Peterborough Blogs
Husband and Wife Make Selwyn Its Home For Their BeaverTails Food Trailer
/Canadian pastry and franchise BeaverTails has made its home in Selwyn thanks to wife and husband Michelle and Adam Levesque who opened their food trailer beside Home Hardware located at 1665 Chemong Rd. on Thursday.
Adam (left) and Michelle Levesque (right) showcasing a strawberry cheesecake BeaverTail and strawberry lemonade. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
BeaverTails are deep-fried dough that can be topped with spreads, sauces, chocolate bar bits, fruit/fruit sauces and more. Some places also add ice cream in combination with the aforementioned items.
The Levesque’s trailer has 11 varieties of BeaverTails to choose from, ranging from the classic of cinnamon and sugar, all the way to their Avalanche (Skor cheesecake). They have four flavours of Beaver Bites where the dough is fried into bite-size balls, comparable to Tim Horton’s Timbits. Other products sold include brownie pies, Beaver Bites sundaes, ice cream, poutine, hot dogs, fries and more.
The idea stemmed from Adam working in the Durham region with his other business A & M Tools Inc. and discovered a BeaverTails food truck. That inspired him to open one himself and propose the idea to Michelle despite them having no prior food-handling experience.
“We wanted something more family-oriented,” she explained. “He runs the tools and I do the back end but nothing that my kids can grow up, join in and be staff in our facility. He came home one day and said, ‘Let's do it, let's make a BeaverTails.’”
The couple started their journey in February, learning how to make the product and being a franchisee. Opening the business was not easy for the couple when they started their road to becoming franchisees. The trailer they purchased originally was not up to provincial standards for becoming a food truck and the couple went to great lengths to get it up to code according to Michelle.
“We had to change a couple of things,” she explained. “A couple of fryers, different health codes and stuff like that to make sure that we were in compliance with Ontario standards.”
The trailer had to go through several inspections however due to staffing shortages, they could not be done in a timely manner delayed their opening according to a Facebook post made in July.
The trailer finally opened for business on Thursday and both Adam and Michelle had a hectic, busy but productive first day.
“It kept steady and we appreciate everyone's patience with us having been our first day,” said Michelle.
The couple is planning activities for the winter and summer for customers to be immersed in the community and want to be open all year round.
“We want to build an ice rink so that it's winter-friendly. Everyone can come out, have a skate, get your BeaverTail like a mini Ottawa experience here,” said Michelle. “In the summer, we want to have outdoor games. We just want everyone to be a bit patient because we are still building.”
The following are the trailer’s operating hours:
Thursdays: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday/Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Photos: Fans Got to Meet With The Champs At Aon Inc's Peterborough Petes Support Rally
/Ahead of the team’s home opener, the Peterborough Petes got to meet and interact with fans at AON Inc’s support rally held at Princess Gardens on Saturday afternoon.
The event had vendors, autograph sessions and a slapshot contest all while fans could meet and interact with the Petes and their mascot, Roger.
Dignitaries such as Mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough Police Chief Stuart Betts were also in attendance during the event.
The Petes have their home opener against the Kingston Frontenacs at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Sept. 28.
Glad Canada Becomes City Sponsor For New Green Bin Service Rollout
/Waste and food protection solutions company Glad is sponsoring the City of Peterborough’s rollout of its Green Bin service.
Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.
“Glad is committed to doing its part to help reduce waste through our partnership with the City of Peterborough on its new Green Bin program that will help divert food waste from landfill, a critical step toward to reducing methane gas,” said Chris Budinszky, Glad marketing director. “One of the biggest barriers to program success is early adoption and resident participation so our hope is that by providing free Glad samples and coupons all residents can participate from day 1.”
The Green Bins are receiving a package that contains the 2023/24 Waste Management Calendar and Guide plus detailed information on the City’s waste collection changes that start the week of Oct. 31:
New weekly Green Bin collection service
Every-other-week garbage collection
Requirement to use clear bags for curbside garbage collection
Recycling collection remains on a weekly schedule.
As a result of the Glad sponsorship of the program rollout, the Green Bin kits will include:
Samples of biodegradable bags that can be used as a liner in the Green Bin
Samples of clear garbage bags
A Green Bin liner is not necessary for using the Green Bin; however, some residents may prefer to use a liner to help keep the Green Bin clean. If using a liner, it must a paper or compostable liner certified by BPI (the BPI logo will be on the packaging for the liner) according to a press release.
Other options to reduce moisture in the Green Bin include putting baking soda or shredded paper in the bottom of the container.
Residents can use the tool at peterborough.ca/MyCollectionDay to verify their waste collection day. Waste collection zones will be changing starting the week of Oct. 31 to re-balance the routes as a way to improve the reliability of the service and worker safety according to The City. Roughly 8,000 households will have their collection date shift with the change.
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Sean Paul's 'Summa Hot Tour' Stops at the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Nov. 26
/As part of his ‘Hot Summa Tour,’ Sean Paul with special guest Chi Ching Ching is entertaining fans at the Peterborough Memorial Centre for Nov. 26, announced on Monday.
The 10-time Grammy Award-nominated artist has won 18 awards and earned the title of the ‘Ambassador of Dancehall Music.’
Tickets range from $89.99 to $129.99 (plus applicable taxes and fees) and go on sale on Wednesday at 10 a.m. online, by phone at 705-743-3561 or in person at the Box Office.
PMC Scoop members can get pre-sale tickets starting Tuesday at 10 a.m.
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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Goodbye Graffiti, Take Cover Books, Kate L. Toms Fit and Nish Tees
/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…
Goodbye Graffiti was recently launched here in Peterborough by franchisees Ryan Grant and Claralana Langmann.
It was started in Vancouver 26 years ago by Peterborough’s Perri Domm and now has offices across Canada. Services include graffiti removal, power washing, anti-graffiti coating and specialty services such as EverSafe, a needle removal service. The company also offers free removal of any racial or hate graffiti and have done this over 25,000 times across Canada. Reach them at goodbyegraffiti.com or call toll-free 1-877-684-4747.
Stu Harrison mentioned Take Cover Books a couple of months ago, brothers Andrew and Sean Fitzpatrick’s online bookstore.
The brothers recently opened their own brick-and-mortar store in East City. Located at 59 Hunter St. E., Take Cover Books offers everything from retail sales to book and film clubs, book signings, readings and launches and Saturday morning readings for kids. They are also encouraging the use of the space for community events, artist exhibits and more. Stop in, seven days a week or visit takecoverbooks.ca or Facebook or Instagram.
Kate Adams has been working towards the opening of her own fitness studio for some time and her dream will finally come to fruition on Oct. 7, when she celebrates the grand opening of Kate L. Toms Fit.
Adams is a certified personal trainer, certified fitness instructor and transformation coach and will be offering both in-person and virtual programs, group fitness, small group personal training and one-on-one personal training. Located at 1-724 Erskine Ave. in Peterborough, save the opening date, Oct. 7 from noon to 3.
Nish Tees is a Peterborough/Nogojiwanong-based screen printing and design business owned by Indigenous entrepreneur James Hodgson.
With over 20 years of print experience, Hodgson recently opened his own retail shop at 219 Hunter St. W. called Fresh Prints. The shop is billed as a micro gallery featuring the collaborative work of local artists and Nish Tees. They’ll be launching new artists monthly at Peterborough’s popular 1st Friday Art Crawl.
Auto Connect Sales Donates $2,000 to Peterborough Patriots Sports Club For Arena and Ice Time
/As part of Auto Connect Sales’s quarterly contribution to local organizations, they have donated $2,000 to Peterborough Patriots Sports Club in a cheque presentation at their Lansdowne Street facility on Friday morning.
(from left to right) Martin Tempelman, Autoconnect; Thomas Rutherford, Patriots Club; Cheryl Watson, Autoconnect and Matt Abbott, Patriots Club. Photo by David Tuan bui.
The money was raised from a portion of the sales on each vehicle sold at Auto Connect for the quarter.
The club has been active for the past 35 years. They promote and coordinate events and activities for physically disabled teens and adults. The proceeds help pay for arena/ice time in sports such as sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball and curling.
“It's going to help out our charity a lot,” said Matt Abbott of Peterborough Patriots Club.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Patriots Club.
The club currently services ten athletes but is welcoming more into its activities.
All are invited to attend sledge hockey regardless of disability (even if you’re fully abled) on Oct. 14, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Warsaw Arena. The club supplies equipment such as the sledge and sticks for those who do not own any.
Auto Connect’s next quarterly contribution will be made to Kawartha Food Share.
106 Patients Lined Up for Kawartha Dental Clinic's 'Free Dental Day'
/It was five years in the making since the last event but Kawartha Dental Clinic saw 106 patients during their ‘Free Dental Day’ on Saturday.
About $87,000 worth of work was done to treat all 106 patients who had lined up for free dental day. Photo by Kirtus Evoy.
There were several people lined up for the free event that was as long as a city block according to Dr. Sina Sanei of Kawartha Dental.
“The first patient that I saw this morning, they started lining up at 1 a.m. in the morning,” he explained. “The lineup went around the building.”
The free dental work that was included were cleanings, fillings and extractions.
There were 45 staff members who volunteered their time to help out during the event. Sanei says there was a positive atmosphere throughout the day with some doctors working past 3 p.m. to fit all the patients in.
“Everyone was very appreciative of the work,” he said. “You don’t really feel tired. It’s a very fun and relaxing day. Every person you come across is in such a good mood.”
Kawartha Dental Clinic last held its Free Dental Day in 2017 and 2015. They were slated to do it in 2020 but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanei says this event will be run again in the coming years.
Metroland Seeking Bankruptcy Protection; Ceasing All Print Publications and Moving To Online-Only Model
/Metroland Media is seeking protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act as they are restructuring its operations while laying off roughly 605 employees in an announcement made by the company on Friday morning.
Peterborough Examiner’s newsroom office left its Hunter Street location in the summer of 2020. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
