Do you recognize this man? Police suspect he is one of two men who have robbed the same Lansdowne Street West restaurant three times over the past three years (photo: Peterboough Police Service)
The Peterborough Police Service have released a video of two suspects involved in three unsolved break and enters at a Lansdowne Street West restaurant over the past three years.
The break and enters took place in the early morning hours on Tuesday, January 3, 2015, on Monday, February 29, 2016, and on Saturday, January 28, 2017.
During each incident, cash was stolen. Police believe the same two men were involved in all three burglaries.
Police are asking anyone with information about these suspects or incidents to call Peterborough Police Service’s Crime Line at 705-876-1122 ext. 555, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or to visit www.stopcrimehere.ca
A paper coffee cup and other littered items emerge from a snowbank at the corner of Charlotte and Aylmer Streets in downtown Peterborough during the 2017 January thaw. Take steps now to reduce roadside garbage and litter that accumulates throughout the winter to minimize the unsightly mess that appears each spring. (Photo: GreenUP)
When the snow melts, out comes the grass and — unfortunately — the garbage. We in Peterborough have just had a reminder that winter isn’t over, but spring is coming, and with it will come another reminder of our winter habits.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Danica Jarvis, GreenUP Environmental Educator.
Each spring, a number of organizations such as the Rotary Club of Peterborough and Otonabee Conservation host events to bring people together in a united mission to pick up Peterborough’s trash is left over after the snow melts away. They target hotspots around Peterborough, such as Jackson Park and our shorelines, which are swept by volunteers looking for garbage and recycling.
Over the past decade, the Rotary Club’s Super Spring Cleanup has successfully collected 3,000 bags of garbage. Although I look forward to participating each year and marveling at how people are able to come together for such a great cause, let’s take a moment to reflect on WHY we have to do it.
When winter gives way to spring, it exposes a dirty secret: litter. Throughout the winter it appears that litter accumulates from windblown recycling, from car windows, and as dropped cigarette butts and coffee cups. Whatever the reason, litter begets litter; the idea that one person’s bad example sets the stage for others and a lone coffee cup becomes a crowd.
Although littering is a social taboo, most people litter when they are not being watched — and for good reason, as the fine in the City of Peterborough can be up to $5,000.
The trick in winter is that accumulated litter, which in warmer conditions can be a visible call to action, is periodically hidden by snow and ice. You can usually still see it emerging from snow banks and peeking out from freshly fallen snow, but it’s hard to see exactly how much of it there is. In any season, it is better to throw that wrapper into the bin and it is always best to start with a litterless option.
Here are three tips for being an active agent of sustainability in winter:
1. Avoid littering on your commute
Roadside garbage accumulates throughout the winter leaving an unsightly mess but it also damages the soil and nearby ecological community. Most of our dirty ditches are filled with fast-food cups and containers. This can be avoided with a little planning.
Keep small bags for garbage so that when you’re on the go you can toss coffee cups and food containers into a bag to be recycled later. Reusing shopping bags works well.
Develop new litterless habits by keeping clean reusable mugs in your car and packing a lunch and snacks using reusable containers from home.
2. Keep on recycling
Brave those frosty nights and take the time to recycle properly.
It’s difficult after large snow falls, but try and stay clear of high snow banks and place your blue bin on the curb. This will help collection workers to access your bin.
Crush your lightweight materials (such as paper) to the bottom of the bin and weigh down the load with heavier items on the top. This will help contain materials during blustery winter days and nights.
3. Don’t forget to compost
It is easy to skip the composting when the temperatures drop.
To keep you going, you can place a sealed bucket under the sink to store scraps during those extra cold days. Cut scraps into small pieces for quicker digestion. Keep the route to your composting bin clear.
While shoveling your driveway and footpaths, add your composter to the list.
Follow the ebbs and flows of temperature. Throw your scraps in the bin when the weather is milder, such as during a snowfall, as opposed to when it is -30. The bacteria will become active in your composter during these brief warm times making it the ideal time for adding scraps.
There are many more steps on the road to a garbage-free life, but if everyone were to follow even just these three simple steps, we’d all be in for a pleasant surprise come spring.
It is wonderful to see the community come together during the spring clean-ups but it would be so much more wonderful if there were no reasons to have one. Let us all challenge ourselves to keep our city as beautiful as it can be.
Make today the first day of your litterless winter!
Performing Arts Lakefield presents Duo Percussion, known for their eclectic and high-energy performances, on February 17 at the Bryan Jones Theatre at Lakefield College School
The Annual General Meeting of the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism takes place on February 15 at The Village Inn in Lakefield
The Chamber’s AGM is tonight (Wednesday, February 15th). It’s not too late to register — Register now!.
There are draw prizes to be won — don’t forget your business cards! You could win:
Pass for two to the Kingston 1000 Island Cruises and Kingston Trolley Tours (restrictions apply, expires Oct. 23rd, 2017)
Full Service Auto Wash at Villa Auto Wash (422 Aylmer Street, Peterborough
Other prize donations are welcome
The Chamber will also be doing two draws for $500 Chamber Gift Certificates for those who entered the Chamber’s Networking Draw in 2016.
In preparation for the AGM, you can access the Chamber’s 2017-2020 Strategic Plan and the minutes from the 2016 AGM by signing in to the Member Information Centre. Once you have signed in, you can download these documents from the AGM and Strategic Plan folders. Limited paper copies will be available at the AGM.
If you have difficulty accessing these documents, please contact the Chamber at 705-652-6963 or email info@kawarthachamber.ca and they will send them via email.
Support the Habitat Warsaw Build
The Kawartha Chamber’s Habitat Team is raising funds to support the Habitat for Humanity Build in Warsaw. For every dollar you donate, you can write your name on a square of the Warsaw Home blueprint.
The Kawartha Chamber’s Habitat Team is raising funds to support the Habitat for Humanity Build in Warsaw.
They are selling “square feet” of the Habitat home for $1 each, and want to have all squares sold at the Chamber’s AGM.
For more information or to make a donation, contact 705-652-6963 or email info@kawarthachamber.ca.
Annual Report 2015-2016
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s 2015-2016 Annual Report is now available
The Chamber’s 2015-2016 Annual Report was released Tuesday morning (February 14). The report is mobile-responsive so it can be viewed easily on any device. Click here to view the Annual Report.
The Annual Report is being circulated in preparation for the Chamber AGM on Wednesday evening.
Performing Arts Lakefield: Duo Percussion – February 17th
Brennan Connolly and Dave Robilliard of Duo Percussion
Duo Percussion features classical, contemporary, and Canadian music using traditional and non-traditional percussion instruments like the marimba, vibraphone, drum set, and brake drums.
Join Performing Arts Lakefield for Duo Percussion on Friday, February 17th at the Bryan Jones Theatre at Lakefield College School.
The concert begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students. Visit www.performingartslakefield.org for details.
Heritage Day at the Buckhorn Community Centre – February 18th
Mark Saturday, February 18th on your calendar for Heritage Day at the Buckhorn Community Centre — a day for the whole family!
There will be snowshoeing, skating, and horse drawn wagon rides. Warm up inside with music, vendors, food and a baking contest.
Bring your skates for the ice rink or borrow some from the equipment room for free!
Free Public Skating in Lakefield and Ennismore
Saturday, February 18th, Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, 12 to 1 p.m. (sponsored by Logan Tree Experts)
Sunday, February 19th, Ennismore Community Centre, 1 to 2 p.m.
Muffins for Granny Film Screening – February 18th
The Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre and Trent University present a screening of the documentary film Muffins for Granny.
The screening will take place at Wenjack Theatre, Trent University on Saturday, February 18th from 6:30 to 9 p.m. All are welcome.
Muffins for Granny is a remarkably layered, emotionally complex story of personal and cultural survival. Writer and director, Nadia McLaren tells the story of her own grandmother by combining precious home movie fragments with the stories of seven elders dramatically affected by their experiences in residential school. Read more.
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.
Colonel Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space and the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, will speak at Lindsay's Academy Theatre on May 11 at a fundraiser for the United Way of City of Kawartha Lakes (photo: Chris Hadfield / NASA)
United Way of CKL presents Out of This World with Col. Chris Hadfield
When: Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 8 p.m. Where: Academy Theatre (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay) How much: $100
A fundraiser for United Way of City of Kawartha Lakes. Tickets available at the Academy Theatre box office by calling 705-324-9111 or online at academytheatre.ca.
Retired Canadian astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield is set to deliver his inspirational keynote address at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre on Thursday, May 11th at a fundraiser for the United Way for City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL).
“Our goal is to host a successful and entertaining event to show our support for the United Way,” says Barb Truax, one of the three co-chairs for the United Way for CKL’s fundraising campaign.
“When the idea was spawned to find an outstanding and interesting keynote speaker, Colonel Chris Hadfield was our immediate first choice. He often speaks to much larger crowds and in much larger venues. We are just thrilled that he will join us here in Lindsay for an intimate evening in our beautiful, historic Academy Theatre.”
Called “the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong,” Hadfield achieved worldwide fame in 2013 by sharing his photos, stories, and music while on board the International Space Station during a five-month mission — in particular his orbital rendition of David Bowie’s iconic song “Space Oddity”.
VIDEO: “Space Oddity” by David Bowie performed by Chris Hadfield
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s video of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, recorded at the International Space Station in 2013, made him the world’s most famous living astronaut. It has almost 35 million views on YouTube.His celebrity capped a 21-year career as an astronaut, which included three spaceflights and 2,600 orbits of Earth. Hadfield, who was inspired to become an astronaut as a child in southern Ontario when he watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing on television, became Canada’s first fully qualified Space Shuttle crew member in 1992 when he was selected by the Canadian Space Agency as a NASA Mission Specialist.
Three years later, aboard Shuttle Atlantis, he was the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in space, and the first Canadian to board a Russian spacecraft as he helped build space station “Mir.” In 2001, aboard Shuttle Endeavour, Hadfield performed two spacewalks — the first Canadian to do so — and, in 2013, he was Commander of the International Space Station — the first and only Canadian so far to ever command a spaceship.
Hadfield’s many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. He was named the Top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and has been inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
Chris Hadfield took 45,000 photos from space. Here’s one showing Detroit, Michigan (right) and Windsor, Ontario separated by the St. Clair River (photo: Chris Hadfield / NASA)
Hadfield is also the author of three internationally bestselling books: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, You Are Here, and his children’s book, The Darkest Dark. He also released his music album, Space Sessions: Songs From A Tin Can, in 2015. Hadfield has been commemorated on Canadian postage stamps, Royal Canadian Mint coins, and on Canada’s newest five-dollar bill (along with fellow astronauts Steve MacLean and Dave Williams).
“This is an amazing boost for our area,” says Penny Barton Dyke, Executive Director of the United Way for CKL. “Colonel Hadfield is internationally renowned and so inspirational. We are excited to have his visit coincide with both the 150th anniversary of Canada and the 50th anniversary of our United Way. We are grateful to the Three Chairs Committee and the sponsors that have made this fundraiser possible.”
Barb Truax, one of the co-chairs of the Three Chairs Committee for the United Way for City of Kawartha Lakes 2016-2017 Fundraising Campaign, at the announcement of the fundraiser featuring Colonel Chris Hadfield (photo courtesy of United Way for CKL)
The Three Chairs Committee comprises three members of the community-oriented Truax family: matriarch Barb, her daughter Sherry Giltenan, and her son Tim Truax. Together, they are the co-chairs for the United Way for City of Kawartha Lakes 2016-2017 Fundraising Campaign.
“The three of us talked it over and wanted to push the boundaries of our honourary role,” Barb says. “We set the goal of creating a special fundraising event. Hence, the Three Chairs Committee was born. We truly appreciate the effort and support of our other committee members and of our event sponsors. It’s so exciting to have Colonel Chris Hadfield coming to our community … we urge everyone to get their tickets early!”
Tickets to “Out of This World with Col. Chris Hadfield” are available now for $100 per person at the Academy Theatre box office by calling 705-324-9111 or online at academytheatre.ca.
VIDEO: Wringing out Water on the ISS – for Science!
Astronaut Chris Hadfield also produced a series of science-related videos while about the International Space Station. Here he performs a simple science experiment about water surface tension in micro-gravity, designed by grade 10 students from Fall River, Nova Scotia, who won a national science contest held by the Canadian Space Agency.
The 2017 Bears' Lair competition offers more than $120,000 in prizes, including $50,000 in cash and business support services
Bears’ Lair, Peterborough’s annual entrepreneurial competition, is now accepting applications for its 2017 competition.
To be eligible, you must have a registered business (sole proprietor, partnership, or incorporated) with annual sales under $200,000. Start-up or pre-sales businesses must demonstrate a meaningful investment of time, resources, or research and development in their business, and existing businesses must demonstrate a significant move towards a new product, service, or market.
There are two steps to apply for the 2017 competition. First, post a photo representing your business to the Bears’ Lair Facebook page and indicate you will be entering. Then submit a complete application — including a business plan and 12-month cash flow projection — through the Bears’ Lair website at www.bearslairptbo.ca.
The deadline for applications is Thursday, March 2, 2017.
Originally launched in 2010, this year’s Bears’ Lair competition will again be judged in two categories, the first being goods and services and the second being innovation. Contestants will compete for more than $120,000 in prizes, including $50,000 in cash and business support services, with the two final winners receiving $5,000 in cash each.
“When I reflect back on how our community has evolved over the past seven years to support entrepreneurship, it is truly a remarkable evolution,” says Diane Richard, chair of Bears’ Lair, who announced the launch of the 2017 competition at the Cubs’ Lair finale on February 10th (BabyEvia, an online subscription service for organic and eco-friendly baby clothing, won the Cubs’ Lair competition).
The winners of last year’s Bears’ Lair competition included Rob Howard of Kawartha Local and Rick Dolishny of BlushDrop (photo: Bears’ Lair)
Bears’ Lair is modelled on the popular CBC television series Dragons’ Den, where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to secure investment finance from a panel of venture capitalists. The original idea came from a show in Japan called Money Tigers; today, local versions of the show have been produced in 30 countries around the world.
This year’s competition will follow a similar format to previous years, with a semi-finalist showcase event on Tuesday, March 21st, followed by the finale on big event on Tuesday, April 25th, where finalists will face challenging questions and feedback by the judges before a live audience at The Venue. The selected finalists’ presentations will be scored based on innovation, commercialization, diversification, business plan quality, and the benefit to the local economy.
Last year’s winners were Rob Howard of Kawartha Local, who won the goods and services stream, and Rick Dolishny of BlushDrop, who won the innovation stream.
Presenting sponsors of the 2017 competition are the Great Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough Economic Development, the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, Mega Brand Experience, and Peterborough Angels.
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, featuring Peterborough's iconic clock tower, is located at 140 Charlotte Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Bradley Boyle)
As the cold gives way slowly to warmer temperatures, things will remain comfortably cozy as ever at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) with a number of diverse shows scheduled over the next few months.
Be it live music or musical theatre, or even “I-can’t-believe-what-just-saw” magic, general manager Chad Hogan and his staff are set to welcome a steady stream of great entertainer to the historic hall’s stage.
New music from a local singer? A rousing musical performed by Trent University students? Wizardry of the hypnotic variety from a master? Classic rock as performed by one of the best guitarists of his generation? Folk and blues music served up by two of Canada’s finest songwriters? Whatever your fancy, your appetite is sure to be fully satisfied.
Missy Knott EP Release Party on February 17 at 8 p.m.
Singer-songwriter Missy Knott is releasing her new EP My Sister’s Heaven (photo: Wayne Ferguson)
If you’re going to throw a party, well, the more the merrier.
So it is that when Peterborough-based singer and songwriter Missy Knott releases her Nashville-recorded new EP, My Sister’s Heart, on February 17 at 8 p.m., she’ll be surrounded by a number of musical friends as special guests — Kate Suhr, Jace Martin, Cody Carslake, Gary Williams, Hillary Dumoulin, Kate Edwards, Brian Mehlenbachr, Jayde Taylor, Denise Ferguson and Nathan Bottomly will each add to their talent to the evening.
“This is the coolest thing I’ve done thus far, with getting the (Ontario Arts Council) grant and being able to work with Crystal Shawanda as my mentor in Nashville,” says Knott.
“Peterborough is a huge part of my career and where I’m going with it. I want to include a number of people I’ve worked with and have inspired me. It just makes it way more fun.”
VIDEO: “One Last Touch” – Missy Knott
“Right before I got pregnant, I was getting very close with my community of Curve Lake. My little sister and I are very close. It (the EP’s title) was my way of telling her I love her. It’s a tribute to my whole family really; to my roots and to my culture.”
Knott admits to being in a very good place now following her struggle with post-partum depression.
“It was pretty awful. I was angry and everything I was doing I was forcing myself to get out of bed to do. Now I’m just so grateful for (my daughter) Lyrik’s health and our roots. I can’t stop writing. I have so much to say. I don’t think I would care or appreciate it all if it wasn’t for Lyrik.”
Helping lift Knott’s spirits is a scheduled performance at this year’s Havelock Country Jamboree. “That’s always been a little girl dream for me,” she says, saying her focus on the country music genre may surprise some but it’s a very comfortable fit for her.
“I’m getting closer and closer to finding my niche. It just sort of unfolded this way and I’m OK with it.”
Tickets for Missy Knott’s EP Release Party, presented by the Peterborough LIVE Music Festival, are $20 ($15 for students) and are available from the box office at Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough), by phone at 705-749-1146 or online at www.markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
The Anne Shirley Theatre Company presents Bare: A Pop Opera on March 10, 17, at 7 p.m. and March 11, 18 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Bare: A Pop Opera runs for six performances in March
Since marking its arrival in 1971 with the staging of Anne of Green Gables, The Anne Shirley Theatre Company has strived to remain true to its stated mission: provide opportunities for Trent University students to experience all aspects of theatre, both on and off the stage.
Well, it’s mission accomplished for the student-run theatre troupe, which has served up a diverse menu of stage productions since adopting the name of Anne of Green Gables’ central character as its calling card. With artistic director Kalene Upton at the helm, that success story continues unabated with the staging of Bare: A Pop Opera on March 10th and 17th at 7 p.m., and March 11th and 18th at 2 and 7 p.m.
Based on the book by Jon Hartmere and Damon Intrabartolo — they combined on the music and lyrics as well — the musical premiered in October 2000 at Hollywood’s Hudson Mainstage Theatre. What followed were numerous critically acclaimed runs in the United States and across the big pond in Wales and Ireland.
The story follows the experiences of a group of high school students as they navigate their final year at St. Cecilia’s, a Catholic high school. Like most all teens, they experiment and party their way through school, all while dealing with pressures courtesy of their parents, their church and their peers. In the end, facing obstacles, the students are forced to decide on what, and who, they will place their faith in.
Tickets are $20 ($15 for students and seniors) and are available from the box office at Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough), by phone at 705-749-1146 or online at www.markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
Market Hall presents Spidey: Make Believe – Magic Of Your Mind on March 25 at 8 p.m.
Mentalist and magician Spidey will freak you out with his eerie demonstrations bordering on the supernatural (publicity photo)
When you’re a hypnotist, illusionist and magician and Penn and Teller profess to be blown away by your performance, you know you’re doing something special.
Since beginning his career 10 years ago, Spidey has enthralled audiences around the globe as well as millions online, wowing the judges on America’s Got Talent and Canada’s Got Talent to achieve finalist status on both. Combine that with nominations for Canadian Magician of the Year and Canadian Variety Artist of the Year and, well, you get the idea — this guy knows how to entertain.
It’s clear that Spidey isn’t disappearing anytime soon, although he could if he wanted to, and right before our unbelieving eyes.
VIDEO: “Make Believe – Magic Of Your Mind”
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre presents Spidey’s acclaimed mind-reading show, Make Believe – Magic Of Your Mind, on March 25 at 8 p.m. The same show has been featured on Entertainment Tonight and The Discovery Channel, the latter describing Spidey’s wizardry as “ridiculous … just crazy.” Now a local audience can experience what all the fuss is about.
General admission tickets are $25 ($20 for students and seniors) and are available from the box office at Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough), by phone at 705-749-1146 or online at www.markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425). Cabaret-style table assigned seating is available for $30.
Market Hall presents Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Band on April 11 at 8 p.m.
Former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre (photo: Martin Barre)
While you may not know Martin Barre by name or face, if you’re a fan of the music of classic British rock band Jethro Tull, you are most familiar with his talent.
The guitarist joined Jethro Tull for its second album Stand Up in 1969 and, with Ian Anderson, anchored the band’s progressive sound over the next 45 years. But it was Barre’s contribution to the album Aqualung — his work on the title track has been voted among the top rock guitar solos of all time by a number of music industry magazines — that he remains best known for.
Barre also played flute and mandolin with Jethro Tull, again adding to the band’s trademark sound that brought it a Grammy Award and album sales of more than 60 million.
VIDEO: “Song for Jeffrey ” – The Martin Barre band
If he wasn’t busy enough, Barre launched a solo career in the early 1990s and subsequently recorded four albums, the latest being 2015’s Back To Steel.
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre presents Barre April 11 at 8 p.m. as part of as extensive tour of Canada and the United States. Joining him will be singer Dan Crisp, drummer George Lindsay and bassist Alan Thomson. Expect a healthy dose of signature Jethro Tull songs as well as performances of Barre’s solo work.
Tickets are $35 and are available from the box office at Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough), by phone at 705-749-1146 or online at www.markethall.org. Tickets for Row C and Tables 8 and 18 are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425). Cabaret-style table seating is available for $30 while VIP table seats cost $75 and include a meet-and-greet with Barre, complimentary refreshments, and a signed poster.
Market Hall presents Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer on April 14 at 8 p.m.
Shawn “The Harpoonist” Hall (right) and Matt “The Axe Murderer” Rogers (publicity photo)
After meeting by chance at a jingle recording session in 2006, Shawn Hall and Matthew Rogers discovered they had a mutual love for folk and blues music. That led to their forming a duo, Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, and a wide acclaim for their live shows.
Singing and playing guitar, harmonica and foot percussion, the duo has recorded four studio albums and been a major player on the festival circuit across Canada. The music industry has sat up and taken notice as well, evidence of that including a Juno Award nomination for their 2014 album, A Real Fine Mess, as well as a Sirius XM nod in 2013 for Blues Artist of the Year.
VIDEO: “Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To” – The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer
Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer will be performing at the Market Hall at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 14th. General admission tickets are $25 ($20 for students) and are available from the box office at Market Hall (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough), by phone at 705-749-1146 or online at www.markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425). Cabaret-style table assigned seating is available for $30.
Sunday morning services with Peterborough City Church
Peterborough City Church was formed in January 2016
When you think of the Market Hall, you probably imagine performing arts rather than religious services. But the latter is one of the more innovative uses of the venue this year, after the formation of Peterborough City Church a year ago this month.
Pastors Chad Trivett and Sasha Trivett hold services every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at Market Hall as part of their non-denominational church.
Both Trivetts are ordained with the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, a pentecostal Christian association. They met at Toronto’s Tyndale University College and Seminary and eventually married. Just after getting married, they moved to Tokyo in Japan, where they started an international, interdenominational church.
In 2007, after spending six years in Tokyo (where their son Ari was born), they moved back to Sasha’s hometown in Peterborough to be closer to family, and decided to form another interdenominational church. Peterborough City Church was born.
Pastors Chad and Sasha Trivett (photos: Peterborough City Church)
But the Trivetts needed a location to hold their weekly services, and realized the Market Hall would be an ideal space. There’s also a connection between the church and the performing arts: Chad is in a band that performs contemporary music at the church.
Peterborough City Church offers “inspirational messages and music in an educational and engaging atmosphere where each can worship, pray and learn at their own pace.” For a calendar of Sunday services at the Market Hall, including topics and special speakers, visit www.ptbocitychurch.com.
Mehdi Taheri of Silk Roots Fusion Cuisine, a new resaturant in downtown Peterborough (photo: Silk Roots Fusion Cuisine / Facebook)
Silk Roots Fusion Cuisine
Mehdi Taheri and Mina Monsef are back in the restaurant business. The young couple brought authentic Middle Eastern cuisine to Peterborough and are thrilled to introduce Silk Roots Fusion Cuisine.
The menu includes everything from Du Plaze beef and chicken, tandoor, samosa, kebabs, and falafel, to unique pizza and pasta dishes. Open for take out, dine in, catering and delivery, the Silk Roots is located at 304 George Street, just morth of Brant Office Supply on the second floor.
The 1,350-square-foot facility at Black Belt World Peterborough (photo: Black Belt World Peterborough / Facebook)
Black Belt World Peterborough is a new taekwondo martial arts academy, the latest Black Belt World Canada franchise located at 1524 Lansdowne Street, at the corner of Lansdowne and Kawartha Heights Boulevard.
Jointly owned by Black Belt World Grandmaster Tommy Chang and Omemee native Matt Brett, head instructor and third degree black belt, the 1,350-square-foot facility offers taekwondo, private lessons, summer, winter and March break camps, an after-school program, Olympic sparring, and birthday parties.
Stop in, call 705-775-2358, or visit www.blackbeltworld.ca. You can also find Black Belt World Peterborough on Facebook.
New industrial building planned for Fisher Drive
Concept design for new building on Fisher Drive (image courtesy of Century 21 United Realty Inc.)
If you are looking for industrial space, there is an exciting new building about to be built at 1961 Fisher Drive in Peterborough.
Realtor Dave Griffin has all the details on the building which can be divided in 15 16,000-square-foot increments up to 47,500 square feet. Featuring energy efficient lighting, radiant gas heat, a sprinkler system, grade and dock level overhead doors, 600 volt, three phase power, and 24 to 28 foot clear height ceilings, the building will be available this fall.
If you have some valuables you are curious about, you have a chance to get a free appraisal this weekend (February 18 and 19) in Campbellford.
Maple Leaf Appraisers will be at the Hidden Treasure Chest Flea Market (2 Industrial Dr.,Campbellford) starting at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
The Skyjacker's Tale tells the story of convicted mass murderer Ishmael Muslim Ali, who has been living as a fugitive in Cuba after hijacking a plane to Havana in 1984 (photo courtesy of Cave 7 Productions)
A71 Entertainment presents The Skyjacker’s Tale
When: Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) How much: $10 general admission
Featuring a Q&A with filmmaker Jamie Kastner. Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office, by calling 705-749-1146, or online at www.markethall.org (a $3 box office service fee applies). Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
Sometimes the story of a lifetime can come from the most random of places. For Toronto-based documentary filmmaker Jamie Kastner, a visit to his auto mechanic eventually took him to the Cuban underground and face to face with convicted mass murderer Ishmael Muslim Ali.
On Thursday February 16th, A71 Entertainment (co-founded by Peterborough native Chad Maker) will present Kastner’s documentary about Ali, The Skyjacker’s Tale, for a special screening at the Market Hall in Peterborough. Filmmaker Jamie Kastner will attend the screening for a question-and-answer session.
The Skyjacker’s Tale revisits the obscure and strange story of Ali, who has been on the FBI’s most-wanted list since 1984 after successfully hijacking an airplane and escaping into Cuba. For the first time, Kastner’s film presents Ali’s side of the story.
“I came to the story completely by random through my car mechanic,” Kastner tells me during a phone interview. “My mechanic had said to me ‘I have a buddy who goes down to Cuba and he met this man in a bar with a story. You do documentaries. Would you be interested?’ In the mechanic shop, we looked (Ali) up on-line and found fragments of this story.”
The story of Ali, formerly known as Ronald LaBeet, is an intriguing one. In 1972, five masked men entered the Fountain Valley Golf Course in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, and began to shoot up the club house primarily filled with staff and American tourists. By the end of the massacre, eight people were dead with many more wounded. Ali, a former Vietnam soldier and known political activist in St. Croix, was one of the five men convicted of the murders and was sentenced to life in prison in 1973.
The film reenacts the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 626 on December 31, 1984, when Ali was being transported as a prisoner from St. Croix to New York (photo courtesy of Cave 7 Productions)
Eleven years later, on December 31, 1984, Ali was being transferred under armed escort from St. Croix to New York on American Airlines Flight 626. Feigning air sickness, he obtained a gun hidden in the plane’s washroom and hijacked the plane, forcing it to land in Havana, Cuba, where he has been living in as a fugitive ever since. To this day, Ali maintains his innocence and says he was nowhere near the Fountain Valley Golf Course the day of the massacre.
“There were only scraps of information published about this strange crime in which he was originally convicted,” Kastner recalls. “I couldn’t make sense of it. Five masked men go into a golf course at three in the afternoon and shoot the place up and they make off with less than a thousand dollars from the till. There were suggestions that this was a politically motivated crime. I just couldn’t quite put these shards of information together. But having only heard one side of the story, I figured that at the least I could meet with a mass murderer (to get his side of the story).”
Ishmael Muslim Ali claims he is innocent of the murder of the 1972 killings of of eight people at Fountain Valley Golf Course in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands (photo courtesy of Cave 7 Productions)
Through the help of the mechanic’s friend acting as a middleman and with funding from a successful pitch he gave to Hot Docs Festival, within weeks of discovering Ali’s story for the first time, Kastner was on an airplane to Cuba to meet Ali in person.
“He met me on the outskirts of town,” says Kastner of his initial meeting. “He is this tall imposing guy. He was 70 at this point, but he is still an impressive figure; he’s not elderly in any obvious way. He has a definite swagger to him, and it seems like he’s stepped out of a 1970s’ blaxploitation film — which in a way he has, in the sense that was the last time he was free on the streets in America.”
“That ended up in informing some of tone and the aesthetic choices I made in the movie, since it was built around his voice. This was a guy who managed to survive Vietnam, a dozen years in a hard maximum security prison and, eventually, hijacked a plane to Cuba where there were scores of unsuccessful hijackings. He’s a fairly impressive guy, whether you love him or loathe him.”
Filmmaker Jamie Kastner, who travelled to Cuba to meet with Ali, will be present for a Q&A session following the February 16th screening of The Skyjacker’s Tale (publicity photo)
By spending time with Ali, Kastner began to put together another side of the story never revealed before.
“From the information out there, all that is known about Ishmael is that he is one of America’s most-wanted fugitives and, up to this point, has been universally painted as a mass murder and hijacker,” Jamie says. “But then I met him and heard a completely different side of the story. It’s very convincing in its way, and more detailed than anything published. Eventually I saw him as a murderer and I saw him as a victim. I put that spectrum of impressions in play for the audience to let them decide what they think of him and what they feel the crucial part of this story is.”
To this day, Ishmael Muslim Ali remains on the FBI’s most-wanted list (poster: FBI website)
Kastner and his team of researchers also bring other voices to the film, of people directly affected by Ali. With these other voices represented, Jamie was able to flesh out the story further.
“The film is built around access to Ishmael, but goes back and investigates the hijacking, the original murders, and the trial,” Jamie explains. “From all those points of the story, my team and I were able to unearth a great range of characters. From the pilot and flight attendants and passengers that were on the plane, to the cops and FBI agents who investigated the crime, to witnesses to what was going on on the Virgin Islands at the time, to lawyers on both sides of the case, to people who knew the judge.”
“It’s just what you dream of when you’re trying to bring to life a story that happened decades ago.”
Premiering at TIFF in September 2016, The Skyjacker’s Tale found enthusiastic audiences and also caught the attention of The Innocence Project, a group of civil rights lawyers in the United States who have been successful at overturning wrongful convictions. With three of the five convicted men still incarcerated in U.S. prisons, The Innocence Project is using Jamie’s film as a launch pad to reopen the case.
“There are still three men who have been in jail for 45 years by this point,” Jamie notes. “One guy, in a strange set of circumstances, had his sentence commuted and was let out but died in mysterious circumstances four years late. The Innocence Project is reinvestigating the original trial and convictions based on revelations from the film. There are some amazing revelations that occurred on camera for the first time.”
Now in his seventies, Ishmael Muslim Ali has been living as a fugitive in Cuba since 1984 (photo courtesy of Cave 7 Productions)
Jamie notes that being a filmmaker from Canada greatly impacted his ability to tell Ali’s story.
“It would have been impossible to do this story if I were an American,” Jamie says. “My access to this story was based on the fact that I am Canadian. From Canada’s relationship with Cuba over the years, to the fact that the story was first told to a Canadian tourist, to my ability to travel there, to the fact that Ishmael is fairly anti-American himself — from what he experienced both as a soldier in Vietnam and at the hands of the American justice system. I am sure that the fact that I am Canadian was part of what got me in the door there.”
“It’s amazing to me how this guy who is in exile and underground in Cuba decided he wanted to tell his story, with a particular motivation to help his co-defendants who are also convicted of murder, and he managed to do it by randomly talking to Canadians in a bar.”
Don’t miss the chance to see The Skyjacker’s Tale at Market Hall, on Thursday February 16th. The film begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by question-and-answer session with Kastner. Tickets are $10, available at the Market Hall Box Office, by calling 705-749-1146, or online at www.markethall.org (a $3 box office service fee applies).
A Great Grey Owl in Lindsay (photo: Hayley Rodman)
Lindsay photographer Hayley Rodman captured this close-up shot of a Great Grey Owl off of Highway 36 near Snug Harbour off Sturgeon Lake.
“I made my dad pull over on the side of the highway just to get this photo,” Hayley writes on her Instagram. “Very happy, I could have sat there with it the entire day if I could have. It just sat there looking around, I was a little scared it was going to fly at me so I made sure I obviously kept my distance but very happy I got this shot!”
Local naturalist Drew Monkman says this is the first sighting of the Great Grey Owl he’s heard about this winter in the Kawarthas.
One of the world’s largest owls, the Great Grey Owl is the only species of wood owls that is found in both the western and eastern hemispheres. They breed in North America from as far east as Quebec to the Pacific coast and Alaska.
Other than in California, Great Grey Owls are not an endangered species. The greatest environmental threat to the owls is the harvest of timber from their natural habitat in the boreal forest.
A non-migratory bird, the Great Grey Owl feeds almost exclusively on small rodents like voles and lemmings. They often hunt from a low listening post such as a stump, a low tree limb, a fence post, or a road sign.
Great Grey Owls have excellent hearing; their large facial disks known as “ruffs” help focus sound. In the winter, they use their superb hearing to locate prey moving in tunnels beneath 60 cm (2 feet) of snow.
Once they’ve honed in on their prey, they then crash through the snow to capture the prey — they are the only wood owl species known to use this hunting technique, called “snow plunging”.
The Peace Cake (with "peace" written in Hebrew, English, and Arabic) served after the multi-faith service on February 8 at Peterborough's Beth Israel Synagogue (photo: Shegufa Shetranjiwalla-Merchant)
“In the end, what will hurt the most is not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”
In the midst of “a different battle for peace,” Reverend Martin Luther King gifted his profound wisdom to the discussion. On Wednesday night (February 8) at Peterborough’s Beth Israel Synagogue, followers of a number of faiths were again buoyed by Dr. King’s words — this time spoken with emphatic passion by Reverend Bill Peacock of Fairview United Church.
“Let us not be silent in our caring, our words or our actions,” urged Rev. Peacock, one of 10 people who spoke at “Standing With Our Neighbours”, a multi-faith prayer service held as a response to the January 29th killing of six people and the wounding of 19 others at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec in Quebec City. Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, has been charged in connection with the shooting rampage.
While the words offered by each speaker were different, the message was the same: acts of terror don’t remotely speak to who Canadians are and the values they hold but, to avoid complacency, Canadians must speak out, and speak out loudly, against intolerance and hatred of all people of all faiths.
“We are at a crossroads in the world today … the political environment is deteriorating and hatred is being allowed to grow,” lamented Dr. Dan Houpt, a spiritual leader at the synagogue.
“What happened in Quebec did not happen in a vacuum. It was a result of intolerance of the other. As a Jew, I’m acutely sensitive to this. My people lost six million souls while the world watched.”
Politicians and Quebecers stand in solidarity at a January 30th vigil for the victims of the terrorist attack at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec in Québec City. On February 8th, Beth Israel Synagogue in Peterborough hosted a multi-faith prayer service to show solidarity for Peterborough’s Muslim community in the aftermath of the shooting. (Photo: Adam Scotti)
For those who think “this heinous event” is an isolated one, involving “some other people, some other community,” Dr. Houpt paraphrased the well-known words of German Protestant minister Martin Niemoller, an outspoken foe of Adolph Hitler.
“First, they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists but I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists but I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Well represented at the gathering was Peterborough’s Al Salaam Mosque, with Iman Shazim Khan reminding that “no religion teaches hate” before terming the prayer service “one of the many good things that have come out of this tragic event.”
Mosque president Magdy Kamar echoed that sentiment, saying “terrorism has no religion” but, having been “committed in the name of all religions, it’s not something new.” He concluded by saying “We must stand together and remind ourselves that we are united by our differences, not in spite of them.”
But words alone don’t represent the mosque’s reaction to the shooting tragedy. On Friday (February 10), a bus bound for Quebec City will depart at 4 a.m. from the Al Salaam Mosque at 784 Parkhill Road West. Besides bringing their condolences and support to the Muslim community in that city, its passengers will bring financial donations collected at Wednesday’s prayer service.
Seats are still available but Mr. Kamar urges those interested in making the trip act quickly. He can be reached at 705-760-0351.
“Actions speak louder than words and we’re trying to prove that by going there,” said Mr. Kamar, later noting, as part of an obligation to create more awareness of Islam, the mosque is looking at soon hosting an open house.
“The more people know about Muslims and Islam, the more acceptance. They don’t know anything about us and they believe only what they may hear.”
The Abraham Festival banners (representing Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) on display at the multi-faith service. The 14th annual Abraham Festival takes place on April 23, 2017 at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough. (Photo: Shegufa Shetranjiwalla-Merchant)
All three levels of government were all also front-and-centre at the prayer service in the form of Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett, MPP Jeff Leal, and Lauren Hunter, speaking on behalf of MP Maryam Monsef.
In his remarks, MP Leal decried the rise of Islamphobia — “This hatred of our fellow citizens” — and termed the mosque shooting “a wake-up call to all of us … love always conquers hate and we must pursue that every day.”
Reverend Julie Stoneburg of the Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough spoke in a similar vein, admitting to having no immunity to fear but also possessing the realization that “the demonization of others and hatred don’t ever make things better.”
“It’s not enough for me to say what I believe. I must live it and challenge myself to do more to show love wherever I can and work to bring justice and peace into our world, beginning right here in Peterborough.”
Afterwards, synagogue president Larry Gilman, who organized the event and brought each speaker to the front, said it was put together as a “show of solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters…this is what Peterborough is all about.”
It’s not the first time the synagogue has opened its doors wide to the Muslim community. Following a November 2015 act of arson at the mosque — a hate crime, as determined by city police — the synagogue rolled out the welcome mat for local Muslims to pray.
“It (the prayer service) is very overwhelming and heartwarming but it’s not surprising,” said a grateful Mr. Kamar.
“I’ve lived in Peterborough for 26 years and I’ve had all the good experiences. Such generosity isn’t new. It’s something I experience every day.”
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