Lakefield Sisters Turn Road Trip Idea Into New Clothing Brand

By Scott Arnold

An idea from Lakefield sisters for making people pause, think and break out of their routines has grown into a new clothing brand with an unexpected connection to an internationally known singer-songwriter.

Two Franco-Ontarian, Lakefield sisters and young entrepreneurs, Allison and Sabrina Adam, officially launch ColourMe, a clothing brand built around colour, creativity, connection, and breaking everyday patterns (photo courtesy of Allison Adam)

Allison and Sabrina Adam have officially launched ColourMe, a clothing brand built around colour, creativity and the idea of doing something a little differently.

The idea started during a three-month road trip across Canada and the United States in 2024, when the sisters began exploring ideas around curiosity and human connection.

That eventually led them to the Stroop Effect, where the brain has to pause when information conflicts, such as seeing the word “blue” written in orange.

ColourMe puts that idea directly onto its clothing.

The designs feature mismatched colour combinations, with customers choosing the garment colour, the colour word and the text colour. The sisters also created their own handwritten fonts, and every design is available in English or French, reflecting their Franco-Ontarian roots and bilingual upbringing.

The sisters both grew up in Lakefield and are Trent University graduates. Allison holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and works as a business advisor with Community Futures Peterborough, while Sabrina holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education and teaches biology at Lakefield College School.

“It feels really exciting to finally launch something we’ve been building for so long,” says Allison. “And this is really just the starting point.”

Singer-songwriter hans williams representing the brand with a ColourMe shirt (photo courtesy of allison adams

The brand has also received early support from Vermont singer-songwriter Hans Williams, who has 1.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 60,000 followers across social media.

Williams said the concept appealed to him because of its ability to encourage people to step outside their routines and start conversations.

“I love the idea behind ColourMe shirts because they push people to get uncomfortable, start a conversation they may not have, and push back against the monotony of life,” says Williams. “I cannot wait to see where ColourMe goes and the impact they will have.”

There is another part of the concept that goes beyond the clothing itself.

Each order includes a ColourMe “Quest”, encouraging the recipient to break a routine, step outside their comfort zone or simply do something they might not normally do. Customers can submit proof of completing their Quest to unlock rewards.

“We kept coming back to the question of how ColourMe could actually get people to do something, rather than just wear or buy a shirt,” says Sabrina.

The sisters have also built a charitable component into the launch. One dollar from every order will be donated to SickKids Foundation, a cause that is personal to Allison after she was treated at SickKids as a child for Guillain-Barré syndrome.

ColourMe is currently accepting pre-orders through October 15th, with T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, crewnecks and hoodies available in customizable colour combinations.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Lakefield Artist Murray Henderson Named 2026 Sport Artist of the Year

By Scott Arnold

Lakefield artist Murray Henderson has received a major international honour for his work capturing the emotion, movement and stories behind sports and the athletes who play them.

Murray Henderson’s work has earned international recognition, with the Lakefield artist receiving the 2026 Sport Artist of the Year award. (Photo courtesy of United States Sports University)

Henderson has been named the 2026 Sport Artist of the Year by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives (ASAMA) at the United States Sports University in Daphne, Alabama.

The award recognizes artists whose work captures the spirit and life of sport and has been presented for more than four decades. Previous recipients include Ernie Barnes, Kadir Nelson, Steve Skipper, Cristóbal Gabarrón and Steven Lester.

For Henderson, the recognition is a significant milestone in a career that has spanned more than 30 years.

“For much of my career, sport has been one of the great inspirations behind my work,” Henderson said. “I have always tried to go beyond simply portraying an athlete or a moment in competition. My goal has been to capture the emotion, movement, history, intensity and humanity behind sport—and to do it in a style that is uniquely my own.”

One of Murray Henderson’s works reflects the artist’s distinctive “Exact Abstract” style, which combines realism, colour, texture and expressive paintwork. (Photo courtesy of United States Sports University)

Based in Lakefield, Henderson is known for his “Exact Abstract” style, which combines detailed portraiture with layered colour, texture and expressive paintwork.

His large-scale works have focused on sport, culture, identity and human achievement, using painting, drawing, ink, airbrush and mixed media. Some pieces also incorporate authentic game-used or personally worn sports memorabilia, connecting the artwork directly to the athletes and moments being portrayed.

That approach is one of the things that stood out to ASAMA.

“Murray Henderson’s work immediately captured our attention through its sense of controlled chaos, powerful movement and bold use of color,” said Angela Phillips, an ASAMA Art Board member. “His philosophy of building each piece ‘with precision and destroying it with emotion’ is vividly reflected in his work.”

Henderson has also taken his art beyond the studio through live painting and collaborations, including the DREAM Collection, where athletes and celebrities participate in creating paintings of iconic moments using their own equipment.

His collaborations have included former NBA player Ryan Anderson and NFL players Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin, while his work has been featured at events including Miami Art Week, Fanatics Fest NYC and the National Sports Collectors Convention.

In a post announcing the award, Henderson said he has spent years trying to find a way to tell the stories of athletes, moments, memories and sports culture through his art.

“Every piece has a story. Every mark has a purpose,” he wrote.

Lakefield artist Murray Henderson has been named the 2026 Sport Artist of the Year by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives. (Photo courtesy of United States Sports University)

The Sport Artist of the Year award will bring some additional recognition to Henderson’s work over the coming year. He will be featured in a yearlong exhibition at ASAMA, and one of his works will become part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Henderson will officially receive the award during the USSU Awards of Sport on Monday, November 9th, at the university’s campus in Daphne. The public event runs from 5pm to 7pm.

For a Lakefield artist whose career has been so closely connected to telling the stories behind sport, the award represents another significant chapter and, as Henderson put it, motivation to keep pushing what sports art can be.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Saturday's SolarFest Schedule Set for Full Day of Fun in Lakefield

By Scott Arnold

Live music, family activities, local shopping and plenty of special events are on tap as SolarFest takes over downtown Lakefield on Saturday.

Taking place from 9:00am to 3:00pm, SolarFest will transform downtown Lakefield into a vibrant pedestrian festival, with Queen Street closed from Bridge Street to Reid Street to make way for shopping, live entertainment, family activities, local food, artisans and community experiences

SolarFest runs from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, August 8th, with Queen Street closed between Bridge Street and Reid Street as downtown Lakefield becomes a hub for shopping, entertainment and family fun.

Live entertainment on the main stage begins with Bob Butcher at 9am, followed by the Ultraviolets at 10:45am, Joe Bulger at 11:45am and Tami J. Wilde & Katie Bath at 1pm. A surprise musical performance is also planned at The Chocolate Rabbit from 11am to 1pm.

The day's activities include the Puppy Parade at 10am on the Canoe & Paddle patio, rugby games and prizes in Cenotaph Park from 11am to 2pm, a hockey puck contest near the main stage from 11am to 1pm and the Fairy Door Contest beginning at noon in Cenotaph Park.

Families can also enjoy pony rides, the Lakefield Fairy Festival and a scavenger hunt throughout SolarFest, along with the Children & Family Village in Cenotaph Park.

Local businesses are joining the celebration with special activities and promotions throughout the day. The Lakefield Pantry will host permanent jewelry from 9am to noon and offer half-price frozen yogurt, while The Nutty Bean Café is serving three SolarFest-inspired drinks, including SolarFest Sunrise, Orange Creamsicle and Coco Cabana, along with a coffee bean guessing contest for a chance to win a gift certificate.

Visitors can also stop by Hendren Funeral Home to see a vintage funeral coach and enter to win a gift basket, browse Happenstance Books & Yarn's Island Sale featuring 50% off select books and yarn, visit Sunshrine Day Spa & Salon's Summer Braid Bar, support Cuddles for Cancer's Buy One, Give One blanket campaign, purchase Catch the Ace lottery tickets from the Lakefield Village Lions and enter ECCO Art Gallery's draw for a Long Weekend cottage getaway.

Organizers are encouraging visitors to explore the entire festival, visit every vendor, support local businesses and, if they're able, bring a non-perishable food donation for the Lakefield Community Food Bank.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Canoe & Paddle's New Patio Is Built On AstroTurf The Toronto Blue Jays Won World Series On

It’s not often—or ever—that you get the chance to eat delicious pub food on a patio in the Kawarthas that sits on AstroTurf that the Toronto Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series on. But that opportunity is now on deck at Lakefield’s Canoe & Paddle, whose new patio sits atop some of the old turf that is such a huge piece of Canadian sports history.

Indeed, the Canoe & Paddle were lucky enough to secure some of the old AstroTurf that the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series on at SkyDome (now Roger’s Centre) on Joe Carter’s dramatic walk-off home run in Game 6 in ‘93, giving the Jays back-to-back World Series titles.

Photo courtesy Canoe & Paddle

Jake Exton from Canoe & Paddle is at bat, and tells PTBOCanada the backstory behind it:

“It was a chance conversation about three years ago with Ian Knott from Indian Rubber Tire Shop in Buckhorn. He built an indoor baseball and lacrosse training centre at his business. He was a pitcher in the U.S., and had contacts within the business. He bought four rolls of AstroTurf when the SkyDome switched the surface in 1994. I remembered him talking about it about three years ago, and on the announcement that we would be able to expand our patios, I made a call and found he still had two rolls—which he was happy to sell to us!”

Photo courtesy Canoe & Paddle

They built the patio within a day, not quite as long as it took to build SkyDome, and the response has been fantastic to eating on the turf—a field of dreams, if you will.

”People love the history behind it and love telling us their stories of watching the game on TV or being there live to watch it happen,” Exton tells PTBOCanada.

Yep, to say they knocked this one out of the park would be an understatement.

And for those that forget…

THE BLUE JAYS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN. 🎉

Joe Carter hits a walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series. #BlueJaysOnSN pic.twitter.com/4eVJ5euWjl

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2020

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Just A Zamboni At The Timmies Drive Thru In Lakefield

Photo: Roberta Hubble & Lakefield Herald

You never know what you'll see going through a Tim Hortons drive thru. On January 30th, Zamboni driver Graham Wilkins was coming from the Ontario Speed Skating Oval in Lakefield and decided to hit up the Timmies there for coffee.

Only in Canada, eh!?

Photo: Roberta Hubble & Lakefield Herald

Hey @Ptbo_Canada you can't get any more Canadian than this! #Lakefield #SpeedSkatingOval #Timmies pic.twitter.com/2ApYYsKhxF

— Heather Watson (@HeatherWats0n) February 3, 2017

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Look At These Perseid Meteor Shower Pictures Over The Otonabee River

Niki Allday captured these stunning pics Sunday night (August 9th) of the Perseid Meteor Shower. They were taken in Lakefield with the Otonabee River as a perfect backdrop...

photo courtesy Niki Allday

photo courtesy Niki Allday

photo courtesy Niki Allday

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Here Is Totally Awesome Aerial Footage Of Lakefield In Fall

Tim Rollwagen and Mark Nelsons captured this stunning footage of the beautiful village of Lakefield near Peterborough using Mark's drone camera.

Have a look for yourself below of Lakefield in all its autumn splendour (you even get to listen to Mumford & Sons as you watch)...

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Video: The Famous Reydon Manor (Aka "Strickland House") In Lakefield Is For Sale For $3.25 Million

In 1857, Colonel Samuel Strickland's son Robert built the extraordinary, opulent Strickland house in Lakefield. (Robert's famous aunts, author sisters Catherine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie, both stayed there on occasion.) This historic house is a landmark in Lakefield. It has 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, an attached heated triple garage, a carriage house, 3 woodburning fireplaces, and is located on a 11.7 acre lot. And it's currently for sale—listed at $3.25 million. You can see it from the road on Queen St. driving through Lakefield, but we have often wondered what it looks like inside. Well, a video has been made by the listing agent which takes us inside it...

[YouTube]

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PtboPics: Family Day At Ontario Speed Skating Oval In Lakefield

There was a great crowd out today for Family Day at the Oval in Lakefield. Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal was out with his family (see his picture below), and the ice conditions were pretty good considering the warm weather we've had of late, so kudos to the ice crew. People were able to try speed skates which were made available, and there were hot dogs and hot chocolate being served. It was fun in the sun.

[Ontario Speed Skating Oval]

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