businessNOW™ is the most comprehensive weekly round-up of business and organizational news and events from Peterborough and across the Kawarthas.
The week’s news features Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre announcing the successful applicants in the latest intake of the Starter Company Plus program, private equity group 1440 Capital investing in Peterborough-based Aclarus Ozone, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism inviting public input into the development of its five-year tourism strategy, Nexicom matching public donations to 4th Line Theatre’s youth apprenticeship program, and other notable business and organization news from across the Kawarthas.
New events added this week include the Peterborough Chamber’s lunchtime seminar on environmental due diligence and remediation in Peterborough on February 19th, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s new venture session in Peterborough on February 25th, and Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland’s “Scale Up Your Business” seminar in Cobourg on February 27th.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre announces successful Starter Company Plus applicants
The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre has announced the successful applicants of the first 2020 intake of Starter Company Plus, an annual program funded by the Government of Ontario.
Starter Company Plus is designed to provide business training for aspiring to experienced entrepreneurs, aged 18 and over in the City and County of Peterborough, who are launching a new business or expanding an existing business that has been operating for five years or less.
“Research shows that when entrepreneurs are provided with a team of support at all levels of their development, they are likely to thrive and stay in the community,” says Madeleine Hurrell, entrepreneurship officer with the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre.
“Peterborough and the Kawarthas has a rich history of entrepreneurs operating successfully in the region,” Hurrell adds. “We know that in the future new job creation will come from our small businesses, so it is critically important to foster and support their growth at all stages.”
The successful applicants are:
- Jenny McGillvray of Mobile Cuts
- Katie Jackson of Wanderlight Alpaca Experience
- Karen Kearney of K9 in Motion
- Kerry McMaster and Stephen Stamp of Buckhorn Woods and Event Centre
- Larissa Nicholson of Littleleaf Farms
- Desiree Bandi and Matt Baylis of 1.5 Composting
- Marlowe Bork of Marlowe’s Home Repairs & Custom Woodworking
- Dianna Graves of The Self Discovery Centre
- Jason White of Cat Prefab
- Josh Keepfer of Kitchen Farmacy
- Eric and Sandra Lennox of Kawartha Monuments
The program runs for seven weeks and aims to teach new entrepreneurs the necessary skills to start and grow their business. At the end of the training, six of the participating entrepreneurs will be selected and awarded a grant of $5,000, based on their businesses’ creativity, strength of business plan, and viability.
To learn more about Starter Company Plus, including future intakes, visit peterboroughed.ca/starter.
The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre is also hosting a winter workshop series designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners. For upcoming workshops, visit peterboroughed.ca/events.
Private equity group 1440 Capital invests in Peterborough-based Aclarus Ozone
Toronto-based private equity group 1440 Capital has purchased control of Aclarus Ozone, a Peterborough-based company that engineers, builds, and installs advanced ozone-based treatment solutions for water and wastewater treatment.
Founded in 2012, Aclarus Ozone now has over 900 installations in eight countries that treat municipal, industrial and commercial, and residential water and wastewater. Aclarus systems treat drinking water for six First Nations communities in Canada, wastewater in Cobourg, and its commercial applications include dairies, food and beverage production, agriculture and aquaculture, and groundwater treatment.
“This is an exciting milestone for Aclarus,” says Alcarus co-founder and president Michael Doran. “1440 Capital’s knowledge of and experience in the water technology sector is exactly what we were searching for to help accelerate our growth. This is a great collaborative partnership.”
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism invites public input into the development of its five-year tourism strategy
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of Peterborough, is inviting the public to attend two public information sessions as the economic organization develops a new five-year tourism strategy.
The Destination Development Strategy & Action Plan will guide the sustainable growth of tourism in the region. With efforts led by consulting firm Bannikin Travel & Tourism, the project is taking a three-phased approach overseen by a steering committee comprised of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism staff and tourism industry representatives.
The first phase, now underway, involves engaging tourism professionals in the region (business owners, accommodation and restaurant managers, and more) to provide their perspectives on tourism in the region, including strengths, challenges, and opportunities. Members of the public are also invited to share their perspectives at two public information sessions:
- Tuesday, February 11th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lang Pioneer Village Museum Agricultural Heritage Building (104 Lang Rd., Keene)
- Wednesday, February 12th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Canadian Canoe Museum (910 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough)
“A vital step of this process is gaining stakeholder insight,” says Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism director Tracie Bertrand. “Public contribution, whether by simply attending our information sessions or by contributing their perspectives, will be invaluable as we move forward in understanding how to best support the sustainable growth of our tourism sector.”
Feedback from the first phase will be used to inform the strategy and action plan developed in the second phase. The final phase will see the plan presented to the board of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development followed by City and County councils in July 2020.
For more information on the project, as well as regular progress updates, visit thekawarthas.ca/tourism-plan/.
Nexicom matching public donations to 4th Line Theatre’s youth apprenticeship program
Millbrook-based telecommunications company Nexicom is supporting 4th Line Theatre’s Emerging Voices Youth Apprenticeship Program by matching any donations made to the program until Tuesday, March 3rd.
In 2019, 62 youth actors were engaged in 4th Line Theatre productions. To effectively train youth volunteers, the Emerging Voices Youth Apprenticeship Program requires an average of $20,000 in funding annually. Donations to the program are used for professional artist fees including workshops, vocal and dialect coaching, acting and movement coaching, choreography and fight direction, and technical production coaching to benefit youth volunteers.
Donations can be made online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by calling the 4th Line Theatre Box Office and Administrative Centre at 705-932-4445. Donations must be made by March 3, 2020 to qualify for a donation match by Nexicom.
For its 2020 season, 4th Line Theatre is presenting the world premieres of The Great Shadow by Alex Poch-Goldin (June 30 to July 25) and Wishful Seeing by Maja Ardal (August 4 to 29). Tickets are now available by phone at 705-932-4445, online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or at 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office located at 4 Tupper Street in Millbrook.
Other notable business and organization news from across the Kawarthas
Here’s a summary of other notable business and organizational news from across the Kawarthas over the past week:
- In its third-quarter financial results report, Montreal-based dairy and cheese company Saputo announced it will be closing its facility in Trenton in September 2020, along with its facility in Saint John, New Brunswick. The current production of both these sites will be integrated into other Saputo facilities across Canada, affecting 280 employees at the two closing facilities.
- Karen LaRiviere, who previously worked at Bennett’s Home Furnishings, has opened her new home lighting and decor retail store de.Kor. The store, located at 97 Hunter Street East at the corner of Hunter Street East and Mark Street in Peterborough’s East City, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit dekorptbo.com.
- Creative hub Rustically Signed has opened at its new location at 12 Lindsay Street South in Lindsay, which features a makers market with more than 50 vendors and offers weekly workshops. Rustically Signed is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.rusticallysigned.com/.
- Shakers Diner at 98 Queen Street in Lakefield is now open for breakfast and lunch. Located in the former Debbies Restaurant location, the renovated restaurant features home-style cooking and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
- Pet store All Creatures Great and Small (30 King St. W., Cobourg) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a celebration and sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 22nd.
- The Kingston Musicians’ Union, which advocates for musicians’ rights in the workplace, is opening a Peterborough office for the first time in 28 years. Sean Hully is the Peterborough representative of the Kingston Musicians’ Union, Local 518, of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. The new office is located at 403 McDonnel Street in Peterborough, with a public grand opening taking place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 23rd.
Launch and open house of Kawartha Lakes Incubator in Lindsay on February 11
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is hosting a launch and open house of the Kawartha Lakes Incubator from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11th at Kawartha Lakes Economic Development (180 Kent St. W., Lindsay).
The pilot project is a partnership between the Innovation Cluster and the City of Kawartha Lakes, with the support of FedDev Ontario through the Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation, and will run through 2020.
The launch takes place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., with three half-hour open house sessions running from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Members of the public who wish to attend one of the open house sessions must register for a timeslot in advance at eventbrite.com/e/kawartha-lakes-incubator-launch-and-open-house-tickets-91632183327.
Northumberland Chamber hosts business networking event in Cobourg on February 11
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is hosting a special Valentine’s Day meet-and-greet networking event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11th at BMO Private Wealth (76 King St. W., Cobourg).
Attendees will have a chance to tour BMO Private Wealth’s spacious newly renovated downtown office, meet investment advisors and staff, and do a little business networking in a social environment.
The event is free for Chamber members or $10 for non-members. Advance registration for this free event is required at nccofc.ca/events/details/nccofc-meet-greet-2645.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts branding, marketing, and sales workshop in Peterborough on February 12
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is hosting “Business Fundamentals: Branding, Marketing and Sales” from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 12th in the VentureNorth board room (270 George St., Peterborough).
The session is designed to give entrepreneurs a robust structure for formulating and identifying their business’s brand, and developing a marketing strategy and a customer relations strategy.
The session is free, but advance registration is mandatory at eventbrite.ca/e/business-fundamentals-branding-marketing-and-sales-tickets-91892505959.
Peterborough Chamber presents “Power Hour” in Peterborough on February 12
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is presenting “Power Hour” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12th at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough).
The annual chat with elected officials is an interactive lunch event and question-and-answer session with Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, City of Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones. A moderator will present questions from the audience.
Peterborough city and county councillors and chief administrative officers, as well as First Nations leaders, will also be invited to attend.
The cost is $65 for Chamber members or $75 for non-members (tables for seven are also available for $450 for members and $525 for non-members). For more information and to register, visit www.peterboroughchamber.ca.
Kawartha Lakes Arts Council hosts social media for cultural businesses seminar in Bobcaygeon on February 12
The Kawartha Lakes Arts Council is hosting “Social Media for Cultural Businesses” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12th on the upper floor of the Bobcaygeon Municipal Building (123 East St. S., Bobcaygeon).
Robyn Barton of Barton Creative will share tips on how to use social media platforms to promote your art, attract patrons and customers to your business, and sell your products and services online.
There will be a question-and-answer session at 8 p.m. followed by refreshments at 8:30 p.m.
The cost is $15 at the door for Kawartha Lakes Arts Council members or $20 for non-members and guests. No advance registration is required.
Port Hope Chamber hosts coffee meeting with MP Philip Lawrence and MPP David Piccini in Port Hope on February 14
The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Valentine’s Day coffee meeting with Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence and Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, February 15th in council chambers at Port Hope Town Hall (56 Queen St., Port Hope)
Light refreshments will be provided by Empire Crossing. There is no charge to attend this members-only event.
RSVP by contacting the Chamber at admin@porthopechamber.com or 905-885-5519.
Innovation Cluster hosts selling to government workshop in Peterborough on February 18
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is hosting “Hands-ON: Selling to Government” from 12 to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18th at the Innovation Cluster’s third floor office at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough)
Gregory J. Stulen, a specialist in strategic communications and public policy transformation at PathwayGroup Inc., will share information on becoming a vendor of record, accessing existing funds, creating new funding streams, and generating opportunities through regulatory change.
There will be a catered lunch supplied to workshop attendees.
The workshop is free, but advance registration is required at eventbrite.com/e/hands-on-selling-to-government-tickets-89786047485.
Peterborough Chamber hosts lunchtime seminar on environmental due diligence and remediation in Peterborough on February 19
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Lunch Box Learning: Real Estate Due Diligence – Your Environmental Toolbox” from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19th in the Chamber boardroom (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
Presented by environmental firm Pinchin, the seminar focuses on environmental due diligence and remediation services such as environmental site assessments, building condition assessments, and asbestos, mould and air surveys.
The seminar is free to attend for Chamber members and members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough. Bring your own lunch.
Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre hosts small business tax seminar in Lindsay on February 19
The Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre in partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency is hosting a tax seminar for small business owners from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18th in the lower level meeting room at the Lindsay Library (190 Kent St. W., Lindsay).
This seminar is offered to owners of small businesses and self-employed individuals who need help in understanding their tax obligations. The presentation is geared towards sole proprietorship and incorporated businesses and will provide participants with the basic principles and resources needed to navigate the tax system.
Register for this free seminar at eventbrite.ca/e/canada-revenue-agency-tax-seminar-for-small-business-tickets-92108931293
Kawartha Chamber holds annual general meeting in Lakefield on February 19
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is holding its annual general meeting beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19th at The Village Inn (39 Queen St., Lakefield).
Open to all Chamber members, the meeting will feature highlights from 2019, networking, and light refreshments. Members will vote for the Chamber’s 2020-21 board and elect the executive. The 2018-19 annual report will be circulated before the meeting.
Trent Hills Chamber hosts lunchtime seminar on WSIB in Campbellford on February 25
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “lunch ‘n’ learn” seminar on the WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25th in the boardroom at Team Eagle (10 Trent Dr., Campbellford).
Find out more about the program and how it can help your bottom line. Bring your own lunch and a refreshment to the meeting.
There is no fee to attend, however -registration is required in advance at business.trenthillschamber.ca/events/details/lunch-n-learn-wsib-health-safety-excellence-program-4507.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts new venture session in Peterborough on February 25
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is hosting a “New Venture Session” from 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25th in the VentureNorth board room (270 George St., Peterborough).
Intended for entrepreneurs starting a new business, the session will provide an overview of the foundations of starting and running a business, resources and programs available to entrepreneurs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, how to work with the Business Advisory Centre to build a plan of action for your business, and completing the start-up checklist
The session is free, but advance registration is mandatory at eventbrite.ca/e/new-venture-session-tickets-91890871069.
Port Hope Chamber holds annual general meeting in Port Hope on February 26
The Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual general meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26th in the Sculthorpe Theatre at Cameco Capitol Arts Centre (20 Queen St., Port Hope).
Open to all Chamber members, the meeting will include a review of by-law changes and “Fostering an ecosystem of entrepreneurship”, a presentation by Lindsay Jeremiah, manager of entrepreneurship services at Durham College.
A light lunch will be served by Brandon Manor Bed & Breakfast.
To RSVP, contact the Chamber at admin@porthopechamber.com or 905-885-5519.
Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland presents “Scale Up Your Business” seminar in Cobourg on February 27
Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (BECN), in partnership with local chambers, is presenting “Scale Up Your Business” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 27th in the BECN boardroom (600 William St., Cobourg).
This practical seminar for existing businesses, presented by Andrew Patricio of BizLaunch, will cover topics including how to create a business vision, how to set 10-year goals, how to determine your core focus, how to create a simple marketing strategy, how to set financial targets, and more.
The cost is $20 plus HST. Advance registration is required at forms.northumberland.ca/BECN/Scale-Up-Your-Business-Seminar-Feb-27-2020.
For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.
