Shannon Gray, the founder and owner of Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio in downtown Peterborough, is a Master Educator of Alexandria Professional Body Sugaring services. She and her team stay up to date on the latest sugaring techniques and methods to ensure clients get the best service. Since launching in 2011, Sugar Me Right! has continued to expand by offering a range of beauty services including facials, lash and brow lifts and tints, laser hair removal and body contouring, and relaxation massages. (Photo courtesy of Sugar Me Right!)
While Sugar Me Right! is certainly aptly named, sugaring is not the only thing Shannon Gray’s downtown Peterborough beauty studio does right. Whether you’re getting a facial, eyelash tint, laser hair removal, or a relaxation massage, you can be assured you’ll receive expert and professional service.
It all began back in 2011, when Gray began offering sugaring services — a gentler and safer form of hair removal that can be used on all parts of the body — based out of her Buckhorn home. Within a year, she began renting spaces in Peterborough for her business before opening her first beauty studio on Park Street, later moving to Charlotte Street and finally, in 2017, to her current larger location at 161 Sherbrooke Street, where she added even more services and more staff.
Today, Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio specializes in Alexandria Professional Body Sugaring services, and Gray herself has become not only certified but a Master Educator of the award-winning brand’s technique. While Alexandria Professional’s sugar is all-natural and high-quality, it’s the up-to-date training on the brand’s advanced sugaring techniques and skin health principles that really makes it stand out from other methods.
“You can be good at sugaring but there’s always room to grow and learn, and if you stop doing those things, you’re doing a disservice to your customers,” says Gray. “Ongoing education is the key to making us who we are.”
Facials and relaxation massages are just two of the additional services beyond sugaring offered at Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio, located at 161 Sherbrooke Street in downtown Peterborough. To encourage starting the week off on a relaxing note, anyone who books a massage on Massage Monday will get a free hand scrub. (Photo courtesy of Sugar Me Right!)
Unlike decades-old sugaring techniques, Alexandria Professional’s techniques have been constantly evolving to not only streamline the experience for clients, but to improve body mechanics for the practitioner and reduce the risk of injury. For its dedication to service and the knowledge of what products can do for the skin, Sugar Me Right! received Alexandria Professional’s 2021 award for the highest sales in an Ontario retailer during the company’s 30th anniversary year.
Recognizing that sugaring can be beneficial for everyone for a number of reasons, including overcoming skin sensitives and reducing stress, Gray works to remove stigmas around hair removal by offering sugaring services for men as well as women, and also welcomes people who are nonbinary.
While Sugar Me Right! specializes in sugaring, Gray has continued to expand her business by offering a range of other beauty services, such as Sharplight Technologies for laser hair removal and body contouring. From upper lip and jawline to the chest, abdomen, and beyond, the services can be used anywhere on the body with a few exceptions.
Other services include lash and brow lifts and tints (including using Refectocil), while facials and massages are always available. In fact, Sugar Me Right! encourages starting the week on a relaxing note with Massage Monday, where all massage bookings will come with a free hand scrub.
Sugar Me Right! is open at 161 Sherbrooke Street from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information about the available services and to book a session online, visit sugarmeright.ca. You can also follow Sugar Me Right! on Facebook and Instagram.
Shop The Boro is a branded editorial feature series about locally owned independent businesses in downtown Peterborough, created in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
With a Boro gift card, supporting locally owned businesses in downtown Peterborough has never been easier. Buy a Boro gift card for your family, friends, or co-workers and let them choose their own adventure. Whether it’s a delicious meal and a night out, a one-of-a-kind find, or a day of relaxation, it’s truly the gift of possibility. You choose the value, they choose the gift.
With a Boro gift card, you are giving more than just a gift — you’re also supporting the people and places that make Peterborough/Nogojiwanong a truly special place to work, live, and play. Shop, dine, and explore the core with Boro gift cards, available online at theboro.ca/product/the-boro-gift-cards/.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory and snow squall watch for the Kawarthas region starting Wednesday (December 4).
The winter weather travel advisory is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands. The snow squall watch is in effect for Northumberland County.
A low pressure system will bring snow to the area beginning Wednesday morning. The snow is expected to taper off overnight on Wednesday or Thursday morning.
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For Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands, accumulations of 5 to 10 cm of snow are expected, with reduced visibility at times in heavy snow. Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly.
For Northumberland County, lake effect snow squalls over Lake Ontario could move inland early Wednesday morning, affecting Highway 401 during the morning commute. Snow squalls may move in and out of the area Wednesday, before moving back south over the lake Wednesday night.
Locally heavy snowfall with accumulations near 20 cm is possible, with peak snowfall rates of 2 to 5 cm per hour. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. If you must travel, keep others informed of your schedule and destination and carry an emergency kit and mobile phone.
Founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979, the Elmer Iseler Singers is an award-winning 20-voice professional choral ensemble that regularly tours across Canada engaging community singers and conductors of all ages through workshops and concert performances. (Photo: Mark Rash)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will be celebrating the holiday season accompanied by the voices of a Juno award-winning choral ensemble during “Season of Lights” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 14th at Emmanuel United Church in Peterborough.
For its annual family holiday concert, the PSO will be joined by the Elmer Iseler Singers to perform a selection of traditional holiday favourites for orchestra and choir.
“Having a chance to perform with the Elmer Iseler Singers is very special for us,” the PSO’s music director and conductor Michael Newnham tells kawarthaNOW.
“This ensemble, under the artistic direction of Lydia Adams, has long been one of Canada’s top chamber choirs. With them, we will be performing a very wide range of music suitable and popular for the Christmas holiday season, anywhere from the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, to popular holiday songs, arrangements, and even some Leroy Anderson.”
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Founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979, the Elmer Iseler Singers is a 20-voice professional choral ensemble that regularly tours across Canada engaging community singers and conductors of all ages through workshops and concert performances.
Along with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO), the choir received both a Grammy nomination and a Juno award in 2019 for its CD Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works with the TSO, a recording of a performance conducted by TSO music director Peter Oundjian.
The Elmer Iseler Singers will accompany the PSO for performances of Pavane by French composer Gabriel Fauré, the Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah by German-British Baroque composer George Frederick Handel, “A Merry Christmas Medley” by Canadian composer Howard Cable, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Noël Regney (lyrics) and Gloria Shayne (music), John Debney’s “Elf” suite from the motion picture, and “A Christmas Festival,” a medley of eight traditional Christmas carols arranged by American composer Leroy Anderson.
VIDEO: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Elmer Iseler Singers
In addition to the choral pieces, the PSO will perform two instrumental compositions often heard during the holidays.
“Every few years, the PSO likes to revisit Tchaikovsky’s brilliant suite from the Nutcracker,” Newnham says, referring to the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. “This is one of those perennial favourites that musicians also really like performing.”
“Also this year, we open the concert with the prelude to the opera Hansel and Gretel by the late-19th century German composer Engelbert Humperdinck. Although Humperdinck’s music has faded in popularity over the last 100 years, this opera is still very often performed around the holidays.”
The orchestra will also perform “The Bells of Christmas,” a medley of five popular Christmas carols arranged by American composer Bob Krogstad.
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This year’s holiday concert takes place at Emmanuel United Church (previously George Street United Church) rather than Showplace Performance Centre, a deliberate choice due to the church’s acoustics.
“The PSO has performed at Emmanuel United Church many times over the years,” Newnham notes. “I feel that this venue’s generous acoustic is especially congenial to us when we are performing with voices. Its warm ambience also makes it an ideal place for our December concert, which is always designed as an event that appeals to the entire family.”
The family appeal includes the PSO’s tradition of a sing-along at the end of its holiday concert, which this year will feature the traditional Christmas carols “The First Nowell” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
“This year, everyone will have the chance to sing along with the Elmer Iseler Singers, which will be extra special,” Newnham says.
Emmanuel United Church is located at 534 George Street North in downtown Peterborough. (Photographer unknown)
“Season of Lights” begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 14th at Emmanuel United Church at 534 George Street North in downtown Peterborough, with a “Meet the Maestro” pre-concert chat at 6:45 p.m. when Newnham will share his thoughts on the evening’s program.
Ticket prices range from $33 to $55 ($12 students) for assigned seating and are available online at thepso.org/season-of-lights. Don’t delay securing your tickets, as seating is limited and tickets are selling fast.
Although the acoustics at Emmanuel United Church will be ideal for the concert, the seats in the church are not designed for comfort and the PSO encourages audience members to bring their favourite festive seat cushion or pillow to the concert.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 season.
At its general committee meeting on Monday night (December 2), Peterborough city council voted to defer final approval of the city’s complete draft 2025 budget for almost two months.
The draft budget was originally scheduled to be approved at the December 9th council meeting.
However, after two days of budget deliberations on November 18 and 19 resulted in a property tax hike of eight per cent rather than the draft budget’s proposed 7.8 per cent increase, council asked staff to report back with additional options for reduced spending and increased revenues to reduce the tax hike to seven per cent.
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At Monday night’s meeting, councillor Dave Haacke brought forward a motion to convene a general committee meeting on Monday, January 20th to review the options prepared by city staff, also proposing that final budget approval take place at council’s February 3rd meeting.
As part of his motion, Haacke proposed council immediately approve $37,671,700 in expenditures in the 2025 budget for 30 capital projects, along with user fees and charges in the 2025 budget as well as the housing and homelessness 2025 operating budgets.
The biggest-ticket items on the list of 30 capital projects include $10.58 million for Brealey Drive reconstruction from Lansdowne Street to Sherbrooke Street, $5.5 million for the pavement preservation program, and $3 million for Television Road reconstruction over South Meade Creek.
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Haacke amended his original motion to include the $500,000 Tree Removal By-Law Planting Program pending grant approval, with council voting to approve the amendment. A full list of the capital projects is provided below.
“All of these are time sensitive,” said Raymond Freymond, the city’s commissioner of finance and corporate support services. “We want to get the tenders out on the street in anticipation, prior to early in the new year, before February 3. We want to get good bids from the marketplace.”
“As well as we want to ensure that the draft user fees that are encompassed in the budget highlights book are also approved by January 1st, as well as any additional budget provisions for homelessness and the shelters … it’s very important that, given the cold weather that will be upon us, to make sure that we have provided for our shelters.”
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In response to a question from councillor Keith Riel, Freymond was unable to advise how much of a property tax increase the expenditures represent, although he noted the 30 capital projects are only a portion of the city’s entire $147 million capital budget (25 per cent), and the housing and homelessness budget is “not that much in the big scheme of things” when it comes to the city’s entire $411-million operating budget.
Freymond said he would provide council with the requested information for the December 9 council meeting.
As for Mayor Jeff Leal, he said the “extended timeframe” for the 2025 budget approval would give city staff time to identify options to help reduce the property tax increase.
“We’ve heard the word efficiencies used over and over, and over and over, and over again, so they will be engaged in that process,” he said.
Council voted unanimously to approve Haacke’s amended motion. Items endorsed by general committee on will be considered for final approval at the regular city council meeting on Monday (December 9).
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List of capital projects approved
Brealey Drive – Lansdowne Street to Sherbrooke Street – $10,580,000
Pavement Preservation Program – $5,500,000
Television Road over South Meade Creek – $3,000,000
Road Surface Repair Program – $2,300,000
Lansdowne Street Rehabilitation – Park Street to Otonabee River – $2,000,000
Sanitary Sewer (Relining, Renew & Repair) – $1,425,000
CCTV Inspection of Sewers – $1,350,000
Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation – $1,100,000
Storm Sewer Rehabilitation Program – $1,100,000
Municipal Snow Storage Facility ECA and Compliance – $1,000,000
City Wide Stormwater Quality Master Plan Implementation – $975,000
Curtis Creek Watershed Improvements – $940,000
Brookdale Watershed Improvements – $795,000
Next Generation 9-1-1 – $750,000
Fire Station #1 Replace Asphalt and Sidewalks – $690,000
City Technology Projects and Capital Improvements – $676,400
On-Street Parking Permit Program – $600,000
Byersville Watershed Improvements – $500,000
Tree Removal By-Law Planting Program – $500,000 (amendment to original motion)
Fire Station #3 Replace Exterior Windows and Alarm – $375,000
Stormwater Utility Program Development – $350,000
Asset Management Project – $350,000
CRM Phase 2 (City Departmental Projects 1034) – $300,000
Citywide Trail Rehabilitation – $250,000
Fire Station #3 Replace Interior Windows and HVAC – $225,000
Trails and Cycling Network Upgrades Program – $200,000
Rotary Trail Crossing – Hunter Street East – $125,000
Downtown Built Environment Outdoor Patio Program – $95,000
Transportation Planning Projects – $60,300
New Traffic Control and Street Name Signs – $40,000
Transportation Facility Planning – $20,000
Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating after a 28-year-old Brighton pedestrian was killed by a train on Monday night (December 2).
Shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday, emergency services responded to the collision that occurred on the train tracks in the area of Huff Road west of Brighton.
The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene.
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Police have not released any other details about the victim or the nature of the collision, other than to say they do not suspect foul play.
Huff Road was closed in the area until around 1 a.m. for the initial police investigation.
Northumberland OPP are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the death and are being assisted by OPP forensic identification services.
Peterborough city council voted on September 23, 2024 to designate The Martin House at 1400 Monaghan Road as a heritage property. A developer had purchased the property in late 2023 with the intention of demolishing the house and constructing a six-storey residential housing complex on the large lot. (Photo: Google Maps)
Peterborough city council has voted to reverse its earlier decision to designate the Martin House as a heritage property, which means a GTA-based developer can proceed with its plans to demolish the well-known historic home and build a six-storey residential housing complex on the property.
Located on the northeast corner of Monaghan Road and Homewood Avenue, the Martin House was built between 1930 and 1931 for local businessman Herbert Samuel Martin — an innovator in the emerging industry of corrugated containers in the early 20th century — by Henry Thomas Hickey, a prolific contractor who worked on more than 100 buildings in Peterborough.
At its general committee meeting on Monday night (December 2), council was considering a formal notice of objection to the heritage designation from Toronto legal firm Overland LLP on behalf of developer J & J Developments, which had purchased the property in late 2023 for redevelopment.
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Councillor Dave Haacke brought forward a motion to withdraw the city’s notice to designate the property, which passed 6-5, with councillors Haacke, Matt Crowley, Andrew Beamer, Kevin Duguay, Lesley Parnell, and mayor Jeff Leal voting in favour of the motion, and councillors Joy Lachica, Alex Bierk, Don Vassiliadis, Keith Riel, and Gary Baldwin voting against.
The decision to withdraw the heritage designation for the Martin House reverses council’s September 23rd decision to designate the property. At that meeting, councillors had voted 6-5 in favour of granting the heritage designation. The difference between that vote and Monday night’s vote came down to Crowley, who changed his earlier vote and this time sided against the heritage designation.
Under the Ontario Heritage Act, a municipality is required to publish a notice of its intention to designate a property, followed by a 30-day period where anyone can object to the notice of intention. While objections previously went directly to the Ontario Land Tribunal for review, amendments made to the Ontario Heritage Act in 2022 as a result of the More Homes Built Faster Act require a municipal council to consider the objection and make a decision whether or not to withdraw the notice of intention.
If a decision to withdraw is made, the property is removed from the heritage register and is no longer protected from renovation or demolition.
The City of Peterborough published its notice of intention on October 1 and received a letter dated October 31 from Overland LLP with a notice of objection, which included a report from Toronto-based ERA Architects Inc. Both the letter and report questioned the validity of the heritage designation brief prepared by the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) that was considered by council when making its September 23rd decision, as well as the historical value of the Martin House and its original owner Herbert Samuel Martin, his business, and their significance to the Peterborough community.
Located at 1400 Monaghan Road at Homewood Avenue, the Martin House was built between 1930 and 1931 for local corrugated container businessman Herbert Samuel Martin by prolific contractor Henry Thomas Hickey. (Photo: City of Peterborough)
Prior to Haacke’s motion, Lachica brought forward a motion that council defer consideration of the notice of objection until PACAC had the opportunity to provide feedback on the ERA Architects report. She noted that council has not yet put any procedures in place to consider notices of objection as per the 2022 changes made to the Ontario Heritage Act.
“Council has not had adequate time to assess this letter of objection,” Lachica said, adding that council did not see the letter and report until November 14, two weeks after city staff received it. “This report, by rights, should have been in a November cycle, so that council could have taken the opportunity to consult with our expert, Erik Hanson (the city’s heritage resources program manager) and PACAC.”
“The letter of objection, it disparages our city staff, our expert city staff who made the recommendation, our PACAC local experts on heritage and architecture,” Lachica said. “I find it insulting and I would also just say it is disrespectful to our community.”
Lachica also claimed the developer has met with some city councillors “to broker deals around affordable housing, and it’s inappropriate and in my opinion unethical.” She said council should hold a special meeting the following week when PACAC could present its response to the ERA Architects report “because it could be conjecture.”
Duguay said he would not support a deferral, noted that it is the role of council and not the role of PACAC to consider a letter of objection.
“There’s nothing to be gained by a deferral,” he said.
Lachica’s motion to defer consideration of the notice of objection lost 5-6, with Lachia, Bierk, Crowley, Vassiliadis, and Riel voting in favour, and Haacke, Beamer, Leal, Baldwin, Duguay, and Parnell voting against.
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Haacke then brought forth his amending motion for council to withdraw its notice of designation, making it clear that he does not support designating a property against an owner’s wishes.
“I don’t like it. I never have, and I never will,” he said.
Bierk said he would not support withdrawing the heritage designation, noting that he disagreed with claims made in the ERA Architects report.
“I strongly urge the council members that voted in favour of this decision (on September 23) to stick with it,” he said. “It was a celebrated decision in the neighbourhood — it’s a beloved property. Again, just like the Memorial Centre conversation, this is part of the history that makes Peterborough a unique and special place.”
Bierk was referring to an earlier item on council’s agenda, when councillors voted against considering the Peterborough Memorial Centre for naming rights, after city staff had brought forward a report to council indicating they had received an unsolicited request from a business seeking naming rights for the arena that was originally named in honour of local war veterans.
Riel questioned whether Haacke’s motion, which would rescind a decision already made by council, would require a vote by two-thirds of council to pass. Beamer, as chair of general committee, said Haacke’s motion was in order and asked for confirmation from the city’s legislative services commissioner David Potts, who agreed.
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Speaking in support of Haacke’s motion, Parnell did not address whether the Martin House had heritage value but instead talked about the developer’s plan for the property.
“This isn’t about heritage,” she said. “The only reason this (heritage designation) even came forward when it did was to block an application that was in process within the planning department.”
Bierk interrupted Parnell with a point of order.
“That accusation is not founded on any truth or any discussion that we had at council, or at a council meeting, or in the public minutes of our PACAC meetings, so I would not like it not to be considered,” he said.
Beamer said Bierk could respond to Parnell’s comments later and allowed her to continue.
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Parnell then spoke about the benefits of the developer’s plans for the property, including making some of the units affordable, that the Martin House “is in fact destroyed inside, very unfortunately, by a previous owner,” and that the city has housing targets to meet.
Riel then raised a point or order, stating that Parnell should be addressing the notice of objection itself rather than speaking about the developer’s plans for the property. Beamer again allowed Parnell to continue.
“We’re talking about money,” she said. “We are looking at 2.5 (to) three million dollars in development charges, probably $250,000 to $300,000 in annual property taxes.”
Councillor Bierk raised another point of order, stating that Parnell should be addressing the notice of objection, but Beamer ruled her comments in order as she was explaining why she supports Haacke’s motion to withdraw the designation.
After further comments from Duguay, Lachica called the question to end the debate, which passed unanimously. Council then voted on Haacke’s motion, which passed 6-5 with Haacke, Crowley, Beamer, Duguay, Parnell, and Leal voting in favour of the motion, and Lachica, Bierk, Vassiliadis, Riel, and Baldwin voting against.
Items endorsed by general committee on will be considered for final approval at the regular city council meeting on Monday (December 9).
Founded in Peterborough in 2023 and now with four locations in southern Ontario, Country Bakery & Market serves up a taste of Britain with traditional freshly baked goods including meat pies, biscuits, cakes, tarts, pasties, and scones as well as specialty pantry staples imported directly from the United Kingdom. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
If the rapid growth and expansion of Peterborough’s Country Bakery & Market is proof of anything, it’s that Ontarians can’t get enough of the tastes and products of the United Kingdom.
Now with four locations in Ontario, Country Bakery & Market is a homage to Britain, combining traditional recipes with innovative baking techniques for one-of-a-kind baked goods you can’t find anywhere else, along with a marketplace of brands usually only found in the U.K.
“It’s a place offering everything from authentic pastries to hard-to-find British pantry staples,” says co-owner Rebecca Daynes. “It’s more than just a bakery — it’s a taste of home.”
Rebecca and Steve Daynes opened Country Bakery & Market’s first location in Fowlers Corners just outside of Peterborough in 2023, which was quickly followed by a location in Courtice and then locations in Scarborough and Whitby. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
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Rebecca and her husband and business partner Steve Daynes — the well-known Peterborough entrepreneur behind Level A Professional Group, Signified, and the Staffing Connection — founded Country Bakery & Market in Peterborough in 2023 with a unique concept in mind.
“The goal was to offer both a taste of home through traditional British pastries and a unique grocery experience that brings the authentic flavours of Britain to the community, making it a one-stop shop for comfort and nostalgia,” Rebecca explains.
“This blend of bakery and British grocery provides customers with a one-of-a-kind experience, where they can enjoy delicious pastries and also find authentic U.K. products, creating a deeper connection with the community and their roots.”
Country Bakery & Market specializes in authentic savoury and sweet British baked goods made fresh daily using locally sourced ingredients, including these Victoria sponge cakes. Named after Queen Victoria, who regularly ate a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea, the Victoria sponge is a light and fluffy cake sandwiched with jam and cream. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
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Since first opening at Fowlers Corners (566 Frankhill Rd., Unit 3) just outside of Peterborough, and then at Courtice (1420 King St. E.) soon after, Country Bakery & Market has quickly become a destination shop for Anglophiles.
“People come from far and wide to find specific British products they can’t get anywhere else, making our bakery a special destination for those looking for a taste of home or a unique culinary experience,” says Rebecca.
That’s even easier now that Country Bakery & Market has expanded to additional locations in Scarborough (1601 Ellesmere Rd.) and Whitby (3500 Brock St. N.), taking over the former locations of But ‘n Ben Scottish Bakery, which closed in 2024 after 58 years.
Along with traditional British baked goods, Country Bakery & Market offers sought-after pantry staples directly imported from the United Kingdom that can’t be found anywhere else. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
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“When The Country Bakery opened its doors in Scarborough and Whitby, replacing But ‘n Ben, it was with the vision of continuing the legacy of a beloved community staple while adding its own unique touch,” Rebecca says.
“Expanding was an exciting step for us. We wanted to meet the growing demand for our products in the GTA and continue to bring authentic baked goods and British groceries to more communities. These new locations help us serve a larger customer base, while maintaining the same quality and personal touch that we’re known for.”
The new locations serve up the same products found in Peterborough and Courtice, including several items directly imported from the U.K. Some of the most popular and sought-after staples to be found on the shelves include McVitie’s digestive biscuits, Walker’s Crisps (or “chips” as we call them in North America), the highly desired Branston Pickles, and a range of clotted cream labels.
British scones are traditionally served with jam and clotted cream. While you can’t buy clotted cream at the grocery store, you can find it at Country Bakery & Market, along with a wide selection of British jams and freshly baked scones. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
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As for their daily baked goods, Country Bakery & Market uses locally sourced ingredients and bakes everything fresh on location. From shortbreads and biscuits to loafs, baps, muffins, pies, and tarts, there is always a rotating selection of ready-to-eat options.
Customer favourites include the sweet and sticky signature Bowie butter tart, sausage rolls and meat pies, and traditional scones — in every flavour from original to blueberry, raisin, potato, and cheese.
“The mix of sweet and savoury baked goods ensures that there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” says Rebecca.
A visit to Country Bakery & Market is also an opportunity to learn about the fascinating histories of traditional U.K. foodstuffs like the Cornish pasty. Although the meat and vegetable filled pastry originated hundreds of years earlier among the wealthy, the pasty with its distinctive folded shape and crimped edge became popular with the working class (especially miners) in Cornwall and west Devon in the 17th and 18th centuries, because it was a complete meal that could be easily carried and eaten without cutlery.
Popular with the working class (especially miners) in Cornwall and west Devon in the 17th and 18th centuries because it was a complete meal that could be easily carried and eaten without cutlery, the Cornish pasty is one of the traditional British baked goods you can find at Country Bakery & Market, made fresh daily using locally sourced ingredients. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
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With people coming from all over for their traditional British baked goods and hard-to-find U.K. brands, Country Bakery & Market focuses on delivering authenticity, high quality, and excellent customer service.
“Our team is dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere where every customer feels like family,” Rebecca says. “The staff’s passion for baking and their attention to detail ensures that each pastry reflects the authentic flavours of Britain. From delicious scones and tarts to the selection of imported grocery items, our staff’s commitment to quality makes every visit a special and nostalgic experience.”
Despite its continued growth, Country Bakery & Market maintains a commitment to the community where it was founded, with the Daynes recently donating almost $12,000 to Right to Heal PTBO, a not-for-profit organization that provides addiction treatment outpatient services in Peterborough.
“Our community is important to us,” says Rebecca.
Sausage rolls are among the customer favourites at Country Bakery & Market, which has four locations in Peterborough, Courtice, Whitby, and Scarborough. (Photo courtesy of Country Bakery & Market)
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Rebecca adds that Country Bakery & Market remains steadfast in its mission as it continues to grow and expand.
“Our goal remains the same: to provide an authentic British experience, from our baked goods to our grocery items, and to maintain the warm, welcoming atmosphere our customers love,” she says. “We’re grateful for the support and look forward to continue to bring a taste of Britain to more people across Ontario.”
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Country Bakery & Market. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Jennifer Garland, RP, founder and program director of The Mane Intent in Indian River, with her late horse Sunny. After meeting Sunny in 2011, Garland learned first-hand how horses can be very healing and impactful on mental health. Ten years ago, she was inspired to give up her corporate communications career in Toronto to open The Mane Intent, becoming a Registered Psychotherapist and helping others find healing through intentional interactions with horses. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
At 48 years old, Jennifer Garland met a horse who completely changed the direction of her life. Today, 10 years after launching her own equine-assisted learning facility because of that horse, she continues to show clients how the perceptive animals can change their lives too.
A Registered Psychotherapist, Garland offers individual trauma-informed virtual, on site, and equine-assisted psychotherapy through The Mane Intent, located in Indian River just 15 minutes east of Peterborough.
The Mane Intent also supports community-based equine-assisted therapy for groups, servicing people living with trauma, depression, anxiety, chronic stress, addictions, and other focus areas.
The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s leadership team during a team day event at The Mane Intent in 2024. Along with individualized trauma-informed virtual, in-person, and equine-assisted psychotherapy, The Mane Intent also holds professional development and wellness workshops, inviting participants to explore their personal leadership essence, enhance creativity, build teamwork, and improve resiliency. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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“There is a moment in time when a human is working with a horse — often a moment of surprise because the horse will do something unexpected and appropriate — that is just magical,” says Garland. “In that moment there is an opening, and that opening is where healing occurs.”
Given that today her day-to-day tasks include helping people during the most vulnerable moments in their lives and cleaning out horse stables, it’s hard to imagine that just over a decade ago, Garland was working in corporate communications in Toronto.
But in 2011, shortly after moving to her Indian River farm, she decided to get a horse, and that’s when she met Sunny (later named Sunny with a Chance of Tornado). Still commuting to the GTA at the time, she noticed how much her work and lifestyle were affecting her time with Sunny and vice versa.
“My experience with Sunny was defined by how my own internal state was and that evoked a curiosity in me,” she says. “That was the beginning of this incredible relationship with Sunny. He knew when to hold space, and he knew when to push a little. He was a really great therapy horse.”
At The Mane Intent, Jennifer Garland, RP works with a range of clients including children, youth, and adults. Equine-assisted psychotherapy can be especially supportive for young people to help them develop emotional regulation, build self-esteem, boost confidence, and learn to read body language and non-verbal cues. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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Though Garland initially intended The Mane Intent to support her professional background in leadership and team building, she instead found another calling and has since earned a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, alongside a number of other focused certifications.
“Working with horses in a therapeutic way, or in a professional development way, offers us a number of benefits that we don’t necessarily get when we’re working with other humans,” she says. “Horses are empathetic, intuitive, sentient beings. They experience emotions just as we do.”
Garland explains that working with horses promotes healthy relationships and emotional regulation — something that children and youth in particular often struggle with, although it can also be an obstacle for adults as well.
Former Peterborough-Kawartha MPP and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth of Canada Maryam Monsef with The Mane Intent founder Jennifer Garland, RP and Blue the horse on the day of the funding announcement for the Building Internal Resilience Through Horses Research project between Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Trent University, and The Mane Intent. Over five years, the program supported female youth who experienced or witnessed violence in their homes or intimate partner violence by helping them build fundamental pillars of personal resilience. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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“Horses are highly sensitive to our emotions, and they will often mirror the emotional state of those they are working with,” she says. “If you’ve had a traumatic experience, often you’re living in a world that doesn’t feel safe and where you’re always in a hyper-vigilant state. Often clients leave feeling a sense of calm, which is a strange feeling for them.”
While this sense of ease largely comes from The Mane Intent’s herd of nine calming horses, it’s also encouraged by the nurturing environment of the farm property itself. A delicate combination of old and new, the farm was first settled in 1846 with the home built in the 1880s, while Garland recently converted an old school portable into the property’s workshop space.
“The actual environment in which therapy occurs is very important,” Garland points out. “This is an environment that is safe, quiet, and surrounded by nature. The horses are in their element here as well.”
The Mane Intent founder Jennifer Garland, RP, holding her 2024 Woman of Impact Award from the United Way Peterborough & District, with Clinical Psychologist Constance Oates and the former Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre Executive Director Sonya Vellenga. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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Equine-assisted psychotherapy also assists with building self-confidence, self-esteem, and trust. Some of Garland’s clients will come in with a fear of horses, either because of past experiences or because they are intimidated by their size.
“Through consistent and compassionate interaction with horses, clients can work on building trust in themselves and in others. Horses don’t judge us. They live in the moment, so clients can feel accepted.”
Garland says a common exercise with her clients involves setting a goal and placing stations in the arena that represent the obstacles or barriers. According to Garland, such activity “helps participants experience a sense of accomplishment and helps boost confidence.”
Over its 10-year history, The Mane Intent has seen the positive impact of equine-assisted psychotherapy on a range of participants coming from a range of ages, backgrounds, and genders. The facility has worked with everyone from young girls to veterans in focused areas of PTSD, depression, anxiety, trauma, and more. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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Each of the horses at The Mane Intent have something unique to teach participants. One horse that Garland describes as having “no filter” can help her assess how a participant responds to rejection or hearing “no.” Since it is only communicated through non-verbal cues, these interactions can help build social cues and teach neurodivergent children how to read body language.
“We’re in a world where we’re always moving, always thinking, and always doing, so horses provide a really wonderful opportunity for us to practice self-compassion and mindfulness,” Garland says. “They live entirely in the present moment, and we have to be present when we’re working or interacting with a horse. That really gives us that opportunity to let go of what’s happening in our head and be in a place of heart.”
In 2015, Garland supported over 300 veterans, many of whom were men, in an addictions and PTSD treatment program. More recently, beginning in 2016, The Mane Intent collaborated with the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and Trent University to develop and deliver “Building Internal Resilience Through Horses,” a five-year innovative trauma- and violence-informed resilience program for female youth who had experienced intimate partner violence or witnessed violence in their home.
Since then, The Mane Intent has also designed and delivered multi-week customized equine-supported wellness programming for various social service agencies and organizations.
“The added benefit with groups is that you’re working with others, so it helps clients who sometimes feel isolated feel more connected to others,” says Garland. “Hearing the shared experiences of others can really enhance our social skills and give us a greater sense of belonging.”
In 2022, Jennifer Garland, RP of The Mane Intent received Business Excellence Awards in the Health and Wellness and Micro Business categories from the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce. She also won the Chamber’s Health and Wellness Award in 2017. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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Treatments at The Mane Intent can be very much personalized and gradual, with intake sessions to help determine next steps. Garland likens the process to that taken with clients who are initially afraid of horses. Gradually, she’ll start them off meeting the herd, and “just notice what comes up.”
“The first visit to the farm for me is an intake where I will gather the story and understand the participant’s needs,” she says. “That’s where we start noticing which horses you’re drawn to and which horses maybe you’re not drawn to. Some clients will work with one horse, some clients will ask me to pick the horse, and some clients will work with a variety of horses.”
Although Garland was “devastated” when her own life-changing horse unexpectedly passed away in December of 2023, Sunny will always hold a special place in her heart.
“Sunny was the champion — he was my change maker,” she says. “Everybody at some point in time meets someone or something that changes things, and he was that herd horse for me.”
Sunny (with a Chance of Tornado) with Sarah, the daughter of The Mane Intent founder Jennifer Garland, RP. Sunny inspired Garland’s career pivot to become a Registered Psychotherapist and offer equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning opportunities at her Indian River farm. Though Sunny passed away unexpectedly in December 2023, his legacy lives on as The Mane Intent celebrates 10 years of helping others find healing through intentional interactions with horses. (Photo courtesy of The Mane Intent)
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With her award-winning business now celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Garland remains committed to continuing the work Sunny inspired her to do, and is accepting new clients with no referral required.
“This is not what I thought I would be doing, but it’s what I’m meant to do,” Garland says, reflecting on the past decade. “I’ve had so many moments of magic and want to see a lot more.”
For more information on The Mane Intent or to book a consultation, visit themaneintent.ca.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with The Mane Intent. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
One man is dead and a woman is seriously injured following a two-vehicle collision on County Road 38 in Peterborough County on Sunday afternoon (December 1).
At around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a call reporting a serious collision between an SUV and pickup truck on County Road 38 at Dummer Asphodel Road.
When police arrived, they found both vehicles in the north ditch. The fire department was already on scene and was working on extricating the female driver and male passenger from the SUV. A pickup truck with a lone driver was also in the ditch.
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Witnesses told police the pickup truck was travelling southbound on County Road 38 approaching Dummer Asphodel Road when an SUV travelling westbound failed to stop at the stop sign at Dummer Asphodel Road, resulting in the vehicles colliding.
The 69-year-old male passenger in the SUV was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The female driver of the SUV was also transported to a local hospital but was later taken by air ambulance to a Toronto trauma centre. The driver of the pickup truck suffered minor injuries.
County Road 38 remained closed for several hours while emergency crews dealt with the collision and police documented the scene. Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision, and who has not yet spoken with police, is asked to contact the Peterborough County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
Tim, Jocelyn, and Sheila Shauf at Sheila and Jocelyn's quilt store Quiltiful in Bobcaygeon. The Shauf family is sharing Jocelyn's cancer journey as part of the Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation's 2024 "Hopeful Moments" holiday appeal in support of the Lindsay hospital. (Photo courtesy of RMH Foundation)
Kawartha Lakes resident Tim Shauf, who is president and CEO of The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group and sits on the board of directors of the Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation, was in a foundation board meeting when his daughter Jocelyn called to tell him that she was cancer-free.
About two years ago, Tim and his wife Sheila received the news that Jocelyn had a rare form of leukemia. Her care began at RMH in Lindsay and involved teams of experts from multiple facilities. Over a year of intensive treatment, her family experienced the impact of Jocelyn’s timely access to clinical information and bedside equipment.
As a result, Tim and Sheila are sharing their experience and their gratitude by telling their story through the RMH Foundation’s “Hopeful Moments” holiday appeal letter for its capital fundraising campaign for the Lindsay hospital.
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“The Shaufs’ story is one that still gives us goosebumps,” Kim Coulter, RMH Foundation communications specialist, told kawarthaNOW. “Tim has been involved with the foundation board for many years and is currently our campaign chair. He really is part of our foundation family, and we just couldn’t be happier that his daughter is in good health.”
Coulter said the annual holiday appeal is trickier this year, due to donor letters not landing in people’s mailboxes as a result of the current Canada Post strike. She’s hoping to raise the profile of the campaign and highlight the importance of donations.
“We want people to know that when they contribute to the Ross, their donations impact patients’ care throughout the hospital,” she said. “Each time they see an IV pump, or hear that someone they know had an MRI, we hope they feel good about the fact that they helped make it possible.”
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Since government funding doesn’t cover the cost of a hospital’s medical equipment and technology, “donors make it happen with every gift,” Coulter added.
Through the “Hopeful Moments” holiday appeal, the foundation is hoping to raise money for the highest priority investments at RMH.
These include the expansion of the emergency department and the creation of a mental health emergency services unit, the future expansion and modernization of the intensive care unit, the new MRI and CT scanner, bedside equipment including the new fleet of IV pumps, and the clinical information system that connects patients’ digital health information records to medical technology and bedside tools, so every test and treatment is noted in real time and available to the entire care team.
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Through their involvement in the foundation’s holiday appeal, the Shaufs say they hope to give more patients the best chance for a positive outcome like their daughter experienced.
“The care that she experienced in the midst of waiting for a life-changing diagnosis was second to none,” Tim wrote in the letter.
“It was a challenging time of ups and downs. We all have vivid moments that float to the surface. For Sheila, it was a volunteer offering to bring her a ginger ale as she struggled to process more bad news. Jocelyn remembers hearing her children play nearby as she sat with her husband, Kurt. Believing she was dying, she asked him, ‘what do we do?'”
“We learned that it takes an army of people to deal with some health situations. Our entire family has a new respect for the nurses who are there for their patients, day and night. We also have an enormous appreciation for the technology that’s used to support patients’ care. In particular, we learned to count on the information that was shared into Jocelyn’s electronic medical record that she had direct access to through an app on her phone.”
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Tim said the family knows that not everyone is as lucky as Jocelyn who, along with Sheila, opened the quilt shop Quiltiful in Bobcaygeon earlier this year.
“We’ve been blessed. That’s why my family is supporting Ross Memorial’s highest priority needs, too. Sheila and I grew up in families that supported our neighbours and communities during times of need, and we’re grateful to be in a position to help today.”
“This is about raising funds to pay for the medical technology and equipment that the doctors, nurses, lab techs, and pharmacists need to diagnose and treat patients like Jocelyn. Right here, where we live.”
For more information about RMH Foundation’s Hopeful Moments campaign and to make a donation, visit foundation.rmh.org.
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