Trent Valley Archives Theatre Returning in 2026
June 4, 5, 6 and 7 — 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
Our annual holiday gift guide "A Little Something for the Local History Buff" has arrived! The guide features a curated selection of books, photographs and more that are guaranteed to be a hit with anyone interested in local and regional history. ![]()
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Why purchase gifts from the Trent Valley Archives? In addition to coming home with something they'll love, you'll also be shopping small and supporting the work we do to preserve the manuscripts, photographs and other materials in our care for years to come.![]()
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According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, when you shop at a small business (or a non-profit organization like us), 66 cents of every dollar you spend gets circulated back into the community. When you shop at larger chain retailers, only 11 cents of every dollar you spend gets circulated back into the community. Shopping small has a huge impact!![]()
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If you're already subscribed to our mailing list, check your inbox for an email from us with the gift guide (it may be hiding under your promotions tab). If you're not subscribed to our mailing list, click here to view the gift guide: mailchi.mp/297ee9b3ef64/great-gifts-for-the-local-history-lover-on-your-list-18239103![]()
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We'll be closing for our holiday break on Wednesday, December 24, so your last day to shop will be Tuesday, December 23. If you're purchasing something from our web shop and require shipping, please keep in mind that Canada Post's deadline for guaranteed delivery is December 12th for standard shipping and December 18 for priority shipping. ![]()
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We'll be sharing a closer look at some of the books featured in our gift guide in the coming days, so keep your eyes on our social media for those features!
At our Volunteer Appreciation Event last Sunday (November 23) we announced the creation of a new volunteer award, the "Herb Franklin Memorial Award for Outstanding Service in Support of Trent Valley Archives."![]()
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The award was named in memory of Herb Franklin, a longtime TVA volunteer who passed away in 2020. A member of our Board of Directors, Herb was involved in many projects at TVA, including the development of several of our historical tours, like his signature bicycle tours that took riders to historic railways, bridges and industrial sites. "We were fortunate to have Herb as a super volunteer for many years. In some ways he is still with us, especially with the active support of Sue, one of our Peterborough Examiner photo volunteers" said TVA Archivist Elwood Jones when he introduced the award.![]()
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Always willing to lend a hand whenever and wherever it was needed, we believe Herb wholeheartedly embodied the spirit of this award, which was created to recognize TVA volunteers who step up to the plate in times of need. We also believe the first-ever recipient of this award, Michael Parnell, embodies the same, selfless spirit.![]()
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Another longtime TVA volunteer and former member of our Board of Directors, Mike has assisted us with building maintenance and related issues for many years, reliably checking on the building whenever he receives a call that the power has gone out or the water alarm has gone off to make sure the sump pump is still pumping and the basement isn't flooded (a dangerous thing for an archive!)![]()
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His greatest contribution to date, though, was his service during this year's ice storm. When the building lost power, Mike immediately went out to TVA and spent a cold Saturday night there, monitoring the backup battery powering our sump pump until he could get the generator running, recharge the battery, and restore some heat and light to the building. Mike continued to monitor the pump, battery and generator until the power outage ended, ensuring the generator had a steady supply of gas with the help of Dalton Nyberg, another TVA volunteer.![]()
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"The super dedication of Mike on that occasion was herculean and we are all grateful that we had his presence to meet the problems of the moment and to give confidence that we could outlast the power outage" said Elwood.![]()
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Please join us in congratulating Mike in the comments below!![]()
[Image Caption (Left to Right): TVA Archivist Elwood Jones, Herb Franklin Award Recipient Mike Parnell, Sue Franklin, TVA President Maddie More.]
The Keith Dinsdale Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteer has been awarded to a deserving Trent Valley Archives volunteer almost every year since its creation in 2011, and we were pleased to award it again at our Volunteer Appreciation Event last Sunday (November 23). ![]()
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Named in memory of Keith Dinsdale, one of TVA's founding members and a dedicated volunteer, the award was created to recognize volunteers who have contributed a great deal to TVA over an extended period of time. A constant presence at our archives building for over 15 years, we think that this year's recipient, Ruth Kuchinad, has done that and more! ![]()
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Ruth has a keen interest in genealogy and can often be found at TVA on Thursdays and Fridays helping researchers with their genealogical queries and reuniting them with their ancestors. Although she is a skilled genealogist, Ruth has many talents and has applied them to her time volunteering at TVA. A longtime member of our Board of Directors, Ruth helped to steer TVA through many chapters in its history, and has made a significant contribution to our fundraising success as the perennial chair of our Events Committee. She has also supported TVA on the administrative side, ensuring our record keeping is accurate and assisting our Treasurer with deposits. ![]()
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In addition to her volunteer work with the Trent Valley Archives, Ruth has found time in her busy schedule to volunteer with other organizations in our community, like the Otonabee South Monaghan Historical Society, BEL Rotary, and the Selwyn Trails Committee. ![]()
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"Ruth is a dynamo. She brings energy, good sense, life experience and philosophy to bear on all aspects of her life. My appreciation of her talents began with our research trip to Eastport Michigan to view the archives of Lauren Post. Since, Ruth has been a bed rock for Trent Valley Archives in countless ways," said TVA Archivist Elwood Jones when he introduced Ruth on Sunday afternoon. ![]()
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You may have been greeted by Ruth when you came in to do research, chatted with her at a TVA table at a local event, or read one of her press releases about an upcoming walking tour. Regardless of how you know her, we can all agree that Ruth is valuable asset to TVA and we are lucky to have her as a volunteer. Please join us in congratulating Ruth in the comments below!![]()
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[Image Caption (Left to Right): TVA Archivist Elwood Jones, Keith Dinsdale Award Recipient Ruth Kuchinad, TVA President Maddie More.]
Last Sunday afternoon (November 23), we invited our volunteers to join us for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event at the Highland Park Visitor Centre. Close 40 of our regular volunteers attended the event, which gave them an opportunity to socialize with one another and enjoy some refreshments.![]()
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Our Archivist, Elwood Jones, gave a well-received speech about each volunteer's contributions to the Trent Valley Archives, and then he, together with TVA President Maddie More, presented two volunteer awards: the Keith Dinsdale Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteer and a new award, the Herb Franklin Award for Extraordinary Service in Support of Trent Valley Archives. ![]()
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2025 was a busy year for the Trent Valley Archives, with the Bicentennial of the Peter Robinson Emigration, one of our busiest walking tour seasons on record, our second Trent Valley Archives Theatre production, the release of several new publications, and the completion of projects contributing to our long range plan. Without a dedicated group of volunteers by our side, we would not have been able to take on all of the opportunities that came our way and have the successful year that we did, and we want to thank each and every one of our volunteers for their unwavering support throughout the year! ![]()
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Whether they are steering our non-profit organization at board and committee meetings, coming into our archives building every week to work on archival projects, helping researchers find the information they're looking for and make connections with their family history, leading and trailing our ghost walks and other local history tours in all kinds of weather conditions, bringing history to life on stage with our Trent Valley Archives Theatre productions, or ensuring every issue of the Heritage Gazette is a certified page turner, no contribution goes unnoticed.![]()
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Please join us in thanking our volunteers in the comments below! Interested in volunteering with us? Please visit our Volunteer Peterborough page to view open opportunities (here: volunteerpeterborough.ca/organizations/trent-valley-archives-2/), or send an email to admin@trentvalleyarchives.com.
"The Kid from Simcoe Street," our next Trent Valley Archives Theatre production, highlights how different groups of people in the community rallied behind the young James Clarke. Now, your club, association, or organization has the opportunity to rally behind this production, a fundraiser for the Trent Valley Archives! ![]()
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If your group members regularly go on outings to events in the community, we think you will enjoy the opportunity to go and see "The Kid from Simcoe Street" together at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in June of 2026. It will be performed four times: on the evenings of June 4 and 5 at 7:30pm and on the afternoons of June 6 and 7 at 2:00pm.![]()
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For this production, specifically for clubs, associations and other organizations like yours, we are giving you an opportunity to reserve a certain number of seats together in the theatre for the performance date of your choice. These seats would be held, at no cost or obligation to your group, until April 30, 2026.![]()
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If your group does decide to reserve seats, you will be provided with a group reservation name and a booking code to pass on to your members, who can then go and book their tickets individually via the Market Hall website or by phoning or emailing the box office. Any unsold reserved tickets will be put on sale to the general public on May 1, 2026. ![]()
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The Saturday matinee has been extremely popular for group reservations, but rest assured there is still excellent seating available to reserve at all four performances. For more information on group bookings, please contact us at trentvalleyarchivestheatre@gmail.com. ![]()
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[Image Caption: James and his sisters on his new bike in front of their tenement on Simcoe Street. Image Credit: The Clarke Family.]