Finding empowerment in powering down

A penny saved is a penny earned, the old adage says. Likewise, the cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use.

That’s the philosophy behind the demand response programs introduced by the Ontario Power Authority. Demand response works by having major power users reduce their electricity consumption at certain times when called upon by the OPA. That allows the OPA to avoid straining …Read more

Company specializes in hurry-up landscaping

Ruth and Rick Boyd are running out of room to take in orphans.

The Boyds own Arrow Tree, a business that specializes in planting and transplanting large trees. Their half-acre property in Orton, north of Guelph, is planted with a number of trees that clients have removed to make space for a pool, deck or addition to the house.

“We don’t like to just throw them out,” Rick explained. “It’s pointless to cut a tree if you don’t have to.” …Read more

Small-town service is his ace in the hole

When it was time to re-name his store, Steve Pond decided the best formula was to keep it simple: Elmira Vacuum and Electric neatly captures where the store is and what it does.

As Spilek-Weiss Electric, the business has been a fixture in Elmira since it opened in 1983. …Read more

New photo store focuses on Wellesley

Behind the desk at Highland Camera, there’s a photograph showing a group of eight men in formal dress staring solemnly at the camera. Taken in …Read more

New venture to promote local produce

A new produce venture is hoping to cater to wholesale buyers looking for something other than an auction format.

Nelson Wideman, one of the organizers behind St. Jacobs Produce, said the new business should complement the Elmira Produce Auction rather than compete with it. Where …Read more

Successful ventures take details seriously

It’s important to set goals, but it’s equally important to communicate those goals to every member of your team.

That’s the main message that Tim Jackson will be delivering to a Chamber Young Professionals event organized by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Jan. 27. …Read more

New store makes colourful splash

Stepping into the warmth of The Fish Bowl, the first thing you notice is the quiet bubbling coming from the aquariums that line three sides of the store.

The tanks hold close to 100 different types of fish, from rare species for the serious hobbyist to garden-variety goldfish. There are chubby puffer fish, inch-long neon tetras, red-bellied piranhas …Read more

Plenty to beef about in 2009

Beef producers are hoping that 2010 will prove to be a better year than 2009, after being battered by a climbing Canadian dollar over the past 12 months.

When the Waterloo Cattlemen’s Association holds its annual general meeting in Linwood Jan. 20, market volatility will be one of the topics on the agenda. The biggest challenge for cattle feeders in 2009 …Read more

St. Jacobs to add some office space to the mix

After stretches as a woolen goods mill, a felt factory and the first Olympia ice resurfacer factory, the Riverworks building in St. Jacobs is going through another transformation.

The Shops at Riverworks is set to become the new offices of Quarry Integrated Communications, an advertising and public relations firm currently based in Waterloo …Read more

Ground breaks on Elmira development

When Bruce and Marge Weber decided it was time to retire from farming and move into Elmira, they hunted for a place that was low maintenance, built for two people but not too small, that they could own.

The hunt proved unsuccessful, so they put into practice the old adage: if you want a thing done well, do it yourself …Read more