Peterborough resident Johanna Sinclair's villa La Résidence Terrasson is located in the heart of the village of Terrasson in the Dordogne region of southwestern France. Located along the Vézère River, the village dates back to the Roman empire. In 2019, Johanna is offering a series of group visits hosted by Peterborough artists and more, along with weekly rentals. (Supplied photo)
Peterborough resident Johanna Sinclair fell in love with France when she was a 15-year-old exchange student.
And now, years later, she shares her passion for the Dordogne region with group and solo travellers through her beautifully renovated villa, La Résidence Terrasson.
Located in the French village of Terrasson and overlooking the Market Square, the villa is airy and bright. With generous space for 10 guests, Johanna’s home-away-from-home is turning into a desired destination for writers, cyclists, and explorers from Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
In 2018, Johanna Sinclair began offering La Résidence Terrasson for group retreats, including one led by Cavan artist Valerie Kent. This year, La Résidence Terrasson is offering eight group retreats in the spring, summer, and fall. (Supplied photo)
This is the second year that Johanna is offering the use of her villa for group retreats, with eight experiences scheduled for 2019 (one is already sold out).
Last year’s retreats proved so popular through word of mouth alone that Johanna is now welcoming guests to her piece of paradise through a booking website.
“I’m always looking to share this with people who are fun, with people who will appreciate this,” explains Johanna, who is the former owner of fair trade roasting company and cafe Dreams of Beans in downtown Peterborough and a graduate of Trent University, where she studied geography and (not surprisingly) French studies.
And there is so much to appreciate.
The view from the balcony of La Résidence Terrasson, which overlooks the market square. (Supplied photo)
The Dordogne region of southwestern France is known for its wine, walnuts, figs and truffles. The rolling hills of the region are dotted with ancient chateaus and it’s the perfect place to let the heart and mind find inspiration.
From the lush landscapes to delicious and affordable French cuisine, it’s the perfect backdrop for all the specialized retreats offered through La Résidence Terrasson.
The villa was built in the 1700s and has been respectfully renovated. The kitchen, bathrooms, and living room are all fully modern, but old-world charm remains with period furnishings, handcrafted by a local family of cabinet makers who built pieces for estate homes and chateaus in the region.
Market day in Terrasson. (Supplied photo)
There is a whimsical charm that can be found in every room of the home, thanks to light fixtures sourced through yard sales and antique shops.
In the summer months, it’s not uncommon to leave all the doors and windows open to let the warm and fragrant air flood through the home.
The space feels magical and it brings Johanna great joy to share it with friends and strangers through group and solo bookings.
Two of the bedrooms at La Résidence Terrasson, furnished with period pieces handcrafted by a local family of cabinet makers who built pieces for estate homes and chateaus in the region. The villa can accommodate 10 guests in four bedrooms. (Supplied photos
“I wanted to give back to Peterborough and to artists and entrepreneurs,” Johanna explains. “From the time the first group of artists arrived at the house for a retreat, I knew this was the perfect place for people to make connections, to experience a slower pace, and to be inspired.”
Artists who have attended retreats are amazed at their productivity and Johanna says this has a lasting effect.
“I’ve seen guests in tears on their first night,” she explains. “Women who have completely forgotten how to be good to themselves and then they’re here, enjoying a slower pace, learning from the French and simply going with the flow.”
Duck for lunch! Enjoy delicious French cuisine while staying at La Résidence Terrasson. (Supplied photo)
The flow, as Johanna explains it, involves lots of time to wander the village, to walk the gorgeous 12th-century stone footbridge that was built by monks, while allowing your mind and your imagination wander.
Welcome to La Résidence Terrasson: the front entrance of the renovated villa, which features four bedrooms. The kitchen, bathrooms, and living room are all fully modern, but old-world charm remains with period furnishings. (Supplied photo)
“You can walk on the bridges and just imagine Napoleon’s people coming down on the river,” she sighs.
This imaginative backdrop makes La Résidence Terrasson a perfect spot for retreats focused on cycling, painting, health and wellness, inspired living, and antiquing. This fall, there’s even an erotic essay writing retreat.
Johanna notes that all the retreat facilitators that she works with are ready to inspire and entertain the small groups that sign-up for these life-changing experiences. The retreat facilitators will all be familiar names to Peterborough-area residents.
The cycling tour is hosted by cyclist and musician Chris Culgin, the artist retreats are hosted by painters Valerie Kent and John Climenhage, and the health and wellness retreat is hosted by yoga teacher Anne Ryan.
The inspired living retreat is hosted by transformation coach and artist Maura Joy Lustig and the erotic essay writing retreat is hosted by playwright and short story writer Laurel Paluck.
Johanna adds that she’s always looking for ideas for new retreats at La Résidence Terrasson by partnering with local entrepreneurs and artists (she is already working on a wine and cheese tour for next year).
VIDEO: Cycling through the French countryside around Dordogne by Chris Culgin
Johanna finds it very rewarding to see how guests embrace their time at La Résidence Terrasson.
“I really enjoyed the cyclists filming their experience and the artists being approached by local residents to see what they were doing,” she says.
It’s easy to understand the excitement of guests when you watch the short video above that Chris Culgin prepared during one of his retreats. The scenery is breathtaking, the winding roads are free from vehicular traffic, and each day provides ample time for cycling but also for sightseeing, feasting on great local food and, of course, there is the wine.
For those who prefer to travel alone or who don’t need the programming of a retreat, Johanna also offers weekly rentals of the villa for those who would like to plan their own adventures — and she’s always available to help with the planning.
Château de Hautefort, located around 25 kilometres north of Terrasson, was originally a medieval castle that was reconstructed in the 17th century and embellished with a Garden à la française. It was featured in the 1998 film “Ever After” starring Drew Barrymore.Located only a few kilometres from Terrasson, the Lascaux Caves contain some of the oldest and finest prehistoric art in the world, estimated to be around 17,000 years old.
“One woman enjoyed a retreat so much that she booked the villa for a trip with her husband right after she returned home,” Johanna laughs.
For those who are planning on going on their own, Johanna says there is so much to enjoy. From two-hour lunches that feature multiple courses that run around $15 in the village to Market Days that offer fresh Turkish kebabs, you could easily structure your vacation plans around all the local food (and did we mention the wine?).
“And it is possible to lose weight while you’re enjoying all of this French food,” Johanna explains. “There is a higher quality of grains, there are no GMOs, and you’re going to be walking every day.”
2019 Group Visits
Apr 30 – May 09: Cycle Tour with Chris Culgin
May 27 – Jun 05: Artist Retreat with Valerie Kent (sold out)
Jun 05 – Jun 14: Artist Retreat with Valerie Kent
Jul 09 – Jul 16: Inspired Living with Maura Joy Lustig
Sep 01 – Sep 08: Replenishing Retreast with Anne Ryan
Sep 15 – Sep 22: Erotic Essay Writing with Laurel Paluck
Sep 25 – Oct 02: Artist Retreat with John Climenhage
Oct 05 – Oct 12: Antique and Flea Markets Shopping Tour
Weekly rentals
Depending on availability, the entire residence (maximum 10 people) can be rented for €800 per week (approximately C$1,200) from May to the end of October.
Plus, she adds, life just gets easier when your stress melts away.
Johanna can also help to arrange private chefs, kayak rentals, bicycle rentals, and anything else a guest needs.
“Or you can relax on the balcony or linger over coffee,” she says, as a plug for those who prefer to un-schedule for a week.
Whatever travellers are seeking, Johanna is available to offer suggestions and support and, of course, her home-away-from home for private or group bookings for those who are ready to escape to France for the inspirational adventure of a lifetime.
“This is a very special place,” she says. “And I certainly don’t mind sharing it.”
For more information about La Résidence Terrasson, and to book a retreat or a weekly rental, visit www.francehomerental.com.
You can also follow La Résidence Terrasson on Facebook and Instagram.
Note: Johanna Sinclair is not a travel agent and is not associated with a travel or tour agency. She does not book travel, she only rents her home in France, La Résidence Terrasson, and organizes session leaders.
Peterborough resident Johanna Sinclair (left) with Mme Lacroix, the former owner of the villa in the French village of Terrasson that Johanna purchased and renovated. (Supplied photo)
Indigenous poet Rebecca Thomas and comedian Deborah Kimmett are the keynote speakers for the third annual International Women's Day Conference in Peterborough on Friday, March 8th. Between the speaker presentations, conference attendees will be able to participate in two of six 75-minute workshops on leadership, relationships, mental health, and more. (Supplied photos)
Organizers have announced the speaker and workshop lineup for the third annual International Women’s Day Conference in Peterborough on Friday, March 8th.
Indigenous poet Rebecca Thomas and comedian Deborah Kimmett will be speaking at the conference, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ashburnham Reception Centre (840 Armour Rd, Peterborough).
Thomas is a Mi’kmaw poet, scholar, and activist who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has led the Halifax Slam Poetry team three years in a row, taking HaliSlam to the semi-finals in 2016, and is the former Poet Laureate of Halifax. She has performed with a Tribe Called Red and has spoken and lectured at conferences and coffee houses from coast to coast.
She writes kids’ books about growing up the child of a residential school survivor, and has written for the CBC and Washington Post. Her day job is as the Indigenous Supports Advisor for the Nova Scotia Community College.
Kimmett is a Toronto-based comedian, speaker, author, instructor, and director. She is a 35-year veteran of the legendary Second City theatre company, and has appeared at The Winnipeg Comedy Festival as well as on CBC’s The Debaters and Definitely Not The Opera. She is the author of two books of comedic essays and a novel, and is a playwright and a solo performer.
Kimmett’s most recent one-woman show “The Year of The Suddenly”, about rediscovering her relationship with her dying brother, receive critical acclaim. She was also nominated in January for an ACTRA award for her performance as Patti in the short film Keep Coming Back!.
One of the six available workshops at this year’s International Women’s Day Conference in Peterborough is “Women in Leadership: A Fireside Chat”, facilitated by Chief Phyllis Williams, Rosemary Ganley, Kemi Akapo, and Heather Watson. (Supplied graphic)
Between the speaker presentations, conference attendees will be able to participate in two of six 75-minute workshops:
Overcoming Money Patterns, Beliefs, and Blocks (facilitated by Doris Belland)
Envisioning Connection: A Creative Approach (facilitated by Maureen Pollard)
Women in Leadership: A Fireside Chat (facilitated by Chief Phyllis Williams, Rosemary Ganley, Kemi Akapo, and Heather Watson)
What Do I Say – A Mental Health Toolbox (facilitated by Sarah Lindsay)
Women’s Friendships: A Key to Life Satisfaction and Resilience (facilitated by Marion Langford and Colleen Carruthers)
Come My Sisters, Drum With Me (facilitated by Adele Passmore)
The cost of the conference is $145+HST, which includes the speakers, two workshops, and lunch and refreshments. Tickets, along with more information about the speakers and the workshops, are available at www.iwdptbo.ca.
The third annual International Women’s Day Conference in Peterborough takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 8th at Ashburnham Reception Centre.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Connecting women, Inspiring action”, with the objective of helping women create meaningful connections with each other, engaging in learning opportunities to reach their personal and professional goals, and feeling inspired and empowered to spread awareness and to take positive action towards gender equity.
This third annual conference is being presented by Thirteen Moons Wellness, whose owner Louise Racine first conceived of the idea of an International Women’s Day conference in Peterborough. After she won the Judy Heffernan Award in 2016, she used the monetary award to launch the first conference in 2017.
“The success of the 2017 and 2018 International Women’s Day Conferences affirms the relevance of a full-day event that supports women of all ages and backgrounds in our community,” says Racine, who is the chair of the International Women’s Day Conference Committee.
“The conference program is designed with the intention that the speakers and workshops equip attendees with the skills, knowledge and connections to carry on with hope and determination. While we may not see the positive changes we aspire to immediately, especially during our current political climate, it’s important for women to remain diligent and steadfast for the generations to come.”
A portion of net proceeds from this year’s conference will be donated to the 2019 Judy Heffernan Award. Last year, a portion of proceeds from the conference went to support Habitat for Humanity, Alternatives Community Services, and a girls’ soccer program.
The 2019 International Women’s Day Conference is supported by: kawarthaNOW.com (media sponsor); Community Futures Peterborough (community builder partner); Fox Law Professional Corporation (metworking sponsor); Women’s Business Network of Peterborough and The Ear Depot (program sponsors); Black Cap Design, Red Rock Communications, Energy 99.7, Country 105, and Sofie Andreou (connectivity sponsors); and BDO, Agilec, and Betty Halman-Plumley of IG Wealth (workshop sponsors).
Although the snow squall watch has ended for northern Kawartha Lakes, Environment Canada has now issued a snow squall watch today (January 31) for Lindsay.
Snow squalls off Georgian Bay have shifted south. The most intense squall is currently located in between Midland and New Wasaga Beach then extending southeast towards Orillia area.
Additionally, the snow squalls may affect areas even further inland near Beaverton to Lindsay today.
Travel may be hazardous due to sudden changes in the weather. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.
Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.
The Toronto-based Blood in the Snow horror film festival is touring four cities in southern Ontario during March 2019, beginning with a stop at Peterborough's Market Hall on March 1 and 2. The festival, which celebrates the best in contemporary Canadian horror, genre, and underground film, will be screening four feature-length films along with five short films, some of which were made by local filmmakers. (Photo courtesy of Blood in the Snow)
Throughout the month of March, Toronto-based horror film festival Blood in the Snow is taking its operations on the road for a four-city tour, with Peterborough’s Market Hall Performing Arts Centre the first stop on its blood-stained trail.
Blood in the Snow Film Festival
When: Friday, March 1 & Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St. E, Peterborough) How much: $30 for all-access pass, $12 for individual feature films
Featuring I’ll Take Your Dead with short Peanuts. and Late Night Double Feature with short One More for The Road on Friday night, and E.M.P. 333 Days with shorts Abduction and No Trespassing, and Alive with short The Doorway on Saturday night. Passes and tickets are available at bloodinthesnow.ca.
Dedicated to promoting the best in independent Canadian horror cinema, Blood in the Snow will be showing four feature films and five shorts over two consecutive evenings at the Market Hall during the first weekend of March. And while all the films are calculated to thrill local horror fans, many of the films also feature have strong Peterborough connections.
“I’m excited about coming to Peterborough,” says Blood in the Snow’s founder and festival director Kelly Michael Stewart, a former resident of Peterborough. “It mixes so many things from my experiences of coming to Peterborough and making films and I’m really excited about bringing this thing we do in Toronto to Peterborough. I think the audience is going to be blown away with what we’re doing.”
The origins of Blood in the Snow began 12 years ago. Working as a screenwriter as well as a contributing writer for the horror film fan magazine Fangoria, Kelly was showing monthly films at a now-defunct movie house when he got the idea for a yearly film festival that would be dedicated to showing Canadian made horror films.
“I started hosting a monthly film night called Fright Night, and I started getting more and more Canadian content each month,” Kelly recalls. “At that time, if you didn’t get your film into the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal or Toronto After Dark, you didn’t have that many great opportunities to have your film shown.
Blood in the Snow founder and festival director Kelly Michael Stewart (middle) with his programming team. Stewart is a former Peterborough resident. (Photo courtesy of Blood in the Snow)
“So I had all these filmmakers come to me about playing their films at my Fright Night events, but instead of just playing one every month I thought we should show as many of them as we could over a weekend. We decided that we should create a festival, and we held our first festival in 2012 and it did really well.”
Held at Toronto’s historical Royal Cinema on College Street every November, the Blood in the Snow festival is not only a chance for audiences to experience films they might not get a chance to otherwise see, but it is also a chance for filmmakers to come together and create alliances and new opportunities together.
“I’ll Take Your Dead” is a mob thriller with supernatural elements. It screens at the Market Hall on March 1, 2019. (Poster courtesy of Black Fawn Films)
“I think you’ll find that there are two groups that come to the festival — the horror fans and the filmmakers,” Kelly says.
“We have filmmakers coming from all over Canada, and they are showing each other their work and doing them on budgets that are completely reasonable and attainable. It’s amazing what they can do with limited resources, but all the films are very high quality. They stand up.
“What happens in Toronto is that everyone coms and they get inspired. They see everyone’s work and they get to talk to the actors and the crew people. People meet, and the next year they are collaborating on a film together. I see this happen every year.
“I know that Peterborough has its own film community, and I really hope that our films will help inspire the people in the Peterborough community even more to collaborate.”
Although horror is a niche genre, its legion of devotes is undeniable and it remains to be one of the most popular genres in the history of film. But, according to Kelly, it’s not just the thrills and the frights that make horror films so popular with audiences.
“In horror films you can say a lot of interesting things that you can’t necessarily say directly,” Kelly explains. “You can use a lot of social messages in them. A lot of horror films are a commentary of what’s going on in society at the time.”
“They are subversive, but they also often have a bit of playful quality to them. I like horror films that have a little bit of comedy to them. I don’t think you can watch something like Dawn of the Dead and take it too seriously.
Parts of “Late Night Double Feature”, which screens at the Market Hall on March 1, 2019, were shot in Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Blood in the Snow)
“I even find Texas Chainsaw Massacre kind of funny. I saw the restoration copy of it a few years ago, and the first time you see it its creepy and based on real people, but once you get desensitized to it its actually really funny. The scene where they were trying to feed the decomposing grandfather is hilarious.”
Although I consider myself to be an aficionado of the horror genre, at the top of my head I could only name a handful of Canadian horror films, including Black Christmas, Cannibal Girls, and Seizure. But being immersed in the world of Canadian horror, Kelly points out that our nation’s film industry goes far deeper.
“We have a long history with horror films,” he says. “Black Christmas is usually the first that comes to mind, but it was Ginger Snaps that kind of set the template for the style and vibe of Canadian horror cinema.
“But if Canadian horror filmmakers have a main source of artistic inspiration, it all goes back to David Cronenberg. He’s really the granddaddy of it all for Canadians, because he was able to mix art house sensibilities and psychological drama with horror elements.
Rosa Ferreri in “E.M.P. 333 Days”, an award-winning post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Bridgenorth filmmaker (and Rosa’s father) Adriano Ferreri. It screens at the Market Hall on March 2, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Adriano Ferreri)
“If you work as his early catalogue, he really bounced between traditional horror films like The Fly to more psychological material like Dead Ringers and Videodrome. You’re kind of seeing that come full circle with the Soska twins who are bringing out their remake of Rabid later this year.”
For the first-ever Blood in the Snow film festival tour, Kelly and his team are bringing four films and featuring local shorts to four cities over the month of March, including Peterborough, Kingston, Ottawa and Kitchener. In most cases, the directors and other individuals involved in the films will be in attendance at each of the screenings for a Q&A after each film and to meet audience members after the screening.
For their Peterborough screenings, Blood in the Snow is bringing four feature films: I’ll Take Your Dead and Late Night Double Feature on Friday, March 1st, and E.M.P 333 Days and Alive on Saturday, March 2nd.
Thomas Cocquerel and Camille Stopps in the survival horror film “Alive”, which screens at the Market Hall on March 1, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Blood in the Snow)
The films will be accompanied by five shorts featuring local filmmakers from the Kawarthas: Peanut directed by Jamie Oxenham and One More for the Road directed by Navin Ramaswaran on Friday, March 1st, and Abduction directed by Michelle Foster, No Trespassing directed by Charlie Lawton, and The Doorway directed by Michael Hayes on Satuday, March 2nd.
But, as Kelly reveals, the shorts are just a small part of the local content being featured at Blood in the Snow’s Peterborough stop.
E.M.P. 300 Days, Written and directed by Bridgenorth filmmaker Adriano Ferreri, was shot entirely in the area and features many familiar actors from the Peterborough community. As well, parts of Late Night Double Feature, which was written by Kelly, were shot in Peterborough.
“There is this idea that people don’t watch Canadian films, but we find that the people do come out to our films,” Kelly says. “Our audience increases each year. At Blood in the Snow you aren’t watching stupid sequels or dumb remakes. Instead you’re watching well-made original content by local filmmakers for local audiences.”
Although access to all of the films is available for a flat fee of $30, each film can be seen individually at a ticket price of $12.
Here’s more on each of the four feature films screening at the Market Hall:
I’ll Take Your Dead (2018)
Directed by Chad Archibald and starring Aiden Devine, Ava Preston and Jess Salgueiro. Friday, March 1st at 7 p.m.
VIDEO: “I’ll Take Your Dead” Trailer
Directed by popular Blood in the Snow contributor Chad Archibald, founder of Black Fawn Films, I’ll Take Your Dead is described by Kelly as a mob thriller with supernatural elements.
“I’ll Take Your Dead is about this guy named William, who is being blackmailed by the mob,” Kelly says. “He lives alone in the country, along with his daughter, and his job is to get rid of bodies. He has to contend with that while raising a young daughter, who is seeing ghosts in the home.
“One day they bring a body to the house to dispose, and William discovers the victim is not really dead yet. So he has to deal with a moral decision: does he kills this woman or does he save her and risk his own family? It’s really interesting and I think people will absolutely love it.”
Late Night Double Feature (2016)
Directed by Torin Langen, Naven Ramaswaran and Zaschery Ramelan. Friday, March 1st at 9:30 p.m.
VIDEO: “Late Night Double Feature” Trailer
Inspired by the late night TV horror shows of yesteryear, such as those hosted by horror icons like Vampira, Elvira. and Zacharie, this anthology film features two 32-minute horror films, Dinner for Monsters and Slit, with a third story featuring the filming of the late-night movie show as the wrap around.
“The film takes place during a late night taping of a horror movie TV show starring horror host Dr. Nasty,” says Kelly, who was a contributing writer and producer for the film. “We show the behind-the-scenes of the filming of the show, and then we show a double bill of two additional films within the movie.
“Dinner for Monsters is about a family of cannibals that hire a chef to cook them dinner, and Slit is more of a serious film about a guy who is hired to cut people in order to release their stress, and this guy finds this one client who is a little more disturbed than the people he’s used to, and things go awry from there.
“We also have fake commercials during it. One of the commercials, called Night Clown, is my directorial debut and we did shoot it in Peterborough, just over on Bensford Road. It’s very playful and fun.”
E.M.P 333 Days (2018)
Directed by Adriano Ferreri and starring Rosa Ferreri, Liam Davidson, and Derek Bell. Saturday, March 2nd at 7 p.m.
Of all of the films being featured at the Blood in the Snow Festival, E.M.P 333 Days is the one that has the closest ties to the Kawarthas.
Described by Kelly as a post-apocalyptic thriller, the film was written and directed by Bridgenorth filmmaker Adriano Ferreri and stars his daughter Rosa as a girl trying to find her father in a new world without power, electronics, or technology.
“The film follows a girl who is a survivor of when an electromagnetic pulse is deployed,” Kelly says. “So it’s like an apocalypse, but it means that there is no electricity and that creates chaos.”
E.M.P 333 Days also co-stars local young actor Liam Davidson, who performed in 4th Line Theatre’s The Hero of Hunter Street and Lakefield College School’s recent production of Mamma Mia, and local theatrical stage favourites Derek Bell and Dan Smith.
The film has also already represented our community well by winning awards at the Rockport Film Festival in Texas and the SNOB Film Festival based in New Hampshire.
Alive (2018)
Directed by Rob Grant and starring Thomas Cocquerei, Camille Stopps and Jules Vincent. Saturday, March 2nd at 9:30 p.m.
VIDEO: “Alive” Trailer
Directed by Alberta-based filmmaker Rob Grant, Alive is a psychological thriller/mystery about a man and a woman who wake up in a doctor’s laboratory with amnesia, not knowing who they are or how they got there.
“They are all cut up and scarred and they don’t know what happened,” Kelly says. “The doctor intimidates and manipulates and punishes them under the guise of attempting to heal their wounds. You don’t know the doctor’s motivation until the very end.”
What makes Alive a must-watch film is its ending, which Kelly us careful not to reveal.
“I can’t tell you too much about it because I don’t want to give too much away, but it has the best twist ending of any film we’ve ever played at Blood in the Snow,” Kelly reveals. “We are talking Sixth Sense level of twist ending. When I saw it as a screener a year ago, I did not see where it was going.”
It should be noted that due to geographical restraints, director Rob Grant unfortunately will be unable to attend the Peterborough screening of Alive.
For film fans and horror fans alike, the Blood in the Snow festival is a real treat for Peterborough audiences. It’s a chance to see some unique films and celebrate Canadian cinema.
For more information and to purchase all-access passes and individual film tickets, visit the Blood in the Snow website at bloodinthesnow.ca.
One of the many artworks by Joe Stable, artist and operator of Acme Art & Sailboat Co., who will host a 70th birthday bash and art show as part of the new First Friday festivities on February 1, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Acme Art & Sailboat Co.)
After a pause in January, the First Friday art crawl returns to downtown Peterborough! The roster is full for February 1st, and the event will continue in 2019 thanks to a dedicated group of artists and entrepreneurs who have taken the reins of this popular celebration of local art.
There will be a very special celebration on this First Friday when artist Joe Stable celebrates his 70th birthday. Joe has been an integral member of the arts community in Peterborough since the 1970s, so make sure to celebrate Joe and his contribution to the arts on February 1st.
Long-time local artist Joe Stable is celebrating his 70th birthday during the First Friday art crawl on February 1, 2019 (Photo: Michael Morritt)
Also during First Friday, at Watson & Lou there will be an open house and show of student work at Madderhouse Textile Studios and a pop-up shop by screen printing company Nish Tees accompanied by live music by Mary-Kate Edwards.
Another theme this month is fabric arts and printmaking. Alice Olsen Williams will host an appliqué workshop at Artspace in conjunction with her show Star Song, followed later in the month with an artist’s talk from bird, buried press and the 4th Annual Artspace Book & Zine Fest, which features publications of all shapes and sizes and also paper arts such as the work of various printmakers.
Later in February, the Art Gallery of Peterborough is hosting an artist’s talk with Shelly Niro, whose exhibition ‘women, land, river’ is currently featured at the gallery, along with a free screening of her film Kissed by Lightning.
Acme Art & Sailboat Co. presents Joe Stable’s 70th Birthday Bash and Art Show
One of several posters Joe Stable has created for his 70th Birthday Bash and Art Show on February 1, 2019. (Poster courtesy of Acme Art & Sailboat Co.)
Here’s an important milestone! Lifelong artist and champion of the arts Joe Stable, operator of Acme Art & Sailboat Co, is turning 70, and on Friday, February 1st he’s hosting a birthday bash and art show.
Take the chance to say thanks to Joe for hosting shows every First Friday, and wish him congrats on the big Seven-Oh. Drop in and listen to tunes from acclaimed musician Rick Fines while enjoying a birthday cupcake or two.
The bash begins at 6 p.m. and continues until 11 p.m.
Acme Art and Sailboat Company is located at 129-1/2 Hunter Street West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. For more information, visit Acme’s Facebook page.
Atelier Ludmila presents ‘Found’ by Bradley Boyle and John Marris
‘Found’ by John Marris and Bradley Boyle at Atelier Ludmila (formerly Coeur Nouveau) is a show inspired by found photographs. (Photo: John Marris)
Atelier Ludmila (formerly Coeur Nouveau and now operated by artist Laurel Paluck) presents a show inspired by found photographs.
John Marris and Bradley Boyle use unconventional artistic approaches to explore lost, rediscovered histories, and the possibilities therein. Rediscovered images lead to re-imagined lives and stories emerge as the images are manipulated and used as a jumping off point for creativity and exploration. This joint show presents two very different responses to found images from the past.
Atelier Ludmila is located at 129-1/2 Hunter Street West, 3rd floor (#1), in downtown Peterborough. Hours of operation are Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. or by appointment. For more information or to book an appointment, email ludmilaprojects@gmail.com.
The Drawing Room presents ‘Postcards from the Drawing Room’ with Esther Vincent
Poster courtesy of The Drawing Room.
The Drawing Room will be hosting interactive salons at each First Friday event from now on. This February, photographer Esther Vincent will be taking portraits in The Drawing Room on the evening of Friday, February 1st.
This is a chance for public art enthusiasts to participate in the artistic process. Of course, you don’t have to have your picture taken — you can just stop by to enjoy the ambiance and watch the proceedings.
If you do choose to participate, you will have the option of getting a set of four take-away images for $10. Select costume pieces and props on hand for those who wish to use them. Photo sessions will take approximately 10 minutes.
The Drawing Room is located at 129-1/2 Hunter Street West, 2nd floor (#5), in downtown Peterborough.
Madderhouse Textile Studios hosts an open house and student show
Madderhouse is a new textile studio in Peterborough operated by textile artist Leslie Menagh that offers workshops. (Photo courtesy of Madderhouse Textile Studios)
A new textile studio has opened in Peterborough. Operated by textile artist Leslie Menagh, this studio is perfect for screen printing large bolts of fabric.
If you have ever wanted to experiment with textile and surface design, now is your chance. The studio is running intro-level workshops, and the space is available to rent if you already know your way around a screen printing studio.
This First Friday, the studio will be open to the public, presenting work from six participants in an intro to screen printing workshop developed for the New Canadians Centre. For more information about workshops or to register, email leslie@madderhouse.com.
Accessed through Watson & Lou, Madderhouse Textile Studios is on the upper floor of 383 Water St. in downtown Peterborough.
Watson & Lou host Nish Tees Pop-Up with tunes by Mary-Kate Edwards
Nish Tees, a local screen printing company run by James Hodgson, will have a pop-up at Watson & Lou on February 1, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Watson & Lou)
This First Friday features a screen print extravaganza at 383 Water Street in downtown Peterborough!
As well as the open house and showing of student work at Madderhouse Textile Studios, Nish Tees (a local screen printing company run by James Hodgson) will be popping-up as well, accompanied by music local singer-songwriter by Mary-Kate Edwards.
So if you want to talk textiles, fabric sourcing, or screen printing, and see what printers in the area have been making, this is your night to drop by Watson & Lou.
Doors will be open from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., with music starting at 8 p.m.
Watson & Lou is located at 383 Water St. in downtown Peterborough. For more information, visit www.watsonandlou.com.
Illustrator Jason Wilkins hosts an open studio and live mural illustration
Talented illustrator Jason Wilkins is opening his studio to the public on February 1, 2019. (Photo: @firstfridayptbo / Instagram)
As part of the First Friday festivities, accomplished illustrator Jason Wilkins will open his studio to the public and perform a live sharpie mural illustration on his studio walls.
If you haven’t already seen the caricatures, murals, and illustrations of this talented artist, you must come out and see him in action!
His downtown studio will be open to the public between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on February 1st. Accessed through Watson & Lou, Jason Wilkins’ studio islocated on the upper floor of 383 Water Street.
Artspace hosts appliqué workshop with artist Alice Olsen Williams
Artspace is hosting an appliqué workshop with artist Alice Olsen Williams on February 9, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Artspace)
Don’t miss the wonderful exhibition of quilts by textile artist Alice Olsen Williams that is currently on display in the gallery at Artspace. Artspace will be open to the public on the evening of First Friday, so that may be a good time to drop in.
On Saturday, February 9th, there will be a free beginner-friendly appliqué workshop with the artist. This is a great opportunity to get appliqué tips from a pro. All fabric and materials will be provided, but if you have fabric scissors, please bring them along. The workshop will run from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access (to all but Gallery 2) and free admission during regular open hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
Artspace hosts artist’s talk with bird, buried press in conjunction with the annual Book & Zine Fest
Artspace is hosting a free talk with bird, buried press’s editor and designer Elisha Rubacha and poetry editor Justin Million on February 20, 2019. (Graphic: bird, buried press)
Later in February, it will be time for the annual Artspace Book & Zine Fest, happening on Saturday, February 23rd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a great event if you are interested in zines, comics, graphic novels, and paper arts such as woodcuts, screen prints ,and other methods of printmaking.
In conjunction with the Book & Zine Fest, a free talk with Elisha Rubacha and Justin Million of bird, buried press is being offered at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20th. bird, buried press publishes the work of Ontario-based writers and artists and all of their books are assembled by hand. The topics of conversation will be writing, publishing, and the business of small presses.
Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access (to all but Gallery 2) and free admission during regular open hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.
Meta4 is oofering a free workshop on February 1, 2019 where you can make a small art piece using metal embossing. (Photo courtesy of Meta4)
Make a night of it on First Friday and get creative yourself! Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery will host a free metal embossing workshop from 6 to 10 p.m. on February 1st.
You can also just drop in and see their selection of art and crafts from the area.
META4 is located at 164 Hunter St. West in Peterborough. Hours of operation are Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, e-mail ptbo@meta4gallery.ca, call 705-874-9444, or visit www.meta4gallery.ca.
Art Gallery of Peterborough hosts free artist’s talk with Shelley Niro and a free screening of her film
The Art Gallery of Peterborough will host a free artist’s talk with Indigenous artist Shelley Niro and curator Lori Beavis on February 17, 2019, where they will discuss Niro’s artwork and art practice. (Photo: Matthew Hayes)
Indigenous artist Shelley Niro’s exhibition ‘women, land, river’, curated by Lori Beavis, continues at the Art Gallery of Peterborough during February, and the gallery is hosting two related events this month.
First up is an artist’s talk on Sunday, February 17th from 2 to 4 p.m., where Niro and Beavis will discuss the artwork and Niro’s remarkable art practice, which spans three decades. The talk is free to attend and open to the public.
Then, on Thursday, February 21st from 7 to 9 p.m., the gallery will host a free screening of Niro’s 2009 film Kissed by Lightning. A remarkable tale of spiritual awakening set in the deepest winter in the woodlands of Canada, the film is a multi-dimensional and multi-layered love story symbolically based on the 14th-century Iroquois legend of Peacemaker and Hiawatha.
VIDEO: “Kissed by Lightning” Trailer
The Art Gallery of Peterborough is located at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It offers free admission, barrier-free access, and a gallery shop. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.
Three Days Grace (Barry Stock, Neil Sanderson, Matt Walst, and Brad Walst), formed in Norwood in 1997, have received three nominations for the 2019 Juno Awards. (Publicity photo)
Norwood’s alt-rock band Three Days Grace has been nominated yet again for Juno Awards.
The list of nominees for the 2019 Junos was released earlier today (January 29), with the four-time Juno winners receiving nominations for Album of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for their 2018 release Outsider, as well as Group of the Year.
The band has its roots in Norwood in 1992, when Adam Gontier, Neil Sanderson, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, and Joe Grant formed Groundswell while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson, and Walst reformed as Three Days Grace. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Brad Walst’s young brother Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, My Darkest Days.
VIDEO: “The Mountain” by Three Days Grace
The current line up is Matt Walst (lead vocals), Barry Stock (lead guitar), Brad Walst (bass guitar), and Neil Sanderson (drums, piano, backing vocals).
Brad Walst has a home in Norwood and Neil Sanderson owns a farm in the area. Last September, Sanderson was the guest speaker at the sixth annual Team 55 Let’s Tackle Suicide Awareness event in Peterborough (Sanderson attended and graduated from Adam Scott high school).
Their Juno-nominated record Outsider was written in Norwood, at Brad Walst’s home and at Sanderson’s farm.
“We actually went to my house up in Norwood,” Brad Walst says in an interview with Adam Wallis of Global News. “We were surrounded by wildlife and there were no neighbours or anything. We were secluded. So we built up a studio and had a load of fun. Spending time with nature was nice. We hung out over bonfires, rode snowmobiles and it was all just really enjoyable.”
For Album of the Year, Three Days Grace is up against Hubert Lenoir, Jann Arden, The Weeknd, and Shawn Mendes (who leads the Juno nominations with six). For Rock Album of the Year, they’re competing against Arkells, Monster Truck, The Trews, and The Sheepdogs (whose most recent member is Bailieboro native Jimmy Bowskill). Fellow nominees for Group of the Year are Arkells, Chromeo, Metric, and The Sheepdogs.
The 2019 Juno Awards will be held on Sunday, March 17th at Budweiser Gardens in London, hosted by Sarah McLachlan.
The property housing the Black Horse Pub at 452 George St. N. in downtown Peterborough is one of 411 properties that the City of Peterborough's heritage resources coordinator is recommending be added to the city's heritage register. Owners of properites on the register must wait at least 60 days after applying for a demolition permit to allow city council to determine whether the property should receve a heritage designation, preventing demolition, City council will vote on the resolution on January 28, 2019. (Photo: National Trust for Canada)
This week’s round-up of business news includes Peterborough city council being asked to add 411 new properties to the heritage register, Peterborough city council voting on 2019 spending on $35 million worth of projects, City of Kawartha Lakes council approving the largest capital budget in its history, the Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition returning for its ninth year, Long & McQuade Peterborough raising $3,450 for Five Counties Children’s Centre, and Peterborough Musicfest seeking a new board member and hiring two part-time staff.
Every week, our managing editor collects business-related news and events from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
New regional business events added this week include an information session for Bears’ Lair on January 29th in Peterborough, Haliburton Highlands Chamber hosting a breakfast meeting with MPP Laurie Scott in Haliburton on February 5th, RBC Dominion Securities hosting a workshop in Cobourg on February 7th, the Peterborough Chamber hosting a breakfast meeting with Dr. Doug Lukinuk in Peterborough on February 12th, and the Port Hope Chamber holding its annual general meeting in Port Hope on February 26th.
Peterborough city council asked to add 411 new properties to heritage register
The former Peterborough Arms building now occupied by Publican House Brewery (300 Charlotte St.) is one of 411 properties the City of Peterborough’s heritage resources coordinator is recommending be added to the city’s heritage register. (Photo: Google Maps)
Update – January 29, 2019
Peterborough city council voted 8-3 to add the 411 properties to the register.
At its meeting on Monday night (January 28), Peterborough city council will be voting on a report from Erik Hanson, the city’s heritage resources coordinator, that recommends 411 properties — almost half of which are in downtown Peterborough — be added to the city’s heritage register.
The addition of a property to the register does not mean it has been designated as a heritage property; it is only a list of properties that may be of cultural heritage value or interest and could potentially be designated in the future.
For properties on the register, owners can continue to maintain and modify the property. However, if they wish to demolish or remove a building or structure on the property, they must give the city 60 days’ notice before applying for a demolition permit. The waiting period will allow city council to consult with the heritage committee on whether the property should be formally designated as a heritage property, preventing demolition.
The proposed list would quadruple the number of properties currently on the heritage register. Properties were first added to the register in June 2017, with additional properties added in September 2018.
The 411 properties include many buildings located on Charlotte, Simcoe, Hunter, Queen, Sherbrooke, Aylmer, Bethune, London, Brock, McDonnel, Rubidge, and Reid streets.
Specific properties include the J.J. Turner building (140 King St.), the former Peterborough Canoe Company showroom now occupied by CHEX Television (739-743 Monaghan Rd.), the former Peterborough Arms building now occupied by the Publican House restaurant (300 Charlotte St.), the Westclox building (211 Hunter St. E.), the building housing the now-closed Dobro (287-293 George St. N.), the Showplace building (290 George St. N.), the building housing the Black Horse Pub (450 George St. N.), the former Montreal House building (282 Aylmer St. N.), and the Grant Thornton building (362 Queen St.).
The list also includes various schools, Trent University buildings, bridges such as the Maria Street swing bridge, and the Peterborough Lift Lock.
Although city council passed a motion in June 2017 to exclude from the register all properties within a defined area of downtown Peterborough, the proposed list includes properties within that area, “given that the new Council may wish to reconsider the motion of the previous administration” according to Hanson.
Peterborough city council to vote on 2019 spending on $35 million worth of projects
At its January 28th meeting, Peterborough city council will be voting to authorize 2019 expenditures on a number of ongoing and new projects:
Extension of Crawford Drive to Harper Road project (total estimated cost: $4,500,000)
Airport Sewer and Water Upgrades project (total estimated cost: $1,000,000)
Beavermead Campground Park Implementation project (total estimated cost: $650,000 )
Bethune Street Diversion City Funded project (total estimated cost: $1,370,000 )
Chemong Road, Parkhill Road to the Parkway Right of Way Reconstruction project (total estimated cost: $1,000,000)
Simcoe Street Parking Garage Reconstruction project (total estimated cost: $410,000)
Purchase of Transit Buses (total estimated cost: $2,164,000)
Trent Research and Innovation Park project (total estimated cost: $3,100,000)
Water Street North Urbanization – Nassau Road to Woodland Drive project (total estimated cost: $1,000,000).
The total estimated cost of all the projects is more than $35 million.
City of Kawartha Lakes council approves largest capital budget in its history
The City of Kawartha Lakes’ $45.1 millio capital budget for 2019 includes $24.2 million for roads and related infrastructure, and increase of 32 per cent over 2017. (Graphic: City of Kawartha Lakes)
At a special council meeting last Thursday (January 24), the City of Kawartha Lakes Council approved the largest capital budget in the municipality’s history: $45.1 million.
Of the total amount, $24.2 million will go towards roads and related infrastructure, including gravel road rehabilitation ($1.4 million), resurfacing of urban and arterial roadways ($4.6 million) and resurfacing of rural hardtop roads ($3.6 million).
Other notable approved capital expenditures include:
$6 million for the reconstruction and revitalization of Russell Street and Peel Street in downtown Lindsay
$4.6 million for fleet and transit equipment, including the paramedic fleet
$2.2 million for enhcancements to fire facilities (including the new Mariposa fire station that will consolidate the Oakwood and Little Britain stations)
$2 million towards the $6 million cost of redeveloping Bobcaygeon Beach Park (including outdoor pavilions, increased docking, playground structures, walking paths and shoreline improvements)
$1.4 million to finalize the $4.5 million cost for the Logie Street Park redevelopment (including a new splash pad, playgrounds, enhanced trails, lilac plantings and improved parking)
$1.4 million for construction and renovations across all arenas (including new roofs, flooring, and ice work).
Kawartha Lakes council also approved the water and wastewater capital budget of $9.5 million, which will include replacement of cast iron water mains in Lindsay, replacing aging water and sewer mains under Russell Street and Peel Street, finalizing the new Colborne Street Sewage Pumping Station, and an upgrade to the Fenelon Falls Water Treatment Plant.
Council will deliberate the city’s operating budget on Wednesday, February 20th following public input and department overviews on Wednesday, February 13th.
Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition returns for its ninth year
Applications are now open for the 2019 Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition.
Details were announced last Tuesday (January 22) by Catia Skinner, chair of the 2019 Bears’ Lair steering committee, at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough.
New this year is a total cash pay-out of $20,000, with each of the winners in two category streams receiving $8,000, with two runners-up in each category receiving $1,000 each. This is a departure from past competitions which saw gifts-in-kind make up part of the prize package.
An information session for potential applicants will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
Bears’ Lair 2019 is presented by Community Futures Peterborough, Innovation Cluster, Peterborough Region Angel Network, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development, and Mega Experience, with kawarthaNOW.com as the media sponsor.
Long & McQuade Peterborough raises $3,450 for Five Counties Children’s Centre
Staff at Long & McQuade Peterborough with their donation to Five Counties Children’s Centre. (Photo: Long & McQuade Peterborough / Facebook)
Last Thursday (January 24), Long & McQuade Peterborough (129 Aylmer St. N., Peterborough) presented a cheque for $3,450 to Five Counties Children’s Centre.
The funds, raised during the holiday season, will go towards music therapy programs at the centre, which helps children with physical, communication, and developmental problems.
Peterborough Musicfest is seeking a new board member and hiring two part-time staff
Peterborough Musicfest — which presents free outdoor concerts at Del Crary Park every summer — is seeking a new member for its board and is also hiring two new staff.
The non-profit charitable organization is seeking a new board member. The volunteer role requires regular attendance and involvement in subcommittees and Musicfest events throughout the year.
Musicfest is also seeking a contract part-time summer park manager, who will work 30 hours a week from May to August 2019, and a permanent part-time marketing coordinator, who will work 25 hours a week year round.
Information session for Bears’ Lair on January 29 in Peterborough
The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is hosting an information session e from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
The free session is intended to provide more information about this year’s competition to potential applicants.
Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual general meeting in Cobourg on January 29
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual general meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29th at Woodlawn Inn (420 Division Street, Cobourg, K9A 3R9).
All members in good standing are invited to attend the meeting and hear an overview of the Chamber’s activities for the past year, including the presentation of the Chamber’s audited year-end financial report. The 2019 executive will be introduced and elections will be held to fill the available seats on the Board of Directors.
The annual “Chair’s Dinner”, a four-course meal with wines, will be held immediately after the meeting.
January 31 deadline for employers to participate in Agilec spring hiring fair in Peterborough
Agilec is presenting a multi-employer spring hiring fair from 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26th at Northminster United Church (300 Sunset Blvd., Peterborough).
Numerous employers looking to hire part-time, full-time, and seasonal positions will be in attendance.
Any employer who would like to participate should contact Arlayna Curtin at Agilec before January 31st.
Curtin can be reached at 705-740-2577 ext. 5210 or acurtin@agilec.ca
Haliburton Highlands Chamber hosts breakfast meeting with MPP Laurie Scott in Haliburton on February 5
The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is hosting its next “The Breakfast Club” event from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 5th at McKeck’s Tap and Grill (207 Highland St., Haliburton).
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock MPP and Minister of Labour Laurie Scott is the guest speaker. She will talk about her role as Minister of Labour and what she is planning on for 2019.
The cost is $20 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members.
Peterborough Chamber PBX at Peterborough Business Hub on February 5
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next Peterborough Business Exchange (PBX) takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5th at Peterborough Business Hub (398 McDonnel St., Peterborough).
The PBX networking event is a great opportunity for the business community, employers, consumers, and community agencies to make valuable connections.
RBC Dominion Securities hosts workshop in Cobourg on February 7
RBC Dominion Securities is hosting a workshop from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 7th at Venture13 Innovation Centre (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
The workshop is intended for investors concerned about recent market volatility. The event will help you understand the options, risks, and opportunities that exist in today’s capital markets.
The workshop is free and refreshments will be served.
Peterborough Chamber hosts breakfast meeting with Dr. Doug Lukinuk in Peterborough on February 12
The next Peterborough Chamber of Commerce “Chamber AM” breakfast meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 12th at Carousel Restaurant & Tavern (116 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough).
Dr. Doug Lukinuk of Peterborough Max Living Chiropractic Centre will speak on the topic “Stress Overload and the Entrepreneur”.
Networking begins at 7 a.m., with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. (when you can make your best 30-second elevator speech to the room), followed by the speaker at 8 a.m.
There is no cost for the event (order what you like and pay for what you order).
Peterborough Chamber presents Power Hour with local elected officials on February 12
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is presenting its annual “Power Hour” featuring Peterborough’s elected officials from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12th at The StoneHouse Hall (2195 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough).
The Power Hour is a lively interactive dinner and question-and-answer session with Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and City of Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien.
Peterborough City and County councillors, along with the Chief Administrative Officers of the City and County of Peterborough and First Nations leaders, will be invited to join individual tables.
The event will be recorded for broadcast on Cogeco’s YourTV Peterborough/Lindsay.
Tickets are $65 per person or $450 for a table of seven for Chamber members, and $75 per person or $525 for a table of seven for non-members.
Kawartha Chamber annual general meeting in Lakefield on February 13
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is holding its annual general meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 13th at The Village Inn (39 Queen St., Lakefield).
The meeting will feature highlights from 2018 and the election of the 2019 board of directors. The 2017-18 annual report will be circulated to members before the meeting.
Nomination deadline for Haliburton Chamber’s Business & Community Achievement Awards on February 14
Nominations are being accepted for the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce’s 13th Annual Business & Community Achievement Awards until Thursday, February 14th.
There are awards in 11 categories: Business Achievement, New Business, Customer First Business, Customer First Employee, Tourism & Hospitality, Innovation & Creativity, Skilled Trades & Industry, Young Professional of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Not-For-Profit of the Year, and Highlander of the Year.
The awards gala will be held on Saturday, March 30th at the Pinestone Resort & Conference Centre.
Port Hope Chamber holds its annual general meeting in Port Hope on February 26
Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual general meeting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26th in the Sculthorpe Theatre at Cameco Capital Arts Centre (20 Queen St., Port Hope).
Trevor McPherson, vice president of member services at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, will be the guest speaker.
The meeting will also feature the election of new board members, review and approval of by-law revisions, new style guidelines and marketing materials, and more.
Legendary singer Ada Lee, who lived in Peterborough from 1967 until 2014, will be presented with the key to the City of Peterborough by Mayor Diane Therrien at the official proclamation of Black History Month in Peterborough on February 1, 2019. (Photo: Toronto Blues Society)
February is Black History Month and the City of Peterborough will officially recognize it for the first time this year, with a proclamation by Mayor Diane Therrien on Friday, February 1st.
In addition, Mayor Therrien will be presenting a key to the city to legendary singer Ada Lee, who lived in Peterborough for almost 50 years.
Born to a musical family in Springfield, Ohio, Lee was formally trained in classical, jazz, blues, and gospel music. Her professional musical career began in 1957 and she recorded her first album Ada Lee Comes On! in 1961. She has shared the stage with the likes of Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
Ada Lee in 1961.
In 1967, she moved to Peterborough with her late husband Frank Baker where they raised six children.
“Despite her talent and positive contributions in Peterborough, the early days of her residence were rough,” writes Charmaine Magumbe, chairperson of the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, in a media release.
“She encountered racial tension from neighbours when some of them circulated a petition to force her to move from the area because they felt that having a black person in the neighbourhood would depreciate the value of their homes.”
This perception changed as neighbours realized Lee’s contributions to the community.
“Ada Lee spent her time, and shared her talent and resources to weave her faith and love into the fabric of life in Peterborough,” Magumbe writes. “Ada Lee served countless charities in the area and founded the Voices for Life Gospel Choir. For her work on stage, television, and with the Peterborough Centennial Choir, Lee was honoured with the Governor General’s Award, and a plaque on the Pathway of Fame at Peterborough’s Del Crary Park.”
AUDIO: “Moanin'” – Ada Lee (1961)
Black History Month celebrations in Peterborough will commence at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 1st.
Mayor Therrien will present the 91-year-old Lee with the key to the city in the sanctuary at Emmanuel United Church (formerly George Street United Church, whose congregation Lee attended), located at 534 George Street North in Peterborough.
The event will also feature the Trent African Caribbean Student Union Dance Group (Trent University students who perform at student cultural and performance events such as Afrobana and Cultural Outreach), spoken word artist and slam poet EJ (a member of the fourth-ranked team at the 2017 National Canadian Slam and fifth-ranked at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam ’18), African drumming from TASS students, and a variety of foods from local restaurants.
Along with the special presentation to Ada Lee by Mayor Therrien, speakers include Rosemary Sadlier (author and past president of the Ontario Black History Society) and former mayor Sylvia Sutherland.
City councillor Stephen Wright will host Ada Lee during her time in Peterborough. Wright was elected last year as one of the City of Peterborough’s first black councillors, along with Kemi Akapo. (Photo: Stephen Wright / Facebook)
Hosted by the Peterborough Race Relations Committee, the event is being led by City councillor Stephen Wright. Wright was elected last year as one of the City of Peterborough’s first black councillors, along with Kemi Akapo.
Other events taking place during Black History Month include:
A screening of I Am Not Your Negro at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 1st at the Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough / Jewish Community Centre (775 Weller St., Peterborough). The 2016 documentary film directed by Raoul Peck is based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember This House. Narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, the film explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s reminiscences of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr, as well as his personal observations of American history. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards and won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.
“Black History Month Panel: Celebrating and Remembering the Past, Present and Future” from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, February 1st at Peter Gzowski College (1 Gzowski Way, Peterborough). A panel of experts will delve into the past, present, and future of Black History Month. The panel will feature Trent University students and faculty along with community members exploring the significance of celebrating black history, the current impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement, hope for the future, and more.
“Many Windows, One Light”, an afternoon of dialogue and story sharing from 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 9th at The Mount Community Centre (1545 Monaghan Rd. Peterborough). The event features a context-setting “provocateur” presentation by guest speaker Bernie Farber, one of Canada’s leading experts on human rights and race relations and chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, and a participatory dialogue to discover possibilities, partnerships, and next steps led by Ben Wolfe. The Creating Space art hive will provide art-making supplies and the event will end with a potluck dinner.
“Africville Remembered” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20th at Kenner Collegiate (633 Monghan Rd., Peterborough).
“Soul II: Roots and Rights” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 23rd at Calvary Pentecostal Church (1421 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough). In celebration of Black History Month, the Peterborough Singers and featured guests Aadin Church and Divine Brown journey through the music born from and shaped by the Black experience in America and the civil-rights movement. The concert also features Rob Phillips on piano, Geoff Bemrose on guitar, Andrew Affleck on bass, Curtis Cronkwright on drums, Steve McCracken on saxophone, and Doug Sutherland on trumpet.
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for all of the Kawarthas due to significant snowfall expected to begin later today (January 28) and continue into Tuesday morning.
An Alberta Clipper will cross southern Ontario bringing snow, at times heavy, on Monday afternoon. The snow will persist into Tuesday morning.
Total snowfall amounts near 15 cm are likely, with up to 20 cm in areas closer to Lake Ontario (such as Northumberland County), where extra moisture from the lake may boost snowfall amounts.
There will likely be a significant impact on the commute both this evening and Tuesday morning.
Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
Environment Canada issues snowfall warnings when significant snowfall is expected.
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