StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Buttertart Factory, Feta and Olives, Eco Insulation and Organized By Design

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…

The Kawartha Buttertart Factory, located at the corner of County Road 4 and 28, next to the Douro Arena, recently expanded into a second location at 1135 Lansdowne St. in the Parkway Plaza near Shoeless Joes.

Famous for their wide variety of delicious butter tarts, owner Cathy Smith and her team also specialize in apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, pies, square, sweet loaves as well as grab-and-go items. Check it out in person or online at thebuttertartfactory.com or on social media.

Feta and Olives recently expanded from their Belleville location to Peterborough.

Now located in both the Quinte Mall and Lansdowne Place, owner Nick Reed describes Feta and Olives as fast, fresh and healthy Mediterranean food. They serve food such as gyros, donairs, salads, falafel, pitas, souvlaki and more. You will find Feta and Olives in the food court at Lansdowne Place or all over social media.

Rob Hatfield recently acquired the Eco Insulation franchise for the Peterborough area. Eco Insulation offers batt & poly, closed-cell spray foams and cellulose loose fibre blown-in insulation which can insulate, soundproof and waterproof your home.

They can also provide removal of existing insulation with mold or water damage. Located at 1057 Highway 7 E., Unit 18, in Peterborough, call (705) 868-4873 or visit ecoinsulation.ca.

If you are looking for some tips and tricks on organizing your life, Community Futures has an upcoming webinar called Tips and Tricks for Organizing your Life.

Nicole Cooke of Organized by Design will cover topics like; how clutter impacts your life, organizing your home, how to love your closet again, winning the battle with paperwork, “Drop Zones”, taking the stress out of relocating and more.

It is a free online event on Jan. 27 from noon – 1:00 p.m. Register on Eventbrite or visit communityfuturespeterborough.ca or organizedbydesign.space.

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Trent University Alumna Named Interim CEO Of National Non-Profit

Palette Skills, a national non-profit dedicated to helping organizations access untapped talent and create pathways for unemployed or underemployed workers announced the appointment of Rhonda Barnet as its interim CEO, on Tuesday.

“This opportunity connects to and is an extension of my national and international work of leveraging untapped talent to fill vacancies in high demand jobs and foster an inclusive economic recovery in Canada,” said Barnet.

As Barnet transitions into this new role as interim CEO for Palette Skills, she will also be transitioning into a new role at AVIT Manufacturing in Peterborough.

Barnet will now be an executive chair for AVIT, this will allow her to still be apart of the company while she pursues her other avenues and opportunities.

Barnet is a graduate of Trent University with a B.Sc. in Mathematics & Computer Science and a Chartered Director. She received a distinguished Alumni Award from Trent University in 2020, the Inspiring Fifty Canada - Women in Technology Award in 2018 and a Business Hall of Fame Inductee in 2017.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Cosmaroma, Rens Petes Depot, Golfing Around, Creative Kwe and Noah Crowley

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…

Cosmaroma recently opened at 821 Rye Street in Peterborough. Originally established in 2005 in Toronto, Cosmaroma specializes in stairs, flooring, bathrooms, mouldings, doors and all of the accompanying tools and hardware.

Most products are stocked on site and they work directly with manufacturers to create a specialty shop with low prices. A well-trained and knowledgeable customer service team is also a key focus for the company.

Check it out, just off Lansdowne at Rye Street behind Boston Pizza, or online at cosmaroma.com

Meanwhile, Rens Pets Depot opened in December in the same plaza. Starting out as a small Canadian feed and supply store in Oakville in 1975, Rens Pets Depot now has 33 Stores in Canada with more to come.

“Passionate about pets and the people they own” Rens likes to partner with local groomers, humane societies and other pet professionals, and is involved with adoption and pet license programs. Check it out at 871 Rye St. or visit renspets.com.

Golfing Around has the local golfing community excited. Golfing Around utilizes the Trackman advanced golf tracking technology in their indoor golf simulators which combines two radars and one camera to create a realistic experience playing some of the worlds iconic golf courses.

The new facility will also feature real-to-the-touch astroturf and crystal-clear high-definition projectors. Expected to open sometime in February at 342 Charlotte St., just down from Charlotte Pantry, you can sign up now for updates or buy a pre-sale package in advance. Visit golfingaround.ca for details.

Congratulations this week to two of Stu’s favourite people – Ashley Lamothe, who was recently announced as the new Indigenous Student Success Coordinator at the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University.

Ashley’s businesses - Creative Kwe and Resination are remaining in operation. Just look for creativekwe on social media.

And congratulations to Noah Crowley on his recent appointment to Senior Accountant at BDO Canada.

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Ontario Announces Support For Small Businesses

The Ontario Government announced an Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant for small businesses that are subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen, on Friday. It will provide eligible small businesses with a grant payment of $10,000.

Eligible small businesses include:

• Restaurants and bars;

• Facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness activities (including fitness centres and gyms);

• Performing arts and cinemas;

• Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions;

• Meeting or event spaces;

• Tour and guide services;

• Conference centres and convention centres;

• Driving instruction for individuals; and

• Before- and after- school programs.

The Ontario government is also providing electricity-rate relief to support small businesses, as well as workers and families spending more time at home while the province is in Modified Step Two.

For 21 days starting at 12:01 am on Jan. 18 electricity prices will be set 24 hours a day at the current off-peak rate of 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is less than half the cost of the current on-peak rate. The off-peak rate will apply automatically to residential, small businesses and farms who pay regulated rates set by the Ontario Energy Board and get a bill from a utility and will benefit customers on both Time-of-Use and Tiered rate plans.

Online applications for the previously-announced Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program will open on Jan. 18. This program will provide eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity with rebate payments for up to 100 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to public health measures in response to the Omicron variant.

Eligible businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs. Those required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs. A complete list of eligible businesses will be provided prior to the launch of the application portal.

The Ontario Government is also introducing a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes, cutting wholesale alcohol prices to provide approximately $60 million in annual support to restaurants, bars and other businesses, and extending COVID-19 paid sick days until July 31, 2022 to keep workers safe and ensure they do not lose pay if they need to miss work for reasons related to COVID-19.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Peterborough and Kawartha Chamber of Commerce

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…

For Stu Harrison’s first column of the year, he wanted to focus on one story, the merger and consolidation of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce.

The merger talks were triggered by the retirement of the General Manager of the Kawartha Chamber, Sherry Boyce-Found, who has skillfully managed the Kawartha Chamber for nearly 20 years. She not only retired in July and again in December but Sherry is likely still tying up loose ends today! Hats off to you Sherry!

As the Boards of both organizations considered all of the various aspects of a possible merger, it became obvious that a consolidated Chamber would be much stronger in a number of ways.

Nine full-time staff, working in both the Peterborough and Lakefield offices, representing over 1000 local businesses in the City and County, will continue to deliver on three fundamental promises; Influence, through our lobbying efforts at every level of government to help create the conditions for growth and improve the competitiveness of the business community. Profile, helping local businesses find new clients and partnerships through marketing and promotion. Knowledge, helping local businesses with training on business fundamentals and navigating the maze of Government supports, rules and regulations and to get us to the other side of this Pandemic.

The new Chamber will also continue to operate the ServiceOntario office in Lakefield with five staff ready to help.

In the next few weeks and months, you will see the roll-out of a new brand, consolidated social media channels, a new website and some exciting new programming and services.

If you are in business in the City or County of Peterborough, I hope you’ll take a look at the new Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce. For now, peterboroughchamber.ca or kawarthachamber.ca

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Trent University Student Wins $500 Early Bird Prize With The Boro's Holiday Passport Draw

Trent University student, Jonah Udovc has won the final Holiday Shopping Passport early bird draw of 2021, which is a $500 Boro giftcard.

Jonah Udovc and Terry Guiel, Peterborough DBIA. Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA.

Udovc’s winning Holiday Shopping Passport was drawn on Dec 15 at the Peterborough DBIA.

He collected his stamps after purchasing a coat from Wild Rock Outfitters and a new house plant from Plant Goals.

The $500 gift card can be used at various stores in the downtown core, and Udovc says he will use it to explore places he hasn’t been to.

“Supporting local directly impacts the livelihood of our local shop owners which feels far more impactful than shopping at a big box store. I love the downtown and couldn’t imagine shopping for the holidays anywhere else,” said Udovc.

Holiday Shopping Passports are still available at any one of the 150+ participating shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and cafes in downtown Peterborough. Each completed Holiday Shopping Passport increases the chance to win up to $1,500 in Boro gift cards.

The $1,500 grand prize draw will happen on Jan 12, 2022.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Ancient Trail Soap, Friendlily, Renew MediSpa and Anne Marshall

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…

Ancient Trail Soap is Bay Morgan’s new online retail company. Bay offers milk soaps that are all natural and handmade in small batches using locally sourced ingredients first.

Goat’s milk, olive oil and coconut oil are used as the primary ingredients and no palm oil or synthetics are added. Each batch of soap is made using the “cold process” with botanicals and clays for colour, taking a cure time of six weeks. Choose from many different types, colours, exfoliants, and fragrances from their online shop ancienttrailsoap.com

Jim Riches has taken his years of experience in the charitable sector and turned it into a unique new online shopping experience that features a percentage of every online sale going to a charity of your choice.

Nationwide, the website is designed to bring businesses, consumers and charities together in an everybody-wins scenario. When you visit the site you can explore the charities, the businesses, the products, and when you make a purchase, a percentage goes to the charity you choose. So, whether you are a charity, a business, or a consumer, check it all out at friendlilyshop.com

Roxanne McDonald-Brown created Renew MediSpa to deliver high-quality medical aesthetic services and advanced spa treatments to her clients.

Roxanne is a Registered Practical Nurse, with specialized certificates in Advanced Foot Care and Medical Aesthetic Practitioner. She and her staff offer a suite of services including laser hair removal, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, deep moisture facials and many more. Located at 755 Lock Street, check out renewptbo.com

Congratulations to Anne Marshall of Elmhirst Resort on her recent induction into the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Hall of Fame.

Peterborough is teeming with people who deserve this sort of national recognition, and Canada’s Volunteer Awards is currently looking for nominees. Recognizing the contributions of volunteers for not-for-profits, social enterprises, businesses or individuals. Just search for volunteer awards at Canada.ca.

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Local Chambers And Rural Businesses Are Asking The Community For Support This Holiday Season

The Hometown Holiday campaign, organized by four local chambers of commerce is underway, and encouraging Peterborough County and the Kawarthas to support local businesses and shops located in the city and surrounding townships.

“I can appreciate that it’s a different experience in smaller communities - in the best way,” said Joel Wiebe, Peterborough Chamber. “When you go into the smaller communities around Peterborough County you experience that quaintness that we love about these communities.”

While Wiebe acknowledges how important local businesses are within the city of Peterborough, he points out how unique small businesses that are located outside the city can be.

“They’re not trying to be a big city, you can be so in touch with the people you’re buying from. It has a whole other level of community feel to it,” he said.

“Now more than ever it is very important that people support the small businesses in their community so the businesses can continue to be there for the community in the future,” said Bernadette MacNeil, owner Millbrook Mercantile.

The Millbrook Mercantile is a mix of both retail and culinary products. They source locally whenever possible, and provide everything from health and beauty to gourmet food.

“Because we don’t have any big box stores out here, I think its super important that the community try to get an mush shopping done locally and then if they need, leave whatever big purchases for your Costco runs - just get as much done here and limit your purchases at the bigger stores.”

“We rely on locals to keep us going, because cottagers come up all summer long and then ts just locals over the winter- we try to keep them happy the best we can and keep the shelves full,” said Lynn Northup, assistant manager at Havelock Home Hardware.

Located about 40 minutes from Peterborough and 15 minutes from Cambellford, small shops in Havelock may be the only option for some residents that are unable to drive.

“We’re surrounded by little towns, but this town has so much to offer so if you don’t drive this is the only place you can get most of your stuff so we try to stock as much as we can so people have that option.”

Located between Lakefield and Peterborough is Garden Style Bridgenorth, an almost 20 year old business that attributes their success to the support of their community.

“The key element of shopping local is that youre supporting someone that lives in your community,” said Michelle Gay, owner. “If people don’t shop in these little stores there just not going to be around anymore - because we need the people in our community to maintain our business.”

Garden Style carries a wide range of décor items, all focusing on being unique.

“Most of the people who shop here are people who live here or the immediate area - so those people rely on the smaller shops bc they don’t want to have to drive into the city. So, if you don’t have those small shops people would have to make that commute to get what they need. We rely on our community to support our business.”

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Treblecock Studios, Heather Bradley, New Canadians Centre and Shaun Milne Signs

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…

When David Joyce started Treblecock Studios a couple of years ago, he thought he would be recording a few local solo artists.

Indeed, he has but his “little studio with the big strut” has not only expanded in size but dramatically expanded in services. Treblecock now offers music recording; mastering and distribution; podcast recording and distribution; voiceovers; audio recording and editing for film, instrument and songwriting lessons; artist development and a new interview-style marketing product called The Underground Advocate.

David and his new business partner Sarah Jayne Riley are also very generous with lending space to the local arts community. Located at 159 King St., check it out at Treblecock.ca

If you are a fan of collective nouns like a prickle of porcupines or a mischief of mice, you will love Heather Bradley’s new picture book When We All Get Together.

From A Sleuth of Black Bears to a colony of beavers, Heather builds her story until… Well, let us just say that it ends in a collective noun… You can buy “When We All Get Together” online at Friesenpress.com or at Kent Books in Lindsay.

Shaun Milne Signs in Ennismore recently announced the acquisition of Kawartha Embroidery.

Milne welcomes Holly to the business which adds custom embroidery and printed apparel for businesses, schools, teams, groups and individuals to his already busy business. Milne and his team offer illuminated signs, vehicle advertising, banners, decals, large scale laminating, digital prints and lots more. Located at 650 Young St., just across the Causeway in Ennismore, visit shaunmilnesigns.ca

With finding employees surfacing as one of the most difficult problems for local businesses, the New Canadians Centre has put together an information session designed to close your workplace gap with International Students.

Scheduled for Jan. 20, the one-hour online session promises to outline how you can hire international students, ensure successful immigrant integration and keep valuable talent in Peterborough. nccpeterborough.ca

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Local Businesses and Chamber of Commerce Join Forces To Encourage A Hometown Holiday

The Hometown Holiday campaign, organized by four local chambers of commerce is underway, and encouraging Peterborough and the Kawarthas to support local this holiday season.

“Shopping local is one of these things that we look at as an investment in our communities,” said Joel Wiebe, Peterborough Chamber. “It goes back into all of the things we enjoy about our community.”

He also notes it is a different experience shopping at a local business.

“What we pride ourselves on within our local business community is the customer service. There’s places you can go in and get good quality recommendations, you don’t have to be there for hours, you get what you’re looking for.”

Bob’s Watch Repair has been located on Park Street N. for over 50 years and has seen the rise and fall of many small businesses in Peterborough.

“It’s the same as it always has been, small businesses keep money in town,” said Lauren Falls, Bob Watch Repair. “They keep people employed and they keep the town lively”

In addition to Bob’s Watch Repair, McKnights Fashion, Floral & Gifts has been a mainstay in Peterborough for many years.

What began as a grocery store over 100 years ago has morphed into a one stop shop for gifts, flowers and even clothing.

Christmas is a busy time of year for McKnight’s, according to owner Sam McKnight, but this year is turning out to present different struggles than other years.

“I’ve got Christmas stuff coming in in January that I’ve already paid for, but won’t be able to sell,” he said. “I’m sure I’m not alone in that.”

Because of supply chain issues stores like McKnight’s have been experiencing delays in delivery.

“After the lockdown we need the revenue, I don’t think there’s many small businesses that will be able to go on without it. This is a year that’s not about thriving, it’s about surviving.”

Also noticing supply chain issues is local business Basket Express.

Basket Express provides gourmet baskets with most goods curated from within a 100 km radius of Peterborough.

"Getting things from overseas is a struggle right now, so everything has to be local” said Reni Rausch, owner. “Customers really appreciate local goods, especially in the last couple of years. People are willing to pay a little extra because for local you have to, there’s so many more costs associated with a small business.”

Save Our Soles (S.O.S), an independently run women's boutique located at 384 George St N knows just how much local businesses contribute to the community.

“Shopping local is important for numerous reasons: local fills the store fronts; local supports youth sports and activity programs; and local employees, well, locals,” said Shelby Leonard-Watt, owner S.O.S. “We know that we can’t be all things to everyone. All we ask is that as a local downtown business we are your first thought, and stop, and then when you can’t find it locally, then go online. It shouldn’t be the other way around.”

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