Sam's Place Deli Expands With Soft Launch of Hot Dog Joint 'Sam's Place Wienery'

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Entrepreneur Sam Sayer has expanded her business of putting meat on bread as she has soft-launched a new hot dog joint ‘Sam’s Place Wienery’ for this week that began on Tuesday.

Sam Sayer says her love for hot dogs was also a reason for expanding her business operations with a ‘wienery.” Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The ‘wienery’ is located behind her delicatessen ‘Sam’s Place’ on 188 Hunter St. W.

“We truly had an empty space between our new kitchen and the sandwich shop but it wasn't really usable for anything so we thought why not give this a shot,” said Sayer, Sam’s Place Deli and Wienery owner.

The soft launch runs from Tuesday until Friday from noon to 6 p.m. There are seven selections of hot dog combinations that the place is offering during the soft launch. Customers can also dress their own plain or special combination hot dogs. Beef, pork and beyond meat wieners are options available for any hot dog. Pogo corn dogs are also on the menu.

“The beef hot dogs are actually American, so those are Nathan's. They're world famous of course. We've got Wagner's dogs which are pork dogs out of Toronto and then we have the beyond-meat bratwurst,” explained Sayer.

The following are the featured topping combinations for this week’s soft launch:

  • Dog River Dog: house-made vegetarian chili, cheese sauce, shredded cheese and green onion

  • Chicago Dog: Mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, celery salt and banana peppers

  • Chou Dog: Creamy five-cabbage slaw

  • Dad Dog: Cheese sauce and shredded cheese

  • Poutine Dog: Empire cheese curd, vegetarian gravy and Hickory Sticks

  • San Fran Dog: Bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo

  • Sonoran Dog: Pico de Gallo, bacon, mayo, mustard and hot sauce

The soft launch will help Sayer determine what adjustments need to be made before her grand opening at an undisclosed date.

“We have a real thing for art so I'd really like to have more on the walls,” explained Sayer. “Aside from that, we just want to make sure we have the kinks out and we can run as smooth as possible, all set for everybody when the time comes.”

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Marlin Travel, On Your Journey, Morning Cup Productions and Innovation Cluster

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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…

After 19 years at 550 Lansdowne St., Marlin Travel Peterborough is moving into a new office this Friday.

The new location is at 1789 Stenson Blvd. in the Stenson Plaza, across from the entrance to Fleming College on Brealey Drive. Owner Mary LaRocque and her team of travel advisors, Tara, Jayne, Carrie and Sarah and their new Customer Care team member Gayle, offer a full-service travel agency including all-inclusive holidays, river cruises and group tours.

Tracey Wilson is a registered nurse with 40 years of experience, devoted to caring for palliative and long-term care patients. Tracey brings all of that to her new service called On Your Journey.

Tracey offers end-of-life doula care and services, bereavement/grief support, advanced care planning and end-of-life education and workshops. Tracey’s website is very informative and includes tools like her end-of-life plan checklist. Visit onyourjourney.ca for details and to book a free initial consultation.

Luke Shauf’s company is called Morning Cup Productions.

He brings years of experience in photography, videography and production with an impressive list of credits, from Hockey Night in Canada, The World Series and The Olympics, to co-founding and positioning a rock band. Luke specializes in video for commercials, overviews and podcasts, and photography for branding, headshots, commercial and real estate.

Social innovations are new social practices that aim to meet social needs in a better way than the existing solutions, needs such as working conditions, education, community development or health.

The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas and Cape Breton University have introduced a new Social Innovation microcredential, focusing on creativity, design thinking, innovation and social business models. The four-week course will be held on Thursdays from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m, starting Sept.r 7, at a cost of $500 per participant.

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Innovation Cluster and Cape Breton University Partner for Social Innovation Microcredential Course

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The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas (ICPK) has partnered with Cape Breton University's Centre to launch the Social Innovation microcredential that focuses on creativity, design thinking, innovation, and social business models, announced on Wednesday.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn alongside Jasmine Alam, a renowned expert with a Ph.D. focused on Social Innovation in a sector that is currently experiencing tremendous growth. Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster.

The four-week course is held on Thursdays from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. beginning on Sept. 7 until the 28th.

The course is being offered at a cost of $500 per participant and at a discounted rate of $250 to ICPK clients.

“Our partnership with the Innovation Cluster is an exciting step towards fostering social entrepreneurship in Canada,” said Jasmine Alam, Cape Breton University director “The course reflects our shared mission to engage and equip innovators to create social impact while also being profitable.”

“The alliance between the Innovation Cluster and Cape Breton University further fosters our commitment to build a prominent and vibrant centre for the incubation of innovation,” Nicole Stephenson, Innovation Cluster interim CEO. “Their exceptional program in social innovation aligns seamlessly with our goal to drive innovation-focused economic growth and continuously provide new opportunities for our clients.”

The program offers four modules with a pitch competition at the end where participants can obtain funding for their ideas. Innovation cluster is inviting current Trent and Fleming College students, alumni and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in social innovation enterprises to participate.

Registration is open and anyone interested can enroll online. Upon successful completion, a badge will be issued by Cape Breton University with the Innovation Cluster.

“This partnership is about more than a course; it's about building a community of innovators,” said Alam. “By working together, we are confident we'll witness a significant rise in social entrepreneurial activity.”

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Voice of Business: Policy Matters: Regulatory Reform

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Guest column from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

We talk a lot about regulatory burden here at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce because it is consistently one of the biggest barriers to economic growth that we see across sectors.

So, what *IS* it exactly?

In a Nutshell

“Regulations” are the government rules that legally dictate what businesses are allowed to do when it comes to producing, manufacturing and selling their goods and services.

The OECD lists three general types:

  • Economic regulation is meant to improve the efficiency of delivering goods and services to markets and customers. It can include government-imposed restrictions on things like prices, quantity, service and imports and exports.

  • Social regulation is meant to protect the well-being and rights of society. It can include protection of the environment, health and safety in the workplace, workers’ rights, and consumer protections against things like fraud.

  • Administrative regulation relates to general government management of the operation of the public and private sectors. It can include regulations relating to taxes, business operations, distribution systems, health care administration and intellectual property rights.

The Policy Problem

Well-designed and well-implemented regulations can be one of the government’s tools to grow the economy and help keep Canadian citizens and our environment safe.

Unfortunately, Canada has a complex network of overlapping regulations from all levels of government that make a lot of things more expensive and difficult than they need to be for businesses.

Complying with all these layers of regulations is also time-consuming, and combined with inefficient and unpredictable regulatory processes, Canadian businesses are not set up for success. Every hour and every dollar spent dealing with redundant paperwork and confusing compliance issues is an hour or dollar not spent on running and growing a business. This is especially true for small businesses, which often lack the specialized staff and financial resources of larger companies to deal with regulation and compliance.

Let’s look at a few examples of how regulatory burdens can impact the economy:

Transportation

The approval process for trade-enabling transportation infrastructure projects can take upwards of 10 years due to inefficient regulatory processes. By stalling on the approvals that would put shovels in the ground on projects like twinning railways, increasing bridge capacity and modernizing shipping ports, Canada and Canadian businesses lose out on billions in annual revenue. We need to be able to get things

like food, fuel, fertilizer and critical minerals to domestic manufacturers, ports and international markets. If we can’t move Canadian goods, we can’t sell them, and that’s bad news for everyone.

Interprovincial Trade

Nearly 25 per cent of businesses who trade interprovincially cite red tape as a major obstacle to doing business within Canada. Over decades of regulation-making, provinces and territories have introduced differing rules and standards that impact nearly every sector. They affect areas like trucking and transportation standards, food packaging and labelling standards, professional certifications and securities regulation. As a result, businesses have to deal with different sets of rules and processes in each province, and for many, this causes serious barriers to business or opting out of interprovincial trade all together – this reduces Canada’s GDP by billions of dollars every year.

Net-zero

A predictable, consistent regulatory framework is crucial for Canada to hit its net-zero targets. Key words – “predictable” and “consistent.” The transition to net-zero can’t happen overnight and businesses need time to prepare, make the necessary investments and gradually adjust their operations. Unfortunately, Canada’s convoluted, shifting goal posts and regulations make long-term business planning extremely challenging. This uncertainty also impacts our ability to attract the kinds of global investments we need for our natural resources sector to help develop clean fuels like natural gas, hydrogen and sustainable biofuels. We need to convince investors that Canada is a safe bet – the uncertainty around net-zero regulations is doing anything but.

Talent & the Workforce

In a global economy, regulatory burdens are especially problematic. The more red tape a business runs into in any given country, the less likely they are to stay– they can take their business and job opportunities elsewhere. And where the opportunities go, so too does the talent. Canada is at risk of losing not just businesses, but the next generation of talented and innovative workers to other countries.

Canada and the United States

The United States is our primary ally and trading partner – a huge amount of goods come and go across the border every day – which makes regulatory differences between the two countries especially problematic. Different rules or processes create unnecessary supply-chain slow-downs and add costs for exporting companies. We also compete with the United States for investment. We want companies to open headquarters here, create jobs for Canadians and contribute to our economy – but when they can do that at a cheaper price tag and with less of a headache south of the border due to more business-friendly regulations, all Canadians lose.

Policy Soloution

Considering Canada’s alarmingly low level of economic growth – our GDP is projected to grow by only 1.4% this year and 1.3% in 2024 – we literally can’t afford the regulatory burdens facing Canadian businesses. The solution?

Regulatory reform (aka regulatory modernization).

A modern, streamlined regulatory process is a thing of beauty, removing barriers and allowing businesses to stay competitive and maximize their growth while protecting the welfare of Canadian citizens. This looks like improved environmental, social and economic protections, while simultaneously increasing investment growth and the number of jobs for Canadians – win-win!

We can’t just talk the talk when it comes to regulatory reform – we need to see real action that will move the needle.

What’s Next?

Concerned about regulatory burdens and want to know how your business can act? Here are a few ways to get involved:

  • Write or request a meeting with your federal MP(s) or provincial/territorial government representative to voice your concerns if your business is being impacted by regulatory burdens.

  • Consider joining your local chamber of commerce or board of trade. By joining, you can add your voice to the development of policy and advocacy positions that drive business success.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Kawartha Hypnosis Celebrating Grand Re-opening and Five-Year Anniversary On Sept. 14

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Kawartha Hypnosis is coming back in style as they are holding its grand re-opening and celebrating its five-year Anniversary Celebration for Sept. 14.

Master Hypnotist Rebecca O’Rourke speaking in front of members of the Women’s Business Network. Photo courtesy of Kawartha Hypnosis.

The celebration will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon followed by a tour of the newly updated clinic in Downtown Peterborough at 351 Charlotte St.

Food and refreshments will be provided. Master hypnotist, Rebecca O'Rourke is also offering a free workshop to the community on Hypnosis for Health and Happiness.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Peaceful Journey, Couture Candy, Katchiwano Golf and Peterborough Chamber

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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…

The mother and son team of Desiree Lodge and Robert Grabarczyk recently launched Peaceful Journey End of Life Doula Services.

Their services include Advance Care Planning, Bedside Companioning, Respite for Caregivers and Family, Supportive Home Cleaning, Transitioning to Long Term Care packing and delivery of belongings to the Care facility, Logistical Support such as Picking up groceries, dog walking, and meal prep, and Legacy Projects such as Autobiography, Cookbooks, Legacy Letters, Photo Album / Treasure Box, and Memory Pillows.

Lisa Couture of Couture Candy and Jennifer Wight of Emily Mae’s Cookies and Sweets are teaming up to add Emily Mae’s to the Couture shelves.

You’ll find the full range of cookies, cakes, macarons, and all of Emily Mae’s favorites available daily in the Couture candy shops, starting this Saturday. Couture Candy has two locations in Peterborough, 386 George St. downtown and in Lansdowne Place. They are celebrating the Grand Opening of their new Belleville location, also this Saturday, in the Quinte Mall.

Katchiwano Golf Club recently reopened under new owners.

The Ault family has installed Jesse Grespan as the Club Manager and the team has been hard at work getting the course refreshed and open. An 18-hole round is just $45, $55 with a cart, nearly half that after three o’clock. They have all sorts of plans for the future so find and follow Katchiwano Golf Club on Facebook or Instagram.

Congratulations to all the finalists for the annual Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

Tickets are now on sale for the Oct. 18 event at The Venue and Showplace in categories such as retail, entrepreneurial spirit, marketing and promotion, local focus, green initiatives and more. The Chamber also introduces 4 young entrepreneurs in the 4 under 40 category, the Farm Family of the Year, and they cap off the night honouring the Business Citizen of the Year. See the complete list of finalists and get your tickets at pkexcellence.ca.

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Voice of Business: What do Low Housing Starts Mean?

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This week’s Voice is Business is a guest column from the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA)

Housing starts are an indicator of growth and prosperity in a community. A housing start is a foundation poured at the beginning of the construction period. Starts are measured per dwelling unit, so a 3-floor apartment building with 12 units would be recorded as 12 starts and a single-family home is one start. A house or apartment building could take six to 18 months to build. Once it is move-in ready, it is recorded as a New Home Completion.

Starts were low in 2022, with only 198 starts in the City of Peterborough and 155 starts in the County of Peterborough. However, from January to June 2023, the City and County of Peterborough had 70 starts. This number is alarmingly low for our population of over 130,000. Furthermore, the Ontario Provincial government has set a target of 9,300 new homes to be built from 2021-2031 in the City & County of Peterborough. So far, there have been 423 of those homes built.

While these numbers are cyclical and the causal factors behind what makes starts in any one year, or series of years, higher or lower are complex and multi-faceted, PKHBA sees two key factors responsible for the unusually low starts.

The first is economic circumstances. These include the current high-interest rates and subsequently low affordability, as well as a poor economic outlook, which are influencing buyers’ behaviours and developers' decisions about future projects.

The second is extremely prolonged delays within the development approval process portion of a housing project’s life span.

In regards to the macro-economic environment, Canada has just undergone an unprecedented interest rate hiking cycle which saw the cost of borrowing money go from nearly 1%, all the way up to around 6 per cent. This has had a massive effect on not only new home buyers’ purchasing power but also the sentiment for the economic forecast.

Such an environment bakes a mentality of uncertainty into the market, where buyers are scared to purchase a home not only because they are uncertain what their monthly cost of ownership will be on a go-forward basis, but also for fear that prices may see a further decline.

Subsequently, developers lose confidence in starting new projects. Whether such projects are as small as a single speculative residential home, or a 30+ unit condo development, not only are their costs of completing and holding this project uncertain, but also the timeline they may have to hold it for, and the price they may ultimately receive for the product is uncertain as the pricing trend over the last 12 months has been negative.

In concert, there is a situation where buyers are hesitant to buy, and builders can become hesitant to build.

And yet, most other mid-sized cities in the province are subjected to the same economic circumstances and are outperforming Peterborough in terms of new housing starts by a great margin.

Comparing the City & County of Peterborough (CMA) to neighbouring communities of similar size, the housing starts are low. The City of Kawartha Lakes outperformed Peterborough in 2022 with 563 starts compared to Peterborough CMA’s 353 starts. In 2023 Kawartha Lakes continues this strong trend with 312 starts in the first half of the year compared to Peterborough CMA’s 70.

More examples would be from Belleville which has a population of just over 110,000 and had 192 starts so far in 2023, Kingston has a population of 172,500 and had 318 starts, and Guelph has a population of 165,500 and had 774 starts so far in 2023.

Why are these other cities building while the Peterborough area is not?

We believe the answer lies in the compounding effect of many years of development application review and approval delays. Builders have little incentive to lower their prices in our current environment to sell off products on their remaining available lots; not only because there is little competition forcing them to do so, but also because they will have nowhere to go next, no next development to put their construction machine to work on.

Additionally, the unnecessarily lengthy and complicated process of getting approvals for large development projects has reduced competitiveness in our area, as developers and builders opt to focus their efforts elsewhere. The City of Kawartha Lakes has seen many new developers begin large projects over the past few years, resulting in increased housing starts in 2022 & 2023. Kawartha Lakes Council made economic development a priority in 2016 as part of its new Strategic Plan.

These low housing start numbers in Peterborough all lead to lower numbers of housing units available, feeding the housing crisis and housing affordability crisis.

However, PKHBA feels a strong resolve in working towards solving these issues because as the statistics make clear, the need for change is urgent.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Artisanal Retail Store Handmade Heaven Expands Storefront In Lansdowne Place

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Less than four months after its grand opening, artisanal retail store, Handmade Heaven has expanded its space to accommodate more artists to sell their products at Lansdowne Place on Tuesday morning.

The store could sell products from 90 local artisans prior to the expansion. Owner Sam Milne said he was overwhelmed with how many people were on his waitlist and that expanding his storefront was an easy decision.

“I knew Peterborough was good for artisans and makers but I had no idea that there'd be this many people applying,” he explained. “I had about 150 on the waitlist to get in so when this unit beside my current unit became available, I knew I had to take it up just to get all the makers in there to sell their products in our store.”

The new space helps support up to 145 handmade entrepreneurs with room for the number to grow. More artisans bring more unique products to be sold such as bead paintings, baby clothes, chunky blankets, resin-based works and alpaca apparel. 

The expanded storefront is located across from Dollarama on the upper floor, beside the original location. Handmade Heaven first opened on May 1. All artisans and artists keep 100 per cent of the sales in exchange for paying rent to use the retail space.

“You know they're handmade, you know they're local, you're supporting local businesses and you feel good about your purchases,” said Milne.

Local artisans that want to rent space in the store must fill out an application online.

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2023 Business Excellence Awards Finalists Announced; Awards Ceremony Held On Oct. 18

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The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce have announced the finalists for the 2023 Business Excellence Awards which recognize and honour local businesses and business people that have demonstrated a passion for excellence, announced on Wednesday.

Matt Strano of Charlotte Products LTd. (left) was Business Citizen of the Year for 2022.  Photo courtesy of the Peterborough and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce.

The award recipients are being revealed in an awards ceremony at The Venue on Oct. 18. A reception is followed by a ceremony at Showplace Performance Centre. Hosted by Megan Murphy, the event have awards handed out in 22 categories, including the prestigious Business Citizen of the Year. 

“The Excellence Awards event is the Chamber’s way of shining a spotlight on the outstanding businesses and business leaders in the City and County of Peterborough,” says Sarah Budd, Chamber President and CEO. “We encourage the community to join us in learning more about our business community at our annual celebration.”  

The following are the 2023 Business Excellence Awards Finalists (listed alphabetically):

4-Under-40 Profiles, in memory of Kathy Windrem (winners)

  • Ashley Bonner

  • Ashley Flynn

  • Lauren Hunter

  • Laura Montague

Businesswoman of the Year (winner)

  • Nicole Truman (Fox Law Professional Corporation)

Business Citizen of the Year

  • To be announced

Business Student Leadership Prizes (winners):

  • Emma Olstad (Trent University)

  • TBA (Fleming College)

Commercial Development or Renovation

  • Key Design Inc. (Key Design Inc. Studio & Office)

  • Peterborough Housing Corporation (Hunt Terraces)

  • Peterborough Humane Society (Peterborough Animal Care Centre)

Customer First

  • The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge

  • Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre

  • The Willow Studio

Employer of the Year

  • Engage Engineering Ltd.

  • Gauvreau | Accounting Tax Law Advisory

  • Hospice Peterborough

Entrepreneurial Spirit

  • Cheeks Ahoy

  • Flossophy Ptbo

  • Y Drive Canada

Peterborough County Farm Family of the Year (Winner)

  • Todd & Jennifer Payne & Family (Asphodel Sheep Company)

Green Initiatives

  • Cheeks Ahoy

  • The Land Canadian Adventures Inc.

  • Peterborough Folk Festival

Health & Wellness

  • Euphoria Wellness Spa

  • The Spa + Clinic at Fleming College

  • The Willow Studio

Hospitality

  • Burleigh Falls Inn & Suites

  • Nostimo By The Original Greek

  • Taso's Restaurant & Pizzeria

Local Focus

  • The Boardwalk Board Game Lounge

  • New Beginnings Building Services

  • Peterborough GreenUP

Marketing & Promotion

  • Community Futures Peterborough

  • INSPIRE: The Women’s Portrait Project

  • Showplace Performance Centre

Micro Business

  • OmniWorx Design

  • Peterborough Currents Media Inc.

  • Social Kat Media

Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year (Winner)

  • Imad Mahfouz & Hashem Yakan (Levantine Grill)

Not-for-Profit

  • Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region

  • Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Foundation

  • Peterborough Humane Society

Stuart Harrison President's Award

  • To be announced

Professional Services

  • Engage Engineering Ltd.

  • Fox Law Professional Corporation

  • Lett Architects Inc.

Retail

  • Living Local Marketplace

  • Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre

  • Plant Goals

Skilled Trades

  • Black Rock Developments

  • Bruce Maly Plumbing & Drain Services Inc.

  • Van de Bor Paving Ltd.

Tourism

  • Kawartha Country Wines

  • Otonabee Region Conservation Authority

  • Peterborough Museum & Archives

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Pig's Ear Tavern Approaching Final Stages Before Reopening In September

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After closing six years ago, The Pig’s Ear Tavern is in the homestretch to open next month with new owners Ashley Holmes and Steve Robertson at the helm.

Co-owners Ashley Holmes (left) and Steve Robertson (right) outside the tavern with a new replicated sign with the same logo that was installed two weeks ago. The bricks are hand-painted to resemble the rustic look from years prior. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Trent alumni owners purchased the tavern in January and are putting the finishing touches to get the bar open for September.

The tavern is finishing up the bar’s construction, the washrooms and the windows and completing the liquor license process.

Both business partners want to keep the Pig’s Ear look and feel the same when they reopen the beloved tavern scheduled for next month.

“That's our intention is to keep it the same because what's The Pig's Ear is,” explained Holmes. “It’s more of a feeling than a place. Everyone that talks about it has all these memories about having really great times and that's what we want when people walk through the doors is to have it feel the same.”

“All of the upgrades we've done except for a couple would be transparent,” added Robertson. “People are going to walk in and they're going to feel as though it is the exact same spot that they last walked in, six to seven years ago.”

There are a few quality-of-life changes being made that both owners feel patrons will welcome when the bar reopens. This includes updated washrooms, the introduction of air conditioning and an expansion of drink options.

“Having more ciders, non-alcoholic drinks perhaps. It's not just going to be a beer hall that it was 15-20 years ago,” explained Robertson. “We need to keep up with the times in that respect and still keep the charm of the business.”

Both owners admitted that they cannot replicate the renowned legacy of former owners Lylie Ryder and John Punter. The new guard has received Ryder and Punter’s blessing as the former will forge a new chapter for the Pig’s Ear.

“The Pig's Ear is more than us,” said Holmes “We just get to be the ones that bring it back so it's not really about us opening any bar, we are opening this because of what it was and what we want it to be. The legend of the Pig's Ear is more than anything that Steve and I can do to it.”

“We can't really hope to fill the shoes of John and Lylie. They brought such personality to the institution that it's not something we're going to be able to replace,'“ said Robertson. “We have to bring our own personalities, specifically Ashley who is going to be running the bar. John and Lylie are after the fact, 'passing the torch’ and are very supportive of us doing this. They want to remotely be a part of what this is going to become.”

A grand opening date has yet to be announced for The Pig’s Ear.

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