The Alto high-speed rail project will bring people across the corridor closer together, connecting communities and territories that have deep-rooted ties to the history, culture, and presence of Indigenous Peoples.
Alto’s commitment is grounded in the recognition of rights and in the important role of Indigenous Peoples throughout the lifecycle of the project. We recognize that meaningful relationships require ongoing listening, learning, and adaptation over time. Our project also seeks to contribute to long-term cultural, social, environmental, and economic benefits for future generations.
This work is guided by the following commitments:
Engage and consult early, often and in good faith
Early engagement for the project and relationship building with Indigenous communities began in the early conception phase, and this work continues today as the project advances. We are committed to maintaining ongoing, two-way dialogue with Indigenous communities and establishing relationships based on trust and respect.
We are working closely with Indigenous leadership to identify community priorities and meaningful areas of collaboration for informed participation in project studies and activities.
We will continue to fulfill the Crown’s duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate, with the aim of securing the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous communities.
Honour the rights and perspectives of Indigenous communities
Our work is informed by the knowledge, expertise, and self-determined priorities shared by Indigenous communities. We will continue to provide space for communities to bring forward their perspectives, interests, and aspirations at every stage of the project.
Create long-term socio-economic benefits and opportunities for future generations
As part of our commitment to advance economic reconciliation, we aim to create meaningful and lasting socio-economic benefits for Indigenous communities. Through collaboration with Indigenous partners, we will seek to advance opportunities for employment, skills development, training, procurement and business participation that reflect community priorities and supports meaningful participation in the project, contributing to long-term prosperity for future generations.
Eastside Boxing and Wellness owner Marsha Gaulton (right), a certified competitive boxing coach committed to supporting and advancing female athletes in boxing, founded the "Fight for the Future Fund" with the aim of providing youth with a controlled outlet where they can safely release the pressures and emotions that come with everyday life. Community donations to the fund will provide youth aged 12 to 16 with free access to a 12-week boxing program, with preference given youth who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. (Photo: Eastside Boxing and Wellness)
Eastside Boxing and Wellness in Peterborough has partnered with YWCA Peterborough Haliburton to introduce disadvantaged youth to the sport of boxing so they can develop confidence, discipline, resilience, self-respect, and healthy coping skills.
Eastside Boxing owner Marsha Gaulton, a certified competitive boxing coach committed to supporting and advancing female athletes in boxing, has created the “Fight for the Future Fund” with the aim of providing youth with a controlled outlet where they can safely release the pressures and emotions that come with everyday life.
“I know what it’s like to need an outlet and not have the support or access to one,” Gaulton says in a media release. “I felt that deeply as a child. Boxing came later in life for me, but it became a very special place that gave me confidence, self-discipline, and a much-needed safe space to release built-up frustration and anger in a healthy way.”
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Supported by community donations, the Fight for the Future Fund will provide youth aged 12 to 16 with access to a 12-week program at Eastside Boxing and Wellness that will introduce them to boxing while removing the financial barrier to participate.
A committee will select participants based on need. YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, which supports women and children fleeing from gender-based violence, is a partner in the initiative as preference will be given to youth who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse.
“At YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, we know that recovery from gender-based violence and domestic abuse requires much more than access to a safe place to stay,” says director of philanthropy Tina Thornton.
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“We have seen firsthand that healing happens on many levels — physical, emotional, and spiritual,” Thornton adds. “Access to safe, supportive spaces where individuals can grow, build confidence, and express themselves in healthy ways, such as those provided through Fight for the Future Fund, is a vital part of that journey.”
Youth selected to participate in the program will receive professional instruction from experienced coaches, starter equipment needed to participate (gloves and wraps), and registration with Boxing Ontario.
Parents, guardians, youth workers, educators, and community professionals supporting a young person are encouraged to learn more about the program at ywcapeterborough.org/fight-for-the-future-fund/, while applications can be completed.
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To support participants, Eastside Boxing and Wellness is asking for community donations to the Fight for the Future Fund. Donations can be made via the link above.
“This fund helps give youth — specifically those who have experienced domestic abuse — a safe space where they can feel supported and able to release their own frustrations in a healthy and productive way while learning discipline and self-confidence,” Gaulton says.
Eastside Boxing and Wellness has been providing boxing classes for both adults and youth since 2024. For more information, visit eastsideboxingandwellness.ca.
Just six months after opening LóLa Cakes and Coffee in downtown Peterborough, owner Nino Ante is already ready to expand. Bringing years of experience working for global hospitality groups and in private kitchens, the trained chef opened LóLa to offer a space where people can enjoy coffee and cake along with other desserts. The restaurant also offers a breakfast and lunch menu. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area)
LóLa Cakes and Coffee in downtown Peterborough has only been open since December, but even more sweet treats and caffeinated goods might soon be on the way. Owner Nino Ante is on the hunt for a second location — and that’s only the start of the empire he has planned.
Located at 136 Hunter Street West between George and Water, LóLa Cakes and Coffee offers fresh baked goods, an approachable breakfast and lunch menu, and custom cakes. Ante, who opened the coffee shop with partner Apple Roque, says it has been well-received in the community.
“We are on our sixth month now and it’s been really great,” he says. “The reception of the community has been really positive, and we are getting busy.”
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Growing up in the Philippines, Ante always loved being in the kitchen and, after a brief stint studying kinesiology in university, he attended culinary school where he trained in classical French cuisine. There, he built on the foundation that his parents instilled in him from a young age.
“My family loves hosting parties. My mom and dad really loved cooking — especially my dad — and that really influenced me to really do what I’m doing now,” says Ante, noting that a passion for cooking is crucial in the restaurant industry.
“If you don’t have it and it’s just for the sake of looking for a job, you’re not going to go anywhere. You really need to have it in order for you to be the chef. Everyone can cook, but not everyone can be a chef.”
Located 136 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, LóLa Cakes and Coffee serves a rotating lineup of freshly baked goods and artisanal savoury dishes that take inspiration from countries around the world. Chef Nino Ante, who owns the restaurant with partner Apple Roque, named it after the Filipino word for grandmother, how the coffee shop and bakery creates healthy food based on classic recipes. (Photo courtesy of LóLa Cakes and Coffee)
After working on a cruise ship and after 10 years in Shanghai, Ante came to Canada in 2011 and worked in six different provinces before landing in Peterborough County. His impressive resume boasts global brands like the Fairmont, the Hilton, and The Westin, and he has been a club chef at the Rogers Centre with the Toronto Blue Jays and a private chef for prominent individuals on a private island.
While that may seem like a dream career for any chef, Ante says it “burns you out.”
“The companies I’ve worked with really entail a lot of dedication and will, with long hours (and) high-pressure, high-intensity kitchens,” he explains. “I was really tired. I just needed a rest.”
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Ante was working as a private chef in Fraserville last year when he decided to open his own restaurant in Peterborough, noting the “nice community” that’s “not congested.”
“I really wanted to have a dessert in a coffee place, and when I was going around (Peterborough) there was no place that you can have cakes and just sit down with good coffee in the community,” he says.
“I thought we needed to fill the void, so LóLa was created.”
Apple Roque and Nino Ante are the owners of LóLa Cakes and Coffee in downtown Peterborough. After years working as a chef in high-intensity kitchens around the world and moving to the Peterborough area, Ante was feeling burnt out and wanted to do something on his own. (Photo: Nino Ante)
Lóla gets its name from the Filipino word for grandmother, reflecting on how the coffee shop and bakery takes inspiration from classic recipes.
“When our grandmothers were little or teenagers, they were eating plain, good old healthy food with no preservatives or additives,” Ante says. “That’s the same concept we’re doing here.”
With most ingredients coming from Canada where possible, the baked goods are influenced from Ante’s travels from around the world though presented in his own way. Ante’s innovation was recognized with the first-ever dessert entry into the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area’s annual Mac & Cheese Festival this spring — a mac and cheese tiramisu.
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Adding to the reputation of sourcing high-quality drinks, including matcha that comes straight from Japan and an award-winning tea brand from Vancouver, Ante will soon be working with a Toronto roastery to produce an exclusive coffee blend with notes of chocolate using beans from the Philippines.
But that’s not his only plan for the future, as Ante says he’s hoping to open a second Lóla location before the end of the year.
While he’s looking in Peterborough, he says he’s open to other smaller communities like Lindsay, Cobourg, or Port Hope.
Lóla Cakes and Coffee was celebrated for their creativity during the 2026 Mac & Cheese Festival hosted by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) for introducing the festival’s first-ever dessert entry, a mac and cheese tiramisu. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
Even beyond Lóla, Ante hopes to introduce other venues and concepts to create even more job opportunities for locals, saying “I’d love to help the community.”
“It’s just sad because when I posted a job for a barista, there were 466 applicants for the position,” he says, noting the bakery position similarly had 180 applicants.
“I think the community needs jobs.”
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Though more locations would mean continuing with those long working days, Ante says he’s no longer feeling burnt out but is rather rejuvenated working for himself.
“I see the fruits of our labour, because it’s ours,” he says. “Of course, I got compliments from when I was still working (in other places), but now it’s completely different because it’s mine. It just really keeps me going.”
For more information about LóLa Cakes and Coffee, including the breakfast and lunch menu, visit lolacakesandcoffee.ca.
As well as serving freshly baked goods and breakfast and lunch, LóLa Cakes and Coffee creates custom cakes and does catering for special events. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area)
Two years after holding community consultations about its plans to build a new double-circuit 230-kilovolt transmission line between Clarington and Peterborough by 2029, Hydro One is seeking approval from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to proceed with construction.
Formerly known as the Greater Toronto Area East Line, the $430-million Durham Kawartha Power Line will run for around 55 kilometres between the Clarington Transformer Station in the Municipality of Clarington and the Dobbin Transformer Station in Selwyn Township just on the edge of the City of Peterborough.
Since beginning the project in June 2024, Hydro One states it has received feedback and completed environmental studies to select a route that minimizes the effects to the natural environment and uses existing transmission line corridors where possible. The preferred route runs through northern Municipality of Clarington, southern City of Kawartha Lakes, northern Cavan Monaghan Township, and southwestern Selwyn Township.
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On Friday (June 12), Hydro One announced it has filed a leave-to-construct application with the OEB to seek approval to construct the Durham Kawartha Power Line.
Filing a leave-to-construct application under Section 92 of the Ontario Energy Board Act is required for electricity transmitters in Ontario to obtain approval from the OEB to construct, expand, or reinforce the transmission system. The application includes details on the project’s route, design, timing, and cost.
Hydro One is also currently conducting a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. Following OEB approval and the successful completion of the Class EA process, construction would begin in 2027 and be completed by 2029.
The preferred route of the Durham Kawartha Power Line. (Graphic: Hydro One)
Hydro One says that, once the new transmission line is completed, it will increase the power capacity in eastern Ontario by over 400 megawatts and increase resiliency and capacity for the Peterborough area.
Hydro One is collaborating with the two First Nations in proximity to the transmission line — Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation — on the line’s planning, development, and construction.
Through Hydro One’s First Nation Equity Partnership Model, the two First Nations will have the opportunity to invest in a 50 per cent equity stake in the transmission line component of the project.
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“Electricity demand is increasing,” said Ryan Docherty, Hydro One’s exetutive vice president of capital portfolio delivery, in a media release. “Aging infrastructure, severe weather, and the need to strengthen and secure the grid mean we must make significant investments to support growth and maintain reliability.”
“The Durham Kawartha Power Line is part of one of the largest transmission line infrastructure investment portfolios in Canada that we are advancing together with First Nations. We are delivering value for the people of Ontario by building a stronger, more secure and self-reliant system to meet the needs of the future.”
For more information about the Durham Kawartha Power Line project and updates, visit www.hydroone.com/dkpl.
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas has launched a new on-demand online course aimed at helping skilled tradespeople across Ontario transition into entrepreneurship.
BuildUP On Demand was developed in response to interest in the Innovation Cluster’s BuildUP business accelerator program, launched in 2025 for workers in the skilled trades — welders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, general contractors, and more — looking to become their own boss.
The self-paced online course allows participants to complete training from home, work, or on the road, with access to the course materials available for up to one year from the date of purchase.
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The six modules of BuildUP On Demand provide practical guidance on key areas involved in starting and operating a business, with a focus on helping trades professionals move from employee to business owner and build sustainable companies.
“The Innovation Cluster continues to introduce new programs that directly address critical needs in our local and provincial economy,” said Nicole Stephenson, chair of the Innovation Cluster board of directors, in a media release. “By delivering the proven BuildUP On Demand, we continue to help Ontario address the critical gap in the skilled trades industry by empowering trades professionals to build businesses and strengthen their local communities.”
Course modules cover entrepreneurship and starting a business, tax basics and bookkeeping, startup financing, marketing and reputation management, sales, and compliance. The course includes video presentations, downloadable reference materials, and short quizzes at the end of each module to reinforce learning.
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Depending on the topic and the learner’s pace, each of the six modules takes about 180 minutes to complete, although the Innovation Cluster recommends participants allow additional time to complete quizzes and to apply what they have learned.
As learners will have access to course materials for up to a year, they can complete the program at their own pace and revisit the materials as needed for a refresher. Those who successfully complete all six modules will receive a personalized certificate.
While the course’s regular price is $128, the Innovation Cluster is offering an introductory price of $89.60. For more information and to enrol, visit innovationcluster.ca/buildup.
Peterborough city council is now fully behind the idea of slashing development charges in the city by 50 per cent in a bid to get a share of $8.8 billion in federal and provincial funding intended to increase housing by making it more affordable.
At its regular meeting on Monday night (June 15), with councillor Don Vassiliadis absent, council voted unanimously 10-0 to support the motion introduced by Mayor Jeff Leal at general committee the previous Monday, with three amendments subsequently brought forward by councillor Matt Crowley.
Councillors voted in favour of the motion despite the risk that the city will lose half of its existing development charge revenue over the next three years if the city’s application to the Ontario government’s new Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) is not approved.
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City must apply to new Ontario government program by June 19
The mayor’s original motion proposed that the city apply to the DCRP, which the province announced on June 1 following the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build agreement signed in March that includes $8.8 billion in federal and provincial funding over 10 years for Ontario municipalities that reduce and maintain low development charges, as well as a harmonized sales tax (HST) rebate.
With the intent of reducing the cost of new homes, the DCRP would provide Ontario municipalities with funding if they commit to reducing development charges by 30 to 50 per cent or greater for all residential types and maintain the reductions for at least three years.
Municipalities levy charges against new development as a primary source of funding for growth-related capital expenditures, with the City of Peterborough bringing in $6.5 million in revenue from development charges in 2025. Of the 444 municipalities in Ontario, those that currently levy development charges — over 200 urban municipalities — would be eligible to apply to DCRP, with the deadline to apply set for Friday (June 19).
After Mayor Leal introduced his motion at the general committee meeting under “other business,” some councillors expressed concerns about the process and the timing of the motion, along with questions about the implications of halving development charges for three years should the city not receive DCRP funding.
Councillor Joy Lachica’s motion to defer failed by a 3-7 vote, and the mayor’s motion passed 8-2 with councillors Lachica and Alex Bierk voting against it. Councillor Matt Crowley was absent from the meeting.
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Amendments to original motion will see staff report back to council
At Monday night’s council meeting, councillor Crowley introduced three amendments to the mayor’s original motion: having city staff come back to council after submitting the city’s DCRP application with a report on selected projects and why they were selected, having any amended by-laws come to council for approval, and having staff report back to council no later than the end of September with an update on the status of the city’s DCRP application and the implementation of the reduction in development charges.
During debate on the third amendment, councillor Bierk asked finance and corporate commissioner Richard Freymond whether the city had the option of reverting back to the previous development charge rate should the report back to council indicate the city’s DCRP application was unsuccessful.
“There is no off-ramp here,” Freymond replied. “If council reduces the rates, the rates will stay in the reduced 50 per cent rate for three years.”
Freymond noted the city should know by August whether it will receive DCRP funding or not but, in either case, the reduced development charges would still remain in effect for three years.
“There is a risk here, if council determines to reduce the rates,” he added.
After councillor Bierk asked what would prevent council from reconsidering its decision to reduce development charges should it not receive DCRP, Freymond reiterated that the city, by applying to DCRP, would be making a commitment to the province to reduce development charges for three years.
“If council elects to put the rates back up, then say goodbye to any senior level federal-provincial funding for the next three years,” Freymond warned. “Council can either elect to incentivize development as is being encouraged by the provincial government and follow that directive, or we can sit on the sidelines.”
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New development could offset $7.5 million revenue shortfall if province does not approve city application
Councillor Bierk expressed concerns that, should the city not receive DCRP funding, it would have a $7.5 million shortfall for infrastructure as a result of the 50 per cent reduction in development charges.
“Does that just mean we do less capital, less infrastructure, or do we dip into the residential tax base to make up that $7.5 (million)?,” Bierk asked Freymond.
“It could mean all of the above,” Freymond said. “Those will be choices that council can make, in terms of whether they want to continue to move projects forward in the absence of senior (government) levels of funding.”
Freymond then pointed out that the $7.5 million shortfall is a staff estimate based on historical revenues received from past development charges, and does not include any revenue that may result over the next three years from additional residential development incentivized by reducing the development charge rate by 50 per cent. Those additional revenues, he said, could offset some of the shortfall.
In his remarks, councillor Gary Baldwin said incentives are needed as existing development charges are not resulting in more housing, and that he “can’t imagine” the provincial government would encourage municipalities to reduce their development charges and then not provide any funding.
“I’m prepared to roll the dice,” he said.
For her part, councillor Lesley Parnell said the city is not getting any development charge revenue anyway due to the lack of shovel-ready projects, and that reduced development charges will lower the cost of housing for young families and first-time home buyers.
After some further discussion, council voted unanimously 10-0 in favour of councillor Crowley’s amendment for staff to report back to council by September 30, voting the same way for the two other amendments.
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‘We’re making the right decision to be of one voice in this’
Council then briefly debated the mayor’s amended motion, with councillor Kevin Duguay noting he recently attended a meeting of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario in Windsor and that “all the city officials that I spoke to, all of their communities are actively pursuing this program.” He added that senior levels of government are watching how municipalities are responding to the DCRP.
“It would be inappropriate for us to suggest that we would participate in this program only if the federal-provincial funding is provided — we will not be successful in our application,” Duguay said, adding that new housing as a result of reduced development charges will also create new assessment, increase employment, and help the city meet its housing targets.
“This is a bold decision, but it is a necessary decision,” Duguay said.
Councillor Bierk, who earlier had thanked councillor Crowley for his work bringing forward the amendments, also thanked Mayor Leal for his original motion and councillors Parnell and Duguay for their comments.
“It’s helped me understand what we’re doing here a little bit better,” he said. “I voted against it last week because I still had some questions, and even our treasurer said it was a risk. So my questions came from that standpoint, but I do believe it’s important for us to have unity on this.”
Bierk said it has been difficult for him to “let go” of all the discussions and debate involved in council’s previous decision to raise development charges and, although there is some risk in proceeding, said he would support the motion.
Councillor Andrew Beamer spoke in favour of the motion, saying it would spur economic growth and increase affordability for first-time home buyers.
“I’m glad it’s going to be unanimous, unlike last week,” Beamer said of the pending vote.
Councillor Lachica, who voted against the motion in general committee, said she felt “confident and comfortable that we’re making the right decision to be of one voice in this.”
In his comments, Mayor Leal referred to a policy report by economist Dr. Mike Moffatt called A Blueprint to Restore Homeownership for Young Canadians that found that development charges are the number one factor driving the cost of housing, and an analysis by the Canada Mortgage And Housing Corporation that concluded a reduction of 20 to 25 per cent would spur the development of new homes.
“Last Tuesday morning, we got a call from (Peterborough property manager and developer) AON, Brad Smith,” the mayor said. “He’s going to accelerate 400 units in our community because of what we did last Monday night and (will) reaffirm this Monday night. This program will work, it will get housing for people, and it’ll make Peterborough a much better place to live, work, and play.”
Council then voted 10-0 unanimously in favour of the amended motion.
Located in Bridgenorth overlooking Chemong Lake in Selwyn Township, Chemong Lodge uses local ingredients wherever possible, including herbs and produce grown on site and products sourced through weekly regional farmers' markets. To make it easier to source local, Chemong Lodge is interested in participating in the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program supported by Peterborough County, which connects local buyers with local food producers. (Photo: Bryan Reid, courtesy of Chemong Lodge)
With the support of agricultural programming from Peterborough County, Chemong Lodge owner Adam Brown will be able to maintain his commitment to use local ingredients wherever possible.
Adam grew up in Selwyn Township near Chemong Lodge, where he has many cherished memories of celebrating birthdays and family events. When the opportunity came in 2021 for Adam and his wife Sara to purchase the historic Bridgenorth restaurant and events venue that overlooks Chemong Lake, they were thrilled to carry on its legacy.
Beloved by locals and visitors alike, Chemong Lodge serves a chef-driven menu with seasonal ingredients and an authentic smoked BBQ. Alongside hosting regular events, including a famous Sunday brunch buffet and Pub Night Thursdays, Chemong Lodge offers wedding and event services as well as full-service catering. The Brown family also host regular live music and special events including an Oyster & BBQ Fest, Margaritaville, Lobsterfest, and more.
Helmed by renowned trail-blazing Chef Gregory Couillard, Chemong Lodge grows its own herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, and other produce. For other ingredients, Chemong Lodge attends the weekly Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market and the Lakefield Farmers’ Market.
Adam says sourcing locally not only provides “quality assurance” by supplying the restaurant with fresh local ingredients, but it means Chemong Lodge is also supporting the same community that supports them.
“We’re creating relationships and having an economic impact locally by sourcing here and building relationships at the farmers’ markets on Wednesdays and Thursdays,” Adam says. “We want people to support independent operators like us and so, if we’re asking that of them, it’s appropriate that we’re doing the same. We’re leading with that by shopping local and putting the best local ingredients we can on a plate for our guests.”
After growing up near Chemong Lodge, where he has many cherished memories of celebrating birthdays and family events, Adam Brown purchased the historic Bridgenorth restaurant and events venue along with his wife Sara in 2021. He is interested in becoming a member of the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program, supported in part by Peterborough County, that aims to increase the capacity for local food distribution by connecting local food producers with wholesale buyers like Chemong Lodge. (Photo: Bryan Reid, courtesy of Chemong Lodge)
Despite his commitment to source from local producers wherever possible, Adam admits doing so can be one of the most challenging parts of his job. He also recognizes it can be difficult for local farmers to connect with buyers like Chemong Lodge outside of farmers’ markets.
That’s why Peterborough County has partnered with the City of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes on two economic development initiatives to grow local agriculture.
Kawartha Choice FarmFresh provides a brand identity for local producers, a network for members to share and access resources, and an online database to find local producers, while the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program aims to increase the capacity for local food distribution by connecting local food producers with wholesale buyers through the Green Circle Food Hub developed with Graze & Gather.
Adam is not only interested in becoming a member of the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program, but he recently joined a discussion panel at Kollab in The Kawarthas, an interactive event organized by Peterborough County in April that focused on empowering tourism-based businesses, including many that benefit from using local ingredients.
“It was encouraging and a happy moment to see that, from a municipal level, there’s a real focus being put on hospitality and tourism,” Adam says. “The resources that Peterborough County is deploying are going to be not just beneficial to myself, but there will be dollars generated industry wide, all the way from farmers and producers to hoteliers and restaurants.”
Chemong Lodge is located at 764 Hunter Street in Bridgenorth. To learn more or book a reservation, visit www.chemonglodge.com.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series celebrating the farmers, food producers, food retailers, and agri-tourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
Agriculture is a key economic driver and a point of pride for Peterborough County, with local farms producing a wide variety of high-quality goods, from traditional crops and livestock to organic and specialty products, reflecting the strength and diversity of this vital sector. With a growing focus on sustainability, local food systems, agri-innovation, and agri-tourism, agriculture offers strong potential for growth and diversification.
The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series spotlights the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh and Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiatives, which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across our region.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
encoreNOW for June 15, 2026 features (from left to right, top and bottom) Fleetwood Mac Mania at Cobourg's Concert Hall at Victoria Hall, "Murder at the Match - World Cup Edition" at Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon, Gowan at Peterborough Musicfest, Emily Burgess at Tuned Up Tuesdays at Elmhirst's Resort in Keene, "Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway" featuring Tahirih Vejdani at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre, and 4th Line Theatre's "Schoolhouse" at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook. (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 Fleetwood Mac Mania at Cobourg’s Concert Hall at Victoria Hall, Globus Theatre’s staging of Murder at the Match – World Cup Edition in Bobcaygeon, opening night for the 37th Peterborough Musicfest concert series featuring Gowan, the Tuned Up Tuesday series opener at Elmhirst’s Resort featuring Emily Burgess, Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre and 4th Line Theatre’s season-opening reprisal of Schoolhouse at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.
The “rumours” are true: Fleetwood Mac Mania is Cobourg-bound
VIDEO: “Don’t Stop” – Fleetwood Mac Mania (2024)
Yes, yes, cover bands are a dime a dozen … some are quite excellent, many are very good, and more than a few are but one step removed from a karaoke bar.
I’m not musical but I do know if you’re going to cover a singer or band’s music catalogue, there are few prerequisites for success: cover an act that has enduring wide appeal, has a huge catalogue of great songs to choose from, and is an act that you personally love to the point of wanting to share their music with as many as possible. I should add assembling top-notch musicians is a pretty good idea.
Fleetwood Mac Mania checks each of these boxes to the max. On Saturday, June 20 at Cobourg’s The Concert Hall at Victoria Hall, the tribute band will perform the hits of one of the most legendary and influential bands in rock history.
Formed in London in 1967, Fleetwood Mac was first a blues band, before the American folk duo Buckingham Nicks — guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks — joined drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, and keyboardist Christine McVie to give the band a more pop-rock sound. To say that paid an immediate dividend would be an understatement.
While Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1975 debut album topped the Billboard 200 chart, the follow-up Rumours took the quintet into another stratosphere. One of the best-selling albums of all time, it won a 1978 Grammy Award for Album of the Year on strength of its vocal harmonies and musical arrangements. That it was home to monster hit singles such as “Don’t Stop,” “Go Your Own Way,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “The Chain,” and “Dreams” certainly didn’t hurt matters.
Three more studio albums followed before things went askew in the late 1980s, but the band’s legacy was more than secure. More than a few reunions followed, but the magic of that 1975-to-1987 era couldn’t be rekindled. Still, there are enough of us around who remember with fondness the original lineup and will jump at the chance to relive the band’s heyday.
Enter Fleetwood Mac Mania, with Jenn Taylor, Connie Scriver, and Jeremy Stimers portraying Nicks, McVie, and Buckingham respectively, joined by drummer Eddie Cromwell. Fleetwood Mac Mania has rightfully earned its reputation as the most authentic-sounding Fleetwood Mac tribute band in North America.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. concert cost $40 plus taxes and fees, and can be ordered online at tickets.cobourg.ca … but be aware only a few tickets remain.
Murder mystery fun is a corner kick away at Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon
“Murder at the Match – World Cup Edition” features Globus Theatre favourites Jennine Profeta and Kerry Griffin along with Allan Cooke, Mallory Brumm, and Globus newcomer Kyle Claeys. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
The much-anticipated World Cup has kicked off, creating big-time excitement and passion in those North American cities hosting the spectacle, Toronto among them.
Why shouldn’t Bobcaygeon get in on the action? It should, and it is, via the stage at Globus Theatre on Pigeon Lake Road where Murder at the Match – World Cup Edition takes to the pitch on Thursday, June 25 for the first of seven performances.
Written by Globus Theatre artistic director Sarah Quick, the interactive murder mystery dinner theatre experience takes shape when a key player doesn’t make it to the kickoff for a 2026 World Cup game, igniting suspicion across three countries. Subsequently, every border crossing hides a clue and every match hides a motive. In the end, one thing is very clear: someone wants to take the coveted trophy home by eliminating the competition.
This isn’t Globus Theatre’s first murder mystery dinner theatre rodeo. There’s a reason for that. Quick and the theatre troupe is very good at staging such events. It follows that if you’re good at something, keep doing it. This is nothing short of a guaranteed fun night out that’ll keep you guessing right until the final whistle.
“What I love about creating these murder mysteries is the chance to capture a specific moment in time and build an entirely new story around it,” said Quick, who herself is quite the footie fan and also wrote a World Cup-theme murder mystery back in 2022, when Canada’s national soccer team appeared at the World Cup in Quatar for the first time in 36 years.
Curtain is 6:30 pm from June 25 to 27 and July 2 to 4, with a 12:30 p.m. matinee performance on June 27. Tickets for the buffet-style dinner and the show cost $100 at www.globustheatre.com.
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Peterborough Musicfest-bound Gowan is still a wonderfully strange animal
VIDEO: “Strange Animal” – Gowan (2025)
Way back in the day, in a bid to expand my influence and social circle at Scarborough’s Neil McNeil High School, I ran for student council and subsequently served three terms as social convenor.
My main duty was organizing school dances. While securing The Stampeders was easily my biggest coup, bringing a then relatively unknown but huge talent to the stage is today my finest memory of that time: Larry Gowan, a Neil McNeil student a few grades ahead of me.
Gowan was an incredible piano banger with a soaring voice who made up one third of the band Rhinegold, which covered the music of Styx, Burton Cummings, and other popular acts of the day. Rhinegold met with considerable success as a bar band until the early 1980s, at which point its colourful front man launched his solo music career under the name Gowan.
A lot has happened since for the Scottish-born and Scarborough-raised singer, including five solo albums with hit songs such as “Criminal Mind,” “Moonlight Desires” and “(You’re A) Strange Animal,” and two Juno Awards to go along with a boatload of nominations. All this is in addition to his recording and touring with Styx since the 1999 departure of lead singer Dennis DeYoung. Yes, the teen that covered Styx songs so well all those years ago is now a member of that band.
In securing Gowan as the opening act for its 39th summer season opener on June 27, Peterborough Musicfest has chosen very well. Taking to the Del Crary Park stage shortly after 8 p.m., Gowan will make his fourth Musicfest appearance and will no doubt deliver the same boundless energy and superb musicianship that has been a hallmark of his long career, both as a solo act and alongside his Styx brethren.
This is the first of 16 free-admission concerts being presented this summer, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings until August 19. Watch for features on each act coming in kawarthaNOW, which is returning as a Musicfest media sponsor and will be giving away VIP seats for every concert (subscribe to the weekly VIP enews to qualify for the giveaways).
Tuned Up Tuesdays at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene kick off with Emily Burgess
VIDEO: “I’ve Got Your Back” – Emily Burgess
If taking in the talent of a local musician on the shores of Rice Lake while enjoying a barbecue brisket or chicken dinner isn’t heaven on earth, it has to be pretty close.
With its annual “Tuned Up Tuesdays” series of live music performances, Elmhirst’s Resort off Settlers Line in Keene has nailed it for those looking for a great summer evening getaway.
Singer and guitarist Emily Burgess kicks off the series on June 30, performing after the 6 p.m. dinner bell at the resort’s Wild Blue Yonder Pub off the lakeside boardwalk.
Best known by locals for her ongoing work with The Weber Brothers Band, Burgess is also a Maple Blues Award winner and was nominated for a Juno Award as a member of The 24th Street Wailers for the album Wicked. In addition, Burgess has recorded three solo albums, the most recent being Arrow in 2023, and has proven equally adept at songwriting as she has at performing.
Elmhirst’s has pulled together a terrific series lineup, with Burgess followed by Carling Stephen (July 7 and August 25), The Detention Club (July 14), The Arrangements (July 21), Al Black and The Steady Band (July 28), Carl Jankowski (August 4), Keene Country (August 11), and Melissa Payne (August 18).
The cost for dinner and the show is $49.95 ($24.95 for kids) and reservations are requested. To book your seat, visit elmhirst.ca/packages_and_events/tuned-up-tuesdays/. Don’t worry about the weather — should it rain, the fun moves inside.
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Something wicked this way sings at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre
VIDEO: “Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway” promo
There’s way too much evil in the world, but the wicked can be wickedly entertaining — at least when it comes to Broadway, where countless productions have introduced us to evildoers, scoundrels, and plain nasty people that we love to hiss, but love just the same.
Reasoning that a hero is only as good as their villain, and that there’s wide appeal behind that premise, Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre is staging Born To Be Bad: The Villains of Broadway.
Opening June 30 in the Sculthorpe Theatre with cabaret-style seating, the solo show created and performed by Capitol Theatre favourite Tahirih Vejdani with musical direction by Douglas Price is a celebration of all things bad, as depicted in many Broadway musicals.
Vejdani, whose past musical theatre credits at the Capitol include portraying Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty as well as performing in the Billboard in Concert series, will put her acclaimed singing voice to work as she shares the best of being bad.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. from June 30 to July 4, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on July 2, 4 and 5. Visit capitoltheatre.com for tickets, which are priced at $45 ($35 for those under 30).
4th Line Theatre in Millbrook reprises “Schoolhouse” to open its 2026 season
School is in session at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook from June 30 to July 25, 2026 as 4th Line Theatre presents “Schoolhouse” by Leanna Brodie. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Peterborough Musicfest isn’t the only annual harbinger of pleasant summer nights ahead. Since 1992, 4th Line Theatre has also gifted audiences with a spectacular summer backdrop at the Winslow Farm near Millbrook.
Season 34 will be no different for the outdoor theatre company, with two productions — both reprised from earlier seasons — being featured.
Last season’s hit, Megan Murphy’s Wild Irish Geese, is back, running August 4 to 29, but first up is Schoolhouse, returning to the farm almost two decades after back-to-back season runs in 2007 and 2008.
Opening June 30 and directed by Monica Dottor, Leanna Brodie’s play takes us to rural Ontario circa 1938 and S.S. #1 Jericho, a one-room school near the fictional village of Baxter’s Creek. Melita Linton, 18 years old and newly graduated from Normal School, is faced with a lively group of students from a community rooted in tradition.
Enter Ewart, a withdrawn youth recently released from reform school. As Linton works to reach him, she’s confronted by the deep bonds and quiet fears that are the hallmark of small-town life. With equal parts humour and humanity, Schoolhouse evokes a vanished era in Canadian rural history.
The play features a cast of 28 professional and volunteer actors/musicians, including Alex Pearce in her 4th Line Theatre debut in the role of Miss Linton. Alexei DeLuca and Rainbow Kester will also be making their 4th Line debut in the production, while returning to the 4th Line stage are Robert Winslow, Mark Hiscox, Darragh O’Connell, Padrick Wilson, Jasper Chesser, and Indigo Chesser.
The creative team of Schoolhouse includes musical director Justin Hiscox (who has also written original compositions for the play), costume designer Chelsea Day, set designer Michelle Chesser, fight director Edward Belanger, intimacy director Greg Carruthers, and sound designer Steáfán Hannigan.
Bringing uniquely Canadian history to life while giving local aspiring and veteran performers a wonderful outdoor stage to stretch their acting legs is something that 4th Line Theatre does better than anyone else. Founder Robert Winslow was onto a very good thing in 1992 that remains as fresh and relevant today as it was back then.
Curtain is 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays from June 30 to July 25, with preview nights on June 30 and July 1 and opening night on July 2 and an added performance on July 20. Single tickets are $55 for adults and $48 for children and youth ages 5 to 16, with preview nights $42.
Get your tickets at www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca, and stay tuned to kawarthaNOW later this week for a feature story on Schoolhouse.
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Encore
When I chaired the board of Peterborough Musicfest, one of the few criticisms fielded was the lack of opportunities for local musicians to play Del Crary Park. Fair enough, but there were a few things at play. Many big-name acts were adverse to acts opening for them, and the prospect of a local act bringing out a sizable crowd out was low. At the time, ideas were floated about how to address the local talent shortfall. The solution has been found in the Future Sound Series which, on concert nights this summer, will see local acts perform from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The stage, located just inside the George Street park entrance near the food trucks, will welcome 14 local acts this summer, starting with Irish Millie on June 27. Check it out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
If I had half of Georgia Rose’s energy, I’d sleep a whole lot better. The ever-busy young Peterborough singer-songwriter is all over social media again, thanks to June 13 release of “leave,” her third single, at the 100 Acre Brewing Company. If that’s not enough, she’s been seriously in the running for the online vote-driven Emerging Artist Showcase at the North of Nowhere Music Festival set for July 16 to 18 in Lindsay. It doesn’t hurt that people gravitate to the amicable up-and-comer whose star is rising quicker than we can keep up. Years ago, when a young Elyse Saunders was performing on local stages, I had the same feeling about where she was headed that I have now for Georgia. We’ll see but so far so very good.
The New Canadians Centre (NCC) has announced the 2026 Canadian Multicultural Festival will take place from Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 26. Pictured at the announcement at NCC's Romaine Street location on June 10 are, from left to right, Dianely Hernandez of Dianely Fitness Dance, NCC Manager of Wellness and Community Education Bhisham Ramoutar, NCC Fund Development Officer Asuka Ballantyne, Priyanka Menghi, NCC Executive Director Jeeniraj (JJ) Thevasagayam, NCC Director of Fundraising and Communications Katelyn Rothenbush, NCC Peterborough Immigration Partnership Officer Michelle Nguyen, and Ivan Etcuban. (Photo: Jordan Lyall / kawarthaNOW)
For the fifth year, you can join the New Canadians Centre (NCC) to celebrate cultures across the world with a multi-day festival leading up to Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27.
From Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 26, the Canadian Multicultural Festival will bring a series of free family-friendly celebrations of food, music, and stories to Nogojiwanong-Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.
“The festival gives our clients from nearly 100 countries an opportunity to showcase their cultures and what’s meaningful to them,” says Katelyn Rothenbush, NCC’s Director of Fundraising and Communications.
Organized by the New Canadians Centre, the 2026 Canadian Multicultural Festival runs from Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 26 in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland. (Poster courtesy of New Canadians Centre)
“It’s a special thing to see yourself reflected and to share with others what, for many people, is a crucial part of their identity,” Rothenbush says. “With a lot of the events facilitated by current or former NCC clients, the festival is really about belonging in our community, and showing that through food, music, dance, stories, and having a lot of fun.”
Since 1979, the non-profit charitable organization has supported immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers to the Kawarthas region, including 1,935 in the past year alone who speak 78 different languages and bring their own customs, traditions, and practices to their new country.
That includes Saima Sarfraz, who arrived in Canada from Pakistan in 2021. She has regularly attended events and programs delivered by the NCC, including the Canadian Multicultural Festival in 2024, which reminded her of her previous life in Islamabad where she studied at the International Islamic University and met people from all over the world.
During the Block Party event held during the 2024 Canadian Multicultural Festival hosted by the New Canadians Centre, clients and volunteers of the organization set up vendor booths inviting visitors to learn more about countries around the world, including Saima Sarfraz’s booth about her home country of Pakistan. (Photo courtesy of Saima Sarfraz)
“We interacted with each other and tried different food, so it’s something that really resonates with me at a personal level,” Sarfraz says of the 2024 festival, noting that her son learned about other cultures from vendors representing different countries at the Block Party. “He was learning about accepting differences and diversity.”
Sarfraz says it’s “very important” to share cultural traditions with her son, while she also enjoys educating others about her country. She and her family ran a booth during the 2024 festival’s Block Party, where they wore cultural dress and had educational displays and activities to introduce visitors to the many cultures, languages, and traditions that can be found across Pakistan.
“I have my different mother tongue and I have a different national language, so I can’t understand all the languages in Pakistan,” Sarfraz explains of her home country. “There are some places I haven’t been and others I have, and it’s like going to a different country, with different food, different dress, and different lifestyles.”
During the Block Party event held during the 2024 Canadian Multicultural Festival hosted by the New Canadians Centre (NCC), children gather around a vendor booth that’s all about Pakistan, hosted by NCC client and volunteer Saima Sarfraz. Alongside offering activities around Pakistan’s truck art, the booth invited kids to learn about how most of the world’s soccer balls, including those used in the World Cup, are made in Sialkot, Pakistan. (Photo courtesy of Saima Sarfraz)
One common popular tradition in Pakistan is truck art, where trucks are transformed into vibrant canvases with floral patterns, calligraphy, religious imagery, portraits, and bold colours. At their booth during the Block Party, the Sarfraz family offered a truck art activity for children.
“I got a design printed so the kids could do a colouring activity and get to know more about it,” she recalls. At the booth, children also learned about how most of the world’s soccer balls, including those used in the World Cup, are made in Sialkot, Pakistan.
This year’s Canadian Multicultural Festival kicks off with a Community Conversation on Wednesday, June 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Friends of the Library Community Room in the main branch of the Peterborough Public Library.
The 2026 Canadian Multicultural Festival hosted by the New Canadians Centre (NCC) features a panel discussion on Wednesday, June 17 that will reflect on the stories and lessons learned in the last 10 years since Peterborough became a Welcome Centre for government-assisted refugees and discuss what is needed to continue providing support for refugees and newcomers to Canada. (Graphic courtesy of New Canadians Centre)
In advance of World Refugee Day on June 20, the panel discussion will reflect on Peterborough being a welcome centre for government-assisted refugees and discuss how better to continue providing support for refugees and newcomers to Canada.
“It’s been ten years since the New Canadians Centre has been supporting government-assisted refugees, so it’s a meaningful milestone,” says Rothenbush. “There are a lot of people in the community, like volunteers and sponsors, who have supported refugees over those 10 years, and they’ll be part of the panel too.”
To honour the milestone as well as World Refugee Day, husband-and-wife physician team Dr. Neera Jeyabalan and Dr. Greg Bishop have generously committed to match donations to the NCC up to a total of $10,000 until Tuesday, June 30.
As for the panel, guests will include former government-assisted refugees Ajil Almousa and Bayan Eshhadeh, English-as-a-second-language instructor Christine Fayek, and retirees Marguerite and Phil Adams, two volunteers who support refugees. The panel will open with a reception and finish with an audience Q&A period. Advance registration is required.
Dianely Hernandez of Dianely Fitness Dance leads New Canadians Centre representatives in Zumba during an announcement on June 10, 2026 of the non-profit organization’s fifth annual Canadian Multicultural Festival, which runs from Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 26. A popular dance-fitness program that combines high-energy aerobic exercise with Latin and world rhythms, Zumba will be offered on June 18 in Peterborough and Bobcaygeon and on June 25 in Port Hope. (Photo: Jordan Lyall / kawarthaNOW)
On Thursday, June 18, there will be Zumba lessons at the Connecting Seniors: Community Resources drop-in program held at the Bobcaygeon branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library. The NCC will be on site to introduce visitors to the programs and services, with Zumba lessons at 10:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 11:45 a.m.
A popular dance-fitness program around the world often described as “exercise in disguise,” Zumba combines high-energy aerobic exercise with Latin and world rhythms. Registration is not required to participate.
Back in Peterborough that evening, the NCC will also be hosting trivia and Zumba at the pavilion in Beavermead Park. From 6 to 7 p.m., people can test their knowledge to become NCC’s first trivia champion before joining the lively Zumba session from 7 to 8 p.m.
Commissioned by the New Canadians Centre, the children’s picture book “Building A Home” by Casandra Lee was inspired by the stories and artwork by six children originally from Syria, Kazakhstan, Mexico, and Pakistan of their first-time experiences in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough. During the 2026 Canadian Multicultural Festival, the book will be featured at an all-day “Story Walk” on Saturday, June 20 at Victoria Park in Lindsay, where people can stroll through the park and read the book on large, printed panels. (Text and illustrations by Casandra Lee)
In honour of World Refugee Day, the NCC will be hosting an all-day “Story Walk” on Saturday, June 20 at Victoria Park in Lindsay that features Building a Home by Casandra Lee.
The children’s book, commissioned by the NCC and available in seven languages, follows six children from Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Mexico, and Syria who moved to Nogojiwanong-Peterborough. It was created from a collection of real-life stories from children who offered unique perspectives on their life and move to Canada. Registration is not required for this drop-in event.
“The Story Walk will allow people to walk through the path of Victoria Park and read the book on large, printed panels,” says Rothenbush. “They can take a stroll and look at settlement through the eyes of children in our area.”
Also on Saturday, the NCC will be hosting a morning yoga practice and Merengue dance session at Sadleir House in Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with yoga from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Merengue from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. A ParticipACTION Community Challenge presented by Novo Nordisk, a national initiative encouraging people to get active, the event will take place outdoors on the lawn if the weather permits; otherwise, it will move indoors.
All experience levels are welcome to participate. Registration is not required, but those who require a yoga mat can email Bhisham Ramoutar at bhisham@nccpeterborough.ca.
The New Canadians Centre’s Director of Fundraising and Communications Katelyn Rothenbush and Executive Director Jeeniraj (JJ) Thevasagayam sample Priyanka Menghi’s cilantro mint chutney during an announcement on June 10, 2026 of the non-profit organization’s fifth annual Canadian Multicultural Festival, which runs from Wednesday, June 17 to Friday, June 26. The chutney is one of the dips that will be featured at the “Dip Around the World” event on Tuesday, June 23. (Photo: Jordan Lyall / kawarthaNOW)
On Tuesday, June 23 from 3 to 5 p.m., the NCC is introducing an all-new delicious event for the Canadian Multicultural Festival with “Dip Around the World.” Held at the NCC’s Romaine Street location in the former St. James United Church, the event takes inspiration from the NCC’s 2024 “Sip Around the World” event that introduced a range of coffees and teas originating from around the world.
For “Dip Around the World,” guests will have the opportunity to learn how to make authentic dips from Mexico, the Middle East, Japan, and beyond, and then taste what they’ve created. Advance registration is required.
“Food brings people together, of course, and this is a chance for people to connect over new and shared flavours and techniques,” says Rothenbush.
During an announcement on June 10, 2026 of the fifth annual Canadian Multicultural Festival presented by the New Canadians Centre, Ivan Etcuban discusses plans for a multicultural fashion show he is coordinating with Greatchen Griffiths as part of the Block Party that wraps up the festival on Saturday, June 26. (Photo: Jordan Lyall / kawarthaNOW)
On Thursday, June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m., the NCC will be at Port Hope’s Memorial Park for “Around the World in Northumberland.” This vibrant celebration of culture, community, and connection will feature square dancing and Zumba, music and dance performances, drinks and snacks from around the world, and live polyphony music.
Visitors are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets for this free family-friendly community event which, in the case of bad weather, will move indoors to the nearby Port Hope Columbus Hall.
The Canadian Multicultural Festival will come to a close on Saturday, June 26 — the day before Canadian Multiculturalism Day — with a free Block Party from 2 to 6 p.m. at NCC’s Romaine Street location.
The New Canadians Centre’s Fund Development Officer Asuka Ballantyne displays the Festival Garden passport during an announcement on June 10, 2026 of the fifth annual Canadian Multicultural Festival. Once you collect three or more stamps from a welcome table at each event during the festival, you can submit the passport to be entered in a draw to win prizes. (Photo: Jordan Lyall / kawarthaNOW)
The afternoon will include crafts, a bouncy castle, henna, face-painting, and more family-friendly activities. There will also be a cultural fair on site to support visitors in learning about the range of different cultures in Peterborough.
While the Block Party has become a staple way to close out the festival, there are all-new events on this year’s lineup. A multicultural stage show will feature the Kawartha Youth Orchestra at 3 p.m. followed by a performance at 4 p.m. from Agneya, an award-winning Indo-Canadian percussionist and composer. At 5 p.m., a multicultural fashion show will display cultural clothing from around the world.
At each event during the festival, the NCC will host a welcome table where attendees can purchase T-shirts and tote bags branded with NCC’s Canadian Multicultural Festival logo. You can also pick up a Festival Garden passport to be stamped at each event you attend. Once you collect three or more stamps, you can submit the passport to be entered in a draw to win prizes.
At an announcement on June 10, 2026 of the fifth annual Canadian Multicultural Festival presented by the New Canadians Centre, Peterborough Immigration Partnership Officer Michelle Nguyen, Manager of Wellness and Community Education Bhisham Ramoutar, and Fund Development Officer Asuka Ballantyne show off the branded merchandise that will be available for sale during the festival. Proceeds will help fund the non-profit organization’s work to support immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers to the Kawarthas region. (Photo: Jordan Lyall / kawarthaNOW)
While any donations will help the NCC continue to support newcomers, the ultimate goal of the festival according to Rothenbush is to instill an appreciation for the different cultures found across the Kawarthas region and to celebrate their contributions to Canada.
“The festival is meant to help people learn something new, meet new people, and make friends, through the lens that we are more similar than we are different,” she says. “These kinds of events help to humanize immigration, especially at this time. We hope everyone learns something new, connects with new people, and enjoys themselves. At the heart of it all — the food, the music, the fashion — it’s about community and belonging.”
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the New Canadians Centre. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Volunteers participate in restoration work at the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, a property protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The reserve is part of the Rice Lake Plains, a 40,000-hectare ecosystem at the east end of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Northumberland County that is home to Canada's easternmost tallgrass communities. Over more than two decades, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and its partners have worked to protect and restore the globally rare tallgrass prairie and oak savanna of Rice Lake Plains. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
For more than two decades, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and its trusted partners have been doing vital work to support the natural world in our own backyards. 2026 marks a milestone of continued efforts to restore the globally rare tallgrass prairie and oak savanna of Rice Lake Plains. Native species that had dwindled — and sometimes disappeared, like the Red-headed Woodpecker — have been spotted returning to the area.
With the long-term support of funders and partners, NCC has been working nonstop to support the growth and the return of native and rare species, steadily rebuilding a vital ecosystem that delivers benefits back to surrounding communities. Whether it’s a mental health walk around Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, or enjoying clean air and fresh water upheld by natural systems, protecting these areas means protecting people, too.
“The Nature Conservancy of Canada is strategic in where we invest our time and resources to have the best and biggest impact on both nature and people,” says Mark Stabb, Central Ontario East Program Director of NCC. “Numerous studies have identified the east end of the Oak Ridges Moraine, otherwise known as the Rice Lake Plains, as a high priority for conservation for a variety of reasons.”
Protecting one of Canada’s rarest ecosystems: the tallgrass prairie
The Rice Lake Plains is home to Indiangrass (sorghastrum nutans), which is a prairie tallgrass native to North America. With golden and plume-like seed heads, the plant is valued for its deep roots, drought tolerance, and habitat benefits in prairie and meadow ecosystems. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
Since 1962, NCC has brought people together to protect the lands and waters that sustain us all. As an environmental charity working hand in hand with communities, Indigenous Nations, governments and businesses, it collaborates with local partners to deliver real benefits on the land for nature and communities.
In 2002, a critical area was flagged for protection. NCC began working that year to preserve and restore the rare ecosystem of the Rice Lake Plains, a 40,000-hectare area at the east end of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Northumberland County. Located between Peterborough and Cobourg, it is home to Canada’s easternmost tallgrass communities.
“Some of the tallgrass prairie elements are globally significant, and even more rare than some Amazon rainforest types,” Stabb points out. “So much of this type of habitat has been lost. It’s critically important to protect and then try to restore as much as we can.”
Established in 2011 by the Nature Conservancy of Canada and expanded in 2021 and 2025, the 217-hectare Hazel Bird Nature Reserve in the Rice Lake Plains offers a 3.2 kilometre hiking trail through fields and woodlands and includes interpretive signs, benches, and scenic vistas. It also lets you experience protected habitats that are being restored by the Conservancy and its supporters and volunteers. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
A shining example of the restoration work being done at the Rice Lake Plains can be seen at the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve.
Established with the purchase of 118 hectares in 2011, the reserve was expanded with John O’Neill’s donation of a 39-hectare parcel to the north in 2021 and James Massie’s bequest of a 60-hectare parcel to the south in 2025.
“Hazel Bird Nature Reserve is one of the places we have trails and a parking lot with a trailhead where people can come to visit the beautiful landscape, have a peaceful experience, view wildlife, but also see the habitat that has been restored,” says Ewa Bednarczuk, Coordinator of Conservation Biology in the Rice Lake Plains-Lake Iroquois Plain with NCC.
The 217-hectare Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, which spans the width of the Oak Ridges Moraine, is named after the late environmentalist Hazel Bird, who helped re-establish the then-endangered Eastern Bluebird through the Bluebird Trial project. The reserve is part of the Rice Lake Plains, a 40,000-hectare ecosystem in Northumberland County that is home to Canada’s easternmost tallgrass communities as well as oak savanna. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
The reserve is named after the late environmentalist Hazel Bird, who Bednarczuk compares to Jane Goodall, but for our feathered friends. A naturalist, educator, and single mother of seven kids, Bird helped re-establish the then-endangered Eastern Bluebird through the Bluebird Trial project, where she recruited friends, neighbours, and strangers to install hundreds of bluebird nesting boxes in farmers’ fields across Northumberland County.
“To see a regular person have such a huge impact on a species in a pretty large area is phenomenal,” Bednarczuk says. “We see bluebirds at Hazel Bird flying around and raising yet another generation, all because of this one person who loved bluebirds and wanted to do something for them. If she could do it, anybody can.”
Now the 217-hectare reserve spans the width of the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is also a significant home to the Eastern Hognose Snake, currently listed as a threatened species in Ontario. Along with habitat loss and road mortality, the snake is often killed by uninformed people who mistake its harmless defensive behaviour for that of a dangerous species. At Hazel Bird, the species can thrive.
Restoration efforts include prescribed burns and removal of invasive species
Restoration methods used by the Nature Conservancy of Canada and its partners include prescribed burns to open ground cover for seeding. Relying on dry conditions and natural cycles of fires to help maintain it, tallgrass prairies were once present throughout the Midwestern United States and the prairie provinces of Canada. Today, most of that land has been converted to cropland or otherwise developed. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
Relying on dry conditions and natural cycles of fires to help maintain it, tallgrass prairies were once present throughout the Midwestern United States and the prairie provinces of Canada. Today, most of that land has been converted to cropland or otherwise developed. For remaining tallgrass communities, wildland fires, invasive species, and human activity (including the use of all-terrain vehicles) all pose major threats.
In the Rice Lake Plains, NCC has worked to acquire some of these lands, remnant sites, and adjoining sites that were once a tallgrass community or could be. The growing network of protected lands supports the growth of a variety of habitats including prairie, savanna, oak woodlands, and sand barrens.
Depending on the site and community, NCC and its partners undertake a range of restoration methods. This might include applying a prescribed fire to burn off some of the leftover woody debris and open the ground cover for seeding.
After removing invasive species like the Scotch Pine, staff and volunteers of the Nature Conservancy of Canada seeds native species of tallgrasses and wildflower in the Rice Lake Plains. Enhancing the growth of native species has encouraged the return of rare and at-risk species. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
“For example, we’ll take a community that perhaps has been overgrown with trees and shrubs and we’ll thin out some of those species, to go from a forest to a savanna or an oak woodland type of community,” says Ewa Bednarczuk.” Using fire on a regular basis helps to maintain these ecosystems.”
The partners also identify and remove invasive species like Scotch Pine which have become common in the area. This makes space for seeding native species of tallgrasses and wildflowers.
“Every site is different,” Bednarczuk says. “It’s a lot of experimenting, talking to other partners, trying to learn from other sites. We’re trying to restore a community, but there are a lot of unknowns, so we just learn from each other and support each other as we go.”
Native species return to restored landscapes
The Red-headed Woodpecker is listed as an endangered species in Ontario, but with restoration efforts taking place across the Rice Lake Plains at the east end of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Northumberland County, the bird has returned to the oak woodland and savanna properties after nearly 20 years. (Photo: Tony Campbell)
These restoration efforts have been catalogued through a photo-monitoring series that use before-and-after pictures to show dramatic structural changes following treatment. Field work assessments also monitor how many invasive species have been removed and how many native species have returned after being absent for decades.
For example, the endangered Red-headed Woodpecker has returned to the oak woodland and savanna properties after nearly 20 years. With enhanced populations of its host plant, New Jersey Tea, the Mottled Duskywing can now be found across the tallgrass properties, while the removal of Scotch Pine has encouraged the return of the Cylindrical Blazing Star flat wildflower.
“These habitats are now so rare on the landscapes, the species that call them home are also rare,” says Bednarczuk. “Because we want to protect diversity of all species and community types, it’s important to target ones like this that are now becoming so rare.”
A partnership rooted in shared stewardship
The Nature Conservancy of Canada works with trusted local partners to preserve and restore the Rice Lake Plains, including Alderville First Nation, the County of Northumberland, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Lower Trent Region Conservation Authority, Northumberland Land Trust, and Ontario Parks. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
NCC has collaborated with partners at Alderville First Nation, Northumberland County, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Lower Trent Region Conservation Authority, Northumberland Land Trust, Willow Beach Field Naturalists, and Ontario Parks to make this crucial work possible.
The preservation and restoration of the Rice Lake Plains is supported by the Greenbelt Foundation and the Government of Canada through the federal Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. Additional supporters over the past two decades include the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Ontario Power Generation.
“We brought together a variety of groups that have an interest in land or have ownership of land in the area to collaborate, work together, share resources, and promote the idea of tallgrass restoration in the Rice Lake Plains,” Stabb says. “We’ve raised funds to do work on the ground, we’ve shared resources, shared staff, and together have helped raise the profile of this really, really significant and beautiful habitat.”
NCC invites volunteers invited to participate in restoring the Rice Lake Plains
The Nature Conservancy of Canada invites volunteers to support to take part in restoring the Rice Lake Plains by joining events such as tree planting and seed collecting held on various properties. The organization also hosts an annual butterfly count at Rice Lake Plains, encouraging those without experience to get out and learn about the pollinators and their habitats, with the 2026 event coming up on June 27. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio / Nature Conservancy of Canada)
NCC is inviting volunteers to take part in restoring the area by joining events such as tree planting and seed collecting held on various properties — and even butterfly-counting.
The organization hosts an annual butterfly count at Rice Lake Plains, encouraging those without experience to get out and learn about the pollinators and their habitats, with the 2026 event coming up on June 27.
These are just some of the many projects being done by the local partners to support the restoration of these rare grasslands.
“Altogether, it’s a real collective success story of how this locally based partnership can help one another, do things on the ground, then show and inspire others to do the same,” says Stabb. “Together, we’re building a resilient landscape.”
Across Canada, NCC is taking on impactful projects like Rice Lake Plains. Find out how you can help by volunteering or donating at natureconservancy.ca.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
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