​The Mac and Cheese Festival is back in downtown Peterborough and it’s bigger, bolder, and cheesier than before. This month-long celebration of comfort food is underway now, with downtown restaurants putting their own creative spin on mac and cheese dishes for the public to try, rate, and enjoy. There are classics and some creative takes on the dish like mac and cheeseburger samosa and a mac and cheese poutine. The festivities wrap up with a Grand Finale Bash on Friday, April 26, at the Quaker Foods City Square. There will be a mac and cheese showdown with live judging for the Judge's Choice Award, a beer garden, live music, vendors, and family-friendly fun. Visit theboro.ca for more details.
 
The New Canadians Centre has purchased its building from St. James United Church. This historic building at 221 Romaine Street was built in 1917. The New Canadians Centre moved in back in 2012 and will continue sharing the space with St. James United Church and the St. James Players theatre group. The New Canadian Centre has been instrumental in welcoming thousands of newcomers and hosting numerous cultural celebrations, shared meals, and community events.
 
POI is celebrating it’s new Peterborough office at 418 George Street North in downtown Peterborough. POI has been led by three generations of the Scholl family for six decades, creating inspiring workspaces. Their goal is to create spaces that help businesses achieve their goals and create a place where people want to go. They offer everything from pencils and paper clips to desks and filing cabinets. They have solutions for home offices as well.
 
We’re profiling local business that make stuff right here in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. This week it’s Canadiana Cabinets. Founded in 1995 by Bill Barker, they have been producing a versatile lineup of standard and custom cabinets ever since. Their high-quality cabinets are the result of merging traditional and hi-tech construction methods. Their cabinets are custom built-to-order and constructed on an efficient production line with the latest in industry technologies. Drop by and see their beautiful showroom at 2712 Brown Line and see what this local, family-owned business can do for you.
 

​Congrats to Bob and the team at Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory on being recognized by Great Places to Work Canada at number 32 in the country for employers with 100 to 1,000 employees. Founded in 2008, Gauvreau has grown to more than 200 employees with offices in Peterborough, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Steinbach. While the team has grown, the goal of creating a business where people want to come to work every day remains unchanged. Want to join their team? Gauvreau is planning to hire a number of senior accountant s this spring.
 
Peterborough Humane Society’s 50/50 and Marlin Travel/Collette ‘Ruff’le are back, running until May 14. Get your tickets by April 17 and you will be entered into the early bird draw for $500. Last year’s two 50/50 winners received nearly $22,000. This year’s ‘Ruff’le is for a $5,000 voucher from Marlin Travel and Collette Travel which can take you anywhere in the world for your dream trip. Not only do you get a chance to win big, but you are supporting the important work of the Peterborough Humane Society. Visit phs5050.ca to see what the jackpot is at and to get your tickets.
 
The Business Advisory Centre and Community Futures Peterborough have launched a new Tariff Toolkit. It has been developed with the shared expertise of local economic development teams and trade experts, this toolkit was designed to support businesses navigating the complexities of tariffs and global trade. It includes things like a step-by-step guide to understanding tariffs and how they apply to your products, tariff classification tips to ensure accurate product categorization, an import/export cost calculator template to estimate duties and taxes, and much more. Visit communityfuturespeterborough.ca to download the kit.
 
We’re going to keep highlight local businesses making things right here in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. This week we’re showcasing Havelock Metal. They have been in the steel business locally for more than 30 years, specializing in steel roofing, siding, trim, and accessories. They were founded in Havelock in 1993 and moved to their current facility at 901 Major Bennett Drive in Peterborough in 2018. They have a beautiful showroom and allow the public to buy directly from their manufacturing facility.
 

​Restwell Upholstering is celebrating 80 years here in Peterborough, keeping our homes and businesses looking and feeling good. Restwell’s expert upholsterers, sewists and sales staff can help you with anything from a small repair to a cherished family heirloom, from commercial restaurant seats to refilling patio cushions and everything in between. They work with 25 fabric suppliers, many of which are Canadian. They can help you find the perfect fabric, vinyl, or leather for your project. Check them out at 494 The Parkway, Unit 5.
 
It's great to see local businesses working together. Summer Soul Yoga and Wellness worked with Le Boat last summer on some promotional material. Le Boat is an international boating vacation company that recently began service on the Trent-Severn Waterway based out of Peterborough County. Summer Soul owner Ashley Woollacott recently had her picture on one of Le Boat’s luxury vessels in the Globe promoting the Trent-Severn Trail Towns, a key local tourism program, to a national audience. Check out Le Boat for your Ontario staycation and you can find Summer Soul at 394 George Street North in downtown Peterborough.
 
The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a couple election events. There’s an all-candidates business issues debate on Tuesday, April 8 at Lakefield College School from 7 to 8:30pm with doors opening at 6:30pm. There will also be a Coffee with the Candidates event on Tuesday, April 15 at Holiday Inn Peterborough from 9 to 10am. These events are in partnership with The Kawarthas Home Builders Association, Central Lakes Association of Realtors, Peterborough and District Construction Association, and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area. Visit pkchamber.ca for more information.
 
We’re going to keep highlighting some amazing companies making products locally. This week it’s Peterboro Matboards. They’ve been in business locally since 1902. They make high-quality matboard for the art and framing industry. Their pulp and paper chemistry expert has helped design matboards that cut better, giving smooth bevels and a clean look. Their quality has earned the company both the Fine Art Trade Guild and new PPFA standards.  Peterboro Matboards are a major global player in the industry, shipping product around the world from their Peterborough facility.