Community Futures Peterborough has announced a new partnership that will see local entrepreneurs who are receiving loans from the economic development organization also benefit from free introductory memberships with the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.
The announcement was made Thursday (June 22) at Community Futures Peterborough’s annual general meeting at Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough. The event, which featured remarks from Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark, was followed by a community celebration and lunch.
New loan clients of Community Futures Peterborough will receive a free six-month membership from the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, providing area business owners with access to events and networking opportunities to further grow and expand their businesses.
“This is another step to showcase to our community the commitment we have to work together to support area businesses as they start, grow, and scale their operations,” says Devon Girard, executive director of Community Futures Peterborough, in a media release. “We are thrilled to work with ecosystem partners in our community who share similar beliefs.”
“Peterborough has a strong business support network, and we are happy to partner with Community Futures Peterborough and offer new loan clients a free introductory membership,” says Joel Wiebe, vice president of government relations and communications at Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce. “Businesses that tap into resources from community organizations like Community Futures and the Chamber are better equipped for success and help us build stronger communities.”
The new partnership with the chamber builds upon other initiatives with community partners in which Community Futures Peterborough offers pre-approval of microloans up to $20,000 to local entrepreneurs, including graduates of the Summer Company and Starter Company Plus programs offered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, all clients of Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, students in Fleming College’s Global Business Management program, students in Trent University’s New Venture Planning and Design class, and finalists of Cleantech Commons and Rotary Club of Peterborough’s Rotary Environmentalist Innovators Fund.
Community Futures Peterborough is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as part of the Community Futures Program.
“The Government of Canada knows that collaboration is the key to success,” says Filomena Tassi, minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. “When local businesses and local Chambers of Commerce work in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough, jobs are created, businesses grow, and communities are strengthened. Our government is pleased to see that Community Futures across Canada are making real differences in our communities with our support.”
At Thursday’s annual general meeting, Community Futures Peterborough celebrated the organization’s successes over the past year, noting “the strong signals of entrepreneurship and small business investment in the area.” In the past three months alone, the organization has approved more than $1.1 million in loans for business owners in the city and county of Peterborough.
In the past year, Community Futures Peterborough approved over $1.6 million in business loans to 36 companies, creating or maintaining 176 jobs. Another 92 businesses were supported through other services offered by the organization including advisory programs, workshops, and courses.
Since it was founded in 1985, Community Futures Peterborough has invested over $40 million in more than 1,100 small businesses, creating or maintaining more than 4,100 jobs in the city and the county of Peterborough. For more information, visit cfpeterborough.ca.
This story has been corrected as Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri was unable to attend and make remarks.
