Community Future Peterborough Unveils 20 Entrepreneurs For Its 2025 Starter Company Plus Program

Community Future Peterborough’s (CFP) Business Advisory Centre (BAC) has unveiled its 20 businesses selected for its 2025 Starter Company Plus Program, announced at the Venture North Building on Wednesday morning.

The 20 entrepreneurs were gathered at the announcement of the businesses selected for the program. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

CFP received over 70 applications for this year’s cohort.

“This is truly a life-changing program,” said Rosalea Terry, BAC manager. “The quality of applications this year was exceptional, and our selected entrepreneurs represent some of the most committed and determined founders we’ve seen. We are proud to support them on their entrepreneurial journey.”

The Starter Company Plus program helps businesses accelerate their growth with mentorship, training and funding. This provincial government-funded program offers entrepreneurs access to expert guidance, networking opportunities and up to $5,000 in grant funding after completion.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this talented group of entrepreneurs into the 2025 Starter Company Plus program,” said Devon Girard, CFP executive director. “Their creativity, drive, and commitment to growth embody the spirit of entrepreneurship we aim to support. We’re excited to be part of their journey and look forward to their impact on our city and county.”

The 2025 Starter Company Plus Cohort includes:

City of Peterborough Participants:

• Groovy Little Smoothie Co. — Kara Ainsworth

• Stoney Island Studio Live Event Painting and Creative Services — Julie Anastasia McMillan

• The Willow Studio — Angela Demeester

• Architecture of Wellness — Jackie Orsetto

• Wild Woman Ayurveda — Maggie O'Rourke

• Doody Call — Millie Kingston

• Home and Well Inc. (Home & Well) — Kelly Clark

• Common Thread Films — Kait Howell

• Miller Exterior Painting — Dennal Leya Miller

• Burkitt Solutions Co — Brianna Burkitt

• Heeling Souls K9 Training — Alexis Mills

• Joint Venture Inc. o/a Lost Cannabis Company — Brent Morrison

• Layin' Divots — Krista Charette

County of Peterborough Participants:

• Transitions (Tentative Name) — Kelly Gower and Roselyn Rodriquez

• The Forest Hill Lodge — Jacqueline Lyons

• Belmont Farmstead — Amanda O'Rourke

• Urban Roots 47 Salon and Spa — Karen Kearney

• Lark and Lemon — Kristen Offen

• Joint Venture Inc. o/a Lost Cannabis Company — Brent Morrison

• National Touring Museum — Timothy Jeffries

• Millbrook Fit — David Lundrigan

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Canadian Rockstar Bryan Adams Hits the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Oct. 7

Canadian rock icon Bryan Adams is hitting the Peterborough Memorial Centre as part of his ‘Roll With The Punches’ North America 2025 tour on Oct. 7, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The show will have rock band ‘The Sheepdogs’ as special guest performers for the event.

“I’m so thrilled to be announcing the North American leg of the Roll With The Punches Tour,” said Adams. “We’ll be playing all the classics, some deep cuts, and sharing some brand-new tracks from the forthcoming album.”

Tickets will first be available through an AMEX presale beginning Tuesday at 10 a.m. with additional presales running throughout the week. General on sale begins May 2 at 10 a.m.

The following are the tour dates and locations:

• Thu Sep 11 – Kamloops, BC – Sandman Centre* 

• Fri Sep 12 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*

• Sat Sep 13 – Victoria, BC – Save On Foods Memorial Centre* 

• Tue Sep 23 – Prince George, BC – CN Centre* 

• Wed Sep 24 – Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place+ 

• Fri Sep 26 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome+ 

• Sat Sep 27 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place* 

• Sun Sep 28 – Regina, SK – Brandt Centre* 

• Mon Sep 29 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre* 

• Thu Oct 2 – St. Catharines, ON – Meridian Centre* 

• Fri Oct 3 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena* 

• Sat Oct 4 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre* 

• Sun Oct 5 – Windsor, ON – Caesars*

• Tue Oct 7 – Peterborough, ON – Peterborough Memorial Centre* 

• Wed Oct 8 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre* 

• Thu Oct 9 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre* 

• Sat Oct 11 – Moncton, NB – Avenir Centre* 

• Sun Oct 12 – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre* 

• Wed Oct 15 – St. John's, NL – Mary Brown’s Centre*

• Sat Oct 25 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena^

• Sun Oct 26 – Boston, MA – TD Garden^

• Wed Oct 29 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center^

• Thu Oct 30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden^

• Sat Nov 1 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena^

• Sun Nov 2 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena^

• Mon Nov 3 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena^

• Wed Nov 5 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center^

• Thu Nov 6 – Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena^

• Fri Nov 7 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena^

• Sun Nov 9 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live^

• Mon Nov 10 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena^

• Thu Nov 13 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center^

• Sat Nov 15 – Phoenix, AZ – PHX Arena^

• Sun Nov 16 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena^

• Tue Nov 18 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum^

• Wed Nov 19 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center^

• Fri Nov 21 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena^

• Sat Nov 22 – Portland, OR – Moda Center^

• Mon Nov 24 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena^

• Wed Nov 26 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center^

*With The Sheepdogs

^With Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

+With Amanda Marshall

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Seasonal Changes to Peterborough Transit Routes Effective Sunday

Peterborough Transit will implement seasonal changes to some of its routes beginning Sunday.

File Photo.

Route 5 The Parkway

Late-night Northbound service is suspended on weekdays and weekends from Sunday, until the beginning of September. Northbound Route 5 finishes at 11:35 p.m. Monday to Saturday and at 7:35 p.m. on Sunday and Holidays.

Route 6 Sherbrooke

Late-night service has been suspended on weekdays and weekends from Sunday until the beginning of September. Eastbound Route 6 finishes at 11:50 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 7:50 p.m. on Sundays and Holidays.

Route 7 Lansdowne

• Route 7 Lansdowne will transition to its spring/summer route using the 7A routing via Ashburnham, the Lift Lock, and Hunter Street from April 27 through Oct. 25. All stops on Rogers Street between Maria Street and Hunter Street will continue to be served on Route 4 trips.

• Route 7 Lansdowne rush hour 7B trip at 7:50 a.m. from Willowcreek Boulevard to Fleming College has been suspended from service

Route 11 Water

Route 11 and 11A Water serving Trent University has been suspended from Monday until the beginning of September.

Detours

Peterborough Transit will adjust its routes to accommodate construction detours as they arise. The following routes have detours in place while construction projects are underway:

Route 9 Parkhill detour at Brealey Drive

Temporary bus stops are located on Sherbrooke Street just east of Brealey Drive during the construction period.

• Westbound routes will travel from Brealey Drive to Sherbrooke Street to Denure Drive to Kawartha Heights Boulevard to Cherryhill Road to Brealey Drive, where it returns to its regular route.

• Eastbound routes will travel from Brealey Drive to Cherryhill Road to Kawartha Heights Boulevard to Denure Drive, to Sherbrooke Drive to Brealey Drive, where it returns to its regular route.

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Local Auto Industry Partners With Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School For Automotive Education

Several members of the local autobody industry have united to support the automotive classes at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School (TASSS).

Photo courtesy of Russelle Toyota.

Local businesses helping include Carlaw Collision, Pete’s Autobody, Sidey Auto/NAPA, Clements Body Shop, 3M, Caruk, Cooper Auto Glass and Peterborough Auto Recyclers. They contribute by providing essential supplies, expertise and time to the program.

Russelle Toyota donated a vehicle for students to work on, enhancing their hands-on skills in collision repair and automotive service.

“This partnership not only enriches the curriculum but also provides students with practical experience that is vital for their future careers in the automotive industry,” said Bart Packman, Russell Toyota body shop manager.

According to Russelle Toyta, the automotive sector offers a plethora of employment opportunities and this initiative provides students with the chance to gain firsthand experience in collision repair, preparing them for a successful transition into post-secondary education or the workforce.

Many local high schools offer cooperative programs that provide students in Grades 11 and 12 with experiential learning opportunities, including working in automotive jobs.

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Road Closures In Place Sunday For GPHSF 2025 Peterborough Butterfly Run

A temporary road closure is in effect for the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation’s (GPHSF) 2025 Peterborough Butterfly Run occurring from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Since 2018, 800 bereavement kits have been created to be provided to families and individuals by health care providers. Photo courtesy of GPHSF.

Affected streets will be:

• Engleburn Avenue from the south side of Charles Street to the north side of Maria Street

• Birdsall Street from the south side of Charles Street to the north side of Maria Street

Peterborough Butterfly Run Route. The Peterborough Butterfly Run supports families and individuals who have experienced a loss during pregnancy, the loss of a child or are unable to conceive. Photo courtesy of GPHSF.

Streets will be made available for local traffic butrunners will be coming through this area between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Additionally, a full road closure will be in place on Maria Street, between Burnham Street and Mark Street, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Detours will be in place at the intersections of Burnham Street and James Street, as well as Mark Street and James Street. Peterborough Police will be present to assist anyone affected by the Maria Street closure in leaving their homes. Delays are expected during this time.

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Peterborough Police Seeking Any Suspects Breaking Into Two Construction Sites

Officers with the Peterborough Police Service are investigating after a construction site was broken into twice in the past week and are seeking any suspects.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The first incident on Deline Street was reported on Friday and believed to have happened between Thursday evening and Friday morning. The second incident happened on Sunday at roughly 7 a.m. 

In both cases, the site was broken into and damage was caused to the construction materials.

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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Peterborough Public Library Staffing Reorganization to Reduce Operation Expenses Says City

Peterborough Public Library is undergoing a staffing reorganization to reduce operating expenses by $120,000, as approved by City Council in the City’s 2025 Budget.

File Photo.

The Library has 60 staff, including a CEO and a manager with all other staff being unionized, non-management staff.

The reorganization will result in a net reduction of one position. Three positions will be eliminated and two new positions will be created, resulting in a net reduction of one position. A fourth affected position will be maintained but restructured to expand its role according to the City.

Services will be maintained; however, they will be delivered in a different way to achieve the $120,000 in cost savings.

Children’s Library services and programming will continue to be provided.

The Draft 2025 Budget for the Peterborough Public Library included a 10.9 per cent or $411,571 increase in the funding requirement for the Library, which would increase to $4,175,845 in 2025 from $3,764,273 in 2024.

The City says a number of factors contributed to the estimated increase in costs, including technology costs associated with software licences and product subscription fees, as well as the first year of operating the new library branch at the Miskin Law Community Complex.

All City departments were directed to provide options to reduce operating expenses in 2025 as a way to lower the required property tax increase.

There were two options for operating expense reductions put forward for the Peterborough Public Library as part of City Council’s 2025 Budget process:

• A $70,000 reduction that would reduce Library operating hours by four hours per week

• A $120,000 reduction that would be achieved through a Library staffing reorganization, that would include the elimination of two positions

Council did not choose the option to reduce Library operating hours but approved including the $120,000 reduction through a Library staffing reorganization, in the City’s 2025 Budget.

Council approved various other options to reduce the property tax increase in 2025, such as ending the lifeguard service at Rogers Cove beach with lifeguard service being maintained at the nearby Beavermead Park beach, ending the maintenance of the ice for skating on the Trent-Severn Waterway next to the Lift Lock, reducing preventative maintenance of City facilities, reducing funding for advertising, and increasing the Peterborough Transit single ride fare by 25 cents.

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Celebration of Life Being Held For Longtime Arena Worker Roy Bateman On Wednesday Night

Longtime arena worker and community member Roy Bateman is being honoured with a celebration of life at the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame and Museum on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. 

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

He passed away on April 10, a few months shy of his 74th birthday.

During his youth, Bateman was a Special Olympics athlete and won several medals for swimming. He also had a passion for hockey, as he played it on Leighton Road as a goalie with neighbourhood kids. He was also a passionate fan of the Peterborough Petes and Peterborough Lakers.

Bateman worked as a recycler at the Evinrude Centre for several years before retiring in 2021. He was treated like family by arena staff and people he met through his work. Several Petes that went on to the NHL often sent him pictures or Christmas cards.

Roy is survived by his sister-in-law, Maureen Rea. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Allan and Alma Bateman and his big brother, Wayne.

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Megabike Hitting the Peterborough Streets This Summer to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough (BBBS) is bringing back its 30-seater MEGABIKE and is hitting the streets on June 5.

Photo courtesy of BBBS.

The fundraister sees local businesses, community members and supporters pedalling 2.5 km through the streets of Peterborough.

All proceeds go to BBBS’s mentoring programs, allowing the organization to continue matching young people with caring adult mentors, fostering meaningful relationships and positive outcomes. 

“I am so excited to see the MEGABike roll through Peterborough and bring the community together,” said Zoe King, BBBS executive director. “Whether you're a high-energy team ready to take on half or a full bike sponsorship, or an individual looking to pedal for a purpose, there’s a seat waiting for you.”  

The event begins at 10 a.m. at the Healthy Planet Arena in one-hour timeslots. Registration can be done online.

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The Antique Store Closing Its Doors After 49 Years; Store Holding Online Auction To Sell Remaining Items

After 49 years of business, Michael Seeley is closing the doors of The Antique Store at the end of the month and an online auction has been posted to sell out his stock.

Seeley holds a clock that has been sold through the online auction. All items in the store are up for bids but cannot be made in person. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Seeley has announced the closure, as he is retiring, with the store’s lease set to expire at the end of April. He spent the last year downsizing inventory through in-person sales and is selling the remaining items through an online auction, catalogued by Curated.

The Antique Shop opened in 1977 and settled into his current location at 277 George St. N. in the 1980s. During that time, the business survived a fire, the Peterborough flood and a pandemic.

Seeley plans to travel and spend time with his grandchildren following retirement.

“I’m going to lie down. I’ve heard about this thing called a weekend,” joked Seeley. “I really want to thank the people who have supported me and given me the opportunity to do what I’ve done. A lot of people don’t get to do what they love.”

He’s holding regular preview hours at the shop, Monday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m. Shoppers can preview the items in the store and then place bids online. The auction closes Thursday. Winning bidders can pick up their items on Friday and Saturday.

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