The 2019 Business Hall of Fame inductees were introduced at Venture North on Wednesday, January 16th by Junior Achievement of Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka (JA-PLM). They are, front from left, Michaela Konopaski (representing her father Michael Konopaski of Inclusive Advisory), Dr. Ramesh Makhija of R and R Laboratories, and Janet McLeod of East City Flower Shop; second row, from left, Dana Empey and Scott Stewart of Carlson Wagonlit Stewart Travel, Dave Smith of DNS Realty, and John Gillis of Measuremax; and back row, from left, Scott Stuart of Kawartha TV and Stereo (representing his father Glenn), Shelby Watt of Flavour Fashion, Providence, and S.O.S (inducted with with Mike Watt, not pictured), Scott Wood of Ashburnham Ale House, and Robert Winslow of 4th Line Theatre. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
While the principal aim of Junior Achievement is to “inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy,” there is plenty of merit in presenting, and celebrating, local success stories as a means of achieving that objective.
For a fourth year, Junior Achievement of Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka (JA-PLM) is facilitating that via the induction of local business role models into its Business Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday, January 16th at VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough, 12 inductees — each of whom will be formally inducted May 23rd at The Venue — were feted before a large crowd of business people and Junior Achievement representatives.
The 2019 inductees are as follows:
John Gillis of Measuremax
Michael Konopaski of Inclusive Advisory
Dr. Ramesh Makhija of R and R Laboratories
Janet McLeod of East City Flower Shop
Dave Smith of DNS Realty
Scott Stewart and Dana Empey of Carlson Wagonlit Stewart Travel
Glenn Stuart of Kawartha TV and Stereo
Mike and Shelby Watt of Flavour Fashion, Providence and S.O.S.
Robert Winslow of 4th Line Theatre
Scott Wood of Ashburnham Ale House
“One of the great benefits of this community is that we have a lot great modest and humble people who have been successful but they don’t go around flaunting that like you see in other communities,” notes Michael Skinner, a 2017 inductee and a member of the selection committee who also serves as Chancellor for JA-PLM.
“The good thing about that is this is a great place to live because you don’t have people doing that on a regular basis. The disadvantage is if you’re a young businessperson starting out, you don’t necessarily know where all the role models are. They’re a bit hidden. So today we’re showcasing who the role models are.”
“Business people don’t always recognize themselves as mentors. When you’re in a business, you’re typically heads down. You don’t always take your head out of the box to look around at what you’ve accomplished. Business people are always looking forward but not looking behind to see the things they’ve accomplished. Many times it’s some of the mistakes they’ve made and learned from. If we can harness that and transfer it to the next generation of business people it will improve this community a lot.”
The foyer of Venture North in downtown Peterborough was a busy place Wednesday, January 16 as the members of the business community came together to celebrate the revelation of the 2019 Business Hall of Fame inductees. Each inductee will be formally inducted May 23 at The Venue at an event hosted by Junior Achievement of Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka (JA-PLM). (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
According to Skinner, there were some 30 nominees in total to choose from, making for what he terms “a very difficult” decision determining the list of this year’s inductees.
For inductee Robert Winslow, the founder and creative director of 4th Line Theatre near Millbrook, the honour bestowed “shows that the arts is an economic engine for the area.” He adds mentoring has always been on the outdoor theatre company’s radar in the form of opportunities provided young people each summer, both as performers and behind the scenes.
“If you add up the list of all the young people, that are now in the arts professionally or in other businesses, involved with our theatre, there are a quite a few,” says Winslow.
“I was working with a group of young students from a school in Newmarket yesterday and listening to their aspirations. I think you’re a guide and you listen to what people have to say and what they want to achieve. You don’t necessarily technically help them in terms of giving instruction but you give them measured advice given the number of years of experience you have. Ultimately, you really want them to succeed and you care about their future. That’s what I would define mentor as being.”
Meanwhile, Shelby Watt, who with her partner Michael has guided their Peterborough businesses Flavour Fashion, Providence and S.O.S. (Save Our Soles) to continued success, is thrilled to be inducted. She says there have been mentors in her life, most notably her father.
“He had a business in downtown Peterborough for almost 40 years,” she notes.
“Growing up in an entrepreneurial home, an independent business home, and being part of the community was the best mentorship I could have. You never really want to break things down to gender but sometimes that it is what it comes down to. Having women represented as independent business people, I hope to inspire a lot of young women and let them know they can choose their own path, whatever that might look like.”
Watt has a special affinity for downtown Peterborough, where Flavour Fashion opened close to 20 years ago.
“I really believe a strong downtown defines a city. I remember growing up and going to Imperial Styles and Black’s and always loving the independent retailers. Downtown business owners have always been extremely supportive of one another, so that makes it a pretty special place.”
Also beaming post-announcement was Scott Stewart, inducted alongside his sister Dana Empey in recognition of the longtime success of Carlson Wagonlit Stewart Travel. That business, which has grown to have 30 locations across Ontario, is marking its 45th year in 2019.
“This whole thing is a very humbling experience,” says Stewart.
“We did not expect or even envision anything like this. From a mentor standpoint, I have been very fortunate to have had several mentors that I still stay in contact with. I don’t think you’re ever done mentoring. If there’s an opportunity to be able to share some of the things that we’ve been able to learn over the course of 30 years, I’m excited to be able to help.”
“This is a day to celebrate. It’s nice to see all the different businesses represented here and everyone is thriving. We thrive in different ways. It’s not just necessarily financial. It’s emotional. It’s supportive. It’s job growth. It’s all of those things.”
From left, Junior Achievement of Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka (JA-PLM) board chair Paul Ayotte, 2017 Business Hall of Fame inductee and JA-PLM Chancellor Michael Skinner, and JA-PLM president John McNutt pose by the touch-screen display that features profiles of each of the Hall of Fame inductees to date. It’s located near the lobby of the Venture North building in downtown Peterborough at George and King streets. (Photo: Paul Rellinger / kawarthaNOW.com)
Saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” JA-PLM chair Paul Ayotte — the 2018 Volunteer of the Year for JA across Canada — noted each inductee is a picture for young people looking to be inspired.
As part of the announcement, Trent Valley Honda dealer principal/general manager Monika Carmichael, a 2018 inductee, revealed details of a new JA-PLM initiative titled “JA Days: The Company Experience”.
According to Carmichael, the program, which was conceived in collaboration with the 2019 inductees, will see Grade 7 and 8 students, starting on April 2nd each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until May 27th, spend the day with JA staff and a local business leader. Activities they will be involved in include budgeting, money management and company ownership. To date, more than 10 companies have bought in to participate.
“This is a great opportunity to give to our next generation of business leaders the exposure and insight into what careers, what businesses and what options are available right here in Peterborough,” says Carmichael.
Previous Business Hall of Fame Inductees
2018: Alf and June Curtis; Paul Bennett; John A. McColl and James H. Turner; John James (Jack) Stewart; Sally Harding; Monika Carmichael; Robert Gauvreau; Paschal McCloskey; and Carl Oake.
2017: Jack McGee; Robert Young; Joseph James (JJ) Duffus; Isadore Black; Darrell Drain; Rhonda Barnet; John Bowes; and Michael Skinner.
2016: Erica, Harry and Meyer Cherney; Cameron Taylor; Charlotte and Robert Nicholls; Bill, Chester and Frank Fisher: Keith Brown; David Fife; James Stevenson; and Ross Smith.
Near the lobby of Venture North, a wall-mounted touch screen display features bios of all the Business Hall of Fame inductees to date. Meanwhile, details on tickets for the May 23rd induction ceremony are forthcoming.
Established in 1955, Junior Achievement Canada has been inspiring and preparing youth to succeed by providing opportunities to learn financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness skills with engaging programs and the help of dedicated volunteers.
Since 2007, Junior Achievement Peterborough, Lakefield, Muskoka has served an area stretching from the Grey-Bruce Peninsula to the Ontario-Quebec border. That effort has been aided by a number of corporate and media sponsors, kawarthaNOW among them.
For more information Junior Achievement of Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka, visit www.jacanada.org/plm.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for this morning (January 16).
The travel advisory is in effect for all of the Kawarthas with the exception of Northumberland County.
Sudden reduced visibility due to occasionally heavy snow is likely this morning as a cold front moves over the area.
Strong northwesterly wind gusts up to 60 km/h behind the cold front will cause heavy local blowing snow with suddenly reduced visibility as well. Roads may become snow covered and icy as a result.
Temperatures will also fall precipitously during the day as the cold front moves in, dropping from -2°C this morning to -12°C this afternoon (with a wind chill value of -20°C).
Documentaries have experienced a resurgence at the box office and on streaming services like Netflix, and ReFrame Film Festival is presenting 70 short and feature-length documentary films at the 15th annual festival from January 24-27, 2019 in downtown Peterborough. The final film screening at the festival is "Last Beer at the Pig's Ear", a passionate tribute to the 152-year old legendary Peterborough tavern that closed for good in 2017. (Photo: Wayne Eardley)
From Thursday, January 24th to Sunday, January 27th, the 2019 ReFrame Film Festival returns to downtown Peterborough, marking its fifteenth year of presenting engaging and inspiring documentaries from filmmakers across the world.
This year, 70 films are being screened along with panels, filmmaker talks, and other events at Market Hall, Showplace, and The Venue with additional related events at The Theatre on King.
“Documentaries are having a resurgence,” says ReFrame’s creative director Amy Siegel. “We are seeing platforms like Netflix and other streaming sites featuring documentaries, and we’re seeing huge box office revenues from some documentary films.”
A filmmaker and working artist with her MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University, Amy relocated to Peterborough from Toronto last August to take over programming of the festival from departing festival director Krista English.
Since the summer Amy and a dedicated team of volunteers, including festival director Jay Adams and technical coordinator Lester Alfonso, have spent hundreds of hours of reviewing films to create this year’s program.
ReFrame Film Festival creative director Amy Siegel with festival director Jay Adams. (Supplied photo)
“It was an amazing gift to become a part of the ReFrame family, because they’ve been doing this for so many years and have had so much community support that it’s an absolutely pleasure,” Amy says. “I’m also grateful for the vision and perseverance of Krista English for the fifteen years that she spent at ReFrame. This is her first year away from it, and I am absolutely in awe of what she did with this organization. It’s a real honour to now be a part of it in its current form.”
Fifteen years for any small city film festival is an impressive feat, but with documentaries being such a niche genre, this anniversary mark is truly special for Reframe — especially as it continues to thrive stronger and bigger than ever before.
“I think the Peterborough community is very invested in what’s happening in the world, and what’s happening in their own community,” says Amy of Peterborough’s relationship with ReFrame. “When you think about the environment or gender issues or music and the arts, these are happening in a microcosm here, but it’s a reflection of what’s happening in the world, and being able to bring those stories here … people really connect to them on a personal level.
“ReFrame is also so community focused and community supported. When you look at programs from past years, as well as this year, for a lot of the films you’ll see the community sponsors. That’s an amazing system that has been developed here where the community and the filmmakers and the organization are all helping to lift each other up, and provide platforms for each other, which is so unique.”
With 70 films in this year’s festival, this is the most ever featured at ReFrame.
“We had hundreds of submissions and it was hard to choose,” Amy recalls. “We have an amazing group of volunteer programmers who are part of the programming committee and they watched hundreds of hours of films, mostly over the summer, which is an investment in itself. Then we got together and discussed the films and themes and how they might fit together, and we built the program from there.”
Although it is impossible to see all of the films over the course of the festival, a comprehensive list of the films are available at the ReFrame website and on kawarthaNOW.
While all of the films screening at ReFrame are special to Amy and her staff, here are a few highlights:
Youth Unstoppable
Director – Slater Jewell-Kemker Thursday January 24th at Showplace Performance Centre. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.
Former Peterborough high school student Slater Jewell-Kemker’s documentary “Youth Unstoppable” is the feature film on ReFrame’s opening night. (Publicity photo)
The opening film of the weekend, Youth Unstoppable was created over a decade by local filmmaker Slater Jewell-Kemker.
Youth Unstoppable is a front-line look at the global youth climate movement. Jewell-Kemker began filming her documentary at the age of 15 while still a student at at PCVS in Peterborough.
VIDEO: “Youth Unstoppable” Trailer
“I’m really excited that we are showing this film,” Amy says. “It’s moments like this, as a programmer, that I get excited because we can feature a film by someone who grew up in this community, has been working diligently as a filmmaker and as an activist, and will be able to share that with not just her peers but the broader Peterborough community.”
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
Director – Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, & Edward Burtynsky Friday January 25 at Showplace Performance Centre. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.
“Anthropocene: The Human Epoch” is an award-winning Canadian documentary about humanity’s massive re-engineering of the planet. (Publicity photo)
One of the most important documentaries on the festival circuit today, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch has won multiple awards thus far, including Best Canadian Documentary from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award and, most recently, The Toronto Film Critics Association’s Best Homegrown Film Award.
Attending the ReFrame screening will be drone operator Jim Panou and locations manager Mike Reid.
VIDEO: “Anthropocene: The Human Epoch” Trailer
“We are excited to be screening Anthropocene, which is a very big film right now,” Amy says. “The film is broadly about human’s impact on the earth. Everything from mining to poaching to the oil and gas industry. The film is made in a very artful and beautiful way, which is interesting to see as an audience member because it’s often very difficult imagery.
“But it’s presented in a very aesthetically beautiful way. It goes across the world and presents very different aspects of environmental devastation but presents it in a really unique way. It’s beautiful. Everyone should see it.”
The Rest I Make Up
Director – Michelle Memran Saturday January 26 at Showplace Performance Centre. Film starts at 5 p.m.
“The Rest I Make Up” tells the story of Cuban-American Maria Irene Fornes, who has been called “the greatest and least known dramatist of our time”. (Publicity photo)
An intimate look at the life of award-winning playwright Maria Irene Fornes, The Rest I Make Up looks at the declining years of a faded New York theatrical icon and celebrates not only her past, but the spirit of creativity and the bond between herself and filmmaker Michelle Memran.
“The Rest I Make Up is a really special movie,” Amy says. “It’s about an aging actress who had a flourishing career in New York in the 1960s and 1970s, but when the filmmaker meets her she’s living by herself in a small apartment.
VIDEO: “The Rest I Make Up” Trailer
“She and the filmmaker form this really beautiful friendship that really shines in the film and becomes really tangible, so you just don’t just see the incredible and vivacious woman Maria is today, but you get to learn about this incredible life she lived in the past as well as her ideas about art and writing and theatre.”
Inventing Tomorrow
Director – Laura Nix Saturday January 26 at Showplace Performance Centre. Film starts at 12:15 p.m.
“Inventing Tomorrow” documents passionate teenage innovators from around the globe, like 16-year-old Sahithi in India, who are creating cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats. (Publicity photo)
Inventing Tomorrow follows six teenage inventors from Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Hawaii who travel to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair — the largest gathering of high school science students in the world — to solve environmental problems in their own community.
“Inventing Tomorrow features teenagers from across the world who are working on science projects to help their own communities, and they come together to compete at the world’s biggest science fair,” Amy says.
“It’s amazing to see these young people who care so deeply about where they live and how they come together to help and become part of the dialogue.”
VIDEO: “Inventing Tomorrow” Official Trailer
Postings From Home
Director – Kelly O’Brien Saturday January 26th at Market Hall. Film starts at 2:45 p.m.
Documentaries don’t necessarily have to be presented as films. That’s the case with Postings From Home, performed live by filmmaker Kelly O’Brien, who combines social media postings with the traditional family slideshow of years gone by to create a humorous and poignant portrait of motherhood during the current political and environmental crisis.
In “Postings From Home”, filmmaker by Kelly O’Brien uses her social media posts to create an intimate narrative about her personal life, which she performs live. (Photo: Kelly O’Brien / Facebook)
“Postings From Home is not a traditional documentary,” Amy says. “It’s a live performance that is made by filmmaker Kelly O’Brien and it’s more of a family slide show. She’s taken a lot of social media posts that she’s made over the years and has strung them together to make an intimate narrative about her personal life: her family, her children, her insights into the world.
“She has two very eloquent daughters who have very quirky and funny insights, and she speaks beautifully about her family and her children, about disability and the environment, about the political impact of our leaders. She kind of weaves them all together into this performance and brings the audience in. It’s really not to be missed. It’s also really nice to weave in live performance into a documentary context and she does that seamlessly.”
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes
Director – Alison Reid Saturday January 26th at Showplace Performance Centre. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.
23-year-old Anne Innis Dagg’s car (which she called “Camelo”) in a South African field in 1956. (Photo: Alexander Matthew)
The Woman Who Loves Giraffes takes a look at the life of Dr. Anne Innis Dragg, who became the first person to study animal behaviour in the wild when she took a solo trip to South Africa in 1956 to study giraffes.
Facing alarming sexual prejudice from the scientific community upon her return, Dr. Dragg’s experiences helped solidify her role as a feminist activist. Dr Dragg will be also be attending the ReFrame screening of the film.
VIDEO: “The Woman Who Loves Giraffes” – Official Trailer
“Dr. Dragg has had a wonderful career studying animals in the wild, even before Jane Goodall,” Amy says. “The film follows her life as she gets blocked from the university because of gender. She becomes a gender activist and then she lives her life and falls away from academia and zoology.
“But the giraffe people of the world find her, and she starts writing again and becomes part of the scientific community again. We are excited to have her coming to ReFrame.”
Last Beer at the Pig’s Ear
Director – Peter Blow Sunday January 27th at Showplace Performance Centre. Film starts at 7 p.m.
Directed by Peter Blow and produced by Malcom Byard, with editing and cinematography by Rob Viscardis, “Last Beer at the Pig’s Ear” is a tribute to the people, the fun and games, the music and the pickled eggs that made the Pig’s Ear so special for 152 years. (Photo: Wayne Eardley)
For the final presentation of the festival, ReFrame closes with Peter Blows’s emotional tribute to one of Peterborough’s oldest and most celebrated institutions, The Pig’s Ear Tavern. Closing its doors in 2017 after 152 years, “The Piggy” was a local institution for musicians, drinkers, and local thrill seekers.
A place that resides in the heart of the community, its closure is so recent that we can still taste the pickled eggs in our memory. This is a perfect film to close ReFrame and is sure to be one the community will want to see.
“Music and film collide in our closing night film, which is the Last Beer at the Pig’s Ear,” Amy says. “It features so many recognizable musicians and so many local characters and it’s really fun. I think it’s going to be a really joyful and uplifting way to end the festival.
“It’s so wonderful when filmmakers and musicians and bar owners are all together and you end up having this beautiful documentary of this tavern that the community fostered.”
This is only a small selection of the massive body of films playing at ReFrame, and I encourage you to take the time to look and read about the many films at reframefilmfestival.ca.
It will be a busy weekend for film-goers, with no shortage of fascinating and engaging films to see. Festival passes are $60 ($50 for students and the under waged), and include access to all films from Friday to Sunday. Single-day passes are also available for $25 each. Tickets for opening night on Thursday are sold separately and cost $15 per person ($10 for festival pass holders).
Tickets and passes are available online at reframe.tickit.ca. They can also be purchased in person (cash only) in Peterborough at the GreenUP Store (378 Aylmer St. N., 705-745-3238) and Watson & Lou (383 Water St., 705-775-7568), in Lakefield at Happenstance Books & Yarns (44 Queen St., 705-652-7535) and in Millbrook at Pastry Peddler (17 King St. E., 705-932-7333).
Martin Yuill, currently director of bioscience business incubator Emergence in Charlottetown PEI, has been appointed as executive director of green technology research and innovation Cleantech Commons at Trent University in Peterborough. Yuill is a past president and CEO of the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, where he was responsible for launching tech incubator The Cube at Trent University's DNA building. (Photo: Emergence)
Past Innovation Cluster president and CEO Martin Yuill is returning to Peterborough to become the executive director of Cleantech Commons, the planned green technology research and innovation site jointly funded by Trent University and the City of Peterborough.
Yuill is currently living in Charlottetown, where he is the director of bioscience business incubator Emergence and director of incubation services at PEI BioAlliance, an industry-led development organization.
Yuill’s appointment “signals that the research park is open for business and ready to welcome tenants”, according to a media release from Trent University.
Yuill will begin in the position on March 1, 2019.
“I am delighted to play a role in making Peterborough’s Cleantech Commons research park Canada’s premier clean technology research, innovation and commercialization location, and the centre of a cluster of next-generation technology companies and start-up ventures,” Yuill says.
“By creating a collaborative innovation district that brings together the academic, research, investment and business communities and provides critical value-adding business support services and mentorship to drive company growth, Cleantech Commons is set to become a critical component in Canada’s cleantech innovation infrastructure. The Commons will support entrepreneurship and the accelerated commercialization of academic research outcomes as well as innovative new global technologies, enhancing economic prosperity and skilled job creation, and helping retain talented graduates in the local community.”
VIDEO: Cleantech Commons
Formerly known as the Trent Research and Innovation Park, Cleantech Commons is to be built on an 85-acre industrial zone on Trent lands. Potential tenants will include clean tech, green, and other environmentally related businesses.
In his role as executive director, Yuill will oversee all operations, functions, and activities of Cleantech Commons, as well as providing strategic direction for the research park. Yuill will be collaborating with Peterborough & Kawarthas Economic Development to develop and promote economic development strategies, develop and implement marketing and branding strategies, and promote community outreach, according to the Trent University media release.
In 2008, Yuill launched the ORIC Kelowna Innovation Centre as the first best practice knowledge economy business incubator in the interior of British Columbia. In 2013, he moved to Peterborough to lead the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster (now the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas), where he was responsible for launching The Cube, a best-practice technology incubator located at Trent University’s DNA building. He served as both president and CEO and director of incubation and acceleration the Greater Peterborough DNA Cluster, and was director of client services at the Peterborough Region Angel Network.
He also served on the boards of the Centre of Excellence for Goat Research & Innovation and the FastStart Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative, volunteered as a design consultant to the Trent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, and was a member of the management team of the Peterborough Community Innovation Forum and the Trent University Business Council.
Yuill holds an MBA degree from the University of South Africa.
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and The Kawarthas, a not-for-profit organization that supports entrepreneurs establishing and growing technology-driven businesses, had a 2018 target to support five startups and create 10 jobs. By the end of the year, the Innovation Cluster supported 86 startups and helped create 171 jobs for the local economy. Pictured is digital startup client Jeremy Brooks testing AVROD, a virtual reality online database he created at the Innovation Cluster to assist in archaeological research. (Photo courtesy of Sean Bruce)
At the Innovation Cluster’s 2018 annual general meeting in May of last year, Innovation Cluster Board Chair John Desbien announced to the crowd that the organization had exceeded its goals of job creation, companies formed, and financial impact by more than tenfold.
By the end of 2018, that number had reached $15 million, or 15 times the set goal.
“Our funders set our targets in 2013 to have a regional economic impact of one million dollars, so we far exceeded that in 2018,” says Michael Skinner, CEO of the Innovation Cluster, a not-for-profit organization that supports entrepreneurs in the formation and growth of their technology-driven companies.
VIDEO: Are you ready to shape the future? – Innovation Clsuter
Exceeding their goal by 15 times over is not the only impressive accomplishment of the Innovation Cluster in 2018.
At the beginning of the year, the Innovation Cluster had a target to support five startups and create 10 jobs. As 2018 came to a close, the organization supported a total of 86 startups — 46 of which were youth startups (ages 18-29) — and helped to create 171 jobs for the local economy.
“We’ve helped our clients with sales, equity investments, loans, and grants,” Skinner says. “This economic impact motivates the staff and me to continue with the work we do in the community.”
“We’ve helped our clients with sales, equity investments, loans, and grant. This economic impact motivates the staff and me to continue with the work we do in the community.” Innovation Cluster CEO Michael Skinner pictured with a client. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
Despite the tremendous success in 2018, the Innovation Cluster is not content to rest on its laurels.
“In 2019, we’re looking to expand our health care technology sector to address accessibility and aging,” says Skinner, noting Peterborough’s high percentage of retirees.
“We also want students to know that Peterborough is a great place to do business. We have the resources to support young entrepreneurs with their startup goals, specifically in the digital technology sector.”
Innovation Cluster clients are able to work in the incubator alongside other startups, with on-site access to workshops innovation specialists, mentorship, and more. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
The Innovation Cluster focuses on four key sectors: digital technology, clean technology, agriculture technology, and health care technology. Over 50 per cent of the organization’s clients are in the digital sector, which includes mobile apps, virtual reality, augmented reality, and game development.
Clean technology clients are also on the rise at the Innovation Cluster. Launching a clean tech makerspace at Trent University in 2017 has allowed Peterborough startups to rapidly grow through easy-access to lab space, R&D, product testing and more. With this rise, the Innovation Cluster added a Clean Tech Specialist to its team in 2017 for specialized support to these clients.
A major reason for the success of the Innovation Cluster is its focus on community partnerships.
The Cube at the Innovation Cluster offers entrepreneurs open-concept office space, high-speed internet, critical resources and support services, access to funding and investment, coaching, training, and networking, and more. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
Since its founding, the Innovation Cluster has established over 30 innovation partnerships. These partnerships have allowed the organization to offer entrepreneurs a more complete package of support and services.
The only full-service innovation and technology incubator in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, the Innovation Cluster works closely with Trent University and Fleming College, which both provide funding and resources.
Skinner says “the relationship with Fleming College and Trent University has been invaluable in connecting with young entrepreneurs, enticing them to stay in our region and to contribute by building new and innovative companies.”
The Innovation Cluster provides a Virtual and Augmented Reality Zone and open-concept space for digital clients to test their creations. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
Startups working with the Innovation Cluster also have access to the Virtual & Augmented Reality Zone, sponsored by RBC, and the Konrad Group — a full service digital agency — provides exclusive services to the Cluster’s digital clients, including scholarships for digital skills workshops.
Peterborough might not be the first place you think of to launch a digital startup, but think again: the Innovation Cluster’s clients have grown their businesses locally and have experienced success on a global scale.
In addition, Peterborough offers a relatively low cost of living, a great lifestyle, and an established startup community. Its close proximity to larger cities allows startups to access these markets, but without the competition. The Innovation Cluster attempts to focus on the unique needs of each startup so that no one is lost in the crowd.
“Being able to come into a space like this and have the resource readily available, of course that’s definitely going to make a huge difference to any company.” Sanu Somaweera, co-founder of Kavtek, which has created the first augmented reality app of its kind for real estate agents and their clients. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
This couldn’t be truer for Kavtek, a company that has developed an augmented reality home remodelling app that allows users to digitally design a space by adding content on top of real images.
Kavtek co-founder Sanu Somaweera says that joining the Innovation Cluster in downtown Peterborough has been critical to the development and success of Kavtek’s product.
“Anyone can have an idea,” explains Somaweera, “but if you really want to take the idea to the next level and build a company, you need money, partners, a great product, and many other things.”
Kavtek’s start-up costs were minimal because the Innovation Cluster provided them with an office space, and introduced them to lawyers, accountants, and trademark specialists — all the people that budding entrepreneurs need but usually don’t have access to.
The result? Kavtek is now competing with the “big tech players” coming out of Silicon Valley.
“If you look at Silicon Valley, the companies there are part of big incubators that catapult them into the marketplace,” says Somaweera. “To have an incubation space is crucial when trying to get your startup going. An incubation space reduces the rate of failure.”
He’s right about that: 80 per cent of startups normally fail within the first two years, but that number is reduced to less than 30 per cent if the startup belongs to an incubation program.
For Kavtek, 2018 was a year of developing strategic partnerships and testing out their product. In 2019, Kavtek is planning on going national and expanding into the US.
“Your chance of succeeding is higher when you have a collaborative environment and you belong to a tech eco-system: that’s what the Cluster provides.” Sana Virji and Ribat Chowdhury, co-founders of Ribitt, a free mobile rewards app that allows consumers to collect points on purchases at local shops. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
Another digital startup that works from the Innovation Cluster, Ribitt, is planning on rolling out their company in stages across Ontario in 2019. Ribitt is currently operating in Peterborough and in two Toronto neighbourhoods: Roncesvalles and The Junction.
Ribitt is a free app that allows users to earn points while they shop at local establishments. The app functions like Air Miles, where users earn points with each purchase, which can then be used to buy products from any of the participating stores.
Ribat Chowdhury, Co-founder of Ribitt, says participating merchants have seen an increase in spending from existing customers, as well as an increase in new customers visiting their store, which was his initial hope when developing the app.
“We wanted to make a product that encouraged consumers to shop locally, and we wanted it to be low risk for the merchants,” explains Chowdhury. “Now, we have over 2,000 active users.”
Once again, another digital startup is proving that you don’t need to be in Silicon Valley or Toronto to launch a digital startup: Ribitt’s whole team works from the Innovation Cluster’s incubator, also known as The Cube, in downtown Peterborough.
“The Cube is a collaborative, supportive space,” says Chowdhury. “It inspires you to share and learn. Even if other entrepreneurs are in a different sector, they still experience a lot of the same challenges, so we can learn from each other.”
Chowdhury says the community spirit at The Cube also fuels healthy competition.
“When you see other companies raising money, for example, you get ideas for your own business, and it inspires you to do better,” says Chowdhury.
While the Innovation Cluster and its clients are quick to emphasize the benefits of the physical space and the city of Peterborough, the Cluster is also able to provide remote support to entrepreneurs.
“It’s a great place to talk to others who have been through the entrepreneurial process.” Miriam Verburg, CEO of Bloom Digital, a boutique game company that creates narrative-driven games featuring authentic characters in the midst of pivotal moments and life-changing stories. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
For example, Miriam Verburg, Executive Producer of Bloom Digital, a digital game company based in Toronto and Peterborough, is a remote client of the Innovation Cluster. Her company creates narrative-driven digital games featuring characters dealing with pivotal, life-changing moments.
Bloom Digital’s first release, LongStory, is an award-winning dating sim/role-playing game focused on helping players build healthy relationships.
As a remote client, Verburg stresses that being involved with the organization is a great opportunity to meet people and to become integrated into Peterborough’s business community.
“It’s a great place to talk to others who have been through the entrepreneurial process,” says Verburg. “It’s important to test your ideas as often as you can with as many people as you can.”
If 2018 is any indication of what’s to come, it’s safe to say there’s no limit to what the Innovation Cluster can do for startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
If you’re a startup looking to grow your business in 2019, the Innovation Cluster wants to hear from you. Whether you’re in the initial stages of development, or require resources to grow your current startup, the various programs and partnerships offered by the Innovation Cluster can help you take your idea or business plan to the next level.
The main offices of the Innovation Cluster are located on the third floor of the VentureNorth building at 270 George Street North in downtown Peterborough. For more information, visit innovationcluster.ca. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
This story was created in partnership with the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and The Kawarthas.
The Ontario government has announced the five winners of the cannabis retail store lottery in eastern Ontario, although the location of the winners has not been announced. Only the cities of Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes are eligible in the Kawarthas to host cannabis retail stores in 2019. Peterborough City Council has already voted to opt-in to allow cannabis retail stores in the municipality, with Kawartha Lakes City council will be voting on January 15, 2019.
This week’s round of regional business news includes the announcement of the five winners in eastern Ontario of the cannabis retail store lottery, the opening of the first virtual reality arcade in the Kawarthas at Lindsay Square Mall, the launch of Community Futures Peterborough’s ignite100 competition, a provincial government consultation of a new tourism strategy for Ontario, the rebranding of Collins Barrow as Baker Tilly, Brighton business owner Jay McArthur being nominated for the inaugural Prince’s Trust Global Award, Peterborough luthier Russ Parker launching a new website, and the January 17th deadline to apply for the City of Kawartha Lakes’ Million Dollar Makeover program.
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.
New regional business events added this week include Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce’s creative networking workshop in Cobourg on January 17th, Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland’s Facebook ad seminar in Cobourg on January 22nd, Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting in Cobourg on January 29th, a January 31st deadline for employers to participate in Agilec spring hiring fair in Peterborough, and the Peterborough Chamber’s PBX at Peterborough Business Hub on February 5th.
Five winners in eastern Ontario of cannabis retail store lottery
Pallets of products at the Ontario Cannabis Store’s distribution centre. All approved licensed private recreational cannabis retailers will be required to purchase their product from the Ontario Cannabis Store. (Photo: Ontario Cannabis Store)
On Friday (January 11), the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced the 25 winners in the cannabis store lottery, including five in eastern Ontario.
The winners in Eastern Ontario are Daniel Telio, Brandon Long, Patterson and Lavoie, Pure Alpha Holdings, and Karan Someshwar.
The winners have five business days to submit applications as well as a $6,000 non-refundable fee and a $50,000 letter of credit. Winners will undergo background check, including a review of tax records and financial statements. Additional winners from a wait list will be selected if a winner does not meet approval.
AGCO didn’t announce the municipalities the winners are representing. However, only municipalities with more than 50,000 residents are eligible in the first round of retail stores opening in April 2019. In the Kawarthas, that includes the City of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes. Other eligible cities in eastern Ontario region include Barrie, Belleville, Kingston, and Ottawa.
Applicants will also have to provide their proposed location to AGCO and then undertake a consultation process where the public will have the opportunity to object to the location.
This is the final week for municipalities to decide whether to opt in or opt out to allow private recreational cannabis retail storefronts, with the province having set a deadline of January 22, 2019. Peterborough City Council already voted to opt in on December 3, with the City of Kawartha Lakes Council voting tomorrow (January 15). Kawartha Lakes city staff are recommending the municipality opt in.
The Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce is supporting the opt-in option for the City of Kawartha Lakes. Chamber president Bob Armstrong wrote a letter in December to city CAO Ron Taylor which states, in part, “Our biggest business segment is agricultural production. Cannabis and hemp are plant-based businesses. Perhaps Kawartha Lakes could be known as a base for licensed production as well.”
The provincial government is giving municipalities a one-time opportunity by January 22nd to decide whether to allow or prohibit retail cannabis stores within their boundaries. Municipalities that choose to opt out can opt back in at any time but, once they are in, they may no longer opt out.
The province is distributing $40 million over two years to help municipalities with the costs of cannabis legalization. A first payment, based on the number of households in the municipality, was issued in late 2018, with a second payment to be issued only to those municipalities that opt in. Peterborough will receive over $185,000 and the City of Kawartha Lakes will receive $100,000 (if it chooses to opt in).
Ontario plans to increase the number of licences once more cannabis is available, expanding eligible locations to include smaller municipalities, but has not announced a timeline.
First virtual reality arcade in the Kawarthas opens at Lindsay Square Mall
Laurie and Kevin Stapley of Lindsay have opened a franchise of Ctrl V virtual reality arcade at Lindsay Square Mall. Ctrl V was North America’s first virtual reality arcade and is currently the largest virtual reality arcade chain in the world. (Photo: Ctrl V)
Ctrl V at Lindsay Square Mall offers rental of individual VR booths for $24.99 per hour, as well as group rates and private events. All VR stations are wheelchair accessible. (Photo: Ctrl V)
The first virtual reality arcade in the Kawarthas opened last Sunday (January 9) in Lindsay Square Mall (401 Kent St. W., Lindasy).
Owned and operated by Laurie and Kevin Stapley of Lindsay, the arcade is a franchise location of Ctrl V, a Canadian company headquartered in Waterloo.
The Ctrl V virtual reality arcade at Lindsay Square Mall. (Photo: Ctrl V)
Ctrl V was North America’s first virtual reality arcade and is currently the largest virtual reality arcade chain in the world. The Waterloo-based company was incorporated in 2016 by CEO Ryan Brooks, his long-time friend CFO Robert Bruski, and his cousin COO James Elligson.
The company began franchising in 2017 and now has 18 locations, primarily in Canada with a few in the United States and one in Costa Rica, with plans to expand further in the United States. With custom-designed VR stations featuring the HTC Vive, each Ctrl V location offers high-end commercial VR experiences and a variety of different games.
Ctrl V offers rental of individual VR booths for $24.99 per hour, as well as group rates and private events. All VR stations are wheelchair accessible.
Applications now open for Community Futures Peterborough ignite100 competition
ignite100 is a new annual innovation competition from Community Futures Peterborough, where the winner will receive a repayable loan of $100,000 with no payments in the first year and no interest for the first three years. (Graphic: Community Futures Peterborough)
Applications are now open for ignite100, a new annual innovation competition that was officially launched this afternoon (January 10) by Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) at The Venue in downtown Peterborough.
The winner of the competition will receive a repayable loan of $100,000 with no payments in the first year and no interest for the first three years (CFP will pay the interest for the first 36 months).
Entrants must apply at ignite100.ca by 5 p.m. on March 15, 2019.
Eight semi-finalists will be selected by March 30th and will make their pitch to a panel at a live competition on May 2nd. Three finalists will then make a private presentation to the Board of Directors at CFP on June 18th, with the winner announced at the CFP’s annual general meeting on June 27th.
Provincial government consulting on new tourism strategy for Ontario
The deadline for the tourism strategy consultation is February 28, 2019. (Photo: Government of Ontario)
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport is conducting a consultation on a new strategy for Ontario’s $34 billion tourism industry and is seeking feedback from visitors, college or university students pursuing an education in tourism or hospitality, and tourism operators and industry stakeholders (such as Chambers of Commerce and Business Improvement Areas).
The new brand of Baker Tilly. (Graphic: Baker Tilly International)
Collins Barrow National Cooperative Incorporated, the largest group of independent chartered accounting firms in Canada, has taken on the name and visual brand of its global network, becoming Baker Tilly Canada Cooperative.
Since 2009, Collins Barrow has been the Canadian representative of the Baker Tilly International network of independent business and accounting firms, which has members in 147 territories and a combined worldwide revenue of $3.4 billion USD.
In December, Baker Tilly International introduced a new brand and visual identity, which became the foundation for Baker Tilly Canada’s rebranding, officially announced last Monday (January 7).
The rebranding affects all Collins Barrow locations, including Collins Barrow Kawarthas with offices in Peterborough and Lindsay.
Brighton business owner Jay McArthur nominated for Prince’s Trust Global Award
Jay McArthur, owner of Rest Easy Home Inspections in Brighton. (Photo: Prince’s Trust Canada)
Jay McArthur, owner of Rest Easy Home Inspections (737 County Rd 64, Brighton), has been nominated for the inaugural Prince’s Trust Global Award.
The annual Prince’s Trust Awards, held in the United Kingdom recognize people who have overcome barriers to achieve success in their lives. The first-ever global award will be presented in 2019 to recognize an individual outside of the UK.
The award recipient is someone who has significantly benefitted from a Prince’s Trust program and whose success is an inspiration to others.
McArthur is a graduate of Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur program, a national program that provides transitioning military and veterans with education, tools, and resources to build confidence, develop networks. and run their own successful businesses.
McArthur served for 14 years in the Canadian Armed Forces before being medically released. The transition back to civilian life, exacerbated by mental health issues, proved difficult for McArthur.
Two years after graduating from the Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur program seven-day intensive business boot camp, McArthur’s business has grown exponentially. He also regularly volunteers his time to speak at events with donors and transitioning military members, sharing his story about his struggles with mental health and the impact the program had on his business and life.
The Prince’s Trust Awards will be presented at a high-profile ceremony in London in March.
Peterborough luthier Russ Parker launches new website
Russ Parker of RGP Guitars. (Photo courtesy of Russ Parker)
If you’re a local guitarist interested in acquiring a custom handcrafted guitar, you’ll want to check out Peterborough luthier Russ Parker’s new website.
Parker, who relocated to the Peterborough area after retiring from his career with the North York/Toronto Fire Services, is a talented woodworker. As well as being a luthier, he volunteers at The Canadian Canoe Museum, where he builds skin-on-frame kayaks and boats and teaches paddle-carving courses.
He built his first guitar in the late 1970s and, for two seasons in the early 1980s, worked with Toronto-based luthier David Wren (a former apprentice of famed Canadian luthier Jean Larrivée). Parker’s steel-string and nylon-string guitars use a modified lattice brace system and feature a side sound port, as well as an adjustable neck so that string action height can be easily modified for different playing styles.
VIDEO: Musician Rick Fines plays Russ Parker’s J-17 super jumbo model
Parker offers four standard models: a J-17 super jumbo, a J-16 jumbo, a 000 (triple zero), and a classical/flamenco model. A left-handed player, Parker also has a selection of used left-handed guitars he had made for himself that are available for sale.
You can see samples of Parker’s work, watch more videos of musician Rick Fines playing the different models, and take a look at guitars he currently has for sale, at rgpguitars.ca.
City of Kawartha Lakes business and property owners have until January 17th to apply for Million Dollar Makeover program
The City of Kawartha Lakes’ Million Dollar Makeover offers up to 50 per cent in matching funding for properties that completed a Downtown Revitalization project, including Lindsay (pictured), Omemee, Coboconk, Norland, and Fenelon Falls. The initiative is also offering loans to property and business owners across the City of Kawartha Lakes at a low interest rate over a five-year term. (Photo courtesy of the City of Kawartha Lakes)
The deadline for applications to the City of Kawartha Lakes’ Million Dollar Makeover is now only a few days away.
More than a million dollars in grants and loans are available, but you must apply by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 17th.
The Million Dollar Makeover is a funding program to support property and business owners who want to improve the visual and functional aspects of their commercial, mixed-use commercial/residential, or heritage-designated residential buildings.
Low-interest loans are available over a five-year term, and matching fund grants — covering up to 50 per cent of eligible costs — are available to properties within the areas that completed a Downtown Revitalization project, including Lindsay, Omemee, Coboconk, Norland, and Fenelon Falls.
Haliburton Chamber hosts “Meet the Fire Chiefs!” in Minden on January 15
The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Meet the Fire Chiefs!” from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 15th at the Minden Fire Hall (12418 Highway 35, Minden).
The breakfast and networking event will provide the opportunity to see the new fire hall in Minden and network with all of the fire chiefs in the county, as well as to learn about fire safety and why it matters for your business.
Peterborough DBIA Breakfast Network features Deputy Fire Chief Chad Brown on January 16
Chad Brown, Deputy Fire Chief of Peterborough Fire Service. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA)
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA)’s next Breakfast network meeting takes place at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 16th at Empress Gardens (131 Charlotte St., Peterborough).
Chad Brown, Deputy Fire Chief of Peterborough Fire Services, is the guest speaker.
Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. with the guest speaker at 8 a.m.
Tickets are $5 at the door. The Breakfast Network is open to everyone.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts business planning workshop in Peterborough on January 16
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre is hosting “Business Fundamentals: Business Planning” from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16th in the boardroom at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
The session is designed to give you a strong foundation in business planning, and the importance of a comprehensive business plan. The Business Advisory Centre will also share tools available for creating a business plan and top tips for creating a plan ready to share with banks and funding agencies to secure financing.
Peterborough Chamber hosts “Lunch Box Learning: 3 Ways Risk Affects your Business” in Peterborough on January 16
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Lunch Box Learning: 3 Ways Risk Affects your Business” from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16th in the boardroom at the Chamber offices (175 George Street North, Peterborough).
Kelland Sewell of rPM3 Solutions Canada Inc. will share three ways risk affects your business and how you can harness this information to improve business performance through Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).
Bring your lunch along with you, and have the opportunity to listen to the short presentation followed by a Q&A.
The event is free to attend for members of the Chamber or members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough.
Port Hope Chamber hosts annual Mayor’s Breakfast on January 17
The Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Mayor’s breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 17th at Railside Restaurant (112 Peter St., Port Hope).
Mayor Bob Sanderson will be providing an update on the plans for Port Hope for 2019.
The cost of $20 per person includes a served breakfast.
Otonabee Conservation hosts annual meeting in Peterborough on January 17
The Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (Otonabee Conservation) is hosting its 60th annual meeting at 4 p.m. in the boardroom of the Otonabee Conservation offices (250 Milroy Dr., Peterborough).
The meeting will feature the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for 2019, appointments to Conservation Ontario Council and Authority Committees, as well as the presentation of the 2019 Operating and Capital Budget.
Members of the watershed community are welcome to attend.
The board will also be holding a special 60th anniversary celebratory event in the spring, at which time it will present the annual awards and service recognition.
For further information about the annual meeting, call Otonabee Conservation at 705-745-5791.
Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce presents a creative networking workshop in Cobourg on January 17
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is presenting its first “creative networking” workshop of 2019 from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 17th at The Rustic Bean Coffee Co. (91 King Street West, Cobourg).
Award-winning glass artist Marcella Rosemberg will host “Art in a Box” workshop, which she will guide you through the design process of laying out pieces of pre-cut glass to create a set of four beautiful and practical fused glass coasters.
The cost is $50+HST for Chamber members, and $60+HST for non members.
Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland hosts Facebook ad seminar in Cobourg on January 22
Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland is hosting “Understanding Facebook Ad Types” from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 22nd in the boardroom at its offices at 600 William Street in Cobourg, K9A 3A5).
In this advanced seminar, Marquis Murray of Media Crate will break down the different Facebook ad types available, what they’re used for, and how you can use them to better market your business online, gain leads, and increase traffic to your website through strategic targeting.
The cost is $10 for Chamber members and $15 for non-members.
Nomination deadline for Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on January 23
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from its membership for four full-terms (two years) on its Board of Directors until Wednesday, January 23rd.
Nominees must be a member in good standing, nominated by a member in good standing, and be an authorized representative of a business operating within the Town of Cobourg, the Township of Hamilton or Alnwick/Haldimand.
Directors will be elected or appointed by the membership at the Chamber’s annual general meeting on Tuesday, January 29th.
Northumberland CFDC hosts fireside chat on sustainability at Venture13 in Cobourg on January 24
The Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) is hosting a fireside chat on the importance of sustainability in business and community from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, January 24th in the Innovation Commons Lecture Hall at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Northam Industrial Park, Cobourg).
The event will include a moderated panel discussion featuring representatives from Sustainable Cobourg, Headwaters Farm, Local Food for Local Good, and more, followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Innovation Cluster hosts power breakfast meeting on digital technology in Peterborough on January 25
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas is hosting “Power Breakfast: Digital Technology, An Innovative Future” from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, January 25th at the Holiday Inn Peterborough – Waterfront (150 George St., Peterborough).
Over a hot breakfast you will hear from organizations that support entrepreneurs, including Michael Gatschene of the Business Development Bank of Canada, Catherine Lovrics of intellectual property law firm Bereskin & Parr, as well as Innovation Cluster client David Winter of Canuck Play.
Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual general meeting in Cobourg on January 29
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual general meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29th at Woodlawn Inn (420 Division Street, Cobourg, K9A 3R9).
All members in good standing are invited to attend the meeting and hear an overview of the Chamber’s activities for the past year, including the presentation of the Chamber’s audited year-end financial report. The 2019 executive will be introduced and elections will be held to fill the available seats on the Board of Directors.
The annual “Chair’s Dinner”, a four-course meal with wines, will be held immediately after the meeting.
January 31 deadline for employers to participate in Agilec spring hiring fair in Peterborough
Agilec is presenting a multi-employer spring hiring fair from 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26th at Northminster United Church (300 Sunset Blvd., Peterborough).
Numerous employers looking to hire part-time, full-time, and seasonal positions will be in attendance.
Any employer who would like to participate should contact Arlayna Curtin at Agilec before January 31st.
Curtin can be reached at 705-740-2577 ext. 5210 or acurtin@agilec.ca
Peterborough Chamber PBX at Peterborough Business Hub on February 5
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next Peterborough Business Exchange (PBX) takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5th at Peterborough Business Hub (398 McDonnel St., Peterborough).
The PBX networking event is a great opportunity for the business community, employers, consumers, and community agencies to make valuable connections.
Nomination deadline for Haliburton Chamber’s Business & Community Achievement Awards on February 14
Nominations are being accepted for the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce’s 13th Annual Business & Community Achievement Awards until Thursday, February 14th.
There are awards in 11 categories: Business Achievement, New Business, Customer First Business, Customer First Employee, Tourism & Hospitality, Innovation & Creativity, Skilled Trades & Industry, Young Professional of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Not-For-Profit of the Year, and Highlander of the Year.
47-year-old Brian Tilbury of Kitchener was last seen ice fishing on Belmont Lake on the afternoon of January 12, 2019. The OPP have since recovered his body from the Crowe River Bay area of Belmont Lake. (Supplied photo)
Peterborough County OPP report that the body of 47-year-old Brian Tilbury of Kitchener has been recovered from Belmont Lake.
Tilbury was reported missing on Sunday morning (January 13). He was last seen ice fishing on Belmont Lake in Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township, in the Miles of Memories Road area, between the hours of 3:30 and 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Police issued a missing person report to the media on Sunday morning.
His body was located in the Crowe River Bay area of Belmont Lake this afternoon by OPP helicopter and was recovered by the Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Fire Department.
Tilbury’s body will be transported to The Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit at the Forensic Services and Coroners Complex in Toronto for a post-mortem examination.
This Sturgeon Lake sunset shot by Joe Yusiw was the top post on our Instagram for December 2018, with more than 7,000 impressions and 652 likes. (Photo: Joe Yusiw @kawartha_joe / Instagram)
Happy New Year to all of our Instagram photographers and followers! Although we’ve just recently posted our top 18 of 2018, it’s time to recap our top Insta photographers from December.
Over the holiday season we enjoyed seeing many cottagers and visitors spending time on the lakes. Our feed was filled with pond hockey, cottage Christmas celebrations, and more pink sunsets and sunrises than in July!
We reached another milestone on our account in December, when Santa brought us enough followers on Christmas Day to cross the 12,000 mark. We’re grateful for all of our followers and the local photographers who generously allow us to share their work.
Do you want to get on our top-nine monthly list? All you need is an Insta account and to tag us using our hashtag #kawarthanow when posting your photo.
We share photos from across our readership area, which is the five-county area surrounding Peterborough which includes Peterborough, Northumberland, City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Hastings (we sneak in the occasional Algonquin Park picture as well, particularly if it’s by a Kawartha photographer).
To see our daily shares of photos, follow us on Instagram @kawarthanow and check out our feed’s monthly highlight reels for recaps of every month in 2018.
#1. Sturgeon Lake Sunday night sunset by Joe Yusiw @kawartha_joe
Posted December 16, 2018. 7,033 impressions, 652 likes
#3. Leaping white-tailed deer by Andy Holden @andy.holden
Posted December 22, 2018. 6,898 impressions, 603 likes
Our third most popular photo last month was posted to promote our editorial story about Kawartha Land Trust @kawarthalandtrust, which had announced its third protected property in less than two weeks: the new Cation Wildlife Preserve near Coboconk in the City of Kawartha Lakes. Andy Holden — one of our regularly shared photographers — took the photo as part of his volunteer work with Kawartha Land Trust.
Posted December 2, 2018. 6,098 impressions, 436 likes
Offically called the Doube’s Trestle Bridge, this 200-metre bridge suspended 29 metres above Buttermilk Valley halfway between Peterborough and Omemee on the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail is always popular and Paul Chantler caught this great angle with snow on the bridge.
Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2017 brought hundreds of kids out to Peterborough Square where they were treated to entertainment, special performances and activities, all of which fostered a love of reading. The 2019 event will be held for the 20th year on Saturday, January 26, 9 a.m. to noon, again at the downtown mall. Admission is free and every child leaves with a book of their choosing. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
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Welcome to the daily reality of an estimated 15 per cent of Ontarians aged 16 to 65 who struggle to make sense of the words before them, in whatever form they are presented.
In his capacity as the executive director of Peterborough-based Literacy Ontario Central South (LOCS), Michael Andrews is well aware of the immense challenges faced by those who not only can’t read the most basic of text but, in many cases, also have difficulty accomplishing the most simple of numeracy tasks. An estimated 22 percent of Ontarians in the same age bracket deal with that obstacle.
“Research shows that households where the adults have better literacy skills tend to be households where children grow up with better literacy skills,” says Andrews, whose job involves promoting and supporting adult education skills development and associated community programs in Peterborough, Northumberland, Haliburton and Hastings counties as well as the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Harpist Tanah Haney performed music to read by at Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2017 as hundreds of kids converged on Peterborough Square for the annual free event. On Saturday, January 26, 9 a.m. to noon, at the downtown mall, the 2019 event will be held for a 20th year, featuring musical performances by Glen Caradus and Phil Stephenson as well as authors Drew Monkman and Jacob Rodenburg reading from their book “The Big Book of Nature Activities”. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
“When we talk about family literacy we should be talking about the whole family, not just the children. For adults to be able to read to their children is really important. If they don’t have the confidence or skill set to do that, it will impact on their kids. It’s so much easier to get kids involved with books or to even make math fun at that age. It’s about getting creative.”
For 20 years now, a group of like-minded individuals, most of them representing organizations mandated to improve literacy rates, has come together to promote literacy in the family home in an entertaining and educational way. The result of that effort — Peterborough Family Literacy Day — sees hundreds of kids, with their parents and other guardians, flock to Peterborough Square each January for the event.
This year, Peterborough Family Literacy Day will be held Saturday, January 26th from 9 a.m. to noon at the downtown mall. The free not-for-profit event, which will again see every child take home a book of their choosing, will feature music storytelling entertainment by Glen Caradus and Phil Stephenson as well as authors Drew Monkman and Jacob Rodenburg reading from their book The Big Book of Nature Activities.
Jungle Cat World brought some very interesting critters to Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2017, allowing kids to interact with the animals. The 2019 free event, which promotes a love of reading by children, happens Saturday, January 26, 9 a.m. to noon, at the downtown mall. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
In addition, local ‘celebrities’ will come together to read Jeremy Tankard’s picture book The Grumpy Bird, and popular characters such as Clifford and Dora will mingle in the crowd.
“We know that if kids see their parents or adults in their lives reading they’re going to be more apt to pick up a book … that’s research-proven,” notes Nancy Doherty, Child and Family Educator with the Peterborough Child and Family Centre (201 Antrim Street, Peterborough, 705-748-9144).
“Are there books in the house? Are there things for them to read? I watched a video recently that showed a mom with a young child reading a book on her phone. The child took the phone and turned away from the mother. They were sitting beside each other but there was no interaction going on. The child was like ‘I want to do this by myself.’
“Then it showed the same mom and child with a book. The child was snuggled right up with the mom; she was helping to turn the pages. It was a totally different experience. That makes you want to recreate that experience. You have a good feeling about reading.”
One of the most popular draws of the annual Peterborough Family Literacy Day event is the free book giveaway. That will be the case again on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 9 a.m. to noon, at Peterborough Square as the event is staged for a 20th year, organized by a number of community literacy-related organizations in conjunction with the two local school boards. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
According to ABC Life Literacy Canada, making reading a regular part of a child’s day has long-term benefits. Hearing a variety of words helps prepare children for reading later in life and builds their vocabulary. And kids who see their parents reading tend to become avid readers.
“We know they (children who read) are better at problem solving because they can figure things out more easily because they have the ability to read and listen to others or find out where to look for information,” says Doherty.
“I don’t know that I can say they’re better adjusted but we know they have a better start in life if they’re reading early on. They get into school and they build on that. They’re more able to communicate with others and be more successful in their lives in general.”
Teacher Teresa Kingston has been a member of the Peterborough Family Literacy Day organizing committee since 2013, involved in her capacity as a literacy and numeracy skills consultant with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. That involves staying on top of literacy-related initiatives as they’re rolled out at the board’s 65 elementary schools. She says all students in grades 1 to 8 have a minimum of 100 minutes of literacy learning each school day.
Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef was a among a number of local celebrities who read Jack and the Beanstalk to children gathered for Peterborough Family Literacy Day 2017. This year’s event, set for Saturday, January 26, 2019, 9 a.m. to noon, at Peterborough Square will see celebrities read “The Grumpy Bird”. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
“We know that there’s a critical window from age of four to seven for reading and writing, so it demands our attention,” Kingston says.
“We want to empower our students, whatever age they are, to be democratic citizens. In order to do that, we need to offer them opportunities for their voice to be heard and for them to have rich and meaningful opportunities to engage in reading and writing; listening and really thinking critically about certain ideas.
“When I think about literacy learning, at the core it’s about how we send and receive messages. It’s best developed in the context of real and every day situations. We want little books in little hands, and lots of opportunities for students to read and write real messages, recognizing that literacy learning is everywhere.
“It’s the basis for all other areas of learning. An event like Family Literacy Day allows us to share with families our support but also offer tips and resources to help support them with their children as they continue to grow as literacy learners.”
While Andrews lauds the work of educators in the promotion of literacy and the provision of helpful tools to enhance related skills — “We’re way better at it than we used to be” — he points to statistics that show adults with higher literacy levels tend to have more income. As such, the opposite is true as well.
“As a poverty reduction strategy, literacy is incredibly important,” says Andrews, noting most jobs require at least a minimum of literacy skills. He adds that while the schools are vital in the children getting off to a strong start in those skills, reinforcement of that at home is key.
“There’s still a lot of work to do on the transition from the kindergarten to Grade 12 system into adult life. When we say that someone has graduated, meaning they have their high school diploma, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the skills they need to be successful in the workplace. People learn differently. You’re required to fit into certain boxes and if you don’t, you kind of get shuffled off to the side.”
Nancy Doherty (left) and Maria Castiglione are among the volunteer members of the organizing committee for the Peterborough Family Literacy Day event. The committee starts meeting in the fall, working towards putting together an activity-packed educational event held each January at Peterborough Square. This year’s 20th event will be held Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 9 a.m. to noon. (Photo: Peter Rellinger)
Like Kingston, Andrews lauds Peterborough Family Literacy Day for its ‘get to them while they’re young’ approach. The promotion of the benefits of children reading, and the subsequent practice of that within the family unit, can only have benefits for the child moving forward.
“There’s an amazing spark that happens in a child’s eyes when they look at you and say ‘I’m a reader’ and, for the earliest readers, it’s magical,” says Kingston.
“What they’re really saying in that moment, and what we’re really empowering them to do, is ‘I’m starting to figure this out for myself. I’m becoming more independent, figuring out what the message is.’ It’s powerful and I see it in every classroom I’m in.”
Meanwhile, Doherty, like all the Peterborough Family Literacy Day committee members, is looking very much forward to the one-day celebration of the benefits of kids reading.
“There’s an energy to being there and seeing all the families. Sitting back and watching the children and adults interacting. Kids are learning and taking part but it’s fun and you feel that too.”
Parent information sesssions
The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is hosting kindergarten parent information sessions. These evening sessions will welcome families as partners in their child’s learning while sharing tips and resources to support literacy learning at home.
January 29 – Brighton Public School
January 30 – C.R. Gummow Public School, Cobourg
February 5 – Harold Longworth Public School, Bowmanville
February 7 – Duke of Cambridge Public School, Bowmanville
February 12 – Roger Neilson Public School, Peterborough
Along with Doherty, Andrews and Kingston, organizing committee members are Alyssa Watson of Trent Students For Literacy, Helen Casmey of the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, Reem Ali of the New Canadians’ Centre, Constable Shawna McCurdy of the Peterborough Police Service, Jenny Duley of Compass Early Learning and Care, Kate Jarrett of the Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough Square property manager Cheryl McQueen, and community members Lois Thompson and Maria Castiglione.
Family Literacy Day was created by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999 and is celebrated nationally on January 27th to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family.
The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service is applauding an alert citizen who notified them of a crime in progress in Lindsay.
On Thursday evening (January 10), a resident of the Sweetnam Drive neighbourhood in Lindsay reported to police that a man and women were entering unlocked vehicles in the neighbourhood.
Officers arrived to find a man between two vehicles in the driveway of a residence on Laurent Boulevard.
After further investigation, both the man and women were found to be in possession of property stolen from unlocked vehicles in the area.
Police arrested the man and woman and investigating officers were able to return a number of power tools and other items to the rightful owner.
Charged with theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 are 37-year-old Melissa Maria Perry and 36-year-old Raymond Albert Smoke, both of Lindsay.
The two accused will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on February 14, 2019.
Police say this is a great example of how watchful neighbours can assist each other and police to stop criminal activity. If you see something suspicious taking place, call 911.
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