77-Year-Old Peterborough Woman Lost $6,000 From Grandparent Scam
/The Peterborough Police Service is investigating after a report of a grandparent scam of $6,000.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Peterborough Blogs
Applications Open For 2024 Low Income Senior & Low Income Property Tax Assistance
/Applications are open for The City of Peterborbough Low-Income Senior & Low-Income Property Tax Assistance Program.
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Qualifying applicants receive a $400 tax credit on their municipal property tax accounts to be applied to the February 2024 interim tax bill. Anyone who previously received more than a $400 credit is grandfathered in at their higher credit amount.
Property owners can apply under one of the following qualifications:
Low-income Senior aged 65 years or older
Low-income Senior aged 55-64 years of age
Low-income persons with a disability receiving benefits under the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
Applications are available on the City’s website or at the City Hall Tax Office, 500 George St. N. Anyone that received tax credits this year, automatically receives a 2023 Property Tax Assistance application in the mail.
Feb. 19 is the deadline for submitting this application.
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Fleming Phoenix Women's Rugby Player Named OCAA League All Star
/Fleming Phoenix Women’s Rugby Sevens team member Hollie Phillips has been recognized as a League All-Star by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association as one of 15 student-athletes.
Photo courtesy of Fleming College.
The second-year student and Shannonville resident is enrolled in the Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training program at Sutherland Campus.
She was a prop on the Phoenix varsity Women’s Rugby Sevens team, scoring four tries and one convert for 22 points this season.
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United Way Peterborough's 2023 Community Campaign Reaches 45 Per Cent of $1.45 Million Fundraising Goal
/United Way Peterborough & District has reached 45 per cent of its $1.45 million 2023 Community Campaign goal in an update announcement at the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board on Wednesday morning.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The amount represents a 10 per cent increase over the success of United Way’s community fundraising effort last year according to Jim Russell, United way CEO.
“‘Together we can...’ the theme of this year’s campaign is illustrated through the numbers in this update to the community - it has been a fun and busy fall - 73 per cent of our workplace campaigns are in full swing, have been completed or are scheduled to begin in the next week or so,” he said.
Several fundraising efforts have been made since the launch on Sept. 6 including a Fear Factor Competition, a mini bicycle “fondo” race, a skating party, a ‘Seeing is Believing’ Tour, a wellness fair and barbeques.
“With approximately 40 per cent of Community Campaign revenue coming directly from workplace Campaigns, we are grateful for the many dedicated employees who go above and beyond to organize and execute their workplace campaigns, bringing their teams together having fun and raising much needed funds for our community.” said Russell “Based on workplace campaign projections and individual gifts received, so far we are 45 per cent or $652,5000 towards our 2023 Campaign Goal of $1.45 million.”
The United Way’s cabinet — selected in late August — contributed more than $40,000 to the campaign.
“Our 2023 Campaign Cabinet is a dedicated group of 22 people who have been working tirelessly as ambassadors and leaders in our community,” said Jim Hendry, campaign cabinet chair. “Our Cabinet members are volunteers and they also support the campaign financially,”
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Salvation Army Offering Christmas Assistance Giving Out Toys and Food
/The Salvation Army is offering ‘Christmas Assistance’ by giving toys and food to anyone in need for the holiday season.
Photo courtesy of the Salvation Army/
The program runs from Nov. 20 to Dec. 15 at the Salvation Army Church on 219 Simcoe St.
Appointments must be booked to participate, as the Salvation Army is accepting them beginning Monday by calling 705-742-4391.
The following are the requirements to be eligible for the assistance:
Identification for each family member
Proof of current address
Verification of income (pay stub, OW/ODSP stub) for everyone in the family
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Peterborough Man Arrested With Possession of Child Pornography
/A 30-year-old Peterborough man has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography following an investigation.
The Peterborough Police Service is a member of the Provincial Strategy to protect children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The Peterborough Police Service Criminal Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at a west-end residence where various electronics were located and seized from Sept. 20.
The man was arrested and charged with:
Possession of Child Pornography
The accused is held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
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Innovation Cluster Announces Pitch IT! 2023 Winners and Cubs' Lair Competition Launch
/Maysie Roberts from Trent University has walked away as the $1,000 prize winner of Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas’s Pitch IT! 2023 competition. They are also launching this year's Cubs' Lair Entrepreneurship Competition for Nov. 30.
All participants of the Pitch IT! compeition. Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster Peterborough.
Roberts won with her app concept, Uniquely Blossom. This women's health app would specialize in reproductive anomalies. It would not only offer the features of a standard women's health app but also provide tailored guidance and doctor bookings according to a press release.
Runner-up and a $500 prize went to Adithya Bala from Fleming College for his venture, EcoBites. This product line offers edible, flavoured straws and lids as eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics.
The following were other participants:
Whitney Stoner-Paget from Fleming College: First Five Club, focusing on innovative early childhood development
Christina Bourgeois-Davis from Fleming College: Hand-In-Hand Childcare Solutions, aimed at streamlining childcare services
Aruja Kulkarni from Trent University: Atomation.AI, a platform for automating routine tasks
John Samuel Joseph Premanand from Trent University: FarmersCart, revolutionizing the way Toronto residents access farm-fresh produce through an online marketplace and pop-up stores
The Pitch IT! jusdges were as follows:
Catia Skinner, CEO of Mega Experience Inc., a leading marketing solutions provider
Barry Payne, Founder of Adirondack Technologies Furniture Inc., and inspiring Indigenous entrepreneur
Andrew Ko - Business Development Manager at Futurpreneur Canada, a vital partner of the Innovation Cluster
The Cubs’ Lair, running from 6-8:30 p.m. at Erben Restaurant is featuring not just students but also regional entrepreneurs from the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes area.
Eligibility Requirements:
Must be in the region of Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes.
Must have a passion for entrepreneurship.
Must have an innovative business.
Must have a business plan.
Must be working in an active business (MVP preferred)
Top prizes include $3,000 for the first-place winner, $1,500 for the second, and $500 for the third, generously sponsored by Futurpreneur.
“This competition is a catalyst for untapped potential and passion,” Nonnie Dube, contest facilitator. Don't miss this unique opportunity to elevate your business idea, secure seed money, and gain pivotal mentorship.”
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Voice of Business: Small Businesses Lack Resources to Properly Address Mental Health In the Workplace
/
We know we need to take care of our mental health but what does that mean for small and medium-sized businesses?
There’s a new report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) that takes a deep dive into how smaller businesses are struggling to properly address mental health challenges within their team and as business owners. The report is called Mind the Gap: Addressing the Mental Health and Addictions “Echo Pandemic” in Ontario. The report outlines 21 recommendations for both businesses and governments to tackle mental health in the workplace.
It seems like an understatement to say the COVID-19 pandemic left a big impact on us. It impacted our businesses, communities, neighbourhoods, family connections, economy, cost of living, etc. There is hardly a facet of our lives that wasn’t impacted. Some of these have returned to normal, others will continue to have a lasting impact.
We have been talking about mental health long before the pandemic, but it took a growing problem and pushed it to the point of crisis. As stated in Mind the Gap: “The crisis disproportionately impacted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), frontline workers and underserved populations like Indigenous Peoples and northern, remote, and racialized communities.”
According to the report, 69 per cent of large businesses have a formal mental health strategy while only 33 per cent of small businesses have such a plan.
We no longer have the public health restrictions and the same anxiety about a spreading virus, but what we are left with is a mental health, “echo pandemic.” According to the OCC report: “In contrast to larger organizations, SMEs have limited capacity and resources to respond to the growing workplace impacts of the pandemic and have been placed at the forefront of the ensuing mental health crisis without adequate support.”
Mental Health is not just something for employees — many business owners are facing mental health challenges of their own. Some have watched their business that they have helped build for decades get decimated through the pandemic. They’ve taken on loans and the prospect of repaying them is becoming more daunting as the good times they hoped for haven’t materialized. Instead, they’re working more hours than ever as they struggle to hire while facing record inflation and more economic uncertainty. The life of an entrepreneur has always been one of stress and challenges, but the last few years have pushed this to a breaking point.
I encourage you to read through the recommendations in Mind the Gap. Without getting too much into the details, the suggestions for the business community include being strategic in how we invest in mental health in our workplace with progress that we can monitor and measure. We need a range of accessible mental health and addictions support programs for employees that reflect the diversity of our teams.
Our governments need to help make sure those mental health tools are available for businesses to tap into. It’s hard to refer people to services if the primary care sector doesn’t have the capacity to take it on. The report presents the need for additional supports to encourage more investment more in mental health including tax incentives and leveraging data to improve outcomes.
It’s time to move beyond talking about mental health and take strategic action that includes measurable goals toward a healthier workplace. It’s going to take action from both government and industry. We need to address the “echo pandemic” and mind the gap.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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Fleming Phoenix Roundup: Oct. 27-28
/The Fleming Phoenix saw mixed results as their cross country, volleyball and basketball teams competed over the weekend.
The Fleming Phoenix logo was unveiled for the college on Sept. 8, replacing the Fleming Knight. Photo courtesy of Fleming College.
