Nine Entrepreneurs Graduate From Community Futures Peterborough and Scotiabank's ScaleUP Program

Nine entrepreneurs were celebrated as they completed and graduated from the transformative ScaleUP program ran by Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) and Scotiabank at the Venture North Building on Thursday afternoon.

The 2023 program was led by Diane Richard, a seasoned industry consultant and a team of regional experts including Savino Human Resource Partners, Holmes-Riseley CPA’s and Tax Advisors and featured a supply chain consultant. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“For the past eight weeks, these ambitious business owners have participated in extensive one-on-one coaching alongside intensive classroom sessions to better equip them with the knowledge and tools to accelerate their business to the next level,” says Devon Girard, CFP executive director. “Each graduate is walking away with a customized roadmap to help guide them through the next phase of sustainable growth for their business.”

The program educated area entrepreneurs and gave them the tools to make key decisions about how to grow and expand their businesses in our community according to a press release.

“Scotiabank offers our heartfelt congratulations to the graduates of the ScaleUP program. The support this program offers to participants is aligned to the tailored advice we deliver to our clients as they look to grow and expand their business,” says Chris Skinner, District Vice President of Ontario Central East. “We are proud to have partnered with Community Futures Peterborough in supporting entrepreneurs and businesses in the community.”

Graduates of the fall cohort of the program include:

• Robyn Jenkins, Charlea’s Riverside Gardens

• Tracy Logan, Logan Tree Experts

• Angela Jones, Lakeshore Designs

• RJ Kayser, Flowspa

• Robyn Ivory, Indigenously Infused

• Brett Pritchard, The 3D Shoppe

• Kollene Drummond, Well Grounded

• Matt Anderson, Chemong City Greens

• Jena Trimble, Zen Home and Cottage Cleaning Service

“The insights I learned through the ScaleUP program have sparked exciting new developments for my business,” said Ivory. “Aligning our goals with tangible practices doesn’t feel so daunting when guided by Diane and the ScaleUP program. Working and learning alongside a powerhouse of entrepreneurs has inspired me, to say the least."

“Through the ScaleUP program, I am now better equipped for the leadership roles and business processes I'll need to build upon to successfully grow and scale my business,” said Anderson “This program has provided me with the confidence and know-how to apply the tools and best practices needed to anticipate the many challenges entrepreneurs face. Having the opportunity to learn from Diane and her years of leadership experience plus being in the room and learning from other Peterborough business owners has been very rewarding.”

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Nominations Open For JA-Neo 2024 Business Hall of Fame

Nominations for JA - Northern and Eastern Ontario’s (JA-NEO) 2024 Business Hall of Fame (BHF) are open for both Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes, announced on Wednesday.

The 2023 inductees of Ja-Neo’s Business Hall of Fame. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

JA-NNEO is looking for individuals who have had a significant impact on the community's economic growth through their entrepreneurial pursuits. JA-NEO continues to mention that nominees should be esteemed members of the community whose leadership, vision and dedication to excellence have bolstered the economy and society.

“The BHF event allows JA-NEO to recruit vital volunteers, investors, and partners to help deliver programs at no cost to students or schools,” said John McNutt, JA-NEO President and C.E.O. “Proceeds from the event help JA-NEO meet the growing demand for financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs, providing essential support to facilitate the future success of every JA-NEO student.”

Nominations close on Nov. 24 at 3:00 p.m. Nomination forms can be found online. Successful nominees will be announced at a formal announcement in the new year and will be officially inducted into the JA-NEO Business Hall of Fame in the Spring.

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Voice of Business: Local News; Guest Column from Jon Pole, President of My Broadcasting Corporation

It’s a snowy Canadian morning. The wind is blowing, and the temperature is frigid. At the end of a long laneway is a little girl bundled up waiting for a school bus that’s not coming.

This is the heart of local news. Making sure the community is up to date, informed and safe.

There has been endless chatter about the internet regulation bills C-11 and C-18, but no matter the side of the argument you’re on, the bigger question is the future of local news.

Local news is more than just reporting on “the news.” It is knowing the community, the newsmakers and the real concerns on the street. To provide context to every story, you have to be an active member of the community. Simply put - you have to care. The leadership has to care. That’s how you build the trust to be “a news authority.” Big tech doesn’t impact your commitment to the community.

Suggesting that both Google and Facebook don’t care about our community or if we’re informed may not be perfectly accurate but it is not a huge stretch either. Have they run a food drive, showed up at the parade or been at a chamber event? No, of course not, and to be fair, that’s not their business model. It is however the job of the Canadian News media (if they want to be trusted by the community they serve).

Google and Facebook have jumped into the Canadian advertising landscape. Some reports show that Google and Facebook are taking half of all ad dollars spent. Last I checked, in Canada we are capitalists. Business landscapes change. Technology changes. How does the phrase go? “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Broadcasters who continue to support their communities with news and information are doing just fine. Radio doesn’t specifically need Facebook or Google to survive. Social platforms and Search are tools to market our brands (no different than any business), but they certainly don’t define us, nor do we have to use them. I know why the government is in this fight, but at the risk of offending some folks in Toronto and getting the Chamber in trouble, I will just say – I don’t feel threatened by Facebook and Google, and our teams have done a fine job using them, and a fine job not having access to them. They don’t impact on our business any more or less than our other competitors.

I believe the news has to be available where people are, which includes Google and Facebook. More importantly, no matter what the platform or delivery channel, the product has to be good and add value to the audience. Trust is not given by the consumer, it is earned.

Times change. Good operators that care about the community adapt and change. It can be hard in business to swing the ship, but change doesn’t mean you throw in the towel. I look at the August quarterly report from Yellow Pages Limited and see revenue of $62 million, their EBITDA for the quarter was 35% of revenue, their cash balance was $65 million and they’re paying dividends. While this may be dramatically different than 1985, that’s still a pretty good business. Heck, I didn’t know they were even still around! The point is, sometimes the world forces you to change the game plan. You either adapt or die.

Radio used to own school bus cancellations. That little girl at the end of the lane was our responsibility.

Today, we still do cancellations, but Facebook, email blasts, and texts also provide the information. That’s okay with me, because at the end of the day – we don’t want that little girl out there freezing. While radio may have lost that sole ownership of bus cancellations, did the community suffer? Not at all.

The good news is, there are still endless stories that we can cover, investigate and report that the community cares about as much. It’s our privilege to do it. It’s our job to do the work and reinvent. Google and Facebook won’t impact our results, our drive or our coverage. While the intentions of C-11 and C-18 are to help Canadian media, I’m not sold they address the real problem.

Guest Column from Jon Pole, President, MY BROADCASTING CORPORATION

(In Peterborough, MBC Media owns and operates OLDIES 96.7, FREQ 90.5 & www.PTBOTODAY.ca)

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy, Evolve Dental Hygiene, Lily Rain Recovery and ComPassion Project

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…

Sheena Howard recently founded Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy, a unique clinic offering psychotherapy for Trauma, Individual, Family, LGBTQ+, Substance Use and addiction, Couples, Yoga, Sex Therapy and ADHD.

The team of ten, all experts in their fields of nursing and certified psychotherapists, are there to help everyone. Located at 459 George St N, Peterborough, visit acceptanceclinic.ca for details and to book an appointment.

Kara Parcells opened her independent dental hygiene clinic within a wellness clinic in Lindsay last year but recently relocated her practice to her very own space at 230 Kent St. West.

The new location is now fully accessible with lots of free parking. Called Evolve Dental Hygiene, Kara offers assessments, cleaning, stain removal, whitening, fluoride treatments, desensitizing, cancer screening, as well as holistic alternatives. For details visit evolvedentalhygiene.ca

The Lily Rain Recovery Center is a female gender-only center, offering effective alcohol and substance abuse treatment.

Their trauma-informed programming includes land-based teachings, SMART recovery, Acu-detox, Art-therapy, yoga, psycho-educational groups, relapse prevention, anger management, boundaries and more. They also offer family support and lifetime aftercare. They can accommodate up to 10 women maximum and their qualified staff are also living in recovery.

As Kieran Andrews has moved away from his ownership role at Wild Rock in Downtown Peterborough, he’s been spending some time reflecting on both his own position in our community as well as Wild Rock’s capacity to do good.

As a result, together with Wild Rock, Kieran recently announced the creation of the Wild Rock ComPassion Project. The initiative aims to connect Wild Rock staff and customers to organizations involved in everything from land and trail stewardship to pressing social issues like housing, addiction, and social justice.

It's classic Wild Rock and classic Kieran, good people doing good things. Check it out at Compassionptbo.ca.

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Peterborough Chamber Honours Institutions at 2023 Business Excellence Awards

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce held their 2023 Business Excellence Awards with an awards ceremony at Showplace Performance Centre on Wednesday night.

Hajni Hős, Hospice Peterborough executive director accepting the award for Employer of the Year. Photo courtesy of the Peterborugh Chamber.

The annual ceremony publicly recognized and honoured local businesses with a passion for excellence. 

Over 50 businesses and individuals were profiled in 22 categories.

The following are the nominees and recipients for their respective categories:

Local Focus

• The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge (winner)

• New Beginnings Building Services

• Peterborough GreenUP

Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Cheeks Ahoy (winner)

• Flossophy Ptbo

• Y Drive Canada

Health & Wellness

• Euphoria Wellness Spa

• The Spa + Clinic at Fleming College

• The Willow Studio (winner)

4-Under-40 Profiles, in memory of Kathy Windrem

• Ashley Bonner (winner)

• Ashley Flynn (winner)

• Lauren Hunter (winner)

• Laura Montague (winner)

Professional Services

• Engage Engineering Ltd.

• Fox Law Professional Corporation

• Lett Architects Inc. (winner)

Commercial Development or Renovation

• Key Design Inc. (Key Design Inc. Studio & Office)

• Peterborough Housing Corporation (Hunt Terraces)

• Peterborough Humane Society (Peterborough Animal Care Centre) (winner)

Business Student Leadership Prizes

• Emma Olstad (Trent University) (winner)

• Eesha Gupta (Fleming College) (winner)

Retail

• Living Local Marketplace (winner)

• Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre

• Plant Goals

Stuart Harrison President's Award

• Don Dyck (Kingdon Timber Mart, Kingdon Truss) (winner)

Micro Business

• OmniWorx Design

• Peterborough Currents Media Inc. (winner)

• Social Kat Media

Tourism

• Kawartha Country Wines

• Otonabee Region Conservation Authority

• Peterborough Museum & Archives (winner)

Businesswoman of the Year

• Nicole Truman (Fox Law Professional Corporation) (winner)

Green Initiatives

• Cheeks Ahoy

• The Land Canadian Adventures Inc.(winner)

• Peterborough Folk Festival

Skilled Trades

• Black Rock Developments

• Bruce Maly Plumbing & Drain Services Inc.

• Van de Bor Paving Ltd. (winner)

Hospitality

• Burleigh Falls Inn & Suites

• Nostimo By The Original Greek

• Taso's Restaurant & Pizzeria (winner) 

Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year

• Imad Mahfouz & Hashem Yakan (Levantine Grill) (winner)

Customer First

• The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge

• Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre

• The Willow Studio (winner)

Marketing & Promotion

• Community Futures Peterborough (winner)

• INSPIRE: The Women’s Portrait Project

• Showplace Performance Centre

Peterborough County Farm Family of the Year

• Todd & Jennifer Payne & Family (Asphodel Sheep Company) (winner)

Not-for-Profit

• Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region

• Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Foundation

• Peterborough Humane Society (winner)

Employer of the Year

• Engage Engineering Ltd.

• Gauvreau | Accounting Tax Law Advisory

• Hospice Peterborough (winner)

Business Citizen of the Year

• John Cunningham (Community Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd., Ashburnham Funeral Home & Reception Centre, Kawartha Aquamation) (winner)

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Voice of Business: Local Voices Create National Change

Big change often starts from something much smaller.

In the Chamber of Commerce context, it often starts with an issue frustrating a local business. A local business person calls up their local Chamber of Commerce to explain the situation and offers some solutions on how the situation could be improved. That Chamber understands that this issue faced by a local business in the Peterborough region is likely having a similar effect on businesses in places like Lloydminster and Fredericton. We work with our local policy committees to draft policy resolutions.

Issues that are provincial in nature are submitted to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) with federal resolutions sent to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC). Once submitted, they get reviewed by committees and Chambers from across the county who then offer their perspectives which in turn help create stronger policy resolutions that are going to be more effective at making change on a large scale.

This last week Chambers and Boards of Trade from across the country met in Calgary for our annual convention, which included nearly six hours of policy debate. There we discuss, amend, and vote on policies that matter to businesses across the country. These resolutions cover a wide range of topics, from fertilizer to ice breakers, from tax reform to bio manufacturing and from immigration to aviation.

If approved, these resolutions become part of the national advocacy platform of the CCC.

Each Chamber or Board of Trade is allowed to submit two resolutions to the CCC annually. Both resolutions submitted by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce were approved thanks to a lot of helpful discussion and recommendations from our fellow chambers over the last few months.

Our resolution Assisting Small Business with Protecting their Data and Business from Cybercrime was put together with the help of a local IT firm and input from several chambers and their members who have IT expertise.

It recommends the Government of Canada:

1. Broaden the scope of the existing Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) or create a similar grant program focused on cyber security which will allow SMBs to access comprehensive cybersecurity products and services;

2. Provide specific annual tax credits for the ongoing support and maintenance required from Third Party vendors for SMEs that have satisfied the grant program to assess their technology;

3. Allow SMEs to write off 100% of their business investments in preventative cybersecurity-related software, equipment and other costs (support services and outsourcing costs) in the year those investments are made;

4. Provide a subsidy for training of staff on cybersecurity awareness programs; and

5. Create a SME Cyber Defence Fund that provides SMEs with the necessary support to improve their cyber resilience and close the cybersecurity investment gap.

Our second resolution, Creating a National Strategy Regarding Healthcare Credentials, was very similar to another submitted by Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. Together, we created an even strong policy resolution calling on the Government of Canada to:

1. Create a national strategy to assist provinces and territories in recognizing out-of-province and international healthcare credentials; and

2. Create a national proficiency exam that allows national labour mobility for healthcare workers new to Canada, currently working in a province, or newly graduated.

Approval of the resolutions is just the beginning. The next phase of is advocacy. Two years ago, we had a call from a local restaurant that was feeling anxious about being able to repay their CEBA loan and get the interest-free and debt forgiveness support it offered. That conversation led to a successful policy resolution, which led at first to a one-year extension to the program, and now to a further short extension – thanks in part to the advocacy of the CCC and its platform from its members. While we aren’t done advocating for further support through the CEBA program, we have a united national voice thanks to the voice of a local small business owner who had some valid criticisms of the program and offered helpful solutions.

Hopefully, these resolutions — which started from conversations with local businesses — will go on to create meaningful change for businesses across the country.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Temporary Downtown Patios To Be Removed Starting On Oct. 24

The temporary downtown patio spaces will be removed to prepare sidewalks and roads for winter snow-clearing operations starting on Oct. 24.

The expanded patio spaces were installed in May. File Photo.

Any businesses with temporary patios on sidewalks and in on-street parking adjacent to them will remove their patio furniture by the end of the day on Oct. 23 to clear the way for the removal of the fencing and large planters startingthe next day.

After removing the expanded patio areas, Hunter Street between George and Aylmer Streets will return to a two-lane, two-way street. During the summer, it was temporarily made into a one-lane, westbound, one-way street to add more patio and pedestrian space.

This was the fourth summer that the City implemented temporary changes to the downtown public space to allow for more patio and pedestrian space.

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Historic Red Dog Closing Its Doors at the End of the Month; Send-Off Show Scheduled For Oct. 24

After 140 years of business, the Historic Red Dog Tavern is permanently closing its doors on Nov. 1 and is hosting a send-off show on Oct. 24.

HIstoric Red Dog Facebook Photo.

The news was made public in a Facebook post from an employee posted on Tuesday.

“Hi friends, it’s with a mix of immense sadness and gratitude that I can now safely say what everyone in town has been hearing - the Red Dog has been sold and we will be closing the doors permanently on Nov. 1st. It’s been a great run.”

The property has been sold although it is unknown if it will continue as a pub or operate as something different.

A send-off show has been scheduled for Oct. 28. It is an open-stage event where musicians can sign up in person to perform at the venue for the final time.

The Red Dog originally opened as Clancy’s Hotel in 1883 and was owned by John Sullivan and John Clancy.

Also known as the Peterborough House, The American Hotel/House and Brownie’s Tavern, ‘The Red Dog’ came from former owner “Red Dog” Ray McGregor.

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Voice of Business: Hiring People With Disabilities Will Benefit Your Business

Approximately one million job seekers experiencing a disability in Canada are unemployed or under-employed.

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) and it’s a good opportunity to reflect on a sizeable segment of our population that is being underserved. Back in 2017, Statistics Canada reported 3.7 million working-age Canadians identified as having a disability, yet only three in five were employed.

While the number of job vacancies has declined over the year from its peak of over 1 million, there is still a gap of hundreds of thousands of jobs across Canada that employers are struggling to fill. Employers are eager to hire.

According to the Discover Ability Network, 63 per cent of persons with disabilities do not require accommodations in their workplace. And when they do, the cost or shift in workplace setup is often offset by the productivity of the employed person.

There are more noteworthy statistics:

• 72 per cent higher employee retention rate among people with disabilities

• Businesses hiring people who have a disability experience a 72 per cent increase in productivity

• Inclusive businesses grow profits up to 3x faster than their competitors

• 22 per cent of Canadians have a disability

• Inclusive workplaces are twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets

Hiring people with disabilities not only fills workforce gaps in your business, but will help create a thriving and profitable business with higher retention rates. What’s holding us back?

It turns out one of the biggest barriers is our mindset. An article titled Why Don’t We Hire People With Disabilities? by Angela Kryhul from the Smith School of Business, an affiliate of Queen’s University, gets right to the point. Part of the issue is that we all too often equate disability with an inability to work.

The article highlights three misconceptions:

• Few disabled people are qualified for, or apply to, job posts

• Accommodations are expensive and complicated

• There are negative impacts on productivity and workplace culture

There is a wealth of resources available to employers interested in hiring people with disabilities. The Canadian Association for Supported Employment offers training, resources, and toolkits for employers. The Government of Ontario offers programs, resources, tips and tools. Locally, we have organizations like Heads Up For Inclusion and the Council for Persons with Disabilities offering their expertise and resources working here in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Our local employment agencies also offer a wealth of knowledge.

It’s time we get a bit out of our comfort zone, tap into local resources, educate ourselves and our teams, and update our hiring practices to include hiring people with disabilities. It will benefit your business, our communities, and our economy.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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