History of Peterborough Keeps On Trucking As Kawartha Time Machine Hits Decade Milestone

What started as a streaming oldies platform to showcase a growing collection of local and regional broadcast archives, Kawartha Time Machine celebrates a decade of hitting the waves as a local internet platform.

The most recent audience numbers for the 30 days ending Feb. 28, 2025 show 2,507 listeners in 123 countries streaming for a combined 10,508 hours, with average listening times of just over five hours. Photo courtesy of Kawartha Time Machine.

It was launched in the first week of March in 2015 by Gordon Gibb; known as a tenured Peterborough writer/broadcaster and Petes PA announcer.

With listeners in over 100 countries, Kawartha Time Machine sampling the music and nostalgia, weekday features, eclectic weekend shows and vignettes highlighting the jewels of Peterborough and surrounding area. This includes the Lift Lock, Musicfest, 4th Line Theatre and the Peterborough Theatre Guild, The Peterborough Petes, the Canadian Canoe Museum and the City itself. The program has also had close ties to Lester B. Pearson, Robertson Davies and Neil Young.

“It quickly became apparent that given the site's global reach, I can help those living abroad stay in touch with their native homeland, as well as promote the region as a destination,” said Gibb.

His growing collection of regional broadcast archives gained significant interest over time.

“I rolled tape whenever anything of significance happened over the years which has combined to a treasure trove of audio archives including the Peterborough flood of 2004, major fires, local elections and Gary Dalliday's very first sportscast in 1975.,” explained Gibb. “I also have all of John Badham's commentaries, and a newscast from his third day on the job with us in 1988.”

Kawartha Time Machine also had unearthed archives extend back to the 1960s with people such as Del Crary and the week Peterborough Square first opened in 1975. The archives include audio from 1420 CKPT, the early days of Country 105, and CKLY in Lindsay.

“The voices and the events are forever ingrained in our memories,” said Gibb. “It's history that would otherwise gather dust in a box. With The Time Machine, they're available to anyone. An audible museum of history.”

Future plans include segments on Peterborough's unique and long-heralded rock and roll roots.

“It started as a hobby,” said Gibb. "But it's become a passion. And people seem to quite enjoy it.”

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Iconic Local Broadcaster Gordon Gibb Releases New Book "Gibberish"

Gordon Gibb (picture via @GordoGibbo on Twitter)

Local broadcaster and author Gordon Gibb has a new book out, Gibberish: Tall Tales and Domestic Disasters From Beyond the Microphone, a collection of previously-published columns. “With the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Peterborough Flood this summer, I also included a look back from my perspective to that fateful day, and our efforts to alert residents as to the ongoing crisis. Also included is a behind-the-scenes account of the birth of what has become an iconic station locally, The WOLF,” says Gibb in a release.

He adds, "Gibberish is an honest, sometimes intimate, sometimes poignant, mostly light-hearted take on everyday life. The short format makes for a nice, light summer read for the hammock, or by the pool."

The self-published book is available as an eBook, as well as a print-on- demand (POD) book through Amazon. “This way, I’m saving trees. Books will only be printed for those who want them."

To pre-order a print book or get more info on it, email Gord here.

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