Trent Valley Archives Theatre's second history play is a fictionalized account of the perilous six-week journey of the John Barry, the last of the nine Peter Robinson emigrant transport ships to leave Ireland for Canada in 1825. Written by Ed Schroeter and Gerry McBride based on the journals of the ship's surgeon, "Crossing Over" will be performed from May 29 to 31, 2025, at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. Tickets are available now for the production, which is a fundraiser for Trent Valley Archives. (AI-generated image via Freepik)
After its successful inaugural production Tide of Hope this past May, Trent Valley Archives Theatre is bringing more history to life in May 2025 with a sequel called Crossing Over.
Like its predecessor, the subject matter of Crossing Over is the 19th-century emigration of over 2,500 poor Catholic families from Ireland to what is now eastern Ontario, initiated and administered by 19th-century Upper Canada politician Peter Robinson.
The production is one of several events taking place in 2025 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Irish settlers to Peterborough County and Kawartha Lakes in 1825.
Advertisement - content continues below
While Tide of Hope was set in Ireland and based on the life of David Nagle, an Irish land agent who was forced to flee to Upper Canada when Irish rebels branded him a traitor, Crossing Over is set on the John Barry, the last of the nine Peter Robinson emigrant transport ships to leave Ireland — and the ship Nagle and his wife were on.
Crossing Over was written by Tide of Hope playwright Ed Schroeter and Tide of Hope director Gerry McBride, with Peterborough historical researcher Don Willcock as the script consultant.
Although it is a fictionalized account of the John Barry’s perilous six-week journey across the Atlantic, the play draws upon a detailed journal of the voyage by ship surgeon William Burnie.
Similar to the ship depicted in this AI-generated image, the John Barry was a three-masted schooner that was used as a merchant ship, convict transport, and emigrant transport from 1819 to 1841. On May 25, 1825, the ship departed from the seaport town of Cobh on the south coast of County Cork, destined for Quebec, with 253 men, women, and children on board. (AI-generated image via Freepik)
According to Burnie’s journal, the John Barry sailed out of the harbour of the seaport town of Cobh on the south coast of County Cork on May 25, 1825. Destined for Quebec, there were 253 men, women, and children on board.
Of the nine Robinson settler ships that crossed the Atlantic, the John Barry experienced the worst voyage. The passengers, already weakened by malnutrition and disease, lived in cramped and unhygienic conditions and had to adjust to shipboard rations that included food items which they were unfamiliar with — and in some cases even threw overboard in the belief they were being poisoned.
The ship regularly encountered bad weather, with male passengers forced to pump water out of the ship several times a day, and disaster struck when the ship ran aground 200 miles east of Quebec City, terrifying the passengers. During the voyage, 15 people died from illness and other causes and were buried at sea, and 15 babies were born.
Advertisement - content continues below
“This story of tremendous courage in the face of the unknown is narrated by John Keleher, an experienced seaman and Peter Robinson settler,” reads a description of the play, which features some of the immigrant families that were on the John Barry, including the Hagertys, Nagles, Owens, Regans, Ryans, Slatterys, Sullivans, and Youngs.
“Prepare yourself for the ride of your life — storms, seasickness, scarlet fever, family feuds, petty larceny, plots and counterplots, rotting potatoes, mutiny, and the lash,” the description promises.
The play will be staged for four performances from May 29 to 31, 2025 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and a Saturday matinee performance at 2 p.m. Suitable for audiences 14 and older, Crossing Over runs for around 80 minutes with a 20-minute intermission.
Advertisement - content continues below
In response to audience feedback from Trent Valley Archives Theatre’s inaugural play, co-producers Mary and Greg Conchelos said the theatre company is changing the performance schedule for Crossing Over to move the matinee to Saturday and to stage an additional show on Saturday evening.
“We hope these changes will better accommodate our audience,” the Conchelos said.
Like Tide of Hope, Crossing Over is a fundraiser for Trent Valley Archives, an award-winning organization which works to the identification and care of documents relating to people, places, and events connected to the Trent Valley.
Tickets are $30 ($40 for cabaret table seating) and are available now in person at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre box office from noon to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, by calling 705-749-1146 or emailing boxoffice@markethall.org, or online at tickets.markethall.org/robinson25.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a platinum media sponsor for Crossing Over.
First organized by the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses in 2013, the annual Wrapped in Courage campaign encourages community members to wear a purple scarf to show their support for survivors of gender-based violence within their community and beyond. Each Fair Trade scarf is unique, handcrafted by marginalized artisans. In the Kawarthas region, the scarves are available for purchase from Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre in Cobourg and YWCA Peterborough Haliburton in Peterborough. (Photo: Hamro Village)
Last year in Ontario, on average, every six days a woman or child lost their lives as a result of gender-based violence.
Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre in Cobourg is sharing this statistic to raise awareness about the prevalence in society of femicide and gender-based violence.
The Northumberland County agency is again participating in “Wrapped in Courage,” an annual province-wide campaign first organized by the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses in 2013.
November is “Woman Abuse Prevention Month” and Cornerstone is among the gender-based violence agencies across Ontario calling on community members to join the movement to shed light on the high rates of femicide and other forms of gender-based violence.
Advertisement - content continues below
Uuder the theme of “Threads of Action to End Gender-Based Violence,” the Wrapped in Courage campaign encourages community members to wear a purple scarf to show their support for survivors of gender-based violence within their community and beyond.
“The Wrapped in Courage campaign raises awareness about gender-based violence and shows support as a community to survivors of gender-based violence,” Cayne Fordham, Cornerstone’s manager of fundraising and communications, told kawarthaNOW.
“We hope to continue our work together to end gender-based violence in our community. Wearing a purple scarf is a way to show support to survivors and create awareness. We each hold the threads to weave us towards awareness and safety for survivors.”
VIDEO: The Wrapped in Courage Purple Scarf
November 25 is the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women” and the first day of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.”
The Wrapped in Courage purple scarves and flags represent symbols of the courage needed by communities in supporting survivors of violence and ending the epidemic of intimate partner violence, gender-based violence and femicide across Ontario, Cornerstone stated in a media release.
“They signal a commitment to ending violence in our community and let survivors know they are not alone.”
The agency is concerned about the high rates of femicide and other forms of gender-based violence across Ontario, noting there were more than 52 femicides reported by the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses since November 2023.
“These femicides are preventable tragedies which devastate communities and families.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Cornerstone is one of the 21 gender-based violence agencies across Ontario, and two in the Kawarthas region, selling Wrapped in Courage purple scarves, which are Fair Trade and handcrafted by marginalized artisans.
Northumberland County residents can order a Wrapped in Courage scarf by emailing cfordham@cornerstonenorthumberland.ca. In the Peterborough area, the scarves are available from YWCA Peterborough Haliburton by calling 705-743-3526 or emailing info@ywcapeterborough.org.
For more information about the Wrapped in Courage campaign, visit wrappedincourage.ca.
While both of their vehicles are a write-off, neither driver was seriously injured in this head-on collision on Highway 7 just east of Peterborough on November 8, 2024. (Police-supplied photo)
Despite significant damage to both of their vehicles, neither driver was seriously injured in a head-on crash on Highway 7 just east of Peterborough on Friday morning (November 8).
At around 10:45 a.m., Peterborough County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), fire services, and emergency medical services responded to the scene of a head-on collision between two vehicles on Highway 7 between Keene Road and Drummond Line.
Advertisement - content continues below
After speaking with the drivers of both vehicles, police determined that a westbound sport utility vehicle (SUV) had crossed over the centre line into the eastbound lanes, where it collided with another SUV travelling eastbound.
Both drivers were transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for treatment of minor injuries.
As a result of the collision, Highway 7 was closed for around two hours while emergency crews investigated the collision and coordinated the clean-up of debris.
This story has been updated to correct the date of the collision.
Dr. John Beamish and Dr. Yosra AlMakadma (fourth and fifth from left) are two of the physicians involved in Peterborough Street Medicine, which will receive over $1 million per year over three years to provide primary health care and mental health services to people in Peterborough who are homeless or underhoused through an alternate funding plan agreement. Also pictured from left to right are Peterborough city councillor Keith Riel, mayor Jeff Leal, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, and city councillors Alex Bierk and Joy Lachica. (kawarthaNOW composite photo via Alex Bierk / Office of Dave Smith)
Peterborough Street Medicine, an innovative physician-led group that is providing primary health care and mental health services to people in Peterborough who are homeless or underhoused, will receive $1,030,202 per year over three years from the Ontario government.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith made the announcement at Brock Mission, one of the locations where Peterborough Street Medicine practises, on Friday (November 8) at a media event that was also attended by Dr. John Beamish and Dr. Yosra AlMakadma, Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal, and Peterborough city councillors Keith Riel, Alex Bierk, and Joy Lachica.
Earlier this year, Peterborough Street Medicine received approval from the Ontario Ministry of Health to enter into an homeless shelter alternate funding plan agreement where physicians would be paid hourly rather than through a fee-for-service model.
Advertisement - content continues below
Co-led by retired family doctor and palliative care expert Dr. Beamish, Peterborough Street Medicine currently includes 10 physicians — eight general practitioners, an internal medicine specialist, and a psychiatrist — who are providing part-time services across Peterborough, including at the Brock Mission, Cameron House, the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, and the modular bridge housing community on Wolfe Street.
“Providing clinics in settings where (unhoused people) are is one way to improve their health and improve the health of the whole community because, if we look after the most marginalized, that leaves room in emergency and within ambulances for the rest of the community to get the care they need,” Dr. Beamish told kawarthaNOW in an earlier interview about the initiative. “If we can improve the healthcare of one group, we’re going to improve healthcare right through the community.”
A homeless shelter alternate funding plan agreement is designed to provide primary care to marginalized and homeless people who are largely uninsured and suffer from complex medical needs, such as addictions, mental health, and chronic diseases, and who may require palliative care. Care is provided in homeless shelters, drop-in centres, community centres, addiction and mental health facilities, and mobile outreach units.
Advertisement - content continues below
“A theme through my whole practice life has been community involvement, and I really believe that primary healthcare is delivered in the community, not in the hospital, and we need to be creative about finding ways to do that,” Dr. Beamish said. “This is a group that is not served by traditional model of phoning and making appointments, so we need to come up with a better way to do it.”
Under the homeless shelter alternate funding plan agreement, patients are not required to enrol with physicians, and physicians are paid hourly rather than through fee-for-service. This allows physicians to participate in the initiative on a part-time basis, which is desirable for young physicians who want to be involved in community-based medicine without sacrificing their full-time jobs.
“They want to come and do medicine,” Dr. Beamish said. “They want to do other aspects of care, and this will be a very attractive model that physicians may come and choose to spend part of their time doing.”
In October, Dr. Beamish received a 2024 Award of Excellence from the Ontario College of Family Physicians for his work with Peterborough Street Medicine.
“It was very humbling to be nominated by my peers, but I look upon this as not so much a personal award, but a group award,” he told kawarthaNOW.
“This is an award for creativity for a group of family physicians trying to deliver healthcare to a marginalized group and it’s a tough problem, but this is a creative effort to try and solve that.”
This story has been updated to add the Wolfe St. modular bridge housing community on the list of locations where Peterborough Street Medicine provides healthcare services.
A northbound lane of The Parkway between The Queenway and Lansdowne Street West will be closed until November 13, 2024 due to an emergency water main repair. (Photo: Google Maps)
Peterborough drivers may experience delays northbound on The Parkway for the next few days.
Peterborough Utilities Group issued a notice on Friday (November 8) that a northbound lane on The Parkway is closed due to an emergency water main repair.
Advertisement - content continues below
The northbound lane restriction is in effect between The Queensway and Lansdowne Street West.
“We understand that this work may cause traffic delays in the area and will make every effort to complete this work as efficiently and quickly as possible,” a media release states.
Peterborough Utilities Group estimates the work will be completed by Wednesday (November 13).
Operated by Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR), the new Restore that opened in Lakefield in summer 2024 has been welcomed by the local community. Habitat PKR now has ReStores in Lakefield, Peterborough, and Lindsay, with revenues the non-profit home improvement and building supply stores helping to build local affordable homes. (Photo: Habitat PKR)
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) says its new Lakefield ReStore is proving to be a welcome addition to the village.
Earlier this year, Habitat PKR announced it was opening a ReStore at 3001 Lakefield Rd. in Lakefield. The new location, which opened in the summer, replaced the ReStore at 550 Braidwood Avenue in Peterborough which Habitat PKR closed in June after it was unable to renew its lease.
“Our Lakefield ReStore has been warmly welcomed by the local community and it has been wonderful to have the opportunity to expand our operations and serve as a new destination for shopping and donating new and gently used items in Lakefield,” Habitat PKR communications and marketing manager Holly O’Connor told kawarthaNOW.
Advertisement - content continues below
“As we’ve moved beyond the excitement of the grand opening, we’ve been focusing on building momentum at the new location,” O’Connor added.
O’Connor said Habitat PKR is focusing on expanding its customer base for the Lakefield location and increasing the volume of street traffic through its doors. Efforts are also underway to recruit new volunteers and generally spread the word about the Lakefield store being present and open for business.
With the move to Selwyn Township, the location expands the organization’s presence in a new area beyond the two other ReStores at 300 Milroy Drive in Peterborough and at 55 Angeline Street North in Lindsay.
The Lakefield ReStore is located at 3001 Lakefield Rd. north of Peterborough. Revenues from the non-profit home improvement and building supply store, which accepts and sells new and gently used items, help Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) build affordable homes in the community. (Photo: Habitat PKR)
The Lakefield store “provides great exposure for our organization and is located perfectly at the fork in the road when travelling to and from Lakefield, Buckhorn, and Ennismore,” Habitat PKR shared in an earlier interview.
Habitat ReStores are non-profit home improvement and building supply stores that accept and resell quality new and gently used building materials, furniture, appliances, and home décor items.
According to Habitat PKR, shopping, donating, and volunteering at a ReStore “is a socially conscious decision,” as money that comes in covers operational costs and funds local Habitat PKR homebuilding projects across the Kawarthas region. Habitat PKR said embracing a Restore experience is also “an environmentally conscious decision” for those who want to purchase items that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
Advertisement - content continues below
The Lakefield store is intended to help Habitat PKR extend its reach and continue supporting local families and individuals through affordable homeownership.
“We are looking forward to providing a space where cottagers and local residents of Selwyn can donate and purchase quality new and used furniture, appliances, housewares, and home building materials all in support of local affordable housing initiatives,” Habitat for Humanity PKR said when it made the announcement in May about the new location.
Singer-songwriter Russell deCarle, the former Prairie Oyster frontman who has enjoyed a solo career since 2010, returns to perform in Peterborough for the first time in five years with a show at the Gordon Best Theatre on November 23, 2024, with Lotus Wight opening. (Publicity photo)
That was then and this is now, and now is right where Russell deCarle wants to be.
Fifty years ago in Toronto, the singer and then bass player hooked up with guitarists Keith Glass and Dennis Delorme to form Prairie Oyster — a union that lasted four years before each went their separate ways.
Reunited in 1982 with the addition of fiddler John Allen, keyboardist Joan Besen, and drummer Bruce Moffat, Prairie Oyster subsequently hit its stride commercially, recording eight albums that spawned 10 hit singles, and collecting six Juno Awards and 11 Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMAs) on its way to its 2008 induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
A remarkable run indeed, the significance of which isn’t lost on the 70-year-old deCarle. But as a solo artist since 2010, he’s thrilled to now be “telling my own story,” the next chapter of which he will share at the recently reopened Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough on Saturday, November 23rd — his first appearance in Peterborough since a February 2019 show at Market Hall.
Ticket to the 7:30 pm show, which features Lotus Wight as the opener, cost $30 in advance or $35 at the door. To order advance tickets online, visit thegordonbest.com.
deCarle has recorded four solo albums since 2012, the latest being The End of the Road.
VIDEO: “Mean Streak” – Russell deCarle
“People say ‘Oh my God, is there something you need to tell us,” says deCarle in reference to the album’s ominous-sounding title.
“It was first song I wrote during the pandemic lockdown,” he says of the title track. “That was the longest I had been home in 49 years. I live in a great spot (the Janetville area) and got a lot of work done around here, but I found myself writing a lot more. I wrote that whole album during that time. That song is actually a celebration of where I live.”
“It is a great place to be creative. If you run out of ideas, there’s no end to the work here. I can clear my head cutting wood or grading my road. I just finished a head gasket on a tractor.”
Advertisement - content continues below
deCarle is looking forward to the Gordon Best show for a few reasons.
“It the coolest, most under-used venue in Peterborough,” he says of the space, which owner Jerome Ackhurst first opened in 1997 above The Only Café and is now under new management. “I’ve always loved going there and catching stuff … such a nice intimate venue.”
Joining deCarle will be guitarist Steve Briggs and bassist Russ Boswell.
“In 2004, I got a life-changing call from an agent who wanted me to open a tour for Merle Haggard. He said I could bring another player with me and I thought ‘I’ll try Steve’. I liked his playing and I had met him a couple of times. I called him and he took the gig, and we’ve played together ever since.”
Russell deCarle released his latest album, “The End of the Road”, in March 2024. (Album design: Kristin Briggs / Photo: Don Rooke)
Boswell, meanwhile, has performed on most of deCarle’s records.
“He’s a great player and singer who’s played with tons of people. The players I get to work with … I’m surrounded by greatness truly.”
As for what audiences can expect from the trio’s performance at the Gordon Best, deCarle says “it’s really organic.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
“Steve and I, from the first time we played together, have an innate groove together. Everyone says it’s so easy to play with us because we have that and really know where the other is going. And we keep it interesting for ourselves. There’s lots of soloing and we don’t use a set list, so that keeps us interested. I have a large body of original material but I also do some covers that I love to do. It’s always a trip for us and, as a result, the audience picks up on that energy.”
As further testament to Prairie Oyster being well in his rear-view mirror, deCarle says the songs the band remains known for won’t be prominent, but he’ll feature a few songs “in that style.”
“I don’t think it’s fair to the band to do a bunch of Prairie Oyster stuff,” he says, adding “I feel like I’ve really grown musically since then.”
VIDEO: “Goodbye, So Long, Hello” (Russell deCarle / Willie B. Bennett) – Prairie Oyster
“One of my first major (solo) gigs, I was playing at a community centre in Bragg Creek, Alberta. I was pretty nervous — ‘I’ve got a full house here. What if these people are expecting me to do all Oyster material?’ I did my thing. There was a big lineup after the show. People were just happy they came out to see me. It made feel so good and kind of re-affirmed for me what I was doing. I’ve big boots to fill. There’s a real legacy there and that’s never lost on me. I’m really proud of what we did.”
deCarle is equally excited that multi-instrumentalist Lotus Wight is opening the Gordon Best show.
“Just a wonderful human being,” assesses deCarle. “When he asked me if he could open the show, I said ‘Man, absolutely.’ I jumped at the chance. What a great addition. It’ll really add to the vibe of the evening.”
Russell deCarle (right) with The King City Slickers (Bob Wallace, Bernie Jaffe, Iain McIntyre, and Keith Glass) behind the El Mocambo in Toronto circa 1973. deCarle’s first performance in Peterborough was with The King City Slickers, and he and Glass went on to form the first iteration of Prairie Oyster in 1974 with steel guitarist Dennis Delorme who was living in Peterborough at the time. (Photo via Reddit)
Not unlike most recording artists who tour, deCarle likes doing both for different reasons.
“It’s always exciting to see songs come alive,” he says of the studio experience. “I’ll go into the studio usually with a pretty good idea of the arrangement or maybe what I expect the end result will be. I’m always blown away by the players I get to use, and by my engineer L. Stu Young. It’s always better than I could have imagined.”
“But songs are organic. They grown and they change as we play them live. I feel like we’re just now getting the essence of the new songs; we’re just getting comfortable with those. They’re starting to take on their own life, which is also very exciting for me.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
deCarle adds recording does provide its own satisfying moments, much of that due to his laying down tracks with the same musicians who play with him live.
“We’re pals. We have a lot of fun. It’s not like we play it really safe in the studio. We surprise each other and excite each other in the studio, as we also do live.”
Now, self-assesses deCarle, he’s “singing better, playing better, writing better songs” than he ever has. Considering the volume of acclaimed work that has preceded this stage of his music career, that’s quite a statement.
“And having more fun than ever I’ve had,” he says, adding he has no plans to stop performing live.
Russell deCarle with the late Peterborough singer-songwriter Willie B. Bennett acting out their co-written song “Goodbye, So Long, Hello”, which Bennett initially recorded on his 1989 album “The Lucky Ones” before Prairie Oyster recorded their own version as the first single and hit from their second studio album “Different Kind of Fire” in 1990. (Photo courtesy Larry Delaney Music / Photo Archives)
“I’m sure there’ll come a time, maybe, but at this point I’m looking forward to starting to book a bunch of stuff for next year. I love being on the road; love touring and love performing more than I ever have. My health is good, my energy is up there.”
Will 2025 bring him back to Peterborough?
“I hope so. I won’t leave it for five years next time. Our first Prairie Oyster gigs were in Peterborough. Dennis (Delorme) was living in Peterborough and that’s where Keith (Glass) and I met him. We played the American House and the King George, places like that. I have a long, long history with that town.”
The Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service's fire prevention video series "Jump Into Fire Safety With Katie" has won the program of the year award from the Ontario Association of Fire Educators. Pictured are fire chief Terry Jones, fire prevention public educator and series host Katie Dukelow, and Rogers TV Producer Mel Shannon. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
Aiming to keep residents safe in a novel and animated way, a fire prevention video series produced by Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service (KLFRS) in partnership with Rogers TV North Durham-Kawartha and producer Mel Shannon has netted a provincial award.
The City of Kawartha Lakes recently announced that the Ontario Association of Fire Educators (OAFE) has chosen “Jump into Fire Safety with Katie” for its 2024 Program of the Year award. According to the OAFE website, the award “honours an Ontario fire department that has demonstrated remarkable creativity and effectiveness in developing a new program, or modernizing an existing one, to engage and benefit their community in a unique and impactful way.”
The “Jump into Fire Safety with Katie” series is available on the Rogers TV YouTube channel and through cable providers Rogers TV and Cable Cable that covers a range of safety topics like fire prevention, lithium-ion battery safety, and school bus safety. The show is designed to ensure that viewers of all ages gain knowledge on preventing accidents and responding effectively in emergencies.
Advertisement - content continues below
Katie Dukelow, fire prevention public educator with KLFRS and the show’s host, was honoured during the OAFE public education conference held in Ajax on October 22 and 23, where fire safety professionals gathered to share knowledge and best practices.
Dukelow shared with kawarthaNOW her thoughts around the success of the video series and its appeal to viewers.
“I think the biggest benefit of Jump into Fire Safety with Katie is its ability to reach a wide audience with fire and life safety information in an engaging, accessible format,” Dukelow said. “By covering a range of safety topics like fire prevention, lithium-ion battery safety, and school bus safety, the show ensures that viewers of all ages gain knowledge on preventing accidents and responding effectively in emergencies.”
“Its presence across cable channels, the Rogers TV website, YouTube, and other platforms expands its reach, making information available to a diverse audience. This accessibility helps inform communities by increasing public awareness and preparedness,” she added.
VIDEO: “Jump Into Fire Safety With Katie” (September 2024)
Dukelow had the opportunity to present the winning program during the conference, sharing the program, partnerships, and successes with the conference attendees.
According to a media release, “Jump into Fire Safety with Katie” was selected from five “outstanding” nominees and evaluated by a panel of judges, which included a current fire chief from New York state, a retired fire chief from Alberta, and a retired fire prevention officer from Ontario.
“Their expertise and insights underscored the program’s exceptional quality and impact on community fire safety education,” stated the release.
Advertisement - content continues below
Shanyn Godward, President of OAFE, expressed her enthusiasm for the award, saying, “This program exemplifies innovation and dedication to public safety. It effectively engages the community in an essential conversation about fire safety.”
During the announcement, KLFRS chief Terry Jones said he was proud of Dukelow and the program, and pleased how the community enjoys and appreciates the segment.
As part of the recognition, KLFRS is awarded a $500 credit from the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council, which can be used to further enhance its community outreach efforts.
Advertisement - content continues below
Dukelow said she was “truly honored” to receive the nod from OAFE. As for what’s next for “Jump into Fire Safety with Kate,” she said the plan is to produce additional episodes and build a comprehensive catalogue of content.
“This catalogue will be accessible to schools and community groups through a dedicated website platform, where teachers can select episodes by topic or grade level, aligning with current curriculum needs,” she said.
“Additionally, I aim to develop a knowledge-testing application to measure information retention in students. This data will inform best practices and help shape an effective public education strategy, ensuring that safety messages are engaging, relevant, and impactful.”
A motorcycle and a pickup truck collided at County Road 45 and Broadworth Road in Trent Lakes on August 8, 2024, killing the 18-year-old driver of the motorcycle. (Photo: Northumberland OPP)
A 62-year-old Roseneath driver has been charged in connection with the August death of a 18-year-old motorcyclist in Trent Hills northeast of Roseneath.
At around 6:45 p.m. on August 8, Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a report of a collision involving a pickup truck and a motorcycle in the area of County Road 45 and Broadworth Road.
The motorcyclist, an 18-year-old Hastings man, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. There were no reported injuries to the driver of the pickup truck.
Advertisement - content continues below
OPP Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (TIME) members and the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario assisted with an investigation into the collision.
As a result of the investigation, police have charged at 62-year-old Roseneath man with careless driving causing death.
The accused man is due to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg at a future date.
Upset residents confronted workers at Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough on November 6, 2024 as heavy machinery began preparatory work for the city's $4.4 million redevelopment of the greenspace, which would see the installation of an expanded skateboard park, a new bike pump track, and 14 pickleball courts. A legal firm representing the 'Friends of Bonnerworth Park' citizen group has served the City of Peterborough with notice of an application for an injunction to stop work in the park, with a court hearing date set for November 25. (Photo: Taras Pater)
Some clay has been removed, but the line drawn in the sand remains.
Friends of Bonnerworth Park, a citizen group fighting the $4.4 million redevelopment of the greenspace off Monaghan Road at McDonnel Street, has served the City of Peterborough with notice of an application for an injunction to stop work in the park, with a court date to hear the application set for Monday, November 25th.
Served to the city early Wednesday morning (November 6), the notice follows the start of preparatory work the previous day that saw workers remove clay from one of two ball diamonds in the park and erect fencing.
That activity saw some upset residents confront the workers, all while being monitored closely by city police and private security guards.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
On Thursday morning (November 7), the city announced that the park, in accordance with the city’s parks and facilities bylaw, is closed to any public access during the duration of project that, as approved by city council, will see 14 pickleball courts, an expanded skate park, and bike pump track developed.
That action has brought forth a frustrated response from city councillor Alex Bierk, in whose ward Bonnerworth Park is located. In a tweet he posted Thursday, he lamented that he found out about the park’s closure via a media release from the city — despite his being the co-chair of the city’s arenas, parks and recreation portfolio.
That grievance aside, Bierk called the move to close the park “vindictive.”
“I go by the park almost every day and it’s very much being used,” he told kawarthaNOW.
“It’s frustrating to me to think that there weren’t other options considered, such as closing off areas in a strategic way as the various stages of development happen. It seems like a vindictive response to just say we’re closing the park down. It feels like a vindictive response because of people objecting to the project.”
Referencing the confrontation between residents and workers on Tuesday, Bierk said “I understand there are issues when things happen the way that they did.”
“But I think the response (closure of the park) is an overstep.”
Adding he was “completely caught off guard” by the decision to close the park, Bierk said he’s being asked by park neighbourhood residents what the reasoning is.
“The truth is I don’t know,” he said, noting that is adding to his frustration.
“I’m hoping to get answers from (city) staff as to what the closure looks like. I don’t want to see construction fences go around the entire park unless that’s absolutely necessary. Obviously there has been meetings and communication with senior administration about this tactic. I’ve emailed staff to get answers and I’m prepared to bring the issue up at our next council meeting (on November 12) if I don’t get a response.”
Police officers were on hand after upset residents confronted workers at Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough on November 6, 2024 as heavy machinery began preparatory work for the city’s $4.4 million redevelopment of the greenspace, which would see the installation of an expanded skateboard park, a new bike pump track, and 14 pickleball courts. (Photo: Taras Pater)
As for the notice of an application for a stop-work injunction, neither Bierk nor his ward colleague councillor Joy Lachica will comment, citing that the matter is now before the court.
On Thursday, kawarthaNOW received confirmation from the city that it had been served. The emailed statement from the city reads as follows:
“The City of Peterborough confirms that it has been served a notice of an application for an injunction related to the Bonnerworth Park project. The project includes an expanded skateboard park, a new bike pump track, and creating pickleball courts. The City intends to respond to the application in court. The City will have no further comment since the matter is before the Superior Court.”
On Wednesday morning, in an interview with Oldies 96.7 FM, Friends of Bonnerworth Park spokesperson John Gerelus provided clarity on what the injunction is seeking.
“The injunction is asking for a number of things, but the two big ones are to squash the bylaw (concerning the park’s redevelopment) and to have a stay for development until the case can be heard.”
Gerelus confirmed “there has been some delays in getting the injunction filed.”
“Last week, when our lawyer filed electronically, we were given a receipt that our application was received. The lawyer received a receipt for payment and then also received a date, November 25th, for a court date. What was missing was the court filing number which was required in order to serve the actual paper to the city. That was delayed because the court clerk was on vacation and didn’t have any back-up.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Gerelus also noted the city is under no obligation to halt construction at the park before the court date. According to a recent comment on the Save Bonnerworth Park Facebook group, construction crews have said they are set to resume work on Monday (November 12).
“What we’ve been told by our lawyer is a common practice, at the municipal level, is once they are served, they stop (until the case is heard). That’s a common practice but they’re not obligated to do that. They could continue to tear up the park until it’s heard.”
As he has been since day of the group’s fight to see Bonnerworth Park left as is, Gerelus is heartened by the response, not just from residents living in the immediate vicinity of the park but from those who reside through the city.
On November 7, 2024, the City of Peterborough closed Bonnerworth Park to the public as work begins to redevelop the park against the opposition of many neighbouring residents and others. The closure notice comes the day after the city was served with notice of an application for an injunction to stop work in the park, which is scheduled for a court hearing on November 25. (Photo: George Brown / Save Bonnerworth Park Facebook Group)
A petition opposing the park’s redevelopment has garnered more than 8,100 signatures to date, while a GoFundMe appeal for donations to cover legal costs associated with the injunction filing and the subsequent hearing has brought in just more $41,000.
“It’s people saying ‘We’ve got to fight this … we have to find a way to save this park’,” Gerelus said. “We set the (GoFundMe) target early to gauge interest and we raised $15,000 in two days. We then set our target at $30,000 and we reached that within another few days. The target is set now for $50,000.”
“People want to put their money where their mouth is. They want to fight this. There’s a lot of people upset with the way city council and city staff have conducted themselves. And people see better ways to spend $4.4 million.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Gerelus says the noise impact of the pickleball complex on the park’s neighbours remains a major grievance but there are others.
“The impact to the regular park user, to youth baseball by ripping out the ball diamonds, by ripping up that greenspace, is too great,” he says.
“Noise mitigation doesn’t work. Residents won’t be able to open their windows in summertime. They won’t be able to sit outside during the summer. These are seniors who have contributed to Peterborough throughout their lives. Are these people less valuable than anybody else?”
Gerelus also raised questions about why the city is moving so quickly to redevelop the park, especially given the ongoing opposition.
“People’s main question is why? Why at Bonnerworth? And secondly, why so quickly? If the City of Peterborough wants to be the pickleball capital of Ontario, then do it right. Find land. Partner with Fleming. Partner with Trent. It all leads to the conspiracy theories and backdoor deals that people are surmising because it just doesn’t make sense. There’s got to be something else going on. That’s what we’ve been trying to get to the bottom of. Legal action is now the only way that we have to go towards.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
While Gerelus and the many opposed to Bonnerworth Park’s redevelopment can’t predict the outcome of the injunction hearing, he does predict the experience will be front-of-mind for many voters come the 2026 municipal election.
“Do you want to kill your political career because of this?,” he asked, referring to the mayor and those city councillors supporting the project. “It looks like they are willing to do that.”
For its part, the city has maintained that suitable public consultation regarding the redevelopment plan was held, and that residents’ concerns were heard and considered.
Back in August, a revised site plan, which took into account the results of various studies including one examining noise impacts, was considered, the result being a reduction in the number of parking spots planned and the number of pickleball courts, from the original 16 to 14.
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.
