Design concept of the transformed Bata Library when completed. Around 90 per cent of the construction and renovation process has been completed to date, when the library scheduled to re-open in phases in the fall of 2018. As part of the transformation, Trent University is donating 250,000 books to the Internet Archive to be digitized as part of the organization's Open Libraries project. (Illustration: Trent University)
The Bata Library at Trent University is donating 250,000 books to the Internet Archive to be digitized and preserved for easy access by all students and future generations.
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies, and music, as well as 338 billion archived web pages. The Internet Archive’s Open Libraries project aims to bring four million books online, through purchase or digitization, while honouring the rights of creators and expanding their online reach.
The Open Libraries project with the Internet Archive allows Trent University to make more space for innovative new spaces and technologies in the refurbished Bata Library, opening this fall.
“Trent is extremely pleased to partner with the Internet Archive to share and preserve an important part of the Bata Library’s rich print collections,” says university librarian Robert Clarke, university librarian.
The donation of books for digitization will allow Trent University students and faculty to continue to have access to resources once held at the Bata Library and, at the same time, will provide access to readers worldwide through the Open Libraries’ controlled lending program.
“We are pleased to partner with Trent University on this fantastic donation,” says Chris Freeland, director of Open Libraries. “These materials will help round out our research collections, and while they may have had limited circulation in physical form, our experience shows that these books will find new audiences once they have been made easily discoverable and usable online.”
The transformed Bata Library will include an entrepreneurship and social innovation centre, visualization labs, research centres, makerspace, interactive student spaces, a living wall, and much more.
Members of the cast during a rehearsal for the upcoming production of "The Music of ABBA", a fundraiser of the not-for-profit organization's capital campaign, which runs from October 12 to 14, 2018. The homegrown show features a local cast of 12 singers and six dancers, and the final production will feature original costumes by designer Howard Berry. (Photo: Wayne Bonner)
This October, the music of Swedish pop superstars ABBA comes to Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough in a special fundraising event featuring the glitz and glitter of the disco era in a unique presentation that’s distinctly home grown.
Showplace presents The Music of ABBA: A Showplace Fundraiser
When: Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, October 14, 2018 at 2 p.m. Where: Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: $34
A fundraiser for Showplace’s capital campaign. Directed by Len Lifchus and produced by Pat Hooper with musical direction by Bill Crane, choreography by Melissa Earle, and costumes by Howard Berry. Featuring Bill Crane, Rosemarie Barnes, Roy Braun, Karen Ruth Brown, Kevin Carter, Christie Freeman, Gillian Harknett, Tim Jeffries, Heather Knetchel, Theresa McMullen, Darcy Mullen, Kristin Taylor, Susie Cox, Heather Boyd, Madie Earle, Jake Roberts, and Melissa Earle. Tickets available at the Showplace Box Office, by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at www.showplace.org.
Created by the same production team that brought Cats and Ain’t Misbehavin’ to Showplace, Len Lifchus, Pat Cooper, Bill Crane, Melissa Earle, and Howard Berry are teaming up with 12 of Peterborough’s most respected vocalists and six fabulous dancers for a celebration of ABBA’s music and to kick off Showplace’s campaign to raise money to purchase new seating for the theatre.
“The show is a fundraiser for Showplace and it’s the beginning of a capital campaign we are doing,” says producer Pat Hooper, who is also chair of the board of directors of Showplace, a not-for-profit organization.
“We need new seats, but there are other things in the theatre that need to be upgraded as well.”
ABBA has been back on the cultural radar in a huge way in 2018. This past summer, the feature film Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again hit theatres. On September 28th, pop diva Cher is releasing a new album consisting entirely of ABBA cover songs.
And in December, the original members of ABBA — Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — will be releasing their first new recordings together in over 35 years.
However, as Pat reveals, Showplace’s ABBA show was in production long before this year’s resurgence of the pop music icons.
“We’ve been fortunate that we hit the wave of what has been happening with ABBA this year,” Pat says. “We actually started planning this last fall. We’ve been working on it for a long time.”
Having sold around 400 million albums, ABBA needs little introduction. No matter what corner of the world people live in, ABBA has been a part of their musical landscape. Formed in Stockholm in 1972 by song-writing partners Benny and Bjorn and female singers Agnetha and Anni-Frid, ABBA found international fame in 1974 when they won the Eurovision song-writing competition with “Waterloo”. The song quickly hit the top of the charts on every continent, and for the next eight years the band put out hit after hit, including a total of 20 on the Billboard Top 100.
“The Music of ABBA” is directed by Len Lifchus and produced by Pat Hooper with musical direction by Bill Crane, choreography by Melissa Earle, and costumes by Howard Berry. (Photos: Wayne Bonner)
Songs such as “Dancing Queen”, “S.O.S.”, “Mamma Mia”, “The Name of the Game”, “Super Trouper”, “Fernando”, “Take a Chance on Me”, “The Winner Takes It All”, and more too numerous to name, are some of the most beloved pop songs ever written and continue to be embraced by multiple generations. Like perennial gems in a musical garden, ABBA’s music continues to find new audiences through stage shows, film, tribute bands, and constant play on every media platform.
“ABBA wrote great music,” says musical director Bill Crane. “It’s simple, it’s straightforward, and it goes straight to the soul. Especially if you’re from the disco age, the music just sparkles with the glow ball.”
Len Lifchus is directing “The Music of ABBA”. The production features ABBA’s greatest hits, as well as five songs from the 1984 Broadway production of “Chess”, which was written by Tim Rice and ABBA song-writers Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. (Photo: Wayne Bonner)
“It’s also interesting how many different styles of music are heard in ABBA’s music,” Pat points out. “There is some classical, Spanish, and even rap in their music.”
“But it’s all about the beat,” director Len Lifchus adds. “People love to dance to the beat.”
The Showplace tribute to ABBA started as the brainchild of Bill Crane, who admits that he came to appreciate the music of ABBA later than most fans. It wasn’t until he saw the Toronto production of Mamma Mia that he became a fan.
“When ABBA was hot between 1974 and 1982 I was too busy getting a degree and raising a family to be paying attention to what they were doing,” Bill explains. “But I got tickets to see Mamma Mia and, well, I was just not prepared for it. We had fabulous seats and the show was just electric. I just fell in love with it.
“I’ve come to understand that Benny and Bjorn wrote some of the most perfect examples of popular idiom that has ever been done. The music is fabulous, and the words are a vehicle for this infectious and electric music. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to do this show.”
The show will not just feature the music of ABBA, but also five songs from the Broadway production of Chess, which was written by Benny and Bjorn alongside Tim Rice in 1984 and spawned the international hit “One Night in Bangkok” made famous by Murray Head.
“There are a number of fabulous songs from Chess, and we are including five of those songs in the show,” Len says.
“I think the Chess music is a great foil for the rest of the show,” Bill adds.
Making up the company are a collective of some of Peterborough’s theatrical elite, along with some recognizable faces and voices in our community including Bill Crane, Rosemarie Barnes, Roy Braun, Karen Ruth Brown, Kevin Carter, Christie Freeman, Gillian Harknett, Tim Jeffries, Heather Knetchel, Theresa McMullen, Darcy Mullen, and Kristin Taylor.
They are accompanied by dancers Susie Cox, Heather Boyd, Madie Earle, and Jake Roberts under the direction of choreographer Melissa Earle (who will also be dancing in the show).
Although ABBA wrote some of the most infectious dance music of all time, the band never actually danced while performing. As a result, Melissa had to find inspiration from other sources, as well as from her own creative vision, to choreograph the show.
“The Music of ABBA” is choreographed by Melissa Earle. Because ABBA never actually danced during their performances, Melissa found her inspiration from the mood and style of the songs and from the film version of the musical “Mamma Mia”. (Photo: Wayne Bonner)
“I got more inspiration from the Mamma Mia movie and stage show than watching videos of ABBA themselves,” Melissa says. “I draw my inspiration from the mood and style of the songs and from the film.”
But Melissa isn’t just in charge of getting her dancers to move. She is also putting the musical performers through dance sequences as well.
“I’ve had to find a nice balance of complex movement and dancing that isn’t overly complicated for the singers because they are concentrating on singing,” Melissa explains. “It’s not like Cats where I had oodles and oodles of dancers. I have five dancers and then singers who move well.”
“The Music of ABBA” features musical direction by Bill Crane, who fell in love with ABBA’s music after seeing the Toronto production of the musical “Mamma Mia”. (Photo: Wayne Bonner)
Meanwhile, costume master Howard Berry turned his apartment upside down to create the flamboyant look of the show.
“I am doing 38 costumes,” Howard says. “I have six ladies sewing in my apartment Tuesday and Thursday from ten a.m. to three p.m. I have racks in my living room and my bedroom. My dining room is a disaster — it’s just sewing machines.”
Although they are beloved for their music, it’s often been written that ABBA could be one of pop’s worst-dressed bands, with some questionable costume designs during the height of their career. Howard has decided to avoid these fashion faux pas by creating a look that celebrates the era without recreating ABBA’s actual look.
“We are not doing ABBA’s costumes,” Howard explains. “We are going for what we think the ’70s looked like. It’s a bit of what we wore in the 70s, a bit of in between, and a bit of now. I watched Tyra Banks on America’s Got Talent and the last two weeks she came out in jumpsuits and bell bottoms.
“Everyone in our show is in jumpsuits, and although Len didn’t want them, he is getting bell bottoms. The pattern books are full of them. Everything is sequenced, glittery, and colourful. All of act one is in peaches and lime green and bits of taupe colours, while all of act two is in bright primary colours — red, blues, blacks, and golds. It’s just dazzling. It’s going to be good.”
The production team and cast of “The Music of ABBA”, a fundraiser for Showplace Performance Centre that runs for three public performances from October 12 to 14, 2018. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
Although ABBA is always a favourite of audiences, there are a lot of shows featuring the music of ABBA every year in Peterborough and this one won’t be the last (Lakefield College School announced last week that they will be putting on Mamma Mia as their annual musical). I posed the question to the creative team what was different and unique about this production over others we’ve seen before.
“It’s twelve fantastic Peterborough singers and five dancers and everybody is loving what they’re doing,” Len states. “Usually you go to an ABBA show you see four people stand up and look like ABBA. We’re not replicating ABBA. This is a salute to ABBA, Peterborough style. That’s the difference. It will be an interesting experience.”
“This is the music that you know, with Peterborough flair,” Bill adds. “It’s our show done our way.”
Although the company is still secretive about revealing too much of the show, after my visit with the production team I was invited to see a sneak peek of the show’s first act finale of “One Night in Bangkok” mashed up with “Voulez-Vous”.
Featuring Roy Braun, Darcy Mundle, and Tim Jeffries as soloists for the number, “One Night in Bangkok” is a big production number that the entire company performed with tons of conviction.
Upon its conclusion, Len looked over at me, gave me a thumbs up, and said, “That’s the difference. That’s how Peterborough does ABBA.”
VIDEO: The ABBA Top 40: Their Greatest Hits
The Music of ABBA: A Showplace Fundraiser runs on Friday, October 12th and Saturday, October 13th at 8 p.m., and Sunday, October 14th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $34 and are available at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough), by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at www.showplace.org. There’s also a preview performance on Thursday, October 11th, but tickets for that performance are not available to the general public.
The Music of ABBA: A Showplace Fundraiser has been made possible by the following sponsors: Monkman, Gracie and Johnson; Liftlock Group; Investor’s Group; Grant Thornton; Medical Centre Hearing Services; Porter Sound; kawarthaNOW.com; Revolutions Dance Studio; Long and McQuade; Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre; and Renegade Apparel.
From uneaten leftovers to untouched fruits and vegetables to food that is forgotten, households waste more food than restaurants, hotels, stores, and farms combined. Around $1,500 worth of food per household gets thrown out every year -- around one out of six bags of groceries per week!
The end of summer marks a time of abundance and to local growers it is a time for harvest. In Peterborough, September is designated Local Food Month and from fall fairs to festivals in the park, this month is filled with events to support local farmers.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Danica Jarvis, GreenUP Environmental Education Coordinator.
Strengthening our urban and rural connection to food allows us to become more aware of the cycle of food.
For most of us, this includes thinking about where our food comes from — but have you ever thought about what happens after we throw food away?
In Canada, nearly half of our food waste comes from households, from uneaten leftovers, untouched fruits and vegetables, and food that is “bought and forgot”. All this wasted food adds up in the environment.
“The amount of land, water, and labour resources devoted to growing precious food, only to have 40 per cent of it treated as garbage, is abhorrent in this era of exploding populations and diminishing resources,” explains Virginia Swinson, Waste Diversion Section Manager with the City of Peterborough. “The willful wasting of food must no longer be condoned and tolerated.”
Food waste has a large price tag for the environment and the economy. Landfills are running out of space, especially for preventable waste. When food is left to rot, like at a landfill, it emits methane gas, a greenhouse gas that warms the planet about 30 times as much as carbon dioxide.
Each household in our community spends approximately $1,500 per year on food that gets thrown out. That means that for every six bags of groceries you purchase, one is being thrown away!
Each household in the Peterborough community spends approximately $1,500 per year on food that gets thrown out in the form of uneaten leftovers, untouched fruits and vegetables, and food that is “bought and forgot”. (Graphic courtesy of GreenUP)
“Unlike many other problems in the world, we as individuals have the ability to change this appalling statistic,” says Swinson.
Several community organizations have come together to take action in order to create awareness around this important issue; Peterborough Public Health, City of Peterborough, County of Peterborough, GreenUP, Sustainable Peterborough, and Nourish will be hosting a food waste event for local food month.
The “Food … too good to waste” event takes place on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 7 p.m.. at Peterborough Public Health at 185 King Street in downtown Peterborough.
The “Food … too good to waste” event takes place on Thursday, September 27th at 7 p.m.. Join us at Peterborough Public Health at 185 King Street in downtown Peterborough to explore the impact of wasted food on our community, economy, and environment. Guest speakers will share their perspectives on food waste, both locally and provincially.
There are several steps each of us can take to avoid wasting food.
“It starts with each and every one of us adjusting our shopping and eating habits,” Swinson says.
Meal planning and proper food storage are two skills we can all acquire to stop wasted food, save money, and be healthier.
According to Luisa Magalhaes, Registered Dietitian with Peterborough Public Health:
“When you plan, shop for, prepare, and eat meals made with whole foods, instead of convenience food, you get more vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein, and healthy fats along with less fried foods or added sugar and salt.”
Here are some tips to get you started reducing your food waste:
Be Mindful
When shopping, bring a list and try to stick to it. It’s easy to get caught up in deals especially at big box stores, but remind yourself and your stomach of what you can actually consume that week.
Plan it Out
Start out simple and make a grocery list. This will set you up for success when trying to meal plan for the first time. Take time each week to make a meal plan (this could also include enjoying a cup of coffee or glass of wine). Get the whole family involved, try new recipes, or plan theme nights to make meal-planning fun instead of a chore.
Love your Leftovers
Plan for leftovers when preparing a dinner. Learn to cook the leftovers in a new way if they don’t seem appetizing the second time around. An easy way to stay healthy during the busy workweek is to plan for a second meal while cooking. We are less likely to grab something on the go, which is likely to be unhealthy, if we have planned ahead and brought a lunch. The bonus is, kids can enjoy a thermos full of warm lunch!
Store Food Properly
Keep track of what’s in your fridge when unloading new groceries. Make sure that older items get eaten first before opening something new. There are many resources and containers that can help you store certain vegetables and fruit. Do some research to get the most out of your food.
The “Food … too good to waste” event hopes to educate and inspire change around food waste in our community. For more information about the event or for further resources on avoiding food waste, please visit www.foodinpeterborough.ca.
The 2018 annual Curve Lake Pow Wow takes place this weekend (Saturday, September 15th and Sunday, September 16th) at Lance Wood Park in Curve Lake. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
Welcome To The Chamber’s New Engagement Coordinator
Samantha Carmichael is the Chamber’s new acting Engagement Coordinator.
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism would like to welcome Samantha Carmichael to the team as the Chamber’s acting Engagement Coordinator.
Sam grew up in Peterborough and on Stoney Lake. In 2016, Sam obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in Canadian Studies and Political Science. Sam is interested in community engagement and Canadian culture. In her spare time, Sam enjoys photography, spending time at her cottage,and exploring all that the Kawarthas has to offer.
Register now for Bridgenorth Hop on September 19th
Join the Chamber on Wednesday, September 19th from 5 to 7 p.m. for the September Business After Hours “Bridgenorth Hop”.
The event beings promptly at 5 p.m. at TCB Office Furniture and Supplies, and small groups will travel to visit Chamber members in the community of Bridgenorth including Bridgenorth Deli, and Style Boutique.
Enjoy an evening of networking, touring member businesses, and meeting fellow Chamber members.
The Chamber thanks its networking event sponsor, Blue Diamond Window Cleaning.
Welcome New Member – Whelan’s Flooring Centre
Whelan’s Flooring Centre 2512 Chemong Road, Selwyn, 705-292-9565, whelansflooring.com
A family-owned and run business, Whelan’s Flooring Centre has the largest warehouse in the area and a vast selection of floor coverings. Our experienced sales and installation team are dedicated to providing answers and suggestions so that you get exactly what you want. We take pride in what we do and it shows in our personalized approach to your flooring needs.
Municipal All-Candidate Meetings
The Kawartha Chamber is proud to be a partner on the following municipal All Candidates Meetings.
Municipality of Trent Lakes All-Candidates Meeting
Thursday, September 13th at Buckhorn Community Centre (782 Lakehurst Rd., Buckhorn)
The program begins at 7 p.m. Hosted by the Buckhorn Ratepayers Association and the Kawartha Chamber.
Township of Selwyn All-Candidates Meeting
Wednesday, October 10th at Bridgenorth Community Hall (836 Charles St., Bridgenorth)
The program begins at 7 p.m. Hosted by the Bridgenorth Business Association, Lakefield Herald, and the Kawartha Chamber.
Township of Douro-Dummer All-Candidates Meeting
Thursday, October 11th at Douro-Dummer Community Centre (2893 Hwy. 28, Douro-Dummer)
The program begins at 7 p.m. Hosted by Dummer News and the Kawartha Chamber.
Submit Your Questions
If you would like to submit a question for any of the meetings listed above, please email your question to info@kawarthachamber.ca. Please include the subject line “All Candidates Question: [Insert Township Name Here]”, and specify if the question is for a specific candidate, or directed at all candidates. Here is a list of municipal candidates.
Are You Registered to Vote?
Ontario’s municipal and school board elections are coming up on October 22nd. To ensure your voter information is up to date before October, visit www.voterlookup.ca to confirm and update electoral information, add an elector name to your address, and/or change which school you support.
Support the Curve Lake Habitat Build
The Kawartha Chamber has formed a Women’s Build Team for the Habitat for Humanity build in Curve Lake First Nation.
You can help the Chamber with the fundraising initiative by making a donation through the Chamber’s fundraising page.
Each dollar donated will buy a ‘square foot’ on the house floor plan, where you can write your name or the name of your company. The Chamber’s goal is to raise $1,000. A special thank you to Erin McLean of McLean Berry Farm for her recent donation.
Learn about the importance of establishing trust, setting goals, and honouring the goals of others.
Team building can help with self-esteem, developing communication skills, encouraging risk-taking, provide strategies for solving problems, and encourage cooperation.
Refreshments will be provided.
Earn A Free Chamber Membership
Reminder that the Chamber is giving away FREE memberships.
Pay your membership within 30 days of the invoice date and you will be entered in a draw to win next year’s membership for free! The draw will take place at the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting in February 2019.
If you know a business or organization that is not a Chamber member, encourage them to join! Tell them to mention your name when they sign up, and when they have signed up and paid, you will earn 10 per cent off your membership next year. For each new member you refer, you will receive 10 per cent off — and there is no limit! Refer 10 new members and you have earned a free Basic Membership.
A reminder that the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario is looking for feedback from Ontario businesses on Bill 148. The survey closes this week on September 14th.
The 10-question survey is designed to gauge how the amendments to Ontario’s employment standards, labour relations and occupational health and safety legislation have impacted businesses since January 1st.
This weekend on Saturday, September 15th, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region will be hosting its Amazing Habitat Race, a fun-filled event based on the hit TV show The Amazing Race.
The event is raising funds to support the 5th Habitat for Humanity build in Kawartha Lakes.
All funds raised from this event will be used for purchasing construction materials for their semi-detached family homes on Hamilton Street in Lindsay.
Debbie Yale is Celebrating 35 Years at Savage Arms Canada
Savage Arms (Canada) production manager Debbie Yale is celebrating 35 years at the business. Savage Arms (Canada) first welcomed Debbie in 1984, when the business was Lakefield Arms.
In her starting position, she was responsible for making the front of a rifle bolt. After numerous promotions in 1990, 1994 and 2001 for her hard-work and talent, she was promoted to production manager in 2013.
Congratulations, Debbie!
BAC At The Bonfire – September 18th
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre is hosting their annual BAC at the Bonfire for local members of the business community on Tuesday, September 18th from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene.
Gain valuable insight from guest speakers, share stories, and network with like-minded professionals.
Curve Lake Pow Wow This Weekend – September 15th and 16th
A dancer in regalia at 2007 Curve Lake Pow Wow (photo courtesy of Curve Lake Cultural Centre)
The annual Curve Lake Pow Wow is taking place this weekend on Saturday, September 15th and Sunday, September 16th at Lance Wood Park in Curve Lake.
There will be two days of dancing, contests, and presentations to re-establish old friendships and meet new people. There will be many vendors and performers in attendance, and vendors will be selling traditional crafts, artwork, jewelry, food. and more.
There is a Sunrise Ceremony at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday as well as a Grand Entry at 12 pm on Saturday & Sunday. All neighbors from surrounding communities are welcome to join in most of the festivities.
Admission is $8 (13 to 59 year olds), $5 (6 to 12 year olds), and free for children 5 and under.
For the first time ever, the Township of Selwyn will be using internet and telephone voting for the upcoming municipal election!
The Township of Selwyn is hosting three ‘How-To” workshops in order to help voters learn this new voting technology. At the workshops, you will be able to check if you are registered as well as learn how to vote online.
Workshops will be held at the following times and locations:
Thursday, September 20th at 1 p.m. at Bridgenorth Library, 836 Charles St.
Monday, September 24th at 10 a.m. at Ennismore Library, 551 Ennis Rd.
Wednesday, September 26th at 10 a.m. Lakefield Library, 8 Queen St.
If your business or organization has a job opportunity you would like to advertise, you can add it to the Chamber’s website through your Member Information Centre account (or submit the description to info@kawarthachamber.ca) and the Chamber will share it in its next Newsflash.
Info Session: Understanding The Opioid Crisis – September 26th
An opioid information session is being held at the Selwyn Outreach Centre (2688 Lakefield Rd.) on Wednesday, September 26th beginning at 7 p.m.
Attendees will hear from a panel of experts on the growing issue of opioid abuse in the Peterborough area. Panelists include Dr. Rosana Salvaterra (Peterborough Medical Officer of Health), Dan Farrow (paramedic supervisor and firefighter), and Jim Carson (retired police officer).
Admission is free, and all are welcome. Learn more.
Summit On Aging: Dementia Dialogues – October 25th
The Summit on Aging’s Dementia Dialogues: Living Life Fully is taking place on Thursday, October 25th from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Trent University, Gzowski College.
The summit features panelists and speakers in the areas of primary care and diagnosis, legal issues, community and lived experiences, including keynote speaker Dr. Peter Lin, Director of Primary Care Initiatives at the Canadian Heart Research Centre and health columnist for CBC Radio, and special guest Karin Wells, CBC Radio documentary maker.
If you are providing care for a person with dementia and would like to attend this event, there will be a free VON Adult Day Program on-site. Call 705-745-9155 (ext 6423) to register in advance.
Parking at event is free. If you are taking public transit, print your ticket and display it to Peterborough Transit for a free ride to and from the summit.
All-Candidates Meeting: Trent Lakes – September 13th
Cruise Night at Craftworks – Every Thursday until September 13th
Trail Walk with the Lakefield Trail Stewardship Committee – September 15th
Apsley Autumn Studio Tour – September 15th – 16th
2018 Fall Automotive Flea Market and Car Show – September 15th – 16th
Lakefield Farmers’ Market – Every Thursday Until October 4th
Farmers’ Market at Craftworks at the Barn – Every Sunday until Thanksgiving
For more information about the businesses and events listed above, please visit the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism website at kawarthachamber.ca.
All photos supplied by Kawartha Chamber of Commerce except where noted.
"The Shadow Walk of Millbrook", part ghost walk and part theatre, is one of two off-season productions 4th Line Theatre is presenting in October and December, along with "The Other: A Strange Christmas Tale". Both productions take place outdoors in Millbrook. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Millbrook’s renowned outdoor theatre company 4th Line Theatre is staging two off-season plays in October and December, including a resurrection of The Shadow Walk of Millbrook from 2016.
Unlike the regular season plays, which are staged at Winslow Farm, both plays will take place on the streets and paths of Millbrook, requiring audience members to be able to actively participate.
The first of the two plays, The Shadow Walk of Millbrook, is a Halloween-themed play originally presented in October 2016. 4th Line’s first off-season play, it proved very popular, with all performances selling out weeks before the premiere.
Part ghost walk and part theatre, The Shadow Walk of Millbrook was written by Paul Braunstein and Monica Dottor and is directed by 4th Line Theatre’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell. Featuring 16 performers — actors, aerialists, and dancers — in 21 scenes, the show takes its audience on a journey through Millbrook’s paranormal history in a unique walking tour that begins at the Old Millbrook School.
4th Line Theatre first presented “The Shadow Walk of Millbrook”, written by Paul Braunstein and Monica Dottor and directed by Kim Blackwell, in October 2016. All performances of the production sold out before the premiere. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
“The play that Paul and Monica have created is funny, compelling, and has genuinely creepy stories of Millbrook paranormal history and local ghosts,” Blackwell says. “I am excited to bring back this walking tour, starting at the Old Millbrook School and winding down through the streets and paths of Millbrook.”
As might be expected for a Halloween play, the production will run for 13 performances, with shows at 7 p.m. from Tuesday, October 16th to Sunday, October 21st, and Tuesday, October 23rd to Friday, October 26th, and “spookier” performances at 9 p.m. on Friday, October 19th, Saturday, October 20th, and Friday, October 26th.
All performances will contain some startling and frightening scenes, so the show is not recommended for children under the age of 10.
Featuring 16 performers in 21 scenes, “The Shadow Walk of Millbrook” takes its audience on a journey through Millbrook’s paranormal history in a unique walking tour that begins at the Old Millbrook School. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
4th Line Theatre has also announced the world premiere of its first winter production, The Other: A Strange Christmas Tale by playwright Beverley Cooper. Also directed by Blackwell, this Christmas-themed play will feature more than 11 actors and musicians.
The play, which begins at St. Thomas Anglican Church at 16 Centre Street, tells the story of a mysterious woman who arrives in Millbrook on the night of the Christmas pageant. As audience members follow, a girl and her grandfather search the streets and shops of Millbrook to find out who the mysterious woman is and where she came from.
In December, 4th Line Theatre is also presenting the world premiere of “The Other: A Strange Christmas Tale” by playwight Beverley Cooper, best known for her play “Innocence Lost: A Play about Steven Truscott”, which was a finalist for the 2009 Governor General’s Literary Award. (Photo: Beverley Cooper)
“We had such an amazing response from our audience last December when we did our reading that we knew we had something special,” Blackwell says. “This play is spin on a classic with unique elements only 4th Line could pull off. It’s a wonderful way to start the Christmas season with your family and friends.”
The Christmas production will run for six performances only, with shows at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 5th, Friday, December 7th, Saturday, December 8th, and Wednesday, December 12th to Friday, December 14th.
Tickets for either The Shadow Walk of Millbrook or The Other: A Strange Christmas Tale are $25 per person. Tickets are limited, as each performance can accommodate only 80 people.
As noted, both productions take place outdoors on the streets and paths of Millbrook, travelling up and down dark trails and uneven terrain for around one kilometre.
4th Line asks each patron to dress for the weather (each performance will go on regardless of the weather), wear appropriate footwear, and bring a flashlight with them to the performance.
Tickets and gift certificates are available by phone at 705-932-4445, online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or in person at 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 4 Tupper Street in Millbrook.
4th Line Theatre is also looking for volunteers to help guide patrons during both off-season productions, and other duties such as assisting back stage. If you’re interested in getting involved (you get to see the show free of charge), contact Kate McGregor at kate@4thlinetheatre.on.ca for more information.
Before the Cultivate Festival weekend on September 21-23, 2018 in Port Hope, Cultivate presents "Love Local Food?", where 12 restaurants in Northumberland and Clarington will offer a variety of fixed-price menus focused on local food now until September 20th. (Photo: Cultivate)
This month, food writer Eva Fisher discovers some of Cultivate’s exciting pop-up events leading up to the festival weekend, learns about some of the edible wild mushrooms that are ready to harvest, finds out exactly what to wear to a Drag Queen High Tea, and checks out what’s sprouting at this year’s Peterborough Vegfest.
Cultivate Festival, taking place this month, is expanding its offerings beyond its original weekend format. Organizer Jeff Bray has partnered with a variety of local food businesses to create a series of pre-festival pop-up events celebrating the food and drink of Northumberland.
Love local food? Twelve restaurants throughout Northumberland and Clarington have you covered. Restaurants participating in the appropriately named “Love Local Food?” campaign will offer a variety of fixed-price menus focused on local food now until September 20th.
Head to The Bakery (Warkworth) for a Buttermilk Scone with Fresh Berries, Glazed with Honey, and Alternative Grounds Coffee, or dine at Woodlawn Inn (Cobourg) for a four course meal featuring Individual Bison Tenderloin Wellington, Mushroom Duxelle, Port and Mushroom Gravy, Fresh Ontario Vegetables, and a dessert of Maple Crème Brûlée with Ontario wine pairing. Full details about the participating restaurants are available on Cultivate’s website at cultivatefestival.ca.
Cultivate is also offering a series of popup events leading up to this year’s festival weekend on September 21st to 23rd in Port Hope, including several events cohosted by The Land Canadian Adventures. (Photo: Cultivate)
In addition to the fixed price menus, Cultivate is offering experiential pop-ups throughout the region.
“Wild Edibles of the Ganaraska” (September 16th) is an excursion led by The Land Canadian Adventures. They take participants along the banks of the Ganaraska River to identify edible wild plants. Jeff points out that it’s a particularly exciting time of year to walk along the Ganaraska because of the salmon run. The wild plant tour will culminate with a shore lunch featuring fish and wild edibles.
Caleb Musgrave from Canadian Bushcraft and The Land Canadian Adventures will host “Food of the Land with Caleb Musgrave” (September 15th). This progressive dinner will showcase the history of traditional food at Hiawatha First Nation from an Indigenous and settler perspective. Jeff says that this event will showcase how important Hiawatha has been to our food landscape in this region.
As well as these dinners, South Pond Farms will host “Beer and Canapes”, an educational pairing event featuring local beverages from Church-key Brewery.
The Cultivate Festival, held September 21st to 23rd in downtown Port Hope, features live music, food demonstrations, and lots of food and drink. (Photo: Cultivate)
Haute Goat is offering “Milk a Goat, Make Goat Cheese!” (September 15th). Participants will milk a goat and make goat mozzarella on this beautiful Northumberland Hills farm.
All of these events lead up to the festival weekend, September 21st to 23rd, which will involve live music, educational demonstrations, and an incredible variety of food and drink, all taking place in downtown Port Hope (stay tuned for our upcoming feature story on Cultivate).
Jeff would like to see Cultivate continue to grow.
“Part of me dreams of a month-long festival of food and drink in this region, something where people can come and experience what we have to offer at any point in time, and these are baby steps towards that dream.”
This dream is fed by an appreciation for all of the incredible food in the Northumberland region.
“We love what this region has to offer, and we think that in a lot of cases it’s underappreciated and overlooked, particularly in terms of tourism” Jeff says. “We think that more needs to celebrate our rich history and the current landscape of farm to table food and drink.”
Mushroom hike at Gamiing Nature Centre: fun-gis and fun-gals welcome
Is it safe to eat? Learn to identify edible wild mushrooms by taking a hike with Luke Eckstein at Gamiing Nature Centre on October 7th. (Photo: Luke Eckstein)
It could be that your next gourmet meal is waiting for you on your front lawn.
On Sunday, October 7th, Luke Eckstein is leading an Introduction to Mushrooms Identification Hike through Gamiing Nature Centre (1884 Pigeon Lake Rd., Lindsay, 705-928-0263). This workshop will allow people to get a feel for the different shapes and structures used to identify mushrooms, as well as some of their edible and medicinal uses, lookalikes and hazards,
Luke has been identifying mushrooms from a young age. His uncle taught him to identify his first mushrooms, but he went on to learn from field guides, going as far as he could without using a microscope. He recommends starting with distinct-looking mushrooms like puffballs, and looking beyond your field guide when it comes to edible mushrooms.
Mushroom instructor Luke Eckstein examines a bolete. (Photo: Luke Eckstein)
“Sometimes the field guides don’t really discuss lookalikes, so it’s really important to have a number of resources available. If you can’t identify it 100 per cent without ruling out all of the lookalikes, then you shouldn’t eat it at all.”
The fall is a great time to spot mushrooms, with boletes, puffballs (giant and common), milkcaps, chanterelles, and black trumpets popping up — to name a few.
Luke’s favourite mushroom to eat is the jelly fungi, particularly the apricot and wood ear jelly fungi.
“They have an interesting texture. They don’t have a lot of flavour, but I really like their texture.”
He also enjoys chanterelles and lobster mushrooms.
Luke says that learning about mushrooms has changed the way he looks at the world around him.
“I find that learning about mushrooms gives you an eye for the details, the little things in nature, and it teaches you a lot about how everything is interconnected. There are a lot of relationships that we don’t see, behind the scenes in nature. It gives you a real appreciation of how the ecosystem works and all the little things in the soil, underground, under the leaf litter, under pine needles. Things we walk over and don’t even realize are going on.”
You can purchase tickets to the Introduction to Mushrooms Identification Hike through Eventbrite.
Drag Queen High Tea brewing at Sadleir House
From left: Ms. Madge Ethat, Daniel Johnson, Ms.Glenda Lewis, and Laura Colasacco at last year’s high tea, which was hosted at Hutchinson House. This year’s sold-out event is hosted at Sadleir House. (Photo: Drew Whatman)
Pinkies out! The second annual Drag Queen High Tea will take place on Sunday, September 16th at Sadleir House (751 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-3686).
Laura Colasacco voluntarily organizes the event to support Peterborough Pride.
She describes the dress code as “make your own high tea style.” Dressing in drag is certainly welcome, but not required.
“It’s a very open space where you can just show up and be who you are.”
Ms. Madge Ethat and Glenda Lewis will host the event, which will involve interactive games and skits starring the fabulous pair.
High Tea will be catered by the Silver Bean and will include earl grey cakes, cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, ham sandwiches, scones, and desserts.
The cost for this family-friendly event is $25 per person, and only 25 tickets are available.
Note: This year’s event is already sold out, so you’ll have to wait until next year if you’d like to spill some tea with Ms. Madge Ethat and Glenda Lewis.
Peterborough Vegfest is back, and it’s growing
Copper Branch, Peterborough’s latest vegan restaurant, is both a vendor and a sponsor for this year’s Peterborough VegFest, which takes place on Sunday, September 16th at Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Copper Branch / Facebook)
Peterborough Vegfest is returning to Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough on Sunday, September 16th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Organizer Natalie Stephenson says that this year’s Vegfest will be bigger and better than ever. The festival features an incredible variety of plant-based cuisine.
In just one year they have grown from 40 to 70 vendors, 35 of which will be food vendors.
Pierogi Me! Will offer vegan pierogies to Peterborough Vegfest attendees. (Photo: Peterborough VegFest / Facebook)
A key component of Vegfest is the Veg Directory, which is released at the festival. This guide lists all of the local restaurants and food stores that offer vegan-friendly options. This year the guide contains 50 businesses, 15 more than last year’s guide.
Natalie says that this is a reflection of a growing community of vegan-friendly businesses in the region.
“We’re just happy that we’ve been able to help facilitate the growth of vegan options in Peterborough.”
Lunar Rhythm Gardens will offer fresh vegetables at this year’s Peterborough Vegfest. (Photo: Peterborough VegFest / Facebook)
In addition to vendors and the directory, Vegfest offers live music and live demonstrations. This year, cookbook author Sam Turnbull — known for titles including Fuss Free Vegan and her blog It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken — will give a demonstration of some of her favourite recipes.
Fitness trainer Sam Shorkey, known for her website Jacked on the Beanstalk, will give a presentation on plant based fitness.
To keep the festival sustainable, Natalie recommends that guests bring reusable bags and takeout containers, as well as refillable water bottles. The festival is dog friendly and family friendly, and the first 200 guests will receive swag bags.
Jackson Bostwick as Captain Marvel in the Saturday morning live-action TV series "Shazam!", which ran on CBS from 1974 to 1977. Bostwick will be the featured guest at this year's Peterborough Comic Con on Sunday, September 23rd at the Evinrude Centre. (Publicity photo)
On Sunday, September 23rd, Pop Culture Canada returns to the Evinrude Centre for the third Peterborough Comic Con. This year, organizer David Wyldstar is giving Peterborough fans the opportunity to meet one of pop culture’s original superhero stars when he brings actor Jackson Bostwick to town.
Long before Marvel Studios dominated the box office, over a decade before Tim Burton brought Batman to the big screen, and even four years before Christopher Reeves made you believe a man could fly, Jackson Bostwick put on the red and yellow colors of Captain Marvel on the classic Saturday morning television series Shazam!, which ran from 1974 to 1977.
An often-overlooked pioneer in the evolution of the modern comic book film and television industry that dominates today;s entertainment market, Bostwick will be at the Peterborough Comic Con from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — meeting fans, signing autographs and taking photos in Pop Culture Canada’s event that also supports Kawartha Food Share.
VIDEO: Shazam! Opening Theme
Holding small-sized conventions throughout Ontario, this is the third event that Dave Wyldstar has held in Peterborough, and it’s a place where he likes to bring his biggest guests. Previous guests have been Allyson Court (who played Loonette the Clown in The Big Comfy Couch) and The Crow creator James O’Barr and Asian/American actress Bai Ling.
But for both superhero and 1970s pop culture fans alike, Jackson Bostwick could be the most exciting guest that Dave has brought to Peterborough yet. Speaking with Jackson via telephone from his home in Nashville, Tennessee, I was impressed that the actor has an encyclopedic knowledge of Captain Marvel that would challenge even the most hardcore comic book fan.
“I grew up with Captain Marvel,” Jackson says. “Captain Marvel, Plastic Man, Tarzan, The Lone Ranger and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon were my favourite characters growing up.”
Created in 1939, Captain Marvel made his debut in Whiz Comics #2. Young orphan named Billy Batson is chosen by the wizard Shazam to possess the powers of Greek gods and heroes Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Mercury, Achilles, and Zeus. When Billy says the magic word ‘Shazam!’, he turns into the super-powered adult Captain Marvel.
In the TV series, young Billy Batson (played by teen heartthrob Michael Gray) was transformed into superhero Captain Marvel (Jackson Bostwick, pictured) when he spoke the word “Shazam!”. (Publicity photo)
One of the most popular comic books of the 1940s, Captain Marvel spawned spin-off characters such as Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel, and even outsold Superman in its day. Captain Marvel was even one of the few American superhero comics published in Canada during the Second World War. However, the comic would cease publication in 1953.
“I loved the comic books, and when I was very young and I remember going to the local move theatre one Saturday morning to see War of the Worlds,” Jackson recalls. “Back then they would have a lead-in which was a cartoon or a serial, and this one happened to be The Adventures of Captain Marvel with Tom Tyler. I thought it was great, but it was a very different Captain Marvel than who I played. Tom Tyler was throwing guys off of the tops of buildings. But it was just one of those things you looked forward to each week.”
Originally from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Jackson was one of the original 11 students to get a Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. Primarily working on the small stage, Jackson made a few minor appearances on television before getting the role of a lifetime to play one of his childhood heroes.
In 1974, under the guidance of producers Norm Prescott and Lou Schemer, Filmation Studios decided to branch out from animation to live-action kids’ shows to compete with their Saturday morning rivals Sid and Marty Krofft, who were dominating the time slots with hit properties such as H.R. Pufnstuf, The Bugaloos, and Sigmund the Sea Monster.
Having worked with DC Comics in the past, the comic company had recently acquired the rights to the long-dormant Captain Marvel franchise and decided to take a chance with the character by making it a half-hour live-action TV show. Jackson Bostwick was cast as Captain Marvel with teen heartthrob Michael Gray as young Billy Batson and Les Tremayne as a wise old man called Mentor.
Making its debut on CBS in 1974, Shazam! became an instant hit with young viewers. Superheroes had been absent from television since the cancellation of Batman in 1968, and this was the first time a new generation had seen live-action superheroes on the small screen.
“We were an instant hit,” Jackson says. “We were the highest-rated show in our time slot. I remember that the Krofft Brothers weren’t happy because they came out with Land of the Lost and we beat them in the ratings.”
The TV series started a new popularity for the character, with a new Shazam! book on the comic stands and soon Shazam became a household name again. But while the comics stayed true to the original characters, the TV series made huge creative leaps: Captain Marvel never fought any villains or threw any punches. Instead Billy Batson and Mentor travelled across California in a RV and met misguided kids who would get into trouble, prompting Billy to turn into Captain Marvel to save the kids and give them a speech about not doing drugs, not stealing cars, and respecting their parents.
VIDEO: Shazam! Preview Clip
At the end of each show, Captain Marvel would return for one more segment where Jackson Bostwick would break the fourth wall and talk to the audience about the lesson they learned that week. These “tags” are a part of the show that Jackson is most proud of.
“That was something I came up with,” Jackson explains. “I told Robert Chenault, who was our producer in the first year, ‘What you’re missing here is having the hero come back and talk to the audience, the way that the Lone Ranger, The Cisco Kid and Sgt. Preston came back and talked at the end of the show.’ I told him it was something we need. Rob said ‘Well, they don’t want to give the sixty seconds of commercial time.’
“So we started filming the episodes, but a month later Rob came up to me and said ‘Jackson, they have decided to go ahead and do the tags at the end.’ We shot them all in one day for the first fifteen shows. If you look behind me you’ll see it’s actually raining. They had a big umbrella over me and with a light shining in my eyes. It gave the kids a chance to really get to see Captain Marvel and have a face to face with him.”
Filming schedules were tight, with the company filming two entire episodes a week. But despite the gruelling schedule and questionable production values of the show, Jackson took his role very seriously.
“I was happy to play my childhood hero,” Jackson says. “I put everything I could into being Captain Marvel. I was very careful how I interacted with the kids on the show. I always made sure I wasn’t wrinkled, and I never put my hand on my hip, and I never talked down to them.”
Jackson also did all his own stunts, for the exception of one memorable episode where Captain Marvel had to wrestle a lion.
“They put the lion trainer out there to wrestle him, but he was this short guy wearing my costume,” Jackson recalls. “He looked like a California Raisin once he put on the costume. But he did a great job wrestling the lion and making it look like it was me.”
Jackson Bostwick performed as Captain Marvel until he was fired from the role. The ratings of “Shazam!” plummeted and the series was cancelled after 11 episodes without him. Bostwick sued Filmation Studios and won the case for wrongful dismissal. (Publicity photo)
However, it would be a problem with the stunts that ended Jackson’s reign as Captain Marvel, and eventually put an end to the show. As filming for season two began, with the show being at the height of its popularity, Jackson was fired from the role of Captain Marvel.
“They fired me because they felt I was holding out for money at the beginning of the second year,” Jackson says. “I didn’t show up on set because I had injured myself doing a stunt on set the previous day. I had the nurse call the studio and tell them where I was.
“I had busted a blood vessel under my eye and there was no way I could have filmed that day. They said if I wasn’t on set by one p.m. I would be fired. There was no way I could get out there from the doctor’s office to what was a remote location. So I didn’t make it and by three p.m. they had John Davey out there in my place.”
Jackson sued Filmation Studios and won the case for wrongful dismissal.
“We had my injury on camera which helped me win the lawsuit against Filmation,” Jackson says. “They had to pay me for all the shows they didn’t use me on, plus residuals.”
Yet despite suing Filmation, Jackson didn’t hold it against his successor John Dewey — although he doesn’t think he was suited for the role of Captain Marvel.
“God love him, John is a great guy, but he’s no more Captain Marvel than I am Wonder Woman,” Jackson laughs. “John later told me this story where he sat his son down, who was a huge fan of the show, and said ‘I want to do this, and I know you like the show but I need to take over as Captain Marvel.’ His son said ‘Oh, that’s alright Daddy. You just go and do it until the real Captain Marvel comes back.'”
The resurgence of the superhero genre and Shazam in pop culture (a new Captain Marvel film is coming in 2019) has made Jackson Bostwick a popular guest at comic conventions across North America. (Supplied photo)
Despite the popularity of the series, after Jackson’s firing the ratings plummeted. After 11 episodes without him, the series was cancelled.
In the years that followed, Jackson primarily worked on stage and at one time taught theatre at the University of Alabama. He also played minor roles in films, including an appearance as a guard in the 1982 cult Disney sci-fi film Tron.
Meanwhile, the Shazam franchise continued to be a fan favourite for DC Comics, with a brand new big-screen version of the character slated to make its debut in 2019 starring Zachary Levi as Captain Marvel.
While still passionate about the character, Jackson is not impressed with what he has seen in the trailer for the new film.
“This new guy they got playing Captain Marvel, again, just isn’t Captain Marvel,” Jackson says.
“They’ve ruined the character. The trailer is an absolute farce. It’s just Tom Hanks in Big crossed with The Greatest American Hero. It’s a guy who’s stumbled into something he doesn’t know anything about. They didn’t give him an alter ego. They’ve just made him Billy Batson all the time. It’s like putting a man into a dog and making him the dog. What happened to the wisdom of Solomon? It’s ridiculous.”
Jackson is also not a fan of the darker tone that current films based on comic books have taken.
“The reason that Billy Batson is chosen by Shazam is because he is pure of heart, but in the new movie he’s a juvenile delinquent,” Jackson points out. “That’s the problem with the way the movie studios portray these heroes these days. They all have dark sides to them. They all have something wrong with them somewhere. There’s no pure hero anymore. They’ve taken away the fun of a hero.”
However, the resurgence of Shazam in the mainstream pop culture world has made Jackson a popular guest at comic conventions across North America, where he has been meeting fans both young and old.
Peterborough Comic Con takes place on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough.
“It’s usually the fathers of the kids who come and see me, but some of the kids are getting into it because of the series’ DVD release,” Jackson admits.
“But I get emails, and people coming up to me all the time and tell me that Shazam changed their lives. They say that they didn’t know where they were going, but something in my role of Captain Marvel spoke to them, and they went into the military or law enforcement and all kinds of different things. That’s pretty great.”
Jackson Bostwick’s appearance at Peterborough Comic Con is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet one of the original Saturday morning TV stars and a pop culture icon.
Peterborough Comic Con has all the elements of the bigger comic cons, but without the huge line ups, crushing crowds, and high ticket price.
A family-friendly event suitable for kids that want to discover the comic con experience, Peterborough Comic Con is a fun event that brings out members of our community to celebrate their inner geek.
Peterborough Comic Con takes place at the Evinrude Centre (911 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough) on Sunday, September 23rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5, with kids under 12 free. The community is asked to bring cans of food to be donated to Kawartha Food Share, to be exchanged for tickets for special drawn items.
On September 6, 2018, Peterborough-Kawartha MP and Minister of Status of Women was at the new Steelworks Design facility on Fisher Drive in Peterborough to announce $498,000 in federal funding for the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) to implement a three-year project aiming at attracting and inspiring more women and youth to pursue a career in manufacturing. (Photo: Office of Minister of Status of Women)
This week’s round-up of business news features the federal government’s announcement of $498,000 in funding to attract women to pursue manufacturing careers, the launch of kawarthaNOW’s special editorial section for the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough, the closing of Brio Gusto in downtown Peterborough in October, the Peterborough startup Pitched revolutionizing the way Canadians camp, and the coming return of the Win This Space entrepreneurial competition to downtown Peterborough.
New business events added this week include the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development BAC at the Bonfire at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene on September 18th, the Peterborough DBIA’s monthly Breakfast Network with Paul J. Bedford on September 19th, and the Innovation Cluster’s workshop on alternative financing options in Peterborough on September 20th.
We publish businessNOW every week. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
Federal Minister of Status of Women announces $498,000 in funding to attract women to pursue manufacturing careers
Last Thursday (September 6), Peterborough-Kawartha MP and Minister of Status of Women announced $498,000 in federal funding for the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) to implement a three-year project aiming at attracting and inspiring more women and youth to pursue a career in manufacturing.
The announcement was made at the new Steelworks Design facility on Fisher Drive in Peterborough. Rhonda Barnet, the President & COO of Steelworks Design, is also the chair of CME’s National Board.
VIDEO: Federal government announcement at Steelworks Design
Our government recognizes that one of the keys to growing our economy is attracting more women to the manufacturing sector. Tune in now for an important announcement at Steelworks Design in #PtboKawartha #Nogojiwanong.
Posted by Maryam Monsef on Thursday, September 6, 2018
As part of the project, CME will create regional networks to work with a national working group to attract more women into Canadian manufacturing professions and create more inclusive and diverse workplaces. The project will also develop a best practices toolkit for manufacturers to adopt and report on progress.
The CME’s Management Issues Survey in 2016 found that nearly 40 per cent of respondents are currently facing labour and skills shortages, while 16 per cent of businesses stated that ongoing shortages may force them to shift production and investment outside of Canada.
At the same time, while Canadian women make up 48 per cent of the workforce, only 28 per cent hold jobs in manufacturing jobs. This percentage has not changed in the last 30 years.
CME says that attracting women to the manufacturing sector is critical to helping these companies grow, filling job vacancies and replacing the existing aging workforce.
Women’s Business Network of Peterborough launches 2018-19 season
The 2018-19 board of directors of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough, from left to right: (on laptop) Program Director Danielle McIver, Secretary Grace Reynolds, External Communications Director Rencee Noonan, Treasurer Christine Teixeira, Member Communications Director Diane Wolf, Director at Large Josee Kiss, President Tracey Ormond, Past President Lorie Gill, Technical Director Karen Copson, Program Director Lori McKee, Membership Director Arlene Blunck, Social Director Gail Moorhouse, and (on laptop) Strategic Planning Director Colleen Carruthers. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
The Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN) has launched its 2018-19 season, holding its kick-off meeting last Wednesday (September 5) at the Holiday Inn Waterfront in downtown Peterborough.
And, for the second year in a row, WBN member kawarthaNOW.com is providing exclusive digital promotion of the preeminent networking organization for professional women in the Kawarthas.
Brio Gusto Restaurant & Wine Bar in downtown Peterborough is closing after 15 years
Lindsey Dupuis, owner and chef of Brio Gusto Restaurant & Wine Bar, is closing the business on October 5, 2018 so she can focus more on her family. (Photo: Lindsey Dupuis / Facebook)
After 15 years in business, Brio Gusto Restaurant & Wine Bar in downtown Peterborough will serve its final meal on Friday, October 5th.
Owner and chef Lindsey Dupuis made the announcement on Facebook last Friday (September 7).
Dupuis bought the business six years ago from Scott Wood (who currently owns Ashburnham Ale House in East City). She initially starting as a dishwasher and then went to culinary school, and has worked as a chef at the restaurant for the past 10 years.
Dupuis had a baby six months ago.
“We have had to make the hard decision to close Brio Gusto as it is and focus more on our family,” she writes on Facebook.
The building housing the popular restaurant is owned by AON Inc.
Peterborough’s Pitched is the camping version of Airbnb
This campsite near the Ottawa Valley is one of 50 campsites available for rental through the Pitched website. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
Local entrepreneur Olaf Dunn is revolutionizing the way Canadians camp.
Dunn is the founder of Pitched, Canada’s first campsite booking website similar to Airbnb. Using Pitched, anyone can host a campsite on their property and rent it to others.
With over 50 campsites in Ontario alone, Pitched provides an opportunity for campers to have a unique place to stay and the hosts an opportunity to share local knowledge of the site, creating memories travellers wouldn’t experience at an average campground.
Dunn, who is originally from the United Kingdom, explains he was inspired to develop Pitched when he had difficulty finding a suitable campsite one summer for a family getaway.
“It is hard for the average person to find a campsite that is both secluded and quiet,” he says. “We wanted to create an experience for campers who are adventurous, maybe take impulsive road trips, or just want to try somewhere new.”
When searching for a campsite location using Pitched, people can see everything available to them when they are at the campsite. The minimum requirement is room for a tent, but hosts may also provide additional facilities and equipment such as fire pits and tent supplies. Campsites are available in a range of locations and price points (the host determines the price).
In the near future, Dunn hopes to implement insurance options that will provide basic coverage for all non-commercial hosts.
Win This Space returns in downtown Peterborough for 2019, sponsorship opportunities available
The Win This Space entrepreneurial competition is returning for its third year in 2019. (Photo: Peterborough DBIA)
For the third straight year, the Win This Space entrepreneurial contest is returning to downtown Peterborough.
The competition aims to support budding entrepreneurs and promote economic development in Peterborough’s downtown. The winner of the competition receives a downtown storefront free for a year, along with other prizes.
The initiative is a partnership of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development, Community Futures Peterborough, and Shorelines Casinos and includes sponsorships by many local businesses.
The 2019 contest will be officially launched on Tuesday, September 18th.
If you are interesting in sponsoring Win This Space 2019, call the DBIA at 705-748-4774.
Peterborough Chamber hosts breakfast meeting with Ashley Lamothe on September 11
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next “Chamber AM” breakfast meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11th at the Carousel Restaurant & Tavern (116 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough)
Ashley Lamothe of Creative Kwe Coaching will be the guest speaker, on the topic “Empowerment in the Workplace”.
Coffee and breakfast is served from 7 to 8 a.m. followed by the guest speaker.
Admission is free (you just pay for what you order for breakfast).
Next FastStart Peterborough E-Connect features Susan Sharp of Brant Basics and Dr. Kristy Hiltz of Sherbrooke Animal Hospital on September 11
The next FastStart Peterborough E-Connect event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11th at Brant Basics (296 George St. N., Peterborough).
The event features presentations from Susan Sharp, partner of Brant Basics, and Dr. Kristy Hiltz, founder of Sherbrooke Animal Hospital. Free appetizers and drinks will be available.
Port Hope Chamber 17th Annual Golf Tournament on September 13
The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 17th Annual Golf Tournament beginning at 11:30 a.m. (shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.) on Thursday, September 13th at the Ash Brook Golf Club (7215 Dale Rd., Port Hope).
The event includes lunch, 18 holes of golf (cart included), and a steak dinner. There will be a best ball fun tournament and prizes.
Venture13 in Cobourg hosts seminar on University of Toronto internship program for startups on September 18
The Impact Centre in partnership with Northumberland CFDC and Venture13 is presenting a lunch and learn seminar on course-based internship program for early-stage startups offered by the Impact Centre at the University of Toronto.
“Exploring New Ventures Closer to Home: Helping your Startup grow with top talent from UofT” takes place from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18th in the seminar room at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
Students in the Exploring New Ventures Closer to Home (ENV-C2H) program will work with your company (unpaid) for either 100 or 200 hours, learn about entrepreneurship, and earn an academic credit.
The seminar is free and lunch will be provided. Register at Eventbrite.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts BAC at the Bonfire at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene on September 18
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre hosts its annual BAC at the Bonfire event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18th at Elmhirst’s Rerort (1045 Settlers Line, Keene).
BAC at the Bonfire brings together entrepreneurs around a cozy campfire to share their stories and mingle with like-minded professionals.
This year’s theme is how to scale your business for growth and remain competitive. Gain valuable insight guest speakers Marissa McTasney of Moxie Trades and Craig Mortlock from Mortlock Construction.
Peterborough DBIA’s monthly Breakfast Network with Paul J. Bedford on September 19
Renowned city planner Paul J. Bedford will be the guest speaker at the Peterborough DBIA’s September Breakfast Network.
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA)’s next monthly Breakfast Network takes place at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 19th at Empress Gardens (131 Charlotte St., Peterborough).
Renowned planner Paul J. Bedford will be the guest speaker. A member and fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners, Bedford has 45 years of experience in urban planning, including as Toronto’s chief city planner for eight years.
Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. with the guest speaker at 8 a.m.
The meeting is open to everyone, and tickets are $5 at the door.
Peterborough Chamber hosts lunch-time seminar on business relationships in the era of machine intelligence on September 19
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next Lunch Box Learning seminar takes place from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19th in the Chamber boardroom at 175 George Street North in Peterborough.
The topic will be “Business Relationships in the Age of Machine Intelligence and Automation” presented by Paul Teleki, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Lunch Box Learning is a noon-hour seminar series that’s open to Chamber members and members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN).
The seminar is free to attend, but please bring your own lunch.
Port Hope Chamber hosts lunchtime seminar on marijuana in the workplace on September 19
The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Marijuana in the Workplace: Is Your Workplace Ready?” from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19th at the Port Hope Council Chambers (56 Queen St., Port Hope).
The seminar will provide information on the rights and responsibilities of employers regarding the upcoming legalization of marijuana. Jason Schmidt of Schmidt Law Legal Services will be leading the discussion, along with Peter Treacy, Field Consultant from Peninsula Canada – Human Resources & Employer Advice.
Bring your own lunch (beverages will be provided). The event is free, but please RSVP by emailing admin@porthopechamber.com or calling 905-885-5519.
Kawartha Chamber presents Business After Hours in Bridgenorth on September 19
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s next Business After Hours event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19th.
During the “Bridgenorth Hop”, the Chamber will visit members in Bridgenorth, including Bridgenorth Deli, Style Boutique, and TCB Office Furniture & Supplies.
More details will be announced as the date nears.
Port Hope Chamber hosts community economic development workshop on September 20
The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Community Economic Development 101” from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, September 20th at the Port Hope Lions Recreation Centre (29 Thomas St., Port Hope).
The interactive workshop, intended for municipal candidates, staff, community volunteers, and business professionals, will teach the basics of economic development and provide practical tools to help your municipality attract jobs, investment, and tackle economic development barriers.
The workshop is free, but advance registration is required by emailing admin@porthopechamber.com or calling 905-885-5519.
Lindsay Chamber Fall Golf Classic Tournament on September 20
The Lindsay & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting its Fall Golf Classic Tournament from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 20th at the Lindsay Golf & Country Club (282 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay).
The event fee of $141.25 includes a BBQ lunch, 18 holes of golf (cart included), and dinner. There will be prizes for women’s and men’s closest and longest drive, most honest and winning teams, and putting and chipping contests.
Innovation Cluster hosts workshop on alternative financing options in Peterborough on September 20
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas is hosting “Hands-ON: Alternative Financing Options with SME Bancorp Inc.” from 12 to 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 20th at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
The workshop, presented by Peter Browning of SME Bancorp, will cover the topics of financing accounts receivable or factoring, using credit insurance to eliminate your credit risk and reduce your cost of borrowing, financing purchase orders, how to fund the purchase of assets such as inventory and the services you need to run your business, and financing equipment.
New Venture Session on September 26, 2018 is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs or startups looking for support in the business community. (Photo: Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development)
Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development is hosting a workshop for entrepreneurs from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26th at St. Matthew – St. Aidans Church (1946 Lakehurst Rd., Buckhorn).
The “New Venture Session” is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs or startups looking for support in the business community. The session will provide an overview of the foundations of starting and running a business, resources and programs that are available for entrepreneurs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, the business model canvas exercise, how to access support from the Business Advisory Centre, and getting started on the “Startup Checklist”.
Next Kawartha Chamber B.O.S.S. session takes place on October 2
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s next B.O.S.S. (Business Owners Sharing Solutions) session is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 2nd at Camp Kawartha (1010 Birchview Rd., Douro-Dummer).
The session will explore team building programs, practices, and activities, and discuss the importance of establishing trust, setting goals, and honouring the goals of others. Refreshments will be provided.
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s Love Local Business Expo will take place this year from noon to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 3rd.
The region’s largest business showcase, in previous years the Expo took place at the Morrow Building during September. While spacious, the location was also somewhat uncomfortable during the heat of late summer and required a lot of carpets to cover up the concrete floor.
This year’s Expo is taking place at the Envinrude Centre, which features air conditioning and hardwood floors.
Almost 10 years ago, The Three Martinis (Jimmy Bowskill, Rob Phillips, and Dan Fewings) began delivering a unique musical improv comedy experience to Peterborough audiences. The three musicians will reunite for a special 10th anniversary Halloween-themed performance at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough on October 26, 2018. (Supplied photo)
It’s not a stretch to imagine that in a faraway place long ago, Dan Fewings would have made a very good living as a court jester.
The Three Martini Halloweeny & Tenth Anniversary Party
When: Friday, October 26, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: The Mount Community Centre (1545 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough) How much: $23 in advance for regular theatre seat ($25 at door), $28 in advance for cabaret table seat ($30 at door)
Featuring The Three Martinis (Dan Fewings, Rob Phillips, and Jimmy Bowskill) with special guest Linda Kash. Doors open at 7 p.m. All ages/licensed with a cash bar available. Advance tickets available online.
The Simcoe native and retired Peterborough high school teacher has a gift for making people laugh — a gift accentuated by his larger-than-life persona and a full willingness to poke fun at himself in a way that makes all around him feel like they’re being let in on a secret he has held onto for years.
Close to 10 years ago, when he first hooked up with local piano master Rob Phillips — Bailieboro native Jimmy Bowskill on bass joined in shortly after — Fewings found a new outlet for his comedic talents. Since debuting at Cassis on Hunter Street West, The Three Martinis have delivered their unique and very funny brand of musical improv comedy to the delight of audiences throughout the Peterborough region and beyond.
On Friday, October 26th at The Mount (1545 Monaghan Road, Peterborough), Dan Fewings, Rob Phillips, and Jimmy Bowskill will headline The Three Martini Halloweeny & Tenth Anniversary Party, co-sponsored by kawarthaNOW.com and produced by Fewings’ son Josh (of Mayhemingways fame). There will also be a special guest cameo appearance by Linda Kash.
Tickets are $23 in advance or $25 at the door for a regular theatre seat, or $28 in advance or $30 at the door for a cabaret table seat (eight-seat tables). Advance tickets are available now online at www.ticketscene.ca/events/22028/. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show at 8 p.m. There will also be a cash bar available at the licensed and all-ages show.
Dan Fewings and Rob Phillips first began bringing comedy and music together in 2009, leading to the creation of The Three Martinis. (Supplied photo)
If you’re new to The Three Martinis, how it works is simple: taking their cue from suggested song titles offered up by audience members, the trio goes to work, with Fewings coming up with lyrics on the spot and the other two adding the music based on the genre, which is also often suggested by the audience. Jazz, blues, country — anything is game.
So are the guys in the spotlight.
“We joke that this is our therapy,” Phillips says. “Rather than go and get counselling at $80 an hour, we (figuratively) expose ourselves to audiences.”
VIDEO: The Three Martinis promo video
It was back in 2009 when Fewings was running his Fabulous Green Roof Children’s Theatre Camp that what was to become The Three Martinis was born.
At the camp’s conclusion, Fewings added a week-long adult theatre camp for adults because they “need to play more than kids do.” Staging the old folk story Stone Soup, Fewings asked his friend Phillips to come on board as musical director.
The poster for “Three Martinis, Then I’ll Sing” when Rob Phillips and Dan Fewings first performed as a duo. The name, which was inspired by an audience member’s reaction when asked to come up on stage to sing, later became “The Three Martinis” when Jimmy Bowskill joined on bass. (Supplied photo)
“During down time, Rob played Tom Waits type riffs and we wrote stuff on the spot… some of the songs were pretty good,” recalls Fewings.
“Two or three weeks later, close to my birthday (October 30), Rob said ‘I’m going to be playing at Cassis. Why don’t you come down?’ So I go. Louise and Jane, two friends of Rob’s, are there, having dinner. Rob says ‘Why don’t you come up here and sing a song?’ One of them said, ‘Three martinis, then I’ll sing’ and I was like ‘Bingo.’ On the spot we wrote what became our theme song.”
Fewings notes the two ladies promised to “pack this place (Cassis) with our girlfriends” the next time out. They did just that and word of The Three Martinis’ value-added performance that brings comedy and music together in a very unpredictable way spread very quickly.
“We made them (Louise and Jane) the official president and vice-president of The Three Martinis,” quips Fewings.
Over the years since, Fewings, Phillips, and Bowskill have pursued individual projects — Fewings is a professional clown, guitarist, and event emcee and runs his Green Roof workshops; Phillips is an accomplished singer, keyboardist, and songwriter with several recordings to his credit; Bowskill is a working musician who is also currently performing with the Juno Award-winning rock band The Sheepdogs — but have frequently come together for numerous gigs as The Three Martinis.
To understand how out of control a typical performance can get, Fewings references a show performed one Sunday morning east of Peterborough.
“We were trying to get something from them, some material we can write about, and they’re like ‘We had a stop light put up last week.’ And then one guy looks at the other and says ‘Should we tell them?’ Well, he says, ‘There was this incident with them two fellas and the Cooper’s Road sheep farm … these two fellas got caught having their way with this sheep.’ We were like ‘What?!'”
Phillips adds “We were crying … the sheep jokes went on for about 15 minutes.”
Bailieboro’s native son Jimmy Bowskill (second from right) is now a performing member of The Sheepdogs. Jimmy will be joining The Three Martinis reunion before heading off on a European tour with The Sheepdogs. (Publicity photo)
At the heart of the The Three Martinis’ longevity and success is a mutual respect that each has for the other.
“Rob has a great comedic sense; one of the frustrations I have is his jokes are always better than mine,” says Fewings.
“He’s a way better player than I am a singer. Jimmy adds a nice balance. There were some nights when I was feeling more vulnerable than others and Rob’s looking for something a little more interesting musically than me. Jimmy knows I’m a simpleton when it comes to music.”
For his part, Phillips praises Fewings’ comedic mind and resulting genius.
“I worked at Second City and I worked with tons of different people over six years … Danny hits a home run eight out of ten times,” says Phillips.
“He is one of the top comedians in this country, I swear to God. I don’t tell him that every day because then he’d want a raise. We don’t know what he’s going to do. We’re playing along and Danny’s calculating what the rhyming scheme is going to be. He has to make up a story and it has got to be clever and funny.”
The key, adds Phillips, is to not let a song go on too long.
“If we’re going along and there’s a big laugh, we kill it,” he says.
“Sometimes it’s hard to draw the information out of people. That’s where Danny’s talent is. We’ll say ‘Hey Paul, what do you in an average day?’ And you go ‘Well, you know, I get up, I walk the dog, read the newspaper.’ We turn your day into a bunch of songs. We make your day into a musical.”
Suffice to say the snowflake analogy is inescapable when describing a typical Three Martinis show — no two are even remotely alike.
“You really have to have a funny take on the world, the absurdity of it all,” says Phillips of what makes it all work.
Inducted into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame in 2016, Fewings is as equally busy in Simcoe as he is here, performing in a folk duet there as well as doing solo shows. He’s also directing a show for the Young Theatre Players.
Phillips, meanwhile, is finishing up a jazz-blues album in Toronto as well as performing regularly in Peterborough and area.
As for the October 26th show at The Mount, in addition to celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Three Martinis, Dan will also be celebrating his 60th birthday.
Many millions of birds in Canada die each year from collisions with windows. Ewa Bednarczuk, Ecology & Stewardship Specialist with Lower Trent Conservation, applies small white adhesive markers to window glass on a door. The markers are spaced to provide a visual cue to birds that the window is not open space. (Photo courtesy of Lower Trent Conservation)
Many of us have had this experience at some point in our lives: sitting in a room in our house when we hear a sudden thump against a window. We investigate, only to find a bird has flown into the window and is either injured or dead.
A local conservation authority is encouraging the public to help protect our feather friends by taking steps to prevent these bird-window collisions.
According to Lower Trent Conservation, birds are particularly vulnerable to window collisions during the migratory season, including the fall when birds begin to fly to warmer climates where food is abundant.
Although birds have better vision than humans, mirrors are not a natural part of their habitat. They frequently mistake the reflection of sky and trees in a window as an open flight path, resulting in injury or death.
Although birds actually have better vision than humans, mirrors are not a natural part of their habitat. As a result, birds can perceive a window reflecting the surrounding sky or trees as open space — and fly into it at a high rate of speed.
Birds that do not die upon impact can become easy prey for predators such as cats, raccoons, gulls, or other animals.
Windows are one of the leading human causes of death for birds. According to a 2013 Environment Canada study, collisions with residential and commercial buildings kill an estimated 16 to 42 million birds each year in Canada, mostly at residential homes.
Across North America, the estimated number of migrating birds killed annually in collisions with buildings is estimated to be 699 million.
The small adhesive markers help prevent bird-window collisions while still providing a clear view through the window. (Photo courtesy of Lower Trent Conservation)
Fortunately, there are steps you can take at your home or business to deter birds from flying into your windows.
“Using visual cues, we are able to alert birds of the presence of glass,” says Ewa Bednarczuk, Ecology & Stewardship Specialist with Lower Trent Conservation. “This can be done very simply with window paint, adhesive markers, film, screens, or netting.”
“At Lower Trent Conservation’s Administration Office, we have placed small white adhesive markers on the exterior surface of window glass to deter birds, while maintaining a clear, esthetically pleasing view through the windows.”
The markers can be spaced to ensure that even smaller birds, such as hummingbirds, will not attempt to fly through a window.
FLAP Canada is an organization dedicated to safeguarding migratory birds in the urban environment through education, policy development, research, rescue, and rehabilitation. For more information on how you can prevent bird-window collisions, visit the FLAP Canada website at www.flap.org.
As well as the adhesive markers used at Lower Trent Conservation, FLAP Canada suggests other products you can use to make your windows bird friendly.
If you do find an injured bird that has flown into your window, FLAP Canada does not recommend that you leave the defenceless bird on the ground to recover from its injuries, as it may quickly become prey for scavenging animals.
Instead, gently place it inside an unwaxed paper bag or cardboard box, firmly secured, and put it in a quiet location away from people and pets. Do not give the bird food or water. Look on the internet for a wildlife rehabilitator close to you for further instructions.
Editor’s note: The Avant-Garden Shop (165 Sherbrooke St., Peterborough, 705-743-0068) sells the window markers mentioned in this story.
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
