Soon you can get fresh bread from Hard Winter Bread Company any day of the week. Owners Jessica Arsenault and Graham Thoem have purchased a location in East City. (Photo: Julia Luymes, www.julialuymes.com)
This month, food writer Eva Fisher learns of a new location for Hard Winter Bread Company in Peterborough’s East City, anticipates the opening of The Food Shop on Water Street in downtown Peterborough, explores the art of the cookie with home bakery April and August, and prepares for plenty of poutine at the Peterborough Poutine Feast.
Hard Winter Bread Company to open in Peterborough’s East City
The future location of Hard Winter Bread Company is directly across from the Peterborough Liftlock Foodland in East City. (Photo: Hard Winter Bread Company)
Hard Winter Bread Company (705-931-4922) has purchased a new location in East City.
The building, located at 133 Hunter Street East directly across from East City Foodland, will allow owners Jessica Arsenault and Graham Thoem to sell baked goods throughout the week. They currently don’t have a physical location, selling largely through the Peterborough Farmers’ Market only on market days.
Jessica says that they had been looking for a place for almost a year, but East City kept calling to her.
“I just kept coming back to the idea that in a community, I love when there are neighbourhood stores: a neighbourhood coffee shop, or a little grocer. To me East City epitomizes that.”
She also points out that the Heritage Trail runs very close to the new building, so customers can easily walk or ride their bikes to get a loaf of bread.
This space will allow Hard Winter Bread Company to focus more on pies and desserts, particularly around the holidays.
“I have this vision of a beautiful pastry counter and bread that you can pick out yourself from a display,” Jessica says.
It will also give them space to hire more staff.
Since wood-fired ovens are a challenge in the city, potentially aggravating neighbours, Hard Winter Bread Company’s East City location won’t have one. However, their wood-fired bagels will still be available at local farmers’ markets. (Photo: Julia Luymes, www.julialuymes.com)
One thing that the new space won’t have? A wood oven. Hard Winter Bread Company started their business with a wood oven, but Jessica says that a wood fire is problematic in the city.
“We don’t want wood smoke going into people’s windows during 30 degree weather in the summer. As much as people like to romanticize wood smoke it’s not something that you want to live directly beside. We would like to be friends with our neighbours.”
A conventional oven will allow them to bake more reliably, without having to worry about the sometimes unpredictable temperature fluctuations of a wood-fired oven. It will also be easier to train staff to use. However, wood-fired bagels will still be available at the Farmers’ Market.
The goal is to open the space by the end of the summer, but Jessica admits that they have a lot of work to do before they get there.
Local food shop to open seven days a week in downtown Peterborough
Anthony and Sam Lennan are busy preparing to open “The Food Shop”, a store that will sell local food seven days a week in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
In a little storefront on Water Street, Anthony and Sam Lennan are busy preparing to open “The Food Shop”, a store that will sell local food seven days a week in downtown Peterborough.
So far 19 suppliers have been lined up, including three farms for fresh produce, a local source of organic flour, maple syrup (from sugar and black maples), chicken, beef, and lamb.
Anthony says that, as a chef for 15 years, food is his life. That being said, the hours that he worked as a chef made it difficult for him to catch the farmers’ market. He wanted to make good food more available for people like himself.
“I’m not here to make a million dollars. I want to be able to open the door every day.”
Chicken pot pies and veggie pot pies. Anthony Lennan of The Food Shop, who has been a chef for 15 years, wants to make good local food more available for people like himself. (Photo: The Food Shop)
The purpose of the store is not to compete with local farmers’ markets, and Anthony plans to close on Saturday and Wednesday morning, when people can just as easily head down the street to one of the city’s two downtown markets. He is hoping that this space will connect him to others who are active in the local food movement.
“Food has always been my thing, and I love people as well, so if I could put the two together…”
He plans to offer his space for seminars, product launches, and more.
Anthony and Sam plan to open The Food Shop to the public on June 1st. For updates, visit The Food Shop on Facebook or Instagram.
New home bakery business April and August creates cookies with flair
Holly Bohnsack of April and August creates cookie art. She recently produced this portrait of a Bernese Mountain Dog. (Photo: April and August)
There’s a new home bakery business in town for cookie lovers, but a warning: these cookies may just look too good to eat.
Holly Bohnsack officially registered her cookie business April and August (705-868-4857) on March 5th, after quitting her job of seven years in December.
“I really felt the need to have something that was mine, that I owned and that I could take charge of.”
She had long made cupcakes and cakes for fun, but had recently become obsessed with online videos of cookies.
“I decided to try it and put some stuff out there and I was really overwhelmed by the feedback that I had.”
April and August cookies can be custom ordered for special occasions. These cookies were made for a new home owner. (Photo: April and August)
It’s no wonder that her friends were impressed: Holly’s sugar cookies ranged from realistic pet portraits to mermaids, unicorns, hedgehogs, cars and more. She often uses an airbrush to create colourful canvases for her designs.
Many of Holly’s cookies are made for kids, and she often references popular film and television characters. She says that these are particularly challenging, requiring her to colour-match exactly.
In spite of her growing portfolio of beautiful cookies, Holly doesn’t identify as an artistic person.
“If I was to pick up a pen and a paper when I’m drawing with my daughters, I’m really not good. My kids laugh at me or they’ll ask me, ‘Mom, what is that supposed to be?’ But for some reason, when I pick up an icing bag it just works for me.”
Cup of tea? Holly’s cookies cover a broad range of subject matter. (Photo: April and August)
She says that her baking skill comes from her grandmother: “She was a really good cook and a really good baker.”
Holly explains that she learned to cook and bake at her side. It’s something that Holly will more than likely pass to the next generation: the business is named after her daughters’ birth months.
You can order cookies from April and August through Facebook, Instagram, or by phone at 705-868-4857.
Join the Peterborough Poutine Feast at Nicholls Oval Park
A poutine feast is coming to Peterborough in early May. (Photo: Poutine Feast)
A travelling poutine festival is coming to Nicholls Oval Park in Peterborough from May 9th to 12th. Peterborough Poutine Feast will feature six poutine vendors, three dessert and drink vendors, and a hot dog vendor.
Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free poutine options will also be available at the festival.
The tour first came to Peterborough last year. At that point, it was a smaller festival taking place at Morrow Park. Dave Conway, media specialist for the event, says that they were surprised by the popularity of the event during their first year.
“When we started this, we didn’t anticipate the number of people that just love poutine. It is astonishing, every city that we go to, to see how this Canadian dish has just taken ahold of people.”
Peterborough Poutine Feast will feature six poutineries as well as vendors selling dessert and drinks. (Photo: Poutine Feast)
In addition to the Poutine Feast, a Poutine Crawl is taking place throughout the month of April. The poutine crawl is a new initiative designed to support local poutine restaurants in preparation for the feast. Dave says that supporting local businesses is important to their team.
“When we come into town, we do take business away from (local businesses) for that weekend, and we thought what could we do to give back to these poutine places? As poutine lovers we want to make sure that everyone is getting enough business, and that our people get enough poutine.”
Participants in the crawl vote for their favourite local poutine restaurant, and a winner is crowned at Peterborough Poutine Feast. The Buzzyn Rewards app (available on the Apple App Store and Google Play) is required to vote.
Police are seeking three suspects in a distraction theft scam which saw an elderly victim have his debit card stolen and used. (Photos provided by Peterborough Police Service)
The Peterborough Police Service is warning local residents of a distraction theft scam currently circulating in the area, and is seeking three suspects.
In March 2019, an elderly man was in a checkout line at a Lansdowne Street grocery store when three men, all dressed in matching construction outfits, worked in concert to distract him and steal his debit card.
While the victim paying with his debit card, one of the men got directly behind the victim and was able to see his PIN number. Another man moved in close to the victim, dropped money on the ground then told the victim he had dropped cash.
The victim believed it to be a distraction since he doesn’t carry cash. However, at some point during the interaction, the victim’s debit card was taken from him. A third man was also in the area of the checkout line.
All three fraudsters left the store after the interaction.
When the victim arrived home, he noticed his debit card was missing and notified his bank. The bank told the victim that his stolen debit card has been used three times at various ATM machines, withdrawing approximately $1,820.
Police report incidents of a similar nature with similar suspects have been taking place in other areas of the province.
Police are asking residents to remain vigilant when at a store checkout and to report any suspicious behaviour to police.
The three suspects are described at follows:
Suspect #1
Suspect #1
Caucasian male
Approximately 40-50 years old
6’1-6’3
Heavy set
Dark goatee
Black baseball hat with Miami Marlins logo
Construction jacket with green and silver reflective stripes
Dark boots
Suspect #2:
Suspect #2
Caucasian male
Approximately 30-40 years old
6’1-6’3
Medium build
Black, yellow and white batman toque
Construction jacket with green and silver reflective stripes
Dark shoes
Suspect #3:
Suspect #3
Tan skin male
Mid 30s
5’7-5’9
Thin build
Unshaven dark facial hair
Black toque with white West Coast Choppers logo
Anyone with information on this incident or similar incidents in the area is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or Crime Stoppers online at stopcrimehere.ca.
Known as "La Belle Province" ("the beautiful province"), Québec boasts impressive natural attractions, electrifying annual festivals, an exquisite culinary scene, trendy cosmopolitan districts, and history-infused neighbourhoods for every traveller's taste. DeNure Tours of Lindsay is offering five unique tours to Québec this year: Montreal & Québec City (6 days), Saguenay, Québec (7 days), Gaspé Peninsula Getaway (9 days), Québec Resort Getaway (5 days), and Québec Colours (5 days). (Supplied photo)
If you’re looking for a taste of Europe on your next vacation without venturing to another continent, Québec is an enchanting destination that offers a European-inspired visual and cultural appeal — without the jetlag.
Within Canada, Québec is a distinct world with its blend of architecture, colonial history, art, Francophone heritage, and scenic landscapes.
To start planning your Québec vacation, visit denuretours.com or call 1-800-668-6859.
Known as “La Belle Province” (“the beautiful province”), Québec boasts impressive natural attractions, electrifying annual festivals, an exquisite culinary scene, trendy cosmopolitan districts, and history-infused neighbourhoods for every traveller’s taste.
And while Québécois (“Quebecers”) account for more than four-fifths of the Canadian French-speaking population, it’s not necessary to brush up on your rusty high school French in order to have an enjoyable trip (although the effort is appreciated).
The popularity of vacations in Québec is at its peak, particularly in Montréal. According to Québec City Tourism, just over 4.4 million tourists visited the province in 2016, including over 800,000 from 75 countries outside Canada, raking in $1.32 billion in annual tourism spending.
Montréal recorded the highest growth in tourism among all Québec destinations in 2017, with tourism dollars injecting $4 billion into the city’s economy, says a recent report by Tourisme Montréal.
VIDEO: Let go and let Québec take over
It’s this upswing in Québec’s tourism that continuously makes the region one of DeNure Tours’ most delightful sightseeing excursions year-round. For nearly 60 years, the Lindsay-based agency has been offering unique tourism experiences throughout North America, Britain and Europe, with fascinating itineraries, flexible pacing, good value and quality, and guides who have firsthand, in-depth knowledge of the destinations.
“There are so many rural and urban destinations to explore that should be on every Québec traveller’s must-visit list,” says Mary Kay McGuinness, a tour director at DeNure Tours for over 25 years and has handled logistics for many of the agency’s Québec tours during that time.
“Whether it’s the exquisite cities of Montréal and Québec City, Mont Tremblant in the Laurentian Mountains, resorts like Le Château Montebello, or whale watching in Tadoussac, a small town on the coast of the St. Lawrence, there’s something for everyone.”
Quebec’s picturesque Saguenay region is one of proud heritage and rugged beauty. DeNure Tours’ Saguenay tour, the most popular of all the Québec trips offered by DeNure Tours, includes a stay in the landmark Hotel Tadoussac on one of Canada’s most beautiful bays, a whale-watching cruise on the St. Lawrence, a guided trolley tour of lumber village Val-Jalbert with views of the 236-foot-high Ouiatchouan Falls, a two-night stay in historic Quebec City, and more. (Supplied photo)
McGuinness says DeNure’s group tours will not only guide you around any cultural site in Québec and dive right into the heart of the province’s fascinating history, but they will “take you to the hidden gems, the places you don’t know about or wouldn’t otherwise see by going it alone.”
Some of those hidden gems McGuinness is referring to are “economuseums”, an artisanal enterprise that showcases artisans and their trade, largely in fine crafts and the agri-food sector.
Québec currently has 30 economuseums province-wide, with the most located in tourist regions. The concept allows craftspeople to open their workshops to the public so they can share their knowledge and passion and sell products made onsite.
Located in the Eastern Townships on the west shore of Lake Memphrémagog in Quebec, Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac is a Benedictine community founded in 1912 by French monks. The monks have a cheese factory, two orchards, a cider mill, and a shop where all their products are sold. (Photo: Destination Sherbrooke)
Expect to experience some of these fabulous venues when DeNure stops at Albert Gilles Boutique et Musée (a museum showcasing the work of the eponymous copper artist, with tours and demonstrations), La Chocolaterie de I’lle (a chocolate and ice cream maker located in an ancestral home), or Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey (home to 30 Benedictine monks famous for their hand-crafted cheeses and apple cider).
“Economuseums give people an appreciation of what artisans do,” says McGuinness. “We’re giving our guests the opportunity to discover the local culture while supporting the region’s local economy.”
DeNure Tours is currently offering five tours to Québec this year. Here are some highlights of what to anticipate on each visit.
Montreal & Québec City (6 days)
Montréal and Québec City (pictured here) are lively metropolises with a perfect combo of classiness, playfulness and history. On the guided tours, stroll the narrow streets and boutiques of Québec City’s Quartier Petit-Champlain, feast in the Jean-Talon Market where Montreal’s award-winning pâtisseries, fromageries, and boulangeries get their farm-to-table ingredients, and immerse yourself in the museums, galleries, and fabulous eateries these cities have to offer. (Supplied photo)
Montréal and Québec City are lively metropolises with a perfect combo of classiness, playfulness and history. On the guided tours, stroll the narrow streets and boutiques of Québec City’s Quartier Petit-Champlain, feast in the Jean-Talon Market where Montreal’s award-winning pâtisseries, fromageries, and boulangeries get their farm-to-table ingredients, or immerse yourself in the museums, galleries, and fabulous eateries these cities have to offer.
Journey on to Côte-de-Beaupré’s picturesque countryside which rolls out to magnificent 18th century farmsteads and churches, tucking local artisan’s work into little galleries. Admire gorgeous glass windows and sculptures at the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine before a stop at towering Montmorency Falls, a natural 30-metre-high wonder. DeNure ends the tour with a sweet finale: the quaint and delicious Île d’Orléans chocolate factory and authentic maple sugar shack tasting.
Saguenay, Québec (7 days)
Montmorency Falls, stretching upwards a spectacular 272 feet, is one stop guests will make on the Saguenay tour. The site is a year-round destination for visitors to Québec City and Montréal, offering a range of outdoor activities and the stunning sight of the falls. (Supplied photo)
“The Saguenay tour is our most popular of all the Québec tours,” notes McGuinness.
Guests will travel through the Laurentians admiring the rocky Canadian Shield. See where the pines divide and the earth plummets down a sheer rock face at the Rivière Saguenay fjord. Stay in the landmark Hotel Tadoussac on one of Canada’s most beautiful bays and cruise the St. Lawrence to spot whales.
During a three-hour cruise, spot tufts of water exploding above the horizon as the whales move to the surface to breathe.
A guided trolley tour of Val-Jalbert, a restored lumber village, will give you an up-close look at life as it was in the ultra-modern 1920s. A glass platform provides amazing views of the 236-feet-high Ouiatchouan Falls.
The bohemian town of Tadoussac, where the Saguenay river flows into the St. Lawrence, is perfect feeding ground for the different whale species. Take an excursion on a boat into the St. Lawrence to see these giants up close in their natural habitat. (Photo: Québec Maritime Tourism)
“It’s got scenery and industrial history which is quite unique,” says McGuinness of the area, which has been described as the best-preserved ghost town in Canada.
A visit to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica and Montmorency Falls, named the “monstrous steep”, precedes a two-night stay in historic Québec City. A stay in the city’s Old Town is the perfect location to explore old-world architecture, charming boutiques, cobblestone streets, and exquisite eats.
Gaspé Peninsula Getaway (9 days)
One major attraction of Gaspé Peninsula is the charming village of Percé. Be awed by the sight of Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock, just off the coast. Percé Rock is formed of reddish-gold limestone and shale and is considered one of the world’s largest natural arches located in water and is a geologically and historically rich natural icon of Québec. (Supplied photo)
Discover rock, wilderness, stunning vistas, and the distinct French-English culture of the people who call the fascinating Gaspé Peninsula home.
Make a stop in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, the woodcarver capital of Québec, before a boat sails you around Percé Rock, an iconic 400-million-year-old red-gold limestone arch. Nearby is Bonaventure Island, home to North America’s largest gannet colony, and Paspébiac Bank Historic Site, which brings the Gaspésie fishing story to life with net-mending and shipbuilding in centuries-old buildings.
The trails at Parc national de l’Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé is always worth a visit for their natural beauty and outstanding flora and fauna, including its famous colony of northern gannets.
The bohemian town of Tadoussac, where the Saguenay river flows into the St. Lawrence, is perfect feeding ground for the different whale species. Take an excursion on a boat into the St. Lawrence to see these giants up close in their natural habitat.
Finish the tour in Québec City and fill your soul with old-world charm, exquisite dining, and boutique shopping.
Québec Resort Getaway (5 days)
The Quebec Resort Getaway includes a night at Le Château Montebello, the largest log building in the world. Pictured is the hotel lobby, which features a three-storey atrium built around a massive stone fireplace with a 20-metre chimney. (Photo: Fairmont Le Château Montebello)
Escape the ordinary and experience the delightful retreats of Québec. The beautiful Eastern Townships are a tapestry of vineyards, pastoral countryside, mountains, and crystal-clear lakes.
A stay at the Hôtel Chéribourg offers amazing views complemented by four-star amenities such as a tennis court, two pools, an outdoor whirlpool, and well-appointed rooms.
Pay a visit to the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac and stroll the fragrant fields of Bleu Lavande, the region’s chief lavender producer. Tour a winery and soak in Magog’s scenery for the remainder of your stay.
Stop in Old Montréal for lunch en route to the remarkable Le Château Montebello, the finale to this Quebecois retreat. Founded as a private club in 1930, Le Château Montebello is the world’s largest log cabin offering tranquility and rustic elegance.
Québec Colours (5 days)
Watch Mother Nature at her finest with the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Laurentians blazing in bright autumn hues. (Supplied photo)
“People come from around the world and across Canada to see the fall colours in Québec,” says McGuinness.
Watch Mother Nature at her finest with the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Laurentians blazing in bright autumn hues.
A stop in Mont-Tremblant will let you stroll the cozy cobblestone streets to the alpine-inspired chalet shops. Cruise beautiful Lac Tremblant, surrounded by a carpet of crimsons this time of year.
DeNure continues to Gatineau with a visit at Parc Omega, a safari park that takes you through 12 kilometres of lakes, rocky hills, valleys, forests, and meadows, all the while getting up close and personal with the animals that inhabit them (bison, boars, beavers, wolves, bears, coyotes, and fox).
You’ll move on to Ottawa to enjoy some free time and perhaps visit the National Gallery of Canada, which holds the world’s largest collection of classic, contemporary, and indigenous Canadian art, or browse the Byward Market, four square blocks of artisan shops and culinary delights.
Journey home with a stop in the Thousand Islands region, an island paradise of pines, castles, lighthouses, and history.
VIDEO: A journey through Québec that reveals a new surprise every morning
DeNure’s Québec tours include transportation on a luxury motorcoach to all sites (departing from Lindsay and Toronto), with a crew of experienced tour directors and drivers happy to share their knowledge to make your trip interesting and unforgettable.
“It’s important to take the memory, not necessarily the picture,” adds McGuinness. “DeNure staff’s professionalism and knowledge of Québec will certainly give you great memories to take home with you.”
Feeling overwhelmed by tour options? Worried you missed an important detail? DeNure Tours offers a hassle-free way to experience the highlights of your trip that enables you to sit back and relax. Their representatives handle all of the initial logistics and scheduling, and are on-hand to ensure that everything runs to plan, leaving you to you rest easy as you travel.
If you’re ready for a Québec adventure, book your trip with DeNure Tours.
DeNure Tours Ltd. is located at 71 Mount Hope Street in Lindsay. For more information, call 705-324-9161 or toll-free 1-800-668-6859, email info@denuretours.com, or visit denuretours.com. You can also follow DeNure Tours on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
This story was created in partnership with DeNure Tours.
John Gillis will be the new interim president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas effective April 30, 2019, when Mike Skinner takes a leave of absence to run in the federal election. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
This week’s round-up of regional business news includes the announcement of John Gillis as interim president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster while Mike Skinner takes a leave of absence to run in the federal election, the planned expansion of Port Hope’s Cameco Capitol Arts Centre, the recipients of the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Business Achievement Awards, a job opportunity at the Workforce Development Board/Local Employment Planning Council, the opening of nominations for the Peterborough Business Excellence Awards, and an award for the Peterborough DBIA’s Downtown Vibrancy project.
Every week, our managing editor collects business-related news and events from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
Also featured this week are the nominees for the Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Awards of Excellence, the launch of “JA Days” for Grade 7 and 8 students by Junior Achievement, local restaurateur Cameron Green running from Port Hope to Peterborough for charity, the City of Peterborough’s Susan Sauvé receiving an award from Share the Road Cycling Coalition, and the Spud and The Bull food truck opening for the season on the Victoria Day weekend.
New regional events added this week include the Peterborough Chamber’s breakfast meeting with Gail Moorhouse on April 9th in Peterborough and a lunch seminar with Ashley Lamothe of Creative Kwe on April 17th in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development hosting a meet and greet on April 17th in Fenelon Falls, the Kawartha Chamber’s Business After Hours event on April 24th in Young’s Point, the Innovation Cluster’s “Power Breakfast” on clean energy and technology on April 26th in Peterborough, the Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce’s Awards of Excellence gala on April 27th in Bobcaygeon, the April 30th deadline for nominations for Kawartha Chamber 2019 Business Awards of Excellence, and the Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition’s final pitch event on April 30th in Peterborough.
John Gillis will lead the Innovation Cluster as its new interim president and CEO
Incoming interim president and CEO John Gillis joined the Innovation Cluster in 2017 as a cleantech innovation specialist. (Photo courtesy of the Innovation Cluster)
John Gillis will be the new interim president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas effective April 30th.
Current president and CEO Michael Skinner is taking a leave of absence on that date to run as the federal Progressive Conservative candidate for Peterborough-Kawartha in the federal election, which will be held on October 21, 2019.
Gillis joined the Innovation Cluster in 2017 as a cleantech innovation specialist, to further the economic development organization’s focus in clean technology. He has supported various cleantech startups throughout Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
“I am thrilled to be taking this step forward and help continue startup job creation in this region,” Gillis says. “Peterborough has become a hub for entrepreneurs and the Innovation Cluster is looking forward to see innovation continue to expand in each of the technology sectors we support.”
Current Innovation Cluster president and CEO Mike Skinner is taking a leave of absence to run as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for Peterborough-Kawartha. (Photo courtesy of the Innovation Cluster)
Skinner became President and CEO in February 2016, and helped lead the Innovation Cluster by establishing The Cube business incubator as a base of operations in downtown Peterborough, where it now supports more than 80 startups. Since 2016, the Innovation Cluster has made an economic impact of $35,230,719, with 395 new jobs created by 107 technology and youth startups.
Gillis will now lead the Innovation Cluster’s planned expansion of on-site business services into Lindsay, in partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes’ economic development team.
Port Hope’s Cameco Capitol Arts Centre announces $1.75 million expansion project
The main stage of the Cameco Capitol Arts Centre in Port Hope. (Photo: Cameco Capitol Arts Centre)
The Capitol Theatre Heritage Foundation has announced a $1.75 million expansion project for the Cameco Capitol Arts Centre (a.k.a. “The Capitol Theatre”) in Port Hope.
The expansion project will “improve the facility’s function as a performing arts venue, provide a better theatre experience for patrons, and increase access for artists, performing arts groups, and community use and access”, according to a media release.
The not-for-profit entertainment venue has a 390-seat main stage along with the 80 to 100 seat AK & Bob Sculthorpe Theatre. Because the Sculthorpe Theatre is used as a rehearsal space while the main stage is being used, it is unavailable for performances or community access for eight months of the year.
The expansion project will:
expand the main floor lobby to allow patrons (including those with limited mobility) more space in which to congregate, access concessions, mingle prior to performances and during intermissions, and enter and exit the facility without undue crowding. The expanded space also becomes usable for receptions, small trade shows, and a variety of other community use.
create a new second-floor rehearsal facility above the expanded main lobby space, effectively making the Sculthorpe Theatre usable for a full twelve months of the year, providing better access for renters and for performances, and increased revenue opportunities for the organization.
The expansion project, which is scheduled to begin in early fall of 2019, will also provide for additional storage space, expanded women’s washroom facilities and improved catering facilities.
The Capitol Theatre opened in 1930 as an “atmospheric theatre”, and is now one of only two theatres of its type remaining in Canada. The facility closed in 1987, and in 1993 community supporters in Port Hope formed the Capitol Theatre Heritage Foundation to restore the theatre to its former glory. In 2016, Cameco Capitol Arts Centre was designated a National Historic Site.
Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce presents 2018 Business Achievement Awards
Lake to Skyview Farm won the New Start-Up Award at the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Business Achievement Awards on March 29, 2019. (Photo: Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce / Facebook)
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Business Achievement Awards on Friday, March 29th at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre.
The award recipients were:
Health and Wellness Award – Nourish Boutique Spa
Retail Trade Award – Grafton Healthcare Pharmacy
Communications and Technology Award – Northumberland 89.7
Not For Profit Award – St. John Ambulance Northumberland
Skilled Trades Award – Keep On Rolling
New Start-Up Award – Lake to Skyview Farm
Manufacturing and Agribusiness Award – Miedema Farms Inc.
Hospitality and Tourism Award – El Camino
Mayor’s Award – Lakeland Multi-Trade
Chamber Chair’s Award – Karen McBurney
Business and Consumer Services Award – Denise Liboiron, Century 21 All-Pro Realty
William Crossen Young Professional Award – Jacqueline Pennington
Workforce Development Board/Local Employment Planning Council seeking Labour Market Information Analyst
The Workforce Development Board/Local Employment Planning Council (WDB/LEPC), a not-for-profit organization located in Peterborough which is funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, is hiring a Labour Market Information Analyst
This full-time contract position will run until March 31, 2020, with the possibility of extension.
Reporting to the CEO, the incumbent will be responsible for interpreting information to determine local labour market supply and demand and communicating this information to key stakeholders and community partners.
Qualified candidates are asked to submit a cover letter and resume by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12th to jlamantia@wdb.ca indicating the position name in the subject line.
Nominations now open for Peterborough Business Excellence Awards
Nominations are now open for the Greater Peterborough Chamber Of Commerce’s 16th annual Business Excellence Awards.
Award categories are Entrepreneurial Spirit, Skilled Trades, Tourism, Hospitality, Micro Business – Fewer Than 5 Employees, Retail, Professional Services, Customer First, Local Focus, Innovation / Research & Development, Commercial Development Or Renovation, Marketing & Promotion, Environmental Practices, Health & Wellness, Not-For-Profit, Employer Of The Year, Business Citizen Of The Year, 4-Under-40 Profiles, and Immigrant Entrepreneur Of The Year.
The nomination deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22nd. Self-nominations are encouraged, or you can nominate another business or business leader in the community. Businesses and individuals within the City and County of Peterborough are eligible, and do not need to be members of the Chamber.
Award finalists will be announced on August 8th, with the recipients selected at an awards ceremony on October 16t at Showplace Performance Centre.
Peterborough DBIA wins award for Downtown Vibrancy project
Peterborough DBIA executive director Terry Guiel, Peterborough GreenUP Depave Paradise coordinator Dawn Pond, and Peterborough DBIA board member Michael Gallant of LETT Architects with the “Streetscaping and Public Realm Improvements – Large” from the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association. (Photo: Terry Guiel)
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) won an award last Monday night (April 1) at the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) award gala.
The OBIAA presented the Peterborough DBIA with the “Streetscaping and Public Realm Improvements – Large” award for leading the Downtown Vibrancy Project, which transformed a section of Water Street south of the entrance to No Frills from an unused paved area into a revitalized garden space that is being filled with native plants, shrubs, and trees.
Peterborough GreenUP, LETT Architects Inc., and Mortlock Construction Inc. were also involved in championing the initiative.
Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce announces nominees for 2019 Awards of Excellence
Last Wednesday (April 3), the Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce announced the nominees for the 2019 Awards of Excellence:
Employee Achievement Award
Tracy Gilmore, Stewart Morrison Insurance
Maureen Lytle, Kawartha Settlers Village
Deanna Allison, Polished Day Spa & Salon
Debra-Claire Kemp & Emalee Kidman, Kawartha Mediums / Zen Den
Business Achievement
1867 Confederation Log and Timber Frame
Douglas and Son
Kawartha Mediums / Zen Den
Pathways to Serenity with Glenda
Sarovara Yoga
New Business Achievement
Kawartha Financial Solutions
Kawartha Mediums / Zen Den
Old Dog Brewing Company
Not For Profit Achievement
Bobcaygeon Communities in Bloom 2018
Bobcaygeon Curling Club
Bobcaygeon Farmers’ Market
Kawartha North Family Health Team
Kawartha Settlers’ Village
Tourism Achievement
Impact 32
Kawartha ATV Association
Kawartha Country Wines
Kawartha Dairy
Kawartha Mediums / Zen Den
Kawartha Settlers’ Village
White Swan Cottages Inc.
Creative Arts Achievement
Chuck Burns
Linda Famme
Daniel James Marlatt, Outdoor Art Gallery at the Miskwaa
Shawna Love Leigh, Studio 358
Citizen of the Year Award
Ann Adare
Gerry Brown
Kelly Jones
Emalee Kidman
Shaukat Mohamad
Sherry Peel
Bill Riddell
Pieter van Oudenaren
The awards will be presented on Saturday, April 27th at the Lakeview Arts Barn (2300 Pigeon Lake Rd., Bobcaygeon). For more information and for tickets, visit www.bobcaygeon.org/AOE2019.
Junior Achievement Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka launches “JA Days” for Grade 7 and 8 students
Grade 7 students from St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough participating in “JA Days” at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Junior Achievement Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka)
Junior Achievement (JA) Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka has launched “JA Days”, a pilot program for Grade 7 and 8 students running from April 2nd to May 16th.
Each day, local business leaders will work alongside JA staff to teach students the importance of financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Students choose a company for a day, a CEO, and try to solve a business problem together.
The six-week program will engage over 750 students from local schools. The first JA Days took place last week at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough, with Grade 7 students from St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough attending with support of staff from both the Innovation Cluster and Trent Valley Honda.
For more information, contact program coordinator Lucie Kawiche at 705-748-0024 or lkawiche@ja-plm.ca.
Susan Sauvé receives award from Share the Road Cycling Coalition at Ontario Bike Summit
Susan Sauvé (centre) with her “Wheels of Change – Professional of the Year” award. (Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough)
Last Monday (April 10), the City of Peterborough’s Susan Sauvé received the “Wheels of Change – Professional of the Year” award during 11th annual Ontario Bike Summit, which is organized by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition.
Sauvé, who has been the city’s transportation demand management planner for 15 years, was honoured for her work moving cycling conversations forward in the community.
Since 2004, with Sauvé’s contributions, the city’s cycling lanes and trails have increased to 58 kilometres from 27 kilometres; and on-road cycling lanes increased to 20 kilometres from seven kilometres over that same period. Much of the growth in the cycling infrastructure was informed by the city’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan Ultimate Cycling Network that Sauvé helped to design.
“Susan has helped to shape our community — its infrastructure and its identity — through the growth of our trail system and bike lanes as well as programs that encourage people to choose walking, cycling, carpooling and transit when they’re getting around our city,” Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien said. “Congratulations to Susan on this well-deserved recognition.”
Local restaurateur Cameron Green runs from Port Hope to Peterborough for charity
Cameron Green. (Photo: Kettle Drums / Facebook)
On March 31st, local restaurateur Cameron Green (co-owner of McThirsty’s pub and Kettle Drums Restaurant in Peterborough and The Thirsty Goose in Port Hope) ran from Port Hope to Peterborough.
He was raising money for Camp Ooch and the 116 Royal Sea Cadets Corps Skeena.
His 45-kilometre “Goose To Gander Run” from The Thirsty Goose to Peterborough along County Road 28 took him seven hours and 20 minutes to complete.
The Spud and The Bull food truck opens for the season on the Victoria Day weekend
The Spud and The Bull food truck opens for the season on May 18, 2019. (Photo: The Spud and The Bull / Facebook)
Cheryl Goodridge’s food truck business The Spud and The Bull, located at 2621 Lakefield Road (north of Trent University, beside Kyoto Coffee and south of Giant Tiger), will be opening for the season at noon on Saturday, May 18th.
Goodridge just opened the business last September, so this will be her first full season. She is featuring live music on selected Saturdays throughout the season, including Dauncey on opening day.
The Spud and The Bull offers burgers (made in-house daily using local beef from Traynor Farms), hot dogs, chicken wings and tenders, and fresh-cut fries. There’s also the “Bucking Fantastic Bull” challenge: if you can eat a five-patty loaded burger with a large order of fries within 20 minutes (or less), you will be featured on The Spud and The Bull’s “Ring of Honour” and social media channels.
Peterborough Chamber hosts breakfast meeting with Gail Moorhouse in Peterborough on April 9
Gail Moorhouse.
The next Peterborough Chamber of Commerce “Chamber AM” breakfast meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 9th at Carousel Restaurant & Tavern (116 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough).
Gail Moorhouse, Executive Director of Community Futures, will speak on the topic “Five Skills Entrepreneurs Need to Master”.
Networking begins at 7 a.m., with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. (when you can make your best 30-second elevator speech to the room), followed by the speaker at 8 a.m.
There is no cost for the event (order what you like and pay for what you order).
Women’s Business Network of Peterborough presents Women in Business Award and the Judy Heffernan Award Dinner on April 9 in Peterborough
The Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN) is presenting the Women in Business Award and the Judy Heffernan Award at an awards dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m on Tuesday, April 9th at Personal Touch Banquet Hall (1135 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough).
The Women in Business Award will be awarded to a women showing exceptional business leadership. The Judy Heffernan Award will be awarded to a women who demonstrates the empowerment of other women. Enjoy cocktails at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m., speaker at 7:30 p.m. and the awards celebration at 8 p.m.
Rhonda Barnet, Chief Operating Officer of Steelworks Design and past chair of the National Board of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, will be the keynote speaker.
Cocktails and networking begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m., the keynote speaker at 7:30 p.m. and the awards celebration at 8 p.m.
Tickets for the awards dinner are available at a cost of $65 for WBN members or $75 for non-members (tables are also available). For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.womensbusinessnetwork.net/awards-event/.
FastStart Peterborough presents “Manufacturing Innovation in Peterborough” seminar on April 9 in Peterborough
FastStart Peterborough’s next E-Connect seminar is entitled “Manufacturing Innovation in Peterborough” and takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough).
The panel discussion features speakers John Gillis, incoming CEO and president of the Innovation Cluster, and Jason Balcombe, supply chain manager for Savage Arms Canada. The panel will invite the speakers to elaborate on the manufacturing industry in Peterborough, specifically how small/medium enterprises and large corporations function within the same city and landscape.
Lindsay Chamber launching B2B Professional Networking Club on April 10 in Lindsay
The Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce is launching a member-run professional networking club for business-to-business (B2B) members of the chamber to promote each other’s businesses.
The first meeting takes place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 10th in the community room of the Kawartha Lakes Police Services (6 Victoria Ave. N., Lindsay).
Future meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Peterborough DBIA hosting “Shaping Your Downtown” open house on April 10 in Peterborough
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement (DBIA) is looking for public input for a vision of downtown Peterborough at the “Shaping Your Downtown” open house event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10th in the Friends of the Library Community Room at the Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N., Peterborough).
The Peterborough DBIA is developing its five-year strategic plan this spring and seeking input from the community. You can learn about potential DBIA initiatives planned for the future, share your views on key factors affecting the success of the downtown, and learn how you can play a role in helping the downtown grow and thrive.
This drop-in event is free to attend.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism hosts second annual Rural Tourism Symposium on April 11 in Keene
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism is hosting the second annual Rural Tourism Symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 11th in the Agriculture Heritage Building at Lang Pioneer Village Museum (104 Lang Rd., Keene).
This symposium for tourism industry professionals will include a keynote presentation from Lisa LaVecchia, president and CEO of Destination Ontario, as well as presentations by: Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario; Trevor Benson, director of food tourism innovation with Culinary Tourism Alliance; Jewel Cunningham, director of Ontario Waterways with Parks Canada; and David Robinson of Destination Canada.
There will also be a tourism town hall by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, one of a series presented by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Destination Canada, and local industry partners.
The cost for the second annual Rural Tourism Symposium is $125+HST, which includes a continental breakfast, a market-style lunch, and entry to the Tourism Town Hall. Tickets are available online at ruraltourism.biz.
Peterborough Chamber hosts lunch seminar with Ashley Lamothe of Creative Kwe on April 17 in Peterborough
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next Lunch Box Learning session takes place from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th in the chamber’s boardroom (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
Ashley Lamothe of Creative Kwe will host the seminar.
Lunch Box Learning is free to attend for Chamber members and members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. Bring your own lunch.
Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development hosts meet and greet on April 17 in Fenelon Falls
Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation (KLCFDC) is hosting a meet and greet from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th at Home by Tim + Chris (44 Colborne St., Fenelon Falls).
You can find out about some of the recent projects KLCFDC has supported in Fenelon Falls and hear more about what the organization does for the community.
Light refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome to attend.
Kawartha Lakes Arts Council hosts community celebration and annual general meeting on April 17 in Omemee
The Kawartha Lakes Arts Council is hosting its 4th annual community celebration and annual general meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th at Coronation Hall (1 King St. W. Omemee).
The annual general meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by a tribute to artist Michael Poulton, a live auction of original artworks and creative experiences, a Neil Young tribute by Gerald Van Halteren, and more.
The Kawartha Lakes Arts Council is a not-for-profit volunteer organization of volunteers dedicated to serving the arts community in Kawartha Lakes by advocating for artists and the arts, promoting a vibrant arts community, fostering professional development and educational training, and cultivating investment and support of the arts in the community.
Haliburton Highlands Chamber hosts a breakfast meeting with MPP Laurie Scott on April 23 in Haliburton
The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is hosting The Breadkfast Club with MPP Laurie Scott from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23rd at Mckeck’s Tap & Grill (207 Highland St., Haliburton)
Scott, who is MPP for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, will talk about her role as Ontario Minister of Labour and what she is planning on for 2019.
Kawartha Chamber hosts Business After Hours on April 24 in Young’s Point
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is hosting its next Business After Hours event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24th in Young’s Point.
The “Young’s Point Hop” will visit several businesses in the area, including Old Bridge Inn, Young’s Point Personal Training Services, Clearview Cottage Resort, and Kinetic Therapeutics.
Admission is free for Chamber members. Non-members can attend once for free and then $25 for any following Business After Hours event if they do not join the Chamber.
Venture13, the Business Development Bank of Canada, and the Northumberland Manufacturing Association are presenting the Venture13 Funding Forum from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 25th at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
Meet with various funding organizations, including the Northumberland CFDC, FedDev, OMAFRA, and more, to learn about the funding programs and services they have to offer.
Innovation Cluster hosts breakfast meeting on clean energy and technology on April 26 in Peterborough
The Innovation Cluster’s next “power breakfast” event takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Friday, April 26th at Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn (84 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough)
The topic will be “Clean Energy and Technology” and will feature organizations working in the clean tech industry: Marcelo Sarkis of Prima IP and Jason Wight, director of engineering at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (Ontario Power Generation).
Trent Hills Chamber hosts Celebration of Business Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 27 in Hastings
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its Celebration of Business Excellence Awards Ceremony from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th at The Grand Maple (19 Abert St. E., Hastings).
Awards will be presented in the following categories: Excellence In Business (Retail-Based Business), Excellence In Business (Service-Based Business), Pride And Progress, Customer Experience Award (Service Business), Customer Experience Award (Retail Business), Community Impact, Non-Profit Organization, and the Chair’s Award.
Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce Awards of Excellence on April 27 in Bobcaygeon
The Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce presents its 2019 Awards of Excellence dinner and awards ceremony from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th at Lakeview Arts Barn (2300 Pigeon Lake Rd., Bobcaygeon).
The event includes a cocktail reception, a sit-down three-course meal, and the awards presentation.
Tickets are $55 per person (table purchases of eight or 10 tickets also available). For more information and for tickets, visit www.bobcaygeon.org/AOE2019.
Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition hosts final pitch event on April 30 in Peterborough
The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is hosting its final pitch event from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th at The Venue (268 George St. N., Peterborough).
Six finalists in two categories (Transit One, AVROD, and Alexander Optical in the Innovation category: Electric Juice Factory, Emily Mae’s Cookies & Sweets, and PedalBoro in the Goods and Services category) will pitch their businesses to a penal of judges.
One winner from each category will be announced at the end of the event.
Tickets for the final pitch event will be available soon.
Deadline for nominations for Kawartha Chamber 2019 Business Awards of Excellence is April 30
The deadline for nominations for the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s 20th annual Business Awards of Excellence is Tuesday, April 30th. The nomination period for this year’s awards has moved from the fall to the spring.
Any business, individual, or organization within Peterborough County or the City of Peterborough can be nominated in one of 10 categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Professional, Outstanding Business Achievement, Commercial Development or Renovation, Customer Service Excellence, Entrepreneur Innovation, Not-For-Profit Excellence, Retailer of the Year, Service Sector Excellence, and Tourism/Hospitality. The awards will be presented at a gala event on October 10, 2019.
Inclusive Advisory hosts “Conscious Shift” workshops on May 10 in Peterborough
Inclusive Advisory, a multidisciplinary firm practicing accounting, law, and wealth management with offices in Peterborough and Port Perry, is hosting a series of workshops called “Conscious Shift” from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
With the tagline “leadership and management uncensored”, the workshops will feature four speakers sharing their experiences on leadership. Each speaker will give an original 20-minute presentation followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session.
The speakers are: Paul Bennett, owner of Ashburnham Realty; Mike Skinner, president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster; Cheif Kelly LaRocca of the Mississaugas of Scucog Island First Nation; and Sacha Lai-Svirk, director of digital health at Outpost379.
The workshops, which promise to “challenge the participants to step outside of their comfort zone” by introducting them “to alternative insights that challenge the status quo in management”, are designed for business owners, executives, managers, and community leaders.
Tickets are $200 each, with $150 from each ticket donated to The Mount Community Centre, Peterborough’s sustainable and inclusive urban village (charitable receipts will be provided).
The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing 14-year-old Liam DiGiacomo.
DiGiacomo was last seen in Lindsay at around 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 7) riding a grey mountain bike.
He is described as being 6′ 2″ tall with a slim build, short brown hair, and dark-rimmed glasses.
DiGiacomo was wearing camouflage track pants and a black nylon winter coat with small logos of the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs on it.
Anyone who thinks they may have observed DiGiacomo, or has information about his current location. is asked to telephone the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252.
Grammy-nominated Jane Bunnett and Maqueque are the headliners for International Jazz Day in Peterborough, performing their Afro-Cuban jazz at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on April 28, 2019. (Publicity photo)
When jazz music great Herbie Hancock made clear his intention to create an internationally marked day to celebrate the diplomatic role of the music genre, he couldn’t have foreseen more than 200 countries taking up his call.
That was in 2011 and, since then, April 30th has been declared International Jazz Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — an annual proclamation buoyed by Hancock’s view that jazz “is not exclusive but inclusive, which is the whole spirit” of the music genre.
Excerpt from UNESCO proclamation of International Jazz Day
“International Jazz Day” would be a force for unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. It could be a rallying point with endless potential and possibilities. Many organizations currently engaged in promotion of jazz music will embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to build a better society.
So it is that inclusiveness has been very much a part of Peterborough’s International Jazz Day, which will be celebrated for a fifth straight year over four days from April 25th to 28th.
“Anything you love, that touches you, you want to share it,” says longtime jazz musician and music teacher John Fautley, a member of the organizing committee for Peterborough’s International Jazz Day events.
“Not only do I feel fortunate to be involved, I feel incredibly fortunate to be in this community. Every kind of music is here. People are open and inviting. What we don’t have are enough audiences for jazz.”
That said, the only two Ontario communities that registered for International Jazz Day last year were Peterborough and Warkworth, where Steve Holt — “A very fine jazz piano player”, according to Fautley — habitually brings in jazz musicians to perform at The Jazz Café staged at The Natural, his health food store/restaurant at 18 Main Street in Warkworth.
April 30th falls on a Tuesday this year — “Good luck getting anybody out on a Tuesday,” Fautley says — so the musical events celebrating International Jazz Day will take place before and during the previous weekend:
Thursday, April 25th
The Rob Phillips Trio with singer Marsala Lukianchuk performs its weekly jazz jam session from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. at The Black Horse, 450 George Street North
Friday, April 26th
VIDEO: “Finding Carlton” Trailer
Screening of the film Finding Carlton: Uncovering The Story Of Jazz In India by filmmaker and jazz guitarist Susheel J. Kurien at 7:30 p.m. at the Gordon Best Theatre, 216 Hunter Street West. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Focusing on maverick Indian jazz guitarist Carlton Kitto, the film takes viewers on a journey through India’s little-known jazz age from the 1920s through the 1970s.
Kurien will be at the screening to introduce the film and participate in a question-and-answer session, and an open jazz jam will follow the screening.
Saturday, April 27
The Oscar Donald Trio, a jazz trio formed in the Humber Bachelor of Music program and led by Oscar Donald, is one of the jazz bands participating in this year’s Dine With Jazz series in downtown Peterborough on April 27th, part of the 2019 International Jazz Day Peterborough celebrations. The trio will be performing from 5 to 8 p.m. at The Black Horse. (Photo: Oscar Donald Trio)
The annual “Dine With Jazz” event takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. at selected restaurants in downtown Peterborough, where you can enjoy a dinner and experience live jazz performed by local musicians at no additional cost:
Biff Hannon and Michael Morse at La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant(190 Hunter Street West, 705-742-1559)
The Oscar Donald Trio at The Black Horse Pub (452 George Street North, 705-742-0633)
Mike Francis and Tom Szczesniak at Curry Village (306 George Street North, 705-742-1432)
Carrie Chesnutt and Mike Graham at Amandala’s (375 Water Street, 705-749-9090)
There’s also “Dine Later With Jazz”, where you can enjoy a late dinner or a drink featuring Rob Phillips and guests from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at The Publican House (300 Charlotte Street, 705-874-2619).
Sunday, April 28
VIDEO: Final performance of C Band from the 2018 Jazz Workshop
From 1 to 4 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte Street), there’a a free jazz workshop. Although it’s intended for young jazz musicians, the workshop is open to musicians of all ages and experience.
Participants will be organized into bands based on their self-determined experience levels, and expert clinicians will rehearse the bands in front of a live audience before each band performs their song at the end of their session. This year’s clinicians are Steve McCracken (winds and brass), Mike Graham (guitar, bass, and piano), and Brandon Munroe (drums).
Also on Sunday at the Market Hall is International Jazz Day’s flagship event: an evening concert headlined by five-time Juno Award winner and three-time Grammy Award nominated saxophonist and flautist Jane Bunnett with her Afro-Cuban band Maqueque, comprised of young Cuban musicians.
What started out five years ago as a project to record and mentor young brilliant Cuban female musicians, has become one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene. In the last year, they have played in major jazz festivals like Newport and Monterey, been featured on NPR’s program Jazz Night in America, where nominated for a Grammy Award for their latest release Oddara, and were most recently voted one of the top 10 jazz groups in DownBeat magazine’s critics’ poll.
Advance tickets to the 8 p.m. concert cost $33 ($23 for students) and are available at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org. If still available, tickets will also be sold at the door.
International Jazz Day Peterborough is presenting the photography of Bill Lockington in the lobby of Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of SPARK)
In addition, an exhibition of black-and-white photos of local jazz musicians, shot by Bill Lockington, is on display in the Market Hall lobby throughout April as part of the annual SPARK Photo Festival. The exhibition opened on Tuesday, April 2nd with Mayor Dianne Therrien on hand to declare April 30th as International Jazz Day in Peterborough.
While excited for each of these events and the prospect that jazz music will be introduced to a new audience, Fautley is well aware of jazz’s niche place on the live music spectrum.
“Peterborough has an unbelievably rich and complex music scene but you have loads of great musicians who are playing to five people in a club,” he explains. “These are blues people, pop people, and jazz people. You go hear Bobby Watson. He’s a great guitar player, but you’ll see him in a club playing to four people. It’s sad. It has nothing to do with the talent. It has to do with the name recognition thing.
“When I was in Toronto in the 1960s, there were jazz people coming through all the time. Jazz is at its best in a club when musicians are relaxed and they feel free to go right to the edge of their abilities. Now it’s all concert-focused. You don’t hear the chances taken anymore. We know we have to have a name draw but we’re trying to do the locals too.”
This is the fifth straight year International Jazz Day has been celebrated in Peterborough.
Still, adds Fautley, this is jazz music’s weekend to shine — and shine it will, he promises.
“The key thing that jazz music has, that classical music doesn’t have and pop music doesn’t have, is improvisation,” says Fautley, an upright bass player who was initially a trumpet player who toured with acts across North America in the 1960s and then taught music in Toronto before retiring in Peterborough.
“Jazz is an art and a science. The early jazz players didn’t know or care about the science of it. They just played it by feel, by ear; people like Louis Armstrong. There’s a big, long, disciplined academic root to being a classical musician.
“On the other end of the scale, there’s no academic root to being a pop musician. That’s fairly transient stuff; a lot of people sitting around in their basements making up hook lines and things like that. There are jazz schools now, but jazz started off as a by-ear thing.”
Fautley clearly recalls jazz’s effect on the scourge of segregation back in the 1960s, particularly in the southern United States.
“It was pretty rough for white and black people doing anything together down there, but jazz was one of the few things that brought them together,” he says.
“We couldn’t get into some hotels but once you got into the clubs, the audiences were appreciative of that integration. There was no intellectual barrier. No gender barrier. No academic barrier. No racial barrier. No age barrier. If you could do it (play jazz), you were in. It’s still a pretty big social integrator.”
The jazz music genre has been a socially unifying force. In 1936, clarinetist Benny Goodman (second from right) formed a racially integrated jazz quartet with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, pianist Teddy Wilson, and drummer Gene Krupa. “I never thought it was brave. That was the way it was supposed to be. How can you play if you’re going to worry about a guy’s color? It’s tough enough just to play,” Goodman said. (Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd.)
Meanwhile, Peterborough lawyer Joe Hogan, also an organizing committee member, admits jazz is “an acquired taste” but, speaking from experience, adds many who dip their toes in the jazz waters “develop an intense appreciation and fondness and love” for the sound.
“One of the main goals of Craig (Paterson) and Chelsey (Bennett) when they started International Jazz Day here was to bring jazz to people who might not otherwise experience it. When you develop a taste for it, you can’t get enough of it, for sure.”
Both Fautley and Hogan are encouraged by the number of young people gravitating to jazz in Peterborough.
“It’s so cool to see young people that have acquired this taste for real intense, complicated and eclectic styles of music that I certainly didn’t have when I was that age,” says Hogan, with Fautley noting local high schools, St. Peter’s and TAS in particular, are hotbeds for young jazz students.
International Jazz Day Peterborough is sponsored by Peterborough Community Savings, LLF Lawyers, McCosh Wealth, Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), and Peterborough Volkswagen, with kawarthaNOW.com as a media sponsor.
What would happen if a texting, tweeting, and googling girl of the modern digital era found herself in the Wonderland of old? That's the premise of "Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical", a family-friendly production from the young company of St. James Players running from April 12 to 14, 2019 in Peterborough. Pictured is one of Sir John Tenniel's illustrations commissioned by Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) for 1890's "The Nursery Alice", a shortened version of the original "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" published in 1865. (Photo: Public domain)
Beginning Friday, April 12th, St. James Players invites audiences of all ages to go down the rabbit hole when they present a production of American playwright Jonathan Yukich’s Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical.
St. James Players present Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical
When: Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 2 p.m. Where: St. James United Church (221 Romaine St., Peterborough) How much: $10 adults, $9 children
Based on the works of Lewis Carroll. Adapted for the stage by Jonathan Yukich with music by Bill Francoeur and lyrics by Scott DeTurk, with additional lyrics by Bill Francoeur. Directed by Hayden Henderson with assistance from Jim Mills. Starring Waverly Porter as Alice, Adam Airhart as the Mad Hatter, Tori Thibodeau and Ben Stevenson as the Queen and King of Hearts, Mairi Silverthorn as the March Hare, and many more. Tickets available at the door or in advance at stjamesplayers.ca.
Directed by Hayden Henderson with assistance from Jim Mills, Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical features all of the beloved characters from Lewis Carroll’s classic children books, but with a modern twist: Alice who comes from the era of social media, cell phones, and a Starbucks on every corner.
The St. James Players’ spring theatrical production has been a tradition for the local theatre company for over 40 years. Focused on shows to entertain a family audience, the spring productions have always been designed to bring young performers into the show and give them their first taste of theatre.
Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical is no exception to this, with the majority of the cast being under the age of 16. This group of dedicated performers, under the watchful eye of devoted local theatre advocates, are creating a colourful show filled with fantasy, music, dancing, and fun.
In the lead role is Waverly Porter, a grade 12 student in the arts program at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough. Playing an Alice pulled out of the 21st century and dropped into the traditional Wonderland, this is only Waverly’s second theatrical experience and her first in a lead role that puts her in every scene and musical number.
“It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s a lot of fun as well,” Waverly tells me during a break during a Sunday afternoon rehearsal. “I have to be here all the time, but I get to work with everyone and I’ve made a lot of friends.”
Waverly Porter plays the lead role of Alice in the St. James Players production of “Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical”. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW)
Although most people are familiar with the character Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, the story has been reinterpreted so many times since it was first published in 1865 that the character of Alice herself has become an intangible figure. This has given Waverly freedom to put her own unique stamp on the character.
“Instead of being the cute and curious Alice, I’m a lot more sassy,” Waverly admits. “Alice is confused about where she is, but she gives the characters she meets so much grief. I bring a lot of myself to the character. I’m a very outgoing and sassy person. I try to pull myself into the character as much as possible. I know who I am, so that is who I need to be.
“I feel that Alice comes from a very privileged family, but by having gone through Wonderland she leaves thinking about things differently. She thinks about how she should spend her time, and try to understand things that she might not understand.”
Miranda Steiginga helping Tori Thibodeau with her costume as The Queen of Hearts during a rehearsal of “Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical”. (Photo: Jim Mills)
Of course, every Wonderland needs a Mad Hatter, and the Hatter in Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical is played by Adam Airhart. His fourth production with St. James Players, Adam is considered to be one of the veteran performers in the cast despite his young age.
“I am totally excited to play the Mad Hatter,” Adam says. “In other shows I’ve played calmer characters, but with the Mad Hatter I can be myself and throw whatever I want into the character. If I want to be more exciting, I can just go for it.”
The Mad Hatter is another character that has been reinterpreted many times, ranging from very comical to very sinister. Adam explains he is doing a light and humorous version of the character, but brings his inspiration for two very different fictional characters from two very different genres.
“I’m trying to bounce between Hamlet and The Joker,” Adam says. “I can go from being very unpredictable and exciting to being very focused and intimidating.”
Making their debut with St. James Players are Tori Thibodeau and Ben Stevenson, who play the Queen and King of Hearts. Although Tori has appeared on other stages before, this is Ben’s first theatrical experience.
“I’ve always been interested in acting,” Ben says. “I saw some of my friends in St. James’ production of Mary Poppins, and after that I started auditioning for shows.”
Mairi Silverthorn in costume as the March Hare during a rehearsal of “Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical”. (Photo: Jim Mills)
With a playful chemistry between them, Tor and Ben make a charming pair although, just like their characters, they couldn’t be more different from one another. Tory is high energy and funny, while Ben is quieter and reserved. But together they have one of those magical theatrical bonds that seem to come out in actors once in a while.
“I like the queen because she is so powerful and strong and loud,” Tori says of her character. “She’s very confident, but there is a side to her that lacks confidence, which is why she is so mean. I am really loud and out there, but sometimes I am also quiet and insecure, so I find that I can relate to her sometimes.”
“The King is also very similar to me,” Ben adds, “He’s kind of shy. He hides behind the queen and stays back and hides in the corner.”
Miranda Steiginga helping Ben Stevenson with his costume as The King of Hearts during a rehearsal of “Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical”. (Photo: Jim Mills)
“The queen and king are weird,” Tory continues. “Their relationship is very aggressive, but there are hints of tenderness. He calls her dumpling, but not in public. I feel at home they are probably good to each other, but in public she’s not.”
I ask Ben and Tory, as two of the older cast members in the show, what it is like working with so many kids in the show.
“I look up to them because they are more experienced than me,” Ben admits. “It’s really fun watching them know the dances, while I’m still shuffling behind them.”
“There is no hierarchy,” Tory adds. “For me ,it’s not that anybody looks up to anybody. I’m fairly short, so I connect well with younger people, and I haven’t danced in a show before, so I kind of watch them too to learn the steps. ”
One of the most beloved stories in children’s fiction, Lewis Carroll’s characters have maintained their popularity and cult following for more than a century. With this in mind, I pose the question to the cast of Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical: what do they feel has made this story resonate with audiences generation after generation?
“There are so many strange and weird and colourful things in Wonderland,” Tory replies. “When you watch it, you get immersed into a different world.”
“There is a mystery to being in another world,” Waverly adds. “It takes you to a whole different place of what you’re used to, and pulls people away from their reality. I think that’s a big thing with Alice and Wonderland, as well as a lot of other stories as well.”
“It’s the individuality of the characters,” Adam points out. “There is so much in one character, and there are so many unique characters. You can pick your favourite character, but you always have a whole bunch of characters that are so unique because they are so individual.”
VIDEO: “Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical” rehearsal
Our young cast has been hard at work rehearsing for Alice@Wonderland. Less than two weeks until opening night! Tickets are selling fast–get yours now! A great show for the whole family! Tickets available at www.stjamesplayers.ca
But Ben says it’s the familiarity of the show that creates a cross-generation appeal.
“All the adults watching the show know this story from when they were kids,” he says. “Watching this allows them to go back in time and relive being a kid again.”
This show is a new twist on an old favourite and is intended for audiences of all ages, so introduce your own child to the theatre with this imaginative production and support the young performers of St. James Players.
Alice @ Wonderland: The Musical runs from Friday, April 12th to Sunday, April 14th for four performances. The show starts at 7 p.m. on April 12th and 13th, with 2 p.m. matinees on April 13th and 14th. Tickets are $10 for adults and $9 for children, and are available at the door or in advance at stjamesplayers.ca.
Registration is now open for the 11th annual YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, taking place on May 24, 2019 in downtown Peterborough. You can participate as an individual or in a team during the event, which raises funds for YWCA Peterborough Haliburton's Crossroads Shelter. Red high heels are optional; you can walk in any shoes you are comfortable wearing. (Photo courtesy of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton)
Registration is now open for the 2019 YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser, which returns for its 11th year on Friday, May 24th.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton held a launch event on Thursday (April 4) at its Simcoe Street office.
Drew Merrett, representing the walk’s title sponsor Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre, presented awards to Craig Mortlock of Mortlock Construction for being the top individual fundraiser and Tom Mortlock of Team Mortwalk for being the top team fundraiser at last year’s event.
Craig and Tom Mortlock of Mortlock Construction with their awards for top individual and team fundraisers for the 2018 YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, at the April 4, 2019 launch of the 2019 event. (Photo courtesy of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton)
YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes raises funds to support “Safe Nights” at YWCA Crossroads Shelter for women and children fleeing abuse. A Safe Night represents the $64.65 cost of housing and supporting a woman or child at the shelter for one night, including a private room, 24-hour confidential onsite support, nutritious meals, supportive programming, and more. This is the cost beyond funding provided by the government, which only partially funds the shelter.
The 2019 YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event takes place on Friday, May 24, 2019 beginning at Confederation Park (499 George St N, Peterborough), across from Peterborough City Hall. Mandatory check-in is at 11 a.m., with the walk beginning at 12 p.m., when it will proceed down George Street to King Street, and then back up Water Street to Confederation Park.
People of all ages, genders, and abilities are welcome to participate. While the event is known for participants (including men) wearing red high heel shoes, this isn’t necessary to participate in the walk. The red shoes are just a symbol, and participants are encouraged to walk in whatever shoes they feel most comfortable wearing.
Members of Team Merritt at the April 4, 2019 launch of the 2019 YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser. Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre is the title sponsor of the event, which takes place on May 24, 2019. (Photo courtesy of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton)
If you do want to wear red high heels, these are available in men’s and women’s sizes on a first-come first-served basis upon check-in. A minimum pledge of $64.65 (the cost of one Safe Night) is required to participate, which will give you access to the red high heels as well as a t-shirt and lunch on the day of the walk.
Participants who raise over $452.55 (representing one Safe Week at YWCA Crossroads Shelter) will be entered in a draw to win a $500 gift certificate donated by Primal Cuts and a $799 three-piece conversation set donated by Leon’s Peterborough.
To register as a walker, create a team, or join a team, visit walkamilepeterborough.com. You can also download and print pledge forms from the website.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is also seeking volunteers to help out during the May 24th event. For more information, email tmacfarlane@ywcapeterborough.org.
VIDEO: What Safe Nights Mean to Women and their Children
Secondary school student Erika Mistelbacher is enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and is studying carpentry at Fleming College's Kawartha Trade Centre in Peterborough. When she completes her apprenticeship training she hopes to work with her father, who owns a construction and design company. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board)
Any student familiar with the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) would agree there’s an immeasurable value to getting hands-on experience in the skilled trades as early as possible.
Whether a student is just learning about OYAP, currently enrolled in the program, or has recently graduated and is seeking employment, the consensus is that OYAP is a meaningful and positive experience for students.
For example, Erika Mistelbacher is an OYAP student studying carpentry at Fleming College’s Kawartha Trade Centre in Peterborough. She’s had an interest in carpentry and construction since she was young. She knew she wanted to get involved from the moment she first heard about OYAP.
Erika Mistelbacher has been interested in carpentry and construction since she was young and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is giving her valuable hands-on experience in the skilled trade of carpentry. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board)
“My dad owns his own construction and design company,” Mistelbacher explains. “In the summer I worked with him and in Grade 9 I decided ‘I’ll just take a shop class and see how it goes’ — and I loved it. I decided I want to do this. I heard about OYAP, it’s a great program, so I jumped on board.”
For Mistelbacher, the learning environment at Fleming College is a change from secondary school.
“It’s different being here in the college. There are definitely a lot more people, but it’s exciting.”
She notes that her favourite part about the program is “Working with all of the different tools in the lab and seeing all of the different things that I can build” — an experience she wouldn’t have if she hadn’t applied to the program.
Mistelbacher envisions a future where she joins her family business and works with her father.
“When I get all of my levels completed, I’d like to join my dad and work for his company,” she says.
Erika Mistelbacher advises her fellow students considering a career in the skilled trades to apply to the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board)
For any secondary school student considering applying to the program next year, Mistelbacher has some good advice.
“If you’re thinking about it, get in it. If you have the opportunity to try it, go for it. Try it even if you’re not sure, because you won’t know if you don’t. And if it works out that you love it, you’ll be happy and ahead when you graduate.”
Unique placements and a head start in the skilled trades
Thanks to the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, Rocio Lazcano is gaining valuable real-world experience through a work placement at Euphoria Wellness Spa in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: April Potter / kawarthaNOW.com)
For three years, Rocio Lazcano has studied hairdressing at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough. Now in Grade 12, she first found out about OYAP when her mother suggested she apply for the program.
Lazcano took her mother’s advice and made the application, and she’s very happy that she did. She admits that, at first, she didn’t realize how lucky she was to land in the program.
However, now that she has spent time at her placement — Euphoria Wellness Spa in downtown Peterborough — and has met other students in the program, she appreciates how important an opportunity OYAP is for students.
Lazcano hopes to be her own boss one day and operate a home-based salon, knowing that a skilled trade can also open the door to self-employment.
At her placement she has been learning the basics of running a salon, customer service, and, of course, techniques for styling hair.
“At first I was scared to start and worried that I wouldn’t see a lot of my friends,” she recalls. “But I’ve made a lot of new friends and because I’m doing a hands-on thing that I’m interested in, I think I learn a lot more.”
Applied learning and block training at Fleming College
Matt Bowen (right) is a student success consultant and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) co-ordinator for the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board. (Photo: April Potter / kawarthaNOW.com)
Through the OYAP program, students can explore many different skilled trades while working towards their high school diploma.
The program, which first began as a three-year pilot project in 1996, is now funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.
Multiple school boards and levels of government have worked together to create the unique opportunities provided to OYAP students.
Matt Bowen is a student success consultant and the OYAP co-ordinator for the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board (PVNC).
He explains the Fleming College Kawartha Trade Centre is uniquely designed to simulate a real-world job site and provide an authentic trade-school experience.
“The labs here at Fleming — with the combination of the plumbers, electricians, welders, and carpenters all working together in a state-of-the-art facility where they can simulate the workings of the different trades on a particular job site — takes a realistic approach to learning about these careers. Locally, the trade centre is an amazing experience for our PVNC students.”
New to the OYAP program this year is the traditional “block training” style that many apprentices are accustomed to.
“The opportunity for students to experience block-style training is a new pilot this year,” Bowen explains. “Students are now coming for five days a week over eight weeks. The goal is to get more entrenched in the school component and mirror the program of the traditional level one training of an apprentice.
“Our job is to try to promote as many opportunities as we can for students of all backgrounds and different passions. OYAP is one way that we do that. Students have the opportunity to embark upon their passions through the skilled trades, while they’re still in Grade 12.
“It brings a lot of joy to see students coming through the apprenticeship program, able to obtain their level one of their apprenticeship while still in high school. The OYAP pathway sets students apart from their peers in the skilled trades.”
OYAP provides the perfect environment for early access to applied learning. In addition to hands-on experience, students often receive the benefit of working in smaller groups and class sizes.
Secondary students who are interested in attending trade school should contact their Cooperative Education Department to learn more about applying for OYAP.
OYAP gives women a step forward in pursuing a career in the skilled trades
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program gave Samantha De Mattos the opportunity to graduate secondary school with her level one apprenticeship in carpentry, and to accumulate some of the 7,200 hours of working in the trade required to take her Red Seal exam. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board)
Samantha De Mattos, who has now graduated from secondary school, has completed her general carpentry apprenticeship. She is currently working on finishing up the hours required to take her Red Seal exam — a provincial certification that confirms an apprentice has achieved a nationally recognized level of competency in a trade and is licensed to practice the trade in any province or territory of Canada.
To qualify, De Mattos is required to complete 7,200 hours of working in the trade. In essence, this is where OYAP really helps students to get ahead in the skilled trades.
“It typically takes three years of working full-time and a little bit of overtime to get the 7,200 hours done, but it is often a four-year journey for students,” she says.
The additional hours OYAP students build up while in the program count towards the total hours an apprentice is required to have.
“Walking out of high school with my level one in carpentry was a big step forward compared to other people,” De Mattos explains. “I could put it on my resume that I already had my level one and I had just left high school. This also meant that I was at the same level as people in college who had been working a year longer than me.”
De Mattos’s earliest memories of being interested in carpentry comes from helping her father with DIY renovation projects at home.
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program students at Fleming College’s Kawartha Trade Centre in Peterborough are exposed to all levels of project work. The program offers female students the opportunity to explore traditionally male-dominated skilled trades like carpentry. (Photo: April Potter / kawarthaNOW.com)
“I grew up with renovations always going on at home. My dad was a DIY guy and I worked with him when I was little. I’m a middle child. My older sister went into business and my younger sister is getting into nursing. I definitely took a different path than they expected, but they’re always interested in what I’m doing and they really want to understand it.”
As an advocate for women in trades, De Mattos is active on social media in support of women who choose career paths that are not traditionally earmarked for “girls”.
“There are a lot of different streams to go into, so if people don’t like the heavier work there is always smaller more detailed work like trim and cabinet making to try,” she explains. “Women shouldn’t be intimidated or worried about jobs that might be physically challenging.”
De Mattos hasn’t yet decided where she’d like to focus her attention after she passes her exam. She’s been keeping an open mind about her future.
“It’s only been three years and there are so many things I haven’t experienced or been exposed to yet,” she says. “I have lots of interests and there are a lot of things that I’d still like to learn about, I think it kind of all comes with time.”
This story was created in partnership with the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board.
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