Trent Valley Archives

Trent Valley Archives You can subscribe to our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/CA4vD

Some of the resources at the Trent Valley Archives include:
◦Large text collection of regional genealogical and historical resources
◦Cemetery transcripts covering cemeteries throughout the Trent Valley region
◦Family histories
◦Genealogical Research Directory
◦Peter Robinson immigration of 1825: ships lists and land records
◦Local newspapers and extracts from local newspapers supported by signif

icant newspaper indexes (to the Peterborough Examiner, Peterborough Review and Dummer News) and by major runs of obituaries in the 19th century and in the 1990s.
◦Chronologies of significant events in the local area (partially available on this website)
◦Major collection of resources on the Peterborough Irish
◦Extensive microfilm collections of census, church, assessment records,
◦Extensive digital collection of pre-1840 Upper Canada (Ontario) documents.
◦Many of our archival finding aids and indexes to local histories are available in-house and sometimes on our website.
◦The Peterborough County land records, 1867-1950.

Many Peterborough citizens served in the First and Second World Wars. But did you know that some Peterborough citizens s...
06/10/2026

Many Peterborough citizens served in the First and Second World Wars. But did you know that some Peterborough citizens served in other conflicts as well? Discover their names and hear their stories on this Sunday's "Honouring Our Military History" tour in Little Lake Cemetery (June 14 at 2pm) with military historian Don Willcock.

As you pay your respects at their final resting places, you'll learn about people like John Roche, who served in the Royal Navy under Horatio Nelson during the Napoleonic Wars; Colonel John Wesley Miller, who served in the American Civil War and was captured at the Battle of Gettysburg; and Achilles Turner, who served in the Boer War and was awarded the South Africa Medal by Queen Victoria.

Tickets cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/honouring-our-military-history-tickets-1988559444830?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

NOTE: This is a walking tour in Little Lake Cemetery that covers a large portion of the cemetery grounds. It stays on the main roadways whenever possible, but covers some uneven and hilly ground and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.

June is a significant month in military history, as June 6 marks the anniversary of D-Day and the Allied invasion in Nor...
06/08/2026

June is a significant month in military history, as June 6 marks the anniversary of D-Day and the Allied invasion in Normandy. To commemorate this anniversary and Canadian Armed Forces Day, which is observed on the first Sunday in June, we're running our "Honouring Our Military History" tour this Sunday, June 14 at 2pm.

Join military historian Don Willcock in Little Lake Cemetery to learn more about Peterborough residents who served their country in a variety of conflicts, from the Napoleonic Wars right though to the Second World War. Some of them fought directly at the front lines and others played a supporting role. Some returned home to their families and others would never get to see their families again. Regardless of how they left their mark, all of them led remarkable lives that are worthy of remembrance.

If you'd like to honour these courageous men and women with us, there are still tickets available to the tour. They cost $20 each and can be purchased on Eventbrite, here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/honouring-our-military-history-tickets-1988559444830?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

NOTE: This is a walking tour in Little Lake Cemetery that covers a large portion of the cemetery grounds. It stays on the main roadways whenever possible, but covers some uneven and hilly ground and may not be accessible to everyone. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour will run rain or shine.

Yesterday (June 6), we were honoured to welcome James Clarke, author of the memoir that inspired our play, to the Market...
06/07/2026

Yesterday (June 6), we were honoured to welcome James Clarke, author of the memoir that inspired our play, to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre to see our first matinee performance of "The Kid from Simcoe Street" alongside his family and friends.

The performance, in front of a nearly sold-out audience, was a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by Clarke family members and Peterborough community members alike. After the show, James enthusiastically met with the Kid from Simcoe Street cast and behind the scenes team, and we took the opportunity to gather the four Jims together for the poignant photo you see here.

Trent Valley Archives President Madison More also took the opportunity at the end of the show to present flowers to the three playwrights as a token of appreciation from our Board of Directors, as without their polished script, the "Kid from Simcoe Street" play would not exist!

If you haven't seen "The Kid from Simcoe Street" yet, today is your LAST CHANCE to see the show! Our second matinee performance is taking place today, June 7, at 2pm, and there are still tickets available. They can be purchased on the Market Hall website, here: https://tickets.markethall.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=526

[Images Credit: Jordan Lyall Photography]

If you're headed to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre to attend one of our "The Kid from Simcoe Street" matinee per...
06/06/2026

If you're headed to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre to attend one of our "The Kid from Simcoe Street" matinee performances this weekend, be sure to stop by our book table in the lobby when you arrive, during the intermission, or before you leave the theatre! We're well-stocked on copies of James Clarke's "The Kid from Simcoe Street" memoir and several of his poetry books, including "How to Bribe a Judge: Poems from the Bench," "The Long Arc of Hope," "The Raggedy Parade," "Accept the Blessing," and "Small is Beautiful."

While the memoir and some of James Clarke's poetry books can be purchased online, we're selling them at a special price to coincide with our production of "The Kid from Simcoe Street" that you won't be able to purchase them at anywhere else! Any remaining copies of each of these books will be available in our bookstore at 567 Carnegie Avenue starting next week, for those of you who are unable to make it to the Market Hall this weekend.

NOTE: At this time, we can only accept cash or cheque payments at our book table. An ATM is on site in the Market Hall lobby if you forget to bring cash with you to the theatre.

Opening night of "The Kid from Simcoe Street" at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre was a success! Thank you to ever...
06/05/2026

Opening night of "The Kid from Simcoe Street" at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre was a success! Thank you to everyone who came out to see the show and support the important work work we do at the Trent Valley Archives. The revenue generated from each ticket sold will help us continue to preserve our community's history and make it accessible to the public for generations to come.

There are still tickets available to tonight's performance at 7:30pm, and our two matinee performances tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm (although tickets to tomorrow afternoon's matinee are very limited). If you didn't come out to the theatre last night to see the show, don't miss your chance to step back in time to wartime-era Peterborough! Tickets cost $30 each for regular seating and $40 each for cabaret seating and can be purchased on the Market Hall website, here: https://tickets.markethall.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=526

[Images Credit: Jordan Lyall Photography]

TONIGHT is OPENING NIGHT of "The Kid from Simcoe Street!" We can't wait to welcome you to the Market Hall tonight, tomor...
06/04/2026

TONIGHT is OPENING NIGHT of "The Kid from Simcoe Street!" We can't wait to welcome you to the Market Hall tonight, tomorrow night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon to see the pages of James Clarke's memoir come to life on stage. Last night, our cast and behind the scenes team had a successful dress rehearsal in front of an invited audience of family, friends, and others and are ready to perform the play again for the public!

As opening night quickly approaches, we thought we'd share a few of our favourite photos taken during the dress rehearsal that capture some of the highlights of the play. If you still haven't purchased tickets yet, let these photos motivate you into incorporating the theatre into your weekend plans! Tickets are still available to all four performances on June 4 and 5 at 7:30pm and June 6 and 7 at 2pm (although tickets to our June 6 matinee are almost sold out) and can be purchased on the Market Hall website, here: https://tickets.markethall.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=526

[Images Credit: Jordan Lyall Photography]

Want to win your very own copy of James Clarke's 2012 memoir "The Kid from Simcoe Street," the book that inspired this y...
06/03/2026

Want to win your very own copy of James Clarke's 2012 memoir "The Kid from Simcoe Street," the book that inspired this year's Trent Valley Archives Theatre production? If you do, check the inside of your program at any of our four Kid from Simcoe Street performances this weekend for a leaflet with a QR code linking you to our audience feedback survey.

The survey should only take a few minutes to complete, and once you have completed it, you'll have the opportunity to enter the draw by providing us with your name and contact information. Paper copies of the survey will also be available and can be handed in to Trent Valley Archives Theatre volunteers after each show.

We tested out several new marketing strategies this year, and your responses to our survey will help us determine which of them were the most effective in raising awareness of our play. They will also help us improve our future productions overall by providing us with a better understanding of what audiences liked and didn't like about this year's production.

NOTE: All responses to both the online and paper audience feedback survey must be submitted by the end of the day on Monday, June 8. A winner will be drawn on Tuesday, June 9. Shipping is not included and the winner must visit the Trent Valley Archives at 567 Carnegie Avenue to claim their prize.

As we're preparing to step back in time to wartime-era Peterborough with our production of "The Kid from Simcoe Street" ...
06/02/2026

As we're preparing to step back in time to wartime-era Peterborough with our production of "The Kid from Simcoe Street" at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre this weekend, we wanted to take a moment to thank our generous sponsors and donors. This year's production would not be possible without their support, as their financial and promotional contributions helped us mitigate production expenses and get the word out about "The Kid From Simcoe Street" in our community.

We would like to thank this year's Platinum Sponsor, The Gardens Retirement Living; this year's Platinum Media Sponsor kawarthaNOW; this year's Platinum (In-Kind) Sponsor, Jordan Lyall Photography; this year's Gold Radio Sponsor Oldies 96.7; and this year's Silver Sponsor Templeton Law.

We would also like to thank our donor, Theatre Connoisseur Harry Huffman. Special thanks to Selwyn Township for supporting our program printing with the Selwyn Township Municipal Grant.

Finally, we would like to thank our Community Partners for supporting us in various ways: Exile Editions, Activity Haven, Entente Education Canada District 36 Peterborough, the Peterborough Canadian Irish Club, the St. James Players and the Electric City Players.

Although sponsorship opportunities are no longer available for this year's production, we are looking forward to staging another incredible production next year! If you're interested in becoming a sponsor (either monetary or in-kind) of next year's production, please email us at [email protected].

[Image Credit: Jordan Lyall Photography]

Meet the behind the scenes team of The Kid from Simcoe Street! Today, we're continuing to share the biographies and head...
06/01/2026

Meet the behind the scenes team of The Kid from Simcoe Street! Today, we're continuing to share the biographies and headshots of our Kid from Simcoe Street behind the scenes team. Everyone involved in this production has been passionate about bringing the pages of James Clarke's memoir to life on stage, and we’re excited to share their names, faces and stories with you.

PLAYWRIGHT | David Francis Clarke: David Clarke, co-writer of The Kid from Simcoe Street, and one of James Clarke’s grandchildren, is a writer who has contributed to Excalibur and several online publication platforms. One of his short films, Ouroboros, received eight international awards.

PLAYWRIGHT | Ed Schroeter: Ed is grateful to Trent Valley Archives Theatre (TVAT) for the opportunity to bring The Kid from Simcoe Street to life on stage, a project 14 years in the making. He would like to thank Suzanne Schroeter for her encouragement and his longtime friend Gerry McBride for co-writing The Kid from Simcoe Street with him. He would also like to thank David Francis Clarke for joining the writing team and providing invaluable editing insight.

PLAYWRIGHT | Gerry McBride: Gerry is excited to be involved in his third production with Trent Valley Archives Theatre. He has thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with so many talented people to help bring The Kid from Simcoe Street to the stage. Since retiring as an elementary school teacher, Gerry has also been involved in productions with the Peterborough Theatre Guild and the Electric City Players.

See David, Ed and Gerry's efforts come to life in The Kid from Simcoe Street at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on June 4 and 5 at 7:30pm and June 6 and 7 at 2pm! Tickets are on sale now at: https://tickets.markethall.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=526

Address

567 Carnegie Avenue
Peterborough, ON
K9L1N1

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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