One of eight local business legends inducted to Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame last night (May 25), 89-year-old John Bowes had a message for the region’s young entrepreneurs.
“To the Junior Achievers — keep at it, and someday you may be a senior entrepreneur, and nobody has more fun than us.”
A crowd of approximately 400 filled The Venue in downtown Peterborough for the second annual Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakeland Muskoka Business Hall of Fame. The event is a fundraiser for the local Junior Achievement chapter.
Guests were first treated to a culinary showcase. Local restaurants and cafes presented a delectable selection.
Guests enjoyed cauliflower pakora and onion bhaji from Curry Village, refreshing beer from the Publican House, and a very popular offering of miniature meatball sandwiches from Tre Ristorante Italiano, among others.
Lindsay Brock of Amusé attended as a food vendor for the second year in a row, offering cups of freshly brewed coffee. She said that the event was a great opportunity to learn more about local entrepreneurs.
“There are people who have had an important role in our community that maybe we don’t know about,” Lindsay said. “We might not recognize them by name, but they’ve had a huge influence. These are the people who have paved the way for the business community that we have today. I’m thrilled to be here to celebrate their contributions.”
This year’s inductees to the Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakeland Muskoka Business Hall of Fame were Jack McGee, Senator J.J. Duffus, Robert Young, Isadore Black, John Bowes, Darrell Drain, Rhonda Barnet, and Michael Skinner. (See our story from January for a description of each inductee).
Dignitaries in attendance included: M.P. Peterborough-Kawartha and Minister of the Status of Women Maryam Monsef; M.P.P. Peterborough and the Minister Responsible for Small Business and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal; Peterborough Mayor Darryl Bennett; and Selwyn Mayor Mary Smith.
The ceremony featured short vignettes illustrating the importance of each inductee to our community, followed by the presentation of plaques to inductees or their surviving families.
Many of the inductees seized the opportunity to encourage youth to consider a career in business.
Many inductees mentioned the importance of mentoring youth in our community through programs like Junior Achievement. Shelley Black, daughter of Isadore Black, talked about how Isadore would often hire young people to staff his iconic clothing store.
“I always joked that Blacks of Peterborough was the youth employment program in Peterborough.”
Shelley had a strong message for local business leaders.
“I think that if Dad were here today that he would encourage you to take an active role in mentoring, employing, and advising young people and using the skills that you have acquired to continue to strengthen Peterborough businesses and the economy for many generations.”
Inductee Michael Skinner belonged to Junior Achievement as a teenager.
His group created hooks that hung over the back of a door to hang clothing or towels. He says that Junior Achievement had a huge influence on his future path.
“It was my first foray into anything business related.”
Since then Michael has built numerous companies in the information technology, hospitality, entertainment and sustainable technology industries, becoming a leader in our economic development community.
He says that the event is a great way for local business people to get inspired by the many successful entrepreneurs that have succeeded here.
“It’s a great way for Peterborough to celebrate its success. I don’t think everyone knows the history of Peterborough and all of the successful people we’ve had. It’s a great way to remind people why building a business in Peterborough makes a lot of sense. You’re not the first person to build a successful business — there have been lots of people before you.”
Rhonda Barnet, co-founder of Steelworks Design Inc. and the first ever female Chair of the National Board of Canadian Manufacturers encouraged young women to consider a career in manufacturing.
Of her appointment to the hall of fame, she said “It’s a huge honour. These are icons of Peterborough, and I feel like my journey’s just beginning.”
Darrell Drain had one piece of advice for young entrepreneurs.
“If you’re going to start your own business, do it here in Peterborough County. What better place could there be to live?”
The fundraising effort was a huge success, with raffle ticket sales alone raising enough money to run a summer company program. The Hall of Fame can be viewed in the lobby of the VentureNorth building at 270 George Street in downtown Peterborough.
Natalie and Nick Wittek of the Magic Rolling Pin offered meringue nests with fresh fruit and lemon curd to the attendees. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
Deputy Mayor Sherry Senis and Mayor Mary Smith of Selwyn Township enjoy BE Catering's beautifully presented Good Earth Quinoa Bowls. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
Martin Carbajal of La Mesita Catering offered pulled pork garnished with habanero pickled onions and cilantro. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
Little Sweets offered beautifully gilded chocolate covered strawberries, brownie sandwiches, cupcakes and macaroons. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
Cynthia Keech, Winnie Norman, and Maureen Taverner were among the many gathered to celebrate Peterborough's business elite. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
Fresh Dreams prepared Pan Tumaka at the event, an incredibly fresh-tasting dining experience. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
Junior Achievement's John McNutt, Karen Munrom, and Paul Ayotte. John was pleased with the growth of the event. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
The Kawartha Golf and Country Club was among the many outstanding culinary vendors. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
The Venue in downtown Peterborough was packed with a crowd of approximately 400 attendees for dinner and ceremony. (Photo: Eva Fisher / kawarthaNOW.com)
