Cailin Stadnyk and David Silvestri, who starred in the extended run of the award-winning global sensation "Come From Away" at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre, are bringing their cabaret show "Lights, Love and Lyrics" to Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon for one night only on June 14, 2025. The tribute to the great love songs of movies and musicals is produced by their "Come From Away" co-star Lisa Horner and also features "Come from Away" pianist Richard Evans and bassist Jon Maharaj. (Graphic: Globus Theatre)
Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon has just added a new star-studded show to its 2025 season — a cabaret featuring two of the stars of the award-winning global sensation Come From Away which recently ended an extended run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.
For one night only at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, Cailin Stadnyk and David Silvestri will star in Lights, Love and Lyrics, a tribute to the great love songs of movies and musicals produced by Lisa Horner, who also performed in Come From Away. Stadnyk and Silvestri will be accompanied by pianist Richard Evans and bassist Jon Maharaj, both performers in the Canadian company for Come From Away.
“When I saw the cabaret that Cailin and David had created, I thought it would be a perfect chance to keep the fun going and also spend time with really dear pals,” Horner explains. “Not to mention our pianist Richard Evans and bassist Jon Maharaj — we’re all, quite simply, a family. I want people to see this beautiful cabaret, performed by the best I’ve ever seen and had the privilege to work with.”
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The Mirvish Productions staging of the Tony award-winning Canadian musical Come From Away, based on the events in the Newfoundland town of Gander during the week following the September 11 attacks when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly at Gander International Airport, opened in Toronto last September and was extended twice until May due to popular demand.
In the Toronto production, Stadnyk played the role of pilot Beverley Bass, who was the first female captain of a commercial plane at American Airlines, and Silvestri starred as Claude Elliot, the well-liked mayor of Gander — a role he also performed in the Australian production of Come From Away.
“After Come From Away ended I wanted to keep the joy and everything that show meant to me alive,” Horner says. “It seems unreal that it’s over, but we’re the luckiest performers in Canada as far as I’m concerned having had the gift to perform in the show for so long.”
Cailin Stadnyk as American Airlines pilot Barbara Bass in the Toronto production of “Come From Away” and David Silvestri (holding the fish) as Gander mayor Claude Elliot in the Australia production, a role he also played in the Toronto production. (Photos: Matthew Murphy and Keegan Carroll)
A director, teacher, writer, and award-winning actress, Horner starred as Beulah Davis, head of the Gander Legion, in Come From Away. Her other Mirvish Theatre credits include The Wizard of Oz, Kinky Boots, Les Misérables, and the world premiere of My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding.
However, Horner is also no stranger to the Globus Theatre stage, having starred in the 2016 production of Buying the Moose and last year’s season-opening production of The Dating Game, which also starred Globus Theatre’s own artistic director Sarah Quick.
“One of the favourite parts of my job is when I get the opportunity to bring world-class talent to our little rural theatre,” Quick says. “Our patrons love seeing fabulous performers in an intimate setting right here in our community. When Lisa offered Globus this show, I accepted immediately and can’t wait to enjoy the cabaret alongside our audience.”
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Along with her role in Come from Away, Stadnyk is a sought-after leading lady in the world of theatre. A singer, dancer, motion capture performer, and award-winning actress, she is best known for her musical theatre credits including Mamma Mia! (Theatre Aquarius and WCT), Mary Poppins (Persephone Theatre and WCT), Cats (Theatre Calgary), Cabaret (Showcase Festival), Fiddler on the Roof (Vancouver Playhouse), Les Misérables (Chemainus Theatre), and many more.
As for Silvestri, some of his many theatre credits include Kinky Boots (Mirvish), Les Misérables (Mirvish), Sweeney Todd (Theatre Regina), and Death of a Salesman (Centre Stage).
Tickets for Lights, Love and Lyrics, with an optional dinner before the show, go on sale for Globus Theatre STAR Supporters at noon on Tuesday (June 3) and for the general public at noon on Wednesday.
Tickets are $50 for the show only or $100 for dinner and the show (plus tax and a $2 ticketing fee) and can be purchased online at www.globustheatre.com/shows-all/lights-love-lyrics or by calling the box office at 705-738-2037.
“Lights, Love and Lyrics” featuring “Come from Away” stars Cailin Stadnyk and David Silvestri, along with Richard Evans on piano and Jon Maharaj on bass, is presented by “Come from Away” star Lisa Horne (right) for one night only at Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon on June 14, 2025. (Graphic: Globus Theatre, with publicity photo)
This story has been updated to correct a misspelling of David Silvestri’s surname.
Award-winning virtuoso harmonica player Carlos del Junco will be performing with his band The Blue Mongrels as a quartet at the Lakefield Jazz, Art & Craft Festival at Isobel Morris Park on July 12, 2025. (Photo via Carlos del Junco website)
Virtuoso harmonica player Carlos del Junco and his band The Blue Mongrels will be headlining this year’s Lakefield Jazz, Art & Craft Festival on Saturday, July 12.
Selwyn Township has announced the music lineup of the annual festival, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Isobel Morris Park in Lakefield on the shores of the Otonabee River.
Carlos del Junco is a multiple award-winning Cuban-Canadian harmonica player whose playing blurs the boundaries between blues and jazz. With his band The Blue Mongrels, del Junco performs a fusion of music including swing, Latin, New Orleans, folk roots, and world music.
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Carlos del Junco & The Blue Mongrels will be performing as a quartet at 8:10 p.m to close out the festival. Performances begin at 11 a.m. with the Curtis Cronkwright Quartet, followed by Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop at 12:50 p.m., Denielle Bassels at 2:40 p.m., Kevin Goss Quintet at 4:30 p.m., and Noah Abrahamse & The Mumbo Jumbo Combo at 6:20 p.m.
Along with the live jazz performances, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the festival features creations from more than 20 artisans and crafters, including jewellery, oil and watercolour paintings, wood carvings, stained glass creations, and more. Food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from local vendors will also be available.
Admission to the festival is $10 at the gate. For more information and updates, visit lakefieldjazzfest.ca, where sponsor and vendor applications are still available.
VIDEO: “Heaven’s Where You’ll Dwell” – Carlos Del Junco & The Blue Mongrels
Daryl Scott, Jesse Slack, and Owen Riegling received the Songwriter(s) of the Year award at the CMAOntario Awards on June 1, 2025 for their work on Riegling's song "Moonshines," which also won Single of the Year. (Photo via Jesse Slack/Instagram)
While rising country star Owen Riegling from Bruce County dominated the 13th Annual Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) Awards with five wins, three country music artists from the Kawarthas were also recognized — including two Peterborough musicians who helped Riegling write his award-winning single from his award-winning album.
Daryl Scott from Douro and Jesse Slack from Peterborough won the Songwriter(s) of the Year award along with Riegling for their work on “Moonshines,” the lead single from Riegling’s album Bruce County (From the Beginning), at The Music Hall in Hamilton on Sunday night (June 1).
“Moonshines” also won Single of the Year, with Bruce County (From the Beginning) winning Album/EP of the Year and Riegling chosen as Male Artist of the Year and Fans’ Choice.
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Elyse Saunders from Peterborough — who was up for four awards including Female Artist of the Year (which she won in 2024), Single of the Year (for “Never Have I Ever”), Songwriter of the Year (with Jason Blaine for “Never Have I Ever”), and Music Video of the Year (for “Never Have I Ever”) — won for Music Video of the Year. Uxbridge’s Robyn Ottolini picked up the award for Female Artist of the Year.
Two other country music artists in the Kawarthas region who had multiple nominations walked away empty-handed on Sunday night.
Sacha (Sacha Visagie) from Warkworth had received nominations for Single of the Year (“Hey Mom I Made It”), Female Artist of the Year, and Fans’ Choice. Tebey (Tebey Solomon Ottoh) from Peterborough was nominated for Single of the Year (“Blinding Lights (Country Version)”), Songwriter of the Year (with G. Palmer, S. Walker, and D. Dupelle for “Hangover at My Place”), Music Video of the Year (for “Blinding Lights (Country Version)”), and Fans’ Choice.
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The other CMAOntario Award winners are listed below.
Group or Duo of the Year – The Redhill Valleys
Record Producer of the Year – Adam Newcomb (Sacha, Elyse Saunders, Riley Taylor)
Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Mackenzie Leigh Meyer
Breakthrough Artist of the Year – Sully Burrows
Industry Person of the Year – Samantha Pickard, Strut Entertainment
Musician of the Year – Jeff Brown (Kelsi Mayne, Washboard Union, Jason Blaine)
Artiste ou Groupe Francophone de l’année/Francophone Artist or Group of the Year – Kristine St-Pierre
Compass Award – Josh Ross
Holly & Steve Kassay Generous Spirit Award – Laurie Tiggelman
The Real Mccoy Award – Jason McCoy
Radio Station of the Year (Large Market) – KX94.7 (CHKX-FM, Hamilton)
Radio Station of the Year (Medium Market) – Hot Country 93.9 (CFWC-FM, Brantford)
Radio Station of the Year (Small Market) – Pure Country 106 (CICX-FM, Orillia)
VIDEO: “Moonshines” – Owen Riegling (written with Daryl Scott and Jesse Slack)
Kawartha Lakes police rescued a man who jumped into the Scucog River in Lindsay early Saturday evening (May 31).
At around 6:05 p.m., police received an urgent call for help after a bystander witnessed a man jump off of a bridge on Water Street in Lindsay.
The caller advised police the man was floating downstream and could be heard yelling for help. Officers responded immediately and observed the struggling to stay afloat in the middle of the river.
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Two officers immediately entered into the cold water and swam out to the man with ropes and flotation devices, while assisting officers pulled the man and the rescuing officers back to safety.
Once on shore, officers placed the man in the recovery position to await paramedics, who arrived shortly after and began to treat the man for hypothermia. He was then transported to the Ross Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment.
The rescuing officers were also transported to hospital for treatment and later released.
Community Care Peterborough (CCP) invites residents to take part in a gaming night on June 7, 2025 at the North Kawartha Community Centre in Apsley to raise money for CCP supports and services provided by the Apsley office. (Photo: CPP)
Residents and cottagers in North Kawartha Township can enjoy a night of gaming while helping raise funds for Apsley-area seniors and other residents who receive support from Community Care Peterborough (CCP).
CCP’s Apsley office is hosting its fourth annual gaming on Saturday (June 7) at the North Kawartha Community Centre at 340 McFadden Road in Apsley. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the games begin at 7 p.m.
According to a media release, the “community favourite” fundraiser encompasses friendly competition and plenty of community spirit, featuring classic games including Blackjack, Crown and Anchor, and Money Wheel, along with prizes, a 50/50 draw, appetizers catered by The Grape and Wedge, and a cash bar bar operated by the Apsley Lions Club.
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“Gaming night is a tremendous opportunity for us to bring the Apsley community together, strengthen connections, and raise awareness about the support CCP makes available to our local residents,” Katie Bryck, CCP’s community development co-ordinator in Apsley, shared with kawarthaNOW. “It’s a fun night with real impact, and a great way to celebrate community spirit.”
Chris LeBlanc, CCP’s director of donor and public relations, noted last year’s event, “with the help of a generous anonymous matching donor,” raised $14,132 in support of local programs.
“This year, we’re hoping to surpass that total and reach $15,000,” LeBlanc said.
“While fundraising is certainly a big part of the evening, the event is also about more than dollars raised. It’s a chance to bring our community together — to reconnect local and seasonal residents, and to build awareness about the programs and services we offer in the Apsley area.”
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Tickets are $20 per person for admission and an appetizer and are available at CCP’s Apsley office at 126 Burleigh Street (inside the thrift store) and at Kemp’s Garage at 111 Burleigh Street. There are a limited number of tickets available and CCP encourages people to purchase them early to help organizers prepare food quantities.
At the event, attendees can purchase play money ($100 for $20) for use at the tables and wheel games and, when they are finished playing, can exchange their winnings or unused play money for tickets to enter into prize draws of their choice. No real money is paid out from playing the games or by exchanging play money. All prize draws will be held towards the end of the evening.
Proceeds from the event support the subsidy program at CCP’s Apsley location. The program helps provide residents with accessible transportation through the “Caremobile,” supports volunteer rides to medical appointments, and also facilitates regular food bank deliveries.
“While this year’s event is still building buzz, past gaming nights have welcomed 100 to 125 guests, raising vital funds and awareness for local services,” noted the release.
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“We’re proud to host a night that’s both a great time and a great cause,” Bryck told kawarthaNOW. “It connects year-round and seasonal residents, while shining a light on the programs that keep people in our community supported and independent.”
This year, North Kawartha Township mayor Carolyn Amyotte and council members will once again serve as volunteer dealers, and attendees are invited to test their luck and “beat the mayor” at the Blackjack table.
The event has drawn steady support from the community, including local volunteers and long-time champions Debbie and Clark Breuls, who helped launch gaming night in 2022, CCP noted.
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Clark Breuls, of RE/MAX, was the sole table sponsor in the inaugural year and continues to support the event alongside Rockers Landscaping and Ball Real Estate in 2025.
An anonymous donor has pledged to match all funds raised at the event, a tradition which began in 2023.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, call Bryck at 705-656-4589 or email kbryck@commcareptbo.org.
Representatives of the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, the private sector, and more gathered in Cobourg on May 22, 2025 to announce that construction is underway on a 1,125-kilometre fibre optic network that aims to offer reliable high-speed internet to 11,000 unserved or underserved homes and businesses in Northumberland County by the end of 2025. (Photo: Northumberland County)
By year’s end, 11,000 homes and businesses in rural Northumberland County will have access to reliable high-speed internet.
Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander shared his thoughts about the timeline of a “transformative” new broadband network following the county’s recent announcement that construction of the network is underway. The broadband project has been discussed for a few years now but there will be tangible outcomes soon, the warden said.
“We expect this broadband rollout, which will connect 11,000 homes and businesses, will be completed by the end of this year,” Ostrander told kawarthaNOW.
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Axle Telecom — part of a family of Canadian-owned telecommunications companies owned by Windsor Private Capital’s WPC Infrastructure Fund that also includes EH!tel Networks, Bruce Telecom, and GBTel — is constructing the network.
“As the fibre is installed each neighbourhood will be contacted by Axle Telecom to find out if they want to sign up for fibre-to-the-home connections,” Ostrander said. “When the installers are in a community, the county will be sure to communicate broadly so that residents are aware of the rollout and opportunity to connect.”
Historically, Northumberland’s varied landscape has been noted as making access to reliable high-speed internet a challenge. That is now changing, according to the county.
With final agreements in place between Northumberland County, the federal and provincial governments, and private sector partner Windsor Private Capital, construction has begun on the project anticipated to “close the digital divide in our community, ensuring every municipality, along with Alderville First Nation, has the connectivity needed for work, education, health care, and more,” a media release noted.
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According to the county, crews are steadily installing fibre optic lines and completing the first property connections. Construction will continue throughout 2025, expanding across the county in stages, with the goal of bringing broadband to homes, farms, and businesses across the region.
The project addresses a significant infrastructure gap, with approximately one-third of Northumberland households currently either unserved or underserved by high-speed internet.
Originally announced in 2022 with a $26.6 million investment from the province and an $18.4 million from the federal government through the Universal Broadband Fund, the provincial contribution has since increased to $45.8 million, bringing the combined federal and provincial contribution to $64.2 million.
“This project will be a game-changer for people in Northumberland County,” said Buckley Belanger, federal secretary of state for rural development, in a statement. “Reliable high-speed internet means safer communities and better access to health care, education, and emergency services.”
Northumberland County has also committed $700,000 towards the initiative.
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As part of the project, 1,125 kilometres of fibre optic cable will be installed throughout Northumberland County. Fibre installation is taking place primarily within the existing municipal road allowances, using underground techniques where possible and aerial installation only when necessary. Methods such as directional drilling and plowing are being used to reduce impacts on the environment and existing infrastructure. All disturbed areas will be restored once construction is complete, the release noted.
As Ostrander said, once construction progresses over the coming year, Axle Telecom will contact homeowners and businesses to seek consent for a voluntary, no-cost fibre connection from the roadside network directly to each property.
The first phase of construction is underway in the municipalities of Port Hope and Trent Hills. As each area is completed and network testing is finalized, residents and businesses who are connected to the network will be able to subscribe to service plans offered by Axle Telecom.
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According to Axle Telecom’s website, three options will be available: 150 megabits-per-second upload and download for $64.95 per month, 500 megabits-per-second upload and download for $74.95 per month, and one gigabit-per-second upload and download for $99.95 per month. All packages include unlimited data.
“This partnership represents years of planning and collaboration to bring high-speed internet to every corner of Northumberland,” Ostrander said. “We are now moving quickly into the construction phase, ensuring that no community is left behind.”
For more information about the project, visit northumberland.ca/broadband. To learn more about internet connection plan options, residents and businesses can contact Axle Telecom at 1-844-702-2848 or visit axletelecom.ca.
Port Hope's Furby House Books will be transported back in time on June 22, 2025 during a typewriter social led by Barb Brittain-Marshall. The snail-mail enthusiast will be bringing some of the typewriters in her large collection for participants to experiment with, or to write poems, letters, and songs. The drop-in event will run from 12 to 2 p.m. in celebration of International Typewriter Day on June 23. (Photo courtesy of Barb Brittain-Marshall)
On Sunday, June 22, Port Hope’s Furby House Books will be immersed in the familiar soundtrack of taps, clicks, and dings as the independent bookstore is transported back in time to the age before spellcheck and delete keys.
As an early celebration for International Typewriter Day on June 23, Port Hope blogger Barb Brittain-Marshall will be hosting a drop-in typewriter social where the vintage machines will be set up and available for use.
“It’s a beautiful, magical little indie bookstore and you can come in and give a typewriter a try,” says Brittain-Marshall. “Maybe you’ll write a poem, maybe it’s a song, or maybe you just want to tap on them and have the experience while you browse the books.”
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Brittain-Marshall is accustomed to using some of her more than 20 collected typewriters in public — which she says is a “guaranteed conversation starter” — and uses them to lead bridal showers, birthday parties, museum open houses, team building workshops, and other private events.
“It’s an immersive experience on a typewriter which so many of us — and a few generations — have never had,” she says.
Her passion for the machines began with a love of letter writing and stationery — spelled with an “e,” she points out (the incorrect spelling is a pet peeve of hers).
“I grew up a hoarder who loved papers, envelope, pencils, and pens, and I wrote a lot of letters and postcards as a kid,” she says. “I grew up with that all through adulthood. I grew up in the era — and I’m actually really grateful for it — where iPhones didn’t exist so, for example, when I was dating my husband, we actually wrote letters.”
Having grown up with a love for stationery and snail mail, Barb Brittain-Marshall began the Rite While U Can blog in 2013 while being homesick upon a move to Alberta. The blog has led to many opportunities, including a newfound interest in typewriters. She now runs typewriter socials and private events like bridal showers and birthday parties, where she brings her typewriters and provide letter-writing prompts. (Photo courtesy of Barb Brittain-Marshall)
But it was when she and her family moved to Calgary that letter writing became “a lifeline” as it allowed her to stay in touch with her family and friends back home. In 2013, she used the experience to launch a blog called Rite While U Can, where she continues to document her love for all things snail mail.
“I’ve always been a snail mail girl and what was more meaningful than ever in my life was receiving letters from my family and friends back in Ontario,” she recalls. “I was homesick, and just to go to my mailbox and open it up and there is an envelope with my mom’s handwriting on it, it helps to bring that person closer even though they’re far away.”
While she admits that since moving to Port Hope last year, she hasn’t been maintaining the blog as diligently, more than a decade of running it led her to “many unexpected, surprising, marvellous events.”
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That includes launching MakeItMerry, a non-profit organization that called on the public to write and deliver Christmas cards to unhoused individuals in Calgary for five years. In its first year, the project exceeded the goal of distributing 500 cards, with cards coming from as far as the U.S. and Europe.
“The primary thing it showed me was how meaningful it is for someone to receive a handwritten card,” she says. “We would deliver them to people in the shelters and their hearts were warmed. Sometimes there were tears, sometimes people wanted more than one, sometimes people would keep them and pull it out the next year. It showed them that people cared about them. Even in their current situation, somebody thought to send them a Merry Christmas and it was very, very powerful and meaningful. The whole thing was magical.”
During this time, Brittain-Marshall was gifted a typewriter which she “fell in love with” and led her to host letter-writing socials where she invited those who were as “intrigued and charmed” by typewriters as she was, to enjoy some coffee or a glass of wine while they wrote letters on the typewriters. It led to various work, including leading children’s programs at the library.
For Barb Brittain-Marshall, a resident of Port Hope who leads typewriter socials and private events, alongside the sounds of the machines, her favourite thing about typewriters is seeing how it makes other people slow down and take their time. When she began hosting typewriter events while living in Calgary, she was surprised to have so many young professionals participating and learned it was because they felt their lives were becoming too digitized. (Photo courtesy of Barb Brittain-Marshall)
“It’s hugely fun and I absolutely loved it because two things are happening: I’m introducing kids to not only these vintage machines, but I’m introducing them to letter writing and snail mail,” Brittain-Marshall says. “I think, particularly, cursive is important, but also how to address the envelope, and what are stamps. These might sound basic, but they are questions I get all the time.”
“I just love blowing their minds because it does exactly that — blows their mind,” she continues. “They can’t get over how they have to push so hard on the key to make an imprint, and they can’t comprehend there’s no spellcheck and no delete key.”
This fascination is not limited to children. Though Brittain-Marshall anticipated the social events would be full of older nostalgic adults, she was surprised to find it was young professionals who came out to the event — including the first she held at Furby House Books last year. These participants often explain their lives are “too digital,” and she has seen the interest in typewriters continuing to rise as AI has developed.
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“Typewriters slow you down and we do not like, and are not used, to going slow,” Brittain-Marshall says. “We use AI because it’s faster … but the typewriter is the exact opposite. The typewriter actually slows you down physically. If you’re going too fast, you will jam the key. It will stop you in your tracks.”
Brittain-Marshall says that while some people might be resistant at first because of this slowness, which is her favourite part along with the “magical sounds,” once they get accustomed to it and learn to slow down, they “become very charmed.”
“The beauty of the typewriter is it will force you to slow down,” she says. “We might say to ourselves, ‘I’m going to go slow this weekend’ but, if you sit in front of a typewriter, you are absolutely timestamped. You have to be much more thoughtful.”
Barb Brittain-Marshall hosts typewriter gatherings for bridal showers, birthday parties, and other private events where she will bring some of her collection of typewriters for participants to use and provide them with letter-writing prompts. (Photo courtesy of Barb Brittain-Marshall)
Slowing down will be exactly the goal when she brings the typewriters to Furby House Books on June 22 and encourages people to write some snail mail. She encourages creativity through the process, telling people to write letters to a long-lost teacher, the stranger who makes them coffee every morning, or the spouse who lives with them.
“Some people will come back and say, ‘I got a letter back from this person I wrote’ and it becomes a pen-pal thing,” she says. “Beautiful stories come from it.”
Fleming College students are assisting a research project that is evaluating whether "bee hotels," which are human-constructed structures that offer nesting spaces for solitary native bee species, have a net-positive impact on native bees. Three bee hotel designs are being tested in public parks, community food gardens, and pollinator gardens across the City of Kawartha Lakes. (Photo: Fleming College)
Student researchers will be busy bees this summer as they embark on a new project to study “bee hotels” installed by Fleming College in the City of Kawartha Lakes, as part of an initiative to understand how to better protect native pollinators.
Launched in partnership with Pollinator Partnership Canada and the City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee, the project explores whether these artificial habitats have a net-positive impact on native bees.
Three designs of bee hotels — cavities in human-made wood and tube structures used for nesting — are being tested across several site types, including public parks, community food gardens, and pollinator gardens.
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Fleming College professor Erin McGauley, who is leading the project, stated in a media release that while bee hotels are often viewed as a feel-good environmental initiative, the research team is taking a closer look to better understand their true impact — specifically, whether they help or harm native bees.
“The best possible outcome of this project is meaningful impact, both in what we learn and how that knowledge is applied,” Fleming College shared with kawarthaNOW in a statement.
“We hope the research will lead to evidence-based practices that truly support native pollinators, while also empowering our students to see the real-world value of their work. It’s an opportunity to contribute to environmental solutions that extend beyond Fleming College.”
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Bee hotels have been installed in the pollinator gardens at Fleming’s Frost campus over the past three years. The structures offer nesting spaces for solitary native bees which play a vital role in pollinating gardens, crops, and fruit trees.
Most of Canada’s 800 native bee species are solitary, meaning they work to build a nest, gather food, and care for their offspring independently of other bees. Because solitary bees are not defending a hive, they tend to be less aggressive.
However, many solitary bee species are under threat — including the bumble bee. Five bumble bee species are listed as species at risk in Ontario, including the American bumble bee, the yellow-banded bumble bee, the gypsy cuckoo bumble bee, the rusty-patched bumble bee, and the Suckley’s cuckoo bumble bee — with the first two listed as special concern and the last three listed as endangered.
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For the Fleming College project, student researchers will evaluate the use and occupancy of the bee hotels and characterize the sites based on their floral resources.
They will also monitor for common predators and parasites like ants, spiders, pollen mites, and chalkbrood.
“Few studies have empirically assessed the risks and benefits of bee hotels, especially in urban settings,” the release noted.
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Fleming students have and will continue to play a central role in the work, as student research assistants helped build the bee hotels and will be monitoring them moving forward.
Students also developed field protocols and will identify bees using apps such as iNaturalist. A technologist will provide support over the summer, and students from several academic courses will contribute to or learn from the project throughout the year, the college noted.
Fleming will share research findings with project partners and the wider public through a final report, infographics and outreach events, including Pollinator Week in June and Peterborough’s Monarch Butterly Festival in September. Residents are encouraged to keep an eye out for the bee hotels at Frost campus and in other local green spaces.
Peterborough musician VanCamp (Calvin Bakelaar) provides a soundtrack for shoppers during a summer sidewalk sale in downtown Peterborough, with the street closed to motor vehicle traffic. The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) will be hosting Second Saturday Sidewalk Sales on June 14, July 12, August 9, and September 13, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
Downtown Peterborough is going to become a pedestrian-friendly marketplace every second Saturday of the month this summer.
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has announced that Second Saturday Sidewalk Sales will take place on June 14, July 12, August 9, and September 13.
On those dates, two blocks of George Street — from Brock Street in the north to Simcoe Street in the south — will be closed to motor vehicles.
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Along with shopping opportunities and special promotions at downtown businesses, the events will also feature pop-up street vendors and community activities.
“This event series is about more than just shopping,” says Peterborough DBIA executive director Nour Mazloum in a media release. “It’s about creating energy, increasing foot traffic, and reminding people of everything our downtown has to offer.”
According to the DBIA, the goal of the Second Saturday Sidewalk Sales is to attract both residents and tourists to the downtown core and “help reinforce downtown Peterborough as a dynamic destination for commerce and community connection.”
Staff at George Street cafe Cork and Bean offer beverages and treats to shoppers during a summer sidewalk sale in downtown Peterborough. The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) will be hosting Second Saturday Sidewalk Sales on June 14, July 12, August 9, and September 13, 2025. During the events, George Street will be closed to motor vehicles from Brock Street to Simcoe Street. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
“Each Second Saturday is an opportunity to drive real economic activity for our small businesses while offering locals and visitors a reason to explore the core,” Mazloum adds.
Iceman Video Games on George Street is one of the downtown businesses looking forward to the Second Saturday Sidewalk Sales.
“These sidewalk sales are such a blast,” says store manager Holly Butler. “The energy on George Street is amazing, and we always meet so many new people who are just discovering our shop.”
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Butler says Iceman Video Games will be offering games, manga, and “some sweet deals.”
Businesses interested in participating with a pop-up on the closed section of George Street can email the DBIA’s operations coordinator Connor English at connor@ptbodbia.ca to secure their space and learn more about marketing opportunities.
For updates and special promotions, follow The Boro on Instagram and Facebook. Visit theboro.ca to explore the downtown Peterborough business directory and see more upcoming events.
The late Kathryn Peeters pictured in June 2023 holding her Barbara McArthur Award of Distinction from the City of Kawartha Lakes, along with city councillor Charlie McDonald, kawartha Lakes Accessibility Advisory Committee chair Diane Engelstad, Kawartha Lakes Inclusion, Equity, Diversity and Accessibility (IDEA) Partner Christine Briggs, and Mayor Doug Elmslie. A new Youth Accessibility Award, to be presented at the Accessibility Awareness Recognition Awards in 2026, will be named after Peeters. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
The City of Kawartha Lakes will shine a spotlight on its local champions of inclusion on Tuesday (June 3), and introduce a new award named after a local disability advocate that recognizes youth who remove barriers and advance accessibility in the Kawartha Lakes.
During National AccessAbility Week in Canada from May 25 to May 31, the city has joined other municipalities in the greater Kawarthas region to acknowledge the contributions of people with disabilities and to promote efforts to create a barrier-free inclusive society.
For Kawartha Lakes, National AccessAbility Week is also a chance to highlight efforts made by allies, organizations, and communities to foster accessibility and inclusion, including by hosting its annual Accessibility Awareness Recognition Awards.
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At its June 3 committee of the whole meeting, the city will celebrate individuals, groups, businesses, and municipal staff who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to removing barriers and advancing accessibility within the community.
And, for the first time in the 17-year history of the annual awards initiative, Kawartha Lakes will introduce a new Youth Accessibility Award. On May 20, council approved the creation of the new award to honour young people who demonstrate leadership and innovation in promoting accessibility and inclusion.
“National AccessAbility Week is a powerful reminder of the progress we’ve made, and the work still ahead, to create communities where everyone belongs,” said Christine Briggs, People Partner for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at Accessibility Kawartha Lakes, in a media release. “With the introduction of the Youth Accessibility Award, we’re not only celebrating today’s changemakers, but also investing in a future where inclusion is second nature.”
The inaugural award, which will be handed out in 2026, will be named after the late Kathryn Peeters of Omemee, who raised awareness about pediatric brain tumours and visual impairments for 25 years by speaking at events and to community groups.
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By her fifth birthday, Peeters had six brain tumours and, as a result of surgery to remove the tumours, became legally blind and had a seizure disorder and cognitive impairment. In 2021, she suffered a severe fall in her home that meant she had to begin using a wheelchair.
Herself a recipient of the Barbara McArthur Award of Distinction at the 2023 Accessibility Awareness Recognition Awards, Peeters passed away on April 26, 2024 at the age of 31.
“Young leaders like Kathryn Peeters show us what’s possible when passion meets purpose,” Briggs said.
By introducing the dedicated Youth Accessibility Award, the city said it hopes to “amplify the voices of young leaders and lay the foundation for a future generation that prioritizes inclusion. Recognizing youth who demonstrate leadership in accessibility and inclusion not only celebrates their efforts but also instills lifelong values that contribute to a more accessible and equitable community as they grow into adulthood.”
To meet the 2025 award winners, community members can tune into the committee of the whole meeting, which will be streamed live on the city’s YouTube channel, starting at 11:30 a.m. on June 3.
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Meanwhile, in Northumberland County, the Town of Cobourg, in partnership with the Cobourg Accessibility Advisory Committee, is inviting residents to celebrate National AccessAbility Week.
Throughout the week, the Town of Cobourg said it will be sharing insights and information to engage with the community to help improve thinking and understanding of accessibility. Additionally, the Town of Cobourg, in partnership with the Accessibility Advisory Committee is calling for community input about the municipal “Multi-Year Accessibility Plan.”
The town’s 2020 to 2025 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan outlines how the municipality will remove and prevent accessibility barriers. Cobourg is currently working towards updating the plan and is seeking insights from the community “to support the continuous effort to remove barriers, creating a fair and welcoming community for everyone,” according to a media release.
“The Town of Cobourg is committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely and proactive manner and will use reasonable efforts to provide equitable access to municipal programs, goods, services and facilities in a way that respects a person’s dignity and independence.”
In the coming months, the Accessibility Advisory Committee will be working with staff to update the plan. Cobourg is encouraging residents and groups who have recommendations for the updated plan to present a delegation or share correspondence for the committee’s consideration.
“Staff will be issuing a community engagement program to educate residents on the current plan, actions taken in the last four years to improve accessibility and key priorities as identified by the committee for 2025 and beyond,” the release noted. “Residents will then be invited to provide their feedback and recommendations to help make Cobourg a barrier-free community.”
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Also in Northumberland, the county and the Northumberland Accessibility Advisory Committee (NAAC) are marking National AccessAbility Week with the theme of “Challenge Your Perspective: Rethinking Accessibility.”
The county said the theme encourages everyone to reflect on how disability is perceived and to consider the impact of both visible and invisible barriers. It is a call to examine assumptions, promote understanding, and support the full participation of people with disabilities.
“Our hope is that National AccessAbility Week encourages people to pause and reflect on how accessibility is something that benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities,” Lisa Ainsworth, the county’s director of corporate services, told kawarthaNOW.
The county’s accessibility advisory committee provides advice, recommendations, and support to county council and departments on accessibility planning and policy. Its members include county residents with disabilities and representatives from community organizations dedicated to removing barriers.
To mark National AccessAbility Week, the committee launched a social media campaign to encourage people to consider small steps they can take to increase the equity, inclusivity and accessibility of the community.
“The goal is to encourage conversations that continue beyond this week, and to see more people taking simple, tangible actions that help make our community more inclusive in everyday ways,” Ainsworth said.
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