Peterborough Musicfest Presents Jesse Cook July 19

Peterborough Musicfest continues its 36th summer season on Wednesday, July 19, welcoming internationally acclaimed Canadian acoustic guitarist Jesse Cook to Del Crary Park.

photo courtesy of peterborough musicfest.

Cook has a resumé of musical milestones and achievements that includes the coveted Acoustic Guitar Magazine Player’s Choice Silver Award, 11 Juno Award nominations and win for 2001’s Free Fall, a Gemini Awar and ten platinum and gold studio albums. 

Born in Paris and educated at Toronto’s Eli Kassner Guitar Academy, the Royal Conservatory of Music, York University and the esteemed Berklee College in Boston, Cook’s critically heralded 1995 Billboard charting debut album, Tempest, set him on a trajectory that continues to climb. 

Having last appeared at Peterborough Musicfest in 2017, Cook has most recently toured Europe.  

For more information on Peterborough Musicfest visit the website.

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Peterborough Petes's Derrick Walser Hired As Red Deer Rebels Head Coach

Peterborough Petes assistant coach Derrick Walser is headed out west as he has been hired as the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Red Deer Rebels head coach, announced on Wednesday.

The Walser family has been active members of the Peterborough community since joining the Petes in 2017. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The New Glasgow, N.S.-born coach joined the Petes in August of 2017 as an assistant coach. He spent the last six years with the Petes and capped off his tenure with an OHL Championship and coached in this year’s Memorial Cup. Prior to joining the Petes, Walser served as a player/head coach of the UK’s Belfast Giants in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) for two seasons.

“On behalf of the Peterborough Petes, we’d like to congratulate Derrick as he takes this exciting step in his coaching career,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “Over the last six years, Derrick has been a staple on the Petes bench and has earned the opportunity to become a head coach at this level. We wish Derrick, his wife Sara and their sons Camden and Hudson nothing but the best in this transition.”

“I’m thankful to Mike Oke for bringing me into this organization six years ago,” said Walser. “Peterborough will always feel like home to me and my family. We’ve loved our time here with the Petes organization.”

Before his coaching career, Walser played nineteen seasons of professional hockey between the NHL (Columbus), AHL (Syracuse, Saint John, Albany, Toronto), ECHL (Johnstown), KHL (Chekhov), Swiss-A (Rapperswil-Jona), DEL (Berlin), and EIHL.

“I’ve learned a lot being here,” said Walser. “Working with this group, particularly with Rob Wilson, has helped shape me into the coach I am today. We had a great, close-knit crew and I will always have fond memories of my time with the Petes. Not just our OHL win and the support from our epic fans but the time behind the scenes working together towards a championship. The hardest part will be leaving the community we’ve created here.”

Walser was a defenseman for five seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Beauport Harfangs and Rimouski Oceanic. He tallied 82 goals, 173 assists, 255 points and 293 penalty minutes in 255 career games. He was named QMJHL and CHL Defenceman of the Year in 1997-98.

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Kate Suhr Presents ‘Backstage Diary’ at Market Hall This October

Local talent Kate Suhr is returning to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on October 12 to share her Backstage Diary Cabaret.

photo courtesy of kate suhr, facebook.

Suhr will share a delicious mix of folk, pop and show tunes from her favourite shows and composers. The evening will feature Musical Director Anthony Bastianon as well as Victoria Yeh, Sam Quinn, Curtis Conkwright and a few other special guests such as Linda Kash, Jonathan Cullen, Megan Murphy, Shannon McCracken, Indigo Chesser, Melissa Payne and Kate Brioux.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12 at Market Hall. Tickets are $40 for general seating, $55 for cabaret seating and $25 for youths. Tickets can be purchased online.

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Voice of Business: Home Stretched: Tackling Ontario's Housing Affordability Crisis Through Innovative Solutions and Partnerships

The cost of housing is impacting communities of all sizes across Ontario. It’s limiting the buying power of households, impacting businesses’ ability to attract and retain talent, and exacerbating homelessness rates throughout the province.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) recently released Home Stretched: Tackling Ontario's Housing Affordability Crisis Through Innovative Solutions and Partnerships, outlining opportunities for the private, public, and non-profit sectors to explore innovative partnerships and approaches to address housing affordability and supply, and recommendations to build on successful models. The OCC report is in partnership with Desjardins, Cadillac Fairview, and the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario. It builds on research from a series of regional housing affordability roundtables with a diverse range of housing sector stakeholders.

The Government of Ontario has committed to building 1.5 million new homes by 2031 to help mitigate this crisis. This goal will require strategic action and significant collaboration across sectors and all levels of government. It will require the public, private and non-profit sectors to work together.

The housing crisis in Ontario has reached a critical point, with significant challenges related to both affordability and supply. Peterborough has not been immune to these pressures, as rising housing costs are impacting many of our businesses' ability to attract and retain labour. At the same time, higher housing costs leave less income available to spend on other goods and services, which directly affects our community’s long-term economic growth.

The executive summary from the report sums up a lot about the current situation:

While distinct, housing supply and affordability challenges are mutually reinforcing: as mid-high income earners are priced out of the real estate market, they are increasingly occupying market rental housing for longer, contributing to low vacancy rates and rising rental rates. This puts additional downward pressure on the limited supply of more affordable, non-market housing options, where waitlists can reach up to 12 years across the province, further compounding the homelessness crisis. At the same time, social and economic pressures, such as inflation and supply chain challenges, are contributing to rising costs for housing development (which has not kept pace with demand), while hindering mobility along the housing continuum.

The OCC report highlights some key statistics:

• 211,419 households on social housing waitlists

• Provincial rental vacancy rate of 1.8 per cent (3 per cent is considered healthy)

• The average house price is now 11.5 times annual household income

• Rent has increased by 17.1 per cent over the last year, now sitting at an average of $2,401

• 22,000+ construction job vacancies

• 68 per cent of organizations in Ontario continue to report labour shortages in their respective industries

• 1.85 million additional units would be needed in Ontario beyond what is already being built or in the pipeline to restore housing affordability

The OCC policy brief provides all levels of government and industry with recommendations under the following themes: Labour and Demographics, the Housing Continuum, and Infrastructure and Land Use Planning.

The report has 34 recommendations, including:

• Continue to establish and deliver on inclusive workforce development and immigration strategies to increase the labour pool needed to build more housing.

• Incentivize the development and preservation of affordable housing options along the continuum, including purpose-built rentals, missing middle, student, non-profit, cooperative, and supportive housing.

• Support the development and expansion of innovative technologies, data tools, retrofitting, building conversions, as well as mixed-use and climate-resilient green housing.

Housing is at the root of a lot of issues we’re facing in Ontario. It’s contributing to the rising cost of living, limiting labour mobility, and leaving people without homes altogether. For the sake of our communities, we need to encourage our governments to work with the private and non-profit sectors to enact a wide range of policies to address our current housing crunch. The Home Stretched report is a good place to start.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Peterborough Lakers Snap Five-Game Winning Streak With Six Nations Chiefs Third Period Surge, 12-7

The Peterborough Lakers break their winning streak of five games after losing to the league-leading Six Nations Chiefs, 12-7, at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Hagarsville on Tuesday night.

The loss maintains the Lakers at second place in the league with a game in hand to the league-leading Chiefs but are behind by four points. Photo courtesy of Darryl Smart and the Peterborough Lakers.

Both teams were evenly matched throughout the first period. Josh Currier and Colton Armstrong opened the scoring for Peterborough in back-to-back goals. Kevin Hill and Larson Sundown countered with a pair of goals for Six Nations. Shayne Jackson scored a third for the Chiefs for their first lead of the game before Eli McLaughlin tied it at 3-3. Tim Edwards scored a late goal to give Six Nations a 4-3 lead after the first period.

The second period saw both teams go stride for stride with each other. Six Nations continued their run with Cody Jamieson and Dave Brock netting a pair for a 6-3 Chiefs lead. Holden Cattoni and Cam Milligan got Peterborough’s special teams working as they both tacked on powerplay goals to bring the Lakers within one. Six Nations also saw their man advantage pay dividends as Bell scored a powerplay goal of his own. Taite Cattoni took it upon himself to score unassisted for Peterborough to keep it a one-goal game going into the third with a score of 7-6.

The first-place Chiefs showed why they’re at the top of the rankings as they took over the game in the third. They went on a run of five goals and clamped down on Peterborough’s offense. The Lakers mustered only one goal late in the period with McLaughlin’s second but it was too little, too late for Peterborough as they fell to the Chiefs 12-7.

2019 President’s Cup MVP Warren Hill earned the win in net while Drew Hutchinson gets the loss. The Chiefs improve to 10-2-0 while the Lakers fall to 8-3-0.

The Lakers return home to the Peterborough Memorial Centre to take on the Brooklin L.C. in their second matchup of the season on Thursday night. The Lakers will be playing on a new turf that was installed earlier this week.

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Folk Under The Clock Presents Adventure Stories and Songs with Adam Shoalts and Ian Tamblyn

Folk Under The Clock is bringing Adam Shoalts and Ian Tamblyn to Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for an evening of adventure stories and songs Nov. 25.

photo courtesy of folk under the clock.

Adam Shoalts has been declared one of the ‘greatest living explorers’ by Canadian Geographic. He is a professional adventurer and the author of four national best-selling books. ‘A History of Canada in Ten Maps’, ‘Alone Against the North’, ‘Beyond The Trees’, ‘The Whisper On The Night Wind’.

His career has included mapping rivers, leading expeditions for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Mountain Equipment Co-op, archaeological digs, tracking endangered species and completing a 4,000 kilometre solo journey across Canada’s Arctic.

In 2022, Shoalts canoed and hiked a 3,400 kilometre solo journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic and his story is featured in his upcoming book, ‘Where the Falcon Flies’ to be released in October.

Ian Tamblyn is a musician, adventurer and playwright. He has been a working musician since 1972 and has released over 34 albums as well as acting as producer for many other artists. He has also written fourteen plays and over one hundred theatre soundtracks.

In 2012 he was made a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society for his guiding and creative work in the Canadian Arctic. He has worked with many Adventure Tour companies where he guided, sang and studied wildlife from Scotland to the Arctic and Antarctic. In 2022, Tamblyn was appointed an Officer of The Order of Canada.

His songs have been covered by numerous artists and there is a tribute album of his work entitled, ‘Coastline of our Dreams’ featuring artists like Lynn Miles, Susan Crowe, Hart Rouge and Valdy. His song ‘Woodsmoke and Oranges’ is a Canadian classic known by most canoers.

Tickets are $45 incl. HST and fees and the show begins at 8 p.m. For more information, visit the website.

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First-Ever Peterborough Caesar Fest Launches July 13

A contest of cocktail and culinary prowess begins in Peterborough this week with the launch of the first annual Peterborough Caesar Fest starting July 13.

Terry Guiel (left) and Julia Caes-her (right) showing off their Caesar creations. photo courtesy of the peterborough dbia.

Eleven restaurants, pubs and cafes are featuring their own unique and savoury homage to the classic Canadian cocktail, and will all be vying for glory in this spicy competition.

From July 13 to the 31, a variety of Caesar cocktails and Caesar-inspired dishes will be featured on local menus throughout the downtown just in time for summer patio season. During Caesar Fest, participating restaurants will seek to please the masses and gain votes to claim the title of Caesar Fest victor. Festival goers will vote online for their favourite ‘Caesar’ and at the end of July, only one will reign supreme. 

With a variety of versions available, foodies and cocktail lovers alike will be able to explore a world of innovative caesar-inspired menu exclusives. The Caesar Map will help participants scout out their favourite spots for sips and snacks over the course of the Caesar Fest program.

The winning restaurant will receive a hand-crafted Caesar Fest trophy and the adoration of their patrons and competitors.

“Caesar Fest is a really fun and new way to bring the continuous, multi-site food fest model into the summer patio season”, says Shivaan Burke, programs and engagement coordinator for the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. “Involving numerous businesses from across the downtown delivers benefits to multiple neighbourhoods at the same time, all while giving patrons the chance to explore some unexpected creations based on a Canadian classic. Downtown revellers can spice things up by making this a cocktail crawl and feel good about getting home safely thanks to our partnership with Y-Drive. We hope that Caesar Fest will give folks the opportunity to discover some new downtown favourites and enjoy the summer on some great patios.”

The Peterborough DBIA has also contracted local performance artist Julia Caes-Her to animate the program. They will be downtown Peterborough promoting Caesar Fest, toasting the competition and partaking of the spoils. 

For more information on how to participate in the first annual Peterborough Caesar Fest visit the website.

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CMHA HKPR’s Change the Cycle Event Raises Over $40,000 for Garden Homes

The Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge’s (CMHA HKPR’s) first-ever Change the Cycle event raised over $40,000 for the Garden Homes project on June 24.

photo courtesy of cmha hkpr.

The event took place at at Nicholls Oval with over 60 cyclists and volunteers.

“We would like to sincerely thank our sponsors, riders, and donors for making our first Change the Cycle event our most successful cycling fundraiser to date,” says Jack Veitch, manager of community engagement and education with CMHA HKPR.

In years past, CMHA HKPR participated in a nation-wide cycling fundraising event but this year, with the goal of keeping all the money right here in our community, we launched our own cycling fundraiser.

photo courtesy of cmha hkpr.

The fundraising kicked off with a generous donation of $25,000 from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. Klusterfork Entertainment also donated proceeds from their most recent production, ‘Schools Out,’ to the event.

The funds will support the new Garden Homes Project, an initiative of CMHA HKPR’s Supportive Housing program, which aims to support vulnerable individuals who are at risk of homelessness in the Peterborough area by providing affordable, small homes.

For more information, visit the website.

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Peterborough Laker Alumnus John Grant Jr. Selected As Assistant Coach For Team Canada In 2025 U20 World Championship

Five-time Mann Cup champion and Peterborough Lakers’ alumnus John Grant Jr. has been selected as an assistant coach for Team Canada in the 2025 U20 World Championship.

John Grant Jr. has been granted a key to the city back in 2016. File Photo.

Grant Jr. was hired as an assistant coach of the Redwoods Lacrosse Club of the Premiere Lacrosse League on Dec. 29.

A two-time MLL MVP, Grant Jr. tallied 393 goals and 232 assists during his playing career. He won the Mann Cup five times with the Lakers in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2012. He was voted Mann Cup MVP for 2004 and 2007.

Grant Jr. won five MLL Championships during his career with the 2008 Rochester Rattlers, 2009 Toronto Nationals, 2012 and 2013 Chesapeake Bayhawks and the 2014 Denver Outlaws.

Grant Jr. joins Mark Miyashita, Shawn Wilkins and John Gallant as assistant coaches. Gary Gait is serving as the team’s head coach.

A date and location for the tournament has yet to be announced by World Lacrosse.

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Peterborough Police and Fire Services Performing Water Training Scenarios At Little Lake For the Week

Peterborough Police Service and Fire Services are performing water training water scenarios throughout the rest of the week at the T-wharf at Little Lake from Tuesday to Friday.

The majority of the activities are done during the morning throughout the week.

Peterborough Police thanks to the public for their patience as the training is underway.

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