Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the southern greater Kawarthas region, forecasting a messy mix of wintry precipitation and strong winds on Monday (February 27), with a winter weather travel advisory now in place for the most southern areas.
The special weather statement is in effect for southern Peterborough County and southern Kawartha Lakes. The special weather statement for Northumberland County has been upgraded to a weather advisory.
For southern Peterborough County and Kawarthas Lakes, precipitation will likely begin as snow late in the afternoon or early in the evening and then become mixed with ice pellets after midnight. Snow and ice pellet amounts near 5 cm are likely, with local amounts to 10 cm possible. There is also a risk of freezing drizzle overnight into early Tuesday morning. Untreated surfaces may become icy and slippery. The tail end of the evening commute may be significantly impacted.
Advertisement - content continues below
For Northumberland County, snow is expected to begin early Monday evening and may be heavy at times, with total accumulations near 10 cm and peak snowfall rates of 2 to 4 centimetres per hour. The snow may become mixed with ice pellets after midnight before tapering to light snow, drizzle or freezing drizzle by early Tuesday morning.
Expect reduced visibility in heavy snow and blowing snow and slippery surfaces due to accumulating snow. Travel may be hazardous due to sudden changes in the weather.
In addition to the wintry precipitation, strong southeasterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h gusting are also expected Monday night into Tuesday morning, followed by strong southwesterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h Tuesday. Local power outages are possible.
This story has been updated with the latest forecast information from Environment Canada.
Peterborough GreenUP is one of 25 charitable organizations, Indigenous communities, and municipalities in Ontario each receiving a $25,000 grant from Hydro One's Energizing Life Community Fund. GreenUP will use the grant to support Summer Ride Club, a new program that will keep kids active and promote health by encouraging families to cycle together throughout the City of Peterborough. (Photo: Lindsay Stroud / GreenUP)
Peterborough GreenUP, Alderville Black Oak Savanna, and Camp Maple Leaf are three of 25 charitable organizations, Indigenous communities, and municipalities in Ontario each receiving a $25,000 grant from Hydro One’s Energizing Life Community Fund.
Hydro One established the fund in 2021 during the pandemic to support community-led initiatives that promote physical, emotional, and psychological safety and well-being for Ontarians.
“Local charitable organizations, Indigenous communities and municipalities are powerful agents of positive change, and we are proud to support them through the Energizing Life Community Fund as they build a brighter future,” said Hydro One’s vice president of marketing and communications Jay Armitage during an announcement of the grant recipients in Goderich on Friday (February 24).
Advertisement - content continues below
Peterborough GreenUP will receive a $25,000 grant for Summer Ride Club, a new program that will keep kids active and promote health by encouraging families to cycle together throughout the City of Peterborough. Participants who compete the Summer Ride Club passport get bragging rights and are eligible for a grand prize.
Alderville First Nation will receive a $25,000 grant for the Alderville Black Oak Savanna initiative, which aims to preserve, restore, and expand these rare grassland habitats, and educate and expand the environmental information about this ecosystem.
Camp Maple Leaf, a not-for-profit sleepover camp that fosters a sense of belonging and pride for children of Canadian military families and for children with other shared unique life challenges, will receive a $25,000 grant for their “Increasing Access” initiative will enable more children from across Ontario to benefit from the fun and friendships of camp. Headquartered in Oakville, Camp Maple Leaf established its flagship summer camp location on Jacob Island on Pigeon Lake in 1955.
Advertisement - content continues below
The other 22 recipients of $25,000 grants from the 2023 Energizing Life Community Fund are:
City of St. Catharines
Elephant Thoughts – Durham & Southwest
Enliven Cancer Care – Huntsville
Garden River First Nation
Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health – Goderich
George Jeffrey Children’s Foundation – Thunder Bay
Julien Gaudet’s House – Windsor
Lac des Milles Lacs First Nation
Live Love Louder – Sudbury
Chatham-Kent Fire Rescue – Municipality of Chatham-Kent
Municipality of Thames Centre
Northwestern Ontario Métis Child and Family Services – Dryden
Niska Foundation – Temiskaming
Precious Minds Support Services – Uxbridge
Rainbows for all Children Canada Inc. – Barrie
Regional Food Distribution Association of Northwestern Ontario – Thunder Bay
Shawanaga First Nation
Town of Atikokan Public Library – Atikokan
Township of Macdonald – Meredith – Aberdeen Additional
Deacon, Talon, Damien, Blake, Alexis, and Carter assumed roles as General Manager, Coach, Assistant Coach, PA Announcer, In-Game Host, and Radio Broadcaster at the Peterborough Petes game on Family Day (February 20, 2023), as part of the Petes' Next-Gen program that lets kids shadow the real people in these roles. The six kids are all clients (or siblings of clients) of Five Counties Children's Centre. Despite Five Counties on track to serve its highest-ever number of clients in a single year, nearly 2,000 area children are waiting for care up to two years. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children's Centre)
While Deacon, Talon, Damien, Blake, Alexis, and Carter didn’t suit up for the Peterborough Petes, they provided an assist to the club while representing ‘Team Five Counties’ with class.
Every month, Five Counties Children’s Centre provides a story about the work of the charitable organization. This month’s story is by Five Counties CEO Scott Pepin.
The six kids — all Five Counties Children’s Centre clients or their siblings — assumed roles as General Manager, Coach, Assistant Coach, PA Announcer, In-Game Host, and Radio Broadcaster at the recent Petes game on Family Day (February 20). It was part of the Petes’ Next-Gen program that lets kids shadow the real people in these roles.
“Had this cool cat up in the PA booth,” tweeted Matty Buller, the Petes’ PA Announcer. “His name is Deacon and he nailed it. I’m sure if there were no child labour laws, he’d easily take my gig.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Five Counties helped select this year’s Next-Gen participants and was proud to partner with the Petes.
The Family Day matinee game has become an annual tradition for the two organizations. It allows Five Counties to raise funds and awareness for our treatment services offered to kids/youth and families in the area.
Besides the six Next-Gen-ers, many Five Counties families also attended the Petes game, and one — young Scott McDonald and his entire family — was featured in the pre-game ceremonial puck drop.
Five Counties Children’s Centre CEO Scott Pepin (second from left) with the McDonald family, whose son Scott gets treatment at the centre, taking part in the ceremonial puck drop before the Peterborough Petes game on Family Day (February 20, 2023). While Five Counties is on track to support more than 6,000 kids/youth and their families in 2022-23, almost 2,000 area children are waiting for care up to two years. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties Children’s Centre)
The Petes game capped a busy weekend of in-person and virtual Winterfest 2023 activities organized by Five Counties. While not present at the festivities, there’s always an elephant in the room.
In 2022-23, Five Counties is on track to support more than 6,000 kids/youth and their families in our region — the highest number of clients we have ever served in a year. It’s testament to our staff going above and beyond to provide support.
Even as we make progress to provide more speech, physio, and occupational therapy for kids like Talon and Deacon, the cold hard fact remains: too many kids are waiting too long for services.
Advertisement - content continues below
Wait times for children’s treatment services were a problem a decade ago and have only grown worse. Today, especially for speech/language therapy and occupational therapy, close to 2,000 local children are waiting for care for as long as 18 to 24 months.
We understand how difficult and frustrating this can be.
Like other children’s treatment centres in Ontario, Five Counties is working diligently to improve access to treatment for our clients. As a member of Empowered Kids Ontario and the Children’s Health Coalition, we’ve lobbied the provincial government for additional support through the Make Kids Count campaign.
VIDEO: Cooper’s Story: With Her, Every Step of the Way – Five Counties Children’s Centre
It’s estimated only one in three kids receives community-based rehabilitation services within the clinical standard, while the majority can wait almost three years to access care.
Every day (not just Family Day), our kids and families demonstrate the power of resilience, hard work, and reaching for the stars. These are life lessons from which we can all learn and benefit — on or off the ice.
At Five Counties, we realize even as we make strides in care, our work is never done!
Jacquelyn Craft is the owner of The Neighbourhood Vintage, a vintage clothing collective in downtown Peterborough. To help launch her now-thriving business, Craft received a $5,000 microgrant and business training through the Starter Company Plus program offered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development's Business Advisory Centre, received financing from Community Futures Peterborough, and worked with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area to find a suitable downtown location for her shop. (Photo: Bryan Reid)
Whether you’re on the hunt for velour lounge wear from the ’70s, blue suede boots from the ’80s, or cowboy-cut jeans from the ’90s, you’ll find them all at The Neighbourhood Vintage in downtown Peterborough, a vintage clothing collective that offers sustainable and trendy threads for shoppers looking for a nostalgic experience.
The Neighbourhood Vintage is also an example of how ‘Team Ptbo’ — a group of local economic development organizations that includes Community Futures Peterborough, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce — is helping local entrepreneurs successfully realize their dreams.
Located at 391 Water Street, The Neighbourhood Vintage is the brainchild of Jacquelyn Craft, an enthusiastic thrifter who credits her lifelong love of upcycled, reclaimed items as the inspiration behind her new venture.
Jacquelyn Craft opened the brick-and-mortar location of The Neighbourhood Vintage in downtown Peterborough last October, with the support of ‘Team Ptbo’. The colourful, retro store features vintage clothing and accessories from 2003 and earlier by eight local curators. (Photo: Bryan Reid)
“When I was younger, my mom would take me to garage sales and second-hand stores,” Craft recalls. “So thrift shopping is something that I’ve always been interested in from a treasure-hunting perspective, where you never know what you’re going to find.”
It was early in the pandemic when Craft decided to try selling vintage mugs from her personal collection on Instagram under the account Minty Vintage as “something fun to do,” she explains.
“It took off a lot faster than I expected,” she says of the mug sales. Craft then added other items to her assortment, including clothing, accessories and homewares, and watched in awe as sales continued to grow.
Share on Bluesky
Craft also connected with other local vintage vendors selling similar items during that time. They organized pop-ups at events where they would set up racks, get in front of customers, interact with them face-to-face, and enjoy a more traditional retail experience.
“During those pop-ups, we would talk about how wonderful it would be if there were a permanent physical space we could use and not have to set up and take down our displays throughout the year,” Craft says. “That is what instigated the idea of opening a storefront.”
Last October, Craft opened her physical, brick-and-mortar location in downtown Peterborough. The colourful, retro store features vintage clothing and accessories from 2003 and earlier by eight local curators (including Craft’s own Minty Vintage). The trendy clothes are original, size inclusive, and gender-free.
The trendy clothes at Jacquelyn Craft’s The Neighbourhood Vintage are original, size inclusive, and gender-free. Everything in the store is intermixed and set up in categories, which makes shopping more enjoyable. There’s a wide range of styles and sizes to accommodate everyone. (Photo: The Neighbourhood Vintage)
“Everything in the store is intermixed and set up in categories, which makes shopping more enjoyable and there’s a wide range of styles and sizes to accommodate everyone,” Craft says.
Community Futures Peterborough played a crucial role in helping Craft establish her business. By providing a loan and advisory support, the organization enabled her to overcome initial financial hurdles and get her business off the ground.
Community Futures Peterborough is one of 267 non-profit Community Futures organizations across Canada. Funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), it supports the growth and success of small and medium-sized businesses in the city and county of Peterborough through loans and financing, training, advice, and other resources.
Share on Bluesky
“I knew that without that capital upfront, I wasn’t going to be able to open the kind of shop that I wanted to,” Craft notes.
She used the financing from Community Futures Peterborough towards initial start-up costs such as branding, marketing, building shop fixtures, inventory management software, and a point-of-sale system.
Craft recalls how the team at Community Futures Peterborough was very communicative from the start.
“We set up a meeting where I was able to talk about my business idea and the structure of the business. And not just my specific financial needs but my vision for pulling it together — details about the initial cash flow and how the business would run. They asked me tough questions to figure out what my needs were. Most importantly, I got the sense that they truly wanted to work with me to help my business succeed.”
The Neighbourhood Vintage owner Jacquelyn Craft (second from right) was one of eight Peterborough-area entrepreneurs who received a collective $40,000 in the fall 2022 intake of the provincially funded Starter Company Plus program offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre. Also pictured are Vanessa Bruce, Ineke Turner, Lisa Mace, Jena Trimble, Kate Griffin, Lisa Burkitt, and Nathan Truax. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
According to Braden Clark, Business Development Manager of Community Futures Peterborough, a key reason why Craft received financing for The Neighbourhood Vintage was because she had completed the Starter Company Plus program offered through Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Adivsory Centre.
Last fall, she was one of eight Peterborough-area entrepreneurs selected for a $5,000 microgrant and five weeks of business training to help launch their businesses. Part of that training included advisors who helped Craft carefully scrutinize her business plan to ensure all of the pieces of her business fit together.
“Because Jacquelyn went through the Starter Company Plus program before she approached Community Futures Peterborough, we felt extra confident that she had the skills to execute her business plan, which made us feel much more comfortable supporting her financially,” Clark says.
Share on Bluesky
Clark adds that Starter Company Plus program, along with the Business Advisory Centre’s regular ‘Business Fundamentals’ workshop series, give entrepreneurs a baseline understanding of what’s required to start a business.
“Any of our local economic development partners will walk you through the entrepreneurship startup process and make sure that you get to the right place to develop a business plan or to make an application for funding,” Clark notes, emphasizing the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach to supporting local business.
He adds that Community Futures Peterborough is happy to support entrepreneurs to see them flourish and to add more employment opportunities within the area.
Before approaching Community Futures Peterborough for financing for the brick-and-mortar location of The Neighbourhood Vintage, owner Jacquelyn Craft went through the Starter Company Plus offered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre, whose advisors helped Craft carefully scrutinize her business plan. Community Futures Peterborough was confident Craft had the skills to execute her business plan, which made the organization more comfortable supporting her financially. (Photo: The Neighbourhood Vintage)
For Terry Guiel, executive director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), a main strength of the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach is that “it demonstrates Peterborough is a supportive community when it comes to incubating, accelerating, and creating entrepreneurs.”
“Downtown is the most concentrated area of startup businesses mainly due to the cost, store size, and proximity to other walkable businesses,” he points out. “One of the things I enjoy is doing tours of downtown with prospective entrepreneurs and showing them the vacant opportunities. I like to inspire them on why particular areas are well suited for them and show off what downtown has to offer and what is coming with possible upgrades.”
Craft’s The Neighbourhood Vintage is located in the heart of downtown Peterborough, along a section of Water Street that is also home to a range of other popular locally owned businesses including Needles In The Hay, Plant Goals, Watson & Lou, The Food Shop, Tragically Dipped Donut, and more.
Share on Bluesky
According to Guiel, the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach means entrepreneurs like Craft have access to a broad spectrum of expertise and opportunities to be successful.
“When we show collaboration between organizations like Community Futures Peterborough, which helps fund entrepreneurs, and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, which helps create business plans and support businesses, and match them with organizations like the Chamber and the DBIA, it sends a powerful message that we care about small businesses,” he explains. “Team Ptbo wants to be hands-on with supporting entrepreneurs and ensuring they succeed.”
“We have different work experiences supporting entrepreneurs, whether financially, through business planning, or supporting innovation and technology,” Clark adds.
Community Futures Peterborough’s new leader, executive director Devon Girard, has made it a priority to strengthen the ‘Team Ptbo’ approach with the area’s other economic development organizations to enhance the ecosystem for Peterborough-area entrepreneurs.
Located at 391 Water Street in downtown Peterborough, The Neighbourhood Vintage is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Photo: Bryan Reid)
An example of how beneficial that entrepreneurial ecosystem can be is the success of The Neighbourhood Vintage. In less than six months, Craft’s business is thriving. She says it’s due in part to the wealth of resources available to help budding business owners succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavours.
“There isn’t necessarily a step-by-step guide on how to open a vintage store,” Craft points out. “There are so many pieces to getting it ready, like coordinating the vendors and sourcing the necessary hardware and technology, to figuring out how to use the inventory management system and building a website. There are a lot of free resources available to help you start up, so there should be no excuse not to access those.”
Share on Bluesky
Visiting The Neighbourhood Vintage is truly an adventure for shoppers. You can pair jeans from the ’90s with an ’80s cardigan or ’70s leather bag. Sorting through different eras of clothing and finding pieces that can fit in with your modern wardrobe takes some time and effort but is worth it, Craft adds.
“Visitors love the ambience, the aesthetic, and the bright colours,” Craft says. “We get tons of feedback on how fun the shop is, which was what I had hoped for and what I wanted.”
Located at 391 Water Street in downtown Peterborough, The Neighbourhood Vintage is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information and to shop online, visit theneighbourhoodvintage.com.
For more information about Community Futures Peterborough and how its supports local business, visit communityfuturespeterborough.ca.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
Denielle Elliott of Port Hope picking up her $1 million prize at the OLG prize centre in Toronto. (Photo: OLG)
Denielle Elliott of Port Hope has won $1 million in the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s Ultimate Instant lottery.
She was one of the top prize winners from the draw held on December 31.
While the Ultimate Instant lottery costs $100 per play, the odds of winning one of the 40 $1 million prizes available are around 1 in 25,000 — the most favourable odds for a prize of this value offered by OLG.
Advertisement - content continues below
“I decided to buy one because of the great odds to win $1 million,” said Elliott, an occasional lottery player, while at the OLG prize centre in Toronto to pick up her winnings.
Elliott purchased her winning ticket at Davis’ Your Independent Grocer on Jocelyn Street in Port Hope. She found out she had beaten the odds while at the grocery store.
“I decided to check my ticket and when I saw the big winner screen I was stunned — it didn’t feel real,” she said.
Advertisement - content continues below
Elliott said she plans to use the $1 million to pay off her mortgage, complete some home renovations, and have some fun.
“I have special people in my life who will enjoy this win with me,” she said. “I plan to celebrate with a girl’s trip for some fun in the sun.”
One person is dead following a head-on collision on Chemong Road just north of Peterborough on Thursday evening (February 23).
At around 6:45 p.m., members of the Peterborough County OPP and emergency crews responded to a motor vehicle collision on Chemong Road between Lindsay Road and 5th Line.
Two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision. One person was pronounced dead at the scene and another was transported to Peterborough Regional Health Centre with non-life-threatening injuries.
Advertisement - content continues below
Chemong Road was closed between Lindsay Road and 5th Line while police documented the scene.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and has not spoken with police is asked to contact the Peterborough County OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122.
Friends of Peterborough performer Aedan "A-Dubz" Shaughnessy, who is fighting cancer, are hosting a fundraising concert on his behalf Saturday night at the Gordon Best Theatre in downtown Peterborough featuring performances by Brody Stewart, Lisa Canivet and Jay Cockerill, Colleen KimiArts (dance performance), SJ Riley and Tyler Martin, and headliners The Mickies. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
nightlifeNOW – February 23 to March 1
Featuring live music listings at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, February 23 to Wednesday, March 1.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
With the exception of karaoke, we only list events with performing musicians. Venues may also host other events during the week (e.g., dancing, DJs, comedy shows).
8pm - Walk The Line - A Tribute to Johnny Cash fundraiser for Greenwood Coalition (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, February 25
2-6pm - The Spitfire Kings
Coming Soon
Thursday, March 16 8pm - Big Dave McLean and His All Star Band ft members of Monkeyjunk and Jimmy Bowskill ($25 in advance at The Ganny and Zap Records in Cobourg)
7pm - Fundraiser For Aedan Shaughnessy ft Brody Stewart, Lisa Canivet and Jay Cockerill, Colleen KimiArts (dance performance), SJ Riley and Tyler Martin, and headliners The Mickies (PWYC)
VIDEO: "aedan and abetting" by A-Dubz featuring SJ Riley
Coming Soon
Saturday, March 4 8pm - The Interior, Beef Boys, Anomalia, Elms ($15 at the door)
Friday, March 31 9pm - BA Johnston, the Mickies, Beef Boys ($10 at door)
Saturday, April 1 10pm - The Human Rights w/ Dub Trinity, MUVA Soundsysterm, DJ Chocolate ($16.50 in advance at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/475884131247, $20 at door)
The Rockcliffe - Moore Falls
1014 Lois Lane, Minden
705-454-9555
Friday, February 24
8pm - Lakeside Groove
Saturday, February 25
9pm - Karoake
Scenery Drive Restaurant
6193 County Road 45, Baltimore
905-349-2217
Saturday, February 25
4-7pm - Rachael Albright
Coming Soon
Saturday, March 4 4-7pm - Mike McGiverin
Sticks Sports Pub
500 George St. S., Peterborough
(705) 775-7845
Friday, February 24
6-9pm - Tami J Wilde & Joslynn Burford
Saturday, February 25
7-10pm - Ben Ayotte
That Little Pub
26 Bridge St. W., Campbellford
(705) 653-0001
Thursday, February 23
8pm - Justin Cooper
The Thirsty Goose
63 Walton St., Port Hope
Friday, February 24
8pm-12am - Live music TBA
Saturday, February 25
8pm-12am - Live music TBA
The Venue
286 George Street North, Peterborough
(705) 876-0008
The Ontario government is providing more than $379.5 million in gas tax funding to help 107 municipalities, including 11 in the greater Kawarthas region, operate and improve local transit.
The 2022-23 gas tax funding is provided to municipalities so they can make infrastructure upgrades for public transit, buy additional transit vehicles, add more routes, extend hours of service, and more.
Funding available for Ontario’s gas tax program is based on the number of litres of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in their community receive two cents per litre of provincial gas tax revenue collected.
Advertisement - content continues below
This year, the provincial government is providing additional one-time gas tax funding of $80 million to make up for a shortfall in tax revenue from reduced gas sales as a result of the pandemic.
“Public transit is a key driver of economic growth in Ontario, helping people get to where they need to go, whether it is to work, school, or run errands,” said transportation minister Caroline Mulroney. “As more people return to public transit, our government is providing municipalities with the funding they need to accommodate growing ridership, while ensuring they can continue to deliver safe and reliable transit service for people in their communities.”
Toronto is receiving the bulk of the $379.5 million in gas tax funding at $185.6 million, followed by Ottawa at $37.8 million, Mississauga at $19.7 million, York Region at $17.1 million, and Brampton at $16.2 million.
Advertisement - content continues below
In the greater Kawarthas region, the following 11 municipalities will receive a total of just over $4 million:
City of Peterborough – $1,827,406
Kawartha Lakes – $720,759
Quinte West (Brighton) – $536,351
Cobourg – $216,821
Marmora and Lake (Centre Hastings, Madoc, Stirling-Rawdon, Tweed) – $196,534
Port Hope – $165,722
Trent Hills – $113,271
Cramahe (Alnwick/Haldimand, Hamilton Township) – $98,746
City of Peterborough councillor Joy Lachica at a city-owned Level 2 charging station. The public charging stations for electric vehicles are located at Del Crary Park, the Peterborough Memorial Centre, the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, and the King Street Parking Garage. (Photo: Lili Paradi / GreenUP)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Jackie Donaldson, Hub Coordinator, Green Economy Peterborough.
In 2022, the Government of Canada proposed new electric vehicle (EV) targets for auto manufacturers and importers. Aligned with global trends, these regulations recommend that by 2026, 20 per cent of new vehicles manufactured and shipped in Canada must be zero emissions.
Plans like these aim to accelerate the market and are a proposition of the federal government to increase access to EVs.
Like the general consumer, business owners are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of electric vehicles. EVs have low maintenance and operating costs, protect owners against volatile fuel prices, and have high resale value. Plus, they do not emit greenhouse gases.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
Jennifer Heagle, co-owner of Red Apron restaurant and food delivery service based in Ottawa, spoke recently at “Demystifying Electric Vehicles: How to Accelerate EV Adoption at Your Business”, a webinar offered by Green Economy Peterborough, a GreenUP program that guides business participants to become more efficient, resilient, and sustainable.
Founded in 2006, Red Apron makes 150 meal delivery stops per day to locations in Ottawa. In 2018, Heagle took a chance and switched from hiring contracted drivers in conventional vehicles to using company-owned electric vehicles. With an initial investment in two EVs, Red Apron now owns five.
“From our perspective, as a business, it was a very, very good decision,” Heagle said. “It’s a decision that we will only go forward on.”
Trent University sustainability coordinator Shelley Strain at Level 2 charging station located by Lady Eaton College on the west bank of the university’s campus. The hourly rate for charging there is $1.50, and a Trent parking permit is required as well. (Photo: Lili Paradi / GreenUP)
According to Heagle, electric vehicles are perfect for city use and cost little to operate. Once daily deliveries are complete, she explained, they plug in their EVs and they are ready to roll the next day.
Shelley Strain, sustainability coordinator with Trent University, also spoke at the Green Economy Peterborough webinar and shared practical advice on how to install a charging station.
“The number one take-home I can give an organization on EV charger installation is that there are companies ready, as a turnkey solution, to set this up,” Strain told the audience. “They will come to you, tell you what you need, and take care of everything. You don’t need to be an expert to do this.”
Advertisement - content continues below
Strain explained that, before installing a charging station, business owners must understand how they will use it. Will it be for customers, staff, or fleet use? Where will it be located? What level charger is needed? These are the questions that need to be asked, she said, adding that installing is the easy part.
There are three EV charging options. A Level 1 charge is the slowest and is obtained by plugging into a regular outdoor wall outlet using the cable provided with the vehicle. Sometimes called a “trickle charge”, this is the most common method of charging.
Level 2 and 3 chargers are found at charging stations in our communities and along our highways. A Level 2 charger is faster than a Level 1, but still requires four to 10 hours to “fill the tank”. They are a great option for businesses with heavier vehicle usage and are relatively affordable to set up.
A Level 1 charging plug (left), commonly used by general consumers to charge their electric vehicles overnight, can charge an average of 200 kilometres of driving in an electric vehicle in 20 hours. A Level 2 charger (right) is faster than a Level 1, but still requires four to 10 hours to “fill the tank”. They are a great option for businesses with heavier vehicle usage and are relatively affordable to set up. (Photos: Jackie Donaldson and Lili Paradi / GreenUP)
Level 3 chargers charge quickly and are found near busy throughways. Charging at one of these stations can take 10 to 45 minutes depending on your needs and the distance to your destination. For most businesses, these costly-to-install, high-speed chargers are unnecessary.
At the Green Economy Peterborough webinar, City of Peterborough climate change specialist James Byrne explained the municipality collects local vehicle emissions data to help set their climate change goals. In 2020, he said, Peterborough produced 75,000 tons of vehicle-generated CO2 per year.
To help meet the local greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 45 per cent by 2030, several city-sponsored public charging stations have been installed with funding assistance from Natural Resources Canada.
Advertisement - content continues below
Share on Bluesky
In a recent visit to one of the new stations, Peterborough city councillor Joy Lachica said “Where we can transition to EV, we should, across all sectors. We need to consider how we can do things in the most climate-friendly way we can.”
City-owned chargers are located at Del Crary Park, the Peterborough Memorial Centre, the Simcoe Street Parking Garage, and the King Street Parking Garage. Other local charging stations can be found at Riverview Park & Zoo, Lansdowne Place Mall, Tim Horton’s, and some car dealerships.
You can find more EV charging stations using Google or EV-support apps, like the FLO mobile app.
Trent University boasts a Level 2 charging station that also showcases its power supply: two-way solar panels both absorb the sun’s rays and the light reflected off of parked electric vehicles underneath the panel. (Photo: Lili Paradi / GreenUP)
Though electric vehicles are inexpensive to run and maintain, there is an upfront cost. Interested businesses should look for financial incentives such as those provided by Canada’s Bill C-30 which states that businesses can write off 100 per cent of an EV purchase. There are also EV charger incentives currently available to businesses through Green Economy Canada.
The “Demystifying Electric Vehicles: How to Accelerate EV Adoption at Your Business” webinar was part of an ongoing educational event series hosted by Green Economy Peterborough to support the local transition to a green economy.
Green Economy Peterborough is now recruiting business members to join their program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more, visit greeneconomypeterborough.ca.
Gail Moorhouse has launched her business Recharge Solutions to support small rural non-profit organizations in the greater Kawarthas region. (Photo: Gail Moorhouse / Linkedin)
Gail Moorhouse, the former executive director of Community Futures Peterborough, has launched a new business to support small rural non-profit organizations in the greater Kawarthas region.
Recharge Solutions is a small boutique consulting practice in Ennismore that focuses on governance, strategy, and leadership.
Moorhouse served as executive director at Community Futures Peterborough for five years before stepping down in December to launch her new venture. Prior to the executive director role, she spent two years volunteering on the organization’s board of directors. She has also served on the governance committee during the merger of the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism and the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. Last year, she added the designation as a professional director to her portfolio.
Advertisement - content continues below
“I provide a balanced approach as I have sat on both sides of the table as an executive director reporting to a board of directors and as a directors and committee chair for multiple boards,” Moorhouse says in a media release. “This is a great fit, and an opportunity to give back to my community by helping the volunteer leaders who serve on non-profit boards learn more about governance and strategy.”
Moorhouse says the goal of her business is to guide non-profit boards to become more efficient and effective by offering “a menu of strategic planning and board training to reach these goals.”
kawarthaNOW.com offers two enews options to help readers stay in the know. Our VIP enews is delivered weekly every Wednesday morning and includes exclusive giveaways, and our news digest is delivered daily every morning. You can subscribe to one or both.
Submit your event for FREE!
Use our event submission form to post your event on our website — for free.
To submit editorial content or ideas, please contact us.
