Peterborough Blogs
StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Goodbye Graffiti, Take Cover Books, Kate L. Toms Fit and Nish Tees
/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…
Goodbye Graffiti was recently launched here in Peterborough by franchisees Ryan Grant and Claralana Langmann.
It was started in Vancouver 26 years ago by Peterborough’s Perri Domm and now has offices across Canada. Services include graffiti removal, power washing, anti-graffiti coating and specialty services such as EverSafe, a needle removal service. The company also offers free removal of any racial or hate graffiti and have done this over 25,000 times across Canada. Reach them at goodbyegraffiti.com or call toll-free 1-877-684-4747.
Stu Harrison mentioned Take Cover Books a couple of months ago, brothers Andrew and Sean Fitzpatrick’s online bookstore.
The brothers recently opened their own brick-and-mortar store in East City. Located at 59 Hunter St. E., Take Cover Books offers everything from retail sales to book and film clubs, book signings, readings and launches and Saturday morning readings for kids. They are also encouraging the use of the space for community events, artist exhibits and more. Stop in, seven days a week or visit takecoverbooks.ca or Facebook or Instagram.
Kate Adams has been working towards the opening of her own fitness studio for some time and her dream will finally come to fruition on Oct. 7, when she celebrates the grand opening of Kate L. Toms Fit.
Adams is a certified personal trainer, certified fitness instructor and transformation coach and will be offering both in-person and virtual programs, group fitness, small group personal training and one-on-one personal training. Located at 1-724 Erskine Ave. in Peterborough, save the opening date, Oct. 7 from noon to 3.
Nish Tees is a Peterborough/Nogojiwanong-based screen printing and design business owned by Indigenous entrepreneur James Hodgson.
With over 20 years of print experience, Hodgson recently opened his own retail shop at 219 Hunter St. W. called Fresh Prints. The shop is billed as a micro gallery featuring the collaborative work of local artists and Nish Tees. They’ll be launching new artists monthly at Peterborough’s popular 1st Friday Art Crawl.
Metroland Seeking Bankruptcy Protection; Ceasing All Print Publications and Moving To Online-Only Model
/Metroland Media is seeking protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act as they are restructuring its operations while laying off roughly 605 employees in an announcement made by the company on Friday morning.
Peterborough Examiner’s newsroom office left its Hunter Street location in the summer of 2020. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The layoffs are almost two-thirds of the workforce while 71 of their newspapers are moving to a digital model according to the announcement.
The decision is due to the unsustainable financial losses of changing preferences of advertisers and consumers as stated by Metroland.
Jordan Bitove of Nordstar says they will continue to publish six daily newspapers in both print and digital formats. These include publications such as the Toronto Star, the Hamilton Spectator, St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Falls Review, Welland Tribune, Waterloo Region Record and locally, Peterborough Examiner. These outlets are continuing to serve in both print and digital formats.
Kawartha Hypnosis Overcame A Medley of Adversities To Host Grand Reopening On Fifth-Year Anniversary
/Kawartha Hypnosis withstood the pandemic, a two-week-long power outage and flooding to hold its grand reopening on its fifth anniversary at its Charlotte Street location on Thursday morning.
(from left to right) Nigel Broersma, Peterborugh CHamber engagement manager; Rebecca O’Rourke, Kawartha Hypnotist owner and Jessica Gordon, Peterborough Chamber member relations coordinator helping mark the five-year anniversay and grand re-opening of the business. Photo by David Tuan bui.
“Hypnosis is a powerful tool and when things get hard, it's sometimes the tool that people need the most,'“ explained Rebecca O’Rourke, Kawartha Hypnosis owner. “When people feel challenged, we want to be able to be there more not less.”
There were four months of renovations to repair the damage from the flood before the opening could occur. New floors, walls, insulation and furniture were installed.
Despite the multiple obstacles faced, O’Rourke said there were plenty of positives that came along with the trials and tribulations.
“We were able to find ways to go digital, go online to be able to accept currency digitally as well and through the pandemic, we now have clients all over the world,” We've been grateful to have an international reach as a result of that challenge.”
O’Rourke’s business treats, weight loss, quitting smoking, stress management, fear management, confidence issues, sleeping problems and golf enhancement. She also performs stage hypnosis shows as a master hypnotist.
Voice of Business: Sustainable Partnerships
/We’re stronger together. A common phrase, good naturally passed around to comfort and inspire. Something aimed to motivate the community to join together in times of trouble.
But it’s more than an expression. It’s how the community got through the flood in 2006. It’s how we recovered from the May two-four windstorm. It’s how we will get through the pandemic. That way of thinking can get through another crisis, our environmental crisis.
A key to creating a more sustainable environment may be the connections we have to the other businesses in the community. Or at least a place to start.
Our communities have local resources for furniture and supplies. From Brant Basics to the Habitat for Humanity Restores, furniture can be picked up locally. Shipping your furniture and supplies from far away increases transportation emissions, energy waste and air pollution.
Did you know Charlotte Products recently partnered with Merit Precision Moulding Ltd. to make the bottles for their soap and hand sanitizers? This includes their new ALLORGANIC USDA Certified Organic Hand Soap (available at Swish Maintenance). Partnerships like this one not only energize the local economy, but also cut down on the carbon footprint. Manufacturers that created biodegradable food containers, cleaning supplies, metals and food and drink supplies: All located in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
If you do need to buy online, check out similar businesses to yours and see if your items can be shipped together. Turn your competition to collaboration. This will also save on shipping costs.
Take advantage of GreenUP’s Ecology Park and plant plants around your office. Build rain gardens to treat polluted stormwater runoff and collect stormwater and melted snow. Grow a rooftop garden to help reduce air pollution and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. They can also offer more insulation for your building and can help extend the life of the existing roof fabric by up to 200 per cent.*
Help lobby our levels of government for property tax credits and other tax incentives for adding sustainable additions to office buildings.
Encourage employees to carpool or offer employees remote working opportunities to cut down on emissions.
Reach out to your neighbours and organize a battery/waste collection and drop off. Each business can take turns taking the items to the waste collected to the Household Hazardous Waste Depot to make sure these items are properly disposed of.
* Todd Haiman Landscape Design – Blog Jan. 25, 2017 in URBAN ROOFTOP AND TERRACE, OUTDOOR SPACE DESIGN
Even small changes and collaborations can make big changes for our environment. The more people working together, the bigger the impact is.
If you’d like to discover more businesses within Peterborough and the Kawarthas, check out lovelocalmarketplace.ca.
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 Summer Soul Yoga, Heather's Holistics, Kawartha Hypnosis and Heritage Blooms Upick
/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…
Summer Soul Yoga and Wellness is a brand-new yoga studio in Downtown Peterborough.
Located at 394 George St. above Bluestreak Records, owners Ashley and Kevin Woollacott have renovated what was the home of Peterborough's first lawyer, Elias Burnham. The original tin roof from 1857 is a prominent feature of the studio which offers a wide range of yoga and wellness classes from a number of instructors so there is something for everyone.
Heather, from Heather's Holistics recently moved into a new location in downtown Peterborough.
Located at 311 George St. across from the Whistle Stop, Heather specializes in the nervous system and reproductive support, offering Reiki, reflexology, fertility coaching and menstrual literacy. You can find Heather in The Red Tent at the Downtown Saturday Market, or online at heathersholistics.ca or on Facebook or Instagram.
Rebecca O’Rourke is marking the reopening of Kawartha Hypnosis this Thursday at noon.
Like many, O’Rourke has survived a complete shutdown through the pandemic but then add a complete shutdown from a two-week power outage and a complete shutdown from a catastrophic flood. Located at 351 Charlotte St. and after four months of renovations, she is reopening with food refreshments, tours, and talks.
Heritage Blooms Upick is Claudia MacDonald’s business.
Located on Highway 7 in Norwood near Dinosaur Park, Claudia offers hundreds of varieties of flowers which you can pick by the vase or by the bucket. Claudia and her husband Ben also operate the Heritage Cattle company and farm shop where you can purchase their grass-fed beef products, honey, maple syrup, eggs and more.
Innovation Cluster Peterborough Announce Camila Duarte as New Executive Director
/Innovation Cluster Peterborough has appointed Camila Duarte as the organization’s new executive director after a decision from the board of directors announced on Wednesday morning.
Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster.
Duarte has spent nine years in tech innovation, non-profit and customer-facing industries, coaching, relationship-building, and developing strategic initiatives across international centres in Melbourne, Australia, Montréal and Toronto according to a press release.
During her Innovation Cluster tenure, she pioneered initiatives that generated over $1 million in revenue growth, mentored more than 100 companies and fostered pivotal partnerships internationally and across Canada, including hubs in Manitoba, Vancouver, Guelph and Cape Breton as stated by Innovation Cluster.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to understand the Innovation Cluster from its grassroots,” said Duarte. “This provides me with a unique understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape in the regions we serve and what the organization needs to continue its history of driving growth and innovation.”
“Camila’s impressive track record, together with her entrepreneurial spirit and proven leadership skills, makes her the right candidate to lead the organization as a prominent and vibrant centre for the incubation of innovation,” said Nicole Stephenson, board chair. “Her dedication, resilience, and transformative vision are the skills that we require in a leader to achieve our ambitious goal to be a catalyst for building, attracting, nurturing, and retaining companies in the region.”
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Voice of Business: Driving Innovation in Canada
/Guest column from the Chamber of Commerce of Brantford-Brant
Investing in innovation is key to a thriving economy.
The Chamber of Commerce of Brantford-Brant has a proposed policy resolution that will urge the federal government to expand and improve its investments in innovation. The resolution is a partnership with the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce and will be debated at the annual Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) conference in October. If approved by the CCC membership, it becomes part of its advocacy efforts for the next three years.
The resolution:
Description
The federal government created an “Intellectual Property Strategy” to support and protect innovation across Canada. Improvements to the strategy must include an additional focus on federal investment and tax incentives, that will encourage business investment in intellectual property (IP) and innovation to improve productivity, economic growth, and incomes for Canadians.
Background
The “Intellectual Property Strategy” was an investment of $85.3 million over five years to help Canadian businesses, creators, entrepreneurs and innovators understand, protect and access intellectual property (IP) through a comprehensive IP Strategy. This strategy was announced in the 2017 budget with details released in the 2018 budget, and underwent a program review in the spring of 2023, with the results pending to be published.
In the Roadmap to Recovery document, the Canadian Chamber makes the following recommendation as an important step in nurturing recovery: “Adopting an “innovation box” regime that would reduce the corporate tax rate for income derived from patented inventions and other intellectual property connected to new or improved products, services and related innovative processes developed in Canada.”
The Intellectual Property Strategy has goals and recommendations in three areas: IP Awareness, Education and Advice; Strategic IP Tools for Growth; and IP Legislation. Recommendations within these areas lack information about the cost of potential investments.
In 2019-2020, $30M was slated to establish a pilot program called the “Patent Collective”. The collective will work with Canadian entrepreneurs to pool patents so that small and medium-sized firms will have better access to critical IP they need to grow in the early stages without fear of infringing on a patent. The budget refers to this program as providing these businesses with the “freedom to operate.” Program entry was limited to the first year, and applications closed after one year.
This strategy is still in its infancy and Canada remains 16th in innovation overall in the Global IP Rankings in 2023. The Index consists of five key sets of indicators to map the national intellectual property environment for the 28 surveyed countries by the US Chamber of Commerce.
Canada's support to businesses in this space lags behind the offerings of other countries that are ranked above Canada on this list. One of those differences is a “patent box” tax approach. A number of countries (the U.K., Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Switzerland and China) have adopted this approach which sharply reduces the normal corporate tax rate on income derived from the exploitation of patents. The Netherlands widened the policy to an “innovation box” to encompass a broader class of intellectual property.
The various “patent box” programs have been implemented provincially in Canada, but not yet adapted at the federal level. British Columbia has had a tax policy in place since 2006, Quebec included the patent box policy in its 2016 budget, and has recently updated it to maintain a 2 per cent reduction in the corporate income rate for R&D activities carried out in whole or in part in the province, and Saskatchewan announced patent box tax policy in its 2017 budget, and recently updated it to include a 10-15-year eligibility window.
The reference to “box” comes from having to tick a box on the tax form that indicates this type of revenue is being claimed. The types of profits that qualify for the lower tax rate, and how acquired intellectual property is treated, differ significantly among countries and provinces.
Additionally, the “patent box” rate varies considerably among nations and provinces. Finally, some countries put caps on the total tax relief companies can receive from patent boxes. In the case of Saskatchewan, the provincial government has installed time limits on the number of years of tax relief that can be attached to a patent.
In the 2021 Federal Budget, the government committed to study a national patent box program; however, this study has not yet started. The Parliamentary Budget Officer found that a Patent Box program to reduce the corporate tax rate by half to 7.5 per cent for large corporations and 4.5 per cent for small business, applied to profits generated from R&D developed and patented in Canada, would cost $242 million over five years. This investment in a national incentive will improve international competitiveness, support business investment in research and help bridge the commercialization gap between concept, patent, and delivery to market, by supporting new economic activity and tax revenue to offset the immediate expenditures of the proposal. The government could also apply the savings that will be realized from streamlining the SR&ED tax incentive program to offset all the immediate revenue cost of this proposal, and complement the existing SR&ED Investment Tax Credit program— firms would have an incentive to base their R&D activities in Canada and to commercialize them in Canada.
The federal “Innovation Strategy” also has a goal to double the number of high-growth firms in Canada from 14,000 to 28,000 by 2025. High-growth firms are the most likely to innovate, sell globally and invest in people creating more and better paying jobs. A secondary goal is to achieve growth in intellectual property applications and have these companies base their R&D and commercialize their innovation in Canada.
A federal “My First Patent Program” could help achieve this. Quebec funds such a program with the following parameters: Quebec SMEs with 250 or fewer employees that are able to demonstrate research and development efforts completed or in part can apply for a non-repayable contribution of up to 50% of eligible expenses, to a maximum of $25,000 for patent application projects, industrial design registration or integrated circuit topography.
This policy resolution was renewed at the 2017 and 2020 national conventions, and it continues to propose key solutions to help Canadian businesses develop and protect IP.
Recommendations
That the Government of Canada:
Complete the study on a national “patent box” strategy to encourage business investment in innovation in Canada by 2025, to be implemented for 2026.
Consult with senior business leaders and technologists to define what intellectual property would qualify, e.g., patents, copyright, industrial design, and for what duration.
Ensure that any such regime adopted in Canada delivers the clarity and simplicity that encourages participation in innovation from both SMEs and large companies.
Develop a federal program modelled after the “My First Patent Program” using the Quebec model as a template to encourage more investment by SMEs across the country.
Review the Patent Collective Program and update funding to meet the needs of new potential innovators.
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 Ken Currie, Right Up My Alley, Sanctuary Flower Fields and Mark Million
/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…
Ken Currie recently launched his own business, specializing in residential design and construction consulting.
Currie has a long history including in the construction trades, as a Chief Building Official and as a Director of Planning and Building. Add Residential Designer and you have someone who can handle all forms of residential permit drawings, planning applications for Minor Variances, and Re-Zonings. From drawings to permit applications, Ken Currie is the guy to call at 705-977-5561.
Tweed has a new bowling alley. Called Right Up My Alley, the new business also includes a restaurant with a farm-to-table approach, featuring locally sourced organic meats, produce and dairy.
The menu is a reflection of the seasons but you can count on everything from complex to comfort food, pub grub, with gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher options. For details on the bowling leagues and schedules visit rightupmyalleytweed.com
After 14 years as a Peterborough County/City Paramedic, Kelly Convery is switching from the frontline to flower farming.
Called Sanctuary Flower Fields, Kelly offers a variety of services including floral design, U-Pick and Photography opportunities. Located in Ennismore, Kelly’s seasonal flowers are started from seed, thoughtfully picked and creatively arranged and the Flower Field is a big hit with local Photographers. For details visit
Congratulations to Mark Million, the new Director of Merchandise for the Peterborough Petes.
Million takes over from Don Sharp who built the Petes Store into a thriving entity at the Memorial Centre. Million is a graduate of the Fleming College Sporting Goods Business program and operates his own sports apparel-related store in Downtown Peterborough called The Capital PTBO.
Voice of Business: Assisting Small Business With Protecting Their Data and Business From Cybercrime
/The cost and maintenance of cybersecurity measures is prohibitive to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) across all sectors of the Canadian economy.
There are a few very simple things that can be done to minimize the risk and enhance recovery procedures. Many SMEs lack the detailed knowledge to make informed decisions and the financial support to contract professionals to handle it for them.
We at the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce have put together a policy resolution on this topic with input from our fellow chambers and industry experts. This policy resolution will go to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and be discussed at our annual policy debate in October. If approved by the membership, it will become part of the CCC’s advocacy program for the next three years.
The issue of cybersecurity is even more relevant today as bad actors begin to use Artificial Intelligence to produce even more invasive ways to trap their victims.
The internet is the road on which the majority of business is conducted in the 21st century and while business is responsible for its own portion of that road, help is needed to make sure it is maintained. Many businesses still feel cybersecurity is an optional extra, yet it is just as important as locks on our doors. Protecting digital assets requires at least a basic cybersecurity strategy and should be part of the business strategy for all SMEs.
The Canadian economy is comprised primarily of SMEs. By incentivizing the adoption of cybersecurity solutions, the federal government can ensure that small and medium-sized businesses are not only protected but can recover quickly and effectively if attacked.
As of December 2021, there were 1.21 million employer businesses in Canada. Of these, 1.19 million (97.9 per cent) were small businesses and 22,700 (1.9 per cent) were medium-sized businesses. Small businesses employed 8.2 million individuals in Canada, or 67.7 per cent of the total private labour force, with medium businesses employing another 2.5 million people. Together, SMEs represent about 51 per cent of Canada’s GDP.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada:
40 per cent of small business owners are spending at least $100,000 to resolve a cyberattack
1 in 5 small businesses have been affected by a cyberattack or data breach
Cyber risk insurance is also a contributor to a business’ ability to survive a cyber incident. However, many SMEs lack the minimum requirements to qualify for cyber risk insurance and are not able to implement needed protocols due to the financial burden.
According to an annual report from IBM, the average data breach cost about $5.5 million globally in 2022, up from $3.92 million in 2019. Canada is ranked the third highest for cost per data breach with an average of $7 million, up from $4.44 million in 2019. In a 2023 study conducted by MasterCard, cybercrime has increased by 600% since the pandemic.
It is clear the need for SMEs to protect themselves is important to the Canadian economy. In November 2018, the CRA implemented the Accelerated Investment Incentive proposals which, under Chart 3.
Purchase of Equipment, allow a business to deduct up to $4,400 in the first two years after the purchase. While this was welcomed, under the current economic situation it is not enough.
Ideally, SMEs need support from professional cybersecurity businesses. This should come through an initial assessment, typically around $100 per system user. Additionally, grants, tax rebates, and tax deductions will support investments in training, support from third-party experts, and getting up-to-date software.
Furthermore, as businesses recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canada Business Resilience Network (www.cbrn.ca) Roadmap to Recovery document suggests government introduce programs, funding and incentives for technology adoption in businesses of all sizes and across all sectors to improve Canadian productivity.
Our recommendations are that the Government of Canada:
Broaden the scope of the existing Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) or create a similar grant program focused on cybersecurity which will allow SMEs to access comprehensive cybersecurity products and services;
Provide specific annual tax credits for the ongoing support and maintenance required from third-party vendors for SMEs that have satisfied the grant program to assess their technology;
Allow SMEs to write off 100% of their business investments in preventative cybersecurity-related software, equipment and other costs (support services and outsourcing costs) in the year those investments are made;
Provide a subsidy for training of staff on cybersecurity awareness programs; and
Create a SME Cyber Defence Fund that provides SMEs with the necessary support to improve their cyber resilience and close the cybersecurity investment gap.
