_{The Insider Blog}

_{Kevin Wagar}

Kevin Wagar is an award-winning travel writer and photographer with a passion for exploring the world with his family. Kevin was born and raised in Peterborough before setting out on a life of adventure that has taken him through 45 countries across five continents. Throughout his travels, he has always been drawn back home to the Kawarthas. On his journeys around the world, he has chronicled his experiences on his website, Wandering Wagars – Adventure Family Travel and is also one of the founders of Ultimate Ontario, a digital publication focused on showcasing the very best of his home province.

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_{Tim Johnson}

Always in search of a new adventure, Canadian travel writer Tim Johnson has visited 145 countries on all seven continents, contributing articles to some of North America’s most influential publications, including The Globe and Mail, CNN Travel, National Geographic, Bloomberg, the Toronto Star, AFAR, The New Yorker and many others. While he’s wont to roam, he was born and raised in Peterborough, and always loves to return home and explore familiar, but much-loved territory in the Kawarthas.

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_{Donald Fraser}

Donald has spent over two decades working to tell the stories of his community. He is a writer (TV/print/radio/web), communications specialist, social media pioneer, local food promoter, music promoter, geek, songwriter, husband, and dad.

With a passion for local food, Donald hosted nine straight sold out years of the Downtown Peterborough Farm to Table Culinary Tours, showcasing local restaurants and businesses and the local/seasonal food they prepared. He dedicates much of his time to documenting the food that he and his family grow, produce, prepare, preserve, and procure; as well as on the local agriculture/food community of Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

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_{Michael Hurcomb}

His formative years found him with a guitar on his lap and a darkroom in the basement. Michael Hurcomb, named in Canada’s Top 20 music photographers – (NXNE Festival), has forged his way into the industry by fusing his passion and first hand knowledge of the underbelly of rock ‘n roll with his life long love of the still photograph. Only this marriage of influences could teach the artistry of taking the multi-sensory experience of a stadium concert and capturing it’s very essence in only two dimensions. Whether shooting concerts, celebrity portraits, fashion or commercial work Michael keeps his lens focused not only on framing moments but stealthily edging between these moments, flexing his impeccable sense of timing and his eye for a most unusual beauty. Michael has successfully incorporated film into his portfolio, shooting, directing and producing segments for Gibson Guitars, Corbis Motion & Trent University, music videos and documentaries for Martin Sexton and Ladies of The Canyon, and four seasons of the web based music series “Bandwagon”. He’s currently directing and producing “The Radius Project”, a documentary about the wealth of musical talent that came from the Peterborough area.

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_{Kieran Andrews}

Kieran has been a leader in the Peterborough business community for over 25 years. With a passionate belief that business should build community he and his partner have used Wild Rock Outfitters as a conduit to enrich Peterborough’s outdoor community, clubs and culture. A passionate cyclist, Kieran has explored and mapped every corner of Peterborough County. Pavement, gravel backroads and the tiniest road allowances all get the thumbs up when Kieran is leading a ride. Often a resource for visiting riders as well as local policy-makers Kieran spearheaded the creation of both a local cycling map and the Peterborough and the Kawartha Classics.
Although the proud founder of the now 500 member Peterborough Cycling Club Kieran also finds calls for his expertise and experience from farther afield. Since 2017 Kieran has been a member of the Shimano Gravel Alliance helping to bring his years of gravel cycling experience to both the creation of better gravel cycling equipment as well as encouraging riders to explore more than ever before. Working part of each year as a cycling guide in Europe Kieran has a special appreciation for coming home. “Watching the seasons unfold as I ride the quiet, rolling roads of Peterborough and the Kawarthas never gets old”, says Kieran.

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_{Briagh & Bretton}

Since our return from Chile to the Kawarthas in 2012 we have cofounded The Land Canadian Adventures, won the Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial competition, been married and had our first child- the incomparably adorable Lily Maeve. We do love an adventure! Our small business specializes in all-inclusive, four-seasons, day excursions, overnight trips and outdoor team building in the Kawarthas’ most beautiful locations. Canoeing when the water is open and trekking by snow shoe during the winter months. Working with international students teaching English as a Second language both abroad and in Canada has allowed us to learn so much about the cultures, languages and philosophies from all over our planet, and Bretton continues to learn and work as a teacher in Trent University’s International Program. We are committed to sharing what we love most about living in Peterborough & the Kawarthas as a young family with people from around the world or around the corner.

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_{Kevin Callan}

Kevin Callan is the author of fifteen books, including the best selling “The Happy Camper”, and the incredibly popular series of paddling guides. On a regular basis, he presents across North America and the U.K. and has been a key speaker at all the major outdoor events for over 25 years.Callan is also a frequent guest on radio and television and a regular contributor and columnist for Explore and CanoeRoots Magazine. He is a winner of several National Magazine Awards and film awards and was just listed one of the top 100 modern day explorers by the Canadian Geographical Society. He was also made Patron Paddler for Paddle Canada.

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_{Jay & Jennifer}

Jay Nutt is the former owner and long-time Chef of Nuttshell Next Door Café in Lakefield, Ontario. A graduate of NAIT’s Culinary Arts program, he has worked and traveled across the country with stops at Jasper Park Lodge, Toronto’s King Edward Hotel, and the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. Professional Home Economist Jennifer MacKenzie is a freelance food writer, recipe developer, tester and editor, and media spokesperson. Jennifer is the author of six cookbooks, and writes regularly for websites and publications such as the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine. Jennifer has tested and recipe-edited over one hundred cookbooks on every subject from soup to coconut. Jennifer and Jay live on a little piece of Kawartha waterfront in Buckhorn, Ontario with their dogs, Diva and Benny.

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_{Doug O’Neill}

“The best way to connect with locals and tap into the ‘real flavour’ of a destination is to ask where you can get a hair cut, buy shoe laces, get a good coffee outside city centre or what’s the shortest route to the bus depot. If none of those work, simply ask where you can buy an adaptor for your mobile phone. Trust me, you’ll be sent in every direction under the sun – and isn’t that the best way of discovering a place?” O’Neill, originally from a small Ontario hamlet called Phelpston (“it boasted a population of 139 when I left town after high school”) but now based in Toronto, also appreciates the benefit of having local connections. “If I catch wind that the second cousin of my neighbour’s daughter’s mechanic lives in a place, I’m on the phone the minute I arrive,” says O’Neill, who discovered (much to his surprise) that he had various connections to Peterborough & Kawarthas which he’s been using to get the inside scoop on our region. “My cousin ended up working in Peterborough for a while, my best friend went to Fleming College in Peterborough and ended up buying a house there, and one of my hiking pals is close friends with the owner of a local Peterborough cafe… Trust me, those connections are better than any guide book!”

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_{Ann Douglas}

Ann Douglas moved to Peterborough when she was five months pregnant with her first child. That was 27 years ago. Since that time, Ann has raised four children with her husband and high school sweetheart and established herself as Canada’s most trusted pregnancy and parenting book author. Expect Ann’s trademark mix of humour and no-nonsense advice in her must-read contributions to our blog.

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_{Andrew Shufelt}

Before relocating to Peterborough & the Kawarthas Andrew was an investment banker working in the heart of Canada’s financial district. These days instead of navigating the concrete jungle of Toronto, Andrew can now be found ‎navigating the 134+ lakes that are found in the Kawartha region; plying these waters for bass, walleye and the occasional muskie. He can also be found competing in numerous fishing tournaments in Ontario and the United States. He is a writer, photographer, blogger and host of CHEX TV’s Casting With Kids. Professional memberships include OFAH, BASS, FMZ 17 Advisory Council, and president of the CBAF Lindsay Club. You can follow his fishing successes and failures on facebook and twitter.

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