Artistic Director Kim Blackwell accepts an award from the Peterborough Historical Society
Last week, the Peterborough Historical Society announced the winners of its 2015 Heritage Awards on at its Annual Fundraising Dinner. Among the recipients was our own 4th Line Theatre, which was bestowed with the J. Hampton Burnham Award, established to recognize the completion of a major project that promotes awareness of local history using any media including the performing and visual arts. On hand to accept the award was Kim Blackwell, Artistic Director of the 4th Line Theatre. The award was earned by last year’s production of The Bad Luck Bank Robbers, which premiered to a sell-out audience in summer 2015. The play, based on the book by Grace Barker, tells the story of the 1961 robbery of the Toronto Dominion Bank in Havelock. It was the largest single-day bank robbery in Canadian history with $230,000 stolen and although the robbers were eventually caught and convicted, the money was never found and has never been put into circulation. Due to its remarkable popularity, the piece is returning for another run, and will be performed for four weeks in July.
Other groups acknowledged at the event was the Curve Lake Pow Wow Committee which was recognized for last September’s successful 62nd Annual Curve Lake First Nations Pow Wow, which attracted more than 7,000 visitors of all ages and backgrounds to in a celebration of ancestors and sacred traditions.
Peterborough author, Heather Shpuniarsky received the F.H. Dobbin Award for her book: The Village of Hiawatha: A History, published in 2015, which describes the origins of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg people, the settlement of Rice Lake , treaty relationships and growth of the Village of Hiawatha itself.
The Mount Community Centre was also recognized for their work in restoring significant heritage features at the former residence of the Sisters of St. Joseph on Monaghan Road.
