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When I was in grade 11, my mom and step dad announced in February 2002 that we were moving to Pontypool.
I had never heard of this small town, and whenever people ask me where I'm from, they raise their eyebrows and say "I have never heard of that place!" and nod quietly when I explain how its nestled in the Kawartha Lakes, in the Lindsay/Peterborough area and surrounded by a variety of other small towns.
When we first moved into the house, which was owned by the local butcher, I tried to research this town, if you could even call it a town. It probably had a population of 200 people. Once upon a time, it was a happening place with a bustling downtown. Rich Jewish people from Toronto made their pilmigrage to Pontypool. They claimed that the air was fresher and better out there. The pond the little hamlet surrounds used to be kept clean as people flocked to swim there. A small train station was built beside the old grain elevator and trains used to bring people with them, instead of industry trains just passing through late at night. The area was known for its Christmas trees, which was the town's only real export.
Today it is now a bedroom community for Peterborough, Lindsay, Bowmanville and Oshawa. It has a Chinese restaurant, run by the only Asians in the area. It also served pizza and other North American cuisines. I worked there as a waitress for four years when I going to University. As for the pond, it is the resting grounds for many wayward bicycles and other junk that has been dumped in it for years. It's only claim to fame was the Chinese food, which isn't the best, but people around here claim it is, and the grain elevator which is not only condemned and unsafe, and home to many rats, but has been declared a historical building and is the symbol of the town. It has been painted on the very small community building which only serves the purpose for election day polls, youth dances and community dinners these days. The symbol of that ratty old elevator is even on one of the signs on the outskirts of the town to welcome you to this "blink and you miss it" dump.
Also in my path for learning more about this community, I learned about a book called Pontypool Changes Everything. It was written in 1998, it was out of print and hard to find, and about zombies. I immediately tried to find it, but never did.
It didn't surprise me that a small secluded town in the cottage country of Ontario could be a premises for a zombie tale. During the first month of the summer I lived there, I heard stories about the town's 'haunted' and macabre history. The area was known as an area where people from cities dumped bodies, small town suicides and gossipy secrets about the inhabitants ran wild. The first moment I stepped into the town's only variety store, I got the feeling that this town had its secrets.
Anyways, there's a point to all this.
I was driving home from the GTA area, listening to CFRB - Toronto's Talk Radio Station. The host had mentioned that they were giving away tickets to the screening of Pontypool, a new zombie thriller. I instantly knew it was based on this book.
So needless to say, I'm excited. I can't wait to see the film, and even more exciting, the book is being re-released so I can FINALLY read it. Maybe this Canadian produced, funded and filmed movie will at least gain some popularity to the town in my own province. I don't expect the whole world to finally know where Pontypool was - the movie wasn't even shot there, which is sadly disappointing. But still.. my town, a zombie infested hell hole. I can't wait. I am almost proud.
Book/movie details below!
I had never heard of this small town, and whenever people ask me where I'm from, they raise their eyebrows and say "I have never heard of that place!" and nod quietly when I explain how its nestled in the Kawartha Lakes, in the Lindsay/Peterborough area and surrounded by a variety of other small towns.
When we first moved into the house, which was owned by the local butcher, I tried to research this town, if you could even call it a town. It probably had a population of 200 people. Once upon a time, it was a happening place with a bustling downtown. Rich Jewish people from Toronto made their pilmigrage to Pontypool. They claimed that the air was fresher and better out there. The pond the little hamlet surrounds used to be kept clean as people flocked to swim there. A small train station was built beside the old grain elevator and trains used to bring people with them, instead of industry trains just passing through late at night. The area was known for its Christmas trees, which was the town's only real export.
Today it is now a bedroom community for Peterborough, Lindsay, Bowmanville and Oshawa. It has a Chinese restaurant, run by the only Asians in the area. It also served pizza and other North American cuisines. I worked there as a waitress for four years when I going to University. As for the pond, it is the resting grounds for many wayward bicycles and other junk that has been dumped in it for years. It's only claim to fame was the Chinese food, which isn't the best, but people around here claim it is, and the grain elevator which is not only condemned and unsafe, and home to many rats, but has been declared a historical building and is the symbol of the town. It has been painted on the very small community building which only serves the purpose for election day polls, youth dances and community dinners these days. The symbol of that ratty old elevator is even on one of the signs on the outskirts of the town to welcome you to this "blink and you miss it" dump.
Also in my path for learning more about this community, I learned about a book called Pontypool Changes Everything. It was written in 1998, it was out of print and hard to find, and about zombies. I immediately tried to find it, but never did.
It didn't surprise me that a small secluded town in the cottage country of Ontario could be a premises for a zombie tale. During the first month of the summer I lived there, I heard stories about the town's 'haunted' and macabre history. The area was known as an area where people from cities dumped bodies, small town suicides and gossipy secrets about the inhabitants ran wild. The first moment I stepped into the town's only variety store, I got the feeling that this town had its secrets.
Anyways, there's a point to all this.
I was driving home from the GTA area, listening to CFRB - Toronto's Talk Radio Station. The host had mentioned that they were giving away tickets to the screening of Pontypool, a new zombie thriller. I instantly knew it was based on this book.
So needless to say, I'm excited. I can't wait to see the film, and even more exciting, the book is being re-released so I can FINALLY read it. Maybe this Canadian produced, funded and filmed movie will at least gain some popularity to the town in my own province. I don't expect the whole world to finally know where Pontypool was - the movie wasn't even shot there, which is sadly disappointing. But still.. my town, a zombie infested hell hole. I can't wait. I am almost proud.
Book/movie details below!
Spoiler:
Last edited:
It sucks that you couldn't find the book. Maybe the publisher will print more of the books since the movie is out.
