June 22, 2005

LINDSAY, Ontario, June 22, 2005 – The Honourable Andy Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of the Honourable Joe Comuzzi, Minister of State (FedNor) today announced a Government of Canada investment of $275,000 towards the continued operation of the Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC).

“This funding gives this local-level partner a strengthened mandate to play a key role in the region’s future prosperity,” said Minister Mitchell.  “The Kawartha Lakes CFDC has built a solid reputation through its past activities and it has forged successful relationships with all levels of government, chambers of commerce and lending agencies to benefit the community.”

The Kawartha Lakes CFDC is one of 61 Community Futures Development Corporations in rural and Northern Ontario funded by Industry Canada’s Community Futures Program through FedNor.  CFDCs deliver a wide variety of programs and services to support community economic development and small business growth.  They employ local staff and are each governed by a volunteer board of directors, made up of local residents representative of the community.  In the last five years, Ontario CFDCs, through their investment and business counselling activities, invested more than $229 million to help the small business sector create or maintain 26,418 jobs.  Last year, the Kawartha Lakes Community Futures Development Corporation invested $1,719,400 and assisted in creating or maintaining 244 jobs, contributing to an enhanced business community.

“We are very pleased to know that there is strong support for the work that we are doing in the City of Kawartha Lakes,” said Paul Thompson, Chair of the Kawartha Lakes CFDC.  “The operating funding enables us to continue with initiatives related to community economic development, as well as meeting the needs of our small business clients.  We can also extend our partnerships in the community and beyond, which is critical to the region’s growth.”

Through its investment in CFDCs the Government of Canada is acting on its commitment to support economic growth and diversification in rural communities.

Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.

To find out more about Ontario CFDCs, visit us at:  http://cfdc-ontario.ic.gc.ca

For more information, please contact:

Graeme Wilkes
Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Joe Comuzzi
(613) 947-5850

Yves Châteauneuf
Communications Officer, Industry Canada/FedNor
(519) 645-5684 or 1 877 333-6673