Linda Kash and Megan Murphy, pictured here in a promotional video, will be emceeing the inaugural "Cancer Takedown" fundraiser on November 16, 2022 at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
Local celebrities Linda Kash and Megan Murphy are emceeing a night of “song, story, and solidarity for anyone touched by cancer” in November.
The inaugural “Cancer Takedown” fundraiser begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, with all proceeds going to cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
Described as a “spirit-raiser” as much as a fundraiser, the evening will feature local musicians Kate Suhr and Melissa Payne and their bands, along with musical director Anthony Bastianon and singer, dancer, and actor Denise Oucharek.
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Along with the performances, people with cancer will also be sharing their stories.
Tickets are $50 for assigned cabaret table seating and $30 general admission seating. Prices include all taxes and fees. You can buy tickets over the phone at 705-775-1503 or in person at the Market Hall box office at 140 Charlotte Street (3rd floor) from noon to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, or online anytime at tickets.markethall.org.
Sponsors for the event include Arrowhead Homes, Paradigm Pictures, Kemp Insurance Brokers Ltd., and Peterborough Volkswagen.
A local climate action advocacy group has released the results of a survey of all the municipal election candidates in the city and county of Peterborough.
For Our Grandchildren (4RG) invited all candidates in the City of Peterborough and Asphodel-Norwood, Cavan-Monaghan, Douro-Dummer, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, North Kawartha, Otonabee South Monaghan, Selwyn, and Trent Lakes to answer five questions about their intentions on the issue of the climate crisis:
Could you give one or two examples from your personal or public life of something you have done to mitigate climate change?
How high among the proper concerns of an elected official would you place climate change mitigation?
Could you briefly describe policies which you would like to see enacted, and actions which you would like to see taken, for the purpose of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in your municipality?
What do you consider the one or two biggest challenges which will be faced by the residents of your municipality as a result of global warming and climate change?
If elected, would you join the Climate Caucus, a national group through which elected officials share best practices for addressing the climate emergency? With which other organizations — local, provincial, or national — would you expect to consult and collaborate?
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4RG first sent the survey to candidates on September 4, with two subsequent reminders. As of September 29, all mayoral candidates in the City of Peterborough had answered the survey questions, with more than half of all the other candidates also responding. The responses of candidates to the survey is available on the 4RG website at forourgrandchildren.ca/2022-municipal-election/2022-candidate-survey/.
“From the response to our survey, we saw a wide range of opinion about the importance of taking action and what candidates were interested in trying to accomplish,” 4RG states on its website. “For a minority of candidates who responded to our survey, taking action to reduce GHG emissions was a top or high priority.”
“However, for many, the priority was much lower or was not seen as important at all. Some didn’t think there was anything their municipality could do. We don’t know what opinion was held by those who chose not to respond to our survey.”
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4RG has also produced a “report card” highlighting the voting record of all City of Peterborough councillors in the last session of council on five specific issues. The report card is available on the 4RG website at forourgrandchildren.ca/2022-municipal-election/2022-council-report-card/.
“We are in a climate emergency,” states a media release from 4RG. “Peterborough is responding to this crisis with a patchwork of projects whose gains are useful but insufficient to meet Peterborough’s commitment to a 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. We need municipal council leaders who consistently push for climate action and a long-term funded plan to reach our greenhouse gas reduction goals: plans that have already been developed by several Canadian cities.”
Established in 2006, For Our Grandchildren is a Canadian not-for-profit voluntary organization with a mission to engage and mobilize the community to take effective action to combat
climate change, to advocate support from local governments, and to collaborate effectively with like-minded community organizations.
A garage fire on Brunswick Avenue west of High Street in Peterborough has caused an estimated $75,000 in damage. One person was taken to hospital and released. (Photo: David Post)
A garage fire at a Peterborough home on Thursday afternoon (September 29) caused an estimated $75,000 in damage.
At 3:38 p.m. on Thursday, Peterborough Fire Services responded to the report of a garage fire on Brunswick Avenue west of High Street.
Upon arrival, fire crews found the garage fully engulfed in flames, with a vehicle inside the garage also fully engulfed in flames.
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The intensity of the fire had caused it to spread to a home on one side of the garage. The fire also caused exposure damage to the home on the other side of the garage. Another vehicle in front of the garage received exposure damage as well.
Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire in the garage and the two vehicles and homes.
An occupant of one of the homes was treated for burns and transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, where they were treated and released.
The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
Garage-country rockers The Sadies will be performing at the Historic Red Dog in Peterborough on Tuesday, October 4 in support of their new record "Colder Streams" which was completed just before singer and guitarist Dallas Good (right) unexpectedly passed away in February at the age of 48. (Photo: Chris Colohan)
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, September 29 to Wednesday, October 5.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
Maestro Michael Newnham conducting the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra at the "Christmas Fantasia' concert in December 2019 before the pandemic. The popular "Meet the Maestro" pre-concert talks are returning for 2022-23, the orchestra's first full season since the pandemic began. (Photo: Huw Morgan)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra is bringing back its popular “Meet the Maestro” pre-concert talks for 2022-2023, the orchestra’s first full season since the pandemic began.
At 6:45 p.m. on concert nights, audience members are invited to join music director Michael Newnham as he takes the Showplace stage for an intimate chat about the evening’s program.
“These pre-concert talks are a chance for me to connect with our audience and talk about the music that they are about to hear us perform,” says Newnham, adding the talks are “something that I particularly treasure.”
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“These talks always give me a lot of energy for the concert itself,” Newnham says.
Whether or not you are new to the world of classical music, the short and entertaining chats will give you an enhanced appreciation of the music you are about to hear.
“All music has a story behind it, and I love sharing the things that I’ve learned about the pieces we’re about to play, even — or especially — when the stories themselves are a little irreverent,” Newnham explains.
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-23 season.
All concerts takes place at 7:30 p.m at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, with each evening’s program running around two hours with an intermission. Ppatrons are invited to arrive early for the pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m.
For “Welcome Back,” the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s opening concert of the 2022-23 season on Saturday, November 5th, Maestro Newnham will introduce a program that features a piece of music familiar to everyone — Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 5, with the most famous opening four notes in history — as well as Canadian composer Kevin Lau’s Between the Earth and Forever, a contemporary composition featuring a less-familiar instrument, the Chinese erhu, with soloist Snow Bai performing.
Here are the other concerts in the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-23 season:
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“A Holiday Welcome” (Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.)
A holiday tradition returns with a delightful program of seasonal music for the whole family, including classical and popular pieces featuring one of Canada’s most celebrated baritones, James West.
“An Intimate Welcome” (Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)
An intimate evening of music “just for us.” Hear the winds of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra perform music of freshness, sparkle, and vigour by Strauss and Gounod, while the orchestra’s principal string players treat you to Dvorak’s evergreen quintet, Opus 77.
“Welcome Spring” (Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra performs Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, a magnificent, sweeping, joyful symphonic journey towards spring’s returning light. Virtuoso pianist Alexander Panizza joins the rchestra for Tchaikovsky’s passionate and emotional Piano Concerto No. 1, “where the heart meets the sleeve.”
“Welcome to the Dance” (Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.)
A fiery evening of music moving to the rhythms of social change with guest Sarah Lewis, Peterborough’s first poet laureate. The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra performs Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story.”
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Single tickets for each performance are $33, $48, or $55 depending on where you sit, except for the annual holiday concert, where all tickets are $45. Student tickets for all concerts, including the holiday one, are $12 (available online only). Season subscriptions are also still available, with prices ranging from $105 to $235 depending on seating and only $10 per concert for student subscriptions.
To purchase single tickets any time, visit tickets.showplace.org (student tickets are only available online). You can also purchase single tickets in-person at the Showplace box office at 290 George Street North, by calling at 705-742-7469, or by emailing boxoffice@showplace.org. The box office is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and for 90 minutes before each concert. For season subscriptions, email admin@thepso.org.
New this season is the orchestra’s “rush ticket” option, where seats are available on the day of the concert for only $20 (online only, depending on availability).
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2022/23 season.
Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory for most of the greater Kawarthas region for Thursday overnight (September 29).
The frost advisory is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Hastings County.
Temperatures are expected to dip near or below the freezing mark overnight Thursday into Friday morning.
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Frost may damage some crops in frost-prone areas.
Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas, and take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.
Environment Canada issues frost advisories when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.
The Peterborough County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has announced that Inspector Chris Galeazza is the new detachment commander.
Galeazza began his OPP career in December 1998 and was first assigned to the South Bruce Detachment. He also served at Haldimand County, the Caledonia Command Post, City of Kawartha Lakes and, most recently, at Peterborough County as the interim detachment commander.
He has participated in various projects and working groups, including a post as Pan Am Games venue commander.
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Galeazza holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a focus in criminology from Brock University and has completed the senior police administration course from the Canadian Police College.
He is also the recipient of the Police Exemplary Service Medal (20 years).
“I can certainly speak for all of us in Peterborough County who are delighted to welcome Chris as the new detachment commander,” states County of Peterborough Warden J. Murray Jones in a media release. “Chris has proven time and time again that he has the skills and the compassion to lead our local detachment. His down-to-earth approach serves us well. Congratulation Chris, we are all in this together.”
Twisted Trauma Foundation co-founder Jon Perrin (middle) with Colton Eddy, Melissa Carroll, Amy Terrill, and Carly Veitch of BGC Kawarthas. (Photo courtesy of BGC Kawarthas)
The Twisted Trauma Foundation has donated $5,000 to BGC Kawarthas (Boys & Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes) to support three programs to help youth address their mental health needs and fight the stigma of mental illness and addiction.
Delivered by the Youth Warehouse team at BGC Kawarthas, the three programs — “Flex Your Head,” “Creating Connections,” and “REACH” — will be offered at no cost to youth in local schools, at BGC Kawarthas and through the Youth Outreach Program. Twisted Trauma Foundation’s will support the BGC Kawarthas’ delivery of six full sessions during the 2022-23 school year.
“It is an honour and a privilege for the Twisted Trauma Foundation to fund the programs for youth mental health at the BGC Kawarthas,” says Jon Perrin, who co-founded Twisted Trauma Foundation with his wife Jen, a registered nurse. Jon became a mental health advocate after developing post-traumatic stress disorder in his role as a Kawartha Lakes OPP officer.
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Created by BGC Canada, “Flex Your Head” is designed to help youth think about, talk about, and understand issues of mental health and wellness. The program’s goals are to tear down barriers youth face in helping them cope with stress, and to create awareness and understanding of mental health and mental illness.
“Creating Connections” is a program designed to enhance addiction awareness among youth, prevent harm associated with substance use, and help reduce harmful stigma while focusing on health promotion.
“REACH” is a program to support children and youth in addressing daily challenges. Outcomes for the program include participants feeling more confident to use skills in a social environment and recognizing how their feelings, emotions and behaviours are connected.
“We are so grateful for Jon’s support as we try to help young people in our community build healthy habits and strengthen their resiliency,” says BGC Kawarthas executive director Amy Terrill.
A bird perches on the stump of a tree in Beavermead Park after the May 2022 derecho storm that destroyed or damaged trees and green spaces across Nogojiwanong/Peterborough. Ecological grief is a relatively new term for a recent phenomenon that explains the intense feelings that people may experience as a result of climate-related losses to species, ecosystems and landscapes. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Time heals. This is something that is often said as we experience the passing of a loved one. Time can heal quite slowly in some cases — especially if someone is not prepared for how to handle the event and the feelings that come with it.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column was written in collaboration with the Kawartha World Issues Centre.
How do you handle the loss of someone that was there throughout a significant part of your life, and stands tall in your memory?
What if that someone wasn’t a person, but a tree?
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This loss of ecological life may lead to ecological grief. Defined as the mourning that occurs when we lose parts of the natural world, ecological grief is just one way that climate change is increasingly impacting global mental health.
Whereas time may not heal grief or sadness completely, stories may help with processing those hard emotions that come with loss.
Commencing in the aftermath of the May 2022 derecho storm, “Stump Stories” is an initiative from the Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC) that holds space for the ecological grief experienced by Peterborough/Nogojiwanong community members. By inviting personal stories and reflection on the role of trees in the local environment, this initiative hopes to destigmatize grief in general and build awareness about ecological grief.
A few of the many trees lost at Rogers Cove Park in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough after the May 2022 derecho storm. The City of Peterborough has since planted a number of new trees throughout the park. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
GreenUP is grateful to be sharing its Stump Stories, alongside those of KWIC’s team, to help raise awareness of the emotional aspect of climate change.
Grief can come in many forms. For Ev Richardson, KWIC program and outreach coordinator and creator of Stump Stories, grief was an unexpected consequence of the derecho storm. One of the hidden gems of East City, Rogers Cove, was hit especially hard by the extreme weather event.
“There was so much vibrancy down by the water that day, with families entertaining small children, people walking their dogs, and the occasional senior citizen enjoying shade,” Ev wrote. Walking home, however, the weather resembled a tropical storm. “I felt very helpless, imagining those laughing, joy-filled community members still at Rogers Cove.”
Over time, Ev recalled seeing the shock and sadness from the event transform into altruism.
“I remember a power generator running between two homes, both occupied by two elderly women. Seeing that they were sharing the generator warmed my heart.”
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Seeing glimmers of hope after a devastating event such as the derecho can transform feelings of grief into feelings of acceptance and empowerment.
For Dennis Howlett, a member of KWIC’s board of directors, this meant seeing Inverlea Park as a space that inspired community action.
“[The park] was not spared from the fury of the derecho,” he wrote. “A dozen of the large old trees were blown over. Our beloved park, used by many community members, was a mess. After the storm, I took a sad walk through the park with my neighbour’s dog and mourned the loss of trees that had been growing for many decades.”
It was only until the city planted 11 new trees that Dennis was able to understand the importance of action to help deal with grief.
“Although the stumps that remain in the park are a sad reminder of the loss we experienced, they also inspire me to do more to protect the trees we do have — such as keeping the newly planted trees alive.”
Downed trees at the GreenUP Ecology Park Native Plant & Tree Nursery after the May 2022 derecho storm. This fall, GreenUP staff are replanting some of the many trees lost in Ecology Park. For those looking to plant new trees to replace ones lost in the storm, the nursery remains open until October 7. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
An appreciation for the memories of trees and what remained after the storm was voiced by staff at GreenUP as another tool to deal with grief.
“I grew up walking in woods of maple, birch, and beech, sleeping in tents under pine and hemlock,” wrote Laura Keresztezi, program coordinator at GreenUP. “I’d never encountered a catalpa. The tree still astounds me with its whimsical, tropical, and fairy tale look. I’m feeling thankful for all the trees that are still standing in our mid-sized city.”
In his Stump Story, KWIC staff member James Outterson reflected on the opportunity that ecological grief and loss of biota can bring for renewal and action.
“As we lost trees in our yard, we gained space and light — and the chance to grow a large vegetable garden, orchard, and native species patch. From destruction and sadness, we now see an opportunity to rebuild and the ability to experience the same joy we got from our lost trees.”
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Stories can be antidotes to ecological grief and inspire empowering action. If you have lost a loved tree, we invite you to start replanting and reflecting on the role of trees in our changing community.
This fall, GreenUP staff are replanting some of the many trees lost in Ecology Park. Our tree and plant nursery remains open until October 7th if you’d like to plant or replant loved trees in your area.
For more Stump Stories, or to submit your own, visit www.kwic.info/stump-stories or follow @kwic_ptbo on social media.
Local historians may know GreenUP began as emerging initiative under the umbrella program of KWIC, a long-standing partner working on sharing local stories and empowering the community to take action for their environment and climate.
Presented by Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, "Living and Working in a Digital-First World - Technologies and Trends Shaping the Future" on October 13, 2022 will be facilitated by Innovation Cluster board chair Nicole Stephenson (upper left) and feature three expert panellists from the board: Christine Crandell (upper right), Jason Wight (lower left), and Charlie Atkinson (lower right). The free event takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Supplied photos)
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is bringing back its popular in-person “Electric City Talks” event for the local business community for the first time since the pandemic began.
“Living and Working in a Digital-First World – Technologies and Trends Shaping the Future” takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m on Thursday, October 13th at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough.
The free event will include three expert panellists discussing clean technology, information technology, and business innovation as it relates to our digital-centric world, providing perspectives on business strategy, culture, sales, customer journey, marketing strategy, and opportunities for innovation in rural communities.
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“After a two-year hiatus from in-person events, this EC Talks featuring this amazing panel is the perfect way to bring Peterborough and Kawarthas’ business community back face-to-face to discuss innovative opportunities for local entrepreneurs and support business growth in our region,” says Innovation Cluster CEO Michael Skinner in a media release.
Facilitated by the Innovation Cluster’s board chair Nicole Stephenson, the informal fireside-style chat features Christine Crandell, Jason Wight, and Charlie Atkinson, all three of whom joined the Innovation Cluster’s board this past summer.
Nicole Stephenson is the founder of Toronto-based Stephenson Law Group, and has over 15 years of Canadian capital markets experience, specializing in will and estate planning for entrepreneurs and business owners among many other services.
“Living and Working in a Digital-First World – Technologies and Trends Shaping the Future” takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m on Thursday, October 13th at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. Registration is required but admission is free. (Graphic: Innovation Cluster)
Christine Crandell is the president of California-based NBS Consulting Group, Inc. (doing business as New Business Strategies), a global customer experience and strategy consultancy.
A recognized expert in customer experience, strategic planning, and digital transformation serving Fortune 1000 and growth stage companies worldwide, Crandell has also been an advisor to companies such as Coupa and Social Dynamx, and has led mergers and acquisitions due diligence for Good Technologies/Blackberry.
Based in the GTA, Jason Wight is the chief information officer and senior vice president of digital innovation at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) as well as the founder of X-Lab, an innovation accelerator that fosters creative thinking across OPG, develops new revenue streams, and drives efficiency improvements.
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Wight has held a variety of leadership positions over his tenure with OPG which led to his current role, where he advances technological solutions within OPG’s fleet and within the overall nuclear industry.
Toronto-based leadership consultant Charlie Atkinson has over 40 years of experience building teams, growing businesses, merging companies, optimizing profit and loss statements, restructuring, and more for a variety of corporations such as Xerox, Kodak, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, from which he retired in 2017.
A year after retirement, Atkinson founded The Winning Practice, which provides results-inspired strategic excellence focusing on people, partnerships, productivity, and profitability. He is also on the national board of directors the Information Technology Association of Canada,
The Innovation Cluster is inviting all entrepreneurs, students, academics, partners, and the local business community to attend. To register for the free event, visit ectalksdigital.eventbrite.ca.
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