The OPP's province-wide gun amnesty during April allows the public an easy opportunity for the safe disposal of unwanted, unlicensed and unregistered firearms, ammunition and other non-ordinance, without fear of penalty. The amnesty does not apply to people who turn in weapons that have been used in the commission of a crime. (Photo: Ontario Provincial Police)
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), in collaboration with participating municipal police services including the Peterborough Police Service, is holding a gun amnesty during the month of April.
The gun amnesty is for any Ontario resident who wishes to voluntarily surrender unwanted or illegally owned firearms, weapons, accessories, or ammunition.
The OPP gun amnesty program runs from April 1 to 30, 2018. (Poster: Ontario Provincial Police)
The amnesty is a way to provide citizens with a safe way to surrender weapons and enhance public safety.
“Ontario has seen an increase in break-and-enter incidents where firearms are stolen or targeted by criminals,” says OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes.
“The OPP and our participating police partners are giving people a safe way to dispose of weapons, imitation weapons and related equipment, accessories and ammunition to reduce the number of guns in their communities.”
During the amnesty, police will not recommend weapons-related criminal code charges that might otherwise apply to people who are turning in these items.
Police note the amnesty does not apply to people who turn in weapons that have been used in the commission of a crime.
Interested gun owners are strongly urged to call the OPP’s — or their local police service’s — non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 to arrange for officers to attend and safely retrieve the weapons.
“The safest way to handle an unwanted or illegally-owned firearm is to turn it in for destruction,” says Chief Murray Rodd of the Peterborough Police Service. “You can help prevent those firearms from falling into the wrong hands and hurting someone unintentionally.”
No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Under no circumstances should owners attempt to deliver guns or ammunition directly to police facilities.
World Water Day, on March 22nd every year, is about focusing attention on the importance of water. The theme for World Water Day 2018 is 'Nature for Water', exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. Locally, GreenUP's Ready for Rain Peterborough program demonstrates what nature-based solutions to flooding concerns can look like in a neighbourhood. (Photo: UN Water)
Today (March 22) is World Water Day. On this day, the world focuses its attention on the importance of water and explores solutions to the challenges we face with water in the 21st century. This year’s World Water Day theme is “Nature for Water”.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Heather Ray, GreenUP Water Programs Manager.
Most of us interact with water on a daily basis: water flows from our taps as we bathe, washes our favorite pair of jeans, refreshes us when we are thirsty, and carries away our waste. In each of these scenarios, water flows in and out of our home on a daily basis — but through a pipe, which demonstrates how void our daily natural interactions with water may be.
Over the last few decades, solutions to water shortages, flooding, and poor water quality have also excluded nature, revolving instead around expensive concrete and pipe-based systems that are now aging and overburdened.
The United Nations has set a number of sustainable development goals, one of which is to ensure global availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
In an effort to support this goal, World Water Day 2018 showcases how nature-based water solutions such as replenishing forests and wetlands, planting rain gardens, and creating buffers along watercourses can provide support toward water-related challenges such as flooding and poor water quality.
Facts about water from the UNESCO (2018) United Nations World Water Development Report 2018: Nature-based solutions for water. (Graphics: UN Water)
In Peterborough, GreenUP’s Ready for Rain Peterborough program demonstrates what nature-based solutions to flooding concerns can look like in a neighbourhood. Unlike grey infrastructure, the concrete and pipe based solutions of the recent past, nature-based solutions create what is known as green or living infrastructure.
Green infrastructure uses living systems such as plants to protect waterways, and naturally filtrate and replenish water supplies. To demonstrate green infrastructure, Ready for Rain Peterborough installed eight rain gardens in the Avenues Neighbourhood to help manage rain and mitigate flooding. These are working neighbourhood sites right here in Peterborough! You can join GreenUP on May 25th for a rain garden tour in The Avenues and learn more about the benefits of nature-based solutions to water challenges.
While World Water Day is a great opportunity to focus on the importance of water and nature-based solutions to challenges with water, it is essential that we learn more about the important role of water and nature in our daily lives. The Peterborough region is home to over 134 lakes and a multitude of natural communities, plants, and animals that rely on this lush environment. This means that opportunities to learn more about water are prevalent within the Peterborough region.
Attendees of the annual Peterborough Children’s Water Festival learn about how a green roof provides a natural solution to absorbing runoff and preventing flooding in built areas. Many PCWF activity centres focus on the link between water and nature, which is also the theme of 2018 World Water Day on March 22nd. (Photo: GreenUP)
One such opportunity is the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF). For almost 17 years, the festival has brought together youth, educators, water quality and quantity specialists, conservation groups, industry, government, First Nations, and community volunteers to provide an opportunity to learn about water. Like World Water Day, the festival strives to bring a focus on the importance of water in an effort to ensure availability and sustained management of water.
Since its inception, the PCWF has welcomed over 22,121 students from grades 2 to 5 to learn about water through a variety of hands-on, interactive activity centres. The activity centres presented at the festival are designed with current, relevant, and scientific accuracy and showcase many facets of water such as protection, conservation, science, technology, and attitudes toward water. A common thread among many of the activity centres is the link between water and nature, such as with planted shorelines, green roofs, and wetlands.
This year on June 6th and 7th, another 1,400 students will flood the Riverview Park and Zoo. Many exciting water-themed surprises are being planned by the 2018 PCWF Steering Committee, such as a scavenger hunt and three brand new activity centres. Students and volunteers are encouraged to make a splash as they connect with this essential part of nature — water!
Registration for the 2018 PCWF is currently open and educators are invited to register at pcwf.net/registration. World Water Day is a great opportunity to talk to youth about why water is important, and the PCWF is a great opportunity to continue the conversation while learning more about our local water concerns and opportunities for solutions.
For more information about the PCWF, or to become a sponsor or a volunteer, please visit pcwf.net or contact PCWF Coordinator Heather Ray at heather.ray@greenup.on.ca.
For more information about the GreenUP rain garden tour in The Avenues and to learn more about the benefits of nature-based solutions to water challenges, please connect with the Water Programs Coordinator, Jenn McCallum, at jenn.mccallum@greenup.on.ca.
You can find out more about World Water Day and nature-based solutions for water at worldwaterday.org.
David Goyette with his wife Victoria Pearce above the sign at Showplace Performance Centre proclaiming The David Goyette Stage. Pearce and Goyatte, who already has the naming rights for the theatre's green room from an earlier donation, made a 10-year financial contribution non-profit performance venue to secure the naming rights for the stage located in the main theatre, allowing the non-profit venue to purchase a new lighting console. (Photo: Showplace Performance Centre)
If all the world is indeed a stage, rest assured David Goyette has staked out his little piece of the world right here in Peterborough, much to the benefit of Showplace Performance Centre.
On Wednesday afternoon (March 21) at the downtown performance venue, it was announced the grand stage in The Erica Cherney Theatre has been named The David Goyette Stage.
That moniker, bestowed as a result “a healthy five figures” donation over 10 years from Goyette and his wife Victoria Pearce, is displayed just below the facing of one of the theatre’s side balconies.
The naming is the second Goyette has funded. The former executive assistant to Mayor Daryl Bennett gifted dollars last spring for the naming rights to the theatre’s green room, a backstage space that serves as a lounge and waiting area for performers.
That contribution allowed for upgrades to the space and its décor, including the addition of original paintings by local artist Peer Christensen and furnishings from Bennett’s.
“I’ve got the green room, I’ve got the stage … clearly I’m taking over,” jokes Goyette before talking on his motivation behind the donation.
“Victoria and I just celebrated our 10th anniversary here (in the Kawarthas). When we came here, Showplace was the first organization that said ‘You’re welcome here’ and allowed me to be a volunteer. Because they were so gracious in that regard, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for what Showplace does and what it’s all about.”
In late November of last year, Goyette was on hand for the naming of The Erica Cherney Theatre. That, he says, left an indelible impression on him.
“She set an example for all of us,” he says. “It’s important to give back. There are times in your life when you can and times when you can’t. This is a good time for me and I can. I’m looking at her standard of philanthropy and saying, in my own gentle way, I’m trying to aspire to that.
“This is the best arts institution in the entire region. It’s important to our community. It has to survive. When we celebrate the arts, the arts allow us to celebrate each other.”
Goyette walks very comfortably in arts circles, not only as a songwriter and guitarist with three CDs to his credit, but also as an artist and a playwright. Along with being a past chair of the Showplace board, he is a former director of The Royal Conservatory of Music, and founded the Toronto Beatles Celebration and the Orillia Beatles Celebration.
For her part, Pearce, who has performed at Showplace as legendary singer Patsy Cline, says the naming “is very exciting.”
“I’m very proud of him. It’s something he has wanted to do for a long time. We love Showplace. Great people, great shows … we’d like to see that continue.”
When it is pointed out there’s room for her name on one of the other theatre balcony facings, Pearce laughs, saying “You never know, I just love it here.”
David Goyette and Victoria Pearce. “I’m very proud of him. It’s something he has wanted to do for a long time. We love Showplace.” (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
The Goyette naming was secured via Showplace’s multi-year Securing The Future fundraising initiative that, along with Goyette’s two namings and the Erica Cherney dedication, has also resulted in the naming of The Nexicom Studio, The Darling Insurance Box Office, and The Publican House Bars.
According to Showplace interim general manager Emily Martin, Goyette’s donation has enabled the purchase of a state-of-the-art theatrical lighting console that will greatly improve the range and quality of stage lighting. It replaces the original console that had been in place since Showplace opened in 1996.
Martin explains Goyette’s donation couldn’t have come at a better time, as the venue has been without a console since late January.
“The last show we did with it was (comedian) Jeremy Hotz,” she explains. “It actually died during the show. The audience didn’t know because luckily the lights stayed on, but that’s how badly we needed this.”
Martin notes naming opportunities remain for Showplace’s marquee and its lobby.
“This (the naming) is a different kind of excitement,” adds Martin.
“There’s nothing like walking into a full theatre. You feed from the audience’s energy but this kind of event, it’s your own energy. And to be able to give this kind of equipment to a team member who desperately needs it, that in itself is a huge plus for me.”
According to Showplace board chair Pat Hooper, recent financial challenges faced by Showplace have eased but, she notes, remaining viable is always a work in progress.
“We are planning to do a capital campaign this spring with the community,” Hooper says.
“We’re calling on some folks that have been integral in our getting started — Beth McMaster, Sylvia Sutherland, Ann Farquharson, Doug Armstrong and Michael Cherney. We’re doing a focus group to discuss what they think in terms of how we should move forward with a capital campaign, mostly to focus on replacing the seats.”
For more information on becoming a Showplace member or sponsor, or to make a donation, visit www.showplace.org.
The City of Kawartha Lakes is implementing its annual spring burn ban earlier than normal this year — on Friday, March 23rd instead of April 1st.
The earlier-than-normal burn ban comes after City of Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service responded to a large number of grass-related fires over the March 16th weekend.
“Although the ground may appear saturated or still have snow cover in some areas of the municipality, dry grass and debris catch fire easily and flames can spread quickly,” says Fire Chief Mark Pankhurst.
“Typically by the end of April, things have greened up and the risk of grass fires is dramatically reduced.”
All fire permit sales are suspended until further notice. Residents will be notified when the burn ban is lifted.
While the burn ban does not necessarily apply to those with agricultural or special burn permits — as special conditions already apply to these permits — those permit holders are advised to restrict burning and exercise extreme caution.
Under section 8.03 of Kawartha Lakes By-Law 2016-11, those having a fire during a burn ban can be charged under the Provincial Offences Act and will also be responsible for the costs incurred by fire control.
Locally grown strawberries are only a few months away! The Lakefield Farmers' Market is now accepting applications for new agricultural, prepared food, and artisanal vendors. The market opens for the season on Thursday, May 24th. (Photo: Lakefield Farmers' Market)
The Kawartha Chamber is hosting a workshop on the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) focusing on the recent changes to labour laws under the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148).
The session will include a speaker from the Ministry of Labour, and discussions on minimum wage, hours of work, public holidays, leaves of absence and more. A question and answer period will follow.
The session is taking place on Wednesday, April 4th at the Lakefield Legion. Doors open at 5 p.m. All business professionals are welcome, and encouraged, to attend. Admission is free but please register. Contact the Chamber office at 705-652-6963 or email events@kawarthachamber.ca for more details.
Guests are also encouraged to send their questions in advance for the Q&A portion. Email your questions to generalmanager@kawarthachamber.ca.
Now hiring! Application deadline March 23rd
Qualified applicants are invited to email cover letter, resume, and expected hourly wage by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23rd to generalmanager@kawarthachamber.ca, indicating “Engagement Coordinator” in the subject line.
The Chamber’s Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast is taking place on Wednesday, April 18th at Burleigh Falls Inn & Suites.
This event is free for Chamber volunteers, and $20+HST for guests. All are welcome to attend.
This year’s guest speaker is Sarah Burke of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region. The event will run from 7:30 to 9 a.m.. Learn more.
The Chamber thanks its networking event sponsor, Blue Diamond Window Cleaning.
Save the Date: BOSS Mental Health in the Workplace – May 9th
The Chamber’s next Business Owners Sharing Solutions (BOSS) session will focus on mental health in the worksplace.
The panel will include:
Ashley Challinor, Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Dave Pogue, Team 55 Tackling Suicide Awareness
Jack Veitch, Canadian Mental Health Association – Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge
This session is taking place at the Lakefield Legion from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9th and will focus on coping strategies and techniques for mental health in the workplace. Admissions is $15 for Chamber members and $25 for future members! More details to come.
The Chamber thanks its professional development sponsor, Lynn Woodcroft, Sales Representative with Royal LePage Frank Real Estate.
Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) – 2018 Throne Speech and NDP Five-Point Policy Plan
On March 19th, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, delivered the Ontario government’s speech from the throne.
The throne speech, delivered ahead of next week’s budget and just months before the next election, focused on the theme of “care.” The top priorities for the government in lead up to the election include health care, home care, mental health and addictions, child care, and regional investments.
The OCC has provided a synopsis of the throne speech below. Throne speeches provide a general overview of the Government’s policy commitments rather than specific details. We will provide a detailed analysis of the government’s commitments following the release of the upcoming 2018 Budget on March 28th.
Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef is bringing together community members, innovators, artists, employers, and the local workforce for an afternoon of networking, learning, and connecting the needs of our community with the potential of our people.
This event is taking place from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11th at McDonnel St. Activity Centre (577 McDonnel St., Peterborough).
Registration and details of the session will be available soon. For more information, contact Maryam Monsef’s office at 705-745-2108 or maryam.monsef@parl.gc.ca.
Welcome New Member
Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield 705-652-3856, www.abbeyfield.ca
“Abbeyfield offers a warm, family-style house and a balance between privacy and companionship, security and independence, combined with the special caring element provided by dedicated volunteers and the support of a House Coordinator.
The Abbeyfield concept is very simple. Typically, twelve to fifteen residents of retirement age live in their own private bed-sitting rooms furnished with their own things. The residents share lunch and dinner, plus a self-serve breakfast from a well-stocked breakfast bar. Snacks and drinks are also available throughout the day.
A House Coordinator attends to the daily running of the house, the shopping and the preparation and serving of meals. Privacy and independence are preserved yet the gentle supportive domestic atmosphere provides companionship and freedom from worries and chores.”
Lakefield Farmers’ Market Call for Vendors
The Lakefield Farmers’ Market runs on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May 24 until October 4, 2018, rain or shine. (Photo: Lakefield Farmers’ Market)
Lakefield Farmers’ Market is gearing up for the 2018 season and is excited to be putting the call out for new agricultural, prepared food, and artisanal vendors.
If you have a product you feel would be a valuable addition to the market, visit www.lakefieldfarmersmarket.ca and click on the “Apply Now” tab to look at the Vendor Handbook and fill out an application.
The market opens on May 24th this year, so mark your calendars and be sure to visit the market every Thursday for the best in locally produced foods and art.
Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield Gala Fundraising Concert – April 23nd
Abbeyfield Society of Lakefield is pleased to announced its Gala Fundraising Concert on Monday, April 23rd at the Selwyn Outreach Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are available online and will also be available at Kawartha Home Hardware and Happenstance Books & Yarns in Lakefield, and at Long & McQuade in Peterborough.
The evening will feature the Cory Gleison Choir from Cardiff, Wales, and a special appearance by Rhythm & Grace. Come out and enjoy an enjoyable evening of exciting musical entertainment to help support building the first Abbeyfield House in Lakefield — a unique alternative housing option for Lakefield seniors. For more information, call 705-652-3856.
Building an Unstoppable Family Business – March 26th
Empowerment and motivational speaker Shawn Casemore will speak at the Kawartha Family Business Group on March 26, 2018.
The Kawartha Family Business Group (KFBG) is hosting “Building an Unstoppable Family Business” with Shawn Casemore from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 26th at the Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn in Peterborough.
Family-owned businesses have a distinct advantage over other types of businesses. The pride and passion that lurks below the surface of a family-owned business is often much more powerful and more recognizable than in any other type of business. If not recognized and used effectively however, this pride and passion can become a detriment to the business and the family as whole.
Performing Arts Lakefield, Motus O presents The Prisoner of Tehran – March 23rd
Buckhorn Maplefest – March 24th and 25th
The Wakami Wailers in Concert – March 24th
The Easter Bunny is Back at Village Dental Centre – April 2nd
Taste of Europe at the BCC – April 7th and 8th
For more information about the businesses and events listed above, please visit the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism website at kawarthachamber.ca.
All photos supplied by Kawartha Chamber of Commerce except where noted.
Danger Will Robinson! The Robinson family gets Lost In Space again as Netflix reboots the iconic 1965 TV series, premiering on April 13, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Hopefully we’ll soon be spending more time outside enjoying warm spring weather, but if not, here’s what’s coming to Netflix Canada in April.
On April 13th, Netflix is launching a 10-episode remake of the iconic 1965 TV science-fiction series Lost in Space, starring Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, and Max Jenkins.
Another Netflix original, coming April 19th, is the first season of The Alienest, a dark crime drama about a psychologist attempting to catch a serial killer in New York City in 1896.
VIDEO: “Lost in Space” Trailer
Monty Python fans will rejoice as a slew of the classic British comedy troupe’s work comes to Netflix on April 15th, including the original Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV series, the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and a number of Monty Python specials.
Returning series include the second season of Ash vs. Evil Dead on April 2nd. the fifth season of The 100 with a new espisode every Thursday starting April 26th, and the second season of 3% on April 27th.
For documentary fans, the Netflix original Mercury 13 profiles the 13 women who were tested in 1961 for spaceflight but whose dreams were dashed when NASA only chose men to become astronauts.
And former late-night TV host David Letterman returns to Netflix with the next episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman featuring an interview with rapper and businessman Jay-Z, one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
Below is the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada in April (along with what’s leaving Netflix).
Real-life married couple Tamara Bick and Drew Antzis are developing a new version of their comedic and interactive 'Settle This Thing' relationship stage show at The Theatre on King in Peterborough over the next three months, in preparation for shows at the Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago Fringe Festivals this summer. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
Since May 2017, real-life married couple Tamara Bick and Drew Antzis’s stage show Settle This Thing has been a fixture at The Theatre on King (TTOK) in downtown Peterborough. The pair has become popular with the audiences that come to see their show, a fast and clever comedy where the two comedians bring their personal disputes out of the privacy in their home and onto the TTOK stage.
But this summer Tamara and Drew will be taking their performance to bigger cities and bigger stages. Lightning has struck three times, and the couple have been invited to bring Settle This Thing to the Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago Fringe Festivals.
“It’s like we’ve won the lottery three times,” Drew says. “Well, two times, but we were first on the waiting list for Chicago and someone dropped out. It could not be three better cities.”
For those not familiar with Settle This Thing, Tamara and Drew started it as a series of YouTube videos in 2012 while living in Los Angeles, where they met while working for Funny or Die.
The premise for the video series was that they would present their everyday household spats to the cyber audience. They’d present their different points of view, and then allow the audience to vote on who they think is right. Based on the number of votes each video got in the comments section, they would respect the decision of the audience and honour that decision in their real lives.
Although the original video series was relatively short, after relocating from LA to Peterborough so Tamara could be closer to her family, the pair decided to revisit Settle This Thing, but this time develop it as a live show.
VIDEO: A ‘Settle This Thing’ webisode from 2012
In their live show, Drew and Tamara spend an hour dissecting and analyzing certain aspects of relationships, as well as presenting brand new videos to the audience based on new household disagreements. Once again, whatever the audience votes for becomes the law of the land in the Antzis/Bick household.
“As a live show, there are a lot of major themes that we wanted to explore,” Tamara explains. “We wanted to explore relationships, parenting, marriage, in-laws, family, money, and all of that. So those are these major thematic umbrellas. We’ve been able to devote an entire show to one of these themes.”
For the Fringe Festival performances, Drew and Tamara have decided to restructure Settle This Thing even further by combining many of their previous performances into a single show. Although this is an ambitious undertaking, the pair have been working hard to create a coherent and entertaining script based on all of their previous TTOK performances.
“To go and do the Fringe Festival, we’ve decided to take four or five of these different themes and put them all together in one show, and try to cover the science of relationships,” Tamara explains. “By doing multiple different shows, it’s allowed us to explore the topics for an hour, and now we can distill it down to the best bits.
“We’re definitely narrowing in on what our one-hour fringe show is going to be and we’re super excited about it. We’re going to feature three Settle This Thing episodes, and do questions and answer sessions with the audience, and there’s improv involved. I think the finished project is going to be really fun to do, once we actually know what the show is.”
Since May 2017, Tamara Bick and Drew Antzis’s ‘Settle This Thing’ has been a fixture at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough. In their live show, Drew and Tamara spend an hour debating certain aspects of relationships and then have the audience settle the argument by deciding who’s right. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
To see Tamara and Drew on stage, and then visit with them in their home, is an odd but entertaining experience — because where the act ends and where the reality begins continues to be unclear.
There’s a natural banter between the two, with Drew being the optimistic straight man to Tamara’s pessimistic (she says “realistic”) cutting jabs at married life. The result is a wonderfully smart and natural way of communication where the gag just never stops.
“Our whole relationship started as a comedy bit,” Drew says. “We’re improvisers so we can’t say no. As an improviser, you have to say yes and just add on to it.”
“I want to say no to Drew, but then I would be a bad improviser,” Tamara shoots back.
So has the shtick of Settle This Thing helped improve their marriage? There doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer.
“It’s helping our marriage,” Drew says in his ever-optimistic manner. “It’s also helping people who come and see it because we do offer exciting tips and tricks.”
“But I wouldn’t say that we’re happier,” Tamara replies.
“I would say that we’re still married,” Drew points out.
“And not everyone can say that,” Tamara agrees. “Seventy per cent of couples crash and burn. So it’s like this: Are we happily married? Yes we are! But are we? Yes, we are. But are we?”
I can’t decide if they are or not. But as Drew and Tamara go on to reveal, divorce isn’t a viable option for them.
“We have children,” Tamara points out. “We have a house together and our money is all mushed together. It’s so complicated to separate.”
“Even if we wanted to, we can’t afford it,” Drew adds. “You sometimes have to choose between paying for your children’s education and getting a divorce.”
“Do you want the kids a good education or send them to public school?” Tamara says. “Do you want to get divorced? Yes. But can you afford it? No.
“So you stay together and you buy another house. I can live in this house. He can live in a house down the street. He can come to dinner on Sundays. It’ll be great.”
Drew Antzis began ‘Settle This Thing’ with Tamara Bick in 2012 as a series of YouTube videos while they were living in Los Angeles. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Over the next three months, Drew and Tamara will be performing the Fringe Festival version of Settle This Thing at TTOK while they develop and fine tune the material. What they really need from our community is audience interest and participation to bring this funny and intelligent performance piece to its polished form.
“We’re doing the same show, but with tweaks,” Tamara says about their next batch of performances. “It’ll be different videos, different audiences, and lots of new material, so we can get used to doing it. The question and answer period, and the bits between us and the audience will definitely change.”
“We may punch things up depending on audience reaction,” Drew adds.
“It’s very possible that huge sections of it will get cut and we’ll replace it with something else,” Tamara says. “But right now we have a working script which is close to what we want to do in Montreal.”
I have attended three of Drew and Tamara’s Settle This Thing performances since May 2017 and each time I’ve been entertained by their natural humour, their ability to play off each other and the audience, and the intelligent and sometimes uncomfortable subject matter.
Their next three shows will be a presentation of the best of their previous performances, and they need audience support more than ever to help them develop the show before they venture off on their North American tour.
When Tamara Bick moved back to Peterborough so she could be closer to her family, she and Drew Antzis decided to resurrect 'Settle This Thing' as a live stage show. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
If you haven’t seen Settle This Thing yet, put at least one of their final three dates in Peterborough on your must-see list. If you like it, go back to the next date and bring your family and friends. With a much larger audience base about to experience this brilliant comedy show, it may be now or never for us to experience Settle This Thing on the small stage.
“Just focusing on the show, having fun with it, and making it what we want it to be is the main thing,” says Tamara in a rare moment of seriousness. “We’re not doing it for any particular reason but that we enjoy doing it and we enjoy making each other laugh.
“I think the show has a chance of living and breathing and going somewhere. It was born out of just wanting to sit on our couch and saying ‘You’re wrong. I’ll never agree with you. Let’s make someone else decide whose right.’ It was really fun to do.”
Tamara Bick and Drew Antzis will be continuing the development of the Fringe Festival version of Settle This Thing at TTOK on Friday, March 30th, Friday, April 27th and Friday, May 25th. The shows start at 8 p.m. and admission is $10.
For those who are travelling this summer, you can see Settle This Thing in Montreal between June 7th to 15th, in Toronto between July 4th and 15th, and in Chicago between August 30th and September 3rd (dates, times, and venues have yet to be announced).
Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, will visit Peterborough on March 24, 2018. (Photo: Green Party of Ontario)
Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, will be visiting Peterborough on Saturday, March 24th as part of 20-stop tour of Ontario.
Schreiner, who was elected leader in November 2009, is the local Green Party candidate in Guelph for the 2018 provincial election. He co-founded the Local Food Plus organization and runs two small businesses, WOW Foods and Earthdance Organics, in Guelph.
Beginning at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, Schreiner will be at B!KE Community Bike Shop (293 George Street, Peterborough) in downtown Peterborough and will tour small businesses along George Street including Tiny Greens and Kawartha Local.
At 6 p.m., he will be attending a community meal and awards presentation at Peterborough Lions Banquet Hall & Meeting Centre, where he will deliver remarks followed by a question and answer session. At 8:30 p.m., if weather permits, he will participate in an Earth Hour Nature Walk along the Otonabee River, departing from the Lions Centre.
Gianne Broughton is running in the Peterborough-Kawartha riding as the Green Party of Ontario candidate. (Photo: Green Party of Ontario)
During his stop in Peterborough, there will be opportunities to meet Schreiner, as well as Peterborough-Kawartha Green Party of Ontario candidate Gianne Broughton.
Born in Montreal, Broughton attended the Native Studies program at Trent University in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After she graduated from teachers’ college, she volunteered in Nigeria to teach English for two years. She returned to Ontario to teach school for another two years, and then obtained her master’s degree in rural planning and development at the University of Guelph. She returned to Peterborough in 2015, where she runs her own business as a tutor.
This is Broughton’s first time running for political office. She is up against Liberal incumbent Jeff Leal, Progressive Conservative Party candidate Dave Smith, and New Democratic Party candidate Sean Conway.
The Ontario election will be held on June 7, 2018.
Opal (Jen) Elchuk and Kayla Stanistreet in "Captive:ated", one of 13 new works being presented by Public Energy at Emergency #22 from March 22 to 24, 2018. A twist on the Grimms Brothers' Rapunzel tales, "Captive:ated" is a work of circus theatre employing trapeze and braided silks and will be performed at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on March 22 and 23. (Photo: Erin Hanes Photography)
Featuring courageous new dance, theatre, and performance work by local artists, the Emergency Festival returns to downtown Peterborough from Thursday, March 22nd to Saturday, March 24th.
Public Energy is presenting the 22nd version of the Emergency Festival, which first launched in 1993 and is named to reflect its commitment to showcasing emerging work from both established and emerging artists. More than 200 performance works have premiered through the festival, and many of which have been developed into full-length pieces.
Emergency #22 includes both performance newcomers and veterans, with 13 new works distributed presented over three programs at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and The Theatre On King. This year’s festival has something for everyone, including devised theatre, contemporary dance, belly dance, aerial circus arts, and multidisciplinary collaborations between professional artists and community performers.
Emergency #22 is presented in three programs at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough from March 22 to 24, 2018.
Devised theatre, where artists undertake all aspects of creation from concept to writing to performing, is represented by Charlie Petch with Daughter of Geppetto, an updated twist on the Pinocchio story, Anne White with Aberdeen, a work that examines her fraught relationship with a family home, and Hermione Rivison with Passings and Parting in which her clown, Joy, faces down death.
The Emergency festival has always been associated with contemporary dancce, and Emergency #22 is no exception. Returning artists include the team of Wes Ryan and Becca Partington with The Caregiver and Old Men Dancing with Unfolding, their ninth Emergency work. Newcomers this year include Sarah Rudnicki with Pulse, a contemporary belly dancing work for five dancers, and Robyn Smith who colloborates with percussionist Bennet Bedoukian in Unblocking, a look at the frustrations, discomfort, and ultimate joy in the creative process of collaboration.
Peterborough’s busy circus community is also well represented with three works, each created by two artists and each involving aerial work that takes advantage of the height of the Market Hall stage. Thomas Vaccaro and Ethan Hinsehlwood present Parallels, Opal (Jen) Elchuk and Kayla Stanistreet perform Captive:ated, and Nicole Malbeuf and Nicole Kelly present Bad Days, Dark Days.
Charlie Petch performs “Daughter of Geppetto”, an updated twist on the Pinocchio story, with light, silhouette, animation, music, and spoken word, collaborating with choreographer Wes Ryan and projectionist Patricia Thorne. “Daughter of Geppetto” will be performed at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on March 23 and 24. (Photo: Mona Mousa)
Collaboration is an important theme in Emergency 22, with three unique pieces featuring groups of five to 14 performers, ranging from eight years old to over 50, recruited from differing parts of the community. Mandy Livings presents Fly Away to Home with dancers from five different local dance studios, Leslie Menagh’s Migration Stories has an all-female cast of individuals telling their migrations stories, and Kate Story’s 0% is performed by an all-male cast.
Emergency #22 takes place in three programs, each approximately one hour long. Program A takes place at The Theatre on King (159 King St., Peterborough) on Thursday, March 22nd at 8 p.m., Friday, March 23rd at 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 24th at 2 and 6:30 p.m. Program B takes place at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) on Friday, March 23rd at 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday, March 24th at 8 p.m. Program C takes place at the Market Hall on Friday, March 23rd at 8 p.m. and on Saturday, March 24th at 6:30 p.m.
A full description of the performances in each program is available below.
Tickets are available for individual programs and for all three programs. Single program tickets are $15 each ($8 for high school students) or $35 for all three programs. Tickets are available from the Market Hall box office in person or by phone at 705-749-1146 (Monday to Friday from noon to 5 p.m.) or online anytime at markethall.org.
Program A – The Theatre On King
Thursday, March 22 at 8 p.m., Friday, March 23 at 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 24 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.. Approximately 70 minutes.
Passings and Partings – Hermione Rivison
Many people are bent on learning to live well. Yet each day brings us nearer to our demise. Joy, the clown, explores the art of dying well and plans for that day – whenever it might be. Created with the assistance of Deb Reynolds and her appraising eye.
Pulse – Sarah Rudnicki
Mixing elements of belly dance, fusion, street dance, veil work, and masks, Sarah Rudnicki explores the internal battle caused by the choice to show pain. The beauty of quiet strength, that which is soft can be strong. With a company of five dancers (4 trained in middle eastern dance) Pulse looks at our public and private faces, of how we wear invisible wounds.
Unblocking – Robyn Smith and Bennett Bedoukian
The hardest part is beginning, as performer Robyn Smith and percussionist Bennett Bedoukian explore the frustrations, discomfort and ultimate joy in the creative process of collaboration. Unblocking considers the risks we take in creating and the roadblocks that keep us from doing so, featuring both improvised and choreographed movement and sound, as the artists weave in and out of their comfort zones, alone and together.
Aberdeen – Anne White
Aberdeen is a house, a museum, a set, a family portrait, a fantasy. A current resident of Aberdeen wonders how much longer she can live there. And whether she should be fighting harder to save it.
Program B – Market Hall Performing Arts Centre
Friday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 24 at 8 p.m. Approximately 50 minutes.
Captive:ated – Opal (Jen) Elchuk and Kayla Stanistreet
A twist on the Grimms Brothers’ Rapunzel tales, this work of circus theatre employs trapeze and braided silks extending the full height of the Market Hall stage and, through the characters of Rapunzel and her captor the Enchantress, explores themes of control, surrender, attachment, desire, and power struggles in relationships.
Fly Away to Home – Mandy Livings
Mandy Livings, a veteran Peterborough dancer and teacher, has created a joyful work reflecting the talents of her diverse group: 14 dancers, aged 8 to 50+, who come from four different local dance studios and a high school dance program. As the name implies, Fly Away to Home expresses joy and freedom in movement.
The Caregiver – Becca Partington and Wes Ryan
Tapping into their experiences as caregivers and artists, Becca and Wes have created a dance illustrating both the beauty and toil (emotional and physical) of caring for a loved one. With original music by Glenn Pierce (also drawing on his work as a caregiver), the work connects viewers with the conflicting feelings that arise when providing support through life and illness.
Parallels – Thomas Vaccaro and Ethan Hinsehlwood
Parallels sees a mentor and his apprentice reflecting on their relationship. One dreams of the future while the other recalls his earlier self, determined to not let his young student down. Employing visual projections by collaborator Patricia Thorne and the circus arts that are at the heart of the teaching — cyr wheel, aerials, rope — the mentor finds that he learns as much form the student as vice versa.
Program C – Market Hall Performing Arts Centre
Friday, March 23 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. Approximately 65 minutes. Note: 0% by Kate Story contains mature content.
Bad Days, Dark Days – Nicole Malbeuf and Nicole Kelly
Bad Days, Dark Days is a dance and aerial work in two acts with cloth manipulations. It is an attempt describe the impossible – to breathe life into, and give shape to, depression.
Migration Stories – Leslie Menagh
With a series of personal interviews at its core, Migration Stories endeavours to both differentiate and unify the voices of its intrepid cast members. But when narration and navigation are disrupted, movement itself becomes the shared language. Featuring a cast of seven individuals with their own immigration stories, working with creator/director Leslie Menagh and choreographer Sylvie Dasné.
Unfolding – Old Men Dancing
Unfolding is about who we are and what we have done in our lives. It is Old Men Dancing – now performing in their ninth Emergency – unfolding the past into the present, a group initiative created in part with guest artist Jean Bellefleur.
Daughter of Geppetto – Charlie Petch
When Pinocchio finds Geppetto shipwrecked inside The Terrible Dogfish, the marionette realizes his creator cannot recall the days he once called him daughter and together they write the true-life tall tale, The Adventures of Pinocchio. Charlie Petch presents this reimagined story with light, silhouette, animation, music, spoken word, collaborating with choreographer Wes Ryan and projectionist Patricia Thorne.
0% – Kate Story
Choreographed by Kate Story with original music by Steafan Hannigan, 0% is a short dance work performed by five men. It explores the artists’ reactions, emotions, and reflections in response to learning about CoSA (Circles of Support and Accountability), where community members play a direct role in the reintegration and risk management of those who have committed serious sexual offenses.
Emergency Festival #22 is made possible by Public Energy’s corporate sponsors and season funders. Show sponsors are Christensen Fine Arts and Dave Robertson, Century 21 Real Estate. Season sponsor are TD Bank, Lett Architects, Hi Ho Silver, kawarthaNOW, and WE Design. Fundres are the Government of Canada through the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Peterborough.
Otonabee Conservation staff and volunteers (Meredith Carter, Dave Wood, and Jasmine Gibson) capturing fish from the Millbrook Dam spillway pool for transfer into Baxter Creek. Almost 800 fish were captured and released, along with more than 200 crayfish and a few frogs. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
Almost 800 fish, along with crayfish and frogs, that were living in a pool of water at the base of the Millbrook Dam spillway now have a new home.
The relocation of the fish, crustaceans, and amphibians was required as the pool is being drained for the reconstruction of the spillway, as part of the Millbrook Dam Reconstruction project.
On March 7, 2018, staff and volunteers with Otonabee Conservation — with the support of staff from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) — captured 797 fish and transferred them downstream into Baxter Creek.
The rescued fish represented nine species: 275 Brown Trout, 1 Brook Trout, 85 White Suckers, and over 400 Sculpin (Mottled and Slimy Sculpin species — commonly known to be trout food).
Staff from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (Jason Runtas, Jackie Wood, and Scott Gibson) holding a Brown Trout, one of 797 fish rescued from the pool at the base of the Millbrook Dam spillway. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)Otonabee Conservation volunteer Dave Wood confirming the identification of a sculpin. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
Staff and volunteers also captured and released more than 200 crayfish and a handful of frogs.
Those involved with the fish rescue included Meredith Carter, Erin McGauley, Jasmine Gibson, Terri Cox, and Doug Clifford from Otonabee Conservation, Dave Wood (a volunteer with Otonabee Conservation), and Scott Gibson, Jackie Wood, and Jason Runtas from MNRF.
The contractor, FACCA Inc., kept the worksite safe and provided assistance when needed.
From left to right: Watershed Biologist Erin McGauley, Volunteer Dave Wood, Watershed Management Program Manager Meredith Carter, Planning Ecologist Jasmine Gibson, and Risk Management Official/Inspector Terri Cox with Otonabee Conservation. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
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