September 23, 2013

More than 200 delegates working in rural and small town economic development are meeting at the Holiday Inn, Sarnia, this week at a conference of the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations (OACFDC).  The members of the organization represent 61 Community Futures Development Corporations, located in small towns and rural areas across the province.    

Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) offer free business counselling and provide loans to entrepreneurs, in addition to working on community economic development projects and local strategic planning.  CFDCs in Southern Ontario are funded by FedDev Ontario, while those in Northern Ontario are funded by Industry Canada through FedNor.  They operate as not-for-profit corporations.  Decisions are made locally by volunteer Boards of Directors working with managers and staff in each office.  Volunteer directors and staff alike will be attending the conference September 24th to 26th.

OACFDC President Denis Bérubé cites a study undertaken by the Conference Board of Canada, which shows that for every $1 that CFDCs invest in Ontario communities, the local economy experiences a lift of $4.22.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will be addressing conference delegates at noon on Wednesday.

Hosting this year’s conference is the Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation, a Community Futures Development Corporation.  “We are offering a mobile workshop to a sustainable heritage farm near Courtright,” says OACFDC Executive Director Diana Jedig.  In addition to various business topics, there are workshops on engaging and retaining youth in rural communities and youth entrepreneurship, successful co-ops, and social enterprise.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Locally Energized” and the opening ceremonies on September 24th will feature 4th generation local oil baron Charlie Fairbank speaking on Lambton County’s oil rush and rich heritage in the petro-chemical industry.  

The keynote speaker will be Becky McCray, Author of the book “Small Town Rules:  How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy”.  She will offer small town business keys to success.  “Becky is a fantastic speaker.  We are really looking forward to hearing her message,” Mr. Bérubé added.  Also speaking at the conference is Lawyer Theresa Man on Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.  In addition, representatives from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will talk about collaborating to obtain grants.

An “Ignite” session will be held, where five different speakers will present 20 slides each on unrelated topics, with only 20 seconds per slide to talk about them.  Two Sarnia presenters in the “Ignite” session are Cat Cabajar of The Painted Cat and Megan O’Neil of One Tomato.

Delegates will enjoy a feast of fresh Lake Huron perch and pickerel at Purdy’s Dockside Eatery.  “Not only do we offer the best in professional development at our conference, but delegates also want to learn about their colleagues’ communities and share best practices, so we like to see some of the local highlights,” Ms. Jedig explains.  

The Conference will close on Thursday night with an Awards Gala.  Three CFDCs will be honoured for successful initiatives in Community Economic Development, Business Support Services, and Collaborations in Innovation, and an Entrepreneur of the Year will be recognized.  The entrepreneur will be chosen from several nominees, all successful businesses that received loans and counselling from CFDCs.