Inductees

The Peterborough region is blessed with many who light up a room by simply walking into it, but few can lay claim to a more memorable entrance than Megan Murphy.

Gifted with a spark and quick wit that endears her instantly to everyone, Megan has brought her boundless enthusiasm and energy to several projects and organizations, and also to the theatrical stage as an actress with the Peterborough Theatre Guild, St. James’ Players, New Stages and 4th Line Theatre.

A college-educated documentary filmmaker, Megan’s piece de resistance remains the multi-awarded ‘Murphy’s Law,’ a self-exploratory cycling journey across Ireland that retraced the same journey her late father had made years earlier…on the same bicycle. And many remain grateful for her film documentation of the history of Town’s General Store in Douro which, shortly afterwards, was lost to fire.

A number of campaign and event organizers have been wise to tap into Megan’s talents and natural exuberance to energize their respective causes. In 2018-19, Megan served as Chair of the United Way of Peterborough and District campaign, and the Showplace Performance Centre recently named her an ambassador, alongside Linda Kash, of its ‘Showplace Project: Act II’ fundraising campaign. As an event host, Megan has called on her many years of radio broadcast experience to become the emcee voice of numerous events, including the Easter Seals Telethon.

When the shadow of COVID-19 darkened the landscape, Megan partnered with her good friend Kate Suhr to bring light to the life of many via The Verandah Society that saw the duo present a number of “On the Verandah” musical performances. Also during the pandemic, Megan stepped up on behalf of Kawartha Food Share, spearheading a number of campaigns that helped the agency feed countless families during an unprecedented demand. That same compassion for strangers was clearly evident years earlier when Megan travelled to southeast Asia to help with the rebuilding effort in the wake of the tsunami in late 2004.

Canada is a country of immigrants. In a true sense, we’re all visitors. We, our parents or ancestors, have come from far away, from homelands that lost hope for the future. The Kulla Brothers are a shining example of those who adopted Canada as their home, Peterborough as their city, and made both a better place in which to live.

Jim, Mike and Eddie Kulla fled Communist Albania at the height of the Cold War. They faced grave physical danger, both to themselves and family members left behind, to seek freedom in a new land. The brothers settled in Peterborough, determined to explore the fullness of their potential. They worked hard to establish themselves as good corporate citizens and enthusiastic and caring members of the community. Many longtime Peterborough residents and visitors have fond memories of the Miss Diana Restaurant in Market Plaza, the Miss Diana Motor Hotel on Lansdowne and, more recently, Lakeside Dining in Lakefield.

By nature, the Kulla Brothers are warm and outgoing and – by being true to their nature – became unofficial ambassadors on behalf of Peterborough and Kawarthas. Through their generosity and charm, they put a human face to our City, and area, for thousands of residents and visitors.
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To make your community a better place doesn’t always necessitate major and widely publicized feats. Sometimes it’s the little things, done with love and compassion. Helping neighbours means the most. With modesty and an extremely large heart, Pearl Goodall was a consummate good neighbour, and friend.

Known for her involvement, for many years, including that of her brother Bill and husband Stan involved with the Commercial Hotel in Lakefield, Pearl loved baking and sharing the bounty of her efforts with family, friends and strangers. She’s an active participant in the Lakefield Fair and, for 18 years, helped organize the Lakefield Santa Claus Parade. Pearl volunteered tirelessly with the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Red Cross. Pearl Goodall was recognized by the Ontario Community Care Program for having logged the most hours as a volunteer driver in the entire province of Ontario.

To be fondly remembered for unselfish dedication to your community, for your love, compassion, spirit and good humour is the surest indication of a life, well-lived.

For Gene Canning, it seems art is more than intriguingly executed images on canvas. Indeed, he skillfully nurtures the dormant creativity within each student almost as an extension of himself. His ability to do so, has enhanced Gene’s artistic acceptance as an artist worldwide.

One of his paintings currently hangs in the Rideau Hall exhibit among Canada’s permanent art collection.
Expanding his compulsion to share the appreciation of art utilizing modern communicative tools, Gene Canning created and hosted ‘Journeys of an Artist,’ a weekly national PBS Network television program that aired from 2003 through 2008.

Sharing his talent on a more individual level, he teaches art at a Children’s Summer Camp, a senior’s group as well as an advanced plain art course each fall.

Mr. Canning has been especially supportive of those with special needs, assisting them to develop their artistic abilities. So great has been his influence, and his teaching skills, that a good many of his students have gone on to enjoy a tremendous measure of success in the world of art.

Gene Canning’s artistic accomplishments have earned him global recognition which has made his career the subject of TV documentaries, high profile interviews and studies. He is, at present engaged in an art project retracing the trails of Tom Thompson to commemorate the famous Canadian’s Centenary (1917).

It can be stated with considerable pride, that Gene Canning’s artistic pursuits will continue to spotlight the Peterborough area as his home and workplace for many years to come.

• Photo courtesy of Mike Lacey, Metroland

Living his entire life in the hamlet with the heart of gold known as Cordova Mines, could be the reason for Dan Ireland’s talent and giving spirit.  He’d been singing and playing guitar since age 12, organizing events throughout his life to better the surrounding area.

Some major accomplishment: the organization of the Crowe Valley Jamboree in aid of the local Junior Hockey Association.  He was an asset toward building a new Recreation Centre, donating many hours entertaining, and raising money for its construction.  Dan Ireland was co-founder of the Havelock Country Music Talent Show, held each year, the proceeds of which help the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, Five Counties Children’s Centre, and local youth groups.  His own children are ‘chips off the old block’ and are carving their own place in the country music industry of the nation.  Residents of retirement homes, nursing homes, hospitals and fundraisers could always count on being entertained by Dan, and his fellow musicians.

Dan Ireland was an example of the best of a community’s heart.

Mr. Ireland passed away in 2016.

By way of her chosen profession and her volunteer pursuits, Helen Weichel committed herself long ago to making life better for countless others.

Upon graduating from St. Mary’s School of Nursing, Helen came to St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1960 before moving to what was then Civic Hospital, where she worked in many departments. Before retiring from Civic, she held a number of positions, including supervisor, and was very involved in the nurses’ association. Helen was the first recipient of the James McNabb Award, which recognized the community volunteer efforts of hospital staff.

As the leader of Cub Pack 17 based at St. Alban’s Church, Helen never missed an opportunity to involve her young charges in major events. When the Prime Minister, or Royalty visited, Peterborough Cub Pack 17 was front and centre. When medals were handed out at the Summer Games, Cub Pack 17 was involved. When Hugh Faulkner became Secretary of State, Helen brought Cub Pack 17 to Ottawa for a tour of the Parliament buildings, given personally by Faulkner. Long after her sons Greg and Tom moved on from Cub Pack 17, Helen stayed on, providing its members with unique opportunities while dedicating herself to their growth and development as good citizens.

With a passion for fostering recreational opportunities, Helen became involved with the Peterborough Recreational Association in 1970. She would play an instrumental role in the merging of the Peterborough Parks, and Recreation departments. In addition, Helen served with the Ontario Municipal Recreation Association, sitting as its chair for a period.

Helen’s guiding belief that recreational opportunities are essential for people of all ages saw her advocate relentlessly on behalf of the middle-aged, and seniors. In addition, she pushed for equality in terms of the allocation of sport facilities and resources, providing girls and women with the same opportunities to participate, as did boys and men.

An extension of that was Helen’s long tenure with ParticiPaction Peterborough, an organization dedicated to raising the level of personal fitness in Peterborough and the surrounding area. Helen was a member of the organization’s Sources and Resources Committee, charged with securing access to existing facilities, including schools, for fitness-related events. The committee also established a speakers’ bureau, produced brochures, and promoted existing and new fitness activities in local schools, including Trent University and Fleming College.

In 1977, the City of Peterborough recognized Helen’s unmatched efforts in the promotion of fitness and recreation, bestowing upon her its Award of Merit.

A photographer is a truly magical artist.  With a camera, the photographer can freeze a moment in time that generations, to come, can hold in their hands.  Frederick Roy was a photographic artist who literally made time stand still.
From teenage years until his death in 1950, Frederick Roy devoted his entire life to photography while working in the family photography studio.  Peterborough residents are familiar with what’s known as the Roy Collection.  A collection of over 400,000 photographic images, lovingly and precisely documenting life in Peterborough area from late 19th century to the mid-20th century.  As well, Mr. Roy’s reputation spread beyond the Peterborough area.  His photography of Kings George V and George VI gained acclaim throughout Europe, and his portraits of Sir John A. Macdonald’s funeral and Jack Miner’s bird sanctuary are now part of Canada’s historical record.

Through his creativity and eye for detail, Frederick Roy’s photography gave us a precious gift.  What he gave was not only a piece of our history, but also a piece of our soul.

What possible connection does a cemetery in San Rafael, California have to Peterborough? Well, Mount Tamalpais Cemetery is the final resting place of Dr. Jessie Birnie, the first woman to practice medicine in the city.

Born to Caroline and John Birnie, Dr. Birnie was in Peterborough in 1901, having graduated from the University of Toronto. It wasn’t until seven years after her arrival that she was granted hospital privileges.

Initially, Dr. Birnie lived on Water Street with American-born Frances Mary Best, the widow of well-known merchant James Best. When she passed in 1915, Dr. Birnie moved to a residence located at the current location of the Peterborough police station.

When Quaker Oats was rocked by a massive explosion in 1916 and consumed by flames, Dr. Birnie, in one account, “was barking like a Sergeant Major” while assisting fire wardens with the plant’s evacuation. The account goes on to note, in fairness to Dr. Birnie, the roar of the flames necessitated her “barking” to be heard.

A few years earlier, Dr. Birnie opened her home to eight ladies where, in her living room, they began a tradition of meeting regularly to discuss, research and debate the works of William Shakespeare. Thus the Women’s Shakespeare Club was formed.

In 1931, with her sister Caroline, Dr. Birnie crossed into the United States at Detroit on their way to see their brother John in California. There Dr. Birnie passed in 1935, just a few months after her sister died.

• Photo courtesy of the Birnie Family

Describing what she does so very well as “an extraordinary privilege and a daunting responsibility,” Ann Douglas has been, and remains, celebrated as Canada’s foremost writer on all things parenting.

The author of numerous books about pregnancy and parenting as well as the creator of The Mother Of All book series that has seen more than half a million copies sold, Ann’s knowledge, insight and advice has calmed the often stormy waters for parents and parents-to-be across North America.

In addition to her books, Ann has written more than 1,000 pregnancy and parenting articles for a number of respected publications including Canadian Living, Today’s Parent, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Chicago Tribune and Canadian Family, whose former editor-in-chief has praised her as “Canada’s most trusted parenting writer.” Ann has also contributed to a number of anthologies about motherhood as well as earned praise as a passionate and inspiring speaker, delivering keynote addresses and leading workshops at conferences across the country.

When she’s not putting pen to paper, Ann volunteers her time with a variety of projects and causes, currently sitting on the national editorial board of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and a member of the social media team for the Canadian Red Cross.

Several honours have come Ann’s way, including a Lifetime Membership from the Professional Writers’ Association of Canada in recognition of her contributions to the freelance writing profession – just the second writer given that distinction. And in spring 2012, Ann was one of 16 Canadians invited to Rideau Hall in Ottawa to discuss family policy with then governor-general David Johnston and his wife Sharon.

Currently the host of online conversations on parenting and mental health issues, Ann’s most recent book, Parenting Through The Storm: How To Handle The Highs, The Lows and Everything In Between, provides further evidence of her belief that writers can change the world by sharing ideas that can fuel social change.

Carl Oake was in real estate since 1968, and founded his Century 21 office on George Street ten years later. In 1999, Century 21 United Realty Ltd. And Century 21 Gray-Munro Realty Inc. merged to form Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage.

Carl served as President of the Peterborough Real Estate Board and the Men’s Sales and Advertising Club, Director of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA and the Peterborough Golf and Country Club – and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Since 1987, the Carl Oake Swimathon has raised over $900,000 for local worthwhile causes, and the number of businesses and swimmers has increased each year. The Swimathon has always raised money to support Easter Seals, but over the years several other charities have been added. Until just recently, Carl habitually swam at least 100 laps during the event, employing the Australian crawl. He began his swimathon, that first year, swimming solo, but now there are over 30 teams of swimmers participating.

Among his many honours, Carl Oake is a Paul Harris Fellow and is a Peterborough Citizen of the Year recipient. He was also presented with the Easter Seals Helping Hand Award.

Mr. Oake retired from his firm, which remains in the capable hands of his daughter, Vanessa Oake Hogan.

Carl Oake passed away on January 2nd, 2025 in his 80th year following a courageous battle with cancer.

• photo courtesy Clifford Skarstedt, The Peterborough Examiner

When Peterborough born-and-raised Doug Pearcy moved to Norwood with his wife Sandra in 1969 to begin work in the auto parts business, there was little, to no indication of what that would mean for the town east of Peterborough.

Over the 50 years since, Doug’s fingerprints have been all over many aspects of Norwood’s growth and development.

Mr. Pearcy sat on Peterborough County Council from 1992 to 2014, serving as Reeve of Asphodel-Norwood for six years and, in 1996, as County Warden. However, his contributions to his community have extended well beyond the political arena.

Doug has been a member of the Norwood Lions Club for 49 years, awarded a life membership by the service club for his outstanding service. In addition, for 39 years, Doug has been a member of Branch 300 of the Royal Canadian Legion and currently serves as Service Officer, helping veterans and their families secure benefits owed to them. And, having become a Mason in 1966, Doug has held a number of positions with that organization through his association with the Norwood Masonic Lodge.

With Mr. Pearcy serving as co-chair, Action 2000 saw the raising of $1.5 million towards the building of the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre, which opened in 2003. When it was decided that a senior AAA hockey franchise would be an ideal tenant for the new arena, Doug was front-and center in that effort and, on most Sunday nights, sold 50-50 tickets at Vipers games, the proceeds of which supported a number of community projects.

Currently president of Hospice Norwood Incorporated, Doug is leading the effort to see that project become a reality. There’s no question his 14-year stint as chair of the Committee of Management for Fairhaven has served him well in that effort. Doug still sits on that committee as a member.

When Doug was presented with a community recognition award on July 1, 2016, there was no doubt his significant service to Norwood spoke precisely to why the late J.J. Stewart, created the award.

Peer Christensen is an influential professional artist based in Peterborough since 1985. He founded local art galleries: Williamson House Gallery, 1986-95; Hunter West Gallery, 1995-2006; Christensen Fine Art Gallery, 2006 to the present.

He founded, and still maintains the Starving Artist Framing Outlet.

He has been the featured artist in solo exhibits, 2002 and 2010 at The Art Gallery of Peterborough; and with his wife, Lori was honorary chair for the Art Gallery of Peterborough Fundraising Gala in 2011.

His art is housed in several private, and corporate art collections and has been featured in fundraising events for several organizations. He has served on the PRHC Foundation Volunteer Art Committee from the outset. He has a great track record for getting involved in projects important to the local arts community and seeing them through.

Some of his most striking work captures the changeability of nature and the impact of the industrial landscape.
According to Peterborough This Week, “Self taught in drawing and watercolour, Christensen works primarily as an oil painter, his immense classical-based talent clearly evident and his work respected well beyond the city’s borders.”

• Photo courtesy Lance Anderson, Peterborough This Week / Metroland / MYKawatha

The Heffernan Family, a talented singing group from Lakefield, long consisted of six siblings and a friend. They learned their music in the family home of Barbara and Kevin Heffernan and was deeply rooted in Irish musical traditions.

The oldest siblings and a friend founded a high school band in 1969 and gradually, the younger siblings joined the group. They were Mary Jo (now deceased), Betty Ann, Kevin, Michele, Patricia and Jeanie, and with the addition of Tom King and his harmonica became ‘The Heffernan Family and Friends.’ These pioneers of the Peterborough Celtic sound performed for masses, weddings and funerals, and eventually played the Peterborough Market Hall and Peterborough Showplace, for Christmas concerts and fundraisers for charities.

They have four albums to their credit: ‘Stay Awhile’ (1997); ‘All the Folks are Home’ (2001); ‘Heart of an Immigrant’ (2011) and ‘The Village Concert – Story and Song’ (2013). The history of the family and Lakefield have been celebrated in the letters of Patricia and Mary Jo, printed in the Lakefield Herald as “Letters from Home,” some of which were published in booklet form in 2013. The Heffernan family has delightfully captured the spirit of the community for some forty years.

There have been a number of studies done pointing to the generosity of Canadians who display, in amounts of time, devotion to volunteer work. It says a lot about Canadian character.

For Paul Lafond, volunteering is more than a full-time job. It speaks volumes about Paul Lafond’s character.

To put Paul’s volunteer work in perspective, he averages about 1,800 volunteer hours a year. A person who works 40 hours a week puts in about 1,700 hours per year. So Paul’s volunteer work is definitely into overtime!

His fundraising achievements are impressive, helping to raise money for the Cancer Society, Hospital for Sick Children and the International Prevention of Child Abuse, just to name a few. To date, he’s raised more money for the M.S. Society in Super Cities Walks than anyone in the Kawarthas.

Paul also finds time to drive seniors to appointments and shopping. He shovels their sidewalks in winter, cuts their grass in summer.

Paul Lafond’s community commitment is truly the essence of volunteerism. To make a difference, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You simply have to care enough to do something for someone. Paul’s monumental achievement has been to do what the rest of us just talk about doing.

The Pathway of Fame experiences a “first of its kind” category this year.

In the year 2000, prolific songwriter Cyril Rawson was inducted. This year, his father Les Rawson is an Inductee – which marks the first father-son Inductions to the Pathway.

During World War Two, Les Rawson served in the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Norfolk, which was one of the ships to track the Bismarck and was present when the German battleship sank.

But it was after emigrating here with his wife and young son that he was to make his mark in the world.

Les Rawson made a huge impact on the musical history of our area. He not only accomplished that by giving young musicians the opportunity to get a start in their career by making the newest music products available, but – more importantly – through generosity, and trust. Les gave them a way to actually own their own instrument, which in most cases they could not afford.

Rawson’s Music Centre was a full-service music store, which also featured teaching studios. Les offered the local musician the tremendous opportunity to own their desired instrument over time, without the need for a credit check. He trusted musicians to make a weekly or monthly payment – keeping track on a personalized card in a box under the counter.

Les’ store became a place to meet and try out the newest instruments. Those meetings are credited with the birth of bands led by Bobby Kinsman and Del Crary, as well as other big bands. Les and his wife, Lillian, were also very involved in the Kiwanis Music Festival.

Les passed away in 1969 at the young age of 56, but left behind a legacy of grateful musicians who will never forget the trust, and confidence he placed in them.

David and Patricia Morton have been dynamic philanthropists, whose generosity has had an incredible impact on all of Peterborough County.

David Morton was President and CEO for Quaker Oats Company, while Dr. Patricia Morton taught history at Trent University, and is now Professor Emeritus. Both have served on significant committees affecting the welfare of our citizens.

David was Chair of the Board of Governors of Trent University, the Board of Frontier College, Chair of the Five Counties Children’s Centre, the Fleming College Board, the Greater Peterborough Economic Development Corporation, the Festival of Lights, and the original campaign for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. He was Peterborough’s Volunteer of the Year in 2002, and received an honourary doctorate from Trent University.

Patricia, a respected and published historian, has served on the Board of the Morton Community Health Centre in Lakefield. The Morton Family Trail, on the east bank of Trent University was named for them. Since 2012, David and Patricia Morton have been the leading donors for the Lakefield Literary Festival. They were major donors for the First People’s House of Learning at Trent University’s Gzowski College, and have funded several outstanding scholarships and bursaries for the University. They donated $100,000 to the building of the Sport and Wellness Centre at Trent University.

Most significantly, they donated $500,000 to the Lakefield Primary Health Centre, since renamed the Morton Community Health Centre. They also gave support to the Trent Valley Archives for its J. J. Duffus Project, and to the publishing of the history of the Quaker Oats fire of 1916.

No words can adequately capture the depth of David and Patricia Morton’s support for the communities of Peterborough, Lakefield, Trent University and the County of Peterborough – or their incalculable influence in making so many community projects feasible.

• photo courtesy KawarthaNOW

Every now and then, we’re lucky to meet someone who is bigger than life; someone who exudes unbridled confidence and has the moxy to tell it like it is, damn the consequences. Combine that with a distinctly authoritative voice that demands our attention and, well, you have David John Badham.

John’s 60-year broadcasting career began in Weyburn, Saskatchewan where his booming baritone voice fell upon the ears of the province’s most popular radio station in Regina. He was hired as CKCK’s morning news anchor and became the iconic voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

After 10 years at CKCK, 1969 saw John summoned to Toronto to call games for the Toronto Argonauts. He did so for three Toronto radio stations before heading west to call games for the BC Lions and then returned east to do the same for the Ottawa Roughriders. Come 1988, John was seconded to Peterborough where he began a new adventure as morning news anchor for Power Broadcasting. What was to be a short-term job with KRUZ Radio and The WOLF turned into a 28-year tenure that built upon and solidified John’s legacy as a leading broadcaster, not just locally but across the country.

With morning show co-host Mike Melnik, John talked Peterborough. He challenged local politicians, calling them to task for their decisions and their waffling. He was controversial; he spoke his mind and listeners shook their heads in agreement or disbelief, and often both. Urged more than once to stand for election, John declined, saying he could do more Peterborough as a commentator. That he indeed did, morning after morning, hosting his own show on Extra 90.5 FM right up until his passing in late 2016.

Over his six decades behind a microphone, John covered Olympic and Commonwealth Games events, world and Canadian curling championships, and a Super Bowl. Along the way, he interviewed iconic sports figures such as Gordie Howe, Pele, Wilt Chamberlain and Muhammad Ali. When hockey great Bobby Hull signed his then unprecedented $1 million contract to play for the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association, John was there, the only reporter on hand.

Several honours have come John’s way, most recently a Career Achievement Award from Sports Media Canada for his outstanding contribution to Canadian sports. Voted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, seven years earlier saw John receive the Foster Hewitt Award as Best Canadian Sportscaster.

Deeply devoted to his family, John and Dorothy were blessed with four children, 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Clearly, despite his many travels across this country, Peterborough was home for John.

photo courtesy Clifford Skarstedt, Peterborough Examiner

Marty Gerrard Murphy was a well-known Peterborough criminal lawyer renowned for his “dedication, wit and sense of humour.”

Except for his years studying law in Ottawa, Marty Murphy’s career was in Peterborough. He was a partner in Galvin and Murphy with his uncle, Doug Galvin. He was the brother of Sharon Murphy who was a lawyer with her husband at Gariepy Murphy. Marty founded the Thames Embankment Society, an organization to support lawyers and their work. As one of the city’s leading criminal lawyers, he was Federal Crown Attorney for Peterborough.

There were several stories of how Marty Murphy had helped clients, whom he said should always be treated as royalty. On one occasion he approached someone who was in trouble and was trying to defend himself and was distraught at the enormity of the task. Marty Murphy asked how he could help, and stayed with him the remainder of the day. He told the vindicated man to “do something for someone else in need when the opportunity arose.” Lawyers valued him as a colleague, and “our community was enriched by his contributions.”

It’s the contention of many that a community is a living, organic entity. An individual is born into, or adopts a community; takes from the community, and gives back to the community.

In the case of Gillian Wilson, the balance is definitely tipped towards the ‘giving back’. For over 35 years, she’s been a vital member of Peterborough Theatre Guild as an actress, for which she received the Best Actress Award from the Eastern Ontario Drama League as production manager and director. She’s also directed four fundraisers for Showplace Peterborough.

As well, Gillian is an active member of The Art School of Peterborough and has directed two productions of Beyond The Fringe, to raise funds for the school.

Her tireless efforts in theatre, and on the boards confirm a belief that a community without a vital performance component is a community lacking in spirit, and vitality. Thanks to the creative dedication of individuals like Gillian Wilson, the performance component in Peterborough is very much alive, vital and growing.

Without question, he’s one of the most talented and multi-faceted musicians ever to make his home in Peterborough.

Bud Sullivan took to the saxophone early in life and never looked back. Under the tutelage of renowned Belgian musician, Ben Vereecken, Bud began playing with the famed Huntsville Band, and at Bigwin Inn. His talents quickly impressed vacationing musicians, leading to an opportunity of a lifetime.

In 1926, Bud began an eight year tour with the immortal John Philip Sousa Marching Band. After Sousa’s death, Bud went to work with the CBC and the Toronto Symphony. Also at this time he began a new, and fulfilling stage in his life; teaching music.

Opening his music store on Charlotte Street, with wife Dorothy, Bud shared his gift of musical genius with more than a generation of young Peterborough musicians, including Bobby Kinsman and Daniel Rubinoff. Testament to Bud’s teaching talent is the fact that several of his students went on to graduate from the illustrious Juilliard School of Music.

Bud Sullivan: a musician of considerable talent and creativity who maintained a love for music, and for people who made music.

It’s argued by many the history of Canada is also the history of broadcasting.  For much of the 20th Century, this Dominion was a community of communities, held together and connected to each other by radio waves.

Frank Schoales was the Peterborough embodiment of both these worlds.

First hired as engineer/technician with CHEX Radio in 1942, Frank was the man who kept the shows on the air, and set up the remote broadcasts for which radio, of a different era, was so famous.  Through this job, he commanded a front row seat to historical events in the city, and country.  From the happy sounds of Glenn Miller, of Del Crary at Club Aragon, to social events, ceremonies, elections, sporting events and disasters, Frank allowed us to witness the voices of our history from the comfort of our home.

Through his work with The Peterborough Museum, and Trent Valley Archives a large number of these broadcasts are preserved for future generations to experience.

With his microphones and twists of cable, Frank Schoales gave us a precious gift: our living history, ‘live and direct.’

For over 40 years, he was a beloved figure on the Peterborough entertainment scene.

Fred Coupland loved making audiences happy as much as he loved making music, itself. Songwriter, bandleader and entertainer extraordinaire. However going beyond his stage work, Fred always enjoyed the talents of his fellow musicians and lent a helping hand to those aspiring to make music their life’s work. In that capacity, he served as president of Peterborough Chapter of the American Federation of Musicians.

True testament to the popularity of Fred Coupland’s musical entertainment mastery was 13 consecutive-year engagements at the Rock Haven Motor Hotel. When not performing professionally, he gave graciously of his time and talents at area seniors’ residences, hospitals and Five Counties Children’s Centre.

Fred Coupland was a consummate musician who took a genuine liking to people. That’s what made him a treasured part of Peterborough’s entertainment tradition.

When most people walk by old Peterborough buildings, they simply see old brick, wood and shingles. When Martha Kidd passes an old Peterborough building, she sees life and history. She sees the men who built the structure, the individuals and families who inhabited the building over decades, who worked and played, laughed and cried, lived and died there to mold Peterborough into what it is today.

Active in many phases of local history, Martha served as president of Peterborough Historical Society and vice-chair and research director with Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee.

A book she co-authored with Louis Taylor, (Historical Sketches of Peterborough,) and a myriad of newspaper articles and columns are a continuing source of fascination, bringing to life so many aspects of Peterborough history. Her writing also enriches any city walking tour.

Few have contributed more to our appreciation of local history and architectural heritage than Martha Ann Kidd.

Martha Ann Kidd passed away in 2012. Image credit: MyKawartha.com

The superb works of Neil Broadfoot, a Peterborough artist with a wide reputation for his landscapes and wilderness scenes, are found in several private and corporate collections. While he worked mostly with watercolours, Broadfoot also dabbled in oils, acrylics and multi-media.

Upon graduating from the Ontario College of Art in 1961, he worked as a commercial artist for five years before becoming a teacher. ln addition to teaching at Crestwood Secondary School in Peterborough for 34 years, Broadfoot taught at art schools in Buckhorn, Haliburton, and locally. He worked on maps, murals and banners for the Canadian Canoe Museum, where he was an artist-in-residence. With the late George Elliott, another noted Peterborough artist and Pathway inductee, Neil Broadfoot painted the former mural at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, and designed the iconic Petes logo for the historic Jr. A hockey franchise. His artwork has been featured on the cover of Reader’s Digest, in illustrations for text books, and in calendars for General Motors.

Neil Broadfoot passed away in July, 2020 following a brief illness.

• Photo courtesy of Lance Anderson, Peterborough This Week / Metroland / MYKawartha.com

On a very basic level, its obvious theatre is a ‘live performance.’  However, when that performance brings to life something precious to its audience, then, what is created is magic.  Ed Schroeter spent a sizable portion of his life and creative energies making magic come alive on stage.  An award-winning playwright and ‘live’ theatre producer, Ed took delight in creating dramas imparting a sense of reality and humanity to historical figures who’ve shaped our communities.

In cooperation with Centennial Museum & Archives, Ed served as a driving force behind the Heritage Pavilion Stage series, worked closely with 4th Line Theatre and a revitalized Arbor Theatre.  He conducted more than 50 play-writing workshops for elementary and secondary school students in the Peterborough area.  For his efforts, he earned four national playwriting awards, and shared in a City of Peterborough Civic Award for cultural achievement.

Thanks, in no small part to his creative commitment, Peterborough theatre and history are alive and well in young audiences and their families.  Ed Schroeter is dangerously close to making history fun.

If you’ve any doubt that one individual can make a difference in the betterment of the human condition, look no further than the life of Dr. Barclay McKone.

A trusted, tireless family physician, Dr. McKone set his sights on the treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis. Over the years, he helped pioneer programs to rehabilitate tuberculosis patients, particularly with the Department of Veterans Affairs and First Nation bands in Northern Canada. He was instrumental in establishing a vaccine program to help eradicate tuberculosis in Ontario.

With an abiding commitment to cultural and the medical well-being of his community, Barclay McKone served with the Kiwanis Club, the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and late in life gained attention for his remarkable, handcrafted models of Peterborough’s historical buildings.

Allan Harding’s fundraising ventures have placed him well above others – literally.

On a March weekend over the course of 16 years, Allan took to the roof of the Canadian Tire store, initially at the former George Street location and then at the store off Lansdowne Street. His ‘Al On The Roof’ fundraiser not only brought the Easter Seals Society close to $150,000 but also greatly raised awareness of the organization’s mandate and many associated programs.

Crediting his father Art with instilling in him a strong desire to help others, Allan has a self-professed soft spot for children in need. When one youngster had an urgent need for a wheelchair accessible van, Allan spent 48 hours on a boat in extremely cold weather, joined by the boy’s father. ‘Al In The Boat,’ as it was coined, raised $1,400.

Going back much earlier, in 1987, Allan perched himself on the roof of the former Red Oak Inn in downtown Peterborough, bringing in money for the emergency department at the then Peterborough Civic Hospital. In addition, his feet firmly planted on the ground, Allan has raised money for Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart initiative that ensures children have equal access to sports and physical activity.

Unselfish in the extreme, Allan has always been quick to give credit to others who have supported his efforts. In October 2011, when Relly On The Roof – initially a fundraiser for the United Way – debuted atop The Brick, a very surprised Paul Rellinger was visited by Allan who made the climb and took the time to offer his warm support, offering the novice survival tips in the process.

In 2012, Allan returned to the roof of Canadian Tire one more time, again to the benefit of Easter Seals, but that was the last time as the physical strain of his rooftop sojourn had proven difficult. Other awards that have come his way, include Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship Award for exceptional community service, and Easter Seals’ Spirit of Giving Award.

David Edgerton will always be associated with the long, and successful effort to build a Wall of Honour in Peterborough to commemorate those who served in the military during the two world wars, and Korea. This incredible project grew out of his association since 1970 with the Canadian Legion, of which he has been an outstanding leader since. The Wall of Honour project was led by David with assistance from the Canadian Legion,Trent Valley Archives, Susan Kyle, and various community leaders and departments of government.

The Wall of Honour was unveiled in Confederation Park in late 2010, and remains a tribute to all those with local roots who served in three wars.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

The news story printed in the Toronto Daily Star, Monday May 21, 1951 describing a devastating fire in Peterborough, tells it best. The details contained therein, make it quite evident why Earl Spencely joins the over 300 Honourees in the Pathway of Fame.

A sub headline reads, “Always Ready to Help.” Friends said today they weren’t surprised when they learned Earl Spencley, a 34 year old army veteran was in the thick of it as he aided firemen in battling the blaze in a downtown office building. “That was typical of Earl,” said H. C. Munro, a business associate. “He was always in everything when he thought anyone needed help.”

“The father of two was on his way to work when he came upon the fire, and dashed in to help. Through the night, the trapped man’s father led rescue workers as they worked frantically to rescue his son. Finally at 3.30 am, and 16 hours after he became trapped, the body of Earl Spencley was carried out.

“Spencley could have stayed out of danger at the fire. Two years ago he opened a florist shop a few doors away and was fast building one of the best businesses in town. He had a wife, two children Susan (six) and the baby, Peggy, just a few years old and a new home in suburban Peterborough. ‘But he knew it was his duty,’ friends said. So Earl Spencley joined firemen and when they needed help to carry a hose inside the building he was the first to volunteer. Minutes after he entered the building, he was buried.

“Spencley was an active member of the YMCA, a member of the executive of the “Y” business men’s club and a member of Corinthian Lodge AF & AM.

“Whenever there was a job to do we could count on Earl to do it, “ they said. “that was the kind of man he was.”

A few are fortunate in life, in that what is done for a vocation by its very nature can expand into hobbies and interests that can be shared with others.

Such is the case of public school teacher, Drew Monkman. He shares nature’s changing seasons with those he teaches by having his students become more conscious of the environment, and how each has a part to play in preserving it. He preserves his passion for nature, as well, on film as he is an expert photographer capable of capturing new beginnings in flowers, birds or trees.

Drew Monkman is familiar to many readers of The Peterborough Examiner as he writes of his birding tours, or to seek signs of early spring among the wild flowers found growing in Peterborough County. He writes of these experiences so well that many readers are compelled to take up his wonderment with the inspiring world around us, and begin their own treks to expand their personal knowledge of nature.

• photo courtesy The Peterborough Examiner