The emergency department at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay was temporarily closed following flooding on December 18, 2019 caused by burst heating coils. (Photo: Ross Memorial Hospital / Twitter)
The emergency department at Ross Memorial Hospital has re-opened as of Thursday morning (December 19) following a flooding incident on Wednesday night due to burst heating coils.
According to the hospital, at 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday evening, there were 37 patients in the emergency department when water began spraying down from the ceiling. Hospital staff immediately evacuated patients to the main lobby and to other care areas in the hospital.
Members of the local fire department, who were already on site helping with another issue, assisted hospital staff in containing the flooding and minimizing damage.
The emergency department was closed during the incident, with members of the public with non-threatening health issues being advised to go to their nearest alternate hospital.
Paramedics were also on site and notified local long-term care homes and other community partners of the incident. Two ambulances were on standby at the hospital to support patients who required urgent transport.
Throughout the evening, as many as four patients were diverted to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, one pediatric patient was transferred, and 21 ambulatory patients walked in and were treated.
Initial investigation into the cause of the flooding points to a fault in the heating system that shut off the pre-heat controls within the air handling units, causing extremely cold air to circulate and freeze the heating coils. This ultimately caused them to burst, flooding the majority of the emergency department.
Engineers were at the hospital on Thursday morning to assess the heating system.
“Many of our team members came onsite, and those who were at the hospital stayed to assist, and together we worked to reopen our emergency department this morning,” the hospital states in a media release.
“It is comforting to know we have incredible first responders available within our community, and the Hospital team sincerely thanks them, our community and neighbouring hospitals for their support.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that, to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, we must cut carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050. To achieve negative emissions in the next 30 years, our best available solutions are to restore natural carbon-storing mechanisms. Planting and maintaining trees are among the most effective methods of removing carbon from our atmosphere. Restoring ecosystems is also essential to achieving negative emissions. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)
Peterborough is among a growing number of Canadian communities that have declared climate emergencies.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Brianna Salmon, Executive Director of GreenUP.
These declarations are intended to acknowledge the seriousness and urgency of climate change, and to accelerate action toward the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Net-zero emissions by 2050 is an ambitious and necessary goal.
To get there we need transformative action in three areas:
Mitigation
First, we require swift action to reduce the operational emissions that are released when we heat and cool our homes, drive our cars, and run our businesses.
A focus on reducing operational emissions is called mitigation, and it will help to limit global warming.
Aggressive mitigation is essential to reaching our goal, but on its own mitigation is not enough.
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Reduction
Second, we need to reduce the amount of carbon emitted when we create the materials we build with.
These are emissions associated with the extraction, manufacturing and transportation of materials; for example, the insulation we use in our homes. While these emissions account for only 11 per cent of emissions globally, their impact on the climate is entirely upfront and cannot be mitigated in the future.
This type of emission is called embodied carbon, and to meet our local and global net-zero emissions targets, we need to reduce it.
Sequestration
Finally, because we’ll continue to have some operational emissions over the next 30 years, we need to find ways to achieve negative emissions (to store or sequester carbon).
We can do this through reforestation, ecosystem restoration, or even the use of plant-based building materials.
These strategies also help our communities to adapt to the changes in climate that we’re already experiencing, and make us more resilient to future impacts.
Local climate action initiatives
Embodied carbon is the amount of carbon emitted when we create the materials we use to build, for example, our homes. In 2018, the Endeavour Centre built the GreenUP Ecology Park Children’s Shelter and Open-Air Classroom from a variety of natural and plant-based materials, including the straw and hempcrete insulation, cellulose and hemp fibre insulation, and locally harvested wood, including framing made from forestry thinnings. This approach to manufacturing and materials can create a building that is actually below net-zero carbon emissions because it stores more carbon that it takes to produce. These strategies could be essential to reducing our carbon emissions. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)
The United Nations has identified 2030 as the critical opportunity for transformative action, and climate emergency declarations are intended to emphasize this urgency. To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, we need everyone — governments, the private sector, and civil society — to act now.
This can feel overwhelming and unachievable, but we are fortunate to live in an exceptional community. There are some truly inspiring local initiatives that are already creating meaningful and measurable change here in Peterborough.
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Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods (SUN)
GreenUP’s Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods (SUN) program, which was featured in last week’s GreenUP column, works closely with residents, municipal staff, and other organizations to identify strategic priorities for climate action and to establish Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plans that will accelerate local efforts during this critical 10-year period.
In addition to planning, SUN also initiates community planting projects that demonstrate the possibilities for change and build capacity for further action. Alongside GreenUP staff, residents and partners in the SUN neighbourhoods have completed nearly 2,000 square metres of urban restoration projects on both public and private lands, measurably advancing climate adaptation and carbon sequestration at the neighbourhood scale.
“The city works as an active partner with community organizations, businesses, residents and other levels of government in tackling climate change,” says Michael Papadacos of the city’s infrastructure management division, who is co-ordinating the city’s efforts to respond to climate change.
“Partnerships such as the work that GreenUP is doing with the city on the Sustainable Neighbourhoods initiative is one key way we can make progress toward our broader community goals of reducing emissions, increasing resilience, and enhancing sustainability in Peterborough.”
Peterborough Moves
Peterborough Moves is a community partnership that has been supporting walking, cycling, and busing in Peterborough for more than 15 years. In 2019, this partnership celebrated the first-ever protected bike lane in Peterborough at the corner of Sherbrooke Street and Water Street. Peterborough Moves has helped exceed the active transportation target set in the city’s 2012 transportation plan and to decrease local transportation pollution and emissions. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)
Peterborough Moves is a community partnership that has been supporting walking, cycling, and busing in our city for more than 15 years.
Peterborough Moves offers active school travel programming in every local school, including car-free travel campaigns, cycling skill development courses, transit ridership workshops, and more. Peterborough Moves also co-ordinates an annual commuter challenge called Shifting Gears.
These programs are recognized nationally as successful approaches to increase rates of walking and cycling. Peterborough Moves has helped us to exceed the active transportation target set in our city’s 2012 transportation plan and to decrease local transportation pollution and emissions.
NeighbourPLAN project and school travel planning
Community-based planning initiatives, including the NeighbourPLAN project and school travel planning, contribute to climate action in long-term ways.
These programs work with residents and school communities to envision and build support for the compact and complete neighbourhood designs needed to enable active transportation and reduce our dependence on cars.
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Home and commercial energy conservation programs
GreenUP also works alongside our local utilities to maximize the number of households and businesses that are participating in energy retrofit and production incentive programs.
These programs, historically funded by the federal and provincial governments as well as by natural gas distribution companies, increase energy efficiency in existing buildings and encourage the use of renewable energy.
In Peterborough, thousands of households and businesses have completed energy efficiency upgrades. Local organizations are also exploring some exciting community-based models to engage businesses of all sizes and sectors in climate action, with a focus on helping them to set and achieve ambitious carbon reduction targets.
Builders for Climate Action
A new local initiative called Builders for Climate Action is a partnership between the Endeavour Centre for Sustainable Building and GreenUP.
Builders for Climate Action is dedicated to helping the building industry become carbon neutral. The project is creating tools and resources that enable designers, developers, and builders to calculate embodied carbon for a range of materials, and to select options that are low-carbon or even carbon negative.
This initiative is already building capacity and leadership within the local construction sector, and is set to have a national impact.
In 2019, Peterborough city council declared a climate emergency and requested that staff work with the Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee and report on opportunities to reduce emissions with the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Leadership from all levels of government, the private sector, and civil society will be necessary to achieve these goals. To support these objectives, GreenUP created the Peterborough Community Climate Action Resource. (Graphic courtesy of GreenUP)
Climate action resources
To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, transformation is needed. Change is possible, and we can — and are — acting to address the climate crisis.
In 2020, we’ll need to do more, and to do it better and faster. Transitioning to carbon-neutral will not be easy or inexpensive, but we cannot afford inaction. In this region, we’re fortunate to have a wealth of inspiring local initiatives to build upon.
Visit greenup.on.ca/climate-action-resource/ to access the GreenUP Peterborough Community Climate Action Resource and other resources to support climate change action at home and in your community.
Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for Peterborough and Kawarthas Lakes for Wednesday (December 18) into Thursday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon and evening, there will be a wind chill of -23°C, dropping to -30°C overnight.
On Thursday, there will be a wind chill of -30°C in the morning and -17°C in the afternoon.
Drop-in hours for the One Roof Community Centre (99 Brock St. Peterborough) will be extended on Wednesday and Thursday to provide daytime shelter from the cold. Instead of normal operating hours of 12 to 7 p.m., hours will be extended to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill. When heading outside, cover up.
Extreme cold puts everyone at risk. Watch for cold-related symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, and numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.
Temperatures will warm up on Friday with a high of -5°C, and will head above freezing by Sunday and into next week.
Members of collective philanthropy group 100 Women Peterborough present their donation of more than $10,000 to Lakefield Animal Welfare Society in the lobby of the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough on December 17, 2019. The "no-kill" animal shelter was selected by members to receive the donation from the group, which has now raised around $100,000 for eight local charities. (Photo courtesy of 100 Women Peterborough)
On Tuesday night (December 17), the 100 Women Peterborough group capped off a year of collective philanthropy by raising more than $10,000 in under one hour for the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society.
At the group’s fourth and final fundraising event of 2019, held in the lobby of the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough, three organizations — Lakefield Animal Welfare Society (LAWS), Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation, and Peterborough Children’s Chorus — made their cases to the group on why they should receive a donation.
Well before the meeting, the three organizations were randomly drawn from a larger list of organizations nominated by members of 100 Women Peterborough, who commit to donate $100 dollars at each of the four events hosted throughout the year. All of the funds raised by the membership are donated to four non-profit organizations determined by the membership throughout the year.
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At Tuesday night’s meeting, LAWS manager Janet Evans and past chair Mary Power presented on behalf of the organization, a non-profit charity established in 1992 by a group of women with a goal of rescuing stray, injured, and abused animals in the Lakefield area. The shelter, which maintains a “no-kill” policy, works very hard to find homes for even the most difficult-to-place animals.
After hearing the presentation, as well as those from the other two organizations, 100 Women Peterborough members held a majority vote and selected LAWS to receive the donation.
“I am speechless, overwhelmed, humbled, and thankful to be recognized by 100 Women Peterborough,” Evans said after LAWS was chosen.
Lakefield Animal Welfare Society manager Janet Evans and past chair Mary Power accept the donation of more than $10,000 from collective philanthropy group 100 Women Peterborough in the lobby of the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough on December 17, 2019. (Photo courtesy of 100 Women Peterborough)
LAWS, which runs on donations, memberships, and adoption fees, does not receive government or private sector funding. The organization is able to help hundreds of animals a year through their programs.
“We get a number of animals that come in requiring more intensive treatment,” Power explained. “For example, an animal who needs an emergency leg amputation or a kitten who needs an eye removed. We have decided to create a special fund called the Second Chance Fund which will allow us to ask veterinarians to do emergency surgery. If we didn’t have this funding, a dog could potentially be euthanized.”
To date, 100 Women Peterborough has collectively donated around $100,000 to eight local organizations: Hospice Peterborough, Peterborough Youth Unlimited, One Roof Warming Room, New Canadians Centre, Cameron House, Five Counties Children’s Centre, Casa De Angelae, and Lakefield Animal Welfare Society.
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100 Women Peterborough was founded in February 2018 by Terry, Catia Skinner, Wendy Hill, and Alyssa Stewart, who were inspired by similar groups in other communities.
“The organizers are so excited to wrap up another incredible year,” Hill says. “We are very lucky to have an incredible community of women come together to support organizations such as the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society — we are making a difference.”
The concept of collective philanthropy began in the United States in November 2006, when Karen Dunigan of Michigan formed the “100 Women Who Care” group. After their first meeting, the women raised over $10,000 for the purchase of 300 new baby cribs for a local organization.
The movement has grown over the past 13 years to include almost 100 chapters in North America, including at least 15 in Canada.
Women who interested in joining 100 Women Peterborough should visit www.100womenptbo.ca for more information.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for Lindsay and southern Kawartha Lakes for overnight on Tuesday (December 17).
Snow squalls are possible overnight into Wednesday morning as strong winds help snow bands penetrate far inland from Georgian Bay.
Travel may be hazardous at times due to heavy and blowing snow reducing visibility and rapidly changing conditions. Local snowfall amounts of near 10 cm will be possible by late Wednesday morning when the squalls move out of the region.
Although the travel advisory has only been issued for Kawartha Lakes, there is also a risk of snow squalls in Peterborough, Haliburton, and Hastings counties, with snowfall amounts of 2 cm.
After the snow squalls move of the region, the temperature will fall to -13°C on Wednesday afternoon, with gusty winds resulting in a wind chill of -24°C. On Wednesday night, the temperature will fall to -21°C, with a wind chill of -28°C and a risk of frostbite.
With extreme cold in the forecast, drop-in hours for the One Roof Community Centre (99 Brock St. Peterborough) will be extended on Wednesday and Thursday to provide daytime shelter from the cold. Instead of normal operating hours of 12 to 7 p.m., hours will be extended to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Planet 12 Productions is presenting a staged reading of the 1964 cult movie "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians", widely considered one of the worst films ever made, at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough from December 19 to 22, 2019.
Planet 12 Productions presents Santa Claus Conquers The Martians
When: Thursday, December 19 and Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 8 p.m.; Friday, December 20, 2019 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 22, 2019 at 2 p.m. Where: The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough) How much: $15 adults, $10 children 12 and under (or pay what you can)
A staged reading of the 1964 film directed by Derek Weatherdon and featuring Sam Weatherdon, Abbie Dale, Emily Keller, George Knechtel, Liv Leeson, Nicole Roy, Brad Brackenridge, Ben van Veen, Nathan Govier, Sheila Charleton, and Keith Goranson. Costumes by Kathryn Bahun.
This week, bring your friends and family to The Theatre On King (TTOK) in downtown Peterborough and get ready to shout “Hooray for Santa Claus!” as local theatre group Planet 12 Productions presents a dramatic reading of the 1964 cult film Santa Claus Conquers The Martians.
At this family-friendly event, director Derek Weatherdon and his company bring a hot cup of holiday weirdness and intergalactic mayhem to TTOK for a memorable evening of yuletide delight.
Deemed by many film critics as one of the worst films ever to be released theatrically, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians may not have garnered the same popularity of films such as It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street.
But for many movie fans, this strange film has become a holiday classic all its own, and over the decades has become a popular oddity in the holiday film canon.
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Directed by Nicholas Webster in the summer of 1964, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians tells the story of a group of well-meaning (albeit misguided) green-skinned alien invaders who decide to kidnap Santa Claus from Earth so that he might bring joy to Martian children who have forgotten how to have fun. To help them find Santa, the aliens also kidnap two Earthling children (who later become Santa’s helpers).
A subplot involving political unrest among the Martian people and toy making also takes place, alongside terrible acting, cardboard sets, maniacal laughing, outdated red-scare politics, and a Santa Claus who might or might not be drinking off camera.
Will Santa save Christmas on Mars and return to Earth in time for Christmas? All will be revealed on the TTOK stage in four spirited readings running from Thursday, December 19th to Sunday, December 22nd.
“As a film, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians fails in about every way a film can,” says Planet 12’s Derek Weatherdon. “It looks cheap, the script is poor to the point of being nonsensical, the effects are laughable, and the acting is weak. Almost every technical or human aspect of it is far below any acceptable standard.”
“But taken on its own, it’s a great concept. The premise is fantastic. For Planet 12, that makes it worth trying to revive.”
When released in December 1964, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians did surprisingly well, and for the next few years was re-released cinematically on the matinee circuit. However, by the end of the 1960s, the film fell into obscurity until it found a new fan base when popular TV film show Mystery Science Theater 3000 aired it in 1991.
VIDEO: “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians” (1964) Trailer
The response from their viewership was so positive that the program re-aired the film yearly and even officially released it alongside their own riff track, increasing its popularity and turning it into a cult classic.
“It’s a classic piece of trash, but one person’s garbage is someone else’s treasure, right?” Derek says of the film. “But regardless of how good or bad the original film is, it has a charm. I think our challenge has been to get that charm on stage for audiences to experience.”
“We have had a lot of fun working on it. For anyone who wants just to take a break from how hectic this time of year can be, and catch a quick show with Santa in it … man, this is the one!”
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But, as Derek goes on to point out, finding Santa Claus in any of the local Christmas theatre offerings is actually a rare thing.
“As always, there is a lot of choice for audiences this holiday season, with major shows at the Peterborough Theatre Guild and Arbor Theatre,” Derek explains. “But none of those shows really involve Santa Claus as a character. For most of us, I think Santa is a direct connection to the Christmases of our childhood, and getting back in touch with that isn’t a bad thing.”
“It’s a bit depressing that it seems only place a child can see a Santa up close these days is at a shopping mall. Why not at a theatre?”
In the 1964 science-fiction comedy “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians”, Santa is kidnapped by the denizens of Mars to bring joy to Martian children who have forgotten to have fun.
“With Planet 12 being what it is, we try never do anything too typical or obvious,” Derek says. “So taking a film property that some people might have heard of, and fewer still have seen, and putting on a show with it seemed a good choice.”
“Plus it’s got the best title you could ask for. It literally says it all right there. You have Santa. You have Martians. Santa having a space adventure is a great idea. There should be more stories like that — maybe better written, but still more.”
Of course, while reworking a poorly written script from the past, some surprising moments of social commentary come to the forefront in the film, whether they were intentional by the original writers or not. In a strange way, the film also predicted a future oddly reflecting our current society.
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“There is a sort of driving theme in the story that Martian children have become withdrawn and zombie-like as a result of their over-consumption of screen-based media directly from Earth,” Derek observes.
“Santa brings Christmas fun to Mars!”. The original theatrical poster for 1964’s “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians”.
“At the time, they were talking about TV sets and programmers, but that could ring very true today with video games, on-demand streaming content, tablets and smart phones in every hand, and the need to be constantly hooked in and entertained electronically.”
“We were pretty surprised at how timely and contemporary a message from a 55-year-old piece of work seemed. It’s funny how times change, but problems don’t.”
Derek also points out that Santa Claus Conquers The Martians includes some political themes.
“You have a problem with zoned-out kids and a faction of the government that wants to take radical means (kidnapping and importing Santa Claus) to fix it, but also others who feel their traditional way of life is fine and it shouldn’t be threatened by radical changes.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say there is an underlying theme of ‘Make Mars Great Again’ running through the narrative, but maybe more ‘Things are fine and I am threatened by change, so let’s not mess with things even though Rome is burning’. Maybe that all seems a bit heavy for a campy show about Santa in space, but I think the freeze rays and rocket ships make up for it.”
Bringing Dropo, Voldor, Bomar, Gimar, and the rest of your favourite forgettable holiday characters to life are many of Planet 12’s regular members including Sam Weatherdon, Abbie Dale, Emily Keller, George Knechtel, Liv Leeson, Nicole Roy, and Brad Brackenridge, who are joined by Ben van Veen, Nathan Govier, Sheila Charleton, and Keith Goranson in the role of Santa Claus, with costumes by Kathryn Bahun.
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Santa Claus Conquers The Martians plays into the fun yet strange sensibilities that Planet 12 — celebrating their third year as a company — has become known for. It also manages to work itself into the bigger universe that has been an ongoing part of the company’s body of work, with a surprise cameo from one of their past productions.
“If we’ve earned any measure of cache in the local theatre scene at all, I would hope that we are known as a group that produces good shows with strong casts and that tells very offbeat stories extremely well,” Derek says. “Obviously, this is a lot lighter than some of our previous productions like Boy Wonders, Incident on Gun Mountain, or Tex. This is much more of a family show and one you could — and should — bring your children to.”
Planet 12 Productions’ staged reading of “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians” runs for four performances at The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough from December 19 to 22, 2019. (Poster: Planet 12 Productions)
“As always, we just want to be trying to do things that no one else seems to be doing. Other theatre groups do live readings of Christmas classics, but I wanted us to do a story that no one else in their right mind would even consider.”
As a fan of the film, I applaud Derek and his team at Planet 12 for such an offbeat and original idea. I’ve already pulled out my DVD copy of the film and watched it this year, but I can’t wait for a double shot by celebrating the holiday on Mars at TTOK.
Santa Claus Conquers The Martians runs from Thursday, December 19th to Sunday, December 22nd at TTOK (171 King St., Peterborough). Thursday and Saturday shows start at 8 p.m., and Friday has a 7 p.m. start, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
Tickets are $15 at the door ($10 for children 12 and under) or pay what you can.
Our look back at business and organizational news in 2019 in Peterborough and the Kawarthas includes this past summer's launch of the Trent-Severn Trail Town program, Canada's first waterway "trail town" program that links communities along the Trent-Severn Waterway (including Campbellford, Hastings, Lakefield, Buckhorn, Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Coboconk, and Rosedale) to encourage regional tourism and support local business. Pictured at the August 22nd launch at Ranney Falls (Locks 11-12) in Campbellford (from left to right): Cycle Forward founder and trail town consultant Amy Camp, Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Kim Rudd, Kawarthas Northumberland/Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8) Executive Director Brenda Wood, Parks Canada Associate Director for Ontario Waterways Dwight Blythe, and Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini. (Photo courtesy of RTO8)
Every week, our managing editor collects news and events related to businesses and organizations from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
This week’s businessNOW™ takes a month-by-month look back on some of the notable business and organizational news headlines of 2019, including businesses that opened or came under new ownership, businesses that closed, businesses and business people that won awards, government funding announcements, changes in organizational leadership, milestones, and more.
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January
Following the trend towards plant-based food, Nateure’s Plate opened in downtown Peterborough. The restaurant serves vegan comfort food like this “meatball” sub. (Photo: Nateure’s Plate)
Catalina Motta opens House Of Commons Vintage Market in downtown Peterborough.
Martin Yuill becines executive director of Cleantech Commons at Trent University.
February
Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien (middle) cuts the ribbon for the official opening of the renovated Jo Anne’s Place health food store at 1260 Lansdowne Street West in Peterborough. Also pictured (left to right) are city councillors Kim Zippel and Lesley Parnell and Jo Anne’s Place owners Margo and Paul Hudson. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
The Ontario government invests $12.3 million to expand natural gas access to Fenelon Falls, Cameron and Cambray.
Robin Binèsi Cavanagh joins The Canadian Canoe Museum as the new Director of Indigenous Peoples’ Collaborative Relations.
Town of Cobourg wins marketing award for its Armistice18 campaign.
Hastings Highlands enters into a deal for a cannabis production facility.
Payless Shoe Source and Home Outfitters retail stores in Peterborough close.
March
Olympus Burger in Port Hope was selected as having the ninth best burger in Canada on a list of the top 50 burgers assembled by Big 7 Travel. (Photo: Olympus Burger)
Fenelon Falls Brewing Co. transforms historic building into Kawartha Lakes’ newest craft brewery.
Peterborough advertising agency BrandHealth rebrands as Outpost379.
Campbellford suffers double blow after Nicholson Bros facility destroyed by fire and Dart Container Corp. announces plant closure.
Globus Theatre in Bobcaygeon hires its first-ever general manager.
Huntsville eco-lifestyle retail store Sustain is the grand prize winner of Win This Space Peterborough.
New live music venue called Simcoe Ptbo opens in downtown Peterborough.
Green Earth stores in Peterborough’s Lansdowne Place Mall and Lindsay Square close.
Golden Wheel Chinese Restaurant in Peterborough is under new ownership.
Innovation Cluster launches H2O Makerspace to support clean technology research.
Rustically Signed announces new store and workshop space at Pie Eyed Monk Brewery in Lindsay.
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April
2019 Women in Business Award winner Monika Carmichael (second from right) and 2019 Judy Heffernan Award winner Kim Appleton (right) along with Tara Spence from Trent University and Jo Oanh Ho from Fleming College, the recipients of the 2019 Female Business Student Award. Not pictured: Erin McLean and Bridget Leslie, the two finalists for the 2019 Women in Business Award. (Photo: Bianca Nucaro / kawarthaNOW.com)
Sam’s Place Deli in downtown Peterborough unveils renovated space and new logo.
Electric City Bread Company in Peterborough is under new ownership.
Innovation Cluster announces plans to expand into City of Kawartha Lakes.
Lake Edge Cottages on Katchewanooka Lake in Lakefield is under new ownership.
Bill Pappas, original owner of Pappas Billiards in Peterborough, passes away.
John Gillis becomes new interim president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster.
Port Hope’s Cameco Capitol Arts Centre announces $1.75 million expansion project.
Peterborough DBIA wins award for Downtown Vibrancy project.
Sweet Beast Fine Meats & Fish opens in Peterborough’s East City.
Federal government provides $200,000 in funding for Random Acts of Green in Peterborough.
Maar’s Music announces plans to relocate from downtown Peterborough to Brookdale Plaza.
Sweet Bottoms Coffee in Fenelon Falls announces plans to close.
The Carousel restaurant in Peterborough announces plans to close.
Little Britain entrepreneurs launchT he White Lightning Shopping Bus free rural transit service in Kawartha Lakes.
May
Dylan Trepanier of Alexander Optical and Cheryl Gould of Electric Juice Factory won the 2019 Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition. (Photo: Bianca Nucaro / kawarthaNOW.com)
Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce names Shaukat Mohamad as Citizen of the Year.
Lindsay Brock merges Amusé Coffee Co. into The Edison at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough.
Pedego Kawartha Lakes e-bikes expands to Lindsay.
Fusion Bowl opens in downtown Peterborough.
Government of Ontario provides $71 million to Eastern Ontario Regional Network for mobile broadband services.
Shantelle Bisson and Murdoch Mysteries’ actor Yannick Bisson open Shantilly’s Place on Chandos Lake in North Kawartha.
Conner and Tasha Clarkin announce plans to open new plant-based Revelstoke Café in downtown Peterborough.
Simcoe Ptbo in downtown Peterborough closes.
The Thirsty Loon in Lakefield announces plans to close.
Venture13 Innovation Centre in Cobourg celebrates its one-year anniversary.
June
Peterborough-based McCloskey International, which employs around 900 people in Canada, the U.S.A., and Northern Ireland, was acquired by Finnish industrial machinery company Metso. Pictured are McCloskey International founder, president, and CEO Paschal McCloskey (second from left) and Ian Lough of McCloskey International (far right), along with Mark Nodder and Jeremy Fitch of Invest Northern Ireland at Granville Industrial Estate in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. (Photo: McCloskey International)
Peterborough bio-tech startup Noblegen secures $25 million in Series B financing.
ARIA in downtown Peterborough closes.
Gerti’s in downtown Peterborough officially reopens under new ownership.
Tora Bistro opens in downtown Peterborough.
Steelworks Design of Peterborough rebrands as AVIT Manufacturing.
Mama Milisa’s Kitchen opens in Keene.
Lindsay & District Chamber of Commerce names Claus Reuter as Citizen of the Year.
Peterborough’s healthy dessert company Chimp Treats’ Nicecream featured by Loblaw and Sobeys.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton executive director Lynn Zimmer announces her retirement.
Dream Cyclery bicycle shop opens in downtown Peterborough.
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July
PedalBoro’s 15-passenger party bike received a fair share of attention in July during the bike tour company’s inaugural downtown tour from The Olde Stone Brewing Company to the Publican House Brewery before heading to Millennium Park. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
Hajni Hõs resigns from New Canadians Centre to become new executive director of Hospice Peterborough.
New cannabis production facility planned near Lindsay.
GreenUP wins five awards from Green Communities Canada.
Kit Coffee Espresso Bar and Bake Shop opens in downtown Peterborough.
The Cat and The Fiddle in Cobourg closes.
Frank’s Pasta and Grill in Cobourg closes.
August
Central Smith Creamery owner Ian Scates (second from left) and vice-president/marketing Jenn Scates (right) present a cheque for $13,420.25 to Jane Lovett (left) and Lesley Heighway (second from right) of PRHC Foundation on August 1, 2019 at the dairy’s location at 739 Lindsay Road in Peterborough. The Scates raised the funds during an ice cream social in the summer. (Photo courtesy of PRHC Foundation)
Peterborough engineering company Lab Improvements partners with Peterborough Regional Health Centre to develop innovative laboratory device.
Savage Arms, including Lakefield location, purchased by private investors.
Federal government invests $1.4 million in Northumberland CFDC’s DELIA lending platform for women-owned and women-led enterprises in Eastern Ontario.
Nexicom receives $1 million in federal funding to bring high-speed internet to Douro-Dummer.
Mickaël’s Café Librairie opens a second location in Omemee.
Blowes Travel and Cruise Centres of Stratford and G. Stewart Travel Services of Peterborough merge.
Neo Rare Metals expands operations at its Peterborough plant.
Long-time Lindsay businessman Dominic Fox passes away.
Huge Shops Ontario Inc. selected to apply for a cannabis store operator licence in Fowlers Corners.
Canada’s first Waterway Trail Town program launches in Kawarthas Northumberland.
September
In September, Tara and Adam Genge of antique and vintage furniture refinishing business Chalk Therapy announced they were launching Electric City Works, a new retail marketspace hub in downtown Peterborough. The 5,000-square-foot space, which will also be the new location of Chalk Therapy, is intended for makers, creatives, artisans, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. It opened in November 2019. (Photo courtesy of Chalk Therapy)
Pensieri Shoes in Peterborough rebrands as Blue Shoes Ptbo.
Peterborough Memorial Centre box office becomes the Grant Thornton box office.
Smart City Readiness Project aims to help Peterborough become a “Smart City”.
Innovation Cluster partners with Peterborough Utilities Group to expand cleantech in Peterborough.
Church Key Brewing owner John Graham sells Church Key Pub & Grindhouse in Campbellford.
Heather Doughty Photography opens a new studio in downtown Peterborough.
Publican House Brewery and Bobcaygeon Brewing Co. take home 2019 Ontario Brewing Awards.
Peterborough’s Signarama expands into custom apparel and promotional products industry with Fully Promoted sister franchise.
Lucky Strike Bait Works in Peterborough celebrates its 90th anniversary.
Pinnguaq Association launches Lindsay Makerspace.
Spark Photo Festival announces new festival director Jennifer MacKenzie.
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October
Dooher’s Bakery in Campbellford, known for delicious baked goods including its famous cream-filled crueller, was named “Sweetest Bakery in Canada” for the second year in a row in an online competition sponsored by Michigan-based Dawn Food Products. The family-owned bakery won a grand prize valued at almost $7,000. (Photo courtesy of Dooher’s Bakery)
Millbrook’s Pastry Peddler wins first place in the 2019 Kawarthas Butter Tart Tour Taste-Off.
Local game developer Canuck Play releases its third Canadian football title.
Peterborough-based Chimp Treats unveils new branding for its Nicecream frozen dessert line.
Andy Cragg becomes new executive director of New Canadians Centre Peterborough.
Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism names Sally Harding of Nightingale Nursing as Citizen of the Year.
Peterborough Chamber of Commerce names Carmela Valles as Business Citizen of the Year.
Robotics company Servo Socks wins grand prize at the Kawartha Lakes Small Business Innovation Awards.
Paper Planter Project and Eco-Care Project win FastStart Peterborough’s Pitch It! competition.
November
Staff at Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene celebrate the 2019 Tourism Employer of the Year from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. (Photo: Elmhirst’s Resort / Facebook)
Electric City Works holds a grand opening of its new downtown Peterborough store and marketspace.
Curve Lake First Nation economic development officer Katie Young-Haddlesey wins national award.
The Kawartha Buttertart Factory is moving into The Little Building Company’s new building in Douro-Dummer next year.
New garden shop Plant Goals opens in downtown Peterborough.
The McLean family of Lakefield is named Peterborough County’s 2019 Farm Family of the Year.
Charlotte Products’ OptiSolve wins ISSA Innovation Award.
LLF Lawyers pledges $25,000 for the Peterborough Humane Society’s new animal care centre.
Peterborough-based The Loomex Group to manage Dryden Regional Airport.
Treetop Trekking wins an international award for its innovative Treewalk Village for kids.
Fleming College students win 2019 Cubs’ Lair entrepreneurship competition for their Paper Plant Project.
December
The Ontario government has announced an investment of more than $1.5 million over two years to create 100 local training and career opportunities for incumbent workers and job seekers in the aviation and aerospace sector in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland. Pictured at the December 6, 2019 announcement at Peterborough Airport are The Loomex group president and CEO Trent Gervais, Ontario minister of labour, training and skills development Monte McNaughton, Fleming College president Maureen Adamson, and Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith. (Photo: Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development)
New vintage clothing shop Statement House opens in downtown Peterborough.
The Kawartha Store wins the Fenelon Falls Downtown Revitalization Award.
Crayola Canada raises $45,132 for United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Rustically Signed in Lindsay announces plans for to move to larger location featuring a new makers market with more than 50 vendors.
One Eyed Jack Pub & Grill opens in location of former Carousel Restaurant in Peterborough.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre supports six local entrepreneurs with Starter Company Plus funding.
"Máxima", directed by U.S. filmmaker Claudio Sparrow, is the opening night feature film on January 23, 2020 at the 2020 ReFrame Film Festival in downtown Peterborough. The documentary tells the story of Máxima Acuña, 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize winner for South and Central America, a farmer who stood up for her right to peacefully live off her own land, a plot of land in the Peruvian highlands sought by Newmont and Buenaventura Mining to develop the Conga gold and copper mine. (Photo: Goldman Environmental Prize)
Organizers of the 16th annual ReFrame Film Festival have announced the festival’s opening night feature film, along with several other documentaries including three showcasing local filmmaking talent.
A community celebration of documentary film and media art, ReFrame opens on Thursday, January 23rd and runs until Sunday, January 26th at various venues in downtown Peterborough.
The opening night feature film is Máxima, which tells the incredible story of 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Máxima Acuña, a farmer from the Peruvian Andes who is standing up to the largest gold mining company in the world. Directed by U.S. filmmaker Claudio Sparrow, Máxima was the winner of the Audience Award at the Hot Docs Canadian international documentary festival in Toronto in May 2019.
Máxima will be shown on Thursday, January 23rd at Showplace Performance Centre. The screening is sponsored by Nibi Emosaawdamajig and Camp Kawartha.
VIDEO: “Maxima” Trailer
Also announced is nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. Written and directed by Tasha Hubbard, a First Nations/Cree filmmaker and educator living in Saskatoon, the documentary tells the story of Colten Boushie, a young Cree man from Saskatchewan who was killed on Gerald Stanley’s farm in 2016.
The high-profile trial and Stanley’s subsequent acquittal drives Boushie’s family to confront the racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and take the international stage in their pursuit of justice.
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up was the winner of the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at Hot Docs in May 2019, the Colin Low Award at the Doxa Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver in May 2019, the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature at Toronto’s imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival in October 2019, the Discovery Award from the Directors Guild of Canada Awards in October 2019, and the Magnus-Isacsson Award at the RIDM Montreal International Documentary Festival in November 2019.
As part of the screening, ReFrame audiences will receive a special presentation by Jade Tootoosis, Colten’s cousin and a leading activist.
VIDEO: “nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up” Trailer
Other award-winning docs that will be screened at ReFrame in January include For Sama by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, One Child Nation by Nanfu Wang and Lynn Zhang, and The Hottest August by Brett Story. And acclaimed Indigenous director Alanis Obomsawi will be coming to Peterborough with Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger, her 53rd film.
Local projects this year at ReFrame include the world-premiere of a feature-length version of Town of Widows, the incendiary film by Rob Viscardis and Natasha Luckhardt about the fight by Peterborough GE workers for compensation for health-related conditions incurred on the job. A version of the documentary was broadcast earlier this year on CBC Docs POV.
Filmmakers Viscardis and Luckhardt, along with several subjects featured in the film, will be in attendance at the ReFrame screening.
VIDEO: “Town of Widows” Trailer (CBC version)
ReFrame alum Lester Alfonso returns to this year’s festival with a sneak preview of his short documentary Circus Boy.
The moving film about family dynamics features Peterborough’s Academy for Circus Arts founder Thomas Vaccaro, who finds reconciliation with his mother when he and his husband adopt a boy that he’s training for circus school.
A live circus performance at the screening will be sure to delight festival-goers.
VIDEO: “Circus Boy” Teaser
Also screening at ReFrame is award-winning filmmaker Yung Chang’s This Is Not A Movie, an intimate portrait of Robert Fisk, the rabble-rousing writer famous for his no-holds-barred international reportage of current events.
POV Magazine describes the film as “a necessary portrait of journalism in action.” The film was edited by local resident Mike Munn.
Chang, who was born in Oshawa, will be attending the screening. ReFrame audiences will have the opportunity to learn more about Chang and his work as part of ReFrame’s expanded program of talks in Showplace’s Nexicom Studio.
VIDEO: “This Is Not A Movie” Clip
ReFrame organizers will be making more announcements in the coming weeks including schedule details, volunteer opportunities, evening feature films, and programming in VentureNorth’s Virtual Reality hub.
ReFrame 2020 promises to be a weekend full of eye-opening cinema celebrating art, confronting injustice, looking back on cultural trailblazers, and searching for ways to change the world.
ReFrame passes and tickets make great holiday gifts! They are available online at reframe.tickit.ca. A festival pass costs $60 ($50 for students, seniors, and the underwaged), opening night tickets cost $15 ($10 with a festival pass), and day passes (all films on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) cost $25.
Tickets are also available at the GreenUP Store (378 Aylmer St. N., Peterborough, 705-745-3238) and Watson & Lou (383 Water St., Peterborough, 705-775-7568), and in Lakefield at Happenstance Books and Yarn (44 Queen St., Lakefield, 705-652-7535).
As always, rush pay-what-you-can tickets will be available at the door for every screening (subject to availability).
Six new businesses were launched at the December 2019 edition of the Starter Company Plus Showcase. Each entrepreneur received a $5,000 grant to support growth in their business. From left to right: Brett Pritchard (B & B Game Designs), Kristin Cole (Kawartha Complete Care), Katelin Turcotte (Wilde Beauty), Anna Perry (Your Second Family), Nicole Cooke (Organized by Design), and Sonja Martin (Rooted Lavender). Over 50 guests attended the showcase at Showplace Performance Centre on December 5, 2019. (Photo: Alyssa Cymbalista)
Every month, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) shares its latest news and information of interest for the local business community. This month’s edition features the winners of grants in the December 2019 intake of the Starter Company Plus program, focus groups and a survey on the feasibility of developing a food terminal in Peterborough County, and the “Building PTBO: Future Workforce” event held in downtown Peterborough.
The entrepreneurs behind six new businesses launched at the December 2019 edition of the Starter Company Plus Showcase each received a $5,000 grant to support growth in their business. From left to right: Madeleine Hurrell (PKED), Sonja Martin (Rooted Lavender), Nicole Cooke (Organized by Design), Katelin Turcotte (Wilde Beauty), Kristin Cole (Kawartha Complete Care), Anna Perry (Your Second Family), and Brett Pritchard and Brian Pritchard (B & B Game Designs). Over 50 guests attended the showcase at Showplace Performance Centre on Thursday, December 5th. (Photo: Alyssa Cymbalista)
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre announced $30,000 in funding to support local entrepreneurs with their business growth, on Thursday, December 5, 2019.
This program has been a key stepping-stone for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to grow in the region. Since 2017, it has resulted in the creation of 65 startups and supported 37 business expansions. The program has also seen the opening of 15 bricks-and-mortar locations in the region and has created 140 jobs in the local community.
“This program is generating results for our community and strengthening our region as a destination for small business,” explains Madeleine Hurrell, the Economic Development Officer who oversees the Starter Company Plus program. “Since this program began in March 2017, we have seen over 122 entrepreneurs supported through the program, with $200,000 grant dollars announced.”
Julie Chatten, constituency assistant for the office of Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, brought greetings on behalf of the province, councillor Stephen Wright brought greetings on behalf of the City of Peterborough, and Peterborough County CAO Troy Speck brought greetings of behalf of the County of Peterborough.
Over 50 people were in attendance and enjoyed catering from former Starter Company Plus graduate La Mesita.
The announcement of funding was for participants in the December 2019 intake for Starter Company Plus, a Government of Ontario funded program. This program, which has been running since March 2017, supports entrepreneurs in starting, growing or acquiring a business, offering a robust series of workshops to support the creation of a formalized business plan, culminating in the chance to pitch for competitive grant dollars. This intake’s grant recipients are:
Entrepreneur
Business
About This Business
Location
Anna Perry
Your Second Family
Your Second Family provides respite services to individuals with developmental and/or physical disabilities in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.
City of Peterborough
Kristin Cole
Kawartha Complete Care
Kawartha Complete Care provides in-home care and nursing services to seniors and those wishing to remain in their homes. We offer home health care services, such as respite and support with day-to-day living, as well as staffing. We believe clients deserve more. RNs, RPNs and PSWs are on staff to provide dedicated client care and support. KCC services both Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes, including the communities of Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, Omemee and North Kawartha.
City of Peterborough
Sonja Martin
Rooted Lavender
With over 25 years in the field, Rooted Lavender uniquely offers mindfulness, yoga and behavioural consultation to families, communities and educators. We support children on the autism spectrum, worried parents and frustrated teachers. We offer mindfulness training to staff, group classes and one on one mental, emotional and behavioural health support.
City of Peterborough
Katelin Turcotte
Wilde Beauty
Wilde Beauty offers non-invasive, non-medical, safe and aesthetically pleasing pedicures. Trained at The North American School of Podology, Wilde Beauty offers more than a standard pedicure by providing an in-depth assessment of the feet and lower limbs before performing a fully customized pedicure. The Certified Master Pedicurist is trained to address common challenges that work against healthy feet such as calluses, cracked heels, corn clusters, sweaty feet, and more! They are also gentle enough for diabetics. Wilde Beauty’s assessment is extremely educational and stresses the importance of regular foot care maintenance, no matter what stage we are in life.
City of Peterborough
Brett Pritchard
B&B Game Designs
B&B Game Designs is an innovative 3D design company. Bringing 3D design and print services to the local and global table.startertop games world. With a vision to offer these emerging technologies to the greater Peterborough business community.
Selwyn Township
Nicole Cooke
Organized by Design
Organized by Design offers professional organizing solutions for residential and commercial clients. Residential services include purging, sorting, packing, storage solution design and move management. For commercial clients we offer process redesign, organizing and/or development of filing systems, space management and assistance with client events. Our goal is to help homeowners live in an uncluttered, relaxed and stress-free.
The agri-food sector as a key economic driver for Eastern Ontario. Through consultation with stakeholders in the astern Ontario food ecosystem, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is valuating the feasibility of developing a food terminal in Peterborough County. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) has identified the agri-food sector as a key driver to not only Peterborough County’s economy, but for the Eastern Ontario region as well.
PKED is currently evaluating the feasibility of developing a food aggregation/distribution centre in Peterborough County. The feasibility and business case study will assess the need to establish a wholesale marketplace that will facilitate the aggregation, storage, and distribution of locally produced food to wholesale buyers in the Eastern Ontario region.
“It is important that we hear from key leaders throughout this region to understand the opportunities and risks associated with our goal to expand the local food ecosystem,” says Gabi Dragomir, PKED’s Rural Economic Development Officer. “We are excited to invite key agriculture stakeholders and community members to help shape our region’s future food industry opportunities.”
The first part in this process will involve gathering opinions, ideas, and visions through focus group discussions from food producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, educational institutions, and other stakeholders involved in the Eastern Ontario food ecosystem.
To support the information gathering process, PKED is inviting these stakeholders to participate in one of our three 90-minute focus group sessions to ensure that their voice and insights have a meaningful impact.
Then, to assist with the feasibility evaluation, PKED will survey food producers/processors, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers that are operating in Eastern Ontario. The information obtained in the survey will help to assess demand, evaluate the volumes and types of food produced and distributed within the region, and identify gaps and opportunities.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, or would like more information about the nature of this initiative please contact Gabi Dragomir, Rural Economic Development Officer for PKED at gdragomir@peterboroughed.ca or 705-743-0777 ext 2160.
Building PTBO: Future Workforce event
Some of Peterborough & the Kawarthas’ largest employers were in attendance for “Building PTBO: Future Workforce” at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough on December 6, 2019. (Photo: Alyssa Cymbalista)
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) recognizes the importance of building our region’s future workforce.
To help facilitate that growth, PKED (in partnership with the Kawartha Manufacturing Association) held the “Building PTBO: Future Workforce” event at the VentureNorth building in downtown Peterborough on Friday, December 6th.
Several local businesses came out to meet with some of the post-secondary educational institutions in Ontario that will guide and direct those that will lead the future of work.
Many of the City and County of Peterborough’s biggest employers were in attendance, including the Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Quaker, Siemens Milltronics Process Instruments Inc, AON, and Savage Arms, among many more.
“It was a great event and we were able to directly connect our future workforce with our current employers,” says Steven Tripp, Business Retention & Expansion Officer for PKED.
“When you talk about building a talent pipeline, you don’t have to restrict yourself to one region, which is why we invited post-secondary institutions from across Ontario,” he adds.
— Peterborough Economic Development (@PtboEcDev) December 9, 2019
PKED connected business owners and human resource representatives with Fleming College, Trent University, and the University of Waterloo to discuss the benefits of experiential learning, co-ops, internships, and new graduates.
“Local businesses can benefit from gaining a new and unique perspective that comes with hiring a student,” Tripp explains. “The students benefit from gaining real-life work experience that will help guide them in designating a career path that suits their values and lifestyle.”
“The wage subsidies and tax credits the government offers are just another added bonus. I think the businesses found real value being able to directly connect and speak with the post-secondary educational representatives.”
For more information on events and how to connect with post-secondary educational institutions, please reach out by e-mailing Steven Tripp, Business Retention & Expansion Officer for PKED, at stripp@peterboroughed.ca or call him at 705-743-0777 ext 2123.
Lindsay lawyer Chantel Lawton has been practicing for almost 18 years, primarily in the area of family law. The focus of her practice is in the area of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and collaborative process. She supports her clients each step of the way, as they work through the important issues of custody, access, income sharing or support, and property division. (Supplied photo)
After years litigating matters and watching clients be stressed and frustrated by the legal process, Lindsay lawyer Chantel Lawton decided to change her focus so she could offer support in a different way.
Her evolution of change started in 2012 when she trained in collaborative process. After hours of study and learning, she is now also an accredited mediator — using a whole new approach when it comes to helping clients navigate the challenges of relationship break-ups.
Chantel is accredited through the Ontario Association of Family Mediators (OAFM). OAFM requires the completion of several hours of course attendance in person to learn mediation skills and, in addition to this, Chantel completed 100 hours of an internship with experienced mediators to provide hands-on training.
She now uses every bit of that learning to support her clients during a difficult time in their lives.
Mediation starts with an intake where Chantel meets with both parties to make sure the process is going to benefit their situation. Then the work begins to move both parties out of what can be an uncomfortable limbo that starts when couples decide to split, but don’t know what steps to take next.
“This can be the difficult part,” Chantel says. “A couple might have decided to separate, but they are still living in the same house and don’t know what’s next. This is often where we start.”
Chantel explains that mediation is about helping both parties understand where the other person is coming from and their goals.
“I don’t decide anything,” she says. “I’m focusing on what’s important to both parties and finding consensus. People feel heard more because we’re taking the time to understand and listen. Litigation does not always provide that time.”
What litigation can do is keep both sides stuck in a position, without conversation, with lawyers going back and forth between the couple and judges making decisions that may or may not fit each unique situation.
It can be a long, slow process that can makes a tough situation even tougher for regular people who just want to figure out what happens next with newly changing relationships.
Through the mediation process, Chantel works with both parties to develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that can cover anything from living arrangements and financial responsibilities to parenting roles.
Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public Chantel Lawton, is accredited through the Ontario Association of Family Mediators. (Supplied photo)
Once the draft is ready, her clients take the MOU for a review by their own lawyers — because when she’s acting as a mediator, Chantel is not representing either client as a lawyer.
She likes the process because it’s faster than litigation and can help build relationships through listening and understanding.
“Mediation teaches us to not get stuck in the battle,” Chantel explains.
While Chantel admits that mediation is not always the best way forward for everyone, she also recommends the collaborative process when she thinks it would be more suitable for the separating family. In these cases, Chantel only supports one client and joins other specially trained lawyers to help to resolve the situation.
“Collaborative process looks and feels different than litigation, because lawyers trained in collaborative process focus on resolutions rather than on advocating positions,” she says. “We provide legal advice and information, but our goal is to help the family have a resolution.”
The collaborative process can also include professionals such as financial professionals who help give the family financial advice and planning, and family professionals who provide communication support, help with managing emotions, and assist with parenting supports — all in a neutral way.
“We’re focused on providing support and creating workable solutions,” Chantel says. “At the end of the process, we have a separation agreement for all to sign together.”
Chantel recalls she was moved when seeing her child clients, through her work with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer in the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, get stuck in their parents’ court battles for long periods of time. She was convinced there were better ways to deal with family matters.
“You know your family best,” she says. “Courts make people be on guard and they don’t help mend, build trust, or encourage communication.”
Chantel agrees that stress and challenging emotional times may make people behave badly but, through collaborative process or mediation, she believes that there are better ways to resolve disputes.
“You can’t make good decisions when you’re in a highly emotional state,” she notes. “But with the right supports and in an environment focused on resolution, such as the collaborative process or mediation, you can. Mediation and collaborative process can be a better process for your family in the long term.”
Chantel’s goal to make sure that families are okay when they move through difficult change is supported by her own commitment to self-care.
She makes time in her busy schedule to support and nurture herself through her love of music and a strong connection to her family, including spending quality time with her standard poodle, Kaya. She also plays the clarinet with the Kawartha Lakes Concert Band and says it is a great stress reliever — which keeps her prepared to provide support for those she guides through mediation or collaborative law processes.
Chantel M. Lawton, Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public, is located at 189 Kent Street West (Kent Place Mall), Suite 200, in Lindsay. You can contact her office at 705-878-9949 or info@chantellawton.com. You can also connect with Chantel on LinkedIn and Facebook.
This story was created in partnership with Chantel M. Lawton.
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