Begonia (aka Alexa Dirks) and Bahamas (aka Afie Jurvanen), who shared the 2026 Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year, will both be performing at the 37th annual Peterborough Folk Festival, which takes place from August 13 to 16, 2026. (Supplied photo)
Two Juno award-winning musicians will be performing at the 37th annual Peterborough Folk Festival, which takes place from August 13 to 16 in downtown venues and across four stages at Nicholls Oval Park.
On Tuesday morning (May 19), festival organizers announced that award-winning songwriter Bahamas and powerhouse vocalist Begonia — who both shared the 2026 Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year — are among the first wave of more than 30 artists who will be performing during this year’s festival.
Back in February, festival organizers had announced Bahamas would be closing out the festival’s final night on Sunday, August 16 with a full-band performance on the Miskin Law main stage.
Harmony-driven trio The Pairs and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Kelly McMichael will also be headliners, with other announced performers including The Young Novelists, Field Guide, Dean Johnson, The Lucky Ones, The Naysayers, Slow Leaves, The Watched Pots, and Toronto funk collective The Free Label.
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The Watched Pots are a songwriting duo based in Peterborough, while several other performers also have deep ties to Peterborough, including Kelly McMichael, Drea Naysayer, Laura Spink of The Young Novelists, and Ryan West of The Lucky Ones.
Short bios of each of the announced artists are provided below.
Canada’s longest-running free admission folk festival, the Peterborough Folk Festival attracts over 16,000 attendees every year, both locals and visitors, and generates an estimated $1.5 million in economic impact.
The 2026 Peterborough Folk Festival runs from Thursday, August 13 to Sunday, August 16, with ticketed concerts at downtown Peterborough venues on Thursday and Friday followed by a weekend at Nicholls Oval Park including free concerts and workshops, an artisans village, and a free children’s village. (Artwork: Kathryn Durst)
The festival kicks off with ticketed concerts at downtown Peterborough venues on Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14, followed by a weekend at Nicholls Oval Park including free concerts and workshops where artists collaborate for one-of-a-kind performances, an artisans village, and a children’s village with free daily programming from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring crafts, workshops, story time, face painting, and a daily children’s parade.
A registered charity, the Peterborough Folk Festival is run entirely by volunteers and is supported through government grants, sponsors, partners including kawarthaNOW, and community members, with all funds going towards running the festival, including paying artist fees and covering operational costs.
A suggested donation of $25 per person will help to offset a portion of the costs and is eligible for a tax receipt. You can donate online at www.peterboroughfolkfest.com or on-site during the festival.
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First wave of 2026 Peterborough Folk Festival artists
Bahamas
A globally successful touring artist, Bahamas (aka Afie Jurvanen) has earned widespread acclaim across genres, with over three quarters of a billion streams and more than three million monthly listeners. His albums Bahamas Is Afie and Earthtones both won Juno Awards, and he again won Adult Alternative Album of the Year in 2026 for My Second Last Album, which he shared with Begonia.
Begonia
Winnipeg-based artist Begonia (aka Alexa Dirks) is celebrated for her powerful live performances and genre-blending sound. A two-time Juno and Polaris nominee, her 2026 release Fantasy Life earned a Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year, which she shared with Bahamas.
The Pairs
Based in London, Ontario, this internationally touring trio of twin sisters Renee and Noelle Frances Coughlin and their lifelong friend Hillary Watson is known for their harmonies, humour, and intimate stage presence. Their 2025 album Together on a Rock charted in the top 10 on the FAI Folk Charts and received national radio play.
VIDEO: “The Bridge” – Bahamas
VIDEO: “So High” – Begonia
Kelly McMichael
A Polaris-shortlisted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Kelly McMichael blends indie rock, pop, and experimental sounds. A previous Peterborough Folk Festival Emerging Artist who is now based in Newfoundland, her albums have earned national acclaim, with After the Sting of It winning MusicNL’s Album of the Year and receiving widespread radio play.
The Young Novelists
This internationally touring husband-and-wife duo of Graydon James and Peterborough’s own Laura Spink is known for their rich harmonies and storytelling. Their 2025 album These Dark Canyons was nominated for a 2026 Juno Award.
Field Guide
A Winnipeg-based artist known for atmospheric songwriting, Field Guide (aka Dylan MacDonald) has amassed millions of streams and toured alongside major acts including Bahamas and Leif Vollebekk.
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Dean Johnson
The Seattle-based singer-songwriter broke out with his debut album at age 50, earning attention for his emotionally resonant songwriting and distinctive voice.
The Lucky Ones
Blending classic country-roots with contemporary sounds, this Yukon-based group featuring Peterborough’s own Ryan West along with Ian Smith, Kieran Poile, Jeff Dinely, and Ryan McNally draws from generations of musical tradition.
The Naysayers
Led by Drea Naysayer, a previous Peterborough Folk Festival Emerging Artist, along with Ryan Fleming and Jordan Perry, this genre-blending project spans folk, country, alt-rock, and punk. With 10 independent albums and international touring experience, they continue to build a passionate following.
VIDEO: “Bomb” – Kelly McMichael
The Free Label
This Toronto-based six-piece band (Josh Tsakas, Malik Mungo, Cole Mendez, Mathew Fantini, Jason Martin, and Jacob Thompson) delivers high-energy funk, disco, and R&B, with international touring experience and millions of views of their live performances.
The Watched Pots
This Peterborough songwriting duo blend improv songwriting, feminism, humour, and kitchen theatrics to make music creation accessible and fun for beginners.
Slow Leaves
Winnipeg’s Slow Leaves (aka Grant Davidson) writes songs about vulnerability that elevate the ordinary into poignant narratives with indie-folk and pop inclinations.
Moondoggy
Formed in Collingwood in 2018, this lively alternative rock band of brothers Jakob and Ben Matanowitsch along with Jonny Contini, Victor Carrillo, and Matt Grosso is now based in Toronto and has gained tens of millions of streams worldwide and toured across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.
VIDEO: “The Old 98” – The Lucky Ones
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a sustaining partner of the Peterborough Folk Festival.
Hunnabees Honey & Co. owners David and Keri Nicolaous's daughter examines a beehive frame at the Millbrook farm, which sells various honey flavours, maple syrup, and other related products with a focus on ethical and sustainable beekeeping. Agricultural programming from Peterborough County will help Hunnabees expand its educational tours and experiences to help visitors connect with the land, including by offering "bee therapy" with an apitherapy cabin. (Photo courtesy of Hunnabees Honey & Co.)
Located in the Township of Cavan Monaghan, Hunnabees Honey & Co. is not only producing quality honey but continues to find new way to invite visitors to connect with nature and learn about beekeeping.
Helping essential pollinators thrive while promoting ethical and responsible beekeeping is always front of mind for third-generation beekeepers David and Keri Nicolaou, who have been on their 100-acre farm in Millbrook since 2016.
Growing a mix of native and pollinator-friendly crops including milkweed, coneflower, lavender, and borage along with acres of wildflowers, the business produces honey in a variety of flavours and beeswax food wrap, as well as maple syrup, with all-new products launching this spring.
In the early years, Hunnabees started leading educational programming for beekeepers before shifting into general education opportunities, inviting the public to learn about their process and land. From guided tours to honey extractions, the events get guests connecting with the land and learning about beekeeping.
“It’s providing the opportunity for others to come see a beehive, come see a queen bee, and extract some honey together,” David says. “That really goes a long way for people understanding local food systems and appreciating the value of what we do. It goes hand-in-hand with being a steward of the land.”
To get even more visitors appreciative of the land and bees, Hunnabees will soon be introducing an apitherapy cabin. Also known as bee therapy, apitherapy uses the low-frequency vibrations of bees to promote relaxation and wellness. Opening this spring, the apitherapy cabin will offer visitors a therapeutic and peaceful experience where they can lie on a bed and meditate while listening to the hum of the bees and smelling the natural aromas of a bee hive, which include honey, propolis (“bee glue”), and beeswax.
“It’s another really fun way to connect people with nature,” David says. “I think it’s becoming more and more important to give people the opportunity to come experience nature in different ways.”
David and Keri Nicolaou are the third-generation beekeepers behind Hunnabees Honey & Co. in the Township of Cavan Monaghan. To expand their wholesale distribution while allowing them more time to focus on their farm, including expanding agri-tourism offerings, the business is interested in participating in the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program, an economic development initiative that strengthens the region’s capacity for local food distribution in Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and the City of Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Hunnabees Honey & Co.)
While many local restaurants and markets already use or sell Hunnabees products, David says Hunnabees is interested in becoming a member of the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program so the business can reach an even wider wholesale market.
An economic development initiative designed to strengthen the capacity for local food distribution in Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and the City of Peterborough, the program’s Green Circle Food Hub developed with Graze & Gather connects food producers like Hunnabees with wholesale buyers like local resorts and restaurants.
This, David says, will be transformative because it means he can spend more time on the farm and less time on the road making deliveries or connecting with buyers.
“Ultimately my value is trying to be on the farm as much as I can, whether that’s running a tour, processing honey, making the flavours, beekeeping, planning new things, gardening, and being the steward of the land,” he says, noting they no longer even have the time to attend farmers’ markets.
“Getting away from the farm, especially on weekends, is hard because that’s when people want to do tours,” David adds.
To further help agricultural and agritourism businesses market themselves, Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes partner to deliver the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh program. The initiative provides a brand identity for local producers, a network for members to share and access resources, and an online database for consumers to find local producers.
“These types of programs are going to be really important moving forward to connect farmers to opportunities and ultimately make their jobs easier and more efficient,” David says.
Hunnabees Honey & Co. is located at 1331 Zion Line in Millbrook. For more information and to shop online, visit hunnabees.com.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series celebrating the farmers, food producers, food retailers, and agri-tourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
Agriculture is a key economic driver and a point of pride for Peterborough County, with local farms producing a wide variety of high-quality goods, from traditional crops and livestock to organic and specialty products, reflecting the strength and diversity of this vital sector. With a growing focus on sustainability, local food systems, agri-innovation, and agri-tourism, agriculture offers strong potential for growth and diversification.
The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series spotlights the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh and Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiatives, which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across our region.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
Retired Ontario Superior Court Justice and poet James Clarke (middle) watching a rehearsal on April 28, 2026 of Trent Valley Archives Theatre's "The Kid from Simcoe Street," based on his 2012 memoir of the same title, along with his grandson and script consultant David Francis Clarke and his old friend Murray Byrne, who he was recently reunited with after 73 years and who makes a cameo in the play, which is being staged at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for four performances from June 4 to 7, 2026. (Photo: Jordan Lyall Photography)
Just steps away from where he grew up, retired Ontario Superior Court Justice and poet James Clarke will be in the audience at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough in early June when his 2012 memoir The Kid from Simcoe Street is brought to life by Trent Valley Archives Theatre.
Playwrights Ed Schroeter and Gerry McBride, joined by James’ grandson David Francis Clarke as script consultant, told kawarthaNOW it’s a “daunting” task to write a play about someone’s life knowing they will watch it being performed. But they knew it was worth the challenge to bring James’ memoir to the stage because of its historical context and messages about resilience and community.
Taking its title from James’ memoir, The Kid from Simcoe Street will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on June 4 and 5, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on June 6 and 7. The play is suitable for ages 14 and up, but parental guidance is advised due to the play’s mature content.
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The play is a coming-of-age story following James, who also goes by Jim, as he grows up in poverty at 249 Simcoe Street in Peterborough during the Second World War. When his father returns from the war wounded and likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he becomes an alcoholic and gambler and is no longer the man James once idolized. As a result, James faces challenging and dark times during his childhood and adolescence.
Despite his dysfunctional family, James went on to attend McGill University and Osgoode Hall, practising law in Cobourg for many years before his appointment to the bench in 1983. He served on the Ontario Court of Justice from 1990 to 1999 and the Superior Court of Justice from 1999 until his retirement in 2008.
When Ed first read the frank and moving memoir shortly after its publication and not long after he met James for the first time, he immediately saw its potential to be adapted for the stage. In fact, when Trent Valley Archives Theatre was first formed in 2023 to bring local historical stories to the stage as a fundraising initiative, Ed had James’ memoir in mind.
Gerry McBride, David Francis Clarke, and Ed Schroeter are the writing team behind Trent Valley Archive Theatre’s “The Kid from Simcoe Street,” based on the 2012 memoir by David’s grandfather James Clarke. (Photo: Suzanne Schroeter)
While the theatre group decided to focus on the bicentennial anniversary of the Robinson emigration for its first two productions (Tide of Hope in 2024 and Crossing Over in 2025), Ed says he was happy they could revisit James’ memoir this year.
“(The first time I met him) Jim was such a lovely, generous, hilarious man, and then I read the book, and it’s just clear that he came from this downtown troubled area of Peterborough and still became a judge in the Ontario Superior Court,” Ed says. “That journey on the surface just attracted me and then, when I started looking at the book, the situations that Jim had overcome, as well as his sense of humour about some of those situations, it just all seemed like a perfect coming-of-age story.”
For his part, Gerry — not having met Clarke by the time he read the memoir — saw it as being a story about Peterborough in the war-torn era of the 1940s and 1950s.
“I’ve lived in downtown Peterborough for 30 years and I knew exactly the geography of the places that he was talking about,” Gerry says. “Not necessarily the buildings because most of them are gone, but I was able to picture things the way they were and make the connections. There were things that really touched me from his references to growing up in a city that I’m familiar with but at the same time not familiar with, because it was a whole different time and place. I found that really interesting.”
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The play takes both of these perspectives — the resilience of a boy growing up plagued by hardship and Peterborough in the mid 20th century — to explore how a close-knit community came together to support James. From his mother to local firefighters, teachers, nuns, and coaches, those around James lifted him up and led him to a career as not only an esteemed judge, but also a poet with upwards of 20 published books of poetry.
“You meet Jim and you think this man could not have endured some of those conflicts, but he said to me the other day ‘I learned from that and we all rise on the shoulders of the people that helped us get through those tragedies or challenges,'” Ed says.
“For me, it’s about the importance of community. It’s how people band together and take care of each other, and I think that’s an important message these days. I think over the decades we’ve all become in a way very independent and insular, but when you look at someone like Jim and his life, you can see, as he says, he rose on the shoulders of others. I just feel that’s something we’ve lost in some ways.”
“The Kid from Simcoe Street” actor Zoe Shufelt and director Drew Taylor-Grigg consult over a script while Charlie Harris reads his own during a rehearsal for the Trent Valley Archives Theatre production. Shufelt and Harris will both be playing the role of retired Ontario Superior Court Justice and poet James Clarke at different ages during the fundraiser production for Trent Valley Archives. (Photo: Jordan Lyall Photography)
Rounding out the writing team, David was able to be a representative on his grandfather’s behalf, using his short film background and personal knowledge of his grandfather’s stories to provide editorial feedback on the script during its development.
“I’ve grown up with these stories,” David explains. “I’ve read his book a lot and I know a lot about his childhood. Ed and Gerry were very generous, very receptive, and collaborative with feedback and I’ve learned a lot from working on this.”
Since the story begins with James as an adult, before following his childhood from when he was a young boy until he went off to university, director Drew Taylor-Grigg (formerly Drew Mills) and stage manager Barb Mills decided to cast three different actors to play James during the different stages of his life.
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Grade 8 student Charlie Harris will play the youngest version of James, 12th grader Zoe Shufelt will be playing the teenaged version, and veteran actor Jim Mills will be portraying him as an adult.
Amongst the rest of the 14-member cast includes a cameo from Murray Byrne, an old friend and former football teammate of James’ while they attended St. Peter Catholic Secondary School, who will be playing his own father in a high school football banquet scene near the end of the play.
Now a Bridgenorth-area resident, Byrne noticed the call for auditions for The Kid from Simcoe Street back in February. No stranger to community theatre, he asked to join the cast and also said he wanted to see his old friend after 73 years.
James Clarke (left) and Murray Byrne look through old photos during a rehearsal for Trent Valley Archives Theatre’s “The Kid from Simcoe Street,” based on Clarke’s memoir of the same title. The reunion marked the first time the duo had seen each other in more than 70 years, since they were football teammates while attending St. Peter Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough. (Photo: Jordan Lyall Photography)
On April 28, accompanied by his grandson, James travelled from his home in Guelph so the two old friends, now both in their 90s, could be reunited. They enjoyed lunch at Princess Gardens of The Gardens of Peterborough Retirement Residences, a platinum sponsor for the The Kid from Simcoe Street, and watched a rehearsal of the play.
“They hadn’t seen each other in almost 75 years before this lunch and it was really interesting, because they very quickly just became two teenage boys (again) talking about pulling pranks on the teachers and stuff like that,” Gerry says.
In advance of the play’s world premiere, Trent Valley Archives will be hosting “The World of the Kid on Simcoe Street” walking tour led by local historian Elwood Jones. leading up to the play’s world premiere. The tour will explore what Simcoe Street was like when James lived there in wartime-era Peterborough. The walks are being held on Sunday, May 24 and Sunday May 31 at 2 p.m. The rain-or-shine tour costs $20, with tickets available at eventbrite.ca/o/9633726313.
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“We live in the present but that past is always with us, and when you look at some of these old pictures of downtown Peterborough from a distance, they don’t look that much different, because we still have a lot of the same buildings and things,” says Gerry. “There’s a history here that’s worth maintaining and learning about.”
Whether you’re a history buff eager to learn more about Peterborough during a transformative time period, or are just looking for an entertaining and empowering story, David says there’s something for everyone in his grandfather’s memoir and its stage adaptation.
“It’s a story of overcoming against a lot of things — a bit of a broken home, setbacks — and I think people are moved by those stories because, I think in some capacity, we can all relate to them,” David says.
James Clarke sitting behind the wheel of a firetruck as a young child. His tumultuous childhood growing up in Peterborough during the Second World War is the subject of his 2012 memoir “The Kid from Simcoe Street,” which has been adapted for the stage by Trent Valley Archives Theatre. Ahead of the performances from June 4 to 7, 2026, audiences can get a walking tour of “The World of the Kid on Simcoe Street” presented by Trent Valley Archives on May 24 and 31. (Photo courtesy of the Clarke family)
Special limited-edition copies of James’ memoir will be available for purchase at Trent Valley Archives (567 Carnegie Avenue, Peterborough) leading up to the performances and at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre during the shows.
Tickets for The Kid from Simcoe Street cost $40 for assigned cabaret table seating or $30 for regular assigned seating and are available online at www.markethall.org.
Proceeds from ticket sales will support Trent Valley Archives, a non-profit charitable organization that houses an extensive and growing collection of local historical resources and makes them available to the public. Trent Valley Archives also encourages local and family history research, operates a facility, and raises awareness of local history through historical tours, events, publications, and presentations.
Retired Ontario Superior Court Justice and poet James Clarke with his grandson David Francis Clarke, who acted as a script consultant for Trent Valley Archives Theatre’s adaptation of his grandfather’s memoir “The Kid from Simcoe Street,” which is being staged at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for four performances from June 4 to 7, 2026. (Photo: Jordan Lyall Photography)
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor for The Kid from Simcoe Street.
At Showplace Performance Centre on January 27, 2025, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced the Ontario government is investing $6.2 million in a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Peterborough, one of 28 approved across Ontario. (Photo courtesy of MPP Dave Smith's office)
This story is one in a series covering the closure of the Peterborough CTS, examining potential impacts on healthcare, policing and safety, and community services. Other stories in the series:
With the closure of Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Site (CTS) imminent, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith says his priority is supporting programs that focus on sobriety-based treatment, not harm reduction strategies.
“I think that the approach of getting people sober will be a much more successful long-term approach than allowing people to continue feeding their addiction,” Smith told kawarthaNOW in a recent interview.
A response to the opioid crisis, the Peterborough CTS opened in June 2022 inside the renovated former bus terminal at 220 Simcoe Street in downtown Peterborough to provide a safe and medically supported space for people to consume pre-obtained illicit substances under the supervision of health professionals.
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MPP originally advocated for establishment of CTS to ‘save lives’
At that time, Smith was an advocate for the CTS and supported Four Counties Addiction Services Team (Fourcast) with securing $1.3 million in funding from the province through the Ministry of Health.
“The creation of the Opioid Response Hub, mobile mental health and addictions clinics, expanded withdrawal management and outreach services and, now, consumption and treatment services will save lives,” said Smith at a 2022 funding announcement.
Regarding his early participation in the development of Peterborough’s CTS, Smith said he was “heavily involved,” including through discussion with service providers and leading partners.
Fourcast operated safe consumption services in partnership with Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN), Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, the Mobile Support Overdose Resource Team (MSORT), Peterborough Drug Strategy, and Peterborough County-City Paramedics.
“One of the things that that group had consistently said to me was we would see a significant reduction in overdose deaths if we were to have a consumption and treatment site,” said Smith.
In December 2025, Peterborough Public Health (now merged with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit as Lakelands Public Health) reported that deaths related the the drug poisoning crisis were at 41 over 11 months, down from reported figures of 60 in 2024 and 78 in 2023.
However, according to Smith, the reduction was not significant enough to meet expectations or to justify further funding.
“I don’t think you could attribute a reduction (only) to the CTS because we also had a number of other initiatives that we took to try and combat the opioid crisis,” he added.
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MPP now says treatment and recovery programs should be priority
Smith said that his focus looking ahead is to support programs and providers that offer treatment services such as detox and rehab.
“I believe that the pathway to sobriety is treatment,” he said. “I believe the pathway to sobriety and a healthy life is to stop with your addiction.”
On a local level, Smith identified his support for initiatives such as Peggy Shaughnessy’s RedPath Wellness Centre and the two mobile mental health and addiction clinics operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association – Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) that use purpose-fitted out-of-service buses.
Smith also cites his support of the new Homelessness and Addictions Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. Peterborough is one of 28 communities approved for HART Hub funding, having secured $6.3 million through a joint proposal between Fourcast and the City of Peterborough.
“This is another program that has a lot of my fingerprints on it,” said Smith.
Following the closure of the CTS, Fourcast will begin the operation of Peterborough’s provincially funded HART Hub. Eligible activities under HART Hub funding include, but are not limited to, primary care, mental health and addictions services, supportive housing, case management, and drop-in services.
Smith said the Peterborough hub will work in conjunction with the Wolfe Street modular housing community, One City Peterborough, and the Trinity Community Centre, and community organizations such as the Brock Mission, as they “bring people through that continuum of sobriety.”
Like all provincially funded HART Hubs, the Peterborough hub will not offer safer supply, supervised drug consumption, or needle exchange programs. Local organizations including Fourcast say the lack of such programs will leave a gap in the healthcare and recovery continuum.
In its March 16 announcement of the latest CTS closures, the province stated the goal of HART Hubs was to “fund treatment and lasting recovery from addiction, rather than continued public funding of drug injection sites.”
Smith said that “the Ontario government and myself, and I think most of the advocates in this area” believe in allocating limited resources towards approaches based on treatment rather than harm reduction.
“I’m firmly of the belief that harm reduction without treatment is simply palliative care,” said Smith.
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Fourcast: CTS closure will result in more discarded needles in the community
In a recent interview with kawarthaNOW, Donna Rogers, executive director of Fourcast, spoke about the role of harm reduction in recovery and healthcare, non-traditional forms of harm reduction, and how language around harm reduction has developed a warped meaning in everyday society.
“The term harm reduction has been co-opted into language that feels like it is damaging and harmful,” said Rogers.
For her part, services such as overnight shelters, food programs, accessible healthcare, and drop-in programs are all forms of harm reduction in that they protect people experiencing homelessness and poverty from the risks of weather exposure, hunger and starvation, and illness.
“When people say harm reduction, they don’t mean reducing harms related to exposure or starvation — they think of discarded needles,” she explained.
The risks of improperly disposed needles, along with substances and other substance use paraphernalia, is one impact of public substance use on community safety. In November 2022, Fourcast and Peterborough Public Health reported a drop in the number of discarded needles in public spaces following the opening of the CTS.
“Public works will see an impact through more discarded needles in the community,” Rogers said of the upcoming CTS closure.
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MPP says treatment-based approach will reduce public drug use
Enforcing the ban on safe consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres was a central part of the Ford government’s 2025 re-election platform, in part citing concerns about safety in parks and public spaces.
For Smith, increased community safety will result when fewer people are using substances by accessing programs provided by the HART Hub and other treatment-first providers.
“The more people we can break the addiction cycle with, the less drug use that actually occurs, and the less opportunity there is for that drug use to be in public,” said Smith.
When asked about frontline worker concerns about the connection between increased substance use in public spaces and the closure of the CTS, Smith said that the vast majority of overdose-related deaths in 2018 occurred within an individual’s own home.
“These are not homeless individuals — these are your neighbours,” said Smith. “These are some of the people who are dying from this. And we need to change that direction.”
Responding to the backlash from frontline workers, sector leaders, and community members about the impending CTS closure and the potential impacts of a gap in services for those currently using the site, Smith reiterated his belief that harm reduction-based approaches are not successful in the long term.
“Everything has been about building to treatment,” Smith said. “If you want to take a harm reduction approach, you will kill people.”
encoreNOW for May 18, 2026 features (from left to right, top and bottom) Northumberland Players season-ending production of "The Last Real Summer" at Cobourg's Firehall Theatre, Get Down Tonight featuring Leisa Way and the Wayward Wind Band at Bobcaygeon's Globus Theatre, a screening of Dr. Jenny Ingram's "No More Silent Battles" at Lakefield College School's Bryan Jones Theatre, Melissa Payne's Harmony for Healthcare benefit concert at Campbellford's Aron Theatre, Trent Valley Archives Theatre's "The Kid from Simcoe Street" at Peterborough's Market Hall, and "Chris Tsujiuchi's Big Gay Cabaret" at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre. (kawarthaNOW collage)
encoreNOW is a bi-weekly column by Paul Rellinger where he features upcoming music, theatre, film, and performing arts events and news from across the Kawarthas.
This week, Paul highlights Northumberland Players season-ending production of The Last Real Summer at Cobourg’s Firehall Theatre, Get Down Tonight featuring Leisa Way and the Wayward Wind Band at Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre, a screening of Dr. Jenny Ingram’s No More Silent Battles at Lakefield College School’s Bryan Jones Theatre, Melissa Payne’s Harmony for Healthcare benefit concert at Campbellford’s Aron Theatre, Trent Valley Archives Theatre’s The Kid from Simcoe Street at Peterborough’s Market Hall, and Chris Tsujiuchi’s Big Gay Cabaret at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre.
Northumberland Players closes out milestone 50th season with “The Last Real Summer” in Cobourg
The cast of the Northumberland Players production of “The Last Real Summer” by Warren Graves. (kawarthaNOW collage of Northumberland Players photos)
Back in 1976, with a budget of just $400, the newly formed Northumberland Players staged Woody Allen’s 1966 play Don’t Drink The Water at Cobourg Collegiate West.
Now, 50 years on, the theatre company remains very much a good thing as it prepares to stage another blast from the past for the final production of its 2025-26 season at the Firehall Theatre in Cobourg.
First produced in Edmonton, Alberta in 1981, The Last Real Summer by late Canadian playwright Warren Graves opens a 10-show run on Saturday (May 23). Directed by Brenda Worsnop, the memory play sees recently widowed doctor Elizabeth Wharton take the audience on a reflective journey back to her youth in Alberta during the early years of the Second World War.
Upon Elizabeth’s return to her childhood hometown following the loss of her husband, we’re introduced to teenage “Lizzie” and her parents as her thoughts linger on her encounters and relationship with young Doug Cameron.
Born in London, England, Graves moved to Alberta with his wife and two children in 1964, and within four years became a prominent theatre artist and administrator, quitting his government job to become a self-employed writer in 1974. By the early 1980s, Graves’s writing was being produced at professional theatres and television stations across Canada and around the world.
The Last Real Summer will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on May 23, 28 to 30, and June 4 to 6, with 2 p.m. matinees on May 24 and 31 and June 7. General admission tickets are $30, with all fees included.
Prior to the play’s opening, on May 22, Northumberland Players will celebrate its 50-year milestone at the Concert Hall at Victoria Hall in Cobourg. “A Golden Gala: Celebrating 50 Years of Theatre and Community” starts at 7 p.m. and is a catered event with live music by TOAST. Tickets are $25.
1970s music to get its due from Leisa Way and her Wayward Wind Band in Bobcaygeon
Leisa Way and her Wayward Wind Band. (Photo courtesy of Leisa Way)
I’m biased, for sure, but the music soundtrack of the 1970s was, and remains, the most diversified of any decade before or since.
Genre-wise, there were ample servings of hard rock, pop, folk, disco and, toward the decade’s late years, punk and New Wave. And quality-wise, it was the best. As I said, I’m terribly biased, but I make no apologies.
So it is that Globus Theatre’s second show of its 2026 season has caught my full attention.
Billed as the ultimate ’70s soundtrack, “Get Down Tonight” will see Globus favourite Leisa Way and her Wayward Wind Band run through the hits that defined the decades.
Artist-wise, the group will deliver hit songs by The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, ABBA, Carole King, Elton John, The Bee Gees, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, CCR, Marvin Gaye, Carly Simon, and many others. Oh, be still my ’70s beating heart!
Having begun her career as an actor, Way has appeared in more than 200 plays and musicals across Canada and the United States. Having founded Way-To-Go Productions in 2009, she turned her attention to telling the stories of recording artists such as Dolly Parton and Gordon Lightfoot via musical documentary concerts.
The Wayward Band is comprised of Bruce Ley (guitar, piano and vocals), Jerome Ransome (vocals), Jeremy Fox (lead guitar and vocals), Mark Dunn (bass and vocals), and John Collins (drums).
Show time is 8 p.m. on May 26 and May 28 to 30, with 2 p.m. matinees on May 27, 28, and 30. An optional dinner is available before the evening performances. Tickets are $50 for the show only, or $100 for dinner and the show.
For tickets, visit www.globustheatre.com. Note that dinner is sold out for all performances, but show-only tickets are still available (call the box office at 705-738 2037 to be added to the dinner wait list).
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Powerful dementia documentary “No More Silent Battles” screening in Lakefield
VIDEO: “No More Silent Battles” trailer
During the course of the dark COVID pandemic years, geriatric medicine and seniors’ care trailblazer Dr. Jenny Ingram became increasingly concerned over well-intentioned policies that fell short while blind to their impacts on her patient population.
As she puts it, “Pandemic policies isolated people living with dementia from their family caregivers, from sufficient staff and from basic care, at the doors of hospitals and long-term care … everywhere they turned. That was unacceptable.”
True to form, Dr. Ingram didn’t sit idle, partnering with cinematographer Pawel Dwulit and editor Rob Viscardis in 2025 to produce the powerful documentary No More Silent Battles.
On Wednesday, May 27 at Lakefield College School’s Bryan Jones Theatre, the school and 4th Line Theatre will present a screening of the film, which recounts the experiences of four families navigating the complexities of dementia care, revealing their resilience and resourcefulness while analyzing the critical role of community support. In addition, the film also explores the impacts trained home care providers and the urgent need for policies and funding supporting dementia care at home.
Following the 6:30 p.m. screening, 4th Line Theatre managing artistic director Kim Blackwell will engage Dr. Ingram in conversation, exploring further the film’s messages as well as no doubt touching on Dr. Ingram’s groundbreaking research — a lifetime of dedication that was honoured and celebrated May 7th when she received the Legacy Award at the second annual Luminary Awards hosted by the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
Tickets to the screening cost $10, with the proceeds shared by Alzheimer’s Society, Lakefield College School, and 4th Line Theatre. To order tickets, visit www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca.
Harmony for Healthcare in Campbellford has Melissa Payne on its side
VIDEO: “John Prine Cassette Tape” – Melissa Payne with James Mckenty
When organizing a fundraiser, it’s a good idea to give people a good reason to show up.
The Catholic Women’s League of St. Mary’s Parish in Campbellford has checked that box in a big way, securing the big-time talent of Ennismore singer-songwriter and fiddler extraordinaire Melissa Payne as the headliner for Harmony for Healthcare.
The Thursday, May 28 benefit for the Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation will be held at the historic Aron Theatre on Bridge Street in Campbellford, and will also feature a 50/50 draw and gift card silent auction.
Originally rooted in old-time fiddle and traditional Celtic music, Payne has blossomed into a musically diversified solo artist with three full-length albums to her credit. Her collaborations with Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor, James McKenty, Matt Mays, Natalie MacMaster, cellist Nathaniel Smith, and Jimmy Bowskill speak to her talents as both a live performer and recording studio artist.
Payne’s newest single, “John Prine’s Cassette Tape” (featuring Adam Baldwin, Ian McKeown, Sam Weber, and James McKenty) was just released last Friday (May 15), with the musician performing a release show at the Pig’s Ear Tavern in downtown Peterborough on Saturday afternoon.
However, more telling is Payne’s long track-record of frequently stepping up to help local organizations looking to raise both money and awareness of their important work and projects. That she never mails in a performance is a huge bonus for audiences.
Harmony for Healthcare is a 7 p.m. start, with tickets priced at $35. Visit arontheatre.com to order.
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History play “The Kid from Simcoe Street” sees its world premiere in Peterborough
VIDEO: “The Kid from Simcoe Street” promo
There’s nothing like the excitement of a world premiere, but when a local longtime cultural institution is the benefactor, that ramps it up a notch.
Opening Thursday, June 4 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, The Kid from Simcoe Street is the third original history play presented by Trent Valley Archives Theatre as a fundraiser for Trent Valley Archives.
Directed by Drew Mills, the play is based on the 2012 memoir of the same name penned by retired Ontario Superior Court Justice and poet James Clarke, in which he recounts his childhood growing up in poverty on Simcoe Street during the Depression and the Second World War.
Surviving a dysfunctional family, Clarke went on to attend McGill University and Osgoode Hall, practising law in Cobourg for many years before his appointment to the bench in 1983. Clarke served on the Ontario Court of Justice from 1990 to 1999 and the Superior Court of Justice from 1999 until his retirement in 2008. He is also the author of more than 20 books of poetry.
The stage adaptation of Clarke’s memoir was written by Ed Schroeter and Gerry McBride, who co-wrote last year’s Crossing Over, along with David Frances Clarke — James Clarke’s grandson — as script editor.
Of note is the casting of three actors — Charlie Harris, Zoe Shufelt, and Jim Mills — portraying Clarke at the ages of 10, 18 and 72. In addition, Murray Byrne, who befriended Clarke when they played football for St. Peter’s High School, is portraying Clarke’s father.
Co-sponsored by kawarthaNOW and The Gardens Retirement Living, The Kid from Simcoe Street runs for four performances at the Market Hall, at 7:30 p.m. on June 4 and 5 and at 2 p.m. on June 6 and 7. Tickets are $40 for assigned cabaret table seating or $30 for regular assigned seating, and are available at www.markethall.org.
Funds raised from the show will support Trent Valley Archives, a non-profit charitable organization that houses an extensive and growing collection of local historical resources and makes them available to the public. Trent Valley Archives also encourages local and family history research, operates a facility, and raises awareness of local history through historical tours, events, publications, and presentations.
Port Hope celebrates Pride Month with “Chris Tsujiuchi’s Big Gay Cabaret”
Chris Tsujiuchi performing at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Theatre)
When it comes to performance coups, Rob Kempson, the Capitol Theatre’s flamboyant and forward-thinking artistic director, has few rivals locally.
Well, Kempson has done it again, securing creator and performer Chris Tsujiuchi’s newest show exclusively for the Port Hope venue’s wonderfully intimate Sculthorpe Theatre, providing audiences the opportunity to celebrate Pride Month with a hilarious night of music.
Defined as a show that “celebrates the queer community with the anthems that define it,” Chris Tsujiuchi’s Big Gay Cabaret combines Tsujiuchi’s sparkling personality, witty commentary, and soaring voice that’s sure to entertain, whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or as an ally of those who do.
A graduate of Sheridan College’s musical theatre performance program, Tsujiuchi has created and performed critically acclaimed solo shows for more than a decade, as well as touring with Sharron Matthews, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and as part of Asian Riffing Trio (ART). His “Chris-terical” cabaret shows have brought him quite a following and great reviews.
With June being Pride Month, the timing of this show is wholly by design. Good on Kempson et al for making it happen and bringing something new, fun and wholly entertaining to its audience which is looking for the same.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. from June 4 to 6, with 2 p.m. matinees on June 6 and 7. For tickets, visit capitoltheatre.com.
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Encore
The 37th Peterborough Folk Festival is really taking shape, with organizers set to reveal on Tuesday morning (May 19) the first wave of artists who will perform at the festival from August 13 to 16. Trust me when I say this year’s artists will include Juno Award winners and nominees, Polaris-recognized songwriters, internationally touring performers, and emerging voices who are shaping Canada’s contemporary music landscape — with several of the performers having deep ties to Peterborough. Stay tuned to kawarthaNOW on Tuesday morning for the big reveal.
The 2026 New Music Awards presented by Sparq and Pet Rock Radio, which celebrate and recognize the best in independent music from Peterborough and the surrounding area, will be held Saturday (May 23) at Market Hall. Awards will be given out in 17 categories, and local artists will perform throughout the evening. The event will see a number of local artists gather, as performers, nominees and, in many cases, both. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some good musical pals of mine, but I wish all a great evening and a happy result. It’s always a win when local talent is celebrated and duly recognized.
A skateboarder catches air during a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough's Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)
Skateboarders of all ages gathered at the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park at 560 McDonnel Street on Saturday (May 16) to kick off the summer skating season.
The Peterborough Skateboard Coalition partnered with the City of Peterborough for the day-long celebration on the Victoria Day long weekend, which included skateboarding demonstrations and lessons along with music and a fundraising BBQ.
The celebration began with an open skate session, where attendees learned about the expanded skatepark’s new features and the vision and design behind the park, including elements inspired by the Peterborough Lift Lock.
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Designed by Canada Ramp Company and built by Canada’s Drop-in Skateparks, the expansion is attached to the original 8,400-square-foot skatepark constructed in 2002, doubling the total size of the skatepark to 17,000 square feet.
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. from May to November (with lights on starting at 7 p.m.), the expanded skatepark now features a total of 42 ramps, with new additions including four rails (flats, round, and rainbow), multiple ledges with square steel pipe edging, and a quarter pipe ramp with coping.
The skatepark also has a bank ramp, rainbow hubba ledge, bank-to-bank section, grind boxes with many pads and toe extensions, a pagoda ledge/grind box, kickers, a long quarter pipe, a rounded corner bank ramp, a corner quarter pipe, and a small quarter pipe.
The expanded skatepark at Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough is attached to the original 8,400-square-foot skatepark constructed in 2002, doubling the total size of the skatepark to 17,000 square feet. Also pictured in the background is the asphalt bike pump track and 14 pickleball courts, all part os the City of Peterborough’s $4.4-million redevelopment project for the park completed in 2025. (Photo: Justin Truax)
Saturday’s event also featured free tips and pointers from Coy’s School of Skate, a professional demonstration by the 66 Thieves Skate Team, and free skate and jam sessions for skaters of all skill levels, with chances to win prizes for best tricks on select obstacles donated by 66 Thieves, Flavour Fashion, and Drop-in Skateparks.
The East Peterborough Lion’s Club hosted a barbecue lunch to raise funds for new playground equipment for Kawartha Heights Public School.
Part of the city’s $4.4-million redevelopment project for Bonnerworth Park, which also includes an asphalt bike pump track and 14 pickleball courts, the expanded skatepark opened last July, with an official grand opening celebration of the entire redeveloped park held last November.
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The expanded skatepark was a vision of the Peterborough Skateboard Coalition, a not-for profit charity co-founded in 2023 by Dan Post and Geoff Rix, which advocated for the expansion to better serve Peterborough’s growing skateboard community.
“More accessible to all skill levels and with plenty of room to breathe, the layout features inventive obstacles and a cruisy flow that creates endless possibilities,” reads a statement on the Peterborough Skateboard Coalition’s website. “And as an added bonus, the asphalt pump track next door helps alleviate scooter and BMX congestion.”
Photographer Mike Quigg, who is himself a skater, attended Saturday’s event and shared some of his photos with kawarthaNOW, a few of which are included below.
Young skateboarders during a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)Dan Post (right) and Geoff Rix, co-founders of the Peterborough Skateboard Coalition, at a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)A member of the 66 Thieves Skate Team during a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)A skateboarder during a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)A young skateboarder during a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)Members of the 66 Thieves Skate Team, who did a professional demonstration during a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)Members of Peterborough’s skateboarding community at the end of a day-long celebration of the expanded skatepark in Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park on May 16, 2026. (Photo: Mike Quigg)
The Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland (HKLN) Drug Strategy will be hosting two full-day symposiums in May and June to bring together community members and service providers in conversation on substance use and addictions issues in the Kawarthas region.
A collaborative committee consisting of over 35 partner organizations, departments, and individuals, the HKLN Drug Strategy connects those working within the social services and healthcare sectors and others involved with harm reduction.
“We need to understand each other’s experiences, so that things can improve for people who use substances,” said Ashley Smoke, program coordinator for the HKLN committee, in a recent interview with kawarthaNOW.
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Regional symposiums taking place in Lindsay and Cobourg
On May 7, the strategy committee announced its regional symposium series called “Connected Communities: A Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland Drug Strategy Conversation Series.”
“These symposiums will create space for meaningful dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across sectors responding to substance use and its impacts,” reads a media release.
The first symposium will take place in Lindsay on Thursday, May 28 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Victoria Park Armory at 210 Kent Street West and will focus on issues and service providers within the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County regions.
The second symposium will happen on Wednesday, June 17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Cobourg at 930 Burnham Street for residents and stakeholders in Northumberland County.
Both symposiums will engage the HKLN Drug Strategy’s “four pillar approach” of prevention and education, treatment, community safety, and harm reduction through expert presentations, facilitated breakout discussions, a panel conversation, and a plenary session. Lunch will be provided at each symposium.
Smoke said that the events will be attended by leading partners of the HKLN Drug Strategy committee, including Lakelands Public Health and Canadian Mental Health Association – Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) as well as local and regional service providers, municipal and community leaders, frontline workers in the addictions sector, service users, and people with lived experience and others impacted by substance use.
“All different walks of life will come together,” said Smoke.
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Symposiums to foster dialogue and collaboration
The primary purpose of the HKLN Drug Strategy committee is to connect stakeholders working in the addictions and substance use sector to enable effective collaboration in meeting the needs of the community.
For Smoke, a significant challenge in their work is that service providers, community organizations, and political leaders are often “siloed” in their activities due to funding and organizational structures.
“The hope is to foster dialogue and collaboration beyond this point,” said Smoke of the role of the symposiums in the HKLN Drug Strategy’s ongoing work.
The organization is encouraging everyone to attend one of the symposiums regardless of their personal or professional experiences, noting that education and destigmatization are key values of the HKLN Drug Strategy.
HKLN Drug Strategy hopes to continue hosting collaboration events
Since Smoke assumed her role as HKLN Drug Strategy committee coordinator last August, the Northumberland County resident has led efforts to reduce stigma and educate the community on the realities of substance use and abuse.
Smoke told kawarthaNOW that when she first came to the community, she was surprised and concerned by the lack of resources to support safe consumption and disposal and to promote harm reduction.
“When I moved here we just had one sharps bin,” she said.
With over 10 years of experience in the harm reduction and drug policy sectors, Smoke saw a number of gaps in Kawartha Lakes and the surrounding regions leading her to become involved with the HKLN Drug Strategy.
Speaking about what has been achieved by the organizational partnerships established via the HKLN Drug Strategy, Smoke highlighted the ability of the committee to bring community events to localities across their jurisdiction.
“We have International Overdose Awareness Day events in almost every locality,” said Smoke.
The committee and Smoke recognize the challenges in bringing people together across such a large jurisdiction and are committed to hosting local events that are accessible to the community.
Looking ahead, Smoke hopes that Connected Communities can become an ongoing series of events or lead to annual symposiums to continue advancing the strategy and ensure continued collaboration.
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A decade after HKLN Drug Strategy was formed, funding remains a challenge
In 2016, the Ontario Trillium Foundation awarded a grant to the HKLN Drug Strategy under the partnership of PARN, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (now merged with Peterborough Public Health as Lakelands Public Health), Four Counties Addiction Services (Fourcast), and Kawartha Lakes Police Services, all of whom continue to be leading members of the strategy steering committee.
This funding supported the development of a local strategy led by a regional coordinator for Haliburton County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County between July 2016 and December 2019. Following the end of the Ontario Trillium Foundation granting period, the HKLN Drug Strategy wound down their full-time operations and would remain largely on hiatus until 2023.
Today, there are localized strategies focusing on issues unique to the communities within their jurisdiction brought together by numerous partners to “create one cohesive strategy,” Smoke said.
Smoke indicated that funding sustainability continues to be a challenge for the organization, saying that their ability to host events and operate programming is “constrained by our funding.”
Going forward, the HKLN Drug Strategy looks to decision-makers such as elected officials, governmental and charitable funders, and community leaders to support those delivering services and working directly with people dealing with substance use and addiction issues.
“Use the four pillars to imagine,” said Smoke, referring to prevention and education, treatment, community safety, and harm reduction.
Garreth Dias and Jesvyl Dsilva with their dogs Lexie and Leo near the tulip patch on their 50-acre farm near Rice Lake south of Bailieboro. In 2021, the couple sold their Oakville condo and moved to northern Northumberland County despite not having any farming experience. Since then, Dias and Dsilva have been raising chickens and growing food on Eyra Estate and has seen a huge demand for their tulip agri-tourism experience where they invite people learn about farm life. (Photo courtesy of Garreth Dias and Jesvyl Dsilva)
How do you go from growing vegetables on a city condo balcony to becoming a bustling agritourism destination for unique tulip experiences?
According to reformed city slicker and new farmer Garreth Dias, “You just have to jump in.”
That’s exactly what he and his wife Jesvyl Dsilva did.
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In 2021, the couple took a huge leap from working corporate jobs while living in Oakville to living off the land at Eyra Estate, their farm south of Bailieboro near Rice Lake, just south of Northumberland County’s northern border.
“You’ve just got to jump into it even though you don’t know how to do it,” Dias says. “You won’t succeed at everything, but there’s plenty of things to do, so if you don’t succeed at something, try again. If it still doesn’t work, try something else and keep going.”
While living in Oakville, he and Dsilva had a shared desire to produce their own food and grow something for themselves, but growing vegetables on their condo balcony was not quite cutting it for them.
Husband-and-wife Jesvyl Dsilva and Garreth Dias ditched living in a condo in Oakville to buy a 50-acre property in northern Northumberland County where they could learn to live off the land. Since then, they continue to jump in and learn through trial and error while growing produce sustainably at Eyra Estate and humanely caring for their animals. (Photo courtesy of Garreth Dias and Jesvyl Dsilva)
The couple had planned to buy a small piece of land somewhere around the GTA, but when the pandemic hit and they began working from home, they saw it as an opportunity to go even bigger.
“We wanted to eat a specific way, and thought maybe other people will also want to as well,” says Dias. “Instead of buying a small (plot of) land, we thought maybe this work from home will continue and we’ll get a little bit of a larger piece of land so we can feed a few more families as well, along with us.”
After purchasing their 50-acre property, Dias and Dsilva bought six chickens, despite having no farming experience and knowing nothing about raising chickens outside of having read a few books — and then they had to learn to build a chicken coop.
“We were really green in terms of knowing how to live on the land because we had been in the city our entire lives,” Dias admits.
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“We didn’t even own a drill — that was one of the first purchases we made when we moved to the farm,” says Dias, noting they watched a lot of videos to build the chicken coop. “Then we’d go from there, one screw in at a time.”
Over the last few years, Dias and Dsilva have continued to grow their family farm, one step at a time. They planted hay, close to 10,000 trees, and partnered with another local farmer to rotationally graze cows for the summer.
“We were outside working on our small vegetable patch that year and he (the farmer) basically just drove by and asked us questions, and that’s how we built the friendship,” Dias says. “We find the people in the area are really friendly and really open to help.”
From left to right, top and bottom: Jesvyl Dsilva planting peonies while chickens forage for worms in the holes she dug; the fields at Eyra Estate in full production; Garreth Dias with day-old chicks; Jesvyl Dsilva shows off the strawberry harvest. (Photos courtesy of Garreth Dias and Jesvyl Dsilva)
Since then, Eyra Estate has continued to grow a wide range of produce — cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, peppers, strawberries, and much more — while selling eggs and beef and hosting photography sessions on their property.
Dias and Dsilva also tap their trees to make their own maple syrup, which presented another learning curve for the duo.
“The first season we did just one tree and collected a whole bunch of buckets and boiled it on our stove inside the house,” says Dias. “We quickly realized that was a mistake because we couldn’t see each other — there was so much water vapour everywhere.”
Now they use an outdoor wood fire, made with fallen trees and brush, and use the resulting ash as a soil amendment because they are committed to sustainable farming practices from start to finish.
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In another example of their trial-and-error approach, Dias and Dsilva launched an agritourism experience at Eyra Estate last spring.
What began with the couple wanting to beautify the gardens outside their home turned into a tulip patch with more than 30 varieties of tulips. For Mother’s Day last year, the couple opened the farm up to the public to enjoy the gardens — and quickly learned they didn’t have the parking capacity to handle the demand.
“It was just a daze because what I’m trying to do is fire-fight and arrange parking and try to figure things out, so I didn’t even get a chance to speak to anyone one-on-one,” Dias says, noting it wasn’t the experience they wanted to provide to their guests. “We didn’t want too many people on the farm at one point. We wanted it to be a little bit more of a quiet, peaceful experience.”
The tulip patch at Eyra Estate, a first-generation family farm in northern Northumberland County that grows a range of produce including cabbage, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and more. Through online sales and delivery, farmers Garreth Dias and Jesvyl Dsilvaalso also sell beef, eggs, and maple syrup. (Photo courtesy of Garreth Dias and Jesvyl Dsilva)
That’s why Eyra was only open for private tours during a two-week period this spring, which Dias estimates brought in between 300 and 400 individual guests.
“I’ve been very positively surprised by the response we’ve gotten,” he says. “I didn’t anticipate so much of a response, to be honest, but I think it’s because people want to get out there, meet other local farmers in the area, and get to know other people producing food.”
“A lot of the questions we get are ‘How do you grow? How do you grow tulips? How do you grow your other produce? How do you raise your chickens?’ It’s a lot of curiosity that’s driving it.”
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“I think this also showcases that people want this,” Dias adds. “Hopefully it encourages more farmers around the area to do things like this, because clearly there’s a demand.”
Though they are only a few years into farming, Dias says the hope is that, as he and Dsilva continue to grow and sell their product and experiences, eventually it will be big enough that they can quit their corporate jobs and sustain themselves through Eyra Estate alone.
For more information and to shop online, visit www.eyra.ca.
Celebrating the birth of Queen Victoria on Monday, May 24, 1819, Victoria Day is always observed on the Monday preceding May 25. Informally considered the start of the summer season in Canada, the Victoria Day long weekend is when many people start gardening, open their cottages, put their boats in the water, and go camping.
Always observed on the Monday preceding May 25, Victoria Day is both a federal and a provincial statutory holiday, so all government offices are closed and many municipal services are unavailable.
This year, with the Ontario government’s recent decision to allow retailers to open on Victoria Day, many stores that have been traditionally closed on the statutory holiday are open, including almost all liquor stores, selected beer stores, and almost all grocery stores, including in Peterborough. Some big box stores and many drug stores and pharmacies are also open.
For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 295 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.
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
No collection or 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
City of Kawartha Lakes Public Library Branches Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411 x1291
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Recycling Collection (Emterra Environmental) Lindsay 1-888-597-1541
Mon May 18 collection moves to Tue May 19, May 19 to 20, May 20 to 21, May 21 to 22
City of Kawartha Lakes Waste, Organics, and Recycling Collection 26 Francis St., Lindsay 1-888-822-2225
Mon May 18 collection moves to Tue May 19, May 19 to 20, May 20 to 21, May 21 to 22. Organics collection moves from Fri May 22 to Sat May 23.
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 (Emterra Environmental) Peterborough 1-888-597-1541
No change
City of Peterborough Social Services (for emergency shelter services call 705-926-0096) Peterborough 705-748-8830
CLOSED
City of Peterborough Yard Waste Pickup Peterborough 705-742-7777
No change
Cobourg Public Library 200 Ontario St., Cobourg 905-372-9271
Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) president Michael Hurley speaks during a media conference on May 14, 2026 at the Peterborough Public Library about the report "Failure, By Design: Ontario's deepening hospital funding crisis" written by Andrew Longhurst (left), senior researcher and political economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), and commissioned by OCHU/CUPE. (Photo: Bethan Bates / kawarthaNOW)
Hospital deficits are damaging patient care due to increased wait times, reduced staffing capacity, and a devaluing of healthcare in Ontario, says a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) commissioned by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.
“Wait times are a canary in the coal mine,” said Andrew Longhurst, senior researcher and political economist for the CCPA, at a media conference at the Peterborough Public Library on Thursday (May 14).
This new data shows that emergency room and admission wait times at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) have both increased significantly over the past five years, with patients waiting up to 110 per cent longer for admission to an inpatient bed.
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Report examines deficits at 136 Ontario hospitals
Failure, By Design: Ontario’s deepening hospital funding crisis, written by Longhurst, collates a unique data set of three years of fiscal data from 136 hospitals in Ontario with the intention of understanding the impact of deficits on patient care.
The 26-page report states that “the majority of hospitals had deficits over the last three years,” and said that the most significant expense for hospitals is non-physician staffing compensation. This includes nurses, administrative staff, and other medical professionals.
PRHC saw an operating deficit of $9 million in the 2024/25 fiscal year compared to their annual operating revenue of $448 million, said Longhurst.
Lakeridge Health and Campbellford Memorial Hospital also experienced funding deficits in their most recent fiscal year. The deficits were $20.6 million and $3.2 million respectively.
Longhurst said current projections from the Ontario Hospital Association suggest that 70 per cent or more of hospitals will show a deficit in the current fiscal year.
The cover and one of the figures in the 26-page report “Failure, By Design: Ontario’s deepening hospital funding crisis” by Andrew Longhurst. (Images: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) who joined Longhurst on Thursday, said the report further demonstrates that “the reality is they (hospitals) aren’t funded properly.”
Longhurst’s report breaks down its data analysis by region, demonstrating that hospitals in northern and western communities are disproportionately impacted by deficits. He further said that rural communities such as the Peterborough region are also overrepresented.
The report says that “smaller hospitals made up 61 per cent of the hospitals in deficit but made up only 49 per cent of all Ontario hospitals.” The CCPA defines a small hospital as having an annual operating budget of under $100 million.
One reason given by Longhurst for this disproportionate ratio of smaller hospitals in deficits is because they lack capital reserves and have fewer resources available.
PRHC is part of the 50 per cent of hospitals in the central east region that were in deficit in 2024/25. With an annual operating revenue of $448 million, it is considered one of the larger hospitals that represented “49 per cent of hospitals in deficit and accounted for 51 per cent of Ontario hospitals.”
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Increasing ER wait times a sign hospitals are struggling to meet patient demand
A key purpose of the report is to assess how funding deficits impact the quality of care provided to patients.
“Multiple important indicators suggest that hospital funding austerity is undermining care and putting patients at risk,” the report reads.
Longhurst’s report uses emergency department wait times, inpatient wait times, and available staffed beds as measures of the quality and experience of patient care.
“Emergency rooms with long wait times and overcrowding signal that the system is really struggling to meet patient demand,” said Longhurst.
At a provincial level, the report cites data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information which shows the time patients are waiting to receive an initial assessment with a doctor increased by 67 per cent between 2020/21 to 2024/25.
Two of the figures from the report “Failure, By Design: Ontario’s deepening hospital funding crisis” on display during a media conference on May 14, 2026 at the Peterborough Public Library. (Photo: Bethan Bates / kawarthaNOW)
Longhurst said that, at PRHC, initial assessment wait times in the emergency department for the 90th percentile rose from 2.7 hours to 6.1 hours in this same period.
This data places Peterborough as “a bit of an outlier at the high end of the province,” he added.
Hurley explained that, from a frontline perspective, emergency room overcrowding leads to poorer outcomes for patients and indicated concern about the growing prevalence of “hallway medicine.”
Longhurst and Hurley both said that patients being treated in hallways is unacceptable and lacks dignity and respect.
Another factor is the wait times for patients to transition from the emergency department to an inpatient bed and admission to the hospital. According to Longhurst, the wait times for the 90th percentile awaiting admission increased by 52 per cent provincially over a five year period.
At PRHC, 90 per cent of patients must wait 37 hours in the emergency department before they can be admitted for treatment — an increase from 22.7 hours in 2020/21.
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Chronic underfunding leads to understaffing and ‘devalues’ contributions of female-led healthcare work to the economy
Inpatient admission is reliant upon available staffed beds, and as such requires the hospital to have adequate staffing levels to provide care to inpatient individuals. The CCPA reports that, in 2022, Ontario had the fewest available beds at 199 per 100,000 people, compared to the Canadian average of 217 beds per 100,000 people.
“There is widespread agreement among analysts that Ontario’s hospital sector is the most undersized in Canada relative to size of the population,” reads the report.
Longhurst highlighted the lack of beds as a factor in increased wait times and overcrowding, saying that per the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, the number of staffed beds per 100,000 people is projected to decrease from 220 in 2024/25 to 203 in 2027/28.
For his part, Hurley said that there are approximately 200,000 people awaiting surgery, of which 75,000 have been waiting beyond the medically recommended period.
In addition to the report’s analysis of wait times and staffed bed availability, Longhurst looks to factors such as a growing population, inflation, and an aging patient population as reasons for increased costs and demands in the hospital sector.
Both Longhurst and Hurley said that chronic underfunding is an attempt to “devalue” healthcare and the work of hospital staff. The report states that this “devaluing” includes reduced funding for post-secondary education, lowering immigration targets, hospital privatization, and cuts to healthcare service spending.
The CCPA also recognizes the relationship between the devaluation of care work and misogynistic beliefs about women’s contributions to the economy. According to the report, Ontario’s finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy recently said that “85 per cent of the spending in the budget is actually for social spending (and) about 15 per cent is for infrastructure and the economy.”
“This is a very outdated and sexist belief about what counts as Ontario’s economy,” the report states, defining the “care economy” as including employment in healthcare, social assistance, and educational services. “Work in the care economy is overwhelmingly performed by women in the public sector who pay taxes, support families, and contribute to community wellbeing.”
Hurley expressed similar sentiments, saying the lack of funding for healthcare education and training demonstrates a “bias” towards male-dominated fields such as policing.
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Report calls for billions in new hospital funding and workforce strategy and capital plan
Ultimately, the report makes two recommendations to the Ontario government that intend to address chronic underfunding and ensure strong patient care.
The first is to “immediately increase funding” to hospitals to meet both the short-term needs experienced by hospitals with operating deficits and the long-term demands of the patient community.
In March 2026 the Ontario Hospital Association estimated hospitals would need an increase of $2.7 billion in 2025/26 to stabilize service, while the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario estimates $6.4 billion in new spending in for 2026/27 is required to maintain current service levels.
The Ontario government’s 2026/27 budget includes an increase of 3.5 per cent with a further 2.3 per cent increase in 2027/28. Current projections from the Ontario Hospital Association suggest that costs in the hospital sector increase by approximately six per cent annually.
The second recommendation is to “develop a provincial healthcare workforce strategy” to address challenges surrounding recruitment and retention of qualified staff.
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