July 23, 2009

While there are many fine artisans and craftspeople in Eastern Ontario, getting their art to the buyers has remained a challenge – until a special project of the Haliburton County Development Corporation.  Recognizing the arts as a significant contributor to the economy, Haliburton’s Jim Blake developed a proposal to help artists and artisans become market-ready.

It was this community economic development project that attracted the judges’ attention after Haliburton County Development Corporation (HCDC) was nominated for a Community Futures Development Corporation Achievement Award.  HCDC won the prestigious award at the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporation`s Annual General Meeting, held recently at Blue Mountain.  The Ontario organization met as part of the Community Futures National Event 2009, where Ontario hosted nearly 800 delegates involved in rural economic development across Canada.

“We are very proud of work in community planning and development, and working with Eastern Ontario’s artists was a very rewarding project,” says Manager Andy Campbell.

Working with 15 Community Futures Development Corporations in Eastern Ontario, Haliburton County Development Corporation created the Eastern Ontario Artists Marketplace at Toronto’s “One-of-a-kind” art show.  Promotional material was developed, and a workshop on “How to prepare for and sell products at a major show” was held.  A glossy map of the region was given to each shopper at the “One-of-a-Kind” show, encouraging travellers to come to Eastern Ontario to visit studios and other cultural attractions.  With its strong record of community development and loans to small business, Haliburton County Development Corporation was a strong candidate for the award.  “The HCDC has a solid track record in what they have been offering their community.  We were very pleased when they won the Achievement Award,” says Diana Jedig, Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

The Haliburton County Development Corporation has:
- Disbursed over 1100 loans totalling $35 Million dollars and influenced 3,222 jobs
- Averaging over $2.5 Million in loans that influence an average of 250 jobs per year
- Funded over 162 Community Economic Development Projects totaling $401,118 
- Injected $1.7 Million to 179 initiatives from the Eastern Ontario Development Fund Program
Community Economic Development Coordinator Jim Blake accepted the award on behalf of his Community Futures Development Corporation.

For more information on the Haliburton County Development Corporation, contact: 

Andy Campbell
General Manager
Haliburton County Development Corporation
705-457-3555 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information on the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations, contact: 
Mary Alderson:  519-633-2326 ext.124, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.