Nominations Now Open for the Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Awards

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce has opened the call for nominations for the 2023 Business Excellence Awards. 

photo courtesy of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

Nominating your favourite business is as easy as entering their name on our Express Nomination Form. The Chamber will then reach out to let them know and collect the details. Self-nominations are encouraged and are a great way to recognize your team. Express and self-nomination forms are available online.

The Business Excellence Awards were established to promote the advancement of responsible business leadership within the community. Awards will be handed out in over 20 categories including the prestigious Business Citizen of the Year Award. 

Businesses and individuals within the City and County of Peterborough are eligible, and do not need to be members of the Chamber of Commerce.

“In Peterborough and the Kawarthas, excellence is all around us,” says Sarah Budd, Chamber President & CEO.  “Every day, businesses and not-for-profits throughout the city and county are delivering exceptional service, providing incredible experiences, and finding innovative ways to grow. We encourage everyone to take a moment to recognize the businesses and organizations that make our community great.”

The Early Bird nomination deadline for nominations is May 10 at 4:30 p.m. and the Final deadline for nominations is May 24 at 4:30 p.m. The nominations received before May 10 at 4:30pm will be entered into the Early Bird Draw to win a $100 gift card for the Chamber member business of your choice.

Three Finalists in each category will be announced in August, with the award recipients announced live on the big stage – October 18th at Showplace Performance Centre.

There are categories for every business size and sector:

• 4-Under-40 Profiles in memory of Kathy Windrem

• Business Citizen of the Year

• Business Student Leadership Prizes

• Businesswoman of the Year – Entrepreneur

• Businesswoman of the Year – Organization

• Commercial Development or Renovation

• Customer First

• Employer of the Year

• Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Farm Family of the Year

• Green Initiatives

• Health & Wellness

• Hospitality

• Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year

• Local Focus

• Marketing & Promotion

• Micro Business

• Not-for-profit

• Professional Services

• Retail

• Skilled Trades

• Stuart Harrison President’s Award

• Tourism

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Plans Underway For More Temporary Patio and Pedestrian Space in Downtown Peterborough As Patio Season Approaches

Patio season is approaching with plans underway to create more patio and pedestrian space in Downtown Peterborough, and applications for temporary patios for this season are now available.

file photo.

Earlier this year, Peterborough City Council approved making the expanded patio program a regular, annual program for the downtown. For the last three years, a temporary expanded patio program allowed downtown business to apply to expand their patio space on sidewalks or use on-street parking adjacent to their business as part of a COVID-19 response efforts.

Town Ward Councillors Alex Bierk and Joy Lachica see many benefits to expanded patios.

“Downtown Peterborough is beautiful and having expanded patios adds to the vibrancy of the area,” said Councillor Lachica. “There’s nothing like a summer day strolling downtown with shops, restaurants and cafes brimming with people enjoying themselves and supporting local. Patios help make our downtown a destination.”

“I believe in the culture of downtown. It plays a crucial role in bringing the City to life during the summertime,” said Councillor Bierk. “With the City’s patio program expanding there is a lot to celebrate. Not only does this help local shops, restaurants, and cafe’s by increasing capacity and attracting more people downtown — it also generates employment opportunities. Along with the patio program, we also have 30 plus new businesses that have opened in the downtown core this past year. There’s a lot to be excited about.”

The plan includes: 

• Allowing businesses on George, Water and Charlotte Streets to use on-street parking spaces next to their businesses for additional outdoor business/patio space

• Maintaining the existing two vehicular travel lanes and cycling lanes on George and Water streets

• Reducing Hunter Street West between George and Aylmer streets to a one-lane, one-way street to expand pedestrian space and available patio areas

• Maintaining Charlotte Street as a two-way, two-lane street, while allowing for patios in on-street parking spaces next to participating businesses through the patio permit process

• The use of decorative fencing and planters to delineate between the new pedestrian areas, expanded/on-street patios and vehicular traffic lanes

• The program has been expanded to allow businesses in East City along Hunter Street East to operate a patio on a portion of the city sidewalks

• A $300 Patio Licence fee for applicants

Reduced speed limits will be put in place on streets with patios. Parking spaces, loading zones and designated waste pick-up areas may be adjusted once patio locations have been confirmed with participating businesses.

Considerations for accessibility, including parking and barrier free travel will be required, and the City will work with licence holders to find feasible solutions to ensure everyone can enjoy downtown public space. 

Patio Licences are required for all individuals, partnerships or corporations who are proposing to place a patio on City-owned property. Interested parties are invited to visit the City’s Application, Licenses and Permits webpage for more information on the application process. Applicants are now able to submit an application, permit fee and supporting documents through the City’s website. 

The City is requesting that applicants who wish to have their Patio Licence ready for the Victoria Day long weekend submit a complete application by April 6. The second round of patio installations is planned to take place the week of June 12 for applicants that submit an application by May 8. The last day to apply for the 2023 patio season is June 1. The proposed installation dates are subject to change at the discretion of the City.

To ensure compliance with the patio permits and limit the City’s risk related to non-permitted patios operating on City-owned lands, an Administrative Monetary Penalty System has been implemented that will create an enforcement process for businesses that are not in compliance with their permit or have not obtained a permit.

For general inquiries relating to outdoor patios on City-owned lands please contact Nicole Huculiak, Urban Design Supervisor by email at nhuculiak@peterborough.ca or by phone at 705-742-7777 ext. 1654.

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Eight Small Local Businesses Awarded $5,000 Grants Through Starter Company Plus Program

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) has awarded $5,000 in micro-grants to local small businesses in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County through the Government of Ontario’s Starter Company Plus program, announced Monday.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development.

12 small business entrepreneurs successfully completed the five-week Starter Company Plus online business training course offered through PKED’s Business Advisory Centre, and were awarded grants to support the growth of their business based on the strength of their plan and pitch.

The following businesses were each awarded a micro-grant:

• Jacquelyn Craft, The Neighbourhood Vintage, City of Peterborough

• Lisa Mace, ECO Cabin, Township of North Kawartha

• Ineke Turner, Turner & Pooch Dog Training, City of Peterborough

• Nathan Truax, Truax Leather Co., City of Peterborough

• Lisa Burkitt, Burkitt’s Gardening & Home Services, Township of Havelock- Belmont-Methuen

• Kate Griffin, Mental Wealth Counselling, Township of Otonabee South-Monaghan

• Jena Trimble, Zen Home and Cottage Cleaning Services, Township of Havelock- Belmont-Methuen

• Vanessa Bruce, Vanessa Bruce Virtual Services, City of Peterborough

Since the program’s launch in 2017 it has assisted over 215 local entrepreneurs and more than 174 small businesses, creating over 200 jobs in the local economy according to PKED.

“This intake of the Starter Company Plus program saw many new businesses that were referred from past participants. Now in its fifth year, the program has directly contributed to the growth and development of small businesses in Peterborough & the Kawarthas and has allowed us to support the largest cohort to date,” said Madeleine Hurrell, manager of PKED’s Business Advisory Centre. “In Peterborough and the Kawarthas, we are lucky to have thriving and growing small businesses. We have seen our communities rally around entrepreneurs and small businesses.”

For more information on the Business Advisory Centre, visit www.investptbo.ca/bac

Average Home Price In Peterborough Reaches All-Time High

The average home price in Peterborough city and county in March reached $864,208, a new all-time high, according to the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors.

Stock Photo.

The 2022 average is up 17 per cent from the 2021 March average.

280 residential units were sold, which is down down 1.8 per cent from March 2021.

There were 157 active listings at the end of March, down 11.3 per cent from last year.

The average price for March in the City of Kawartha Lakes was $904,167, the second highest monthly average on record for the Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association.

The average price in Northumberland County topped the $1-million milestone at an average of $1,009,087. This average is up 25.5 per cent from 2021, but down 11.3 per cent from the all-time high of $1,122,819 last month.

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App-Based Gig Workers Get General Minimum Wage Established By Ontario Government

The Ontario Government introduced new legislation that will give app-based gig workers a $15 minimum wage and transparency regarding their tips announced on Monday.

According to a survey conducted by Ipsos, 62 per cent of Ontarians agree that the province should guarantee a certain minimum level of income for technology platform or ‘gig’ workers. Screenshot.

The “Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act” permits app-based employees — such as ride-share drivers and couriers — to a $15 minimum wage and their tips.

Workers will also receive a recurring pay period and payday with their tips prohibited from being withheld by platform operators.

“As part of our plan to build a stronger economy that works for everyone, we want all workers to have every opportunity to earn a good living and provide for their families,” said Doug Ford, Ontario Premier. “It doesn’t matter if you work for a big company, a small business or for a rideshare app. Our government won’t leave any worker behind.”

Ford added that five Canadians work in the gig economy and says data predicts an increase in app-based workers.

The government’s proposals have laid out the following rights and protections for digital platform workers:

• Earning at least the general minimum wage for time worked

• The right to keep their tips along with regular pay periods

• The right to information and clarity around algorithms including

  • how pay is calculated; and

  • how and why a worker might be penalized in the allocation of work

• Written notice if they are being removed from the platform and why

• The right to resolve their work-related disputes in Ontario

• Protection from reprisal should they seek to assert their rights.

“No one working in Ontario should ever make less than minimum wage for an hour's work," said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour Training and Skills Development. “No one working in Ontario should be dismissed without notice, explanation, or recourse. No one should have to travel out of the country to resolve a workplace dispute or sign a contract they do not understand. These core rights are a foundation in our mission to help all workers earn bigger paychecks to take care of their families, not an endpoint.”

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BWXT Gets $50M Contract With Ontario Power Generation for Darlington Refurbishment Project

The Peterborough BWXT Nuclear Energy plant has agreed to a five-year, $50 million contract to supply engineering and parts to Ontario Power Generation announced Thursday.

Brett Jermyn, BWXT director of fuel handling and engineered solutions (left) offering a tour to Todd Smith, Ontario Minister of Energy and Michelle Ferreri, Peterborough-Kawartha MP (right). Photo By David Tuan Bui.

The contract is for Fuelling Machine (FM) head engineering and component supply as part of the refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.

The $50 million contract will be executed by BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. in Peterborough, where a team of more than 250 employees will design and supply complex parts and assemblies to enable the refurbishment of all eight FM heads at Darlington. Engineering work on this project began in 2020 with component supply occurring from 2022 to 2026 as stated in their press release.

BWXT also says that FM heads are part of the remote-controlled system that allows continuous on-power fuelling in CANDU reactors similar to Darlington’s.

“In addition to securing decades of safe, economical and clean power, Darlington Refurbishment is also enabling Ontario’s nuclear supply chain partners like BWXT to expand its capabilities and bolster its leading position in the global nuclear industry,” said Todd Smith, Ontario’s Minister of Energy. “As the Darlington Refurbishment project shows, we are so fortunate and proud to have a world-class nuclear supply chain that is the envy of the global industry.”

Darlington is in the midst of a planned midlife overhaul after operating for 30 years. The first of four units were shut down in 2016 and returned to service in 2020. A second unit is currently being refurbished with the four-unit project slated for completion in 2026.

BWXT employs over 400 workers at the Monaghan Road plant, have hired roughly 120 employees in the past two years and currently has 21 job openings according to Natalie Cutler, BWXT director of communications.

“Our team in Peterborough produces innovative fuel handling systems for CANDU nuclear plants around the world and is committed to supplying engineering services and components of the highest quality,” said John MacQuarrie, president of BWXT’s Nuclear Power Group. “We are excited to get started on this project that will again showcase BWXT’s engineering and manufacturing solutions that help our customers to operate their plants reliably.”

Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri displayed her endorsement for the new contract.

“The Conservative government is really proud to support nuclear,” she said. “We are leaders of the whole country doing this.”

The project is projected to result in an $89.9 billion boost to Ontario’s economy, create approximately 14,000 jobs annually and increase Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP): every $1.00 spent on the project increases GDP by $1.40, on average. according to the Conference Board of Canada.

“Good, family-supporting jobs in our community benefit and grow our local economy, with indirect jobs created across our region,” said MPP Dave Smith. “This new $50 million contract will sustain these jobs and support our economic recovery for years to come.”

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The City of Peterborough Draft 2022 Budget has Been Published and is Available for Review

The City of Peterborough’s Draft 2022 Budget has been posted online for public review ahead of City Council’s budget deliberations on Nov. 15.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Council received a presentation on the Draft 2022 Budget at its meeting on Monday.

Council will hold a public meeting to hear from the community on the Draft 2022 Budget on Nov. 15, before receiving presentations from local boards and agencies on Nov. 16 and holding its budget deliberations on Nov. 22 to 25.

Council is expected to consider approving the City’s 2022 Budget at its meeting on Dec. 13.

For information on how to register as a delegation at a Council meeting, visit peterborough.ca/delegation or call the City Clerk’s Office at 705-742-7777 ext. 1820

The Draft Operating Budget includes $298.2 million for programs and services, such as waste management, road maintenance, wastewater sewers and treatment, social assistance, affordable housing, recreation, arts and heritage, fire services, and policing.

The Draft Capital Budget includes $93.8 million for various infrastructure and capital projects such as road work, flood reduction efforts, facility maintenance, funding for the planned replacement of a fire station, sanitary sewer repairs, construction of a new twin-pad arena, and police capital projects.

The Draft 2021 Budget includes a proposed 2.75% increase in the all-inclusive property tax rate. A 2.75% all-inclusive property tax rate increase translates to an increase of $45.17 annually or $3.76 monthly per $100,000 of residential assessment.

“The City of Peterborough has done well navigating the trials of the pandemic and as we look forward there is still considerable risk,” said Councillor Dean Pappas, Council’s Finance Chair. “The sizeable engagement through the public budget ‘road/home show’ is a credit to the good people of Peterborough.”

The 2022 Budget process kicked off in March 2021 with the 2022 Budget Roadshow that included a series of drop-in style meetings held online and by phone as well as a survey that was available online and in paper copy.

The survey generated 503 responses with participants expressing their priorities for the community. A summary of survey responses was provided to Council ahead of setting the guidelines for drafting the 2022 Budget and was reviewed by City staff in the development of the draft budget documents.

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Ontario Government Raises Minimum Wage to $15 Beginning Next Year

The Ontario Government will raise the minimum wage from $14.35 to $15.00 effective on Jan. 1, announced at UNIFOR Local 414 in Milton on Tuesday.

The 43rd Ontario general election will be on June 2, 2022. Screenshot.

The increase would add an extra $1350 in income to minimum wage workers according to Doug Ford, Ontario Premier.

“As a result of these changes, more than 760,000 Ontario workers will be getting a raise,” he said. “I can’t think of a better way for our government to be working for workers than ensuring hundreds of thousands of people take more pay home.”

Servers and hospitality workers go from $12.55 to $15.00, a 19.5 per cent pay raise.

Students under 18 will go from $13.50 to $15.00. Hunting and fishing guides and homeworkers will also be a part of the minimum wage increase.

In late 2018, Ford had scrapped the scheduled wage hike to $15 for Jan 1, 2019 and kept it at $14. The move was made shortly after he was elected into office during the 2018 Ontario general election.

The 43rd Ontario general election is on June 2, 2022. Ford will be contested by NDP leader Andrea Horwath, Liberal leader Steven Del Duca, Green Party leader Mike Schreiner and New Blue Party leader Jim Karahalios.

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