Kawartha Lakes Recovery

Register in advance by clicking on the Working Group title. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Tourism Working Group

Monday September 14, 2020 10am- Noon

For businesses in tourism, downtowns, culture, retail and restaurant industries

Construction and Innovation Working Group

Wednesday September 16, 2020 9am- 11am

For businesses in construction, tech, innovation and real estate industries

Agriculture and Industry Working Group

Thursday September 17, 2020 9am- 11am

For businesses in agriculture, manufacturing and food processing industries

Remember, you are welcome to submit your input to the Economic Recovery Task Force at any time through this platform.

The August 11, 2020 agenda and previous minutes can be found in "Documents". Alternatively, listen to the meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxcnCs13lXM

Check out the two presentations (1) Kawartha Lakes Economy- where we were in 2019 and where we are today, and (2) Transformational Economies- how to position our community for economic growth.

The meeting also included a decision to recommend downtown reconstruction projects as priorities for the 20201 budget, an update on the tourism and shop local marketing campaigns, and continued work to "make it better" in our development processes.

The July 21, 2020 meeting has been rescheduled due to technical difficulties. The next meeting will be held on August 11, 2020. Stay tuned for updates as the Task Force work continues.

Welcome! This new section on Jump In, Kawartha Lakes is designed to help those who are working to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19.

In this section you will find information on the Economic Recovery Task Force spearheaded by Council and can follow along with the progress being made.

You can also take part in the interactive areas such as the forum, polls and idea sharing. This is meant to be a collaboration between the City of Kawartha Lakes, Team Kawartha Lakes and everyone who takes part on this page.

Have a look around, join a discussion, take a poll, or invite a friend to join in.

Together, we'll get the Kawartha Lakes economy back on track.

On June 2, the Kawartha Lakes Economic Recovery Task Force kicked off its first meeting, including Mayor Letham, Deputy Mayor O’Reilly, Councillor Veale, City staff and representatives from infrastructure, development and local business. The task force appointed representatives from the business community, prioritized the need for stronger broadband internet and explored opportunities to support local business.

“I am very pleased with the way Tuesday’s kick-off meeting went,” said Mayor Letham. “Everyone had a lot of ideas and is anxious to help get the economy back on its feet. We all left with some homework and are looking forward to getting to work on the opportunities we identified.”

To help provide a business perspective and representation from across the City, the task force appointed three members of the public to the team with first-hand experience in infrastructure stimulus, development projects and the impacts of the pandemic:

• Bjorn Alfreddson, the former owner of Holsag Canada
• Jill Quast, the owner of Happy Days Houseboats in Bobcaygeon and Chair of the Kawartha Lakes Futures Development Corporation
• Mark Wilson, owner of MVW Construction and developer

A key focus of the first meeting was the topic of infrastructure and priorities. In particular, the task force discussed the need for stronger internet access across the municipality after the pandemic exposed a demand for greater broadband capacity. The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) is drafting a proposal for improved internet service and the City is meeting with provincial and federal members about the proposal.

The task force also reviewed development approval processes with a focus on how to engage partners to help facilitate important developments going forward. Additionally, the team is exploring options to support a campaign for local businesses and to encourage shopping local. To start, the group reached a consensus on allowing stores and restaurants to extend their footprint and patios onto municipal property, such as sidewalks and parking spaces, to offset the need for physical distancing.

“It has been a challenging few months for our local economy and I’m pleased we can now offer further support through this Task Force,” commented Rebecca Mustard, Manager of Economic Development. “Our local businesses are the backbone of the Kawartha Lakes economy and we’re working closely with them and Team Kawartha Lakes to get through this together.”

In its continued effort to support local businesses through COVID-19, Kawartha Lakes released a survey on May 4 to better understand the impact the pandemic is having on businesses and what is needed to help the economy recover. The survey results will assist the Economic Recovery Taskforce, announced at Council on April 28, as it works with Team Kawartha Lakes.

Team Kawartha Lakes is a collaboration of local economic development and business organizations and includes Kawartha Lakes Economic Development, Kawartha Lakes Small Business Enterprise Centre (KLSBEC), Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce, Lindsay Downtown BIA, Coboconk, Norland and Area Chamber of Commerce, Fenelon Falls and District Chamber of Commerce, Bobcaygeon and Area Chamber of Commerce, Impact 32, Innovation Cluster, Kawartha Lakes CFDC, VCCS Employment and OMAFRA Regional Staff.

“Team Kawartha Lakes has gathered valuable feedback from local businesses in the past month and made a lot of progress to ensure they are equipped with up to date and accurate information and resources,” said Rebecca Mustard, Manager of Economic Development, City of Kawartha Lakes. “As the municipality pivots towards recovery, we’re digging a little deeper to identify any gaps and the most effective ways to help our business community bounce back.”

Input from the survey will inform the decisions made by the Economic Recovery Taskforce and it is now available online. The online survey is open for all businesses and will complement the over 170 phone surveys Economic Development has already administered. A third-party will combine the online and phone survey results to provide an overall analysis.

Additionally, Economic Development will follow-up directly with any businesses that indicate they need help in the survey.

"Having worked with Team Kawartha Lakes in recent years, the Lindsay + District Chamber of Commerce is very grateful that our community had already established these relationships prior to the COVID-19 crisis,” commented Colleen Collins, Executive Director, Lindsay + District Chamber of Commerce. “It has made responding to the needs of our business community in these trying times so much more effective."

This is latest of a variety of initiatives the municipality has rolled out during the pandemic to support local businesses, including:

• The COVID-19 Business Resources webpage that outlines the various support and assistance options available for businesses
• A weekly COVID-19 Business Support and Resources Newsletter keeping businesses updated of any developments and of ways to stay connected
• Recorded webinars through the Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (KLSBEC) that offer training and templates (available on the Business Resources webpage)
• A Business Blog with regular digital media tips and resources
• Bi-weekly meetings with Team Kawartha Lakes to tackle COVID-19 challenges