Venture13 innovation centre to open doors May 17
Members of Cobourg city council, the Cobourg Police service and Northumberland CFDC took part in a media tour of the Venture13 construction zone on Friday afternoon. Photo by Kayla Haggett, QNet News
COBOURG – A centre that will provide resources and workspaces to entrepreneurs is on track to open later this spring in Cobourg and is expected to help bring jobs to the area.
Media were given a guided tour of the Venture13 construction zone on Friday afternoon. Wendy Curtis, executive director for Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation, and Stephen Peacock, CAO for the town of Cobourg, led the tour of the facility on D’Arcy Street.
The project is expected to bring around 73 new jobs to the community, many of which will be with companies making use of Venture13, according to Curtis.
Members of the media and Cobourg council were led through the construction zone at Venture13, which is expected to create jobs and fuel innovation in Cobourg and the Northumberland area. Photo by Kayla Haggett, QNet News
“Venture13 to me represents the industries of the future, and it represents our community being a part of that. So I hope it will inspire action and entrepreneurship and new projects and really galvanize and excite the community,” said John Hayden, manager of enterprise programs for Northumberland CFDC.
The $1.6 million project is headed by the town of Cobourg, in partnership with the Northumberland CFDC, and town CAO Stephen Peacock says that they’ve already had 26 clients express interest in using the space.
One of these clients is the Cobourg police service, which will relocate around twenty five staff members to the second floor of the building. The second floor will make use of the same computers and phone system as the police station and will act as an extension of the station, according to Gina Wilson, manager of business services for the Cobourg police.
Security on the second floor will be similar to that at the police station, with secure doors and security passes required for access.
Gina Wilson, business service manager for the Cobourg Police, describes security measures on the second floor of Venture13, which will act as an “extension of the police station”. Photo by Kayla Haggett, QNet News
Other permanent anchor tenants include the Northumberland CFDC, Northumberland Manufacturer’s Association, the town of Cobourg’s economic development department and Northumberland Makers.
The facility includes private offices, an open co-working space, seminar rooms, a Maker Lab for prototyping and engineering and a lecture hall with seating for around 75 people and capabilities for virtual lecturing. Venture13 also offers fibre connection and 24/7 access to its clients.
The 800 square foot Maker Lab will be outfitted with technology such as 3D printers, laser engravers and CNC machines, allowing clients to do engineering and micro-factory production within the building, according to Hayden.
Starting in May, booking applications will be open to the public and any companies that want to make use of the space. This will be done via the Northumberland CFDC’s online booking portal, where rooms can be booked and events scheduled.
Currently, they have 190 events booked in the space, according to Curtis. These events range from meetings to full-day events such as workshops, seminars, conferences and training sessions.
Venture13 will hold its grand opening on May 17 in building 13 at 739 D’Arcy Street.
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