Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough was temporarily closed for several hours on Wednesday afternoon (February 19) while police investigated a bomb threat.
At around 2:10 p.m., the mall received a bomb threat call. Peterborough police responded and evacuated and closed the mall, blocking all entrances.
In the early evening, members of the York Regional Police Service bomb squad, including a bomb-sniffing police dog, checked the property and have since cleared it as safe.
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Police have returned the mall to the care of the property owner. No injuries were reported during the incident.
“The Peterborough Police Service takes these types of calls very seriously and will continue to investigate,” reads a police media release.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Peterborough police at 705-876-1122 ext555 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca.
The original version of this story has been updated with the latest information released by police.
NDP candidate Jen Deck, Progressive Conservative candidate Dave Smith, and Green Party candidate Lucas Graham participated in a debate at Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on February 18, 2025. Hosted by local business and housing organizations and billed as a debate on business-related issues, the candidates spoke to a wide range of issues. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
With the Ontario election just over a week away, three of Peterborough-Kawartha’s five candidates seeking a Queen’s Park seat put forward their respective party’s positions on a wide range of challenging issues during a debate at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on Tuesday night (February 18).
NDP candidate Jen Deck, Green Party candidate Lucas Graham, and Progressive Conservative candidate Dave Smith participated in the debate, hosted by the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders’ Association, the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), the Peterborough and District Construction Association, and Your TV.
While the debate was billed as an opportunity to hear each candidate’s views on business-related issues, the candidates found themselves addressing questions around pretty much anything but — including homelessness, access to health care, agricultural land protection, and assistance for first-time home buyers.
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A debate requirement that only parties currently represented in the legislature could participate saw New Blue Party candidate Andrew Roudny relegated to the sidelines. He was, however, allowed a brief opening statement to introduce himself and his platform.
Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Adam Hopkins had posted on social media earlier in the day that he wouldn’t be able to attend due to a personal family matter that took him out of the city.
As is often the case, Smith as the incumbent MPP found himself on the defensive as both Deck and Graham took aim at the ruling Conservatives’ track record. With that opportunity denied them a week ago when Smith was a no-show at another debate, they both took full advantage.
NDP candidate Jen Deck, Progressive Conservative candidate Dave Smith, and Green Party candidate Lucas Graham on the Market Hall stage for a debate on February 18, 2025. Liberal candidate Adam Hopkins was unable to attend the debate due to a personal family matter, and New Blue Party candidate Andrew Roudny was ineligible to participate in the debate as his party has no standing in the provincial legislature, but was allowed to make a statement. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
“Thirty years of Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to prepare us so that we can weather the storm we know is coming and that storm, of course, is called Donald Trump,” said Deck.
“(Premier) Ford doesn’t care about local small, medium, or even large businesses. He’s chasing the approval of mega-corporations and he’s on their side. He’s still pushing the long-debunked myth of trickle-down economics. The Liberals, meanwhile, are still proposing the same kind of politics as the last time they were in office, but we remember that (hospital) hallway medicine began under their watch.”
“It’s time for a bold approach and the NDP has a plan. We’re ready to tackle the problems you tell us need fixing, including investments in health care and education, getting back into the business of building homes that are affordable, properly resourcing the court system so our jails aren’t clogged with pretrial detentions, and properly resourcing landlord and tenant boards so that both landlords and tenants get a timely hearing.”
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Graham, meanwhile, reiterated what he has said throughout this campaign.
“I’m running to be your next MPP because I believe in fairness … a fair housing market, a fair economy, and a fair approach to development that supports our communities and the businesses that build them,” he said.
“For too long, we’ve had governments that pick winners and losers, giving handouts to massive developers while make it harder for small and mid-sized builders to get projects approved. We’ve seen a housing market that rewards speculators while shutting out first-time home buyers. And we’ve seen small businesses struggle while corporate giants while get tax breaks. That’s not fairness. That’s a system that’s rigged.”
“The Green Party and I believe that a strong Peterborough-Kawartha is built on fairness. That means cutting red tape for the right kinds of development; homes people can actually afford built in communities where people want to live. It means working with home builders and realtors to speed up approvals and modernize zoning while cracking down on corporate investors who treat out housing market like a stock exchange. It also means supporting small businesses and downtown revitalization, not just throwing money at urban sprawl and hoping for the best.”
Debate organizers and three of the five provincial election candidates for Peterborough-Kawartha gather on the Market Hall stage prior to the debate on February 18, 2025. The debate was hosted by the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders’ Association, the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), the Peterborough and District Construction Association, and Your TV. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
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In response, Smith said the many of the fruits of the Conservatives’ work are yet to ripen but will. He pointed to the doctor shortage as an example.
“When I was first elected, we (Peterborough-Kawartha) were short 17 doctors,” he noted.
“We didn’t have was a tool to attract doctors, so what we did was increase the number of university seats to train doctors by 400. It takes five to seven years for a doctor to get trained. We’re starting to see the results of the first cohort that graduated this past June, so help is on the way. It just takes some time to get those physicians, those nurses, those nurse practitioners trained.”
“When we look at what has happened locally, we provided funding for the CMHA for mobile mental health and addiction buses. That’s not going to solve a problem overnight. It is ongoing. Redpath has been funded. On an annual basis, 300 individuals suffering from an addictions challenge will be able to through that program. We have a detox and rehab centre, the first of its kind in Peterborough, that will open at the end of March. These are all things we’re building upon. The situation will be getting better for us.”
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As the debate wound down, moderator Rebecca Schillemat, executive officer of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders’ Association, asked each candidate what one issue they will bring to Queen’s Park above all others.
“We’ve got 300 people permanently homeless right now in Peterborough,” noted Graham.
“We’ve got already a really great non-profit program called PATH — Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes. A big part of what the Green Party is proposing is making more of those types of units and putting them on provincial land that’s not being used for anything, allowing them to build more and immediately get people off the streets into these supportive houses with wraparound services, including addiction and mental health care.”
“I want to make sure that people are able to have a warm, safe place to sleep at night. That’s going to be my number one priority when I get to Queen’s Park.”
Green Party candidate Lucas Graham chats with a supporter before a debate at Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on February 18, 2025. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
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Deck, whose background is in education, said “It is heartbreaking to watch kids suffer for lack of mental health supports and other health care supports. This is unacceptable.”
“At the (party) leaders’ debate (on Monday night), Doug Ford talked about cracking down on youth crime. He described a 16-year-old doing an armed robbery. But you know what? Seven years ago, that 16-year-old was nine and we were crying out for supports.”
“Kids are poor. They are hungry. They need mental health supports. They have witnessed trauma. They need our help and we are failing them. That’s what I would bring to Queen’s Park.”
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As for his priority, Smith answered “Employment, employment, employment, employment. If you don’t have a strong economy, you don’t have the money to do anything else.”
“What we’re seeing in Peterborough is property taxes going up significantly because we don’t have the employment base. The commercial and industrial property taxpayer pays one-and-a-half times what the residential taxpayer does. We need to make sure those kids that are graduating from Trent University and Fleming College don’t have to leave our community to have a job, but there simply (aren’t) employment opportunities here.”
“We have to get employment opportunities for people in this community again so that they have hope, so that we have the money to spend on the different things that we need to spend that money on. We don’t have that right now. What I’ll be doing is working on finding ways to have more employment opportunities in the greater Peterborough area.”
NDP candidate Jen Deck and PC candidate and incumbent MPP Dave Smith chat with “Washboard” Hank Fisher after a debate at Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on February 18, 2025. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Post-debate, Smith said he wasn’t surprised by his opponents targeting him based on the positions of his political boss rather than on what he has accomplished for the riding as MPP.
“It’s the same for the other candidates,” he said. “If (NDP leader) Marit Stiles were to stand up and say something controversial, that’s going to affect Jen Deck. If (Liberal leader) Bonnie Crombie says something that’s controversial, that’s going to affect Adam Hopkins. If (Green Party leader) Mike Schreiner says something that’s controversial, that’s going to affect Lucas Graham. We’re all in the same boat.”
“The only difference is I have a track record where people can look at what I’ve done locally and make a decision. Do they want to vote locally, or do they want to vote based on the provincial side of things?”
Next up for the candidates is an event from 9 to 10 a.m. on Thursday (February 20) at the Marshland Centre on Hague Boulevard in Lakefield. Billed as “Coffee with the Candidates,” it offers the chance for voters to chat one-on-one with each. Rescheduled from last Thursday because of inclement weather, the event being hosted by most of the same groups that hosted Tuesday night’s debate.
Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge connecting Canada to the U.S. in Windsor, Ontario. (Photo: Rod Gurdebeke / The Canadian Press)
In response to the U.S. threat of tariffs on Canadian goods, Northumberland County Warden Brian Ostrander has been working on correspondence to politicians in two states and intends to take further action in the weeks ahead.
“I have sent letters to the heads of council in every county and region in New York plus Pennsylvania’s Northumberland County,” Ostrander told kawarthaNOW. “I will be sending out letters to (American) communities of similar size to Brighton that share similar economies and mutual interest in keeping our economies robust.”
In January, U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on all Canadian goods would be implemented on February 4, with a 10 per cent tariff on energy imports. The day before the tariffs were due to take effect, he agreed to hold off imposing the tariffs for 30 days. However, less than a week later, Trump announced additional 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada, would take effect on March 12.
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In a media release issued after the 30-day pause was announced, Ostrander said he is “deeply concerned about the far-reaching impacts of the US decision to target a long-standing, trusted ally.”
“Despite this pause, the threat of 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on energy continues to jeopardize economic stability,” Ostrander said. “It also puts at risk the historic trade relationship between Canada and the United States, which has made our nations the world’s largest trading partners.”
While border security was the rationale given for these tariffs, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data shows that less than one per cent of all fentanyl seizures and 1.5 per cent of illegal border crossing arrests involve the Canada-U.S. border, the release noted.
“Still, even this is too much,” Ostrander said. “It was therefore encouraging to see the $1.3 billion investment announced by the federal government in December 2024 to enhance border security and strengthen the immigration system.”
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Ostrander said Northumberland County also supports Canada’s federal and provincial governments’ response to the tariffs, including reciprocal tariffs on U.S. products.
“These measures are unfortunate but necessary to protect Canadian businesses, jobs, and the interests of our residents,” Ostrander said.
“We remain committed to advocating for a swift resolution to this trade dispute and stand with all levels of government in Canada — federal, provincial, regional, and municipal — in reinforcing our commitment to strengthening the Canada-US alliance. This partnership is critical to the long-term economic resilience and future growth of our region.”
By reaching out to U.S. border communities, Ostrander said he is seeking collaboration with elected officials on both sides “to ensure our local economic concerns are heard and addressed. We must work together to support a swift and sustainable resolution that protects the interests of all border communities.”
The warden said the county is also assessing the potential impact of the tariffs on the economy and operations and he will be meeting with elected officials and chief administrative officers from across eastern Ontario with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the potential broader economic effects.
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Meanwhile, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is conducting a survey of members of local chambers of commerce with the hopes of acquiring a better grasp of the potential impact of U.S. tariffs and reciprocal Canadian tariffs on Ontario businesses.
The organization is aiming to gather insights into how these tariffs are affecting various industries and what support or resources are needed to address the challenges posed by these trade policies.
The survey aims to collect information about the type and size of the county organization, the industry and region in which the business operates, the impact of U.S. and Canadian tariffs on business operations, strategies the business has considered or implemented in response to tariffs, and the organization’s confidence in Ontario’s economic outlook and its business’ ability to adapt to ongoing trade tensions.
The survey, which is available online until Sunday (February 23), takes about three to five minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous and will be kept confidential.
Respondents are asked to select the chamber of commerce or board of trade of which they are a member at the beginning of the survey.
Peterborough artist Peer Christensen. (Photo via Toronto Outdoor Art Fair)
A GoFundMe has been organized for well-known Peterborough artist Peer Christensen, who is fighting brain cancer.
According to organizer Colleen Volpel, Peer has been diagnosed with type four glioblastoma — the same highly aggressive and malignant brain tumour that took the life of The Tragically Hip’s frontman Gord Downie in 2017.
“Now, as Peer recovers from surgery and receives treatment to try and slow this cancer, the Christensens had to make a hard decision to close their business and focus on their family and time together,” Volpel writes.
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Vopel adds that Peer and his wife Lori will be in Kingston for weeks at a time to receive chemotherapy and radiation treatments at the Queen’s Brain Tumor Program at Kingston General Hospital.
“We are appealing to the community to raise funds to cover their costs of accommodation during their stays there,” Volpel writes. “We want them to be able to focus on the battles ahead, and not have to worry about the cost involved in travelling.”
To donate to the GoFundMe, visit www.gofundme.com/f/together-for-peer. As of the date of this story, over $7,000 has been raised of the $10,000 goal.
Peterborough artist Peer Christensen at work in his studio in an undated photo. (Photo via Peer Christensen website)
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Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Peer moved to Canada in 1959 as a child and has lived in Peterborough since 1985.
For more than 35 years, he has maintained an active studio practice working in the medium of oil paint, with his work exhibited at the Art Gallery of Peterborough, John B. Aird Gallery, McMichael Canadian Collection, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, and many others.
He has also been involved in the gallery and picture framing business for over 40 years, establishing his first Peterborough business in 1985 with two subsequent locations.
Haliburton Highlands Health Services operates a hospital with an emergency department in Haliburton, community programs including ambulatory clinics in Minden, and two long-term care facilities in Haliburton and Minden. (Photo: Haliburton Highlands Health Services)
As part of its “master planning” initiative for the future of healthcare in Haliburton County, Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) wants to hear from residents in the rural Kawarthas communities it serves.
With the population served by HHHS projected to grow by 22 per cent over the next 20 years, and the number of residents over 80 years of age increasing by 59 per cent over the next decade, HHHS says its master planning initiative “will ensure our healthcare system evolves to meet these demands.”
HHHS is hosting a series of “Future of Care Forums” during the initial planning process, with three upcoming sessions that call on members of the community to share their thoughts and ideas.
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The first forum is on Wednesday (February 19). Called the “Future of Care Forum #1: What’s on the Go at HHHS,” the session will provided residents with the latest updates on HHHS initiatives, recent achievements, and future projects.
The session takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and can be attended virtually or in person in the auditorium at the HHHS Minden site at 6 McPherson St.
There are two more sessions in March: one on Wednesday, March 5 (“Future of Care Forum #2: The Future of LTC”), and the other on Wednesday, March 26 (“Future of Care Forum #3: The Future of Acute Care”). Both sessions takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. and can be attended virtually or in person at the Minden site.
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Lauren Ernst, HHHS communications and employee experience lead, shared a few thoughts with kawarthaNOW about the importance of the undertaking for the hospital.
“This master planning effort represents a unique and much-needed opportunity in the history of HHHS to rethink and revitalize our health care infrastructure,” Ernst said. “By addressing these critical issues, we can build a health care system that is robust and capable of meeting the needs of our community both now and into the future.”
She said a key component of the endeavour is community participation in the Future of Care Forums.
“These events, hosted both in person and virtually, will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about early plans, ask questions, and share their feedback to help shape the vision for healthcare in the County of Haliburton,” Ernst noted.
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HHHS said it plans to keep residents informed of the master planning initiative and its progress through local media, community events, and regular updates, with the intent to “build momentum, foster transparency, and engage the local community.”
Hospital master planning is a long-term process that assesses the adequacy and functionality of facilities, ensuring spaces meet the needs of the community both today and tomorrow, HHHS noted on its website. This involves planning for mid-term (five to 10 years) and long-term (15, 20, and 30 years) needs.
“Since we are still in the initial stages of the master planning process, the plans and ideas are conceptual and will evolve as we continue to collaborate with the community, government, and our design team,” HHHS noted.
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In the mid-term over the next five to 10 years, HHHS envisions the following enhancements for its hospital master plan:
Provide specialty ambulatory care clinics such as internal medicine and gynecology clinics.
Expand Minden Health Hub services including primary care services for unattached patients and better access to urgent care.
Expand to include MRI services, better supporting safe emergency services, urgent care, and ambulatory care while bringing care closer to home.
Expand the inpatient unit at the hospital from 15 beds to 24 to 30 beds. Some of these beds would be chronic continuing care and rehab beds to enable patients to receive the right treatment and care to recover close to home before returning home safely, reducing return trips to the hospital or the emergency department.
Introduce a new inpatient “reactivation care model” for seniors within the inpatient bed complement with physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Expand the size of the hospital emergency department into the existing inpatient unit with dedicated staff spaces, procedure rooms to eliminate hallway medicine, and purpose-built airborne isolation rooms to support seasonal volume influx and to keep everyone safe.
HHHS is also in early discussions for other changes to the healthcare system over the next 15 to 30 years, and is also exploring options to increase its long-term care capacity.
For more information on the master planning process, and to register for the three Future of Care Forums, visit www.hhhs.ca/master-planning.
Toronto-based singer and actor Lia Luz will be one of the powerhouse female artists who will be on stage March 8 and March 9, 2025 during the first theatrical concert of the season at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope. A special International Women's Day celebration, "Billboard Concert: The Power of Women" will feature regional female performers covering iconic songs from top-charting female singers including Jann Arden, Aretha Franklin, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, and more. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Theatre)
From Aretha Franklin and Carole King to Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift, many of the top-charting artists in music history have been powerhouse women.
This International Women’s Day, local and regional female vocalists will be celebrating hits by these beloved artists and more during the first Billboard In Concert show of the year at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope.
Tickets are now on sale for “Billboard In Concert – The Power of Women,” with two performances on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m.
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“Women’s voices have defined popular music for more than a century,” says Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson. “We’ve collected an incredible all-female line-up to showcase this iconic music.”
The concert marks a departure from previous entries of the unique Billboard in Concert series, conceived by Kempson and music director and composer Jeff Newberry, which have focused on regional musicians performing Billboard hits for a given year.
“We knew that we’d eventually want to stray from celebrating individual years in music into some broader themes,” says Kempson. “We are always looking for opportunities to celebrate the voices of women in our season, and this year it made sense for us to align this program with International Women’s Day and have a real celebration with our community.”
Peterborough singer-songwriter Kate Suhr is one of the local artists who will be singing top-charting songs from female artists during the Capitol Theatre’s “Billboard in Concert: The Power of Women” on March 8 and March 9, 2025. The original Billboard in Concert series, which usually spotlights the top songs in a particular year, is being given a twist in celebration of International Women’s Day. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Theatre)
Familiar faces will return to the Capitol for “The Power of Women,” including Toronto-based triple-threat performers Lia Luz and Yunike Soedarmasto, who were both in last season’s Rapunzel: A Merry Hairy Holiday Panto. Tahirih Vejdani (Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors) and Capitol newcomer Alexis Raphael are also among those taking to the stage to perform iconic ballads, as well as Peterborough singer-songwriter Kate Suhr and Cobourg musician Lesley Lepine.
The vocalists will be accompanied by the all-female band of Jasmine Jones Ball, Kia Rose, and Tami Sorovaiski, led by music director Rachel O’Brien. Local singer and youth educator Kelly Perras will be the host of both concerts.
The women will perform both independently and as a group, covering a range of artists including Jann Arden, Adele, Toni Braxton, and many more.
“It’s so important to show, and have people see, all of this incredible art that’s been performed, written, and created by women,” says Luz. “Seeing that power and seeing this huge group of women on stage — and the power in their performing all of this music that was also created by women — really spotlights how amazing women are.”
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Luz says she’ll be singing music by Kelly Clarkson, an artist she already had the chance to cover at the Capitol during the holiday panto in 2024. But, she assures, it won’t be the same song.
“It was so much fun, and the orchestrations were incredible,” she says. “I know it’s going to be a blast and so much fun to do.”
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day (IWD), which is celebrated around the globe, is “Accelerate Action” — emphasizing the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to speed up the rate of progress to achieve gender equality.
“At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity,” states the IWD website, referring to data from the World Economic Forum.
A special preview dress rehearsal of “Billboard Concert: The Power of Women” will take place following the Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce’s free “Accelerate Action” International Women’s Day speaker event at the Capitol Theatre on March 7, 2025. For $50, registrants can partake in a catered reception followed by the concert performance. (Graphic: Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce)
“Accelerate Action makes me think about empowering women and putting them on stage to be seen and to be heard and this is exactly what Billboard concert is doing,” Luz says. “It’s taking a completely female group of performers and a completely female band and giving us the stage to show our womanhood and be seen.”
The theme will be explored in more detail during the “International Women’s Day – Accelerate Action Speaker Event” taking place at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, March 7 in partnership with the Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce. Beginning at 3:30 p.m., the free and inclusive event will include a reception and a dynamic group of speakers who are working towards gender equality.
Registrants can “power-up” their experience after the speaker event with a catered reception followed by a special preview dress rehearsal of the Billboard concert. Tickets for the optional behind-the-scenes experience are priced at $50 and can be ordered when registering for the speaker event.
“For some people, it can be a little nerve wracking just having that first audience, but for me, that’s honestly one of the most exciting performances — to finally have even just a sneak peek audience brings life to the performance,” says Luz of the preview concert. “I love getting to see the people in the audience and connecting with them, watching them enjoy it.”
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Connecting the Billboard concert with the Chamber’s speaker event was intentional, according to Kempson.
“At the Capitol, we work hard to ensure that we are connected to our broader community with all that we do,” he says. “That’s a big part of a smaller community: showing up for one another. Since the Chamber of Commerce already had plans in place for this year’s (International) Women’s Day event to be held at the Capitol, we thought it only made sense to collaborate.”
Whether it’s the preview dress rehearsal or one of the main stage performances, Kempson says the Billboard concert is just one of the “memorable performances” coming to the Capitol Theatre this season.
Tahirih Vejdani will be returning to the Capitol Theatre stage in Port Hope, performing both individually and with fellow female artists for “Billboard in Concert: The Power of Women,” on March 8 and 9, 2025. For the special International Women’s Day show, the concert will feature regional performers sharing iconic songs from the top-charting female musicians over several decades. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Theatre)
“I hope audiences will walk away with a renewed appreciation for their favourite tunes by hearing them performed in a brand-new way by local and regional artists,” he says. “But more than anything, I hope folks enjoy a great concert at the Capitol, with a great mix of songs from every era and every genre.”
Tickets for Billboard in Concert: The Power of Women are priced at $55 and $45 for those under 30 years old.
Tickets for the concert and registration for the International Women’s Day’s Accelerate Action Speaker Event are available at capitoltheatre.com, by visiting the box office in person at 20 Queen Street (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays), or by calling 905-885-1071.
Yvette Virgin, a staff member of Five Counties Children's Centre in Cobourg, says it's important to mark Black History Month every day and is open about sharing her family's story battling slavery and racism. Her late mother Nerene Virgin was well known as a Canadian actor, public broadcaster, author, and TV host, and she was also a member of the Toronto-based Canadian soul group The Tiaras in the 1960s. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
Slavery — the ownership of a person by another — may seem a universe away, but for Yvette Virgin it hits close to home.
Every month, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides a story about the work of the charitable organization. This month’s story is by Bill Eekhof, Communications Coordinator, Five Counties Children’s Centre.
As the building caretaker at Five Counties Children’s Centre in Cobourg, the bright and cheerful surroundings are familiar ground for Yvette.
But so too are the dark, shameful moments that her great-great grandfather endured 160-plus years ago — and the echoes of racism that still persist to this day.
“It wasn’t that long ago that he escaped slavery and got his freedom in Canada,” notes Yvette of her great-great grandfather, Thomas John Howard-Holland. “All my life, you were told the stories. You were never too young to know, and you had to know to keep the story alive.”
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The story of Thomas John is one of resilience and rebirth. In 1860, he escaped a Maryland plantation where he was a slave, making the perilous journey to freedom in Canada with the support of the Underground Railroad.
Thomas John — whose brother had also escaped to freedom the year before — changed his name to Holland to evade capture. He put down roots in Canada, starting a family of high achievers who have carried on his indomitable spirit as advocates, educators, and activists for social justice.
Yvette is grateful for having a good grasp of her great-great grandfather’s story: she was blessed to know his daughter (her great-grandmother) for the first 12 years of her life.
In that regard, she can appreciate an oft-quoted statement: ‘Slavery is white history. How we survived it is Black history.’
Growing up as a child of a Black mother and white father, Yvette Virgin was often tormented, called nasty names, and constantly watched or scrutinized. Her great-great grandfather Thomas John Howard-Holland escaped slavery in the U.S. in 1860 and found his freedom in Canada, where he started a family. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
Speaking about her family’s history — her story — is important to Yvette, not only during Black History Month, but any day of the year. She notes that slavery wasn’t just an American institution; it also existed in Canada for hundreds of years up to 1834.
“At times, Canadian history isn’t the nicest and we do really have some shameful parts of our history with our Indigenous people and treatment of Blacks,” Yvette notes. “We must ensure kids are taught all of our history, whether good, bad, indifferent or ugly.”
Growing up as a child of a Black mother and white father, Yvette was often tormented, called nasty names, and constantly watched or scrutinized.
“Being the only kid of colour, or the only Black kid, or the only mixed kid, because I am from more than one culture, it’s a little different,” Yvette notes. “The racism, it can cut a little differently.”
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If there was inspiration to help Yvette overcome these obstacles and find her stride in life, it came from the words of her mother Nerene Virgin, a well-known journalist, actress, educator, author, and TV host. Nerene passed away in January 2024, but the lessons she taught Yvette live on.
“My mom always said, ‘Bring your best self forward. Just be honest, open, listen to people. Everybody has a story, and don’t be afraid to tell your story’,” Yvette recalls, noting she takes these words to heart every day.
Nerene accomplished much in her life, even being named in 2016 as one of Canada’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women in history. Yvette considers her mom’s volunteer work on the Sick Kids telethon one of her most rewarding experiences, even though Nerene may be best known for her role as Jodie on the 1980s children’s TV show Today’s Special.
Yvette Virgin’s mother Nerene may be best known for her role as Jodie on the children’s TV show Today’s Special, which aired on TVO in the 1980s. Nerene was also an educator, actor, public broadcaster, author, and anti-racism advocate. (Photo: TVO)
“Oh yeah, the Today’s Special stuff,” Yvette says with a smile. “My mom did those mall concerts and there were screaming kids and stuff, but I didn’t find her famous for that. She never showed her notoriety. She was either Mom or Nerene. She was just a friend.”
Nerene was also quotable, once noting: “It’s through education that we open minds. We open hearts. We open people’s eyes.”
It’s these sayings that still resonate with Yvette, especially in an age of growing rage, anger, and attacks.
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“I’m almost 60 years of age, and I’ve seen this my entire life,” Yvette says. “I think for my ancestors, and for my mother, they would’ve thought this would be over by now.”
What remedy is there to fix the division?
“My mother would probably just say, ‘Just keep moving forward’. Dialogue. Talking. And engaging with people that feel opposite of you, because at the end of the day, they want to be heard.”
“Hear them, but then counter back to them with real facts and real examples,” Yvette adds.
Somewhere, Nerene would be smiling at her daughter’s own summation.
“I think that’s what you need to do, because as we know, lessons in life are always hard to learn, especially when tied to the darkness of history,” Yvette says.
Mexican of Yoema Nation and Basque heritage, Norma Araiza is a Toronto-based performing artist who will present her work-in-progress "Ewi, What A Dream!" at Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space on February 28 and March 1, 2025, along with a Guatemalan American performing artist Heryka Miranda who will present her new work "Toj." (Photo: Alejandra Higuera)
Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space and Public Energy Performing Arts are teaming up to give Nogojiwanong/Peterborough audiences a glimpse into new works of two female Indigenous performing artists.
Norma Araiza and Heryka Miranda will be taking to the stage for two shows at Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 beginning at 7 p.m.
“Norma Araiza and Heryka Miranda are strong female Indigenous performing artists who bring deep practices of connection to cultural roots, earth, and land,” says Jenn Cole, artistic director of Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space, in a media release from Public Energy.
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Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space, located on the first floor of Enwayaang Building of Trent University’s Peter Gzowski College, is the only publicly funded Indigenous performance space in Canada.
According to the media release, the two celebrated artists “engage deeply with culture and community in their individual practices.”
Araiza’s work-in-progress “Ewi, What A Dream!” explores a character going through moments of various emotions and sensations during dream time, questioning if it’s a dream or if they are awake.
“Toj” is a work-in-progress from Heryka Miranda, a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator who works with institutionally vulnerable communities through ecological land dance practices and expressive arts. Miranda will present her new work at the Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space on February 28 and March 1, 2025. (Photo: Diego Mendez)
The character’s journey is “subtly inspired” by the four elements and the directions of the medicine wheel and combines Araiza’s extensive theatrical training with dramatic elements.
Mexican of Yoema Nation and Basque heritage, Araiza is a Toronto-based performer, choreographer, and instructor who finds a unique style blending dance, physical theatre, vocals, percussion, and storytelling with cultural and traditional themes.
She is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Vanguardia Dance Projects, a collective supporting Canadian dance artists with Latin American and Indigenous backgrounds. She also holds a practice as an Expressive Arts Therapist and her work has been presented throughout Mexico, and in Canada, the U.S.A., Colombia, and Hungary.
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Joining Araiza, Miranda will be presenting her work-in-progress “Toj,” whose name in the Mayan sacred calendar means to offer payment for the sustenance received throughout life. The choreography is part of the unfolding story of Miranda’s spirit name, Yaz Tz’unun (“Blue Hummingbird”).
Through structured improvisation, Miranda offers an embodied prayer — her Toj — to the seven galactic directions. With love and grief from mourning the loss of loved ones and having let parts of herself die, she offers a prayer of gratitude as she enters a time of rebirth, connecting to the wisdom and teachings of Yaz Tz’unun.
“I believe in creating meaningful moments (magic) through igniting the power of the imagination,” Miranda says.
Miranda is a Guatemalan American dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. Her dance training consists of ecological land dance, expressive art therapies, and sacred dance, and her work has been featured in the documentaries The Sunflower Man and Dance in the Shadow. Holding an M.A. in Health and Physical Education, she teaches dance as education and wellness in university programs and uses ecological land dance practices and expressive arts to works with institutionally vulnerable communities.
Guatemalan American dancer, choreographer, and dance educator Heryka Miranda will be presenting her work-in-progress “Toj” at the Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space on February 28 and March 1, 2025. Meaning to offer payment for the sustenance received throughout life, “Toj” is a structured improvisational work that is part of the unfolding story of her spirit name Yaz Tz’unun (“Blue Hummingbird”). (Photo courtesy of Heryka Miranda)
“Norma Araiza and Heryka Miranda are old friends of Nozhem — strong female Indigenous performing artists who bring deep practices of connection to cultural roots, earth, and land,” says Cole. “They both dance with fluidity between beings. We look forward to seeing these new works.”
In keeping with Public Energy’s mission to keep performing arts accessible and affordable for everyone, tickets for both shows are priced on a pay-what-you-can sliding scale beginning at $5. As a content warning for audiences, the work includes themes of death.
Observed on the third Monday of February, Family Day is a statutory holiday under the Employment Standards Act and Retail Business Holidays Act, so all provincial and municipal offices and services are closed, although some municipal recreation services are open (with many hosting Family Day events).
All liquor and beer stores are closed, as are most shopping malls and big box stores. All grocery stores in Peterborough are closed, but some grocery stores in rural communites are open. Since Family Day is not a federal statutory holiday, federal government offices and many federally regulated businesses remain open. Regular collection and delivery of mail occurs on Family Day.
For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 287 selected businesses, services, and organizations across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially where you see “call” or “call to confirm” (which means we couldn’t find or confirm holiday hours) or if you are travelling any distance.
Note: The Loblaws chain of supermarkets (Loblaws, Your Independent Grocer, Valu-mart, and No Frills) are no longer publishing store hours on their websites. We have included their Family Day hours from 2024 in the list below. Please call the store to confirm their hours.
If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not have the hours for restaurants in this list as there are far too many to include.
Bewdley Community Recycling Centre 7650 County Rd. 9, Hamilton 905-342-2514
CLOSED
Brighton Community Recycling Centre 1112 County Rd. 26, Brighton 613-475-1946
CLOSED
Canada Post Mail Delivery / Offices (Note: post offices operated by the private sector will be open according to the hours of service of the host business
Regular collection and delivery
City of Kawartha Lakes City Hall, Municipal Service Centres, and Administration Offices 26 Francis St., Lindsay 705-324-9411
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Parks, Recreation and Culture facilities, arenas, and pools Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411
CLOSED (EXCEPT FOR LINDSAY RECREATION COMPLEX)
City of Kawartha Lakes Public Library Branches Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411 x1291
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Waste and Recycling Collection 26 Francis St., Lindsay 1-888-822-2225
Mon Feb 17 collection moves to Tue Feb 18, Feb 18 to 19, Feb 19 to 20, Feb 20 to 21. Fri Feb 21 organics collection moves to Sat Feb 22.
City of Peterborough Day Cares Peterborough 705-748-8830
CLOSED
City of Peterborough Garbage Pickup Peterborough 705-745-1386
No change
City of Peterborough Green Bin Pickup Peterborough 705-745-1386
No change
City of Peterborough Recycling Pickup Peterborough 1-888-597-1541
No change
City of Peterborough Social Services (for emergency shelter services call 705-926-0096) Closed, Peterborough 705-748-8830
CLOSED
Cobourg Public Library 200 Ontario St., Cobourg 905-372-9271
Sullivan's General Store (includes LCBO) 472 Ennis Rd., Ennismore 705-292-8671
Call
Young's Point General Store (includes LCBO/The Beer Store) 2095 Nathaway Dr., Young's Point 705-652-3731
Call
Recreation & Leisure
MON FEB 17
Art Gallery of Northumberland 55 King St. W., Cobourg 905-372-0333
1:00pm - 3:00pm (Family Fun Day)
Art Gallery of Peterborough 2 Crescent St., Peterborough 705-743-9179
CLOSED
Canadian Canoe Museum 2077 Ashburnham Dr., Peterborough 705-748-9153
10:00am - 5:00pm (Family Day activites all day)
Cobourg Community Centre 750 D'Arcy St., Cobourg 905-372-7371
7:00pm - Cobourg Cougars vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Fenelon Falls Community Centre 27 Veterans Way, Fenelon Falls 705-887-3727
CLOSED
Forbert Memorial Pool and Workout Centre 6 River Park Rd., Bobcaygeon 705-738-5858
CLOSED
Galaxy Cinemas 320 Water St., Peterborough 705-749-2000
Open (first film screens at 11:30am)
Hutchison House 270 Brock St., Peterborough 705-743-9710
CLOSED
Jack Burger Sports Complex 60 Highland Dr., Port Hope 905-885-2474
6:00am - 9:00pm
Lindsay Recreation Complex 133 Adelaide St. S., Lindsay 705-324-9112
8:00am - 4:00pm (Family Day activities include free public swimming from 10:00am - 12:00pm and 1:00pm - 3:00pm and free public skating from 1:15pm - 2:15pm)
North Kawartha Fitness Centre (North Kawartha Community Centre) 340 McFadden Rd., Apsley 705-656-4445
9:00am - 5:00pm (free public skating from 11:00am - 1:00pm)
Another significant winter storm is coming to the Kawarthas region over the Family Day weekend, with total accumulations of 25 to 40 cm possible by Sunday evening (February 16).
Environment Canada has upgraded its winter storm watch to a winter storm warning, in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.
Periods of snow will begin Saturday afternoon, with snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 cm by late in the evening.
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While snow may become lighter overnight, conditions will rapidly deteriorate Sunday morning as a more significant area of snow and blowing snow arrives. An additional 20 to 30 cm is likely on Sunday, with peak snowfall rates of 3 to 6 cm per hour.
Travel will be hazardous and is not recommended, particularly on Sunday. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow.
This story has been updated with the latest forecast information from Environment Canada.
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