Peterborough teacher Aaron McFadden with his children at the prototype "tiny home" for people experiencing homelessness. McFadden will be sleeping in the cabin on Rubidge Street opposite Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains overnight on September 3, 2022 to raise awareness and funds for the Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH), a grassroots initiative with the goal of creating a village of 50 tiny homes to help house some of the 317 people without a home in Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of PATH)
Aaron McFadden, a teacher at Holy Cross Secondary School in Peterborough, is going to spend this Saturday night (September 3) in Peterborough’s first “tiny home” for people experiencing homelessness.
The sleep-out is a fundraiser for Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH), a grassroots initiative that constructed the small sleeping cabin with the help of volunteers and local businesses. It’s the first step in their ultimate vision to build a village of 50 tiny homes to help house some of the 317 people without a home in Peterborough, including 15 people this winter.
The prototype cabin, which is “roving” around different locations in Peterborough in September, was built by Chris Cleary of Cleary Homes with a volunteer construction crew. Drew Merrett of Merrett Home Hardware supplied materials for the cabin at cost along with Ken Wood at Charlotte Paint and Wallpaper. In partnership with PATH, Grace United Church raised $10,000 in a fundraising initiative spearheaded by church member Bev Templar.
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On Saturday, the sleeping cabin will be located near the Old Stone Schoolhouse on Rubidge Street, opposite Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains. After attending 5 p.m. mass, McFadden will begin his sleep-out at 6 p.m. He will be available to speak with visitors and will accept donations through TipTapPay.
“Early in my teaching career, I took the opportunity to travel and teach internationally for about six years,” McFadden, says. “That experience has helped open my eyes to see the inequities in this world. When I returned home I use that same attitude to explore and learn about our country and our community.”
This is not the first time McFadden is camping out to raise awareness and funds for the homelessness. For the past two winters, he’s camped out in his backyard to raise funds for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, bringing in over $3,000.
Aaron McFadden, a teacher at Holy Cross Secondary School in Peterborough, previously slept out in his backyard over the past two winters to raise funds for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families. (Photo courtesy of PATH)
“I am very happy to sleep out in the tiny home cabin for one night,” he says. “My belief is that learning experiences are the most powerful we can have, and I look forward to the night and the people that I will meet. When we invest in ourselves and our community, it’s a better world.”
After McFadden’ sleep-out, the sleeping cabin will be at Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains until September 10, when it will move to Emmanuel United Church for a week.
It will also be at the Purple Onion Festival in Millennium Park on September 25.
The Peterborough Theatre Guild's last full-length production was the musical "Annie," which ran at Showplace Performance Centre in April and May 2022 after being delayed multiple times over two years because of the pandemic. In 2022-23, the Peterborough Theatre Guild will present a full season of eight show. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Theatre Guild)
The Peterborough Theatre Guild has announced its return to the stage in 2022-23 with a full season of eight shows, from a staged reading kicking off the season in September to one-act plays and full-length shows and musicals running through to next July.
Tickets for all shows are available now for season subscription holders, with individual tickets available around six weeks before each show’s opening night. Ticket prices are $10 for staged readings and family productions, $15 for one-act plays, $25 for full-length productions ($22 for seniors and $15 for students), and $32 for musicals ($28 for seniors and $20 for students).
Individual tickets are available now for the staged reading of British playwright Nick Payne’s romantic two-handed drama Constellations, featuring real-life couple Lisa Devan and Dan Duran (in his first dramatic role for the Peterborough Theatre Guild), with three performances from September 16 to 18. Tickets are $10 for assigned seating.
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Individual tickets are also available now for $15 for the one-act comedic drama Our Place by Terry Gabbard, running from October 14 to 23.
You can purchase individual tickets for upcoming shows, or become a subscriber, at peterboroughtheatreguild.com.
Here’s the full line-up of shows for the 2022-23 season:
The Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2022-23 season. (Graphic courtesy of Peterborough Theatre Guild)
Constellations (September 16 to 18, 2022)
A staged reading of Nick Payne’s spellbinding romantic journey that begins with a simple encounter between a man and a woman. What happens next defies the boundaries of the world we think we know, delving into the infinite possibilities of their relationship and raising questions about the difference between choice and destiny. This staged reading (with no costumes or sets) is directed by Bea Quarrie and features real-life couple Dan Duran and Lisa Devan.
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on September 16 and 17 with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on September 18.
Our Place (October 14 to 23, 2022)
In this one-act play by Terry Gabbard, the unassuming location of a dock extending out onto a small lake serves as the backdrop for five different stories. The entire ensemble gathers on the dock together for the final scene. In a poetic epilogue, they all discover the true meaning — both comedic and tragic — of “our place.”
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on October 14 and 15 and October 20 to 22, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on October 16 and 23.
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Rumors (November 4 to 19, 2022)
In this full-length production of Neil Simon’s murderous farce, four couples arrive at the 10th anniversary celebration party for New York’s deputy mayor and his wife, only to find the mayor wounded in bed and the wife missing.
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on November 4 and 5, 10 to 12, and 17 to 19, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on November 6 and 13.
The Little Prince (December 2 to 10, 2022)
This family production is adapted from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic book by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar. This play/musical tells the story of a world-weary and disenchanted aviator whose sputtering plane strands him in the Sahara Desert, where a mysterious and regal “little man” appears and asks him to “Please, sir, draw me a sheep.” During their two weeks together in the desert, the Little Prince tells the aviator about his adventures through the galaxy, how he met the lamplighter and the businessman and the geographer, and about his strained relationship with a very special flower on his own tiny planet.
Performances at 7 p.m. on December 2 and 6 to 9, with 1 p.m. matinee performances on December 3 and 4, and 10.
The Crucible (January 20 to February 4, 2023)
This full-length production of American playwright Arthur Miller’s 1953 play is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay colony during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism, when Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy led a “witch-hunt” for alleged communists living in the U.S. during the late 1940s and 1950s.
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on January 20 and 21, January 26 to 28, and February 2 to 4, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on January 22 and 29.
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Gibson and Sons (February 24 to March 11, 2023)
In this full-length production of Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva’s family-friendly comedy, Harry Gibson is searching for love while he helps his father run their struggling small-town funeral home. Missing his recently departed mother and hungry for companionship and the chance at having a family of his own, Harry secretly turns to an unconventional method of meeting a woman: an online Russian bride service. When his bride Katya, along with her acerbic older sister Eva, arrive on Canadian soil, the sisters are plunged into culture shock while the Gibson family is thrown into a tailspin.
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on February 24 and 25, March 2 to 4, and March 9 to 11, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on February 26 and March 5.
Something Rotten! (April 28 to May 13, 2023)
This musical by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom in 1595, who are struggling to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary William Shakespeare.
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on April 28 and 29, May 4 to 6, and May 11 to 13, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on April 30 and May 7.
The Long Weekend (July 5 to 15, 2023)
A full-length production of Canadian playwright Norm Foster’s comedy of manners, where the truth and lies of a friendship come to the surface during a weekend visit between two couples. Gary Smith of the Hamilton Spectator described the play as having “just enough sex, just enough smart talk, just enough preposterous plot twists to keep you titillated.”
Performances at 7:30 p.m. on July 5 to 8 and 12 to 15 with 2 p.m. matinee performances on July 9 and 15.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a sponsor of the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2022-23 season.
The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough is permanently closing the doors at its Monaghan Road location at 4 p.m. at September 5, 2022. The museum will reopen at its new waterfront facility currently under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive in summer 2023. (Photo: Samantha Moss / kawarthaNOW)
You only have a few days left to visit The Canadian Canoe Museum at 910 Monaghan Road, with the museum closing the doors for good at 4 p.m. on Labour Day.
The museum will open again next summer at its new $40-million waterfront facility currently under construction at 2077 Ashburnham Drive on the shores of Little Lake.
The museum first opened at its Monaghan Road location, previously the head office of the Outboard Marine Corporation, in 1997.
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“It will be bittersweet to see visitors walk through our red doors one final time,” says executive director Carolyn Hyslop in a media release. “This building holds more than 25 years’ worth of memories and has served us well, allowing us to grow and evolve into the dynamic museum we are today.”
“That said, closing our current location marks a significant milestone in our project timeline and brings us one step closer to the water’s edge. We are all looking forward to moving into a purpose-built facility on the water, which will allow us to expand our offerings in ways that are not possible here at 910 Monaghan Road.”
Designed by Peterborough’s Lett Architects Inc., the museum’s new facility is being constructed on a five-acre site just east of the Trans Canada Trail connecting Beavermead Park with Roger’s Cove. The two-storey, 65,000-square-foot building will feature a new collection hall that will allow for all of the museum’s collection of more than 600 watercraft and 500 paddles to be on display.
An architectural rendering of the proposed new Canadian Canoe Museum, to be located at 2077 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough, beside the Parks Canada building and north of Beavermead Park. (Rendering: Lett Architects Inc.)
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The museum’s new facility will also include a new suite of exhibits, a lakefront events and education space, an artisan and canoe building studio for hands-on learning, a library and research room, and a café with a fireplace and outdoor terrace.
The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Monaghan Road location is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Monday, September 5th.
After the museum closes, staff will disassemble the galleries, prepare all watercraft and small artifacts, pack up the museum’s archives including library and offices, design and develop the new exhibits for the new location, and continue fundraising.
Les Groombridge and Dr. Don Curtis cut the ribbon during the official opening of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Monaghan Road location in 1997. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
On Thursday, September 8th from 7 to 9 p.m., the museum will host “25 Years of a Museum in the Making: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” a free virtual storytelling event that will be livestreamed on Zoom from the museum’s galleries, where some of the museum’s long-time supporters will share stories of their involvement with the museum.
Speakers will include James Raffan, Vicki Grant, Dale Standen, Mike Harrington, Jeremy Ward, Phyllis Williams, Bill Lockington, and Carolyn Hyslop.
At home as a family or in the classroom, have some fun exploring and mapping out favorite walking and biking routes around your school and neighbourhood. (Photo: Pete Rellinger)
Tentatively at first, kids roll up to the starting line before making their way, cautiously, down the straight-line path and over the seemingly daunting pyramids. Soon after, however, they are rolling through the bike playground with big smiles looking for the next small challenge.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by staff at GreenUP and Active School Travel Peterborough.
This summer has been a season of fun for kids on bikes. GreenUP, Active School Travel Peterborough, B!KE, and our partners have made it possible with lots of great programming that helps children in building confidence, skill, and comfort on two, three, and four wheels. Through these programs, kids are actively building a love of riding bikes to get around town.
It’s been such a wonderful experience that it’s gotten us asking, “Is it possible to keep the wheels rolling right into the school year?”
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An average of 51 per cent of students in Peterborough live within the school’s walking zone, but Active School Travel surveys show that less than one per cent cycle to school without some type of program intervention.
As cycling educators, we dreamily look to places in Europe where hundreds of bikes fill the racks outside of schools. Most predominantly, Denmark amazes with 49 per cent of students aged 11 to 15 cycling to school. Denmark’s most bike-friendly city, Odense, is working to hit a target of 90 per cent of students walking, scooting, skateboarding, and cycling to school. Incredible!
The cycling landscape is rather different overseas, but the barriers to cycling are similar. Some common hurdles that potential cyclists face include access to equipment, education, and kid-friendly cycling infrastructure. Successful uptake of cycling in schools in Odense was thanks to the investment in programs to enhance cycling education and bikeways throughout the city.
In the Danish city of Odense, four out of five children bike, walk, or skateboard to school, with children as young as five years old cycling on their own. (Photo: Thomas Mørkeberg)
While the City of Peterborough’s new Transportation and Cycling Master Plans will move Peterborough in a good direction towards similar values to Odense’s, we also learn from some local youth who regularly choose to cycle to school about their experiences with cycling.
It’s often a scramble in the morning to get out the door. However, as many of the kids we speak to are quick to point out, rolling can often overcome some of the hurdles cyclists face, such as lack of time.
“It just feels fun,” shares James, a six-year-old cyclist. “I get to go everywhere faster than walking,”
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Another 13-year-old cyclist we spoke to enjoys the speed of independent travel.
“it’s faster and easier … and you don’t need your parents to take you, you can just go!”
For many, whether with parents or not, youth spoke to riding as a part of a cycling community, and how they enjoyed the extra time with their neighbourhood friends.
Building confidence and control on a bike can be done in all sorts of settings, but is most fun when you build in some play. Young cyclists learn to manage speed, balance, and turns as they weave through the Bike Playground at a Let’s Bike event. (Photo: Jessica Todd)
Among the perks, children remarked that riding gives them a chance to be outside in the morning before having to be inside all day.
Long-time bike-to-schooler Weylin similarly expressed that they ride because, “after a long day of school, I can ride my bike home and have the wind on my face. It’s a nice relaxing ride home to de-stress.”
From what we’ve seen this summer, soon-to-be students have a strong interest in cycling. So, how can you help more kids bike to school?
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Start a neighbourhood bike train
A bike what, you ask? A bike train is a group of young cyclists riding together with some adult supervision. The train allows more children to bike to school while allowing the parents to share the task of ‘school drop-off’ amongst each other.
In areas where a bike train route is not possible, walking school buses (which operate on a similar shared-supervision model) are a nice alternative.
This school year why not start a bike train? Gather a group of neighbourhood friends, add in a couple of parents to guide the train, and pick a safe and enjoyable route to school. (Photo: Genevieve Ramage)
Bring a bike rodeo to school
Parents, school staff, or even students can get involved in planning for a fun event such as this. Bike rodeos build excitement for active transport while encouraging safe cycling skills.
As children move through a series of stations, they learn about helmet fit and care, basic bike maintenance, bike handling skills, and the importance of communication with other road and trail users.
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Improve bike parking
Parent councils may choose to fundraise for new or better bike racks to make the arrival at school safer and easier for kids. Having a safe, secure place to lock your ride while you focus on schoolwork is a key factor for children and parents when choosing whether to roll to school.
Active School Travel Peterborough can offer guidance on parking and storage solutions for schools.
Build cycling culture
James and his sister ride to school in the morning because it’s fun and fast. They take special care while riding on sidewalks, watching for driveways, pedestrians, and pups. (Photo: C. Roberts)
Teachers, school staff, and students can work together to build understanding and positivity about cycling to school.
Classes can connect to the provincial curriculum and hold campaigns, perform travel surveys that conduct a Roll and Stroll Check, or map travel routes around their school.
Active School Travel Peterborough programs share information on walking, scooting, riding the bus to school, and park ‘n stride/ride to five for families who need to drive occasionally.
For more information on Active School Travel Peterborough, and the programs and resources identified in this story, visit greenup.on.ca/active-school-travel.
Though the school year is starting, there are still many weeks left of summer, and many months left of perfect cycling weather. We look forward to rolling right into the school year with you!
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.
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