In this week’s businessNOW™, our round-up of business and organizational news from Peterborough and across the greater Kawarthas region, we feature the new studio for popular Peterborough illustrator and muralist Jason Wilkins, who is now sharing space with digital media brokerage Nufás Media in downtown Peterborough.
Also included this week are charitable donations by AON Inc. and Fenelon Falls Brewing Co., the upcoming fall intake for the Starter Company Plus program in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, a tourism webinar hosted by Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8), the announcement of Dan Grady as the new president of Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha, charitable status for B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop, and the Digital Service Squad in downtown Peterborough.
There’s also a fundraiser organized by that Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce that has raised over $24,000 for a new wellness centre in Kawartha Lakes, the Innovation Cluster’s new Women Breaking Barriers program (with an information session on August 20), Peterborough-based Compass North Consulting entering into a strategic alliance with Mandrake and Mega Experience, and more.
Peterborough illustrator and muralist Jason Wilkins moves into new studio
Jason Wilkins, owner of Wilkins Art & Creative Inc. in Peterborough, moved into a new studio space in downtown Peterborough this summer.
The popular local freelance illustrator and muralist, whose studio was previously located in the Commerce Building in downtown Peterborough, is now located at 383 George Street above Flavour Fashion.
VIDEO: Jason Wilkins Art & Creative Inc.
Posted by Jason Wilkins Art & Creative Inc. on Friday, July 3, 2020
He is sharing space with Nufás Media, a full-service digital media brokerage owned and operated by Jordan Porter and Sean Thornton (in July, Nufás Media was featured in a story by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development).
This fall, Wilkins is planning to offer workshops for both adults and children in the new space, where he is also continuing to record his podcast The Art Burrito.
For more information about Wilkins’ services, visit www.wilkinsartandcreative.com.
AON Inc. donates $5,000 to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
Peterborough property management company AON Inc., which is a major employer of women in Peterborough, has donated $5,000 to YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.
The donation will help address the urgent needs of women and children trapped with abusive men during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports released from other countries have indicated that demand for violence against women services had as much as tripled following self-isolation.
“AON Inc. is pleased to provide support to the YWCA 2020 Crisis Campaign to help women and children in our community escape violence which has been elevated due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Sarah Joore, AON Inc. chairperson of charitable donations. “We understand the increased stress non-profit organizations in our community are facing and we hope that our contribution will support the YWCA’s current initiatives to assist those with the greatest needs in our community in the months ahead.”
YWCA staff anticipate a dramatic increase in the need for shelter and support services as women gain more opportunities to seek help during Stage 3 of the reopening plan, particularly once children return to their regular school routines.
Fenelon Falls Brewing Co. donates $1,500 to the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation
Fenelon Falls Brewing Co. has donated $1,500 to the Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation, in support of COVID-related equipment and technology needs at the Lindsay hospital.
The Fenelon Falls company raised the donation through an online fundraiser, where $2 from the sale of every case of 24 craft beers was donated to the RMH Foundation’s Heroes at Heart fund.
“The response was extremely positive,” says Fenelon Falls Brewing Co. head brewer Russell Gibson.
“The community really embraced it. And they were so grateful when we delivered their orders. It gave them something to look forward to.”
Fall intake for Starter Company Plus in Peterborough & the Kawarthas opens September 1
Applications will be accepted for the fall intake of the Starter Company Plus program in Peterborough & the Kawarthas beginning Tuesday, September 1st.
Offered since 2017 through the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre with funding from the Government of Ontario, Starter Company Plus is designed to provide business training for entrepreneurs who are aged 18 and over in the City and County of Peterborough.
The program is for aspiring to experienced entrepreneurs who are launching a business or who are expanding an existing business that has been operating for five years or less.
For details, visit peterboroughed.ca/business-support/starter-company-plus/.
Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8) hosts Abacus Data CEO David Coletto for webinar on tourism in Kawarthas Northumberland
Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8), which promotes regional tourism activity in the area that is now branded as Kawarthas Northumberland (City of Kawartha Lakes, City and County of Peterborough, and County of Northumberland) is hosting Abacus Data CEO David Coletto for a webinar on tourism in Kawarthas Northumberland
Coletto will share results specific to the Kawarthas Northumberland region from a province-wide survey of 2,000 travellers in central Ontario about how travel preferences have changed as a result of COVID-19. He will also share results from his firm’s ongoing polling on public perceptions and attitudes towards the pandemic.
The webinar takes place from 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, September 15th on the Zoom video-conferencing platform. Register at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pyZHN5oiSQ2HbfJOv9Hxdw.
Dan Grady is new president of Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha
Dan Grady is the new president of Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha.
Grady is an experienced business person who started Dan Grady Plumbing Ltd., owned and operated four movie rental stores in Peterborough and Campbellford, and owned numerous rental income properties in Peterborough.
He now owns and operates Guarantee Pro Realty Brokerage, Inc. with his wife Caroline. Grady first joined Rotary in 2014, feeling that it was time to give back to the community.
Peterborough’s community bike shop is now an incorporated charity
B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop (293 George St. N., Peterborough) now has official charitable status.
Since 2006, the incorporated not-for-profit organization has worked to develop local cycling community and culture, teaching bike maintenance, repair, and riding skills.
While B!KE has always accepted donations of bicycles, parts, and cash, you will now receive a charitable tax receipt for donations over $20.
Online donations can be made to B!KE at www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/50750.
Peterborough DBIA receives $53,000 grant for Digital Service Squad
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has received a $53,000 grant from Digital Main Street Ontario to support a three-member “Digital Service Squad”, which will help small downtown businesses in downtown Peterborough adopt digital technologies.
Accessible to over 500 downtown and central area businesses, the Digital Service Squad has trained specialists who meet with small businesses, at no cost, to help them improve their online presence. The squads assists small businesses with a number of activities, including developing their Google My Business profile, enhancing their social media presence, and providing support for basic website and e-commerce set-up.
Squads will also assist qualified small businesses through the application process for a $2,500 digital transformation grant, which includes an online assessment, online training modules, and the development of a digital transformation plan.
Fundraiser organized by Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce raises over $24,000 for new Wellness Centre in Coboconk
The Coboconk, Norland & Area Chamber of Commerce’s “Camping for a Cause: Go Wild for the Wellness Centre” fundraiser has raised more than $24,000 — more than double the original goal of $10,00.
After four weeks of raising awareness and funds for the new Wellness Centre in Coboconk, 10 campers spent a night outdoors on August 8th. With every donation checkpoint the camper met, a luxury item on their camping list was added or removed, leaving the fate of their camping trip entirely in the hands of the donors.
The money raised will go towards the renovation and expansion of the historic Coboconk Train Station to become the new Wellness Centre. The Wellness Centre will help to solve the gap in health care services in the northern areas of Kawartha Lakes by providing space for more doctors, after-hours care, dentist, physiotherapy, and other complementary practitioners and services that will service the needs of Coboconk, Kirkfield, Norland, Burnt River, Rosedale and other communities in Kawartha Lakes.
Innovation Cluster launches new Women Breaking Barriers program to fast track female tech entrepreneurs
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas has launched a new business accelerator program called “Women Breaking Barriers”, designed specifically to support female entrepreneurs in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and social innovation sectors. It includes direct access to investment and financing.
Beginning this fall, the program will 20 new or early-stage businesses in the Peterborough and the Kawarthas region with female-identified founders. It will be offered virtually and will only take six months to complete. Thanks to a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the program is offered at no cost to participants. Applications for the first cohort are due on August 27, 2020 at noon.
The Innovation Cluster is hosting a virtual information session on the new program from 12 to 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 20th. Register for the free Zoom session at eventbrite.com/e/women-breaking-barriers-information-session-tickets-116253729033.
First annual “Business Count” survey in Peterborough and the Kawarthas continues until August 31
PKED’s “Business Count” was launched on June 15th and is continuing until August 31st. It’s intended to deliver insight into the region’s economy, better inform economic development decisions and programming efforts, and improve access to information for local businesses.
So far, PKED has surveyed businesses in the townships of North Kawartha, Trent Lakes, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Douro-Dummer, Apshodel Norwood, Otonabee South Monaghan, Cavan Monaghan, and Selwyn Township. Businesses in the City of Peterborough are being surveyed this week.
PKED staff will be contacting businesses over the phone or by email.
If you’re a local business owner and you want to complete the survey yourself, or if your business is in one of the already-surveyed areas and you were not contacted, you can do so at surveymonkey.com/r/BusinessCount2020.
Peterborough-based Compass North Consulting enters into strategic alliance with Mandrake and Mega Experience
Peterborough-based consulting firm Compass North Consulting Inc., has entered into a strategic alliance with Canadian consulting firm Mandrake and marketing agency Mega Experience to advise organizations and businesses on how to address the changes to their operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Partnering with Mandrake, which specializes in executive recruitment, and Mega Experience, which focuses on brand development, design, and strategic marketing, Compass North Consulting will expand its services to include consulting, facilitation, executive search, and strategic planning and redesign.
Compass North Consulting Inc. was founded by former Fleming College president Tony Tilly and former Fleming College vice-president Sonia Crook.
Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation accepting applications for matching funding under RIIEO program
Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation (KLCFDC) is now accepting applications for the Rural Innovation Initiative Eastern Ontario (RIIEO) program under the local Digital Innovation and Technology Improvements (DITI) stream. RIIEO is a project funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev).
DITI supports small-medium sized businesses and not-for-profit organizations, located in the City of Kawartha Lakes, that are undertaking innovative projects with a total cost between $5,000 and $10,000. This is a matched contribution program where the recipient contributes a minimum of 50 per cent towards the total project cost.
Some examples of eligible projects include development of an e-commerce website, digital marketing consulting with planning and campaign deployment, implementation of artificial intelligence in business processes, transition of business processes to the cloud, and app development.
Priority consideration will be given to applicants who will be sourcing providers in the City of Kawartha Lakes for their services (e.g., web design, social media consulting, digital media consulting). Projects must be completed by December 31, 2020.
Applications will be accepted until all available funds are allocated. For more information, program guidelines, or to download the RIIEO application, visit www.klcfdc.com/innovation.
Grace Jenkins opens new barbershop in Lakefield
Grace Jenkins recently opened Queen St. Barbers in Lakefield.
The Lakefield native graduated from the hair design program at John Casablanca School in Vancouver in 2014. She then apprenticed at Tommy Gun’s original barbershop in Grand Prairie, Alberta, and also worked at Barber and Co. in both Vancouver and Toronto.
Queen St. Barbers is a trendy barber shop for men’s grooming, and offers a relaxing setting where customers can even play darts. The shop is located at 15 Queen Street in Lakefield, beside the Chocolate Rabbit. It’s open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. You can book an appointment by calling 705-651-4247.
For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.
