A barber by day in Bridgenorth, Adriano Ferreri is about to premiere his debut feature film with an exclusive screening at 7:30 p.m. at Galaxy Cinemas (320 Water St., Peterborough) on Thursday, June 28th.

Almost three years in the making, E.M.P. 333 Days was shot entirely in the Kawarthas and features local actors, with the lead role of Niamh played by Adriano’s teenaged daughter Rosa Ferreri, in her first feature film role.

Other local actors appearing in the film include Liam Davidson (best known for his work at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook) as William, Martin Saunders as John, Derek Bell as Craig, Cheryl Jan Ellis as Grandma, and Dan Smith as Zain.

E.M.P. 333 Days is an 83-minute thriller about what happens to introverted 11-year-old Niamh (Rosa Ferreri) after an electromagnetic pulse weapon fries all electrical devices, returning North America to pre-industrial conditions and sending it into anarchy. Niamh must fend and fight for herself while trying to find her father John (Martin Saunders).

Producer and director Adriano Ferreri has been interested in filmmaking since he was a teenager. He graduated from Niagara College’s film and broadcasting program in 1998, but after marrying his wife Michelle (also an executive producer on the film) in 2002 and starting a family, he began working as a barber in 2005 and took over his uncle’s barbershop in 2014.

Since launching his production company Ferreri Films in 2007, he has managed to produce some short films while balancing work and family but hadn’t fulfilled his dream of making a feature film.

“I gave up weekends and every spare hour I had to finish this movie,” he says. “I wrote it to match our community and showcase our area, but also to prevent travel costs and ultimately a higher budget. I have wanted to make a feature film since film school, but life often has other plans — but it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.”

Adriano cast his daughter Rosa in the lead role of Niamh as she had some local theatrical acting experience and, more importantly, she was almost always available given her father’s eratic shooting schedule spanning more than a year.

A limited number of advance tickets are available for $10 each in Peterborough at The Pasta Shop at 166 Sherbrooke Street, Pensieri Shoes at 373 George Street North, and Fresh Country Pies & Produce at 566 Frank Hill Road, and in Bridgenorth at Sam’s Nephews Barber Shop.

Adriano has offered to give a portion of tickets sales to the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation’s Mindfulness program.

For more information about E.M.P. 333 Days, visit www.ferrerifilms.com.

VIDEO: “E.M.P. 333 Days” Trailer

Every Friday during swimming season, we post a weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the Kawarthas.

As of June 23, 2018, the following beaches have been posted as unsafe for swimming:

• Riverview Beach Park – City of Kawartha Lakes
• Birch Point – City of Kawartha Lakes
• Norland Bathing Area – City of Kawartha Lakes
• Bewdley Beach – Northumberland County
• Sandy Bay Park – Northumberland County

Here are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County.

In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White’s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.

Important note

The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.

You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.

While we strive to update this story with the current conditions, you should confirm the most recent test results by visiting the local health unit websites at Peterborough Public Health and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. As noted above, the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead are tested every business day so the results listed below may not be current.

Peterborough City/County

Roger’s Cove (131 Maria St, Peterborough): SAFE

Beavermead (2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough): SAFE

Back Dam Beach (902 Rock Rd., Warsaw, Township of Douro-Dummer): SAFE

Buckhorn (John Street, Buckhorn): SAFE

Chandos Beach (Hwy 620, North Kawartha): Unavailable

Crowe’s Line Beach (240 Crowe’s Line Rd, Harvey): SAFE

Curve Lake Lance Woods Park (Chemong St S, Curve Lake): SAFE

Curve Lake Henry’s Gumming (Whetung St E, Curve Lake): SAFE

Douro (205 Douro Second Line, Douro-Dummer): SAFE

Ennismore (1053 Ennis Road, Ennismore): SAFE

Jones Beach (908 Jones Beach Road, Bridgenorth): SAFE

Hiawatha (1 Lakeshore Rd, Hiawatha): SAFE

Lakefield Park (100 Hague Boulevard, Lakefield): SAFE

Norwood (12 Belmont St, Norwood): SAFE

Quarry Bay (1986 Northey’s Bay Rd, Woodview): Unavailable

Sandy Lake (1239 Lakehurst Road, Municipality of Trent Lakes): SAFE

Selwyn (2251 Birch Island Road, Selwyn): SAFE

Squirrel Creek Conservation Area (2445 Wallace Point Rd, South Monaghan): SAFE

Warsaw Caves (289 Caves Rd, Warsaw): SAFE

White’s Beach (Clearview Drive, Galway): Unavailable

City of Kawartha Lakes

Bexley Township Area

Blanchard’s Road Beach – OPEN

Bobcaygeon Area

Beach Park – OPEN

Riverview Beach Park – POSTED

Eldon Township Area

Centennial Park West – OPEN

Emily/Omemee Area

Omemee Beach – OPEN

Fenelon Falls Area

Birch Point – POSTED

Bond Street – OPEN

Sturgeon Point Beach – OPEN

Laxton Township Area

Head Lake – OPEN

Norland Bathing Area – POSTED

Mariposa Township Area

Valentia Beach (aka Sandbar Beach) – OPEN

Somerville Township Area

Burnt River Beach – Somerville – OPEN

Burnt River Four Mile Lake – OPEN

Verulam Township Area

Centennial Beach – OPEN

Verulam Recreational Park – OPEN

Haliburton County

Algonquin Highlands Area

Dorset Parkette – OPEN

Elvin Johnson Park (aka Stanhope Beach) – OPEN

Dysart et al Area

Eagle Lake Beach – OPEN

Haliburton Lake South Bay – OPEN

Sand Point (aka Indian Point) – OPEN

Pine Lake Beach – OPEN

Sandy Cove Beach – OPEN

Silver Lake (aka Kashawigamog Lake) – OPEN

Highlands East Area

Gooderham Beach – OPEN

Paudash Lake Beach – OPEN

Lake Wilbermere Beach – OPEN

Glamour Lake Beach – OPEN

Minden Hills Area

Bissett Beach – OPEN

Little Horseshoe Lake Beach – OPEN

Minden Rotary Lagoon Beach – OPEN

Minden Rotary Main Beach – OPEN

Twelve Mile Lake Beach – OPEN

Northumberland County

Brighton Area

Cedardale – OPEN

Little Lake – OPEN

Campbellford Area

Crowe Bay Fun Park – OPEN

Hastings North – OPEN

Hastings South – OPEN

Seymour Conservation Area – OPEN

Port Hope/Cobourg Area

Bewdley Beach – POSTED

Harwood Beach – OPEN

Port Hope Beach East – OPEN

Port Hope Beach West – OPEN

Sandy Bay Park – POSTED

Victoria Beach (Cobourg) – OPEN

Wicklow Beach – OPEN

If you haven’t noticed, there’s been a lot going on in Bobcaygeon over the past couple of months.

Volunteers have been busy making the village fun and attractive for both residents and visitors this summer, as part of the “Vibrant Village” efforts organized by Impact 32, a volunteer steering committee made up of local business owners and community organizers in Bobcaygeon.

First up are the 70 uniquely painted wooden canoe paddles that will be showcased on poles on the main village streets. The canoe paddle was chosen to reflect Bobcaygeon’s heritage as a main waterway route for both First Nations and settlers, and local artists made a special effort to create work representing their favourite aspects of Bobcaygeon.

VIDEO: Bobcaygeon canoe paddles being varnished

The paddles are scheduled to be installed on the poles on Friday (June 22). At the end of the summer, the paddles will then be displayed at the Bobcaygeon Fall Fair and auctioned off to community members and merchants to raise funds for future Vibrant Village efforts.

While volunteers have also been hanging flower baskets in the downtown core, representatives from local volunteer groups have also joined together to enter Bobcaygeon in this year’s “Communities in Bloom” competition.

Anyone who wants to help Bobcaygeon win the competition can go to the website www.bobcaygeoncommunitiesinbloom.com for tips, and look for “seed bombs” at any of a dozen merchants around town — these are little gifts you can plant for just $5.

To raise funds for continued beautification efforts in Bobcaygeon, Impact 32 is presenting “Bloom Town Bash” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 6th on the expansive patio at Kawartha Coffee Company’s new location at The Doctor’s Office at 58 Bolton Street. Featuring a Boho “flower child” theme, there will be food, karaoke, a henna artist, and more. Themed attire is encouraged but not required.

Tickets are $30 each and are available at Kawartha Coffee Company, the Welcome Centre, and online at visitbobcaygeon.com. All revenues will support Vibrant Village initiatives.

Also back for the summer is Bobcaygeon’s bike share initiative. To rent a bike, all you need is a cell phone and a credit card. The bikes are located in two handy spots beside the locks, so they’re ready for residents or visitors to take for a spin.

And if you’re cycling or driving around Bobcaygeon, you’ll notice the new paddle-shaped signposts, which were installed in May and designed to complement Bobcaygeon’s charming “old-time cottage meets today feel.

The new signposts were a collaboration of Environmental Action Bobcaygeon and Impact 32 with support from the Bobcaygeon Legacy CHEST Fund, Regional Tourism Organization 8, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.

The founder of Peterborough Challenger Baseball, a special needs baseball league, is furious after discovering some of the team’s equipment has been stolen and vandalized.

Bernie Daynes discovered last night (June 20) that someone had broken into the team’s equipment box at Turner Park at Chamberlain and High streets, where the Peterborough Challenger Baseball Juniors plays every Wednesday night.

Daynes says three brand new batting helmets were stolen, along with the team’s seven bats and about a dozen balls. The bats are specially designed for special needs children, with a soft exterior and a harder core. The balls are the size of a regular softball, but are made of high-density soft foam to make them safer for players.

Daynes also says the thief or thieves stuffed an additional batting helmet into the basin of a portable toilet.

To night I discovered that punks and thieves will take anything … The Peterborough Challenger Baseball Juniors play every Wednesday night at Turner Park, and have since 2016. .. They stole all of our bats, balls and 3 helmets from our special needs junior ball teams.

— Peterborough Challenger Baseball (@PtboChallenger) June 21, 2018

Daynes believes the equipment storage bin was broken into between Monday and Wednesday night.

“The theft of this equipment was bad enough,” Daynes wrote on Facebook on Wednesday night, “but to make it worse, it was game night tonight and with the theft it looked like my band of happy fun loving ball players would miss out playing a game.”

Fortunately, Daynes writes, a young boy who lives in the neighbourhood lent the team three of his own bats. As Daynes carries a demonstration ball with him so show families interested in the game, the team was able to play.

Challenger Baseball, a national organization, is an all-inclusive league designed to give children and youth aged six to 18 who are living with cognitive or physical disabilities the chance to play baseball. There are no outs, no strikes, no ball counts, and no score — it’s all about playing the game and being part of a team.

Daynes started a Peterborough league in 2016, which relies on donations and fundraising to operate. It will be expensive for the league to replace the missing equipment.

Daynes says that people or businesses who want to donate to help replace the equipment and show support for the team can drop off their donations at Hobies Sports (186 Charlotte St, Peterborough, 705-745-7770).

If you have any information about the theft, email challenger.peterborough@gmail.com or contact the Peterborough Police Service.

Last year’s Lock & Paddle at the Peterborough Lift Lock was a record-breaking event, with 328 canoes and kayaks filling the two chambers.

In fact, it was so successful that many disappointed paddlers were turned away. So, this year, the third annual Lock & Paddle on Sunday, June 24th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be something different.

In celebration of National Canoe Day and Free Lockage Day, the Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Site of Canada, in co-operation with The Canadian Canoe Museum and The Land Canadian Adventures, is making the event more inclusive by setting a new goal: to get as many paddlers as possible through the Peterborough Lift Lock between noon and 3 p.m.

And the event will feel more like a paddling festival, with entertainment and local vendors on-site for the duration of the event.

Another big change for his year’s event is that paddlers wishing to participate will first have to register — for free. Registration begins Sunday at 10 a.m. at two locations: at the top side of the Peterborough Lift Lock at the McFarlane Street Bridge parking lot and at the bottom side of the Peterborough Lift Lock.

Paddlers are encouraged to arrive early, to ensure they are registered and to have the opportunity to visit the vendors before the lockage begins at noon.

The vendors will be located at the bottom side of the Peterborough Lift Lock, along the trail, and will include Ben’s Kettle Corn, Fresh Urban Plate, Kawartha Buttertart Factory, Parks Canada – Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site, Pedal Parlor Co., Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism, Rocky Ridge Water, Salmon River Kayaks, Smoke House Port Perry, Sugar Daddy, The Land Canadian Adventures, and The Canadian Canoe Museum.

Note that parking is not available at either registration location, although paddlers and their boats can be dropped off. Organizers are asking paddlers to register at the top side location at the McFarlane Street Bridge if possible (and paddle to the Lift Lock from there), leaving the bottom side location for paddlers with accessibility concerns.

Parking

While parking will not be available at either registration location, there are other places where you can park that are within walking (and paddling) distance to the Peterborough Lift Lock:

• Trent-Severn Waterway Headquarters – 2155 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough
• Eastgate Memorial Park – 2150 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough
• Beavermead Campground – 2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough
• Rogers Cove – 131 Maria Street, Peterborough

Paddling to the Peterborough Lift Lock

To allow paddlers with less experience or accessibility issues to register and put in at the Peterborough Lift Lock Visitor Centre, experienced paddlers should choose one of the following put-in locations. Note that if you are going through Lock 20 – Ashburhnam, you need to allow an extra 45 to 60 minutes to transfer and paddle to the Peterborough Lift Lock.

• Beavermead Campground (2011 Ashburnham Dr.) – 5-minute paddle to Lock 20, 45-60 minutes to transfer and paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock
• Rogers Cove (131 Maria St.) – 5-minute paddle to Lock 20, 45-60 minutes to transfer and paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock
• Millennium Park (130 King St.) – 20-minute paddle to Lock 20, 45-60 minutes to transfer and paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock
• Del Crary Park (100 George St.) – 35-minute paddle to Lock 20, 45-60 minutes to transfer and paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock
• Warsaw Swing Bridge (Parkhill Rd, E. and Canal Rd.) – 20-minute paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock
• McFarlane Bridge (McFarlane St. & Ashburnham Dr.) – 10-minute paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock
• Trent-Severn Waterway Headquarters (2155 Ashburnham Dr.) – 5-minute portage to launch at the top and west side of Lock 20, 20-minute paddle to Peterborough Lift Lock.

All participating paddlers need the following gear: a PFD (paddlers must wear it), a sound signalling device, a buoyant heaving line, and a bailer for each boat. Also bring sunscreen and a hat (or an umbrella or raincoat depending on the weather forecast) and a water bottle.

VIDEO: Lock ‘n’ Paddle 2017 at the Peterborough Lift Lock

Boat and gear rentals

If you want to rent a boat or gear, you can get it at one of the following local rental suppliers:

• Salmon River Kayaks (Peterborough Lift Lock)
• Pedal and Paddle (Millennium Park at the Silver Bean, 100 King St., Peterborough)
• Wild Rock Outfitters (169 Charlotte Street, Peterborough)
• Adventure Outfitters (1828 8th Line, Lakefield)
• Beavermead Campground (2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough)
• Cottage Toys (180 Charlotte St., Peterborough; 96 Clementi St. Lakefield)

The Land Canadian Adventures is offering an all-inclusive guided paddling experience for Lock n’ Paddle from $50 per person. Book your space.

Important notes

• You must be wearing your PFD and your coloured registration wristband to enter the Lift Lock chambers.
• For safety reasons, stand-up paddle boards will not be permitted at this event.
• No alcohol is permitted at this event.
• By participating in this event, all paddlers agree to be photographed and filmed.

For more information, visit the Lock & Paddle page on Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site’s website at www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/activ/eclusez-pagayez-lock-paddle.

Peterborough Pulse, the open streets event in downtown Peterborough, returns in 2018 for the fourth straight year on Saturday, July 21st. A media launch was held today (June 20) beside the Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market.

For one summer day, downtown streets are closed to vehicles and are instead filled with pedestrians, cyclists and roller-skaters, families pushing strollers, karate and fencing demonstrations, art and music, and more.

“Pulse is the ultimate way to experience our downtown,” says Susan Sauvé, Transportation Demand Management Planner with the City of Peterborough. “As a city, we are becoming more walk and bike friendly, and we know that the downtown is where the most demand for walking and cycling is.”

Peterborough Pulse runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with this year’s route running along George Street from McDonnel St. to Sherbrooke St. and will include Charlotte Street from George St. to Aylmer St.

“Pulse is an amazing way to see what this community has to offer,” says Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. “With more than 100 businesses and community groups involved, you’re going to have the opportunity to try some unique activities as well as see some new local dining and shopping possibilities.”

New this year is a snack hub on Charlotte Street, next to the George Street intersection, where healthy and nutritious food and drinks will be available for attendees (no alcoholic beverages will be served).

Also new this year is the Pulse Play Guide, which will promote recreation activities for the entire family all summer long.

Research shows that, in today’s technology-driven world, many Canadian families are struggling to “power off and play” by reducing screen time in the home. From axe throwing to star gazing, the Pulse Play Guide will offer families free access to some of the best recreation opportunities offered in Peterborough.

“This Play Guide will help local families create lasting memories all summer long,” says Hillary Flood, Pulse Coordinator with Peterborough GreenUP. “We are extremely grateful for the support from the Healthy Kids Community Challenge Power Off and Play program.”

Printed versions of the Pulse Play Guide will be available at local art galleries and museums (including the Peterborough Museum and Archives, Hutchinson House, The Canadian Canoe Museum, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and the OFAH Heritage Centre) and a download option will also be available on the Pulse website.

For more information about Peterborough Pulse, including updates and vendor applications for the Charlotte Street snack hub, visit www.peterborughpulse.com.