Peterborough Blogs
StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring McLeod’s EcoWater, Century 21 United, Chamber of Commerce and RoadSide Greetings
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
McLeod’s EcoWater recently announced the opening of their third location. Owners Rowan and Lillie Fleming say the new Port Perry location will be a popular spot to refill water jugs, just like their Bowmanville and Peterborough stores.
McLeod’s is a full-service water treatment business, serving the area for over 40 years with under-sink drinking water systems, whole-home filtration, water softening and well water treatment. All backed by local service and expertise.
Century 21 United recently decided to capitalize on their existing office in Lakefield and expand and renovate the space. Located on Queen Street next to Foodland, Broker/Owner Vanessa Oake Hogan says the expanded space offers a private boardroom with a smart TV for client presentations, touchdown workstations with printing facilities, a lounge area, plus a beautiful porch and a great big window to enjoy views of Lakefield. Once the lockdown ends Century 21 realtors will be on duty 7 days a week.
The annual Chamber of Commerce Seniors Showcase is happening the entire month of June. There are nine workshops on everything from decluttering to gardening, nutrition to transit plus lots of information from participating exhibitors. Everything is on the Chamber website and available anytime. If you would like your businesses profiled in a five-minute video, there is still lots of time for the Chamber to help you get it recorded. Visit peterboroughchamber.ca for details.
RoadSide Greetings is hard at work, adding lots more lawn greetings for birthdays, anniversaries and especially graduations. Last year, owner, 15-year-old Hannah MacDonald sold 225 Graduation signs and raised $1800 for #ptbostrong. This year Hannah is hoping to top that and donate the proceeds to Hospice Peterborough, who helped her through the passing of her grandparents this year.
StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Canadian Woodenware, Chemong Lodge, Peterburgers and Corus Entertainment
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Andy Sharpe purchased the Canadian Woodenware company in St. Thomas and recently completed a restoration of a historical building in Springbrook, just South of Marmora, where the business is now operating.
Canadian Woodenware has been in business for over 114 years, making washboards and toboggans. In addition to their regular line of washboards, Sharpe has just launched a collaboration with Washboard Hank Fisher. The Harmony is designed specifically for music and the first shipment was recently delivered to Long and McQuade in Peterborough. Check out the amazing story of the Canadian Woodenware Company on Facebook or at their official website.
Congratulations to the Brown Family on their recent purchase of the historic Chemong Lodge. The Browns are well known in the Peterborough restaurant scene and are excited to continue the legacy of warmth, hospitality and great food. Hats off to the Northey family, who purchased the lodge in 1962 and built a solid business, a great reputation and created many memories over nearly 60 years.
Another tremendous example of local generosity in the business community this week. The husband-and-wife team of Shannon and Joy Brown, owners of Till Death BBQ, have obviously been affected by the pandemic so the owners of Peterburgers at George and Lake Street, Nicole Combers and Roy Asselstine, offered the use of their restaurant on Sundays as well as naming a burger and poutine after them.
It could just be good karma because Shannon and Joy are no strangers to generosity themselves. Last year, in a year that saw more than 40 catered weddings cancelled on them, they gave away well over a thousand pulled pork sandwiches, corn bread muffins, brownies and more by simply pulling up to the hospital and handing it out to front line workers. This is what local looks like, and why you should support it.
Congratulations to Wanda Bergshoeff on joining the CORUS Peterborough/Durham Sales Team. Wanda brings over 20 years of media experience and she is looking forward to working with Corus clients in the area.
Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews Owners Take Over Chemong Lodge
/Adam and Addison Brown, owners of Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews, have purchased Chemong Lodge in Bridgenorth from the Northey Family on Friday.
Both Brown families outside their newly purchased property after the Northey’s owned Chemong Lodge for 59 years. Photo Courtesy of Sara Brown.
The Northey’s purchased the property back in 1962 and the Brown’s become the fifth family to purchase the Lodge since it was built in 1895.
“They’ve (the Northey’s) have done a phenomenal job with it,” said Adam Brown. “We’re really excited to take over that legacy and build on it.”
The three-acre property overlooks Chemong Lake and was a restored luxury cottage repurposed as a restaurant. It has been closed since last year due to the pandemic.
The Chemong Lodge website has been updated to reflect the hours, new ownership and online ordering of their menu of freshly-cooked or vacuum-packed food.
The Brown family will bring the smokers from Dr. J’s for the Lodge’s reopening on Victoria Day weekend starting Friday to provide curbside take-out orders of their food. Pulled pork, ribs and brisket among other things will be available for purchase as their way of introducing themselves to the community. They will operate at the following times and dates:
Friday, May 21: 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. or until sold out
Saturday, May 22: Noon to 8:00 p.m. or until sold out
Sunday, May 23: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. or until sold out
“Chemong Lodge has been to us, as it’s been to so many, a great place of celebration (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, engagements) and we would like to thank the Northey’s for all of the special moments they’ve created for us and the local community.” said The Brown family in a press release. So many families have shared in the great food, love and laughter that you have provided.”
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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Lakeshore Designs, Metaphor Home, Ashburnham Realty and For SmALL of Us
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Lakeshore Designs owner Angela Jones is planning to open the Boathouse Boutique and Bikini Beans Café in Buckhorn this summer. Located at 1929 Lakehurst Road at Lock 31 in Buckhorn, they are advertising for retail and barista positions right now so look for Lakeshore Designs on Facebook.
Metaphor Home is excited to show you their new location in downtown Peterborough as soon as the restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile, they are offering a capsule collection of some of their favourite items for your home, or for yourself. Check out Metaphor Home on Facebook.
Ashburnham Realty is also busy planning for a post-pandemic Peterborough. They are building a patio in the Commerce Courtyard, which will be utilized by a number of their tenants including St. Veronus, Le Petit Bar and the Food Forest. It’s a very cool hidden gem in Downtown Peterborough and will be a great gathering spot for events such as the First Friday Art Crawl.
These are just two examples of local businesses getting ready to come back strong. The resilience and positive approach were captured recently in a video put together by Mike and Shelby Watt, owners of Providence, Save Our Soles and Flavour Fashion.
The video is poignant but powerful in the way it illustrates Peterborough’s young entrepreneurs and their approach to business. Please check it out on social media and please continue to support all of our local businesses with their online and curbside offerings.
New Entrepreneur Revs Up With Motorcycle Service and Repair Shop
/After 15 years of working with road hogs, Cody Carslake of Lakehurst opened his new motorcycle service and repair business, Carslake Motorcycle & Powersports in early May.
Living in Lakehurst and having his business in Buckhorn lets Carslake have a shorter drive to work instead of having it in Peterborough. Photo By David Tuan Bui.
With the business located in Buckhorn, — and named after his last name — Carslake is a certified Harley-Davidson motorcycle technician; a service that has become scarce in Peterborough County.
”With the local Harley Davidson dealership recently closing shop, I did feel like there was a void in the area and the market to be brought to the table,” he said.
Carslake working on a customer’s 2020 Harley Road Glide Special. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The 31-year-old is the only employee in the business so far. With having two sons, Carslake can make his own schedule while balancing life as a father. Despite being open for only a few weeks, the new entrepreneur is enjoying the business he has been getting.
“It's been great,” said Carslake. “It's a challenge. Every day is a new experience. At the end of the day, every day I've enjoyed it whether it's a challenge or not.”
Carslake has been riding motorcycles since he was five-years old. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The business offers motorcycle maintenance, repairs, — both minor and major — customization and carries some basic supplies such as motor oil. While the shop services all motorcycles and ATVs, Carslake specializes in Harley-Davidson bikes.
In the shop’s first few weeks, he has already seen overwhelming business as the phone is “constantly ringing” according to Carslake.
Carslake Motorcycle & Powersports is located at 3192 Buckhorn Rd. Photo By David Tuan Bui.
Carslake became a certified Harley-Davidson technician after attending the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He has also worked in Harley-Davidson businesses to become an expert technician for their bikes.
“I put a smile on every day when I get up because I'm going to do what I enjoy at the end of the day,” said Carslake. “It's doing something that I love and it's the game-changer.”
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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Jessica Dalliday, Canveda, NanoNation and the Seniors Showcase
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StooNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Canveda is a Peterborough-based grower of Health Canada licensed medical-grade cannabis and they have just announced the launch of their recreational brand called Strain Rec. It will be available at local licensed cannabis stores as well as the Ontario Cannabis Store.
Canveda employs 25 people locally and they’ve worked closely with Fleming College to develop an internship program with their business school.
NanoNation Canada is a 100% Indigenous-owned, Peterborough-based company specializing in the distribution and application of antimicrobial cleaning products, to hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, food processing plants, restaurants, retail outlets and more.
NanoNation has just announced that it is bringing its cleaning solutions to the retail market thanks to its partnership with Canadian-made Bacoban products, which will be manufactured in Lindsay. Watch for retail outlets coming soon, but in the meantime, you can purchase the product online at their official website.
The Peterborough Chamber’s annual Seniors Showcase will be a virtual event this year. The popular event draws hundreds of seniors each year to attend workshops and visit the exhibitor booths.
This year the showcase will take place online the entire month of June with a great lineup of informative workshops, a panel discussion and more. If you’d like to showcase your company in a five-minute video, check out the details at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s website.
Many people in the community are still trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of Jessica Dalliday on April 6th. Jess was the owner of Pilates On Demand, touched many lives and has been honoured in many ways in the last month.
Now, Inspire, the Women’s Portrait Project, has decided to permanently honour Jess by dedicating their annual She Inspires Me campaign in her name. The names of six women were released last week and you can read their stories, and read about Jessica Dalliday’s Inspiring life at her website.
Photo Courtesy of Chantelle Watt.
Local Group Creates Video Highlighting Small Businesses During Pandemic
/Small businesses have been negatively affected by the pandemic but entrepreneurs Kyle McDonald, Mike Watt and several others wanted to highlight their importance with a heartstring-grabbing video released Monday.
The video, “For SmALL of Us” showcases the importance of how small businesses play a role in local communities. While it is easy to tell everyone to shop local, the video wanted to spread the message to emotionally connect with their audience while preventing the saying from becoming cliché according to both entrepreneurs.
“We’ve seen a million things to say support local and shop local, you can only say the same thing for so long,” said McDonald, owner of Pioneer Inc. “They just push it aside and it falls on deaf ears.”
“It’s about reframing the message about giving small businesses the first opportunity,” said Watt, owner of Providence, S.O.S. Save Our Soles, Flavour Fashion and PTBO Northern Originals. ”I never hear about how Costco is what makes Peterborough so great. It’s the bridal shop you got your wedding dress or the suit you got married in or the coffee shops that you sat down at.“
The 60-second video does not mention Peterborough so it could be used universally. Photo Courtesy of Kyle MacDonald.
The video’s idea was inspired by Watt after a conversation with his wife —who co-owns S.O.S. with Watt — and when Premier Doug Ford and the Government of Ontario announced a month-long province-wide shutdown that extended into six weeks that took effect early April.
Hà Nội House and St. Veronus Café and Tap Room were some of the businesses that were portrayed in the video. Photo Courtesy of Tyler Tindale
The rapidly-changing pandemic rules have forced these small businesses to be creative and innovative just to stay afloat said Watt.
“Everybody is struggling in their own way right now and the creativity is out there,” he said. “People are doing podcasts, interviews and doing these side hustles to bring all these businesses to light. People are seeing how are they are going to survive in this third wave.”
Sam’s Place in Downtown Peterborough on Hunter Street is shown here. Several shots of downtown were taken to compile the video. Photo Courtesy of Tyler Tindale
While the 60-second video contained all shots of Peterborough, the city’s name was not branded so it could apply to all small businesses as opposed to just one place. It has received heavy positive feedback and the message has spread very quickly according to Watt and McDonald.
“Likes are fine (on social media) but shares are what make a difference,” said McDonald. “On the other side, it has made a resurgence and has our city gone up in local business.”
“It’s been awesome. People are really embracing it and sharing it in and out of town. It’s doing what we wanted to do,” said Watt. “We wanted people to have a passion for this town and other towns and have people recognize that this is a conversation.”
The video was branded by brand developer Bryan Sage, videographer Jeremy Kelly did the editing and photography was by Tyler Tinsdale. Klint Davies wrote the script and Mike Judson of Pure Country 105 did the voice-over.
“We have to ramp up to a point in June where we can open. Hopefully we can open and hit the ground running and willing to shop and support these businesses,” said Watt. “We want to start the conversation. It comes from a place of encouragement and our city. We want people to think about our businesses.”
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Flying Colours Completes Ten-Year Inspection On Heavy Maintenance For An Aircraft
/Flying Colours Corp. has completed a 120-month heavy maintenance inspection for a Bombardier Global XRS aircraft.
Photo Courtesy of Flying Colours Corp.
In addition to the airframe inspection and maintenance strip down, the aircraft underwent additional upgrades including the equipping of Ka-band connectivity and ADS-B Out installation.
The Honeywell JetWave™ Ka-band system necessitated hardware installation of a tail-mounted antenna, cabin router, modem and associated wiring to support global high-speed connectivity. Full external paintwork completed the aircraft enhancements before redelivery to the owner. A further three Bombardier Global aircraft are scheduled for ten-year heavy checks over the next six months at Flying Colours Corp.’ North America facilities.
A full pre-purchase inspection accompanied the maintenance work, which was conducted on behalf of a UK-based customer. The positioning into North America for the complex project highlights a growing trend Flying Colours Corp. is noticing as European owners and operators recognize the distinct benefits of having maintenance, interior, avionics, and paintwork projects completed in parallel in-house at a single location at competitive rates.
“Our extensive experience, reputation for quality output and established high-tech facilities where we can complete all work under one roof makes our offering extremely attractive for those needing multifaceted work scopes fulfilled on time and within tight budgets,” says Eric Gillespie, Flying Colours Corp executive vice president. "The larger the package the greater the justification for bringing aircraft to our North American facilities.”
The expert team’s ability to provide MRO support in conjunction with pre-purchase inspections, transaction and pre-registration administrative support ensures customers maximize budgets and minimize downtime.
Interest is coming from predominantly northern European-based operators. Confirmed European projects for the next quarter include a major 240-month maintenance inspection, cabin management system upgrade and full exterior paintwork for a Bombardier Global Express as well as a 48-month inspection on a Challenger 605.
“We’re gaining significant traction in Europe and we anticipate that as our profile continues to rise in the EMEA region and the pandemic recedes, we will support and satisfy the needs of an increasing range of owners,” adds Andrew Pearce, Flying Colours EMEA sales manager.
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Women-Dedicated Networking Business Celebrates 60th Anniversary
/The Women’s Business Network has celebrated its 60th anniversary with a virtual event featuring guest speakers, trivia, giveaways and business spotlights for all its members on Wednesday.
Formed in 1961, the WBN is a networking channel for businesswomen who want to enhance and expand their professional contacts and grow their businesses.
The virtual gathering allowed members to give testimonials and reflect on how WBN has affected their lives and its positive impact.
“The membership boasts about 175 members at full capacity,” said Danielle McIver, WBN president. “It’s about supporting women with their goals. Whatever you’re doing as a female community member in Peterborough, we want to support you.”
Examples of network members are entrepreneurs, business owners, administrators and several other occupations. Photo Courtesy of WBN.
With the pandemic, McIver had the WBN adapt to the drastic changes the world has undergone. She became president of the organization last year.
“I’m honoured to be here to celebrate a milestone and it’s exciting that we’ve had so much change in this the last year and we’ve been able to have a strong virtual membership,” said McIver. “There was so much pivoting, so much challenge and so much change.”
Margaret Steeves was the first president of the WBN serving from 1961-1962. Photo Courtesy of WBN.
McIver made the year’s theme “you belong” since COVID-19 negatively affected several women’s careers.
“I was seeing a lot of people losing jobs, losing career paths that they felt was their identity in WBN,” she said. “The ‘you belong’ theme was really making sure we can embrace people for whatever the situation was right now that they were at.”
The WBN is run by a board of directors with up to 13 volunteer members who dedicate 10-30 hours a month to the organization. Photo Courtesy of WBN.
