Scugog film fan turns hobby into global business
Source: Port Perry Star
A fondness for films has helped a Scugog man turn a hobby into a global business run from the basement of his Port Perry home.

What started as a childhood fascination with movies has transformed into a part-time job for Dan Miles that keeps him more than busy in his spare time restoring and preserving film posters from the past.

In 2010, after securing enough experience and supplies, Miles launched his own company - Backing to the Future - that focuses solely on fixing posters of all sizes, mainly movie promos but also concert posters, maps and even dog-eared children's art that once hung prominently on the fridge... READ MORE
New report to shed light on Durham Region labour market
Source: Durham Workforce Authority
Results of the highly anticipated survey "What Employers Need: Skills for Tomorrow" are now available to Durham Region community stakeholders and the public.
 
The survey, shedding light on issues affecting the local labour market, is a project of the Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) and Durham College's Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which partnered through the DWA Local Employment Planning Council. Information shared in the survey by Durham Region employers provides insights to understanding the needs of employers, and helps identify needed improvements to local services in support of economic prosperity.
 
The survey results will provide the DWA, Durham Region economic development offices, Durham College and community partners with valuable labour market information useful for program planning, economic development projects and future research, says Heather McMillan, executive director of the DWA. It also provides employers with meaningful information about their employment sector, and can be used to guide post-secondary education programming.
 
"The survey explores sector-specific employment information in important local sectors such as construction, health care and biosciences, information communications technology, and multi-model transportation," notes Ms. McMillan. "The comprehensive survey allowed all sectors of the economy to be addressed."
 
Durham Region employers were asked about the challenges they face in filling positions, methods they use to recruit workers, and the skill sets and qualifications they want from current and potential employees. The feedback from the survey, undertaken in the fall of 2016, will be valuable in understanding and shaping the future of the local economy and corresponding skill development, and improves the availability of Durham Region labour market information.
 
The DWA survey was developed to avoid duplication of an existing annual survey conducted by the Region of Durham. Specific new areas the DWA survey explores include essential skills, attraction and retention issues, and availability of training options.
 
The complete report can be downloaded from the DWA website at durhamworkforceauthority.ca.
Brazil an investment attraction priority 
Source: Robert Nolan, Manager,
Investment Attraction
The Regional Municipality of Durham
 
Brazil has been identified as a priority market for investment attraction; and in the past two years, the Region has undertaken a number of missions to the market to identify potential new investment.
 
In May 2016, Spark Centre, in partnership with the Region, hosted five Brazilian companies to participate in an International Soft Landing Program - Touchdown. During the program, participants received exposure to key areas, including Marketing, Sales, Legal, Intellectual Property, Financial and Human Resources, to help them define how best to establish and grow their business in Canada and North America.
 
In March, the Region undertook another investment mission to Brazil, focusing on Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre. Working with the Canadian consulates in both these cities, the mission included visits to a number of government departments and industry associations, as well as six incubators. The mission included a follow-up meeting with four companies (met during previous mission), with three of them detailing their plans to establish their business in Durham in fall 2017. In addition, three presentations were given, with a total of 39 companies in attendance, with one-to-one meetings being held with 17 companies to discuss their plans for internationalization. A key message during the mission was to promote future Touchdown programs.    
 
The Region is continuing to prioritize the Brazilian market for investment attraction, with another mission scheduled for September, to continue to build on the relationships and progress made so far.
Ontario and Canada invest in food and beverage businesses in Durham
Source: Uxbridge Times Journal
The food and beverage industry in Durham got a boost on Thursday, as the federal and provincial governments announced funding to four local businesses.
 
It's a result of Growing Forward 2, a five-year commitment launched in 2013 by both governments to support Canada's agri-food and agri-based products sector.
 
Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, said the provincial government is supporting the economic growth of the Durham Region while building up the province's food and beverage processing sector... READ MORE

Durham College invites local businesses to develop real world analytics solutions
Source: Durham College
In preparation for a major grant application, Durham College is inviting growth-oriented businesses with an interest in collaborating on the development of innovative business solutions using deep learning technologies in areas such as customer service, sales, marketing, finance and operations to express their interest by contacting them.
 
Organizations are relying more than ever before on internal and external data sources to drive business planning, decision-making, and problem-solving. Business intelligence and big data tools accomplish this by enabling unprecedented data collection and data manipulation so organizations can respond quickly to organizational and market changes and opportunities.
 
The application of deep learning is very broad, including technologies such as image recognition, object recognition, speech recognition, time series forecasting and traditional classification tasks, which can lead to a broad range of business applications. Obvious ones include chatbots, such as automated help desk agents, document processing by identifying topics in text and sentiment analysis, optimized digital advertising, biometrics, supply chain forecasts, sales forecasts, fraud detection, and so on.
 
Durham College possesses faculty expertise in electronics, Internet of Things (IoT), wireless communications, sensor technology, data analytics, application visualization and cloud deployment, analytics and intelligence, non-relational databases and quantum computing, in addition to student potential and infrastructure.
 
If your enterprise is ready to enter the new era of exponential business growth, contact Durham College at appliedresearch@durhamcollege.ca.

Jobs, businesses in Durham on the rise
Source: The Oshawa Express
The recently completed regional business count has found that Durham saw an increase in both jobs and businesses in 2016.

According to a report in the most recent council information package, the business count identified 193,630 jobs in the region, up from 177,563 the month before. The report attributes the increase to new businesses opening, existing businesses expanding and more businesses providing job numbers to the region.

Of the 2016 numbers, 125,621 are full time, 55,862 are part time and 12,147 are seasonal. The retail sector makes up the largest chunk of employment, accounting for 16 per cent of total jobs.

The report also notes a larger number of businesses in the region, citing a total of 13,506 in 2016, up from 13,354 in 2015. Of those 13,506, 12,220 are active while 1,286 are vacant.
The Town of Whitby is securing a convention centre and hotel
 
Source: Town of Whitby, Economic Development Department
The principals of the Taggar Family Trust (TFT) are securing a site for a convention centre and hotel in Whitby. TFT is an established name in the hospitality business with convention centres and soon-to-be hotels in the west end of the Greater Toronto Area.

TFT wishes to acquire the Town's property at 280 Water Street for the purpose of constructing a convention centre, branded hotel and restaurant. TFT is seeking to construct a 27,500 sq. ft. convention centre with a capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 persons; a 10,500 sq. ft. multi-level hotel and 6,100 sq. ft. full-service restaurant. A brand name hotel, with extended stay rooms, will benefit business travellers and support Durham's growing sport tourism sector, especially being in proximity to Iroquois Park Sports Centre, Port Whitby Marina and the Abilities Centre.

The principals of TFT are seeking to secure an agreement and undertake planning approvals in 2017. TFT would commence development in spring 2018, with a planned opening of the project in 2019. This proposed project is expected to cost in the order of $25 million.
Darlington nuclear station to provide power for NASA's deep space exploration
Source: durhamradionews.com
OPG and Darlington Nuclear Plant are teaming up to help send space crafts into infinity and beyond. Spokesperson Neal Kelly says the nuclear plant hopes to begin production in 2020 of plutonium 238, a power source used in NASA deep space crafts.

"There is still a small supply of plutonium left in the U.S.," said Kelly. "But their stocks have been dwindling now for a number of years since they quit producing them and this works very well with our CANDU reactors."

OPG uses a similar isotope process at the Pickering plant to create Cobalt 60, which is used in the sterilization of surgical and medical supplies. Kelly says this type of energy has been used in exploration crafts like the Voyager 1 and 2 and the Curiosity Rover, which is currently on Mars.
National Canadian Film Day 150
Source: Durham Region Film Office
Reel Canada's National Canadian Film Day 150 was a coast-to-coast-to-coast celebration of Canadian Cinema and Canada's sesquicentennial and the world's largest film festival ever, held April 19, 2017.
 
Durham Region's Film Office is proud to announce that the Township of Brock and City of Ajax communities were chosen as host sites for this event. For an overview of this national tribute visit www.canadianfilmday.ca

The Beaverton Special Events committee (Brock) organized a free all-day cultural event to include Durham's rich film heritage and talents through educational workshops, film screenings presented by Reel Canada, and an awards ceremony to honour Durham residents making significant contributions to the film industry. Film events were planned for Thorah Public School, Lakeview Manor and the Beaverton Town Hall, ending with an evening Gala event. Screenings include: Passchendaele, A Bear Named Winnie, A Place to Stand and Edwin Boyd Citizen Gangster.

The Town of Ajax participated in this nation-wide festival through TIFF's Canada on Screen program and hosted a free screening of The Sweet Hereafter at 8 p.m. at the St. Francis Centre.


Source: Province of Ontario
Ontario is boosting support for Durham Region by providing reliable, long-term funding to improve and expand local transit and offer more travel options for commuters and families.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca was joined by Pickering-Scarborough MPP Tracy MacCharles, Ajax Pickering MPP Joe Dickson, Durham MPP Granville Anderson, and Regional Chair Roger Anderson in Whitby, Feb. 1 to make the announcement...


Downtown Whitby fire hall site redevelopment
Source: Town of Whitby, Economic Development Department 
The Whitby Fire Hall Redevelopment Group (Waverley Projects and the FRAM Development Group) acquired the one-acre site south of Colborne Street East, between Brock Street South and Green Street. The proposal is for a mixed-use development that will include 23 modern townhouse units, 12 of which are planned to have ground floor commercial space fronting on Brock Street South and Colborne Street East. 
 
"The redevelopment of the Fire Hall site helps achieve Council's vision by adding jobs, residents and vitality to downtown Whitby," remarked Mayor Don Mitchell. "This is part of our Whitby opportunity and a key part of fuelling the revitalization." 
 
"Our modern, mixed-use redevelopment demonstrates the town's commitment to revitalize its downtown core with thoughtful and appropriate density," said Leith Moore, President of Waverley Projects.  
 
"We are proud to return to Whitby as a builder and bring our experience in live-work construction to the downtown," added Frank Giannone, President, The FRAM Development Group.
 
"We applaud Council for taking a very bold step," said Kim Copetti, Chair, Downtown Whitby Development Steering Committee. "This significant investment will be a catalyst for the revitalization of our downtown." 
 
Site plan review and approvals will commence in the coming weeks. Construction is planned to begin early 2018 with occupancy in 2019.
Pickering has big plans for a downtown
Source: Pickering News Advertiser
With City Hall, Esplande Park and the main library branch at the centre of it all, the Recreation Complex and the Pickering Town Centre nearby, and now plans to accommodate seniors, youth and the arts crowd, the future of downtown Pickering is on the horizon.
 
"We've got the pedestrian bridge and this whole transit-friendly mobility hub," said Pickering chief administrative officer Tony Prevedel. "We've kind of got the makings of a perfect storm."

The city is featuring a model of its current vision of downtown at city hall. But it's still going to evolve. During budget discussions, the city set aside money to make way for the conceptual redevelopment of more than two acres of land in the city centre.

"Our plan is to transform the Esplanade South from Glenanna to Valley Farm Road into a bold, new city centre core," said Mayor Dave Ryan at a recent Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade event... READ MORE
Partnering with businesses to provide innovative government services
Source: Province of Ontario
Ontario is inviting small- and medium-sized businesses to develop, test and demonstrate innovative solutions to challenges that will enhance government programs and services across the province. 

Through the Small Business Innovation Challenge, Ontario is seeking innovative technological solutions for two challenges: 
  • Allowing people to prove who they are when they interact with government, such as applying for social assistance or Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) via a common, secure, and user-friendly method, so people can easily and privately connect to a wide range of government programs and services on any device at any time.
    Developing an automated way to detect how many people are in vehicles using high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to ensure that vehicles with more than one occupant are not mistakenly billed or fined. ..READ MORE