Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) and Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs) are fixtures in communities across Canada. Working as members of the Community Futures Network of Canada (CFNC), you help drive economic growth, supporting entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses. You help support local jobs – and local pride. As the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Official Languages, I want to thank each of you working in these important organizations for your hard work and dedication.
Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) and Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs) are fixtures in communities across Canada. Working as members of the Community Futures Network of Canada (CFNC), you help drive economic growth, supporting entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses. You help support local jobs – and local pride. As the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Official Languages, I want to thank each of you working in these important organizations for your hard work and dedication.
The past few months have forced us to readjust almost every aspect of our daily lives. The work you do at the 268 CFDCs and CBDCs across the country plays a vital role in helping our economy through these difficult times and we cannot succeed without you. Canada’s economic future depends in large part on the ability of small- and medium-sized enterprises to grow, diversify and export. You help provide these businesses the support they need, now more than ever, to face an increasingly competitive economy.
With programs tailored to local needs, you have helped thousands of entrepreneurs start and/or grow their businesses, create wealth and contribute to economic stability in their area. We are so proud that your teams were among the first to reach out to clients and offer support when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and we know you will continue to work closely with businesses across Canada as they weather this storm.
We look forward to continuing this collaborative relationship as we face these challenges together. We’re working with you to support good, local jobs and help Canada’s economy come back strong.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P
The Government of Nunavut is a proud partner of the Nunavut Community Futures Association and designated Community Futures Organizations in the Territory.
Together, our organizations offer important programs and services that not only help build and strengthen small businesses in Nunavut but also encourage and support diversity and innovation.
For this coming year, the Government of Nunavut is committed to continued collaboration and cooperation with not only our Community Futures partners but also with the Government of Canada and other development agencies and organizations that support economic development in Nunavut. Collectively, we will provide supports and initiatives that will assist Nunavut businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19. This will be accomplished through the provision of business relief program funding and $3.933 million in alternative financing options to be delivered directly through the Nunavut Community Futures Association and designated Community Futures Organizations in the Territory.
It is my pleasure to share with you the 2019-2020 Annual Report for the Community Futures Network of Canada. This report highlights some of the ongoing community economic development work on behalf of 268 Community Futures Development Corporations and Community Business Development Corporations serving the rural and remote communities across Canada.
It is my pleasure to share with you the 2019-2020 Annual Report for the Community Futures Network of Canada. This report highlights some of the ongoing community economic development work on behalf of 268 Community Futures Development Corporations and Community Business Development Corporations serving the rural and remote communities across Canada.
Since its establishment in 1985 following the Canadian Jobs Strategy, the Community Futures Program has played a key role in the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises through its rural community-oriented economic development strategies. Our success is directly attributable to local volunteer boards comprised of community members who dedicate their time, knowledge, and passion to their communities, along with professional staff delivering development services that are instrumental in growing and diversifying local economies.
At Community Futures we open doors to opportunity by investing capital, resources and expertise in local entrepreneurs. Statistics Canada studies show Community Futures- assisted enterprises demonstrate quicker employment growth, faster sales growth, and have a better survival rate compared to non-assisted enterprises.
This year, we successfully loaned almost $327 million and created almost 20,000 jobs across the country. Our community financial investment initiatives support various client groups including women entrepreneurs, Indigenous groups, and youth. 23 of the 58 Aboriginal Financial Institutions that are members of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) are Community Futures Organizations.
In this report you’ll find stories about the collective support of community businesses, supporting youth in business, elevating the arts culture in local communities, and much more. Featured in this report is the 40-year history of CBDC Guysborough and CF Central Island which is testament to the ongoing passion and commitment to the preservation of economic ecosystem in rural and remote communities.
Our success is enhanced by the resilience of our communities. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit communities across Canada mid-March, the role Community Futures plays in supporting economic resilience in local communities was underscored. In the coming months, the support we provide to rural and remote businesses will be even more critical.
Finally, we would like to extend our thanks to the Government of Canada, the regional development agencies and the territorial governments for their continued support of the important work we do. Your financial support and the dedication of our staff and commitment of our volunteers, ensures we will continue to support economic growth in our rural and remote regions across the country.
The Community Futures Program supports economic development in rural and remote areas across Canada through a network of 268 Community Futures Organizations that include Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) and Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs).
Formally established in 1985, the Community Futures Program plays a key role in the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in rural and remote communities across Canada. CFDCs and CBDCs provide access to capital, information and services, guidance and mentorship, and much more as needed. The goal of the Community Futures Program is to create jobs and foster new approaches to community economic development based on community strengths and infrastructures.
Guided by volunteer directors who are leaders in their community, CFDC and CBDC staff work to develop and support community projects tailored to address the unique community economic challenges faced in regions across the country. In addition to this support, CFDCs and CBDCs work in collaboration with other economic stakeholders to create a favourable socioeconomic environment; one that encourages community engagement and investment, generating growth of successful local businesses.
The mission of the Community Futures Program is to strengthen and diversify local economies across Canada. To this end, services provided by CFDCs and CBDCs include:
This annual report focuses on some of the many local businesses and initiatives that have been impacted by the Community Futures Program, and the success that can be achieved when investing in communities.
Happy reading!
“Guysborough rides a wave of success”, by Sue Calhoun, Maclean’s Magazine, June 22, 1981.
In 1975, the Federal and Provincial Governments agreed to participate in a three-year Community Employment Strategy (CES). The objective of CES was to focus on projects aimed at small business development in local communities to create employment opportunities and encourage active participation in the community. As the CES program developed, it increased its focus on community development, addressing the needs of individuals as well as community economic self-sufficiency.
“Guysborough rides a wave of success”, by Sue Calhoun, Maclean’s Magazine, June 22, 1981.
In 1975, the Federal and Provincial Governments agreed to participate in a three-year Community Employment Strategy (CES). The objective of CES was to focus on projects aimed at small business development in local communities to create employment opportunities and encourage active participation in the community. As the CES program developed, it increased its focus on community development, addressing the needs of individuals as well as community economic self-sufficiency.
In Guysborough, the community is represented by the Community Employment Strategy Association (CESA), made up of a local voluntary Board of Directors elected at public meetings by residents of each municipal district. In March of 1976, CESA identified the need for a capital reserve which would be controlled locally and used to fill the gaps between entrepreneurs’ equity and funding from banks or government agencies to complete viable projects that would result in the creation of jobs in local communities.
In August 1977, a study entitled, ‘To determine the Feasibility of Establishing a Community Based Economic Development Organization in the Guysborough Area” was completed by Leo Gallant and Ian Spencer from the St. Francis Xavier University Management Services Centre. The report concluded that Guysborough was ready to initiate and manage a community based economic development organization.
Mulgrave, Guysborough, Canso Development Incentives Limited (MGCDIL) was set-up as the venture capital arm of CESA; a small community development fund under the direction of an autonomous Board of local citizens. MGCDIL’s goal was to stimulate and assist local private employment and small business development through community participation.
During 1978 and 1979, negotiations with the Federal Government continued until grants were approved for local economic development funds in Guysborough and Nanaimo, BC, by the Treasury Board in September 1979. In January 1980, a grant of $500,000 was received by MGCDIL.
Local economic success was very quickly observed. By mid-1981, CESA and MGCDIL’s administration of local development funds led to the creation of 231 jobs, and included the preservation of several businesses including a fisherman’s co-operative, a boat-building co-operative, and the Mulgrave Road Show theatre.
In August 1984, MGCDIL signed a contract with the Federal Government wherein the Government would become a contributor to administration expenses and MGCDIL would use its own funds to invest in local businesses.
In 1988, MGCDIL became Guysborough County Business Development Centre Limited under the Community Futures Program and, 40 years on, it continues to provide the highest quality services to its community.
The Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Island has been serving the needs of the residents of the Nanaimo Regional District and Town of Ladysmith for over 45 years. The economic development organization is committed to fostering sustainable economic and employment growth within the Central Vancouver Island Region. It is operated by a dedicated and highly competent staff and overseen by a volunteer board of committed local individuals representing a broad cross section of the communities it serves.
One of CFCI’s first loan clients: Appleton Nursery in Nanaimo. (Left to Right) Gary Appleton, Owner; Christo Zorkin, Business Partner; Keith Hodgson, Business Analyst CFCI. Circa 1985.
The Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Island has been serving the needs of the residents of the Nanaimo Regional District and Town of Ladysmith for over 45 years. The economic development organization is committed to fostering sustainable economic and employment growth within the Central Vancouver Island Region. It is operated by a dedicated and highly competent staff and overseen by a volunteer board of committed local individuals representing a broad cross section of the communities it serves.
The organization first began operating as the Community Employment Advisory Society (NCEAS) in 1975. With the guidance of Don McMillan, a well-known community advocate, NCEAS was initiated under a Federal-Provincial Community Employment Strategy Agreement. Don was a risk taker for the sake of community, not for the organization. There was no rule book, the wisdom was that he believed in a grassroots approach to Community Economic Development (CED)—bottom up, not top down. Don’s passion and ability gained recognition for his community and lent credibility. He recognized that NCEAS was a gem of an idea spurred by government—he had to preserve its existence. The objective was to develop employment opportunities for individuals experiencing particular and continuing difficulty in finding satisfactory long-term employment. The premise was: local people seeking local solutions.
From 1975 through 1978, the NCEAS leveraged over $2 million into the Nanaimo/Ladysmith area from all levels of government as well as the private sector. These funds were used to improve utilization of existing resources in the community, to develop innovative training and adult education programs, and to implement a variety of short-term job creation projects.
In 1978, the NCEAS concluded that the objective of employment development must include economic development and specifically the development of the small business sector. A proposal was put forward to the Federal Government and NCEAS received funding to continue its effort in developing and stimulating the local small business sector. In 1980, Colville Investments Corporation was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of NCEAS to act as the business development arm of the organization. This pilot project – one of two in the country, would provide the framework blazing the trail and model for the CF Program we know today.
The NCEAS and Colville Investments Corporation continued to operate independently until 1985 at which time the two organizations amalgamated to form the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Island.
The organization is an integral part of the community; it works closely with other economic and social development organizations, and staff participate in numerous local committees, task forces and economic development initiatives. Loan policy is made and loan decisions are overseen by engaged community volunteers. Over the years loans have been made of almost every type and description ranging from loaning an entrepreneurial young 4H student the money to buy a cow to partnering with other Community Futures organizations on the Island in a syndication loan to purchase aircraft.
Since its inception in 1975, the Corporation has assisted more than 2800 businesses, both new and existing, and has provided over $43 million in financing. In addition, approximately $67 million has been leveraged into our area from other financial sources. It has also provided funding upward of $5 million to several economic development initiatives over its lifetime. More difficult to quantify but of considerable value are the countless hours of advice, support, and service to local entrepreneurs and to the business community in general. Significant firsts are the first loan client through Colville Investments, Ward Optical in 1980; the first CFCI loan client, Appleton Nursery in 1985; and hosting the inaugural CF Provincial Conference at Malaspina College (today, Vancouver Island University) in 1986.
Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Island - 45 years young and still going strong.
Don McMillan, known as the ‘grandfather of Community Futures” in BC and the driving force behind NCEAS at the time and the first Executive Director of Community Futures Central Island until his passing in 1997.
Wanda Zink, joined NCEAS in 1979. She had many roles in the organization during her 40-year tenure. We believe her to be the longest serving employee in the Pan Canadian Network. She retired in 2019.
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