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
The Kid from Simcoe Street has landed at 567 Carnegie Avenue! Many of you have been asking us where you can get a copy of James Clarke's memoir in advance of our Trent Valley Archives Theatre Production in June, and we're excited to announce that we now have copies of the book for sale in our bookstore. ![]()
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The memoir chronicles James Clarke's childhood on Simcoe Street in wartime-era Peterborough, from high points like his appointment as Fire Mascot of the Peterborough Fire Department, to low points like seeing his father come back from the Second World War a changed man, and everything in between. Despite growing up poor on the wrong side of the tracks and witnessing his father's struggles with addiction, James found the strength and determination to set himself on the right path, becoming a respected lawyer, Ontario Superior Court judge, and published poet. ![]()
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Although James' own childhood was exceptional, the boyhood adventures within its pages have a universal appeal are guaranteed to strike a chord with both those who grew up in the 1940s, and younger generations who want to get a sense of what the childhood of their parents and grandparents was like. The poetry curated by Bruce Meyer at the end of the book also adds to the reading experience, reinforcing the themes addressed in the memoir and drawing on the poet's lifetime of experience. ![]()
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You don't need to have read the book to enjoy The Kid from Simcoe Street play, but if you'd like to familiarize yourself with the story beforehand, we encourage you to pick up a copy! They can be purchased at our archives building during our operating hours (Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm) for $25 each, and will be added to our web shop soon. They will also be available for sale in the lobby of the Market Hall at each of our four performances on June 4, 5, 6 and 7. ![]()
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Thank you to Exile Editions for producing a limited edition run of the book for our Kid from Simcoe Street production!
Thank you to PtboCanada for capturing this moment!To retell the trials and tribulations of Peterborough in the 1940s and 50s, Trent Valley Archives is putting on a fundraising production of Ontario Superior Court Judge James Clarke’s memoirs, ‘The Kid From Simcoe Street,’ at Market Hall from June 4-7. ![]()
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Learn more at ptbocanada .com!
Yesterday (April 28), the cast and creative team of The Kid from Simcoe Street were pleased to welcome James Clarke (the author of the memoir the play is adapted from) and his grandson David Francis Clarke (co-playwright of The Kid from Simcoe Street script) to Peterborough to attend a rehearsal and witness the pages of James' memoir coming to life. ![]()
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During their visit, James reunited with Murray Byrne, his friend and St. Peter's Secondary School football teammate, who has a cameo in this year's production. The Gardens Retirement Living (our Platinum Sponsor) graciously hosted James, Murray and David for lunch at Empress Gardens, the site of the former Empress Hotel where both James and his parents worked. James had also secured Murray a job there, working alongside him as a busboy, but Murray didn't enjoy the work and quit after a few days. ![]()
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Then, the trio made their way over to Princess Gardens, where James and Murray reminisced with historian Ken Armstrong, sharing memories of Peterborough from their youth. James and David also took some time out of their full itinerary to be interviewed by Teresa Kaszuba, who is creating a series of short videos to help us promote The Kid From Simcoe Street to new audiences, and we can't wait to share them with you in the coming weeks! ![]()
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We would like to thank Sarah Joore, Sales & Marketing Project Coordinator at the Gardens Retirement Living and Isaac Tate and Denise Ropertz at Empress Gardens for their hospitality. We would also like to thank Platinum Media Sponsor Jordan Lyall Photography for photographing James, Murray, and David at the rehearsal (the first three photographs shared in this post). ![]()
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[Image Captions | Image 1: Murray Byrne (right) showing James Clarke (left) his old St. Peter's Secondary School yearbook. ![]()
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Image 2 (Top): James meets the cast member playing his father, Ron Jewer. (Bottom): David Francis Clarke, James and Murray watching the rehearsal. ![]()
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Image 3: James showing Murray a photocopy of an Examiner article about the 1953 St. Peter's football team over lunch at Empress Gardens.![]()
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Image 4 (Top): James being interviewed by Teresa Kaszuba. (Bottom): James and David meeting Sarah Joore at Princess Gardens.]
The latest issue of the Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley is here! We are finally caught up on our publishing schedule and our April 2026 issue marks the first issue in Volume 31. ![]()
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Within its pages, you'll find a diverse collection of stories ranging from specific moments in our community's history (like in J.A. Forrester's article "Three Canadian Feature Films Shot During the Summer of '76") to a larger discussion of why history, and by extension the archives that preserve it, are important to current and future generations, just in time for the theme of this year's Archives Association of Ontario's Archives Week, "Archives Activism: Advocating for Archives Survival" (in Dawn Berry Merriam's article "Supporting Future Generations by Preserving the Past"). ![]()
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We also want to highlight the photograph on the cover of this issue, taken by photographer George Sproule in the early 1890s and featuring both the exterior of the Ashburnham School and its staff and students. To accompany the photograph, which is part of our Wickenden Family Fonds, our Archivist Elwood Jones has written an insightful article exploring the history of the school that can be found on page 23. ![]()
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We hope you'll take time out of your busy spring schedule to enjoy each of the articles in this issue. If you're subscribed to our mailing list, check your inbox for an email from us with links to download the issue. If you're not already subscribed to our mailing list, you can do so here: trentvalleyarchives.com/newsletter-signup/. This issue (along with past issues) is also available to download on the Heritage Gazette page on our website. Once you've read the issue, we'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment down below with your thoughts on this issue and any suggestions you have for our next issue, which is expected in August!