Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Thursday night (December 27) and overnight into Friday for the northern regions of the Kawarthas, including northern Peterborough County and northern Kawartha Lakes, Hastings County, and Haliburton County.
Snow or snow mixed with ice pellets will begin this evening and change to freezing rain later this evening or overnight.
Freezing rain is then expected to change to rain early Friday morning.
Travel may be impacted or become hazardous at times. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas.
Temperatures will gradually increase throughout today and overnight, resulting in a high of 10°C on a rainy Friday. The cold will return on Friday night, dropping to a high of -8°C for Saturday, with a 40 per cent chance of flurries.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #ONStorm.
Police are reminding the public to be aware that no ice is safe ice and to avoid driving on frozen lakes and rivers.
Police have released the names of the man and woman who died after their snowmobiles went into the water of Jack Lake near Apsley on or shortly after Christmas Day.
The couple has been identified as 76-year-old Gerald White and 69-year-old Patricia White of Toronto, Ontario. According to a relative, the Whites have had a cottage on Jack Lake for the past 50 years.
The two snowmobilers were last seen at 11 p.m. on December 25th and did not return from their ride.
At 10 a.m. on December 26th, members of the Peterborough County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a report that two bodies had been seen in the water of Jack Lake.
Police and emergency services recovered the bodies, which were located around 30 feet from shore, and pronounced the man and woman dead at the scene.
The bodies of the Whites have been transported to the Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit at the Forensic Services and Coroners Complex in Toronto for a post-mortem examination.
Grace Thompson as 15-year-old Serena with Cynthia Ashperger as her mom Ramona in Judith Thompson's play "Who Killed Snow White?" at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook. The controversial departure from 4th Line Theatre's usual historical fare was one of the best theatrical productions of 2018 according to kawarthaNOW's theatre reviewer Sam Tweedle. (Photo: Heather Doughty / kawarthaNOW.com)
There’s an eerie silence in the local theatre community the week before Christmas. The last holiday show has been performed, the audiences have gone home, the curtains have closed, and the stage lights have gone dark. It’s the holiday break and little is being produced until at least New Year’s Eve.
So that gives me a moment to reflect on all the shows I’ve seen in 2018.
This year I covered more shows than ever before. In all, I previewed 49 shows for kawarthaNOW, and also attended a number I didn’t preview. I also covered more ground this year, extending my reach far beyond Peterborough and visited stages in Lakefield, Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Norwood, Millbrook, and Port Hope. This gave me a greater variety of shows to see, and lots of new directors, actors, and theatrical communities to experience.
As a result, to pick “the best” is extremely daunting. In truth, the shows and people I loved is a very long list, but these are the theatrical highlights I covered in 2018.
Best Plays (in chronological order)
The Maids
January 2018 at The Theatre on King. Directed by Ryan Kerr and featuring Kate Story, Lindsay Unterlander, and Sheila Carleton.
Kate Story and Lindsay Unterlander as sisters and live-in maids Solange and Claire in an erotic role-playing scene from French playwright Jean Genet’s 1947 play “The Maids” at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Always unearthing intriguing dramatic productions from the past, Ryan Kerr heated up the cold winter with French playwright Jean Genet’s erotic psychological thriller The Maids.
Although produced at the start of the year, The Maids was a show that stuck in my mind all year long. Based on the real-life Papin murder case of 1933 that dominated France’s headlines and fascinated the country’s intelligentsia, Genet’s 1947 play was an imaginary character study — Filled with eroticism, lesbianism, incest, domination, and role play — of two sisters who murdered their mistress.
Kate Story and Lindsay Underlander played sisters Solange and Claire, who act out murderous erotic fantasies of killing their mistress, played by Sheila Charleton. Together Lindsay and Kate showed a lot of chemistry and trust as they switched the balance of power between one another, and ignited the stage with a sort of madness that stuck to the audience like napalm.
The Maids packed a solid punch, and also provided people interested in the story hours of fascinating research. The Maids was a well-chosen gem that was both fascinating a provocative.
Murder for Two
August 2018 at Globus Theatre. Directed by James Barrett and featuring Victor Pokinko and Matt Pilipak.
Victor Pokinko as Dr. Giff and Matt Pilipiak as Officer Marcus in the Globus Theatre production of “Murder for Two”. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
Founding members of Toronto’s Bad Hats Theatre Victor Pokinko and Matt Pilipak returned to Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon in August for James Barrett’s production of Ellen Blair and Joe Kinosian’s musical comedy Murder for Two.
A fast and furious two-hander featuring murder, mayhem and music, Murder for Two brought audiences to the surprise birthday of esteemed writer Arthur Whitney. The lights go out and the dozen assembled guests yell ‘Surprise!’. When the lights come back on, Whitney is found dead on the floor.
Enter Matt Pilipiak as officer Marcus Markowitz who, in a bid to get a promotion, seeks to solve the murder before the big town detectives show up. In the 90 minutes that follow, Marcus has to interrogate a house full of the guests (all cleverly played by Victor Pokinko) and put together the clues. Best of all, the pair do it all in song.
In this hilariously clever one-act show, Victor morphed from one character to another, often playing up to four characters in a scene and singing duets with himself. It was an incredible theatrical feat. Furthermore, the show featured the debut of Globus Theatre’s newest acquisition, a grand piano once belonging to famed thespian Colm Wilkinson. Making full use of the piano, the two actors took turns accompanying each other and often played the piano together.
Murder for Two was a complex show put together by a charming pair of professional performers, and was the sleeper hit of 2018.
Who Killed Snow White?
August 2018 by 4th Line Theatre. Written by Judith Thompson and directed by Kim Blackwell. Featuring Cynthia Ashperger, Grace Thompson, Cassandra Guthrie, Tom Keat, and many more.
Grace Thompson as Serena and Cynthia Ashperger as her mom Ramona in 4th Line Theatre’s production of Judith Thompon’s play “Who Killed Snow White?”. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studios)
4th Line Theatre, under the direction of Kim Blackwell, took a big risk when producing Judith Thompson’s Who Killed Snow White?. Instead of being one of the whimsical historical plays that 4th Line Theatre has become famous for, Who Killed Snow White? was a modern horror story ripped from today’s headlines and provoked a strong response from audiences. The result was a production that may have been the most important show produced in 2018.
Who Killed Snow White? told the story of teenager Serena (played by Grace Thompson) through the eyes of the people who loved her, primarily her grieving mother Ramona (Cynthia Ashpenger) who is trying to understand the tragic events that helped destroy the child she loves. The play forced the audience to take a hard and realistic look at the modern age of cyber bullying, sexual assault, and the cult of misogyny — without ever becoming pretentious or watering down the subject.
The show wasn’t an allegory or a warning to young people, but instead gave adults a snapshot of what’s going on in the shadows of today’s youth culture that they don’t necessarily understand. Rather than presenting stereotypes, it created characters and situations that had many layers.
Most of all, it challenged the audience by not shying away from controversy. Some audience members were reportedly very uncomfortable with the piece, while others hailed it as one of 4th Line Theatre’s finest shows. And that’s what good theatre is. It’s controversial, divisive, and creates conversations.
Who Killed Snow White? was all of that and, while a different type of theatrical experience for 4th Line’s usual audience, I believe it was one of the most important stories the Millbrook outdoor theatre company has ever told.
Proof
October 2018 at The Lindsay Little Theatre. Directed by Altaire Guarl and featuring Anwen O’Driscoll, David Draper, Ellen Giddings, and Anthony Jackson.
Anwen O’Driscoll as Catherine Llewellyn, Anthony Jackson as Robert Llewellyn, and David Draper as Harold Dobbs in Lindsay Little Theatre’s production of David Auburn’s award-winning drama “Proof”. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
When I found out that Lindsay Little Theatre was putting on David Auburn’s award-winning 2000 play Proof, I groaned at the thought I’d have to sit through what I considered to be a boring and pretentious mathematics play. But director Altaire Guari challenged me, telling me she’d make me fall in love with this show. She arose to the challenge, and I found myself absolutely entranced by her incredible company of actors.
In the right hands, Proof is a powerful and engaging story of mental illness and family legacy. It tells the story of Catherine Llewellyn (Anwen O’Driscoll), who is picking up the pieces of her life after the death of her father Robert (Anthony Jackson), who held a legendary status among mathematicians but suffered from a degenerative mental illness. Having taken care of her father for years, Catherine not only has to face her own future while dealing with her own crippling depression, but the invasion of her condescending older sister Claire (Ellen Giddings) and a former protégé of her father, Harold Dobbs (David Draper), into her home and life.
Under the guidance of an intense director, Proof became a dramatic masterpiece with a dynamic, powerhouse cast. Anthony Jackson gave a very human and warm performance, accompanied by three of the most exciting young actors on the local stage today: Anwen O’Driscoll, who currently has a budding career in television, award-winning actor David Draper, and new talent Ellen Giddings in her stage debut. It’s not surprising that, since performing in Proof, David and Ellen have since gone on to secure agents and both have television appearances on the horizon.
The talented cast, superb direction, and passion for the material made Proof a captivating piece, selling out all of its performances at the Lindsay Little Theatre. The biggest surprise was that, as someone who thought he wouldn’t like this play,, I sat in that audience for three performances. It was one of those incredible times where it’s good to be wrong.
Unexploded Ordnance
November 2018 by Fleshy Thud at The Theatre on King (TTOK). Directed by Kate Story and written and starring Ryan Kerr.
Fleshy Thud’s Ryan Kerr performs in his new play “Unexploded Ordnance” at The Theatre On King in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Andy Carroll for Public Energy)
One-person shows are difficult beasts at the best of times. It’s a daunting experience to put oneself in front of an audience for an extended amount of time, especially in a situation where the performer fears being considered self-indulgent. However, when TTOK’s Ryan Kerr decided to write Unexploded Ordnance, a play that celebrated his passion for the history of World War I and the Dadaist arts culture that emerged from it, he opened up to the audience like never before.
Ryan intertwined stories from his past that created a pathway to his own artistic journey, which eventually led him to help create one of the most important creative hubs in the Kawarthas. The result was one of the most powerful and engaging performances of 2018.
Although a personable and recognized individual in the local theatre community, Ryan is guarded when it comes to his private life, and so has remained somewhat of an enigma to his audiences. The revelation of events from his past during Unexploded Ordnance was a powerful experience for people, especially those who only know him from his introductions at TTOK. Backed by the historical material of WWI and Dadaism, Ryan created interesting parallels to the Toronto punk scene of the 1980s, with some hard-hitting reveals.
As well as the presentations at TTOK, Ryan and his company also toured the show through local high schools, where it was said to be an extremely popular Remembrance Day performance. It’s hard to make an impact on people who have never experienced war, but Ryan was able to engage the audience, share history, and keep WWI relevant and real.
Unexploded Ordinance was highly personal and extremely engaging. It was history with a personal connection, and educated audiences on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI.
Best Musical
A Musical Journey with Janis Joplin
April 2018. Produced by Barb Mills. Written by and starring Lindsay Barr.
Musician and actor Lindsay Barr as Janis Joplin “A Musical Journey with Janis Joplin” at Peterborough’s Market Hall. (Photo: Denis Goggin)
Most people who know me know I’m not a fan of musical tribute artists. If I can’t see the real thing, I don’t want to go and, if the musician is dead, I’d much rather stay at home and listen to their records. So let it be said first and foremost that local performer Lindsay Barr’s A Musical Journey with Janis Joplin went far beyond the usual tribute concert.
Far more theatrical in its execution, the performance took the audience through all of the peaks and valleys of the legendary musician’s extraordinary but tragic life, from her early days as a folk singer from Texas, to San Francisco, Monterey Pop, Woodstock, and to her tragic death in an LA hotel room. It took the audience on the musical journey it promised.
Lindsay Barr did the impossible by not just performing Janis Joplin’s songs through every stage of her career, but by becoming the living embodiment of Janis, recreating her energy, her look, and her unique and highly original sound. Uunder the guidance of musical director Rico Browne, a gifted group of musicians provided spot-on backing vocals for Lindsay, furthering the experience. Meanwhile, Addison Wylie, Terry Convey, and Adam Martignetti helped recreate infamous television appearances and concert moments, providing a complete musical theatre experience.
The only thing wrong with the show was that it was a one-night-only performance — never before have I seen the Market Hall packed to the rafters. This show was an incredible musical experience that should not only be revived, but taken on the road. The world doesn’t need another Eagles tribute group — audiences need to see shows like this one.
A Musical Journey with Janis Joplin was a joyous and magical night and a journey I want to take with Lindsay Barr all over again. Bring this show back!
Honourable Mention: Lindsay Lohan’s Speak: A Classic Album Comes to Life
February 2018 at The Theatre on King. Written by and starring Dave Cave.
Somewhere between madness and genius sits Lindsay comedian Dave Cave, who brought to TTOK a show nobody ever asked for nor knew they wanted, when he performed Lindsay Lohan’s forgettable 2004 album Speak in its entirety.
Famously saying that he was “getting no joy out of this”, Dave managed to keep the audience riveted for nearly two hours of excruciating banal lyrics and hilarious commentary, as he deconstructed Lohan’s career just prior to her bad girl antics.
I continue to shoot Dave information for Toronto’s Fringe Festival from time to time, begging him to revive this comedic masterpiece on the Toronto stage. There is a market for this show, and if you missed it you will never know just how horrible and hilarious Lindsay Lohan can be.
Dave is a comedic genius and he put too much painful effort in learning the stupid songs from this terrible album for this show, hands down the funniest performance of 2018, to fade more quikcleyr than Lindsay Lohan’s career.
Best “New” Talent of 2018
Anwen and Ilan O’Driscoll
Anwen O’Driscoll. (Photo: Tim Leyes)
To say that Anwen and Ilan O’Driscoll, Lindsay’s own answer to the Gish sisters, are “new” talent isn’t quite accurate; both have been established stage actresses for years. What would be more accurate is so say 2018 was the year these two talented actresses crossed my radar for the first time — I have been fascinated by both of them ever since.
Unable to choose one sister over the other, I just need to give them both the title of best “new” talent of 2018.
A unique dramatic actress, Anwen O’Driscoll has already received wide-spread attention for her role as Taylor Matheson on CBC TV’s Burden of Truth, which has gained its own solid fan following in the U.S. this past summer when it was broadcast on The CW Network.
However, before I saw her on Burden of Truth (which I admit I’ve become a huge fan of; the first season is now on DVD and the new season starts on January 9th), I saw her and Ilan perform together at the Lindsay Little Theatre in My Heart’s a Suitcase, followed by Anwen’s emotional starring role in Proof.
Anwen can fill the stage with emotions that are so real and so raw that it’s impossible not to be affected while watching her. Despite her youth, she is highly professional and amazing to watch. But what audiences and fans might not know is that Anwen is also a highly quirky young woman, and her sense of fun is addictive. She is hilarious to listen to behind the scenes.
Anwen’s current project is a supporting role in the upcoming Netflix television series October Faction, based on Steve Niles’ comic book and set to debut in October 2019. She has some other exciting opportunities in the works. But what’s refreshing is that. despite her budding career in television, Anwen still considers the Lindsay Little Theatre, where she began acting, her home base.
Ilan O’Driscoll. (Photo: Denise Grant)
As for younger sister Ilan, there is a certain unearthly magic about her as if she is a real life fairy queen. One of the most poised, not to mention best dressed, young women in the Kawarthas, Ilan has the ability not to just memorize entire scripts in a matter of hours, but she has an unusual stage presence unlike anything I’ve seen before in the time I’ve been covering theatre.
I was fascinated by her performance in My Heart’s a Suitcase, which prompted me to approach her after the show and tell her that, if anybody tells her to do anything different, she should ignore them because she was perfect.
Ilan’s delivery is subtle and understated, but she hits every point beautifully. She has incredible timing, both dramatically and with a punchline. She moves around the stage as if she lives there, and the more awkward the performance, the more at home she seems to be. It’s this quality that helped her win the Eastern Ontario Drama League’s Penny Arril Award this fall. I’ve never encountered a performer quite like Ilan, who I have little doubt will become a major star in her own right.
Not surprisingly, Ilan has two upcoming screen appearances as well as a guest spot on Billy Baldwin’s upcoming Netflix series Northern Rescue, and a small character role in next summer’s comic book blockbuster Shazam.
The O’Driscoll Sisters are a very big deal, and I’m already a huge fan of them both. Seeing them on a local stage, while watching their careers grow past the Kawartas, has been one of the most exciting things this year.
Special Shout-Outs
Norm Foster comes to Port Hope
Norm Foster as Jonas Ainsworth and David Nairn as Barry Butterfield in “Jonas and Barry in the Home, at its debut in 2015 at Theatre Orangeville. (Photo: Drayton Entertainment)
In the five years I’ve been covering the arts in the Kawarthas, I have seen more plays written by Norm Foster than any other playwright. Theatrical groups love to produce him and audiences love his shows, making him one of the most produced playwrights in North America.
So I was thrilled to have the chance to not only interview him, but also to briefly meet him when he and David Nairn brought their show Barry and Jonas in the Home to Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre in March. A wonderful and touching play starring two of Canada’s finest performers, it was a memorable night in a beautiful historic theatre.
Norm Foster with Sam Tweedle. (Photo: Sam Tweedle)
I have interviewed and met hundreds of notable entertainment professionals in my career, but it was special to talk to Norm as his work is something that continues to impact my career at kawarthaNOW. It was a wonderful moment to be able to shake his hand and tell him how much of his work is produced in the Kawarthas, and how every year I see first-hand how much joy it brings to audiences.
The Theatre On King moves to 171 King Street
The Theatre on King’s new and larger location at 171 King Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: kawarthaNOW.com)
One of the most important and beloved artistic hubs in Peterborough, The Theatre On King had a big change when it left its somewhat secret location behind the Corus building to its new street-front location at 171 King Street. However, what made this truly special was how the entire community pitched in to make this move possible for Ryan Kerr and Kate Story and their company.
Through a GoFundMe campaign, local supporters helped the theatre raise over $9,100 to help with renovating tge former Custom Copy location into a unique theatrical space. A team of friends and volunteers worked day and night, creating a quick and nearly seamless move for the theatre.
After performing with the final theatrical production in the old space, Eugene Ionesco’s The Chairs in June, the company reopened only two months later in with Fluff Stories, featuring the stories of local author Joe Davies, in September. The speed at which the TTOK crew got the new space up and running was a true testament to their dedication and passion.
Ryan Kerr (in the wedding dress) demonstrates his commitment to the new The Theatre of King at a ceremony officiated by performer and writer Andrew Root. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
To celebrate the new theatre, TTOK held a celebration where Ryan Kerr “married” the theatre. With popular performer and writer Andrew Root officiating the “wedding”, the ceremony was followed by food and a dance, making it feel like a real-life wedding filled with friends and familiar faces.
TTOK’s move was a significant moment in Peterborough’s culture landscape because it not only gave TTOK a noticeable storefront (with signage), but a larger and more adaptable performance space allowing for larger audiences. I’ve also been happy to hear that even with its expanded capacity, TTOK has been selling out performances. The community involvement with the financial backing, physical labour, and promotion of the move created a sense of involvement and passion for the space.
But best of all, although the theatre is now located on the street, you still have to go through an alley to enter the theatre at the back door, maintaining the mystique of TTOK.
Photographer Andy Carroll
A rare photo of photographer Andy Carroll, who prefers to work behind the lens. (Photo courtesy of Jill Stavely)
Not only is photographer Andy Carroll one of the true heroes of our arts community, he’s also one of the nicest gentlemen you’ll ever meet. Through his camera lens, Andy has been capturing the people, performers, and streetscapes of our community for years, and his dynamic photos accompany a good portion of my kawarthaNOW articles.
There is always this wonderfully awkward exchange between Andy and me after every performance we attend together about his photos. I don’t want to assume he’s going to provide them, so I ask if he will, and he always graciously does (free of charge). Andy’s work is a gift to our arts community, as nobody else has created such a vivid and beautiful visual archive of local theatrical events.
If you love Andy’s photos like we do, some of his best photos are featured in the new The Theatre On King 2019 calendar. Available at the theatre, the calendar is $30 with half of the proceeds going to support TTOK further activities and the other half going to Andy himself. A fantastic gift for the theatre lover in Peterborough, contact TTOK for your own copy — you’ll be supporting both TTOK and Andy’s work.
Andy Carroll’s photos are featured in the The Theatre On King’s 2019 calendar. The calendar costs $30, with proceeds split equally between Andy and the theatre. (Photo of calendar cover supplied by Ryan Kerr)
The producers, directors, and actors of our local theatre community
I just want to take one last moment to thank this incredible arts community for another inspiring and entertaining year and for allowing me to lend my own talents in promoting and being a part of this community.
I can’t express the joy it brings me every month to preview your shows, and help support them in a way that I can. I have so much respect for the theatre as a safe space, and to allow someone into that space to preview what you’ve worked on takes a lot of trust.
In all honesty, what I want more than anything is for every production to succeed. I understand the time and dedication it take to get an artistic vision in front of an audience, and I want the efforts everyone puts into these shows to pay off.
I want to promote your show, and I am always thrilled when I learn that the shows are sold out and successful — often in part because people read about them on kawarthaNOW.com.
Thank you to every director, producer, performer, and venue, and to everyone who has trusted me to enter your space and allowed me to talk with you about your work. I am your audience. I am your biggest fan. You are all my favourites. I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeves in 2019.
Our top story for 2018 was the Peterborough Humane Society's transfer in April of 15 dogs of different breeds (including the Norweigan Elk Hound, Tossa, and Korean Jindo) from Montreal to Peterborough for adoption, part of a group of 80 dogs that Humane Society International rescued from a Korean meat farm, where they lived in terrible conditions and were fated to be slaughtered. This photo of a Korean Jindo pup, a breed of hunting dog that originated on Jindo (an island just southwest of the Korean Peninsula) was part of a 2014 story on the breed in The New York Times. (Photo: Jean Chung for The New York Times)
The biggest news stories in Peterborough and the Kawarthas in 2018 included the provincial and municipal elections, the legalization of cannabis, and the closure of the General Motors plant in Oshawa. While kawarthaNOW covered these stories along with other media, as locally owned independent media, we also strive to cover local stories from across the Kawarthas that the traditional media don’t.
We’re proud to have published almost a thousand stories in 2018, including quite a few that we broke before other media. To do this, we brought on three new writers from across the Kawarthas (Amy Bowen of Peterborough, April Potter of Port Hope, and Barb Shaw of Coe Hill) in 2018, complementing our existing regular writers (Josh Fewings, Eva Fisher, Paula Kehoe, Paul Rellinger, Shannon Taylor, and Sam Tweedle, along with myself and publisher Jeannine Taylor) and several guest writers. We also maintained a monthly inventory of around 1,000 local events, thanks in large part to our events editor Angela Johnson.
In addition to breaking news and community stories, in 2018 we published five weekly columns (businessNOW, nightlifeNOW, Peterborough GreenUP, Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism news, and The Beach Report during the summer) and five monthly columns (artNOW, musicNOW, kNOSH News, our top Instagram photos, and what’s coming to Netflix).
Below we’ve selected our top 10 most popular stories for each month of 2018, with our most popular story of the year from April, when the Peterborough Humane Society adopted out 15 dogs rescued from a Korean meat farm. That story was shared more than 5,000 times on Facebook alone, reaching over 30,000 people.
Mike Taveroff closed his iconic Moondance store at 425 George Street North in downtown Peterborough after 46 years of operation. The store originally opened at 249 George Street in 1972 — making it Canada’s oldest independent music store. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Our most popular story in January was the news that Mike Taveroff was closing Moondance, Canada’s oldest independent record store, after 46 years. This was closely followed by the announcement that children’s musician Fred Penner was to perform a free concert in Peterborough.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was in Orono for the filming of the action thriller “Polar”, a Netflix production based on the graphic novel by Victor Santos. Mikkelsen, who is best known for his roles as villains in Casino Royale, Doctor Strange, Rogue One, and Hannibal, portrays the world’s top assassin Duncan “the Black Kaiser” Vizla. (Publicity photo)
Peterborough microbrewery Beard Free Brewing opened on March 23, 2018. Pictured is head brewer Nyckolas Dubé with a keg of Lock 21 destined for Publican House Brewery. (Photo: Beard Free Brewing)
Volunteers with the Peterborough Humane Society travelled to Montreal on April 13, 2018 to pick up 15 dogs rescued from a Korean meat farm. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society)
Our top story for April (and for all of 2018) was the news that 15 dogs rescued from a Korean meat farm were coming to Peterborough for adoption to their forever homes. That story was shared more than 5,000 times on Facebook alone, reaching over 30,000 people. Also very popular among our readers in April was our profile of Kawartha Kangaroos, a private reserve for kangaroos south of Millbrook (hint: we published this story on April 1st).
Peterborough’s first adult outdoor gym in Beavermead Park, a projectd with contributions of $25,000 from each of the Rotary Club of Peterborough-Kawartha and the Rotary Club of Peterborough and $40,000 from the City of Peterborough. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
The 2017 thriller “It” was partly filmed in Port Hope, Ontario. The production company for the “It” sequel held a job fair on June 22, 2018 at the old Canadian Tire Store in Port Hope. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
On July 6, 2018, Brian “Buzz” Thompson passed away in Toronto at the age of 68 while being treated for a heart attack and stroke. Here Buzz is pictured performing at the Dutch Mason Blues Festival in Nova Scotia. (Photo: Randy MacNeil / 2010)
After a local woman was bitten by a rabid bat, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District (HKRP) Health Unit reminded residents on August 21, 2018 to take precautions against rabies.
Sarah “T-Rex” Anderson walks down Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough in her dinosaur costume. The Peterborough resident said she wanted to create group where people can do safe, silly and fun things. (Screenshot from Facebook video by Amanda Stewart)
On October 22, 2018, 32-year-old Diane Therrie was elected the Mayor of Peterborough, defeating incumbent Daryl Bennett in a landslide. (Photo: Diane Therrien / Facebook)
A huge hand-crafted poppy, created from thousands of smaller hand-crafted poppies,wass on display on the front of the Hospice North Hastings store, Vintage on Hastings, until Remembrance Day. (Photo: Barb Shaw)
Rounding out our top stories in November were our review of the St. James Players family-friendly production of Shrek: The Musical, the announcement that Peterborough activist Rosemary Ganley would receive the 2018 YMCA Peace Medal, our story that Peterborough musician Rick Young has again been treated for cancer (he’s now cancer free), and our feature interview with Peterborough’s new mayor Diane Therrien.
December
19-year-old Lasair Wood became the new owner of The Food Forest Cafe in downtown Peterborough in December 2018. (Photo via @marymaggiem / Instagram)
With the first cases of flu now confirmed in our community and across the province, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), the Peterborough Family Health Team, and Peterborough Public Health have been working together to ensure resources are available to meet the increased demand for health care services.
While the hospital has taken steps to meet the “seasonal surge” (including hiring more than 100 new nurses over the past year), it continues to see significant increases in the number of patients through its doors.
If you get sick over the holidays, the emergency department at PRHC is not your only option, according to PRHC’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nancy White.
“We ask that people assess the urgency of their illness before deciding whether to seek care with their family practitioner, a community clinic, or the emergency department,” Dr. White says.
If you get the flu and you are healthy, you may be able to take care of yourself at home without the need for medical care. However, if you think you may need medical care and you have a family doctor, consider the following options before heading to the emergency department:
Call the office of your family doctor or nurse practitioner, which will offer same-day access instructions through voicemail.
If you are uncertain about how or whether to seek medical care, call the 24-hour Telehealth Ontario line at 1-866-797-0000 speak to a registered nurse.
If you have a child under the age of 18 and do not have a family doctor (or if you can’t get an appointment with your family doctor), you can visit the PRHC’s Pediatric Outpatient Program (POP) Urgent Care Clinic. The walk-in clinic, intended for children with urgent but non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses, will continue to offer extended after-hours care through the month of December.
The POP Urgent Care Clinic is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 24th, 29th, 31st and January 1st, and from 2 to 6 p.m. on December 27th and 28th. The clinic is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25th and 26th) and on Sunday, December 30th.
For people with a family doctor, the Peterborough Family Health Team encourages you to consider the above options before visiting the emergency department.
“Your family doctor has the advantage of access to your medical records, and all offices have same-day appointments available for access when medically needed,” says Dr. Kaetlen Wilson, Medical Director for the Peterborough Family Health Team.
For “unattached patients” (people who don’t have a family doctor), the Peterborough Family Health Team has also recently launched two new clinics: the Peterborough Virtual Care Clinic in Peterborough and the Peterborough Family Health Team Clinic in Lakefield provide care to patients in Peterborough City and County. Unattached patients who visit either of these clinics will be placed on a wait list for a new family doctor.
Patients with a family doctor can access same-day appointments and the extended hours service. For details and hours of operation, visit www.peterboroughfht.com.
If these options are unavailable to you or you decide you need urgent medical care, you can head to the emergency department of PRHC at 1 Hospital Drive in Peterborough.
If you have any flu symptoms — such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, or headache — when you go to the PRHC emergency department, Dr. White asks that you wear a mask to protect others from potential exposure to the virus. Masks are available inside the entrance to the emergency department.
For its part, Peterborough Public Health is remindimg people the best way to avoid getting the flu in the first place is to get immunized.
The flu shot is free and widely available at many local pharmacies and your doctor’s office. You can easily find out where the flu shot is available by visiting www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/flu. Peterborough Public Health also continues to offer flu shot appointments for children under five years old; call 705-743-1000 ext. 349.
“As influenza circulates in the Peterborough community, the flu shot may help keep you well over the holidays,” says Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra. “It also prevents you from spreading it to people who are at the greatest risk of getting seriously ill if they get the flu: seniors and young children.”
Dr. Salvaterra is also reminding people the flu shot takes two weeks to become effective, so the sooner you get the shot during flu season the better.
As Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day are statutory holidays in Ontario, all government offices and services are closed (many are also closed during Boxing Week). Liquor and beer stores are closed, except for a selected few that will be open on Boxing Day this year for the first time. Most businesses — including malls, box stores, and grocery stores — are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but are open on Boxing Day. Many businesses close early in the afternoon on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 257 selected businesses, services, and organizations across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially where you see “call to confirm” or if you are travelling any distance. If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form.
Bewdley Transfer Station - 7650 County Rd. 9, Hamilton, 905-342-2514
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
Brighton Landfill - 1112 County Rd. 26, Brighton, 613-475-1946
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
8:30am-12:00pm
CLOSED
Canada Post Mail Delivery / Offices (Note: post offices operated by the private sector will be open according to the hours of service of the host business
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
Regular collection and delivery
No collection or delivery
No collection or delivery
Regular collection and delivery
No collection or delivery
City of Kawartha Lakes City Hall, Municipal Service Centres, and Administration Offices - 26 Francis St., Lindsay, 705-324-9411
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED (ALSO CLOSED THU DEC 27 & FRI DEC 28)
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Parks, Recreation and Culture facilities, arenas, and pools - Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes, 705-324-9411
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
Community centres close at 12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
Community centres close at 12:00pm
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Public Libraries - Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes, 705-324-9411 x1291
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED (OPEN THU DEC 27 & FRI DEC 28)
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Waste and Recycling Collection - 26 Francis St., Lindsay, 1-888-822-2225
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
No change
Moves to Wed Dec 26
Moves to Thu Dec 27 (Thu moves to Fri Dec 28)
No change
Moves to Wed Jan 2 (Wed moves to Thu Jan 3, Thu to Fri Jan 4)
City of Peterborough Day Cares, Peterborough, 705-748-8830
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED (ALSO CLOSED THU DEC 27 & FRI DEC 28)
CLOSED
CLOSED
City of Peterborough Garbage Pickup, Peterborough, 705-745-1386
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
No change
Moves to Mon Dec 24
Moves to Sat Dec 29
No change
Moves to Mon Dec 31
City of Peterborough Recycling Pickup, Peterborough, 705-876-1600
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
No change
Moves to Mon Dec 24
Moves to Sat Dec 29
No change
Moves to Mon Dec 31
City of Peterborough Social Services, Peterborough, 705-748-8830
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED (ALSO CLOSED THU DEC 27 & FRI DEC 28)
CLOSED
CLOSED
County of Haliburton Administration Offices - 11 Newcastle St., Minden, 705-286-4085
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
Closes at 12:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED (ALSO CLOSED THU DEC 27 & FRI DEC 28)
CLOSED
CLOSED
County of Northumberland Waste and Recycling Collection - 555 Courthouse Rd., Cobourg, 1-866-293-8379
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
Moves to Wed Dec 26
Moves to Thu Dec 27
Moves to Fri Dec 28 (Thu moves to Sat Dec 29)
No chance
Moves to Wed Jan 2 (Wed moves to Thu Jan 3, Thu to Fri Jan 4)
County of Peterborough Administration Offices - 470 Water St., Peterborough, 705-743-0380
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
CLOSED
CLOSED
CLOSED (ALSO CLOSED THU DEC 27 & FRI DEC 28)
CLOSED
CLOSED
County of Peterborough Garbage Pickup, Peterborough, 705-745-1386
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
heck your township at ptbocounty.ca or install My Waste App
heck your township at ptbocounty.ca or install My Waste App
heck your township at ptbocounty.ca or install My Waste App
heck your township at ptbocounty.ca or install My Waste App
heck your township at ptbocounty.ca or install My Waste App
County of Peterborough Recycling Pickup, Peterborough, 705-775-2737
MON DEC 24
TUE DEC 25
WED DEC 26
MON DEC 31
TUE JAN 1
No change
No collection
No collection
No change
Moves to Wed Jan 2 (Wed moves to Thu Jan 3, Thu to Fri Jan 4, Fri to Sat Jan 5)
A white-tailed deer at the Cation Wildlife Preserve, one of many species of wildlife that use the 669-acre property as a natural corridor. Now that David and Sharon Cation have donated the property to Kawartha Land Trust, it will be protected in perpetuity from the kind of development over the last century that saw its old-growth forest destroyed and a reduction of the area's biodiversity. (Photo: KLT volunteer Andy Holden)
Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) is officially opening the new Cation Wildlife Preserve near Coboconk in the City of Kawartha Lakes on Saturday, June 22nd.
Kawartha Land Trust presents Cation Wildlife Preserve Celebration & Trails Grand Opening
When: Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 10 a.m. Where: French Settlement Rd at Powell Line, Coboconk How much: Free
Join the celebration, discover the trails and help Kawartha Land Trust thank land donors David and Sharon Cation. Remarks at 10 a.m. followed by guided walks. RSVP at Eventbrite.
The 669-acre property includes marked trails for passive recreational use by the public, including hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.
The newly protected property was donated to KLT by David and Sharon Cation.
After David’s mother died in 1998, he and his brother decided to use the proceeds of her small estate to purchase the property, which is located on French Settlement Road north of Indian Point Provincial Park on Balsam Lake, around 45 kilometres north of Lindsay.
“We decided to buy land for future generations which is what our parents had done all their lives,” Cation says.
“Buying the French Settlement Road property to protect for future generations is merely keeping her legacy alive. We wish she could be here to participate.”
A trail system passes through the grasslands and meadows of the of the Cation property. After the trails are marked, they will open for passive recreational use by the public such as hiking in 2019. (Photo: KLT volunteer Steve Paul)
The Cations decided the best way to ensure the property remains protected is to donate it to KLT, which David had learned about through the organization’s campaign to save Boyd Island, southern Ontario’s largest undeveloped island located in Pigeon Lake just east of Bobcaygeon. He subsequently volunteered to work on a number of KLT properties, helping with trail cleanup and participating in other stewardship activities.
As with all properties, before KLT could accept the Cations’ gift, it needed to raise a stewardship endowment fund. Around $200,000 was required for securement-related expenses and to ensure the property could be cared for in perpetuity.
Donors David and Sharon Cation with staff and volunteers of Kawartha Land Trust. From left to right: Mike McMurtry, Mike Hendren, Tara King, Patricia Wilson, Brian Preiswersk, David Cation, Sharon Cation, Thom Unrau, Guy Wagner, Ralph McKim, Bill Crins, and Anna Lee. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Financial support was provided by the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change. Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario Parks (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry), and Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale all wrote letters supporting the acquisition.
The new Cation Wildlife Preserve sits in the middle of several protected areas, including the Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve, Indian Point and Balsam Lake Provincial Parks, Queen Elizabeth Wildlands Provincial Park, and the Carl Sedore Wildlife Management Area.
Although today the property is a thriving area filled with plant and wildlife species, that was not always the case: for over a century it suffered from hard use.
Over the past century, the forested areas were cleared by logging resulting in pasture grasslands where cattle once grazed. (Photo: KLT volunteer Andy Holden)The property includes a swamp that is part of a 183-acre Provincially Significant Wetland. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
In the 1800s, heavy logging wiped out old hardwoods and conifers, reducing the forests and opening up the landscape. The open fields were then used as a range, with cattle grazing there for many years. Around 30 years ago, the property was logged again, wiping out the larger trees and significantly reducing the area’s biodiversity.
The property was eventually sold to a recreational hunter, who used it to train dogs for hunting coyotes. He surrounded the property with electric fencing, which prevented some species from using the natural corridor and accessing the protected natural spaces in the area.
After several years of this use, the land was left vacant and the landscape began to regenerate. Grasses and shrubby plants began to grow, and muddy open areas where the dogs once ran became covered again with native vegetation. As the fencing deteriorated, large wildlife began to use the property as a natural corridor again.
Belted kingfishers (pictured), hooded mergansers, and painted turtles inhabit the swampy area of the Cation property. (Photo: KLT volunteer Steve Paul)The loss of scrubland habitat due to human activities such as brush clearing and agricultural production reduced the population of the Eastern Towhee by 49 per cent in the last 50 years. (Photo: KLT volunteer Steve Paul)
The property is now made up of rolling areas that were once pasture grasslands, with shrubby meadow thickets, early successional and mixed hardwood forests, and a swamp that is part of a 183-acre Provincially Significant Wetland. A trail system passes through the grasslands and meadows, which are home to a wide range of wildlife.
Bird species spotted on the property include golden-winged warblers, bald eagles, upland sandpipers, and thrashers, with belted kingfishers and hooded mergansers inhabiting the swampy area along with painted turtles and leopard and green frogs.
Staghorn sumac, wild red raspberry, and blackberry bushes found throughout the property are a food source to many species, and there are signs that white-tailed deer, coyotes, black bears, and even moose have visited the property.
A volunteer removes some of the old wire fencing used by a previous owner to enclose the property. Wildlife organizations will repurpose the fencing for new enclosures and other projects. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
The old dog kennels, wire fencing, and old rain barrels left behind by the previous owner were repurposed by the Kawartha Wildlife Centre, with volunteers taking everything apart this summer so it can be made into wildlife enclosures and raccoon beds. Other wildlife organizations, including Speaking of Wildlife, are using the old fencing for new enclosures and other projects.
This is the third property protected by KLT in Decemeber 2018. Bob and Mary Hartley recently entered into a conservation easement agreement for their 44-acre Pine Ridge property west of the Pigeon River, and Scott Wootton and Catherine Kirk donated a 34-acre property near Burleigh.
KLT is the only non-governmental charitable organization committed to protecting land in the Kawarthas. With these three properties, the organization is now protecting a total of 17 properties covering more than 4,101 acres of diverse and significant land.
For more information about KLT, and to make a donation, visit kawarthalandtrust.org,.
The Neil Young mural on the side of Omemee's Coronation Hall, where Young performed his "Home Town" concert on December 1, 2017. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
There is a town in north Ontario
With dream comfort memory to spare
And in my mind
I still need a place to go
All my changes were there.
– “Helpless” by Neil Young
A new public art mural in Omemee pays homage to the village’s most famous former inhabitant, the iconic singer-songwriter Neil Young.
The mural, designed and painted by artist Russ Gordon, was installed earlier this month on the west-facing wall of Coronation Hall at 1 King Street West, where Young performed his “Home Town” concert on December 1, 2017.
Designed and painted by artist Russ Gordon, the mural is located on the west-facing wall of Coronation Hall. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
Located 128 kilometres northeast of Toronto, Omemee is the “town in north Ontario” in Young’s 1967 song “Helpless” and it’s where he spent the formative years of his childhood.
The Young family moved to Omemee at the end of August 1949, when Neil was almost four years old. He lived in Omemee for four years (it was where he contracted polio, during the 1951 epidemic) until 1953, when his family moved to Winnipeg.
Many years later, his father — journalist and author Scott Young — returned to live in the area until he died in 2005 (a public school in Omemee is named in Scott Young’s honour).
Five-year-old Neil Young in August 1950, fishing from a wooden bridge over the Pigeon River in Omemee. (Photo: Harold Whyte)
The Neil Young mural is based on a painting that Gordon turned into a print and donated through a fundraiser to the former Youngtown Museum in Omemee.
“Being a big Neil Young fan and a supporter of Canadian music, when I first heard about the Youngtown museum in Omemee, I knew that I had to visit it,” Gordon says.
“I wanted to contribute to what I thought was a great venue and a well presented tribute to Neil and our Canadian music history. The print that I painted was to honour Neil Young and the small town roots that he grew up in.”
Russ Gordon originally created the design for Trevor Hosier’s Youngtown Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum, which was located in Omemee from 2006 until 2014. (Photo: Trevor Hosier)
The Youngtown Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum was founded in 2006 by collector Trevor “T.R.” Hosier and was located at 45 King Street East in Omemee, only six buildings away from Young’s childhood home.
Hosier closed the private, volunteer-run museum in 2014 and put the building up for sale because of the time and cost required for its upkeep.
The Neil Young mural was designed and painted by artist Russ Gordon. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
In 2015, the Olde Gaol Museum in Lindsay agreed to host a much smaller version of the exhibit, which subsequently closed for good in September 2017.
Gordon donated the rights to re-create the image as a mural, and the City of Kawartha Lakes paid the cost of producing and installing the 12-by-eight-foot mural.
“I was very humbled when I was asked to reproduce my original painting as a mural for the outside of Coronation Hall, the very place that Mister Young held his Hometown concert,” Gordon says.
“Thank you Omemee and the City of Kawartha Lakes. It is a definite highlight in my career for me to be able to honour this Canadian music legend.”
The mural is the first public art project created under the municipality’s new Public Art Policy, but it’s not the first mural in Omemee.
In May 2018, Mount Forest artist Cliff Smith painted a 24-by-16-foot mural, celebrating the culture and heritage of Omemee and acknowledging the service of veterans, on the west side of the Omemee Legion building at 46 King Street East.
Artist Cliff Smith painted this mural, celebrating the culture and heritage of Omemee and acknowledging the service of veterans, which was installed on the Omemee Legion building Earlier earlier in 2018. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
The Weber Brothers (Ryan Browne, Sam Weber, Ryan Weber, Marcus Browne, and Emily Burgess) are performing a Christmas show at The Red Dog in Peterborough on Friday, December 21st, with a portion of proceeds going to Warming Room Community Ministries. (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, December 20 to Wednesday, December 26.
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.
Monday, December 31 10pm - NYE 2019 Masquerade Ball ($10-$20, in advance at http://clubaria.ca)
Arlington Pub
32990 Highway 62, Maynooth
(613) 338-2080
Saturday, December 22
9pm - Solstice Dance Party (PWYC, all proceeds to Maynooth Food Bank)
Arthur's Pub
930 Burnham St., Cobourg
(905) 372-2105
Thursday, December 20
8pm - Karaoke night
Friday, December 21
8-11pm - Jeff Biggar
Saturday, December 22
8-11pm - Two for the Show
Sunday, December 23
4:30-8pm - Celtic Afternoon with Tyson Gallowa
Coming Soon
Friday, December 28 8-11pm - Northern Hearts
Saturday, December 29 8-11pm - DownBeat
Sunday, December 30 4:30-8pm - Celtic Afternoon with Busker Brothers
Monday, December 31 10:30pm - New Year's Eve East Coast Kitchen Party w/ Madman's Window
Beard Free Brewing
649 Unit 4 The Parkway, Peterborough
(705) 775-2337
Sunday, December 23
2-5 pm - Acoustic Jam Session
Black Horse Pub
452 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 742-0633
Thursday, December 20
7:30-11:30pm - Jazz and Blues ft Rob Phillips Trio w/ Marsala Lukianchuk
Friday, December 21
5pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - Josh Gordon Band
Saturday, December 22
5pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - Hillary Dumoulin
Sunday, December 23
3pm - Chic'n Pot Pi; 6:30m - Sonny & Cloudy
Monday, December 24
5pm - Terry Finn & 4 Front
Tuesday, December 25
Closed
Coming Soon
Thursday, December 27 7:30-11:30pm - Jazz and Blues ft Rob Phillips Trio w/ Marsala Lukianchuk
Friday, December 28 5pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - 4 Lanes Wide
Saturday, December 29 5pm - Rick & Gailie; 8:30pm - Back Beat
Sunday, December 30 3pm - Bridgenorth Boys; 6:30pm - Oscar Donald Trio
Monday, December 31 5pm - Rick & Gailie; 9pm - New Year's Eve w/ Express & Harmony (3-course package dinner, champagne at midnight)
Boiling Over's Coffee Vault
148 Kent St. W., Lindsay
(705) 878-8884
Friday, December 21
6-9pm - Open mic
Canoe & Paddle
18 Bridge St., Lakefield
(705) 651-1111
Coming Soon
Monday, December 31 7pm - New Year's Eve w/ dinner, drink, Ace & The Kid at 9pm, and champagne at midnight ($90)
The Cat & The Fiddle Cobourg
38 Covert St., Cobourg
(905) 377-9029
Friday, December 21
7pm - Quckshifters
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
Friday, December 21
6pm - Booth Street Records and Churchkey Pub and Grindhouse Christmas w/ Ken Tizzard, Jane Archer and the Reactionaries, Music For Goats
Wednesday, December 26
8pm - Whiskey Wednesday w/ Ken Tizzard
Coming Soon
Friday, December 28 5-7pm - Jonny And Jane
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
Coming Soon
Monday, December 31 8:30pm - New Year's Eve w/ The Rootmen
Dreams of Beans
138 Hunter St. W., Peterborough
(705) 742-2406
Thursday, December 20
8pm - Open Mic hosted by Jacques Graveline
Frank's Pasta and Grill
426 King St. E., Cobourg
(905) 372-2727
Friday, December 21
9pm-12am - Karaoke; 12am - DJ
Saturday, December 22
7-10pm - 7th Annual SickKids Fundraiser ft live music w/ Mark Hanson, Doug Bates, Daivd Lingard, Christine Atrill & many more, silent auction, door prizes (donations at door); 11:30pm - DJ
Wednesday, December 26
8-11pm - Open Mic
Coming Soon
Thursday, December 27 5:30-8:30pm - Morgan Rider
Monday, December 31 8pm - New Year's Eve ft Johnny Sweet & The Project ($15); 11:30pm - DJ
Artist collective Atelier Ludmila is presenting "Granny and The Starchild Winter Solstice Celebration" on Friday, December 21, 2018 in downtown Peterborough, featuring a drummer-led lantern parade and five special stages with dancers, musicians, and puppets performing in and around Peterborough Square. Pictured is the 2017 lantern parade, led by the Starchild. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
On Friday (December 21), winter is officially here with the arrival of the winter solstice, also known as the hibernal solstice or midwinter. While you may not relish the cold winter months ahead, you will want to welcome the “return of the light” — after Friday, the nights get shorter and the days start getting longer again.
In downtown Peterborough, there’s a special event to do just that. Artist collective Atelier Ludmila is presenting “Granny and The Starchild Winter Solstice Celebration” on Friday from 6 to 7 p.m., with a drummer-led lantern parade and five special stages with dancers, musicians, and beautiful puppets performing in and around Peterborough Square.
Starchild with Granny and Bear during the 2017 winter solstice celebration in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Originally established as the “Light Hunters’ Promenade” for the 2016 winter solstice, the event is hosted by Laurel Paluck and Annie Jaeger and features Granny and The Starchild (Hilary Wear and Charlie Watson), Bear (Conner Clarkin), Deers (Kate Brennan, Audrey Eyers, Sarah Rudnicki, Wes Ryan, and Mariya Yagnyukova), Lady Caw Caw and The Bro Crows (Janette Platana and Old Men Dancing), Foxes (Dreda Blow, Bradley Boyle, Mary-Kate Edwards, Chris Jardin, and Carolyn McCarthy), and Wolves (Naomi Duvall, Nathan Govier, June Govier, and Daniel Smith).
The event is directed by Laurel Paluck with choreography by Dreda Blow, Sarah Rudnicki, and Nathan Govier and live music performed by TASS drummers with David Bigg on sax and Taite Cullen on keyboard.
A performance during the 2017 winter solstice celebration in downtown Peterborough. This year’s parade and celebration takes place indoors and outdoors around Peterborough Square. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
If you’d like to participate, gather in the alley behind Watson & Lou (383 Water St.) at 6 p.m. for the lantern parade. You can bring your own lanterns or, if you wish to sponsor the event, you can purchase an artist-made lantern for $100.
Led by Granny and The Starchild and the drummers, the parade will proceed along Water, Hunter, and George Streets, arriving at Peterborough Square (340 George St. N.) at around 6:30 p.m. for a indoors and outdoors magical tour of five special performances.
Fire representing the return of the light during the 2017 winter solstice celebration in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
The cost to attend is by donation (suggested $10 per family or pay what you wish). Volunteers wearing red capes will accept donations at the beginning and end of the event.
Rain is in the forecast for Friday, so if it’s raining when the event is about to begin, go directly to Peterborough Square at 6 p.m.
What is the winter solstice?
On the winter solstice, the Earth’s northern hemisphere is tilted the furthest away from the sun, resulting in the longest night and shortest day of the year.
Because the axis of Earth is tilted by 23.5 degrees, the orientation of the northern and southern hemispheres changes as the Earth orbits the Sun, resulting in the change of seasons.
Although the winter solstice happens at the same moment for everyone around the world (5:23 p.m. EST), the length of the night depends on your location between the equator and the north pole. At the equator, there’ll be 12 hours of darkness. In the Kawarthas, we’ll get 15 hours and 9 minutes of darkness. At the Arctic circle, there will be a full 24 hours of darkness.
In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. The opposite is true in the southern hemisphere.
After the winter solstice, the northern hemisphere begins to tilt more towards the sun. On the summer solstice (Friday, June 21, 2019), the northern hemisphere will be tilted the closest to the sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the year. In the Kawarthas, that means we’ll get 15 hours and 32 minutes of daylight.
Humans have been tracking the annual progress of the sun for thousands of years. Ancient peoples noticed regular patterns in the sun’s path across the sky, the amount of daylight and night, and the changing location of the sunrise and sunset. Monuments like Stonehenge in England and Machu Picchu in Peru were built for this purpose.
The 2018 winter solstice, arriving on Friday, December 21, is the shortest day of the year and represents the official beginning of winter. The good news is that, after the winter solstice, the days begin to get longer than the nights again.
Pagan cultures in the northern hemisphere marked the winter solstice as the final day before the long winter by holding feast celebrations. Animals were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, and wine and beer that was fermented during the year was ready for drinking.
Many of the traditions we now associate with Christmas have their roots in winter solstice celebrations. For example, the Celtic Druids used evergreen trees, holly, and mistletoe during winter solstice rituals.
What’s special about this year’s winter solstice?
This year’s winter solstice coincides with a full moon, which will peak at 12:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 22nd.
The December full moon is called the “Cold Moon” or the “Long Night Moon”, names that originate with Indigenous peoples of North America, who marked December’s full moon as the beginning of the coldest part of the year. Europeans called it “The Moon Before Yule” (an old northern European winter festival now associated with Christmas)
The last Cold Moon occurred in 2010 and the next one won’t happen until 2094.
A full moon over Earth photographed by astronaut Ron Garan from the International Space Station. A December full moon is called the Cold Moon, the Long Night Moon, and The Moon Before Yule. In 2018, it coincides with the winter solstice, peaking on December 22. (Photo: NASA)
On the night of December 21st, Mercury and Jupiter will be in conjunction, and the Ursid meteor shower will peak on the night of December 22nd.
Unfortunately, the weather forecast is calling for a mix of sun and cloud over the weekend so you may not be able to see these astronomical events — even if you’re willing to brave the cold nighttime temperatures.
Interesting facts about the winter solstice
The word solstice comes from the Latin word solstitium, which means “stationary sun”.
The shadow you cast at noon on the winter solstice is the longest shadow you’ll cast all year.
The Christmas carol In The Bleak Midwinter refers to the winter solstice in its title.
Every year revellers gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the shortest day.
The winter solstice happens on a different date each year (between December 21 and 23) because the Earth’s orbit around the sun is actually 365 days, five hours, and 45 seconds long.
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