The White Lightning Shopping Bus in Little Britain during a test run in the summer of 2018. Bus owners Michael Bryant and Pauline Kiely are launching regular routes every Tuesday beginning April 30, 2019. (Photo: Danielle VanGennip)
Free rural transit, operated and supported by local residents and businesses, begins next week in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
A 20-passenger modern shuttle bus, nicknamed “White Lightning”, will travel its first regular routes every Tuesday beginning on Tuesday, April 30th.
The weekly morning and afternoon routes will make stops in Lindsay, Woodville, Oakwood, Little Britain, Cameron, Long Beach, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Dunsford, and Omemee.
“We have been having an incredible response so far and we haven’t even hit the road yet,” say bus owners Michael Bryant and Pauline Kiely of Little Britain. “We are thrilled by local demand and interest by local businesses. Given the response so far, we are getting ready to accommodate a lot of riders.”
The weekly shopping bus is a community-led service and is not associated with any municipality. Having a weekly shopping bus is part of the community-drafted “Rural Transit Plan for the City of Kawartha Lakes”, released in 2017 following a local transportation summit held in Fenelon Falls.
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“Safe, affordable public transportation is a key for residents and good for our local economy,” says Mike Perry, co-chair of the community-based Rural Transportation Working Group.
“I was in Seattle recently and they have a free shuttle for the downtown and waterfront. Businesses there have used the opportunity to increase their success. Transit is a public service and common good which also needs the sustainability of public funding.”
The City of Kawartha Lakes first launched a rural transit pilot project in July 2011 which included service to communities such as Coboconk in the northern part of the municipality. Due to low ridership and issues with meeting provincial legislation for accessibility, the city cancelled that project in September 2012.
In June 2013, the city launched a second rural transit pilot project, with a contract to Kawartha Ground Transport to operate the service until June 2015. That pilot project provided rides between Lindsay, Cameron, Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, and Dunsford. In April 2015, City of Kawartha Lakes Council voted to end the pilot project, citing low ridership and the high cost of operating the program (just over $420,000 annually).
The White Lightning Shopping Bus in Bobcaygeon during a test run in the summer of 2018. The 20-passenger bus is fully accessible with professional drivers and features air conditioning, stereo music, and complimentary snacks. (Photo: Danielle VanGennip)
Bryant conducted test runs of the White Lightning shopping bus in the summer of 2018. Based on the results of the test runs and after acquiring the necessary licenses, he decided to begin the weekly shopping bus on a regular basis.
The concept of the shopping bus is supported by the Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Lindsay Chambers of Commerce. The first official sponsor of the bus is Miskin Law of Peterborough, which will use the bus for advertising.
The White Lightning Shopping Bus is fully accessible with professional drivers and features air conditioning, stereo music, and complimentary snacks. Retired broadcaster and meteorologist David Devall is the shopping shuttle’s goodwill ambassador.
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Bryant plans to expand the service, depending on ridership, demand, and advertising revenue.
The initial route schedule for the shopping bus is shown below. For up-to-date schedules, including pick-up and drop-off points, visit whitelightningbus.tours. You can also follow White Lightning Bus Tours on Facebook and Twitter.
Kristey (second from left) is a 13-year-old girl currently receiving treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, which has made it challenging for her to go shopping for a dress for her Grade 8 gradulation. Staff of the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic including RN Shay Cannon (left) contacted Shelby Watt (second from right), owner of Save Our Soles in downtown Peterborough, to ask if she could help. (Photo: Peterborough Regional Health Centre / @prhc1 Instagram)
For most young girls graduating from elementary school, finding a dress for their graduation ceremony is a fun shopping challenge.
But for 13-year-old Kristey, who is currently receiving treatment at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), the challenge is completely different.
Her frequent hospital stays and chemotherapy treatments have made it extremely difficult for her to go out shopping to find the dress of her dreams for her Grade 8 graduation.
Kristey was able to try on several different dresses supplied by Shelby Watt, owner of Save Our Soles in downtown Peterborough. When Kristey selected a dress, Watt donated it to her along with a pair of matching shoes. (Photo: Peterborough Regional Health Centre / @prhc1 Instagram)
So when Shelby Watt, owner of Save Our Soles in downtown Peterborough, received a call on Tuesday (April 23) from Shay Cannon, a registered nurse at PRHC’s Pediatric Outpatient Clinic, explaining Kristey’s situation, Watt dropped everything she was doing to help.
Not only did Watt immediately visit PRHC with a selection of dresses for Kristey to try on, she also donated a dress — along with a pair of matching shoes — to Kristey.
“When you don’t have a rolling rack to hang dresses on you grab an IV pole instead,” Watt writes on her Instagram @saveoursoles. “And when an angel of a nurse (Shay on the left, but everyone was incredible) calls your shop saying she wants to bring grade 8 Grad dress shopping to her patient, Kristey, who is going through chemo, you drop everything and say hell YES.”
Not only did Shelby Watt, owner of Save Our Soles in downtown Peterborough, drop everything she was doing to visit Kristey at Peterborough Regional Health Centre to help her select a dress, but she donated the dress and a pair of matching shoes to Kristey. (Photo: Peterborough Regional Health Centre / @prhc1 Instagram)
kawarthaNOW kudos to the staff at the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic for helping make a young girl’s life a little bit easier and to Shelby Watt for her generous donation of time and clothing.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit has concluded its investigation into the potential exposure to bloodborne viruses of patients of a Lindsay dental clinic.
Other than the original 2018 case that prompted the investigation and one subsequent case, the health unit advises no new cases of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been identified after extensive testing.
In May 2018, the HKPR District Health Unit alerted patients of Lakeland Clinic in Lindsay that they may be at risk for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
The warning came after the health unit determined there were times during which the proper sterilization of equipment may not have happened at the dental clinic. When sterilization is not done properly, there is a risk that clients can be exposed to other people’s germs on improperly cleaned instruments.
The investigation of the dental clinic started after the health unit was notified of a dental clinic patient who had been recently diagnosed with hepatitis C, with a strain or genotype not commonly seen in Canada. During its investigation, the health unit found a second patient, who had previously been diagnosed with hepatitis C with the same uncommon genotype, had received treatment at the same dental clinic on the same day just prior to the newly diagnosed case.
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These two linked cases, and the discovery that proper sterilization of equipment may not have always happened at the clinic, prompted the health unit to send letters to patients of the clinic. Based on its investigation, the Health Unit wanted people who received treatment at the dental clinic between November 10, 2017 and February 21, 2018 to be tested for the three bloodborne viruses.
Of the 257 patient notification letters sent out by the health unit, 223 patients (87 per cent) had their blood tested. As there is a long incubation period for hepatitis C, the health unit sent out 167 additional letters urging patients to have follow-up blood testing done. Of those 167 patients, 92 (55 per cent) had tests completed.
There were no additional newly positive cases of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, or HIV identified as a result of this testing.
“We are extremely grateful to all of the patients who had blood tests completed as part of this investigation and very happy to see no additional infections,” says Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health for the HKPR District Health Unit.
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Many people who are infected with Hep C do not have symptoms and may not realize they are ill. Dr. Noseworthy continues to urge anyone who received a letter but did not get tested to consult with their health care provider and consider future testing. This testing and diagnosis will help ensure those who may be infected get the treatment they need and help ensure they do not unknowingly infect anyone else.
In this investigation, Dr. Noseworthy says she has nothing but praise for the co-operation provided by the Lakeland Clinic. The owner and staff worked with the health unit to quickly correct any infection prevention and control lapses identified and provided all the information required to contact the patients treated in the identified time period.
In 2015, the Ontario Public Health Standards were changed so that public health is required to follow up on infection prevention and control complaints and cases of reportable diseases in any public setting defined in the protocol, including those run by regulated health professionals.
Public health is not mandated to routinely inspect offices and clinics run by regulated health professionals. In those settings, the college of the health professional regulates and sets the standards that are to be followed.
Dave Cave performing in his 2018 show "Lindsay Lohan’s Speak: A Classic Album Comes to Life" at The Theatre On King in downtown Peterborough. Dave is back at The Theatre On King with his brand new show "Almost Falling Off a couch for 45 Minutes: A Performance Art Comedy by Dave Cave", which runs for one night only on April 26, 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
Dave Cave presents Almost Falling Off a Couch For 45 Minutes
When: Friday, April 26, 2019 at 8 p.m. Where: The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough) How much: $15 at the door or pay what you can
A performance art comedy by Dave Cave.
On Friday, April 26th, Lindsay-based comedian Dave Cave returns to The Theatre On King (TTOK) in downtown Peterborough for his brand new show Almost Falling Off a Couch for 45 Minutes: A Performance Art Comedy by Dave Cave.
In his fourth original show to be performed at TTOK, Dave promises audiences they will be getting exactly what they expect from this evening of experimental theatre.
“People are going to see me on the couch and I’m going to almost fall off,” Dave says. “I don’t want to give too much more away.”
Delivering a painfully awkward brand of comedy filled with dry wit and off-beat concepts, Dave’s popularity has grown over the past five years that he has been bringing his shows to TTOK.
Starting with Madonna What the Hell: A Worst Hit Musical in 2014, Dave then spoofed The Bachelor by putting himself forward as the prize in Win a Date with Dave Cave (The Gay Comedy Reality Show) in 2015.
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He also explored the musical career of Lindsay Lohan in his now-classic 2018 show Lindsay Lohan’s Speak: A Classic Album Comes to Life.
Dave Cave is a comedian based in Lindsay, Ontario. His previous shows at The Theatre On King in Peterborough include “Madonna What the Hell: A Worst Hit Musical”, “Win a Date with Dave Cave (The Gay Comedy Reality Show)”, and “Lindsay Lohan’s Speak: A Classic Album Comes to Life”. (Photo: David Draper)
For his new show, Dave is looking to do something simpler, yet still hoping to challenge the audience.
“The last few shows I’ve done have taken a lot of mental effort and research,” Dave explains. “The Lindsay Lohan show took a lot of memorizing, and figuring out the chords, and making notes, and writing the lyrics. Which is one approach, but I’m at a time where I don’t want to overthink it anymore.
“I think that the nail in the coffin for comedy can sometimes be over-thinking or over-rehearsing. So my approach to this has been to put the bare minimum effort in what I do, which I know sounds counter intuitive. But I see some comedians over-write, so I wondered what would happen if I put the bare minimum of thought into this.
“Almost no effort has gone into the production of this show. The most effort was getting a couch into the theatre.”
Yet, despite not overthinking the show, Dave promises that audiences will find it entertaining.
“It won’t be boring, but I don’t want to give up all my tricks and wizardry. There will be acts. There will be a dramatic arc. It’ll be a hero’s journey, with a refusal of the first call, and the getting of the jewels, and returning back to … I don’t know what the rest of it is, but I’ll be doing all of that.
“I’ll take people on a journey. There will be levels and layers of mystery to it. But at its core, it’s someone on an object, almost not being able to stay on that object for exactly forty-five minutes. I will send people on an emotional roller coaster — no, I want to say something better than that. No, never mind. It’s an emotional roller coaster.”
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Part of what makes Dave popular with audiences is that he bares his quirky personality to the audience via his outlandish yet clever concepts.
“I’m always looking for different ways to do comedy,” Dave explains. “There are a lot of people doing stand-up and sketch comedy or doing web series. I like to call my comedy ‘performance art comedy’. My comedy is experimental and based in reality. I like the term performance artist instead of comedian, but the two terms are kind of interchangeable.
“In terms of concept, this show has a very simple premise but I wanted a challenge. The challenge is how to make almost falling off a couch interesting. I think this will also be a challenge for the audience. I think that people who have shown interest in what I do like that challenge.”
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“Can they sit through this? Can I sit through this? I think we’re all contractually agreeing to participate in this painful event. At the very least, I think it should make you question your choice of why you are there.”
The title of Dave Cave’s newest show says it all. (Poster: The Theatre On King)
Dave also was thankful to find a sponsor for this one-night show.
“I did get a sponsor for the show,” he says excitedly. “Leons Peterborough donated a couch. Actually, my friend is buying it from them, so it has a home after this.”
One of my favourite performers in the Kawarthas, Dave Cave’s shows are always memorable. Each one of them is distinctly unique, and they are shows that people remember and talk about long afterwards. People who have seen Dave’s shows describe him as being “avant-garde”, “a genius”, and “highly innovative”.
Deserving of his growing following, Dave is an artist who needs to be experienced to be understood. This is why you don’t want to miss his latest show.
“I will not standing because I’ll be laying on the couch,” Dave sums up. “I’ll have some problems staying on that couch. It’s a fight with time and gravity and, ultimately, a fight with myself. It’s that eternal struggle.”
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“This is something that, as I say it out loud, sounds so stupid. I’ve been so confident about it until I’ve had to talk about it. It’s like dissecting a soap bubble.”
Whatever it is, you’ll have to come out to the show and see it for yourself.
Almost Falling Off a Couch for 45 Minutes: A Performance Art Comedy by Dave Cave will be performed at The Theatre on King on Friday, April 26th at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door, or pay what you can. To reserve a ticket, visit the Facebook event page.
Laser light directed at aircraft can create a hazard by distracting or temporarily blinding a pilot during a critical phase of flight. It is a federal offence in Canada punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and/or up to five years in prison. (Photo: YouTube screenshot)
The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the person responsible for pointing a laser beam light at a small aircraft flying over Lindsay.
On Monday (April 22) at around 9 p.m., a pilot was flying his small aircraft over Lindsay. As the plane began to descend and turn towards the runway at the Lindsay airport, the pilot observed a green laser beam light pointed from the ground towards the wing of his plane.
The pilot believed the light was coming from the area of Northlin Park Road, Langton Place, Wood Court, or the Westwood Court neighbourhood of Lindsay.
Laser light directed at aircraft can be a hazard by causing distraction or temporary flash blindness to a pilot during a critical phase of flight, such as landing or takeoff. Intentionally shining a laser at an aircraft is an offence under the Aeronautics Act and penalties upon conviction include up to $100,000 in fines and/or up to five years in prison.
It is also a federal offence in Canada to possess a hand-held laser over 1 milliwatt (mW) in public areas within a 10-kilometre radius of any airport and certified heliport, with penalties up to $5,000 for an individual.
Anyone who has information about this incident is asked to telephone the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252 or email Sergeant Dave Murtha at dmurtha@klps.ca.
If you wish to provide your information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.khcs.ca.
Members of the Peterborough Police Service Auxiliary Unit, Special Constables, Torch Run Team members, Canine Unit Constable Cowie and Police Service Dog Isaac, civilians, Fleming College students, and family members helped to raise $32,000 in donations during the annual Easter Tolls for Special Olympics on April 20, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service)
The Peterborough Police Service and volunteers have raised more than $32,000 during the annual Easter Tolls for Special Olympics.
Voluntary exit tolls were held at six locations across Peterborough on Saturday (April 20).
Members of the Auxiliary Unit, Special Constables, Torch Run Team members, Canine Unit Constable Cowie and Police Service Dog Isaac, civilians, Fleming College students, and family members participated in the voluntary toll collection.
For almost 25 years, the tolls have been held the same Saturday and residents have continued to give generously every year.
The funds will support special athletes in Peterborough and across the province for sports and other important programs.
Selwyn Township mayor Andy Mitchell, Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien, and Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef (right) explore the Random Acts of Green mobile app as the social enterprise's founder and CEO Jessica Correa looks on, at the April 18, 2019 announcement of $200,000 in federal funding from the Climate Action Fund. The funding will help Random Acts of Green to develop and promote the mobile app, which measures and rewards Canadians for their 'green acts' to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo: Office of Andy Mitchell)
This week’s round-up of regional business news includes the federal government’s announcement of $200,000 in funding for Random Acts of Green in Peterborough, Maar’s Music relocating from downtown Peterborough to Brookdale Plaza this summer, and Sweet Bottoms Coffee in Fenelon Falls closing in May.
Every week, our managing editor collects business-related news and events from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
Also featured this week is the Town of Cobourg announcing implementation of the 2019 Downtown Cobourg Vitalization Community Improvement Plan, the Carousel restaurant in Peterborough closing in June, Pie Eyed Monk Brewery in Lindsay hosting an official ribbon-cutting in May, regional tourism organization RT08 seeking volunteers for its board of directors, and Cobourg Home Hardware Building Centre receiving a national award.
New regional events added this week include the Canadian Canoe Museum’s annual general meeting on April 24th in Peterborough, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s annual general meeting on April 25th in Peterborough, the Community Futures Peterborough’s ignite100 competition semi-final live pitch night on May 2nd in Peterborough, the Kawartha Chamber’s B.O.S.S. seminar on cyber security on May 15th in Lakefield, and a celebration of Venture13’s one-year anniversary on May 21st in Cobourg.
Federal government provides $200,000 in funding for Random Acts of Green in Peterborough
Jessica Correa, founder and CEO of Peterborough-based environmental social enterprise Random Acts of Green, speaks at the federal government’s announcement on April 18, 2019 of $200,000 in funding from the Climate Action Fund to help her company develop and promote its mobile app that encourages people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo: Office of Maryam Monsef)
Jessica Correa, founder and CEO of Peterborough-based environmental social enterprise Random Acts of Green, is receiving $200,000 in federal funding for her business’s mobile app that motivates Canadians to change their behaviour when it comes to climate change.
The funding was announced last Thursday (April 18) at Victoria Park in Peterborough by Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef on behalf of federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna. The funding comes from the federal government’s $3-million Climate Action Fund.
Random Acts of Green’s mobile app encourages Canadians to act daily to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions production by choosing to adopt one or more of 40 low-carbon choices (“Green Acts”). The federal funding will support the implementation, launch and promotion, measurement, evaluation, and reporting on the success of the app.
Random Acts of Green plans to host an official app launch party — celebrating its many volunteers, local business partners, and supporters — on Tuesday, May 28th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. A national kick-off tour to promote the mobile app will follow later this fall.
Maar’s Music is relocating from downtown Peterborough to Brookdale Plaza this summer
Maar’s Music, the oldest locally owned music store in Peterborough, is moving from downtown Peterborough to Brookdale Plaza this summer. (Photo: Maar’s Music)
Maar’s Music will be moving from its downtown Peterborough location at 360 George Street North (under the clock tower) to a new space in Brookdale Plaza this summer.
The new location is a larger space at Brookdale Plaza on Chemong Road, in the unit between Healthy Planet and the Bulk Barn.
Owned and operated by Markus and Nicole Maar, Maar’s Music is the oldest locally owned music store in Peterborough. It opened in 1993.
Details of the move, including exact dates, will be announced soon.
Sweet Bottoms Coffee in Fenelon Falls is closing in May
Sweet Bottoms Coffee at 19 Colborne Street in Fenelon Falls is closing on May 6, 2019. (Photo: Sweet Bottoms Coffee / Facebook)
Sweet Bottoms Coffee, located at 19 Colborne Street in Fenelon Falls, is closing at the beginning of May.
Owners Diane Reesor and Wayne Jolly have announced they are retiring.
The popular casual café and community hub offered mainly vegetarian lunch options, fresh-baked bread daily, organic coffees and teas, and treats including butter tarts.
Sweet Bottoms Coffee will be open until noon on Monday, May 6th.
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Town of Cobourg announces implementation of 2019 Downtown Cobourg Vitalization Community Improvement Plan
Eligible applicants for 2019 Downtown Cobourg Vitalization Community Improvement Plan are building owners within the defined project area. (Map: Town of Cobourg)
The Town of Cobourg’s planning and development division has announced the implementation of the 2019 Downtown Cobourg Vitalization Community Improvement Plan (CIP).
In the 2019 budget, Cobourg council has approved $75,000 for the 2019 Downtown Cobourg Vitalization CIP.
The plan includes eight funding opportunities designed to encourage private sector investment, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse redevelopment, and construction activity in Downtown Cobourg. The incentives contained within the CIP include grants and interest-free loans for work proposed under these eight program areas.
Applications are due by July 5, 2019. For more details along with the application form, visit www.cobourg.ca/cip.
The Carousel restaurant in Peterborough is closing in June
The Spiridis family has announced it is closing the Carousel restaurant at 116 Lansdowne Street East in Peterborough as of June 2, 2019. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
George and Sophie Spiridis have announced they are closing the Carousel family restaurant after 50 years of operation.
One of Peterborough’s longest-standing restaurants, the Carousel was purchased in 1969 by George’s father, Alex Spiridis, after he immigrated to Canada from Greece.
The Spiridises are retiring and have sold the property, which will house another restaurant.
The Carousel’s final day of business will be Sunday, June 2nd. Any gift cards should be redeemed before then.
Pie Eyed Monk Brewery in Lindsay hosts official ribbon-cutting in May
The Pie Eyed Monk Brewery in Lindsay offers seven craft beers, brewed in house by classically trained brew masters. (Photo: Jennifer Bridle)
The Pie Eyed Monk Brewery (8 Cambridge St. N., Lindsay) is hosting an official ribbon-cutting event from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21st.
Established by Jennifer Boksman and Aaron Young in the historic C.L Baker building (across from the Lindsay fire hall), the Pie Eyed Monk Brewery first opened for business in August 2019.
The brewery houses a seven-barrel brew house and carries seven craft beers, brewed in house by classically trained brew masters Sandra Chadwick and Keanan Schiedel-Webb. It is the area’s first restaurant with an authentic Italian wood-fired pizza oven, and has a full-service kitchen that features freshly made pastas, salads, and more.
Everyone is welcome to attend the ribbon cutting. If you plan to attend, RSVP by email to events@pieeyedmonkbrewery.com.
Regional tourism organization RT08 seeking volunteers for its board of directors
Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RT08) is seeking volunteers to sit on its board of directors.
Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, RT08 promotes tourism activity in the area branded as Kawarthas Northumberland (City of Kawartha Lakes, City and County of Peterborough, and County of Northumberland) by working with existing tourism offices in the region.
To be eligible, volunteers should have a commitment to region tourism efforts, a knowledge of and passion for the tourism industry, and an interest in becoming an active participant in RTO8 matters. Two positions are available for Kawartha Lakes (a two-year term and a three-year term), one position is available in each of the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County (each is a three-year term), and one position is in Northumberland County (a three-year term).
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The commitment includes attending five meetings per year in Peterborough (held in April, June, September, November, and January).
Nomination forms are available from the RT08 website in Word and PDF formats. Details about duties, expectations, and availability are listed in the form.
All expressions of interest for nominations must be received by Friday, May 10th. Completed and signed forms are to be sent to “RTO8 Board of Directors, Regional Tourism Organization 8, 175 George Street North, Peterborough, ON K9J 3G6”. In addition to the signed form, a scanned copy may be emailed to brendawood@rto8.com.
Elections will be held at RT08’s 2019 Annual General Meeting from 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18th at Elmhirst’s Resort (1045 Settlers Line, Keene).
Cobourg Home Hardware Building Centre receives national award
Cobourg Home Hardware Building Centre dealer-owners Joel Curtis and Brad O’Neill have received the 2018 Proud of My Home Award, for the best Home Hardware Building Centre over 15,000 square feet in Canada, from Home Hardware Stores Limited. (Photo courtesy of Home Hardware Stores Limited)
Cobourg Home Hardware Building Centre (650 Division St., Cobourg) has received a national “Proud of My Home Award” from Home Hardware Stores Limited.
The Cobourg location was voted the best Home Hardware Building Centre over 15,000 square feet in Canada, out of almost 1,100 stores across Canada.
The award was presented to Cobourg dealer-owners Brad O’Neill and Joel Curtis at the Home Hardware Spring Market held at the corporate headquarters in St. Jacobs from April 7th to 9th.
To receive the Proud of My Home Award, recipients must provide superior excellence in: customer service and staff performance; staff training; participation in dealer network initiatives; interior presentation, including merchandise presentation and displays, tidiness, and clear signage; and exterior presentation, including cleanliness and attractive window displays.
Port Hope Chamber hosts breakfast meeting on Ontario budget with MPP David Piccini on April 24 in Port Hope
The Port Hope Chamber of Commerce is hosting a breakfast meeting with Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24th at Railside Restaurant (112 Peter St., Port Hope).
Piccini will discuss the Ontario budget that was announced on April 11th and answer questions.
The event costs $20, which includes a hot breakfast, coffee, and juice.
Kawartha Chamber hosts Business After Hours on April 24 in Young’s Point
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is hosting its next Business After Hours event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24th in Young’s Point.
The “Young’s Point Hop” will visit several businesses in the area: Clearview Cottage Resort (462 S. Beach Rd.), Lockside Trading Company (2805 River Ave.), Kinetic Therapeutics (2108 Nathaway Dr.), Young’s Point Personal Training Services (2108 Nathaway Dr.), and Old Bridge Inn (2057 Old Highway 28). The group will be walking between some of the stops.
Admission is free for Chamber members. Non-members can attend once for free and then $25 for any following Business After Hours event if they do not join the Chamber.
Bancroft Chamber hosts Biz after Biz networking event on April 24 in Bancroft
The Bancroft Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Biz after Biz” member networking event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24th upstairs at Canadian Tire (341 Hastings St. N., Bancroft).
The spring-themed Biz after Biz will be hosted by Ron Landry of Canadian Tire Bancroft and will feature guest speakers and special treats.
Canadian Canoe Museum hosts annual general meeting on April 24 in Peterborough
The Canadian Canoe Museum is hosting its annual general meeting beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24th at The Canadian Canoe Museum (910 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough).
The meeting will include the receipt of audited financial statements for 2018, appointment of auditors, approval of revised bylaws, election of directors, and other business as identified.
Following the formal business, there will be a presentation updating members on the successes of 2018.
Venture13, the Business Development Bank of Canada, and the Northumberland Manufacturing Association are presenting the Venture13 Funding Forum from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 25th at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
Meet with various funding organizations, including the Northumberland CFDC, FedDev, OMAFRA, and more, to learn about the funding programs and services they have to offer.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts annual general meeting on April 25 in Peterborough
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) is hosting its annual general meeting from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 25th in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
The meeting offers an opportunity to learn more about PKED’s role in the community, highlights from 2018, and a look forward at the year ahead. Formal business will include reports, the election/reappointment of board members, bylaw amendments, and update from PKED president and CEO Rhonda Keenan, and volunteer and board member recognition.
This year’s event will also feature a keynote presentation at 11 a.m. by Eric Canada, an industry thought-leader who will speak on the topic of “Economic Development: A Team Sport”.
Doors open at 9:30 a.m., and light refreshments will be served.
Innovation Cluster hosts breakfast meeting on clean energy and technology on April 26 in Peterborough
The Innovation Cluster’s next “power breakfast” event takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Friday, April 26th at Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn (84 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough)
The topic will be “Clean Energy and Technology” and will feature organizations working in the clean tech industry: Marcelo Sarkis of Prima IP and Jason Wight, director of engineering at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (Ontario Power Generation).
Trent Hills Chamber hosts Celebration of Business Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 27 in Hastings
The Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its Celebration of Business Excellence Awards Ceremony from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th at The Grand Maple (19 Albert St. E., Hastings).
Awards will be presented in the following categories: Excellence In Business (Retail-Based Business), Excellence In Business (Service-Based Business), Pride And Progress, Customer Experience Award (Service Business), Customer Experience Award (Retail Business), Community Impact, Non-Profit Organization, and the Chair’s Award.
Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce Awards of Excellence on April 27 in Bobcaygeon
The Bobcaygeon & Area Chamber of Commerce presents its 2019 Awards of Excellence dinner and awards ceremony from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th at Lakeview Arts Barn (2300 Pigeon Lake Rd., Bobcaygeon).
The event includes a cocktail reception, a sit-down three-course meal, and the awards presentation.
Tickets are $55 per person (table purchases of eight or 10 tickets also available). For more information and for tickets, visit www.bobcaygeon.org/AOE2019.
Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition hosts final pitch event on April 30 in Peterborough
The Bears’ Lair Entrepreneurial Competition is hosting its final pitch event from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th at The Venue (268 George St. N., Peterborough).
Six finalists in two categories (Transit One, AVROD, and Alexander Optical in the Innovation category: Electric Juice Factory, Emily Mae’s Cookies & Sweets, and PedalBoro in the Goods and Services category) will pitch their businesses to a penal of judges.
One winner from each category will be announced at the end of the event.
Deadline for nominations for Kawartha Chamber 2019 Business Awards of Excellence is April 30
The deadline for nominations for the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s 20th annual Business Awards of Excellence is Tuesday, April 30th. The nomination period for this year’s awards has moved from the fall to the spring.
Any business, individual, or organization within Peterborough County or the City of Peterborough can be nominated in one of 10 categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Professional, Outstanding Business Achievement, Commercial Development or Renovation, Customer Service Excellence, Entrepreneur Innovation, Not-For-Profit Excellence, Retailer of the Year, Service Sector Excellence, and Tourism/Hospitality. The awards will be presented at a gala event on October 10, 2019.
Community Futures Peterborough hosts ignite100 competition semi-final live pitch night on May 2 in Peterborough
Community Futures Peterborough is hosting the ignite100 competition semi-final live pitch night from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2nd at the Fleming College Trade & Technology Building (599 Brealey Dr., Peterborough).
ignite100 is an innovation challenge where existing business in the Peterborough region compete for significant funding opportunities that support business expansion and growth.
Eight semi-finalists will pitch their business idea to a panel in front of a live audience. Each semi-finalist will have five minutes to present their idea, followed by a five to 10 minute Q&A. By the end of the evening, three finalists will be selected by the panel.
The semi-finalists are Iron Equipment Ltd., Cottage Toys, Cambium Inc., Percheron Plastic Inc., ATL Distributing, Treewell Limited, Goodwin Metal Products Limited, and Keene Trucks.
Established in 2018 by Community Futures Peterborough, ignite100 is an Innovation Challenge open to all existing business in the Peterborough region to compete for significant funding opportunities that support business expansion and growth.
Sold out – Inclusive Advisory hosts “Conscious Shift” workshops on May 10 in Peterborough
Inclusive Advisory, a multidisciplinary firm practising accounting, law, and wealth management with offices in Peterborough and Port Perry, is hosting a series of workshops called “Conscious Shift” from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10th at The Mount Community Centre (1545 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough).
With the tagline “leadership and management uncensored”, the workshops will feature four speakers sharing their experiences on leadership. Each speaker will give an original 20-minute presentation followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session.
The speakers are: Paul Bennett, owner of Ashburnham Realty; Mike Skinner, president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster; Chief Kelly LaRocca of the Mississaugas of Scucog Island First Nation; and Sacha Lai-Svirk, director of digital health at Outpost379.
The workshops, which promise to “challenge the participants to step outside of their comfort zone” by introducing them “to alternative insights that challenge the status quo in management”, are designed for business owners, executives, managers, and community leaders.
Tickets are $200 each, with $150 from each ticket donated to The Mount Community Centre, Peterborough’s sustainable and inclusive urban village (charitable receipts will be provided).
Kawarthas Northumberland hosting regional ambassador training on May 13 in Peterborough
Kawarthas Northumberland (Regional Tourism Organization 8) is hosting a training session for regional ambassadors from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, May 13th in the boardroom at the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce (175 George St. N., Peterborough).
The half-day course is free to attend and open to all Kawarthas Northumberland tourism operators and tourism businesses.
Space is limited. Register by Wednesday, May 1st by contacting Julie at partner@rto8.com or 705-874-8505 ext. 102.
Kawartha Chamber presents B.O.S.S. cyber security seminar on May 15 in Lakefield
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is hosting its next Business Owners Sharing Solutions (B.O.S.S.) seminar from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15th at Beachwood Resort (3043 Beachwood Dr., Lakefield).
The discussion on cyber security and how businesses can protect themselves against cyber crime will include panellists Brendan Quigley of acorn30 and Graeme Barrie of Netmechanics.
Venture13 celebrates one-year anniversary on May 21 in Cobourg
The VentureZone includes 24-hour secured access, fibre connection and public wifi, as well as web-based booking. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre is celebrating its one-year anniversary from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21st at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).
The agenda will include a review of the past year’s accomplishments, the economic impact to date, and Venture13’s future strategy, as well as announcements regarding funding, community partnerships, and innovation in action.
Tech expert and entrepreneur Takara Small will deliver a keynote address about creating and encouraging rural and urban linkages, driving innovation and growth, and creating the exchange and flow of people, investment, and resources.
Following the keynote address, there will be a self-guided tour of the VentureZone where booths and demos will be set up to showcase Venture13’s entrepreneurs and community partners. A community BBQ hosted by the Cobourg Police Service will be taking place just outside of the building, with all proceeds going towards Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre and Rebound Child & Youth Services Northumberland. P
For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.
Over the next few weeks, Parks Canada is conducting spring maintenance on swing bridges in the Trent-Severn Waterway across the Kawarthas. Pictured is the Maria Street Swing Bridge in Peterborough, which connects Ashburnham Road to East City. It will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on April 30, 2019. Warsaw Road Swing Bridge and McFarlane Street Bridge will also be temporarily closed on April 24 and May 1 respectively.
Parks Canada is preparing for the opening of the 2019 boating season on the Trent-Severn Waterway and will be conducting spring maintenance on some of its swing bridges and sites over the next few weeks.
The bridge work includes preventative maintenance tasks like washing and greasing swing bridges, and conducting visual inspections to ensure their safe operation.
The following swing bridges in Peterborough will be temporarily closed for regular spring maintenance, weather permitting:
Warsaw Road Swing Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24th.
Maria Street Swing Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th.
McFarlane Street Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1st.
Motorists are advised to plan alternate routes during these closures.
In addition to the temporary bridge closures listed above, Parks Canada will be conducting seasonal maintenance until mid-May on the certain bridges that cross the Trent-Severn Waterway. The maintenance will not close the bridges, but vehicles may experience short delays of about 10 minutes.
The bridges include:
Carrying Place Swing Bridge
Glenn Ross Swing Bridge
Ranney Falls Swing Bridge (Campbellford)
Hastings Swing Bridge
Bobcaygeon Swing Bridge
Bolsover Swing Bridge
Boundary Road Swing Bridge
Lakeshore Road Swing Bridge
Couchiching Bridge
To accommodate school bus traffic, Parks Canada will try to restrict bridge delays to between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The Spiridis family has announced it is closing the Carousel restaurant at 116 Lansdowne Street East in Peterborough as of June 2, 2019. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Today (April 21) will be the last Easter brunch at the Carousel, one of Peterborough’s longest-standing restaurants.
The family restaurant, located at 116 Lansdowne Street East, is closing at the beginning of June.
“We are sorry to inform you, the Carousel’s last day of business will be June 2nd 2019,” reads an announcement notice posted at the restaurant. “Please redeem your gift cards. Thank you for your business over the past 50 years.”
A notice in the front entrance window of the Carousel announcing the closure. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
For the past 50 years, the Carousel has been a well-known local family restaurant especially popular for its lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch buffets.
Originally a run-down drive-in restaurant in the 1960s, the Carousel was purchased in 1969 by Greek immigrant Alex Spiridis who transformed it into a family restaurant.
After Alex Spiridis retired in in the early 1990s (he passed away in 2014), his son George Spiridis took over ownership of the restaurant.
For the past 50 years, the Carousel has been a well-known local family restaurant especially popular for its lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch buffets. (Photo: Carousel website)
kawarthaNOW was unable to contact Spiridis for comment as to why his family is closing the restaurant.
Update
Co-owner Sophie Spiridis tells Taylor Clysdale of Peterborough This Week that the decision to close the restaurant has been “in the works for a few years now”. She and her husband are retiring and no-one in the family want to take over the restaurant.
She tells Peterborough This Week the property has been sold and another restaurant will open in its place.
However, in a November 2018 Peterborough Examiner story by Joelle Kovach, Spiridis said that business at the restaurant had dropped off since Shorelines Casino Peterborough opened last October.
The casino’s The Buffet restaurant offers eight different buffets, ranging in price from $7.99 for brunch to $19.99 for prime rib and lobster.
“They’re attracting some of our customers — there’s no doubt about it,” Spiridis told The Examiner, saying the Carousel couldn’t compete with the low prices. “Basically they’re giving food away.”
Along with being a family restaurant, the Carousel has been a popular destination for family and corporate gatherings as well as business events. The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce has been holding its monthly breakfast meetings at the Carousel for many years.
East Coast singer-songwriter David Myles (centre) will perform at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough on April 24, 2019, accompanied by Alan Jeffries (left) on guitar and Kyle Cunjak on bass. (Photo: Mat Dunlap)
If a musical mad scientist mixed together the genes of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Chuck Berry, adding a dash of Chet Baker and James Taylor, the end result might very well be East Coast singer-songwriter David Myles.
Market Hall presents David Myles
When: Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 8 p.m. Where: Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) How much: $28 general admission, $33 assigned cabaret table seat
Tickets are available at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
Sporting his black-framed glasses and wearing stylish suits, the 37-year-old New Brunswick native certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to Buddy Holly.
But when it comes to his music, it’s difficult to pigeonhole him into a single genre. Over the course of his career, he’s covered almost every genre, including jazz, folk, pop, rockabilly, R&B, gospel, and even hip hop.
“I have a hard time doing that too,” Myles says in a 2018 interview with North Carolina’ Asheville Citizen-Times. “Each record is a journey for me … a journey into a different genre.”
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“I love the way that songs are built and love experimenting with all these different styles. My bread and butter is American roots music — a little bit of folk, a little bit of jazz — but I’ve done pop, hip-hop, gospel, R&B.”
VIDEO: “Real Love” – David Myles
Peterborough music fans have an opportunity to experience his eclectic music and entertaining live performance (he’s quite the dancer) on Wednesday, April 24th when Myles comes to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.
He’ll be accompanied by his long-time bandmates Alan Jeffries on guitar (named the Atlantic Canada Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Association’s Bluegrass Guitar Player of the Year in 2005) and Kyle Cunjak on bass.
“I know that’s a lot of different styles,” he adds. “But because it’s just the three of us onstage playing the same instruments, it’s consistent. The vibe never changes. It’s all about making an accessible, fun, diverse show for the audience.”
VIDEO: “If You Want Tonight” – David Myles
Like many successful musicians, Myles was surrounded by music as a child. While growing up in Fredericton, his family had two pianos and his father, who was a biology teacher at a local high school, directed the school’s musicals.
With a particular love for jazz, Myles began learning trumpet when he was 10 years old, playing in school bands and even studying at The Royal Conservatory of Music.
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Despite his passion for music, Myles decided he was going to become a lawyer. He attended Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, and graduated in 2003 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in political science, with a minor in Chinese.
In was that minor in Chinese that ultimately changed his career decision. In 2001, at the age of 21, he travelled to Hangzhou in China as a foreign exchange student to learn Mandarin. While he was there, he bought a $30 plywood guitar and began writing songs.
VIDEO: “Night & Day” – David Myles
“All my spare time was spent playing”, he recalls in a 2007 interview with Sean Flinn of The Coast. “I went from not playing at all to getting completely into the idea of being a songwriter.”
When he returned to Canada, he decided to pursue a career in music after graduating rather than going on to law school. But Myles promised his father (who passed away in 2017) that, even if he wasn’t going to become a lawyer, he would wear a suit and tie at his job — which he continues to do every time he steps on stage.
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In 2005, Myles released his debut album, Together and Alone, before moving to Halifax where he currently resides with his wife, CBC radio producer Nina Corfu, and their two daughters.
In 2006, he released his second album Things Have Changed, which earned him two Music Nova Scotia Awards and nominations for both the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Best New Artist Award and the East Coast Music Awards Galaxie Rising Star Recording of the Year.
VIDEO: “When It Comes My Turn” – David Myles
The song “When it Comes My Turn” from Things Have Changed went on to win the folk category at the 2008 Chris Austin Merlefest Songwriting Contest and the contemporary acoustic/folk category of the 2009 Great American Song Contest.
Since then, he has released 11 more albums, with his most recent being the 2018 acoustic version of 2017’s Real Love, which has a sound some listeners have described as ‘Elvis in Motown’.
“It is really reminiscent of the ’50s, early rock and roll country music,” Myles says in an interview with CBC. “It is hard to put a finger exactly on what it sounds like, but it takes you back and makes you want to dance.”
VIDEO: “Inner Ninja” – Classified featuring David Myles
Over the years, Myles has accumulated a slew of award nominations and wins, including a Juno Award in 2013 for Rap Recording of the Year for the song “Inner Nija” that he co-wrote with Nova Scotia rapper Luke Boyd (better known by his stage name Classified).
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Myles also appears alongside Classified in the video accompanying the tune, which went triple platinum in Canada, becoming the best selling rap single in Canadian history. The video has almost 4.5 million views on YouTube.
“After a Classified show in Edmonton, I ran into a fan,” Myles writes in a 2013 blog post on the Huffington Post website. “He looked at me, amazed, and said: ‘Hey, aren’t you the guy who plays the nerd in the video?’ I sure am. I don’t play the nerd, I AM the nerd.”
VIDEO: “Cry, Cry, Cry” – David Myles
Along with Classified, Myles’ friends and musical collaborators include Joel Plaskett, who produced Myles’ 2010 album Turn Time Off, and fellow native New Brunswicker Measha Brueggergosman, the acclaimed Canadian soprano.
Last fall saw a few firsts for Myles. He released his first francophone record Le Grand Départ, along with the acoustic version of Real Love. He debuted his first radio show, ” Myles From Home”, on CKUA in Alberta.
And he published his first book, Santa Never Brings Me A Banjo, a the children’s picture book illustrated by Murray Bain. It’s based on a Christmas song Myles wrote in 2014 (one of his daughters suggested he make the song into a book).
VIDEO: “Out of Love” – David Myles
Currently, Myles is working on a new full-length album he’ll be recording in June after his current tour, the first stop of which is at the Market Hall on April 24th.
“The most important part of my career is to be an entertainer, showing up where no one knows who I am and playing for a couple hundred people,” Myles tells the Asheville Citizen-Times. “They’re taking a risk spending money to come see me, and my job is to make sure that they have an awesome time — whether they’re 80 or 20.”
Tickets for David Myles’ April 24th concert at the Market Hall are $28 for general admission, or $33 for an assigned cabaret table seat, and are available at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at markethall.org.
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