Welcome to Trent Valley Archives

Trent Valley Archives Theatre Returning in 2026

June 4, 5, and 6 — A Fundraiser for The Trent Valley Archives at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, Peterborough

Learn about last year’s play: Crossing Over: Sequel Tide of Hope


book cover - the kid from simcoe streetThe Kid from Simcoe Street

In our adaptation of this moving World War II era memoir, James Clarke recalls growing up in the poor and alcohol-ridden neighbourhood of downtown Peterborough.

As a boy, his father had been a foot soldier, but after coming home from the battlefields he turned to manic drinking and belligerence, shattering his wife’s dreams, and casting a dark shadow over James’ boyhood.

This story, told with emotion that is unflinching in its honesty, lets us see just how remarkable it is that James Clarke became not only a man esteemed and honoured as a judge of the Superior Court of Ontario, but as a respected poet, too.

Purchase your copy from Exile Editions


Have you seen the updated Heritage Gazette?

We are pleased to continue and expand on the pioneering work of archivist Elwood Jones and Steve Gavard as we explore the near and distant past in this full colour publication.
View the current and past issues


2 weeks ago

Trent Valley Archives
LOW STOCK ALERT! We have just two copies left of Green Routes: Experiencing the Peter Robinson Emigration 1825 by Rosemary McConkey in our bookstore. We will not be reprinting this book, so this is your last chance to add this fantastic resource on the Peter Robinson emigration to your library. The book can be purchased for $35 at our archives building at 567 Carnegie Avenue Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm or on our website, here: trentvalleyarchives.com/shop/green-routes-experiencing-the-peter-robinson-emigration-1825-2/ While you're there, you can also peruse all the other fabulous books on the Peter Robinson emigration we carry, including the Nine Ships Bicentennial Souvenir Book, Peterborough: Spirit of Place (featuring an article by Patrick Leahy on the emigration), and the Homecoming 75 souvenir book. ... See MoreSee Less
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3 weeks ago

Nine Ships 1825
On Sunday, August 10, Trent Valley Archives (TVA) held their second of two Beyond the Ships' Lists tours in St. Peter's Cemetery. The tour was a fitting closure to our Bicentennial Commemoration Week, as it profiled the descendants of many of the original Peter Robinson Emigrants, discussing the places they moved to and the career paths they took and highlighting the incredible legacy, spanning 200 years, of Peter Robinson's emigration experiment. Although it was a hot afternoon, tour guides Gillian Holden and Maddie More entertained their tour groups by telling stories of tragedy and triumph and explaining how the descendants buried in St. Peter's Cemetery were connected to the original Peter Robinson Emigrants who sailed across the Atlantic on nine ships in 1825. Many of the tour participants learned more about their ancestors during the course of the tour!Thank you to the Trent Valley Archives for enriching visitors' historical knowledge with their walking and cemetery tours throughout our Bicentennial Commemoration Week. If you're local to Peterborough and didn't get an opportunity to attend this tour during our Bicentennial Commemoration Week, make sure you're following TVA on their social media. They're planning on reprising the tour once more this fall! ... See MoreSee Less
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4 weeks ago

Trent Valley Archives
Rubidge, Hilliard, Stewart, Fairbairn. These are names most Peterburians will know, as they'realso the names of some of Peterborough's well-travelled streets. But as you're driving, biking, or walking through town, have you ever thought about the people these streets are named after, and why a street was named in their honour? On our Movers and Shakers tour in Little Lake Cemetery, join local historian Karen-Carter Edwards to find out what contributions these "movers and shakers" made to the Peterborough community, alongside other prominent Peterburians with last names you might recognize. A diverse group, they include pioneers, businessmen, politicians, military personnel, religious leaders, patrons of the arts, and more. Each one contributed to shaping Peterborough into the vibrant community it is today. The tour is happening TOMORROW, August 23, at 11am. It's also the only time we're running the tour this year, so you won't want to miss it! Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/movers-and-shakers-tickets-1337358728959?aff=oddtdtcreator[Image Caption: Cropped image of J. R. Stratton's home on George Street, now Sadlier House, taken in 1909.] ... See MoreSee Less
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4 weeks ago

Nine Ships 1825
On Friday, August 8, Trent Valley Archives (TVA) held their second of two Peter Robinson's Peterborough walking tours. On the tour, TVA archivist, historian and tour guide Elwood Jones took the group back in time to 1825, providing a glimpse into what the community (that would later become known as Peterborough) looked like at the time of the Irish emigrants arrival. Highlights included Victoria Park where a plaque stands in tribute to the Robinson Emigrants; the site where Government House, Peter Robinson's office, once stood; Peter Robinson Place; and Millennium Park where the Peterborough Canadian Irish Club placed a monument honouring the Robinson Emigrants in 1975. The tour finished at Princess Gardens, where the group got to enjoy lemonade and cookies in their aptly named Peter Robinson Room. Thank you to the Gardens of Peterborough for hosting us at the end of the tour and to the Trent Valley Archives for enriching visitors' historical knowledge with their walking and cemetery tours throughout our Bicentennial Commemoration Week! Image Credits: Linda Cardona ... See MoreSee Less
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