Peterborough Blogs
Hometown PTBO: Author Matthew Flagler Releasing His New Book; Held to the Fire, Recounting The Stories of the Famous Quaker Factory Explosion
/This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with author Matthew Flagler about his new book about the famous Quaker Factory explosion; Held to the Fire, the book's timeline and his family connection to the building.
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Local Author and Illustrator Publish Children's Fantasy Book 'Polly & The Pumpkin Patch Pixie'
/Inclusion and individuality, inspired by real-life events come to life from local author Niki Allday and illustrator Kaylah Wilson as they published a children’s fantasy book ‘Polly & The Pumpkin Patch Pixie.’
The book is a fairytale with the protagonist Polly and her pixie friend in a magical pumpkin adventure. It is based on Allday’s experiences visiting Cody & Kelsie's Veggy Patch in Millbrook with her children, drawing a simile between people and pumpkins.
“I hope people understand the underlying message of inclusion and individuality,” explained Allday. “We all come in different colours, shapes and sizes, just like the pumpkins.”
The book is already available online at Amazon and is planned to be sold locally at Watson & Lou and Bellies & Babies. Cody & Kelsie's Veggy Patch is also selling copies during the fall season.
Polly & The Pumpkin Patch Pixie took one-and-a-half years from start to finish to complete. Allday had the help of 17-year-old student Wilson who illustrated the book, beginning work early this year.
“Kaylah had started her illustrations in February, working through her exams and keeping a very tight deadline so we could move forward with publishing for our fall launch,” said Allday. “Kaylah was so easy to work with and seeing my story come to life, was a beautiful experience.”
Allday said she stuck to strict deadlines to get it ready for the fall season, appropriately enough to match the setting of her book.
The pair have a book signing scheduled at Chapters on Lansdowne Street for Sept. 30.
“I am so proud of us both and truly grateful to Chapters for hosting us and for the local shops offering to sell copies,” exclaimed Allday.
One of Allday’s most rewarding moments of writing and publishing a book is being able to share it with her two children.
“It’s a very special feeling laying in bed reading your children a story you wrote, that was inspired by a memory spent with them,” she said.
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Hometown PTBO: Bob Young About His New Golf Book and His Brother and Famed Musician Neil Young
/This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with golfer and author Bob Young about his new book, ‘Mind Golf: The Troubled Genius of Moe Norman’ and about his brother, famed musician Neil Young.
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Peterborough Author Collaborates With North Carolina Author To Compile Mail Art From Around The World Documenting COVID-19
/Local artist and author Erica Richmond of Open Sky Stories, will release a new book ‘The Mail Art Stories Project: Mail Art in the Time of Covid-19’ on April 20.
From April 2020 - August 2021, Richmond and Shannon Fitzgerald (Hillsborough, NC, USA) collected 119 pieces of decorated envelopes from a total of 52 people living across 11 countries.
Now compiled together, this book tells the story of individuals experience living within the pandemic.
“In all the stories that were shared, there was an overwhelming cry for connection that often felt met by this simple act of sending mail to complete strangers.” says Richmond.
The youngest participant was 7 years old. Many had never created mail art before, while others were well-experienced, starting their journey through the art form as early as the 1970s.
There are submissions from pen pals (one from Sri Lanka and one from Spain) who met during Covid19 and chose to participate together. There are submissions from a young boy and his Nana who were missing each other. There is a submission from a family who chose to complete this project as a team.
The Mail Art Stories Project will be available for sale on April 20 via Amazon, through openskystories.com or boldmovesstudio.com and can soon be ordered through any bookstore via Ingram Spark.
Local Author David Goyette Launches 'Heading to Happy: Fourty Notes on a Life of Learning'
/Local author David Goyette is launching his new book, “Heading to Happy: Forty Notes on a Life of Learning” on Dec. 2.
The free launch event will take place at Showplace Performance Centre. Doors open at 5 p.m. and presentations take place at 5.30 p.m.
Goyette describes the book – his fifth – as a personal prescription for behaviour that opens the door to a happier life.
Originally published in 2011, “Heading to Happy” is a 250-page compilation of the author’s lifetime lessons in the art of living. Those lessons include behaviours affecting issues such as fairness, conflict, consumption, intuition, criticism, forgiveness, labelling, failure and learning.
“On its 10th anniversary, I decided to revise, update and reissue the book. I did so primarily because of the troubling disconnect that the pandemic has had on so many people, and the hope that they might benefit from a sharing of my own life learnings,” said Goyette.
Paul Rellinger is the host for the event. Reading selected passages from the book will be Victoria Pearce, Peterborough Councillor Henry Clarke and Douro Dummer Councillor Heather Watson.
Proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to the Trent Valley Literacy Association.
“Heading to Happy” is available at Happenstance Books and on ebay.
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Local Author Releases Book Excerpt of Tony Hawk's Peterborough Appearance
/Local author Tony Cosgray released excerpts of his upcoming book, “Tales From The Dead City” which references legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and his Peterborough appearance over 30 years ago on Tuesday.
Cosgray’s book, written for his children, tells his life of growing up in Peterborough as a metalhead in the 80s and 90s.
Hawk made an appearance at M&J’s Skatetown in Peterborough in December of 1989 skating with Ray Underhill and local skateboarders. Below is the excerpt of Cosgray’s book describing the legendary skateboarder’s appearance from local witnesses.
I first met Norm Macdonald at Trent Radio. I think he might have been playing Black Flag or Beastie Boys. His music tastes immediately grabbed my attention and we started chatting. First thing that set Norm apart from everyone else at the radio station is that he was much older than the rest of us. He looked like someone’s father. We talked about music for some time. I remember him telling me about Led Zeppelin playing at The Rock Pile [Masonic Temple] with Teegarden & Van Winkle in 1969.
Norm had a couple of shows on Trent Radio. One was an album rock show ‘Never Made it To Top 40’ and another was ‘Sessions - Skate Music’. He explained to me that he was mostly doing the Sk8 show on Trent Radio… where he would play bands like NoFx and Bad Religion to help him market his indoor skate park. At the time, I didn’t even know that we had an indoor skate park in town. My first thought was ‘cool another spot for shows’. Turns out Norm was in fact someone’s father. His two sons Mike and Jamie were heavily into skateboarding so to encourage them Norm decided to open up M&J’s Skatetown [Named after his children] at 810 Rye St. sometime in 1988.
From what I remember… When you went into M&J’s the walls were filled with skate decks for sale. Even after the park closed Norm continued on with the distribution of decks. There was a counter where they sold trucks, wheels, stickers and ‘Thrasher Magazine’. A television sat on the counter which played Sk8 related videos. After the waivers would be filled out, to the left behind the counter there was a hallway that led into the first room in the park. On the right was a couple of back-to-back pipes they called ‘bigtime’. First time I walked past that I saw a kid on a bike come down straight on his neck. I don’t know how Norm didn’t have a heart attack every day watching that stuff.
Further down the hall and through a door was an even larger room with a vert ramp at the back and a few smaller ones closer to the entrance.
In December of 1989 eighteen-year-old legend Tony Hawk and 27-year-old Ray Underhill skating for Powell & Peraltas ‘Bones Brigade came up from California to skate at Norm Macdonald’s M&J Skatetown. There is some various youtube footage of them skating there. An amazing video exists of Tony Hawk clearing the gap between the backroom vert ramp over to the middle ‘playland’ one.
Norm Macdonald remembers:
“...I paid $3,500 appearance fee plus accommodation, food and airfare for Tony [Hawk]. Ray was paid for by Powell Peralta. What are icons and legends to some are guys I have known since they were young. Ray Underhill and I were close right until the day he died…”
Etienne Rene remembers:
“...The first spine ramp in the first room was called bigtime! The back ramp in the second room was a nine-foot vert ramp and the spine ramp that Tony [Hawk] transferred to was called playland. There was also a hip ramp next to playland and a 6 foot next to the hip ramp. Plus a 3 foot as well. The park did change the layout a few times but that was the layout when Tony [Hawk] was there…
Norm Macdonald remembers:
“...Only one Vert ramp, but a series of mini ramps. First Spine ramp was Playland in the back room. Big Time had two spines one which was cut to make the first deck spine in Canada…”
Norm had a loud sound system hanging above the halfpipes that would pump out Ministry, Faith No More and Nirvana.
Norm Macdonald remembers:
“...Tony [Hawk] turned me onto Ministry and Ray [Underhill] to Sisters of Mercy…”
“Although I never skated, I knew enough to be aware that this place was a really, really big deal. M&J’s Skatetown had gone all out, making the spot one of North America’s leading indoor parks.”
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McLean Berry Farm Shocked After Receiving Notice It Might Be Kicked Out Of Saturday Farmers Market After 27 Years
/Buckhorn's McLean Berry Farm has been a staple at the Saturday Farmers Market in Peterborough since 1991—the year Jane and Sam McLean bought the farm, and started attending the market—but their existence at the market is now under threat after receiving notice they might be evicted.
Indeed, they are one of seven local growers (the others are Circle Organic, Otonabee Apiary, Ashburnham Farms Gaelic Garlic, Finest Gourmet Fudge, Chef Marshal and Necessitea Elixir) who may be expelled from the market after allegations of disruptive behaviour that has hurt the market's reputation.
In a heartfelt Facebook post that begins "Our farm is under attack....and we need your help" that is getting hundreds of shares, McLean's writes they are "shocked", "confused" and "hurt" by the possibility of being terminated from the market at a January 8th Farmers Market meeting that will determine their fate.
Here is an excerpt from the Facebook post...
"Just before Christmas we were sent a letter from The Peterborough Saturday Farmers’ Market (The Peterborough District Farmers Market Association Board) telling us (and the six other vendors) that a meeting and vote will be held on January 8th to terminate all seven of our memberships and our abilities to sell at the Peterborough Saturday Farmers’ Market.
We are so proud to farm, and proud to be a part of this community and have the amazing local support that we do have. It fills us with joy to hear that people love our farm, what we grow and that they they’re able to access fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. We are so grateful for all of the community support over the years, because it means that our family farm has been able to grow and that the next generation can come in and continue this legacy; however losing the ability to sell at this market is undermining our success as a local farm, and it’s undermining the success of local agriculture throughout our entire community.
We don’t understand why our livelihood as a local farm who has been selling at the market for the last 27 years is suddenly in jeopardy. We don’t understand why speaking up and asking for openness, transparency, fairness and honesty has turned into wanting to remove us from the market."
You can read the Facebook post in its entirety below...
Erin McLean, who wrote the Facebook post on behalf of the family farm, tells PTBOCanada that the response to her Facebook post has "been generally phenomenal, if not a bit overwhelming."
"We have so many messages of kindness and support—I've been in tears more than a few times reading the amazing things people are writing about our farm and their love of us and local farms at farmers markets and why these markets need to continue to support local farms."
"We've also had a lot of questions, a lot of which we'd like to answers to as well and have been responding to customers who are asking questions as best we can," McLean tells PTBOCanada.
"All that we've been asking for is openness, honesty, transparency and fairness for all market vendors and speaking up for farmers who have been similiarly targetted or removed in the past. We don't think that is too much to ask of a farmers market board."
A petition #NoPinkSlips on Change.org has been started that people are being encouraged to sign that already has generated more than 4,000 signatures [UPDATE, December 29th: the petition has now reached more than 8,000 signatures]. The petition is meant to protect the rights of local farmers, and will be presented to Peterborough Saturday Market Board and City of Peterborough.
As things stand now, McLean Berry Farm and the other six vendors will learn of their future at the market at the January 8th board meeting.
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"Lakefield: Sketches To Remember" About Town's Rich History Will Be A Must Read
/UPDATE: June 22nd -> Lakefield: Sketches to Remember will be released on July 1st at the Lakefield Isabel Morris Park by the arena. Arnold and Ridpath will be there from 4-7 p.m. to sign the book, which retails for $30. It will also be sold at Happenstance in Lakefield and The Examiner building in Peterborough.
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