Simcoe Days in Fenelon Falls are back

There was no shortage of things to see and do at the second annual Simcoe Days celebrations in Fenelon Falls this weekend.

The mid-summer event was created by long-time community member Bob Pennock. The idea is to educate people about how Fenelon Falls was settled and about the important influence of John Graves Simcoe on Canada’s history. Simcoe was a British army general and was named first lieutenant-governor of Ontario in 1791.

“We wanted to be able to give Water Street and the town an area where community groups could come and have a platform and they come and sell their wares, and tell their stories, and it would be free,” said Beverly Jeeves, chair of Simcoe Days.

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This year’s celebration is being held in honour of Pennock. He passed away in April at age 83.

“One thing Bob Pennock wanted to have was to have First Nations people here and to be part of our history,” Jeeves said.

The theme for this year’s Simcoe Days is “Reach into History.”

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Dozens of vendors set up shop along Water Street, and a rare 1935 Chevy fire truck was on display.

“We’ve had it for 10-plus years. It operates on its own, it does pump water,” said firefighter Dave Thibault.

A lumberjack demonstration by Fleming College Students also surprised passersby.

The weekend-long celebrations will also feature a War of 1812 encampment and battle re-enactment, the Peterborough Concert Band, an appearance by Lord Simcoe himself, free popcorn and ice cream, interactive demonstrations of camp life, apple cider pressing, butter churning, and several other activities.