Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef (left) with Community Futures Peterborough exeuctive director Gail Moorhouse and Northumberland CFDC executive director Wendy Curtis (second and first from right) along with some of the 26 businesses and organizations receiving $1.2 million in funding from FedDev Ontario's Rural Innovation Initiative of Eastern Ontario program. The funding was announced on March 5, 2020 at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough. Regional funding is administered by Northumberland CFDC and local funding is administered by Community Futures Peterborough. (Photo: Office of Maryam Monsef)
The federal government is investing almost $1.2 million in 26 businesses in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
The funding comes from the Rural Innovation Initiative of Eastern Ontario (RIIEO) program funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). The RIIEO funding is aimed at helping traditional small- and medium-sized businesses and manufacturers expand their business growth and adopt innovative business processes.
Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef made the funding announcement on Thursday (March 5) morning at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough, along with representatives from economic development organizations Community Futures Peterborough and Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) and the businesses receiving funding.
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“Through smart investments that support our rural innovators and entrepreneurs, we strengthen the local economy and create jobs,” Monsef said. “Our government is pleased to work with Northumberland CFDC and Community Futures Peterborough to ensure our local businesses have the tools they need to develop and reach new markets.”
Seven Peterborough-area manufacturers will receive up to $700,000 in RIIEO regional funding, administered by Northumberland CFDC, matched by a total of $1,905,701 in incremental private investment.
“Northumberland CFDC is pleased to support the momentum of eastern Ontario innovation, specifically within the manufacturing sector,” says Northumberland CFDC executive director Wendy Curtis. “These investments position the Peterborough area and local economy well to meet the increasing demands of its customers, and enable growth, diversity and expansion into global markets.”
VIDEO: Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef at VentureNorth in Peterborough
The best, most innovative ideas and solutions to some of our most pressing challenges are developed by businesses in our own backyard. Today, I announced $1.2 million to support 26 businesses here in #ptbokawartha reach their full potential! For more on today’s announcement: https://mmonsef.liberal.ca/news-nouvelles/monsef-announces-nearly-1-2-million-for-26-local-businesses-to-innovate-expand-and-create-jobs/ Community Futures Peterborough Northumberland CFDC
The seven businesses receiving RIIEO regional funding are:
Canadiana Cabinets Ltd of Peterborough, which makes custom kitchen cabinets, vanities, built-ins, range hoods, and accessories.
Dynacast Ltd of Peterborough, which manufactures die cast zinc and components, including metal injection technology.
Havelock Metal Co. of Havelock, a manufacturer of metal roofing and siding products.
Kingdon Lumber Limited of Lakefield, a manufacturer and supplier of building materials.
Quickmill Inc. of Peterborough, a designer and manufacturer of large gantry CNC machining centres.
Ritz Plastics Inc. of Peterborough, which provides injection moulding, insert moulding, product distribution, and prototyping services.
Savage Arms (Canada) Inc. of Lakefield, which manufactures rimfire sporting rifles.
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An additional $450,000 in RIIEO local funding, administered by Community Futures Peterborough, will go towards 17 local businesses and two economic development organizations operating in the city and county of Peterborough.
“This stream of funding has allowed local businesses to think boldly about their future and how to implement innovative measures to grow and protect jobs in the future,” says Community Futures Peterborough executive director Gail Moorhouse. “We are thrilled with the quality of exciting projects and innovation taking place in our community.”
Businesses receiving RIIEO local funding include Nurse’s Emission Testing & Repair, Woodaholic Ecocraft, At The Lake Distributing Inc., Iron Equipment, Cambium, Black and Smith Ironworks, Kawartha Metals Corporation, Keene Truck, Woodleigh Farms, Percheron Plastic, Nero Performance Materials, Steelworks Design Inc., Community Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd., BOSTL, Diatom Professional Consulting and Training Inc., Lucky Strike Bait Works Ltd, and Red Tracker.
Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef (third row, right), Northumberland CFDC executive director Wendy Curtis (first row, left), and Community Futures Peterborough exeuctive director Gail Moorhouse (first row, third from left) with representatives from the seven businesses receiving up to $700,000 in RIIEO regional funding, administered by Northumberland CFDC, matched by a total of $1,905,701 in incremental private investment. The businesses are Canadiana Cabinets Ltd, Dynacast Ltd, Havelock Metal Co., Kingdon Lumber Limited, Quickmill Inc., Ritz Plastics Inc., and Savage Arms (Canada) Inc. (Photo: Office of Maryam Monsef)
Economic development organizations Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development are also receiving RIIEO local funding.
“We used this funding to purchase a new enterprise resource planning software called NetSuite,” says At The Lake Distributing owner Niki Pulchinski. “This innovative system is instrumental in increasing our productivity and efficiencies and pave the way for us to accelerate our growth.”
The government estimates that the funding will contribute to creating around 93 jobs and maintaining 391 jobs in the city and county of Peterborough.
GreenUP's Matthew Walmsley enjoys some quality family time as he teaches his son how to fly fish along the Trent-Severn Waterway in Peterborough. By practising sustainable recreational fishing, children and adults alike can enjoy physical and psychological health benefits of spending time in the natural environment. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Walmsley)
March has arrived, and the spring fishing season openers are just weeks away.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Heather Ray, Manager of Water Programs at GreenUP.
Recreational fishing offers many benefits. Through fishing, children and adults alike can connect with the natural environment, enjoy first-hand experiential learning about different species and habitats, connect with the food web, and confirm the importance of clean water. Fishing can also offer stress relief and natural health benefits.
Like any interaction with the environment, however, it is important to minimize the negative impacts of recreational fishing.
“There’s more to angling than just catching fish,” says Adam Weir of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH). “Healthy fisheries rely on anglers being good environmental stewards. Do your part so current and future generations can enjoy Ontario’s world-class fisheries.”
Anglers of any experience level can always learn more about how to leave a smaller footprint. To help, here are five green fishing tips with the memorable acronym LEARN — Licence, Education, Awareness, Respect, No Waste.
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License
Even if you only plan to fish for one-day, get a valid Ontario fishing license.
A fishing license is legally required, and it is also a great way to give back. One hundred per cent of revenues from licenses go directly toward the protection of future of fish and wildlife in Ontario through education, conservation, and management.
Unless you are a veteran or an active Canadian Armed Forces member, you need an Outdoors Card and a fishing licence to fish in Ontario. If you plan to fish for a single day only, you do not need an Outdoors Card but you will need a one-day sport fishing licence. (Photo: Government of Ontario)
Education
Take responsibility for your own education about how to fish sustainably. Reading this article is a good first step.
Fishing regulations can feel overwhelming at first. Consider educating yourself about two key things: where you are fishing and what you might catch. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry offers an online fishing tool with maps and information on fishing in Ontario called Fish ON-Line that can help answer both questions.
Through Fish ON-Line, you can search the name of the waterbody you are planning to fish (for example, Chemong Lake) and the mapping tool will display waterbody information, regulations, fishing seasons, fish species, etc. Fish management is sectioned into 20 geographical zones within Ontario to help protect fish populations and prevent harm.Learn more at www.ontario.ca/page/how-use-fish-line.
Fish ON-Line is a mobile-friendly website with maps and information on fishing in Ontario. Pictured is information about Chemong Lake. (Screenshot)
Being educated on what species you might catch and how to properly handle them is also vital for reducing harm. Proper handling of fish can be specific to the species you have caught, so read up on species within the waterbody you are visiting.
Generally, hold fish gently, evenly support the full weight of the fish, and get the fish back into the water as quickly as you can. Do not reel fish in too quickly from deep water: give them time to adjust to changes in depth.
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Awareness
Just as you would be mindful to not trample your own garden or introduce pests or weeds, be aware of the habitats around you while fishing. For example, avoid damaging shoreline vegetation as a healthy shoreline is essential to reducing erosion and providing shaded fish habitat.
Dumping extra bait into a local waterway is illegal, and for good reason. The release of live or natural bait could have detrimental impacts on waterways and fish habitat. Bait species may not be native (naturally supposed to be in a waterway), and they could be invasive (have the potential to spread quickly). Invasive bait species could take over natural habitats and food sources, causing the collapse of aquatic species (like fish) and water quality.
For example, according to Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program, earthworms make great bait, but are not native to Ontario and can cause severe harm to Ontario’s forest ecosystems if dumped into a new area.
VIDEO: Invading Species Awareness Program PSA – Live Bait
Try to bring only as much bait as you need. Bring any unused bait back with you. Some baits can be frozen or chilled for future use.
Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program offers resources to help you be aware of plant and animal species you should avoid introducing to Ontario waterways. For more information about bait and invasive species, visit www.invadingspecies.com.
Respect
Whether you are an experienced or first-time angler, demonstrate respect for fish and their environment.
This respect includes being a positive advocate for more sustainable ways to fish recreationally, and following sustainable practices while fishing.
Sharing these principles will encourage others to also take measures to respectfully protect the environment.
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No waste
Do not leave any fishing tackle or other waste behind. Fishing line, for example, can cause significant harm to fish, turtles, birds, and humans if it is not disposed of properly.
Fishing conservation groups have installed designated Fish Line Recycling Depots at many popular fishing areas across Ontario. These depots are long, vertical white pipes (usually with a sign), with a slot designed to only accept fishing line.
Practicing sustainable fishing ensures that future generations are able to connect with a healthy, natural environment through fishing. Share these tips for how to LEARN sustainable fishing. If you are new to fishing, consider participating in the Tackle Share program this year.
“Each summer, Otonabee Conservation partners with OFAH to provide the Tackle Share program at Beavermead Campground in the City of Peterborough,” says Paul Finigan, a watershed biologist with Otonabee Conservation.
“The program provides fishing rods and reels, along with workshops about fish identification, aquatic habitats, and water safety tips so that if you’re new to fishing, you have everything you need to give it a try. You can also fish at some of Otonabee Conservation’s lands.”
To report illegal fishing or other natural resource violations, call the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s hotline at 1-877-MNR-TIPS (1-877-847-7667).
22-year-old Kaleb Gordon has been arrested in connection with with alleged sexual assaults in Asphodel-Norwood and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen townships. (OPP supplied photo)
Peterborough County OPP have arrested a man wanted in connection with alleged sexual assaults in Asphodel-Norwood and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen townships.
On Tuesday (March 3), police had issued a warrant for the arrest of 22-year-old Kaleb Gordon and asked for the public’s assistance in locating the suspect, known to frequent the Norwood, Havelock, Marmora, and Belleville areas.
Police located and arrested Gordon on Wednesday afternoon (March 4).
He is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on Thursday (March 5) for a bail hearing.
Jenna Pilgrim (centre), co-founder and CEO of blockchain start-up Streambed Media, receives the Young Alumni Leader Award from Trent University's Traill College principal Michael Eamon and Trent alumni engagement and services coordinator Sue Robinson in February 2020. Streambed Media was also mentioned in a recent Forbes story about the impact of blockchain technology on the media and entertainment industry. (Photo: Trent University)
businessNOW™ is the most comprehensive weekly round-up of business and organizational news and events from Peterborough and across the Kawarthas.
Every week, our managing editor collects news and events related to businesses and organizations from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
The week’s news features Peterborough blockchain entrepreneur Jenna Pilgrim being honoured by Trent University, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development unveiling its new five-year regional economic development strategic plan, the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough announcing the nominees for the Businesswomen of the Year Awards and the Judy Heffernan Award, Havelock Country Jamboree and Buckhorn Festival of the Arts being named as two of the top 100 festivals and events in Ontario, and other notable business and organization news from across the Kawarthas.
New events added this week include the Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce’s social media workshop in Coboconk on March 9th, the Innovation Cluster’s tax workshop for start-ups in Peterborough on March 12th, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s business planning workshop in Peterborough on March 18th, the Trent Hills Chamber’s members-only coffee chat with MP Philip Lawrence in Warkworth on March 20th, the Brighton & Cramahe Chamber’s 2020 Business Achievement Awards in Colborne on March 25th, the Bobcaygeon Chamber’s Awards of Excellence celebration in Bobcaygeon on April 25th, and the Port Hope Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards in Cobourg on April 25th.
Peterborough blockchain entrepreneur Jenna Pilgrim honoured by Trent University
Peterborough native Jenna Pilgrim has recently achieved a few milestones in her career as a blockchain entrepreneur, including an honour from her alma mater Trent University and a mention of her new company in Forbes magazine.
Pilgrim is the co-founder and CEO of tech start-up Streambed Media, a company that uses the blockchain — the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — to help creators manage and monitor content rights, distribution, and collective analytics. Blockchain technology enables distributed digital public ledgers that hold incorruptible data in a secure and encrypted way, ensuring that transactions between parties can never be altered.
Pilgrim, who went to Adam Scott Collegiate & Vocational Institute before obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration from Trent University in 2012, became a blockchain subject matter expert almost by accident. She first heard about Bitcoin in late 2015, following a meeting with Trent University Chancellor Don Tapscott after she had reviewed his 1994 book The Digital Economy on her blog. Tapscott offered her a job and became her mentor, and she began working as publicist for the 2016 book The Blockchain Revolution by Don and his son Alex.
Peterborough native and tech entrepreneur Jenna Pilgrim, co-founder and CEO of tech start-up Streambed Media, became interested in blockchain technology following a 2015 meeting with Trent University Chancellor Don Tapscott. (Jenna Pilgrim / Twitter)
That led to a stint as director of business development for the Tapscotts’ Blockchain Research Institute, and then Michael J. Casey (author of the 2015 book The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money Are Challenging the Global Economic Order) approached her with an idea for a blockchain-based media company. She was also the director of partnerships at Bloq Inc., a blockchain company that builds tools to make it easier for organizations to build on public blockchains.
In January, Pilgrim was one of the speakers at the North American Bitcoin Conference in Miami, where she introduced Streambed Media to conference attendees.
In February, she became the youngest-ever recipient of Trent University’s Young Alumni Leader Award, recognizing her leadership in the Canadian blockchain and Bitcoin communities, as well as her volunteer efforts with both the Upper Canada College rowing program and the Trent University Rowing Club.
VIDEO: “Introducing Streambed: Content Networks For The World” – Jenna Pilgrim
Most recently, Streambed Media was featured in Forbes in a February 26th story by Tatiana Koffman entitled How Blockchain Will Transform Media & Entertainment, which explains how companies such as Streambed Media are using blockchain technology in the entertainment industry to deal with issues of ownership and rights management over content.
“Toronto-based StreambedMedia is creating a content provenance mechanism which allows creators to track content posted on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with a reputation mechanism,” Koffman writes. “The free platform allows you to share traffic data with other creators and immutably link yourself to other creators in your video, those who paid you to make the video, those who share the video on other platforms, and other co-creators. StreambedMedia’s strategy taps into another yet unrealized major trend – using blockchain to monetize micro content.”
Streambed Media is currently raising financing. For more information and to sign up for updates, visit streambedmedia.com.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development unveils new five-year regional economic development strategic plan
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development has unveiled its five-year regional economic development strategic plan entitled “Future Ready: 2020-2024”. (Graphic courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
On Monday (March 2), Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development unveiled Future Ready: 2020-2024, its new five-year regional economic development strategic plan for the City and County of Peterborough.
The strategic plan is centred on a vision for the region to become the most sustainable and innovative community and economy in Ontario, based on four objectives: promoting Peterborough and the Kawarthas as a destination of choice for visitors, businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and students; leveraging the region’s mix of rural and urban assets and business; building a job-ready, highly skilled and innovative workforce for the future; and supporting all phases of entrepreneurship while also supporting existing businesses.
“That’s our vision, but we can’t do it alone,” says Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development board chair Dana Empey. “We’re trying to make Peterborough and the Kawarthas more competitive and attractive for business. We’re confident that this plan will help us get there.”
VIDEO: Future Ready: 2020-2024 Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan
The four objectives will be supported through 18 actions that Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development will implement over the next five years through annual business plans.
“By 2041, Peterborough is expected to see a projected 41 per cent increase of residents,” says Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development president and CEO Rhonda Keenan. “The region will need to work together to manage that growth and become a destination of choice. We need to work with business leaders, both local and global, for sustainable prosperity. We need to work with government agencies, stakeholders, researchers and educators.”
Future Ready: 2020-2024 was developed through input from a steering committee of business and academic leaders, eight focus group sessions, input from Trent University business students, Business classes, input from the City and County of Peterborough, and hundreds of hours in research and data collection.
Women’s Business Network of Peterborough announces nominees for Businesswomen of the Year Awards and Judy Heffernan Award
The 2020 Businesswomen of the Year Awards and the Judy Heffernan Award will be presented during a dinner and presentation ceremony on April 23, 2020 at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club. (Graphic: Women’s Business Network of Peterborough)
The Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN) has announced the nominees for the Businesswomen of the Year Awards and the Judy Heffernan Award.
Previously known as the Women in Business Award, the Businesswomen of the Year Awards recognize women who demonstrate business leadership within their business or organization that has resulted in job creation, innovation, or increased business acumen. It also recognizes the recipients’ impact on the community at large, including, volunteering, and other contributions. The nominees are:
Entrepreneur Category
Amelia Valenti, Owner, Innovative Life Designs
Angela Jones, Owner & Principal Designer, Lakeshore Designs
Julia Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health
Julie Howe, Sales & Marketing Manager, Nexicom Inc.
Katie Young-Haddlesey, Manager of Economic Development, Curve Lake First Nation
Sandra Dueck, Policy Analyst & Communication Specialist, Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce
Sarah Handy, Quality Manager, Central Smith Ice Cream
Rose Terry, Marketing Manager & Senior Innovation Specialist, Innovation Cluster
Named after the late well-respected leader of the Peterborough business community, the Judy Heffernan Award is awarded to a female entrepreneur, mentor, or student who embodies the Heffernan’s legacy of humbly helping others succeed. The nominees are:
Abeer AlSalihi, Settlement Worker in Schools, New Canadians Centre Peterborough and Northumberland
Cora Whittington, Owner, Golden Pathways B&B and Coach Cora Leadership Coaching
Denise Vallee, Region Sales Coach, The Co-operators
Diane Wolf, Owner, Diane Wolf Counselling
Heather Doughty, Photographer & Founder of Inspire Women Project, Heather Doughty Photography
Jeannine Taylor, Founder, CEO, and Publisher, kawarthaNOW.com
Lesley Robb, Owner, Swell Made Co. & Swell Made Design
Rose Terry, Marketing Manager & Senior Innovation Specialist, Innovation Cluster
The recipients will be announced at a dinner and presentation ceremony, emceed by Megan Murphy, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 23rd at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club (1030 Armour Rd., Peterborough).
Havelock Country Jamboree and Buckhorn Festival of the Arts named as two of the top 100 festivals and events in Ontario
Last Friday (February 27), Festivals and Events Ontario announced its 2020 Top 100 Festivals & Events in Ontario, representing festivals and events that excel within the industry.
The recipients included Havelock Country Jamboree and Buckhorn Festival of the Arts.
For the sixth year in a row, Havelock Country Jamboree was also named as a Festival & Event of Distinction, a select group representing some of the most well-known and respected celebrations in the province that draw both an international and domestic audience.
The 43rd Buckhorn Festival of the Arts takes place on August 15 and 16, 2020 in Buckhorn and the 31st annual Havelock Country Jamboree takes place from August 13 to 16, 2020.
Other notable business and organization news from across the Kawarthas
Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre executive and medical director Dr. Sue Carstairs performs surgery on one of the many hundreds of injured turtles admitted to the centre in 2019. Dr. Carstairs has been appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour. (Photo: Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre)
Here’s a summary of other notable business and organizational news from across the Kawarthas over the past week:
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce Awards of Excellence in nine categories: Employee Achievement, Customer Service Excellence, New Business Achievement, Business Achievement, Community Group Achievement, Creative Arts Achievement, Hospitality, and Citizen of the Year. For nomination forms, visit www.bobcaygeon.org/AOE2020-Nominate.
The Academy Theatre for Performing Arts (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay) has launched a survey seeking public feedback to help the non-profit organization shape its future programming, marketing, and overall operations. Hard copies of the survey are available at the box office, with an online version available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/JM9NMDW.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is seeking volunteers to join the organization’s board of directors, requiring 10 to 12 hours per month. Expressions of interest are welcomed by 11 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18th. For more information, contact YWCA Peterborough Haliburton executive assistant Yvonne Porter at 705-743-3526 ext. 116 or yporter@ywcapeterborough.org.
RBC has donated $10,000 to “Peterborough Performs: Musicians Against Homelessness”, a fundraiser for the United Way taking place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 5th at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, medical officer of health with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, will be retiring in summer 2020 after 16 years with the organization. A committee of board of health members will begin recruiting for her successor.
Dr. Sue Carstairs, executive director and chief medical officer of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, has been appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour. Since 2008, Dr. Carstairs has lead the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre from a small grassroots organization into the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, an internationally recognized research and treatment centre.
Susan Dunkley is the new annual giving coordinator for The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough. She previously worked for the Peterborough Humane Society.
Mandy Juby Livings has joined the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism as its new membership coordinator.
As of May 1, 2020, Vinnies Peterborough will no longer be using plastic bags at any of its three locations in Peterborough and Lakefield.
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Peterborough Chamber hosts networking event at Showplace in Peterborough on March 3
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting its next Peterborough Business Exchange (PBX) networking event from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3rd at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
PBX is for anyone in business looking to interact with other businesses, influencers, and community leaders. See what Showplace has to offer and take a tour of their facilities.
Everyone is invited to attend this event. Chamber members are welcome to bring a door prize for a plug at the podium.
Northumberland Chamber and Town of Cobourg host 2019 Business Achievement Awards gala in Cobourg on March 6
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Cobourg are hosting the 2019 Business Achievement Awards gala beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6th at Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre (930 Burnham St., Cobourg).
The awards recognize excellence and honour high achievers in the local business community. Gala attendees can network during cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards ceremony beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Women leaders in hospitality host International Women’s Day Feast fundraiser in Peterborough on March 8
Susan Houde of Two Dishes Cookshop, Lisa Dixon of Black Honey, Bonnie Kubica of BE Catering, and Shannon Mak of Le Petit Bar have come together to host International Women’s Day Feast at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 8th at St Veronus Cafe and Tap Room (129 Hunter St. W., Peterborough).
Designed by Dixon, Kubica, and Houde, the five-course menu will feature: sour cherry and goat cheese terrine; two-way smoked trout with winter greens, apple and walnut; roasted sweet potato and red pepper soup; lemon thyme roasted Three Forks chicken with quinoa gravy and wild rice stuffing; and white chocolate-pumpkin mousse and almond dacquoise Napoleon. Wine and beer pairings will be provided by certified sommelier Shannon Mak.
The cost is $125 per person, with all proceeds benefitting YWCA Peterborough Halliburton. Tickets are available at Black Honey (217 Hunter St. W/, Peterborough,) and Le Petit Bar (399 Water St, Peterborough).
Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce hosts social media workshop in Coboconk on March 9
The Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Kawartha Lakes’ Digital Main St. initiative, is hosting “Using Social Media to Connect to Your Customer” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 9th at the Coboconk Train Station (2894 Portage Rd., Coboconk).
The free workshop is open to everyone. RSVP by 12 p.m. on Friday, March 6th to chamber@coboconknorland.ca.
Peterborough Chamber and partners host business summit in Peterborough on March 11
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and RT08, is hosting “Business Summit 2020: Future Ready” from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11th at Ashburnham Funeral Home & Reception Centre (840 Armour Rd., Peterborough).
The half-day conference focused on strengthening business features author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Daniel Lewis, the owner of the award-winning tea shop T by Daniel, as keynote speaker along with a panel discussion on marketing and workshops on succession planning, sales, sustainability, and digitization.
The cost is $75, which includes breakfast and lunch. Register at peterboroughchamber.ca.
Innovation Cluster hosts tax workshop for start-ups in Peterborough on March 12
Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is hosting “Hands-ON: Tax Prep for Startups with BDO” from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12th in the large ground-floor boardroom at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
Facilitated by Matthew Schneider, Alex Archibald, and Jess Conlin of BDO’s Peterborough office, the workshop will provide attendees with information about business structures, the importance of bookkeeping, basic tax filing requirements, HST, and more.
Trent Hills Chamber holds annual general meeting in Campbellford on March 12
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual general meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12th at the Clock Tower Cultural Centre (36 Front St. S., Campbellford).
The event features networking and light refreshments at 6 p.m. followed by the annual general meeting, including a review of the Chamber events, activities, and programs that took place in 2019, at 6:30 p.m.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts business planning workshop in Peterborough on March 18
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is hosting “Business Fundamentals: Business Planning” from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18th in the VentureNorth board room (270 George St., Peterborough).
The session is designed to give entrepreneurs a strong foundation in business planning and to explain the importance of a comprehensive business plan. Tools available for creating a business plan will be shared as well as top tips for creating a plan ready to share with banks and funding agencies to secure financing.
Trent Hills Chamber hosts members-only coffee chat with MP Philip Lawrence in Warkworth on March 20
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce is hosting a members-only coffee chat with Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence from 8 to 9 a.m. on Friday, March 20th at Glover’s Farm Market (14260 County Rd. 29, Warkworth).
There is no cost to attend, and muffins and coffee or tea will be served.
Kawartha Chamber hosts sexual harassment in the workplace seminar in Lakefield on March 25
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s next Business Owners Sharing Solutions (B.O.S.S.) seminar, on the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace, takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25th at the Lakefield Legion (10 Nicholls St., Lakefield).
The seminar will help you to understand the duties and responsibilities of businesses and organizations including training, obligations to report and investigate, resources, domestic violence, how to deal with a disclosure, what can be considered sexual harassment, and more. The speaker (to be announced) will use real-life examples and encourage discussion amongst the attendees.
Brighton & Cramahe Chamber hosts 2020 Business Achievement Awards in Colborne on March 25
The Brighton & Cramahe Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Business Achievement Awards from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25th at Keeler Centre (80 Division St., Colborne).
More details will be forthcoming closer to the event date.
Peterborough Chamber of Commerce holds annual general meeting in Peterborough on March 26
Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli will be the keynote speaker at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting on March 26, 2020. (Photo: Vic Fedeli / LinkedIn)
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual general meeting from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26th at The StoneHouse Hall (2195 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough).
The meeting will include a look back at 2019 and will feature Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli will be the keynote speaker.
Chamber members will be asked to approve the audited financial statements of the corporation and the actions of the board of directors for 2019, as well as proposed by-law changes.
Registration takes place at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m., business at 12 p.m., and the guest speaker at 12:30 p.m.
The cost for the meeting, which includes lunch, is $30 plus HST for members and $40 plus HST for non-members. Register at www.peterboroughchamber.ca (registration deadline is Thursday, March 19th).
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Bobcaygeon Chamber hosts Awards of Excellence celebration in Bobcaygeon on April 25
The Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Awards of Excellence celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 25th at Lakeview Arts Barn (2300 Pigeon Lake Rd., Bobcaygeon).
The event includes a cocktail reception, a sit-down three-course meal, and the awards presentation. Tickets are $55 per person or $440 for a table of eight.
Port Hope Chamber hosts Business Excellence Awards in Cobourg on April 25
The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 23rd Annual Business Excellence Awards from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 25th at Dalewood Golf and Country Club (7465 Dale Rd., Cobourg).
More details will be forthcoming closer to the event date.
For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.
Paddlers at the 2015 Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival, which returns to Del Crary Park in Peterborough for its 20th year on Saturday, June 13th. To date, the annual event has raised more than $3.6 million for for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW.com)
This year, Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival is celebrating 20 years of making a difference for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
The 20th annual festival will take place on Saturday, June 13th at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough and features a fun day of dragon boat racing on Little Lake between community, competitive, and breast cancer survivor teams.
Paddler registration opens at ptbodragonboat.ca just after midnight on Tuesday, March 3rd. The first three teams to register will get a free extra on-water practice.
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This year, the festival is marking both the year 2020 and its 20th anniversary with a fundraising goal of $202,020.20. Last year’s goal was $191,000.00, and the event raised $241,738.54 — bringing the total raised over the 19 years of the festival to more than $3.6 million.
“We are so proud of the incredible impact that Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival has had since its inception,” says Gina Lee, the new chair for the 2020 festival. “We have a lofty goal this year of raising $202,020.20. I encourage everyone in our community to get involved by registering a team, volunteering for this year’s festival, or supporting through fundraising to help us reach our target.”
Lee is herself a breast cancer survivor and a member of festival host Survivors Abreast, a competitive Peterborough-based dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and, thanks to the care she received at PRHC and the support of her friends and family, she was able to join the Survivors Abreast team the following year and participated in her first Dragon Boat Festival in 2013.
Gina Lee, a breast cancer survivor and member of the Survivors Abreast dragon boat team, is the chair for the 2020 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival)
“Being a survivor myself, I know first hand how important it is to have the very best cancer care,” Lee says. “It saves lives. I caught the wave of excitement at my first festival, and now I’m so honoured to be part of this awesome event, helping to ensure that gold-standard cancer care is available to everyone in our community.”
Platinum sponsor Kawartha Credit Union returns as this year’s lead sponsor for the 19th year in a row. Along with the dragon boat races, the 2020 festival will see a return of the vendor village, a family fun zone, beer garden, food options, and live entertainment.
Proceeds from the 2020 festival will help fund the next step forward in PRHC’s chemotherapy program: the state-of-the-art Robotic Intravenous Automation System (RIVA), which is designed to reliably and accurately prepare IV syringes and bags in hospital pharmacies. By automating the preparation process, the system addresses issues of safety for both patients and staff as well as improved efficiency and precision.
Clocks move forward one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2020 as Daylight Saving Time begins. The time change is also when you should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and check if the devices themselves should be replaced.
The second Sunday of March is almost here, which means it’s time to “spring forward”: Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8th, when clocks move forward an hour.
Whether you call it “Daylight Savings” or “summer time” or “cottage time”, the good news is that the time switch means we’ll have more daylight in the evening hours (the sun will set at 7:11 p.m. on Sunday night). The bad news is that we all lose an hour of sleep.
If you still have any manual clocks, remember to set them forward an hour before you go to bed on Saturday night.
The time change is also when you should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and also check whether the devices need to be replaced (if they are more than 10 years old, they probably do).
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Who invented DST and why?
If Daylight Saving Time bugs you, you can blame New Zealand entomologist George Hudson. He first proposed “saving daylight” in 1895 so he could have more daylight to collect insects.
Although it’s commonly believed Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea for DST, it was actually New Zealand entomologist George Hudson.
In 1895, Hudson proposed a two-hour shift in the clocks (he wanted more daylight to collect insects).
“The effect of this alteration would be to advance all the day’s operations in summer two hours compared with the present system,” Hudson wrote in 1898, explaining his original proposal. “In this way the early-morning daylight would be utilised, and a long period of daylight leisure would be made available in the evening for cricket, gardening, cycling, or any other outdoor pursuit desired.”
A few years later, English outdoorsman William Willett also proposed advancing the clocks during the summer months (he wanted more daylight to golf).
The first governments to implement DST were Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916, as a way to conserve coal during World War I. Britain and most other European countries adopted it shortly after, with the United States and Canada adopting it in 1918.
DST used to end on the last Sunday of October (and begin on the first Sunday of April) but, in 2007, the U.S. decided to change it to the first Sunday of November (and the second Sunday in March) in an attempt to conserve energy.
To avoid issues with economic and social interaction with the U.S., the Canadian provinces that observe DST followed suit.
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What are the health effects of DST?
While the evidence is mixed, some research has found “springing forward” increases the risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents.
Losing an hour of sleep in the spring can affect both your cognitive ability and your physical health, especially if you aren’t getting enough sleep to begin with.
That’s because moving clocks forward changes our exposure to daylight and affects our circadian rhythm (the body’s natural internal clock).
It can take up to a week to adjust your internal clock to the shift in daylight hours, so here are some suggestions for how you and your family can adapt more quickly to the coming time change:
Each morning leading up to Sunday, try waking up 15 minutes earlier than normal.
Also try going to bed 15 minutes earlier than normal each night. You can help prepare your body for an earlier bedtime by not eating two hours before you go to sleep, and put down your devices an hour before bed.
Eat a healthy breakfast when you first wake up, as food is one way to tell your body it’s the beginning of the day.
After the time change, expose yourself to daylight during waking hours as much as possible.
Reduce your use of caffeine and alcohol during the day and increase your physical activity.
London, Ontario indie rockers Texas King, who recently finished a tour supporting Big Wreck, are performing at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough on March 21, 2020. The Jailbirds, The New Blue, and Fiasco will also be performing. (Photo: Keith Tanman)
COVID-19 NOTICE – On Tuesday, March 17th, the Government of Ontario declared a state of emergency, prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people and ordering the closure of bars and restaurants (except those that can provide take-out and delivery) and all theatres and performance venues (including those offering live performances of music, dance, and other art forms). All live music events are therefore cancelled. musicNOW will be on hiatus until the state of emergency has been lifted and performance venues and bars and restaurants can reopen and begin hosting live music events again.
As the days get a little longer we can begin to see the light at the end of the winter tunnel. Help yourself get through whatever is left of the snowy season and get out to some of the great shows happening in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
As always, there are lots of great shows this month. Here are just a few of them that I recommend making it out to.
Bif Naked at the Market Hall in Peterborough on March 4
Beth Torbert, a.k.a. Bif Naked, made waves in the 1990s during the period when “alternative” music was all the rage. She achieved platinum and gold record status and has had a successful career in music while also surviving breast cancer at the age of 37.
Bif is performing at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146) on Wednesday, March 4th. It’s a duo performance with her husband, guitarist Steve “Snake” Allen. Opening the show is Toronto singer-songwriter Frank Moyo.
Tickets are $30 including fees. Get them at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org. The show begins at 8 p.m.
VIDEO: “Jim” – Bif Naked
Golden Shoals at a house concert in Bancroft on March 5
Check out Americana duo Golden Shoals on Thursday, March 5th at a Home Routes House Concert in Bancroft.
Guitarist Mark Kilianski and fiddle player Amy Alvey, living in Asheville, North Carolina, perform old-time style tunes with warm harmonies and layered instrumental sensibilities. The duo just changed their name this year from Hoot and Holler.
Tickets are only $20 plus fees and the show begins at 7 p.m. For tickets, head to www.homeroutes.ca/shows/bancroft/ (you’ll find out the location when you order).
VIDEO: “Old Buffalo” – Golden Shoals
Peterborough Performs: Musicians Against Homelessness at Showplace in Peterborough on March 5
On Thursday, March 5th, there will be a United Way musical fundraiser for the ages at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-7469). Peterborough Performs: Musicians Against Homelessness features a star-studded roster of 16 local musical acts performing in both the Erica Cherney Theatre and the Nexicom Studio.
Musicians include The Weber Brothers Band, The Austin Carson Band, The Three Martinis, Melissa Payne and Kate Suhr, Danny Bronson, Rick and Gailie’s Peterborough All-Star Band, Hillary Dumoulin, James Higgins, Jacques Graveline, Elyse Saunders, Tami J Wilde, Phil Stephenson, Nick Ferrio, Victoria Peace with Mike Graham, Jake Dudas, and Michael Bell.
The four-hour show, which begins at 7 p.m., is emceed by Megan Murphy and Jordan Mercier. Tickets are $50, but with the musicians donating their time and talent, all proceeds go directly to United Way-funded agencies that provide housing and shelter to the marginalized. There’ll also be a silent auction to raise even more funds.
Enjoy a night of awesome local music while supporting a worthy cause by buying tickets at Showplace Box Office or online at www.showplace.org.
VIDEO: “World of Isolation” – The Weber Brothers
Melissa Payne at the Market Hall in Peterborough on March 7
Ennismore’s Melissa Payne celebrates the release of her latest full-length record Darker Than Your Dark at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146) on Saturday, March 7th.
Produced by Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor, Darker Than Your Dark features nine tracks that detail Payne’s emotive and musical evolution.
Tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for assigned cabaret table seats. The show begins at 8 p.m. Get your tickets at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.
VIDEO: “September Skies” – Melissa Payne
Road Waves at the Keene Centre for the Arts on March 7
Check out the high-energy and eclectic show of rock jam band Road Waves at the Keene Centre for the Arts (12 1st St., Keene) on Saturday, March 7th.
From Niagara region, Road Waves bring their own approach and energy to funk, rock, soul, blues, jazz, and beyond. This band likes to explore genres and bring creative approaches to the stage. This should be a killer show!
The concert begins at 7 p.m.. Tickets are $15 for a regular ticket, and an additional $10 will secure you a spot on a shuttle that is making a return trip from The Only Cafe (216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough).
Other upcoming shows at Keene Centre for the Arts in March include Cellar Door (March 13), The Breezeway Band (March 14), Irish Millie and Mike MacCurdy (March 17), Austin Young (March 20), Checkmate (March 21), The Footnotes (March 27), and Ty Wilson (March 28).
VIDEO: “Hindsight” – Road Waves
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A Tribe Called Red at The Venue in Peterborough on March 7
Another show in Peterborough on Saturday, March 7th is the return of A Tribe Called Red. The group will be live at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-876-0008) in a show being presented by the Peterborough Folk Festival.
Their sound features the amazing merger of electronic music and indigenous samples, along with traditional dancers and stimulating film imagery. You’ll dance, you’ll sweat, you’ll have an amazing time.
VIDEO: “Electric Pow Wow Drum” – A Tribe Called Red
Basset, The Pairs, and Rebekeh Hawker at The Garnet in Peterborough on March 13
There’s an excellent triple bill of folk/indie/pop at The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Friday, March 13th.
Old-time influenced duo Basset bring an eclectic sensibility to the stage. The Pairs are a talented trio of ladies with amazing harmonies and meaningful tunes. Also on the bill is songwriter Rebekeh Hawker.
Tickets are available at the door for $10. The show begins at 9 p.m.
VIDEO: “Everything I Call Home” – The Pairs
People You Meet Outside of Bars, Shirazi, Cold Eye, and Garbageface at Sadleir House in Peterborough on March 16
There will be an eclectic night of songwriting, hip hop, indie, and much more on Monday, March 16th at Sadleir House (751 George St. N., Peterborough) as People You Meet Outside of Bars, Shirazi, Cold Eye, and Garbageface take the stage.
Doors open at 7 p.m. with music starting around 8 p.m. The show is $10 or pay what you can (no one will be turned away for lack of funds).
VIDEO: “It’s Not Your Fault You Ruined My Life” – People You Meet Outside of Bars
Kim Barlow and Rae Spoon with Mohammad Sahraei at The Garnet in Peterborough on March 17
For those of you who can’t stand green beer and typical St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but who also enjoy excellent songs written by artists who operate differently from the norm, The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) has a show for you.
On Tuesday, March 17th, Yukon’s Kim Barlow and Alberta’s Rae Spoon join forces to bring their unique brands of songwriting to the stage. Rae Spoon has been nominated for Junos and a couple of Polaris Prizes, while Barlow returns to The Garnet with her often quirky yet well-crafted tunes. Joining them is newcomer Mohammad Sahraei, skilled with many traditional Persian instruments.
The eclectic trio performs arrangements of Kim and Rae’s songs for setar and banjo, guitar, keys, percussion and electronics. These new versions of indie pop songs, with traditional tunes peppered through the sets, make for a live performance that is vibrant, diverse, and beautiful.
You can reserve a spot for the show at The Garnet or pay for tickets at the door. The show begins at 8 p.m.
VIDEO: “Whitehorse” – Kim Barlow
VIDEO: “Do Whatever The Heck You Want” – Rae Spoon
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Texas King at The Gordon Best in Peterborough on March 21
Rockers Texas King, who recently finished a tour supporting Big Wreck, take to the stage at the Gordon Best in Peterborough on Saturday, March 21.
Formed in 2013 by frontman and lead singer Jordan Macdonald in London, Ontario, the band has earned a reputation for their high-energy love performances. They released their debut album Circles in 2017, with the album’s lead single “Boomerang” receiving attention on Canadian radio. They released their latest single “Chandelier” last September.
The Jailbirds, The New Blue, and Fiasco (a new band from Lindsay) will also be performing.
Rob Phillips Trio with Marsala Lukianchuk at The Black Horse in Peterborough on March 26
It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to mention the weekly Thursday jazz night at The Black Horse Pub (452 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-0633).
Hosted by the Rob Phillips Trio with singer Marsala Lukianchuk and featuring a wide-swath of great jazz players, and guests, the evening is always a excellent time for jazz fans and more.
If you’ve never been, why not head to the Black Horse on Thursday, March 26th to take in some excellent performances?
VIDEO: “Caravan” performed by Marsala Lukianchuk and the Rob Phillips Trio
Esca Brooke-Daykin, the first-born son of the second White Rajah of Sarawak in Borneo, later in his life in Canada. Esca fought to be recognized as the rightful heir to his father Charles Brooke, after Brooke's second wife had Esca sent away as a child. Dave Carley's play 'Canadian Rajah', running for one night only at Peterborough's Market Hall on March 8, 2020, imagines a conversation between Esca and his stepmother Margaret Brooke, as performed by Jon De Leon and Barbara Worthy who reprise their roles from the original Toronto production. (Photo courtesy of the Brooke-Daykin family)
On Sunday, March 8th, New Stages Theatre Company brings to life the relatively unknown strange Canadian tale of Esca Brooke-Daykin in Dave Carley’s 2018 play Canadian Rajah, the story of a displaced son of a royal line who lived in Madoc, Ontario.
New Stages Theatre Company presents Canadian Rajah
When: Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St. E, Peterborough) How much: $30 general admission ($15 students/arts workers/unwaged), including fees
Written by Dave Carley and starring Jon De Leon and Barbara Worthy. A question-and-answer session with the playright follows the performance. Tickets available in person at the Market Hall Box Office or by phone at 705-749-1146 (12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday) or online anytime at markethall.org.
For this one-night-only performance, New Stages brings together the two stars of the original 2019 Toronto production, Jon De Leon and Barbara Worthy, to recreate a story of real-life political intrigue and one man’s lifelong search for legitimacy.
Originally from Peterborough and currently based in Toronto, award-winning playwright Dave Carley spent nearly 20 years developing Canadian Rajah after discovering a book by Australian historian Cassandra Pybus about a displaced descendant of the White Rajahs, a dynastic monarchy of the British Brooke family that founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak on the island of Borneo for almost 100 years.
After years of his own research, Dave premiered the show in January 2019 at Toronto’s Campbell House Museum to favouable reviews.
“We have so much history in Canada that we don’t tell,” Dave says in a phone interview. “We are so negligent that way. The story of Esca Brooke is another one of those bizarre stories. It was such a good story that, if it killed me, I was going to tell it.”
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Esca Brooke-Daykin (1867-1953) was the first-born son of Charles Johnson Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak. Located on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo (now a part of Malaysia), the Raj of Sarawak was an independent country with ties to the Britain that existed between 1841 to 1946.
Established after a series of land concessions acquired by British soldier and adventurer James Brooke from the Sultanate of Brunei, Sarawak received recognition as an independent state from the United States in 1850 and from the United Kingdom in 1864. After James Brooke, the first White Rajah, died in 1868, his nephew Charles Brooke succeeded him.
“Sarawak was an independent country for over a hundred years,” Dave says. “It wasn’t a proper British colony. There were agreements with Britain, in regards to protection and trade, but it was definitely an independent country. The second white Rajah, Charles Brooke, liked the local women, and he married one in a Muslim ceremony. They had this child, Esca.”.
Charles Brooke (left), the second Rajah of Sarawak, an independent state founded by his uncle on the island of Borneo, married a Malay woman known as Dayang Mastiah and had a child named Esca (right). After Brooke married wealthy British woman Margaret Alice Lili de Windt, she schemed to have Esca sent away so that her own first-born son could become the third White Rajah. (Photos: Public domain and the Brooke-Daykin family)
However, upon taking over the title after his uncle’s death, Rajah Charles returned to England in a twist that would change the young boy’s fate forever.
“Rajah Charles ran out of money and he did what he had to do,” Dave explains. “He went back to England and found himself a new rich wife with a big dowry and he married her. Then he returned and hid his first wife away. So he came back with his white wife, but further up the river he still maintained his first wife.”
Charles’ second wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt, had six children, but only three sons who survived infancy. Aware that her husband had a first-born child with a local woman, the Rani (the term for the wife of a Rajah) sought to protect her own surviving first-born son’s claim to become the next Rajah. Thus, she concocted a plan to get rid of Esca.
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“The second wife realized that any children she would have would technically not become Rajah, so they came up with a scheme to get rid of Esca,” Dave says. “Thankfully, they didn’t kill him — they sent him to England to be educated, where he was eventually adopted by a clergyman, Archdeacon William Daykin, who brought Esca to Ontario when he immigrated to Canada and settled in Madoc.”
Although by all accounts Esca Brooke-Daykin lived a successful and happy life in Canada, with little desire to go back and reclaim his title in faraway Sarawak, he spent the rest of his life trying to get recognition as the legitimate first-born son of Rajah Charles.
“Esca never had an urge to go back, but he spent his whole life trying to be recognized for who he was,” Dave says. “He lived a long life in Canada, and he lived a very good life. He was an executive in Hollinger Mines and had a beautiful house in Lawrence Park in Toronto, and he was fixture at his church. But he was haunted by the fact that nobody would admit who he was.”
In Canadian Rajah, Dave explores the life of Esca Brooke-Daykin through an imaginary dramatization of a confrontation between Esca and his father’s second wife, Rani Margaret Brooke. Although a meeting between the two never actually happened, the show is, in part, based on a historical meeting between the Rani and Esca’s wife, Edith Daykin.
“I had imagined what the confrontation between Esca and the Rani would be if he had gone to England to make his claim,” Dave says. “In reality, it was his wife who had gone to England and met the Rani and had the confrontation about his claim. For the rest of his life, Esca would send long letters to newspapers and the King of England and anybody he thought would listen, but nobody ever really did. The Brooke family never ever contacted him.”
Esca Brooke-Daykin with his wife Edith Daykin. Dave Carley’s play “Canadian Rajah”, which imagines a conversation between Esca and the stepmother who prevented him from inheriting the title of Rajah of Sarawak, is based in part on an actual meeting between Edith and Margaret Brooke in England. (Photo courtesy of the Brooke-Daykin family)
For Canadian Rajah, producer Randy Read has brought together the two stars who played Esca and the Rani to life in the original Toronto production.
Toronto-based actor Jon de Leon takes the role of Esca Brooke-Daykin. An alumnus of the Stratford Festival, Jon is currently the writer, producer and star of the web series I am Not a Chef, and has appeared on both stage and screen, including roles on Star Trek: Discovery, Downsizing, Rookie Blue, and Lost Girl.
“The thing I wanted to get into the play was why did Esca care so much,” Dave says. “He had a perfect life here, but he wanted his father to recognize him. In those days, to be illegitimate was bad in a way we don’t understand anymore. In those days it would be a bar to many things, and would hurt his own children in getting married themselves. I think he really wanted to prove that he was legitimate.”
In the March 8, 2020 performance of “Canadian Rajah”, Jon De Leon and Barbara Worthy reprise their roles as Esca Brooke-Daykin and Rani of Sarawak Margaret Brooke from the original 2019 Toronto production. (Publicity photos)
In the role of Rani Margaret Brooke is Barbara Worthy, who has been a performer with the Shaw Festival for 20 seasons. An educator at Brock University and Niagara College, Barbara brings to life a character as colourful as Esca himself.
“The Rani is a very interesting character,” Dave says of the show’s antagonist. “She wrote a couple of books in spinning her life. She eventually moved back to England and the nobility didn’t really know what to do with her. They didn’t know how to take a woman calling herself a Rani who was married to a Rajah. She had to explain her life, and one book she wrote portrayed herself as a brave explorer going to a savage land and having the time of her life — but no mention of Esca.”
In researching and writing Canadian Rajah, Dave was not only able to give the story of Esca Brooke-Daykin new interest and life, but it led him to the Esca’s descendants, including two still-living granddaughters who have memories of Esca. Through his efforts, he helped unify the family and fill in the gaps of a story that many of them didn’t know.
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“I put on my website that I was doing a story on Esca Brooke, and one of his great granddaughters was googling the name one day and she contacted me,” Dave recalls. “I had no idea there were still grandchildren alive that knew him. But she told me that there were two granddaughters living in the Ottawa area, and before I knew it I was up there visiting with them.”
“I became aware of his very substantial number of descendents. Esca had four kids, and they all had kids who had kids, so it’s been amazing meeting them. Of course, they are all blown away by the story. All of them knew bits of it, but they didn’t know all of it.”
“Esca’s own kids didn’t talk much about it, and it was the grandkids that wanted to know more. Some of the descendents knew each other, but a lot of them didn’t. They are now all connected on their own Facebook group. A lot of them showed up to the original run of the play. It’s an amazing story and to see your own grandfather portrayed is an amazing thing.”
“Canadian Rajah” playwright and Peterborough native Dave Carley. Carley will be in attendance at the March 8, 2020 performance of the play at the Market Hall in Peterborough and will participate in a question-and-answer session. (Photo: Stephanie Hanna)
It should be noted that the New Stages presentation of Canadian Rajah is not a part of the theatre company’s popular staged reading series, but a full production. Dave will also be in attendance to take part in a question-and-answer period after the show.
This is an exciting one-night opportunity to see a Toronto theatre production on the Peterborough stage, and learn the incredible story of one of Canada’s most interesting but still relatively unknown figures. Hopefully as each audience member learns the story of Esca Brooke-Daykin, his legacy as the rightful Rajah of Sarawak will live on.
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Canadian Rajah will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 8th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St. E, Peterborough). General admission tickets are $30 ($15 for students, art workers, and the underwaged), including all fees, and are available in person at the Market Hall Box Office or by phone at 705-749-1146 (12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday) or online anytime at markethall.org.
'Window Flowerbox' (watercolour, 15"x11") by Donrey McIntosh, one of eight watercolourists whose work will be shown and available for sale at the Watercolour8 show and sale at Singing Horse Gallery in Peterborough. The eight women are former students of Peterborough watercolourist Joan Zageris. The show opens on March 12, 2020 and runs until March 26th. (Photo courtesy of the artist)
COVID-19 NOTICE – On Tuesday, March 17th, the Government of Ontario declared a state of emergency, prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people and ordering the closure of all indoor recreational programs, libraries, private schools, licensed child care, bars and restaurants (except those that can provide take-out and delivery), all theatres (including those offering live performances of music, dance, and other art forms), cinemas that show movies, and concert venues. The closures remain in effect until Tuesday, March 31st. While not specifically included in this order, many municipalities have already closed art galleries and organizations have cancelled art-related events. artNOW will be on hiatus until the state of emergency has been lifted, art galleries can reopen and organizations can begin hosting art-related events again.
There’s a lot of art happening in March in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here are some highlights.
Toronto-based artist Elizabeth D’Agostino is showing at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden, the new Peterborough film collective Canadian Images in Conversation is holding its inaugural screening featuring two early film works by Shelley Niro, self-described schizophrenic artist Michael Nathaniel Green has an exhibition of his sculpture at the Art Gallery of Bancroft, and the First Friday Peterborough art crawl is happening in downtown Peterborough on March 6th.
Peterborough’s Artspace is presenting an exhibition by Shellie Zhang with Maria Patricia Abuel, the Art Gallery of Peterborough is hosting an artist talk with Francisco-Fernando Granados on March 7th, a solo exhibition of works by Michael Adamson takes place at the Art Gallery of Northumberland in Cobourg, and Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is presenting an exhibition with the intriguing title “1920-2020 Spirits on Water: Ships, Sails and Rum Running on Lake Ontario”.
There’s also the Watercolour8 show and sale, featuring work by eight women watercolourists at Singing Horse Gallery, the 10th annual Peterborough Fibre Arts Festival & Sale on March 14th, and an artist talk by Pete Smith at Visual Arts Centre of Clarington on March 29th.
Our regular artsNOW writer, Shannon Taylor, is on hiatus.
‘Paradigm of Wonder’ by Elizabeth D’Agostino at Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden
A work from ‘Paradigm of Wonder’ by Elizabeth D’Agostino. (Photo courtesy of Agnes Jamieson Gallery)
The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is presenting ‘Paradigm of Wonder’, an exhibition of works by Toronto-based artist Elizabeth D’Agostino, beginning on Tuesday, March 3rd.
D’Agostino works in print media, sculpture, and installation. Her current research draws from the histories of observational and scientific illustrations of Canadian wildlife and botanical illustrations, while developing an understanding of the management of living things and their interactions with humans.
An opening reception will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 7th, with the exhibition running until Saturday, April 18th.
The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is located in the Minden Hills Cultural Centre at 176 Bobcaygeon Road in Minden. For more information, call 705-286-3763 or visit mindenhills.ca/agnes-jamieson-art-gallery/.
Canadian Images in Conversation presents the early film works of Shelley Niro at Peterborough’s Market Hall on March 3
A still from Shelley Niro’s 1993 film “It Starts With a Whisper”. (Photo via Artspace)
In partnership with Artspace and ReFrame Film Festival, Canadian Images in Conversation is presenting its inaugural screening: “The Early Works of Shelley Niro”, featuring the films It Starts With a Whisper and Honey Moccasin, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3rd at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough).
Both films will be screened on 16mm film and will be followed by an artist talk with Shelley Niro, moderated by Artspace’s Jon Lockyer.
It Starts With A Whisper (1993) follows 18year-old Shanna Sabbath who is taken by her three aunts on a mythic journey to Niagara Falls. Honey Moccasin (1998) is set on the fictional Grand Pine Indian Reservation and follows the investigator/storyteller Honey Moccasin, closeted drag queen/powwow clothing thief Zachery John, and the rivalry between two bars on the reservation.
The screening and artist talk, which are free and open to everyone, is made possible with the support of the following departments and organizations at Trent University: the Trent Central Student Association, the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, Cultural Studies Graduate Program, Gender and Women’s Studies, English, Public Texts and Traill College.
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Canadian Images in Conversation is a new Peterborough-based collective of filmmakers, artists, curators, and educators born from the legacy of the first entirely Canadian-focused film festival, the Canadian Images Film Festival.
The festival, which ran from 1978 to 1984, was originally a student and faculty-run initiative at Trent University, and programmed more than 150 hours of Canadian feature, experimental, and documentary films in its first year. By its final year, as many as 20,000 people experienced the festival.
Canadian Images in Conversation aims to fill the void of Canadian-specific film exhibition in Peterborough by showcasing Canadian films and filmmakers through a bi-monthly screening series and post-screening discussions with filmmakers.
‘The Invisible Offering’ by Michael Nathaniel Green at the Art Gallery of Bancroft
“Courage Bars”, a sculpture by Michael Nathaniel Green. (Photo courtesy of the artist)
After closing for February, the Art Gallery of Bancroft is reopening in March with ‘The Invisible Offering’, an exhibition of sculpture by Peterborough artist Michael Nathaniel Green, beginning on Wednesday, March 4th.
Born in Trenton in 1975, Green holds a Diploma of Fine Arts from Georgian College in Barrie, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge, and received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from Ohio State University.
Green, who has schizophrenia, experienced his first psychosis in 2008 at the age of 32 and abandoned art for around 10 years. Since moving to Peterborough, he has participated in the local arts scene.
“As an artist it has given me a first-hand experience that there is so much more to reality than what we can take in through our five senses,” Green says of his schizophrenia. “The surreal and uncanny have a foundation in our reality that is more relevant than ever.”
“The title of this show, ‘The Invisible Offering’, is paying homage to the mysteries of unearthing the unseen and the invisible. I value that which is hidden from ordinary view, questions from quantum physics like does one’s ephemeral thoughts or consciousness affect matter or are objects more potentialities than solid objects, interest me as a sculptor.”
“Using abstraction and organic minimalism in my sculpture, I point to the ever-changing qualities of reality weaving between the familiar and the unfamiliar. I am drawn to the sensual, ephemeral and ambiguous use of everyday materials in unconventional ways.”
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An opening reception will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6th, with the exhibition continuing until Saturday, March 28th.
And make sure to visit the gallery during April, when regular artNOW writer Shannon Taylor will be showing her exhibition ‘Remembered, Imagined: mixed media’ (with an opening reception at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 3rd).
The Art Gallery of Bancroft is located at 10 Flint Avenue in Bancroft. Winter hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, visit www.artgallerybancroft.ca.
First Friday Peterborough in downtown Peterborough on March 6
First Friday Peterborough showings at Acme Art and Sailboat Company on March 6, 2020. (Posters courtesy of Joe Stable)
The popular First Friday Art Crawl returns to downtown Peterborough on the evening of March 6th.
As always, artists open their studios to the public, with galleries, art organizations, and other creative venues hosting special events.
While the event is still being finalized, here are a few highlights:
Acme Art and Sailboat Company (129-1/2 Hunter St. W., 3rd floor) will be showing ‘tangents’ featuring Gwyneth Fischer, Steven Leak, and Elaine Windsor, with new works by Joe Stable on display in the Copper Closet.
Atelier Ludmila Gallery (129 1/2 Hunter St. W., 2nd floor) will be showing ‘Multiple Expanse’, an exhibition of work by Carolyn Code.
The gang at Madderhouse Textile Studios (located upstairs at Watson & Lou, 383 Water St.) will be launching their brand new “Oatmeal Capital of the World” merchandise.
‘Abundance’ by Shellie Zhang with ‘Bulaklak’ by Maria Patricia Abuel at Artspace in Peterborough
A work from ‘Abundance’ by Beijing-born multidisciplinary Toronto artist Shellie Zhang, which will be on display along with Maria Patricia Abuel ‘Bulaklak’ at Artspace in downtown Peterborough from March 6 to April 11, 2020. (Photo courtesy of the artist via Artspace)
In March and April, Artspace is hosting ‘Abundance’, an exhibition curated by Tiffany Schofield that brings together work by Toronto-based artists Shellie Zhang and Maria Patricia Abuel.
A Beijing-born multidisciplinary artist, Zhang’s new project ‘Abundance’ features sculpture, photographs, and installation-based works. The exhibition combines visual cues from imagery of plentiful fruit in produce advertisements and cultural rituals as a metaphor for the dreams and labour that extends across oceans and generations. ‘Abundance’ is a cyclical reflection on two actions: the artist’s relatives bringing her pieces of cut fruit in her youth, and her leaving fruit offerings at their graves.
‘Bulaklak’ by Maria Patricia Abuel. (Photo: Trinity Square Video)
‘Abundance’ is accompanied by ‘Bulaklak’, a performance for the camera by Maria Patricia Abuel, a Toronto-born-and-raised Filipina multidisciplinary artist. In ‘Bulaklak’, Abuel enacts a ritual of preparing and devouring 100 mango flowers, a fruit which grounds her in familial and cultural histories. ‘Bulaklak’ is a personal meditation on matriarchal roles and sacrifices, in which the artist honours and reclaims the traditions she’s inherited.
An opening reception takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 6th (coinciding with the First Friday Peterborough art crawl), and will be followed by a curator and artist talk at noon on Saturday, March 7th. The exhibition continues until Saturday, April 18th.
Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access (to all but Gallery 2) and free admission during regular open hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
Art Gallery of Peterborough hosts an artist talk with Francisco-Fernando Granados on March 7
Francisco-Fernando Granados (left) in conversation with guest at the opening reception for ‘duet’ at the Art Gallery of Peterborough on January 28, 2020. (Photo: Matthew Hayes)
The Art Gallery of Peterborough is hosting a conversation between artist Francisco-Fernando Granados and Spencer J. Harrison at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 7th.
Work by Granados is currently on display at the gallery’s ‘duet’ exhibition, which pairs together modernist and contemporary abstraction by Granados and the late Jack Bush, presented in partnership with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa.
Referencing the ongoing reciprocal relationship between the past and the present, the work of Granados and Bush create a conversation between contemporary digital and site-specific pieces and paintings and prints from the mid-twentieth century. The juxtaposition incites the viewer to consider the ongoing influences of the past upon the present and the connection between the two.
‘Duet’, an installation by Jack Bush and Francisco-Fernando Granados, on display at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery. (Photo by Ingrid Forster, courtesy of the Art Gallery of Peterborough)
‘duet’, along with the two other current exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Peterborough (‘locked in a way’ by Matthew Hayes and Victoria Mohr-Blakeney and ‘217’ by Sasha Opeiko) runs until Sunday, March 29th.
The Art Gallery of Peterborough is located at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It offers free admission, barrier-free access, and a gallery shop. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.
Solo exhibition by Michael Adamson at the Art Gallery of Northumberland
‘Effects of Sunlight on Water’ (oil on canvas, 12″x16”) by Michael Adamson. (Photo courtesy of the artist)
The Art Gallery of Northumberland is presenting a solo exhibition by Toronto artist Michael Adamson from Saturday, March 7th to Saturday, May 2nd.
Adamson studied at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ryerson University in Toronto, the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, and at the University of Kassel in Germany. His academic career has spanned various media including photography, video, and painting, giving him a platform to develop his own rich visual language enhanced by his understanding of art history and its relationship with contemporary painting.
“I am interested in teasing out the connections between seemingly disparate artists, such as the cave painters of Lasceaux and contemporary muralists like Katerina Grosse, or impressionist Claude Monet and serial abstractionist Pia Fries, in an attempt, not to level out painting, but to encourage cross fertilizations which, hopefully, will reinvigorate community and the appetites for the kind of nourishment found in good painting,” Adamson says.
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Adamson creates a balance between conceptualism and expressionism, abstraction, and landscape, making each painting difficult to categorize. His work has been widely exhibited including in Toronto, London, Tokyo, and New York, and he is one of the most in-demand artists for private commissions, with works in collections in Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, the U.S., and the U.K.
An opening reception takes place on Saturday, March 7th.
The Art Gallery of Northumberland is located at on the third floor of the west wing of Victoria Hall (55 King St. W., Cobourg). Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit www.artgalleryofnorthumberland.com.
‘1920-2020 Spirits on Water’ at Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth
Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is presenting an exhibit called ‘1920-2020 Spirits on Water: Ships, Sails and Rum Running on Lake Ontario’ beginning on Saturday, March 7th.
An opening reception takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 7th.
The exhibit, sponsored by Allen Insurance Group, runs until Sunday, March 29th.
Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is located at 35 Church Street in downtown Warkworth. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit ahcentre.ca.
Watercolour8 show and sale at Singing Horse Gallery
‘Set in Sun’ (watercolour, 15″x11″) by Mary Tighe, one of eight watercolourists in the Watercolour8 show and sale at the Singing Horse Gallery. (Photo courtesy of the artist)
The Singing Horse Gallery is hosting “Watercolour8”, a show and sale featuring the work of eight talented watercolourists from the Peterborough area.
The group of women — Linda Anderson, Susan Brook, Dorothy McCord, Donrey McIntosh, Lynda Quinlan, Stephanie Raffey, Margaret Sharpe, and Mary Tighe — has been painting together for several years under the tutelage of Joan Zageris, a Peterborough watercolourist who has been painting for more than 30 years.
The show and sale opens from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 12th and runs until Thursday, March 26th.
The Singing Horse Gallery is located at 686 Crown Drive in Peterborough (in Alypsis Inc, beside MediGas). Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday (closed on the weekend).
Peterborough Fibre Arts Festival & Sale on March 14
The Peterborough Weavers and Spinners Guild is presenting the 10th annual Peterborough Fibre Arts Festival & Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 14th at Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre (775 Brealey Dr., Peterborough).
The festival features demonstrations (including a “sheep to shawl” demonstration), hands-on activities, as well as items for purchase including craft items, unique gifts, yarn, fibre, and supplies.
Participating vendors include Artisanthropy, Artisans Centre Peterborough, All Sew Allison, All Dyed Up! Fibres, Chris Barker fabric art, Adele’s Locks of Love, The Olive Sparrow, Santosha Fibreworks and Farm, A River of Yarn, Kimat Designs, 3 Dog Knits, Chip & Sparrow, Embroiderers’ Guild of Peterborough, EaKoworks Fashions, and more.
The admission fee is $5, with children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult.
Visual Arts Centre of Clarington hosts an artist talk by Pete Smith on March 29
‘The Roots that Clutch’ (2019, oil on canvas, 48″x48″) by Pete Smith. (Photo courtesy of Visual Arts Centre of Clarington)
The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) is hosting “Approaches to Landscape”, a talk by Bowmanville artist, critic, and curator Pete Smith, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 29th.
Smith’s solo exhibition “Stein’s Law” — currently on display at VAC until Sunday, March 29th — features a series of recent paintings that explore notions of climate change, pollution, urbanization, domesticity, and light and darkness. The exhibit’s title, which refers to American economist Herbert Stein’s theory “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop”, poses questions about sustainability in our current economic models.
In his tour and talk, Smith will discuss his approach to painting landscape, why he has shifted his focus to scenes that are often overlooked, and what he hopes to achieve through his practice.
VAC is located at 143 Simpson Avenue in Bowmanville. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. Admission to exhibits and artist talks is free. For more information, visit www.vac.ca.
Josh, a member of The Biz Group, displays two of the group's hand-painted mugs created for Y Drive and Peterborough Challenger Baseball. The group is also selling "love mugs" and plans to expand with hand-painted tote bags and t-shirts. All proceeds from the sales of items go directly to members of The Biz Group, an initiative supported by the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough)
A group of local adults with Down syndrome has launched their own business.
The Biz Group is a new initiative supported by the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough, a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to support and enrich the lives of individuals with Down syndrome so they reach their fullest potential.
Members of The Biz Group are currently creating unique, hand-painted “love mugs” that are available for purchase for $10 each. All proceeds go directly to The Biz Group members.
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The Biz Group has already created mugs for Y Drive, a Peterborough-based designated-driver service, and Peterborough Challenger Baseball, a local special needs baseball team.
Down Syndrome Association executive director Sharon Crane tells kawarthaNOW in an email that significant challenges exists for anyone with a disability, including those with Down syndrome, to obtain any kind of meaningful work.
“The latest statistics suggest that one in 20 businesses will not even look at hiring anyone with a disability,” Crane explains. “The barriers are huge for our adults with Down syndrome. These opportunities are rare and difficult to obtain.”
The Biz Group’s custom, hand-painted “love mugs” are available for $10 each, with all proceeds going to Biz Group members. (Photo courtesy of Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough)
The Biz Group will also be adding hand-painted tote bags and t-shirts to their product line, and creating a few items for 2020 World Down Syndrome Day on Saturday, March 21st.
“I am amazed at the pride of achievement within this group, and the amount of joy and true happiness they have expressed when knowing that someone has purchased their creations,” Crane adds.
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