The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is now investigating a double homicide, after responding to a report last Sunday (January 21) of human remains found in the area of Glamor Lake Road in Highlands East Township, near Gooderham.
Police have confirmed the identify of the remains as those of 35-year-old Deidra Ann Smith and 34-year-old Ghislain (Justin) Robichaud, both of St. Catharines, Ontario.
The Haliburton Highlands Crime Unit of the OPP continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident, under the direction of OPP Detective Inspector Jim Gorry of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).
The investigation is ongoing and further information will be released when it becomes available.
VIDEO: Human remains found in Haliburton – CTV
The OPP has established a Tip Line for this investigation. Anyone having information on this incident is asked to contact the tip line at 1-844-677-5010, or the Haliburton Highlands OPP at 705-286-1431. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit your information online at www.khcs.ca.
Although police have not released any information about the two victims, a Ghislain Robichaud of St. Catharines was arrested in 2010 in connection with six break and enters in the area. He was identified as being 26 years old at the time. A Ghislain Robichaud was also arrested in 2011 during a drug raid in St. Catharines.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
The "super blue blood moon" on January 31, 2018 is special for three reasons: it's a "supermoon" (when the moon is closer to earth in its orbit and about 14% brighter than normal), it's a "blue moon" (the second full moon of the month), and it's a "blood moon" (a total solar eclipse). (Photo: NASA)
On Wednesday, January 31st, there will be a rare event that NASA is calling the “Super Blood Blue Moon”. While it sounds like it could be band name, it’s actually a confluence of three things: a supermoon, a blue moon, and a blood moon (a total lunar eclipse).
A “supermoon” is the popular term for a perigee full moon — a full moon that happens when the moon is at its perigee (closest to the earth in its monthly orbit). A supermoon can be 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than a regular full moon. Supermoons by themselves aren’t that rare — about a quarter of all full moons are supermoons.
A “blue moon” is a second full moon that occurs in a single month. Although a blue moon is simply an artifact of our calendar rather than an astronomical event, they only occur once every two-and-a-half years — the source of the saying “once in a blue moon” to describe an uncommon event.
Finally, a “blood moon” is another popular term to describe a total lunar eclipse, when the earth comes between the sun and the moon and the earth’s shadow completely obscures the moon.
It’s called a blood moon because the moon will appear red — a result of sunlight refracted through the earth’s shadow, which scatters blue light and leaves only red (similar to what happens during a sunrise or sunset). Lunar eclipses happen at least twice a year, but total lunar eclipses only happen every two to three years.
VIDEO: Jan. 31, 2018 Super Blue Blood Moon and Lunar Eclipse
So how rare is a super blood blue moon? The last time this combination happened globally was in 1982, but it’s the first time it’s been visible in North America since 1866.
But if you remove the blue moon element, which is just an effect of how we’ve structured our calendar, “Super Blood Moons” aren’t all that rare. They happen every few years, and we’ll see another one on January 21st, 2019, which will be visible over all of North and South America.
In Canada, the best location to view the January 31st super blood blue moon will be the west coast.
Here in the Kawarthas, we’ll only see a partial lunar eclipse. The earth’s shadow will start falling on the moon at 5:51 a.m. and the moon will only start to appear red at 6:48 a.m., when the moon is close to the horizon.
By 7:28 a.m., the earth’s shadow will obscure just over half of the moon, and it will appear at its reddest — this is the best time to view the eclipse. By 7:31 a.m., the moon will have set under the horizon and will no longer be visible.
Because the partial lunar eclipse will occur when the moon is very close to the horizon, if you want to see it you’ll need to find high ground or find an area with an unobstructed view of the west-northwest horizon.
Of course, seeing the moon at all depends on the weather. The forecast for January 31st as of the date of this story is cloudy with flurries, although that may change.
However, NASA will be offering a live feed of the total solar eclipse beginning at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 31st. You can watch it on NASA TV or follow @NASAMoon on Twitter.
A global map showing areas of the world that will experience (weather permitting) the January 31, 2018 “super blue blood moon.” The eclipse will be visible before sunrise on January 31 for those in North America. (Graphic: NASA)
For the second year, Trent Radio is hosting a local Record Production Month (RPM) Challenge. Originally launched in 2015 in the U.S., the RPM Challenge invites musicians to create a full-length album of original material during the month of February. (Drawing: Brazil Gaffney-Knox)
You probably have heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where, every November, writers are challenged to create a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.
The annual Record Production Month (RPM) Challenge is a similar idea, but for musicians instead of writers. Originally launched in the U.S. in 2005, the RPM Challenge invites musicians to create an entire album of music — 10 songs or 35 minutes — in 28 days during February.
For the second year in a row, Trent Radio (the station at 92.7 CFFF FM that’s operated by the students of Trent University) is hosting a local RPM Challenge for Peterborough and area residents.
The RPM Challenge isn’t a competition or contest, and there is no winner. Its sole purpose is to give musicians that extra push to finish original material and to help them achieve a sense of creative satisfaction.
A stack of CDs submitted during the 2010 international RPM Challenge. (Photo: RPM Challenge)
The challenge is open to all participants of every musical genre and style. The completed albums are made available for streaming and sharing via an online jukebox and an in-person listening party is held at the end of February.
The rules for the RPM Challenge are simple:
10 songs or 35 minutes of recorded material
Only original compositions (no covers of other artists)
Recording can only be done during the month of February (no pre-recorded material)
Compositions can be written during February or prior to February, but they must be previously unreleased.
It doesn’t matter how you record your songs, whether in your home studio or in a professional studio or even on your cell phone. Production values aren’t as important as getting your songs written and recorded during February.
For the local RPM Challenge, Trent Radio is asking musicians to submit their albums no later than midnight on Wednesday, February 28th. The material can be submitted digitally (email hraymond@trentradio.ca for more information) or dropped off in the Trent Radio mailbox or in person during business hours (physical copies should be marked “RPM Challenge”). Trent Radio is located at 715 George Street North at the corner of George and Parkhill, just down the street from Sadleir House.
Halfway through the month, on Thursday, February 15th, Trent Radio will be hosting an RPM Social at Sadleir House (751 George St N, Peterborough). The event begins with a mixing workshop at 8 p.m., a performance by Hurricane Charlie (Patrick Walsh and Jill Stavely) at 9 p.m., and a “live off the floor” RPM Compilation Album performance and recording (if you want to participate in the RPM Challenge but can’t finish a record, you can perform your original song at the social).
And, every Sunday from 11 a.m. to noon until April 15th, Trent Radio will be playing tunes from the local RPM Challenge and talking about the experiences of making an entire album in month.
If you’re feeling especially ambitious, as well as submitting your completed record to Trent Radio you can submit it to the official international RPM Challenge website at www.rpmchallenge.com.
A listening party in 2010 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the home of the original RPM Challenge. (Photo: Scott Yates)
The RPM Challenge was launched in 2005 by Dave Karlotski and Karen Marzloff, former co-owners of the now-defunct alternative newspaper The Wire in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The inaugural challenge was open to Portsmouth residents only, but by February 1, 2005 more than 200 musicians had signed up. Since Portsmouth only has 20,000 residents, Karlotski and Marzloff realized musicians from across the country were submitting their records, and they opened up the challenge to everyone.
By 2007, several well-known websites and media outlets picked up the story, and participation increased to over 2,400 musicians and bands from locations around the world, including Tokyo, Auckland, Montreal, and Oslo. Participants represented every continent. More than 850 completed albums were submitted by the 2007 deadline.
Since then, each installment of the RPM Challenge has resulted in hundreds of new records from around the world. Musicians have created more than 50,000 songs for the RPM Challenge since 2015. Some musicians have participated only once and some have done it every year.
“There are as many reasons for doing the RPM Challenge as there are people participating,” says Marzloff. “It often starts with the idea of having a deadline. But once you sign up, and you’re doing the work, new ideas emerge. It opens up the creative process for musicians around the world.”
Northern Ontario singer-songwriter Rose-Erin Stokes will be performing at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough on Wednesday, January 31. She just released her debut full-length album "Wherever I Go". (Photo: Liz Lott Photography)
Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, January 25 to Wednesday, January 31.
If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.
Saturday, February 10 3-6pm - Max Mouse & the Gorillas Valentines Dance benefit for LAWS ($10 in advance at Moondance, Hank To Hendix, LAWS; $12 at door); 9pm - All Man Brothers Blues Band
"The Radius Project", a new music documentary by Michael Hurcomb and Ryan Lalonde, explores the wealth of talent from the radius around Peterborough that went on to national and international fame. The film premieres at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on Saturday, February 3, 2018.
Everyone who has spent a significant amount of time either in or around the Peterborough music scene has a story about knowing or seeing a famous musician.
Mexican Cheesus presents The Radius Project
When: Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) How much: $20 general admission
A second screening of the film! Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
From watching a young Serena Ryder play guitar in a downtown coffee shop, to that time Neil Young bought a guitar at Ed’s Music, to those people who talk about going to high school with Sebastian Bach — these kind of stories are so common in Peterborough that we don’t really think about it.
For a small city the size of Peterborough, an outstanding number of successful musicians come from the area. This is the inspiration for Michael Hurcomb and Ryan Lalonde’s feature-length film The Radius Project, which makes its debut on Saturday, February 3rd at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough.
As the creative team behind the popular web series “Bandwagon”, Michael and Ryan are shining a spotlight on Peterborough’s incredible success at producing world-famous musicians by painting an intimate portrait of our community’s musical history.
“When we’ve grown up we’ve always had these stories,” Michael says. “We all just knew about them. It’s something we’ve taken for granted in Peterborough because we have all these rock stars walking around. We’ve always had that.”
The Radius Project’s producer and audio engineer Ryan Lalonde and producer and director Michael Hurcomb taking a break. (Photo courtesy of Michael Hurcomb)
Although people who live here are aware of Peterborough’s vibrant music and arts scene, for some reason it seems to slip under the radar of people outside of the Kawarthas. As Michael explains, the origins of The Radius Project came from telling a Toronto-based colleague about Peterborough’s cultural contributions.
“I was coming back from the Bonnaroo Festival and I was with a photographer from Toronto who had heard of Peterborough, but didn’t know anything about it,” he says. “She asked who would she know who came from there, and I started naming off musicians and athletes and actors.
“When I was finished she said ‘You’re kidding, there’s no way that this is true that this many people come from Peterborough.’ She was blown away and said ‘You should get the word out about Peterborough.’ So that morphed into a documentary.”
Successfully crowdfunded in 2015, The Radius Project has been an ongoing passion project for Michael and Ryan. They were able to collect interviews and stories from an impressive group of notable musicians, including Threes Day Grace, Thousand Foot Crutch, The Strumbellas, Royal Wood, Serena Ryder, Hawksley Workman, The Lonely Parade, The Silver Hearts, Ronnie Hawkins, Cross Dog, The Spades, and more.
Peterborough native Greg Wells is a multiple Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, and record producer based in Los Angeles. He has produced and written with Adele, Keith Urban, Rufus Wainwright, Katy Perry, Weezer, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach, Celine Dion, Elton John, and many more. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
The film also includes interviews with Los Angeles music producer Greg Wells, who has worked with an incredible array of artists including Adele, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Elton John and Aerosmith, as well as Canadian television personality George Stroumboulopoulos.
“Greg Wells was one of the first people I interviewed,” says Michael. “We thought we had all the answers, but I went to LA and sat down with Greg and then I saw that it was far more.
“We have George Stroumboulopoulos in the film because I wanted to interview someone who knew something about all of these bands. I interviewed George backstage at the Juno Awards and we had fifteen minutes. I probably used fourteen minutes of him talking. He knew so much about these bands and their influence.”
VIDEO: “The Radius Project” Trailer
Michael says one of the difficult things about The Radius Project was just who to include, and which artists to cut from the narrative.
“Ryan and I sent out requests to everybody we could think of, but you can only do interviews with people who respond back to you,” he says. “One of the faults of the documentary is that we can’t fit everyone in.
“At first that seemed like a struggle, but I actually love that about it. By using the people who have had great success, maybe it’ll make people in Peterborough support their music scene even more, or make someone from Victoria BC say ‘I need to go to this town and check it out and see what’s going on’.
“In The Radius Project we use fame as a lamp post to draw attention to Peterborough. I wanted people in Peterborough to know the history of some of these musicians who went on to national success, and that these same people went to the same public schools, and high schools, and ate at the same cafeteria. It makes success accessible. They don’t need to be from New York or LA.”
Norwood native Matt Walst founded My Darkest Days in 2005 while his older brother Brad was the bassist for Three Days Grace, also founded in Norwood in 1997. Matt joined Three Days Grace in 2013 to replace the departing Adam Gontier. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
One of the popular questions often thrown out amongst local artists is just what is it about Peterborough that creates this thriving and successful arts community, which seems to go unrecognized by the rest of the world.
“We had hoped to figure that out but we didn’t,” Michael says. “I think it’s better we didn’t figure that out. People keep saying there must be something in the water, or because of it being a university town, or the economy. But there are so many different things about Peterborough. What I think it might be is that we let people try things. We let people succeed and fail and we support them.
“Peterborough is close to Toronto, but we are far enough away not to be affected by it. We’re in a bubble. We’re a lot like Seattle, or some of those other cities with major music scenes like Winnipeg and Edmonton. Cities that can try different things, and see what works and create their own sound individually.”
Trevor McNevan is lead singer/songwriter of Thousand Foot Krutch, a band he founded in Peterborough in 1997. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
“But the interesting thing about Peterborough is that it doesn’t have its own sound,” Michael adds. “We’ve had a lot of success from a lot of different musicians in a lot of different genres at different times, but most of the time they haven’t sounded the same.”
Another interesting phenomenon explored in The Radius Project is that some of these musicians came from outside of Peterborough, but once here they made this area their home base.
“It interests me that people are drawn here,” Michael says. “We have Jason Parsons from USS and Simon Ward from The Strumbellas, we’ve got The Spades and some of The Silver Hearts — people who were drawn here or came for school, people who came here and saw the music scene and they wanted to stay here.”
Ronnie Hawkins, who recently sold his Stoney Lake estate, is a Canadian music icon and his son Robin is a well-known local musician who performs regularly in the Peterborough area. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
Michael looks to legendary musician Ronnie Hawkins, who despite being originally from the United States made his home on Stoney Lake, as an example of this phenomenon.
“Ronnie Hawkins had an influence because he brought people here and he performed here,” Michael points out. “He brought The Band together here, and he had The Hawks and Buzz Thomason and Barry Haggerty playing with him, and then they went on. Then he brought The Weber Brothers here. He’s been a beacon because he attracts people here, and he still lives here.
“I find it interesting, such as in the case of A Thousand Foot Crutch and Three Days Grace, that they live in or around Peterborough. They probably could live anywhere in the world, but their roots are here.”
With a few exceptions, such as Millbrook native Serena Ryder who has become an international superstar, the film is dominated by male musicians. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
One thing Michael says has bothered him about the film is that, with few notable exceptions, the musicians featured in The Radius Project are all male.
“When you look at these bands, especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they are predominately male,” he says. “You need to look at it as how it was, but it still bothers me a lot.
“What gives me great joy is that the future is female. You can name more female artists now that are pushing the boundaries in Peterborough. If I made this documentary in ten years as a sequel, I believe that it would be predominately female.”
One of the most important parts of Peterborough’s musical history is its legendary venues, which make up an important part of the narrative of The Radius Project. The music venues, both the ones that are still operational and those long closed, become characters in themselves and are as beloved to Peterborough residents as the musicians who played on their stages.
“The Radius Project” also features some of the music venues in Peterborough, some still operational and some now closed, where now-famous musicians once performed. (Photo: Michael Hurcomb)
“We need to draw attention to the venues,” Michael says. “It’s a hard business. We have a section where people talk about the venues they played at and where they remember seeing bands. Not many of the venues on that list are still running.
“People will play no matter what, but we need to focus on those incubators and really just support that scene, because great things happen from it.”
With the premiere of The Radius Project drawing near, I ask Michael what his hopes are for the film once it is presented to an audience, both locally and beyond Peterborough.
“It’s an inspiring story I think,” Michael says. “If kids see this film and say ‘I can do this’, if people playing now see it and realize there is a pathway here, or if it gets out in a way where people get to see it and it attracts them to Peterborough, then that’s great.”
A film that celebrates our city, our music and our success stories, The Radius Project premieres on Saturday, February 3rd at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough.
The documentary is a production of Mexican Cheesus, Michael Hurcomb’s video and multimedia production company best known for the “Bandwagon” musician series, which since 2011 has produced more than 60 episodes. Here Ryan Lalonde and Michael Hurcomb film Tom Wilson of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond, and Junkhouse. (Photo courtesy of Michael Hurcomb)
The 94-minute film screens at 8 p.m. and tickets are $20 (including fees), available at the Market Hall Box Office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
Born in a Storm, a short film produced by Caleb Pedosiuk for The Land Canadian Adventures, will be screened first. The film includes a spoken word perspective by The Land owner Bretton Clarke about his organization’s perspective on the multicultural heritage of the land and the significance of the canoe to connecting with ourselves, with others, and with nature.
AUDIO: CBC Radio Ontario Morning interview with Michael Hurcomb
Peterborough filmmaker Michael Hurcomb was interviewed by Wei Chen this morning on CBC Radio Ontario Morning about his and Ryan Lalonde's music documentary "The Radius Project", which premieres on Saturday (February 3) at 8pm at the Market Hall in Peterborough. Listen to the interview below, and read our story at https://kawarthanow.com/2018/01/25/the-radius-project/ Tickets are $20 general admission, available in advance at http://markethall.org or at the door.
The documentary "Blue" is one of many environmental films beings screened at ReFrame Film Festival this weekend. The film is a poignant view of the environmental dangers to marine life with an exploration of the how industrial-scale fishing, habitat destruction, species loss, and pollution have placed the ocean in peril over the last century. (Photo: Alex Hofford / Greenpeace)
This weekend, downtown Peterborough will light up with the excitement of the 14th annual ReFrame Film Festival. From January 25th to 28th, film buffs will shuffle through the snow between venues in the heart of our city to view a curated collection of the best international social justice documentary films of the year.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Specialist.
ReFrame is well known for engaging broad audiences through film and art. The festival encourages dialogue and activism by facilitating thoughtful debate through panels, discussions, evening socials, and question and answer periods with filmmakers, producers, and film subjects, along with community members and local organizations.
Sixty-plus films are being screened over three days, with many themes emerging that explore international politics, Indigenous cultural healing and language revitalization, wellness and mental health, human rights, gender, arts and culture, and issues confronted by aging, LGBTQ2, and First Nations communities.
VIDEO: “Fix and Release” Trailer
Another common thread woven throughout more than 15 films is the environment. This year’s environmental documentaries explore diverse issues we face locally and globally: mining, waste management, climate change, genetically modified foods, industrialization, wildlife extinction, farming, and more.
As environmental issues are, these stories are complex and many include narratives that cross the boundaries between economics, science, policy, society, and culture.
This year, there are a few local treasures featuring environmental themes as explored by local filmmakers from the Peterborough area:
Local film Fix and Release by Scott Dobson follows the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre as it fights to even the odds for the survival of freshwater turtles injured on roadways.
VIDEO: “Plastic China” Trailer
Local filmmaker Cara Mumford’s film The Oldest Tree in the World is described as a love song to the oldest sugar maple in the region; it grows just outside Nogojiwanong (Peterborough) in Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park.
Join GreenUP’s Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods program as a sponsor for the local film Lovesick. Filmmaker Lauren Bridle dives into the changing landscape of Lovesick Lake, one of the smallest bodies of water along the Trent-Severn canal system, while telling the stories of the people who live on its shores.
Previous attendees of ReFrame will know that many themes presented at the festival are timely and urgent, and can even feel overwhelming at times.
For example, Blue is a shocking and serious look at the impact of industrialization on oceans through the lens of industrial-scale fishing, habitat destruction, species loss, and pollution.
VIDEO: “Blue” Trailer
Plastic China is an urgent look at issues of equity, waste, and the environment through the story of a Chinese family that works and lives in a plastic recycling factory that takes in waste from the Western world.
Modified investigates reasons to label genetically modified organisms in our food by looking at both sides of the argument and weaving personal narratives about family, food, health, and loss.
These films go straight into the heart of the issue, telling the stories of extraordinary people while inspiring hope in humanity, and creating positive action in the community. These types of films allow us to ask ourselves, “What can I do to make a difference?”
The short film “The Oldest Tree in the World” is a tribute to the oldest sugar maple in the region in Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park in Peterborough. (Photo: Cara Mumford)
Also included this year are some beautiful films that celebrate nature and environment. For a comforting and heartwarming viewing, be sure to attend Heart of the Land (Tiovola), which follows the lives of a gentle and hard-working farming couple in Finland, exploring their love their rural life as they face retirement.
Also, nature mother is a lovely film about a son who explores his photographer mother’s love of nature and beauty with a view through her lens. The Hundred-Year-Old Whale is a beloved look at “Granny,” the world’s oldest killer whale, who has proven that is better to be wild and free.
“We’re proud of our amazing programmers who have put together another excellent environmental program for ReFrame 2018,” says ReFrame Film Festival Executive Director, Krista English, “Some of this year’s selections will shock you, some will excite you, and many more will inspire you to action.”
To see what English means about this year’s environmental program, be sure to check out these screenings:
Friday, January 26
A Moon of Nickel and Ice (The Venue at 11:30 a.m.)
Plastic China (Showplace at 2 p.m.)
Fix and Release (Showplace at 5 p.m.)
The Oldest Tree in the World (Showplace at 5 p.m.)
Thank you for the Rain (The Venue at 5 p.m.)
nature mother (Market Hall at 7:30 p.m.)
Modified (Market Hall at 7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, January 27
Blue (Showplace at 10:00 a.m.)
Fixed! (Showplace at 11:30 a.m.)
Food Coop (Showplace at 11:30 a.m.)
The Hundred-Year-Old Whale (Showplace at 4 p.m.)
Lovesick (Showplace at 4 p.m.)
Sunday, January 28
Kéwku (Market Hall at 10 a.m.)
Heart of the Land (Toivola) (Market Hall at 12 p.m.)
The Thinking Garden (Market Hall at 2:30 p.m.)
Mama Agatha (Market Hall at 2:30 p.m.)
Keep Talking: Immersion in the Alaskan Wild (Market Hall at 4:45 p.m.)
Daytime passes are available for purchase at the GreenUP Store at 378 Aylmer Street North until Thursday afternoon (January 24) and then at Showplace Performance Centre. You can also get them online at www.reframefilmfestival.ca. Daytime passes are $30 for adults, $20 for students or un/underemployed individuals, and are valid all weekend long for films before 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for evening feature films must be purchased separately for $10 with a daytime pass, or $15 without. Rush tickets may be purchased at the door, if available ($10 for daytime films, $15 for evening features). Passes and tickets will be available at Showplace during the festival.
For film trailers and descriptions, and for the full festival schedule including film screenings, post-film discussions, panels, social events, performances and installations, please visit www.reframefilmfestival.ca. To pick up a full festival catalogue, visit the GreenUP Store in Peterborough or Happenstance Books and Yarn in Lakefield.
Students at the new Lakefield District Public School love the new space, including these cubby holes. Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is hosting an open house for parents and community members on Monday, January 29th. (Photo: Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board)
Thank you to the many Chamber members who provided comments regarding the County of Peterborough’s intention to end the Bush Country Sign Program.
Chamber Board President, Cindy Windover, made a presentation to County Council on behalf of our members at the January 17th Council meeting. See the presentation slides and speaking notes.
Commercial signs in “Bush Country”. (Photo: Peterborough County)
Several presentations made at the meeting, along with written submissions, resulted in County Council passing a resolution to form a Sign By-law Working Committee which will include business representation. They will draft a new sign by-law for consideration by December 2018. By-law enforcement options will also be addressed. While the by-law is being drafted the existing moratorium on new bush country signs will continue and current authorized signs will remain.
Other presentations from the Council meeting can be viewed by selecting the links under ‘8. Delegations, Petitions & Presentations’ in the January 17th agenda. The associated staff report is item 10a.
Proud Member Window Decal Survey
Proud Member decal.
Chamber Members should check this week’s NewsFlash email for a survey about their ‘Proud Member’ Window Decal. The survey asks the following questions:
Do you display the Proud Member decal in your store front/office/vehicle?
Do you consider the Proud Member decal a membership benefit?
Would you like to see the Chamber continue the Proud Member decals annually?
Chamber Annual General Meeting – Wednesday, February 21st
The 2017 Chamber AGM at The Village Inn in Lakefield. This year’s AGM also takes place at The Village Inn on February 21.
The Kawartha Chamber Board of Directors encourages all members to join us for our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, February 21st, at The Village Inn in Lakefield.
Networking and refreshments will begin at 5 p.m. The meeting will run from approximately 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
2017 highlights
Nominating Committee will present the slate of directors for the coming year
Networking with fellow members over light refreshments
Draw Prizes! If you wish to contribute an item please call the office or email events@kawarthachamber.ca
2016-17 Annual Report will be circulated before the AGM.
OCC Open Letter Encourages Members to Contact Premier
Here is an excerpt from the OCC open letter to the Chamber network on the new minimum Wage:
“The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) understands the significant impact that recent increases to the minimum wage and expansion of labour and employment standards are having on all businesses. For months, we have forewarned that these reforms would have unintended consequences and now we are seeing them come to fruition as businesses take extra-ordinary actions.
“Premier Kathleen Wynne tweeted ‘I’m happy to talk to any business owner about the minimum wage.’ We welcome this openness by the Premier, and we encourage all Ontario businesses to contact the Premier to discuss how the quick implementation of these reforms is harming their ability to do business in the province. Furthermore, we encourage businesses to also tell the Premier that further offsets must be extended in the 2018 provincial budget in order to deal with rising input costs.”
The online consultation period for Budget 2018 remains open and you are encouraged to visit www.budget.gc.ca and complete all four surveys that address your priorities within the budget areas of focus: Progress for the Middle Class, the Economy of Tomorrow, Lifelong Learning, and Gender Equality.
Charlotte Street Reconstruction – 2nd Update
The Township of Selwyn is providing a second update on the Charlotte Street reconstruction in Lakefield.
The township held a public information centre open house earlier this month and thanks those who attended and provided feedback.
Canada Summer Jobs Deadline – February 2nd
The deadline to apply for Canada Summer Jobs funding is Friday, February 2nd.
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is an initiative of the Summer Work Experience program providing wage subsidies to employers to create employment for secondary and post-secondary students.
Again this year, Canada Summer Jobs welcomes applications from small businesses, not-for-profit employers, public sector and faith-based organizations that provide quality summer jobs for students.
“Kawartha Security Solutions is based out of Peterborough and services Peterborough & Kawartha and surrounding areas.
We install and service security cameras, alarm systems and access control solutions as well as home automation solutions. We also provide 24/7 alarm monitoring services.
Our solutions scale to fit any needs from homes or cottages, to businesses. Whether it be a new installation or you need an existing system serviced we can help! Contact us to get started.”
The Apsley & District Lions Club hosts the annual Winter Carnival on Saturday, January 27th from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the North Kawartha Community Centre.
Events and activities include cookie decorating, face painting, a clown, Zoo to You, a snow sculpture contest, tobogganing, Blue Beaker Scientists, and a minor hockey tournament.
The spaghetti and meatball dinner begins at 5 p.m. The day closes out with open mic beginning at 7 p.m., and a Junior C Hockey Game between the North Kawartha Knights and Uxbridge Bruins at 7:25 p.m.
Don’t miss your chance to register for a Career Fair and Community Information session, taking place on Thursday, March 1st, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the Lakefield Legion.
Please complete your registration form by February 1st and email to dayotte@agilic.ca or fax to 705-652-5191. For more information, contact Debbie at 705-740-2577 ext. 5212. Download the registration form.
Career Fair hosted by Agilec, City and County of Peterborough, Municipality of Trent Lakes, and the Township of Selwyn.
Lakefield Lions ‘February Beat’ Fundraising Dance – February 24th
Lakefield & District Lion’s Club presents the “February Beat” dance fundraiser on Saturday, February 24th from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Lakefield Legion.
The event features live music with local four-member band “The True Confessions”, who will be playing music from the ’60s and ’70s.
Tickets are $20 each and are available at the Chamber office at 12 Queen Street (under the town clock).
Community Care Changing Lives for 30 Years in Lakefield – Celebration on January 24th
Community Care is proud to announce they are celebrating their 30th year of service to Lakefield and area seniors and adults with physical challenges.
Community Care Lakefield is hosting a celebration on Wednesday, January 24th and is launching its “$30 for 30 Years” fundraising campaign.
Join the celebration on January 24th from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 77, 10 Nicholls Street, Lakefield. Learn more.
Community Care – Soup-a-licious – January 29th
Soup-a-licious is back on Monday, January 29th from 2 to 4 p.m. at Cassis Bistro (27 Queen St., Lakefield). Enjoy delicious homemade soup and support Community Care! First come, first souped, while quantities last.
Or enjoy Soup at Work lunch delivery. To have soup and roll delivered to you, place your order by January 22nd. Cost is $5. Download the order form.
Proceeds enhance Community Care Home Support Services for seniors and adults with physical challenges in Lakefield and area.
Trent Lakes Small Business Survey
If you are a small or home-based business in the Municipality of Trent Lakes, the Trent Lakes Economic Development Committee would like to hear from you.
To provide the right assistance to you and your business, Trent Lakes has created a survey to obtain information from the business community on how they can serve you better.
This survey is a partnership between Trent Lakes Economic Development and Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development.
Lakefield District Public School Open House – January 29th
Staff and students at Lakefield District Public School are excited to welcome parents and community members to an Open House on Monday, January 29th from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Visit the bright and modern learning spaces, and see why staff and students love their beautiful new home!
VIDEO: Lakefield District Public School Preview
Upcoming Events
Free Senior Skating, Lakefield – January 26th (and every Tuesday & Friday)
Performing Arts Lakefield, Valdy – February 2nd
PolarFest – February 2nd-4th
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.
Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts artistic director and coach Thomas Vaccaro during a make-up trial with student 13-year-old Ethan Hinshelwood. Ethan is one of six of the organization's advanced students who will be demonstrating their skills at Circus Idol, Peterborough's first-ever circus arts competition at the Market Hall on February 2, 2018. (Photo: PACA)
When you think of kids, the first activities that come to mind probably aren’t juggling fire or performing acrobatics while hanging from silk suspended high above a stage.
But that and more is exactly what a group of six young performers will be doing at the first-ever Circus Idol, a competition in circus arts taking place at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on Friday, February 2nd.
Peterborough Academy Of Circus Arts & Uncommon Entertainers present present Circus Idol
When: Friday February 2, 2018 at 6 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) How much: $18 general admission ($13 for children 12 and under)
Circus youth students showcase their talents before a panel of judges for feedback and evaluation. Featuring guest performances by The Pyroflys and adult aerial students. Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
The kids, ranging from age from 10 to 14, are all students in the advanced level of training with the Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts (PACA).
The non-profit organization was formed in Peterborough in 2015 to teach and practice multidisciplinary circus arts, the genre of performance art made most popular and famous by the Montreal company Cirque du Soleil.
The six students — Abby Vasey (13), Ella Conolly (13), Ethan Hinshelwood (13), Ewen Lyall (12), Taryn Walsh (14), Riddick MacHart (13), and Avery Packman (10) — have all trained in a variety of circus arts, and each has chosen her or his favourite disciplines to showcase at the Circus Idol competition.
Their performances will include aerial acrobatics on silks or lycra, hoop dancing, floor routines, a Cyr wheel routine, and fire juggling and spinning. A panel of veteran circus arts performers will grade each student’s performance and provide professional feedback on artistic merit, musicality, technical execution, and difficulty.
Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts artistic director and coach Thomas Vaccaro training with 13-year-old Ethan Hinshelwood. (Photo: Eric Hanes Photography)
The six kids have all been coached by Thomas Vaccaro, PACA’s artistic director, who is clearly proud of them.
“Someday they might be world-class circus artists for Cirque du Soleil or they might just do it as a hobby,” Vaccaro says. “Whatever they do, they are my legacy and what I will leave behind in this world. And I am so happy for having known them.”
13-year-old Ethan Hinshelwood training with a Cyr wheel. (Photo: Eric Hanes Photography)
The Circus Idol competition is one way to prepare the students for the very competitive world of circus arts. They dream of one day joining the esteemed National Circus School in Montreal, where they will be up against circus artists from around the world who are also vying for the coveted opportunity to study with the best of the best in the circus arts industry.
Most of the PACA students train a couple of days each week before school, with a strict start time of 6:30 a.m. Their training program focuses on technical skills, conditioning exercises, and troubleshooting their routines.
Not only have all the students created and choreographed their own performance pieces, but they’ve also contributed to the lighting and staging design.
These are the types of skills Vaccaro hopes will help set them apart and give them an edge.
VIDEO: 12-year-old Ewen Lyall in training with the Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts
Circus Idol is sponsored by Uncommon Entertainers, whose founder Jason Chessar is also general manager for the PyroFlys, a Peterborough-based company of professional fire dancers, aerial artists, circus performers, and more. The company has performed for the Dragons’ Den, Justin Bieber, and Lennox Lewis.
Circus Idol takes place on February 2, 2018 at the Market Hall in Peterborough.
“The magic of circus enabled me to overcome challenges in my childhood and continues to reward me in unexpected ways in adulthood,” Chessar says. “I want everyone to have a chance to share in that magic and wonder.”
Circus Idol is styled as a competition to help prepare the students for the rigorous demands and high expectations of future auditions.
Vaccaro says the feedback students get from the event judges will help them to further develop their art and achieve their goals.
The competition’s judges — Victoria Wood, Richard Emo, Tegan Moss, Opal Elchuk, and Nicole Malbeuf — are all recognized leaders in the circus arts who specialize in the same disciplines the PACA students will be showcasing.
“I am excited to see the future stars of circus and to help guide them on their magical journey,” says Wood, who goes by the stage name of Pyrobelle.
While the student competition is the highlight of Circus Idol and will be entertaining enough for the audience, there will also be a fire demonstration by PyroFlys’ duo Pyrobelle and Pyrometheus (the stage name of judge Richard Emo), an aerial performance by judge Nicole Malbeuf, as well as a group number by PACA’s adult aerial students.
Circus Idol begins at 6 p.m. on on Friday, February 2nd, at the Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough). General admission tickets, including fees, are $15 ($10 for youth) and are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org
Lindsay resident Christian Cooke (right) and colleague Brad Zoern with their 2012 sound mixing Emmy Awards for "Hatfields & McCoys". Cooke and Zoern, along with Peterborough native Glen Gauthier, have been nominated for the Sound Mixing Oscar for 'The Shape of Water'. (Photo: Emmy Awards)
First it was a BAFTA nomination for Lindsay resident Christian Cooke, and now it’s an Oscar nomination — and on his birthday to boot.
Along with Brad Zoern and Peterborough native Glen Gauthier, Cooke is one of the team nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for the critically acclaimed The Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo del Toro.
The 2018 Oscar nominations were announced earlier today (January 23) — Cooke’s birthday — and The Shape of Water leads the race with 13 nominations.
Cooke, Zoern, Gautheir were already nominated for a BAFTA — the British equivalent of the Oscar — for Best Sound, along Nathan Robitaille. For the Oscar nomination, Robitaille is nominated separately for Best Sound Editing along with Nelson Ferreira. These are the first Oscar nominations for all five men.
Lindsay resident Christian Cooke of Deluxe Toronto has been working in sound mixing for 40 years and has won many awards for his work, including an Emmy as well as Gemini and Genie awards. (Photo: Deluxe Toronto)
Cooke and Zoern are sound re-recording mixers at Deluxe Toronto, part of the Deluxe Entertainment Services Group. For post-production on The Shape of Water, del Toro went to Deluxe Toronto, which he had used for previous projects including Crimson Peak and Pan’s Labyrinth.
The Shape of Water has been nominated for 13 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Original Music Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Production Design.
The record for nominations is 14, shared by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land.
As with the film’s BAFTA nomination, The Shape of Water is up against Baby Driver, Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi for sound mixing.
Cooke first began working in sound mixing in 1978, when he filled in for a couple of weeks at SoundMix, his father’s company. He never looked back and, in the past 40 years, has worked on many feature films, television movies, and tlevision series including Hamburger Hill, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, Dieppe, Ready or Not, Billable Hours, Being Erica, and Bomb Girls.
He’s won multiple awards in the past, including Gemini Awards for sound for Being Erica (2010 and 2011), Billable Hours (2009), and Shades of Black: The Conrad Black Story (2007), as well as Genie Awars for A Dangerous Method (2012) and Eastern Promises (2008).
In 2012, both Cooke and Zoern won an Emmy for sound mixing for the Hatfields & McCoys miniseries on the History Channel, and also won a Cinema Audio Society in 2013 for their work on the series. Cooke was nominated for an Emmy in 2015 for his work on Texas Rising.
Former Peterborough resident Glen Gauthier is also part of the sound team nominated for the Oscar.
Gauthier, who left Peterborough as a teenager, also has a long list of film and television credits, including IT, Molly’s Game, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Spotlight, Pixels, Being Erica, A History of Violence, Dolores Clairborne, The Shipping News, and Parenthood. He also previously worked on Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 robot epic Pacific Rim. He has won multiple Gemini and Genie awards for his work.
Peterborough native Glen Gauthier, who left Peterborough as a teenager, is also part of the BAFTA-nominated sound team for “The Shape of Water”. (Photo: IMDb)
Gauthier, who runs his own sound company Noise Boys Inc., is a location sound mixer. A member of the film crew who’s responsible for recording all sound on set during film-making, his work includes minimizing extraneous noise during filming rather than in post-production.
“There was always running water and steam pipes and lots of visual effects that create a lot of noise,” Gauthier says of The Shape of Water, in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, The Shape of Water is an other-worldly fable set against the backdrop of Cold War era America in the early 1960s. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.
VIDEO: The Shape of Water Trailer
The film, which has been nominated for seven Golden Globes, received the Golden Lion for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
The 90th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 4th at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, with comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosting for a second consecutive year. The BAFTA Awards ceremony takes place two weeks before in London, England, and might be a predictor of the film’s success at the Oscars.
The Village of Millbrook in the Township of Cavan Monaghan revitalized its main street in 2016, including new crosswalks. Under Ontario's Main Street Revitalization Initiative, the township will be one of many municipalities in the Kawarthas to receive funding for similar improvements. (Photo: Nexicom / Facebook)
The government of Ontario has announced $26 million in funding for rural municipalities under its “Main Street Revitalization Initiative”, intended to attract investment and tourism, create jobs, and enhance regional economic growth by supporting the revitalization of downtown and main streets across the province.
Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Minister Responsible for Small Business, made the announcement today (January 23) at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto.
“Main streets are at the core of small, rural communities and are home to thousands of small businesses across the province,” Leal said. “That’s why our government is committed to ensuring they continue to remain vibrant hubs where residents meet, tourists visit and small businesses grow and prosper.”
The funding will be used to improve downtown and main streets through improvements such as the installation of pedestrian crosswalks or landscaping. Municipalities can also direct funding to local businesses to improve the appearance of their storefronts by installing lighting or new signage.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario and its rural arm, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, will administer the funds.
The government will allocate funds to municipalities based on population size, using the most recent data from the 2016 Statistics Canada Census of Population. Communities with fewer than 25,000 residents will receive an adjustment to ensure they receive sufficient funds.
Here are some of the communities in the Kawarthas receiving funding under the initiative:
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