MEDIA RELEASE via Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

EMBRUN, ON, February 13, 2023 – Rural businesses, organizations and communities make a big impact on Canada’s economy. In order to ensure they can meet challenges head on, our Government is providing access to the tools and support they need to succeed.

Today, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), along with Francis Drouin, Member of Parliament for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, visited Brasserie Tuque de Broue Brewery Inc. to announce an investment of nearly $40 million over the next three years for southern Ontario’s trusted network of Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs).

Through the Community Futures Program, this continued investment will allow the 36 CFDCs and three CFDC associations in southern Ontario to continue on their path of growth. These organizations offer expert knowledge and tailored on-the-ground support to the rural businesses, organizations and communities they serve. This includes providing business counselling and access to capital, as well as support for community economic development and strategic community economic planning. Supporting them ensures they can help rural businesses be the best they can be.

Over the years, the CFDCs in southern Ontario have supported thousands of businesses. Family-owned Brasserie Tuque de Broue Brewery Inc. in Embrun received support through the Prescott-Russell CFDC which allowed them to grow their facilities and generate more business. Since then, the company has become a strong ambassador for the region, winning the Manufacturing Business Award at the Prescott-Russell CFDC’s Gala of Excellence in 2022.

In western Ontario, Violet’s of Strathroy, a women’s clothing store, received support through Community Futures Middlesex to officially launch their business in March 2022. The support they received helped them start off on the right foot and now they are a valued member of Strathroy’s community.

These are just two highlights in a long list of businesses across southern Ontario that are meeting their potential and contributing to growing local economies thanks to the support from their local CFDC.

To find your local Community Futures organization, or for more information on the services and support they offer, visit the Community Futures Ontario website.

Quotes

“The support rural businesses and organizations receive from Community Futures Development Corporations is unparalleled. The tools they provide rural businesses drive economic growth and create jobs which leads to more competitive rural communities. By continuing our support for CFDCs across southern Ontario, our Government is investing in the potential of rural communities and ensuring that they will continue to thrive.”
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“Many businesses in our region have benefitted greatly from the support offered by the Prescott-Russell CFDC. This continued investment in the Community Futures Program is great news for our community and communities across southern Ontario, ensuring that all businesses have access to the tools needed to thrive.”
– Francis Drouin, Member of Parliament for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell

“The last three years have been very difficult and have required a lot of energy, creativity and adaptation both within our communities and businesses and within our organization. Thanks to the Government of Canada for its continued support to the Community Futures Program, we will be able to deploy even more vigorously our support and our recognized expertise in business development and sustainable economic development.”
– John Candie, Executive Director, Prescott-Russell CFDC

“When we opened the brewery eight years ago, we were met with tremendous demand and our growth through various markets was acute. Working closely with our local CFDC office we were able to purchase additional equipment and hire a qualified workforce to respond to the demand and meet our sales goals. Over the years and as programs open up we have been able to access additional financing and grants to help with our continued success.”
– Nicolas Malboeuf, Owner, Brasserie Tuque de Broue Brewery Inc.

Quick Facts

• For the past 38 years, the Community Futures Program has been a community-driven, economic development initiative designed to assist communities in Canada’s rural areas to develop and implement strategies for dealing with a changing economic environment.
• 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 representing the community.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has invested over $90.2 million into the Community Futures Program, contributing to the creation of over 25,000 jobs and maintenance of over 51,500. FedDev Ontario also provided over $83 million to the region’s CFDCs to deliver regionally tailored business support services during the pandemic, which helped nearly 2,000 businesses, including local retail shops, restaurants and corner stores, maintain over 6,500 jobs in rural communities across the region.