Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, has granted viceregal patronage to Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum, the museum announced on Wednesday (August 10).
The governor general grants patronage to national organizations that demonstrate outstanding contributions to society by supporting and promoting Canadian values, diversity, inclusion, culture, and knowledge.
The Canadian Canoe Museum, which is currently constructing a new home on the waterfront at Little Lake in Peterborough, has the world’s largest collection of canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft.
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As part of its process to design and develop exhibits at the new facility, the museum has invited Indigenous peoples to share their stories in their own voices. The museum is reconnecting the watercraft to their Indigenous communities of origin, and has developed a collaborative relations process to work together to care for the canoes and share the cultural histories and stories held within the collection.
“We believe that, as sites of cultural and historical preservation, museums play a key role in shaping our understanding of our past and collective future,” says the museum’s executive director Carolyn Hyslop in a media release. “Indigenous peoples around the world designed, built, and used the first canoes and kayaks.”
“These vessels retain their enduring connection to Indigenous cultures across Canada and are powerful living embodiments of knowledge, languages, and beliefs. Through the collaborative relations process, we are working with communities to share these stories, perspectives, languages, and voices throughout the new exhibits and museum.”
The Canadian Canoe Museum commissioned renowned birchbark canoe builder Todd Labrador and his family to build an ocean-going Mi’kmaq canoe for the museum’s collection. (Photo: Todd Labrador)
Michi Saagiig Anishnaabemowin (the local Anishnaabemowin dialect) will be included on exterior and interior signage in the new museum, along with English and French, with additional Indigenous languages to be featured in exhibits relating to specific watercraft.
The museum has also commissioned new canoe and kayak builds from Inuit and First Nations communities and builders to fill gaps in the museum’s collection and to allow for a greater diversity of stories to be shared and to preserve and pass down traditional knowledge to younger generations.
As Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, Mary Simon has focused her efforts on reconciliation. Victoria Grant, chair of the museum’s board and a member of Temagami First Nation, says the canoe is an important part of the reconciliation process.
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“Together, we need to learn, understand, and acknowledge our shared history,” Grant states. “We can’t do that without first knowing and understanding the impact of the canoe in Canada’s story, from those very early times when the first visitors came to our shores. The Canadian Canoe Museum provides us with an opportunity to learn, to feel, to smell, and to see the canoe in its diversity and diversity and endurance.”
Viceregal patronage does not mean the governor general will be involved in the museum’s governance or its fundraising efforts, and does not guarantee the governor general’s involvement in or attendance at events held by the museum.
The new Canadian Canoe Museum is expected to open in the summer of 2023.
Hamilton's Terra Lightfoot is one of 16 singer-songwriters, including 11 local ones, who will be performing at Winslow Farm in Millbrook over four evenings in late September as part of 4th Line Theatre's "The Barnyard Sessions: All About the Song" concert series. (Photo: Matt Dunlap)
This September, 4th Line Theatre is bringing back its popular “The Barnyard Sessions” concert series featuring 16 mostly local singer-songwriters performing over four evenings at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.
First launched last fall, each of the series of four concerts produced by singer-songwriter Kate Suhr will be presented outdoors “in the round,”, with four musicians sharing the stage and taking turns explaining the process behind their songwriting. Last year’s series was a sell-out.
This year’s “The Barnyard Sessions: All About the Song” will include Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, Terra Lightfoot, Aphrose, The Weber Brothers, Julian Taylor, Sarah MacDougall, Ben Kunder, James McKenty, Rick Fines, Evangeline Gentle, Melissa Payne, Dylan Ireland, Emily Burgess, Kyler Tapscott, Nicholas Campbell, and Kate Suhr.
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The 90-minute concerts take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 22nd and Friday, September 23rd and Thursday, September 29th and Friday, September 30th.
“When I had the idea for The Barnyard Sessions in 2021, I never imagined how well-received it would be,” says Kim Blackwell, 4th Line’s managing artistic director, in a media release. “Those four nights in early fall of 2021, in the barnyard at the Winslow farm, were magical and I know everyone who attended, felt it. We want to capture that magical again this year with the second instalment of The Barnyard Sessions. These intimate concerts are extraordinary interplays between musicians, music and audiences.”
Here’s who will be appearing when:
Thursday, September 22 – Sarah MacDougall, Ben Kunder, Julian Taylor, and Evangeline Gentle
Friday, September 23 – The Weber Brothers, Aphrose, Rick Fines, and Nicholas Campbell
Thursday, September 29 – Greg Keelor, Terra Lightfoot, James McKenty, and Melissa Payne
Friday, September 30 – Emily Burgess, Kyler Tapscott, Dylan Ireland, and Kate Suhr
Tickets for each concert are now available for $40, including service fees and taxes. The capacity for each performance is 100 seats to ensure an intimate experience.
Tickets can be purchased by phone at 705-932-4445 (toll free at 1-800-814-0055), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or at 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 4 Tupper Street, Millbrook.
Andy and Linda Tough pose outside their Norwood area barn that has doubled as a recording studio for a number of years, not only allowing them to host live music jams on a regular basis but also record and produce live off-the-floor performances by a number of artists for 18 episodes of Live! At The Barn which were aired on Tough’s YouTube channel. The Toughs, whose property is up for sale, hosted one last jam on August 7, 2022. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
By definition, a jam session is “a relatively informal musical event, process or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos, and vamp over tunes, drones, songs and chord progressions.”
True enough, but there is one word missing — a descriptor that really sums up the attraction of the musical jams that have been held for several years now at, from all outward appearances, a very ordinary run-of-the-mill barn near Norwood that housed the extraordinary.
“This is really organic … it’s alive and it just kind of morphs with who’s here and the vibe that they’re bringing in,” says Catherine McGrath, one of a number of people who braved the sweltering heat on Sunday (August 7) to take in the final music jam at Andy and Linda Tough’s barn on their 85-acre now-for-sale slice of rural heaven.
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“It hits some spots that a paid venue just doesn’t get the opportunity to,” McGrath added. “There are no egos here. It’s ‘Come on up and play with me.’ I’m not a musician but, if I was, I feel I would completely appreciate that feeling of the joy of music and of playing with other artists at whatever level they’re at.”
For the Toughs, putting the pieces in place for a shared musical experience has been a mission of sorts since they hosted, in 2009 and 2010, Band of Brothers, a barn-held live music-based fundraiser for Soldier On, a Canadian Armed Forces program that helps injured veterans and serving members.
After that, recalls Linda, “We did the private jams and it just blew up from there. Word got around and people just started coming.”
Linda and Andy Tough presenting a $1,500 cheque to Soldier On, a Canadian Armed Forces program that helps injured veterans and serving members. The proceeds were raised during their Band of Brothers fundraiser in 2009. (Photo courtesy of Andy Tough)
During the pandemic, when people couldn’t come, no problem: the Toughs brought the barn atmosphere to them via three seasons of Live! At The Barn, sponsored in part by kawarthaNOW.
Andy — an audio and video recording engineer who, with Linda, owns RMS Events, a company that specializes in multimedia production and presentation for a range of clients — recorded and produced live off-the-floor performances by 18 acts, each multi-camera segment professionally edited and made available for public viewing on his YouTube channel.
For musicians starved of the opportunity to play live during the pandemic, the sessions were nothing short of a lifeline. Among those recorded, and very much at the forefront at Sunday’s final jam, were Rick and Gailie Young, a duo long well known for their covers of pretty well any British Invasion period song you can name.
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“Our friend Mike Reynolds said ‘You’ve got to go to the barn, you’ve got to go to the barn,’ so Rick and I checked it out and fell in love with it,” recalled Gailie who, when asked what the appeal was, quickly said “Linda and Andy … and then the barn.”
“There it’s a job,” said Gailie, referring to her and Rick’s regular gigs at The Black Horse Pub in downtown Peterborough. “Here it’s for fun. Anybody can get up and jam and sing. Nobody gets upset. It’s breaking my heart that this could be the last jam. I’m hoping they (the Toughs) don’t sell. I told them that. It’s a sad day. I could cry.”
Singer-songwriter Wylie Harold is a 10-year veteran of barn jams who was also recorded by Andy for a Live! At The Barn episode.
Rick and Gailie Young were among a number of local musicians who took to the stage on August 7, 2022 during the final live music jam held at Andy and Linda Tough’s Norwood area barn. Regular performers at past jams since day one, the longtime duo performed a number of songs from their extensive British Invasion music catalogue. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
“It’s everything — it’s the people, it’s the ambience, it’s the unhurried style,” Harold said of the barn jam’s big selling points. “You sign up and you don’t have to wait three hours to go on.”
“I wrote a song called I Dig Barn Jam Music,” added Harold, who performed the tune at Sunday night’s barn jam. “I couldn’t remember all the words. I just finished it as I was going out the door this (Sunday) morning. I wanted to contribute that as a gift to the barn, but it was hard to put into one song what this place is all about. I’m sad to see it go — it’s a magical place — but I wish them (the Toughs) well.”
Tami J Wilde, another longtime singer and songwriter who has been a barn jam regular, wasn’t going to miss this last dance for anything.
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“Today is a bittersweet moment,” said Wilde, who also taped a Live! At The Barn episode with Andy at the controls. “This is the last concert here. You’re so used to it being here and they (the Toughs) have always been very supportive (of local musicians).”
“Once I knew the barn jams were going on, I did whatever it took to get here. It’s probably been four or five summers now. It’s a nostalgic place with a lot of beautiful people and really talented musicians. This is the kind of place that I like to play at.”
But there’s another aspect of the Toughs’ barn beyond the music and the ambience that held an equal attraction for whoever came through its doors — the stuff. Lots and lots of stuff that Andy, a self-admitted pack rat, acquired over the years and just held onto.
Singer-songwriter Wylie Harold, joined by bassist Richard Simpkins, braved the oppressive heat to perform as Sonny and Cloudy during the final live music jam held at Andy and Linda Tough’s Norwood area barn on August 7, 2022. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
The end result was a feast for the eyes: a three-dimensional hodge-podge of vintage music instruments, posters, and art-deco furnishings. It would be easy to say everything but the kitchen sink could be found in the barn except for one small thing — there is a kitchen sink.
On Sunday, the Toughs put the many of the items they hadn’t already got rid of up for silent auction.
“All the stuff hanging from the ceiling, an old Wurlitzer organ, jukeboxes … it’s been a fun kind of place to go to, kind of magical, a great place to hang out,” assessed musician Richard Simpkins, who sat in with a number of other musicians Sunday and is no stranger to live music pub patrons over the years.
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Andy, who noted a segment for the reality TV show Canadian Pickers was shot at the barn, reflected on his many acquisitions over the years.
“You know what they say: if you’re a collector, you fill the volume you have available,” he said. “I have a 40 by 60 foot barn with three levels and it got real full. Then I bought RMS Events and brought all that gear in. Half of the stuff I’m not using anymore. We’re out of the DJ business now. When we do find a buyer for the place, we’ll have another auction and more stuff will go.”
Beyond the music jams and it being home to a number of unique collectibles, the barn holds another special significance for the Toughs.
Andy Tough (right), who with wife Linda hosted the final music jam at their Norwood barn on August 7, 2002, got in on the fun by performing a few songs. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNO
It was there, close to 12 years ago, that they married. If that wasn’t enough to being a sentimental tear to their eyes, Sunday’s surprise arrival of their son from Nova Scotia did the trick.
“What I’m most happy about right now is all of these musicians have been out there gigging again and people have been out there supporting them,” Andy noted. “That’s what it’s all about.”
McGrath, who attended the final jam with her partner Guye Vondette, can certainly attest to that. She has been a regular at many live music events over the years. On September 10, she’ll be in mix big time as Vondette again hosts Guyestock, a nine-act live music showcase held outside their East City home that will be very jam-like.
It was an emotional day for several local musicians and live music fans as they gathered on August 7, 2022, for the final music jam to be held at Andy and Linda’s barn near Norwood. The Toughs are downsizing, with the huge farm property up for sale, including the barn. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
“I love being here — I’m a groupie,” admits McGrath with unabashed pride. “I certainly wish Andy and Linda well but this will be missed. There’ll be a void for musicians and those who came out to experience this. We may never see anything like this again.”
That Sunday’s last hurrah at the barn happened at all is another story altogether.
On May 21, when the derecho storm ripped its way across southern Ontario, the Toughs found half of the massive barn roof in pieces on their property. That forced them to remove their property listing until repairs could be made. They were, allowing Sunday’s final jam to be held.
Peterborough City Hall is located at 500 George Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
The nomination period to run for as a candidate for Peterborough city council or as a school board trustee in the fall municipal election closes at 2 p.m. next Friday (August 19).
Elected positions in the City of Peterborough include the mayor, two councillors for each of the five wards in the city (Otonabee, Monaghan, Town, Ashburnham, and Northcrest), and trustees for each of the school boards serving the city.
As of Monday, August 15, the following candidates have declared their nominations:
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Mayor of Peterborough – Stephen Wright, Henry Clarke, and Jeff Leal
Councillor for Otonabee Ward 1 – Lesley Parnell, Kevin Duguay, and Chanté White
Councillor for Monaghan Ward 2 – Jeff Westlake, Matt Crowley, Charmaine Magumbe, Lyle Saunders, Don Vassiliadis, and Tom Wigglesworth
Councillor for Town Ward 3 – Dean Pappas, Alex Bierk, Brian Christoph, Joy Lachica, and Vickie Ann Karikas
Councillor for Ashburnham Ward 4 – Gary Baldwin, Keith Riel, and Andrew MacGregor
Councillor for Northcrest Ward 5 – Dave Haacke, Carlotta James, Andrew Beamer, Shauna Kingston, Aldo Andreoli, and Karen Grant
Trustee for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board – Wayne Bonner and Steve Russell
Trustee for Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board – Loretta Durst
There are currently no declared candidates for trustee for Conseil Scolaire Viamonde or for Conseil Scolaire Catholique Mon Avenir.
To file nomination papers, candidates are required to make an appointment with the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall ( 500 George St. N., Peterborough) by emailing election2022@peterborough.ca. Candidate packages and resources are available online at peterborough.ca/vote.
The municipal election takes place on Monday, October 24th, with voting locations open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Residents can confirm they are registered to vote by visiting www.voterlookup.ca. Eligible voters on the voters list will receive a voter notification card in the mail in early October telling them where they may vote.
Online voting will be available from October 1 until 8 p.m. on October 24, and in-person voting will be available on both Election Day and through advanced polls.
Advanced polls will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the three Saturdays before election day (October 8, 15, and 22 at Healthy Planet Arena (911 Monaghan Rd.) for Ward 1, Westdale United Church (1509 Sherbrooke St.) for Ward 2, Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N.) for Ward 3, Lions Club (347 Burnham St.) for Ward 4, and Northview Community Church (1000 Fairbairn St.) for Ward 5.
An advance voting location with enhanced accessibility features will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday, October 17th to Friday, October 21st at Peterborough City Hall (500 George St. N.).
During "Tying the Knot: Early Wedding Traditions" at Lang Pioneer Village Museum on August 14, 2022, the museum's best and most fashionable costumes will be on display throughout the village as well as a few brides dressed for their big day. The event also includes a 19th-century fashion show presented in partnership with Pickering Museum Village. (Photo courtesy of Lang Pioneer Village Museum)
Did you know that the decoratively carved “love spoon” was originally a way for a suitor to show a young woman his skill at woodworking and to demonstrate to her father that he was capable of providing for the family?
This is one of the early courtship and wedding traditions you can explore by visiting Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene for their “Tying the Knot: Early Wedding Traditions” event, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 14th.
The event will delve into 19th-century traditions from courtship to marriage along with wedding fashion and décor, with the museum’s best and most fashionable costumes on display throughout the village as well as a few brides dressed for their big day.
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Along with learning about courtship traditions such as love spoons at the Carpenter Shop and courting candles in the Blacksmith Shop, you can find out what would be in a traditional trousseau (the clothes, household linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage) and experience a shivaree (a noisy mock serenade performed by a group of people to celebrate a marriage) in the Fitzpatrick House.
You can browse common 19th-century wedding gifts at the Milburn House, where you can also watch a demonstration of bobbin lace making. In the Keene Hotel, learn about wedding folklore and superstitions as well as 19th-century bachelor and hen parties. Upstairs at the Salesman’s room, you can also view the museum’s wedding clothing display.
You can experience what dancing was like at a 19th-century wedding by taking a lesson from a local English country dancer, and listen to traditional wedding songs played on the organ and harpsichord in the Glen Alda Church.
A 19-century wedding party. (Photo courtesy of Lang Pioneer Village Museum)
You can also learn how to create a tussi mussi — a small flower bouquet that became a popular fashion accessory during the reign of Queen Victoria — with the Peterborough Master Gardeners on the Village Green. There will also be natural dyeing demonstrations, needlepoint demonstrations by the Cobourg Stitchery Group, and quilting demonstrations by the Kawartha Quiltmakers Guild.
At 12:30 p.m., the Peterborough Concert Band will perform a special concert outside of the Church featuring traditional wedding and love songs of the 19th century. At 2 p.m., a 19th-century fashion show presented in partnership with Pickering Museum Village will begin with music and an introduction to wedding attire from the Keene Hotel porch before proceeding to the Glen Alda Church.
For refreshments, you can enjoy an English tea in the Great Hall of the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building, or stop by the Keene Hotel for a cold refreshment and a slice of wedding cake (additional fees apply). The day also includes horse-drawn wagon rides and crafts for the kids.
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Lang Pioneer Village Museum encourages visitors to dress up for the occasion by wearing an old wedding gown, bridesmaid frock, or suits and suspenders.
Admission to “Tying the Knot: Early Wedding Traditions” is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors 60 and older, $7 for children and youth ages five to 14, and free for children under five. Family admission (two adults and up to four youth) is also available for $40.
Bibi Banh Mi offers made from scratch banh mi with a choice of lemongrass chicken or grilled pork every Saturday at the Peterborough Regional Farmers' Market in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Bibi Banh Mi)
kNOSH News is currently on hiatus.
This month, food writer Eva Fisher has an authentic Vietnamese banh mi with Bibi Banh Mi in Peterborough, brings the farmers’ market to her doorstep with Orono’s Graze & Gather, learns about Haliburton’s local food hub in an unlikely location with Abbey Gardens, and celebrates with lobster at Chemong Lodge in Bridgenorth.
Bibi Banh Mi brings homestyle banh mi to market in Peterborough
Connor McCracken and Aurora Nguyen serve their home-style Vietnamese banh mi every Saturday morning at the farmers’ market in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Bibi Banh Mi)
Aurora Nguyen and Connor McCracken didn’t set out to join the sandwich business, but with a push from some friends they began selling their homestyle banh mi this spring at the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market.
Aurora says that the idea started over a meal with friends.
“One day we invited our friends over to our house and I wanted to make Banh Mi, which is a Vietnamese sandwich, and I made it for them. I made the bread and made everything homestyle. And one of my friends said, ‘Why don’t you sell this? This is so good. This is the best banh mi I’ve ever had.’ And I said, ‘No way, no one’s going to like this.’ But she convinced us.”
It may have helped that those friends were Sam and Tom Thanomphan from Real Thai Cuisine.
“They’ve helped us out really a lot with everything,” Connor adds.
Bibi Banh Mi serves their grilled lemongrass chicken or grilled pork banh mi in a Vietnamese-style baguette, which is lighter than a French baguette with a crispier shell and is perfect for this classic sandwich. (Photo: Bibi Banh Mi)
Aurora and Connor offer two varieties of banh mi: grilled lemongrass chicken and grilled pork from Otonabee Packers. Each sandwich is topped with home-pickled carrots and daikon, homemade pork liver pate, and cilantro. The bread is also homemade — an airy Vietnamese-style baguette.
“It’s influenced by when Vietnam was a colony of France, but the Vietnamese baguette is lighter and crispier and not so chewy,” Connor explains.
You can purchase Bibi Banh Mi every week from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Saturday farmers’ market in the Peterborough Square courtyeard in downtown Peterborough. You can follow Bibi Banh Mi on Instagram @bibibanhmi.
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Graze & Gather in Orono brings 100 farms and producers to your doorstep
The team of Tina, Reggie, Brooke and Dave (not pictured is Russell) at Orono-based Graze & Gather, a virtual farmers’ market offering both delivery and pick-up. (Photo: Graze & Gather)
Graze & Gather is an online farmers’ market that makes it simple and convenient to order from 100 different farmers and producers, most of whom are based locally.
Founder Dave Kranenburg began the business in mid-March 2020, a few days after the first pandemic lockdown. Dave owns Kendal Hill Farms (8075 Maynard Rd., Orono, 416-824-1917) with his wife Emily.
“My farm was in a place of panic with all of the markets closing, all of the restaurants closing … facing all of the cancellations because of the pandemic. I was basically looking at the year ahead at the time and thinking, ‘If this thing lasts until the end of the year we’ve lost all of our revenue, so we need to find a different way to get our food to people.'”
Graze & Gather delivers farm-fresh produce, prepared food, meat and preserves directly to your doorstep in Peterborough, Port Hope, Cobourg, and some of the rural areas in between. (Photo: Graze & Gather)
Originally the business was called the Virtual Farmers’ Market, but they decided to rename it to Graze & Gather last summer as it became clear that this business was more than a stop-gap pandemic measure. Dave says that the concept is a convenient options for customers and farmers.
“We’re trying to make it easy for homes to enjoy the food from farmers’ markets. The team here takes on all the legwork of coordinating with farmers and producers on what they have available, picking it up from farms, and packaging groceries and doing home delivery.”
“It’s really meant for homes that might not be able to make it to the farmers’ market that week because of other commitments. It also really works for the farmers because there’s only so many markets that each of us can be at.”
Graze & Gather sources from local farms, including from Garlicloves in Bethany and Minden. (Photo: Graze & Gather)
With 100 different farms and producers on the roster, there are plenty of local options, but Dave also selects farmers with integrity.
“Our criteria is that we need to know that they’re the ones growing or making the food. That they have a really strong commitment to working with nature, treating their workers with respect, and just growing or making really high quality good-tasting food.”
You can place orders at grazeandgatherfood.ca. Graze & Gather offers home delivery into Peterborough, Port Hope, Cobourg, and some of the rural areas between. You can also opt for pickup from The Food Shop in downtown Peterborough or from Kendal Hills Farm in Orono.
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Abbey Gardens in Haliburton transforms a gravel pit into a “regreened” local food hub
The local food hub at Abbey Gardens in Haliburton celebrates local growers and producers. (Photo: Abbey Gardens)
An abandoned gravel pit doesn’t necessarily evoke a land of plenty, but the team behind Abbey Gardens (1012 Garden Gate Dr., Haliburton, 705-754-4769) have created just that in the footprint of an open-pit gravel mine.
Founded in 2009 by retired businessman John Patterson, the 380-acre “regreened” property includes a food hub, an 18-hole disc golf course, an off-grid event space and drive-in movie theatre, a two-acre vegetable garden, public trails, a natural playground for kids, a wood-fired pizza truck, and a craft brewery.
Director of operations and strategic initiatives Ashley McAllister says their main goal is to support and grow local food initiatives in the Haliburton area.
VIDEO: Abbey Gardens: Our Story (2016)
“It’s all centred around the food hub, a social enterprise that specializes in local food and supporting local growers and makers.”
Ashley adds that local food initiatives like these are vital.
“The food hub was created because supporting local food and small growers and producers is critical to food sustainability in Canada, particularly in rural areas like Haliburton County.”
Onsite commercial kitchen facilities allow Abbey Gardens to offer food made with local ingredients (like these wild leek offerings) served at the peak of freshness. (Photo: Abbey Gardens)
The food hub is a specialty grocery store that carries products from local artisans, beekeepers, and farmers. According to Ashley, 90 per cent of their products are sourced from within 200 kilometres, and about 30 per cent of the products are actually made right on site in Abbey Gardens’ commercial kitchen or vegetable garden.
“It’s not just shopping — it’s an experience with where your food comes from,” Ashley explains. “It’s really common for visitors to be shopping when a farmer drops off fresh meat, or our garden team brings in a new harvest, or you can smell the fresh-baked pies the kitchen team are bringing out into the cafe.”
“You can grab lunch at the Into the Blue pizza truck and watch our beekeepers harvest honey from the apiary. On Mondays, that air still smells like the freshly roasted coffee from County Coffee, who roast every Sunday in the hub. You just can’t find that kind of transparency around the food you’re purchasing at the grocery store or anywhere else.”
Abbey Gardens in Haliburton has transformed a former gravel pit into a place of bounty. Guests are invited to explore their vegetable garden during their visit. (Photo: Abbey Gardens)
Abbey Gardens has a commercial kitchen facility on site, which allows them to reduce food waste by taking products that are at their peak of freshness and creating shelf-stable staples like soups and preserves. They also operate year-round hydroponic community-supported agriculture (CSA), which ensures participants always have access to fresh local greens.
Looking for an excuse to go? After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, Abbey Gardens is hosting their 15th annual Garlic Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 28th. The event will feature both a food and artisan market, as well as live music, pizza and a classic car show. Admission is by donation, with tickets available at abbeygardens.ca/product/garlic-festival-admission/.
Abbey Gardens is also hosting the “Music & the Gardens” festival from August 12 to 14, featuring Susan Aglukark, Dizzy & Fay, John McDermott, and more, and screens drive-in movies on Wednesday and Saturday nights during August. For more information, visit abbeygardens.ca.
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Lobsterfest at Chemong Lodge in Bridgenorth to honour ocean-loving “Con Man”
Con Man’s Lobsterfest takes place on Chemong Lodge in Bridgenorth on August 28, 2022, and will raise money for nonprofit ocean conservation organization Ocean’s Initiative. (Graphic: Chemong Lodge)
Chemong Lodge (764 Hunter St., Bridgenorth, 705-292-8435) is offering fresh east coast lobster at Con Man’s Lobsterfest, an event with live music, food, and premium beverages taking place on Sunday August 28th from noon to 8 p.m.
Adam Brown (who owns the business with his brother AJ and his father Ted) says they decided to do the event in honour of his late brother Connor (“Con Man”) Brown, who passed away in a commercial diving accident three years ago.
“It’s been a real challenge and a real loss and we’ve looked to do things to honour him at many different opportunities,” Adam explains. “Lobster was a passion of his — he went to school in PEI for diving.”
Part of the proceeds from the event will go to support Ocean’s Initiative, a Seattle-based nonprofit with a mandate to protect marine life and ecosystems.
Similar to Chemong Lodge’s recent Oysterfest, Con Man’s Lobsterfest on August 28, 2022 will be set up like a festival, featuring different beverage partners with tents set up in the Lakeview garden and food stations throughout the property. (Photo: Ralph Astorga)
The event will be set up like a festival, featuring different beverage partners with tents set up in the Lakeview garden and food stations throughout the property. Entry includes two beverage tickets and a choice of food for lobster lovers: a pound-and-a-half lobster with potato salad and corn on the cob, two lobster rolls with corn on the cob, or lobster mac and cheese.
For those who prefer their food raised on dry land, there will be ribs, brisket, and pulled pork from Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews (282 Aylmer St., Peterborough, 705-874-5717) and wagyu hotdogs from Primal Cuts (550 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough, 705-775-6328).
For Adam, AJ and Ted, this is another way to inject some life into a place they’ve loved for years.
“The lodge has been a really special place for us growing up. I grew up down the hill. My parents are still there — they’ve been there 30 years. My wedding rehearsal dinner was here, and all sorts of great celebrations. There’s a lot of passion attached to the project and it’s really a revitalization project for us.”
Tickets are available in person at Chemong Lodge or on their website at chemonglodge.com.
"Autumn Wagi" by David Grieve, one of 29 artists and artisans in 12 studio locations participating in the 29th annual Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, taking place September 17 and 18, 2022 in the Apsley area in North Kawartha Township and in nearby Coe Hill in Wollaston Township. (Photo courtesy of the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour)
While many of us may be reluctant to say goodbye to summer, there’s a lot to look forward to in autumn — including, for art lovers, the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour.
The annual free, self-guided tour is returning for its 29th year in 2022, running from 10 am to 5 pm. on Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th.
This year’s tour features 29 Ontario artists and artisans in 12 studio locations in the Apsley area in North Kawartha Township, midway between Peterborough and Bancroft, with one studio location in nearby Coe Hill in Wollaston Township.
Cobourg-based painter Stephen Gillberry is a new guest artist for the 29th annual Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, taking place September 17 and 18, 2022 in the Apsley area in North Kawartha Township and in nearby Coe Hill in Wollaston Township. (Photo courtesy of the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour)
The Apsley Autumn Studio Tour is renowned for the quality of the artists working in a variety of disciplines, including painting, jewellery, glass art, sculpture, fabric art, pottery, felting, and metalwork.
Not only will you be able to view new work created specifically for the tour, but you’ll have the opportunity to meet the artists in person as well as purchase their works.
The studio tour includes artists who live in the area as well as visiting guest artists. New artists are also admitted to the studio tour every year, through a juried process.
Jewellery by Toronto-based artist Vivienne Jones, one of 29 artists and artisans in 12 studio locations participating in the 29th annual Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, taking place September 17 and 18, 2022 in the Apsley area in North Kawartha Township and in nearby Coe Hill in Wollaston Township. (Photo courtesy of the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour)
New artists on this year’s tour include Cobourg painter Stephen Gillberry, Coe Hill painter Anita Murphy, and Selwyn visual artist Kelly O’Neill.
Many of the 12 studios on the tour are tucked away in scenic locations, made even more beautiful with the emerging fall colours.
To help you discover all the artists and their studios, the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour introduced a new app last year, created by local software developer Brad Carson. This year, the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour is part of Carson’s free Toureka! app, which you can download from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can also download a tour map.
Based in Brantford, painter David Grieve and his wife have a cottage on Jack Lake south of Apsley, where he maintains a summer studio. He is one of 29 artists and artisans in 12 studio locations participating in the 29th annual Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, taking place September 17 and 18, 2022 in the Apsley area in North Kawartha Township and in nearby Coe Hill in Wollaston Township. (Photo courtesy of the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour)
You can take a day trip and stop in at one of the local eateries in the area for refreshments (including Woody’s in Apsley, Border Town Market & Cafe and The Grape & Wedge in Glen Alda, and The Barn Chefs in Coe Hil), or make it a studio tour weekend by staying at local accommodations such as the Burleigh Falls Inn or Viamede Resort.
For your convenience, here’s a summary in alphabetical order of the artists and artisans participating in the 2022 Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, including their disciplines and the studios where you can find them, as well as a link to the studio tour map.
Rachel has introduced her artisan soaps to compliment the unique wools she’s been recognized for. She began experimenting with herbs from the garden and wild plants from her farm and woodland, blending them into the wholesome soaps. Rachel says creating artisan soaps along with novel wools is not only a manifestation of nature and colour, but also celebrates the charm of farm life.
Working from his home on the edge of the Canadian Shield, Brad maintains a successful practice as both a sculptor and a functional glass blower, often traversing the line between.
Jacques is a self-taught woodworker who uses only wood from dead or fallen trees. Gnarls, insect holes, and spalted wood are his materials of choice. He is always ready for a creative challenge of any size.
Valerie has been sewing for over 40 years starting with clothing for herself and her family, which eventually grew into a children’s clothing home business in Calgary. After moving to Saudi Arabia in 2000, she brought her seamstress skills into the practice of machine quilting. Valerie enjoys the mathematical aspects of quilting. She has grown to also love the practice of free motion quilting.
Since 2005, Valarie and her husband Ted have spent the bulk of her summers at Chandos Lake in Apsley. Valarie and Ted repatriated to their log home on Chandos Lake in 2015.
Mary Ellen Gerster sees the world according to shape, value, and colour, immersing the viewer in her bright and glowing watercolour paintings. Through the layering of transparent colours she creates photo realism in her still life, fruit, flowers and waterscapes. She is inspired and challenged by subjects with strong lights, shadows, shapes, colours and is especially drawn to high contrast and bright colours.
A new guest artist at the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour this year, Stephen is an accomplished artist who has spent the past 30-plus years developing his own unique style of painting. He has experimented with colour and texture in an effort to capture the beauty and spirituality of natural elements. Currently living and working in Cobourg, Stephen studied at the Ontario College of Art and Wilfrid Laurier University and his work is widely shown and well represented in galleries and corporate collections.
First introduced to oil painting as a child, David has been painting ever since and has developed a unique distinctive style. He uses a multi-layered technique, applying thick swaths of oil paint to create images inspired by the Ontario landscape.
Anja works with broken china, pottery, porcelain figurines, and tile to give these elements a second life in her whimsical mosaic art pieces. She also incorporates forks, beads, buttons, bottle caps, and typewriter keys.
Dolores’ work includes quilts, using imported fabrics from England and Japan, as well as wall hangings, runners, and smaller items. Many of her pieces have wool felting incorporated into the quilting, as well as beads, silk, and quite a number of other interesting embellishments.
A member of Kawartha Potters Guild and Spirit of the Hills Art Association, Melanie enjoys creating personalized pottery, particularly clocks. She enjoys making one-off pieces and is currently experimenting with raku and smoke fire techniques.
Carolyn’s artwork includes hand-woven tapestry, acrylic painting, block printing, fabric painting, and painting on birch bark. As a tapestry artist, Carolyn has exhibited in Canada, United States, and England. Her paintings reflect her understanding of textile structures, her eye for colour, and her ongoing interest in geometry and pattern in art and nature.
Vivienne is a contemporary artist based in Toronto whose work is very much influenced by natural forms. She creates highly distinctive jewellery using both traditional and non-traditional materials.
Living in rural Apsley, Lisa paints the world around her. Jack pines, full maples, wild flowers, and rural homes, Lisa paints what is found outside her front door.
After a successful career both nationally and internationally in architecture, Barbara Miszkiel has returned to her original interest in fine arts, painting primarily in acrylics. Although Barbara has created new buildings most of her career, in painting she is drawn to old buildings, live subjects and landscapes.
The starting point for all of Molly’s work is the pristine landscape that surrounds her: the lake, forest, and uninterrupted skyscape are the foundation of every piece she paints. A visual artist whose primary focus is abstraction, she works primarily in acrylic and mixed media.
A new guest artist at the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour this year, Anita’s works of art are about emotion. Despite having spent her life in rural settings near Bancroft, her work is inspired by the interaction between people and nature rather than the wilderness itself. A member of the Canada Council for the Arts, Anita studied at the Toronto School of Art and has work in private collections across the world.
A new guest artist at the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour this year, Kelly is a multidisciplinary visual artist who enjoys the immediacy of dry materials in her drawing practice, and engages with found objects, natural materials, video, assemblage, and textile practices to create three-dimensional forms and installations. The Selwyn-based artist studied sculpture and installation at Toronto’s OCAD University and Her work has been shown in galleries in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Applying multiple patterns in a range of colours on clay, Cathy creates one-of-a-kind functional pieces of art or a whimsical collectible. New animal-themed mugs, piggy banks, and horse figurines add to the collection among a continuation of animated forms of snowmen, gnomes, Santas, and assorted critters.
After working for many years in the tech industry, Judy Ranieri retired and began to explore her creative passions. Many of Judy’s projects are inspired by nature and utilize natural fibres, fabric, colour, design, and textures to create one of a kind textile and fabric art pieces.
In her 30-year career as a glass artist, Susan has drawn inspiration from the landscape in which she lives. An avid gardener, she continues to explore the idea of garden through her vessel and sculptural works and is well known for her vibrant floral vessels.
Kathy has been a stained glass artist for over 25 years, using traditional techniques to produce stained glass art. Concentrating on the copper foil method, Kathy looks to nature for inspiration.
Catharine is a self-taught artisan who is inspired by the natural beauty of coloured gem stones, the ability to form and create meaningful pieces of art through wire working, and her own creative style of stringing that can be worn at any time of the day with any style of fashion.
Clare Scott-Taggart aka Rusty Girl (Metal Sculpture, Studio F)
Clare owns Rusty Girl metalwork studio in Toronto, where she designs and makes railings, furniture, arbours, limited-run production pieces for the garden, and sculpture.
David is inspired to create new works in watercolour, acrylic, and oil by the surrounding landscape. Painting full time following a career in advertising, graphic design, and colour retouching, he applies this knowledge and skill into his paintings.
Obsessed with the relationship between great food and handmade pottery, Judy believes eating from handmade pots elevates the dining experience. Her work is carefully hand crafted to be enjoyed as everyday art.
First launched in 1994, the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour creates public awareness of the arts by promoting and supporting artists in the community.
For more information on the 2022 Apsley Autumn Studio Tour, visit apsleystudiotour.com. You can also follow the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour on Facebook and Instagram.
Find the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour on the Toureka! app or download the tour map and watch for the black-and-white studio tour signs that mark each studio location. (Photo courtesy of Apsley Autumn Studio Tour)
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Apsley Autumn Studio Tour. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
A woman has been seriously injured after crashing her motorcycle southeast of Little Britain in the City of Kawartha Lakes on Sunday afternoon (August 7).
At around 3:30 p.m., the City of Kawarthas Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a single-vehicle collision on Little Britain Road near Beacroft Road, about four kilometres southeast of Little Britain.
The police’s initial investigation found the driver of the motorcycle failed to negotiate a turn and left the roadway.
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She was transported to a local hospital and subsequently airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre.
Police are continuing to investigation the crash and are asking any witnesses to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
Anyone who witnessed the collision and would like to speak to victim services can call Kawartha Haliburton Victim Services at 705-878-5505.
Indie rockers The Strumbellas are performing at Peterborough Musicfest in Del Crary Park on August 10, 2022. Four of the members of the band are originally from Lindsay, including songwriter and lead vocalist Simon Ward, who has taken a step away from touring with the band. Jimmy Chauveau (Ascot Royals, Kadeema) is now lead vocalist with the band, pictured performing at Area 506 in Saint John, New Brunswick during Bash on The Bay in June celebrating the 2022 Memorial Cup. (Photo: Canadian Hockey League)
Fortunately for Canadian indie rock music fans, particularly those who have found The Strumbellas very much to their collective liking, what happened in Lindsay didn’t stay in Lindsay.
Peterborough Musicfest presents The Strumbellas
When: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: Free admission
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent). VIP seating available for sponsors. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighbourhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Four of the band’s members — Simon Ward (vocals/guitar), Jon Hembrey (lead guitar), Darryl James (bass), and Jeremy Drury (drums) — are from the town now that’s part and parcel of the City of Kawartha Lakes, having made the decision long ago to pursue their musical talents in Toronto. That was a very wise decision as things turned out.
Following the addition of David Ritter (vocals/keyboards) and Isabel Ritchie (violin), who came into the fold via a Craigslist call for help, The Strumbellas quickly found their voice and their rightful place on the crowded Canadian music landscape.
On Wednesday, August 10th, Peterborough Musicfest welcomes The Strumbellas to Del Crary Park as the festival’s 35th season winds down to its conclusion. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert, as always, is free.
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Formed in 2008, The Strumbellas wasted little time getting busy, releasing their self-titled debut EP the following year and subsequently performing at a number of legendary Toronto venues including The Horseshoe Tavern and Cameron House.
With the 2012 release of The Strumbellas’ debut full-length album My Father And The Hunter, it seemed everyone was talking about the band that mixed and matched elements of country, folk, and pop with a rock anchor. The Canadian music industry paid attention too, in the form of a 2013 Juno Award nomination for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year – Group.
But what was denied The Strumbellas in 2013 came its way at the 2014 Juno Awards when the band’s second album, We Still Move On Dance Floors, took home the statue in the same category.
VIDEO: “Spirits” – The Strumbellas
VIDEO: “In This Life” – The Strumbellas
Not content to rest on its laurels, The Strumbellas’ big breakthrough came in 2016 with the release of their third album Hope and, in particular, the album’s first single “Spirits.” The song topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart for two weeks.
Having since been certified triple platinum in Canada and Italy, and gold in the United States, France, and Belgium, “Spirits” brought The Strumbellas their second Juno Award in 2017 for Single of the Year and earned the band not only a number of prominent festival dates but also an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Asked during an August 2017 interview with Cassandra Popescu of Canadian Beats Media if she and her bandmates saw beforehand the success “Spirits” would attain, violinist Isabel Ritchie was quick to answer “Absolutely not.”
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“We were excited about Spirits but we were excited about a lot of other songs. I don’t even remember how we picked Spirits (to be the album’s first single). We were just ‘OK, we’ll release that first and see what happens.'”
“It has just been amazing to see where it has gone and how it sort of moved across the world, and even in Canada, starting out on smaller stations and moving to rock stations and then moving to pop stations and just seeing that evolve.”
During the same interview, Ritchie touched on The Strumbellas’ modus operandi of interchanging high-energy songs with more emotional tunes that expose common vulnerabilities.
VIDEO: “We Don’t Know” – The Strumbellas
VIDEO: “Salvation” – The Strumbellas
“We love playing those upbeat songs live, especially in a festival environment,” she said. “It’s really fun, so we kind of always have this pressure on ourselves to make fun songs that people can dance to but, naturally, a lot of the songs we write start off a little more chill. I don’t think we’re doing anything that pushes us out of our comfort zone or is unnatural. Everything definitely comes from a natural place but we always have fun with the upbeat ones.”
In 2019, The Strumbellas released a fourth studio album, Rattlesnake, featuring the singles “Salvation” and “I’ll Wait” — the former performed on Late Night with Seth Myers, again exposing the band to a huge North American audience.
As the band’s fans await some word on new music coming down the pipe, last year’s release of the single “Greatest Enemy” has satisfied their thirst for now.
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However, fans also found out in March that frontman and principal songwriter Simon Ward would no longer be touring with The Strumbellas, with Jimmy Chauveau (Ascot Royals, Kadeema) joining the band as their new lead vocalist.
“I am just not cut out to tour to the same extent anymore, and as much as I love the band, I have decided I would like to put my focus on my first loves: songwriting and being at home with my family,” Ward said in a statement. “Stepping back from touring will let me focus on that and more, and I’m excited for everything to come.”
Ward’s decision to remain behind the scenes with The Strumbellas came after he opened up about his struggles with depression and anxiety in a February 2021 interview with David Friend of The Canadian Press — a difficult time that, early on, forced the cancellation of a 14-city Canadian tour in January 2020.
VIDEO: “I’ll Wait” – The Strumbellas
VIDEO: “Greatest Enemy” – The Strumbellas
“It’s so easy to isolate yourself when you’re having mental health issues,” said Ward, a reference to those times on tour when he would stay behind in his hotel room while his band mates got together for dinner. “All you want to do is not be with other people. So I would stay by myself. I’m still working my way through it and struggling. I’m better now but, you know, mental health is just such a tricky game. It seems to hang around, come back and float around.”
Ward wrote “Greatest Enemy” after he went through what he termed “the worst year of my life.” In November last year, Ward also released his debut solo album Simon and the Island — a nine-song record that he hopes “comforts and encourages others that are struggling with their own mental health that they’re not alone.”
“These songs are about my life,” Ward explained in a statement. “Some of them are about my struggles with mental health, some of them are love songs to my wife, who is my soul mate. This album is about being in a dark place but seeing the sliver of hope shine in.”
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Win VIP passes to MusicFest!
As a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest, kawarthaNOW.com is giving away VIP seats to every one of this summer’s concerts.
While the concerts are free to all, VIP seats are not available to the general public — only to festival sponsors. You are guaranteed a chair near to the stage for the best view.
The giveaways are exclusive to subscribers to our weekly e-news. For your chance to win, sign-up to our weekly e-news at k-n.ca/subscribe.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its milestone 35th anniversary season, each staged Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2022 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
Hyland Crest is a 62-bed long-term care home located at 6 McPherson Street in Minden. (Photo: Google Maps)
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Hyland Crest in Minden, a 62-bed long-term care home operated by Haliburton Highlands Health Services.
The outbreak at the home at 6 McPherson Street was declared on Saturday (August 6) on the facility’s upper level, with three confirmed resident cases currently associated with the outbreak.
As a result of the outbreak, seven residents have been isolated and both levels of the home are now closed to any further admissions and general visitors. Essential caregivers may continue to visit.
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All outings will also be cancelled unless they are for a medical appointment. In addition, volunteers will continue to be restricted from entering the home at this time.
A media release from Haliburton Highlands Health Services states the organization will continue to maintain important infection prevention and control measures, including mandatory masking in all resident care areas, mandatory vaccination, regular surveillance testing, active screening before entry into all facilities, and enhanced cleaning at Hyland Crest Long-Term Care.
Services in the adjacent Minden Hospital are unaffected by the outbreak.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
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