People parking in downtown Peterborough over the holidays donated $11,488 through the free parking iniative, where people can park free for two hours and any money they put in parking meters is donated to charity. Pictured are: Dan Gemmiti, Vice-Chair of the Kawartha Food Share Board; Mayor Daryl Bennett; Ashlee Aitken, General Manager of Kawartha Food Share; Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area; and Lynn Todd, Parking Operations Coordinator for the City of Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
People parking in downtown Peterborough over the holidays donated $11,488 to support Kawartha Food Share.
Since 2003, the City of Peterborough’s parking division and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) have provided two hours of free parking downtown through the holiday season.
The initiative begins on Black Friday and runs through to the end of December. During this time, all money put in the parking meters is donated to charity.
“Once again our community has shown its tremendous generosity,” Mayor Daryl Bennett says.
“By putting money in the parking machines downtown in December, we are helping to feed people in our community through the efforts of Kawartha Food Share. Thank you to all of the people and downtown businesses that supported this initiative.”
Kawartha Food Share assists more than 8,100 men women and children every month through 36 member agencies. This includes four meal programs, four city food banks, six housing projects, seven county food banks, and over 20 food cupboards across the City and County of Peterborough. Last year, the warehouse distributed over $5 million worth of food and emergency care needs.
“We could not be more excited to be the recipients of the holiday parking funds again this year,” says Ashlee Aitken, General Manager of Kawartha Food Share. “This donation comes at a perfect time as we begin to restock our shelves after the very busy holidays and continue to ensure that everyone in Peterborough City and County has safe and reliable access to emergency food.
The grand total of donations to date through the downtown free parking initiative is $119,878.41.
A red fox circles a snowy owl in this screenshot from a video captured by security cameras at the marina in Cobourg. (Photo: Town of Cobourg)
The Town of Cobourg has posted a video of an encounter between a red fox and a snowy owl at the Cobourg marina.
The encounter on January 4, 2018 was captured on security cameras installed at the marina by local company Focus Security.
The video begins with a fox running along the pier, when a snowy owl suddenly swoops in from behind and dive bombs the startled fox — which makes us wonder whether this is a continuation of an earlier incident between the two animals.
The owl flies off over the lake, with the fox watching. The fox then wanders around the pier area sniffing before running off, at which point the owl flies in and lands in the pier area. It appears as if the owl is tracking the fox.
The fox returns to the pier area and makes a small test lunge at the owl, apparently hoping to scare it off. The owl ruffles its feathers but stands its ground.
The owl stands its ground as the fox tries to scare it off,
The fox begins to circle the owl, which constantly turns to keep facing the fox, who at several points comes within a couple of feet of the owl.
The standoff continues for a couple of minutes, and then the fox runs off again.
The owl takes off a few seconds later, heading in the same direction as the fox — which makes us wonder whether the encounter continues somewhere else.
It’s most likely the snowy owl and the fox were defending their territories, as both animals would be competing for the same winter food sources (small mammals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits).
This isn’t the first time someone has captured a continuing encounter between a fox and a snowy owl.
In November 2012, a video captured at Hudson Bay shows a snowy owl and an Arctic fox demonstrating similar behaviour. Over the course of about a week, the fox and owl were seen repeatedly dancing around each other, almost as if they were playing.
“For the most part the owl was oblivious, but at times it seemed it would taunt and goad the fox,” says David Briggs, senior expedition leader for the tour company Arctic Kingdom, who took the video and sent it recently to National Geographic.
There are also several other videos online documenting fox and owl encounters.
Kaleigh Martherus (second from left) was one of five summer students who worked last summer at Kawartha Land Trust with funding provided under the Canada Summer Jobs program. The federal government is accepting applications from employers for the 2018 program until February 2, 2018. (Photo: Kawartha Land Trust)
The federal government is encouraging employers to hire students this summer under the Canada Summer Jobs program.
The program is available to all not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with up to 50 employees.
The Canada Summer Jobs program creates summer job opportunities to provide valuable work experience for full-time students aged 15 to 30, who intend to return to their studies in the next school year.
In the Peterborough area, the program has funded 649 jobs in the last two years.
“I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to work with volunteers and staff as dedicated as the members and supporters of Kawartha Land Trust,” says Kaleigh Martherus, who was a student under the 2017 program. “I am happy to say my position as a Student Marketing Assistant was a successful first step in my professional life.”
The federal government’s priorities under the program for 2018 include organizations that support opportunities for women and girls, special events (including summer festivals, community celebrations, and agricultural fairs), areas that do not have many summer jobs and those that experience high seasonal summer populations, and sectors including clean technology, conservation, agriculture and local food security, volunteer, municipalities, not-for-profit, arts and culture, history, tourism, and the skilled trades.
Not-for-profit employers can receive funding to cover 100 per cent of the provincial minimum hourly wage. Public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada can receive funding to cover 50 per cent of the provincial minimum hourly wage.
All employers may be eligible for additional funding of up to $3,000 per student with disabilities, to accommodate the student within the workplace with personal tools and adaptations that the student requires to accomplish tasks.
The deadline for applications under the Canada Summer Jobs program is Friday, February 2nd.
Married couple Louise and Wayne Earle were found dead following a house fire in Brighton in Northumberland County on January 10, 2018. Police now say the fire was the result of a homicide. (Photo: Pete Fisher / Twitter)
The fatal fire in Brighton on Wednesday, January 10th where two people were found dead was the “result of a homicide”, according to a media release issued today (January 15).
The Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) also identified the two victims as a married couple, 62-year-old Louise Earle and 67-year-old Wayne Earle of Brighton.
The OPP have not confirmed why they believe the fire was a result of a homicide and whether one or both of the Earles were homicide victims.
However, police have advised there is no concern for public safety, which implies that one of the Earles was the alleged perpetrator.
At around 7:25 a.m. on Wednesday, January 10th, the fire broke out inside a home on Harbour Street overlooking Presqu;ile Bay in Brighton, a small town in Northumberland County 41 kilometres east of Cobourg.
While battling the fire, firefighters found one of the victims outside the home in the backyard, and located the second victim inside the home after the fire had been extinguished.
The Northumberland Crime Unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire, under the direction of Detective Inspector Rob Hagerman of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) with the assistance of the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) and the Brighton Fire Department.
2018 Bears' Lair Chair Diane Richard of Diatom Consulting with the entrepreneurial competition's mascot at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough on January 12th, where the opening of the annual competition was announced. An orientation session for interested entrepreneurs takes place on Tuesday, January 16 at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. (Photo: Bears' Lair)
This week we feature the launch of the 2018 Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition, the nine new inductees of the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, and the grand opening of Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services in Peterborough’s East City. New regional business events include the Northumberland Chamber’s Annual General Meeting, Port Hope Chamber’s social media seminar in Cobourg, the return of the Peterborough Chamber “Power Hour”, and a “Bridges Out of Poverty” workshop for employers.
If you have business news or events you want us to share with our readers, email business@kawarthanow.com.
Applications for Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition open on January 16
Applications for the 2018 Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition open on Tuesday, January 16th. An orientation session for all interested entrepreneurs will be held at 6 p.m. in the boardroom at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
Beginning on January 16th, applications can be completed on the Bears’ Lair website at www.bearslairptbo.ca until Thursday, February 15th.
This year’s competition follows the same format as last year. Applications will be accepted until February 15th, and then semi-finalists will be selected from the applicants to compete in a showcase event at The Venue on March 6th. The top six finalists from the showcase event will move on to the final pitch event at The Venue on April 18. At the final pitch, the finalists will pitch their business to the panel of judges and the local community for a chance to win cash and prizes. Last year, winners were awarded over $55,000 in cash and business support services.
The judges for final pitch even the 2018 competition are Rhonda Barnet, President & COO at Steelworks Design Inc and Chair of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Board of Directors, and Nicole Verkindt. Verkindt is the founder and CEO of Canadian technology company OMX, a commentator on CBC, and a columnist for Vanguard magazine focusing on technology and business news. She was also a “dragon” on CBC’s Next Gen Dragon’s Den and spoke at FastStart Peterborough’s E-Connet event in February last year.
The third judge has yet to be announced.
“The incredible level of collaboration happening between our economic leaders and organizations, sponsors ,and committee is inspiring,” says Diane Richard of Diatom Consulting, who has returned as the chair of this year’s competition. “This year we are especially focused on driving entrepreneurial spirit and growth in our local community, and making the Final Pitch a dynamic and exciting evening for everyone to celebrate.”
At the launch announcement held on January 12th at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough, Richard announced a new supporter campaign for Bears’ Lair, where start-ups, small business owners, and anyone who knows the struggles of entrepreneurship can donate $100 to the cash prize awarded to the winners of the competition.
To become a Bears’ Lair supporter and to get tickets to the Final Pitch event on April 19th, visit bearsptbo18.eventbrite.ca.
If you are a business or organization and want to sponsor this year’s Bears’ Lair, contact co-chair and sponsor lead Carey McMaster at cmcmaster@innovationcluster.ca or 705-536-1101 ext. 903.
Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame announces nine new inductees
The Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka 2018 Business Hall of Fame inductees: Robert Gauvreau, Monika Carmichael, Carl Oake, Sally Harding, Alf and June Curtis, and Paul Bennett (not pictured: Paschal McCloskey). Two posthumous inductees were also announced: John A. McColl and James H. Turner, and John James (Jack) Stewart. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Last Wednesday (January 10), Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka announced the nine inductees for the 2018 Business Hall of Fame, joining the 16 inductees announced in 2016 and 2017.
The inductees are: Alf and June Curtis, founders of Alf Curtis Home Improvements Incorporated; Paul Bennett, owner of Ashburnham Realty; John A. McColl and James H. Turner, founding partners of McColl Turner LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants (posthumous inductee); John James (Jack) Stewart, founder of J.J. Stewart Motors (posthumous inductee); Sally Harding, president and CEO of Nightingale Nursing Registry Limited and Nightingale Home Maintenance Incorporated; Monika Carmichael, dealer principal and general manager of Trent Valley Honda; Robert Gauvreau, president and CEO of Gauvreau and Associates Chartered Professional Accountants; Paschal McCloskey, president and CEO of McCloskey International Limited; and Carl Oake, founding broker/owner and Century 21 United Realty.
The formal inductee ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 24th at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.
Also announced at the event was the establishment of a Legacy Fund which will be used exclusively for the creation and running of entrepreneurship programs. That fund sits at $5,000, half of that courtesy of the present partners of McColl Turner.
Medical marijuana clinic moves to East City in Peterborough
Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services’ new location is at 53 Hunter Street East in Peterborough’s East City. (Photo: Bodystream)
Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services has opened at its new location in East City in Peterborough.
Bodystream, which first opened in Peterborough in October 2016, was previously located on George Street.
With 20 clinics now open across the province, Bodystream is Ontario’s leading medical marijuana service provider for patients who are a candidate for medical cannabis.
The grand opening of the new location at 53 Hunter Street East in Peterborough takes place on Friday, January 26th at 10 a.m.
There will be an open house and ribbon cutting, and refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Trent University at Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area Breakfast Network on January 17
Julie Davis and Alison Scholl of Trent Unversity’s External Relations and Advancement will speak at the monthly Peterborough DBIA Breakfast Network on January 17. (Photos: Julie Davis / Alison Scholl, Twitter)
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) will be hosting two speakers from Trent University at the monthly DBIA Breakfast Network on Wednesday, January 17th.
Julie Davis, Vice-President of External Relations, and Alison Scholl, Advancement Community Relations Officer, will be speaking at the event, which takes place at Empress Gardens (131 Charlotte St., Peterborough).
Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by the guest speakers at 8 a.m. Tickets are $5 at the door, and the event is open to everyone.
SOLD OUT – Peterborough Chamber Lunch Box Learning on January 17
The next Peterborough Chamber Lunch Box Learning session takes place from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17th at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce boardroom (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
Toby McLeod of Stradegy.ca will speak on the topic “Website Roadmap: Learn how to turn your website into a business asset that makes you money, instead of costing you money and opportunities”.
The session is open to Chamber members and members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. Note: this event is now sold out.
Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Business After Hours Lakefield Health and Wellness Hop on January 23
Robyn Jenkins and Evelyne Derkindren of The Robyn’s Nest Photography Company & Beauty Boutique in Lakefield, one of three businesses participating in the Business After Hours Lakefield Health and Wellness Hop.
Members of the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism will be visiting three Lakefield businesses on Tuesday, January 23rd from 5 to 7 p.m. to learn tips and tricks for wellness in the new year.
The Business After Hours Lakefield Health and Wellness Hop takes place at Salon Sorella & Day Spa, Robyn’s Nest Photography & Beauty, and Cuddles for Cancer.
Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting on January 30
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 111th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, January 30th at 6 p.m. at The Woodlawn Inn (420 Division Street, Cobourg).
Members are invited to attend and hear an overview of the Chamber’s activities for the past year, including a presentation of the Chamber’s audited year-end financial report. The 2018 Executive will be introduced and elections will be held to fill the available seats on the Board of Directors.
Immediately following the AGM, there will be “The Chair’s Dinner”, featuring a four-course meal with wines to accompany each dish.
For more information, visit the Chamber’s website at nccofc.ca.
Social Media Seminar in Cobourg on January 31
The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting a social media seminar, part of its Advance Small Business Seminar Series, from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31st at Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (600 WIlliam St, Cobourg).
Peter Thomas will speak about developing a social media marketing plan, understanding your buyer persona, and tools for social media with a focus on business Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The cost is $10 for Chamber members and $15 for non-members, cash only at the door. To register, please call 905-372-9279.
Launch & Learn at Headwaters Community Farm & Education Centre in Cobourg on February 7
Headwaters Community Farm & Education Centre is offering a “Launch & Learn” session about corporate and wellness day retreats offered at the farm on February 7. (Photo: Headwaters Community Farm & Education Centre / Instagram)
Headwaters Community Farm & Education Centre (3517 Rowe Rd, Cobourg) is hosting a “Launch & Learn” from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7th.
Owners Linda and Tony Armstrong are inviting representatives from organizations to find out more about corporate and wellness day retreats offered at the farm, which is located 10 minutes north of Highway 401 between Port Hope and Cobourg.
The preview includes a sampling of Headwaters’ food and mocktails, a tour of their activity and meeting facilities, a presentation about what the centre has to offer, and a choice of three sample workshops.
To reserve your complimentary spot, email info@headwatersfarm.ca by Wednesday, January 31st.
Peterborough Chamber “Power Hour” evening with elected officials returns on February 21
MP Maryam Monsef, County Warden Joe Taylor, Mayor Daryl Bennett, and MPP Jeaf Leal listen to a question from moderator Sandra Dueck at the “Power Hour” event hosted by the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce on January 25, 2017. (photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Power Hour” — an evening with Peterborough’s elected officials — returns on Wednesday, February 21st.
The event takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.
There will be a full hour of questions and answers with Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, MPP Peterborough Jeff Leal, County of Peterborough Warden Joe Taylor, and City of Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett.
Tickets cost $65 for Chamber members and $75 for non-members (or $450 for a table of seven for members and $525 for non-members). HST will be added to the ticket price. Register here.
“Bridges Out of Poverty” workshop for employers on March 7
The City and County of Peterborough Social Services, along with Agilec, Employment Ontario, Employment Planning & Counselling, Fleming Crew Employment Centre, and the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge, are hosting a free workshop for employers on “Bridges out of Poverty”.
The Bridges out of Poverty framework, which originated in the U.S. and has been adopted by other communities in Canada, aims to help people who grew up in poverty and educate the agencies who assist them. The workshop will provide information on the framework as well as the variety of financial incentives available for employers in the community. It will also provide information on understanding and retaining employees.
The free workshop takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7th at Agilec Peterborough office (Brookdale Plaza, 863 Chemong Rd, Unit 20-A). Refreshments will be served.
Peterborough resident Barry Killen posted a video on Instagram of the doors of the local Sears store being locked for the final time. He also posted this symbolic photo, which he calls "Death of a Salesman 2018". All Sears stores closed on January 14, 2018, the end result of the department store chain declaring bankuptcy in 2017. (Photo: Barry Killen @theburleighridge_beareh / Instagram)
The Sears store at Lansdowne Place in Peterborough closed for good on Sunday (January 14) and Barry Killen was there to capture a video of the doors being locked for the final time.
“Sears was huge to my family for shopping/hanging out”, the Peterborough resident writes in an Instagram message to kawarthaNOW.
Killen — who made the news in December when he found musician Randy Bachman’s cellphone at the side of road in Omemee just before the Neil Young concert — posted a video of the event on his Instagram.
A post shared by Barry Killen (@theburleighridge_beareh) on
“This shot (of doors being locked) was weeks in the planning,” Killen writes. “And I almost missed it!!! Sears employees were GREAT. Man, it was sad.”
He also posted a couple of photos, including one showing the empty interior of the store and a symbolic composite photo of a ghostly man heading to the escalator.
All Sears stores closed for good on January 14, 2018, the end result of the department store chain declaring bankruptcy last year.
Sears in Peterborough at the end of the day on Sunday, January 14, 2018. (Photo: Barry Killen @theburleighridge_beareh / Instagram)
The Peterborough store officially opened on August 26, 1954, when it was called Simpsons-Sears.
The fate of the building and surrounding parking lot, both of which are owned by Sears Canada, remains unknown.
A joint venture by Hilco Global, Gordon Brothers, Tiger Capital Group and Great American Group is responsible for liquidating Sears assets.
Another photo by Barry Killen of the final day of the Sears store in Peterborough, that he posted on kawarthaNOW’s Facebook page. (Photo: Barry Killen / Facebook)
Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for the Kawarthas, including Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Hastings, and Haliburton.
A period of very cold wind chills overnight on Saturday and early Sunday morning, with wind chill values near or below -30°C.
Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.
With wind chill, frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin. Cover up and watch for cold-related symptoms such shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
What a difference 64 years makes: customers crowd the Peterborough Sears store on opening day on August 26, 1954, when the store was called Simpsons-Sears. In 2017, Sears Canada entered bankruptcy protection, affected by the growth of online shopping and an inability to attract younger customers. All remaining Sears stores, including the one in Peterborough, close for good on January 14, 2018. (Photo: Peterborough Museum and Archives)
If you want to shop at Sears in Peterborough one last time, you have until 6 p.m. on Sunday (January 14) to do it.
The store at Lansdowne Place will be closing its doors for good, after the chain announced in October it would be closing all its remaining stores and liquidating its inventory.
Sears entered bankruptcy protection after reporting in June 2017 that “cash and forecasted cash flows from operations are not expected to be sufficient to meet obligations coming due over the next 12 months.”
The Peterborough store officially opened on August 26, 1954, well before Lansdowne Place mall existed. At that time, it was called Simpsons-Sears, a joint venture begun in 1952 by the Canadian Simpson’s department store chain and the U.S. Sears, Roebuck chain.
The opening of the store was a significant milestone for Peterborough, with then-mayor of Peterborough John Dewart attending along with large crowds. (Photo: Peterborough Museum and Archives)
Within a few years, the presence of the Simpsons-Sears store attracted other businesses to Lansdowne Street — including a grocery store that opened the following spring. The area eventually begain to compete with downtown Peterborough as a retail destination for Peterborough residents.
When Lansdowne Place opened in 1980, the Simpsons-Sears store became the anchor tenant — the leading tenant in a mall whose prestige and name recognition attracts other tenants and shoppers. In 1984, Simpsons-Sears officially changed its name to Sears Canada.
The Peterborough store will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 14th, with remaining inventory being sold at 80 to 90 per cent off. Most of the items remaining at the store are clothing and housewares.
The fate of the building and surrounding parking lot, which is owned by Sears Canada, remains unknown. A joint venture by Hilco Global, Gordon Brothers, Tiger Capital Group and Great American Group is responsible for liquidating Sears assets.
Jayne Lewis, Michelle White, Janet Martin, and Nicole Robert star in ShaggyPup Productions' production of "Menopause the Musical" at Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough on March 8th and 9th. (Publicity photo)
Hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and mood swings.
What may sound like a short vacation in the tropics is actually the backdrop for the upcoming performance of Menopause the Musical, coming to Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough on March 8th and 9th.
Menopause the Musical
When: Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: $55.85
Written by Jeanie Linders and starring Jayne Lewis, Michelle White, Janet Martin, and Nicole Robert. Tickets are available now at the Showplace box office, by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at showplace.org.
Written by Jeanie Linders, the longest-running scripted production in Las Vegas has been gracing stages all over the world for 12 years. It’s a groundbreaking celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived menopause, also infamously called “the change” — a life adjustment that hits most women in their 50s.
The musical revue provides a safe place for sisterhood and sympathetic laughter. It is good, cathartic fun even though it comes with a serious underbelly, says producer Mark Zimmerman, whose company ShaggyPup Productions holds the production rights for Menopause the Musical in Canada.
“The laughter and energy is palatable in the theatre every night, whether it’s in a 3,000-seat casino or a 300-seat theatre. It’s such a feel-good show,” says Zimmerman, who opened the show in Toronto in 2006 and has produced an impressive 513 consecutive performances to date.
Zimmerman is delighted by the cultural impact of the show.
“Years ago, menopause was in the closet and wasn’t really spoken about because it’s very personal,” he notes. He adds that more women these days are beginning to discuss menopause rather than mumble about “women’s problems.”
“It’s universal and the show celebrates this and creates somewhat of a sisterhood. Women let their hair down, have a great time, and see that they’re not experiencing this alone. It’s very powerful and empowering for women.”
VIDEO: “Menopause The Musical” at Showplace Performance Centre
Janet Martin, who is Zimmerman’s partner in ShaggyPup Productions and one of the musical’s lead cast members, agrees.
“Women are always coming into this time of life, and ladies like to go out together in groups, commiserate and laugh about what a ridiculous time menopause is.
“Menopause the Musical is a fun night on the town. It’s about comedy and laughter. It’s the underlying sincerity of the topic that’s really for us to laugh at. It’s our coping mechanism as human beings.”
In a Bloomingdale’s department store, four women by different circumstances meet while shopping for a black lace bra at a lingerie sale. After noticing unmistakable similarities among one another, the cast jokes about their woeful hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, and other not-so-desired changes.
These women form a unique bond with the entire audience as they bask in celebrating that menopause is no longer “the silent passage.”
Along with Martin (“Iowa Housewife”), the all-star Canadian cast features Jayne Lewis (“Soap Star”), Nicole Robert (“Earth Mother”), and Michelle White (“Professional Woman”).
The all-star Canadian cast Janet Martin (Iowa Housewife), Nicole Robert (Earth Mother), Jayne Lewis (Soap Star), and Michelle White (Professional Woman) has done an impressive 513 consecutive performances to date. (Publicity photo)
In parody form and with a soundtrack of hits from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s performed by the cast, Menopause the Musical takes a heartfelt look at how menopause affects women in different ways.
To commemorate the hot flashes that torment the menopausal woman’s search for sleep, the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” and Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff, the Magic Dragon” gets lyrically tweaked into “Stayin’ Awake” and “Puff, My God, I’m Draggin’.”
The ’60s pop song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” becomes the satirical lament “My Husband Sleeps Tonight” — because the wife certainly isn’t.
The lyrics are clever, creating a rapport between the cast and the audience, and a camaraderie between all women who are in attendance.
Even though this is a grab-your-gal-pal-and-go kind of event, with women making up over 96 per cent of the audience, Zimmerman — who jokingly uses the catchphrase ‘mandatory viewing for men’ — says it’s a great way for men to get a few tidbits of essential education.
“Even though the majority of the people who come to our show are women, it is great entertainment for men as well,” he says. “Many men walk away from this show closer to their partner or spouse because they see what these women are going through and they have more empathy and understanding for them. I think we’re responsible for saving a few marriages.”
So, the next time you have to change your sheets after an episode of night sweats or forget the name of your eldest child, don’t worry about it. Have a chuckle instead, and then go and share your experience with your besties.
Menopause the Musical runs for two performances only, on March 8th and March 9th at Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough. Tickets are $55.85 and can be purchased at the Showplace Box Office, by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at showplace.org
For more information about the show, visit ShaggyPup Productions website at www.shaggypup.ca or follow Menopause the Musical on Facebook.
VIDEO: “Menopause The Musical” Promo (US production)
In "7 Stories", a man stands on the ledge of a building contemplating suicide while an oddball cast of characters speaks to him through apartment windows. Pictured are Kelsey Morewood as Leonard, Lori Branch as Jennifer, and Drew Mills as The Man in Anne Shirley Theatre Company's production of Morris Panych's black comedy. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
On Friday, January 12th, the first theatrical production in the Kawarthas for 2018 opens with the Anne Shirley Theatre Company’s production of Morris Panych’s black comedy 7 Stories at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough.
Directed by Khora Tatyana and Liam Parker, 7 Stories is a farcical look at life and death as a man on a ledge gets a view into the lives of a collection of eccentric individuals, whose only connection is that they inhabit the same apartment complex.
First presented in 1989 at the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver, Panych’s 7 Stories has an interesting narrative concept that works very well on the small stage. With a flat set depicting a brick wall and eight windows, revealed to be the seventh storey of an apartment complex, the characters in 7 Stories interact with the show’s nameless protagonist — who is standing on the ledge trying to work up the nerve to jump to his death — by talking to him through their windows.
The Anne Shirley Theatre Company presents 7 Stories
When: Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 7 p.m.; Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, January 13 and Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 2 p.m. Where: Gordon Best Theatre ( 216 Hunter St W., Peterborough) How much: $15
Written by Morris Panych and directed by Khora Tatyana and Liam Parker. Starring Drew Mills, Claudia Masatti, Matt Campbell, Kelsey Morewood, Tom Keat, Amy Graves, Simon Banderob, Whitney Paget, Dani McDonald, Analucia Diaz, Lori Branch, Hannah Lash, and Liam Parker. Tickets are available for sale outside of Wenjack Theatre at Trent University, Moondance (425 George N., Peterborough) and at the door.
Through these conversations, the audience is subjected to Panych’s odd and often cynical take on a variety of subjects ranging from lust, sanity, matrimony, religion, art, theatre, humanitarianism, mortality, sexuality, and social interactions.
For the most part the characters in the show are self-involved and generally terrible people, with little to no concern for the man on the ledge of the building — most of the time they don’t even ask what he’s doing out there. But, despite being morally awful, the characters have just enough quirks to be likeable, which in itself creates another cynical look at the shallowness of society.
Drew Mills plays the show’s protagonist, known only as The Man, who opens the show by climbing onto the ledge while muttering the days of the week.
Just why he is there and why he wants to end his own life isn’t immediately explained, and he begins to be interrupted by the residents of the building who, more concerned with their own daily dramas, converse with the man through their open windows.
There is Charlotte (Claudia Masatti) and Rodney (Matt Campbell), who are having an abusive love affair steeped in violence; Leonard (Kelsey Morewood), a sleep-deprived professional suffering from paranoia; Marshal (Tom Keat), who is hours away from marriage but living the world’s biggest lie; Rachel (Amy Graves), a religious zealot whose acts of faith border on being criminal; Michael (Simon Banderob) and Joan (Whitney Paget), two artists whose relationship is thrust into chaos over Michael’s sensitivity to colour; Nurse Wilson (Dani McDonald), the meanest caregiver this side of Nurse Rachett, and her ward Lillian (Analucia Diaz), a 100-year-old shut-in with a zeal for existing; and Jennifer (Lori Branch), Percy (Hannah Lash), and Al (Liam Parker), who are stuck at possibly the worst party ever thrown.
Rodney (Matt Campbell) and Charlotte (Claudia Masatti), who are having an abusive love affair steeped in violence, speak with The Man (Drew Mills). (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
None of the characters, with one exception, seem to be very concerned about The Man as they talk to him. It becomes obvious The Man isn’t the only one who has issues; all of them have their own eccentricities and dramas to deal with. Can The Man find anything in the seven stories to convince him to get off the ledge, or is the human race too far gone?
Usually I don’t enjoy anything soaked in cynicism, but there’s something about 7 Stories that allowed me to look past the negative commentary on society and sit back and smirk. 7 Stories isn’t a drama nor is it really a full-blown comedy. It’s funny, but not in a laugh-out-loud way. Instead, the show has a quick and dry wit, and it often dips its toes into the theatre of the absurd without allowing itself to become fully immersed in insanity. Frankly, that is a type of comedy I can get behind.
Like the show itself, the characters have a strange charm to them. You don’t realize it while watching the show but, in retrospect, they are all pretty shallow and terrible characters (except perhaps the character of Lillian, who is actually very sweet and lovely to listen to). They have a fascinating quality and some of them (such as Marshall, Al, and Joan) are fairly likeable.
Along with the fact they are played by a very talented and likeable cast of performers, the characters’ quirky charm pulls the show together and saves the audience from a potentially bleak commentary of society. Each time a window opened, I found myself excited to see who was going to pop out next and what they were going to say.
I am reluctant to go into much discussion about each character’s individual story, as not to ruin the audience’s own surprise at discovering what the characters are all about; that is part of the fun of the show. But I will say the dialogue is punchy, the script is clever, and 7 Stories has a lot to say.
“7 Stories” was written by Canadian playwright, actor, and director Morris Panych. (Publicity photo)
I found Panych’s satire on art and theatre to be the most amusing. Tom Keat’s segment as Marshall, an actor caught in what could be considered either his greatest role or his biggest deceit, to be particularly entertaining. His take on the fabrication of the theatre is very clever and funny — especially when being told on stage in front of a theatre audience (his comments on intermissions will never make me take an intermission the same way again). And the over-the-top discussion of beige and green by Michael and Joan is a hilarious parody on cultural elitism.
Meanwhile, Jennifer’s concern about her own popularity — and admitting that she doesn’t like her 940 “friends” — hits on the lack of intimacy between people in our modern society. With 7 Stories being written long before social media existed, Jennifer’s monologue proves Panych was ahead of his time.
7 Stories is also blessed with a fantastic set created by Scott Sheward with assistance by Liam Parker. The two-level set takes the appearance of a great brick wall with eight windows cut into it. Drew Mills stands between the edge of the stage and the massive set piece, while the other characters draw their blinds up and down to talk to him. There is a sense of depth behind the actors in the windows, making it look like there are really apartments behind them. It’s a simple yet effective set piece that becomes a character of its own.
Drew Mills as The Man and Tom Keat as Marshall, who is hours away from marriage but living the world’s biggest lie. (Photo: Sam Tweedle / kawarthaNOW.com)
The most exciting thing about 7 Stories is the talented cast Liam and Khora have brought together. WIth the exception of a few performers, the actors in the show were all new to me, which is always extremely exciting to see. With many of the previous cast of Anne Shirley Theatre Company regulars having graduated, it has left a lot of room for new actors to take the spotlight. For me, 7 Stories became a showcase for some of the new actors who will hopefully become regulars on the Peterborough stage.
The performances by this talented group of actors is one of the strengths of 7 Stories. You can tell they really like their characters, which makes the audience also like their characters. Without their ability to believe in the characters they portray, 7 Stories could be an entirely different sort of production. The strength of the show is a testament to the strength of this fantastic cast.
It’s been a while since I’ve written about an Anne Shirley Theatre Company show, and 7 Stories has me excited about this new crop of performers and what comes next (which, incidentally, is The Hunchback of Notre Dame this spring). 7 Stories is smart, darkly humorous, well produced, and features a great cast. It’s a great way to get the theatrical year started again.
7 Stories is presented at the Gordon Best Theatre on January 12th and 13th and January 19th and 20th. Show starts at 7 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on January 13th and 20th. Tickets are $15 and are available for sale outside of Wenjack Theatre at Trent University, Moondance in downtown Peterborough, and at the door.
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