The Orillia Area Community Development Corp. (CDC) has released its annual report to the community and it showcases the invaluable and unconventional resources that local business owners, entrepreneurs and the community can access.
With financial support from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Orillia Area CDC is one of 36 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) helping rural businesses be the best they can be.
“When we support Community Futures Development Corporations across southern Ontario, we invest in the potential of rural communities, ensuring that they will continue to grow. Rural businesses drive economic growth and create jobs that lead to more competitive communities,” said the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. “The support these rural businesses receive is important and our government is happy to investment in the empowering work they are doing.”
Some of the highlights of the report include:
- Providing 771 free business coaching meetings this past year
- Investing $8.6M through business loans in last 5 years; with over 50% of loans provided to women-led businesses
- Providing 183 wage subsidies to local employers to create work experiences for local youth
- Assisting 75 businesses in the region to transition to new ownership through BizLink, resulting in 322 full time equivalent jobs maintained and $73.3M in annual revenue retained
- Granting $20,000 to 8 local business to build capacity in their organization last year
The owner of Windmill Garden Centre & Landscaping, Timm McLean, has used the CDC across multiple programs, in multiple companies and said, “We have had wonderful experiences each time. It really is a hidden gem amongst business owners. For a small community, the CDC packs a lot of punch.”
As part of the CDC’s on-going effort to maintain and improve valuable products and services for the community, local business owners, entrepreneurs, non-profits, social enterprises and managers are invited to complete a survey. Whether you have accessed CDC services or not, we want to hear from you. The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DJLWGTT.
Wendy Timpano, General Manager of the CDC, said, “Sometimes people tell us they would have called us sooner if they had realised the depth of assistance they could access through the CDC, in particular, our flexible business loans. We want to make sure the community at large knows what is available to them.”
The mission of the CDC is to enrich the local economy through business financing and coaching, to foster innovative thinking and to enable impactful community economic development initiatives throughout Orillia & Lake Country.
To view the annual activity review, or for more information about products and services offered through the Orillia Area Community Development Corp. (CDC) visit www.orilliacdc.com.
About FedDev Ontario
For 14 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.