Every year for the past four decades, Port Hope has welcomed spring by hosting “Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny”, a weird and wacky race down the Ganaraska River.

“We’ve seen this event grow year over year and we are thrilled to be able to bring together the community and visitors from all over the province to participate in this exceptional experience,” says Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson.

During the annual spring event (scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 13th), attendees can enjoy activities, food, music, and, of course, the entertaining Cannonball Run-esque race itself.

VIDEO: Float Your Fanny Down The Ganny (2018)

While the race is a fun celebration of spring, it marks a catastrophic event in Port Hope’s past.

“It pays homage to the great flood of 1980 in such a unique and special way and reminds us of the true community spirit that we enjoy in this municipality,” Mayor Sanderson says

On March 21, 1980, a torrential downpour of rain combined with blocked storm drains and sewers caused the banks of the Ganaraska to spill over into the town of Port Hope. Every bridge on the river was washed out, as well as the board sidewalk and part of Walton Street, damaging buildings, and a child was recorded as having been drowned.

The Port Hope flood was forever recorded in the history books and the commemorative race has become a signature event for Port Hope.

A popular family-friendly event

The Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny Executive Committee anticipates a good turnout for this weekend’s event.

“We’re very much looking forward to another terrific year,” says committee co-chair Barry Adamson. “The wacky costumes and crazy craft designs are more unique and innovative each year, and we are always blown away by the creativity shown by our participants. We can’t wait to see this year’s lineup.”

Spectators are encouraged to line the river banks and cheer on race participants during the exciting, action-packed event. It is recommended that you leave your four-legged family members at home due to all of the people and activity happening during the race.

Fannyville Village and the race

The finish line, located in the Cavan Street Park area at the river’s west bank, will be a hub of activity known as “Fannyville”.

The event village will host food, drink, and merchant vendors, as well as children’s crafts and activities, a live commentary of the race results, and an awards presentation for race finalists. Race attendees will be treated to live on-stage entertainment.

The village will open at 10 a.m. and awards presentations will begin at 1 p.m.

The race is currently scheduled for this Saturday, April 13th. However, the weather will ultimately decide: if the weather is not good, or the river is deemed unsafe to race for any reason, there is an alternate date scheduled for Saturday, April 20th.

As of the date of this story, the weather is looking good for Saturday, with a forecast of sunny skies and a high of 11°C.

For the race, there are two courses. The kayak and canoe race is 14 kilometres, starting at 10 a.m. at the bridge in the Town of Canton and finishing by 11 a.m. at Fannyville in Port Hope. The “Crazy Craft” is 10 kilometres, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Sylvan Glen Conservation Area and finishing up at Fannyville around 12:30 p.m.

An environmentally friendly race

The Ganaraska River is home to a variety of wildlife and fish, including rainbow trout and salmon.

Every fall, the river sees a massive annual salmon migration where the fish travel up the river at the end of their life cycle to spawn in Port Hope. As a result of this important role in the life cycle of both Coho and Chinook salmon, the Ganaraska River’s fish and wildlife habitats are protected by government agencies.

In preparation for this event, the Municipality of Port Hope and the race committee has obtained the support and approval of these agencies to ensure the safety of both fish and wildlife.

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority have all reviewed and approved the plans for the race.

In addition, members of the race committee and volunteer teams spend time after the race to ensure the river is returned to a state better than before they held the event.

Float Ur Funny Comedy Festival

Now in its third year, the “Float Ur Funny” comedy festival is a local event organized by Sean Carthew of Ontario Street Theatre that runs concurrently with the race weekend. On now until April 14th, for just $10 a show, Port Hope has become home to its very own comedy festival.

Demonstrating the “community spirit” noted by Mayor Sanderson, the Ganaraska Hotel at 30 Ontario Street is hosting a very special Float Ur Funny Comedy Festival event on Thursday, April 11th at 7 p.m.. The evening will be dedicated in support of a long-established local business owner who has recently been diagnosed with ALS.

The fundraiser for Oliver “The Stache” Steins, owner of Ganaraska Art and Framing on Walton Street, will showcase 12 comics performing in a “joke or choke” competition.

The audience will participate and decide how long a performer stays up on the stage; the longer they “joke” the more they get paid; if they “choke”, they’ll be booed off of the stage.

In addition, Float Ur Funny Comedy Festival will present ‘Your Hood’s a Joke’ (13 comics roasting each other for laughs) at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 12th at the Ganaraska Hotel, and an all-out no-holds-barred show with eight comics at Ganarascals at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 13th at Ganarascals (53 Walton St., Port Hope).

In the spirit of the race, the comedy festival also aims to be family friendly. On Sunday, April 14th, Ontario Street Theatre and Ganarascals will host “Stand Up For Kids”, a children’s comedy show. The 2 p.m. show is sold out, so a second show has been added at 4 p.m.. Tickets are $10 each, with all proceeds going to a Song, Sounds of the Next Generation, a children’s charity focused on promoting musical education for kids.

Carthew was inspired to create the annual comedy festival by the comedic element of race day. A few years ago, he was struck by how funny the madcap race is and decided to run a comedy fest parallel to the annual race weekend.

“It just seemed to go hand in hand,” Carthew says. “Float Your Fanny is hilarious. What can we do to celebrate that? A comedy festival! I approached Float Your Fanny and they came up with the name Float Ur Funny. As I get more solidified, I hope to work more closely with them — the event is Port Hope’s biggest attraction.”

Loonie fries for a loony race

Comedy isn’t the only way Port Hope locals are getting into the zany spirit of the race.

Olympus Burger has traditionally always offered a little something special for both residents and visitors coming Port Hope for Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny.

On race day this year, you can get an order of french fries at Olympus Burger for just $1 (with the purchase of any burger). Don’t miss out on “loonie fries” during this “loony race”.

The restaurant is conveniently located close to the river at 55 Mill Street. Enjoy a meal at a restaurant that has received some serious accolades, including a feature on the Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here and being voted as Canada’s Best Burger by readers of Canadian Living magazine.

Interested in registering for race day?

It’s not too late to get in on the action yourself! If you’re interested in dressing up in a zany costume and testing your skills navigating the Ganaraska River, grab your canoe, kayak, or crazy craft of choice. If you’d like to register online, you have until Friday, April 12th to get your fanny into the race. Visit www.floatyourfanny.ca for more information.

Of course, you don’t have to participate in the race. You can just head to Port Hope this Saturday to watch the race, cheer on the competitors, and take in some of the related events in Port Hope, including horse-drawn wagon rides along Walton Street, a parking lot party at Local No90 at 90 Mill Street North ($5 adults, $2 youth, free for kids 5 and under), and a Crazy Cookie fundraiser for Oliver Steins at Dreamers Cafe at 2 Queen Street.

Over the six years he has headed the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), executive director Terry Guiel has told everyone and their brother that city residents are passionate about the downtown core — and have plenty to say in regards to its future.

The proof was in the pudding Wednesday night (April 10) at the Peterborough Public Library, as a lively and engaged citizenry participated in the “Shaping Your Downtown” input-gathering event hosted by the Peterborough DBIA. With the organization in the midst of developing a new five-year strategic plan for adoption later this spring, the event was held as part of the ‘homework’ phase of that process.

To that end, visitors made the rounds to four designated stations themed ‘Getting To Know Your DBIA’, ‘What Do You Do Downtown?’, ‘How Do You Feel About Downtown?’, and ‘Opportunities, Challenges and the Future of Downtown’. They wrote their responses to questions grouped under each theme and left them behind as input for the Peterborough DBIA’s strategic plan process.

“We’re only as effective as implementing what our community wants to see,” said Guiel.

“Any organization, like a BIA, is making a mistake if they think they alone know what’s best for their downtown. We believe downtown is for everyone and that’s what we’re trying to do with this session. How can we make your downtown experience better? There are a lot of great ideas out there; people share them with me weekly. This is a great way to capture them, map them out and then have a game plan for the next five to 10 years.”

According to Guiel, a similar event was held in 2014 but it wasn’t “as robust as this one”, in the sense that input gathered this time around will directly help shape the vision as outlined in the pending five-year strategic plan.

Facilitating the process for the DBIA since the beginning of the year has been BIA Solutions, which works closely with Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) across Canada.

“Many BIAs are resource scarce, they are stretched, they have very few staff if any, and yet they have a very big mandate to serve their members and their communities,” said Lyle Shipley, a partner with BIA Solutions.

“When you’re in that situation, you really need to be efficient with how you use your resources. The best way to do that is to start with having a strong strategy that’s informed by consultation with your members and by an understanding of the past and the present as well as the potential future.

“We started here by doing a discovery process where we looked at all the materials and articles and past work that has been done by the (Peterborough DBIA): past issues, past strategies, past business plans — all these different things — and aggregated them into a report.

“The second prong of the process is consultation where we’re reaching out to (Peterborough DBIA) members. This event is the public part of that consultation where we’re reaching out to community members to have constructive conversations about the present and also the future.”

Representing more than 400 businesses, Peterborough DBIA’s mandate is to promote and beautify the downtown core as well as advocate on members’ behalf when matters arise which impact their businesses. In addition, the DBIA annually organizes a number of community events to bring more people downtown, such as Taste of Downtown, Ribfest, and Hootenanny On Hunter.

According to DBIA board chair Paul Bennett, the president of Ashburnham Realty that has developed several downtown properties, his belief that Peterborough’s downtown “is, more than ever, everybody’s downtown” cements his view that Guiel and his staff have done a good job. Still, he said, DBIA members, as one would expect, want more people to come downtown “and that’s what we’re working here to do.”

“I think, for whatever reason, there was an escape from downtown,” Bennett explains. “I don’t think that was just in Peterborough but all across North America. There’s a real need now for community and the idea of creating little boroughs, whether that’s downtown or in East City.”

Both Bennett and Guiel readily admit there are very real challenges, with negative perceptions held by some people who stay away from the downtown core.

“You counter that by listening and that’s why we’re here tonight … to find solutions,” said Bennett.

“This is the first time a real outsourced strategic plan has been done, so we can listen to both our membership and the community as a whole and develop plans to ensure those concerns are addressed and Peterborough’s downtown thrives for a long time.”

For his part, Guiel says the Peterborough DBIA needs “some other people to do the heavy lifting” when it comes to tackling challenges associated with the downtown core.

“I’m not going to solve homelessness and panhandling. What I need is a lot more support from other organizations and government to handle the residual effects of having every single service in one small downtown geographical area.”

“How I combat that is I do as much as I can by filling vacancies with Win This Space, more events like Hootenanny and Pulse and Taste of Downtown. We’re doing everything we can to make downtown fun and lively and animated in a positive way. That’s all I can do and that’s what I’m going to do.”

According to Shipley, it’s important that the pending strategic plan become a living document.

“The last thing you want to do is spend all this time and energy and money making a document that ends up sitting on a shelf collecting dust. We really focus on creating a plan that is actionable and that’s very clear for people to follow and understand.”

Shipley added Peterborough is well served by its DBIA.

“I think they’re really hard on themselves in terms of having issues downtown,” he says. “The city is going through a lot of changes and is trying to grapple with some very significant issues that could change the face of downtown. The DBIA is doing so many things and they’re doing them at a high level.

“They just recently collected an award at the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association Conference in Ottawa (for the Downtown Vibrancy project that saw an unused section of Water Street transformed into green space). Many of the programs and initiatives they’re running are models.

“That’s not to say it’s going to be easy going forward, but having a strong plan that’s informed by a lot of consultation will set them on the right path.”

Don’t let the name fool you: Trent Radio is more than just a local radio station serving Trent University.

Those involved with the radio station are a remarkably diverse group of individuals with a focus on the entire community of Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

In addition to their community focus, anyone spending just a short time at Trent Radio will notice a common theme: an attempt to break down barriers that prevent people from becoming involved in local music and radio.

“Everything we do is about creating a space for people to create the radio they want,” says Jill Staveley, Production Manager and Deputy General Manager of Trent Radio. “It’s about creating a space where all individuals feel welcome and can participate.”

This emphasis on accessibility can be seen in the recent renovations to the Trent Radio building, located at the corner of Parkhill and George in downtown Peterborough. Power-assisted doors and an accessible washroom were installed to ensure that all community members would have a comfortable space in which to operate.

In addition to these careful measures to transform Trent Radio into an accessible space, fostering inclusivity has also been central to the station’s mandate.

“We are producer-focused rather than listener-focused,” Staveley explains. “Our content is not driven by how many listeners we have. It’s about giving a platform to creativity, diversity, and providing a space for people to learn how to produce radio content.”

Content at Trent Radio changes on a seasonal basis and producers are required to re-apply each season, ensuring a variety of content and an equal chance to participate. Seasons run from September to December, January to April, and May to August, and as Staveley explains, you won’t be hearing the same program schedule from one season to the next.

The influence of Trent Radio extends well beyond the physical space at 715 George Street North. In September 2018, Trent Radio received funding from the Community Radio Fund of Canada — the only organization mandated to financially support Campus and Community Radio Stations in Canada — for a project called Community Connections.

With the funding, Trent Radio has been working on two projects that will increase their capacity to dismantle access barriers: delivering remote broadcasts and developing community workshops.

This year, Trent Radio has been hosting monthly broadcasts from locally owned and operated businesses.

“We are trying to support some of the many great local businesses and develop relationships and sponsorship opportunities,” Staveley says. “Most importantly, getting out into the community allows us to connect with people and organizations who might not be able to come to our location. Remote broadcasts help to break down this barrier.”

Up until this point, content featured on Trent Radio has always been produced and broadcast from Trent Radio House. The Community Connections project is an opportunity for Trent Radio to invest in remote broadcasting gear, and produce as many remote broadcasts as possible to gain familiarity with the technology.

On April 15th, Trent Radio will host a full day of Community Connections programming featuring remote broadcasting from Tiny Greens, Ritual Apothecary, and Sam’s Place Deli. This project is part of their four-day Community Radio Marathon & Fundraiser, broadcasting at 92.7 FM from Friday, April 12th to Monday, April 15th. To support Trent Radio, you can donate online at canadahelps.org.

Next month, Trent Radio will be broadcasting live at the Theatre on King (May 1st), at the First Friday Art Crawl (May 3rd), and at Public Energy’s 25th anniversary gala (May 25th).

Trent Radio also regularly organizes and facilitates workshops within the community. To date, these workshops have been created and delivered based on the requesting organization’s particular needs.

Trent Radio is now working to make this process more efficient by developing a regular curriculum of workshops that they can offer to community organizations.

“We’ve been delivering workshops in the community, but without a clear curriculum,” explains Mauricio Interiano, Community Outreach Development Manager at Trent Radio. “We’ve been making workshops up on a case-by-case basis depending on what people ask for. Developing a series of workshops with set curriculum will allow us to provide services to more people, more efficiently.”

The first curriculum model in development is a one-time workshop to support organizations in developing promotional content, and to show these organizations how to use the Trent Radio studio. Among other things, participants will learn how to create and record public service announcements (PSAs) to promote their organization on-air.

The second curriculum model in the works focuses on youth and will offer classroom workshops that develop students’ practical skills with hopes of growing participation in radio by taking the radio to local schools. Trent Radio staff will be running a workshop at Queen Mary Public School in May, where grade 8 students will work to create a live remote broadcast from the school.

A third curriculum model will also use remote broadcasting gear to further the mandate of Trent Radio. This model focuses on identifying individuals or groups with valuable content but who are unable to attend the Trent Radio House to record. For these groups, Trent Radio will make sure the content is heard by bringing the recording gear to them.

One example of this project is the work Trent Radio hopes to achieve by developing a relationship with local long-term care facilities, to visit with residents and record interviews for broadcast.

Beyond the workshops and remote broadcasting events in May, Trent Radio has two other exciting projects on the horizon that continue to demonstrate its commitment to community, inclusion, and accessibility.

“We would like to build a satellite studio,” shares Staveley, explaining that a satellite studio will give those who cannot visit the current studio access and encourage greater participation in radio. Multiple locations are currently being considered for this project.

Finally, Trent Radio recognizes the barrier that English-only content creates in our increasingly diverse community, and are currently working towards developing programs in other languages.

“We are looking to engage with people that can support us to build programming that’s not in English,” explains Staveley. “There are a lot of people in Peterborough who don’t speak English. Broadcasting content for these people will expand our reach and break down another barrier.”

You can visit Trent Radio House on Saturday, May 4th as part of the city-wide Open Doors Peterborough Event. Come for a coffee, a tour of the house, or maybe even join a Trent Radio volunteer live on-air.

For more information on Trent Radio and their upcoming projects, visit www.trentradio.ca, email info@trentradio.ca, or call 705-741-4011.

This story was created in partnership with Trent Radio.

At a gala event on Tuesday evening (April 9) at Personal Touch Banquet Hall in Peterborough, the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN) announced the winner and two finalists of the 2019 Women in Business Award and the winner of the 2019 Judy Heffernan Award.

Trent Valley Honda owner and general manager Monika Carmichael was awarded the 2019 Women in Business Award for demonstrating outstanding female business leadership, with Erin McLean of McLean Berry Farm and Bridget Leslie of My Left Breast as the two finalists.

Kim Appleton — local businesswoman, mentor, and volunteer — received the 2019 Judy Heffernan Award for her efforts at empowering other women.

Also announced were the two recipients for the new Female Business Students of the Award, honouring one student from Trent University and one from Fleming College. The award, which includes $500 in cash, was presented to Tara Spence from Trent University and Jo Oanh Ho from Fleming College.

A total of 29 women were nominated for the Women in Business Award and 14 women were nominated for the Judy Heffernan Award (see the complete list of nominees below).

Monika Carmichael, 2019 Women in Business Award recipient

Monika Carmichael was chosen as the recipient of the 2019 Women in Business Award, which recognizes a woman who demonstrates leadership that has led to job creation, innovation, and increased business acumen. The award also recognizes her impact on the community at large; including fundraising, volunteering, and other contributions.

“It is a real inspiration to be acknowledged and to be amongst other powerful women,” Carmichael said in an earlier interview with kawarthaNOW about her nomination for the award. “It is so important to be part of a movement that empowers women in our community.”

Carmichael’s work is a great example of this, with her own Honda dealership being one of only a few owned by women across Canada. She has managed her business through a successful expansion, and she is renowned for hiring the best people for the job — which means women fill significant positions throughout her organization.

When she’s not running the dealership, she’s acting as a leader in her community as a sponsor for Peterborough MusicFest, she’s a major fundraiser for Fleming College, and she works with a staff team to participate in the YWCA “Walk a Mile in her Shoes,” initiative. She supports Kawartha Food Share and is also involved with the WBN.

Most recently, Carmichael and her team from Trent Valley Honda participated in the “JA Days” program for Grade 7 and 8 students offered by Junior Achievement Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka.

Carmichael said her nomination is extra special for someone who has been in business for as long as she has.

“It’s important to still be recognized and to still feel relevant as so many new leaders emerge,” she explained. “The nomination was not a shock but it’s an honour, because of this, in a different way.”

Erin McLean and Bridget Leslie were also recognized at the April 9th gala as runners-up for the prestigious Women in Business Award.

 

Erin McLean, 2019 Women in Business Award finalist

Erin McLean started working on her family’s farm when she was just four years old. Now, as a seasoned member of the Ontario Farming Community, she hires and trains 40 staff each year, she manages two farm stores, participates in six farmers’ markets, and oversees seasonal pick-your-own operations at McLean Berry Farm.

As a leader in agritourism and an organizer of two festivals each year, McLean doesn’t stop there. She’s on the board of Farmers’ Markets of Ontario and she’s offered workshops and seminars at industry evets as a way to share her knowledge.

“This is such an honour,” McLean said in an interview with kawarthaNOW about her nomination. “To be recognized in a group of women who are just so mind-bogglingly amazing is exciting. These women have done so much for the community and I really look up to them. This is just my everyday life but these women inspire me to always do more.”

McLean says she loves the idea of lifting up women and supporting each other through WBN initiatives.

 

Bridget Leslie, 2019 Women in Business Award finalist

Also known for lifting up women, Bridget Leslie of My Left Breast, also earned a top spot as an award finalist.

Launching her business from her basement after her own battle with cancer, Leslie’s has grown into a successful storefront operation that helps women access the products and services they need to look and feel better as they deal with the harsh realities of living with cancer.

With monthly workshops, information sessions and a long list of products, Leslie is registered with the Ontario Government’s Assisted Devices program as a fitter and vendor or medical compression garments.

When she’s not running her busy shop, she’s a member of the Survivors Abreast Dragon Boat Team and the Birdies 4 Breast Cancer Golf Tournament that raises funds for women diagnosed with breast cancer who need financial support during treatment and recovery.

Leslie says she loves working for her community and that the nomination was unexpected.

“I am thrilled,” she said in an interview with kawarthaNOW about her nomination. “It’s so wonderful to have this recognition from peers. We know we do well when our customers thank us, but this is really appreciated because it’s different when it comes from your peers. They know how hard this can be.”

Leslie says she didn’t launch her business to be a good citizen, but through exposure to business people connected and committed to community, she took everything to heart that was shared by women who mentored her through the years.

“These women showed me how giving back was a win-win,” Leslie said.

 

Nominees for the 2019 Women In Business Award and 2019 Judy Heffernan Award

Women In Business Award (alphabetical by surname)

• Sofie Andreou (Sofie Andreou & Associates)
• Karen Auger (BDO Canada)
• Rhonda Barnet (Steelworks Design)
• Marlaine Bennett (Bennett’s Home Furnishings)
• Leslie Bridget (My Left Breast)
• Tina Bromley (Tiny Greens Plant Café)
• Monika Carmichael (Trent Valley Honda)
• Colleen Carruthers (T-R Group)
• Darlene Cook (Peterborough Housing Corporation)
• Vanessa Dinesen (Dinesen Financial)
• Jennifer Garland (The Mane Intent)
• Shannon Gray (Sugar Me Right!)
• Vanessa Oake Hogan (Century 21 United Realty Brokerage)
• Karen Irvine (A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine)
• Jenni Johnston (Art School of Peterborough)
• Teresa Kaszuba (The Morning Show on Global Peterborough/CHEX)
• Theresa Longo (Theresa Longo Brands.)
• Jay Lough Hayes (RE/MAX Rough River Realty Ltd.)
• Ann Marie Maly (Bruce Maly Plumbing and Drain Services)
• Erin McLean (McLean Berry Farm)
• Tracey Ormond (That’s a Wrap Catering)
• Louise Racine (Thirteen Moons)
• Jennifer Scates (Central Smith Creamery)
• Leslie Scott (Walton Wood Farm)
• Catia Skinner (Mega Experience)
• Martha Sullivan (Sullivan Law Ptbo)
• Christine Teixeira (Accountability Financial)
• Shelby Leonard Watt (SOS Save Our Soles)
• Sheneese Wilkins (Mink Magic Beauty Bar)

Judy Heffernan Award (alphabetical by surname)

• Kim Appleton
• Anne Arnold
• Rhonda Bernet
• Colleen Carruthers
• Diana Carter
• Susan Dunkley
• Michelle Ferreri
• Jennifer Garland
• Theresa Longo
• Tracey Ormond
• Grace Reynolds
• Peggy Shaughnessy
• Jeannine Taylor
• Sheneese Wilkins

Kim Appleton is the winner of the 2019 Judy Heffernan Award winner.

At its awards gala on Tuesday evening (April 9) at Personal Touch Banquet Hall in Peterborough, the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough (WBN) recognized Appleton for her achievements as a mentor, a volunteer, a business innovator and as someone who makes the Peterborough area a better place to do business.

The Judy Heffernan Award is named in honour of the well-respected leader of the local business community who passed away in 2013 at the age of 61 after a brief battle with cancer. She was widely known as a tireless promoter of the entrepreneurial dreams and passions of women, both young and old. The Judy Heffernan Award recognizes a female entrepreneur, mentor, or student who embodies Heffernan’s legacy of humbly helping others succeed.

Kim Appleton is the co-founder, president, CAO, and CFO of local technology company Emmatt Digital Solutions, a past chair and director of the board of Community Futures Peterborough (of which Heffernan was the general manager for 17 years), and a past president and director of WBN.

For Appleton, the win is not only an honour, it is a beautiful reminder of the impact that the late Heffernan had on her own growth as a community mentor and volunteer.

“Judy was a mentor to me,” Appleton told kawarthaNOW in an earlier interview about her nomination for the award. “We lost her so quickly to cancer, and I think of her often. She got me out of my comfort zone and got me to step into a male-dominated board. And then she was the one who supported me and encouraged me to take the executive track.”

Appleton teared up when remembering her former mentor.

“Judy saw in me that I could be chair,” Appleton recalled. “That’s what she did: she tried to help others see in themselves what they might not see.”

As president and CAO/CFO of Emmatt Digital Solutions Inc. — a 20-year-old enterprise that provides support with everything from documents scanning to web development — Appleton is focused on finding solutions for local businesses, including government agencies, medical industries, and entrepreneurs. And after many years in business, Emmatt Digital Solutions still works with some of their original clients.

When she’s not overseeing a full-time staff of seven, Appleton is busy in her community. She served with Community Futures Peterborough for eight years, including time as both board treasurer and chair, and she is a past president of WBN as well as long-standing active member.

In this role, Appleton is currently mentoring a fellow WBN member, Laurie Pezzak of Adventure Trails Dog Walking. Pezzak says she feels fortunate to receive support from her mentor.

“Not only is Kim generous with her time, she came up with a plethora of really creative ideas I could use to solve problems and create opportunities for growth in my business,” Pezzak said. “I am so grateful for everything Kim has done to help me. She has been open, honest, and encouraging.”

Her nominators say Appleton is the epitome of empowerment with her constant support and encouragement of others, including work also she does supporting business development through a Master Mind group that meets monthly where referrals are shared.

She’s also a member of the Peterborough and Kawartha Chambers of Commerce and, through her company Emmatt Digital Solutions, she even provided the Peterborough Humane Society with a free website for their “Our Pet Project” fundraising initiative.

Appleton said the nomination was an incredible honour and a great reminder of how others view her contribution to community. She also said it brought her back to feeling a close connection with the late Heffernan.

“I always wondered what she saw in me,” Appleton shared.

And a number of years ago, Appleton had an opportunity to ask Heffernan’s daughter Charlina this important question.

“She said Judy saw in me quiet strength and determination,” Appleton said. “This was such validation.”

Appleton was nominated for the award along with 13 other worthy women. Her nominators, Betty Halman-Plumley and Cora Whittington, said their colleague and friend is a worthy recipient of the award.

“She has a close circle of friends that she supports, and we are honoured to be among them,” they said. “And like Judy, she shows up with a quality bottle of wine.”