Apr 07, 2011


The Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation held their annual business breakfast at the Verona Lions Hall to celebrate the successes of local businesses, many of which have benefited from the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP). The EODP is an economic development initiative aimed at addressing the socio-economic challenges in rural eastern Ontario.

According to Anne Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, a total of 75 EODP projects have helped local businesses to grow in this past year alone.

The program, which began in 2006, has made available $10 million a year to rural eastern Ontario businesses by offering a number of programs, including skills development, youth internships, access to capital, and business planning. Since the FCFDC's inception in 2004, local businesses have tapped into $4,798,000 for various EOPD projects. Since the beginning of the FCDFC's fiscal year on July 1, 2010, local area businesses have received $710,000 in funding programs, which has helped to create 37 new jobs while maintaining another 63. Beneficiaries of this past year’s EODP programs included the County of Frontenac, which was able to hire three youth interns.

In skills development projects, Northern Connections of Sharbot Lake and the Eastern Ontario Forest Group were able to receive skills training. Under business planning the Frontenac Farmers Market, Wintergreen Studios, the RKY Camp in Parham and the Land O'Lakes Tourist Association were able to develop their business plans. Other businesses that benefited from other local initiative projects included the National Farmers’ Union's Open Barns Tour, the Bellrock Community Hall Association, the Verona Lions and the Verona Cattail Festival, the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere and the Sharbot Lake Legion.

The EODP also helped to fund the new library in Sydenham; Oaisys Medical, a business that specializes in medical imaging; and Hammer This Home, a home renovation business in Harrowsmith.

While the breakfast celebrated this past year’s successes, the question of future EOPD funding remains up in the air. An announcement was made on in May 2009 by the Minister of Industry, Tony Clement, for a two-year investment in the EODP totaling $20 million, but that commitment remains up in the air for the 2011/2012 fiscal year due to the stalling of the federal budget as a result of the upcoming election. This comes at a bad time for local businesses looking for student interns, skills training and generally making plans to expand their businesses with renovations, since funding may not be available now until October.

While the FCFDC is no longer receiving applications for EODP-funded programs, their regular business counseling and lending services are still available to area businesses.

Anne Prichard is optimistic that the EOPD funding will eventually come through. “It is in the budget for another two years at $10 million a year, so it is just a waiting game now but that being said it comes at a bad time for businesses looking to expand in any number of ways.”

In the meantime, Anne is encouraging local businesses to continue to use the services at the FCFDC, and for those who have EOPD projects in mind, she recommends that they have their applications ready to submit should the funding go through any time soon. 

 

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