Welcome to Trent Valley Archives

Summer of 76

If you wish you could go back to the summer of 76 to relive your youth or experience it for the first time, we have exciting news for you! One of our volunteers, Will Pearson, has created a new exhibit for the Trent Valley Archives titled “A Peterborough Summer: 1976.”

Featuring photographs he scanned from our Peterborough Examiner collection of negatives, the exhibit highlights what summer in Peterborough looked like 50 years ago through its thoughtful curation of snapshots taken by Examiner photographers in 1976.

The exhibit will be coming to Dreams of Beans Café (141 Charlotte Street in Peterborough) in August, and will officially open on Friday, August 7 during the First Friday Art Crawl from 6pm-9pm. After the opening, the exhibit will be available to view anytime the café is open between August 7 and September 2.

Prior to the exhibit opening, it will be popping up at the DBIA “Movies at the Park” event on Tuesday, July 28 at the Quaker Foods City Square on Charlotte Street.

We hope you’ll take the opportunity to be transported back in time this summer!


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


We're excited to collaborate Nine Ships 1825 1825 on the launch of their second and final publication: Bicentennial Reflections! Inspired by everything our community accomplished to honour the Bicentennial of the Peter Robinson Emigration in 1825, this beautifully designed, 120+ page, full-colour book chronicles both reflections on the emigration itself and the bicentennial year that commemorated it. Bicentennial Reflections contains several highlights, including an overview of the emigration experiment, segments written by the community partners Nine Ships collaborated with, remarks made by dignitaries on significant occasions, a photograph section featuring 80 carefully curated photographs taken at events held throughout the year, a section dedicated to the Ireland-Canada Homecoming held by Ballyhoura Development CLG in 2025, and an article dedicated to Nine Ships' Truth and Reconciliation efforts as they planned, executed, and looked back on the commemoration. If you want to be one of the first to purchase a copy of this book, you won't want to miss our book launch! It will be held outdoors (weather permitting) at our archives building (567 Carnegie Avenue in Peterborough) on Monday, August 10 at 10am. Copies will be for sale at the launch for $20 each (please note that we can only accept cash payments at this event, so please bring cash with you if you plan to purchase a copy of the book). If you can't make it next Monday, copies will be available after the launch both in-person at the Trent Valley Archives and online, and can be shipped across North America and worldwide. Inventory is limited, so you'll want to grab your copy right away! For more information on the book launch and a look inside the pages of Bicentennial Reflections, check out our e-blast, here: shorturl.at/w4u7d ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Trent Valley Archives
Due to unforeseen circumstances the Summer of 76 exhibit will not be popping up at the DBIA Movies at the Park event tonight but is still on track to open at Dreams of Beans next Friday! ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Trent Valley Archives
Our first "A Peterborough Summer: 1976" pop-up at the DBIA's Second Saturday Sidewalk sale was a success! If you missed the opportunity to be transported back in time to the 1970s and feel like a kid again, the exhibit will be popping up at the DBIA's "Movies at the Park" event this Tuesday, July 28 at the Quaker Foods City Square. Curated by Trent Valley Archives volunteer Will Pearson, the exhibit features photographs he scanned from our Peterborough Examiner collection of negatives. Focusing on everyday citizens and moments in their daily lives, the exhibit is an excellent snapshot of what summer in Peterborough looked like 50 years ago. From iconic Peterborough moments to casual summer activities, this exhibit has it all! After the pop-up on Tuesday, the exhibit is headed to Dreams of Beans Café (141 Charlotte Street in Peterborough), where it will be on display from August 7 to September 2 anytime the café is open. An official opening event has also been planned on Friday, August 7 from 6pm to 9pm during the First Friday Art Crawl. ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Trent Valley Archives
Thank you to Arthur Newspaper and Co-Editor Louanne Morin for attending our Tragic Tales tour in Little Lake Cemetery last Friday and writing a wonderful article about her tour experience, complete with photographs! We think the article captures the essence of the tour well, and highly encourage you to check it out on their website. If you missed the tour last week, we're running it again next Friday, July 31, and there are still tickets available! Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/tragic-tales-tickets-1988560432785?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=trueImage Credit: Louanne Morin. ... See MoreSee Less
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