Municipality of Brighton Applefest committee members joined members of Brighton council, including Mayor Brian Ostrander (right) during a Municipality of Brighton council meeting on March 3, 2025 to celebrate Brighton's Applefest being recognized as one of the "Top 100" festivals for 2025 from Festival & Events Ontario. (Photo: Municipality of Brighton)
The Municipality of Brighton’s Applefest has been recognized by Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) as one of 2025’s “Top 100” festivals across the province.
The four-day festival, which has been the apple of Brighton’s eye for 50 years, is typically held during the final full weekend in September each year. The popular event for Brightonians and tourists alike features a street fair, music in the park, a children’s village, a vintage car show, and more.
Applefest was considered in the fall of 2024 by submission and was judged by an independent panel of judges. Recipients of a Top 100 award from FEO represent festivals and events that excel in the industry.
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“I’m so pleased that Applefest has been chosen as one of the Top 100 festivals in Ontario,” said Laura Knegt, chair of the Applefest advisory committee, in a media release.
“This award is reflective of the hard work over the last 50 years to build Applefest into what it is today. We would not have gotten to this point without the hours and hours of volunteer time along with the dedication of Brighton staff. Thank you to all who have been involved over the years to make our Applefest event one of the best.”
The Applefest advisory committee and community partners, host a variety of events during Brighton’s signature festival. Applefest began in 1974, with local farmers gathering on Main Street to showcase their harvest, and it has since grown into a community tradition, drawing crowds of up to 10,000 people from across Ontario.
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Municipality of Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander presented a certificate to members of the Applefest committee and shared a few words during Brighton’s March 3 council meeting.
“Top 100 awards recognize festivals and events for their excellence and creativity, community engagement and overall event experience,” Ostrander said.
“With this recognition, Applefest joins other Top 100 events across the province, including the CNE and the Canadian International Air Show. This is not surprising to any of us in Brighton. We’ve always known we have one of Ontario’s premier events going on every fall in the Municipality of Brighton,” the mayor added.
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Brighton’s outdoor festival will be back this year, with events running from Thursday, September 25 to Sunday, September 28 throughout downtown Brighton, at Brighton Public School, at the Codrington Farmers’ Market, and at King Edward Park.
For more information on the 2025 Applefest festivities, visit www.brighton.ca or follow @BrightonApplefest on Facebook and Instagram.
The Top 100 awards gala was held during FEO’s “SYNERGY” conference, which ran from February 24 to 26 in Kitchener, with the awards presented during a gala on the final day.
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Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in the fall of 2024 and were judged by an independent panel of judges. Festivals and events of all kinds from every corner of Ontario were represented in the submissions — from community festivals to internationally recognized events.
Other Top 100 award winners in the Kawarthas region include the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts, the International Plowing Match in Kawartha Lakes, the Port Hope Arts Festival, the Port Hope Candlelight Festival, Bancroft’s Rockhound Gemboree, the Hike Haliburton Festival, and the Tweed & Company Theatre Season.
Brighton Applefest and the International Plowing Match were new additions to the Top 100 list for 2025, with the other above-mentioned festivals also landing a place on the 2024 roster.
To kick off its 22nd season featuring 10 mainstage shows, Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon is presenting the Canadian premiere of "Desperate to be Doris", by the British comedy duo Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox, from May 29 to June 7, 2025. The professional theatre company is looking for local singers of all ages and experience to participate in a community choir for the show, which features hit songs of Doris Day. (Graphic: Globus Theatre)
The Canadian premiere of a musical comedy show originally written and performed by a popular British comedy duo will be the first of 10 mainstage shows during the 22nd season of Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon — and it will feature a community choir of local residents.
Desperate to be Doris, which runs from May 29 to June 7 at the Lakeview Arts Barn, is a celebration of Doris Day written and performed by Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox of LipService Theatre. It premiered at the York Theatre Royal in the U.K. in 2010.
Over nearly 40 years, Ryding and Fox wrote and performed more than 22 original comedy shows from a distinctly female perspective, touring them throughout Britain as well as in Europe and the U.S. Also known for her roles in Coronation Street, Shameless, and The Forsyte Saga, Fox died at the age of 65 in 2022 after a tragic car accident.
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Desperate to be Doris follows Dean, who works in the office of a nightwear retailer called The Pyjama Game and harbours a secret love for singing the songs of Doris Day. A new manager arrives on the scene, not only with her own ideas for remaking the business, but also for directing a local amateur theatre society’s production of the musical western Calamity Jane, based on the 1953 musical Western film of the same name that starred Doris Day. Will Dean dare to share his Calamity Jane with an unsuspecting world?
Featuring some of Doris Day’s greatest hits including “Secret Love,” “Que Sera, Sera,” “Steam Heat,” “The Deadwood Stage,” and “Enjoy Yourself,” Ryding and Fox’s original tours of the show integrated local choirs from the communities where it was staged — something that Globus Theatre will replicate for its production.
“I was thrilled to discover this very funny play that allows Globus to introduce a community collaboration and offer an opportunity for local performers to socialize and sing together,” says Globus artistic director Sarah Quick in a media release. “I include it as our opening show as a thank you to all of those that have supported us over the past few years.”
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Quick in encouraging singers of all ages and experience to sign up for the community choir. Participants will need to learn some simple choreography and wear costumes.
“My hope is for this choir to be intergenerational — having seniors and children and everyone in between — singing alongside each other,” Quick adds. “Everyone can bond through the uplifting music of Doris Day.”
Another Canadian premiere, The Comeback by Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen, runs from July 30 to August 7.
The critically acclaimed comedy, which debuted at the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End in 2021, tells the story of two up-and-coming comics who have been booked in the warm-up spot for a beloved but fading double act’s comeback tour.
When it’s revealed that a Hollywood director is in the audience, both acts glimpse a final chance for their big break, and sabotage, mistaken identity, and farcical mayhem ensue as each act battle for the limelight.
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Globus Theatre is also bringing back a perennial favourite for local audiences, with Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine running from August 13 to 23.
“We don’t often repeat shows at Globus, but the beauty of an extended season means that out of 10 plays, we get to remount one classic,” says Globus artistic director James Barrett.
“Our production of Shirley Valentine starring Sarah Quick is a play that people talk about often. It is funny, perpetually relevant, and Sarah is a fantastic Shirley. Wi so many people asking us to do it again and so many new audience members that are yet to experience its joy, it would have been remiss of us not to include it this year.”
All 10 mainstage shows as Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon during its 22nd season from May to December 2025. (Graphic: Globus Theatre)
In addition to the 10 mainstage shows shown below, Globus Theatre’s Youth Winter Arts performance takes place on May 9, the annual spring fundraiser takes place on May 10, and the annual Girls Night Out all-female stand-up and improv comedy show returns on June 13.
Tickets for each show are $50 for the show only, or $100 for dinner and the show (plus tax and fee). Subscription packages are now available, and single tickets will go on sale starting March 17. For more information or to purchase subscriptions or individual tickets, visit www.globustheatre.com or call the Globus Theatre box office at 705-738-2037.
Mainstage shows at Globus Theatre
Desperate to be Doris by Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox (Canadian premiere)
May 29 to June 7
A feelgood comedy featuring songs from Doris Day.
Come Down from Up River by Norm Foster
June 25 to July 5
A heartfelt comedy of family and belonging from Canada’s favourite playwright.
Hookup by Paul Bates
July 10 to 13
A high-energy improvised play that lets you experience the rollercoaster of modern romance.
Murder at the Blue Moon Saloon (Murder Mystery)
July 16 to July 26
A Western-style, drink-slinging, boot-scootin’ murder mystery experience.
The Comeback by Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen (Canadian premiere)
July 30 to August 7
Sabotage, mistaken identity and full-on mayhem ensue in this play about nostalgia, friendship, and a desperate quest for the limelight.
Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell
August 13 to August 23
Sarah Quick stars in Willy Russell’s hilarious and uplifting classic about one woman’s life-changing adventure.
The Beaver Club by Barb Sheffler
September 24 to October 4
A riotous cross country road trip that is a love letter to Canada.
Johnny & June by Chris McHarge and Colin Stewart (Concert)
October 23 to October 25
A hand-clapping, foot-stomping tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter.
The Little Balls Falls Christmas Fete(ality)! (Murder Mystery)
November 13 to November 22
Little Balls Falls’ Christmas Fete is doomed in this festive murder mystery dinner experience.
Jack and the Beanstalk by Sarah Quick (Traditional British Panto)
December 3 to December 17
Full of laughter, songs, and audience participation. A comic retelling of the classic tale that is fun for adults and children alike.
Some of the 56 women who have been nominated for the inaugural Luminary Awards for Women in Business celebrate during an announcement at the offices of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce on March 5, 2025. An awards luncheon will take place on Thursday, May 8 in the Great Hall at Champlain College at Trent University. (Photo: Jordan Lyall Photography)
Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce has announced the nominees for the inaugural Luminary Awards for Women in Business.
Launched by the chamber last September, the Luminary Awards are intended to celebrate the valuable contributions of women in the local business community, including those named in leadership positions as well as women who lead from behind the scenes.
“The Luminary Awards mission is to shine a light on the valuable contributions that women in our business community have made, continue to push for, and inspire others to emulate,” reads a media release from the chamber on Wednesday (March 5). “This announcement is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate their achievements.”
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A total of 56 women have been nominated in five award categories: Trailblazer – Entrepreneur (12 nominees), Barrier Buster – Employee (nine nominees), One to Watch – Employee (seven nominees), Emerging Entrepreneur (17 nominees), and Legacy (11 nominees).
An awards luncheon for the Luminary Awards will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 8th in the Great Hall at Champlain College at Trent University.
Tickets are available at www.luminaryawards.ca , with an early bird price of $75 until Friday (March 7). Table sponsorships, including eight tickets, are available for $1,000.
Susan Dunkley, vice chair of the board of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, addresses attendees during an announcement of the nominees of the inaugural Luminary Awards for Women in Business at the chamber offices on March 5, 2025. An awards luncheon will take place on Thursday, May 8 in the Great Hall at Champlain College at Trent University. (Photo: Jordan Lyall Photography)
Below are the nominees in each category, in alphabetical order by surname.
Trailblazer – Entrepreneur
Celebrating a business owner who has created innovation and success through her leadership, vision, courage and commitment. Sponsored by Scotiabank.
Jane Bischoff – Our Daughter’s Home
Tina Bromley – Tiny Green Plant Shop and Planting Studio
Lisa Couture – Couture Candy PTBO
Camila Duarte – FoundHer
Ashley Flynn – Blackrock Developments
Trista Greer – For the Love of Marketing
Sheena Howard – Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy & BizNurse Savy
Tracy Minnema – A River of Yarn
Andra Taylor – Refine Finance
Kateline Turcotte – Wilde Beauty PTBO
Danielle Turpin – Homecare Workers Cooperative
Elaine Webster – The Chocolate Rabbit
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Barrier Buster – Employee
Celebrating the achievements of a remarkable woman who has excelled in her field/place of employment, embraced new ideas, technologies or ways of working and demonstrating exceptional skill, dedication, and perseverance when faced with adversity. Sponsored by Engage Engineering.
Andrea Crumpsty
Tiffany Daskewich
Dana Gildon-Cormier – Subway Canada
Sheridan Graham – Peterborough County
Jessica Hill – Coldwell Banker Electric Realty
Theresa Longo – Theresa Longo Public Relations & Ambassadorship
Laura Montague – Ashburnham Realty
Jenisha Sanjit – Fleming College & Fleming Student Administrative Council
Sarah Yeo – Engage Engineering Ltd.
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One to Watch – Employee
Future leader known for their innovative, meaningful contributions to their workplace, proven professional success, and shows outstanding potential for the future. Nominee may hold entry to mid-level management positions in their workplace. Sponsored by RBC Wealth Management. Dominion Securities
Nicole Cameron – Engage Engineering Ltd
Monika Dandriyal – Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO)
Nicole Edgar – Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine
Alaura Jopling – Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre
Ilysha Lock – Kawartha Gymnastics
Laura Montague – Ashburnham Realty
Rachel Stark – Municipality of Trent Lakes
Emerging Entrepreneur
Owner engaged in a new successful, innovative and inspiring business venture that shows outstanding potential for the future. Nominee must have been in business for a minimum of two years and no more than five years. Sponsored by Cambium.
Tiffany Arcari – The Tiffany Show
Vanessa Asta – Asta Hairstyling School
Jenn Austin-Driver – Farmhill Weddings
Devon Doney – No.9 NORTH Float and Wellness
Sarah and Kayley Dunn – Evergreen Education
Jodi Forestell – Jodi-Lee Nutrition & Wellness
Sheena Howard – Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy & BizNurse Savy
Kayla Le Franc – Kayla Le Franc Photo
Heather Lister – Heather’s Holistics
Nicole Loucks – Kawartha Family Chiropractic
Danielle Malcolm – Muster Point
Mehrangiz Monsef – Monsef Immigration Consulting
Kateline Turcotte – Wilde Beauty PBTO
Samantha Turner – Horlings Garden Centre and Johnstons Greenhouse
Danielle Turpin – Home Care Workers Cooperative
Emiline Wilson – Em Coaching & Consulting
Shavonne Wood – Well Balanced RD
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Legacy
She has spent her successful business career inspiring others and giving back to her community. She strives for business excellence and through realizing their vision, the nominee has provided a host of opportunities for others for employment, growth, philanthropy, etc. Sponsored by Darling Insurance.
Dani Buck – D.M. Wills Associates
Bonnie Clark – Peterborough County Warden
Shannon Gray – Sugar Me Right
Anita Lambert – Holistic Health Physiotherapy
Joan Levere – Perfection Plus
Meagan McLaren – Dr. Meagan McLaren, Naturopathic Doctor
Deborah Paris – Paris Marine
Donna Rork – Cottage Toys
Brenda Tapp – Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine
Maureen Tavener – RE\MAX
Jeannine Taylor – kawarthaNOW
kawarthaNOW is proud to be the presenting media sponsor of the Luminary Awards.
A 48-year-old Havelock woman is facing charges in connection to a weapons incident at Campbellford District High School on February 25 that resulted in a 15-year-old Havelock boy being arrested and charged.
Just after noon on February 25, Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a report of a student at the school making threatening comments and having weapons in his backpack.
After arriving at the school, officers took the accused student into custody without incident and seized a handgun, ammunition, and a number of edged weapons. Police charged him with six weapons-related offences as well as uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
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As part of their investigation, police executed a search warrant at a home in Havelock the following day, where they seized multiple firearms, ammunition, and other weapons.
On Monday (March 3), police arrested a 48-year-old Havelock woman and charged her with 32 counts of careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device, or ammunition.
The accused woman is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg at a later date. Police are not releasing her name to protect the identity of the 15-year-old boy under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra's principal clarinetist Scott Wight will join principal violinist Jennifer Burford along with three of the orchestra's other principal string players to perform Mozart's clarinet quintet during "Mozart to the Moon" at All Saints' Anglican Church in Peterborough on March 7, 2025. The string quartet will begin the concert, which will be emceed by Maestro Michael Newnham, by performing a combination of popular and classic music for string quartet, all with a lunar theme. (kawarthaNOW collage of Huw Morgan photos)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will be sending audiences to the moon at 7 p.m. this Friday (March 7) with an intimate chamber concert at All Saints’ Anglican Church at 235 Rubidge Street in Peterborough in celebration of the church’s 150th anniversary.
For “Mozart to the Moon,” the PSO’s music director Michael Newnham will take a rest from the conductor’s podium to emcee the concert, where the orchestra’s principal string players Jennifer Burford (violin), Nora Pellerin (violin), Adriana Arcila Tascón (viola), and Zuzanna Chomicka-Newnham (cello) will delight audiences with a combination of popular and classic music for string quartet, all with a lunar theme.
The orchestra’s principal clarinetist Scott Wight will then join the string players for a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s groundbreaking quintet for clarinet and strings which, to this day, remains one of the most admired of the composer’s works.
VIDEO: “Larghetto” from Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet – Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
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“Composers tended to use the vehicle of chamber music as a way of expressing more intimate feelings or a more intimate expression,” says Newnham. “It also provides context because, when we play a Mozart symphony, it’s the public Mozart — the big Mozart. But the clarinet quintet really shows us this inward side of the person. You feel you get to know the rest of Mozart’s music better when you hear that music.”
Given that the clarinet was only invented around 1700, it was a relative newcomer to the orchestra when Mozart wrote his clarinet quintet in 1789 — just two years before his death. Composed for Austrian clarinetist Anton Stadler, the piece is Mozart’s only completed clarinet quintet and Mozart is believed to be the first composer to use the instrument as part of an extended string quartet.
“It was a completely new instrument and was seen as not being perfected yet,” says Newnham. “He was so taken by this sound of this instrument that he started to write some music, but by that point he only had years left of his life.”
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s principal second violinist Nora Pellerin and prinicipal cellist Zuzanna Chomicka-Newnham will join principal violinist Jennifer Burford and prinicipal violist Adriana Arcila Tascón to perform a combination of popular and classic music for string quartet, all with a lunar theme, during “Mozart to the Moon’ at All Saints’ Anglican Church in Peterborough on March 7, 2025. The orchestra’s principal clarinetist Scott Wight will then join the string quartet to perform Mozart’s clarinet quintet. (kawarthaNOW collage of photos by Wayne Eardley and Huw Morgan)
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Newnham notes that it’s “really special” when audiences have the opportunity to hear a clarinet complementing a string quartet, because it does not happen often.
“Putting a wind instrument with a string instrument is always interesting because it’s a different way of approaching music,” he says.
“String players usually work with each other on different projects outside of the orchestra, and wind players often work with other wind players, but there aren’t many opportunities where you have a string quartet and a wind player and a great, iconic piece of music.”
“Mozart to the Moon” will be performed at All Saints’ Anglican Church in Peterborough on March 7, 2025 in celebration of the church’s 150th anniversary. The concert features the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s principal string players and principal clarinetist, and will be emceed by the orchestra’s music director Michael Newnham. (Photo: All Saints’ Anglican Church)
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To build up to the performance of Mozart’s clarinet quintet, the concert will open with several songs that were inspired by or about the moon in one way or another, such as a piece by Giacomo Puccini featured in the 1987 film Moonstruck and “Song to the Moon” from Antonín Dvorák’s opera Rusalka.
“It’s a real mixed bag of different classical and popular music to start things,” says Newnham, who adds that he’s looking forward to sharing more about the music as the emcee for the concert. “I’ve done it before many times and it’s always fun for me to step out of being the person who is leading the music. I love talking about music.”
“Mozart to the Moon” is one of the PSO’s outreach efforts to bring more music out to the community outside of the orchestra concerts throughout the season.
Among other classic string quartet compositions, “Mozart to the Moon” at All Saints’ Anglican Church in Peterborough on March 7, 2025 will include a performance Mozart’s groundbreaking clarinet quintet. Composed in 1789 not long after the clarinet was invented, the piece is believed to be the first to use the instrument as part of an extended string quartet. (Graphic: Amy E. LeClair, Registered Graphic Designer)
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“It’s important because it allows the small groups of musicians, in this case the PSO string quartet and clarinetist Scott Wight, to really be focused and to take complete control over a concert,” he says.
“It develops the orchestra that way because it makes their own connection stronger, but it’s also really important for us to get out into smaller places and play in different settings.”
General admission tickets are priced at $40, with an additional $1 service fee. Tickets can be purchased at www.allsaintspeterborough.org/event-details/ptbo-symphony. The concert is a fundraiser for the church’s 150th anniversary.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Four experts in the areas of trade, finance, and supply chain management discussed strategies to help local businesses navigate the challenges posed by shifting trade policies and U.S. tariffs at a panel discussion at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on March 4, 2025. Pictured are Andrew Pyle, Armstrong Trade and Logistics Advisory Services president Bob Armstrong, Trent University economics professor Dr. Saud Choudry, and Peterboro Matboards CFO and Kawartha Manufacturers Association secretary Sherry Hill as Joel Wiebe, vice president of government relations and operations for Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, looks on. (Photo: Community Futures Peterborough)
For local business and economic development leaders who believe timing is everything, and most all do, Market Hall in Peterborough’s downtown core was the place to be early Tuesday morning (March 4).
Just hours after the Trump administration imposed long-threatened tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States, a free panel event titled “Bridging The Divide: Future-Proofing Your Business Against U.S. Tariffs” went ahead as scheduled against the backdrop of much economic uncertainty and more questions than answers.
Co-hosted by Community Futures Peterborough, the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Association (DBIA), the event featured a panel of experts in the areas of trade, finance, and supply chain management.
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Keynote speaker Bob Armstrong, the president of Lindsay-based Armstrong Trade and Logistics Advisory Services, was joined on the panel by CIBC Wood Gundy advisor and portfolio manager Andrew Pyle, Trent University economics professor Dr. Saud Choudry, and Sherry Hill, chief financial officer of Peterboro Matboards and secretary of the Kawartha Manufacturers Association.
While each didn’t downplay the very serious threat to Canadian, provincial, and local economies posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, they collectively left their audience of about 100 people with a clear message: now is the time to come together.
With more than 50 years’ experience in global supply chain, international trade, cross-border logistics, and customs regulations matters, and having led numerous Canadian trade missions, Armstrong knows of what he speaks and, on this morning, his words clearly resonated during an event-opening one-on-one conversation with Pyle.
CIBC Wood Gundy advisor and portfolio manager Andrew Pyle, Armstrong Trade and Logistics Advisory Services president Bob Armstrong, Trent University economics professor Dr. Saud Choudry, and Peterboro Matboards CFO and Kawartha Manufacturers Association secretary Sherry Hill on stage at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on March 4, 2025 for a panel discussion on trade and U.S. tariffs co-hosted by Community Futures Peterborough, the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Association. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Noting that “a lot of businesses in Canada sat back, thinking he (Trump) is all talk and no action,” Armstrong lamented a lack of preparation for this very eventuality, such as the removal of interprovincial trade barriers.
“Trade across Canada between provinces is about $450 billion, compared to during COVID when our trade with the U.S. was $750 billion, so we don’t have significant trade (between provinces),” said Armstrong.
“But we need to remove (interprovincial trade) barriers as quickly as we can (for) those who are exporting to the United States and are worried that their customers are going to cut them off,” he said. “You’ve got to have somewhere to sell your products. But, again, that doesn’t happen overnight. This should have been solved long ago.”
“Right now, a truck can’t run from Halifax to Saskatchewan without unloading for weight scales … silly little things like the number of wheels you’ve got to have on your truck or the number of hours you can drive. All these silly things should get rectified so it’s simple.”
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Armstrong said who he feels particularly bad is for small retailers who, having purchased products from wholesalers and distributors, already have items from the U.S. on their shelves.
“Their margins are slim. Are we going to ask them to take those products off their shelves and (still be able to) eat? They paid for it. How do we help them? They’re the ones who are going to suffer.”
“The big retailers can pull it (U.S. product) off the shelves. The LCBO … it’ll just put the (American) booze in the cupboard until this all blows over and then put It back on the shelves. It’s the small retailers that can’t do that that I worry about.”
Community Futures Peterborough executive director Devon Girard smiles at the camera as Joel Wiebe, vice president of government relations and operations for Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, speaks at a panel discussion on trade and tariffs at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on March 4, 2025. The free event was co-hosted by Community Futures Peterborough, the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Association. (Photo: Community Futures Peterborough)
Asked what steps government should be taking to help small and medium-sized businesses, Armstrong suggested “some kind of financing or a huge tax break” would be in order. Whatever form any assistance takes, he adds it needs to happen “now, not a year from now.”
Pressed by Pyle on whether he thinks government, at both the provincial and federal levels, acted too late on the tariff threat, Armstrong said measures to alleviate the impact “should have started back in the early fall when Trump was again running for president.”
In addition to the removal of interprovincial trade barriers, Armstrong said it’s imperative that Canada again embark on a series of trade missions to secure new markets for its products. He recounted his own experience on numerous trade missions that saw Canadian businesses secure new contracts with regularity.
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For his part, Dr. Choudry prefaced his remarks with a paraphrase of a famous utterance by former Canadian prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in a 1969 speech at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.: “Living next to you is, in some ways, like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”
That added some welcome levity to an atmosphere brimming with serious concerns.
Turning to the matter at hand, Dr. Choudry opined “It’s not all doom and gloom yet,” adding “There are certain areas where Canada has an enormous advantage. Those happen to be areas where we can hurt the Americans the most.”
“The one that comes to mind is potash. Canada produces one third of all potash in the world. Potash is an essential ingredient in the production of chemical fertilizers, which we are so dependent on these days. The price of fertilizers is going to up by 35 per cent because of the tariff on potash.”
That, said Dr. Choudry, is a hugely increased cost that American farmers can’t absorb at the best of the times, further suggesting the Trump administration can expect major push back from the U.S. agricultural sector.
Armstrong Trade and Logistics Advisory Services president Bob Armstrong speaks with Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark following a panel discussion at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on March 4, 2025. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
Following the panel, Hill told kawarthaNOW that local manufacturers have “to look at their own situation” but noted “There’s a lot of help too.”
“We (the Kawartha Manufacturers Association) just had a round table and what we found is when people started connecting and saying ‘I’m having this problem because I need this and I can’t get it’, all of a sudden a partnership was made where they can have revenues with that person — but they just didn’t know they could, because they didn’t know what other people do.”
“Finding new sources of revenue in 30 days is just not possible. When you sell into multiple countries, there’s no more sales to obtain, so where do you go for more sales? You have to figure out a way of ‘How can I still sell to the U.S., keep my pricing in place, and not take the hit of having to lay off employees?'”
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Armstrong, meanwhile, echoed what he said during his presentation.
“We’ve got to get all the provinces to agree to drop whatever rules and regulations they have that impact trade from another province,” he said. “They need to get moving. We’ve been fighting this battle for years. Now’s the time to resolve it.”
Armstrong, however, retains his optimism that the Trump tariffs will run their course before being lifted.
“It will all come crashing down,” he predicted. “Sooner or later, in the United States, the consumer wakes up. When the stock market crashes, those big rich guys — his (Trump’s) buddies — are going to say ‘What are you doing here?'”
“I don’t think this will last longer than five months. It could be less. If the auto industry shuts down, and he’s got a million workers unemployed, something’s going to happen.”
Four experts in the areas of trade, finance, and supply chain management discussed strategies to help local businesses navigate the challenges posed by shifting trade policies and U.S. tariffs at a panel discussion at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on March 4, 2025. Pictured are CIBC Wood Gundy advisor and portfolio manager Andrew Pyle, Peterboro Matboards CFO and Kawartha Manufacturers Association secretary Sherry Hill, Armstrong Trade and Logistics Advisory Services president Bob Armstrong, and Trent University economics professor Dr. Saud Choudry. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
The original version of this story has been updated with two photos of the event from Community Futures Peterborough.
Sofie Andreou of 123 Digital Power will be leading two of the four monthly business workshops in Port Hope this spring being presented by the Business & Entrepreneurship Centre of Northumberland, the Municipality of Port Hope, and the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce. The workshops are aimed at empowering local entrepreneurs and business owners to upskill or reskill and assist them in a competitive economy. (Photo courtesy of Sofie Andreou)
Port Hope business owners and entrepreneurs can take advantage of a free series of business workshops this spring.
The Municipality of Port Hope is collaborating with the Business Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (BECN) and the Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce to deliver the four-part workshop series.
From March to June, local business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs can attend the monthly workshops to upskill or reskill and assist them in a competitive economy, a media release from the municipality stated.
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Kailyn Coupland, BECN business development coordinator, said the intent of the workshops series was “to empower local entrepreneurs and business owners with the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to successfully grow, adapt, and thrive in today’s evolving business landscape.”
“Through this collaborative effort between BECN, the Municipality of Port Hope, and the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce, we aim to achieve maximum capacity of attendees at each session, assisting to elevate businesses through educational support,” Coupland told kawarthaNOW. “Through these efforts, we aim to see increased community engagement and networking, assisting with business growth opportunities while providing practical and immediate tools entrepreneurs can implement right away.”
“Ultimately, our goal is to equip entrepreneurs with the skills, confidence, and support network they need to navigate challenges, embrace opportunities, and contribute to the vibrant business community of Northumberland County.”
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The workshop series kicks off on Thursday, March 20 with a 90-minute virtual session on business planning essentials led by BECN business consultant Julie Savard.
The series continues on Thursday, April 10 with the interactive “Market Adaptation vs. Market Standardization” workshop at the Town Park Recreation Centre in Port Hope, which will explore marketing strategies and how to choose the right approach for their business. The workshop will be led by Karen McDonald-Hurley of Opportunity Group.
On Wednesday, May 14, the “Future-Proofing: A.I. for Small Business” workshop at the Port Hope Community Hub in Canton will see Sofie Andreou of 123 Digital Power show participants how to future-proof their small business with artificial intelligence.
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The final session on Wednesday, June 11 at the Port Hope Community Hub in Canton will focus on video marketing basics for small business owners. The workshop will also be led by Sofie Andreou of 123 Digital Power.
“This partnership with our regional and local friends at the BECN and the chamber is just one of many ways that the municipality is working hard to support our business community,” said Desta McAdam, director of development services at the Municipality of Port Hope, in the release.
Musicians Kate Brioux, Paul Crough, Kate Suhr, Melissa Payne, and emcee Megan Murphy sport matching shirts reading "Be the Erin," as in "Be the Erin you want to see in the world," at a kitchen party fundraiser in honour of the late Erin Sullivan in March 2024. The second annual event, from which all proceeds go towards the mortgage of a home in Sullivan's name that houses people coming out of homelessness, will be held on March 14, 2025, at the Ennismore Community Centre. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Carroll)
Friends and family of late Ennismore resident Erin Sullivan are coming together again to honour her memory by way of a kitchen party concert that supports people coming out of homelessness.
Update – “Erin’s House II” raised $19,000 to help pay down the mortgage of The Erin Sullivan House.
Called “Erin’s House II,” the second annual fundraising event will take place at the Ennismore Community Centre at 553 Ennis Road from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 14 — the day after what would have been Sullivan’s 46th birthday.
“Erin was a great dancer,” says co-organizer Joanne Rowland. “She always danced — anywhere we went, she just danced — so the kitchen party made sense.”
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Hosted by Megan Murphy, the kitchen party will offer music performed by Kate Suhr, Kate Brioux, Paul Crough, and Melissa Payne, and will also feature a silent auction and a cash bar. Tickets are priced at $25, with proceeds going towards paying off the mortgage of The Erin Sullivan House — a house named in Sullivan’s honour that is owned and managed by One City Peterborough.
On October 23, 2022, Sullivan passed away of cystic fibrosis at 43 years old. A recipient of a double lung transplant, Sullivan spent a lot of time in the hospital, though that didn’t stop her from spending much of the last decade of her life volunteering her time to the community.
“We went to Silver Bean one day and I remember Erin saying ‘If I had lots of money, I’d just buy houses for people’,” says Jane Wilson, another friend of the Sullivan family and co-organizer of the event. “That’s the kind of person she was.”
VIDEO: “Shelf Life” – A profile of Erin Sullivan by Megan Murphy
Rowland, too, recalls fondly Sullivan’s dedication to the community while they volunteered together at One Roof, a now-defunct daily meal program in Peterborough.
“She was a tireless supporter of the downtown people,” Rowland says. “She always knew everybody by name, made everybody feel very welcome, and made them feel important. She just had an amazing knack for seeing people — really seeing people.”
“We knew she had some tough times with her cystic fibrosis, but she’d be ill and then come back from that brink and continue her work. It was just always astounding the energy she found for others, when you knew part of the time she wasn’t feeling that well herself.”
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Given Sullivan’s drive to support the community, it makes sense that her friends and family would approach One City Peterborough when she passed away. Alongside offering other programs, the organization owns homes and works with private landlords and other agencies to create affordable housing options for those experiencing homelessness in Peterborough.
Thanks to Sullivan’s friends and family, one of the four-bedroom houses that has been managed by One City since 2020 is now called The Erin Sullivan House (or “Erin’s House”). There are currently four long-term residents living in the home, and Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) recently partnered with One City to build a 400-foot-square additional rental unit in the backyard.
“We really just wanted her name to be continued and have something to honour her,” says Rowland.
Erin Sullivan (left) at the CarStar Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History in May 2016. The late Ennismore resident was an active community member who regularly supported people experiencing homelessness by volunteering at One Roof’s daily meal program. She was also an active advocate for organ donor registration and held fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Canada. She died in October 2022 after living for 43 years with cystic fibrosis. (Facebook photo)
With the assistance of a $225,000 anonymous donation, the home was purchased in November 2023 through engagement in a vendor take-back mortgage with the previous owner. A further $78,731 has already been donated by friends and family, and the goal is to raise the remaining mortgage balance of $146,268.
Last year’s inaugural kitchen party raised $12,000 towards the cause and, with this year’s event being held in a larger venue, the hope is to raise even more. The event organizers are still looking for sponsors so they can lighten the operational costs and donate as much as possible towards Erin’s House.
Among the items that will be up for bid during this year’s silent auction include gift certificates to local eateries including Silver Bean Café and Copper Spoon, handcrafted jewellery from Valerie Davidson Jewellery, tickets to 4th Line Theatre, goods from Millbrook Valley Chocolates, and pottery from Wilson herself.
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“We made a lot on the silent auction,” says Rowland of last year’s event. “People were very generous with that, so we’ll have a lot of items there.”
Beyond raising money, Rowland says the hope is for community members to come together for a cause that Sullivan herself would have supported, while also remembering her by having some fun.
“There were lots of stories about Erin (last year),” says Rowland. “It just felt it like a love-in for Erin … when someone passes away, this is what we want — to keep mentioning the person’s name, keep talking about them, keep their memory alive in the community. It sure felt like that last year, and I’m sure it will be the same this year. It was just a really fun event with lots of stories and lots of laughter.”
During “Erin’s House II” in honour of late Ennismore resident Erin Sullivan, on display will be a plaque that will soon be posted in the four-bedroom One City Peterborough house which has been named in her honour and supports people in Peterborough coming out of homelessness. (kawarthaNOW collage)
During the March 14 event, which is sponsored in part by Sherbrooke Animal Hospital, there will be an opportunity to see a plaque in Sullivan’s name that will soon be installed inside of Erin’s House. It reads: “Light to you always.”
“That’s really what she stood for,” says Rowland. “Light and love.”
Rowland and Wilson are both sure this is an event that Sullivan herself would have enjoyed.
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“She was such a delight and she was such a positive person,” says Wilson. “This event reminds everybody of her wonderful life, and she would just love the project. She would just be gassed. She wouldn’t believe it.”
Tickets for the Erin’s House II kitchen party fundraiser can be purchased at the door for $25 or in advance by sending an e-transfer to Rowland at joannerowland@gmail.com. Those interested in sponsoring the March 14 event can also email Rowland.
Erin Sullivan (middle) with (from left to right) Melissa Payne, Kate Suhr, Kate Brioux, and Paul Crough. The four musicians will be coming together for a kitchen party in honour of Sullivan on March 14, 2025, just the day after what would have been her 46th birthday. Hosted by Megan Murphy, the second annual event will include live music, stories, a silent auction, and a cash bar. All proceeds will be donated to the purchase of a One City Peterborough house in Sullivan’s name that provides permanent housing to individuals coming out of homelessness. (Photo: Melissa Payne / Facebook)
Members of the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough were at No Frills on George Street and at FreshCo on Brock Street in downtown Peterborough on Feburary 22, 2025 to hand out 160 gift certificates worth a total of $4,000 in recognition of the annual Kin Kindness Day. (Photo: Kinsmen Club of Peterborough / Facebook)
Celebrating its 95th anniversary in 2025, the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough recently brought smiles to the faces of shoppers in two downtown grocery stores by handing out 160 gift certificates worth a total of $4,000.
The initiative part of Kin Kindness Day, an annual event dedicated to promoting kindness and compassion with the goal of fostering a culture of empathy and goodwill.
“Kin Kindness Day is a reflection of our mission to make a difference and give back to the community,” says Kinsmen Club of Peterborough president Barry Craft in a media release. “We were grateful for the opportunity to support local families and show our appreciation to the people of Peterborough through the simple gesture of helping with this week’s grocery bill,” Craft said.
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On Saturday, February 22, Kinsmen Club members handed out $25 gift certificates to unsuspecting shoppers at No Frills on George Street and at FreshCo on Brock Street.
According to the Kinsmen Club, when the recipients found out the intent of the gift certificates was a simple act of kindness, “more than a few” paid it forward and asked that the gift certificate be given instead to someone who was more in need.
A community service organization founded in 1930, the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough supports a variety of local charities and non-profit organizations each year, such as Kawartha Food Share, Cystic Fibrosis, and Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Brock Mission board member Alan Wilson, who is leading the project to develop a 52-unit, six-storey co-ed transitional housing apartment building to be constructed at 738 Chemong Road, speaks to city council during a general committee meeting on February 24, 2025. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of City of Peterborough video)
Saying his office has been “inundated” with phone calls and emails, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP-elect Dave Smith issued a statement on Monday (March 3) to correct what he terms are “erroneous comments” recently made by the project lead for the Brock Mission transitional housing building planned for 738 Chemong Road.
Speaking before Peterborough city councillors last Monday, Brock Mission board member Alan Wilson said “operational costing” for the 52-unit building that will rise next to the organization’s Cameron House emergency shelter for women “has been costed at $2 million,” adding “MPP (Smith) has said he will make sure we get that money.”
But in his statement, Smith made it very clear that “that’s not the case.”
“There has been no (provincial) funding offered to Brock Mission for this (project), whether it’s capital or operating,” he later clarified for kawarthaNOW.
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“We (the Province) don’t have any (funding) programs at the moment because, obviously with the election, the budget has not been released yet,” Smith said. “Until the budget comes out, I don’t know what’s in it.”
“My office was inundated this morning (Monday) with phone calls and emails asking for clarification on this … based upon the statement Mr. Wilson said at city council.”
In his written statement, Smith acknowledges he participated in an “introductory meeting” last fall regarding the project.
“Representatives for Brock Mission were directed to work with the lead partners on the HART (Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment) Hub project during the development of Peterborough’s HART Hub application,” Smith writes in his statement. “Representatives of Brock Mission chose not to participate in the collaboration for the operational funding opportunity for the HART Hub.”
A rendering of Brock Mission’s proposed 52-unit, six-storey co-ed transitional housing apartment building to be constructed at 738 Chemong Road in Peterborough, adjacent to the existing Cameron House women’s shelter. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of City of Peterborough video)
“I’ve been very heavily involved with the HART Hub application since its inception,” Smith told kawarthaNOW. “I don’t believe that what he (Wilson) is proposing is actually going to be a solution for our problem at the moment. Brock (Mission) has been operating in isolation, without working with any of the other partners on this (HART Hub).”
As for provincial dollars to help fund the Brock Mission build, Smith makes it clear in his statement that this is not an option. He notes the $6.3 million in funding that the Ontario government has committed for Peterborough’s HART Hub “can only be allocated toward operational expenses.”
“None of the funding can be used for capital build expenses. No funding from the successful HART Hub application for Peterborough can be used to assist in the Brock Mission build.”
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Furthermore, Smith notes there are no provincial capital funding programs available for which Brock Mission could apply.
“No provincial capital funding is available nor has any been committed to Brock Mission for this project,” he states.
“As is the case for all funding opportunities, should a program be made available, Brock Mission may choose to apply for funding, at which time, the project would be evaluated through a competitive application process, and the merits of the proposal combined with the needs of all of the communities that apply would determine whether their application is successful or not.”
Dave Smith was re-elected as Peterborough-Kawartha MPP for a third time on February 27, 2025 after Premier Doug Ford called a snap winter election asking Ontario voters for a strong mandate to take on the threat of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. (Photo: Dave Smith / Facebook)
Asked if he thinks Wilson was misleading when he told councillors that he had been assured funding for operational costs would be forthcoming, Smith took a long pause before answering.
“Suggesting that someone is lying is not something I’m comfortable with,” Smith said. “What I will say is I have no idea where he came up with a commitment or dollar amount.”
To clarify that exact point, kawarthaNOW shared Smith’s statement with Wilson via email, to which Wilson only replied “I understand what Dave has said.” Meanwhile, kawarthaNOW’s request to Wilson for an interview went unanswered.
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Wilson’s appearance before city council — the outcome of which saw Mayor Jeff Leal exercise his strong mayor powers to fast-track the project, and subsequently gain enough support from council to expedite it by amending the city’s zoning by-law and exempting the project from the city’s site plan requirements — followed an earlier appearance before Peterborough County councillors where Wilson sought financial support from the county.
Wilson afterwards told the Peterborough Examiner that he expects the project to include $2 million in operating expenses which, he’s quoted as saying, “will be covered by the Province in recognition of the desperate need for transitional housing in the city.”
While county council voiced its support of the project, it voted to defer Wilson’s funding request until 2026 budget deliberations.
Brock Mission’s transitional housing project was earlier granted $250,000 by the city to pay for site test testing work which has already begun.
Wilson has said that federal funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is actively being sought.
Should funding be forthcoming, the building’s foundation could be dug as soon as late April, with construction of the building itself starting this summer.
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