Please download and print the August 2015 newsletter to include in your board packages. 

The_Update-_August_2015.pdf

September 14-16, Casino Rama

FINAL NOTICE!

There is still time to register for this year’s conference!  We have a great line-up of workshops and networking opportunities.  

• Rates: Member $640 / Non-Member $740
• Rates include opening reception, 6 meals, 4 refreshment breaks, keynote speakers, plenaries, and workshops.

Register online at  www.oacfdc.com

If you are still looking for a room, please contact the hotel directly at:

• Casino Rama- phone 1-800-832-7529
• The Days Inn, Orillia which is 1km away -1-705-326-8288
• The Best Western Orillia which is 8kms away- 705-325-6505

On Monday night our conference hosts, the Orillia and Area CFDC will be welcoming everyone to the Host Night Dinner which will feature First Nations’ inspired cuisine at various marché style food stations.

Back by popular demand is the Ignite session; we have five presentations, each with 20 slides in their PowerPoint, and only 20 seconds per slide to speak.  That’s just over 6 ½ minutes to get their message across- they have to be quick!

It will be up to all those attending to vote using our Audience Response System, where those in attendance will have clickers (similar to a TV remote), everyone can respond to questions and select the Ignite winner.  The system tabulates the results, which will appear on the big screen.   

We are offering two great mobile workshops in addition to the vast array of concurrent sessions including two CFLI Board training workshops. 

The Awards Gala (on Tuesday the 15th) is your chance to dress up and enjoy a delicious dinner and celebrate the successes of your colleagues (or maybe even your own!).

This year we will be awarding trophies to an Entrepreneur of the Year, as well as two Awards of Excellence to deserving CFDC offices. Our Members’ Choice Award winner won with a 30% of the vote.

Our annual Ceremonial Passing of the Blanket will include an announcement as to where our 2016 annual conference will be held (here’s a hint- we are heading …North!)          

Our two great keynote speakers will be sure to inspire and entertain.

Opening keynote, Lauren Friese will share how members of Generation Y, also known as millennials are impacting the workforce as well as the potential they can bring to your offices.

Closing keynote, Janet Podleski will share the personal account of her and her sister’s often hilarious, against-all-odds personal success story that illustrates the awesome power of passion and perseverance. There will even be autographed copies of the Looney Spoons cookbooks for sale after her presentation.

 Hope to see you in beautiful Orillia! 

The CDC of Sault Ste. Marie & Area announces that Dan Friyia has joined their organization as their new Executive Director.  Dan will be replacing Brian Irwin who recently retired after providing many years of excellent service. 

Dan joins the CDC with a wealth of experience in the field of Community Economic and Business Development.  For the past 24 years Dan was working at the Superior East Community Futures Corporation centered in Wawa as their General Manager.  “I am excited to join the CDC team as they already have an excellent staff in place and a strong Board of Directors to provide guidance and insight into community issues.  I also look forward to working with the business community and other stakeholders in building a stronger economy for Sault Ste. Marie & Area.”

"Pro golpher Dan Friyia shredding the course wearing his lucky golf hat." 

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The Grand Erie Business Centre announces that Michael Peace has been hired as their new General Manager.

Michael Peace was previously a Regional Business Development Manager with Futurpreneur Canada (formally the Canadian Youth Business Foundation) helping over 80 entrepreneurs launch new enterprises in West GTA and SW Ontario. Previous to joining Futurpreneur Michael was part of the founding team that launched Dx3, Canada’s largest tradeshow and conference dedicated to digital advertising and marketing. 

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The Community Futures Network of Canada  (CFNC) announces the hiring of Annie Girard as the new CFNC Coordinator.

Originally from Quebec’s Beauce region, Annie   has earned a solid reputation as a builder and leader in the Canadian business and economic development community. Now living in Ottawa, she acts as a consultant in economic development, marketing and management, helping organizations to achieve their objectives. Annie is committed to the vitality and development of Canadian communities, particularly in rural areas, and is eager to start working with the national network and the new board of directors.

Has your office ever received calls by someone who asks you to provide your copy machine’s serial or model number for warranty purposes? If you are new to an office setting, you may not be familiar with the concept of “toner-phoner” scam artists that have been swindling companies since the 1970’s. One of the first questions a toner-phone may ask is the name of the employee in charge of major purchases at the company. When they know who the purchasing officer is, they can include their name on the invoice to make the transaction look authentic with the hopes the organization will approve and pay without question. They may or may not actually send items and weeks later you receive an invoice for items you did not order or perhaps did not receive. 

Here are some steps that you can take to avoid this situation:

1.          Educate staff not to give information other than to approved vendors.

2.          Refuse any delivery that is not from your usual vendor and instruct any other people who are in charge of receiving to contact you first.

3.          Take immediate action against any transaction you suspect is a scam - mark the package ‘return to sender’ and send a letter directly to the company in question. If you still see no positive results, make a certified complaint to the Better Business Bureau.

     Certificate in Local Government: Community Economic Development (CLGCED)

Dalhousie’s College of Continuing Education is offering an online certificate program which is intended for local government administrators, community economic development professionals and community practitioners. This program will be offered in September of 2015 as well as in the spring of 2016.  Registration is now open.

Full details can be found at http://www.dal.ca/faculty/cce/programs/local-government-and-public-sector/certificate-programs/certificate-in-local-government--community-economic-development.html

For information, please contact Shelby Lang, Program Manager of Continuing Education at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phoning (902) 494-7459.

Courses taken for this and other certificates through the local government program can be counted towards the educational component of certification offered through the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC).

        IEDC Course: Entrepreneurial & Small Business Development Strategies

This multi-faceted, Canadian-focused 2 day course explores the core aspects of entrepreneurial and small business development including value-add partnerships, technical assistance programs, financing, business incubation and more.

November 5 - 6, 2015, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, OITC Toronto, Ontario

$493.00 - EDCO Members         $695.00 - Non Members

Full details can be found at http://www.edco.on.ca/events/iedc-course-entrepreneurial-small-business-development-strategies

This course meets the professional development requirements for the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) exam. CEcDs earn recertification credits for participation.

       Professional Credit Granting School (PCG) Lending Courses

The Fall PCG School offers 5 live-in courses in a personal and commercial lending: Advanced Retail Lending, Introduction to Residential Mortgages, Advanced Mortgage Lending Strategies, Introduction to Commercial Lending and Advanced Commercial Lending. 

These courses will take place from November 23^rd- 25^th, 2015 at the Kingbridge Conference Centre in King City, Ontario.

Full details can be found at http://www.levelfive.ca/event-fall-pcg-school

  Essentials of Entrepreneurial Client Management

This online workshop will give you proven approaches and tools for working with entrepreneurs. You will apply the Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Cycle that will allow you to see and adapt to the conflicting expectations of stakeholders. You will see improved outcomes with your individual clients through advanced listening and questioning skills.

You will also have lots of opportunities to talk face-to-face with peers across Canada.

Date September 10^th, 2015. Full details can be found at   http://www.acadiaentrepreneurshipcentre.com/training/essentials-of-entrepreneurial-client-management

On Thursday July 23rd, our web developer presented a webinar on “Using the Forums on the OACFDC website”.  There were some technical challenges and the audio in some parts of the presentation were lost.

The presentation has been re-recorded and has been placed on our website along with a document containing step by step instructions for using the forums. You will need to be logged into our website to view these items or to access the forums.

They are found in the Support Section of our website under the “How Do I ?” subsection.  http://www.oacfdc.com/support-3 . You must be logged onto our site to view these items.

If you have any questions concerning the forums or the presentations, please email Laura Rey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Do you have staff or board changes? Retirements, new hires or new 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.