The Man Behind the Petes Souvenir Store: Mark Million Looks to Build on an Award-Winning Year

By Scott Arnold

As the Peterborough Petes prepare to open another season at the Memorial Centre, the man behind the Petes Souvenir Store is ready with new gear, new ideas and the same focus on giving fans a reason to keep coming back.

Mark Million, Director of Merchandise for the Peterborough Petes, stands with Petes staff members Dylan Hilton (left) and Brody Wright (right) inside the Petes Souvenir Store at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

When the Peterborough Petes take the ice for their 2026-27 home opener on Thursday, September 17th, there will be plenty happening inside the Memorial Centre.

The Petes will officially begin their 70th season of hockey in Peterborough, fans will get their first look at this year’s team on home ice and, just inside the building, Mark Million will be doing what he has been doing for the past four years: making sure Petes fans have plenty to choose from when it comes to showing their team pride.

Million is the Director of Merchandise for the Petes and runs the Petes Souvenir Store, a role that has brought together two things he has enjoyed for most of his life: sports and retail.

It is also a role that has some significant history behind it.

The Petes Souvenir Store dates back to 1979, when the Parnell and Rowe families were instrumental in getting it started. That was the same year the Petes won the OHL championship and captured the Memorial Cup, giving Peterborough hockey fans plenty to celebrate.

More than four decades later, the store remains a fixture inside the Memorial Centre.

“I think just in a Peterborough way, we kind of took it one step further as a group,” Million said of the store's beginnings. “We had won the year before. We’d won the OHL championship in 1979, of course. And so I think we just kept it going and turned it into something that, 45, 46 years later, is now the hallmark of the league and we’re very fortunate for the support.”

Million celebrated his fourth anniversary with the Petes this year, taking over the merchandise operation from longtime Petes employee Don Sharp, who had spent 16 years in the role.

His first day on the job was anything but quiet.

The Petes had just won the OHL championship and Sharp had already placed hundreds of orders for championship hats and T-shirts. When Million arrived, a shipment from CCM had come in late and the new Director of Merchandise found himself spending his first days helping bag and organize orders.

“We had an entire section in the back full of bags,” Million recalled.

Taking over something that had been built over decades meant Million knew there was no need to reinvent everything.

Instead, he started by talking to the people who mattered most: the customers.

“Is there something that you’d want to see? Is there something that we can do differently? What do you like about what Don has built here?” Million said.

That approach has remained a big part of how he operates the store.

“There’s no magic formula. It’s still at the end of the day, it’s still people, it’s still person to person,” he said.

For Million, that interaction is one of the best parts of the job.

His interest in retail actually goes back to Grade 10 at St. Peter’s Secondary School, where a teacher named Elio Cozzarini introduced him to entrepreneurship.

As part of the class, students also operated the school’s tuck shop, selling everything from gum to drinks, snacks and chocolate bars.

It was an early introduction to the combination of business, sales and dealing with customers that would eventually become Million’s career.

“I always loved the thrill of the chase as a sales aspect and kind of finding a way to source the product, sell it, merchandise it, all that sort of thing,” he said.

Sports were another constant.

Million knew early on that playing professionally probably wasn’t in the cards after discovering he couldn’t hit a “garden variety fastball” at 13 years old, but working in sporting goods gave him another way to stay connected to something he loved.

A job at Sport Chek led to work at National Sports, where Million credits Bruce MacDonald, Garrett Fitzgerald and Johnny Armstrong with helping him find his strengths.

“I wasn’t great on the technical aspect, but I love talking to people,” he said.

Since then, Million has worked a variety of sales jobs, including two stints as a realtor and time with SVP Sports. Now, after four years with the Petes, that experience has translated into an operation that recently received some major recognition.

Million was named the Ontario Hockey League’s Retailer of the Year for 2026.

He is quick to point out that the award belongs to more than just him.

“There are 19 other men and women in the OHL that are doing a terrific, terrific job,” Million said. “So I’m the holder of the award for this year.”

He also knows the award comes with a challenge to keep improving.

“It does mean that I will try everything in my power to continue to grow the brand,” he said.

That includes bringing the Petes into more places around the community.

Million teased upcoming third-party retail activations that will see Petes merchandise sold in local stores, something he sees as a natural extension of what the team is all about.

“We’re a community-based club. We should be out in the community doing these things,” he said.

There is plenty coming to the Petes Souvenir Store this season as well.

Fans attending Thursday’s home opener will find brand new merchandise, including products from Bardown and a selection of hats from ’47 Canada. But Million says fans shouldn’t expect to see everything at once.

The store will continue rolling out new products throughout the season, giving fans something different to discover as the year goes along.

And if you miss something on opening night, Million and the store will be keeping fans informed through the store’s Instagram account with their “Friday what you missed out on Thursday night” updates.

Million has also embraced the fact that the store has become about more than simply buying a shirt or a hat.

He describes it, jokingly, as being a little bit like Cheers, where regulars come through the door, talk Petes hockey, check out the latest merchandise and sometimes just talk sports.

“They’re walking in off the street,” Million said. “They want to talk Petes hockey, they want to talk about the new gear, they want to see what’s good, they want to talk Blue Jays baseball, and I’m here for it. I love that.”

That connection with fans is also why Million continues to welcome suggestions about what the store should carry.

“If you’ve got something to sell me, show it to me,” he said. “If you’ve got an idea of something that we could sell, let’s have a chat.”

For someone who started developing an interest in entrepreneurship while running a high school tuck shop, it is a pretty fitting place to find himself more than 30 years later.

And on Thursday, September 17th, Million’s OHL Retailer of the Year award will have a place of honour at the Memorial Centre as the Petes begin their 70th season.

The award, which Million jokingly refers to as “Roy,” will be on display in the Hall of Fame for fans to see during the home opener.

But Million has already made it clear he does not want to stop there.

“I’m going to hold the award for this year, but I do want to repeat,” he said. “I want to be the first person to repeat. And if I repeat, then that means that we’ve done a great job.”

For Million, though, that work is bigger than one person or one award.

“Dylan Hilton’s here. He’s done a great job. Our business staff has continued to do a great job on sellouts and activations and creating community partnerships,” he said. “I’m just a small cog in that wheel and I’m very fortunate that people continue to support Petes hockey and find value in the things that we’re trying to sell.”

With a new Petes season about to begin, there will be plenty of hockey to talk about.

And, if you stop by the Petes Souvenir Store, probably a few things worth talking about before the puck even drops.

The Petes will open their season at home against the Kingston Frontenacs on Thursday, September 17th, at 7pm at the Memorial Centre.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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From a Small Used Car Lot to National Recognition: Del Mastro Recreation’s Remarkable Peterborough Success Story

By Scott Arnold

What began as a modest used-car business built in memory of a father’s dream has grown into one of Peterborough’s most successful family-run companies, earning three national sales awards in the past year and proving that big achievements can happen right here at home.

Dean Del Mastro sits aboard a pontoon boat with three national sales awards earned by Del Mastro Recreation over the past year, including Top Canadian Dealer for South Bay Pontoon and Forest River Marine, Bentley Pontoon’s Rookie of the Year Award and a Gold Sales Award recognizing the Peterborough-based company as one of the top sellers in Canada. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

For Dean Del Mastro, the recent recognition earned by Del Mastro Recreation is about much more than sales numbers.

The Peterborough-based company has received three national sales awards within the past 12 months from three different pontoon boat manufacturers, an accomplishment Del Mastro believes is highly unusual in the industry.

Among the honours are Top Canadian Dealer for South Bay Pontoon and Forest River Marine, Bentley Pontoon’s Rookie of the Year Award and a Gold Sales Award recognizing the company as a top seller in Canada.

“I’m incredibly proud,” said Del Mastro. “I can’t remember any time that a business in Peterborough has received three national awards in the same year from three different companies, all with competing products.”

While the awards recognize strong sales performance, Del Mastro credits the achievement to the people behind the business, from staff members to customers who continue to place their trust in the company.

A Leap of Faith That Paid Off

One of the biggest success stories has been the company’s partnership with Bentley Pontoon.

Del Mastro admitted bringing on the brand was initially a leap of faith. The company already had strong relationships with established manufacturers Avalon and South Bay when the opportunity arose.

Part of what caught his attention was an unexpected personal connection.

His beloved bulldog, whom he describes as “the best dog we’ll ever own,” was named Bentley.

“When they came and said they wanted to talk about taking on Bentley Pontoon, I said, ‘What name did you say?’” he recalled with a laugh.

But beyond the name, it was the people behind the company that convinced him.

A self-described relationship-driven person, Del Mastro said meeting the Marcotte family and the Bentley team left him confident the partnership would work.

That confidence proved well founded.

Following a strong showing at the Toronto Boat Show in January, demand for the boats quickly took off, helping Del Mastro Recreation earn both Rookie of the Year and top sales honours.

Building Trust Through Service

Del Mastro believes success in the recreation industry comes down to three key factors: people, product and service.

With many boats now carrying price tags of $50,000 and beyond, customers want reassurance that they will be supported long after the purchase is complete.

“People expect that when they make that kind of decision, they’re going to be able to count on the company manufacturing the boat and the place selling it to them,” he said.

That commitment to customer service has helped the company build a loyal customer base over more than three decades in business.

A Family Business Rooted in Peterborough

The Del Mastro name has been connected to Peterborough for generations.

Dean’s mother grew up in Douro, and his parents returned to Peterborough shortly before he was born. When his father passed away, the family decided to pursue a dream he never had the chance to realize: starting his own business.

The company began in December 1992 as a small used-car lot operating across from what was then the Trentwinds International Centre.

The first year exceeded expectations, with roughly 300 vehicles sold.

A few years later, the family took a major risk by purchasing the property at 48 Lansdowne Street East, which remains the company’s home today.

“It was a huge undertaking for us,” Del Mastro said. “We didn’t have a lot of money, but we found a way to make it work.”

The family pooled resources, took on significant risk and relied on hard work, determination and strong community relationships to keep moving forward.

More than 34 years later, those efforts continue to pay off.

Growth Through Adversity

After spending more than a decade away from the business, Del Mastro returned during the COVID-19 pandemic and began investing heavily in its future.

Since then, he said the company has quadrupled its sales.

The business has also expanded beyond vehicle sales into powersports, marine products and other recreational industries.

But Del Mastro insists growth does not happen by accident.

“It takes good staff, good planning, good marketing and everything else that goes into running a business,” he said. “You can’t be half in. You’re either all in or you won’t make it.”

Family Still at the Heart of Everything

While the company has grown significantly, it remains a true family operation.

His brother Jason now plays a major leadership role within the business, while their wives help manage financial operations. Even the next generation is involved, with Del Mastro’s daughter Charlotte helping out at the company’s car wash and Jason’s daughters contributing over the years as well.

The family atmosphere extends beyond relatives to employees.

Del Mastro said one of the biggest lessons he has learned in recent years is that younger workers are every bit as motivated as previous generations.

“They want to succeed. They want to contribute. They want to do well in life,” he said. “They’re really just looking for a path.”

That realization has strengthened his commitment to mentoring staff and sharing the lessons he has learned through decades in business.

Why Peterborough Still Matters

Despite opportunities to expand elsewhere, Del Mastro says Peterborough remains the heart of everything the company does.

“This is where I’m from,” he said. “This is where my family and friends are.”

He acknowledged that future expansion may take the company beyond Peterborough’s borders, but he is adamant that the city will always remain its home base.

His pride in the community remains as strong as ever.

“I’ve always fought for this town,” he said.

Today, that fight comes through entrepreneurship, job creation and continued investment in a business that employs local people and serves customers across the region.

Chasing Bigger Goals

For Del Mastro, the recent awards are not a finish line.

If anything, they are motivation to aim even higher.

He studies successful businesses across North America and believes companies operating in communities the size of Peterborough are capable of achieving far more than many people realize.

“Often we limit ourselves by believing what we think is possible,” he said.

That mindset continues to drive the company forward.

Whether it is expanding operations, growing sales or setting new industry benchmarks, Del Mastro says the goal is not simply to be good at what they do.

“We expect not to be good,” he said. “We expect to be great.”

And after turning a small family business into a nationally recognized operation, few would bet against them.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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15 Years of Sugar Me Right Is a Story About People, Persistence and Community

By Scott Arnold

What started with Shannon Gray searching for a way to never run out of her favourite sugaring product has grown into a 15-year Peterborough business built on education, confidence, community and the people who kept showing up.

1. Shannon Gray cuts the anniversary cake as the business celebrates 15 years in Peterborough. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

There was plenty to celebrate inside Sugar Me Right! Beauty Studio on Thursday as owner and founder Shannon Gray marked 15 years in business surrounded by clients, supporters, community leaders, friends and fellow business owners.

Located at 115 Sherbrooke St., Unit 2, Sugar Me Right has come a long way from its beginnings in Gray's home in Buckhorn, where she spent her first three months building the business while also travelling to clients' homes for “sip and sugar” parties.

“It was definitely not the glamorous version of owning a spa that you might imagine when you hear 15th anniversary,” Gray said.

But it was a start.

Gray had been sugaring at home since she was 19, and when the product she used became unavailable, she spent about two years searching for it before deciding to get professionally trained.

“I am very much a reader, so 15 years ago I opened Sugar Me Right and honestly I don't think I had any idea what it was that I was starting,” she said.

From her home, Gray moved into shared space at Park and King, before relocating to a larger Charlotte Street location in 2014.

In 2017, Sugar Me Right moved to its current downtown location, a move that was important to Gray and one that has helped make the business part of Peterborough's downtown story.

2. Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Deputy Mayor Councillor Joy Lachica present Shannon Gray with a certificate recognizing Sugar Me Right's 15th anniversary. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal was among those on hand Thursday to recognize the milestone, presenting Gray with a certificate from the Mayor and members of City Council.

“Fifteen years in business is a particularly remarkable achievement,” Leal said.

He also spoke about the challenges faced by small businesses, including regulations and economic uncertainty, while emphasizing the importance of downtown businesses and the people they bring into the core.

“The vibrancy of people, foot traffic is so important each and every day,” he said.

Deputy Mayor and Councillor Joy Lachica also congratulated Gray, highlighting her resilience and the example she provides for young people and aspiring business owners.

“I thought, what an inspiration you are to youth and to those coming up who are interested in these things,” Lachica said.

She also recognized Gray's contribution as a woman business owner in downtown Peterborough.

“And your resilience and your inspiration as a woman leader and business owner in our downtown Peterborough is huge,” she said.

Nour Mazloum, executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, noted that Sugar Me Right has been connected to downtown for more than a decade, first becoming part of the downtown business community in 2014 before moving to its current location in 2017.

“Downtown businesses aren't just places that we shop or get services at,” Mazloum said. “They have become part of the fabric of our community.”

She credited Gray with building a business that people know, love and seek out, while thanking her for continuing to invest in downtown Peterborough.

But the anniversary was also a chance to reflect on how much the business itself has helped educate the community.

When Gray started, many people were unfamiliar with professional body sugaring.

“I'd get questions like, do you sell candy?” she said.

Instead of simply advertising the service, Gray decided to teach people what sugaring was and what it could do.

“I decided that if people didn't understand it, I was gonna teach them,” she said.

Beginning in 2013, her advertising focused heavily on education, explaining how sugaring could affect hair growth and the skin.

3. Sugar Me Right esthetician Vicki Logan demonstrates professional body sugaring on employee Tara Williams' arm during the business's 15th anniversary celebration. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

For Gray, however, the business has never really been about hair removal alone.

“Because for me, it has never really been just about removing hair,” she said. “It's been about confidence.”

Over the years, Gray has also educated practitioners through Alexandria Professional, supported other businesses, sponsored events, donated to fundraisers and helped with community events.

That broader role has changed how she sees the business she started 15 years ago.

“I don't know why that made me emotional, but somewhere along the way, Sugar Me Right stopped being a business that I just owned,” Gray said.

“It became a we by offering jobs. It became part of the community.”

That, she said, is one of the things she is most proud of.

“A business doesn't get to 15 years because of one person,” Gray said.

“It gets there because of the people who keep showing up, the clients who trust you, the staff who stays, the people who refer you, the other businesses who collaborate with you, community organizations who give you a place at the table, and people who believe in you when you're still trying to figure things out.”

Gray also reflected on one of the earliest challenges she faced.

When she applied for funding during her first year, she was told spas were not the kind of businesses the organization preferred to fund because many closed within their first two years.

“I remember thinking, well, you don't know who's running this one,” she said.

She asked for her application back.

“Challenge accepted.”

Fifteen years later, Gray said those words mean something different.

“It's not really about proving to somebody that they're wrong anymore,” she said. “It's about proving to myself that when I believe in something, I'm willing to keep showing up for it.”

That message was echoed by Cindy Koshowski, president of the Women's Business Network, who praised Gray's commitment to the organization and the community.

“I think you should come and stand up here with me because what I want to talk about is the stand-up part because you are a stand-up person,” Koshowski said.

She also thanked Gray for the kindness and compassion she brings to her work.

“I am so glad you invited me. I wouldn't have missed it for anything,” she said.

Before the day ended there was one more presentation. Liam O’Connor, representing the Peterborough and District Chamber of Commerce presented Gray with a certificate recognizing the 15-year milestone, while also highlighting her support for local business, the Chamber, the Women's Business Network and the Love Local initiative.

O’Connor emphasized that Gray and her team lead by example when it comes to supporting other area businesses. “(Sugar Me Right!) walks the walk when they talk about supporting local".

The celebration began with a land acknowledgement from Crystal Dawn, who also happens to be Gray's younger sister.

Dawn spoke about their grandmother, who ran a business for many years, and drew a connection between that family history and Gray's own journey.

“Shannon has shown a dedication, resiliency, and creativity often seen in indigenous women in business,” Dawn said.

“A true force to behold and a natural leader, I am so proud to be your not so little little sister.”

For Gray, reaching 15 years was ultimately about more than celebrating the business itself.

“I don't just want to celebrate 15 years of Sugar Me Right,” she said. “I want to celebrate 15 years of people.”

There were plenty of those people in the room Thursday.

Clients who have been there since the early days, members of Gray's team, fellow business owners, community leaders and supporters gathered to celebrate a business that has continued to grow while remaining firmly connected to the community around it.

Gray doesn't know exactly what the next 15 years will bring.

“I have no idea exactly what the next 15 years will look like,” she said.

“But after everything that it took to get here, I'm pretty excited to find out.”

For a business that began with one woman, a product she couldn't live without and a determination to find a way forward, that's a pretty good place to be after 15 years.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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From a House Party Mishap to a Peterborough Success Story

By Scott Arnold

What started as a teenager trying to erase the evidence of a house party has turned into one of Peterborough’s longest-running local businesses.

Terry Munro’s journey into business started with a rented carpet cleaner after a teenage house party. Thirty-seven years later, Kawartha Carpet Cleaning has become a familiar name across Peterborough and the Kawarthas (Photo by Scott Arnold)

When Terry Munro was 17 years old, he found himself in a situation many teenagers would rather forget.

He had hosted a house party and needed to clean the carpets before anyone found out.

So he rented a steam cleaner, got to work and discovered something unexpected: he was actually good at it.

“The rest is pretty much history,” Munro said with a laugh.

Thirty-seven years later, that one cleaning job has grown into Kawartha Carpet Cleaning, a company that has become a familiar name in homes, businesses and institutions across Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

It is a story that could only happen in a community like this one.

Unlike many teenagers who were working part-time jobs after school, Munro was already thinking differently. He had his own vehicle and saw an opportunity in a service that virtually everyone could use at some point.

Before long, he had launched a business and rented his first office on Erskine Avenue, above Better Carpet. The company later moved to The Queensway, where it spent many years beside the Queensway Restaurant, before settling into its current Rye Street location in 2011.

Over nearly four decades, the business has seen Peterborough grow and change around it.

While carpet cleaning remains at the heart of the operation, the company’s work extends far beyond living rooms and hallways. Kawartha Carpet Cleaning services residential and commercial properties, cleans furniture, works on boats and vehicles, and handles specialty jobs throughout the region.

Its crews regularly work with hotels, businesses, marinas and municipal facilities, making the company a familiar presence in countless corners of the community.

Like many local businesses, Kawartha Carpet Cleaning faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-standing routines had to be adjusted, staffing structures changed and operations adapted to new restrictions.

But the company endured.

For Munro, that resilience comes down to two things: loyal customers and dedicated employees.

He credits generations of repeat clients and referrals for helping the business thrive for nearly four decades. At the same time, he is quick to point out that the company’s success has always been driven by its staff.

“This whole thing’s been staff driven the whole time,” he said.

That commitment to people may be one of the most meaningful parts of the story.

Over 37 years, Munro estimates he has employed thousands of people. Many were young workers getting their start in the workforce, and he still runs into former employees throughout the community.

In some cases, they remind him that Kawartha Carpet Cleaning was their very first job.

Even his mechanic.

For a lifelong Peterborough resident who has spent decades building a business here, those connections matter.

Munro played hockey in the city, built relationships throughout the community and has watched generations of workers and customers come through his doors. While he now lives in Havelock after spending years in Ennismore and Bridgenorth, Peterborough remains home in many ways.

Looking back on nearly four decades in business, his answer to what he is most proud of is surprisingly simple.

“I’m still here.”

In an era when small businesses face constant challenges and competition, there is something refreshing about that response.

No grand speech. No elaborate explanation.

Just a local business owner who started with a rented steam cleaner, worked hard, built a loyal customer base and kept showing up year after year.

And if Munro has his way, the story is far from over.

His goal remains the same as it has been for years: when people in the Kawarthas think about carpet cleaning, he wants them to think of Kawartha Carpet Cleaning.

Considering how the company got its start, that is a remarkable journey from one unforgettable house party.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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