Peterborough Blogs
Voice of Business: Make Better Business Decisions With Data
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There is no shortage of data in this day and age.
We live and work online, we survey and poll, our services run through digital systems — much of what we do is tracked and analysed in some shape or form. Economists often refer to data as the new oil both in terms of its global economic value and in what it means for growing businesses.
We get a number of requests at the Chamber for data on a variety of subjects and business sectors. While we can help provide some data and analysis, we also rely on our community and industry partners for raw and aggregate data.
Here are a few places to look for free, high-quality data for making decisions for your business:
Business Data Lab
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce launched the Business Data Lab (BDL) a year ago. It brings together data from a variety of sources to track evolving market conditions and provide Canadian businesses with critical information to help make better decisions and improve performance. The BDL provides timely reports and analysis on things like the economy, workforce mobility trends, and business conditions.
The BDL also includes the Business Conditions Terminal, which provides access to real-time data on markets that matter to your business with high-quality, high-frequency indicators.
Workforce Development Board
Looking for information on local workforce trends? The Workforce Development Board is able to access data that isn’t always available to the general public or can be expensive for an individual business to purchase. They also track local labour activity. With this data, they provide analysis and reports with valuable insights businesses can use to help grow their workforce and figure out what are competitive salaries.
Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED)
The website is branded Invest Peterborough and the Kawarthas for a reason — the Data and Resource hub on their website includes information on all things Peterborough, including market information, quality of life data, logistics, talent, demographics, economics, major employers, reports on various sectors and economic development opportunities, and more. PKED is in the midst of their annual Business Count, a comprehensive survey of local businesses that runs through August and provides in-depth tracking and analysis on local businesses.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
The policy team at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) have put together some comprehensive reports and policy papers on various business issues. Where the Business Data Lab offers large swaths of data that can be narrowed down to specific sectors and geographics, the CCC provides data based on issues like cyber security, international trade, cannabis regulation, supply chains, Indigenous affairs, and more.
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Similar to the CCC, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) provides a lot of resources, including data, relating to issues with a provincial scope, like healthcare, Ontario’s economy, transportation and supply chain, and cyber security. Their publications include some very in-depth reports, often partnered with other industry associations, on specific topics like tourism and aggregates.
Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce
Our website has a Resource Hub where we have compiled resources and information on topics like starting or growing a business, exporting, training, workforce, and research. Some of the information links to work from our partners and some of it will point you to services offered by our members. It’s a great place to get started and find some new places to source information.
Statistics Canada
If there’s data regarding people and businesses across Canada, there’s a good chance Statistics Canada tracks it. A lot of businesses and agencies, including the Chamber, rely on data from Statistics Canada for our research and reports. They offer raw data and non-partisan analysis.
Your own business!
When it comes to market research, no one knows your customers and their habits better than you and the technology you use to run your business. Your point-of-sale system, website, social media, customer relationship management (CRM) software, newsletter, and advertisements are all gathering valuable information on who your customers are, how and when they spend money, where they are, what they like, and what motivates them. It can also find people who have similarities to your customers, but aren’t currently spending money with you. If you’re unsure how to fully access the potential of your data, we have a Digital Service Squad member ready to connect and offer one-on-one help for free. Additionally, the Chamber has several experts within our membership and grants to cover some of the cost.
This list is nowhere near exhaustive, but is a good place to start. Chances are, there is an industry group with specific knowledge and data on your business sector. There are also a host of businesses, non-profits, charities, and government agencies with data on pretty much any issue and sector. Not sure where to look? Connect with the Chamber and we can help.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Scott McDonald, Viamede Resort, KMA and Grace Murphy
/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…
Scott McDonald is an industrial engineer who has just opened his own consulting firm.
With 25 years experience with Ford, GM, GE, Suzuki and Viceroy Homes, McDonald is a continuous improvement expert on techniques like Kaizen, Lean, and Six Sigma. He can help your business with Strategic and Operational Planning, KPI development and alignment, Capital planning, project management, Interim management support, and Board advisory services. Visit Scott-Mcdonald.ca or call 705-930-0522.
Viamede Resort is getting nine new cabins this Summer.
Mortlock Construction is the construction manager and as usual, Craig Mortlock has lined up over 25 local suppliers and trades to complete the project. Local companies include Apsley and Chemong Home Hardware, Cambium, Earle Excavating, E. Carter and Kawartha Concrete, Engage Engineering, Floortrends, Gord Crosby, Painter Plus, Vandermeulen Plumbing and more. The project includes 9 two-bedroom cabins, regrading and landscaping, and a new septic system and services. Viamede is taking bookings for the new cabins now. Viamede.com and mortlockconstruction.com.
Are you a Manufacturer in Peterborough or the City of Kawartha Lakes?
The Kawartha Manufacturers Association is now accepting annual memberships which will give you access to training events, best-practice sharing, and a chance to network with others with common interests. If you started your local manufacturing business after January 2020, the KMA is offering you a free one-year membership to welcome you to our community. For more information, please visit thekma.com.
I love to include young entrepreneurs and Grace Murphy is a good example.
Murphy is running a multi-sports camp out of the Hybrid Athletic Facility this Summer. She is a multi-sport athlete, qualifying for OFSAA 10 times in five different sports! Grace will teach life and sports skills including a team-based mindset, leadership skills, work ethic and more. There are four week-long camps, running 8:30 – 4:00 p.m. from the Hybrid Athletic location at 1575 Chemong Road at $200 per person. For details and to register just email gemurphy22@gmail.com
The Vine Bringing a "Plant-Forward" Pescatarian-Friendly Menu As Peterborough's Newest Restaurant
/Showcasing vegetables and incorporating seafood in a ‘plant-forward’ approach is the philosophy of Peterborough’s latest restaurant, The Vine which is having its soft opening over three days from Thursday to Saturday.
Flowers had the soft opening on Thursday and Friday with the brunch on Monday. Bookings for the first two days have already filled up. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The business is owned by couple Tyrone Flowers and Lauren Mortlock and is located at 165 Sherbrooke St. at the former Electric City Bread Company location. Flowers took a leap of faith when he discovered the business was closing down.
“Just on a whim, I came to look at it and then decided, 'You know what? We talked about this five years ago when we moved to up Peterborough that we wanted to open a place,'" said Flowers.
Flowers has worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years from dishwasher to head chef. He worked at the Publican House for four years.
The menu showcases salads, soups, sandwiches, entrées and pizza. A brunch menu that also incorporates eggs and dairy is available on Sundays. Pitchers of Gatorade and Kool-Aid and a tater-tot waffle are ‘hangover specials’ that are featured in the brunch.
Despite Flowers being a meat-eater, he believed offering a pescetarian-friendly restaurant and beyond would offer a different dining experience for Peterborough. He still strives to make plant-based ‘meat’ taste like the ‘real thing.’
“I was given the idea from a former colleague and we went with it,” he explained. “We did some research and we saw all the fun things we could do with making everything like all the vegan options seem real and everything so that's why we did it.”
He recognized the vast and diverse range of restaurants that already existed in town and that going pescatarian would be a unique take that would not trample on other businesses.
“There's already a bunch of great places in town that do the meat well, you've got some vegan restaurants too and we didn't want to step on anybody's toes by doing one thing so we decided, ‘Why don't we combine it?’” explained Flowers.
The Vine is having its grand opening on Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. The restaurant is currently trying to obtain its liquor license at the publication of this article.
The following are the restaurant’s operating hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Monday: Closed
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JA-NEO Business Hall of Fame Celebrates the 2023 Inductees
/On Thursday night, JA Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO) celebrated nine local business leaders at its 8th annual JA-NEO Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
photo courtesy of ja-neo, facebook.
This year’s honourees include:
Allan and Gerald Bolton – Formerly Trentway Bus Lines
Peter, Anne and Greg Elmhirst – Elmhirst’s Resort
Bill Lett and Michael Gallant – Lett Architects Inc.
Craig Mortlock – Mortlock Construction
Neil Morton – Formerly Studio PTBO
Effy Peel – Jim’s Pizzeria & Pasta
Peter Robinson – Formerly Weed Man Lawn Care
Jaime Stringer – Formerly FCI Windows
Scott Murison, Kieran Andrews, and Jonathan Moreno – Wild Rock Outfitters
“At (last night’s) JA-NEO Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, we will recognize Peterborough’s exceptional business leaders who have strengthened the local economy and community through their exemplary accomplishments,” said Sanjeev Sukumaran, JA-NEO Business Hall of Fame chancellor. “I want to personally congratulate each of tonight’s honourees. They truly are exemplary individuals, widely respected for their integrity, business acumen, and community contributions, and they are inspiration to us all.”
Attendees of this celebration joined JA-NEO at The Venue in Downtown Peterborough.
“The Business Hall of Fame not only focuses on celebrating outstanding local business leaders from across our community, but it also plays an essential role in helping to prepare and inspire the next generation,” explained John McNutt, president and CEO of JA-NEO. “All of the proceeds raised from tonight’s event will help JA meet the growing demand for our financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education programs for students.”
The Business Hall of Fame is the largest fund development event for Junior Achievement, with all dollars raised going directly towards the delivery of local programs. By honouring the past and present business leaders of our community, they work to inspire the trailblazers of tomorrow and ensure the continued success of the community’s local economy.
For more information, visit the website.
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Voice of Business: In the Spirit of Business
/Unfairness in regulation and taxation is an area of particular concern to chambers of commerce.
One sector where this unfairness is particularly concerning is within alcohol production and sales. Wineries and craft breweries have come a long way in Ontario and contribute to a thriving manufacturing and agriculture industry. But in many ways, cideries and distilleries have been left behind. It’s stifling growth within the sector for businesses across Ontario.
For this reason, the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce, Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce and several others to put forward a renewed policy resolution titled In the Spirit of Business. This policy resolution was approved by members of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and will be part of their advocacy platform for the next three years.
Here is our resolution:
Currently, the policy regime applied to the craft brewery and winery industries is not aligned with the one applied to the craft distillery industry, resulting in challenges for the growth and sustainability of the sector as an integral part of Ontario’s economy.
Craft distilling is an industry in rapid growth. Distillers are creating jobs and boosting economies in large and small centres. The segment supports 6,000 jobs in Ontario and annually contributes $1.5 billion to Ontario’s Gross Provincial Product, while craft distillers and the spirit industry generate over $2.5 billion in annual sales.
The spirits industry works closely with local farmers, connects to the tourism and hospitality industries and contributes to the economic growth of rural areas across Ontario.
However, significant challenges still need to be addressed, i.e., tax at craft distillery tasting rooms is 61.5 per cent which is 10 times what Ontario wineries pay. Additionally, craft distilleries do not receive recognition for using ingredients produced in Ontario.
For these reasons, the craft distillery industry should be considered in policymaking.
The province of Nova Scotia continues to be a leader in the spirits industry since the government opened the door to growth in 2014 by reducing the markup by 60-80 per cent with another 10 per cent mark down if distillers use provincially grown agriculture products. The government cut the license fee from $2,000 to $500, increased production threshold, and introduced a graduated markup based on annual production. These measures allowed craft distillers to thrive. In British Columbia, since the introduction of a graduated tax system, the industry has grown from 17 to 48 distilleries in the province.
Craft spirits are considerably more laborious to produce than large-scale industrial spirits and are also marketed at higher prices. Any short-term revenue reductions from lower LCBO markups and tasting room taxes will be surpassed by the increased revenue from higher employment and consumers supporting local premium spirits that will come from a thriving craft distillery industry.
In the past few years there has been some movement towards parity with other craft alcohol industries, such as:
Allowing craft distillers to distribute their products to bars and restaurants.
Allowing craft distillers to open “Pop-up” retail stores via Special Occasion Permits; and
The continuation of “The Small Cidery and Small Distillery Program” for a three-year commitment (expires in 2025).
Craft distillers believe these changes are a step in the right direction, but additional changes are required to reach parity with other craft alcohol industries in Ontario. For example, the update to “Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health” recognizes that the consumption of beverage alcohol is equivalent across different categories, therefore craft distillers believe it is possible to have all regulations regarding alcohol aligned to the same standards.
This call for change is not only coming from the chambers of commerce and boards of trade but also from Craft Spirits Ontario.
We are urging the Government of Ontario to:
Approve the continuation of “The Small Cidery and Small Distillery Program” until 2027 and that both industries be considered in tandem moving forward.
Remove the LCBO fees applied to sales from craft distilleries and craft cideries directly to licensees and by-the-glass sales.
Align the craft distiller's regulations with the craft beer and wine industry by applying a graduated rate to the current spirits basic tax, with a zero percent markup on the first 50,000 litres sold.
Lower the LCBO markup on spirits and ciders made primarily with Ontario ingredients by Ontario facilities to be equivalent to microbreweries, graduated by production method and volume.
Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
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Innovation Cluster Announces Peruvian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Partnership Through STARTup Visa Program
/The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK) and the Peruvian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) have announced a new partnership aimed at supporting Peruvian entrepreneurs and introducing the Startup Visa Program.
photo courtesy of innovation cluster peterborough.
The STARTup Visa Program is a 15-month initiative backed by the Canadian federal government. It is designed to help entrepreneurs from other countries establish and grow their businesses in Canada, creating jobs and fostering economic prosperity. With three program intakes each year, in February, June and October, the STARTup Visa Program offers a comprehensive, tailored experience that includes a 3-month virtual accelerator, milestone review, letter of support for immigration and a 12-month incubation program in Peterborough.
"We're thrilled to partner with the PCCC to support Peruvian entrepreneurs in their journey to establish their businesses in Canada. This collaboration will help us provide invaluable resources and opportunities to Peruvian entrepreneurs,” said Camila Durate, senior innovation specialist & programs director at Innovation Cluster.
Participants in the program will benefit from startup acceleration services and individualized mentorship and coaching opportunities. The program focuses on three key areas: one-on-one mentorship, knowledge and skills training, and networking opportunities.
To further inform the PCCC members about the STARTup Visa Program, the Innovation Cluster and PCCC are hosting a joint webinar on May 25, from noon to 1 p.m. The webinar will provide insights into the program, explain the application process, and discuss the benefits of participating. Interested members are encouraged to join the webinar to learn more about this unique opportunity and get their questions answered by the experts.
"This partnership with the Innovation Cluster is a significant step towards strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem between Peru and Canada,” said Ana Maria Villaran, membership & sponsorship director at the Peruvian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “By working together, we can create a robust support network for our entrepreneurs and contribute to the growth and innovation of both countries."
For more information about the upcoming webinar, visit the link.
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Delectable Fine Foods Closes Its Doors After Seven Years of Business
/Cheese shop and artisan food store Delectable Fine Foods closed its doors after seven years of business at Heritage Plaza on Saturday.
Rumgay’s business had hosted French culture lessons for elementary school students in March. Photo by David Tuan bui.
Owner Christel Rumgay made the decision to close the shop as it celebrated its seventh anniversary since opening at the Heritage Plaza on Lansdowne Street.
Rumgay posted a note at her checkout counter explaining her situation, citing inflation, labour shortage and lack of business as several reasons for her closure.
Dear Friends,
Can you believe seven unforgettable years have gone by since I first opened the store in May of 2016?
With it being my anniversary, it makes it that much harder to share and difficult to announce. I have decided to hang up my hat and close the store.
Post COVID has presented another set of challenges. The reduction in business during this economic down-turn, the on-going supply chain issues, labour shortages and the never-ending price increases of everything has slowly taken its toll.
On Saturday, May 20th I will close the doors for one last time. The clearance sale is happening now.
I will miss you and our chats so much. It has been a real pleasure to have met and gotten to know you. I truly think of you as a friend and not just as a customer. Thank you for being there.
Over the years, I have been blessed and privileged to work with an amazing team of individuals and friends. In turn, we were all blessed to be part of so many of your celebrations and life events. I cannot thank you and my staff enough for your loyalty and support over the years.
Thank you so much for your kindness and the wonderful memories.
Until we connect again.
Hugs,
Christel
Rumgay has stated that she has no plans to open another business venture at this time but will enjoy spending time with her grandchildren.
Delectable Fine Foods sold cheese, artisan foods, fresh produce and frozen meals.
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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Passageway Law, 100 Acre Brewing Co., New Growth Tree Care and Stylish Fit Alterations
/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…
Passageway Law is a new three-person law firm in Peterborough, with partners Meryn Steeves and Rob Hiseler along with paralegal Laura Wilson.
Located at 201 George St. N., Unit 301 A across from Greg’s No Frills, Passageway is a full-service law firm covering family law, wills/estates, real estates, business law, notary services, paralegal services and more. Whether you need assistance with a complex litigation matter, guidance on a business transaction, advice on estate planning or need notary services, the trio have the expertise to help.
The 100 Acre Brewing Company just opened at 390 Ashburnham Dr., just South of the bypass.
The Vass Family describes it as a family-operated farmhouse brewery, located on their 100-acre homestead. They focus on traditional styles, and the lineup includes Flight Path, a table beer, a Pilsner called White Tail, Monarch – a farmhouse beer packed with flavour, and an IPA called Snapper.
Owner Evan Nolan and his partner Cass bring eight years of experience in the tree care industry to their new business - New Growth Tree Care Professionals.
Nolan and his team offer best practices in arboriculture, providing tree pruning, tree removal, storm damage clean up, deep root fertilization, cabling and bracing, as well as hedge trimming, brush chipping, stump grinding, permits and more. No matter the size of the job, they’ll guide their clients every step of the way. Visit newgrowthtreecare.ca for details.
Stylish Fit Alterations recently celebrated the grand opening of their second location in Peterborough.
Located on 871 Chemong Rd., Unit 12, at Brookdale Plaza, the new North end location is in addition to their existing business at 948 Weller St. Offering over 23 years of experience in everything from hemming your pants, shortening your drapes, fixing the zipper in your jacket or purse, buttons and snaps, from jeans to your wedding dress. Stop in, or find Stylish Fit Alterations on Facebook.
Photos: Peterborough Businesses and Communities Getting Petes Fever As the Team Aims For an OHL Championship Friday
/Several businesses and communities have come out in support of the Peterborough Petes as the team is in London to take on the Knights in Game Five of the OHL Championship.
