Message from the Chair

Over the years, I’ve been involved with a lot of organizations and I’m proud to say this is the best, most energetic group of people and the most effective organization that I’ve ever had the pleasure to be part of.

We are the Community Futures Development Corporation of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin.

Our mission, as you know, is to assist business and promote economic development of communities in North and Central Hastings and South Algonquin. Community Futures is fulfulling this mission.

Four and a half years ago, we submitted our first three year business plan to Industry Canada. It was based on how we believed Community Futures could best help our communities move toward sustainable community self-reliance.

Through our latest three year plan, we agreed to address: employment development, human resources development, opportunities development, quality of life enhancement, increased community adaptive capacity and improved community attitude.

I am pleased to acknowledge all that has been accomplished, and that is considerable.

We have a great deal of which to be proud

Through Government of Canada funding, we have helped put people to work. We have helped develop opportunities. We have helped to enhance community capacity. We have helped to train people. We have helped to enhance the quality of life and we have helped to promote our communities to our neighbours and to the world.

In 2006, we invested more than $1.5 million in new loans to create or maintain 178 jobs. We helped nineteen people investigate and create their own self-employment.

With the help and project championship of our MP Daryl Kramp the Eastern Ontario Development Fund was available to help Community Futures help our communities even more.

Through EODF;

• Community Futures helped 18 individual businesses provide additional training for 140 employees
• We have helped to fund 20 Community Development projects helping other community partners develop their own projects
• We have loaned additional facade improvment funds to 11 local businesses; and
• We have helped 5 local youth graduates find permanent employment and another two to decide to further their education.

We are involved in skateparks, festivals, development projects, biomass cogeneration, seniors housing, North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery, wireless broadband, geocaching, leadership development, youth programs, volunteer training, downtown revitalization, restoration, scenic routes, Comfort Country and North Hastings web portals, community events calendars...To mention a few.

We have also maintained, with Industry Canada support, a network of 31 CAP sites in Hastings, Prince Edward and Lennox-Addington Counties.

Community Futures functions best as a catalyst in the community.
We  “lead, follow or get out of the way,” depending on the situation and the need.

Our directors are some of the busiest people we know, but as hard as we all work, Community Futures and individual directors can only do so much.

Our effectiveness and our success is amplified by the cooperation and initiative of a multitude of community partners – Chambers of Commerce, Municipal Councils, Business Organizations, Community Groups, community volunteers and local businesses.

Together, we are making it happen.

Industry Canada encourages us to quantify the work that we do. That means counting or estimating the number of hours that volunteers spend working on projects we are involved with.

In our report for 2006, Community Futures is reporting a total of 94 projects, studies created and total community partnerships with a total of 340 partners leveraging $2.6 million in community participation and a total of 24,918 volunteer hours. That is in addition to $1.5 million investment in 37 new business loans to create or maintain 178 jobs.

We’re proud of our accomplishments. We’re proud of the cooperation we receive.

We’re proud of our team – Community Futures - staff and directors partnering with community champions to achieve together.