Longtime journalist and community supporter and volunteer Paul Rellinger, pictured with his wife of 44 years Mary, during the United Way Peterborough & District's announcement on May 21, 2025 of Rellinger's appointment as chair of the United Way's 2025 community campaign. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Longtime journalist and community supporter and volunteer Paul Rellinger has been appointed chair of the United Way Peterborough & District’s 2025 community campaign.
The United Way made the announcement at its office at 277 Stewart Street in downtown Peterborough on Wednesday morning (May 21).
“Paul’s dedication and passion for our community are truly inspiring,” said CEO of United Way Peterborough & District Jim Russell. “His connection to the organization is rooted in a belief that a thriving community takes collective effort and shared responsibility.”
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“He understands that the campaign is not just about raising funds, but rather about igniting hope and creating a shared sense of purpose,” Russell added. “We are confident that under his leadership, the 2025 campaign will be a remarkable success.”
Rellinger has supported the United Way for many years, most notably by organizing five annual Peterborough Performs: Musicians United To End Homelessness benefit concerts that have raised almost $150,000, with the latest concert this past March raising a record amount of $36,375.
He is also known for the former annual “Relly on the Roof” event he launched in 2011 as a one-off fundraiser for the United Way, where he camped out on the roof of a local business for 48 hours, subsequently supporting Habitat For Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region for the next seven years.
Prior to his most recent support of the United Way Peterborough & District by organizing five Peterborough Performs benefit concerts, Paul Rellinger began the “Relly on the Roof” fundraiser in 2011 to support the United Way, subsequently raising funds Habitat For Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region for the next seven years. (Photo courtesy of Paul Rellinger)
After moving to Peterborough in 1989 and following a career in broadcast and print media, including 27 years as editor and columnist at Peterborough This Week, Rellinger “retired” in 2016 to become a freelance writer for clients including kawarthaNOW, Trent University, and Cam’s Kids Foundation, also working for Oldies 96.7 FM.
He served for a number of years on the United Way’s Campaign Cabinet, has been the emcee of Peterborough Family Literacy Day since 2011, served as board chair of Peterborough Musicfest, and has also volunteered to emcee many other community events.
A past president of the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough, he also served on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough, the John Howard Society, and Showplace Performance Centre, as well as donating time to sit on a number of committees.
He was inducted into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame in 2021 and received the United Way’s Champions of Change Award in 2024.
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During his acceptance speech at Monday’s announcement, Rellinger said he was “both humbled and honoured” to be leading the campaign cabinet, acknowledging the efforts of past campaign chairs such as Neil Morton, Megan Murphy, Daivd Goyette and, most recently, Shirley Turner.
“These are big shoes to fill for this little man,” he said.
“When Jim Russell and United Way board chair Marcus Harvey extended this opportunity a few weeks back, I was lost for words. Anyone who knows me knows how rare that is. But upon very short reflection, there were 1,506,198 reasons to say yes — a yes for each dollar the incredibly successful 2024-25 campaign brought in for the vitally important work carried out by the United Way’s 20 partner agencies.”
The United Way Peterborough & District’s 2025 community campaign Paul Rellinger stands behind the podium with his wife Mary to his left, along with United Way CEO Jim Russell and board chair Marcus Harvey (both standing behind Rellinger) and United Way staff during an announcement at the United Way’s office at 277 Stewart Street on May 21, 2025. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Rellinger recognized Turner’s leadership as the chair of the 2024 campaign which, in raising $1,506,198, met and surpassed its goal for the first time in 10 years.
“But while we can, and should, celebrate the success of the past campaign, we can’t lose sight of the fact that the need continues, not only for the United Way’s partner agencies but across our communities at large,” Rellinger added.
“The United Way campaign does more than direct much-needed dollars to where they can do the most good. The campaign provides hope for a better tomorrow, all while reinforcing what many of us already know — that this is a community that cares for, and looks after, its own.”
“That this is a community that rejects poverty, homelessness and social injustice in all its forms, and does what it can, what it must, to lessen the burden of those who, for whatever reason, are caught up in the continued spiral of inequity.”
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As chair of the 2025 campaign cabinet, Rellinger will not only lead a team of volunteers to orchestrate fundraising efforts, strengthen donor engagement, and host inclusive community events, but will inspire others to get involved.
He said he is looking forward to working alongside United Way staff, the board, campaign cabinet, partner agencies, and the community, “with the end goal being our coming together in the spring of 2026 and saying, in one proud voice, ‘This place we call home cares, sees grievous wrong and seeks to right it, and that’s what truly makes it home.'”
“Giving is defined as providing love or other emotional support,” Rellinger added. “That’s true, but there’s another aspect of giving that we should, and must, keep front of mind — giving is an act we’re all capable of on some level, if not monetarily than by the selfless provision of our time, talent, and spirit.”
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Rellinger also thanked his wife Mary, who was at the announcement, for her “support of, and patience with, her can’t-say-no-to-anything husband.” The couple, who have been married for 44 years, have three adult children and five grandchildren.
“Thank you Peterborough, in advance, for walking the walk, ensuring no one has to walk alone,” Rellinger concluded. “Not on our watch. Not ever.”
The fundraising goal of the 2025-26 United Way campaign will be announced later this year.
In the world premiere of "The Housekeeper" at 4th Line Theatre from July 1 to 19, 2025, Eleanor Gwyn (Julia Scaringi) is a mysterious woman who arrives in Millbrook in 1955 looking for a job and becomes the housekeeper for widower Walter White (Jay Davis). Gwyn is hoping to make a fresh start in life and to find a place to call home, but is Millbrook ready for her and her progressive world views? Featuring a cast of 22 professional and volunteer actors/musicians, "The Housekeeper" is the fourth in a series of acclaimed plays by Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow about the Barnardo children and their impact on Canadian culture and history. (Photos courtesy of 4th Line Theatre)
Summer is only a month away, and that means that 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook is preparing to launch its 2025 season.
The outdoor theatre company’s 33rd season will begin on Canada Day with the world premiere of The Housekeeper, a mystery romance written by Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow that ponders the duality of the welcoming and easy nature of small towns with how small towns can be suspicious of outsiders.
Directed by Winslow, the play tells the story of a mysterious woman named Eleanor Gwyn who arrives in Millbrook in 1955 looking for a job, and being the housekeeper for widower Walter White might be the perfect fit. Gwyn is hoping to make a fresh start in life and to find a place to call home, but is Millbrook ready for her and her progressive world views?
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Featuring a cast of 22 professional and volunteer actors/musicians, The Housekeeper is the fourth in a series of acclaimed plays by McLachlan and Winslow about the Barnardo children — 2005’s Doctor Barnardo’s Children (restaged in 2006 and 2014), 2014’s Wounded Soldiers, and 2019’s Carmel being the others — and their impact on Canadian culture and history.
Between 1870 and 1930, Irish philanthropist Dr. Thomas John Barnardo sent thousands of destitute and orphaned children to Canada, including to Hazelbrae, the Barnardo’s home for girls in Peterborough and the namesake of Barnardo Avenue. Called home children, the orphans were sent to Canada to be adopted and to be used for labour, with many girls becoming domestic workers and boys becoming farm labourers.
Winslow was inspired to co-write The Housekeeper after hearing stories from Ben Olan, a local retired farmer, surveyor, and 4th Line volunteer who has since passed away, about young women who came to the area to work as housekeepers for local farm families, often for older widowers who badly needed domestic support. Sometimes, the women would marry the farmers and even inherit the farms.
“The Housekeeper” co-playwrights Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow. The fourth in a series of plays by McLachlan and Winslow about the Barnardo children, the play makes its world premiere at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook from July 1 to 19, 2025. (Photos courtesy of 4th Line Theatre)
“I got the impression from Ben’s stories that there was a certain prejudice against these women in local circles,” Winslow says in a media release. “This was enough to send Ian and me on our way.”
That led Winslow and McLachlan to write one of the most complex characters yet in their series of plays about the Barnardo children.
“I’ve always been bored by two-dimensional characters and Eleanor certainly isn’t that,” observes McLachlan. “On the contrary, she’s fascinatingly complicated: warm, loving, selfish, creative, (and) capable — possibly — of violence. She wasn’t the reason we started the play, but she was the magnet that drew me into it.”
Eleanor Gwyn will be portrayed by Julia Scaringi, who performed in 4th Line’s 2022 production of Alex Poch-Goldin’s The Great Shadow and the 2023 production of Winslow’s The Cavan Blazers.
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In his 4th Line debut, Canadian actor and singer Jay Davis will be playing widowed farmer Walter White — one of the Barnardo children featured in the original Doctor Barnardo’s Children and Carmel.
Davis, who just starred in the Mirvish production of Britta Johnson’s celebrated musical Life After in Toronto, has spent more than three decades performing on screen and stage, with some of his Canadian credits including Baco Noir, Bittergirl, Dracula, Evangeline, Maggie, Anne of Green Gables, Colours in the Storm, and Little Woman.
Also returning to 4th Line for The Housekeeper are Kiana Bromley, Matt Gilbert, Mark Hiscox, Darius Maliha-Evans, and Hilary Wear. Community volunteer actors include Kaleigh Castell, Richard Holt, Cody Inglis, Debbie Hudson, Ian McGarrett, Adam Murray, Zach Newnham, Gus O’Reilly, Ash Street, Lew Street, Hanna-Marie Toll, Evie Wallace, and Gillian Woodhouse.
VIDEO: Kim Blackwell speaks with Robert Winslow about “The Housekeeper”
Along with Winslow as director, the creative team includes assistant director Hilary Wear, costume designer Bonnie Garland, set designer Esther Vincent, musical director and composer Justin Hiscox, sound designer Steáfán Hannigan, and fight director Edward Belanger, with Gailey Monner and Mikayla Stoodley on the stage management team.
The Housekeeper will run at 6 p.m. from July 1 to 19, with preview nights on July 1 and 2, opening night on July 3, and performances on Tuesdays to Saturdays from July 8 to 12 and 15 to 19, with an additional Monday performance on July 14. The play contains mature content and is recommended for audience members 16 and older.
Tickets are $52 for adults and $45 for youth, with a discounted price of $38 for both adults and youth on preview nights, plus tax and fee. Tickets, season subscriptions, and gift certificates are available by phone at 705-932-4445 (toll-free at 1-800-814-0055), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, and at 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office location at 9 Tupper Street in Millbrook.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of 4th Line Theatre’s 33rd season.
Darren Goldin founded Entomo Farms in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood in Peterborough County with his brothers Jarrod and Ryan in 2014 after reading an article about the benefits of consuming insects. Today, the award-winning company is the largest producer of cricket-based protein in North America, supplying its products to more than 50 companies worldwide. (Photos courtesy of Entomo Farms)
It’s not unusual to hear the chirping of crickets when you’re in rural Peterborough County, but what is unusual at one Norwood farm is that the sound is coming from within the farm’s barns instead of the mooing of cows, the oinking of pigs, or the clucking of chickens.
That’s because Entomo Farms is redefining the future of farming and food by raising crickets as an eco-friendly and nutritious alternative to traditional protein.
Based in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood, one of the eight townships in Peterborough County, Entomo Farms was recently inducted into the 2024 International Green Industry Hall of Fame for its sustainable approach to nutrition, following several previous awards for innovation and sustainability.
As the owners of Norwood pet food supplier Reptile Feeders, brothers Darren and Ryan Goldin were already entrepreneurs in entomology when they read a paper about the health benefits that come from the practice of consuming insects. In 2014, along with their other brother Jarrod, they founded Entomo Farms, where they harvest crickets to produce nutrient-rich food while minimizing waste, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Not only does cricket farming require far fewer resources than conventional cattle, pig, or chicken farming, but crickets are more efficient at converting grain into protein compared to traditional livestock.
“If we took all the grain that we already grow and turn it into cricket feed, crickets could produce two to three times the amount of protein,” says Darren, who is Vice President of Farm & Production Operations.
What’s more, the entire cricket is used for food, with none of the waste by-products of conventional livestock farming. Even cricket manure doesn’t go to waste, with Entomo Farms partnering with Canadian Tire in 2022 to supply a plant fertilizer for consumers.
Today, Entomo Farms is the largest insect farm in North America and produces around 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of raw crickets monthly — over 10 million crickets per week — which are either roasted whole and packaged or dehydrated and ground into a fine protein powder that can be used in baking, pastas, sauces, smoothies, soups, and more.
Not only does cricket farming require far fewer resources than conventional cattle, pig, or chicken farming, but crickets are more efficient at converting grain into protein compared to traditional livestock. Entomo Farms in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood in Peterborough County raises its cricketsunder the most ethical conditions possible, allowing them to range freely in their enclosures and only harvesting them at the end of their normal lifecycle. (Photo courtesy of Entomo Farms)
The crickets are raised under the most ethical conditions possible, allowed to range freely in their enclosures, and are only harvested at the end of their normal lifecycle, when they are flash frozen to put them in a state of hibernation before they are roasted in small batches.
Entomo Farms supplies its products to more than 50 companies worldwide, including pet food and treat suppliers across North America as well as wholesale to retailers. Close to home, Peterborough Mexican restaurant La Hacienda uses Entomo Farms products to serve customers a unique, high-protein cricket taco.
A family-owned business, Entomo Farms wouldn’t have the international acclaim it has without the support of other local businesses, including a strong partnership with Reptile Feeders in Norwood and Campbellford Farm Supply Ltd., which has supplied feed for the crickets since the alternate protein company was first established.
As for the operations of the farm, Hastings-based fabricator John Kloosterman Equipment Sales made the 40,000 square feet of custom vertical infrastructure needed to sustainably farm the insects, and Peterborough’s Summit Mechanical has provided technical support for Entomo Farm’s dehydrator system.
Humans have been harvesting and eating insects for thousands of years and, from its home in Peterborough County, Entomo Farms has become a global leader in the insect protein revolution, changing perceptions and diets today for the betterment of the planet tomorrow.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series about locally owned independent businesses in Peterborough County, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
As part of its response to the impact of U.S. tariffs, Peterborough County is showcasing the many unique businesses located in the county, both by sharing their stories of success and how they support both residents and other businesses in their communities.
Whether by shopping at local businesses, dining at local restaurants, staying at local accommodation, or enjoying local experiences, residents and visitors can enhance the economic resilience of Peterborough County during these challenging times and help establish a sustainable foundation for the future.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
A rendering of a 17-storey residential-commercial development that TVM Mark Street Inc. is proposing be built beside Mark Street United Church in Peterborough's East City. The original proposal presented in 2024 was for a 10-storey building. (Image via City of Peterborough website)
A proposed 10-storey residential-commercial development in Peterborough’s East City, to be located west of Mark Street United Church at 90 Hunter Street East, has grown by another seven stories.
Toronto-based developer TVM Group, the company behind two other nearby East City developments — East City Condos and the St. Joseph’s Hospital redevelopment — is now proposing a 17-storey building be constructed at the location, according to a notice posted in the current development applications section of the City of Peterborough’s website.
Last year, TVM Group proposed a 10-storey, mixed-use building with commercial space on the ground floor, a parking garage on parts of the first and second floor, and 156 apartment units on the remaining seven floors. There would be with parking for 121 motor vehicles underground as well as at the rear of the ground floor and on the second floor.
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The new proposal for a 17-storey mixed-use building would have four levels of structured parking (one partially underground) and 205 units — 66 one-bedroom units, 110 two-bedroom units, and 29 three-bedroom units — on floors three to 17. There would be 205 motor vehicle parking spaces and 206 bicycle parking spaces.
As with the original proposal, the original church building would remain.
According to a 2024 report from the East Central Ontario Regional Council of the United Church of Canada, the board of trustees of Mark Street United Church entered into an agreement with TVM Group to exchange the church property for rental condominium units in the East City Condos development valued at $2 million, as well as the construction of a new hall on the north side of the church building at no cost to Mark Street United Church.
A rendering of the originally proposed 10-storey residential-commercial development beside Mark Street United Church in Peterborough’s East City, which was presented to area residents during an open house in June 2024. (Facebook photo)
Last June, TVM Group held an open house for area residents on the originally proposed 10-storey building.
During that meeting, former Peterborough mayor Daryl Bennett, the chair of the church’s board of trustees and its property development team, said a “couple” of area residents were “were worried that the sunlight they’re expecting in their backyard might not be as good as it should be.”
“Yes, it’s a big development,” Bennett added. “Yes, it’s a lot of new people coming into East City. Is that a good thing or is that a bad thing? From my standpoint, the city is deficient in buildings of this nature. It’s going to be a spectacular addition.”
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Also present at the June 2024 meeting was TVM Group president and CEO Amit Sofer.
“This is step one, where we are displaying to the community what we propose to bring to the city,” he said. “We are seeking comment from community members — maybe some suggestions of things that we have overlooked. We will go back, absorb some of those comments, make some adjustments and then, next month, we’re hoping to submit for a rezoning application from the city.”
Contrary to Sofer’s comment last June, the addition of seven storeys is a significant change rather than an adjustment to the original proposal presented during the open house, which was also attended by Ashburnham Ward city councillors Gary Baldwin and Keith Riel.
Renderings of a 17-storey residential-commercial development that TVM Mark Street Inc. is proposing be built beside Mark Street United Church in Peterborough’s East City. (Image via City of Peterborough website)
“I like to think we’re dealing with a reputable developer,” Baldwin said at that meeting. “They’re going to listen to the people. The project may change a little bit (or) it may not, but the fact they’re having this (open house), meeting with and hearing directly from people and answer their questions, is a good process.”
According to the City of Peterborough’s website, the city is currently reviewing an application from TVM Mark Street Inc. for a zoning by-law amendment for the proposed 17-storey building development.
A public meeting under the Planning Act on the proposed zoning by-law amendment will be held at an upcoming meeting of city council’s general committee, when members of the public will be able to make delegations.
With files from Paul Rellinger. This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
Whiskey Jack in 1977, featuring Duncan Fremlin, Mac Pulling, Rocky Hill, and Peterborough's own John Hoffman. Hoffman, who co-founded the band with Fremlin, will join Whiskey Jack for a few numbers at Peterborough's Air Force Association Hall on June 8, 2025 during the "CBC TV Country Music Stars" show, which also features Donna Ramsay and LeRoy Anderson, who spent 17 years performing weekly on CBC's "The Tommy Hunter Show". (Photo courtesy of Duncan Fremlin)
Every dog may have its day, but who’s to say you can’t have close to five decades’ worth of days? That has certainly been the case for what arguably remains one of the most beloved and successful roots-country-bluegrass bands in Canadian music history.
Since forming in Toronto in 1977 — a time when Canadian rock bands ruled the city music landscape and the catchy disco sound was catching on — Whiskey Jack has won, and kept, the hearts of fans across Canada.
For several years, as host of the comedy segment The Ol’ Back Porch on The Tommy Hunter Show and later as the late Stompin’ Tom Connors’ tour band, Whiskey Jack’s musical prowess and fun stage persona was on full display, winning the band a sizable loyal following that remains to this day.
So it was that when the idea of bringing together stars of CBC TV’s long-running hallmark music program for a reunion tour was broached, Whiskey Jack’s being part of that cavalcade was as assured as it was fitting.
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On Sunday, June 8 at Peterborough’s Air Force Association Hall at 274 King Street, the aptly titled “CBC TV Country Music Stars” show will see Whiskey Jack headline alongside Donna Ramsay and LeRoy Anderson who, as Donna and LeRoy, performed weekly for 17 years on The Tommy Hunter Show starting in 1975 (the pair were inducted into the the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010).
Admission to the 2 p.m. show is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested price of $35. Featured will be a mix of favourite songs from Hunter’s TV show, some Stompin’ Tom standards, and a selection of Whiskey Jack songs.
The Peterborough show — the last of four scheduled, preceded by stops in Nobel (near Parry Sound), Sault Ste. Marie, and Toronto — will see John Hoffman join Whiskey Jack for a few numbers. In the mid-1970s, the Peterborough resident developed an interest in bluegrass music and come 1979, mandolin in hand, found himself a member of Whiskey Jack alongside co-founder Duncan Fremlin, Bob McNiven, and Greg Street.
VIDEO: Maple Sugar / Big John McNeil / St. Anne’s Reel Medley – Whiskey Jack (2015)
“There was a sort of a bluegrass revival that started in the early ’70s — The Good Brothers were the most famous part of that — but there were other bands we went around to see and I got interested in bluegrass,” recalls Hoffman, citing New Riders of the Purple Sage as an influence.
“Somebody put a notice up in a music store looking for someone to play in a bluegrass band. It was Duncan. We started jamming. I spent 1977-78 going to Trent (University), but I took the bus to Toronto every weekend to jam with Duncan and this other fellow, Paul Wickham. We started playing for money, trying to go full-time (as Whiskey Jack) early in 1979.”
Besides playing gigs wherever it could, Whiskey Jack recorded and released three albums — Uptown (1979), One More Time (1981), and Whiskey Jack (1983). The band’s first single, notes Hoffman, was penned by “a Peterborough guy,” Roy Mulder.
“We got a bit of a buzz and felt we were doing pretty good, but in 1981, we hit the doldrums,” says Hoffman. “The call to audition for The Tommy Hunter Show came at a particularly bad time. We had a gig booked at the Trent Inn (in Peterborough) and it cancelled. I was thinking ‘Are we going to be able to do this?’ In those days, when a gig was cancelled, that was your paycheque for the week.”
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But The Tommy Hunter Show audition went well, proving to be manna from heaven as Whiskey Jack secured a regular spot performing the musical backdrop for the show’s comedy segment The Ol’ Back Porch over three seasons, accompanying show guest performers as well.
“That was thing that really gave our career a huge boost,” says Hoffman.
Come 1986, however, getting to “the next level,” says Hoffman, meant touring across Canada full-time. With a small child at home, that, says Hoffman, “was a level I didn’t want to get to,” forcing his decision to call it a day with Whiskey Jack.
“I never had illusions that we were going to hit the really big time. At first, when we got on The Tommy Hunter Show, I thought maybe, but then it was like ‘No, it’s not going to happen.’ But it was a good run.”
LeRoy Anderson and Donna Ramsay with Tommy Hunter in the late 1980s. Donna and LeRoy were inducted into the the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. (Photo courtesy of Duncan Fremlin)
While Hoffman moved on to play regularly with Washboard Hank, Fremlin stayed at it with the band, and after a few years that saw Whiskey Jack play a minimal number of shows, another Peterborough connection — in the form of promoter Brian Edwards of Rocklands Entertainment — led to the next big chapter: touring with Stompin’ Tom Connors from 1993 until his death in 2014.
Like Hoffman, Fremlin says The Tommy Hunter Show run was huge for the band, both then and now.
“If it wasn’t for Tommy Hunter, you and I would not be talking today — it just changed everything,” says Fremlin, adding “We milked it; we took advantage of it.”
“John and I were a good team. We had the drive, we had the smarts, we had the initiative. A lot of creative marketing went into it. I don’t think I could have done it without him, and I’m hoping he would say the same about me. We were brains and brawn of it, even though, in some ways, we were the least talented.”
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To this day, Fremlin shakes his head over the fact that Whiskey Jack was able to work well with as diverse personalities as Tommy Hunter and Stompin’ Tom Connors.
“If there are two Canadian performers who don’t belong in the same room, it’s Tommy Hunter and Stompin’ Tom. They were complete opposites in so many ways. I don’t think either one of them thought much of the other.”
“Here we are — Whiskey Jack, Stompin’ Tom’s band, and Donna and Leroy, Tommy Hunter’s duo — getting together for this show, and we all get along,” Fremlin adds. “I don’t think those two guys would have got along at all.”
Whiskey Jack co-founder Duncan Fremlin performing with Gordon Lightfoot. (Photo courtesy of Duncan Fremlin)
Speaking to the Peterborough show, Fremlin makes note of another local connection in the form of current Whiskey Jack member Douglas Cameron. Twice Juno Award-nominated, he lived in Peterborough for several years and was an original member of The CeeDees alongside another Peterborough resident, Curtis Driedger.
“How lucky was I to get hooked up with him about 12 or 13 years ago?” marvels Fremlin, noting Hoffman made that introduction.
“We just kind of hit it off. We’re both writing songs and performing at the highest level, and we’re both in our 70s. Besides the fact that he’s very musical, his performance is very theatrical and animated, in an industry where there’s not a whole lot of that.”
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Asked if getting together again with Hoffman on stage will fit like an old shoe, Fremlin points to the example of his jamming last summer with Donna and Leroy.
“I hadn’t seen them in 30 years. That part of it (playing music together) was like falling off a log. We traded songs, we knew the same songs, so that part was good. The idea of taking that, and making a show out of it, that’s an entirely different story.”
“Donna and I have spent countless hours on this. It’s been a hell of a lot of work. That’s not at all like riding a bike. We’re creating this show from scratch. We’ll see how it goes, but I’m confident that with those on stage, with so many decades behind them, the show is going to be very entertaining and very fun.”
In From The Cold co-founder John Hoffman performing on fiddle at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough in December 2015. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
For his part, Hoffman, who’s best known in recent years for his hand in bringing the In From The Cold fundraiser for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families to Market Hall each December (with Driedger also a regular performer), is “looking forward to seeing what these guys come up with.”
“They’re all really good musicians. This is a new thing for them. These people are not young. It’s kind of inspiring that older musicians want to try new things. I can relate to that. I’m at ‘Let’s see what happens.'”
For more information about Whiskey Jack, which also features Billy MacInnis on fiddle and James McEleney on bass, visit whiskeyjackmusic.com.
A 42-year-old Lindsay man is facing multiple assault charges after stabbing a man in a wheelchair on Monday afternoon (May 19).
At around 4:08 p.m., Kawartha Lakes police responded to a report of a stabbing at Kent Street West and William Street North in downtown Lindsay.
After arriving on the scene, officers learned two men were having an argument that escalated into a physical altercation, with one of the men producing a knife and stabbing the other man — who required the use of a wheelchair — multiple times. The suspect then fled on foot, and witnesses observed him discard an item on the roof of a nearby building.
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The victim was transported to Ross Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers searched the area and located the suspect a short distance away in a wooded area as he was attempting to change clothes. He was taken into custody without incident.
Officers also gained access to the roof of the business where witnesses had observed the suspect discard an item, and found and seized a folding-blade knife.
David Grozelle, 42, of Lindsay has been charged with assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The accused man was held in custody pending a bail hearing.
encoreNOW for May 19, 2025 features (from left to right, top and bottom) Skydiggers at Peterborough's Market Hall, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra at Emmanuel United Church, O Canada! benefit concert at Lindsay's Academy Theatre, Trent Valley Archives Theatre's "Crossing Over" at Peterborough's Market Hall, Globus Theatre's "Desperate to be Doris" in Bobcaygeon, and Kyle Golemba's "Handsome but Charmless" at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre. (kawarthaNOW collage)
encoreNOW is a bi-weekly column by Paul Rellinger where he features upcoming music, theatre, film, and performing arts events and news from across the Kawarthas.
This week, Paul highlights highlights the return of Skydiggers to Market Hall, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s season-closing concert, a celebration of Canadian music at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre, Trent Valley Archives’ staged tribute to the Peter Robinson emigrants, Globus Theatre’s premiere of one man’s infatuation with Doris Day, and Kyle Golemba’s theatre journey bared at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre.
Skydiggers staying power on full display at Market Hall
VIDEO: “A Penny More” – Skydiggers (2018)
Whether you love a band, can do without it, or are indifferent, you have to admire longevity. The music business is tough; remaining together as a unit, and staying relevant and fresh, is even tougher.
Close to 40 years after forming in Toronto, Skydiggers has checked all those boxes and more, retaining and still building on its hard-earned status as one of Canada’s most hailed and successful roots-rock bands.
Better still, singer Andy Maize, who co-founded the band with lead guitarist John Finlayson, are still at it and producing new music, Skydiggers’ newest release Dreams & Second Chances marking 20-plus studio albums/EPs for the band.
While the early 1990s brought Skydiggers its most commercial success — with their self-titled debut in 1990 producing the singles “Monday Morning” and “I Will Give You Everything,” 1992’s Restless spawning the band’s biggest hit in “A Penny More,” and the follow-up album Just Over This Mountain earning Maize, Finlayson, et al a Juno Award for Most Promising Group — the band never stopped recording or touring, winning new fans while satisfying the taste of fans who were hooked on day one.
Dreams & Second Chances gives full evidence that Skydiggers haven’t missed a beat. In fact, it could be argued it’s mistitled, considering the band is still making the most of its first chance.
Full evidence of that will be provided on Thursday (May 22) at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough when Skydiggers performs in concert, its blend of rock, folk and country influences, melodic songwriting, and heartfelt lyrics continuing to resonate.
Season finale sees the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra Step Into The Light at Emmanuel United Church
VIDEO: Mahler’s Symphony no. 4, IV featuring Sabine Devieilhe
For the finale of its 2024-25 season, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is returning to Emmanuel United Church in downtown Peterborough on Saturday (May 24) to present ” Step Into The Light,” which was also the theme of the five-concert season now winding down.
A finale deserves a rousing selection of music. To that end, the PSO is delivering Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, a widely hailed symphonic masterpiece that sees its creator take us on his personal journey, culminating in a child’s vision of heaven.
If that’s not enough, the program will also welcome back cellist Stephen Tétreault and harpist Valérie Milot as soloists in Kelly-Marie Murphy’s award-winning Double Concerto. Also featured is soprano Christina Raphaëlle Haldane, who will join the orchestra for the final movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony.
At the conductor’s stand, as always, is maestro Michael Newnham, who will give his usual pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. performance are $33, $48, or $55, depending on the seat you choose, with student tickets costing $12 for all seats. They are available online at thepso.org/step-into-the-light.
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Canadian pride a treat for the senses at the Academy Theatre
VIDEO: “Hold Me” – The Strumbellas
Hard as it may be, we have to give the 47th president of the United States — yeah, you know who I’m referring to — credit for bringing together Canadians on a scale few times seen prior.
Due to his tariff bullying and 51st state pipe dream, immense pride in all things Canadian has extended well beyond the hockey ice surface to homes, businessese, and organizations from coast to coast to coast. You can count on one hand the number of times politicians of all stripes have spoken with one voice on anything.
Our treasured Canadian identity extends well beyond maple syrup and poutine. Take, for very good example, the Canadian music industry. Long is the list of Canadian recording artists who have gifted the world with great music, and all of it tariff-free to boot.
That’s well worth celebrating at any time, but especially now, and on Sunday (May 25) at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre, that’s exactly what will happen.
Billed as “a uniquely Canadian concert featuring Canadian artists celebrating Canadian music,” the aptly titled O’ Canada concert will feature a stage lineup that delivers on that promise.
Hosted by former MuchMusic VJ Erica Ehm, the celebration will bring The Strumbellas, Dwayne Gretzky members Tyler Kyte and Nick Rose, Russell deCarle of Prairie Oyster, Melissa Payne, Cassie Noble, Dale Crowe, Gamekeeper and Mis-Hap to the stage, where a house band comprised of Frazer Turk, D’Arcy Mason, Graeme Morrison, and Andy McNeilly will round things out.
Now the best part. The concert is fundraiser for BGC (Boys and Girls Club) Kawartha in support of its music and arts programs — the future of Canadian-made and supported entertainment, if you will.
Trent Valley Archives pays homage to the Peter Robinson settlers
In a scene from “Crossing Over”, John Keleher (Hugh Foley, right) brings petty thief Tim Ryan (Kaza Hesselink, second from right) to the John Barry surgeon-superintendent William Burnie (Ashley Parker, left) for ship board justice. Mr. and Mrs. Hagarty (Lucas Pronk and Cathy Brand, centre) are worried, having their own secrets to keep. (Photo courtesy of Trent Valley Archives Theatre)
With this year marking the bicentennial of the Peter Robinson emigration of Irish settlers to the Kawarthas region, there’s a gold pot at the end of the rainbow, and that pot is chock full of events marking the emigrants’ arduous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean for a new life in a new land.
We’ve already heard that Peterborough Musicfest is presenting back-to-back-to-back performances in early August by U2 tribute band Acrobat, The Mudmen (with Irish Millie opening), and The Celtic Tenors. And there’s 4th Line Theatre, which is bringing the world premiere of Megan Murphy’s Wild Geese to the Winslow farm.
Add Trent Valley Archives’ original historical play Crossing Over to the commemorative mix. Being staged May 29 to 31 at Market Hall in Peterborough, it’s a fictionalized account of the six-week Atlantic voyage of the emigrant ship John Barry, which departed from Cobh Harbour in Ireland on May 25, 1825. Family surnames on the passenger list included Hagerty, Nagle, Owen, Regan, Ryan, Slattery, Sullivan, and Young.
Narrated by John Keleher, an experienced seaman and Peter Robinson settler (played by storyteller extraordinaire Hugh Foley), this is a tale of tremendous courage in the face of so very many unknowns. Just the fortitude alone it took to say goodbye forever to relatives in Ireland is quite something. This play will have an Irish music soundtrack, courtesy of music director Michael Ketemer backed by the Crossing Over Chorus.
A fundraiser for Trent Valley Archives, the play is a sequel to last year’s inaugural production Tide of Hope, which told the story of David Nagle, an Irish land agent for a wealthy British landowner who eventually fled Ireland on the John Barry after being branded a traitor by Irish rebels.
During the year when we’re all Irish, if even for a bit, we can comfort in the fact that those who really are Irish are welcoming us in with open arms. Few are more welcoming when it comes to sharing their traditions and heritage.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. from May 29 to 31, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on May 31. Suitable for all ages 14 and up, tickets cost $30 ($40 for cabaret seating) and are available at www.markethall.org.
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Globus Theatre opens its 22nd new season in spirited fashion
VIDEO: Ephraim Ellis introduces “Desperate To Be Doris” at Globus Theatre
Professional theatre is very much alive and well in Bobcaygeon, with Globus Theatre staging 10 productions this year at its home at 2300 Pigeon Lake Road.
The season lid lifter is the Canadian premiere of Desperate To Be Doris, a comedy penned by the British duo of Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox and starring professional actors Ephraim Ellis, Elana Post, and Globus Theatre’s own artistic director Sarah Quick. Quick’s husband and Globus artistic producer James Barrett is directing.
The story centres around Dean (Ellis), who spends his days working at a mail-order pajama company but, come nightfall, is a legend in his living room by singing the songs of Doris Day. When his operatic society decides to stage a theatrical version of Day’s 1953 film Calamity Jane, Dean ponders if his big moment has finally arrived. With a backdrop of some of Day’s greatest hit songs — performed by a community chorus of local residents recruited by Globus — this is a tale of self-discovery and the courage and power of following your dreams.
Now in its 22nd season, Globus Theatre was founded by Quick and Barrett to bring professional theatre to the Kawarthas, annually staging productions from May through December from a former cattle barn converted to a 150-seat theatre and attached restaurant.
Desperate to be Doris will be performed at 8 p.m. from May 29 to 31 and June 5 to 7 and a 2 p.m. matinee performance on May 31. An optional dinner is available before the evening performances.
Tickets are $50 for the show only, or $100 for dinner and the show (plus tax and fee). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.globustheatre.com or call the Globus Theatre box office at 705-738-2037.
An actor’s journey takes centre stage at the Capitol Theatre
Kyle Golemba (left) with Amir Haidar in the 2024 production of “Bed and Breakfast” by Mark Crawford. (Photo: Tracey Allison)
If turning a negative into a positive is truly a gift, Kyle Golemba is on top of his game.
After a reviewer described the actor as “handsome but charmless,” Golemba didn’t sulk. Far from it, instead penning a delightful musical that’s brimming with hilarious stories and reflections on the ups and downs of theatre life.
Handsome But Charmless opens June 3 in the intimate Sculthorpe Theatre at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre. Front-and-centre, poking good fun at himself, and no doubt his very honest reviewer, this has fun and music — never a bad combination — at its centre.
And as befitting a one-man show, it features a huge talent in Golemba, whose list of stage credits is long and impressive, including his performance as Brett in the 2024 staging of Mark Crawford’s Bed and Breakfast at the Capitol Theatre.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. June 3 to 7, with added 2 p.m. matinees on June 4, 7, and 8. Tickets cost $45, $35 for those under 30, and are available at capitoltheatre.com.
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Encore
What a difference a few months, and funding, makes. You’ll recall that during the Peterborough’s budget deliberations, a number of Peterborough groups — the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) among them — were faced with the loss of city funding. After much outcry, that funding was kept in place … for now. EC3 is now back from the brink, not only hosting and presenting the Peterborough Arts Awards’ presentation on June 12 at the Canadian Canoe Museum, but also accepting performance submissions for the biannual Artsweek arts festival in the fall. Now we get word that fusion violinist Victoria Yeh — no stranger to local audiences — has been added to EC3’s board. When we think what would have been had EC3 lost its city dollar support, this activity is all the more worth celebrating, and supporting.
I’m wishing a number of homegrown country music artists nothing but good things when the Country Music Association of Ontario’s 2025 CMAOntario Awards are presented on June 1 at The Music Hall in Hamilton. Elyse Saunders, Tebey, Sacha, and Jesse Slack and Daryl Scott are nominated in multiple categories and hoping to hear their names called at least once. I’m also thinking good thoughts for local singer-songwriter Dan Hick who is up for a remarkable five awards at the New Music Awards being hosted by Pet Rock Radio May 24 at the 100 Acre Brewing Company. Dan will also perform at the event, which will also see Washboard Hank presented with a legacy award.
Peterborough and area women interested in golf can check out Women's Adventures in Golf, which aims to offer a more relaxed game with social opportunities while raising money for local non-profit organizations that support women and children. The group is hosting monthly themed golfing events during the summer. (Photos: Women's Adventures in Golf)
Peterborough-area women can tee off this summer and support non-profit organizations for women and children at the same time.
Women’s Adventures in Golf (WAG), a group that aims to offer fun themed golfing opportunities for Peterborough women of all skill levels while raising money for charity, is kicking off its second season. Golfers can register as singles, twosomes, or foursomes for a laid-back, accessible game of golf and fundraising each month.
In its inaugural 2024 season, WAG raised more than $5,000 for local organizations that support women and children.
“We are excited for our second season of bringing women together for a relaxed game of golf, no matter their skill level,” WAF founder Susan Williamson told kawarthaNOW. “Women can choose to just golf, or golf and stay for a meal to experience the camaraderie and community spirit.”
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All foursomes work together in a scramble format — where all players hit from the same spot, choose the best shot, and then all play their next shots from that position, continuing this process until the hole is completed — and they’ll be vying for small prizes based on the event’s theme, not on skill.
For every event, golfers make a donation to a particular local non-profit organization to get an advantage in the game.
Having just celebrated its pre-season social at Rolling Grape Vineyard in Bailieboro in support of The Super Sophia Project, WAG is hosting its first golf event on Saturday (May 24) at the Warkworth Golf Club with the theme of “Jailbreak” in support of Five Counties Children’s Centre.
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While registration for the season opening event is already full, spots are still available for “She CAN” on Sunday, June 22 at the Liftlock Golf Club at 2320 Ashburnham Dr. in Peterborough. From sports to politics to the world of creative arts, this day’s theme will “celebrate the amazing accomplishments of Canadian women.”
During this event, women can golf to play the trivia game as a group so they’re never on their own, Williamson noted. Participants who make a donation to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s Crossroads Shelter will get an advantage in the game.
Next up is a tournament on Sunday, July 13 at Katchiwano Golf Club at 1730 Youngs Point Rd. in Lakefield. The theme is “Wheel of Life,” where women can play The Game of Life and join fellow participants afterwards at Cheeky Duck Vineyard in Lakefield for a meal. This event will support Peterborough Child and Family Centres.
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On Sunday, August 24, golfers can take part in “Jetsetter” at Heron Landing Golf Club at 2361 Lansdowne St. W. in Peterborough. Participants will “travel Europe” while golfing as a team. This day will support Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services.
For the WAG season finale on Sunday, September 14, women can join the fun at Katchiwano Golf Club in Lakefield for “Mystery at the Club.” During this event, “GM Mavis Mustard” will have a mystery to solve at her golf club. Participants will play to get clues to solve the mystery.
Those who make a contribution to Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre will secure an advantage in the game. The group will gather after golfing at Cheeky Duck Vineyard to mark the finale of the season.
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“WAG is all about bringing women together to enjoy the game of golf in a fun and relaxed environment,” Williamson told kawarthaNOW in 2024 about the impetus for forming the group. “Our themed events are designed to create lasting memories and friendships while supporting great causes.”
She also hopes WAG encourages women to participate in golf.
“Golf has traditionally been a male-dominated sport, but initiatives like WAG are changing the game by making it more accessible and enjoyable for women. Studies have shown that women who participate in sports like golf experience numerous benefits, including increased confidence, improved mental health, and expanded social networks.”
For more information about Women’s Adventures in Golf and to register for upcoming events, visit www.golfwithwag.ca.
Ephraim Ellis, Elana Post, and Sarah Quick star in the Canadian premiere of the British musical comedy "Desperate to be Doris" at Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon from May 29 to June 7, 2025, which also features a community chorus of local residents who will perform the songs of Doris Day. (kawarthaNOW collage of supplied photos)
Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon is kicking off its 22nd season this spring with the Canadian premiere of a musical comedy show originally written and performed by a popular British comedy duo, which features a community choir of local residents joining the cast of three professional actors to perform the songs of Doris Day.
Desperate to be Doris, which runs from May 29 to June 7, is a celebration of the iconic American actress and singer that was written and performed over a decade ago by Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox of LipService Theatre. It premiered at the York Theatre Royal in the U.K. in 2010.
Over nearly 40 years, Ryding and Fox wrote and performed more than 22 original comedy shows from a distinctly female perspective, touring them throughout Britain as well as in Europe and the U.S. Also known for her roles in Coronation Street, Shameless, and The Forsyte Saga, Fox died at the age of 65 in 2022 after a tragic car accident.
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Desperate to be Doris follows Dean, who works in the office of a nightwear retailer called The Pyjama Game and harbours a secret love for singing the songs of Doris Day. A new manager arrives on the scene, not only with her own ideas for remaking the business, but also for directing a local amateur theatre society’s production of the musical western Calamity Jane, based on the 1953 musical Western film of the same name that starred Doris Day. Will Dean dare to share his Calamity Jane with an unsuspecting world?
Taking on the role of Dean in the Globus Theatre production is Ephraim Ellis, best known for playing Rick Murray on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Danny Ellis on Falcon Beach. Joining him on stage to perform a variety of hilarious characters are Elana Post (who performed in the 2024 Globus production of Norm Foster’s The Ladies Foursome and in the 2023 Globus production of Kristen Da Silva’s Hurry Hard) and Globus Theatre’s own artistic director Sarah Quick.
“This play is exactly the style of theatre that Globus Theatre is known for — a fast-paced comedic story brought to life through various zany characters played by talented actors,” says Globus Theatre’s artistic producer James Barrett, who is directing the play.
Elana Post, Ephraim Ellis, and Sarah Quick rehearsing a scene from the Globus Theatre production of the British musical comedy “Desperate to be Doris”, which runs in Bobcaygeon from May 29 to June 7, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
Featuring some of Doris Day’s greatest hits including “Secret Love,” “Que Sera, Sera,” “Steam Heat,” “The Deadwood Stage,” and “Enjoy Yourself,” Ryding and Fox’s original tours of the show integrated local choirs from the communities where it was staged — something that Globus Theatre is replicating for the Canadian premiere.
“Desperate to be Doris was touring the UK at the same time as I was many years ago,” Quick recalls. “It delighted audiences at every theatre it played at, and I loved the concept of using a community choir in each location. I thought doing this sort of collaboration in Bobcaygeon was a perfect way to kick off our season. I am thrilled to bring this show to Canadian audiences for the first time.”
After an initial call in March for performers for the community choir, Globus Theatre has established two choirs of local singers who have been rehearsing the Doris Day songs in the show under the direction of Kelly Burrows.
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“It has been such a joy and privilege working on these Doris Day songs with our amazing community choir,” Burrows says. “The fact that all of these singers wanted to come together and participate in what’s sure to be an incredible season opener shows just how much talent there is on our community, and how much we all love Globus Theatre’s productions. We are very excited to showcase our hard work and cannot wait for everyone to come out and see Desperate to be Doris.”
Desperate to be Doris will be performed at 2300 Pigeon Lake Road in Bobcaygeon with evening performances at 8 p.m. from May 29 to 31 and June 5 to 7 and a 2 p.m. matinee performance on May 31. An optional dinner is available before the evening performances.
Tickets are $50 for the show only, or $100 for dinner and the show (plus tax and fee). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.globustheatre.com or call the Globus Theatre box office at 705-738-2037.
Some of the local residents who will be performing in the community chorus for the Canadian premiere of the British musical comedy “Desperate to be Doris” at Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon from May 29 to June 7, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
The YMCA Northumberland is kicking off Pride month with its annual "Rainbow Run" in Cobourg on June 1, 2025. The 2.5 or five-kilometre run/walk that goes along the waterfront and through downtown raises money and awareness for YMCA Northumberland's Strong Communities campaign while also celebrating diversity and supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community. (Photo: YMCA Northumberland)
The YMCA Northumberland is inviting community members to “stride into Pride month” by taking part in the organization’s annual “Rainbow Run” in Cobourg.
Now in its third year, the run takes place along the waterfront and in the downtown area on Sunday, June 1. Registration for the day begins at 8:30 a.m. and the run starts at 9:30 a.m.
It’s a kick-off for Northumberland County activities for Pride month in June and has a few other important aspects, said Zoey Read, YMCA Northumberland’s manager of philanthropy.
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“The ideology behind the annual Rainbow Run event is to create a visible show of support for those in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and host a celebration in honour of Pride month,” Read told kawarthaNOW.
“At the YMCA Northumberland we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming space for all,” Read added. “The Rainbow Run is one of our annual events that raises money for our YMCA Strong Communities campaign, which provides the necessary funds to create a diverse and welcoming YMCA regardless of socioeconomic background.”
The event encompasses a 2.5 or five-kilometre run/walk that begins at the Cobourg Yacht Club and goes along the waterfront and through downtown. Whether walking or running, the Rainbow Run makes “a powerful statement” about love, acceptance, and support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and its allies, according to a media release.
“By combining exercise with social awareness, the event creates a unique platform for community engagement, health promotion, and social change,” the release states.
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Participants are encouraged to dress in vibrant, colourful outfits to contribute to the celebratory atmosphere and add to the visual representation of diversity.
“The Rainbow Run is a powerful reminder that when we come together — each bringing our own colour, energy, and spirit — we can create something truly extraordinary,” said Eunice Kirkpatrick, YMCA Northumberland president and CEO. “It’s an event that uplifts our community and reflects the strength found in unity and hope.”
Funds raised will support YMCA Northumberland’s Strong Communities campaign, which helps provide access to life-changing programs and services to empower people and groups of all ages across Northumberland with greater equality and wellness.
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It also includes support for initiatives that ensure the YMCA Northumberland’s spaces are welcoming and safe for 2SLGBTQIA+ community members.
“We want our community YMCA to be a space for everyone,” Read said.
The 2024 Rainbow Run event drew nearly 200 participants and raised more than $8,000. For the 2025 event, the registration fee is $25 for adults, $10 for youth ages five through 12, and free for children aged four and under. Pets can also accompany their owners on the route for no extra charge.
There will also be an online auction, featuring items donated by local businesses.
The first 250 people to cross the finish line will walk away with a “finisher” medal. Registrants who raise more than $75 will receive a complimentary pair of Rainbow Run socks. The socks, as well as a limited supply of T-shirts, will also be available to purchase for $20 each.
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“We encourage participants to fundraise by inviting friends, family, and supporters to contribute directly to their fundraising page, ensuring all donations are processed securely and transparently through our approved YMCA fundraising platform,” the YMCA stated in the release.
The event is supported by community partners Linmac, SMM Law Professional Corporation, Pentel Ltd. Brokerage and Vandermeer Toyota, as well as event sponsors Arthur’s Pub, Best Western PLUS Cobourg Inn & Convention Centre, Burnham Family Farm Market, Cameco, Part Time CFO Services LLP, ParticipACTION, and STADTKE Plumbing & Heating Ltd..
As a charity, the YMCA Northumberland strives to provide vital community services that have a positive impact on pressing social issues from chronic disease to unemployment, social isolation, poverty, inequality, and more. It is part of YMCA Canada, one of the longest standing and largest national charities, with a presence in Canada since 1851 and now serving more than 2.1 million people annually across 1,700 program locations.
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