Voice of Business - Nov/Dec 2012 by Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

November/December 2012 Vol 5 Issue 6

local business

at the federal level green

green business peterborough excellence

2012 awards shopping local

economic impact christmas guide

P.M. Agreement #40052226 If undeliverable, return to: 175 George Street North, Peterborough, ON K9J 3G6

a bi-monthly publication of

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It’s always better to be part of a group. As a member of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, BrokerLink offers you preferred rates on both your home & auto insurance through our group insurance program. Enjoy savings of up to 10% as a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Plus, save up to an additional 15% when you combine your home and auto insurance into one convenient policy. These group discounts are available for all Chamber members and their full time employees.*

BrokerLink.ca Contact Susan Spry today at 705 - 743 - 4211 for a no obligation quote. *Subject to policy conditions and exclusions. Offer applicable to full-time employees of an organization that are active members of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. To qualify, employees must be employed by the affiliated organization for a minimum of one year. Services available in Ontario through Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) Inc.™ BrokerLink & Design is a trademark of Canada Brokerlink Inc. used under license. © Copyright 2011 Canada Brokerlink Inc. All rights reserved.

yourstaff Stuart Harrison President & CEO Cynthia Hamu Office Manager Lindsay Walker-Chiarelli Administrative Assistant Anne Arnold, CSP Membership Services Manager Shelby Parker FrontLine Coordinator Sara Lunn Tradeshow & Event Coordinator Carol Lawless Special Projects Reception

Ext. 202 Ext. 201 Ext. 204 Ext. 200 Ext. 210 Ext. 206 Ext. 207 Ext. 0

yourboard

executive/finance Jef Dueck Chair 91.9BOBFM/Country 105/Energy 99.7 Tony Smith Past-Chair Tristone Media Group Drew Merrett Vice-Chair Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre Bob Doornenbal Treasurer Driving Miss Daisy Stuart Harrison Secretary Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Patric Marren Director-At-Large Glenn Windrem Trucking Kamran Qayyum Director-At-Large Siemens Canada Limited

directors Jason Becker BDO Canada LLP Ann Farquharson Farquharson Daly Law Firm Brad Hilker NBH Accounting Services Jim Hill Pan-Oston Limited Sharon Legon 1st Call Property & Equipment Services Scott Mancini RBC Royal Bank - Kawartha-Lakeshore Business Banking Centre David Smith Monkman Gracie & Johnston Lisa Smith United Way of Peterborough & District

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inside

Policy Working for Local Business at the Federal Level

Green Business Green Business Peterborough Program

regular features

Excellence

chamber events 10 - young professionals group - breakfast club - business after hours

2012 Business Excellence Awards

Chamber

member matters

new members

Lunch Box Learning

your chamber - news from the OCC & CCC

Re-cap

benefacts

Shopping Local

hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my card

Tony Grady Breakfast & 2012 Prosperity Tradeshow

Your Local Economic Impact

Christmas Catalogue

the voice of business Managing editor cynthia hamu DESIGN treehouse studio Printing vincent press

contributors

Additional Contributors include:

appointments

Sandra dueck

Volunteer Policy Analyst for the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

Cathy Mitchell Huels

Cathy is the Business Program Coordinator for GreenUP and can be reached at: 705-745-3238 x201 or business@greenup. on.ca

www.rbcroyalbank.com

Lindsay Walker-Chiarelli, Administrative Assistant Peterborough Chamber of Commerce www.greenup.on.ca

The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce 175 George St. N. Peterborough 705.748.9771 www.peterboroughchamber.ca

Cynthia Hamu, Office Manager Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

www.peterboroughchamber.ca

Daryl Bennett, Mayor City of Peterborough Karl Moher, Deputy Reeve, Douro-Dummer Township County of Peterborough Herma van Beek Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture

Scott Mancini

Sara Lunn, Tradeshow & Event Coordinator Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

Scott is a Commercial Account Manager with RBC, in the Kawartha Lakeshore Commercial Banking Centre, and can be reached at 705-876-3536 or scott. mancini@rbc.com

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POLICYmatters

by Sandra Dueck, Volunteer Policy Analyst

Working for Local Business at the Federal Level he Peterborough Chamber is very active when it comes to representing local business at the provincial and federal levels. Chamber President & CEO Stu Harrison is Co-Chair of the Ontario Caucus, which spends hours on conference calls each summer, vetting the policy resolutions in time for the Annual General Meeting. The AGM this year held in Hamilton from September 22nd – 24th, includes six hours of debate on dozens of individual recommendations to government, on everything from social policy and transportation, to finance and the environment. Here is a sample of a few of the specific recommendations going to government: Immigration; That the federal government: 1. Change the length of time for which a post-graduation work permit can be valid, from the current status of valid for no longer than three years, to five years, especially in the fields that will be in high demand in Canada in the following decades, so long as graduation is obtained from an accredited Canadian educational institution. 2. Enforce the current level of service in the new structure so that all areas of the country are able to access skilled employees. Infrastructure; That the federal government: 1. Ensure that the new long-term infrastructure plan includes a mechanism to evaluate federallyfunded capital projects as potential P3s. 2. Commits to reviewing the funding levels in the gas tax program every four years to ensure that infrastructure investment objectives are being met. Contraband Tobacco; That the federal government develop a contraband tobacco strategy that would: 1. Create a minimum sentence for repeat contraband offenders. 2. Expand police powers to fight contraband; modeled on Quebec where local police and courts are able to conduct contraband investigations.

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3. Require tougher licensing of nontobacco manufacturing materials. There are many parts to making cigarettes, apart from tobacco. They should be more strictly regulated and licensed. SR&ED (Scientific Research & Experimental Development); That the federal government: 1. Review the existing legislation to make sure that the changes do not favour labour-intensive industries over capital-intensive industries. 2. Eliminate traditional overhead calculation, and reintroduce recognition of capital and leased expenditures and the full value of expenditures eligible for SR&ED deduction and Investment Tax Credits, ultimately achieving the desired “revenue neutral” changes and removing the current bias against capital-intensive research and development. Canada Revenue Agency; That the federal government: 1. Instill flexibilities into Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) systems to allow frontline staff to manage communications between CRA streams on behalf of small business owners, and take initiative to resolve small issues in a timely fashion, maintaining a client-oriented customer service approach. 2. Assign a case officer, with the appropriate training, to small business files to make compliance faster, cheaper and simpler.

3. Instruct the CRA to correct and respond regarding CRA errors within 30 days of notification by the taxpayer or taxpayer’s representative. Fiscal Policy; That the federal government: 1. Debt Management - Balance the federal books by 2015, and ensure that the debt-to-GDP ratio falls below 30 per cent by 2016. 2. Program Spending - Limit growth in program spending to an average of 2.1 per cent per year through 2016-17. 3. Tax Policy - Ensure that Canada’s tax system is neutral, simple, efficient and fair. Avoid ad hoc changes to tax legislation, like the constant addition of special provisions and targeted tax benefits. Appoint an advisory panel to identify ways to reduce the complexity of Canada’s tax system. Reduce Canada’s heavy reliance on more damaging, high-cost sources of taxes, namely income and profit taxes, and rely more on consumption-based taxes, like the GST/HST.

GreenBusinessmatters

by Cathy Mitchell Huels, GreenUP

Green Business Peterborough Program ustainability is a business strategy – one that has staying power because it can increase productivity, improve a company’s public image and save companies money, none of which go out of style. The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and GreenUP are pleased to announce the introduction of the Green Business Peterborough Program. The program will recognize businesses that have pledged to and have implemented strategies to reduce waste, save energy, and adopt sustainable business practices. “We are not asking business to invest time and money simply because it is good for the environment. We are asking them to look at better resource efficiency and waste management in the context of commercial improvements and benefits.” Neil Coulson, CEO, Victorian Employers’. We all need to take responsibility to preserve and protect our environment. Small changes and actions can collectively have a huge impact. Going “green” is good for your business, good for your customers and good for your community. By filling out the audit tool and making use of the websites tips and resource links you can find effective information on opportunities like the OPA incentive programs offered by Peterborough Distribution Inc. including the Small Business Lighting Program; a free $1000 efficient lighting retrofit grant. Green Business Peterborough will proceed as a network of local businesses acting toward a sustainable future. When you become an integral part of this network you will be able to identify the easy things you can do to minimize risks, offer a healthy work environment and give back to the community. Share your business’ commitment to the environment with your customers and clients by taking the Green Pledge.

Businesses taking the Green Pledge will receive a Green Pledge window decal, a website logo and a Green Pledge Plaque. Businesses taking the Green Pledge will also be listed on the Green Business Peterborough website, and the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce (members only) & GreenUP websites. To gauge your business’ current implementation of green practices and get ideas for additional environmentallyfriendly business practices, complete and return the Application and Self Audit, and your Take the Green Business Pledge to tell us what project you will take on to make your business greener in order to get transparent recognition for your efforts and achievements.

Visit www.greenbusinesspeterborough.ca If you would like more information regarding Green Business Peterborough please contact Alex Mortlock, Energy Efficiency Manager at GreenUP, energy@greenup.on.ca or call 705-745-3238 x200.

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705.748.2001 www.trentsecurity.com

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EXCELLENCE matters y b Cynthia Hamu, Office Manager

o Event Sponsor

Business Citizen of the Year Sponsor

2012 Business Excellence Awards

n Wednesday October 17th, we held our 9th Annual Peterborough Business Excellence Awards recognizing 51 outstanding businesses from our community, along with the Business Citizen of the Year. As well two students, one from Trent University and one from Fleming College, each received a $1000 Student Business Leadership Bursary, in recognition of their exceptional leadership potential. This exciting awards ceremony was sold out again this year, with approximately 500 guests in attendance! The Chamber was fortunate to have Teresa Kaszuba from CHEX TV as our evening host and Bob Doornenbal from Driving Miss Daisy for our MC, and we extend our most sincere thanks and appreciation for them doing such an outstanding job once again! The Chamber is also extremely grateful to Impact Communications and Creative Audio DJ for providing outstanding audio and video, which give our ceremony a special Oscar feel – thank you for your outstanding work! And lastly, but certainly not

least, we extend a special thanks to our 2012 Excellence Committee who worked tirelessly to ensure that on this evening all of our finalists were recognized as the “Very Important Business” each of them are! Following this article is a list of all of our 2012 finalists, with all of this year’s awards recipients in bolded text, as well as each of our Excellence sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible. We have also included the Student Business Leadership Bursary recipients. For information on the various category

criteria, or for more information on the Excellence Awards, please visit our website at www.peterboroughchamber.ca. The Chamber would like to take this opportunity to thank each of our 2012 Excellence Committee members for the outstanding job they did this year (names listed in alphabetical order): Angela Jones, Lakeshore Designs Brenda O’Brien, CHEX TV Cheryl Kelly, RBC Royal Bank Drew Merrett, Merrett Home Hardware Building Karen Park, The Peterborough Examiner (Co-Chair) Margaret Wuis, BMO Financial Group Ryan Tracy, Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront Sharon Legon, First Call Property & Equipment Services (Co-Chair)

As well, a special thanks to each of the judges, who worked tirelessly reviewing each and every nomination submission, carefully choosing our finalists and recipients. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to complete and submit a nomination and sincerely hope that by going through the completion of your nomination you and your team were able to celebrate your accomplishments this past year!

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2012 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALISTS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT (sponsored by The Venue) • Lakeshore Designs • MicroAge Peterborough • The Body Shop SUPPLY CHAIN (sponsored by Peterborough Community Futures Development Corp.) • R&J Machine • SunRise Power Corporation • Sysco Central Ontario, Inc. SKILLED TRADES (sponsored by Business Development Bank) • McCloskey International Limited • Restwell Upholstering Co. Inc. • Tri-Line Electrical Services Ltd. TOURISM (sponsored by BMO Financial Group) • Irwin Inn of Stoney Lake Inc. • Lang Pioneer Village Museum • Peterborough & The Kawarthas Tourism HOSPITALITY (sponsored by Sysco Central Ontario, Inc.) • Denbar’s Steak Chalet • Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront • Viamede Resort

RETAIL - NON-CHAIN/ NON-FRANCHISE (sponsored by The Peterborough Examiner) • Spa on Hunter at Euphoria • The Avant-Garden Shop • Water World Pools CUSTOMER FIRST (sponsored by TD Canada Trust) • Driving Miss Daisy • MicroAge Peterborough • The Body Shop LOCAL FOCUS (sponsored by Darling Insurance) • Christensen Fine Art • Gypsy Barn • Muddy’s Pit BBQ INNOVATION / RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (sponsored by GPA EDC) • K9 Wellness Centre • Quickmill Inc. • Siemens Canada Ltd.

(Award Recipients’ names in bold)

HEALTH & WELLNESS (sponsored by Gauvreau Lingard Chartered Accountants) • Motion Specialties • Paget Denture Clinic • The Athletics Centre at the Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre NOT-FOR-PROFIT (sponsored by Fleming College) • Alzheimer Society Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton • Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & District • Peterborough Community Futures Development Corp. EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR (sponsored by LLF Lawyers LLP) • BDO Canada LLP • Kawartha Credit Union • MicroAge Peterborough

COMMERCIAL RESTORATION / RENOVATION (sponsored by City of Peterborough) • Kettle Drums Restaurant & Bar • The ScottcoDanaco Partnership (JG Allan Hall) • Westmount Pharmacy

MICRO BUSINESS – Fewer than 5 employees (sponsored by The Staffing Connection/ Level A) • Home Suite Home Transitions • The WISP Group • Treehouse Studio

MARKETING & PROMOTION (sponsored by BDO Canada LLP) • Kawartha Credit Union • The Athletics Centre at the Trent Community Sport & Recreation Centre • Treehouse Studio (2012 Little Lake Musicfest Campaign)

RETAIL - CHAIN/FRANCHISE (sponsored by RBC Financial Group) • Best Buy Mobile • Domino’s Pizza • The Body Shop

ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES (sponsored by County of Peterborough) • CCS-agriKomp Inc. • Eco-Kare International • Harley Farms

BUSINESS CITIZEN OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Nexicom) • Michael Skinner, The Venue

Student Bursary Winners Tyler Lovenuk – Fleming College Wilson Scott – Trent University

Congratulations to all of the 2012 Excellence Awards finalists and recipients! thevoiceofbusiness

Chamber matters y b Chamber Staff

Tony Grady Breakfast - 7 Secrets for Building a Successful Business!

n August 29th Tony Grady, from Grady Business Coaching and Grady’s Feet Essentials, shared his ‘7 Secrets for Building a Successful Business!’ at the Best Western Otonabee Inn on Lansdowne Street. Some of Tony’s points included: dreaming and defining what you want from your business, setting 5 business goals that you want to achieve, identifying and focusing on your target market, creating your brand image, the WOW Factor, and step-by-step instructions on how to build long term relationships with your customers. Other key ideas Tony shared include: • “A satisfied customer is not enough these days – as entrepreneurs we need to deliver a knockout customer experience that creates buzz – what can you do to WOW your customers?”

• “When you’re creating your brand image, don’t try to be all things to all people – pick your target market and niche, then go after it! For example, if you’re a restaurant that specializes in steak, don’t add fish or pasta to try to bring in more business – your brand becomes generic and you risk losing established core customers.” • “Remember the Rule of 20 – if you treat a customer especially well and ‘WOW’ them, you can assume 20 people in their circle of influence will hear great things about you and become prospective customers. Alternatively, if you make a customer irritated or angry with your business (for example, not returning phone calls, sticking

to return policies when items are obviously defective, ignoring emails, etc.) you can again multiply that by at least 20 people who will hear very negative gossip about your business and will probably never do business with you. And now with social media like instagram, Twitter, Facebook and more, negative customer interactions can potentially reach 100’s of people in a matter of minutes.” For a complimentary one hour business consultation, Tony can be reached at 705-874-1370 or visit his website at www.gradys.ca.

2012 Prosperity Tradeshow  by Sara Lunn, Tradeshow and Event Coordinator

n September 12th, the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce held its annual Prosperity Tradeshow at the Morrow Building. Each year, the Prosperity Tradeshow brings out a diverse mix of Member businesses that spend the day connecting with each other as well as meeting new people. This year was no different! The feedback from the exhibitors was that the attendees were really engaged and a lot of business connections were made. The Prosperity Show is important to the Chamber because it gives us a chance to showcase our membership and it helps to educate the public on what we do for businesses in the community.

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The Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Amy Simpson and the staff at MicroAge as our event sponsor. We appreciate all of your support and look forward to seeing you next year! Event Sponsor

Congratulations to Bob Brown of Kawartha Credit Union. Winner of the ProBook Netbook Grand Prize, sponsored by MicroAge Technology Solutions!

LUNCHBoxlearning September “Get Ready: How Current Pension Reform Debate and Legislation Will Impact the Self- Employed and Small Business Owner” Eileen Madder CFP, EPC, Financial Advisor with Manulife Securities presented September’s session on how the current Pension Reform debate and legislation will impact the self-employed and small business owner.

retirement program in their workplace.

On November 17th, 2011 the federal government introduced Bill C-25 (The Pooled Registered Pensions Plan Act).

While all the final details are still under discussion, what is becoming clear is that all employers will be required to offer some type of retirement savings option for their employees in the near future. The federal government has simply provided a framework for adoption by the provinces.

Tailored to meet the needs of small business owners and self-employed individuals, the PRPP seeks to make pensions accessible to the significant number of Canadians who do not have a

Quebec is the first province to table, approve and implement a VRSP (Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan), effective January 1st 2013, mandatory for all employers with 5 or more employees.

Ontario is seeking additional clarification and more information is expected late 2012. If you would like to learn more about PRPP in Ontario and what you can do to prepare your business for the upcoming retirement initiatives, please call Eileen Madder CFP, EPC with Manulife Securities at 705-874-9355 or email eileen.madder@manulifesecurities.ca

Our Lunch Box Learning sessions are typically held either the third or fourth Wednesday of every month in The Chamber Boardroom, located at 175 George Street North, from 12 noon to 1pm. Lunch is not provided, however attendees are welcome to bring their own. Although this event is free to attend, registration is mandatory as space is limited.

Find the best local products and services in the Marketplace section of the Peterborough Examiner website. Look through the business categories in Marketplace at any time of day for what you want … when you want it. We provide full company profiles, Google maps to your location, website, email and social media links, hours of operation, etc. It’s easier than ever to browse, locate and contact local companies. All this for less than a small cup of coffee a day! Interested in having your business available 24/7? Advertise in our Marketplace Section - where business information is click of the mouse away!

Contact Karen Park 705.745.4641 x236 karen.park@sunmedia.ca thevoiceofbusiness

Chamberevents youngprofessionalsgroup  by Ben vanVeen, YPG Co-chair (Sutton All Pro Realty) October’s YPG meeting was packed with networking opportunities, fun, and information. Scott McDermot of RJ Brown Insurance facilitated the Marshmallow Challenge, which pitted teams against one another in a test of our teamwork and lateral thinking skills. Many new members attended and I’m sure we’ll be seeing them again! November’s event will be one for the ages and is in line with the YPG’s goal of assuming a more prominent role in shaping the future of our fine city. ALL Chamber members should come out to The Venue and attend the first YPG Policy Forum, at which we will be hearing opinions and debate surrounding what major municipal issue the YPG should focus on championing. Facilitated by the YPG, this event (and ALL YPG events!) is open to the entire membership. Please attend and have your voice heard.

Don’t forget to join our FaceBook group. See you all in November! The YPG meets on the fourth Thursday of every month from 5 to 7pm at The Venue. Be sure to attend our next event, or send a representative from your business. For more information, please check out the Chamber’s website at www.peterboroughchamber.ca or visit our YPG Facebook page.

sponsored by:

businessafterhours October

by Laura Hervieux (Capture Creative), BAH Committee Chair 

The October BAH was held at The Junction and hosted by the New Canadians Centre (NCC) and Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII). The NCC and PPCII welcomed everyone with wonderful food and informative displays. Executive Director, Hajni Hos helped us to understand the situation of new immigrants with an entertaining story of a young family emigrating to Hungary and the challenges they face - from not understanding the language, to learning new customs and cuisine. Imagine flipping the situation and experiencing all of that coming to Canada, and you’ll have an idea of what our New Canadians face. It’s not easy to learn a new culture or find gainful employment. The NCC helps to connect local employers with these newcomers, this year they matched over 47 newcomers with full-time jobs with local employers for successful long-term relationships. It’s been proven that companies with a more diverse labour force come up with more innovations. The NCC is here to ensure a seamless integration for newcomers into the Peterborough Community. For more than 5 years, the PPCII has been welcoming immigrants and helping to create social, environmental and cultural prosperity in the Peterborough Community.

The Chamber is also involved in policy resolutions to help these New Canadians, participating in the Canadian Chamber AGM this past September in Hamilton. With new labour law changes coming in January, the Chamber is working at local, provincial and national levels to help improve the kinds of jobs available for newcomers.

Our Business After Hours events take place on the first Tuesday of every month, from 4 to 6pm, at various member business locations. Be sure to attend our next event, or send a representative from your business. For more information on our BAH and other upcoming events, please visit our website at www.peterboroughchamber.ca

Michelle

Business Support Co-ordinator

Staying ahead in today’s fast-paced business world takes cutting-edge technology, trained technicians – and Michelle. As Business Support Co-ordinator, Michelle is the key point of contact for our large business customers. It’s Michelle’s job to make it easier for you to compete in a high-tech world. Whether you’re upgrading to an IP Hosted PBX phone system or increasing your internet speed, you can count on Michelle to ensure that everything goes smoothly, without disruption to your business. Because Michelle believes that keeping your business up and running is good customer service. And, like everyone at Nexicom, Michelle knows that it takes good customer service to make a great telecommunications company.

We have what it takes. 705-775-nexi (6394) • nexicom.net thevoiceofbusiness

November Events: businessafterhours tuesday, november 6th, 2012 Proud of Our Past, Positive About Our Future

Peterborough • Lakefield Omemee • Bobcaygeon

(705) 742-4245 • 1-800-387-1627 www.darlinginsurance.net

BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS • Competitive rates • Flexible payment options • Local credit approvals

location: Cogeco Cable Canada LP, 1111 Goodfellow Road time: 4:00 – 6:00 pm cost: Free, compliments of OLG Slots at Kawartha Downs please note: Pre-registration is required for this event

breakfastclub

tuesday, november 13th, 2012 location: Carousel Restaurant, 116 Lansdowne Street East time: 7:30 am cost: Pay for your breakfast speaker: Keith Lipsett from Home Care Assistance of the Kawarthas please note: You do not need to register for this event.

newmembershowcase tuesday, november 20th, 2012

location: Kawartha Golf & Country Club, 777 Clonsilla Ave. time: 4:00 – 6:00 pm cost: Free, compliments of Kawartha Golf & Country Club please note: Pre-registration is required for this event and open to all members to attend

lunchboxlearning

wednesday, november 21st, 2012 w w w. k a w a r t h a c u . c o m

COMING SOON LIONA BOYD

HAWKSLEY WORKMAN

Thursday, November 29th Friday, November 30th 8pm 8pm www.lionaboyd.com www.hawksleyworkman.com

COLM WILKINSON Saturday, December 15th 8pm www.colmwilkinson.com

BRENT BUTT

Sunday, January 20th 7:30pm

www.brentbutt.com

Tickets Available at Showplace Box Office 705.742.7469 1.888.444.2154 www.showplace.org 12

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location: Chamber Boardroom, 175 George Street North time: 12 noon – 1:00 pm speaker/topic: Chris Calbury with Emmatt Digital Solutions Inc. speaking on, “5 Things Your Homepage Should Have to Generate Business.” cost: Free to attend (bring your own lunch), however registration is mandatory as space is limited

youngprofessionalsgroup (YPG) thursday, november 22nd, 2012

location: The Venue Peterborough, 286 George St. N. time: 5:00 – 7:00pm topic: “Town Hall Meeting”; Come and discuss what issues about Peterborough are important to you and your business. cost: Free, compliments of The Venue please note: Pre-registration is required for this event

Please note: the Chamber will be closed on the following dates: n

2012 Christmas

Closure – Monday, December 24th at 2pm, re-opening on Monday, December 31st from 8:30am until 2pm

New Year’s Day Tuesday, January 1st, 2013

Family Day Monday, February 18th, 2013

Good Friday Friday, March 29, 2013

Easter Monday Monday, April 1, 2013

Victoria Day Monday, May 20, 2013

Canada Day Monday, July 1, 2013

Civic Holiday Monday, August 5, 2013

Labour Day Monday, September 2, 2013

Thanksgiving Day

Monday, October 14, 2013

December Events: joint businessafterhours and youngprofessionalsgroup (YPG) christmassocial

Annual Christmas Gala & Auction

wednesday, december 4th, 2012 location: Craftworks & Antiques at the Barn, 124 Lindsay Road, Peterborough time: 4:00 – 7:00 pm (Note the extra hour!) cost: Free, compliments of OLG Slots at Kawartha Downs please note: Pre-registration is required for this event

Wednesday December 5th Parkway Banquet Hall 1135 Lansdowne St. W. Peterborough featuring a night of food, fun and shopping 6 p.m. – Social & Silent Auction 7:00 p.m. – Dinner 9 p.m. – Live Auction

breakfastclub

tuesday, december 11th, 2012 location: Carousel Restaurant, 116 Lansdowne Street East time: 7:30 am cost: Pay for your breakfast speaker: Donna Williams with Junior Achievement please note: You do not need to register for this event.

All Proceeds from the Live and Silent Auction will go to support

YWCA Crossroads Women’s Shelter

Looking Forward:

Donations for the auction will be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at the following locations: East City Flower Shop, 59-B Hunter Street E., 742-1617 Brant Basics, 296 George St. N., 748-2291 Exit Realty Liftlock, 1840 Lansdowne St. W., 742-1617

124thannualgala saturday, february 23rd, 2013 location: Peterborough Golf & Country Club, 1030 Armour Rd. Grand Prize: Trip for two to Las Vegas, sponsored by Cogeco Honouring Incoming 2013 Chair of the Board, Drew Merrett Mark your calendars now!

2013wellnessexpo

Guest registration for the Christmas Gala is Friday, November, 30th, 2012 Please register at: www.womensbusinessnetwork.net

saturday, march 2nd, 2013 location: Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, Brealey Drive cost: Admission is free (open to the public) please note: To reserve your booth space, please contact Sara Lunn, Tradeshow and Event Coordinator, at 705-748-9771 x206 or sara@peterboroughchamber.ca Stay tuned for details!

Cost is $40.00 per person and must be prepaid.

Don’t miss out on this wonderful evening!

registrationinformation

Promoting and supporting women in business through personal and professional growth opportunities.

Unless otherwise specified, registration is required for all Chamber events. To register, please call 748-9771 Ext. 0 or email register@peterboroughchamber.ca

Wills, Powers of Attorney & Estates

705.745.1361 Y

Walter Howell, Alexander (Sandy) Fleming, John McCarney, Edgar Wood, Donald White and John Nichols (all formerly of Howell Fleming),

Melinda Booth

Lawyers formerly of Howell, Fleming who joined LLF on July 1st, 2012.

Ross Whittington,

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MEMBERmatters Sign-A-Rama Expands Morgan and Debbie Smith of Sign-A-Rama have introduced a new division called SDiSigns. It features five new employees, two new CNC router machines and the ability to produce high-quality wayfinding and corporate signage, including compliant signage with Braille and tactile features for those with disabilities. Visit www.signaramapeterborough.com or call 705-742-9994.

Quality Inn Renovates The Quality Inn, located at 1074 Lansdowne Street West, recently completed a major renovation. The work included new carpeting, vinyl and paint, art work, linens, granite counters and furniture. Call 705-748-6801 or you can visit www.choicehotels.ca.

MEDIchair Named EPIC Venture MEDIchair – Home Medical Equipment Specialists is the latest EPIC Venture to be recognized by the Business Advisory Centre. Owners Allison and Rod Seiderer have doubled both the size of their home medical equipment business and the number of employees in the last 4 years. Visit www.trent.medichair.com or call 705-740-2650.

My Left Breast Has Moved My Left Breast has moved to 203 Simcoe St., Unit 3 in the Charlotte Mews. The bigger and better store allows owner Bridget Leslie to offer more

selection and better service. Bridget specializes in bra fitting, including nursing bras, mastectomy fittings, wig fittings, and cancer care services. Visit www.myleftbreast.ca or call 705-876-3333.

Siemens Canada Celebrates 100th Anniversary Siemens Canada began in Montreal in 1912, and now has more than 4,400 employees across the country, working in the fields of industry, energy and healthcare, and delivering infrastructure solutions for cities. In Peterborough, Siemens Milltronics has more than 340 employees and is a global leader in high technology process instrumentation. Visit www.siemens.com/ peterborough or call 705-745-2431.

New Owners at Paulmac’s Pet Foods Paulmac’s Pet Foods at 1550 Lansdowne St. W. has new owners – Bob Bestard and DJ Evans. Paulmac’s started in Peterborough in 1984 and now has stores across Ontario. It’s a fullservice pet and pet supply store, as well as Groomingdales, an onsite pet grooming service. Visit www.paulmacs.com or call 705-742-1311.

Centroid Training & Marketing Patrick Tinney recently moved his training and marketing business to the Kawarthas. Called Centroid Training & Marketing, Patrick uses 30 years of experience to offer training in sales prospecting, consultative selling, customer service, new business development and business negotiation. Full details are online at www.centroidmarketing. com or call 705-657-2518.

ServiceMaster of Peterborough

Thin City Longboard • Peterborough

LOANS AND BUSINESS SUPPORT

Andrea Thorn recently opened a ServiceMaster franchise in Peterborough. Andrea offers janitorial and commercial services including daily, weekly and monthly cleaning programs, general maintenance, clinical cleaning, office cleaning, windows, waste removal, carpet and upholstery care and more. For more details call 705-977-0689.

Prevail Design & Media Prevail Design & Media provides social media and graphic design services in the Peterborough area. Owner Jeff Macklin has 20 years of experience with everything from large home renovators to small upstarts. Jeff can create dramatic visuals and help you reach your target market. Visit his website at www.prevailmedia.ca or call 705-876-0497.

Primal Cuts Butcher George Madill and Chef Jamie Vrooman have joined forces to create Primal Cuts, located in the Heritage Plaza at 550 Lansdowne Street West. Primal Cuts carries locally sourced meats, hand-made in-house sausages and burgers, a fullservice deli, ready-to-go sandwiches and prepared dishes. The website is www.primalcuts.ca or you can call 705-775-6328.

Kawartha Credit Union Recognized In September, Kawartha Credit Union was featured on The Best Small and Medium Employer in Canada website. They are a veteran participant who continuously places on the Best Employers list. This national awards program recognizes top employers with between 50 and 400 employees. Visit www.kawarthacu.com or call 705-743-3643.

Peter Moore Accepts Professor’s Role This fall Peter Moore, owner and Senior Investigator at Stealth Private Investigations and Court Agent Services will be teaching a Private Investigator course at Loyalist College. Peter worked with the college to design the course. During the 10-week session, customers can expect Stealth’s service and quick response to continue. Visit www.stealthpi.ca or call 705-748-6544.

Cosmetic Transformations Inc a Finalist for OBAA Cosmetic Transformations Inc is one of three finalists for the Innovation Award in the OCC’s Ontario Business Achievement Awards. Owner Kyla Gutsche developed Titian WashTM, a form of micropigmentation which closely simulates healthy skin and realistically recreates features damaged by trauma, surgery or illness. Awards were presented on October 24th. Visit www. cosmetictransformations.com or call 705-931-5955.

G R O W I NG FUTUR ES TO G ETH ER

Does your business have some new and exciting news to share? If so, please submit your information (approximately 50-75 words) to editor@peterboroughchamber.ca by the 1st of the preceeding month for inclusion in the next issue (i.e. March/April issue, February 1st deadline). Please note that information will be printed at the President & CEO’s discretion.

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newmembers welcome to our new members who joined the Chamber from August 9th to October 5th, 2012 Automotive Sales and Service J & M Automotive Jesse Maudsley (705) 874-2400 http://jandmautomotive.com Building Materials Lakeland Building Essentials Andrew Kernohan (866) 359-2640 www.lakelandbuildingessentials.ca Charter, Taxi and Limousine Services Johnny B Limousine Service Vera Rice (705) 930-5466 www.johnnyblimousine.ca Computer Consultants TechNet Solutions Inc. Paul Sheehan (705) 201-1660 www.technetsolutions.ca

Consultants - Business, Management and Retail Centroid Training and Marketing Patrick Tinney (705) 657-2518 www.centroidmarketing.com Consultants - Industrial, Commercial and Project Management

Foundations

Restaurants and Catering

Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough Andrea Dicks (705)-740-2347 www.cfgp.ca

Parkhill on Hunter Emma Cox (705) 743-8111 www.parkhillonhunter.com Telecommunications

Health Services

SBM Finishing Consultants Shannon Matwey (705) 761-1870

Helping Hands Home Care Inc. Michelle and Greg Campbell (705) 308-5115 www.helpinghandshomecareinc.vpweb.ca

Alliance Security / Compton’s Telecommunication Services James Turcotte (705) 957-4663 www.comptontel.ca

Electric, Electronic Products and Generators

Recreation, Amusement and Golf Courses

Transportation/Trucking and Freight Forwarding

SRP Electric Stacey Pauzé (705) 760-3270 www.srpe.ca

Absolute Sounds DJ and Photo Booth Services Gerald Hood (705) 243-2441 www.absolutesounds.ca

Leland Transport Dave Johnson (705) 295-8707

Food and Beverage Store East City Bakery Markus Breur (705) 745-9470 www.eastcitybakery.ca

Lakeshore Designs Designs for Elton John Lakeshore Designs’ list of clients now includes Sir Elton John. Owner Angela Mark and staff transformed the locker room at the Peterborough Memorial Centre into a British-themed dressing room for Sir Elton for his concert in September. Lakeshore Designs can be reached at 705-748-3875 or visit www.lakeshorehd.ca.

Austin Trophies Moves Owner Garnet Capell and the staff at Austin Trophies have moved to a new location at 926 High Street. It’s a bigger and better facility, featuring new products, a larger showroom and more parking. For more information visit www.austintrophies.com or call 705-745-9012.

Ian McClure Retires Congratulations to local businessman Ian McClure. The owner of Ian F. McClure Holdings (2003) Limited recently sold his Northview Commerce Court and announced his retirement. Ian has been a member of the Chamber since 1970. Enjoy your retirement, Ian!

Residential/Commercial Janitorial Services ServiceMaster of Peterborough Andrea Thorn (705) 977-0689

Chamber Members Among 2012 Premier’s Award Nominees Three Chamber members and Fleming College graduates have been nominated for the prestigious 2012 Premier’s Awards for outstanding Ontario college graduates. Business Category: Mary LaRocque, Owner, Marlin Travel; Creative Arts & Design Category: Gayle McIntyre, Program Coordinator, Fleming College; Technology Category: Kim Appleton, Co-Owner/President, Emmatt Digital Solutions Inc. - Congratulations! Awards will be presented on November 26th.

Helping Hands Home Care Inc. Helping Hands Homecare is a new in-home nursing care provider, recently started by Michelle and Greg Campbell. Greg and Michelle and their staff of carefully screened providers offer home and personal care, meal prep, light housekeeping, transportation and companion services. Details are at 705-308-5115 or online at www.helpinghandshomecareinc.vpweb.ca.

 please utilize their services whenever possible 

Member Milestones The Chamber would like to recognize the following member milestone anniversaries in 2012: Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & District – 10 years Irwin Inn – 65 years Lakeshore Designs – 10 years Lang Pioneer Village Museum – 45 years Siemens Canada Limited – 100 years The Body Shop – 25 years Water World Home & Leisure Centre – 30 years Wild Rock Outfitters Inc. – 20 years

Congratulations to all! thevoiceofbusiness

Shopping Localmatters

by Scott Mancini, Commercial Account Manager, RBC

Your Local Economic Impact

eterborough is and has always been a beautiful place to live and raise a family. For many years, our residents had to resign themselves to the fact that some shopping options would need to be occasionally explored outside the city, due to a greater choice available just down Highway 115. This presented a dilemma for many residents as it meant that by travelling outside the city limits to spend their money, they were not supporting the local economy. A recent Retail Market Analysis report published by Urban Metrics Inc. suggests some significant changes are on their way. The local market (which includes surrounding townships) is viewed in 2 divisions for purposes of this report. The first is Food Store Expenditures (FSE) which includes grocery-conveniencespecialty food store categories. The second is Non-Food Retail (NFR) and includes clothing-furniture-homegeneral categories. In this 236 page report, the case is made that FSE

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expenditures in the area will rise from $436MM in 2011 to $517MM by 2026. (stated in 2011 dollars) NFR expenditures are predicted to grow from $1,115MM to $1,491MM by 2026 as well. This total growth of $457MM over 15 yrs is attributable to a number of factors: • First the trend of considerable shopping traffic ‘outflow’ from Peterborough to neighbouring regions (Durham/GTA) has been on the decline since 2000, and the only area that saw increased outflow was general merchandise. Costco (6k members in Peterborough City alone as of 2007), as well as Wal-Mart relocation/ expansion, are cited as primary reasons this trend has and will continue to reverse into the future. A few of the other stores cited as assisting with the continued decline of shopping traffic outflow were Reitmans, Winners, Shoe Company, HomeSense, Home Depot, JYSK, and the Lansdowne Place expansion.

• There are now major malls, plazas, and viable shopping options at all corners of town, which includes the Downtown Core area. • The downtown as a shopping district was cited as being a very favourable center, with specialty stores, convenience, choices, and high quality overall from a recent survey. This further suggests that marketing and perception may be important to continued evolution of this key area.

A ‘buy local’ and ‘support your local economy’ focus is what many individual businesses, and certainly the chamber believe... But what is “local”?

Population projections assist in understanding this projected area shopping volume increase. Though population in the City of Peterborough is only projected to grow by 8k (to 86k), there are 8800 new dwelling units required by 2026. Much of the reason for this is the continued decline in number of persons per household, leading to more household formation, without the need for considerable population growth as a driver. Although we are and will continue to be a great place for retirees, many local businesses have understood and embraced that opportunity for some time. Opportunity is in fact what all this means, as considerably more retail development is required to meet the growing consumer needs in the area. Actual numbers mentioned were 200k sq ft of FSR space and 1.25MM sq ft of NFR new space required by 2026, an almost 1.5MM requirement in overall new retail space by 2026. A ‘buy local’ and ‘support your local economy’ focus is what many individuals, businesses, and certainly the Chamber believe in and talk about consistently. But what is “local”? What about our locally owned and

sometimes smaller stores who have not been mentioned by name, as there are so many great ones? At first glance, the perception may be that the increased competition from ‘larger’ stores would lead to a decrease in their overall business.

• Thirdly – a vibrant shopping scene becomes a regional draw for shoppers, meaning many retailers are seeing new customers from the area, who no longer need to bypass the City on their way to better shopping.

However, the seeming reality of the shopping experience is that the now expanded options for local residents are more likely to keep the shopper in town for the day, or longer. This means a number of things:

Shopping locally, regardless of where, benefits us all. Yes, some chains and/or large retailers see their ultimate profits leave town. However, when located in other towns, all of the jobs, taxes, rent, donations to charity, and the entire resulting “churn” are lost to another community.

• First – The independent operators actually get to compete with the larger stores. It is much more likely a shopper will visit your store to do comparative shopping with the larger store, however, it they had to travel out of town to visit the larger store, it is highly likely that the purchase will be made where they’ve travelled, which means that our local stores won’t have the opportunity to compete. • Secondly – Shoppers tend to make a day of it, which means lunch, dinner, gas, and sometimes entertainment, perhaps even a night’s stay, before they leave the town of their shopping destination.

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

The key overall is balance, between shopping choices and where dollars are spent. So if you are not already in the habit of doing this whether at Christmas or throughout the year - please consider keeping your dollars in the area first. We have never had so many great choices, small and large, and so many great reasons to buy local. As the Chamber slogan suggests – “Keep your town in business, by keeping your business in town!”

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Gunther Schubert, C.C.C. Certified Chef, Culinary Professor, Gardener, Athlete, Traveler, Rotarian and Environmentalist.

T HE A RT O F E NTERTAINING The quality of our food and service will be apparent to your guests. Enjoy your party while we take care of all the details.

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Learn basic kitchen set-up and knife skills Tips to prepare simple every day meals or fancy dinners Become a chef in your own kitchen Learn everlasting skills and taste the difference.

Call us for a consultation.

For Christmas Party bookings contact us now at TEL.

705 742 2600 CELL. 705 930 5533 EMAIL. schuberts@sympatico.ca To view menus and services visit www.schubertsfinefoods.com

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Coach Canada would like to remind you this season to plan ahead for the safe arrival of your employees. We offer affordable and reliable shuttle service with a wide range of vehicles to choose from to get your employees home safely.

Call now to reserve your shuttle service at our special holiday rate!

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Chambermatters by Lindsay Walker-Chiarelli, Administrative Assistant

News from the OCC

News from the CCC

Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs)

Transition Date for Elimination of the Penny

The OCC submitted a letter to the Minister of Finance in support of the establishment of Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs) in Ontario. PRPPs are pooled, low cost, and professionally managed and transferable pension plans that can provide savings opportunities for the millions of Canadians who do not currently have access to any type of pension plan at work. In their 2012 Budget, the Government of Ontario expressed some concern regarding PRPPs, particularly around accountability and oversight. The OCC agrees that accountability requirements and strong oversight of service providers need to be built into the PRPP framework. Therefore, the COGEGO-square.pdf OCC has asked the Government10/5/12 of

Ontario to introduce the necessary legislation and regulations required to implement PRPPs in the province.

Regional Economic Development Funds The OCC drafted a letter to the Minister of Economic Development and Innovation outlining its support for Bill 11, the Attracting Investment and Creating Jobs Act. The Act will make permanent economic development funds essential to improving Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business competitiveness. These funds will allow small businesses to hire new employees, make their operations more efficient and increase their productivity. For additional information on Ontario Chamber of Commerce activities, please visit their website 9:36:50 AM at www.occ.on.ca.

The Royal Canadian Mint will no longer circulate pennies as of February 4, 2013. The elimination of the penny was due to its excessive and rising cost of production relative to face value; the increased accumulation of pennies by Canadians in their households; environmental considerations; and the significant handling costs the penny imposes on retailers, financial institutions and the economy in general. The estimated savings for taxpayers from eliminating the penny are $11 million a year. A rounding guideline has been adopted in other countries, and it will be adopted by the government for its cash transactions with the Canadian public. Electronic transactions, such as those with debit and credit cards, as well as cheques, will not need to be rounded. The Department of Finance will continue to consult with Canadians in the months to come on all aspects related to the elimination of

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the penny. The penny will retain its value indefinitely and can continue to be used in payments. Further information will be rolled out leading up to February 2013.

Privacy & Cloud Computing Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the Internet. Cloud services can range from web-based email and social networking to full-scale software suites and data-storage services. Businesses using cloud services can realize savings as they may not need to spend money on information technology infrastructure, or buy hardware or software licenses. A new guidance released by the Office of the Federal, Alberta and British Columbia Privacy Commissioners entitled Cloud Computing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Privacy Responsibilities and Considerations seeks to help business owners and operators better understand the (perhaps) unseen risks and legal obligations that come with some cloud services. For additional information on Canadian Chamber of Commerce activities, please visit their website at www.chamber.ca.

BENEFITmatters

by Brian Bulger, Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan Agent/Broker

The Purpose of a Benefit Eligibility Waiting Period For New Employees Most, if not all, group benefit plans require new employees to satisfy a waiting period before becoming eligible for benefits. Firms can waive the waiting period for employees and often do if they wish to hire a key employee who is coming from a firm with benefits and doesn’t wish to have a lapse in their coverage. Firms will also do this for people who are employed in a contract or part-time position and then hired as a fulltime employee. I quite often see waiting periods getting waived when a business owner hires a family member. Insurance companies require a letter of direction to accompany the application of an employee who is having their waiting period waived. The length of the waiting period is commonly tied to an employer’s probationary period. The most popular waiting period with most of my firm clients is 3 months. The duration of the waiting period can vary from one benefit to another just as it can vary from one employer to another, but in most cases all coverages go into effect on the same date.

Other waiting periods used are 6 and 12 months. Firms who have higher than usual employee turnovers, such as the trucking and hotel industries, regularly choose these longer waiting periods. The main purpose of a waiting period is because it helps to minimize unnecessary recordkeeping and administrative expenses. And too, it eliminates higher claim costs that are associated with employees who are only employed for short periods of time. It’s very important to submit a new employee’s application for benefits on or before the end of the waiting period otherwise they will be considered Late Entrants and be required to provide medical evidence for themselves and their family members for any and all coverage. And, believe me, you don’t want to go there! This article has been brought to you exclusively by your Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan Agent/Broker, Brian Bulger. For more information, Brian can be reached at 705-741-1400 or bbulger@ thelifeinsuranceguy.com.

What is the most important thing you have learned in business? “Treat your customers like family!” Tony and Kelli Grady Grady’s Feet Essentials 2011 Business Excellence Retail (Non-Chain/Non-Franchise) Award Recipients

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