One of the first to close, and presumably one of the last to reopen due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Peterborough-Nogojiwanong’s arts and culture scene has remained out of the spotlight for almost a year. In this article, Elizabeth Mitton goes behind the scenes of the Peterborough Arts Recovery Alliance, an ad-hoc group which represents 13 local performing arts organizations, to discuss the impacts the pandemic has had on the arts, and how they’re aiming to come back even stronger.

Demand for the free weekly provided by Food Not Bombs has increased throughout the past year’s lockdowns, reaching an all-time high in August and September. Elizabeth Mitton dives into the local chapter of this international movement that has provided a free meal in Nogo-Ptbo every week since 2005. In the face of a global health crisis, which has exacerbated an already tenuous and unjust food system, community members come together every week at Food Not Bombs to share in resistance. As member Myles Connor articulates this organization “is an opportunity for praxis...not an opportunity to give back, but to take action.”

Elizabeth Mitton follows up with Maxmillion Setka, the TCSA Commissioner for Students with Disabilities, and Stewart Engelberg, the Director of Trent's Student Wellness Centre, to find out how the University is responding to concerns shared by students with disabilities. How does online learning affect the quality of education for students, especially those with different needs? Is the University doing enough to accommodate these needs?