Kyla Gutsche, founder and owner of Cosmetic Transformations, a renowned cosmetic and medical micropigmentation company in Peterborough that can enhance or restore features people have lost due to illness, trauma, surgery or the aging process. (Photo: Ash Nayler Photography)
When Kyla Gutsche was little, she wanted to be a Formula One championship racer and Prime Minister of Canada — at the same time. She laughs about it now but, even if her dream was unrealistic, Kyla could never have predicted what she would become: one of the world’s leading medical tattoo artists.
Through her company Cosmetic Transformations, Kyla restores peoples’ appearances when they have been marred by illness, trauma, surgery, or even age. In many cases, she offers these people a new lease on life.
“People naturally know that physical injury carries deep emotional scars,” Kyla says. “Restoring the physical appearance can have a very profound affect on a person’s emotional wellbeing.”
Kyla has first-hand experience — she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 26. She survived the cancer, but it destroyed her emotionally.
The treatment left her without eyebrows, and the permanent make-up procedure she underwent to help restore her eyebrows was a disaster. A second procedure to fix that disaster and replace the pigment in her lips caused an allergic reaction so severe she could barely face the world.
“It’s psychologically disturbing to look in the mirror and not recognize yourself,” she says, recounting her experience. “The emotional scars that accompany physical ones can be debilitating.”
After surviving ovarian cancer at the age of 26, Kyla Gutsche was left without eyebrows. After undergoing two unsuccessful cosmetic procedures, Kyla decided to apply her own visual arts background so that others could avoid similar experiences and have the renewed confidence to face and enjoy the world. (Graphic: Cosmetic Transformations)
If it weren’t for her father, Kyla’s story might have been significantly different. Her father took a year off work and dragged his daughter out of her house — and out of her depression.
“He basically told me ‘If you can’t find a way to love yourself the way your mother and I love you, maybe you can find a way to love other people’.
Father and daughter volunteered in the community with young people.
“He was right. I found myself again, helping others.”
With the doctorate in visual arts she held from Oxford University — and a special interest in medical illustration — Kyla now had a personal experience to motivate that career. She turned her life to helping restore other’s appearances.
She focused on developing a process that would not leave clients in the same state she had found herself. Kyla co-developed a dispersant that enables the artist or surgeon to layer pigments in the skin or scarring, so that the results simulate the translucency of normal skin. She trained with international leaders in the industry, with plastic surgeons, and even apprenticed with prisoners tattooing on the inside under the watchful eye of the wardens!
Kyla Gutsche is one of the world’s leading providers of micropigmentation tattoos, including semi-permanent make-up, replacement eyebrows, 3D areolas, and scar camouflage. She has recently expanded her services to include decorative tattooing with medically safe pigments in a medical atmosphere. (Graphic: Cosmetic Transformations)
Kyla has won two Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards (2011), the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Innovation Award in 2012, and was named Peterborough Business Woman of the Year in 2013. Her dispersant is patented and sold in 52 countries, and her expertise and care have received international attention, with clients travelling from as far away as Australia and The Middle East. Even surgeons from Japan and Milan have come to Peterborough to learn her specialized techniques.
Kyla recently partnered with Peterborough’s first female plastic surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Klok, to create a center of excellence for reconstructive services that has put Peterborough on the map.
Now, from their office on the top floor of the Medical Arts Clinic on Charlotte Street (the former office of the late prominent Peterborough physician Andrew Chan), Kyla performs half of her services for free to young trauma survivors.
“I do this as a tribute to Dr. Chan and his staff who contributed so much to the community,” she says. “They have inspired me to do the same.”
Cosmetic Transformations is located on the top floor of the Medical Arts Clinic (Suite 301, 272 Charlotte Street) in Peterborough.
Restorative services at Cosmetic Transformations include eyelash and eyebrow simulation, lip enhancement, scar and vitiligo camouflage (with either the client’s skin tones or decorative images that empower them), as well as three-dimensional areola and nipple restoration.
Kyla has recently expanded her services to include decorative tattooing with medically safe pigments in a medical atmosphere, performed by herself and her colleague Carl Johann Christensen — a veteran tattooist in the community who eagerly joined Cosmetic Transformations in 2017.
“I’m honoured to be working alongside her,” Carl says. “It’s so much more than a job — it’s a vocation.”
Kyla, Carl, and the other members of her team truly love what they do and the people for whom they do it.
Cosmetic Transformations is located on the top floor of the Medical Arts Clinic (Suite 301, 272 Charlotte Street) in Peterborough. For more information, call 705-931-5955, email info@cosmetictransformations.com, or visit www.cosmetictransformations.com. You can also follow Cosmetic Transformations on Facebook.
Moody's Bar and Grill just opened on Tupper Street in Millbrook, giving local residents a new late-night food option. (Photo: Moody's Bar and Grill)
This month, Eva Fisher catches up with two new restaurants opening in the Kawarthas, gets a sneak peek at The Night Kitchen’s new location, learns about a new squash trend hitting the Kawarthas this fall (hint: you don’t have to peel it), and discovers one of the best Day of the Dead parties in the region.
Why did a lawyer and a paralegal decide to start a restaurant?
It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but to Peter Vance and Sarah Cooling, co-owners of Moody’s Bar and Grill (3 Tupper St., Millbrook, 705-932-6663) , it’s a way to create community connection through great food and atmosphere.
The two met while working at the Legal Centre of Northumberland.
The new restaurant opened its doors without much fanfare on Wednesday. October 11th and, fortunately according to Peter, there weren’t any hectic opening night surprises.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly everything ran. All of our staff swung into gear and did a great job.”
Moody’s homemade hamburger with aged cheddar, fries, and a roasted beet salad. Some of the ingredients come from Circle Organic farm in Millbrook. (Photo: Moody’s Bar and Grill)
That may be because the restaurant is staffed by an experienced team. General Manager Jamie Williams previously held the position of General Manager at The Social Bar and Table in Port Hope. Chef Lee Black has spent the last decade working at Kawartha Downs but, prior to that, he worked at Peterborough’s Brio Gusto.
The restaurant offers a menu of sandwiches, appetizers, salads, and pasta with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and food made from scratch.
For Peter, opening a restaurant is about more than the food — it’s a way to create community. He notes that although there are great dining options in Millbrook, at the moment the only restaurant open after 9 p.m. is Subway.
Moody’s Thai Coconut and Peanut Mussels with cilantro and red bell pepper. (Photo: Moody’s Bar and Grill)
“For me, the roots of this project are based in a love for real culture. Real local culture is an important driving forced in society for good. It’s really easy to get caught up in pop culture and have your life revolve around what folks in New York or Los Angeles or London are doing. There’s something really meaningful about real interpersonal relationships with people from your community.
“The idea of a bar or restaurant is about creating a space for people to have real interactions with each other.”
For more information about Moody’s, including their menu, visit their Facebook page.
It takes a village to make a Taqueria
Taco fans rejoice — a new tacqueria and Mexican restaurant is opening in the heart of Peterborough’s cafe district. La Mesita Catering (229 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-875-2505), a popular vendor at the Peterborough Farmers’ Market, is in the process of renovating 229 Hunter Street West, the location formerly occupied by The Night Kitchen.
Owner and chef Martin Carbajal and his wife Kelly Carbajal are thankful for the support they have received from their customers, including during renovations. Martin explains:
Customers and friends helping move the steam table into the new location for La Mesita Restaurant and Catering. (Photo: La Mesita Restaurant and Catering)
“The doors at the new location are very old and most of the equipment could not be passed through, so we asked friends and customers for help. The response was amazing. Many people came to help and it was like the old days when friends help each other building barns.”
A room full of friends and customers lifted La Mesita Restaurant and Catering’s new steam table through the front window of 229 Hunter Street.
The new restaurant will serve tacos and authentic Mexican food. They will serve tortas (Mexican sandwiches) made with fresh torta bread baked daily in house. There will be vegetarian and gluten-free options. There will also be a variety of soups, salads, and desserts to round out the menu.
Martin is excited to bring a new restaurant concept to Peterborough.
“We are excited about having a spot where people can try real Mexican and also enjoy a concept not to common in Canada, the taqueria concept”
Martin and Kelly plan to open the new location on October 30th, just in time for Día de Muertos (“Day of the Dead”). In the meantime, you can stay up to date on the renovations by following La Mesita Restaurant and Catering on Facebook.
A new spin on The Night Kitchen
The Night Kitchen’s new location is decorated with lights made by owner Tim Weatherup from mixer attachments. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
The Night Kitchen (168 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-741-0300) has moved to a new, larger location just down the street from its previous spot at 229 Hunter Street. Although they are reluctant to name a date, they will be open very shortly.
Owners Yannick Thiriar and Tim Weatherup occupied the previous spot beginning in 2001. Tim says that it was time to move on.
“The place had done us well for a long time, but it needed some love.”
The extra square footage will allow them to offer a more diverse menu and become licensed to sell alcohol. Tim says that although menu expansion is in the plans, they’re starting small with a few appetizers and desserts.
“What we want to do is get open, and once we’re open we can start adding more to the menu.”
That means all of your old Night Kitchen favourites will remain on the menu. Tim’s preferred pizza these days is the Lone Wolf.
“It’s got cilantro pesto, spinach, jerk chicken, pineapple, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella … it’s an interesting bunch of flavours that work well together.”
Yannick’s favourite “changes every day. I like the Bocce Spin. It’s a red sauce pizza with tomato, portabello mushrooms, and red onion. I like eating my slices with honey.”
At The Night Kitchen, the name is a key part of creating a new pizza.
“A lot of people come up with good pizzas who work for us, and that’s my first question. What are you going to name it? You meed a good name. Each one has a little story behind it.”
The Lone Wolf is inspired by the iconic t-shirt displaying a wolf howling at the moon. The Bocce Spin got its name from Yannick and Tim’s love of bocce.
Some have musical names: Closer to the Heart references a Rush song, and there are pizzas inspired by Hall and Oates and Devo. Tim and one of their previous staff members brought some Devo-themed pizzas to their show in Toronto and ended up backstage with the band.
The Night Kitchen is almost ready to open at its new Hunter Street West location. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
I asked Yannick and Tim what message they wanted to send to their customers. Yannick spoke first.
“We’re still here. It’s us.”
Tim agreed. “It’s going to look a little different, but we’ve been waiting a long time to make the next step and this is the next step for us. We’re excited by the chance to push the envelope again.”
For more information about The Night Kitchen including the re-opening, visit nightkitchen.ca.
Ode to Squash
Chick-a-biddy Acres harvested “easily a tonne” of squash this fall, according to owner Sherry Patterson. (Photo: Chick-a-biddy Acres)
Butternut, spaghetti, hubbard, or delicata — squash is everywhere this time of year. I spoke with a farmer and a restaurant owner about some of the best ways to enjoy squash this season, and the surprise favourite squash that you don’t need to peel.
A grower’s perspective
Sherry Patterson of Chick-a-biddy Acres (5009 County Rd. 2, Hastings, 705-696-3506) grows a variety of organic vegetables, specializing in “hand made food. We don’t have a lot of big equipment.”
At Chick-a-biddy they grow “at least a dozen varieties of squash”, and this year’s harvest was particularly bountiful; Sherry estimates “easily a tonne”.
The butternut is the most popular, but sweet dumpling, spaghetti, and kabocha types are also big hits. Uchiki Kuri (also known as hokkaido squash) is her favourite variety.
“It is so dry, creamy, nutty, sweet … bright orange red.”
Judy Cameron, an employee at By the Bridge, serves a salad with hokkaido and summer squash. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
A chef’s perspective
Bridget Cullen, owner of By the Bridge (382 Water St., Peterborough, 705-775-5050) is no stranger to the culinary joys of squash. By the Bridge serves squash in soups including their Thai coconut and their squash and apple bisque. They offer a black bean, sage, onion, and hokkaido squash salad and they often cut squash into wedges, roast it, and put it on sandwiches.
By the Bridge sources their squash from three different local farmers including Twin Pines and Real Acres.
The hokkaido squash, also known as Uchiki Kuri, is a favourite at By the Bridge and at Chick-abiddy Acres. Here Bridget Cullen shows her love. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
“We are drowning in squash right now. They’re everywhere.”
Reaffirming my belief that I need to run to the Farmers’ Market as soon as possible on a squash mission, Bridget’s favourite squash is also the hokkaido.
“It just has a different texture, so it’s half way between a squash and a sweet potato. And you can eat the skin so you don’t have to peel it.”
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with three local chefs
La Hacienda’s annual Day of the Dead party is known for great costumes and atmosphere. (Photo: La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant)
Sandra Lennox, owner of La Hacienda (190 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-742-1559) has hosted one of the best Day of the Dead parties in the Kawarthas for the past five years. This year, chefs Kevin McKenna from Sam’s Place and George Madill from Primal Cuts will also take part. This is the first time that outside chefs have been involved in the event.
The event takes place on Friday, November 3rd and Saturday, November 4th beginning at 8 p.m..
Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos in Spanish) is a traditional Mexican memorial celebration for loved ones who have passed on, and Sandra notes that food can be a big part of that.
“It’s a day to remember them and to eat in their honour. We bring out the foods that they like.”
One food that’s always on the menu? Day of the Dead Bread. It’s traditionally made only for the holiday, and is spiced with anise and brushed with an orange glaze.
George from Primal Cuts will bring Canadian shrimp and heritage pork, which will be used in the main course, a drowned sandwich which is, just as it sounds, drowned in sauce. There will also be traditional desserts and more courses still to be planned.
Book now for this year’s Day of the Dead celebration at La Hacienda. (Graphic: La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant)
The annual Día de Muertos celebration transforms the restaurant.
“It’s a real ambience. People get their faces painted and wear tuxedos. You are transported to a different place.”
And although it’s a memorial event, it is still lighthearted.
“I think Mexican culture is the only culture that laughs about death. It’s fun even though it’s sad.”
You can reserve a seat by calling La Hacienda, but this event sells out every year so book now.
Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is a not-for-profit organization that helps passionate entrepreneurs launch and grow tech-based or innovation-based businesses across the Peterborough and Kawarthas region.
As Peterborough grows as a clean tech hub, more startups and entrepreneurs are seeking support and expertise necessary to succeed in increasingly competitive markets — and that’s where the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas can help.
Startups, How Bad Do You Want It?
Do you have an idea for a clean tech, ag tech, health care or digital startup, or have you already launched one and need some help? Do you have the passion, hunger, and work ethic to bring your idea to fruition? The willingness to put in the hours and hard work necessary to achieve your goals? If so, you can benefit from becoming a client of the Innovation Cluster. Apply now.
Adam and Michael Doran know first hand that, when it comes to sustaining a new business, getting off the ground is an impressive feat in and of itself.
Five years ago, when the cousins started Aclarus Inc., a water company that treats wastewater using ozone for home, cottage, agriculture, industrial and wastewater applications, the road to entrepreneurial success wasn’t initially paved with gold.
The two young entrepreneurs came to Peterborough to seek financial backing and technical expertise to manufacture their system.
They had the technology right and industry knowledge, but were less skilled when it came to planning a business, getting financing, and commercializing their product.
VIDEO: Startups, How Bad Do You Want It?
“We didn’t quite know what to do,” says Adam, vice-president of marketing and sales for Aclarus Inc. “We had so many questions. We have this great technology that’s been tested, but what is our next step? How do we find investors? What more needs to be done?”
Adam and Mike set up a meeting with the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, a not-for-profit organization located in downtown Peterborough, which helps entrepreneurs start new businesses that are either tech-based or innovation-based across the Peterborough and Kawartha region.
The Innovation Cluster’s collaborative area, dubbed The Cube, is a large open-concept space providing the tools and resources that budding entrepreneurs need to develop innovative companies, including office space, boardrooms, a library, and a virtual reality development studio.
Prior to working with the Innovation Cluster, Adam says it was challenging in the beginning building models, getting approvals and finding some footing in the clean tech industry.
“The environment was right for us to be based in Peterborough, and the Innovation Cluster made it easy to get us the right match for what we needed, including introductions to research and financing opportunities to help give us some financial stability and access to professional mentors. It has been instrumental in fostering the growth of our business.”
Word about ozone technology is continuing to spread, giving Aclarus Inc. the opportunity to break into different markets. The company currently has 650 systems in nine provinces and 10 countries, including the U.S., Cyprus, Central America,, and Costa Rica.
“We have a growing staff and we’re in markets we never dreamed of. People are kicking our door down for our technology,” he says.
The Innovation Cluster sets up new entrepreneurs with coaching and training from industry experts. Here incubator clients meet with Innovation Specialists.
Aclarus Inc. joins the growing list of successful startups the Innovation Cluster has helped launch, including NobleGen Inc., SimbiH20, Independent Reach, Entomo Farms, Lab Improvements, and Chimp Treats.
One way to help get your business off the ground is to leverage the benefits of a business incubator, says Mike Skinner, the Innovation Cluster’s President and CEO.
The Innovation Cluster offers clients a comprehensive menu from coaching, funding, connections with top investors and mentors, networking events, and collaborative work environments.
The Innovation Cluster fosters networking among entrepreneurs, potentially leading to great opportunities. This could be in the form of mentorships or merely making introductions that could lead to lucrative deals.
“When you’re running a business, you don’t necessarily know what hurdles you’re going to run into,” Mike says. “Maybe you need help with bringing on a shareholder, drafting a partnership agreement or hiring your very first employee. We bring in advisors and mentors who help identify roadblocks and explain the ramifications and what you can and can’t do.
“For entrepreneurs, hurdles happen at different times and in different ways. What we are doing, through our programs, is trying to connect those dots.”
According to the Innovation Cluster, startups that are nurtured in a business incubator program have an 80 per cent survival rate. By comparison, only 25 per cent will make it without incubator support within four or five years of launching.
“When it comes to government grants and loans, local agencies are more eligible to lend to businesses knowing that their chances of becoming more successful are greater having gone through an incubator,” Mike explains.
The Innovations Cluster’s second incubator is located in the DNA Building at Trent University and specializes in supporting projects that require state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, such as green technology, health care, and agricultural technology
In just a year, the Innovation Cluster has already yielded some outstanding numbers.
They’ve helped clients receive $10 million in public and private investments, supported 28 different innovation companies, helped entrepreneurs create 47 new jobs in the tech sector, supported the commercialization of three products including licensing and patents, and has brought in over 23 knowledge partners that support all startup clients in areas like patents, law and finance.
Many of their successful clients stay within the Peterborough region.
The Innovation Cluster caters to agriculture technology, health care and digital sectors, with a strong focus on clean technology. They work closely with Fleming College’s Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment and recently launched the Trent Makerspace, a world-class lab facility for clean-tech companies to produce, test and commercialize IP based biotechnology products at Trent University.
The incubator space is also designed to encourage collaboration. Many incubator clients are at very different stages in their businesses, but sitting next to each other offers up the opportunity to meet and collaborate on ideas.
There is a global need for clean technology and local research facilities, Mike adds.
“Clean tech is a fastest-growing market,” Mike notes. “We really want to see Peterborough and the Kawarthas become an ecosystem for clean tech companies, very much like the way Silicon Valley became a hub and an ecosystem which is really supporting itself.”
The Innovation Cluster’s collaborative area, dubbed The Cube, is a large open-concept space located at 270 George Street North in downtown Peterborough.
It provides the tools and resources that budding entrepreneurs need to develop innovative companies, including office space, boardrooms, a library, and the “Virtual and Augmented Reality Zone” — a development studio where incubated clients can use cutting-edge virtual and augmented reality hardware like the Oculus Rift, Playstation VR, HTC Vive, Google Daydream, and an MSI Gaming laptop that is VR-compatible.
The Cube features a virtual reality development studio. Here a client works in the Virtual and Augmented Reality Zone of the incubator.
The second incubator is a 1,000-square-foot space located in the DNA Building at Trent University and specializes in supporting projects that require state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, such as green technology, health care, and agricultural technology.
The Innovation Cluster currently incubates 20 full-time tenants whose businesses are headquartered in either The Cube or Trent University, and 40 part-time tenants who use desk space on a regular basis to help keep them motivated and creative.
The space itself is designed to encourage innovation and collaboration. Many current clients are at very different stages in their businesses, but sitting next to each other offers up the opportunity to meet and collaborate on ideas.
The Innovation Cluster offers free workshops for startups and entrepreneurs. Here aspiring entrepreneurs attend a Knowledge Partner workshop inside The Cube.
Do you have a great new innovative business idea, but need a place to start? For more information about how the Innovation Cluster can help you, visit www.innovationcluster.ca.
If you’d like to become a client of the Innovation Cluster, apply now.
Video and photos courtesy of Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
Peterborough-based digital startup Kavtek Software Corporation launched a pilot project for its augmented and virtual reality platforms in the Innovation Cluster's new 'Virtual & Augmented Reality Zone' on October 11, 2017. (Photo: Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas)
Kavtek Software Corporation
Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas has just launched the Virtual & Augmented Reality Zone, featuring local startup and cluster client Kavtek Software Corporation.
Kavtek owners Sanu Somaweera and Alexandra Campbell have partnered with real estate, furniture, and tech companies to provide engaging and innovative visualization platforms.
Historic San Antonio in Texas, which is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2018, is one of the destinations you can fly to from the Peterborough Airport. (Photos: Carlson Wagonlit Travel)
Carlson Wagonlit Travel has announced their 2018 Peterborough Airport departures. Destinations include Chicago, Washington, San Antonio, and Charlottetown PEI.
All packages include round-trip airfare, three nights’ accommodations, hotel transfers, and lots more.
Jason Stabler has joined MQL – Total HR Outsourcing.
Jason Stabler recently joined the team at MQL as the Vice President of Business Development. MQL delivers human resources outsourcing to small- and mid-sized businesses across Canada.
Jason spent eight years at the New Canadians Centre and will be developing new market opportunities for employee lifecycle services, policy manual management, payroll administration, performance reviews, compensation planning, and more.
David Coletto, marketing research leader and expert on millennials, is delivering a keynote prsentation at the 3th Annual Tri-Association Manufacturing Conference at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club on October 24.
The Kawartha Manufacturers Association is hosting the annual Tri-Association Manufacturing Conference for the first time.
The October 24th event features a full day of programming of interest to local manufacturers.
TD Bank Group Vice-President and Deputy Chief Economist Derek Burleton.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is presenting the TD Economic Outlook Luncheon at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club on Thursday, November 2nd.
TD Bank Group Vice-President and Deputy Chief Economist Derek Burleton will discuss what will shape our economic landscape as we plan for the year ahead. The event also features an update from Peterborough & the Kawarthas President & CEO Rhonda Keenan on regional growth opportunities.
Margo MacDonald, writer and performer of "The Elephant Girls", which tells the story of The Forty Elephants all-female gang of thieves that operated out of London UK from the late 19th century to the 1950s. MacDonald will be performing the play from October 18 to 21 in Millbrook, Cobourg, Warkworth, and Bloomfield. (Photo: Andrew Alexander)
Next week, Port Hope’s Ontario Street Theatre — in conjunction with Parry Riposte Productions — is bringing something special to four small communities in the Kawarthas and eastern Ontario.
From October 18th to 21st, producer Sean Carthew is presenting the award-winning one-woman show The Elephant Girls on a four-stop tour in Millbrook, Cobourg, Warkworth, and Bloomfield. Directed by Mary Ellis and written and performed by Margo MacDonald, The Elephant Girls explores the history of The Forty Elephants (also known as The Forty Thieves), a real-life all-female crime syndicate that terrorized London UK for over a century.
“The Elephant Girls” has received rave reviews both here at home and in the UK. (Photo: Andrew Alexander)
Making its debut at the Ottawa Fringe Festival in 2015, The Elephant Girls has been a major theatrical success for Margo MacDonald since the moment it hit the stage. Selling out its initial run, and held over for three additional performances, the show won all the top awards for the festival, and went on to sweep all the categories in Ottawa’s Rideau Awards later that year.
Margo has been touring the show across Canada ever since. In 2016 Margo brought The Elephant Girls to Europe, where it played for a month at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
The show proved so popular that she brought it back to Europe earlier this year, where she staged the show for three weeks in the Elephant and Castle District where the Forty Elephants gang operated.
The show also was featured in the International Dubbin Gay Theatre Festival and at the Rialto Theatre in Brighton, England. After its four-performance run in the Kawarthas, The Elephant Girls will be returning to Toronto as part of the One More Night Festival.
“I have been following The Elephant Girls for two years at least,” says Sean Carthew, who originally founded Ontario Street Theatre as a theatre space in Port Hope and has since converted it into a pop-up theatre company that stages shows across in various locations across the Kawarthas.
“As soon as I saw what the play was about I knew I had to get it here,” he continues. “How does no one know about an all-women’s gang that terrorized London for over one hundred years?
“It comes down to the story. It’s interesting, intriguing and enlightening. Throw in one hell of a performance from the playwright herself and it’s a done deal. Plus Margo herself is endearing, strong, talented and down-to-earth and she is brave enough to try a four small-town tour.”
VIDEO: “The Elephant Girls” Trailer
Margo MacDonald first learned of the not-so-infamous gang from a mention on social media, and turned into a passion project that has paid off for the Toronto-based performer.
“I stumbled across a mention of The Forty Elephants on Facebook,” Margo recalls. “I was reading a post and someone had commented, ‘Yes, but have you heard of The Forty Elephants? They were a real-life all-female gang in Victorian England.’
“I immediately became intrigued and, after a bit of googling, realized the gang had been more or less forgotten about and was only recently brought back to light in a book written by Brian McDonald called The Gangs of London. I decided pretty quickly I wanted to write about them, to share their story and to explore more about what made them work.
“They started out as the women’s branch of the Elephant and Castle gang, or The Elephant Boys, in London, England. They were the wives, daughters, and sisters of the male gang members and operated as thieves for the gang. Some sources say they go back as far as the 1700s but the first mention of the Elephant Girls, or the Forty Thieves as they were known at the time, in police records dates to the 1840s.
“They were around, terrorizing London shopkeepers, for over 100 years. They were at the height of their power under Queen Alice Diamond in the 1920s, but that is also when events took place which would lead to their downfall. This is the time period my play focuses on. The gang held on in a much diminished form until the 1950s, and then fizzled out into obscurity.”
“The Elephant Girls” is a one-woman show written and performed by Toronto’s Margo MacDonald. (Photo: Andrew Alexander)
But as Margo points out, due to their economic situation and social status at the time, for most women in the Elephant and Castle area, becoming an Elephant Girl seemed to be their best option for survival.
“Elephant and Castle was, and to some extent still is, one of the poorest and roughest areas of London,” Margo explains. “These women had very little to choose from in terms of how to survive. Becoming a member of the gang seemed like the best option to many of them. They mostly robbed high-class department stores of London’s excessively wealthy West End and felt it was their right to do so.
They mostly robbed high-class department stores of London’s excessively wealthy West End and felt it was their right to do so. They stole from the rich and gave to themselves.
“They stole from the rich and gave to themselves. The money they made when towards buying fancy clothes and living the party lifestyle — until they ran out of money and then they’d go out on the rampage again.”
In The Elephant Girls, Margo explores the story of the gang through her character named Maggie Hale.
“Maggie is a fictional character, but one whose story is made up of bits and pieces of various actual gang members’ lives and careers,” she says. “Most of the history and stories of the gang you hear in the show are based on what is on historical record about them.
“The fictional parts of the show are those which deal with the specific relationships between the women, the emotional through-line, the reasons behind why they did what they did.
“None of these women, unlike some of the male gangsters, wrote memoirs. All we have of their words are those recorded in police records, court transcripts, and reported in the newspapers. So I’ve had to use my imagination to put together the ‘whys’ of what they did in order to make the show dramatic and a piece of theatre, rather than a history lecture.
“But in researching my characters I looked not only to the past but also the present — it turns out the reasons why girls join gangs today are pretty much the same as they were a hundred years ago.”
In “The Elephant Girls”, Margo MacDonald explores the story of The Forty Elephants gang through her fictional character, an “enforcer” named Maggie Hale. (Photo: Allan Mackey)
Margo describes her character Maggie as an “enforcer” for the Elephant Girls. As Margo explains, the enforcers had a unique and dangerous role in the gang.
“There are newspaper articles which highlight the fact the gang had a handful of women who dressed as men, drove the getaway cars, and did all the dirty work. I found this to be one of the most interesting facts I came across and decided to tell the story from the point of view of one of these enforcers.
“They are the ones who would get their hands dirty, keep the girls in line, and warn off rival gangs or independent thieves who tried to operate in the gang’s territory.”
After winning theatrical awards across Ontario and being performed on two continents, the fact that The Elephant Girls will be performed in some smaller Ontario communities is a real treat. This is a part of Ontario Street Theatre’s mandate to bring first-rate theatre from the larger cities so smaller cities can enjoy critically acclaimed theatre.
“I think it is important to challenge audiences and offer something they may have not thought of going to see or had the opportunity to be able to go to,” says Sean. “Bringing indie, edgy shows to small towns works. Why should only bigger cities get to see this kind of show? The talent will come here, so let’s do it.
“When Margo said yes to coming here I felt very proud. Proud that I was going to be a part of bringing such great theatre to audiences that may have never had the chance to see something like this and proud that a talent like Margo wanted to work with me and follow my vision of a four small town tour. I am also proud of the response from all the towns. People are getting on board and going.”
Margo MacDonald displaying her Critic’s Choice Award for “The Elephant Girls” from Hamilton Fringe 2017. (Photo: Margo MacDonald)
Sean plans to continue bringing similar theatre to the Kawarthas in the same format of putting on four performances on four consecutive nights in four smaller towns. Currently, he is planning on presenting another production for the Christmas holidays.
“I really just hope that people are entertained,” Sean says. “Whether it’s the story, the history, the performance, subject matter, or just being great edgy theatre, this show will entertain you.”
The Elephant Girls will be performed on Wednesday, October 18th in Millbrook at a yet-to-be-disclosed location (email Sean at ontariostreettheatre@gmail.com for details); on Thursday, October 19th in Cobourg at The Concert Hall at Victoria Hall Concert Hall; on Friday, October 20th in Warkworth at the Warkworth Town Hall Centre for the Arts; and on Saturday, October 21st in Bloomfield at the Baxter Arts Centre.
The shows start at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25 (except for the Cobourg show, a fundraiser for the Art Gallery of Northumberland, where tickets are $35). For information on where to purchase tickets for each performance in person and online, visit the Ontario Street Theatre website at popupshows.ca or follow them on Facebook.
For more information on The Elephant Girls, visit the Parry Riposte Productions’ website at parryriposte.ca.e
Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene, which recently won Attractions Ontario's Ontario Choice Awards as Top Small Museum/Art Gallery/Historic Site, is one of the finalists in the Tourism/Hospitality Excellence category for the Kawartha Chamber's 2017 Awards of Excellence. The award recipients will be announced on November 3. (Photo: Lang Pioneer Village Museum)
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism has announced the 25 finalists for the 2017 Awards of Excellence.
The award recipients will be announced at the 18th Annual Awards of Excellence Gala on Friday, November 3rd at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene.
The Chamber received more than 80 nominations for 60 businesses and organizations, and finalists were selected by a confidential judging panel comprised of five people representing different geographic areas and business sectors.
According to the Chamber, the judges were very impressed by the nominees and found it very challenging to name only one in each category as the recipient. In some categories, they have chosen to recognize more than three finalists.
Tickets for the Awards of Excellence Gala ($85 per person plus HST) are still available and can be reserved online.
Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region
Retailer of the Year
Sponsored by Nexicom
Celtic Connection
Cross Wind Farm
East of Eden Antiques
Tourism/Hospitality Excellence
Sponsored by Peterborough & Kawartha Economic Development
Beachwood Resort
Lang Pioneer Village Museum
McLean Berry Farm
Six Foot Bay Resort
Customer Service Excellence
Sponsored by CIBC
Accurate Accounting & Tax Service
Camp Kawartha
Salon Sorella & Day Spa
Tribal Voices
Village Pet Food & Supply
Outstanding Business Achievement
Sponsored by County of Peterborough
Accurate Accounting & Tax Service
BALL Real Estate Inc., Brokerage
Griffin’s Greenhouses
Note: The Young Professional (sponsored by Community Futures Peterborough) and Citizen of the Year (sponsored by RBC Royal Bank) finalists will be announced at the gala.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has granted Sears Canada's request for a complete liquidation of its assets, including all 130 of its remaining stores including the Peterborough store at Lansdowne Place.
If there was any doubt, it’s now official: Sears Canada will be no more.
Earlier today (October 13), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted approval of a motion from Sears Canada to liquidate all 130 of its remaining stores and all of its other assets.
Sears Canada employs more than 12,000 people across Canada, including 87 people at the Sears store at Lansdowne Place in Peterborough — one of two anchor tenants for the mall. The Peterborough store opened in 1954.
In the Kawarthas, Sears also operates two “hometown stores” in Bancroft and Haliburton (selling appliances, tools, and lawn and garden equipment) that will also close.
Sears Canada expects that liquidation sales at retail locations will begin no later than Thursday, October 19th and continue for 10 to 14 weeks.
VIDEO: The rise and decline of Sears Canada
The Canadian retailer has been in trouble for many years, but the end was in sight when Sears released its results for the first quarter of 2017 in June, when it reported revenue of $505.5 million, a decline of 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. The net loss for the first quarter was $144.4 million.
“Cash and forecasted cash flows from operations are not expected to be sufficient to meet obligations coming due over the next 12 months,” the company stated in its financial results. “There are material uncertainties as to the Company’s ability to continue to satisfy its obligations and implement its business plan in the ordinary course.
“Accordingly, such conditions raise significant doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
Shortly thereafter, Sears entered bankruptcy protection in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to restructure the company.
As for the Peterborough store adjacent to Lansdowne Place mall, its future is uncertain. Sears Canada owns the two-storey building and the surrounding parking lot, and it will presumably be placed on the market for sale as part of the liquidation process.
Peterborough native Mallory Richard after her record-setting trail run at The Hennepin Hundred on October 7, 2017. (Photo: Mallory Richard / Instagram)
Peterborough native Mallory Richard has won The Hennepin Hundred — a 100-mile (161-kilometre) trail race held in Sterling, Illinois — last Saturday (October 7), breaking the previous women’s record by 67 minutes.
Mallory Richard celebrating her achievement. (Photo: The Hennepin Hundred)
An ultramarathoner who only began trail running five years ago, Richard finished first in the group and third overall with a time of 16:28:14 (two men posted better times), averaging 6:08 per kilometre for 161 kilometres.
The Hennepin Hundred course is mainly dirt or crushed limestone, with a scattering of paved areas, and follows the Hennepin Canal State Trail (Illinois’ longest multi-use trail), across historic locks and lift bridges and past the picturesque farms and postcard towns of northwest Illinois.
It was Richard’s third U.S. victory this year, having also finished first in the Ice Age Trail 50-Miler in Wisconsin and the Extreme North Dakota Sandhills Ultra 50K. Earlier this year, she was also the top Canadian finisher (11th) at the Western States 100, one of the most prestigious ultramarathons in the world.
The 32-year-old Richard attended St. Patrick’s and Holy Cross in Peterborough and is a graduate of Trent University. She moved to Winnipeg in 2007 to attend the University of Manitoba, where she obtained her master’s degree in history. She currently works as a policy analyst for the Winnipeg Police Board.
Ultramarathoner Mallory Richard, who currently lives in Winnipeg, only began trail running in 2012.
She started running in 2012, when she and some co-workers ran the Manitoba half-marathon. After completing it, she became interested in trail running. In 2016, she represented Canada at the 2016 Trail World Championships in Portugal.
Richard’s latest win wasn’t her only milestone for 2017 — she also got married this past July.
In addition to her recent race wins, Mallory Richard also married Shawn Defoort this past July. (Photo: Mallory Richard / Shawn Defoort)
Toronto folk singer-songwriter Peter Katz is performing at the Market Hall in Peterborough on Saturday, October 14th, with special guest opener Megan Bonnell. A surprise musical guest will also be sharing the stage for a few songs.
If you get goosebumps while at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough this Saturday night (October 14), it won’t be from the cool fall weather.
Market Hall presents Peter Katz
When: Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 8 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) How much: $25 general admission ($20 for students), $30 for assigned cabaret seating
With special guest opener Megan Bonnell. Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by calling 705-749-1146, or online at www.markethall.org . Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
It’ll be from the musical talent of Toronto folk singer-songwriter Peter Katz, who is performing with special guest opener Megan Bonnell — along with a surprise musical guest well known to area residents who is likely to generate his own share of goosebumps.
The critically acclaimed Katz — “try listening without getting goosebumps” according to the London Free Press — is a Juno Award nominee (in 2012 for Music DVD of the Year), and was also nominated in 2012 as Emerging Artist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards as well as in 2016 at the Canadian Screen Awards for Best Original Song for “Where The Light Used To Be” from the movie 88. He won the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award Winner and was voted Best Male Vocalist in NOW Magazine’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Born in Montreal in 1981, Katz has been performing music since he played in a cover band as a teenager. His first studio album More Nights, recorded in Toronto with his former band The Curious, was released in 2007. In 2008, he released a single called “The Camp Song”, commissioned by the International Camping Fellowship for their 2008 International Camping Congress. The song, in which Katz captures the feeling of camping and the outdoors, is an example of his lyrical songwriting chops.
VIDEO: “We Are The Reckoning” – Peter Katz
Katz released his first solo studio record First of the Last to Know in 2010, which debuted at number one on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts. It features a guest appearance by Academy Award winning musician Glen Hansard (The Frames, The Swell Season) — an important influence for Katz early in his musical career.
“I feel like he set the bar for me on how to be an artist, and also how to treat people along the way,” Katz tells NOW Magazine in a recent interview.
In 2011, Katz released a live CD/DVD Peter Katz and Friends: Live at the Music Gallery, which earned him a Juno nomination. This was followed in 2012 by his record Still Mind Still and in 2015 by his latest English record We Are the Reckoning — which includes the tune “Brother” featuring Lakefield native Royal Wood (Wood and Bill Lefler co-produced the album).
VIDEO: “Brother” – Peter Katz featuring Royal Wood
“If you want to make something that’s like nothing you’ve made before, then you have to shake yourself up, go beyond what’s comfortable and known and let yourself feel disoriented, overwhelmed, even intimidated,” Katz says. “Those moments, when you lose your bearings, when you’re forced to sink or swim, are the moments when you have an opportunity to rise to the occasion, to surprise yourself, to do the things you didn’t know you could do. That’s what making this album was for me, I’m so proud of the process, and I’m so proud of the result.”
The bilingual Katz has also released an album in French, La somme de tous nos efforts, which includes a French version of “Brother” performed as a duet with Quebec musician Rémi Chassé. Katz will be touring Quebec and France — including a show on October 19th in Paris where he’ll be supporting Lukas Nelson and & Promise of the Real (Lukas is a son of Willie Nelson and the band recently backed Neil Young on tour).
Katz has sold more than 25,000 copies of his records, mainly by touring all over the world and regularly playing to capacity crowds. He’s performed with Glen Hansard, The Swell Season, Joel Plaskett, Bahamas, Royal Wood, Dan Mangan, Jeremy Fisher, Emma-Lee, The Good Lovelies, and Garth Hudson from The Band, among others.
For his Market Hall show, indie folk singer-songwriter Megan Bonnell — also a Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee — will be opening.
VIDEO: A message to Peterborough from Peter Katz
As for the surprise musical guest who will be appearing at the Market Hall, you may have guessed already: it’s Lakefield’s own native son Royal Wood, who will be joining Peter on stage for a few songs.
If that along doesn’t make you want to buy tickets, Market Hall is also making a special promotional offer: along with your ticket for Peter Katz, you will receive a $10 gift certificate that you can use for any future “Market Hall Presents” show.
Tickets are $25 general admission ($20 for students), $30 for assigned cabaret seating, and are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by calling 705-749-1146, or online at www.markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
Thunder Bay folk-rockers Greenbank (Jim Breslin and Craig Smyth) perform at The Spill in downtown Peterborough on Wednesday, October 18. (Publicity photo)
Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, October 12 to Wednesday, October 18.
If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.
379 George Street K9H 3R2, Peterborough
(705) 749-9315
Saturday, October 14
10pm - Shameless ($5)
Wednesdays
10pm - Wednesday House Party
The Social
295 George St. N., Peterborough
(705) 874-6724
Thursdays
Throwback Thursday
Fridays
Nashville Night
Saturdays
Saturday Night Live w/ live music & DJ
Sundays
Sunday Funday
Tuesdays
Social Circuit Games Night
Wednesdays
Student Pub Night w/ live music
Coming Soon
Friday, October 20 10pm - Punch Douglas
Southside Pizzeria
25 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough
(705) 748-6120
Fridays
9am-12pm - Open mic ($2);
The Spill
414 George St., Peterborough
(705) 748-6167
Thursday, October 12
9pm - H. de Heutz, Meowlinda, Cold Eye, Olias ($8)
Friday, October 13
9pm - Strictly Sabbath, Ol' Time Moonshine, God Helmet ($8)
Saturday, October 14
3-6pm - Can't Stop The Signal 02 ft Conflict Avoider, Shelf, Rampancy, Disleksick, Harbinger Talisman ($5 or PWYC)
Monday, October 16
7pm - ChiSeries PTBO ft readings by Dana Cameron, David Demchukm, Ian Rogers, Janette. Platana (donations accepted)
Wednesday, October 18
9pm - Greenbank ($10)
VIDEO: "Live off the Land" - Greenbank
Coming Soon
Thursday, October 19 9pm - Nihiloceros, The Corporate Life, Basement Dweller (all ages, $5)
Friday, October 20 9pm - The Art Of Anger v.1: Punk vs Metal ft Doors+Fours, Peronicus, Inbred Fist, Wisker Ditch ($5)
The Trend
110 London St., Peterborough
(705) 750-1265
Coming Soon
Thursday, October 19 7-11pm - Songwriting Workshop and Open Mic Night
Turtle John's Pub & Restaurant
64 John St., Port Hope
(905) 885-7200
Saturday, October 14
7pm - Do Good Badlies
The Venue
286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008
Saturday, October 14
8pm - TAS 50th Reunion Dance ($25 - SOLD OUT)
Coming Soon
Saturday, October 28 7-10pm - Art Gallery of Peterborough It's all about ART! Gala Auction
Friday, November 10 8pm - Produce for Veterans presents Ambush, Dean James, Austin Carson Band, Sticks N' Tones ($25 til August 31, $30 advance, $35 at door)
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