John Cunningham, president and managing director of Ashburnham Funeral Home, holds a biodegradable wicker urn. Other options available for those seeking eco-friendly end-of-life services include aquamation, basic wooden or cardboard caskets, and low-impact burials. (Photo: Jackie Donaldson)
Throughout our lives, we make big decisions by weighing the impacts of our choices: impacts on our health, impacts on our pocketbook, impacts on the people we love and increasingly, impacts on the world around us.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Jackie Donaldson, hub coordinator for GreenUP’s Green Economy Peterborough, and guest writer John Cunningham, president and managing director for Ashburnham Funeral Home.
Final decisions related to end-of-life care are deeply personal with more and more people requesting options that align with their values — including caring for the environment.
Aquamation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, is emerging as a sustainable alternative to traditional burial and cremation methods.
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This process, available locally in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, offers a greener option for those seeking end-of-life care as it has significantly lower environmental impacts in comparison to conventional methods.
Aquamation uses water, alkali, heat, and pressure to achieve decomposition with a final outcome very similar to that of cremation. However, while both cremation and aquamation release greenhouse gas emissions, the aquamation process produces far fewer emissions.
This makes it an attractive option for those concerned about their carbon footprint.
GreenUP home energy program manager Clara Blakelock’s grandmother passed in 2020 at the age of 94. Aquamation was presented to her family as a more sustainable option to cremation.
“We decided to choose it because it just seemed to make sense to us,” shared Susan Blakelock, Clara’s mother. “We knew that my mother would have wanted to have the least environmental impact possible.”
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Aquamation’s environmental benefits
Reduced harmful emissions
As a by-product, cremation releases pollutants, including carbon, into our atmosphere. Aquamation, on the other hand, uses a water-based process that doesn’t result in the release of harmful gases.
Lower energy consumption
The energy required for aquamation is estimated to be up to only 10 per cent of conventional, flame-based cremation. This reduction in energy consumption translates to a far smaller carbon footprint.
No toxic chemicals
Burial often involves embalming fluids, which can leach into soil and groundwater. Aquamation does not require these chemicals, but if they are used, they are fully broken down, resulting in a cleaner process.
How aquamation works
John Cunningham of Ashburnham Funeral Home stands beside an aquamation unit. Aquamation is a good option for those seeking a more environmentally friendly end-of-life process as it requires minimal energy use and produces far fewer emissions compared to cremation. (Photo courtesy of John Cunningham)
The aquamation process involves placing the deceased person in a stainless steel chamber filled with a solution of water and potassium hydroxide.
The chamber is heated and pressurized over several hours, which reduces the contents to basic chemical components.
What remains is processed into a fine paper white powder, which can be returned to the family.
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Local options and community response
Aquamation represents a significant step forward in sustainable end-of-life care for our community. As with Clara’s family, many residents have responded positively to the availability of a choice that more readily embraces their priorities.
Other options for eco-friendly end-of-life care include urns made of decompostable materials, basic wooden or cardboard caskets, and interment in a green burial ground, several of which are being established in the region.
In Peterborough and the Kawarthas, the growing popularity of green end-of-life care options are part of a broader commitment to sustainability.
The City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes all have climate-related plans aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting eco-friendly practices. By choosing aquamation and other eco-friendly alternatives, we can reduce our environmental impact and contribute to a healthier planet as a lasting and final life decision.
John Cunningham outside of Ashburnham Funeral Home, where he is president and managing director. Cunningham is also owner of Kawartha Aquamation, a lead member of GreenUP’s Green Economy Peterborough program, a designation through which his business has committed to energy and waste reduction. (Photo: Jackie Donaldson)
Co-author John Cunningham owns Kawartha Aquamation, a lead member of GreenUP’s Green Economy Peterborough (GEP) program. GEP works with business owners to understand and strategically implement actions to reduce climate impact and increase efficiency. To learn more about what GEP can do for your business, email jackie.donaldson@greenup.on.ca or visit www.greeneconomypeterborough.ca.
A collaboration between the City of Peterborough, One City Peterborough, the United Way Peterborough and District, and the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network (PPRN), the Trinity Community Centre opened in November 2023 and provides services for people who are marginalized, unsheltered, or both, offering a daytime drop-in program with meals as well as an overnight program. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW)
In response to neighbourhood complaints and an dramatic increase in calls for service, Peterborough police will once again be arresting people who are openly using illicit drugs in the area surrounding the Trinity Community Centre at 360 Reid Street.
Located in the former Trinity United Church and operated by One City Peterborough with funding from the City of Peterborough, the Trinity Community Centre opened in November 2023 and provides services for people who are marginalized, unsheltered, or both, offering a daytime drop-in program with meals as well as an overnight program.
In a media release issue on Tuesday night (November 19), police announced they would be suspending their “Safer Public Spaces” approach to open-air illicit drug use in the Trinity Community Centre neighbourhood.
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Under the approach, which was launched in October 2023, police officers who respond to a complaint about or observe people using illicit drugs outside in a public space request that they stop doing so and move to another location, such as the Consumption and Treatment Services on Simcoe Street where illicit injectable drugs can be injected legally.
With Safer Public Spaces, police do not arrest the person and seize the illegal drugs, unless the person refuses to comply with the request, has committed another criminal offence, or has an outstanding warrant for their arrest.
“We do not want to criminalize anybody who has an addiction — that is not our intent,” Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts said when announcing Safer Public Spaces. “Our intent is to ensure that they are provided with the resources they need and the direction they need to where they can go to safely use these substances.”
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With the suspension of Safer Public Spaces in the Trinity Community Centre neighbourhood, police will instead arrest those observed using illicit drugs outside in a public space.
“In all cases, those arrested will be searched (after) arrest, in accordance with common law authority, and any illegal substances will be seized for destruction,” the media release states. “If charges are appropriate, they will be laid, but it may be enough to release unconditionally.”
Police add they will also investigate people found committing a criminal or provincial offence — including defecating on property, possessing stolen property, and trespassing — and, if appropriate, arrest and charge them.
It is not clear from the release if police were not previously investigating such incidents, although the release notes that their ability to respond depends on available police resources.
“As a police service, we know that providing compassionate care and a place to escape the weather and sleep is important, especially as we are entering the coldest months of the year,” the release states, adding that Trinity Community Centre plays a “vital role” for the unhoused population. “However, as police, we do not endorse criminal activity on the premises or in the surrounding community.”
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According to police, there were 168 calls for service in the neighbourhood in 2022, a year before the Trinity Community Centre opened. In 2023, the number of calls for service increased to 261 and, in 2024, jumped to 700.
“We have been compassionate in our approach to those who are in need of the services provided by One City Peterborough at the Trinity Church location,” Chief Betts states in the media release. “However, the behaviours by some have created a situation that can no longer be adequately addressed through such means.”
“We continue to believe that many of those accessing the services at Trinity Church are in need of support, but our approach needs to respect the community safety and well-being for all, and we are being clear in what that will look like.”
The media release also states that, when it comes to the Trinity Community Centre property itself, the City of Peterborough, One City Peterborough, and the Peterborough Police Service will be working on an agreement “of both short-term and long-term solutions.”
Police say that their change of approach is a response to hearing from residents, businesses, and clients of Trinity Community Centre “that the current way is not working to fully address ongoing concerns and ensure a safe environment for all.”
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Tuesday’s police announcement came at the end of two days of deliberations by Peterborough city council on the city’s draft 2025 budget, which includes a three per cent increase to the police budget. However, the Police Services Board has requested an 8.8 per cent increase to the police budget — which would add 1.44 per cent to the city’s property tax rate hike.
After city council completed its deliberations, the proposed 7.8 per cent tax hike had increased to eight per cent, exclusive of the budget requests of the police, paramedics, and health unit.
To keep the rate hike to seven per cent, council has asked city staff to report back with additional ideas to reduce spending and increase revenues and will request the Peterborough Police Services Board, Peterborough/County City Paramedic, and Peterborough Public Health to reconsider their 2025 budgets to keep the property tax increase within seven per cent.
A lone skate on the Trent-Severn Waterway canal below the Peterborough Lift Lock in January 2022. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough residents who were hoping to skate on the Trent Canal this winter, or swim at Rogers Cove with their kids next summer, will be disappointed with recommendations made by city council in its review of the city’s 2025 draft budget on Monday and Tuesday (November 18 and 19).
Saving $100,000 by not maintaining the canal rink for 2024-25 and saving $40,000 by eliminating lifeguards at one of the city’s two beaches are among the recommendations made by city council during the two days of budget deliberations, a process that ended up with a proposed property tax rate increase of eight per cent.
The increase — which doesn’t yet take into account the budget requests of the police, paramedics, and health unit — is 0.2 per cent higher than the draft budget’s proposed 7.8 per cent increase, and a full three per cent higher than council’s original goal of a five per cent increase.
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Rather than five per cent, council is now aiming for a seven per cent increase. To achieve that goal, council has asked staff to report back with additional ideas to reduce spending and increase revenues. More significantly, council will also request that the Peterborough Police Services Board, Peterborough/County City Paramedics, and Peterborough Public Health — which Mayor Jeff Leal calls “the big three” — reconsider their 2025 budget asks to keep the property tax increase within seven per cent.
With less than three weeks before the final 2025 budget is scheduled to be presented to city council for approval, and not knowing how “the big three” will respond to council’s request, it’s unclear whether council will be able to achieve the seven per cent goal by December 9 or whether the budget review will extend into the new year.
As for the budget deliberations on Monday and Tuesday, council made several decisions to reduce the budget in some areas and to increase it in others.
For the Peterborough Public Library, which will be operating a second branch in the new Miskin Law Community Complex on Lansdowne Street, city council recommended saving $120,000 through a staffing reorganization that would see two staff positions eliminated and other staff paid less, with a subsequent reduction in operational services and programming.
Councillors also recommended that preventative maintenance and custodial costs for city-operated facilities be reduced by $153,000.
Along with no longer maintaining the Trent Canal rink and eliminating lifeguards at Rogers Cove, these recommended savings were included in a list of 25 “discretionary” funding cuts that city staff provided in the draft 2025 budget, if council wanted to further limit the property tax rate increase to its original goal of five per cent.
Of the four items selected from the list, council decided against reducing the preventative maintenance budget for city-operated facilities by the full $880,000 proposed on the list, choosing to reduce the budgetary item by 20 per cent.
Council also decided against reducing funding to 75 arts and social services organizations by 25 per cent to save $298,153, thereby continuing to fund the organizations in 2025 at the same level they were funded in 2024.
However, hours after making this decision, city council then decided against continuing to fund the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) next year, saving $177,000 that would have otherwise be added to the 2025 budget.
City council also decided against withdrawing $150,000 in funding to the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), an annual amount the city had agreed to provide to the DBIA for 20 years in a 2017 settlement after the DBIA dropped its appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board of the city’s decision to allow a casino at 1400 Crawford Drive instead of in the downtown core. However, council also recommended withdrawing $132,000 for street cleaning services the city provides to the DBIA.
Other changes to the draft budget include restoring $235,696 in discretionary benefits to the 2024 funding level while eliminating a proposed climate change coordinator position.
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As for additions to the budget, several were focused on the homelessness crisis in the city.
Council recommended an additional $264,000 to extend Trinity Centre’s overnight program for people experiencing homelessness for six months next summer, as well as $240,000 to extend the hours of the centre’s daytime drop-in program.
Council also recommended increasing the housing stability fund by $360,000 and providing $280,000 to Brock Mission for an additional worker to keep their bed capacity at 40 beds, with a further commitment to provide Brock Mission with $250,000 to support planning for the organization’s proposed 50-unit supportive housing project.
All the funds from these items would be drawn from the city’s social services reserve.
City council have recommended providing Showplace Performance Centre with a $500,000 interest-free loan, to be repaid over 10 years, so that the non-profit performance venue can replace its roof.
All the recommendations made by city council for the 2025 draft budget, as supplied by the city in a media release, are listed below.
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Adding $298,153 to the Draft 2025 Budget to restore funding to 2024 levels for community and arts groups that had been proposed for a 25% reduction in City funding in 2025
That the Police Services 2025 budget request be returned to the Police Services Board for consideration
That the Peterborough/County City Paramedics 2025 budget request be returned to Peterborough Paramedics for consideration
That the Peterborough Public Health 2025 budget request be returned to Peterborough Public Health for consideration
That the $150,000 payment be reinstated in the Downtown Business Improvement Area 2025 Budget, that the $132,000 funding for street cleaning be removed, and that the Public Works Division assume the streetscape maintenance within the DBIA
That funding in the amount of $235,696 be provided to restore discretionary benefits to the 2024 funding level and that the monies be added to the Net Tax Levy
That Trinity Community Centre overnight drop-in program be funded $264,000 to extend operations for six months next summer and be open year-round to be funded from the Social Services Reserve
That the Housing Stability Fund be increased by $360,000 to support prevention and diversion to be funded from the Social Services Reserve
That $280,000 be provided to Brock Mission for an additional worker to keep their bed capacity at 40 beds and not be reduced to 32 beds to be funded from the Social Services Reserve
That $240,000 be provided from the Social Services Reserve to extend the operating hours at Trinity for the day time drop in program
That the City shall provide a letter confirming the provision of $250,000 to be applied towards the costs of a business plan and preliminary studies, reports, and plans in support of a proposed 50 unit supportive housing project being advanced by Brock Mission and further that the said monies be derived from the Social Services Reserve
That the single transit ride fare be increased by 25 cents to $3.25
That free transit for youth and high school students be implemented by September 2025 at an estimated cost of $33,400 for September to December 2025
That the budget increase for sidewalk reconstruction be set at a 1.5% increase
That a $500,000 interest-free loan to be repaid over 10 years be provided to Showplace Performance Centre to assist with its roof replacement
That Council opts not to renew funding to Electric City Culture Council at this time, in anticipation of the completion of a renewed Municipal Cultural Plan, which would provide further directions for the future of a culture council, including funding of $100,000 and the funding for the following programs, Poet Laureate, Individual Artist Grants, and Artsweek
That $50,000 be transferred from the Water Treatment Reserve to the Zoo Mini Train Reserve, subject to year-end results
Adding an $89,000 project to the Capital Budget for Public Art, with $50,000 funded from the public art maintenance reserve
That a 2024 Tourism Strategic Plan capital budget be established through the transfer of $100,000 from the Municipal Cultural Plan capital budget, which will result in $102,800.86 remaining in the Municipal Cultural Plan capital budget
That the lifeguard hours at Rogers Cove be eliminated and that the funding of $40,000 be used to reduce the net tax levy requirement
That the canal rink not be maintained for the 2024-2025 year and that the funding of $100,000 be directed to reduce the net tax levy requirement
That $20,000 be allocated to the Community Rink Program and that the funding be added to the Net Tax Levy
That a Library staffing reorganization be implemented and that the savings of $120,000 be returned to the Net Tax Levy
That the OMPF Grant be amended from $300,000 to $358,800 and that the increase be used to reduce the Net Tax Levy
That in accordance with Recommendation 1 in the report from the Mayor’s Task Force for Housing creation, a position for a Planning Project Manager be added to the Planning budget at a total cost of $170,017 including benefits and that this position be funded through the anticipated growth in applications for multi-unit developments and their associated fees
That advertising expenses for Strategic Communications be reduced by $15,000
That preventative maintenance and custodial costs for facilities be reduced by $153,000 (20%)
That the Climate Change Coordinator full-time-equivalent position proposed in the budget be eliminated
That staff prepare a report on strategies on how to generate revenue and fully utilize the parking garages at Simcoe and King streets in addition to surface parking, to accommodate future growth and development and that the DBIA be consulted
Proposed changes to the City’s parking by-law to implement parking penalty increases
Establishing five full-time employee positions in the Municipal Law Enforcement Services Division and creating a capital budget for patrol vehicles
That staff report back by the third quarter of 2025 on a strategy to reduce rates of speed, including the feasibility of 40 kilometres per hour rate city wide
On November 19, 2024, City of Kawartha Lakes council approved naming the osprey as the municipality's official bird. (Photo courtesy of City of Kawartha Lakes)
The osprey is now the official bird of the City of Kawartha Lakes.
During its regular council meeting Tuesday (November 19), city council approved naming the osprey — also known as a sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk — as the municipality’s official bird.
The decision followed a report received by council meeting as committee of the whole earlier this month from Mark Jull, supervisor of policy planning for Kawartha Lakes, and a recommendation from the City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee (CKLEAC).
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The report recommended the osprey be adopted as the official bird for the City of Kawartha Lakes for a few reasons.
“Declaring the osprey the city’s official bird supports the strategic plan’s priority for a healthy environment as it highlights the natural beauty and rich biodiversity of the city,” Jull noted in his report. “Supporting the interconnectedness of nature helps develop an exceptional quality of life.”
In addition, the osprey is central to the City of Kawartha Lakes brand, having appeared in the city’s logo since at least 2001 as well as in marketing materials. As well, a recent online poll to determine a “bird of the year” concluded the osprey was, “by a large margin,” the favourite choice to represent Kawartha Lakes.
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A number of other Ontario cities have chosen an official city bird, including the great blue heron for Peterborough, peregrine falcon for Hamilton, the belted kingfisher for Barrie, and the tufted titmouse for Windsor.
Having an official bird makes sense in Kawartha Lakes as well, given it became certified earlier this year as “A Bird Friendly City.”
A bird friendly city is described as a community where threats to birds are reduced, nature is restored so native bird populations can thrive, residents are actively engaged in admiring and monitoring local bird populations, and organizations host events to protect birds.
“When a city is certified as bird friendly, it means they’ve met important standards to keep birds safe,” Jull noted. “Certification is a badge of honour and a source of community pride. It tells the world that our city helps birds and is doing its part to stop them from disappearing.”
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Bird Friendly Kawartha Lakes (BFKL) worked with Nature Canada and the City of Kawartha Lakes to become a certified bird friendly city. The BFKL group consists of representatives from the CKLEAC, Kawartha Conservation, Kawartha Land Trust, Fleming College, Kawartha Field Naturalists, Kawartha Wildlife Centre, and Kawartha Bird Control.
In April 2024, BFKL launched an online poll to determine which favourite species of bird should be declared the official “2024 Kawartha Lakes Bird of the Year.”
More than 500 participants took part in two rounds of online voting, with the first round of voting narrowing 11 species down to five finalists. The osprey flew into the lead and finished on top in the contest.
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According to Jull, it’s common to spot ospreys in the Kawartha Lakes, with the hawks’ nests visible in trees and on hydro poles throughout the municipality, “a sign of efforts made by the community decades ago to ensure the ospreys made a comeback from dangerously low numbers.”
The osprey is always near water, such as the shorelines of large lakes, rivers, and ponds.
“Graceful in flight, powerful and resilient by nature, the osprey is a fitting symbol of Kawartha Lakes,” read the city’s brand book.
Su Ditta, executive director of the not-for-profit arts organization Electric City Culture Council (EC3), addressed Peterborough city council on November 12, 2024 as one of many delegations objecting to a proposed 25 per cent cut to 75 arts and social services organizations in the city's draft 2025 budget. A week later, only hours after voting to reverse those cuts, council voted to defund EC3 in 2025. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of City of Peterborough video)
What began as a good day for Su Ditta, executive director of Electric City Culture Council (EC3), turned dark in a hurry on Tuesday (November 19) during Peterborough city council’s deliberations on the city’s draft 2025 budget.
Hours after councillors voted almost unanimously not to reduce funding for 75 community groups and arts organizations by a proposed 25 per cent, they voted by a 8-3 count to completely eliminate any city funding for EC3.
First established as as signature recommendation of the City of Peterborough’s 2012 Municipal Cultural Plan (MCP), EC3 is an independent, arm’s-length, not-for-profit corporation with a mandate to champion the development of the arts and culture community for the people of the city and county of Peterborough.
Some of the organization’s programs and activities include the Bierk Art Bursary Program for graduating high school students, the Peterborough Arts Awards and Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts, Artsweek, the Poet Laureate program, the Grants for Individual Artists program, and professional development workshops.
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With the city’s current funding agreement with EC3 ending in 2024 and with no funds allocated for EC3 in the draft 2025 budget, community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman presented a report to city council on Tuesday that included four options for funding EC3 in 2025.
Councillor Lesley Parnell moved acceptance of the final option in the report, that council “opt not to renew funding to EC3 at this time in anticipation of the completion of a renewed MCP, which would provide further direction for the future of a culture council.”
Along with Parnell, Mayor Jeff Leal and councillors Dave Haacke, Andrew Beamer, Matt Crowley, Don Vassiliadis, Gary Baldwin, and Kevin Duguay voted in favour of the defunding option. Councillors Joy Lachica, Alex Bierk, and Keith Riel voted against it.
The other three options presented in Laidman’s report were:
That council continue to fund EC3 operations at existing levels under the terms of a new community service agreement using general taxation funds.
That council opt to partially fund EC3 operations under the terms of a new community service agreement using general taxation funds, with the funding amount to be determined.
That council opt to partially fund EC3 operations under a one-year term while the new MCP is completed in 2025, with the funding amount to be determined.
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While acknowledging council’s decision to go with the defunding option was the worst possible outcome, Ditta says the focus now for EC3 is wholly on changing the minds of some councillors in advance of the final 2025 budget being approved by city council on December 9.
“We will be working with city councillors, the arts community, and other influencers to try and make sure EC3 receives its full $100,000 in operating funding and all the programming money ($77,000) for Artsweek, for grants for individual artists and their portion of the money for the Poet Laureate program,” she says. “We have an opportunity to explain what EC3 can do, what the role of an arms-length arts council is in terms of tourism, and remind them what EC3 achieves with a skeleton budget.”
Noting that EC3’s annual budget is “somewhere between $175,000 and $210,000” depending on the programs being delivered and revenues received from grants and fundraising, Ditta says for every dollar invested in the arts, there’s a $25 return to the economy in spin-offs.
“We also provide professional development opportunities, artist-in-residence opportunities, and mentorship opportunities,” she says. “We provide a lot of advice and counselling. If the United Way, for example, needs help commissioning an artist to do a project, we can provide advice. When Trent University is receiving a glass collection as part of a donation, we can help them figure out how they’re going to do that in a professional way. When the Community Health Centre is looking for artists to work with them, we can find ways for them to connect with artists.”
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Ditta adds that, if the city withdraws funding in 2025, EC3 would be unable to continue to carry on these activities or to deliver existing programs supporting the arts and culture community.
“All of those things would be lost, and absolutely every program that we deliver would be lost, such as the Bierk Art Bursary Program, the Peterborough Arts Awards, the Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts, Artsweek, and the Poet Laureate Program. We also have a number of cultural and racial equity initiatives such as Spotlight on Black Artists, Truth and Reconciliation and National Indigenous Day programming, Pride programming. All of those would be lost.”
Ditta notes that EC3 had a “very positive meeting” last Friday (November 15) with Laidman and Jennifer Jones, the city’s acting director of arts and culture.
“He indicated to us that he hoped council would renew our $100,000 grant,” Ditta recalls of the meeting. “He indicated that before council today (Tuesday) as well, and that he would develop a unique template for a service grant contract that’s in line with, and applicable to, an independent arts council, that looked like what our previous contract did and is in line with the contract that other cities have with their arms-length art councils.”
“He also offered to circulate an update on our programs and activities (to provide) an accurate picture of what we had done and accomplished over the past two years.”
kawarthaNOW has obtained a copy of a detailed response to Laidman’s report that Ditta wrote before Tuesday’s vote, complete with added comments that pointed out what Ditta claimed were inaccuracies and misleading statements in the report. However, Ditta chose not to elaborate further on the alleged inaccuracies and misleading statements, instead looking forward to what needs to be done prior to the final vote on the budget.
“We’ll certainly be working hard with a number of councillors and with a number of arts organizations,” she says, adding “I suspect that the 200 people that have received individual artist grants from us will, I hope, want council to listen to what they have to say.”
“It (Tuesday) was a very big day at council. We’re really thrilled that the 25 per cent cuts to all the community service grant recipients and project grant recipients were overturned. That’s a big accomplishment. The community worked very hard together to make that happen. We hope they will now support EC3 in fighting to receive the funding we need to carry on with the excellent work that we do.”
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Asked if she was surprised that council voted to defund EC3 after voting to maintain the funding of the 75 organizations facing a 25 per cent reduction in their 2025 grants, Ditta acknowledges, “It does feel contradictory.”
“One thing we hope the city will recognize is most cities in the province are moving forward with arts councils. They’re not closing them down. They’re investing in them and building them up.”
Although disappointed by council’s decision to do the opposite, Ditta is not dwelling on it because she says “there’s a lot of work to do” before the final vote at December 9th’s city council meeting, when public delegations will also be heard.
“We have confidence that Peterborough is a wise, forward-looking, contemporary city that wants to have an arms-length arts council to fulfill that image,” she says. “I’ve had so many phone calls of support, both personal support and support for EC3. That just makes me realize while it is, on the one hand, the worst of times, it really highlights how fabulous this city is and how the community comes together for things that matter.”
This story has been updated to correct the voting record. The motion to defund EC3 passed 8-3, with councillor Gary Baldwin also voting in favour. The original version of this story stated that he voted against the motion.
A leading Indigenous dance company, Dancers of Damelahamid is bringing their latest production "Raven Mother" to Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough for one night only at 7:30 p.m. on November 26, 2024. Described by Public Energy Performing Arts as the company's "most ambitious production" to date and marking their first performance in Peterborough, "Raven Mother" combines movement, song, regalia, sculpture, and design in honour of the company's late co-founder, Cree Elder Margaret Harris. (Photo: Michael Slobodian)
Public Energy Performing Arts is bringing one of Canada’s leading Indigenous dance companies to Peterborough/Nogojiwanong for the first time on Tuesday (November 26).
A Vancouver-based Gitxsan and Cree dance company, Dancers of Damelahamid will be at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre at 7:30 p.m. for a one-night-only performance as part of a four-city tour for their latest production, Raven Mother.
“Raven Mother speaks to our current realities, drawing from a rich lineage of teachings and insights,” reads a media release from Public Energy.
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Founded in 1967, Dancers of Damelahamid is known for work that blends Indigenous dance forms and regalia with modern projections and technologies. This balance is exemplified in Raven Mother, which is a culmination of generations of art and culture and is rich with details that pay homage to tradition and the people who have come before.
Having recently premiered in Vancouver, Raven Mother honours the late co-founder of the intergenerational company, Elder Margaret Harris, who passed away in 2020.
A respected Cree Elder from northern Manitoba, she spent much of her life on the northwest coast of British Columbia with her husband Chief Kenneth Harris, a former Gitxsan chief with whom she founded Dancers of Damelahamid.
The Dancers of Damelahamid created “Raven Mother” to honour the late Elder Margaret Harris (1931-2020). A respected Cree Elder from northern Manitoba, she spent much of her life on the northwest coast of British Columbia with her husband Chief Kenneth Harris, a former Gitxsan chief with whom she founded Dancers of Damelahamid. Kenneth and Margaret Harris were recognized for the impact that they had in Indigenous performing arts, receiving the Centennial Medal from Queen Elizabeth in 1967 and the Golden Jubilee Medal from British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor in 2003, and were inducted into the National Dance Collection Danse (DCD) Hall of Fame in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Dancers of Damelahamid)
Through the company and beyond, Elder Harris dedicated her life to the revitalization and teachings of Indigenous cultural practices, including song, dance, stories, and regalia making.
Raven Mother illustrates the impact of Elder Harris and the integral role of women in holding cultural knowledge. Labelled by Public Energy as the Dancers of Damelahamid’s “most ambitious production to date,” Raven Mother interweaves movement, song, regalia, sculpture, and design with the narrative.
“It celebrates our mothers who created the stronghold of these art forms and influenced the next generation of women,” the release states. “Raven Mother illuminates the profound leadership of our mothers, their essential contribution in this resurgence, and the force and transformation of this awakening.”
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While the choreography will captivate audiences, it’s the intentional, minor details throughout the production that embody the messaging. For example, the musical score by By Raven Grenier and Ted Hamilton features songs in the endangered northwestern language of Gitxsanimx, set against an ethereal soundscape.
The show also includes intricate transformation masks that open to reveal more masks. The masks, created by Andy Grenier under the mentorship of master carver David A. Boxley, were specifically made for the show to symbolize the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.
Rounding out the wardrobe, fashion designer Rebecca Baker-Grenier has designed an elaborate array of regalia including a feathered Raven cloak, a traditional Gitxsan piece that has not been seen in performance for generations.
“Raven Mother” by Vancouver-based Indigenous dance company Dancers of Damelahamid features intricate transformation masks that open to reveal more masks. Created by Andy Grenier under the mentorship of master carver David A. Boxley, the masks represent the intergenerational transfer of knowledge. The new full-length production recently premiered in Vancouver and will be coming to Peterborough’s Market Hall Performing Arts Centre at 7:30 p.m. on November 26, 2024. (Photo: Michael Slobodian)
Public Energy notes that through a manifestation in various forms, the Raven crest embodies “transformation, the strengthening of culture, the unveiling of a new spirit, and breathing life into a promise made to the children of generations to come.”
Through the blend of culture and transformation, Raven Mother not only pays respect to those who have come before but inspires the next generation to continue to build on tradition.
“Raven Mother is a tangible remembrance of a woman’s spirit, marking the shift between generations that has sparked a new role for our daughters as the force to hold their grandmother’s vision,” states Public Energy.
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Raven Mother runs for 75 minutes and is appropriate for the whole family.
Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $5 to $50 in person at the Market Hall box office (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough), by phone at 705-775-1503, or online at tickets.markethall.org.
To learn more about Public Energy’s 2024-25 season, visit www.publicenergy.ca.
VIDEO: “Raven Mother” by Dancers of Damelahamid
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a long-time media sponsor of Public Energy Performing Arts.
During its budget deliberations on November 19, 2024, Peterborough city council meeting as general committee voted against the 25 per cent funding cut to 75 arts and social services organizations proposed in the 2025 draft budget. (kawarthaNOW screenshot)
Sometimes you can fight city hall and win.
Peterborough city council has voted against a proposed 25 per cent across-the-board cut in funding for 75 arts and social services organizations in the city’s draft 2025 budget.
While meeting as general committee on Tuesday (November 19) to continue a review of the draft budget that began on Monday, Mayor Jeff Leal put forward a motion to maintain 2024 funding amounts for all 75 organizations.
City staff had proposed a 25 per cent cut to the city’s community projects grants and community investment grants program, including existing service grants to Hutchison House and Kawartha Food Share, as well as a 25 per cent cut to 15 organizations that receive annual funding from the city.
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Those organizations are Artspace, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network, Community Care Peterborough, Peterborough Musicfest, Peterborough Folk Festival, Native Learning Program, Community Race Relations Committee, Council for Person with Disabilities, Showplace Performance Centre, Peterborough Lions Club, Peterborough GreenUP, New Canadians Centre, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, and Peterborough Drug Strategy.
The savings to the city from these cuts would be $298,153, which represents only .0007 per cent — less than one per cent of one per cent — of the city’s $411 million operating budget, yet would have a potentially devastating impact according to local organizations.
A rally under the banner “Community, Not Cuts” was held outside city hall last Tuesday (November 12), attended by around 250 people, prior to a public meeting that evening when general committee heard impassioned pleas from 33 public delegations objecting to the proposed cuts, including representatives from 17 community organizations that would be affected by the cuts.
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After Mayor Leal made his motion at Tuesday’s general committee meeting, councillor Alex Bierk spoke against the proposed cuts, adding that he has worked with city staff to find $100,000 from two separate reserves that could be used to help fund arts and social services organizations.
Councillor Joy Lachica also spoke against the proposed cuts, noting that while cuts to community organizations were proposed in last year’s budget, “this time was different” in terms of the scope of the cuts.
“I believe that it’s shameful that we continue to do this to our arts organizations when we have a proposed budget,” she said.
After she continued speaking about the importance of the arts and culture to the community, she abruptly stopped when she overheard “a councillor to my left” say that she was “lecturing,” and later asked for and received an apology for the comment from Mayor Leal.
After questioning whether the mayor’s motion to restore the funding included all the organizations whose funding would be cut, councillor Kevin Duguay proposed that council review the funding for each of the 17 organizations on the list and vote for each separately.
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In support the mayor’s motion, councillor Gary Baldwin noted that he, “like many councillors over the last week or two,” had met with some organizations and people and received emails about the proposed cuts.
“I think it’s a critical step and it’s the right decision for council to restore the full 2024 funding for those organizations,” he said.
Councillor Keith Riel also spoke in favour of the mayor’s motion, noting the number of phone calls, emails, and meetings he had about the proposed cuts.
“The in-person meetings weren’t really that great — I can tell you I got a pretty good whipping,” he said, adding that the arts community is an economic driver for the community.
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As for councillor Duguay’s proposal to review the funding for each of the 17 listed organizations individually, councillor Bierk “absolutely strongly” disagreed with the proposal, pointing out the list is not comprehensive of the 75 organizations that receive funding.
He said the reason city staff had proposed a 25 per cent across-the-board cut was because it “was way too complex of a process” to go through all the organizations’ grants to determine which ones would be cut, and that council doing this would undermine the criteria and process that determined which organizations received a grant and why in the first place.
“The simplest way to do this is to clear the entire page and restore the cuts to the 2024 levels in all categories,” he said.
In later comments, councillor Bierk questioned whether councillor Duguay’s proposal to review each organization’s funding was a good use of time.
“We’re going to spend hours to go through this, to save what? A hundred grand?” he said, reiterating that he had identified $100,000 in reserves that could be used for 2025 funding for the organizations.
“So the ask would be for $198,000. Okay, so you want to spend an afternoon to shave off and whittle away on a $198,000? What is that going to do? Save one per cent of one per cent of one per cent, and get a whole bunch of people frustrated, and maybe have a decision made that’s going to drastically affect a group that needs the money? … We don’t need to waste our time on this ”
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At one point during the meeting, the city’s commissioner of community services Sheldon Laidman shed some light on why city staff had proposed a 25 per cent across-the-board cut to the organizations.
He explained the differences between community project grants, community investment grants, and the 18 organizations that council determined in the past should receive annual funding for the city. He said the city generally provides an inflationary increase in funding each year for these organizations, and city staff don’t scrutinize the funding provided to each organization.
“That’s why it was a difficult exercise for staff,” Laidman explained. “We looked at trying to look at each one of those individually (but) because there’s been no criteria, we just took a blanket approach to the funding of all the agencies at one time.”
Councillor Lesley Parnell said council should consider removing any of the 17 organizations on the list that is receiving less than $15,000 and have them apply for a community investment grant instead.
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As for councillor Don Vassiliadis, he pointed out it doesn’t make a “lot of sense” to go through each organization’s funding line by line.
“We flip through our pages (of the budget), and each page has millions of dollars on it, and now we’re going to go through line by line for something that has less than $300,000,” he said. “This money won’t get us where we need in the budget. A better use of our time is to vote on it and move on.”
In the end, councillor Duguay’s motion to review each organization’s funding line by line lost 6-5, with Mayor Leal and councillors Haacke, Beamer, Duguay, and Parnell voting in favour.
Two votes were then held on Mayor Leal’s original motion to keep funding the 75 organizations at 2024 levels, with the first vote on funding for the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre alone — after councillor Haacke had declared a pecuniary interest with the organization — and the second vote on funding for all the remaining organizations.
The first motion passed unanimously, with only Haacke voting against the second motion.
This story has been updated with a correction to the outcome of the second vote on Mayor Leal’s motion.
Parents Julie and Aaron Grant and their son Jude are being featured in a new promotional campaign recently launched by Five Counties Children's Centre. The regional children's treatment centre supports Jude and other children with special needs in the Kawartha Lakes and in Peterborough, Northumberland, and Haliburton counties. In 2023, Five Counties received a $135,200 grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation to implement new fundraising and communications strategies. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
Selwyn Township parents Aaron and Julie Grant want other parents of children who have special needs to know Five Counties Children’s Centre “will be in your corner as your child’s advocate.”
That has been the case for the Grants, who have received support for their three-year-old son Jude, who has cerebral palsy and developmental delays.
That’s one reason the couple has agreed to be part of a fundraising campaign recently launched by Five Counties Children’s Centre, which serves children with developmental delays in the Kawartha Lakes and in Peterborough, Northumberland, and Haliburton counties.
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“Five Counties has impacted us largely by finding ways to help Jude reach his full potential, both physically and cognitively, and has taught us those strategies to best support his development at home,” the Grants told kawarthaNOW.
The Grants were present last Tuesday (November 12) when Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith met with representatives from Five Counties Children’s Centre, as well as the kids and families involved with the program. In 2023, the centre received an 18-month $135,200 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to implement new fundraising and communications strategies.
The OTF grant is paying off, with Five Counties being able to help more local kids and youth with physical, developmental, and communication needs get care close to home, a media release from Five Counties noted. The grant helped the centre double its fundraising total to $1.2 million in 2023-24 and “remain in a strong position to attract more donors in its current fiscal year.”
Five Counties Children’s Centre staff members Maddie Jackson (far left) and Lyn Giles (far right) with Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith (second from left) and Julie and Aaron Grant (holding his son Jude) in front of an outdoor billboard sign encouraging support for the children’s treatment centre. In 2023, Five Counties received a $135,200 grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation to implement new fundraising and communications strategies. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)
“The impact of this (OTF) funding on our work cannot be overstated,” said Five Counties CEO Scott Pepin.
“The OTF grant has helped us become more resilient and reinvigorated in our fundraising and communication efforts. This has led us to generate more donations, allowing Five Counties to enhance our publicly funded services to reduce wait times and ensure kids and families in Peterborough, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes, and Haliburton/Minden get the care they need when they need it.”
The bulk of the Resilient Communities Fund grant has gone towards creating a new position at Five Counties to support and boost fundraising and communication efforts. The fund development communications assistant position was originally set to last for 18 months but is now being extended by the centre.
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The money has also helped Five Counties to develop, deliver, monitor and evaluate fundraising communications activities, while introducing new, sustainable systems and technologies to better reach donors, Five Counties said.
“The investment by the (OTF) through its Resilient Communities Fund is paying off for children and families in our region,” MPP Smith said. “The OTF grant supplied by the Province of Ontario has helped Five Counties enhance its fundraising efforts and better engage with donors, meaning it can raise extra funds to support more kids’ treatment services.”
In addition, a portion of the OFT grant is designated for promotional purposes. The centre has used this to create new and enhanced digital and print-based materials for fundraising and marketing. Five Counties is also using this portion of the OTF grant to launch a multimedia advertising campaign this November and December that coincides with its annual holiday appeal for donations.
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According to the Grant family, they agreed to be part of the promotional campaign “to help raise awareness of the importance of funding in the delivery of the multitude of services that Five Counties provides.”
“Limited funding is unequivocally the number one barrier to accessing these much-needed services by children with exceptionalities and their families,” the Grants said. “We are aware of the need that exists for Five Counties services across our region, and we would love to see the waitlists reduced through increased funding.”
During the past 18 months, the OTF grant has allowed Five Counties to increase the capacity of its fundraising efforts, and the multimedia campaign expands the scope and size of its annual holiday appeal across multiple new platforms, noted Lyn Giles, the centre’s director of fund development.
VIDEO: “Jude’s Story: Forever Grateful for the Care Received”
“We’re fortunate that we had Five Counties so early on,” said Julie Grant in a video that’s at the heart of the promotional campaign.
“Jude has had so many milestone accomplishments since we’ve been here in the past two years.”
Jude has been a client of Five Counties since he was four months old, and currently receives occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech therapy at the centre.
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“As an organization and as individuals on our therapy team, they have provided us with a sense of community, belonging, the feeling of not being alone in this journey, and have acted as an extension of our family by supporting our fears, answering our questions, and celebrating Jude’s milestones alongside us,” the Grants told kawarthaNOW.
What would they share about the Five Counties with other parents of children who have special needs?
“We would reassure parents that Five Counties will be in your corner as your child’s advocate and will be great supporters of your journey — that the Five Counties community, from the therapists, executive, and other parents, will be your biggest resource, where you can feel confident in trusting the process.”
Holly Butler is the manager of Iceman Video Games in downtown Peterborough, the second location of the business originally founded by her parents in 1992 in Mississauga. Along with new and used video games, the family-owned independent business also sells figures, comic books, and more. (Photo courtesy of Iceman Video Games)
It’s the perfect time to level up for all the gamers on your Christmas lists this year, with big savings during early Black Friday sales at Iceman Video Games in downtown Peterborough.
Iceman Video Games was originally founded in Mississauga in 1992 by Gary Butler and his wife Chris Houle, when Gary decided to quit smoking and the couple bought a Nintendo system to keep his hands occupied. After Gary accumulated lots of games, they decided to start a flea market booth to sell the used games. That eventually led to stores in Toronto, including locations in Kensington Market and on Queen Street West.
In 2005, the family moved the business to downtown Lindsay and, in 2015, they opened a second location in downtown Peterborough with the help of their daughter Holly Butler, who manages the Peterborough location as well as the online store.
Iceman Video Games stocks games for all the major consoles, including Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X, and Nintendo Switch. From Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to Super Mario Party Jamboree, the most in-demand games can be found in store on their release date and can even be pre-ordered. Rumour has it that the next generation of Nintendo Switch might be on its way, and gamers can be sure Iceman Video Games will have it stocked as soon as it’s on the market.
Iceman Video Games in downtown Peterborough encourages the “lost art” of video game trading, allowing customers to swap their used games for new titles. In addition to selling recent releases and used games for several consoles, the Peterborough location sells a vast collection of manga, comic books, trade paperbacks, and graphic novels. (Photo courtesy of Iceman Video Games)
But Iceman Video Games offers more than video games. The business has expanded its inventory to include figures, board games, and card games. While the Lindsay location now has a growing collection of vinyl records as well as CDs, the Peterborough shop is building a comic book collection where buyers can find new and used graphic novels, manga, single issue comic books, and trade paperbacks.
Iceman Video Games also encourages the “lost art” of video game trading. Rather than letting an already-played game collect dust in the closet, gamers can come into the store to swap one game towards the purchase of another. The exchanged game will then be available for another gamer to purchase, making it a win-win-win for the environment, future gamers and, of course, your wallet. You might even be surprised to know how much your old games are worth.
Located at 390 George St. N. in downtown Peterborough, Iceman Video Games is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. For more information about both the Peterborough and Lindsay locations and to shop online, visit icemanvideogames.com
Shop The Boro is a branded editorial feature series about locally owned independent businesses in downtown Peterborough, created in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
With a Boro gift card, supporting locally owned businesses in downtown Peterborough has never been easier. Buy a Boro gift card for your family, friends, or co-workers and let them choose their own adventure. Whether it’s a delicious meal and a night out, a one-of-a-kind find, or a day of relaxation, it’s truly the gift of possibility. You choose the value, they choose the gift.
With a Boro gift card, you are giving more than just a gift — you’re also supporting the people and places that make Peterborough/Nogojiwanong a truly special place to work, live, and play. Shop, dine, and explore the core with Boro gift cards, available online at theboro.ca/product/the-boro-gift-cards/.
Communities across the Kawarthas region will be gathering for festive and family-fun celebrations in the weeks leading up to Christmas. One such festivity will be Port Hope's annual Candlelight Festival, being held from November 29, 2024 to January 2, 2025. (Photo: Ken Solilo)
From the fallen tamaracks and the frosty mornings to festive radio music and the addition of peppermint-flavoured specials, the signs of the holidays are quickly sneaking up on us.
Community is at the heart of the holiday season, and since nobody does community better than the Kawarthas, there is no shortage of merry, spirit-raising, jingle-bell rocking events to bring residents and visitors together.
Including local art exhibits, auctions for a cause, holiday markets, and charity fundraisers, here are a few family-fun events across the region to get you in the Christmas spirit.
A Holiday Art Market at the Colborne Street Gallery in Fenelon Falls (November 1 – December 23)
Visit the Colborne Street Gallery by Tim and Chris in Fenelon Falls before December 23, 2024 for A Holiday Art Market. With a focus on work priced under $400, the exhibit will feature ceramics, paintings, photography, sculptures, and more from over 50 artists. (Photo: Colborne Street Gallery)
Looking for unique gifts for the friends and family on your shopping list this year? Visit the Colborne Street Gallery by Tim and Chris in Fenelon Falls (36 Colborne Street) before Monday, December 23 to browse one-of-a-kind, handmade artwork from more than 50 artists.
The gallery will be filled with decorative paintings, photography, and sculptures, as well as functional artworks like ceramics, towels, puzzles, and a whole lot more. The show is putting a focus on exhibiting pieces priced at under $400.
Visit colbornegallery.ca to preview the artwork and to see the full list of participating artists.
Christmas in the Annex at Bancroft’s A Place for the Arts (November 6 – December 22)
Bancroft’s A Place for the Arts is hosting Christmas in the Annex where a range of original work from local artists in the collective will be priced at $50 or under. Christmas in the Annex is running until December 22, 2024. (Photo: A Place for the Arts)
Show support for local artists without going over your Secret Santa budget by shopping Christmas in the Annex at Bancroft’s A Place for the Arts (23 Bridge Street West).
Until Sunday, December 22, the Annex will be exhibiting small works from artists in the collective, with all items priced at $50 and under. Getting stunning and original artwork at a low cost certainly makes for a merry Christmas for the gift giver, gift receiver, and the local artist.
Haliburton Highlands Land Trust Holiday Auction (November 17 – December 8)
This year, your gift giving could give back to the planet. The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust is launching an online silent auction with close to 100 donated items including Toronto Raptors tickets, artwork, outdoor experiences, concert tickets, and more. Proceeds will support the organization’s purchase of the Hadlington property, a 100-acre site in Highlands East with 28 acres of wetland providing critical habitat for species at risk. The auction is open until December 8, 2024. (Photo: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust)
Make a contribution to the Earth this holiday season by shopping for your holiday gifts online through the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust’s 2024 Holiday Auction until Sunday, December 8.
Nearly 100 items, each at various starting bids, have been donated to the auction, including Toronto Raptors tickets, charcuterie boards, canoe paddles, outdoor experiences, firewood, family photo sessions, concert tickets, artwork, gift certificates, and a lot more.
The funds raised from the auction will go towards the purchase of the Hadlington Property, an undeveloped 100-acre property in Highlands East. The property contains forests, wetlands, and 3.5 kilometres of shoreline along the Irondale River which provide habitat for species at risk. With the purchase of the land, the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust will host hikes, paddles, and workshops on site. The organization is aiming to raise the remaining $75,000 for the land purchase by the end of the year.
Shop for Joy at the Art Gallery of Peterborough (November 21)
An annual event to launch the season of gift giving, Shop for Joy is taking over The Gallery Shop at the Art Gallery of Peterborough on November 21, 2024 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Guests can browse jewellery, ceramics, sculptures, textiles, and more from local artists featured in the gallery and will be entered for a chance to win a holiday package of goods. (Photo: Zach Ward)
To launch the season of gift giving, The Gallery Shop at the Art Gallery of Peterborough (250 Crescent Street) is hosting the annual Shop for Joy event from 2 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 21.
Displaying one-of-a-kind ceramics, glass and metal sculptures, textiles, jewellery, and much more, the shop is known for representing the best artists and makers of the region and designers from around the world.
Every purchase from The Gallery Shop will support the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s programming, as well as local artists and makers. New this year, guests of Shop for Joy will be entered to win a holiday package inspired by local makers featured in the shop.
Holiday Fundraiser at Paulmac’s Pets Cobourg (November 24)
Get your furry friends holiday ready at Paulmac’s Pets in Cobourg on November 24, 2024 with a fundraiser in support of cats and children in Northumberland County. Dog bathing, trimming, and gland expressions will be available, as well as photos with Santa with proceeds going to the Small Town Cat Project. The fundraiser will also be collecting for The Giving Tree. (Photo: Paulmac’s Pets Cobourg)
Get your pup ready for the holidays while supporting the children and pets in Northumberland County at the Holiday Fundraiser at Paulmac’s Pets Cobourg (1111 Elgin Street West) on Sunday, November 24. Presented by the Ryan Huffman Real Estate Team with Bam Quick Bins Northumberland and The Cobourg Pet Nanny, the fundraiser will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and give back to local initiatives.
Customers can get dog bathing, nail trimming, and gland expressions for a minimum donation of $10 per service, with proceeds going to the grassroots Northumberland County Small Town Cat Project, which connects community members with rescue partners. Cross another thing off your holiday list by getting your photos with Santa or your pet’s photos with Santa done directly in store.
The fundraiser will also be collecting for The Giving Tree, a community project that has provided children in need with gifts for the holidays since 1989. Choose a child’s name from the tree, go shopping at a local store, and receive 10 per cent off the purchase.
Walk-ins are welcome, though appointments are recommended. To book, call Paulmac’s directly at 905-373-1268. Visit Paulmac’s Pets Cobourg on Facebook for more information.
“Christmas, Seasons” with the Kawartha String Orchestra in Peterborough (November 24)
The Kawartha String Orchestra in performance at its spring 2024 concert. For its annual winter concert on November 24, 2024, the community orchestra will be playing Purcell, Vivaldi, music from “Home Alone, and festival holiday tunes under the theme “Christmas, Seasons”. With special guests Marcus Quin and Tak Twan, the concert will be accepting monetary donations to Kawartha Food Share. (Photo: Doug Haskell)
Nothing will get us in the Christmas spirit more than listening to holiday tunes and the Kawartha String Orchestra has us covered. The community orchestra is hosting their annual winter concert on Sunday, November 24 at 2 p.m. at Peterborough’s St. James United Church (221 Romaine Street).
With the theme “Christmas, Seasons”, the performance will see the music of Purcell and Vivaldi, as well as music from the cult classic Home Alone, and other traditionally festive classics. The performance will feature guest soloists Marcus Quin on clarinet and Kawartha String Orchestra’s music director and conductor Tak Kwan on violin.
The concert is in support of Kawartha Food Share, with admission by monetary donation (no food items). Visit www.kawarthastring.com for more information.
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Port Hope Candlelight Festival (November 29 – January 2)
Why limit the holiday celebrations to just a few days of the year when we can celebrate for an entire month? That’s exactly what Port Hope chooses to do each year through the Candlelight Festival.
The month kicks off with the Candlelight Walk beginning at Walton and Pine Streets at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 29. As Buddy the Elf says, “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear,” so be sure to access the digital song sheets and come with your singing voices in tune. Don’t forget to also bring a light source (candle or lantern), a donation to the Fare Share Food Bank, and your wallet as Lent Lane will be set up as an outdoor vendor market. The opening celebrations will also include photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, wagon rides, kids’ activities, and the park lighting ceremony in Memorial Park.
The following day, Port Hope will host its Santa Claus Parade under the theme “Miracle on Walton Street” to celebrate the completion of phase two of the Walton Street reconstruction project.
The rest of the month will see the Festival of Lights and Trees annual fundraiser at the Capitol Theatre, which will be hosting special concerts and its annual naughty and nice Christmas panto, based on the fairy tale Rapunzel. There will also be free Christmas light tours for seniors, holiday camps, a pyjama drive, and the Festive Fun Day on Saturday, December 7.
The 25th annual Santa Day in Fenelon Falls on November 30, 2024 will include a variety of family-friendly activities as well as a Santa Claus parade and a spectacular firework display. (Photo: Santa Day website)
You can find a Santa Claus parade anywhere, but not all towns dedicate a full day to the jolly man in red the way Fenelon Falls does. And with the 25th anniversary, this year’s Santa Day promises to be an extra mighty celebration.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 30, there will be family-friendly activities happening all around the downtown, including pony rides, a breakfast with Santa, petting zoos, ornament making, a gingerbread contest, face painting, crafts, chainsaw carving, wagon rides, and so much more.
Then, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., residents and visitors can welcome to Fenelon Falls the man of honour himself through the magic of the Santa Claus parade. From professional bands and spectacular floats to a grand finale firework display, the celebration is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.
Yellow House Bees and OtonaBEE Apiary will be one of the vendors on site during the Lakefield Farmers’ Market annual Holiday Market, taking place beside The Village Inn on December 1, 2024. A great spot to shop unique holiday gifts, the market will feature local small businesses selling food and preservatives, baked goods, artisan goods, and more. (Photo: Lakefield Farmers’ Market)
Get stocked up on all the baked goods and quality produce you’ll need for all the holiday dinners, parties, and events you have scheduled this season by taking a trip to the Lakefield Farmers’ Market annual Holiday Market on Sunday, December 1.
Located beside The Village Inn (39 Queen Street) and running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the special event will be full of local food and preservatives, baking, and wines. It’s also the chance to get Christmas shopping done, as there will be tables of unique artisan goods from local makers.
Visit the Lakefield Farmers’ Market on Facebook for more information.
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Christmas in the Village in Millbrook (December 7)
Presented by the Millbrook Business Improvement Area (BIA), Christmas in the Village returns to Millbrook on December 7, 2024 with a full day of festive fun for the entire family, including a breakfast with Santa with photos and wagon rides, a vendor market, live music, holiday mini photo sessions, a tree lighting ceremony, and more. (Photo: Nexicom)
Santa will be making a stop to Millbrook on Saturday, December 7 for the annual Christmas in the Village celebration.
Presented by the Millbrook Business Improvement Area (BIA), the event features a full day of festive fun for the entire family, including a breakfast with Santa with photos and wagon rides, a vendor market, live music, holiday mini photo sessions, a tree lighting ceremony, and more.
After Breakfast with Santa at the Millbrook Legion, with two seatings at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m, King Street East and surrounding streets will be turned into the Merry Marketplace and Merry Village from noon until 5 p.m. featuring artisans and makers, food trucks, the Merry Lounge for socializing, and the Merry Music Stage featuring local talent. For children of all ages to get creative, Nexicom will be hosting a “Cookies & Crafts” decorating station.
Those looking for family photos for the holidays can book a mini photo session with Millbrook lifestyle photographer Amanda Marlin. For $150, you’ll get a 15-minute session, with a vintage truck decked out for Christmas providing the festive backdrop, and receive 15 digital prints just in time to make your holiday cards or gifts.
Christmas in the Village will wrap up with a tree-lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. on King Street East, between Nexicom and the Millbrook Legion. Bring your own ornament to hang on the tree while you enjoy the sounds of carolling. Christmas celebrations in Millbrook will continue the following weekend, when Santa returns to the village for the annual Santa Claus parade beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 14.
Christmas at Ken Reid in Kawartha Lakes (December 7)
Santa Claus will be making a visit to Ken Reid Conservation Area on December 7, 2024 for the annual Christmas at Ken Reid event. The day will include scavenger hunts, craft stations, vendor markets, a story walks, live music, and more. (Photo: Kawartha Conservation)
Spend some time outside this holiday season by joining Santa Claus at Christmas at Ken Reid from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 7.
Highlights of the free family-fun event at Ken Reid Conservation Area (277 Kenrei Road, Lindsay) include horse-drawn carriages, a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt, kids craft stations, musical entertainment, a Grinch-guided story walk, a birds of prey show, live wood carving demonstrations, and a vendor market.
New this year, guests can get VIP on-site parking with the pre-purchase of a $20 ticket. Otherwise, you need to use off-site parking or catch the free shuttle picking up from multiple locations in Lindsay throughout the day. While admission to the event is free, donations are appreciated and welcomed.
While at Ken Reid Conservation Area, be sure to check out the enchanting Illuminated Forest which will be taking over the area throughout December. Open nightly from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the light displays over the canopy of trees will leave you in awe.
Peterborough’s Christmas for the Kids (December 15)
Peterborough’s Modern Makers Market is hosting the second annual Christmas for the Kids on December 15, 2024. The family-friendly event will include cookie decorating, photo booths, the Elf Gift Shop, and more. (Photo: Modern Makers Market)
You may know that each year Peterborough’s Modern Makers Market hosts the annual Modern Holiday Market on December 1, but did you know they also organizes an event dedicated to kids?
Christmas for the Kids takes place at the Morrow Building (151 Lansdowne Street West) on Sunday, December 15, beginning at 10 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults and free for those 16 and under.
The Elf Gift Shop is set up like a retail store, giving young gift-givers the chance to make their own intentional purchases for their friends, family members, and those who are most special to them. Kids will be able to purchase something-no matter their budget-and then can get help in getting it wrapped and tagged to bring home. The shop is a fundraising initiative that will give grocery card gift cards those in the region facing food insecurity.
In addition to browsing the small vendors market and getting a bite at the food court, kids can satisfy their sweet tooth by decorating cookies before heading to the Christmas Craft Table to create holiday cards and create handmade ornaments. They can then cuddle, pet, and play with furry friends at the petting zoo, and capture the afternoon with a pose or a selfie with Santa at the photo booth.
As for the Modern Holiday Market, it runs at the Morrow Building from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 1 and features 100 vendors. Admission is $5 at the door.
For more information on both events, visit the Modern Makers Market on Facebook.
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