The vaccination clinic at the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough will be moving back to the multipurpose room (pictured in May) effect August 3, 2021. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough Public Health and Peterborough Regional Health Centre have announced several upcoming changes to COVID-19 vaccination clinics for Peterborough-area residents, reflecting a shift to more targeted delivery of vaccines as the demand declines — despite 37 per cent of eligible residents not yet being fully vaccinated.
The clinic at the Evinrude Centre will be closed from Friday (July 30) to Monday (August 2) for a move from the ice pad back to the multipurpose room. The clinic will reopen on Tuesday (August 3) for appointments and walk-ins.
Peterborough Public Health will also be offering three walk-in clinics during August in three selected communities in Peterborough County for residents 18 years and older.
Advertisement - content continues below
An Apsley clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3 at the North Kawartha Community Centre (340 McFadden Road). A Buckhorn clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 7 at the Buckhorn Community Centre (1782 Lakehurst Road). A Millbrook clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 17 at the Cavan Monaghan Community Centre (986 Peterborough County Road 10).
These clinics will offer both first and second doses of mRNA vaccines, with no appointment necessary.
“There are still approximately 15,000 eligible local residents who are unvaccinated,” says Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra, Peterborough’s medical officer of health, in a media release. “We still have a long way to go before we reach herd immunity in Peterborough. By bringing the vaccine to our rural communities through these walk-in clinics, I’m hoping we can make it even more convenient for county residents to get the added protection of a two-dose summer.”
To encourage people to get vaccinated, the health unit will be running a weekly raffle at the pop-up clinics, as well as at the Evinrude Clinic. Two winners will be drawn every week over the next four weeks, with each winner receiving a $50 gift card from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Association (DBIA) that can be redeemed at downtown Peterborough businesses.
Advertisement - content continues below
Meanwhile, Peterborough Regional Health Centre announced it is scaling back the operation of the hospital’s vaccine clinic.
After Wednesday (July 28), the clinic will only be operating from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following dates: Thursday, August 5; Tuesday, August 10; Thursday, August 12; Tuesday, August 17; and Thursday, August 19.
On these dates, the clinic will continue to offer vaccines for people who have scheduled appointments through the provincial booking system and for walk-ins aged 12 and older.
“As vaccination rates have continued to rise across the province and the country, Peterborough Regional Health Centre has seen activity in its COVID-19 vaccine clinic continue to steadily decrease,” the hospital writes in a media release.
As of last Wednesday, 82,941 residents of the Peterborough area have received two doses of vaccine, including 65.7 of adults and 25.8 per cent of youth aged 12 to 17. This represents 63.3 per cent of all those eligible for a vaccine and 56 per cent of the area’s total population.
Peterborough resident Eileen Kimmett had a close encounter with a busy beaver on the trail in Jackson Park. The beaver, which was harvesting a branch from a downed tree, went about its business while Eileen captured some video and photos. (Photo: Eileen Kimmett / Facebook)
Peterborough resident Eileen Kimmett loves nature, and nature loves her right back — judging from her recent experience with a determined beaver in Jackson Park.
Eileen, who is known for sharing photos on social media of her monarch butterfly nursery, was cycling on the Trans-Canada Trail near Parkhill Road West on Monday (July 26) when she encountered a beaver harvesting a branch from a tree downed by high winds.
“It was a tough bike home from work today,” Eileen writes on Twitter, referring to the poor air quality from forest fires in northwestern Ontario. “But then this happened. No words. Nature is pretty amazing.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Eileen posted some close-up videos and photos of the beaver, who was so focused on getting the branch that it didn’t seem to mind the attention.
At one point in the video, another cyclist rides by the busy beaver without stopping — as if to say “Just another day in Peterborough.”
Eileen’s Twitter video has attracted a lot of likes, including from The Weather Network which will be sharing it with Eileen’s permission.
It was a tough bike home from work today. The air is terrible.
The beaver made quick work of the branch, gnawing through it in a matter of seconds before carrying it away.
Canada’s largest rodent, the beaver was an important animal for Indigenous peoples, who ate their meat and used their fur and teeth. When European settlers arrived, the beaver became the primary animal of the fur trade which, at its peak, saw 100,000 beaver pelts shipped to Europe each year (mainly for fur hats).
While there were an estimated six million beavers in Canada before the start of the fur trade, the beaver was close to extinction by the mid-19th century. Fortunately for the beaver, the European interest in fur hats declined and the demand for beaver pelts plummeted. With conservation efforts, the beaver is now alive and well across Canada, and was given official status as an emblem of Canada in 1975.
Advertisement - content continues below
As for Eileen’s monarch butterfly nursery, you can follow her on Twitter @EileenKimmett to keep up to date on the progress of the monarchs from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.
Eileen, who is also a marathon runner, participated in the inaugural Monarch Ultra Relay Run in 2019, an epic 4,300-kilometre run across North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico) to raise awareness of the plight of the monarch butterfly.
The Monarch Ultra Relay Run returns in September, with a 1,800-kilometre relay run from Peterborough to Barrie.
3 more ?? beauties – yesterday Ultra – our 1st boy emerged into the world. Yes named after @monarch_ultra
Twins – Q (Girl) & Rocky (Boy) must have emerged this morning due to the smell of my coffee.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 119 new COVID-19 cases today — the same number of cases reported a year ago today.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 4 are reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (22), Hamilton (15), Waterloo (14), and Peel (13) — and 12 are reporting no new cases at all. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 2 to 157.
Hospitalizations have increased by 8 to 96, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the daily bed census yesterday so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of ICU patients has increased by 4 to 131, and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 2 to 79. Ontario is reporting 3 new COVID-related deaths, including 1 in a long-term care home.
Over 19 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 65,920 from yesterday, with over 8.6 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 56,180 from yesterday, representing over 58% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 25 – July 25, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from June 25 – July 25, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from June 25 – July 25, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 9 new cases over the past 3 days, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Haliburton, and 1 in Peterborough. There have been no new cases over the past 3 days in Northumberland or Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 7 cases in the region have been resolved over the past 3 days, including 6 in Hastings Prince Edward and 1 in Peterborough.
Regional active cases have increased by 6 in Kawartha Lakes and by 2 in Haliburton, decreased by 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, and remain the same in Peterborough.
There are currently 30 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 since July 23, including 19 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, and 1 in North Hastings), and 3 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,629 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,602 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,158 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,094 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 125 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,146 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,132 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
Ron Armstrong of Woodville received his second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the drive-through vaccination clinic at the Lindsay Exhibition on July 13, 2021. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is asking all residents who have second-dose appointments scheduled for August through November to rebook their appointments to an earlier date or to visit the drive-through clinic or a walk-in clinic to get their second dose without an appointment. (Photo courtesy of Ross Memorial Hospital)
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has announced it will be cancelling appointments for second doses of COVID-19 vaccine that have been booked for after the Civic Holiday long weekend at vaccination clinic sites in Minden, Cobourg, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford.
In a media release issued Monday (July 26), the health unit is asking all residents with second-dose appointments for August through November made through the provincial booking system at those clinics to immediately rebook their appointments to an earlier date or to visit a walk-in clinic to get their second dose.
“With ample COVID-19 vaccine supply and many vacant appointments this week, we are asking people not to delay getting their second dose,” says Dr. Natalie Bocking, the health unit’s medical officer of health.
Advertisement - content continues below
As of Monday (August 3), the health unit will cancel all second-dose appointments from the provincial booking system made for August, September, October, and November at its COVID-19 vaccination clinic sites in Minden, Cobourg, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford.
The health unit states it is urging anyone age 12 years and older to get their second vaccine dose as soon as possible, since the more infectious delta variant is now the most common strain of COVID-19 in Ontario.
“As fall arrives, we expect to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our area,” Dr. Bocking says. “People who have not received both doses of their COVID-19 vaccine will be most at risk, so the sooner everyone is fully vaccinated, the better our communities will be protected.”
Advertisement - content continues below
The health unit states residents have a number of ways to get their second dose:
Reschedule your second-dose appointment using the provincial booking system online at ontario.ca/book-vaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900. The health unit has many appointments available for the rest of July and more appointments are being posted for August. All clinics will be offering both types of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).
Walk in to a health unit COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Cobourg, Minden, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford. A drive-in vaccination clinic is also offered at the Lindsay Exhibition site in Lindsay run by Ross Memorial Hospital. No appointment is necessary for these clinics. For locations and dates, visit hkpr.on.ca/2021/04/30/vaccination-clinics/.
Sign up for a standby list at health unit COVID-19 vaccine clinics and you will be contacted if there are extra COVID-19 doses available near the end of the day at a clinic. Visit hkpr.on.ca/2021/06/27/covid-190-vaccine-standby-list/ for full instructions.
Check with your primary care provider to see about getting vaccinated. Many family health teams and community health centres in the area are providing doses.
Contact a local pharmacy to get vaccinated. Select pharmacies in the area are offering mRNA vaccines, and appointments can be made directly with the pharmacy. Visit covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations to search pharmacies by town, postal code, and vaccine type.
“We appreciate everyone’s understanding to rebook second dose appointments earlier or walk in for a vaccine,” says Dr. Booking. “Getting needles into more arms as quickly as possible is the best way to fight COVID-19 and the delta variant.”
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 172 new COVID-19 cases today, with 4 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (48), Peel (23), Durham (11), and Hamilton (11) — and 8 reporting no new cases at all.
The seven-day average of daily cases remains unchanged at 159.
Hospitalizations have fallen by 37 to 88, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the daily bed census so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of ICU patients has decreased by 5 to 127, and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 5 to 81. Ontario is reporting 2 new COVID-related deaths, with none in long-term care homes.
Over 18.9 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 103,812 from yesterday, with over 8.5 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 88,991 from yesterday, representing almost 58% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 24 – July 24, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from June 24 – July 24, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from June 24 – July 24, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Advertisement - content continues below
Numbers for the greater Kawarthas region are unavailable on weekends as no health units in the region publish reports on Saturdays or Sundays.
However, the Ontario data indicates that, for July 24, there were 5 new cases in Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge, 1 new case in Peterborough, and 1 new case in Hastings Prince Edward. Actual cases for regional health units will be confirmed when the health units issue their reports on Monday.
As of July 23, there are 28 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, 4 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 5 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,627 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,601 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,152 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,094 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 123 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,146 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,126 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
The late afternoon sun appears pinkish orange on July 19, 2021 due to smoke from active forest fires in northwestern Ontario moving over southern Ontario. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for all of the greater Kawarthas region for Sunday (July 25) due to high levels of air pollution.
The special air quality statement is in effect for Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Hastings County, and Hastings County.
Smoke plumes from active forest fires in northwestern Ontario might affect portions of southern Ontario Sunday afternoon. Particulate matter combining with ground-level ozone may deteriorate the air quality.
Advertisement - content continues below
Conditions may persist into Monday.
If you or those in your care are exposed to wildfire smoke, consider taking extra precautions to reduce your exposure. Wildfire smoke is a constantly changing mixture of particles and gases which includes many chemicals that can be harmful to your health.
Individuals may experience symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.
Visit www.airhealth.ca for information on how to reduce your health risk and your personal contribution to pollution levels, as well as for current and forecast AQHI values.
The Peterborough Axe Club at 280 Perry Street in Peterborough has reopened after some renovations. Guests can visit the club to enjoy both axe throwing or darts. In light of COVID-19, the club can welcome four groups of up to 10 people at a time. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Axe Club)
Now that Ontario is in step three of its reopening plan, things are looking up for small businesses. But it’s easy to overlook the challenges many businesses have faced while navigating the pandemic over the past 16 months.
For Peterborough Axe Club owner Carlo Raponi, feelings of excitement and disappointment aren’t mutually exclusive. While Raponi is overjoyed to reopen the Peterborough Axe Club, it came at the cost of closing his Lindsay location this past spring.
Prior to the pandemic, axe throwing had become an increasingly popular sport, with its unique mix of skill and socializing through leagues and private events. Raponi launched the Peterborough Axe Club in 2016 with his business partner Kalen Davidson and, in 2018, expanded to open a second location in Lindsay.
Advertisement - content continues below
When both locations were forced to shut their doors during pandemic lockdowns, revenue dried up. While Raponi did receive COVID-19 support grants from the government, he says the grants had to support expenses for both locations — and it just wasn’t enough to sustain both, resulting in the difficult decision to close the Lindsay Axe Club in April.
“When I started to look at paying for two locations, not receiving income on either of them, and all those grants are being split in half, I realized I was going to end up sinking both ships if I didn’t cut the rope on one,” Raponi explains.
“That’s a really tough decision because, in the beginning, you want to deny that’s what needs to happen. At one point, you have to say, ‘We need to save one, and it will come at the cost of the other.'”
Peterborough Axe Club owner Carlo Raponi in a May 2020 Instagram video explaining how the pandemic forced him to close the Lindsay Axe Club, which opened in 2018. (Video screenshot by kawarthaNOW)
The closure was a devastating loss for Raponi, his staff, and his Lindsay customers. After making the decision, Raponi says sharing the news of the Lindsay closure was like getting punched in the gut twice.
“When you make a decision like that, you go through the grieving process,” says Raponi. “There’s denial, anger, sadness, and then you go numb. Then, you tell your customers, and you cycle through it all again.”
Raponi says the club’s league members came forward after the announcement to close, looking to do whatever they could to keep the Lindsay location open. There was even talk of a small group collecting money to purchase the club themselves.
Advertisement - content continues below
“Our league members are the lifeblood of the axe club,” he says. “They’re people who have come to the club and enjoyed the sport of axe throwing, but even more so, they’ve found a community of people who are accepting. The axe throwing is fun, but the community we foster is the centre point.”
Now that the Peterborough location has reopened, Raponi is excited to welcome league members back to the Peterborough Axe Club. He notes that while he and staff are excited about the future, he wants to be transparent about how difficult the past year has been for the business.
“Everybody wants to put on a smiling face and say ‘Yeah, we’re doing good,’ because nobody wants to be that downer,” says Raponi. “But that’s not the reality. The reality is that we lost one of our two businesses. The reality is that I sat across the table from our Lindsay manager and told him that he no longer has an income for him and his daughter. The reality is that I let go of six staff from Peterborough.”
Pictured pre-pandemic, the reopened Peterborough Axe Club has seen some renovations and also includes a new dart lane and league. The club is open to walk-ins Thursday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can also book a group event through their website. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Axe Club)
Nevertheless, the Peterborough Axe Club has not and will not lose its fun energy despite the hardships, according to Raponi. He says his staff, customers, and league members are all stellar and have been excellent at keeping morale up throughout the pandemic.
“Our staff have been amazing, and I can’t applaud them enough for having a good attitude and disposition,” Raponi points out. “So much of what we are is our staff. The way staff engage without our guests has always been our pride and joy.”
According to Raponi, his customers were incredibly positive and supportive earlier in the pandemic when the club was still open with restrictions. He expects he will see that kind of attitude again now that the club has reopened.
Advertisement - content continues below
Unlike retail shops and restaurants that closed during the pandemic, where customers could still order online for curbside pickup or takeout, Raponi notes there wasn’t much his customers could do to keep supporting his business, other than offering encouragement. However, he says those displays of support have been more valuable than people may think.
“The number of emails I’ve received from league members — encouraging us, telling us how much they love that community and can’t wait to get back — is fantastic,” says Raponi. “I’ve even been getting messages from league members since stage three has been announced. People are really excited.”
While the closure of the Lindsay location was devastating, there is a silver lining for Peterborough customers. Raponi has transferred some of the equipment from the closed location, including furniture and monitors for scoring, to the Peterborough space.
Every Wednesday, Peterborough Axe Club will be at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene as part of the resort’s summer activities for guests. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Axe Club)
“As terrible as that closure was, we’ve been working on making the Peterborough space even more beautiful than it was,” Raponi says. “Over the course of these lockdowns, we didn’t just sit on our hands. We said this is a great time to improve the space and how the space looks.”
The revitalization will give Peterborough Axe Club customers a sense of something new and fresh when they return to the club. As well, the Peterborough Axe Club now has a darts lane and will continue with the darts league that was launched before the pandemic.
Guests can also expect appropriate COVID-19 safety protocols, such as physical distancing and face coverings. As the interior of the Peterborough Axe Club is quite large, Raponi says maintaining physical distancing between groups is not a problem.
Advertisement - content continues below
While still acknowledging that the challenges aren’t over, Raponi feels excited and optimistic about the coming months — especially fall and winter, which are typically the club’s busiest seasons.
“There’s such duality between wanting to be energetic about the future and sharing the harsh reality of what it’s like to be in the trenches,” Raponi says. “For the business owner, when we invest our money into starting a dream and then all the endless hours that go into it, it’s not just a business — it’s my sweat and blood and tears.”
That being said, community support has been vital in getting Raponi through the pandemic, and he has felt no shortage of it.
“Support is so big,” Raponi says. “Knowing the thing that you do in your community, your community loves, values, appreciates, and looks forward to — that gives you every reason to get out of bed.”
Peterborough Axe Club is located at 280 Perry Street, Unit 1, in Peterborough. For more information, including walk-ins, group bookings, and league play, visit www.ptboaxe.com.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
After 2 straight days of increases in the daily case count, Ontario is reporting a decline at 170 new COVID-19 cases today. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 1 to 159.
Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 5 are reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (44), Peel (26), Hamilton (17), Waterloo (15), and Grey Bruce (13) — and 11 are reporting no new cases at all.
Hospitalizations have dropped by 12 to 125, the number of ICU patients has decreased by 4 to 132, and the number of patients on ventilators has increased by 2 to 86. Ontario is reporting 3 new COVID-related deaths, with none in long-term care homes.
Almost 18.9 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 124,261 from yesterday, with over 8.4 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 105,628 from yesterday, representing over 57% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 23 – July 23, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from June 23 – July 23, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from June 23 – July 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Advertisement - content continues below
Numbers for the greater Kawarthas region are unavailable on weekends as no health units in the region publish reports on Saturdays or Sundays. The weekend’s numbers will be provided when the health units issue their reports on Monday.
As of July 23, there are 28 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, 4 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 5 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton. There are no active cases in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,627 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,601 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,152 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,094 resolved with 58 deaths), 946 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 123 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,146 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,126 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.
Westben's 'Welcome Back Weekend' starting July 30th will feature concerts on Friday and Saturday night at the new Willow Hill outdoor venue, followed by a concert on Sunday afternoon at Westben's primary performance venue The Barn (pictured). To accommodate pandemic protocols, seating will be limited to 100 people in physically distanced groups. The Barn's massive walls and doors will be rolled away, serving the dual purpose of providing open-air ventilation and allowing guests to experience music and nature at once. (Photo: Wayne Eardley, courtesy of Northumberland County)
With step three of Ontario’s reopening now in full effect, Westben in Campbellford is welcoming back in-person audiences for a weekend of open-air live music.
The weekend will kick off on Friday, July 30th with a concert called ‘Friends on the Hill’, featuring local Trent Hills musicians as they inaugurate Willow Hill — one of two new outdoor venues Westben has created to allow audiences to enjoy physically distanced outdoor concerts.
On Saturday night, multi-award-winning ensemble Lemon Bucket Orkestra will also perform on Willow Hill and, on Sunday afternoon, virtuoso flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels will take the stage at The Barn, Westben’s iconic primary performance venue.
Westben’s ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ will kick off on Friday, July 30th with a concert called ‘Friends on the Hill’, on Westben’s new outdoor venue Willow Hill, featuring Campbellford’s Ken Tizzard and Music for Goats (pictured performing for a Digital Concert at The Barn), Trent Hills musicians Jana Reid, Luke Mercier, Kim Dafoe, Out by Lucy and Robert Longo, and Westben’s Donna and Brian Finley. (Photo: Wayne Eardley, courtesy of Northumberland County)
Tickets for all three concerts are available now at westben.ca/events.
Donna Bennett and Brian Finley, founders of the not-for-profit arts organization, created two new outdoor venues at their 50-acre farm in response to the pandemic. Willow Hill is a natural amphitheatre on a mowed field north of The Barn, where concert attendees bring their lawn chairs for seating, and The Campfire provides a similar but more intimate experience for a smaller audience.
Guests can enjoy a custom-made picnic while they watch a concert at Willow Hill. Gourmet picnic baskets made by Chef Ravi Anandappa of Antonia’s Bistro in Campbellford can be ordered within 48 hours of concerts and picked up at the General Store or at the entrance of Willow Hill.
Westben founders Brian Finley and Donna Bennett sit on Willow Hill, a new outdoor performance venue at Westben where guests will enjoy live music in the open air while sitting on their own lawn chairs or blankets. (Photo courtesy of Westben)
“We created these outdoor venues because we thought it would make people feel more comfortable,” Donna explains. “I think it’s going to be fantastic after COVID, too. It’s really fun to be out on this grassy, natural amphitheatre. We’re going to sell around 150 tickets or so, but in non-COVID times we can sell more.”
In addition to being the first event on Willow Hill, the inaugural Friends on the Hill concert is an opportunity for attendees to support local musicians after a challenging year. The show will feature Campbellford’s Ken Tizzard and Music for Goats and Trent Hills musicians Jana Reid, Luke Mercier, im Dafoe, Out by Lucy, and Robert Longo.
Donna, a soprano, will also perform at the concert along with her husband Brian, who is an accomplished pianist and composer.
VIDEO: “End Of The World” – Ken Tizzard and Music For Goats
Since Friends on the Hill will feature artists of varied genres, the show has something for everyone.
“I’m excited to open the new venue with our local musicians,” Donna syas.
Westben’s welcome back weekend continues on Willow Hill at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 31st with the Lemon Bucket Orkestra. The one-of-a-kind, genre-bending ensemble describes themselves as a “Balkan-Klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super band.”
Westben’s ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ continues on Saturday, July 30th with a concert by the Lemon Bucket Orkestra on Willow Hill. Lemon Bucket Orkestra is a multi-award winning ensemble, self-described as a “Balkan-Klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super band.” (Publicity photo)
“They are really wild,” Donna says. “That concert will be really fun.”
The final concert of the weekend take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 1st with a concert by Toronto’s Juno award-winning flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels in The Barn, a timber-frame structure custom built as Westben’s first and primary performance venue.
Throughout the sunny days of the summer and fall, The Barn’s walls and doors roll away to create a rustic open-air atmosphere. While The Barn typically seats 400, under the current pandemic restrictions, Westben will be seating only 100 guests for a performance.
VIDEO: “Freedom” – Lemon Bucket Orkestra
“It’s beautiful when you’re sitting in The Barn,” Donna notes. “You can hear the birds and look out to see the meadow and the pond. We’re all about experiencing nature and music together.”
Michaels will be the first musician to perform to a live audience at The Barn after countless months of pandemic closures. The multiple gold and platinum recording artist has earned worldwide acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
“It’s upbeat, makes-you-want-to-dance kind of music,” Donna says, describing Michaels’ music as “beautiful, electrified guitar.”
VIDEO: “Sunchild” – Robert Michaels
Westben’s welcome back weekend is a monumental celebration for Donna and Brian who, along with the Westben’s staff and Board of Directors, have handled the arduous task of keeping Westben alive during the pandemic with grace and resiliency.
“It was pretty devastating,” Donna recalls. “We had no ticket revenue because we had to cancel our events. But our members, our sponsors, and our donors stayed with us, and the federal and provincial government subsidies were fantastic. We were able to survive and shift.”
One of those shifts was Digital Concerts at The Barn where, once a month, Westben released an intimate pre-recorded concert of an artist performing at Westben without an audience. The free concerts were incredibly successful, receiving tens of thousands of views by people from all over the world, while promoting what makes Westben so special.
Folk/country harmony trio Good Lovelies are one of several artists who have participated in Westben’s Digital Concerts at The Barn. (Photo: Steve Dagg)
Donna and Brian intend to continue these digital concerts throughout the coming fall months, so those who are not yet ready to visit Westben can still experience brilliant artists in performance.
While she’s pleased with the response to the digital concerts, Donna says she’s overjoyed to welcome audiences back to Westben to experience music the way it is meant to be heard — live and in person.
In 1989, soprano Donna Bennett and pianist and composer Brian Finley were pursuing international careers in music when they moved from Europe to Donna’s hometown of Campbellford to start a family. There, the couple founded the not-for-profit arts organization Westben among the hills of Northumberland County. In 2017, the couple were invested in the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. Their citation reads in part, “Their work has contributed to community building in the region, and has played an important role in supporting Canadian music and emerging artists.” (Photo: Wayne Eardley, courtesy of Northumberland County)
“We really miss seeing people and The Barn is lonely without people,” Donna says. “Live music is something unique that brings us in tune with ourselves. It stirs up memories. It gives us hope. It soothes the soul. There’s nothing like live music. I’m happy about our digital concerts, but live music is special on its own.”
And Westben has a lot more live music in store, including its first ever open-air festival this September. The line-up includes Westben’s own Bennett-Finley Family, classical pianist André Laplante, singer-songwriter and pianist Laila Biali, Lakefield’s musical family Leahy, and pop superstar Serena Ryder (performing two shows).
Also premiering in September is Westben’s second new outdoor venue, The Campfire. Concerts at The Campfire will be small and intimate at 20 guests per show, and provide a unique opportunity for audience members to chat with the artist. As part of the open-air festival, Kerri Ough of Good Lovelies and Ben Whiteley will be performing at The Campfire, as will jazz vocalist Sammy Jackson and guitarist Tom Fleming, and a yet-to-be-announced artist.
In 1999, Donna Bennett and Brian Finley founded Westben Arts Festival Theatre. The following year, they had The Barn custom built for performances at their 50-acre farm at 6698 County Road 30 North in Campbellford. (Photo: Steve Dagg)
Another new offering called Sounds in Nature will bring small groups of 15 or less to the Mary West Nature Reserve, located on a 96-acre property owned by the Nature Conservatory of Canada just across the road from Westben. A naturalist from the Nature Conservatory will teach groups about the plants and birds they encounter, while little speakers installed in the trees you walk past amplify the sounds of nature.
“It will be really cool,” says Donna. “The sound installation gently enhances the sounds of the birds and water that are already actually there.”
In the meantime, Donna encourages the community to support Westben by purchasing tickets for one of the upcoming concerts. You can also support Westben by becoming a member, and receive perks such as first dibs on tickets.
Westben’s ‘Welcome Back Weekend’ culminates with a concert in The Barn featuring flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels on Sunday, August 1 at 2 p.m. The Juno award-winning Toronto musician found an unexpected new audience last year when his song “Memento” became the Service Canada hold music for people applying for benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Publicity photo)
Donna adds that she and Brian are grateful for the support they’ve received over the past 16 months, allowing them to once again give audiences the opportunity to enjoy Westben in person.
“I want to thank our members, donors, sponsors, government sponsors, and business partners for helping Westben get through this difficult time,” she says.
Westben is located at 6698 County Road 30 North in Campbellford. To learn more, buy tickets, and support Westben, visit westben.ca. You can also follow Westben on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
This story was created in partnership with Westben.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the entire greater Kawarthas region, calling for heavy rain by Saturday evening (July 24) and continuing overnight.
The special weather statement is in effect for Peterborough County, City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Hastings County, and Haliburton County.
After a sunny morning, clouds will begin moving into the region early Saturday afternoon, with showers and thunderstorms beginning Saturday evening.
Advertisement - content continues below
The rain will be heavy at times, with localized accumulations reaching 30 to 50 mm.
In some areas, rainfall amounts may exceed 50 mm.
Rainfall warnings may be issued for portions of the greater Kawarthas region later on Saturday.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
