Trent Valley Archives

05/04/2026

If you're a Trent Valley Archives member, there's no need to line up to get your tickets to our 2026 local history tour season, as advance registration is open now! Like we did in advance of last year's local history tour season, we're giving our members an exclusive sneak peak at our 2026 season and a chance to purchase tickets to the ones that catch their eye before the general public. Our tours have a tendency to sell out quickly, so we hope you will appreciate this chance to get your tickets in advance!

Check your inbox for an email from us with our full 2026 local history tour lineup and your exclusive links to the event listings for each tour date on Eventbrite. If you're a member but didn't receive this email, please email us at admin@trentvalleyarchives.com to let us know and we will forward the email to you. If you're not a member, don't worry! We'll be sharing our full tour schedule with the general public next Sunday, May 10 at 7:30pm. Make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list (here: https://trentvalleyarchives.com/newsletter-signup/), so you'll receive the email when it launches.

05/03/2026

To retell the trials and tribulations of Peterborough in the 1940s and 50s, Trent Valley Archives (TVA) is putting on a fundraising production of Ontario Superior Court Judge James Clarke’s memoirs, ‘The Kid From Simcoe Street,’ at Market Hall from June 4-7.

Trent Valley Archives received permission to adapt the memoir, with proceeds going to the Archives for book donations to sell.

The 2012 memoirs focus on the trials and tribulations of Clarke and his St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School football teammate, Murray Byrne, as they grew up poor in post-war Peterborough in the 1940s and 1950s.

Find more on the story on our website.

05/01/2026

The Kid from Simcoe Street has landed at 567 Carnegie Avenue! Many of you have been asking us where you can get a copy of James Clarke's memoir in advance of our Trent Valley Archives Theatre Production in June, and we're excited to announce that we now have copies of the book for sale in our bookstore.

The memoir chronicles James Clarke's childhood on Simcoe Street in wartime-era Peterborough, from high points like his appointment as Fire Mascot of the Peterborough Fire Department, to low points like seeing his father come back from the Second World War a changed man, and everything in between. Despite growing up poor on the wrong side of the tracks and witnessing his father's struggles with addiction, James found the strength and determination to set himself on the right path, becoming a respected lawyer, Ontario Superior Court judge, and published poet.

Although James' own childhood was exceptional, the boyhood adventures within its pages have a universal appeal are guaranteed to strike a chord with both those who grew up in the 1940s, and younger generations who want to get a sense of what the childhood of their parents and grandparents was like. The poetry curated by Bruce Meyer at the end of the book also adds to the reading experience, reinforcing the themes addressed in the memoir and drawing on the poet's lifetime of experience.

You don't need to have read the book to enjoy The Kid from Simcoe Street play, but if you'd like to familiarize yourself with the story beforehand, we encourage you to pick up a copy! They can be purchased at our archives building during our operating hours (Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm) for $25 each, and will be added to our web shop soon. They will also be available for sale in the lobby of the Market Hall at each of our four performances on June 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Thank you to Exile Editions for producing a limited edition run of the book for our Kid from Simcoe Street production!

05/01/2026

05/01/2026

Thank you to PtboCanada for capturing this moment!

To retell the trials and tribulations of Peterborough in the 1940s and 50s, Trent Valley Archives is putting on a fundraising production of Ontario Superior Court Judge James Clarke’s memoirs, ‘The Kid From Simcoe Street,’ at Market Hall from June 4-7.

Learn more at ptbocanada .com!

04/29/2026

Yesterday (April 28), the cast and creative team of The Kid from Simcoe Street were pleased to welcome James Clarke (the author of the memoir the play is adapted from) and his grandson David Francis Clarke (co-playwright of The Kid from Simcoe Street script) to Peterborough to attend a rehearsal and witness the pages of James' memoir coming to life.

During their visit, James reunited with Murray Byrne, his friend and St. Peter's Secondary School football teammate, who has a cameo in this year's production. The Gardens Retirement Living (our Platinum Sponsor) graciously hosted James, Murray and David for lunch at Empress Gardens, the site of the former Empress Hotel where both James and his parents worked. James had also secured Murray a job there, working alongside him as a busboy, but Murray didn't enjoy the work and quit after a few days.

Then, the trio made their way over to Princess Gardens, where James and Murray reminisced with historian Ken Armstrong, sharing memories of Peterborough from their youth. James and David also took some time out of their full itinerary to be interviewed by Teresa Kaszuba, who is creating a series of short videos to help us promote The Kid From Simcoe Street to new audiences, and we can't wait to share them with you in the coming weeks!

We would like to thank Sarah Joore, Sales & Marketing Project Coordinator at the Gardens Retirement Living and Isaac Tate and Denise Ropertz at Empress Gardens for their hospitality. We would also like to thank Platinum Media Sponsor Jordan Lyall Photography for photographing James, Murray, and David at the rehearsal (the first three photographs shared in this post).

[Image Captions | Image 1: Murray Byrne (right) showing James Clarke (left) his old St. Peter's Secondary School yearbook.

Image 2 (Top): James meets the cast member playing his father, Ron Jewer. (Bottom): David Francis Clarke, James and Murray watching the rehearsal.

Image 3: James showing Murray a photocopy of an Examiner article about the 1953 St. Peter's football team over lunch at Empress Gardens.

Image 4 (Top): James being interviewed by Teresa Kaszuba. (Bottom): James and David meeting Sarah Joore at Princess Gardens.]

04/29/2026

The latest issue of the Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley is here! We are finally caught up on our publishing schedule and our April 2026 issue marks the first issue in Volume 31.

Within its pages, you'll find a diverse collection of stories ranging from specific moments in our community's history (like in J.A. Forrester's article "Three Canadian Feature Films Shot During the Summer of '76") to a larger discussion of why history, and by extension the archives that preserve it, are important to current and future generations, just in time for the theme of this year's Archives Association of Ontario's Archives Week, "Archives Activism: Advocating for Archives Survival" (in Dawn Berry Merriam's article "Supporting Future Generations by Preserving the Past").

We also want to highlight the photograph on the cover of this issue, taken by photographer George Sproule in the early 1890s and featuring both the exterior of the Ashburnham School and its staff and students. To accompany the photograph, which is part of our Wickenden Family Fonds, our Archivist Elwood Jones has written an insightful article exploring the history of the school that can be found on page 23.

We hope you'll take time out of your busy spring schedule to enjoy each of the articles in this issue. If you're subscribed to our mailing list, check your inbox for an email from us with links to download the issue. If you're not already subscribed to our mailing list, you can do so here: https://trentvalleyarchives.com/newsletter-signup/. This issue (along with past issues) is also available to download on the Heritage Gazette page on our website. Once you've read the issue, we'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment down below with your thoughts on this issue and any suggestions you have for our next issue, which is expected in August!

04/26/2026

Here's a little snippet of Dr. Allan Kirby's musical performance at our AGM on Thursday, April 23! It was enjoyed by all who attended.

04/26/2026

Over 50 Trent Valley Archives members and friends gathered at the Highland Park Cemetery Visitor Centre this past Thursday, April 23 for our Annual General Meeting. It was a very successful evening and this year's musical presentation by Dr. Allan Kirby featuring the traditional folk music of rural Ontario was enjoyed by all who attended. The crowd even chimed in during the chorus of Johnson's Hotel!

We would like to thank everyone who took time out of their Thursday evening to attend the meeting, particularly those Trent Valley Archives members who stayed on after the presentation for the AGM. We would also like to thank the staff at Highland Park Cemetery for graciously allowing us to use their beautiful centre for our meeting, and to Al for eagerly agreeing to be our guest speaker this year.

If you weren't able to make it to the AGM but are curious to learn more about the topic of Al's presentation, we still have a couple copies of his latest book, "Fowke Songs: Edith Fowke's Search for Canadian Folk Songs", available to purchase in our bookstore for $25. They can be purchased online, here: https://trentvalleyarchives.com/shop/fowke-songs-edith-fowkes-search-for-canadian-folk-songs/ or in person at 567 Carnegie Avenue during our operating hours.

04/23/2026

Our AGM is TONIGHT at 7pm! Don’t miss out!

Our AGM is just two weeks away! Whether you're a Trent Valley Archives member or simply a curious follower, we encourage you to join us at the Highland Park Cemetery Visitor Centre on Thursday, April 23 at 7pm for a special musical presentation from guest speaker Dr. Allan Kirby.

Dr. Allan Kirby is a musician and music scholar who wrote his PhD thesis at Carleton University on the topic of traditional folk music in rural Ontario, focusing primarily on the recordings of this music made by noted Canadian folklorist Edith Folke at P. G. Towns’ General Store in Douro, and throughout Peterborough County from 1956 to 1964. His presentation will combine musical performances of some of these folk songs with the historical context behind them, explaining how early folk ballads from the old countries, particularly Ireland, were adapted for their new surroundings in Canada.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with our guest speaker, and then our annual general meeting. The presentation is free to attend and open to the public, but the AGM portion of the evening is only open to Trent Valley Archives members. Registering for the event in advance is not required but if you do register it will help us get a sense of how many people plan on attending. You can register for our AGM here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/annual-general-meeting-with-guest-speaker-dr-allan-kirby-tickets-1987021190871?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true Light refreshments will be provided.

If you are a TVA member, we will be sending you an email soon with the agenda and relevant documents for the evening's meeting. If you do not receive this email, please email us at admin@trentvalleyarchives.com or call us at 705-745-4404 and let us know. We're looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, April 23rd!

04/18/2026

Our Annual General Meeting is less than a week away! Join us at the Highland Park Visitor Centre this Thursday, April 23 at 7pm for an engaging and entertaining musical presentation from musicologist Dr. Allan Kirby, who will perform traditional folk songs from rural Ontario. He will also discuss the history behind this music, which was adapted for life in the Canadian wilderness from earlier folk ballads and was recorded extensively by noted Canadian folklorist Edith Fowke throughout Peterborough County in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with Dr. Kirby, and then our annual general meeting. The presentation is free to attend and open to the public, but the AGM portion of the evening is only open to Trent Valley Archives members. Registering for the event in advance is not required but if you do register it will help us get a sense of how many people plan on attending. You can register for our AGM here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/annual-general-meeting-with-guest-speaker-dr-allan-kirby-tickets-1987021190871?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Light refreshments will be provided.

If you are a TVA member, an email went out on Thursday, April 9 with the agenda and relevant documents for the evening's meeting. If you did not receive this email, please email us at admin@trentvalleyarchives.com or call us at 705-745-4404 and let us know. We hope you'll join us for a memorable evening!

04/17/2026

Check out this great evening of history, heritage and music happening in Douro next Saturday, April 25! More information about the event is in the post below:

Nine Ships 1825 is pleased to support an exciting event in Douro next Saturday, April 25 at 7pm! Head out to St. Joseph's Parish Hall for an evening of history, heritage and music featuring a presentation from Patrick Leahy entitled "Irish and Canadian: Irish Identity in Times of Conflict," live music from the Kitchen Party Band and a discussion about new research projects underway in 2026. Admission is $5 at the door and both refreshments and a cash bar will be available. We hope you'll join us for a memorable evening!