The Canada Day long weekend is shaping up to be a hot one, with temperatures forecast to reach 31°C on Saturday and 34°C on Sunday (Canada Day).
During extreme heat, it’s obvious to most of us that you never, ever leave children or pets unattended in parked vehicles. But it’s not just during a heat wave: even on relatively mild days during the summer, and even with a car parked in shade and with the windows cracked open, the temperature inside a car can reach a deadly level.
Because of the greenhouse effect, within five to 15 minutes the interior of a car can become 30°C hotter than the outside temperature. Cracking the car windows has a negligible effect; it only reduces the interior temperature of a parked car by a single degree. That means that leaving a child or pet in a parked car during the summer can be a death sentence.
There’s no excuse for leaving your pet unattended in a vehicle during the summer. (Graphics: Ontario SPCA)
Pets are particularly vulnerable to hot temperatures. Dogs, for example, have a limited ability to sweat. This means that even a brief time in a hot environment can be life threatening — irreparable brain damage or even death can occur within minutes when interior temperatures increase over 39°C.
Unfortunately, the issue of owners leaving their pets unattended in vehicles during the hot summer months is a serious and ongoing problem across Ontario.
“People still aren’t getting the message about how dangerous it is to leave your pet unattended in a vehicle,” says Shawn Morey, Executive Director of the Peterborough Humane Society.
“It’s completely unacceptable. Leave your pet at home, and if you must take your pet, make sure that someone is with it at all times.”
VIDEO: “No Excuses. No Hot Pets”
To help raise awareness and safeguard the lives of animals, the Ontario SPCA encourages you to visit www.nohotpets.ca and take the “No Hot Pets” pledge to never leave an animal in a vehicle — and to report it if you see it happen.
Those who make the pledge will receive a free “No Hot Pets” window decal for their vehicles (while supplies last).
Remember: if you see an animal unattended in a vehicle, report it immediately by calling the Ontario SPCA at 310-7722 (no area code needed), your local humane society, or your local police.
Singer Leisa Way with members of The Lonely Hearts Club Band (Fred Smith, Sam Cino, Bruce Ley, Bobby Prochaska, and Nathan Smith) in "Across the Pond: The British Invasion", which runs from June 26th to July 7th at Globus Theatre at Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. (Photo: Way-To-Go Productions)
On Tuesday, June 26th, Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn opens its landmark 15th season in in Bobcaygeon with the return of popular performer Leisa Way and the Wayward Wind Band. Across the Pond: The British Invasion, featuring the music of Britain’s most iconic and beloved performers, runs for 14 performances until Saturday, July 7th.
Globus Theatre presents Across the Pond: The British Invasion
When: Tuesday, June 26 to Saturday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 3 to Saturday, July 7, 2018 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, June 27, Saturday, June 30, Tuesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 2 p.m. Where: Lakeview Arts Barn (2300 Pigeon Lake Road, Bobcaygeon) How much: $35.50 (theatre only) or $71 (dinner and theatre)
Featuring Leisa Way and The Lonely Hearts Club Band (Fred Smith, Bobby Prochaska, Nathan Smith, Sam Cino, Aaron Solomon, Randall Kempf, Bob Hewes, and musical director Bruce Ley). A three-course table d’hôte menu is available at 6 p.m. prior to every evening performance. For tickets, visit the box office at Lakeview Arts Barn or call 705-738-2037.
One of the most popular traditions of Globus Theatre’s summer season, this year marks Leisa’s fifth summer at Globus Theatre. A Leisa Way show is always an event to look forward to, with her high-energy stage presence, captivating storytelling, and genuine warmth making her an audience favourite year after year.
One of the busiest performers in the country, Leisa’s roster of musical shows are in high demand across Canada every summer. In fact, her stop in Bobcaygeon is part of a tour through Ontario and Quebec where she’ll be doing 65 performances in only eight weeks.
“We’re having a blast,” Leisa tells me via telephone from Hudson, Quebec, where she was performing Across the Pond at the Hudson Village Theatre. “People ask us if we’re tired and yeah … but it’s a good tired. Every time I leave the stage I’m literally moving a mile a minute changing into different costumes. I have twelve costume changes.
“It’s very intense. If you lose your focus for a moment the whole audience will know. Most everyday life you can be unfocused, but in our case for two and a half hours, we need to keep our focus. But we love it.”
VIDEO: Across the Pond: The British Invasion
Filled with memorable songs, stories and interesting musical trivia, tributes and costume changes, Leisa’s performances are not impersonation as much as concerts that celebrate a certain artist, genre, or time in music.
“I never call my shows revues — they’re concerts,” Leisa explains. “They have really great music and stories. That’s what I love to share with the audience, and the British Invasion has given me a huge wealth of material to draw from.”
Making its debut in 2017, Across the Pond is loving tribute by Leisa and her band (renamed The Lonely Hearts Club Band for this show) to the British Invasion, one of the most exciting and dynamic movements in music history, aand features the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Hollies, Tom Jones, Procol Harum, The Seekers, Van Morrison, and more.
In “Across the Pond: The British Invasion”, Leisa Way as Shirley Bassey sings the theme from the 1964 James Bond movie “Goldfinger”, the film that began the tradition of Bond theme songs introduced over the opening title sequence. (Photo: Way-To-Go Productions)
Leisa reveals that a big influence for the show was the memories of discovering her love of music through her older sister.
“All the music that I knew as a child was from my sister,” Leisa recalls. “I idolized her. She got married when I was seven years old, and I would go and visit her and sit on the floor of her living room with the big huge head set and go through her record collection. I’d spend summers with her, because she ran a restaurant up north, and I had hours and hours to sit in front of her stereo.
“I remember falling in love with Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album with the huge yellow fold-out with all the lyrics on it. That was my favourite memory because it was so cool to have all the lyrics to sing along with. So my sister really started me off on my journey. My mom and dad loved music, but it was my sister’s record collection that got me started.”
Leisa also turned to her husband, actor David Naim, and her good friend and famed Canadian playwright Norm Foster as a starting point to developing Across the Pond.
“David and Norm were the first people I emailed and said ‘Give me the first 25 songs that I can’t do without for this show,'” Leisa says. “When I compared their lists, there were only six songs that were different.”
Not only is it a matter of picking the best songs to do one of Leisa’s shows, but it takes a ton of research to create the thread that ties the show together. For Across the Pond, Leisa had to discover her own interpretation of the impact that British music had on North American culture in the late 1960s.
In “Across the Pond: The British Invasion”, The Lonely Hearts Club Band sings “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. (Photo: Way-To-Go Productions)
“Researching the show and learning about the artists and their stories and how it all happened was so exciting to me,” Leisa says. “In the late 1950s music was starting to falter. Artists like Pat Boone and Fabian were starting to conform to the norm. So something had to come along to shake things up and The Beatles were that thing.
“When the Beatles first hit the States, music critics were saying they were awful and they couldn’t sing or play. But when you look back you realize that, no, what they were doing was brilliant. The Beatles set a new bar. Whether you wrote or performed that kind of music or not, that bar to beat was set by The Beatles. It was an interesting journey in more ways than just musically. It was something that the teenagers needed to scream about and idolize.”
While the impact that The Beatles had on North America is obviously a huge part of the show, Across the Pond features the full roster of artists that came out of the British movement. As Leisa points out, the early days of the British Invasion were dominated by men, which allows the members of her band — including Fred Smith, Bobby Prochaska, Nathan Smith, Sam Cino, Aaron Solomon, Randall Kempf, Bob Hewes, and musical director Bruce Ley — to take centre stage and show off their musical talents.
Nathan Smith sings as Sting and Leisa Way sings as Annie Lennox in “Across the Pond: The British Invasion”. (Photo: Way-To-Go Productions)
As anyone who saw Leisa’s show Oh Canada, We Sing for Thee last summer at Globus can attest, these guys are not only incredible performers in their own right, but share the same warmth of energy that makes Leisa so popular with audiences.
“In a lot of ways this is really a guy show,” Leisa admits. “It’s close, beautiful harmonies and the guys in my band were excited to do this show because they are so good at it. In the first bit of the show, I tell the story of what happened, but I don’t sing that much.
“It really was a time that was dominated by male performers. In the beginning of the show, it’s about The Rolling Stones and Garry and the Pacemakers and Herman’s Hermits and The Dave Clark Five. There were not really that many girl groups in England.”
In “Across the Pond: The British Invasion”, you will hear Leisa Way and The Lonely Hearts Club Band sing classic British tunes such as “Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procul Harum, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Pinball Wizard” by The Who, and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. (Photo: Way-To-Go Productions)
However, that doesn’t stop Leisa from continuing the famous tribute portions of her shows where she recreates the looks of some of the musical icons of the era. In Across the Pond, Leisa has 12 costume changes where she does musical tributes to Lulu, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Dame Shirley Bassey, and more.
And Across the Pond doesn’t stop with the 1960s. Leisa and her band trek right into the 1970s and beyond, featuring the music of a diverse range of British performers such as Led Zeppelin, Queen, Annie Lennox, George Michael, Sting, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Adele, and Ed Sheeran.
“At the end of the show, I tell the audience that the British Invasion never really went away,” Leisa says. “There are so many great artists from Britain that continue to thrill North American audiences. I don’t think that’ll ever end.”
Leisa Way makes 12 costume changes during “Across the Pond: The British Invasion”. Here she is as Petula Clark singing “Downtown”. (Photo: Way-To-Go Productions)
Leisa Way’s musicals are always a true treat and make a perfect summer outing. No matter which genre or artist she is covering, it’s impossible not to be affected by the energy, the positivity, and the pure joy that goes into one of her shows. Leisa’s on-stage charisma, matched with the sheer perfection of her extremely talented band, has made her a favourite with audiences everywhere she plays.
With with her popularity growing across Canada, it is a truly wonderful that she comes back to the Kawarthas year after year. Leisa’s shows are among the ones I look forward to the most each year, because I know I’ll be treated to a truly enjoyable night of performance and music. This is the reason while Leisa Way remains one of my favourite performers. She never ceases to deliver, so I can confidently say Across the Pond: The British Invasion is a guaranteed winner and well worth the drive to Bobcaygeon.
Across the Pond: The British Invasion runs from Tuesdays to Saturdays from June 26th to July 7th at the Lakeview Arts Barn. Shows start at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on June 27th and 20th and July 3rd and 5th. A three-course table d’hôte menu is available at 6 p.m. prior to every evening performance.
Tickets are $34.50 for the show only, or $71 if you want the dinner and the show. For tickets, visit the box office at Lakeview Arts Barn or call 705-738-2037.
Inclusive Advisory is not your traditional accounting, law, and wealth management firm. Managing director Michael Konopaski (second from right) has been building a team to deliver accounting, legal, and wealth management advice in a new and different way. From the stand-out yellow exterior of the company's building in downtown Peterborough, to the whimsical and welcoming offices inside, to the team-based collaborative business model where staff closest to the clients have decision-making authority, Inclusive Advisory's approach is both comprehensive and effective for clients. (Photo courtesy of Inclusive Advisory)
Michael Konopaski’s skill set is as diverse as the physical environment he has built for the Inclusive Advisory team on George Street in Peterborough.
The long-time entrepreneur, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and professor — he’s also got a PhD in entrepreneurship — has been building a team to deliver accounting, legal, and wealth management advice in a different way.
Part of the Inclusive Advisory approach is about the physical space, and part of it is based on the diverse skills and abilities of the hand-picked team of professionals who deliver accounting, legal, and wealth management services to individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses, and not for profits across the region.
It’s hard to miss the yellow building housing Inclusive Advisory, located at 521 George Street North at McDonnel in downtown Peterborough, just north of City Hall. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
From the yellow exterior of the building at 521 George Street North to the whimsical interior offices, the place has a noticeably unique look and feel and vibe. It’s playful and welcoming to both clients and to staff — who Konopaski views as partners in the business.
Everyone enjoys bright, open, and colourful work spaces that are full of personal touches like artwork and photographs. While there are many areas within the office with sit/stand work spaces and shelves of toys, costumes, and props for spontaneous team building and problem-solving sessions, the office is not all fun and games.
“Due to the nature of the business, there are often delicate and sensitive issues and we want to be respectful of our clients that are having a difficult time,” Konopaski notes.
And fully supporting the needs of clients is what Inclusive’s team of accountants, lawyers, and investment advisors is all about.
Solving problems for clients is a big focus of Inclusive Advisory, and that means empowering staff. The company’s “inverted pyramid” governance structure means that the staff closest to the client have more decision-making authority and choice of action. (Photo: Barb Shaw / kawarthaNOW.com)
“We offer an unconventional alternative to the traditional world of professional services,” Konopaski says, taking a seat in one of the shared meeting rooms. “This is a multi-discipline practice. We’re not just sharing space — we’re partners, and we’re sharing decision making and ownership.”
Unconventional? Maybe, but don’t be fooled. Not only do the almost 25 professionals have a diverse set of skills to offer clients, but years of experience as well.
The most seasoned professionals act as mentors to the younger staff and the interns from Fleming College and Trent University that Inclusive takes on (and often hires). Guiding the next generation of future accountants, lawyers, and financial planners is imperative to sustain the business (and Peterborough) in the long run.
Sharing is a big deal to Konopaski. Since this business is being built for the long run, he doesn’t believe in personal brands — although his values and his belief system flow through the Inclusive Advisory space, through every level of the corporate culture, and into the services delivered to a diverse client base. But he insists he is not Inclusive Advisory, that it truly is a team.
A sign on a wall at Inclusive Advisory repeats the company’s mantra: “Better together. We’ve created a new business model. We believe that accountants, lawyers and investment advisors work better when they’re together in one space. It’s an innovative, team-based approach to financial advisory. It’s inclusive.” (Photo: Barb Shaw / kawarthaNOW.com)
“I’m not the business,” he says more than once, just to be clear.
As a strong believer in the strengths of teams, it’s tough for Konopaski to see people wanting to connect with professionals who are representing “themselves” as a brand, encouraging others to emulate their actions.
And, unlike their competitors who are either branches of national firms or have partnered with U.S. companies, Inclusive Advisory is truly local — 100 per cent of the revenue the company generates stays in the local community.
And that’s the point of Inclusive Advisory. You don’t have to be what they are — they will work with you, where you are, on whatever service you need. There’s no minimum financial threshold and there are no barriers. Konopaski says as long as you’re open-minded and looking for exceptional advice, Inclusive Advisory wants to work with you.
As a former professor of entrepreneurship, Konopaski is naturally focused on sharing knowledge and making learning possible for his team and their clients.
He believes that entrepreneurship is about solving problems, and that’s also a big focus for Inclusive Advisory. They’re solving pain points with their innovative, multi-discipline approach that results in greater efficiency of service delivery. Their “inverted pyramid” governance structure means that the staff closest to the client have more decision-making authority and choice of action. It’s a streamlined approach that works for their fast-growing number of clients.
Shelves of toys, costumes and props for spontaneous team building and problem-solving sessions enjoy sharing space with Konopaski’s academic robe. (Photo: Barb Shaw / kawarthaNOW.com)
When you visit the Inclusive Advisory office, it’s easy to notice the difference Konopaski and his team of partners have been working so hard to craft. There is a constant buzz of activity, but there is also laughter. There’s music, and every decoration has a story to tell. On the days they take turns baking fresh bread for team meetings, the place even smells awesome.
It’s not just a new business model: it’s the creation of an innovative new process within industries that have been around for hundreds of years. It’s totally inclusive — and it’s working. Or, as Inclusive Advisory likes to say: “Smart collaboration. Better together.”
Inclusive Advisory is headquartered at 521 George Street North in downtown Peterborough, with a second location at 250 Queen Street in Port Perry. For more information, call 705-743-0266, email info@inclusiveadvisory.ca, or visit inclusiveadvisory.ca. You can also follow Inclusive Advisory on Facebook and Twitter.
As a former professor of entrepreneurship, Inclusive Advisory’s managing director Michael Konopaski is naturally focused on sharing knowledge and making learning possible for his team and their clients. Drawing from his wealth of entrepreneurial experience and knowledge, he has instilled values of inclusivity, collaboration, and empowerment into the company’s governance and corporate culture. The end result is streamlined and efficient service delivery for the company’s fast-growing number of clients. (Photo: Barb Shaw / kawarthaNOW.com)
Cathie and Dave Tuck (right), with their sons Jeffrey (left) and Criss, in happier days before the founders of the former Peterborough Huskies special needs hockey team were arrested and charged with fraud in November 2016. A judge cleared the Tucks of all wrongdoing on June 25, 2018 after a five-month trial. (Photo: The Tuck family)
Dave and Cathie Tuck walked out of a Peterborough courtroom Monday (June 25) after a five-month trial, fully vindicated of a fraud charge laid against them in connection with their management of the former Peterborough Huskies special needs hockey organization.
In her acquittal directive, Justice Jennifer Broderick said she found no evidence to convict the Tucks on the fraud over $5,000 charge laid against them in November 2016.
kawarthaNOW contacted the Tucks shortly after the ruling for an exclusive interview.
“We told the truth and the truth came out,” says Dave Tuck, adding the verdict was “quite emotional and overwhelming and exciting all rolled up into one.”
“I had full confidence from the get-go that neither of us had done anything wrong. We stood by that. Our testimonies and what the judge said today (Monday) proved we didn’t lie in court. We didn’t lie to anyone in the organization. We didn’t lie to anybody. We were forthcoming with information, we were open, and the judge picked up on that.”
But while the acquittal has left both delighted, there are scars that will take a long time to heal — if they do at all.
“I’ve got two boys and it was part of their life too and that got taken away from them,” says Dave.
“What (the accusation) did was end that life for us. It put what we had left of our life on hold for 20 months. We had people threatening us, calling us names, pointing at us. Our lawyer, Brad Allison, instructed us to keep our heads down and we will get through this and our day will come. Today is that day.”
Dave and Cathie Tuck founded the special needs hockey team the Peterborough Huskies in 2013 as a way to give people of all ages who have disabilities the opportunity to participate in traditional group sports. After the Tucks were accused of defrauding the organization they started, they were ostracized by the Peterborough community and the team was rebranded as The Electric City Maroon and White. (Photo: Peterborough Huskies)
Dave and Cathie founded the Peterborough Huskies in 2013 as a way to give people of all ages with disabilities the opportunity to participate in a group sport. They were widely heralded for doing so and received much community support.
That all changed after a police probe into alleged misuse of donated money, and the couple were accused of withdrawing thousands of donated dollars for their own personal use.
Within days of the accusations, others involved with or supporting the Peterborough Huskies broke all ties with the founders. A new organization with a new board was established, and the Peterborough Huskies was rebranded as The Electric City Maroon and White.
“We really need to find out why all the families with the Peterborough Huskies just stopped talking to us,” he says. “They didn’t contact us or say anything either way. We don’t know if they were told not to contact us or if (they decided not to) on their own.”
“The only stipulation after the charge was laid was that we couldn’t touch third-party money,” Dave recalls. “We were not ordered not to run the operation. It was taken from us overnight.”
Dave doubts he and Cathie can ever return to the special needs hockey realm in the aftermath of their ordeal.
“I knew as soon as we were arrested it was done. The community would (no longer) support it, regardless of whether we were found innocent or guilty.”
Cathie adds it was the court of public opinion where the Tucks were judged and, even with the acquittal of the charges against them, people will continue to harbour doubts about their innocence.
“I think it’s going to take a long time for some people to change their view,” Cathie says. “A picture was painted of us. People judge base on what they read, not on who you actually are.”
“It’s sad because it was our life. It wasn’t something we did to get noticed. We have special needs kids of our own and we saw the challenges they had getting into a mainstream organization to play sports. There was so much more to the Huskies than sports.”
Much more critical of the Tucks’ ordeal is Dave’s brother Ken Tuck. He took to Facebook shortly after the verdict to express his anger over “the hell they went through based on an anonymous letter sent to Peterborough Police.”
“Dave and Cathie lost all of their life savings over this ordeal,” Ken writes. “They had little to begin with and less than little now. This city lost an amazingly positive resource to help special needs kids have a good life and a community. Their sons also went through hell and had to deal with small minded people leveling angst against them for something they were not guilty of.
“My sister, mother and I sat in the courtroom in tears, listening to the judge exonerate Dave and Cathie. Now I feel very strongly that they need the support of the community they supported with everything they had.”
This story will be updated as more details on the ruling become available.
Representatives from the Peterborough Destination Association (the Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront, Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn, Comfort Hotel & Suites Peterborough, Motel 6, and Quality Inn Peterborough) has presented The Canadian Canoe Museum with a gift of $50,000 to support the construction of the museum's new facility beside the Peterborough Lift Lock. (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum / Facebook)
This week’s business news features a donation of $50,000 from local hotels and motels to The Canadian Canoe Museum, the appointment of Fleming College’s first female president, a new initiative involving trolley service to be announced for downtown Peterborough, a mobile app developed by a former nurse and doula in Kawartha Lakes, Lois Tuffin leaving Peterborough This Week, and the merger of Park Place Financial and Terry Windrem Insurance Agencies.
Regional business events are winding down for the summer. New events added this week include a pancake breakfast hosted by the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce during the Cobourg Waterfront Festival (June 30th to July 2nd) and an accessibility workshop for businesses in Warkworth on August 13th.
We publish businessNOW every Monday. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
Association of Peterborough hotels and motels donates $50,000 to The Canadian Canoe Museum capital campaign
Architect’s rendering of the new Canadian Canoe Museum beside the Peterborough Lift Lock. (Graphic: heneghan peng architects / Kearns Mancini Architects)
The Peterborough Destination Association has donated $50,000 to The Canadian Canoe Museum support the construction of the museum’s new facility beside the Peterborough Lift Lock.
The association comprises the Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront, Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn, Comfort Hotel & Suites Peterborough, Motel 6, and Quality Inn Peterborough.
“The Peterborough Destination Association is so pleased to support The Canadian Canoe Museum and what is sure to be a jewel in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, one that will attract visitors from near and far,” said Grant Zwarych, the association’s president.
The new museum will be an 83,400-square-foot facility designed by an award-winning team of heneghan peng architects (Dublin, Ireland) with Kearns Mancini Architects (Toronto, Canada). The museum has also partnered with world-class exhibition design firm GSM Project to create one-of-a-kind visitor experiences.
The Canadian Canoe Museum is currently raising funds for the $65 million cost to build the new facility, and has so far received foundational financial support from municipal, provincial and federal governments, as well as a leading private donation of $7.5 million from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.
Maureen Adamson is Fleming College’s new president
Maureen Adamson has been selected as Fleming College’s new president. (Photo supplied by Fleming College)
Maureen Adamson has been selected as Fleming College’s sixth president — the first Fleming alumnus, the first female, and the first Peterborough native to hold the position.
Most recently the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport with the Ontario government, Adamson has 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the post-secondary, health care, government, and not-for-profit sectors. She has previously held the position of Deputy Minister of the Status of Women in Ontario, president and CEO of the Michener Institute, and CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
She holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Lakehead University and a diploma in Business Administration from Fleming College and is an accredited Director with the Institute of Corporate Directors, Canada.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to lead Fleming College to its next generation of excellence where students are our priority and our society benefits from the talent that we produce at Fleming,” Adamsom says. “It’s great to be home and I look forward to working with our local communities and building strategic partnerships within and beyond the region.”
Adamson will succeed Dr. Tony Tilly, who will end his 14-year tenure as Fleming’s president on June 29th. Adamson will officially assume the role on August 21, 2018.
New trolley service to launch in downtown Peterborough?
The Town Trolley from Dromoland Orchard & Stables in Little Britain offered free rides in downtown Peterborough in May 2018. The Peterborough DBIA will be making an announcement about a new trolley service on June 27, 2018. (Photo: Dromoland)
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) will making an announcement about a new initiative involving trolley service in downtown Peterborough.
Details about the new initiative will be announced at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27th before the DBIA’s annual general meeting at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
kawarthaNOW speculates the new service may involve the Town Trolley owned by Dromoland Orchard & Stables in Little Britain. Once owned by the City of Kawartha Lakes before it was purchased by Michael Bryant of Dromoland, the trolley car offered free rides through downtown Peterborough as part of Doors Open Peterborough on May 5, 2018.
Streetcars developed by General Electric in Canada were an important part of Peterborough’s early industry at the turn of the 20th century, when they functioned as public transit before buses became available.
Former Kawartha Lakes nurse and doula launches mobile app for new moms
creenshots from the Android version of the Mamasoup app, how available from Google Play. (Photos: Colour and Code)
Joanne Ilaqua of Kawartha Lakes has launched Mamasoup, a mobile app for new mothers.
A nurse, doula, and Lamaze childbirth educator for 20 years, Ilaqua found the inspiration for the app when she was working as a nurse in labour and delivery and primary care. She discovered many new mothers sought support during their motherhood journey, and some struggled to find help or felt too uncomfortable to ask questions.
“Over those 20 years, it became very clear to me that moms aren’t receiving the support that we need and deserve while doing the most challenging job in the world,” Ilaqua says. “I realized that I can serve women in an innovative way and meet them where they’re at. So I took all of my experience and teamed up with a company in Lindsay called Colour and Code to create Mamasoup.”
Former nurse and Joanne Ilaqua created the Mamsasoup app with developer Colour and Code of Lindsay. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
Originally launched in February 2018 for iOS devices only, Ilaqua received a $7,500 grant from the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) to design and develop an Android version, which is now available on Google Play.
Also available on the web for desktop computers, Mamasoup has social media features similar to Facebook, where a news feed of local mothers’ posts are available. Rather than adding friends, the app uses a mom’s location to provide a local support news feed. By only using a custom handle as an identity and avatars for profile pictures, users are able to stay anonymous while asking questions and providing tips.
Ilaqua is also planning to create online courses for moms who want childbirth education at their fingertips, from the practical perspective of a nurse and doula. Her first course, aimed at moms having a caesarean birth, will be available at the end of June.
For more information, including links to download the app from the Apple App Store and on Google Play, visit www.mamasoup.ca.
Lois Tuffin is leaving Peterborough This Week
Local media icon Lois Tuffin is leaving Peterborough This Week after 20 years to become fundraising cooordinator at Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Originally from Almonte in Lanark County, Tuffin joined the twice-weekly community newspaper as a reporter in 1998, becoming the editor-in-chief in 2003.
Peterborough firms Park Place Financial and Terry Windrem Insurance Agencies announce merger
Park Place Financial co-founders of Mike D’Alessandro (left) and Darrell Wade (right) with Terry Windrem of Terry Windrem Insurance Agencies, who will become the President and CEO of Park Place Financial. (Photo courtesy of Park Place Financial)
Two of Peterborough’s leading wealth and risk management firms, Park Place Financial and Terry Windrem Insurance Agencies, are merging.
Terry Windrem will become President and CEO of Park Place Financial, and staff of the two companies will merge and relocate to a renovated building at the location of the former Roland’s Restaurant on Highway 7 East by the fall of 2018.
The focus of the firm will continue to be financial, succession, and business planning for professionals, entrepreneurs, and high net worth clients.
Terry Windrem Insurance Agencies was founded in 1984 and, as a partner of The Protectors Group, grew into one of Central Ontario’s leading financial services firm, specializing in the needs of business owners and professionals across the province. Park Place Financial was co-founded by Mike D’Alessandro and Darrell Wade in 2012 and has grown to become one of Peterborough’s leading wealth and estate planning companies.
United Way Peterborough & District Annual General Meeting on June 25
The United Way Peterborough & District is holding its annual general meeting from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 24th at the Holiday Inn Waterfront (150 George St., Peterborough).
The event is free and light refreshments will be provided.
Peterborough Chamber hosts seminar on marijuana and the workplace in Peterborough on June 27
As of October 17, 2018, marijuana will be legally sold in Canada for recreational use.
The next seminar in the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s Lunch Box Learning series is on the topic “Marijuana and the Workplace” from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27th in the Chamber boardroom (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
Chris Russell, a human resources lawyer with LLF Lawyers, and Matthew Savino of Savino Human Resource Partners, will present the seminar followed by a question-and-answer session.
The seminar is free to attend with a Chamber membership or a Women’s Business Network of Peterborough membership. Bring your own lunch.
Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area Annual General Meeting on June 27
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) is hosting its annual general meeting on Wednesday, June 27th in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
Networking starts at 5:30 p.m. with business at 6 p.m. The meeting will include updates on what’s happening in downtown Peterborough, as well as a general election of the board.
Everyone is welcome to attend, although only DBIA members can vote.
For more information on joining the board, contact Joel Wiebe at the DBIA at 705-748-4774 or joelwiebe@peterboroughbia.com.
Northumberland Chamber hosts Breakfast In The Park at Cobourg Waterfront Festival – June 30 to July 2
Volunteers with the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce will be serving a pancake breakfast every morning during the Cobourg Waterfront Festival. (Photo: Northumberland Chamber of Commerce)
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Breakfast In The Park” from 7:30 to 10 a.m. every day during the Cobourg Waterfront Festival (Saturday, June 30th to Monday, July 2nd).
Volunteer members of the Chamber will be serving up pancakes with fresh local strawberries and real maple syrup along with local barbequed sausages and a drink.
Breakfast will be served inside the Lion’s Refreshment Tent, located near the bandshell in Cobourg’s Victoria Park.
Summer Social PBX at Kawartha Lakes Construction on July 3
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism and the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to host a county-fair-themed Peterborough Business Exchange (PBX) from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 3rd at Kawartha Lakes Construction (3359 Lakefield Rd., Lakefield)
A great opportunity to meet and network with Chamber members and others, there will be lots of games, prizes, carticatures, and delicious refreshments to go around to celebrate the season and the community.
Northumberland chambers host accessibility workshop for businesses on August 13
The local chambers of commerce in Northumberland County are hosting the “Discover Ability Workshop” from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, August 13th at Warkworth Legion (6 Norham Rd., Warkworth).
You can learn about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), how it applies to your business (including your responsibilities under the legislation), and the advantages of developing an inclusive workforce. Light refreshments will be provided.
kawarthaNOW has learned that self-described “news diva” Lois Tuffin is leaving Peterborough This Week after 20 years, including the last 15 as editor-in-chief of the twice-weekly community newspaper.
According to a source, Tuffin’s last day at Peterborough This Week is this Friday (June 29) and she will be taking on a fundraising position at Five Counties Children’s Centre.
When kawarthaNOW contacted Tuffin for confirmation, she said that staff at Peterborough This Week would be advised today (June 25) of her departure and that her new employer would be Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Tuffin is well known in the community for both her journalism and her volunteer work.
After graduating from the journalism program at Ottawa’s Carleton University in 1991, Tuffin worked as assistant editor at the Almonte Gazette weekly newspaper in her hometown for eight years, before working as editor at the Ottawa News for more than a year.
In 1998, she moved to Peterborough and began working for Peterborough This Week, where she has been editor-in-chief since 2003. She manages the newsrooms for Metroland/Kawartha Media Group’s community newspapers in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes (Kawartha Lakes This Week), and Brock Township (Brock Citizen), as well as the online news website mykawartha.com.
Tuffin is also familiar to many as a regular panelist on Cogeco’s YourTV’s Politically Speaking program.
Since moving to Peterborough, Tuffin has been very active in the community. She is currently a board member of The Mount Community Centre and has also volunteered for various community organizations and campaigns, including the YMCA and YWCA, Homegrown Homes, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network, YES Shelter for Youth and Families, Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s Breaking New Ground campaign, and more.
Tuffin’s departure comes eight months after Metroland Media, the parent company of Peterborough This Week, also purchased The Peterborough Examiner. The purchase has resulted in co-operation between the two newspapers, which previously were competitors in the local media space.
A crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $1,000 for Peterborough Challenger Baseball, more than enough for the special needs baseball league to replace equipment recently stolen from the team. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Challenger Baseball)
People have rallied behind Peterborough Challenger Baseball, raising more than $1,000 in a single day during a crowdfunding campaign to replace equipment stolen from the special needs baseball league last week.
Organizer and league president Bernie Daynes discovered last Wednesday (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.
Three batting helmets were stolen, along with seven bats and about a dozen balls — both of which are specially designed for special needs children and youth. As Peterborough Challenger Baseball relies on donations and fundraising to operate, the league was unable to replace the equipment on its own.
After learning of the theft, Jessica Holdcroft launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe last Thursday (June 21) with an initial goal of $1,000, which was soon met.
“It’s amazing that the goal of $1,000 was reached and surpassed in 20 hours,” Daynes writes. “The response of people and businesses have been tremendous and we will easily be able to replace and even augment the equipment stolen.”
Despite reaching the goal, people continue to make donations to the team, so Holdcroft has continued the campaign with a new goal of $2,500. The additional funds raised will be used to support the league’s ongoing operation and allow it to expand.
“I have begun to work with the city to secure space to build a barrier-free, fully accessible baseball diamond for our program and other special needs programs and youth in our community,” Daynes writes.
“To see people rally behind our program with the theft and replacement of our Junior Program equipment only re-enforces my belief in the true hearts of people and business in their support of special needs sports.”
Filmmaker Adriano Ferreri's daughter Rosa plays the lead role of Niamh in Adriano's first feature film "E.M.P. 333 Days", a thriller about what happens after an electromagnetic pulse sends North America into anarchy. Almost three years in the making, the film premieres in Peterborough on June 28, 2018 with an exclusive screening at Galaxy Cinemas. (Photo: Ferreri Films)
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.
Young actors Rosa Ferreri and Liam Davidson, best known for his work at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, star as Niamh and William. (Photo: Ferreri Films)
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.
A barber by trade, filmmaker Adriano Ferreri shot the film on weekends and in his spare time. (Photo: Ferreri Films)
“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 Ferreri filmed “E.M.P. 333 Days” entirely in the Kawarthas. (Photo: Ferreri Films)
Adriano has offered to give a portion of tickets sales to the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation’s Mindfulness program.
Tickets are available NOW!!! Local exclusive screening in Peterborough Ontario at Galaxy Cinemas Thursday June 28th 7:30pm in theatre #9!!
Tickets avail for pickup at The Pasta Shop on Sherbrooke St, Pensieri Shoes LTD Fresh Country Pies & Produce and Sams Nephews Barber Shop in Bridgenorth beside home hardware:
This is the official EMP trailer release.
A bit of background on the director Adriano Ferreri.
My goal before marriage and children was to make a feature film, but life often has different plans, and like so many people, my dreams and aspirations got pushed to the side for other dreams and goals.
But the goal to make a feature film still burned inside of me.
This project that has taken my time and often my sanity for the past three years.
Please watch, please comment and please share. Please come to the premiere if you can!
The movie was all locally shot in Peterborough and the Kawarthas and features all local talent, including my daughter. There’s an incredible team of people who made this possible and I’m pretty pumped to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!
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Ellen DeGeneres is one of 12 comedians Jerry Seinfeld interviews in new episodes of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee", arriving Friday, July 6th on Netflix Canada. (Photo: Netflix)
Now that summer has officially arrived, most of us will be outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Of course, Netflix Canada would prefer that you spend at least some time glued to your screens, so they’ve released their July line-up. As usual, there’s a lot of Netflix original content, recent and not-so-recent Hollywood movies, and returning series.
Netflix original movies include: Good Girls (July 3), about three suburban moms who orchestrate a local grocery store heist to escape financial ruin and establish independence; White Fang (July 6), an animated update of Jack London’s classis about a loyal wolfdog in the Yukon whose curiosity leads him on the adventure of a lifetime; and How It Ends (July 13), about a man and his estranged father-in-law who race across the country to save the man’s pregnant wife as a mysterious apocalypse causes the spread of misinformation and violence.
VIDEO: “How It Ends” Official Trailer
New Netflix original series include season one of Sacred Games (July 6), based on the acclaimed 2006 detective thriller novel by Vikram Chandra that explores the corrupt underworld lurking beneath India’s economic renaissance, and Sugar Rush (July 13), a reality cooking competition show where teams race against the clock to bake up the best-tasting sweets.
Returning Netflix original series include Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: New 2018: Freshly Brewed (July 6) — where Jerry Seinfeld interviews 12 comedians (Ellen DeGeneres, Dave Chappelle, the late Jerry Lewis, Kate McKinnon, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Dana Carvey, John Mulaney, Hasan Minhaj, Zach Galifinakis, Neil Brennan. and Brian Regan) as he drives them around in classic and not-so-classic cars to get a coffee — and season six of the women-in-prison dark comedy Orange Is the New Black (July 27),
VIDEO: “How It Ends” Official Trailer
Hollywood movies arriving on Netflix Canada in July include District 9 (July 1), Kung Fu Panda 3 (July 1), A Beautiful Mind (July 4), the classic American Graffiti (July 4), I, Tonya (July 6), War Dogs (July 8), and Suicide Squad (July 15).
And finally, new seasons of favourite shows coming in July include season five of The Fosters (July 6), season seven of Suits (July 12), season three of Better Call Saul (July 23), and season three of Hinterland (July 31).
Here’s the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada in July (along with what’s leaving Netflix).
A view of Victoria Beach on Lake Ontario in Cobourg. (Photo courtesy of Linda McIlwain)
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.
Peterborough Public Health samples the water quality of popular city beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day during the summer. The health unit will post signage if a beach is unsafe for swimming, such as this sign at Rogers Cove from last year. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
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.
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