businessNOW™ is our round-up of business and organizational news from Peterborough and across the greater Kawarthas region.
This week, we’re featuring the 12 entrepreneurs participating in the winter intake of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre’s Starter Company Plus program, Kawartha Controls in Omemee receiving $1.13 million in repayable FedDev funding, Best Buy Canada supplying a tech grant to a Peterborough school, New Canadians Centre seeking new board members, and Nexicom matching donations to 4th Line Theatre’s youth apprenticeship program during February.
Also featured this week is Sheridan Graham’s appointment as CAO of Peterborough County, Michael Gallant’s appointment as the new board chair of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, and the Fenelon Falls Chamber partnering with Toronto-based company Driftscape on an augmented reality tourism app.
Upcoming events include a virtual workshop on business registration and trademarks on February 17th, a webinar on mental health for farm families in Peterborough and the Kawarthas on February 17th, an online screening of the “SILO” documentary followed by a panel discussion on February 19th, an intellectual property webinar on February 23rd, a virtual breakfast session on research and innovation in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on February 26th, and the StrikeUP 2021 virtual conference for female entrepreneurs on March 4th.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre announces 12 new Starter Company Plus applicants
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre has announced the 12 entrepreneurs who will take part in the winter intake of the Starter Company Plus entrepreneurial program.
Funded by the Ontario government, Starter Company Plus is designed to provide business training to aspiring or experienced entrepreneurs in the city and county of Peterborough who are launching a new business or expanding an existing one that’s been operating for five years or less.
The eight-week program, which is delivered completely online, culminates with six of the entrepreneurs each being awarded a grant of $5,000, with the selection based on creativity and viability of their business and the strength of their business plan.
Here are the 12 entrepreneurs and their businesses:
- Christine Jaros of VerminiX Pest Control Company
- Daniel Etmanski of Daniel Etmanski’s Cannabis Consulting
- Dave Ross of Branded Heron Leatherworks
- Fenna Renee Green of Daily Development
- Hamayuwa Mwanangonze of Spores No More
- Kelly Ward of FoodFabulous
- Lia Gomez Lowe of Full Bloom Health
- Mike Frampton of Tragically Dipped Donuts
- Scott D. Bain and Sandy Spremo of The K9 Clipper
- Ryan Vieira of Our Little Worm Farm
- E. Tristan Pulham and Tyler O’Conner of Elemental Tree Care
- Tyson Newell of Creative Landscaping and Post Holes
For more information about Starter Company Plus in the Peterborough area, visit peterboroughed.ca/starter.
Kawartha Controls in Omemee receives $1.13 million in repayable FedDev funding
Omemee manufacturing company Bélair Mechatronics — which operates as Kawartha Controls — has received $1.13 million in repayable funding from the federal government through FedDev Ontario.
Kawartha Controls designs and manufactures hydraulic manifolds used in construction, farm equipment, and power generation.
The company will be using the funding to set up a new machining cell and refine its AI-driven “smart factory” processes, which significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by their operations compared to industry standards.
The funding will increase the company’s production capacity by 300 per cent and create six jobs in Omemee.
Best Buy Canada supplies tech grant to Peterborough school
Roger Neilson Public School in Peterborough is one of 13 elementary and secondary schools across Canada that have been awarded grants of up to $10,000 each from Best Buy Canada.
The 13 schools, selected from more than 730 applications, will receive a combined $128,000 in funding for tech-based curricula through the Best Buy School Tech Grant program. Through these grants, students will be able to access the latest technology to help keep them motivated and focused as they move towards post-secondary education.
Best Buy will offer the opportunity again in September for elementary and secondary schools to apply for the program. Educators interested in being notified when grants are next available can email schoolgrants@bestbuycanada.ca.
New Canadians Centre seeking new board members
The New Canadians Centre in Peterborough is looking for volunteer board directors to join the governance team that shapes and advises on the strategic priorities of the organization, which supports local newcomers and refugees.
Community members with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply as a board member, which requires six to eight hours per month.
The New Canadians Centre is specifically looking for volunteers with experience relating to settlement, community development, or housing. Board members would have the opportunity to participate in fund development activities that are meaningful to them.
Applications to join the board will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Monday, March 1st. For more information visit nccpeterborough.ca/new-canadians-centre-seeks-board-members-2021/.
Nexicom matching donations to 4th Line Theatre’s youth apprenticeship program during February
Millbrook telecommunications company Nexicom will be matching community donations during the month of February to 4th Line Theatre’s Emerging Voices Program.
The program provides local youth with the opportunity to gain experience, skills, and training by working alongside professional artists in a theatre company.
During 4th Line Theatre’s 2019 summer season, 62 youth actors were involved in the outdoor theatre company’s productions, each contributing more than 210 hours of their time.
The Emerging Voices Program requires around $20,000 in funding every year to train youth volunteers. Donations to this program are used to pay for workshops, vocal and dialect coaching, acting and movement coaching, choreography and fight direction, technical production coaching, and for paid apprenticeship opportunities for selected young artists.
Donations can be made online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by calling 4th Line Theatre at 705-932-4445. Donations made until March 1st will qualify for a matching donation by Nexicom.
Sheridan Graham appointed CAO of Peterborough County
Sheridan Graham has been appointed chief administrative officer, deputy clerk, and deputy treasurer of the County of Peterborough. She has been acting in the position while Troy Speck, whohad announced he will be retiring as chief administrative officer on March 31 for family health reasons, is on leave.
Currently director of corporate projects and services, Graham began her municipal career with the county in 1997, before moving on to the City of Kawartha Lakes as manager of purchasing and accounts payable in 2003. She returned to the County of Peterborough in 2007.
Graham has a certified municipal officer designation from AMCTO and a master certificate in municipal leadership from York University. She is the procurement director for the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), a project of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, and has been a member of the core team for the project since its inception. She also works with the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council with their municipal innovation procurement.
Graham is a member of the board of directors of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s Local Authority Services and is currently a volunteer CMO evaluator with AMCTO as well as the chair of Sustainable Peterborough.
Michael Gallant is new chair of Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area board
Michael Gallant of Lett Architects is the new chair of the board of management of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), which represents 400 downtown businesses through advocacy, promotion, and beautification projects and initiatives.
Gallant replaces Paul Bennett, owner of Ashburnham Realty and co-founder of VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough. Bennett, who resigned as board chair in January, has been on the DBIA board since 2015 and served as chair since 2018.
An architect and design principal at Lett Architects at 138 Simcoe Street in downtown Peterborough, Gallant has taken a lead role in the DBIA’s vibrancy projects, which emphasize urban renewal through placemaking, public art, and community engagement.
Fenelon Falls partners with Driftscape on augmented reality tourism app
The Fenelon Falls & District Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Toronto-based Driftscape to include Fenelon Falls in the company’s augmented reality tourism app.
The aim of the partnership is to help locals and visitors explore Fenelon Falls during the pandemic, with self-guided tours and more, in a safe and interactive way while supporting local businesses. The app will also help Fenelon Falls share real-time updates with residents and visitors.
The app can be used at home or while on location in Fenelon Falls. In early 2021, Fenelon Falls will also pilot Driftscape’s newest visitor engagement feature, a scavenger hunt called “Quests”.
The development of the Fenelon Falls tourism app is supported by the Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation (KLCFDC) through the Rural Innovation Initiative Eastern Ontario and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
Driftscape is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. For more information, visit www.driftscape.com.
Virtual workshop on business registration and trademarks on February 17
CryptoChicks is presenting “Fast Start to your Business: Registration, Trademarks, and Risks for the Founders” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17th.
This free workshop will cover the different options for business registration in Canada and the pros and cons of each, how to register a trademark in Canada and elsewhere, and the common risks faced by business owners.
Speakers include Alana McElhinney and Sydney Young (associates with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP), Amber Scott (CEO of Outlier Solutions), and Scott Wilson (VP of FoxQuilt).
This webinar is part of the “Hacking the Digital Curve: Empowering Women Entrepreneurship” series from Northumberland CFDC and the DELIA program, with the support of FedDev Ontario.
For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com/e/tickets-125427885181?discount=DELIA.
Webinar on mental health for farm families in Peterborough and the Kawarthas on February 17
The Peterborough Agricultural Roundtable is hosting “Mental Health Night” for farm families in Peterborough and the Kawarthas at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17th.
Jack Veitch of the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge will educate farmers about good and bad stress and what it means for functioning. Strategies for managing stress are also explored.
Topics will include a discussion on cognitive behavioural therapy and positive psychology, as well as information on how to access free mental health programming throughout Ontario.
This webinar will highlight simple ways to be and stay well while living through COVID-19. There will be time allotted at the end of the presentation for questions.
This free event takes place on the Zoom video-conferencing platform.
For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.ca/e/138810069655.
Online screening of “SILO” documentary and panel discussion on February 19
The City of Kawartha Lakes Agriculture Department is presenting a free online screening of the documentary film “SILO”, followed by a panel discussion about the need for grain-handling safety awareness and training, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, February 19th.
Inspired by true events, “SILO” follows a harrowing day in an American farm town. Disaster strikes when teenager Cody Rose is entrapped in a 50-foot-tall grain bin. When the corn turns to quicksand, family, neighbours, and first responders must put aside their differences to rescue Cody from drowning in the crop that has sustained their community for generations.
Following the 70-minute screening, there will be a panel discussion on the Zoom video-conferencing platform about the film. The discussion will cover farm safety, grain handling, fire rescue, multi-generational farming, and other themes in the film that are relevant to the agricultural sector in Kawartha Lakes and surrounding communities.
For more information and to register, visit silothefilmkawarthalakes.eventbrite.ca.
Intellectual property webinar on February 23
The Innovation Cluster is hosting “Hands-ON: Intellectual Property with Prima IP” from noon – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 23rd.
Marcelo Sarkis of Prima IP will explain what intellectual property (IP) is, strategies for securing your IP, and typical costs.
This free event takes place on the Zoom video-conferencing platform.
For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com/e/138310276761.
Virtual breakfast session on research and innovation in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on February 26
The Innovation Cluster is hosting “Power Breakfast: Research and Innovation in Peterborough & Kawartha Lakes” from 8 to 9 a.m. on Friday, February 26th.
This virtual session is intended to provide business leaders, thought leaders, and startups with a perspective on research opportunities in the region, including the Innovation and Research institutions in Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes as well as the advancements taking place at Trent University’s Office of Research and Innovation and the Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies.
Speakers include Jennifer Andersen (manager of the Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies at Fleming College), Dr. Brett Goodwin (vice president of Applied Research and Innovation at Fleming College), Dr. Cathy Bruce (acting vice-president Research and Innovation at Trent University), and Dr. Naomi Nichols (associate professor of sociology and the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Community-Partnered Social Justice at Trent University).
This free event takes place on the Zoom video-conferencing platform.
For more information and to register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/138284533763.
StrikeUP 2021 virtual conference for female entrepreneurs on March 4
Northumberland CFDC, with support from FedDev Ontario and the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, is presenting the free StrikeUP 2021 virtual conference from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 4th.
The conference features keynotes by two accomplished female entrepreneurs: Manjit Minhas, the self-described “beer baroness” who is the founder of the 10th largest brewery in the world and one of the “dragons” on CBC’s popular Dragons’ Den TV series, and Amber Mac, a world-renowned expert on all things marketing, technology, innovation, and transformation who co-hosts the award-winning podcast The AI Effect and, most recently, the Marketing Disrupted podcast.
Other workshop speakers and panelists include Sarah Stockdale (founder of Growclass), Dr. Shimi Kang (Harvard-trained physician and bestselling author), Linda P. Cousineau (founder and CEO of Empower-Growth Inc.), Rachel Bartholomew (founder and CEO of Hyivy Health), Dr. Shelley Morgan (founder and CEO of Rx Billing Genie), Julie Ellis (co-founder of Mabel’s Labels and chair of the board of Angel One Investment Network), Brenda Ahenkorah (founder and CEO of My Well Self), Melissa Davis (founder and CEO of Ugly Dukling), Ilana Ben-Ari (founder, CEO, and product design lead of Twenty One Toys), Alesia Blackwood (co-founder and owner of Unlock Math), Natalie Dusome (owner of Poppy And Peonies), Mallory Graham (owner of Tribal Trade Co.), Lesley Smith (owner of Imprinted Apparel Store), and Claudette Commanda (Algonquin Elder/Knowledge Keeper).
There will also be eight “Mentor Meetups”, one-hour interactive sessions where you can network and learn about topics including intellectual property, employee retention, strategic sales, mental well-being, exporting to the Asia-Pacific region, writing successful funding proposals, and more.
By registering for the conference, you could also win one of eight seats for a 90-minute virtual roundtable session with Amber Mac on Thursday, March 8th.
For more information, including the agenda, and to register for the free conference, visit www.strikeup.ca.
