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.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Local Online Radio Station to Stream Throwback Peterborough Petes Broadcasts

/

Following last season’s run to an OHL Championship for the Peterborough Petes, the Kawartha Time Machine online radio station makes up for the Petes’ absence in the post-season by streaming several full throwback games beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Kawartha Time Machine was founded in 2015 by retired broadcaster Gordon Gibb to curate and preserve regional broadcast archives through a music-based, online nostalgia station. Gibb has served as the in-house public address announcer for the Peterborough Petes since the 1996-1997 season. Photo courtesy of Kawartha Time Machine.

Running each Thursday for seven straight weeks, several games streamed include a reprise of the 1974 exhibition game between The Peterborough Petes representing the Canadian entry in The World Junior Invitational Hockey Championship. This non-sanctioned tournament served as the precursor to the annual tournament enjoyed in the modern day.

The pivotal game for the Petes was played on Jan. 6th, 1974, against Russia. The game—as well as the tournament and the events leading up to it—is the subject of ‘The First Ones,’ a book by Ed Arnold released in the fall.

The game between the Petes and Team Russia was originally broadcast live from Leningrad on 1420 CKPT with Bill Bennett on the morning of Jan. 6th.

With a copy of the broadcast loaned to us from Pete Pearson, The Kawartha Time Machine originally streamed the broadcast archive on the morning of Jan. on the exact 50th anniversary of the game. The Petes vs. Russia game will be the first game of a multi-week series.

The full schedule is as follows:

  • March 28: Petes @ Russia Jan. 6 1974 (1420 CKPT, Bill Bennett)

  • April 4: Petes @ Niagara Falls Flyers, Game 2 of the OMJHL Finals (Cable, 1979. The Petes would go on to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup that year and later, bring home The Memorial Cup for the first, and only time in franchise history).

  • April 11: Petes v Marlies Jan. 2, 1986 (Gary Hahn, Kevin Varrin, Cable 6)

  • April 18: Petes @ Oshawa Dec. 1, 2002.

  • April 25: Petes v Plymouth Whalers, Dec. 15, 2005 (Bob Eakins Your TV)

  • May 6: Petes v London Knights (Game 2) May 7, 2006

  • May 13: Petes @ Kingston March 13, 2013

Several games will feature several NHL alumni and current players such as Eric and Jordan Staal, Dallas Eakins, Ron Tugnutt, Doug Jarvis, Stan Jonathan and John Druce, the latter also serving as colour commentator in later games. Neilson served as a coach for the 1974 Russia game.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.