New Details Emerge From The Amazing Race Canada’s Peterborough Episode

By Scott Arnold

More details are emerging about The Amazing Race Canada’s stop in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, giving fans a better look at the local locations featured in the upcoming episode.

the amazing race canada contestants can be seen running in front of city hall in downtown peterborough (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

The fifth leg of the race, titled “We Got The Beaver,” will take teams through the region as they compete in challenges and make strategic moves along the way.

Newly released photos from CTV show racers at some familiar local spots, including Peterborough City Hall in downtown Peterborough, Rogers Cove, Kawartha Dairy in Bobcaygeon, the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre on Television Road and Burleigh Falls.

roger’s cove in peterborough will be featured in an upcoming episode of the amazing race canada (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

contestants of the amazing race canada compete in a challenge at roger’s cover in peterborough’s east city (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

roger’s cove played host to contestants of the amazing race canada during an episode that will air august 11th (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

the amazing race canada host jon montgomery at burleigh falls (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

former chief and band councillor of Curve Lake First nation dr. Keith knott with the amazing race host jon montgomery (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

the amazing race canada also spent time of the ontario turtle conservation centre on television road just outside of peterborough (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

a popular spot in bobcaygeon will appear in an upcoming episode of the amazing race canada with kawartha dairy set to be featured in the august 11th airing (photo via instagram @ctv_pr)

CTV has teased that the episode will also feature a game-changing U-Turn Vote that sparks strategic chaos as teams continue their race across Canada.

The Amazing Race Canada featuring Peterborough and the Kawarthas airs Tuesday, August 11th at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and will stream the following day on Crave.

From downtown Peterborough to the shores of Burleigh Falls, viewers will get to see a little bit of what makes Peterborough and the Kawarthas such a special place as teams race through the region.

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

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Peterborough to Take Centre Stage on The Amazing Race Canada August 11th

By Scott Arnold

Peterborough and the Kawarthas will be in the national spotlight next month as The Amazing Race Canada brings local landmarks and destinations to screens across the country.

the amazing race canada host jon montgomery pictured at the canadian canoe museum in peterborough. an upcoming episode of the amazing race canada, airing august 11th, will feature contestants racing and competing at locations in the city (photo via instagram @cndncanoemuseum)

The secret is officially out.

After production crews and racers were spotted filming in Peterborough earlier this year, the Canadian Canoe Museum and Peterborough Tourism & The Kawarthas Tourism have confirmed that the city will be featured in an upcoming episode of The Amazing Race Canada.

The Peterborough episode will air Tuesday, August 11th at 9 p.m. EDT on CTV as part of Season 12 of the popular competition series.

Canadian canoe museum executive director carolyn hyslop holds up a clue card for the amazing race canada at beavermead beach in peterborough beside host jon montgomery (photo via instagram @cndncanoemuseum)

The episode, titled Episode 1205, will showcase Peterborough and the Kawarthas, highlighting local destinations and recognizable spots throughout the region as teams continue their race across Canada.

The Canadian Canoe Museum also confirmed it will be featured during the episode, giving viewers a chance to see one of Peterborough’s most unique attractions featured on national television.

the amazing race canada host jon montgomery on little lake in peterborough with a canoe provided by the canadian canoe museum ( (photo via instagram @ptbotourism)

The episode will be available to stream the following day on Crave.

Back in May, production sightings around the city sparked plenty of excitement among residents, with reported filming locations including Peterborough City Hall, Rogers Cove, Crary Park, Beavermead Park and the Canadian Canoe Museum.

canadian canoe museum curator jeremy ward showing a clue card alongside the amazing race canada host jon montgomery (photo via instagram @ptbotourism)

Now, viewers will finally get to see what challenges racers took on during their stop in Peterborough.

Tune in August 11th to see which local places you recognize and maybe discover a few new ones along the way.

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

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Peterborough County Advances Tourism Efforts Aligned with Provincial and National Priorities

As Canada marks National Tourism Week from April 20 to 24, Peterborough County Economic Development and Tourism is advancing a coordinated approach to tourism to strengthen The Kawarthas as a unified and competitive destination.

photo courtesy of peterborough county.

On April 21, the County will host Kollab in The Kawarthas at Elmhirst’s Resort, bringing together tourism operators, accommodation providers and industry partners to connect, collaborate and explore new opportunities to grow the visitor economy.

The event reflects a broader evolution in how the County is supporting tourism through more aligned, research-informed and business-focused initiatives that respond directly to the needs identified by industry.

“This work is about giving our tourism operators a clearer path forward. By aligning our efforts and focusing on what today’s visitors are looking for, we’re helping businesses collaborate, compete and grow while strengthening The Kawarthas as a destination," says Warden Bonnie Clark.

Turning Insight into Action: Three Initiatives Driving Change

This work is being delivered through three coordinated initiatives, each designed to strengthen how Peterborough County attracts visitors, supports businesses and drives economic impact across the region.

Moving Visitor Services to the Visitor

Peterborough County is rethinking how visitor services are delivered.

The traditional model, relying on visitors to seek out a single location, is being replaced with a mobile and digital approach that brings the destination directly to them.

Tourism staff will be active in communities, at events and across the region, connecting visitors to local experiences in real time while driving traffic to businesses.

This approach reflects evolving visitor expectations and aligns with the future direction of visitor services across Ontario.

Introducing the Travel Persona Framework

Grounded in national research and informed by feedback from Tourism Talks sessions in 2025, the Travel Persona Framework provides a clear and practical way to understand today’s traveller.

“We heard our industry clearly, and we’ve responded with action,” said Warden Clark. “This is a more focused, collaborative approach, built to deliver real results for our businesses and our communities.”

By translating complex segmentation data into a simplified, easy-to-use tool, the framework helps businesses better understand their customers, strengthen their marketing and develop experiences that resonate.

Because tourism success today isn’t about reaching everyone, it’s about attracting the right visitor and giving them a reason to stay longer, connect more deeply and return.

Launching the Anchor Property Program

The County is also introducing the Anchor Property Program, recognizing accommodation providers as key influencers in the visitor journey.

“Our accommodation providers are more than places to stay, they are the front door to The Kawarthas experience,” said Warden Clark. “They have a unique opportunity to shape how visitors explore our region, and through this work, we’re supporting their ability to connect guests to local experiences and drive longer, more meaningful stays.”

The program strengthens the connection between accommodators and the broader destination, helping increase length of stay, repeat visitation and overall economic impact across the region.

These initiatives are designed to provide businesses with practical tools they can apply immediately, supporting both day-to-day operations and longer-term growth.

By connecting research, marketing and engagement, Peterborough County is building a more cohesive tourism ecosystem, one that supports small businesses while strengthening The Kawarthas as a destination.

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Peterborough And The Kawarthas Tourism Encourages Residents To Explore Their City During Tourism Week

Tourism Week in Canada, led by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), is an annual invitation to come together to champion and promote Canada’s destinations, tourism businesses, and employees from May 29 to June 4.

File Photo.

Before COVID-19, tourism in Peterborough & the Kawarthas was responsible for 1 in 10 local jobs and more than $365 million in annual visitor spending.

According to Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, the pandemic decimated the industry across Canada, with hundreds of thousands of jobs lost, and forecasting doesn’t see the industry recovering until the end of 2025.

Now, it’s time to rebuild the industry and recover. This years theme is ‘Travel Now: For Work, Life, and Play!’.

“We were optimistic for a great start to the core tourism season. The recent May 21st storm is yet another setback after two challenging years,” said Joe Rees, Director of Tourism for Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED). “Local businesses continue to show resiliency, and our community continues to support local businesses - both important factors for successful recovery. However, we must be prepared to fight for our region’s competitive position as people start to travel again, not just this summer, but as travelers plan for fall and winter travel experiences.”

PKED is steadfast in its commitment to supporting this vital local sector and its economic, social, and cultural importance. Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, a division of PKED, has undertaken several activities in 2020 to support recovery by 2025:

• Launched www.investptbo.ca – a new economic development website to better position the region for growth and investment attraction, including the tourism sector.

• Launched a newly redesigned www.thekawarthas.ca to address recent changes in consumer sentiment and travel trends.

• Launched the SPARK program, which aims to support innovative local tourism ideas with mentorships and grants emphasizing spring, fall, and winter seasons and culinary experiences to better support year-round economic impact and sustainable tourism attraction.

• Hired a full complement of travel counsellors for the summer season and re-launching the mobile visitor services program, which will take place on weekends at the Peterborough Lift Lock all summer.

• Launching a new “Tourism in Motion” program, which will see travel counsellors throughout the City and County connecting with locals, visitors, and businesses where they are to provide onthe-spot visitor services.

• An enhanced suite of virtual visitor services, including live online chat, email, and phone information requests.

• Ongoing promotion of the O’de Piitaanemaan Pledge to encourage responsible travel in the region to counteract over-tourism issues and instill a sense of kindness and respect for people and places as the region works towards recovery.

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Lang Pioneer Village Will Resume Self Guided Living History Tours

Lang Pioneer Village will be open for self-guided living history tours on Wednesday.

A GUIDED TOUR OF THE MUSEUM THAT COMPLIED WITH THE COVID-19 PROTOCOLS IN 2020. PHOTO COURTESY OF LANG PIONEER VILLAGE.

The Museum has been operating under an altered guided tour format since the beginning of the pandemic however the province has moved to a stage that is permitting the Museum to resume living history programming with all necessary safety protocols in place to ensure a safe experience for all.

The Museum will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday until Sunday, Sept. 5.

Under the living history format, guests will be able to visit the Museum on the date and time of their choosing with no time limit to their visit.

Visitors will tour the village at their own pace and costumed interpreters stationed in some of the historic homes and businesses will introduce them to the building’s history and demonstrate traditional trades.

Visitors are required to wear masks when entering all buildings on the property, maintain two metres distance between themselves and visitors from outside of their group and are asked to practice proper hand sanitization and follow all posted signage while on site.

Only one visitor group will be permitted in the historic buildings at a time. Advance booking is not required but it is recommended.

“We’ve had our sights set on the day when we can open up again to a living history experience for our visitors. It is finally here,” said Laurie Siblock, museum manager, “Staff and volunteers are excited to welcome visitors back to a village filled with the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the 19th century.”

Click here for more information.

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Backroom Briefing Q: Is Ashburnham Drive A Rough Road to Tourism?

Q: Ashburnham Drive: Are there any plans to upgrade or repave this road in order to make it attractive for our visiting tourists? We seem to have an active tourism office, but when people actually visit they shouldn’t have their travel memory include a description of a poorly-maintained access road. —JC Gonder

Goyette: JC's concern is understandable, in that he and his associates at Promotion Marketing and Design and Whatever Solutions and Media on Pido Road have a direct interest in the state of a key access road to their offices.

The research shows that they are not alone. People care about the quality of their roads, and especially in four season climates. When surveyed on municipal services, people routinely rank roads as a key concern in terms of safety, speeding, repair, parking, snow removal, litter, drainage, runoff, sidewalks and accessibility. Cynical pragmatists have long contended that decisions related to highway repair were closely correlated with political partisan representation and the timing of elections. In some constituencies, good roads are a magnet for good votes.

Ashburnham Drive is a gateway to a surprisingly large number of City sites, including Ecology, Beavermead , Farmcrest, Eastgate and Walker Parks; The Trans Canada Trail; Rogers Cove; the PUC and Parks Canada buildings; Lock 20 and the nationally significant Liftlock; and Ashburnham Memorial Park and Peterborough Museum and Archives.

The heritage of the road is strongly tied to the former Village of Ashburnham, a community on the east bank of the Otonabee founded in 1859 and connected to Peterborough at the time by the Howe truss wooden bridge. The Village was annexed by the City of Peterborough on December 2, 1903—the result of a vote favoured by only 99 of 178 Village voters. The village Council itself was very cautious about its own road expenditures: the first sidewalks on today’s Hunter Street were approved on condition that they were limited to two wooden planks per side, and that the planks be laid parallel to the roadway rather than at more expensive right angles.

Traffic counts on Ashburnham Drive from Lansdowne East to Marsdale Drive undertaken last November indicate that the road is heavily used; the average weekly traffic count was 7,148 (northbound) and 7,463. (southbound) This year, during March and April when the roadway is vulnerable, commercial vehicles on Ashburnham will be restricted to half loads.

The approved 2012 City of Peterborough Capital Budget includes $3.8 million (2011 dollars) for major reconstruction of Ashburnham Drive from Lansdowne to Maria Street involving new asphalt pavement, concrete curbs and gutters, sidewalks, bicycle lanes and storm sewers, all of which will coincide with water main improvements to be undertaken by the Public Utilities Commission. The detailed design will be completed in 2013 and the construction completed in 2014.

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David Goyette is the Executive Assistant to Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett. Email your burning questions for David about City Hall to feedback@ptbocanada.com.

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The Peterborough Lift Lock Is World Famous Don't You Know (Of Course You Do)

Here it is getting a lot of action on YouTube from tourists and the like.

[More info: Peterborough Lift Lock]

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Vacation Footage of Peterborough & Buckhorn... from the early Seventies

Here's a couple of pretty neat films a guy shot from his vacation trips to this area in 1970 and 1971. You'll recognize many local spots in them. (The film format was Super 8, so there is no audio unfortunately.)

 
[Buckhorn 1970; Return to Buckhorn -- 1971]

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