Trent University Launches Traditional Handcrafted Birchbark Canoe On the Otonabee River

Trent University has launched its traditional handcrafted birchbark canoe which was done on campus on the Otonobee River and showcased to the public on Monday.

Alex Labelle's canoe sit on the banks of the Otonabee River at Trent University. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

The month-long project marks the culmination of a project that has increased the visibility of and engagement in Indigenous culture among the campus community. Named Enheh, the canoe was officially launched by Métis canoe builder Alex Labelle. This name is an affirmative response that complements the expression of gratitude in Miigwech and honours the connections made during the building and the profound appreciation for the gifts and lessons provided by the people involved, nature, and the Creator according to Trent University.

“The birchbark canoe is more than a vessel – it is a vital piece of technology that has sustained Indigenous peoples for generations,” said Dr. Dawn Memee Lavell-Harvard, director of First Peoples House of Learning at Trent. “It enables trade, travel, hunting, and the gathering of food and medicine. By bringing together people from across the University and the community, this project has demonstrated what reconciliation looks like in action: doing hands-on work, thinking about knowledge holders in a different way, and showing that these knowledges are just as important now as they ever were.”

Labelle constructed the canoe from scratch in the atrium of Trent’s Bata Library. Students, faculty, and visitors had the opportunity to engage directly with the project by trimming roots, splitting cedar and forming ribs, gaining insight into the artistry and skill behind traditional canoe-building.

“Part of reconciliation is creating space for Indigenous knowledge in places, like libraries, which have long marginalized it,” said Emily Tufts, Trent librarian. “Over the past month, Alex has shared his knowledge in a way that is physical, embodied, and deeply meaningful. This project brought the work of reconciliation out of the theoretical and into the practical and material, giving students and staff a chance to connect with Indigenous traditional knowledge firsthand.”

Following the naming, Labelle launched Enheh from the west bank of the Otonabee River and paddled the canoe to the east bank of campus. It was carried to the Gathering Space in Trent’s First Peoples House of Learning for a celebratory feast to be displayed permanently.

“It’s great to know that FPHL and Trent students will put this canoe to use. Often people will put them up as museum pieces, but we're trying to bring canoes like this out of museums and back to into life,” said Labelle. “My time at Trent has been great—great people and lots of interest in the project. I hope this has shown people that you can go into the bush and find all the materials you need to build a canoe.”

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City of Peterborough Invites All To Participate In the 2024 Heritage Hunt

The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) is launching its 41st annual Heritage Hunt contest to test your knowledge of Geroge Street’s architecture and heritage running until Nov. 29.

The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee has been organizing the Heritage Hunt since 1983. Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

All residents are welcome to participate.

The contest involves identifying 35 architectural details on buildings in a defined area of the city.

This year’s hunt will take place along George Street North, from Parkhill Road West to King Street. All details are visible from the sidewalk and may be found on either side of the street.

Prizes will be awarded for correctly identifying the most architectural elements on the clue sheet. This year, there are three bonus details for extra points.

A fillable, mobile-friendly form, including a map of the Heritage Hunt area where all the architectural details can be found online.

Booklets can also be picked up at City Hall, 500 George St. N., the Peterborough Museum & Archives, 300 Hunter St. E., the Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N., the Art Gallery of Peterborough, 250 Crescent St., and Hutchison House, 270 Brock St.

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City of Peterborough Invites All To Participate In Celebration 40th Anniversary of Heritage Hunt

The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) is launching its 40th annual Heritage Hunt contest running from Aug. 1 to Sept. 16, announced on Tuesday.

“Since 1983, PACAC has been organizing the Heritage Hunt as a way to explore and celebrate our city’s collection of heritage buildings,” said Stewart Hamilton, PACAC Chair. “We are proud to be continuing this tradition 40 years on.”

PACAC invites everyone to test their knowledge of Peterborough’s architectural heritage for the chance to win a prize. Participants must identify 35 architectural details on buildings in a defined area of the city. All details are visible from the sidewalk and both sides of the street are in play.

This year’s hunt takes place in downtown Peterborough and East City.

A fillable form and map can be found online.

Booklets can also be picked up at the reception desk at City Hall, located at 500 George St. N., during regular business hours.

Prizes will be awarded in both individual and group categories for the correct identification of the most architectural elements. This year, there is also a bonus riddle for the chance to earn extra points.

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Trent Valley Archives Presents the Cathedral Precinct Architectural Tour

Trent Valley Archives (TVA) announces the ‘Cathedral Precinct Tour’ on Thursday, May 11 and June 1– with a focus on the area bounded by Park & Stewart Streets and Murray & Hunter Streets.

photo courtesy of trent valley archives.

At 1:30 p.m. on both Thursdays, the block between Rubidge and Reid will receive special consideration because of its three churches and the intertwined history of the nearby buildings for the first and brand-new walking tour of the 2023 season.

There are numerous area houses which will be profiled on the tour. Fine vintage stone dwellings such as Hutchison House, the Eastland House and the Ridley House will be described as are the Queen Anne-style house on Stewart St. and the Second Empire duplex with its mansard roof which sits across the street. Of particular interest will be the Strickland House on Hunter and Downie Streets.

The ‘Cathedral Precinct’ tour will begin and end at the Eastland House, at Hunter and Stewart. Elwood Jones, TVA’s archivist will lead the tour assisted by Don Willcock, noted historian and raconteur.

TVA takes the safety of attendees and volunteer guides very seriously by adhering to appropriate physical distancing throughout the tour. While everyone is welcome, they encourage those interested to enjoy the tours with members of your circle. This tour runs rain or shine.

Tickets for $20/person are available on the website by reserving with Heather at 705-745-4404, or by emailing admin@trentvalleyarchives.com. Registration and payment in advance is required.

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Peterborough City Council Supports Removing Former Montreal House From Heritage Register

Peterborough City Council supported removing the former Montreal House from the Heritage Register and not designating the property under the Ontario Heritage Act, at Monday night’s council meeting.

Photo by Jordan Cooper.

The property owner plans to build a mixed-use building that would include 75 "affordable" (80 per cent market rent) residential units through an agreement with CMHC along space that would be used to support the adjacent urban park.

Ashburnham Realty (AR), was the successful proponent through an Expression of Interest process the City undertook to select a developer for the property that the City had purchased at 220 King St. next to the future location of the urban park.

The City asked for developers to come forward that were interested in building on the 220 King St. site with components that would include affordable housing and sustainable features with a high level of urban design that would fit well with the adjacent urban park.

Ashburnham Realty purchased the corner property at Aylmer Street and King Street to consolidate with the property at 220 King St., which would allow for a larger mixed-use development.

Since February 2022, City staff have worked with Ashburnham Realty and its design team on a number of conceptual design iterations in an effort to preserve the heritage value of the former Montreal House and fulfill the original intent of the Expression of Interest, including a high level of urban design and alignment with the Official Plan.

After numerous design iterations, it became evident that there were multiple competing priorities including:

• the relationship of the building to the urban park,

• the preservation of the Montreal House,

• maintaining the agreement with CMHC to provide affordable housing,

• achieving the accessibility and sustainability requirements of the new build, and

• ensuring the development is not negatively impacted by the regulatory floodplain.

The Montreal House is significant for being one of the only local hotels that accommodated shantymen (lumberjacks) and under ownership of a French Canadian, Joseph Brault, it became a local gathering place for French and French-Canadian visitors and workers. Over time the establishment became a men’s only drinking establishment. By the late 20th century, the Montreal House emerged as a venue for emerging bands.

Now catering to both men and women, the tavern hosted numerous acts that have found local and national renown. Currently the building is used for a smokehouse restaurant.

Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee received a presentation from Ashburnham Realty at its meeting on June 23, 2022. The Committee recognized the challenge of balancing the competing priorities to move this project forward. Several Committee members spoke to the merits of moving forward with the proposal which would require the demolition of the Montreal House; however, they were reminded that their mandate is to consider only the heritage aspects of the Montreal House and the Committee adopted a motion to recommend that Council designate the property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

A heritage designation for the property would end the public-private partnership for the construction of 75 affordable housing units on the property.

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Little Lake Makes Big Splashes Again With Centennial Fountain Turned On For a Full Season

Little Lake has come alive again as the Centennial Fountain has turned on for the season on Thursday morning.

Daryl Stevenson, City of Peterborough’s wastewater treatment manager turning on the Centennial Fountain by a tablet. The iconic fountain is considered one of the highest jet fountains in the country, shooting up to 76 metres in the air. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The fountain had different schedules for the past two years. This year, it runs on a full schedule this year from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. until Oct. 10.

“Two years ago, the fountain was off for the entire year,” said Daryl Stevenson, City of Peterborough’s wastewater treatment manager. “Last year, Council decided to run the fountain from slightly reduced hours but we're looking forward to a good season again this year.”

The fountain will have nightly LED light shows. It plays a part in several major events that take place near it according to Stevenson.

"It's part of Little Lake, whether it's part of the Dragon Boat Festival or any of the concerts going on at night," he explained. "It's iconic, it's beautiful, it's one of the largest fountains in Canada and people just love coming to see it."

The Centennial Fountain was installed through a donation by General Electric Canada in 1967 to mark the Canadian Centennial celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.

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PTBO Celebrates the 101st Anniversary for the Trent-Severn Waterway of Parks Canada In Video Series

Historian Dennis Carter-Edwards takes you through the history of the Peterborough Lift Lock with the start of an amazing series with PTBOCanada with never-before-seen photos!

This summer series explores the history of Trent-Severn Waterway of Parks Canada on its 101st anniversary!

Part 1: Lift Lock Origins

Carter-Edwards takes us through the story of how canal construction began in Peterborough including Cobourg entrepreneur James Grey Bethune and his mishaps with the Commission.

Part 2: Thomas Stafford Rubidge

Canal engineer Thomas Stafford Rubidge conducts surveys to feasibly further canal works and maybe getting in a fistfight with his assistant.

Part 3: Richard Birdsell Rogers, Henry Holgate and the Lift Lock Construction

Carter-Edwards takes us through the story of how canal construction began in Peterborough including Cobourg entrepreneur James Grey Bethune and his mishaps with the Commission.

Part 4: The Liberal Party and the Peterborough Lift Lock in 1896

See how the Liberal Party thought of the canal system and the Lift Locks after winning the federal election in 1896.

Part 5: Extending the Canal System Amidst the 1911 Election

Despite that the Liberal and Conservative Parties were in favour of an extended navigation system from Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay, see how politics and the canal system would intersect through the 1911 election.

Part 6: Maintenance, Improvements and Tourism of the Trent Severn Waterway

Following the 1920s, the government had the challenge of maintaining and upkeeping the Lift Locks while using it as a tool to promote tourism.

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Canadian Canoe Museum to Unveil Plans For New Building

The Canadian Canoe Museum will host a virtual meeting to reveal details of its new building on Wednesday.

Photo Courtesy of Canadian Canoe Museum.

The meeting is through Zoom on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. It will reveal the architectural renderings of the proposed new building to be built at the Johnson property located at 2077 Ashburnham Drive near Beavermead Park in Peterborough.

The meeting is part of the necessary rezoning process for the new location. It will feature a short presentation followed by a question and answer session.

Participants are asked to register their attendance at their official website.

“We are thrilled to have advanced our project to this key milestone so early in the year,” said Carolyn Hyslop, Canoe Museum executive director in the press release. “Our new museum design and stewardship approach takes full advantage of its on-water location and nestles seamlessly into the natural surrounding area of the Johnson Property.”

A progress update and design was something the project team was eager to share added Hyslop.

City Council approved the direction to proceed with the sale of the land in January subject to a number of conditions including rezoning as stated in the press release.

Project validation and confirmation of site appropriateness are among the additional conditions that must be met to close the deal.

CCM will pay over $1.5 million for the five acres of land expected to be done this summer.

The project is moving forward at advanced speed to achieve its goal of being shovel-ready come fall of this year confirmed Hyslop.

She reinforced CCM’s gratitude for new donors, in addition to the strong continued support of its existing donors, funders and the local community. Their fundraising campaign seeks to raise up to $10 million to fund the full project.

“CCM is motivated by our expedited project plan and our achievements to date,” said Hyslop.

A replay of the public meeting will be available starting May 3.

Written commentaries can be submitted to the CCM by email.

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Update On Warsaw Road Swing Bridge Construction

Construction is underway and progressing well at Parks Canada’s project to replace the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge, on Parkhill Road East (between Armour Road and Television Road). Engineering inspections in recent years have indicated that this bridge is nearing the end of its useful life.

Construction work at the site includes an in-kind replacement of the bridge structure, which will bring the bridge up to a full highway load rating. The project also includes the replacement of mechanical and electrical operating systems. The Contractor has substantially completed all concrete work in the contract, including the rehabilitation of the centre pier that supports the bridge span, and re-facing of the concrete abutments and wing wall.

Preparations are underway for the start of the delivery of components for the superstructure. Parks Canada has also approved additional concrete work on the face of the abutment that is not expected to impact the overall schedule, but will improve the overall lifespan of the asset.

Vehicular use of the bridge is on-schedule to be reinstated in the spring of this year, with landscaping work to follow.  

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Trent Student Centre Honoured With Design Excellence Award

The Student Centre at Trent University, a hub of student activity located at the heart of the Peterborough campus and situated on the banks of the Otonabee River, has been recognized for its innovative design and focus on sustainability with a 2020 Design Excellence Award from the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA).

“Trent University is honoured to have our Student Centre recognized with this prestigious award,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “The Centre continues our long history of architectural excellence. Its inspired design and functionality underscores the exceptional work of the architects, builders, students, staff and administrators who made it possible.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

Opened in 2017, with student vision and connection in mind, the sweeping structure has been selected as one of ten winners from dozens of entries ranging from public spaces to government buildings.

“The Student Centre is deeply rooted in the campus,” reflects Stephen Teeple, architect and founder of Teeple Architects, the architects who worked on the Student Centre. “It is reflective of the geometry, materiality and the strong focus of the place on the river, yet it infuses a more dynamic, open spirit into the architecture.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

The Student Centre was selected for the OAA award based on criteria including creativity, sustainability and legacy.

Paying tribute to the original iconic Ron Thom architecture on the Symons Campus, the building is home to a wide variety of welcoming indoor and outdoor social areas facilitating meetings and social events, as well as study spaces, state-of-the-art lecture rooms, and offices for the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA).

Photo courtesy Trent University

Teeple Architects will receive the award at an online Celebration of Excellence on October 1st. The winning projects were also featured on the OAA’s social media throughout the week of September 14th, followed by an online voting period that is open to the public. The top selection will receive a People’s Choice Award as part of the celebration in October.

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