Winner of First Holiday Shopping Passport Early Bird Draw Announced

Tony Jeffery has won a $500 Boro gift card from the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) first Holiday Shopping Passport early bird draw, announced on Monday.

Holiday Shopping Passport Early Bird winner Tony Jeffery (left) celebrating his win at Gentry Apparel with store owner Andrew Damiany (right). Photo courtesy of the Peterborough DBIA.

Jeffery’s winning passport was drawn at the Peterborough DBIA office on Wednesday.

“I’ve been filling out holiday shopping passports for a long time as I lived and worked downtown for many years. It feels so nice to win after being a long-term stamp collector,” said Jeffery. “Our downtown is so dynamic. It has always had so many unique shops, restaurants, and cafes with new places to discover all the time – not to mention it’s the perfect size for getting around. I’m so excited to win and treat my wife to a nice dinner and cross some more items off my shopping checklist.” 

During the Holiday Passport season, shoppers receive a stamp for every $10 spent participating downtown business. After 20 stamps, passport holders can complete the contact form on it and drop it off at participating businesses to be entered into the draw.

They are available at over 140 participating shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and cafes downtown for free. Each completed Holiday Shopping Passport entered them into a ballot to win $1,500 in Boro gift cards.  

The following early bird draw for a $500 Boro gift card occurs on Wednesday.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Proswing Golf Simulators, Kawartha Golf and Country Club, Premier’s Awards and The Boro

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…

Dylan Purves recently opened a new business called Proswing Golf Simulators. Located at 401 McDonnel St. in Peterborough.

Purves describes it as a state-of-the-art facility boasting Trackman technology, allowing you to virtually play several world-renowned golf courses including Pebble Beach and Augusta. You can book an hour to come in to improve your game, pull together a foursome and play a round, or host a birthday party or event. For details visit proswing.ca.

Lots of changes coming to Kawartha Golf and Country Club.

Blake Ulrich was recently named as the new Head Professional. Blake was born and raised in Peterborough and was a junior member at Kawartha for 10 years. He replaces Mark Ahrens. Meanwhile, the Clubhouse will be torn down this winter to be replaced with a new 6,000-square-foot clubhouse, opening in Spring 2025. The new building will feature an expanded outdoor terrace, change facilities and lockers, a lounge, dining room, kitchen, a meeting room and administrative offices.

The annual Premier’s Awards recognize exceptionally talented Colleges Grads.

This year there are six Fleming College nominees, including Dylan Trepanier in Business, Heather George in Community Services, Rochelle Byrne, in Creative Arts and Design, Vanessa Raaymakers for Health Sciences, Naman Khandelwal, a recent graduate in Global Business Management and Evan Hall, in Technology.

As you go about your Holiday Shopping this year, remember to check out all of the wonderful local shops and services here in the Kawarthas.

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce have their annual Hometown Holiday directory, with gift ideas and a new daily deal in their online advent calendar. Pkchamber.ca. Downtown Peterborough has theBoro.ca, and the many towns and villages in the Kawarthas have wonderful locally-owned shops to explore. Remember, you can keep your town in business by keeping your business in town.

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'Quest It' Mobile App Creator Takes Grand Prize In Innovation Cluster's 'Cubs' Lair' Entrepreneurial Competition

Hadi Jakmora’s mobile app ‘Quest It’ took home first place at the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas’s ‘Cubs' Lair’ entrepreneurial competition held at Erben on Thursday.

Winner Hadi Jakmora (middle left) with his grand prize after winning the Cubs’ Lair competition. Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster Peterborough.

Jakmore took home the grand prize of $3,000, for his app, designed for everyday task assistance, facilitating local services from snow removal to meal preparation.

Matt Anderson clinched second place and a $1,500 award for Chemong City Greens, an enterprise cultivating organic microgreens. Its nutrient-rich produce enhances meals year-round, enriching Peterborough's local food network.

Nicholas Landon secured third place and a $500 prize for Course Sync Inc., an innovative platform revolutionizing student academic management.

Other participants included:

• Zachary McCue of REPWR

• Ashley Bonner of Community Pin

• Yash Ramnani of Nectar

• Jayden Smith of Cub Storage Inc

Judges for the event were Marcelo Sarkis of Prima IP, Jade Calver of Calver Immigration Consulting Inc. and Jason Fiorotto, a seasoned B2B marketing strategist.

“The Innovation Cluster extends heartfelt congratulations to all Cubs' Lair 2023 participants for their remarkable creativity and dedication,” according to a press release statement. “We eagerly anticipate the future success of these entrepreneurs in Peterborough and beyond as they continue to shape the landscape of innovation.”

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Voice of Business: Supporting Stronger Indigenous Economic Outcomes

We need to do better when it comes to economic reconciliation.

Economic reconciliation is so much more than a moral imperative — the cost of inaction is holding us back culturally and economically.

There’s a new policy paper from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) called Sharing Prosperity: An Introduction to Building Relationships for Economic Reconciliation in Ontario. It’s an introductory resource as part of the Economic Reconciliation Initiative, a partnership between both organizations aimed at advancing economic reconciliation by building business capacity to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92.

It's key to appreciate that reports like this are a starting place. It provides some of the resources to build relationships and move us in the right direction. To get there, it helps give historical context, provides insights on Indigenous rights, highlights challenges facing Indigenous businesses, and provides meaningful opportunities for engagement.

The report describes an Indigenous economy that is both strong and growing with Indigenous businesses contributing nearly $50 billion annual to Canada’s GDP. There are more than 75,000 Indigenous-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Canada.

Some of the key actions that businesses can take include:

• Advancing Indigenous cultural awareness and education by sharing territorial acknowledgements, distributing educational reconciliation resources to staff, providing Indigenous cultural competency training, and attending/participating in Indigenous events.

• Promoting equitable Indigenous employment and business opportunities by providing reduced rates/complimentary access to events, memberships, and training for Indigenous businesses/individuals, implementing inclusive Human Resource strategies to recruit and retain Indigenous candidates, auditing workplace policies and procedures to promote reconciliation, linking executive compensation to economic reconciliation performance metrics, and convening an Indigenous Advisory Committee.

• Engaging with Indigenous communities and supporting economic development by making Indigenous community investments, developing Indigenous partnership-building and engagement strategies, implementing Indigenous procurement policies, obtaining certification/accreditation in Indigenous relations, developing a Reconciliation Action Plan, and entering into revenue- or equity-sharing agreements with Indigenous businesses and/or communities.

Diversity, equity and inclusion as well as environmental, social and governance goals are becoming a bigger priority for many businesses and organizations. While connected to both of those approaches, economic reconciliation puts a focus on efforts to recognize the unique, inherent, ancestral, and customary responsibilities of Indigenous Peoples.

Reports like Sharing Prosperity help outline what businesses and organizations of all sizes can do to support stronger Indigenous economic outcomes.

As stated by the OCC Board of Directors: “It is critical to underscore that reconciliation is not about ‘checking a box’ but rather committing to a continual process of learning and action.”

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

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Photos: The Chocolate Rabbit Makes Its Grand Opening of Third Location In East City

The Chocolate Rabbit has opened its third location in Peterborough with its grand opening in East City on Saturday.

Elaine Webster (left), Kristine Webster (middle) and Nichol Wagenblast (right) showcasing some of the chocolatier's featured items. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Several people and dignitaries including Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferrari and Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Free samples, coupons (with purchase of times) and raffles for gift baskets were available at the event.

Customers could meet the Webster family who owns the business, who purchased the business from Lois and Larry MacEachern in August of 2021.

“We have been left speechless with the amount of turnout and support that the community has provided us today,” said Kristine Webster of The Chocolate Rabbit. “All in all, we had a wonderful experience and are so happy to have met and connected with each and every one of you.”

The other locations are in Lakefield and Bancroft and are also owned by the Webster family.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Nóstimo by the Original Greek and PKED

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…

George Anagnostou and Shannon Leclair opened Nóstimo by the Original Greek two and a half years ago for catering and takeout.

Located at 184 Marina Blvd. in the Northcrest Plaza, the business partners recently added two dining rooms and a new menu. Leclair, a Red Seal Chef, has designed a Greek-Mediterranean style menu and George, a certified Sommelier, handles the wine pairings.

They are open for business and taking reservations for the holiday season. Just call 705-991-3747 for reservations for either lunch or dinner, including group and business functions or visit nostimobytheoriginalgreek.com.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development recently announced the latest Starter Company Plus micro-grants recipients of up to $5,000 each.

Designed to support sustainable business growth further, 12 local businesses completed the five-week full-day business training course offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre, and the grants were award to eight of them based on the strength of their business plan, cashflow forecast, and business pitch.

The grants went to Iola Taylor – Cold Duck Creamery, a gourmet cold treat that is creamier and more luxurious tasting than regular ice cream, Joe and Liz Crowley – Crowley Acres, hub for dog lovers for boarding, daycare, an off-leash dog park, training, and breeding, Sara Scheuermann – Steaped Slow Ceramics, offering a unique approach to handmade pottery, Katie Jackson – Wanderlight Luxury Farm Stay, a private, off grid geodesic dome in Douro-Dummer Township, Jordan Lyall – Jordan Lyall Photography, specializing in a fun, relaxed, and child-centred experience, Cody Lewis – Cody Lewis Carpentry, renovations, restorations and new builds, Meg Kynock – muttmixx, all natural, healthy, healing, vegan, gluten free dog treat, and Mackenzie Caldwell – Grace & Glow Beauty Studio, with a focus on personalized beauty treatments and comprehensive education for aspiring beauty professionals.

Since its launch in 2017, the Starter Company Plus program through the Business Advisory Centre has assisted over 230 entrepreneurs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas. These small businesses have created over 220 jobs for the local economy.

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VIDEO: Whistle Stop To Shut Its Doors After 15 Years of Business

After 15 years of business, The Whistle Stop Café is closing on Dec. 17.

Pete Dalliday talks with Peggy and Liz Shaughnessy of Whistle Stop Café about the decision to close the business and their future plans to help the community with Right to Heal Peterborough.

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Video Teaser: Whistle Stop To Shut Its Doors After 15 Years of Business

The Whistle Stop Café is closing after 15 years in business. Pete Dalliday talks with Peggy and Liz Shaughnessy of Whistle Stop Café about their closing and what’s next for them.

Full details and video for 9 a.m. on Nov. 30.

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Voice of Business: Businesses to Pick Up the $3 Million Tab For Appearance of Tax Savings

Increasing the tax ratio for commercial and industrial properties does not save money, increase revenue, or reduce taxes — it merely shifts who pays more taxes.

Yet, this move is being touted by the City of Peterborough’s finance committee as savings as part of its strategy to get the all-inclusive tax rate increase down from 9.59 per cent to 7.38 per cent. The recommendation will increase the ratio of what commercial and industrial property owners pay from 1.5 times that of residential taxpayers to 1.65, shifting $3 million in taxation to local businesses.

What’s especially frustrating is that this decision appears to have been made on a whim – without consultation with the business community or connection to any particular economic plan. The original staff recommendation in the draft budget was to leave the tax ratio as-is.

Decisions around tax policy should have strategic goals and involve consultations. Fourteen years ago, the council of the day worked with industry associations and businesses themselves to come up with a strategy to increase economic growth in our community. The result was a target commercial and industrial tax ratio of 1.5. Getting there took a decade with gradual decreases in the ratio and included regular input from the business community. The result played a role in the rapid development of employment lands in the city to the point that we now have very few spaces for business to move and grow into.

Local businesses are already paying much higher taxes than residents and we aren’t pushing for anything besides the status quo, which is an established competitive benchmark.

Recognizing that businesses already pay 1.5 times the rate of residents, our recommendation is that the City work to expand our employment lands. We’ve been talking about this issue for the better part of 20 years with little progress and now we’re at a critical tipping point with local industry. I’ve talked with two local manufacturers in the last two weeks who are local success stories and are outgrowing their facilities. We have nowhere for them to expand to and we may lose them in the near future. We also have businesses interested in setting up in the region but we have no suitable properties to offer.

Let’s generate more tax revenue from the business community by expanding our commercial and industrial tax base! As an added bonus, businesses typically use fewer services than residents despite their higher tax rate. It’s a win-win for residents and the City.

Many in the business community are still struggling from a few very challenging years. It has been a tough go for many — businesses, residents, and even the municipality. Everything is getting more expensive. The reasons the City is facing a soaring budget increase — rising labour, fuel, and capital costs due to significant inflation — are the same struggles being faced by our local business community. Many businesses are also struggling to service significant debt incurred during the pandemic, which is now at much higher interest rates with repayment deadlines looming.

We applaud our elected leaders for recognizing that the proposed tax increase will be a significant burden for some in our community and are making efforts to reduce this. Many councils over the decades have faced tough decisions at budget time. There are many unpopular choices to make, which typically fall into two areas — increase taxes or reduce services. Everything proposed in the budget has value, but we elect our leaders to make the tough decisions when the time comes.

It’s an oft-repeated line from elected leaders that there is one taxpayer. Shifting $3 million in tax levy to one group of property owners and calling it savings for another does not give the impression that we are all in this together.

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 Terry Guiel, Chatime, Arc Motor Company and Hometown Aesthetics Jamie

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…

Congratulations to Terry Guiel on being named the new Executive Director of the Lindsay & District Chamber of Commerce.

Guiel had a great 10-year run with the Peterborough DBIA, introducing innovative and award-winning programs and events such as Win this Space, Live and Local Lunches, Big Band Day, Naloxone Training Sessions, the One City Clean Team, Green Team and Outreach Team, Hootenanny, Taste of Downtown and many more. He takes over the Lindsay and District Chamber from Allyssa Adams. Congratulations Terry!

Congratulations Kanza Ghazanfar on opening a Chatime franchise here in Peterborough.

Located at 1447 Water St., next to Osmow’s, Chatime offers dozens of drink combinations from milk tea, fruit tea, specialty drinks, smoothies and slush, jelly and juice and more. Chatime is fully staffed by Trent Students! Stop in or visit Chatime.ca for details.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Peterborough has been called The Electric City, perhaps because it was home to General Electric for many years or because it was the first City in Canada to introduce electric streetlights but the moniker is being revisited with the introduction last week of the ARC Motor Company.

The brother and sister team of Sloane Paul and Tom Chep, who grew up in the South end, describe ARC as a green-tech start-up that transforms and upcycles iconic classic cars into modern and powerful electric vehicles. For details visit arcmotors.com.

Photo by David TUan Bui.

Hometown Aesthetics Jamie recently relocated her business from Indian River to 950 Lansdowne St. W. in the Walmart Plaza at Lansdowne and The Parkway.

Jaime started sugaring in 2015 and has since obtained over 20 certifications in services such as lash lifts, tinting, brow laminations, semi-permanent mascara, classic lash extensions, volume lash extensions, henna brows, microblading, body treatments and facials. Having obtained her certification as a Master Educator, Jamie is one of only five Ontario Sugaring Educators with Alexandria Professional. To book an appointment visit hometownaesthetics.ca.

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