Peterborough Folk Festival Announces Irish Millie and Nicholas Campbell as 2023 Emerging Artist Award Winners

The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced that local talents Irish Millie and Nicholas Campbell are the winners of the 2023 Emerging Artist Award.

Peterborough Folk Festival believes in investing in young local performers to encourage and support their careers. To that end, PFF created an annual award in 2001 to recognize emerging local talent that we think deserves the attention and support of the community. For the list of previous winners, visit the website.

Applicants may be solo artists, groups or bands and must live in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, including Hiawatha, Curve Lake and Alderville First Nations, and be under the age of 30. A committee assesses applicants on skill, dedication and artistic merit.

Irish Millie is a 16-year-old fiddle player who loves to play East Coast, Bluegrass and Contemporary Trad styles – especially driving, up-beat tunes that get the crowd up on their feet. As a youngster, Millie (whose real name is Amelia “Millie” Shadgett) busked every Saturday along with her Dad at the local farmers’ market to gain experience and help pay for music camp.

Millie has already received nominations for two Canadian Folk Music Awards as Young Performer of the Year – in 2022 for her first album, ‘Thirteen’, and in 2023 for her work with The Receivers, a collaboration between Millie and sisters Willow and Fern Marwood. In addition to regularly playing in the Peterborough area, Millie has toured in Denmark and is touring Canada’s east coast of Canada this summer, and toured in Vermont with The Receivers this past spring.

“It is truly an incredible feeling to be recognized for my art in this beautiful city that I call home. I am grateful and honoured to be receiving Peterborough Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Award alongside the very talented Nicholas Campbell,” said Millie. “I have been very lucky to have the full force of the Peterborough community behind me from a very young age. I can not wait to get up on that stage and make you proud – see you there!”

From slick hot-rod rockabilly to smooth crooning honky tonk, Nicholas Campbell is the real deal. Inspired by some of the last century’s most iconic country sounds, Campbell first picked up the guitar at age 10 and was gigging by 11. Campbell began playing consistently with his band, The Two-Metre Cheaters, during the early months of the pandemic, and the band quickly found their groove as live shows became an option once again. Campbell’s 2021 debut album, ‘Livin’ and Other Western Ideas’, combines elements of rockabilly, western swing, and old-fashioned honky tonk. The band has enjoyed worldwide coverage and airplay since, spanning from western Canada to Spain, Italy and beyond. Nicholas has also played lead guitar for Melissa Payne, Pat Temple, Jane Archer and other artists.

With Campbell’s new singles and the album to come, ‘Gonna Have A Ball Tonight’, the group has embraced a more rock n’ roll-centric sound, adding renewed energy to Campbell’s signature country sensibilities.

“I’m very grateful to be part of such a supportive music scene and I feel very fortunate to be recognized as Emerging Artist,” said Nicholas Campbell. “It’s very humbling to be recognized on a list with so many other great artists.”

Recipients of the Emerging Artist Award are provided showcase performance spots during the festival weekend and a trip to the Folk Music Ontario Conference where they have the opportunity to meet artistic directors, festival organizers, other musicians, agents and publicists. Peterborough Folk Festival would like to thank our Emerging Artist Sponsors: Cambium Consulting and Engineering; Engage Engineering Ltd. & Part Time CFO Services.

Peterborough Folk Festival 2023 kicks off with ticketed concerts on Thursday, August 17th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Friday, August 18 at the Gordon Best Theatre, followed by a free-admission weekend of music, food and culture on August 19 and 20 at Nicholls Oval Park. Recent announcement of headliners Broken Social Scene and Loreena McKennitt will be followed soon with the complete line-up of performers.

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Peterborough Petes Avery Hayes Signs Two-Year Contract With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Peterborough Petes forward Avery Hayes to a two-year, American Hockey League (AHL) contract for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, announced on Tuesday.

Hayes (left) has won back-to-back OHl championships with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes.Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

The Penguins are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

Hayes was traded to the Petes on Jan. 7, shortly before the OHL trade deadline. He played 32 games with 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in the regular season.

The Westland, Mich.-born forward captured the OHL Championship in back-to-back seasons, with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Hayes led the Petes with 12 goals during their championship run.

Those wins gave Hays two straight Memorial Cup appearances, producing produced six goals and eight points in 10 total games.

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Fleming College Students' Anti-Stigma School Project Earns Partnership With Alzheimer Society To Be Used Throughout Peterborough

Fleming College’s Graphic Design – Visual Communication (GDV) students have partnered in an anti-stigma campaign developed from a class project with the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton in an announcement on Tuesday.

GDV Fleming Students Adam Keizer (left) Mark Dizon (middle) and James Levesque (right) gave presentations to the media and affiliated organizations of their campaigns. Dizon is an international student from the Phillipines and came to Peterborough for school two years ago. Photo by Samantha Bianco.

The ‘Missing Piece,’ campaign was created and designed by Fleming students including international student Mark Dizon. His project was declared the winner and the lead project from six different groups. It will be used throughout the Peterborough region to draw attention to the stigma and bias that can affect those with dementia.

“I just feel honoured and very happy that it’s my first time to be chosen for this,” said Dizon. “It was a contest and I was chosen. I won and I feel like a champion.”

Each year, fifth-semester GDV students were assigned to aid an organization with a design project. Organizations are often from the non-profit sector and the project gives students a chance to experience working with a real-world client from concept to completion.

The Alzheimer Society are using the designs and concepts in a campaign that will stretch across the Peterborough region.

“We were tremendously impressed with the quality of the work produced by the Fleming College students. Dementia in our region is rising exponentially, and unfortunately stigmatizing language is still commonly used around the disease,” said Jen Johnstone, Alzheimer Society executive director. “We are thrilled that our collaboration with Fleming will enable us to launch our anti-stigma campaign Be the Missing Piece in August of this year.”  

“This is a fantastic example of the hands-on, experiential learning that takes place at Fleming College and comes to life in our community,” said Maureen Adamson, Fleming president. “This project has led to a partnership that benefits not only our students but the people that we love and support. We are honoured to be a part of this collaboration.” 

Dizon has been hired by the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Northumberland, etc. in an internship capacity to help oversee the campaign. He is in his fourth week of six of an internship with the organization at the publication of this article.

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Dean Brody, Jade Eagleson and The Reklaws to Perform at Second Annual Kawartha Country Music Festival

The Reklaws, Bailieboro’s Jade Eagleson and headliner Dean Brody are performing at the second-annual Kawartha Country Music Festival at Kawartha Downs for Canada Day weekend this Saturday and Sunday.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the show starting at 6:30 p.m. for both days. Brody, Eagleson and a surprise artist kick off the Saturday event. A fireworks show will follow the concert scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Artist Sacha opens things for Sunday with the Reklaws and the James Barker Band. The latter made a surprise appearance in last year’s event and are officially recognized as an act this year according to Summer Nickerson-Hagen, Kawartha Downs marketing director.

“It’s just so great that we have them performing at this year’s festival,” she said. “We feel very lucky to have such a fantastic lineup.”

VIP Experiences packages/add-ons are ticket options that include a pre-show dinner with a Jade Eagleson appearance for Saturday and The Reklaws for Sunday. Photos and videos are permitted to be taken with the acts during the experience. They also get priority event entry, a free t-shirt, semi-private bar access, semi-private washrooms and a designated VIP viewing area.

VIP tickets are available at half-price until Friday at midnight with the code ‘VIP50.’

Tickets can be purchased online at ticketweb.ca and kawarthadowns.com.

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CEO of CMHA HKPR Mark Graham Announces Retirement

The Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) announced Monday that their CEO of 31 years, Mark Graham, is set to retire Jan. 31.

file photo.

“Mark Graham is truly remarkable and impressive. He is counted on by many other partner agencies within the counties of the HKPR region. He has sat on many advisory tables and committees supporting CMHA HKPR and community-based mental health and addictions services. His multi-dimensional view on many different challenges will be sorely missed,” says CMHA HKPR board president John Lyons.

Mark started his career with CMHA HKPR in 1992 with a staff complement of 28 and an operating budget of $1.2 million. With his strong and professional work ethic, commitment to the organization and his established relationships with community stakeholders, CMHA HKPR now has 188 employees and an operating budget of just over $17.6 million. Through his leadership and employees, CMHA HKPR offers over 20 programs and services across the four counties. These services help to improve the mental well-being of our communities.

Although the work was hard, Mark and his team saw many rewards through the challenges. It is a true testament to what can be accomplished with a dedicated leader and a group of highly skilled and engaged personnel that embrace the challenges and forge ahead.

“As the President of the CMHA HKPR Board of Directors I, along with all the Board Members wish nothing but the best for Mark and his family as he ventures into the next much deserved phase of his life. I would also like to thank him for his selfless commitment, dedication, and contribution to the mental health field,” said Lyons.

The CMHA HKPR Board and Senior Management Team are committed to ensuring a smooth transition as they begin the search for his successor.

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Pink Floyd Tribute Band 'Brit Floyd' To Rock the Peterborough Memorial Centre For Oct. 25

It is another brick in the wall as the spirit of Pink Floyd continues as tribute band Brit Floyd is performing at the Peterborough Centre for Oct. 25, announced on Tuesday.

The band will also feature Ian Cattell, Edo Scordo, Eva Avila and several others that have joined the ranks of Brit Floyd over the course of the last decade. Photo courtesy of Jim Houle and Brit Floyd.

The band is performing a brand-new production celebrating 50 years of the famed album The Dark Side of the Moon. The gig features classic tracks from the album such as Time, Money, Us and Them and The Great Gig in the Sky.

The set list also includes other highlights from Pink Floyd’s magnificent catalogue of albums including tracks from The Wall, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Division Bell, Medal and more.

Brit Floyd has performed over 1,000 shows since its launch in Liverpool, England in January 2011. They have sold out tours across, Europe, North America, South America and the Middle East. They have performed concerts at some fo the world’s most notable venus such as the London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall; the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Col.; the historic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and 'The Showplace of the Nation', NYC's Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.

Tickets start at just $44.50 and go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m., online or in person at the PMC Box Office or by phone at 705-743-3561.

Exclusive ticket pre-sale for PMC Scoop Members start on Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

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Canada Day Parade Hits the Peterborough Streets For July 1

The Peterborough Canada Day Parade is in full swing for 2023 as it will begin at City Hall and end at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Saturday.

File photo.

This year’s theme for the parade is “Happy Birthday Canada” and a huge birthday cake will be provided by Morello’s Your Independent Grocer to share with parade attendees.

Pre-parade activities start at 10 a.m. with a bike decorating contest, activities and giveaways including Canada Day temporary tattoos and flags at Confederation Square.

Peterborough Pop Ensemble will perform the national anthem around 10:30 a.m. at City Hall. The parade starts at noon at City Hall.

“Join us along George Street to cheer on the parade floats and the always popular display of kids riding their bikes decorated for Canada Day,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “Thank you to the organizing committee for bringing us together as a community to celebrate Canada, reflecting the diversity of our great country.”

Road closures

Temporary road closures for the event will occur along the route on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. as follows:

• Dublin Street – from the east side of Aylmer Street to the west side of Water Street

• London Street – from the east side of Aylmer Street to the west side of Water Street

• McDonnel Street – from the east side of Aylmer Street to the west side of Water Street

• Murray Street – from the east side of Aylmer Street to the west side of Water Street

• George Street – from the south side of Parkhill Road West to the north side of Brock Street

George Street from Brock Street to McGill Street is being treated as a rolling road closure with sections closed just before the parade arrives at each section and each section reopened as the parade clears that section.

Transit detours

Peterborough Transit will have route detours in place for Route 2 Chemong during the rolling road closure and Route 6 Sherbrooke while George Street is closed.

Parking restrictions

On-street parking restrictions in the downtown area will be in place on Saturday due to the parade. People are encouraged to park in the King Street Parkade at 202 King St., the Simcoe parking garage at 190 Simcoe St. or municipal surface lots at the following locations:

• Chambers Lot at 184 Hunter St.

• Reid Lot at 350 Reid St.

• Surface lot at 365 Aylmer St.

• Del Crary Lot at 100 George St. N.

• Downie Lot at 336 Downie St.

Parking in municipal lots and parking garages is free on weekends.

the City reminds residents to follow all on-street parking regulations that may be in place in the downtown area including calendar parking where applicable. Please ensure fire hydrants and driveways are not blocked.

Cogeco will be broadcasting the parade live from City Hall on YourTV.

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Lakefield Farmers’ Market Canada Day Celebration To Be Held June 29

The Lakefield Farmers’ Market, located behind the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, is celebrating Canada Day on Thursday, June 29.

photo courtesy of the lakefield farmers’ market.

Market staff will be handing out small Canadian flags, temporary maple leaf tattoos, and Canadian themed colouring sheets. Lakefield Youth Unlimited will also be on hand with children activities.

Market vendors will have everything needed for Canada Day celebrations; fresh produce for salads, local meat for the BBQ, delicious baking, local craft beer, VQA wines and much more.

The Lakefield Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine from Victoria Day until Thanksgiving. The Farmers’ Market is located behind the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, next to Isabel Morris Park along the Otonabee River, and just steps from the Lakefield Marina and the Lakefield Trail.

For more information, check out the website.

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Elizabeth Fry Society's Anti-Stigma Day Raising Awareness and Education On Substance Use

Creating a dialogue and education on substance users was the mission for the Elizabeth Fry Society's Anti-Stigma Day that was held at Millennium Park on Monday afternoon.

Alana Parisien, EFry housing manager (LEFT) and Chelsey McGowan, EFry peer services manager (RIGHT) with "Stigma Ain't It, Bestie," and "You Matter" buttons for their 2023 Anti-Stigma Day for those who use substances. This is the third annual event by the Society that began back in 2021 and runs every June 26. pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

The event is always held on June 26 and runs alongside the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s ‘International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.’ It supports the war on drugs and helps destigmatize those who are struggling while using substances.

Anti-Stigma Day is one way of creating awareness and dialogue to help bring an understanding of those dealing with substances according to Alana Parisien, Elizabeth Fry Society housing manager.

“They're combatting the stigma that's been perpetuated from the war on drugs which is kind of the historical day,” she explained. “Historically, it supports the war on drugs which we know is failing our community and perpetuating stigma.”

John Howard Society, Canadian Mental Health Association, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network and Peterborough Public Health among several other organizations were present with tents and kiosks at the event. They range from free giveaways, educational activities, a free listening session, games and information sessions.

One of the stigmas that those dealing with substances are the words and negative connotations behind them according to Parisien.

“I think a lot of stigma that we see, just typically in our community could be around the language that folks use,” explained Parisien. “Saying stigmatizing words like ‘junkie’ or narratives that are ‘why can't they get jobs?’ or ‘why can't they get well?’ or commenting like that, maybe just maybe a lack of understanding.”

Rather than raising judgment, opening a dialogue with compassion for those suffering is the proper way to approach the stigmatized said Parisien.

“Treat everybody like you would treat your own brother,” she explained. “If it's something you don't understand necessarily, maybe take some time to talk to someone as you would your neighbour to understand what they're going through each day.”

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Peterborough Petes to Raise OHL Championship Banner On Sept. 28 Home Opener

The Peterborough Petes will have their home opener in style as they will raise their OHL Championship banner against the Kingston Frontenacs, scheduled for Sept. 28 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC), announced on Monday.

The last time the Petes hosted Kingston for their home opener was to kick off the 2018-19 season. The Petes won that game 4-0. Photo by Samantha Bianco.

This is the first game at the PMC since clinching the J. Ross Robertson Cup in game six of the 2023 OHL Championship Series with a 2-1 win over the London Knights. 

Last season, this Eastern Conference rivalry saw the Petes and Frontenacs split the series with four wins apiece over each other. In the past five seasons, Peterborough holds a slight edge over Kingston with a record of 22-17-2-1.

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