Peterborough’s downtown has a new outdoor venue for performing arts as the Jalynn Bennett Amphitheatre officially opened on Wednesday (May 31) in the centre of Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College.

The spirit of the venue is to bolster the relationship between the university and the City of Peterborough through increased collaborations and programming that brings local performers to the new stage.

With Traill College the only remaining original downtown college of Trent University, the amphitheatre’s location symbolizes the original founding vision of Trent as a space for community building beyond the classroom.

At Wednesday’s grand opening celebration attended by around 100 people, Traill College principal Dr. Michael Eamon expanded on the significance of this symbolism and the history of Trent and the Traill campus.

“Almost 60 years ago, this is where Trent began, and it began because you the community wanted an institution of higher education — you the community wanted somewhere for students, your children, to learn and stay at Trent University,” Eamon said. “Trent University became a space and community is so core to Traill. We are downtown, and it’s this idea that we are still serving the community from being within the community.”

With seating for 140 people, professional lighting, and carefully directed sound inspired by ancient Greek designs that contain acoustics, the new venue is nestled between Traill College’s Ron Thom-designed Wallis Hall and Bagnani Hall designed by Lett Architects.

Continuing the tradition of the college, which features three centuries of architecture, the amphitheatre will be an important bridge between the city and the university and their respective arts and culture groups for years to come and aid in the preservation and continuity of the city’s creative community.

Usage fees for using the site will also be waived for student, amateur, and non-profit groups who wish to make use of the venue.

“This is a space that’s on the university land but really it is a space for the entire Peterborough community,” said Trent University chancellor Stephen Stohn. “As Peterborough grows and thrives, Trent grows and thrives. And I think the reverse is true: as Trent grows and thrives so does Peterborough — we’re joined at the hip.”

The amphitheatre is named after the late Jalynn Bennett, former chair of the Trent University board of governors, whose estate granted $1.13 million to the university in 2018 for “bold” projects. The venue’s construction was also funded through the Federal Department of Heritage and a Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to the tune of $560,000.

The City of Peterborough also provided a grant of $50,000 for the project. In recognition of the city’s contribution, deputy mayor Gary Baldwin — who started his academic career at Trent in 1976 and whose mother worked at Traill as a secretary for former college principal Nancy Sherouse — spoke about the amphitheatre’s opening.

“The City of Peterborough is delighted to partner with Trent to bring this facility to our community,” Baldwin said. “I look forward to learning about how Trent students use this facility for their work and their studies. This project meets a longstanding community need for an outdoor stage in our downtown.”

The project also received support from innumerable community groups and partners, including Theatre Trent, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Public Energy Performing Arts, and the Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival. Individual donors include Denis and Diana Desjardins, Gregory Piasetzki, and Laura Woods.

During the ceremony, Eamon recognized that the area formerly intended to be called the “President’s Booth” has been renamed “Joe’s Place” in honour of Anne Koenig’s donation in honour of her father, Canadian filmmaker and philanthropist Joseph Koening.

Alongside speeches recognizing the long lists of donors and community partners, the ceremony included performances by local musical and theatre artists including Mary-Kate Edwards, Anthony Varahidis, Meghan Murphy, and Kate Suhr as well as 4th Line Theatre’s Kim Blackwell and the drum and vocal group Unity.

Edwards, who is an alumna of Trent and has recently moved to Montreal, provided an opening soundtrack for the ceremony by performing songs from her EP Blueberry Pie while audience members settled into their seats before the official opening remarks.

Unity, a drum and vocal group made of Brenda Maracle-O’Toole, Barb Rivett, and Heather Shpuniarsky, performed “Oklahoma Southern Sunny Song” which was appropriate given the sun and heat on Wednesday afternoon. Classically trained vocalist Anthony Varahidis performed a short set that included Bruce Cockburn’s “Lovers In a Dangerous Time”, Chris Isaac’s “Wicked Game”, and “Good Mother” by Jann Arden.

In honour of the location, Kim Blackwell and Megan Murphy of 4th Line Theatre performed a selection of scenes from the play The Moodie Traill written by Tim Etherington, Caron Garside, Susan Spicer, and Robert Winslow. The play is based on the lives of sisters Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill and their experiences coming to settle in the Peterborough area in the 1830s.

Following the performance, Eamon explained the significance of naming the college — which was Trent’s all-female college until 1969 — after Traill.

“Catharine had one foot firmly in the arts and literature one foot firmly in the sciences and botany,” Eamon said. “What a wonderful symbol (Traill College is for) Trent University. It’s just a microcosm of the entire university here at Trent.”

“We all know that Susanna Moodie was the grumpier one so I’m happy this is Catharine Parr Traill College, not Moodie College,” he joked.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks by Stohn, Megan Murphy and Kate Suhr featured a story and spoken-word piece about the origins of the name of their ongoing performance collaboration The Verandah Society, which they launched during the pandemic to perform to small audiences from porches, backyards, and verandahs in the tradition of Irish storytellers.

The Verandah Society is named after a story written by Murphy’s great uncle Clare Galvin in his 1993 book My Town My Memories, where he describes growing up in Peterborough in the 1930s when it was common for neighbours to spend their summer evenings on their verandahs.

“A verandah doesn’t have to be an actual verandah to have the spirit of a verandah,” Murphy said. “This amphitheatre is a space intended to bring people together to share stories and to nibble on packed lunches and study for their exams and to bring community together and, yes, it’s intended to give meaning to our lives. It is an amphitheatre space with the heart of a verandah, a forward-facing endeavour to encourage the age-old human need to connect.”

The event concluded with a rousing rendition of “Stand By Me” with all the performing artists and featuring Eamon on lead vocals, offering a reflection on the fact that Traill College is still a part of Trent, and that through this initiative Trent is still very much a part of Peterborough — both standing by each other thanks to those who stood by Traill.

With the Jalynn Bennett Amphitheatre now officially open, the venue will be hosting a wide array of theatrical productions, musical performances, and cultural experiences this summer.

A list of upcoming performances, ticket information, and more will be available at trentu.ca/amphitheatre.

The Canadian Canoe Museum has launched a new fundraising campaign as it prepares to move the world’s largest and most significant collection of paddled watercraft across the City of Peterborough, from the museum’s current landlocked location on Monaghan Road to its new waterfront home under construction on Ashburnham Drive by the shores of Little Lake.

To build excitement for the museum’s expected fall reopening at its new two-storey 65,000-square-foot facility and to invite public support for the extraordinary journey of the museum’s historic collection to take place over the summer, the “Move the Collection: The Final Portage” campaign is being led by avid paddling enthusiasts and local community leaders Mike Judson and Neil Morton.

As a symbolic gesture of the forthcoming move of the collection, during The Final Portage campaign Judson and Morton will portage an iconic red canvas canoe throughout the city starting from the museum’s Monaghan Road location. The two men will eventually carry the symbolic canoe all the way to the museum’s new home, where the entire collection of more than 600 canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft will be accessible to visitors for the first time in the museum’s history.

“Moving a collection of this size and scale in the span of months is no small feat for our team and supporters,” explains the museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop in a media release. “This move represents a pivotal moment in our museum’s history.”

“By relocating to the waterfront, we will not only enhance the accessibility and visibility of this extraordinary collection but also create a transformative experience for our visitors. We are inviting donors and sponsors to be a part of this monumental move and help us bring the legacy of paddled watercraft to a wider audience.”

Not only is it rare for a museum to build a new facility in a new location, but it’s also rare for a museum to move its entire collection to a new location. Moving The Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection, declared a cultural asset of national significance by the Senate in 2013, requires a significant amount of preparation and care. The collection includes paddled watercraft ranging up to 53 feet long and weighing up to 1,500 pounds, hundreds of small artifacts, and a library and archive.

While the actual physical relocation of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection is scheduled to take place over the summer, with McWilliams Moving and Storage partnering with the museum as the lead sponsor and official mover of the collection, the museum has already spent more than two years carefully preparing the collection by diligently cleaning and packing each artifact to ensure the utmost care during the move.

The museum’s Monaghan Road location has been closed since last September so that museum staff can remove the artifacts that have been on exhibit there for the past two decades.

During The Final Portage campaign, the museum will be releasing a series of videos and behind-the-scenes content this summer and fall featuring Judson and Morton portaging the canoe past recognizable landmarks in Peterborough, allowing the public to follow the fundraising campaign’s progress while building excitement for the museum’s fall reopening. The first video (included below) is available at canoemuseum.ca/final-portage.

VIDEO: Move the Collection: The Final Portage

“Canoeing is one of my great passions in life, and seeing this national treasure move to the water’s edge in this community I adore is a dream,” Morton says. “It’s fantastic to be a part of The Final Portage campaign and this historic moment with my fellow lead portager Mike Judson as we help carry this to the finish line.”

The Canadian Canoe Museum’s new purpose-built home at 2077 Ashburnham Drive is located on a five-acre site surrounded by public parks with stunning west-facing views of Little Lake and a connection to the Trans Canada Trail.

With an array of indoor and outdoor spaces and water access, the new location will allow the museum to deliver on its mission in inspiring new ways and become a vibrant community space for outdoor activities, including the museum’s canoeing and outdoor programs and events.

“Supporting initiatives like the museum’s historic move is an investment in preserving our shared heritage and cultural legacy,” Hyslop explains. “By contributing to this endeavour, we actively steward invaluable artifacts and ensure their accessibility to future generations.”

“Institutions like ours serve as gateways to knowledge, inspiration, and understanding, and it is through your support that we enable the continued celebration and exploration of our collective history. Together, we can make a lasting impact and shape a vibrant cultural landscape for years to come.”

McWilliams Moving and Storage, a full-service moving company in Peterborough, has joined The Final Portage campaign as the lead sponsor and official mover of the museum’s collection. With their extensive experience and commitment to excellence, they will ensure that each piece is moved safely and with care.

“McWilliams Moving and Storage has been part of The Canadian Canoe Museum family since its inception with the first portage of museum artifacts from Dorset, Ontario, to Peterborough over two decades ago,” says president Dan McWilliams.

“We are honoured to continue this tradition as the official movers of The Canadian Canoe Museum to complete the final portage to a new architectural and cultural landmark in the city of Peterborough. Having the opportunity to pack and transport these pieces of Canadian heritage allows us to be part of the journey and story of this national icon in our great city.”

“The McWilliams team’s dedication to preserving the integrity of each artifact aligns perfectly with our mission to steward and showcase the rich history of paddled watercraft,” Hyslop adds. “We are incredibly grateful for their support and expertise throughout this process. We are excited to see other sponsors and donors support the move similarly.”

Businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities for The Final Portage can email the museum’s philanthropy associate Rose Terry at rose.terry@canoemuseum.ca.

Canadians from across the country and beyond who want to support the final portage of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection to its new home at the water’s edge can make a donation at canoemuseum.ca/final-portage.

For more information about the new museum, visit canoemuseum.ca/new-museum.

kawarthaNOW is proud to be the official media sponsor of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Move the Collection: The Final Portage Campaign.

The Peterborough Petes’ Memorial Cup dream is still alive after the team defeated the top-seed Quebec Remparts 4-2 on Tuesday night (May 30) in the Petes’ third and final round robin game at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C.

After losing their opening game on Saturday against the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 followed by a 10-2 blowout loss to host Kamloops Blazers on Sunday, the Petes handed the Remparts their first loss in the series. However, the Remparts have already clinched a berth in the Memorial Cup final having won two previous games.

Tuesday night’s game was scoreless until the second period, when Tucker Robertson opened the scoring for the Petes followed by a second goal by J.R. Avon. After James Malatesta scored for the Remparts, Avery Hayes added another goal for the Petes, with a goal by Quebec’s Nathan Gaucher leaving the score 3-2 at the end of the second period. Connor Lockhart of the Petes scored the only goal of the third period, giving Peterborough the 4-2 win.

The Petes will play a tie-breaker on Thursday against the loser of Wednesday’s game between the Blazers and Thunderbirds. The winners of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games will play in the semifinal game on Friday, and the winner of that game will face the Quebec Remparts on Sunday.

Puck drop for Thursday’s game is scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT, and fans can catch the game on TSN, Freq 90.5, Oldies 96.7, and Classic Rock 107.9.

The national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, the Memorial Cup is played by the champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and Ontario Hockey League (OHL), along with a fourth team that wins the rights to host the tournament. Prior to this year, the Peterborough Petes have played in nine Memorial Cups, winning once in 1979.

Kawartha Lakes police are asking for the public’s help in locating an 87-year-old man in Lindsay.

Emerson Fiander, who has dementia, left a Lindsay long-term care facility on Tuesday morning (May 30).

While Fiander routinely takes extended walks, he usually returns on his own. Nursing staff at his residence, as well as his family, are concerned for Fiander’s safety.

Fiander is described as a white man, 5’4″ (165cm) and 174 lbs (79kg), with gray hair, blue eyes, and glasses. When last seen, he was wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts. and hiking shoes.

Police are conducting a search in an area at the north end of Lindsay and are being assisted by Ontario Provincial Police.

Anyone with information about Fiander’s whereabouts is asked to call the Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252.

Business owners from Minden spoke to the media on Tuesday (May 30) at Queen’s Park in Toronto alongside NDP MPP Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York) and NDP health critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) to once again call on the Ford government to step in and stop the closure of Minden’s emergency department set for Thursday (June 1).

During question period on Monday, NDP Leader Marit Stiles introduced petitions containing over 24,000 signatures opposing the closure of the emergency department. Stiles asked health minister Sylvia Jones, “How many communities will see emergency rooms close this summer because of this government’s failure to act?”

“While the NDP are satisfied with the status quo, I can tell you this government is not,” Jones responded before discussing investments the government has made in incentives to get health care workers to work in remote and rural communities.

“We are investing, we are ensuring the people who want to practise in the province of Ontario have that right through many different programs,” Jones added.

Opening question period on Tuesday, Stiles again pushed for accountability from Jones noting the presence of dozens of local business owners in the gallery and that the closure was transpiring right when the seasonal population of the area soars, meaning that “thousands of Ontarians will have to travel farther and farther away just to access emergency service.”

In response, Jones stated she could “only imagine how challenging this decision was for the Haliburton Highlands Health Services leadership and board,” adding “I am confident that this decision was not taken lightly” before repeating her previous comments about government investments.

VIDEO: NDP Marit Stiles during Question Period – May 30, 2023

But these answers, coupled with Jones’ reluctance to take action and listen to the people of Minden — a point she has repeatedly characterized as a local decision for the Haliburton Highlands Health Service (HHHS) board the government would not interfere in — is not playing well for the local business owners, some of whom identify as Progressive Conservative voters and supporters of Doug Ford.

Mathew Renda of Boshkung Brewing Company, who moved to Minden from Oshawa with his wife in 2020 and is currently a caregiver to his mother-in-law who is living with a heart condition, told reporters that he feels Jones is “oblivious to the whole situation.”

“Her answers to the Opposition’s questions were, at best, uninformed,” Renda continued. “I was very surprised. Clearly they have no indication of the impact this is going to have on the area.”

The impacts include an increase of at least 20 minutes travel time for permanent and seasonal residents of Minden to get to the nearest emergency department in Haliburton once the Minden emergency department closes. This fact is exacerbated for surrounding communities such as Dorset that rely on the services of Minden’s emergency department.

Fears from Minden business owners regarding the potential economic impact of the closure reflect the fact that Minden and surrounding areas are heavily dependent upon summer tourism.

“(In) the winter it turns into a sleepy town and then the summer it becomes lively,” Renda said. “With multiple summer camps and multiple outdoor activities like fishing, surrounded by hundreds of lakes, what are those people do when they have an issue on the lake?”

Dennis Pennie, who operates Minden Auto Centre with his wife, noted he stands to lose approximately 40 per cent of his business in the next five years due to reduced tourism to the area and fewer people choosing to move to or retire in the area. He also expressed concern about the optics for families who would traditionally send their children to camps in communities surrounding Minden.

“Would you send your child to a place that has no hospital and has had the hype we’ve had in the last six weeks?” he asked. “A lot of parents aren’t going to send their kids to our camps and our camps are going to suffer from that.”

Pennie said he was deeply disappointed in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes MPP Laurie Scott, noting he thought she would be there for her constituents.

“I’ve heard from many other people who have been down here and she has not lifted her head once, never invited us in, and today not even a glance back at us,” Pennie said, referring to the Minden delegation in the public gallery at the Legislature.

Ian Myers, who owns the chimney company Myers Chimney, stated plainly he has withdrawn his support from the PC party, Jones, and Scott over their decision to not intervene.

According to the NDP, accountability agreements signed with every hospital in the province mean Ontario’s health minister approves the closure of hospitals and emergency departments becuase of financial trouble or understaffing. In previous statements, Gélinas expressed skepticism about the Haliburton Highlands Health Services board’s reasoning for permanently closing the Minden emergency department given it hasn’t closed a single time due to understaffing in the past year.

“None of this makes any sense, to say that closing Minden is a decision made by the board and has nothing to do with the minister of health,” Gélinas told the media on Tuesday. “It’s because we have a minister of health that does not understand her responsibility or refuses to take her responsibility. It is on her shoulders. Nobody else.”

Mark Dracup, who owns Rockcliffe Restaurant, Bar & Hotel in Minden, called Jones’ repeated lack of action an instance of “passing the buck.”

“She’s taking no accountability,” he said.

As for the Haliburton Highlands Health Services board, he called the lack of consultation about the closure and the extremely condensed timeline of six weeks since the closure announcement “at best, maybe incompetent, at worst, maybe corrupt.”

According to Dracup, neither he nor anybody else in the community knows how the decision was made and the lack of consultation by the board negates its legitimacy.

NDP MPP Chris Glover said that over the past two and a half decades, Ontarians have been losing democratic control over their hospital boards. He went on to suggest that many hospital boards across the province lack accountability to the communities they serve, casting further doubt on the health minister’s assertion that this was a “local” decision.

“Minden is a warning shot for communities across the province, because we’re already starting to see temporary closures in emergency rooms in many other communities across this province,” Glover added. “The communities have no say because they don’t have control of their hospital boards. So all rural communities in Ontario should be paying attention to what’s happening in Minden, because they could be next.”

While the closure of the Minden emergency department on June 1st appears all but certain, the community members present at the media conference made it clear this was not the end and they would be heeding Glover’s advice.

“We’re not going to stop fighting,” Pennie noted. “You’re going to hear a lot more from us about this.”

This story has been updated to correct Mathew Renda’s name. kawarthaNOW apologizes for the error.