Members of the Kiwanis Club of Scott's Plains, the Rotary Club of Peterborough, and young entrepreneuers who participated in the first-ever Kiwanis Lemonade Stand Day on August 23, 2025 celebrated a donation of $30,000 to the Rotary Accessible Playground Project at Riverview Park and Zoo on Sunday, September 21. The "Lemonaders" raised $7,000 for the project, with the Kiwanis Club adding another $8,000 and the Rotary Club matching both donations for a total of $30,000. (Photo: Rotary Club of Peterborough)
The Rotary Accessible Playground Project at Riverview Park and Zoo in Peterborough is $30,000 closer to its $1.5 million goal, thanks to the lemonade-selling efforts of young entrepreneurs along with the Kiwanis Club of Scott’s Plains and the Rotary Club of Peterborough.
For the Kiwanis Club’s first-ever Lemonade Stand Day held in the summer, 33 participants managed to raise $7,000 for the project — a feat that was celebrated at the Riverview Park and Zoo on Sunday (September 21) with the “Lemonaders” and their families.
At the celebration, the Kiwanis Club added another $8,000 to the total, and the Rotary Club of Peterborough matched both donations to bring the grand total to $30,000.
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“We are so honoured to be the recipients of the funds raised through Lemonade Stand Day,” Riverview Park and Zoo manager curator Cathy Mitchell said in a statement.
“These funds will be put towards the Rotary Accessible Playground Project, which is an exciting playground redesign project that will rethink the space ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, can experience the fun of play.”
Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the Kiwanis Club of Scott’s Plains had wanted to support a significant project that would benefit youth and families thoughout the city and county of Peterborough. Having funded the development of playground areas at the Riverview Park and Zoo over the years, the Kiwanis Club approached Mitchell with the idea of organizing Lemonade Stand Day on August 23.
Three of the young entrepreneurs who participated in the first-ever Kiwanis Lemonade Stand Day on August 23, 2025 to raise funds for the Rotary Accessible Playground Project at Riverview Park and Zoo. (Photos courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Scott’s Plains)
Club secretary Greg McLeod had found out about Lemonade Stand Day in Edmonton from one of his sons who lives there. The community fundraising initiative for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation began 11 years ago with 35 stands and, by 2025, had grown to well over 600 stands that raised a record-breaking $533,664.56 for the foundation.
Thoughout May and June, the Kiwanis Club began spreading the word about Lemonade Stand Day on August 23 and encouraged area children to participate, providing supplies including lemonade mix, cups, and signage. At the September 21st celebration, each participant received a frameable “Lemonade Hero Certificate.”
“The priority was for Lemonaders to have fun, and the feedback we have received about Lemonade Stand Day has been wonderful,” McLeod said. “The Lemonaders are already looking forward to next year, and so are we.”
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The Rotary Club of Peterborough is aiming to raise $1.5 million for the completely redesigned accessible playground at the Riverview Park and Zoo.
Designed to allow people of all abilities and all ages to enjoy the space, the accessible playground would include widened pathways between play areas for people using strollers and mobility devices, new surfaces throughout the playground to make getting around easier, and shady spaces with sight lines to make it more comfortable for visitors and their caregivers.
The "Couture for Kids" fashion show returns to Lindsay on October 2, 2025 to support Five Counties Children's Centre in providing treatment services for children and youth with special needs who live in Kawartha Lakes. The fashion show features clothing from local retailers Brittany N Bros, Brittany's Shoes, Bonita Clothing & Co, Cathy Allan Ladieswear, John G's, Homethreads Boutique, The Lingerie Loft, Lizzy's by Cathy Allan, and Nisbett's Clothiers. (Photo: Five Counties Children's Centre)
Clothing retailers in Lindsay are selecting the latest fashions to feature on the runway for “Couture For Kids,” an upcoming event that simultaneously offers a peek at the season’s clothing trends and raises money for Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Returning on Thursday, October 2 at Celebrations Lindsay at 35 Lindsay Street North, Couture for Kids supports Five Counties Children’s Centre in providing treatment services for children and youth with special needs who live in Kawartha Lakes.
The event is back by popular demand, said Bill Eekhof, communications coordinator for Five Counties Children’s Centre.
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“We had really good feedback from the first event in 2024,” Eekhof told kawarthaNOW. “Couture For Kids is a nice opportunity for attendees to enjoy a night out on the town, while seeing the new clothing selections offered by clothing stores in Lindsay.”
The evening also features a raffle with a variety of prizes and is a popular draw for attendees, with items including flower arrangements from Hill Florist, a diamond jewel handbag and earrings from Lizzy’s by Cathy Allan, gift baskets and gift cards from local businesses, and more.
“Pass the Purse” will also return, with any attendee who puts a donation in the purse being entered in a draw to win the bag.
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It’s a fun night for a good cause, Eekhof said.
“The added benefit of attending Couture For Kids is knowing that the funds raised go directly to support kids treatment services offered by Five Counties in the City of Kawartha Lakes. In that way, people who attend Couture For Kids can make a real fashion statement for their community.”
The fashion show features clothing from Brittany N Bros, Brittany’s Shoes, Bonita Clothing & Co, Cathy Allan Ladieswear, John G’s, Homethreads Boutique, The Lingerie Loft, Lizzy’s by Cathy Allan, and Nisbett’s Clothiers.
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“By showcasing the creativity of our local retailers, this event not only shines a spotlight on community talent but raises vital awareness and support for the life-changing services provided by Five Counties,” added Lyn Giles, director of fund development at Five Counties Children’s Centre, in a media release.
Doors open at 6 p.m. on the night of the event, with the fashion show starting at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and include light snacks provided by Milk and Honey Eatery. Tickets can be purchased from any of the participating retailers and are also available online at www.fivecounties.on.ca/mt-event/couture-for-kids/.
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All proceeds from Couture for Kids helps young clients access the treatment services they need close to home.
In 2024-25, Five Counties Children’s Centre supported 1,359 kids and youth in City of Kawartha Lakes.
Couture for Kids is sponsored by Homestead Oxygen & Medical Equipment, Homestead Kids Medical Equipment, IG Private Wealth Management Mazziotti & Associates, Lindsay Chiropractic & Wellness, Nicole Naylor, and Wards Lawyers.
Public Energy Performing Arts presents Mozambican-Canadian dance artist and choreographer Pulga Muchochoma for a double bill of dance performance called YEBO at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on September 25, 2025. (Photo: Omer Yukseker)
Public Energy Performing Arts is launching its 2025-26 season by welcoming Mozambican-Canadian dance artist and choreographer Pulga Muchochoma to Peterborough this Thursday (September 25) for a double bill of dance performance called YEBO.
YEBO consists of a solo work by Muchochoma called NGOMA, followed by an ensemble piece called INKOSI featuring three dancers, an actor, and a musician.
“Yebo” is the Zulu word for “yes,” but it also has a deeper cultural meaning as both a word of affirmation and an invitation to connect.
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“I saw Pulga dance before I met him, when he was still a first-year student at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre,” recalls Public Energy programming director Kate Alton, who is also an award-winning dancer and independent choreographer.
“I was standing on the sidelines in a dance class waiting for my turn to move. Suddenly there he was, dancing across the floor and eating up space with his powerful magnetic energy. I hired him for a duet project on the spot. In rehearsal, Pulga said YES (YEBO!) to everything I proposed. It was magic.”
According to Alton, Muchochoma has made “yebo” a familiar word of affirmation among dance artists across Canada through his infectious and incredibly positive outlook on life.
VIDEO: Excerpt from NGOMA by Pulga Muchochoma
Muchochoma’s Market Hall performance will begin with his dramatic solo work called NGOMA — the word for “drum” in many African languages, including his own language of Chuabo, a Bantu language spoken along the central coast of Mozambique.
Muchochoma first created NGOMA as a five-minute solo of non-stop dancing, with the intention of dancing to every single beat at the same time, but the work has since evolved.
“The new extended version toggles between making the choice of dancing to every single beat at the same time and ignoring every single beat at the same time while noticing the relationship this creates in the body,” Muchochoma says.
“As always, my work leans on the hands of my ancestors. My mother’s voice became one of the biggest influences into the development of this work as a way for me to revisit my connection to the place where it all started. In my mother’s womb, I heard the first drum beat.”
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Muchochoma’s second piece, INKOSI, is inspired by the life of Nelson Mandela, the late beloved anti-apartheid political figure who became the first president of South Africa.
The Zulu word for “king,” INKOSI explores the brutal time Mandela endured in prison, the realities of living through apartheid, and Mandela’s perseverance, resilience, and vision for a better South Africa and Africa in general.
“Movement-wise, I drew from a fusion of traditional dances from South Africa and my country of origin Mozambique with the contemporary dance style,” Muchochoma says.
During YEBO at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on September 25, 2025, Mozambican-Canadian dance artist and choreographer Pulga Muchochoma will perform a solo work called NGOMA (“Drum”) followed by an ensemble piece called INKOSI (“King”) about the late Nelson Mandela featuring three dancers, an actor, and a musician. (Photo: Allison Caroline Smith)
“After I spent the last few years developing my choreographic voice, I realized that this piece had the potential to be much longer and richer,” Muchochoma adds. “That’s when I decided to explore the idea of transforming the dancers into characters that represent the people that have lived and experienced the struggles of being held in captivity, and also the work needed for its story to feel well supported and richer in order to make the story clear.”
Mandela, who was also known by his Thembu clan name “Madiba”, is often described with great respect in South Africa as the father of the nation.
“I wanted to highlight Mandela more as king of his people and for him to be seen more than a prisoner by his fellow inmates and the audience members. That’s how the title of this work came about.”
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YEBO, which runs for around 70 minutes including an intermission, will be performed for one night only at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 25.
Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $14 to $54, including tax and fees, with a recommended price of $34.
Pulga Muchochoma is a dancer, choreographer, musician, actor, and director born in Quelimane in Mozambique, where he began his dance career and training with Montes Namuli Dance Company. In August 2006, he came with the company to Toronto where he stayed to pursue his career, including founding Pulga Dance in 2015 where he teaches and creates independent works. (Photo: Shy Alter)
Muchochoma is a dancer, choreographer, musician, actor, and director born in Quelimane in Mozambique, where he began his dance career and training with Montes Namuli Dance Company.
In August 2006, he came with the company to Toronto and stayed to study at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, later working with Toronto Dance Theatre from 2009 to 2020 under artistic director Christopher House. During his time with Toronto Dance Theatre he worked with local and international choreographers including Christopher House, Veronica Tennant, Danny Grossman, Patricia Beaty, Heidi Strauss, and Jeanine Durning.
He has been nominated seven times for Dora Mavor Moore awards for his work with Toronto Dance Theatre and twice for his own works. In 2015, he founded Pulga Dance, where he teaches and creates independent works.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time media sponsor of Public Energy Performing Arts.
Located in Keene in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Lang Pioneer Village Museum is an award-winning destination in The Kawarthas where both 19th-century settler history and Indigenous culture and history come to life. Comprised of more than 30 restored, recreated, and relocated buildings, this living history museum offers live demonstrations, costumed interpretations, and immersive programming, along with special family-friendly events throughout the year. (Photo: The Kawarthas Tourism)
Located along the north shore of Rice Lake and extending north into fertile farmland, the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan in The Kawarthas is a destination known for its natural beauty and welcoming spirit.
The township offers visitors a wide range of enriching experiences, from those rooted in rural tradition to those that will get the heart pounding. Whether embracing an outdoor adventure, learning about the area’s history and culture, or relaxing in a picturesque landscape with a glass of wine in hand, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Otonabee-South Monaghan.
“Otonabee-South Monaghan is a place where the past and present come together,” says Otonabee-South Monaghan Mayor Joe Taylor. “With deep roots in agriculture, many of our farms have been in the same families for generations, and we take great pride in preserving that history.”
“I’m proud of what visitors can discover here — from hands-on farm experiences and the popular Pumpkin Fest to charming venues and cozy places to stay, plus the historic Hope Mill, a rare 1800s water-powered sawmill still in operation today.”
Morning — Sweet stops and great shops
Located in Bailieboro in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Doo Doo’s Bakery is famous as the home of award-winning butter tarts and also offers other sweets including fruit tarts, mini and full-size pies, cookies, buns, danishes, and more. (Photo: The Kawarthas Tourism)
For a delicious start to your day, begin your road trip in the southwestern corner of the township at beloved Doo Doo’s Bakery in Bailieboro. Dine on a savory quiche at this country bakery or take a sweet cookie on the road — but whatever you do, don’t miss out on the bakery’s famous butter tarts. These tarts have been awarded ribbon after ribbon after ribbon, including several from the Royal Canadian Winter Fair and Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival. Now that’s a sweet way to energize for a day of adventure!
Next, head east to Rolling Grape Vineyard, the first grape-to-glass vineyard experience to open in The Kawarthas. On a family farm, this boutique vineyard offers much more than wine tastings and private tours. Salsa parties, line dancing nights, live music, artisan markets, creative workshops, and afternoon teas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the special events going on at this scenic location. While you’re there, grab a bottle of wine made with Ontario-grown grapes or stop into the restaurant for a taste of the rich and diverse menu crafted from locally sourced ingredients.
Seeking some friendly competition with family or friends? Head north off Peterborough County Road 28 to Escape Maze where adventures and entertainment await. Located on a family farm alongside the Otonabee River, Escape Maze is a destination of fun for all ages, equipped with escape rooms and escape trails, outdoor laser tag, and disc golf. Maximize your fun by pitching a tent or staying overnight in Escape Maze’s cabins or an old-timey caravan right along the river.
For some adventurous and friendly competition while on a road trip in Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, plan a visit to Escape Maze. Suitable for all ages, this one-stop entertainment facility offers escape mazes and trails, outdoor laser tag, and disc golf. Escape Maze even offers accommodations with the option to pitch your own tent or stay in a cabin or old-timey caravan on the Otonabee River. (Photo: Jake Walling)
For a special shopping experience, head to the northern region of the township to Nostalgic Journey on Highway 7, where you’ll find a haven of antique and vintage gems. From eclectic decorations and retro clothing to rare coins and whimsical artwork, you never know what you’ll find in the aisles stocked by more than 50 diverse vendors.
Whether you spent your morning solving puzzles or browsing collectables, you’ll likely have worked up an appetite you can satisfy at Muddy’s Pit BBQ, a seasonal barbeque joint that’s been a Keene favourite for 16 years. Open from April to December, this laid-back shack serves up high-quality meats smoked on site with custom outdoor smokers that only use log hardwood. Visit this not-to-be-missed meat-lover’s oasis on Sundays during the summer to enjoy live music from popular local musicians.
Afternoon: History and hands-on adventure
Lang Pioneer Village Museum brings The Kawarthas of the 19th century to life through costumed interpretations, live demonstrations, and more than 30 buildings that have been restored, recreated, or relocated from nearby communities. (Photo: Didi Anderson)
Begin your afternoon by driving north on Heritage Line (Peterborough County Road 34) to Lang Pioneer Village Museum, an award-winning destination in The Kawarthas where both 19th-century settler history and Indigenous culture and history come to life. Comprised of more than 30 restored, recreated, and relocated buildings, this living history museum offers live demonstrations, costumed interpretations, and immersive programming along with special family-friendly events throughout the year.
A must-see feature is the Aabnaabin Camp, delivered through partnership with Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations. The area represents a Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg (Mississauga Anishnaabeg) hunting or ricing camp during a time when settlers were moving into the traditional territory.
Continue learning about the history of The Kawarthas by heading just up the road to another 19th-century relic: a restored water-powered sawmill. Built circa 1835, today The Hope Mill is a seasonal volunteer-run educational destination where you’ll find free guided tours and sawing demonstrations and where you can even purchase handmade wooden gifts or lumber that was milled on site. Feeling crafty? Try your hand at building your own birdhouse to bring home as a road trip souvenir!
Located in Keene in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Harley Farms is operated under the belief that animals should be raised as humanely and naturally as possible. To learn about the working farm, guests can book a walking tour or book a farm activity like hand-feeding the goats or bottle-feeding the lambs. A site of many film and commercial projects, Harley Farms also has a farmgate store full of assorted meats, free-range eggs and fresh vegetables. (Photo: The Kawarthas Tourism)
To extend your afternoon of outdoor education, just minutes around the corner you’ll find Harley Farms. Join a walking tour to learn how pigs, sheep, and cattle live on this working farm where raising livestock naturally and humanely are a priority. Call ahead to enquire about booking one of the farm’s drop-in activities, like hand-feeding goats and bottle-feeding lambs.
If you recognize the farm or animals, it might be because Harley Farms has been the backdrop to many film and commercial projects, including Subaru commercials and episodes of the Hannibal TV series. Don’t forget to shop the farmgate store on your way out for an assortment of meats, free-range eggs, fresh vegetables, and more.
For a thrilling afternoon adventure, head northeast to Peterborough Kartway where you can get behind the wheel to challenge your friends and family. With family, single, and dual carts available, this track is fun for people of all ages and everyone from seasoned racers to first timers.
Settle in for a peaceful evening in Otonabee-South Monaghan
Located on the north shore of Rice Lake in Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Elmhirst’s Resort is a renowned cottage resort enjoyed by travellers across the world. Offering four-seasons accommodation, Elmhirst’s Resort also features year-round amenities including a spa, horse-drawn carriage rides, ice skating, pools, an escape maze, and more. Certified in its sustainability efforts, the resort also offers fine dining with a menu featuring ingredients that have been sourced and raised on site. (Photo: The Kawarthas Tourism)
After an afternoon of learning and adventure, it’s time to unwind by heading west to Farmhill Weddings and Events, a breathtaking venue with rolling hills, friendly alpacas, and relaxing vibes. In addition to weekly live music throughout the summer, Farmhill hosts regular special events and parties from country nights and Mother’s Day celebrations to St. Paddy’s Day parties and Galentine’s Day gatherings.
To wrap up the day, settle into a farm-to-table fine dining experience on the shores of Rice Lake at Elmhirst’s Resort. The menu represents the finest ingredients that have been cultivated, raised, or produced right on the 240-acre property.
Extend your stay in one of the lakeside cottages at the resort, which offers an assortment of year-round amenities including pools, ice skating, a spa, an escape maze, and more. In addition to being frequented by travellers from around the world, this family-owned and operated accommodation is renowned for its impressive dedication to sustainability, as recognized by its Platinum Certification with Greenstep Sustainable Tourism.
Honey Cove is a secluded off-grid cabin and glamping experience located on the Indian River just outside Keene in the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan. Offering cozy comforts, this Instagram-worthy year-round destination offers a range of adventure experiences from tree tapping and produce picking to snowshoe trails and farm tours. (Photo: The Kawarthas Tourism)
Combine your overnight stay in Otonabee-South Monaghan with a round or two of golf at Bellmere Winds Golf Resort on the north shore of Rice Lake. Along with a course suitable for all skill levels with stunning views from each hole, this family-friendly resort offers cottage accommodation and lots of activities beyond golf, including a swimming pool, splash pad, multi-sports court, watercraft rentals, free entertainment, live music, and family activities including fireworks displays.
Prefer an off-grid experience? Stay at Honey Cove, a year-round cabin and glamping experience where a river, forests, and farm fields are waiting to be discovered. On a fourth generation working farm overlooking the Indian River, Honey Cove combines cozy comfort and secluded, rustic charm for an Instagram-worthy night in nature. Opt for a relaxing night in, or explore one of the many seasonal adventures available onsite including walking and snowshoe trails, farm tours, maple tree tapping, and produce picking. You can even purchase a locally and seasonally curated food basket to create your own farm-to-table experience using the outdoor BBQ, smoker, or pizza oven.
Need more time in Otonabee-South Monaghan?
The Keene Pumpkin Festival is an annual celebration of the fall harvest that offers fun for the whole family. Delight in a decorated pumpkin pyramid or see pumpkins as large as 1000 lbs during the giant pumpkin weigh-off. The afternoon also includes a kid zone, a petting zoo, horse and wagon rides, a vendor market, live music, an antique car show, and much more. (Photo: Keene Pumpkin Festival
Make the most of your time in Otonabee-South Monaghan by returning for the Keene Pumpkin Festival, a local favourite autumn tradition.
Otonabee-South Monaghan Mayor Joe Taylor’s Must Do’s
Visit The Hope Mill, a historic water-powered sawmill.
Attend the fall Keene Pumpkin Festival.
Throughout the day, enjoy the decorated pumpkin pyramid and be impressed by the giant pumpkin weigh-off — which includes gourds that weigh more than 1,000 lbs! With a kids’ zone complete with a bouncy castle and face painting, as well as a petting zoo, vendor market, mini bale maze, quilt raffle, antique car and tractor show, and so much more, this festival is a celebration of the best of country hospitality and offers something for everyone.
Spend more time learning about the history of The Kawarthas by returning to Lang Pioneer Village Museum during their annual special events, including the Father’s Day Smoke & Steam Show in June, the Transportation Day Car & Motorcycle Show in July, the Corn Roast in August, Applefest and Spooky All Hallows’ Eve in October, and Christmas by Candlelight in December.
Christmas by Candlelight is one of seveeral special events hosted annually at Lang Pioneer Village Museum, a 19th-century living history museum in Keene. Engage in a traditional pioneer Christmas by singing carols, meeting Father Christmas, learning about the origins of holiday traditions, and delighting in the sights and sounds of the holidays. (Photo: Heather Doughty Photography)
However you choose to spend your time in Otonabee-South Monaghan, there is so much to be discovered.
“Surrounded by rolling drumlins, fertile fields, lush forests, and the sparkling waters of Rice Lake and the Otonabee and Indian Rivers, Otonabee-South Monaghan is a place to experience — and one that just might inspire you to stay longer than you planned,” Mayor Taylor says.
Road Tripping in The Kawarthas is a partnership between kawarthaNOW and the Peterborough County Tourism and Communications Division, created to showcase the unique and distinct townships of The Kawarthas.
This series supports the regional Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) campaign by inviting locals and nearby neighbours to rediscover the places, people, and businesses that make this region unforgettable. Every visit to The Kawarthas supports our local economy — and adds another chapter to your Kawarthas story.
encoreNOW for September 22, 2025 features (from left to right, top and bottom) Brewfest at 100 Acre Brewing Company, "Billboard In Concert: 1986" at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre, Artsweek in Peterborough, Foley's Irish Pub at Showplace's Cogeco Studio in Peterborough, The Dreamboats at Performing Arts Lakefield, and Bryan Adams "Roll with the Punches" tour at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. (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 a live music fundraiser for Peterborough’s Redpath Wellness Centre, Billboard In Concert’s homage to 1986 at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, the 20-year cultural celebration that is Artsweek, the return of Foley’s East Coast Pub to Showplace, Performing Arts Lakefield’s welcoming of The Dreamboats to open its new season, and Canadian rock music icon Bryan Adams in concert at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
Brewfest RedPath fundraiser on September 27 a live local music extravaganza at 100 Acre Brewing Company
VIDEO: “Talk to Me” – Sarah Jane Riley
If you’re lately more familiar than ever before with Peggy Shaughnessy and her good work, there’s good reason for that.
The co-founder of Right To Heal, a grassroots initiative that brought her RedPath addictions treatment program to her hometown of Peterborough, was just recently inducted into Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame. Just prior to that, the short film Healing Outside The System, which chronicles and honours her work building the community and connections that people need to find their path to healing, was premiered at Market Hall.
Now, what has been a busy month for Shaughnessy will continue on Saturday, September 27 when a benefit for RedPath will be held at 100 Acre Brewing Company off Ashburnham Road just south of the Highway 115 bypass.
Although billed as Brewfest, the fundraiser will feature live music at its centre, with two stages welcoming performances by Ty Wilson, Brad Renaud, Sarah Jane Riley, Jeanne Truax and Emily Burgess, Joslynn Burford, Baz Littlerock, Bon Jovi Forever, Monkey Wrench, High Waters Band, Midnight Jewel, Misfits In Action, and Gunslingers.
Besides that head-turning lineup of local musicians, the noon to 9 p.m. event will feature a cornhole tournament — a whole lot of bean bag-tossing fun for the uninitiated — a raffle table, food from Lowlands Fire Food ( which has made an art form of wood-fired pizza) and, of course, lots of craft beer. That’s a pretty good day.
This may be one of the last opportunities to enjoy live music in the great outdoors before things cool down, so get out enjoy and support what has been, and remains, an innovative and very effective approach in helping people on their long road to recovery.
Bring a lawn chair as seating is limited and, at the request of the vendor, outside food or drink is not permitted.
Pop music from 1986 squarely in the sights of Billboard In Concert September 26 to 28 at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre
Directed by Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson with a live band led by music director Jeff Newberry, “Billboard In Concert: 1986” features local and regional musicians performing hits by Lionel Ritchie, Patti LaBelle, Prince, Whitney Houston, Starship, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, and more. (Photo: Dahlia Katz)
In 1986, I was 28 years on this earth, working 12 hours a day and juggling a busy home life made interesting by the shenanigans of two boys, aged three and one. When the world stopped spinning, which was didn’t happen nearly enough, enjoying the recorded pop music of the time was a real treat.
According to Billboard magazine, the number song of 1986, from its polling of all genres of music, was “That’s What Friends Are For,” Dionne Warwick’s collaboration with Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. Not my number one choice of 1986, but a pretty good song nonetheless.
Whatever your favourite pop song of 1986 was, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll hear it as part of Billboard In Concert: 1986, the newest chapter in the Capitol Theatre’s ongoing series of tributes to the hit songs of any given year, which runs from Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28 in Port HOpe.
Directed by Capitol Theatre artistic director Rob Kempson with a live band led by music director Jeff Newberry, this signature remix of 1986 pop music favourites will feature hits by Lionel Ritchie (his “Say You, Say Me” was number two in Billboard’s 1986 ranking), Patti LaBelle, Prince, Whitney Houston, Starship, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, and many other leading acts.
Delivering the music will be local and regional performers Colin Ronald, Shannon Linton, Michelle Bardach, Zoë O’Connor, and Kelsey Verzotti, backed by a live band featuring Newberry on keyboards, Hanuel Yi on keyboards and percussion, Matt Ray on guitar, Tami Sorovaiski on bass, and David Schotzko on drums.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. on September 26 and 27, and 2 p.m. on September 28. Tickets are $55 ($45 for those under 30), except for the September 26 show which is pay what you can. Visit capitoltheatre.com to order.
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Peterborough’s treasured cultural event Artsweek retuns from September 28 to October 3
The Take-Out Poetry Cart, a popular activity at both Artsweek 2018 and Artsweek 2023, returns for Artsweek 2025. People step up to the handmade bicycle-pulled cart and a local poet creates a poem just for them, tapping it out on a classic manual typewriter. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Each year, Peterborough seems to lose one or more cultural events for any one of a number of reasons. That’s all the more reason to wholly celebrate, and support, those events that have well withstood the test of time, and today remain as vibrant, and vital, as they were on the day they were first presented.
In 2005, then Peterborough mayor Sylvia Sutherland appointed a committee to organize a year-long series of special projects and events as part of the city’s 100th anniversary. Enter arts managers and champions Liz Bierk and Su Ditta, who were asked to come up with ideas for arts-related legacy projects. The annual Artsweek festival was born.
With the aim of shining a light on the range and level of artistic talent in our midst by highlighting the creative, social and economic impact of works delivered by the arts community, Artsweek has presented the talents of numerous performers, representing a variety of genres — much of it staged in out-of-the-ordinary places.
In 2015, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), which Ditta heads, assumed responsibility for the now-biennial celebration from the city, with the last full-scale Artsweek event held in 2023. Now its returning, set for Sunday, September 28 to Sunday, October 5, with the opening ceremony on September 28 at 3 p.m. at Millennium Park.
At the opening, Mayor Jeff Leal will read the official Artsweek proclamation, with remarks by city councillor and artist Alex Bierk and performances by guest artists including Blues in the Bottle, Washboard Hank, Samantha Banton, Janet McCue, Sahira, Victoria Yeh, Caylie Staples, Josh Morley, and more.
The 2025 festival will see the return of popular events, including Porchapalooza on five verandas in the Teacher’s College neighbourhood on September 28, the Take-Out Poetry Cart featuring a rotating all-star line-up of area poets including Sarah Lewis, Thamer Linklater, Amal Osman, Ziysah von Bieberstein, and more, and the lunch-hour Hot Spots performance series in the Peterborough Square courtyard.
New events include Trent Radio’s Radio on the Go series at various locations, Solace for the Spirit by the Hollow Woods Recorder Consort and guests, the play The Auction written and directed by 4th Line Theatre’s Kim Blackwell, The Soul Buffet celebrating Black culture, food, and the oral traditions of spoken word within the Black community, and many more.
With cultural event providers constantly having to justify the social and economic benefits of their endeavours in the face of threatened government funding cuts, events such as Artsweek need, and deserve, our attention and support. It’s not a question of we can’t afford it. It’s a question of we can’t afford to lose it.
Foley’s East Coast Pub returns to Showplace in Peterborough on September 28
Foley’s East Coast Pub features stories by ‘Seanchai’ Hugh Foley with music performances by the Foley Celtic Band, comprised of Fiddlin’ Jay Edmunds, Ron Kervin, Andrew Martin, Theresa Foley, Sheila Prophet, and Norma Curtis. (Graphic courtesy of Foley’s East Coast Pub)
If there’s a local family that has more fun than the Foleys, I’m not aware of it. That includes my own, which is entertaining but often for all the wrong reasons.
The great thing about the Foley family is their unabashed willingness to share their fun with all who want in. Hence Foley’s East Coast Pub, which returns on Sunday, September 28 to Showplace’s Cogeco Studio with matinee and evening performances.
Promoted as “two hours of music, laughs and stories from Canada’s East Coast and the Maritimes,” the longstanding kitchen party (minus the kitchen) offers up sea shanties, folk ballads, and songs about sailing vessels, ghosts, pirates, and coal mines.
As usual, ‘Seanchai’ Hugh Foley — a gifted storyteller of considerable skill, wit, and knowledge — will hold court, with intermingled music performances by the Foley Celtic Band, comprised of Fiddlin’ Jay Edmunds, Ron Kervin, Andrew Martin, Theresa Foley, Sheila Prophet, and Norma Curtis.
This is as fun as it gets on a Sunday. Proof of that can be found in the fact that it perennially sells out. That said, visit www.showplace.org for tickets to the 2 or 7 p.m. staging as soon as you can, lest you be left disappointed. Tickets are $30 for adults or $15 for students.
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Performing Arts Lakefield goes back in time to open its 45th year on October 5
VIDEO: “Mustang Sally” performed by The Dreamboats
For a relatively small community, Lakefield sure has a lot going on. There’s the Lakefield Literary Festival and the Lakefield Jazz, Art and Craft Festival which, combined, annually draw thousands to the village.
And then there’s the live music series pulled together and presented annually by Performing Arts Lakefield (PAL).
Established in 1981 by the late high school teacher Alasdair Wallace, the series has been presented ever since, bringing to Lakefield top performers in a variety of music genres, including classical, jazz, and blues.
The 2025-26 season is now dawning at Lakefield United Church on Regent Street, with The Dreamboats kicking off the five-show season on Sunday, October 5. From the spirit rhythms of Chuck Berry to the infectious charm of The Wonders, this nostalgic trip down rock ‘n’ roll’s memory lane delivers hits of the 1950s and 1960s.
Having performed internationally as well as across Canada, the Mississauga-based quartet sounds and looks the part of the memorable acts they pay homage to. Gifted musicians, each has the pipes to go with it — the list of rave reviews on their website a promising preview of what their Lakefield audience can expect. But this is no simple tribute act. The Dreamboats put their own spin on the music so many know and still love.
Tickets to the 3 p.m. concert cost $40 ($15 for students) at performingartslakefield.org, where you can also find out more about the remaining concerts in the series and purchase series subscriptions. Individual concert tickets can also by purchased in Lakefield at Happenstance Books & Yarns.
Bryan Adams cuts like a knife through the Memorial Centre
VIDEO: “Roll With The Punches” – Bryan Adams
As talk of a new multi-use sport and event centre in Peterborough heats up once again, the old barn on Lansdowne Street still has some life in it.
Full evidence of that will come on Tuesday, October 7 when longtime Canadian rocker Bryan Adams returns to the Peterborough Memorial Centre as part of his North American “Roll With The Punches” tour promoting his 17th studio album of the same name. As a bonus, The Sheepdogs — well worth a look and listen on their own — are the opening act.
On the list of Canadian rock performers who have shown incredible staying power, Adams has to be very near the top.
Roll With The Punches was released in late August, featuring the title track and “Make Up Your Mind” as the first singles. The related tour, however, started in New Zealand and Australia earlier this year followed by a number of European dates. According to Adams himself, the Peterborough tour stop will “feature all the classics, some deep cuts and the sharing of brand new tracks.”
That’s all great, and expected, but if Adams performed just the “classics,” no one would leave disappointed. That’s the inevitable result when your repertoire includes “Cuts Like A Knife,” “I’m Ready,” “Heaven,” ‘”Summer of ’69’,” and “Everything I Do (I Do It For You).” Impressive as that is, it represents but a small sample size of the Kingston native’s hit music now 50 years in the making.
At age 65, we can assume Adams has a few live shows yet to give, but fans of his music, and the simply curious, would be wise to catch him while he’s still in very-close-to-peak form.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. concert range from $59.50 to $129.50 plus fees and taxes, and are available online at www.memorialcentre.ca, at the Memorial Centre box office, or by phone order at 705-743-3561 ext. 2.
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I cannot believe that the Jethro’s Family Friendly Blues Jam, held Sunday afternoons at the Jethro’s Bar + Stage on Hunter Street West, marked its third anniversary September 14 before a wall-to-wall crowd. It seems like yesterday that revered Peterborough musician Al Black started the jam. Since then, he has, with the venue’s blessing, brought countless up-and-coming musician on stage alongside many local established musicians. Almost every musician who has amounted to anything will tell you that the opportunity to play before an audience early on was key to their growth and subsequent success. The Jethro’s Family Friendly Blues Jam has reaped benefits we don’t even know of yet. Bet on it. Good on Al and all involved.
Also held recently was the sixth annual Big Band Day. The September 13th concert, held annually at Millennium Park, drew a large crowd, with the Peterborough Concert Band, Electric City Swing, Northern Spirit Big Band, The Ron Marenger Big Band, and Knightshift doing the honours via a 45-minute set each. For those with a liking for that big brass sound, and there are many, this concert delivered. Better still, it was delivered by those whose reward are the smiles on the faces of those within earshot. Playing music for the sheer love of it is never a bad thing. Kudos to Long & McQuade for again partnering on the event
More than 115 participants raised more than $14,000 for Community Care Peterborough as a result of "Golf Fore Care" tournament on September 9, 2025 at the Wildfire Golf and Country Club in Lakefield. The funds will support services provided in the organization's Lakefield and Apsley offices. (Photo: Community Care Peterborough)
Golfers recently scored a hole-in-one for people with disabilities and those recovering from illness to help them continue living at home in the Lakefield and Apsley areas.
Community Care Peterborough (CCP) says the 7th annual “Golf Fore Care” tournament, held on September 9 at the Wildfire Golf and Country Club in Lakefield, was a success. The event raised $14,577.95, for CCP’s Lakefield and Apsley service offices.
“This funding plays an important role in helping our Lakefield and Apsley offices continue providing vital programs for local residents,” Chris LeBlanc, CCP’s director of donor and public relations, told kawarthaNOW.
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“While we receive core funding from Ontario Health, it only covers about 55 per cent of our operating budget,” LeBlanc explained. “Each of our offices works hard to raise the remaining funds through donations, grants, and events like Golf Fore Care.”
To put that in perspective, LeBlanc said both CCP’s Lakefield and Apsley offices need to raise roughly $50,000 each year to maintain their services — “so a $7,000 boost (each) is a meaningful part of that. It helps ensure we can keep Meals on Wheels going, provide rides to medical appointments, and offer programs that support independence and well-being in our smaller communities.”
More than 115 golfers enjoyed a day of sunshine, sport, and generosity on one of the region’s top courses, according to a media release.
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The tournament featured a barbecue buffet lunch, a plated dinner with an awards presentation, and fundraising elements, including a popular 50/50 draw. The winner took home nearly $600. There was also a seven-for-$20 raffle featuring premium prize packs, such as passes for foursomes at Wildfire Golf and Country Club and the Quarry Golf Club, Yeti coolers, and more.
“This tournament truly brings together our community in such a joyful and generous spirit,” said Lorri Rork, CCP’s community development coordinator for the Lakefield office, in a statement.
“It’s always such a pleasure to welcome players who not only love the game, but also care deeply about supporting their neighbours in Selwyn, Douro-Dummer, and North Kawartha (townships).”
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CCP noted the day was made possible through strong community support and the sponsorship of local businesses. It gave a special shout-out to the year’s platinum sponsors — Kawartha Propeller, and a joint sponsorship from Alf Curtis Home Improvements and Castle Building Centres Group Ltd.
“We’re so grateful to our sponsors, players, and volunteers for making this event such a success,” added Katie Bryck, CCP’s community development coordinator in Apsley.
“The funds raised help us deliver essential programs like Meals on Wheels, transportation, and fitness classes for hundreds of local residents.”
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The Lakefield office served 656 clients last year across Selwyn and Douro-Dummer townships, offering high-demand services like transportation to medical appointments, brokered home help and maintenance, falls prevention classes, wellness clinics, and hot Meals on Wheels.
Meanwhile, the Apsley office supported 227 clients in North Kawartha township, with popular programs including transportation, frozen Meals on Wheels, and in-person fitness classes.
Both offices are currently welcoming new volunteers, especially in the areas of driving, friendly visiting, and fundraising support, the release noted. For more information about volunteering, call the Lakefield office at 705-652-8655 or the Apsley office at 705-656-4589.
With more than 800 volunteers and eight local service offices, CCP provides a wide range of programs and services that support the health and well-being of residents across the city of Peterborough and in Peterborough County.
The Globus Theatre production of Barb Scheffler's Canadian comedy "The Beaver Club" runs from September 24 to October 4, 2025 in Bobcaygeon and stars (left to right, top and bottom) Barb Scheffler as Eunice, Sarah Quick as Karen, Linda Goranson as Yvette, and Anna Silvija Broks as Radiance. (Supplied photos)
If you haven’t bought your tickets yet for Globus Theatre’s production of The Beaver Club, you won’t want to delay much longer.
Tickets are selling fast for Barb Scheffler’s hilarious and empowering comedy, which opens Wednesday night (September 24) in Bobcaygeon and runs for 11 performances until October 4. One matinee performance is already sold out, with limited seating for some of other performances. All optional dinners before the eight evening performances are also sold out.
One reason for the play’s popularity is undoubtedly the story — it’s about four older women with very different personalities who embark on a road trip from Toronto to Newfoundland — and another may be that the playwright herself is performing as one of the characters.
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Scheffler’s first full-length play, The Beaver Club premiered at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre in 2023 to rave reviews and a sold-out run, with Sookie Mei of Entertain This Thought calling it “an instant Canadian theatre classic.”
The story begins when uptight and fastidious Karen invites three of her Toronto condo neighbours — recently widowed Québécoise Yvette, adventurous free spirit Radiance, and Newfoundland native Eunice — to a scrapbooking session so they can get to know each other. When the group learns that Eunice has been invited to go to her nephew’s wedding in Dildo, Newfoundland but she’s reluctant to go on her own, they decide to go on a road trip together.
In the Globus production, Scheffler will play Eunice, Globus Theatre’s co-founder and artistic director Sarah Quick will play Karen, regular Globus Theatre performer Anna Silvija Broks will play Radiance, and veteran stage and screen actor Linda Goranson will play Yvette.
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Toronto native Scheffler, who will acting in her own play for the very first time, works primarily as a performer and is a graduate of Sheridan College’s musical theatre program. While raising her three children, she spent several years working for Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre and wrote several murder mysteries for the company before going on to write several short plays and collaborating with her husband Michael Harms on several musicals.
In an interview for Bruce County Playhouse, Scheffler described the origins of The Beaver Club.
“At the start of the pandemic I was invited to participate in a Zoom read-through of a script about four older women that were all American stereotypes,” she recalls. “You know, one was from the deep south, one had a Brooklyn accent, etc. And I thought to myself, why are we doing an American play? We have Canadian stereotypes too!”
“So I set out to write a comedy that drew on the regional characters we have here in Canada. And because I had been touring all across the country performing in Menopause the Musical Canada, I decided to send the characters on a road trip, drawing on some of the funny experiences that I had had travelling with a bunch of women.”
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Calling the play “my love letter to Canada,” Scheffler says she tried to incorporate all of the places she got to see, while also making the four characters more than just Canadian stereotypes.
“I really wanted to write a play about older women that didn’t just draw on cliches,” she says. “Even though they are stereotypes, each woman in The Beaver Club has a rich inner life and a complex history. I want the audience to laugh, to cry, and to ultimately fall in love with these characters.”
“I think that older women have so many fascinating stories to tell, and my goal as a playwright is to amplify those voices.”
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As for the name of the play, Scheffler says it reflects both the bawdy humour shared among the group of women and the fact the play is unabashedly Canadian.
“The Beaver Club just came to me as the perfect title because it’s a little bit salacious, but also very Canadian,” she says.
The Globus Theatre production of The Beaver Club runs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays from September 24 to 27 and October 1 to 4, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on September 27, October 2, and October 4. The October 2 matinee is sold out, and seating is limited for some of the remaining performances.
Tickets are $50 for the show only, or $100 for the show and a pre-show dinner (all dinners are sold out, but you can call Globus at 705-738-2037 or 1-800-304-7897 to be added to a waitlist). For tickets, visit www.globustheatre.com/shows-all/the-beaver-club.
The late James Massie has gifted 61 hectares of ecologically significant land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), which will allow Canada's leading national land conservation organization to expand the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, named after the late environmentalist Hazel Bird, to 215 hectares. (Photo: Chelsea Marcantonio)
With forested areas, sand barrens, and wetlands, 61 hectares of ecologically significant land in Northumberland County will now be protected in perpetuity by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).
On Tuesday (September 16), NCC announced it has received a legacy gift that will allow it to strengthen the conservation corridor in the Rice Lake Plains and protect the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve.
An estate gift of land from James Massie will allow for the permanent protection of the biologically rich site and the chance to expand the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve — a community treasure that features four kilometres of walking trails — to 215 hectares.
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The reserve is named after the late environmentalist Hazel Bird who, beginning in the late 1960s, helped re-establish the then-endangered eastern bluebird through the Bluebird Trial project, which saw the installation of hundreds of bluebird boxes in farmers’ fields in the Harwood area. A member of the Willow Beach Field Naturalists, Bird won the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society Conservation Award in 1996. She passed away in 2009 just two weeks before her 89th birthday.
NCC staff first met Massie more than a decade ago when the organization began habitat restoration efforts at the reserve. Massie knew Hazel Bird, with remnants of her iconic bluebird box network remaining on the land.
“Years ago, when NCC began habitat restoration work at the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, Mr. Massie, then a neighbour, was concerned about what he saw happening, worried that we were damaging the land, not healing it,” Brianne Curry, NCC’s communications manager for the Ontario region, told kawarthaNOW.
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“But over time, through conversations and trust built with our local staff, he came to understand the ecological goals behind the work,” Curry explained. “That shift from concern to understanding to confidence was so profound that Mr. Massie ultimately chose to leave his land to NCC in his will. It is a powerful example of how education and relationships can change minds and lead to lasting impact.”
The expansion protects a range of habitats, from restored tall grass prairie to spring-fed headwater wetlands and spans a four-kilometre cross-section of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The gifted property is located immediately south of the existing nature reserve. It supports a diversity of native species and contains remnant tall grass and oak savannah communities that are rich with prairie plants, such as savannah grass, sand dropseed, and New Jersey tea.
The property’s proximity to the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, a signature site for tallgrass prairie restoration, means its protection helps sustain a large example of globally rare black oak savannah and woodland habitat, according to a media release.
“This project builds on conservation efforts in the Rice Lake Plains and Northumberland County, where NCC and local partners have been working to restore habitats for many years,” the release states.
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The newly expanded reserve is also being managed as a source of native tall grass seed to support habitat restoration initiatives across the region, after receiving a boost from the Greenbelt Foundation.
The NCC expressed its gratitude to the late James Massie, stating that his “vision and generosity made this conservation achievement possible,” and also thanked the many private donors who also supported the project.
“NCC is proud and honoured that Mr. Massie has entrusted this property to NCC, and we’re thrilled about its direct connection to the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve,” noted Mark Stabb, NCC program director for central Ontario east, in a statement. “We are looking forward to restoring tallgrass ecosystems, such as oak savannah, on this fantastic property — a conservation outcome we know Mr. Massie wanted for his land.”
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This bequest brings the total area of conservation land protected directly by NCC in the Rice Lake Plains and Northumberland County to more than 1,200 hectares.
Habitat and restoration activities planned for the property include mapping of tall grass remnants, removal of some trash and debris, controlling non-native invasive species, and planting and seeding projects.
As Canada’s largest environmental charity, NCC has worked with partners to conserve natural landscapes since 1962. The private, non-profit organization aims to deliver solutions to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale and long-term conservation.
Tight Space Productions, a collective of independent filmmakers in their final year of film school at Toronto Metropolitan University, will be spending one week in Fenelon Falls in October 2025 to shoot a short eco-horror film. Also a metaphor about silencing voices, "The Pines" follows two ecologists who go to a remote cabin to study a mysterious fungus, which slowly infects them as the forest's hidden secrets come to life. The group is aiming to raise $12,000 to fund the ambitious project. (Photo: Tight Space Productions)
For one week in October, something sinister will be coming to life amongst pine trees in Fenelon Falls when a group of film students from Toronto shoot a thesis short film.
Titled The Pines, the film is the latest project from Tight Space Productions, a collective of independent filmmakers in their final year of film school at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Led by Alireza Jhomson, Angelo Agostino, Ethan Karmoil, and Alex Davidson, the film — labelled their most ambitious project to date — is an atmospheric horror short that follows two ecologists who go to a cabin in a remote forest to study a mysterious fungus that’s been growing on pine trees. When one of them develops a horrifying infection, the other works to unravel the true nature of the forest and uncovers something ancient buried beneath it.
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“They find these buried secrets and these buried evil things that have happened on that plot of land,” says Jhomson, who is the director and co-writer of the film. “At its core, it’s a story of nature and how nature always remembers, and the memory and danger of ignoring what came before.”
Given that Jhomson believes “metaphors are what separates a good film from a really good film,” there is also a deeper meaning about the silencing of voices. As an Iranian immigrant who came to Canada in 2014, Jhomson says this silencing is something he likes to “shine a light on” and incorporate throughout his projects.
“I come from a country where if you spoke out, it was dangerous,” he says. “If you criticized the government, it was dangerous. If you walked into the street and a little piece of your hair was sticking out of your hijab, it was dangerous. I’m so grateful to be here (in Canada) because I see kids my age back home and their lifestyle is just so different.”
The crew of Tight Space Productions, a collective of independent filmmakers in their final year of film school at Toronto Metropolitan University, behind the scenes of their latest film and first feature film “We Will Be Together,” which will be released in 2026. The ambitious crew of film students is currently working on “The Pines,” a short eco-horror film which is their most ambitious project to date and will be filmed on location in Fenelon Falls. (Photo: Tight Space Productions)
Jhomson recalls the 2022 wrongful arrest and killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the Iran morality police for not wearing her hijab properly and how it sparked the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran — a movement that remains active despite brutal repression by the Iranian authorities, who have killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands more.
“I was looking at my life and people my age protesting, fighting for their voices to be heard, fighting for that freedom,” Jhomson says. “They were getting abused and beat up and I was here (thinking) this is my chance to incorporate those voices into my stories.”
“The Pines is about a land that hasn’t forgotten what happened to it,” he adds. “It’s about those souls underneath that forest that are still grieving, and still remembering that they were wrongly displaced.”
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Though it’s certainly a horror film, Jhomson assures that The Pines will not be relying on “cheap jump scares.”
“(Our characters) go on their hero’s journey but some movies don’t do that, especially horror films, because they’re just trying to scare you. There are a lot of films where that’s their only goal and the story is out the window, but a horror story is just a good story.”
As an eco-horror film, which Jhomson calls an “underexplored” sub-genre, the use of the creepy and dark forest is an expected element of The Pines. But while surely any wooded area could be transformed into a threatening and ominous setting, when Jhomson visited his friend’s grandmother’s cabin in Fenelon Falls for the first time, he was instantly “drawn” to the forest out front, noting it was “love at first sight.”
“It clicked to me because in front of the plot of this cottage are these massive pines, and it’s a field of human-planted pine trees,” he says. “You know they didn’t just grow there because it’s so structural. It’s just rows and rows and rows of pine trees. I was blown away by the beauty of it — I knew filming had to be done here.”
VIDEO: “The Pines” fundraising appeal
Given that the Tight Space Productions is shooting on location, the students are aiming to raise $12,000 before they begin filming to cover the cost of transportation to and from Fenelon Falls for all cast and crew, accommodation and food, set construction, and gear rental. One of the costliest expenses is the makeup and special effects to bring the forest and fungal infections to life.
“We’re not doing any visual effects,” Jhomson says, referring to post-production effects such as computer-generated imagery. “We could have done the visual effects route, but it’s not authentic to the story we’re trying to tell and it’s not authentic to us.”
Tight Space Productions is encouraging donations by offering tiered sponsorship opportunities beginning as low as $25.From behind-the-scenes exclusives to being named an executive producer, there are some major perks for donating — whatever it takes to get the film made, according to Jhomson.
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“If I don’t raise enough money for this film, it’s not getting made. Even the smallest amount … will help us get this film made. We’re not selling you a product — we’re inviting you to be a part of something. We’re inviting you to be a part of this massive, exciting opportunity to help four young filmmakers go out with a bang in their fourth year.”
For updates on the film and to learn more about Tight Space Productions, and watch previous short films, follow Tight Space Productions on Instagram or YouTube.
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) is teaming up with Haliburton's Places for People to develop a 35-unit condominium development on Penisula Road in Haliburton that would include 20 affordable home ownership units and 15 affordable rental units. (Photo: Habitat PKR)
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) is teaming up with Places for People, a not-for-profit charity that specializes in developing and managing affordable rental housing for people in Haliburton County, to build a 35-unit affordable condominium development in Haliburton.
The partnership and proposed development on Peninsula Road, announced on Thursday (September 18) at a community event at the Haliburton Legion, would help address the urgent need for affordable housing in Haliburton County by combining home ownership and rentals.
Habitat PKR would offer 20 housing units through its affordable homeownership program, which allows individuals and families to purchase a home with no down payment and a geared-to-income mortgage, and Places for People aims to purchase 15 units for affordable rentals along with a commercial unit for the organization’s use.
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“When the chance to purchase land in Haliburton came up, we knew the need was there,” Holly McKinnon, communications and marketing manager for Habitat PKR, told kawarthaNOW.
“Almost 40 per cent of tenant households in the (Haliburton area) are paying more than 30 per cent of their income on housing. Partnering with Places for People just made sense. They’re rooted in the community, they have strong support, and their affordable rental program reaches people who may not qualify for a Habitat mortgage but still deserve safe, stable housing.”
The development would include one and two bedroom units that are universally accessible, modern, and energy-efficient for individuals, couples, families, and seniors, as well as dedicated commercial space.
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The partnership between the two organizations combines Habitat PKR’s decades of experience building affordable homes and supporting families into homeownership with Places for People’s knowledge of affordable rental housing and its connections in the local community.
“Habitat PKR has long been the trusted leader in building affordable homes for homeownership, making them the perfect partner for Places for People as we expand the affordable rental sector,” said Places for People president Susan Tromanhauser in a statement. “Together, the organizations are creating a model that will strengthen Haliburton for years to come.”
With plans still in early development, the two organizations are currently focusing on gaining community support and raising funds for the development. The earliest date for construction to begin is 2027.
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“These 35 homes will be so much more than affordable housing,” said Habitat PKR CEO Susan Zamboni. “They will give local families and individuals the stability, dignity, and opportunity they deserve. Safe, stable housing strengthens the entire community. When people have a secure place to live, their incomes grow, they invest locally, and Haliburton thrives.”
Since 2002, Habitat PKR has supported 98 families into affordable homeownership through a series of home-building projects.
Since 2010, Places for People has grown to own and manage 20 residential units across Haliburton County, housing over 100 people including 32 families.
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