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
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
REPRINT ALERT! ☘️ A clean copy of Yesteryear at Young's Point by Nathaway Nan was brought to us earlier this year and has allowed us to reprint the 1983 book, in collaboration with the Young family. The book has been out of print for quite some time, and a limited number of copies were printed, so you'll want to jump on the opportunity to purchase one while you have the chance! The reprint comes just in time for Young's Point's 200 Years on the Water anniversary event on Sunday, August 3 and is the perfect addition to your bookshelf if you have family ties to Young's Point or a personal interest in the history of this thriving community on the water. A very limited number of copies are for sale in our bookstore for $25 each, but copies will also be for sale at the 200 Years on the Water event in August.
Our final Tragic Tales tour of the season is this Sunday, July 20 at 2pm in Little Lake Cemetery!![]()
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Peterborough was a rapidly expanding city at the turn-of-the-century. Manufacturers were setting up factories on a regular basis, employing thousands of local workers. Municipal officials were expanding the city's public services by improving water, sewage, and public transportation systems. People could travel safely at night thanks to the installation of electric streetlights, giving the city the moniker "The Electric City."![]()
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These triumphs of industrialization, however, would also lead to tragedies. As the pace of life quickened in the city, so did unnecessary deaths, injuries and illnesses due to unsafe working conditions, carelessness, and personal pride. As you walk through Little Lake Cemetery, knowledgeable tour guide Mona Wilkes will tell you about some of these tragedies, from stories of large-scale disasters like the Quaker Oats Fire and the Turnbull Building Collapse to stories of personal loss felt by the Sherlock and Pacey families. ![]()
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Tickets to this tour cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/tragic-tales-tickets-1336967910009?aff=oddtdtcreator![]()
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[Image Caption: Cropped aerial photograph of Peterborough south of Wolfe Street c.1930]
Our first Peterborough Perpetrators tour of the season on Friday, July 11 was a success! The tour group enjoyed the new stories that were added to the tour for 2025, including the story about the last man to be hanged at the Peterborough Jail and the story about the murder of a circus employee in the Market Square. ![]()
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If you want to hear these new stories, alongside old favourites from previous years, at the sites where the crimes were committed (or where punishment was meted out, in the case of the hanging), we'll be running the tour again this Friday, July 18 and next Friday, July 25 at 7pm. Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/cc/peterborough-perpetrators-true-crime-tours-3369819![]()
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[Image Caption: Peterborough Perpetrators tour guide Maddie More stands in front of the entrance to the Peterborough County Courthouse, where many of the perpetrators on the tour were tried, including Edward Jackson, the last man hanged at the Peterborough Jail.]
Our city streets may look unassuming at first, but over the course of Peterborough's 150+ year history, these streets and the people who have walked on them have bore witness to many crimes. Featuring several new stories for 2025, our Peterborough Perpetrators: True Crime tour chronicles some of Peterborough's more prolific crimes, while also uncovering the some of the lesser-known crimes that were lost between the pages of the local newspapers. ![]()
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Led by knowledgeable tour guide Maddie More, this thoughtfully researched downtown walking tour will tell the stories of people from all walks of life who ended up on the wrong side of the law, like career criminal John Parks who made a daring escape from the confines of his cell at the Peterborough Jail and the questionable trial of Edward Jackson, the last man to be hung in Peterborough before capital punishment was abolished. ![]()
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The tour will be running on three Friday evenings in July, the 11, the 18 and the 25, at 7pm. Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/cc/peterborough-perpetrators-true-crime-tours-3369819![]()
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NOTE: This is a walking tour that covers several blocks in the downtown core. The tour sticks to the main sidewalks and is on primarily flat ground, but may not be accessible to everyone. Additionally, this tour covers difficult and sensitive material and may not be appropriate for everyone.
As we inch closer to our official Bicentennial Commemoration Week of August 1-10, we want to put a spotlight on each event happening during that week so you're aware of everything you can see and do! Today, we want to focus on the third and final walking tour hosted in partnership with the Trent Valley Archives on Monday, August 4 from 7pm to 9pm and Sunday August 10 from 1pm to 3pm.![]()
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Entitled "Beyond the Ships' Lists: The Peter Robinson Settlers and Their Descendants" this walking tour goes beyond the ships' lists to talk about some of the Peter Robinson Irish Emigrants and their descendants buried in the picturesque and historic St. Peter's Cemetery. Led by knowledgeable tour guide Gillian Holden, you’ll learn their names, their stories, and the overall impact their legacy has had on our region (and beyond!) in the 200 years since their arrival.![]()
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Tickets to both tours cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite. Click here to purchase tickets to the tour on August 4: www.eventbrite.ca/e/beyond-the-ships-lists-st-peters-cemetery-walking-tour-tickets-1297285047499?... and here to purchase tickets to the tour on August 10: www.eventbrite.ca/e/beyond-the-ships-lists-st-peters-cemetery-walking-tour-tickets-1297584302579?... Both tours are selling out quickly so we recommend you purchase your tickets soon to avoid disappointment.![]()
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NOTE: The tour will run rain or shine so please dress appropriately for the weather. The tour route is on relatively flat ground but requires some walking and standing for long periods of time, so it may not be appropriate for everyone.