The 24 Hour Project sees local writers, directors, and performers creating and rehearsing five plays with one day, with a public performance of the plays at 8 p.m. on July 6, 2019 at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough. This year's event is also a fundraiser for Mysterious Entity Theatre. (Poster: Arbor Theatre)
On Saturday, July 6th, The 24 Hour Project returns to the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough after a two-year absence.
A popular theatrical event, The 24 Hour Project brings together a melting pot of writers, directors, and performers to create five original plays in a single day.
Fast, furious and wildly entertaining, this normally annual event returns for the first time since 2017, under the direction of Arbor Theatre’s new creative director Em Glasspool (also artistic director of Mysterious Entity Theatre).
Em Glasspool, seen here performing in their original work “Wreck Wee Em” in 2018, is the new creative director of Arbor Theatre, which is restaging The 24 Hour Project on July 6, 2019 after a two-year absence. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
“The 24 Hour Project is a thing that has happened all over the world,” Em says. “I remember doing the very first one in Peterborough about twenty years ago. Personally, I have taken part as an actor, as a writer, and as a director — and they all have their own terrifying but rewarding aspects.”
“As a performer, there is this terrifying feeling of ‘Oh my god, I’m in front of people and I have lines I don’t remember because I got them only a few hours ago.’ The writers try to put together something in a very short amount of time. I think the most successful pieces are ones that do have some sort of structure with the traditional aspects of a play. Directors need to have a vision quickly and give their performers confidence very strongly in a very short period of time.”
The 24 Hour Project has a very structured timeline, beginning with the five writers meeting with Em at The Gordon Best Theatere at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 5th. Scheduled to write what will be the five original shows for the following evening are Linda Kash, David Bateman, Christopher Wilton, Nicky Gibeault, and K Thomas Craig.
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“Normally the writers write whatever they’re going to write, but this year I’m giving them a little bit of direction,” Em explains. “The writers are going to meet at 7:30 p.m. at The Gordon Best and we are going to play a little game that gives them one little word or sentence or theme that they have to incorporate into their writing. Then they will go home and at the stroke of 8 p.m. they start writing scripts.”
“They have to send them to me by 5 a.m. on Saturday morning so I have them in hand by 6 a.m., when all the directors meet at the Gordon Best. The directors read all the scripts and choose a show to produce between them.”
Directing the shows this year will be local favourites Kait Dueck, Lisa Dixon, Wyatt Lamoureux, Dane Shumak, and Connor Clarkin.
“Then, at 7:30 a.m. the actors show up and are very quickly auditioned in a group audition,” Em continues. “The actors get cast and by 9 a.m. five different plays are being rehearsed all over Peterborough. They start tech runs, and dress runs, and whatever they need to do all day. At 7:30 p.m. the doors of the Gordon best open and at 8 p.m., 24 hours later, the show begins.”
As of this writing, the group of actors slated to appear in Saturday night’s shows include Randy Read, Charlie Earle, Meg O’Sullivan, Lindsay Barr, Johnathan Sharp, Benjamin van Veen, Tom Keat, Aedan Shaughnessy, Sarah-Jayne Riley, Hilary Wear, Anwen O’Driscoll, Star Slade, Tyrnan O’Driscoll, Ilan O’Driscoll, Mary Alice Osborn, and Vasco Silva.
However, since the auditions haven’t even happened yet, there is still time to sign up. If you are interested in participating in the event, you can email Em at emglasspool@gmail.com.
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“We can always use more performers, and I can increase the number of characters in the script,” Em says. “The participants cross a lot of different theatre groups and styles. There are no restrictions — anybody and everybody should come to perform. It’s completely open to people of all ages and styles. It’s community building and crosses the lines of who (normally) works with who. I think that is important.”
Not only is it a challenge for the participants, but The 24 Hour Project has taken new meaning in our current political climate where the arts are being threatened by budget cuts.
“Because of all the things that we are going through today — with all the cuts to art councils — timing and process are precious resources that we always have,” Em says. “So as a performer or a director or a writer, it is so incredibly valuable to have an event like this. You get to hone your skills or practice your chops or just have an opportunity to perform. A production is a huge undertaking that takes months of your life and thousands of dollars, so this is a valuable exercise.”
“But there is also a value for the audience to see what it’s like to have it all come together. You’re seeing something very raw. You’re seeing a panic on the faces of the participants. The writer started writing the night before and now the play is on stage.”
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“I think the audience really has this compassion for the actors on stage because they want them to succeed. It’s not the kind of show where you go in as a critic saying ‘This better be good.’ It’s more supportive and it’s also fun to watch.”
Never having attended before, I am excited to be a part of my first 24 Hour Project this year. It’s a great opportunity to see some of the Kawarthas’ favourite writers, directors, and performers diving into drama and making something new and exciting happen in a very short period of time. This year’s 24 Hour Project is also being used as a fundraiser for Em’s Mysterious Entity Theatre, and is being sponsored by Black Honey and Steam Whistle Brewing.
Doors open for The 24 Hour Project at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6th at the Gordon Best Theatre (above The Only at 216 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough). Tickets are $10, but line up early because the show is always a sellout.
Award-winning Toronto-based world music group Sultans of String are returning to Peterborough Musicfest to perform a free, sponsor-supported concert at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough on July 6, 2019. (Publicity photo)
Flash back to the summer of 2016 and the 30th anniversary season of Peterborough Musicfest. That year’s concert series’ lineup was highlighted by an abundance of quickly recognizable names, starting with series opener Serena Ryder followed by the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Gowan, The Spoons, and Platinum Blonde.
Peterborough Musicfest presents Sultans of String
When: Wednesday, July 6, 2019 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: Free admission
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent for $4/chair). VIP seating available for sponsors. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighbourhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
On the flip side of that, comparatively few knew much about Sultans of String and their music when they descended on Del Crary Park on July 9th of that year but, some two hours later, the audience headed home wanting more.
Almost three years to the day of that inaugural Musicfest performance, Sultans of String — led by Canadian violinist, guitarist and composer Chris McKhool — returns to the Fred Anderson Stage on Saturday, July 6th as the 33rd season of Peterborough Musicfest continues.
Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free, as always, thanks to the support of Musicfest sponsors.
Delivering a genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, the three-time Juno Award-nominated band, often augmented by sitar master Anwar Khurshid, is the definition of world music, with McKhool’s six-stringed violin and co-founder Kevin Laliberté’s flamenco guitar anchoring a rich and unique sound that stays with audiences long after the last note is played.
VIDEO: “Luna the Whale ” – Sultans of String
“We both love trying out crazy ideas and seeing what sticks,” notes McKhool in a 2013 interview with Jazz Monthly.
“When we saw the power of this style of music on the listening public, we knew we had to do more of it. We were happy to pick up gigs here and there, happy to make $75 a man to play all night in a theatre lobby or any club … we were footloose and fancy free.”
“But, in 2007, we honed in and decided to take it to the next level. We became pickier about our repertoire, putting together an actual set list of songs that would engage audiences rather than just entertain ourselves.”
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That same year, with Eddie Paton (flamenco guitar), Drew Birston (bass), and Chendy Leon (percussion) in the mix, Sultans of String recorded and released Luna, its debut album.
Win VIP passes to MusicFest!
As a returning sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest, kawarthaNOW.com will be giving away VIP seats to every one of this summer’s concerts again this year.
While the concerts are free to all, VIP seats are not available to the general public — only to festival sponsors. You are guaranteed a chair near to the stage for the best view.
The giveaways are exclusive to subscribers to our weekly e-news. For your chance to win, sign-up to our weekly e-news at k-n.ca/subscribe.
Come 2008, the album was a top-ten fixture on the Canadian international and world/folk music charts and earned the band a nomination for a Canadian Folk Music Award — the first of many industry accolades that would follow.
But as notable a debut as that album was, it was 2009’s Yalla Yalla that brought Sultans of String to greater prominence, not only for fans of the world music genre but also those whose ears were new to the eclectic sound.
Yalla Yalla won the band the Instrumental Group of the Year award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards and brought its first Juno Award nomination in 2010 in the Instrumental Album of the Year category.
VIDEO: “Enter The Gate” – Sultans of String
Four albums have since followed, the latest being 2017’s Christmas Caravan which peaked at #6 on the Billboard World Music charts.
Along the way, numerous tours have brought Sultans of String’s music across Canada, the United States and Europe. World Group of the Year recognition bestowed by SiriusXM gave further proof that McKhool et al had hit upon something special that resonated with audiences.
“The most important thing in creating the Sultan sound was creating shorter, more focused tunes with memorable song titles and strong arrangements that would be palatable to listen to on a recording but we also never liked the idea of being nailed down to one genre, so there is a lot of variety,” McKhool tells Jazz Monthly.
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“It’s exciting music that is a great tool to tell our stories. The variety keeps me going because each of the different styles can lead to a different kind of mood, bring out different elements of our personalities and allow us to engage in a variety of physical antics while performing live.”
Besides his work with Sultans of String, Ottawa-born McKhool is an accomplished children’s music performer, his 2009 Juno Award nomination for his album Fiddlefire evidence of that. In addition, he has performed alongside such world music notables as Pavlo and Jesse Cook.
And in 2013, he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his support of community and music education programs for at-risk youth.
VIDEO: “A Place To Call Home” – Sultans of String
Still, for all his individual accomplishments, it’s clear McKhool’s work with Sultans of String speaks most clearly to his commitment to making the world a better place through a shared love of music.
“In a way we are trying to emulate a model for world peace,” notes McKhool in Sultan of String’s Wikipedia profile. “We have many musical worlds coming together. Sometimes they understand each other and sometimes they don’t. That’s part of the artistic process too, even more so when we’re combining these seemingly disparate music styles.”
“That’s kind of the Canadian ideal of multiculturalism, the sense of the mosaic. You look up at a stained glass window and you see all those beautiful colours and they all come together to make one beautiful image. That’s what we’re trying to do on a daily basis in our lives and with our music.”
Called Refuge, the record will feature musical collaborations with recent refugees and immigrants to the U.S. and Canada, part of a larger project the band has undertaken to fundraise and raise awareness for the UN Refugee Agency.
Guest artists performing on the new album will include Iraqi-Canadian violinist Imad Al Taha, Iranian-Canadian santur player Amir Amiri, Hungarian-Canadian jazz pianist Robi Botos, and many more.
VIDEO: “Refuge – a new album by Sultans of String” – Sultans of String
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission, sponsor-supported concerts featuring a total of 21 acts during its 33rd season — each concert staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2019 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
This year, don't let your green food scraps go to waste. Register for the Kitchen to Compost program and City of Peterborough staff will deliver and install a composter in your backyard. New this year, the program includes a countertop food scrap container for holding your veggie scraps until you take them out to your backyard unit. (Photo: Karen Halley)
This May marked the start of the second year of “The Kitchen to Compost: Too Good To Waste” program offered by the City of Peterborough in partnership with GreenUP.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Ben Hargreaves, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Support Staff, and Danica Jarvis, former GreenUP Environmental Education Coordinator.
Program staff will install your very own composter and provide you with a countertop bin for compostable kitchen scraps — all for $35. A skilled installation team will answer your questions and boost your confidence while providing you with a comprehensive at-home workshop on compost care.
Last summer, the program installed more than 140 composters at Peterborough homes. This has direct benefits for the environment, one of biggest being that composting conserves landfill space.
Ontario’s landfills are filling up and composting not only reduces the volume of waste going to landfill, it also reduces the production of greenhouse gases. Specifically, methane gas emissions are lowered when less food waste is added to landfill.
When city staff install your backyard composter, they will choose the best location to ensure great results, and provide you with the resources you need for successful composting. (Photo: Karen Halley)
Composting also completes the food cycle by returning plant scrap nutrients to the soil. Most farmers and avid gardeners will make soil amendments before planting for the season, and compost is a viable soil additive that can help enrich your garden beds with nutrients.
Many gardeners refer to compost as “black gold” mostly due to its dark earthy colour and nutrient-rich content that is a valuable addition to your beds. Compost not only adds nutrients to the soil but also saves water. Organic matter retains almost 20 times its weight in water, acting like a soil sponge.
Give composting a try. For those of you who are already composting but may be having trouble getting the results you desire, here are some tips about how to get your composter back on track and summer ready:
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Prevent unwanted guests
To avoid unwanted guests, you will want to be sure to choose the right contents for your composter. To deter wildlife from snacking, do not put any meats, fats, or dairy products in your composter.
Be aware of what we call the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio, otherwise known as the greens and browns balance. A healthy composter should always have more browns (carbon) than greens (nitrogen). Greens are the waste items you bring from your kitchen, such as veggie scraps and coffee grounds, while the browns are yard-waste items such as grass clippings and collected leaves.
“Any food waste placed in your composter should be covered with browns such as leaves or a small amount of earth,” explains Peterborough waste diversion manager Virginia Swinson. “Since dry leaves are not readily available over the winter or even at this time of year, you can add shredded newspaper in their place. Cardboard egg cartons and recyclable paper towel can be used as well.”
This year, the Kitchen to Compost program includes a countertop food scrap container for easy kitchen cleanup and transport to the backyard composter. (Photo: Karen Halley)
If you have a persistent squirrel or raccoon, you can pestproof your composter. Swinson suggests using a heavy gauge mesh along the bottom opening of the composter.
“Dig a shallow hole around one inch deep in which to place your composter. Then backfill with the dirt you dug out and surround the perimeter with rocks.”
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Avoid unpleasant odours
You may be interested in composting but are concerned about the potential for offensive odours.
However, unwanted smells can be avoided, both in your kitchen catcher and at the compost heap. Keep an eye on the moisture level in both areas to avoid any stinky scraps.
“If a composter gets too wet it may begin to smell,” Swinson says. “Again, make sure you have more browns — leaves, newspaper, cardboard — in your composter, which will keep the moisture balanced.”
If you are keeping your indoor food scraps in a countertop container, avoid placing it in the sun.
“If there is room, keep your kitchen catcher in the fridge, or a cool area under the counter, and line your indoor pail with newspaper or paper towel to absorb liquids. This will help eliminate indoor odours and pests such as fruit flies.”
Kitchen to Compost is a home composting program offered to Peterborough residents by the City of Peterborough in partnership with GreenUP. After a very successful pilot in 2018, the program is now in its second year.
Turn your compost weekly
Oxygen is also an important factor to consider in the process of compost breakdown.
Add oxygen to your composter by turning it once per week with a shovel or a pitchfork.
Once your compost is established, mix in newly added materials instead of layering. This will accelerate the process, providing you with nutrient-rich soil more quickly.
Be patient
Even with the proper care, it can take a composter six months to fully decompose your scraps into valuable soil. Temperature and moisture are limiting factors, even when you are doing everything right.
Don’t give up, even during those cold winter months when the process will likely slow down.
That rich “black gold” will be worth the wait and your plants will thank you for it.
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Find out more
For more information about the Kitchen to Compost program, please email Megan Miller, the City of Peterborough’s Kitchen to Compost program facilitator, at kitchentocompost@peterborough.ca.
If you wish to install your own composter or need a second unit, the City and County of Peterborough provide composters to local residents for a nominal fee. These are available for City of Peterborough residents at the Materials Recycling Facility on Pido Road and at the GreenUP Store in downtown Peterborough at 378 Aylmer Street North.
Need more compost? Regardless of how much compost you produce at home, many gardeners are looking for even more “black gold” to add to their gardens. Small quantities can be purchased at GreenUP Ecology Park on a self-serve basis, from May through October.
Professor, businesswoman, and Rotarian Donna Geary has passed away at the age of 59. She was a friend of kawarthaNOW publisher Jeannine Taylor, who took this photo of Geary at the official opening of the Rotary outdoor adult gym at Beavermead Park in Peterborough on June 13, 2018. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
The Peterborough community is in shock and mourning following the sudden and unexpected death this past weekend of Donna Geary.
A professor, Rotarian, businesswoman, and former president of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN), Donna passed away in her home on Saturday, June 29th at the age of 59.
She is survived by her son Nate and her brothers Dave, Al, and Doug.
Donna Geary was a business professor who taught at Seneca, Durham College, and Fleming College. (Photo: Donna Geary / Facebook)
A business professor with an MBA with expertise in business development and strategic markeing, Donna taught at post-secondary institutions including Seneca, Durham College, and Fleming College. She also founded and operated her own business, Impact Visual Merchandising.
Donna was also a proud and passionate member of the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha. She was involved in many of the club’s projects, in particular the Rotary Club “buddy bench” initiative.
Donna and her son Nate began the initiative in 2017, donating a bench to St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough and, in 2018, another bench to Roger Neilson Public School in Peterborough. A buddy bench, also known as a friendship bench, is intended to to reduce loneliness and foster friendships on the playground.
Donna Geary (right) with Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha president Brian Prentice and principal Denise Humphries after the donation of a buddy bench to the school. Donna and her son Nate began the initiative in 2017. (Photo: Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha)Peterborough Police Constable Bob Cowie and police dog Isaac get some exercise on Water Street, followed by members of the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha including Donna Geary (far right). The Rotary Club’s 2018 Christmas Auction funded the department’s acquisition and training of its newest canine member. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)Donna Geary supporting the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha at Ribfest. (Photo: Donna Geary / Facebook)Rotarian Donna Geary (third from left) at the 2018 Rotary Convention in Toronto. (Photo: Donna Geary)
Donna was the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough’s member of the year in 2002-2003 and, the following year, served as president of the networking organization.
She was friends with many WBN members, including her best friend Kathy McConnell of Mortgage Plus and kawarthaNOW publisher Jeannine Taylor, to name a couple.
A memorial service for Donna will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 12th at Highland Park Funeral Centre (2510 Bensfort Rd., Peterborough). A reception will follow.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of the Kawarthas for high daytime temperatures on Thursday (July 4) and Friday.
A relatively hot and humid airmass has reached the area and will remain in place through Friday.
Maximum afternoon temperatures near 30° C, with humidex values in the high thirties, are forecast for most areas. Temperatures will be slightly cooler near the shores of the Great Lakes.
Minimum overnight temperatures are forecast in the 17 to 20 degree range, providing some relief from the heat during the overnight hours.
A cold front on Friday night (July 5) will bring in cooler temperatures and lower humidity for the weekend.
Hajni Hõs is leaving her position as executive director of New Canadians Centre Peterborough to become the new executive director of Hospice Peterborough. (Photo: Heather Doughty / Inspire: The Women's Portrait Project)
businessNOW™ is the most comprehensive weekly round-up of business and organizational news and events from Peterborough and across the Kawarthas.
This week’s news includes Hajni Hõs resigning from New Canadians Centre to become new executive director of Hospice Peterborough, a new cannabis production facility being planned near Lindsay, GreenUP winning five awards from Green Communities Canada, and Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner visiting the 2019 Win This Space winner in Peterborough on July 4th.
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.
Also featured this week are Cambium winning the ignite100 entrepreneurial competition, Jesse Bateson of Solid Leather opening his new shop in downtown Peterborough, Jennifer Anderson becoming the new head of employee services at Trillium Lakelands District School Board, and the City of Peterborough HotSpot app now supporting parking at downtown Peterborough parking garages.
New regional events added this week include “Get the Scoop”, an open house at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism Visitor Centre in Peterborough on July 5th, a fireside chat on artificial intelligence in the workplace at Venture13 in Cobourg on July 9th, and a seminar on environmental practices seminar hosted by the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce on July 17th.
Hajni Hõs resigns from New Canadians Centre to become new executive director of Hospice Peterborough
New Canadians Centre executive director Hajni Hõs (front) with her team from the New Canadians Centre. (Photo: Heather Doughty / Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project)
A big change in leadership for two local non-profit organizations was announced this week, when Hajni Hõs resigned as executive director of New Canadians Centre Peterborough to take over the reins as executive director of Hospice Peterborough.
A lawyer by training, Hõs moved to Canada from her native Budapest, Hungary in 2007 and began working at New Canadians Centre as an employment counsellor in 2008. In 2009, she became coordinator of the Peterborough Immigration Partnership (formerly the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration).
Hõs became executive director of New Canadians Centre in 2011. During her tenure as executive director, the organization grew from 12 to 27 employees and, in 2018, served almost 700 new clients from 103 countries. She oversaw the creation of programs such as the Workplace Integration Program and Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program as well as the organization’s 2013 renovation and move to its current premises at St. James United Church.
Hõs was also instrumental in getting Peterborough approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in 2016 as a resettlement assistance program centre, resulting in the resettlement of 200 government-assisted refugees in 2016 and 2017 (and almost 400 to date). This initiative, where refugees are resettled with the help of volunteer support teams, has been duplicated nation-wide as a successful resettlement strategy.
Hõs’s resignation from New Canadians Centre is effective on August 10th, and she will begin her new duties as executive director of Hospice Peterborough on August 26th. She is replacing Linda Sunderland, who is retiring from Hospice Peterborough after 26 years of service.
New cannabis production facility planned near Lindsay
A cannabis production facility is being planned for the former Fleetwood facility north of Lindsay. (Photo: Google Maps)
A Markham-based psychiatrist is planning to open a new cannabis production facility near Lindsay.
The facility will be located at the former location of recreational vehicle manufacturer Fleetwood, on Highway 36 at Fleetwood Road north of Lindsay. Fleetwood closed in 2007, throwing 300 people out of work.
Dr. Ghulam Khan recently received federal approval from Health Canada to produce cannabis for both medical and recreational use, and is currently working with the City of Kawartha Lakes on approvals.
The former Fleetwood facility includes a 78,000-square-foot building on around 19 acres of land. The existing building will be renovated for cannabis production use, with future plans for a 500,000-square-foot greenhouse on the property.
Khan expects to employ several hundred people when the facility is completed and fully operational within the next two years.
Due to ongoing shortages of cannabis after it was legalized in Canada in October 2018, abandoned industrial sites are increasingly becoming ideal locations for cannabis production facilities.
AeroPonLeaf Canada plans to open one in Haliburton Highlands north of Bancroft, at the location of the former GP Flakeboard plant that closed in 2003.
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GreenUP wins five awards from Green Communities Canada
GreenUP’s manager of water programs Heather Ray, pictured here planting a tree at the Depave Paradise planting day in downtown Peterborough, is the recipient of an outstanding staff person award from Green Communities Canada. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)
Environmental organization Peterborough GreenUP recently won five awards from Green Communities Canada (GCC), a national association of community organizations working with homeowners, businesses, governments, and communities to reduce our impact on the environment.
The annual Green Communities Awards recognize champions who work and volunteer with GCC and its member organizations.
Heather Ray, GreenUP’s manager of water programs, received the outstanding staff person award, recognizing a staff person who has demonstrated, through their work and achievements, the strongest commitment to a green community while bringing about positive change and impact to the organization. Ray’s Depave Paradise project in Peterborough won this year’s Ontario Business Improvement Area Association Award for the best large-scale streetscape and public realm improvement.
GreenUP also received the innovation award for its neighbourhood-based project work, including Ready for Rain, Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods, and NeighbourPLAN. In addition, GreenUP executive director Brianna Salmon and board members Ivan Bateman and Ramesh Makhija each received a GCC resilience awards, which are awarded in recognition of 10 to 14 years of service to the organization.
Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner to visit 2019 Win This Space winner in Peterborough on July 4
Mike Schreiner, MPP for Guelph and leader of the Green Party of Ontario. (Photo: Green Party of Ontario)
Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, will be visiting Peterborough on Thursday, July 4th.
Schreiner, who was elected MPP for Guelph — the first-ever Green Party MPP — in the 2018 provincial election, will make make a public visit to the Sustain Eco Store at 418 George Street North in downtown Peterborough.
Huntsville-based Sustain — am eco-lifestyle retailer owned and operated by Jonathan and Celine MacKay — was the grand prize winner of the 2019 Win This Space entrepreneurial competition earlier this year. The grand prize included a free year-long lease of a downtown Peterborough storefront.
Before his visit to Sustain, Schreiner will be touring the future site of Cleantech Commons at Trent University.
Prior to his political career, Schreiner was an entrepreneur and small business owner focused on sustainable food production and the local food movement. His first business was Toronto Organics, specializing in delivering food to consumers, and in Guelph he founded WOW Foods, co-founded Earthdance Organics (a Guelph-based food production business that supplied area health food stores and farmers’ markets), and Local Food Plus.
Cambium president and CEO John Desbiens (left) speaks at Community Futures Peterborough’s annual general meeting on June 27, 2019, where it was announced that the Peterborough-based consulting and engineering company Cambium has won the inaugural ignite100 entrepreneurial competition. The prize is a $100,000 loan, interest-free for the first three years with no payments for the first year. (Photo: Mike Skinner / Twitter)
Peterborough-based consulting and engineering company Cambium has won the inaugural ignite100 entrepreneurial competition.
Economic development organization Community Futures Peterborough, which organized the competition, made the announcement at its annual general meeting on Thursday (June 27) at the Peterborough Rugby Club.
As the winner of the competition, Cambium wins a $100,000 loan, interest-free for the first three years with no payments for the first year.
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Jesse Bateson of Solid Leather opens shop in downtown Peterborough
Hand-made belt artisan Jesse Bateson at his new shop at 2 Bankers Common in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Peterborough DBIA / Facebook)
Jesse Bateson, owner and operator of Solid Leather, has opened a new storefront at 2 Bankers Common in downtown Peterborough.
Bateson hand crafts made-to-order leather belts that he guarantees — for life. He creates both casual and formal belts, with custom monogramming available.
For more information and to book an appointment, visit solidleather.com.
Jennifer Anderson to head employee services at Trillium Lakelands District School Board
Jennifer Anderson. (Photo courtesy of Trillium Lakelands District School Board)
Jennifer Anderson will be the new head of employee services at Trillium Lakelands District School Board.
Anderson is replacing Dianna Scates, who retires at the end of July.
Recently the human resources and labour relations manager for for Peterborough Public Health, Anderson’s experience has included human resources leadership in health care, banking, research, and global organizations.
City of Peterborough HotSpot app can now be used in downtown Peterborough parking garages
The HotSpot parking app can now be used to pay for parking in downtown Peterborough parking garages. (Photo: City of Peterborough)
The City of Peterborough’s HotSpot parking app can now be used to pay for parking at the Simcoe Street Garage and the King Street Parkade in downtown Peterborough.
With the app installed on your phone, tap your phone on the Hotspot sensor when you enter and leave the parking garages, and you will only be charged for your actual parking time (the first hour is always free in both parking garages).
You can already use the app to pay for metered and pay-and-display parking in downtown Peterborough. And if your business meeting in downtown Peterborough runs longer than expected, there’s no need to run outside to feed the metre. The app will notify you when your time at a parking metre is expiring and you can add more time to the metre remotely using the app.
For more information on HotSpot and where to download the app, visit htsp.ca.
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POSTPONED – Kawartha Chamber hosts a Stoney Lake boat cruise on July 4
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism’s next Business After Hours event features boat cruise on Stoney Lake from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 4th at Stoney Lake Cruises (610 Mount Julian – Viamede Rd., Woodview).
Participants will board at 4:30 p.m. and the cruise will happen from 5 to 7 p.m. (rain or shine).
Appetizers will be provided by Burleigh Falls Inn (email info@kawarthachamber.ca if you have any dietary restrictions).
Note: As of July 3, the cruise has been postponed indefinitely due to unforeseen circumstances with the boat.
“Get the Scoop” open house at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism Visitor Centre in Peterborough on July 5
An open house at the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism Visitor Centre takes place on July 5, 2019. (Photo courtesy of of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism is hosting “Get the Scoop”, an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 5th at the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Visitor Centre (270 George St. N., Suite 101, Peterborough).
You can learn about the visitor services and resources available at the centre. The event also features free ice cream (while quantities last) from Central Smith Creamery, a pop-up shop from Peterborough Museum & Archives, a Voyageur Canoe photo booth hosted by The Canadian Canoe Museum, and activities for the kids.
Peterborough Chamber hosts Chamber AM breakfast meeting in Peterborough on July 9
The next Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Chamber AM breakfast meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
Networking begins at 7 a.m., with breakfast orders taken at The Edison at 7:30 a.m. At 7:45 a.m., you can make your best 30-second elevator speech to the room), followed by a mystery guest speaker at 8 a.m.
There is no cost for the event (order what you like and pay for what you order).
Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce hosts Facebook for Business workshop in Campbellford on July 9
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Facebook Business for Beginners” workshop from 8 to 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9th at the Chamber office (51 Grand Rd., Campbellford).
Chamber staff will provide tips and tricks on setting up your Facebook Page, creating your first post, and strategies for building a successful marketing tool on Facebook.
Fireside chat on artificial intelligence in the workplace at Venture13 in Cobourg on July 9
Venture13 is hosting the fourth instalment in its Fireside Chat series from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9th at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg)
“Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: The Human-Machine Connection” will focus on using AI technology in the workplace and how businesses are making the most impact with AI. You can learn about the human-machine connection in the workplace, process automation, Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics, augmented and virtual reality, AI and sentiment analysis on social media, autonomous vehicles, and more.
Guest speakers at the event are Alex Papanicolaou (Director and Lead Designer at the Microfactory Coop at Venture13), Aman Bhargava (a University of Toronto Engineering student specializing in machine intelligence and design), and Joseph Boggard (Trent University instructor from the Computing & Information Systems Degree Program).
Summer Company Staples Day in Peterborough on July 10
Summer Company Staples Day takes place in Peterborough on July 10, 2019. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre)
Students participating in the Summer Company program will be showcasing their businesses on Wednesday, July 10th at Staples Peterborough (109 Park St. S., Peterborough).
Ontario’s flagship youth entrepreneurship program, Summer Company provides students aged 15 to 29 an opportunity to open and operate their own business during summer break. Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre has partnered with the program since 2001.
The 2019 program is currently underway, with seven students at the high school and post-secondary levels getting ready to start their first business. Students are in the process of receiving a grant of $1,500 from the Ontario government to spend towards their start-up expenses.
Summer Company Staples Day not only provides students with the opportunity to showcase their businesses to the public, but provides them with experience in networking, advertisement, and communicating their brand to the community.
All are welcome to attend. More information will be provided closer to the date of the event.
Northumberland Chamber hosts business economic outlook breakfast meeting with MP Kim Russ and MPP David Piccini in Cobourg on July 11
The Northumberland Central Chambre of Commerce is hosting “Northumberland County Economic Outlook”, a breakfast meeting from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 11th at The Mill Restaurant & Pub (990 Ontario St., Cobourg).
Northumberland—Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd and MPP David Piccini, along with Northumberland County Director of Economic Development & Tourism Dan Borowec, will each provide an overview of initiatives, objectives, challenges, and opportunities affecting economic development in Northumberland.
Registration and networking begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by breakfast and presentations at 8 a.m. and a question-and-answer session at 8:30 a.m.
The cost is $15 for Chamber members and $20 for non-members. Registration and payment is required by Tuesday, July 9th.
Peterborough Chamber hosts environmental practices seminar in Peterborough on July 17
The next Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Lunch Box Learning seminar takes place from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17th at the Chamber’s boardroom (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
Rachel Northey of Pinchin will speak on the topic “Environmental Practices to Manage your Property”.
The seminar is free to attend for members of the Chamber and members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. Bring your own lunch.
Innovation Cluster hosts open house in Peterborough on July 26
Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas is hosting an open house from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, July 26th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
Member of the public are invited to attend to find out more about the Innovation Cluster.
More information will be available closer to the date of the event.
For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.
Members of the cast of the Lindsay Little Theatre production of "Harvey", which runs July 5th to 13th: (front to back, left to right): Laura Marshall, John Austin, Jonah Grignon, Bill Fulker, Seamus McCann, Harvey (can YOU see him?), Ian MacLean, Carolyn MacLean, and Ben Whyte. Not pictured: Kelsie McCullough, Logan Gerzymisch, and Heather McCullough. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
“Years ago my mother used to say to me ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.’ Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.” – Elwood P. Dowd, Harvey
Beginning Friday, July 5th, Lindsay Little Theatre (LLT) closes out its 2018-2019 season with a production of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer-winning play Harvey.
Lindsay Little Theatre presents Harvey
When: Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 7 and Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 2 p.m. Where: Lindsay Little Theatre (55 George St. W., Lindsay) How much: $20 in advance or at the door ($25 VIP treat package for matinee performances)
Written by Mary Chase. Directed by Dylan Robichaud. Starring Kellsie McCullough, Laura Marshall, John Austin, Logan Gerzymisch, Anna Sproule, Caroyln MacLean, Ben Whyte, Ian MacLean, Bill Fulker, Heather McCullough, Seamus McCann, and Jonah Grignon. For advance tickets, visit www.lindsaylittletheatre.com/tickets/.
An audience favourite for over 60 years, this zany comedy with a touch of fantasy is directed by Dylan Robichaud and features a cast of LLT regulars led by John Austin in the role of good-natured dreamer Elwood P. Dowd.
Written by Chase in 1944, Harvey was an instant hit with audiences when it opened on Broadway in November of that year, with actor/dancer Frank Flynn in the role of Elwood P. Dowd and Josephine Hull as his exasperated sister Veta. The show ran until 1948, closing after 1,775 performances.
Throughout its run, three additional actors would take on the role of Elwood, with the final being James Stewart, who would become the actor most associated with the role when he, along with Josephine Hull, reprised their roles in the 1950 film adaptation of the play.
The film gave a broader audience access to the endearing story, and earned Hull an Oscar for best supporting actress and Stewart a best actor nomination. Still considered one of Jimmy Stewart’s finest film performances, the film (as well as the play) have continued to engage generations of fans due to the story’s wit and whimsical wisdom.
Harvey is the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a happy and friendly man who treats everyone he meets as a friend. Quick with a kind word and universally liked, Elwood is somewhat peculiar due to the fact that he has a constant companion named Harvey who follows him wherever he goes. However, Harvey happens to be a six-foot tall rabbit that only Elwood can see.
Elwood is a constant source of stress to his sister Veta, who is trying to move her daughter Myrtle up in society, and she decides to have him institutionalized. However, as in every good farce, mistakes are made, misunderstandings are created, and soon everyone is pulled into Elwood’s fantasy world.
VIDEO: “Harvey” (1950 movie) trailer
For director Dylan Robichaud, Harvey has been a passion project that he has wanted to put on the stage for years.
“I was first introduced to Harvey when I was in high school and I fell in love with the world of Elwood P. Dowd,” says Dylan during a Thursday night rehearsal at Lindsay Little Theatre. “It’s a world of manners and kindness. My favourite quote in the show is ‘You must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant’ To me that’s the perfect life philosophy — to be kind.”
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Taking on the role of Elwood P. Dodd is John Austin, who returns to the stage after an 11-year absence. However, as John explains, he’s been ready for almost 20 years to play this part.
“I had an opportunity to be a part of Harvey when I was in high school and was offered the part of Elwood,” John recalls. “However, the show never happened; it fell apart very quickly. But I saw the advertisement that they were doing Harvey at the Lindsay Little Theatre and I thought to myself that I could not not audition for this.”
“What I’ve always loved about Elwood is that he is genuinely the friendliest guy. He’s the same person to every person he interacts with. He doesn’t put on different faces, or put on different attitudes depending on the social situation. He’s always him. He’s genuinely kind.”
But John also believes there is more to Elwood’s nature that should be taken by today’s chaotic society.
An original painting of Elwood P. Dowd and his invisible companion Harvey created by Ian MacLean for the Lindsay Little Theatre production of “Harvey”. MacLean also stars in the production. The 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart featured a similar painting. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Little Theatre)
“The play is about what matters to you the most,” he says. “In today’s world we have a lot of conflicting opinions on what people should be doing with their times or their bodies, and who people should love and avoid. The reigning opinion, I feel, should be: What does it matter if my neighbous make different choices than I do? What does it matter if they have different beliefs?”
“What does it matter if this guy, who is sweet and genuine to everyone he knows and has never done anything to hurt somebody, believes that he has a best friend that is an invisible rabbit? What is the difference? Should that person be shunned or worried about? I think Elwood is not doing any harm, and doing something about it would be much worse.’
“The play asks who is more of a threat: that deluded dreamer or the people who are trying to change that dreamer,” Dylan agrees. “From that very moment, I’ve been drawn to Harvey.”
Actress Laura Marshall, who plays the role of Elwood’s sister Veta, sees her character as being much more than just a woman who is trying to change her brother.
“She loves her brother a lot, and that’s why she’s managed as long as she has with putting up with Harvey,” Laura says of her character. “The only thing that’s making it hard for her are all these society expectations. She wants to be liked.”
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“She has this young daughter who’s coming out, and she wants to host a tea to let people know her daughter is available. She wants her daughter to marry the right person, and she wants them to be expected by upper society. But she loves her brother so much. He is so sweet and so kind and she knows that that’s special.”
“Harvey” runs for six performances from July 5 to 13, 2019 at Lindsay Little Theatre in Lindsay. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Little Theatre)
As Laura points out, while it may not have been the playwright’s original intent, Harvey is easily translated into a play about mental health.
“I see Harvey as a mental health play about loving and accepting people for who they are,” she says. “We all have our peculiarities and we can all be embarrassed by others at different times for different reasons. But we’ve got to set those embarrassments behind, and embrace those idiosyncrasies for the uniqueness that make people the lovable individuals they are.”
“Harvey is about family and about love. That’s what everybody wants in the end, and Harvey is this key to whatever you want, whenever you want it. Elwood is so at peace with himself that he doesn’t even need it, which is why Harvey is with him.”
John Austin starts as dreamer Elwood P. Dowd with Laura Marshall as his exasperated sister Veta Simmons in Lindsay Little Theatre’s production of “Harvey”. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
So what about Harvey? Does he exist? Is he real or just a figment of Elwood’s imagination? Now to be precise, although Harvey is seen by Elwood in the form of a giant rabbit, he is actually a pooka — a spirit out of Celtic folklore who is a shape-shifter and can appear in many different animal forms.
“In the play they say that a pooka is a wise and mischievous creature,” Dylan explains. “In this case, especially in Elwood’s world, he is very mischievous. There is a line that Vita says near the beginning ‘I swear I see that rabbit myself.’ I feel he is toying with her because he’s choosy about who he likes and he doesn’t like. Through the play you discover that Harvey has a lot of power. He can stop time and decide who he wants to appear to and who he doesn’t want to appear to.”
So is Harvey real? As Dylan explains, it’s really up to the audience to decide.
“For me I’ve always believed Harvey exists, but I think it’s up to the audience to decide if they think Harvey exists or not. At the end, the audience will be able to decide for themselves.”
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With Harvey, zany comedy meets endearing characters in a show filled with equal parts magic and heart at one of my very favourite theatres in the Kawarthas. It’s the kind of show that has all the elements audiences want in a summer show, whether they themselves are the deluded dreamer or the person trying to change the deluded dreamer.
Harvey will be performed at Lindsay Little Theatre on Friday, July 5th and Saturday, July 6th and the again on Friday, July 12th and Saturday, July 13th with show time at 7:30 p.m. Additional matinee performances will be held on Sunday, July 7th and Saturday, July 13th with show time at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20, with special “VIP treat” tickets for $25 available for matinee performances (featuring tea and scones during the first intermission and shortbread or butter tarts during the second intermission). You can get tickets at Lindsay Little Theatre before each performance, or in advance at www.lindsaylittletheatre.com/tickets/.
Lindsay Transit is offering a new Sunday service to residents effective July 7, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Kawartha Lakes)
The City of Kawartha Lakes has announced that Lindsay Transit will begin offering service on Sundays beginning on July 7th.
The new Sunday service will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
An additional specialized transit service route will also be offered on Sundays, and can be requested through the current booking process for specialized transit service.
“We have identified a further need for our community regarding weekend operations that we hope this new addition of service will help fulfill,” says fleet and transit services manager Todd Bryant.
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The regular Lindsay Transit service that operates Monday to Saturday will continue under the same hours of operations, running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
As well as implementing Sunday service, Lindsay Transit will also be operating an additional specialized transit service (LIMO) on Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Lindsay Transit’s “blue” route has also been extended to now include six new stops. Previously, the final stop was located on Parkside Drive; effective in July, the service will now continue south to Logie Street, turning around at Deacon Crescent (until construction is completed) and heading back towards Queen Street East.
Toronto hip hop artist K-OS (Kevin Brereton) and Vancouver-based funk band Five Alarm Funk perform a free, sponsor-supported concert at Peterborough Musicfest in Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough on July 3, 2019. (Photos: Andrew Francis Wallace and Five Alarm Funk / Instagram)
When Fred Anderson brought Canadian jazz great Moe Koffman to Del Crary Park for the inaugural presentation of what was then called the Peterborough Festival of Lights on July 1, 1987, he planted the seed for what would blossom into an annual multi music genre summer concert series that has brought 600-plus artists to Peterborough since.
Peterborough Musicfest presents K-OS with Five Alarm Funk
When: Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: Free admission
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent for $4/chair). VIP seating available for sponsors. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighbourhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Today presented under the banner Peterborough Musicfest, music genres including rock, pop, country, folk, bluegrass, swing, big band and classical music have been given their due in a big way since that inaugural concert.
We can firmly add hip hop and soul-infused funk to that list, with the double-bill of three-time Juno-awarded rapper K-OS with frenetic supergroup Five Alarm Funk, both performing at Del Crary Park on Wednesday, July 3rd.
With two platinum certified albums — Joyful Rebellion (2004) and Atlantis: Hymns For Disco (2006) — highlighting his recording studio resumé, K-OS is a household name among fans of the rap genre and a bona fide pioneer of the Canadian hip-hop scene.
VIDEO: “Crabbuckit” – K-OS
Born in Toronto with the less-hip-hop-like name of Kevin Brereton, K-OS’s early musical influences were as diverse as they were numerous, ranging from Michael Jackson and The Beatles to Depeche Mode and A Tribe Called Quest.
At the urging of his friend Nigel Williams, a member of The Pocket Dwellers, K-OS dipped his toe in the musical career waters. That resulted in his 1993 debut single “Musical Essence”, released in 1993 while he was a student at York University.
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It wasn’t until 2003 that K-OS had enough material for a full-length album and Exit followed, peaking at #75 on the Canadian albums chart. What followed for K-OS was a game changer in the form of Joyful Rebellion. The album and its second single, “Crabbuckit”, was rated the most downloaded hip hop/rap album and track on the iTunes Store in Canada.
It didn’t hurt matters that Rolling Stone critic Karen Bliss described K-OS as “a destined supertstar” while placing Joyful Rebellion on her top 10 album list for 2004. In 2005, that album saw K-OS bring home three statues from the Juno Awards.
VIDEO: “Sunday Morning” – K-OS
“When your stuff gets played on the radio and you’re no longer in control of it, that’s when you think, ‘OK, this is no longer me just making music in a studio,” says K-OS in a September 2015 interview with Ian McBride of VICE.
“I was walking in the CBC building on Front Street (in Toronto). A lady was walking towards me. She was walking really fast and it was making me a little nervous. When I moved to the right to get out of her way, she moved to the right, then I moved to the left, and she moved to the left, and then all of a sudden she was like, ‘Crabbuckit! Oh my goodness!'”
“I was like, ‘Thank you.’ She didn’t look like someone I’d hang out with. She didn’t look like someone I knew. That’s when you start realizing you’re affecting things just outside of your reality.”
VIDEO: “The Man I Used to Be – K-OS
It’s a tough act to follow a platinum-selling album, whatever the music genre, but K-OS did just that, repeating the feat with Atlantis: Hymns For Disco, which also scored platinum status with the help of the single “Sunday Morning”, which peaked at #19 on the Canadian Hot 100. Three more albums have followed: Yes! (2009), BLack On BLonde (2013) and, the latest, 2015’s Can’t Fly Without Gravity.
“Everybody wants to be something that eludes them,” says K-OS on the evolution of his musical style.
“I went through a lot of stages when I first started rapping. I was really about trying to change things. Up until Atlantis, all the music I made, I wanted to go out there and change reality, mostly because I hadn’t lived reality. I didn’t know you couldn’t do that. Joyful Rebellion was a little bit of me starting to realize that — ‘OK, you could rebel but you’ve to got to have a good time. It’s a joyful rebellion.'”
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“From Atlantis on, then Yes!, and Black on Blonde, I decided, ‘OK, look, I’m gonna not try to be anything other than myself.’ The music got a little bit more complex, it got a little bit more dangerous, it got a little bit cooler. I loved that stage because those three records saw me step away from ‘Three-time Juno Award winner’ and all the music industry stuff.'”
“Can’t Fly Without Gravity, hopefully, is the new way for people to look at, at least in the hip hop community, the negativity that happens when you try to transcend the forces that pull you down.”
VIDEO: “Dance Dance Party Party” – Five Alarm Funk
Five Alarm Funk’s sound, meanwhile, can be best summed up by the suggestion that you check yourself for a pulse if you haven’t found yourself moving in some form once the band gets going.
Formed in Vancouver by drummer Tayo Branston and guitarist Gabe Boothroyd, Five Alarm Funk brought together musicians with a shared love of groove-driven performers such as James Brown, Tower of Power, and Frank Zappa.
Since that humble beginning more than a decade ago, Five Alarm Funk has graced stages across Canada via six national tours and has released six albums, the latest being 2017’s Sweat which features the fiery rhythms, punchy hornsm and gang-chant vocals that sum up the irresistible essence of the band.
VIDEO: “We All Scream” – Five Alarm Funk
“Our goal is to create all out, feel good dance parties from the moment the music starts until the very last note,” the band relates in a March 2017 interview with Emily Frewin of Canadian Beats Media.
“We have always been known as a live band first. The stage is where the spirit of Five Alarm Funk lives. To be up there giving everything you have to your music, band mates and audience is one the most exciting and fullfilling experiences for us. The shows are a constant barrage of groove, melody, intensity and fun. Be prepared to dance, smile, laugh and get in a killer workout.”
Along with Branston and Boothroyd, the band’s current configuration features Eli Bennett and Jens Christiansen (saxophone), Oliver Gibson (guitar), Tom Towers (congas), Carl Julig (timbales), Kent Wallace (trumpet) and Jay Smith (bass).
VIDEO: “Widowmaker” – Five Alarm Funk
“We always aim for a positive and fun group dynamic. Through the years of touring together we’ve learned the fine points of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Learning how to not bother people is a very important trait in the bus. One thing that has helped keep the band tight and happy in such close confines is everyone is delegated specific duties that have to be done to create a successful atmosphere.”
In other words, the band that plays together … plays together, and in Five Alarm Funk’s case, very well.
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Win VIP passes to MusicFest!
As a returning sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest, kawarthaNOW.com will be giving away VIP seats to every one of this summer’s concerts again this year.
While the concerts are free to all, VIP seats are not available to the general public — only to festival sponsors. You are guaranteed a chair near to the stage for the best view.
The giveaways are exclusive to subscribers to our weekly e-news. For your chance to win, sign-up to our weekly e-news at k-n.ca/subscribe.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission, sponsor-supported concerts featuring a total of 21 acts during its 33rd season — each concert staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2019 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
Find out what went on behind the closed doors of 19th-century settlers when Lang Pioneer Village presents "Bedrooms and Backwoods: Secrets of the Village at Night", a special romance-inspired event taking place on July 6, 2019 (National Kissing Day) at the living history museum in Keene. (Photo courtesy of Lang Pioneer Village)
Lang Pioneer Village in Keene is celebrating National Kissing Day on Saturday, July 6th with a new romance-inspired event called “Bedrooms and Backwoods: Secrets of the Village at Night”.
During the event, which takes place from 7 to 10 p.m., you will experience the romantic life of 19th-century settlers, including their courtship practices, and find out above love letters, birth control, bundling, calling cards, scandalous affairs, breaking promises, and more.
You can take a romantic horse-drawn wagon ride through the village, which will be lit with the soft glow of lanterns and candles, and be serenaded by traditional melodies performed by Al Kirby, Michael O’Toole, and Cheryl Cassleman on the Weaver Shop porch.
As well as learning about the romantic practices (and more) or 19th-century settlers, couples can take a horse-drawn wagon ride through the lantern and candlelit village, be serenaded by live music, and more. Due to the adult nature of some of the topics being presented during the evening, this is a 16+ event. (Photo courtesy of Lang Pioneer Village)
You can learn about the rules of courting in the South Lake School House, and discover the church’s view of Victorian romance in the Glen Alda Church.
You can also stop by the Keene Hotel for a delicious cold drink in the Keene Hotel Bar Room, a baked treat from the Keene Hotel Kitchen, or a cool treat from the Lang Snack Shop.
And there are lots of opportunities to take a romantic photo with your sweetie with the scenic backdrops of the historic village and the Grist Mill Bridge over the Indian River (be sure to tag @langpioneer on Twitter with #kissedinthecounty).
Note: Due to the adult nature of some of the topics being presented during the evening, attendance at this event is restricted to people 16 years of age and older.
Admission to “Bedrooms and Backwoods: Secrets of the Village at Night” is $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, with all taxes included.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
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