2013 Bears' Lair Peterborough Competition Looking For Entries

Peterborough entrepreneurial competition Bears' Lair is looking for entries via Facebook. Enter a video from February 1st to March 20th to compete for a prize package valued at more than $20,000 in business products and services. The Top Seven finalists will be announced on March 25th and asked to speak at the Creative Cocktail for 3 minutes each on April 4th. The competition grand Finale takes place on April 25th at Market Hall where the entrants will have 15 minutes to present to the Bears with one winner being chosen that evening.

You can also follow Bears' Lair on Twitter and read our coverage of the 2012 and 2011 events.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Play and Learn Store On Lansdowne Street Has Closed Down

Parent and Teacher resource store Play and Learn (at 947 Lansdowne Street West) has closed their business due to lack of sales. There is no notice on the door or their voicemail yet of the closure, but the store is vacant of inventory and PTBOCanada just received confirmation from Play and Learn head office in Kingston.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Check Out Kawartha Candle Company This Holiday Season

If you've ever been walking along Charlotte Street when all of a sudden you were drawn to the scents of vanilla, cinnamon and berries floating through the air, that's no doubt the wonderful smells of the Kawartha Candle Company located at 196 Charlotte St. Shirley Leahy will be celebrating one year of ownership in the new year—and the business was orginally established back in 1999 by its previous owners. She welcomes you to come and enjoy all the shop has to offer including purses, wallets, scarves, home accents and of course candles! Jar candles like the ones below range from $9.99 to $21.99. 

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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61 Awesome Things About Peterborough In 2012

There was so much awesome about this city this year. In no particular order really, here's 61 of them (we had to cut if off somewhere)...

1. Peterborough Lakers winning the Mann Cup. Best in Canada baby!

2. Red Pashminas, which empower women locally and globally.

3. Trent's LipDub video, a great showcase for the university.

4. Doug Tilley's comedy, whether it's his "singing" or tweeting or... what's next Tilley?

5. Bandwagon episodes. Now in its 2nd season, which launched with Sloan.

6. Wild Rock celebrating 20 years in the downtown. And making the decision to stay in the downtown when they could have moved.

7. PMZ, Peterborough's TMZ celebrating local "celebrities".

8. I'd Rather Be In Peterborough tees. Community spirit.

9. Spanky's annual ping pong tourney for Movember. Spanky's offering a place to play ping pong in town.

"Call Me Maybe" 10. The city rallying behind a teenager's right to play basketball on his own driveway.

11. Philanthropy month in Peterborough showcasing all the people doing good in the community. #bethechangeptbo

12. The new downtown nightclub ARIA, which rivals Toronto's finest.

13. St. Peter's high school students dressing as superheroes during Head of the Trent regatta.

14. Peterborough Cycling Summit. Bike this city. Let's make it as bike friendly as possible.

15. Elton John concert, the one where he actually played Peterborough—not his cancelled one.

GPA EDC's Dan Taylor at Creative Cocktail16. The Peterborough Calendar Girls naked truth campaign raising awareness about the affordable housing shortage here.

17. Breakfast Television broadcasting live from Peterborough. Great coup for our city.

18. Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher at Gerti's. (We don't believe they had the polo sandwich, but it's excellent.)

19. Carly Rae Jepsen at Musicfest. Peterborough singing "Call Me Maybe".

20. Final photo of PCVS students and staff together. This city will never forget the impact this school had, and its legacy.

21. A canoe portage in downtown Peterborough.

22. The Taste of Downtown. So much great food down there. And great folk.

23. The Dragon Boat festival.

24. The Hootenanny on Hunter. It's a hoot.Mike Watt

25. The Gilmour Street Garage Sale. Epic as always.

26. Hunter Street, one of the best streets anywhere for food, drink, shops, live music, theatre, festivals, hot dogs, great vibe.

Rick Mercer at PCVS27. Maryam's Monsef's story about how a city and school saved her life.

28. Peterborough dog pictures.

29. Rick Mercer's Rant on PCVS.

30. Rick Mercer's visit to PCVS, in video and pictures.

31. Noah Leslie—aka @pennyboynoah, who raises money for the Salvation Army Toy Drive each year.

32. Pete Dalliday's unbelievable shot. Believe it.

33. Someone canoeing on a Peterborough street. Canoe Peterborough.

34. Koski.

35. The PeterTweeter awards. Twitter's where it's at. Amazing Twitter community in town. (Follow us here.)

36. Mike Watt's how-to plaid video. Hilarious.

37. Creative Cocktails—here's the one from Market Hall.

St. Peter's superheroes38. Jonny Trash DJing at Spanky's. Best DJ around.

39. The Peterborough web series Grimwell.

40. Petes Insider, giving us the inside goods on the Petes organization.

41. The excellent Canadian Canoe Museum. We're lucky to have it. And let's move it downtown by the waterfront.

42. Electric City Live, which covers the local music scene in Peterborough. Great name, great site.

43. The Art School of Peterborough. Creativity. Imagination.

44. Mike Judson, who went homeless on the streets of Peterborough for 48 hours to raise awareness about the problem here.

Silver Bean45. Peterborough Police for serving and protecting this community, and embracing social media by joining Twitter this year.

46. Rachel Seaman and Ashley Brzozowicz, who competed in the Olympics this summer (Ashley won a silver in her sport, rowing). The tees

47. Downtown Peterborough. Embrace it. Vital. Make it sustainable. Build a city from its core.

48. Silver Bean Café, beauty spot on the river.

49. Our friends at The Wolf and Kruz FM, huge supporters of Peterborough and us. And the always smiling Carol Edwards there, who lets us in through the out door.

50. Three Loonies, for Kawartha Food Share.

51. The return of the Wire Awards. Special night at Market Hall putting spotlight on amazing music scene in Peterborough—one of the best anywhere in Canada.

52. Gallery in the truck. A moving gallery. Great concept. Love it.

53. PtboFinds and PtboProps.

54. Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre.

55. The DBIA's new website by BrandHealth. Excellent.

56. Lois Tuffin, the news diva of Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Never shy about expressing her opinion.

57. Fleming's Student Volunteering Club, students with a sense of community pride.

58. Funny hashtags. E.g. 6,000 people went without power for a couple hours, and #ptboblackout began trending on Twitter in Peterborough. Sample tweet: "I wonder how many babies will be conceived during this blackout #ptboblackout" 

59. John Leacy's mural art around town. Gabby's wall, Spanky's wall and more.

60. Natas Cafe, the epicentre for Peterborough's amazing people.

61. All our readers and followers on Twitter and Facebook. You rock.

Here's to a great 2013!

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A Look At Tango In Peterborough's Fashion District

Désirée Fawn in her funky storeDésirée Fawn, who has been the new owner of Tango since April, invited PtboCanada to the shop in Peterborough's Fashion District to take a peek at all that it has to offer. Located at 366 George Street North, it is a must-stop when shopping downtown for something new to add to your closet. Tango prides itself as being "carefully curated to fit your lifestyle, body, and budget."

The store is welcoming and beautifully laid out with the works of Jackson Creek Press and Lucky Jackson on display, all of which gives this little downtown gem a sense of community and shopping local.  

Désirée strives to find unique clothing and accessory lines that you can't just walk into every store and find. Through various online resources, blogs and recommendations from her suppliers, the store is filled with brands that have a unique style, feel and look to them.

A few little updates around the shop - new shelves!

Désirée has been thrilled with the popularity of Yoga Jeans she sells. You have to try on a pair to truly appreciate how comfy and amazing these jeans really are. More styles, colours and sizes will be arriving at the store soon so be sure to check them out.

Take advantage of Tango's current promotion by buying a gift card for a friend and in turn you end up with savings for yourself in the new year. 

To find out more about Désirée and the shop, visit Facebook, Twitter or the Tango website. Holiday hours are Monday/Tuesday 10 to 6, Wednesday 10 to 5, Thursday/Friday 10 to 8, Saturday 10 to 6 and Sunday  12 to 5.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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The North End is Getting A New Gas Station

The OLCO in the North end of Peterborough (1794 Chemong) is turning into a Global Fuels.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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The Avant-Garden Shop Latest EPIC Ventures Winner

Congratulations to Brenda Ibey of The Avant-Garden Shop, who recently won the EPIC Ventures award and recognition from the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation.  

PtboCanada had the opportunity to visit the downtown store and chat with Brenda about her experiences over the years.  

Although some items do come to the store from the United States, Brenda has always strived to keep the store as local and as Canadian-based as possible. The store has a wide array of bird feeders, gardening supplies and décor for your home both inside and out.

The Avant-Garden Shop will be celebrating 10 years in business on December 12th and are commemorating the occasion tonight (November 22nd) by hosting a Customer Appreciation Event from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

There will be door prizes, refreshments and no tax on store items. It's a great opportunity to get started on some holiday shopping.

The shop is also part of the Peterborough and Area Garden Route. This initiative is to help support our local growers and garden boutiques in the area, as well as to promote and encourage the genuine love for all things nature and gardening within our area. For the complete list of participants and for more info, visit them on Facebook.

Along with their EPIC Ventures award, Avant-Garden also just won the award for Best Retail Business (non-chain) at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards held in October.

The Avant-Garden Shop is located at 165 Sherbrooke Street and is open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can contact Brenda at 705.743.0068/Facebook/Twitter.

 

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris and Evan Holt]

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Why The Next Steps For The Peterborough Petes Are Crucial To Struggling Franchise

It is abundantly clear: The Peterborough Petes are no longer the must watch team they were in their heyday.

The crowds are sparse and quiet; the players give it their all but the product on the ice isn't up to par; it's no longer a coveted thing to play for the Petes (look at the number of players who have asked to be traded in recent years); it's no longer a "hot" ticket to go to a game; the Petes experience is not the entertainment spectacle or buzz factor it should be; and the Board and coaching staff have not developed a clear vision or strategy for how to get the franchise back on track.

Local boy and WIND Mobile co-founder Mike O'Connor came forward earlier this year with an offer to buy the Petes as part of a group called NorthLight Entertainment. He articulated a clear vision to bring them into the 21st century as far as marketing and business savvy and social media and such—and has talked about possibly even building an arena downtown someday, something he reiterated on KRUZ FM earlier this week. And Mike still wants the team, he told us such.

There's no question the Petes fanbase is aging and is in effect dying off—it's not like the Lakers fanbase which has a wide demographic and is attracting youth with its "cool" factor including the entertainment and product on the field, not to mention that most of their games sellout. The status quo isn't working for the Petes. For people to pay their hard earned money to go to a game and buy tickets, use the concession stands and buy Petes merchandise, they have to know it's going to a team with a clear vision and that wants to win over anything else. Would-be Petes fans have a lot of other choices for how to spend their time and their money, so they have to know it will be an "experience" to go to a Petes game, whether it's a date night or bringing the kids or going with buddies.

Now sports reporter Mike Davies from The Examiner reports that the Peterborough Petes board of directors will be making new, crucial additions to their board, as several have stepped down. Petes president Jim Devlin says at least two vacancies will be filled, and that they are looking for candidates , "younger guys", with a hockey background and expertise in business and finance—and the deadline for applicants to submit resumes is December 15th. 

Those positions are key to determining the future of the Petes, a once storied franchise. But are those additions enough? The Board and the organization has to admit that what they're doing now isn't working. Not even close. Tweaking the organization isn't sufficient. A radical new vision and marketing strategy—an overhaul—is needed to save the Petes, and right the ship. And be a competitive team again where players want to play for them and fans want to watch.

Remember 1996? That's what we need to get back to (along with 21st century entertainment/social media):

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PTBOCanada Q&A With The Founders Of Wild Rock Celebrating 20 Years in Peterborough

Wild Rock Outfitters in Peterborough is celebrating their 20th Anniversary this week. We had a chance to chat with owners Kieran Andrews and Scott Murison to look at their past, present and future in town.

PTBOCanada: Tell us how things have changed over the last 20 years in business.

Scott: In the past, the outdoors would have been considered a niche or fringe market. Anything to do with the outdoors would have been considered to be an 'extreme' sport. Even camping and hiking were really rugged and 'out there' kinds of concepts. Now, it has become more mainstream. We have more parks and they are more accessible, which means people are doing more day trips.

When you think of someone being more 'active', you no longer think of them hanging by their fingernails off a cliff, but rather canoeing, kayaking, or being out on bikes with their family in a park. Wild Rock has followed that to some extent. If you want to go to Everest, we can get you there, which may have been the dreams of people 15 years ago. Presently, our customers dream of having a really great weekend or after-work experience. The thought of a few hours of mountain biking or going for a trail run is what gets people through the day.

Cover of the July 1997 issue of Business Advantage

Kieran: Neither one of us feel like we're 'done' yet. We both really enjoy the core of what we do. We used to deal with small independent businesses, but now everyone we do business with are large publicly traded companies. We've learned to navigate that and continue to change; it hasn't phased us. We're committed to this and proud what we do.

Wild Rock started as a five year project. We were only 24 when we opened Wild Rock, and it wasn't a time when we were thinking of permanence. At that time, we weren't thinking about what to do with the rest of our lives—we just borrowed what money we could to start the business. It was an amount that if our 'five year project' failed, we could go back to the lives we were living before and pay off that amount. As the end of that period came up, our first loans were paid off, and the question came up, 'What do we want now? What's next?' So we decided to extend our project by taking a 10 year mortgage for the building, which started the process all over again. Now in turn we're renovating it, so the threshold keeps getting pushed out. 

PTBOCanada: We really like how you nurture local clubs such as the Peterborough Cycling Club and the Peterborough Paddling Club. Tell us about that.

Kieran: There are a couple of reasons for that. We tend to grow and support infrastructure in the community. If there is a really good strong cycling community in Peterborough, that's just a healthy thing but we don't feel we need to be running every one of those things. If someone doesn't like shopping in our store, they should still be able to ride with the cycling community—and the cycling community would be better for that. Wild Rock tries to support those clubs so that they are self-supporting and independent, which will be better for us in the long run.

Scott: Outdoor Clubs attendance is up, such as in jackrabbit ski clubs. The Peterborough Cycling Club is the largest cycling club in Canada per capita. Members are out numerous times a week.

PTBOCanada: How much has retail changed for you over the years?

Scott: The industry has become a lot more competitive with the advent of the internet which allows you to shop from your armchair. Some people are much more price savvy, so we just have to learn how to meet that.

PTBOCanada: What prompted the move from your original location to the present one?

Scott: Two things. First, our business was growing. Second, it was the first wave of corporations getting into the outdoor business. Hiker's Haven was bought by a Dutch company and they were going to open something like 37 stores across Canada. Craig's Coast Mountain was purchased in B.C. by the Forzani group, and were going to open 75 across the country. We decided it was time to increase the size of our store to somewhat block that.

PTBOCanada: At one point recently, you were considering moving to the vacant Peterborough Co-Op building on Lansdowne Street. In the end, you decided to stay put. Why was that?

Scott: It was a beautiful building and exactly what we would have wanted. Tons of space. From a business sense it would have done well, but not from a holistic sense. Our employees wouldn't have wanted to work there. I live downtown, I want to work downtown and I can ride my bike. In the end, we decided to stay here.

Kieran: The only reason to even consider the move was that the building was so fantastic. Without question, we would have been more successful out there but at the end of the day, that's not always the most important thing. The choice to work downtown is as much about living downtown. Pretty much all of the staff ride their bikes or walk to work. It's pretty much something I believe in from a quality of life standpoint. I can go for a week at a time and never have to get in my car.

PTBOCanada: So we see you are starting to utilize more of the current building. Things such as the new sale room downstairs and the Canoe/Kayak/SUP building out back. Tell us about that.

Kieran: It's been an ongoing project. We've been working on the building to get more out of it pretty much since we moved in to it. From a sales standpoint, we're probably triple what we were at when we moved in. That is like a house you buy as a couple when you get married, but then you have four kids and you are still in the same two bedroom house [laughs]. Instead of changing homes, we keep changing the home to make it work for the family.  

Scott: We're proud of how the post and beam construction is coming along on the new addition, which should be complete by Spring 2013. The building itself has been around since 1929 (it was once an A&P Grocery Store).

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Click here to view Wild Rock's website.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Habitat for Humanity & The Brick Asking You To Cast Your Vote

The Brick has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity once again this year, and will be donating a second home to a community in Canada. Last year a family in Stratford was awarded a home and this year we are hoping that Peterborough will be chosen as the next community awarded this opportunity. Cast your votes here in hopes that a deserving family in our area will have the opportunitiy for a new home to call their very own.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada (hashtag #bethechangeptbo) or Like us on Facebook.