A government program was celebrated for its success and longevity on Parliament Hill recently when MPs met with members of the Community Futures Network of Canada.
The program was established in 1986 as a means for the federal government to boost Canada’s rural economy.
When first announced, it was touted as better able to “understand, anticipate and respond to the impact of social and technological change in communities.”
The announcement also stated the program would address the “pressing needs of communities by becoming involved in initiatives proposed from within the community itself.”
Twenty-five years later the Community Futures program has done just that, said chairman of the Community Futures Network of Canada David Harris.
“Community Futures is the largest, most well-established national community economic development movement in Canada. Community Futures organizations continue to be the driving force for economic growth and renewal by supporting local economic development.
“They assist in the creation of diverse, competitive local economies in rural communities across Canada,” Harris explained.
The organizations, known as Community Futures Development Corporations or Community Business Development Corporations, are managed by volunteer boards of directors. Harris is a volunteer serving on the board in Nova Scotia.
Volunteers live in the community and make decisions based on what is best for their regions.
Many are successful entrepreneurs who see the benefit of assisting other business people in their area, to promote thriving rural communities. Currently, there are about 3,500 volunteers across Canada, guiding the efforts of approximately 1,600 staff members.
With 269 offices covering non-urban areas across Canada, the organizations offer loans to new and existing small businesses and social enterprises, provide free business information and counselling and entrepreneurial training, offer support for community economic development projects, and assist with strategic economic planning.
In Waterloo-Wellington, the program is delivered by Wellington-Waterloo CFDC.
Since the inception of the program 25 years ago, the organizations have assisted 106,000 clients, injected in excess of $3.6 billion into the rural Canadian economy and have helped in the creation of 450,000 jobs.
Success stories about thriving small businesses that would not have existed without loans or business counselling from its offices are plentiful. Many entrepreneurs say that when banks would not take a chance on their business idea, they turned to Community Futures.
Success story
General manager of the WWCFDC Rick Whittaker was innovative when he decided to create a full scale business training program to support the loan clients and business owners in the rural communities of Wellington County and the Region of Waterloo.
Encouraged by the board of directors, the Business Excellence training program was developed. One of the reasons the WWCFDC is proud of the program is it affects so many different people in the community. The program offers many interactive workshops, online training videos, private business coaching and the personal support of a business mentor.
“It’s a great foundation for information and training. I would highly recommend it to anyone,” said Jennifer Patterson, owner of Inspiring Accents in Elmira.
“It helped me to propel my business further than I could have ever imagined in just three months, said Jonathan Kuntze, owner of Pinacle Health and Fitness, of Elmira and Milverton.
Steve Humphries, owner of The Bar Store in Fergus, said, “One of the main advantages of taking the training program is being with other entrepreneurs and bouncing ideas off people that are in the same boat as you are.”
The WWCFDC Business Excellence training program recently won the award of excellence for a business support service.
