Peterborough Blogs
StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Nixon Electric Company, Permanent Beauty, Community Futures Peterborough and Homeward Bound
/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…
Jesse Nixon recently started his own business.
Nixon Electric Company provides a wide range of electrical services to residential and commercial customers, including installation, repair and maintenance. Fully licensed and insured, with extensive knowledge of local building codes and regulations, Jesse offers everything from lighting, electrical panel upgrades, EV Charger installation and generator installation to a full suite of commercial services.
Permanent Beauty is a unique clinic at 354 Charlotte St.
It specializes in permanent cosmetics, injectables, lashes, fine line tattoos, micro pigmentation and lots more. Owner Kalayna Cabral-Iammancini is particularly proud of her daughter Kiki, who has just introduced her own line of crystal-infused, lightly scented, healing candles. Called Gemini Moon, each candle contains at least 10 crystals and is lightly scented. Check out this budding entrepreneur’s product line at 354 Charlotte St. in Peterborough or online.
Devon Girard, the new Community Futures Peterborough executive director and Board Chair Charlina Westbye, recently unveiled a new brand identity for the organization.
The new logo pays tribute to the federal government, which provides the funding for CFP’s loans, while reflecting a modernized look and their redefined strategy for supporting local entrepreneurs. Community Futures Peterborough supports small businesses in the City and County of Peterborough with flexible financing. It has invested more than $38 million in 1,000 small businesses since 1985, creating or maintaining more than 4,000 jobs in the City and the County.
Homeward Bound is a program run through Peterborough Housing that works with single mothers.
The program provides, housing and education as the women get trained or retrained for the workforce. It’s been very successful in graduating six women so far, who are all working in their field, including plumbing, paralegal, instrumentation, ECE and educational assistant.
The Spring cohort is currently looking for placements and hopefully apprenticeships in carpentry and plumbing. If your business is looking for motivated talent or if you know of a single Mom who is in transition, reach out to Maisie Watson at Peterborough Housing or visit ptbohousingcorp.ca.
Spring Intake Applications Open For Starter Company Plus Program
/This spring, aspiring and established entrepreneurs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas can make their business ideas a reality with the Starter Company Plus Program.
photo courtesy of invest ptbo
Starter Company Plus is designed to provide business training for entrepreneurs in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County who are launching or expanding a business that has been operating for 5 years or less. The program provides one-on-one consultations with the program facilitator and in-person/virtual training with experts who guide entrepreneurs through writing a business plan.
“For many, 2023 is a year where individuals are looking to take something they may have been operating on the side or a passion project developed throughout the pandemic and turn that business into a reality. This is a comprehensive self-employment training program that sets entrepreneurs up for long-term success,” says Madeleine Hurrell, manager of the Business Advisory Centre.
The Starter Company Plus program has supported numerous businesses to grow from early-stage startup to retail enterprise and to grow their teams, product lines and marketing channels.
“Participants who successfully complete the program and submit a final business plan and pitch to our panel of judges have an opportunity to receive one of six $5,000 micro-grants to start or grow their business,” continue Hurrell.
Since its launch in 2017, the Starter Company Plus program, delivered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre, has assisted over 215 local entrepreneurs and more than 174 small businesses. These small businesses have created over 200 jobs in the local economy.
Applications close on April 30, and applicants can learn more about the program and apply online.
Voice of Business: A Tale of Two Budgets
/Both the federal and provincial governments have recently released their budgets and they could hardly be more different.
Ontario’s budget came in $10.7 billion under its initial projected deficit with projections of a balanced budget next year. Its debt to GDP ratio shrank. Driving this is higher revenue from inflation.
It’s in stark contrast to the federal budget where the deficit for this year is expected to increase by $6.6 billion. The plan to balance the budget by 2027-28 is gone, with no current projections or strategy for balancing the books. Our national debt to GDP ratio is increasing this year but is expected to decline later.
In the fiscal philosophy of spending when times are bad and saving when times are good, we’re getting some mixed messages regarding what times we’re in.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has its analysis of the budgets. The highlights for Ontario include:
Further steps to address labour market challenges by boosting immigration through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and removing barriers to foreign credential recognition through the Ontario Bridge Training Program.
Creation of additional pathways into health care jobs through the expansion of the dual credit program which will provide secondary students with opportunities to start their careers as nurses, personal support workers, medical laboratory technicians and paramedics sooner.
Introduction of the Ontario made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to support local manufacturing companies in investing and expanding in Ontario, strengthening provincial supply chains.
Investments in mental health through an additional $425 million over three years for mental health and addictions, including a five per cent increase in the base funding of community‐based mental health and addiction service providers funded by the Ministry of Health.
It comes up short in investing further in the healthcare system, supporting small businesses through scaling digitization funding and improving access to capital, climate adaption and mitigation strategies, removing interprovincial barriers to trade and labour mobility, and investing further in our supply chain.
For the federal budget, the OCC’s analysis pulls out a few highlights:
Incentivizing investments in the green economy, with new refundable tax credits for clean electricity, carbon capture, and equipment to manufacture and process clean technologies and critical minerals; an expansion of the reduced corporate income tax rates for zero-emission technologies; and funding through the Canada Infrastructure Bank for major clean infrastructure projects.
Advancing economic reconciliation by developing an Economic Reconciliation Framework, supporting Indigenous equity ownership of infrastructure projects, co-developing a First Nations-led National Land Registry to help realize economic benefits of First Nations lands, and implementing a co-developed Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
Mitigating supply chain challenges by introducing measures to support a National Supply Chain Strategy and developing transportation supply chain data that will help reduce congestion, improve efficiency, and inform future infrastructure planning.
Supporting a resilient health care system through the New Canadian Dental Care Plan, funding for a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy to help address the opioid overdose crisis, and an ongoing focus on data collection.
The federal budget fell short on addressing labour market needs, reforming employment insurance, fast-tracking broadband internet investments, modernizing the federal tax system, and committing to regulatory reforms for industries that include cannabis, hospitality, and tourism.
Both budgets tackle some of the key issues our business community is facing and both fall short in some crucial areas.
Whether we should be tackling the current inflation challenges and looming recession with a budget big on spending or using the “good times” of increased government revenue to reign in spending is a difficult question — though both governments are clearly showing where they stand on the issue. The next year is going to be difficult to predict in terms of our economy. It will be interesting to see how accurate current spending predictions are at the end of the fiscal year.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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Kawartha Credit Union Grow Assets By 5.7 Per Cent; Hold 71st Annual General Meeting
/Kawartha Credit Union has reported that its assets grew by 5.7 per cent which was reported at the 71st Annual General Meeting announced on Friday afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Kawartha Credit Union.
The meeting was held virtually on Wednesday as the bank received the Board of Directors annual. The 5.7 per cent ended the year at $2.13 billion, according to Norah McCarthy, president and CEO.
“We earned a net income of $7.5 million, increased our membership and grew our loan book at a pace faster than we have achieved in a number of years,” she said.
The meeting also elected three Directors to Kawartha’s Board, Mary McGee, Colin McKeen and Thomas Gregoriades. They are taking over for Gerard Byrne, Emma Elley and Carl Silvestri who have left the board. The meeting also recognized Carl Silvestri for serving on the Board for 37 years. An online election was conducted from January 27 to February 10 that sought out the new members.
“We thank our members for their trust in us and for the privilege of helping them achieve their financial goals,” said McCarthy. “We are also grateful to our employees for their commitment to our members’ financial success and well-being.”
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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Sign-a-fied, Dave Donaldson Contracting, Innovation Cluster and Carveth's Marina
/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…
Sign-a-fied, Peterborough’s newest sign company has opened at 774 Rye St., at the site of the former Signarama.
Peterborough business owner and entrepreneur Steve Daynes acquired Signarama and has retained its core staff of designers, production workers and service experts. Sign-a-fied is local, indigenous-owned and managed and is not part of a franchise. Sign-a-fied is a full-service sign company offering custom digital signage design, from design to fabrication, servicing, and installation. Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Dave Donaldson Contracting has added some key new pieces of equipment, including a mini swing hoe and a brush head.
The swing hoe can get into some tight spaces, while the brush head is like a giant weed whacker, designed to clear minor brush on driveways, cottage roads, fire roads, widening laneways for fire and rescue and service vehicles or for reclaiming agricultural lands. For details and a quote, call Dave Donaldson in Warsaw at 705-652-7366.
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas recently announced the winners of the Cubs' Lair 2023 entrepreneurial competition.
The $3,000 first-place prize went to Richa Sharma for her ground-breaking business, TastEATools, an edible cutlery manufacturing business. The runner-up was Sustainabite, a business app that collects surplus food from local grocery stores and fast-food chains. Third place went to Titan SmartLock, a highly secure smart lock solution controlled either manually or by your smartphone.
Randy Hauth at Carveth’s Marina introduced the Boaters Assistance Association last year, which works like a roadside assistance program.
If you hit a rock or run out of gas or just need a ride, you can call for help. Hauth has added a new twist this year, a GPS tracking system so that when you need help, help knows exactly where you are. It tracks ignition status, battery alerts and a one-touch SOS signal.
Innovation and Technology Showcase Returns to Fleming College April 5
/Creativity, dedication and teamwork will be on full display at the Venture North building during the annual Fleming College Innovation and Technology Showcase on April 5.
photo courtesy of flemng college.
A highlight of the academic year, this event is a chance for Fleming College’s Global Business Management students to present the applied projects they have been working on.
Twenty teams comprised of 73 students are competing in this year’s challenge with a wide array of projects.
Some projects paired students with established, external organizations. A team working with a local non-profit organization helped that organization connect with community members and increase memberships, while another team paired with a Toronto office furniture company created a marketing plan to attract new clients.
Other projects include the creation of a parking app to help market unused parking spaces on private and commercial properties, where another project focused on identifying environmentally friendly ways to handle industrial waste.
After an initial round of judging on April 5, 10 teams will go on to the finals taking place at Fleming College’s Sutherland Campus on May 10. Student teams are eligible for cash prizes which are sponsored by IEEE.
Other sponsors for the Innovation and Technology Showcase include Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development, Ashburnham Realty, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Cluster.
The showcase is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hometown PTBO: Jeremy Poulin Getting Sticky With Red Mill Maple Syrup In Millbrook and His Favourite Uses of the Canadian Delicacy
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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Jeremy Poulin of Red Mill Maple Syrup about growing up in Millbrook, the Maple Syrup business and his favourite uses of the Canadian delicacy.
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Voice of Business: We Are All Ambassadors For Our Region and We Have a Lot to Showcase
/The summer season will soon be upon us and it’s going to be a pivotal year for the tourism industry.
It’s an understatement to say the last three years have been especially challenging for the tourism sector. It’s not just the public health restrictions and shut downs that we went through — tourism, and the service and hospitality sectors more broadly, are facing some of the biggest hurdles in hiring and retaining their workforce. This is especially difficult in rural areas where there is little local workforce to draw from.
According to the State of the Ontario Tourism Industry Report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, issues including access to labour, soaring debt, rural internet challenges, and a lack of public transportation connecting destinations have led to only four in 10 tourism operators forecasting profitability in 2024.
While this paints a bleak picture of the industry, our region has so much to offer. For the outdoorsy, we have a collection of beautiful lakes, rivers, and hiking trails that are the envy of many places across Canada and beyond. Downtown Peterborough offers a collection of culinary and cultural activities that punch well above our weight. Those looking to spend a few nights can choose between big hotels with all the amenities or quaint boutique hotels, resorts that are bustling with activity or secluded and serene, lakefront cottages, bed and breakfasts, or bring your own lodging with a camper or tent.
One particular gem that’s returning bigger and better is Peterborough Musicfest. Where else can you find a summer-long free concert series that has hosted the likes of Randy Bachman, Tegan and Sara, and Walk Off the Earth? Musicfest has a local economic impact of $5 million and brings in an audience of 150,000 over the summer. It’s a long-running hit with locals, but more than 1/3 of attendees report being from out-of-town.
It's not just big names and big crowds — it’s uniquely Peterborough. It’s right on the shores of Little Lake, the beautiful gathering place at the end of the rapids known as Nogojiwanong. It’s also in the heart of our city, just a few blocks from our vibrant downtown restaurant and shopping experience and close enough to inhale the sweet smell of oatmeal from Quaker. As a free music festival that aims big, it’s supported by our community through corporate sponsorships from local businesses, government grants, community fundraising initiatives, and private donations.
The 2023 Peterborough Musicfest Lineup has yet to be announced, but the team have already spilled the beans on two acts: Dwayne Gretzky on July 5 and Little River Band on July 26.
Our region has a many more activities that enhance our tourism sector. 4th Line Theatre is running two shows at their beautiful rural location near Millbrook. We have top-notch entertainment venues at Market Hall, Showplace Performance Centre, and the Peterborough Memorial Centre. You can immerse yourself in history at Lang Pioneer Village, Petroglyphs Provincial Park, Peterborough Museum & Archives and soon at a beautiful brand new Canadian Canoe Museum. We have beaches, wineries, breweries, distilleries, agricultural fairs, unique shopping experiences, art galleries, golf courses, agritourism, river cruises, and much more. Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism has a host of suggestions for things to enjoy here in our region.
We have so much to offer here in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Let’s be intentional in investing here in our community when it comes to enjoying and promoting local. Tourism campaigns aren’t just something for marketing agencies — it’s something we can all do when talking with family, friends, colleagues, and our social media connections. We are all ambassadors for Peterborough and the Kawarthas and we have a lot to showcase.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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PKHBA Announces Finalists For the 2022 Home Building Awards
/Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA) has announced the finalists of the 20th Annual Housing Design Awards for the 2022 season with winners to be announced in a gala at The Venue on April 27.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PETERBOROUGH AND THE KAWARTHAS HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.
Finalists were chosen in over 30 different categories with nearly 100 entries from local businesses from across Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes.
PKHBA members submitted their entries which were judged earlier this month and have announced the following as finalists:
ACM Designs
Birchview Design
Bromont Homes
Cabinetree
Dietrich Homes
Discovery Dream Homes
Flato Developments
Gilbert + Burke Associates
Greenleaf/Cor-Plan
Habitat for Humanity
Hickory Lane Kitchens
Kawartha Lakes Construction
Linwood Custom Homes
Monaghan Lumber
Parkview Homes
Peterborough Homes
Pristine Homes
Reliance Home Comfort
Spotlight Home & Lifestyle
Timberline Custom Homes
Trademark Homes
