Monday, 29 April 2024

Monthly Newsletter for Members of the OACFDC Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations Inc. 

22nd Annual OACFDC Conference Orillia
Helpful “How To” Books Available
A Faster, More Convenient Way to File in Small Claims Court
EDCO’s “Rural Community Engagement” report
Harper Government Invests in Regional Diversification in Picton
“Tourism Industries in Canada” report
Recruitment for the Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee
REMINDER
New CF “Window Decal” program launches across Ontario
Salary Survey
DON'T FORGET!!

 

22nd Annual OACFDC Conference Orillia Online registration will be live in June! www.oacfdc.com Accommodations Reserve your room now at the Casino Rama Resort for the OACFDC Conference which will take place from September 14th-16th. Inspired by the classic Muskoka lakeside cottage, you’ll enjoy the comfort and hospitality of the all-suite luxury hotel. Each Deluxe Suite is spacious andcozy with plush, comfortable bedding and your choice of double or king-sized beds. All suites are $130 per night. All rooms must be reserved directly with the hotel at 1-800-832-7529. Please use group code ONTI15B to ensure the above rate. Workshops We all know that there    are some great successes happening out there in our CF’s and surrounding communities. Consider delivering a workshop during the conference and sharing your experiences.The Workshop RFP is available from our website- conference section contact Brenda LaGrandeur at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or 888-633-2326 x 125.  Workshop proposals should address one of these four (4) categories:        Community Economic Development, Community Strategic Planning, Socio-Economic Development   Business Information and Planning Services, Mentorship   Access to Capital for Small and Medium-sized Businesses and Social Enterprises   Board Practices  The deadline for the submissions is May 1st. We also want to hear your suggestions and ideas on the topics of workshops you would like to see. Have you been inspired by a presenter or keynote who you think would be great for our conference? If yes, please send us the details.  Awards The deadline to submit your Nomination for Entrepreneur of the Year as well as the CFDC Awards of Excellence is June 12th. Make sure that the success stories from your community and within your offices are celebrated and recognized. Nomination forms are available from our website- conference section or by request from Brenda LaGrandeur.

Helpful “How To” Books Available The OACFDC is a member of the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) and has access to the various resources that they offer including books.            Some titles in various categories that might be of interest are:  •**NEW** PRE-ORDER - Duties and Responsibilities of Directors of Not-for-Profit Organizations, 4th Edition • Guide to Better Meetings for Directors of Non-Profit Organizations • Keep Your People in the Boat: Workforce engagement - Lessons from the Sea • Succession Planning: Succeeding at Succession Planning • Guide to Positive Staff-Board Relations for Directors of Non-Profit Organizations All books are listed with both member and non-member prices.  By ordering through the OACFDC, you will receive the member discounted price. For a full listing of titles available see www.csae.com/Resources/Bookstore.aspx.   If you would like to place an order, contact Brenda at 888-633-2326 ext. 125 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A Faster, More Convenient Way to File in Small Claims Court Ontarians now have a faster, easier way to make a claim in small claims court with the launch of a new online filing service. Following a successful six-month pilot, individuals and businesses from across Ontario can now file small claims court forms and pay court filing fees online, 24-hours-a-day. Claims that are eligible for e-filing include those set out in a contract of $25,000 or less, such as unpaid accounts for goods and services, loans, credit card debt and overdue rent.  Read More / Plus d'informations

EDCO’s “Rural Community Engagement” report    On February 10-12, 2015, the Economic Developers Council’s annual conference was held in Hamilton, Ontario. They featured a rural related session for attendees entitled “Rural & Small Communities – Evolving the Competitive Edge: Rural Community Engagement."                                                                                            Participants had the opportunity to join roundtable discussions to share success stories, resources and tools; discuss barriers to engagement and to brainstorm solutions. This report provides an overview of the session and offers a compilation of the key findings and outcomes produced through the discussion. You can find a full copy of the report on the OACFDC website at http://bit.ly/1D5MavM

Harper Government Invests in Regional Diversification in Picton The Harper Government is providing a $5 million contribution to the Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC) for a pilot project to establish a $10 million early-stage venture capital fund. The federal contribution is also leveraging $5 million from First Stone Venture Partners through a partnership agreement to establish the first rural-based venture capital fund. View the full press release from the Government of Canada at http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=960099 Angela Miller, Board Chair, PELA CFDC; Mauro Lollo, President, First Stone Venture Partners; The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario; Daryl Kramp, Prince Edward-Hastings MP; Craig Desjardins, Executive Director, PELA CFDC

“Tourism Industries in Canada” report The Small Business Branch of Industry Canada has just published the SME Profile: Tourism Industries in Canada (March 2015). The report profiles Canadian SMEs in tourism industries using data from the 2011 Survey on Financing and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises. It highlights the distinguishing features of SMEs in tourism industries compared to SMEs in other industries by examining differences in business and owner characteristics, financing characteristics, revenue growth, levels of innovation, and financial performance.                                  The report findings showed that SMEs in tourism industries experienced more difficulty obtaining financing from domestic chartered banks—the main providers of external financing to SMEs—than other SMEs.                                         Debt financing is the most common type of financing sought by both tourism and other SMEs. However, both groups experience more difficulty obtaining this type of financing than other types of financing that are less risky. You can access the full report at http://bit.ly/1H8ka2e

Recruitment for the Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee Recruitment for a new Chair and new members for the Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee/Standards Development Committee is currently underway. Please apply online through the Public Appointments Secretariat’s website: www.pas.gov.on.ca/scripts/en/advertPositions.asp For specific questions about the Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee/Standards Development Committee, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

REMINDER           Invoices for OACFDC membership and associate membership renewals were distributed last month.            If you did not receive yours, please email Denise at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New CF “Window Decal” program launches across Ontario The initiative is designed to put local economic development front and centre in 2015. From the north to the south of the province, the new decal and its tagline, ‘Proud Supporter of Local Economic Development,’ identifies businesses and partners contributing to the success of the community. These window-cling decals can be placed on business doors and windows as well as on your car’s rear window. They will be mailed out with your membership kits Show your CF pride!

Salary Survey The annual Salary Survey of CFDC managers and staff will be available soon. Managers will be asked to input information on 2014 salaries.  We need everyone’s participation to make the survey results valid.              A “manager’s level” password is needed to enter the area on the OACFDC website to input the survey information.  The survey results offer valuable information for budgeting and business planning. Everyone who finishes the survey before 12:00 noon on Friday, June 20 will have their name entered in a draw to win free registration and accommodation for two nights at the 2015 conference at Casino Rama September 14-16 (valued at $800). Be assured that we cannot see the data you have entered- it is blended with all the other data to ensure an individual’s privacy. But we do have access to a list of names of those CFDCs which have responded, which we throw into a hat to draw a winner!

DON'T FORGET!! Do you have new staff or volunteers? Don’t forget to send us your updated staff and volunteer email addresses so that we can add them to our communications distribution lists. We will also sign them up to access the OACFDC website which has many resources available to members. Also make sure to “Like” and Share the OACFDC Facebook page and follow our Twitter feed to keep up to date on events, resources and news. Don’t forget to keep checking our online OACFDC calendar at http://www.oacfdc.com/view-calendar-2 We are continually adding events/workshops/webinars which are all great resources for staff and volunteers. If you have an event you would like us to post, please send it along to Brenda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.