by Festival Events Ontario, the Hike Haliburton Festival — the largest guided hiking festival in the country — returns as the fall colours emerge across the Canadian Shield landscape. From Thursday, September 21st to Sunday, September 24th, 31 free hikes will be offered across the Haliburton Highlands, with knowledgeable volunteers leading the way.
Two decades ago, the festival was started by a non-profit organization committed to getting tourists out on the trails. Although the event is now organized by Haliburton Tourism, the guided hikes are still led by enthusiastic volunteers.
The Hike Haliburton Festival in Haliburton Highlands is also a storytelling festival, with guided hikes led by enthusiastic volunteers who are eager to share their knowledge of the region along with their expertise, making each hike an educational experience. (Photo courtesy of Hike Haliburton)
Share on Bluesky
“It’s a dedicated group of volunteers sharing someplace that’s really special to them,” explains Thom Lambert, content creator for Haliburton County’s Economic Development and Tourism Department. “These are volunteers that have an attachment to some small corner of the Haliburton Highlands.”
Those volunteers are also eager to share their knowledge of the region, along with their expertise and experiences.
“It gets called a hike festival, but in a lot of ways I think it’s as much a storytelling festival,” says Lambert. “We’re very lucky to have this amazing group of volunteers that can offer a really compelling, wide-ranging program.”
While some of the hikes included in the Hike Haliburton Festival, running from September 21 to 24 in the the Haliburton Highlands, are physically challenging, others are more accessible and family friendly. (Photo courtesy of Hike Haliburton)
Lambert explains that the hikes and experiences offer new and interesting information, spanning the region’s history, wildlife, or geological importance, and cover a span of difficulty levels.
“Over all four of those days, the hikes range across the board to everything from very short rambles in the villages that are more focused on storytelling to the full-day multi-sport events.”
For the family-friendly side of the spectrum, visit Abbey Gardens (1012 Garden Gate Drive, Haliburton) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 23rd for an easy quarter kilometre hike that is all about bees. Led by beekeeper Chris Anderson, the “Bizzi Aza” hike is suitable for young children and those who want to learn all about the ups and downs of bee keeping. You’ll even get to satisfy your sweet tooth with a taste of some of the honey production.
The free guided hikes during the Hike Haliburton Festival in the Haliburton Highlands range from easy to challenging, including the epic eight-hour 16-kilometre “Ridge Trail Hiking Network” hike from the Log Chute on Big Hawk Road to the Coopers Lookout on September 23, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Hike Haliburton)
For those with more hiking experience, the Hike Haliburton Festival offers advanced hikes to really get you sweating and working on those calf muscles. Expert hikers will want to join “Ridge Trail Hiking Network” at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 23rd. This epic eight-hour 16-kilometre hike from the Log Chute on Big Hawk Road to the Coopers Lookout is an extremely challenging hike with lots of steep hills, rugged and rocky terrain, and many natural obstacles. Pack a lunch, snacks, and one or more litres of water. Proper hiking boots, hiking poles or a walking stick are recommended.
Slightly less challenging is the “Scrabble Mountain Shuffle” at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 24th. This six-hour 17-kilometre trek begins and ends at the Devil’s Lake trailhead in Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park, with a lunch break at Scrabble Mountain — the second-highest point in the park. Bring a day pack with at least one litre of water, a light lunch, snacks, and suitable clothing. Wear closed-toe hiking shoes or boots; hiking poles are recommended.
For a hike that will give you some exercise but also be good for the soul, check out the “Crane Lake Cleanse” hike at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 24th. This 90-minute three-kilometre hike will be a meditative processional to Crane Lake, using sound bathing and forest bathing techniques to wash away thoughts so you can reconnect your mind and body and realign with nature. Upon arriving at Crane Lake, hikers will participate in a sacred ceremony.
As well as physical activity in the fresh air, the Hike Haliburton Festival offers hikers the opportunity to relish the stunning beauty of the Haliburton Highlands and to reconnect with the natural world. (Photo courtesy of Hike Haliburton)
Share on Bluesky
Unlike many of the hikes, dogs are welcome to join hikers for the “Marathon Forest Trails” hike at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 23rd. This easy two-hour five-kilometre hike will explore the Marathon Forest Trails. Hike leader Jim Aston, who has developed about seven kilometres of interconnected trails in their 50-acre forest, will share a description of the history of the land and reflect on what life might have been like for the early settlers of Haliburton County.
In addition to the 31 free guided hikes, there are also some paid experiences to introduce hikers to even more opportunity to experience the Haliburton Highlands in all its glory.
At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 23rd, Deep Roots Adventure — an outfitter at the Algonquin South Gate in the Haliburton Highlands — will be taking participants on a five-hour guided adventure paddling up the York River into Algonquin Park in your watercraft of choice (kayak or paddlebaord) followed by a hike up the boulder-strewn banks of the York River past rapids and waterfalls to High Falls. After a delicious lunch provided by AM/PM Outdoor Gourmet and some time spent around the falls, guests will hike and paddle back to Kingscote Outpost.
“The High Falls Hiking Hill Trail is one of the nicest hiking trails in the park,” Lambert notes. “And yet a lot of people just don’t even know that it exists.”
You will receive this limited edition Hike Haliburton picnic backpack if you book a stay at The Rockcliffe – Moore Falls in Minden. The hotel is offering a special Hike Haliburton package that includes a one-night stay at The Rockcliffe and dinner for two at The Rockcliffe’s restaurant, along with the backpack. (Photo courtesy of Hike Haliburton)
Other paid experiences include an introduction to foraging for wild edible mushrooms at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 23rd, where you can learn the basics of foraging and tricks of the forager’s trade, and “Tarpology 101” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 22 to 24, a hands-on practical workshop where you will learn to use knot-tying and a compact and lightweight tarp to stay dry even in heavy rains, to create shade on those blistering sunny days, to block cold winds, to keep you warm in cold temperatures, and even to mitigate the problem of blackflies and mosquitoes. Both experiences are offered by Yours Outdoors.
A full list of paid experiences is available at festival.hikehaliburton.com/experiences/. All paid experiences must be sorted out with the companies offering them ahead of the festival.
Turn the Hike Haliburton Festival weekend into a mini-vacation by staying at The Rockcliffe – Moore Falls (1014 Lois Lane, Minden). The hotel is offering a special Hike Haliburton package featuring a one-night stay at The Rockcliffe any time between September 20 and 27th, dinner for two at The Rockcliffe’s restaurant, and a limited edition Hike Haliburton picnic backpack that includes plates, cutlery, wine glasses, and a bottle opener. Book by Friday, September 1st to guarantee your package.
Indie folk singer-songwriter John Muirhead will be performing at the Dominion Hotel in Minden on September 24, 2023 as part of the Hike Haliburton Festival. (Photo courtesy of John Muirhead)
There’s a lot more than hiking available in the Haliburton Highlands during the festival weekend, including opportunities for shopping and live entertainment. Drop by the farmers’ markets in Minden and at Abbey Gardens in Haliburton and the artisan market in Minden Hills. Enjoy live music at the Dominion Hotel (113 Main Street, Minden) with Loney, Love and Love performing on Saturday afternoon, and the John Muirhead Band on Sunday evening as part of the festival. In addition, The B-Sides will be performing Saturday night at The Rockcliffe and Jeff Multon will play at Haliburton Highlands Brewings on Sunday afternoon.
For more information on the Hike Haliburton Festival and to register for the free guided hikes and paid experiences, visit festival.hikehaliburton.com, and follow Hike Haliburton on Facebook and Instagram for more hiking inspiration.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Hike Haliburton. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
"Waiting and Watching" (watercolour) by Kawartha Lakes artist Judy Jackett, whose work is now on display at the Bobcaygeon branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library along with work by photographer Stan Wojtaszek, until the end of January. (Photo: Judy Jackett)
Works by two Kawartha Lakes artists are now on display at the new Bobcaygeon library at part of a new community art program and artists display space.
The program was developed as a partnership by the Kawartha Lakes Public Library and Kawartha Art Gallery to help support local artists.
The Bobcaygeon branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library at 23 East Street South opened to the public last November. At 5,000 square feet, the new branch has more than double the 1,800-square-foot space of the previous branch at 21 Canal Street.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
“The new Bobcaygeon Library Branch is a wonderful and inviting space, flooded with natural light,” says library director Jamie Anderson in a media release.
“Having local artists display in the space really makes the library branch a community hub.”
The new community art program will feature works by Kawartha Lakes artists Judy Jackett and Stan Wojtaszek until the end of January.
An abstract photo of a dandelion by Kawartha Lakes photographer Stan Wojtaszek, whose work is now on display at the Bobcaygeon branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library along with work by artist Judy Jackett, until the end of January. (Photo: Stan Wojtaszek)
Jackett works in oils, pastels, charcoal, and watercolour, and four of her watercolours are on display at the Bobcaygeon library.
Wojtaszek is a photographer whose style has evolved from a documentary nature to one of an exploratory and abstract style, and four of his photographs are on display.
Local artists who are interested in having their works displayed at the Bobcaygeon library in 2024 can email the Kawartha Art Gallery at art@kawarthagallery.com for more information on how to apply.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
