Peterborough Blogs
Help Shape The Future Of Downtown Peterborough
/Want to have your voice heard as to the future of downtown Peterborough? Join Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area on Wednesday, April 10th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Shaping Your Downtown Open House event.
The DBIA is seeking to gain valuable input from the community on the future of their work as they develop their five-year strategic plan. They need your help in finding the best path towards a strong, safe and vibrant downtown.
The Open House is Wednesday, April 10th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Peterborough Public Library (Friends of the Library Community Room).
They will be seeking your input on…
-Potential DBIA initiatives planned for the future
-Key factors affecting the success of downtown
-How you can play a role in helping downtown grow and thrive
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Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area Launches Digital Main Street Service Squad
/Starting in April, the innovative Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) will be leading the local Digital Main Street initiative with a Digital Service Squad to help main street small businesses improve their online capabilities.
The DBIA received a $10,000 grant from Digital Main Street as well as support from Community Futures Peterborough and the DBIA’s own resources to establish a Digital Service Squad to help small businesses in the downtown area enhance their use of digital tools and techniques to better promote and sell online.
Photo courtesy DBIA
The Squad will see a trained online specialist visit and assist businesses at no cost to help them set up Google Business, conduct a digital-readiness assessment, and apply for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant.
“This program is going to make our downtown more competitive and vibrant,” says DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel. “We know we have to meet our customers where it’s most convenient for them. The beautiful bricks and mortar physical locations will always be the core of what makes downtown what it is, but we need to help our businesses make the best use of their resources for promotions, serving their customers, and reaching new markets.”
Photo courtesy DBIA
HOW IT WORKS
-> Digital Main Street helps improve how small businesses use digital tools and techniques to become more successful.
-> Today’s digital economy is vital to small businesses, and DMS will help them adopt new digital technologies from e-commerce and social media to back-office systems such as payroll and inventory.
Photo courtesy DBIA
Businesses within the downtown area will be introduced to the Digital Service Squad at the end of April.
For further information or to participate in the program, email DBIA Communications Manager Joel Wiebe here or call 705.748.4774.
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Sustain Wins Win This Space, Grand Prize Package Worth $40,000
/Jonathan and Celine MacKay, owners of Sustain, are the winners of Win This Space 2019. The Win This Space grand prize package is valued at more than $40,000 and includes a downtown storefront free for a year.
Sustain is an eco-lifestyle retail store with a modern, triple bottom line and conscious consumer platform. Born out of a quest for better, more sustainable, non-toxic products, Sustain is positioned as a resource for those in any stage of their sustainable and wellness journey.
Winner Jonathan MacKay of Sustain at Win This Space event at ARIA (photo courtesy DBIA)
Sustain is a source of trust where the consumer can avoid wading through all the green-wash and misinformation and purchase offerings with absolute confidence that have been vetted with great scrutiny.
Sustain is looking to build on the success of their eco lifestyle concept store in Huntsville, a store that has everything a family needs to support zero-waste, plastic free, non-toxic, sustainable lifestyles. Their goal is to expand their concept to Peterborough, which they describe as an eco-progressive, vibrant community.
Winner Jonathan MacKay of Sustain at Win This Space (photo courtesy DBIA)
“This is our third Win This Space and each year I’m inspired and impressed by the interesting businesses people are entering into this competition,” says Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Improvement Area.
Sustain was selected by the Win This Space judges who evaluated the Top 10 applicants to the program. The Top 10 spent three months fine-tuning their proposals at workshops focused on marketing, financial planning, and business plans.
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The Top 10 Win This Space Contestants Announced
/The Top 10 Win This Space finalists have been selected for a chance to win a free downtown storefront for a year.
Judges and sponsors met Tuesday, November 27th at Providence at 131 Hunter Street West to go through all the application videos submitted. Contestants were asked to submit a 1 to 3 minute video pitch (watch them below) which the judges would use to help select the finalists.
Guests at Providence where the Top 10 finalists were announced
The 10 finalists will go through a series of workshops on building business plans, creating marketing plans and financial forecasting.
WHAT THE WINNER GETS
-> The winner will be announced March 5th at The Venue and will then choose which downtown space they would like to open in.
-> The prize package includes not only a free lease to a downtown storefront for a year, but also thousands of dollars in donated prizes including office and computer supplies, marketing and financial services, and advertising and promotion.
-> This year’s grand prize is valued at more than $40,000.
Mr. Downtown Terry Guiel speaking at Providence at Win This Space event
The Win This Space competition is a Peterborough DBIA initiative in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, Community Futures Peterborough and Shorelines Casino Peterborough.
“Every year there are so many interesting submissions for some really innovative businesses,” says Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. “It’s encouraging to see so much excitement from the next generation of entrepreneurs to open a business here in downtown Peterborough.”
THE 10 FINALISTS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) ARE…
MINK MAGIC
KNOOK AND CRANNY
THE RABBIT HOLE
COZY HOME: DESIGNS BY LACEY
THE FOOD SHOP
STATEMENT HOUSE
SUSTAIN
SWEAT HAPPY WELLNESS
MOLOKO
STUDIO PINEO
Holiday Shopping Passports Are Now Available For Downtown Shopping
/Make sure to shop downtown with your Holiday Shopping Passport over the holiday season for your chance to win up to $3,000 in downtown money.
There are more than 140 places to collect stamps this holiday season in downtown. The passports feature three early bird prizes of $500 in downtown money to be drawn December 5th, 12th and 19th with the grand prize of $1,500 in downtown money to be drawn January 9th.
The Holiday Shopping Passports program rewards people for supporting local businesses by shopping, dining and enjoying downtown. Last year’s program saw shoppers stamp a whopping $1.9 million worth of Holiday Shopping Passports.
Left to right: Joel Wiebe, Terry Guiel, Theresa Foley, Jonathan Moreno, James Wallwork and Lena Wallwork
HOW THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING PASSPORT PROGRAM WORKS
-> Every time you spend $10 at a participating business, a box on your passport will be stamped.
-> When your passport is filled (20 stamps), complete the form and drop it off at a ballot box at one of the participating businesses.
-> Each completed passport is a ballot for a draw to win downtown money. There are more than 100 participating businesses downtown.
-> Bring your Holiday Shopping Passport downtown on November 23rd for Black Friday as more than 100 downtown businesses put on some of the biggest sales of the year.
FREE PARKING DOWNTOWN
Also, the DBIA’s annual promotion of two hours free street parking starts on Black Friday and runs until the end of December thanks to the City of Peterborough Parking Division.
Check out downtownptbo.ca for the full list of participating passport locations.
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Downtown Soap Shop Simple Not Reopening After Fire
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PHOTO COURTESY SIMPLE
Simple (370 George Street North) has been closed since a fire hit the building on November 17th, 2017. Their neighbour Natas who were also affected have since reopened, then opened a new location at 382 George Street called Cork & Bean.
Simple had opened a temporary location at the Peterborough Square but have decided not to re-open.
PHOTO Of TEMPORARY PETERBOROUGH SQUARE LOCATION COURTESY DBIA
Owner Alex Fitzgerald posted the following note to customers on their Facebook page…
“Happy Fall, everyone!
I’ve had a much longer hiatus than I’d originally planned, but I hope everyone had as great a summer as I did.
I’ve had some interesting opportunities come up during my downtime and I think I’d like to take advantage of them rather than reopen the shop. It was a hard decision to make, but I’m going to make a huge left turn and become… a travel consultant.
I’m as surprised as anyone, it sort of manifested itself. I had some stress-related health issues this summer, so it’s been a good time to rethink my lifestyle. I’ve always known that travel is important (there’s no one that tries harder to get out of the snow). Now I’m sure that wellness travel is a great way to continue the same thing I’ve been doing for a couple of decades – helping people get better, healthier, practical choices. But now with margaritas 😊
I will miss the shop though. I’ve been very lucky to work downtown my entire life. I can’t think of another environment where you get to be a part of so much community involvement. It’s always been inspiring to be around so many exceptional businesses that put their product over profit and genuinely care about their customers.
Everything’s always ultimately about people. I’d like to think we provided a good product, but it was actually you guys that made our shop a welcoming place that was great to work in every day. Inclusive, unpretentious, authentic… everything that I was proud of in the shop came directly from and was enabled by our awesome customers. You made a great space, thank you. (While I’m thinking about it, I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank you for almost 2 decades of enduring my awesomely horrific soundtracks.)
It has been my absolute pleasure serving you.
High Five”
The Awesome Open Street Community Event Peterborough Pulse Is This Saturday
/Beautiful downtown Peterborough is about to become a vibrant, car-free corridor this Saturday (July 21st) with the return of Peterborough Pulse, which reimagines the possibility of community and the public realm for a single day
This is when for one summer day, the streets are filled with cyclists and roller-skaters, families pushing strollers, karate and fencing demonstrations, art and music, and more.
Now in its 4th year, Pulse will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s Pulse route will run along George Street from McDonnel St. to Sherbrooke St. and will include Charlotte Street from George St. to Aylmer St.
New this year is a snack hub—delicious idea!—on Charlotte Street next to the George Street intersection.
This year, the Pulse team will be expanding the Pulse effect all summer long with the Pulse Play Guide. The Pulse Play Guide is a uniquely local summer passport curated to reflect the magic of Pulse with recreation activities the whole family can discover together, from axe throwing to star gazing.
The Play Guide will offer families free access to some of the most spectacular recreation opportunities offered in the city of Peterborough. Printed Play Guides can be picked up at a number of the local art galleries and museums including: The Museum and Archives, Hutchinson House, The Canadian Canoe Museum, Art Gallery of Peterborough, and the OFAH Heritage Centre.
A download option of the guide will also be made available on the Pulse website here.
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Win This Space 2018 Grand Prize Winner Ritual Apothecary Opens On Charlotte Street
/Nadine McCallen (pictured below), this year’s winner of Win This Space entrepreneurial competition, has opened the doors to her new shop Ritual Apothecary on Charlotte Street in downtown Peterborough. As part of the grand prize, McCallen has received one year of free rent in a downtown storefront.
Photo courtesy DBIA
