A cultural staple in Peterborough’s downtown core is for sale — again.

The Black Horse Pub at 450 George Street North is listed at REALTOR.ca with a selling price of $1.2 million.

The 2,600-square-foot pub and restaurant, with seating for 126 patrons, a sidewalk patio, and three upper floor apartment units, opened in 2005 and has been home to regular live entertainment ever since.

The broker for the sale is Trudy Wilson of RE/MAX Eastern Realty in Peterborough. She confirms she’s already received “a couple” of inquiries on the listing.

“We’re getting some non-disclosure agreements sent out so that we can share the nuts and bolts,” says Wilson. “I can’t share the length of time it (the property) will be listed for sale, but there’s time for people to get in and put in their bid.”

“Certainly it (the business) has been going well since 2005. Desmond (Vandenberg) has continued the live music, which I think some people were worried (would stop) when Ray (Kapoor) was selling it. I would hope the next owner will continue it (live music) as well.”

Current owner Desmond Vandenberg, with his wife Maria, purchased the property in May 2018 for close to the $850,000 asking price from then-owner Ray Kapoor, who was retiring with his wife Nancy Kerr.

A graduate of Trent University, Vandenberg bought The Black Horse Pub after Parkview Home’s bid to purchase the property fell through.

“The idea that people were getting ready to demolish that building, that’s a heartbreak — it’s a beautiful building,” said Vandenberg at the time, making clear his intention to ensure that local musicians continued to have a venue for their talents.

A major factor in Kapoor’s selling of The Black Horse Pub to Vandenberg was his plan to keep everything pretty much as was. That he has done, with live entertainment still a daily offering.

At the time, Kapoor noted Vandenberg’s status quo plan “is a relief to everybody, including myself and the staff here, and the customers, of course. It leaves me sort of my legacy. We started it and he’s going to continue it. He likes what’s here, he likes live music and he wants to continue supporting that.”

Contacted by kawarthaNOW, Vandenberg recalled his plan from five years ago.

“Our intention right from the get-go wasn’t to change anything or make it any different,” Vandenberg says, adding “We’ve put our stamp on it here and there without tearing away from anything that Ray had done, but build on it.”

“It has been five years. A couple of those years were COVID, which was a real challenge, but we have done some things. The way the music gets played, how people can hear it and enjoy it. So five years later, we’re thinking ‘Yup, we’ve done a lot.’ Now it feels like the right time for somebody else to come in and bring some fresh ideas to another level.”

Vandenberg is optimistic the property’s new owner will maintain the property as a pub.

“When you look at a pub like this, you buy it because you like it,” he says.

“I think it would be a rare person that would come in here and say ‘What a great place. The price is right. Let’s tear it down and change everything.’ I don’t know that there are that many people with that frame of mind. We’re optimistic that there’s somebody out there that would like to do what we did, which is take it, enjoy it, and build on it.”

Noting that he and Maria weren’t looking for a live music venue as much as they were looking for “the pub thing,” Vandenberg says accommodating and getting to know local and touring performers turned out to be “one of the most enjoyable parts of the business.”

“That was kind of an unexpected bonus,” he says, noting booking acts wasn’t based on any performer’s following on social media. “We did it (bookings) the same way we choose wines for the wine list — ‘We like this, and if we like this, there’s a darn good chance the patrons are going to like it too.’ There have been a lot nights when we’re pulling our hair out crazy but there have been nights when we can actually sit down and enjoy the show.”

Looking ahead post-sale, Vandenberg says “there are no firm plans.”

“We don’t intend to go out to pasture just yet. If the right person comes along and purchases the pub, we’ll take a few months. After a few months, we’ll probably get antsy and want to get back into doing something but, out of the respect to the person who purchases this place, we won’t open another pub in Peterborough. We wouldn’t want to sell this to someone and then start competing with them.”

While no one knows for certain if and when a serious offer will come in, Vandenberg is sure of one thing.

“We have absolutely no regrets. It has been wonderful.”

The Black Horse Pub is located in the historic Morrow Building at George and Brock streets, which was built by local architect John Belcher in 1875 and designed in the French Second Empire style.

While the post office was an early tenant, subsequent tenants included the Peterborough Club, the YMCA, the Inland Revenue Service, George Mathews Meat Packers, and the Peterborough Light and Power Company. In 1995, the building was restored by Mark Porter.

Oddly enough, the listing for The Black Horse Pub comes as the nearby Pig’s Ear Tavern readies to re-open in the fall.

Located just around the corner on Brock Street, that historic property was purchased by Parkview Homes in 2017 but went back on the market in 2020. It was purchased in January of this year by Steve Roberston and Ashley Holmes with help from two investor friends. Like Vandenberg, both Robertson and Holmes are also Trent University alumni.

Peterborough Public Health has extended its drug poisoning alert originally issued on August 1 following an increase in suspected drug poisonings over the civic holiday long weekend.

Over the long weekend, the health unit detected 17 suspected drug poisonings in the city and county of Peterborough based on reports by 911 first responders, emergency department staff, and service providers in the community.

Peterborough Public Health says the suspected drug poisonings may be the result of a pink substance previously reported by the health unit, which is reminding the public that street drugs may be cut or mixed with toxic substances and that using even a small amount of such a drug can be fatal.

“A drug poisoning may look different from one person to the next depending on the drugs involved,” states Peterborough Public Health in a media release. “A drug poisoning is a medical emergency. Always call 9-1-1.”

For anyone who uses drugs (or know someone who does), the health unit recommends:

• Keep multiple naloxone kits close at hand and visible when you’re using. Visit ontario.ca/page/where-get-free-naloxone-kit for where to get a free naloxone kit.
• Never use drugs alone. Ask someone to check on you or call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677. You can also visit the Consumption Treatment Services Site at 220 Simcoe Street in Peterborough, open daily between 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to use in a supervised environment.
• Avoid mixing drugs.
• Start low and go slow when using drugs, especially when buying from different or new suppliers.
• Never share supplies.

Signs of an overdose include very large or very small pupils, slow or no breathing, cold and clammy skin, blue or purple fingernails or lips, and deep snoring or gurgling sounds. Often in drug overdoses, the person’s body is very limp and it is difficult to wake them up.

If someone is showing signs of an overdose or if they cannot be resuscitated after naloxone is administered, call 9-1-1 immediately. Under Canada’s Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, anyone who seeks medical help for themselves or for someone else who has overdosed will not be charged for possessing or using drugs for personal use.

Mmmbers of the public are encouraged to use Peterborough Public Health’s drug reporting tool at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/your-health/drugs-and-harm-reduction/opioids/opioids-drug-reporting-tool/, where you can submit an anonymous report about overdose incidents, suspected harmful drugs, bad reactions to drugs, and other drug-related incidents.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the entire Kawarthas region for heavy rain on Monday (August 7) into Tuesday.

The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.

Scattered showers are expected on Sunday night and will become heavy at times overnight. Showers should diminish through Monday morning before another round of heavy rain, likely with thunderstorms, arrives Monday afternoon.

Moderate showers are then expected to continue into Tuesday before coming to an end Tuesday evening.

Total rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 mm are expected in southern Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, and western Northumberland County, with 30 to 50 mm expected in northern Peterborough County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands, and 50 to 75 mm expected in eastern Northumberland County. However, higher amounts can not be ruled out.

Environment Canada may issue rainfall warnings if required.

Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Heavy rainfall in combination with other weather factors, such as hail, wind and lightning will make outdoor activities unsafe.

Cyclists and environmental educators Glen Caradus and Nick Ormond are once again in training to embark on a day-long ride this fall to raise awareness about climate change and funds for local climate change action.

On Saturday, September 30th, the duo will cycle 280 kilometres to highlight the amount of C02 that was in the atmosphere — 280 parts per million — when the planet had a stable climate prior to the industrial revolution. As of May 2023, that level has risen to a new record of 424 parts per million according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

All funds raised leading up to Caradus and Ormond’s ride — called Ride 4 The Grandchildren — will go towards For Our Grandchildren, a not-for-profit environmental organization that acts against climate change.

On the day of the event, Caradus and Ormond will gear up at the crack of dawn, to depart from Peterborough at 3 a.m. From there, the duo will ride through Haliburton, across to Coe Hill and and Stoney Lake, before heading back to the city to complete the ride at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre at 3 p.m.

This year will be third in a row Caradus is completing the fundraiser, which previously raised money for other local environmental organizations and initiatives committed to climate action. The rides began when the experienced and passionate cyclist missed participating in marathons and races during the pandemic.

“I was thinking, ‘Well, with no races, wouldn’t it be fun to do something where I can raise some money and some awareness?’,” Caradus recalls. “In this case, about climate change.”

Through his work as a musician and puppeteer as one half of the Paddling Puppeteers alongside Phil Stephenson, Caradus already brings messages of natural appreciation and climate emergency to children, seniors, and everyone else while entertaining across the country. Through his cycling fundraisers, he’s also supporting local organizations that take action against climate change.

Two years ago, Caradus rode 350 kilometres, representing the dangerous atmospheric carbon levels that scientists had previously said would be a wake-up call to prevent catastrophic climate change — a number Caradus says we hit back in 1988. That ride also raised funds for climate-related programming offered by Peterborough GreenUP.

Last year, the magic number for the ride was 421 kilometres, representing the CO2 levels at the time of the ride (421 parts per million) — though Caradus points out we’ve gone up at least a couple parts per million in the year since. Ormond joined Caradus for that ride, which raised funds for climate education, tree planting, and biodiversity programs at Camp Kawartha and Rowan Tree Children’s School.

“If you look at the first 170 years of industrialization, we added 70 parts per million (of CO2),” Caradus explains. “Then, in the last 35 years, we’ve added another 70. So you can see how it soared exponentially. We just want to bring attention to that 280.”

At approximately 3 p.m., when the cyclists are expected to arrive at their destination at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre, they will be met with a family-friendly celebration from the public. If he’s not too exhausted from the journey, Caradus will join his Paddling Puppeteer partner to put on a musical puppet show.

Before the end of the event, the cyclists will leave behind 280 potted trees, arranging them on the grounds to form the number 280. They will be free for the public to take and plant locally.

“We’ll just leave the trees there and then people can take them that day or just anytime through October,” Caradus says. “Because they draw in carbon dioxide, trees are a great way to add some beauty but also to fight climate change.”

Funds raised from the event will be used by For Our Grandchildren to support local action in Peterborough City and County. The ride is further backed by Captain Climate and sponsored by Runner’s Life.

Though the aim of the ride is to educate and raise awareness, Caradus explains that it’s important to make the event fun and celebratory, rather than negative.

“It’s important to acknowledge what we’re seeing, but it’s also important that we find ways that are celebratory and fun and positive,” Caradus says. “I don’t want to point fingers at anybody. We just go out and have some fun, bring the community together, plant trees, and raise some money for For Our Grandchildren. They’re a great organization, so we’re keeping it on the positive.”

For Our Grandchildren was founded in 2006 in Toronto by a group of grandparents who were deeply concerned that the world was taking inadequate action to prevent the worst effects of the changing climate, and that these changes would have serious negative consequences on their grandchildren. The group incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2010 and moved its head office to Peterborough in 2018. Originally formed to raise awareness of climate change, the organization now focuses on engaging people to take local climate change action.

Caradus and Ormond hope to raise $5,000 to support the work of the organization. To donate to Ride 4 The Grandchildren, visit forourgrandchildren.ca/event/ride-4-the-grandchildren/.

The Civic Holiday is called Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough, James Cockburn Day in Cobourg, Simcoe Day in Toronto, Colonel By Day in Ottawa, George Hamilton Day in Hamilton, Joseph Brant Day in Burlington, Founders’ Day in Brantford, McLaughlin Day in Oshawa, Alexander Mackenzie Day in Sarnia, John Galt Day in Guelph, and numerous other names in smaller municipalities. Whatever you call it, the holiday is always celebrated on the first Monday in August.

Since the Civic Holiday is not a statutory holiday in Ontario and is not listed in Ontario’s Employment Standards Act or Retail Business Holidays Act, most businesses are open on Monday, although many have reduced hours. Almost all grocery stores, malls, and big box stores are open on Monday. Selected liquor stores and beer stores are open. However, all government offices are closed and many government-operated services are unavailable.

For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 292 selected businesses, services, and organizations across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially where you “call to confirm” (which means the business did not indicate specific holiday hours) or if you are travelling any distance. If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not have the hours for restaurants in this list as there are far too many to include.

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Peterborough’s Carol Koeslag didn’t imagine herself becoming a fast-selling published writer at 92 years old — and she certainly didn’t imagine herself going viral on TikTok.

But she’s managed to do both within the last week, after beginning to stock her short story collection in the Modern Makers Market shop in Peterborough. When shop owner Chantel Coyle posted about Koeslag’s book Spice of Life: A Variety of Reflections on social media, she captured the hearts of readers not only in Peterborough, but — incredibly — across the globe.

For Koeslag, the book began as a series of stories the retired social worker had written several years ago. Though there’s not one theme linking the short stories, Koeslag has seemingly invented her own genre for the collection, which she calls “fictionalized realities.”

“One or two or three of them really did happen, and I wrote about that,” she explains, using the example of the “crazy” story about her husband using an air pistol to get the crows to stop cawing. “But (for) some of the other ones I had one or two points of reference, and from there I just imagined what the people were thinking and then I wrote that.”

She says it’s not “the great Canadian novel,” but rather a book you can pick up and put down, full of a handful of independent stories, some up to eight pages long while others are just a page or two.

She first began writing in the 1990s when she retired to Peterborough with her husband after raising her family of four children in Whitby. Though she explains that she was only writing them because it made her feel “happy,” after sharing them for feedback, several friends encouraged her to get them published. And so she did.

“It’s not something I ever planned to do in my life, but it’s working out to be a very happy addition to my life,” she says.

Since April, Koeslag — who now lives alone in her own home after the death of her husband eight years ago — has sold a few of her books through the Activity Haven spring fair and to some friends from her church.

But then one day last week, she stepped into Coyle’s store on the recommendation of a friend and everything changed for her book sales.

Coyle explains that it was a “special circumstance” getting to chat with Koeslag that afternoon, as usually she manages the behind-the-scenes administration of the shop and isn’t often on the floor.

“It was one of those things where I just felt like it was meant to be,” Coyle says. “It just seemed really courageous (for Koeslag) to just waltz on in and approach to see if I would sell her book.”

At first, Coyle only stocked about 15 of Koeslag’s books in the Modern Makers Market shop. After they sat for a few days, she decided to make a quick social media post about Koeslag and her book.

@modernmakersmarketshop Imagine being so cool in your 90s #confidence #modernmakersmarket #mmshop #author #selfpublished ? original sound – Modern Makers Shop

According to Coyle, things blew up from there. She then posted a TikTok video of her calling Koeslag to explain that her book had sold out in store and to ask if she would print more. That TikTok quickly went viral and is now almost at 250,000 views.

“Within like six to nine hours, I think we sold 135 copies,” explains Coyle, adding that the number is still growing as her video continues to circulate.

Now Coyle is waiting to get more of Koeslag’s books, with the expectation that the 200 available copies will be sold out very soon through pre-orders. The next printing will include an additional insert and one extra story compared to the first printing.

Coyle says she enjoys being able to help someone achieve their goals and think that’s part of the draw for why it has such a big reach on TikTok.

“(Viewers) also see just how special it is that at whatever age you’re at, you can just do what you want,” she explains, adding that it’s also inspiring to see people being supportive in their creative pursuits.

“When people talk about writing a book or following their creative dreams, there isn’t always a lot of support for that because it doesn’t make you a living or whatever it is. For some people, they don’t get a lot of encouragement to follow those kind of creative avenues in their lives and so I think that’s a relatable thing for people to see (through Carol).”

Based on the TikTok’s comment section, people are also largely drawn to Koeslag’s story because of its relatability, with many commenting that their own retired grandparents were finally sharing their own stories.

Coyle points out many of the pre-orders are coming in not only from across Canada, but from as far as the United States, Europe, and Australia.

The rapid success of her writing career comes as a shock to Koeslag, who admits she never imagined this for herself.

“It’s just rather unbelievable,” she says. “I just think this dream beyond dreams has gone beyond dreams.”

Koeslag says she never could have been able realize her dream without support from Dr. Elwood Jones, who helped get her work edited and published, as well as Coyle who brought attention to the collection — especially since you won’t find Koeslag doing her own TikToks anytime soon.

“My feeling is that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you have to try what you want to do,” Koeslag notes. “You might not do it, but you have got to try. I like to encourage people: don’t sell yourself short. Give yourself a chance and you’re worth something. Everybody is worth something.”

To snag a copy of Koeslag’s collection before it sells out again, visit modernmakersmarket.ca.