There’s no denying Showplace Performance Centre’s place as a premiere live entertainment venue serving audiences in Peterborough and the surrounding region.

Opened in October 1996, the downtown Peterborough venue has been home to hundreds of concerts, theatre productions, and dance performances, both in its 647-seat Erica Cherney Theatre and the much more intimate lower level 100-seat Nexicom Studio. With a stated mission “to present, promote and sustain the performing arts,” the not-for-profit Showplace organization has clearly delivered and then some.

Now there’s a new message that Showplace board members, staff, and volunteers want to share: a reminder that the venue, at the end of the day, is primarily a rental facility. In fact, more than half of the events that take place at Showplace are rentals.

As such, the theatre’s new “Think Inside The Theatre” campaign is pushing that message in the hope that more groups and individuals will book the facility for non-entertainment events, including conferences, product launches, trade shows, weddings, and family receptions, to name but a few possibilities.

“We have three distinct spaces that are very versatile,” says Showplace house manager and volunteer coordinator Kait Dueck, referring to the Erica Cherney Theatre, the Nexicom Studio, and the street-level lobby, which can accommodate up to 60 people for smaller events.

“You can build your event from scratch. We have the front of house and technical expertise to make your event a reality.”

“While you could book a room the same size as the Nexicom Studio elsewhere, it’s not going to come with the staff expertise and the equipment that Showplace can provide,” Dueck notes.

And, she says, that expertise and equipment comes doesn’t come with a big price tag.

“In terms of just renting the space, we’re extraordinarily competitive,” Dueck says. “Cheaper than most places in fact. And, if you’re a community or non-profit group, chances are good that we’re going to give you — as long as our expenses are covered — a really good deal.”

“Do you need a technical director? Do you need a lighting operator? Do you need an audio technician? Are we setting up sound equipment and risers? Are we setting up lighting? All of these things we can make happen.”

“We do have to cover our expenses but, if you want the space during business hours when staff are already here, you don’t have to pay extra for them.”

Among the staff is technical director Rael Corkery who works with booked event organizers on their presentation needs, be that audio, video or lighting, and often a combination of all three. He says new and sometimes off-the-wall technical challenges, combined with the fact that “every day is different”, keep him motivated.

“Sometimes we start from scratch and we build from the ground up,” says Corkery. “I’ve done shows in the studio space that are kind of standard, but we’ve also done plays (in the Nexicom Studio). It’s a lot of work but we make it happen. Audiences come in and are wowed. They don’t know or need to know all the work that goes into it. They come and they say ‘That was incredible’ and that’s enough.”

“The only thing I haven’t seen here are pyrotechnics. That would be like six months of advancing, fire chief approval, a ton of paperwork. Anything extra that the client can’t bring or doesn’t have access to we can source out and have it here for them, often at a very competitive price.”

For the Think Inside The Theatre campaign — Showplace’s take on the aphorism “think outside the box” — the organization wants people to understand the theatre’s versatility for hosting a wide range of events.

For example, for kids’ birthday parties, Corkery notes he can hook up an Xbox system to play on a huge screen, with the sound coming through the theatre’s massive speakers.

While the Think Inside The Theatre campaign is focused on promoting even more non-entertainment events, such events have already been staged at Showplace with great success.

“A couple of years ago we had a wedding in (the Nexicom Studio) of the first general manager of Showplace, Peter Sudbury, and Dani Breau,” Dueck recalls.

“It’s remarkable how transformable this space is. Steve Paikin did a book launch here with David Goyette. We’ve had many corporate events and conferences. Just last summer we hosted the Métis Nation of Ontario Conference and we have also hosted Ontario Presents, the largest conference of theatre managers in the province.”

Dueck says that while Showplace is a not-for-profit entity, it must cover the costs associated with operating the theatre, as well as pay for the programming offered by its Showplace Presents menu of entertainment. To that end, she notes it’s important, bordering on necessary, “to have income coming through the doors” during the off-season.

For example, Dueck says, there’s more availability of the theatre’s spaces for rentals during July and August. That said, whatever time of year you are looking to book the main theatre, the downstairs studio, or the lobby, “We have a very reasonable, generous general manager (Emily Martin) who would be happy to make it work for you.”

“We want to showcase not only the versatility of the space but the versatility of our very small but hard-working and incredibly talented staff,” says Dueck, who marked 12 years at Showplace this past December.

“You can have the space but without the team to make the magic happen, you just have the space. We know how incredible the facility is, but even more incredible is the team.”

“It’s our desire to invite people into our space and show them what we can do. We take pride in what we do and want the space to be used as much as possible because we believe in it.”

For more information about renting space at Showplace, visit www.showplace.org/spaces/. If you’re interesting in renting, contact general manager Emily Martin at 705-742-7089 ext. 15 or gm@showplace.org.

This story was created in partnership with Showplace Performance Centre.

With lots of rain and chilly temperatures, May was more like April but we finally started seeing signs of spring. Trilliums bloomed, starry spring nights returned, fireworks lit up the Victoria Day weekend skies, marinas opened, the loons and herons returned to local lakes, and beautiful spring sunsets enticed local photographers.

Do you want to get on our top photographers list? All you need is an Insta account and to tag us using our hashtag #kawarthanow when posting your photo.

We share photos from across our readership area, which is the five-county area surrounding Peterborough which includes Peterborough, Northumberland, City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Hastings (we sneak in the occasional Algonquin Park picture as well, particularly if it’s by a Kawartha photographer).

To see our daily shares of photos, follow us on Instagram @kawarthanow and check out our feed’s highlight reels for recaps of every month in 2019.

#1. Spring trilliums by 10 photographers

Posted May 26, 2019. 8,927 impressions, 663 likes

We love trillium season in the Kawarthas! It’s not surprising that our top post for May is also one of our all-time favourites. Our photographers had been tagging us in their trillium photos for a few weeks and we wanted to share the beauty of trilliums in the Kawarthas in all their variations. The photographers are Robert Metcalfe @robert.a.metcalfe, Barry Killen @theburleighridge_beareh, Jo Pearson @glass.forest.art, Linda McIlwain @lindamac11, Chad Miller @miller.photo, Miss Amy G. @missamyeg, Karen Suggitt @karen_suggitt, Emily Provincial Park @emilyprovpark, Jen Mackenzie @foodworxjen, and Mariola Daher @marioladaher.

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Trillium season in The Kawarthas! We love #trillium season in #thekawarthas. Our photographers have been tagging us for a few weeks and we wanted to share the beauty of all of them with our #kawarthapeeps – and all the variations! White. Red. Greens. These trilliums are from all across the forest floors of the #kawarthas The photographers are: @robert.a.metcalfe @theburleighridge_beareh @glass.forest.art @lindamac11 @miller.photo @missamyeg @karen_suggitt @emilyprovpark @foodworxjen @marioladaher

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 26, 2019 at 5:52am PDT

#2. Silent Lake starry night by Vincent Yi Zhang @vincentzhangyi

Posted May 20, 2019. 8,837 impressions, 697 likes

Wrapping up the Victoria Day long weekend with stunning starry skies at Silent Lake Provincial Park north of Apsley.

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Wrapping up the long weekend our #kawarthapeeps with stunning starry skies from photographer @vincentzhangyi #silentlakeprovincialpark #silentlake #hastingshighlands #northkawartha #highlandseast #victoriaday #victoriadayweekend #maylongweekend

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 20, 2019 at 5:06pm PDT

#3. Fireworks over Little Lake by Adam @aarmitag

Posted May 19, 2019. 8371 impressions, 589 likes

The annual Rotary Victoria Day fireworks over Little Lake at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough.

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Good Sunday morning our #kawarthapeeps from #peterboroughontario Thanks to @aarmitag for these shots from the #Rotary event at Del Crary Park last night. #victoriaday #longweekend #ptbokawartha #ptbo #littlelakepeterborough #littlelake #eastcityON #otonabeeriver #ariverrunsthroughit #kawarthas #thekawarthas #kawarthalakes #victoriadayweekend #holidayweekend

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 19, 2019 at 3:36am PDT

#3. The Milky Way over Hope Mill by Adam @aarmitag

Posted May 8, 2019. 8,002 impressions, 443 likes

The Milky Way in all its glory over Hope Mill, a historic sawmill on the shores of the Indian River near Keene.

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Good Wednesday morning our #kawarthapeeps with some stunner shots from @aarmitag from Hope Mill #keene #osmtownship #hopemill #langpioneervillage #ptbokawartha #thekawarthas #kawarthas

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 8, 2019 at 3:10am PDT

#5. Welcome to Chandos Lake by Shantilly’s Place @shantillysplace

Posted May 27, 2019. 7,897 impressions, 311 likes

Writer and actress Shantelle Bisson and her husband, Murdoch Mysteries’ actor Yannick Bisson, have opened Shantilly’s Place on Chandos Lake in North Kawartha. Pictured is Yannick and Shantelle with artist Terri Butler (right), who gifted the couple a painting of the original West Bay Narrows Marina. The Bissons, who have a cottage on the lake, purchased the marina in 2018.

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Our top story in this week's businessNOW™, brought to you in part by 705 Creative @705.creative, is writer & actress Shantelle Bisson @shantellebisson and her husband, Murdoch Mysteries' actor Yannick Bisson @yannick_bisson, opening Shantilly's Place @shantillysplace on Chandos Lake in North Kawartha. ????????? Pictured is Yannick and Shantelle with artist Terri Butler (right), who gifted the couple a painting of the original West Bay Narrows Marina. The Bissons, who have a cottage on the lake, purchased the marina in 2018. ????????? Read all the details of the above story, as well as other business stories and upcoming business events, in our Business & Tech section at kawarthanow.com (link in bio). ????????? #business #economy #tourism #entrepreneurs #startups #peterborough #ptbo #ptbokawartha #ptbocanada #apsley #northkawartha #cobourg #northumberland #kawarthalakes #kawarthas #kawarthanow @ptbochamber

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 27, 2019 at 5:03pm PDT

#6. Loon family and Great Blue Heron on Stony Lake by Andrew Arentowicz @aarentow

Posted May 29, 2019. 7,886 impressions, 679 likes

This photo was the winner in the flora and fauna category in the 2018 photo contest of the Environment Council for Clear, Ston(e)y and White Lakes @environmentcouncil.

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Good Wednesday morning our #kawarthapeeps from #stonylake! Photo by @aarentow as featured by Stony Lake @environmentcouncil in their 2018 photo contest. Check out their account for link and details! #loon #loons #greatblueheron #heron #ptbokawartha #northkawartha #wildandfreeinthekawarthas #summerinthekawarthas #kawarthabirds #jewelofthekawarthas

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 29, 2019 at 4:07am PDT

#7. Celebrating Tourism Week by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism @thekawarthas

Posted May 29, 2019. 7,852 impressions, 386 likes

These stunning shots of Peterborough and the Kawarthas were part of our feature story for Tourism Week from May 26 to June 2, 2019.

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Peterborough & the Kawarthas will celebrate the economic boost tourism has brought in recent years to the region for National Tourism Week, which is on now until Sunday, June 2nd, officially kicking off the summer tourism season. ????????? Tourism Week is a national, grassroots initiative, organized by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, that brings attention to the economic opportunity available to communities, cities and regions across Canada, through travel and tourism. ????????? "Tourism Week reminds us just how important this sector is to our local economy," says Tracie Bertrand, Director of Tourism and Communications with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. ????????? "Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism has been working very hard over the last 12 years to build a strong, recognizable tourism brand. As the official destination marketing organization for Peterborough & the Kawarthas, it's our objective to increase the number of visitors coming to our destination and to encourage them to stay longer and spend more." ????????? All photos courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism @thekawarthas. Read more about the economic impact of tourism in our region, the opportunities available for visitors to the area, what Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism is doing to support tourism, and how our businesses and residents can become local ambassadors for tourism in our News & Community section at kawarthanow.com (link in bio). ????????? #tourism #economy #TourismWeek #TourismMatters #peterborough #ptbo #ptbokawartha #ptbokawarthas #kawarthas #kawarthanow

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 28, 2019 at 6:00pm PDT

#8. Sunday morning sunrise over Little Lake Marina in Peterborough by Lou Fitze @fitzephotography

Posted May 5, 2019. 7,812 impressions, 492 likes

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Good Sunday morning our #kawarthapeeps with the Sunday #kawarthasunrise from #peterboroughontario #littlelakemarina #happeningNOW #littlelakepeterborough #otonabeeriver #ariverrunsthroughit #KNreshared #ptbo #springinthekawarthas #cottagecountry #boating #trentsevernwaterway #tsw @ptbochamber

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 5, 2019 at 3:59am PDT

#9. Tuesday night sunset by Jon Faulknor @jonfaulknor

Posted May 15, 2019. 6,912 impressions, 589 likes

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Good Wednesday morning our #kawarthapeeps with last night's sunset from photographer @jonfaulknor. #springinthekawarthas #finallysun #kawarthasunset #kawarthalakes #thekawarthalakes #cityofkawarthalakes #cokl #cottagecountry #homesteading #farm #kawarthafarms

A post shared by kawarthaNOW® (@kawarthanow) on May 15, 2019 at 3:21am PDT

A celebration of John Kenneth Muir’s life is planned for Saturday, June 22nd.

The community radio pioneer, sound engineer, community leader, mentor, and arts advocate passed away at 63 years of age on June 3, 2019 after a lengthy illness.

The celebration takes place from 1 to 11 p.m. at Sadleir House (751 George St. N., Peterborough), the not-for-profit community and Trent University student centre.

Muir was one of the founders of the Peter Robinson Community and Student Association that bought Sadleir House, originally part of Trent University’s Peter Robinson College, after Trent University sold the building. He and his wife Yvonne Lai continued to be strong supporters of Sadleir House (the courtyard garden there is named after them).

Portions of the celebration will be broadcast live on Trent Radio at CFFF 92.7FM and streamed online at trentradio.ca. Muir was a founding director and the general manager of Trent Radio, the volunteer-run community radio station of Trent University, of which Muir was also an alumni.

The celebration of Muir’s life begins at Sadleir House from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22nd, with speeches at 1:30 p.m. (broadcast on Trent Radio) followed by an informal gathering of family and friends.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their loudest and brightest clothing. If you plan to attend, note that limited parking is available at Sadleir House.

Later in the evening, a sound celebration called “John’s Kinda Music” with musical friends will take place. The event will begin at 8 p.m. and will also be broadcast on Trent Radio and streamed online.

To honour Muir’s memory, his family would appreciate donations to Trent Radio or Sadleir House.

One way you can support both organizations is by purchasing a “Fuck it, forget it, and forge ahead!” print created by Bennett Bedoukian.

When Trent Radio had to decide on its call letters in 1997 for its protected licence from the CRTC, it chose “CFFF”, the last three letters of which Muir said stood for “fuck it, forget it, and forge ahead” — a reflection of the many challenges Trent Radio faced during its evolution from broadcasting content on CHEX radio in the late 1960s to obtaining its protected licence in the late 1990s.

The poster is available for at Sadleir House by donation, and copies will also be available at the June 22nd celebration of Muir’s life. You can also get a copy by making an online donation to Sadleir House at canadahelps.org/en/dn/12203. When making your donation, include a message that you want a copy of the print and provide your mailing address.

The prints are also available at Trent Radio (715 George St. N.), and you can also make an online donation to Trent Radio at canadahelps.org/en/dn/14907.

Blessed with numerous lakes and rivers and, of course, the historical treasure that is the Trent-Severn Waterway, Peterborough and the Kawarthas remains a boater’s paradise — but with that distinction comes great responsibility.

Since 1959, Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron volunteers have educated thousands of pleasure boaters in safe boating practices and knowledge of local waterways via a number of training courses. On Friday (June 7) at the Marshland Centre in Lakefield, several of those volunteers, including past squadron commanders, gathered to mark the squadron’s 60th anniversary.

“Think back over 60 years … how many students, how many instructors, how many hours,” marvelled Chuck Beal, national commander of Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons.

“We can never tell how many lives have been saved. There’s no way to count that. I think the better way to think about it is people are going out on the water with skills. They know to operate a boat and how to read a chart, they know about safety, they know about the rules of the road.”

“One of the by-products of that is they’re going to have more fun. Think about the number of families that have gone out on the water and had an enjoyable time and arrived home safely because of the thousands of hours of training this squadron has provided.”

During his tenure, Cmdr. Beal initiated Squadron of the Year and Squadron District of the Year awards. In 2018, the former was bestowed on the Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron, which is one of six squadrons in the Quinte District.

“I would like to say that it was a tough choice to choose Peterborough but that wouldn’t be true: it was a remarkable submission,” praised Cmdr. Beal.

“The only (award) criteria is you have to convince me why I should give you the award. One of the things that really struck me about Peterborough was the community involvement. That’s one of the reasons you’re so strong and vibrant after 60 years.”

The Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron traces its roots back to the mid 1950s when Mark Johnson, with his wife Dora, moved to Peterborough to work at General Electric. An instructor with the Toronto squadron, Johnson was surprised to learn there wasn’t a squadron serving the local area.

Johnson brought together like-minded boaters to form the Peterborough Piloting Club in 1958, On June 17, 1959, the Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron was granted its charter at the Rockhaven Motel, with Johnson serving as its inaugural commander. Current commander Nick Cliteur is the 49th person to serve in that role.

“Sixty years ago we had a group of people get together and say there’s a need to be able to share courses, seminars, and programs on boating safety so we can teach people how to handle a boat and operate it safely,” notes Cmdr. Cliteur.

“The Trent-Severn Waterway is very unique in terms of its navigational system. When I moved here from Toronto, it was a big introduction for me. On Lake Ontario you might see one buoy. Here you see one every few feet.”

“When I first launched a boat, I realized that although my Personal Craft Operator’s Card gave me the basic skills, I had to pull the book out for some of new buoys that I had never dealt with before. I thought if I have to pull the book out, then I need to take a course.”

“I found the Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron seven years ago, signed up for its course, and that made a world of difference in how much I can enjoy safely going about anywhere throughout the Trent-Severn system and now pretty much any waterway.”

With a current membership of 165 — Cmdr. Cliteur says it was as high as more than 300 at one time — the only criteria for Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron membership is a passion for boating safety. Having a boat is not a requirement.

“Eighty per cent of deaths on waterways are a direct result of not wearing a lifejacket,” notes Cmdr. Cliteur.

“Just like we had to get used to wearing seat belts many years ago, if people could do that, that’s when we know we’re going to start seeing lives being saved. When there are tragedies, we get in touch with the police agencies to make sure we understand what happened. We learn from what happened to those particular victims and share that in our courses. That’s how we keep our courses up to date.”

In his second year as commander, he says the squadron’s 2018 award, combined with the attention this anniversary milestone brings, will serve to bring more members its way.

Along with the courses it offers boaters — visit peterboroughsafeboating.org/courses.htm for a complete rundown — Peterborough Power and Sail Squadron members are very visible on local waterways.

One of the services the squadron provides are recreational vessel courtesy checks, which sees squadron members interact with boaters at area marinas to ensure the required safety equipment is present and in good working order.

This summer that service will be provided at four marinas. Recipients of that service, notes Cmdr. Cliteur, are for the most part appreciative.

“We very seldom run into any situation, mostly because we let the marinas know we’re coming and they get the word out to those who are going to be on the docks. We don’t just show up. And it’s a volunteer thing to let us on their boats.”

“We’re out there and that’s something people are receptive to. I think we’re going to be here for many, many more years.”

Canadian Power Squadron (CPS) was founded in Windsor in 1938 after a group of boaters travelled to the Detroit Power Squadron to take the United States Power Squadrons Coastal Navigation Course. Upon their successful completion of the course, they formed the Windsor Power Squadron. There are now 166 squadrons spread across all provinces and the Yukon Territory.

CPS was incorporated in 1947 and, in 1985, changed its name to Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons. At that time, the French name, Escadrilles canadiennes de plaisance, was formally adopted. The nationwide not-for-profit organization now has more than 20,000 active members.

For more information on Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, visit www.cps-ecp.ca.

The weather is going to be wonderful for Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday (June 8) at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough.

Sunny skies and a high of 24° C will make for perfect conditions for both paddlers and spectators.

Here’s the schedule for the day (all times are approximate):

• 07:45 a.m. – Team Captains’ meeting
• 08:15 a.m. – “Awakening the Dragon” (opening ceremony)
• 09:00 a.m. – Morning races begin
• 10:00 a.m. – Vendors Village Market opens
• 10:00 a.m. – Family Funzone opens
• 11:15 a.m. – Flower Ceremony (featuring the Peterborough Pop Ensemble and Breast Cancer survivor teams)
• 12:15 p.m. – Afternoon races begin
• 01:00 p.m. – The Thirsty Dragon beer garden opens featuring Cameron’s Brewing Company craft selections, and a non-alcoholic craft beer option by Partake Brewery
• 02:15 p.m. – Semi-finals and division finals begin
• 03:15 p.m. – Live entertainment featuring JUNO Award nominee Jeremy Fisher, with opening acts from local artists Evangeline Gentle and Hillary Dumoulin
• 03:35 p.m. – Final race of the day (community mixed final presented by platinum sponsor Kawartha Credit Union)

The detailed race schedule is available as a PDF download. All races this year are 250 metres, replacing the 400-metre races of past years. Read more about this year’s festival.

If you’re driving to the festival, be aware that parking is limited at Del Crary Park and that Crescent Street will be temporarily closed.

However, you can also park at the municipal lots at 190 Simcoe Street, 202 King Street, 210 Wolfe Street, and the Evinrude Centre at 911 Monaghan Road, with Coach Canada providing free shuttle buses every 30 minutes that stop at these locations (the Simcoe Street shuttle stop is at the bus terminal) on their way to Del Crary Park.

If you are pedalling to the festival, supervised bike parking will be available at Del Crary Park courtesy of Peterborough Moves and B!KE: The Peterborough Community Cycling Hub.

With one day to go until the festival, paddler teams and individuals have raised 65 per cent of this year’s fundraising goal of $191,000. This year, the festival is fundraising for a laboratory technology at Peterborough Regional Health Centre known as CellaVision, which performs automated digital cell mapping of blood work, allowing doctors to determine and confirm cancer diagnoses and make treatment decisions with minimal delays.

There’s still time to help the festival reach its fundraising goal by donating to teams or individual paddlers at ptbodragonboat.ca.