Peterborough police report the driver of this vehicle, who had earlier fled from police before crashing the vehicle in the Chemong Road and Towerhill Road area, then fled into the Peterborough Volkswagen dealership where he reportedly assaulted an employee. After police confronted the man, he went into apparent medical distress and was transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre where he was pronounced dead. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of video by Barry Killen)
A man is dead following an incident in the Chemong Road and Towerhill Road area of Peterborough on Friday afternoon (August 11).
According to a media release issued by Peterborough police, at around 2:15 p.m. on Friday, a vehicle being driven erratically passed an officer who was on general patrol. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Parkhill Road East when the vehicle took off. A short pursuit ensued but was immediately discontinued for public safety.
A short time later, police received a call about a single motor vehicle collision in the Chemong Road and Towerhill Road area. Upon arrival, officers learned it was the same driver involved in the attempted traffic stop and that he had fled into the Peterborough Volkswagen dealership.
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While inside the dealership, the man was involved in an interaction with an employee. Reports on social media that have not been confirmed by police claim the man was carrying a gun and that, when he was inside the dealership, he used the gun to strike and injure an employee.
Officers then “verbally engaged” with the man. Shortly thereafter, according to police, the man consumed a substance and “appeared to go into medical distress.” His vital signs were absent and officers administered first aid. The man was then transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, where he was pronounced dead.
There will be a police presence in the area of Chemong Road and Towerhill Road as police continue an investigation into the incident.
Wouldn’t have believed it if I had seen it with my own eyes. Vehicle was going at least 100 miles an hour on Chemong Rd., North missed at least a dozen vehicles in inches almost collided head on with a city bus failed to negotiate to turn and hit the telephone post.  the guy, then took off on foot as he was running up the grassy knoll he pulled out a handgun and headed towards Pboro Volkswagen.  Peterborough Volkswagen staff are all safe and apparently the police have the area cordoned off.
Police say the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been contacted and has invoked its mandate.
The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency, independent of the police, that conducts criminal investigations into circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in serious injury, death, or allegations of sexual assault.
Later on Friday, the SIU issued a media release indicating four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case. The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.
This story has been updated with additional details supplied by the SIU.
A 69-year-old woman is dead after her all-terrain vehicle (ATV) rolled over Friday morning (August 11) in Northumberland County.
At around 11 a.m. on Friday, officers with the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a report of an ATV rollover on private property on Traill Road South in Hamilton Township.
The lone rider, a 69-year-old female from Hamilton Township, was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Police are investigating the incident. Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact the Northumberland OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
The OPP is reminding riders are reminded to take all precautions when operating an off-road vehicle.
Know your limits, stay within them, and always wear an approved well-fitted helmet with chinstrap securely fastened..
A view of Victoria Beach on Lake Ontario in Cobourg. (Photo courtesy of Linda McIlwain)
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
As of Thursday, August 17, the following beaches are unsafe for swimming:
Buckhorn Beach – Peterborough County
Ennismore Waterfront Park – Peterborough County
Henry’s Gumming – Peterborough County
Norwood Beach at Mill Pond – Peterborough County
Burnt River Beach – Somerville
Head Lake Beach – Laxton
Lions Park – Coboconk
Norland Bathing Area – Laxton
Verulam Recreational Park – Verulam
Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Northumberland County
Kingsford Conservation Area – Hastings County
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Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in the City and County of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White’s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health provides weekly testing results for beaches in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
The Pig's Ear Tavern owners Steve Robertson and Ashley Holmes at the pub's entrance at 144 Brock Street in downtown Peterborough. The former Trent University students purchased the building in 2022 with help from two investors, and are hard at work to restore the beloved pub to its former glory and introduce some of the events that made it a unique destination for the community, with an expected opening in fall 2023. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Assuming that walls can talk, the conversation is on the cusp of becoming very interesting again at 144 Brock Street in downtown Peterborough.
With its closure in April 2017 upon the retirement of longtime owners John and Lylie Punter, The Pig’s Ear Tavern — walls and all — has been eerily quiet since.
That will change in a big way come the fall when the pub reopens under the same name, its interior looking very much the same as former patrons affectionately remember it.
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Purchased in October 2022 by former Trent University students Steve Robertson and Ashley Holmes, with help from two investors, their plan is simple: retain the worn but comfortable look and feel of the pub with the exception of a few needed upgrades.
For Holmes, who will manage the day-to-day operation of the pub, this undertaking is personal. For some 10 years, she worked at The Pig’s Ear, including working shifts over the last four days it was open in 2017.
“We’re doing this because of what it was,” she says. “We’re not going to mess with things. We want to replicate everything we can as close to what it looked like before.”
Prior to its closure in 2017, The Pig’s Ear Tavern hosted the Peterborough Musicians Benevolent Association’s monthly Deluxe Blues Jam. Photographer Wayne Eardley took this evocative shot of the crowd of live music fans at the final jam on April 15, 2017. (Photo: Wayne Eardley)
Robertson, who will handle the business side of the venture and support Holmes as needed, echoes that vision, using the term “restore” to best describe their bringing The Pig’s Ear back to life.
“When people walk in the door, we want them to think ‘Oh my goodness, you haven’t changed a single thing’,” he says. “Even though we’ve put a lot of effort into making it the way it was, we’ve made a couple of noticeable small changes, one being the washrooms, which have been upgraded. For the most part, it will feel exactly the way it did before.”
It was during the 2022 Head of the Trent Regatta, which is held annually as part of Trent University’s homecoming weekend, that the seeds of the pub’s rebirth were planted. Prior to the regatta, with which she was involved, Holmes was aware the building was listed for sale “for a very good price.”
“I was joking with friends and other alumni in the beer garden,” she recalls. “I said ‘Hey, we should buy this and I’ll move back here and run it … ha ha ha.’ I called them on it the next day. Steve was like ‘Yes, I’m interested.’ By the following Friday, we had an offer in to buy it.”
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Although both Holmes and Robertson attended Trent — she was a business administration student from 2006 to 2011 and he graduated with a psychology degree in 1997 — they had never met prior to that homecoming weekend. Now they’re partners.
“The building itself we bought with two investors who were contacts of mine,” says Robertson. “That includes the residential units upstairs, the bar itself, and the parking lot that wraps around building from Brock to George Street. And then, separately, Ashley and I put in money to rebuild and reinvest in the bar.”
“We didn’t have to buy the name (The Pig’s Ear Tavern) because it was closed,” notes Holmes, adding the former owners “John and Lylie (Punter) have supported us in doing this. They’re passing the torch to us but six years later.”
Owners Ashley Holmes and Steve Robertson are looking forward to welcoming both new and returning patrons to The Pig’s Ear Tavern when it reopens in fall 2023. Work is still underway inside the pub to restore it to its former glory. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
With their purchase of The Pig’s Ear, Robertson and Holmes are doing much more than providing new life to what was a beloved downtown watering hole. They are reviving a historic landmark.
Opened in 1865 as the St. Maurice Saloon, the pub survived a major fire in the 1930s that reduced it to a three-storey building from its original four-storey footprint. It has had 13 owners prior to now, the Punters having purchased it in 2000 before calling it a day 17 years later and selling the property to Parkview Homes.
For whatever reason, Parkview Homes didn’t go ahead with a planned residential development at the site, ultimately putting the property back on the market in 2020. There things sat until Holmes and Robertson et al took the plunge last fall.
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Known affectionately by many over the years as The Piggy, the pub was home to live music, its small stage graced by countless local and touring musicians. And there were pig-named events like Pingo and Karaoinke and Punter-hosted trivia nights, all of which combined to make The Pig’s Ear decidedly different from other local bars.
The plan, says Holmes, is to re-introduce those events at some point.
Another well-worn tradition was the pub’s display of anything pig-related that was brought in by patrons. That, adds Holmes, will be welcomed once again.
“John and Lylie have given us our first pig memento. They brought it from Mexico. It’s wicker, it’s multi coloured, and it’s really cute.”
John Punter, pictured on April 15, 2017, owned and operated The Pig’s Ear Tavern with his wife Lylie for 17 years before retiring. The former owners are supporting new owners Steve Robertson and Ashley Holmes as they work to reopen the pub with the same look and feel, including with pig-themed events and decor. (Photo: Wayne Eardley)
Long gone are the wooden tables engraved with the name and initials of patrons that were auctioned off in 2017, begging the question what bar owner in their right mind would allow patrons to take a pen knife to their furniture? Well, no worries there.
“Yes, that will be allowed — it’s part of the experience,” says Robertson.
Now, as the second coming of The Pig’s Ear nears, both Holmes and Robertson are anxious to welcome both new and returning patrons.
“We love this place and what it was,” says Holmes. “Will people love it in the same way? Will people feel the same way when they walk in here? It’s a feeling. You can’t really explain it.”
“We want to be successful, of course, but my interest is more heavily weighted toward giving it back to the community,” she adds. “For me, success is seeing the reaction we get and the enjoyment that people get out of it being back.”
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For his part, Robertson is “mostly keen to see the look on people’s faces when they walk in the door.”
“I think we’ll be overwhelmed with the response for six to 12 months. Our job will be how to bring in new clientele. We’ve missed an entire cohort of university and college students. How do we re-establish that relationship with the schools and with newcomers to the community and bring them in?”
“There seems to be a pretty vibrant life to the bars that are still here. Jethro’s (on Hunter Street) seems to be very busy — they found a real niche for themselves,” he notes. “I think our niche is going to be what The Pig’s Ear always was: a comfortable watering hole that people want to go to and meet friends and reconnect.”
As well as serving those who were past patrons of The Pig’s Ear Tavern, owners Steve Robertson and Ashley Holmes hope to re-establish the pub as a favourite watering hole for university and college students as well as other newcomers to the community. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
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“I think the younger generation really like the nostalgia — they like kitsch,” Robertson reflects. “They’ll find a place like this to be really cool and fun because it’s not like the other places. It’s not a dance club. We’ve got lots of dance clubs in town. There’s only one Pig’s Ear. I’m pretty keen to get this off the ground.”
Holmes, meanwhile, is trying to keep her emotions in check.
“When we’re open, I’ll be more excited,” she says. “It will be a wild ride. It is already, but it’ll be crazy.”
While there’s no firm date as of yet for when The Pig’s Ear will open, Holmes says September is still being targeted, pending the approval and granting of the required liquor licence.
Writer Paul Rellinger at the final Peterborough Musicians Benevolent Association’s monthly Deluxe Blues Jam at the The Pig’s Ear Tavern on April 15, 2017. The monthly fundraiser is now held at Dr. J’s BBQ and Brews. (Photo: SLAB Productions)
The two suspects in two home invasions in the Bethune and King Street area of downtown Peterborough on August 10, 2023. (Police-supplied photo)
Peterborough police are seeking two suspects after two home invasions in the downtown core within minutes of each other late Thursday afternoon (August 10).
At around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to a residence in the Bethune and King Street area. Upon arrival, officers learned two separate units had been entered.
In one case, the homeowners reported two men had entered the apartments armed with handguns and demanding money. One of the men struck a homeowner with a handgun before the suspects fled. A second unit was also entered and appeared to be ransacked (the homeowners were not there at the time).
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The first suspect is described as a black man around 6’3″ tall, with a stocky build and approximately 200 lbs. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt (hood up) with dangling draw strings, black sweatpants with a white logo on the left upper thigh, a black face mask, and black and white running shoes.
The second suspect is described as a black man around 5’7″ to 5’9″ tall, with a thin build and approximately 150 lbs. He was wearing a black hooded zip-up hoodie (hood up), black track pants, a black face mask, a grey satchel slung to the left side, and black shoes.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Peterborough police crime line at 705-876-1122 x555. If you prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.
On April 17, 2023, the City of Peterborough provided a demonstration of the new collection trucks for the city's new green bin program for organic waste coming this fall, including the automated equipment that will be used to pick up and empty the large green bins during curbside collection. (Photo: City of Peterborough)
The City of Peterborough has announced that weekly waste collection dates for some city residents will change on October 31 when the city implements its new green bin program and switches to every-other-week garbage collection.
Around 8,200 households and businesses in the city will have new waste collection dates. You can check your collection date using the online tool at peterborough.ca/mycollectionday. Beginning immediately and continuing over the next few weeks, the city will also be hand delivering notices to households and affected businesses that will see their weekly waste collection day change.
The city says the changes are necessary to ensure waste collection services are delivered on schedule as the city grows and to improve worker safety by balancing collection routes.
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“Over decades of residential development, where some areas of the city have seen significant growth and other areas have had limited growth, the routes for waste collection days have become unbalanced,” reads a media release from the city. “Some days have many more homes and businesses, which means many more stops for collection, compared to other collection days. This makes it increasingly challenging to complete routes in the set times as the city continues to grow. It is a concern for worker safety as well as reliability of service delivery.”
The changes to collection days beginning on October 31 coincide with the city’s introduction of its new weekly green bin service, which will collect household organic waste.
As the green bin service is expected to remove up to 20 per cent of organic waste from residential garbage, the city will also only collect garbage ever other week instead of weekly. Recycling collection will continue on a weekly basis.
All eligible households will receive a large heavy-duty pest-proof bin, which include wheels and a locking mechanism on the lid, for curbside collection, as well as a smaller container for use in the kitchen.
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In September, the city will begin delivering green bins to eligible residential properties, including residential properties with six units or less and certain condominiums selected as part of the first phase of the green bin program rollout.
Information about the green bin program and other waste collection services will be included inside the green bin. The information will include the city’s 2023-2024 waste management calendar and guide with collection schedules and a list of waste items that are allowed and not allowed in a green bin.
There will also be samples of Glad-brand compostable bags and liners that can be used for the kitchen-sized green bins, an information sheet about the new requirement to use clear bags for curbside garbage collection (along with a free sample of a clear garbage bag and a $2 rebate coupon provided by Glad), and details on how to recycle batteries with a collection cube provided by Call2Recycle.
An overview of the waste collection dates in the City of Peterborough effective October 31, 2023. Residents can check their collection dates by entering their street address in an online tool provided by the city. (Map: City of Peterborough)
Canadian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Johnny Cox performs at the Dominion Hotel in Minden on Monday night. (Photo via www.johnnycox.ca)
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, August 10 to Wednesday, August 16.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
Friday, September 1 7pm - Free For All w/ Niambi Tree, Will Ward, DJ Infinite Lee, Open Mic (no cover)
The Granite
45 Bridge St. W., Bancroft
613-332-1500
Saturday, August 12
5-8pm - Chad Cullen
Graz Restobar
38 Bolton St., Bobcaygeon
705-738-6343
Sunday, August 13
3-5pm - Jesse Byers
Jethro's Bar + Stage
137 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
705-931-0617
Thursday, August 10
8-10pm - Michael C Duguay w/ The Union; 10pm - Vivienne Wilder w/ Joan Smith, The Jane Does performing the music of Hole
Friday, August 11
6-8pm - Had Had; 8-10pm - Peter Graham Band; 10pm - VanCamp album release
Saturday, August 12
8-10pm - Jonah McLean; 10pm - Donkey
Sunday, August 13
3-6pm - Open Blues Jam
Monday, August 14
8pm - Karaoke w/ host Anne Shebib
Tuesday, August 15
8pm - RedFox
Wednesday, August 16
9pm - Country & Bluegrass Jam w/ host Michelle Moran
Kawartha Country Wines
2452 County Road 36,, Buckhorn
705-657-9916
Sunday, August 13
1-4pm - Tami J Wilde & Joslyn Burford
Coming Soon
Sunday, August 20 1-4pm - Sonny & Cloudy
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Kelly's Homelike Inn
205 3rd Street, Cobourg
905-372-3234
Saturday, August 12
4-8pm - Full Tilt
The Lounge in the Hollow Valley Lodge
1326 Kawagama Lake Rd., Dorset
705-766-1980
Friday, August 11
8pm - Django Djunkies
Saturday, August 12
8pm - Franks and Beans
Sunday, August 13
7pm - Open Jam hosted by Sean Cotton
Coming Soon
Saturday, August 19 8pm - Rebekah Hawker, Sarah Hiltz, and Shawna Caspi
Mainstreet Bar & Grill
1939 Lakehurst Road, Buckhorn
(705) 657-9094
Thursday, August 10
7-10pm - Po'Boy Jeffreys & Calamity Jane
Saturday, August 12
7-10pm - SJ Riley
Sunday, August 13
2-5pm - Sean Jamieson
McGillicafey's Pub & Eatery
13 Bridge St.. N., Hastings
(705) 696-3600
Thursday, August 10
7-11pm - Karaoke
McThirsty's Pint
166 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 743-2220
Friday, August 11
9pm - Jordan Thomas
Saturday, August 12
9pm - Ryan Burton
Sunday, August 13
7pm - Open mic
Tuesday, August 15
8pm - Live music TBA
Wednesday, August 16
9pm - Live music TBA
The Mill Restaurant and Pub
990 Ontario St., Cobourg
(905) 377-8177
Thursday, August 10
6-9pm - Jeff Biggar
Coming Soon
Thursday, August 17 6-9pm - Emily Burgess
The Muse Gallery & Cafe
23 Bridge St., Bancroft
613-332-1573
Coming Soon
Wednesday, August 23 7-9pm - MoonFruits ($15 in advance, $20 at door)
Olympia Restaurant
106 Kent St. W., Lindsay
705-328-1444
Friday, August 11
5-8pm - Jazz Night (reservations recommended)
Pastry Peddler
17 King St., Millbrook
(705) 932-7333
Coming Soon
Tuesday, August 22 6:30pm - Jazz Dinner Night ft Michael Monis & Howard Baer w/ Kirk Losell, Marsala Lukianchuk, Saskia Tomkins ($50 per person, reservations required)
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Pie Eyed Monk Brewery
8 Cambridge St. N., Lindsay
(705) 212-2200
Coming Soon
Saturday, August 19 7pm - Music at the Monk 3 ft Cassie Noble, Gamekeeper, Sean Jamieson, Looking For Heather ($10 in advance at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/627735191857, $15 at door)
The Publican House
300 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5743
Thursday, August 10
7-9pm - JJ Thompson
Friday, August 11
7-9pm - Irish Millie
Puck' N Pint Sports Pub
871 Chemong Rd., Peterborough
(705) 741-1078
Friday, August 11
7pm - Andy & The Boys
Saturday, August 12
8pm - Jug Busters
Red Dog Tavern
189 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 741-6400
Friday, August 11
8pm - Critical Music Group presents Canada Loud Tour
Saturday, August 12
8pm - Hollow Core, Veinduze, Maiterya, Please Stand By ($10)
Monday, August 14
9pm - Master Nate & The Reprobates w/ Kathleen Turner Overdrive, Days of Thieves
Riverside Grill at the Holiday Inn
150 George St, Peterborough
705-740-6564
Thursday, August 10
6-10pm - High Waters Band (no cover)
Friday, August 11
6-10pm - Odd Man Rush (no cover)
Sunday, August 13
12-5pm - Gunslingers r (no cover)
The Rockcliffe - Moore Falls
1014 Lois Lane, Minden
705-454-9555
Thursday, August 10
5pm - Keith Taylor
Friday, August 11
7:30pm - Recycled Teenagers
Saturday, August 12
7:30pm - Marie McBride
Scenery Drive Restaurant
6193 County Road 45, Baltimore
905-349-2217
Saturday, August 12
4:30-7:30pm - Rachel Allbright
Southside Pizzeria
25 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough
(705) 748-6120
Friday, August 11
9am-12pm - Open mic
Tuesday, August 15
1pm - Open mic
Springville Tap n' Grill
2714 Brown Line, Peterborough
(705) 876-9994
Saturday, August 12
7pm - Bob Butcher
Coming Soon
Saturday, August 19 7pm - The Colton Sisters
Tap & Tonic Pub & Bistro
18-22 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 947-2333
Thursday, August 10
8pm - Open mic
The Thirsty Goose
63 Walton St., Port Hope
Friday, August 11
8pm-12am - Brian Bracken
Saturday, August 12
8pm-12am - Chris Devlin
The Venue
286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008
Peterborough Theatre Guild has announced its 2023-24 season featuring six plays including the family play "The Enchanted Bookshop" in December and the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" at Showplace Performance Centre in February. (kawarthaNOW collage of supplied images)
Peterborough Theatre Guild has announced its 2023-24 season, featuring six plays between September and May — including a brand new work written by Peterborough actor Hugh MacMillan — as well as seven staged readings.
“Through the power of live theatre, let us continue to connect and share in the magic of storytelling,” reads a media release. “We cannot wait see you back at the Peterborough Theatre Guild.”
The 2023-24 season kicks off at the end of September with God of Carnage, a black comedy by French playwright Yasmina Reza. When two sets of parents decide to meet after a playground altercation between their sons, what begins as a civilized discussion soon devolves into chaos. This Tony award-winning play was made into a 2011 film directed by Roman Polanski.
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Directed by Bea Quarrie and produced by Ina Stenner, God of Carnage runs at the Guild Hall from September 29 to October 14, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on September 29 and 30, October 5 to 7, and October 12 to 14, and 2 p.m. matinee performances on October 1 and 8.
In November, the Peterborough Theatre Guild will present the premiere of Paradiso Inn, a new comedy by Peterborough actor Hugh MacMillan. The Paradiso Inn has seen better days, and the friendly staff are always looking for innovative ways to improve their customer ratings. Enter a middle-age couple on a cycling getaway hoping to enhance their relationship, an unimpressed tourist official, and a n’er-do-well young adult who upsets everyone’s applecart. All are challenged to take an alternative view of their lives in this an enlightening comedy full of hope and wonder.
Directed by Hugh MacMillan and Mark Gray and produced by Margaret Monis, Paradiso Inn runs at the Guild Hall from November 3 to 18, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on November 3 and 4, November 9 to 11, and November 16 to 18, and 2 p.m. matinee performances on November 5 and 12.
The Peterborough Theatre Guild’s production of the family play “The Enchanted Bookshop” runs from December 1 to 10, 2023. (Original artwork: Colton DeKnock / Graphic artist: Big Sky Design)
Next up in December is Todd Wallinger’s family play The Enchanted Bookshop, set in a struggling bookstore called A Likely Story where literary characters come to life at night. Six of those characters — Dorothy Gale, Robin Hood, Pollyanna, Sherlock Holmes, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer — long to help Margie, the store’s scatterbrained owner, but they will disappear if they are seen by human eyes or try to leave the store. Things get even more complicated when a pair of smugglers come into the store looking for a stolen necklace hidden inside one of the books.
Directed by Sarah Rogers and produced by Marion Griffin with assistant producer Hayley Griffin-Montgomery, The Enchanted Bookshop runs at the Guild Hall from December 1 to 10 with performances at 7:30 p.m. on December 1, 5, 7, and 8 and 2 p.m. matinee performances on December 2 and 3 and 9 and 10.
Peterborough Theatre Guild welcomes the new year in February with a production of the Tony award-winning musical Fiddler on the Roof, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. Set in early 20th-century Russia, the story centres on Tevye, a poor milkman with five daughters in the village of Anatevka. He attempts to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon his family’s lives. He must cope with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters who wish to marry for love, with their choices of husbands successively less palatable for Tevye. An edict of the tsar eventually evicts the Jews from their village.
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Directed by Jerry Allen and produced by Pat Hooper, Fiddler on the Roof runs at Showplace Performance Centre from February 16 to 24, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on February 16 and 17 and 21 to 24 and 2 p.m. matinee performances on February 18 and 25.
March will see a production of Willow Quartet by Canadian playwright Joan Burrows. In the aftermath of a tragedy that ends her marriage, Kim finds herself back in her childhood home on a quiet farm away from the city where she invites visiting musician Jim to stay with her in a bed-and-breakfast arrangement. While her infatuation with Jim makes her forget her grief temporarily, it inevitably boils to the surface and she struggles to come to terms with her buried feelings.
Directed by Tami Whitley and produced by Marilyn Robinson, Willow Quartet runs at the Guild Hall from March 15 to 30, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on March 15 and 16, 21 to 22, and 28 to 30 and matinee performances at 2 p.m. on March 17 and 24.
The final production of Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2023-24 season is “Girl in the Goldfish Bowl”, a Governor General’s Award-winning comedic play by Canadian playwright Morris Panych, which runs from May 3 to 18, 2023. (Original artwork: Colton DeKnock / Graphic artist: Big Sky Design
The final production of Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2023-24 season is Girl in the Goldfish Bowl, a Governor General’s Award-winning comedic play by Canadian playwright Morris Panych.
Set in British Columbia in 1962, it tells the story of a young girl named Iris who believes the world has been held together by her pet goldfish and that his death has led both to the disintegration of her parents’ marriage and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Almost immediately after her pet’s death, Iris finds a man washed up on the beach and thinks he is the reincarnation of the goldfish. She brings the stranger back to her home, pinning all her messianic hopes on his well-being.
Directed by 4th Line Theatre’s Kim Blackwell and produced by Beth McMaster and Kate Suhr, Girl in the Goldfish Bowl runs at the Guild Hall from May 3 to 18 with performances at 7:30 p.m. on May 3 and 4, 9 to 11, and 16 to 18 and matinee performances at 2 p.m. on May 5 and 12.
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Subscriptions for all six plays and all seven staged readings, or for any four plays (except The Enchanted Bookshop) and four staged readings, are available now for a range of prices at peterboroughtheatreguild.com.
Single tickets for each production will go on sale closer to the run dates. With the exception of Fiddler on the Roof and The Enchanted Bookshop, tickets are $30 for adults, $27 for seniors, and $20 for adults. Tickets for Fiddler on the Roof are $37 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $25 for students. Tickets for The Enchanted Bookshop are $15 for everyone
In addition to the six full productions, the Peterborough Theatre Guild will also produce seven staged readings, where actors perform plays without sets or costumes. Titles and dates of these performances at the Guild Hall will be announced throughout the 2023-24 season. The single-ticket cost for a staged reading is $12 for everyone.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2023-24 season.
A Bancroft woman has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after an assault early Thursday morning (August 10).
Shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, officers with the Bancroft Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to an assault in the town of Bancroft.
One person was found with serious injuries. Police have not released any details about the nature of the assault or the victim’s condition.
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Police arrested and charged 43-year-old Heidi Brethour of Bancroft with attempted murder.
The accused women is being held in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville on Thursday.
This story has been updated to correct the surname of the accused woman. The accused woman’s surname is Brethour and not Breathour as originally supplied by police.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Mayor Jim Martin, and AON Inc. president and CEO Brad Smith prepare to officially break ground on the new 128-bed long-term care home to be called "Station Place" in the village of Havelock in Peterborough County during an event on August 9, 2023. (Photo courtesy Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen)
It was more than a decade in the making, but the ground was officially broken Wednesday (August 9) for a new 128-bed long-term care home to be called “Station Place” in the village of Havelock in Peterborough County.
The groundbreaking ceremony, which took place at the facility site at 628 Old Norwood Road, was attended by Brad Smith, president and CEO of AON Inc. — which is developing the project and will operate the facility — along with AON Inc. vice president Ray Barlow, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark, and Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Mayor Jim Martin.
All members of current and past township councils were also present to celebrate the occasion, along with many of the community advocates and supporters who lobbied for the facility.
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It was over 10 years ago that the township acquired the property for a long-term care home. Since then, the property has been rezoned, water and sewer services have been installed to the property lot line, and engineered drawings for the facility have moved through the building review and approval process.
“Breaking ground on this 128-bed long-term care project has been a long time coming and we’ve had to overcome a significant number of challenges along the way,” said Mayor Martin. “I am extremely happy the day is fast approaching. Our residents, and those in the surrounding area, need a modern long-term care facility that provides high quality care, where they can live out their years with dignity and have their support network of family and friends close by.”
Earlier this spring, the township selected AON Inc. as long-term care facility development and operating partner following a request for proposal process. AON Inc and the Ministry of Long-Term Care subsequently entered into development and funding agreements.
“This project will have a significant positive impact on our community during construction, and once completed, will create a lasting economic impact with the creation of 120 new jobs,” Mayor Martin added.
Many of the community advocates and supporters who lobbied for a long-term care facility in Havelock attended the official groundbreaking ceremony on August 9, 2023. (Photo courtesy Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen)
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