Talking politics in Peterborough… plus what’s on this weekend

You’re reading the February 13, 2025 edition of the Peterborough Currents email newsletter. To receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox, sign up here.

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Good morning and welcome to the arts and community newsletter from Peterborough Currents. I’m Alex, and I send this newsletter every week to catch you up on what’s happening in Peterborough.

This week, I’m bringing you something a little different. With the provincial election swiftly approaching, our community is faced with deciding who will represent them at Queen’s Park for the next four years. To gauge the temperature of voters in the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha, I met with folks on the street and asked what factors will impact their decision on election day, February 27.

Also in this week’s newsletter:

• A fusion of circus and burlesque at Market Hall
• Plus, some live music listings for this weekend

Let’s get started!

What’s top of mind for voters in this election?

With Peterborough residents getting ready to head to the polls in Ontario’s snap election on February 27, I decided to hit the streets to hear from voters as they weigh their big decision.

Many of the people I approached said they either didn’t know a provincial election had been called or weren’t confident enough in their understanding of the issues to speak with me. Some were confused about the different levels of government and who is responsible for what. And several said they weren’t sure if they were going to cast a ballot at all. 

Those who were comfortable talking politics with me shared a sense of discouragement.

“I honestly don’t think anything will change, if I’m being real with you,” said Nicholas Stuckless, a 30-year-old Fleming College cyber security student. “I genuinely believe that there’s no good person to vote for right now. NDP, Liberal, Conservative — they all are different flavours of the same garbage.”

“I do not have confidence in any party at this moment, which is just crazy for me, because I’ve always voted mostly NDP,” said local retiree Twila Marston. “I don’t know what it would take to change my mind on who to vote for.”

Marston said she thinks our elections are beginning to resemble “the U.S. style of politics,” where parties are more interested in criticizing each other than working together. Rather than attack each other, Marston said she wants politicians to collaborate on solutions to challenges such as the high cost of food and housing. “There’s a lot of room out there to make positive change, and we’re just not doing it,” she said. “I just want to see people do better, regardless of the party.”

The issues that came up most with the voters I spoke to were housing and health care.

“You go to emergency in PRHC [and] you can wait eight to twelve hours minimum before you get seen because of the lack of staff,” said Selwyn Polarfest volunteer Keith Elliot, as he served up hot chocolate during the festivities on February 2.

Despite those concerns, Elliot said the Progressive Conservatives, who have been in power since 2018, have done “a relatively good job given the times.” He said the PCs will get his vote in this election, even though he’s disappointed in Doug Ford’s early election call. “That’s Dougie,” he said. “What can we say about Dougie?”

Elliot said there is one thing he wishes Ford would change his mind on. “I just hope he backs away from trying to dig a hole and put a highway underground. It’s a waste of money,” he said, referring to the PC leader’s pledge to build a tunnel under Highway 401. (Ford has since doubled down on his tunnel promise.)

For Peterborough local Nicholas Steven Rose, what matters most is feeling like he has a voice. “I wish that somebody would represent the lower class a little more, and I feel very marginalized and kinda ostracized from society because I never feel like I’m part of the conversation,” he said.

Rose, who said he’s “been homeless for two months,” also shared concerns about healthcare. He can’t easily visit his family doctor because she is located in Courtice, he explained. “I’ve literally had to go to the hospital just for a panic attack before, which is not something you should probably go there for, but I feel like I have no recourse. I have nowhere to go.”

At Fleming College’s Sutherland Campus, 40-year-old teacher Leeann Fenlon discussed her own worries coming into this election. “I fear for healthcare, I fear for equity, diversity and social justice throughout our province and in education. I fear for funding for education and I hope that we can make a choice that’s going to make the world a better place, but I’m worried,” she said.

If you aren’t sure whether you are registered to vote in the provincial election, you can check on the Elections Ontario website. Voting location details will also be available to search online by postal code as of Friday, February 14. To learn more about how to cast your vote for the upcoming election, visit Elections Ontario.

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A fusion of circus and burlesque at Market Hall

From a colourful prehistoric bird on a unicycle to a pansexual Peter Pan, the twelve acts that make up this year’s annual Cirquelesque performance at Market Hall are bursting with humour and creativity. 

Now in its sixth year, the event mixes circus and burlesque performances and offers an alternative Valentine’s Day spectacle. This year’s show follows character Brenda the Temp, played by Peterborough performer Naomi DuVall, as she traverses time and space. In one act, DuVall dresses up as a curious bird watcher pursuing a prehistoric bird on a unicycle. Performances take place on February 14 and 15.

“People have a very specific view of what burlesque is,” said DuVall. “They think it’s just people taking their clothes off, but I think it has so much more than that. It’s all about the reveal and the tease and the surprise and the connection with your body.” 

Expect to see some skin, but that’s not the focus of the show. DuVall emphasized the playfulness and humour of the performances, recalling the first-ever Cirquelesque event in 2017, when she and another performer played rabbits pulling apart a cabbage to reveal a unicycling moth. 

“I want people to come in and feel safe and feel ready to keep their minds open and see what burlesque can be,” DuVall said.

Cirquelesque organizer Jennifer Elchuk, who performs under the name Opal, said she hopes audiences will enjoy sex-positive fun in “a place where you can laugh at a lot of dirty jokes together and be entertained by some high level circus.”

Elchuk also serves as a manager for Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts, where many Cirquelesque performers have worked as coaches or attended classes. Tickets for Cirquelesque are sold out on the Market Hall website. For updates, check out Cirquelesque on Instagram.

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Live music in Peterborough this weekend:

• Peterborough singer-songwriter Emily Burgess will play a special Valentine’s Day show at The Black Horse Pub this Friday, February 14 from 5 to 8 p.m.

• High Waters Band will rock the White House Hotel on both Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The show promises lots of “classic rock dancing tunes” to get people moving.

• This Saturday, February 15, The Pig’s Ear Tavern will host a double-header of live music, with The Wild Cards playing from 4 to 7 p.m., and Grainne Ryan and Friends taking the stage at 9 p.m.

• Canadian musician Ky Anto is at The Black Horse Pub this Saturday. He’ll perform a set of accoustic country, folk and blues tunes from 5 to 8 p.m.

• Matthew Holtby and Dave MacQuarrie will play intimate solo sets at Jethro’s Bar and Stage this Saturday, February 15, starting at 8 p.m.

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