A member of Peterborough Fire Services takes photos following a fire that occurred around 4:52 a.m. on April 30, 2019 at 72 Hunter Street East in Peterborough's East City. One person is in a Toronto hospital with serious injuries following the fire, which the Ontario Fire Marshal and Peterborough Police Services are investigating. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Peterborough police have determined a fire early on Tuesday morning (April 30) that seriously injured the occupant of an East City apartment is not suspicious in nature.
Emergency services were called at around 4:52 a.m. on Tuesday to respond to a fire in a second-floor apartment above Sparrows Hair Studio at 72 Hunter Street East, adjoining the Peterborough Examiner’s building.
Police, fire services, and EMS attended. Fire crews evacuated all of the occupants of the multi-unit residence, rescuing one person from the unit involved in the fire. The person was treated on scene, taken to a local hospital, and then transported by Ornge air ambulance to a Toronto hospital with serious injuries.
Some of the damage following a fire that occurred around 4:52 a.m. on April 30, 2019 at a second floor apartment at 72 Hunter Street East in Peterborough’s East City. An occupant of the apartment was initially taken to a local hospital, and was then flown to a Toronto hospital where they remain with serious injuries. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
The fire was quickly brought under control and damages were contained to the second-floor unit where the fire occurred.
Police had closed off a small section of Hunter Street East with police tape and barriers until around 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Initially, police were assisting the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal with an investigation into the fire. Now that police have deemed the fire to be non-suspicious, they are no longer involved with the investigation.
Police and fire services on the scene of a fire at 72 Hunter Street East in Peterborough on April 30, 2019. A portion of Hunter Street West was closed for seven hours following the fire. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada's first female astronaut, has created and donated a paddle (second from left) for the Campfires & Cocktails fundraiser, which takes place at The Canadian Canoe Museum on May 4, 2019. Also pictured are paddles created (from left to right) by Robert Atyeo, Tia Cavanagh, Randall Knott, and Robyn Jenkins. A total of 14 paddles, as well as cedar-strip canoe constructed by the late Lakefield boat builder Walter Walker, will be auctioned off during the event, with proceeds supporting the museum's educational and public programs. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
Imagine owning a one-of-a-kind canoe paddle created by Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut. Or one by Canadian television’s power couple Peter Mansbridge and Cynthia Dale. Or several by talented local artists including Peer Christensen, John Climenhage, Tia Cavanagh, and Joe Stable.
The Canadian Canoe Museum presents Campfires & Cocktails
When: Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. Where: The Canadian Canoe Museum (910 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough) How much: $75 per person
Featuring local campfire-inspired cuisine and a signature cocktail, live music by the Dixie Hicks (Melissa Payne, Kate Suhr, and Kate Brioux), a live auction with paddles painted by local artisans and Canadian celebrities, door prizes, a chance to bid on a cedar-strip canoe made by Walter Walker, and more. Proceeds will support the museum’s educational and public programs. Limited tickets available online at canoemuseum.ca/campfires-cocktails/.
Or how about a cedar-strip canoe hand-crafted by the late Walter Walker, who once built a canoe for Prince Andrew?
You will have a chance to bid on all these items during a live auction at The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Campfires & Cocktails fundraiser, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4th at The Canadian Canoe Museum (910 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough).
Attendees are encouraged to wear flannel to the casual evening event, which will raise funds for the museum’s educational and public programs.
In addition to the live auction of the paddles and the canoe, your $75 ticket includes campfire-inspired cuisine prepared by local culinary experts, along with a signature cocktail. While browsing the museum’s galleries, you can also enjoy the country-folk-pop music of the Dixie Hicks, featuring local musicians Kate Brioux, Melissa Payne, and Kate Suhr.
Musicians Kate Suhr and Melissa Payne performing at The Canadian Canoe Museum on March 5, 2019 during the announcement of the Campfires & Cocktails event. Suhr and Payne, along with musician Kate Brioux, will perform as the Dixie Hicks at the fundraiser, which takes place at the museum on May 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
The Campfires & Cocktails fundraiser has been organized by a group of 10 community volunteers, including Jane Ulrich, who were inspired by the educational outreach work of the museum.
“My very first visit to The Canadian Canoe Museum was nothing short of jaw dropping,” Ulrich says. “Seeing first-hand this world-class collection and learning how to make a canoe is what first inspired me.”
“Then, when I realized how the museum reaches students locally, regionally and around the world, I was further impressed. As an organizing committee, we are inviting community members to join us in supporting this award-winning educational programming, as the museum prepares for its move to the water’s edge.”
The 16-foot cedar-strip canoe constructed by renowned Lakefield boat-builder Walter Walker, along with a pair of hand-carved cherry paddles, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at the Campfires & Cocktails fundraiser at The Canadian Canoe Museum on May 4, 2019. Bids by proxy will also be accepted until May 3rd. (Photo courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
In support of the museum, 14 distinguished Canadians and local artists have donated one-of-a-kind paddles for the fundraiser, which will be auctioned off by special guest Susan Dunkley.
The paddles were created by Dr. Roberta Bondar, Peter Mansbridge and Cynthia Dale, Robert Atyeo, Tia Cavanagh, John Climenhage, Peer Christensen, Beth Fisher, Jeannie Guillet, David Hickey, Robyn Jenkins, Jenny Kastner, Randall Knott, Renee O’Connor, and Joe Stable.
“Each of the individuals who created a paddle did so with great care and consideration and they’re exquisite works of art,” says the museum’s annual giving coordinator Caroline Anderson.
“Dr. Bondar’s paddle features one of her photographs, while Peter Mansbridge and Cynthia Dale painted a striking sunset sky. Meanwhile, Tia Cavanagh, a multi-disciplinary Indigenous artist, painted the full paddle with a white design on a black background to represent stars in the night sky.”
“We saw so much creativity from those we approached and some, like David Hickey and Randall Knott, even decided to do carvings on their paddles. The museum is so grateful for these incredible contributions.”
Also featured at the live auction is a 16-foot cedar-strip canoe built by the renowned Walter Walker.
Walker, who died in 2009 just a few weeks shy of his 102nd birthday, was a boat builder who lived most of his life in Lakefield. Born in Ancaster, he moved to Lakefield when he was 24 years old after his father became the minister at Lakefield Baptist Church. Following employment as a woodworker at a furniture company, he worked for Lakefield Canoe Company and built cedar-strip sail boats for Sail-Craft Co. in Lakefield.
Walker then worked for 20 years at the Peterborough Canoe Company and, when it closed in 1961, he became production manager for RILCO Industries Limited in Lakefield, best known for its cedar-strip outboard boats. When RILCO closed in 1968, he built and repaired canoes at Peel Marine in Lakefield until he retired in 1986. After his retirement, he continued building canoes in the basement of his home in Lakefield.
A 17-year-old Prince Andrew (left) receiving his handmade cedar-strip canoe from 70-year-old master builder Walter Walker (centre) in Lakefield on June 15, 1977. On the right is Terry Guest, headmaster of Lakefield College School which Prince Andrew attended from January to June in 1977. Prince Andrew donated the canoe to The Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection in 2004. (Photo: Michael Peake)
In 1977, the Village of Lakefield asked Walker to build a cedar-strip canoe for Prince Andrew, an avid canoeist who was graduating from Lakefield College School. The Prince and Terry Guest, headmaster of Lakefield College School at the time, then took the canoe on a trip on the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories.
In 2004, Prince Andrew donated the canoe, along with two others made in the Peterborough area for the Royal Family, to The Canadian Canoe Museum where it remains to this day.
Walker’s classic canoe, donated to the museum by supporter and volunteer Nan Campbell, includes a pair of hand-carved cherry paddles — all valued at $7,500. If you can’t make it to the live auction, the museum is also accepting bids by proxy until 1 p.m. on Friday, May 3rd.
The Campfires & Cocktails fundraiser on May 4, 2019 has been organized by a group of 10 community volunteers who were inspired by the educational outreach work of the museum. (Graphic courtesy of The Canadian Canoe Museum)
As noted, proceeds from Campfires & Cocktails will support The Canadian Canoe Museum’s educational and public programs. The museum offers more than 20 hands-on experiential education programs for students and youth groups from kindergarten through to university and college by day and overnight.
In 2018, almost 5,250 students visited the museum in person, while more than 3,000 from eight countries visited via virtual field trip. Field trips are guided by educators offering curriculum-connected programming in both French and English.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of the Kawarthas, for significant rainfall all day and overnight on Wednesday (May 1).
A low pressure system from Texas will track across southern Ontario on Wednesday and Wednesday night. Total rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 mm are forecast.
Rain may be mixed with ice pellets or freezing rain along the Ottawa Valley, which will result in reduced rainfall amounts in those areas.
The rain will begin early on Wednesday morning and end early on Thursday morning.
As the ground has limited ability to absorb further rainfall, the rain may increase the risk of flooding.
Flood messaging is in effect for much of central and eastern Ontario. For information concerning flooding, please consult your local Conservation Authority or Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry District Office.
Members of the Jacobs family in front of their new home at 76 Quinquish Road in Curve Lake on April 28, 2019. The home was made possible through a partnership between Curve Lake First Nation and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region. (Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region)
The Jacobs family is now the proud owner of a new home, courtesy of a partnership between Curve Lake First Nation and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region.
On Sunday (April 28), Tanya and Duane Jacobs, along with their four children and one grandchild, received the keys to their new detached home at 76 Quinquish Road at Curve Lake Lake Nation, an Anishinaabe community located approximately 25 kilometres northeast of Peterborough. The dedication ceremony was attended by around 80 people.
“To our family, a Habitat home means we can finally see our dreams coming true,” Tanya said. “We can say this is our home and be proud of it.”
Prior to taking ownership of their new Habitat home, the Jacobs family had been renting a small three-bedroom home with one bathroom in Curve Lake. The rental home needed new windows and doors, a new roof, and other necessary repairs.
This is the first Habitat home built at Curve Lake Lake Nation as part of the ‘Maawandoonan – Coming Together in Partnership’ project (maawandoonan is the Anishinaabe word for ‘bring together’). The partnership is providing two lower income indigenous families with single detached homes built on two lots provided by Curve Lake First Nation.
The Jacobs family receiving the keys to their new home from Curve Lake First Nation Chief Phyllis Williams and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region during a dedication ceremony at Curve Lake First Nation on April 28, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region)
“This is the first indigenous housing partnership for Habitat Peterborough and Kawartha Region,” said the organization’s CEO Sarah Burke. “It marks a truly meaningful opportunity for both partners to impact the lives of lower income families living on traditional territory.”
As indigenous peoples have a deep spiritual and cultural connection to their land, building homes in an indigenous community must be undertaken with the support of the community. However, the same criteria apply for any family applying for a Habitat home: they must have a need for affordable housing, a willingness to partner, and demonstrate the ability to repay an interest-free mortgage geared to income.
The Jacobs family decided to partner with Habitat because they had been faced with many challenges when it came to obtaining a mortgage and buying a home on Curve Lake First Nation.
Tanya and Duane Jacobs of Curve Lake First Nation with their four children and their grandchild. Prior to receiving their Habitat home, the family has been living in a small rental home that needed repairs. To qualify for a Habitat home, the family had to demonstrate the ability to repay an interest-free mortgage geared to income and invest 500 hours of sweat equity by providing volunteer service. (Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region)
As well as meeting the criteria for a home, the family also put in the mandatory minimum 500 hours of sweat equity by providing volunteer service on the build site, at the ReStore, and through other Habitat initiatives.
The Jacobs children are excited to have their own bedrooms and are looking forward to many sleepovers with their cousins and friends.
“This Habitat home means happiness,” Tanya says. “A place we can feel comfort, a place we can relax.”
Construction of the second home of the Maawandoonan project has already begun, and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region are currently recruiting volunteers.
For more information about Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region, or to volunteer or to donate, visit habitatpeterborough.ca.
The six finalists of the 2019 Bears' Lair entrepreneurial competition (Transit One, AVROD, Alexander Optical, Electric Juice Factory, Emily Mae's Cookies & Sweets, and PedalBoro) are competing for two cash prizes at the final pitch event on April 30th at The Venue in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
This week’s round-up of regional business news includes the Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition final pitch event on Tuesday night at The Venue in downtown Peterborough, Community Futures Peterborough’s ignite100 competition semi-final live pitch event on Thursday night at the Fleming College Trade & Technology Building in Peterborough, the Canadian Canoe Museum welcoming two new board members at its 2019 annual general meeting held last week, the City of Peterborough receiving $1.4 million from OLG for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough, and a summary of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s 2019 annual general meeting held last week.
Every week, our managing editor collects business-related news and events from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
Also featured this week are Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakeland Muskoka’s 2019 Business Hall of Fame, Induction Ceremony, and Culinary Showcase on May 23rd, Peterborough business owner Shelby Watt helping a 13-year-old cancer patient find a dress for her Grade 8 graduation, Little Britain entrepreneurs Michael Bryant and Pauline Kiely launching a free rural transit service in Kawartha Lakes, and Cottage Toys celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019.
New regional events added this week include Peterborough Airport manager Lisa Davidson speaking at the Rotary Club of Peterborough meeting on April 29th, the “Launch Your Side Hustle” workshop with serial entrepreneur Nevin Buconjic on May 1st in Cobourg, and the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast Club featuring County Warden Liz Danielsen on May 7th.
Six local entrepreneurs will make their final pitch for a cash prize at Bears’ Lair entrepreneurial competition
The 2019 Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is hosting its final pitch event on Tuesday, April 30th at The Venue (268 George St. N., Peterborough). Doors open at 6 p.m., with the event set to begin at 6:30 p.m.
Before a live audience, six finalists in two categories will pitch their businesses to three judges: Teresa Kruze (partner at skin care and wellness company Neora, and former broadcaster, TV producer, best-selling author, and community activist), Steve Reble, owner of natural food wrap company ETEE (Everything Touches Everything Else), and Brenda Hogan (senior investment manager at Ontario Capital Growth Corporation).
The three finalists in the Innovation category are:
Transit One – Husayn Dharshi founded Transit One to promote public transit by providing information to riders and to connect businesses and organizations with transit riders.
AVROD – Trent University student Jeremy Brooks created the Archaeological Virtual Reality Online Database (AVROD) to advance the way archaeologists work and learn, for which he won the 2018 Cubs’ Lair entrepreneurial competition.
Alexander Optical – Dylan Trepanier created Alexander Optical to organize pop-up clinics with eye care professionals on site to perform comprehensive eye exams, to find eye wear solutions, and to provide an option for people to finance their eye care, for which he won the 2019 Slingshot program pitch challenge.
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The three finalists in the Goods and Services category:
Electric Juice Factory – Based in Port Hope with a retail location in downtown Peterborough, Cheryl Gould and Will Harvey founded Electric Juice Factory to manufacturer organic, raw, cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies.
Emily Mae’s Cookies & Sweets – In her home-based business, owner Jen Wight specializes in creating decorated and personalized sugar cookies.
PedalBoro – Hillary Flood and Pete Rellinger’s multi-passenger bike tour company provides an eco-friendly transportation alternative for exploring pubs and restaurants in downtown Peterborough.
By the end of the evening, one winner in each category will be selected to win a cash prize.
Community Futures Peterborough hosts ignite100 competition semi-final live pitch night on May 2
Community Futures Peterborough is hosting the ignite100 competition semi-final live pitch night from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2nd at the Fleming College Trade & Technology Building (599 Brealey Dr., Peterborough).
ignite100 is an innovation challenge where existing business in the Peterborough region compete for significant funding opportunities that support business expansion and growth.
Eight semi-finalists will pitch their business idea in front of a live audience to a panel of judges: Joanathan Bennett of Laridae, Jeff Taylor of Baker Tily, Stuart Harrison of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, Raymond Yip Choy of Fleming College, and Sally Harding of Nightingale.
The eight semi-finalists are Iron Equipment Ltd., Cottage Toys, Cambium Inc., Percheron Plastic Inc., ATL Distributing, Treewell Limited, Goodwin Metal Products Limited, and Keene Trucks.
Each semi-finalist will have five minutes to present their idea, followed by a five to 10 minute Q&A. By the end of the evening, the panel will select three finalists.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development held its 2019 annual general meeting
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development held its 2019 annual general meeting on April 25th at Showplace Performance Centre. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Representatives of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) shared some of the economic development organization’s 2018 achievements at its annual general meeting, held last Thursday (April 25) in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough.
The event included updates from Dana Empey, chair of PKED’s board of directors, and from PKED president and CEO Rhonda Keenan. ‘Advancing Prosperity’ was PKED’s mandate for 2018, and the organization demonstrated how it did that through its support of six key sectors: agriculture and rural development, aerospace, small business, advanced manufacturing, cleantech, and tourism.
Economic development industry thought-leader Eric Canada was the keynote speaker at the event.
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City of Peterborough has received $1,448,903 from OLG for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has issued a fourth-quarter payment of $743,297 payment to the City of Peterborough for hosting Shorelines Casino Peterborough.
The payment for non-tax gaming revenue, for the period January 1st to March 31st, brings the total payment to $1,448,903 since the casino opened in October 2018.
OLG shares revenues with host municipalities to help them invest in local priorities, including community services and infrastructure.
The Canadian Canoe Museum welcomes two new board members at its 2019 annual general meeting
Freshwater protection activist Meredith Brown and paddler and outdoor enthusiast Brian Groves have joined the board of The Canadian Canoe Museum. (Supplied photos)
The Canadian Canoe Museum held its annual general meeting last Wednesday (April 24) and welcomed two new board members to the organization: Meredith Brown and Brian Groves.
Brown, a champion for freshwater protection, is widely known throughout the vast Ottawa River Watershed as the founding Riverkeeper and former leader of the charitable organization Ottawa Riverkeeper, a licensed member of Waterkeeper Alliance.
She holds degrees in biology, environmental engineering, and resource and environmental management. She is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and was awarded the Nature Inspiration Award from the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Groves is an avid paddler and outdoor enthusiast originally from Temagami who now lives in Whitehorse in Yukon. He is a graduate of both Trent University and Fleming College and had his first job in the museum sector welcoming visitors to the Kanawa Canoe Museum – Temagami Collection.
He has been working in the museum and heritage sector for close to 20 years, and is currently Manager, Museums and Heritage for the Department of Tourism and Culture, Government of Yukon.
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At the annual general meeting, Canadian Canoe Museum executive director Carolyn Hyslop and board chair John Ronson shared the museum’s work in support of its four strategic directions and the museum’s 2018 Year In Review.
Ronson also provided an update on the architectural design and the exhibit design for the new museum, and told attendees that the museum is working to complete components of the planning process over the next six months.
Robin Binèsi Cavanagh, the museum’s director of Indigenous peoples collaborative relations provided an overview of how the organization is working to broaden and deepen reciprocal relations with First Peoples, Métis, and Inuit.
Tickets on sale for Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakeland Muskoka’s 2019 Business Hall of Fame, Induction Ceremony, and Culinary Showcase on May 23
Attendees at the 2018 Business Hall of Fame event enjoying food and beverages supplied by Peterborough restaurants. Food vendors at this year’s Culinary Showcase include Amuse Café, BE Catering, Central Smith Creamery, Curry Village, Electric City Bread Company, Fresh Dreams, Imperial Tandoor, La Mesita Restaurante, SKH Events and Catering Company, and more. Tickets are now available for the 2019 Business Hall of Fame, Induction Ceremony, and Culinary Showcase, which takes place on May 23rd at The Venue in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Heather Doughty)
Tickets are now available for Junior Achievement Peterborough Lakeland Muskoka’s 2019 Business Hall of Fame, Induction Ceremony, and Culinary Showcase, which takes place the evening of Thursday, May 23rd at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.
The fundraising event recognizes local entrepreneurs for their contribution to the community, as well as the role they play in modelling entrepreneurial and business acumen for youth.
The 2019 Business Hall of Fame inductees include John Gillis (Measuremax), Michael Konopaski (Inclusive Advisory), Dr. Ramesh Makhiji (R and R Laboratories), Janet McLeod (East City Flower Shop), Dave Smith (DNS Realty), Dana Empey & Scott Stewart (Carlson Wagonlit Stewart Travel), Glenn Stuart (Kawartha TV & Stereo), Mike and Shelby Watt (Flavour Fashion, S.O.S. and Providence), Robert Winslow (4th Line Theatre), and Scott Wood (Ashburnham Ale House).
In addition to celebrating these esteemed members of the business community, attendees will enjoy food and drink from local food vendors as part of the Culinary Showcase. The food vendors at this year’s event include Amuse Café, BE Catering, Central Smith Creamery, Curry Village, Electric City Bread Company, Fresh Dreams, Imperial Tandoor, La Mesita Restaurante, SKH Events and Catering Company, and more.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23rd at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-876-0008). Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased online at eventbrite.ca or in person at the JA-PLM office (270 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-748-0024).
Peterborough business owner helps 13-year-old cancer patient find a dress for her Grade 8 graduation
Save Our Soles owner Shelby Watt, helps 13-year-old Kristey, a cancer patient at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, try on a dress. (Photo: Peterborough Regional Health Centre / @prhc1 Instagram)
Shelby Watt, owner of women’s clothing retailer Save Our Soles in downtown Peterborough, donated her time along with some of her products last Tuesday (April 23) to help a teenage cancer patient at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
When staff at PRHC’s Pediatric Outpatient Clinic found out that 13-year-old Kristey’s chemotherapy treatments meant she was unable to shop for a dress for her Grade 8 graduation, they contacted Watt to see if she could help. Not only did Watt immediately visit PRHC with a selection of dresses for Kristey to try on, she also donated a dress — along with a pair of matching shoes — to Kristey.
Little Britain entrepreneurs launch free rural transit service in Kawartha Lakes on Tuesday
The White Lightning Shopping Bus in Fenelon Falls during a test run in the summer of 2018. Bus owners Michael Bryant and Pauline Kiely are launching regular routes every Tuesday beginning April 30, 2019. (Photo: Danielle VanGennip)
Michael Bryant and Pauline Kiely of Little Britain are launching a free rural transit service in Kawartha Lakes on Tuesday (April 30).
Every Tuesday morning and afternoon, a 20-passenger shuttle bus will make stops in Lindsay, Woodville, Oakwood, Little Britain, Cameron, Long Beach, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Dunsford, and Omemee. The White Lightning Shopping Bus is fully accessible with professional drivers and features air conditioning, stereo music, and complimentary snacks.
White Lightning Bus Tours is the latest business venture of Bryant and Kiely, who also own Dromoland Orchard & Stables and Town Trolley, a chartered trolley bus tour service.
The weekly shopping bus is a community-led service, supported by local businesses and residents, and is not associated with any municipality.
Pauline Kiely and Michael Bryant. (Photo courtesy of Michael Bryant)
The concept of a shopping shuttle is supported by the Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Lindsay Chambers of Commerce. The first official sponsor of the shuttle is Miskin Law of Peterborough, which will use the bus for advertising.
For up-to-date schedules, including pick-up and drop-off points, visit whitelightningbus.tours.
Cottage Toys celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019
Donna Rork, founder and owner of Cottage Toys, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019. (Photo: Cottage Toys / Facebook)
Local water sports and surf lifestyle retailer Cottage Toys is celebrating its 30th anniversary this yaer.
Donna Rork, a former windsurf instructor, founded the business in 1989. It now has locations in Peterborough, Lakefield, and Stoney Lake, as well as an e-commerce website.
Cottage Toys is one of the eight semi-finalists in Community Futures Peterborough’s ignite100 competition, and will be participating in the live pitch night on Thursday, May 2nd at the Fleming College Trade & Technology Building in Peterborough.
Peterborough Airport manager Lisa Davidson speaks at Rotary Club of Peterborough meeting on April 29
Lisa Davidson of The Loomex Group and Peterborough Airport. (Photo: The Loomex Group)
The Rotary Club of Peterborough is holding its next meeting from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, April 29th at Holiday Inn Peterborough-Waterfront (150 George St. N., Peterborough).
Lisa Davidson, director of airports at The Loomex Group and manager of the Peterborough Airport, is the guest speaker.
Rotarians and guests will enjoy a buffet lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., followed by Rotary business at 12:15 p.m. and the guest speaker at 12:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Rotary Club of Peterborough program chair Jay Amer at 705-755-1141.
Deadline for nominations for Kawartha Chamber 2019 Business Awards of Excellence is April 30
The deadline for nominations for the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s 20th annual Business Awards of Excellence is Tuesday, April 30th. The nomination period for this year’s awards has moved from the fall to the spring.
Any business, individual, or organization within Peterborough County or the City of Peterborough can be nominated in one of 10 categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Professional, Outstanding Business Achievement, Commercial Development or Renovation, Customer Service Excellence, Entrepreneur Innovation, Not-For-Profit Excellence, Retailer of the Year, Service Sector Excellence, and Tourism/Hospitality. The awards will be presented at a gala event on October 10, 2019.
“Launch Your Side Hustle” workshop with serial entrepreneur Nevin Buconjic on May 1 in Cobourg
The Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland, Northumberland CFDC, and Venture13 are hosting “Launch Your Side Hustle” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1st at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
Award-winning serial entrepreneur Nevin Buconjic, founder of StartUP Sault Ste. Marie and author of Starting Your Own Business: An Entrepreneur’s Guide and 25 Money-Making Businesses You Can Start in Your Spare Time, will teach you how you can turn your passion or hobby into a business. He will take you through the steps of identifying a business idea to launching your business in less than a month.
Haliburton Highlands Chamber hosts Breakfast Club featuring County Warden Liz Danielsen on May 7
The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is hosting The Breakfast Club from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7th at Sandy Lane Resort (17592 Highway 35, Algonquin Highlands).
Liz Danielsen, Haliburton County Warden and Deputy Mayor of Algonquin Highlands, is the guest speaker.
Tickets are $30 for Chamber members and $35 for non-members.
Sold out – Inclusive Advisory hosts “Conscious Shift” workshops on May 10 in Peterborough
Inclusive Advisory, a multidisciplinary firm practising accounting, law, and wealth management with offices in Peterborough and Port Perry, is hosting a series of workshops called “Conscious Shift” from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10th at The Mount Community Centre (1545 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough).
With the tagline “leadership and management uncensored”, the workshops will feature four speakers sharing their experiences on leadership. Each speaker will give an original 20-minute presentation followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session.
The speakers are: Paul Bennett, owner of Ashburnham Realty; Mike Skinner, president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster; Chief Kelly LaRocca of the Mississaugas of Scucog Island First Nation; and Sacha Lai-Svirk, director of digital health at Outpost379.
The workshops, which promise to “challenge the participants to step outside of their comfort zone” by introducing them “to alternative insights that challenge the status quo in management”, are designed for business owners, executives, managers, and community leaders.
Tickets are $200 each, with $150 from each ticket donated to The Mount Community Centre, Peterborough’s sustainable and inclusive urban village (charitable receipts will be provided).
Kawarthas Northumberland hosting regional ambassador training on May 13 in Peterborough
Kawarthas Northumberland (Regional Tourism Organization 8) is hosting a training session for regional ambassadors from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, May 13th in the boardroom at the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
The half-day course is free to attend and open to all Kawarthas Northumberland tourism operators and tourism businesses.
Space is limited. Register by Wednesday, May 1st by contacting Julie at partner@rto8.com or 705-874-8505 ext. 102.
Kawartha Chamber presents B.O.S.S. cyber security seminar on May 15 in Lakefield
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is hosting its next Business Owners Sharing Solutions (B.O.S.S.) seminar from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15th at Beachwood Resort (3043 Beachwood Dr., Lakefield).
A panel discussion will focus on concerns specific to small business, including as website security, email and telephone scams, and online banking security. Panellists include Detective Sargent Vern Crowley of the OPP Cybercrime Investigations Team, Brendan Quigley of acorn30, and Graeme Barrie of Netmechanics. The panel discussion will be moderated by David Wilson of Let’s Get Digital.
Venture13 celebrates one-year anniversary on May 21 in Cobourg
The VentureZone includes 24-hour secured access, fibre connection and public wifi, as well as web-based booking. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre is celebrating its one-year anniversary from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21st at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
The agenda will include a review of the past year’s accomplishments, the economic impact to date, and Venture13’s future strategy, as well as announcements regarding funding, community partnerships, and innovation in action.
Tech expert and entrepreneur Takara Small will deliver a keynote address about creating and encouraging rural and urban linkages, driving innovation and growth, and creating the exchange and flow of people, investment, and resources.
Following the keynote address, there will be a self-guided tour of the VentureZone where booths and demos will be set up to showcase Venture13’s entrepreneurs and community partners. A community BBQ hosted by the Cobourg Police Service will be taking place just outside of the building, with all proceeds going towards Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre and Rebound Child & Youth Services Northumberland. P
For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.
Comedian Deborah Kimmett explores aging and ageism and explains how to survive ghosting and mansplaining in her latest show "Downward Facing Broad". She performs in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough on June 6, 2019. Musician Kim Pollard will open and provide musical accompaniment throughout the show. (Publicity photo)
On Thursday, June 6th, comedian and writer Deborah Kimmett brings her latest show Downward Facing Broad to Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough.
Deborah Kimmett presents Downward Facing Broad
When: Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough) How much:$29.50SOLD OUT
Written and performed by Deborah Kimmett. Directed by Christian Smith. With special musical guest Kim Pollard. Tickets are available in person at the Showplace box office (290 George St. N., Peterborough), by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at www.showplace.org.
In this comedy show about the eternal battle with aging, Deborah takes on topics ranging from the generation gap, to aging ‘disgracefully’, to living as a modern woman in her sixties.
“People say that sixty is the new forty, but I say ‘Is it?,” Deborah tells me via a telephone interview. “It isn’t, because you don’t hear any forty year olds saying that. Sixty is really sixty. What’s wrong with our wisdom and how we age?”
One of Canada’s favourite comedians, Deborah has been working in comedy for more than 40 years. Fellow comedian Colin Mochrie has described her as “one of the funniest comics out there.”
A former instructor at Second City in Toronto, Deborah has been teaching writing workshops for over a decade, has published three books and numerous plays, and is a regular featured performer on CBC Radio’s long-running program The Debaters.
Always welcomed with a big response when she performs in Peterborough, her brand of comedy is frank but relatable, making her popular with audiences.
Now in her sixties, Deborah is unique by being a woman of her generation still actively working on the comedy circuit.
“There are not very many women at my age still doing comedy,” she says. “But I’m at the age that I don’t care. I’m saying the things that I really want to say and I’m not censoring myself as much.”
VIDEO: An excerpt from Deborah Kimmett’s “Downward Facing Broad”
One of the subjects she talks about in her new show is dealing with ageism, which she had a head-on collision with during the early days of preparing the show.
“I went to a young producer once and I told him about the idea for this show,” Deborah recalls. “He said to me ‘We can’t do any more old curmudgeon humour anymore.’
“In what sector can you say something like this? He’d never say ‘We can’t do any gay humour.’ There is no other sector you can say something like that. So we are supposed to live longer and have more fun, but also be put out to pasture in some way.”
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Another subject about aging that Deborah explores is suddenly becoming what she calls ‘the invisible woman’.
“There is a moment in every woman’s life where you become the invisible woman,” Deborah explains. “I remember this one time when I was in the grocery store and I was balancing about five lemons (in my hands). There were two men, one about 25 and one about 50, and I didn’t want to drop the lemons but they didn’t seem to notice.
“But then this young woman came up and said ‘Do you know where the pots and pans are’ and they tripped over their feet to help her.”
But, according to Deb, there are some benefits to becoming invisible.
“You can take extra samples at Costco, you can steal, you can become a thief.”
Comedian Deborah Kimmett, who recently entered her sixties, has been working in comedy for more than 40 years. As well as being a comedian, she is a writer, actress, and inspirational speaker. (Publicity photo)
Deborah believes that in our modern era, being 60 today isn’t at all what it was like for the women from generations before her.
“As I get older. I look back and recognize the wisdom of my grandmothers and how different it was when they aged. At 60 they were done and worn out, but I’m still supposed to be living forever.
“They had lots of kids, but they also had no role after they got to such an age. If they were lucky, they went to Florida once and then died. Today at sixty, you’re supposed to have a bucket list. I think ‘Do I really need that, on top of everything else?'”
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“The show is also about how older women in my life have meant a lot to me,” Deb adds. “So if I like older women, then why don’t I want to own that quality in myself? Why can’t we own being over sixty?”
Directed by Christian Smith, Downward Facing Broad also features the music of Kingston-based singer Kim Pollard, who will be appearing as Deb’s special guest performing a set prior to the show, as well as providing musical accompaniment throughout the performance.
“Kim is a blues singer who I’ve played with for about ten years,” Deborah says. “She plays off of me, does great music at the beginning, and weaves it throughout the show. It becomes a great evening of comedy and song.”
VIDEO: Kim Pollard performing with her band
Although Downward Facing Broad is about women and aging, Deborah says audiences of all ages and genders have come to her after the show to tell her how they found the material relatable.
That’s what makes Deb’s brand of comedy so appealing. Long established in her career as a comedian, she faces little fear in bringing a blunt sense of wit and wisdom to the audience, which is always devilishly funny.
We see can ourselves and our friends and family members in her observations of life, allowing us to laugh at our own similar experiences and foibles.
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Deborah’s Peterborough shows are always a sell-out, so get your tickets for Downward Facing Broad now. She will be performing on Thursday, June 6th in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $29.25 and are available in person at the Showplace box office (290 George St. N., Peterborough), by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at www.showplace.org.
A "general strike" will take place on May 1, 2019 in cities across Ontario to protest the policies and recent funding cuts announced by the Ford government. The protests have largely been organized using social media. (Graphic: May 1st General Strike Against Ford @StopDoug / Facebook)
Protests against the Ford government’s policies are taking place in at least 26 cities across Ontario this Wednesday (May 1), including Peterborough and Lindsay.
While the protests are being called a “general strike” and are taking place on International Workers’ Day, they aren’t being organized by the labour movement.
Instead, two women — Florence “Flo” O’Connell, who operates a housekeeping business in Toronto, and Dakota “Daxy” Lanktree, a documentary filmmaker from Hamilton — created a Facebook page @StopDoug last Monday (April 22) calling for a general strike against the Ontario government.
“We aren’t outright members of political organizations, but are both caring and political people,” they write on Facebook. “We aren’t members of unions, but both stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters that are. We consider this to be deeply important, and look at it as a beginning of a change.”
Dakota Lanktree of Hamilton and Florence O’Connell of Toronto organized the first protest at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Since then, 18 more protests have been organized across Ontario. (Photos: May 1st General Strike Against Ford @StopDoug / Facebook)
Word spread on Facebook about the first event, to be held at 12 p.m. at Queen’s Park in Toronto, with more than 3,700 people responding that they would be participating and another 15,000 indicating their interest.
Since then, an additional 25 protests have been organized in Cornwall, Gravenhurst, Guelph, Hamilton, Huntsville, Kemptville, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, London, Ottawa, Midland, Mississauga, Orangeville, Oshawa, Perth, Peterborough, Ridgeway, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Trenton, and Windsor.
The Peterborough protest will take place from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1st at Confederation Park in downtown Peterborough.
The Lindsay protest will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 14 Lindsay Street North — the provincial constituency office of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP and Ontario Minister of Labour Laurie Scott.
A “general strike” is being planned in cities across Ontario for May 1, 2019 to protest funding cuts announced by the Ontario government. (Graphic: May 1st General Strike Against Ford @StopDoug / Facebook)
Protesters will be demonstrating against a wide range of policy changes and funding cuts announced by the Ford government, many arising from the 2019 Ontario budget.
These include funding cuts to education, public health programs, public libraries, conservation authorities, autism services, the Ontario Music Fund, and OHIP. They also include environmental cuts such as the elimination of the Environmental Commissioner and Ontario’s 50 Million Trees Program, and changes to the Endangered Species Act that will reduce protections for species at risk.
According to the May 1st General Strike Against Ford page on Facebook:
This event will tell the Ontario government that we, the people of Ontario, are willing to grind this province to a halt to make these ill-informed cuts stop. It will show the unions that the people of Ontario will stand in solidarity with them. It has no other political agenda, outside of stopping the current agenda being played out in Ontario and reminding Doug Ford who he works for.
We encourage the people of Ontario to take an hour on May 1st and not contribute to the work done in Ontario that collectively makes us healthy and wealthy. After that, go back to the ‘business’ of being awesome. It would be a phenomenal thing if you were to spend that hour educating yourself on the power of General Strikes and the power of people acting collectively.
If you want to take that hour standing in solidarity with other good folks, we encourage you to gather in public squares at noon and break bread together (BYObread, or maybe something to share). We are a community, and we are powerful.
Do this with joy, all of our hearts have felt enough distress. Change is needed, and all of the power is in our hands.
This event has been pulled together by two women, Daxy and Flo, (yes those are our real names), who share the common goal of a better Ontario for all. It was not sparked by any politician, nor will it be co-opted by anyone. We are keeping it simple, and ask only for your support of this single idea, and your friendly participation.
Kids enjoying camping at Beavermead Campground in Peterborough. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
While we’ve only had a few nice days so far this spring, camping season is just around the corner.
Otonabee Conservation will be opening the gates at the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area and Campground and Beavermead Campground for the 2019 camping and recreational season on Friday, May 10th.
The two campgrounds offer family-friendly camping in two very different settings, with the Warsaw Caves campground is nestled in the Indian River valley while the Beavermead Campground is located a short walk from Little Lake in the heart of Peterborough.
The Warsaw Caves campground is nestled in the Indian River valley. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
Both campgrounds offer recreational activities such as hiking, swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and — at Warsaw Caves — spelunking.
In 2019, families will enjoy new events and activities — in celebration of Otonabee Conservation’s 60th anniversary — with “Step into Nature ~ Watershed Explorations” including the new watershed map app, photo contest, 60 Fun Things To Do guide, Discovery Days, and more.
Beavermead Campground in Peterborough offers 95 camp sites, most with hydro and water hook-up. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
Otonabee Conservation owns and operates the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area and Campground, which first opened its gates to the public in 1964.
Beavermead Campground is owned by the City of Peterborough and has been operated by Otonabee Conservation since 2013.
Campsite reservation requests can be made online for both campgrounds on Otonabee Conservation’s website at www.otonabeeconservation.com.
Spelunking (cave exploring) is a unique activity available at the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area and Campground. (Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation)
Staff and board members of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough pose with Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Peterborough—Kawartha MP, on April 26, 2019 following an announcement of federal funding.. The organization is one of six women's oroganizations in Ontario that are receiving funding under the Government of Canada's Capacity-building Fund. From left to right: board chair Frances Wilbur, Minister Maryam Monsef, board member Marlis Lindsay, board treasurer Mary Goddard, executive director Debbie Carriere, and board member Emily Rashotte with Clive. (Photo: Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough / Facebook)
The federal government has announced a total of $492,000 for two women’s organizations in the Kawarthas: the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough and Women’s Resources of Kawartha Lakes in Lindsay.
Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Peterborough—Kawartha MP, made the announcement on Friday (April 26) at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough.
The announcement also included funding for Community YWCA of Muskoka in Bracebridge, Huronia Transition Homes in Midland, Luke’s Place Support and Resource Centre for Women and Children in Oshawa, and Couchiching Jubilee House in Orillia.
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These organizations are six of the more than 250 women’s organizations and indigenous organizations serving women across Canada receiving funding under the Government of Canada’s Capacity-building Fund, part of the 2018 federal budget announcing $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women’s movement across Canada.
“With this historic investment, we recognize the women and women’s organizations breaking through barriers and we express our gratitude to those who have been doing this work for decades on little more than a shoestring budget,” Monsef states in a media release. “With this stable and flexible funding, we are helping organizations across Ontario, including in Peterborough–Kawartha, to grow and endure, because we know that investing in women’s organizations is the most effective way to advance gender equality.”
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The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough is receiving $246,000 to develop a community hub for women living with complex trauma. In partnership with the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and Peterborough Community Legal Centre, the charitable organization will build capacity to respond to community issues and incidents of gender-based violence.
“Women who need our support rarely have the financial means to cope with multiple barriers to recovery after incarceration,” says executive director Debbie Carriere. “For some, even the attempt to avoid incarceration can create social and administrative obstacles that form a whole other kind of cage.
“Thanks to the Government of Canada’s new way of funding women’s organizations over a multi-year term, our plan to create a community hub for women with complex trauma can proceed and rely on funding for the life of the project. We are grateful for this chance to build capacity and bring hope to women in Peterborough who need our expertise and assistance.”
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Women’s Resources of Kawartha Lakes is receiving $246,984 to build its capacity for the future. The funding will support ongoing planning and expert analysis, including training staff to incorporate gender-based analysis into all aspects of the organization. This will help the charitable organization advance gender quality by meeting it human resources goals to become more competitive and diverse in both leadership and in program staff.
“The needs of abused women and children have become much more complex and require specialized counselling skills to meet their needs,” says executive director Lori Watson. “We work very hard to maintain our position as a competitive employer attracting well-qualified shelter workers and counsellors.
“This funding will help us to provide the ongoing training and development our staff need to respond effectively to the changing needs of women in our community, and to strengthen our organization and the services we provide for years to come.”
For more information about the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough, visit www.efryptbo.org. For more information about Women’s Resources of Kawartha Lakes, visit womensresources.ca.
Dana Empey, chair of the board of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), in a screenshot from the economic development organization's "2018 year in review" video. Empey was one of the speakers at PKED's annual gneeral meeting, held on April 25, 2019 in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Representatives of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) shared some of the economic development organization’s 2018 achievements at its annual general meeting, held on Thursday (April 25) in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough.
The event included updates from Dana Empey, chair of PKED’s board of directors, and from PKED president and CEO Rhonda Keenan, as well as a keynote address from economic development industry thought-leader Eric Canada.
As the lead regional economic development agency for Peterborough City and County, PKED is pivotal in supporting the local community, according to Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien, who also spoke at the event.
Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones welcomes attendees to the 2019 annual general meeting of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED), held April 25 in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, as PKED board chair Dana Empey looks on. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
“We are united in our goal of making Peterborough a great place to live, work, and play,” Therrien said. “PKED plays a key role in helping our community develop and grow.”
‘Advancing Prosperity’ was PKED’s mandate for 2018, and the organization demonstrated how it did that through its support of six key sectors: agriculture and rural development, aerospace, small business, advanced manufacturing, cleantech, and tourism.
“2018 was an exciting year,” said board chair Dana Empey, who noted that last year more than three million people visited the region and spent over $300 million. She emphasized that the Peterborough area is a great place to visit for what it offers recreationally, but added that it’s also a great place to do business.
VIDEO: 2018 A Year In Review – Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development
As part of a five-year strategic plan, one of PKED’s goals is to create a culture of startups and entrepreneurship within the local community.
“We want to see startups and entrepreneurs thrive and expand, and we offer support through our Business Advisory Centre,” said Empey, pointing out the city and county of Peterborough is the fastest-growing region in Canada. “This region is well-equipped to support businesses with their diverse needs, and our partnerships help us make this a reality.”
Empey’s sentiments were shared by PKED president and CEO Rhonda Keenan, who said the organization continuously works towards developing a high-performing economy for the local community.
“In 2018, businesses were started and expanded, and new businesses were brought into the area,” Keenan explained.
Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien addresses the crowd at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s 2019 annual general meeting in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre on April 25. “PKED plays a key role in helping our community develop and grow.” (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
A prominent theme of the meeting was that industry changes on a day-to-day basis, largely due to advancements in technology.
“Technology is changing how we work, what we buy, how we live, and PKED needs to keep pace with these changes that are happening on a global scale,” said Keenan, noting that a high-performing economy is one that anticipates where business is headed.
As a post-industrial community, Peterborough faces unique industry challenges, according to Keenan. PKED’s focus on aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and cleantech aims to develop a high-tech industry to replace the loss of traditional manufacturing in the area.
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The success of this industry in the local region depends on a strong, skilled workforce, Keenan explained, which is why PKED’s focus for 2019 is on workforce development.
“We want to work with Trent University and Fleming college to show students that Peterborough is a great place to do business,” Keenan said. “There is opportunity for them here and organizations that will support them.”
Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien (right) with Susan Quinlan, tourism partnerships and development officer at Pterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, which held its annual general meeting on April 25, 2019 in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
In addition to workforce development, Keenan said PKED is focused on securing available lands and buildings in the area to ensure new and existing businesses have the space to grow.
Economic development industry thought-leader Eric Canada wrapped up the event with his keynote address, describing how the global business environment is changing and what communities can do to ensure they aren’t left behind.
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According to Canada, forces currently changing the business landscape include new forms of communication, global workers, independent workers, artificial intelligence, and increased speed of production.
Like Empey and Keenan, Canada’s keynote reiterated the importance of anticipating where business is going in order to create meaningful growth in our community for future generations.
“It’s not just about us,” said Canada. “It’s about our children’s children as well.”
Economic development industry thought-leader Eric Canada wrapped up the event with his keynote address, describing how the global business environment is changing and what communities can do to ensure they aren’t left behind. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
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