Renovations at the historic Academy Theatre in Lindsay are almost complete, just in time for the venue’s 125th anniversary year.

New seating on the main floor has now been installed. Other renovations include new carpeting, sound booth, floor-level lighting, and a new main floor accessible washroom.

The new seats are larger and more comfortable, replacing most of the original seats from the 1930s (because of the configuration of the balcony, the original seats will remain there). Some of the new seats will be removable to accommodate wheelchairs.

While the new seats maintain the look of the older seats with red upholstery, dark wood, and curved backs, because they are larger there will be about 60 fewer seats in total.

The total cost for the renovations is $340,000, with $110,000 contributed by the federal government through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program.

A sold-out concert by country musician Brett Kissel on Tuesday, February 13th is the debut event in the newly renovated venue. Other upcoming events include Beautiful Dreamers, a 125th anniversary celebration of the theatre, on February 24th and 25th, as well as AbbaMania and Night Fever on March 3rd and the sold-out Blue Rodeo concert on March 22nd.

The Academy Theatre was built in the spring of 1892. Designed by architect W. Blackwell of Peterborough, the theatre opened in 1893 with seating for 900 people.

Silent film star Marie Dressler made her first stage appearance at the Academy Theatre at the age of five, in an amateur play organized by her mother. As part of the vaudeville circuit in the early 1900s, the Academy also hosted a young Sammy Davis Jr. and the Marx Brothers. Around 1918, the theatre began to screen silent movies and added talking films in 1923.

By 1953, the Academy was in financial trouble, with competition from the new movie theatre The Century Theatre in Lindsay. Over the next decade, it frequently closed and was eventually put up for sale.

In 1962, the building was slated for demolition, but a group of Lindsay citizens incorporated the Academy Theatre Foundation to purchase the building in 1963 and restore it as a live theatre venue. The three original coal-fired furnaces that heated the building were replaced, and the lobby, office space, and stage were renovated.

As with Showplace and the Market Hall in Peterborough, the Academy Theatre is operated as a non-profit organization that relies on rental income and community donations for its operation.

For more information and for tickets to upcoming events, visit www.academytheatre.ca.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement and a freezing rain warning for most of the Kawarthas, calling for 5 to 10 cm of snow Saturday (February 10) and a mix of snow and ice pellets with and freezing rain on Sunday (February 11).

The weather statement encompasses Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Hastings. Haliburton, which is forecast to receive only 2 cm of snow, is not included. The freezing rain warning for sunday has been issued for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland.

The snow will begin later this morning or early this afternoon and persist until early Saturday evening. General snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 cm are anticipated, with the highest amounts most likely over the Niagara region.

There will be a lull in the precipitation for much of the night before yet another disturbance moves into the area overnight.

Snow will mix with ice pellets and accumulate 2 to 5 centimetres on Sunday morning before changing to freezing rain. Freezing rain will persist for several hours before changing back to light snow Sunday afternoon.

Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. Slow down driving in slippery conditions. Watch for taillights ahead and maintain a safe following distance. Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays.

Snow will end Sunday evening. Conditions should improve Sunday evening with mainly fair weather to start the upcoming work week.

Denise Hepburn, 2017 Invictus Games medalist, will be the guest speaker at a fundraising event on March 22nd for the United Way City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL).

Denise is a retired master corporal who worked as a combat medic for 13 years, including a tour in Afghanistan.

During a 2010 military exercise in Ontario, she was seriously injured while jumping from a helicopter into the Bay of Quinte.

She suffered a fracture of the C2 vertebra in her neck, considered one of the most severe spinal cord injuries and one that only five per cent of people survive.

Through determination and hard work, Denise made an incredible comeback from her injury, leading her to compete in the 2017 Invictus Games in swimming, indoor rowing, and sitting volleyball. She won four bronze medals in swimming.

Denise has since appeared on The Marilyn Dennis Show and Global News where she shared her experiences.

“We are so honoured to have Denise Hepburn, a Canadian hero, join us to share some of her journey,” says Duncan Gallacher, board president of United Way COKL.

Hepburn will be speaking at the organization’s 50th anniversary Community Champions Touchdown Dinner, held on Thursday, March 22nd at Celebrations Lindsay (35 Lindsay St. N. – the old Queen Street United Church).

Cocktail hour begins at 5 p.m. with a seated buffet dinner at 6 p.m.. There will also be a silent and live auction.

Tickets are $50 per person or $350 for a table of eight, and are available at the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes office at 50 Mary Street West or by calling 705-878-5081.

It has been a long time coming but reconstruction of the aging Millbrook Dam has begun, the end result destined to not only reduce the likelihood of flooding of the village’s core but also ensure the preservation of a cultural landmark.

On Thursday morning (February 8) at the Millbrook Arena, there was representation from all levels of government as details of the project were highlighted by Otonabee Conservation Chief Administrative Officer Dan Marinigh.

A total of $3.8 million has been budgeted for the replacement of the 200-year-old dam, scheduled to be complete in October in the shadow of historic Needler’s Mill, with $1.1 million each forwarded by the federal and provincial governments and the rest by Cavan Monaghan Township.

Ontario-based Facca Incorporated was awarded the contract last October.

“It’s the historic foundation of this community; it helps make it their place,” said Marinigh of the landmark-worthy significance of the site, adjacent to the arena and just around the corner from Millbrook’s main intersection.

“Millbrook is about a mill on a brook. Its identity is associated with a mill, a dam, and a pond. You really undermine that identity if you take the mill away from the pond, or you take the dam away from the mill.”

Earlier, Marinigh previewed the work to be done, which includes:

• Construction of temporary coffer dams and a flow diversion structure to maintain an open creek channel
• Removal of the existing concrete, wood and sheet pile spillways as well as the u-shaped weir and steel bridge
• Construction of a new reinforced concrete weir, spillway and stilling basin
• Hardening of the earthen embankment portion of the dam
• Installation of a public walkway and landscaping of the site.

“Environmental assessments have to consider three environments — the economic environment, the natural environment and the cultural environment,” added Marinigh.

“The driving environment here was the cultural environment. This acknowledges the cultural aspirations of the community and it’s making it much more safe.”

He added the impact on the pond’s denizens has been studied extensively and is a major consideration in the planned phases of the work.

“We did a turtle survey all last year. There are some snapping turtles here, but there are no endangered species. We’ve got exclusion fencing to stop them from getting on shore and setting nests, at least during the construction period. In addition, we’re going to trap, capture and release fish — Brown Trout in the pond, Brook Trout in the creek below the pond — to get them outside of the work area.”

As for pond sediment, it will be removed this summer by shovels on barges.

The largest capital project ever undertaken by Otonabee Conservation, it has eclipsed the mid-1980s construction of a weir on Jackson Creek for that distinction.

“Big projects that get recognition reinforce to (Otonabee Conservation) staff the value of their work. It’s kind of like a Super Bowl for us. It’s a big game.”

Earlier, Ontario Conservation Vice-Chair Sherry Senis stressed the significance of the dam’s reconstruction, noting the project has been subject of board discussion and debate for several years.

“I’ve been on the board for 12 years and for those 12 years, every year, this was a topic of conversation, sometimes very painful,” she said in expressing her delight the work has started.

Following Senis’ opening remarks, which included the reading of a statement from federal Infrastructure and Communities Minister Amarjeet Sohi, a number of local politicians took to the podium.

“Without getting into a broad discussion about climate change, we do know one thing for sure: we’re more and more experiencing volatile weather conditions, whether it’s drought or severe rains, and we’ve got to prepare,” said Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal, adding aging infrastructure in rural municipalities provides a unique challenge.

“This investment will help ensure that residents have access to the re-instated pedestrian path and bridge over the dam. It will also ensure the historical characteristics of the dam remain intact.”

Echoing those comments were Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale and MPP Laurie Scott, Peterborough County Warden Joe Taylor, and Cavan Monaghan Mayor Scott McFadden.

“It’s going to make Millbrook a better village; it’s going to make Peterborough County a better place,” said Taylor, with Mayor McFadden terming the dam and its surrounding landscape “a social gathering place” for both residents and visitors before commending the Save The Dam Mill Pond movement for its voice and diligence.

On February 23, 2018, Needler’s Mill will officially become the property of the Millbrook and Cavan Historical Society when representatives from the society and Otonabee Conservation sign the official agreement at a public gathering in the Legion Hall. Once the work on the Millbrook Dam is completed, the society and Otonabee Conservation will be designing and installing interpretive historical panels beside the mill.

During his formal presentation, Marinigh said the reconstruction is “a complex project” for three reasons: maintaining public safety during the work, ensuring the archaeological integrity of the site isn’t disturbedm and keeping the protection of wildlife front of mind.

Marinigh added work actually started about a month ago with the removal of a steel pipe in the dam that fed the pond, with a diversion channel constructed in its place.

Excavation and widening is expected to start in April, followed by construction of the dam’s new structure proper, the strengthening of earthen embankment, and the removal of the temporary water diversion measures.

“We completed the beginning; now we’re at the beginning of the end,” he said.

When done, the spillway will be wider at 12 metres but the size and water level of the pond will remain as is, with Otonabee Conservation assuring “waterfall sights and sounds will be very similar to existing conditions.”

Wendy Hill, Alyssa Stewart, Catia Skinner, and Rosalea Terry have come together to launch 100 Women Peterborough.

Inspired by similar groups in other communities, the four women are encouraging other local women to join the group to make a collective philanthropic impact in the Peterborough community.

The concept is simple: four times a year, 100 Peterborough-area women will gather to hear presentations from three selected non-profits or charities in the region about projects for which they are seeking funds.

After listening to the presentations, each woman will place a blank $100 cheque into a box representing one of the three organizations. The organization that receives the most votes will receive a total donation of $10,000.

“It is often difficult to know if a smaller, individual donation can make a difference,” says Catia Skinner. “However, when multiple people donate at the same time it can impact an organization significantly.”

The collective philanthropy concept was first launched in November 2006 when Karen Dunigan of Jackson, Michigan formed the “100 Women who Care” group. After their first meeting, the women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization.

Since then, the movement has grown to include at least 83 chapters of 100 Women in North America, including around a dozen in Canada. Men have also been inspired to create similar groups, with more than a dozen 100 Men groups in Canada, including the 100 Men Peterborough group that formed in 2017.

To become part of the group, members must commit to donate $100 at each of the four events hosted throughout the year, for a total of $400 per year.

The group aims to help women learn about the multitude of different causes in the community, help people in need, and join other like-minded women to empower and multiply the impact of their contributions.

“Many people hope to make large-scale donations to individual causes, however sometimes that can be beyond an individual’s means,” Skinner says. “This organized group means that individuals can come together to create a larger impact.”

One hundred per cent of the funds raised by the membership will be donated to four non-profit organizations, as determined by the membership throughout the year.

The first 100 Women Peterborough event is set to take place early this year.

Women who are interested in joining the group should visit www.100womenptbo.ca, which will be launched shortly. In the interim, interested women can contact Catia Skinner at 705-243-6989 or catia@megaexperience.ca or Rosalea Terry at 705-875-2161 or rosapearlterry@gmail.com.

Tickets are now on sale for the annual YWCA Peterborough Haliburton Empty Bowls fundraiser, which takes place this year from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 23rd.

By purchasing a ticket, you will receive a lunch of soups, salads, breads, and desserts donated by local restaurants and businesses, as well as a hand-crafted bowl donated by members of the Kawartha Potters Guild, Kawartha Wood Turners Guild, and Artisans Centre Peterborough.

New this year, you can select a charitable tax receipt in lieu of the hand-crafted bowl.

On February 23rd, you can choose to enjoy a sit-down lunch at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough) or pick up a pre-ordered lunch from the YWCA (216 Simcoe Street, Peterborough).

Kawartha Cardiology Clinic (327 Charlotte St, Peterborough) is the title sponsor for this year’s event, with Cornerstone Family Dentistry (681 Reid St., Peterborough) the to-go lunch sponsor.

Tickets are $35 for either the sit-down or to-go lunch, which includes an artisan bowl or a charitable tax receipt, or you can buy a $45 “early bird” ticket for exclusive early access for the best selection of lunch options and bowls.

Tickets are limited, and you can get them now online at www.ywcagifts.com , by calling 705-743-3526, or by visiting the YWCA office.

All proceeds from YWCA Empty Bowls directly support YWCA JustFood and Crossroads Shelter’s Nutritional Wellbeing Program, helping local women and children enjoy fresh ingredients, learn life-changing food skills, and build community.