PKED to incorporate ‘Outside the ordinary’

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) is working on how to incorporate the city’s new slogan “Outside the ordinary” into marketing efforts, president and CEO Rhonda Keenan told city councillors Monday night.

“We are working on it and will try to weave it in,” she said in response to a question from Otonabee Coun. Dan McWilliams, indicating PKED will work with the city’s communications departments to ensure it does so appropriately.

Keenan, who said she likes the “fun” tagline has just provided a second quarter report to council’s general committee outlining its activities.

PKED has supported 41 startups this year, including Starter Company Plus success story The Willow Studio, a first-of-its kind yoga practice focusing on women’s core and pelvic health that has drawn 11 local instructors since opening in the west end.

Keenan also spoke about the recently launched aerospace marketing campaign YPQ, which encourages investment at the Peterborough Airport, and continued promotion of “Canada’s premier cleantech destination” in Cleantech Commons at Trent University.

PKED has been in the Venture North building for more than a year now and its number of visitors, phone calls, emails, digital interactions, website visits and social media followers have all increased, Keenan said.

The organization has also started a campaign based on a statistic — some 1.2 of 3 million visitors to the area come to see family. It is now running a radio campaign dubbed Summer’s Made for Exploring, for example.

Water reservoir

Councillors approved several items on Monday’s agenda with little or no discussion, including approving a single-source contract to double the capacity of the water reservoir used for fire suppression at the airport from 530,000 to 1 million litres.

The move will accommodate a proposed new development near the airport.

McWilliams urged staff to look at getting water from the Otonabee River, something commissioner of infrastructure and planning services Wayne Jackson said could be considered as an alternative down the road.

“Right now, we need a reservoir … full of water so we can issue building permits for this development in the relatively near future,” he said.

Free 30 minute parking on the west side of Water Street between King and Sherbrooke streets and the east side of George Street south of King near the Visitor Centre in the Venture North building was also approved by councillors, as was awarding a $399,553.31 contract to IBI Group of Toronto to conduct a transit route review.

Councillors also approved several items on the agenda on consent. They included:

• Amending the agreement between the city and county for consolidated municipal services.

• Approving the city’s 2018 to 2022 Accessibility Plan.

• Giving Black’s Distillery on Hunter Street East a special licence to allow visitors to sample liquor by the glass.

• Appointing Michael Cherney, Michael Gallant, Paul Bennett, Tegan Moss, Sam Sayer, Jean Grant, Brad Collyer and Sacha Lai-Svirk to the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area board of directors from Oct. 1 to March 31, 2019.

All the items are subject to ratification at the Sept. 10 full city council meeting.