Community Futures Grenville Celebrates 35 Years Supporting Local Business

South Grenville – Thirty-five years ago, in 1990, Community Futures Grenville (CF Grenville) first opened its doors to begin offering business and community economic development programs in Grenville County.

On Friday, staff, directors, volunteers, business owners and community partners gathered in Maitland to mark this special anniversary. The celebration was two-fold: celebrating the impact of the last three and a half decades of work, while committing to new initiatives to build a strong, prosperous and sustainable future for our community.

In celebration of many years of success, four deserving businesses received one-time CF Grenville Business Lifetime Achievement Awards. The recipients were:

B&H Your Community Grocer

Beach Equipment & Hardware

Measurements International Limited

More than Just Babysitting Child Care Centre Inc.

Ever forward-looking, the organization also launched several new initiatives this year to respond to emerging community
needs:

• Leeds Grenville’s Greatest Entrepreneur, a “Dragon’s Den” style business competition where local entrepreneurs will compete at a high-energy gala for $10,000 cash and $10,000 in prizes to launch their dream business initiative (in partnership with 1000 Islands CDC. Applicants are invited to apply by October 17, 2025, at 12 noon. www.lggreatestentrepreneur.ca
• EcoFutures Loan, offering preferential rates and flexible terms for business projects that support Canada’s climate target goals, launched at the inaugural Sustainable Business Summit co-hosted with the North Grenville Mayor’s Taskforce for Clean Technology on June 26, 2025.
• Medical Practitioner Recruitment Loan, also offered by 1000 Islands CDC and Valley Heartland CFDC, is available to medical doctors or nurse practitioners seeking to establish a practice locally.
• Futures Grant: investing in five (5) deserving projects that will create a legacy in our community:
  • Nature Education at Kemptville Campus
  • Community Garden, Township of Augusta
  •  Mino-jichaag-mtigwaaki (Good Spirit Forest) Garden Expansion, Municipality of North Grenville
  • Elevator Installation, Spencerville Mill Foundation
  • Community Mural, Old Town Kemptville Business Improvement Area

Over the last 35 years of delivering the flagship Community Futures Program and many other initiatives, CF Grenville has disbursed loans totalling over $44 million to 862 businesses and invested $8.4 million in non-repayable partnership funding. Together, these investments have attracted an additional $208million in funding from other sources, supporting 5400 jobs.

CF Grenville is one of 36 organizations in southern Ontario delivering the Community Futures Program. This is a community-driven economic development initiative designed to assist communities in Canada’s rural areas in developing and implementing strategies for dealing with a changing economic environment. This program is funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

“Congratulations to this year’s Business Lifetime Achievement Award recipients and congratulations to Community Futures Grenville on 35 years of supporting local businesses in the region,” said the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). “Through the Community Futures Program, our government is proud to support businesses like yours that remind us why investing in rural entrepreneurship matters.”

Heather Lawless, who led the organization as its Executive Director from 1995-2021, gave a keynote address, highlighting the many ways CF Grenville has provided leadership and support to local businesses and communities over the years and grown into a cherished community asset. Community Futures Grenville marked the departure of Mitch Bloom and Norie Spence from the Board of Directors, who had both completed their terms, and welcomed two new Directors: Cathy Sheppard and Mariam Hussain.

“Serving as Director and Chair of Community Futures Grenville and Community Futures Ontario, I have become a stalwart champion for this program in rural communities,” said Mitch Bloom, outgoing chair. “Locally, regionally, provincially and nationally, Community Futures organizations have been impactful and responsive, year after year. I look forward to the next 35 years of visionary community support.”

Quick Facts;

• The Community Futures Program is a longstanding national program offering community-driven economic development in Canada’s rural areas. There are 267 Community Futures organizations across Canada.