The 34 hand-painted paddles donated by local artists and organizations that were auctioned off to raise $6,000 in funds for the Downtown Green Team, a partnership between the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and the One City Employment Program, will be on display from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 1, 2022 at the Jason Wilkins Factory in downtown Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
If you didn’t explore the painted paddle exhibit in downtown Peterborough during March, you’ll have one last chance to see it during the First Friday Peterborough art crawl on April 1.
The collection of 34 hand-painted paddles, which were on display in store windows across the downtown as part of a month-long interactive self-guided art tour and online auction, will be exhibited from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Jason Wilkins Factory (7-188 Hunter St. W.) in downtown Peterborough.
The paddles were contributed by individual artists and organizations including Beth LeBlonc, Jason Wilkins, Miguel Hernandez Autorino, Kelly Albin, Rachel Dyck, Kate Irwin, Brianna Gosselin, Trent Gzowski College, Princess Gardens Retirement Residence, Empress Gardens Retirement Residence, and more.
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The online auction for the paddles raised $6,000 to support the Downtown Green Team, a partnership between the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and the One City Employment Program for a horticultural maintenance crew in the downtown comprising people who experience barriers to traditional employment.
Auction winners can pick up their paddles from the Jason Wilkins Factory between 8 and 10 p.m. after the public exhibit ends.
Along with the painted paddle exhibit, the Jason Wilkins Factory will also be hosting a group show on First Friday featuring the work of 15 artists of the Peterborough Arts Collective.
Other exhibits on display during First Friday Peterborough, with most running from 6 to 10 p.m., include:
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Paintings by Poor Margo at ACME Art and Sailboat Company (129-1/2 Hunter St. W., 3rd floor) with new copper tree drawings by Joe Stable in The Copper Closet.
José Andrés Mora: The Mornings in Reverse at Artspace (378 Aylmer St) from 3 to 8 p.m. Note: masks are required.
Hannah Spinney: Solicitude at Atelier Ludmila (129-1/2 Hunter St., #1)
SPARK Photo Festival: Loretta Meyer Photography at Black Honey(221 Hunter St. W.) from 5 to 8 p.m.
Flowers in the Attic at Blue Frogs Legs Studio (393 Water Street, 3rd floor, Studio 7).
SPARK Photo Festival: Rose Katarina Fortin’s “Nostalgia: Memories of an Earthen Existence” at Dreams of Beans Café (138 Hunter St. W.) until 8 p.m.
Film Photography by Alex Pendergast at Francey Studio (129-1/2 Hunter St. W., 2nd floor, #3).
Big Yellow Taxi, a collaboration between photographer Heather Doughty and dancer Madison Sheward, at Heather Doughty Photography (129-1/2 Hunter St. W., #4).
Poetry and art journal at Paddler Press (129-1/2 Hunter St. W.).
A narrow rain garden, which takes in water from a nearby roof, installed with help from the Rain Garden Subsidy program offered by the City of Peterborough with support from GreenUP. In 2022, the city has increased the subsidy from a maximum of $500 to a maximum of $1,000 per garden, to cover a greater proportion of the costs associated with designing and installing a rain garden. (Photo: Hayley Goodchild)
When it comes to taking climate action, there are a number of significant actions that all residents, and especially homeowners, can take to reduce their impact and adapt to future changes in our climate. GreenUP will be focusing on these opportunities for action in a series of Climate Action at Home articles throughout 2022. This first article in the series is about rain gardens.
I am fed by water, but often dry. I am urban infrastructure that you — yes you — can DIY. What am I?
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Hayley Goodchild, NeighbourHOODS and Residential Programs Coordinator at GreenUP.
If you guessed a rain garden, then you are correct.
Rain gardens are bowl-shaped depressions, full of plants. When it rains, these gardens hold and absorb the stormwater or runoff from nearby hard surfaces, like roofs or driveways. Rain gardens replenish soil moisture, remove pollutants, and restore groundwater aquifers.
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Rain gardens reduce the amount of stormwater that would otherwise head straight for our urban storm sewers, where it causes all kinds of problems.
“Currently, only 25 per cent of the City of Peterborough’s stormwater is filtered for pollutants before entering natural waterways, such as the Otonabee River or Jackson Creek,” explains Curtis Mei, the city’s stormwater systems coordinator.
“When it rains, urban runoff (stormwater) carries sediment and pollutants from vehicles, fertilizers, road salt, animal waste, and grass clippings into these waterbodies, which pollutes natural habitat and our source of clean drinking water,” Mei adds.
Most of the runoff produced in urban spaces, including from winter snowmelt in the spring and from stormwater at other times of the year, heads into local waterbodies via storm sewers without being treated for pollutants like oil, litter, and pet waste. (Photo: Hayley Goodchild)
Stormwater sewers can also become overwhelmed during heavy rain events, which can cause localized flooding.
That’s why many municipalities, including Peterborough, are moving toward greener and more decentralized strategies for managing stormwater. Such approaches only work if individual property owners reduce the amount of runoff they create.
Rain gardens are a key component of this new approach. The more rain gardens there are, the greater the cumulative benefit. If you want to take climate action at home by installing a rain garden, there are programs and people to help you. The City of Peterborough introduced a Rain Garden Subsidy in 2020 to increase the number of rain gardens within the city.
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Sounds great! Where do I start?
Dip your toe into rain garden literature and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Inlets? Outlets? Ponding depth? Math?! No one said there would be math!
While there are technical elements that are important to get right, a rain garden is also an expression of your personal style. There are many shapes, sizes, and styles of rain garden.
Even non-gardeners can design and install a beautiful, functional, low-maintenance rain garden with support from GreenUP and the City of Peterborough.
A rain garden in a Peterborough front yard that is designed to look naturalistic. Rain gardens can reflect your personal gardening style in addition to providing stormwater function. (Photo: Geneviève Ramage / GreenUP)
Interested homeowners should begin by reviewing the information oat Rain Garden Subsidy page on the city’s website and in the application guide.
Next, there is a eligibility form that determines whether your property is suitable for a rain garden. The form also estimates the amount of subsidy you will receive, based on the size of your roof and proposed garden footprint.
Once you are pre-approved, GreenUP staff will support you through the design and full application process.
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In 2022, the City of Peterborough is making changes to the program to provide homeowners with additional support.
The subsidy amount is being increased from a maximum of $500 to a maximum of $1,000 per garden, to cover a greater proportion of the costs associated with designing and installing a rain garden.
GreenUP and the City of Peterborough are also producing four short instructional videos to replace the two-hour workshop offered in previous years. The videos will be available in late summer 2022. (Applicants who wish to apply for a subsidy this spring will be provided with a recording of last year’s workshop instead.)
Local volunteers plant a rain garden through GreenUP’s former Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods program. Many hands make light work! You can see the bowl shape of the rain garden, with the gravel at the bottom and the mulch on the raised edges. (Photo: GreenUP)
Finally, applicants can take advantage of up to two site visits by GreenUP staff during the design and installation process.
One of these visits is required, and must take place during the rain garden’s construction. The other visit can be used at a time of the applicant’s choosing, for additional advice on garden design, application support, or plant selection.
Subsidies are limited and are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. What are you waiting for? You can direct questions about the program to Hayley Goodchild at hayley.goodchild@greenup.on.ca or by phone at (705) 748-3238 ext. 213.
Music director and conductor Michael Newnham leads the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra during a pre-pandemic performance at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Huw Morgan)
The Ontario Arts Council has awarded the Vida Peene Orchestra Award to the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra.
The $5,000 award is named after the late Vida Peene, a Hamilton-based arts patron who made a bequest to the Canada Council for the Arts when she passed away in 1978.
Given out every two years, the award recognizes artistic and organizational achievement of professional, semi-professional or community-based orchestras in Ontario. The Ontario Arts Council administers the jury process for the award.
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The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1967 by music director and conductor Klement Hambourg and the members of the Peterborough Chamber Orchestra.
The core of the orchestra consists of around 40 volunteer community players based in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, who come from all walks of life. Orchestra sections are led by professional musicians, and the group as a whole is led by music director and conductor Michael Newnham.
Along with presenting five concerts each season at Showplace Performance Centre, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra has an education and outreach program to share music experiences outside of regular concerts. The musicians, music director, staff and volunteers visit area schools, lead an intermediate band festival, and promote orchestral music and composition at community events throughout the year.
The Vida Peene Orchestra Award will be presented during the 2:30 p.m. performance of the orchestra’s “As the Sun Rises” concert on Saturday, April 2nd at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough.
Peterborough's medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott pictured in a video explaining Peterborough Public Health's new COVID-19 Community Risk Index, along with graphics showing the status of the index for March 30, 2022. (Composite mage: kawarthaNOW)
Two days after kawarthaNOW reported the Kawarthas region has the highest COVID-19 wastewater signal in Ontario, Peterborough Public Health has released local wastewater surveillance data that show the presence of the virus in wastewater exceeds the highest level seen during the omicron wave.
The wastewater surveillance data is part of the health unit’s new online COVID-19 “Community Risk Index”, which is intended to advise residents of the risk level of COVID-19 transmission in the health unit’s region and to help them make personal decisions about taking COVID-19 protective measures.
The health unit is encouraging residents to check the Community Risk Index at peterboroughpublichealth.ca/covid-19-risk-index/, as they would similar public health information such as tha Air Quality Health Index.
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The Community Risk Index, which will be updated every Wednesday by 4 p.m., has five risk levels from very low risk to very high risk, and includes the status of six COVID-19 indicators used to determine the risk level: the local case incidence rate per 100,000, the number of hospitalizations, new deaths, PCR test positivity rate, community-reported rapid antigen test positivity rate, and wastewater surveillance signals.
As of March 30, the Community Risk Index is currently set a “high,” based on a moderate case rate, moderate hospitalizations, very low deaths, high PCR test positivity, very high rapid antigen test positivity, and high wastewater surveillance.
“Our goal with the COVID-19 Community Risk Index is to make our community’s virus transmission status as transparent as possible by integrating several indicators into one easy-to-understand five-point scale,” explains medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott in a media release. “Each level corresponds to specific public health guidance both for the general population and for those residents who are at high-risk of serious health outcomes if they get infected.”
Seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 wastewater surveillance signal in Peterborough area for March 30, 2022. (Graphic: Peterborough Public Health)
Peterborough Public Health is one of the first health units in Ontario to produce a local COVID-19 Community Risk Index, which is still in a pilot phase and will be refined over the coming weeks. Planned enhancements will include adding more granular data in a “business intelligence dashboard,” similar to the existing Local COVID-19 Tracker, which it will eventually replace. The health unit encourages residents to provide feedback on the index.
Dr. Piggott, who says the pandemic is now entering into its sixth wave, says the current “high risk” status due to the very high rapid antigen test positivity, the high PCR testing positivity rate, and the high wastewater surveillance signal — which is equivalent to the level seen during January’s omicron surge.
“This sixth wave we are starting into, like the fifth omicron wave, will disproportionately impact those who are more vulnerable in our communities — people still unvaccinated, elderly, medically at-risk, and immunocompromised,” he explains.
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With the current “high risk” status, Peterborough Public Health is recommending residents be vaccinated (with three doses for most residents and four doses for those who are immunocompromised), wear a respirator-style mask (N95 or KN95) while indoors and around others (especially if you’re at high risk), stay home if sick even with mild symptoms, get a PCR test if you are eligible, and use rapid antigen tests.
The health unit is also encouraging residents to report their rapid antigen test results, both positive and negative, by using the confidential online reporting survey at chkmkt.com/RAT21. The results of the survey are used to inform the rapid antigen test positivity rate for the Community Risk Index.
“Each of our decisions to decrease transmission today will impact the context of the pandemic in our community tomorrow,” Dr. Piggott says. “I am closely watching the concerning evolving context, considering actions to reimpose requirements as I am responsible to do under the provincial legislation, and readying to take any measures needed to protect our community and those more vulnerable in it.”
VIDEO: Peterborough Public Health Community Risk Index
Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for most of the greater Kawarthas region for Wednesday afternoon (March 30) into the evening.
The freezing rain warning is in effect for Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Hastings County.
Precipitation is forecast to begin early Wednesday afternoon as snow, ice pellets, or freezing rain but will quickly transition to a period of freezing rain in the late afternoon.
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Two to four hours of freezing rain will be possible before the precipitation ends late Wednesday evening or overnight.
Ice accretion of 2 to 4 mm is possible, especially over higher terrain.
Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas. Ice build-up may cause tree branches to break. Utility outages may occur.
Trent University's Continuing Education program is offering a diverse range of affordable online classes this spring for adult learners who want to expand their minds by learning something completely new or building upon existing knowledge or skills. (Photo courtesy of Trent University)
If you’re interested in expanding your mind from the comfort of your own home by learning a new skill or gaining a fresh perspective, you’ll want to check out the continuing education courses and workshops available online through Trent University this spring.
Trent University is offering a diversity of classes appealing to a broad range of interests during the spring term, which is the popular term for lifelong learners according to Dr. Michael Eamon, Director of the Trent University Continuing Education program.
“We try to hit on all the different interests that people may have,” Eamon says. “We have a little bit of literature, a little bit of history, a lot of art and painting and photography, and writing. The common thread is that we want to build community, but we also realize the community has a lot of different interests.”
Dr. Michael Eamon, Director of the Trent University Continuing Education program, is also the Principal of Catharine Parr Traill College. (Photo courtesy of Trent University)
All the courses and workshops are delivered online and most are conducted live on Zoom at a scheduled time. Most of the courses begin at the end of March, with the workshops scheduled throughout April and May.
New courses for this spring include ‘Canada – Multiculturalism & Our Society’ and ‘The Story of Rock and Roll, 1951-1966’. Workshops run the gamut from arts and humanities to technology to health and well-being, with ‘Demystifying Memoir: Write Your Story Workshop’, ‘Paint your Pet’, ‘Wildlife Photography and Ecotourism’, ‘Google Spreadsheets’, ‘Introduction to Video Projection Mapping’, ‘Design Thinking as a Tool for Problem Solving’, and ‘Your Inner Warrior: Conquering Fears and Striving for Meaning’ among the offerings.
A complete list of courses and workshops is available at trentu.ca/continuingeducation/, where you can also register online.
“Fundamentals of Game Creation”, a new introductory workshop that teaches the basics of video game development, runs over two Saturday mornings in April. (Photo courtesy of Trent University)
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“There are so many interesting new ones,” Eamon says. “Another interesting one is on video game design. We have broad categories of topics. We also tried to get all ages and interests in.”
The always-popular painting and photography workshops are also returning this year, he adds.
“We have some great local artists and photographers who offer the workshops,” Eamon explains. “People love it because they learn online and then go out and do it their own. They can be in nature and paint something or take a photo of something.”
“Let’s Paint Trees in Watercolour”, taught by local artist Valerie Kent, is a three-part workshop running over three Wednesday evenings in April. Participants will paint a different tree on each evening. (Photo courtesy of Trent University)
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The courses and workshops are an affordable option for people who want to learn something completely new or build upon their existing knowledge or skills. Workshops start at $35 and courses start at $190 (some workshops may require students to purchase additional materials).
Recognizing that adult learners often have other commitments during the day, Trent University schedules the courses and workshops around the standard nine-to-five work schedule.
“We try to make the courses happen on evenings and weekends to fit people’s busy lives,” Eamon says.
“The Story of Rock and Roll, 1951-1966” is a new six-week course on Friday mornings starting April 1st that explores the explosion of creativity in American and British popular music, starting with the birth of rock and roll through to the British Invasion. (Photo courtesy of Trent University)
Courses are taught in a seminar format. Each weekly class has a particular topic that connects and builds upon the previous classes and connects with the overarching subject of the course. Most workshop classes are offered on weekends in half-day, one-day, or two-day formats.
Trent University began delivering its Continuing Education courses and workshops online at the beginning of the pandemic, which has allowed the university to also reach adult learners from beyond Peterborough.
“We have people signing up for classes in Toronto, Eastern Ontario, and other places, which we never had before,” he says, adding “We’re hoping for a return to in-person classes for the fall.”
“Wildlife Photography and Ecotourism”, taught by Lydia Dotto, runs over two weeks in April. Designed for amateur photographers who already have a digital camera and are knowledgeable about how to use it, this course focuses on enhancing existing skills specifically to capture better wildlife and landscape images. (Photo: Lydia Dotto)
According to Eamon, Trent University’s Continuing Education program is one way the university can support those members of the community looking for opportunities for lifelong education.
“Trent University was started with a commitment to the community,” he explains. “It’s important that, through continuing education, we give back to the community and support the community that originally supported Trent.”
To explore all the Continuing Education courses and workshops offered through Trent University this spring, and to register online, visit trentu.ca/continuingeducation/.
This story was created in partnership with Trent University.
To book rides on the new 'Pink Community Bus' in owntown, eaat, and southeast areas of the city, riders can download the new PTBOnDemand app or call 705-745-5801. (kawarthaNOW screenshots)
Peterborough Transit is launching a new on-demand transit service on Wednesday (March 30) called PTBOnDemand as part of a pilot program in the downtown, east, and southeast areas of the city.
On-demand transit is a ride-share service that allows transit vehicles to adjust routes and times depending on the requests received from customers each day. On-demand trips will carry customers from the nearest bus stops available to service their pick-up and drop-off requests, regardless of the route taken.
This new on-demand service will start with the new ‘Pink Community Bus’ — operating from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and holidays — in the following areas of the city:
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Downtown
East of Aylmer Street between Simcoe Street and Lansdowne Street.
North of Lansdowne Street between Aylmer Street and River Road.
East City
South of Hunter Street between Burnham Street and Ashburnham Drive.
Beavermead/Ashburnham
Ashburnham Drive between Hunter Street and Otonabee Drive, including the Walker Avenue community to the east.
Willowcreek Plaza community along Lansdowne Street.
Southeast – Otonabee
Otonabee community including Collison Avenue and Middlefield Road areas.
The ‘Pink Community Bus’ zone. (Map: City of Peterborough)
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To book trips, riders can call 705-745-5801 from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily or download the new PTBOnDemand app (developed by Via Transportation Inc.), available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Riders using the PTBOnDemand app will be able to track the real-time location of their vehicle and receive updates on when they will be picked up and dropped off.
Trips on the Pink Community Bus will be free from March 30 until April 30. No transfers will be offered on this service during this time, and regular fares still apply to ride on all other transit routes. Starting May 1, regular fares will apply to rides on the Pink Community Bus, and transfers to other routes will be available and accepted.
The Starter Company Plus program, administered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre with funding from the Ontario government, provides five weeks of business training to 12 entrepreneurs starting or running a business in the City or County of Peterborough. The program will see half of the participants each receive a $5,000 microgrant based on the strength of their business plans and business pitches to a panel of community judges. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Another 12 entrepreneurs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas will soon be equipped with the knowledge and skills for small business success when the Starter Company Plus program returns for 2022.
Applications for the spring intake of the popular program, offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre (BAC) with funding from the Ontario government, are now open until Sunday, April 17th. For entrepreneurs not yet ready to apply, another intake will take place in early September.
Not only will all the successful applicants to the program receive business training at no cost to them, but half of them will also each receive a $5,000 microgrant based on the strength of their business plans and business pitches to a panel of community judges.
Anyone aged 18 and older not in school who is interested in either starting a new business or expanding an existing one that’s been operating for five years or less within the City of Peterborough or Peterborough County is eligible to apply. The full eligibility criteria can been found at investptbo.ca/starter.
VIDEO: Starter Company Plus with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development
Since Starter Company Plus was first offered in Peterborough & the Kawarthas in spring 2017, 194 entrepreneurs have benefited from the program, resulting in the launch of 104 new businesses and the expansion of 52 existing ones. Even more impressive is the more than $1.2 million in funding and financing subsequently secured by entrepreneurs who have participated in the program.
During the five-week Starter Company Plus program, the 12 successful applicants will participate in virtual sessions each Tuesday in May covering a wide variety of topics including market research, digital marketing, small business financials, and hiring practices.
“On the very first day we go around the virtual room and everyone introduces themselves,” explains Hillary Manion, the BAC Entrepreneurship Officer who leads the program. “We learn about what their businesses are, what they do, and most importantly what their business goals are. We do this exercise at the beginning of every workshop.”
“At the beginning many struggle to fill 30 seconds with information about themselves and their businesses but, by the end of the five weeks, most of them can’t stop talking,” she adds. “The confidence that comes with practice is just one of the hidden benefits of Starter Company Plus.”
Hillary Manion of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre hosts a virtual session of the aspiring to experienced entrepreneurs participating in the summer 2021 intake of the Starter Company Plus program. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
A big takeaway for each participating entrepreneur is the development of a comprehensive business plan based on the Lean Model Canvas, a proven strategic management template used for developing new business models and documenting existing ones.
“A business plan is a road map,” Manion says. “It helps you set out all of the steps you need to take. It helps you set your goals, and it also helps identify the resources you need to reach those goals.”
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“But it’s not something you write once at the beginning of the program and forget about. It’s something you need to review regularly, especially if you are a start-up. A business plan is a living, breathing thing — it’s something that is going to evolve and change as your business does.”
For the participants, the strength of their business plan is also key for a potential financial reward at the end of the program that will help them launch or grow their business. After successfully completing the program, each entrepreneur will submit their final business plan and pitch their business to a panel of community judges for a chance to receive one of six $5,000 microgrants.
Katelin Turcotte is a graduate of Starter Company Plus who received one of those microgrants. When she was opening Wilde Beauty in 2019, a home-based preventative foot care and education business that sees her monitor high-risk clients via regular foot care maintenance, she applied to Starter Company Plus and was accepted.
“I really didn’t know what I was getting into,” Turcotte admits. “I knew I was going to be with other people starting businesses and there was going to be lots of support but, as I dove deeper into it, I found it to be very useful. It made me feel a little more normal, like I wasn’t just having my own mini-panic attack about starting a new business.”
Katelin Turcotte, owner of home-based preventative foot care and education business Wilde Beauty, received a $5,000 mircogrant in December 2019 after participating in the Starter Company Plus program. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
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The business plan and pitch components of the program, adds Turcotte, were invaluable.
“The pitch part pushes your knowledge and reveals if you put the time in to figure everything out. Are you really passionate about it? Are you doing it because you really want to, or just because you want to make money?”
Like all businesses, Wilde Beauty was adversely affected when the pandemic hit in early 2020, forcing Turcotte to adjust her original business plan — something she knew how to do thanks to Starter Company Plus.
“During the first lockdown, I shifted everything to an online store and started doing virtual consultations,” says Turcotte, adding “There are a lot of feet out there that still need helping.”
To those who are considering applying for the upcoming Starter Company Plus intake, Turcotte’s advice is to “go for it.”
“It’s easy to say ‘I’ll wait until things get better’ but really this is the perfect time to do it,” she says.
Six businesses operated by Caitlin Smith, Patrick and Deanna Leahy, Brad Carson, Bruno Merz and Dreda Blow, Angela McDonald, and Lynda Todd each received a $5,000 microgrant after participating in the fall 2021 intake of the Starter Company Plus program offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre. (Photos courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
In-class training is delivered virtually, providing more flexibility for the participants and allowing the participation of guest speakers and experts in their field. Along with the virtual training, participants also have opportunities during the five-week program for in-person one-on-one consultations with the program facilitator.
A recent change to the training has been the addition of a stress management and wellness aspect.
“Entrepreneurs often don’t take care of themselves as well as they probably could, especially in the early start-up stage because they’re trying to handle everything on their own,” Manion notes.
Another recent change has been an increased focus on the resiliency and flexibility of the business plans of participants — something especially important for entrepreneurs launching or expanding a business during the pandemic.
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“Many of our Starter Company Plus graduates have referred to their business plans more than they expected over the last two years,” Manion says. “As restrictions and expectations changed, businesses with a solid foundation already set with their business plan have been able to quickly adapt and continue to thrive.”
Noting that between 30 and 50 applications are reviewed for each intake, Manion says those not accepted into Starter Company Plus are invited and encouraged to benefit from the other support services offered by the BAC.
“Our team reaches out to every applicant,” Manion explains. “We are more than happy to work one-on-one with anyone who applies for the program.”
Hillary Manion, the Entrepreneurship Officer at the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre who leads the Starter Company Plus program. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
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“Whether you are accepted into Starter Company Plus or not, you can still become a client of the Business Advisory Centre. Our services are free and confidential. A lot of the topics we cover in Starter Company Plus are also available in our live online workshops or through e-learning.”
On a personal level, Manion admits to becoming “very emotional” when she reflects on how Starter Company Plus has been a springboard to small business success for participants.
“I’m like a proud mama bear at the end of the program, especially when I see those participants who struggled with their 30-second elevator pitch on the first day become so confident and well spoken when delivering their business pitch at the end of the program,” she says.
“I grew up in a small business. My parents were entrepreneurs. I know there are so many people out there who would be strong entrepreneurs but just need that help to get going. If I can be part of the team who gives them that start, that’s very satisfying.”
For more information on Starter Company Plus and to apply, visit investptbo.ca/starter.
This story was created in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development.
Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival will return to race on Little Lake at Del Crary Park on June 11, 2022 after two years without an in-person event due to the pandemic. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
After two years without an in-person event, Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival will return to race on Little Lake at Del Crary Park on Saturday, June 11th, organizers announced on Tuesday (March 29).
The annual fundraiser for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation was cancelled during the first year of the pandemic and held a virtual event in 2021.
Registration for the 21st edition, which raises funds for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at PRHC, will open at 12:01 a.m. on Friday (April 1). The first three teams to register will win a free extra practice in a dragon boat on Little Lake.
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“We are committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all attendees and we have been working hard to update our safety protocols to incorporate provincial and local public health guidelines and recommendations,” says festival chair Michelle Thornton in a media release.
“Many of our participants and supporters have loved ones who are undergoing active cancer treatments which make them immunocompromised,” she adds. “Although not mandated, enhanced protocols such as masking in crowded areas may still apply in order to help keep our most vulnerable citizens safe.”
Since its inception in 2001, Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival has raised over $3.7 million — including over $95,000 at last year’s virtual event.
Since its inception in 2001, Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival has raised over $3.7 million for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation to support for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment at the regional hospital. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
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“The last few years have been quite challenging for our team but we are resilient and have managed to keep the team active and the festival alive,” says Marg Walsh, president of the festival host Survivors Abreast Team. “We are inspired by the enthusiasm the community has already shown and can’t wait to once again welcome everyone to such a worthy and important fundraising event as we continue to work hard to ensure everyone from across our region has access to world-class breast cancer care.”
Lesley Heighway, president and CEO of PRHC Foundation, says the number of patients from Peterborough and the surrounding area who rely on PRHC for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment continues to climb.
“Proceeds of the 2022 festival will allow PRHC to invest in new state-of-the-art equipment and technology to serve more cancer patients, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and provide safer, more effective treatments,” she explains.
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For the 21st year, Kawartha Credit Union will return as the festival’s presenting sponsor in 2022.
“Being the platinum sponsor of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival allows us to provide financial support while also participating in a fun event that unites Peterborough and our surrounding areas in a common goal to improve local health care resources,” says Kawartha Credit Union president and CEO Norah McCarthy.
Many of the features at the festival from prior to the pandemic are returning in 2022, organizers say.
Many of the features at the festival from prior to the pandemic are returning in 2022, including the flower ceremony to honour loved ones. (Photo: Linda McIlwain / kawarthaNOW)
The Dragon’s Lair, Loft, and Nest — a luxurious tent experience and added perks for the top three fundraising teams — is back, as is the flower ceremony that will be open to the community at large to honour their loved ones.
The One Stop Dragon Boat Shop will be available online leading up to race day and in person on race day, the Family Fun Zone will offer activities and crafts to keep the whole family entertained, and The Thirsty Dragon beer garden will be open The Vendor Village Market will feature more than 40 vendors, including food vendors, from Modern Makers Market.
New this year is a “FundRacing” division for teams or individuals who are not able to participate in person but still want to support the festival and make use of the fundraising tools available to those who register, with prizes also available for the top fundraisers in this division.
For more information and to register for the 2022 Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival, visit www.ptbodragonboat.ca.
During "As the Sun Rises" at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 2, 2022 at Showplace Performance Centre, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra will perform Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll", Raum's "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", and Copland's "Appalachian Spring". (Photo: Amy E. LeClair Graphic Design and Brand Studio)
The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) returns to Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough on Saturday (April 2) for the second in-person concert of its 2021-2022 season.
The orchestra will be welcoming the arrival of spring with “As the Sun Rises”, featuring a musical program of renewal, hope, and growth.
Michael Newnham will conduct the PSO as it performs German composer Richard Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and American composer Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
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Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll, a symphonic poem for chamber orchestra, as a personal birthday present for his second wife Cosima after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869.
Peterborough Symphony Orchestra presents As the Sun Rises
When: Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Where: Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: $45 adults, $10 students
Featuring conductor Michael Newnham. A Maestro Chat is included in each performance. Tickets available at 705-742-7469 or tickets.showplace.org
On the morning they were to celebrate her birthday, a small group of musicians directed by Wagner played the new composition to awaken her. Struggling under debt, Wagner later sold the piece re-scored for a larger orchestra.
Raum composed Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in 1989 on commission to the Regina Symphony Chamber Players. Later re-scored for a full orchestra, the five-movement suite is based on the epic 14th-century poem of the same name that tells the story of one of King Arthur’s famous Knights of the Round Table.
VIDEO: “Siegfried Idyll” performed by BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Michael Newnham conducted Orchestra Toronto in a performance of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in February 2020.
After being commissioned in 1942 to write a ballet “with an American theme,” Copland’s Appalachian Spring was first performed in 1944 and won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Music. In 1945, he was commissioned to rearrange the ballet as an orchestral suite, preserving most of the music, which is the version now performed by most orchestras.
Single tickets are still available for the concert, which has performances at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets for either performance are $45 ($10 for students) and can be purchased online at tickets.showplace.org.
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Each performance, which includes a Maestro Chat, will last around one hour with no intermission.
“Mindful of the vulnerable amongst our patrons, the PSO will also be requiring audience members to wear masks during the approximately one hour concert,” says PSO general manager Lee Bolton. “We appreciate the ongoing patience and kindness of the Peterborough community.”
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra’s 2022 season.
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