GreenUP offers many resources, products, events, and workshops during the month of May. The GreenUP Ecology Plant Sale is an annual fundraiser that happens each May where you can pick up a variety of veggies, locally adapted wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. Join GreenUP this year on Sunday, May 21st from noon to 4 p.m. for their biggest sale of the year.
Which month of the year is the greenest? May of course! Grasses are turning to a lush green colour, fresh bright green buds are swelling on tree branches, and wildflowers of all sorts are peeking their new green stems from the soil.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Specialist.
May is a month of green events, too! As the natural world renews and refreshes with new leaves and blooms, so do we, with new energy and vitality for a season of warmth, gardening, cycling, and outdoor fun.
GreenUP offers many resources, products, events, and workshops to support your month of green.
May is the perfect time to collect rain to use on your garden later, saving you money on your water utility bill, and conserving water at the same time. Pop into the GreenUP Store at 378 Aylmer Street North in downtown Peterborough to pick up a rain barrel.
Our rain barrels are sourced locally and are made from recycled olive barrels that have been retrofitted to collect and store rain water for personal use. For extra incentive to save water, Peterborough Utilities Group customers will receive an instant $25 rebate on their purchase of a rain barrel at the GreenUP Store.
Rain barrels and rain barrel stands are available from the GreenUP Store. Peterborough Utilities customers who purchase rain barrels purchased from the GreenUP Store are eligible for a $25 discount. (Photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
Whether you already have a rain barrel, or you have just purchased your first, or are simply thinking about getting one, please join the GreenUP Water Department over your lunch hour on May 10th from 11:30-12:30 for a free Rain Barrel Installation Workshop. Participants can bring a bag lunch and learn tips and tricks for properly installing a rain barrel to optimize its use. This workshop is part of a new GreenUP Workshop Series focused on water called Connecting The Drops.
The Connecting The Drops series will also be present at the GreenUP Ecology Park Annual Plant Sale on May 21st offering the workshop “Rain Gardens 101”. This 20-minute workshop will be offered three times throughout the afternoon at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and will cover the difference between rain gardens and water wise gardening, why it is beneficial to soak up rain, ways to prevent flooding, plants to consider adding to your rain garden, and more.
The GreenUP Ecology Park Annual Plant Sale runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 21st. This is our biggest sale of the year and, for many Peterborough residents, it is the official start of the gardening season.
The GreenUP Ecology Park Annual Plant Sale runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 21st.
The Ecology Park Garden Market officially opens that day, with quality veggies, seedlings, and a large variety of wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees available. We specialize in varieties and species that thrive in our region of Ontario and that also provide important habitat for wildlife and pollinators.
Throughout the season, GreenUP Ecology Park features a host of display gardens and naturalized areas, a native plant nursery, children’s programs, garden market, skill-building workshops, and hands-on displays that all benefit from the funds raised at the Annual Plant Sale. GreenUP can then continue to offer the community everything we need to be good stewards of the land in our care.
If it is seeds you’re after for your garden, the GreenUP Store carries a variety of heritage, organic seeds that are non-GMO, non-treated, and sourced from local suppliers. Proceeds from the GreenUP Store also go back into GreenUP programs in the community.
May is also the month that many of us dig our umbrellas and our bicycles out of the shed and the basement.
During the month of May you can track your bike, transit, and walking trips with Community Shifting Gears.
During the month of May you can track your bike, transit, and walking trips with Community Shifting Gears. Come out of hibernation and leave the car behind as you travel to work, school, the store, an appointment, or elsewhere in healthy and sustainable ways — and win amazing prizes while you’re at it!
Register and get tracking now at peterboroughmoves.com. The first 500 participants to log 15 sustainable trips this May will win a prize.
If a bicycle is your favourite form of travel, GreenUP and B!ke, Peterborough’s Community Cycling Hub have teamed up to offer Bike Night every Thursday until October.
The first Bike Night in May is “Women’s Only ABCs of Bike Maintenance”, being held on Thursday, May 4th.
On Thursday, May 11th, join Bike Night with your whole family for “Ready to Ride for Families”. On Thursday, May 18th the focus will be ” How to Move Heavy Things by Bike” (like your kids!).
Finally, on Thursday, May 25th, Bike Night participants can join a Discovery Ride called “Peterborough by Bike” with City of Peterborough Transportation Demand Management Planner Susan Sauve, who can answer all your questions about how to use new bike lanes.
B!KE is hosting a Glow Ride on Friday, May 5th. (Photo: B!KE / Facebook)
For a unique experience, join the Glow Ride on Friday, May 5th. Glow Rides are a fun and relaxed, medium-paced, seven to 10 kilometre community bike ride on some of our local trails and bikeways. Decorate your bike ahead of time with a variety of battery powered LED lights and glow sticks to make your ride glow in the dark.
For more details on the Glow Ride, or for Bike Night topics and registration, visit peterboroughmoves.com. For information about any events happening in May and beyond, check out the GreenUP website events calendar at www.greenup.on.ca/events.
Terry McCullough, Vice President and General Manager of Savage Arms Canada in Lakefield and a member of the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, has been appointed to the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development's Board of Directors. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
B.O.S.S. Human Resources/Hiring Seminar – Thursday, May 25th
Matthew Savino of Savino Human Resources Partners will moderate the upcoming B.O.S.S. workshop where a panel of Chamber Members will discuss Human Resources with a focus on hiring. Matthew partnered with Workforce Development Board to prepare the Recruiting for Small-to-Medium Employers User Guide.
This workshop will cover best practices and tips for preparing a job description, posting, screening applicants, interviewing, checking references, on-boarding new staff, grant programs and more.
The next B.O.S.S seminar takes place on May 25 at the Lakefield Legion
Did you email info@kawarthachamber.ca?
The Chamber has been experiencing email issues with the info@kawarthachamber.ca email address.
If you sent an email to this address after Wednesday, April 19th and have not received a response, please re-send the email or call the office directly at 705-652-6963.
The Chamber apologizes for any inconvenience or delays this may have caused.
Consultation: Ontario’s Rural Education Strategy
Provide Your Input on May 5th in Lakefield
In Ontario, about 15 per cent of all students are enrolled in rural public schools. In many rural communities, there has been a decline in the number of school-aged children. The Province of Ontario wants to hear your thoughts on how they can serve these students effectively and make the best use of public resources.
An in-person meeting is being held in Lakefield on Friday, May 5th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, 20 Concession Street. Due to the current school closures, the Chamber encourages you to attend. Learn more.
Complete the online survey, which will be launched in the coming days.
Back to Balance But Not Prudence: Kawartha Chamber
The Ontario Budget was released on April 27, 2017
Chamber challenges government to clarify where business growth will come from
In response to Budget 2017, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism (KCCT) expressed concern that there is no clear path for long-term fiscal prudence, while commending the government for Ontario’s first balanced budget since the global recession.
While there is no deficit over the planning period, there is also no plan for surplus. Given that, downward payment on the debt will be pushed beyond the medium-term. This will place tremendous fiscal burden on future generations and considerable pressure on future economic planning. Read more.
“Building Achievable Luxury Lifestyles”. It is with excitement and pleasure that Greg and Judy Ball, in a unique collaboration with Dominic Cole, announce their new boutique Brokerage, based out of Lakefield, focusing on innovation and service quality and servicing Waterfront, Residential and Commercial Real Estate.
This new company is starting up from the grass roots to ensure we get back to what is important to our Realtors® and Clients. Greg and Judy are two extremely successful local Realtors® who have teamed up with Dominic, a very accomplished Realtor® in his own right and who brings a wealth of management and Brokerage experience. Our Brokerage will be covering Peterborough County, the Kawartha Lakes and the surrounding areas, with branch offices opening in Apsley and Norwood and soon to be Peterborough. Celebrate the Grand Opening of BALL Real Estate this weekend at the Head Office in Lakefield. More information below.
The Peterborough Humane Society advocates for the welfare of animals by improving their lives, alleviating suffering, rescuing, providing shelter, healing, facilitating adoption and reducing pet overpopulation.
We provide animal control services to the Peterborough, much of Peterborough County, Selwyn, Apsley, North Kawartha, Trent Lakes and Douro-Dummer communities.
We provide investigation services into animal cruelty for all of Peterborough City and County.
BALL Real Estate Hosting Grand Opening This Weekend
BALL Real Estate Inc., Brokerage has opened a new office in Lakefield
BALL Real Estate Inc., Brokerage is pleased to announce the grand opening of their head office in Lakefield on Thursday, May 4th.
The business community is invited to visit their location at 36 Queen Street on Thursday evening between 4 and 7 p.m. They will be hosting a series of social meet and greets open to agents, friends, family, clients, and the community to check out their new space. Food and refreshments will be provided.
Public open houses are Friday, May 5th, from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, May 6th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday May, 7th, from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. Learn more.
Spring Revival at Church-Key Brewing
Church-Key Brewing in Campbellford hosts its annual Spring Revival featuring local food, local music, and local beer. (Photo: Church-Key Brewing)
The Annual Spring Revival at Church-Key Brewing is on Saturday, May 6th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Visit Church-Key at 1678 County Road 38, Campbellford for local food, local music, and local beer.
This family-friendly event has free admission, and supports the Campbellford District High School Music Program. Learn more.
Canadian Canoe Museum AGM – 2016: A year defined by its incredible momentum
In 2016, The Canadian Canoe Museum chose this new design for its new facility to be located beside the Peterborough Lift Lock. (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The Canadian Canoe Museum Board of Directors and staff shared highlights from 2016 — a one-of-kind year for the organization — a its Annual General Meeting on April 26th.
The Canoe Museum celebrated incredible momentum on all fronts in 2016, as it worked toward the realization of its goal for 2021: a strong, sustainable national organization headquartered in a new facility on the water in Peterborough.
Exciting Year Ahead for Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development
What the VentureNorth building at 270 George Street North will look like when exterior renovations are completed. The Innovation Cluster and Peterborough Economic Development are anchor tenants of the new downtown Peterborough business hub. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)
Kawartha Chamber Member Appointed to Board
At their AGM on April 27th, Peterborough Economic Development, which serves as the lead regional economic development agency for the City & County of Peterborough, reviewed last year’s accomplishments and highlighted an exciting year ahead including relocating to VentureNorth and an evolution of its brand that will alter the operating name of the corporation to Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development.
In addition to the branding update, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Board of Directors appointed a new board member at the meeting. Terry McCullough, Vice President and General Manager of Savage Arms Canada, brings to his board position over 30 years of manufacturing experience in engineering and progressive leadership roles over several major manufacturing sectors. Read more.
The PKT Visitor Centre closed its doors to walk-in traffic at the Crawford Drive location on April 28th, and will be closed this week. The new location at 270 George Street N in Downtown Peterborough will open on Monday, May 8th.
Twilight River Run Lakefield 5K
The Twilight River Run in Lakefield takes place on May 13
Lakefield 5K River Run has a new time! The Twilight River Run will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 13th.
Registration is at the Lakefield Marina beginning at 7 p.m.. Registration is $25 for adults, $15 for youth, $20 for seniors and $60 for a family of four. Proceeds support The Ontario Speed Skating Oval and FRIENDS Peterborough.
For more information about the businesses and events listed above, please visit the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism website at kawarthachamber.ca.
All photos supplied by Kawartha Chamber of Commerce except where noted.
Volunteers with collected cigarette butt litter at a previous Butt Blitz event in Peterborough. Events take place on Saturday, May 6, 2017 in Peterborough and Cobourg. (Photo: A Greener Future)
On Saturday, May 6th, you can help clean up the environment by participating in The Butt Blitz events taking place in Peterborough and Cobourg.
Presented by A Greener Future, a non-profit environmental organization originally started in Bobcaygeon, the annual Butt Blitz involves volunteers across Canada picking up discarded cigarette butts so they can be safely recycled.
The Peterborough event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough and is coordinated by Donna Reid. Volunteers will gather at The Silver Bean Cafe and then proceed along the Rotary Trail.
The Butt Blitz will also be taking place in Cobourg for the first time. It happens from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Victoria Park in downtown Cobourg and is coordinated by Julie Elizabeth Taylor and Connor Brown.
Both events take place rain or shine.
Around 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded globally each year. Here are some of the cigarette butts collected at a past Butt Blitz event in Peterborough. (Photo: A Greener Future)
Many people are not aware of how significant an impact discarded cigarette butts have on the environment. Although smoking rates have been decreasing, cigarette butt litter continues to be a major problem. Worldwide, it’s estimated that over 4.5 trillion butts, amounting to 1.69 billion pounds, are discarded into the environment every year.
The butts are not biodegradable — they contain a plastic called cellulose acetate that lasts up to 25 years — and they contain all the toxic and carcinogenic chemicals (like arsenic, benzene, lead, and toluene), heavy metals (like cadmium), pesticides, and nicotine that make tobacco use the leading cause of preventable death worldwide.
Besides being unsightly, discarded cigarette butts also have huge implications for for the health of our ecosystems, our wildlife (animals consume the butts), and our own health. There’s also an economic impact on taxpayers, as between 25 and 50 per cent of all collected litter items from roads and streets are cigarette butts.
As well as The Butt Blitz, A Greener Future also raises awareness of the negative impacts cigarette butt litter has on ecosystems and health and prevents future littering through the distribution of pocket ashtrays. (Photo: A Greener Future)
The first step to reversing this problem is picking up the butts already on the ground, and that’s where The Butt Blitz comes in. Coordinators recruit volunteers to pick up cigarette butts locally and then send the butts to TerraCycle Canada for recycling. In 2016, volunteers picked up 122,800 butts in a single day for recycling.
To participate in this year’s Butt Blitz events, bring gloves (mandatory), ziplock bags, and a permanent marker. Due to liability, volunteers picking up butts must be 18 years of age or older and must sign a waiver before participating.
You can collect cigarette butts from local parks, beaches, shorelines, streets, and other public places. Wearing protective gloves, pick the butts up and put them in your ziplock bag, counting as you go. Write the number on collected butts on your ziplock bag and give them to the event coordinator. The coordinator will ship them to TerraCycle Canada for recycling.
Voluntary participants in the national Canadian Health Measures Survey will be interviewed in their home and have a physical examination at a mobile clinic.
Statistics Canada has announced that around 500 households in the Peterborough area will be randomly selected to participate in the national Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).
Statistics Canada has been conducting the CHMS, in partnership with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, across Canada since 2007.
The survey will begin in Peterborough on Tuesday, May 9th.
There are two phases to the survey.
The first phase involves an in-home interview with selected participants. They will be asked questions about nutrition, alcohol and tobacco consumption, medical history, level of physical activity, and more.
In the second phase, participants will go to a mobile clinic, temporarily located in the parking lot of the Northcrest Arena in Peterborough, to undergo a number of tests.
At the mobile clinic, health professionals employed by Statistics Canada will take participants’ physical health measures, including height, weight, neck and waist circumference. The specialists will also do tests to measure blood pressure, fitness level, vision and musculoskeletal health.
Finally, biospecimens will be collected to assess participants’ cardiovascular health, nutritional status, and exposure to environmental contaminants.
Participation in the survey is voluntary, but Statistics Canada encourages selected individuals to participate, as data from the CHMS help provide an accurate portrait of the health of Canadians. Various health care stakeholders, including professionals, researchers and public health planners, use this data to adapt programs and services to the population’s needs.
National organizations such as the Canadian Public Health Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation have shown their support for the survey.
The CHMS is conducted under the authority of the Statistics Act, which guarantees that all the information provided by participants remains strictly confidential. The health specialists hired by Statistics Canada are fully qualified and certified.
Enjoy spring in the Kawarthas by picking up your plants and flowers at Griffin's Greenhouses in Selwyn. You can also visit the Buckhorn Spring Craft Show (May 20 and 21) for handmade crafts and artisanal goods, or head to Westwind Inn in Buckhorn for a spring getaway with your favourite person. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW)
There’s lots to do in the Kawarthas in the spring. Here are three local businesses offering a chance to experience the best of the season in our region.
Whether you’d rather be discovering unique artisan goods while strolling through landscaped woodland, creating your own outdoor paradise in your garden, or sitting on a hammock looking out over a pink granite shoreline, read on for some of the wealth of choice the Kawarthas has to offer.
All three of the businesses profiled below — the Buckhorn Community Centre, Griffin’s Greenhouses, and Westwind Inn — are proud members of the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.
The chamber represents members in Curve Lake First Nation and the municipalities of Douro-Dummer, North Kawartha, Selwyn, and Trent Lakes. Visit kawarthachamber.ca for more information.
100 Ontario artisans head to the Buckhorn Community Centre for the annual spring Craft Show
The Buckhorn Community Centre will host a variety of artisans for its upcoming spring Craft Show, held from 10 am to 5pm on May 20th and 21st.
Artisans from across Ontario will present fashion, housewares, pottery, leather goods, gourmet foods, furniture, florals, garden items and more.
The Fenelon Falls group Grannies for Grannies will be selling handmade dolls to support the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers campaign.
The craft show is a fundraising event for the Buckhorn Community Centre, made possible with the support of a vibrant community of volunteers.
Diane Michell, Director of the Buckhorn Craft Show, is passionate about handmade items. The Buckhorn Craft Show has built a 100-vendor show of exclusively handmade goods.
“Everything is handmade,” she says. “The people who come to our show are looking for something that’s unique or different.”
The 35th annual Buckhorn Spring Show will be held on Saturday, May 20th and Sunday, May 21st at the Buckhorn Community Centre (1801 Lakehurst Road, Buckhorn, 705-657-8833). The show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and admission is $5 (free for those 12 and under).
The Buckhorn Community Centre will be set up with crafters in the gymnasium and banquet room, and outdoor pavillions full of artisanal goods. You can wander through landscaped garden and sun dappled woodlands, taking in crafts from across Ontario.
This year’s show will feature 20 new exhibitors, as well as some old favourites.
“Some of these exhibitors have been in the show almost since day one,” Diane notes.
The show will feature candles, pottery, leather goods, gourmet foods, furniture, florals, wooden toys, children’s clothing, jewellery, designer clothing for the entire family, handmade soaps, blown glass and a wide variety of home décor items.
There will also be crafts for the garden: Stepping stones, birdhouses, garden sculptures and metalwork to enhance your flower beds, gardens and patios.
Diane says that the craft show is a rare experience in our modern age.
“In this day and age, when everything is mass manufactured, it is a pleasure to be able to find so many high quality, handmade and unique items under one roof.”
The Fenelon Falls group Grannies for Grannies will be selling handmade families of small dolls posed on sisal mats, usually featuring a baby, a grandmother, and a small child. Diane says that this is a particularly meaningful craft.
“They come with a scroll telling the story of the brave African grandmothers who care for their AIDS-affected grandchildren while at the same time suffering and grieving the loss of their own children.”
All proceeds from the sale of these dolls will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers campaign.
The craft show, like many Buckhorn Community Centre events, is made possible by volunteers. About 400 community volunteers are on call throughout the year to make the Buckhorn Community Centre a vibrant hub.
Because the Buckhorn Community Centre isn’t owned by the township, it relies on volunteer support and fundraising events like the craft show to operate. Diane says that the Buckhorn Community Centre has always been a grassroots endeavour.
“About 16 families got together 40 years ago and said ‘We need a community centre.’ They put their homes up to stand the mortgage. At one time they would joke about which corner of the community centre they were going to live in.”
Supporting the Craft Show is a great way to get involved in the sense of community that brought those families together 40 years ago.
“You meet friends here. It’s an awesome place.”
For more information about the Craft Show visit the Community Centre’s website at www.buckhorncommunitycentre.com. You can also follow the Buckhorn Community Centre on Facebook and Twitter.
Spring planting with Griffin’s Greenhouses
Vikki Whitney, Kyle Griffin, Jack Griffin, and Ann Griffin work as a family at Griffin's Greenhouses. (Photo: Rebecca Littlejohn)
Griffin's Greenhouses' display gardens are a popular destination in the spring and summertime. (Photo: Griffin's Greenhouses)
A wide selection of plants and accents awaits you at Griffin's Greenhouses. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW)
Container gardening workshops teach participants about plants in a fun and hands on setting. (Photo: Griffin's Greenhouses)
Griffin’s Greenhouses (3026 Lakefield Road, Selwyn, 705-652-8638) has been a place for gardeners to get inspiration and find plants that thrive for 40 years. Their picturesque display garden, fun and informative workshops, and expert staff set them apart.
General Manager Vikki Whitney’s mother Ann Griffin started the greenhouse to stay home with her kids. Ann’s father was a nursery man from Holland, so he grew the plants that Ann sold at his Peterborough business. Soon the whole family was involved. Vikki remembers it as a way of life.
“When I met my husband when I was in university, he wanted to go camping on the long weekend and I said, ‘But on May long weekend you sell plants!’ He looked at me with this confused face and said ‘No, people generally go camping and party. What?!'”
Now Vikki works with her brother Kyle Griffin, the Greenhouse Manager, her parents Ann and Jack, and a staff of passionate gardeners.
Griffin’s Greenhouses is a place where you can get personalized service and great recommendations. Vikki says that their staff have firsthand knowledge.
“Our staff are really friendly and helpful, we have master gardeners on staff, and we’re really open to taking time and answering questions.”
Vikki is invested in her customers’ success, and she takes the time to make thoughtful decisions about what plants and products to offer.
“There’s a lot of thought behind what we decide to offer. We’ve thought it through very carefully. We really care about what we’re offering and we care about our customers being successful.”
Griffin’s also harden off their plants, in part because their greenhouse space is limited. Vikki points out that this means that plants are adjusted to life outdoors before you bring them home.
“They’re in their natural environment, so they’re not weak and wimpy when they leave here. A lot of people feel our plants are really hardy and well acclimatized so they’re getting more value.”
Griffin’s runs a popular series of BYOC workshops, which stands for “bring your own container”. Vikki takes the group on a tour first.
“I do a walk and talk tour of the greenhouse to show them plants that are good for sun or shade, plants that trail, and plants that are upright. Thriller, filler, and spiller.”
Then participants are invited to choose the plants that intrigue them and put them into pots.
“Even though people could do it on their own, they like to make the mess here. They like to have the camaraderie and the expertise: someone saying ‘No, no, no, that plant’s going to outgrow the other one, so let’s change it around.'”
Griffin’s offers spring workshops featuring hardy plants like pansies and summer workshops with fairer-weather plants.
Griffin’s Greenhouses is known for their display garden, a project created for the year 2000. With over 1,000 spring flowering bulbs, and thousands of summer annuals and perennials, trees, shrubs and accents, it’s a great place for photographers and artists, prayer groups, meditation groups and more.
“People come from all over Ontario to take a look at it. Bus tours come in. People really enjoy it. When they have family coming in from other places, they’ll often come to us and look at the gardens.”
What about those who are eager to get out in their own garden now? Vikki recommends starting with the soil.
“In early May, you have to be really cautious about what plant material you put out. It’s a great time to do a lot of the preparation. We don’t spend enough time thinking and caring for our soil. Every year we really should be supplementing the soil — adding compost, adding some triple mix.”
Vikki recommends sea soil, a compost sold at Griffin’s.
“It’s seaweed and shrimp crustacean shells all broken down. It’s fantastic. We put about 100 bags of it every year around our garden at the back. We top dress with it and it adds volume and nutrient. Every time it rains, it goes in there and feeds the roots. It’s fantastic.”
Westwind Inn provides a vacation destination close to home
Westwind Inn is a resort in Buckhorn Ontario specializing in serving adults. It is a popular destination for couples. (Photo: Westwind Inn)
With 1/4 mile of shoreline, sprawling gardens, and over 60 acres of ponds and woodland, Westwind Inn is a place of scenic beauty. (Photo: Westwind Inn)
There's lots to do on the water. Guests at the Westwind Inn can enjoy canoeing, kayaking, sailing, and paddleboarding. (Photo: Westwind Inn)
Westwind Inn is a popular wedding destination, also ideal for conferences, corporate retreats, reunions, group gatherings, and more. (Photo: Westwind Inn)
Sneaking up on the otters on a standup paddleboard. Watching the sun set on a sand beach. Hot tubbing in the outdoors. A stay at Westwind Inn (37 Fire Route 21, Buckhorn, 705-657-8095), an adults-only resort, is an experience to remember.
Located three kilometers from the village of Buckhorn, Westwind Inn is a cozy cedar lodge nestled under tall pines on pink granite rock at the water’s edge in a spectacular natural wilderness setting.
Innkeeper Inga Gallacher’s parents bought the Inn just over 25 years ago.
“We moved from Toronto in 1991 and took over on April 1st. Now we’re third generation family owned and operated. Our Inn is very cozy, casual, and cottage-like.”
Broad range of amenities
The Westwind, however, offers amenities beyond a cottage experience. Bed sitting rooms are designed for two with air conditioning, sofas, a fireplace, one or two beds, a large private bathroom, many with air jet tub, and a balcony with view. There are also four honeymoon suites in a separate chalet on a private point.
Inga says that the Inn has been designed to make guests feel at home.
“We offer a casual relaxed adult atmosphere; comfortable, cozy, inviting, friendly. Lots of antiques, art, collectables and memorabilia. Guests often relax in the lobby with sofas, books, and a few friends.”
There is also a dining room overlooking the lake.
“Food is very important,” notes Inga. “We do everything from scratch on site.”
Room for adventure
There are a variety of activities to enjoy during your stay. You can spend the day paddling on the lake or at the nearby Mississauga River. The Westwind Inn offers complimentary use of canoes, kayaks, row boats, pedal boat, water bikes, sailboat, and stand up paddleboards. There are hammocks for two.
You can also bring your own boat: they have a launch ramp and free docking. There are also bicycles. You can enjoy an afternoon swimming or fishing. There is a bonfire pit, an outdoor hot tub, decks, a sand beach, lawn chairs to relax in, a golf putting green, nature hiking trails, and lovely gardens.
In the winter, ice fishing, skiing, skating and snowshoeing are popular pastimes, as is the indoor swimming pool, a seasonal 90-degree plunge pool for two. With 60 acres of property, many kilometers of trails and 400 meters of shoreline, there is lots of space to explore.
There is also plenty of wildlife to view, and the Inn is popular with photographers for that reason. Inga describes some of the more common sightings.
“We see beavers swimming from job to job, otters and mink frolicking near the docks, and sometimes a lone Great Blue Heron at the shore preparing to spear his next meal. We can also watch the ospreys diving for fish. You can wake to the call of the loon and be lulled to sleep by a chorus of tree frogs.”
Big days by the lake
Inga says that the Westwind Inn is a relaxing place to hold a wedding.
“It’s basically a family reunion for the whole weekend. Nobody will be late. It’s a vacation for everyone.”
It is possible for the bride and groom to have exclusive use of the entire resort for the weekend or week for their group.
“You can have a Friday rehearsal BBQ, photos by the lake, ceremony, dinner, reception, and dance all in one location. The next morning have breakfast with your friends and family. No driving home or to a motel — just walk to your room whenever you wish.”
Normally an adults-only resort, children are welcome at Westwind Inn for weddings at the bride’s request, and for other family reunions.
The Westwind Inn has 35 rooms for overnight guests. Inga and her team see a variety of groups, not just weddings.
“We offer a quiet small intimate getaway, yet large enough for groups such as retreats, conferences, reunions, weddings. It’s an ideal spot for yoga, reiki, meditation, workshops, banquets and other social events.”
There are several meeting rooms on site, as well as a banquet room with dance floor, bar, fireplace and large licensed lakefront deck. They also offer some pet friendly guest rooms.
You can book your vacation at Westwind Inn on their website at westwindinn.net. Use promo code KN1 for 10% off your overnight stay.
On May 2, 18 paddlers (including The Canadian Canoe Museum's Director of Development James Raffin, in the blue jacket) were given a send-off at The Canadian Canoe Museum before travelling to Kingston for their nine-day journey to Ottawa through the Rideau Waterway in a 36-foot Voyageur Canoe. (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
As an enduring symbol of Canadian identity, the canoe has few if any rivals.
James Raffan is certainly well aware of that. The lifelong paddler, writer and geographer, a longtime staff member and volunteer with The Canadian Canoe Museum, is a nationally recognized voice on the important role the canoe still plays in this country.
So it was that when Peterborough lawyer Bill Lockington, a museum board member, proposed an idea that would connect the canoe with a national conference being held in Ottawa this month, Raffan was all in.
Connected By Canoe, a 10-day journey from Kingston to Ottawa on the Rideau Waterway in a 36-foot Voyageur canoe, will see Raffan and 17 others paddle their way to the nation’s capital. The group departs Kingston on Wednesday (May 3), completing the Express Leg of the trek in Dow’s Lake next Wednesday (May 10), with overnight stays in six communities along the way.
Then, on Thursday, May 11th, the Ceremonial Leg of the journey will make its way to Ottawa’s Westin Hotel, where Community Foundations of Canada is staging its biennial convention. Arriving with the local paddlers will be three other watercraft that represent canoe building and traditions from across Canada.
“Bill said ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to greet those people with a greeting from the Canadian Canoe Museum, talking about the canoe as a vessel that reminds us we’re all in the same boat, that reminds Canadians that pulling together is good thing to do?'” said Raffan on Tuesday (May 2), before the group departed the Monaghan Road museum for Kingston, with the sleek Millbrook-made Voyageur canoe on a trailer hitched to their van.
The 18 paddlers will travel by Voyageur Canoe from Kingston to Ottawa from May 3rd to May 11th. You can stay connected with the paddlers by following The Canadian Canoe Museum’s social media accounts. (Graphic: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
“We all know the canoe got Canada to where it is. We’re saying yes, it did all that and did it really well, but the canoe is also a vessel, an idea, that’s relevant today for taking the country forward. It’s not so much a canoe trip as it is a floating conversation.”
With The Canadian Canoe Museum, Community Foundations of Canada, the Ottawa Community Foundation, Parks Canada, and other partners on board, the sesquicentennial project, explained Raffan, has a message of reconciliation at its heart.
He said the experience of canoeing not only teaches and reinforces respect and reciprocity but also has a lesson to provide in terms of reconciliation.
“We’ve got a wonderful diversity of people in the canoe. We’ve got Indigenous people. We’ve got Erick (Mugisha) who has come to Canada from Kenya. We’ve got a mixture of other Canadians. It’s a small idea to have a conversation about Canada that we hope you’ll be hearing about.”
According to John Good, the executive director of the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, the message which Connected by Canoe will send lines up perfectly with the conference’s theme of “Belong”.
“For the last couple of years, community foundations have thought a lot about what it means to belong to community,” explained Good, noting foundations across the country have signed on to the Philanthropic Communities Declaration of Canada, a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“What that means in terms of our relationships with one another, with Indigenous people, with newcomers, with those who for various reasons may not feel so much a part of that community or face various impediments such as physical disabilities, poverty, any number of things. We’re having a large and complicated conversation about belonging but at the heart of it all, it really comes down to how we relate to, and learn, from one another.”
“What they (the paddlers) are doing is quite remarkable. Most of us will be hopping in our cars or jumping on a plane and, a few hours later, arriving at the conference. In the journey that they’re making, they’re making a real commitment to share ideas with one another; to think about what it means to be Canadian.”
The paddlers arrived in Kingston on the afternoon of May 2nd, ready to embark on the first leg of their canoe journey: an eight-day paddle on the Rideau waterway from Kingston to Ottawa beginning on May 3rd. The Canadian Canoe Museum will be documenting the journey with videos, photos, songs, and stories on the museum’s social media accounts. (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The conversations and activities that will highlight the Express Leg will be captured, according to Jessica Fleury (The Canadian Canoe Museum’s marketing/media relations manager and one of the paddlers), in the form of videos, photos, songs and stories that will be shared daily via the museum’s social media platforms, allowing all to follow the journey and engage with the project.
Connected by Canoe Paddlers
Stacey Arppe
Glen Caradus
Jessica Fleury
Paul Gervan
Shaelyn Hoffman-Menard Wabegijg
Carolyn Hislop
Goh Iromoto
Micaela May
Lynn McIntyre
William O. Morris
Erick Mugisha
Kenneth Powell
James Raffan
Molly Raffan
Jacob Rodenburg
Penny Rush
Ron Whetung
Coleman Williams
“I’ve tandem paddled and solo paddled quite a bit, but being in a canoe this big with so many different people of different backgrounds and diversities, the conversations that will happen along the way, and all the different communities we’ll be visiting and have the chance to interact with, definitely sets this trip far apart from any other trip I’ve been on,” assessed Fleury, adding the opportunity to spread word of the museum and the work it does is an obvious bonus.
Meanwhile, for Mugisha, the waters of the Rideau Waterway will no doubt prove to be a startling contrast to the desert refugee camp that was his home for 18 years in Kenya.
“I’m so much excited,” says the native of Rwanda and Fleming student who arrived in Canada last July.
“I’m really grateful being here. I want to make a difference and give a better opportunity to others coming here, to make it a better place for them.”
Fleming College student Erick Mugisha Ihimbisibwe, a Rwanda native who grew up in a Kenya refugee camp before coming to Canada in 2016, is one of the 18 paddlers. “I want to make a difference and give a better opportunity to others coming here.” (Photo: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
While relatively new to paddling, Mugisha will find comfort in numbers, said Raffan.
“One of the beauties of a big canoe is you don’t have to be a really accomplished canoeist to join the team. These people are not here for their ability to paddle. They’re here for their ability to join the conversation. We want to show that this vessel can be a vessel of reconciliation but the expression of that goal is in the conversations and friendships. If we’re able to learn amongst ourselves and build friendships and that radiates out from there, I think this will be successful.
“We have an opportunity to remind everybody that we’re all in the same boat. It seems so simple and so literal but I think it could make for a different Canada if we remember that. We’re reminding people that pulling together at the same time in the same direction has its virtues. There’s so much difference in the world and in the country. I think the canoe has lessons for tomorrow as well as yesterday when it comes to how to create a country.”
Connected by Canoe is a sesquicentennial project of The Canadian Canoe Museum and Community Foundations of Canada in partnership with the Ottawa Community Foundation, Parks Canada, and community organizations along the way. (Graphic: The Canadian Canoe Museum)
On a personal level, Raffan has another reason to be excited about the journey.
“I’ve lived in the Rideau Lakes region for 35 years and I’ve never paddled the Rideau Waterway,” he laughed.
“I can’t wait to get on the water because it’s going to be fun. Life is simpler there.”
To view the daily schedule of the Connected By Canoe journey and for more information about the project, including paddler profiles, visit www.canoemuseum.ca/connected-by-canoe. You can also stay connected with the paddlers as they make their way to Ottawa by following the musesum’s social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
Along with the many local artists who are performing at the Peterborough LIVE Music Festival, Canadian hip hop artist Peter Jackson will be performing the 12-hour Reunion Show and Dance Party at The Venue in downtown Peterborough on Saturday, May 13. (publicity photo)
Canadian hip hop artist Peter Jackson will be headlining Peterborough LIVE’s 12-hour Reunion Show and Dance Party at The Venue on the evening of Saturday, May 13th.
Often called the hardest-working rapper in Canada, Jackson is known in hip hop circles for his work ethic when it comes to recording and touring. The Ajax native has been awarded honours from the Canadian Urban Television Awards, including Mixtape of the Year for Good Company, Music Video of the Year for “Havana”, and Rap Album of the Year (2015) for Since I was 16 and Album of the Year (2016) for Two Sides to a Story.
Jackson has also received press in over 500 major hip hop and music publications and was nominated for Hip Hop Artist of the Year at the Independent Music Awards. In April 2017, he was awarded the iHeartRadio and Virgin Radio Future Star Award. His new single “On a Wave” was awarded a national radio campaign, being added into heavy rotation at all Virgin Radio stations across Canada. His appearance at Peterborough LIVE follows a month-long tour across Canada, as the supporting act for Riff Raff, in promotion of his newest project Married to Success.
VIDEO: “On A Wave” – Peter Jackson
The May 13th show at The Venue begins at noon, with a showcase of solo artists (including Cale Crowe, Mary-Kate Edwards, Jayde Taylor, Nathan Jackson, Whitney Paget, and Cameron von Criegern) and bands (including Outshined, Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold, Semolina Pilchard, Wolfox, Hunt the Hare, Coconut Navy, and The House Call).
The show continues with a licensed all-ages dance party at 9 p.m. with several opening acts, including Hooks, Kachinga, Koty Kolter, Forest Gumption and Omega Dance Crew, and Zumba with Shaoling and Amarilis Salsa Rhumba Dance Ensemble with DJ Thibault, followed by the headline performance by Peter Jackson at 11 p.m.
Advance tickets can be purchased for $5 at the Customer Service desk at Lansdowne Place (645 Lansdowne St, Peterborough) or at ticketscene.ca. Festival passholders and Festival performers and volunteers wearing lanyards will be admitted free of charge.
Other new shows announced
In addition to Peter Jackson, Peterborough LIVE has announced more performances at more venues. The Five Fours, a local jazz ensemble from St. Peter High School, and The ‘Fabulous’ Rave, a jazz band from Toronto, have teamed with Hot Belly Mama’s to offer Jazz in the Afternoon on Saturday, May 13th from 2 to 4 p.m.
La Hacienda will be opening its doors early on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14th) to provide an Acoustic Open Mic stage from 1 to 5 p.m. The show will be hosted by Craig Stevens and is sponsored by Circle Kung Fu and Tai Chi Studios. Acoustic musicians are welcome and a guitar will be available.
For a complete schedule of performers and show times, see the list below.
About the festival
Peterborough LIVE Music Festival runs May 10 to 14 in downtown Peterborough. For a $15 all-access pass, you can see more than 100 performers at 25 venues. (Graphic: Peterborugh Live)
The 2017 Peterborough LIVE Music Festival is bigger and better than ever, with more than 100 performers at 25 venues over five days.
The fourth annual music festival takes place from Wednesday, May 10th through Sunday, May 14th in downtown Peterborough. Virtually every musical genre is represented at the festival, including rock, blues, metal, punk, hip hop, rap, EDM, indie/alternative, pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, R&B, big band, DJs, choirs, and classical. And, new this year, the festival also features dance, poetry, and comedy.
In its tagline “Showcasing Artists in Nogojiwanong”, Peterborough LIVE acknowledges that Peterborough and its performers are located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe (Ojibway) that was originally named and known as Nogojiwanong. While the festival does not have a show featuring only First Nations artists, there are First Nations artists performing through the festival and outreach to First Nations artists continues, guided by the festival’s Artistic Director, Missy Knott.
The five-day Peterborough LIVE Music Festival features more than 100 acts at 25 venues across downtown Peterborough (poster: Peterborough LIVE)
LIVE is an acroynm for “Local Independent Venue Events” and the music festival is certainly that, with acts at 25 venues across downtown Peterborough.
Venues for the festival are The Red Dog, The Venue, Market Hall, The Spill, The Black Horse Pub, Dobro, The Garnet, Dr. J’s Barbecue & Brews, Black Honey Cafe, Sapphire Room, Catalina’s, The Lounge By Lignum, The Only Cafe, Dreams of Beans, The Food Forest Cafe, guerrillaSTUDIOS, Crazy Piano Bar Persian Grill, Pappas Billiards, Sadleir House, McThirsty’s Pint, The White House, The Theatre on King, Sadleir House, Hot Belly Mama’s, La Hacienda, and Murray St. Baptist Church.
The festival begins on Wednesday, May 10th at The Red Dog (189 Hunter St. W., Peterborough) with a media launch from 4 to 6 p.m.
The launch will be followed by a live jam at guerrillaSTUDIOS (140 Simcoe St., Peterborough) from 6 to 9 p.m., a poetry and comedy fest at 7 p.m. at The Theatre On King (159 King St., Peterborough), and The Little Big Band with special guests Peterborough Jazz and Blues Workshop from 6 to 10 p.m. at Sadleir House (751 George St. N., Peterborough).
The festival then continues with acts every day until late Sunday afternoon. There’s a mix of both local talent and performers from out of town.
Some familiar local musicians performing at the festival include Cale Crow, Tom Eastland, Mary-Kate Edwards, Evangeline Gentle, Nathan Jackson, Kerry Jayne, Marsala Lukianchuk, Missy Knott, Rob Phillips, Tom Eastland, Whitney Paget, Bobby Watson, and more.
Peterborough LIVE Music Festival features local and out-of-town performers, including Rose Cora Perry and The Truth Untold (Tyler Randall), a high-energy rock duo from London, Ontario.
There are also performers coming in from out of town, including Rose Cora Perry and The Truth Untold (Tyler Randall), a high-energy rock duo duo from London, Ontario. In 2010, when she released her critically acclaimed debut solo album Off Of the Pages, she also launched a not-for-profit foundation called MusicSaves, which aims to impart onto troubled youth the healing capacity of music.
Perry released her sophomore solo album Onto the Floor in 2016, and hopes to raise enough funds from the sale of this album to launch a nationwide high school seminar series where she can share her story about overcoming depression through the power of music and the songs that were inspired from it.
VIDEO: Six Feet Under – Rose Cora Perry
Other performers at the festival include:
3 Alarm Choir
67
Adam Grills
Jesse Morrissey
Aenigma
Allena Iris
Amanda Robb Band
Amarilis and the Rhumba Salsa Dance Ensemble
Andy Curtis
Angela Semple
August MacDonald
Backyard Riot
befreeyourself
Ben Ayotte
Cameron Boyd
Ben Hunter
Beyond the Wall
Break The Trend
Bree Taylor
Bring Back Summer
Britt Hall
Cameron Boyd
Ben Ayotte
Cameron Von Criegern
Coconut Navy
Crossdockers
Curve Lake Singers
Dalton Whitehead
David Eadie
Demolition Rage
DJ Thibault
Edwards Family
Elizabeth Basciano
Emily Erhart
Emma Leeson
The Five Fours
For One Night Only
Forest Gumption & Omega Dance Crew
The Garretts
Grace Hatherly
Heart Attack Kids
Helldevilles
Hillary Dumoulin
The House Call
Hunt the Hare
Ian-K
Jason O’Brien
Jayde Taylor
Jessica Wilson
Joslynn Burford
Kachinga
Koty Kolter
Kane Miller
Kawartha Youth Orchestra
Keelie
Kerry Jayne
Lance Isaacs
Liam Parker
Michael Roger
Michaela Hetherington
My Affected Reality
Nathan Bottomley
Nicholas Campbell
Outshined
Owen Wright
Patrick Rees
Peter Thibault
Peterborough City Church Band
Present Tense
Purple Smoke
Raphael Nawaz
Rebecca McDonald and Tamara Bird
Semolina Pilchard
Shelby Henderson
Stephen Stamp
Still in Motion
Taylor Kirkwood
Taylor Merrick
Susanne Kozo
Tom Middleton
Travis Sivart
UNI Peterborough
Violet James-Stamp
Water’s Edge
Wolfox
Zippity Doo Dah Community Soul Chorus
Zumba with Shaoling
For a complete schedule of performers and show times, see the list below.
Festival tickets
Peterborough LIVE also has to be one of the most affordable music festivals ever, with an all-access pass — offering unlimited entry to all venues (depending on capacity) for all five days of the festival — costing only $15. Almost all the shows are all ages, and children 13 and under are admitted free.
Festival passes are available at any of the participating venues, at the Customer Service desk at Lansdowne Place (645 Lansdowne St, Peterborough), and directly from the performers. Single-show tickets are also available for $5 online, directly from the performers, or at the door for the show.
Peterborough LIVE runs live a cooperative, so the best way you can support the performers is to purchase passes or single-show tickets directly from them. If you purchase a pass directly from one of the performers, $10 of the $15 goes directly to the performer. If you buy a single-show ticket directly from a performer, that artist will earn $3. If you want to support more than one performer, then you can purchase three single-show tickets for $5 each and automatically receive an all-access pass.
You can also support the performers by buying your pass online at peterboroughlive.ca/ticket-details/. All-access passes are available for purchase under each show. If you want to support a specific performer, make sure to order the pass listed under that performer’s show. The artist will receive $10 of each pass sold online.
Festival schedule
For your convenience, here’s the schedule of performers and venues for Peterborough LIVE. We’ll update the schedule as often as possible, but to ensure you have the most up-to-date information, check the schedule at peterboroughlive.ca.
Show times are constantly being updated and performers are being added. And remember that show times for multiple acts may be slightly earlier than listed, so allow yourself a few extra minutes when heading to a venue.
Wednesday, May 10th
The Red Dog
4:00 – 6:00pm LIVE Media Launch
Open mic night – drop ins welcome.
**Free Event
guerrillaSTUDIOS
6:00 – 9:00pm LIVE Jam
Welcoming both electric and acoustics sets – drop ins welcome.
**Free Event
The Theatre on King
LIVE’s Poetry & Improv Fest
Doors open 7:00pm
Time
Act
7:30pm
Show & Tell Poetry Series featuring Joseph Cassidy-Skof, Carolyn Conrad, Kate Taylor, Elisha Rubacha, Stephen Stamp
9:00pm
Peterborough WIT – Wednesday Improv Troupe
Sadleir House
6:00 – 10:00pm
Doors Open at 6:00pm
Time
Act
6:30pm
The Peterborough Jazz and Blues Workshop Facilitated by Steve McCracken
7:30pm
The Little Big Band Directed by William Hamilton
Thursday, May 11th
Crazy Piano Bar Persian Grill
5:00 – 8:00pm AfterWork Live Music with Kerry Jayne
Time
Act
5:00pm
Whitney Paget
5:30pm
Jeff Stewart
6:00pm
Travis Sivart
6:30pm
Grace Hatherly
7:00pm
Evangeline Gentle
7:30pm
James Seaborn
The Lounge By Lignum
7:30 – 9:30pm Formal Piano Recital
Doors Open at 7:00pm
Original compositions of the neo-classical genre. Curated by Verger, with Special Guests
The Black Horse Pub
8:00pm – 12:00am
Jazz and Blues Open Stage with Rob Phillips
Featuring Marsala Lukianchuk with special guest Whitney Paget
Sapphire Room
9:00pm – 2:00am
Doors Open at 5:00pm
David Eadie and Friends
Featuring DJ Thibault
Junction Nightclub Downstairs Pool Hall
10:00pm – 2:00am Weekend Warm Up with Live DJs
19+ Club Event, No Cover Charge
Friday, May 12th
The Lounge by Lignum
5:00 – 9:00pm Peterborough Performs @ The Lounge by Lignum
Doors Open at 4:00pm
Time
Act
5:00pm
The Kawartha Youth Orchestra
5:15pm
Edwards Family
6:00pm
Water’s Edge
7:00pm
Andy Curtis
7:30pm
Elizabeth Basciano
8:00pm
Dalton Whitehead
8:30pm
Rebecca McDonald & Tamara Bird
9:30pm – 11:30pm An Evening of Jazz with Whitney Paget
The Red Dog
5:00pm – 1:00am Singer/Songwriter Showcase with Hillary Dumoulin
Time
Act
5:20pm
Joslynn Burford
5:40pm
Liam Parker
6:00pm
Emily Erhart
6:20pm
Mary-Kate Edwards
6:40pm
Michaela Hetherington
7:00pm
Patrick Rees
7:20pm
Raphael Nawaz
7:40pm
Tom Middleton
8:00pm
Jason O’Brien
8:20pm
Craig Stevens
8:40pm
David Eadie
9:00pm
Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold
9:40pm
Nathan Jackson
10:00pm
Kane Miller
10:20pm
Nathan Bottomley
10:40pm
Lance Isaacs
11:00pm
Hillary Dumoulin
11:30pm
Kachinga
12:00am
Cale Crowe
Dobro
5:00 – 9:00pm Blues and Rock Showcase
Doors Open at 4:30pm
Time
Act
5:00pm
befreeyourself
6:00pm
Ben Hunter & Still in Motion
6:30pm
67
8:00pm
Break the Trend
The Spill
8:00pm – 1:00am Oh, How Punk
Doors Open at 7:00pm
Time
Act
8:00pm
Backyard Riot
9:00pm
Keelie
10:00pm
For One Night Only
11:00pm
Beyond the Wall
12:00am
Heart Attack Kids
Saturday, May 13th
Murray St Baptist Church
1:30 – 2:30 Worship Gospel with The Garretts
Doors Open at 1:00pm
The Venue
12:00pm – 1:00am LIVE Reunion & Dance Party
Time
Act
12:00pm
’67
12:15pm
U.N.I. Peterborough
12:25pm
Bree Taylor
12:35pm
Jason O’Brien
1:00pm
Coconut Navy
1:30pm
Jayde Taylor
1:45pm
Mary-Kate Edwards
2:00pm
Jessica Wilson
2:15pm
Whitney Paget
2:30pm
Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold
3:15pm
Liam Parker
3:30pm
Emily Erhart
3:45pm
Cameron von Criegern
4:00pm
Hunt the Hare
4:45pm
The House Call
5:30pm
Wolfox
6:15pm
Outshined
7:15pm
Semolina Pilchard
7:45pm
Nathan Bottomley Band
8:15pm
Nathan Jackson
8:30pm
Cale Crowe
9:30pm
Hosted By: DJ Thibault
9:30pm
Zumba with Shaoling
9:45pm
Amarilis & The Rhumba Salsa Dance Ensemble
10:00pm
Forest Gumption & Omega Dance Crew
10:15pm
Koty Kolter
10:30pm
Kachinga
10:45pm
Hooks
11:00pm
Peter Jackson
Dobro
1:00pm – 5:00pm Acoustic Crew with Nathan Jackson
Doors Open at 12:30pm
Time
Act
1:00pm
Cameron Von Criegern
1:30pm
Jason O’Brien
2:00pm
Cale Crowe
2:30pm
Owen Wright
3:00pm
Jayde Taylor
3:30pm
Taylor Kirkwood
4:00pm
Nathan Jackson
Hot Belly Mama’s
2:00-4:00pm An Afternoon of Jazz
Time
Act
2:00pm
The Five Fours
3:00pm
The Fabulous Rave
Market Hall
2:00 – 9:00pm Artists of Nogojiwanong
Doors Open at 12:00pm
Time
Act
12:00pm
3 Alarm Choir Rehearsal
Song to be Performed: People Have the Power
All ages welcome to join – no previous singing experience required.
*Please note, guests are welcome to watch the rehearsal, but are asked to move to the lobby to chat.
Higher-than-normal water levels in Lake Ontario have increased the risk of shoreline flooding and erosion (photo: Wikipedia)
Otonabee Region Conservation Authority has upgraded the Flood Watch issued on May 2 to a Flood Warning.
A Flood Watch remains in effect for the Lower Trent Conservation.
A Flood Warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring. A Flood Watch is issued when the potential for generalized flooding exists throughout the watershed or for specific municipalities.
The Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (ORCA) has upgraded the Flood Watch issued on May 2 to a Flood Warning for the Otonabee Region Watershed (Kawartha Lakes in the north including Buckhorn and Stoney Lake to Rice Lake in the south).
Total amounts of rain received in the Bancroft, Haliburton, and Peterborough regions were 100 to 150mm during the month of April. Then, in the first couple of days of May, another 40 to 60mm fell. A Special Weather Statement issued by Environmental Canada’s Meteorological Services states that another 40 to 70mm is possible on Thursday and Friday before tapering off to showers on the weekend.
As a result of above-normal April rains, combined with significant additional receipts in the first couple of days of May, inflows to the Kawartha Lakes from areas to the north have dramatically increased. Given the forecast for another large dump of rain starting Thursday, inflows to the Kawartha Lakes are expected to continue increasing throughout the coming days.
Hence, area residents living in historical flood-vulnerable areas on the shores of the Kawartha Lakes, as well as the Otonabee River, are advised to prepare for the possibility of localized flooding.
Throughout the geographical jurisdiction of the ORCA, the ground is saturated, and thereby, is largely incapable of absorbing additional rainfall. As a result, the forecasted 40 to 70 mm that will start falling on Thursday is expected to cause significant pooling and ponding in low-lying areas where there is poor drainage.
In addition, local rivers (Indian and Ouse Rivers) and creeks (Squirrel, Baxter, Cavan, Jackson, Meade, etc.), which are already flowing at rates well above normal, will continue to experience very high flows, and may even exceed their normal confines in those areas of low sidewalls and banks. Area residents located in historical flood vulnerable areas are advised to prepare for the possibility of localized minor flooding.
Also, area residents as well as visitors to the area are advised to observe caution around all waterbodies and watercourses because area lakes, rivers, streams and creeks pose a serious danger due to high levels, very fast flows and extremely cold water temperatures. Dams, culverts and other water control and water conveyance structures are to be avoided at all times.
Flood Watch for Lower Trent
Lower Trent Conservation has issued a Flood Watch for the Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte shoreline from Grafton to Quinte West.
Water levels on Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte are well above average for this time of year. Residents living along the shoreline should be aware of the potential for flooding and erosion. Additionally, strong winds associated with a storm event that will track through the region on today and Tuesday will bring wave heights in excess of one metre. Surge-related flooding along the shoreline is possible as well as increased potential for erosion damages from high waves.
Residents should ensure personal property (boats, docks, etc.) along the shoreline is secured. Property owners are also reminded that any work along the shoreline (e.g. placement of fill, armour stone, etc.) will require a permit from Lower Trent Conservation and should call the office or visit the website (www.ltc.on.ca) for more information.
Lake Ontario typically reaches its seasonal high water level in June. As rainfall has been well above normal across the entire basin, with some areas having received at least twice their average amounts, Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte water levels are expected to continue rising through May, and possibly into June if the wet weather persists.
Shoreline residents are also advised that storm events with strong onshore winds during this period will further increase the flooding and erosion potential.
Lake Ontario water levels rose 39 centimetres (15.4 inches) since the beginning of April. The lake level measured at Cobourg is approximately 75.5 metres above sea level which is 60 centimetres above the long term average for April.
This Flood Watch will remain in effect through the month of May.
National Girls Learning Code Day on May 13 will be celebrated in Peterborough with a workshop for girls aged eight to 13, along with their parents or guardians, at The Cube in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Ladies Learning to Code)
The fourth annual National Girls Learning Code Day takes place on Saturday, May 13th and Peterborough will be participating with a workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Cube in the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough (270 George St. N.).
On National Girls Learning Code Day, more than 650 girls aged eight to 13, along with their parents or guardians, will attend simultaneous workshops in over 29 communities across Canada.
The Peterborough workshop is presented by Ladies Learning Code, a national not-for-profit organization offering beginner-friendly tech education, with the support of Scotiabank. It will also recognize the launch of the new Peterborough chapter of Ladies Learning Code.
The year, National Girls Learning Code Day will focus on learning the skill of game making. Together with their parents, girls will build and develop a fun and interactive game to share with their friends and family.
Using a beginner-level programming language called Scratch, girls will create interactive stories through animation.
During National Girls Learning Code Day, girls aged eight to 13 will use the Scratch programming language to create an interactive story using animation. (Graphic: Ladies Learning to Code)
May 13th is also International Scratch Day, the 10-year anniversary of Scratch, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab as a stepping stone to the more advanced world of computer programming.
The May 13th workshop at The Cube will offer girls the opportunity to express their creativity in a fun environment and learn about the different elements of a story, as well as character interaction and basic design principles. At the end of the workshop, each girl will also get a chance to practice their presentation skills and showcase their creation for everyone attending the workshop.
National Girls Learning Code Day is one of the registered events for Science Odyssey Week (May 12th to 21st) sponsored by the Government of Canada. Science Odyssey celebrates Canadian achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by bringing together hundreds of events and science outreach leaders to deliver fun, engaging, and inspiring activities to Canadians of all ages.
National Girls Learning Code Day is presented by Ladies Learning Code, a not-for-profit organization that runs workshops for women and youth who want to learn beginner-friendly computer programming and other technical skills in a social and collaborative way. (Graphic: Ladies Learning to Code)
National Girls Learning Code Day is presented by Ladies Learning Code, a not-for-profit organization that runs workshops for women and youth who want to learn beginner-friendly computer programming and other technical skills in a social and collaborative way. The new Peterborough chapter is one of 29 chapters of the organization, which offer a girls’ program called Girls Learning Code and a co-ed kids’ program called Kids Learning Code.
The organization’s sponsors and community partners include TELUS, Microsoft, Facebook, Scotiabank, Google, and more. For more information about Ladies Learning Code, visit ladieslearningcode.com. For more information about the Peterborough chapter, contact Steve Blair at steve.blair@ladieslearningcode.com.
The cost for a girl and her parent or guardian to attend the May 13th workshop at The Cube in Peterborough is by donation (pay what you can per pair, $30 suggested). Participants must bring their own laptop. If you’re an adult who knows how to code and wants to help out at the workshop, you can register for free. To register, visit girlslearningcodeday.com.
VIDEO: The Future According to Girls – Girls Learning Code
Son-and-father duo Joel and Bill Plaskett are playing two shows this month in the Kawarthas: May 3rd at the Academy Theatre in Lindsay and May 7th at Market Hall in Peterborough. eterborough's own Mayhemingways (Benj Rowland and Josh Fewings) are opening for the Plasketts and are also their backing band. (Publicity photo)
May is full of warm weather and great music! Here are just a few listings of live music that are sure to please just about everyone’s taste in music.
Civil Wray and Joel Parkes at The Spill in Peterborough on May 2
Head to The Spill (414 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-748-6167) on Tuesday, May 2nd for a great show, with proceeds from the door benefitting the New Canadians Centre.
The show features the clever lyrics and dancey-pop sound of Civil Wray. It’s a cool project headed up by Andrea De Boer, a Toronto-based artist who likes to mix genres. Her music twists and turns — a little bit jazzy, a little bit of a new wave vibe — are always sung with passion.
Opening the show is Joel Parkes, a local songwriter who has penned some big pop hits but performs in an honest and understated manner.
Tickets are available at the door with the show beginning around 9 p.m.
VIDEO: “Numb” – Civil Wray
Joel and Bill Plaskett with Mayhemingways on May 3 at Academy Theatre in Lindsay and on May 7 at Market Hall in Peterborough
Great Canadian songwriter Joel Plaskett and his father Bill Plaskett play two shows in the Kawarthas in early May. The first is on Wednesday, May 3rd at Academy Theatre (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, 705-324-9111) and the second is Sunday, May 7th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146).
Joel has been a staple of the rock scene in Canada since the early 1990s from his work with Thrush Hermit. Fast forward to today, and he’s made a ton of solo records, records with his rock trip The Emergency, and now he’s made a folk/rock record with his father Bill. These shows are not to be missed.
The Plasketts and Mayhemingways in front of Toronto’s Massey Hall, where they performed with Elliott Brood on April 8 (photo via Mayhemingways/ Facebook)
Peterborough’s Mayhemingways (Benj Rowland and yours truly) will be opening and playing as the Plasketts’ band at both shows.
Tickets for the Market Hall are almost sold out, but there may be a few seats left (check at markethall.org).
Good seats are still available for the Lindsay show. Tickets are $34.50 and are available at the Box Office, by phone at 705-324-9111, or online at www.academytheatre.ca.
VIDEO: “The Next Blue Sky” – Bill and Joel Plaskett with Mayhemingways
Spring Revival at Church-Key Brewing in Campbellford on May 6
Music, food, and beer. Those three great things will combine on Saturday, May 6th at the annual Church-Key Brewing Spring Revival 2017.
The brewery, located just outside of Campbellford at 1678 County Road 38, hosts bands from the area playing a wide variety of genres. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the performers include Jonny & Jane with David Frey, Broken Harmony, Crowes Feat, Melissa Payne, Tubourg Cindy & Scott, Ken Tizzard, Janet Jeffery Band, Tastes Like Chicken, Jana Ried, Muddy Hack, Madmans Window, Antixx, Sean Conway, and E.L.E.
The event is a chance to try some great craft-brewed beer and to check out the brewery as well. It’s free to attend, with beer and food available for purchase.
VIDEO: Church Key Brewing (Spring Revival at 1:21 mark)
East Coast Music Celebration at The Red Dog in Peterborough on May 6
There will be a celebration of East Coast music for a good cause at The Historic Red Dog Tavern (189 Hunter St. W, Peterborough, 705-750-1710) on Saurday, May 6th.
The event, which features North Atlantic Drift, Clan Hannigan, and McCallum’s Reach, is a benefit for the Camp Kerry Ontario, which offers a family bereavement retreat.
Authentic Maritime music and a kitchen party like atmosphere should make for a great time. There will also be door prizes, raffles, and a silent auction, and a raffle.
Tickets are $20 at the door, or available in advance (cash only) at Black Honey (217 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-750-0024).
The show begins at 7:30 p.m.
VIDEO: Clan Hannigan
The Northern Pikes at The Venue in Peterborough on May 10 and at The Lions Centre in Cobourg on May 12
Canadian rock band The Northern Pikes celebrate their 33rd anniversary with a tour stop at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-876-0008) on Wednesday, May 10th.
Best known for their 1990s radio hit “She Ain’t Pretty”, the band continues to make records and rock hard.
Tickets are $45 are available at The Venue. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m..
The band is also performing n Cobourg at The Lions Community Centre in Cobourg on Friday, May 12th. Tickets are $45 for that show too.
VIDEO: “She Ain’t Pretty” – The Northern Pikes
Peterborough LIVE Music Festival in downtown Peterborough from May 10 to 14
Peterborough LIVE Music Festival is back! The festival takes place from Wednesday, May 10th to Sunday, May 14th and features more than 100 acts at 23 venues across downtown Peterborough.
There are far too many performers to list here but, with rock, folk, metal, punk, hip hop, rap, jazz funk, R&B, country, bluegrass, DJs, and (new this year) dance, poetry, and comedy, there’s literally something for everyone.
All-access passes for the festival are $15 and single-show tickets are $5 and are available online at www.ticketscene.ca/series/469/. You can also get passes directly from the performers and venues, and passes and single-show tickets at the door for each show.
For more information on who’s playing when and where, check out peterboroughlive.ca.
The five-day Peterborough LIVE Music Festival features more than 100 acts at 23 venues across downtown Peterborough (poster: Peterborough LIVE)
“Songs in the Key of Cree” featuring Tomson Highway at the Market Hall in Peterborough on May 11
Living legend and Cree-Canadian playwright, songwriter, composer and pianist Tomson Highway performs “Songs in the Key of Cree” on Thursday, May 11th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146).
The evening will feature songs and compositions from five of Highway’s musicals written over the past 30 years. Joining him on stage will be Marcus Ali on saxophone and Peruvian-Canadian singer Patricia Cano.
This will be a special night featuring lively cabaret music and songs with Cree, English, and French lyrics by the trilingual Highway.
The concert is a fundraiser for Public Energy and the final show of the performing arts organization’s current season.
Tickets are $40 plus fees and there are special VIP cabaret seats for $100 plus fees that include a food and drink and a pre-show talk with Highway. Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.
VIDEO: Tomson, Patty and Marcus rehearsing “Songs in the Key of Cree”
VIDEO: Playing with Tomson Highway
Ian Foster at Catalina’s in Peterborough on May 15 and at The Loft in Cobourg on May 25
Newfoundland songwriter Ian Foster brings his clever tunes to Catalina’s (131 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-5972) on Monday, May 15th at 8 p.m.
Fosters’ writing contrasts living in a modern world with some elements of songcraft handed down by Ron Hynes and company. Tickets are available at the door.
Foster is also performing at The Loft (201 Division St., Cobourg, 905-372-2210) at 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 25th.
VIDEO: “An Open Letter From the Island” – Ian Foster
DUNES at The Garnet in Peterborough on May 19
DUNES from Sudbury brings their hip garage rock sound to The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Friday, May 19th.
The band’s sound has elements of ’90s alternative rock that weave through their tunes, while sounding current and fresh. Cool stuff. DUNES will be joined by Peterborough (and beyond) favourites The Lonely Parade and Peterborough garage pop band Prime Junk.
The show begins around 10 p.m. with tickets available at the door for $5 to $8 or pay what you can.
VIDEO: “Alright” – Dunes
Hillsburn at The Loft in Cobourg on May 21
Halifax band Hillsburn have been getting a buzz across Canada with their infectious pop/folk sound. Layered vocals, lush arrangements. and powerful performances are their trademarks. They have garnered a number of award nominations and their star is quickly on the rise.
Catch them at The Loft (201 Division St., Cobourg, 905-372-2210) on Sunday, May 21st for a matinee show at 2 p.m.. For more information, call 905-372-2210 or email kenprue@gmail.com.
VIDEO: “Bury My Heart” – Hillsburn
Mairi Rankin and Allie Robertson at the Market Hall in Peterborough on May 26
Mairi Rankin, of Nova Scotia’s famous Rankin Family, will bring her wealth of traditional Cape Breton music to the stage at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146) on Friday, May 26th at 8 p.m.
Also performing is Scottish-born Allie Robertson on the harp. This is a double bill that will be full of Celtic magic.
Tickets are $20 plus fees for general admission ($17 plus fees for students) or $25 plus fees for an assigned cabaret table seat. Get your tickets at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
VIDEO: Mairi Rankin (with Quinn Bachand)
VIDEO: “Swerving for Bunnies” – Allie Robertson
Bobby Dove with Bobby Watson at The Garnet in Peterborough on May 29
Montreal cowgirl crooner Bobby Dove returns to Peterborough to play The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Monday, May 29th and will be joined by the great Bobby Watson on guitar.
Dove’s music is from the heart and combines her influences of great songwriters with personal anecdotes and moments in time that resonate with her audience. The show begins around 9 p.m. and tickets are available at the door.
VIDEO: “Another Doggone Day” – Bobby Dove
Save the date: Country Wild Music Festival at Victoria Park in Cobourg on June 3
On Saturday, June 3rd, head down to Cobourg’s Victoria Park for the town’s first-ever country music festival.
Cobourg locals Matt Williams and J Andrew Hall of Cobourg Music Festivals Inc. have lined up nine Canadian bands to perform at the one-day festival, including headliners Cold Creek Country.
Runaway Angel, Gentlemen Husbands, Kansas Stone, Colin Amey, Sacha, Sawmill Road, SweetGrass Band, and Marc Ekins will also be performing at the festival, which takes place from 3 to 10 p.m. (gates open at 2 p.m.).
It’s an all-ages event, but alcohol will be available.
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