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encoreNOW – October 20, 2025

By Paul Rellinger -
encoreNOW for October 20, 2025 features (from left to right, top and bottom) Public Energy's "Rough Cuts" at The Theatre On King in downtown Peterborough, "How We Got To Jersey" at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Port Hope, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra's season-opening "Bright Lights" concert at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, Jazz in Peterborough's debut concert at St. James United Church featuring the Paul Novotny Trio, Peterborough Theatre Guild's presentation of "291" by Jade O'Keeffe, and GPHSF Comedy Night at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough. (kawarthaNOW collage)

encoreNOW is a bi-weekly column by Paul Rellinger where he features upcoming music, theatre, film, and performing arts events and news from across the Kawarthas.

This week, Paul highlights “Rough Cuts” presented by Public Energy Performing Arts, How We Got To Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, “Bright Lights” presented by the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Jazz in Peterborough’s debut featuring the Paul Novotny Trio at St. James United Church, the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s staging of 291, and a Market Hall comedy showcase in support of those without a family doctor.

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New artistic work gets its due courtesy of Public Energy initiative

Theatrical performer Naomi Duvall is one of six artists who will test-drive their works-in-progress in a bare-bones setting during Public Energy's "Rough Cuts" at The Theatre On King on October 24, 2025. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Theatrical performer Naomi Duvall is one of six artists who will test-drive their works-in-progress in a bare-bones setting during Public Energy’s “Rough Cuts” at The Theatre On King on October 24, 2025. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

A trend in recent years has seen an increasing number of theatre art presenters provide more opportunities for creators to present their work in progress.

Not only does such an initiative provide a platform for artists to float a trial balloon of their work before an audience, it also provides that same audience with a preview of work that may be destined for bigger things.

On Friday (October 24) at The Theatre On King in downtown Peterborough, Public Energy Performing Arts presents “Rough Cuts,” a new initiative that offers artists the chance to present excerpts of works-in-progress in what is described as a “low tech, low stakes environment.”

Six artists chosen from those who applied will present what they’re working on now, including Angel Hamilton, Charlotte Kennedy, Georgia Fisher, Hartley Stephenson, Naomi Duvall, and Shahira the Djinn.

As an example of what to expect, Duvall is presenting Howdy, Hellmouth!. Described as “a burlesque clown act gone off the rails,” her work explores the dark side of power by blending physical theatre, sensuality, a bull whip and unsettling humour.

Hamilton, meanwhile, will present a documentary media piece that blends stand-up monologue and film as she recounts her search for her real father through true crime clues and the telling of personal stories.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. event range from $10 to $25 plus fees, with a suggested price of $20. For more information and to order tickets, visit publicenergy.ca/performance/rough-cuts/

Good on Public Energy for providing an outlet for new creative work to find its footing. Better still, another edition of Rough Cuts will be held in March, with a call for applications for that coming in early 2026.

 

Oh, what a night ahead at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre

VIDEO: “How We Got To Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies” trailer

When it debuted in 2004 at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse, there was little inkling that Jersey Boys would become the smash Broadway hit and worldwide sensation that it would become, right up until 2021 in London’s West End.

The story that dramatizes the formation, success, and break-up of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll group The Four Seasons clearly resonated with audiences, with the quartet’s timeless music playing a huge role in its popularity. Songs like “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Sherry,” “Walk Like A Man,” and “Rag Doll” anchored The Four Seasons’ popularity, then and now.

Opening Friday (October 24) with four performances until Sunday, Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre presents How We Got To Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies. Starring Adrian Marchuk and Jeff Madden, it relates how two small-town Canadian kids each grew up to portray Four Seasons’ frontman Frankie Valli on stages around the world.

The concert revue takes its audience behind the scenes of the musical that commanded Broadway from 2005 to 2017, captured four 2006 Tony Awards and, in 2014, hit the silver screen via a film of the same name. Promising all the favourite musical hits from Jersey Boys in one show, staying still in one’s seat may prove to be quite a challenge.

Curtain is 7:30 p.m. on October 24 and 25, with 2 p.m. matinees on October 25 and 26. Tickets cost $55 plus fees ($45 for those under 30) at capitoltheatre.com.

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Bright Lights shine as the PSO opens new season at Showplace

VIDEO: Canadian Percussionists profile – Shawn Mativetsky

When you’ve been doing something very well for decades, it’s wise not to change a thing.

Founded in 1967, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has performed five main series concerts each season since, most all of them at Showplace Performance Centre since it opened in downtown Peterborough in the mid ’90s.

Buoyed by strong membership and sponsor support — kawarthaNOW is again a season sponsor — and fuelled by a consistently ambitious musical program, the orchestra remains a local cultural treasure; a gifted ensemble that few Canadian cities of Peterborough’s size can lay claim to.

On Saturday, November 1, the PSO will open its 2025-26 season, themed “Look to the Stars,” with a concert called “Bright Lights” at Showplace.

Bright Lights will feature special guest Shawn Mativetsky playing the tabla — the first time the orchestra has featured the Indian percussion instrument. He’ll join the orchestra to perform on Canadian composer’s Dinuk Wijertane’s Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra, while the concert will open with the overture to The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini and close with Mozart’s final symphony, Symphony No. 41, which is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony.

As he has been for years, front and centre will be conductor Michael Newnham, the orchestra’s music director, who will also take to the stage 45 minutes before the concert to chat with the audience about the evening’s program.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert range from $36 to $57 depending on seating ($15 for students for all seats), with $30 for day-of-concert rush seats. More informaton about the concert and tickets are available at thepso.org/bright-lights.

 

The Paul Novotny Trio heralds Jazz in Peterborough’s debut

VIDEO: “My Favorite Things” performed by Paul Novotny and Robi Botos

Craig Paterson’s love of jazz is surpassed only by his relentless desire to expose local audiences to the music genre whenever and wherever possible.

So it is that he’s launching the new Jazz In Peterborough concert series, to not only serve longtime fans of jazz but also entice those curious to see what all the fuss is about.

On Saturday, November 1 at St. James United Church, the first concert in the series will feature the Paul Novotny Trio, with the famed bassist joined by pianist Ewan Farncombe and drummer Norbert Botos, both of whom are among Toronto’s best young jazz musicians.

A two-time Juno nominee, Novotny is also a composer and producer who has performed alongside the likes of Kenny Wheeler, Geoff Keezer, Cedar Walton, David Clayton Thomas, and Roger Whitaker. In addition, he has created music for commercials, feature films, and television franchises. His most recent album, 2022’s Summertime in Leith, was recorded and performed live with Oscar Peterson protégé Robi Botos.

While International Jazz Day is marked annually on April 30 and celebrated in Peterborough, with this new series, Paterson is here to tell us, rightly so, that our exposure to the genre shouldn’t be restricted to but one day.

Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. concert cost $40 at eventbrite.ca/e/1554327147339.

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Peterborough Theatre Guild staging local playwright’s work

VIDEO: “291” by Jade O’Keeffe

For the second production of its 2025-26 season, the Peterborough Theatre Guild is presenting an original work by local playwright Jade O’Keeffe.

Directed by Lisa Dixon (with her brother Beau on board as composer and sound designer), 291 is a familial affair of sorts — something furthered by the fact that O’Keeffe is Lisa’s daughter. It would seem the family that stays together, makes plays together.

Described as “a lyrical portrait of love, art and letters that defined a generation,” 291 invites us into the intimate world of American painter Georgia O’Keeffe and American photographer Alfred Stieglitz, played respectively by Gayle Fraser and David Russell.

One of modern art’s most iconic couples, their story unfolds not through texts or fleeting trends, but through more than 5,000 handwritten letters exchanged over three decades. The result is an evocative new play that captures the passion and complexity of their relationship, blending his revolutionary photography with her ground-breaking abstract expression. Through words, art, and longing, the result is a celebration of artistic collaboration and a meditation on the lost art of letter writing.

The play opens on Saturday, November 1 for nine performances, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. on November 1, 6 to 8, and 13 to 15 and 1:30 p.m. matinee performances on November 2 and 9. Tickets are $30 adults, $27 seniors, and $20 students, with a special two-for-one ticket offer available for opening night. For tickets, visit www.peterboroughtheatreguild.com.

 

Laughter the best medicine for those without a family doctor

VIDEO: D.J. Demers on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

For thousands of local residents, being without a family doctor is no laughing matter, but the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) is turning to comedy to help ease their plight.

On Sunday, November 2 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, the foundation is presenting a comedy night headlined by D.J. Demers, with support from Casey Corbin and emcee Drew Behm. Event proceeds will support Peterborough Family Health Team clinics for those without a family doctor or nurse practitioner who require non-emergency care.

Demers is a funny guy who has made audiences laugh since 2009. The winner of a Canadian Comedy Award in 2015 as Best Breakout Artist, he was nominated for a 2018 Juno Award for his album Indistinct Chatter. In early 2024, CBC Television debuted the series One More Time featuring Demers as the manager of a used sporting goods store.

GPHSF has a history of hosting comedy events as fundraisers. Its “Laughter Is The Best Medicine” shows in the early 2010s were very popular. It also partnered with Just For Laughs for an early 2020 show at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Reviving a proven winner makes good sense.

Tickets to the 8 p.m. laugh-a-thon cost $34 at markethall.org.

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Encore

  • I know many, myself included, were rooting for Amelia Shadgett a.k.a. Irish Millie to return from Ottawa on October 15 with the Ontario Folk Music Award for Performing Artist of the Year. Alas, that honour went to Jessica Pearson and the East Wind. Millie, however, can hold her head high. Just to be on that dance floor is quite an honour; a clear reflection of the upward trajectory her music career has taken since she took up the fiddle at a young age. Rest assured we’re going to hear more — much more — from Millie for years to come, and her just rewards will be plentiful.
  • Look for tickets for Peterborough Performs VI: Musicians United to End Homelessness to go on sale at Showplace Performance Centre in November. Set for February 26, 2026, the United Way fundraiser for local shelters and homelessness relief agencies has raised closed to $150,000 since its March 2020 inception. A total of 14 acts will take to two stages this time around — that’s four hours of wall-to-wall music performed by some the best in our neck of the woods. Tickets, at $50 each, are a steal, but with the two tickets for $80 deal, that’s outright thievery. As for the cause, well, that speaks for itself.

No serious injuries after unmarked OPP cruiser and pickup truck collide on Highway 7 in Peterborough

By kawarthaNOW -
A white pickup truck with four occupants and an unmarked OPP cruiser driven by an on-duty officer collided at the intersection of Highway 7 and Television Road in Peterborough on October 19, 2025. There were no serious injuries. (Photo: Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police)

There were no serious injuries when an unmarked police cruiser and a pickup truck collided on Highway 7 in Peterborough early Sunday afternoon (October 19).

At 1:40 p.m., members of the Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency crews attended the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 7 at Television Road, just east of the Peterborough County OPP detachment.

An OPP unmarked cruiser driven by an on-duty officer and a pickup truck carrying four people had collided at the intersection.

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The OPP officer and the driver and passengers of the pickup truck were transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for treatment of minor injuries and as a precautionary measure.

The intersection of Highway 7 and Television Road was closed for several hours while emergency crews dealt with the collision and police documented the scene.

Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the collision. Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and who has not yet spoken with police is asked to contact the Peterborough County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association in Minden to host ‘Warped Woods Halloween Show’ fundraiser on October 25

By Megan Gallant -
A registered charitable organization located in Minden, Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association is hosting a family-friendly and autism-aware Halloween fundraiser on October 25, 2025. The second annual "Warped Woods Halloween Show" will see volunteers (including many program participants) dressed as zombies and ghouls to scare visitors walking along an accessible trail through the woods, to raise money to cover the cost of hay bales for the farm's horses over the winter. Young children and those on the autism spectrum who don't want to be scared will be given a lantern to signal to volunteers to disengage and not scare them. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association)

This Halloween season, you can get frightened for a good cause at the Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association in Minden.

The registered charitable organization is hosting the second annual “Warped Woods Halloween Show” on Saturday (October 25), where a natural trail will come to life with the undead for a family-friendly and autism-aware fundraiser.

“We’re very happy that we have this spooky trail that’s accessible and that we have actors that are well prepared to make sure everybody has a positive experience,” says Walkabout Farm executive director Jennifer Semach.

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After two decades as a riding instructor, Semach founded Walkabout Farm 10 years ago to provide free equine-assisted therapy and services for families who have loved ones with exceptional needs. Her interest was piqued when she saw the “void” in services for her son with special needs and after seeing how positively horses affected her own mental health throughout her lifetime.

“When my son was born and I was looking for opportunities for him, I decided to create my own space and help other families that might be looking for alternative therapies — not necessarily clinical therapies,” she says. “We are working hand-in-hand with occupational therapists and mental health professionals to make sure we can be a full-service organization.”

Though originally intended to revolve around therapeutic riding, Walkabout Farm has evolved to support a range of programs including visits to long-term care facilities, respite care, and one-on-one programming for youth with special needs. Families come from as far away as Montréal for programming at the farm, and Semach now supports other like-minded organizations to craft their own programs.

Located in Minden, Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Association is a charitable organization that offers no-cost equine-assisted therapy and other programs to support people and families with special needs. The farm runs entirely on donations and hosts regular fundraising events to support operations and to keep the programs accessible. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association
Located in Minden, Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Association is a charitable organization that offers no-cost equine-assisted therapy and other programs to support people and families with special needs. The farm runs entirely on donations and hosts regular fundraising events to support operations and to keep the programs accessible. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association

Semach explains how participants can benefit from receiving programming in the farm’s natural setting.

“The clinical stuff is very overwhelming, but when they have a natural and a horse-based program that is very therapeutic, they don’t often realize they’re actually getting some therapy while they’re at the farm,” she says.

Walkabout Farm also acts as a sanctuary, often taking in horses who are rescues or who have retired from competitive careers in racing or jumping.

“It’s giving them a second career to follow into, giving them an opportunity to live beyond their ‘usefulness’ as a money-making horse or performance horse,” Semach says. “Being able to provide those opportunities for horses is just so meaningful to me.”

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One such horse was Chewbacca, who was rescued from a meat processing plant by Semach and brought to the farm. Chewbacca became the ambassador of the farm before passing away suddenly in 2022.

“He had a lot of challenges psychologically,” she recalls. “He’d been very badly abused, but then it turned around so that he became a wonderful horse, being very aware of children with autism and being drawn to them and providing comfort and security. He was remarkable.”

Since the programming runs entirely on community donations, Walkabout Farm hosts regular fundraisers that also show off the natural beauty of the farm. That will be the case during the Warped Woods Halloween Show when the property will be transformed into a haunted forest.

Chewbacca was rescued from a meat processing plant by Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association founder Jennifer Semach and became the charity's ambassador before passing away suddenly in 2022. Many of the horses on the farm are rescues or retirees from a career in competition. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association)
Chewbacca was rescued from a meat processing plant by Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association founder Jennifer Semach and became the charity’s ambassador before passing away suddenly in 2022. Many of the horses on the farm are rescues or retirees from a career in competition. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association)

Between 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, visitors can walk the roughly half-a-kilometre trail while volunteers — including many program participants — will jump out from behind the trees and the natural caves dressed in their best zombie and ghoul costumes.

“We’ll definitely have some jump scares and we’ll definitely have some gore and all the ghoulish things,” Semach says. “It’s a lot of fun for everybody, including the volunteers who are providing the entertainment.”

Young children or those who are on the autism spectrum who don’t want to be scared can carry a skull lantern that will signal to volunteers to disengage and just act as a “scary presence” in the woods. To take away overstimulation, the decorations — all of which are loaned by friends and neighbours — do not include foggers, audio output, or flashing lights.

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“We base the scare factor on each family, so we do an intake before they go into the woods so we can communicate with the team,” Semach explains. “We can up the ante and make it scarier for those who are brave, and then we can make it autistic aware and take away the overstimulation. We’re very sensitive to sensory needs.”

The trail is easily accessible, but for those who require additional assistance, Walkabout Farm will also be offering side-by-side rides.

“Inclusion is so important to our mission,” says Semach. “We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy this fun event.”

Entry to the trail requires a minimum donation of $10, which goes directly towards buying bales of hay for the winter, the cost of which has increased to $12 due to droughts.

When hosting their second annual "Warped Woods Halloween Show" on October 25, 2025, Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association will be using spooky decorations that were loaned from friends and neighbours. To be sensitive to children who are overstimulated, the decorations will not include foggers, noise, or flashing lights. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association)
When hosting their second annual “Warped Woods Halloween Show” on October 25, 2025, Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association will be using spooky decorations that were loaned from friends and neighbours. To be sensitive to children who are overstimulated, the decorations will not include foggers, noise, or flashing lights. (Photo courtesy of Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association)

To address the increased cost of hay, Walkabout Farm launched the “Operation Hay Storm” campaign earlier this this fall with the goal of raising enough to purchase the 700 bales that will be needed to support the horses throughout the winter.

“Hopefully hay prices come down and we will be putting (funds from next year’s Halloween event) towards programming,” says Semach. “That money will go towards supporting our program participants so that they don’t have to ever pay for our services. It’s really important that we are able to offer what we do at no additional cost to families.”

To learn more and to donate to Walkabout Farm, visit www.walkaboutfarmtra.com.

Peterborough County receives grant to map invasive phragmites along county road allowances

By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter -
Peterborough County has received a grant through the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund, a program of the not-for-profit Invasive Species Centre supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources, that will help the county identity populations of invasive phragmites along road allowances with the goal of developing a program to manage the aggressively spreading grass that crowds out native plants. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough County)

Peterborough County is getting help to track the presence of an invasive grass called phragmites (pronounced frag-MY-tees) that’s endangering the local ecosystem.

The county has received a grant through the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund, a program of the not-for-profit Invasive Species Centre supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources that provides grants ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 for local on-the-ground action on phragmites.

According to a media release from Peterborough County, the grant will go towards mapping invasive phragmites along county road allowances, and “help assess the best methods and resources needed to develop a management plan.”

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“Protecting the health of our wetlands, shorelines, and infrastructure is critical to maintaining the environmental and economic sustainability of our region,” said Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark. “This funding allows us to understand the scope of the issue better and plan strategically for the future.”

A perennial grass that was introduced to Canada’s coastal regions in the 19th century, phragmites spreads aggressively by outcompeting native vegetation for water, sunlight, nutrients, and space. It become well established across Ontario by the 1990s and currently poses a major threat to the ecosystem, including wetlands and shorelines.

Phragmites reduces biodiversity and surpasses native vegetation, lowers water levels in wetlands and shorelines, and threatens species at risk that rely on those habitats. It also blocks sightlines for motorists and obstructs road signs, impacts drainage systems, and damages roadside infrastructure.

In Peterborough County specifically, phragmites has been found not only near wetlands and waterways, but also within roadside ditches and agricultural lands, interfering with visibility, drainage, and soil stability.

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With the support from the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund, Peterborough County has developed a mapping application to record phragmites populations along county road allowances. The county is collecting data that includes population size, density, hydrological conditions, and whether the species is present on public or private land.

By enabling the county to visualize the scale of the phragmites issue and overlay additional information, such as provincially significant wetlands and ongoing eradication efforts from partner organizations, the mapping initiative will guide the development of a phragmites management program that follows best practices.

The Invasive Phragmites Control Fund is part of the Invasive Species Centre’s Ontario Phragmites Action program, which encompasses a collaborative, province-wide effort to combat the impacts and spread of invasive phragmites. Supported by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Invasive Species Centre and the Nature Conservancy of Canada lead the program alongside a network of partners.

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According to the Invasive Species Centre, invasive phragmites spreads quickly by releasing biochemicals from its roots into the soil, hindering the growth of surrounding plants. The grass also grows in stands that can be extremely dense, with as many as 200 stems per square metre, that crowd out other species. Reaching heights of up to five metres, the stems are tan in colour with blue-green leaves and large, dense seedheads.

One of the issues in identifying invasive phragmites is the fact that there is a closely related native subspecies. Native phragmites does not grow as tall as the invasive species, and in less-dense stands that are frequently mixed with other plants. The stems are usually more reddish-brown in colour with yellow-green leaves and smaller, sparser seedheads.

To learn more about invasive phragmites, visit invasivespeciescentre.ca.

Know Your Locals: Author Diana Beresford-Kroeger to speak at ‘One Book, One Ptbo’ grand finale event on November 4

By Megan Gallant -
There is still time to participate in the Peterborough Public Library's "One Book, One Ptbo" community read ahead of the grand finale event, an evening with "To Speak for the Trees" author Diana Beresford-Kroeger on November 4, 2025 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. Combining memoir, science, and Celtic wisdom, the book explores the Irish botanist and visionary's background and insights about the importance of trees and why they are the achievable solution to climate change. The book is still available in various formats through the library and will be for sale from Take Cover Books at the grand finale event. (Photos: Penguin Random House / Shelby Lisk)

“Trees don’t simply maintain the conditions necessary for human life and most animal life on earth; trees created these conditions through the community of forests.”

This is one of many thought-provoking concepts that are explored in To Speak for the Trees by Diana Beresford-Kroeger, the title chosen as this year’s “One Book, One Ptbo” community read. Being held locally for the third year by the Peterborough Public Library, the program is meant to encourage community-wide discussions with a highly acclaimed and community-picked Canadian book as a jumping off point.

Subtitled “My Life’s Journey from Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest,” this year’s book was written by a world-recognized scientist in the fields of biochemistry, botany, and medicine, who has published several bestselling books on nature.

Released in 2019 and the winner of the 2020 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award, To Speak for the Trees offers an account of Beresford-Kroeger’s life in detail and how she came to her illuminating ideas about how forests can not only heal us, but save the planet.

The book is in part a memoir about the author’s story of being orphaned and raised on one of the last bastions of the Celtic culture in Ireland, where she gained an understanding of the healing power of plants, but it is also part environmental non-fiction and includes a section on the Ogham alphabet, in which every letter is named for a tree or important tree companion.

“The title highlights that we as humans need to speak up for nature, that we can’t just be using nature indiscriminately, and that we need to defend the trees and protect them,” says Karen Bisschop, Community Development Librarian at the Peterborough Public Library. “That really struck a nerve for people. We live in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, so we’re very aware of its importance because we’re literally surrounded by trees.”

Diana Beresford-Kroeger is an Ottawa-based Irish botanist, biochemist, visionary, and author of several bestselling books about nature. Her book "To Speak for the Trees" explores her story of being orphaned and raised on one of the last bastions of the Celtic culture in Ireland where she gained the appreciation for the healing power of plants that guided her work. During the grand finale event of this year's Peterborough Public Library's "One Book, One Ptbo" community read program on November 4, 2025 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, Beresford-Kroeger will be doing a live reading, answering interview questions, and signing copies of her books. (Photo: Jeff McKay)
Diana Beresford-Kroeger is an Ottawa-based Irish botanist, biochemist, visionary, and author of several bestselling books about nature. Her book “To Speak for the Trees” explores her story of being orphaned and raised on one of the last bastions of the Celtic culture in Ireland where she gained the appreciation for the healing power of plants that guided her work. During the grand finale event of this year’s Peterborough Public Library’s “One Book, One Ptbo” community read program on November 4, 2025 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, Beresford-Kroeger will be doing a live reading, answering interview questions, and signing copies of her books. (Photo: Jeff McKay)

To join in the conversation around the book, community members are invited to join the One Book, One Ptbo public Facebook group where they can share their thoughts, engage in discussions, and connect with other readers. This fall, the Peterborough Public Library has held successful events around themes of the book, including forest walks, mandala-making workshops, and book clubs.

The grand finale event of this year’s One Book, One Ptbo will be an evening with Beresford-Kroeger herself, taking place on Tuesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. The author will do a live reading, sign books, and be interviewed by GreenUP Peterborough’s executive director Tegan Moss.

In addition, To Speak for the Trees and Beresford-Kroeger’s latest book, Our Green Heart, will be available for purchase courtesy of Peterborough’s Take Cover Books and can be signed by the author. Admission to the grand finale event is free, but advance registration is required as seating is limited.

Copies of To Speak for the Trees are still available to be borrowed from the library in advance of the grand finale event, in paper copy, e-book, and audio book formats. Readers interested in beginning a book club with friends can borrow the Book Club in a Kit, which will include 10 copies of the text, discussions questions, and other resources.

Participants are also encouraged to download the Beanstack app to track their reading, participate in reading challenges, complete activities to earn prizes, and to share their reading with friends.

To continue the conversation after the grand finale event, the Peterborough Public Library is encouraging participants to check out related titles, including Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard, and The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben.

For more information on One Book, One Ptbo or to register for the grand finale event, visit www.ptbolibrary.ca/onebook.

 

Know Your Locals™ is a branded editorial feature about locally owned independent businesses and locally operated organizations, and supported by them. If your business or organization is interested in being featured in a future “Know Your Locals” branded editorial, contact Jeannine Taylor at 705-742-6404 or jt@kawarthanow.com or visit our Advertise with kawarthaNOW page.

Northumberland PACE launches new season of health and wellness speakers on October 23

By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter -

The Northumberland PACE Speakers Series is launching its new season in October with a virtual conversation centred around seniors living independently.

Northumberland PACE opens its 2025-26 offerings with a webinar called “Independent Living as We Age,” which begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday (October 23). The event features guest speaker Micki McLean, who has 20 years of practical experience working in the retirement industry.

Jennifer Gillard, Northumberland Hills Hospital’s (NHH) vice-president of patient experience, public affairs and strategic partnerships, told kawarthaNOW about the impetus for this particular topic in the speakers’ series delivered by Northumberland PACE, a collaboration between many community health-care providers, including NHH, and local residents.

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“Earlier this summer we reviewed the speaker topics recommended by past participants and our planning committee and there was a strong interest in the topic of living independently as we age,” Gillard said.

“We’re thrilled to be kicking off our new season with this important discussion and we’re looking forward to more great PACE talks through the year.”

Gillard expressed her appreciation, on behalf of the PACE partners, for both the speakers and the PACE participants for “bringing their interest and their energy to these discussions.”

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Speaker Micki McLean, who is general manager of Palisade Gardens Retirement Community in Cobourg, holds a long-term care (LTC) and retirement facility administrator certification. During her session, she’ll share real-life stories and insights gained from working with LTC residents and their families.

The talk is an opportunity for attendees to discover the challenges and realities of finding the right living arrangements, and to learn how to recognize when it’s the right time to make the transition, a media release noted.

As is standard within the PACE series format, audience questions are welcome. For the October talk, questions can be submitted by emailing mbhargava@imcare.ca prior to the event, if time permits, posed live during the event.

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Lasting an hour in length, each PACE talk consists of a 30-minute talk, a 20-minute question-and-answer period with the guest speaker, and a short moderator summary.

Advance registration is required, and space is limited to the first 300 registered attendees. This event is hosted on Zoom, and attendees are asked to log in to the event five minutes prior to the start time.

Online registration for the October talk is available at www.pacetalks.com, which also provides access to recordings from many of the previous talks.

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Since 2018, the Northumberland PACE partners have been hosting free public education sessions on a broad range of health and wellness topics and have consistently drawn large groups of community members with a variety of questions and perspectives.

PACE, which is an acronym for Personalized Assessment and Change Education, is a TED Talks-inspired speakers’ series. NHH, the Northumberland Family Health Team, The Community Health Centres of Northumberland, internal medicine specialists IMCare, the NHH Foundation, Community Care Northumberland, the Ontario Health Team Northumberland, as well as local patients and caregivers are all represented on the PACE planning table.

Talks are held virtually every month at 5:30 p.m., typically on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Lakefield’s Queen Street closed for another week as demolition of fire-ravaged Kawartha Home Hardware building continues

By kawarthaNOW -
The Kawartha Home Hardware building at 24 Queen Street, which was destroyed by fire on October 9, 2025, is being demolished because of extensive structural damage and urgent safety concerns. (Photo: James Forrester)

Queen Street in downtown Lakefield will remain closed for around another week as demolition continues of the fire-ravaged Kawartha Home Hardware building.

According to a media release from Selwyn Township issued on Friday afternoon (October 15), “significant progress” has been made on the demolition of the building at 24 Queen Street, which was engulfed by flames on October 9, destroying the upper-level apartments as well as the hardware store on the main floor.

Queen Street will remain closed for safety reasons while the demolition continues in a “controlled and safe manner,” as will Burnham Street between Queen Street and Charlotte Street. Two streetlights on Queen Street that were removed during firefighting operations will be reinstalled once the demolition is complete.

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“We know how eager everyone is to see Queen Street reopen,” says Selwyn Township mayor Sherry Senis in the release. “The closure is required to ensure public safety and provide a safe workspace for the demolition crew. We are grateful to residents and business owners for their continued patience and support as this important work continues.”

Despite the closure of Queen Street, businesses in downtown Lakefield are open and the township is encouraging residents and visitors to support local shops, restaurants, and services.

There are also several upcoming events where residents and visitors can support Lakefield businesses, including the “Ladies Night Out Lakefield” series.

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Running on Thursdays and Tuesdays from November 13 until December 2, the local shopping and pre-holiday event presented by downtown Lakefield merchants includes access to exclusive promotions at participating shops, door prizes, and more, with proceeds from the $10 ticket price supporting residents who were displaced by the fire.

The Lakefield Scavenger Hunt, where participants explore a variety of local businesses while learning about the history of the Lakefield, was postponed because of the fire and will be rescheduled to a later date.

There will also be holiday programming aimed at supporting shop-local efforts.

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Selwyn Township is also providing information on garbage and recycling collection for businesses and tenants affected by the closure of Queen Street.

Business owners that back onto Charlotte Street must place their garbage and recycling on Charlotte Street, while businesses located on the corners of Queen Street can place their garbage and recycling on the appropriate side street (Albert Street or Reid Street).

All other businesses must take their garbage and recycling to the Reid Street end of Queen Street and place items on the inside of the road barricade (not on Reid Street itself). Businesses should mark all garbage and recycling containers with their address so the containers can be easily identified and returned after collection.

Initiative to grant Rice Lake legal personhood status gaining momentum, says Alderville First Nation chief

By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter -
Two Mississauga Ojibwe (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg) men harvesting wild rice (manoomin) on Rice Lake (Pimadashkodeyong) in 1921. (Photo: John Boyd / Library and Archives Canada / John Boyd fonds / PA-084653)

Taynar Simpson is hoping his legacy as chief of Alderville First Nation will include a cleaner and protected Rice Lake for many future generations of the Indigenous community.

Stating that over-fishing and pollution is savaging the health of the large body of water located in both Northumberland and Peterborough counties, Alderville First Nation’s current chief and others are aiming to make a long-term contribution to the vitality of this vital resource.

Simpson is helping spearhead an effort to have Rice Lake granted legal personhood status, which would ultimately protect the lake’s rights now and in the future.

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Working in collaboration with Alderville community members, other First Nation communities, the International Observatory of Nature’s Rights (which has taken on the case pro bono), local politicians, and other stakeholders, the endeavour is gaining momentum, Simpson said.

“We’ve been putting together our team and if all goes well, we will be getting legal personhood status for Rice Lake,” Simpson told kawarthaNOW.

It’s an important undertaking, Simpson said, because “we would be able to pursue any wrongs against the lake. It’s a way to ensure the lake is protected the same way a person would be protected under the law.”

As well as serving his second term as chief of Alderville First Nation after also serving as a councillor, Taynar Simpson founded Wampum Records in 2001, which has since become Canada's largest research and consulting firm on Indigenous issues. (Photo: Wampum Records)
As well as serving his second term as chief of Alderville First Nation after also serving as a councillor, Taynar Simpson founded Wampum Records in 2001, which has since become Canada’s largest research and consulting firm on Indigenous issues. (Photo: Wampum Records)

Rice Lake provides Alderville First Nation with food sustainability, Simpson said.

“It’s our wild rice, it’s our fish, it’s our waterfowl, and it’s our muskrats,” he explained. “Right now, Rice Lake is highly polluted. Fish stocks are down. People are over-fishing. The weeds — the invasives — are going crazy.”

Simpson has been involved in many recent activities to help raise awareness about the personhood initiative.

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Simpson hosted a “water walk,” which involved bringing a container of water from Rice Lake into the Alderville community centre for an event.

“We had a great meeting with the International Observatory of Nature’s Rights, who were our guest panellists for the discussion with our community,” Simpson said. “We had 36 people in attendance, which for Alderville is huge. It’s something that’s speaking to the community.”

“Afterwards, I took the observatory folks out on my boat to look at our (wild) rice fields. The rice field on Rice Lake has been growing exponentially — it’s about 75 acres right now and we’re hoping to get up to 100 acres next year. This is the biggest rice field we’ve had in Rice Lake in over 100 years, so everything seems to be coming together all at once to make this move forward.”

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Meanwhile, the Municipality of Port Hope hosted an event on September 30 for Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that raised more than $20,000 in support of the personhood initiative.

The project also received endorsement and a financial commitment from the event’s guest, Tom Jackson. A Métis actor, musician, philanthropist, and activist, Jackson said he would match up to $5,000 in donations garnered through the Port Hope fundraiser.

The fundraiser was a great boost, Simpson said, noting “We had zero expectations going in.”

VIDEO: “I Am the Magpie River” trailer

The money that was raised will support costs associated with the personhood initiative, he explained, including bringing in experts.

“We need to be building our case for what we’re saying,” Simpson said. “There would be a lot of science work, we want to test the water, we want to probably do some surveys, and put some media marketing out there to the public.”

Since Jackson’s concert, a lot of people have reached out and said they wanted to be part of the project, he noted.

“We’re just trying to build our team,” Simpson said. “We’re still in the formulating phase.”

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Simpson noted he has been advised to amend Alderville First Nation’s constitution to fundamentally include the rights of nature, so there are several next steps and legal costs on the horizon.

When asked how long he expects achieving personhood status will take, the chief said he hopes the process is completed in less than five years. The project is not part of Simpson’s core work at the helm of Alderville First Nation — it’s a volunteer-driven effort and a grassroots movement.

The Magpie River in Quebec was the first lake in Canada to be granted legal personhood, after the local municipality of Minganie and the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit passed joint resolutions in 2021. I Am the Magpie River, a 2023 documentary from CBC’s The Nature of Things available for streaming on CBC Gem, follows the story of the river and its journey to legal personhood.

CPKC Holiday Train stopping in Cobourg on November 29

By kawarthaNOW -
For the past 27 years, the CPKC Holiday Train has been touring Canada and the United States to raise money, food, and awareness for the important work that food banks do in their communities. Professional musicians play free concerts from the brightly decorated train's stage, with CPKC donating to the local food bank at each stop and encouragingall attendees to make a monetary or food donation of their own. (Photo: CKPC)

The CPKC Holiday Train will once again be visiting Northumberland County this year, with a stop in Cobourg on Saturday, November 29 that will feature a free live musical performance by two Canadian country music artists.

A combination of Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railways, CPKC is the first and only transnational rail network in North America. For the past 27 years, the CPKC Holiday Train has been touring Canada and the United States to raise money, food, and awareness for the important work that food banks do in their communities.

Professional musicians play free concerts from the brightly decorated train’s stage, with CPKC making a donation to the local food bank at each stop while encouraging attendees to do the same. Since 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $26.1 million and 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.

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The 2025 CPKC Holiday Train runs from November 19 to December 26, with the Canadian route going across the country.

After earlier stops in Belleville and Trenton and before proceeding on to Bowmanville, Oshawa, and Toronto, the train will stop in Cobourg behind the Columbus Community Centre at 232 Spencer Street East from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 29.

Peterborough’s Jade Eagleson and B.C.’s Teigen Gayse will be performing during the Cobourg stop. After the train arrives, the stage door will lower and the musicians will perform their first song followed by a brief presentation with local food bank officials and other dignitaries on stage. Once the presentation is done, musicians resume the show with a mix of original songs as well as traditional and modern holiday-themed songs.

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Along with CPKC’s donation to Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank, attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable item or a monetary donation of their own to donate to the food bank, which will be on site.

Parking is available at the Columbus Community Centre. CPKC police and local police will also be on hand to help manage traffic and crowds.

For more information about the CPKC Holiday Train, visit www.cpkcr.com/en/community/HolidayTrain.

Peterborough county council requests information about proposed demolition of contaminated GE buildings

By Bruce Head -
The 2014 demolition of Building 7 at the General Electric factory complex in downtown Peterborough captured by photographer Wayne Eardley as part of his "Caribou" series that was featured at the 2016 SPARK Photo Festival and the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Building 7 was part of the General Electric's armature department, which built coils for motors and generators, stators, DC motors, armatures, and more. (Photo: Wayne Eardley)

Peterborough county council has unanimously passed a motion requesting the City of Peterborough require GE Vernova to provide detailed information about its plans to demolish a large number of vacant buildings at the General Electric factory complex in downtown Peterborough — including information about the volume of demolition waste, disposal location, and whether the waste is contaminated.

Related story

‘History will remember’: Peterborough city council to allow demolition of contaminated GE buildings

The motion was passed at the county council meeting on Wednesday (October 15) in response to city council’s decision to allow GE Vernova to demolish 26 vacant buildings at the complex at 107 Park Street North in downtown Peterborough, while accepting the company’s recommendation to retain eight buildings that are currently in use or have heritage value.

County council’s motion is specifically related to the potential impact of the demolition on the Bensfort Road landfill site. Officially known as Peterborough County/City Waste Management Facility, the landfill is jointly owned and operated by the city and the county but is located in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan in Peterborough County.

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The proposed demolition of the GE buildings is controversial because of known contamination of the industrial site with toxic hazardous substances such as asbestos over the past 125 years and the impact of a demolition on the safety of the surrounding residential neighbourhoods.

“Our staff and myself have had calls from residents who are concerned about contaminated waste being brought into the landfill, so we need some sort of assurance that that will be regulated and not happen,” Otonabee-South Monaghan mayor Joe Taylor said at the county council meeting.

“Equally as important is the fact that, even if this material isn’t contaminated, there is likely to be a huge volume of it and we have a limited amount of space and life left in our landfill,” he added. “I think it’s important that we know how much material is going to go there, and what the volume will do to the space remaining and the anticipated lifespan. I think that’s a really critical piece of information we need to have.”

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Although the City of Peterborough is responsible for issuing demolition permits under the Ontario building code, city council has been advised by city staff that the municipality has no authority to require GE Vernova to identify or address environmental issues related to the demolition.

Instead, that responsibility falls under the authority of the Ontario government, including the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks through the Environmental Protection Act, which regulates the disposal of hazardous materials and the management of construction waste, and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills through the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which regulates safety for workers involved in construction activities including demolition.

The motion passed at Wednesday’s county council meeting states that council “is concerned with the lack of details provided as to the demolition plan, contents disposal intentions, quantity and quality of disposal materials” and that council “requests that the City (of Peterborough) require the owner to provide detailed information, including but not limited to, detailed site demolition plans, including site disposal volumes, intended disposal location, material and site contamination testing and disposal considerations to City and County Councils.”

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“We should be receiving information as to what they plan to do with it, and everything that goes with that because it is a cause of concern,” said deputy warden Sherry Senis at the meeting. “We’re just asking here to be assured that we’re in the loop and that we receive the information that is necessary.”

The motion also requests that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks “be copied on any and all plans related to the planned demolition or site works.”

On the same day as the county council meeting, Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal sent a letter to Environment, Conservation and Parks Minister Todd McCarthy that outlined council’s ratified motion, the demolition and heritage plan, and the need to deal with potential contaminants during demolition.

“Because of the toxicity of this site, we believe that the full weight of the Environmental Protection Act needs to be applied,” the mayor wrote in part. “Ontario Regulation 347: General – Waste Management and within the Environmental Protection Act speaks to the need for testing, characterization, classification, transportation and disposal of waste related to the demolition process. We also recognize that the Ministry of Labour will have a significant role to play in the demolition process. ”

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As for GE Vernova, the company has stated that it “continues to work with the Ministry of Environment to manage the site, and is committed to working closely with City staff to plan a path forward that minimizes disruptions to the neighbourhood and meets all legislative and regulatory requirements.”

The General Electric factory opened in 1891 and, at the peak of its operations, employed as many as 6,000 workers. In 2014 and 2015, the company demolished five of its older surplus buildings as part of Project Caribou, a demolition project intended to reduce energy costs and streamline workflow at the factory. In 2018, when the factory had 350 employees, General Electric ceased its manufacturing activities on the site, with most of the buildings decomissioned and machinery and equipment removed.

Since then, GE Vernova has maintained office space for 60 employees in the site’s east block and leases several buildings in the west block to BWXT, which was originally part of GE Vernova’s nuclear energy division but became an independent company in 2016 and now specializes in nuclear components and services for government and commercial clients. Those buildings are among those that would be retained under the demolition plan.

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