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
There are many local artists who have left their mark on our community through their extensive bodies of work. Several of them are well known, and have had their art exhibited in local galleries. Others are awaiting their turn for their work to be appreciated and remembered. ![]()
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One of them is Gilbert Painter, an engineer at GE in Peterborough who, in his retirement, honed his natural artistic abilities by paintings hundreds of portraits of residents from across the region. The portraits are reflective of the time period in which they were painted, and keenly showcase the features and personalities of each subject. Today, they hang on the walls inside the Trent Valley Archives as part of the Gilbert Painter fonds, which is where they caught the attention of local filmmaker Nick Van der Graaf. ![]()
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Nick's enthusiasm for the artist and his extensive body of work resulted in the creation of his next film, a 15-minute short documentary entitled Painter's Portraits. The documentary, featuring insightful commentary on Painters' life and artistic style, offers a rare look into one of our more unique archival fonds and positions Painter’s body of work within the context of the community that shaped it. ![]()
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The film is the perfect blend of history and art, and is sure to appeal to history buffs and art connoisseurs alike. If you want to be one of the first to see the film, we're hosting a screening THIS SATURDAY, March 28th at 2pm inside Bagnani Hall at Traill College. The screening of the film will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and others who made contributions to the film, and light refreshments will be provided. Tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/painters-portraits-film-premiere-tickets-1985405905509?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep... or at the door. We hope you'll join us in supporting the film and bringing recognition to this under-appreciated artist.
We're just a week away from the world premiere of Nick Van der Graaf's new short documentary "Painter's Portraits"! Join us at Bagnani Hall at Traill College next Saturday, March 28 at 2pm to see the film, which features our Gilbert Painter fonds, a unique collection of portraits of Peterborough residents that have captivated all who have seen them. The film explores both the life of the artist himself, an engineer who devoted his retirement to nurturing his creative passions, and the artistic merit of his paintings through the lens of the community that shaped both art and artist. ![]()
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The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and others who made contributions to the film, who will speak about both the filmmaking process and the collection of portraits itself. Light refreshments will be provided. Tickets to the screening cost $10 each and can be purchased in advance on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/painters-portraits-film-premiere-tickets-1985405905509?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep... or at the door.
The Gilbert Painter fonds at the Trent Valley Archives is a special one. Instead of sitting inside boxes, like most of our archival holdings, the material in this fonds hangs on the walls inside TVA. A collection of dozens of colourful portraits, they quietly look down on everyone who passes by on their way to retrieve a box from our main storage area. The portraits have captivated all who have seen them, including filmmaker Nick Van der Graaf, who was inspired to make them the subject of his next documentary film.![]()
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Entitled Painter's Portraits, this short film shines a spotlight on these portraits, which were all the work of one artist: Gilbert Painter. In the filmmaker's words: "Painter's Portraits," is a documentary short about the Trent Valley Archives collection of paintings by Peterborough artist Gilbert Painter. Painter, hailed in his youth as an artistic prodigy, became an engineer and after WWII worked at GE in Peterborough. Post-retirement he devoted himself to painting hundreds of portraits of local people from across the region. The breadth of the collection, and its relationship to the community, are explored in this 15-minute film."![]()
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To celebrate the completion of the film and its thoughtful portrayal of one of our more unique archival fonds, we're hosting a premiere at Bagnani Hall on the afternoon of Saturday, March 28 at 2pm. The screening of the film will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and others who made contributions to the film, who will speak about both the filmmaking process and the collection of portraits itself. Light refreshments will be provided.![]()
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Tickets to the screening cost $10 each and can be purchased in advance on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/painters-portraits-film-premiere-tickets-1985405905509?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep... or at the door.
We hosted a very successful book signing event yesterday (March 14) with Irish historical geographer Christy Roche! Christy, who is the author of the 2025 book "From Whence They Came," was pleased to meet so many enthusiastic TVA volunteers and community members and chat with them about their interest in (and connections to) Ireland and the Peter Robinson Emigration. ![]()
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We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came out to our archives building yesterday to support both Christy and the Trent Valley Archives. We appreciate every single person who purchased a copy of "From Whence They Came" and we hope it proves to be both an enjoyable read and a helpful resource in your family history research. ![]()
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We also want to thank our volunteers who helped this event run smoothly, including our Reading Room Manager Dianne Tedford for setting up a beautiful display of Irish-themed Beleek pottery that added to the afternoon's ambience (pictured in the last photograph), and the Board of Nine Ships 1825 who keenly supported this event and ensured it was a part of Christy's itinerary. ![]()
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The event was a sell-out, but if you're still looking for a copy of "From Whence They Came," he will be selling a few remaining copies at his talk tomorrow afternoon (March 16) at 1:30pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
We’re gearing up for our book signing event with Irish historical geographer, author, and Peterborough St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshall Christy Roche! He will be signing copies of his latest book From Whence They Came: The Peter Robinson Settlers, published in 2025 to coincide with the Bicentennial of the Peter Robinson Emigration. The book chronicles the towns and villages the Peter Robinson Emigrants left behind in 1825, providing the historical context behind each community alongside full-colour photographs of the historic buildings that existed at the time of the emigrants’ departure. A faithful companion to anyone researching their Peter Robinson emigrant ancestors, the book is available in both hardcover (pictured) and softcover, although we only have one hardcover copy left. ![]()
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Our archives building at 567 Carnegie Avenue is all decked out in its St. Patrick’s Day finery and is ready to welcome you tomorrow afternoon (March 14)! Drop by anytime between 1pm and 3pm to purchase a copy of the book, chat with the author, and enjoy some refreshments. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore everything else TVA has to offer, including our 1200+ archival fonds, our extensive research library and genealogy wall, and the other local history publications for sale in our bookstore. We hope to see you tomorrow!