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.
The Theatre On King's artistic director Ryan Kerr shakes hands with property manager Kristi Dick at Cherney Properties after renewing the black-box theatre's lease for another two years. In support of The Theatre On King, Cherney Properties owner Michael Cherney renewed the lease at 2018 rental rates. (Photo courtesy of The Theatre On King)
The Theatre On King (TTOK) is still standing, thanks to support from the Peterborough community.
Artistic administrator Kate Story announced in an email on Tuesday (June 6) that artistic director Ryan Kerr has renewed the organization’s lease for its 171 King Street location for another two years.
“Earlier this spring, Ryan and I weren’t sure if reaching this milestone would be possible,” Story writes. “Turns out, there’s an incredible community of people out there who declared — loud and clear — that TTOK matters!”
The future of Peterborough’s only black-box theatre was thrown into doubt in March when Peterborough city council voted 7-3 against providing any funding for TTOK, after Kerr and Story and several arts leaders and supporters had appeared in front of council with impassioned pleas appealing an earlier decision to deny TTOK’s application for funding under the city’s community investment grant program.
“My lease is up in the summer and so depending on what happens between now and June, we’ll determine what happens in the future,” Kerr told kawarthaNOW after the decision.
“I also need to talk to my landlord to see how long the lease will be … if it’s going to be a five-year lease or a two-year lease or stuff like that. That will also affect the decision about going forward, because we can’t do this — we can’t live like this for the next five years.”
Following the city’s denial of funding, the community stepped up with donations to ensure The Theatre On King could continue to operate.
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“Thanks to an overwhelming amount of support from each and every one of you, TTOK is renewed, re-charged, and ready to take on the future,” Story writes in her email. “I cannot stress enough that TTOK is still standing — stronger than ever before — because of your steadfast belief in and support of art. Thank you. So much.”
No small measure of that support has come from Michael Cherney of Cherney Properties, who Story calls “TTOK’s amazingly supportive landlord.” According to Story, Cherney has renewed TTOK’s lease at 2018 rental rates.
To celebrate TTOK’s 10-year anniversary, Kerr and Story will be hosting a party at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 14th. Both the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area and the City of Peterborough have provided funding for the 10-year anniversary party.
The Theatre On King’s artistic director Ryan Kerr signs a two-year lease for the organization’s 171 King Street location. The future of Peterborough’s only black-box theatre was thrown into doubt earlier this spring when Peterborough city council decided against providing any funding, until the Peterborough community stepped up with donations. (Photo courtesy of The Theatre On King)
“This celebration is a special tribute to each and every one of you who has played a vital role in ensuring the longevity of this beloved black-box theatre,” Story writes. “It’s your unwavering dedication and belief in our cause that has made TTOK what it is today — an enduring symbol of artistic expression, community, and resilience.”
Planning is still underway for the celebration, with Story promising “more details and surprises” are to come.
Despite the earlier uncertainty about TTOK’s future, the organization has continued to mount productions over the past two months. This week, Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound will run for five performances from June 7 to 10.
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Directed by Sarah Tye, the hilarious Agatha Christie-like melodrama spoof features Chancellor Scott McGuigan, Daniel Smith, Dianne Latchford, Eddy Sweeney, Lela Fox-Doran, Lindsay Unterlander, Hani Yakan, Noah William, and the voice of Andrew Root. Tickets are $20 or pay what you can, available in advance at eventbrite.ca/e/635003983007.
In other TTOK news, Sarah McNeilly’s critically acclaimed debut solo show Titty Cakes: A Recipe for Radical Acceptance, which she performed to sold-out audiences at TTOK last October, is now available online at tittycakes.ca, where you can also find out how to bake and eat your very own titty cakes.
To support the work of TTOK, you can donate through Public Energy Performing Arts’ page on CanadaHelps. Public Energy is a charitable organization, and all donations collected on that page will be allocated to The Theatre On King through Public Energy’s charitable trustee program.
The City of Peterborough's new chief administrative officer Jasbir Raina (fifth from right) with Peterborough city council after his appointment was approved by council on June 5, 2023. (Photo courtesy of City of Peterborough)
Almost a year after he was first hired by the City of Peterborough, Jasbir Raina has been appointed the city’s new chief administrative officer.
City council unanimously approved the appointment during a special meeting after the general committee meeting on Monday night (June 5).
Raina was originally hired as the city’s commissioner of infrastructure and planning services on June 12, 2022.
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“Mr. Raina’s commitment and dedication to the citizens of Peterborough has clearly been demonstrated in his previous role as commissioner of infrastructure and planning services,” said Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal. “We look forward to his leadership and guidance in his new role as chief administrative officer.”
Raina replaces former CAO Sandra Clancy, who retired after 38 years with the city, including her last four in the CAO role. The chief administrative officer is the city’s top bureaucrat, overseeing the delivery of city services and the implementation of policies set by city council. The position reports directly to city council.
Raina’s appointment as CAO comes after executive search agency Phelps Group was hired by council to conduct national search for the CAO position. A sub-committee of city council conducted interviews of short-listed candidates before making its recommendation to council.
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Raina has more than 30 years of public sector experience including as commissioner of public works and engineering for the City of Brampton, director of facilities services/operations and maintenance for the City of Brampton, manager of capital planning and asset management for the City of Mississauga, and manager of facilities operations and property management for the City of Mississauga.
Prior to coming to Canada in 2002, Raina served for almost 17 years with the Indian Navy, including as chief engineer of naval infrastructure. Raina has a master of engineering from the Naval Institute of Technology and a master of business administration from Athabasca University. He also holds a project management designation through the Project Management Institute and a law certificate from Harvard University.
“I am beyond excited to take on this value-creating role at the city,” Raina said. “I would like to thank the mayor and members of council for entrusting me to be the city’s next CAO. I look forward to working collaboratively with the mayor, council, our community, and all stakeholders to advance priorities of council to build a future-ready Peterborough.”
After suffering a traumatic brain injury that uprooted her life and changed her career trajectory, Akshana Katoch and her young family chose to relocate in Peterborough where she opened a franchise location of The Ten Spot. Financing support from Community Futures Peterborough helped her hire more staff at her Lansdowne Place Mall salon, a one-stop spot for beauty maintenance. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
After years spent battling personal and professional hardships, franchise owner Akshana Katoch is gearing up for a busy summer at The Ten Spot in Lansdowne Place Mall with the help of Community Futures Peterborough.
A women-led business from top to bottom, The Ten Spot is a “one-stop spot” for beauty maintenance. With locations from coast to coast across Canada and internationally in the United States, The Ten Spot’s services include laser hair removal, facials, nails, and brow and lash treatments.
Though Katoch had always been familiar with the brand, becoming a franchise owner wasn’t something she would have predicted for herself even as recently as five years ago. Living in Pickering, she had spent most of her adult life working for a financial institution.
Akshana Katoch’s The Ten Spot location in Peterborough’s Lansdowne Place Mall. According to Community Futures Peterborough, franchises have a high success rate because they are a turn-key business model with corporate support for operations, marketing, and strategy. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
“I felt comfortable so I didn’t think there would ever be a need to look anywhere else,” she says.
But at the end of 2017, a devastating accident led Katoch on a whole new career trajectory. The resulting traumatic brain injury prevented her from working or being “a proper mother” to her young children.
“It got so bad to the point where it was very difficult for me to even hold a conversation,” Katoch explains. “I couldn’t find the words and then I would have these attacks where my husband would have to literally pick me up and place me into our hot tub just to shock my body out of the attacks. It was a very, very rough period of our lives and we had to re-evaluate our whole life. My husband needed to pay attention to me, and I needed to be able to heal.”
Some of the beauty products available at Akshana Katoch’s The Ten Spot location in Peterborough’s Lansdowne Place Mall. The Ten Spot has close to 100 locations spanning from coast to coast and internationally into the United States. As a one-stop spot for beauty maintenance, The Ten Spot offers nails, facials, brows, lashes, and laser hair removal. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
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When Katoch and her husband first decided to move so they could “slow down and focus on family,” they were torn between living in Peterborough and Leamington. But the answer became clear when they were on the way to a house viewing in Peterborough. With the roads still partially frozen, the couple misjudged a turn and ended up in a ditch.
“Within minutes, all cars stopped … everyone was asking if we were OK,” she says, explaining that a stranger immediately started hooking up his truck to pull out her car.
She says she was inspired by these gestures and the people who helped her.
“My husband and I looked at each other and realized ‘This is it, this is where we’re raising our kids’,” she recalls. “We fell in love with Peterborough.”
Launching The Ten Spot’s Peterborough location felt natural for owner Akshana Katoch, who has always loved getting her nails done and was experienced in corporate work. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
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Once they were settled in their new home, Katoch took the time she needed to heal before eventually looking into franchise opportunities. She felt that franchising would allow her to create jobs, fill a gap in the city, and invest in a business that would give her flexibility and time for her young family.
“For us, because of the life journey that we’ve had, our appreciation for every single day and our appreciation for life is very, very deep,” says Katoch. “So we needed to make sure that we chose a business that embodies our values as well.”
That’s why she was drawn to The Ten Spot. She was already familiar with the brand and felt connected to the company’s mandate, which was centred around making clients feel confident in their own skin.
“Our core values are phenomenal,” she notes. “Our purpose is to make everyone feel like they’re living life as a 10 out of 10. We’re all about making the most out of life and feeling the best, both inside and out.”
The Ten Spot Peterborough owner Akshana Katoch, right, received support from Community Futures Peterborough, allowing Katoch to grow her team from eight to 14 employees including two guest coordinators and full-time manager Rachel Cox, left. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
As someone who would regularly get her nails done and always had a positive experience while doing it, The Ten Spot was a natural fit for Katoch.
“The Ten Spot brings two worlds together — that corporate world plus the world of aesthetics,” she says. “So to be able to bundle that together, what more could I have asked for?”
Since Katoch was accustomed to a corporate world but still struggling with a brain injury, she liked that owning a franchise meant she’d be given a “blueprint” with the company’s award-winning business model, though she would still have creative liberties.
The product wall at The Ten Spot Peterborough features professional high-end products and brands, some of which can only be purchased online. The Ten Spot’s aestheticians provide free skin consultations. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
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“It just made me feel a lot safer knowing that I have resources to fall back on and have that support, but from there I can just turn it into my own,” she explains. “People might associate The Ten Spot with something big box, but it’s actually a small business. It’s a family-run business. With franchising, it’s operationally documented, but it’s 100 per cent up to you to make it flourish.”
“Becoming a franchise owner is a great option for someone interested in becoming an entrepreneur,” says Devon Girard, Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. “And it’s also important for us to educate our community on what local ownership means when it comes to franchises and show the face of the local owner behind the business.”
As a not-for-profit organization that provides financial and advisory support to growing businesses, Community Futures Peterborough is always eager to help all entrepreneurs — those looking to expand, build a business from the ground up, or start a franchise.
Akshana Katoch says being the owner of The Ten Spot in Peterborough allows her some creative liberty while the corporate branding and support provides a blueprint for success. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
Though Katoch officially became a franchise owner in January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic halted her plans. Even once she began construction two years later, uncontrollable delays including soaring construction rates and a drywaller strike continued to push back The Ten Spot’s opening date.
Still, Katoch embraced The Ten Spot’s core values and maintained positivity throughout the obstacles. Finally, at the tail end of last summer, the store finally held its grand opening. Though the salon received a great response and had immediate success, Katoch says it had opened too late to fully gain momentum going into the winter.
“The objective is to open right at the beginning of spring because that’s when you get the influx of everyone wanting to get ready for summer,” she says. “But because of the delays, we missed that. We never got an opportunity to gain momentum and gain the traction that we needed to carry us into the slower season.”
The Ten Spot in Peterborough is a one-stop shop for all beauty maintenance needs. Services include laser and wax hair removal, nails, brows, and facials. The salon also offers a product wall full of high-end brands, with professional options that are vegan, cruelty-free, and non-toxic. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
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That’s when Katoch approached Community Futures Peterborough for financial support to help make it through the slower winter months. Without that assistance, Katoch says The Ten Spot wouldn’t be where it is today.
“With their help, we’ve been able to hire more staff,” says Katoch who explains that, unlike other spas, the aestheticians at The Ten Spot receive “extensive” training and monthly coaching. Though she says it’s necessary, this training takes the staff off the floor and lowers the spa’s revenue.
“Being able to balance the training is so phenomenal and I’m so grateful for Community Futures for that,” she says. “They see our vision.”
Akshana Katoch opened The Ten Spot Peterborough in summer 2022 because she was drawn to the company’s core values of making customers and employers feel “like a 10” in their own skin. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
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As for Community Futures Peterborough, offering support for Katoch was an easy decision because a clear business plan was in place.
“In general, franchises have a higher rate of success than a start-up because they are a turn-key business model,” says Braden Clark, Business and Loans Manager at Community Futures Peterborough. “The Ten Spot is an established brand with a corporate team in place to guide owners through the operations, marketing, and strategy in order to be successful.”
Not only has the support from Community Futures Peterborough allowed The Ten Spot to grow from a team of eight to what will become 14 next month, but it’s allowed the salon to give back to the community — something Katoch says is at the core of The Ten Spot’s values.
With the support of Community Futures Peterborough helping the business through the slower winter months, The Ten Spot was able to hire more aestheticians for the spring. All employees go through extensive training and monthly coaching, which is not something other spas and salons offer. (Photo courtesy of The Ten Spot Peterborough)
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In less than a year since it has been open, Katoch’s salon has already collected for Kawartha Food Share, done the Peterborough Butterfly Run, and contributed to One Million Meals.
“I’m all for giving back,” she says. “It just goes to show when you become part of a community, it’s a family of support.”
Peterborough’s The Ten Spot is located in unit 150B in Lansdowne Place Mall at 645 Lansdowne Street West in Peterborough. For more information on The Ten Spot’s services and products offered, visit thetenspot.com. To contact The Ten Spot’s Peterborough location, call 705-741-1010 or email peterborough@thetenspot.com.
Community Futures Peterborough has a mission to support small businesses with flexible financing in the City and County of Peterborough. It has invested more than $40 million in over 1,100 small businesses since 1985, creating or maintaining more than 4,100 jobs in the City and the County. Community Futures Peterborough is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Beau Dixon, Kait Dueck, and Christopher Allen are three of the eight actors performing in New Stages Theatre Company's staged reading of the Pulitzer prize-winning play "Sweat" by Lynn Nottage at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on June 11, 2023. (kawarthaNOW collage of supplied photos)
For the final production of its 25th season, Peterborough’s New Stages Theatre Company is bringing American playwright Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize-winning play Sweat to Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for a one-night-only staged reading on Sunday (June 11).
New Stages has recruited an all-star cast for the staged reading, where the actors perform the script without sets or costumes. In addition to well-known Peterborough actors Beau Dixon and Kait Dueck, three actors who starred in previous theatrical productions of Sweat will perform in the reading: Christopher Allen and Ordena Stephens-Thompson, who starred in the 2020 production by Studio 180 Theatre and Canadian Stage in Toronto, and René Escobar Jr. who performed in the 2020 Theatre Aquarius production in Hamilton.
Rounding out the cast are celebrated Canadian actors Catherine Fitch (Butterbox Babies, This Is Wonderland, Murdoch Mysteries, Designated Survivor, Reacher, Family Law), Tony Munch (Shoot ‘Em Up, Cube Zero, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, The Expanse, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), and Andrew Chown (Burden of Truth, Lakewood, Slasher, and many theatrical productions including Shakespeare In Love, Mary Stuart, and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo).
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Set in Reading, Pennsylvania in 2000 just as the effects of NAFTA are beginning to ripple through America’s industrial heartland, Sweat follows a group of friends working at a steel mill as they blow off steam at a local bar. When rumours surface that their company is considering layoffs while flyers are being posted to recruit non-union workers for less money, tensions boil over and the workers become embroiled in a war between capitalism and community.
The play premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015, and was produced Off-Broadway the following year before premiering on Broadway in 2017, when Sweat won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for being “a nuanced yet powerful drama that reminds audiences of the stacked deck still facing workers searching for the American dream.”
It was the second Pulitzer for playwright Nottage, whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people (particularly working-class people who are Black). She previously won in 2009 for her play Ruined, making her the first and only woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama two times.
VIDEO: “Sweat” – Oregon Shakespeare Festival trailer
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After being commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to write a play about an American revolution, Nottage decided to write about the de-industrial revolution, which she called “the biggest shift in American sensibilities since the 1960s.”
She was inspired to choose Reading, Pennsylvania as the play’s setting after reading in the New York Times that the Census Bureau had found Reading to be the poorest American city of its size, with a poverty rate of more than 40 per cent.
Nottage spent two and a half years interviewing residents of Reading before completing Sweat.
Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Christopher Allen with Allegra Fulton and Ron Lea in the 2020 production of “Sweat” by Studio 180 Theatre and Canadian Stage at the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre in Toronto. (Photo: John Lauener)
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“These were people who felt helpless, who felt like the American dream that they had so deeply invested in had been suddenly ripped away,” Nottage told Michael Schulman of The New Yorker in March 2017. “I was sitting with these white men, and I thought, ‘You sound like people of colour in America.'”
Schulman called the play “the first theatrical landmark of the Trump era,” referencing Nottage’s prescience in distilling the frustration and rage of American blue-collar workers that played no small part in the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump.
“The play seemed to analytically grasp what too many political pundits had missed: the seething anger that turned a reliable blue state such as Pennsylvania red,” Charles McNulty wrote in The Los Angeles Times in 2018.
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“The topicality of the drama sadly hasn’t diminished,” McNulty added. “Economic fears and rising inequality are still polarizing Americans. In its lucid examination of how these divisions have activated other fault lines, Sweat offers the healing balm of a probing and compassionate playwriting intelligence.”
Presented by Cambium Consulting & Engineering and Peterborough Optometric and supported by the City of Peterborough, Sweat is the New Stages’ final production of the 2022-23 season before the summer break.
At the staged reading, New Stages artistic director Mark Wallace will be announcing the plays lined up for New Stages’ 2023-24 season beginning in the fall.
Playwright Lynn Nottage accepts the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for “Sweat” from Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger. (Photo: Columbia University)
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The staged reading of Sweat takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 11th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.
General admission tickets are $22 ($11 for arts workers, students, or the underwaged), available in person at the Market Hall box office at 140 Charlotte Street from 12 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday or online anytime at tickets.markethall.org.
Content advisory note:Sweat contains themes of racism and uses words that are offensive and demeaning, including the n-word, and is not recommended for audience members under the age of 14.
The staged reading of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize-winning play “Sweat” on June 11, 2023 is the final production of New Stages Theatre Company’s 25th anniversary season. (Poster: New Stages)
kawarthaNOW is proud to be media sponsor of New Stages Theatre Company’s 25th anniversary season.
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