Entrepreneur Wins Cubs' Lair With Innovative Solution For First Nations To Obtain Tax Exemption

After six innovative pitches were made during the annual Cubs’ Lair competition Thursday night (November 30th) at the Gordon Best Theatre hosted by FastStart Peterborough, the Innovation Cluster and the Trent Youth Entrepreneurship Society, Rich Cochrane of Status Exempt was announced as the winner. His final prize package includes more than $14,000 to help push his startup.

Member of Curve Lake First Nation, Rich Cochrane started Status Exempt as a mission to make it easy for First Nations shoppers to buy online, tax exempt. Currently, First Nations online shoppers need to submit their receipts to the government for a tax refund, a process that can take up to 90 days—Cochrane’s innovative solution will reduce this to mere minutes.

Left to right: Runner-up Sultan Moni of Zatiq; Winner Rich Cochrane of Status Exempt, Runner-up Victoria Naish of The Cake Engineer.

Currently working in the Cluster’s incubator building his business, Cochrane has been busy creating a platform for businesses and First Nations consumers to provide tax exemption in an easy way.

“Reconciliation is a hot topic in Canada right now,” says Cochrane. “A big component of reconciliation is building a stronger relationship between Indigenous Canadians and the rest of Canada and businesses will play a critical role in building that relationship.”

First Nations represent over three percent of Canada’s population and are also the fastest growing segment of the population with many living in remote or rural areas having no other option but to shop online. With this solution, Cochrane predicts that businesses will gain a large group of consumers.

Cochrane’s background includes being a banker in downtown Toronto, an analyst in the Aboriginal Banking unit at the Bank of Montreal, and graduating from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in Finance, Accounting and Entrepreneurship.

Cubs' Lair finalists and judges (Photograph by Sofie Andreou)

Judges listened to pitches that included tech innovations for archaeology, real estate, energy saving and mobile apps, as well as a pitch for a cupcake bar service.

The two runners up of the competition are Sultan Moni of Zatiq and Victoria Naish of The Cake Engineer.

Rich Cochrane will now be able to push his startup with the grand prize package, which includes $3,000 cash from Ontario 150, extended incubator space at the Cluster, coaching and mentoring from established startups and more.

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Free 2 Hour Holiday Parking Has Begun In The Downtown

The City of Peterborough has partnered with the DBIA for free 2 hour parking again this year during the holiday season.

Photo via @jamiecsteel

The boundaries are as follows:

North: Murray Street
East: The Otonabee River
West: Bethune Street
South: the Railroad tracks south of Sherbrooke

You can have a look at the map below as a guide...

Map via City of Peterborough

Any money put in the meter will go to charity.

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City of Peterborough Is Moving To Online Registration For Recreation Programs

You will soon be able to search and register for programs online from your computers and mobile devices, thanks to the City of Peterborough.

They are now working together with PerfectMind—makers of innovative membership management, program registration, and facility booking software—to offer a user-friendly platform to connect members of the community with cultural and recreation services.

PerfectMind's unique platform has been used by major city governments throughout North America. PerfectMind improves the customer experience significantly by making it easy to find, reserve, and pay for programs and services using desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
 
Beginning in November, the Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre (PSWC) was the first City facility offering the new software system. The PSWC features leisure and therapy pools, gymnasium, fitness centre, and a variety of health and fitness programs serving the residents of Peterborough and Fleming College, and will utilize a broad range of PerfectMind features within its membership base.

The balance of recreation, arenas, cultural services, and facilities will become active in the new system throughout December and January 2018.

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Heart Of Gold: Peterborough County OPP Officer David McNab Retires After 30 Years

David McNab, a humble, giving and caring Peterborough OPP officer, has announced he is retiring after 30 years serving for the force.

McNab, the man behind the viral video of Syrian refugees toboganning for the first time, wrote a heartfelt Facebook message announcing his retirement from this profession he loved.

McNab in his viral 2016 video toboganning with Syrian refugee at Armour Hill in Peterborough

"I have more gratitude than I could ever express for what this career has taught me and for what it has allowed me to be part of," McNab wrote in the Facebook post. "The job is more about problem solving than about enforcing rules, despite what it appears to be.

I’ve met incredible people and I’ve seen true heroics and unselfish acts far more than I’ve seen the bad side of human nature. Despite the feeling to the contrary, the world is full of goodness if we can only recognize it when we see it."

McNab pictured in one of his last moments on the job (picture via his Facebook page)

"I was fortunate to work for what I believe is one of the most professional organizations anywhere and I’ll miss the people and the sense of family," adds McNab. "I’ll miss the teams I was part of and the rush that came with successful resolutions amid serious situations. I’ll miss the public that I worked for and the ability to occasionally make a real difference for somebody deserving."

You can read his entire Facebook post below...

Watch the awesome video below by McNab and his wife Kristy from January 2016 that now has nearly 400,000 views on YouTube....

Snow is a new experience but fun in any language looks the same. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1t14vftSVo for video with real audio) These refugee children remind us how to see a Canadian winter with the innocence of a child. They have been extremely grateful for everything our country has to offer, including the warmth and generosity of a true Canadian welcome.

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Here's Info On Preparation Beginning On Urban Park Construction

Construction work on the Urban Park at Charlotte Street and Louis Street in Downtown Peterborough is commencing soon, with the demolition and removal phase starting on December 4th.

The contract for the demolition and removal of a portion of Louis Street, the entire Louis Street Municipal Parking Lot and the building at 220 King Street (the former Shish-Kabob Hut) has been awarded to Accurex Inc.

Urban Park Conceptual Plan

Completion of the demolition and removal phase will prepare the site for a Stage 2 Archaeology Investigation that is required in advance of deeper excavations needed to build the Park.

As part of the project, Louis Street will be widened to accommodate two-way traffic beside the King Street Parking Garage. Once this is complete, the section of Louis Street north of the Rivulet Apartments driveway will be permanently closed. Parking on Louis Street and in the Louis Street Municipal Parking Lot will be permanently removed.

Construction fencing will secure the site and prevent parking and pedestrian travel in the area. The King Street Parking Garage will be fully operational throughout construction.

For more information regarding the Urban Park, check out the online design brochure here.

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You Don't Want To Miss The Jungle Book At Showplace

Arbor Theatre's holiday productions are always a must-see and this year's is this no exception: The cast of The Jungle Book has been training hard for the play, which runs at Showplace in downtown Peterborough Thursday, December 7th and Friday, December 8th.

The all-star team behind the production includes Ray Henderson (writer, co-director and producer); Brianna Hill (co-director); Beau Dixon (music); Kate Bemrose, Madison Sheward and Rachael Froggatt (choreography); Jennifer Sek and Jess Payne (costumes and makeup); John Fewings (set design); Khira McFadden (stage manager); and Bev Breedon (producer).

The cast training

"It's a classic tale with the 'Arbor Twist', which means dancing, comedy, and performers of all ages," Ray Henderson tells PTBOCanada. "It will be unlike any version you've ever seen before!"

THE CAST

Asha Hall Smith, Riley Tutert, Ethan King, Matt Gilbert, Aiden Wilson, Adam Martignetti, Eloise Harvey, Bob Forsey, Alex Bemrose, Ashlee Courneya, Aiden Playford, Olivia Marshall, Mason Taylor, Brianna Hill, Noah Henderson, Carolyn McCarthy, Sophie Surerus, Kayla Leeson, Brooklyn Recker, Huxley Wilton, Saffron O’Neil, Hailee Phillips, Aurora Ash, Alissa Dykstra, Abby Davidson, Sarah Livingston, Sam Baker, Ella Smit, Lily Smit, Ethan Colling, Emily Jones, Emma Papageorge, Emma Wells, Griffyn Davis, Eve Baraball, Jenna Fillipowicz, Elsa Norton, Lily Papageorge, Dana Jordan, Peyton Davidson, Zoe Dunaway, Caoimhe McQuarrie, Kaitlyn Fawcett, Evalyn Webdale, Alleah Webdale, Naomi DuVall, Brad Brackenridge and Daniel Smith

Tickets are $15 for Adults, $12 for Students/Seniors and $8 for those under 12 years old. (Special: You can purchase 4 tickets or more for $10 each!)

Call 705.742.7469 or visit the Showplace Box Office for the special.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters To Judge Holiday Downtown Window Contest

Downtown is showing off its holiday spirit on Saturday, December 2nd with its annual Holiday Window Contest.
 
Judging will take place on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m., and this year's Downtown Business Improvement Area is hosting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough as their judges.

“It’s great to see our businesses get into the spirit of the holidays with some really creative window displays,” says Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area. “The window contest is always a lot of fun and we’re excited to bring Big Brothers Big Sisters in this year as our judges.”
 
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough promotes the growth and development of at-risk children and youth in our community through the provision of mentoring programs with positive adult role models.

“We are thrilled that the DBIA has invited children from BBBS to act as celebrity judges for the Holiday Window Contest,” says Mark Shuwera, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough. “This will be a wonderful learning experience for the kids and we are sure they will have a great time.”

The DBIA is offering cash prizes of $300, $150 and $75 to the top three window displays from our downtown businesses.

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Help Peterborough Police Find Person Who Has Destroyed Pride Flag At Elementary School

The Peterborough Police Service and Crime Stoppers needs your help with an ongoing Investigation into a Hate Bias/Mischief Incident at an elementary school. A pride flag flown outside King George Public school was destroyed twice in the past two weeks.

Sometime between November 11th and November 13th, 2017, the pride flag flown outside King George at the corner of Armour Road and Hunter Street East was taken down and cut into several strips. The flag was replaced, but was again taken down and cut into several strips between November 25th and November 27th. 

Photo courtesy Peterborough Police

The incidents were reported to police and are being actively investigated. The incidents have been classified as a hate/bias offence. (A hate/bias offence is that which is committed against persons or property and are motivated by the victim’s race, sexual orientation, religion, national or ethnic origin or other factors.)
 
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705.876.1122. Tips and information can also be made anonymously to the Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or stopcrimehere.ca.

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Imagining If Neil Young Rocks Omemee

There is much speculation—some of it courtesy of hints from Neil Young himself—that his December 1st acoustic concert to be broadcast on CTV, streamed online on CTV.ca and live streamed on Facebook may well be coming to us from Omemee, Ont., near Peterborough, the place Young spent some of his formative years as a child.

Toronto, Pickering, Winnipeg and Omemee—all places Young lived as a kid—are on the shortlist of where Young is expected to play from. But the small town of Omemee, with its historic Coronation Hall—the very hall Young posted a video in front of a couple months ago (more on that below)—would be the perfect choice for him to play coinciding with the release of his new album, The Visitor.

Photo by Neil Morton, PTBOCanada.com

Not only did Young spend some of his adolescent years there—below is a Grade 1 class photo at Omemee Public School (1951-52) where he is standing in the back row, third from the left—but for many years a volunteer run museum, the Youngtown Rock & Roll Museum, was based out of Omemee until 2014 that was dedicated to the rock legend.

The old Youngtown museum in Omemee

His iconic "Helpless"—with its lyrics "There is a town in North Ontario, with dream comfort, memory to spare"—was written as an ode to his Omemee childhood home.

And his Facebook post (see below) saying "I will be going to my town"—not city—further fuelled the notion that he would pick Omemee, though one could interpret him using "town" colloquially, yes.

As well, back on September 24th, Young made a stop in Omemee in front of where he's rumoured to be playing and mentioned "the Visitor" in a tweet that is now carrying extra weight...

I'm Canadian by the way, and I love the USA... - the Visitor 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/LemTEfKcic

— Neil Young (@Neilyoung) September 23, 2017

Ryan Lalonde is a co-producer of an upcoming documentary The Radius Project that looks at the wealth of famous musicians who come from the area in and around Peterborough, such as Young, Thousand Foot Crutch, Three Days Grace, My Darkest Days, I Mother Earth, Ronnie Hawkins, The Leahys (and Natalie McMaster), producers Greg and Rob Wells, and Serena Ryder.

"For Neil Young to play a show here in town and to document it for people to watch forever, it'd be huge," Lalonde tells PTBOCanada. "And it's a testament to not forgetting where you come from."

Photo by Neil Morton, PTBOCanada.com

"If it's Omemee he chooses—and I still think it's a BIG 'if'—it really brings him full circle," adds Lalonde. "This would be a phenomenal gift to the town, even if for one night only. It gives them a legitimate claim to their favourite son. Everyone has an opinion where his home town is, and this might just put the argument to bed."

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44th Annual Peterborough Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade Is December 2nd

The Kinsmen Club of Peterborough presents the 44th Annual Peterborough Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade on Saturday, December 2nd starting at 4:45 p.m. at City Hall.

Photo from old parade in Peterborough courtesy Trent Valley Archives

The parade runs until about 6 p.m through downtown Peterborough, and includes service clubs, businesses and many community organizations who celebrate the holiday season by participating.

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