​Business Beat June 24
 
Cheeks Ahoy is turning 10! Founder and creator Leah Black started the business shortly after having her first child and wanted to reduce waste by going the reusable diaper route. She encountered a lack of options for reusable wipes and decided to make her own. She soon found that the reusable wipes had a lot more uses. 10 years later, Cheeks Ahoy has a wide range of offerings, including bathroom, beauty, baby, parent, and kitchen products. Her team produces the products locally and they ship across the country and beyond. Check them out and put in your order at cheeksahoy.com.
 
Wanderlight Alpaca Experience in Douro-Dummer is launching a new offering starting June 25. Wanderlight Alpaca Quest is an escape room-style game with the nature-based wonder of an alpaca walk. Ancient alpaca guardians have travelled through time to save their beloved alpacas from relentless hunters. It’s up to you to solve the puzzles they left behind to find the alpacas' secret hiding place before it is too late. Book your experience at wanderlightalpaca.ca.
 
Canada's Dinosaur Park is officially open for the season, including their new Dinosaur Museum. The popular Norwood-area attraction features a dinosaur drive-thru park with animatronic dinosaurs, a croc-walk, reptile sanctuary with 200 reptiles from around the world, mini-golf, and a bone yard for kids to dig for dinosaur bones. All proceeds go toward caring for the rescued reptiles in the sanctuary. Drop by 2206 County Road 38 in Asphodel-Norwood and take a tour.
 
There’s a new bar and restaurant coming to downtown Peterborough – Love You, Mean It. It’s a joint project between Sam Sayer and Owen Walsh. Sam is the hard-working entrepreneur behind Sam’s Place and Sam’s Place Wienery and Owen has worked his way up at the deli from line cook to manager. The new restaurant will be at 135 Hunter Street West in the former Food Forest location and will bridge the gap between casual and fine dining.
 

Business Beat June 17
 
Ken Brown has a new book about an intriguing bit of local history. It’s called Macdonald and Mrs. Hall and it explores the relationship between John A Macdonald and Peterborough widow Elizabeth Hall, whom he refers to as loving Lizzie. The book uses original primary source research to follow Macdonald, at the time an out-of-town developer, who arrives by train to meet with Hall about developing a 471 acre waterfront land parcel that includes what is now Beavermead Park. Get a copy of the book, which includes many never before published images, at Ashburnham Alehouse, Sullivan’s Pharmacy, The Canadian Canoe Museum, Peterborough Museum, Take Cover Books, Mark Jokinen Books, Trent Valley Archives, and in Lakefield at Happenstance.
 
It's time to develop practical artificial intelligence skills for your business. The Innovation Cluster Peterborough & the Kawarthas is launching a new workshop "Hands on: AI made easy for non-geeks" on Wednesday June 19 from 12 to 1 pm at Venture North at 270 George Street North. The workshop includes a free lunch and will be led virtually by renowned AI expert B.L. Ochman. She is known for her successful campaigns at IBM and Meijer. For more information go to innovationcluster.ca.
 
There’s a new podcast from the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce. It’s a spinoff of the popular Voice of Business column and will feature a different guest every second week to talk about local business issues. It’s hosted at Bennett’s Furniture and Mattresses in Peterborough. The first edition features Heather Watson, president of local marketing agency Acorn30, in conversation with me as we talk digital adoption and upcoming technology. You can find it at pkchamber.ca.
 
Don’t miss the Living Well Senior Showcase This Wednesday, June 19, at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre from 9 am to 4 pm.
 
Also in the news, Wanderlight Alpaca Experience is launching their new Alpaca Quest! Their featured alpaca quest will be launched June 25th. This quest follows ancient alpaca guardians that have travelled through time to save their beloved alpacas from relentless hunters. Together, you must solve the puzzles they left behind to find the alpacas' secret hiding place before it is too late. This is the premise for Wanderlight's newest immersive adventure - a first-of-its-kind experience that blends the best of an escape room-style game with the nature-based wonder of an alpaca walk. For bookings, you can visit:Wanderlight Alpaca Experience - Peterborough & the Kawarthas.

Do you have some business news you want to share? The Business Beat is here to promote and share what’s happening locally, like new businesses, new ownership, renovations, new product lines, milestones, new business partnerships, and retirements. We talk about big businesses, small businesses, and people who dabble in business. If you have a suggestion for us to profile, let me know. You can find me at pkchamber.ca or email [email protected].

​Business Beat June 10
 
After six years working in Canada as a barber, Shiar Mourad opened his own barber shop five months ago. Located at 245 George Street North in downtown Peterborough, Kawartha Barbershop offers stylish cuts with excellent service and attention to detail at reasonable rates. Customers rave about their experiences. Drop by the new shop or get in touch online to book an appointment.
 
Bargain Binz has a new Peterborough location at 1135 Lansdowne Street West, Unit 25, in Peterborough. They have an everything must go business model. Each week they receive truckloads of overstocked and customer returned items from large online retailers across Canada. The sales begin Saturday with prices dropping every day until they hit rock bottom on Fridays. Then it’s cleared out and new merchandise is available Saturdays. The inventory is always changing. Drop by and see what interesting deals you might find.
 
The New Canadians Centre is celebrating 45 years in our community by holding a block party on June 28 from 2 to 6 pm. It’s going to be a fun-filled afternoon that includes a talent show, multicultural crafts, henna, face painting, a bouncy castle, and delicious food. There will be a cultural fair to learn about some of Peterborough’s multicultural and faith-based groups and their programing. It’s planned for outdoors with a rain backup inside their building. It all takes place in and around 221 Romaine St.
 
Habitat for Humanity has a new location opening in Lakefield. The new store is planned this summer at 3001 Lakefield Road in the former Overstock Liquidation building at corner of Buckhorn Road. Habitat is currently winding down operations at its south end location on Braidwood Avenue and will continue operating its north end and Lindsay locations. The new location will be more than 10,000 square feet. The Restore is a non-profit home improvement and building supply store that accepts and resells donations of gentry used items that include building materials, décor, appliances, furniture, and tools.