By Andy Burke
When Peterborough Singers’ business manager Peg McCracken stopped by Sweet Fern Floral Studio to discuss the possibility of a new ticket outlet partnership for the choir, the answer was an easy “yes” for the shop’s owner and lead designer Angela McDonald.
For both women, the proposition seemed only fitting. Change was afoot! Pammett’s Flower Shop, the Singers’ steadfast downtown ticket merchant for more than two decades, was leaving its storefront on Charlotte Street. For years, Pammett’s was an engaged and vital piece of the PS engine, acting as a ground-level link between the organization and its patrons. Securing another downtown outlet with Pammett’s vision, commitment, and experience was no easy task, but Peg believed she had found “the answer.”
Sweet Fern, which opened its Water Street location in 2024, not only carries a beautiful selection of fresh flowers, house plants, home goods, and gift items, like Pammett’s, but also offers a similarly friendly and welcoming downtown retail space. The bonus is that owner Angela already has knowhow when it comes to selling Singers’ tickets. She grew up in the floral industry, and spent most of her childhood and young adult years working in and learning the family business – an operation called Pammett’s Flower Shop.
Angela’s parents, Kaes and Corry Vanderkooy, owned the store for 23 years, and she witnessed firsthand the importance they placed on serving the community and supporting local arts and music. Indeed, at Sweet Fern, floral arranging is both an art and a service. Staff members love inspiring others through creativity and connection-making, and they feel honoured to serve the local community with flowers for both the important and everyday moments of life.
“I loved helping the Singers’ community purchase tickets and feeling the excitement and buzz around the traditions and festivities of the choir’s events – specifically Handel’s Messiah,” Angela recalls. She also fondly remembers attending the Singers’ annual performances of that famed oratorio, and picking up many of its lyrics by the time she was an adult! She still holds strong memories of (that same) Peg McCracken “being such a delight” whenever Peg stopped by Pammett’s. In fact, Angela’s connections to the choir do not stop there – she even became a PS member for one season in the early 2010s before moving away for a time. She recalls “a magical experience of voices uniting, singing songs that resonated deeply, and being stretched musically.” The choir’s collaborative performance at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall that year, she says, was a particular highlight. “What an experience!”
As a testament to Kaes and Corry’s decades-long commitment to the Peterborough Singers and wider community through Pammett’s, their daughter’s own passion for carrying this tradition forward is an uplifting reminder of the mutually beneficial, multi-generational partnerships between local arts groups and local businesses. As Angela once again looks forward to meeting and connecting with the PS audience – this time as a small business owner herself – the Singers is thrilled to welcome Sweet Fern as its valued downtown outlet and floral sponsor, and encourages patrons to pay a visit to the florist. In another full-circle and serendipitous twist, Sweet Fern will be moving in mid-October to Pammett’s original location on Charlotte Street, where Angela first honed her craft.
“I personally think that music is a very important part of being human,” she says, in an insight that unites Singers’ ticket vendors, choristers, and audiences alike. “It stirs deep emotions and connections that cannot be replaced by anything else. I am delighted to continue to support the Singers and to become more connected to this art.”
The entire Peterborough Singers family extends a heartfelt thank you to Pammett’s Flower Shop for backing the choir through much growth, many changes, and countless packed houses throughout the decades!
Sweet Fern Floral Studio is located at 387 Water St, Peterborough, but will relocate to 208 Charlotte St, Peterborough, in October. Staff can be reached at 705-868-7705 from 10am-4pm Tuesday – Friday, and from 10am-2pm on Saturdays. For more information, check out http://sweetfernfloralstudio.com , as well as Sweet Fern’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetfernfloralstudio
https://www.facebook.com/TheFlorestPtbo/
The choir also thanks Ashburnham Foot & Ankle Centre in Peterborough’s East City and Happenstance Book & Yarns in Lakefield for their continued support as official ticket merchants in the coming season!
Tickets are also available at the following outlets: Ashburnham Foot & Ankle Centre, Sweet Fern, Happenstance Books & Yarns (Lakefield)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Peg McCracken
Business Manager
705.745.1820
singers@peterboroughsingers.com
