A Kawartha Lakes police vehicle blocks access to Pigeon Lake Road east of Lindsay after a police shooting on November 26, 2020 that resulting in a 33-year-old suspect and an OPP officer being seriously injured. The suspect's one-year-old son was found fatally shot in the man's pickup truck. (Photo: CBC)
Almost two years after the tragic shooting of 18-month-old Jameson Shapiro in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario’s police watchdog has announced manslaughter charges have been laid against three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers involved in the shooting.
A media release from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) issued on Wednesday (August 31) states that SIU director Joseph Martino has “reasonable grounds” to believe the three OPP officers “committed criminal offences” in relation to the infant’s death, and “has caused charges to be laid against each of the officers.”
OPP constables Nathan Vanderheyden, Kenneth Pengelly, and Grason Cappus have each been charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of criminal negligence causing death.
On November 26, 2020, the OPP responded to a report of a domestic dispute near Bobcaygeon involving a firearm, and that a 33-year-old man had abducted his infant son. When they attempted to stop the man’s pick-up truck on Pigeon Lake Road east of Lindsay, it collided with another vehicle and seriously injured an OPP officer.
Police confronted the driver and three officers fired shots at the pick-up truck, injuring the man. The body of the infant was later found in the pick-up truck, along with a handgun. The boy’s father succumbed to his injuries almost one week later.
After an initial investigation and months of speculation, the SIU confirmed in February 2021 the infant had died as a result of being shot by police.
At that time, SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon wrote in an email that the three officers involved in the shooting had “not as yet availed themselves of an opportunity to be interviewed.”
In August 2021, the SIU announced the investigation was “in a hold pattern” awaiting the results of specialized forensic testing of some of the ballistic evidence by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S. In November 2021, the SIU announced it was reviewing the FBI’s forensic report and was continuing “to actively investigate this tragic case.” Over the following nine months, the SIU provided no further public updates on the investigation.
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In response to the SIU’s announcement of charges, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique issued the following statement:
“On November 26, 2020, a family suffered the tremendous loss of their child, and the Ontario Provincial Police extends to them our deepest sympathies. Our mission is to protect our citizens, uphold the law and preserve public safety. When a tragedy such as this occurs, it affects the families, the community and our whole service. It is devastating when an innocent life is lost during an incident.’
“We thank members of the public who awaited the findings of the SIU, rather than speculating on what occurred. We respect the mandate and responsibilities of the SIU and will not comment further as this matter proceeds through the appropriate court processes.”
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Rob Stinson, president of the Barrie-based Ontario Provincial Police Association, also issued a statement in response to the announcement of charges:
“This incident is a tragic circumstance for all involved. We are fully supporting our members charged and our officers and civilian staff affected, with some still off work. It has impacted many people, families, first responders, and our members. Every single day police officers make split second decisions that most will never have to make and wouldn’t want to make. This case is now before the courts. Everyone is entitled to due process. Our members have cooperated with the investigation in accordance with the law.”
This story has been updated with additional information about the SIU’s investigation and a statement from the Ontario Provincial Police Association.
In August, volunteers from Eastway Property Management helped Habitat for Humanity Northumberland with its latest build at 57 Queen Street in the Village of Hastings. The Town of Cobourg has donated land at 604 Daintry Crescent to the non-profit affordable housing organization so it can build a single detached home. (Photo: Habitat for Humanity Northumberland / Facebook)
The Town of Cobourg has announced an agreement of purchase and sale to donate a parcel of municipally owned vacant land, located at 604 Daintry Crescent, to Habitat for Humanity Northumberland.
Last October, the non-profit affordable housing organization submitted a proposal to Cobourg council proposing the land be declared surplus so Habitat could build a single detached home on the 0.2-hectare property, stating they already had a list of approved families waiting for affordable housing.
In December, council directed staff to declare the Daintry Crescent land as surplus and, at council’s committee-of-the-whole meeting on August 15, approved a motion to proceed with agreement of purchase and sale of the property for a nominal fee of $2. At the August 22 regular council meeting, council approved a by-law to execute the agreement of purchase and sale.
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Under Habitat for Humanity’s model, approved families get “a hand up, not a hand out” through interest-free mortgages with no down-payment and mortgage payments geared to gross income. Families approved for housing are also required to contribute a minimum number of “sweat equity” hours into either building their home or otherwise volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.
As part of the agreement of purchase and sale for 604 Daintry Crescent, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland will assume all survey, zoning, and development and other costs, and the town will have an opportunity to review the design of the new build. Habitat will also work with town planning staff to ensure the new build complements the character of the existing neighbourhood.
Habitat will also ensure the community and neighbouring residents are kept up to date with regular mail notifications, and will hold an on-site community meeting will be held at a later date to introduce the final design details to residents and address any questions about the construction schedule.
A formal ground-breaking ceremony at 604 Daintry Crescent will take place at a later date.
A 51-year-old Peterborough man has been arrested and charged with mischief after he continued to disturb his neighbour by playing loud music.
Since August 20, Peterborough police have responded to several noise complaints in connection with a residence to a George Street South. The noise involved the occupant of the residence playing load music while the windows remained open.
During this time, police warned the occupant several times and also charged him under the city’s noise by-law.
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On Monday (August 29) at 10:30 p.m., police went to the residence in response to another noise complaint. When officers attempted to speak to the occupant about the noise, he turned up the volume.
After obtaining a warrant, police entered the residence at 8 a.m. the following day, placed the occupant under arrest for mischief, and transported him to the police station.
Later the same day, police obtained another warrant to enter the residence and seize the stereo equipment the accused man was using to play music.
A 51-year-old Peterborough man has been charged with mischief for interfering with the lawful use and enjoyment of his neighbour’s property. He appeared in court on Tuesday (August 30) and was released.
Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, located on the border of the state of Michoacán, is a world heritage site containing most of the over-wintering sites of the eastern population of the monarch butterfly. Juan Antonio Ixtláhuac, mayor of the city of Zitácuaro in Michoacán, is one of the special guests from Mexico who will attend the 'Zitacuaro Summit' at the Market Hall in Peterborough on September 10, 2022, sharing a message of monarch butterfly conservation. (Photo: Monarch Ultra)
In the fall of 2019, 46 ultra runners with the Monarch Ultra Relay Run followed the threatened monarch butterfly’s 4,300-kilometre migratory path from Peterborough to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in central Mexico.
When the Monarch Ultra arrived in Mexico, sharing their message of pollinator conservation with the hopes of bringing worldwide attention to the plight of the monarch and other pollinators, they were warmly greeted and overwhelmed with support from Mexico’s federal government, municipalities, running groups, conservation groups, and businesses.
Now Peterborough has the chance to welcome a delegation from the city of Zitácuaro in Mexico — located in the foothills of the over-wintering habitat of monarch butterflies and near to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a world heritage site — at the “Zitacuaro Summit” at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 10.
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The Mexican delegation, which includes Juan Antonio Ixtláhuac — Presidente Municipal (Mayor) of Zitácuaro — and tourism and ecology ministers from the Mexican government, will be sharing a message on monarch conservation and Indigenous knowledge with the Peterborough community.
In July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature officially designated the migratory monarch butterfly as endangered, with the native population shrinking by between 22 and 72 per cent over the past decade, largely due to human-caused destruction of milkweed (the host plant that monarch larvae feed upon) and deforestation of the monarch’s over-winter habitat.
The Zitacuaro Summit is an opportunity to learn more about how the Zitácuaro community is protecting monarch butterflies — including by planting 200,000 trees in the forest sanctuaries — and how the monarch butterfly influences Zitácuaro Indigenous culture, including clothing, music, and traditions like Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Zitácuaro Mayor Juan Antonio Ixtláhuac helps paint a monarch butterfly in December 2021 in Zitácuaro, a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a world heritage site containing most of the over-wintering sites of the eastern population of the monarch butterfly, is located on the border of Michoacán. (Photo: Toño Ixtláhuac / Facebook)
“This international event will strengthen our cause for monarch conservation once our community discovers the significant connection that exists between Peterborough and Zitácuaro,” says Carlotta James, co-founder of the Monarch Ultra. “These two communities care a lot about environmental action, and thanks to monarch butterflies, they have brought us together on a shared journey of cultural exchange.”
Local artists are also invited to create and donate monarch-inspired art for a “Migration of Art” exhibit that will be displayed at the Market Hall during the Zitacuaro Summit.
The artwork will then go on a “migration” of its own to Zitácuaro in Mexico, where it will be displayed on November 22 in a local gallery at the ancient pyramids of San Felipe los Alzati in Michoacán, as part of the International Monarch Butterfly Festival.
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The Zitacuaro Summit will also feature a performance by Indigenous artists and a presentation by Zitácuaro Mayor Juan Antonio Ixtláhuac. Light refreshments will be served. Note the Zitacuaro Summit will be filmed as part of a documentary on the Monarch Ultra.
The event is free to the public thanks to a grant by the United Way of Peterborough & District’s Neighbourhood Fund. To register for the Zitacuaro Summit, visit eventbrite.ca/e/403125056897.
Along with participating in the Zitacuaro Summit, on September 10 the Mexican delegation will tour one of Canada’s most sustainable buildings at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre, watch a fire
ceremony in the tipi, and participated in a monarch butterfly release.
Local art submitted to the “Migration of Art” exhibit will be on display during the Zitacuaro Summit before “migrating” to Zitácuaro in Mexico as part of the International Monarch Butterfly Festival. (Poster: Monarch Ultra)
On September 11, the Mexican delegation will visit Curve Lake First Nation to connect with the Anishinaabe community, as well as to learn about local Indigenous practices and traditions.
“Curve Lake is honoured to host the delegation from Zitácuaro, Mexico,” says Elder Dorothy Taylor. “The monarch butterfly is a diminishing ecological icon which we must all work to conserve now and
into the future.”
A detail from "Pincer Bay Evening" (2021, watercolour on paper) by Peterborough-based artist Nan Sidler, one of 39 artists participating in the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour. The free self-guided tour takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 24 and 25 and offers art lovers the chance to visit artists at work in 34 studio locations in the City of Peterborough, the Village of Lakefield, and communities across Peterborough County. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
Attention all art lovers! Mark your calendars and get ready to travel around Peterborough and the Kawarthas to see local artists at work in their studios when the 38th annual Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour returns the weekend of September 24th and 25th.
It’s an opportunity to visit 39 local artists at 34 studio locations from Stoney Lake to Keene, with participating artists opening the doors of their studios to members of the public, who can meet with the artists and browse and purchase their work. The free, self-guided tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Peterborough, the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour features artists working in a wide range of disciplines, styles, and media. According to Andrew Ihamaki, the gallery’s Education Programming Coordinator, the tour is very much a “choose your own” art adventure experience.
“Once you pick a studio or series of studios, it can be so vastly different depending on where you’re going,” he says, adding no two people going on the tour will have the same experience and everyone will come away with something different.
Not sure where to start? This year, the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour is available on the free Toureka! app, which allows you to plan, track, and navigate your desired tour stops. You can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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You can also get a preview of the work of participating artists by visiting the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s “Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour: Selections” exhibition, which is on now until Sunday, October 2nd at the gallery at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough.
“Anyone who isn’t sure who they want to check out can come to the gallery first in the lead up to the tour, or even on the tour dates,” Ihamaki says.
Textile artist Christianna Ferguson in her studio at 16 Bishop Street in Lakefield. Ferguson works primarily with felt as her textile of choice, because she enjoys the endless options she has when it comes to colour, texture, pattern, and form. Her studio is Tour Stop 18 on the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, running on September 24 and 25. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)A collection of cuffs made in 2019 by Lakefield textile artist Christianna Ferguson in different bright colours. The materials used in the cuffs is merino wool, silk, and embroidery floss. Ferguson’s studio at 16 Bishop Street in Lakefield is Tour Stop 18 on the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, running on September 24 and 25. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
Ihamaki recommends people who want to know more about participating artists check out their bios on the Art Gallery of Peterborough website at agp.on.ca/kast or pick up a studio tour brochure, available at various locations around town. You can also read about the participating artists on the Toureka! app.
Since the Art Gallery of Peterborough opened its doors in 1974, it has become a hub for connecting the local community with the arts. The annual Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour is one of many educational and community outreach programs the gallery provides for the community of Peterborough and the surrounding area.
By connecting people with local artists in their studios, Ihamaki says, the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour helps remove the barriers between local artists and the community. It gives people the opportunity to visit their favourite artists or discover new ones, learn about their artistic practice, and have the chance to purchase their work and support the region’s artists. As the Art Gallery of Peterborough doesn’t take a commission from any of the studio tour sales, all proceeds go directly to the artists.
Peterborough’s Stan Olthuis is a multi-disciplinarity visual artist who is unbiased to materials, using uses a variety of power tools, house paint, and found objects in his art pieces. His studio at 225 McGill Street in Peterborough is Tour Stop 10 on the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, running on September 24 and 25. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
One artist participating in this year’s tour is Christianna Ferguson, who works in textiles with a speciality in felt. Her creations vary from wearable pieces to wall hangings. Working with felt allows Ferguson to explore colour, texture, pattern, and form in endless ways. She was featured in the 2018 exhibition “Shrine” by Felt :: Feutre Canada, a national not-for profit organization for Canadian feltmakers. Ferguson’s studio is located at 16 Bishop Street in Lakefield (Tour Stop 18).
Also participating in this year’s tour is multi-disciplinarity visual artist Stan Olthuis. Unbiased to materials in his work, Olthuis is driven by concept and process, exploring the relationship between people and objects. He uses a variety of power tools, house paint, and found objects to make different types of visual art, interactive art, and wall sculptures. You can find Olthuis’s studio at 225 McGill Street in Peterborough (Tour Stop 10).
Those interested in glass and stonework will want to check out Christy Haldane, who uses found stone and wood as well as recycled window glass in her unique sculptures, and Kira Robertson, who works with glass to create wonderfully whimsical beads and beautifully unique jewellery pieces. You can find both Haldane and Robertson at 620 Romaine Street in Peterborough (Tour Stop 11A).
“Arm in Arm” (2019, house paint and acrylic medium on panel) by Stan Olthuis, who uses unique mediums in his wall sculptures, visual, and interactive art to explore the relationship between people and objects. His studio at 225 McGill Street in Peterborough is Tour Stop 10 on the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, running on September 24 and 25. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
Those drawn to ceramics will want to see the collaborative work of Thomas Aitken and Kate Hyde. The duo combines Aitken’s strong forms with Hyde’s passion for narrative and surface embellishments to create hand-produced porcelain tableware. You can visit their studio at 844 Rock Road in Warsaw (Tour Stop 24).
These are only a few of the 40 artists participating in this year’s Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, with tour stops in the City of Peterborough, the Village of Lakefield, and communities across Peterborough County including Keene, Puffer’s Shore, Millbrook, Curve Lake, and more.
Some stops on the tour are commercial studios, while others are located in the artist’s own home or garage. As all locations, Ihamaki explains, visitors will be able to meet and speak with artists in the space where they create their artwork.
“Stoney Lake Vase” (2021, recycled window glass and stone) by Christy Haldane and “Birch Tree Pendant” (2022, glass and sterling silver) by Kira Robertson. You can find the two artists at Tour Stop 11A at 620 Romaine Street in Peterborough, which is Tour Stop 11A on the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, running on September 24 and 25. (Photos courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
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“Being able to have that one-on-one and that chance to meet them and connect with them is what’s so amazing and special about the studio tour,” Ihamaki says.
Not only does the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour attract local art lovers, it draws tourists from outside the region, including Europe and the U.S.
“We have a lot of people who make this specific trip up to Canada or to this area for the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour,” Ihamaki says.
“Showtime” is a collaborative piece by artists Thomas Aitken and Kate Hyde. The duo intertwines Aitken’s strong forms and Hyde’s passion for narrative and surface embellishments into a range of hand-produced porcelain tableware. Their studio at 844 Rock Road in Warsaw is Tour Stop 24 on the 2022 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, running on September 24 and 25. (Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
According to Ihamaki, the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour is one of the longest continually running studio tours in Canada, which he says “is pretty amazing.”
Last year, the tour saw its best year ever in art sales and attendance was strong, with more than 6,000 visitors experiencing the tour — generating an estimated $650,000 for the local economy.
To learn more about the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour and the Art Gallery of Peterborough, visit the gallery’s website at agp.on.ca. For updates, you can also follow the gallery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The 38th annual Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour takes place the weekend of September 24 and 25, 2022. Visitors are encouraged to stop at the studios that interest them or preview the participating artists at the “Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour: Selections” exhibition on now at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. (Image courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Art Gallery of Peterborough. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra's 2022/23 season kicks off on Saturday, November 5 at Showplace Performance Centre where the orchestra will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Canadian composer Kevin Lau's "Between the Earth and Forever" with soloist Snow Bai on the erhu, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. (Promotional photo)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra is returning to Showplace Performance Centre in 2022/23 with its first full season of five concerts since the pandemic began.
Single tickets are now available for each of the five Saturday night concerts, running from November until next May. Single tickets are $33, $48, or $55 depending on where you sit, except for the annual holiday concert, where tickets are $45. Student tickets for all concerts, including the holiday one, are $12 (available online only).
Season subscriptions are also still available, with prices ranging from $105 to $235 depending on seating and only $10 per concert for student subscriptions.
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According to the orchestra’s general manager Lee Bolton, 300 people have already subscribed for the season but great seats are still available for individual concerts.
“People who act fast can scoop up those last few aisle seats,” Bolton says in a media release.
New this season is the orchestra’s “rush ticket” option, where seats are available on the day of the concert for only $20 (online only, depending on availability).
To purchase single tickets any time, visit tickets.showplace.org (student tickets are only available online).
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra is conducted by music director Michael Newnham. (Photo: Huw Morgan)
You can also purchase single tickets in-person at the Showplace box office at 290 George Street North, by calling at 705-742-7469, or by emailing boxoffice@showplace.org. The box office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and for 90 minutes before each concert. For season subscriptions, email admin@thepso.org.
Here are the concerts in the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2022/23 season:
“Welcome Back” (Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, the world’s most famous symphony featuring the most famous four notes in history, and a stunning piece by brilliant Canadian composer Kevin Lau, Between the Earth and Forever, spotlighting soloist Snow Bai on the erhu, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument.
“A Holiday Welcome” (Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.)
A holiday tradition returns with a delightful program of seasonal music for the whole family, including classical and popular pieces featuring one of Canada’s most celebrated baritones, James West.
“An Intimate Welcome” (Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)
An intimate evening of music “just for us.” Hear the winds of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra perform music of freshness, sparkle, and vigour by Strauss and Gounod, while the orchestra’s principal string players treat you to Dvorak’s evergreen quintet, Opus 77.
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“Welcome Spring” (Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra performs Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, a magnificent, sweeping, joyful symphonic journey towards spring’s returning light. Virtuoso pianist Alexander Panizza joins the rchestra for Tchaikovsky’s passionate and emotional Piano Concerto No. 1, “where the heart meets the sleeve.”
“Welcome to the Dance” (Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)
A fiery evening of music moving to the rhythms of social change with guest Sarah Lewis, Peterborough’s first poet laureate. The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra performs Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story.”
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2022/23 season.
It looks like bacon, but it's actually made out of carrots. Peterborough-based startup Carrot Bacon recently won a North American innovation award for its vegan jerky and is expanded distribution to additional nationwide retailers. (Photo: Carrot Bacon)
A Peterborough-based startup producing a bacon-like vegan jerky made from carrots recently expanded its product to nationwide retailers and was an innovation award winner at the largest candy and snack show in North America.
Founded by Tyler Steeves, Carrot Bacon transforms carrots into a vegan, nutrient-rich jerky that is crispy and smoky-sweet with an umami taste and a slight kick. Shelf-stable, Carrot Bacon comes in a variety of flavours including Applewood and Carolina Smoke.
Already available in Peterborough at Jo Anne’s Place Health Foods and The Food Shop and nationally at Sobey’s, Carrot Bacon recently launched its products nationwide in Walmart, London Drugs, and Whole Foods West, with plans to launch in Longo’s this fall. Discussions are also underway with Loblaw and Metro Quebec.
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In May, Carrot Bacon participated in Chicago’s Sweets and Snacks Expo, the largest candy and snack show in North America. Competing in the “Most Innovative New Product” category, Carrot Bacon took best in show with the “Small Business Innovator Award.”
Canadian financial services giant Desjardins also recently awarded its $20,000 GoodSpark Grant for Innovation to Carrot Bacon, which competed against more than 6,000 other business across Canada.
“It’s an honour to be recognized internationally at the Chicago Expo, and I couldn’t be happier to be awarded a GoodSpark grant from Desjardins,” Steeves says in a media release. “It’s been extremely satisfying to see our distribution strategy coming together and to be working with some of the giants in the industry.”
Tyler Steeves, founder of Peterborough-based startup Carrot Bacon. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas)
Steeves’ company has also been invited to participate in an exclusive program offered by KeHE, one of the largest natural food product distributors in the United States. Its program, KeHE Elevate™, nurtures leading-edge brands to maximize their growth and success allowing them to flourish and reach more shelves nationwide.
Carrot Bacon is a client of the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
“Carrot Bacon’s innovation, determination, and hard work is definitely paying off,” says Innovation Cluster CEO Michael Skinner. “Tyler is an inspiration for our other clients, proving that a startup within Peterborough and the Kawarthas’ entrepreneurial ecosystem can receive the support they need to grow and scale their businesses locally, nationally, and beyond our borders.”
Mayez Rahman as the whirling dervish and Carolina Loyola-Garcia as the flamenco dancer in "Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic", a multimedia dance performance presented by Public Energy Performing Arts at the Market Hall in Peterborough on September 9 and 10, 2022. Created by Hedy Hurban of the U.K. artistic company Firoza, the work combines original digital projections, live performance, and wearable technology. Hurban's partner Kaz Rahman, the visual artist and filmmaker who created the digital projections for the production, grew up in Peterborough. (Photo: Lloyd Russell)
A unique multimedia dance performance inspired by the 13th-century Sufi tradition of “whirling dervishes” and the flamenco tradition of southern Spain — combined with a modern technological twist — is coming to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough on September 9 and 10.
Presented by Public Energy Performing Arts as the first production of its 29th season and supported by the New Canadians Centre, Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic combines original digital projections, live performance, and wearable technology in a work by Canadian Hedy Hurban, head of performing arts of the U.K. artistic company Firoza, which takes an avant-garde approach to contemporary Islamic art.
A local connection comes with visual artist Kaz Rahman, who is Firoza’s artistic director and the filmmaker and production designer for Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic. Rahman grew up in Peterborough before moving to the U.S. and eventually settling in the U.K. with his partner Hurban. Together with visual effects by Barış Çelik, Rahman created the performance’s dynamic projections that envelop the audience in a mesmerizing environment.
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Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic begins with a dervish, a member of the Sufi religious order of Islam known for the “sema” tradition — a “whirling” dance and meditative ritual dating back to 13th century that is still practiced today by the Mevlevi Sufis in Turkey. The dervish, performed by Mayez Rahman, wakes up from a dream to the sounds of birds and nature and begins to meditate and perform his sema. He becomes enveloped in a storm of chaos as he whirls wildly and then collapses, where he becomes dormant again.
A flamenco dancer, performed by Carolina Loyola-Garcia, notices the dervish and begins to move in similar patterns, evoking her “duende” — a heightened state of emotion, expression, and authenticity that has been called “a special state of flamenco grace” — in an attempt to awaken the dervish. The two dancers exchange their sounds and movements until they become intertwined in a climactic whirling that encompasses music, imagery, and physical movement.
A modern technological twist of the production is its use of the “soundrop”, a small wearable device designed by Hurban — an electronic music composer, choreographer, and costume designer — to track specific movements of a performer and map these movements to sounds and LED lights. Attached to the wrist or ankle, the soundrop becomes an extension of the performer’s body.
VIDEO: “Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic” trailer
Performances of Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 9th and at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 10th. Each 30-minute performance will be followed by an on-stage question-and-answer session with the artists.
For those unable to attend, the September 10th performance will be livestreamed and a recording will be available for one week following the performance.
“But you won’t get the full effect of projections that immerse the dancers and their movements that influence the sound and lights via wearable tech,” reads a media release from Public Energy.
Tickets for both the in-person and livestreamed performances of Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic are “pick a price,” starting as low as $5, and are available in advance at tickets.markethall.org.
For more information about Public Energy and Digital Dervish and Flamenco Sonic, visit publicenergy.ca.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time media sponsor of Public Energy Performing Arts.
A thunderstorm passes over a lake in North Kawartha Township on July 5, 2021. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for most of the greater Kawarthas region for Monday afternoon and evening (August 29).
The severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Peterborough County, the City Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and northern Hastings County.
Thunderstorms are expected to progress northeastward through Monday afternoon into the evening.
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The main hazard will be strong wind gusts of 90 to 100 km/h, although hail up to nickel size is possible with the strongest storms.
A tornado also cannot be ruled out, especially over eastern Ontario.
Large hail can damage property and cause injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees, and overturn large vehicles.
Severe thunderstorms can also produce tornadoes.
Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!
Peterborough police are investigating a non-fatal shooting that took place early Saturday morning (August 27).
Just before 4 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a call of a male victim who was on the ground bleeding in the area of London and Park streets.
When police arrived, emergency services were already on the scene treating the victim.
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Further investigation revealed the victim had been shot. He was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Police secured the crime scene for several hours and are continuing to investigate the incident.
Police say there is no threat to public safety.
Anyone with information on the identity of people who may have been involved in this incident is asked to call the Peterborough Police Crime Line at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.stopcrimehere.ca
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