Teens rock out at Sadleir House

You’re reading the July 16, 2026 edition of the Peterborough Currents email newsletter. To receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox, sign up here.

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Hi, I’m Currents co-editor Alex Karn. Welcome to your weekly Peterborough Currents email newsletter!

This week’s newsletter is jam-packed, with a story about youth empowerment through music, news updates from across the city, event listings, and a new weekly challenge we hope you’ll enjoy.

Here we go!

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Teens rock out at Sadleir House

by Alex Karn

Sadleir House echoed with music and youthful joy from July 6 to 10, as teens jammed, laughed together in the hallways, and learned from local mentors during the Rock Camp for Girls* (RC4G*) annual summer program.

The week-long camp brought together girls and gender non-conforming youth with a wide range of musical experience, from first-time musicians to more experienced players. Campers were assigned instruments, formed bands, attended workshops and rehearsals, and spent the week writing original songs before performing them at the program’s “Big Gig” on July 10.

The Peterborough organization first launched the camp in 2006 after local musicians were inspired by the international Girls Rock Camp movement.

Organizers quickly opened up the program to gender non-conforming youth as well, coordinator Jill Staveley told Peterborough Currents. “We did that over a decade ago, because this isn’t just a rock camp for girls. This is a rock camp to inspire confidence and to encourage learning and growth in people who tend to be marginalized… so everyone’s at a more equitable starting line when they go and they try to play music in our local music community.”

She and the original “rock squad” ran the program every summer from 2006 to 2020. After a four-year hiatus following the COVID-19 pandemic and Staveley’s own health struggles, the camp returned to Sadleir House in 2025. Since then, RC4G* has become part of Sadleir House and Trent Radio, with Staveley overseeing the program as part of her role as Trent Radio’s director of programming.

She said that partnerships have made the program more sustainable by providing administrative support and allowing organizers to spend more time developing programming instead of fundraising.

“We’ve been able to source funding from organizations like OPIRG, CUPE, and Kawartha Rotary, which allows us to devote our time to developing our curriculum and to building our infrastructure to run camp… rather than scrambling.”

For Staveley, the return of camp has also represented a personal milestone. After years of helping other young people build confidence through music, she was able to watch her own children participate.

“Last year was my youngest daughter’s first time to come to camp. So being able to bring it back to make sure that it was there for her to experience, and my eldest kid came as an intern… That really filled my heart to know that the work that we do at camp impacts kids in our community in such meaningful ways,” she said. 

While campers spend the week learning instruments and writing songs, Staveley said music is only one part of what they take away.

“It’s taking risks and seeing each other and hearing each other and lifting each other up, and learning you have to make room to do things poorly before you can do them well, and you’re allowed to take up space,” she expanded. “Music is just the vehicle we use to drive this community creation.”

Although the summer camp is the organization’s most visible program, Staveley said its monthly Rock Block jam sessions continue throughout the year at Sadleir House, giving young musicians opportunities to keep playing, build confidence, and connect with the local music community.

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News in brief

by Gabe Pollock

City Council is on vacation this month, but there’s still lots going on in the city. Here’s a catch-up, with the support of our partners in local media:

• Peterborough is currently under twin weather warnings, with a multi-day heat event and poor air quality caused by smoke from wildfires in northern Ontario. The City has installed a mobile water station at Quaker Foods City Square downtown a published a list of other resources for escaping the heat, including public facilities with air conditioning (and clean air filtration) and splash pads where you can go to cool down. On the health side, Lakelands Public Health offers advice to protect against heat-related illness and poor air quality. Peterborough Fire Services are emphatically asking residents to not call 911 if they smell smoke, because… well, the whole city smells like smoke.
  
• With tens of thousands in the region still seeking a primary care physician, the City of Peterborough reports some success attracting doctors to the city. There are five new and expanding clinics around the city currently accepting patients, and the City is also working to build a centralized online portal to help connect Peterborians with doctors, to launch this fall.
  
• The Peterborough Police are seeking the termination of an officer following several allegations of misconduct. According to public documents, allegations against Const. Mitchell Cairns, which have not yet been proven, include not observing chain of command, not properly logging evidence, and failing to return a weapon to central lockup at the end of his shift. The officer’s hearing is scheduled for September, and until then, he has been suspended with pay.
  
• Have your say on plans to re-design Park Street. The City is currently considering adding buffered bike lanes, widening sidewalks, and reducing the speed limit, with the intention of improving safety and growing the city’s connected cycling network. Fill out the survey or add a comment to have your voice heard.
  
• Over at Trent U, The Arthur is continuing their excellent and ongoing investigation of irregularities in the Trent University Central Student Association’s (TCSA) spring elections, with allegations that certain candidates were treated unfairly and there were conflicts of interest with election committee members. The story now includes falsification of public meeting minutes, an independent investigation whose full results TCSA will not be publicly releasing, and (seemingly related?) the firing of the TCSA’s resource manager.

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What’s on this weekend?

Peterborough Currents is bringing back our weekly event listings to help you plan your weekend. If you have an event coming up you’d like to share with our readers, email the details to us at news@peterboroughcurrents.ca

Here are just a few of the goings on in town over the next couple of days:

• Trent Valley Archives will present Tragic Tales, a Little Lake Cemetery walking tour, on Friday, July 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Little Lake Cemetery. Led by local historian Mona Wilkes, the tour will share stories of Peterborough residents from the late 19th and early 20th centuries whose lives ended in tragedy. The tour covers uneven and hilly terrain and will proceed rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable footwear and dress for the weather. Tickets are available online or at Trent Valley Archives.
  
• The Theatre on King will present Rico & Rostrup: Make Me Sing on Friday, July 17 from 8 to 10 p.m. The improvised comedy performance features Marc Rico Ludwig and Mark Rostrup creating scenes and musical numbers inspired by audience suggestions, accompanied by musician Andrew Fitzpatrick. Tickets are available online and at the door.
  
• Peterborough Lift Lock will host Parks Canada’s annual Lock & Paddle event on Saturday, July 18 from noon to 4 p.m. Canoeists and kayakers are invited to decorate their vessels and paddle through the historic waterway. The City of Peterborough will also host water-themed activities at Beavermead Park throughout the afternoon. The event is open to all ages and skill levels. Participants must wear a personal flotation device and follow Parks Canada safety requirements.
  
• Sadleir House will host a free Summer Groove Dance and Social Gathering on Saturday, July 18. Family activities, including games, hula hoops, face painting, arts and crafts, bubble play, and dancing, will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a 19+ dance from 8 to 11 p.m. with alcohol available for purchase. The event is organized by the Ukrainian Hub and sponsored by the United Way.

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Where in Peterborough…

Our little city is teeming with unique beauty that can be easy to overlook, from street art to natural landmarks that we pass every day. Peterborough Currents is posing a new weekly challenge, inviting readers to slow down and pay attention to the small details that enrich our lives as locals. Each week, we’ll share a photo from a mystery location. Can you guess where it was captured? Write in at news@peterboroughcurrents.ca to let us know!

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