Zijian (Suzanne) Tian from Lakefield College School and Ava Cummings from Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School are the 2023 recipients of the annual Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program, and will each receive a $1,000 bursary to pursue higher education in the visual arts. (Supplied photos)
Two graduating Peterborough high school students will each receive a $1,000 bursary to pursue higher education in the visual arts, thanks to the annual Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program.
Zijian (Suzanne) Tian, who is graduating from Lakefield College School, will be pursuing studies at Parsons School of Design in New York, and Ava Cummings, who is graduating from Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, will be attending Durham College’s animation program.
An assessment panel of respected local artists and arts professionals selected Tian and Cummings as the bursary recipients after the students presented their work. This year’s panel was comprised of professional artist and educator Cyd Hosker and Art Gallery of Peterborough curator Fynn Leitch.
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Born in Shanxi, China, Tian works in media such as watercolour, 3D print, pottery, photography, collage, and fashion design. She will be pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the fashion design program at Parsons School of Design in New York.
“It is not just about designing clothes,” Tian states in a media release from theElectric City Culture Council (EC3), “It is a ladder to connect the world, to share ideas; a starting point for spreading equity, inclusion, and social justice; a place of beauty in many forms of expression.”
According to EC3, the assessment panel felt Tian was extremely articulate about her process and the emotional aspect of her art making, and they were impressed by the level of maturity and technique exhibited in the work.
Zijian (Suzanne) Tian will be pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the fashion design program at Parsons School of Design in New York. The Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program assessment panel felt Tian was extremely articulate about her process and the emotional aspect of her art making, and they were impressed by the level of maturity and technique exhibited in the work. (Supplied photo)
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Cummings is graduating from the visual arts program at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School and will be attending Durham College to study 2D and 3D digital animation. Between her love of drawing and her fascination with animated episodic productions and feature-length movies, Cummings says she feels drawn to the animation industry.
“There is nothing more I want to do than draw and be creative,” Cumming says, adding she is “especially keen on character design, storyboarding, and clean-up animation.”
According to EC3, the assessment panel was intrigued by her overall portfolio, particularly the strength of her imaginative representation of post-apocalyptic feminist characters.
Ava Cummings will be attending Durham College to study 2D and 3D digital animation. The Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program assessment panel was intrigued by her overall portfolio, particularly the strength of her imaginative representation of post-apocalyptic feminist characters. (Supplied photo)
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Administered by EC3, the Bierk Art Fund is an endowment fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (CFGP) established in 2006 through public donations to honour the lives and work of the late Peterborough arts champions Liz Bierk and her husband, artist David Bierk.
“EC3 is pleased to have this opportunity to support and encourage these young artists and is excited to see what they create as post-secondary students in the visual and media arts,” reads the media release.
“EC3 would like to thank the CFGP for their generous financial support for the Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program, and our partner the Art Gallery of Peterborough for hosting this project.”
The Port Hope Makers' Market will be located at Memorial Park in Port Hope from 3:30 to 8 p.m. every Thursday in July and August beginning on July 6, offering food, craft, and arts. (Photo: Google Maps)
The weekly outdoor Port Hope Makers’ Market is moving to Memorial Park this summer.
The Market in Memorial Park will run from 3:30 to 8 p.m. every Thursday in July and August beginning on July 6, offering food, craft, and arts.
This is the second summer for the Port Hope Makers’ Market, which originally launched at Lent Lane last summer.
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“This year we’re setting up shop right where the action is,” says Signe Langford, a chef, writer, and artist who founded the market, in a media release.
That action includes the free Road To Cultivate concert series, which will return to the Memorial Park bandshell from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday in July and August.
Last year’s performers included well-known musical acts like Lydia Persaud, Five Alarm Funk, and AHI, along with local musicians including Cale Crow and Melissa Payne. The schedule of this summer’s performers will be released soon.
Chef, writer, and artist Signe Langford is the founder of the Port Hope Makers’ Market. (Photo courtesy of Signe Langford)
“I hope folks will come down early, explore our downtown, then settle in for a night of food, fun, and music,” Langford says. “Bring a blanket and make dinner a picnic. The park is a perfect location, with washrooms and a kids’ playground, and lots of great shops and restaurants nearby.”
Along with vendors and artisans, this year’s market will also be showcasing the talents of ‘kidpreneurs’ 16 and under and will offer complimentary space for charities and community outreach services.
The Port Hope Makers’ Market will also be supporting The Rose Quest, a non-profit charity founded by Rose Wilton to provide personal care and hygiene products to Northumberland County residents in need or experiencing homelessness.
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Langford says she recently held a sewing bee at her Port Hope home, where volunteers sewed donated T-shirts into shopping bags for the market.
“The T-shirts were graciously donated by the volunteers at The Treasure Trove within St. John the Evangelist on Pine Street,” Langford explains. “A group of my friends converted them into reusable shopping bags that will be available at the market for the cost of a donation to The Rose Quest box.”
For more information and updates on The Market in Memorial Park, visit them on Facebook.
Kawartha Downs is adding even more popular motorized events and concerts to its line-up this summer and is inviting local businesses to explore sponsorship opportunities to take advantage of the large crowds the events will bring to the Fraserville entertainment venue. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Downs)
With over 4,000 visitors attending the two-day Monster Madness Tour at Kawartha Downs earlier in June, kicking off a summer season that will feature more events at the venue than ever before, Kawartha Downs is inviting local businesses of all sizes to explore sponsorship and experiential vendor opportunities.
Located at 1382 County Road 28 in Fraserville, Kawartha Downs celebrated 50 years of harness racing just last year, but the venue offers a lot more. With an all-new 400-foot pull track, slot machines, grandstand dining room, and a country bar (coming soon), Kawartha Downs is an entertainment destination fit for anyone looking to spend their summer weekends immersed in live music, festivals, family fun, and thrilling shows.
Next up on the calendar is the Kawartha SmackDown Demolition Derby on June 17. Kawartha Downs and Impact Motorsport are bringing a packed afternoon of figure 8 racing, stock trucks, windshield compacts, and full-size two-man v8. The derby includes live music, pit parties to meet the drivers, and power wheel competitions for kids.
VIDEO: Kawartha Downs Events (video by Unmanned AV)
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“Kawartha Downs has been the home to harness racing for over 50 years now, and last year we really kicked things off by adding more motorized events and concerts,” says general manager Daniel D’Ercole. “This year, we’re happy to step it up even more.”
Also coming up is the two-day outdoor Kawartha Country Music Festival on July 1 and 2, where fireworks will light up the sky while headliners Dean Brody and co-headliners the James Barker Band and The Reklaws take centre stage. The festival also features Bailieboro native Jade Eagleson, who just won the Fans’ Choice award at the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards on June 4. Sacha will be opening the festival, along with a surprise guest opener.
Later in July, the venue will be hosting a classic car show and a truck and tractor show, before the Kawartha County Fair takes over the grounds on the August long weekend.
Kawartha Downs is hosting the popular Lions Club Classic Car Show in July. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Downs)
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Kawartha Downs is currently offering sponsorship and experiential vendor opportunities for regional businesses who want to market to the large crowds attending events at the venue. This includes all types of large and small businesses, providing anything from clothing brands to food and beverage to outdoor adventure rentals.
“It’s a great opportunity for local businesses to get their brand out and to get out their messaging,” says D’Ercole. “There’s quite a range of people and consumer demographic they can tap into. It’s a very tight-knit community so local brands can really benefit.”
Multiple levels of packages are available for businesses ranging from a $2,500 to $10,000 sponsorship. The gold package offers the most amount of visibility at each of the six events, with company logos printed on all promotional materials (including banners, posters, and social media) and official merchandise, an official partnership title as a presenting sponsor, event tickets for sponsor staff, friends, and family, a 10-by-10-foot product display booth, and three 2-by-20-foot banners on the event grounds.
Events at Kawartha Downs attract a wide demographic of attendees, with an estimated 59 per cent aged between 26 and 54. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Downs)
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There is also opportunity to set up in the vendor village, so businesses can personally connect with consumers and sell their products and merchandise directly at the events. D’Ercole highlights the wide demographic of attendees at the events, with an estimated 59 per cent aged between 26 and 54.
“It’s a mutually beneficial partnership too,” D’Ercole adds. “We’re always looking to add experiences to our events, and to make them as accessible as possible for spectators. It adds a nice value if they can connect with the people of the community.”
D’Ercole says Kawartha Downs is flexible in creating a partnership plan that meets a business’s marketing objectives.
“We can work with brands and businesses to whatever constraints they need, providing them with as much value as possible.”
Holiday Inn Peterborough-Waterfront has partnered with Kawartha Downs for the Kawartha Country Music Festival in July, where concert-goers can receive 15 per cent off their stay at the hotel, while two scheduled buses will shuttle concert-goers back and forth from the hotel to the grounds. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Downs)
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Holiday Inn Peterborough-Waterfront’s partnership with Kawartha Downs demonstrates the mutual benefits of a sponsorship not only for Kawartha Downs and the Holiday Inn, but also for visitors and the local economy. During the weekend of the Kawartha Country Music Festival, concert-goers can receive 15 per cent off their stay at the hotel, while two scheduled buses will shuttle concert-goers back and forth from the hotel to the grounds.
“Holiday Inn is a long-standing member of the Peterborough community,” says D’Ercole. “We want to make sure that our concert-goers that are coming both days have somewhere close to us to stay so that they’re able to really enjoy and get the most out of their experience. We’re really excited about this partnership.”
Kawartha Downs is currently undergoing a revitalization project that will expand the grounds to include more programming, a large-scale concert facility, and a commercial hub, as well as bring housing and residential units. D’Ercole says this revitalization will allow the venue to develop even more relationships within the community.
VIDEO: Kawartha Country Music Festival (video by Unmanned AV)
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As for now, Kawartha Downs is eager to head into a summer featuring the most events they’ve ever offered in a season.
“We’re really excited about the summer,” says D’Ercole. “We’ve got great events, great vendors, and great sponsors, and we hope to be able to work with even more. These events are about having the community come together and providing more chances for residents and businesses to really enjoy being in a community like Peterborough.”
For more information about Kawartha Downs, including a full list of events, visit www.kawarthadowns.com. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, email Daniel D’Ercole at daniel@kawarthadowns.com.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Kawartha Downs. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Juno award-nominated Canadian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter JW-Jones will perform at the Historic Red Dog in downtown Peterborough on Saturday night. (Photo: Kamara Morozuk Photography)
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, June 8 to Wednesday, June 14.
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).
Tuesday, June 20 5pm - Tiki Tuesday ft Gary and the Rough Ideas (no cover)
Dr. J's BBQ & Brews
282 Aylmer St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5717
Thursday, June 8
8-11pm - Thursday Night Jam Session
Coming Soon
Saturday, June 17 1-4pm - Peterborough Musicians Benevolent Association (PMBA) presents Lindsay Barr Band (by donation, $10 suggested, with proceeds to PBMA)
Police have arrested and charged 33-year-old Jonathan Murphy in the June 2, 2023 shooting death of Sarah King, 36, of Peterborough, pictured here with her two children in a photo from a GoFundMe campaign started by her relatives. (Photo: GoFundMe)
Police have arrested a 33-year-old Peterborough man in the shooting death of a 36-year-old Peterborough woman early last Friday morning (June 2).
During a media conference on Thursday afternoon (June 8) near the location of the shooting, Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts also publicly released the name of the victim, Sarah King, although relatives had already released her name publicly earlier in the week when creating a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of her funeral.
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At 2:20 a.m. last Friday morning, police received a call reporting shots fired in the area of Wolfe and Aylmer streets in the vicinity of the homeless tent encampment. Upon arrival, officers found King suffering from “multiple gunshots.”
King, a mother of two young children, was rushed to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre where she died from her injuries. Police said she was not a resident of the homeless tent encampment.
Chief Betts, who had pledged an “all hands on deck” investigation into the homicide at a media conference last Friday, said officers from the Investigative Services Division and the Emergency Response Team arrested 33-year-old Jonathan Murphy of Peterborough at around 11:50 a.m. on Thursday morning. There was a heavy police presence in the Braidwood Avenue and Jane Street area.
Betts said King’s family had been made aware of the arrest.
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“The Peterborough Police Service would like to recognize the hard work and many hours our detectives have put in to locating the suspect, and gathering and validating evidence which culminated in the arrest today,” Betts said. “The service would also like to thank the many community members who took the time to reach out with information and video, which made it possible to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion so quickly.”
Along with a charge of first degree murder, Murphy faces 16 other charges: discharge of a restricted firearm or prohibited firearm with intent, use of a firearm while committing an offence, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, two counts of uttering threats to cause death, two counts of possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order, four counts of failure to comply with release order, two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl and cocaine), and possession of the proceeds of crime under $5,000.
The accused man was bound by two prohibition orders prohibiting him from possessing a firearm, a restricted weapon, ammunition, or explosive device for life. He was also bound by a release order with the following conditions: to remain with his surety in Etobicoke, notify police of an address change, remain in his residence at all times (except in the presence of his surety), and to not possess any weapons as defined by the Criminal Code.
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Murphy is being held in custody for a bail hearing, expected on Friday (June 9).
Police say they are not looking for any other suspects in King’s homicide, but are continuing to gather evidence.
“At this time, we believe this was not a random incident, but cannot go into further detail as the case is now before the courts,” Betts said.
Except for two townships in Peterborough County, a total fire ban is now in place across the entire Kawarthas region due to extremely dry conditions and the ongoing air quality alert due to smoke from forest fires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario.
On Thursday (June 8), the Kawartha Lakes Fire Department issued a total burn ban for all communities in the City of Kawartha Lakes. Although that burn ban did allow for some exceptions, including fires for the sole purpose of heating or cooking when no other means of heating or cooking are available and agricultural and special burn permits, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has since instituted a restricted fire zone that includes Kawartha Lakes. In a restricted fire zone, no open fires of any kind, including campfires or debris burning, are permitted. If you need heat for cooking and warmth, you’ll have to use a portable gas or propane stove.
On Wednesday (June 7), Northumberland County fire chiefs announced a fire ban for all of Northumberland. The fire ban restricts all open-air fires including campfires, burn barrels, chimeneas, brush piles, and yard waste. Cooking devices that are designed to cook food with wood pellets or charcoal, such as smokers or grills, are permitted for use. Any cooking devices, outdoor fireplaces, and fuel-fired appliances that use propane or natural gas are also exempt from the fire ban.
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Haliburton County issued a county-wide fire ban on June 1, with Hastings Highlands in Hastings County declaring a total fire ban on June 5. Fire bans are also in place in the Town of Bancroft and all other municipalities across Hastings County.
In Peterborough County, fire bans are now in place in North Kawartha Township, Douro-Dummer Township, Havelock-Belmont-Metheun Township, Otonabee-South Monaghan Township, and the Municipality of Trent Lakes.
As of Thursday, only Selwyn Township and Cavan Monaghan Township have not declared fire bans, although burning restrictions are in effect. In Selwyn Township, no brush burning is allowed. In Cavan Monaghan Township, no burning is permitted except for campfires in the evenings from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
In the City of Peterborough, open-air burning is never allowed.
This story has been updated to include the restricted fire zone for Kawartha Lakes.
Curve Lake First Nation Elder Dorothy Taylor and allies Drew Milligan and Anne Trudell (Sacred Water Circle) follow behind the young people (not pictured) who are carrying the eagle staff and the copper pot at a water walk for Little Lake on May 5, 2023. Students and teachers hold sacred semaa (tobacco) in their left hand during the entire walk. Teachers and students from Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School wear red to honour the Indigenous communities who lost hundreds of women, girls and two-spirit individuals who went missing, or were murdered over the years. Elder Dorothy sings as the walk proceeds to Beavermead Park. (Photo: Lili Paradi, Sacred Water Circle / GreenUP)
“How do you take time to honour water?”
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Lili Paradi, GreenUP/Sacred Water Circle, and Taylor Wilkes, Community Member.
For six Nogojiwanong/Peterborough youth, the answer was to organize an opportunity to learn about water from an Anishinaabeg perspective. Here in Michi Saagiig territory, Elder Dorothy Taylor from Curve Lake First Nation and the Sacred Water Circle have offered intercultural learning opportunities about the sacredness of water for years.
Their efforts often centre on youth, taking time to listen to and empower young people’s voices. Over the winter, students from Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School worked with Michael Mooney, the school district’s Indigenous Education Lead & Learning Consultant to connect with Dorothy Taylor.
The students — including Lilyanna Talbot, Tily Alderson, Thomas Wrigley, Jordynn Barrett, Adelaide Kelly, and Lochlyn Konkle — represent a social-justice themed youth committee which was designed to engage other students in work that benefits the Peterborough community. The youth, alongside teacher Sarah Ryan, envisioned an event that would introduce teachings from an Elder to their school, and invited Taylor to the school. Eventually what emerged was a plan for a water walk along Little Lake.
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On Friday, May 5th, 70 students from grades 5 to 8 came to learn from the experience of walking for the water. The ceremonial walk was planned by youth, led by Taylor, and supported by Sacred Water Circle member Anne Trudell and ally Drew Milligan.
The Sacred Water Circle has a long history of supporting water walks in this territory.
Water walks are an “Anishinaabeg Ceremony from the Midewiwin Tradition that raises awareness about water as a living entity” according to Enji Tibew’esen Nibi Nikwejiwong, the Junction Creek Water Walk in N’Swakamok/Sudbury. Josephine-Baa Mandamin, the Anishiinaabe grandmother from Wiikwemikoong unceeded territory, brought water walk ceremonies to the Great Lakes watershed by circumnavigating them on foot.
Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School student Tily Alderson holds a copper pot filled with water that was taken from Little Lake during a water walk on May 5, 2023. The water was sang to and smudged and prayed over by Curve Lake First Nation Elder Dorothy Taylor assisted by Drew Milligan and Anne Trudell. (Photo: Lili Paradi, Sacred Water Circle / GreenUP)
Josephine-Baa also led several Kawartha Lakes water walks with Elder Shirley Williams and Liz Osawamik who are dear friends of Josephine’s and Nogojiiwanong community members. Williams and Osawamik now hold knowledge of the water walk ceremony protocol with local water walking awareness group Nibi Emosaawdamajig or Those Who Walk with the Water.
With support from the Sacred Water Circle, they continue to bring the community together for public water walks in this territory, such as the recent Mother’s Day Walk for Lovesick Lake.
Participating in a public Water Walk ceremony not only heals the water, but it is a practice for allowing people of all knowledge and faith backgrounds to invite Indigenous ways of knowing to evolve their relationships with water.
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People of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to join a water walk and have a place in the ceremony. Young people have a place in community discussions and plans around how the environment is treated, just as they can have a place in a water walk.
At the Little Lake water walk, the young social justice group members spoke on behalf of the teachings that Elder Dorothy Taylor offered, lessons that braided Indigenous and western science.
“We are learning about water in science class,” Alderson said. “Learning about water from Indigenous [science] is such a beautiful thing. Everything is so new from this Indigenous perspective. I learned that water is life. Water is such an important part of our lives, that we need to represent it, appreciate it, and thank it.”
Students, staff, and participants stop at Beavermead beach to gift the sacred semaa (untreated tobacco) to Little Lake on May 5, 2023. Semaa is meant to absorb your prayers and thoughts, carrying them where they end up. (Photo: Lili Paradi, Sacred Water Circle / GreenUP)
“It’s kind of hard to watch all of this happen,” Alderson continued. “I know people say the future is in us, but it’s hard to think of things that we can do to save the planet, and this is just the start.”
“[It is time] to correct our mistakes,” Talbot added.
Together, the students voiced concern for the future of water, but also hope. They spoke to the impact and responsibility of all generations to take part in understanding our local water from different perspectives. Elder Taylor reflected on this after the water walk, where students and teachers alike said ‘Miigwetch Nibi’ (‘Thank you water’) to Little Lake.
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“The time has come where we have to stop treating water as a commodity,” Taylor said. “It’s a life force. It belongs in our rivers, lakes and creeks. However, we use it as a dumping ground for our sewage. And we can no longer kneel at these bodies of water and put it to our lips, even though we are surrounded by it. My grandmother and parents could do that, but for my grandchildren and children the water is poisonous.”
“We’ve forgotten how important it is, and we are living in an era where we do treat it like garbage. Young people are waking up and understanding this more than ever before. They will remember these teachings and protect water for many generations to come.”
It is our collective responsibility to protect nibi. When older generations prioritize catalyzing youth action, communities strengthen. This intergenerational work makes living in and protecting our beloved environment in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough so unique.
Elder Dorothy Taylor of Curve Lake First Nation shared teachings with students and staff from Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School at a water walk at Little Lake on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Lili Paradi, Sacred Water Circle / GreenUP)
"Captain Pete" Rellinger steers PedalBoro's 15-passenger party bike on Water Street in downtown Peterborough. PedalBoro is available for pub crawl tours and private parties as well as unique team-building experiences Fridays through Sundays from June until October. (Photo: Photography with Care)
Peterborough’s party bike PedalBoro is returning to downtown for its third season beginning Friday (June 9).
The iconic teal 15-passenger party bike will run Fridays through Sundays from June until October for pub crawl tours and private parties as well as unique team-building experiences.
“As we embark on our third year in operations, we are opening this season with a real sense of purpose,” says Peterborough resident Peter Rellinger, who owns and operates the seasonal business along with Hillary Flood. “Our mission has always been to showcase the incredible people and places that make downtown Peterborough so unique.”
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Focusing on downtown Peterborough’s food and beverage scene, PedalBoro has proven to be a significant tourist attraction with 60 per cent of its clientele coming from out of town.
“PedalBoro tours build connection and community pride back into our downtown core, add in a little dash of adventure, and we are able to create this special sauce that can only really be experienced by bike,” Rellinger says.
PedalBoro has also found 89 per cent of tour guests support downtown restaurants, cafés, and pubs before and after the tours.
“Party Pixie” Hillary Flood hosts a PedalBoro tour. PedalBoro is available for pub crawl tours and private parties as well as unique team-building experiences Fridays through Sundays from June until October. (Photo: Photography with Care)
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“As our community continues to show its resiliency through economic hardship, PedalBoro has an important role to play,” Flood says. “We are here to roll up our sleeves and do our part, and to do it with a bit of flair and a whole lot of razzmatazz.”
Rellinger and Flood first launched PedalBoro in 2019, but had to put the business on hold for the next two years because of the pandemic. They returned for their second successful season last summer.
For more information on PedalBoro and to book your group’s tour, visit www.pedalboro.com. You can also follow PedalBoro on Facebook and Instagram.
Canadian singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt will be returning to her roots during her performance at the Peterborough Folk Festival at Nicholls Oval Park on August 20, 2023. (Publicity photo)
The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced renowned Canadian singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt will be the Sunday headliner for the 34th annual music festival taking place on August 19 and 20 at Nicholls Oval Park beside the Otonabee River.
The Manitoba-born musician is returning to her roots by making appearances at several summer folk festivals in Ontario in August, including the Peterborough Folk Festival, where she will be performing some of her early, most traditional Celtic songs.
“It will be a bit like going back to ‘touch the stone’ performing some of these traditional songs which inspired me so many years ago,” McKennitt said. “Besides, this is really in my backyard. I first began performing in folk clubs in Winnipeg and folk festivals are in my blood. I miss them terribly and am so looking forward to being a part of them again this summer.”
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With a recording career spanning more than two decades, McKennitt’s ‘eclectic Celtic’ music has received worldwide critical acclaim, with gold, platinum, and multi-platinum sales awards in 15 countries across four continents.
To date, she has sold over 14 million albums with a catalogue that includes seven studio recordings, three seasonal recordings, a live in-concert DVD, and two DVD documentaries. She has won two Juno awards and has been nominated for two Grammy awards.
McKennitt is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba. In 2002 and 2012, she was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals and, in 2013, she was appointed to the rank of Knight of the National Order of Arts and Letters by the Republic of France. She was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
VIDEO: “The Mummers’ Dance” – Loreena McKennitt
Aside from her music, McKennitt is also known for promoting her values including compassion and empathy, inclusivity and diversity, looking after the less fortunate in society, and respecting the gifts of the natural world.
“We are so honoured to have Loreena McKennitt perform,” says Peterborough Folk Festival artistic director Ryan Kemp in a media release. “Not only is Ms McKennitt a critically acclaimed singer and composer, she is revered for her passion for human rights and the protection of the environment.”
Welcoming more than 12,000 people to Peterborough and the surrounding region each year, Kemp explains the Peterborough Folk Festival strives for gender parity, diversity, and inclusivity in the performance line-up and throughout all aspects of the festival, including by supporting local musicians. Of the 28 artists who performed at the festival in 2022, 11 were local.
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“As the second-largest cultural event in the region promoting inclusivity and diversity, we are so grateful to have Ms McKennitt share her incredible talent and generosity of spirit with all of those who attend the festival,” Kemp says.
The 2023 Peterborough Folk Festival kicks off with ticketed concerts on Thursday, August 17th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Friday, August 18th at the Gordon Best Theatre, followed by an admission-by-donation weekend of music and more on Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th at Nicholls Oval Park. Organizers will be making additional announcements during June, including the festival children’s performer, the Saturday headliner, the complete line-up of performers, and the festival’s emerging artist.
For more information about the festival, including how to get involved as an artist, volunteer, or vendor, visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the 2023 Peterborough Folk Festival.
Paddlers at the 2015 Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival, which returns to Del Crary Park in Peterborough on June 10, 2023 raising funds for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival returns to Del Crary Park on Saturday (June 10).
Four days before the festival, participating individuals and teams have raised over $148,163.45 of the festival’s $205,000.18 goal, with 100 per cent of all pledges going to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast and other cancers at the regional hospital.
Everyone is welcome to attend the festival, cheer on the racers, and take part in the day’s activities.
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Here’s the day’s schedule of events (times are subject to change):
7:00 a.m. – Road closures in effect, barricades close
7:30 a.m. – Team captains’ meeting (near the entrance to the marshalling area)
8:00 a.m. – Awakening the Dragon/Opening ceremonies
8:30 a.m. – First race heats begin
9:00 a.m. – Vendors Village Market opens
9:00 a.m. – Family Fun Zone opens
11:00 a.m. – The Thirsty Dragon Beer Garden opens
11:00 a.m. – McKenzie Cup Race series followed by the Flower Ceremony
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Lunch break
12:00 p.m. – Peterborough Chinese Community Organization’s traditional Chinese dance performance (in the Fun Zone area)
12:30 p.m. – Second race heats begin
1:00 p.m. – Top three fundraisers announcement
3:10 p.m. – Divisional finals begin
3:45 p.m. – Last shuttle bus leaves Del Crary Park
4:00 p.m. – Raffle winners announcement
4:50 p.m. – Awards ceremony, race trophies, top team fundraisers (at the bleachers)
Modern Makers Market is partnering with the festival for another year to offer the Vendor Village Market, a unique shopping and food experience with 39 vendors.
The Thirsty Dragon Beer Garden, hosted by Cameron’s Brewing and Rice Lake Hard Cider, is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Family Fun Zone will offer activities and crafts to keep the whole family entertained. Businesses and organizations at the Family Fun Zone include White Tiger Taekwondo, Peterborough Canoe and Kayak Club, Zumba with Cristina Brazil, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Orangetheory, The Happy Mean – Zumba, F45 Peterborough Central, PRHC Breast Assessment Centre, Zumba VSL, YMCA of CEO, B!ke – Peterborough Community Bike Shop, and Kidz First. There will also be a selfie photo booth.
You can also visit the Dragon Shop (just past the bleachers) to purchase festival-branded T-shirts, hats, bags, totes, water bottles, cooling scarves, mugs, ball caps, sunglasses,
and more.
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Of course, the highlight of the day are the dragon boat races, which begin with the randomly seeded morning challenge from 8:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
At 11 a.m., four teams of breast cancer survivors will compete for the McKenzie Cup.
This race will be followed at 11:30 a.m. by the Flower Ceremony, an annual tradition to both remember and honour those who have lost their battle with breast cancer.
Paddlers at the 2015 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival toss flowers into Little Lake, an annual tradition to both remember and honour those who have lost their battle with breast cancer. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
The afternoon challenge, seeded by morning race times, will run from 12:30 to 2:50 p.m., followed by the open women finals at 3:10 p.m., the open mixed finals at 3:40 p.m., the the junior finals at 4 p.m., the community women finals at 4:10 p.m., and the community mixed finals at 4:20 p.m.
The awards ceremony, with race trophies and recognition of top individual fundraisers, takes place at the bleachers at 4:50 p.m.
If you’re planning to drive to the festival on Saturday, be aware the car parking is limited around Del Crary Park and that several roads around Del Crary Park will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
Perry St. from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent St.
Lake St. from the east side of George St. to the west side of Crescent St.
Lock St. from the north side of Romaine St. to the south side of Crescent St.
Romaine Street from the east side of Lock St. to the west side of Crescent St.
Crescent St. from the south side of Perry St. to the west side of Winch St.
Rink St. from the east side of George St at the Del Crary Park Marina entrance.
Parking is available at the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, the King Street Parkade, and the Healthy Planet Arena.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a shuttle bus will be running from the Healthy Planet Arena to Del Crary Park, Del Crary Park to the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, the Simcoe Street Parking Garage to the King Street Parkade, the King Street Parkade to Del Crary Park, and Del Crary Park to the Healthy Planet Arena.
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Here’s a map of the parking locations and the shuttle bus route:
Those travelling to the festival by bike can park in the supervised bike valet parking near the Art Gallery of Peterborough provided by B!ke – the Peterborough Community Bike Shop. Basic bike maintenance will also be available.
For more information about the 2023 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival and to donate, visit www.ptbodragonboat.ca.
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