Finalists Announced For Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce 2024 Business Excellence Awards

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce has announced the finalists for the 2024 Business Excellence Awards where the winners will be announced in a ceremony at The Venue on Oct. 29.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

The awards publicly recognize and honour local businesses and business people who have demonstrated a passion for excellence.

The evening begins with a reception at The Venue, followed by the ceremony at Showplace Performance Centre. Megan Murphy will host the event, which will award prizes in 22 categories, including the prestigious Business Citizen of the Year. 

“Excellence is out there, throughout our local business community in Peterborough and the Kawarthas,” says Sarah Budd, Chamber president and CEO. “It’s so important to recognize the hard work, innovation, resilience, and impact of our local businesses and business leaders, and this annual celebration does just that.”   

Tickets are available online. 

The following is a list of the 2024 Business Excellence Awards Finalists (listed alphabetically):

4-Under-40 Profiles, in memory of Kathy Windrem

Winning recipients:

• Dr. Taylor Bonner

• Joe Curry

• Hillary Flood

• Dylan Radcliffe

Businesswomen of the Year

Entrepreneur

• Rosalea Terry (nectar co.)

Organization

• Heidi Popov (Kawartha Gymnastics)

Business Citizen of the Year

(To be announced at the ceremony)

Business Student Leadership Prizes

Winning recipients:

• Ali Jammal (Trent)

• Joylyn Johnson D Souza (Trent)

• Swarna Latha Mareedu (Fleming)

Commercial Development or Renovation

• Ashburnham Realty (The Railyard Development)

• The Canadian Canoe Museum

• Holmes Riseley LLP (823 Park St. S.)

Customer First

• The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge

• Couture Candy

• McLeod's EcoWater

Employer of the Year

• Engage Engineering

• Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory

• New Beginnings Building Services

Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Green Street Inc.

• nectar co.

• Wanderlight Alpaca Experience

Peterborough County Farm Family of the Year

• Winner: Scott & Paula Cornish (Whiskey Lane Livestock)

Green Initiatives

• Camp Kawartha

• Cheeks Ahoy

• Dietrich Homes

Health & Wellness

• Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy

• Flow Spa

• Trent Health in Motion

Hospitality

• The Dirty Burger

• Levantine Grill

• Millbrook Mercantile

Local Focus

• Lang Pioneer Village Museum

• Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

• OmniWorx Design

Marketing & Promotion

• Cottage Country Lifestyle Magazine

• Harmony for Healing

• nectar co. - The Viral Keepsake Campaign

Micro Business

• The Chocolate Rabbit

• Millbrook Mercantile

• Peterborough Disability Tax Services

Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year

• Winner: Sama Noor Yousafzai (Goodies on Mews)

Not-for-Profit

• Five Counties Children's Centre

• Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region

• Kawartha Gymnastics

Professional Services

• Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy

• Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory

• Holmes Riseley LLP

Retail

• Dan Joyce's Retailing Limited

• Paris Marine

• Shop The Lake Inc.

Skilled Trades

• New Beginnings Building Services

• R & M Smith Contracting

• Tom's Heating and Cooling

Tourism

• Beachwood Resort

• Kawartha Country Wines

• Lang Pioneer Village Museum

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New Mayoral Golf Tournament Fundraiser Announced to Benefit Community Living Trent Highlands and Kawartha Food Share

To benefit Community Living Trent Highlands and Kawartha Food Share, Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor has announced the inaugural Peterborough Mayoral Invitational Charity Golf Tournament fundraiser on Tuesday at City Hall.

(left to right) Jeff Leal, Peterborough Mayor; Nigel Lister, Regional Manager, Market Development of Cambium Inc; Ashlee Aitken, Kawartha Food Share general manager and Teresa Jordan, Community Living Trent Highlands executive director. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Supporting these two incredible organizations is a cause close to my heart," Leal said. “By coming together for a fun day on the golf course, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of many.”

The tournament is at Kawartha Golf Club on Sept. 9. It is an open event. The friendly competition has no set fundraising goal and wants to invite as many people as possible to join the event. Proceeds will be equally divided among the two beneficiaries.

Leal easily approved the inaugural event, saying that past mayors have had their respective fundraising events and saw this tournament as an opportunity to make it his own.

“Former mayor Daryl Bennett's wife, Jewel, they sponsored the ‘Mayor's Giving Gala’ for a number of years and the proceeds of that went to the Peterborough Community Foundation and allowed them to be a very successful organization,” he explained. “Former mayor Paul Ayotte did an event with Homegrown Homes during his tenure as mayor.”

The day will include a round of golf, lunch, and dinner. Registration and lunch begin at 11 a.m. and the shotgun start is at 1 p.m. Dinner will be at 5 p.m.

The public can register online. You must have two or four players per team to register.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available that include hole promos, golf balls, hats, lunch/cart, dinner, Caesar bar, longest drive/closest to the hole or individual holes.

Those interested or seeking more information can go online or email nigel.lister@cambium-inc.com.

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Peterborough Petes Re-Sign Four Coaching Staff Ahead of 2024-25 Season

Four Peterborough Petes coaches have been re-signed ahead of the 2024-25 season as announced by the team and Michael Oke, general manager and vice president of operations on Tuesday.

(From Left to Right) Nate Oke, Andrew Verner, Patrick O’Connor and Alex Darling. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Andrew Verner, associate coach; Patrick O’Connor, assistant coach and director of player personnel; Nate Oke, assistant coach and Alex Darling, video coach have re-signed multi-year deals.

“After extending Head Coach Rob Wilson in the spring, we’re excited to be able to keep our coaching staff together moving forward,” said Michael. “They have all worked well together for the past few years, developing a strong relationship between themselves and with the players.”

“I’m very pleased that we were able to come to an agreement to keep our coaching staff together,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach. “All of their work, commitment, and dedication to the team is amazing to watch on a day to day basis. We’re all working towards the same goal of developing our young players on and off the ice, and I believe that the staff we have in place is one of the best in the OHL.”

Verner, a Petes alumnus from 1989-92, originally joined the coaching staff as a goaltending coach during the 2012-13 season. He served as an assistant coach from 2014-18 and interim head coach in 2018 before being named associate coach in August of the same year.

O’Connor joined the Petes as an assistant coach prior to the 2019-20 season. He served in the role for three years before being promoted to the role of director of player personnel and assistant coach last October.

Nate joined the Petes as the team’s skill and development coach before the 2022-23 season while he was the head coach of the U16 Central Ontario Wolves. He was named an assistant coach in August last year.

Darling was originally an intern in the Petes business office, before taking on a sales role with the team. He was named video coach and assistant to the general manager for the 2022-23 season.

All four are OHL Champions from the 2022-23 season as coaches when the Petes raised their 10th J. Ross Robertson Cup. They all rejoin Head Coach Rob Wilson who signed an eight-year extension in March. 

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City Council Approves Apartment Building Construction On Armour Road

City Council has approved a site-specific amendment to the Official Plan to allow the construction of an apartment building at 1180 Armour Rd. with parking oriented toward the street during their meeting on Monday night.

Google Map Screenshot.

The property is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Armour Road and Cunningham Boulevard.

The R.5-330 zoning district will facilitate the development of the seven-storey, 76-unit apartment building that the Ontario Land Tribunal has considered according to a press release.

Council adopted a resolution directing staff to process a site-specific Official Plan Amendment to remedy any conflict between the new Official Plan's policies and the concept plan that the Ontario Land Tribunal considered in 2022 on June 10.

The proposed development was the subject of Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications, which were deemed complete on June 21, 2019. The General Committee held a public meeting under the Planning Act on July 6, 2020.

At the July 27, 2020 Council meeting, Council deferred deciding until an independent traffic study was completed. The applicant appealed the lack of decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal and the Tribunal issued its decision to approve the amendments on April 20, 2022, before the Ministry's approval of the City’s new Official Plan.

The subject property under the new Official Plan is designated Minor Mixed-Use Corridor. The Minor Mixed-Use Corridor designation includes urban design policy that does not support the current concept, however this policy was not in effect during the review of the OPA and ZBA applications, nor during the Tribunal process.

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Peterborough Man Arrested After Running Out Into Traffic And Pulling His Pants Down

A 53-year-old Peterborough man is facing indecent act charges after an incident Monday morning.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 11 a.m., officers were called to a section of George Street near Westcott Street. A man had been running out into traffic and pulling his pants down. Officers located a man matching the description given and took him into custody without incident.

The man was arrested and charged with:

• Indecent Act- public place

• Fail to Comply with Probation Order

The accused was held in custody and appeared in court on Monday.

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22nd Annual Hike for Hospice Returns As In-Person Event

After adjusting to a virtual event for several years, Hospice Peterborough’s 22nd annual Hike for Hospice will be an in-person event on Sept. 22 at Millennium Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Hospice Peterborough.

As Hospice Peterborough’s largest annual fundraiser, Hike for Hospice sees individuals and teams who have either had a loved one die at a hospice and wish to honour their memory, have received support from Hospice programs or simply care deeply about palliative and bereavement support and want to ensure these services remain free for those who need them according to said Heather Easton, Hospice committee co-chair.

“I’m very excited it’s going to be in-person this year,” she said. “It’ll be quite meaningful to hear everyone share their hospice stories as we walk.”

“While we’ve had great success with virtual walks over the past few years, there really is something special about being able to experience Hike for Hospice with others, together,” said Shelley Barrie, Hospice committee co-chair. “I was lucky to be involved in Hike when it was an in-person event for many years, and it’s nice to finally be able to gather again for such an important cause.”

The event will include opening remarks, a reflective activity led by Red Keating, Hospice Peterborough Supportive Care Counsellor and Co-Host of the podcast ‘What Now? On the Threshold of Life, Death and Grief,’ healthy snacks and treats and a walk to Rogers Cove in East City.

Hike for Hospice participants are encouraged to participate in the way that is most comfortable for them. They can walk to Rogers Cove, turn around and loop back to Millennium Park or continue to Beavermead Beach. Participants can also participate virtually and plan their own Hikes, as they have done in recent years.

Past Hike for Hospice participant Tracey Johnston has held a “virtual Hike” with her family for the last few years in honour of her father Tom Johnston, who received care in his final days at Hospice Peterborough in 2022. Each year since Tom’s death, Tracey’s family gathers at the Kenner Collegiate racing track to walk laps and remember Tom, often displaying photos of him and sharing memories.

“An in-person Hike for Hospice will be a wonderful opportunity to build community, especially with some of the newer families who may be walking this path for the first time. I want to let them know they’re not alone,” Said Johnston. “It’s also so important these programs stay accessible to all through fundraising.”

Those interested in participating in Hike for Hospice must register via Hospice Peterborough’s EasyPledge website, where they can collect pledges until the day of the Hike in September. The EasyPledge site includes resources on how to fundraise, impactful Hospice Peterborough stats, inspiring Hike stories like Tracey Johnston’s (pictured), sponsorship information and more.

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Peterborough Jr. C Lakers Cap Off Perfect Season With Series Sweep to Win Meredith Cup

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers’ perfect season is complete as they defeated the Fergus Thistles 14-7 in Game Three to capture the Meredith Cup at the Healthy Planet Arena on Saturday night.

July 28 was Peterborough’s only loss against the Nepean Knights in 6-5 result in the semifinals. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Jr. C Lakers.

The team had a perfect 16-0 record in the regular season entering the playoffs. The team only had one postseason loss and ended on an overall 28-1 record.

According to a prior press release, a Peterborough junior lacrosse team has had an undefeated season in roughly 50 years.

Peterborough drew first blood in game one, taking a 9-6 win on the road at Centre Wellington Sports Complex on Wednesday night. Peterborough fought off a late rally from the Thistles to hang on for the win and lead the best-of-five series, 1-0.

The Lakers had the opportunity to win the Meredith Cup in Peterborough if they could win consecutive home games in back-to-back nights.

Peterborough had a seesaw battle with Fergus in Game Two which included several visiting Thistles fans who were almost just as loud as the Lakers crowd at the Healthy Planet Arena on Friday night.

The home team was able to clamp down defensively and deny Fergus any scoring while netting two goals to win Game Two, 13-9.

With a chance to sweep the series and win the Meredith Cup before the home Peterborough crowd, the Lakers did just that with a convincing 14-7 win at the Healthy Planet Arena on Saturday night.

Once the Lakers took the lead, they never lost it thanks to an eight-goal surge in the second period. Peterborough outscored Fergus in every period to maintain their lead and capped off their perfect season.

“We are deeply grateful for the incredible support and dedication our community has shown us this season. To our amazing sponsors, volunteers, staff, and crew, as well as our passionate fans and parents - thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your unwavering commitment and generous contributions have been the driving force behind our success,” according to a statement released by the team following their championship win.

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Three People Including Teenager Faces Drug Trafficking and Possession Charges After Search Warrant

Three people, including one teenager, are facing charges after the Peterborough Police Service conducted a search warrant Friday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.

Officers with the Drug Unit and the Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at a McDonnel Street and Rubidge Street area residence. 

Officers seized:

• Two loaded firearms (handguns)

• 177 grams of Fentanyl

• 55 grams of Cocaine

• 122 Dilaudid pills

• Over $3,000 in Canadian Currency

A 23-year-old Pickering man was arrested and charged with:

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking of Schedule I substance - Opioid (Fentanyl)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking  of Schedule I substance - Opioid (Dilaudid)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking of Schedule I substance – Cocaine

• Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose

• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm

• Carry concealed weapon

• Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition

A 27-year-old Chatham-Kent man was arrested and charged with:

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking of Schedule I substance - Opioid (Fentanyl)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking  of Schedule I substance - Opioid (Dilaudid)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking of Schedule I substance – Cocaine

• Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose

• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm

• Carry concealed weapon

• Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition

A 17-year-old Brampton male was arrested and charged with:

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking of Schedule I substance - Opioid (Fentanyl)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking  of Schedule I substance - Opioid (Dilaudid)

• Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking of Schedule I substance – Cocaine

• Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose

• Unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm

• Carry concealed weapon

• Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition

All three of the accused were held in custody and appeared in Weekend and Statutory Holiday (WASH) court on Saturday.

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Schedule Released For MSL Finals Between Peterborough Lakers and Six Nations Chiefs

Major Series Lacrosse has released the official finals schedule between the Peterborough Lakers and Six Nations Chiefs with Game One beginning at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

This is the fourth consecutive season and the ninth time in the last 10 seasons that both teams will meet in the final.

The Chiefs had an undefeated regular season before sweeping the Cobourg Kodiaks in the semifinals. Despite the Lakers, finishing with a 7-5 regular season record, they swept Owen Sound and Brooklin in four to reach the MSL finals.

The winner will host the WLA champion in the Mann Cup. 

SCHEDULE

• Game 1: Tuesday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. @ Iroquois Lacrosse Arena

• Game 2: Thursday, August 15 at 8:00 p.m. @ PMC

• Game 3: Tuesday, August 20 at 8:00 p.m. @ Iroquois Lacrosse Arena

• Game 4: Thursday, August 22 at 8:00 @ PMC

• *Game 5: Sunday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m. @ Iroquois Lacrosse Arena

• *Game 6: Tuesday, August 27 at 8 p.m. @ PMC

• *Game 7: Thursday, August 29 at 8:00 p.m. @ Iroquois Lacrosse Arena

*if necessary

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Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring DBIA, NFP Seminar, The Cottage and Nine Ships 1825

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…

There’s an end-of-summer sidewalk sale and block party in downtown Peterborough on Aug. 26.

Organized by the Downtown Business Improvement Area, the event will offer exclusive deals, unique finds, and a lively atmosphere as George Street is closed between Simcoe and Hunter streets. There will be live acoustic music and a pedestrian-friendly space to shop and explore downtown. Get more info at theboro.ca.

Would you like to master the art of a successful grant application?

The Chamber of Commerce is holding a seminar for not-for-profits with facilitator Gail Moorhouse of Recharge Solutions. The seminar will include essential skills and strategies to create compelling grant proposals, best budgeting practices, demonstration of budget impacts, and aligning with funder priorities. The seminar will be Sept. 20th from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Chamber boardroom at 175 George St. N.  Get more details at pkchamber.ca.

The Cottage in Havelock is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an entire year of festivities and fun.

They have added an 18-hole mini golf course, café and outdoor patio to their retail store. Each hole in the mini golf is thoughtfully crafted to provide a unique challenge to keep you entertained and making memories. Be sure to check out their showroom of top clothing brands with goods and gear that extend from apparel to water toys. While you are there, grab an ice cream, coffee, latte, milkshake and a world-famous Dooher’s donut. It’s always cottage season. Drop in or connect online.

The Nine Ships 1825 board of directors hosted Irish Consul General of Toronto– Janice McGann for the Nine Ships 1825 Bicentennial Project launched on July 30 at the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

The Nine Ships 1825 organization has been created to co-ordinate and promote this 200th anniversary in 2025 of the Peter Robinson Emigration of 2,024 Irish people to the Peterborough area. Visitors are expected from all over the world for the bicentennial and the Nine Ships 1825 project looks forward to welcoming them to the area. Visit nineships1825.com for information.

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