Nathan Clifford (left) of Green Improvements is developing a computer-based system to enable beekeepers to monitor the health of their hives. Nathan is one of nine young entrepreneurs participating in this year's Summer Company program in the Kawarthas, an Ontario government program administered locally through the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre. A showcase of the student-run companies was held at Staples in Peterborough as part of the province-wide Summer Company-Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day on July 4, 2018. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Once again Peterborough has demonstrated it is a hotbed for young entrepreneurs. On Wednesday (July 4), nine students showcased their startups at Staples on Park Street in Peterborough.
The showcase was supported by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre — part of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development organization — that supports the creation of new student-owned and operated companies.
Summer Company, Ontario’s flagship youth entrepreneurship program, provides students aged 15 to 29 an opportunity to open and operate their own business during summer break. Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre has partnered with the program since 2001.
The program is based on the notion that empowering youth benefits the whole community.
“A big focus in economic development is on the attraction, development and retention of a skilled workforce,” says Rhonda Keenan, President & CEO of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development.
“This program offers an opportunity for students from high school, college or university to test the waters of entrepreneurship and get connected in the business community.”
Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett speaks at the Summer Company-Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day on July 4, 2018 at Staples in Peterborough, as young entrepreneur Noah Abrahamse of GoldWing Jazz looks on. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett was in attendance and addressed the crowd, commenting on the positive impact Summer Company has on its participants.
“When I bump into the young entrepreneurs after the showcase, they always describe it as positive experience,” Bennett says. “This generation has many opportunities with new media to reach a wide audience, something my generation didn’t have.”
Bennett’s comments ring true for all participants, who have used a variety of social media channels to spread awareness about their projects. Connectivity and self-marketing are invaluable tools for anyone starting a business and young people are taking advantage.
Lucas Graham – Socialize
Lucas Graham’s smartphone app, Socialize, helps people connect and network in real life. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Lucas Graham is one of those young people. His product, Socialize, aims to help people network. His proximity-based app uses Bluetooth technology to display information about other app users in the vicinity.
The app may sound similar to LinkedIn but Graham is quick to note that Socialize is more about in-the-moment, face-to-face connections.
“The goal is to connect people in person, rather than simply online,” he says, noting that he envisions the app being used by both professionals and students.
One feature of Socialize will be the virtual business card, where users can simply tap their smart phones and transfer their contact information and a user profile.
Graham acknowledges that among the next steps will be reaching out to businesses and organizations to raise awareness about Socialize.
Eric Hall – Spotless
Eric Hall is running Spotless, an interior car-detailing business, whose clients include the auto dealership who advised him there was no demand for the service. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Reaching out to local businesses is something Eric Hall, whose interior car-detailing business is called Spotless, started with when he began his journey into entrepreneurship.
Hall kicked off his project by contacting local auto dealerships to determine whether there was a demand for a car detailing service. Hall says he received mixed responses.
“One dealership told me that the market was too competitive for me to be successful,” Hall recalls. “Another one told me they had cars available right then that needed detailing.”
Hall went ahead with his plans and now has trouble keeping up with his clients, which include one of the dealerships that initially told him there was no need for his services.
Alexander McGrath – College Lake Labour
Alexander McGrath (right) is operating College Lake Labour with his best friend Bryce Wasson (left). The two are offering labour-for-hire services to clients in the Catchacoma and Gold Lake regions. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Alexander McGrath and Bryce Wasson of College Lake Labour are also experiencing a high volume of clients only a few months into their business.
Their startup is a small student-run, labour-for-hire service that assists clients with simple jobs around their cottage, marina, or home in the Catchacoma and Gold Lake regions.
“This business also allows me to put into practice the knowledge I’m learning at university,” explains McGrath, who is minoring in business at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
“We do work for our clients so they can enjoy their summer.”
Eric Wootton – The Highlands Dock Company
With his business The Highlands Dock Company, Eric Wootton is building high-quality and affordable docks. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Likewise, Eric Wootton’s product also aims to help cottagers enjoy their summers. Wootton’s one-man startup, The Highlands Dock Company, specializes in building quality custom docks at affordable prices.
Wootton, who just graduated high school, prides himself on efficiency and quality. For example, he says he can build a 6′ by 12′ dock with a ramp in as little as three days.
“The big companies can be expensive, and sometimes the product is even lower quality. I provide an affordable service that is equal to if not better than the quality of the docks made by the big companies.”
Jaleel Siddiqui – Alliance Living
Jaleel Siddiqui’s business Alliance Living intends to connect mature students looking for affordable housing with homeowers who need help maintaining their homes. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Affordability is an important factor in Jaleel Siddiqui’s business, Alliance Living.
As a student at Trent University, Siddiqui was forced to commute daily from Pickering to Peterborough due to the lack of affordable housing options in the city.
Siddiqui, who has a business administration degree and is now studying physiotherapy, built his startup around two different needs he identified within the city. While those over 55 are struggling to maintain their homes, students are struggling to find affordable accommodation.
Still in the marketing phase, Alliance Living aims to allow mature students to offset the cost of rent by assisting seniors with tasks around the house. The arrangement allows seniors to earn income and maintain their independence.
For those interested, Alliance will arrange each step in the process including screening applicants, interviewing candidates, and even coordinating payments.
Nathan Clifford – Green Improvements
Nathan Clifford of Green Improvements displays a honeycomb frame from a beehive. Nathan is developing PiHive, a beehive monitor that will provide beekeepers with accurate data about the health of their hives. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Nathan Clifford also saw a need within the community as declining bee populations pose a risk to our food supply.
Clifford’s startup, Green Improvements, is working on PiHive, a computer-based system that will enable beekeepers to monitor the health of their hives.
“I feel like this is important research,” says Clifford. “This tool will be able to provide scientists and beekeepers in this area with accurate data.”
Clifford notes that there is a lot of conflicting information about beekeeping in circulation. By creating this monitor, he hopes to take the speculation out of beekeeping. At this time, he is unaware of any comparable products in Canada.
Mason McMullen – Backwoods Landscaping Supplies and Woodworking
Mason McMullen will be offering a variety of local wood products through his business Backwoods Landscaping Supplies and Woodworking. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Using wood available on his family’s property in Lakefield, Mason McMullen of Backwoods Landscaping Supplies and Woodworking creates a variety of products, including cedar fence post/rails, firewood, mulch, meat smoker supplies, rough-cut lumber, custom furniture, and custom planters.
Gregory Postill – Metal Arts
Gregory Postill of Metal Arts, who unfortunately was unable to attend the event, is an artisan metal jewellery maker who uses traditional goldsmithing techniques to create one-of-a-kind pieces.
Noah Abrahamse – GoldWing Jazz
Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School student Noah Abrahamse is offering his musical skills for hire with his company GoldWing Jazz. (Photo: Amy Bowen / kawarthaNOW.com)
Noah Abrahamse of GoldWing Jazz, a soon-to-be grade 12 student at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, has turned his passion for music into a music entertainment company for hire.
From solo alto saxophone to a fun and funky jazz combo, light background music or a lively show, Abrahamse can provide the entertainment. You can sample his tunes every Saturday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Hot Belly Mama’s in downtown Peterborough.
All nine of the young entrepreneurs participating in this year’s Summer Company program developed their ideas from the resources at hand.
For more information about the Summer Company program, administered locally through the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre, visit peterboroughed.ca/small-business/summer-company/.
GreenUP Water Programs Coordinator Jenn McCallum places a BlueW Ptbo decal in the window at Black Honey Café on Hunter Street in downtown Peterborough. Look for the decal across the Kawarthas at businesses and public service buildings, marking them as destinations for re-filling up your reusable water bottle for free, or check bluewptbo.ca for a full listing. (Photo: Karen Halley / GreenUP)
Have you ever been out and about on a hot summer day, only to find out that your water bottle is empty? If so, you will want to tap into the GreenUP BlueW Ptbo program!
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Jenn McCallum, GreenUP Water Programs Coordinator.
BlueW Ptbo is an online map that shows you where you can find clean, free, public and commercial water sources to fill your reusable bottle at no cost, and with no expectation that you will buy anything. The map at bluewptbo.ca helps you to discover the local businesses and public service buildings that are participating in BlueW Ptbo.
You can also look for the BlueW decal in the windows of participating businesses.
Currently, there are 78 registered taps marked on the BlueW Peterborough map. Participating businesses are located throughout the Peterborough, Northumberland, and City of Kawartha Lakes region, and include Curve Lake, Hiawatha, and Alderville First Nations. Public libraries, parks, recreational facilities, and privately owned businesses are all mapped options for drinking water refills.
Participating businesses with the BlueW Ptbo decal will allow you to fill up your water bottle with municipal tap water at no cost and with no obligation to buy anything. (Graphic: BlueW Ptbo)
“I like to be part of a program that educates and informs,” says Lisa Dixon, owner of Black Honey Café in downtown Peterborough, “We are happy to offer a water bottle refill, and also encourage tap water to guests as they are seated.”
BlueW Ptbo is part of BlueW, an initiative that aims to provide free tap water wherever you are. This unique community-based program is dedicated to promoting municipal tap water as a healthy, easily accessible alternative to purchasing bottled drinks.
Evan Pilkington is the founder and managing director of BlueW.org program, which he launched in 2012.
“The goal of the BlueW is to promote access to drinking water, and to help people make better, healthier beverage choices,” Pilkington says. “The service that BlueW provides is in creating a dialogue between the water provider [municipalities], and the community that they provide water to.”
Since its inception, BlueW.org has expanded throughout North America, with over 26,000 businesses now listed for water refilling.
In 2016, GreenUP initiated the BlueW program in Peterborough through funding from the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, as part of its effort to promote drinking water over other — often sugary — beverage options. Currently, GreenUP delivers BlueW Ptbo through support from the Peterborough Utilities Group, promoting municipal tap water as a healthy and readily available source of drinking water.
“Since 1914 Peterborough Utilities has been providing safe, reliable, and consistently high-quality water from source to tap,” explains David Whitehouse, Vice-President Customer/Corporate Services and Conservation Officer at Peterborough Utilities Group. “When you find yourself away from your home tap, BlueW Ptbo can help you access tap water from other places around the city, maintaining a constant flow of refreshing and cold tap water even when your water bottle is empty.”
In the City of Peterborough, our municipal tap water comes from the Otonabee River — and is thoroughly treated before it reaches our taps, according to John Armour, Water Quality Specialist at the Water Treatment Plant.
“In addition to continual on-line monitoring throughout the drinking water treatment process, there are approximately 20,000 individual tests performed annually [to ensure that] Peterborough produces water that meets all Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards as outlined under Ontario Regulations 169/03.”
These 20,000 tests amount to one test every 30 minutes, and ensure that our drinking water is safe and healthy to drink.
In contrast, bottled water is regulated according to the Food and Drug Act, which has different standards and requirements and it is tested much less frequently. Water bottling plants are usually only inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency once every three to five years. When you consider that bottled water can cost up to 2,000 times the price of tap water, it seems like an unworthy expense.
Furthermore, it takes three litres of water and a quarter litre of fossil fuels to produce a single litre of bottled water, which is an intensive use of our natural resources. Many plastic water bottles end up in our landfills, or as litter in our forests and waterways, while very few make it to the recycling plant. Therefore, choosing to drink tap water in a reusable bottle is a better option for your health, your wallet, and for the environment.
The GreenUP store in downtown Peterborough carries a wide range of refillable water bottles of different sizes, shapes, and colours. (Photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
To learn which businesses and public service buildings will refill your water bottle for free, check out bluewptbo.ca and look for the BlueW decal in business windows.
We also have giveaway name tag stickers to help prevent you from losing your water bottle when you’re on the go! For more information about the program, contact Jenn McCallum, GreenUP Water Programs Coordinator, at jenn.mccallum@greenup.on.ca or by calling 705.745.3238 ext. 208.
If you would like to purchase a water bottle to take part in the BlueW program, check out the options at the GreenUP Store, which include S’Well, Kleen Kanteen, and Vapur water bottles of different sizes, shapes, and colours. S’Well and Kleen Kanteen bottles will keep your water cold for you for hours! For more information, stop by the GreenUP Store at 378 Aylmer Street North, between Simcoe and Hunter Streets.
Pop-reggae band Magic! (bassist Ben Spivak, lead singer/guitarist Nasi Atweh, drummer Alex Tanas, and guitarist/keyboardist Mark Pellizzer) performs a free concert at Peterborough Musicfest in Del Crary Park on Saturday, July 7, 2018. (Publicity photo)
The thing about a tough act being hard to follow is … well, it’s tough.
Peterborough Musicfest presents Magic!
When: Saturday, July 7, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: free
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent for $4/chair). VIP seating available for Sponsors and Fest Friends. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighborhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Take, for example, the song “Rude” by Magic!, the Canadian reggae-pop band currently based in Los Angeles.
Released on October 12, 2013 as the first single from the soon-to-follow Don’t Kill The Magic, the band’s debut album, it climbed to #6 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, cracked the Top 10 in numerous countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil, and enjoyed worldwide sales in excess of 10 million.
A juggernaut of a tune, “Rude” received more than 350 million streams, and the official video for the song now exceeds 1.5 billion views on YouTube — making it the 40th most viewed YouTube video of all time.
VIDEO: “Rude” – Magic!
“Rude” was clearly the ultimate tough act to follow. But on Saturday, July 7th at Del Crary Park, we will receive full evidence that there is plenty of “magic” left in the aftermath of initial success as Magic! performs a free concert at Peterborough Musicfest.
“I always enjoy singing Rude … but when you’re doing promo it’s different than when you’re touring,” says Magic! lead singer and guitarist Nasri Atweh in a 2016 interview with Dan Hyman of www.rollingstone.com.
“When you’re doing promo, you’re singing one or two songs over and over again. We would sing Rude three times a day, every day, often acoustically. It was like ‘This is ridiculous.’ It was a little much but still fun.”
Did the three words that every artist fears — one-hit wonder — ever fall on Nasri’s ears?
VIDEO: “Lay You Down Easy” – Magic!
“Nobody ever said that. I think a lot of people were like ‘Are you going to beat Rude?’ No and yes and who cares? We write our own music so whether it’s number one or number 20 (on the charts), it’s already successful for us because we’ve put out music that we’ve created.”
Each member of Magic! — Nasri along with Mark Pellizzer (guitar/keyboards), Ben Spivak (bass) and Alex Tanas (drums) — hails from Toronto. Heavily inspired by The Police and Bob Marley and The Wailers, they rehearsed their blend of reggae, pop, and R&B until they were ready to hit the studio to record Don’t Kill The Magic, from which all good things flowed. Along with the ongoing success of “Rude”, the album soared to #6 on the Billboard 100 chart.
VIDEO: “#SundayFunday” – Magic!
Almost overnight, it seemed everyone was talking or writing about Magic!, and the band subsequently toured with Maroon 5, performed with Marc Anthony at the 15th annual Latin Grammy Awards, and joined Wyclef Jean onstage for the 42nd annual American Awards.
Predictably, music industry acclaim followed in the form of two 2015 Juno Awards for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Single of the Year. In addition, Magic! was given the 2015 International Achievement Award by SOCAN (The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada).
Striking while the iron was hot, Magic! returned to the studio, the result being the June 2016 release of Primary Colours with its hit single “Lay You Down Easy” featuring Sean Paul. Both charted high in Canada, as did “#SundayFunday” which was released as a single only.
VIDEO: “No Way No” – Magic!
And that’s music to Nasri’s ears, as he wants Magic! to keep making music for a long, long time.
“We want people to trust us,” he says. “That’s not easy. But the consistency is how you develop trust. If we say ‘We’re going to deliver more great songs’ and fans listen and they don’t like it, they’ve lost interest. We have a plan and that plan is to take people on a musical adventure. We’re going to get old and weird and our songs have to be something that transcends everything.”
Following the breakout success of “Rude”, Magic!’s pop-reggae sound also attracted some criticism. One critic rather harshly wrote, “Rude is a reggae song the way a gas station taquito is a formal expression of Mexican cuisine. It’s a pop object with no content and only as much form as is necessary to deliver brief chemical gratification.”
VIDEO: “Kiss Me” – Magic!
That criticism hasn’t deterred Magic! Nasri not only points out that the band is quite popular in Jamaica and with reggae musicians, but their genre-fusing pop sound allows them to be more creative.
“Pop music has changed,” he says. “In the late seventies or early eighties, pop was pretty creative. Now it’s not. But we feel like we’re one of those acts that are a little more creative. We have embraced our sound. As a songwriter, I can go in a lot of directions. I can make something creative for myself that you might not really get but may sound cool or I can do something that we’ll all love.
“My band mates are extraordinary musicians, so I don’t want people to hear our music and not hear that. We had to write a lot of songs to get to songs that are catchy but also musical.”
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 18 free-admission concerts featuring a total of 20 acts during its 32nd season — each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2018 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
Toronto's western swing band The Double Cuts are one of the bands performing at the Lakefield Jazz, Art & Craft Festival on Saturday, July 7th. Other performers include the Ron Marenger Big Band, Barbra Lica, Mark Kelso & The Jazz Exiles, Alan Black & The Steady Band, and headliners Coldjack. (Publicity photo)
Ginny Sadlier, Tess Wilson, and Rachel Rutherford are three summer students working for the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism and Buckhorn & District Tourist Association.
The Kawartha Chamber and Buckhorn & District Tourist Association have welcomed three summer students:
Rachel is from Keene and has grown up in and experienced the best of the Kawarthas all her life.
In the fall, she will be heading back to Trent University for her last year in the Media Studies Program. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the Kawarthas, especially while walking her dogs through the many picturesque trails the Kawarthas have to offer.
Rachel is very excited to be working with the Kawartha Chamber as the Marketing & Tourism Assistant in Lakefield this summer, where she will be able to gain valuable experience through connecting with member businesses and the community.
Tess Wilson, Special Events and Tourism Assistant
Tess has been fortunate to grow up on a farm near Douro and has enjoyed learning about the town of Lakefield and the surrounding area through various volunteer positions.
She is currently going into her second year at Trent University in the Forensic Science Department and is hoping that her degree will lead her into the medical profession. In her free time, Tess enjoys dog training, white water paddling and exploring her local community.
Tess looks forward to representing the Kawartha Chamber at many events and collaborating with Ginny at the BDTA on weekends.
Ginny has enjoyed growing up in Selwyn which has allowed her the opportunity to get to know Lakefield, Buckhorn, and the surrounding area very well.
She is a recent graduate of Trent University, where she completed a BA in History and English Literature. In the fall, she is returning to Trent to pursue her Master’s degree in eighteenth century British and colonial history. From there, she is hoping to continue to follow a career as a university professor. Besides history and literature, Ginny enjoys running with her dog through the many beautiful trails around her home, kayaking, and learning more about the beautiful Kawartha Lakes.
Ginny is very excited to be representing the area to tourists at the Buckhorn Welcome Centre, and to be a part of the Kawartha Chamber team.
Chamber Seeking Sponsor Of New Award Category: Service Sector Excellence
The Kawartha Chamber is seeking a sponsor for its newest Awards of Excellence category: Service Sector Excellence.
This award honours a business that excels in the service sector, including but not limited to the trades, health and wellness, and professional services. This may be demonstrated by a willingness to go beyond the normal call of duty, maintaining an effective pre- and post-service relationship, possessing exemplary environmental practices, providing the client with value for money, expanding market share, and exhibiting a high level of expertise. (Tourism/hospitality providers, retailers, and not-for-profits should be nominated in their respective categories.)
The Chamber’s annual Summer Accommodation and Business Tour has had another successful year in 2018. The Chamber thanks all of the accommodations and businesses that welcomed its summer staff over the five days of tours.
Thanks to those members, summer staff at the Kawartha Chamber and the Buckhorn Welcome Centre are knowledgeable and confident in their ability to recommend businesses to visitors throughout the summer.
Check out the Chamber’s Twitter account @KawarthaChamber for pictures from the tour.
Did You Know?
The Kawartha Chamber is part of the Ontario Chamber Network and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. This means the Chamber provides a voice for its member businesses at municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government to advocate on their behalf.
The Chamber welcomes input and concerns from its members so that it can better serve them as an advocate for business in the Kawarthas.
Tourism Industry Awards Nominations Extended To July 13th
The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario has extended its award nominations until Friday, July 13th. The following awards are up for nomination:
The Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence (TIAO)
Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence (Culinary Tourism Alliance)
Ontario’s Choice Awards (Attractions Ontario)
Tourism Marketing & Travel Media Awards of Excellence (Destination Ontario)
Lakefield Jazz, Art & Craft Festival is this Saturday, July 7th
The bands performing at this year’s Lakefield Jazz, Art & Craft Festival.
The Lakefield Jazz, Art & Craft Festival and Selwyn Township invite you, your friends and family to come to a breezy day of outdoor summer living beside Lakefield’s scenic Otonabee River.
Enjoy a wide variety of hazz music, colourful works for sale by artisans and crafters, local food vendors, Black’s Distillery, and Publican House Brewery.
Arts and crafts exhibits open at 10 a.m., and musicians begin performing at 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Here’s the line-up:
Selwyn Township Announces Local Food Co-Operative Advertising Campaign
Member business Strexer-Harrop and Associates will be leading a three-month co-operative advertising and social media campaign with a focus on local food for the Township of Selwyn.
Local food retailers and producers can sign up to be a part of the campaign which will promote said businesses through social media, print and electronic communications, and on the Township website using the tagline “Our Small Towns = Big Selection”. The Township is subsidizing the sign-up costs to make the campaign more accessible to businesses.
Read more. To participate in the campaign, contact Adrienne Harrop at 705-768-6770 by Friday, July 6th.
Lakefield Literary Festival Featured As A Top Arts & Cultural Festival In North America
Some of the authors who are coming to the Lakefield Literary Festival from July 13 to 15, 2018.
The Lakefield Literary Festival is less than two weeks away, running from July 13th to 15th. There will be a host of amazing authors coming to showcase their publications, as well as great talks on the craft of writing.
This month, the festival was featured in a FlightNetwork article of the 40 best Arts & Culture Festivals in North America. Read the article and find out more about the festival at lakefieldliteraryfestival.com.
Selwyn Township Bike Share Program
You can now rent bicycles at the Lakefield Marina. (Photo: Township of Selwyn)
Selwyn Township is now offering residents and visitors, 16 years of age and older, the opportunity to rent bicycles as part of its Bike Share Program.
Rentals, including a helmet and bike, are available for rent at the Lakefield Marina. Rental fees are $10 for a full day (based on the hours of operation at the marina on the day of rental) or $5 for four hours or less.
Bikes must be returned within 15 minutes of the marina’s closing time. Find out more.
Community Futures Moving To New Location
Community Futures Peterborough is moving to the VentureNorth building at the corner of George and King Street in downtown Peterborough. They join Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development and the Peterborough Innovation Cluster at that location.
“This move allows us to be in a shared space with some of our key partners and to further strengthen those relationships all while reaching a new client base,” says Executive Drector Gail Moorhouse.
Community Futures plans to move to their new space by September 2018.
North Kawartha To Record Council Meetings
The Township of North Kawartha has announced the end of the pilot project relating to the audio and video recording of Council meetings.
Due to its success, they will continue recording the meetings conditional upon any technical difficulties that may be encountered.
Public meetings held in the Council Chambers are audio and video recorded and made available on the Township’s Youtube channel. Meeting minutes remain the official and permanent record of all meetings.
Community Care Starry Night Dance – July 28th
Community Care Peterborough is hosting a Starry Night Dance fundraiser on Saturday, July 28th.
The dance will be held at the Quarry Golf & Country Club at 447 Tara Road in Ennismore, and will run from 8 p.m. to midnight. Attendees will enjoy dancing to live music by True Confessions, featuring blues and light rock from the ’60s up to today.
Tickets are being sold for $20 in advance at the Chemung and Lakefield Community Care offices. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $25.
If your business or organization has a job opportunity you would like to advertise, you can add them to the Chamber’s website through your Member Information Centre account (or submit the description to info@kawarthachamber.ca) and the Chamber will share them in its next Newsflash.
Disc Golf And Pickle Ball In Selwyn
Two new recreational activities are now available to residents and visitors to Selwyn.
The Ennismore Optimist Club has spearheaded the addition of a nine-hole disc golf course in Ennismore Waterfront Park. Discs are available to borrow free from the Ennismore Library.
In addition, the club has partnered with Selwyn Township and Kingdon Timber Mart to renovate the tennis courts at Douglas Sports Park in Lakefield to be used for pickle ball as well.
Farmer’s Market at Craftworks at the Barn – Every Saturday
Estate Jewellery & Coins Purchasing Event – July 5th
Lakefield Jazz, Art, and Craft Festival on the River – July 7th
Free Community BBQ and Odds & Sods Sale – July 7th
Tickets for Ennismore Homestead Theatre go on sale – July 7th
Church-Key Brewing Summer Concert Series – July 7th
Discovery Days at Beavermead Campground – July 7th
For more information about the businesses and events listed above, please visit the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism website at kawarthachamber.ca.
All photos supplied by Kawartha Chamber of Commerce except where noted.
Local photographer Kirk Doughty captured this shot of the 2018 Canada Day fireworks over Little Lake in Peterborough. (Photo: Kirk Doughty)
Photographing fireworks can be tricky, but a couple of local photographers managed to captured the splendour of the 2018 Canada Day fireworks display over Little Lake in Peterborough on Sunday, July 1st.
Jason of Tauruscope Photography (@lynxtalon on Instagram) and Kirk Doughty shared their spectacular photos with kawarthaNOW.com.
The fireworks took place after Nunuvat folk rockers The Jerry Cans performed at Peterborough Musicfest at Del Crary Park, the second concert of the free summer concert series.
An aerial view of the crowd at Del Crary Park on Little Lake. (Photo: Jason / Tauruscope Photography)The fireworks began at dusk, launched from a platform in Little Lake. (Photo: Kirk Doughty)Photo by Jason / Tauruscope Photography.Photo by Kirk Doughty.Photo by Jason / Tauruscope Photography.Photo by Kirk Doughty.Photo by Jason / Tauruscope Photography.
Police have recovered the body of 40-year-old Todd Simpson of Clarington from Pigeon Lake near Bobcaygeon.
Simpson had gone went missing after an incident on Monday (July 2) around 6 p.m.
According to the OPP, he was swimming with friends from his personal houseboat when he attempted to help a female friend who was struggling in the water.
While she made it back onto the houseboat, he did not.
The OPP’s Underwater Search and Recovery Unit, as well as marine units from the Peterborough County OPP and the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP, assisted with the search.
The Underwater Search and Recovery Unit found Simpson’s body at 5:45 p.m. yesterday (July 3).
Hamilton roots rocker Terra Lightfoot and her band (Jeff Heisholt on keyboards, Maury LaFoy on bass, and Joel Haynes on drums), who will be kicking off the Peterborough Folk Festival with a ticketed concert at the Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on Friday, August 17, 2018. (Photo: Dustin Rabin Photography)
Hamilton singer-songwriter Terra Lightfoot is kicking off the 2018 Peterborough Folk Festival with a concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 17th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.
Tickets for the assigned-seating, all-ages show will cost $27 and will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4th.
Lightfoot began her musical career as a member of the Dinner Belles, a group of country-folk performers from Hamilton. She released her eponymous solo debut record in 2011, followed by Every Time My Mind Runs Wild in 2015, and New Mistakes in 2017 — the latter album nominated for the long list for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.
VIDEO: “Paradise” – Terra Lightfoot
Lightfoot is known for her dynamic live performances and extensive tour schedule — in 2017, she was honoured by the Canadian Independent Music Association for being a touring musician selling at least 25,000 concert seats in a 12-month period.
She previously played at the Peterborough Folk Festival in 2015, and last performed in Peterborough in September 2017 when she opened for Bruce Cockburn at Showplace Performance Centre.
VIDEO: “Pinball King” – Terra Ligthfoot
In addition to the kick-off concert, Peterborough Folk Festival organizers have already announced that The Spades, Bedouin Soundclash, and Basia Bulat will be performing at the 29th annual festival, which takes place from Friday, August 17th to Sunday, August 19th at Nichols Oval in Peterborough.
More acts will be announced soon. For more information about this year’s festival, visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com.
Camp Startup will inspire 20 young entrepreneurs and take them out of their comfort zone from September 14th to September 16th, 2018 at Camp Kawartha, located on Clear Lake 30 kilometres north of Peterborough. THe weekend bootcamp features business planning workshops, team-building exercises, networking opportunities, canoeing, archery, and more. All costs for participants are covered by FastStart Peterborough, a partnership between Trent University, Fleming College and the Innovation Cluster. Applications for this unique adventure are now open until Thursday, July 26th. (Photo: Samantha Moss)
For the last three years, FastStart Peterborough’s weekend portage camping trip in the Kawartha Highlands has challenged young entrepreneurs to get out of their comfort zone.
This year, the new and improved Camp Startup — previously known as the Kawartha Backcountry Entrepreneurship Experience — will be held at Camp Kawartha from Friday, September 14th to Sunday, September 16th
A group of 20 successful applicants between the ages of 18 and 29 will embark on a weekend bootcamp filled with teamwork exercises and workshops designed to move their innovative ideas to the next level.
VIDEO: Camp Startup — Leave Your Comfort Zone Behind
All of the costs for the bootcamp are covered by FastStart Peterborough, a partnership between Trent University, Fleming College, and the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and The Kawarthas that focuses on training young entrepreneurs to develop solid business plans that take their products and services to market.
The relocation of this year’s weekend retreat from the backcountry to Camp Kawartha is intended to make the experience more accessible for participants and to situate it closer to resources, which will allow for more intensive programming.
“While the portage trip is an exciting challenge, it is not accessible to all applicants and there are only so many supplies you can bring into the woods,” says Rosalea Terry, Marketing Manager and Senior Innovation Specialist at the Innovation Cluster.
While previous retreats took place in the Kawartha Highlands, this year’s new and improved Camp Startup will take place at Camp Kawartha, making the experience more accessible for participants and allowing for more intensive programming. (Photo: Samantha Moss)
Camp Kawartha’s award-winning facilities will allow workshops and activities to be diversified and expanded. In addition, the facility’s close proximity to Peterborough will allow for community organizations to participate and share knowledge with the young entrepreneurs.
On Friday evening, participants will arrive at the camp and spend time getting to know the fellow entrepreneurs they will spend the weekend with. Workshops and activities will be held throughout Saturday and Sunday.
In the workshops, participants will learn how to create strong business plans. A funding panel comprised of local funding organizations, tax and finance businesses, and banks will offer advice on how to access funding and investment to the up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Camp Startup takes young entrepreneurs out of the traditional office and into an outdoor camp environment, where they learn communication, teamwork, and leadership skills they can transfer to their businesses. (Photo: Samantha Moss)
Participants will also practice and receive feedback on their pitching techniques, which will culminate in a final pitching challenge at the end of the weekend where participants will compete to win a $500 cash prize.
But it won’t be all business. The young entrepreneurs can expect to have a lot of fun too.
Participants will test their skills on Camp Kawartha’s high ropes course and have access to canoeing on Clear Lake, as well as an archery range.
A favourite of the last three years is the “creative campfire rap battle”, an exercise that — if it hasn’t happened already — breaks the ice amongst participants and is sure to end the night in laughter.
Camp Startup is an initiative of FastStart Peterborough, a partnership between Trent University, Fleming College and the Innovation Cluster, which covers all the costs for the 20 successful applicants to attend the weekend retreat. (Photo: Samantha Moss)
Of all the ground-breaking initiatives the Innovation Cluster has helped to develop, this weekend bootcamp stands out for staff participants.
The Innovation Cluster’s downtown office space (known as The Cube) is designed to inspire, with colourful walls that encourage creativity and an open office design that facilitates collaboration, but getting out of the office and conversing in an outdoor camp setting is a unique experience that produces unique results.
“The young entrepreneurs leave after the weekend with a lot of soft skills, like communication, teamwork, and leadership skills,” Terry explains. “It’s hard to teach these skills in a traditional workshop setting, so the outdoor camp environment really encourages that.”
Camp Startup participants will work on their business plan and practice and receive feedback on their pitching techniques, culminating in a final pitching challenge at the end of the weekend where participants will compete to win a $500 cash prize. (Photo: Samantha Moss)
One of Terry’s favourite things about the weekend is the change she witnesses in participants within a short period of time.
“At first they are soft-spoken and reserved, but by the end of it they’ve gained so much confidence. They really open up.”.
For some participants, the weekend is a chance to develop the project they are already working on. For others, the retreat is where connections start and ideas grow.
“When participants arrive, they may not know anyone,” Terry says. “By the end of the weekend we see them talking about starting a business together.”
Not only does Camp Startup encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurship by providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, it creates connections and comradery among the participantss … sometimes even leading to entrepreneurial partnerships. (Photo: Samantha Moss)
Brock Grills and Spencer Langlois are two young entrepreneurs who met on a past FastStart Peterborough retreat. They formed a partnership that led to the development of a business idea, which they are currently working on at the Innovation Cluster’s downtown Cube.
“Brock and I were seated in the same canoe and even though we were in different teams, we still wanted to reconnect after the trip,” recalls Langlois.
Grills emphasizes the value of spending a weekend with other young entrepreneurs, guided by senior staff, in an outdoor camp environment.
“It gets young tech people out into the wilderness,” he says. “It created a lot of camaraderie that still exists in the Innovation Cluster today. It was a great trip that allowed me to meet people that I have created opportunities with. It taught me a lot about how to sort things out with limited resources and reach out to business people.”
The Camp Startup participants can expect to have a lot of fun while improving their business knowledge and skills, with access to Camp Kawartha’s high ropes course and archery range, canoeing on Clear Lake, and more. (Photo: Marlon Hazlewood)
Whether participants come with a business plan mapped out or in need of help with this step, the most important thing they should possess is an interest in entrepreneurship.
“We want to encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurship as a career path,” says Terry, emphasizing that the programming aims to show that becoming an entrepreneur is a viable profession.
The weekend promises to be a rewarding new experience for all involved. Retreat leaders are excited to meet the next batch of eager entrepreneurs and hope participants will leave feeling supported in their journey into the world of entrepreneurship.
Applications for this adventure are now open until Thursday, July 26th at midnight. To find out more and to apply, visit www.innovationcluster.ca/campstartup.
Peterborough's newest record store, ZAP Records, is now open at 425 George Street North in downtown Peterborough. The new store, at the former location of Moondance, is owned by Tim Horgan who also operates ZAP Records in Cobourg.(Photo: Lonnie Redden / Facebook)
This week’s business news features ZAP Records opening in downtown Peterborough, Community Futures Peterborough moving to the VentureNorth building, Steelworks Design beginning operations at its new Fisher Drive building, the Innovation Cluster’s Michael Skinner chairing a committee for the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce, the proposed integration of Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, Win This Space grand prize winner Nadine McCallen opening her new store Ritual Apothecary in downtown Peterborough, The Mane Intent founder Jennifer Garland presenting at an international conference in Ireland, and Amy Siegel announced as the new creative director of ReFrame Film Festival.
Regional business events added this week include Summer Company – Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day in Peterborough on July 4th, the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce Meet & Greet on July 10th, and a power breakfast featuring female entrepreneurs in STEM on July 27th.
We publish businessNOW every week. If you’d like us to promote your business news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
Some of the vinyl offerings at ZAP Records Peterborough, which officially opened on June 27, 2018. (Photo: ZAP Records / Facebook)
Peterborough’s newest record store, ZAP Records, officially opened last Wednesday (June 27) at 425 George Street North in downtown Peterborough.
The store is in the former location of Moondance, which closed at the end of April after owner Mike Taveroff retired.
Owned and operated by Tim Horgan, the new store is the second location for ZAP Records, which also operates at 45 King St. E. in downtown Cobourg.
Horgan is selling new and previously owned vinyl records and CDs, music collectibles and memorabilia, and more. Like Taveroff, Horgan will also do special orders for customers.
“Thanks to everyone who helped us get the new shop up and running,” Horgan wrote on Facebook following the opening, “and a Special Thank You to Lonnie Redden for all the work he did on renovations & electrical, and hooking up the tunes.”
ZAP Records in Peterborough is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Community Futures Peterborough moving to VentureNorth in downtown Peterborough
The VentureNorth building at 270 George Street North in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: VentureNorth / Facebook)
Community Futures Peterborough has announced it will be moving its offices from 351 Charlotte Street to the VentureNorth building at the corner of George and King Streets in downtown Peterborough.
The Board of Directors of the not-for-profit organization, which helps create and maintain jobs by providing flexible financing and support for small business, make the decision to allow the organization to become more visible in the downtown core and work closely with key community partners.
VentureNorth is already home to several tenants who are key partners for Community Futures Peterborough, including Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development and the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas. VentureNorth is also home to a significant number of tech start-ups, and the new location will allow Community Futures staff to provide greater outreach and mentoring services to these growing companies.
“Strategic partnerships are key to the growth of our organization to provide greater and more effective financial services to clients in our community,” says Gail Moorhouse, Executive Director at Community Futures Peterborough. “This move allows us to be in a shared space with some of our key partners and to further strengthen those relationships all while reaching a new client base.”
Community Futures Peterborough expects to be in the new VentureNorth location by September 2018. The building at 351 Charlotte Street will be advertised for sale in the coming weeks.
Steelworks Design moves into new building on Fisher Drive in Peterborough
Steelworks Design’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at 1961 Fisher Drive in Peterborough. (Photo: Steelworks Design / Facebook)
Starting today (July 3), Steelworks Design will begin operating in its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at 1961 Fisher Drive in the Major Bennett Industrial Park in Peterborough.
This new 112,000-square-foot building is also the new home of Kawartha Metals.
In an announcement, Steelworks Design states the larger and more high-tech facility will provides space to consolidate and streamline all of Steelworks Design’s operations and allow it to grow the business.
“The move will improve our production capabilities and be a place to foster innovation of our products and services,” says Don Barnet, President & CTO of Steelworks Design.
This year, Steelworks Design will be formalizing its five lines of business under one roof: automated fastening systems, automated assembly systems, lifting systems, engineering services, and service and maintenance.
An open house at the new facility is being planned for the fall of 2018.
Innovation Cluster’s Michael Skinner named Start-Ups committee chair for Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce
Innovation Cluster President and CEO Michael Skinner. (Photo: Innovation Cluster)
The Innovation Cluster has announced that its President and CEO, Michael Skinner, has been named as the chair of the Start-Ups Committee for the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce.
As chair of the committee, which aims to strengthen relations between start-ups in Brazil and Canada, Skinner will be responsible for developing new strategies and resources for Brazil start-ups who are looking to create connections with Canada.
“Through this position, I will be able to support the committee’s aim to implement a strong relationship between both countries’ startup ecosystems,” Skinner says. “As a result, we will strengthen each economy through innovation growth.”
In October 2017, the Innovation Cluster and Brazil incubator Feevale Techpark signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the growth of innovation and startup market expansion between the two organizations. According to the Innovation Cluster, the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in forming the partnership.
“The Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce is excited and honored to have someone with a proven track record lead the start-ups committee,” says Marcelo Konig Sarkis, the chamber’s president. “Michael’s additional business experience with Brazil is an added asset.”
Skinner will also be organizing “excursions” to Peterborough for innovative companies in Brazil that are looking to expand or relocate to Canada, as well as establishing and promoting thematic workshops, webinars, networking events. and focusing on topics relevant to the start-up sector within each country.
“We will support bringing new business opportunities to Brazil startups and in turn help foster new innovations on a global scale, carried out right here in the Peterborough region,” Skinner says.
Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay propose integration
Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) and Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Lindsay are proposing the two hospitals be integrated into a single hospital network with two sites.
The two hospitals have already been working together for many years, with existing partnerships and collaborations in diagnostic imaging, lab medicine, dialysis services, mental health, obstetrics and pediatrics, ophthalmology, and orthopedics.
Last Wednesday (June 27), the two hospitals submitted a joint directional plan to the Board of Directors of the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), the authority responsible for administration of public health care services in the region.
“An integration of this nature would put us among the top tier of large community hospitals in Ontario, giving us a stronger voice in attracting new programming and resources from the LHIN and the province, as well as increasing our attractiveness to prospective employees,” says PRHC President and CEO Dr. Peter McLaughlin.
The Central East LHIN Board of Directors passed a motion earlier this year directing PRHC and RMH to explore opportunities for integration between the two organizations, including the delivery of clinical and front-line services, back-office functions, leadership and governance. The same motion directed the two hospitals to develop a joint direction plan to guide the formal process between the two organizations.
The proposed integration would first need to be approved by the boards of both hospitals as well as by the Central East LHIN board and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
In addition, a series of public meetings is being scheduled in the geographies served by both hospitals, and an online survey will be launched in July to collect feedback from stakeholders and the public. Those interested are invited to submit their questions and comments by emailing integration@rmh.org or integration@prhc.on.ca.
Following the consultation process, the two hospitals will submit a joint integration proposal to the Central East LHIN board in September 2018, detailing their plans to move forward with the integration process.
Win This Space grand prize winner Nadine McCallen opening Ritual Apothecary on July 4
Nadine McCallen, grand prize winner of the 2018 Win This Space competition, is opening her new Ritual Apothecary store. (Photo: Peterborough DBIA)
Nadine McCallen, owner of The Willow’s Bark and grand prize winner of the 2018 Win This Space competition, will be opening her new store called Ritual Apothecary this week.
The new storefront, located at 196 Charlotte Street in downtown Peterborough, will have its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4th.
Ritual Apothecary will sell a newly expanded line of herbal remedy blends and skin care products from The Willow’s Bark, as well as handcrafted items from other makers of sustainable beauty products, skin care accessories, herbal remedies, and artisan goods.
There will also be an in-house herbal dispensary stocked by foragers and growers from the area where you can create your own tea blends or have a custom blend made for you on the spot. McCallen is also planning to host workshops and forest walks in the future.
The grand opening will feature samples, door prizes, as well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
As the grand prize winner of the 2018 Win This Space competition, McCallen won a prize package valued at more than $45,000 that includes the lease of a downtown Peterborough storefront free for a year.
The Mane Intent founder presents at international conference in Ireland
Sunny the horse with Jennifer Garland, owner and program director of The Mane Intent, which uses facilitated equine experiential learning to help teams, families, and individuals uncover their potential. (Photo: The Mane Intent)
Jennifer Garland, founder and director of The Mane Intent in Indian River, attended the 16th International HETI Congress of Equine Facilitated Programmes, held from June 25th to 29th in Dublin, Ireland.
Garland was one of three delegates from Canada to attend the conference, which included representation from 23 countries.
The Mane Intent Inc. uses facilitated equine experiential learning to help teams, families, and individuals uncover their potential.
Her Royal Highness Anne, The Princess Royal, Patron of HETI 2018, attended the conference. (Photo: HETI 2018 World Congress / Facebook)
At the conference, Garland presented The Mane Intent’s experience and research results to date from its “Building Internal Resilience Through Horses” program, a partnership project with Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and Trent University funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Her Royal Highness Anne, The Princess Royal, also attended the conference as patron. The Princess Royal has been President of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) for many years.
Amy Siegel is the new creative director of ReFrame Film Festival
Amy Siegel.
The board of directors of ReFrame Film Festival has announced Amy Siegel has been selected as the organization’s new creative director.
Siegel is an artist, educator, and organizer who has worked with schools, museums, non-profits, and festivals in the creation and promotion of artistic work. Her practice focuses on using film to tell critical stories based in themes of social justice and community empowerment.
A graduate of the Documentary Media MFA Program at Ryerson University, Siegel studied documentary film theory and history with a special focus in feminist performance practices. She has also produced for CBC’s Doc Project, written for POV Magazine, and has a forthcoming book chapter about feminist interventions in performance wrestling.
“The range and quality of the programming at ReFrame is well-known and the position seemed like the perfect opportunity to meld my passions for documentary storytelling, community building and public programming,” Siegel says. “I have been searching for a way to move to this area for a long time; a quieter city that is supportive of arts and culture, access to local produce, and the close proximity to open skies and lakes, are all such incredible gifts.”
ReFrame 2019 is scheduled to take place from January 24th to 27th.
Summer Social PBX at Kawartha Lakes Construction on July 3
The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism and the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to host a county-fair-themed Peterborough Business Exchange (PBX) from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 3rd at Kawartha Lakes Construction (3359 Lakefield Rd., Lakefield)
A great opportunity to meet and network with Chamber members and others, there will be lots of games, prizes, caricatures, and delicious refreshments to go around to celebrate the season and the community.
Summer Company – Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day in Peterborough on July 4
Every year, the Government of Ontario and Staples Canada showcase young entrepreneurs who are part of the Summer Company program at Staples locations across the province.
Summer Company is a program that provides students between the ages of 15 and 29 with up to $3,000 in start-up money to kick off a new summer business, as well as advice and mentorship from local business leaders to help get the business up and running.
The year’s Summer Company – Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day takes place on Wednesday, July 4th. In Peterborough, it will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Staples Peterborough (109 Park St. S., Peterborough), where Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development — which administers the program locally — will be showcasing the nine student entrepreneurs participating in Summer Company 2018.
This event is free and open to the public.
Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce Meet & Greet at Moonlit Pines Guest House on July 10
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce is holding its next “Meet & Greet” networking event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10th at Moonlit Pines Guest House (6108-6A Curtis Point Rd., Roseneath).
Hosted by Chamber members on the second Tuesday of every month, this month’s Meet & Greet will be hosted by Chris and Kerin Valcourt of Moonlit Pines Guest House. In addition to networking with other local business people, you’ll have an opportunity to explore this beautifully appointed guest house.
The Chamber will also be announcing the travel partner and exotic destination for its 2019 Chamber trip.
Innovation Cluster hosts “Power Breakfast: Women in STEM – Building Business and Breaking Barriers” on July 27
The Innovation Cluster is hosting “Power Breakfast: Women in STEM – Building Business and Breaking Barriers” from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, July 27th at Holiday Inn Peterborough-Waterfront (150 George St., Peterborough).
Over a hot breakfast, four successful female entrepreneurs will speak about their experiences in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), as well as the importance of maintaining and promoting women in STEM.
The speakers are Dr. Kate Withers (Business Development Manager for Central Ontario from Ontario Centres of Excellence), Miriam Verberg (Executive Producer of Bloom Digital Media), Dr. Andressa Lacerda (Chief Development Officer and Co-Founder of Noblegen Inc.) and Rhonda Barnet (President and Chief Operating Officer of Steelworks Design and National Board of Directors Chair for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters).
Northumberland chambers host accessibility workshop for businesses on August 13
The local chambers of commerce in Northumberland County are hosting the “Discover Ability Workshop” from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, August 13th at Warkworth Legion (6 Norham Rd., Warkworth).
You can learn about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), how it applies to your business (including your responsibilities under the legislation), and the advantages of developing an inclusive workforce. Light refreshments will be provided.
The Trews (pictured are founding members vocalist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, and bassist Jack Syperek) will be performing a free concert along with current drummer Chris Gormley and long-time touring keyboardist Jeff Heisholt at Peterborough Musicfest on Wednesday, July 4th at Del Crary Park. (Publicity photo)
What is it about Canada’s East Coast that has brought us so many talented singers and musicians?
Peterborough Musicfest presents The Trews
When: Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 8 p.m. Where: Del Crary Park (100 George St. N., Peterborough) How much: free
Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets (lawn chairs are available to rent for $4/chair). VIP seating available for Sponsors and Fest Friends. No smoking, alcohol, or pets permitted. There’s no public parking at Del Crary Park, but there’s neighborhood street parking nearby and ample parking in downtown Peterborough.
Is it something in the water? Could be. There’s enough of it. Or is it the storied tradition that has seen fiddle reels and an unbridled love of music as a time honoured family ritual passed on from grandparents to parents to children? That’s more likely. Whatever the case, there’s no denying the result.
Peterborough Musicfest organizers are certainly on board. This summer, the annual free summer concert series is embracing East Coast-born music in a big way, welcoming Newfoundland native Alan Doyle along with Nova Scotia’s Wintersleep and, first up this Wednesday, The Trews — returning to the Fred Anderson Stage at Del Crary Park for the first time since the band’s inaugural visit in 2006.
VIDEO: “Not Ready To Go” – The Trews
Gifted with five Juno award nominations, 17 East Coast Music Award nominations which have brought forth seven wins, and numerous top 10 albums and singles, The Trews — founding members and brothers Colin MacDonald (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) and John-Angus MacDonald (lead guitar), and Jack Syperek (bass), along with current drummer Chris Gormley and long-time touring keyboardist Jeff Heisholt — have little, if anything, to prove at this stage.
It’s pretty much a case of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and that sits very well with fans of the Antigonish-born band, currently based in Hamilton. As John-Angus says in a 2017 interview with Jason Setnyk of The Cornwall Seeker, the band has evolved and yet remained the same over the past 21 years.
“Life happens — marriages happen, marriages fall apart, kids happen, bad habits develop, band members come and go, the business changes, you get better in some ways and worse in others — but all the while we are the same people committed to this band and writing songs and playing music together,” he explains.
Founding members of The Trews, brothers John-Angus and Colin MacDonald with Jack Syperek, performing as teenagers at The Marquee in Halifax in the late 1990s. The Trews originally formed with the name One I’d Trouser in 1997 before becoming The Trews with since-departed drummer Sean Dalton. (Photo: The Trews / Facebook)
Since forming in 1997 — the band’s original name was One I’d Trouser, a line taken from a song in the Monty Python film The Meaning of Life — this consistency has worked out very well for The Trews.
In early summer 2002, after winning a talent search contest sponsored by a St. Catharines radio station, the band was signed to a recording contract and released its debut album House Of Ill Fame the following year.
That brought immediate results, with the album achieving gold record status while producing the number one hit single “Not Ready To Go”, and bringing the band two Juno Award nominations including New Group of the Year.
VIDEO: “Yearning” – The Trews
“We had no idea it would be a big hit,” recalls John-Angus of “Not Ready to Go”.
“In fact, when we hit the road for that album, before it was released as a single we rarely played it. It was just one of our riffs that we played in the jam space and made up a simple song to. I don’t like to think of the eventual result of a song while writing it. I think it stifles creativity and takes away the organic nature of the process.”
The band’s 2005 follow-up Den Of Thieves was also certified gold in Canada and gave The Trews their second number one single with “Yearning”. That success had the band’s name on the lips of rock music fans across the country. The Trews were clearly not another one-hit wonder.
VIDEO: “Hold Me In Your Arms” – The Trews
The Trews premiered “Hold Me In Your Arms” — the first single from the band’s third album, 2008’s No Time For Later — during the 2007 Grey Cup pre-game show. It received a lot of traction when it hit number one on MuchMusic the following April.
“That was cool,” John-Angus says. “MuchMusic meant so much in those days and having your video on ten times a day certainly didn’t hurt.”
“Hold Me In Your Arms” solidified the band’s standing, earning gold status in Canada and earning the band two more Juno Award nominations in 2009. Another would come in 2010 for the DVD from The Trews’ second live album Acoustic – Friends & Total Strangers.
Two more studio albums followed — Hope And Ruin in 2011 and The Trews in 2014 — but it was the single “Highway Of Heroes” that lifted the band to yet another level and brought them fans from a much wider demographic in the process.
VIDEO: “Highway of Heroes” – The Trews
Inspired by the 2006 death of Captain Nichola Goddard — the first Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan and a schoolmate of members of the Trews — the song refers to the stretch of Highway 401 between CFB Trenton and Toronto, where hundreds gather on bridges and overpasses to mourn soldiers killed in Afghanistan as the bodies of the fallen soldiers are transported from Trenton to the coroner’s office in Toronto’s downtown core.
Made available on iTunes in Canada only, with all proceeds from sales going to the Canadian Hero Fund, “Highway Of Heroes” was certified gold in Canada with sales of more than 40,000 digital downloads.
In 2016, The Trews released Time Capsule, a compilation album of its hit music.
“The honest answer is contractual obligation,” says John-Angus of the album’s release.
“It was part of our record contract, that after so many releases they would put one out. We were a little resistant to the idea at first cause we didn’t want to send a signal that we were packing it in or anything, but once we embraced it as a new project and started doing new tracks and digging out old ones, it got kind of fun.”
“We’ve written hundreds of songs since our last full length album back in 2014,” John-Angus says. “Some of those showed up on Time Capsule. We’re pretty happy with where things are at creatively and have been debuting new material at our shows.”
VIDEO: “Vintage Love” – The Trews
VIDEO: “The New Us” – The Trews
The Trews are preparing for the September 14th release of the band’s sixth studio album Civilianaires, with the two new singles “Vintage Love” and “The New Us” from the upcoming album released earlier this year, so expect to hear some new material at the Peterborough Musicfest concert.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 18 free-admission concerts featuring a total of 20 acts during its 32nd season — each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2018 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
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