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. Click here for more information.
The 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
The latest issue of the Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley is here! Originally intended to be the August 2025 issue, it was delayed because of the events commemorating the Bicentennial of the Peter Robinson Irish Emigration in August and has now been dubbed our October 2025 issue. Although it took a little longer for our Heritage Gazette committee to produce this issue, we hope that the collection of stories inside its pages will make up for the time it took to get to your inbox! ![]()
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When reading the issue, you'll discover an article written by TVA volunteer Dana Lynch about correspondence he found in our Howard Pammett fonds between Pammett and a Hollywood Twentieth Century Fox executive; primary sources, with commentary from historian Elwood Jones, exploring the role Hazelbrae played as the hub for Dr. Barnardo's Home Children in Peterborough; Heritage Gazette editor Alicia Bertrand's examination of the Ayotte family's rich farming history in Smith Township; a nostalgic look back at 50 Years of the Peterborough Canadian Irish Club by the Club's President, Shelley Ryan, and much more!![]()
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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 via the link in our bio. The 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 early January, 2026).
Today is Remembrance Day, a day for commemorating the sacrifices members of our community have made in the First World War, the Second World War, and other conflicts around the world on our behalf. We encourage you to take a moment to reflect on their service to our country. ![]()
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If someone you know was a member of the military, please share their names and their stories in the comments down below so others can read them.
Our Military History Tour is this afternoon at 3pm. Join military historian Don Willcock in Little Lake Cemetery to commemorate Remembrance Day and learn more about the Peterborough citizens who served in conflicts around the world.![]()
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It may be a snowy afternoon, but we think it is still important to take a moment to pay our respects at the final resting places of these brave men and women. Tickets cost $20 each and if you'd like to go on the tour, you can bring exact change with you to the cemetery. The tour meets in front of the chapel inside Little Lake Cemetery.
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Pay your respects to our veterans and those who sacrificed their lives in conflicts around the world with us this Sunday, November 9th at 3pm on our Military History tour in Little Lake Cemetery. ![]()
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On the tour, knowledgeable tour guide and military historian Don Willcock will tell the stories of military personnel who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, the War of 1812, and (of course) the First and Second World Wars. ![]()
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You'll learn about people like Judge Huycke (whose stone is pictured here), the chairman of Peterborough's original War Memorial Committee and the father of four young men who served in the First World War; brothers Harry and Heber Rogers who were both taken prisoner in the First World War, one of them enacting a daring escape from his prisoner of war camp; and Colonel Agnes Campbell Neill, who became the highest ranking woman in the Canadian Army during the Second World War in her role of Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Military Nursing Sisters. ![]()
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Tickets to this tour cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/honouring-our-military-history-tickets-1347248790399?aff=oddtdtcreator This is the last tour of our 2025 tour season, so you won't want to miss it! If you have any questions about accessibility or the content of this tour. please email us at admin@trentvalleyarchives.com or call us at 705-745-4404.
This Remembrance Day, we encourage you to learn more about our community's involvement in conflicts around the world. Although it can be difficult to find resources that focus specifically on the Peterborough region's contribution to the war effort, we do have a few publications by local authors in our bookstore that focus on this topic. ![]()
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The first book, "A Cruel Bargain: The Commuted British Soldiers in Upper Canada" was written by Robert J. Gordon and illustrates the implementation of the British Government's commutation scheme and the veterans it impacted, outpatients of the Royal Chelsea Hospital who would become known as the "Chelsea Pensioners." [Copies are $25 each.]![]()
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The second book "Nicholas Scott: From Chandos to Méricourt with the 93rd Battalion" was written by Michael C. Doran and documents the life and wartime activities of the Author's great-uncle, Nicholas Scott, who served with the 93rd Battalion during the First Wold War. Born in Chandos in 1894, Nicholas was just 21 years old when he enlisted in March of 1916 and was one of countless soldiers who never returned home to his family. [Copies are $50 each]![]()
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The third book, "Captains & Colonels of Peterborough County" was also written by Robert J. Gordon and documents military activities that took place in the Newcastle District (and later Peterborough County) in the 19th century, a time when militias were formed across Ontario to counteract rebellions and assist the government in other ways. [Copies are $25 each]![]()
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Copies of all three books can be purchased in-person at our archives building at 567 Carnegie Avenue during our operating hours (Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm). Copies of "Nicholas Scott" and "Captains & Colonels" can also be purchased on our website for local pick up or shipping, here: trentvalleyarchives.com/shop/