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
Spring is in full bloom and so is the print edition of our April 2026 issue of the Heritage Gazette! ![]()
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This issue contains 36 full-colour pages and is packed with local historical content of every kind. There's Mary Smith's "Reflections on Ireland Connections Leading Up to the Bicentennial," which highlights the relationships the Peterborough and Ballyhoura regions developed in the process of commemorating the Peter Robinson Emigration; Elwood Jones' "Henry Calcutt and Riverside Park," which explores letters exchanged between Henry Calcutt and W. H. Moore about the proper use of the park; reviews of several local historical books published last year; and articles from Trent Valley Archives President Madison More and Archivist Elwood Jones about recent events and acquisitions at TVA. ![]()
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If you are currently subscribed to the print edition of the Heritage Gazette, this issue will mark the first issue of your print subscription for 2026, and will either be readied for you to pick up at TVA or mailed to you, depending on your subscription. If you are not currently subscribed to our print edition but would like to subscribe, subscriptions cost $30 (or $40 if you require shipping) for three issues. Individual copies of this issue of the Heritage Gazette can also be purchased at our archives building at 567 Carnegie Avenue for $15 each, or mailed to you for $20 each. We're open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-4pm.
It takes a village, and a resilient boy, to go from surviving an alcoholic wartime home on Simcoe Street to a place of honour with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.![]()
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Don’t miss Trent Valley Archives Theatre’s 2026 production “The Kid from Simcoe Street,” based on the memoir of the same name by James Clarke, at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on June 4 and 5 at 7:30pm and June 6 and 7 at 2pm. Tickets cost $40 for cabaret seating and $30 for regular seating and can be purchased by clicking the link in this post.![]()
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[Video Credit: Teresa Kaszuba]
If you're a Trent Valley Archives member, there's no need to line up to get your tickets to our 2026 local history tour season, as advance registration is open now! Like we did in advance of last year's local history tour season, we're giving our members an exclusive sneak peak at our 2026 season and a chance to purchase tickets to the ones that catch their eye before the general public. Our tours have a tendency to sell out quickly, so we hope you will appreciate this chance to get your tickets in advance!![]()
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Check your inbox for an email from us with our full 2026 local history tour lineup and your exclusive links to the event listings for each tour date on Eventbrite. If you're a member but didn't receive this email, please email us at admin@trentvalleyarchives.com to let us know and we will forward the email to you. If you're not a member, don't worry! We'll be sharing our full tour schedule with the general public next Sunday, May 10 at 7:30pm. Make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list (here: trentvalleyarchives.com/newsletter-signup/), so you'll receive the email when it launches.
To retell the trials and tribulations of Peterborough in the 1940s and 50s, Trent Valley Archives (TVA) 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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Trent Valley Archives received permission to adapt the memoir, with proceeds going to the Archives for book donations to sell.![]()
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The 2012 memoirs focus on the trials and tribulations of Clarke and his St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School football teammate, Murray Byrne, as they grew up poor in post-war Peterborough in the 1940s and 1950s.![]()
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Find more on the story on our website.
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!