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businessNOW – March 18, 2019

Rebecca and Hannah are ready to serve you at '76 Sips, the new beverage bar at the Lansdowne Street location of Joanne's Place Health Foods. The beverage bar opened on March 18, 2019. (Photo: Joanne's Place)

This week’s round-up of regional business news includes the opening of ’76 Sips at Joanne’s Place Health Foods in Peterborough, the nominees for the 2019 Women in Business and Judy Heffernan Awards, the closing of Green Earth stores in Peterborough and Lindsay, the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & The Kawartha eyeing an expansion into Lindsay, Peterborough sending water purification equipment to Brazil, and the extension of the deadline to apply for the ignite100 entrepreneurial competition.

Also featured is new ownership for the Golden Wheel Chinese Restaurant in Peterborough, Electric City Vegans offering a plant-based brunch at Dreams of Beans in downtown Peterborough, the opening of a new indoor playground in Peterborough called Kidz Playland, the appointment of entertainment lawyer and television producer Stephen Stohn as chancellor of Trent University, and the announcement of the nominees for the Port Hope Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards.

New regional events added this week include the Peterborough DBIA’s breakfast network meeting with Mayor Diane Therrien on March 20th, the Innovation Cluster’s launch of the H2O Makerspace on March 21st in Peterborough, and the Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition semi-finalist showcase on March 26th in Peterborough.


New beverage bar ’76 Sips now open at Joanne’s Place Health Foods in Peterborough

'76 Sips at the Lansdowne Street location of Joanne's Place Health Foods in Peterborough, which opened on March 18, 2019, offers healthy smoothies along with organic teas, coffee, and baked goods. (Photo: Joanne's Place)
’76 Sips at the Lansdowne Street location of Joanne’s Place Health Foods in Peterborough, which opened on March 18, 2019, offers healthy smoothies along with organic teas, coffee, and baked goods. (Photo: Joanne’s Place)

’76 Sips, the new beverage bar at Joanne’s Place Health Foods (1260 Lansdowne St., Peterborough) officially opened today (March 18).

The beverage bar, which was created after the recent renovation at the Lansdowne Street store, is named after the year that Joanne’s Place was founded (1976). ’76 Sips offers healthy smoothies, organic teas, coffee, and baked goods from Lily’s Kitchen Co. in Omemee.

’76 Sips is also following eco-friendly and sustainable practices. Cups used for hot beverages are biodegradable, and cups used for cold beverages are recyclable. They use paper straws (reusable straws are available for purchase) and do not over-package any products. To encourage people to bring their own reusable cup or mug, Joanne’s Place is offering 50 JP Rewards when you do so.

76 Sips is open from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Monday to Saturday. For more information, visit www.joannesplace.ca/beveragebar.

 

Nominees announced for 2019 Women in Business and Judy Heffernan Awards

Gwyneth James of Cody & James Chartered Professional Accountants (middle) was named the Business Woman of the Year at the 2016 Peterborough Examiner Women in Business Awards, with Bridget Leslie of My Left Breast (left) and Betty Halman-Plumley of Investors Group (right) as finalists. Now known as the Women in Business Award, the award is being presented in 2019, along with the Judy Heffernan Award, by the Women's Business Network of Peterborough. (Supplied photo)
Gwyneth James of Cody & James Chartered Professional Accountants (middle) was named the Business Woman of the Year at the 2016 Peterborough Examiner Women in Business Awards, with Bridget Leslie of My Left Breast (left) and Betty Halman-Plumley of Investors Group (right) as finalists. Now known as the Women in Business Award, the award is being presented in 2019, along with the Judy Heffernan Award, by the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. (Supplied photo)

The nominees have been announced for the 2019 Women in Business and Judy Heffernan Awards.

The awards will be presented by the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough at a dinner on Tuesday, April 9th at the Personal Touch Banquet Hall (1135 Lansdowne St. W.,).

The nominees for the Women In Business Award are (alphabetically by surname):

  • Sofie Andreou (Sofie Andreou & Associates)
  • Karen Auger (BDO Canada)
  • Rhonda Barnet (Steelworks Design)
  • Marlaine Bennett (Bennett’s Home Furnishings)
  • Leslie Bridget (My Left Breast)
  • Tina Bromley (Tiny Greens Plant Café)
  • Monika Carmichael (Trent Valley Honda)
  • Colleen Carruthers (T-R Group)
  • Darlene Cook (Peterborough Housing Corporation)
  • Vanessa Dinesen (Dinesen Financial)
  • Jennifer Garland (The Mane Intent)
  • Shannon Gray (Sugar Me Right!)
  • Vanessa Oake Hogan (Century 21 United Realty Brokerage)
  • Karen Irvine (A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine)
  • Jenni Johnston (Art School of Peterborough)
  • Teresa Kaszuba (The Morning Show on Global Peterborough/CHEX)
  • Theresa Longo (Theresa Longo Brands.)
  • Jay Lough Hayes (RE/MAX Rough River Realty Ltd.)
  • Ann Marie Maly (Bruce Maly Plumbing and Drain Services)
  • Erin McLean (McLean Berry Farm)
  • Tracey Ormond (That’s a Wrap Catering)
  • Louise Racine (Thirteen Moons)
  • Jennifer Scates (Central Smith Creamery)
  • Leslie Scott (Walton Wood Farm)
  • Catia Skinner (Mega Experience)
  • Martha Sullivan (Sullivan Law Ptbo)
  • Christine Teixeira (Accountability Financial)
  • Shelby Leonard Watt (SOS Save Our Soles)
  • Sheneese Wilkins (Mink Magic Beauty Bar)

The nominees for the Judy Heffernan Award are (alphabetically by surname):

  • Kim Appleton
  • Anne Arnold
  • Rhonda Bernet
  • Colleen Carruthers
  • Diana Carter
  • Susan Dunkley
  • Michelle Ferreri
  • Jennifer Garland
  • Theresa Longo
  • Tracey Ormond
  • Grace Reynolds
  • Peggy Shaughnessy
  • Jeannine Taylor
  • Sheneese Wilkins

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/.

 

Green Earth stores in Peterborough’s Lansdowne Place Mall and Lindsay Square to close

 Green Earth stores at Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough and Lindsay Square in Lindsay are closing.

Green Earth stores at Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough and Lindsay Square in Lindsay are closing.

Canadian retail has taken yet another hit.

Last Wednesday (March 13), Ontario-based Green Earth announced it is going out of business.

The gift retailer has filed for bankruptcy protection, citing reduced mall traffic and growing online competition as the reasons.

Green Earth has 29 locations in Ontario. In the Kawarthas, Green Earth operates stores at Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough and Lindsay Square in Lindsay.

With more than $16 million of inventory, plus fixtures and equipment, liquidation sales are now underway, with discounts of 40 to 80 per cent on all merchandise.

Previous retail operations that have announced closures include Payless Shoesource and Home Outfitters.

 

Innovation Cluster Peterborough & The Kawartha eyes expansion in Lindsay

Innovation Cluster president & CEO Mike Skinner will be making a presentation to City of Kawartha Lakes council on March 19, 2019, which will include information about the impact of the work of the Innovation Cluster in Kawartha Lakes. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
Innovation Cluster president & CEO Mike Skinner will be making a presentation to City of Kawartha Lakes council on March 19, 2019, which will include information about the impact of the work of the Innovation Cluster in Kawartha Lakes. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)

Michael Skinner, president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & The Kawarthas, will be making a presentation to City of Kawartha Lakes council at its meeting on Tuesday (March 19).

Skinner will be providing background on the work of the Innovation Cluster along with its economic impact, jobs created, and startup companies supported. He will also be proposing an expansion of the not-for-profit economic development organization into the City of Kawartha Lakes.

“One of these future aspirations would be to work towards having a physical location in the Lindsay area to support multiple startups in an incubation program,” he writes in his deputation request to council.

“We believe by having a physical space in that area will help us to better reach new and current startups growing out of that space. Having this physical location will increase awareness (awareness to residents as well as bring awareness to that the Innovation Cluster supports entrepreneurs in Kawartha Lakes) and ease commuting for entrepreneurs.”

The idea would be to establish an office in Lindsay, similar to business incubator in Peterborough, out of which clients could work.

 

Peterborough sends water purification equipment to Brazil

Through a collaboration between local Peterborough business Prima IP, the Brazilian Consulate of Toronto and the Brazil Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), and the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas, Peterborough is sending water purification technology to Brazil in response to the January 25th disaster when an iron ore mine's tailings dam burst. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
Through a collaboration between local Peterborough business Prima IP, the Brazilian Consulate of Toronto and the Brazil Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), and the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas, Peterborough is sending water purification technology to Brazil in response to the January 25th disaster when an iron ore mine’s tailings dam burst. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)

Peterborough is sending water purification equipment to a rural area of Brazil that was devastated in January.

After the dam of the Corrego do Feijao iron ore mine in southeastern Brazil burst on January 25th, 182 people were killed with at least 100 others missing. A consequence of the tragedy was also a desperate lack of potable water in surrounding areas.

Through a collaboration between local Peterborough business Prima IP, the Brazilian Consulate of Toronto and the Brazil Canada Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), and the Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas, state-of-art water purification technology and equipment will be sent to the devastated region. The equipment is expected to produce fully drinkable water at a rate of nearly 10,000 litres a day.

After learning of the tragedy, Prima IP founder Marcelo Konig Sarkis contacted the Innovation Cluster and the Brazilian Consulate in Toronto.

“I saw the reports of the dam breach and felt I had to do something,” Sarkis says. “I thought of the water technology focus of the Cluster and reached out to Michael Skinner, the Brazilian Consulate in Toronto and the BCCC.”

“We just wanted to know how we could help in the wake of such a disaster and the Innovation Cluster’s access to water purification technology turned out to be the answer they were looking for,” adds Skinner, noting that the cluster’s water innovation specialist John Gillis was integral in getting the equipment ready for transport and set up in Brazil.

The gravity-fed stand-alone water purification unit, weighing less than 13 kilograms and standing about 1.5 meters tall, has a proven track record in some of the most forbidding places in the world.

 

Deadline to apply for ignite100 entrepreneurial competition extended to March 22

Ignite 100

The deadline to apply for the ignite100 entrepreneurial competition has been extended to 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22nd.

Launched earlier this year by Community Futures Peterborough (CFP), the competition’s grand prize is a repayable loan of $100,000, with no payments in the first year and no interest for the first three years (CFP will pay the interest for the first 36 months).

Eight semi-finalists will be selected by March 30th and will make their pitch to a panel at a live competition on May 2nd. Three finalists will then make a private presentation to the Board of Directors at CFP on June 18th, with the winner announced at the CFP’s annual general meeting on June 27th.

New to the competition is the announcement that the top eight semi-finalists will also have first access to the funds available through the new 2019 Innovation Contribution Program.

For more information and to apply, visit ignite100.ca.

 

Golden Wheel Chinese Restaurant in Peterborough under new ownership

Susan Tung with Tina, one of the new owners of the Golden Wheel Chinese Restaurant in Peterborough. (Photo: Golden Wheel / Facebook)
Susan Tung with Tina, one of the new owners of the Golden Wheel Chinese Restaurant in Peterborough. (Photo: Golden Wheel / Facebook)

Last Tuesday (March 12), Susan Tung announced on Facebook that her family has sold Golden Wheel Chinese Restaurant (6725 Highway 7, Peterborough).

Susan’s parents Mei and Patrick have retired and sold the business a few months ago to a new family. The father of one of the new owners has worked in the restaurant since 2016.

The Tung family originally opened their Chinese restaurant in 1992, and then a few years later purchased the adjacent property, a country bar called the Honky Tonk, to expand the restaurant.

They sold the restaurant in 2013 and then repurchased it again in 2016, when they began to offer line dancing, live music, and more.

Susan says she will continue to be involved with the management of the restaurant, including event bookings and marketing, as the new owners get up to speed.

 

Electric City Vegans offers plant-based brunch at Dreams of Beans in downtown Peterborough

 One of the dishes available from Electric City Vegans at the  weekly Sunday brunch at Dreams of Beans. (Photo: Connor Clarkin)

One of the dishes available from Electric City Vegans at the weekly Sunday brunch at Dreams of Beans. (Photo: Connor Clarkin)

Electric City Vegans, operated by Chef Connor Clarkin and his wife Tash, is now offering a plant-based brunch at Dreams of Beans Cafe (138 Hunter St. W., Peterborough).

The brunch menu is available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, and features vegan versions of scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, waffles, a breakfast sandwich, and more.

For more information, visit Electric City Vegans on Facebook or Instagram.

 

New indoor playground Kidz Playland hosts its grand opening on March 21 in Peterborough

 Kidz Playland in Peterborough features slides, obstacles, trampolines, ball pits, ball machines, and an interactive smart board. (Photo: Kidz Playland)

Kidz Playland in Peterborough features slides, obstacles, trampolines, ball pits, ball machines, and an interactive smart board. (Photo: Kidz Playland)

Kidz Playland, a new indoor playground for children, is hosting its grand opening at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 21st.

Located at 660 The Kingsway, the business is co-owned by Ayub and Makkieha Tabibi and their daughter Farzana Seddiqi and son-in-law Ali Seddiqi.

Kidz Playland offers a 5,000 square-foot play area featuring slides, obstacles, trampolines, ball pits, ball machines, and an interactive smart board.

A single day pass for children (toddlers and older) is $10.99+HST from Monday to Thursday, and $11.99+HST from Friday to Sunday and on holidays. Infants are free when accompanied by a paid sibling ($4.99+HST otherwise). Admission is free for up to two adults per group ($5+HST for additional adults).

The first 30 children during the grand opening will receive a free one-hour admission pass and goody bags. The grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. with city councillor Lesley Parnell and Meagan LaPlante, executive director of YES Shelter for Youth and Families, to which Kids Playland will be donated 50 per cent of ticket sales during the grand opening.

Kids Playland is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit www.kidzplayland.ca

 

Entertainment lawyer and television producer Stephen Stohn appointed chancellor of Trent University

Trent University alumnus Stephen Stohn will be the 12th chancellor of Trent University. (Supplied photo)
Trent University alumnus Stephen Stohn will be the 12th chancellor of Trent University. (Supplied photo)

Stephen Stohn, best known as the executive producer of the teen drama series Degrassi, will be the 12th chancellor of Trent University.

The American-born 70-year-old entertainment lawyer, award-winning producer, songwriter and author is a Trent alumnus. He began attending Trent in 1966, when he helped found Trent’s student newspaper Arthur as well as Trent Radio. He graduated from Trent in 1969 with a B.A. in philosophy and economics.

Stohn is only the second alumnus to hold the position of chancellor in the institution’s 55-year history.

He is a long-time supporter of the university, including gifting $1 million for the new student centre. In 2015, he served as alumni-in-residence, participating and mentoring Trent students in workshops and seminars. The same year, he was awarded an honorary degree from Trent.

Currently the president of Skystone Media Inc. and its related companies, Stohn has been the executive producer of numerous television series including Degrassi, Instant Star, Open Heart, and The L.A. Complex. In addition, Stohn served for nearly 20 years as executive producer and then chair of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences who organize the Juno Awards, Canada’s music awards show.

As an attorney, he has represented some of Canada’s most talented and successful artists, and has been an active lobbyist for the reform of Canada’s copyright laws.

In 2011, Stohn was inducted into the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame, nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, and won a Peabody Award.

Stohn will be installed as chancellor at convocation ceremonies to be held on Friday, June 7, 2019.

 

Port Hope Chamber announces nominees for 2018 Business Excellence Awards

The Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce has announced the nominees for its 22nd annual Business Excellence Awards.

The awards will be announced on Saturday, April 27th at the Dalewood Golf Course in Cobourg.

Here is the complete list of nominees by category:

Customer First

  • 93.3 My FM & 107.9 Classic Rock
  • Coffee Public
  • Elliot Insurance
  • Lauria Hyundai
  • Lauria Volkswagen
  • Northumberland Tirecraft
  • Port Hope Health Centre
  • Primitive Designs
  • Queenies Bake Shop
  • Wellington Suites

Next Big Thing – Innovation/New Business

  • Frosted Flour
  • Olympus Burger
  • The Ecig Flavourium
  • The Men’s Room
  • The Schnitzel Shack
  • Toe Beans Cat Cafe

People’s Choice

  • Avery Dental
  • Primitive Designs
  • Snapd Northumberland West
  • The Ecig Flavourium
  • Thirsty Goose

Small Business

  • Frosted Flour
  • James Sculthorpe Ltd.
  • R. Brooking Tree Service
  • Simplify Solutions
  • The Schnitzel Shack
  • Thrill of the Find

Hospitality & Tourism

  • Dreamer’s Cafe
  • Haute Goat
  • lnuite FineArt
  • Olympus Burger
  • Primitive Designs
  • Summerhill Manor

Young Professional

  • Elise Hermen
  • George Kallonakis
  • John O’Keefe
  • John Racine
  • Stephen Henderson

Not for Profit / Service Club

  • Air Cadet League of Canada – 718 Yukon
  • Capitol Theatre
  • Ganaraska Regional Conservation Authority
  • Navy League of Canada Northumberland
  • Northumberland Community Counselling Centre

Manufacturing & Skilled Trades

  • Henderson Construction
  • Arcadis Canada Inc.
  • Esco
  • Trade Tech Industries
  • Ganaraska Grain

 

City of Kawartha Lakes Age Friendly Steering Committee hosting information sessions on age-friendly business in Lindsay on March 18

The Age Friendly Steering Committee of the City of Kawartha Lakes is hosting an information session on age-friendly business from 6 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 18th at Between the Bread Eatery and Market (17 William St. S., Lindsay).

The session is free and open to all business owners and staff who are interested in learning how to make their business more age friendly. There will be a light breakfast during the presentation, and take-away resources will be available.

To register in advance, visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/age-friendly-business-learning-event-tickets-56455976345. On-site registration will take place 15 minutes before the start time at each event.

 

Peterborough DBIA breakfast network meeting with Mayor Diane Therrien on March 20

Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien. (Photo: NV Media Productions for kawarthaNOW.com)
Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien. (Photo: NV Media Productions for kawarthaNOW.com)

The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA)’s next breakfast network meeting takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20th at Empress Gardens (131 Charlotte St., Peterborough).

Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien will be the guest speaker.

Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. with the guest speaker at 8 a.m.

Tickets are $5 at the door, and the meeting is open to everyone.

 

Kawartha Chamber hosts Business Owners Sharing Solutions (B.O.S.S.) in Bridgenorth on March 20

BOSS March 20 2019

The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is hosting its first Business Owners Sharing Solutions (B.O.S.S.) of 2019 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20th at Bridgenorth Community Hall (836 Charles St. Bridgenorth).

The topic will be “Generating Sales with Social Media & Online Marketing” and will feature panellists Heather Watson of acorn30, Matt Stimpson of We Design Group, and Mallory Graham of Rosey’s Trading Post.

The session will be moderated by Madeleine Hurrell, Economic Development Officer at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre.

The cost is $15+HST for Chamber members, or $25+HST for non-members. Register at business.kawarthachamber.ca/events/register/10157.

 

Peterborough Chamber hosts seminar on building a leadership team on March 20 in Peterborough

The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next Lunch Box Learning session takes place from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20th in the chamber’s boardroom (175 George St. N., Peterborough).

Dennis Geelen of Lindsay-based business consulting firm Zero In will present on the topic “Building a Cohesive Leadership Team”.

Lunch Box Learning is free to attend for Chamber members and members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. Bring your own lunch.

 

Innovation Cluster launches H2O Makerspace on March 21 in Peterborough

H2O Makerspace launch

In celebration of World Water Day, the Innovation Cluster will be launching its “H2O Makerspace: Powered by Franklin Empire Inc.” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 21st at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).

Geographer, entrepreneur, and storyteller Jennifer Pate will deliver a keynote presentation sharing her stories and discussing how pollution is affecting our bodies of water. Pate’s research has explored experiences of ‘environmental subjects’ in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, film as an emancipatory pedagogy for environmental education, and geographies of health &and biological identity.

The event begins with Pate’s keynote, following at 11 a.m. by the launch of H2O Makerspace and at 11:30 a.m. with a trade show featuring various clean tech companies throughout the region and tutorials of clean tech equipment. Coffee and baked goods will be served.

The event is free to attend, but registration is requested at www.eventbrite.com/e/innovation-clusters-h2o-makerspace-powered-by-franklin-empire-inc-launch-tickets-58587061478.

 

Nomination deadline for Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards is March 22

Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce 2019  Business Excellence Awards

The nomination deadline for the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Business Excellence Awards is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22nd.

Nominations are being accepted in the following nine 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.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on April 27th in Hastings. For rules and regulations and an online nomination form, visit trenthillschamber.ca/business-awards/.

 

Application deadline for April trade show for heritage tradespeople and contractors in Peterborough is March 22

The application deadline to apply for the the second annual trade show for heritage tradespeople and contractors in Peterborough has been extended to Friday, March 22nd.

The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee is hosting the trade show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th at St. James United Church (221 Romaine St., Peterborough). The goal of the trade show is to connect contractors and tradespeople with experience working on heritage buildings with owners of heritage properties in the City of Peterborough.

Tradespeople with relevant experience are encouraged to fill out an application form online at www.peterborough.ca or at the Heritage Preservation Office at 210 Wolfe Street.

A space at the event will cost $15. Tradespeople must be able to demonstrate that they have experience working with heritage buildings and that their work complies with the standards and guidelines for the conservation of historic places in Canada.

Submit completed forms by email to heritage@peterborough.ca or return paper copies to the Heritage Preservation Office.

 

Peterborough Chamber hosts annual general meeting on March 26 in Peterborough

The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 130th annual general meeting from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26th at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough)

Guest speakers include Ashley Challinor, vice-president of policy with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and Trevin Stratton, chief economist with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber members will be asked to approve the chamber’s audited financial statements and the actions of the chamber’s board for 2018.

The cost for the event, which includes lunch, is $30+HST for members and $40+HST for non-members. For mroe information and to register by March 19th, visit www.peterboroughchamber.ca.

 

Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition hosts semi-finalist showcase on March 26 in Peterborough

Bears' Lair showcase

The Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition is hosting its semi-finalist showcase from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26 at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough).

Bears’ Lair is an annual competition for up-and-coming entrepreneurs in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Six finalists in two categories (Goods and Services and Innovation) will be selected to pitch their business to a panel of judges and the local community for a chance to win a cash prize.

The competition’s semi-finalists will showcase their businesses in hopes of competing in the top six at the final pitch event on April 30th.

Register for the free event at www.eventbrite.ca/e/bears-lair-semi-finalist-showcase-tickets-58268112493.

 

Kawartha Chamber hosts Business After Hours in Peterborough on March 26

Business After Hours March 26 2019

The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is hosting its first Business After Hours of 2019 from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26th at The Canadian Canoe Museum (910 Monaghan Rd, Peterborough).

The evening features networking, learning about some of the non-profit organizations in the area, and exploring The Canadian Canoe Museum. Non-profits with small displays at the event will include Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield, Camp Kawartha, Community Care, Cuddles for Cancer, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, Indian River Reptile Zoo, Peterborough Humane Society, and the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation.

To register for the free event, visit a href=”http://business.kawarthachamber.ca/events/register/10128″ rel=”noopener” title=”Business After Hours Registration – kawarthachamber.ca” target=”_blank”>business.kawarthachamber.ca/events/register/10128.

 

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts inaugural Business & Entrepreneurship Conference in Peterborough on March 28

Business &amp, Entrepreneurship Conference in Peterborough

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is bringing together business owners from across Peterborough & the Kawarthas for the inaugural Business & Entrepreneurship Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28th at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club (1030 Armour Rd., Peterborough).

This is a must-attend event for entrepreneurs looking to learn from industry thought leaders, network with like-minded professionals to develop partnerships and collaboration, and grow and improve their business. Keynote speakers are Nikki Pett on the topic “Relationship Marketing” and Darrell Keezer on the topic “Digital Disruption”, with special guest speaker George Anastasopoulos.

There will be an afternoon panel on customer service in the digital age features local business people include Katie Dempsey of Blind Ambition, Bob Gauvreau of Gauvreau & Associates, Mike Watt of Providence/S.O.S./Flavour Fashion, Scott Murison of Wild Rock, and Nicole Truman of Fox Law.

The conference registration also includes the opportunity to participate in the “Headshot Photo Booth”, where business owners can get a professional photo taken.

Tickets are $55+HST ($40+HST for members of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce) and include breakfast and lunch.

For the complete program and to register, visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/2019-business-entrepreneurship-conference-tickets-54945307895.

This event is being presented with the support of Kawarthas Northumberland, Canada Business Ontario, and the Peterborough Region Angel Network.

 

Northumberland Chamber hosts 2018 Business Achievement Awards in Cobourg on March 29

The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Business Achievement Awards from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 29th at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn and Convention Centre (930 Burnham St., Cobourg).

The annual awards recognize excellence and honour high achievers in the local business community.

Tickets for the gala, which includes a multi-course dinner, are $90+HST. Purchase tickets by March 25th by phone at 905-372-5831 or online at nccofc.ca/events/register/1364

 

Peterborough Emergency Management and Safety Forum on April 4 and 5

Peterborough Emergency Management and Safety Forum

The Peterborough Emergency Management and Safety Forum is taking place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th at Stonehouse Hall (2195 Lansdowne St. Peterborough).

This two-day event is an opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field of emergency management and safety planning and execution. The forum will cover incident management and mitigation, emergency planning and responses, public safety, business continuity planning, interoperability in times of crisis or serious event, and coordinated collaborative response.

There will be guest speakers from Orlando, Florida speaking on lessons learned from the Pulse Night Club shooting, Peterborough Police Chief Scott Gilbert speaking on the 2018 Toronto van incident, Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the O.P.P. speaking on communications and the media in a crisis, Tom McKay (President of the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners), and an expert panel on cyber security.

Early bird tickets are $75 until Friday, February 15th and $100 thereafter. For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/peterborough-emergency-management-and-safety-forum-2019-tickets-53587643083.

 

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism hosts second annual Rural Tourism Symposium on April 11 in Keene

 Rural Tourism Symposium

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 of $125, which includes a continental breakfast and a market-style lunch. For more information and to register, visit ruraltourism.biz.

 

For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.

Peterborough Symphony Orchestra returns to Showplace on April 6 with ‘Oh, to be in England!’

The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra presents "Oh, to be in England!" at Showplace Performance Centre on April 6, 2019, with works by Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. British-Canadian violinist and PSO concertmaster Phoebe Tsang will feature as soloist in Vaughan Williams' poignant 'The Lark Ascending'. (Photo: Sullivan Hismans)

“Oh, to be in England / Now that April’s there”
– Home-Thoughts, From Abroad by Robert Browning

On Saturday, April 6th, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents “Oh, to be in England!” at Showplace Performance Centre, performing works by Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams and featuring violinist and PSO concertmaster Phoebe Tsang and soprano and local star Melody Thomas. The concert is sponsored by Scotiabank.

Tickets are available now for the PSO's "Oh, to be in England!" on April 6, 2019 at Showplace. Ticket holders can find out more about the program at the pre-concert Meet the Maestro chat starting at 6:40 p.m.
Tickets are available now for the PSO’s “Oh, to be in England!” on April 6, 2019 at Showplace. Ticket holders can find out more about the program at the pre-concert Meet the Maestro chat starting at 6:40 p.m.

Experience the traditions of Elizabethan court through Britten’s “Gloriana” Suite. Then walk the land back to early 20th-century England guided by the heartrending sounds of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending featuring PSO Concertmaster Phoebe Tsang, and his Symphony No. 3 “Pastoral” featuring soprano Melody Thomas.

Based on Lytton Strachey’s 1928 book Elizabeth and Essex: A Tragic History, the opera Gloriana depicts the tempestuous relationship between “Gloriana” — the name given by the 16th-century poet Edmund Spenser to his character representing Queen Elizabeth I in his poem “The Faerie Queene” — and the charming and ambitious Earl of Essex, who was finally ordered executed by the queen for treason.

Evoking the rhythms and harmonies of court and dance music of the late 1500s and early 1600s, the “Gloriana” Suite is brisk and exhilarating, evocative, melodic, and fully dramatic in its final Gloriana Moritura.

It is “brilliantly theatrical music,” says PSO Music Director and Conductor Michael Newnham.

English composer Benjamin Britten (pictured in 1968) wrote his brisk and theatrical "Gloriana" Suite in 1953, but was inspired by court and dance music of the 1500s and 1600s. (Photo: Hans Wild)
English composer Benjamin Britten (pictured in 1968) wrote his brisk and theatrical “Gloriana” Suite in 1953, but was inspired by court and dance music of the 1500s and 1600s. (Photo: Hans Wild)

Complementing the theatrical flavour of the Suite are two beautifully reflective works by Vaughan Williams. Inspired by George Meredith’s 122-line poem of the same name, Maestro Newnham describes Vaughan Williams’ poignant The Lark Ascending as “a lyrical poem in music for violin (the lark) and orchestra (the human observer).

“It is where two beings which share our world, but are fundamentally different from one another, very briefly share a moment of dialogue, but then continue on their different paths. Written on the eve of war in 1914, the music seems to encapsulate rural England, on the verge of disappearing forever, as like the lark into the cloudless sky.”

“I am very excited to have PSO Concertmaster Phoebe Tsang as our soloist for this timeless work,” he adds.

The 2018/19 concert season is British-Canadian violinist Phoebe Tsang's second season as Concertmaster of the PSO. (Photo: Claudia Hung)
The 2018/19 concert season is British-Canadian violinist Phoebe Tsang’s second season as Concertmaster of the PSO. (Photo: Claudia Hung)

Phoebe Tsang is a British-Canadian violinist, poet, author, composer and librettist whose artistic practice focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration, and improvisation as a vehicle for composition and performance.

Her libretti have been commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Sinfonietta, Talisker Players, and Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.

This is Phoebe’s second season as Concertmaster with the PSO.

In The Lark Ascending, a symphonic poem (or tone poem), Vaughan Williams takes the extra step of supplementing the title’s image of a bird ascending skyward by writing on the flyleaf of the score excerpts from the Meredith poem.

When asked about the kind of considerations given to the excerpts when performing the piece, Phoebe states: “The beauty and lyricism of the music resonates so wonderfully with the poetry. It’s impossible not to be inspired by the relationship between words and music here. One need look no further than the music itself to appreciate its meaning — in the words of the composer himself: ‘Of course music has a meaning, but I think that can only be expressed in terms of music.'”

English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (pictured in 1917) was inspired to write his "Pastoral" Symphony after his service in World War I. His "The Lark Ascending" was written just prior to the war. (Photo: RVW Society)
English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (pictured in 1917) was inspired to write his “Pastoral” Symphony after his service in World War I. His “The Lark Ascending” was written just prior to the war. (Photo: RVW Society)

After his service in World War I, Vaughan Williams composed his “Pastoral” Symphony, which Maestro Newnham describes as one of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century.

“I am very happy and honoured to be given the chance to present this work with the PSO,” he says.

While titled “Pastoral,” this piece reinterprets the bucolic ideal. Williams himself described it as thus: “It’s really wartime music — a great deal of it incubated when I used to go up night after night in the ambulance wagon at Ecoivres and we went up a steep hill and there was wonderful Corot-like landscape in the sunset. It’s not really lambkins frisking at all, as most people take for granted.”

This is clearly referenced in the long trumpet cadenza in the second movement, inspired by the sound of a bugler who played in that evening landscape.

“This music was composed in memory to the many victims and casualties of war,” Maestro Newnham says. “It is an eloquent and profound ode to peace.”

Soprano Melody Thomas joins the PSO for this work in a small but very significant role: singing a wordless vocal that frames the final movement.

Melody has an Honours Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto and an Opera Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University. She currently teaches voice lessons at Lakefield College School. Having sung numerous times with the PSO she is excited to be back and singing in this piece.

Local soprano Melody Thomas returns to the PSO to perform the stunning wordless vocal in the April 6 performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams's "Pastoral" Symphony. (Photo courtesy of Melody Thomas)
Local soprano Melody Thomas returns to the PSO to perform the stunning wordless vocal in the April 6 performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Pastoral” Symphony. (Photo courtesy of Melody Thomas)

“My opera debut was singing Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea,” says Melody, “and here I am getting the opportunity to learn more beautiful Vaughan Williams!”

Concert ticket holders are invited to attend “Meet the Maestro,” a popular ‘behind-the-music’ pre-concert talk with Maestro Newnham at 6:40 p.m. in the Showplace theatre.

Concert tickets for “Oh, to be in England!” are $49, $39, or $20 for adults, and $10 for students. Tickets are available at the Showplace box office (290 George St. N, Peterborough), by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at showplace.org.

VIDEO: “The Lark Ascending” – violinist Janine Jansen with the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Nominees for 2019 Women In Business and Judy Heffernan Awards announced live on Facebook

Members of the organizing committee (Sofie Andreou, Amy Simpson, Tracey Ormond) for the 2019 Women In Business and Judy Heffernan Awards announced the 44 nominees on Facebook Live on March 16, 2019. Andreou, Simpson, and Ormond will be the hosts for the awards ceremony on April 9, 2019.

The nominees have been announced for the 2019 Women In Business Award and Judy Heffernan Award, presented by the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough.

Organizing committee members Sofie Andreou, Tracey Ormond, and Amy Simpson shared the list of nominees on Facebook Live on Saturday afternoon (March 16), shortly after nominations closed.

Thirty women have been nominated for the Women In Business Award, which will recognize a woman who demonstrates business leadership that has led to job creation, innovation, and increased business acumen. It will also recognize the recipient’s impact on the community at large, including fundraising, volunteering, and other contributions.

Fourteen women have been nominated for the Judy Heffernan Award, which will recognize a female entrepreneur, mentor, or student who embodies the late Judy Heffernan’s legacy of humbly helping others succeed. Heffernan was a well-respected leader of the local business community who passed away in 2013 at the age of 61 after a brief battle with cancer. She was widely known as a tireless promoter of the entrepreneurial dreams and passions of women both young and old.

A list of all the nominees for both awards is provided below.

The awards will be presented at a dinner on Tuesday, April 9th at the Personal Touch Banquet Hall (1135 Lansdowne St. W.,), formerly known as the Parkway Place Banquet Hall. Andreou and Ormond (who have both also been nominated for the Women in Business Award) will be the evening’s hosts, along with Amy Simpson.

Tickets are now available for the awards dinner, which which will include a keynote speech by Rhonda Barnet, the Chief Operating Officer of Steelworks Design, an engineering and custom automation firm she co-founded with her husband Don Barnet. She is also a past Chair of the National Board of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, the first female chair in that organization’s history.

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/.

 

Women In Business Award nominees (alphabetical by surname)

  • Sofie Andreou (Sofie Andreou & Associates)
  • Karen Auger (BDO Canada)
  • Rhonda Barnet (Steelworks Design)
  • Marlaine Bennett (Bennett’s Home Furnishings)
  • Leslie Bridget (My Left Breast)
  • Tina Bromley (Tiny Greens Plant Café)
  • Monika Carmichael (Trent Valley Honda)
  • Colleen Carruthers (T-R Group)
  • Darlene Cook (Peterborough Housing Corporation)
  • Vanessa Dinesen (Dinesen Financial)
  • Jennifer Garland (The Mane Intent)
  • Shannon Gray (Sugar Me Right!)
  • Vanessa Oake Hogan (Century 21 United Realty Brokerage)
  • Karen Irvine (A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine)
  • Jenni Johnston (Art School of Peterborough)
  • Teresa Kaszuba (The Morning Show on Global Peterborough/CHEX)
  • Theresa Longo (Theresa Longo Brands.)
  • Jay Lough Hayes (RE/MAX Rough River Realty Ltd.)
  • Ann Marie Maly (Bruce Maly Plumbing and Drain Services)
  • Erin McLean (McLean Berry Farm)
  • Tracey Ormond (That’s a Wrap Catering)
  • Louise Racine (Thirteen Moons)
  • Jennifer Scates (Central Smith Creamery)
  • Leslie Scott (Walton Wood Farm)
  • Catia Skinner (Mega Experience)
  • Martha Sullivan (Sullivan Law Ptbo)
  • Christine Teixeira (Accountability Financial)
  • Shelby Leonard Watt (SOS Save Our Soles)
  • Sheneese Wilkins (Mink Magic Beauty Bar)

Judy Heffernan Award nominees (alphabetical by surname)

  • Kim Appleton
  • Anne Arnold
  • Rhonda Barnet
  • Colleen Carruthers
  • Diana Carter
  • Susan Dunkley
  • Michelle Ferreri
  • Jennifer Garland
  • Theresa Longo
  • Tracey Ormond
  • Grace Reynolds
  • Peggy Shaughnessy
  • Jeannine Taylor
  • Sheneese Wilkins

 

Past Award Recipients

Women In Business Award

  • 2018 – No award*
  • 2017 – No award*
  • 2016 – Gwyneth James, Cody & James Chartered Professional Accountants
  • 2015 – Amy Simpson, MicroAge
  • 2014 – Kerri Davies, Canadian Mental Health Association HKPR
  • 2013 – Kyla Gutsche, Cosmetic Transformations
  • 2012 – Sally Harding, Nightingale Nursing
  • 2011 – Sheridan Graham, The County of Peterborough
  • 2010 – Jean Grant, The Toy Shop
  • 2009 – Kathy Windrem, BDO Canada
  • 2008 – Mary LaRocque, Marlin Travel
  • 2007 – Tina Johnston, Fandango Spa
  • 2006 – Kim Paget, Paget Dental
  • 2005 – Jeannine Taylor, Kawartha Now
  • 2004 – Helen Hamilton, Costume King
  • 2003 – Gail Courneyea, Angels of Flight

Judy Heffernan Award

  • 2018 – No award*
  • 2017 – No award*
  • 2016 – Louise Racine
  • 2015 – Sofie Andreou

*Both the Women in Business Award (previously known as the Business Woman of the Year Award) and the Judy Heffernan Award (previously known as the Judy Heffernan Memorial Award) were organized by the Peterborough Examiner until 2016. The Women’s Business Network of Peterborough assumed responsibility for both awards in 2019.

Country music star Lisa Brokop brings her Legendary Ladies of Country show to Showplace on April 1

0ne of the most nominated and award-winning female vocalists in Canadian country music history, Lisa Brokop will be performing her Legendary Ladies of Country show on April 1, 2019 at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, joined by Canadian country music artists Patricia Conroy and Amanda Wilkinson. (Photo: Erick Anderson)

For all the success she has achieved as a country music recording artist, Lisa Brokop remains fully cognizant of the fact that she owes much to those women who blazed a trail long before her.

In conversation with the Surrey, BC native, Brokop frequently refers to country music legends such as Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, and Patsy Cline with clear reverence. In particular, Brokop speaks to “the stories” that country music, via its early luminaries, shared with the masses.

“I’m drawn to that just like everyone else … that’s what brought me to country music to begin with,” says Brokop.

“They didn’t have the technology we have now. It was just plain and simple. You had to be good, and you had to have heart and soul. And they did.”

On Monday, April 1st at Showplace Performance Centre, Brokop’s admiration for country music’s early pioneers will be clearly evident as she brings her Legendary Ladies of Country show to Peterborough, joined by fellow country music artists Amanda Wilkinson and Patricia Conroy.

Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. performance cost $35 at the box office, available by calling 705-742-7469 or online at www.showplace.org.

“I can’t wait,” says Brokop from Nashville, her home for more than 25 years now.

“I’ve done the show before but I’ve never done it with the two gals (Wilkinson and Conroy). We’re pretty excited about it. We all love traditional classic country music and we love all those legendary ladies. We’re going to be singing some of our favourites and will tell some stories and have some laughs. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

VIDEO: “Sweet Dreams” by Don Gibson performed by Lisa Brokop

In paying tribute to country music’s early crooners — she has also toured a show titled The Patsy Cline Project — Brokop is relying on country music fans’ loyalty to the genre, which she says is clearly evident. Combined with the nostalgia factor, a show such as this is a no-brainer.

“It’s fun to do my own songs but I love watching the audience and hearing their reaction to the classic songs,” says Brokop.

“Sometimes you’ll see someone look over to the person beside them and you know they’re remembering a moment. Maybe they danced to it or it was a special time or whatever. It really brings a neat energy to the room and takes people back.”

“With country music, I think it’s the simplicity of it; the raw realness of the music, the lyrical content. People are like ‘Oh, I was at so-and-so’s house that night I heard that song’ or ‘I was going through a break-up’…those kinds of things that really make people connect. Or maybe it’s the tone of the voice, like Tammy Wynette’s voice. That tone she had that was so deep and raw and real. You could just tell that she lived what she was singing about.”

VIDEO: “Walkin’ after Midnight” by Alan Block and Donn Hecht performed by Lisa Brokop

For the Peterborough show, Brokop will also sing a selection of her own hit songs — an impressive catalogue in the making since 1990 when, at age 17, she recorded her Canadian top 10 debut single “Daddy, Sing To Me”.

What followed were eight studio albums, more than a dozen top 40 radio hits, and certified gold record sales. As one would expect with such a pedigree, critical acclaim brought her numerous industry accolades and nominations while high-charting subsequent singles — including such as “Give Me A Ring Sometime”, “How Do I Let Go?”, “What’s Not To Love”, “Better Off Broken”, and “Something Undeniable” — cemented her position as one of Canada’s top country music exports.

“I’ve heard a lot of artists say they didn’t choose the music, it chose them,” says Brokop, whose earliest stage experience saw her perform as a child alongside her accordion-playing mother.

“I loved singing from the time I was just a tiny little kid, like while I was in the bathtub. I wouldn’t sing for anybody when I was really young, but my mom would put a recorder outside the bathroom door and record me. I just loved it. That was my happy place … on my swing set, swinging and singing. That was my thing.

“I was about seven and I sang O Canada! for a group of people at a campsite. I was scared to death. I wasn’t going to do it and someone talked me into it. I did it and then my voice cracked at the very end. I was devastated. I started to cry but then the people applauded.

“I think from that moment I was like ‘It’s okay .. you can make a little mistake.’ It could have gone either way but they loved it. That was sort of my open door. Then I found out Nashville is the place where country music singers went and from then on it was like ‘That’s where I’m going to go.’ I was going to be a singer. I was driven.”

VIDEO: “How Do I Let Go” – Lisa Brokop

Not hurting matters was her musical emergence in the early to mid 1990s — a time when female country singers again dominated the radio charts and album sales tracking lists, their huge popularity buoyed by near-constant video play. Brokop says she was “lucky enough” to be part of that renaissance.

“I had success on radio at an early age. Back when I first started recording, there wasn’t a lot of Canadian content on the radio so they were kind of desperate. They had to play a certain amount. That helped boost some of my spins. I also had great support from my parents.

“A lot of blessings came to me and I’m grateful I can still go out and play. Sometimes people are lucky to get a few years and that’s it. I’m still able to do it, which is a good thing because I don’t really have any other education. This is it. I’m a singer and musician.”

VIDEO: “Break It” – Lisa Brokop

At age 45, it’s now all about balance for Brokop.

“I love performing. I love songwriting. I love being at home with my daughter. I don’t want to be on the road 365 days a year. My daughter needs me to be here to pick her up from school and those kinds of regular things. And then having time to write songs. The older you get you start to realize what you want in life and what you don’t need. You prioritize things a little bit differently.”

Brokop notes the current state of country music is shifting.

“We’ve had several years of a lot of guys out there doing the real country thing. In some ways, that’s been really great but it seems that people want to go back a little more of the classic-sounding music. I think people are missing the realness of that.

“People want to feel things. We need real stuff. We have beating hearts that need to be filled. They want to laugh; they want to cry. I think people long for something deeper and honest. Life is hard. Everybody is going through something. Music is a great thing for that.”

Brokop acknowledges that her being comfortable paying tribute to the music of others is a sign of her evolution as a singer.

“It could be maturity … let’s go with that,” she laughs.

“When I was first starting out, I wanted to do my own music and try to find my place but I think, with time, I’ve felt it’s okay to honour others that came first and were part of the reason why I got into the music business and were so influential to me.”

VIDEO: “November Trees” – Lisa Brokop

Hoping to issue a country Christmas classics album later this year, and perhaps put together a Christmas tour, Brokop is clearly in a very good place — a place she remains humble to occupy.

“Sometimes, right before I go on stage and it’s a sold-out show, I just stand there and think ‘Is this for me?’ I just feel like regular little old Lisa Brokop. It’s a kind of a pinch-me moment. I hope I always feel that. Some people view me as a superstar. I’m not. I’m just a regular person. I love to sing. I’ve been given some gifts and I like to use them.”

“Things are different for me now. I’m not looking to have the number one slot on the radio. I’m just doing what I do, which is really fun.”

Meanwhile, for any aspiring singers Brokop offers advice culled from personal experience.

“Know who you are and know what you stand for and what you believe in,” she says.

“The world will get in there and take over and all of a sudden you’ll be doing all these things you didn’t realize you said ‘Yes’ to and things can get out of control very fast. I think, in a lot of ways, the universe works it out for you. I’m a big believer in prayer and lifting it up and I think, with faith, that really does guide things.”

 

Amanda Wilkinson and Patricia Conroy

By Bruce Head

For her Legendary Ladies of Country show, Brokop will be sharing the stage with country musicians Amanda Wilkinson and Patricia Conroy.

Amanda Wilkinson. (Publicity photo)
Amanda Wilkinson. (Publicity photo)

Amanda Wilkinson was born in Belleville in 1982 and raised in Trenton. After her father Steve lost his job at a nuclear power plant, he decided to pursue his passion for music and formed The Wilkinsons with daughter Amanda and her brother Tyler. The family moved to Nashville and released their first album, Nothing But Love, on Giant Records in 1998.

It reached No. 16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts and the first single, “26 Cents”, was certified gold in both the United States and Canada. In 2007, The Wilkinsons won Independent Group of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards. In all, The Wilkinsons received nine Canadian Country Music Awards, one Juno Award, and two Grammy nominations before disbanding in 2009.

VIDEO: “Livin On The Outside” – Small Town Pistols with Amanda Wilkinson

In 2004, Amanda began performing on her own, and released her self-titled debut in 2005, leading to nominations for Single of the Year, CMT Video of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards in 2006. After The Wilkinsons disbanded, she and her brother Tyler formed a new country group called Small Town Pistols in 2012, releasing a self-titled album in 2013 that was nominated for a Juno Award in 2014.

Patricia Conroy. (Publicity photo)
Patricia Conroy. (Publicity photo)

Patricia Conroy was born in Montreal in 1964 and raised in a strong musical environment, influenced by her mother’s Maritime country background and her father’s Irish roots. Surrounded by Celtic and country music, she began piano and voice lessons and performed in the family band.

Influenced by the sounds of Emmylou Harris, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Jackson Browne, she moved to Vancouver in British Columbia where her band won $10,000 contest in the late 1980s, which allowed her to record demos of some of her original material.

This led to a record deal with Warner Music Canada. Her debut album, Blue Angel, was released in 1990, with two singles, “This Time” and “Take Me With You”, both reaching the top 10 in Canada.

Between 1992 and 2007, Conroy released four more studio records, earning her seven Canadian Country Music Awards and nine British Columbia Country Music Awards. As well as performing, Conroy has been focused on songwriting, with her songs recorded by many Canadian artists including The Rankin Family, Jimmy Rankin, Michelle Wright, Emerson Drive, Small Town Pistols, Tebey, Chad Brownlee, as well as American artists such as Steel Magnolia and Reba McEntire.

VIDEO: “Ain’t Nobody Like You” – Patricia Conroy

‘Cabaret’ transforms Peterborough’s Market Hall into 1931 Berlin

Dani McDonald as Salli Bowles, Conner Clarkin as the Emcee, and Daze Francis as Cliff Bradshaw in a promotional photo for the Anne Shirley Theatre Company production of the classic musical "Cabaret", which runs from March 15 to 23, 2019 at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)

On Friday, March 15th, the Anne Shirley Theatre Company (ASTC) transforms Peterborough’s Market Hall into 1931 Berlin with the classic Broadway musical favourite Cabaret.

Directed by Liam Parker and featuring a cast of Trent University students and ASTC alumni, Cabaret presents all the lavish sensuality of German nightlife with all of its charisma, sexuality, and romance, paired with the bleakness of the rise of the Nazi regime in all its horror.

A bold choice for ASTC, Cabaret proves to be a good one, and the student theatre company brings all they have to the stage, creating one of their best musicals in years.

One of the best-loved musicals in the history of theatre, Cabaret found its roots in a 1939 novel called Goodbye to Berlin by English author Christopher Ishwood, which was adapted into a stage show in 1951 titled I am a Camera by playwright John Van Druten.

Based on this unlikely source material for a Broadway musical, Cabaret was created by the team of Joe Maskeroff, Fred Ebb, and John Kander.

Opening at New York’s Broadhurst Theater in November 1966, Cabaret pushed every social and ethical boundary to its limit, but become an instant hit with both audiences and critics, making a sweep that year at the Tony Awards winning a total of eight awards, including Best Musical. The original Broadway run would continue until September 1969 for more than 1,100 performances.

Cabaret would reach an even wider audience in 1972 when director Bob Fosse brought the show to the big screen (although in an altered state) starring Liza Minnelli. Like the stage show before it, Cabaret became the big winner that year at the Oscars, winning seven Academy Awards but losing Best Picture award to The Godfather (still today, Cabaret holds the record for having the most Oscars for a film that did not also win Best Picture).

"Cabaret" runs for six performances from March 15th to 23rd at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)
“Cabaret” runs for six performances from March 15th to 23rd at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)

Although it is beloved by many of my friends and colleagues, I have never seen Cabaret and, until now, had no idea of the plot or premise of the show. I don’t know how this show escaped my cultural radar, but sometimes we just see everything at our own pace.

Thus, as a total Cabaret virgin, I was able to watch the ASTC production with new eyes, and without comparing it to any other previous version. The result had me falling into the drama and tragedy of 1931 Berlin for the very first time, and falling in love with the mirth and music of this powerful stage show.

Cabaret welcomes the audience to the legendary Kit Kat Klub, where the German girls are sexy and the German boys are too hot to handle. You are greeted by charismatic Emcee (Connor Clarkin), who welcomes you to Berlin and acts as your guide through the sights, sounds, and sex the German nights have to offer.

At the centre of the drama is Cliff Bradshaw (Daze Francis), a failed American novelist who comes to Berlin on December 31st, 1930 to find inspiration in the crumbling city. Befriending personable Berliner Ernst Ludwig (Eddy Sweeney) on the train, Cliff rents a room from landlady Fraulein Schnieder (Caitlin Currie) and finds himself at the Kit Kat Klub on New Year’s Eve, where he encounters spunky British performer Salli Bowles (Dani McDonald).

However, before he can sober up and unpack, Cliff’s world turns upside down with Salli suddenly moves in with him and the pair begin an unlikely romance.

While the plot revolves around Cliff and Salli, a more powerful emotional story emerges in the subplot featuring Schnieder and her suitor Herr Schultz (Mark Hiscox). As the two fall into a sweet courtship, their romance is torn apart by the changing political landscape, where the emergence of the Nazis threatens to crush everything, from unlikely lovers to the gaiety of the Berlin cabaret.

Daze Francis as Cliff Bradshaw and Dani McDonald as Salli Bowles in in a promotional photo for the Anne Shirley Theatre Company production of "Cabaret". (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)
Daze Francis as Cliff Bradshaw and Dani McDonald as Salli Bowles in in a promotional photo for the Anne Shirley Theatre Company production of “Cabaret”. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)

The ASTC production of Cabaret is well cast, with Daze bringing a meek sensitivity to Cliff and Dani giving a spritely performance as Salli. The pair gives strong performances, becoming the audience’s anchor for the deeper political backdrop of the show.

But it is Caitlin and Mark who really pull the dramatic punches as middle-aged couple Schnieder and Schultz. Their romance begins so awkwardly beautiful with the gift of a pineapple, and Schneider’s loneliness paired with Schultz’s gentlemanly mannerisms bring a sweetness to the story. But it is a sweetness that is doomed, ushering in the bleak reality of 1930s Germany. Caitlin and Mark are such strong character actors, and they steal the show within every dramatic scene and musical number they perform.

As compelling as the story is, Cabaret is all about the Kit Kat Klub and the seedy romanticism of 1930s Berlin. ASTC’s production team creates a provocative spectacle of appropriate sexual deviance and, no matter how far they push the envelope, they always seem to keep to the spirit of the show. The girls are beautiful, the boys are cool, and everything goes at the cabaret. The big chorus numbers such as “Wilkommen”, “Don’t Tell Mama”, and “Money” are among the performance highlights.

Conner Clarkin (shown here in a promotional photo) is both charming and charismatic and delightful to watch as the androgynous Emcee. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)
Conner Clarkin (shown here in a promotional photo) is both charming and charismatic and delightful to watch as the androgynous Emcee. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)

The true shining star of Cabaret is the Emcee performed by Connor Clarkin. Despite knowing nearly nothing about Cabaret going into the show, even I knew about the reputation and the importance of the Emcee and Connor pulls off this complicated role.

Played with a perfect androgynous flare, Connor is both charming and charismatic and delightful to watch. However, when the cabaret is over, he is also able to deliver deep and powerful emotional punches, and during his final moments of his performance I could feel a tear streaming down by face. I’ve seen Connor in a number of shows now, but his performance as the Emcee is the performance of a lifetime.

Further applause goes to Eddy Sweeney as Ernst Ludwig, as well as the beautiful Khora Tatyana as Cliff and Salli’s neighbor Fraulein Kost. Both give charming and funny performances in the first act, which get more sinister as the show goes on.

I also want to give a big shout out to singer Mary Grace Murphy who gives the most outstanding musical performances of the night when she performs on stage with Justin Hiscox’s great orchestra. A fantastic musical performer, Mary Grace adds another layer of musical excellence to this fantastic performance.

The cast of Anne Shirley Theatre Company production's of "Cabaret". (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)
The cast of Anne Shirley Theatre Company production’s of “Cabaret”. (Photo: Ash Naylor Photography)

As a show that is so beloved by audiences, Cabaret was a daunting show for ATSC to take on, especially since it will be compared to every previous version. I can say, as someone who has never Cabaret before, that ASTC’s production of Cabaret has sent me on my own journey to discover this haunting and beautiful musical in all its forms.

I was delighted by the Kit Kat performers, drawn in by the romance, challenged by the politics, and deeply moved by the ending. If nothing else, ASTC’s production has made a Cabaret fan out of me. Cabaret is truly the best musical that ASTC has put on for a number of years. If you love musicals, enjoy local theatre, or just love Cabaret, please come out and support this show.

I want to congratulate the ASTC for having their best season in the time that I have been covering their shows for kawarthaNOW. I have truly enjoyed the ASTC season this year and look forward to seeing what you bring to the table in 2020. I want to see more shows that are as enjoyable and engaging as Cabaret and The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Whatever they did this year, they really got it right.

Cabaret runs for six performances — March 15th and 16th and March 22nd and 23 at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on March 15th and 23th — at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. Tickets are $25 for cabaret seating, $20 for adults, and $15 for students, seniors, arts workers, and the underwaged. Advance tickets also available at the ASTC office at Trent University.

Body of man found near Highway 35 south of Lindsay

The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service in Lindsay. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)

The body of a man was found at 9:10 a.m. on Friday morning (March 15) in the area of Stoney Creek Road near Highway 35 in the former Ops Township in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service believe it is the body of a missing 58-year-old man. Police began a missing person investigation at 11 p.m. on Thursday night (March 14).

Police are continuing the investigation, although they do not suspect foul play.

Police are asking any members of the public with information about this incident is asked to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252.

Note: This incident is not related to an earlier missing person report for 57-year-old Robert Welch, who was located safe and sound yesterday.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

nightlifeNOW – March 14 to 20

There's no shortage of live music to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Sunday, March 17th, including Peterborough's own modern Celtic quartet Hunt The Hare (Kane Miller, Jonathan Berlingeri, Frank Callaghan, and Brendan Quigley), who are performing a free show at the Canoe & Paddle in Lakefield on Sunday night. (Publicity photo)

Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, March 14 to Wednesday, March 20.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

ARIA

331 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 743-0333

Saturday, March 16

10pm - St. Pratice Day ft DJ Scuffs ($5, tickets at http://clubaria.ca/)

Arlington Pub

32990 Highway 62, Maynooth
(613) 338-2080

Friday, March 15

8:30pm - Open mic hosted by Carrie Cooper and Albert Saxby

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 23
9pm - Mayhemingways

Saturday, April 13
8pm - Russell deCarle ($25 in advance in Maynooth at the Maynooth General Store and at Sunrun Café and in Bancroft at Harvest Moon Whole Foods and Guitar Nuts Music Shop, $20 at door)

Arthur's Pub

930 Burnham St., Cobourg
(905) 372-2105

Thursday, March 14

8pm - Karaoke w/ The Travelling Wilburs

Friday, March 15

9pm - The Fiddleheads

Saturday, March 16

11am - Tom & Ric; 8:30pm - Madman's Window

Monday, March 18

7-9pm - Local talent

Tuesday, March 19

7:30pm - Beatles Tribute w/ Don Owen & Bruce Longman

Wednesday, March 20

8pm - Open mic

Coming Soon

Thursday, March 21
8pm - Karaoke w/ The Travelling Wilburs

Friday, March 22
9pm - Two For The Show

Saturday, March 23
9pm - Bruce Longman

Sunday, March 24
4:30-8pm - Celtic Music ft Busker Brothers

Bancroft Eatery and Brew Pub

4 Bridge St., Bancroft
(613) 332-3450

Friday, March 15

9pm - Riley Towns and David Byrski

Black Horse Pub

452 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 742-0633

Thursday, March 14

7:30-11:30pm - Jazz and Blues ft Rob Phillips Trio w/ Marsala Lukianchuk

Friday, March 15

5-8pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - Blue Hazel

Saturday, March 16

5-8pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - BackBeat

Sunday, March 17

12-4pm - Washboard O'Hank & The Shenanigans; 4:30-7:30pm - Terry Finn & 4 Front; 8:30pm - Pop Machine

Monday, March 18

7pm - Rick & Gailie's Crash & Burn

Tuesday, March 19

7pm - Randy Hill Band w/ Nathan Miller

Wednesday, March 20

7-9pm - Nicholas Campbell & Friends; 9-11pm - Ace & The Kid

Coming Soon

Thursday, March 21
7:30-11:30pm - Jazz and Blues ft Rob Phillips Trio w/ Marsala Lukianchuk

Friday, March 22
5-8pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - MJ & The Beetus

Saturday, March 23
5-8pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - 4 Lanes Wide

Sunday, March 24
3-6pm - Washboard O'Hank & The Shenanigans; 6:30pm-9:30pm - Joe Bulger

Boiling Over's Coffee Vault

148 Kent St. W., Lindsay
(705) 878-8884

Friday, March 15

7-9pm - Open mic hosted by Gerald Van Halteren

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
7-9pm - Jitensha

Friday, March 29
7-9pm - Keith Kirkpatrick

Canoe & Paddle

18 Bridge St., Lakefield
(705) 651-1111

Sunday, March 17

7-10pm - Hunt The Hare (no cover)

VIDEO: Hunt The Hare

The Cat & The Fiddle Cobourg

38 Covert St., Cobourg
(905) 377-9029

Friday, March 15

7-11pm - St.. Practice Day with Bruce Longman

Sunday, March 17

3-6pm - Matt Marcuz; 7pm- Madman’s Window

The Ceilie (Trent University student pub)

1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough
(705) 748-1011

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
8-10pm - Extremely Amateur Comedy Open Mic

Champs Sports Bar

203 Simcoe St., Peterborough
(705) 742-3431

Thursdays

7pm - Open mic

Chemong Lodge

764 Hunter St., Bridgenorth
(705) 292-8435

Thursdays

5-9pm - Pianist Barry McMullen (dining room)

Fridays

5-9pm - Pianist Barry McMullen (dining room)

Wednesdays

5-9pm - Pianist Barry McMullen (dining room)

The Church-key Pub & Grindhouse

26 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 653-0001

Thursday, March 14

8pm - Open mic

Saturday, March 16

9pm - Josh and Amanda Gordon

Wednesday, March 20

8pm - Whiskey Wednesday w/ Ken Tizzard

CJ's Tap & Grill

1 Strathy Rd., Cobourg
(905) 372-9784

Sunday, March 17

Shaun Savoy

Coach & Horses Pub

16 York St. S., Lindsay
(705) 328-0006

Thursdays

10pm - Open Mic w/ Gerald Vanhalteren

Fridays

9:30pm - Karaoke Night w/ DJ. Ross

Wednesdays

7-11pm - Live music

The Cow & Sow Eatery

38 Colborne St., Fenelon Falls
(705) 887-5111

Saturday, March 16

9pm - U Jimmy

Dominion Hotel

113 Main St., Minden
(705) 286-6954

Coming Soon

Friday, May 3
8pm - Valdy w/ Doris Mason ($30, in advance at www.eventbrite.ca/e/valdy-in-concert-with-doris-mason-tickets-56596015205)

Saturday, May 11
8pm - Canadian Blues Legend Series ft Chris Antonik Band ($30, in advance at www.eventbrite.ca/e/chris-antonik-band-canadian-blues-legend-series-tickets-57945124427)

Dr. J's BBQ & Brews

282 Aylmer St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5717

Saturday, March 16

1:30-5pm - PMBA Deluxe Blues Jam hosted by Washboard Hank & The Wringers (donations accepted for Peterborough Musicians Benevolent Association)

Sunday, March 17

12-3pm - High and Lonesome; 6-8pm - Present Tense

Coming Soon

Saturday, May 11
Doc Yates w/ Greg Williams & Kansas Stone

Dreams of Beans

138 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 742-2406

Thursday, March 14

8pm - Open mic hosted by Jacques Graveline

Friday, March 15

9:30pm - Rap Club 8 ft garbageface, Mickey O'Brien, The Mighty Rhino, Ultra Magnus ($8)

Coming Soon

Friday, March 29
9:30-11pm - Graham Show (no cover)

Frank's Pasta and Grill

426 King St. E., Cobourg
(905) 372-2727

Friday, March 15

9pm-12am - Karaoke; 12am - DJ

Saturday, March 16

8pm - Dayz Gone Bad; 11:30pm - DJ

Wednesday, March 20

8-11pm - Open Mic

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 23
8pm - High Waters Band; 11:30pm - DJ

Ganaraska Hotel

30 Ontario St., Port Hope
(905) 885-9254

Friday, March 15

8pm - Ontario Street Theatre presents Fridays at The Ganny: Celtic Kitchen Party ($20)

Saturday, March 16

2pm & 10pm - Blueprint

Wednesday, March 20

8-11pm - Open Mic Night w/ Clayton Yates & Rob Foreman

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
8pm - Ontario Street Theatre presents Let's Rock N Roll! ft. Dimestore Playboys w/ Marsala Luckianchuk & Clayton Yates ($20)

Saturday, March 23
2pm & 10pm - TBA

The Garnet

231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 874-0107

Thursday, March 14

Soda Pop Gladstone & The Boogie Man; The Honky Tonk Zeroes w/ Dirty Pat Walsh

Friday, March 15

5-7pm - Forselli Friday w/ Pat Walsh; 9pm - Nick Procyshyn & The Bad Milk w/ Oberge

Saturday, March 16

9:30pm - The Discarded w/ Bow Tie Killers

Sunday, March 17

CANCELLED - 8pm - Digawolf ($10 at door)

Monday, March 18

8pm - Wax Mannequin w/ Kim Barlow ($10)

Tuesday, March 19

8pm - The Three Martinis ft Rob Phillips, Dan Fewings, and Josh Fewings ($10 at door)

Coming Soon

Thursday, March 21
7-9pm - Chiaroscuro Reading Series presents Kate Heartfield, Derek Junksken, Matt Moore (donation accepted); 9pm - Harea Band w/ Maple Grove ($10)

Sunday, March 24
2pm - Corin Raymond

Golden Wheel Restaurant

6725 Highway 7, Peterborough
(705) 749-6838

Wednesday, March 20

6:30-8:30pm - Line Dancing w/ Marlene Maskell ($7)

Coming Soon

Saturday, April 13
7pm - Dinner and dance patry ft Rye Street ($20 includes dinner, $5 music only at 8pm)

Gordon Best Theatre

216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 876-8884

Saturday, March 16

8pm - The Red Finks "A Young Person's Guide To Science" album release (PWYC)

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 23
7:30pm - Borderless Spring ft. Pantayo, SHIRAZI, The Watched Pots ($10); 11pm - Dj Federico & HOLA after party

Hot Belly Mama's

378 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 745-3544

Thursday, March 14

8pm - The Quickshifters w/ w/ Kyler Tapscott and Burke Carroll (no cover)

Junction Nightclub

253 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 743-0550

Friday, March 15

10pm - Y2K Flashback w/ DJ Bill Porter (no cover)

Sunday, March 17

9pm - St. Patrick’s Day Mega Party w/ DJ Bill Porter (no cover)

Kawartha Coffee Co.

58 Bolton St., Bobcaygeon
(705) 738-1500

Sunday, March 17

7pm - St. Patrick's Day karaoke w/ Kelly Burrows

McGillicafey's Pub & Eatery

13 Bridge St.. N., Hastings
(705) 696-3600

Friday, March 15

8pm - Zambo Rock

Sunday, March 17

8pm - Gunslingers

Mckecks Tap & Grill

207 Highland St., Haliburton
(705) 457-3443

Coming Soon

Friday, March 29
6pm - Sheri Hawkins and The Rockin Eighty Eights (no cover)

McThirsty's Pint

166 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 743-2220

Thursdays

9pm - Live music hosted by Tony Silvestri and Greg Caven

Fridays

10pm - Live music with Brian Haddlesey

Saturdays

10pm - Live music with Brian Haddlesey

Sundays

8pm - Open stage hosted by Ryan Van Loon

Mondays

9:30pm - Trivia Night hosted by Cam Green

Wednesdays

9pm - Live music hosted by Kevin Foster

The Mill Restaurant and Pub

990 Ontario St., Cobourg
(905) 377-8177

Thursday, March 14

7pm - Greg Hannah Band

Sunday, March 17

3-5pm and 7-9pm - St. Patrick’s Day Party ft. The Spirits (no cover)

Murphy's Lockside Pub & Patio

3 May St., Fenelon Falls
(705) 887-1100

Sunday, March 17

4-8pm - Snowbank McGuinty (no cover)

Oasis Bar & Grill

31 King St. E., Cobourg
(905) 372-6634

Sundays

5:30pm - PHLO

Pappas Billiards

407 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 742-9010

Thursday, March 14

7-10pm - Open Mic

Friday, March 15

9pm - Jacques Graveline

Saturday, March 16

1-3pm - Shipwrecked Saturdays w/ Jacques Graveline

Pastry Peddler

17 King St., Millbrook
(705) 932-7333

Friday, March 15

5:30pm & 7:45pm - Irish Beer Dinner ft celtic music by Cooper & Wight ($50, or $65 with beer pairing)

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 30
7pm - Rick Fines w/ Matthew MacCleod ($25)

Pattie House Smokin' Barbecue

6675 Highway 35, Coboconk
(705) 454-8100

Saturday, March 16

6:30pm - Fiddler Jay

Publican House Brewery

300 Charlotte St., Peterborough
(705) 874-5743

Friday, March 15

8-10pm - Ace and the Kid

Saturday, March 16

8-10pm - House Brand

Sunday, March 17

3-6pm - Cale Crowe

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
8-10pm - Ace and the Kid

Saturday, March 23
8-10pm - Cale Crowe

Puck' N Pint Sports Pub

871 Chemong Rd., Peterborough
(705) 741-1078

Saturday, March 16

9pm - High Waters Band

Sunday, March 17

3-6pm - Chris Culgin

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 30
9pm - The Acoustically Hip (Craig McEarchern, Rod MacDonald, Dave Clarke)

Red Dog Tavern

189 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 741-6400

Friday, March 15

9pm - Sun Valley album release party w/ Hillary Dumoulin and Lance Isaacs ($10 at door)

Saturday, March 16

9pm - Colt Harley

Tuesday, March 19

9pm - Open mic hosted by Davey Mac

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
8pm - Jeremy Spencley

Saturday, March 23
9pm - Rainbow Romp ft DJ Mike Lee ($5 at door, all proceeds to Rainbow Service Organization)

Friday, March 29
10pm - The Sadies ($15, in advance at www.ticketscene.ca/events/23470/)

Saturday, April 6
Amanda Robb

Friday, April 19
10pm - Tokyo Police Club w/ special guests TBA ($25, in advance at www.ticketscene.ca/events/22684/)

Riley's

257 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 750-1445

Thursdays

Travis Berlinbach

Fridays

Travis Berlinbach

Saturdays

Josh Gontier

Sundays

Josh Gontier

Mondays

Josh Gontier

Tuesdays

Josh Gontier & Cale Gontier

Wednesdays

Guest performers

Sapphire Room

137 Hunter St., Peterborough
(705) 749-0409

Coming Soon

Wednesday, March 27
8-11pm - Peterborough Poetry Slam presents March Slam ft Mona Mousa ($5-10 or PWYC)

Serendipitous Old Stuff Lounge

161 Old Hastings Rd., Warkworth
(705) 924-3333

Saturday, March 16

5-9pm - Lauryn Macfarlane (reservations recommended)

Simcoe Ptbo

172 Simcoe St., Peterborough
705-874-3825

Saturday, March 16

8:30pm - The Anti-Queens ($10)

Coming Soon

Wednesday, March 27
8pm - Jesse Stewart w/ Johnny No Cash & The Celtic Outlaws, Wayne Kennedy ($10)

Friday, April 5
8pm - Heart Attack Kids w/ No Big Deal ($10)

The Social

295 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 874-6724

Friday, March 15

9-11pm - Alessia Cole

Saturday, March 16

9-11pm - Rye Street

Sunday, March 17

3-11pm - St Patrick's Day ft Ace & The Kid (3-5pm), Paper Shakers (7-8:15pm), MJ & The Beetus (8:30-9:30pm), Austin Carson Band (9:45-11pm), no cover

Wednesday, March 20

10pm - Drew Phillips

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
9-11pm - Punch Douglas

Saturday, March 23
9-11pm - The Spirits

Southside Pizzeria

25 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough
(705) 748-6120

Friday, March 15

8:30pm - Kill No Albatross w/ Titan Arum, Maitreya ($10 at door)

Coming Soon

Friday, March 29
9pm - Punks On Pizza: Cowapunka Duuude ft Heir To The Throne, The Watched Pots, Basement Dweller, The Space Wizards, Critical Hit, Dream Sculptor ($5)

Sticks Sports Pub

500 George St. S., Peterborough
(705) 775-7845

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 23
7-10pm - Maxwell Williams (no cover)

The Thirsty Goose

63 Walton St., Port Hope

Thursday, March 14

7pm - Sean Pinchin

Friday, March 15

8pm - Steve O'Donoghue

Saturday, March 16

8pm - Travis Eugene

Sunday, March 17

Kevin Foster and Busker Brothers

The Trend

110 London St., Peterborough
(705) 750-1265

Thursday, March 14

7-10pm - Trent Music Society presents Open Mic Night

Turtle John's Pub & Restaurant

64 John St., Port Hope
(905) 885-7200

Saturday, March 16

9pm - Free Comedy Show hosted by Melo and ft. Al Val w/ Mike Payne, James McVicar, Dave Getachew, Jeremy Lawrence

Coming Soon

Saturday, March 23
10pm - Daniel Greer

The Twisted Wheel

379 Water St., Peterborough

Thursday, March 14

7-10pm - Twisted Wheel's Backroom Bazaar hosted by Washboard Hank w/ special guest Magoo

Friday, March 15

7-10pm - Selina Martin Trio w/ Allena Hand ($15 in advance, $20 at the door)

Coming Soon

Friday, March 22
10pm - Enchanters (no cover)

The Venue

286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008

Coming Soon

Tuesday, April 16
7pm - The Tea Party ($45, available at www.ticketmaster.com)

Sunday, May 18
7pm - The Beaches ($25+fees, available Mar 1 at https://www1.ticketmaster.ca/the-beaches-peterborough-ontario-05-18-2019/event/10005659DDEE3F62)

Take a journey through the dark world of British playwright Howard Brenton

Mark McGilvray, Ange Sorenen, and Derek Bell in "Gum and Goo" by British playwright Howard Brenton and directed by Shannon McKenzie; the three actors also perform in Brenton's "Heads", directed by Lindy Finlan. Both plays are presented as a double bill at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough from March 14 to 16, 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

This weekend come to the Theatre on King (TTOK) in downtown Peterborough to take a journey through the dark world of British playwright Howard Brenton, as directors Shannon McKenzie and Lindy Finlan present two of his short plays, Gum and Goo and Heads.

Featuring the talents of Ange Sorensen, Mark McGilvray, and Derek Bell, both Gum and Goo and Heads are filled with dark humour, dynamic visuals, and compelling character studies within creepy little stories that will twist your emotions and rattle your nerves. This is horror-induced theatre done with a touch of whimsy, but filled with disturbing performances that leave the audience speechless.

Gum and Goo and Heads are two of five short plays written by Howard Brenton packaged under the title “Plays for the Poor Theatre”, intended for small theatrical companies as they have with minimal production and cast requirements but still contain complex themes.

Both making their stage debut on the London stage in 1969, the two plays are different from one another in tone, although both are essentially stories revealing the evil within the human condition. While Heads is a black comedy about one woman’s search for the perfect man, Gum and Goo is a psychodrama dealing with innocence, evil, and the darkness of the soul.

In "Gum and Goo", Ange Sorenen plays Mary, an autistic girl who retreats into her own mind during moments of distress where she confers with Gum (Derek Bell) and Goo (Mark McGilvray), the gremlins that live in the darkness in her head. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
In “Gum and Goo”, Ange Sorenen plays Mary, an autistic girl who retreats into her own mind during moments of distress where she confers with Gum (Derek Bell) and Goo (Mark McGilvray), the gremlins that live in the darkness in her head. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

Shannon McKenzie directs Gum and Goo, in which Ange Sorensen plays Mary, an autistic girl who retreats into her own mind during moments of distress where she confers with Gum (Derek Bell) and Goo (Mark McGilvray), the gremlins that live in the darkness in her head. Although on the outside Mary seems victimized and helpless, within her mind a terrifying figure emerges who combines childlike innocence with unbridled evil.

Through a series of interactions between Mary and people she encounters, including playground bullies, a dirty old man, her suffering parents, and a police officer (all performed by Derek and Mark), a new type of horror emerges as the audience hopes that Mary doesn’t really know what she is talking about, although they know that she probably does.

What is interesting about Gum and Goo is that the play opens with Derek and Mark as the schoolyard bullies, identified as being 11 and 12 years old, who seem to have an unknowing sense of evil within their childish dialogue. However, their sense of cruelty is just a soft set-up to the secrets that lie in Mary’s mind, and the ideas that her gremlins attempt to bring to the surface.

Ange Sorenen as Mary and Derek Bell as the dirty old man in  "Gum and Goo". (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Ange Sorenen as Mary and Derek Bell as the dirty old man in “Gum and Goo”. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

Ange Sorensen’s performance as Mary is pure brilliance. She is a child who is simple yet complex, and can seem so helpless and unknowing yet terrifying and dangerous. There are these moments where she seems to completely let go of all of her human inhibitions, and gives herself over to the madness of the character — especially during extreme emotional moments where she allows herself to cry and flail her body around the stage wildly.

She also delivers her lines in a childlike “sing-song” delivery, but finishes with this impish grin and glowing eyes, penetrating the audience’s collective heart with pure terror. Ange’s performance as Mary is one of the rawest and most engaging performances I’ve seen on any stage in a long while, and could be capable of creating nightmares for the people who witness this powerful performance.

Gum and Goo also includes some haunting lighting design, created by Shannon McKenzie, which includes the cast illuminating themselves with flashlights. Timed just right, these simple effects create a chilling visual image that will stay burnt into the memories of audience members.

Mark McGilvray and Derek Bell as schoolyard bullies with Ange Sorenen in "Gum and Goo". (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Mark McGilvray and Derek Bell as schoolyard bullies with Ange Sorenen in “Gum and Goo”. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

Just how powerful is Gum and Goo? Well, during the dress rehearsal’s intermission, a small group of TTOK regulars was stunned speechless at the performance they had just been witnessed. For a theatre where just about anything can happen (and it usually does), that says a lot to the effectiveness of Gum and Goo. It really is something special.

Thankfully, Gum and Goo is paired with Heads, directed by Lindy Finlan, which is essentially a clever comedy but with its own twisted moments of darkness. This time Ange plays Megan, a woman in love with two men: Rock, played by Mark, who is a bodybuilder with few brains; and Brian, played by Derek, who is an intellectual with no confidence.

While Megan claims to love both men, it becomes clear she loves Rock only for his body, and Brian only for his mind, but is repulsed by what each man doesn’t have. To find true romance, Megan has to take some extreme measures to get the man that she really wants.

In "Heads", Ange Sorenen is Megan, a woman who loves Rock (Mark McGilvray) for his body and Brian (Derek Bell) for his intellect. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
In “Heads”, Ange Sorenen is Megan, a woman who loves Rock (Mark McGilvray) for his body and Brian (Derek Bell) for his intellect. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

While Gum and Goo is truly Ange’s show, in Heads Mark and Derek get their moments to shine, giving incredible comedic performances as Rock and Brian. While Rock worships his own body, Brian gets off on his own intellect. By playing with voice, posturing and body language, not to mention some clever costuming, Derek and Mark create these characters to be charming and lovable despite their obvious flaws.

But what becomes far more interesting than their relationship with Megan is the relationship eventually created between the two men. As TTOK’s Kate Story rightfully pointed out at the end of the performance, the tenderest moments of the entire night belong to the two male characters during the show’s final moments.

Mark McGilvray as Rock and Ange Sorenen as Megan in "Heads". (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Mark McGilvray as Rock and Ange Sorenen as Megan in “Heads”. (Photo: Andy Carroll)

While Derek and Mark take the spotlight in Heads, once again Ange gives a dynamic performance as Megan. Vain and conniving, Megan is an effective foil in how she uses both her body and her mind simultaneously to get what she wants.

Megan is dangerous to Brian and Rock because she has both of the men’s dominant traits, using her gifts to her own advantage. She really doesn’t want Brian and Rock for what they are; essentially, she’s looking for a man who is more like herself. Ange plays sexy evil genius very well.

While all three charcters are essentially one-dimensional stereotypes, if performed well they eventually break out of their tropes and reveal unexpected sides to themselves. The cast of Heads manage to do this beautifully, creating endearing characters that all become audience favourites.

Although Shannon McKenzie and Lindy Finlan are well known within the Peterborou8gh theatrical community for their many various contributions over the years, Gum and Goo and Heads are their directorial debuts. However, their years in theatre have already made them seasoned pros, and that’s reflected in the quality of these two short plays. Together Shannon and Lindy have created one of the most dynamic, smart and haunting nights of theatre that I’ve experienced in a while.

With a trio of extremely talented performers, this double bill of Howard Brenton plays is a perfect night of theatre you shouldn’t miss. These are shows that people will be talking about for months to come, and are sure to enter the canon of TTOK classics.

Gum and Goo and Heads open on Thursday, March 14th and run until Saturday, March 16th at The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough). Tickets are $15 or pay what you can, and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Tips for flood-proofing your home this spring

On July 15, 2004, a small but spectacular storm dumped more than 150 mm of rain in parts of the City of Peterborough in less than an hour. The city's sewer system couldn't cope with the huge volume of water, leading to back-ups and basement flooding. Around 12,500 tons of materials were placed in the landfill in the two weeks following the flood. (Photo: City of Peterborough)

Over the last couple of weeks, the sun has given us small glimpses of spring ahead. As the accumulated snow begins to melt, we know spring showers are usually to follow.

When we think of flooding, we often associate it with overland flooding, which is when water in a river or stream exceeds the capacity of its banks, crosses land, and ends up in nearby basements. If you live along a stream, river, or lake, you are likely quite familiar with how to minimize the risks of overland flooding during a spring thaw.

My grandfather lived on Western Avenue in the south end of the City of Peterborough. He worked hard to prepare for many things: he insisted that every item be secured in place on our camping trips, he installed deer prevention whistles to his vehicle, he took great care to prevent infestations in his backyard gardens, but on Western Avenue, he never worried about preparing for flooding.

In 2004, my grandfather — like many other Peterborough residents — learned first-hand about the impacts of urban flooding on areas that seemed far from any stream, river, or lake (and thus, that were previously less prone to overland flooding).

Some of the damage caused by the 2004 flood in Peterborough. (Photo: City of Peterborough)
Some of the damage caused by the 2004 flood in Peterborough. (Photo: City of Peterborough)

Urban flooding occurs when it rains more than our current systems can handle, leaving rain nowhere else to go but into our homes, businesses, and other built forms. Current climate change predictions warn that more unpredictable weather patterns are likely to worsen, including experiencing large volumes of rain in shorter periods of time.

Unfortunately, these kinds of rain events create the optimal conditions for urban flooding.

If you are like my grandfather and are not thinking about flooding, there is still time to prepare. There are many things you can do to prepare for, and minimize the impacts associated with, urban flooding. Many entities, including GreenUP, are working with neighbourhoods, residents, and professionals to shift how we plan for and manage rain.

More than 100 mm of rain fell in Peterborough in the first week of May 2017, resulting in Little Lake rising above the retaining walls and flooding the parking lot at Ashburnham Lock 20 at Beavermead Park in Peterborough. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
More than 100 mm of rain fell in Peterborough in the first week of May 2017, resulting in Little Lake rising above the retaining walls and flooding the parking lot at Ashburnham Lock 20 at Beavermead Park in Peterborough. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)

Fleming College, in collaboration with Seneca College and the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation (Intact Centre), has launched the ground-breaking Home Flood Risk Assessment Training (HFRAT) Course. It provides practical training for industry specialists who can then help homeowners address the growing threat of basement flooding.

Some of the HFRAT recommendations include ways to protect your home from the inside by installing and cleaning your backwater valve, regularly testing your sump pump, installing and testing a flood alarm, and maintaining your plumbing. Outside, you can keep your eavestroughs clean, your storm drains clear, and ensure your grading is moving water at least two metres away from your foundation.

GreenUP continues to share practical information, host workshops, and promote the installation of rain barrels and rain gardens. Another environmental organization, Green Communities Canada, recommends keeping three things in mind when thinking about water on your property: slow it down, soak it up, and keep it clean.

GreenUP helped to install this boulevard rain garden in The Avenues neighbourhood in Peterborough. It features a curb cut, allowing rainwater to flow away from the foundation, sidewalk, and driveway to prevent seasonal flooding that can cause damage to the nearby properties and homes. (Photo: GreenUP)
GreenUP helped to install this boulevard rain garden in The Avenues neighbourhood in Peterborough. It features a curb cut, allowing rainwater to flow away from the foundation, sidewalk, and driveway to prevent seasonal flooding that can cause damage to the nearby properties and homes. (Photo: GreenUP)

A great place to start is to take a walk around the outside of your home, especially while it’s raining, to investigate how rain is moving or pooling on your property. Think about extending your downspouts so they go further away from your home, or better yet, install a rain barrel to help slow the water down.

Want to do even more? Soak that rain up by redirecting it into a rain garden. A rain garden is a shallow bowl-shaped garden planted with native species that allow rain to naturally soak deep into the ground. A rain garden stays dry when it is not raining, and it can mitigate flooding on your property, in your neighbourhood, and across the city. With the right plants, it can also support pollinators.

If you are doing work to mitigate your risk to urban flooding, think about checking in with the City of Peterborough about the Flood Reduction Subsidy Program.

VIDEO: Rethink the Rain – City of Peterborough

“The Flood Reduction Subsidy Program provides financial assistance to landowners for fixing identified sources of rainwater inflow or groundwater infiltration into the cty’s sanitary sewer system on their property,” explains Jeremy Campbell, wastewater collection coordinator for the City of Peterborough.

“The city will provide financial assistance toward property improvements such as the installation of a backwater valve, foundation drain disconnection from a sanitary sewer with a sump pit and pump installation, repair of broken or missing clean out caps, downspout and roof drain disconnection from the sanitary sewer, and more.”

Residents can reduce the potential of basement flooding, while improving our community’s environment when they participate in the Flood Reduction Subsidy Program by removing the rainwater inflow or groundwater infiltration sources.

When it comes to urban flooding, we all play a role, but with some keen spring awareness, preparation, and perhaps some gardening, we can mitigate risks, and we can also thrive.

There are many more ways you can prepare for and mitigate flooding. For more information about rain gardens visit www.greenup.on.ca/rain.

Full details of the City of Peterborough Flood Reduction Subsidy Program can be found online at www.peterborough.ca/floodreduction.

To find out more about Fleming College’s Home Flood Risk Assessment Training (HFRAT) course and to register, visit www.flemingcollege.ca/hfrat.

Green Communities Canada can help you learn more about RAIN from a number of community perspectives. Visit them at www.raincommunitysolutions.ca.

LOCATED – Police seek missing 57-year-old Peterborough man

57-year-old Robert Welch of Peterborough was last seen in the Lindsay area in December 2019. (Supplied photo)

The Peterborough Police Service is asking for the public’s assistance in locating missing person 57-year-old Robert Welch of Peterborough.

Welch was last seen in the Lindsay area in December of 2018 and was reported missing to Peterborough Police in mid-March 2019.

He is described as follows:

  • Male
  • Caucasian
  • Approximately 200lbs
  • 6’5” tall
  • Black hair turning grey
  • Scruffy beard
  • Wearing glasses

Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.stopcrimehere.ca.

Welch’s son, Matt Welch, has also posted about his missing father on Facebook:

Hey everyone. Serious post that I'd like shared as much as possible. I've not heard from my dad since December and am…

Posted by Matt Welch on Monday, March 11, 2019

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