StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat Featuring Real Ryder Bikes, Cahills Outerwear & More!

PTBOCanada is delighted to to be running StooNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

Erin Marshall is a well-known local business woman, one of the partners at Full Tilt Cycle. The “Tilt” in Full Tilt is the fact that they use Real Ryder indoor cycling bikes that provide a realistic riding experience with an articulating bike frame. Erin is now the licensed distributor of Real Ryder bikes in Canada and has launched Real Ryder Canada. You can now purchase your own Real Ryder bike for your home gym, and you can get virtual classes from Full Tilt Cycle! Details are at realrydercanada.ca.

Erin Marshall

Peter and Elyn Green started Greenhouse on the River 32 years ago. They have decided that this year is their last year. They, like everyone else, are safely providing their products and services as the restrictions are slowly eased, and they look forward to their final season. Congratulations to Peter and Elyn on a great run!

Cahills Outerwear, the iconic store on Hunter Street, recently started producing washable/reusable non-medical ​Face Masks and Scrub Caps for the Peterborough Health Care community. They are available for purchase by anyone from individuals to businesses looking to outfit their staff. The best part is that for every mask sold, Cahills will donate one to health care! You can even make a donation in your name or your business name in exchange for a tax receipt. Owners Margie and Jamie Cahill are also excited to welcome middle son Rob Cahill back into the family business. Welcome home Rob! Cahills.ca for more information.

Card the Yard is a new business started by Lisa Porter and Kirtus Evoy. It’s a great way to help residents celebrate special occasions such as a birthday, anniversary, retirement, graduation or newborn announcement You just book online or by phone and Card the Yard will pepper your yard with a special surprise greeting for your special celebration. They can customize to any celebration. Covering Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland, details are available at cardtheyard.ca.

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Bring Back The Drive-In

There aren’t many signs of the Mustang Drive-in that exist today. The berms are still there for the cars to park on, and the roads still exist, but that’s about it.

Maybe it’s one part nostalgia, and one part perfect timing, but we’d love to see the Mustang Drive-In return.

What better time than during physical distancing to enjoy movies from the comfort of your own vehicle? Unfortunately, the drive-in closed back in 2012, the structures have since been demolished and now the land sits vacant. (Here is a post we did from a woman whose father managed it back in the day.)

Would you enjoy going to the drive-in or did you have fond memories of going? Thankfully we still have two semi-local Drive-ins that are considering opening this year: the Lindsay Drive-In and the Port Hope Drive-In.

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UPDATE

One of our readers was kind enough to dig some photos out of his archives to share with us…

“Back in the day, Peterborough had TWO drive-ins for us to choose from... 

The Mustang, and up on the Lakefield highway where Giant Tiger now stands was the Peterboro Drive-in.

Here’s also a photo of my ‘66 Impala parked on a hump at the Mustang Drive-In site.”

- Frank B.

“It would be the ultimate in nostalgia to go to the drive-in in my ‘66 Chevy Impala... second only to going up to Armour Hill in my ‘66 Impala... accompanied in either case, of course, with a fine companion. - Frank B.”

—by Evan Holt, PTBOCanada.com

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After 25 days In Intensive Care Unit (ICU) On A Ventilator At PRHC, Darlene Beats COVID-19

Now this is a heartwarming post about resilience. A woman named Darlene was the first patient to be admitted to Peterborough Regional Health Centre with COVID-19.

PRHC reports on their Facebook page that “after 25 days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on a ventilator and three weeks on an inpatient unit, she was discharged home after testing negative for COVID-19.”

“Everyone was determined I was going to live and I did,” Darlene says in the video PRHC posted. “I am your number one admission for COVID and I’m going home.”

Watch the beautiful video below about her journey…

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Fleming College Distributes $415,000 To Students During COVID-19 Pandemic

To assist with the financial burden caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Fleming College’s Student Emergency Fund provided $415,000 in financial aid support to 1,200 domestic and international students.

The fund was set up to support a variety of student needs during this critical time, including access to equipment for online learning and alternative delivery format, transportation, and food and rent. Funding sources have been a combination of private contributions and government funds.  

“We are grateful to our generous donors for their continued support of student success, as well as provincial emergency funding which allowed the College to offer significant financial support to many of our students,” says Fleming College President Maureen Adamson.

The College issued cheques to students on May 1st and have received an outpouring of emails from students expressing gratitude and appreciation for the financial support. 

“When the COVID-19 crisis shut down occurred, it was very stressful and hard to see the light at the end of all my hard work with this new hurdle in the road,” says Lisa McGlade, Business Administration - Accounting student. “I am very grateful for Fleming College's financial support which has allowed me to focus on finishing my studies successfully."

Financial need is urgent and ongoing. Fleming College will continue to fundraise in hopes to meet the increasing need of their students. There is a growing concern of how this pandemic will impact students beginning or resuming their studies in the spring and fall semesters, and it’s anticipated that more funding will be required.

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Canadian Cancer Society Invites People To Relay At Home, A Re-Imagined Virtual Event

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Cancer Society recently made the decision to cancel their in-person Relay For Life Peterborough event scheduled for May 30th.

When Peterborough residents signed up to participate in Relay For Life in the community this year, they showed their support for friends, family, neighbours and colleagues who have been affected by cancer. That’s why organizers wanted to remind them that during COVID-19, they can still help prove that community is bigger than cancer—which doesn’t stop because of the global pandemic. 

Photo courtesy Canadian Cancer Society

While participants may not be able to come together in-person to celebrate right now, there is so much people can do virtually to support people living with cancer. On Saturday, June 13th from 7 to 9 p.m., Canadian Cancer Society invites the community to join Relay At Home, their re-imagined virtual event that you can enjoy from the comfort of home.

With interactive activities and time to celebrate survivors and remember those we’ve lost, Relay At Home will show that no one in our communities has to face cancer alone. 

Photo courtesy Canadian Cancer Society

Funds raised through Relay At Home will go towards the Canadian Cancer Society’s vital services that support the one million Canadians currently living with cancer.  

With the help of Peterborough residents, you can make a difference in the lives of Canadians with cancer during COVID-19 and year-round. You may not be able to meet in-person, but we all still have a reason to Relay.  Community members can join in by registering at relayforlife.ca/peterborough. 

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Fleming College Will Be Starting Fall Term Online And Then Plan Is To Transition To Face-to-Face Classes

Fleming College will begin the Fall semester using online and alternative delivery on September 8th. The College’s “Fleming Safe" plan will ensure that students can complete the learning outcomes required in their programs while maintaining the highest possible safety standards in compliance with all government and public health directives. 

“Our Fall semester will be delivered through alternate models as we prepare for multiple scenarios for our campuses and classrooms to create the utmost in safe learning environments,” says Maureen Adamson, President, Fleming College.

“The plan allows flexibility to react to the loosening of health and safety restrictions by being ready to begin face-to-face, applied learning responsibly and appropriately. We do not anticipate that all health and safety restrictions will be lifted all at once—we are ready to respond swiftly to advance student success effectively given the circumstances that will present themselves,” she adds.

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Fleming will work with community partners to re-establish field placements, field trips, clinical placements and other applied learning opportunities aligned with health and safety directives.

Teams assigned to academic programming and facilities protocols are now assembling detailed plans for the return to classes in September. Alongside planning for the return to class and access to campus facilities this fall, the college is also assessing how students will safely access residence, food services and athletics.

“I want to thank our students for their patience,” adds Adamson. “We are taking these steps to provide as much certainty as we can for students and their families at this point in time. In keeping with our guiding principle of ‘safety first’, we are dedicated to moving forward and mitigating any risk of recurrence.”

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For The First Time In Their 33 Year History Peterborough Musicfest Has Been Postponed

For the first time in its history, Peterborough Musicfest has had to cancel a season.

“After much deliberation, and in consultation with public health officials, and local authorities, we must announce, with very heavy hearts, that Peterborough Musicfest (PMF) will not proceed in 2020,” Musicfest announced in a media release.

“To postpone an entire season—a first in our thirty-three year history—is disheartening to say the least,” says Brenda O’Brien, Peterborough Musicfest board chair.

“That said, these are unprecedented times that require concrete action to save lives,” O’Brien adds. “Our community, performers, staff members, contractors and volunteers deserve no less. Thank you to all—our friends, fans, and family—who have waited so patiently while we considered this difficult decision.”

PMF contributes more than $5 million to our region in direct investment and ancillary benefits (full hotels, bars and restaurants etc.). Organizers know the festival’s postponement will be very difficult for many workers, businesses, attractions and performers to shoulder.

“Our promise to the community that has nurtured this festival at every step on its journey toward becoming the biggest festival of its kind in Canada is to firmly fix our sights on recovery,” Musicfest says in the release.

They look forward to coming back stronger at Del Crary Park in 2021.

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How The Housing Partnership Between Trent & PRHC Is Welcome Relief For Nurses

Trent University was the first university in Ontario to have opened on-campus residence spaces to frontline workers, and it has had a great impact on many.

That includes Anna Harris, a registered nurse (RN) at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) who was assigned as one of the charge nurses on the designated COVID-19 inpatient unit in April. As a mother to three young children, it is her biggest fear to bring the virus home to her family.

Harris was looking into options that would allow her to isolate from her family, and when the partnership between PRHC and Trent University making residence rooms available for healthcare workers during the pandemic was announced, she says the news came as “a huge relief.” She was one of the first PRHC employees to move into Gzowski College.

Photo of Anna Harris at Gzowski College courtesy PRHC

“Making the decision to leave my house and move into Trent was not easy,” says Harris. “It’s an uncertain time. Everyone has their own decision to make, but with so many unknowns, I felt like moving into the university residence was the best decision for me and my family. The decision to self-isolate became the one thing I could control during this time.”

“I want to thank PRHC and Trent for making the transition to living away from home as easy as it could be,” adds Harris. “All the little things—the signage to guide us to the right parking lot, the visible security guards and amazing housekeeping staff, the welcome sign and even supplying laundry detergent for us—have made a big difference.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

Nicole Glover is an RN in the Emergency Department at PRHC, and an alumna from the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing. She has been taking advantage of the housing partnership to support herself and her family in a different way.

With two young kids at home, working night shifts can be difficult. Rather than staying at Trent full-time, Nicole has been using the residence as a place to rest when she’s working night shifts.

Photo of Nicole Glover courtesy PRHC

“The constant changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought at work, as well as to my personal life, have absolutely taken a physical, mental and emotional toll,” says Nicole. “Knowing that I can get a sound sleep at Trent when I’m working night shifts, and that there is a place for me to go if anything changes and I feel like my kids or family are at risk, is reassuring.”

As an alumna, this isn’t the first time that Nicole has found support as part of the Trent community. “I graduated from the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing in 2011 and had a great experience with the program,” she says. “The nursing faculty members were amazing and very approachable, and the program offered very applicable clinical experience. I was fortunate enough to get a job at PRHC right out of school with a temporary licence and was hired on full-time once I wrote my licensing exam.”

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BE Catering Is Shutting Down Storefront Location, Read The Heartfelt Letter From Its Owner

UPDATE: To be clear, they’re only losing their storefront location but are still a catering company with the ability to serve all.

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The popular BE Catering storefront location (located at Charlotte and Park) has become a casualty of the economic crisis we’re in. Read the heartfelt letter posted to their Facebook page below from its owner Bonnie Kubica….

“This is a letter to let all of you know what’s been happening over on our corner of Charlotte and Park Streets. For the past six weeks, we have made so many soups, casseroles, lasagnes and curries, with the help of our wonderful cooks and staff. Thank you so much for your support of us and our local community, it is greatly, greatly appreciated! We are sad to announce that we will be leaving our facilities at the end of this month.

It warms my heart to think of everyone who has come through our doors, people we have gotten to know so well, some of you we got to see on a daily basis. We will remember fondly all of our in house bistro dinners, parties with live bands, Christmas get togethers and the celebrations with our food and drinks.

Bonnie Kubica at far left with team (picture via BE Catering Facebook page)

We will remember fondly all of the coffees (Americanos!) served, the muffins and scones, the BLT’s, ALT’s, soups, focaccia, and salads, lunches, breakfasts......

Our lease is up at the end of the month and we were unable to come to an agreement with the landlord, after 8 months of negotiations. They originally wanted to raise our rent by 87%. We tried to come to an interim agreement when the pandemic hit, but to no avail. We made the decision to store our equipment and tools, and will be moving out of our beloved kitchens at the end of this month.

This was a very difficult decision to make in a very turbulent and trying time for everyone. I have had a professional kitchen since BE Catering began in 1998, almost 22 years. I will miss my sunny mornings and afternoons looking out my big kitchen window, chatting with fellow cooks, making food. We did a lot of good, hard work. I know this decision for us is the right one.

Picture via BE Catering Facebook page

The core component of our business is catering for large gatherings of people, namely, weddings, parties and conferences. Since large events are not allowed to happen for the foreseeable future, this means that over 90% of our business has disappeared for 2020. If you have booked a party with us, or a wedding for this year, and hope to reschedule if we are allowed to congregate at a later date, I do have ability to work out of professional kitchens, so don’t fret.

We’re not going anywhere, just going dormant for a little while, while we take some time and space to figure out what catering, our true profession, will look like in the future. We hope that we can have smaller get togethers to celebrate being together, as we all so desperately crave at the moment. And we will be there to cook and serve wonderful handmade local food for you, with the same heart and honesty we have always strove to provide.

Picture via BE Catering Facebook page

Finally, I want to thank Simon, my partner in life and with the business, who has been by my side to support my decision, whatever that may be. I also want to thank my amazing staff who have helped us get through the past few months, we couldn’t have done this without you. And to all of my past cooks and dishwashers and servers and managers who have come and gone, but still remain friends forever, we have an amazing industry that we live and work for. It will come back, it will be different, but I do truly believe that we will all be better for it.

We wish you well.

Yours Truly,
Bonnie”

Read the comments pouring in on their Facebook page here.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat Featuring Canoe Co. Café, The Log Cabin Store & Snack Bar, & More!

PTBOCanada is delighted to to be running StooNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

The Log Cabin Store and Snack Bar has new owners. The iconic store, better known to many as Mrs Reid’s store, is located on County Road 6 at the far end of Stoney Lake. The new owners are the husband and wife team of Kevin Huckell and Toni Emerson. They are busy with a significant renovation of the property and hope to be up and running with the gas pumps soon, followed by the convenience store as well as a coffee bar and kitchen with some home cooked meals. The store was started by Bud Bedore, and now Marylin Reid is enjoying a well-earned rest after running the store for decades.

Euphoria Wellness Spa has just completed the rebranding of their Starbucks and Gelato Café. Called Canoe Co. Café, the new name pays tribute to the fact that the building was the former home of the Peterborough Canoe Company, founded in 1892—manufacturing wooden canoes from the corner of King and Water Streets until 1961. The space has been renovated, and while they can’t welcome you inside just yet, they are getting ready to open a walk-up/take-out window soon. Owner Simone Dobson wanted to thank Amy Leclair Graphic Design for the new logo and Commercial Press for the new sign.

Local company OptiSolve is in the news again. OptiSolve developed a proprietary surface imaging technology that can produce high quality images that reveal where pathogens remain before and after cleaning. Think about the germs on your keyboard, door handles, your television remote control, your cellphone… This ground-breaking technology was recently written up in a four-page article in the Canadian Journal of Infection Control, considered the most credible journal on the topic. For details, visit optisolve.net.

The Staffing Connection and Level A Professional Group are joining forces to honor local frontline workers. Beginning May 11th, you can visit their websites and Facebook pages to nominate and tell a brief story about frontline workers who have displayed extraordinary bravery, response and compassion during the Covid-19 crisis. Each week for four consecutive weeks, six frontline workers will each receive a $100 gift card redeemable at any downtown Peterborough business. At the end of the four weeks, one local hero will be awarded $1500 in VISA gift cards. Check it out at thestaffingconnection.ca or levela.net, or find them on Facebook.  

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