Peterborough Blogs
Voice of Business: Reconsidering Interprovincial Trade Barriers
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The temporary implementation of U.S. tariffs by President Donald Trump, followed by a pause until March 4, has reignited discussions about improving domestic trade.
In response, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, along with many other provincial chambers, has renewed its call to remove interprovincial trade barriers.
With the U.S. being Canada’s largest trading partner and thousands of Canadian jobs relying on the American economy, it is crucial to look inward and mitigate potential risks associated with a trade war. The pause in tariffs has forced Canada to rethink its trade strategy, leading to efforts to strengthen relationships with European and other global partners. Amidst these shifts, calls to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers have gained momentum, as doing so could add an estimated $200 billion to annual GDP.
The debate over interprovincial trade barriers has persisted for decades, but recent U.S. trade policies have intensified the urgency. While removing these barriers may not replace Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S., experts argue that it is a crucial step toward economic resilience. This edition of Voice of Business will examine the impact of interprovincial trade barriers, current restrictions between provinces, and the future of interprovincial trade and its benefits for businesses.
Interprovincial trade barriers create inefficiencies in multiple industries, including product sales, trucking regulations, and labour mobility (licensing and certification requirements). One of the most well-known examples is alcohol sales. Each province has its own regulations for selling alcohol, making it difficult for businesses to operate across borders. These barriers increase compliance costs and reduce business opportunities.
For instance, in Quebec, only the provincial alcohol corporation, Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ), has the legal authority to import alcohol. Even individuals bringing alcohol into Quebec must file an online declaration form, regardless of whether the alcohol is a gift or personal purchase. This creates significant hurdles for Ontario businesses trying to expand into Quebec.
Another major barrier is trucking regulations. Different provinces impose varying restrictions on truck weights and loads, limiting the ability of businesses to transport goods efficiently. For example, Nova Scotia enforces strict weight limits, restricting certain types of cargo from entering the province. Additionally, direct-to-consumer shipping alcohol is restricted in several provinces, further complicating interprovincial commerce. While these regulations are often intended to protect local businesses, they ultimately hinder economic growth and business expansion.
The federal government has acknowledged these challenges and has expressed its commitment to addressing them. However, because trade regulations fall under provincial jurisdiction, the responsibility lies with the provinces to harmonize rules and ease restrictions. Some progress has been made. In 2017, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments signed the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), committing to reducing trade barriers. In early 2024, agreements were approved for 17 of the 30 restricted sectors, but key barriers remain. Provinces have taken independent steps, such as Alberta and British Columbia reducing alcohol trade restrictions and the Atlantic Growth Strategy (launched in 2016) harmonizing licensing requirements for skilled trades.
With new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum already in place and more expected in early March, Canada must act quickly to support businesses. By removing interprovincial trade barriers, businesses can offset some of the negative effects of external trade restrictions and strengthen the domestic economy. Minister of Transport, Anita Anand has suggested that trade barriers could be eliminated within a month if provinces collaborate. However, achieving meaningful progress requires a coordinated effort to streamline trade regulations, standardize trucking policies, and improve labour mobility.
By fostering a truly open domestic market, Canada can better support its businesses and ensure long-term economic growth—regardless of external pressures.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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18 Growth-Stage Companies Accepted into Innovation Cluster's LevelUp For $10,000 Prize
/Peterborough and the Kawarthas (Innovation Cluster) has launched the first 2025 cohort of LevelUp, its business accelerator program for technology companies with a minimum viable product (MVP).
File Photo.
LevelUP’s 12-week program is designed to help innovative tech-based businesses commercialize and scale. It includes branding, revenue models, product management, go-to-market plans, customer acquisition, funding and exit strategies. On April 30, this LevelUP cohort concludes with a pitch competition in which eight participating companies will compete for a $10,000 cash prize.
The pitch competition is made possible by the following industry-leading companies that are each sponsoring both 2025 LevelUP cohorts:
Matrix Venture Studio is a boutique consulting firm dedicated to empowering immigrant entrepreneurs, high-net-worth individuals, and growing businesses in Canada to achieve their entrepreneurial goals and build successful ventures.
LaunchPath is a business incubator and accelerator that helps businesses launch and grow in Canada by offering various services, from coaching and mentorship to funding and resources.
Innovation Venture Farm Inc. is a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial hub that provides innovators with the resources, mentorship, and funding to turn groundbreaking ideas into successful products.
“The popularity and quality of companies applying to LevelUP demonstrate the need that entrepreneurs in the region have in scaling their businesses,” said Zahra Shafiei, Program Lead. In helping these companies navigate growth challenges and accelerate their businesses, the Innovation Cluster is honoured to be part of their success.”
Open to companies across the province, each ‘LevelUp’ cohort has been oversubscribed.
The companies accepted into the Spring 2025 LevelUp cohort are:
Assertive AI
Cherie AI
DocumentPro
FuturU Global Health, Inc.
Happy Cramps
Her Yes Club
Leapon
MainLogix Technology
MantaHQ
Morphace, Inc.
MYWALLAPP
Ninichef Education Labs, Inc.
Parham PKM
Reziland
Salleo
Sanostrategy Corporation
Storetune Fashion Retail, Inc.
Yadag Technologies, Inc.
Upon completing LevelUP, participating businesses will be prepared to market test and scale their business with a realistic go-to-market strategy and investor pitch.
The second 2025 cohort will begin on Aug. 6 and will be offered free of charge to participants. The Innovation Cluster encourages all growth-stage technology companies that have achieved MVP or are deploying it to apply by July 15.
Eligibility Requirements:
Open to entrepreneurs in sectors such as Clean Tech, Healthcare Tech, AgTech, and Digital IT.
Must be an innovation-driven business with a MVP and a team committed to growth and collaboration.
Must be a company based in Ontario.
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Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Trent Valley Honda, Escape Maze, Chocolate Creations Festival and Provincial Debate
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running the Business Beat columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Trent Valley Honda is celebrating 50 years in business here in the community.
This family-founded business has grown and become a pillar in the local business community since getting its start in 1975. To mark the occasion, Monika Carmichael and the team at Trent Valley Honda are pledging to give back to 50 local charities as a thank you to the community that has supported them over the decades. This includes a $10,000 donation to Junior Achievement for their 10 for 10 initiative, empowering youth through financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurial education.
Escape Maze has a busy winter planned.
There’s a brand-new escape room called The Candy Factory, which opens for booking starting Feb. 15. Old-timey photos are back for a limited one-week run starting Family Day. After that there’s a March Break camp for kids, a paint and escape special event, and jigsaw puzzle competition and much more. Escape Maze is also putting in a disc golf course and is looking for hole sponsors. Find out more at escapemaze.ca or drop by 156 Cedar Bank Road just south of Peterborough.
There are still a few days left to check out the Chocolate Creations Festival in Lakefield.
Hosted by the Lakefield Village Lions Club, you can discover some delicious and creative chocolate-themed treats around town and help crown the ultimate Chocolate Champions. Taste, enjoy, and cast your vote for your favorites in Food, Drink, and Creativity. You have until Feb. 18 to sample some sweet goods from local shops, restaurants, cafes, and bakeries.
There’s a provincial election underway and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce is putting business issues to the forefront with two events.
There’s a Coffee with the Candidates event on Thursday at the Lakefield Community Centre at the arena from 9 to 10 a.m. There will also be an all candidates debate on Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Market Hall. The focus will be on local business issues and all are welcome at these free events.
If you want to have your business featured on the Business Beat or know of a business doing something new and interested, shoot an email to joel@pkchamber.ca.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Hometown PTBO: Kelli & Tony Grady of Grady's Feet Essentials Celebrating 40 Years of Business and Their Induction Into JA-NEO's Business Hall of Fame
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This week on Hometown PTBO, David Tuan Bui talks with Kelli and Tony Grady of Grady's Feet Essentials about celebrating 40 years of business, being inducted into JA-NEO's Business Hall of Fame and their roles with the Rotary Club of Peterborough.
Canadian Flight Academy Named New Tenant for Peterborough Airport
/Canadian Flight Academy is the newest tenant at Peterborough Regional Airport, with the company starting construction of a new facility at the airport in 2025.
Photo by David Tuan bui.
The new flight school will contribute positively to the local economy, generating 50 direct jobs and an estimated $20 million in Gross Domestic Product. The City’s Municipal Operations Department oversees the airport's operation and is committed to ensuring a smooth transition while integrating this new tenant at the airport.
Peterborough Regional Airport will safely integrate the operations of the Canadian Flight Academy into airport activities.
Canadian Flight Academy will enhance Peterborough Regional Airport’s strength as an aviation-related employment hub home to more than 20 businesses that employ about 500 people.
“Attracting this tenant, which is a significant, established employer, is another major milestone for the airport. The Peterborough Regional Airport is much more than transportation infrastructure – it’s a significant employment centre for the broader Peterborough Region,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “I’m excited to welcome Canadian Flight Academy to our community and I look forward to celebrating when they complete their new facility.”
Toronto Airways, which started offering flight training services from the Buttonville Municipal Airport near Toronto in 1963, purchased the Oshawa-based Canadian Flight Academy in 1998. It moved into a new facility at the Oshawa airport to accommodate the combined operations of Toronto Airways and Canadian Flight Academy in November 2016.
With the move to Peterborough Regional Airport, Canadian Flight Academy will continue to provide enhanced flight training services and create new opportunities for collaboration within the aviation sector.
Peterborough Regional Airport is an aerospace employment hub for the region serving various industry sectors. The airport's 7,000-foot-long runway and supporting infrastructure have been designed to accommodate Boeing 737 series aircraft.
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Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Planet Fitness, Laridae, Peterborough County and Business Advisory Centre
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running the Business Beat columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Looking to get in shape for 2025?
Planet Fitness have a new location in the lower level of Lansdowne Place in Peterborough. This 24-hour gym occupies a 17,000-square-foot location where Sport Chek was previously located. It’s a judgement-free zone where everyone can feel at ease, no matter their fitness level. The gym has state-of-the-art equipment and a helpful team. Drop by and check out the new space and see what Planet Fitness has to offer.
Laridae Management Consulting has acquired the book of business of Diatom Consulting Ltd., including its Founder and President, Diane Richard.
This strategic move enhances Laridae’s position as a leader in management consulting for the non-profit sector while extending its expertise into new industries and services. Laridae has been providing management consulting services, with strength in strategy, governance and people engagement for non-profits across Canada since 2012. Diatom Consulting has been providing very similar services including operations management in manufacturing and service businesses since 2014.
Are you interested in a summer student position in local government?
Peterborough County is working with the City of Peterborough, Selwyn Township, and the Municipality of Trent Lakes for a job fair aimed at post-secondary students looking for summer employment opportunities. Drop by the Healthy Planet Arena on Feb. 13 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and find out more about what work opportunities are available, meet the hiring managers, and learn about the benefits of municipal employment.
There’s a new Advisory Suite at Community Futures as part of the Business Advisory Centre.
The Advisory Suite offers a fully furnished, professional space designed to meet the evolving needs of local entrepreneurs. With a state-of-the-art meeting room, a 360-degree camera for integrated meetings and virtual workshops, a collaborative workspace, and a dedicated confidential advisory area, the new suite aims to be a cornerstone of support for the local business community. Drop by 270 George St. N. and see what the Business Advisory Centre can do to support your business.
If you want to have your business featured on the Business Beat or know of a business doing something new and interested, shoot an email to joel@pkchamber.ca.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Peterborough Lakers Partner With Fleming College Students For Business and Marketing Consultation
/As a final project for 39 Fleming College students, they are providing business and marketing consultation for the Peterborough Lakers in a partnership announced at the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame on Friday morning.
Pete Dalliday (right) addresses the Fleming Students during a Q&A session. Photo by David Tuan bui.
The students are from the General Business program within Fleming College’s School of Business and IT Applied Projects class. The collaboration will run until April for the undergraduate students.
“This collaboration project is to build awareness and sales for the Peterborough Lakers,” said David Swales, program coordinator and professor. “The project itself is to create the strategy and identify deliverables; we’re acting like consultants.”
Students are responsible for conducting research to create a consulting package on how to raise ticket sales and gain sponsorships for the Lakers. Pete Dalliday, Lakers director of community engagement, laid out an overview of the organization’s current status and goals of what they are looking to achieve.
Swales says the students are well-equipped with the tools to effectively help the Lakers reach their goals.
“So many of them have such great social media skills so there’s a lot of expertise they can bring,” he explained.
After the Q&A session, the students were given a tour of the facility and treated to briefly watch an ongoing hockey game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
Peterborough County Expanding the ‘The Local Advantage to Cavan Monaghan Township to Bring Funding Opportunities
/Peterborough County is expanding the ‘The Local Advantage – With Peterborough County’ event series to bring funding opportunities to one-on-one business consultations in Cavan Monaghan Township.
Photo courtesy of Peterborough County.
