Some of the members of 100 Women Peterborough participating in a Zoom call on October 13, 2020, when they voted to donate member-raised funds to Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre in Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of 100 Women Peterborough)
At its second virtual meeting during the pandemic, 100 Women Peterborough has raised more than $5,000 for Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre.
The collective philanthropy group met on Zoom last Tuesday (October 13) to raise funds for an organization in need.
The group, which previously met four times a year in person, hears presentations from three organizations randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by members of 100 Women Peterborough, and the organization receiving the most votes from members receives donations contributed by the members.
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The three organizations that presented to 100 Women Peterborough at the virtual meeting were Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Peterborough Pregnancy Support Services, and Kawartha Youth Orchestra.
Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre was chosen by majority vote to receive the funds, and 100 Women Peterborough expects the total donation to be more than $5,000.
Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre is a feminist, not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to supporting those affected by sexual and gender-based violence and harm. In Peterborough, the organization offers individual clinical counselling, psycho-educational and therapeutic groups and workshops, advocacy and accompaniment services, 24/7 crisis support, peer supports, prevention education, and professional training. In the three surrounding communities of City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Northumberland, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre works with local centres to provide responsive healing supports and prevention education events.
“With the incredible support of 100 Women of Peterborough, we will be building the sustainability of our new 24/7 crisis support text line that we launched this summer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Lisa Clarke, executive director of Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre. “We are so grateful to this group of committed, empowering women leaders in our community to invest in the healing of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.”
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100 Women Peterborough was founded in February 2018 by Rosalea Terry, Catia Skinner, Wendy Hill, and Alyssa Stewart, who were inspired by similar groups in other communities.
The concept of collective philanthropy began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, the women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization.
The movement has grown over the past 14 years to include almost 100 chapters in North America, including at least 15 in Canada.
Since its formation, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated more than $110,000 to 10 local organizations: Hospice Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Unlimited, One Roof Warming Room, New Canadians Centre, Cameron House, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Casa De Angelae, Lakefield Animal Welfare Society, Community Care Peterborough, and Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre.
Women who interested in joining 100 Women Peterborough should visit www.100womenptbo.ca for more information.
Edwin Hum, former owner of Peterborough's landmark Hi Tops restaurant, passed away on October 15, 2020 at the age of 63. (Photo: Hum family)
Edwin “Ed” Hum, the former owner of Peterborough’s landmark Hi Tops restaurant, passed away peacefully last Thursday (October 15) at Peterborough Regional Health Centre at the age of 63.
Hum, whose family had operated Hi Tops on George Street in downtown Peterborough for four generations since the early 20th century, initially closed the restaurant for renovations in late 2012.
However, after his mother Lorraine Mah passed away and his father Paul developed a terminal illness (he subsequently passed away in 2013), Hum closed the restaurant permanently.
The Hum family operated Hi Tops restaurant on George Street in downtown Peterborough since the early 20th century, until it was closed in 2020. (Facebook photo)
Hum is survived by his wife Annie and his children Ashley (George Couto), Elissa, and Victoria, and his grandson Henry Hum Couto.
Visitation will take place at the Highland Park Funeral Centre (2510 Bensfort Rd., Peterborough) from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 29th. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, visitation is limited to a specific number of visitors at a time.
A private funeral service will be held on Friday, October 30th with interment to follow in Highland Park Cemetery. For friends and family who are unable to attend in person, they may join the live broadcast via Zoom by contacting Victoria at victoriakhum@gmail.com.
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In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s Palliative Care Unit or the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 821 new COVID-19 cases. Most of the new cases are in Toronto (327), Peel (136), Ottawa (79), and York (64), with smaller increases in Halton (46), Hamilton (36), Durham (32), Brant County (14), Waterloo (14), Simcoe-Muskoka (13), Niagara (12), Middlesex-London (10), Windsor-Essex (9), Southwestern Public Health (6), and Eastern Ontario Health Unit (6).
The remaining 19 public health units reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 11 reporting no cases at all. Of today’s cases, 51% are among people under the age of 40. With 628 more cases resolved, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 85.9%. The positivity rate has increased by 0.5% to 3.6%, meaning that 3.6% of all tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on October 19.
There have been 3 new deaths. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 22 to 274, but this number was under-reported over the last two days and should be compared to the number of hospitalized patients on October 17, which was 278. There have been 3 new patients admitted to ICUs, and 5 more patients are on ventilators.
A total of 24,049 tests were completed yesterday, the lowest number since September 8, but the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 7,826 to 24,129.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools today is 121, an increase of 47 from yesterday, with 75 student cases, 22 staff cases, and 24 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 21 new cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 11 from yesterday, with 14 cases among children and 7 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 4 new cases to report in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, with 1 additional case being resolved, leaving 7 active cases.
For the first time in six days, there are no new cases in Peterborough, and the number of confirmed cases has decreased by 1 to 137 (possibly the result of a case being transferred to another health unit based on residence), leaving 4 active cases. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, or Haliburton.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 12 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 4 in Peterborough, 7 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 137 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (131 resolved with 2 deaths), 184 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (164 resolved with 32 deaths), 45 in Northumberland County (44 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (18 resolved with no deaths), and 70 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (58 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 65,896 confirmed cases, an increase of 821 from yesterday, with 56,606 (85.9% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 628. There have been 3,053 deaths, an increase of 3 from yesterday, with 1,979 deaths in long-term care homes, a decrease of 1 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 22 to 274; however, this number was under-reported over the past two days, and is a decrease from 278 hospitalized patients on October 17. An additional 3 patients have been admitted to ICUs, with 5 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 4,714,326 tests have been completed, an increase of 24,049 from yesterday, with 24,129 tests under investigation, an increase of 7,826 from yesterday.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends.
Confirmed positive: 137 (decrease of 1) Active cases: 4 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 131 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 33,100 (increase of 50) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 248, including 184 in Kawartha Lakes, 45 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 227, including 164 in Kawartha Lakes, 44 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change) Active cases: 1, in Kawartha Lakes (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 70 (increase of 4) Active cases: 7 (increase of 3) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Recovered: 58 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 44,410 (increase of 899) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 65,896 (increase of 821) Resolved: 56,606 (increase of 628, 85.9% of all cases) Hospitalized: 274 (increase of 22)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 72 (increase of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 45 (increase of 5) Deaths: 3,053 (increase of 3) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,979 (decrease of 1) Total tests completed: 4,714,326 (increase of 24,049) Tests under investigation: 24,129 (increase of 7,826)
*This number was under-reported over the last two days, and should be compared to the number of hospitalized patients on October 17, which was 278.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 19 – October 19, 2020. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from September 19 – October 19,2020. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Grammy award-winning record producer and Peterborough native Greg Wells has launched the Don Skuce Memorial Music Collective. Every four months, a Peterborough-area musician's demo will be selected to be recorded at James McKenty's Peterborough studio, and then Wells will mix and master the finished recording at his Los Angeles studio. (Photo: Greg Wells / Instagram)
For all he has accomplished as a Grammy award-winning producer and musician, Peterborough native Greg Wells has never forgotten from where he came and, in particular, those who fed his youthful insatiable appetite for music and his ability to play it, and play it very well, in all its forms.
Topping that list is the late Don Skuce, the former owner of Ed’s Music Workshop and guitar luthier who passed away in June 2018 at age 66 after a long battle with cancer.
“Don was the only person who would never tell me to stop playing … he’d let me play for hours until the shop closed,” recalls Wells, speaking from his Rocket Carousel Studio in Los Angeles.
“I think about Don often. I have pictures of him hanging in my studio. One that he sent me was taken at the original location of Ed’s on Dublin Street. I’m about 15 years old and I’m playing a Telecaster. In fact, I bought one of his favourite guitars — a 1956 Fender Telecaster, hands down the best guitar I have. It’s the holy grail of twang.”
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“I just love the guy. He was a huge supporter of myself and hundreds of other Peterborough musicians. He had a great sense of humour; he was humble but he was confident. It’s hard to find people like that. I’m starting to cry just talking about him.”
With the blessing of Skuce’s lifelong partner Karen Page, Wells has launched the Don Skuce Memorial Music Collective — an opportunity for musicians, either solo singers or bands, to submit up to three simple song demos, in any music genre, to a board of adjudicators comprised of established Peterborough musicians led by musician and songwriter John Crown.
Peterborough’s Don Skuce passed away in June 2018 at age 66 after a long battle with cancer. (Photo: Maar’s Music / Facebook)
The group will review each submission, choose the song to be recorded, and determine the recording budget and all recording costs including additional hired musicians if needed. After receiving the recording from Peterborough recording engineer James McKenty, Wells will mix and master the finished recording at his Los Angeles studio.
Three winners will be selected every year (one every four months), with the first winner to be announced in February 2021. Application proposals, including song demos in MP3 format, can be emailed to donskucemmc@gmail.com.
“There are absolutely no strings attached,” stresses Crown. “The winning applicant owns every bit of the rights to their song and are free to do with it whatever they choose.”
In addition, each winning entry will receive a free promo shot courtesy of photographer John “Fotojoe” Gearin, another good friend of Skuce’s.
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In an Instagram post announcing the Don Skuce Memorial Music Collective, Wells described Skuce as “a wise, warm and generous spirit who loved to support local musicians in their journey. Don’s deep love of music creation will live on through the work of this collective, and will support and document the musical output of the great city of Peterborough.”
When Wells first formed the idea of honouring Skuce and his selfless efforts to give a hand up to aspiring Peterborough musicians, he searched online for a space in the city he could rent or buy to convert into a recording studio. Among the properties he looked at was the former St. Andrew’s United Church on Rubidge Street.
“I called John (Crown) and told him I wanted to do this (open a recording studio) in Don’s honour,” says Wells.
“He immediately got what I wanted to do but then he made it such a better idea. He said rather than go through the hassle and the expense of creating a studio from scratch, why don’t I use a local studio? In other words, don’t create a studio that’ll be in competition with the studios already here. He suggested James’ studio and things progressed from there.”
The late Don Skuce in a photograph by his good friend, Peterborough photographer John “Fotojoe” Gearin. Each winning musician will also receive a free promo shot, courtesy of Gearin. (Photo: John Gearin / Fotojoe)
To say the opportunity being presented here to local singers and bands is of the once-in-a-lifetime variety is as close to the truth as it gets.
Wells is a record producer, songwriter, musician and audio engineer with songs on more than 130 million albums sold and streaming numbers in the billions.
He has produced and written with John Legend, Adele, Rufus Wainwright, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams, Keith Urban, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Weezer, Aerosmith, Celine Dion, Quincy Jones, Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Count Basie Orchestra and many more. In addition he has received three Grammy nominations, winning one in 2018 for best compilation soundtrack for visual media for the 2017 film The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron.
“It’s so embarrassing, I don’t even want to tell you,” laughs Wells when asked what his services would typically cost.
“I have sliding scale. I go from being grotesquely overpaid to working for free. My interest is not money. I’m interested in working on music I find compelling; music that makes me feel my shirt collar being pulled toward it. That has always been the thing that makes me want to work on something.”
Crown, who worked at Ed’s Music Workshop back in the day, learning how to do guitar repairs, says there’s absolutely no downside to the initiative.
“Even if this is just getting somebody who hasn’t tried it before — to summon up the energy to press the record button and sing into his or her phone — that’s a pretty huge step forward in it itself,” he says, noting that a few submissions have already come in.
“It’s not about winning the contest. It’s that people are creating art and hopefully enjoying the process.”
VIDEO: Greg Wells’ oldest son playing Don Skuce’s 1956 Fender Telecaster
Wells admits to being more excited about this project than his regularly scheduled recording work.
“It means something to me,” he says. “It’s being done for a reason I don’t often find in the cogs of the music business.”
Wells’ ongoing philanthropy also sees him give away a drum set every few months through his social media accounts.
“It’s so much fun for me to get a drum set into the hands of anyone. I get nothing out of it. I don’t do any press. I don’t advertise it. Now I’m partnered with Roland. We give away a Roland keyboard every three or four months. That turns me on.”
As for the Don Skuce Memorial Music Collective, Wells says the plan for now is to do it “indefinitely”.
“There’s no cut-off date as to when this is going to stop, so it could go on forever,” Wells reflects. “I do think we should figure out a way where the public can hear these songs. It would be weird not to share them.”
"On a practical level, I've lost contracts and income opportunities; but, on another level, I feel as though I've lost a part of myself. The stage is my church, I miss it dearly." Sarah McNeilly, Theatre Artist (Photo: Julie Gagne)
On August 31st, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) in Peterborough launched “Essential”, a photography project that raises awareness of the precarious situation of local artists and arts organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of EC3’s Peterborough Arts Alive initiative, the Essential project is a series of 17 photos by local photographer Julie Gagne that depicts 20 local artists during the pandemic. Each of the photos feature an artist or artists in their home or workplace and is accompanied by an artist statement about their experience of the pandemic.
Twice each week until the end of October, kawarthaNOW is publishing photos from the series. Today, we feature theatre artist Sarah McNeilly.
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Theatre artist Sarah McNeilly
Sarah McNeilly, Theatre Artist – The Essential Project. (Photo by Julie Gagne, design by Rob Wilkes)
A message from EC3 about The Essential Project
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on both individual artists and arts organizations in Peterborough. Performance venues and galleries have been closed, concerts cancelled, exhibitions postponed, entire seasons abandoned. Organizations and facilities are trying to grapple with the loss of revenue and an uncertain future. “Reopening” is not straightforward, to say the least.
Individual artists have lost their creative income and the opportunity to work together to create — something that is absolutely vital to them and to their audiences. Many have pivoted, and developed and presented some great virtual and digital projects. But nothing replaces live performance in front of a live audience and the catalytic energy that comes from being together to rehearse, discuss, and plan projects, to gather at an opening or artist talk.
Isolated at home, cut off from their communities and the lifeblood that is their artistic practice, local artists still found ways to keep our cultural life alive. Silenced and almost invisible, they kept working. But it hasn’t been easy.
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Local photographer Julie Gagne began photographing a number of Peterborough residents in their homes during the earlier stage of the pandemic and posted the photos on Facebook. The eloquent, haunting images of her “Within” portrait project included some artists, and those incredibly moving images caught the eye of EC3 executive director Su Ditta.
Julie’s photos made us think. We have all benefited from the work of artists during the pandemic: we’ve listened to music, read books, watched films, toured virtual exhibitions, tuned in to living room concerts. What has it been like for the artists? Will people remember how essential the arts were to getting through the pandemic when it comes to recovery funding and budget planning? Will arts organizations be supported in a robust recovery plan?
EC3 asked theatre artist Sarah McNeilly to curate and coordinate, and approached Julie Gagne to do a distinct series of photos that spoke to the experience of local artists and what art means to our lives, in good times and in bad. It’s essential.
This arts awareness project is both a witness to the struggles of, and a testament to the courage and contributions of this community during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Julie and everyone in the arts community who have kept us going.
Police have released the name of the person who died in a single-vehicle crash on Monday (October 19) just north of Campbellford.
According to the OPP, 16-year-old Chloe Wellman was a passenger in an SUV that failed to negotiate a curve while travelling northbound on County Road 50 north of Meier Street at around 12:55 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
The SUV went into a ditch and struck a culvert. Wellman died as a result of the collision.
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The 17-year-old driver, who police say is from New Brunswick, was taken to a local area hospital and then later transported to a trauma centre in Toronto with serious injuries.
County Road 50 was closed for several hours between Church Street and 10th Line West while police measured and documented the scene.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A compilation of photos from 4th Line Theatre's original outdoor production "Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales". The Halloween-themed show runs from October 20 to 30, 2020 at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook. (Photos: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Symbolically, there’s something marvellous about the return of live performance to 4th Line coinciding with a rite of autumn. Halloween is, after all, the time of year when it is believed that spirits can pass easily between realms; when the veil between the living and the dead is lifted.
4th Line Theatre presents Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales
When: Tuesday through Sunday, October 20 – 25, 2020 at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, October 27 – 30, 2020 at 7 p.m. Where: The Winslow Farm (779 Zion Line, Millbrook) How much:ALL PERFORMANCES SOLD OUT
Written by Kim Blackwell & Lindy Finlan. Directed by Kim Blackwell. Musical direction & original composition by Justin Hiscox. Starring Jack Nicholsen, Rebecca Auerbach, Tristan Peirce, Madison Sheward, Robert Winslow, Mark Hiscox, Tom Keat, Kelsey Powell, Riley Tutert, Rylee Dixon, Skyleigh Hurd, Soleil Hurd, Emma Khaimovich, Lev Khaimovich, Caiomhe MacQuarrie, Dierbhile MacQuarrie, Riordan MacQuarrie, Saoirse MacQuarrie, Siobhan MacQuarrie, and Lucas Pronk. Tickets available by calling 1-800-814-0055 or 705-932-4445, online www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or in person at 4th Line Theatre’s box office (4 Tupper St., Millbrook).
Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, an original production co-written by 4th Line Theatre’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell and general manager Lindy Finlan during lockdown, summons the ghosts of 4th Line shows past.
The idyllic Winslow farm, a place familiar to many as a summer must-see for artistic excellence in outdoor theatre, seems somewhat foreign in the autumn. Given the fact that the 2020 summer season was the first ever to be postponed in the company’s 29-season history, the bleak look of autumn-nearly-ended in our year of the virus seems uncanny.
It is the perfect setting for a spooky show, made all the more ominous by the distant howling of a pack of coyotes.
Recent recipients of the international “Safe Travels” stamp, 4th Line has gone above and beyond what is required to ensure the safety of their audiences and personnel in accordance with COVID protocols.
They have also found creative and artistic ways to implement these safety measures, which enhance the experience of the show rather than distract from it.
The show begins, for example, in the traditional barnyard area where a physically distanced audience is seated amongst creepy dolls and puppets to demarcate the space. There they are introduced to the principal characters, the Deyell family, who each must venture into the darkness alone.
The audience follows these characters on an immersive promenade experience over around one kilometre of the property, which has previously been off-limits for summer audiences.
Lev Khaimovich as Samuel Deyell in 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales”. The outdoor production begins in the barnyard area of the Winslow Farm, where the audience is introduced to the Deyell family. The audience then follows the play’s characters on an immersive promenade experience over around one kilometre of the property. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)Set on a dark fall night in 1835, 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales” follows 10-year-old Samuel Deyell (Lev Khaimovich, middle) as he goes into the darkest night in search of his missing mother. Samuel is joined on his quest by his two best friends (Skyleigh Hurd and Rylee Dixon) and, in the shadows, the children encounter the darkest secrets and most horrifying facets of Millbrook and Cavan. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
The design elements of this show are spectacular. The costumes, props, and lighting enhance each scene while Justin Hiscox’s musical brilliance transforms the accordion into another character of the show — a living, breathing organ fading and swelling with each scene. Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales is an atmospheric feast for the senses.
Admittedly, there were tears welling up in my eyes when that first actor projected their voice into the darkness and, after hitting some unknown surface, it came echoing back to all of us. It has been so long since I have been able to have an acoustic experience like that. Most of the human voices I hear during these bizarre-o COVID times are distorted and compressed through technology.
The live-ness of the voices, echoing over space and time, reverberated in my skeleton. It’s the type of thing that makes you believe in magic — that reminds you you’re alive.
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Each performance, directed with a scalpel by Kim Blackwell, is a gift to witness.
From the first moment Madison Sheward explodes onto the stage as Maggie Deyell until the very last moments of the show, she performs with a vigour that is nothing short of incendiary. Her original choreography, too, is terrifyingly beautiful.
The children, albeit a little difficult to hear at times, are delightful. There is an endearing verisimilitude in the bond between the three young principal characters. Their friendship is a light that guides the audience through the dark night and warms us on our way.
Jack Nicholsen in 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales”. Before co-writing the play during the pandemic, Kim Blackwell and Lindy Finlan consulted with Grade 5 and 6 students from Millbrook Public School to find out about the things they find scary. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
4th Line favourites such as Robert Winslow, Mark Hiscox, Tom Keats, and Kelsey Powell perform with enough energy to make up for the loss of the company’s summer season.
Their performances are executed with the precision and complexity audiences have come to expect from the likes of these seasoned professionals, and, simultaneously, with an ecstatic revelry in the ludic thrill of finally being able to perform again, which is a joy to behold.
As John and Margaret Deyell, Jack Nicholsen and Rebecca Auerbach deliver the depth and nuance required to make the show work, without which any resolution to character conflict may have been more horrific than even the most fantastic elements of the production. As alternate more fanciful characters, Auerbach and Nicholsen, are each given a chance to really shine — and so they do.
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While the script offers fearfully fantastic concepts — the stuff of childhood nightmares — from puppets and clowns to rites and rituals, the scariest themes are the most realistic ones. Finlan and Blackwell explore hate, xenophobia, and bigotry in their writing.
They present a complex intertextuality between their script and 4th Line’s flagship work, The Cavan Blazers. In doing so, there is a level of sophistication in their work that goes beyond typical Halloween tropes while still embracing them.
Madison Sheward as Maggie Deyell and Tristan Peirce as Paddy Maguire in 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales”. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales runs at 7 p.m. from Tuesday, October 20th to Sunday, October 25th and from Tuesday, October 27th to Friday, October 30th at the Winslow Farm at 779 Zion Line in Millbrook.
The production travels up and down dark paths and over uneven terrain for around one kilometre, so it’s not suitable for people with reduced mobility or severe health issues. The performances will run rain, snow, or shine, and audience members are asked to dress for the weather, wear appropriate (sturdy) footwear, and bring a flashlight to the performance.
The production complies with COVID-19 health and safety protocols developed with the input of Peterborough Public Health; all audience members are asked to arrive with a mask and will be required to wear a mask throughout the walking portions of the performances.
A very creepy Emma Khaimovich in 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales”. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Tickets are $25 per person, available now by phone at 705-932-4445 (toll-free at 800-814-0055), online www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or at 4th Line Theatre’s box office at 4 Tupper Street in Millbrook. Limited tickets are available for each performance.
Port Hope police are reporting a rash of pumpkin crimes over the past week.
There have been several reports of thefts of pumpkins, along with pumpkin-related vandalism.
On Thursday (October 17), a Centennial Drive man noticed that someone smashed a pumpkin on a vanity that was left at the end of the yard for someone to take. The vanity was destroyed as a result.
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On Friday (October 18), a Peacock Blvd resident reported three pumpkins has been stolen from the resident’s front porch.
Later on Friday, a Ravine Drive resident reported a pumpkin had been thrown at his 2020 GMC truck, denting the driver side rear quarter and resulting in an estimated $1,500 in damage.
Also on Friday, police officers responded to reports of pumpkins being smashed on driveways on Moore Drive.
There were also several pumpkins that had racial slurs written on them. These were pumpkins stolen from various locations, but a few may not have been reported to police.
Police are continuing the investigation gathering CCTV information. Anyone with information is asked to call Port Hope Police at 905-885-8123 ext. 142, email phps@phps.on.ca, or contact Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at stopcrimehere.ca.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 704 new COVID-19 cases. Most of the new cases are in Toronto (244), Peel (168), York (103), and Ottawa (51), with smaller increases in Halton (23), Simcoe Muskoka (17), Hamilton (17), Durham (16), Waterloo (14), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (13), Niagara (9), and Middlesex-London (6).
The remaining 22 public health units reporting 5 or fewer cases, with only 7 reporting no cases at all. Of today’s cases, 54% are among people under the age of 40. With 607 more cases resolved, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 86%. The positivity rate has increased by 0.6% to 3.1%, meaning that 3.1% of all tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on October 18.
There have been 4 new deaths. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 5 to 252, but around 30 hospitals did not submit data for today’s report so this number is likely under[reported. Two patients have been discharged from ICUs, and 3 fewer patients are on ventilators. A total of 31,864 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has decreased by 7,306 to 16,303 — the smallest backlog since September 8.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools today is 74, a decrease of 24 from October 16, with 48 student cases, 10 staff cases, and 16 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 10 new cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 1 from October 16, with 6 cases among children and 4 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case to report in Peterborough, for the sixth straight day of new cases. There is also 1 new case to report in Kawartha Lakes and 1 new case in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
There are no new cases in Northumberland or Haliburton. An additional case has been resolved in Haliburton, leaving no active cases there, and an additional case has been resolved in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 10 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 5 in Peterborough, 4 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 138 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (131 resolved with 2 deaths), 184 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (164 resolved with 32 deaths), 45 in Northumberland County (44 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (18 resolved with no deaths), and 66 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (57 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 65,075 confirmed cases, an increase of 704 from yesterday, with 55,978 (86% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 607. There have been 3,050 deaths, an increase of 4 from yesterday, with 1,980 deaths in long-term care homes (no change from yesterday). The number of hospitalizations has increased by 5 to 252; however, around 30 hospitals did not submit data so this number is likely under-reported. An additional 2 patients have been discharged from ICUs, with 3 fewer patients on ventilators. A total of 4,690,277 tests have been completed, an increase of 31,864 from yesterday, with 16,303 tests under investigation, a decrease of 7,306 from yesterday.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends.
Confirmed positive: 138 (increase of 1) Active cases: 5 (increase of 1) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 131 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 33,050 (increase of 100) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 248, including 184 in Kawartha Lakes, 45 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Kawartha Lakes) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 227, including 164 in Kawartha Lakes, 44 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Haliburton) Active cases: 1 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 66 (increase of 1) Active cases: 4 (no change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Recovered: 57 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 43,511 (increase of 969) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 65,075 (increase of 704) Resolved: 55,978 (increase of 607, 86% of all cases) Hospitalized: 252 (increase of 5)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 69 (decrease of 2) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 40 (decrease of 3) Deaths: 3,050 (increase of 4) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,980 (no change) Total tests completed: 4,690,277 (increase of 31,864) Tests under investigation: 16,303 (decrease of 7,306)
*As if often the case on weekends, a number of hospitals (approximately 30) did not submit data to the Daily Bed Census for October 17. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 18 – October 18, 2020. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from September 18 – October 18,2020. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Megan Murphy is organizing "Spare A Square #2", a Peterborough-wide porch food drive on October 24, 2020 to restock the shelves at Kawartha Food Share. Pictured is Megan with some of the over 24,000 pounds of food donations collected during the first Spare A Square porch food drive on March 23, 2020. (Photo: Megan Murphy)
The “Spare A Square” porch food drive returns to Peterborough on Saturday (October 24).
Once again organized by Megan Murphy, “Spare A Square #2” is a COVID-safe city-wide food drive to restock the shelves at Kawartha Food Share before the winter months.
The first food drive, held back in March, collected more than 23,000 pounds of food donations. It was called “Spare A Square” because, in the early months of the pandemic, toilet paper was in short supply and was one of the needed items.
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This time around, people are being asked to donate non-perishable food items including canned tuna, pasta and pasta sauce, easy-to-cook items that kids love (such as Alpha-getti, Kraft Dinner, and Chef Boyardee), breakfast cereal, peanut butter, any non-perishable fruit and vegetable items, rice, canned soup/stew, and baby formula, as well as feminine hygiene products and diapers.
Peterborough residents who want to participate should leave a bag of donated items on their front porch by 9 a.m. on Saturday to be picked up by volunteers, who will deliver them to the Kawartha Food Share warehouse. If you are ill, you are asked not to leave a bag of donated items on your porch.
This is a COVID-safe event. Volunteers will be in their own vehicles, wearing masks, and observing all necessary and suggested COVID-19 safety protocols. There will be no face-to-face contact between people donating and volunteers picking up the donations.
The COVID-safe “Spare A Square #2” takes place on October 24, 2020 in Peterborough. Residents are asked to leave a bag of non-perishable food items on their front porch by 9 a.m. and volunteers will come by to pick up the donations. (Graphic: Megan Murphy)
Monetary donations — cash or cheque — will also be accepted. For every dollar donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $6 worth of food.
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