PTBOCanada Featured Post: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development Celebrates Small Business Week
/
Sponsored post by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development
Read MorePeterborough Blogs
Voice of Business: How We Get To Net-Zero Matters
/
Climate change is a pressing business issue.
We’re dealing with the effects on a regular basis with extreme weather events happening far more frequently than decades ago. Referring to disasters as once-in-a-century events has lost its relevance. Floods, wildfires, wind storms, and hurricanes have shuttered businesses, cut off supply chains, spoiled goods, and taken lives. And we’re paying the insurance premiums to prove it.
All levels of government have pledged some form of commitment toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling the effects of climate change.
The federal government has established its goal of creating net-zero emissions by 2050 with Environment and Climate Change Canada supplementing it with the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. It established the Net-Zero Advisory Body in 2021 as a group of independent experts to provide advice on pathways for Canada to achieve net-zero emissions. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Net-Zero Council is part of this advisory body.
The CCC along with partners at PwC Canada have put together a report titled How We Get There Matters: Establishing a Path to Net-zero in Canada. It has four core principles:
1. The 2030 roadmap must firmly position Canada to achieve its net-zero target for 2050
This means that a key goal of actions taken between now and 2030 should be to enable delivery of the 2050 target, rather than short-term measures that may help deliver on 2030 targets but cannot be leveraged thereafter. These actions may consist of pilot programs, feasibility studies and consultations to position initiatives for major emissions reduction in the coming decades. In the absence of this, we risk our ability to reach our net-zero goal and/or risk needing to resort to extreme measures in later years.
2. Canada’s net-zero plan must be tightly coupled with its economic goals
This will ensure that fulfilling Canada’s commitment to contribute to the global fight against climate change and maintaining/improving our standard of living will not be seen as either/or.
3. Canada’s economic plan and the net-zero transition plan must consider the global context
This consideration is necessary to protect competitiveness of Canadian businesses and avoid carbon leakages to other countries.
4. Canada’s net-zero plan should deliver an orderly and inclusive transition
This is critical to avoid economic crises and energy crises and to ensure the ongoing support of Canadians for Canada’s commitment to net-zero.
Among its key recommendations are that Canada should:
Increase overall net-zero funding and do more to de-risk and address barriers to private
sector investment
Adopt a common definition for what constitutes investment that supports net-zero
Consider a holistic picture of emissions
Design policy options to incentivize emission reductions in Canada’s international
Supply chains
Develop a detailed net-zero skills plan to unlock the opportunities that net-zero will bring
Develop a plan for funding decarbonization equitably
Develop a public engagement and information strategy
It’s going to take intentional investment from both the private and public sector to tackle climate change and make meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. At this point, all options involve significant investments and costs — including inaction. It’s critical that we work as effectively and efficiently together across sectors to make the best use of time and money and position us to be competitive now and in the future. As the report says right at the start — how we get there matters.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Keep Fit Women, Mac and Cheese Festival, Wild Rock and The Main Ingredient
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Kate Ward is the proud owner of the newest division of Keep Fit Women.
Keep Fit Women provides effective and fun workouts and nutrition education, combined with mindset practices, group accountability and community motivation and support. The Grand Opening is this Sunday at Jackson Park on 610 Parkhill Rd. at 11 a.m. where Ward will explain more about the programs, cut the ribbon and serve up some giveaways and treats.
The DBIA’s annual Mac + Cheese Festival is back with 20 mac and cheese dishes to explore throughout the downtown restaurant scene this month.
From the innovative to the traditional, carb lovers will have lots to choose from this year including vegan and gluten-free options. For details and a Mac Map visit ptbomacandcheesefest.com.
Scott Murison and Kieran Andrews recently marked their 30th anniversary in business with Wild Rock, a milestone celebrated by many of their loyal followers.
Kieran and Scott are also celebrating with the announcement that two of their long-time employees, Tori Silvera and Jeff Faulds will be acquiring majority ownership of the iconic downtown store. Scott and Kieran will still be around, it’s all part of a carefully crafted succession plan. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Speaking of transitions, Ken and Deb Fraser of The Main Ingredient, recently announced the sale of their business to Mike and Whitney Hall.
Ken and Deb started The Main Ingredient in 1979 and through various permutations have stayed with their original fundamental approach – a buy-what-you-need bulk health food store, selling supplements, ingredients, dried fruits, kitchenware and more.
Clothing Store 'The Neighbourhood Vintage' Opens Its Doors in Downtown Peterborough
/Wearing classic gear is becoming hip in Downtown Peterborough as Vintage retail clothing store The Neighbourhood Vintage opened for the first time on Friday afternoon.
“This is a shop space, where we can all be in the store together with our items, and a place for people to come try things on and see things and touch things instead of just buying them online, which is how most of us were initially selling,” said Jacquelyn Craft, owner. “Earlier in the spring, I decided to pursue it and actually look into making it official, starting a real business. That’s where the idea for The Neighbourhood Vintage came about.”
Along with other vintage vendors in the Peterborough area, Craft had been discussing opening a physical space to sell their clothing for years.
The Neighbourhood Vintage carries items from eight vendors including Craft’s own brand, Minty Vintage.
Living Local Marketplace Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With Gourmet Goods Expansion
/It was a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was one year in the making but Alicia Doris celebrated the first anniversary of her brick-and-mortar artisanal shop Living Local Marketplace with a gourmet goods expansion on Wednesday morning.
Alicia Doris has previously worked as a journalist for the Toronto Star and in the local media. Her gourmet goods section was formerly used for storage space. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Doris was unable to do grand opening festivities due to COVID-19 restrictions. She took the storefront’s anniversary as a make-up day to do the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 200-square feet expansion of a gourmet goods section was due to increasing demand and requests from customers.
“I'm just so grateful to be able to share the work of local artisans and small businesses,” said Doris. “They really are the backbone of Living Local Marketplace and to be able to respond to my customers' needs, they're really loving the gourmet goods.”
Her shop sells locally-created artisanal goods that include housewares, personal care and hygiene products and the newly-added gourmet goods. Customers can create customizable gift boxes that can be picked up or delivered from local artizans.
Doris began the business after becoming unemployed at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020.
Originally beginning as a passion project of that spring, Living Local was a seasonal subscription box that shared the work of artisans and small businesses in The Kawarthas. It pivoted to an online gift box shop in the fall of the same year due to higher demand.
“It's all about the people behind the products,” explained Doris. “When we purchase these goods — which are always very high quality — we're supporting our community members, our friends and our neighbours and colleagues. It's an easy connection to make.”
During the ceremony, Doris announced the launch of custom corporate gift boxes that can be delivered coast-to-coast.
Living Local Marketplace was a beneficiary of the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development Starter Company Plus Program, receiving a share of a $36,000 grant in December 2020.
Voice of Business: Municipal Elections Are Opportunities to Shape the Future of Our Region
/Elections are a crucial time for engaging with our future leaders and sharing our ideas and vision for what the future should look like.
No government has more of a hands-on impact on our day-to-day lives than our local municipalities.
Election campaigns are often viewed as a one-way message — what will you (or your party) do for us? What really sets municipal campaigns apart from federal and provincial candidates is the community-level engagement. Many council candidates will knock on every door in their ward, some more than once. They are there just as much to hear what you have to say as they are to spread their message about their platform.
It's also representation on a whole different scale. We currently have 113 candidates vying for 51 elected positions in the City and County, a notable increase from the three MPs and MPPs that cover our region (and beyond).
Some may have party affiliations and political leanings, but that’s as far as it goes. Each candidate fundraises for themselves, sets their own platform, and represents their own ideals. This type of campaign offers a high level of flexibility. The questions you ask are just as important as the answers they provide. It sets the tone for what our community values.
That’s why we at the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce decided to go all-in this municipal election in terms of engaging both candidates and the community. We are strictly non-partisan in terms of promoting any specific candidates or ballot questions. Our goal is to engage candidates and the public to be informed on local business issues that will guide the future of our region for years to come.
Watch Peterborough County township debates:
If you are a resident of a township in the County of Peterborough or just want to get up-to-date on local issues and candidates, last week we hosted debates via Zoom in all eight townships. You can view all of these recorded debates here: https://www.peterboroughchamber.ca/2022-municipal-election.html
City council questionnaire:
All candidates running for positions on council were sent a questionnaire with 10 questions relating to local business and community issues. We began publishing their responses yesterday on our website: https://www.peterboroughchamber.ca/2022-municipal-election.html
City mayoral debate
Join us Thursday, Oct. 6 for a City of Peterborough mayoral candidates debate at Market Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the debate will start at 7 p.m. Please note that seating is limited and first come, first served. We will also be live streaming it on our YouTube channel, which will later be published on our website and aired on YourTV.
An engaged and informed community is most effective when people vote. For details on how to vote in your municipality, go to:
City of Peterborough
Township of Asphodel-Norwood
Township of Cavan Monaghan
Township of Douro-Dummer
Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen
Township of North Kawartha
Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan
Selwyn Township
Municipality of Trent Lakes
Election day is Oct 24. Internet voting is open in the City of Peterborough and elsewhere with advanced polls starting Saturday, Oct. 8.
Please take the next few weeks to ask questions, let your local candidates know what you would like to see, learn more about their plans and be sure to vote.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
The Main Ingredient Under New Ownership After 43 Years Of Serving Peterborough
/The Main Ingredient torch has been passed on as longtime owners Ken and Deb Fraser have sold the Peterborough business to couple Mike and Whitney Hall announced in a Facebook post on Friday.
From left to right: Mike Hall, Deb Fraser, Ken Fraser, Whitney Hall and Summer Hall. The Main Ingredient first opened at 326 Charlotte St. and had a now-closed second location called Main Ingredient Too on 111 Hunter St. E. Photo courtesy of The Main Ingredient.
Located at 326 Charlotte St., The Main Ingredient has been selling supplements, ingredients, dried fruits and more since 1979.
The Fraser’s opened the environmentally-conscious, buy-what-you-need, bulk health food store and promoted the use of reusable containers to reduce excess waste. After 43 years they have decided to retire as the owners of The Main Ingredient.
“We will always be thankful for every customer who chose to shop local and step through our doors. We’ve always known that we have the BEST customers and Peterborough is the best place to do business,” wrote Fraser. “There comes a time, however, when one must decide to pass on the baton. Deb and I are retiring. We have a lovely couple that have chosen to take on that baton.”
The Halls are musicians and their band Paper Shakers performed at Peterborough Musicfest in 2019.
Mike began working at The Main Ingredient a year and a half ago. He quickly stepped into a managerial role, as Whitney helped the brand with social media and marketing.
In August 2021, he was approached by Ken to take over the store.
“There were so many qualities I think that Ken saw of himself in Mike, and knowing that we are having our own little family I think he sees him and Deb,” said Whitney.
The new owners are used to being business partners in the music industry but say buying and running The Main Ingredient has been a learning curve.
“We’re used to promoting singles and asking the press to come to a rock show, and now we’re like ‘do you need a cup of flour?’” laughed Mike.
These new owners say they are excited to explore what they can bring to the business and hope to expand the catalogue of kitchenware and kitchen decor items they sell.
“It’s been really fun for me to get to dream a little bit for the both of us, like where we want this to go and how we can best serve our community,” said Whitney. “We would love to turn The Main Ingredient into a foodie community. Somewhere where people love to cook and love to eat, where they can come to find new ingredients and products.”
“We want to create a very fun culture for students, the elderly, everybody. A place to come eat food, talk about food and have a good time,” said Mike.
StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Victoria Yeh, Home Builders Association, Dennis Geelen and Municipal Election
/PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…
Victoria Yeh is a fusion violinist who recently moved to Peterborough.
She is setting up her new studio at 159 King St. in Downtown Peterborough where she will be taking on advanced students and expanding her performance and recording portfolio.
In addition to a bustling career as a solo artist and member of several bands, Yeh is also a teacher, composer, arranger and recording artist. Her and her family were attracted to Peterborough by the vibrant arts scene, and she is looking forward to diving in and making connections. If you’re looking for unique entertainment for an upcoming event, or a new violin teacher, visit victoriayeh.com
Members of the local Home Builders Association did well at the recent Ontario Home Builders Association 2022 Awards of Distinction.
Dietrich Homes won for Best Model Home, ACM Designs was a Finalist for their Bathroom Renovation called Graceful Oasis, Kawartha Lakes Construction with an Honourable mention under the renovations category and the Peterborough & The Kawarthas Home Builders Association itself was honoured with the Local Association of the Year award, in recognition of the work done locally by Rebecca Schillemat and Shanelle Jackson. Congratulations to everyone!
Stu Harrison mentioned Dennis Geelen and his new book and playbook called the Accidental Solopreneur.
Community Futures Peterborough now has him lined up for a special workshop Tuesday (Oct. 4) morning from 8 until Noon. Designed to help you get more clients, you can register for the free webinar on Eventbrite.
With the Municipal Election on the Horizon the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce hosted debates in each of the eight townships last week.
All of the debates were recorded and are now on the Chamber website. All of the City Ward Candidates have been sent a questionnaire, and the Mayors debate will go in-person this Thursday at The Market Hall, with limited seating on a first come first served basis, or you can watch it live on the Chamber’s Youtube Channel. All the debates will be rebroadcast on Cogeco YourTV. Full details are at pkchamber.ca.
The City and Green Economy Peterborough Offers Early Bird Registration New Businesses
/The City of Peterborough is offering local businesses an early-bird registration opportunity to join Green Economy Peterborough (GEP) for next year to support local organizations taking action on climate change and building sustainability announced on Thursday.
The City of Peterborough is a founding member of Green Economy Peterborough, a network of businesses and organizations that share resources and best practices. Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.
